Stay Away (Live)- Nirvana
She's a Bad Girl- Lee Moses
"Carlisle!" Tanya called out, emerging from the tree line to hug him, coven leader to coven leader.
"Tanya, we are so grateful you are here," Carlisle returned the hug, then moved to shake hands with Eleazar and exchange a cheek kiss with Carmen.
We all exchanged pleasantries, Kate hugging me with her electric shock turned at full force, and giggling in delight when I didn't react. Kate has the power of psychic electrokinesis, where she can channel an electric current across the surface of her skin. Since my shield protected me from all psychic attacks, Kate's never affected me.
Kate, Tanya, and Irina looked as lovely as ever, dressed fashionably in all black. Their heightened beauty, even among vampires, made them seem even more similar, more like sisters, though they were not biologically related.
Kate and Irina shared the same pale blonde hair, Irina sporting a shorter cut, and Tanya with strawberry blonde curls. She had once told me she looked a great deal like their vampiric mother, who was biologically her great-aunt.
Carmen and Eleazar were the only mated pair in their coven, and a perfect match for one another. They were both Spanish, originally, with an olive tone to their pale skin, and similar shades of dark brown hair.
Carlisle and I had met Eleazar when he was a young vampire, just joining the Volturi. He, like Carlisle, was a gentle soul, and I knew he wouldn't last very long in the Guard, where viciousness was an essential requirement. And I was correct. Eleazar met Carmen, and when he was feeling torn between the Volturi and Carmen, his mate was the clear choice.
Eleazar's departure from the Guard was far easier than my own, and they travelled after us, intrigued by our dietary choices. When they found us, we were with Tanya, Kate, and Irina in Canada, having delighted in coming across another group of vampires who had developed a conscience. Carmen and Eleazar fell in with Tanya, Kate, and Irina, and they formed their own little family together.
"Ay que eso, what have we gotten ourselves into," Carmen sighed, hugging me to her soft side.
"As you know, we can't risk drawing the attention of the Volturi so close to our residence," Carlisle explained, "And while I would prefer this to take a peaceful path, I am aware that that is not likely to happen. I think I speak for us all when I say how incredibly grateful to have you here with us."
"Carlisle, there's no need for you to thank us. We're family, we defend each other," Tanya assured him, speaking as one leader of a coven to another.
"I understand the risk the Volturi poses to you," Eleazar said, speaking directly to me, "I was there when you left, and I have heard what Aro and Caius have schemed. We will quash this group of reckless vampires, whoever they are."
"Here, here," Emmett cheered, nudging Kate. She looked up at him slyly, and he jumped back, rubbing the area of his arm she had shocked. None of us could hold back a laugh, and Emmett's attempt at faking offense didn't last long.
Seriousness returned quickly, blanketing us like a fresh snowfall.
"And who might this be?" Tanya asked, approaching Edward, who was still standing under the cover of the front porch. He looked nervous, uncomfortable, both hands shoved in his pockets and jaw clenched tightly. When Tanya began moving towards him, Edward took a step back and swallowed, his heart pumping faster than his norm.
I darted from the yard, around Tanya to take my place next to Edward, standing slightly in front of him.
"This is my Edward, my mate," I claimed him in front of him and my family. I didn't know how he would react, but I couldn't afford to peer behind me to gauge his reaction.
"Bella's been naughty," Kate laughed, slapping Emmett's shoulder with a shock, so he jumped.
"It's very nice to meet you, Edward," Tanya said with a smile. The tension in me dissipated. I had been terrified that maybe they would feel betrayed that we had brought them into our crime-breaking. I slipped my hand into Edward's and pulled him forward for proper introductions.
It actually went rather smoothly- Tanya even seemed quite taken with Edward, taking the time to ask about his interests and life.
I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised. Tanya, Kate, and Irina were the origins of the myth of succubi. At first, when they had sex with their human partners, the men died, but eventually they began to grow attached to some of the men, and developed a control to leave them living afterwards. It's also how they developed a vegetarian diet- gaining empathy for and becoming attached to humans made it difficult for them to feed off of them.
We decided to move to a clearing several miles away from the house to work out strategy and practice fighting against newborn-style attacks. Esme didn't want us to mess up the manicured lawn and carefully maintained garden, and we certainly could use the extra space.
