A/N: Once again, it has been a horrendously long time since I lasted updated – my sincere apologies. This is officially the last chapter of Jacksonville; I hope you have enjoyed reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I yawned heavily as I attempted to grab my suitcase before Edward could take it. But I was too slow, even more so than usual due to the early hour, and Edward had my carry-on over his shoulder in a blink of an eye. I would have protested, but I was too tired.
Edward and I had been up late and, though he might not be affected by a lack of sleep, I was exhausted. I knew I would have no qualms about sleeping on this particular plane ride.
Both my mom and Phil were up to send us off to the airport. I had told my mom that she needn't bother – we had said our goodbyes the night before – but she insisted on taking us. I knew we could have gotten a taxi, but I had agreed quickly to my mother's proposal; I wanted as much time with her as I could get, even if I were dead tired.
I was glad that Edward and I had made the trip to Jacksonville. Even though it made me sad to realize that it might be the last time I would see her, it had shown me something very important – she was happy. She loved Phil. She loved Jacksonville. As much as I knew it would pain her if I "died," she wouldn't be alone. Now all I had to worry about was Charlie…
Only a few people were milling about the airport – fewer witnesses to my usual lack of coordination as a stumbled, tripped, and floundered my way to the terminal, even with Edward's arm securely around my waist. As soon as we boarded, I sat down in my comfortable first class seat and sighed happily. I heard Edward chuckle as he sat down beside me. I laid my head on his cold shoulder and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
The sound of the pilot's voice announcing our arrival to Port Angeles aroused me from my stupor. Despite the usual hustle and bustle associated with getting off a plane, Edward and I managed to exit rather quickly and make our way into the airport.
We didn't walk too far before a familiar face greeted my eyes. I was slightly surprised by our welcome party – I had expected the Cullens, or at least Alice, to be waiting for us. Instead, Charlie was there, looking happy and relieved at our safe return. I momentarily separated myself from Edward to run up and greet him.
"Hey, Dad." He laughed, slightly embarrassed, as I put my arms around him.
"Hey, Bells. I'm glad you're home," he replied, returning the uncharacteristic show of affection by hugging me back tightly.
"It's nice to be home."
And it really was. Regardless if I became a vampire and traveled and lived in a thousand places, I knew I would always think of Forks as my true home. As we drove in the cruiser, it seemed as if each green tree we passed reminded me of a little bit of what had become my own fairy tale… the story of a plain girl who, after having exiled herself to a miserably rainy town, had stumbled upon the very fabric of ancient legends and had fallen irreversibly in love. The tale was certainly marred a bit by periods of heartbreak and horror, but I would ensure that there was ultimately a happily ever after.
As I felt my resolve hardening, I became aware that my hand was being lightly squeezed. I was startled out of my thoughts and turned to see Edward looking at me curiously. He inclined his head slightly, drawing my attention to the fact we had arrived to the house. I could feel the warmth rising to my cheeks as I realized I had spent the entire car ride day dreaming. Edward chuckled and helped me out of the car. Charlie was already getting the luggage out of the back of the cruiser.
"Would you like me to give you a ride out to your house, Edward? I forgot to ask before."
"Oh, it's quite fine, Chief Swan, but thank you for asking. I'll just give Alice a call – I'm sure she's expecting it." Edward and I shared a private smile as he pulled out his phone and dialed, his fingers flashing across the keys.
The conversation was brief, and within no more than five minutes, a silver Volvo was speeding quickly into view. Charlie looked at Alice sternly as she stepped gracefully out of the car and she smiled back innocently. His face become flustered, but he managed to murmur something about speed limits and his responsibility as a cop and such. After giving me a quick hug, Alice politely listened and nodded her head, picking up on the parts of the driving lecture that I could not hear being uttered by my clearly uncomfortable father. Somewhere in between the conversation, I completely missed the departure of not only Alice, but Edward, too. I sighed, grabbing my one bag as I followed Charlie into the house.
I quickly alighted the stairs, managing to not trip on a single one, even with my suitcase. I was quite proud of myself, not that there was anyone who had either witnessed it or would believe it possible if I told them. I unpacked, taking my time to put everything back in its rightful place, although I was sure Charlie was eager to hear about my trip; I had apparently not done much talking during the car ride home.
