Chapter 35: The Missing

AN: Thanks to all my reviewers. You guys rock. Also, lemons in this chapter—just a warning!

Three Years Later (2016)

RPOV

"Charlotte Addison Cullen! Would you cut it out?" I said, glaring at my six-year-old daughter who was jumping on the bed. She looked at me with her big blue eyes and stopped.

"Sorry Mommy." She climbed off the bed and walked over to me.

"Honey, where's your sister?"

"I don't know," she said, climbing on my lap. I ran my fingers through her bouncy curls.

"Can you go find her, Lola?" I said, calling her by her nickname and kissing her on the cheek.

"Okay Mommy," she said, hopping off my lap and running down the hall. "Gigi!" she called out as she looked for her sister. I went back to curling my hair for the wedding. I was sitting at my vanity in my nightgown as I did my hair and makeup. It was hard to believe that Cynthia, the little girl I had known since she was 15, was getting married to Seth Clearwater.

As I was thinking about Seth and Cynthia, Charlotte and Gisele came running into my room, both still in their pajamas. "I found her, Mommy!" Charlotte said, holding Gisele's hand.

I groaned when I saw them. "You both need to get dressed!" I said. "We have to leave as soon as Daddy gets home. Go into your rooms and bring your dresses in here. I'll help you get dressed." They both ran down the hall, their blonde curls bouncing. I turned back to my mirror and curled the last strand of hair, finishing the entire masterpiece with hairspray. Then, I picked up the diamond clips and pinned the curls on top of my head.

Lola and Gigi came back into my room with their matching white dresses—they were both flower girls in the wedding. I helped them both get dressed, then tied a white ribbon in their hair.

I heard the front door open and close.

"Daddy's back!" Lola screeched before running out of the room and down the stairs. Gigi followed closely behind her—she never left her sister's side. I went back to the mirror and applied my makeup. Emmett came into the room, a daughter under each arm. They were both giggling as he dropped them both on the bed.

Emmett walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek.

"Did you get it?" I asked him.

He nodded. "It's already wrapped and in the car. All we're waiting for is for you to get dressed so we can get over to the church. They'll have a problem starting if they're missing a groomsman, a bridesmaid, and two flower girls.

"I know, I know," I sighed, quickly applying blush. "I would be ready if it weren't for two minor distractions." I threw a glance at Lola and Gigi. They were both jumping on the bed.

"C'mon, munchkins," Emmett said, picking up the two giggling girls. "Let's let Mommy get ready. Why don't I put on The Little Mermaid for you?" The three of them left the room as I finished my makeup.

My life for the past seven years had been close to perfect. I had a wonderful family with two beautiful daughters and a loving husband. Emmett had retired from playing football so he could focus more on our family. Instead, he became a football analyst for ESPN's NFL Primetime and a sometimes anchor for Sportsline. It was nice because he wasn't traveling all the time and was able to watch his daughters grow up. After I became a mother, I no longer modeled for Playboy. I wrote a bestselling book about the crash entitled Stranded: A Survivor's Tale. I also started writing children's books.

I walked into my closet and pulled out my bridesmaid dress. It was blue, extremely tight, and a Balenciaga original. I pulled on my Christian Louboutin tan pumps and walked downstairs. Lola and Gigi were sitting on the couch, watching The Little Mermaid.

Emmett and I had completely changed. Our language was now PG-13 at best. We knew every word to The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Emmett's jeep was now always filled with Barbie dolls, princess coloring books, animal crackers, and apple juice. I traded in my BMW convertible for a black Audi Q7, a midsize SUV.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed my purse. I threw my compact, my lipstick, my blackberry, and my wallet inside. "C'mon, guys," I said, grabbing Emmett's keys and opening the front door.

"But Mommy, Ariel's about to sing a song!" Lola complained. Gigi nodded in agreement.

"Charlotte Addison and Gisele Elise! Get in the car now!" I said through clenched teeth. Their eyes widened as the hopped off the couch, grabbed their sweaters, and walked out to the car.

"Calm down, baby," Emmett said, rubbing my back.