I fell behind as the others ran off, making sure Edward was bundled in his rain coat, and grabbed a small backpack with his breakfast sandwich and various other snacks.
"Are you okay?" I asked once everyone else was out of range. His expression seemed tense, but he had answered the questions Tanya had asked him, and kindly greeted the rest of their coven.
"I'm fine," he murmured, running a hand through his messily tousled hair.
"Are you really?" I cupped his cheek in my hand to guide his face down to my eye level. He nodded, his green eyes guarded but earnest. I wanted to dig deeper, because he was clearly keeping something from me, but we didn't have time to spare.
"Come on," I said, flipping his hood over his head and slinging him across my back before taking off after the others.
We only ever came here for the rare baseball game. It was an area that had been cleared by loggers, but never replanted, so the ground was empty but for grass and the clearing was the size of three baseball fields. Plenty of room for our excessive sporting activities as well as fighting instruction.
They hadn't started yet, Carlisle wanting to wait for me before beginning. I dropped Edward next to Esme and Tanya, squeezing his hand reassuringly before walking to stand next to Carlisle in the center of our little group.
I started, "So, as you know, based on the feeding patterns, we think these are newborns. The issue is that their numbers could stand at twelve, maybe even fifteen, which makes us outnumbered. Add in that we will be in a city, and we need to keep this contained, while they won't care about exposure, and we are at a disadvantage.
"There are two incredibly important things to remember when fighting newborns. First, don't let them get their arms around you. They will crush you, and you will be completely incapacitated. Second, never stop moving. They are faster and stronger, and they will be able to get around you. Stay moving, stay unpredictable. Emmett?"
Emmett stepped towards me, and everyone else moved far away. Esme backed Edward behind everyone else, and Tanya stood on the other side of him, her stare fixed on his face.
Edward looked concerned as he watched Emmett amble up to me. He still had his food up, and his hands were stuffed in the pocket of his rain coat, his jaw was clenched so his sharp jaw seemed even more defined. I wanted to lick him.
I forced myself to focus on my brother, shifting in front of me. We wrestled often, but this wasn't for fun, and Emmett was not smiling.
"Don't concentrate too hard," I reminded him, "Newborns fight instinctually." Emmett nodded in understanding, and ran at me.
He wasn't as fast, or as strong, as an actual newborn, though he was as close as we were going to get.
I had only been a member of the Volturi Guard for a little over a century- it was nothing compared to Jane and Alec, or Chelsea, who had been there for well over a thousand years. But I was one of the most constant enforcers, travelling with either Felix and Demetri, or Jane and Alec, or sometimes all four, to track down and punish disobedient vampires and covens.
There were rarely ever actual physical confrontations, but that didn't mean that Aro and Caius didn't make damn sure we would be well prepared for any situation.
And since I was the only one of us who had ever actually participated in a battle, and the only one with real, "professional" training, it was up to me to demonstrate to the people I loved most in the world how to stay alive in the most dangerous situation we had ever faced together.
I side-stepped Emmett's advance and whirled around behind him, though he quickly turned back to face me. Never stopping, I ducked under his grasping hands and stepped backward, forcing him to come forward. We continued that routine, with me side-stepping and ducking, Emmett never quite able to get a hold of me.
After a few minutes, I had had enough. Everyone was sure to have studied the moves I was executing, and there was no need for more repetition. Besides, Emmett was beginning to grow frustrated.
Emmett ran at me again, but instead of ducking or stepping backwards, I launched myself upwards, twisting in the air so I landed facing Emmett's back. I snaked my arms around his, holding his hands behind his back, and used my hold on his to leverage myself upwards, placing my teeth on his neck.
"Dead!" I called out. Emmett cursed and broke my hold on his arms, stepping away from me and grumbling. I smiled at him- Emmett was so predictable, so competitive.
I turned to around to check on Edward, finding him looking startled. His eyes were wide, and he had one hand out of his pocket and clenched around Tanya's upper arm. Esme was rubbing his back very tentatively. I had scared him. Would this be the breaking point? He had taken everything so smoothly, but would seeing me as a vicious monster, taking down someone as imposing as Emmett, make him second guess me?
I was hoping he wouldn't even be able to really see us, our movements often appearing to be a blur when we moved at our normal speed. Apparently he saw he enough to frighten.
