AN: This was written for the Twilight Exchange Community on LJ for VivaViva. She was kind enough to provide broad prompts, and sweet enough to act delighted when I schleped an outtake from my own story. Viva!
On another note, RL is nuts. Lun isn't abandoned, but I've not a spare moment to write. For those who continue to add Lun as a favorite, put on alert, or add me as a favorite or put on alert...I truly appreciate it! Thanks!
Disclaimer: All characters property of Stephenie Meyer. No copywrite infringement intended.
Snow
Snow holds magic. It's a simple magic, I reckon, but a magic nonetheless. Even after ninety-odd years of snowfalls: from blizzard to dusting, powder to packing, I await the first with bated, albeit superfluous, breath. Snow has always brought us together. It pulled Jasper from his study, and Alice from the future; yanked Edward from his brooding and made Rosie's eyes shine with childish delight. I felt most at home with my siblings-in-blood after the magic of snow. Snow is home. Although I love my life now, there are times when my body yearns for the frosted tops of blunt mountains and the crush of family wrestling in the snow.
It's been twenty years since that particular snowfall, the one I'm about to recount, the one that will stand out forever in my mind. I can remember it as clearly as yesterday, mostly because it was one of the few times I lost a snow battle, but also because it brought Bella to us, in a roundabout way. It all starts with me but ends with Alice, and the best prank ever pulled…
"Jasper, dammit, I sent you after her to get information, not to satisfy your-"
"Just shut-up and get your hands on the stove. We'll never get these snowballs finished at this rate."
It had snowed, just as Alice predicted, and we gathered to start the tradition. Edward, Rosie, and I had always had snow fights when we were in a location that allowed such activities, but when Jasper and Alice joined up they turned into full-fledged wars. There were very specific rules: each team had a HQ and two bunkers, the winning team had to tag all three iand/i have the most points. Points were garnered in two ways. Opponents could be hit with snowballs for one point a hit, or they could take the opponent down off their feet for two points. Pinning a downed sibling garnered five points. The score was continuously shouted so that all members could plan accordingly. The Game was fantastic fun, and after the past few days we needed it.
Team formation this time around was rather unorthodox and most certainly my fault. Due to some extensive planning on my part, and significant distraction on Alice's, I had managed to pull off the mother of all practical jokes that morning. I've been on Alice's case for the last half-century, picking and pulling at strings to see what she could and couldn't see. Foiled countless times, one would think that I'd surrender, but there was nothing more satisfying than getting one over on Alice. Edward just got pissy when fooled, Rosie refused my advances, Jasper forced crippling shame, but Alice, the little spitfire proved to be a worthy opponent. I'm sure she had a hand in it when Edward had uncharacteristically asked Rosie to be on his team. The "twins" had backed her into a corner, knowing that Edward's recent return from his self-imposed exile in Alaska was a testament to his fragile psyche. Who knew how he would take a refusal? So she agreed, and for the first time since the snow wars began, my Rose and I were sworn enemies. Despite the obvious revenge factor, it was nice that Edward asked Rose. Their relationship strained a bit under the incident with the human girl. The snow war would most definitely help. So the girls joined Edward, and Jasper and I headed the inevitably victorious team. Problem now was that we were woefully undersupplied.
"This isn't working Emmett. The stupid snowballs look like eggs." Jasper muttered, "The heat from the stove is too warm, and we don't have the time to test how best to do this."
Alice, the little rat, had reminded Jasper at the last minute about hand warmers. It was impossible to made good snowballs when your hands were the same temperature as the snow, so we improvised with the stove. As I cupped and smashed the melting snow in my over-heated hands I could just see the smirk she'd undoubtedly wore as she told him.
"Just throw eggs then. Load 'em up quick, we've only got a few more minutes."
Snowegg production went into overdrive. The projectiles were crumbly and misshapen, but as long as they flew it didn't matter. We crammed them into backpacks and headed into the forest.
"I'm going to go west and head for their far bunker. Maybe Edward will send Rose."
