August 2, 2010

Felix had mated. Aro wanted to celebrate his accomplishment. With all the hype he pulsated with one would think that vampires finding their mates was a joyous and rare occasion.
I stood barely listening to Jane and Alec murmur about the upcoming feast, longing to be anywhere but here. Aro had apparently given permission for a rather large gathering of blood bags. The twins would be sent in the coming days to cities well outside of Volterra to bring in the needed numbers.
Aro’s hand met my shoulder. “You, Demetri, will stay with me.”

I nodded and his hand slid from my shoulder, I waited for the contact to disappear before wishing he was dead. Of course I would be staying behind. Hadn’t I stayed behind for the last ten years?

I was untrustworthy in Aro’s eyes. He feared losing my unique gifts if I chose to leave. He was wise knowing that the first chance I had alone I would do just that. As, forcefully, tied to him as I was I would run. I constantly battled with the bonds he’d had placed upon me to stay.

I didn’t fight for myself. Only one being was worthy of such devotion. And I’d spent the last ten years of feeling hollowed out and a lingering burn of what once was because of her. For her.

Heidi

Her absence was a deep and gaping whole in my being. As empty as it left me she still lingered somewhere under my skin. It gave me the strength to be a thorn in Aro’s side.

He knew of course and tried endlessly to rid me of her. As much as Aro and Caius insisted Chelsea had been unable to completely eradicate her from me. I knew I wasn’t the only one they had tried this with.

My eyes shifted to the only person who I knew felt my pain. Marcus sat staring unblinking before him, his skin paler than mine, eyes growing dark from his lack of feeding. Aro would force him during this celebration.

“You’re all dismissed my children. Felix, I’ll meet you in my chambers. Please bring Sophia along with you.” Aro announced as he started out of the room. ‘So it begins.’ I thought. This would not bode well for the two lovers I was sure. Aro would find a way to destroy both of them, not in death but in other ways. It was what he was efficient at.

My eyes met Felix’s and they looked fearful. As they should. I’d tried to warn him about revealing any form of his love to Aro. He refused to listen, stating that had I revealed myself earlier perhaps I wouldn’t have caused the death of my beloved. Imbecile!

I turned away and started for my room. It was the only place I longed to be anymore. It brought me no solace or comfort and no privacy. It just served to keep me away from the gushing adoration the others had for our leaders. All the gushy feelings they showed disgusted me.

I wondered if they realized all of their effusive love for their masters was forced. I doubted they would care. Unless, perhaps, the bonds were broken.

When Fred met Carlisle he understood what the others had been talking about. There was no doubt this man was the leader of this coven; his position couldn’t be more sure if it had been worn as a crown on his head. This was in no way due to any obsequience the other showed to him, but rather the way they all respected him, even subconsciously. What struck Fred the most was how that honor was given in love, for it most certainly was forced, the gentle leader had too much kindness in him for that.

And having met him he had no difficulty in believing that they offered to spare Bree’s life and take her into their coven. He also had no difficulty believing that they wouldn’t fight this Volturi if possible, due to a sincere desire to protect their family.

It was almost enough to convince Fred to stay. But, not quite enough, as the call to see the world rested upon his mind. Perhaps, when his curiosity was satisfied?

“We’ll welcome you back, just know that membership in our coven requires sacrifice,” Carlisle admonished. “You must overcome your nature, something difficult to do, but possible.”

“If I remember the sermons preached at church,” Fred replied with a smile, “then that is something even humans are supposed to do.” Carlisle’s answering smile was full of warmth, for he felt that way as well. Not unexpected in the son of a preacher. “I make no promises, except to try,” Fred said in regards to attempting to stick to this new diet he learned.

“That is all we ask of any of us. Just know, that with practice comes ease, not because it’s necessarily any easier, but because our ability to resist becomes stronger,” the leader pseudo-lectured. It was, after all, Carlisle’s greatest and longest lasting experiment, this ability to overcome nature by blatant refusal to give in to its siren song. The most amazing consequence, even to him, had been the level of love that it allowed in those willing to join with him in this exercise.

Fred felt almost gushy as he bid adieu to this strange, and strangely kind, coven. His newly forged passport was packed in a new satchel provided by Alice, along with a quantity of cash and a shiny, new, completely black credit card. Alice was good for more than just picking out clothes after all, earning Fred a great deal of money in the stock market in just the few days he had been among them. She had promised to join his investments with the family’s, assuring him of a lifetime of wealth so he wouldn’t have to live as a vagabond.

“Stay away from Italy,” he was warned again, as if he could possibly have forgotten the first warning or the tales of what awaited him there. Alice then paused and took on the vacant look that even Fred now recognized. “You’ll have lots of fun in England,” she laughed, “but be sure to stop by the coven in Ireland. I think you and Maggie will get on quite well.”

Edward laughed knowingly and hugged the vampire warmly. “Thank you for not participating in the fight against our family, and send us an invitation to the wedding.”

