Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.

A Mountaineering Dare

Uhh…I hate mornings. Wait, is that sun? In Forks? There goes my one good thing in the morning, no, actually, marvelous, amazing, indescribable thing.

"Good morning, love"

I started. "Ed..Edward? What, what are… you… doing here?"

"I can leave if you want."

"I meant because of the sun"

I saw him smile my favorite smile, almost like he knew something I didn't, which, actually, he probably did. Stupid, mind reading vampire staying up all night.

"It won't be a problem till noon and Charlie is in the process of leaving you a note saying that he is going fishing with Billy and for you to have fun and be safe. I guarantee that will not be a problem."


"What did you have in mind?" I smiled. I loved our meadow on days like this but before that we always did something uniquely special. It always grabbed my curiosity and made him laugh seeing me try to figure it out.

"A short game of truth or dare and then you'll want to bring the warmest clothes, scarves, gloves, socks, boots, hats, and jackets you have."

"NO! I am not playing truth or dare with your family again! Last time I ended up drunk, hitting you, swinging from trees, and about having Alice kill me. And strip poker is too embarrassing no matter how much clothes I have on!" I hadn't missed those plurals.

"Bella. We aren't playing strip poker and Jasper and Emmett are the main problems when you play. They've promised to be good or they won't be going with us this afternoon."

"Why would they come to our meadow?" He was having too much fun. This wasn't right. He knew I wasn't sharp in the morning and he's already trying to confuse me with hints, which, like usual, I am apparently completely confounding. "Just tell me what we are doing already, please. Please Edward. I love you so much; don't you want me to be happy?" I heard a soft groan. Good, he's not the only who can have fun. Except I'm actually trying.

"Bella. Just grab you warmest winter clothes, please. We have a long way to travel by noon in two hours. You'll have fun. Trust me."

He flashed that beautiful smile on me. I should have known better. I'm not the only one who can dazzle and he happens to be significantly better at it.

"Hi, Bella!" Alice squealed. "We are going to have soo much fun!" I looked around for some clue. Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie rolled their eyes but shrugged. Edward smiled, and Carlisle and Esme just shot a warning glance at Alice as well as questioning and an apologetic one to me. "I call out Edward!" Alice yelled right as Emmett started saying "I call out Bel… No fair Alice." "You know the starting rules, Emmett. As soon as the game is declared anyone can shout a name to go first." Edward groaned and Esme and Carlisle shook their heads but looked as excited as the rest of them-very excited. Great. Edward promised I wouldn't be embarrassed. We'll see about that. Emmett had an evil look on his face, but one glance from Edward told me it wasn't for me.

"Fine. Jasper, truth or dare?" Edward asked.

"Truth."
Smiling, "Before this question, what were you thinking?"

"No fair! You can't ask that, you know what that was anyway!" Jasper blanched.

"But everyone else doesn't and it's still a generic question that anyone could ask you."

"He's right, dear," Esme approved.

"Fine. Alice is the most amazing person in the world but she has a serious shopaholic addiction problem and it's really funny that Emmett likes teddy bears, but wrestles grizzlies but yet is afraid of spiders and the boogey man, especially when he's a virtually indestructible vampire and favoritecolorispink." He said at lighting speed. The reaction was instantaneous.

"I DO NOT Have a shopaholic addiction problem anymore than you are over obsessive about the Confederacy!...But I am the perfect wife" Screamed Alice.

"You promised you would never tell anyone that!" Screamed Emmett!

"I had no choice!" pleaded Jasper.
"You're favorite color is pink!?" Alice marveled, "How much fun we can have together now!"

Emmett groaned and shot Edward a death glare. I was laughing my head off and Edward was enjoying himself too until…

"Edward, truth or dare." Jasper said too calmly.

"Dare." Underneath, it sounded like a question he might instantly be regretting to me.

