Saturday, December 18th, 9:14 AM
Edward slammed the small device shut in exasperation and leaned back on the mattress.
"That was a short conversation," Bella said, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. She placed her hand on his knee and gave what she hoped would be a comforting squeeze. "What did he have to say?"
Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and sealed his eyes shut. "Nothing of worth; just to sit tight and wait for them to come pick you up. Alice is going to distract Charlie with a plate of cookies she's bringing and while they're in the kitchen, I'm going to sneak down the stairs and act like I just arrived." Bella nodded. After an awkward moment of silence, she laid her head down on Edward's chest. She closed her eyes and focused on the unfamiliar warmth radiating off of his skin and listened to the heartbeat she had never before heard.
"Is this really happening?" Bella whispered. It was now 9:26 and she was still in her pajamas. She didn't want to move her head from Edward's chest, and he didn't make her. She wondered if the sound she was hearing was really there, or if it was something out of a startlingly realistic dream.
"You know, I've been asking myself the same thing since I woke up. I can't help but wonder if I've finally gone 'round the twist and this is the manifestation of my insanity." Bella ignored Edward's dramatics and looked into his green eyes searching for an emotion other than sarcasm and frustration. She thought she saw a fledgling of fear, but wasn't certain.
"Are you mad? About what's happened, I mean," She asked cautiously. She traced her index finger along his jaw and marveled at the softness beneath her flesh.
"Mad? How could I possibly be mad? I'm feeling more than a little nihilistic, but not mad--never mad." A slow smile spread across his face and Bella was pleased to note that his teeth were as gloriously white as ever. "For the first time since I've met you I can bite you without killing you." A playful sparkle entered his eyes and he scooped her up into his arms. She squealed in surprise, trying to keep her voice down so as to not arouse Charlie's suspicions any more than she already had. She gasped when she felt his non-lethal teeth bite down on her neck, followed by his warm tongue soothing the bite. "You cannot possibly understand how badly I've wanted to do that," he murmured against her neck. His voice was like rich cocoa and his hot breath gave her goose bumps.
"I think I have an idea," Her own breathy response was one of anticipation and a small moan escaped slipped out when Edward began trailing hot kisses down her naked shoulder.
"Bella!" Charlie hollered from downstairs, shattering their moment. "The Cullen's just pulled up into the driveway."
Bella pinched her eyes shut and groaned. "Shoot," she muttered, disappointed. "I'll be right down," she shouted so Charlie could hear her downstairs. She looked at Edward, then said softly, "I'll see you downstairs? I imagine you and Alice already know how things are going to go, so I'll just let you do your thing." She kissed Edward's head and pulled away from him reluctantly. She grabbed the jeans she was wearing last night, an old ASU sweatshirt from her dresser and walked to the bathroom.
When she got downstairs, things looked surprisingly normal, all things considered. Edward and Carlisle were standing off to the side of the front door talking in hushed tones, and she could make out Alice's pixie-like voice in the kitchen addressing Charlie. When she reached the bottom stair, Edward and Carlisle ceased talking and turned to look at her. Carlisle smiled and moved to kiss her cheek. "Good morning, Bella."
"Good morning, Carlisle." Bella smiled fondly. She moved to Edward and gave him a brief peck on the lips. "How is everyone this morning?"
"Enlivened," Edward quipped, a smirk planted firmly on his lips.
"Yes, so it would seem," Bella responded, smiling. She couldn't stop looking at her boyfriend, taking in all of the differences. Somehow, he looked even more beautiful now than he ever had before. His hair was tousled and sticking up at odd angles, his cheeks were flushed with warmth, and his clothing was rumpled from the night before. If she didn't know where he had been and what he had been doing, she would have wondered if his evening activities were less than honorable.
"Edward and I will meet you in the car, Bella," Carlisle spoke, tearing her attention away from staring at Edward. "Have a good day, Charlie," he called out louder. "I promise to have her home safe and sound tomorrow evening. Thank you for allowing her to accompany us to Seattle for the weekend."
