Time Heals All Wounds

Chapter One- New Beginnings

JayPOV

“Excuse me, would you like anther pillow?” I looked up from my book –The Da Vinci Code- to find a young male steward smiling coyly down at me. His thoughts were evident on his face. He had dull light blue eyes and short spiked blond hair.

“Thanks.” I answered frostily as a rolled my eyes. He handed me the pillow and walked away. I suppressed a sigh.

My trip wasn’t looking good already. First my spontaneous mother decides to get married to some guy she met at an internet dating site. The wedding was in November. I have nothing against Mark –he was a really nice guy. He would look after my mom when I couldn’t. He would be able to control her – my mom can get carried away sometimes – and give her things that she was missing from her life when she divorced Dad. But that wasn’t even the biggest problem. The biggest problem was that my mother wants me to move in with them at their new house in Forks.

Ok, so I know I need a change, but why now? I’m a Junior and when things finally start to look up for me I have to move? I mean, where’s the justice in that? I have friends back home who were pretty peeved at me moving (but I wouldn’t call them real friends – we were never on the same page and I never felt comfortable getting close with people) and I was days away from getting myself a boyfriend. Well, it was a huge step for me to accept a proposal for dinner from a guy. I would always find guys noticing me in hallways even though I was never your blonde-bimbo-cheerleader type. They would always find a reason to ask me out on dates and me being me would politely refuse.

My mother thinks I’m a social reject because I have never been out on a date. Just because I was half French – from her side of the family- and she named me Jacqueline, she expects me to have a guy wrapped around my finger. She would always lecture me over the phone when I tell her my dating history. She would always say the same: “Jacqueline, there is nothing wrong with you, so why don’t you go out to hang out with your mates or boyfriend like normal people would do?” And I would always reply “Mom my name’s Jay and besides, I’m not normal.” I hated my full name. It sounded so...so formal.

So here’s the deal, I was never your average child. Even from the time I was eight I had an extra gift normal people wouldn’t have. But I wouldn’t call it a gift in my case. For me it would run along the lines of a curse.

So here’s how my gift works. I would be out somewhere and some random person with a spectral aura would start talking to me about how they don’t understand what's happening to them. Then I would start telling them they're dead and they have to move on and what's keeping them here.... Yadda, yadda, yadda. So there's my big secret. I see, speak to, and feel the dead. That's why I’m called a Mediator.

I sighed as I looked out my window at the darkened sky – I couldn’t see the stars. I would never be normal. Ever. Even without my extra sense I never fit in anywhere even through persona or looks. I was paler than anyone I’ve met in Sydney, Australia. I have reddish brown hair and green eyes that resembled the colour of moss or fungi.

As I was settling my self for sleep I started thinking about my near future. Will I be accepted the same way I was back home? Will I have more trouble with spirits now? Will my powers manifest? I wasn’t even your average mediator – I just keep getting weirder – I was a Shifter. That means that I can shift the course of nature, whether it is to live or die. But I haven’t felt a power surge yet. My grandfather who was also a Shifter told me that you get a power surge when some thing huge happens to you, but he didn’t tell me more than that.

I felt my self shrugging off to sleep as I gazed at the pitch black night.

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“But I want a MUFFIN!!”

I felt myself being alerted awake by a toddler in the nearby rows. I felt mildly annoyed, but I was too groggy to get a focus on my emotions. I yawned and stretched. The food cart was getting push by a stewardess down my aisle. I guess it was breakfast time. This would be the last meal before landing in Seattle. Mmm... The coffee and the muffins smell good. The cart squeaked to a stop next to my seat.

“Good Morning. Would you like muffins or waffles for breakfast this morning?” A blonde stewardess asked me in a polite monotonous voice.

“Muffins, please.” I replied. She handed me a tray.

“Coffee?” She looked down at me.

“No thanks, but some orange juice would be great.” I responded. She poured me a cup of orange juice and gave me a quick smile. I smiled back.

“Thanks.”I said before she left. My mother always told me I was overly polite sometimes.

The stewardess moved on and asked the same questions to the couple sitting behind me. I quickly finished my tray and looked outside my small oval shaped window. The sky was bright blue and there weren’t many clouds. A perfect day. I just stayed in that trance until we landed in Seattle. The flight from Seattle to Port Angeles was very brief so I didn’t have enough time to wallow in regret about my decision to come to Forks. I should’ve spent the rest of my life in the place I loved the most. I loved Sydney. I loved the beaches. I loved the crystalline water. I loved the heat.

