Welcome to Chapter Five of Evening Falls! Again, THANK YOU all so much for the great reviews! They are so much appreciated and inspire me greatly.

And you all know that Twilight, its characters and storylines all belong to the fantastic and way cooler than me Stephenie Meyers. Elisa, however, is all mine.

Chapter Five of Evening Falls

Forever

'Lose your way

and I will follow...'

Elisa:

"Elisa, stop biting your nails!"

Rosalie's sharp voice broke into my thoughts, turning me away from the dining room window. Guiltily, I put my hand down, but evidence of my newly acquired, post-untimely death habit was clear in my jagged, uneven fingernails. Rosalie's eyes followed my gaze and she shook her head.

"They're a mess. I'll have to give you a manicure soon, if you leave me any nails to work with." She frowned at me. "What are you moping about, anyway?"

"Not upset that Rosalie buried us, are you, kid?" Emmett asked before I could answer. He was standing at the dining room table, putting the final pieces of the Monopoly game back in the box. "Gotta get used to that...my Rose doesn't like to lose."

"No, it's not that." I turned back to the window, looking towards the trees. "I'm worried about Bella and Edward." I sighed heavily. "I never should have opened my big mouth."

Of course they knew what I was talking about without even having to ask. Like Alice had told me, there was no such thing as secrets in a houseful of vampires.

"Come on, Elisa, it's no big deal." Emmett followed my gaze to where we'd seen Edward and Bella disappear over twenty minutes ago, both of them looking tense. "After all they've been through, it would take more than one little fight to mess things up for them."

"Fight? FIGHT?" My voice was panicky now. "I thought they were just going to talk!"

Rosalie tossed Emmett a sharp look and then rolled her eyes at me. "Elisa, are you always this overdramatic?" She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

I bit my lip. "Generally...um, yes." I admitted.

"Well, stop it. It's annoying." Though Rosalie's words were pointed, her smile gave her away. "And by the way, you did the right thing. Bella needed to hear what you told her."

I was a little surprised at that, especially since part of what I'd told Bella was how I understood why she was planning to become a vampire. I had been pretty sure that Rosalie would disapprove of that part of the conversation. I opened my mouth to ask her to explain further what she meant, but then changed my mind. Things had thawed heavily between us in the last twenty-four hours, but she was still a little intimidating, and I didn't feel like reminding her about how wildly our opinions on Bella's future plans varied.

"So what do you want to do now, kid?" Emmett asked me, coming to stand beside me.

"I don't know." I murmured absentmindedly, and then frowned. "Are Carlisle and Esme still upstairs? They've been in his study for hours. Is everything OK?"

"Of course." Emmett grinned at me. "They're just making plans. You know we're leaving right after the wedding but they still gotta figure out where we're going to go, now that Alaska with Edward and Bella is out."

I felt a wave of familiar guilt as I thought about that, but fought it down impatiently as I considered what he had said. It was so weird to think of Forks without the Cullens. It did make me feel bad that my being there had changed so much for them...because it was too dangerous for me to be around Bella when she was a raging newborn, they were splitting up. I already knew enough about their plans to understand the basics. Immediately after the wedding, we were leaving. Edward and Bella would stay behind at the house for a few days, to have some privacy, then travel to wherever we were so that Carlisle could join them. He'd accompany them to Alaska, to oversee Bella's change just in case, then rejoin us in a few weeks.

Once they left though, it could be years before I saw Edward and Bella again. Just thinking about that brought a lump to my throat and made my eyes burn, but I fought the tears back as well. I'd cried enough in the past few weeks...I didn't need to fall apart again.

To keep myself from lingering on the upcoming separation, I sat back down at the table, looking up at Rosalie and Emmett expectantly. "Any idea at all where we're going?" I asked curiously.

Emmett shrugged. "Not really, but I can guarantee you it will be somewhere gloomy."

I thought about the myriad of possibilities for a moment and then brightened. "London?" I asked hopefully. "I've always wanted to live in England..." My voice trailed off as I thought about that. Hmmm, maybe not. With my crazy luck, the first time I went to King's Cross Station I'd stumble, hit my head, and wake up at Hogwarts. Just imagine all the trouble I could cause with a wand...

"I think Carlisle is pretty much over London." Emmett replied with a grin, almost as if he could read my mind as well. "Maybe Ireland though...who knows?"

That question was answered quickly as suddenly Alice appeared in the doorway, a slightly smug smile curving her lips. "I do." She said brightly. "We're having a family meeting - they've decided." She glided into the dining room, taking a seat across the table from me. Jasper was right behind her, taking the seat next to her.

"Are you going to clue us in, Alice?" Rosalie raised her eyebrows as she and Emmett sat down as well.

Alice's grin became even more smug. "Nope. They're on their way down though...you can wait a few more seconds."

Rosalie's eyes narrowed, but before she could say anything else Carlise and Esme were there, not seeming surprised in the least to see us already gathered and awaiting them. "Thank you, Alice." Carlisle smiled at her as he took his seat at the head of the table, Esme on his right. "I suppose you all know what this is about."

Emmett shifted in his seat, looking restless. "OK, enough with the big build-up. Where are we going?'

Carlisle and Esme exchanged smiles, then both looked at me at the same time, waiting for my reaction. "North...much further north. We're moving toCanada."

