December -
Lauren laughs on the Swan's porch while Abel makes snow angels in the snow.
"He is so weird," Lauren comments. "He likes the cold. I like the heat. I'm leaving Washington after college if I can. I want to go to Arizona or California or somewhere hot."
"I prefer my weather warm enough to do some fishing," Charlie admits as he and Lauren sit on the front porch. "You just... grow accustomed to the cold after a while, I reckon."
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Forks, this is where I met Abel, one of the best friends I've ever had and probably will ever have," Lauren admits. "I just... I want to go to California, big time, because I used to spend summers there and I loved the summertime heat that we don't get here."
"I hated the heat when I'd visit Bella in California because Renée couldn't be bothered to step foot inside Forks after she left, not even for Bella's sake," Charlie says. "I sucked it up to spend time with her, though."
"Kids are worth it, aren't they?"
"Yeah," Charlie says. "They're worth every decision ever made." He hears the front door open and suddenly, a snowball is thrown and Bella gasps.
"ABEL!" Bella gasps and Lauren snickers. "Oh..."
"You gonna get me, Bells?" Abel taunts. "You'll have to leave the porch and play in the snow for that."
Bella ponders and she smirks. She disappears inside and comes out in gloved, a thick coat, and boots. Lauren jumps up when a snowball fight starts.
*****
"No," Carlisle says reluctantly. "We promised Edward."
"Abel does help Bella get out of her shell, but she still won't do well without us," Alice says in response. "I get flashes of her after Abel gets into a snowball fight with her, but the other flashes are unclear..."
"Forget her," Rosalie says sharply. "Let's drag Edward home."
They all know she missed Abel almost as much as Emmett does. No one will miss him like Emmett does, they can't even imagine being separated from their mate.
"He'll come back when he's ready," Esme coos. "After Bella moves on."
"Yes," Carlisle says. "When she's living her life, safe from danger - "
"You mean safe from us," Jasper says with such self-contempt.
Alice wraps her arms around Jasper soothingly and rests her head against his quiet chest.
"And when will that be?" Rosalie asks the clairvoyant pointedly.
"Can you see him, Alice?" Emmett asks. "Edward, I mean."
"The only decision he's made is to be alone," Alice says after digging. "Hey, Abel's doing good. He misses you, of course, but he got an apartment with Lauren, he has a job, he'll go to culinary school..."
Emmett nods. "And I'm here, unable to watch him succeed in his human life," he says sharply. "I have to go kill something. Are those nine-foot bears here, Eleazar? I need a fight."
"Head west," Eleazar says. "Have fun."
Esme sighs and she starts finding Emmett some clean clothes because she knows he'll come back bloody because he'll put up a fight with this bear out of frustration at how much he misses his mate.
