Blood Moon [a Twilight Saga FanFiction]

Return to Me

(We have returned to Elizabeth's POV)

THEY WERE RIGHT, Edward did return from the sinkhole before the next dawn. The longer he had been away, the greater my worry and fear had increased and the more afraid I had become of moving.
     But once I heard his racing steps approaching again, I was able to turn and watch his approach. He was smiling.
     Smiling? What did that mean?
     Were they okay? Was Igor?
     "Well?" Verity asked before Edward had even come through the door.
     Edward looked to me with a smile once he was inside, and gave a nod.
     I felt warmth. Hope... A light inside me that had been put out weeks ago was aflame again, I felt myself smile, I felt a chuckle bubble up from my throat and escape from my lips. It felt near foreign, but right.
     "Thank you, Edward," I said. My eyes stung from the happiness he had given me, and I hugged my talented nephew.
     Verity pulled me out of Edward's arms as she cheered merrily and I hugged my daughter.
     "Wait," Verity froze mid cheer. "Why are they still down there? Why haven't they gotten out?"
     "The humans never leave the site," Edward answered. "They've been trying, but there's never been a window of opportunity."

     Of course, the humans, I thought with a sigh.
     Though considering my last few weeks, I didn't care much for the humans, I just wanted Igor... and Mary... back home. Now.
     And with the new light of hope in my breast, I was able to at least start being more than a statue again. I was able to walk around, to hunt. And when I started sketching again, really they were more of just absentminded doodling, but it made Carlisle feel safe enough to return to Ashland.
     "I could stay here," Verity had argued. "I'm supposed to be missing assumed dead in Ashland anyway, so I could stay-"
     "Go," I had chuckled. "You've been having so much fun away from us." That hurt but it was the truth, she loved spending time with her cousin, and aunt. "And besides, they need someone had the house overnight to keep an eye on Esme."
      Esme chuckled and Verity groaned but didn't argue any more than that.
     "Call us when they get home," Carlisle ordered, kissing me goodbye.
     "I will," I promised them.
     I stood on the front porch as they prepared for the run back to Ashland.

