Prove You Can

He walked into the room, all eyes turning towards him, expecting the news, whether it be good or bad.

They needed to know.

I needed to know. But I couldn’t look at him. I don’t know why, I just couldn’t.

He glanced around before opening his mouth to speak.

“She’s going to be fine.”

We all let out the breath that we were holding, even though we don’t need to breathe. There were no humans here for us to keep up our image, but we’re just so used to using these human traits, their interactions, that we do it without thinking.

I stayed silent as I listened to everyone’s thoughts around me, my eyes flickering to each person as I heard them.

Oh thank god she’s okay; I don’t think I’d be able to lose another child. Esme.

I knew the little squirt would come through. Emmett.

Thank god. Rosalie.

I’m so happy my vision came through; I can’t believe I had doubted myself on it. Alice.

That was a close call, but I’m glad that I was able to pull her through it. Carlisle.

I’m sorry. I made eye contact with Jasper as I read his mind. His face and eyes held so much pain. I’m sorry I did this to her, that I wouldn’t talk to her. His mind was silent for a few seconds. And I’m sorry for what I’m about to say.

My eyebrows scrunched up in confusion as he turned his head away from me and to the rest of our family.

“I don’t want her to know that I saved her life.” Everyone turned to look at Jasper as he spoke. “She doesn’t need to know, and I think it best if I distanced myself even more from her.”

“Jasper, son, what are you trying to say?” Carlisle asked, as Esme put her head in her hands, crying tearless sobs.

“I’m leaving for a while. I’ll go up to Alaska, or travel through Canada for a while. But I need to get away from her; I can’t put her through even more than I have.”

Alice and I jumped to our feet in one fluid motion, much too fast for any human to see.

“What are we supposed to tell her when she wakes up and asks how she’s still here? What are we supposed to tell her parents?” I hissed out as I walked towards him, Alice a step behind me.

“Make something up, we’re good at that. Fabricating lies and cover-ups,” Jasper was dead-set on going.

“What about my vision Jasper? What about Aubrianna? Its going to happen, it will if you just pick up and leave like this. Jasper please don’t do this to her, please don’t do this to my best friend, my sister,” Alice pleaded with him.

Jasper looked around at us, his family. The only family that he has. And then his eyes drifted towards the door that Carlisle came through. They softened as they looked in that direction and I saw the love and happiness in them.

I love her Edward, can’t you see? I have to leave; I have to protect her, from me.

“You’re not going to hurt her Jasper, she’s protected because you’re already protecting her,” I can’t let him leave her.

I’ll kill her.

“You won’t. If you were then you would have done it by now. Jasper, you won’t be able to hurt a hair on her head because you love her.” Everyone gasped as I said that, not knowing that Jasper actually loved Aubrianna. “She’s always going to be the most important thing to you, and I know you’d rather die than hurt her. Jasper, you can’t leave.”

He closed his eyes in pain, trying to block out what I was saying, trying but failing.

Don’t tell her that I saved her Edward, make something up. I’ll stay, but don’t tell her. He looked into my eyes, and I nodded my head just once, letting him know that I would. And with that he was out the door.

“Edward!” Esme started panicking. “Edward, where is he going? Please tell me he’s not leaving.”

I turned towards her, a soft smile on my face.

“Don’t worry, he’s not leaving. He’s just going back to the house.”

Her face immediately lost all of the tension and worry that just recently clouded it.

“Her parents are in with her now, we can all go in there in a few minutes, let them visit with her for a little bit first. And you’re going to have to think of a lie to tell them once we get in there because they’re going to want to know.” He looked at Emmett and I since we were there as well.

Alice started to bounce on her toes as she stood there waiting. “We can go in now!” Her face brightened up with the realization that Aubrianna was alive and that she was finally allowed to see her.

Carlisle chuckled as he nodded his head, “We can go in now.”

Alice practically took off down the hallway, leaving us to follow behind her, shaking our heads.

What are we going to tell her?

I looked over at Emmett. “Just leave it to me, I’ll think of something.” He nodded his head, not pushing it knowing that I would think of something to tell them.

“Aubrianna!” We heard Alice’s voice shortly followed by, “Alice, you’re killing me!” I chuckled as I walked into the room seeing Alice practically choking poor little Aubri in a hug.

“I was so scared that you were dead, and I was so miserable, but I’m happy that you’re alive. And please don’t ever do that to me again.” Alice was talking so fast that I’m surprised Aubri could even understand her.

Aubri laughed, causing all of us to smile. We haven’t heard her laugh in days; we haven’t even seen her conscious in four days. Aubrianna is like our sun on a perfect summer day, without her there to brighten our lives; they were just dark and dreary.