Weekend? Bella mouthed at Edward. He merely shrugged, his lips still set in a cocky grin. She let it go, glad to not have to worry about curfew. Charlie walked back into the hallway then, smiling and blushing. She idly wondered what Alice had been up to in there with him to cause his embarrassment. "Sounds good, Carlisle. You kids have fun today." He paused, then hastily added, "And drive safely; it's supposed to snow tonight." The last part sounding more like a public service announcement from the Chief of Police than fatherly advice. Bella couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Carlisle nodded, extending his hand politely. "We will." Charlie met Carlisle's outstretched hand and shook it firmly. The errant thought of whether or not Charlie noticed his cold, hard skin floated through her mind before she belatedly realized Carlisle was wearing leather gloves that were the color of melted butter. Bella was shaken from her reverie when Alice practically danced into the hallway and placed a theatrical kiss on her cheek.
"Don't even pretend like you're not going to love today," Alice quipped confidently. "For I am all knowing and all powerful." She wiggled her fingers at Bella as one would at Halloween if they were covered in a sheet cosplaying a ghost.
Bella rolled her eyes dramatically and laughed as she grabbed her coat from the coat rack. She moved over to Charlie and gave him an uncustomary kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Dad."
Charlie's blush deepened. If the Cullen's ever wondered where she got that trait from, now they knew. "I love you too, sweetheart. Be safe." Bella nodded and walked out of the house.
oOo
Carlisle was barely a block from Bella's house before Alice turned in her seat to face her and Edward in the back. "For the love of God, Edward, what have you gotten yourself into now?" She asked in an accusatory manner. "You're lucky I saw that you were trapped or Charlie would have made ground beef out of you. You can't even begin to imagine the scenarios I saw play out in my head. Not pleasant, brother."
Edward rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Alice. Truly, I would not—could not—have been complete without the knowledge how much Chief Swan wants to murder me." He folded his arms across his chest and looked up to the front of the car in a petulant manner. "And how on earth am I supposed to know what's happened? You're the psychic, you tell me."
"Psychic? What does being psychic have to do with the predicament you've gotten yourself into?" Alice's face was the perfect picture of confusion. "Just because I could see it happening doesn't mean I know how or why it did."
"Then why must you insist upon assuming that I've done this to myself? How could I have done this to myself? It's not like this is something that—" Edward was gearing up for one of his famous long-winded rants when Carlisle's gentle voice interrupted.
"Edward, Alice, I'm sure there is a perfectly logical explanation for what's going on."
"A logical explanation?" Edward fired back incredulously. "Oh yes, because falling asleep and waking up human when you've been a vampire for the last 80 years is completely logical."
Alice turned from Edward to Carlisle with a grin on her face. "I'm afraid I'm with Edward on this one, Carlisle. This entire situation is pretty off the charts. Just wait until the others get a load of you, Edward. They're going to freak out."
Edward's eyes widened, and his grip on Bella's hand tightened. "You mean they don't know yet?"
"No," Carlisle answered. "Alice and I felt it would be…," he paused for a tick, "prudent if we surveyed the situation first before we informed the others. She wasn't certain about her vision and I didn't want to alarm the others before I had a grasp of what was going on."
Edward pursed his lips together, but didn't respond. The car lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. Edward was looking out the window and Bella was looking at Edward while Carlisle pulled into the familiar driveway of his home. He parked the car but didn't get out. After a brief pause, he finally spoke. "Let's not jump to any conclusions until we know what's going on, okay? I'm sure stranger things have happened; we simply need to research and find out." He turned in his seat to look Edward straight on. "Until then, you've been given a gift that is beyond all measure. I suggest you enjoy every minute of it while you can." His eyes were kind and Bella felt instantly at ease. She never tired of seeing Carlisle's infinite compassion. He was truly a diamond among men—and vampires.
Edward nodded and smiled, then turned to look at Bella. "I will," he said, his eyes not leaving her face as he spoke.
Alice cleared her throat. "I hate to be the one to break up the moment we seem to have going on in here, but does this mean our trip to Seattle is called off?"
Everyone looked at the frowning girl and laughed. "I don't think so, Alice," Edward answered. "Delayed, yes, but I see no reason to call it off. You've been prattling on about it for ages and it would be cruel to call it off."
Sensing the impending explosion, Bella and Carlisle quickly got out of the car. As they exited, they could hear Alice's infuriated shout, "I don't prattle, Edward Anthony, I enthuse."
oOo
All of the Cullen's and Bella were sitting in the living room of the Cullen's spacious house, staring at Edward with varying degrees of disbelief and shock. Not used to being under such close scrutiny, Edward fidgeted and scratched the back of his head. "Will everyone please stop staring?" he asked finally. "It's rather unnerving."
