Just Turn Around and Don't Look Back

[Alice Cullen]

-I wasn’t surprised. Not at all. For hours, Henry had been sequestered with Carlisle in my adopted father’s office. Rose and Esme were taking turns reading to Ryder, his delighted coo’s echoing every now and again. Edward and Bella were at their own cottage, of course, and my Jazz had taken off with Emmett to find whatever prey they could. I hadn’t seen Renesmee for two days, but as she grew older, she tended to take longer and longer time away from us all. A heavy pall was hanging over us all and coloring us all in shades of poignant reluctance.

We were leaving Forks. And soon. It was time, the incident at the high school reunion only reinforced what had been slowly, but surely, niggling at all our minds for a while now. It would be hardest on Bella and Ness, leaving behind Charlie and Jake, providing Nessa decided to leave with us after all. Jazz had spoken to J earlier in the week, telling him what we’d need in terms of official documents. Some of us would need work visas and assorted other papers.

Finishing up the latest book from James Patterson, I set it down gently on the endtable next to the sofa I was sitting. An edgy, restless throb began to pound in my hand and had me up and heading for the front door, quietly telling Esme and Rose that I’d be back soon. Esme, sensing my disquiet, merely nodded and gave me a tender smile, her huge eyes filled with compassion. Rose’s pale brow furrowed, her gaze on me, diamond sharp and probing but after a moment, she nodded too. Sweeping a kiss over Ryder’s head, I waved and moments later, found myself standing under the moonlight, on the ground where we’d fought the Volturi shortly after Nessie’s birth. With the unfortunate display at the reunion, I think we all secretly felt that we might feel their wrath once more. Despite Aro’s pact with Herny. All around me, the forest sounded with the song of cicadas, the occasional caw of a bird bouncing around me eerily.

I felt him before he even spoke. Felt him and knew that this was the moment I’d been expecting since our return from Italy.

“Hello, Henry. You’ve come to say goodbye, haven’t you?”

[Henry]

*I knew it was going to be hard. For both of us. But it was time. After having one last session with Carlisle, I’d said my farewells to the others, with the exception of Emmett, Jasper, Edward, Bella and Renesmee. I knew they’d be told that I’d left them with good wishes. And now, here it was and I smiled at her musical voice, admiring the way the moonlight gave her a silvery halo of radiance. She didn’t turn around, merely spoke matter of fact.*

“I have. After this night, you won’t see me again. At least I hope you won’t because that means you’ll be in Aro’s domain. And I can’t have that, little pixie.”

Reaching her side, our bodies brushing, I offered a small smile. “But you will always be with me where it matters most. My heart. You are, as you always have been to me, nothing short of perfect, sweet Alice. So…just look at me and say goodbye. Then I want you turn around and walk away. *pulling an envelope from my jacket pocket, I held it out to her* Open it after you get home.

[Alice Cullen]

-rolling my head up to study him for a moment, his regal nobility and inherent wisdom. I burned the image of my maker into every fiber of my being. A psychic picture I could pull out from time to time and replay. My hand found his free one, slipping into it and squeezing gently even as I looked back up into the night sky.-Goodbye, Henry. And …thank you. For all you’ve done. For all I know you will have to do to keep us all safe. I’m going to miss you…-turning to him once more, half pulling him down a bit closer so I could sweep a kiss along his chiseled jawline before I took the envelope. The hardest thing I’ve done to date was to do as he said..I turned and left. Sped away before my resolve broke. I left him standing there bathed in solitude and a fierce pride. I didn’t look back, I couldn’t.

[Henry]

*I didn’t turn around when she left, the warm rush of air from her flight whooshing around me. I stayed there for a moment, hearing the low howls of some wolves far off. And then I was gone, using my own speed to dash off towards the Seat-Tac airport. I had nothing but the clothes on my back, my passport and the eticket for my flight to Italy. Back to Volterra. Back to Aro and the service I swore to him to keep the Cullens safe…*

[Alice Cullen]

-Reaching our home, I didn’t go inside right away. Instead I sat on the outside steps and tried, in vain, to stop the rising tide of loss his departure brought. Almost absent mindedly, I opened the envelope he’d handed me, pulling out a sheaf of papers and was momentarily puzzled until I realized what they were. Realized and was shocked. He’d made me the sole beneficiary of his vast wealth, his many businesses and his possessions which was explained further on were being liquidated and would be put into a bank account he’d designated as mine. He’d left me everything of material value. And it just drove home the fact he was never going to leave Aro’s service. Ever.-