Midnight (Twilight Fan Fic)

Chapter 19 - Bella

Sorry it's short but I thought you'd prefer something rather than nothing!

Chapter 19

Bella

It had been a month since Ness woke up at the hospital, the week after she had been allowed home we headed off to the Denali’s island on the South Coast of Italy. We spent three weeks there with them just relaxing and enjoying each others company. Whilst there we had a small party for Alice’s birthday, Ness and I got her a new scarf that she had apparently been looking for at home. 

The week after we returned home it was Esme’s birthday, closely followed by Edwards. Esme insisted she didn’t want much of a fuss so much of Alice’s attention went in to arranging a party for Edward. I didn’t know what to get him, normally a small something that was meaningful to us both would suffice but I couldn’t do that for the simple reason that he wasn’t himself. I eventually decided on just getting him some vouchers to spend in a sports store on new football boots or something. 

While everyone else was tidying up after the party I stood in the corner of Edwards room watching him sleep. I could see how he had once been so fascinated by me sleeping, even without being able to see his dreams it was nice to see him relaxed and at peace. 

The only thing I wasn’t sure I could cope with was his mumblings as he slept, every now and again he would mention my name and I wondered exactly what he was dreaming about. 

I eventually decided that I should go and watch Ness, she hadn’t had a good day. It had all been a lot for her to take in and cope with. She could see and hear her dad talking but he wasn’t here to see her. What worse pain could there be for a little girl?

“You’re still up,” I commented as I went in to her bedroom, “I thought you’d be asleep.”

She sniffed and wiped the dampness off her eyes, “I want daddy,” She whispered, “It’s meant to be his birthday and he’s not here!”

“I know darling,” I sighed and hugged her tightly, “I wish he was here too.”

Ness pulled away from me and reached in to her bedside drawer, pulling out a leather book and passing it to me, “I’d been working on this for ages to give to him,” She sniffed, “Now I might never get to give it to him!”

I set the book to one side and hugged her tightly, “Shh, Ness, it’s okay. You will,”

She pulled back and took the book in her lap, opening it up to show me, “Grandpa helped me get a lot of  the photo’s,”

The yellowed pages fitted the style of the book perfectly, each page held one or two photos, the first ones of Edward’s human family, and then of him and Carlisle. I smiled as I turned the pages, watching the family expand as more of us joined. I froze when I found the first picture of myself with Edward, the cloudy memory filled my head, the night I had been out dress shopping with Jess and Angela, the first meal Edward had taken me for. 

“Who took that photo?” I asked Ness, she glanced at the image and smiled, “Aunt Alice said she had to make sure every detail was documented.”

I laughed and shook my head as I turned the page, more photos that I never knew had been taken, Edward and I in the woods, the meadow, even prom. Of course these weren’t the only photos, there were others of the family, some of Edward playing the piano but not many, they had all been vampires at this time, they didn’t need photos to remember things by.

I turned the page again and winced at the memory that came with these photos, my eighteenth birthday. I skipped past these photos, much to Ness’ confusion.

“It wasn’t a good birthday,” I whispered to her, “Your dad left me just after it.”

Ness frowned, confused, “Why?”

I sighed and set the book to one side and hugged her tightly, “He didn’t want to be with me because he thought I wasn’t safe around him,” I swallowed and knew I’d have tears in my eyes if I could, “Everyone here left, that’s when I got close with Jacob, he was a good friend to me over those months, a really, really good friend.”

“How did he come back?”

We looked up as the door opened, “Your mom got in to extreme sports,” Jake smirked, “Threw herself off a cliff.”

“What?” Ness gasped as I shook my head at Jake, “Alice saw me jump and your dad thought I’d killed myself,” My voice went quieter as I talked, “He went to ask the Volturi to kill him.”

Jake took over for me, “Your mom and Alice went and stopped him though, they came back to Forks and things went on as if it had never happened.”

I looked to Jake and silently thanked him for not telling her how he had fought Edward for my affection when he had come back. Now wasn’t the time for that.

I took the book back as Jake left and continued to flick through the photos of our lives during the time up to and after the Newborn Army.

Ness rested her head on my shoulder as next came the wedding pictures, “You’re so pretty,” She told me making me smile, Alice and Rose were stood next to me, yet my daughter still saw me as the pretty one. 

I flicked through some more, frowning when I recognised the scenery from Isle Esme.

“How?” I whispered.

Ness looked at the black and white photo, “Grandpa said they have CCTV there, Alice stole the photos form there.” I shook my head at the lengths Alice would go to for these things.

Many of the rest of the photos were Edward with me and Renesmee, occasionally one of him with another family member or even some of the wolves. 

As I came to the empty pages at the back of the book I looked down to my daughter, “Mind if I borrow it and add some stuff?”

She shook her head, “I asked Jake to engrave the family crest on the front for me, he’s good at leather work.”

I nodded and smiled, “Try and get some sleep love, he’ll be back before you know.”

Jacob was waiting outside her room for me, he glanced at the book which I was holding tightly against my chest and smiled softly, “You okay?”

I shrugged, I didn’t know. Part of me felt like I was headed to the same place I had gone when Edward had first left me. A bigger part of me missed him, but was enjoying seeing him in this new light. I passed the book to Jake and turned to my room, going to my jewellery box and taking out a pendant necklace Alice had given me when I was first changed, “Can you engrave that crest on the front with his name?” I asked Jake.

“Sure,” He smiled, and left me alone with my thoughts again.