A Little Something for Lory...

So, I have this friend, Lory, and a few months back she mentioned that her birthday was coming up. I told her I'd write something for her if she wanted, and she got VERY excited. When I asked what that might be, she thought about it and finally decided that she wanted a happily ever after for one of my one shot stories. That's cool, cause I kinda wanted one for it, too. :D I've been working on it, but it's not done, and since today is her birthday, I'm gonna post a little teaser...just so she gets a taste of what's coming her way, hopefully very soon. :D

Slowly Jasper looked up at me. "Bella, things looked really quiet in town. Maybe I should go check it out," he offered.

"No, wait here with me. Edward will be here soon. We just have to wait."

And so we did. All night, and Edward never came. The next morning as the sun rose, we ventured out of our little shelter and walked towards town. Things were eerily quiet and I was surprised to not see anyone moving about. The town looked to be abandoned and I worried that everyone had left, yet there were still cars parked along the streets, laundry hanging on clothes lines, windows to houses left open. I knew the town wouldn't have been deserted overnight, especially since everyone was required to attend the weddings scheduled that day, after which there would be a mass celebration. The fear that something was very wrong overwhelmed me, and as we came into view of the meeting building, my stomach dropped.

There were people everywhere, all of them laying on the ground as if they had simply fallen asleep while going about their day. As we walked closer, a sick feeling came over me. I could hear Jasper's breathing pick up the closer we approached, and when he saw his sister, Lucy, he ran to her.

"Luc?" he yelled, as he bent down to pick her up. "Luc?"

I watched and was horrified to see that she wasn't breathing. I slowly turned to look at the other people lying around…none of them were breathing. As my eyes scanned the crowd, I saw small cups littering the ground. Finally, I found Alice, lying with Cynthia on the lawn of the meeting hall.

"Alice!" I said, running to her. Jasper was quick on my heels and he lunged toward her, scooping her up and cradling her body as he cried into her chest.

"No," he yelled, his anguish thick in the air. Little Cynthia's hand was clasped around Alice's shirt and suddenly her bright blue eyes popped open, a shocked look on her face.

“Cynthia?” I gasped, causing Jasper to pull back and look down at the angelic baby face that was staring back at him. He paused, holding Alice in his arms as he looked over them both.

“She's breathing, she's moving,” he said. Lifting his hand, he patted her cheek, calling repeatedly, “Alice, can you hear me? Ali, come baby, wake up. Alice?”

She groaned a bit, not making much noise as she turned her head and finally opened her eyes. Instantly her gaze connected with Jasper's, and a wave of relief seemed to wash over her.

“Jasper,” she whispered, her voice barely loud enough for me to hear.

“I'm here, Ali, I got you.” There was so much love pouring out between the two of them, that I felt as though I was interrupting their private moment. Thoughts of Edward quickly returned to my mind and I looked for him in the crowd, not seeing him anywhere.

“Where's Edward?” I asked, hoping that by chance she had seen him. Her eyes flicked to mine and I nearly fell to my knees from the look she gave me. We stared at each other for a moment before Cynthia began to cry, trying desperately to get Alice to hold her. Jasper put his arm around her, drawing her into his chest, but her cries only intensified, as if she knew the death and sadness that lay all around us.

Alice tried to lift her hand to sooth the distraught little girl, but could barely move.

“What's wrong, Ali?” Jasper asked, suddenly realizing that Alice was not alright.

She tried to speak, but cringed with the effort. Her tongue lulled out of her mouth, and she licked at her lips, trying to turn her head for some reason. I saw a cup laying near her, and I bent to pick it up.

“What are these, Alice? Why are there cups everywhere?” I asked.

She mumbled quietly, lifting her hand to point to her mouth and then grasp at her throat. Jasper sucked in a quick breath.

“Carlisle...did he do this? Was there something in the cups?” he asked, earning an small nod from Alice.

Carlisle was behind this, and as that realization dawned on me, I nearly screamed. Edward was in more danger than anyone else here, and if Carlisle had done this to people he claimed to care about, what kind of horrible things could he possibly have done to Edward?

