1. The New Beginning
The sudden low grumbling of Nessie's snores tore my eyes from the page that they were on. I closed the large leather bound book which I was reading and put it in its proper place on the bookshelf on at the far end of the room.
In less than half a second I had crossed the sitting room, gone through the long hallway that lead to Nessie's bedroom, and was standing over her in her newly bought bed. She was growing fast and her crib that she has slept in for her first four months was outside at the side of our cottage in large pieces of wood, now used for our fireplace.
While I watched her sleep I saw a smile flutter across her face as she laid dreaming. I couldn't hold back the smile that burned in me. I thought about what she was dreaming about as I brushed her hair from around her face to behind her ear. I decided that I would ask her later about what she was dreaming. I now understand Edward's obsession when he watched me sleep while I was human. It truly was fascinating.
When I left the room, I did so at a more human pace. I
walked past Edwards' and my room. Staring at the perfectly made bed. I sighed as I tried not to think about when Edward and I would use that bed again. It felt so long since we have been alone together. This thought hurt, so I left the room and went to look outside. I opened the large wooden door and stepped out into the damp cold air.
I stood very still taking in every bit of the forest. I could see and hear ten miles in each direction. I searched for any sign that would indicate Edwards return but to no prevail.
"He is bound to be back soon" I whispered to myself.
The excitement that built up inside me was almost unbearable. Every minute away from him made every part of me ache.
When Edward got back I would insist on the both of us going hunting together. I craved to have some time with him, away from our family. Something that we haven't had in a while, for Nessie insisted on one of us staying with her while the other hunted.
I suddenly realized it was raining. I could hear all the tiny drops of water hit the leaves high above in the canopy. I could hear those that that were falling through the breaks in the trees to the ferns and shrubs below, and I heard a few cars on the nearby highway leading into Forks.
The tight bubble that clung to my mind slowly lifted as I focused on pulling it away from me. I knew Edward would hear my thoughts the moment my mind was unprotected.
"I need to hunt" I said to myself over and over.
There was no doubt that he would hear me, and be on his way back. There was no denying it, my eyes have been growing darker for the past few days, the hot fire that scorched my throat grew more intense and I would need to hunt, today.
The sun was starting to rise. It presence over top of the eastern mountains made the sky turn a lighter grey indicating the early mornings presence.
I was on my way back to my family's house. I carried
Nessie very carefully as I tried not to disrupt her dream. Even though no one slept in the Cullen's house, I still tried to be quiet as I entered through the back door. Even as quiet as I was, my presence was immediately known to one of my family members who was not on the hunt.
Alice was at the bottom of the stairs to greet me. I smiled at her as I crossed the room and laid Nessie on the couch.
"They will be home in a few hours" Alice said answering my question before it escaped my lips.
"Thanks" I whispered back to Alice with a tiny half grin. She smiled back and danced into the kitchen, fully knowing that I would follow.
Rosalie was next to acknowledge my presence as she slipped through an open window. She had obviously been up in her room on the second floor.
"Rose would you mind watching Nessie for me"? I asked her.
She nodded and made her way across the kitchen and
jumped over the island and landed near the door. I walked her to the living room where she picked Nessie up without a fraction of effort, wrapping her arms around her as she hummed a song while she rocked slowly back and forth.
I turned back to Alice who was sitting on top of the counter by the stove.
"Is she going to be thirsty today"? I asked Alice.
She paused as her eyes searched the future for the answer. Her eyes that had went blank were now back to normal after she shook her head.
"No" she said rather cheerful.
Nessie's thirst for blood was growing weaker. She rarely had the need for blood anymore, and she started refusing to go on hunts. She was still beautiful, her skin still hard as stone. Her strength, although still a thousand times more powerful than the average toddler, was diminishing. It was her more human traits beginning to show through as she got older.
As I started making pancakes for Nessie, I felt the desire to
go shopping. Although when I was human I would absolutely dread to go shopping with Alice. But, she was rubbing off on me now. At least I tried to convince myself of that every time that thought crossed my mind.
" Would you like to go shopping when we get back from our hunt"? I asked nonchalantly.
A grin spread across her perfect face. She ran over and gave me a hug that I was sure would have crushed me if I were still human.
