FIC: Saltwater (Twilight) PG-13
Title: Saltwater: Darkest Days 2/20
Author: Niki Jane
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Edward/Bella
Table/Prompt: Gamma/Villain
Word Count: 753
Summary: An AU look at what might have happened if Rosalie hadn't called Edward with the news of Bella's 'suicide'. Set during New Moon.
Author's Notes: This is the second of a 20 part mini-series for my prompt table at twilight20. It might be a little rough, my regular beta isn't a huge Twilight fan, so I'm beta-less at the moment.
PART I.
--------------
Once, he'd thought that maybe he would be the hero. That maybe he could be the hero. That he could protect her from every stumble, every fall. That he could be right, something more, something better. Once, Edward had thought that he could be a man, something more than the monster.
Every mile closer to Forks, he realized that he was the villain. He'd been the villain all along. He'd put her in danger, danger beyond anything she would have stumbled into on her own.
Every mile closer to Forks, he realized that he had been right the first time. When he'd asked her, what if I'm the bad guy? And she'd laughed him off, she had refused to see that in him.
Bella had refused to see the monster, even on his darkest days. And where had that gotten her?
Clenching his jaw, he stopped himself. Not knowing how Bella died, it was driving him crazy. How had she done it? Had she felt any pain? Alice was keeping her thoughts carefully hidden from him. She was thinking about the fields outside of the windows, she was thinking about Jasper. Sometimes, she was concentrating on Bella. Bella, alive and laughing and loving him. Loving him more than she loved anything else.
They were close, now. Rosalie behind the steering wheel, Alice riding shotgun. He knew that they had left Emmett and Jasper in the backseat with him for a reason. To stop him, in case he decided to run. To run to the Volturi. To end this, just like she had.
Alice had seen it, she said. She had seen Rosalie calling Edward, telling him that he could come back now. That Bella was gone. She had seen Edward going to the Volturi, stepping out into the sunlight and letting them clean up the mess.
And he had to admit, the idea was extremely appealing. More appealing with every passing second, every mile closer to Forks.
He'd searched Alice's mind over and over again. There was nothing there, nothing but that same image of Bella that she had been concentrating on through most of Europe and across the Atlantic.
He didn't understand, there was nothing left for him in Forks. He didn't understand Alice's almost obsessive need to go back. To drag him back with her.
Bella had been his only tether, and if she were gone, there was nothing left. If Bella were dead, and there was nothing he could do for her, there was no reason to go back.
Not even Carlisle could bring back the dead.
He searched Alice's mind, again. Hoping he could find a chink in her armor. Just like Alice's need to return to Forks, he was almost obsessive in his own need to find out how, when. And maybe, most importantly, why.
Why she had done it, how she had done it. He knew that the knowing wouldn't bring her back. He couldn't explain it, just like he couldn't explain why her scent had appealed to him so much more than anything he had ever experienced.
It felt like they had been driving for months, but with Alice behind the wheel it had only taken them a day and a half to cross the country. The Forks county line was passing by them in a blur.
If Edward's heart could beat, it would be thumping in his chest. He wondered if they were too late for the funeral, if all that was left was so much turned up ground and a headstone. He couldn't explain it, but he needed to see her body, just one more time.
His fingers were already dialing her phone number before he could explain it to himself. What would it help? He thought, and then, What would it hurt?
An unfamiliar voice answered the phone after three or four rings. “He's still at the funeral,” the man told him when he'd asked for Charlie. The sound of the receiver hitting the base rang in his ears.
“Edward?” Of course Alice had seen his decision the minute he had made it. But he was quick, quicker than Jasper and Emmett, reaching out for him. His movements were fluid, sure. He leapt from the moving car and landed on his feet in the middle of the narrow road that would carry him all the back into Forks.
There was still time. He couldn't fix this, he couldn't make it right. But he could be there, one last time.
Author: Niki Jane
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Edward/Bella
Table/Prompt: Gamma/Villain
Word Count: 753
Summary: An AU look at what might have happened if Rosalie hadn't called Edward with the news of Bella's 'suicide'. Set during New Moon.
Author's Notes: This is the second of a 20 part mini-series for my prompt table at twilight20. It might be a little rough, my regular beta isn't a huge Twilight fan, so I'm beta-less at the moment.
PART I.
--------------
Once, he'd thought that maybe he would be the hero. That maybe he could be the hero. That he could protect her from every stumble, every fall. That he could be right, something more, something better. Once, Edward had thought that he could be a man, something more than the monster.
Every mile closer to Forks, he realized that he was the villain. He'd been the villain all along. He'd put her in danger, danger beyond anything she would have stumbled into on her own.
Every mile closer to Forks, he realized that he had been right the first time. When he'd asked her, what if I'm the bad guy? And she'd laughed him off, she had refused to see that in him.
Bella had refused to see the monster, even on his darkest days. And where had that gotten her?
Clenching his jaw, he stopped himself. Not knowing how Bella died, it was driving him crazy. How had she done it? Had she felt any pain? Alice was keeping her thoughts carefully hidden from him. She was thinking about the fields outside of the windows, she was thinking about Jasper. Sometimes, she was concentrating on Bella. Bella, alive and laughing and loving him. Loving him more than she loved anything else.
They were close, now. Rosalie behind the steering wheel, Alice riding shotgun. He knew that they had left Emmett and Jasper in the backseat with him for a reason. To stop him, in case he decided to run. To run to the Volturi. To end this, just like she had.
Alice had seen it, she said. She had seen Rosalie calling Edward, telling him that he could come back now. That Bella was gone. She had seen Edward going to the Volturi, stepping out into the sunlight and letting them clean up the mess.
And he had to admit, the idea was extremely appealing. More appealing with every passing second, every mile closer to Forks.
He'd searched Alice's mind over and over again. There was nothing there, nothing but that same image of Bella that she had been concentrating on through most of Europe and across the Atlantic.
He didn't understand, there was nothing left for him in Forks. He didn't understand Alice's almost obsessive need to go back. To drag him back with her.
Bella had been his only tether, and if she were gone, there was nothing left. If Bella were dead, and there was nothing he could do for her, there was no reason to go back.
Not even Carlisle could bring back the dead.
He searched Alice's mind, again. Hoping he could find a chink in her armor. Just like Alice's need to return to Forks, he was almost obsessive in his own need to find out how, when. And maybe, most importantly, why.
Why she had done it, how she had done it. He knew that the knowing wouldn't bring her back. He couldn't explain it, just like he couldn't explain why her scent had appealed to him so much more than anything he had ever experienced.
It felt like they had been driving for months, but with Alice behind the wheel it had only taken them a day and a half to cross the country. The Forks county line was passing by them in a blur.
If Edward's heart could beat, it would be thumping in his chest. He wondered if they were too late for the funeral, if all that was left was so much turned up ground and a headstone. He couldn't explain it, but he needed to see her body, just one more time.
His fingers were already dialing her phone number before he could explain it to himself. What would it help? He thought, and then, What would it hurt?
An unfamiliar voice answered the phone after three or four rings. “He's still at the funeral,” the man told him when he'd asked for Charlie. The sound of the receiver hitting the base rang in his ears.
“Edward?” Of course Alice had seen his decision the minute he had made it. But he was quick, quicker than Jasper and Emmett, reaching out for him. His movements were fluid, sure. He leapt from the moving car and landed on his feet in the middle of the narrow road that would carry him all the back into Forks.
There was still time. He couldn't fix this, he couldn't make it right. But he could be there, one last time.