"We're sorry, dear," Esme's sweet voice answered. "It's just that, save Carlisle, none of us have ever seen you human before. Not to mention the fact that the situation is rather unusual." Emmett snorted, causing Edward to glare at him.
Carlisle stood up and began pacing in front of the panes of glass that overlooked their back yard. "What did you do last night? Was there anything out of the ordinary? What is the last thing you remember before you…fell asleep?" Carlisle stopped pacing and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "How are you feeling?"
"I don't know," Edward answered honestly. "We were laying in Bella's bed reading--nothing out of the ordinary there. It was just after midnight when Bella fell asleep. I remember lying awake, feeling unusually warm, and watching a tea candle flicker and burn. I'm not sure, but I think it was around 3 AM when it went out. I remember hearing the fizzle and pop of the wick when it died, and then everything went dark. That's the last thing I remember before Bella screamed at me this morning." He paused thoughtfully.
"I wasn't screaming!" Bella snapped. "How would you react if I suddenly woke up a vampire with out any prior notice?"
Edward grinned and kissed his agitated girlfriend on the crown of her head. "I didn't say I didn't want to be woken up that way. I simply stated that your voice was a little louder than what would normally be considered an indoor voice." Bella sank back into the couch cushion and pouted. Edward grinned wider and pulled her closer to his side. She didn't object to the closeness, but she didn't look at him either. "As for how I feel," Edward continued, "I'm not certain. I feel a bit ill, to tell the truth."
Carlisle ignored the outburst and continued. "Ill? How so? And was there anything out of the ordinary that you were reading or discussing?"
Bella's eyes widened as she sat up straight. "Now that you mention it, we were talking about the state of Edward's humanity last night. I was reading The Velveteen Rabbit, which brought up a conversation on the perception of reality and the state of liveliness." Bella's voice got suddenly quiet, "Edward, you…"
"Yes, I am quite familiar with what I said, Bella." He interrupted. "But I don't see how discussing a children's book could have caused…this to happen."
"What did you say, Edward?" Alice prodded.
Edward frowned. "I may have expressed a desire to be human so I didn't have to worry about hurting Bella."
"I don't see how wishing to be human would have made you one, though." Rosalie offered. "If that were the case, then I would have been human years ago. What is so different about this particular situation?"
"I've read The Velveteen Rabbit," Emmett said in an unusually serious tone. "My nieces loved that story. It's about a stuffed rabbit that is brought to life because of the love his owner had for him. The rabbit never realized he was a toy because the little boy never treated him like one. When the rabbit was thrown away, a fairy turned him into a real rabbit."
"If the little boy loved the rabbit so much, why was he thrown away?" Rosalie snapped.
"Scarlet fever," Bella answered. "The little boy had scarlet fever, and when he recovered, everything he owned while he was sick was thrown out—the rabbit included."
Rosalie gave Bella her best "are you still speaking" look. "This is nothing but info-dump. I don't see what a stupid story has to do with Edward suddenly smelling like breakfast."
Jasper straightened a little in his chair, obviously sensing the tension in the room, and spoke up. "Listen, it's pretty clear that no one knows what's going on. Sitting here arguing a moot point isn't going to change the situation. I vote for letting it go for the afternoon and going to Seattle. For all we know, this could be a temporary thing; maybe things will be back to normal tomorrow. Who knows? All I'm saying is that ultimately, there's nothing we can do about it. I suggest that we let it go for now and enjoy ourselves like we had originally planned."
"Ditto," Alice said, giving Jasper a ten thousand watt smile.
Carlisle signed, but nodded. "Alright, but before we embark, I want to know how you're feeling, Edward. You mentioned feeling ill. How so? Where does it hurt?"
Edward frowned. "I don't know. My stomach? I'm not exactly used to feeling like this, you realize. For all I know, this feeling is perfectly natural." Just then, the sound of a stomach growling loudly interrupted him. Edward's frown deepened, causing a crinkle to appear between his brows. Bella delighted in the sight of a red flush creeping up his neck. Human Edward was not as adept at hiding his embarrassment as Vampire Edward.