"Fine. I've a score to settle with Edward anyway. Alice has been a mess since that human incident, and this is the only way for me to vent my frustration with him, without upsetting her more. I'm going to go stow my backpack, and run a little reconnaissance to see how they've laid out their HQ." He held out his fist and I crashed my knuckles against it. "Good luck!"
I loped off, moving as quickly and quietly as I could through the thick underbrush. About five hundred yards west of our HQ stood a majestic cedar whose base was free of snow. I leapt from twenty yards out, and landed in the clear circle under the boughs. I'd wait here for whoever was sent to flank in from the west.
"Three!" Rosalie's clear voice broke through the silence at the east end of the forest. So much for that idea. Jasper shouted in frustration, but there was no pause button in this game. He'd been caught without his pack, and sub sequentially without ammo. I mused quietly as I stared at the ancient trees. If Rosie was engaged with Jasper, either Alice or Edward had to be headed this way. Alice still hadn't forgiven me for the havoc I had wrecked in her room. I'd attempted to make it up to her this afternoon at school by Benedict Arnolding the boys and taking friendly fire to shield the ladies. She rewarded me with a slush hat and a taunting. Had that been enough revenge?
WHAM!!
The freight train that hit me had to be Edward. Alice's speed was fearsome, but her tiny little body could only generate so much force. iNo one catches me unawares, dammit./i With a grunt, I kicked up in the split second he relaxed his attention to shout their score. Next second he was over onto his back and I could counter with my own shout.
"TWO!"
I might outweigh Edward by a good fifty pounds, but he had a flexible, wire-y strength that was difficult to contain. Wresting with him was like trying to pin an octopus in the ocean while wearing water wings. He kept moving and shifting so that any hold I got on a shoulder or wrist flipped out of my grip.
"Dirty fighting Edward, so unmanly to come at me from behind." The jab lost most of its oomph on its journey through my clenched teeth.
Edward snorted and jerked to the right, effectively pulling himself out of my grasp. He scrambled up, leapt backwards, and then began to circle warily.
"Dirty fighting is what you did to Alice, Em." The bantering tone belied his tense posture.
"Bah, she'll get over it. She always does. I'll just have Rose weld everything back together and it will be good as new. Remember the time I super-glued all the zippers on her Vuitton luggage?"
"Yes, and you're lucky you survived. Jasper kept her on the mellow-aide for the four weeks it took for Rosalie to replace it all. I'm amazed that the only thing she did was delete all of your Grand Theft Auto progress at the time."
"It took me two weeks to get to that point!" I muttered, indignant.
"She's going to get you back again, you know." He'd stopped circling and stood rather nonchalantly. I relaxed my stance, immediately suspicious. Alice and Edward were thick as thieves, so he had to know what she was going to do.
"Hey! What do you kn-" Stupid! I didn't see the attack until it was too late to counter. I found myself shoved face-first into the snow and Edward crowing triumphantly above me.
"TEN!"
"No way Edward. That wasn't a pin you-" He levered back and hooked an arm around my neck and behind a knee, locking his hands and pinning my back against the ground.
"No, but that was!"
"You had better run, you bastard. I'm going to pull you apart." I threatened quietly.
He let go with a grin, and took off running. He was toying with me now; I couldn't catch Edward on my best day. I barreled after him, whipping malformed snowballs at his head. Throwing things at Edward was as useless as throwing them at Alice. He dodged and laughed, zigzagging between towering aspens and oaks. A scream from Rosalie ripped through the air and stopped me in my tracks. Edward stopped too, when he realized I wasn't following.
"Seven!" Jasper's voice cut off Rosie's scream. Edward jumped forward, but this time I was ready for the rush. We crashed together, Edward lithe movement, me brute force.
"Jasper," I shouted, "Where's your wife?"
"Jasper has enough problems on his hands without worrying about me, Emmett." Alice's bell-clear soprano chimed out of the forest from behind us. "By the way, Em, where did iyour/i wife learn that wrestling move?"
We were in serious trouble if that mischievous imp was behind us.
"I'm dropping back, Jasper. She's behind our lines!"
