Yay, chapter two! Thanks to the three people who reviewed, you guys are super awesome! No sexy fun times in this chappie because of a little thing called storyline (boooooo) but don't worry, the lemon tree will bloom very shortly!

Chapter Two: Our Life

"Come on Alice, you're going to be late!"

"I'm still in the shower!"

"How long can it take? There's hardly any of you to wash!"

"I'm not going to work smelling like SEX, Bella!"

I sigh. Mornings are always like this at our house.

Alice and I have been together for five years now, and still going strong. I always thought after a few years with someone you will get sick of them, but with Alice it's the opposite. The more I'm with her, the more I learn about her, the more I adore her.

Corny, yes, and our relationship is far from conventional...I mean, lesbian vampire and human? But it works. We're crazy about each other, we make each other happy, we have a great little life together and I figure if you have that, then you have it all.

As I get ready for work I can hear Alice singing loudly in the shower.

"Shawty had them Apple Bottom jeeeeans
Boots with the furrr
Like the whole club was lookin at herrrr
She hit the flo
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low!"

I shake my head. I do that a lot. Like I said, she's a little nuts.

She's actually the most cheerful person on earth, which is why her morning grumpy routine is so damn funny.

Well, there was a long period there where she wasn't cheerful at all...and it was all my fault. I hate myself for what I did to her. But then, I guess if I hadn't said those things to Rosalie, none of the good stuff would have happened. Rosalie's making a difference in the world now, and Alice and I are together.

I still feel bad though.

"I can see your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo haloooooo!"

As I make my lunch for work and listen to Alice's deliberately off key singing (she's quite capable of singing in tune, actually she has a lovely singing voice when she wants to) I hear scratching at the door and shudder. I suppose I'm going to have to let him in.

I open the door reluctantly and the stupid thing pushes past me and goes running to its beloved mistress.

I hate that damn dog.

She was supposed to eat it, not love it!

I'm not an animal hater, quite the opposite. I love dogs. But not poodles. They are the stupidest creatures on earth. They're not dogs. They are rodents. They think they are so special and they are not. They are stupid. Stupid fluffy headed horrible things and I hate them.

Did I mention they are stupid?

I like big dogs, like Alaskan Malamutes. They look like wolves. I guess maybe they remind me of my old friend Jacob...not that I really have any contact with him anymore. But maybe that's why I like malamutes.

I miss him I guess.

But anyway, Alice's poodle. I saw the pathetic creature in a pet store and thought it was the ugliest thing I'd ever seen. It was all shaved into one of those ridiculous frou frou puffy French poodle cuts.

I thought it would make a great birthday cake for Alice. I was going to put candles on it and everything, but couldn't figure out how to make them stick. I tied a bow around its neck instead.

But when she saw the stupid dog, she damn near burst out of her skin with excitement and said it was the "best present ever" and began to rub its ugly head and baby talk to it!

"Hewo widdle puppy puppy aw you are so CUTE!"

I almost threw up.

She had looked up at me with shining eyes. "Oh I just love him Bella! I'm going to take such good care of him thankyou my darling he's WONDEFUL!"

Oh god no.

She named it Cupcake.

CUPCAKE.

Come on.

Then there's the bunny. I found this injured rabbit dying by the side of the road. I thought Alice might like it for dinner. You know, like vampire take out. I brought it home to her, and she immediately proclaimed it to be the "cutest widdle thing she'd ever SEEN!" and nursed it back to health, staying by its side day and night.

She named it Mister Fluffy Bunnikins.

There's something wrong with that girl.

Alice says it's perfectly normal for a vampire to have pets. Hey, she has a pet human doesn't she?

Hey, I resemble that remark.

Alice says humans eat meat, but don't attack cows left right and center. So vampires can have pets and not eat them too.

Alice says.

I suppose I find it kind of sweet. Al loves those animals so much. She takes such good care of them. She snuggles with Mister Fluffy Bunnikins on the sofa. She walks Cupcake every night without fail. Sometimes we go together, and as much as I dislike the dog, I do enjoy the late night strolls with Alice. I know I'm totally safe with her, even at night. Anyone who tried to mess with her would meet a sorry end, that's for sure. Though it's pretty safe here in Melbourne and we've never had a problem.

Sometimes she goes at night while I'm sleeping. Not having to sleep means Alice can get a lot done with all that extra time on her hands. But, for the most part she spends it lying next to me pretending to sleep herself. I like having her there if I wake up in the night.

It took us a long time to get where we are.

I think moving was a good thing. As much as I love Alice's family, I think it was healthier for us to get away from the whole situation.

We moved to Australia two years ago. For several reasons.

One, Melbourne is one of the rainiest places in the world. Important when your partner is a sparkly vampire who can't go out in direct sunlight.

Two, I wanted to get as far away from my creeper stalker ex boyfriend Edward as humanly possible, and Australia seemed like a good choice.

Third, Melbourne is home to Chadstone the fashion capital, the biggest mall in the Southern hemisphere. When Alice learned of Chadstone, she wanted to jump in the ocean and swim straight here.

I convinced her that a plane might be more practical. The sea water might mess her hair.

She agreed.

It's nice here. We settled in quickly, we live in a nice area near Chadstone (so Alice can walk to her beloved fashion capital, naturally) and we managed to make a few friends at the local gym, which is where Alice discovered her latest passion in life – aerobics instructing.

