EDNAPPED

[Part, I]

…

–The Unsuspecting, keys in hand leaving for the day–

–Unexpected sound of quick, pattering feet approaching from behind–

–Too late, keys are dropped in surprise–

–The Unsuspecting, slammed against the door–

–A frantic struggle for survival: shoving, fighting, punching, and bruising–

–The Unsuspecting surrenders, all fight gone–

–Scrapping, the sound of keys rattling as someone picks them up–

–A moment of deliberating silence, then everything is in rapid motion again–

–Voices argue, The Unsuspecting is heaved and moved–

–Grunts and heaves, quick footsteps, car doors swing open–

–The Unsuspecting is thrown inside and falls, making contact–

–A quiet but heated argument, and then the hushed sound of fabric–

–The Unsuspecting is blinded, not bound, The Unsuspecting notices–

–A door closes, feet shuffle, and then, two more close–

–Silence, but for three ragged breaths–

–Keys chime and rattle, an engine revs to life–

–The Unsuspecting's heart, thudding a staccato rhyme, its marcato bruising against the chest–

–As the car's engine roars maniacally... almost mockingly –

–The sound of gravel flying, and tires screeching, car soaring forward–

–Breaks squeal in sudden protest, like banshees–

–Tires squelch over gravel, stuttering to a halt –

–Again, the car soars, flying and gliding over asphalt, and away–

–Nervous laughter fills the cab as congratulations are exchanged–

–The Unsuspecting feels defeated–

…

The Unsuspecting Mind…

Red Alert!

Shoot, shoot, shoot…!

(Insert desired stream of expletives, I've got plenty crossing and fluttering through my mind.)

Forget that, Mauve Alert!

What the hell just happened?

(SOS? Ring all the alerts for all I care! I just need HELP!)

Will someone just tell me, what the hell is going on?!

Where's my phone?

…

Edward's POV

…

Nope, I can't, I can't freak the freak out. At least, that's what I keep telling myself… It doesn't matter that I can't believe that these two idiots, my brother and best friend, since drooling-and-dipper days, actually kidnapped me! And I do mean the actual criminal act, the one that falls under the definition of taking (someone) away illegally by force and the jurisdiction of the law. I've been Ednapped!

Let me make something clear here, a side note of sorts, I'm a man, through and through, and there's no questions about it. However, even though I actually don't like freaking out, which means I'm not usually this much of a sissy, there are times in which I do freak out and usually, the occasion calls for it. That being said: damn, if this isn't the right time to freak the hell out, I don't know when it is!

I've been Ednapped, I tell you!

Do you know what the worse part is in all this? I have not the slightest idea as to where they are taking me –which is usually the case with kidnapped victims that aren't kidnapped by their next of kin and/or best friends. However, in most of those cases, someone is usually bound and gagged in the trunk of an inconspicuous car in a drugged infused stupor. But, thankfully, which is about the only thing I am thankful for at the moment, I haven't been thrown in the trunk.

Nope, these two idiots have been kind enough to just throw me in the back of the car, rather unceremoniously, I may add. How or why is that, you ask? Well, let me enlighten you for a bit. Did I already mention that my brother's an idiot and that my best friend is a back-stabbing-douche-bag?

Well, now I did (I feel slightly better saying that) and they are. And you can trust me on this, because at this very moment, thanks to the both of them, I have a blackout bag over my head and I have no idea how to take it off, despite the fact that my hands aren't bound. Blackout bags, I've learned, work better than a blindfold. I can't see squat.

You'd think, that after twenty-three years of knowing these two, I'd be used to their ridiculous antics and things like these happening, but the truth is that, no–I'm not. It's as simple as that. No one should have to 'be used to' these two, regardless of however much time they've spent with them, and I'm no exception. They are just too outrageous!

No matter. (Sigh.) On to more pressing matters…

Unexpectedly, I perk up and tense, listening intently for what I feel happening around me. It seems that the car –my car, actually– is slowing down to a suave stop. Hmm… Honestly, I'd given up interrogating my brother and best friend for information long ago.

Happened somewhere between the 5th times asking, "Where the Hell are you two idiots taking me!" Considering my unfortunate predicament, I believe I was being rather 'polite' and rational… Or maybe, it happened sometime after the 20th time of whining, "Where the Hell are we going? Talk to me, dammit!"

