528If Carlisle could have wept, he might well have done so as he felt the wheels of the jet touch down at Timmerman Airfield.
Disembarking, he let his mind return to the first time he had set foot on American soil. It had been a difficult journey, taking almost two months on the Dutch East Indiaman, Diemermeer, from Rotterdam to the port of the former New Amsterdam, recently renamed New York following British colonization. He'd had to feed on the livestock transported in the hold, slicing into the veins of terrified animals to take blood to keep himself sustained, if unsatisfied, just to make it through the long weeks. He had never been so glad to step onto dry land.
Still, it had all been worth it in the end, and his relief at arriving back in Wisconsin was just as keenly felt. He was well aware that he was fortunate indeed to have survived his first visit to Volterra in nearly three and a half centuries.
Jasper was the last to leave the aircraft, handing the captain a thick manila envelope containing the $10,000 bonus he had promised if he got them all home safely. The captain accepted it with alacrity, knowing he should ask no questions, either about the money or the strange, golden-eyed, pale-skinned passengers.
Heading to the hangar where their cars were waiting, the seven vampires who had left just three days earlier had almost doubled in number, not just with the addition of Carlisle, Laurent, and the Denalis, but also by a thirteenth member, a handsome nomad whom Kate had met during her meandering stroll around the castle. Garrett had arrived in the fortress city some months before but was on the verge of leaving, having discovered the surprising limitations of life in Volterra and the sheer madness that seemed to reign throughout the castle, all of which had led him to rethink the length of his stay. Meeting the beautiful, positively electrifying Kate, he had been easily persuaded not only to leave with her, but to also consider a new way of living, one which might allow him to curtail his endless wanderings and even form relationships, both of love and friendship. Certainly, he had reveled in the new-found companionship of this disparate group of vampires.
They all returned to the Cullen estate at Fox Point, but the Denali sisters, together with Laurent and Garrett, departed the following day for Alaska, promising to visit again soon, along with Eleazar and Carmen.
Comfortably ensconced in familiar surroundings, the Cullens and Masens slipped easily back into regular routines and activities, although they spent more time than usual closeted with their spouses in much needed and private congress. It had initially seemed that, by common, unspoken agreement, no one was yet ready to discuss in detail the extraordinary events of the last few weeks.
It was on the third day following their return that Carlisle asked them all to gather around the dining table. Once everyone was seated, he looked at each one of them in turn with a neutral expression. Only Edward knew what he was thinking, and he kept his counsel.
Carlisle glanced down at Esme's hand clasped within his own before he spoke, clearly deliberating on where to start. "Well, we haven't really talked about what happened in Italy, and I think it's important that we do so, sooner rather than later. We've all had time to reflect, and for what they're worth, here are my thoughts. First of all, I can't deny that I was initially … disappointed that you all blatantly disregarded my wishes about not following me to Volterra."
As if reading his family's minds, he held up a hand to forestall their inevitable rebuttal. "Hear me out, please. Yes, I was annoyed, not least because you allowed Esme to expose herself to such enormous danger …" He squeezed her hand gently and lifted it to his lips to place a soft but heartfelt kiss to her knuckles. "Having said that, I will never be able to thank you for your intervention. I have video-called our Alaskan cousins to say the same, but I have no doubt that the whole enterprise was driven by you, my closest family. I spent many days in a very grim place, both physically and mentally, believing I would never see any of you again, and I am filled with gratitude and love for your loyalty and courage."
He turned his gaze to one of their number. "You, in particular, Bella … you owed me no such fealty—"
"Don't even go there, Carlisle. You can't begin to imagine what I owe you. My dad … well, you all know what happened when my dad died, and if it hadn't been for Edward, I'd be dead now … or worse …"
Clearly overcome, her voice breaking and lip trembling, Edward took her hand and clasped it within both of his, leaning forward. "What Bella wants to say is that even though we found one another, and that's the most precious bond we'll ever know, the bonus here is that we also then found you—for which I guess I have to thank Alice." At this, he threw her a knowing wink. "All of you, but especially you, Carlisle, have given us so much. For a long time, Bella only had her father, and then when he was gone, she was betrayed by the only other family she had ever known. As for me, I can't really remember my family, but I know I never had this"—he swept a hand around the table—"neither of us did, and we can't thank you enough for embracing us as part of this incredible group. What Bella did, what we all did … well, I think I speak for everyone here when I say we would all do it again without thinking twice. Carlisle, without your example, your guidance and wisdom, we would never have imagined we could live so much in the light. Personally speaking, it's been a very long night's journey into day, and for that, I will always be deeply grateful—to Bella for setting me on this path, and to you for showing me how to stay on it."
