Rose's Swan

29

[ EXT. TRAIL IN THE WOODS – MORNING ]
(CLOSE BELLA'S FINGER (sans ring) – A PIN PRICKS IT and a single drop of BLOOD appears.)

(INCLUDE BELLA who touches her finger to the side of a tree. She moves up the trail to the next tree, touching it was well. A cold wind blows. The clouds above are dark. She continues, making her way to --)
[ EXT. THE CLEARING – MORNING ]
(Bella emerges into the empty field. She touches another tree. Edward comes up behind her.)

"You're going overboard." Edward chastises her.

"If this is all I can contribute, I want to be thorough." Bella said utterly serious with determination in her eyes.

...

Her twin will be down there risking her life, her wife's life, her niece could grow up without parents, so if this is what she could do, she would do it.

Luckily, after a very long talk with the pack who'd always been very curious who the baby was that the blond leech (their words not hers) would clutch onto whenever they were around, and explaining how Josie was a hybrid and the baby was much like her, would grow up like a normal baby until she reached 17 years old and her abilities would finish activating were surprised by the baby being biologically two females.

They'd left Hope, whose only abilities so far were her dense skin and slightly above average sense, would be left with Emily and the other imprints.

Emily has grown to love the little girl aftef meeting her and agreed to watch the young baby.

...

"The newborns will be frantic. Now let me put a bandage on that." Edward said.

(He reaches for her left hand. She pulls it away, worried --)

"It's Okay. Don't make yourself uncomfortable." Bella said worried for him.

"It doesn't bother me anymore." Edward said honestly.

"Since when?" Bella asked curious.

(He takes her hand. Puts a bandage on it.)

"Since I spent 24 hours thinking you were dead." Edward said remembering that time.

(He continues to hold her hand. Gives her a quizzical look.)

"You're not wearing your ring." Edward stated.

"Well, I didn't want to risk losing it." Bella said.

"Or risk Jacob seeing it?" Edward asked, wondering if that was her true reason.

"I think we should wait to tell him. I mean, at least till after the fight." Bella said. Knowing that Jacob would be distracted if they told him now. He needed to be at full strength.

"If you're having second thoughts..." Edward trailed off. He didn't want to force Bella to marry him, he wanted her to want to marry him.

"I'm not. I just want him to have a clear head." Bella said.

"Whose head is unclear?" Jacob asked, his face neutral. Now knowing that the pair were engaged.

(They spin to find Jacob across the clearing. He approaches --)

"Nobody's, I hope." Bella said.

(Edward and Jacob nod curtly to one another. Jacob eyes the cloudy sky. Edward does the same.)

"Alice says there's a storm coming." Edward said worriedly.

"Yeah, I can feel it. We should get going." Jacob said.

"I'll take the longer route. But I'll get there first. Set up camp." Edward said.

(Jacob nods. Edward turns to Bella, searing her face for ambivalence or surety. Finally, he kisses her forehead --)