Fred’s eyes grew wide at that, looking from Edward to Alice before shuddering. “Maybe I’ll got to Asia first,” he muttered as he took his leave, not ready to be mated, despite the happiness he felt around him.

At Kennedy International Fred looked up at the departures board, thinking of what the petite psychic had said. After all, being happy wasn’t such a bad thing, was it? With that thought in mind he slid his new, shiny card across the counter and purchased a one-way ticket to Dublin.

Time passed fast. Too soon, too fast.

Our idyllic existence of sun and sand and salt and sweat drew to a close as the last day faded into the last night.

We enjoyed dinner with Carlisle in the most romantic restaurant the hotel had t offer. Knowing we’d be going with his father the night before leaving, Edward and I had gone on our own as well. We wanted the experience, the dreamy perfection, the fantasy. Humuhumu was built in such a way that it looked like it was floating over the lagoon.

Carlisle didn’t know we’d already eaten there. We let him think he introduced it to us, not wanting to ruin his fun. And it was fun, anyway, and delicious. I ordered completely different things than I had the night before, going for as unique an experience as possible.

Toward the end of the meal, right as dessert was being brought out, Carlisle took a phone call. He excused himself and slipped away, leaving Edward and me alone for a moment. I watched Edward sip at his drink, still not used to the gushy feelings swirling inside of me all the time.

I’d been completely blindsided by the intensity of our new relationship.

I’d had crazy crushes and I’d had good, even great, relationships. But never had I experienced this. I remembered my mother explaining love to me, saying that when I found the One, I’d “just know”. It had sounded like such a pithy little platitude at the time but now I could see how accurate it was.

It wasn’t just the sex, although that had been beautiful. It was everything. The way he looked at me when he woke up, or how reverently he held me when he kissed me. How we connected when he played songs for me. The amount of time we spent in laughter. The only other people I enjoyed spending this much time with were Alice and Rose, only this had the added benefit of sexual satisfaction.

“Thinking about going home?” he asked, his eyes sliding over to me.

“Not really.” I shook my head and took a sip of wine. “Thinking about how awesome this trip has been. And how well we… get along.”

He arched an eyebrow. “We get along pretty well, don’t we?”

I smiled, taking his hand across the table. “When I think about the first time I saw you…”

“-sitting on Embry’s lap,” he interrupted, an impish grin flashing across his face.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. And Jess was on yours. Anyway, stop it.” I smacked his hand, frowning. “The first time I saw you I had no idea I’d end up feeling this way. And I definitely didn’t think you’d feel the same.”

He nodded, threading our fingers together.

“I guess I just feel really lucky.” I finished quietly. A little overcome, I shifted my gaze to the water which was smooth as glass and lit up from the just-set sun.

“Me too,” Edward said. “I have a feeling this kind of thing doesn’t happen to everyone, not always, and not this early on.”

We ate banana crème brulee and made moony eyes at each other until his father came back.

–

Leaving our suite the next morning was emotional.

On one hand, I was actually looking forward to going home. I missed my mom, my bed, Al and Rose. I missed our beaches, cold and rough as they were. It was home.

But on the other hand, I was sad that we were leaving our love nest. We’d been floating in this perfect bubble and now we were venturing back into the real world. I trusted that our relationship was deeper than romantic dinners and breathtaking panoramas, but being together n the daily grind of back home was going to be a far cry than being together in paradise.

No matter. We had to go.

We’d been up most the night anyway, fooling around. It wasn’t like we hadn’t made good use of the room and its luxurious bed.

I took one last wistful glance before Edward shut the door. I hoped we’d come back one day, although there was really only one set of circumstances that might make that happen.

And it was a bit early in the relationship to be thinking of that.

–

Edward slept a lot longer in flight than I did. I had a rough time getting comfortable enough on planes to sleep well, even in first class. I dozed on and off until finally I got a book from my bag and started reading.

Approximately five and a half hours later we began our descent into Washington. Edward had woken up a little while before, exceptionally chatty. I was glad at least one of us was rested.

We chatted most of the way home, stopping quickly at McDonalds to grab a late lunch before continuing. By the time we made it to my house I was desperate for a shower and a change.

“I’ll call you later,” Edward promised, kissing me at the front door. He waited until I was inside.

All of the emotions of the day, and really the whole weeks, came crashing down.

I called my mother at work to let her now we’d landed and that I was back at the house. I took a long shower and then threw on a robe a sundress I’d bought in Hawaii.

After dinner, I my phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey baby. It’s ne.”

“Hey!” Warmth flooded through me. “What are you up to?”

“Going to bed – I wanted to say goodnight.”

“Oh,” I said, vaguely disappointed even though I too was on the verge of falling asleep. “Okay…. Good night.”

“Good night, Bella. And open the door.”

I nearly tripped on my way to the front door.

“What are you doing here?” I gasped.

“Can’t sleep alone,” he said, shrugging. “Either you come with me or I’m staying n your bed tonight.”