Gone

I woke up on the suite's couch that was in the living room. I blinked a couple of times to focus on everything around me. The sun was just coming up from the horizon and it was shining through the large windows on my face. It was all quiet in the suite. Everyone must have still been asleep. I couldn't remember how or when I fell asleep. I looked down at myself and realized I was wearing a pair of pink, red, and brown plaid pajama bottoms with my t shirt from yesterday.

I propped myself up on my elbows and then fell back on the pillow that was underneath my head. A navy blanket was covering my feet and I reached for it with one hand and pulled it back over my body. I couldn't remember how it got to me. In fact I didn't remember much that happened after Jack came. I closed my eyes and replayed the night through my head.

Jack came over in less than a half hour after we got off of the phone. During that half hour or so, I walked slowly around the suite talking very little to anyone. Edward didn't talk to me much after he admitted he loved me. That was probably the most awkward thing that happened that night.

I remembered opening the suite door and finding Jack and four or five other people behind him. Two of them were twins with blond ashy hair that was swept back messily. They both wore the same suit jacket with a black shirt underneath complete with a pair of black dress pants. They each had a gorgeous smile. What were there names? Tad and Tyler? That was it.

Their powers were to turn into these gruelsome beasts that looked almost like werewolves. I found that out after they came into my suite and turned into the scary looking creatures that barely brushed the high ceiling. I remembered just looking up at the brown drooling beasts with my mouth partially open in shock. I wasn't prepared to see that. Then again, no one is ready to see two twins turn into werewolf things in a second or less.

The other people Jack brought with him was a girl named Angela who could shoot electricity out of her hands. I didn't think it was that special, but apparently Jack thought I needed it since I no longer had that power in me.

Another person was a man who could make fire come out of him and he could shapeshift the fire and control it to make it go into any shape or any way. His name was Phil, but I kept calling him Pyro throughout the rest of the night. Jack thought we needed Pyro so that once we rescue Peter's hostages, including my husband, he could thaw them out from their frozen stage so that they could help us. I guess it could be helpful.

The last person was a man named RJ. He was an African American fellow who had a sort of Jamacian accent that was completely adorable. His power was to manipulate the mind and make someone see whatever he wanted them to see. The thing about his power was that no one else could see what he was doing. It sort of bugged me because I didn't know what he was doing when he tried it on Edward. Edward volunteered to be, well, the volunteer and his reaction clearly showed he did not like what RJ was doing. When RJ asked if I wanted to try, I simply said no to his offer.

I remembered buying the suite next to the one I was in so that Jack and his five friends could stay in there while the rest of us stayed in this suite. I,unfortuantely, ended up on the couch while it appeared that everyone else got the beds. It didn't matter, I felt better than I did last night. Well, physically. Mentally, I was desperate to get my husband, friends, and family back. And for once in my semi-perfect life, I was scared. What if I didn't end up getting my powers back? Or worse, my husband?

I immediately erased the thoughts from my brain and propped myself back up on my elbows. My ears picked up the sound of someone in the kitchen rummaging through the cabinets. I moaned and stood up off of the couch, taking the blanket off of me and then wrapping it around my shoulders.

My feet dragged me through living room and into the kitchen. I rubbed my eyes to try and focus better. I looked over at who was the rummager. And with my luck, it was Edward. I sighed and walked over to the table and sat down in one of the tall swivel chairs.

Edward stopped rummaging and looked over at me. "Good morning, sunshine."

"Don't," I said.

He laughed. "Okay. Good morning?"

I raised my eyebrows and didn't answer. I looked at him. He was wearing a white tank top with a pair of black and gray plaid pajama pants.

"Where'd the pants come from?" I asked him looking out the window at the rising sun.

"After you fell asleep on the couch, Cassidy and I went out and bought some clothes."

I looked at him. "So, I didn't fall asleep with a blanket and PJ pants?"

He laughed again. "Don't worry," he looked at me and went back to rummaging. He pulled out two bowls and walked over to me and sat one in front of me. He sat the other across from me. He went back to rummaging in the cabinets. "Cassidy put the pants on you. And no, I didn't watch. I'm not that naive."

I rolled my eyes and looked at the bowl he put in front of me. "What about the blanket?"

Edward looked at me with his big brown Riley-like eyes. "I'll take credit for that act of kindness."

I pursed my lips and looked up at him. His pectorals poked through the tight tank top. I couldn't help but noticing that even as a human he indeed was strong. His muscles and ripples showed that.

"Well, thanks."

Edward smiled. "Any time." He pulled out two boxes of cereal from one cabinet. He showed them to me. "Well, Cheerios or Cinnamon Toast Crunch?"

I couldn't help but grin at this. A full grown man was asking me what kind of cereal I wanted. I smiled more.

"What?" He asked.

I laughed.

"What?" Edward asked again.

I pointed at the box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. "That, I guess, Mr. Cereal Man."

He sighed and walked over to me with the box. Edward carefully shook the box and little squares poured into my bowl. When he was done he looked at me.

"Maybe if you waited you would see that I was about to be generous and make you a buffet of eggs, bacon, fruit, juice, milk, toast, muffins, and cereal."

