Of Bribes and Porsches
Edward's POV
I drove home in my Volvo, at 100km per hour, no less, becoming more troubled by the minute. I was worried for Bella's sake. I couldn't stop her seeing the werewolf, however much I wanted to, and I definitely couldn't continue to miss my hunting trips just to make sure she was safe. Bella was just too stubborn, too stubborn to see how much I worried about her, too stubborn to see how much I wanted to protect her. I had no idea what would happen, and I needed to go hunting. Fast.
She called the dog her friend. I snorted with disbelief. As if he - a mongrel, a savage! - could be her friend. True enough, I wasn't a human either, but I did have human instincts, more than her friend did, anyway. He was most likely waiting for an opportunity to strike back at me, to get even with me for leaving Forks, for leaving Bella, for 6 months. I still cringed at the memory of that day in the forest.
And he was jealous. Jealous of me, sickened at the thought of Bella choosing me, a vampire, over him, a werewolf. I had no idea what he would do to her, to make her feel for him the way he does for her.
Still frustrated, I neared the house, and saw Alice standing in the driveway. An idea formed in my mind.
Alice's POV
I frowned as Edward's Volvo came into view. It wasn't all that unusual for him to ask for my help - he had needed my help more and more this past year - so I more or less knew what to expect. But this one caught me by surprise, I have to admit.
I watched as he pulled up onto the driveway. If I was human, I would've been scared at the speed he was driving. But I wasn't human.
"No Edward. Absolutely not!" I called, a little louder than was necessary, as soon as he got out of his car.
He looked up at me wearily. "Alice, please. For me. I just want to keep her safe."
"Edward, we all do. But I don't know what will happen. And besides, Bella won't like it when she finds out I'm kidnapping her."
Edward's POV
I groaned with frustration. It was just like Alice to make things harder for me at a time like this. I loved my sister dearly, but she tested my patience to the limit at times.
"Alice, you know very well I can't take Bella with me when I go hunting." I said.
"There is a way. You just don't want to do it," she reminded me. "It's not my fault you're too stubborn to listen to me."
I roared in anger. Not this debate again. Why couldn't they just see how dangerous it would be, not to mention the regret she might feel over her decision? I didn't want her losing her human instincts, her soul, all the things she would lose if she became one of us. "Alice!! You know how I feel about that. It's far too soon. I won't let her waste her life for me." I scowled at her.
Alice sighed. "Edward, there's no other way. You know that. It may be a little too soon for your liking, but you did promise."
I growled. "Bella and I had an agreement. I'm not going to change her until she accepts. I don't want her to lose everything she has. I want her to be sure of her decision before I change her." I had no idea why I was having this discussion with Alice; after all, she was the one who could see the future. Surely she should know this by now.
"But she's obviously going to accept one day, so you'll have to prepare, you have to accept the fact that you're going to be the one to do this. That's all she wants. Is it really so hard to give it to her someday?" she replied, with exaggerated patience.
I sighed with defeat, and backtracked. "Alice, please. I just want to protect her. I'm scared that the dog will hurt her when I'm gone. It's just for a couple of days. I don't know what else to do." I was getting desperate.
Alice's POV
I was having far too much fun. Ruffling Edward up was one of my favourite past-times. And it served as a good payback for the chess game we played a couple of weeks back. He wouldn't stop gloating about it afterwards, even after Bella had left. I should have seen it coming, but I was too preoccupied. It was only after Edward had left that I remembered the reason why I never played chess with Edward if I could help it.
But Edward, on any other occasion, would know my decision. I'd already decided what to do when I'd heard of his little "plan". Like I said, I was having far too much fun getting him worked up for nothing. Right now, he was either being overly courteous, or was much too distraught to uncover what was going on in my mind. I preferred to think it was the latter, although I did have my suspicions of his distraught state. Someone was obviously tampering with their decisions.
I sighed dramatically again. "I don't know Edward. It's not like I can put a leash on her. She does have a mind of her own. Just because you can't hear it, doesn't mean it's not there." I grinned again, and looked at him to see what he made of that.
He rolled his eyes. "Alice…" he warned.
I pretended to ponder it. He still was too distraught to read my mind. I pretended to look reluctant while I enjoyed Edward's increasing looks of despair.
"I'll buy you that 9-11 Turbo you wanted," he finally burst out of sheer desperation.
My eyes widened. He was willing to get me a Porsche? Even though I could afford it myself? And I'd wanted it so badly ever since we got back from Italy. But I wasn't done having fun yet.
"Well…," I dragged the word out.
Edward's POV
I blinked. I couldn't believe I just said that. A 9-11 Turbo? I just offered Alice, a 9-11 Turbo? When I knew full well how much money she had. I could see she was enjoying this. I growled softly.
"Do you mean it?" she asked me, finally giving up her charade. "You would really get me a Porsche?"
I suppressed a sigh. I'd already put my foot in, and I really did need her help. "Yes Alice, I'll really get you a Porsche. A yellow one, no less."
"Thank-you Edward!" she said, in a sing-song voice which she usually reserved for Bella. "I'd be happy to help you."
"Whatever Alice. Just remember - " I started.
She interrupted me, as usual. "Yes, yes, you want me to help you every time you're gone. But I'm warning you, she won't like it."
"She doesn't have to like it," I replied. "I just want to keep her safe."
"I know Edward. You don't have to explain it to me." she sighed. "Just be careful ok? And it's going to be sunny tomorrow, so maybe the three of you should start your hunting trip early."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Alice. You're the best. I'll get that Porsche for you by tomorrow morning."
Alice grinned. "Thanks Edward. I've wanted that ever since we came back from Italy." She turned to go back inside. "Oh, and by the way," she added, turning around, a mischievous grin on her face. "You did know that I was planning to help you all along right? You could read it in my mind, couldn't you?" she asked, her face a mask of pure innocence.
I gaped, speechless. There was no way she could've tricked me… was there? Was it even possible?
She laughed. "Don't worry, brother. I won't tell anyone about your momentary lapse of power, as I like to call it. And thanks for the Porsche!" She skipped back into the house, leaving me standing in the front of the house, glaring at her furiously.
Alice's POV
I tried to contain my laughter, but as soon as I got in the house I cackled with glee. It was so fun trying to upset Edward. Definitely worth the couple of hours spent trying not to listen to Edward gloat about the chess thing to Emmett. Luckily for him, I couldn't read minds, for if I could, I would have had a major headache that night, making me in a more revengeful mood.
I looked around the room. "Jasper?" I called, in what humans would call a normal tone of voice. "Where are you?"
He staggered down the steps with Emmett, both of them roaring with laughter. "Oh, you should have seen the look on his face!" Emmett roared with laughter, slapping Jasper on the back. "We should do that more often!"
Jasper choked with laughter. "Definitely. It was so worth it. Did you see the look on his face?!" he asked, setting them off again.
That confirmed my suspicion. I raised my eyebrows in mock reproach. "Am I to understand that the both of you goaded Edward into giving me that Porsche?" I asked.
That shut them up. "Well, you see…" they began, looking contrite.
I waited.
"The intent to give you the Porsche was probably already there," explained Jasper. "All we did was to… quicken the process."
Emmett grinned evilly. "And it was more fun this way, anyway."
Suddenly, an outraged roar could be heard from the front of the house. The three of us looked at each other, and burst into laughter once more.