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It was Monday morning, with a gray sky and the damp scent of wet earth filling the air. Nate settled into the driver's seat of his car, exhaling as he headed toward the Cullen house.
As soon as he parked in front of the garage, a figure slipped out from one of the second-floor windows, landing on the gravel with feline lightness before striding quickly toward the car. Alice opened the passenger door and climbed in with a single smooth motion, closing it softly behind her.
"Good morning," Nate greeted with a small smile.
Alice leaned in to give him a brief kiss, just a warm brush that left a tingle on his lips before she settled into her seat.
"Good morning," she replied, her smile lighting up her face as she buckled her seatbelt.
Nate started driving toward school, letting the low hum of the music fill the car as the misty forest slipped by around them.
"Have you told them yet?" Nate asked as he turned onto the main road, glancing sideways at her.
Alice let out a small smile, twirling the end of her hair. "Not yet," she admitted, an amused glint in her eyes. "I think it's better if we tell them in person."
Nate nodded, eyes on the road. "Yeah, that's probably best."
When they arrived at school, Alice quickly got out and walked around the car to hook her arm around his naturally as they headed toward the building. As they passed, whispers rose in the air, students turning to look at them, murmuring with curiosity.
Far from looking uncomfortable, Alice seemed happy as she leaned closer to Nate.
"I thought people would stop being impressed by now," she said quietly with a playful smile.
Nate let out a soft laugh. "Alice, it's a small town. Here, even changing cereal brands is news."
Alice laughed, giving him a playful shove with her shoulder before leaning back into him as they walked.
When they reached the hallway where they usually split up for first period, Alice gave his arm a final squeeze and shot him a smile over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd of students.
Nate entered his classroom, shaking his jacket lightly to get rid of the drizzle that was still falling. As he looked up, he saw Eric hunched over his phone, a wide grin on his face as he typed quickly.
"Annoying Angela this early?" Nate teased as he walked to his seat.
Eric immediately looked up, dropping his phone with a grin that stretched ear to ear. "Nate! Dude, is it true?"
Nate raised an eyebrow as he dropped his backpack beside him. "Is what true?"
Eric leaned forward, lowering his voice though the excitement was clear on his face. "That you're dating Alice Cullen."
Nate blinked, surprised, before letting out a short laugh. "How the hell did you guys find out so fast? We literally just got to school."
Eric shrugged, amused. "Not much exciting happens here, bro. Word travels fast."
Nate shook his head as he sat down. "Yeah, fair enough."
Eric let out a low whistle. "Wow… that's… wow. There were rumors when you two started having lunch together months ago, but you confirming it is a whole different thing. You'll have to tell me everything later."
Nate's smile softened, a little tired as he arranged his notebooks. "It'll have to be when I get back, Eric."
Eric frowned. "Get back?"
Nate took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm leaving for a while."
"Where to?"
"My accident kept me from doing a lot of things," Nate explained calmly. "Now that I'm eighteen, I need to travel to D.C. to claim my parents' house and sort out some paperwork. It's something I should've done before, but… well." He shrugged. "It'll be a slow process, might take a few weeks."
Eric took it in, letting out a sigh. "Damn, that sucks. You just got back to school. When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow," Nate replied with a small smile. "I came today to say goodbye and let the school know."
Eric clicked his tongue. "Too bad we can't do something as a group before you go… but hey, a few weeks isn't that long."
"Maybe even less," Nate replied calmly, though both of them knew nothing was guaranteed.
The bell rang, filling the classroom with the murmur of class starting. Eric settled into his seat while Nate looked out the window, letting the gray sky fill his mind.
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Classes passed normally until the fourth period. Nate ran into Edward for the first time that day, who greeted him with a brief:
"Good morning, Nate."
Nate offered a smile, realizing that despite everything they had indirectly shared, they had never actually had a normal classmate conversation.
"Morning," he replied, taking the seat beside him.
He pulled out his notebook, but before class started, Nate turned slightly in his chair, lowering his voice.