Bella:

I barely noticed the rush of the wind around me, the trees flying by, as I clung to Edward's back as he ran. My mind was far away, busy, trying to prepare for the sure to be intense discussion we were about to have. I sighed as I thought about it. I should have realized earlier that we hadn't really resolved this, but I'd stubbornly buried my head in the sand, telling myself it was all going to be OK, and now my denial was coming back to bite me. Despite myself, my lips twitched at my own choice of words, but then my almost smile fell apart as I remembered that if Edward had his way, denial was the only thing that would ever bite me.

Edward was slowing now, and I looked ahead to see the the trees give way to the clearing...our meadow lay directly ahead. Despite my nervousness, I felt some of my trepidation ease as I slid off his back and we walked hand in hand to the place that would always have so much meaning for us, no matter how much time passed, no matter how far away we wandered. It was beautiful here again today, as usual. There hadn't been enough sun or heat this summer to kill off the late spring wildflowers, and they still sprouted throughout the grass, dotting the landscape with color. Rays of sunlight was still breaking through the cloud cover, and I led him to a spot where one lit the ground, hoping it would be a bit warmer there.

We were silent for several minutes, sitting on the ground. I leaned back into Edward's arms, resting my back and head against his hard chest as he played with a few strands of my hair. He was clearly as reluctant to start this conversation as I was. I waited for a while, just to see if he'd get tired of waiting and break the silence first, but he'd learned patience in his many years on this earth. I sighed. What I was about to say was going to hurt him and make this a very difficult afternoon for both of us, but I couldn't hold back. Not today. Not when our whole future was riding on us getting everything out into the open.

I straightened up, turning in his arms so that I could look into his face, and took a deep breath.

"Are you leaving me again, Edward?"

Whatever he'd been expecting me to say, it wasn't that. My heart tore a bit as I watched the pain twist his face, his eyes staring at me in shock.

"How can you even think that?" His voice was strangled.

I wanted to take the words back, stroke his face and assure him that I hadn't thought it at all, that it was just a careless slip of the tongue, but I couldn't. Reminding myself of my promise to be completely honest, to get it all out, I plunged forward.

"Because that's what this feels like to me. I thought we'd made our decisions, that you were done with going behind my back, trying to do what you think is right for me, but I was wrong. So answer the question, please. Are you having doubts enough that you've decided that a future with you isn't right for me? Is that what this is about?"

"NO!" The word burst forth. "Bella, I want to marry you. I want to be with you always. I will never leave you again...you have to believe that!" He pulled me back towards him, taking my face in his hands. "Please tell me you believe me!"

I smiled more easily now, the bands that had constricted my heart the past few minutes loosening their grip. For a moment our eyes locked together, then I nodded. "I believe you. I guess I just needed to hear it again." Reaching out, I touched his face, wanting the pain in his eyes to disappear. "I want to be with you always too. I just wish you weren't trying so hard to make sure that our 'always' has an expiration date."

Edward's eyes had cleared for a moment, but now they clouded again. "Bella, you have to understand - "

I put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "I do understand. I meant it when I said I wasn't angry with you. I know that you believe you're doing the right thing, because you believe so much that you're condemning me to losing my humanity, maybe even my soul. Isn't that what this is about?"

He had stiffened for a minute, and now he nodded slowly. "I know you think you've made your decision, Bella, but I had to try. I don't want you to be damned. I don't want you to lose anything. I don't want you to ever have any regrets."

Now my temper was beginning to rise a bit. I had to take a deep breath before I said something I'd be sorry for, choosing my words carefully before I spoke. "And you're really so sure that I don't understand what I'm doing? That I haven't thought this out? Edward, at some point you have to give me a little credit here. You can't read my mind, so stop assuming that you know what I have and have not considered. I know exactly what I'm giving up. My parents, my human future, children, growing old,...and if you don't think that I understand how precious those things are then you've seriously underestimated me. What you don't understand is that I want you and I want eternity to spend at your side more. I don't ever want to have to be without you, Edward...it would make everything else meaningless. Everything."

"And your soul, Bella?" Edward's voice was a whisper now as he stared down at me. "Would it make that meaningless too?"

I stared back at him, reading every nuance of his perfectly sculpted face, from the slight, downward turn of his mouth to the shadows under his eyes. Then I lifted my gaze to his eyes, examining the haunted look in them, the look that I'd hoped my words would have chased away by now. What more could I do? What could I say to make this right for both of us?

As I sat there, watching the emotions play across his face, I felt the squeeze on my heart begin once more. No, it wasn't just being squeezed...it felt like it was dying. The breath was being forced out of my chest, and I had to grip his hand tightly to keep from gasping for air. Something was occurring to me now, something that I had never seriously considered before, something that was ripping me in half.

Something that I had to do...for him.

"You really believe it, don't you, that because of you I'll be damned forever?" I turned away so he couldn't see the tears filling my eyes.

"I don't know." His voice was just a whisper now, barely audible to my ears. "I just know that if there's even a chance, I'll never forgive myself."

I closed my eyes at those words, and the tears spilled out from under the tightly shut lids. It was a moment before I could trust myself to speak without sobbing. "OK then. I guess that decides it." My voice was hoarse, and abruptly Edward turned me around, staring in horror at the tears on my face.