Now, I was pass pleasantries and had upgraded my thin rational level of annoyed to angry, resulting in threats. "Tell me," I started demanding, "or so help me God, I'll–" Only to stop mid rant with a hissed "–Ow, that hurt you idiot!" escaping my lips in protest, followed by expletives that would put a sailor to shame and make them blush twenty shades of red.

All because, at that point, one of these two ingenious idiots had had enough and, apparently, thought it would be oh-so-funny to painfully pinch and twist one of my nipples in petulant reciprocation. All the while, hysterically laughing their heads off and booming wantonly, like hooligans at my expense. Eventually, it dwindled to snickers that kept grating on my nerves…

My guess would be, they didn't realize that what they've actually committed, is a felony. The hypothesis behind my crude reasoning being, these two never thought anything through before they acted. Best example being, the time they decided it would be fun to play paintball without shirts on because we'd just gotten new clothes and our mother's would kill us if we so much as ruined our clothes –among other instances.

Worse mistake ever, next morning the two of them (myself included) were canvases composed of aching, breathing black and blues. They might be my best friend and my brother, my own flesh and blood, but they really aren't the brightest bulbs in the box.

Yes, they will dearly pay when the time came, I vowed myself. But for now, I'd content with putting into motion my 'obtaining-information-through-means-of-persuasion'plan.

"Where are we?" I ask quietly, keeping my voice as uninterested as possible, following with an obvious statement, "I know we've stopped." The idiots laugh. They actually laughed, again.

"How observant… Tsk, tsk, tsk," utters one of them, clicking his tongue.

The other taunts, "Eddie boy! Aren't we an impatient wittle imp?" Definitely Emmett.

"Jasper!" I growl, growing impatient again, only to hear him laugh, again, and of course, soon after, Emmett joins him. I scowl. "I hate you," I mutter, with enough vitriol to burn a hole through my esophagus. Usually, Jasper tends to be the more rational of the two… not today, it seems.

"That really hurts, Eddie," Jasper says, actually sounding genuinely contrite and thankfully, I know better than to fall for it.

"Where are we?" I try again, wearily, all pretenses gone. This being blind thing is growing old, fast.

"Paradise, Ed, paradise," Emmett finally provides, sounding way too dreamy for my comfort and his sanity to be intact. Their doors swing open and I hear what sound like rushing water… curious.

I groan. The truth is, whatever this 'paradise' Emmett is talking about is, the mere fact that it is Emmett who sees it as paradise in accordance to his standards, is warning enough to warrant that I will most probably consider wherever this is, Hell on earth. Meaning, wherever we are will, most probably, be crawling with prowling, anorexic chicks with no substance for brains ready to throw themselves at my feet, and I mean this literally.

"That's right, Edward, we are about to enter paradise," Jasper echoes a moment later, in that same dream-like voice. Now that is strange. I frown, beginning to ascend a new edge of worried so soon after acclimating to the last one cannot be healthy. I could just tell that he was nodding and staring into the distance in that same dreamy state associated with awe, eyes glazed over, and a goofy smile smearing his usually lazed lips.

Jasper is never one to get like this, not even as a joke. And that's what worries me. On the other hand, that kind of thing is Emmett's specialty; we usually leave that kind of stuff to him. Emmett –Wait a second… Emmett, he actually sounded like he was being serious for once, just a second ago. When he mentioned this was Paradise –whatever that means.

Is there something I'm missing? Hello! You have a blackout bag over your head? Oh, yeah… Kind of forgot about that, somehow, anyway…

"Out you go, Eddie, ma' boy!" Emmett announces jovially, making me jump in surprise as he grunts, opens my door, and makes a grab for me –attempting to jostle me out of the car awkwardly. Despite the fact that I am blind and what not, I try to scurry away from Emmett by wriggling myself onto what I hope will be the other extreme end of the backseat.

They must have predicted I would be difficult, I guess, because just when I was sure I was about to succeed in my escaping attempt, Jasper was right there and ready to haul me out of the car by my collar. In a panic, I start acting on my last result tactic: try and stay inside, no matter what.

