Cakewalk

Disclaimer: First of all, not mine. Not in the least. The only things I own are a nice little townhome, a dog, and a ridiculous amount of Hard Rock Café Teddy Bears. Although, if it has the Cullen Crest on it, I like to at least think it's mine.

Summary: Pure fluff. With extra fluff. This is slightly out of sequence with the stories but it basically somewhere in Eclipse. I wanted to do a Mother/Daughter fluff scene with Bella and Esme making a cake. The only reason I could come up with for Bella making a cake was to have a fund raiser of some sort so...hence the Senior Trip that never happened in the books! Unless it's one to Italy....hehehe....

Author's Note: Okay, I am determined to make this story shorter than my deep, scary, OMG! It's werewolves in the 17th c! story…but ummm...I keep thinking of the hysterical stuff that the Cullen kids might have attempted and it's just too much fodder for the writer. So without further ado…

Chapter Three

I was still licking the yellow cake batter off my fingers as I walked from the kitchen into the living room. I didn't even register much more than Esme's humming from behind me when I was swept up by a very large hand shaped rock. "Hi, Bella!" I heard the rock, also known as Emmett, say as he swung me around in a hug.

"Emmett!" I managed to say with an indication that I wanted down. Being swung around the room faster than my truck could go was making me nauseous.

"Oh, sorry, Bella," he said while holding back his laughter – for once! – as I barely managed to remain semi-steady on my feet. As I gazed around the room, slowly keeping my stomach down where it should be, I noticed Jasper standing over near the back window, smiling. Emmett had a similar smile of his own.

"What's up?" I asked the two Cullen men before me. They were planning something, I just knew it!

"We want to know if…" Jasper started but Edward came running down the steps, took me out of Emmett's reach and wrapped his arms around me protectively.

"No," Edward said simply to his two brothers. Both of their faces only grew into bigger smiles. My vampire sweetheart let out a soft growl in warning to his brothers as his kissed the top of my head.

"Oh, come on, Edward!" Jasper said as he approached us.

"Please, Edward? We want Bella to help!" Emmett nearly begged. It was interesting to see what a big teddy bear he looked like when he wanted something.

"Help with what, guys?" I asked looking from one to the other. Neither responded; unless grinning like an idiot was considered a response.

I pulled away from Edward slightly and looked to him for an answer. He shrugged, holding my hand in his. "I'm not entirely sure," he told me. "That one," he said indicating Emmett "is playing the entire Dark Side of the Moon album to the Wizard of Oz in his head." Edward turned slightly and looked down at me, smiling.

"And that one," he gestured towards Jasper, never breaking eye contact with me, "is singing Macnamara's Band to block me."

"What's Macnamara's Band?" both Emmett and I asked. Well, I asked and Emmett just repeated the title of the song questioningly. I looked at Emmett and he looked just as confused as I was. Good. For once there is something that at least one vampire and I don't know. Stupid all knowing…

I was brought out of my train of thought by Edward's velvet voice. "It was a very popular song a while ago," he mused as he re-wrapped his arms around my waist.

"How long ago?" Emmett asked. "I don't remember it," he told his two brothers. If Emmett didn't remember it and both Jasper and Edward did, it must have been a very long time ago.

Edward shrugged. "A while ago," he told his brother again.

Emmett's face twisted as he thought. It was honestly cute; like a Winnie the Pooh cute. I wondered if Emmett knew the whole I'm just a little black rain cloud song… Jasper's smirk brought me out of that train of thought. Although whether he was smirking at me or Emmett…or both, I'm not sure.

"How does it go?" Emmett asked, still, probably, trying to remember the song.

Edward sighed. "I have it upstairs if you like. But I do expect this album to be returned in pristine condition," he warned him. I think I heard about a few of the other destroyed records and cd's before. I almost swear I heard Esme mutter something in the kitchen about only needing one or two more broken records to re-tile the bathroom…..

"I'd like to hear it too, Edward," I told him. I wanted to know what the heck this song was that Jasper had running through his head. I knew what the Pink Floyd album was and the whole Wizard of Oz thing that Emmett had been thinking about.

Both Jasper, and especially Emmett's, smiles grew again. "Great!" Emmett said clapping his hands together. He then turned to Edward and looked at him expectantly.

Exasperated, Edward gently let go of me and took my hand. "Fine," he said in defeat. It seemed to be about a lot more than just letting Emmett and myself hear some old record.

So the parade of the four of us, Emmett, Edward, myself, and Jasper, went up to Edward's room to listen to this strange song. I really had no idea what to expect. The title, Macnamara's Band, didn't sound really like something I'd expect Jasper to like. Not that I even knew what the song was about or how it sounded.

