To Befriend A Cullen...

Day Of Reckoning

***

When I awoke on that day... Mine and Jay's day of reckoning, I couldn't stop feeling sad when I thought of what we would both miss.

At approximately midday we were seated upright on what looked very much like hospital beds in Carlisles office, surrounded by our family...

"Everybody out please." my adoptive father ordered gently.

Everyone was about to get up and leave, but before anybody could escape I shouted for them to stop, causing everyone to freeze and look at me.

"What's wrong Georgie?" Carlisle asked.

My cheeks went bright red as I knew what I was about to say would upset Lailah, but also knew she would have to leave at some point so she could hunt...

"Can Alice stay with me??" I pleaded quietly, looking down at my hands.

Everyone seemed to turn their attention to Alice who eventually nodded, "Of course I can." she smiled softly.

Minutes later, I was lay back on the rather uncomfortable bed as I gripped Jay's hand tightly, convinced that as long as he was beside me I could get through anything...

As Alice took her place beside me I tilted my head to look over at Carlisle, "What's it going to be like??" I questioned, sounding terrified.

"Feeling wise, it feels like your being burnt and ripped apart from the inside out, but the morphine should help..." he murmured as he placed something on his desk.

Imagining what he had just described I shuddered involuntarily, "It better... Does your mind play tricks on you or anything??" I enquired, panicking I'd have nightmares or something.

"Not exactly..." Carlisle said as he turned to me, "Have you ever had a near death experience??"

I looked to Jay who just shook his head gently before my cheeks flushed pink again with embarrassment, "A few years ago I was on a water ride at a really big water park... There was this ride which you just floated in the water and let the currents push you around in a circle--"

"What's this got to do with near death experiences??" Alice questioned, confused.

"I'm getting to that!" I smirked, "One time I was enjoying the ride underwater, seeing how long I could just ride the current while holding my breath... And then this woman ended up in front of me blocking my way, but there was a small gap between her and the wall so I went for it. Turning sideways as I tried to slip through unnoticed."

Everyone was now staring at me as if I'd gone completely barking mad, save for Jay who was smiling knowingly as I'd told him this story before...

"But when I was halfway through the large woman decided to move, pinning me against the wall while I was still underwater! I'm pretty sure I nearly died as I swear my whole life flashed before my eyes while I was running out of oxygen!" I finished, bursting out laughing at the memory.

Carlisle raised an eyebrow in amusement and Alice shook her head, "That's your near death experience?? Being squished against a wall by a fat woman?" she scoffed, obviously finding it funny.

"I never called her fat Alice, that's just plain nasty!" I chastised her while Jay tried to contain his laughter next to me.

Carlisle merely chuckled as he turned away from us again, "Only you Georgie... Only you." he sighed, fighting against the urge to full on laugh.

A few tense minutes of silence went by once our laughter had died down, bringing back all the nerves that retelling my funny personal experience had expelled...

Eventually Carlisle turned around with two syringes in his hands, the sterilised silver needles winking evilly in the bright office light.

"Wait." I said as I turned to look into Jay's eyes, "Promise me everything will still be the same between us when we're like them?"

My husband nodded confidently, "Nothing could ever change what we have Georgie. Not even the world being engulfed by the sun, or the ending of time itself..." he reassured me quietly.

"Okay... I love you." I whispered as tears filled my eyes.

Jay's vivid green eyes seemed to sparkle as he stared deep into mine, as if committing them to memory, "I love you too..." he replied, placing his lips on mine in a chaste kiss.

With no good reason to delay the inevitable any further I turned my attention back to Carlisle, "Go ahead." I nodded, gritting my teeth.

My adoptive father began approaching with the needle, "Me first." Jay suddenly interrupted, saving me.

There was a long moment where they just watched eachother, but seconds later Carlisle was getting ready to inject the venom into Jay's vein in the crook of his elbow...

"Georgie." Alice said, making me look at her, "What happened after you got trapped between her and the wall??"

The way she was looking at me, golden eyes wide and pleading with me to keep looking at her I couldn't bare to let my gaze drift back to my true love...

"Well my vision started to get slightly blurry as my body struggled to cope without enough oxygen, but she eventually moved and I was fine." I shrugged, finishing my story just as I heard Jay breathe in sharply.

Alice nodded and took hold of my free hand, "Sounds like you were pretty lucky..." she commented in a small voice as my soulmates cries of pain became louder.

"Yeah, but that was the same day I got kicked in the face on the exact same ride." I admitted shakily, "That was the most embarrassing moment of my entire life..."

I noticed I was now clutching my best friends hand for dear life as I felt Jay thrash in pain on the bed next to me, crying out as if he was being tortured...

Tears sprang to my eyes as I wished I could make his pain go away, "How come??" Alice asked quietly, urging me to keep my eyes on her.

Carlisle came around to my side with a remorseful expression painted on his perfect features, "My nose kinda started to bleed... One guy had to get a mop to clean up the giant puddle I'd left on the floor, and I got taken to the medical room by another guy who had to clean it all off me." I informed her, a single tear escaping.

"That sounds awful." she murmured with a sad smile.

My adoptive father placed the needle against my skin as I winced at the sharp scratch, "It was..." was my whispered agreement.

She said nothing more as Carlisle pressed the end of the syringe, forcing the clear liquid into my bloodstream.

There was a moment of peaceful silence as I assured myself I'd be alright, and that when I woke up Jay would be waiting for me... But then the burning began.

It started firstly in the area Carlisle had just injected me, quickly spreading across my whole body like a raging wildfire that consumed everything in its path...

I was vaguely aware of being injected with another substance as my brain started to struggle with the most simple task of thinking straight, and screams sounded from somewhere far away.

As my vision became dark and fuzzy, I became aware of an image that my mind had somehow rescued from the flames... A pair of magical, vivid green eyes.

And my last coherent thought, as I was plunged into the tortured darkness of my transformation, was that I'd never see those eyes that amazing colour again...

***