"I'm so proud of you Bella, your tastes in fashion are changing so rapidly"! she beamed.
The dark circles under her eyes indicated she needed to hunt as much as I did.
" We will leave soon" she said to reassure me. Again taking the words out of my mouth.
" Is there anyone else that will be joining us" I asked as I flipped over the pancakes and placed them of a plate and retired them on the kitchen table.
"Edward, Emmett, Esme, and Jasper are just on their way back now from their hunt. Rose will stay here when Emmett returns. She will hunt with him later." Alice said just as if she had practiced that speech all morning.
"So its just us then"? I asked running all the names through my head to see if anyone was forgotten.
" No Carlisle will joining us as well" Alice said as she let a giggle escape her.
The kitchen was becoming lighter. The shadows were growing shorter as the light penetrated through the glass walls. The light seemed to be eating at the shadows fighting back the darkness.
"Alice, would you please tell Rose to wake Nessie up, her breakfast is ready. I need to go do a few things."
Alice nodded, and just as she entered the door that lead into the living room, she looked back at me with a smile as her lips pulled back and showed her white gleaming teeth.
"Thirty minutes" she said as she danced out of the room again.
I knocked once on the door that lead to Carlisle's study. There was no answer. I glanced down the hall at a clock that was ticking loudly enough that I couldn't ignore it. It was only quarter to eight. I shook my head and sighed. That's why Carlisle didn't answer. I had forgot that Forks hospital, where he worked, called him in when one of the other doctors called in sick. He would return shortly after everyone else got back from their hunt.
Nessie was awake. I could hear her fork scrape across the glass plate. I walked up the stairs to the third floor, and opened the door to Edward's and my room. I needed to change my clothes before we left and I wanted to be ready so we could leave as soon as possible.
I kicked off the black flats that were on my feet, and placed them back in the box at the top of the closet. I exchanged my leggings for a pair of skinny jeans, and my strapless shirt was hung back up and a button down replaced it. I put on my expensive running shoe, closed the closet door, and was standing beside Nessie in the blink of an eye.
Rose and Alice were standing over Nessie watching her scarf down the last bits of pancake left on the fine china. When Rose realised I had returned she quietly returned to the sitting room, as I heard her turn on the flat screen and flip through the channels at lightening speed.
The curiosity returned as I remembered I wanted to ask Nessie what she had been dreaming about. I knelt down beside her, brushing her hair from her face as I gazed into her chocolate brown eyes, eyes that had once been mine.
" I was watching you sleep last night." I whispered to Nessie. "Can you show me what you were dreaming".
Nessie finished the last of her breakfast, and places her hand on my cheek. I saw everything as if I had dreamt it myself. The images flashed past my eyes. Jake was the main focus of her dream. She was remembering all the times she had spend with him. The dream took a sudden change in direction, as the focused turned to Edward and me, holding her, looking down on her. Then my family came into view as she showed me the happiness that she felt when she was around them.
Her hand left my cheek, as I continued to look deeply into her eyes. If I could cry… I thought.
" Thank you" I told her as I stood up and went to wash her dishes in the sink.
Alice placed her hand on my arm. Just then, the house was filled with cheers of victory. Edward, I had picked out, was laughing at jasper who was attempting to wrestle with Emmett.
"Ok calm down now boys" Esme's voice rang out over Emmett's booming laugh.
Edward's arm was suddenly wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer to him, his finger gently lifted my chin and his lips found mine. He pulled back and stared into my eyes.
"If only I could blush" I thought to myself. Just to let him know that his kiss continued to do the same things to me.
I leaned in to kiss him again, and pulled away, suddenly becoming stern. A look of worry flashed in his eyes and I had to hold back a laugh.
" We need to hunt together next time" I demanded. "But" Edward tried to stumble out before I cut him off. "Nessie will be fine" I promised. "Get Jacob to come keep her company. We do need some alone time you know". A smirk spread across my face while saying this. He had no choice but to agree and he pulled me closer to him and it seemed like my whole body was lifted just from the pleasure of having him so close to me.
I heard Carlisle's Mercedes turn off the highway onto the long drive that lead to the house. Alice nodded towards me and I gave Edward a parting kiss as Alice made her way to the garage. I wasn't far behind, taking one more glance back at Edward before I turned to follow her.
