Bella's Point of View


The journey back to Boswell was relatively silent. There was a lot on my mind. I had a lot of questions that needed to be answered. This had been a huge discovery, and it seemed that Edward and Jacob were at a loss for words. What would there be to say? Ana was lost in thought, as usual. She kept her headphones in for the entire flight, refusing to speak with anyone. I still wasn't happy with her, she knew that. At times like this, she kept her distance, until I was ready to re-address the conflict.

I wanted to speak with the grim as soon as possible, but I knew it wasn't that simple. Edward would have to request a summons. That usually would take a few days. So, in the meantime, I tried to keep myself distracted. I read a book throughout the flight back, although if anyone was to ask me the plot, I wouldn't be able to explain it. My mind was still sifting through all the new information I gathered today.

It felt like the world was in slow motion for a while. Time was passing, but it didn't register. Not until we made it back to the city. In fact, I only realized that we had made it back to the apartment when I felt Edward's hand on my shoulder, lightly nudging me.

"Are you alright love?" he asked quietly.

I nodded, feeling slightly disoriented. "I'm fine, it's just been a long day."

"Would you like to take a nap?" He asked.

I turned, noticing that Jacob and Ana was already out of the car and making their way to the apartment.

"No, didn't you say there was an issue at the office?" I recalled.

Edward nodded. "There is a slight problem, but I believe Alice has it under control now. So, it's not necessary for me to go in. We can relax today. Or we can do anything you want, if you would like to go into town and do some shopping."

"That does sound nice, getting out of the house. I'm not sure if I'd like to go shopping, but I don't want to be cooped up indoors today." I sighed.

"Alright, well, if not shopping, what do you have in mind?"

"Well, when you have a day off from work, what do you like to do in your spare time."

Edward paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "Having a day off isn't really a common occurrence for me. But when I do, I usually hit the local bar. Which is out of the question in your case." His eyes moved down to the small bump of my stomach.

I nodded, letting my hands down to stroke my stomach. "Honestly, all I can think about is getting some of these questions answered. Is there any way we can get in touch with the grim?"

"There is a place, that acts as a direct line to the grim. For reapers that don't belong to a company, it's a way for them to communicate. Although, I've never personally heard of this place effectively working."

"Would you mind taking me there. If there is even a remote chance. I'd like to take it."

Edward offered me a warm smile and nodded. "I'd do anything for you. You don't even have to ask. Before we go, did you want to let Ana know that you're leaving?"

I shook my head. "I'd rather not talk to her right now. I trust Jacob will take care of her until I get back."

"Understood." He responded as he turned the car back on. Slowly, we began pulling out of the parking lot. I was thankful that Edward seemed to understand my feelings. Emmett was a difficult brother at times, I'm sure he was able to draw some parallels from his relationship with Emmett and mine with Ana.

We love our siblings, would do anything for them, but sometimes they just didn't seem to understand the frustration they cause. I just needed some time to cool off. I knew Ana was hurting. I wanted to be there for her. But I couldn't. Not when my heart and mind were so tangled up with questions.

Edward drove us through the city, the weather was decent. We were out of the harshest part of winter. Spring was just around the corner. The sky was still gray and gloomy. Clouds hovered in the sky, threatening us with sprinkles of rain. The traffic was light today, several people were out walking the streets. Most of them wore raincoats and sour looks on their faces. It was always interesting to see how the seasons change the overall mood of the people of this area. You would think seeing that winter was about to end, would bring on some happiness. Especially to those homeless right now. But everyone seemed just as upset about the rainy weather. It was different in Plum. Each season was beautiful and enjoyed it. Winter offered snow sports and ice skating on the ponds. Spring brought the rain to help water our fields. Summer brought swimming and comfortable temperatures for camping. While fall brought gorgeous leaves changing colors, a damp chill to sit around a toasty fire. I loved it all, although fall was my favorite.

I continued to allow myself to be lost in my thoughts. Until Edward parked the car in an unknown location. I scanned over the area, unsure of where we ended up going. It seemed like an outdoor shrine of some kind. It was remote. Nearly at the edge of the city limits. There was a single stone monument and a path leading to it. No one else was around. The parking area was completely abandoned.

"What is this place?" I asked as we got out of the car.

"The city of Boswell calls this, the 'gifting stone'. Residents of the area come here to pray for good luck and fortune. This is more of a tourist location. Since it's not very fancy, or openly glamours, this area has been practically abandoned." He explained as he lightly took my hand.