"Me next," Rose said, stepping forward to face me. She was also a decent fighter, but neither she nor Emmett had any practical experience- all we ever did was play wrestle. She was a tad quicker than Emmett, but not nearly as strong. I corrected her moves, adjusting the way she was coming at me with her hands, but otherwise she was a competent opponent.
Carlisle was next. I moved at him quickly, darting from side to side to draw him to cover only one side of himself, opening up the other for attack. He didn't make that mistake though, keeping his stance open and letting me come to him.
I slid down, aiming to sweep his legs, but he jumped and I missed. In my position on the ground, I was vulnerable to his offensive move, but he hesitated and I took advantage, cutting upward and flinging him up. On his way down, I was able to grab him by the neck and slam him down, pinning him.
"You cannot hesitate, Carlisle," I hissed, pulling him up. He smoothed his blonde hair back, looking sheepish as he watched Rose and Esme go after Emmett.
"In the actual situation, I won't," Carlisle said, but I didn't believe him. He was too soft-hearted. Even Esme- kind, loving, empathetic Esme- would do anything, including kill, for her family. I only hoped that he would be a superfluous addition, that we could keep him behind us.
Maybe Carlisle was right. Maybe we wouldn't even need to fight, and whoever was doing this could be reasoned with.
Eleazar broke off with Carmen, Carlisle, and Esme. As another former member of the Guard, Eleazar also had some experience fighting, and he took the three in need of the most work. Carmen had never had any reason to fight. Both she and Eleazar were young when they met, both only a few decades old, and she had never been in any altercation. Carlisle and Esme were both too gentle, too compassionate, to be good fighters.
I took on Irina one-on-one as the others watched, giving her even fewer notes than Rose needed. Irina, Kate, and Tanya were several hundred years older than me, being created by the same vampire sometime in the early 11th century. They had fended for themselves for centuries, they just needed notes on how to handle newborns as opposed to mature vampires.
I stepped back to watch Kate and Emmett face off, Emmett looking more than wary at the idea of touching Kate.
"I promise I won't hurt you," Kate said with a sly grin. Obviously she didn't mean it. If there was anyone I was completely unworried about, it was Kate. Even if a newborn managed to wrap their arms around her, she could easily shock them off and knock them to the ground. I sighed. It was such a useful power.
I slowly made my way back to Edward, who was standing with just Tanya now that Esme was working with Eleazar. He held his hand out for me to take, which I took as a good sign. He couldn't be too terrified.
I quietly explained Kate's power to him as Emmett kept stepping backwards, trying to escape her touch.
"Stop messing around and just go for her, Em!" Rose yelled at him, frustrated in how long they were taking. Emmett growled in frustration and launched himself at Kate, but the second he got his arms on her shoulders, he yelped and jumped backwards.
Kate wasn't going to get any practice that way.
I narrowed my eyes, concentrating on the band I could feel in the back of my mind. Focusing on Emmett, I stretched it outward so it wrapped around him like cellophane, conformed to his body only. Satisfied I had a hold on my shield, I would give Emmett a fighting chance.
"Try again, Em," I encouraged, Emmett glaring over at me. This time, Kate ran at him, but Emmett didn't step back like he usually did, instead meeting her in the middle. Kate laid a hand on him, but this time, he didn't fall to the ground. Kate seemed startled, but before she pieced together my part in it, Emmett had Kate by the shoulders. He spun her around and wrapped his arms around her, his chest pressing against her back, and put his teeth to her throat.
"Dead!" Emmett shouted triumphantly, elated to finally win. I laughed and pulled my shield back, shivering as it snapped back into my head.
Kate glared at me. "You could have at least given me a warning!"
"You think the newborns will be giving out warnings?" I retorted, feeling Edward's grip on my hand tighten.
"Bella wrapped a shield around Emmett so Kate couldn't shock him," Tanya whispered to Edward in explanation, "Kate wasn't expecting it. She doesn't usually get a challenge in hand-to-hand combat."
"It took me six decades to be able to do that," I said proudly.
I hadn't even realized I had a power until I joined the Volturi, one hundred years after my change. Aro let me devote a great deal of time and effort into developing my shield, figuring out how to push it out and shield others. It was only when I could mold it to others and keep them shielded for extended periods of time that Aro and Caius grew contemptible. I had become too dangerous, I was immune to the powers of both Chelsea and Corin, and I was too different. Feeding from animals was unheard of to them, and left me with no ties to them, and no reason for loyalty beyond convenience and a desire for civility, which Carlisle soon provided.