I turned and retreated toward where I had heard her voice. The snow crunched under my feet, but did nothing to drown out the sound of the zipper on Edward's pack. His lighter footfalls fell instep behind mine. The first missile whistled past my ear and exploded on the ancient redwood ahead of me. A warning I was sure.
"Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen…" Three bullets in my back and the third right in the back of my head. It knocked me off balance, and I almost sprawled into the snow. I shook my head, but continued forward.
"Edward," I raised my voice to carry over the snapping of branches, "I'm going to make you eat those when I come back."
"Why not now, you hill jack?"
My feet stopped immediately, registering the insult faster than my mind. Did he just call me…? I turned, dumbstruck, only to be greeted by Edward's mocking grin. The roar escaped before I could stop it, and I charged after him. There was a brief flash of surprise in his eyes before he dashed into the forest, and headed towards the river.
"I'm going to kill you." I growled over thunderous footfalls. Edward ran nimbly, carefully picking the path of least resistance. I saw nothing through the red haze tainting my sight; it was faster to run over, rather than around, any obstacles.
He didn't bother responding, he just pressed harder, hooking to the right and widening the gap between us. My logical self would have known better than trying to catch him in an all-out foot race. My logical self was also standing in shock somewhere behind us.
"Run, Edward Run!" Alice shouted, and I swore I heard her fighting laughter. I'll string them up together! Edward chuckled at my unspoken threat.
"I assure you, she had nothing to do with that, and to go a step further, I'm going to say that she probably didn't see it coming either. It was rather spur of the moment." The confession pitched and dipped with his rapid footfalls on uneven ground.
"That's a comfort. Especially since there's just one of me and two of you-"
"Eleven!" Rosalie screamed again, with anger this time instead of surprise. I was torn three ways: killing Edward, celebrating with Jasper, or running to Rosalie's defense. It was Edward's fault that Rose and I were separated. My goal was clear: back to murder in progress.
"Emmett, come on, I'm sorry." Edward dodged left and backtracked, ducking behind a huge tree. He peeked out from behind, keeping the trunk between us. "She needed a distraction-"
I lunged and he backed away, palms up in surrender.
"What did she do?!" I lunged again and caught Edward collar. He kept his hands up, letting me lift him off the ground.
"ALICE! YOU HAD BETTER HOPE I DON'T FIND YOU!"
Jasper's angry shout seemed to shake the trees, followed quickly by Rosalie yelling out one point after another. Our eyes were still locked, Edward's solemn face trying to cover the laughter in his eyes. He shrugged. "I don't know what she did to you, she's keeping her thoughts very guarded, but apparently she sabotaged Jasper's ammo cache. He's without snowballs now."
"Eighteen, nineteeeeen! Ow, hey! No throwing trees, Jasper!"
"ALICE WHITLOCK, JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET A HOLD OF YOU!"
"Oh you couldn't catch me on your best day, Jazz!" The little snot, she needed to be caught for all her trickery this evening.
"Put me down Emmett, I'll catch her." While this was physically possible, Alice was second only to Edward in speed, I doubted he'd so freely turn her in. I raised an eyebrow up at his suspended form.
"I trade her for you not bashing my head in here." He looked contrite, "I didn't really mean it, Em. I just needed to get your attention." Still I hesitated, it wasn't often I got an opportunity like this with Edward.
"You had better decide fast. Jasper's after her now."
"Hurry Rose, make a run for their HQ and end this. Then try to get back here before I end up MIA." Alice's tone had gone from playful to a touch strained. Mischief managed, and now she wanted to end things before she got caught, well not if I could help it. I dropped Edward and headed off to the east where I'd last heard her.
"Just remember you started this. Go easy on her?" Edward jogged alongside.
"She doesn't need you to champion for her. Alice is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Plus, this is all in good fun, unlike your little vacation. You should be the one going easy on her." Low blow, but he was beginning to get on my nerves. Alice and I messed around like this all the time: I found a loophole and then she retaliated.
