Disclaimer: All things twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. All things Shakespearean belong to William Shakespeare. All things fictional belong to RainerNight.

a/n: Thanks to everyone who's favorited, story alerted or reviewed this, you're all awesome. But I know we can do better, spread the word!

I am trying to write as much as I can but I do have a few stories going on at once so I apologize if this isn't updated as much as you all would like, but I am trying.

Thanks, as always to my Beta, Beth (stupid_lamb) for making my ridiculousness readable.

TO SEE WHAT I HAVE SEEN
SCENE 3

Bella

You say Y-E-S to everything
Will that guarantee you a win?
Do you think you will be good enough
To love others and to be loved?

Mowgli's Road: Marina & the Diamonds

--

The bronze haired flash of lightning had unintentionally, or intentionally I wasn't really to know, turned my entire fucking day upside down. For the rest of the afternoon I was in a funk. I was miscounting stock, over-charging customers and making a general fuckery of the entire store. It got to the point where the twins wouldn't even let me drive home. Instead, Rose chose to drive my truck home for me. I felt like I was being fucking babysat, and why? Because 'Edward' (which is a pretentious fucking name by the way), decided to come into my domain, and inadvertently kick me in the gut with his face, hair, eyes, hands and that stupid Shakespeare spewing mouth.

"Bella?" Rose broke through the silence that had encompassed the car since we pulled away from Main Street in Port Angeles, heading towards Forks. I turned to her, my face blank. She sighed loudly and flicked her curls behind her shoulder, clicking her tongue ring on her teeth. "I'm sorry he wasn't what you wanted," she said, her eyes focused on the road stretching out in front of the truck.

"Wasn't what I wanted? What the fuck are you talking about?" I narrowed my eyes at her. So I thought he was cute, it's not a fucking crime. She'd be fucking lying if she tried to tell me she didn't think that Cullen guy wasn't a looker. She's not fucking stupid, or blind.

She shrugged, "He's a Cullen. I saw the way you looked at him, Bella." She glanced over at me. "The last guy I saw you look at like that was…" she stopped herself, giving me a sympathetic eye.

I shook my head, "I have no idea what you're talking about. And don't you dare bring him up. You have no right." I wrung my hands in my lap, picking at the nail polish on my thumbs. "I'll never see him again. I'll never see Edward again so it makes no fucking difference how I looked at him. He's no one."

Rosalie sighed. "Don't get me wrong; if you were to meet someone, I think that would be really great for you Bells. You could use a little romance in your life." She smiled at me. "God knows you deserve someone who can treat you right."

"Don't you dare fucking sit there and tell me what I Goddamn need, Rose, okay?" I pointed at her. I was so sick of being told how I feel. Told how I should feel. I hated being told what to do. I'd spent my entire adolescence being told what to do by my mother; I'd rather die than let anyone else order me around that way.

"Look, I'm sorry okay?" Rose said gently, trying to calm me down. She reached across the bench seat and grabbed my hand in hers. I hadn't even noticed until then that I was shaking. "I'm just worried about you. When Cullen walked in I saw the way you looked at him and I liked seeing you that way. I miss that Bella."

I shook my head, "You miss a Bella that was a total mistake, Rose. Jake was a mistake. He proved that to me in every way. And this Cullen guy is gone. I won't see him again and things will be back to the way they're meant to be. I don't need a man to complete me, Rose. I don't need a man to make me smile," I said firmly, resting my case with a firm slap to my own knee with my hand.

Rose pulled into my driveway. Jasper's car was waiting on the roadside, his lights on. Rose cut the engine and handed me the key before she grabbed her bag. "Just because you don't need one, doesn't mean you can't want one." She leaned over the seat, kissing my cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow." She clicked open the driver's door and jumped out, heading towards Jasper's car.

I sat in my truck for a few moments going over what had just happened. I'd been alone for so long I'd forgotten what it was like to belong to anyone, to find comfort in someone in a romantic way. My friends had always been there for me and I'd never needed a physical reason to need a man. I had a vibrator, I had 2 hands and I wasn't a complete prude, I knew how to use them. And I did use them. Daily. There was absolutely nothing wrong with having a healthy sexual appetite. I could go out and find a guy who smiles at me the right way to take me home and pound me like a piece of meat, but cheap sex isn't my thing and it wouldn't get me off the way I'd want.

I groaned loudly, the sound echoing off the truck interior. I ran my hands over my face and kicked at my dashboard where I'd been resting my feet. I grabbed my bag and climbed out of the truck, shutting and locking it up seeing as I wouldn't be using it again today.

It was then that I noticed the extra car parked to the side by the large tree that shrouded the house in shade during the day, which I was never home to enjoy. Aunt Jane's 60's Volkswagen Beetle was tucked in. Even though it was dark you could still see the bright orange car. It stuck out like a moving traffic cone, a traffic cone with a flower mural on the door's and bright pink hubcaps. It had all the glamour of a wake 'n' bake party and the color pallet of a Dunkin' Donut's.

