A/N- In honor of the newest addition to my "college family" here is a little one shot for all you Twilighters. Dedicated to Xavier Allen
Disclaimer-you know what I'm going to say. Just say it in your mind…
Port Angeles Announcements
Welcome, Baby Cheney!
Ben and Angela Cheney would like to welcome their new baby girl, Delia Rose, into the world. Delia was born on April 4, 2015, weighing in at 7 pounds and 10 ounces at Port Angeles Memorial in Port Angeles, Washington. Grandparents William and Donna Cheney and Henry and Gail Weber are throwing a 'welcome' celebration for Delia at the Port Angeles Community Center on April 27 at 6 p.m. Family and friends of Ben and Angela are all invited.
I was sitting at my desk on my laptop when I read this announcement. Finally, the Port Angeles local newspaper had been digitalized. I had been watching this newspaper since we first left Forks, mostly to keep tabs on Charlie, but I had often come across wedding announcements, obituaries and other notices that contained names that I recognized.
Names from the past.
I had often thought about going back to Forks, not to formally visit, but to check in on everyone. See if they'd changed at all. But I had never made it.
Days after our high school graduation, Edward had stepped in and changed me himself. I'm still not positive as to why he did it. But he did. He and I lived in the mountains of Canada awhile by ourselves after that. Mostly so I could acclimate myself to my new strengths and talent.
What is my gift? Well, it's kind of a combination—unheard of as far as Carlisle knows. My very humanity followed me through my transformation. My scent and that ridiculous blush that creeps in my cheeks remained. But that's not all. Caring for others above myself is my real power. The curse of the unselfish vampire. I would never be able to sink my teeth into a human because of the extreme conscience I brought with me. It had helped when I began to walk among humans. Even when the monster screamed at me to attack, I was able to stay in control.
Edward and I were currently living with Carlisle and Esme in Oxford, while I studied to get my master's degree in British Literature. Edward was studying history. Carlisle divided his time teaching night classes and working at the local hospital as a night doctor. During the days he helped Esme rip apart the large mansion they had bought and put it back together in an orderly fashion.
But enough about us. Back to the announcement. I had seen Ben and Angela's wedding announcement a few years back. They married during the summer before their junior and senior year in college. Apparently, they had also moved back to northern Washington, since their baby had been born in Port Angeles.
"Bella, what are you doing?" I shouldn't have been surprised at Edward's approach, but I had been too engrossed in my own musings.
"Ben and Angela had a baby." I smiled up at him pointing at the laptop screen.
"No picture?" he glanced at the screen, reading at lightning speed, then dropped a kiss on my forehead.
"I guess not. We can't expect Port Angeles to be highly technical at this point. It's fantastic that we don't have to have it delivered anymore and I can just subscribe to it on the internet." I shrugged.
"Would you like to send them something?" he sank down into the couch that was perpendicular to the desk.
"I think I would." I nodded.
"Well, let's see. We could send them a savings bond. Or start a small college fund for them to build onto. Or—oh! I saw something the other day about trust funds—"
"Edward!" I stopped him, "You are pitiful. We're not going to give them money or a trust fund or whatever. That's your answer for everything." I checked the clock and weather on the computer. "Come on. Get dressed. Harrods will be opening in an hour or so and it's supposed to rain all day."
"Harrods?" he scrunched his face up into a pout, "Why can't you order something over the internet and have it sent?"
"I could drive the Aston Martin down to London myself. I have no problems with that." I shrugged, waiting for his reaction.
"NO!" he jumped off the couch and went towards the door, "I'll go. I'm getting dressed right now."
Edward was still pretty protective of his cars. Since we'd moved to Great Britain, he had stored the Volvo and the Vanquish in a climate controlled garage in Seattle and bought a new Aston Martin two seat sports car. He didn't trust me on the country roads that led from Oxford to London. I still tried to drive on the right side of the road.
"So, have you ever shopped for babies before?" Edward asked, with a smile in his voice as we raced down the road that would take us to London.
"Not really. I've never needed to." I shook my head.
"Do you have any idea what you might send them?"