"Hope you don't mind if I steal Bella for lunch."
Edward raised an eyebrow, surprised, before a small smile touched his lips. "'Steal Bella'?"
Nate raised his hands in a calm gesture. "It's just to have lunch with the others. Eric insisted, and I thought I'd invite her."
Edward watched him for a moment before nodding. "No problem. We weren't planning on having lunch together today anyway."
Nate smiled, a touch of humor in his eyes. "You say that like you two don't spend every minute together."
Edward let out a soft chuckle before turning to face forward. The conversation ended there, and Nate focused on the lesson, keeping his mind deliberately blank to avoid sharing thoughts with Edward as the teacher spoke.
When the bell rang, Edward stood with his usual quiet grace, gathering his things. Before leaving, he turned to Nate.
"Oh, and Nate," he said calmly, "congratulations on you and Alice."
Nate raised his eyebrows, offering a calm smile. "Thanks."
Edward held his gaze, his golden eyes serious but calm. "I don't think I need to ask you to take care of her."
"I was planning on it anyway," Nate replied honestly.
Edward nodded, and before turning away, Nate added:
"By the way, Alice and I will drop by your house later. It might be good if Bella's there."
Edward nodded again before disappearing into the stream of students leaving the classroom.
Nate soon reached the cafeteria, spotting Bella scanning the room, likely looking for Edward. He approached with a calm smile.
"Hey, Bella," he greeted.
Bella turned to him, relaxing her shoulders slightly when she recognized him. "Oh, hi, Nate."
"Having lunch with us today?" he asked, nodding toward the table where Eric, Angela, Mike, and the others usually sat. "The guys insisted, and I thought it'd be nice if you joined."
Bella blinked, a bit surprised, but after a second, she nodded. "Sure, no problem."
They walked together toward the table, where Eric waved them over.
"Nate, Bella! Right on time," Eric said with a grin.
Angela smiled softly. "Hi, Nate. I just heard. You and Alice make a cute couple."
Bella flinched for a second, her expression softening as she glanced sideways at Nate. "Glad you took my advice," she managed to whisper quietly.
Nate just smiled, giving a small nod.
Mike, with his usual humor, quipped, "You barely ate with us before your accident, and now that you've got a girlfriend, you're going to abandon us for good?"
Before Nate could answer, Eric jumped in, "Oh, no, Mike, he's already abandoning us for real. He's leaving Forks for a while."
Mike blinked. "What? You're leaving?"
Everyone at the table turned toward Nate.
"Yeah, I'm leaving for a bit. I need to go to D.C. to sort out my parents' house. The accident delayed everything, and it's time to take care of it."
Jessica, leaning in with curiosity and a smile that tried to look sweet, commented, "What a shame, just when you and Alice started dating, you're going to be apart for weeks?"
Nate raised an eyebrow calmly. "That's how it goes sometimes."
Bella frowned slightly. "You're leaving? For how long?"
Nate looked at her calmly. "It's complicated. I'll tell you more later, at the Cullen house."
Bella nodded, though the curiosity remained in her eyes.
Eric added, trying to lighten the mood, "As long as you don't take too long, it's all good. But when you get back, you'll have to tell us everything about your trip and your relationship."
Nate nodded, smiling. "Deal."
Soon, the conversation shifted back to homework, movies, and Forks' weather, while Nate quietly treasured those simple moments before leaving.
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After lunch, Nate shared a class with Alice, sitting beside her as she carefully arranged her books before looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave tomorrow?" she murmured. "You still haven't talked to your grandmother. You should also say goodbye to Charlie and Jacob so they won't worry."
Nate slid his hand under the table, taking hers calmly. "I'll call my grandmother after I talk to your family. Technically, it's not a lie that I need to put the house under my name, so I hope she won't be alarmed."
Alice sighed softly but didn't pull her hand away from his.
