On Our Way Home

Chapter Three: In the Airport

The standard disclaimer applies--all Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Also, the idea of Bella's dehydration and malnutrition is borrowed from Catharticone's "Only Human" on FanFiction.net. Her stories are amazing--go check her stories out!!! :) She's a gem of a writer and person. :)

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 We were nearing Seattle as the sun rose, so I carefully lowered the white plastic window shade to protect myself and Alice from the sunlight during the several minutes before the plane descended into Seattle's familiar and welcome cloud cover.

Just before 8:00 AM, our flight touched down at Sea/Tac in the morning morning light that Alice assured me would be cloaked in cloud cover within an hour. As we stood to gather our things, I was already aware of the family reception awaiting us...not from Alice's frequent phone calls or visions, but from the relieved and excited minds of our family. I knew that they wouldn't be truly free of the wild worry I had subjected them to from my suicidal mission to Volterra, but I also knew that they would forgive me far more quickly and completely than I deserved.

That was the way family worked, and I folded my lips in shame, knowing how absolutely I had shut them out of my life since Bella's birthday seven months ago.

I was diverted from my self-flagellation by Bella's current condition; she was so exhausted that she could barely stand. She kept fighting to keep her eyes open, but her paleness concerned me...along with her lack of appetite. The only thing she had eaten since Volterra was less than half of a turkey sub; she hadn't touched the remainder of her sandwich on the plane and had turned away all food on our flights when it was offered to her. Bella was already so drawn and thin – which had presumably occurred during my absence – that I watched her like the proverbial hawk as we deplaned at Sea/Tac after our overnight flight, ready to catch her immediately should she collapse.

Alice and I were careful to avoid the streaming sunshine coming in through the large windows and the occasional skylight of the airport. Bella seemed to be oblivious to everything as she mechanically put one foot in front of the other as if she were on autopilot at this point. If it would not have drawn too much attention, I would have scooped her up into my arms and carried her through the airport.

But after Bella stumbled over nothing more than her own feet for the second time, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her firmly against me to prevent her from falling flat. Her exhaustion was finally taking its toll; she was barely able to remain upright by the time we reached my family who were wisely hiding out in a windowless corner of the airport as far from the intrusive sunshine as possible.

Jasper's mind was focused like a laser beam on Alice, anxiety tightening his features. I cringed as the tenor of his thoughts reached me; he had obviously been wild with fear as Alice and Bella raced alone to Italy to attempt to save me.

Alice's words on a phone call during their flight to New York rang in his memory, “I'll do everything that can be done, but prepare Carlisle; the odds aren't good.... Don't follow me. I promise, Jasper. One way or another, I'll get out....And I love you.”

Jasper knew all too well that his mate couldn't keep her promise of getting out of Volterra intact; too many variables were at play for her to be positive about her and Bella returning safely. And I...I was the one who had endangered her. While Jasper's mind sang with joy and relief as Alice came into view, I also noted his barely-concealed anger toward me for placing the love of his existence in such a dangerous position. And his own frustration with himself...for if he had not lost control the night of Bella's birthday, none of these events would have occurred in the first place.

We would need to have a long talk later, Jasper and I.

As soon as we were within sight of my parents, even more guilt washed through me. Both Carlisle's and Esme's faces were thin-lipped with extreme stress. As usual, they had taken Alice at her word, albeit extremely grim in this case: the chances of all three of us returning safely had not been promising, and Carlisle and Esme had been on tenterhooks, waiting for news of whether I had lived or died and whether Alice and Bella had escaped Volterra safely.