"Don't cry, Bella, please! I don't understand what you're saying. Decides what?" His voice was anxious as his cool fingers wiped the moisture from my skin.

I inhaled deeply, and then looked back up at him. "Edward, no matter what you say, I know you have a soul. I'm not hoping, or guessing...I know. I feel it...I've felt it from the moment I first saw you. It's so bright that it drew me in and bound me to you, like nothing I've ever, ever felt before. And because I know that, I can't do this to you."

"Do what to me?" He was still staring at me, his jaw set tightly, his eyes alternately confused and frightened.

I shook my head, unable to keep looking at his face, knowing if I did I would break down. "I won't condemn you, Edward. I won't force you to do something you believe so strongly is wrong, no matter how much I disagree. I won't put that on your soul. I can't have you going through eternity with regrets either."

Edward's eyes were impatient now, and he opened his mouth to demand more of an explanation, but I held up a hand to stop the question. "I've decided." I couldn't stop the fresh onslaught of tears now. "I'm staying human."

"What?" Edward's face was absolutely stunned. "What are you talking about, Bella? You've changed your mind? I thought this was what you wanted!"

"It is." I wiped my face, but the tears would not stop coming. "More than anything. But it's not what you want, and I meant what I said. I won't do that to you. I've told you before, your soul is too important for me to take chances with. So there's no other option. You can't make me leave you regardless. I will marry you, and I will spend the rest of my life with you. I'll age, if I make it that long, and I'll die, with you at my side, if that's the only way you'll have peace. But you have to promise me something, Edward." I turned towards him again, my face determined.

"What?" His voice was still a shocked whisper.

I took his hands in mine and held them as tightly as I could. "You have to promise me that you won't come after me when I die. Suicide's a sin too, after all." I managed a shaky smile, but obviously it looked as fake as it felt because his expression didn't lighten at all. "I won't be responsible for your death...I can't carry that on my conscience. Not again."

His eyes were hollow now. "I can't promise that, Bella. Wherever you go, I will follow."

"Edward, please!" I let go of his hands, then drew up my knees, pressing my face into the denim of my jeans, knowing that he could still hear my sobs even if he could no longer see my expression. "Please, I'm begging you! How can I go through life knowing that every day I have left is a day that brings you closer to your own death? You're not meant to die, Edward. Destiny has seen to that."

"Bella..." His voice was agonized.

He didn't finish his sentence and for a long time, we just sat there, my sobs finally slowing and then stopping. When I finally felt I had myself under control enough, I wiped my eyes, and lifted my face to his. He was staring at me with so much pain in his face that it almost set me off again.

"Please don't look at me like that, Edward." I whispered. "I thought you would be relieved. What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking..." His voice faltered for a moment, then began again. "I'm thinking of what it would be like to have to live without you again. And I'm thinking...that I can't."

"Edward." I clenched my teeth together. "I'm staying mortal for you, because you didn't want to condemn me, so don't. Don't put your life in my hands...it's not fair."

Abruptly, he stood up, and then stared across the meadow, his back to me. I stood too, standing behind him, waiting. For another endless moment he was quiet, then the words he spoke were so quiet, and so not what I expected to hear from him, that it took me a moment to register them.

"I don't want you to stay mortal."

I wondered if I had imagined it. "What?"

He turned to me now, and his expression was set, determined. "I'm thinking that maybe it's time I had faith in someone other than myself."

I was instantly confused. "I don't understand what you mean."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, then crossed the foot between us. "Do you really believe I have a soul, Bella? That I'm not damned? That if I turn you, you won't be damned either? Do you truly, honestly believe that?"

My head was spinning now, my heart pounding. "Yes. I absolutely believe that."

"OK." To my immense surprise, his mouth twitched into a smile.

"OK? OK? Edward, tell me what you're talking about!"

"I'm talking about you and me, together. Always." His eyes were smoldering once more now as they blazed into mine, and for several seconds I forgot how to breathe. "I'm saying that I believe in you, and no matter what I said, or what I tried to do, I've always wanted you to be with me for all of eternity. I tried to deny it, but now that I have a choice, now that I've pushed you far enough into a corner that you're willing to give up immortality for me, I have to confess that I'm too selfish to let you."

He waited a moment for my response but I couldn't form words. He just couldn't be saying what I thought he was saying...there was no way. I was dreaming again...I had to be. This was just too perfect to be real.

"Bella, please say something." Edward put his hands on my shoulder, tilting my chin up to face him.

"Are you serious?" I blurted out. "Do you mean it, Edward? Can you change me without regrets, without always feeling like you should have done more to keep me human? Can you really believe that it won't damn either one of us?"

He hesitated for just a moment, but the smile, covering up the deeper emotion, stayed on his face. "I can't promise to do a complete 180 right away. I began to lose my faith when I was lying in the hospital during my last few human days, hearing my mother despair over my father and than me, listening to other parents weeping over the tiny bodies of their children, seeing whole families destroyed. When I woke, found out I'd survived it all only to become a monster, that took the last vestiges of hope I had away. But I meant what I said. Everything is different now. I've discovered more reason and rhyme in this universe than I'd ever thought possible. I believe in you and I am willing to believe that we were led together for a reason, not just to lose each other again. So what do you say, Bella? Will you stay with me? Forever?"