We walked side by side down the small dirt path. I took note of the deplorable condition. There was liter. Graffiti. The overall area was full of weeds and overgrown shrubbery. It's clear no one has been maintaining this place. We walked until we made it to the stone monument. It stood just a few feet tall. The stone was polished and in an obscure shape. Indescribable. But within the center was a small glass mirror.

"So how does this work?" I wondered.

"What I've been told, is you place your hand on the mirror, and speak your request. If the Grim accepts the request, he will appear in the mirror." Edward explained, slowly reaching his hand out to place it against the mirror. "But I've never heard of anyone getting through to him from here. So, this may be a long shot."

I nodded, quietly waiting and watching.

"I'd like to speak with the Grim, his daughter has questions." Edward spoke.

It was so strange to hear myself being referred to as the Grim's daughter. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. There was still so much that I didn't understand. I wanted clarification. If he had known I was his daughter, why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he come for me sooner? Did he plan on just forgetting about me and hoping I wouldn't return.

Once Edward removed his hand, I took note of a shimmering in the mirror. Something was happening. There was a response. I held my breath in anticipation. Suddenly, blazing purple eyes appeared in the mirror. I felt my heart drop in my chest for a moment.

"Don't announce that information so carelessly. If someone was to hear you, do you know how much danger she would be in." I heard the grim reply with a certain level of annoyance.

"My apologies, I was under the assumption this mirror wouldn't actually reach you." Edward said bowing his head, a nervous twitch to his expression. "Thank you for responding."

Slowly I watched in awe, as a dark figure began to float out of the mirror. It was a slow trickle, falling in waves of sparkling dust. It gathered at our feet, before a tangible body came into focus. A single, skeletal hand reached out from the robes and draped over Edward's shoulder. This action assisted the grim into taking on a more human-like form. The use of some kind of magic, that was beyond my ability to comprehend.

Once his transformation was complete, he turned to me with a kind smile. His hair, absent of color, skin so pale it was almost translucent and of course, those strange purple eyes. He opened his arms to me.

"Come my child," He commanded.

I couldn't explain it, but my legs moved without my brain telling them to. I found myself wrapped in a warm embrace. I let my arms go around him, hugging him tightly. It felt right. It felt natural. As if I've been doing this my whole life. I felt my wariness escape me.

He held me close. "I'm sorry you had to find all this out on your own."

"Why didn't you tell me from the beginning?"

"I believed that you wanted to have a peaceful human life. I attempted to give that to you. Without any interference. The life of a reaper isn't easy and isn't safe. Me and your mother made this choice, hoping for you to be happy."

I pulled away from him, to look fully at him. "So, it's not because you didn't want me."

"My dear, you are our most precious child. Our last daughter. The baby of our large family. We wanted you more than anything in creation. That's why we wanted to give you the chance to escape this life. We wanted you to make the choice. To remain human, or have your abilities unsealed and join the life of a reaper." he explained, lightly stroking my cheek. "Unfortunately, the eternal marking got in the way of that. If you don't want to become a reaper, I can nullify that marking, if you wish."

"No, that won't be necessary. I've had a lot of time to think about it. At first, I was scared of becoming a reaper. And what it might mean. But there really is nothing left in my human life for me. Ana is a reaper. My dad died long ago; my mother will be in prison for a long time. And the rest of my family, well, they will be perfectly fine without me being a burden to them any longer."

He smiled sadly, pulling me in for another hug. "Your life wasn't as carefree as I had hoped it would be. The man I had chosen to be your father in my place, was wonderful. I could tell just by our brief encounter. I suspected the woman he was engaged to wasn't quite what I had wanted for you. But it was undeniable that the man was the best choice."

I felt my eye sting with tears at the mention of my father. It still pained me that he wasn't my biological father. I loved him dearly. To be related or not, that wouldn't change. I'll still consider him my father. "He really was a great dad." I nodded in agreement.

"He was truly interesting. He was the only human I've ever known, that could sense when a devourer was nearby. He couldn't see them of course, but he knew they were there. Of course, he was a very superstitious man and had begun research, to attempt to understand his ability. Even more so when he found you."

"I had no idea about his research. He always just seemed to be completely transfixed on his farming. I never knew what he did in his private study."

"With an ability like that, he would have made an exceptional reaper." Edward said with a smile.

"Of course, that's why I made him part of my court. I couldn't let that kind of potential slip away. And he was more than willing to join. He has been watching over you, just as much as I have my sweet." The grim said.

Now I couldn't hold back my cries. It was such a relief. He wasn't gone forever. I could see him again. I could finally tell him everything that I've been wanting to say. I couldn't possibly be any happier at that moment.

"Will I get to see him?" I asked as I wiped at the tears sliding down my cheeks. "I have… so much to tell him."