Silence now, but for the crackling underbrush and what sounded like taunting. iShe's right up ahead, deal is off if I get her first./i "She's heading back your way, boys!" Jasper shouted, guessing correctly that we'd fallen back. Edward laughed and blew my cover. I leaned into the run, hoping she was so focused on Jasper that she'd not see exactly where I'd be coming. At the edge of the forest I lunged out, but Alice, queen of evasion, dropped like a stone. Before I could follow suit, Jasper smashed into me headlong, and we ended up in a tangle of flailing arms and legs.
Edward ran by in hot pursuit chasing her as she doubled back into the woods. There was banter between them, but I couldn't hear it over Jasper's cursing and groaning. I sat up and shoved him off onto the ground.
"So what'd she do to you?"
"Sabotaged my backpack with handwarmers. All my snowballs were melted together."
"Apparently she was up to all kinds of no good," I stood and brushed the snow from my clothes, "There were a good ten unaccounted-for minutes while I tried killing Edward. Those two should be permanently separated."
Jasper grinned and clapped me on the back. "That would definitely simplify things for you, but heaven help me if I have to deal with her without Edward. There are times when a man just wants a little peace and a book."
"Edward's supposed to turn her over to me so I can account for those minutes, but I have a feeling he's going to renege on his deal with me. Any ideas as to what your woman was up to?"
Jasper raised an eyebrow, grin still firmly in place. "You destroy, not only one of Alice's favorite possessions, but also kill the mood…not once, but twice, and expect me to prep you for her revenge?" He snorted. "Fat chance. Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you, but just so you know, I don't think she told anyone. Not even Edward."
That didn't bode well for me. If it was so extreme that neither Jasper nor Edward knew, I was in for a world of hurt. I tried wracking my brain, but I couldn't imagine what she thought appropriate recompense. Most of the stuff in our room was Rosie's and Alice had never sunk so low as to target Rose to get back at me. Oh DAMMIT!
"Jasper, we forgot ab-"
"WE WIN! WE HAVE THE MOST POINTS AND I TAGGED BOTH BUNKERS AND HQ!" Rosalie's voice rang out triumphantly drowning out Jasper and my simultaneous groans. She would undoubtedly brag the entire day. I love Rose, but she was a horrible loser and a worse winner.
"I'm heading back. I don't want to be here when Rose shows up to gloat." Jasper punched me in the arm, and sprinted to the house.
"Ow, bastard, you're lucky I don't bruise anymore." I staggered in show and raised my voice while clutching my arm, "You're next, bro!" As I finished the threat, I tumbled face first into the snow with Rosalie perched mischievously on my back.
"Hello m'dear, " My voice was muffled by snow, but Rose pretended not to notice, "In a good mood, are we?"
She leaned down, knees still digging into my back, and put her lips to my ear, "I won."
"Edward, Rose, Emmett, Alice, Jasper! It's five o'clock." Esme's voice cut in, letting us all know it was later than we'd probably thought.
I rolled to get up, tipping her over into the snow. "I believe you all won, Rosie. It sure seemed like it was three on two to me."
"Nothing can ruin this morning for me…not even your grouchy self. Sore loser!" I made a grab for her, but she was too quick. A snowball caught me square on the nose, and she shrieked in laughter as I lunged again, eyes blind with snow. She ran, still laughing, from my pathetic, prone, snow covered self all the way to the house. I stood, dusted myself off, and was almost knocked over again when Edward clapped me exuberantly on the back.
"Dammit man, enough is enough." I stopped when I noticed he was alone. "Where's the wee one?"
"Well, about that. She decided that she liked her odds with Jasper better." I rolled my eyes and waited. "And she didn't fess up to anything, mind as busy as ever with things I didn't want to see."
He smiled sideways as he patted me on the shoulder. "She did say that she got you though. I'd be on the lookout."
We headed towards the house to get ready for what would become another important day in the long Cullen history. It didn't seem like it then, but like I said, there is magic in snow. Without its hazardous contribution to the school parking lot, our family would never have been complete. So to the snow, I will be forever grateful. Alice, however, I could have killed. Two days after that fateful morning, I was left stranded on the highway when the oil-drained engine locked up. I'm still plotting though. I'll get her back. I'll just have to wait for another winter day when the little witch is looking for snow and not me.