Misguided Ghost

They hunted together as soon as they were out of Volterra. Bridget was mentally exhausted, feeling like she had a headache, much like Alice used to have. The animal blood helped, but venom flooded her mouth when she thought about the taste of a human’s blood.

They sat at a bench in the middle of a city when they’d finished hunting. The sun was high on the sky, but Becca’s shield kept the hidden from the people passing by. An old woman walked by the bench slowly, supporting herself on a staff.

Bridget drew in her scent and closed her eyes, mouthwatering – but of course not as much as a younger person’s blood.
“I want it so badly,” she whispered, eyes still closed.
Becca knew what she was talking about and squeezed her hand. “I know, hun, you have to fight it.”
“It is so… Bizarre… how easy it would have been for me to kill this whole town,” she breathed in, letting all the tempting smells almost steal her will. “It would have been so quick; no one would have understood what had happened.”

Becca grabbed Bridget’s face between her hands and made her open her eyes. “You are better than that, Bridget. It would not have been easy for you; after you’d snapped the first neck you’d regret it, you’d regret it for the rest of your life.”
“I know that,” Bridget said slowly, “I just want a taste. You drank and killed humans for the first five years of your life, Becca.”

Her eyes darkened. “It was the way I was raised; I didn’t know anything else. But then you came along, and showed me what great life I could have if I changed my diet. You’ve been raised to take care of the human life, not steal it. Good god, Bri, have you forgotten what you said to Aro? Think of your children, of Em-”

Bridget stopped her off with broken eyes. “Don’t say his name, please.”
“Then stop talking like a crazy person!” Becca yelled at her.
“Okay, I won’t,” she said lowly and stared at her hands. “Sorry.”
Becca sighed. “It’s okay, Bri, you just scared me for a second. I understand.”
“Sorry,” she said again and spotted a payphone booth down the street.

“Can you get me a bunch of coins, Becca?” she asked as a faint smile grazed her lips.
Becca saw the phone as well and grinned. “Give me a minute,” she then glanced at Bridget. “Will you be okay without my cover?”
Bridget laughed. “Of course I won’t. I look like a frickin disco ball.”
“Oh yeah,” Becca looked around. “Let’s get you to the shade, Ms, Disco.”

Bridget waited at a café table, shaded from the sun by a parasol, as Becca went and got her pocket picker business done. A young, handsome, waiter neared her table, a little cautious, but smiling none the less.
“May I get you something, signorina?” he asked her in a heavily accented voice.
Bridget sighed and shook her head. “You have nothing you’d give me willingly,” her tone was sad.

“I not sure I understand what you mean, signorina,” his confusion was obvious.
She sighed again before she fixed her gaze at his warm brown eyes. “Please, leave me alone.”
He quickly walked away and Bridget buried her face in her hands. She already hated her gift.

Bridget felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Becca, with a foolish grin on her face. Bridget smile as well when she saw the bulging pockets on Becca’s army trousers.
“You’re sneaky,” Bridget chuckled before she rose to her feet and walked with Becca to the payphone.

Bridget lifted the phone to her ear and waited as Becca put as much money as possible on the automate. Then she waited for the call to connect. And after several minutes she heard his familiar, southern voice.

“Hello?” Jasper asked from the other end.
“Jazz,” Bridget breathed in relief.
He was alarmed, but relieved to hear from her. “Bridget!” He said loudly. “Have you been hurt?”
She shook her head, but spoke when she realized he couldn’t see her. “No, I’m fine. I just-” she paused, not knowing exactly what to say. “I just needed to hear your voice,” A sob escaped her mouth.

“Come home,” Jasper said silently.
Again, she shook her head. “No, I can’t. But you all have to stop worrying!” Her voice lifted slightly. “Neither the Volturi nor Chase will ever be a bother again. You are all safe.”
“Bridget,” he said carefully. “What have you done?”
She sighed. “I released Chase from his misery and talked some sense into Aro and I’m fine, I promise.”

A growl escaped Jasper’s lips. “You went to them alone?”
“No, Becca was with me. Jasper, where are the others?”
“They are listening,” he told her. “They all are.”
Her lips started quivering. “Tell them I’m sorry, for leaving and causing them pain.”
“You can tell them that yourself when you get home,” he said angrily.
“No, I can’t.”

“Let me talk to her!” she heard the beautiful, yet infuriated voice of her love.
There were sounds of hands reaching for the phone only to be slapped away. But then she heard his voice clearly.
“Bee,” Embry asked into the phone, but seconds later he only heard the sound of her hanging up.

Bridget fell against Becca as tearless and heartbroken cries escaped her lips.
“Bridget,” Becca asked softly. “Is it really worth it, leaving it all behind?”
Bridget managed to stop her cries and straightened up. She wiped her cheeks out of instinct.
“The pain is just a simple compromise, Becca,” she said sorely.