When I came downstairs, my dad was just sitting down to turn on the television. I laughed quietly to myself, wondering what game was on. He noticed that I had come down, though, for he turned towards me and inquired about my stay in Florida.
I told him everything, or nearly everything, that we did – from the supposed cockroach in the restaurant, to the wayward baseball, to the board games and shopping. I ensured him that I had had a really great time, but I was truly happy to be home. He smiled appreciatively at my mention of 'home.' I hadn't thought about it before, but I wondered if he thought that my visit would make me want to move back in with Mom. I silently laughed at the idea – there was only one other place that I could possibly feel more at home, and that place was waiting for me after graduation.
"How was your weekend, Dad?"
"Not too eventful." He picked up the television remote to change the channel and continued, "Billy and Jacob came over last night." I cringed at the possible implications of such a visit.
"That's nice Dad. Was it a pleasant visit?" I still refused to think of Jacob as being anything but my best friend, but I couldn't help but think of the feelings of sadness, anger, and even resentment his face and actions had betrayed the last time I saw him. I worried that in somehow attempting to prevent the inevitable, he may have mentioned something or other about the Cullens. Not that he could bring up their being vampires – his treaty bound him and he would risk his own exposure – but would he try something else?
Charlie interrupted my worries with a brief reply. "Yea, it was nice. We watched the game and had some pizza." He paused thoughtfully. "Speaking of which, I hope your mother didn't try to poison you with any of her cooking while you were there."
I laughed, both relieved by the turn in conversation and amused by the question. "No, we ate a lot of pizza, too." I yawned, not realizing that I was still tired even after sleeping on the plane. "I'm feeling pretty exhausted. I think I'm going to head upstairs."
"Alright, Bells. Sleep well."
I began trudging up the stairs when I heard my dad calling.
"Hey, Bells?"
I felt myself freeze. I couldn't help but fret that something similar to the comment, "Oh, Billy and Jacob mentioned something odd about the Cullens while they were here" was about to come out of his mouth.
"Yes, Dad?" I asked timidly. He got up from his chair and grabbed what looked like two envelopes. He walked to the stairs.
"You got two rather official looking letters in the mail while you were gone. They're from the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University. They look like they might be acceptance letters…"
My fear dissipated, changing into confusion. What? I had never applied to those schools. I immediately, however, knew who did. I grabbed the letters furiously, my father looking startled. I tried to cover my anger by replying, "It's about time they got back to me." I hoped my father didn't realize that I had never showed any interest in schools that were remotely where it was sunny.
I took the letters upstairs with me, rushing into my room and closing the door. Edward was there, right where I hoped he would be, lying casually on my bed. His features became guarded, though, when he gauged my expression.
"What?"
"What? What? That's what I would like to know. What are these?" I waved the letters in front of his face, waiting for an answer.
"Oh, those. I do believe they may be acceptance letters."
"But why, Edward, would I be receiving acceptance letters to schools to which I never applied?"
"I…may have filched a couple of your application essays and filled out a form or two," he said, the slight bit of apprehension in his voice surprising me.
"Why?" I asked, trying to be calm.
"Well…" he paused, then continued, "I didn't know how much you would enjoy Florida. I thought if you liked it, and you wanted to be near to your mother, that you should attend school there. I didn't want you to limit your choices because of me." He smiled, but it was a small smile.
I looked him straight in the eyes. "Edward, you know I never want to be anywhere where you aren't –"
He cut me off. "Bella, I never said I wouldn't be there, too." He proceeded to pull two familiar looking envelopes out of his jacket pocket. They looked oddly like the ones I had in my hand…
"But…but…"
"Granted, I don't know how often we'd be able to be outdoors. I'm afraid we would have to be secluded type."
I briefly considered that. I didn't think I would mind too terribly…
"You know, college is still Plan B…" I added lightly.
Edward took my hands in his, entwining my warm fingers with his cold ones. Peering into my eyes, he murmured with the utmost sincerity, "I know."
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has read this story and especially to those of you who took the time to review. You all made writing this a truly wonderful experience. Thank you!