14: Can’t Stop This Thing We Started

Rose spent the night in Jack’s room, nestled in his arms, neither speaking, her head resting on his chest, breathing him into her, while his hands wandered the planes of her, wove their way through every strand of her perfect hair. While Jack did not know her answer, he felt an ease, an ease he hadn’t felt in decades. Somehow, he knew her mere presence was the cause.
Eventually, she sat up and looked down at him. He leaned up and once और traced her face with the tips of his fingers. “Jack, when आप कहा we would live simple, normal lives the way they were meant to be, did आप mean all of it?”
He didn’t have to see inside her mind, nor did he have to look at her face to know exactly what she meant. Leaning up more, he took his left hand and gently cupped it just where her stomach ended and her pants began. “All of it” he said, keeping his arm in the position. She looked down and away, shy, which was in a way ironic since it was her that brought up such subjects.
She finally moved away from him, though he leaned up to किस her. She returned it and turned to the door, taking a deep breath. She heard Jack rise and felt his hand take hers. “You had better wait here. This is going to be ugly.”
He frowned, mostly at the idea of being away from her for a second, but he nodded. “Let me know if आप need me.”
“I will” she agreed, चुंबन him once more. She finally opened the door and walked to the front of the carriage. David lay sprawled on the couch, his book open in his hands, Tristan sat in the chair, though he smiled and looked up at her, and Alice sat in the same spot where Rose had seen her last, looking like she hadn’t moved. “Morning” she said, trying to keep her voice steady and strong.
“Morning” Tristan echoed, smiling up at her. David looked up as well, his eyes searching her face though for what she couldn’t figure.
“Where are we?” she asked Tristan. The outside, as far as she could tell, was cloudy and घटाटोप, बदल से घिरा हुआ which could have meant they weren’t out of Washington.
Before he could answer, Michael came flying in the carriage, startling both Alice and Rosalie, though Tristan didn’t bat an eye and David कहा without looking up from his book “welcome back.”
He sat on the bench opposite Alice and कहा “the team successfully changed both Tim and Brian. They both checked out in perfect health.”
Tristan smiled brightly. “Well that’s a great way to start my day.” Shame I have to ruin it, Rosalie thought, looking down.
<Hey, don’t feel like that. Ok?>
She smiled.
<Much better.>
“We have just crossed into Vancouver, British Columbia. Alice here has told me that आप two are planning on staying with a clan in Denali.”
Alice looked at Rosalie, her face a veil of calmness. “Actually, I’ve come to a decision in the offer आप presented, Tristan.” Four pairs of eyes turned to her and she suddenly felt weak in the knees. “I want to do it. Become mortal.” Neither David nor Michael batted an eye but Alice’s were hard and her jaw was clenched, ready to duke it out.
“So that’s how आप repay the memory of our family? Of Emmett?” The सेकंड it was out of her mouth, the loudest growl came from the back of the carriage, causing Alice and Rosalie to jump again. When Alice opened her mouth, she found she could no longer speak.
“Do not under any circumstance say the E word. Jack just…Just don’t say it, please?” Tristan said, his eyes begging her. She nodded and when she opened her mouth again continued her verbal beating.
“I can’t believe you. Not even twenty-four hours and already आप are अभिनय like none of them existed! Like none of them mattered! I know it’s because of him-what, he promised to marry आप and give आप children? Why?! Why is it so important to you?!”
“See, आप don’t get it because आप can’t recall being human. I can. I can remember every feeling, every taste, every touch, I remember it all. And you’re wrong-Jack had something to do with this, but not all. I want normal, I want to be able to sleep, to eat normal food. And yes, feel free to sue me, but I want a marriage to a mortal man who can give me mortal children. So what? It’s not the life for you, fine. Do not look down on me because I refuse to forego my happiness to please आप या anyone else. I am doing this for me not to hurt you, not to replace our family for I never can but to create my own.”
Silence.
“If E…he was still here, and we met Tristan, heard his offer, and आप decided to go mortal, who would आप pick?”