Of course, by the third step on the stairs, Edward decided that human speed wasn't fast enough and carried me the rest of the way. My stomach did not thank him but managed to stay down. I clutched his hand, tightly as I could, knowing it wouldn't hurt him in the slightest, as we all walked into his room.

I sat on his black leather sofa while Edward went to the wall of records and cd's to find the one he wanted. Emmett sat on the floor next to me while Jasper propped himself up against the wall near the doorway. It took less than half a second for Edward to find the record – which looked really old by the thin paper cover- and put it on the turntable.

The music blared happily out of the speakers. Emmett and I both looked at each other. The song started out with horns and beeping and pure…silliness. By the time the guy started to sing Emmett was in hysterics and I wasn't too far from it myself. I looked at Jasper, "This is what you were thinking?"

"Yeap," he responded with a smile. Jasper folded his arms over his chest as he took in Emmett and me laughing. Edward simply shook his head.

"Hey, Bella!" Emmett said to get my attention while the song was still playing.

"Yeah?"

"You know what would be really cool?" Emmett asked me, his eyes dancing.

I looked to Edward who was pinching the bridge of his nose, but smiling. Whatever Emmett had planned, it wasn't harmful to my health…. "No, what?" I asked.

"Kazoos!!!!!" Emmett shouted. With that, he sped off to who knows where. I heard Jasper say a "Oh no" and watched as his face fell. I, on the other hand, figured out exactly what Emmett was thinking. This song, to kazoos? It would be very funny and perfectly harmless. That combo made it Edward approved, at least in my case.

Emmett came back in with four metal kazoos that I think were about as old as my truck. The kazoos were in better condition though. Carefully, Emmett picked out a pink one from his left hand and handed it to me. "Here you go, Bella!" he said happily.

"Thanks, Emmett!"

He offered the kazoos to the other two and, amazingly, Jasper took the green one. Edward only shook his head; his fingers had yet to leave the bridge of his nose. It was only a couple of more seconds before the three of us were happily humming into our kazoos the ridiculous song. I kind of wonder if Jasper was simply thinking this song to annoy Edward.

Esme came upstairs and stood in the doorway with a dish towel on her arm. She laughed at the site of two of her children and me happily being well, silly.

"Hey, Esme! Do you want to play too?" Emmett asked her. He got up to offer her the fourth kazoo.

"No, thank you, sweetheart. I think you are doing very well without me," she said while she held back her laughter. Jasper and I were having a lot of fun humming along as we demanded for Edward to play the song again. After all, we needed to start with the kazoos from the beginning, right?

Edward looked at me, amused and rolled his eyes at his brother. He pushed himself against the shelves and leaned back watching us.

"Hennessey Tennessee toddles the flute while I the pipes do play," the sound system blared. All three of us resumed our kazoo playing during the little bridge of the song. Once it was over, I handed back the kazoo to Emmett.

"Thanks, Emmett. That was fun," I told him sincerely as I gave back the kazoo to him.

He grinned and shook his head. "No, you can keep it," he told me.

"Thanks." Emmett must have thought something else because, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward's expression change. It wasn't upset in the least bit, it was more of…surprised, maybe? But pleasantly so.

"That was a wonderful performance," Esme told us. Which got a snicker out of Edward. Which got a semi-glare out of Esme. Which, of course, got a laugh out of Emmett. And that lead to a grin out of Jasper. I was starting to understand this whole sibling-parents dynamics stuff…I think.

"Are the cakes doing okay?" I asked Esme, getting up from the sofa. I walked over to her and knew the cakes still had at least a good 20 minutes in the oven. After that, it would be a good hour before I could ice them.

"They're fine, dear," she told me.

"Bella?" Emmett said, immediately getting my attention. I heard Edward groan from the other side of the room.

"Yeah?" I responded, looking at him while standing near Esme. Jasper was right next to Emmett, clearly in on whatever he was going to ask.

"Can you help us make a cake?" Emmett asked. Both his and Jasper's eyes were pleading. Edward has his nose pinched again and I could almost feel Esme's eyes narrow at her boys.

"Ummm, why?" I asked curiously. Why would two vampires, who were NOT currently in school, need a cake? It didn't make any sense. Of course, Jasper's questioning earlier didn't make any sense but I have a feeling the two things are related. I bet Rosalie's and Alice's "shopping trip" is even related. It's a conspiracy. Why cake is involved….I just hope I don't find out.

