All legends must have come from somewhere, right?
All Rights Reserved. Everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer with the exception of my OC's.
[ECLIPSE-BREAKING DAWN]
"Hey," Tristan said, knocking on Lark's door softly as she finished straightening her hair. "are you all ready to go?"
Lark nodded, standing up from the vanity chair and giving herself a final once over before turning to face her brother. "Ready."
"I can't wait for you to introduce me to your new boyfriend," he teased.
She shook her head. "He's not my boyfriend," she called after him, but he was already down the hall and near the top of the stairs.
The Hudson siblings made their way down the stairs, where Marcus and Diane already stood waiting for them, the family of four clad head to toe in black for the upcoming memorial service for the short life of Anastasia Swan. Marcus paced the room nervously, the invitation to the ceremony sporting a picture of the girl's smiling face clutched in his hand.
"I know you kids don't remember," Marcus said as they all piled into the family's car, a small smile on his face at the memory. "but you used to run around with Anastasia when you were very little. We came to visit one summer, before your grandmother got sick. While I visited with her, your mother took you guys down to La Push with Jacob and his mom and sisters, Bella and Charlie, and Richie, Elizabeth and the girls."
"It's just so sad," Diane said as the family drove to the town hall, where people were already lined up out the door to get inside, "how fast something like that can happen. Such a bright young girl gone too soon."
"I've decided to dedicate my next book to her." Marcus announced to the family as they entered the back of the line. "A portion of the proceeds from the sales are going to Richie and Elizabeth, to help them cover the costs of everything."
As the line slowly progressed and they stepped through the doors, Lark looked around the room, searching for anyone she knew, while Tristan also looked around, completely clueless to those around him. In the back corner of the room lingered the Cullen family, and as their eyes met briefly Alice gave Lark a small smile in greeting. She caught sight of the backs of Mike and Jessica's heads, surrounded by the group she recognized from the diner, though she didn't know any of their names.
"Lark!" a voice called, and she looked over to see Leo approaching, gesturing back to where the rest of the group was seated. Leo instantly pulled Lark into a tight hug, the solemn air of the funeral for her cousin lingering around them. "We saved you guys a couple seats with us."
"Thank you," she said, turning back to her brother, who stood behind her. "Leo, this is my brother Tristan. Tristan, Leo."
"Hi," Tristan said, extending a hand to shake but Leo shook her head, pulling him into a hug instead.
"Sorry, I don't do handshakes." she said nonchalantly. "Welcome to the family. It's nice to meet you."
"You too," he said. "I'm so sorry to hear about your cousin."
"Thank you," she said.
"Lark, Tristan, why don't you two go ahead?" Marcus suggested, bidding Leo hello.
"Okay," Lark said, and the two siblings followed Leo through the crowds of people all waiting to go through the receiving line where Richie, Elizabeth and Alicia waited at the end.
"There they are," Jared announced, and Lark bid the group hello, eyeing the two empty seats on the other side of Paul.
"Here we are." Lark confirmed. "Everyone, this is my brother Tristan. Tristan, meet everyone. This is Paul, Jared, Jacob, Embry, Quil, Seth, Leah, Sam and Emily."
"Hi Tristan," the group chorused as the two took their seats.
"Oh my God, they're huge," Tristan said, eyeing the Quileute boys nervously. "and I thought I was tall."
As the music grew quiet, the Swan family was escorted to their chairs at the front of the room, near the empty casket as Charlie took the stage to begin the ceremony.
"Good morning, everybody." Charlie said into the microphone, and even at the small distance they sat away from him Lark could see his red-rimmed eyes from crying earlier that morning. "Thank you all for coming, it means the world to us that you could be here today to celebrate the life of my niece, Anastasia."
"How's she been doing?" Lark leaned over to whisper to Embry during the service, her eyes flickering back in Alicia's direction. She was currently consoling her parents, one arm around each of them as Richie and Elizabeth shed tears for their lost daughter, though Alicia herself seemed very stoic.
"She's been doing good." Embry said. "She's not really one to cry in front of a crowd, but behind closed doors it's been hard for her. After losing Harry earlier this year, it's been especially hard that they never found Ana."
She nodded as her eyes flickered over to the Clearwater siblings, Seth seated in-between his two older sisters. How hard it must've been for them to have their cousin go missing, and one year later presumed dead only a couple of months after they lost their father from his heart attack Lark could never begin to comprehend.
Lark sat back and watched as one by one, each of the Swan family members stepped up to say their piece about her, as well as a few of her friends from Forks High School. While she hadn't been the athletic sort, like most of her peers, she had been well liked throughout her time with them, and each of them stressed how much they were going to miss her.
"So..." Tristan whispered to Lark as the procession led outside, to where Sue, Emily, and a few others from the town had worked together to hold a luncheon for the memorial-goers. "That guy?" he asked, his eyes flickering to Paul walking a few steps in front of them.
"That would be him," Lark said, nodding.
"Boyfriend," Tristan mouthed to her teasingly as Paul looked back, ensuring the Hudson siblings were behind him as the group crowded around a table outside.
Lark shook her head, taking the seat between the two boys and turning her attention to the joke Jared was in the middle of telling to Jacob and Quil.
"There she is," Embry said suddenly, standing up and directing the group's attention to Alicia, who had broken away from the rest of the mourners and joined their table. He pulled his girlfriend into a tight hug, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "you did great today."
Alicia smiled softly, surveying her friends seated around her as she took her place between Embry and Leo.
"Don't make me cry," she warned to her friends. "now, who's hungry?"
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