"I don't know. I guess I'll figure it out when we get in the baby section." I laughed. I didn't have any idea what to get them. I could take my cue from the extravagant Edward and send them something ostentatious like a gold leaf ornate rocking horse. That wouldn't be any fun, though. Even though Harrods probably specialized in something like that.
By the time we made it into the store, Edward was becoming impatient. It had taken us forever to find a parking lot and then we had to walk several blocks in the rain to get there. I squeezed his hand as we walked in. He still looked like a runway model—wet hair and all.
"Welcome to Harrods," a sales representative greeted us at the door. I threw a smile her way and then realized my mistake. She seemed stunned for a moment. I don't know when I would ever get used to the startling reaction that we had on humans.
"Can you point us towards the baby section?" I asked, trying to snap her out of the trance. As I was coming to expect, she shook her head and then took a second glance at Edward.
"Oh, I can take you there myself." She smiled at Edward. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. I had gotten used to all the attention that Edward seemed to get. Not that I didn't get my fair share of attention, but it always seemed like I was suddenly invisible to the women that were fawning all over him.
They would think better of it if they knew he was controlling the urge to sink his teeth into their neck. I felt sorry for all these women, suddenly. A side effect of my gift.
"Do you need a personal shopper?" the woman asked Edward as we began walking towards the center of the store.
"I don't think so," I leaned around Edward to look at her nametag, "Carmindy. We'll find someone if we need something."
As she walked away, Edward chuckled.
"What?" I asked, looking up at his amused expression.
"She was not happy with you." His smile stretched across his face, making his eyes dance, "You pronounced her name wrong or something. That and you were obviously stealing me away from her."
"As if she couldn't see that we were holding hands—what if we were pregnant and looking for baby stuff?" I asked, scowling at her retreating back.
"Well, that would be quite hilarious—seeing as we aren't exactly in the position to have a baby." He took my chin in his hand so that I would look at him, "As if you have anything to be jealous of." He leaned down and kissed me. "Now let's shop."
"Yes, dear." I smirked and led him into the stacks of baby paraphernalia. I oohed and ahhed over the tiny clothing and made faces at the mountains of stuffed animals. Several times I caught Edward watching me and frowning.
"Come on. You're being a party pooper," I finally gave him a light shove, knocking him into a 6 foot giraffe.
"Bella," he addressed me, using a voice that meant he was going to say something that might upset me, "Are you sorry that we can't have children? I see you cooing at all these baby things and I wonder."
His face was martyred, looking pained as he asked the question. I searched myself before I answered him. Being in the middle of the baby section in a huge department store did do something to my insides.
"Sometimes," I answered honestly, "But I think it's mostly because of you. I think you would make a great dad. And anytime I'm in a baby section I'm going to want a baby. Look at all this cute stuff." I motioned around the store. "We're fine, just the way we are. You are all I need. I can't go back now. I don't want to go back now."
He studied my upturned face for a few moments, reaching out to place a hand on my waist. I could tell he didn't fully believe me. But he eventually smiled down at me and hugged me to him.
"So, is there anything specific that we're looking for?" his voice was mild and he suddenly seemed to be in a better humor.
"I want something that is practical, but also unique. I want at least one stuffed animal." I shrugged, "Harrods might not have what I want."
"Of course we do, dear," Edward and I jumped and we adjusted so we were a few feet further away from this interloper. She was a rotund, middle aged woman with a thick Scottish accent. She wore a floral, matronly dress with a nametag attached that said "Harriet".
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Oh, look at you, the happy parents. Probably shopping for your own baby." I liked this woman. She may have read us completely wrong, but her disposition was so sweet, it was difficult not to respond.
"Oh no. Not us. We're shopping for friends. They just had a baby." I smiled back at her.
"Now, what can we do for you? Strong American accent. Are you on vacation? Oh, so sorry about all the rain we're getting. This is the sunny season. Can you imagine? We just never seem to get enough sun here."
I could not help but grin at the befuddled look on Edward's face. Harriet talked a mile a minute.
"Oh no, we're graduate students at Oxford, just down here for the day. We're just looking for something unique to ship to the new parents. It's their first." I answered her, placing an arm around Edward's waist.