It was another long, intense moment before I could force my numb mouth to open. Finally, as I looked into his face, seeing the darkness gone, nothing but hope, light, and love left, the word that I needed to say finally bubbled to the surface.

"Yes, Edward. Forever."

Edward:

It is a never ending surprise to me, despite my excessive number of years, how quickly life can change. One second you know who you are, where you're going, who you'll be with on the way, and then fate steps in, everything you know collapses, and your world has to be rebuilt from the ground up. It had happened to me before, more than once. The first time was when my parents died, and I became a vampire. The second time was when I met Bella, as much as I'd tried to deny what an eternity altering effect she was going to have on my entire existence. When I did finally come to terms with it, I also realized that rebuilding wasn't always such a bad thing. Sometimes it was actually a wholly undeserved gift.

And now I was feeling it all over again now, as I sat with Bella wrapped in my arms, in our meadow. The future stretched endlessly before us, and finally, it didn't seem a never ending black chasm that I would simply have to endure. It was full of promise and endless possibilities. How odd that an hour earlier I would have said this wasn't what I wanted. When I had perfected the art of lying to myself so completely? How had I managed to fool myself into thinking I could ever let Bella go again, whether it was to Jacob Black or even to natural death in sixty or seventy years? Thank heaven God seemed to smile on fools. Maybe I had been forgiven after all.

"I never thought this was how this conversation was going to turn out." Bella murmured as she rested her head against my shoulder, echoing my thoughts. "Of course, I hadn't really planned on offering to give up immortality either, but once I did...I was so sure you'd take me up on it."

"Believe me, I'm staggered myself." I smiled ruefully as I stared up at the sky. At Bella's look of alarm I tightened my arms around her. "But not sorry...not in the least."

"Good." Bella relaxed against me once more.

"I'm sorry I went behind your back." I said into her hair as I pressed my face against her. "I shouldn't have done that, and I shouldn't have involved Elisa. Not that she was too willing to cooperate with me, regardless."

Bella chuckled. "See, not all of us humans are complete pushovers, ready to fall at your feet at a single glance." Suddenly, she hesitated, looking at me as if considering something, then spoke again. "Speaking of Elisa..."

I raised my eyebrows. "What about her?"

Bella was smiling now, but her expression was half-amused, half-embarrassed. "Edward, have you ever noticed - well, how she looks at you sometimes? I think she's got...well, a bit of a crush on you."

"Oh, that." I rolled my eyes, wondering why she was so nervous over such a trivial thing. "Please don't mention it to her. She'd be utterly humiliated."

Bella gasped lightly. "You knew?" Then she laughed. "Of course you did. Poor Elisa...must be awful to have those feelings and not even be able to hide them." Her face turned serious again, and for a moment I watched her in confusion, wondering why she was looking at me like that, until it clicked.

I groaned. "Bella, you can't honestly be jealous of Elisa, can you?"

The blush bloomed immediately on her face. "Well, I...why not?" She crossed her arms defensively across her chest. "What's wrong with Elisa, anyway?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "I'll never understand you, Bella. First, you worry that I might return her childish and very temporary infatuation, the next you act offended when I make it clear that I don't. There's nothing wrong with Elisa. She's sweet, funny, and immensely good hearted. She's also fifteen...a very young fifteen, and on occasion one of the most annoying creatures I've ever come across. Most of all, she's not you. I assure you, any feelings I will ever have for her are entirely fraternal."

After a moment of searching my face, Bella chuckled reluctantly. "I knew that, really. It's just...jealousy is not always rational."

I smiled as she snuggled once again into my arms. How well I had learned that lesson myself.

"Speaking of Elisa again..." Bella was talking once more. "You did eavesdrop on that conversation we had back at the house, didn't you?"

"Yes." I admitted.

"And you heard what she said, about not letting go of my parents?" Bella's fingers idly traced the faint lines of my palm, sending a small shiver up my spine.

"Yes." I said again, my voice more cautious now. "And I understand where she's coming from, Bella. It's a lovely concept, but just as you said to her, it's not that easy."

"No, it wouldn't be easy." Bella's voice was far away now as her thoughts drifted. "Nothing worth having ever is. I learned that the day I met you."

"Bella..." My voice was warning now.

Bella smiled sweetly back at me, and the words I had been about to say died in my throat. "All I'm asking is that you let me honor my promise to her. I want to think about it."

I sighed, defeated by a single look. "Alright." We were both quiet for a few moments, content just to sit there, our fingers entwined, lost in our own thoughts.

"What about the other things Elisa said?" I asked suddenly, and Bella looked up at me. I could see by her reluctant expression that she knew exactly what I was talking.

"You mean about taking more time." Her voice was wary now. "About waiting...about staying human longer."

"It makes sense." I squeezed her hand lightly. "This isn't a trick, Bella. I'm not changing my mind, and I'm not having any doubts, but she's right. What's five years in the face of forever?" Gently, I smoothed back a loose dark curl from her forehead. "Waiting until you're twenty-three or so won't make much of a difference. I doubt you'd even look it."

I could feel the tension in Bella's frame, but her voice was carefully calm as she replied. "Probably not."

