Falling To The Sun | B. Swan + E. Cullen

soixante-six

The darkness did nothing to prevent her from following the fresh scents that lead to their cottage home. It was a path that she had run many times now, and even then, the night was nothing to the senses of a vampire.

Catching up with Alice and Jasper was easy, fast, as she ran at a reduced speed, slowing herself for the sake of her son that was now wide, wide awake. He spoke to her softly as he looked around with big, round eyes. He refused to close them against the wind no matter how much she asked him to, wanting to look at the night in a way that he had never seen before.

He had never been outside this late, and if he had, then he had never been awake for it. Regardless of how quickly he might be growing, he was still very young and she hated that he was up this late.

The house was dark when she came up to it, the lights off and silent as she listened to them move around her home with a barely-there whisper of feet and ruffle of clothing.

She steps in quietly, breaking the atmosphere of stealth and haste that had blanketed them. There was a bag on the floor, a hiking bag propped up against the front door, the shape and position telling her that it was packed full.

Alice came out of the kids' room in a blur of movement, socks that wouldn't fit anyone, but clearly belonged to a child, held tightly in her hand.

"I don't know how fast he's going to grow. I've only purchased up to three-year-old sizes. It should be fine. We can always stop and pick something up for him," Alice said, folding the socks over as she darts back into the room. She can hear her rustling through the cabinets and drawers, and as she drew closer, she saw her speeding around as she packed another bag. "You have to hurry. Romulus, honey, come pick your favourite toys. Only a few of them."

"Okay, Aunty Alice."

She put shim down slowly, blinking as she tries to make sense of it. 'What's going on?"

"We're leaving."

"What?"

"We're leaving and we have to be fast. We have to be long gone before they can find us. I've packed everything he'll need, and I plan to stop for more for us when we get far enough away," Alice hurries out, dropping shoes into the top of the bag. There's a sound of a Ziploc closing before she pulls out another one. "Put your toys in here. Don't forget your dinosaur--" Alice turns back to face Roman, a sad smile adorning her lips-- "We have to be as far as possible before they realize that we're gone and then can still find us. We have to go now, Roman."

She shakes her head, watching as her son hands over his toys. "I don't understand."

"There isn't much time to explain, but I saw what we need to do and I need your help. No one will survive unless you come with us."

"Explain what you can," she demands even as she helps pack away the toys in the plastic.

"We're going to look for answers about your children. Aro is going to demand proof that they're safe and won't threaten the peace of our continued existence. We need to find the answers that he needs, that he will be proven wrong, and we need to hurry," Alice says, grabbing a warm outfit from the bed and calling the boy to her side. "I won't be able to find them without you. Following the empty spot in my visions isn't enough for me to go on alone."

"Why would it be a good idea to bring Romulus, then?" Her hands clench at her sides, eyes narrowed sharply in her as she follows each move. "Why did you tell me to bring him?"

"Because she was asking for you! He wanted you to stay and there wasn't much of a chance of you leaving without him. It has to be believable."

"What has to be believable?" She snaps, voice dangerously low.