I looked up at him. "Well, then. Go right ahead."

Edward smiled and turned around. "See? I can be mysterious like my brother."

I nodded. "But, you have a terrible way of showing it."

He smiled. "Thanks."

Half an hour later, everyone was up and everyone was eating the buffet Edward had prepared for us. We were all going to need it considering in about five hours we would be at war. It was an odd thought too. It was almost like Edward was our mother. 'Come now children. You must have a big breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You'll need it! Just remember you're going to war!'

The thought played through my mind as I sat on the suite's couch and ate my second banana nut muffin Edward got from room service. Within the time of everyone getting up and eating, I managed to change my clothes and get rid of the blanket before anyone could ask. Edward too gave up the pajamas, but he decided to keep the tank top and just cover it with a sweatshirt he managed to get from the lobby's gift shop. Across the navy chest it said, "The Frederickson Casino" in big white letters. I was hoping he wouldn't be wearing it during our battle.

Jack and the others came over to eat up the buffet as well. It turned out that Edward actually made and bought more food than all of us could devour. That was probably one thing Edward could do better than Riley. I had to give him the credit.

Not very much chatter went around the suite as we ate. Cassidy was sitting next to me on the couch and next to her was Tad. Apparently my sister could have deep conversations with anyone, including scary twins that were actually drooling monsters. And apparently she wasn't as judgemental as I. But I didn't care about Tad or Tyler as much as I did my husband.

For the entire morning my thoughts haven't been focused on my brother or my father or anyone else that was a hostage of Peter's. All I could think about was Riley. It turned out that you don't know how much you love someone until they are away from you and you know they aren't safe. My heart literally felt as if it dropped all the way to my stomach when I kept replaying the thought of Riley sitting in a chair freezing the death due to liquid nitrogen(I found out what chemical it was thanks to Jack).

So, here I was. The Alpha of all Protectors and a wife of a hostage of my best friend's, soon to be, ex-boyfriend and I may even be a soon to be widow. But to everyone else around me, I was in fact their leader. I knew that, but to certain people I was more than that. I was a sister, a friend, a sister-in-law, and even a role model. But to the hostages of Peter, I was a wife, a sister, a daughter, and a best friend. Peter obviously chose his people right. He wasn't only going to damage me physically during battle. If he killed someone I loved, I would be damaged mentally. And if so, I wouldn't want to forget it. I wouldn't want Tobey to take it away from me. Right now, I wanted Peter dead. I wanted my powers and I wanted my husband. I would have to wait till the sun set.

Edward came over to me from the kitchen. "You need a break," he said. I looked up at him. He held out a cup of steaming coffee in his firm hand. I looked at it and took it. I immediately took a sip.

He tilted his head. "Isn't it hot?"

I looked up at him and laughed a little. "Do you honestly think a cup of hot coffee is going to make me scream like a little girl?"

Edward shrugged. "I suppose not."

"I've been shot in the head before. I've been shot by you before."

He frowned and bent down by the edge of the couch. "Are you still going to hold a grudge against me because of that?" He whispered.

I shrugged and took another sip of coffee. It was hot. I looked back down at him. "I guess not."

Edward nodded. "Good."

I took another sip and looked at him over the rim of the cup. I set it down in my lap. "After all, you have been shot three times and thanks to you I became the Alpha of Protectors. Oh, and I can't forget, you gave me the opportunity to save the whole world from a deathly airbourne virus." I whispered so Cassidy couldn't hear. I wouldn't have been surprised if anyone heard.

Edward tilted his head and gave a small grin.

"Why are you grinning?" I asked.

He smiled and looked at me. "I'm smiling because you just made me realize that destiny had me help you in the most unexpected ways and now I must apologize for doing that to you."

I creased my forehead and thought about it. I guess he was right. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't know Riley or anyone else I knew now. I'd be stuck in the office selling products to big time companies. I guess Edward did affect my life in good ways when it seemed he affected it in bad ways.

I looked at him. "Well, I must thank you for making me realize that you practically led everyone here today."

Edward smiled more. "And if it weren't for my stupid behavior in the past, no one would have had such an exciting life like they had so far."

I smiled. "Except for Tobey who had all of this happen towards the end of his life."

"I heard that!" I heard Tobey say from the kitchen.

Edward and I laughed. I covered my mouth and then looked towards the kitchen. "No offense, Tobey."

"Yeah, none taken." I heard him mumble.

I looked at Edward. He smiled. "Nice going."

I laughed and then sighed. "You know, you have made my life pretty interesting."

He sighed. "Yeah, if only I wasn't such a jackass before."

I smiled and took another sip of the freshly ground hot coffee. "If it weren't for your jackassness, I wouldn't be married to your brother."

Edward stood up. "And maybe you would be married to me." He whispered and then walked away.

I watched him walk away and thought about what he meant. If I wasn't married to Riley, I wouldn't be trying to save him and none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have been the Alpha and I probably would be roaming the streets for a man that would take care of me. And with my luck, it would've been Edward. I shook my head of the thought. I didn't want to try to confuse my mind any more than I already had.

The thing about the present and staying in the present is that if it weren't for the way the past went, none of this would be real. And that, would not be cool.