I raised my eyebrows at her easy agreement. "So you're considering it?"

Bella sighed. She was turned away from me now, the way she always did when she didn't want me to see her expression. "No."

I sighed as well. "How about three years then? Or two, even. I'll take two, happily. Bella, please, just consider it. Just a few more years of your human existence under your belt. How horrible is that, really?"

"It's not horrible. Not at all." Bella was still turned away from me. "But I can't, Edward. I just can't wait that long."

The sudden bleak tone in her voice startled me. I reached for her, gently trying to turn her to face me, but she resisted, and I didn't force her. "I don't understand. Why not?"

"Don't ask me that." Her voice was a stark whisper now. "Just...just accept that it's part of my impatient personality and let's leave it at that. Please?"

"You're scaring me." I was unable to disguise the worry in my tone. "Bella, tell me why."

Bella exhaled deeply. The seconds turned into minutes as I waited for her response. When it came, it was little more than a whisper.

"Because it's coming back for me, Edward."

"What?" I demanded, my voice sharper than I'd intended. "What's coming back for you?"

Bella hunched over now, her arms hugging her knees to her chest, her back still turned towards me. "Death."

The venom in my veins turned to ice as I registered her words. Urgently, I grasped her shoulders, ignoring her resistance this time as I turned her to face me. "Bella, what are you talking about? What's going on?" My anxious hands caressed her face, her hair, her arms, looking for any signs of vulnerability or hurt that I'd missed. "Are you alright? Has something happened that I don't know about? Are you sick? Are - "

Bella was smiling now, just a slight lift of her lips, but the sight of it warmed me, helped me to relax. "It's nothing like that, Edward. It's just that...ever since that day with Tyler's van, the day that you saved me, it's been one thing after another. Port Angeles, James, Laurent, Victoria, the newborns...it keeps coming back, over and over again. Maybe there's a reason why I'm such a danger magnet, have you considered that? That maybe it's fated? Just as you were meant to live, perhaps I was meant to die."

"NO!" Without intending to, the word came out as a shout, and Bella flinched back. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down, then smiled at her, my hands rubbing up and down against her arms. "Bella, after everything you've been through, it's natural that you would be wary, even frightened, of what could be next. But there's nothing out there now, nothing that wants to harm you. Even if there was, do you really think I'd let anything happen to you?"

Bella smiled again, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "There's the Volturi." She pointed out. "They wouldn't be too happy about a five year plan now, would they?"

I grimaced. "I doubt they will return anytime soon. Even if they did, I can deal with them."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Don't even start that again."

"Is that it?" I felt the relief course through me as I touched her porcelain skin. "The Volturi is what's got you worried?"

Bella shrugged now. "Not specifically. If it wasn't them, it would be something else."

"Bella, you can't honestly believe that, that just because you cheated death a few times it will keep coming back until it's gotten you." I hoped my voice didn't relay the fears that were quickly returning at the sight of her stark expression.

"Really?" There was a slight tone of bitterness to her voice now. "Try telling that to Elisa."

"I see now." I smiled at her more whole-heartedly this time. "Add what happened to Elisa on top of all that's happened to you, and you have a complete recipe for paranoia." I hugged her to my chest lightly. "I understand, Bella, how you feel, why you're afraid. But you have to believe me...you weren't fated to die. I won't ever let that happen. One thing I have to ask though...if you really believe this, why did you tell me you would give up immortality? Why would you do that if you sincerely thought it would lead to your death?"

Bella looked at me steadily for a moment. "Because your soul is worth everything to me. You'd do it for me, too. I know you would."

"Oh, Bella." I held her more tightly. "You love me too much. You give me too much. I don't deserve you."

Bella scoffed loudly. "Now who's being ridiculous?"

I grinned. "You." I touched her nose lightly, and she tried to glare at me, but failed miserably as her lips curved into a much more heartfelt smile. I hesitated for a long moment, then let my voice turn serious. "But if you really feel that way, I'm not going to let you live in fear. We'll return to the original plan. If you are sure you're ready, then after the wedding, you'll be changed."

Bella snuggled closer. "It's a deal." She sounded relieved.

Suddenly she turned in my arms, moving so that her lips nearly touched my ear. "Well, perhaps not right after..." Her voice was low now, seductive, and I felt the ice in my veins flare into fire. Unable to help myself, I lowered my head, my lips burning a trail across her neck and then upwards, across her cheekbone and finally claiming her mouth. I heard her intake of breath, and then she was kissing me back fiercely. I could feel her heart pounding against her chest and I exulted in the sound.

My lips were once again trailing the curve of her collarbone when her tentative whisper reached my ears. "Um...Edward?"

Startled, I realized we were lying in the grass. One of my hands was tangled in her hair. The other had slid inside the loose collar of the white blouse she was wearing, and was curled around her soft, bare shoulder. We were pressed together so tightly that a piece of paper would not have been able to slide between us. Quickly I sat up, stunned by how much control I'd lost in the past few minutes. What kind of spell had she cast on me?

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I wasn't thinking."

Bella laughed. "I'm not sorry. I like it when you don't think." Her voice was light, teasing. "But if we stay here much longer, certain carefully laid plans of ours are going to go up in smoke. Not that I'd mind so much..." Her voice trailed off.