He nodded, as if to indicate that he had finally said what he had wanted to articulate for some time, turning to his wife as her mind suddenly opened up to him.
'You are my light, always. I love you.'
"Right on, Edward. I couldn't have said it better myself." From beside him, Emmett punched his newest brother lightly on his biceps, nearly knocking him off his chair.
As ever, Emmett's interjection helped to diffuse the deep emotions that had swirled around the gathered vampires as all of them had begun to reflect on their troubled pasts—indeed, perhaps that was the secret of his almost constant good humor. Of all of them, his was the only early life which had been without the troubled start the others had experienced. He had been dirt-poor but had been loved by his parents and many siblings, and that was his only sadness—that they would never have known what had happened to him.
Ever the pragmatist, it was Rosalie who now spoke up. "So, what happens now, Carlisle? I know we've eliminated the main source of danger in Volterra and left Marcus to build his new regime, but I'm guessing we can't be sure if it won't all go wrong again. You know the old saying that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Carlisle nodded as his first daughter accurately pinpointed the concerns of everyone. "You're right to question the new status quo, Rosalie. The simple answer is that we can't yet know if it will work or not. It's inevitable that wiping out almost two millennia of rule will have far-reaching consequences. The fact is that Marcus was always the voice of reason within the Volturi, and I hope that his revitalization will see a return to that. If he can surround himself with loyal, like-minded people and show our wider community that, although a more temperate hand will be at work, there will still be significant penalties for any breaches of our primary law, then I'd say there's a better than fair chance of success. Only time will tell. For now, I've promised to keep in touch—from a distance—if only as a sounding board, and Alice will be keeping an eye on the future as far as she is able. We can only hope for the best."
Nods and murmurs of assent signaled the end of the impromptu meeting, and everyone prepared to go their separate ways. As the others drifted away, Carlisle reached out to Edward with his mind, asking him to join him in his study. A few minutes later, the two of them sat across from one another at the chess board permanently set up on a side table. As Edward moved his pawn and awaited Carlisle's response, he looked up at the man he admired more than any other he had ever met in this long life of his.
"The two of you will be leaving soon, I think."
Edward nodded. "Yes, but not until after the weekend. The ladies are keen to have a last weekend together as somewhat normal people. I think Jasper, Emmett and I may find ourselves dragged into the city for a spot of dancing."
Carlisle smirked. "I don't imagine much dragging will be necessary. Lord knows I can't think of many things I'd want to do less, although that list has expanded somewhat in recent weeks."
They were silent again as Carlisle made his move. For all their speed, chess was one of the things they both liked to take their time over.
"So, was there something on your mind?" Edward asked, knowing that despite Carlisle's deliberate focus on their match, he must surely have something specific to say.
"Ah, you already know me so well, Edward. But yes, there was something I wanted to raise with you."
He moved his queen's bishop across the board and sat back. "I'm sure it didn't escape your notice that Victoria made good her escape."
"No, it didn't."
"So, I'm sure you will be conscious that if she was angry—and crazy—enough to try and wreak vengeance by going to Volterra in the first place, she's going to be full of rage now that she's been tortured and left with scars that will last an eternity."
"Added to which, she was always unstable and is probably now in the throes of a full-blown psychotic break."
"Indeed."
"What's your point, Carlisle?"
"I'm worried that she may focus that rage on you and Bella, perhaps especially on Bella. She won't return here—I doubt that, even at her most insane, she would attempt to take on all of us alone. However, she knows that you two live separately, and it probably wouldn't be that difficult for her to track you down."
"You could be right, but I'm not particularly concerned about her, if I'm honest."
