Edward's POV:
My feet carried me deep into the forest where no human being ever was to be found and I opened my senses to my surroundings letting the predator inside me out of it's tightly locked cage to find our meal.
The rich scent of the forest assaulted my sense of smell as the noises of the birds that sung and the insects which followed their routine, searching for food, were detected by my sensitive ears.
It didn't take long for me to make out another herd of deer not far from my location. I had already encountered two of those on my way into the woods but my thirst was still not completely satisfied. My feed moved on their own accord to the unsuspecting meal until a scent that let venom pool into my mouth stopped me dead in my tracks.
Tasting the air around me I knew that north from me and not far was a mountain lion. He seemed to have as well noticed the herd of deer. The predator in me licked it's lips greedily before smiling evilly as our favourite dinner crossed our path.
Leaping into the trees I inched myself closer to the herd of deer, waiting patiently for the majestic creature to meet it's destiny.
I heard it's paws hit the wet ground of the forest as it closed the distance between itself and his prey. Soon the extremely muscular beast slowly moved closer, eyes fixed and glowing as it caught sight of the leader of the herd.
The cat's muscles were flexed and it readied itself for the attack but so did I. Without making a sound I leaped from the tree and launched myself onto the lion just as it registered that it was not the most dangerous creature around but it was too late.
My arms wrapped around it's rips as I forced him onto the ground, startling the deer that fled in panic after noticing the two predator fighting each other.
My dinner, struggled against my hold, growled and hissed in warning though soon the noises it made were panicked but it was all useless in a split of a second my eyes fell onto the big aorta in it's neck where the rich, mouth watering blood was hammering against the cats skin.
One of my hands went to hold down the huge head of the lion before with a flick of my wrist I snapped it's neck. Immediately my teeth broke through the fur and the hot, thick life force hit my tongue.
The rich and delicious blood of the elegant, big cat that I had slew rushed down my burning throat and smoothened the flames while I enjoyed the full-flavoured taste.
I was hyperaware of the beast that rested lifelessly underneath me on the ground while I was drawing it's life-force into my body. When the last of the rich liquid past my lips I sighed in contentment before I took care of the carcass.
Once I was done with my task I took a deep breath locking the predator back into it's cage before I would make my way back home, to Anna. But my plans were altered when Esme's thoughts which announced her approach reached the edges of my conscious.
She smiled warmly at me as she stepped into the small clearing where I was sitting on a fallen tree waiting for her.
"How are you feeling, my dear?" She asked while she was ambled over and sat down next to me twisting her body around so she was facing me.
"I'm fine." I answered gently but Esme was not to be fooled.
From the look on her face I knew that she would not leave me alone until she got answers that satisfied her. In the past few days I could detect great worry in her thoughts despite how much she tried to hide it.
I knew it would be only a matter of time until she would fully give in into her motherly concern. As much as she respected our privacy and the fact that we all were adults sometimes she just couldn't help herself.
"I worry about you." Her bright golden eyes looked deep into my own and I sighed in registration.
It was not easy for me to open up to others, even my own family, but hearing Esme's thoughts beg me to let her in I relented though reluctantly.
"I'm anxious because of the upcoming fight against Victoria and her army. I am dealing with the break-up and what had become out of Bella and me but at the same time I am entirely content when I'm with Anna," a smile crept on my face when those words left my lips before it was replaced by a frown, "but I'm also afraid of the future."
My breath hitched I hadn't meant to reveal that. The future was one of my greatest fears.
"Why?" Esme's brows furrowed.
Because I don't know if Anna will have me when everything is over and she is free to do as she wishes. The thought immediately shot through my head, leaving a bitter taste in it's wake.
"Do you think Anna can ever be truly happy again?" I asked her looking down at my hands in my lap.
Esme exhaled, her body relaxed and she cocked her head to the side.
When my little angel stopped breathing and closed his eyes for the last time I thought that my life was over and all light had been extinguished in my world….. She thought sadly.