I wouldn't mind either...not in the least. I struggled with myself for a moment, resisting the urge to fling myself at her, promises and plans be damned. "I suppose we should go." I looked up at the sky, gauging how much time had passed. "Though it's a little late to take Charlie out to lunch now, it looks like."

"True." Bella agreed, then she smiled at me again. "It is too late for lunch. But for dinner, we'd be positively early."

I grinned back at her as I got to my feet, then pulled her up as well. "To the police station, then?"

"To the police station." She agreed.

And with that we were off, together, as we were always meant to be.

Elisa:

St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. I pondered my future hometown as I sat at the kitchen counter, trying to force myself to finish the oatmeal that Esme had set before me. Out of all the places that we could have moved to, Canada was not one I had ever considered. I had to admit to myself that I had never even heard of St. John's before, which was rather sad considering that it was the capital of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, another fact that I only knew because Carlisle had told me. I was torn between excitement and nervousness at the thought that we'd be there in just a few weeks. I didn't really know anything at all about Canada either, except that Degrassi was filmed there, it was cold, and apparently people said 'eh' a lot. Still, it was a whole other country, a new adventure, and it sounded way better than Michigan, which had apparently been Carlisle and Esme's second choice.

"Hey, Elisa."

"Aaaaagh!" I shrieked in surprise at the sound of Edward's voice, and my spoon, still covered with oatmeal, went flying out of my hand and across the kitchen, landing in a sticky pile in the corner.

"Graceful." Edward chuckled. He was perched on the stool next to me as if he'd been there all the while, looking innocently at me.

"You did that on purpose!" I accused as I climbed off my stool and retrieved the spoon, taking it to the sink.

"Would I do that?' Edward chuckled as he watched me wash the spoon off.

"Yes!" I turned to give him another dirty look, but as I looked at his cheerful, amused face, my irritation began to disappate and relief took its place. I hadn't seen him at all since he and Bella had left the day before, and I'd spent a restless night wondering if everything was OK with them. But now, looking at him, it seemed like my worry had been completely unnecessary. In fact, I couldn't remember ever seeing him this happy before.

"Why, thank you for your concern, Elisa." Edward's smile widened. "However, I am in an absolutely splendid mood, now that you mention it."

My eyes narrowed. "I didn't mention it." I pointed out. I was never going to get used to him fishing around in my mind...it was beyond intrusive.

Edward ignored that little tidbit. I tensed slightly, feeling self-conscious, as I noticed how closely he was looking at me.

"You look awful." he murmured absently.

"What? Thanks!" I sputtered indignantly, my face reddening.

He laughed quietly. "I didn't mean it that way. You don't look bad...you just look far too pale, almost like one of us. You've been in this house too long." he paused for a moment. "I have to run into town and pick up something. Would you like to come with me?"

"Really?" I brightened instantly. For just a second, my mind raced through an internal debate - if I went with him, we'd be trapped in a car together and there would be no escape from all the embarrassing personal thoughts I was bound to have. On the other hand, sweet freedom beckoned...I had been stuck in the house for weeks, and this would probably be my last chance to see more of Forks before we left. Besides, there were far worse things then being stuck alone in a car with Edward Cullen... My mind made up, I jumped off the stool and went to the sink to scrape the oatmeal down the garbage disposal.

Finished, I turned to him. "Let's go! I have to be back by one o'clock though. Angela and Jessica are coming over for the final bridesmaid gown fitting, and Alice will kill me if I miss it."

"Probably." Edward agreed, his voice droll.

As i went to get the jacket Alice had bought for me a few weeks back, he went upstairs to tell Esme where we were going, and then zoomed back down to hold the front door open for me. I followed him outside and to the garage, getting into the passenger side of the Volvo.

Before I even had a chance to buckle my seatbelt, we were out of the long drive and rushing down the street. I finally managed to click my seatbelt in and exhaled happily. It really was nice to finally get out...I hadn't realized how confined I had felt lately.

"Life will get a lot more normal for you soon." Once again Edward was responding to my thoughts instead of my words. "Canada is truly beautiful, and St. John's has some great schools. You'll like it there, and you won't be stuck inside anymore. Carlisle just thinks it's better to keep you out of the public eye for the moment. We don't need to give the werewolves any more ideas about the suitability of our home, plus the story about your family...well, if anyone here gets suspicious, it's not going to take much investigation for that to fall apart. The sooner we get you out of Forks, the better."

I nodded, then wrinkled my nose, distracted. "Edward, did you know that your car smells like cat pee?"

Edward groaned. "I think it's definitely time to trade the Volvo in." he muttered, more to himself than me.

"So where are we going, anyway?" I asked curiously as he accelerated and the scenery rushed by even faster.

"The jewelry store." Edward replied. "I'm picking up Bella's 'something old'." he smiled. "It's another piece that belonged to my mother, but it needed some small repairs before I give it to her."

"Oh." I waited a moment before speaking again. "So, um...I mean, I know it's none of my business, but...everything's OK between you two, right?"

Edward turned and flashed a heart-stopping grin at me. "Better than OK."

"Good." I sighed with relief as I leaned back against the seat.

"Elisa..." Edward's voice was more serious now, and I looked over at him once more. "I owe you an apology. I should not have put you in the middle of this. It was unfair to you, and to Bella as well. I promise not to make that mistake again."

