Forgotten Forever? (Twilight Fan Fic)

There We Stand

The next day Edward comes to sit with us, and I smile weakly at him as he walks over. Everyone at our table is quiet today, and as I look around I notice Ness, Emmett and Rosalie look quite pained too.

"Did you hear about Esme Platt?" Jasper finally whispers, breaking the heavy silence.

Alice, who is sitting next to me, puts her head in her hands. Sobs rattle through her small frame, and Jasper rubs her back comfortingly. "I don't understand why I'm grieving so much!" She cries.

"Can I sit with you?" A quiet voice asks behind me. I look up from Jasper comforting Alice to see my daughter standing there with a tray of food in her hands.

"Of course." Edward smiles the crooked smile I fell in love with with a sad look in his eyes. He pulls out the chair next to him and Ness sits down.

"Guys," I moan, and everyone looks at me. "Esme wouldn't want us to be like this! She'd want us to keep moving, not live in the past. What happens, happens! And what's done is done!"

Everyone nods. "You know Bella," Jasper drawls. "Even though I never met Miss Platt, and you met her once, I think you're right."

I laugh quietly. "Of course I'm right! At this point, I'm always right."

***

Sunday finally comes around, and suddenly I find myself in a black dress with black ballet pumps sitting in the back of Charlie's cruiser, with both my fathers in the front.

Life's just...

Seriously awkward.

When we get to the funeral, there's one thing I notice.

The only guests are former Cullens, except Charlie.

Charlie, Carlisle and I take a seat in the church, when Charlie gets a call. "Sorry, Bella. I've been called into work. Do you want to stay, or do you want to go home?"

"Stay here, please," I murmur, and Charlie gets up to leave. The priest hasn't arrived yet so somehow I am alone with my once immortal family.

"What brings you guys here?" I ask everyone else, and they all frown.

"We don't really know," Emmett murmurs. "It just seemed like we had to be here, you know?"

"I know," I smile slightly, and we lapse back into an awkward silence.

Finally the priest arrives, and we all file outside to put Esme to rest. Its an unusually sunny day in Forks, and the graveyard is oddly pretty with all the bright flowers mourners have left for their lost and beloved.

After a short speech by the priest, the coffin containing Esme is just about to be lowered into the ground when Carlisle walks forward. He gently brushes Esme's cheek and whispers something so quietly only I can hear him, although I don't think he meant me to.

"So beautiful," Carlisle whipers. "So, so beautiful."

Tears well in my eyes, but a stifled sob catches my attention. I turn to see Rosalie standing next to me, her wide blue eyes glistening with fresh tears, and by the look on her face I know she heard Carlisle too.

Carlisle turns and embraces Rosalie without thinking about it. I back away and film them together, and then everyone else. The good thing about this is that I can film with my camera and no one will think anything about it.

As I film I see everyone in pairs. Ness is crying on Edward's shoulder as he rubs her back, and Alice and sobbing together. Of course Carlisle and Rosalie are still standing there, having a father-daughter moment I never thought I'd see again.

Then there's Emmett. A strong, hulking figure standing awkwardly on his own amidst all the couples. I walk towards him, and he takes me in his arms immediately, like a brother. Like my brother, Emmett Cullen.

And there we stand, some formerly Cullen, some still stuck with the memories of their past. But either way we still have the bonds of a family, even if most don't recognise those bonds.

There we stand, the former Cullen clan, mourning the loss of our immortal mother.