We Are the Innocent Ones

Veronica smiled at Emmett as sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, raising a hand to cup his sparkling cheek. Seeing as it was a weekend, Caleb, Marie, Jack and Danny had gone hunting on their own for the first time, and the Cullens were enjoying the sunshine in Veronica’s secluded back yard.

“I remember the first time I saw your skin like this,” she said softly.

“Mm, the day we took you up the mountain to photograph bears and I nearly got you killed by one,” Emmett chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull their bodies together.

Veronica giggled as their crotches collided and moved her hands to slide around his neck.

“You were so angry that day,” Veronica mused.

“I was more angry with myself than you. I couldn’t believe I’d nearly got you killed,” Emmett sighed.

Veronica smiled and tilted her head up, kissing Emmett softly. Emmett smiled against her lips before pulling away, his smile stretching into a grin as hers did.

“Well I didn’t get killed. And now I’m immortal like you so we can spend the rest of our lives together without danger,” Veronica said with a small smirk.

“I like the sound of that,” Emmett smirked back, patting her ass lightly.

Veronica laughed and pecked his lips before pulling out of his arms. Emmett immediately followed her, making her laugh and stop in her tracks.

“Why are you following me?” she teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Why wouldn’t I want to spend every minute with you?” Emmett shot back playfully.

“Surely you should be thinking about when you’ll be bringing your stuff over here?” Veronica mused.

Emmett frowned, not understanding.

“When are you moving in?” Veronica reiterated.

“Am I supposed to move in?” Emmett asked, confused.

A flash of anger passed through Veronica’s entire body, but she ignored it, trying to calm herself down.

“So you’re basically saying that because you don’t want to live here permanently, you don’t want to be with me?” Veronica asked mockingly, tilting her head to the side with her hands on her hips.

“N-No! Of course I’m not saying that!” Emmett said quickly.

“Then what are you saying, Em? I thought that now we’re were fucking back together that you’d actually want to take our relationship seriously. Clearly I was wrong,” Veronica scowled.

She started to walk away but Emmett quickly shot forward and grabbed her arm to stop her. Veronica wrenched her arm out his grip and shoved him hard enough to make him stumble backwards slightly.

“What do you really want, Emmett? Are you just doing this all for a laugh? Are you just pissing around to fill some time?” Veronica asked angrily.

“I’m not fucking pissing around. I love you, you know that! I just…”

Emmett trailed off, biting his bottom lip. Veronica gritted her teeth, her nostrils flared with her arms folded across her chest.

“Finish your fucking sentence,” Veronica growled.

“I just don’t know whether I want to live here,” Emmett blurted.

As soon as those words spilled from his lips, Emmett regretted them, if for no reason other than Veronica looked like she’d enjoy ripping him to pieces.

“What do you mean you don’t know whether you want to live here?” Veronica asked tightly, narrowing her eyes.

“Well…what about my family? I’ve been living with them since 1935 – I can’t just leave them!” Emmett exasperated.

“But you’ve been living with them so long – don’t you want to try something different? Don’t you want to have a life together that’s completely new? My family are settled here, so I’m not leaving. But hey, if you want to stay with your family, I’m not going to stop you going back,” Veronica said coldly.

“Are you seriously making me choose between you and my family?” Emmett laughed in disbelief.

Veronica scowled and slammed Emmett against the wall in seconds.

“No, I’m not making you choose. Because if you want to be with me, you should know without debating where you want to be. I want you here. But if you don’t want that with all your heart, then leave and don’t come back. I’ve given you a second chance – don’t fucking throw it away already,” Veronica snarled.

And Emmett just stood there, watching her run out the house. Alice immediately walked into the room, Jasper right behind her.

“Oh Em,” Alice whispered.

“She’s not going to forgive me this time,” Emmett whimpered.

“Why can’t you just choose?” Jasper asked, frowning.

Emmett groaned as the rest of his family came in. Rosalie stood in the doorway, looking unimpressed, with Lucas by her side. Bella and Edward stood wrapped up in each others arms as always, Alice and Jasper stepping back a bit to let Esme rush forward to hug him, Carlisle by her side.

“You’re lucky her four kids are hunting,” Lucas commented simply, earning a glare from the burly vampire.

“Why can’t you choose?” Jasper repeated.

“Because as much as I can’t live without Roni, I can’t be apart from you guys. You’re my family!” Emmett exasperated.

“We’ll always be family, Emmett, no matter what. You love Roni – you’ve got to take a chance to have your own family. Caleb, Marie and Jack love you. Danny doesn’t use his power on you anymore so that means he’s warming up to you. Roni…Roni loves you. She doesn’t love easily, so to let you in is a huge deal. Don’t throw this away. We all want you to be happy!” Esme soothed.

When Emmett’s face crumpled, Carlisle and Esme shooed Edward, Bella, Rosalie, Lucas, Alice and Jasper out of the room.

“Talk to me, Emmett,” Esme murmured.

“I just can’t let you guys go. I’ve lived with you for so long! What do I do, Esme? Just tell me what to do,” Emmett said miserably.

Esme sighed and rested her hand on Emmett’s arm, squeezing softly.

“I can’t tell you what to do. You have to choose for yourself. But I know that Carlisle agrees with me when I say that you have to follow your heart. We’re immortals, Em – we’ll still be around to tell you how much of an idiot you are and to tell you to stop overthinking things,” Esme said softly, Carlisle nodding in agreement.

“It’s not that easy, Esme,”

“Do you love her, Emmett?” Esme said firmly.

“Well obviously but…”

“Do you want to go through eternity without her?”

“Fuck no! But…”

“Then you know what you have to do,”

Emmett looked deeply into the golden eyes of his mother figure, before nodding. He knew exactly what he had to do.