"Well, now, that's a shame. Not about your friends having a baby dear, but that you two young pups aren't having one. You would have beautiful children I imagine. Beautiful. With his strong chin and your hair. I imagine they would be heartbreakers. I bet you were heart breakers. Still are." She was momentarily stunned by our appearance.
"Well, they had a girl," I began filling her in, effectively breaking her stare, "And I have the mind to just choose everything myself and make up a basket full of things."
"Why do that when we already have things like that made up? Come," she motioned, walking deeper within, towards a shelving unit, "We have all sorts of different gift baskets that are made to order. Oh, look at these adorable little duckies. There are all sorts of different animals to choose from. Oh! I know what you might like." Harriet was skirting around all the different baskets and she pointed to a huge display.
What sat on the top tier looked like a cake. A wedding cake. But instead of a bride and groom, the topper was a fluffy white lamb.
"They're called baby cakes. Oh.. they're so cute. The bottom of the cake is little nappies." She must have seen the questioning look on my face, "Oh—sorry. Americans. Diapers. The middle and top is baby wipes. That's all covered with bibs, muslin squares, and baby vests. Then it's decorated with all sorts of little baby things they'll need. It's a gorgeous little thing. Comes in yellow, blue and pink." She beamed.
"Oh look, Edward," I stepped closer to examine the cake, "there are pacifiers and everything."
"Oh, come over here," Harriet waved to us again. The woman seemed to have an endless supply of energy. They had certainly employed her in the right section, "These are called Twilight Turtles." She motioned at a large plush looking turtle. "They have a little light installed on them and in a dark room they display constellations. A wonderful toy for babies and young tots. It's a soothing nightlight for the babies and then when they're older they learn some of the key constellations before they even get to grammar school."
She looked to her left and something else caught her eye. Before long we had been shown almost everything Harrods had to offer in the baby section. The woman had a gift for sales pitches without being intrusive. And she had commented more than once that Edward and I should be picking out our own baby trousseau.
"I think I know what I want now," I smiled at Harriet. She immediately pulled an order slip and a pen from her pocket.
"Ok, those baby cakes are adorable. I want one of the pink ones. Is there any way I can pick what stuffed animal goes on top?" I asked.
"Oh yes, dear. There are dogs, sheep, duckies and cute little teddy bears." She nodded, "Although I think the dogs and sheep look ridiculous on top there. It's because they are too big. I would go with the teddy bears or the duckies."
"I wanted a teddy bear." I smiled. I watched as she made a note before I continued. "And I liked those pretty little birth stone rings. Make sure that there's one for the baby and the mom's pendant and chain for the other."
"She was born this month, right? Oh, April babies are so much fun. Because they're born just in time to witness summer. How wonderful for them. Do you want her name engraved on those?"
"That would be great!" I smiled and spelled Delia's name out for Harriet. She wrote that down, too, "And I like those four little dresses. Make sure they're in the 6 month size. That way if they need Christmas card pictures, they'll have them. Also, that medium size giraffe… the three foot tall one."
"Bella!" Edward laughed, "You're going to buy out the entire section."
"You shush. I could have come alone, if you would let me drive your car." I wagged my finger at him playfully, "Let me have my fun." He grinned at me and shrugged, browsing around all the stuffed animals.
"Oh, men and their cars, dear. They never want anyone to touch 'em. No! My own husband, bless him, restored an old Rolls Royce one time. I wanted to drive my bridge club around the block in it. Just around the block. No, he says. No one's touching that car. They're all like that. What kind of car does your hubby have?"
"An Aston Martin. Cute little sports car." I smiled. Edward still wasn't my husband. We hadn't gotten married because I had held my ground and told him we would get married when I got my master's degree. I had wanted to be able to have a large ceremony with my parents and everyone that I could think to invite. I couldn't do that if I was bloodthirsty.
"Ok, so you're getting the pink baby cake with the teddy bear on top, the mother daughter ring and pendant set, those four little dresses over there, the big giraffe. Anything else? Are you sure you don't want to start buying for your own set of tots?" Harriet smiled politely up at me.