As the plane landed I got my parka ready, it was raining – no surprise there. I didn’t see it as an omen, just unavoidable. I've already said my goodbyes to the sun. I got off the plane quickly with the rest of the passengers. It felt good to have stable ground beneath my feet.

“Jacqueline!” I heard a familiar voice call. I searched the faces of the waiting people. There I found my mother and her new husband Mark waving wildly. My mother looked ecstatic. She ran over and hugged me fiercely as if to never let go. She was awfully strong for such a small person.

“Oh, honey.” She cooed she sounded like she was laughing and crying at the same time.

“Mom, hi. I missed you too. Can we please go to the house because I’m so tired. Airplane seats are very uncomfortable.”Ok, that was a lie. I wasn’t tired I just needed alone time to stare dejectedly at situation I got my self into.

“Ok, sweetie.”

She let me go as her husband ran over.

“Hello Jacqueline. We’re very happy you decided to stay with us.” He told me smiling brightly. He sounded sincere. Unlike my mother Mark called me by my nickname unless my mother was around, like now.

“Hey, Mark. I’m glad I came too.” I responded honestly. I was glad now that I was with my mother.

They led me to their car and packed my luggage in boot. It all fit easily. I strapped my self in as we started to head off. As we reached the woodsy area my mother started to inform about my new room and house. I zoned out as I watched the trees blur by. Forks was beautiful I couldn’t deny that. The woods were filled with brilliant shades of green.

I think I might’ve nodded of to sleep – hmm, maybe I was tired – because my mother was gently shaking me awake when I zoned back into reality.

“Jacqueline. Get up sweetie.” I heard her speak softly. When I opened my eyes she stopped shaking me and continued speaking.

“Honey, we’re home.”

“Wow.” I said approvingly.

The house was two storeys, had huge windows that faced the forest, had blue shutters and a red door. There was a porch with a swinging chair on it. Very classic but I loved it, it looked very cozy. It had a wide front yard and a huge oak tree on the side of the yard. I could smell the flowers planted on the sides on the pathway that led to the door. Gardenias, Freesias, Peonies, Roses, Daffodils...

“Well, what do you think?” My mother looked at me expectantly.

“Well... I see Mark has let you loose on the garden.” I joked, laughing. She blushed but laughed. My mother loves gardening almost as much as she loved me, I think.

After the fifteen minutes of the house tour my mother finally accepted that I needed a rest so she led me up to my room.

“I saved the best for last.” She grinned wickedly. “You’re going to love it! It has an ‘en suite’ and a comfy window seat and a huge wardrobe. I even got a decorator to properly decorate it with your favourite colour; navy blue.” She was so bubbly at the moment it was comical. I just nodded along.

She opened the door on the end of the corridor next to yet another window – my room I guess. My bags were already there – Mark must’ve brought them up. As I started looking around the room I yelped because the first thing I saw was not the huge wardrobe or the oversized vanity mirror or even my new laptop on my new desk next to my new queen sized bed. I yelped because the first thing I saw was a person – a guy definitely – sitting on my new window seat. He were gazing blankly out the huge window at the green forest outside the house and the tiny bit of the Olympic Range able to be seen above the trees. But that wasn’t the biggest problem. The problem had something to do with the fact that my mother couldn’t see him and I could. The problem had something to do with the fact that they were glowing. You heard me. He had a spectral aura around him. OH, CRAP.

As far as I knew – and I knew far in these sorts of situations – this guy was a ghost.

Chapter Two- Meetings with a Ghost

This is so unfair. I felt like a person who was told they had to work overtime on a public holiday. I can’t say that I was surprised that I had to fix ghosts problems here in Forks, but come on! In my house?! I’m so freaking pissed.

“Honey, what's wrong? Don’t you like it? I told the decorator to not take it overboard. We can change it if you want.” My mother was freaking out.

“No, mom, it’s great. I just... I...” I needed to find an excuse. My mother didn’t know about my extra sense. “I just stubbed my toe on the doorway.” Ok, so I knew it was far fetched but I had to think fast.

“Ok, sweetie. If you need anything, give me a shout.” She still looked worried though.

I sighed as she left. I felt sorry for my mother. She was a good person. She didn’t deserve a daughter like me. But now I have more troubling problems.

I tried to play it normal because my little ghost friend didn’t appear like he noticed me staring right at him. I picked up my suitcase off the floor and lay on the bed. Then I unzipped it and started unpacking. I was half way done when I heard him humming. It was a beautiful tune. It sounded like a lullaby. Curiosity got the better of me.