I sighed. "I know. It's just, we're going to be late if we don't get a move on. Here," I said, handing him his keys. "You're driving."

Emmett grabbed my hand and we walked out to the car. I helped Lola and Gigi get buckled into their car seats, then climbed in the front seat next to Emmett. He backed the car out of the driveway and drove to the Church of the Blessed Sacrament. I checked the clock. It said 2:30 pm. We were 15 minutes late. I helped Lola out of the car and grabbed her hand while Emmett carried Gigi inside.

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APOV

"Where are they?" Cynthia hissed. "They were supposed to be here 15 minutes ago!" She started pacing back and forth in the room, biting her nails.

"Cindy, calm down," I said, standing up and putting a hand on my younger sister's shoulder. "They'll be here."

"They better if they value their lives! I'm missing a bridesmaid and two flower girls while Seth is missing one of his groomsmen. Ugh, I'm going to kill her!"

"We're here, we're here," Rosalie said, out of breath, as she towed Charlotte and Gisele into the room. They both had on matching white dresses with white ribbons in their hair. "I'm sorry we're late, but some little girls had a little trouble getting up this morning." She shot a pointed look at her daughters. They smiled at her, then went over to sit next to Olivia and Emily, their twin cousins. Olivia was sitting on Bella's lap while Emily was on the ground, coloring. Bella was tying Olivia's bronze hair up with a bow. Emily's hair was already finished.

David, my one-year-old son, was with my mother. He was too young to be in the wedding, so he was going to sit and watch with her. Leah's three sons were with Mike while her infant daughter was with Mike's parents in the church.

"It's okay," Cynthia said calmly. "I was just getting worried you weren't going to make it in time. I would have killed you if you missed it."

Rosalie laughed. "I know." She turned and looked at her children. "Lola, come here. Let me fix your ribbon." Charlotte got up and walked over to Rosalie. She knelt down and straightened the ribbon in her hair. Charlotte gave her mother a kiss, then went back to playing with her sister.

"I never understood why you call her that," I said, gesturing to Charlotte.

"Well, when Gisele was little, she couldn't say 'Charlotte.' We were trying to teach her, and she called her 'Lola.' I guess the name just stuck. Even her kindergarten teacher called her Lola."

"I don't know how you guys do it," I said. "I can barely handle David by myself. How do you manage Lola and Gigi?"

"I don't know. I mean, Emmett's home to help when he's not at work, but I guess it's that they're pretty well behaved—for the most part." Gisele came over at that moment with tears in her eyes. She started tugging at Rosalie's dress. "Sweetie, Mommy's talking to Alice right now. Hold on a moment."

"Mommy, Lola took Mr. Bear!" she sobbed. Rosalie sighed.

"Lola! Give your sister her teddy bear!" She bent down and kissed Gisele on her head as she ran back to her sister. Rosalie pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's like that every day. I swear, Lola lives to torture her sister."

"That's nothing," Leah said. "Evan, Bryant, and Ryan are always getting into trouble. I swear, I'm in the emergency room every other week for a sprained ankle or a broken wrist or something. I'm pretty sure Doctor Snow knows them better than I do."

"How old are they now?" I asked.

"Evan is 7, Bryant is 5, and Ryan is 3."

"Guys, it's almost time," my dad said, walking into the room.

"Alright girls, everyone get up!" I said, walking over to Bella and the flower girls. Bella picked Olivia up and put her on the ground while Emily put her coloring book away and Charlotte helped Gisele up. I handed them each a basket filled with pink rose petals.

The music started, and I sent Charlotte out first. She met Evan in the aisle and the two of them walked down together. Gisele and Bryant went next, followed by Ryan with Olivia and Emily on either side. I went next, the maid of honor, escorted by Edward, the best man. Bella and Jasper followed us, then Rosalie and Emmett and finally Leah and Mike. The organist struck up the wedding march as my father walked Cynthia down the aisle.

She reached the altar, then kissed my dad on the cheek. She walked up, handed me her bouquet, and stood across from Seth. The minister went through the readings and other parts of the ceremony before the exchange of the vows and rings. Evan, Bryant, and Ryan brought up the pillow with the rings on it and handed it to the minister. Cynthia took the ring and turned to Seth.