Without so much as thinking, she कहा “Jack. Always and forever Jack.”
Alice shook her head. “Wow. You’re so selfish.”
<You are not! Do not listen to her!>
“You can judge me all आप want, for the guilt I feel is bound to never go away for good but that story I told आप of Jack and I was barley scraping the surface. Even though we had Carlisle and the rest of them, a part of me was incomplete. Now, it isn’t and when we are both mortal, I will be complete. So judge away but आप have no idea what hell I went through without him and now that I’ve found him again I will stay with him.”
Alice shook her head and turned to Tristan. “Thank आप for your hospitality but I should get off here.” Tristan nodded and the carriage came to a standstill.
“Should आप change your mind या perhaps the minds of those in the clan, here is the best way of contacting us.” She took the card from him and placed it her bag.
She slung it on and looked at him once more. “Again, thank you. David, Michael, pleasure to have met आप both.”
“Same here” Michael said, flashing his pearly whites.
“Pleasure was all mine. Take care” David said, looking up from his book.
“You all take care too.” She looked at Rosalie once more, her eyes hard and unforgiving as she walked to the carriage and hopped out. Within seconds, she took off running and had left them miles behind in a matter of seconds. Tristan too got off for a सेकंड though he was back up in less than a minute.
“This is what आप want?” he asked Rosalie. She looked at him and down, her eyes traveling to the spot where not और than twenty मिनटों पूर्व Jack had placed his hand as if it already held the child she knew they would create.
“I’m sure. Never been और sure of anything in my life.”
He nodded. “We should reach घर in about two days. Sorry for the delay but I do have to make several stops along the way. Shouldn’t take long at all.”
“Where is home, exactly for आप guys?”
“North Carolina-well under it, anyways.” When she gave him a puzzled look, he कहा “yes, underground but I assure आप we have done our best to make up for that small factor.”
She nodded and David कहा “yeah, smell isn’t even that bad.”
Tristan rolled his eyes and Michael laughed. “He’s joking. My spells make it seem as if आप are not even underground at all.”
“Oh.” She nodded carefully and again looked down. She felt such relief, as if a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders. For once, she could see light at the end of the tunnel.
Master saw and heard all of this and while it let out a string of swear words Dr. क्रेन worked on IT. Like master had suspected, the wound had not been fatal though IT was still in much pain. Though master knew this, it needed IT to get her-it’s time was slowly slipping away. As if he could read it’s mind, Dr. क्रेन said, “perhaps आप should wait until she’s mortal?”
“What?” master said, spinning on it’s heel.
“Wait until she’s mortal-when their both mortal, be much easier for IT to get them and less chance IT will kill them.”
IT growled in disagreement over this accusation and master कहा “not that IT would.” IT nodded and seemed satisfied. “It would be easier, wouldn’t it?”
“She would be much और vulnerable than she is now, even with Jack to protect her.”
Master smiled at the thought. “Yes, brilliant.”
Back at the carriage, which had started to head east still in Canada, Rosalie had gone back to Jack’s room. He was standing against the दीवार furthest from the door, looked up once, then down at the floor. “What?” she asked him wearily.
“I shouldn’t have reacted that way when I heard…” He stopped there, his body shaking violently. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m not.” She walked closer to him, wrapping her arms around his middle. “I’m really not.”
“I know.” He looked at her. “Earlier, when Tristan asked आप if आप were sure about your choice, आप were thinking something. What?”
She looked at him, bemused. “You couldn’t tell?” He shook his head no. “I was thinking about what I asked आप earlier-about meaning everything.”
“Ah.”
She smiled.
<You do realize she’s not going to let up, right?>
<Shut up and leave me alone.>
<Ah fine.>
“Mortal” she कहा quietly.
Jack nodded. “Mortal you, mortal me, someday, our mortal children.” She smiled and liked sound of it rolling off his lips.
“Guess there’s no turning back now.”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
But Rosalie knew her choice-her future lay with Jack, her past with Alice.