“What are you humming?” I asked all too casually. He stopped humming. He seemed frozen. But then he started humming once again. I rolled my eyes. He must’ve thought I was speaking to myself. “Yeah dude, I was speaking to you.” He finally looked at me with confused, shocked eyes.

“You ca- You can see me?” His voice sounded rusty from years of disuse. Poor guy he thought I was playing a prank on my self.

“Yeah, obviously.” I rolled my eyes once again; I thought it was apparent by now.

“How can you see me?” He questioned suspicious but still shocked.

“I can see ghosts or spirits or whatever you want to call them. Its sort of my job to help them move on.” I explained.

“Oh.” Was all he could muster up. He looked away again.

I never noticed before but he was devastatingly handsome. He had bronze coloured hair which looked dishevelled. He had beautiful topaz coloured eyes, but they looked hard as stone and dead. His face was perfectly chiselled; high cheekbones, perfect straight nose and a strong jaw.

“So... What's stopping you from moving on-? What’s your name anyway?” I inquired plopping down on my new bed. Ooh, it was springy and soft. He looked back at me with the same lifeless eyes.

“My name’s Edward Cullen.”

Edward. It suited him perfectly. He had a beautiful, fluid voice.

“My name’s Jay. What's keeping you here Edward?”

“I don’t know.” Was he mentally incompetent?

“What do you mean you don’t know? Is there anything you left undone in your past life? Did you lose something you wanted back? Did you want to tell someone something before you move on?” My voice was raising an octave with each sentence. How could he not possibly know?

I knew I said I was polite, but I wasn’t with ghosts. Every time I was polite with them they ended up taking advantage of me and trying to finish me off. Like, forever. As in they try to kill me. But thank God I was an awesome ass- kicker.

“I said I DONT KNOW!” He said getting up. Things around him started to shake and tremble. Did I forget to tell you ghosts had telekinetic powers? Well now you know. They get them when they are experiencing a strong emotion. Like this guy was now. Anger management much?

“Ok, calm down Edward.” I spoke calmly and putting my hands up as if to surrender. “I just wanted to ask some questions.”

The objects around stopped shaking at once.

“Sorry. I get really angry sometime.” He apologized.

“May I ask why?” I asked softly putting my hands down

He sat back down on my window seat.

“I hate having to remember my past.” He clarified. I saw flash of pain in his once dead eyes, but then his facade was back on.

“Can you please tell me? I can help you.”

He looked uncertain. “Please, I promise to help you do whatever you need to do so you can move on.” I pressed.

“I guess it couldn’t hurt now I’m dead.” He stopped to look at me closely. “I’m a vampire. I had a loving adoptive family of vampires. We where living here in Forks at the time. I fell in love with a human. Her name was Bella.” He choked up here and his eyes held so much pain. He looked so vulnerable. I was in shock. I haven’t met a vampire spirit. I didn’t know such things existed.

“She loved me too but I knew it was very dangerous for her to be around me because I was so attracted to her blood. Also it was very risky with our physical relationship because I was a hundred times stronger than her.” He continued.

I guessed the sad part was coming because his face hardened dramatically.

“On her eighteenth my little adoptive sister, Alice, had planned a party. When we were opening the presents she cut her finger on the wrapping.” He paused to take a deep ragged breath. “My brother, Jasper, couldn’t control himself, but I stopped him...” He took a break for ten seconds. He looked so anguished I yearned to comfort him.

“Then I knew I me and my family couldn’t stay with her. It was just too dangerous. I knew it was going to kill her because she loved my family as her own.” He looked down ashamed. “My family loved her dearly too.”

“I started being distant with her. Then one horrid day I took her on a walk. I told her I didn’t love her...” He looked like he was going to cry. “I broke her fragile human heart so badly. I never forgave myself and never will. I left her and never came back to her or my family.” He stopped.

That was heck of a story. I felt myself unconsciously warming up to this strange vampire ghost.

“I’m so sorry.” I felt so bad for him. My voice sounded unusually emotional. I went to sit down next to him.

“Can I ask you how you got here?” I asked hesitantly.

He nodded minutely. “I was tracking a vampire who wanted to kill Bella. I found myself in South America. I was in the Amazon Jungle when I found a human who somehow knew what I was. I think he followed me because when I went back to my house in Forks he was there.” Edward looked confused for a second. “I think he tried exorcise me. I never thought I had a soul because I’m a monster.” He looked away now.

