——
ELLIE stares at herself and Rosalie in the mirror, watching as the vampire diligently works her fingers through her hair.
Bella sits in the seat next to her, Alice dabs a sponge under her eyes and they discuss her wedding jitters. Ellie herself is feeling nervous too, because she has to walk down an aisle in heels in front of her old friends and family members she hasn't seen in years. Shes just thankful Bella is the clumsy one. Shes also excited too, though, for the champagne and the reception.
"Any word from Jake?" She asks Bella, looking at her in the wide mirror.
Bella shakes her head. "No." She sighs. "I don't know why I expected him to come."
"At least you tried." Ellie tells her. "And maybe it's for the best that your goodbye already happened."
Bella nods as Alice applies light blush to her cheeks. "Yeah. Maybe."
Soon, Ellies hair is done and as is Bellas makeup, so Rosalie offered to do Bellas hair — which literally shocked everyone, but Bella happily accepted it. Alice now does Ellies makeup and Rosalie does Bellas hair.
"Did you sleep well last night, Ellie?" Alice asks, sweeping a brush across her eyelid.
Ellie shrugs with her eyes closed. "Yeah, well enough. No wedding jitters for me. What about you?" She asks the seer jokingly.
Alice lightly smiles. "Actually, I wish I could sleep, I've been a bit antsy."
"Antsy?" Ellie echoes. "Why?"
Alice shrugs. "I can't see the wedding, which has me on edge." Her visions are second nature to her, and to not have them is strange and unnerving. "Very annoying."
"You mean your visions?" Ellie asks, Alice nods. "What happened to them?"
"Seth Clearwater is coming, and hes a shifter," Alice says. "I can't see them, therefore I can't see anything involving them, including the wedding."
"Oh, well, that does sound annoying." Alice hums in agreement to Ellies words. "Do you know why you can't see shifters?"
"I can only see what I am and what I've been — vampires and humans." Alice explains.
"Oh," Ellie says, "doesn't that seem like a fluke?"
Alice chuckles lightly. "Sometimes."
Right as the girls are done with their hair and makeup, Charlie and Renee step into the room. Bella and Ellie smile at the both of them, though Ellie slips away to put her dress on once they focus their attention just on Bella.
She unties her robe, drops it to the floor and then she steps into the dress. Once its pulled up, she looks at herself in the tall mirror on the wall and smiles at her appearance; she looks pretty, different than shes used to seeing herself — being dolled up is a rarity for her, only because she knows hardly anything about beauty, and so seeing herself like this makes her feel good.
She puts her feet into the heels Alice bought for her next, they're a pale lavender and match the lighter shades of Ellies dress. She wobbles and has to hold onto the wall to steady herself.
She enters back into the bathroom, seeing that Renee and Charlie have gone, and that Bella has a blue comb shoved into her intricate bun, 'something blue and borrowed'.
Bella looks at Ellie and smiles. "You look gorgeous, El." She compliments.
"Thanks, Bells." Ellie sends her sister a loving smile. "But look at you," She gushes, gesturing at Bella, "Eddie is gonna lose his mind."
Bella laughs. "Wait until you see the dress." Alice says, leading Bella towards the dress, which is hanging up to the side, next to the vanity. She helps Bella put it on and smooths it out.
When Bella turns around, Ellie gasps. "Oh, Bella, you look beautiful." She says, watching Alice station the veil onto Bellas head, which just makes Ellie tear up. "Oh my God, this is really happening, huh?"
Bellas eyes are watery, too, as she chuckles. "Yeah. It's really happening."
"No crying." Alice quickly reminds the girls.
They both sniffle and then clear their throats. "Ready?" Ellie asks.
Bella nods. "Ready."
They head downstairs, which has decorations strung up and soft music playing throughout it. Charlie stands at the bottom of the stairs, he gently grabs Bellas arm, and then he settles his look on Ellie.
"Bells is all grown up, ain't she?" He asks, a soft smile on his lips.
Ellie smiles too. "She is. You look nice, by the way, dad." She adds.