"You're going to end up breaking your ankle like that, Ed," Jasper admonishes. For some reason, his voice sounds weary and careless, giving me pause. By now, he's used to all my fussing, I'm sure, but for some reason, I detect a hint of hopeful musing in his undertone there.

This realization, more than anything, should really worry me but at this point, I am way past worried and straight into taking the highroad toward ballistic. Therefore, I continue to struggle to stay inside, stubborn as ever. They are so going to have it, I vow, as soon as I figure out how to disentangle myself from this unfortunate predicament.

"If it'll get me out of this," I hiss innocently, a seemingly innocent challenge.

"Now, Ed, that would break your dear brother's heart," chastises Emmett and I almost gag at the endearing tone he uses.

"Maybe that'll help…" I mutter, just under my breath.

"What was that?" Emmett asks endearingly. As he speaks, I can tell that he is grinning and I want nothing more than to have my sight back, so I can have the opportunity to smack him, and also, hit him where it hurts.

"Nothing," I cover, the word dark on my tongue.

You know, the weird thing about my brother is that everyone around him thinks that he's dumb when really, the people that really know him, like Jasper, our parents, and myself, know that those that underestimate him are the dumb ones. Don't let the façade of goofiness and his dimpled smile fool you. Just because Emmett takes it upon himself to be the comic relief, it doesn't mean that he has no brains beyond all that and isn't plotting away. Truthfully, sometimes, I find myself thinking that he might be the smartest of us all.

"Common, Ed, they'll start without us," Jasper says, his tone slightly pleading and bordering on impatient. Because I realize I'm getting under his skin, I grin evilly –wait, they? "I strongly suggest you wipe that smirk off your face," not that he can see it, he just senses it, "it won't last that long anyway." This last bit, Jasper seems to add as an afterthought, like the idea just came to him and he just happened to indulge it, a very dark afterthought.

That one threat, uttered with a calm only seen before a storm, gives me absolute pause. Throughout my years of getting to know the enigmatic Jasper, I've learned that one should never, and I mean never,aggravate the usually passive Jasper Whitlock –he could be heartless sometimes, in ways that could make grown men want to sleep with an eye open at night. Just as a precaution.

For now, because I need the use of both of my feet to be in top working conditions, if I want to find an opening and run for my life, I give up on my fight and allow Jasper to pull me out of my backseat without further struggle. Besides, Jasper's threatening methods are quite effective in giving anyone like myself pause. "Let's go then, so we can get whatever this is over with," I sigh reluctantly, resigned.

"That's more like it!" Emmett bustles with approval.

"Shut up Emmett," I jeer. The ground under my feet feels unsteady, so I can only assume I'm standing on some kind of cobbled place.

"Do you have to be so mean to your older bro?" he retorts, sounding like he might be pouting.

"Seriously, if you two keep smirking like that, the corners of your mouths are gonna rip and you guys are gonna end up looking like the Joker."

That little comment earns me a smack to either side of my head from the both of them. Stumbling a little, I laugh but they catch me. Again, I frown. The wind is blowing gentle and cool, splattering tiny water droplets our way, and making me shiver the moment they touch my skin, since my other senses are on high alert.

Honestly, I don't know how these two do it but somehow, they always find a way to get me to agree (after I put on a show of reluctance and struggle, of course) with whatever new something they want me to try out. This is always, I even would wager a bet that, if they wanted to, they could get me to murder someone and I'd be none the wiser, going right along with it.

"We need to get a move on," Jasper interrupts before I can say anything else to Emmett. "I don't think we should keep them waiting on us."

THEM? I wonder, feeling my eyebrows shoot up to my hairline under my blackout bag. That's the second time 'they' has been mentioned.

"I think you're right," Emmett agrees, sounding as nervous as Jasper.

"So, is either one of you geniuses going to take this thing off my face, or what?" I ask, since my inability to see is really beginning to annoy me. "I mean, let's be reasonable, I've already agreed to this madness…" Barely.

And then– I can see! …Well, I can see spots in my eyes, because it's so freaking bright! Blinking rapidly in an attempt to exhaust the multicolored spots that appear and fade against my eyelids, I rub the backs of my hands against my eyes as Jasper closes my door. As soon as my vision clears, I see that I was right; I am standing on a coble-stoned surface.

