User blog:Ha-Za/Shayla's New Moon: Chapter 8.

Chapter 8: Brother, my brother…

Shayla's POV

"I'm leaving."

The words came quick, fast and blunt from Edward, who was sitting nearby on the couch. I raised my head to stare open-mouthed at him from my position on the floor.

We had been watching a movie with the rest of the family. Emmett and Rosalie were leaving in less then a week for their European honeymoon so we were spending some good ol' family bonding time together. Like a true family, I fought, argued and wrestled with Emmett to claim the last remaining armchair and like a typical older brother he had one while I had lost and was now curled up the rug on the floor while my Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Rosalie had the armchairs, Alice had claimed the loveseat and was leaning against Jasper's legs as he sat on the long white couch, and Edward was curled up on the other end.

"What?" I demanded to know, not sure I had heard him correctly as I started scrambling to stand up. "Why bro?"

Edward ignored me as he too stood up. He turned his head in Carlisle's and Esme's direction. "I have thought about this decision plenty of time and I have decided – I'm leaving. Don't try and stop me." Their mental voices were obviously pleading with him to stay – their faces said it all.

I knew what would happen if Edward tried to leave. He wouldn't be able to help himself. He would go back to Bella and either kill her or change her, which he didn't want to do. Those were Alice's two recent visions. Her visions of Bella hadn't changed one bit since he left her. She would still become a vampire – but not a vegetarian one. This meant that someone, other then us, would change her or leave her. That could not happen; I could make sure of that. But how to do? I quickly buried my plans in my head and made a mental decision to visit my friends -- that would keep Alice happy.

Edward caught the gist of my previous thought. "I will NOT do any of that to her," he spat at me while glaring furiously. "I will NOT damn her to this life! I will stay away from her!"

I didn't want to rest of the family to hear what I was saying next. ''How do you know that someone else won't Edward! Alice has seen it and its more inevitable then the sun rising in then east and it setting in the west! And what if you couldn't resist! You just let yourself slip up for one tiny, little second and went to check up on her and BAM, next thing you know she's—''

He didn't let me finish. He growled and threw himself at me, with his fist aimed for my face. I swerved out of the way, despite the fact that I knew it was useless as he could tell when and where I planned to move, and his fist skimmed past my face. I spun around and kicked out at him, aiming for his back, but he spun round, caught my foot in the last second and threw me off balance. I snarled as he pinned me down. I struggled madly, sounding a little like a piglet as my snarls became a little shrill. He kept me pinned despite my efforts so I used a last resort truck to get free. I pulled my lips back and unleashed a horrible, high-pitched squeal, so high that I doubted humans could hear it. Edward reached up to cover his ears, letting out a cry of pain, before I shoved him backwards off the top of me, before kicking backwards and into his stone chest. I didn't turn around, but I heard him hit the opposite wall. I rose from my crouched position and turned to face him.

He whirled and growled angrily at me. I felt the urge to crouch down, to defend but instead, I repressed it. Would I fight to the death, like my instincts were telling me to? No I wouldn't.

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists before folding my arms and standing straight up in front of him. ''No Edward. You're my brother and I will not fight you like that. You know I'm right and that's that.''

He glared balefully at me. "You think you're right Shayla but in reality you're wrong," he spat out through his clenched teeth.

"Hah! I think not," I countered, growling a little at him.

Carlisle stepped in then. He must have said something mentally to Edward because Edward removed his fierce look from me before storming outside, Carlisle on his heels.

All of my family's faces flashed toward my one. I then realised I was staring after my retreating father and brother's back, scowling slightly at Edward's words.

"You shouldn't antagonise him like that Shayla," Alice spoke first, her bell like voice tinkling with disapproval.

I turned my head slightly, and looked at her. "Alice, c'mon, you of all people know that I'm right. We all know what's going to happen."

Rosalie flipped her hair over her shoulder. "He won't," she said quite rudely. "Even I know that. When Edward wants to, or in this case, doesn't want to do something, he will do everything in his power to do just that."

I gritted my teeth in frustration. I knew I was being horribly stubborn and obnoxious, but I knew what would happen with my brother. I wasn't stupid. I opened my mouth to respond but I couldn't get any further.

"Let's just wait and see what he does," Esme said, cutting between me and Rosalie's glares at each other. "Carlisle will sort this out with him."

And so we waited. Alice moved up from the loveseat to perch in Jasper's lap while Esme busied herself by quickly dashing to Carlisle's study to find herself a huge book to read. I turned the TV back on to some old sitcom, which I soon realised was Bewitched, a show I had loved back when it was first made and when I was younger.

Eventually, Edward and Carlisle returned. I hit the off button on the remote before moving to sit on the unoccupied armchair. Esme stood by me, her hands resting on my shoulder as I looked up at Edward's grim face. I could tell that is wasn't good news.

Edward turned his face towards mine. "It's for the best," he said softly. "Believe me Shayla, if there was a better way, I would take it."

I tilted my head to the side, as I ignored the rest of my family who was not focusing entirely on our conservation, or at least the half they could hear. Where will you go bro?