Charlies smile turns into a sheepish one. "Thanks." He scratches the back of his head. "You look good, too, kid."
Ellie playfully nudges him with her elbow as she walks past him. "Thanks." She gives her dad and sister one last smile before stepping in front of them and behind Alice.
Rosalie begins playing the piano, which is Alices cue to begin walking, Ellie follows behind her as instructed, Bella and Charlie are close behind her.
The ceremony was beautiful, a few tears left Ellies eyes as she watched her baby sister getting married. And with seeing how happy Edward makes Bella, Ellie guesses she doesn't hate him as much as she once did.
Now is the reception, and Ellie sips some champagne while talking to Seth, Billy and Charlie.
"Hows Leah?" Ellie asks the Clearwater boy, bringing her glass to her lips.
Seth shrugs. "Same as she always is." And then he stuffs some shrimp from his plate into his mouth. "But," He says with a mouthful of food, "she wanted me to tell you she said hi."
"Well, tell her I say hi back." Ellie says to him.
He nods, a large smile and now cocktail sauce on his face. "Will do."
Ellie can't help but chuckle at him.
Speeches come next, Emmett, Alice, Esme and Edward all gave one, as did Charlie and Esme, plus Jessica Stanley — Ellie doesn't know the girl too well, and after her speech, shes glad she doesn't. She had considered giving a speech too, but she decided against it, because champagne is currently swimming through her system and she knows that it would have been a disaster.
After the speeches, everyone moved towards the dance floor, or some stayed at their tables, eating cake and just talking. Ellie is currently on the dance floor, swaying to the music that rumbles her feet. Bella is there too, with Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and other guests.
"This wedding is fun." Ellie comments, staring up at the fairy lights illuminating against the dark trees. "We should have another one."
Bella stares at her with an amused smile — it's clear that Ellie is at least a little tipsy. "Yeah? Who should get married next?"
"Myself and Klaus Mikaelson." She answers, voice more than serious.
PERCHED on a tree in hearing range from the wedding, is Demetri.
And, frankly, he's bored. He expected to at least be able to see Ellie, but he can't — and he can also hardly hear her.
He was forced to stay up in a tree by Jane, who took Alec and Felix with her to a different area that they can watch over the wedding at. But at this point, Demetri feels like they are all just wasting their time keeping an eye on things, because what more could happen?
As Demetri balances atop the tree, the wind blows through his hair and he sighs. Hes bored, and theres also a tugging on his chest because hes so close to Ellie, but is not with her.
Though down on the ground, miles away in front of the Cullen home, is the Swan family, standing near a car, saying goodbye to Bella before her honeymoon. Right now it's Ellies turn to say goodbye.
"So, you still don't know where you're going?" Ellie asks.
Bella shakes her head. "Nope. He hasn't said a word."
"Well, have fun." Ellie advises. "But safe fun. You're still just eighteen."
Bella nods. "I know."
"And," Ellie begins, leaning in closer to Bella, "make Edward use protection."
Bella rolls her eyes and jerks her head away from Ellie. "We don't need to worry about that!" She whisper shouts.
Ellie shrugs. "Just a precaution." Then a soft smile is on her lips. "I'm really happy for you, Bels."
Bellas whole expression softens and she pulls Ellie into a tight hug. "Thanks, Ellie."
Ellie expected to be emotional, but she assumed it'd only be during the ceremony — now she knows she was incorrect, because saying goodbye to Bella now is somehow much more emotional, and tears begin to trickle down her cheeks.
They break the hug, though their hands stay connected. "I'll see you when you're back, right?" Ellie asks.
"For a little bit, at least. But after that you'll have to keep your distance for a few months." Bella tells her.
Ellie nods and sighs. "I know, you'll be all newborn-ish."
"Thats right." Bella has an excited smile on her lips now as she looks at Ellie.
Over Bellas shoulder, Ellie can see Edward tossing the last of the luggage into the trunk of the car they're driving to the airport, she watches as he slams it shut and knows its close to the time for Bella to leave.
