Work Text:
A monster like you
The words echoed around his head, even above the flood of noise from his family. They were concerned, he knew they all were. The two extremes displayed in the house were Rosalie who had been shouting at him in her mind and Carlisle who'd been emitting concerned thoughts mostly about his now ever present black eyes. Below his floor he could hear the sounds of a familiar argument begin to break out. “For God’s sake it’s pathetic!” Rosalie snapped from downstairs and Edward sighed as he watched the sky darken and begin to downpour with the now entirely familiar rain over Forks “Rosalie” Esme sighed at her “He’s hurting” “Esme’s right babe, Eddies just dealing with this the best way he knows” Emmet replied but Rosalie scoffed and snapped out “He’s been in there for two weeks how do we know he’s been feeding and it’s all over some silly Human girl!” “Rosalie!” Esme snapped for once losing the calm composure that made her well liked amongst most social groups in the town “What if it were Emmet who had left how you would feel then!” And Rosalie stopped talking her mind going quiet at the thought and she merely sniffed and left the space outside of his room.
A Monster Like you
The words still echoed getting louder in his head until he could no longer stand to hear them, the low playing music in the back ground seemed to fade away over the ever increasing buzzing noise of the last words she’d spoken. Standing at his window he briefly saw his outline, a haggard tired looking face with obsidian black eyes staring back, before the rest of the world came into focus. A luscious forest of green and brown greeted him, their vibrancy almost mocking his distinct lack of feeling.
From the tree line a brave doe poked its head out from the undergrowth unaware of the creatures dwelling within the house. At the sight of the animal, his stomach gave a weak growl reminding him of his two week fast. But no sooner had it reared its head, the hunger vanished almost as quickly. The normal voracious energy he would feel at the prospect of hunting had all but gone, no longer did he feel the motivation to hunt, the need for food.The empty feeling inside of him could no longer be soothed with the taste of a fresh kill, where before he yearned to know the touch of love beyond that of familial he now yearned for her and her alone. She who had been his grace in his lonely existence, though his family were cheerful and he loved them dearly- it all paled in comparison to the feeling he would get when he was near her. In years previous he had deluded himself into thinking that if he got to experience that feeling, if only once in his existence it would be enough but now that he had truly felt it he wanted more. Like the lengths an addict would go to get their fix, he found himself determined to seek her out the day after, but she was nowhere to be found.
A check at her house revealed it to be empty, devoid of anything she may return to. Amelia Potter had left Forks, for good. His heart had broken more. Heart? It’s not even beating! He let out a broken breath before sliding open the window just enough that he could slip out. His boots made contact with the rain dampened mud, sinking inwards a few centimetres before he got his bearings and ran into the forest, passing the naive doe still sniffing at the boundary. He ran farther than he’d ever done before, he passed the meadow- the once untainted place where he had almost believed it were truly a heaven on earth now felt burdened by memories of the past. He ran parallel to the treaty line, just past it he could hear snapshots of conversation and thoughts but he wasn’t interested in their petty issues concerning the chief’s daughter.
Forks felt as though it were suffocating him, choking his very life from his body. He stopped when he reached outskirts of the town, a waterfall stood in front of him. He realised then where his feet had taken him, if he continued he’d be on course for Alaska and the Denali’s. He briefly debated whether he should continue as such and meet with the sister coven and stay with them for the foreseeable future. But as quickly as he convinced himself he just as quickly unconvinced himself, he could barely stand to see his own family’s pitying looks and ‘helpful’ suggestions for him. Instead he turned the opposite direction out of town and into the unknown ahead of him, anything to get away from the emptiness inside of his own heart, he didn’t quite know where he was headed but he knew he just needed to get away- forever if he needed to.
Back with the Cullen’s
“Anything Alice” Esme asked ringing her hands nervously in her hand while Carlisle tried to remain a strong stoic presence next to her, but even he was emitting waves of anxiety where his oldest was concerned. “He’s changed his mind, he’s undecided now he needs time away from the family, but he’ll be back” She said with finality “Do you know when?” Rosalie asked, in her head she scolded herself for speaking so insensitively about Edwards struggle with losing his mate, she often found herself wondering if it were her own harsh words to him that finally pushed him to leave their family “No, I just know he’ll be back soon though” the psychic replied.
And for now that was how the Cullen’s lived their lives, as the year past the town itself was still slightly buzzing about the disappearance of the younger adopted Cullen child. Many assumed he’d rebelled and dropped out from high school disappointing his “upstanding family” with his renegade act, others were more outlandish with one even going as far to say that Esme and Carlisle had murdered him and buried his body with the help of his siblings in the woods. Mostly, the family laughed it off, sometimes even playing along with the story’s such as when Rosalie and Esme had purchased a new coil of rope form the hardware store Rosalie had commented how the rope made great nooses.
But there were times when the constant reminders in the towns social circles would reinforce the empty space left by their missing family member, often times they would find themselves missing the sounds of the piano playing softly form the lounge or the tinnier recorded audio from one of his records. Esme had tried to fill the space by setting his record player on playing his favourite album but all that did was choke her words until she was sure she could almost cry with grief. But they carried on, each reminding themselves of Edwards’s pain and struggle that they had seen almost every day reflected in his slowly darkening eyes until he finally stopped and locked himself away from the world, hiding his pain behind four plain white walls.
