Chapter Fifty One

Bella

The drive to Jackson Wyoming was long but I slept a lot of the time, I was exhausted and had a rotten cold, courtesy of the dip in the lake. I had asked Jasper to tell me what happened with Alec but he just told me not to worry,

"I sent the message back to Aro with Demetri. Aro would be crazy to try anything and he knows it. You just relax."

I found it very easy to relax but I suspected some of that might be courtesy of my mate. I woke up to be dosed with cold remedies, fed and watered then fell asleep again. I was aware of voices and caught odd bits of conversation but most of it was regarding the house in Forks. Carlisle had arranged with their lawyer to close it up and arrange for the furniture to be stored and the clothes to be donated to a local shelter. That made me realize just how permanent this move really was.

"Will you ever go back to Forks again Alice?"

"Probably, in sixty years or so. We have to be careful no one who knew us is still alive you see. No one who knew you either now you are a part of the family but I think you'll like the house in Jackson."

I dreamed of moving every few years, from house to house, each one different yet familiar. The furniture changed as fashions changed and I understood why the furniture from Forks would be stored, by the time the house was inhabited again it would be antique! I dreamed about my dad too and felt hollow, ashamed of the pain I had inflicted on him although I knew it was the only way. I knew he loved me and still grieved for Megan. Now he would be grieving for both his daughters yet we would be only a few thousand miles away. We couldn't see or speak to him without putting him in mortal danger and I wondered how I would cope with the guilt and longing before I realized that all the Cullens had gone through much the same loss and would be only too happy to help me any way they could.

The thing I didn't dream about, or have a nightmare about I guess, was becoming a vampire. I knew it would be hard and painful but it meant I would be able to spend eternity with Jasper and that made the suffering worth it. We were running out of time and I doubted Aro would be happy if I didn't stick to the word of the agreement, even if he hadn't, although there was little he could do about it in reality. I wanted to get it over as well so I decided as soon as we were settled into the new house I would ask Jasper to start my transformation. When we finally arrived and Jasper woke me up to see our new house I understood what Alice had meant about it being different from the house in Forks. That had been modern looking, lots of glass and all pastel colors. This was rustic, log-built with heavy carved furniture, lots of leather and huge field stone hearths. Although it was totally different the Cullens fitted straight in. Everyone had their rooms already and Jasper and I were given a smaller cabin across the back yard which was more like a meadow than any yard I had ever seen.

"We thought you would like some privacy and it would be better if you weren't in the house when you transform. We made that mistake with Emmett, I had to remodel!"

I smiled thinking Esme was joking but she looked serious and I remembered Jasper explaining how it took some time to learn control as a new vampire.

A Year Later.

I was proud I had learned control much quicker than most newborns, which was not to say that I hadn't slipped. The rebuilt wall of the small cabin a mute testimony to one of my rages but I hadn't hurt anyone, except Jasper and he had asked for it trying to get between me and my prey. I hadn't harmed a human or tasted human blood, I had managed to control my thirst much more quickly than my rage but now I was deemed controlled enough to interact with humans without a babysitter along! Megan and I had made a vow that once I was over my newborn phase we would check on our dad. Carlisle and Esme were nervous about letting me loose but Jasper and Marcus would accompany us and with Star's gift, there couldn't be anything go wrong. They had pointed out that although Aro had been noticeable for his silence, that didn't mean he wasn't watching.

"Don't worry Carlisle, I'm watching him too."

Carlisle was comforted by Jasper's words and they waved us off with a few last minute admonitions to be extra careful.

We stopped at a motel on the outskirts of Port Angeles and waited until dark to visit Forks going on foot. I loved to run with the wind whipping my hair back and Megan and I raced while the guys held back ready to step in if there was any sign of trouble. Stopping close to the house we could see the lights were on so dad was home. We glided silently to the back and peered in through the kitchen window in time to see dad hunting through the pockets of his uniform and cursing because he couldn't find the key to his office safe, it had come loose from his bunch of keys. Eventually, he gave up and made coffee sitting at the kitchen table and looking at a photograph in his wallet.

"Wish you were here kiddo, you'd find them for me."

Megan looked at me smiling and whispered,

"That's your cue I think. Wait until he goes to sleep then we'll check the house for the missing keys."

The next morning we were still there having found the keys down the side of his armchair. I put them on the kitchen table next to his wallet, still open at the photograph of me. His face, when he saw them, was a picture, as was his colorful language when he couldn't work out how they had turned up there! The guys wanted us to leave then, they said hanging around Forks during the day was too dangerous but we pointed out that hiding in dad's place would be safe enough and we couldn't leave yet. It felt strange being in there again and going up to my bedroom I found it just as I had left it.

In dad's bedroom I saw the photograph of him and me by his bed and on the other side, framed, was the letter I had written to him. Megan picked it up and read it going very quiet for a time.

"I wish I could have done that. Told dad how much I loved him before I disappeared. You were lucky Bella. I doubt he even remembers me."

"He was always talking about you Megan, he loved you and he always will."

She disappeared for a while with Marcus, after all, no one would recognize either of them in Forks. When they got back only a couple of hours before dad she held a bunch of flowers she had picked in the forest outside town and placed them on the doorstep.

"I don't want him freaking out, thinking someone has broken into the house."

"Our favorites."

She smiled, nodding,

"Just a reminder, that's all."

We watched from the trees as he drove up and noticing something on the doorstep ran up to see what it was. I knew the second he recognized the flowers, he stiffened then turned to look up and down the street. Megan moved so fast none of us could stop her. She ran up to him and touched his cheek before disappearing down the road. I had to follow her example and as I touched him so quickly he wasn't even aware of my presence, only the breeze on his face I heard him whisper the line from my letter,

"When you feel the wind on your face, well, that's us just letting you know we're there."

THE END

Just to let everyone know I am going to be out of action for about ten days, having an operation. I hope to be posting again in a fortnight. Thanks Jules xx