….I was convinced that I would never feel happiness again or feel alive …. but then Carlisle re-entered my life and I was graced with another son …. She smiled lovingly at me.
"You made the right choice." Esme suddenly looked intensely into my eyes and in her mind I could read what she was referring to. "Anna is good for you."
"You truly like her." I assessed what I saw in her mind.
"I see every day what impact she has on you," Esme said as she brushed her hand through my hair in a motherly fashion.
Bowing my head a small, content smile twitched on the corners of my lips as a warm feeling spread inside my chest.
"I love her … and it's so different from what I felt for Bella," I admitted.
"How so?"
Taking a deep breath I tired to put my thoughts into words.
"With Bella it was all knew, love, crazy, wild, desire, a struggle, denial, emotions I could not name, guilt, blood lust," I shook my head, "all thrown together."
"But with Anna it's different …. It took me long to realise that I loved her, not because I thought she was Bella back then but ….. I fell in love with the girl who stood up to me, made me want to rip my hair out in frustration or left me struggling for words," I smiled remembering all the times she threw the truth into my face and left me with nothing to defend myself.
"In the rare moments when she is happy and smiles a true, genuine smile….." I shook my head as a warm prickling sensation overtook me, "there is this longing and sometimes it's so intense it's painful. She makes me want to be better and for the first time I believe I could be….." I confessed as I swallowed hard looking directly into Esme's watery golden shimmering pools.
I didn't know if Anna would ever understand what her presence in my life did to me, how essentially her strength and her passion changed me.
Anna's POV:
"Oh man! That trig exam killed me." A classmate of mine moaned when he past me with his friends in the hallway.
She had come back to school just in time to take her tests. She looked like she had been buried and crawled out of her grave but I didn't pay much attention to her.
I had originally thought that seeing her losing something that she loved, that was truly important to her, that when she experienced just a friction of the pain I was suffering it would fill me with joy and give me satisfaction but it wasn't like it.
She was a pitiful and pathetic creature and all I could do was to shake my head at her.
Try again and this time be honest with yourself! My subconscious was running her smart mouth again.
I huffed and grit my teeth because no matter how much I hated the family stealing witch for everything she had done to me and taken from me seeing her so….destroyed and lost … for whatever reason it made me feel sorry for her.
Screwing my eyes shut I took a deep breath to calm myself. I hated it that some irrational part of me was pitting her.
Humanity and compassion suck big time, don't they? My subconscious sighed tiredly.
Angrily shaking my head I pushed the door to the restroom open and went to take care of my business.
"Wow, have you seen that Bella Swan. She looks like she is on crack or something, scary," some girl was gushing behind me while I was washing my hands.
"Yeah, and….." another started before she noticed me standing an arms length away from her in the girl's restroom.
Glancing in the mirror I saw the both of them casting their surprised and curious gazes away from me before they disappeared in a stall together and their giggles bounced off the walls.
I sighed, shaking my head and grabbed a paper towel before I went outside and into the parking lot where Edward and Alice were waiting for me.
Entering the lot I saw her and her red glowing face that was stained with tears while it housed one of the most pathetic expressions I had ever seen. Her hands were crossed and pressed against her chest as she was pleading.
The emotional chaos started all over again. I was disgusted by her display, pissed that I had to be subjected to this drama in the first place but also stunned as a wave of disbelieve hit me at her sight and this damn pity was also worming it's way to the surface.
"Please, Edward, please," she whined hoarsely while her eyes were ripped wide open with alarm.
Her whacko behaviour gives the term "lovesick" a completely new definition. My subconscious sneered in disgust.
She looked wildly around the lot as if for an inspiration, an idea or anything that would keep Edward by her side. I could see her unhealthy pale white face that was seized with helplessness and utter panic as well as terror under the never ending stream of tears.
When her, in fear widened, eyes locked with Edward's helpless ones she fell onto her knees in front of him while everyone in the lot watched her display with their mouths agape.
