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SHUT UP AND KISS ME
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The rusty doorknob to Quinn's New York apartment rattles with intense movement. No one is home to answer the front door. Therefore, the lock is forced open and the heavy door swings open to reveal a woman's slender figure.
Their silhouette is hunched in the light, their face shadowed. The unknown woman is undeniably graceful, her movements fluid as she enters the darkened apartment before closing the door behind her and flipping on the lights.
The person can now be identified as Victoria Sutherland, the Cullens' worst enemy, besides the Volturi.
There is absolute silence as she quietly observes the apartment, her footsteps don't even make the slightest of noise — so quiet, so fluid, so elegant. She is a shadow in the night.
The loft, itself, has been left untouched since Harley left. Her yellow couch remains seated in front of the tiny T.V., the mahogany bookshelves are still in their original place on the walls... Nothing is out of order. Though the house now smells like dead plants and expired food.
Sutherland is moving towards the living room, looking at the several photos that line the walls with a passing interest. Her crimson-colored eyes shift to a certain corner of the room for the very first time, only now realizing that Harleen's two pet hyenas are in the same room as her, Bruice and Eddie.
The tamed beasts grow menacingly at the daring vampire, but don't dare themselves to a touch a single strand of fiery hair on her head. They have been trained well by their master. They're practically puppies. Victoria growls back at the animals, her rumbling sounding more powerful and threatening than theirs. They cower away instantly, deeper into the corner of the room with their tails in between their legs.
"Stupid mutts," she sneers with disgust, baring her teeth at them and their annoying whining. "I swear, dogs just keep getting bigger and bigger these days. Ugly little creatures."
The pale-skinned immortal becomes a blur of red as she makes her way through the apartment, heading towards the main bedroom for clues of Harley's current whereabouts. She can't be far, the last time she saw her she was headed somewhere with that pixie Cullen girl, Alice. Victoria had stopped following them when they boarded into an airplane, and hasn't heard of them since.
There are clothes littered about the bedroom as the moonlight shines through the blinds. It glistens on several photos.
Victoria — or "Red", as Harley has nicknamed her — looks at the mess Harleen has left behind and shakes her head as she notices the several clippings of a certain Cullen member on the walls. She slowly approaches one of the walls and allows herself a moment to drag a hand across the clippings, ripping some off the wall. Her actions are personal and driven by envy — envy that Quinn's lover is well and alive whilst hers is dead.
In one quick and fluid motion, she turns towards Harley's bed. It's unmade with a single magazine tossed aside by the pillow. She walks around it in human speed, to the side of it, before jumping in. Silence lingers in the air like a thick blanket, not even the sounds from the neighborhood seem to penetrate through the windows. She takes the magazine and curiously flips through the pages before tossing it aside.
"Lil' missy's been busy these days," she says to herself, racking her brain. "Harley, harley, harley... Where could you have possibly gone?"
Two scarlet orbs shift to the mahogany nightstand beside her. It contains a photo of Quinn, Alice and Rosalie Cullen lovingly embracing one another under a redwood tree — three best friends happy and without a care in the world.
Victoria's nose flares up with rage as she picks up the photo and for a moment takes it in, before throwing it across the room with a loud crash.
Thinking about exploring the apartment a bit more for clues, her plans are quickly halted as the sudden noise of the front door opening rings in her ear. She disappears in the blink of an eye, now appearing in the hallway, under the shadows just where she likes it. Her figure is as silent as a mouse as she takes in the person's face.
Jane Challis walks on inside, phone in hand and completely oblivious to the intruder.
"I don't know, Ivy — I don't know if she's coming back or not. All that she told me was that she's back in Forks, that's all..." She is concentrated on the discussion in hand, seemingly speaking to Pamela Isley, the blonde's other best friend. Victoria takes everything in — every sentence, every syllable, absolutely everything. "Yeah, I'm here now. Okay, I'll send you her new phone number, you give her a call, okay? I'm gonna take Brucie and Eddie back to my place, at least until Harley decides on what she wants to do. Okay, fine. Bye."
Forks, huh... A lengthy smile spreads across Victoria's perfect face. She hides further in the comfort of the shadows as Jane whistles for the hyenas to join her. Her and then leave through the front door, but not before she picks up Bernie, the taxidermy beaver, of course. Victoria is digging into the pockets of her ruby red jacket, finally pulling out a single match and a lighter. She holds the items at eye-level, grinning from ear to ear.
Meanwhile in Forks, Washington, Edward Cullen is running through the forest, faster than any person or creature. The cool air feels wonderful on his skin. He has just left the Cullen residence. He know that he should be thirsty, since he hasn't drunk anything since they landed in Forks a little over an hour ago, but his need for Harleen overrides everything. He should be weak, but being with her makes him feel strong. He runs as fast as his legs can carry him and, within moments, he is at her window.
Climbing in, he let's her aroma wash over him. He closes his eyes and breathes deeply, smiling at the familiarity of her scent. Silently, he creeps to her bedside and lays down. He wraps her in his arms and even in her sleep, she nestles into his embrace. He kisses her forehead lightly and closes his eyes. He is home.
