Firework

Face To Face

"Then why didn't you tell us?" Alaric asked me his voice sharp again. He took a deep breath and visibly tried to calm himself down. "I understand the need to just be on your own for a bit. And if you'd have come to me - to any of us - we'd have figured something out where you could have some time and still be safe. But you didn't, and look what happened."

Dread ran through me, he used the same disappointed voice that Charlie had, that Rene had, I knew what was coming, it had come before. Tears welled up in my eyes as I stood up, not looking up at anyone, my bare feet becoming more interesting than the angry faces of my family. "I'm sorry. I'll go pack." I whispered. Where would I go now though? Who would want me now? I supposed that legally I could be on my own, I could live on my own. And I did have money, maybe I could rent somewhere?

I was brought out of my musings by Jenna's hand gently taking my own and pulling me away from the family towards the kitchen.

"Take a seat." Jenna asked me in a firm voice as she let go of my hand. I did as was asked and finally looked up at the woman who'd been so motherly towards me.

"You have got to stop doing this Bella." Jenna said sounding annoyed and slightly hurt as she leant over the counter and looked at me.

"Doing what?" I asked in a small voice.

"Thinking that we're gonna ask you to leave. I'd no sooner ask you to go than I would Jeremy or Elena, so you screwed up? You're not the first one and I'm pretty sure you won't be the last. But no matter how much you piss us off, no matter how bad you do screw up, this is your home and we are your family. We're not going anywhere and neither are you." Jenna smiled kindly as tears once again sprung to my eyes. "Now go up to your room get changed and come back down for some dinner okay? Because I for one want to know all about that party that Caroline's roped you into planning with her."

I groaned slightly, but it was put on, Jenna was right, I did have a family here, I did have friends here and the one thing I always felt in Mystic Falls was loved and cared for. I wasn't going to have to leave, all I had to do was literally feel the love to know that. Corny but true.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

"Maybe you were wrong for once Ali, it happens occasionally." Edward said as they stood in the forest surrounding the house, not close enough to hear anything but close enough to see her. All the family could hear the hope in his voice, hope and sadness, hope and hurt, hope and despair.

"Wasn't it you who started the phrase 'don't bet against Alice' Edward? So why doubt me now?" The little pixie asked. She knew what she'd seen, she was also a little surprised that they were in time to stop it, surprised but releaved.

"That smells like Bella, looks like Bella, but she sure as hell ain't acting like Bella. Are we sure it's her?" Emmett asked with a grin while looking on at the girl who he considered to be his little sister.

"Emmett!" Esme scolded good-naturedly as her 'son' swore.

"Sorry mom." He grinned back.

"It's her. It's the life she should be living. I did the right thing. Look how happy she is." Edward said, his voice almost breaking with the sadness he felt.

No-one could argue with him as the family looked on at the girl who meant so much to them, who'd brought them together and then torn them apart. She was dancing in a room, surprisingly well, dragging a tall blonde girl from the bed to dance with her, her beautiful face open with a bright smile that seemed to lighten the room impossibly.

Together Bella and the blonde were dancing and laughing, dragging other people in with them as they came to the door and watched. A small dark brunette, a pretty petit red head and a tall dark man all joined the girl that the family loved, dancing round the room and singing with her.