"Seth, I have been waiting for this day since the moment I met you. I remember seeing you across the fire, talking to your sister. I had never seen a cuter boy in my entire life. And when I saw you, I knew there was no way you liked me like I liked you. You were a cute guy, and I was a spoiled heiress. But, a few days later, when you told me you liked me, I knew we were going to be together forever. Through the plane crash, senior year together at Beverly Hills High, and college at Cal Berkley, we've been through everything together. I can't imagine myself with anyone besides you. You were my first and only love, and I want it to stay that way. Today, I am, before our families and God, I am pledging my love to you. I promise to be honest and faithful, to love, honor, and cherish until the day I die." She slid the ring onto Seth's finger.

"Wow," Seth said. "That was amazing, Cynthia. I don't know how I'm going to top that. I had something written down, but I'm not going to read it. My father once told me that the best words are words from the heart, so that's what I'm going to do. Cynthia, you are the most amazing girl I've ever been with. Actually, before I met you, I had never had a girlfriend. I mean, I had liked girls, but nothing like this. You are the sweetest, kindest, funniest girl I have ever met in my life. I can't wait for us to start our lives together. I promise to love you and honor you, to protect you from harm, in this life and the next." He slid the ring he and I had picked out together onto her finger.

"I know pronounce you man and wife," the minister said. "You may kiss the bride." Seth pulled Cynthia close to him and kissed her gently. I handed her her bouquet as she and Seth walked from the church out to the limo, waiting to bring them to the reception. The rest of the wedding party and me followed them, waving to them as they disappeared around the corner.

"Okay, let's get over to the reception," I said, taking Jasper's hand. My mom walked over and handed me David. He was still sleeping, even with all the noise going on in the background. Jasper and I walked over to the car and drove to the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, where the reception was being held.

Cynthia's wedding and my wedding were very different. I had a small one on the beach, designed to piss my parents off since they wanted a large social event. Cynthia's was the party of the season. Everyone was invited, which was why they chose the Miramar because their outdoor reception area was larger than the other hotels.

Jasper pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and pulled into an open space. I carried David and walked into the outdoor reception area while Jasper went to check into the hotel room we had rented for the night. Rosalie, Bella, Leah, and I had decided to get a room for the kids to stay in if they got tired, which they probably would. David was already sleeping, so he wouldn't be at the reception much longer.

Bella, Edward, and their daughters were already there. Olivia and Emily were sitting at the table with their hands held out. Bella handed then each a box of crayons and they started coloring in their coloring book. Rosalie was holding Gisele while Emmett sat Charlotte at the table. Leah held Maribel, her daughter, while Evan, Bryant, and Ryan were sitting at the table with Olivia, Emily, and Charlotte.

People kept arriving and taking their seats at their tables. Cynthia and Seth had set it up so the children's table was right next to the bridal party's table. Jasper and I sat at the other table with Rosalie, Emmett, Bella, Edward, Lean, and Mike while our kids were sitting at their table, coloring and talking to one another.

David, who was still sleeping, stayed on my lap. Leah kept Maribel while Rosalie put Gisele with the other kids. I sat with my head on Jasper's shoulder as we waited for Seth and Cynthia to arrive.

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BPOV

"You look beautiful," Edward whispered in my ear as we twirled on the dance floor together.

"You don't look half bad yourself," I said, smoothing his tie. I rested my head on his shoulder as we swayed to "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing," our wedding song. I sighed as I nuzzled my nose into his neck. He wrapped his arms tighter around my waist.

"C'mon, let's go back to our room," he whispered seductively in my ear. I could feel his hands gripping my hips with a longing intensity.

"Edward," I sighed, "We can't. We can't just leave Emily and Olivia here."

"Bells, Alice, Leah, and everyone else are here to watch them. C'mon, ten minutes!" I looked at him and saw the sparkle in his eyes that reminded me how he was when we first met.

My lips twitched. I grabbed his hand and dragged him off the dance floor and into the hall. I saw an individual bathroom and pulled him inside, locking the door. I turned to face him and he put his hands on my hips. He pulled me close to him and put his mouth on mine. I felt his hot breath in my mouth as his hands raced up and down my body. He shoved his tongue inside my mouth and I let out an involuntary moan.