“Yes Alice, I am alive, but I won’t be if you continue choking me,” Aubri choked out causing Alice to quickly pull away from her. When she stepped back we all checked to see if she had given Aubri any bruises. After a quick sweep of our eyes, one that was too fast for any human to see, we all relaxed when we saw that there were none.

Aubrianna gazed around at us before a look of realization came across her face.

“Oh! Mom, these are the Cull-,” She started to say before her mother cut her off.

“I know Aubrianna, we’ve met already. Although it wasn’t under the circumstances that I had wanted, but we did.” Her mom gave her a look that caused Aubri to bow her head slightly in shame.

The silence was thick as we all stood there looking at her before she lifted her head and sent us a shy smile; shy mostly because of her slight embarrassment.

A thoughtful look came to her face as realization dawned on her.

“How am I here?” She looked around at us. “I remember that I was skating on the pond, and then the ice broke and I fell into the water, but how am I here exactly? Nobody was home.”

“I never did hear the story on how Aubrianna was saved.” Her mother conceded, a curious glint in her eyes.

Emmett and I exchanged a glance before looking towards Carlisle, waiting for any sign of approval to fabricate a lie. Giving a slight nod, one that wasn’t noticeable to humans, he gave the okay.

I let out a low sigh as I turned back to Aubri and her mother.

“No! Aubrianna!” Jasper screamed before running forward and jumping into the water.

We watched as he became completely submerged underwater before we started to act.

“Emmett, break the ice!” I yelled at him as we surveyed how we could possibly make it easier for Jasper to save Aubri.

He looked at me, not really expecting me to tell him to break it, but that hole that she fell through was too small for her and Jasper to come through, even if he is a vampire. No, we needed to make it quick and easy so that we could get her up on land and make sure she’s breathing.

“Break it?” He asked, weary as to if I actually wanted him to.

“Yes Emmett! Break the ice, now!” I was scared and frustrated. The girl who is one of my best friends and a sister to me is currently drowning in a pond that’s iced over.

He gave me one last look before running to the lake and stomping his right foot on the ice, causing it to make a loud cracking noise before it quickly broke into medium sized pieces of ice.

We saw Jasper making his way to the surface before Carlisle turned to face me.

“Blankets Edward, we need blankets, go in the house and get some.”

Without a second thought and before he could finish telling me what to do I was taking off into her house and grabbing blankets, returning only seconds later with an arm full of blankets, just in time to see Jasper carrying her out of the icy water.

“She’s unconscious and not breathing.” He stammered. Not because he was cold, but because the girl he is in love with is slowly dying, or could already be dead.

I laid the blankets down in the snow, Jasper putting her pale body on top of them as Carlisle started to try to resuscitate her. After thirty seconds, possibly the longest thirty seconds of our existence, Aubri started to breathe again. But her heartbeat was slow; we knew we had to get her to the hospital before we were forced to take drastic measures.

“Edward, you’re the fastest, carry Aubri to the hospital.” Carlisle ordered me.

I went to pick her up before a hand was firmly set on my shoulder. Looking over I noticed that the hand belonged to Jasper.

“No,” he shook his head, “let me take her.”

“Jasper, I’m faster than you are.” I protested, why is he doing this?

“Edward please let me take her, I love her.” His eyes held the truth, and reluctantly I nodded.

In one fluid motion he picked Aubri up in his arms, her tightly wrapped up in blankets, and took off for the hospital. I ran after him, running as fast as I could, but still not being able to catch up to him. The girl he loves is in his arms, slowly dying, pushing him to his limits.

I was never going to catch up to him, not with his love for her pushing him.

“Emmett, Carlisle and I were taking a walk; we live just up the road from you. We heard a loud crack during a break in our conversation when we were walking by your house, and without a second thought we ran around back. When we reached your backyard we noticed a hole in the ice, we instantly knew that someone fell in. We looked around before we noticed a rope on the side of the house.

“We tied it around my waist, and I jumped in the water as Carlisle and Emmett held the rope. I saw Aubri, and immediately swam to her, I grabbed her and with Carlisle and Emmett’s help got her back up on land. Carlisle had already called Esme by then and she was there with the car and blanket by the time we made it to the road. We drove straight here, and Carlisle tended to you.”

I finished telling our lie for how we saved her and shock played across both Aubri and her mother’s face. Aubri shook herself out of her shocked stupor first before a small smile and an appreciative look came across her face.

“Thank you.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Thank you, without the three of you I wouldn’t be here.”

I smiled back as her mother agreed and thanked us over and over again. But my smile was entirely a real one, I couldn’t after telling them that.

The person you should be thanking is Jasper, he saved your life.