"Well, it's true that, of all of us, you and Bella have the best defenses against someone like Victoria. But still …"
"I appreciate your concern, Carlisle, but I'm pretty sure we won't see her. And if we do, we can take care of her … one way or another."
Carlisle nodded slowly before moving his king's knight. He lifted his gaze from the board to Edward's face, frowning slightly. "Yes, sadly, I think some kind of … deadly response may be necessary if she does pursue you. I'm sure you realize that she's specifically fixated on you and that she probably sees Bella as an obstacle to be removed in order to have you return her … affections."
Edward grimaced. "Yes, she made that very clear in her thoughts when she first turned up here with James. But, as I said, I'm confident we can deal with it. Now, come on, old man, you're about to lose this match."
Carlisle laughed and looked back to the board, being careful to hide his next move from Edward's delving mind.
~o0o~
Three months later …
Bella walked at human speed as she made her way home to the penthouse apartment she shared with Edward at the exclusive 999 North Lake Shore Drive Building overlooking Lake Michigan.
They had recently returned home following a month in the UK. It had astonished Bella that there was literally nowhere in the entire country, other than the many offshore islands, that one couldn't drive to in less than a day, and that even with a population of nearly 70 million, there were still vast areas of incredible beauty. She loved London, but that was just a small part of the story as they visited all points of the compass, wondering how it was possible to have such hugely varying people and dialects within those tiny islands. There were so many magical places—Stratford, Edinburgh, Glastonbury—and she had nearly lost her mind when they visited Highclere Castle, the setting for Downton Abbey. It was something that had passed Edward by, but he couldn't help but revel in his wife's delight. They finished their tour in Dublin, which they both adored, and the word "craic" had firmly entered Bella's vocabulary.
Flying from Shannon Airport to New York, they decided on a whim to spend a week at Edward's loft apartment in Manhattan, returning to Chicago late the following weekend.
Keen to get back into the routine of their lives in the city of Edward's birth, Bella had immediately returned to the studies that had been interrupted by the circumstances of her father's illness, and she was now on her way back from a night class she was taking in English literature. She had no idea what she would do with any qualifications she earned, but she really enjoyed the process of studying, and having a brain that could provide perfect recall was an invaluable aid to learning.
Enjoying the feel of the cool early spring breeze blowing across the lake and ruffling her hair, she smiled as her phone started vibrating in her jacket pocket and playing "Future Looks Good" by One Republic.
"Hey, Alice, long time no speak," she said, chuckling as she had spoken to her best friend only that morning.
"Bella, Victoria's close. I'm calling Edward."
The line went dead, and Bella glanced around, repocketing her phone. She wasn't unduly concerned, but she wanted to make sure that should anything go down, there would be no innocent bystanders or curious onlookers. Quickly deciding to move any potential confrontation away from the buildings and vehicles passing on North Lake Shore Drive, she took advantage of a break in the traffic and sprinted at vampire speed toward the shore, vaulting over the road barriers.
Crouching in the lee of the concrete shore wall, she looked up and down. It was late on a chilly evening, and there was no one to be seen, which was a relief. Staying close to the wall, she moved slowly up the lakeside walkway, pausing only when her phone rang.
"Bella, I'm on my way. Where are you?"
Giving him her location, she continued in the direction from which he would approach. As she did so, Bella spotted a lone figure up ahead, standing in the middle of the walkway. As she got closer, she easily recognized Victoria, her long red curls blowing in the growing breeze. Taking in her appearance, she couldn't help but notice a marked difference between the slightly grubby but strikingly beautiful vampire who had turned up on the Cullens' doorstep four months ago and this filthy, disheveled scarecrow before her. The main change, of course, was the silvery scarring on the left side of her face, partly obscured by a black eyepatch covering her empty eye socket that, in contrast, gave her a somewhat jaunty, piratical air.
"There you are, Victoria. We were wondering where you went." Bella spoke conversationally, wanting to keep the other woman calm, but despite her total lack of expression, she could see madness glittering behind her one remaining eye.
Now just half a dozen yards apart, Bella came to a standstill. "What do you want, Victoria? There's really nothing for you here."
