Moonlight Glow

26. My Family

The first thing I was aware of was the wetness across my forehead. Some damp cloth was on my forehead.

The second thing I became aware of was that my head was on someone's lap and my body was on a couch.

The third thing I noticed was that someone was holding my hand.

"You should hunt..." Carlisle? His soothing voice was easy to recognise. But who was he talking to? And how come he was here? Were we still in Texas? How long had I been out?

Many questions, not enough answers.

"Not yet. We'll hunt when she wakes up." I heard Jasper's voice. It was above me. So it was his lap that my head rested on.

One question down but almost immediately, another formed in its place.

"Jasper..."

"I can't leave her."

"Drop it." Someone different now. Uncle Emmett. I knew his voice well.

"She can hear us." Someone else said. Uncle Edward?

"Shannon?" My adoptive father's voice was tense.

"Oh..." I moaned as my eyes flickered open. Everything hurt. My eyes focused on Jasper's anxious face above me.

"Shannon..." He sounded relieved.

I sat up very slowly, taking in my surroundings. I was in a living room. The cherry red curtains had been drawn across the window and a lamp was on in the corner. I was sat on a white leather couch. In the far corner, near the window was a red fabric chair. Next to the chair was another matching leather couch.

The carpet was red but there was a white fluffy rug in the middle of it. A fire was burning in the fireplace. Carlisle was standing next to Jasper. Tomy was kneeling on the floor, holding my hand. Alice was sitting on the arm of the couch, by my feet. Bella, Renesmee and Jacob were sat on the other couch with Edward by Bella's feet. Rosalie was sat in the chair. Emmett and Esme were hovering near my couch. 

Suddenly the wet thing slipped off my forehead. I caught it to see it was indeed a damp cloth.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Virginia. Lie back down, honey." Carlisle gently pushed me back down so my head was again on Jasper's lap. I gasped slightly at the skull-splitting pain in my head. Jasper and Edward both winced when they felt it too.

Carlisle placed the cloth back on my forehead.

"What happened? How long have I been out?"

"A week." Alice murmured.

"Just over. You've been... Very sick." Carlisle told me.

"What happened?" I repeated.

"Well... We don't really know." Jasper said, exchanging a glance with Alice.

"I went back to find you..." Tomy stopped and looked at me. He had seen Danny. I quickly tried to distract myself to prevent Edward from reading my mind and finding out.

"He attacked Thomas." Alice continued.

"And in the crossfire, you was pushed into Samantha's gravestone." Jasper added.

"Your skull was cracked open." Tomy murmured.

"The blood drove Thomas crazy. By that point, I was already there. With Tomy and Alice's help, I managed to kill him."

"You killed him...?" I felt faint.

"Yes. He can't follow us now."

"Oh God..."

"Are you in pain?" Carlisle asked.

"No..."

"We'll deal with enemies. You just focus on getting better." Edward said.

"My skull was cracked open?" I asked, a bit more calmer. No doubt that was the work of my father.

"Yes... You nearly died out there..." Then something sunk in.

"Wait... THOMAS?"

"Yes... He must have known you would go back there." Carlisle told me.

"I nearly died..." I whispered. I was slowly remembering things now... "Tomy?"

"Hm?" He squeezed my hand gently.

"Mom is proud of you. She loves you so much." There was a deathly silence following my words. Everyone was staring at me with confused faces.

"How do you know that?" Tomy whispered.

"I nearly died." I repeated.

"You saw Samantha?" Jasper asked. His voice was a soft whisper. I looked up at him.

"She loves you. And thanks you for looking after me and Tomy." Jasper gave a dry sob as he held me close.

"You remember this?" Edward questioned.

"Yes... Oh and for Alice... Mom thinks Jasper has done well for himself. She knows that you will take care of him for her."

"I will of course." Alice promised.

"Tell me about the death part." Edward said.

"I don't remember properly..." I closed my eyes tight. "When you die, you could get a choice. Most people choose to leave because they have fulfilled their purpose."

"But what about natural causes?" Esme asked.

"Their time would be up. Fulfilled their purpose and life." Carlisle suggested.

"Why didn't you choose to die?" Tomy asked.

"Because I only have one reason to die. Mom. And I have more reasons to live. I barely know my mom."

"You barely know us." Esme said, softly.

"Yes but... You're my family and I need you all. I can't die just yet." I explained.

"Oh Shannon..." Jasper hugged me, pulling me onto his lap properly and holding me tight.

The Cullens weren't a coven. They were a family. And I felt a part of that family. Now they weren't A family. They were MY family.