Carlisle broke out into a broad smile, and a few others started laughing. "Have you eaten yet today?" Carlisle asked gently.
"No," he responded hesitantly.
"Then why don't we get you and Bella some breakfast. If you still feel ill after you've had some food, let me know. Otherwise, I suspect that you're simply hungry. After all, it's been nearly two weeks since you've eaten, not to mention the mechanics I'm not entirely certain about involving…well, your situation."
Edward rolled his eyes, and the flush remained. He stood up from the couch and walked towards the kitchen. "Is cereal alright, Bella? I think we have some lying around from the last time you…"
Alice interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. "Are you out of your mind? You get to eat human food and you're going to settle for something out of a box?" Alice's eyes got dreamy. "If I were you, I'd be gorging myself with pancakes, waffles, eggs, and sausage."
"The last time I checked, we didn't have any of the aforementioned items, Alice." Edward replied.
Esme's soft voice answered Edward. "Then we'll go out to breakfast and allow Edward and Bella a proper meal. We need to take two vehicles anyway, so Carlisle and I will take Edward and Bella to the local diner, and the rest of you can head along to Seattle. We can all meet up later in the city, but this way, certain parties can get a jump on their Christmas shopping," Esme smiled warmly at her two daughters, "while the rest of us can have a more laid back trip."
"Excellent idea, Esme," Carlisle said. "Is anyone opposed to such a plan?" He paused, allowing time for anyone to speak up. No one did, so he continued. "Brilliant. Then Rose, you, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice take the M3 and the rest of us will meet you later this afternoon."
Alice's smile was so big, Bella momentarily wondered if she was going to start jumping up and down. Edward's siblings left, leaving Edward and Bella alone with Carlisle and Esme. Carlisle ushered Edward up to his study and Esme approached Bella. She placed her arm around Bella's shoulder and pulled her into a loose hug. "Is everything alright, sweetie? You've been rather quiet this morning."
Bella blushed, not used to Esme's close attention. Her amber eyes were shining with kindness, making Bella feel at ease. "I'm just taking it all in." Bella grinned, suddenly. "I can say this much, however, nothing's ever been boring since Edward entered my life." She laughed, and delighted in the sound of Esme's twinkling laugh joining her own.
"I think Edward can say the same of you, my darling." Esme winked, making Bella's stomach do a funny flop. It was still hard for her to admit that maybe she had changed Edward's life as much as he had changed hers. Esme must have sensed this, because she changed the subject. "What are you going to have for breakfast?"
Before she had the chance to respond, Edward's footsteps down the stairs announced his and Carlisle's return. "I don't know about Bella, but I'm going to have buttermilk pancakes," His smile practically lit up the room. It was infectious.
"The forks café used to have really good pancakes, so hopefully they still do. When I was a little girl, Charlie would take me there for breakfast when I was visiting. Have you ever had them with strawberries?"
Edward shook his head. "Strawberries were much harder to come by when I was a kid, not to mention very expensive. We only had them on special occasions, and never on something as pedestrian as a pancake."
Bella's jaw dropped. "Pedestrian? You think pancakes are pedestrian?"
Edward shrugged. "I'm not saying I don't like them, I'm simply saying that when I was younger, even though pancakes were well liked among all classes, they were most common among the lower classes because they were inexpensive to make."
Bella rolled his eyes. "Well, this penurious individual is hungry and ready for her pedestrian breakfast." She looked around and found that Carlisle and Esme had already left for the car so she followed.
Edward's laughter followed her to Carlisle's Mercedes. "Penurious? What, are we practicing SAT words now?" Edward opened the door to the back seat and sat down, playfully poking Bella in the side. "Are you even sure you used it correctly?" Bella huffed and ignored him.
Carlisle pulled out of the driveway and looked at Bella and Edward in the rearview mirror. "Do I even want to know?" He laughed as Bella blushed a furious red.
"I was simply complimenting Bella on her prodigious vocabulary," Edward's playful voice answered.
Bella snorted. "Oh yes, and by 'complimenting', he means, 'mocking'. Such a gentleman you are, Edward."
Edward responded with a cocky grin and a kiss on her crown. Despite her irritation, Bella melted into his side and smiled.