"You're wrong, because Edward's here." She tilted her head, speaking in a tone that seemed to imply the answer should have been obvious.
Bella shook her head. "He's my mate; you know this. He never had any interest in you."
"Wrong again, Bella," she spat, sneering her name. "He was mine long before you barged into his life. We made love for hours … hours and hours and hours. It was so good, and he was so into me. Circumstances parted us, but he was just waiting for me to find him again. You and I both know it. I'm more woman than you'll ever be. Do you think a dull little twinkie like you can keep his attention for more than a few months. He told me I was the best lover he'd ever had—has he ever said that to you?"
Bella sighed. Much as it disturbed her to think of Edward and this woman together, what she said was meaningless in terms of the bond Bella shared with her soulmate. As a human, she would doubtless have been completely undermined by the cruelty of Victoria's words, but now, she was one hundred percent confident of her relationship with the love of her life and knew this was just the ranting of a seriously deluded woman.
"Victoria, just go away. I'm sorry about what happened to you in Volterra, but you never should have gone there." She gestured toward the other woman's face. "You brought this all on yourself."
She knew she had made a mistake as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Victoria snarled, and a look of pure hatred flashed across her once beautiful face. Without another word, she hurled herself at Bella, clearly overlooking what happened to her the last time she had made a similar attack.
Without a second thought, Bella threw out her shield in the same way she would throw an arm out—a natural, purely instinctive action.
Victoria flew backward through the air, hitting the sand some forty feet away and plowing a furrow a dozen feet farther on. With barely a pause, she leapt to her feet and flashed in a blur back to where Bella stood in a relaxed pose.
Faster than any human eye could follow, her progress was abruptly halted as Edward jumped in front of her. He knew there was nothing in his personal arsenal that was more powerful than his wife's shield, but the need to protect her went bone deep. "Victoria, stop. This is pointless. You can't defeat Bella, so give it up and leave."
In a volte-face which surprised even Edward, the red-headed vampire came to a halt, turning a simpering smile in his direction. "Edward, my love, you came. I knew you would."
Reaching a hand out to touch his face, she pouted when he turned his head away. "Edward, darling, tell her to go, and then you won't have to pretend. You know we belong together. No one can make love to a woman the way you made love to me and not mean it."
Conscious of Bella right behind him, he grimaced, wishing with all his dead heart that he had never met this lunatic, let alone taken her into his bed. "Jesus, Victoria, we fucked for, like, an hour, after which I kicked you out, and then had to move clear across the fucking country to get rid of you. Bella and I are married and mated, and we love each other."
"But, Edward—"
"No, Victoria, no buts." He sighed, knowing it was likely that nothing either he or Bella said would penetrate the woman's psychosis. "Look, why don't you go back to Volterra. Everything has changed there, and you could live in peace with a multitude of other vampires. You wouldn't have to be on your own. You might even find a mate or at least someone you could stay with, someone who would be kind to you."
She shook her head vehemently. "But you're kind to me, Edward. I love you, and I know you could love me if she was gone. Tell her, Edward; tell her to go. I would make you so happy. I'd be anything you wanted me to be, let you do anything you wanted to me … please, Edward."
She dropped to her knees, scrabbling for the fly of his jeans, and he jumped back in horror.
Shunting him to one side, Bella stepped forward, furious now, grabbing Victoria by her hair as she tried to shuffle on her knees toward Edward. "Right, that's it. We gave you a chance. I even felt sorry for you, but I've had enough."
She hauled the taller woman up and pushed her away. "Get out of here, Victoria, before we put a stop to you permanently. One last chance."
"You whore," she responded, her voice a low growl. "I'll go, but I'll find a way to kill you. I can promise you that. And once you're gone, Edward and I will be together."
Bella threw her hands up in the air. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Victoria. You are one dumb bitch. Leave and you survive, come back and you die, I can promise you that!"
With a hiss, Victoria slowly backed away. Edward was focused completely on her and knew this wasn't the end. Her thoughts were a violent jumble of hatred and vitriol, and he knew if she left, she would be back.
In a flash, using her gift for escape, she turned and shot toward the lake, hitting the water a second later.
"Bella, stop her!"