Edward pulled his mouth off mine and chuckled. He dragged his nose along the length of my collarbone and I shivered. He lifted me up and sat me un top of the sink. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him close to me. I felt him go hard against me.

"I need to be inside of you," he moaned in my ear. His slid his hand up past my knee until he reached the hem of my dress. He gripped the bottom of my dress with both his hands and pushed it up so it was right at the bottom of my butt. He groaned when he saw I was wearing underwear.

He moved his head from my neck to my crotch. He pulled my underwear down with his teeth until they were around my ankles. Then, he moved his hands further under my dress and grabbed my bare ass. I gasped and pulled him closer to me.

He moved his one hand off me and reached around to the front of his pants. He undid the zipper and pulled all of his magnificent 8 inches out. I saw he was long and hard. He put his hands in between my legs and pulled them further apart.

He slowly moved closer to me until the tip of him was about to enter me.

"Edward, do it," I whispered. He smiled mischievously as he started slowly easing himself into me. I was not having this—I wanted all of him in me NOW. I grabbed the color of his shirt and pulled him close to me, taking all of him in me in one, hard movement.

"Bella," he moaned.

"Edward," I moaned, looking him in the eyes. "Fuck me."

He winked at me before lifting me off the sink and slammed me into the wall. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he used the wall to penetrate deeper into me. I dug my nails into Edward's shoulder as I gasped out loud.

He whipped me around and slammed me into a different wall. He thrust himself into me again and I moaned out of pleasure. He pulled me off the wall and sat me on the sink again. He pumped in and out of me as I held onto his shoulders. I leaned forward and licked his earlobe. He flashed me his crooked smile and moved his mouth to my neck.

He devoured me hungrily as he kept pumping in and out of me.

"Oh, Edward. Oh, Edward," I moaned as he kept thrusting in and out of me. His hands were racing up and down my back as my spine arched, sending him deeper into me. "I'm—I'm—" I gasped out, breathing heavily.

"Fuck, Bella, I'm coming," he said. He exploded inside of me as I came at the same time. I dug my nails into his back and he growled in my ear. From pain or pleasure, I didn't know. He slammed his fist into the sink I was sitting on, and I felt it jerk.

"Edward," I said warily. He pounded the sink again and I held onto Edward as the porcelain sink dropped to the ground with a loud crash.

"Shit," he muttered. I looked at his bewildered face and started laughing uncontrollably.

"Edward!" I gasped out between giggles. "I can't believe you broke the sink!"

He grinned at me and kissed me on the cheek. He pulled himself out of me and put me on the floor. I pulled my panties up and my dress back down. I tried smoothing out my hair, but saw it was a battle lost.

"Great," I moaned, looking in the mirror. "My hair is a rat's nest."

"It looks sexy on you," Edward said, coming behind me and putting his hands on my hips. I instinctively flexed my back and pressed my butt into his dick. I turned around and kissed him on the lips.

"C'mon," I said, taking his hand. "Emily and Olivia are going to be wondering where we war. Plus, they're probably getting tired. We should put them to bed."

Edward and I sneaked out of the bathroom and back into the reception. Alice was sitting at the table, rocking David, who was still sleeping. On the dance floor, Evan and Charlotte were dancing next to Ryan and Olivia. Over at the kids table, Emily was stretched out on three chairs, fast asleep. Bryant and Gisele were lying on the floor, coloring.

I walked onto the dance floor up to Olivia. "Hey, sweetie," I said, crouching next to her. "Are you feeling tired?"

She yawned and nodded her head.

"Do you want to go to bed?" She nodded. "Okay, let's go." I took her hand and walked back to the table with her. Edward already had Emily in his arms. I picked Olivia up and walked up to Alice.

"Hey, Bella," she said, smirking at my disheveled appearance.

"Hey. We were going to take Emily and Olivia and put them in bed. Did you want to bring David, too?"