The hours tick by as Harley sleeps in his arms. Thankfully, Charlie has relegated himself to the living room. He spends quite of bit of time on the phone with friends and colleagues, explaining that Harley has indeed came home.
Edward overhears one conversation in particular which Charlie has insisted over and over again that Harleen is all right. He quickly identifies the voice in the other line as Bella's. She has been staying in Jacob Black's house all day. She wanted to come as soon as possible when Harleen first arrived, but she was caught in the rain. She is waiting at the Black residence until the sky clears up a bit. She is currently insisting that Charlie hands Harley the phone so that she can speak to her over the line at least, but Charlie refuses, saying that she needs her rest.
"Is she okay, at least? Please tell me she's okay," the brunette pleads, Jacob overhearing the entire conversation over her shoulder and Billy Black not too far from them.
"Yes, Bells she's fine, just exhausted. I don't know what she's been doing during all of this, or even how she managed to survive with no friends, no family, no money, but rest assured, I'm going to find out as soon as she wakes up. I don't know what that girl was thinking..."
"Can you tell her to call me as soon as she wakes up? I'll probably be home before then, but just in case, tell her to dial me."
"Sure, although she may have her hands full with Cullen," Charlie replies, rolling his eyes.
"Wait? Did you say Cullen? Dad, what do you mean?" Bella's voice wavers when she says Edward's last name.
"Yeah, Edward's the one who brought her home."
There is silence on the other end of the line. Bella is probably letting Jacob know about her recent discovery.
"Bells? You there," Charlie asks.
"Um... yeah, dad, I'm here. Look, I gotta run, Billy is making dinner for Jake and I, but I'll phone you as soon as I'm on my way, okay?" Click. The phone goes dead.
Charlie hangs the handset back on the receiver and makes a mental note to ask Bella later what that's all about.
Edward clutches Harley a little closer to him.
More hours pass and he stiffens as he hears Charlie pause just outside the bedroom door. He can see the shadows of his footsteps cast by the dim light of the hallway. He lifts his hand to the doorknob and listens briefly for the sounds of her sleeping. Edward can hear him sigh, from either relief or exhaustion, and saunter off to his own bedroom. The vampire relaxes his posture when the light rumbling sound of his snoring fills his ears.
He strokes Harleen's face softly as she sleeps. He studies her features, rememorizing them. Of course, his perfect memory will not allow him to forget, but there is something extraordinary about seeing her like this. She is so serene, so peaceful. The Harley of his memories is tainted by sorrow and grief. He wants to remember her just like this. She smiles lightly in her sleep and shifts, nuzzling closer to him. Her arm flings across his chest and he grasps her delicate fingers in his. He strokes her third finger, once again imagining his mother's ring sitting there. One day, he will ask her, he is sure. One day, he will offer her the ring and ask her to be his. He smiles at the thought as Harleen shifts once again.
... That is if she forgives him.
Her brows furrow and she inhales deeply. He leans down to kiss her forehead. Her expression becomes quizzical as she is beginning to wake. She squeezes her eyes tightly, as though she is fighting to stay asleep. With the reality of dealing with her uncle looming, he cannot blame her for preferring her dreams.
She lets out a soft sigh and slowly blinks open her eyes. He smiles at her as she wakes. Her eyes widen when she sees him.
"Hm," she hums, her voice groggy. "Puddin'? I thought you left."
"Did I frighten you," he asks quietly.
He waits patiently as she studies his face. She gnaws on her lower lip and furrows her brow in concentration as she scrutinizes his face. She seems confused. After a moment, she leans back in her bed and shakes her head no.
"'Course not," she answers with a long sigh. Her eyes flicker to the open window in the room she shares with Bella Swan and then back at his face. "I just... never mind."
Concerned, he reaches out for her, but she flinches slightly.
"What's wrong," he asks anxiously.
She lowers her hand and her lips set in a deep frown. "It's like a dream... all a' this. I just can't believe I'm really back home."
Edward can't imagine the thoughts that must be running through her head. This isn't not how he anticipated this conversation to proceed. He shifts a bit, pulling her closer to his chest.
She lowers her voice to a whisper. "An' also... all the other stuff. With Italy an' all those evil vampires," she continues, uncertain and then looks up at him with her ocean blue eyes. "Did all a' that really happen, Eddie? Hm?"
Edward briefly toys with the idea of telling her that it was all a dream, that the real monsters don't exist and that he had never left her, but he can't bring himself to lie to her anymore. It was his lies that tore them apart. He will never do that to her again. He can't.
"That depends," he begins with a smirk. "If you're referring to us nearly being massacred in Italy, then, yes."
She thinks on this for a moment. Silence. Edward's smirk transforms into a frown. It is obvious that she requires more rest.
"Maybe you should get back to sleep," he advises. "You still seem tired."
