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CHAPTER SIX: THE BEATLES

THIS COULD NOT BE happening, it had to be a dream. Though, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more Jesse's hand mangled throbbed. Clutching his wrist against his chest, he stumbled back in shock, leaning against the wall for support.

"Jesse, I know this must come as a bit of a shock, " Esme reasoned, reaching out a hand to comfort but he retracted away like a wounded soldier.

"N-no, s-stay away from me, all of you back the fuck up!" Jesse yelled, backing towards the door for a quick escape.

"Jesse if you'll just let us explain," Carlise tried to reason but Jesse cut him off, motioning for him to stay back.

"Y'all have done a great job explain' so far!"

Looking up, he expected to see Esme, not the woman, not here. The Cullens began to talk amongst themselves but Jesse's mind was elsewhere, glancing over Esme's shoulder to where she stood.

Grace Blake.

"Wha-what are you doing?" he croaked out, rapidly blinking to clear the image.

"I thought it was about time to get out of that head of yours, now you can't run," she taunted him, walking up behind Esme, "so this is the one you lent your prized Beatles record to, she's nice. Pity, she was stuck with you."

While this was going on, the Cullens began to worry. As Carlisle reached out a hand to the man, Jesse's whole body shook just for a second, then the colour drained from his face as he murmured, like he'd seen a ghost.

"I have to go, I have to go, I've to go,"

Running out of the house, Jesse sprinted into the forest as fast as he could, his hands clutching his head for dear life.

"You can't run away from me Jesse! I'm in your head!"

That only made him run faster. Eventually, his legs gave out as he reached the road leaving Forks, and the bridge to the river below.

"Jesse? Come on now, talk to me baby, talk to your wife,"

Whipping around, Jesse cried out in anguish," WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?! What, Grace?!"

"To see you suffer just like you made us. It was your fault, Jesse-the fire, that was all you. You're the reason I'm dead," Grace spat out with venom, appearing everywhere he turned.

"No-no it wasn't. You-you're wrong," Collapsing to the ground, Jesse hung his head in his hands, his fingers roughly grasping his hair to make it stop.

"You're not even sure about that! Ha, your a waste of space, Jesse Blake. Even Esme figured that one out!"

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" Jesse bellowed at her, a tear escaping from his eye," you're wrong! You're wro-"

Grace stood tall in front of him, pointing over at the bridge, as she glared daggers through his soul," Do us all a favour, Jesse, and jump."

It takes roughly 3 minutes to drown. Seven for certain death. Once you start to inhale water, the body triggers an auto-response reaction to shut down its air passages. Everything begins to shut down. The body will struggle for air but the primal need to breathe will not be granted because the airways are blocked.

Usually, by this point, you might be flailing above water. In a very short time, you will submerge, and within minutes you will die unless a rescue is made and efforts to resuscitate you commence.

Jesse felt his lungs burning, begging for air the moment he touched the water- he didn't even remember climbing onto the bridge, but Grace's voice still rang in his ear, taunting him in the water as she materialized.

"You're a coward, Jesse Blake. First, you let your wife and daughter die and now you're letting yourself die."

"Please," he begged, inhaling the water that brought some relief to his lungs," Grace, please leave me alone,"

"You're weak."

Jesse could feel himself slipping out of consciousness, his eyes losing their focus.

"Daddy?"

He jolted upright only to notice he was no longer in the water, instead, he recognized his surroundings as the local park back in Texas.

"Daddy!"

A strong thump to his legs almost caused him to lose balance, but that seemed irrelevant at the time as he bent down to his knees.

"Oh, Kelly, my little angel," He held her so close to his body he could hear her heartbeat through her Christmas coat they had gotten the week before.

"Daddy, why are you here?"

Scratching the back of his head, Jesse looked around him, trying to make sense of the snow-covered trees," I don't know, pumpkin, I'm just happy to see you again."

"You have to go soon."

Kelly took Jesse's hand and guided him through the park. He was at a loss for words, with too many questions whirling around his mind to focus on at once. Why was he here? Why did he have to go? Kelly stopped right by the swing set.

"Can you push me?"

"Sure thing, darlin'," Standing behind the swing, Jesse took the time to take in everything about his daughter, features he almost forgot.

She giggled on the swing, her dark hair blowing around her face and ticking her neck. Her smile was slightly crooked, a Blake family trait though on her, it looked so innocent.

"What did you mean when you said I have to go soon?" he asked.

"Daddy, don't ask silly questions!"

"I'm being serious, Kelly."

The six-year-old rolled her eyes," Esme is waiting for you, and she is gonna be sad when you don't show up!"

"But what about you, and your mamma?" he countered, kneeling to her height as she hopped off the swing.

"We're ok, Daddy. We're happy here. Now it's time for you to be happy!"

"But what if I'm happy with you, right here?"

"Esme makes you happy, and you make her happy, the same way puppies make me happy! And I like Esme, she loves you, Daddy! Go back,"

Jesse was torn. Part of him already missed Esme, but his family was here. Kelly kissed him on the cheek and a goodbye wave just as fresh snow began to fall.

"Don't feel sad, you'll come back and see me soon,"

A rough hand clamps down on his shoulders and he's jerked out of the water before he can say goodbye. His eyes snap open as he breaks the surface, coughing and spluttering. Chest heaving, he sucks in desperate lungfuls of air, quaking hands clutching at the sides of the bathtub. He can hear someone talking but his ears ring violently through his head.

When the winter chill finally seeps into the skin, Jesse sees everything in pieces, a silhouette eclipsing the light, a pale face, golden eyes fraught with concern, frantic hands thrusting against his chest.

His eyes, however, focused on the woman behind who bore a sad smile as she wrapped her arm around the small child, who rested against her legs. When he blinked, they were gone.

"She's gone," he croaked out.

Esme immediately stopped the compressions, pulling him into a desperate hug through her sobs.

"Shush, don't speak-"

"She's finally gone."

Heaving a breath of relief, Jesse stayed in the embrace, holding onto Esme as if she was going to disintegrate when he let go.

He was dammed if he was going to let her go this time.

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1260 words

Author's note: hi ;)

*The_lost_flower*