He shrugged. "I'm not sure where to start but there is a certain vampire I really need to check up on. One who would want revenge on us. One whose tie I had not seen before. One whose existence needs to end very, very soon." His eyes flashed while he spoke and his lips curled back into a vicious growl.

I frowned. Who could he be referring too? He said they were a vampire… I started rattling off names in my head, searching every memory I had of nomads or friends, watching as Edward shook his head at every one.

That was until I got to the memory of the baseball night. That was the night where we met James and his coven. The night where Bella was with us, watching as we slammed balls into the sky, and soon, she had become the goal in a cruel game of hunting.

James was dead and I was sure that Laurent wouldn't be running around either. He seemed pretty tied down by Irina. But there was a third vampire, a female with a starling amount of tangled, fire-red hair.

"Victoria," I managed to gasp out loud. "Edward… you're going to attempt to track Victoria? What had she got to do with any of this?"

"I caught her thoughts while she was still hanging around," he growled out. "She wants revenge. Mate for mate. Bella Swan will live. Victoria will not touch her. I'll track her and then end it all for her."

Esme looked worried as frantically glanced between us. "Edward, you do whatever you have to do. Whatever happens we love you." I knew that it must have been hard for her to say that – she didn't want Edward to leave, no one did. Even Rosalie looked unhappy, her inhumane beautiful face troubled as she embraced Emmett. Emmett looked worried and Jasper's face was calm, emotionless, just like Carlisle's. Alice's was blank – she must be scanning Edward's future, trying to find anything that would help him.

"You should travel humanly at first, and then try and get a lead somewhere," Jasper recommended, giving advice. "Try starting around Forks, that's where we know she was last."

"But don't go anywhere near Bella," Rosalie cut in. "She's bad news Edward, I'm being serious. Don't let her back into our life."

"I know Rosalie, I know," Edward replied back coldly. "We've done enough damage." He turned to Alice. "And don't go looking for either."

Alice huffed. "Just because I won't look doesn't' mean I won't see." She emphasised the last word.

Edward glared at her. "Just don't. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really have to start packing."

He stomped up the stars all the way to his penthouse. He slammed the door so hard, that the old house shook on its foundation.

I sighed. "Sometimes I worry about that boy. This isn't the greatest idea that he has had."

"He'll be fine Shayla," Carlisle soothed as he put an arm awkwardly around my shoulders.

"I know," I admitted. "But I'm just worried about him… and her as well."

"Oh, she'll get what's coming for her," Emmett laughed, still in his personality to find humour in any grim situation. "I hope he gets her good."

I shook my teeth in frustration. "I wasn't talking about Victoria Em, I'm worried about Bella."

No one responded to that, probably because they didn't know how. Carlisle rose and he headed up to his study, probably to do some paperwork. Esme went up to talk to Edward, Emmett and Rosalie retreated to their room (I seriously didn't want to know what they were doing) while Alice and Jasper went out into the woods, hunting.

Edward carted his suitcase down about an hour later. I went and called Jasper but before I could even get the 'Get home now' message out, Alice took the phone and told me that they would be there in ten minutes. I had sighed and then growled rather irritably at her, "Sometimes you can be down-right annoying, you know that?"

I heard a distinct giggle when I snapped the phone shut, grinning a little, as Carlisle and Edward prepared to leave. Carlisle was driving Edward to the train station in his Mercedes, where Edward would head to Seattle, and start his journey there.

We gathered outside as Carlisle backed out of the garage. Edward seemed impatient, eager to go.

''So eager to go bro, are we really that terrible to live with? ''I joked, trying to lighten the situation. It worked; he cracked a smile and chuckled quietly, earning a curious look from Emmett.

Edward took his time with the each of us, shaking hands with his brothers and father, and allowing the girls to hug him – even Rosalie. Esme looked close to crying, if she could, as she squeezed Edward tight.

He left me to last. "I'm going to miss you buddy," I whispered to him. "Promise me that you'll visit or call, or whatever. Just keep in touch Edward. I will miss you in an insane, weird way."

His cold eyes softened at my little speech. "I will miss you too Shay. Even though you can be such a pain sometimes."

I laughed in response. "That's how I roll bro, that's how I roll."

He reached out and pulled him to me, as I embraced him. I wrapped my arms around his waist as I laid my face against his chest. Will miss you heaps.

He kissed my forehead. "As I'll miss you."

''Brother, my brother, tell me what are we fighting for? Isn't life worth so much more? We should love one another; can't we just pretend this war never began? We can try… Brother, my brother. ''I sang in my head, as we stood. He needed to know how sorry I was, for causing this whole mess.

"I forgive you," he whispered before he moved swiftly to the car and got in the passenger side as Carlisle hoped in the drivers seat.

They pulled out of the driveway quickly, waving to us, and I stood there for a long time, watching and waiting as I hoped my brother would return.

Someday he would. I knew that in my heart. Someday.

But the big question was though, when was 'Someday' going to arrive?