Taking in my surroundings slowly, I turn full circle. The first thing I process is that we are parked on a full circle parkway with a fountain at its center that is about a yard wide and a sculpture of a woman and a man, forever captured in a passionate embrace as they shared a kiss while holding an umbrella aloft, the point from which the water continues trickling and cascading.

Then, a few yards to our left, I spy what looks like parquet flooring, facing a beautiful, silver lake with swans swimming and making ripples on the surface of the otherwise peaceful lake. Also, I notice that there are lights coming out of the cobbled parkway, the reason why it is so bright despite the fact that it is a very dark night. The effect on the rest of the grounds is magnificent.

The second thing I notice is that this must be a private property. Not only because more than a mile away, at the end of a decadent driveway adorned with two-dozen trees reaching inwardly on either side and forming a natural archway, there's a huge wroughtiron gate closing us in and keeping interlopers out that clued me in, but because I realized that we are at a freaking, beautiful MANSION. Or estate, what do I know? Thing is, not that I'm trying to judge, but whoever lives here, probably thinks I'm –we– are beneath them.

As soon as all these registers, I feel like I've fallen down a rabbit hole and entered a new world and dimension all together. Actually, I'm pretty sure that the four cobblestones I'm currently standing on are more expensive than whatever money I make in a year. (Even if I'm exaggerating, I know I can't afford to so much as chip the ground I'm standing on, neither of us can.) At this point, I feel my knees give a little and in my effort to keep standing, they turn wobbly…

"Where are we…?" I whisper and my voice quivers.

In answer, Jasper and Emmett smirk at me and–

"There you guys are!" a voice exclaims from the entryway.

Turning toward the sound of the voice, I see a tiny little girl walking over the threshold of the massive double doors dominating the entrance (aside from the four giant pillars) and making her way toward us with a spring in her steps. Her steps are quick, precise, and noiseless as she bounds down the three steps that separates the cobblestones from the marble of the entrance, and as she gets closer I see that she isn't a 'kid' at all but a woman that makes Jasper very nervous and in very high heels the color of puce.

"That's her…" Jasper breathes out the corner of his mouth and offers the incoming petite woman an uncertain smile. Just that smile tells me that Jasper isn't in his element and instantly, I'm very curious as to what kind of person she might be. No one, and I do mean no one, has ever made Jasper feel out of his element in the twenty-three years I've known him.

"You guys are late!" she accuses good-naturedly and pouts (I think Jasper stops breathing), saying, "We almost thought you guys weren't showing up…"

"Who exactly is she," I want to ask, however, before I can ask, Jasper is speaking again and directing his words to the petite woman who has a wide and beautiful smile that makes her electric blue eyes crinkle at the corners pleasantly the moment she comes to a halt right before us. She is short and her hair is just as short, ebony and falling just over the lobe of her ears and she is stunning. Can't blame Jasper for checking her out, I suppose.

"Alice…" (SO that's her name!) "Sorry we're late," he apologizes, sounding breathless, "we had to pick up my best friend from work."

I snort, "Sure blame it on me, I'm the vic–"

"I hope we're not too late," Emmett prompts, cutting me off. I glare at him but he's not looking at me, his attention is on a new person that's stepping through those imposing and intimidating doors. However, I can tell, even before she approaches, that this girl is all woman, tall, and also wearing dangerously high heels.

"Not at all!" Alice beams, her sage eyes of electric blue solely focusing on Jasper after giving me the onceover and Jasper's face lights up from inside. Embarrassed by this abnormal display of his, I look away… "Did you guys find the place alright?" she asks kindly, lightly touching her fingertips over Jasper's bare forearms –I notice out of the corner of my eye.

"Yeah… it's impossible to miss," Jasper affirms, clearing his throat like he can't think or speak coherently and looking anywhere but at Alice, as if to point out the size of the place. Alice chuckled, her voice like crystal bells –musical. Significantly, Jasper relaxed and glanced at Alice again, focusing on her left shoulder. "This is Edward, my friend," he adds, lamely introducing me.