Is she nuts? Doesn't she have any self-respect or dignity? My subconscious shrieked appalled.
"Bella," Alice helplessly shook her head and looked as if she couldn't decide if she should be worried for her best friend mental state, if they still were best friends I was not exactly up to date on that front, or if she should smack her so she would snap out of it.
"Bella, why are you doing this?" Edward questioned stunned, looking in utter disbelieve and appal down at her.
"Because I love you…. please Edward. I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry." She tried to reach for him but he took a step back. She flinched in respond and started to cry harder.
Not wanting to let the situation get completely out of hand I made my way over to them.
My subconscious raised her eyebrow at me and muttered annoyed. We clearly need to work on the whole being-honest-with-yourself-thing!
Walking straight past the heap of misery I grabbed Edward's hand, dragging him with me to his car. I could feel his confused eyes burning hols into the back of my head but he willingly followed me.
"Alice, are you coming?" I called looking straight ahead.
"Please …. Please ….. Anna, don't take him away from me," she chocked out before starting to wail.
Closing my eyes I sucked in a deep breathe, clenching my fists I bit the inside of my lip to keep turning around and…..but I didn't.
I didn't care what all those who had nothing better to do than to be the family stealing witch's audience thought of me for how ice cold and bitchy I seemed. And I certainly was not going to lower myself to dignify her pathetic plea with any kind of respond.
After a moment of hesitation I heard Alice hiss a quick "Sorry" before she was running towards Edward and me while she sobbed and cried.
(*.*)
"Congratulations on graduating," Charlie said while he awkwardly hugged me.
"Thanks dad," I smiled at him when we broke the embrace.
"I'm so proud of you," his voice was filled with emotions and his friendly eyes were glassy.
A smile was plastered on my face while a bittersweet feeling washed over me when I remembered my first graduation in my world and how my parents spoke exact the same words to me.
"Hey, why are you crying?" He asked me suddenly getting worried and alarmed.
Quickly I brushed the single tear off my cheek.
"Guess I'm getting a little emotional. Who would have thought," I shrugged trying to cover my faux pas up.
Charlie looked so helpless it was cute. He put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a light, unsure squeeze before he coughed once and his face warmed with a blush.
"I'm fine," I giggled to appease him.
He nodded and then cranked his neck to look to where she stood together with a sinister looking Jake when he glanced at me and a resigned looking Billy who was shaking his head at his son.
"I wish….."
"It's fine, dad, just go."
"But…" he looked torn between her and me.
"Tell you what. You can invite me to diner another time and we can celebrate, just the two of us," I grinned at him.
"Al…right, kiddo," he nodded reluctantly after a few moments and gave me another one armed hug before he went over to her.
"Are you OK?" Edward asked me softly in a voice that was laced with concern.
"I am fine."
"I hate this phrase." He said and I knew what he was referring to.
"Just a little bit longer and you won't hear it for a long while." I turned around and started walking over to where the other Vampires were.
Alice's POV:
Jasper's fingers were brushing through my short hair while I was curled up against his side on our bed enjoying our time together that was disturbed by the random stabs of worry that surfaced in my mind.
Each time when that happened more calm and peace invaded my body as Jasper tried to help me relax but it was no avail. Those anxious thoughts about the unsure future that lingered in my mind would not let me catch a breath and there was still Bella …
I shook my head I couldn't go there right now ….. it was just too painful, still too raw …..
"Alice?" Jasper questioned tenderly and I sighed.
"I'm sorry it's just ….. I hope everything will work out but because of those mutts I can't see the fight ….. I hate to be blind!" I exclaimed frustrated, opting to avoid the Bella topic.
My husband's soft eyes told me that he knew there was more.
"The wedding I had been seeing is getting further and further away … Edward's future is all blurry." I complained and Jasper laughed quietly.
"What's so funny?" I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.
