Interminable E. Cullen

Chapter 52

Even Edward couldn't console his wife.

The news of Charlie Swan's disappearance stayed within the family, but Ophelia was slowly breaking at the seams.

Ophelia's stomach had churned that morning when she woke up, feeling strange and anxious. She longed for Jasper's gifts and for Alice's reassuring words of the future.

The small girl demanded there was something wrong with this particular morning, not calming down until her lover took her to her previous home to check on her father.

He was gone.

Just like Alice and Jasper, he was no longer in her life.

Not a single drop of blood reached the carpet, no sign of struggle. The only thing they had to go off of was the slight lingering scent of an unknown vampire.

"Ophelia, love, please tell me what I can do." Edward pleaded with his wife.

"Is Bella here yet?" Her soft voice croaked out, a new flood of tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. Kingsley whimpered at the side of her bed, placing his head on the side close to hers for comfort.

"I'm here!" A breathless Bella ran into the room, leaning over to huff at the exertion of running up the stairs. "I'm here Opie."

Edward knew the drill, exiting the room to go out into the hallway and speak with Carlisle.

Bella curled her body around her little sister, trying her best to stay optimistic for the small girl that began weeping in her arms.

"It's gonna be okay Opie. I've got you. We'll find him." Bella stroked her hair, rocking their bodies back and forth like she did when they were children.

Despite only being a few minutes older, Bella held her title as the older sister highly, especially knowing how sweet and sensitive Ophelia was. No matter how old they got, Bella would always want to protect and care for her.

Kingsley whined again, and Bella reluctantly scooted over so that the huge dog could climb up on the other side of her sister and join the comfort fest.

"I don't understand. Why would the vampire take him? What importance does he serve?" Edward paced downstairs in front of his adoptive father, who placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Calm down, son. She needs you too. Don't put too much stress on yourself that you can't see anything clearly."

"This was personal," Edward said. "First Alice and Jasper and now Charlie."

"We'll figure it out," Esme spoke up, her motherly voice helping to soothe her son's nerves.

"That girl," he pointed up to Ophelia's old bedroom, "my wife is in so much pain and I have no idea how to stop it." His shoulders slumped in defeat before his eyes caught on something. He examined it before racing upstairs.

"I brought you something, baby." Edward stroked Ophelia's hair gently, her tiny hand reaching up to grip his own in hopes of grounding herself more.

Edward placed the old and tattered radio on her nightstand, turning it on and letting the sound fill the room lightly. "I thought it might make you feel closer to him while we look."

"Thank you," she mustered up a small smile.

Leaning down to kiss her forehead he mumbled a promise, "We will find him."