"I think your husband is ready." Ellie says to Bella, emphasizing Edwards new title.
Bella turns to look at him and then looks back at Ellie. "Okay," she sighs the word, "one last thing — Please, don't you and dad let the house burn down, okay? Matter of fact, don't even attempt to cook — order a pizza for dinner every night." Bella lectures, because she knows her older sister and father hardly know how to work the stove. "Or a microwaved meal." She adds.
Ellie chuckles. "Bella, dad and I will be just fine. We survived for seventeen years before you came back home."
"Hardly." Bella adds teasingly.
Alice is right next to the girls then, an excited glimmer in her eyes. "Edward is all ready." She announces. "But he can give you two a few more minutes?"
"No, I'm ready, too." Bella tells Alice, but she brings Ellie in for one last hug before walking towards the car. "Bye!" She calls as she enters into it.
Ellie and Alice wave at her along with all of the other guests. "Bye, Bells! Love you!" Ellie shouts.
They watch as the car pulls away from the house and disappears into the dark night.
After the farewells, most of the guests got into their own cars and left, too, except for the Denali family whom is still inside the Cullen home, still catching up with their cousins.
Ellie waits for them to leave outside so Alice can drive Ellie home—she'd have driven herself home, but she had two glasses of champagne (because she forgot she drove herself there) and she isn't stupid enough to even think about driving. She could have left with Charlie, but he was driven home by Billy, and his truck has no backseat, and Ellie did not feel like riding in the bed of it.
So she sits on the porch, watching the ground, still buzzed and now bored.
She doesn't even notice the maroon eyes watching her from the tree line.
"It's nearly time." Jane says, voice monotone, though a smirk sits on her lips.
Felix and Alec keep their gazes on Ellie, even when Alec leans a little towards Jane.
"Are you still certain you can do this, sister?" Alec asks.
Jane turns her head to look at the side of his face. "Yes. My control has never been an issue."
Alec nods. "Very well."
A few moments later, Jane begins to slowly walk forward, motioning for the two men to follow behind her.
Their footsteps are silent as they glide atop the leaves and branches towards Ellie, who still sits on the porch, looking down at her heeled feet in tipsy silence.
But just as they reach the opening in the thicket, Demetri hops from the tree he was ordered to stay in and heads for the three others, wanting to ask Jane if they can finally leave.
Though he did not expect to see Jane, Alec and Felix slowly inching towards an unaware Ellie, and by the time he sees them, they are already more than halfway to her.
It all happens very quickly — Jane grabs Ellie, startling the human whose eyes are now wide as they peer right into Janes, and Demetri hurries for Ellie, having figured out what Jane is going to do, but before he can reach her, Janes teeth are already sinking into the thin veil of flesh over Ellies neck.
Jane drops Ellie to the ground after her venom is traveling through her veins with an acid like burn. Demetri ignores the guard, running past them and immediately kneeling beside Ellie.
Jane looks down at him, blood on her lips. "I take it you are not yet coming back with us?" Her tone is placid as she speaks.
Demetri doesn't answer, too busy lifting Ellie off of the ground. Jane shrugs and then leads Alec and Demetri away from the Cullen home towards the private jet that awaits them.
Demetri holds Ellie, who is shaking and has short, rapid breaths escaping between her parted lips. Her eyes are wide, frightened, and tears spill from them, he looks right into them with sorrow.
He brings his hand to her cheek and gently strokes it with his fingers, and where his skin touches hers, the fire is smoldered just a bit.
Not even a minute passes before the Cullens and Denalis are rushing for Ellie, they can smell her blood and the venom inside of her body.
"Let's bring her inside." Carlisle says to Demetri because shes held in his arms. The doctor hardly acknowledges the fact that Demetri is the one holding her, hes more worried about Ellie, a girl he has grown to care for much in the same way he does Bella.
Demetri listens and allows Carlisle to tell him where to place her, which is in one of their guest rooms.
Ellie, stuck in her acid burning like pain, has but a clue what is happening around her, all she can focus on is the fire getting hotter and hotter by the second inside her veins.