"It is blurry because the both of them have a lot to figure out before they get somewhere as a couple. Anna is good for Edward. He needs someone who challenges him, stands up to him and shows him his limits…."
"But I want to plan the wedding now!" I cried out like a toddler throwing myself back on the mattress and stamped my feet rapidly against the expensive Egyptian cotton sheets, glaring at the ceiling.
When I looked back at my husband who was leaning against the headboard of the bed he sat on his eyebrow was raised at me in question as a playful, amused and sexy smirk covered his face.
"Yeah, yeah I got it all out of my system," I sighed heavily and covered my face with my hands.
"Did I miss something or since when are you a fan of the Edward and Anna combination?"
"I…" I huffed annoyed and frustrated. "I don't know … nothing had worked out like I had seen when Bella first came into town ….. when I can't have Bella then at least Edward's wedding….ahhhh," I cried out in utter frustration and glared at my better half.
"I know you love this whole shrink mumbo-jumbo but I want to stay in my limbo and stop trying to analyse me. I do not want to analyse my feelings." I pouted angrily at him like a petulant child before I sighed.
The bed shifted underneath me and I felt him coming closer to me until he was hovering above me and carefully pulled my hands off my face.
A warm, understanding smile played on his lips as his amber eyes shone down on me while he was bathing me in love, happiness, joy, lust… No, no words were needed if your husband was an emphat.
A smile spread across my face and not even a second later I felt Jasper's lips pressed against mine and his tongue brushed along my bottom lip.
I giggled lightly against his mouth and made to open mine ….
People were in a haste pushing and puling through a thick crowd of anxious, nervous, exhausted, tired, sad but also happy faces. White metal pillars supported the weight the enormous walls of glass.
The scene changed and suddenly the inside of a plane that was full of people appeared and among them sitting in a seat next to the plane window looking out of said object was Bella.
"The Captain and the crew of this flight would like to thank your for being our guests today. We hope you've enjoyed the flight and we wish you a pleasant remaining stay or, just in case, a nice onward journey. We are looking forward to welcome you again on a US Airways flight. Thank you and Good-Bye."
As the captain was speaking in the background the scene changed again and through the round plane window a sign was visible with the inscription: Galileo Galilei Airport….
Gasping in shock and horror I pushed my husband off me and flew off our bed crashing with my back against the wall. Jasper was instantly in front of me and about to ask me what was wrong but I put my hand over his mouth to silence him.
Quickly I grabbed his arm and we rushed out of the house through our window running into the direction of Bella's house.
"What is happening Alice?" He asked once we were far enough gone so that no one could hear us.
"Bella is planning on going to Italy." I muttered in a flat tone and thanked the Lord that Edward was not at home.
"Is she crazy?" Jasper exclaimed. "Alice….."
"I will make her understand." I shot him a hard look.
Jasper clenched his teeth obviously not really agreeing with my decision but he trusted my judgement for now.
I wanted to tell him to let me talk to her on my own but I could see that Jasper was not going to grant me that wish. Ever since we returned to Forks and the entire debacle had become known to us Jasper was wary of Bella.
"Please do tell, what exactly are you trying to achieve? Getting yourself killed?" The second I entered her room I glared at Bella who had her nose buried in a book while she leaned against the headboard of her bed.
I was so upset that her mouth watering scent that was swirling all around me didn't even really register with me.
"Alice?" She looked startled at me. "Jasper?" Her brows furred together when she saw him standing near the window.
"W-what are you two doing here?" She looked confused at the both of us.
"The far better question is why did I see you on a plane to Italy?" I placed my hands on my hips and dangerously narrowed my eyes at her.
Bella sighed and put her book on her nightstand before she looked guiltily at her folded hands in her lap.
"I….I thought if I was a Vampire then …."
"Then what Bella?"
I smelled her tears before I saw them. She raise her head and her glistering eyes looked full of misery and broken hearted into mine.
"I….I…." she helplessly fought for words.