"Go show Bella one of the confidential shame tapes that includes you."
Edward blanched, Emmett screamed NO, NO, NONONONO!, Alice laughed, Rosalie nodded with a smile and Esme and Carlisle just shook their heads. It really wasn't bad, just hilarious with a minor shock element. Emmett was dancing with a teddy bear while singing to Sexy Momma and Stacie's Mom and Edward and Jasper were sneaking around, topless, under a full moon around town playing pranks on Mike and…oh no, the police station. Oh well, I'm guessing this is the security tape. I hope.

"Carlisle, truth or dare?" Edward answered afterwards

"Truth." Carlisle seemed like he almost said dare, but probably remembered what happened last time and he wasn't the first to take it "safe". We heard Edward and Emmett grumble chicken but still didn't care.

"What is one thing you really truly want to say to two of us in this room?" Edward questioned.

"Alice, you do have a slight shopping addiction, Edward, you need to let Bella make her own decisions now and then and accept them." Carlisle stated calmly.

Edward looked like he should have known that Carlisle knows the game as well as anyone and looked like he wanted to say something, but just nodded. Alice growled softly.

"Alice, truth or dare?" asked Carlisle.

For whatever reason, Edward smiled empathically. I wondered why, until I remembered that it was only 9 and he had said that we were leaving somewhere for a long trip later today. Could it be from truth or dare, though? With the Cullens, anything is possible I suppose.

"Dare." Alice responded confidently.

"You will give half your clothes to The Animal Thrift Shop and let Bella decide the stores on the next shopping trip." Carlisle responded with playfulness, but authority, but with caution.

"But…but…NO! You…can'tdothattome!" She wailed, "I've done nothing wrong!"

"Are you backing out?" Carlisle asked dubiously.

"Hmph. Fine. No. I accept, but I'm ready to get going." Alice grumbled.

"Emmett, truth or dare?" she asked.

"Dare." He enthusiastically said.

"Emmett, you will race, me, Edward, and Rosalie to the top of Everest and back. Bella and Esme can ref. Carlisle can choose, along with Jasper."

"Sweet! Anyone chicken?," Emmett challenged.

"Yes! The human, who says it's a suicidal, ridiculous idea!" I couldn't help myself, Edward would be alone on the world's highest, most populated, second most dangerous mountain in the world with Emmett and Rosalie all fighting for the top oh and…"For everyone and especially a certain clumsy human who needs to breathe!"

"Bella! We wouldn't dream of sending you up there without oxygen and, even, in an altitude and blood concentration controlled nose piece, so you will be perfectly fine and can't have it fall off and we don't need to breathe, remember." Edward responded.

He seemed flabbergasted that I would consider this dangerous for any of us, especially me under our circumstances. However… "Well, fine, it might not physically be dangerous to any of you and precautions of course are made for me, but one, sunlight, vampires glitter, several teams of climbers seeing that and, two, what part of danger magnet and Bella don't you grasp!?" Maybe I've just seen too many documentaries of Everest disasters and am overreacting, but I don't care! All of a sudden, I was aware of becoming awfully calm. Jasper. Normally, I'd object, but like the others I am kind of excited and interested to see who'll win, so I just glare at him instead.

"Esme will watch out for you, love."
"Of course," she replied.

"And, Bella, of course, the glittering while avoiding humans is part of the fun." Emmett stated.

"Bella, I've been looking forward to this the whole day and now everyone else is too. You wouldn't spoil it for us, would you, because none of want to go if you don't come to watch. That's the other part of the fun, plus the race, tricks, and speed, but that's for us racers to worry about. As for being seen, I agree, in part, with Emmett, but even if we do get caught, at that altitude it'll pass off as oxygen deprivation induced hallucinations," Edward said calmly and sweetly.

"Tricks are the best part," checked Emmett.

"Fine, fine," I laughed, "Jasper, Carlisle, what are you guys going to do?"

"Normally, I'd object saying the dare is supposed to be to one individual, not including that person and the rest, but I'm all for beating Edward and Alice and Emmett and laughing at Rose getting lost, hit on by climbers, or checking her reflection in the ice!" laughed Jasper.

"AS IF!" shouted Rosalie, Emmett, Edward and Alice.

Carlisle said he'd stay at base camp, watching and offering wanted help at the camp hospitals.