Tanya stepped away from us to face off with Rose, both of them smiling like the beautiful, blonde runway models they looked like. Then Irina with Emmett, then Kate and Rose. Each time, I had less and less to correct. They were learning to keep things quick and constant, never pausing, stopping, or hesitating. That was the key.
Edward's stomach grumbled, and I realized it was almost noon and he had yet to eat his breakfast. I rifled through his bag and handed him his sandwich, keeping my hand on his back so he could use both hands to eat.
"Bella, do you want to try two-on-one?" Carlisle asked, keeping his eyes on Esme as she slipped out of Eleazar's grasp.
"Yes, that would be a good idea," I agreed. There was a chance we would be outnumbered, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to know how to defend oneself from two newborns at once. Eleazar led this one, explaining the strategy of ducking down and sweeping them off their feet, or jumping like I had with Emmett at the very last millisecond and dropping down in time to smash the two together.
I let them practice with each other, instead standing near the tree line with Edward. This training was more for their benefit than mine- I didn't need the practice, I was just there to correct and guide.
It was difficult to stay focused on helping when Edward was standing right next to me, though.
I looked up at him, and he was completely enraptured with the two groups of fighting vampires just feet away from him. He was holding a half-eaten, half-forgotten sandwich in front of him, a drop of egg yolk drying on his chin. I trailed one finger across his lips, then dipped it down to wipe the yellow from his face.
Edward caught my hand as I dropped it, just before I wiped it on a spare napkin in the bag. I let him hold my hand, then lift it up to his mouth. He looked at me- maybe trying to gauge my reaction? I didn't know what he was doing, though- then his tongue slipped from between his lips and he licked the yolk off my finger.
My jaw dropped, which made it difficult to swallow back the venom that was flowing freely.
I had never been so turned on in my life.
Edward was still holding my hand next to his face as we stared into each other's eyes. I could hear his heart thumping, and I knew my eyes were darkening with desire.
Delicious. Delectable. Intoxicating. Perfect.
If Carlisle didn't unnecessarily clear his throat, I might have taken Edward right then and there, unable to center myself with the rising lust.
"I know there's little chance we'll find one of these newborns has an active power, but do you want to practice holding your shield while fighting?" Carlisle asked, shifting my attention from Edward.
"Ah, good idea," I agreed, gulping down the venom that had pooled in my mouth. Pulling myself from Edward, separating our entwined fingers, proved difficult. My body felt stiff, and it was as though I was fighting a force ten times more powerful than gravity. Tanya went to stand next to Edward, resuming her quiet narration of what was happening so he could more easily follow our movements.
We were in two teams. I walked over to stand next to Esme, Irina, and Eleazar, against Rose, Kate, and Carmen. Emmett was grinning wildly- likely happy to get a fairer shot at me, and glad to not be the subject of Kate's attack. That honor seemed to be going to Esme.
I pushed my shield outward to cling to Esme, Irina, and Eleazar, the pressure building as it stretched, only to dull once it settle on them. It used to be that I could only stretch the shield out like a dome, and it took me quite some time to extend it to more than one person. The issue was, someone else could stand under the dome and also be covered.
It took me years to figure out how to shape it to a person, and then, it took me even longer to figure out how to allow the shield to move with them instead of snapping back the second the person I was shielding moved an inch away from me. The screams of Jane's victims as I practiced were seared into my memory.
All at once, we ran at each other.
It was far, far more difficult to keep my shield molded to individual people while we were all moving, and I had to focus on fighting Emmett. He ran at me, and when I ducked, I felt a pull in my mind as Irina rolled away from Carmen. No one but Esme was in danger of a psychic power at the moment, but it didn't hurt to practice shielding all of them- with my luck, one of the newborns would have a power like Alec and be able to incapacitate multiple people at once.
"Dead!" Eleazar announced with his teeth to Rose's throat. I let my shield shed away from him, leaving a slight relief in the pressure in my mind.
Emmett was dancing from side to side, about to make a feinting move, but I couldn't telegraph his movements. Suddenly, he slid to his left and threw a wicked right hook my way. I just barely threw an arm up in defense, and a boom thundered as our bodies made contact. Emmett wasn't holding back, and I gritted my teeth in pain before grabbing his wrist and flipping him in the air, his body slamming into the grass and creating a distinct, Emmett-shaped crater.