See, there is a gym conveniently attached to the mall, and from time to time they do demonstrations in the actual shopping center. That's where we first saw Aisha.

There were a group of instructors on the stage, but one was clearly the leader.

She was tiny, almost as short as Alice; but much more muscular. She had similar jet black hair which she wore in a neat bob in contrast to Alice's perfectly-styled-to-be-untidy spikes.

It was difficult to recognize her for what she was right away – she had spray tanned her pale skin to a dark brown. She wore contacts to hide her discolored eyes. But yet, something was off about her.

It was Alice who realized, once she caught the scent. She whispered to me "That chick is one of us."

I thought she meant lesbian. You could not be sued for thinking Aisha might swing that way. Short hair, muscles. She was erm...kind of butch.

"Yeah," I whispered back. "Someone's on Team Dyke."

"Nooo!" Alice hissed. "Not one of US. One of ME."

That's when I looked again. Even with the fake tan, I realized something was off about Aisha.

Aisha was a vampire.

Alice was in awe. An aerobics instructing vampire?

As crazy as it seemed, it made sense. A vampire had super strength. Very impressive during a Pump class. And the ability to never get tired made her unstoppable during classes like Attack and Combat.

Alice was like a kid, her eyes were huge. "Do you think I could do that Bella?" she'd asked me in a wonderous voice.

"Are you serious?" I'd said incredulously. "You really want to get up on a stage and shout at people?"

"Uh huh," she'd nodded, full of enthusiasm. "I think I'd be really good at it! I mean, you're always saying how graceful and coordinated I am, you need that for aerobics. And look at her...she's one of us, and she's up there!"

"Well I mean...if you think you'd enjoy something like that, then I guess you should go for it. You would be really good at it, you're so bubbly and infectious, I think people would enjoy your classes hun," I shrugged.

"Thanks Bella!" Alice beamed back at me. After the demonstration, Alice approached the instructor.

"You were great up there," Alice told her, bouncing a little. I frowned. If I didn't know better, I'd say Alice had a little crush. Aisha took her hand. I could see her studying Alice curiously. She must have recognized Alice for what she was, but didn't say anything.

Alice told Aisha about her interest in becoming an instructor, and Aisha told her how to get started.

And that's how Alice became an aerobics instructor. She's pretty damn good at it too, I must say. She has quite the following of female admirers. I don't mind. I trust my Alice implicitly, and it's kind of fun to see other girls drooling over her and know she's mine.

But we would come to regret the day we met Aisha.

...

"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
Well that's alright because I love the way you lie
I love the way you liiiiiiiie!"

"Ugh, can you not sing that Alice? It reminds me of Edward," I shudder.

Alice appears in the kitchen with Cupcake running in circles around her feet, yapping excitedly as she twirls in circles like an escaped mental patient.

Technically, she is one.

"I don't see how this song makes you think of Doucheward. He never set you on fire," she says, pirouetting.

"It just does! Quit it, sing something else!"

She shrugs. "Okay!" She switches gears easily.

"I kissed a girl and I liked it
the taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it!"

"How appropriate," I say sardonically. "Are you even ready? Do you have your lunch?"

"Yup!" she holds up the thermos of "tomato soup" I made for her and swings it. "You?

"Yeah, just need to get my shoes on."

"Let me approve your outfit first."

I roll my eyes. Alice and her fashion. It once irritated me to no end. And, while it still makes me send my eyes skyward, I'm glad she's back into it. It just wasn't right when she wasn't. I love my chirpy little fashion crazed girl. I don't want her to go back to the way she was five years ago.

I really don't.

So when you see me buying her expensive fashion magazines, or trotting dutifully beside her at Chadstone holding her hand, letting her dress me, or sitting outside the changerooms patiently while she tries on every outfit in store - it's because I remember what she was like when she didn't.

While I pretend to be annoyed as she fusses over me, I give her a little smile to let her know it's okay. I know now she's more insecure than she lets on. With her perpetually perky personality and occasional in-your-face attitude, it's easy to overestimate her confidence. But I learned the hard way she's much more sensitive than anyone would ever realize. I have to remember to let her know I love her exactly how she is, clothes obsessed and all, every chance I get.

She straightens my jacket and brushes imaginary lint off my shoulders. "Yes, it'll have to do."

"Thanks, my little fashionista," I tell her, kissing her cheek as she smiles widely back up at me.

"Wait!" she holds up one finger. Then there's a blur as she streaks out of the kitchen and in less than a second is back with a scarf, which she ties around my neck and spends five minutes arranging until it sits just right.

"Now you're ready!" She seems satisfied with herself that she's not sending me into the world looking like a homeless person. And she would know, since that's how we met. The second time, I mean.

"Thanks babe."

I don't really dress exciting for work anyway, just sensible suit and shirt. I am a psychologist now, so have to look the part. I work with women and teenage girls primarily in abusive relationships. It's something I identify with.

Not that Edward ever laid a hand on me of course. But he was controlling and mentally abusive in other ways. I wasn't allowed to have friends. I had to do everything the way he wanted. He controlled every aspect of my life for two years. For a while he even had Alice doing his bidding, which is what led to the breakup between me and him, and for a time...between me and Alice.

I finally got away from him, but I really hurt my Alice in the process. It took a long time to make it up to her.

But I did, and here we are on an ordinary day, going to our ordinary jobs. Just two ordinary girls in a lesbian relationship, except one just happens to be part of the immortal undead.

Not that strange, really.