A/N: Hey everybody! This is my first legit story on FF, and I'm really just looking for a little feedback. I'm interested in writing more stories after this one, but I need to see how I"m received. I have half of this story finished, so if y'all like this chapter, I"ll be quick to put up the rest. PLEASE let me know what you think!!
Chapter 1
BPOV
"Edward, did you pack Renesmee's gloves?" I called down the hall.
"Yes, they're already in her bag," he replied, walking into our living room. I looked up at my husband and smiled. We were both excited about this trip – our first as a complete family.
Apparently the Cullens were frequent skiers, and now that I was officially part of the family, it was time for me to join them for the annual trip to Big Sky, Montana. They owned a beautiful mountain chalet just off the slopes, and it was big enough for the eight of us, plus Jacob and Renesmee, to spend two weeks.
When I was a human, I had not been the most athletic or coordinated of my peers. But during one of Renee's short obsessions with alpine skiing, she convinced me to try it out. We only went a few times, but that was enough for me to discover that skiing just might be the one exception to my eternal klutziness. Of course I fell, a lot, but the parts when I wasn't falling were exhilarating enough for me to forget about the spills I took. Renee never took to it well, so the obsession was short-lived. I regretted that fact, and wished I had been able to spend more time with it, but Renee was already on to her next thing. I gave up willingly, and was resigned to the fact that I had had my fun and wouldn't be able to give it another shot.
After becoming a vampire, however, all that changed. I discovered that the Cullens were enthusiastic skiers, and with our inability to feel cold, amazing coordination, raw strength, super senses, and need for speed…I could easily imagine why. They all knew I was excited about the trip, but only Edward knew the full extent of my anticipation. He loved that there was something I actually conceded I could be somewhat good at, and that there was something more we could now do together.
So, here we were, our bags packed and ready to go. Everyone was waiting for us in the main house, except for Renesmee, who was finishing packing her backpack. Edward and I walked into her room.
"Renesmee? Are you ready?" I asked.
"Yeah, mom. Let's go," she answered as she walked up to us carrying her bag. It had been a little over a year since the incident with the Volturi, and Renesmee now looked about seven years old. We guessed that her mental age was about fifteen. She and Jake were still in the "friend" stage, but Renesmee was now beginning to understand something of their relationship. Jacob knew, thanks to many warnings from Edward and myself, that he had absolutely no hope of a real relationship with her until she was at least physically fifteen. He had no problem with this – I will never understand how imprinting works. Jacob was with us nearly all the time now, and though his and Rosalie's relationship was still on the rocks, the rest of the Cullens had become rather fond of him. It made sense that he would accompany us on this trip, because we all knew that Jacob couldn't be away from Renesmee. He arranged to temporarily leave the pack, and there were enough rooms in the mountain chalet for him to comfortably have his own. And so we were set for the perfect family vacation, and as Edward took Renesmee's and my hands in his own, we exited our cottage and made our way to the main house.
We entered the living room through the back door, and Rosalie, Carlisle, Esme, Jacob, and Jasper were spread around, occupied in various last-minute pursuits. They greeted us as we entered, and Renesmee immediately ran to Jacob.
"Are you excited, Nessie?" Jacob asked her.
"Duh, Jake! I can't wait…I love snow!!" she replied.
"Me, too!!" All heads turned towards the stairs as Emmett boisterously descended, decked out in full cold weather attire. His outfit was complete with fur boots, ski goggles, and a giant parka that made him look like the Michelin man on steroids.
Rosalie groaned and threw her head back in frustration. "Not again, Emmett. You DON'T need that stuff! WE DON'T GET COLD!"
"But we have to blend in, right? We'd look pretty stupid wearing swimsuits out there on the slopes, huh, Rose?" He grinned wildly.
Edward shuddered at my side and I looked at him questioningly. "He's picturing Rose in that swimsuit," he grimaced. I chuckled and looked back to Emmett.
"Heck yeah, I am! On second thought, that might not be a bad idea…" Emmett pondered.
Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Save it, Emmett. There's always the hot tub."
Emmett's grin grew even wider. "Sweet!" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Rose. Edward shuddered again, and I squeezed his hand. I didn't want to know what Emmett was thinking, or Rose for that matter.
"Emmett is right – wardrobe is always important!" Alice exclaimed as she danced down the staircase. Her outfit wasn't as outrageous as Emmett's but it was complete with an Eskimo-ish parka and fur boots. She seemed to glare at me as she made the statement, as if to emphasize the fact that I was wearing a simple flannel shirt and jeans…again. I sighed. "But don't worry, BELLA, your proper wardrobe is already packed and in the car," she smirked at me. Now it was Edward's turn to squeeze my hand encouragingly. I had pretty much given up on trying to resist Alice. I realized that the less I complained, the less of a fuss she made. Besides, I always approved of the end result anyway, and so did Edward, even though he would never admit that the level of perfection I exhibited in jeans and a t-shirt could ever be improved upon.
