FORKS - carlisle cullen

T H I R T E E N

Eleanor Martin's POV

We all stand in a semi-circle around the two open graves, half-listening as the preacher says a few words. After he says his final words, we toss our roses down on top of the glossy casket lids.

I stand there numbly for what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes as all of the other funeral-goers clear out. I feel Carlisle's fingers trail down my arm before linking with my own, holding my hand tightly.

"Maybe this is what's best. I know it sounds selfish but," I close my eyes and briefly stop talking. "They died knowing that I loved them rather than wondering why I never came to see them."

"It gets easier," Carlisle assures me. "It really does."

"It's not even my emotions that I'm worried about," I shake my head, looking away from the graves. "My family just lost Gran a little bit ago and now it's Mom and Dad... It would be different if my family was estranged, but everyone is so close-knit. It's really shaking everyone."

"What can I do to help, Sweetheart?" Carlisle asks, his old English accent carrying through some of the words.

"Just hold me and make everything feel okay for a while." I whisper, resting my forehead against his collarbone.

He wraps his arms around my shoulders, and all of the pain disappears. I almost melt into his touch, letting out a slow and unnecessary breath as my eyes flutter closed. All of a sudden, I feel an unquenchable desire for revenge put deep in my stomach.

I vow to myself that I will find the one who did this and make him pay for his actions.

꧁꧁꧂꧂

Back in Forks, everything feels normal. Everything is happy and playful and I have already become great friends with every member of the Cullen family. Since I stay at the Cullen home anyway, I tried to ahead and move my clothes into a spare closet that Alice had arranged for me, but when I brought my clothes, the closet is already filled to the brim with clothing that Alice had selected for me.

Alice will be Alice; there's no stopping that.

The clothes that she chose were perfect for me, making me realize that my old style was completely whack. Jasper and I get along very well, his background intriguing me because of my great love for early American history. The concept of the newborn armies in the mid 1800's captivates me, making me wonder what other vampires were involved in historical events that are excluded from the textbooks.

Jasper and I are currently lounging on the couch and listening to Edward and Renesmee play the piano. Carlisle is at work, Emmett is hunting, Jacob is at home, and Alice, Bella, and Rosalie are out shopping in Port Angeles.

How I dodged that bullet, I'll never know.

Edward chuckles gently from his place at the piano, an indication that my thoughts were amusing him in some capacity. I smirk at him before turning back to my book, thumbing the well-work pages of the story written by Stephen King called 11/22/63. It was written about the Kennedy assassination and it is one of my favorite stores to read, the added element of time travel and dry humor putting it right up my alley.

I lay comfortably on the couch, pushing my feet onto Jasper's lap. He raises an eyebrow at me with a smirk, but turns back to his own reading when I simply shrug. I smile gently to myself, feeling whole for the first time since Gran died. After a few hours after Emmett returns, the girls come in.

Rose and Alice are loaded down with bags while Bella only carries two: one from a bookstore and another from a toy store. She presents a stuffed wolf to Renesmee, who hugs it tightly to her chest with a beautiful smile.

"Don't think you got off so easily, Ellie." Alice chirps, my facial expression mixed with my thoughts making Edward laugh as Alice launches three bags onto my lap.

"What did I tell you about spending money on me?" I ask her.

"Not to." She smiles cutely to herself.

"And what did you do?" I say sternly.

"Spent money on you," she giggles. "And don't even think about trying to return them. I hid the receipts."

"Greaaaat," I draw out with a sigh. "But I suppose that a thank you is in order. So thanks."

"Don't thank me with your words. Thank me by actually wearing the clothes in there." She disappears into the house after kissing Jasper sweetly.

"Does it get any better?" I ask Bella, who laughs.

"Not at all."