"As for Jake," Nate continued, "he'll stop by my place after I leave yours. I have a favor to ask him, and I'll say goodbye to Charlie before I go, just need to swing by the station at some point."
Alice nodded patiently. "I still think it's too rushed," she whispered, frowning slightly as she absentmindedly played with Nate's fingers, "but okay."
Nate watched her calmly, leaning in a bit to whisper near her ear. "You're still in time to change your mind."
Alice let out a soft laugh, that low laugh that lit up her face. "No," she replied, turning her golden eyes toward him with determination. "I've already made my choice."
They shared a final squeeze of hands before focusing on the class, letting the monotony give them a moment of quiet before what was to come.
When the bell rang, Nate said goodbye with a gentle squeeze of Alice's hand before turning toward the hallway. Instead of heading to the gym for his last class, he walked over to the administration building, calmly explaining his upcoming absence to the secretary.
The woman, her expression tense behind her glasses, flipped through Nate's file before looking up. "Mr. Winter, you've already missed two months this semester."
"I know, and I'm sorry for the trouble," Nate replied sincerely. "But I'm confident my grades are still at the required level, and this matter is urgent."
After a resigned sigh and a bit of back and forth, the woman finally approved the request with a muttered, "Don't take too long."
When he left, he found Alice leaning against his car, waiting with a small smile that brightened the gray afternoon. Nate smiled back before getting into the car with her.
Without saying much else, he started the engine, ready to continue with his farewell agenda.
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On the way to the Cullen house, Nate took a detour to the station, parking in front of the small brick building. Alice turned in her seat, looking at him softly.
"I'll wait here," she said, placing a light hand on his arm before letting go.
Nate smiled, nodding, before getting out and closing the door gently behind him. The cold breeze outside carried the scent of pine and rain as he climbed the steps and opened the station door.
Inside, the bell above the door chimed, causing Charlie Swan to look up from his paper-filled desk. He wore reading glasses, which he immediately removed when he recognized Nate.
"Nate," Charlie greeted, leaning back in his chair. "What a surprise seeing you here."
Nate approached with his hands in his pockets. "I wanted to let you know before you heard it from Bella… I'm leaving tomorrow, sir."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Where are you headed?"
"Washington D.C.," Nate explained calmly. "I need to take care of my parents' house, put it under my name, sort out paperwork… all the things the accident delayed."
Charlie nodded slowly, his expression hardening with concern before softening again. "Well, I hope to see you back safe."
Nate offered a half-smile. "I'll be stuck talking to lawyers, so I'm not too sure about that."
The comment drew a short laugh from Charlie, who shook his head before standing up. Without hesitation, he patted Nate on the shoulder before pulling him into a firm hug, a gesture Nate hadn't entirely expected.
"Seriously, kid," Charlie said in a graver tone, "take care of yourself."
Nate returned the hug, squeezing for a second before pulling back. "I will, sir."
Charlie gave him a final nod, his hand still on Nate's shoulder before letting go. "See you, Nate."
Nate stepped out of the station with cold air in his lungs, mixing with the warmth from Charlie's hug. He walked back to the car, where Alice waited with her hands folded on her knees, watching him closely.
"All good?" she asked as Nate settled into the seat and started the engine.
"Yeah," he replied with a calm smile, pulling out of the parking lot.
They drove in silence for a few streets, the soft patter of rain on the car roof accompanying them, until Nate remarked with a touch of humor:
"With all these goodbyes, it almost feels like I'm about to die."
Alice let out a soft laugh, turning her face toward him with that expression that blended amusement and tenderness.
"Better to do this than to leave without warning," she replied softly, resting her hand over his as he kept his grip on the wheel steady.
When they arrived at the Cullen house, Nate turned off the engine, observing the large wooden and stone façade blurred in the forest mist. Alice turned to him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"They're all here," she said calmly, though there was a hint of expectation in her voice.
Nate raised an eyebrow. "I was just planning on telling Carlisle, Edward, and Bella."