"Yes, in the very near future. Once the situation with Aro is under control. And your seal has been removed. Since he is part of my court, the only ones able to see him would be those with blue blood. The plane of existence he is in, can't be traveled by just any reaper."

I nodded with a bright smile. "I've been without him for years; I can wait a few months. But that does beg the question, why and how will my seal be removed?"

"Well, I can't remove it while you are pregnant. That would be too much of a risk to the babies' lives. We shall wait until they are born, and you have healed. Then, I'll unseal you."

I blinked a few times. "Did you say, babies.. as in plural? More than one?"

I exchanged glances with Edward. His face mirrored mine. Disbelief. Panic. Anxiety.

The grim chuckled. "Opps, I didn't mean to spoil the surprise. Yes dear, you are having twins. I'm not sure how the ultrasound tech missed it on the scan, perhaps one was shielding the other. But I can assure you, there are two babies."

I let out a nervous laugh. As surprising as this news was, I was even more excited. I already was so in love with the idea of having a child, having two only meant more love and liveliness in the coming future. I was anxious, but beyond joyful.

"You wouldn't happen to know the genders? Would you?"

"A boy and a girl. I can already sense their strong bond. The boy already has the sense to protect his sister. It's clear that he has inherited most of the reaper genes. While the girl is certainly more human in nature."

Edward's smile held pride within it. He nodded in approval as his eyes swept over my body. He didn't even have to say anything. I felt his emotions, as if they were my own. He was just as happy and excited as I was.

"There is a lot that I still want to know." I said after a while. The grim refused to let me go. He kept me in his arms. I had the feeling that he was an overly affectionate type of parent. I could feel his protective nature. It felt so safe to be this close to him. Any awkwardness I thought I would feel didn't register. It truly felt like I was within the arms of my father.

"I'll tell you everything and anything. But unfortunately, my existence in this world is limited. I can be here for maybe a few more hours, before my own powers will take hold of me and drag me back into the mirror." He explained with a sad look coming to his face.

"Why is that? Why can't you come and go as you please?"

"It's the price I had to pay when I created reapers. There must be a balance now. If there is an excess of power, the Earth will try to correct that, by either forcing me away, or creating something to match that power. Something that is the opposite of what I bring to this world"

"What is your power? Truly? I know that you take souls for judgement. But that means you aren't evil, or good." Edward asked, remaining respectful and concise with his words.

"That used to be my role. Yes. But that ended long ago, once reapers began to populate this Earth, my position changed. Once souls are reaped, my wife transports the souls for judgement. She is the essence of an actual grim reaper. When the workload is particularly high, I assist her with this. But now, my true position is maintaining the balance of power within the reapers."

"And how does that work?"

"As you may have noticed, there is a difference between reapers that were born and those that were created." He started, glancing at Edward for a moment. "Especially with those born from a reaper and a human. This act is considered taboo amongst our kind. Because the child created is unpredictable when it comes to their strength and abilities."

"Like me," Edward muttered.

"And like your children." The grim commented with a nod. "There must be an appropriate balance of powers and abilities within half breeds, so they don't hurt themselves, or others. The human body isn't truly adaptive enough for the powers of reapers. Without proper balance, they wouldn't survive. That's where I become involved."

"So, you only work with half breeds?" Edward continued with a raised brow. "Keeping them from becoming a danger?"

"No, there are also instances where two strong reapers procreate and birth a reaper that is too strong. Too much power will disrupt the balance. So, I must modify the child's powers, seal it away, or remove it completely. Or the opposite happens, and a reaper is born without power. Those will receive a blessing of power when they come of age."

"Like Alice's girls, Alyssa and Olivia." I spoke up with a nod. "They came to receive their powers, is that right?"

The grim smiled widely at me. "That's right dear, Alice and Jasper are full-blooded reapers. However, Jasper's linage was weak compared to Alice's. Unfortunately, their twins received most of his genetics. So, they were born without abilities."

"What does that mean for Ana? Since she wasn't born a reaper. That means she is considered a created reaper. Does that mean, you had to give her powers as well?"

"Indeed, I did give her the ability to heal. I thought it would be a suitable power to have for her."

I wonder if Ana knew about this?

"What will this mean for Bella? When she is unsealed?" Edward asked curiously.

A look of concern came to the grim's face for a moment. "There is a process to this. It's likely once she regains her abilities, it will majorly disrupt the balance. I'm making preparations for when that day comes. Because of all my children, she is the strongest of them all. Her abilities even rival my own."


Thanks for reading! Leave a review with your thoughts so far. Any guesses to what Bella's powers are?