It had made Rosalie furious and she too had sought out the human the next day, unbeknownst to Edward. She had liked the human; she was good for her brother and would hold her ground against his slightly overbearing nature at times. In truth, she could think of no one better for him than Amelia Potter, Rosalie considered her kind and sweet with an unending sense of loyalty. For her to leave her brother, in the manner that she had- it had made no clear sense to her. There had been no indication, no warning of such a thing happening. It ignited a yearning to know inside of Rosalie, she needed to know. But when she looked she couldn’t find the girl anywhere, at first the blonde vampire assumed she was taking a day off to ‘deal’ with herself, but when she slipped into the office unnoticed she saw a retraction form in the tray announcing her withdrawal from Forks High School on the grounds that she was moving from America. She once again frowned, breaking up with someone and moving schools was an appropriate thing to do, but an entire continent? That made little logical sense to her; something else was playing a factor here. Later, when Rosalie had stood in the empty house of her brothers ex, she had taken in the empty closet and picture frames but noticed a still fully stocked kitchen, and dining set.
A breeze tickled her hair and the sound of paper slipping from the counter to the floor mad her turn. On the floor lay a yellowed piece of parchment, she turned it over to find it written in emerald ink with the words It’s Time as the only message. Rosalie’s defences began to rise, this human had somehow slipped past her and wormed her way into her family holding a secret which may or may not involve her brother. She briefly contemplated telling Edward, but she knew if he had seen this he’d have run all the way back to England to find her risks be damned. She angrily screwed up the paper and shoved it into her pocket walking out leaving nothing touched until ten minutes later when Edward arrived to make a similar investigation.
So, almost an entire year had past since Edwards’s departure and the Cullen children were now preparing to begin yet another year at Forks high when Alice gave a small breathy gasp looking glassy eyes for a moment before she came back and the tendrils of joy began to reach Jaspers mind. Before she could open her mouth the sound of a new engine broke through the quiet house. Alice smiled widely, racing to the door followed soon by the rest of the family. Stood next to a new car, a Volvo this time stood the missing family member. He smiled sheepishly giving a half wave and form his point stood at the door Jasper could feel his apprehension as he questioned whether coming back was even the right thing to do. Alice smiled again and raced over hugging him tightly, which seemed to be the crux point as the rest of the family joined. Edward’s apprehension vanished leaving behind a pleasant feeling of contentment, and Jasper looked at him willing him to understand that no matter what he did he’d be family. “Where did you go man?” Emmet exclaimed and Edward grinned “Everywhere, I travelled the world, went to Africa and hunted with a real pack of lions for a change first” He lied, what he’d really done was go to England and try to track Amelia down but when couldn’t he’d fled to the first place he could think of, Africa. “and what about now…are you staying” Esme asked not wanting to push him away again
“Yeah…I’m better now, I-I want to stay” He said and Esme smiled before rushing in to make a call to the high school about the now new edition of Edward back into the alumni.
****
When the family of vampires finally made it to school, Esme kept delaying them by getting Edward to do menial things but when he’d finally told her he needed to get to the high school, she’d stopped smiling a little guilty but he’d merely hugged her tightly and whispered “I’m not going anywhere….Mom” and caught up with the jeep which was now leaving. “He’s back!” Jessica Stanley squealed to Bella who grinned at her too making eyes at the teen who merely looked bored at the collected mass of teens “So are you gonna ask him out” Jessica asked Bella who nodded a little smugly “of course, and when he says yes we’re gonna be the hottest couple at Prom” She said and from his position at the Jeep Edward rolled his eyes.
Maybe if he had met her first, the scent which she seemed to exude would have been enough to draw him to her but she’d gotten in second place to, to- to Amelia. It hurt less to think of her, the world trip had seen to that but that doesn’t mean he’d ever truly be over her- she was his mate after all but he wouldn’t allow her the same liberty he had once granted her. For now, he’d learn slowly to live without her for the rest of eternity.
“Guess who else is back in town” Mike Newton said to the two gossiping girls “Who else Mikey” Jessica simpered twirling her brown hair between her pale fingers. “Potter, remember the cow that dated one of the Cullen’s” Mike said and Edwards’s heart froze. She was supposed to be in England, why had she retuned?
Backing up with his slowly forming theory that fate hated him was when a familiar red mini cooper pulled in. Its tinted windows gave nothing away and Edward found himself wondering what she looked like, if she had anyone with her- he ignored the spike of jealousy that dug into his heart at that thought- when the door opened and she stepped out. The first time Edward had seen Amelia Potter he’d seen her black hair, the curly locks tumbling out from her head, now it was more frizzy than curly and instead of the familiar midnight black colour, a streak of white now decorated the front. Her lime green eyes were now haunted and cold as she took in the lot, when her eyes drifted over him he locked gazes hoping to catch a glimpse of recognition, anything in them. But all there appeared to be was a cold indifference towards him. She broke her gaze first, hiking up her bag closer to her back and shoving her hands into her coat pocket and walking into the school. “Well this is gonna get interesting” Emmet summed up as the final warning bell rang out.