"How were you going to explain to them that not only know what they are but also how to find them when you can't lie to save your own life?" Jasper asked from behind me.
More tears rushed down her red glowing cheeks and she swallowed hard.
"They would investigate and eventually they would find out the truth ….Can you imagine what would happen then?"
"But it hurts so much…..I don't know how to…" she sobbed.
"Bella…"
"You can trick us we all know that, Bella." My husband spoke up looking directly at Bella who fearful at him.
"If you really want it you can make it to Italy and even to the Volturi."
Bella sat frozen on her bed with her eyes ripped wide open and mouth slightly agape, looking like a kid that got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"But they would eventually find out the entire story. Do not delude yourself into thinking you could tell them that you dreamed it or had a vision and they would just believe you." Bella's face grew redder with each second that past.
"They would investigate, come to Forks find out that we are connected to you, probably find the mutts which leads to the question what would happen to them in this time line, do you really want your mongrel to die," Bella's eyes widened impossibly wider with terror, "and they would find out about Anna which means she would become a Vampire as well in case they did not decide to kill us all for breaking the law. How does this help you?" Jasper asked her in an emotionless, calculating and cool voice as he tried to rein his anger in.
Bella started trembling and tears sprang to her eyes, rolling down her red glowing cheeks.
"I would like to be alone now," she said in a shaky voice before she turned away from me and buried her face in her pillow.
"Bella," I sighed softly.
"Leave…just leave me alone." She shrieked almost hysterically into her pillow before she continued to cry.
Cranking my neck I saw Jasper watch her through narrowed and angry eyes before his gaze softened as it met mine and he nodded once, disappearing out of Bella's bedroom. After one last glance at Bella's shaking and sobbing frame I followed my mate.
"We will have to tell the others." Jasper drawled gravely not liking in which direction Bella's thoughts were going one bit.
"I know," I sighed as we were on our way deeper into the forest, "but should tell them after the battle."
Edward's POV:
"I'm dead." Anna sighed as she let herself fall down next to me on the couch in the media room.
"I beg to differ." I chuckled.
"I've been shopping with Esme and Rosalie for over six hours. It's Sunday how could that mall be so full. My feet are killing me but I found those super cute half boots and the ankle boots have such a cute heel and they are so comfortable. Normally when I go shoe shopping I can't find anything …." She rambled happily and I relished this rare, precious moment where she was carefree and the weight of her loss and pain seemed to be pushed into the back of her mind.
"Hey," she carefully rammed her elbow into my side because I couldn't stop chuckling.
"Sorry," I smiled apologetically at her.
"Men," Anna rolled her eyes but suddenly all my attention was focused on Alice as a powerful vision pulled her under.
"…..have to destroy the gold eyed coven or else they will come and take our food away….."
"Gold eyed coven?" Demetri asked as he and Felix, Alec and Jane were observing and ear dropping on a few newborns.
"Golden eyes, hummm…Carlisle Cullen… Master Aro told me about him." Jane looked thoughtful while she was observing the happening in front of her. "Seems like he has reached his goal and found others to share his abnormal life style with and has angered whoever created those." She assessed in that bored voice of hers though her cold, blood red eyes betrayed her interest.
"Is he close?" Jane glanced at the tracker of her team.
Closing his eyes briefly in concentration Demetri nodded.
"Just a couple of miles away."
"I'm still wondering why we have not seen their sire, yet." Alec mused while he was watching Riley keep the newborns in check.
"Maybe a visit to this Carlisle and his coven could give us some answers. We have been observing them for a week now and still have no idea what is going on here." Demetri grumped.
"They are being lied to." Jane declared and three pair of confused, crimson eyes focused on her.
"What do you mean?" Felix wondered.
"If they have golden eyes they do not follow our natural diet." Realisation blossomed on the faces of the males, "Something is not right. We should call Master Aro and then pay this Carlisle a visit ..…"
"No," I hissed as terror and fury instantly invaded my body clouding my mind.