"Ow!" Esme yipped, sliding away from Kate. The shield was still molded to her, but in my concentration it must have weakened enough for her to feel a shock from Kate.
"Sorry," I mumbled, trying to concentrate on shoring up my shield while pinning Emmett. I was only successful at one, and Emmett easily broke my grip on him, his feet sliding outward to sweep me off my own. I jumped so he couldn't do what he wanted, but didn't notice his hands following his feet as he spun.
He pushed me with a force, so I skittered on the grass. I dug my fingers in the earth to still my movements, more than a little sad that Edward's saliva on my index finger would be wiped off.
"Dead!" I heard Carmen announce, surprisingly able to get behind Rose and hold her arms back. Eleazar must have been teaching her a few tricks throughout the years. I let the shield snap back, trying to focus on keeping Esme protected as Emmett ran at me.
I was able to evade Emmett's punches and grabs, but I was starting to tire. I hadn't gotten much practice with my shield in quiet a long time, and Esme was still battling Kate- who I thought was taking it a little easy on my adoptive mother to incentivize me to keep on.
Edward gasped, and I instinctively looked over to him. His eyes were wide and worried, his hand once again gripping Tanya's forearm.
Emmett took advantage of my distraction, finding an opening to throw me down. He pressed his foot to my back so my front was forced into the earth, his arms snaking down to hold my hands to my back.
"Dead!" he happily declared, actually nipping at my neck. I screamed in frustration, letting the shield snap away from Esme and settle back in my mind. I slammed my fists in the dirt, then pushed myself up.
Emmett was laughing victoriously, pumping his fists in the air. He ran to Rose and swept her into his arms, swinging her around.
"Put me down, you big oaf!" Rose shouted, though Emmett's laugh was infectious. Even I couldn't help but to smile.
"You did great," Esme promised me, walking up to rub my arm where Emmett had slammed his fist into me. I thought he might have fractured the bone a bit, but it healed quickly. I snorted in response. That was disappointing. I was five hundred years old, I should have been able to fight and protect three people I loved at the same time.
"Really, Bella," Eleazar reassured, "The chances of you needing to fight while holding your shield- the chances of needing your shield at all- are quiet slim."
"It's just good practice. To cover all our bases," Carlisle added. I nodded curtly, still more than a little upset at my performance, and walked back to my Edward. Tanya wisely left his side, joining her sisters in practicing defensive moves with Eleazar.
I needed a minute.
My frustration melted away the second Edward's arm draped over my shoulder, pulling me into his side. His kissed my hair softly and breathed deeply, and I enjoyed the warmth of his body all around me.
"Are y-you o-okay?" he asked, his face still pressed in my hair, echoing the question I had for him earlier.
"I'm fine," I promised, repeated his response to me, "It was just difficult to do two things at once. I should have been more prepared, more practiced." I shook my head, disappointed in myself. I had become so complacent, with no regard for the fact that the Volturi could come any moment and I would need to protect my family. And now, with Edward to protect… If anything were to happen, it would be entirely my fault.
I reached behind Edward to grab a granola bar from his bag, passing it to him.
"I d-distracted you," he said softly, with maybe a hint of… guilt in his voice. I shrugged his arm off of me so I could look at him in the face, not wanting him to worry about anything, especially not feeling responsible for me.
"I was going to lose anyways," I said honestly, "I was getting tired and sloppy. Emmett was going to win either way."
We continued throughout the afternoon, practicing different groupings, offensive and defensive moves, unequal groupings, different battle tactics. It wouldn't hurt to be thorough. I dragged a flat rock through the clearing for Edward to have a place to sit, and either me, Esme, or Tanya was with him at all times.
I stretched my shield several times more, testing strength and flexibility as Rose ran to other side of the field with the shield around her as I fought off Tanya. Rose had been moving slowly, then picked up speed and the shield pulled and pulled, then recoiled violently back to me. I was thrown backwards with the strength, ending up on the ground. I held my head, rubbing my temples and trying to dispel the pressure.
"Sorry!" Rose yelled, running back to me. I waved her off, jumping up and urging her to try again.