     Thank you, again, Edward, I thought. For giving me my life back.
     He nodded his response to my thoughts and I turned to hug my sister-to-be, goodbye.
     "Let me know when the date is set," I chuckled.
     "We will," she whispered back, embarrassed.
     "That mind of your could save lives," I continued. "One day, I hope you use it more on just architecture."
     Carlisle chuckled and pulled her in to kiss her head.
     "Maybe one day, I will," she grinned. "We have eternity, don't we?"
     "If things go to plan," I looked at Verity who was standing beside Edward and turned to face us. "London, the Volturi's secret... we have no idea what the next two events are, and Alfred has dropped off the planet. What do we do? It's... it's getting too close."
     Esme's thin brows pulled together. I tried not to think of my memories of that time... not without Him here.
      "We can't, ignore, our lives focused only on those events," Carlisle said. "We have lives to save."
     "But what if that was the point? What if, in this new future, our families aren't supposed to exist? At least, not in the same way they did then."
     "What are you saying, Mum?" Verity asked as she and Edward joined us.
     "Rosalie didn't want to be a vampire," I sighed. "She'd have rather died. I'm not sure how Edward could have avoided the inevitable, and there are naturally those who are... destined, for our life once one is turned, they need the other to even exist in some point in their lives. I know she's one of your girls and you love her no matter how big of a pain she was... but maybe give her the life she wanted? The afterlife she'd prefer?"
     I heard Esme's jaw snap closed, her red eyes looks ferocious, but Carlisle kept a firm arm around her.
     "We will try," Carlisle nodded.
     "And, if even though you tried to avoid it, she ends up in your path, dying, then change her."
     Carlisle nodded again.
     "And what about your family?" Esme asked through her teeth.
     "Esme," Carlisle sighed.
     "Mary was stuck in this life as soon as Marie changed Jasper. The other is Lucy," I shrugged. "Demetri has been a vampire for longer than Carlisle and I. She's doomed as well."
     "You've never changed anyone else?" Esme asked, her furious expression changing to curious.
     "None that come to memory," I confessed. "Then again, it's hard to remember a dream."
     She smiled softly and apologetically.
     "We will remember your words, Elizabeth," Carlisle finished.
     "You all best get back to Ashland. To quote you, brother, you have lives to save."
     He chuckled and after one last round of goodbye hugs and kisses, they left running through the trees, back to Ashland.
     Once they had left, I started wondering where on Earth my words had come from. I hadn't been thinking about the events or our families. It had just come out of the blue and it, only once they had left, surprised me.
     How was I supposed to take it? What was it supposed to mean?
     I planned to discuss it with Igor when he and Mary returned home.
     I decided that once I knew I was strong enough, I returned to my night work, which also so happened to have alternative shifts beside the sinkhole, just in case.
     Things were going well. Igor and Mary were still down in the sinkhole, but nothing had changed at the bottom of the hole, nor at the top of it. So I had no need to worry.
     At least, I thought I did.
     A week after I had been able to return to work, a week after alternating shifts at the hole. I was doing final paperwork for my Hospital patients while waiting for the other night Doctor to return and hand me the night doctor card.
     Except for this time, when he approached me with the night doctor ID, he was fiddling with it. It was a night I had chosen to open my window so the wind was blowing from me to him, not the other way around.
     "What's wrong?" I asked him and he looked at me with worried, apologetic eyes.
     What?
     My chest sank as I realised the look. Though... maybe they found Igor or Mary and he was about to tell me that they were dead? I started making plans to break them out of the morgue.
     "Elizabeth, I..." he began. "I don't know how to say this. Um..."
     "They've been found?" I said for him.
     "A... um... they've had to stop looking for bodies again."
     What? "Why?" I asked.
     "Somehow, a fire has started down the hole. They're trying their hardest to put it out, but... they're not going to be sending anyone back down there now. After they put it out, they're recovering no more bodies. It's been a month, and... are you alright?"
     A fire... Fire...
     I was unable to move once more.
     The only thing that can kill vampires.
     I had lost them... I knew it this time.
     "Elizabeth?" he approached me but didn't reach for me in comfort, something in his human instincts must have kept him from touching me. He wouldn't survive it. "Go home, I'll watch your patients again. Mourn. I'm... You have no idea how sorry I am. Go home."
     It was difficult, to move from the Hospital, but I knew I had to. While constantly reminding myself to not snap... I was in a Hospital after all. If I snapped, there would be more dead, more bodies to uncover... and it would be my fault.
     I once again ignored my car as I walked back home, I didn't want to drive, it would have constricted me. If I walked, I was forced to remain human, forced to appear, human.
     A fire had started in the hole. Fire was the only thing that could kill vampires.
     I had lost my world... again...
     As I walked, my mind flashed of when I watched Igor burn, the pain... it all came rushing back like a wave on a windy day, on the shore.
     As I walked, I planned.
     I'd call Carlisle when I got home. I didn't want to go to the Volturi, I didn't want to ask this favour of them. I wanted it to be my brother, someone I loved. But if Carlisle said no, then I would go to Volterra.
     I will be with Igor again.
     I couldn't cry. I couldn't grieve. By the time my hand was on the phone dialling Carlisle's work number, I was already dead with them. With him.
     "Doctor Carlisle Cullen, Ashland Memorial, how can I help?" Carlisle answered his phone.
     "I need a favour, brother," I mumbled.
     "Liz?"
     "There's a fire," I explained. "Down the sinkhole."
      "Oh, no."
     "Can you do me a favour, brother?"
     "No, Liz... I can't do that. You're my sister. Please, just-"
     "He-"
     "Liz! Liz, wait! Stop! Liz!"
     I turned towards the voice. At first, I thought I was hallucinating, but I could have sworn I heard Mary calling out.
     "Liz! We're okay!"
     "I'll call you back, brother," I quickly hung up and ran to the door. "Mary?" I called back.
     Then I heard her... heard them.
     "We're okay!" she shouted and she came into view. "Shit. We're okay!"
     "Mary!"
     Uncontrollable joy. Ecstatic happiness.
     I ran to meet her halfway and held her tightly to me and refused to let her go. She was laughing as she hugged me back.
     "We started the fire," she explained. "We started it so they wouldn't come down anymore."
     "You..."
     I could no longer speak. I was just... happy didn't even cover it. My light was back. My life was back.
     "I'm sorry we scared you."
     I dropped Mary at his voice. He was doing that half-smirk I loved so much. His hair, an absolute mess from their adventures. His beard was still intact.
     "Igor..." I gasped only able to slowly move as I approached him, he held a hand out to me. "You..."
     "I'm alive," he grinned.
     I couldn't speak again. My eyes stung, my throat closed in on itself again.
     The shock had me frozen, but not frozen enough to not reach out for his hand.
     It was still rough, as rough as I ever remembered them being. He was still grinning when he closed his hand around mine and pulled me to him roughly. Cupping my face with his other hand and locking our lips once again.
     That unfroze me.
     My hand still stayed locked in his, but my free hand went around his neck, holding his head there with mine.
      I heard Mary chuckle and she said something, but I didn't really register what it was she said. Or where she ran too.
     Igor's scent, his touch, his breath against my lips. It filled my mind.
     I didn't let our hands separate even when he reached around to my back and pulled me closer to him.
     It wasn't close enough.
     He was back. And I didn't plan on letting him leave my side again, at least not for another month to make up for the lost time.
     Igor chuckled against my lips when I tore off the remaining of his shirt.
     He picked me up and carried me inside.