Parallax

Chapter 13

"What we need to focus right now is the fact that Laurent is dead." She stirred the conversation back.

"There's a lot to digest about what you just shared, not just Laurent dropping by Forks when he was supposed to be here in Alaska but also with him being in contact with Victoria." Jasper contemplated aloud.

"You're right. My hunch about Victoria is getting stronger and stronger every time. She's planning something elaborate and dangerous. Don't underestimate her." Bella told them worriedly.

"We're not letting her get her way this time. She's not going anywhere near you." Edward announced with conviction.

"If only I was in my vampire body, I would have gladly helped out in hunting her but since I'm in this human body, I'm afraid I can't do anything to help." She frowned in annoyance.

"Let's worry about getting you home for now. We'll deal with Victoria when we get back." Jasper assured her and Edward and Alice nodded in agreement. Bella sighed. This was beyond her control now.

She just wished that this Bella would not have to go through any more dangerous ordeal after all that she's been through.

"Irina would be devastated with the news about Laurent." Alice finally spoke about the situation about the nomad.

"She's not going to be happy knowing that the wolves killed him" Jasper agreed.

Alice's eyes glazed over, and Bella knew that she was hit with a vision and Edward cringed, knowing he was also reading it from her thoughts.

"She would want revenge against the wolves" Alice told them worriedly.

"Carlisle is not going to let that happen. Besides, he was the one who attacked first. The wolves were merely protecting this Bella from being vampire meal." Bella pointed out and then an idea formed in her mind.

"Are you really sure that he was really her mate?" the others could only shrug, unable to give a definite answer.

"She is fond of him, that much I could hear from her but just like what Jasper is able to get from her emotions, she's too distraught to think about anything else" Edward chimed in.

"Alice... I know I said not to try to manipulate the outcome, knowing what you know about the sister's mate, but this might be crucial in making sure there would be no rift between the Denali's and the family because of our relationship with the pack."

"I didn't know our relationship with the pack goes beyond the treaty to stay in their lands without incident" Jasper commented and Bella can understand that they haven't reached that point where the pack became one of the Cullen's strongest allies in the Olympic peninsula, protecting the area together and if that was where this timeline would be leading to, she needed to make sure that it would not be hindered by a distraught mate seeking revenge from the wolves that killed Laurent.

"The pack is closer to the family than you may think, at least in my future and I'm hopeful that it goes the same in this timeline as well." The vampires looked like the idea was unappealing to them, but they didn't argue further.

"If it comes down to it, it might be a good idea instead to tell Irina about the mate that I know she will have from my future. I know it's a long shot and it might not work but if it does, Irina will have a second chance or maybe even a real chance at love when she realizes that her mate is still out there, waiting for their paths to cross."

"Hmmmm..." Alice thought, and Bella could see another vision hitting Alice and she was nodding her head unconsciously.

"I think.... It would work...." she finally said.

"She will still be upset and angry about the whole Laurent situation, but the idea of a different mate will let her think twice about doing something drastic, but you'll have to give me more details about this Elijah that you're talking about"

Bella smiled at that and for the rest of the ride to the airport, she told them everything she knew.

When they arrived at the airport, Bella was suddenly feeling anxious, and it wasn't until they were entering the plane that Bella realized that her anxiousness was not her own. Jasper was projecting.

Jasper and Alice was walking ahead of her with Edward following just a step beside her and she could see Alice leaning towards Jasper and wrapping her hands around his arms.

"You'll be okay. Nothing's going to happen. I already saw it" Alice was assuring her husband and she could feel the anxiousness slowly dissipating, replaced by her own feeling of hurt and jealousy which she immediately reigned in before Jasper could feel it.

Bella had to look anywhere else except straight ahead, not wanting to see any more of their intimacy. It wasn't their fault, but Bella could not help but think that it should be her that was comforting Jasper during his moments of doubt about his self- control with his blood lust.

Bella knew what he was going through. With Edward here, she realized that Jasper was worried about having a repeat with the paper cut incident, but she knew better. Now that Jasper was actually aware, he was going to be much more prepared than last time, and it was not as if she was going to allow herself to be hurt here while Edward and Jasper was around. With no escape when they finally get into the plane, Bella was going to be careful, for all their sake.

"Hey..." Edward spoke softly from beside her and she felt his hand on her shoulder and when she looked up at him, she saw the same expression that she was having, reflected in his features. Edward understood.

Bella took a deep breath, composed herself and put on a brave face but before she could forget, she sent a wave of trust towards her mate's doppelganger. It was the least that she could do, considering that it was her presence as Edward's singer that was causing him distress.

Jasper turned his head sideways and she smiled at him while trying to convey as much as she can that she was not afraid that Jasper was going to slip up at all and hurt her. She trusts his control whether he was her mate, or his counterpart and Jasper smiled in gratitude at her.

By the time that they settled down on their seats, Bella took out the cd player that she had been carrying with her and when the song started, Edward turned to her in surprise.

"How did you get that?" he said in a low voice, making sure not to disturb the other passengers with their conversation.

She frowned. "From under the floorboard... wait.... You were the one who hid it there along with Bella's other things?" she whispered back.

Edward looked devastated and he nodded.

"Now why would you do that?"

He ran his fingers in his hair. Edward was now the one who was looking anxious.

"I wanted to let her have a fresh start.... Make sure that there won't be anything left that would remind her of.... me"

Bella glared at him. "A clean break" she remembered the word that he uttered to Bella, and he nodded solemnly. Bella had to sigh in frustration.

"I could really smack you right now for doing that, but I know I'm going to hurt myself in the process so I'm going to hold off on that until I'm back to my indestructible self and maybe smack your counterpart in my future just for the heck of it" she huffed annoyingly, and Edward was staring at her in confusion. Bella grunted and finally sighed in resignation at Edwards previous actions. What's done is done.

"If you must know, her things are back on her desk so hopefully when things go back to normal, she can have all her memories of you back and maybe even more"

Edward was the one who sighed this time and leaned his head back. Bella's lullaby was playing, and she knew Edward could hear it just fine from her earphones.

"I have a lot to make up for and I still don't think that I deserve her but for all that I've been through, I want to have that second chance with her if she'll let me" he spoke softly, his voice full of doubt.

"I'm pretty sure she will and once she's back.... Make sure you're never letting her go ever again..."