Counting the Moments

[Alice Cullen]

-It was pleasant, quiet evening. Henry was sitting across from Carlisle, they were playing another game of chess, their soft voices low and calm with the occasional laugh coming from both men. I could see how much my adopted father liked and respected my maker. And I could see that in Carlisle, Henry had found a kindred spirit of sorts. Rose had Ryder in her arms, bouncing him on her knee, speaking to him as Em leaned over, holding up a baseball and talking about “throwing power” and “someday”. The rush of soft fingers at my nape pulled my attention away from the cozy scene and I gazed up at Jazz who was leaning over me, his golden eyes holding mine for the longest time. We didn’t speak, we didn’t need to. That was the solid purity of our relationship. I was him. He was me. Putting a finger under my chin to lift my face up as he bent low, our lips met in a tender, sweet kiss. It was bliss. I know he’d been worried about how’d I react to his having a nephew he never spoke of, or told me about. But I wasn’t upset…in fact, knowing that someone of Jasper’s bloodline was out there, well..it was almost like having children of our own in a roundabout way. Jazz’s nephew…was MY nephew, too. So I felt a philosophical excitement about it all and had told my mate so last night. When he was ready to find him, go to him, I’d be at his side. Pulling away from our kiss, he smiled down on me, giving me that look that spoke worlds of seduction and I was halfway up off the couch when Edward, Bella, Nessa walked in, Jake not far behind, I could hear his voice downstairs as he spoke low to Seth and Leah, telling them to run a perimeter. I opened my mouth to greet them all, even as Esme drifted in, her soft, heartshaped face full of joy and love but suddenly that sweeping rush of swirling wind came up and surrounded me and I wasn’t looking at my family…..-

-Or was I? At first the flurry of images were too blurred and surreal but then it cleared, the depth of the vision spreading out in a kaleidoscope of sounds, flashes of color. I saw Renessmee…only she looked different. Oh, still that spark of ethereal beauty that defied description, the brilliant sheen of her skin, like ours…but whereas ours sparkled, hers was more refined, like a kiss of diamonds covering her flesh. She was…older. That was it. She looked refined and the pure look of happiness on her face melted me in that moment even as the call of “Mama, Mama….look!” had both myself and my image of Ness turning towards the sounds of feet pounding the ground. A forest. The curtain of Ness’s gleaming hair swung in a wide arc as three children ran up, ages varied. Perhaps no younger than 6 and certainly no older than 10. Dark haired, wide eyed. Beautiful and fierce, every fiber in their tiny beings honed with a warrior’s edge, you could tell in the way they held themselves still for a split moment before clambering towards Nessa who only laughed, head thrown back as the hazy vision receded…-

-I gave a small sound of wonder, a light gasp that had everyone snapping their attention my way, Jazz’s arm around my waist as he looked on me with concern- No..no. I’m good. Everything’s…fine. –my eyes met Bella’s, then Edward and I knew he’d seen it to by the way he cocked his head, watching me. Meeting my Ness’s own gilded, amber gaze, I felt a lump, a rush of tears behind eyes that no longer cried and then I shook my head, clearing the last of the images away- Everything….is beautiful. It’s a good life, Jazz. It really is. –he nodded and we said goodnight to everyone before heading to our room-

[Empress Ahdia]

Mar 7, 2013 20:44:04 GMT -5 Alice Cullen said:

-It was pleasant, quiet evening. Henry was sitting across from Carlisle, they were playing another game of chess, their soft voices low and calm with the occasional laugh coming from both men. I could see how much my adopted father liked and respected my maker. And I could see that in Carlisle, Henry had found a kindred spirit of sorts. Rose had Ryder in her arms, bouncing him on her knee, speaking to him as Em leaned over, holding up a baseball and talking about “throwing power” and “someday”. The rush of soft fingers at my nape pulled my attention away from the cozy scene and I gazed up at Jazz who was leaning over me, his golden eyes holding mine for the longest time. We didn’t speak, we didn’t need to. That was the solid purity of our relationship. I was him. He was me. Putting a finger under my chin to lift my face up as he bent low, our lips met in a tender, sweet kiss. It was bliss. I know he’d been worried about how’d I react to his having a nephew he never spoke of, or told me about. But I wasn’t upset…in fact, knowing that someone of Jasper’s bloodline was out there, well..it was almost like having children of our own in a roundabout way. Jazz’s nephew…was MY nephew, too. So I felt a philosophical excitement about it all and had told my mate so last night. When he was ready to find him, go to him, I’d be at his side. Pulling away from our kiss, he smiled down on me, giving me that look that spoke worlds of seduction and I was halfway up off the couch when Edward, Bella, Nessa walked in, Jake not far behind, I could hear his voice downstairs as he spoke low to Seth and Leah, telling them to run a perimeter. I opened my mouth to greet them all, even as Esme drifted in, her soft, heartshaped face full of joy and love but suddenly that sweeping rush of swirling wind came up and surrounded me and I wasn’t looking at my family…..-

-Or was I? At first the flurry of images were too blurred and surreal but then it cleared, the depth of the vision spreading out in a kaleidoscope of sounds, flashes of color. I saw Renessmee…only she looked different. Oh, still that spark of ethereal beauty that defied description, the brilliant sheen of her skin, like ours…but whereas ours sparkled, hers was more refined, like a kiss of diamonds covering her flesh. She was…older. That was it. She looked refined and the pure look of happiness on her face melted me in that moment even as the call of “Mama, Mama….look!” had both myself and my image of Ness turning towards the sounds of feet pounding the ground. A forest. The curtain of Ness’s gleaming hair swung in a wide arc as three children ran up, ages varied. Perhaps no younger than 6 and certainly no older than 10. Dark haired, wide eyed. Beautiful and fierce, every fiber in their tiny beings honed with a warrior’s edge, you could tell in the way they held themselves still for a split moment before clambering towards Nessa who only laughed, head thrown back as the hazy vision receded…-

-I gave a small sound of wonder, a light gasp that had everyone snapping their attention my way, Jazz’s arm around my waist as he looked on me with concern- No..no. I’m good. Everything’s…fine. –my eyes met Bella’s, then Edward and I knew he’d seen it to by the way he cocked his head, watching me. Meeting my Ness’s own gilded, amber gaze, I felt a lump, a rush of tears behind eyes that no longer cried and then I shook my head, clearing the last of the images away- Everything….is beautiful. It’s a good life, Jazz. It really is. –he nodded and we said goodnight to everyone before heading to our room-