Edith and Ben - Save yourself

[Originally posted at Ana Mardoll's Ramblings.]
[This isn't based on any specific thing in Twilight, for all I know there's nowhere in Twilight that a conversation like this could plausibly fit.]
[I should note that this only makes sense if Ben not running and hiding actually increases Edith's chances of survival. If it wouldn't then Edith would point out that Ben staying wouldn't help and the conversation would be very short:

"It won't make me more likely to live, it will make you more likely to die. Everyone loses, nobody wins. It's a bad idea."

And Ben reluctantly agrees. It's only because she can't say that, because it's not true, that the conversation can take place. Both sides want to maximize the other's chance at survival even though it means reducing their own.]

"You should go."

She was probably right about that. I didn't care, "Maybe so, but I'm not leaving you."

I don't know that I've ever seen her at a complete loss for words before. She started to talk several times each with a different emotion attached. Anger, sadness, exasperation. Others I had trouble placing. When she finally spoke it was a soft, "That's stupid," with none of the previous emotions in evidence.

"What if it were you? What if I were the nigh invulnerable superpowered vampire who's been around for decades and uses words like 'confute'-"

"You do say confute."

That was true. She infected me. I continued, "-and you were the puny defenseless human? Would you leave me to fend for myself?" I paused a moment and then added, "And remember, I know when you're lying."

"How could you know that? I've never lied to you."

That was a very good point, I'd been there when she lied, but she'd never actually... except, "There was that one time-"

"That was before you knew me well enough to have developed your alleged uncanny lie detection powers."

I was going to respond to that, but then I realized something. "You're evading."

"That's because I don't want to answer the question."

"Obviously. But you know I'm not going to drop it."

"I'd do exactly what you're doing." And for the briefest of moments I thought I'd convinced her. "That doesn't make it any less stupid. I'd probably get myself killed." I started to respond but she stopped me. "It's your turn."

"What?"

"You're a vampire. I'm a human. I refuse to leave you in danger. I die. How do you feel?"

I didn't respond. The silence was quite awkward.

"I'm dead. You're alive. I'm dead because I tried to help you after you told me it was too dangerous. How do you feel about that?"

It was a difficult question and one that I didn't want to think about. "I don't plan on dying."

"Most people don't. Now you're being evasive."

"Because I don't want to answer." I took a moment. "There aren't words. I'd be devastated. But say vampire-me got his way. Human-you ran and hid. Vampire-me died. Human-you lived. Would you feel any different?"

"Of course not." She looked away for a moment. "That's why I'd probably get myself killed." She sighed. "Alright, but promise me you won't die."

"Promise me you won't."

-

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