One moment, Victoria was plowing through the water like a mermaid, the next she was being hauled in like a big fish on the end of a line. Kicking and screaming, she turned on Bella, who merely extended her shield to encompass Edward, and the two of them brought her down. As they did so, Edward sent his mind searching for thoughts of anyone who might have heard or seen something, but the hour was late and the chill wind that now blew hard off the lake had sent pedestrians into the warmth of their homes on this early spring night. Dragging Victoria into the lee of the shore wall, they were invisible to prying eyes in the buildings opposite.
Victoria's struggles lasted mere seconds as Edward twisted her head, removing it from her shoulders. Throwing her body over his shoulder, he handed her head to Bella, who took it with a grimace. At vampire speed, they took off along the walkway, staying close to the cover of the wall.
"Edward, the construction site on East Lakeshore Drive."
He nodded, knowing exactly where she meant. A building had been gutted and was due to be turned into luxury apartments. It was the best option, as they needed to light a fire, and there would be little traffic or footfall along there now, as all the businesses were closed.
Their speed made it impossible to be seen by the few people who loitered, and the draft they caused as they flew by was put down to the wind coming off the lake.
Reaching their destination unobserved, they easily found a way in, the security hoardings erected around the building offering little resistance. They quickly built a small pyre from old cement sacks and discarded timber, and having picked up a lighter on his way out to find his wife, Edward set light to it. Bella immediately dropped the head with its mass of matted curls into the midst of the flames, causing them to blaze and throw off sparks and purple smoke. Lifting Victoria's headless body, still clad in her soaked, filthy clothing, Edward laid it carefully atop the flames, hoping that the wet garments wouldn't put out the fire. He had briefly considered that they probably should have removed them, but by some kind of silent agreement, they had decided not to bestow upon the poor deluded woman that one last indignity, even in death.
They need not have worried as the flames seemed to intensify, causing them both to step back, but as quickly as they had flared up, they soon died down, leaving nothing but ash and fragments of blackened cloth and leather.
They stood across from one another for a moment, their thoughts in turmoil. On the one hand, they were relieved that a major problem had finally been eliminated, but on the other, they were conscious that there had been so much death and destruction in recent months, much of it at their own hands, and killing Victoria was a stark and unwelcome reminder of the dark side of their existence.
Reaching out, Edward waited for Bella to take his hand, and they turned and quickly retraced their steps. Side by side, they walked back to their apartment at human speed, just another couple out for a late evening stroll.
As Edward unlocked the door to their home, Bella looked up at him, catching his eye. Pushing the door open, he paused.
"What?"
"Man, you had shitty taste in women before you met me."
He laughed, sweeping her up like the bride she would always be to him and stepped across the threshold, kicking the door shut behind him.
THE END
A/N: So, there you have it - my little take on the Edward and Bella vampire story. I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Posting this every week and getting the feedback of you gorgeous people has reminded me why I love this fandom and that I've missed it so very much. I know I didn't get around to review replies this week, for which I apologise, but you will never know how much joy your words have given me through the last few months. I'm not exaggerating when I say that one of the most spectacular aspects of my life has been my involvement in this extraordinary world, and, even more so, that I've had the opportunity to meet so many of the wonderful people from this fandom through the TFMU get-togethers, and I'm so sad that I haven't been able to get to any of them since 2016. I do hope that those of you currently hanging out in Minneapolis are having heaps of fun - I'm so envious!
I have to give heartfelt thanks to my friend, Sally - Alice's White Rabbit- who's done such sterling work, not just editing my erratic punctuation, but by always encouraging me and massaging my fragile ego. Sending you my love and best wishes for an awesome TMFU.
As for what's next ... well, I do have something in the works and I really don't want to allow such a long time to pass before I post another story, but it's slow going and I can't give you a timescale. Just know that I will try to post something again in the slightly less distant future. Until then, just let me say thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support, encouragement and love. I consider myself fortunate indeed to have such a fantastic audience for my humble literary efforts.
Sending my love and best wishes from rainy old England to all my lovely friends, wherever you may be. In the immortal words of that most loved character, Winnie-the-Pooh: "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard". Until next time ...