"The Twilight Turtle. I think that will be a nice gift for them to have for when Delia grows up, don't you think?" Edward spoke up. He was holding the turtle and stroking the plush fur that covered its head.
"Oh, we sell one of those almost every day. They're so adorable." The saleswoman approached Edward, "I'm glad that you're picking out something. Mr. strong and silent." She reached up to pat his cheek. I had to bit my lip to contain my laughter. "The turtle is a good gift, too. Educational and practical."
"And books," Edward tried to sound stern, but his voice didn't match the image of him petting that illuminating turtle, "Delia will need a stack of books, so that her mom and dad can read them to her. Then she can read them to her brothers and sisters."
"Which ones?" Harriet posed her pen on the order form.
"You pick." Edward shrugged, "Just make sure there are turtles in one of them. Get about—what would you say, Bella? Ten?"
I stared at Edward. Who was this vampire of a man that stood five feet to my left? He almost seemed like that stereotypical uncle, showering nieces and nephews with gifts. Maybe he was just caught up in it all, like me. It was pleasant to see such a cheery expression on his face. It was a look I didn't witness much, even though Esme and Carlisle claimed Edward was the happiest he'd ever been.
"Ten would be fine," I felt a soft smile creep over my face, looking into his eyes, "And Edward's right, Harriet. You pick. Turtles and ducks, though."
Harriet chuckled at our locked eyes and then busied herself picking out books of all shapes and sized.
We signed all the necessary paperwork and then addressed a card to Delia Rose Cheney to be sent with the giant box that would hold all of the presents.
"I hope you have a wonderful day, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. That baby will be set for a while. Are you sure you won't shop for yourselves?" Harriet had a twinkle in her eye.
"Not today. Thank you for all your help." Edward smiled. He and I both shook her hand, expressing our gratitude. A shocked expression crossed her face as she felt our icy skin, but she covered it well, waving as we left.
"Mr. Cullen, what has gotten into you?" I asked Edward as we strolled down the street, arm in arm, toward the parking lot.
"Well, almost Mrs. Cullen, I believe that it is the very joy that you displayed at picking out infant baubles. It was infectious. Your smile. Your eyes. Just beautiful. Now what sane man wouldn't get caught up in that?" Edward squeezed me to his side.
"I don't know. I think Harriet was the catalyst." I giggled, "That woman was not going to leave us alone until she got us to buy something for our own baby."
"Do you still feel the same way?" Edward asked. His voice was no longer teasing. I knew what he was talking about.
"Yes, because as much fun as it is picking out all sorts of baby things, I was thinking, what would happen to our plans to go backpacking in Europe? We couldn't do that if we had a baby." I scoffed.
"Quite true, but Bella," Edward chuckled, "We would never backpack anywhere. You would go crazy without your laptop and I wouldn't be too happy without a car."
"I think you're right," I nodded, "So are you ready to surrender your car when Alice comes in?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" Edward looked down at me, looking a bit panicked.
"I have my last fitting for my wedding dress in two weeks and your car is a two seater," I wiggled my eyebrows at him. The expression on his face was none too happy.
A/N- Ok first off.. TWILIGHT TURTLE. I could not help myself. I was on the Harrods website and found it.. and I was like PERFECT.
Anyways, this was just a little vacation from my other story. I needed a day of fun and people have been asking me for some fluff for awhile. I just hadn't been able to produce any until this morning when I got word that there was a new baby in my family. YAY!
I hope that you find this story to your satisfaction. It's a little long. I didn't plan that. But it was fun to write.
Sadly, this will most definitely be a one shot. The only other thing that I could do to this story is write the wedding, and I've tried to stay away from writing Edward and Bella's wedding. It would just be a big page full of mushy stuff and while I can do cute little scenes like this one and "Cooking with Edward", it's not in the cards for me to write a wedding scene for them. I would botch it horribly.
Reviews are a must. Do I still have the one shot touch? They are few and far between because of "Protection." Sometimes I feel like I'm losing my mind with that story because it seems to be going no where, even though I know exactly where it is going.