Carlisle parked the black Mercedes in its usual spot between Edwards silver Volvo and Emmett's muddy Jeep. Rosalie's red BMW convertible was to the left of the Volvo. To the left of the beamer was Alice's yellow 911 Turbo Porsche that Edward had given her a gift to hold me hostage while I was human. The last car on the end sat my "after car", the shinny red Ferrari.
"I just need to change" Carlisle said as he swiftly got out of his car.
Alice and I waited for him to return and we headed towards the edge of the forest at the north side of the house.
Carlisle wasn't long. Instead of his black dress pants and his dress shirt that was a very light shade of blue. He now sported a tight fitting long sleeve black shirt and blue jeans. His eyes were dark as night.
We wasted no time as we darted through the forest. At least with Alice with us, it wouldn't take long for us to find our "meal". No one spoke for the first few hours. Our feet barely touched the forest floor was we ran deeper and deeper into the woods.
Alice led the way with Carlisle and myself close behind her. She stopped abruptly, and her eyes darted from straight ahead to her left, our eyes followed hers on cue.
The faint breeze ruffled the leaves as we closed our eyes. Not to far in the distance was the sound of two mountain lions fighting over a scrap of meat. Just past the lions, to the west, was the sound of a very large bear.
The forest was now dark but that didn't impact our senses in the least. We had spent most of that day trying to find suitable prey which lead us deep into the forest. Alice and I went for the lions, as Carlisle headed for the bear. Our prey was no match for us, we were, after all designed to be the worlds most deadly predator. The fire in my throat that was ragging out of control earlier was now at ease. My thirst almost completely gone.
"Carlisle" I said as we found him finishing off the last of what the bear had to offer.
"Yes, Bella"? Carlisle's said questioningly as he brushed off some of the fur that clung to his shirt.
"I need to block your thoughts before we can talk." I said to both of them.
After a long pause, they both agreed. I forced my mind to include Alice and Carlisle under my protection. I could see the bubble wrap tightly to their bodies.
" I noticed you are documenting Nessie. Also how I felt no pain during my transformation because I was given morphine." I said to Carlisle.
" Yes, is that a problem"? He asked concerned.
"No that's not it at all" I reassured him.
This was hard for me to talk about, but Carlisle need to know the truth.
" I didn't want to hurt Edward, after all he did to make sure I didn't feel the venoms wrath" I paused to collect myself. Just thinking about this was agonizing. I took a deep unnecessary breath and began again.
" The pain was murderous, but I was paralyzed, I wouldn't have been able to scream if I wanted to. But I knew I had to hide the pain from Edward at all costs, after all he sacrificed for me, I owed it to him".
Alice's arm reached out for me. I ignored it as I tried to pull myself together to face Carlisle.
It was Carlisle's hand that reached my shoulder. He looked deep into my eyes and he must have seen the burning pain that was inside me.
"Don't say anything to Edward" I mumbled through tearless sobs.
" We wont say anything". Carlisle promised looking over to Alice giving her a look of warning.
"I'm glad you told me. I thought we made a break through!" Carlisle chuckled as he pulled me into a full hug.
" Its time to get going" Alice's voice broke the silence and Carlisle and I gave each other one last heartfelt look and took off through the trees after Alice.
Before we got back to the house we each caught a black tailed deer that were gathered near a brook. The burning in my throat was completely gone now. Alice and Carlisle's eyes returned to their usual golden brown, and I knew that my eyes were back to their normal color too.
It had taken us another half day to get out of the forest, and it was nearly morning. We reached the eastern edge of the forest that surrounded our home. We all turned up our noses to the very over powering smell of the wolves.
"Jake must be hear watching over Nessie" I said in a laugh as the others nodded in agreement.
Alice and Carlisle must have sensed something I did not as they left me at the front door as they went around to the back. When I opened the front door my ears were suddenly bombarded with the smooth flowing notes that drifted from the piano. There sat Edward, he was playing the lullaby he had wrote me when we met four years ago.
His eyes searched the room and took me in as I stared at his perfection. He laughed lightly and smiled. I walked over to sit beside him.
"You look much better" he chuckled as he started playing my song again.
I let the music fill me up.
" I love you" I said in a whisper.
"Forever and ever" as he kissed my forehead.