After several hours, we decided to go back to the house to discuss actual strategy, how to manage the city and the newborns at once. Edward seemed grateful to leave. He looked exhausted, and I knew he must be hungry after only a sandwich and a couple of granola bars all day.
Edward loved running, and even in our tense times he seemed like he would love to just keep going. The house was too close, though, and he was soon deposited in the kitchen with Esme at the stove.
"The most concentrated area is four blocks south of here, two blocks east of the water," I pointed on the map spread out on our kitchen table, "Split into pairs, fan out, and try to catch a scent. If you find one, don't take them on alone, signal to us and we'll close in."
"We may yet be able to reason with them," Carlisle said hopefully.
I divided us up into the most useful pairs- Kate and Carlisle, Esme and Emmett, Irina and Rose, Eleazar and Carmen, and Tanya with myself. Tanya was perhaps the most accomplished fighter besides myself and Emmett, and on the off-chance I needed to use my shield, it would be helpful to have someone engage in the brunt of the fighting so I could make sure each of us was carefully wrapped and protected from a mental attack.
"We'll spread out into a circle with the goal of meeting in the middle, sweeping the streets and maybe being able to corral stray newborns into this district, since it's mostly commercial and we'll be less likely to come across humans," Carlisle added.
I let them discuss movements and positions, drifting back to the kitchen. I couldn't stay away for long. Edward was sitting at the kitchen counter, straddling one of the stools with a half-eaten bowl of brown viscous liquid in front of him. He was picking at a loaf of bread, his long, slender fingers pulling at it. It was mesmerizing.
"You ready to go home?" I asked. We were planning on leaving for Seattle after sundown, arriving in the city and taking our positions in the late night, when fewer humans would be likely to be roaming the streets.
"No," Edward sighed, though he picked his dish up and deposited it in the sink.
"I'll be back soon," I announced, pulling Edward back to the dining room out of politeness. In actuality, I couldn't have cared less about social niceties- I just wanted to be alone with Edward.
"It was very nice to meet you, Edward," Carmen said with a soft smile. Irina and Kate nodded in agreement. Tanya walked around the table so she was standing a bit closer to us and said, "I'm sure we'll see each other again soon. Maybe we'll stick around for a while after this big battle?"
"It would only be fair, sister," Kate agreed, "They spent a few years with us in Alaska. It would only be polite to experience this area for ourselves."
"Yes, why haven't we been invited here before, Carlisle?" Irina teased, mock-glaring at Carlisle.
"Especially since Bella has been keeping a very momentous secret from us," Kate agreed. Leave it to these three to joke about breaking the greatest law of our kind.
"This gives us hope that maybe one day we will not be alone, too," Tanya said softly, more earnestly. Edward's hand tightened around mine, though I wasn't sure why.
Tanya, Kate, and Irina hadn't found their mates yet, though they never gave up on love like I had. They had human partners- no longer did they view these men as meals or conquests, but rather as lovers and friends. I had often envied them and how they were able to find warmth and companionship, but I had never had the urge to be with another before Edward. And now that those feelings had resurfaced, and I could not act on them, I experience them with a force greater than I knew existed.
Carlisle redirected the conversation back to how we would be getting to the city- swimming or ferry or running the long way. Edward took one last look at the scene in front of him, nine vampires sitting around a dining room table, and followed me outside.
Our run was quiet but for the steady, if faster-paced, beat of his heart. I stayed in the denser parts of the forest for the coverage of the foliage, but Edward's clothes and hair were already damp from a whole day spent in the rain. I should have brought an umbrella, or tarp, or something. Just one more thing I didn't think about, didn't plan ahead for.
I ran in a circle so we would emerge from the side of the house instead of the back. I listened carefully to make sure neither Alice nor Charlie would see us- they had to think I was dropping off Edward in a car, not that we just came out of nowhere.
"I'll meet you in your room," I promised, squeezing his hand gently in farewell. Edward was still silent, his brows knitted together but his expression difficult to read. He nodded in agreement and walked up the porch steps and through the front door.
Before he could hang his wet jacket up on the coat rack in the foyer, I was sliding through his bedroom window, removing my mud-caked shoes before my feet touched the floor.
Alice and Charlie were eating an early dinner of leftover pizza, which Edward declined, though he joined them at the table. That was probably wise, for him to spend a few moments with them as a family. I felt I had been monopolizing his time greatly in the past few weeks, I would hate for Alice to resent me for it.