Alice shook her head gently with a patient smile. "It's better if you tell everyone. This concerns the family."
Nate let out a short sigh, a small resigned smile forming. "Alright. I'll make it an announcement then."
Alice leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before opening the door and stepping out. Nate took a deep breath and followed.
They entered together, crossing the spacious hallway into the kitchen, where the entire family was gathered. Esme and Rosalie were arranging utensils while Emmett scrolled through his phone, visibly bored. Jasper stood near the window, arms crossed, while Edward and Bella spoke quietly off to the side.
Carlisle, who had been focused on a book a moment earlier, looked up with a warm smile. "Nate, Alice, welcome."
Esme offered him a bright smile as she approached. "It's good to see you, Nate, especially with my Alice."
Nate returned the smile calmly, nodding as he thought of how to break the news.
"Well," Nate said, raising his voice slightly as he leaned against the kitchen island, "there's something I need to tell you."
Before he could continue, Emmett raised a hand, laughing.
"Yeah, yeah, we already know, little bro, remember we hear pretty much everything," he joked, imitating Nate's tone exaggeratedly: "'Just tell me you don't want to be with me, and I'll leave.'" He burst out laughing while Rosalie rolled her eyes.
Nate narrowed his eyes, turning calmly toward Emmett with a steady gaze that slowly wiped the smile off Emmett's face. Silence settled until Emmett scratched his neck, muttering:
"I don't get why you scare me, man…"
Edward, arms crossed and a barely-there smile on his lips, calmly added, "You'd be more scared if you could read his thoughts."
Nate took a breath, letting the silence mark the moment before he spoke. "I'm leaving Forks for a few weeks."
Emmett's laughter died off, leaving expectant silence.
"I need to investigate where my father's knife came from, and what it means. Every day that passes, any lead that exists goes cold."
Carlisle's golden eyes blinked in surprise before his brow furrowed in thought. "That knife… Nate, I have to be honest. As far as I know, there's no weapon that can injure a vampire like that. I didn't know something like that was even possible."
Jasper lowered his gaze uncomfortably while Edward frowned slightly, thoughtful.
"I understand why you want answers," Carlisle continued, his voice tinged with concern, "but Victoria is still out there, and she's a real threat. My advice would be to wait here until we can capture her or at least confirm she's no longer a danger."
Nate held Carlisle's gaze, unshakably calm. "I appreciate that, Carlisle, I really do. But I can't just sit around while the trail goes cold."
Carlisle inhaled calmly, measuring his words. "What you're planning could be dangerous."
That was when Alice, who had remained beside Nate, slid her hand into his and stepped forward. Her gaze was firm, the kind of calm that only broke during truly important moments.
"That's exactly why I'm going with him."
Her words hung in the air.
Edward tilted his head in surprise, Bella's eyes widened, and Jasper turned to Alice in disbelief. Even Emmett, who always found something to joke about, fell silent.
"Alice…" Carlisle said carefully, "Are you sure about this?"
"I am." Her voice was soft, but the determination in her eyes was unwavering. "He's my partner, Carlisle. I can't see him clearly in my visions if he leaves, and I'm not going to stay here without knowing if he's okay."
Silence filled the kitchen again, broken only by the rain murmuring against the windows.
Nate ran a hand over the back of his neck, letting out a sigh before giving a half-smile. "Believe me, I tried to talk her out of it all weekend. No luck."
Alice lifted her chin proudly, softly brushing her hand along his arm.
Edward let out a brief laugh, though his gaze was filled with brotherly concern. "Doesn't surprise me."
Jasper looked away, his shoulders tensing slightly, while Bella gave Alice a small smile with a silent nod.
Carlisle finally nodded calmly, though the sadness in his eyes was evident. "If you're going to do this, make sure you keep us informed. And if things get complicated… come back."
"We will," Nate said firmly. "Besides, we're only leaving for a short time. There's a chance we won't find anything," he added, feeling Alice's hand intertwine with his again as the steady beat of their decision settled.