"Good idea. Let me go check with Rosalie and Leah and see if they want to put their kids to bed too." She walked off to where Rosalie and Emmett were dancing next to Mike and Leah. I saw them nod, then Alice walked back to me.

"We taking them too?"

"Yeah. Let me go get the kids and we'll put them in bed."

I went over to Mike's mom and took Maribel from her. Olivia walked next to me as Edward, Alice, and I brought the kids into the hotel room we rented. I helped Olivia and the other girls change into their pajamas while Edward helped Leah's sons. Once they were all dressed, we tucked them all in. Alice sang them a lullaby as they fell asleep. Once they were all sleeping, the three of us crept out of the room and went back to the reception.

Edward and I returned to the dance floor. He spun me around with grace I didn't have. We kept spinning and spinning until I needed a break. Edward and I sat back down at the table and had a piece of cake and a glass of wine.

"This is a lot of fun," I said, kissing him on the cheek. He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his chest.

"I love you," he whispered in my ear. "It's so nice to finally spend time with you without the girls."

"Do you think they're okay?" I asked, a little worried.

"They're fine," he said. "Bella, their sleeping. How much trouble could they get in?"

I stood up. Edward looked at me, confused. "I'm going to go check on them and see how they're doing. I'll be right back," I said, giving him a kiss. I walked back into the hotel and down the hall until I came to room 1134. I put the card in the door and pulled it out. The light blinked green and I opened the door.

When I walked in, the room was completely dark. That was odd—when we left, we left the blinds slightly opened so a little light shined in. I flipped the switch on the wall and gasped.

There were clothes, scattered all over the floor in the first room. The television was on the ground and the desk was turned over. The beds were empty. I ran into the joining room, and the same sight met my eyes. The room was in disarray, and there was no one there.

"Olivia! Emily!" I screamed. There was no answer. I walked to the patio door, and stepped on broken glass. I looked at the door and saw the glass had been shattered. I flung the door open, but didn't see anything.

"Ryan! Evan!" I shouted. No one answered me. I raced back through the room and out into the hall. I ran up, knocking on the doors of the people next door to us, asking if they'd seen the children. They hadn't.

The tears were pouring down my face as I ran to the front desk. I rang the bell and the woman came to me. She looked at me worried as she took in my frantic state.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" she asked.

"Have you seen several young children in their pajamas recently?"

"No. The only people who've been up here are Mr. and Mrs. Cook. Is something wrong?"

I didn't say anything. I ran back to the reception.

Everyone was still dancing and having fun. They didn't realize that a major crisis was going on. I had to get everyone's attention.

I ran in, screaming at the top of my lungs. The band stopped playing and everyone looked at me, terrified. I dropped to my knees in the middle of the dance floor and broke down into tears.

Edward ran over to me and knelt by my side. "Bella, what's wrong?" he whispered. "What happened?"

"The kids," I choked out. "The kids…" I felt into Edward's chest. He stroked the top of my head while I kept muttering.

"What's going on?" Alice asked, coming over to us.

"I don't know," Edward said, looking worried. "She keeps saying 'the kids,' but I don't know why."

"Bella," Cynthia said, walking up to us with Seth behind her. "Is everything okay?"

"No," I sobbed. "The kids!"

"Bella, what about the kids?" Edward asked. Why didn't anyone understand what I was trying to say?

"Bella, what's going on?" Rosalie asked, crouching down next to me.

"You're scaring us!"Leah said, worried.

I sat up and looked around at everyone. I took a deep breath. "It's the kids. They're gone!" I let out another sob and collapsed into Edward's chest.

So this is the end of Stranded. I know it ends on a cliffhanger, but it's not the end of Bella, Edward, and the rest of the survivors. On either Tuesday or Wednesday (7/21 or 7/22) the sequel to Stranded will be published. It's called The Missing and will follow Bella, Edward, and the rest of the group as they track down their missing children. Old faces will be seen, as long as new ones. There will be plenty of drama, as well as flashbacks and flash-forwards. Secrets will be revealed. If you think you know all the dirty laundry of the JAL Ten, think again! I hope to see some of the same readers and reviewers. I really hope you all enjoyed Stranded. I know I enjoyed writing it.