"So this is the infamous Edward," Alice says, assessing me from my copperhead mayhem to faded grey chucks-covered toes critically and taking me all in, making a mental inventory of my qualifying attributes. Suddenly, I feel very nervous and my mind is going in spirals, trying o come up with things Jasper or Emmett might have told Alice about me. However, my mind draws a blank as Alice opens her ruby mouth again. "Your taste in clothes isn't fatal." (I think that might be a compliment. She is smiling. Still, I feel jittery and squirmy.)

"Err… thank you?" I offer uncertainly and Jasper chuckles fondly, shuffling in place and running his fingers lazily through his flaxen, nape-length curls self-consciously. Looking at her properly, I notice that she is impeccably dressed. No wonder she's talking about my clothes first thing. But somehow, she doesn't seem like a high-maintenance type of girl, despite her obviously expensive taste in clothes.

"My highest compliment," she adds, nodding sagely, offering her hand for me to shake. "I'm Alice, by the way."

"Pleasure," I say and we shake on it.

"I see you boys finally made it," a sultry voice says and I look up and blink.

"I was wondering if you'd come out," Alice says to the woman as she glanced at her over her shoulder, her voice tilting teasingly.

The woman standing just behind Alice is tall, blonde, curvy in all the right places, and breathlessly beautiful and Emmett is completely infatuated by her, and she also seems infatuated by him, judging by the way she's looking at Emmett through her hazel-amber.

"Hey Rosalie," Emmett greets, sounding subdued. Something new for Emmett to be, and in my extensive experience as his brother, I have never seen him act this way.

Rosalie's answering cherub smile was something that was intended to stop his heart and make any man falter in his steps. Emmett swallowed visibly. "Good to see you again, Emmett." Emmett's name is like a gentle caress on Rosalie's tongue that sends a shiver fluttering along the length of his spine.

"What do you think, Rose?" Alice asks, her hands fluttering delicately in my general direction. Rosalie's eyes land on me then and she smiles winningly as she does an assessing onceover, and like Alice's had been, her gaze is critical and calculating –inspecting every crease and line on my outfit.

(At least, that's how it felt. Therefore, I had no other choice than to pull my shoulders back, puff out my chest a little, and stand taller, just in case. 'Cause I was about ready to squirm where I stood.) Once her assessing was over, she nods and says with approval, "You must be Emmett's little brother?"

"Edward," I almost squeak, but cleared my throat so my voice came out a little hoarse. Who where this beautiful women and where the hell had they met this two idiots?

"Pleasure," Rosalie said, sidestepping Alice, who looked thoroughly amused, and bounding up to me, kissed my cheek. Silently, I gasped and heard Emmett mumble something incoherent behind me as my blood rushed in my auditory nerves. "You'll do."

I'll do? What does that mean? "Uh-huh," I gulp dumbly.

"That's what I thought," Alice beams.

Glancing at Alice, Rosalie gives her a wink and offers each of us a cat-that-ate-the-canary kind of smile. "What are we waiting for?" And with that, she turns and sways her way back up the three steps, by the four pillars, and through the imposing door while three pairs of eyes stared after her in rapture –I think Emmett might have drooled a bit, though. (He was kind of wiping the corners of his mouth when I glanced at him to silently ask if this was for real, or were we all dreaming the same thing. Emmett being Emmett, just shrugged in answer and Jasper, well, he was indisposed and totally smitten with Alice.)

"That's her way of saying we've been out here long enough." Alice prompts, "We should head back inside." Smiling and looking appreciatively between Jasper, Emmett, and I one last time, Alice turns on her four-inch heals and glances over her shoulder at us, crooning her index finger at us to follow. "Common boys… ladies shouldn't be kept waiting."

Jasper and Emmett flank me and the three of us squirm, while I feel like I have my heart in my throat and uncomfortably pressing against my Adam's apple, and watch Alice swaying ahead.

"Where the Hell have you two brou–"

"Paradise," Emmett and Jasper answer simultaneously before I can finish my sentence, each placing an arm over my shoulders and propelling us forward, and following after Alice and Rosalie.

"Paradise," I say dubiously, though I'm starting to believe it might be just that…

…

…

A/N: Greetings, avid readers! Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Just wanted to take a brief moment to inform you guys that this is going to be a short story composed of Two Parts. (I have been meaning to post this for a while now and today, I finally decided to do so.) If the response is good for this story, I'll be uploading the second part at the end of the week. Let me know what you guys think of the story by Review or PM!