The Human Cullen || E.Cullen

13. lucky to be free

The Cullen clan all sit in silence, the only sound around the being ones of nature; birds, the buzz of a bee, the snort of a deer. That usually would have had them off running, but right now? They're stunned. Shocked.

"I told you he didn't do it." Esme whispers defensively.

"We all knew he didn't-"

"Oh shut up Rose. None of us stood up for Arthur despite knowing he didn't do it. Because we all actually thought he might have." Jasper says. "Not one of us fought for him, we let this happen."

Carlisle sighs. "We all owe him an apology... But we also need to question his mental stability."

Edward is angered by this, to the point Bella has to grab him to hold him back. "Excuse you?! Do you not realise what it must've took for him to do that? He knew what he was doing and he thought it was the right thing!"

"But he knew better! We raised him better than that!" Esme yells.

"No, I raised him better than that." He snaps back.

"You barely raised him at all." Carlisle says. "You spent half his life doing things other than being there for him - and don't use the excuse of there being a cover story."

Edward growls as Bella huffs. "Would you all listen to yourselves!? Arthur is damaged mentally because he was raised by you all." She snaps. She doesn't mean it harshly, but it's true. "He grew up in a world so different from his own. Right and wrong is different, individuality is messed up. Maybe he was trying to prove a point or make a stand, but he didn't realise what he did would backfire so badly. He wanted to help his best friend, his dying beat friend. She died in his arms and that alone is enough to damage him!" She looks at them all. "And survivors guilt. Why did he get to live when she didn't? He's punished himself because he blames himself. Stop looking at why he's so messed up when you need to look at how to help him!"

Theyre all silent; Edward hangs his head as he realises its all true. Who was ever there for Arthur? They treated him like one of them because they thought it would make him strong, but really he was just a human. He couldn't keep up. He has emotions, opinions, he grows and changes - yet they never nurtured that. None of them did.

Bella looks at them all. "At the end of the day, though he didn't, if he had killed someone then so have most of us here. If he had, it wouldn't have been on purpose. We all owe him a huge apology."

The Cullens all see solomn after her words, and she feels no need to say anymore. She just smiles small, kisses Edwards cheek, and heads back to the house to check on Holly, Arthur and Ness.

-

Arthur cuddles his pillow as he lays on his side staring out the window. Holly sits behind him playing with his hair as she watches him, her heart aching that the truth came out this way. That's he hurting. She knew it would eventually happen but now it has she wished her Arthur had the say in how it did.

"Stop feeling sorry for me." He grumbles.

She smiles a little. "I don't feel sorry for you, jerk. You bought this on yourself. But I'm worried about you."

He sighs as he rolls over, laying his head in her lap. "Don't. I'm fine. I... Just.. I wish I'd hadn't happened at all." He says.

"And as horrible as this sounds, I wish it had. If any single thing was different? We wouldn't be here right now."

He smiles small and leans up to his her. "Wanna go for a walk?"

She nods and then climb out of bed, both slipping one of Arthur's hoodies on before heading out of the house. As soon as they do they see Renesmee shove Jacob and run from him to Arthur, whom picks her up and frowns. "What's wrong kid?" He asks as he rubs her back.