The house was silent but for the sounds of humans eating, then, suddenly, Alice barked out a laugh. From what I could hear, there was absolutely nothing funny happening, but she quickly rinsed her plate and excused herself up to her room, taking a half-eaten slice of pizza with her.
Alice settled on her bed, reading a book and finishing her dinner, and I sorted through the sparingly few CDs Edward had on top of his portable CD player. He so enjoyed music, when I got back I would take him to a music store and buy him every CD. And a better CD player.
"Uh, hold on, Edward," Charlie said gruffly as I heard Edward was about to shuffle his way back to me. "I wanna talk to you about something." I was intrigued. Did Alice know what Charlie was about to say, and found it funny? Edward shifted his weight, likely eager to get back to me. There was so little time- I would need to leave in just a few minutes.
"Look, Bella is a great girl," he started, and I felt something tighten in my chest. Was Charlie going to try to keep Edward from me? "I've got a lot of respect for her dad, and those kids have never been anything but respectful and polite. I wanna make sure you're treating her the way she should be." I had to hold in a laugh. Charlie must have told Alice what he was planning on saying. Charlie was trying to protect me?
"I know you two have gotten close, and, I don't mean to embarrass you kid, but I saw the way you were touching her the other day," I figured he was talking about Sunday, when Edward had his arms wrapped around me, his chest pressed to my back as I cooked him breakfast, "And, I just want you to be careful, you know?"
"I w-will, Charlie," Edward said quietly. Oh, how I wished I could see his face!
"Well, okay, then. Uh, go on with your night. If you have any, uh, questions, or need anything like… uh, like protection, let me know," Charlie sounded so incredibly uncomfortable. I could figure out what he meant, though. Protection? Was he concerned about me hurting Edward? It didn't seem like it, but I couldn't be sure what else he could have meant.
"So, uh, go on, I'll clean up here, don't worry about it. And, uh, I'll be out fishing with Billy tomorrow. You can come, if you want. If not, you know, you and Alice shouldn't be going out by yourselves, okay?" Edward mumbled an affirmative, then shuffled through the living room quickly, trying to escape, I supposed.
Edward opened the door and closed it quickly behind him, facing the door and keeping his face from me.
"What was all that about?" I asked honestly, trying to break the tension, provide a distraction both for him and myself from my impending departure.
"I'm s-sure y-you heard," he whispered through gritted teeth. I still couldn't see his face, but the back of his neck was bright red with blush. Of course, that would be an embarrassing conversation with his foster father.
"Yes, Charlie is very sweet to be worried about me, isn't he?" I kept the teasing tone in my voice, trying to keep it light. Edward turned to look at me, his whole face flushed pink. I couldn't hold back a small giggle. He looked positively wonderful. My beautiful boy.
"I was curious, though…" I couldn't help but ask, I would be distracted the whole night if I didn't understand, "Why Charlie thinks you need protection from me?"
I wasn't sure how what I said elicited such a response. Edward seemingly choked, his eyes growing wide in shock and his heart pounding.
"What?" I urged. Now my curiosity was burning in me.
"He w-was…" Edward trailed off, looking down at his feet and fumbling with his hands. I lost my smile when one of his hands traveled inside the sleeve of his sweater to scratch at his wrist, and I jumped up to pull his hand away, holding both of them in mine. I didn't realize it was possible, but Edward's face grew an impossibly brighter red. "H-He was t-t-talking about… c-condoms." His voice grew incredibly quiet on the last word, so soft even I could hardly hear him.
My mouth dropped open. Oh. Protection. I was so stupid, I should have picked up on that based on the vein of the conversation. I was just so used to the clinical terms for everything, working in and out of the medical field with Carlisle, and the high schools we went to hardly ever taught sex education. I wasn't as well versed in this side of teenage culture as I was the social aspect.
"Ah, I see," I said in understanding. If it did come, that would be a situation far in the future, and we certainly wouldn't need a condom for it. "That was very nice of Charlie. He seemed to be as uncomfortable as you!" I laughed, trying to draw the conversation away from sex, which Edward seemed entirely unready for, and understandably so.
Edward seemed to have no desire to speak any further on the subject, instead drawing me in for a hug, pressing my face to his chest and resting his chin in my hair. I listened as his heart rate steadied, pressed my ear directly above it so I could feel the vibrations in my head.