“He took my soul out of my body but I didn’t find myself in the afterlife. I found myself here. In the place I had my best memories.” When he looked back at me his eyes were dead again.

“You had your best memories here?”I whispered. He nodded. “How?” I found myself asking.

His answer took me off guard.

“This was Bella’s room seventy-six years ago.”

“Holy...” I- I felt lost for words.

“So that’s my story, Jay.” He said simply.

Poor guy. He didn’t see his family or his love before he died. He didn’t even know what happened to them.

“So now can you tell me your story?”He asked politely with curiosity in his golden eyes.

“I don’t think my story is interesting at all.” I gave him a wry smile, but kept talking. “Well I’m seventeen. My mother named me Jacqueline because she was French. My parents divorced when I was seven. I stayed with my father at the time because I felt he needed me more than my mom. I was living in Sydney at the time.” I took a breath. “By the time I was eight I could see, speak to, and feel the dead. I helped them move on.”

“I used to visit my mother every holiday. I always felt happy visiting my mother because I never was on the same page with people my age anyway. I never had much friends, and I still don’t have dating history.” I snorted. “Like I care. I was always busy kicking ghost butt when they felt like being stubborn about moving on.” I sighed.

“Is that all?” Edward teased. Wow. His mood has lifted considerably.

“Isn’t that enough?” I said back to him. I paused “Can you tell me more about vampires?”I asked cautiously but with unbridled curiosity in my eyes.

“Sure.” Edward looked taken aback by my excitement. “Ok, vampires are very fast, their speeds exceeded 200mph.” He stopped to see my reaction.

“Wow. That's fast.”

“We have super hearing. I can hear your every breath and every heart beat. I can even hear your mother’s and her husband’s.” He looked away putting his thoughts together. “Vampires are like a carnivorous flower, we attract our prey. Humans are very attracted to our looks, voice even our smell.”He smiled a half hearted smile. He looked so gorgeous when he smiled.

“But once humans look past our looks their instincts kick in. They feel afraid of us, and they should. We are very dangerous.” He glanced down at me to check my reaction. It was fascinated. “All these things help when we’re hunting. We are also venomous. Our venom in capitates our prey. But when in humans for ten minutes they start changing into us.” His face hardened.

“That's cool. Do you have any extra features?” I asked piqued. I felt so intrigued by him that I forgot about the protocol about moving on.

“Some of us do. I can read minds. Alice could see the future but it was very subjective, you see it depended on the course that someone takes. Jasper can control emotions. It’s a very subtle gift.”He answered.

“Do you have your vampire skills even when you’re ...dead?” I asked.

“Yes.”

Oh, man... “Can you read my mind now?” I inquired, dejected.

For a second he looked like he was mentally dissecting me.

“That's interesting.” He said pondering. “It seems that I can’t hear you.” YES!!!

“Is there something wrong with me?” Come on! Of course there is something wrong with me!

They look on his face was so pained it hurt me too. I thought if I apologized for whatever I did wrong he would be happy again.

“Sorry, did I say something wrong?”I asked, upset.

“No, it’s just that Bella asked the same question because I couldn’t read her mind.” He clarified.

“Oh.” I said blushing and looking down.

Then we were interrupted by my mother who knocked on the door.

“Jacqueline, sweetie. We’re having dinner. Do you feel like coming down?”She gave me a choice but her face was eager.

“Yeah, I’ll be right down.” I told her. She nodded then left. “I’ll be back.” I told Edward. Then I left the room, shutting the door softly behind me.

Dinner went by quickly. I chewed not tasting the food. My mind was still on Edward. He obviously still loved this Bella character dearly. I felt so guilty for not being able to help him move on.

WAIT!! REWIND!! Maybe I could help him!! I just have to ask him if he would let me.

I cleared the dishes feeling jumpy. I didn’t know how to ask him yet. He was very touchy with that subject. I packed the dishes in the dish washer and went up to my room wishing my mother and Mark goodnights.

I stopped at my door. It felt silly to knock on my own door but I knew someone was in there. So I knocked softly opening the door. There was Edward in the window seat gazing out the window. It didn’t appear like he moved.

“Hi.”I whispered. He nodded in acknowledgment. Ok girl, it was now or never. “Edward, can I ask you a question?” He looked at me now probably hearing my nervous voice.

“Yes, of course.”

“Edward, I want to help you move on. And I think you will move on if you knew what happened to your family and Bella.” I paused to take a breath and looked down. “Edward would you let me research your family’s and Bella’s past so I can try to track them down?”