I began to panic as I looked around at all the people lying around us. Every one of them was someone I knew personally, and my heart was breaking. I needed to find Edward, and I began walking toward the meeting building. Jasper called out to me, yelling for me to stay with him, but I couldn't. I felt a pull to the large white structure that loomed over us, and my feet would not be detoured from their mission. Stepping over the Widow Crowley, as she lie on the steps leading to the front door, I entered the large room.

The smell within the room made my stomach roll. Death. It smelled of rot and sorrow, and I could almost feel the sadness, anger, and disappointment in the air. A sob broke from me when I saw Rosalie and Emmett, slumped next to each other in one of the back pews. As I kept moving forward, I stumbled at the sight of Esme and Elizabeth leaning against one another. My feet stepped over bodies until finally my eyes fell upon my parents. My father's arms were wrapped around my mother, her face buried in his chest. I watched them for a moment, almost letting out a shout of exhilaration when my father's chest moved. He was alive, though his breathing seemed shallow. My mother's finger twitched, and I hoped that she had fared as well as my father, but two things startled me from my thoughts.

A low moan sounded from somewhere to my left at the same time that the distant blare of sirens began to drift in through the doorway on my right. I stood, frozen, watching my father's face as his eyes flickered open at the wailing and high pitched sound he was so accustomed to.

“Daddy?” I whispered.

His slowly turned his head to look at me, and when our eyes met, a smile twitched on his lips. “Bells, you okay?” His voice was soft, and I could barely make out his words as the sirens grew louder.

“Yeah, what happened?” I asked, hoping for some kind of explanation as to what had occurred.

“Carlisle...” he said, turning his face to look at something ahead of him, and to the left of me. When I looked, I suddenly felt my knees go weak, and I reached out to grab onto the arm of the pew and support myself.

Edward.

He was seated on the stand at the front of the room. Ropes were wrapped around him, holding his body in the chair. It looked like he had struggled to free himself. He head was hanging forward and I knew there was no way that he was all right. My stomach dropped as I dry-heaved. I wanted to run to him, to hold him and make sure that he was alright, but just as I steadied myself enough to do it, I heard Jasper yelling to me from the doorway.

“Bella, come on! We have to go, hurry!”

“Bella, go,” my father said. Turning my head back toward him, I saw my mother shift a bit in her seat and felt relieved at the sight of it. “Go with Jasper, we'll find you. I'll get him to you. Now go.”

“Daddy, no. I wanna stay with you, please.” My fingers found his arm, squeezing the soft fabric of his suit jacket.

“Carlisle's still here, you're not safe. Go, I'll find you.”

I nodded at him, acknowledging his words as tears began to tumble down my cheeks. Another moan to my left assured me that Edward was alive, at least for the time being.

“Bella, please!” Jasper shouted from the doorway. The sirens were growing louder and louder the longer I stood in my place, and I knew that we needed to leave if we were to avoid them.

“Find me, and help him. I love you, Daddy,” I said, before turning and running toward the door. Jasper stood there holding Alice and Cynthia in his arms, looking behind him toward the road that led into town. I scooped Cynthia up with my hands, lessening some of his burden, and pulled her tight against my chest. As Jasper hurried down the steps, I turned to look into the church one last time, and was stunned at what I saw. Two bright green eyes stared back at me, his face bruised and beaten, but with a look of overwhelming joy etched across his features. His mouth pulled into a small smile and I could feel the love pouring from him. He was happy I was safe.

I didn't want to leave. I needed to go to him, to tell him that I loved him, but with the threat of Carlisle still looming, and the now visible caravan of vehicles rumbling down the road toward us, I knew I couldn't stay.

“I love you!” I yelled, giving him one last smile—or attempting to anyhow—before I bolted from the building...

(keep in mind, this is rough and unbeta'd, but I don't think it will change too much. I've poured over it too many times already. :D )

Happy Birthday Lory!!!

I hope your day is as wonderful as you are!!!