I shrugged. "It's alright. I'm over it. Bella wasn't mad though, was she?"

Edward grinned again. "Bella was...irked a bit, I suppose, but everything worked out. It worked out immensely better than I would have imagined, actually."

"Hmmm." I wondered what he meant by that.

"What that means is, everything's on the table now. No more secret doubts, no more subterfuge. I came clean and we made our decisions together, the way we should have in the first place." Edward explained.

"That's good. So she forgave you for inviting Jacob to the wedding, too?" I looked at him expectantly.

The smile instantly slid off of Edward's face. "Uh oh."

"You didn't tell her?" My voice rose several octaves. "Edward, she's going to kill you!"

Edward grimaced. "Maybe he won't show up." he said hopefully.

I sighed. "I knew it was a mistake." I looked at his now worried expression and my heart clenched. "Edward, look, if he shows up, just tell her I invited him. I was in charge of the invitations, after all. Hopefully, he'll be enough of a gentleman to keep his mouth shut about who it really was."

Edward frowned at me now. "Absolutely not. Didn't I just finish telling you I wouldn't put you in the middle anymore? Besides, starting off our married life with a lie seems like a bad omen. I'll just have to grovel...again."

I had a sudden, very vivid mental picture of Edward groveling, and my internal temperature shot up several degrees. Then, to my intense mortification, I realized that he was deliberately not looking at me anymore. Instead, his eyes were fastened on the road in front of him, the very picture of a conscientious driver. It wasn't fooling me for a second. Obviously, he knew what I was thinking. Ugh, why had I thought that I could be this close to him and not think these things? It had been easier not to when I first came back...between the trauma of all that had happened, the feelings that I had for him had been the furthest thing from my mind. But now that I was more myself, it was all coming back, every single fantasy about him that I'd ever had, and they were playing now on the big screen of my mind in full, humiliating 3D. I wanted to die...again.

After an excruciatingly long pause in which my traitorous mind refused to shut off the ever more embarrassing images and my face burned so brightly it seemed like it should heat up all of Forks, Edward cleared his throat.

"Elisa, you know, you're a great girl. And some day, when you're older, you'll find the right - "

"Oh no." I groaned loudly, cutting him off as I put my face in my hands. "Edward, you're not really going to give me the speech, are you?"

"The speech?"

"Yes, the speech." I grumbled into my hands, knowing he could hear me perfectly well anyway. "You know, where you try to let me down easy, tell me how one day I'll make some lucky guy really happy and all that."

With an immense effort, I picked my head up to look at him, knowing my face was still scarlet but figuring I couldn't possibly be any more embarrassed then I already was. "I mean, you can read me well enough to know that I don't have any...I don't know, designs on you, or whatever, right? I'm not, like, dying of unrequited love or anything. I can't help it...before I ever knew you were real, I had a crush on you. It just doesn't go away that easily, even if you are far more irritating then I ever thought you'd be."

Edward grinned once more at that, and I instantly felt better. "I do know that, Elisa. It's an infatuation for you, nothing more, and you'll be over it soon enough. I am flattered, you know, but what I appreciate even more is despite it all, you've gone out of your way to fight for Bella and me, to keep us together. It's nice to know we have such a stalwart champion in our corner."

I smiled. "Thanks. I just figure, there's no fighting fate, right?"

"I think I'm learning that myself." Edward smiled again at me, and I was relieved to feel the last of the tension disappearing. "You know, about the speech..." he paused for a moment. "It may sound cliche but it's true. Someday, when you're ready, you're going to find someone who appreciates you and loves you for you. Of course - ' he gave me a playful, yet stern look now - ' I'll have to meet him first, make sure he's good enough for you."

I grimaced at that, suddenly having a vision, one that involved me dragging some poor, terrified boy across the threshhold where my new vampire family stood waiting to interrogate him. "Oh, great." I moaned. "Between Alice's visions of the future, your mind reading, and Jasper picking up on every feeling any of my dates have, nobody's ever going to be good enough, are they? I might as well join a convent!"

Edward laughed. "I don't think we'll be quite that extreme. But..." he gave me another mock stern look. "Let's just set some ground rules anyway. First, you're too young right now to be seriously looking. Second, no werewolves, ok?"

I laughed too. "No werewolves. Check."

He considered me for a moment before speaking again. "Now that I think about it, no vampires either."

"What? You mean I'm stuck with an ordinary human?" I wailed dramatically, then caught his eye and burst into giggles. "OK, I guess I can live with that."

"That's the point." Edward chuckled dryly as the car began to slow. "You know, Elisa, you're a lot of fun. I'm sorry about what happened to you, but I'm glad you're here."

My smile disappeared. "You don't have to say that, Edward."

Edward frowned at me as we pulled up in front of a small shop with a sign that read 'Sal's Jewelry: Buy, Sell, Repair'. "Why? I mean it."

I gave him a dark look. "No, you don't. It's nice that you feel sorry for me and all, but I know having me around has caused you all more problems then I'm worth."

Edward exhaled impatiently. "Elisa..." he began, then he seemed to remember something and stopped. "Never mind. We'll finish this discussion later. Come on, let's go inside."