"Edward?" Anna looked confused at me, rising from the couch.
I hadn't even noticed that I was not sitting anymore.
"OK, you are starting to freak me out what is going on?"
"Edward?" Carlisle entered the room together with Esme both were looking just as confused and demanding at me as Anna was.
"Jane and the others they are coming." Alice cried panicked after she rushed into the media room with Jasper hot on her heels.
"What do you mean?" Anna asked confused.
"They are coming here to Fork, searching for us." Alice answered before she began to concentrate on the future.
"What? Why?" Rosalie questioned from the doorway.
"They have been ear dropping on the newborns and overheard a conversation between one of the newborns and Riley. He mentioned the colour of our eyes." I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration as Esme's gasp and the curse Emmett breathed echoed through the suddenly dead silent room.
"How much time before they will be here?" Jasper questioned immediately going over into his military mode.
"Not long I'm afraid." Sighed Carlisle. "Demetir had been a newborn still when I met him shortly before I left Italy but he will have no problems tracking me down."
"I have to get you away from here." I growled at Anna, dead set on getting her somewhere safe.
I could not stand the though of her being anywhere near them again. Not in this constellation, not when everything was a mess. I had not though that it was possible but for the first time in my unnatural existence it felt like my stomach turned as heavy pants were leaving my mouth.
"It's not use." Jasper shook his head.
My eyes snapped to him and I glared furiously at him.
"Edward he is right." Alice piped up, "Anna my not smell like a human but they will pick up on her unique scent, it's impossible not to."
"Then we will meet them outside the house. Meet them half way somewhere in the forest." I suggested desperately, clinging to that shred of hope.
"Edward it's no use not after Aro briefs them about Carlisle…" Alice sighed and showed me a vision.
A feral growl rumbled through my chest.
"Why do I heave the feeling you are trying to get rid of us as fast as you can? I am sure Master Aro would not be pleased to hear that your manners leave to be desired." Jane raised a suspicious eyebrow at Carlisle as they were standing not far from our home.
Carlisle shook his head resigned before forcing a smile on his face and gesturing the way to our house.
.
The forest faded away and was replaced by the living room.
.
"….so we had to kill James to keep Edward's mate safe which is why Victoria is trying to get revenge on my Family." Carlisle explained.
Jane narrowed her eyes at him before she nodded while the others were sniffing the air with confused but also curious expressions on their faces.
"There's one more thing. What is this scent?" …
.
The scene changed again but it was not as clear as the others, as if the possibility of it happening was not highly likely at the moment: Carlisle's defeated and Esme's anxious from were walking through an ornate golden hallway with Jane, Alec, Demetir and Felix in front of them….
"What happened?" Anna asked looking confused between my angry frame and Alice's hopeless one.
"Aro may decide to invite Carlisle to Italy." I pushed out between my clenched teeth as I was desperately trying to rein in my anger, fear and terror.
"Fuck!" Emmett cursed.
Esme was too shocked and concerned to chide him for cursing, worrying about the wellbeing and safety of our family.
"Great! Just great! They are going to kill us." Rosalie shrieked shaking her head in disbelieve and shock as fury was slowly consuming her being.
She forcefully sat down on the loveseat behind her with her arms crossed tightly over her chest while she seethed inside. Her thoughts were clouded with white hot rage that was directed at me for bringing Bella into our lives.
…..if we die it will be your fault …
I couldn't disagree with this. All the mistakes …..
"Let's not jump the gun." Carlisle tried to keep the rising panic and dread in the room at bay.
"Not jump the gun!" Rosalie suddenly screeched. "Then please enlighten me how are we going to explain this mess to the Volturi and survive?" She was shooting daggers at him through fire lit eyes.
…. We can defeat the four that are coming … and then …. Emmett thought confidently as he was sitting next to his wife rubbing her arm in a comforting manner while nervousness, helplessness and fear could be detected on the faces of the others.