She shakes her head in protest. "It's okay, I promise I'm not." She leans back, blinking the sleep from her eyes to see the clock clearly. "What time is it anyway? How long was I asleep for?" She raises her arms over her head, stretching out her vertebrae. He can hear the nearly inaudible sound of her joints cracking and loosening after the hours of sleep.
"It's just after one in the morning. So, about fourteen hours."
"An' Charlie," she asks, almost in a whisper.
Edward frowns, coming back to the reality of her uncle. "Sleeping," he replies. "You should probably know that I'm breaking the rules right now. Well, not technically, since he said I was never to walk through the door again, and I came in the window... But, still, the intent was clear."
Her eyes widen in disbelief. Charlie had a stern conversation with Edward the very moment she went upstairs for some sleep. "He banned you," she questions, her voice soft with concern.
"Did you expect anything else," he asks her. He watches as she stares ahead, her mind it's usual chaos with the loud shouting of her thoughts.
"Well, it's okay," she says after a moment, shaking her head. "I guess I'll just have ta talk ta 'im tomorrow..." She quickly changes the subject. "So, what have you been up to when you left? Alice told me you moved out..."
Edward's face falls as soon as the question leaves her lips. What can he tell her? That he was a miserable excuse for a man who tried desperately to distract himself, but failed completely? That he had spent months curled on the floor, haunted by hallucinations of her?
"Nothing terribly exciting," he offers.
Her face falls with disappointment. She'd hope he'd tell her a little more. "Oh," she whispers.
Edward scans through the memories of the past year, trying to determine how he can tell her what he was doing without giving her enough information to upset her.
"I was... hunting." That is the best he can offer.
"Hunting..." she repeats slowly.
He hesitates, unsure of what to say to her. "Well, not for food... I was actually trying my hand at tracking. I'm not very good at it."
She seems surprised. "Tracking what exactly," she asks with an edge of curiosity in her voice.
Her questions are beginning to set him on edge. He doesn't want to frighten her more than necessary. And although she is one tough human, he is afraid if he regales her with the tales of his misadventures, he may send her over the proverbial edge.
"Nothing of consequence," he finally offers.
Harleen scoffs at his poor response, sensing his unwillingness to divulge any more information. He hasn't changed... He is hiding something from her.
Aware that she isn't going to let this go, Edward sighs. He feels so conflicted, torn between the need to protect her and the desire to give her everything she asks for. It is a thin line that he is being forced to walk.
"I –" he hesitates, taking in a deep breath before continuing. "I owe you an apology." Her eyes soften and he shakes his head, upset with the inadequacy of words to describe how he feels. "No, I owe you so much more than that, much more. But you have to know —" She lays her hand lightly on his chest as he runs his fingers nervously through her hair. She looks intently into his eyes, waiting patiently for him to continue.
And that's when it happens. In this moment, seeing her before him, wanting to share everything with her, the floodgate opens and he can't hold back any longer.
"– that I had no idea — no idea of what I was leaving behind me. I genuinely believed that it was safe for you if I had left. I didn't know that Victoria —" he pauses, nearly choking on the name. Just the sound of her name makes the venom pool in his mouth. " —would do that to you, or your friends. I'll admit, though, when I saw her that one time, I was paying much more attention to James' thoughts. But I just didn't see that she had this kind of response in her. That she even had such a tie to him. I think I realize why now she was so sure of him, the thought of him failing never occurred to her. It was her overconfidence that clouded her feelings about him — that kept me from seeing the depth of them, the bond there."
He composes himself as Harleen stares at him, her mouth gaping slightly at the outpouring of information.
"Please know that I had no idea of any of this. I feel sick, sick to my core, even now, when I can see and feel you safe in my arms. I am the most miserable excuse for —"
Her fingers come to his lips, halting his diatribe. "Edward Cullen," she begins, "shut up and kiss me."
With those words, all uncertainty melts away and his heart begins to soar. "That's all I needed to hear."
With that, his lips crash onto hers, releasing all the pent up longing that has built over the past year. He grips her tightly to him and she melts into his embrace. His lips feverishly seek hers and she kisses him back, his passion matching her own. Her heart beats rapidly and he can feel her delicate fingers searching his face. His fingers, his lips, his body memorizes hers as they join together in bliss. For a moment there, her hand travels down to his butt, gaining a squeal from him, and she laughs. He joins her laughter, enjoying the beautiful ring of her delight.
They go back for another passionate kiss.
All the year of separation, all the nights of despair, all washes away with a kiss. He is hers forever, ring or not. Immense happiness fills every cell in his body, and as their lips part he whispers her name like a prayer.
"Harleen."
In Gotham City, smoke bellows from under the entrance door to Harleen's apartment. An explosion bursts from the doorway, knocking the door off its hinges. The flame rapidly spreads, setting afire furniture and photos. Pictures of Quinn and framed degrees burn. Then her bed catches fire. A stuffed beaver doll on the chair beside the bed catches fire, too.
The apartment is fully consumed by flames.
FIN