Alice flitted over to Jasper, and, taking his hand, dragged him out the door. The rest of us followed, and soon we were loaded into the cars. Because of the amount of luggage, all the couples were taking separate cars. Carlisle and Esme exited the garage first, in Carlisle's Mercedes, followed by Jasper and Alice in her Porsche, Rose and Emmett in his jeep (it took a lot of convincing for Rose to leave her BMW behind, but Emmett "talked" her into it), Jacob and Renesmee in Edward's Aston Martin, and finally Edward and I in his Volvo. Jacob loved Edward's Aston Martin because of the speed, and for many other reasons that I couldn't understand – Jake was the mechanic, not me. We had decided to drive because in the past, the family had always flown, and we wanted a change. Emmett was pumped – "ROAD TRIP!!", and it wouldn't take as long as usual because we didn't need sleep. We planned on alternating drivers because Renesmee and Jacob needed to rest, and it wasn't really a road trip unless you got to spend some time with everyone. Alice had the schedule all worked out, and even though I would have rather flown, being cooped up in a car with Edward for hours on end was a kind of heaven for me.
Even after all the time we had spent together, Edward and I still couldn't seem to get enough of each other. We reveled in the fact that nothing could separate us anymore – not my death, not Jacob, and not the Volturi. The days weren't long enough to satisfy my need for my family, and the nights weren't long enough to satisfy my need for…him. The rest of our loving family, Emmett especially, still enjoyed teasing us as much as possible, but Emmett wasn't allowed to do it in front of Charlie, at least (a result of my domination in that arm wrestling match…). Now that Renesmee could somewhat understand what was going on, Emmett took every chance to tease her about us. Living in a family full of happily married vampires, however, had desensitized her somewhat, but she still ran screaming from Emmett's comments. Jacob thought it was absolutely hilarious, and frequently joined in on Emmett's jabs. Even though it pissed me off, I couldn't help but be relieved that Jake's and my relationship was purely friendship now. I sighed happily, and Edward looked over at me questioningly.
Over time, and with much practice, I had learned to control my shield much more easily. This came in handy when Edward and I were in public and needed to communicate, or in front of the family and wanted to annoy people. It also proved helpful in other instances… Now, I concentrated and pushed the elastic away from myself, focusing on the reasons for my intense happiness. I looked at him, smiling, and was rewarded with my favorite sight in the world – Edward's breathtakingly beautiful crooked grin. "You never cease to amaze me, love," he commented as he reached over to take my hand, rubbing circles on the back of it with his thumb. The electricity that passed between us every time we touched had not lessened over the years; in fact, it had heightened since my transformation. I smiled again, letting my shield snap back into place. His lower lip jutted out slightly, upset that I couldn't hold it for longer.
"I'm working on it, Edward. And though you tell me you do want to hear everything that ever goes through my head, I still enjoy thinking to myself." I chided him.
"I know, I know, Bella. Thank you for trying as much as you do." His face was that of utter adoration.
I chuckled. "My pleasure. So tell me – what am I in for on this trip? It seems harmless enough, but I know Emmett well enough to suspect differently."
Edward laughed. "Alright, love, I'll fill you in. Sure, Emmett will be Emmett, but we'll have other things to worry about as well."
I eyed him skeptically, wondering what else there could be to worry about.
"Over the years," he continued, "this trip has turned into sort of a competition. It started out simple - who can make it to the bottom first and who can hit the most runs in a day, stuff like that. But it got more intense when the events became a little more violent – who can knock the most Cullens over while remaining upright, who can cover the fallen in the most snow, who can hit the most trees without damaging their equipment, who can cause the most avalanches…obviously, most of these events required the cover of darkness. But that wasn't all – the competition branched out to involve other activities: pranks and such. Carlisle and Esme stepped in to mediate after a few incidents with the ski patrol, and when the hot tub exploded (Emmett), they decided some rules were definitely in order. Everything that could attract the ski patrol or law enforcement is out of bounds, as well as anything that could harm the house or ski lifts. Emmett was severely put out, of course, but the competition continued. At the end of the trip, there's no winner or anything, but we all walk away with some good laughs. Now that you, Renesmee, and Jacob are coming…let's just say the rest of them can hardly contain their excitement. Emmett's been scheming for weeks, and they all have their own little plans of revenge for the last time, and initiation for the three of you. I promise I'll do my best to protect you, but you have to remember – it's six against two."
I exhaled deeply. I should have known. Well, what are you gonna do? I was a vampire now. I could hold my own. "Are you OK with this, Bella? We can always stay home, or maybe take our own trip somewhere…" Edward responded to my silence.
"No, no, Edward, I can handle this. I'm always up for a little healthy competition…" I chuckled nervously.
"Are you sure, love? It might be a bit much for you…" Edward continued.
"Don't be silly. I'll be fine. Thanks for telling me, though." I responded.
He looked at me worriedly, shaking his head. "Alright, Bella. I'll protect you, don't forget that."
I laughed. "How could I forget that? Even now that I don't need protecting…"
"Oh, you'll always need protecting. I would know. Danger magnet, remember?" he replied.
I rolled my eyes. "So, while we've got this drive ahead of us, maybe we could come up with some plans of our own? Maybe Emmett's met his match…"
He laughed. "Alright, so I was thinking…"
As we drove, we plotted. I was getting warmed up to this whole competition idea. I was secure in my skiing abilities, at least, and Emmett (amongst others) was long due for some payback. Edward had some ideas of his own – he'd been scheming just as much as the rest of them, I could tell. The closer we got, the more excited I got.
So, I, Bella the vampire, was headed on a ski trip with seven other vampires, one half vampire – half human, and one werewolf. The whole thing was a competition, and we had two weeks to get ultimate revenge on each other. What could go wrong?
