Meteorite.

The memory gave way to a clearer picture, a rising sun. 

"He's gone, Bella. Give him time."

Felix and I are sitting on the topmost branches of a tall oak. It shimmered, inadequate beside our glittering skins in the morning sun.

"He'll come back when he realises his mistakes. He'll crawl over to you on your pedestal and you can do as you please. It'll be his loss."

"I realise he won’t come back, Felix. There's no need to lie."

Felix puts an arm around me, comforting me, like he always does. Every time I think of my past he has to. I feel I would fall apart without Felix, like I can't survive without Felix.

Felix. I opened my eyes, returning to the present.

It was Felix.

How couldn't I have seen this before? All the times he'd picked me up off the floor, all the times I laughed with him and cried on his shoulder. We knew everything about each other.

Sometimes I can be so blind.

Maybe Alice saw this. Maybe she saw I'd never be happy with Edward. Perhaps this was all just a plan that would take me to Felix.

The sky was looming over me, with two vampires blocking the view. Edward had a shocked expression and Alice was smiling, pulling me to my feet. I hugged her, knowing I wasn't going to stay when I could be with him, always.

"I'm happy for you," she said sincerely, "Promise you'll stay in touch?" I nodded and she let me go, high-tailing it towards the house.

I turned to Edward and looked him in the eyes. He looked beaten, vulnerable and so much younger than I was used to. His facade had broken down, revealing wounded look. But he wasn't so beautiful now. I could see past his eyes, I wasn't trapped under his smoldering gaze.

I wrapped my arms around his chest and he held me tight.

"Please, Bella..." he choked out, and pity stabbed at me. “Don’t... leave me." I held him a little tighter, wishing I could be the one who would be his. But I didn't love him, not anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. For hurting you, and wishing you were hurt. For not being who I was when you left." My voice cracked and I swallowed hard. "I really, really hope you find what you need."

I pulled out of his embrace and turned away, not missing the distraught look on his face.

So this is how it is to break a heart. I don't like it as much as I thought I would. Perhaps I only wanted him to be like me because I still loved him in some part of me.

Back at the white house, Esme and Carlisle hugged me. Alice was ready with a print-out plane ticket, and then she refused to let me go for five minutes. Jasper sent out some happy emotions and gave me the keys to his bike.

What surprised me most was Rosalie. She and Emmett were waiting in the garage. Emmett almost broke my iron ribs with a crushing bear hug and said a gruff "I'll miss you, Bells."

Then, while I admired the bike, which was beautiful, Rosalie flung herself at me and whispered into my hair how she didn't know what would happen now I was leaving, and could I please visit soon? I smiled into her beautiful hair.

Who'd have thought it?

***

The plane ride seemed to last forever. Longer than the bike ride, although I may have been distracted by how amazing the bike was. It purred under my body at top speed, I was sure it was the ride of my (eternal) life.

I filled my time with planning how I would meet Felix.

He will be waiting at the clock tower, and I'll run towards him, he'll meet me halfway and swing me round and round, then kiss me.

I flew through check-in, using my privileges as a member of the Volturi to grant me quicker access. I jumped into a taxi, telling the driver where to go quickly, but where else was there to go near here?

Once I was inside the city walls again I made my way to the clock tower, feeling slightly disappointed that Felix wasn't there, but at the same time knowing he wouldn't be there.

I raced through the sewers to the lobby, startling the new receptionist into dropping her coffee as I burst into the room.

I yelled an apology back at her from the door that I was already leaving, and carried on towards the tower room.

Aro was sitting alone on his throne, looking bemused.

"What brings you here, Bella? Were you not set on 'destroying' young Edward Cullen?"

I grinned at him. "Any idea where Felix is?"

Aro rolled his dusty eyes and pointed to the door behind him.

"He's watching television in his room."

Of course. For some incoherent reason, Felix adored watching endless news, no matter how pointless.

I raced up the winding stairs that led off to everyone's personal spaces, knowing which one was Felix's already. It was just below mine.

I didn't bother to knock, just barged in and threw myself at Felix, who was reclining on his couch.

He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

"Yeah," he said, and I knew a smile was spreading across his face, "I missed you, too."

I tilted my face upwards so we were face to face, kissing him gently. I ran my hand through his hair and cupped the back of his head, drawing him closer. He ran his hands down my sides and took my bottom lip into his mouth, sucking on it gently, before running his tongue over my top lip, leaving me humanly breathless.

"You have no idea..." I purred against his lips, then I kissed him again.

I could do this forever.

Fin.