Quiet now, I followed him inside the small jewelry shop. We were the only ones in there, and the swarthy man at the counter snapped to attention at our entrance.

"Mr. Cullen!" He looked delighted. "I'm glad you were able to make it in today. The piece that you asked me to repair is all ready for you."

"Good - thank you, Sal." Edward's voice was smooth. "And the order that I placed a few days ago, is that ready as well?"

"Absolutely." The man beamed at him. Whatever Edward had asked him to do, it had apparently been costly for the man to look that happy. "They're both in the back...I'll get them right now."

While we waited, I wandered around, looking idly in a few cases at the glittering rings, necklaces, and bracelets. A few moments later, Sal came bustling back out of the back room, holding two black velvet jewelry cases, one much larger than the other. He placed them on the counter as Edward settled the bill, then personally walked us out the door, gushing the whole time and promising to give Edward his 'special customer' discount if he should need anything else. We finally extricated ourselves from him, and climbed into the car.

To my surprise, Edward didn't start the car right away. "Would you like to see what I had repaired for Bella?" he asked me, smiling as he held out the largest box.

I'd been dying of curiousity, something he was clearly aware of, and eagerly, I opened the box, gasping at the sight that met my eyes. Nestled against the black velvet was a stunning piece of vintage jewelry; a multi-strand, pearl choker, offset by a perfectly carved ivory cameo in the center. "Edward, that is gorgeous! And it's going to match perfectly with her wedding dress too! Has she seen it yet?"

Edward shook his head. "No. It's a surprise, so don't tell her. Alice will give it to her on our wedding day."

"She's going to love it." I assured him. "Even if she grumbles." We both chuckled, and then I looked at the smaller box. "Did it come with matching earrings or something?"

Edward's smile widened as he handed it to me, taking the larger case back at the same time "No. This one is actually for you."

I stared at him in surprise. "Me?"

He tapped his fingers impatiently on the dashboard. "Don't just sit there. Open it and see for yourself."

With trembling fingers, I opened the case, and stared in wonder at the delicate golden bracelet inside. "Edward, it's so pretty!"

"Take it out." he urged.

I lifted it out carefully, not wanting to damage the fragile gold, and held it in my palm, tracing the delicate links. It looked almost like a charm bracelet, except that in the middle was a flat, thick gold plate. Belatedly, I realized what it was. "This is an ID bracelet, isn't it?"

Edward nodded. "Turn it over and read it."

I flipped it over gently, and then gasped. There was a name carved in swirling script on the back of the plate...Elisa Cullen.

"Welcome to the family, Elisa." Edward smiled down at me.

I couldn't speak for a moment as my eyes welled with tears. Seeming to understand, Edward plucked the bracelet from my fingers and a second later it was on my wrist. "Thank you." I whispered, wiping away the stray tears that had leaked from my eyes, then gave him a tremulous smile.

"You're welcome." Edward was putting the box with Bella's choker away, then turning the key in the ignition. "That's not the only thing I have for you, you know. I do believe we had a conversation about a car, didn't we?"

I smiled more widely as I put on my seatbelt. "It was a bribe and I turned it down, remember?"

Edward shrugged. "Yes, but I'd like to get you one anyway."

For a minute, I was seriously tempted. I was only human after all. But after a moment I shook my head. "Thanks, Edward, but no thanks. Not now, anyway. If a new car shows up for me tomorrow, I'm still going to feel like I was paid off, and more than that, Bella's going to think so too."

"That's true." Edward agreed. "I didn't really think of that." He smiled at me as we began to accelerate once more. "How about a compromise then? We'll hold off on the new car for now, but just to make sure you're ready when the time comes, how about some driving lessons?"

"From you? Really?" I pondered that amazing possibility, then my face fell as I remembered. "But you're not going to be here. You and Bella are going to Alaska. It could be a really long time before I see you again. I kinda hope I don't have to wait that long."

"We still have a few weeks until then." Edward reminded me. "I'm sure we can squeeze in some lessons before then. I suspect you'll be a fast learner."

"OK, then. It's a deal." I beamed at him.

"Good. Now are you ready to go home?"

Home...I thought about that for a moment, feeling the now familiar mix of pain, guilt, and excitement. It hurt, as it always would, to realize that my old home and family was lost to me forever, and the guilt went hand in hand with that. How could I ever be happy again? Was it even right? I knew that was the wrong way to think of it; there was no doubt in my mind that if my parents knew that I still existed, even if it couldn't be with them, that they would want me to be happy. Still, it felt somewhat wrong and disrespectful to be looking forward to a future that they could never be a part of. Yet, it was undeniable that I did. I would always carry their loss with me, but life went on, as inexplicable as that may seem to me sometimes, and I could not wallow forever in my misery. Elisa Jensen was gone, but Elisa Cullen would live on.

"Yes." I said determinedly. "I am definitely ready to go home."

And I was ready...to be part of my new family, and for whatever else the future might hold...

To Be Continued...

In the next chapter, it's the eve of the wedding and Bella reaches out one more time to her mother - but what response will she get? And when the wedding day finally arrives, more than one unwelcome guest will throw a wrench into the celebrations...

Song line is from Lose Your Way, Sophie B. Hawkins

If you've enjoyed Evening Falls, please let me know! Thanks for reading!