Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters.
Questions and Answers
What if there was only Bella and Edward?
What if there were no more werewolves, or jealous rivals, or red-eyed vampires?
What if there was no more Volturi, Mike Newton, or parental supervision?
In short, what if there were no more problems? No more conflicts or disagreements. No more need to struggle or to fight to be together.
What if Juliet and Romeo had had the full blessing of the Capulets and Montagues?
What if Catherine and Heathcliff were raised in an affluent, loving family?
If, if, if…
What if Bella and Edward could finally just be together?
Then, then, then…
Bella sleeps at night. Edward watches her. In the times of unrest, this reassured Bella—made her feel safe, secure, and loved.
In the perfect world she's been dreaming of, one without conflict or unrest, she feels Edward watching her, and she begins to feel the teeniest… tiniest… most miniscule sense…of annoyance. Each night he watches, the feeling increases the teeniest, tiniest bit.
Bella eats three times a day. Edward watches her. In the Before Times, in the imperfect human world, Bella paid this no mind. Each to their own, she thought.
In this new and perfect world, Bella is indulged with expensive and lavish delicacies by her new and perfect family. Each bite she takes is watched by Edward. And she feels… guilty. Guilty that she, so mortal and imperfect, should enjoy such delicacies which her perfect and godlike family cannot. Guilt is turned into self-loathing, which is turned into the teeniest… tiniest… most miniscule sense… of anger. With every bite she takes, the feeling increases the teeniest, tiniest bit.
Bella used to clean. Bella would clean and no one would watch her. She'd mop, and vacuum, and dust, and scrub, and wash, and wash, and wash.
In the perfect world she's been dreaming of, there is nothing to clean. Nothing. There is nowhere for her to go without being watched. Nothing she can do that wouldn't result in Edward… there. Watching her.
Every time she sighs looking out the window, in her breath is the teeniest… tiniest… most miniscule sense… of confinement.
In both worlds, Bella is clumsy. In both worlds, Edward is there to catch her before she's even aware that she's about to fall. In both worlds she is supposed to be careful.
For her own safety.
In both worlds, Edward's eyes speak of care, of love, of fear. She knows, because he watches her.
Every time he catches her, Bella feels the teeniest… tiniest… most miniscule sense… of helplessness. And it grows.
Moment piled upon moment grows and grows.
It grows until one day she impulsively, yet tentatively, puts her arms around a soft warm body clad in leather. She jumps on the back of a motorcycle and races down the highway.
Not much time passes until the frightened canary longs to be back in her safe, gilded cage.
Worry mars the perfect spaces between her family's eyebrows. They must be more careful. For her sake.
Bella continues to sleep, and eat, and sigh, and not clean, and not fall.
Moments grow again. Annoyance grows. Guilt grows. Anger grows. Confinement grows. Helplessness grows. Resentment grows.
Longing grows.
It's the eyes watching her; the eyes, the eyes, the eyes…
They grow in her mind and she can't escape them.
One day her arms are back around the warm soft body clad in leather, racing down the highway.
And then, and then, and then…
And then Bella sleeps at night, but only after Jake falls asleep first. He sleeps deeply, and snores lightly. Bella falls asleep and feels safe, secure, and loved.
Bella eats three times a day. She's so little, and the boys are all so big, that it seems like she's the one who doesn't eat. Ironic.
Bella laughs as she fights for the last piece of corn-on-the-cob. She slathers it in butter and there is barbeque sauce on her t-shirt.
Bella cleans. There is so much to be cleaned, and mopped, and vacuumed, and dusted, and scrubbed, and washed and washed and washed.
There is so much to be cleaned that it seems like it never can be. Everyone is so busy doing and being that no one has time to watch Bella clean.
Bella enjoys the challenge.
Bella is still clumsy. Bella falls, and Jake helps her back up again. She smiles.
Moment piled upon moment grows and grows, and Bella feels safe, secure, and loved while she sleeps, and laughs, and eats, and cleans, and enjoys, and falls, and smiles.
Bella is no longer watched—she is seen.