"Please?" both their voices pleaded.

"Boys, what are you up to?" Esme asked, gently pulling me back to her by the shoulder.

"We just need a cake, Esme," Jasper said, acting innocent.

"Yeah, and Bella can help us! Right?" Emmett once again pleaded with me with his teddy bear eyes. Ugh! Stupid dazzling vampires…

"Fine," I said. I got two "yes!"s and one groan.

"We need to go back to the store then, I guess," I told the two boys. "We'll need another cake mix." What was I thinking? Four cakes in one day?!? Oh the things I get into…

"Nope," Jasper said proudly. "We already got cake mix."

I eyed the two speculatively. "What kind of cake mix?" I asked them. I hope they didn't get one of those weird kinds that you have to add flavoring too or something like that.

"There's more than one kind?" Emmett questioned. He was clearly surprised by this information.

"Milk chocolate," Jasper stated.

"Okay," I told them. I looked down to think. "Did you get icing?" I asked. If not, then we'd still have to go to the store. Yes, I could make buttermilk icing from scratch but I seriously doubt that they kept powdered sugar around here.

"No," they both answered. Jasper's face fell as he realized he had gotten something wrong. Emmett simply continued on, "What do we need for icing? Jasper and I can get it!" He almost sounded like a little kid begging someone older to let him do it himself.

"Well, you can just buy a can or you can get powdered sugar so we can make it from scratch," I informed them.

"Alright!" Emmett boomed. Three sets of gold eyes and my own set of brown stared at him.

"I umm," he started as he took in a sudden interest with Edward's carpet, "have some powdered sugar in my room."

"Why?" Edward asked incredulously. We were all thinking the same thing.

"Well, I was reading," Emmett started. Both Edward and Jasper smirked at that earning another glare from Esme. "Boys," she warned before motioning for Emmett to continue. He grumbled something too low for my ears to hear before he did.

"And I read about how people back in Carlisle's time use to put powder their wigs with flour and stuff," Emmett continued. We were all confused.

"And well, I read about how they had whole rooms devoted to just pour powder down on people's head," he stated. Edward pinched his nose again. It was a good thing he wasn't human because he'd so have a permanent bruise right at the bridge of his nose if he was. "Emmett," he said, exasperated again.

Esme looked worried. Jasper looked confused like me. "Well, if we need it for this project instead, Edward, that's fine. I won't do what I was planning," Emmett said in a huff.

"What were you planning?" Esme asked her son, concerned now.

Emmett turned to look at her. He reached back with his hand and scratched the back of his neck. It was clear he was embarrassed. "Well, I figured it might be a great April Fool's joke to set up Carlisle's study like one of those powder rooms but to use sugar instead and all because, you know, it's sticky," he more asked the last part then stated. Emmett knew he was in trouble.

Esme's hand went to cover her heart. "Emmett McCarthy Cullen! Why on earth would you do such a thing?" she asked. I don't think she really wanted an answer. Even I knew it was simply because well, Emmett was Emmett. And considering some of the things he could have thought up, powdered sugar all over Carlisle's study, although messy, was pretty tame.

"Well, I'm not going to now, Mom," he pretty much whined. Edward smirked. "Besides, Bella says we need the powdered stuff to make icing so it worked out, right?" Emmett asked her.

"I do not want you to ever try something like that," Esme warned. "Any of you," she quickly amended.

Another series of "Yes'm" s and "Yes, Mom"s echoed in Edward's room. Esme turned to me, "Bella, dear. The cakes should be done in about twenty minutes, alright?" I nodded in response. She looked at her sons over my shoulder. "If they bother you, just tell me. I'll make sure they behave," she informed me but I think it was more of a warning to the boys.

The room was silent for about two seconds after Esme left. Then I heard a collective groan. I turned to my three vampires and looked at them curiously. Edward was immediately at my side and had his arms around me. The other two gazed out the window towards the driveway.

"It's Alice and Rosalie. They're back," Edward whispered into my hair.

My eyes went wide. "I don't want to play dress up," was my only response.

Author's note: I hope y'all liked this chapter. It's a bit shorter than the other ones (only 14 pages double spaced this time!!) but I wanted to get up to Alice and Rosalie's reappearance. If anyone is curious about the song; Macnamara's Band did make it to the top ten list....in 1917. Or there abouts. Don't ask how I know... I will admit, it is an awesome song to play the kazoo too. I think I still have my old red plastic one somewhere.... If you want to hear it, I suggest the Spike Jones version on you tube. It's a bit different from the 1917 version I learned but it's still kazoo worthy.