Later that day, Annalise and Edward found their way back at the Cullen residence. They'd decided to skip school, only for the day, and get to know each other as mates. When they walked into the house, they were hit with an intoxicating smell: sweets. It smelled like candy. Fruit roll ups to be more exact.
"It smells like a candy shop in here." Annalise pointed out as they descended the stairs.
Edward smiled and took her hand in his. "Alice must have told her she didn't see me attending school today. I also assume that she figured you'd be with me."
"So, what, Claire is making candy for me?" Annalise chuckled.
Edward chuckled but nodded. "I believe so." he said before the walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Mrs. Cullen." Annalise said.
Claire lifted her gaze from the counter and met hers with a smile. "Good morning, Annalise. And please, it's Claire. You're literally family. And...you're older than me. I'm the one who should be addressing you as Ms. Cullen." she pointed out.
Annalise smiled. "I will do well to remember that."
Claire smiled. "Good morning, Edward."
Edward nodded in her direction. "Good morning, Claire. I mean – mom."
Claire's smile widened. Her gaze then fell onto the joined hands and her mouth fell open. "Does that mean what I think it means?" she asked.
Annalise looked up at Edward then met Claire's gaze. "Yes, it does. Edward and I are...together."
Claire nearly blew Annalise's eardrum with the scream she let out. "Ohmy! I'm so happy for you both!" she squealed and suddenly had her arms wrapped around them both.
Both Edward and Annalise chuckled and returned the gesture.
"So, is it safe to assume that this happened last night?" she asked once she pulled away.
Edward nodded. "Yes, it is."
"How?" Claire asked.
Annalise took a breath.
"I finally realized that it no longer made any sense, that it wouldn't do me any good, to keep my feelings to myself any longer. It wasn't fair to Edward, or myself, to keep lying about how I really felt about him." she admitted. "It felt good to get everything off my chest and just admit how I truly felt about him."
"Which is?" Claire asked.
"Mom." Edward groaned slightly.
Annalise chuckled and gently squeezed his hand. "It's alright, Edward. You're her son and she's curious. All mothers are." She turned her attention back to Claire. "I told Edward that I think I'm in love with him this morning."
Again, Claire screamed and hugged them both.
"I'm so happy for the both of you. Everyone is going to be so happy to hear the great news." She squealed.
"If I know Alice, she already knows." Edward laughed.
After School
Both Edward and Annalise sat on the couch watching Supernatural, when Alice, and the rest of their siblings, appeared in front of them with a smile on her face. She looked ready to explode from how excited she was.
"So...? Is it true? Did you tell Edward you...you love him?"
Annalise looked to Edward, with a fake frown, then turned to Alice with a look of disappointment. "I'm sorry, Alice, but your wrong."
Alice, along with the rest of the Cullen 'teens' frowned. "What?"
"I didn't tell Edward that I loved him," she said before she let a smile stretch across her lips. "I told him that I think I'm in love with him."
Alice's eyes went wide, her mouth fell open and she took in a big breath before she let out one of the loudest screams Annalise had ever heard. She had to cover her ears and bury her face into Edward's chest to try and keep her ears from bleeding.
"OHMYGOSH! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! YOU'RE FINALLY TOGETHER! EDWARD FINALLY HAS HIS MATE! HE CAN FINALLY BE HAPPY! AHHHHHHHHHH!" Alice screamed.
Annalise lifted her hand, in Alice's direction, and forced her mouth closed. "I'm sorry, Alice, but my ears were about to start bleeding. I could hear the blood rushing to my ears."
Alice smiled apologetically. "She says she's sorry. She was just so excited for us and she couldn't contain it any longer. She'd been waiting for this moment for decades." Edward said.
Annalise gave Alice the ability to talk again. "Wait for what for decades?"
"For my brother to finally be happy, to find the one and only woman for him. I've watched Edward be to himself for so long that I almost gave up on him finding the one he was meant for, for the rest of his existence." She said softly. "But the moment we met you, the moment I saw you next to him, I just knew you were the one for him. That you were the one and only person that could love him and give him the life he deserves."
Annalise swallowed the lump in her throat. Listening to Alice talk about how she's waited for her, for Edward, touched her heart. It made her want to cry. She'd never heard anyone speak of her in such a way. Listening to Alice also reminded her of their relationship back before she erased Alice's memories of her. They'd been so close and had loved each other as if they were family. Annalise missed that so much, more than anyone would, or could, ever imagine. She so desperately wanted to give Alice her memories, of their time together, but she couldn't. She didn't know how Alice would take it after finding out what she did. And she didn't know how Alice would feel after she found out that she, Annalise, couldn't save her from James, from turning into a vampire so young.
"Oh, Alice." Annalise was on her feet with her arms around Alice's neck, her face buried in her shoulder. "Thank you." she said, shocking everyone with her actions. Annalise wasn't really one of action, or at least one of affection, but she couldn't help herself.
Alice wrapped Annalise in her arms. "For what, Annalise?"
"Being my friend. For believing that I was good enough for your brother." Annalise said.
Alice tightened her arms around Annalise and buried her face in her chest. "You're welcome. I just – I feel like I've known you my entire life. You feel so familiar to me and yet I know I've never met you before. I would remember someone like you."
Annalise squeezed her eyes shut and pushed back tears. She really wanted to tell her old friend the truth. She needed to but what will happen once everyone knew the truth about what she did? Could they, could Alice, ever forgive her? Would they no longer want anything to do with her? Would they tell her to leave and to never come back?
Annalise took a big breath and pulled away. "Alice?"
"Yes?"
"I have to tell you something." she said in a low and sad voice.
Alice tilted her head to the side and raised a brow. "Tell me what?"
Annalise bit her lip and prepared herself to tell her, and everyone else, everything. "The reason you find me to be so familiar is...is because I – " Annalise was interrupted by Alice going stiff and her eyes glazing over as she was hit with a vision.
Everyone waited until Alice came out of the vision to say something. "Alice, sweetie, what is it?" Claire asked.
Alice looked to Edward with a sadden expression. "Edward, I'm so sorry."
"Sorry? What's going on?" Emmett asked.
Edward, without a word, disappeared from the room and out of the house.
Rosalie stepped forward. "What the hell is going on, Alice?" she demanded from the smaller Cullen.
Alice swallowed. "I had a vision of about Annalise, which is shocking in itself seeing as I rarely get visions of her but this one was...I'm so sorry, Annalise but.." Alice sighs and Jasper places a hand on her shoulder. "I had a vision of you in Edward's arms telling him you loved him," she said.
"Okay, what's so horrible about that?" Nathan asked.
"You told him you loved him before you...before you took your last breath. Annalise, you died in Edward's arms. He's forced to watch you die." Alice finished, shocking the entire family.
Annalise gasped and took a step back. "No. I can't – I can't die. I just found Edward, we just found each other. I can't lose him right now, or ever." She said as a tear slipped.
"Alice, sweetie, do you know when this happens?" Claire asked.
Alice shook her head. "I don't. All I know is that they were dressed up. Annalise is wearing a red and white dress and Edward is wearing a black suit."
Annalise shook her head and disappeared out of the room but not before saying, "No, I won't let this happen. I have to go find Edward."