"I d-don't w-want you to l-leave," he said finally, breaking our tense silence.
"We'll be okay," I reassured, though I couldn't possibly know, "Chances are, we'll outnumber them, and it will be a piece of cake." I never understood that expression, and apparently I wasn't very convincing.
"I d-d-don't w-want you t-to l-l-leave," he sobbed, tears springing from his eyes.
"I don't want to leave you, either, Edward. If it was up to me, I would be by your side for the rest of eternity." He pressed me into him, I felt the softness of his body mold to mine. "But I will keep you safe. And I'll be back for you tomorrow."
He nodded wordlessly, tears dampening my hair.
"Just make sure you get to the reservation tonight. Go find Jacob Black, go to another bonfire. Do whatever you need to to get you and Alice to La Push." He nodded again.
Perhaps I was being overzealous. The newborns were far away in Seattle. The risk posed to Edward was impossibly minimal. Still, it wasn't worth the risk, and having him around wolves would be less dangerous than by himself with absolutely no protection. What if some newborns strayed, and tracked our scent to Forks? I had been back and forth to Edward's hundreds of times, my trail would be all over Forks.
"I love you," I told him with conviction, pulling away from his hug to look at his face. He looked pained, his lips turned down and tears in his eyes.
"I love you," he repeated back to me, his eyes shifting from mine down to my lips and back up. I got the message. Usually, I waited for him to make the first move, not wanting to infringe on his space or push any boundaries. But this was a goodbye- even if it was just for now.
I stood up on my toes to reach his lips, snaking my hands up to hold the back of his neck. We pressed together, our mouths opening and moving together as one. We kissed deeply, Edward tasting of salt and tears and sunshine. His body warmed me both inside and out, a heat blossoming from my chest and spreading outwards. His hands were cupping my face, holding me to his mouth.
If I could, I would stay there forever. But when Edward shivered, it snapped me out of my trance and I drew back from him.
Edward was breathing heavily, his heart pounding in my ears.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I promised, reaching up to place one soft, departing kiss on his tender lips.
"I love you," he said again, tears falling down his cheeks. I brushed them away, collecting each drop on my fingers to hold on to, taking a piece of Edward with me.
I had to force myself through the window, and as I ran away from him, my body screamed, pulling me back to him. It was the most unnatural experience I had ever felt, purposefully moving away from him.
There was no sunset glow. The whole world looked dull and grey, and I desperately just wanted to get it all over and done with.
Everyone was ready and waiting when I got home. I ran up to change in something light, something that would dry quickly, because we would be swimming.
Esme was waiting for me at the top of the stairs, dressed in airy black cotton with her hair pulled back. Without question, she pulled me into a tight hug, squeezing me around the shoulders.
"We'll be back soon," she promised, and though she couldn't possibly know, I felt reassured.
"Everyone else is hunting. They'll meet us on Bainbridge Island and we'll swim to Seattle together," Carlisle reported to me as we headed out the front door. We were going to run the whole way- it would be far quicker to cut through the park, and we mostly ran faster than cars could drive anyways.
I had unintentionally moved to face southwest, towards where Edward would be settling in for the evening someone in La Push, stretching out from his restless dreams. I could see him, his bronze hair especially messy, the soft sliver of his stomach as he pulled his arms above his head as his verdant eyes clouded with sleep.
"Come on," Rose threaded her fingers with mine, pulling me away from the world I orbited. We ran through the park, stopping to gorge ourselves on as much big game as we could find. I wasn't thirsty in the least, but I forced myself to down a bear.
Emmett was the most serious I had ever seen him. He didn't bother playing with his food, making quick work of each animal he fell and returning to Rose's side the moment he was done. I noticed the same with Esme and Carlisle, clinging to each other's side. We were heading into battle together, but in a way, I was alone.
I felt empty.
We swam the short distance across the Hood Canal about a mile south of the Hood Canal Bridge. The water was dark and murky, with no life in sight, and we swam up a creek until the area was heavily forested and it was safe to emerge. This whole venture was about protecting us from exposure- it wouldn't do well to have five very pale and memorable individuals pop out of the freezing Seattle waterways, completely unfazed, and move about our business.
We were all quiet as we ran. There was nothing to say, nothing to do but think about the unknown in front of us, and the life we were leaving behind us.