I let myself into the house and hung my coat on the rack. I almost leapt out of my skin when I found Aunt Jane leaning against the door, smiling at me. "Wow, make noise, woman, you scared the shit outta me!" I grabbed my chest to prove my point.

Aunt Jane looked like a bag of skittles had thrown up on her, dressed in a beaded rainbow cocktail dress and red platform pumps. She crossed her arms and smiled at me, a glint in her eye. "I have a favor to ask of you, Bella."

I narrowed my eyes at her, "Whatever it is, if it involves dressing like you I flat out refuse!" I joked, heading into the kitchen. Half joked. "Hey Dad!" He was sitting at the table reading the newspaper, still dressed in his uniform. Dad was the Chief of Police - had been for as long as I could remember. An accident a few years back had left him with a bad leg, so most of his duties he now executed from the station. He still went out on a few calls in the field but he mostly stayed inside. At least that way I knew he would always be safe. Charlie had spent his entire life in Forks, and in turn, was a creation of his surroundings. If he wasn't in uniform he was in flannel or plaid. He kept his moustache trimmed but his hair was always shaggy. He was my dad and had always been there for me when I needed him. I loved him with my whole heart, and I always would.

"Hey Bells!" He reached up, hugging me awkwardly with one arm as I greeted him. "How was work?" he asked, sipping on his Rainier beer, one of the many constants in this household. "I heard you had a run in with one of the Cullen kids?" He smirked.

I couldn't stop the eye roll that followed. "Does everything in my life take two seconds to get around the gossip pond? It was nothing. He came in to say hi and then he left. No big deal. Are you hungry?" I asked, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.

Aunt Jane and Dad shared a glance. Aunt Jane's eyebrows rose and she nodded at me. My dad guffawed loudly and shook his head. "No way, Jane, you're on your own," he laughed.

My eyebrows furrowed, "What's going on?"

Aunt Jane smiled at me and took a few steady steps in my direction. "Honey, you know how much I appreciate your loyalty to the store, and I think you're doing such a great job with everything!" I nodded still a bit cautious as to what she was kissing my ass for. Ass kissing was not in the list of things Aunt Jane did with her time.

"What do you want?" I eyed her carefully. Once she gripped my left hand in between her own I knew something was up. "Whatever it is just say it, you're making me nervous. Do you need a kidney or something?" Aunt Jane laughed at my weak attempt at breaking tension and I looked over to my dad who was shaking his head as he read the paper, chuckling away to himself.

"Okay, I'm just going to ask." She took a deep breath and looked up at me. "I've been invited to the Cullen's for dinner and…Ineedforyoutocomewithme." She smiled up at me, but it looked painful, I'm not gonna lie.

And then it hit me. "Wait what?" I asked, leaning towards her. "I don't think I heard you properly," I laughed.

She shook her head, "Don't make me ask again. I feel just awful asking this of you since I know your first encounter with a Cullen went so…awkwardly. But I've been asked by Carlisle himself. I need for you to come with me. I could ask one of the others from the store, but Carlisle asked for you specifically."

"Me? Specifically? Why me? I don't understand." There's absolutely no way you're taking me into their house and there is absolutely no fucking way I'm sitting down at a dinner table with those people, least of all Edward fucking Cullen!

"I know! I'll owe you so much for the rest of my life and I know this is going to come back at me, karma wise. I'll probably have to light some replenishing incense later," she said, her train of thought veering off course as she summated how she was going to repent the act of niece begging. "But, that can wait. We have to go, and we have to leave in like…15 minutes ago. Go, go, hurry!" She shooed me out of my own bloody kitchen before I'd had a chance to even refuse.

I stepped a foot onto the stairs and looked around. "What in the hell just happened here?" Was I actually about to do this? Was I going to dinner at the Cullen's house? Was I thinking about going sans panties? I felt myself slowly ascend the stairs and my breathing became shallower as the thoughts continued to plague my mind, one after the other, playing out scenario after scenario of the billion's of things that could go wrong. But worst of all was just an image of his face; I'd get to see the Bronze haired boy again. Half of me was elated, the other half felt guilty. I was torn.

--

"Why am I doing this again?" I whispered into my cell phone as I pulled fiercely on the seatbelt with my free hand. "It's hot in here. I think it's hot in here. This seat belt is trying to cut me in half. I can't fucking breathe!" I gasped, pushing the seatbelt away from my neck.

"Bells! Just calm down, okay?" Angela soothed down the phone line. I could've called Rosalie but she would've been panicking just as much as I was, telling me how stupid I was for agreeing to come with Aunt Jane. I didn't need to be told this was stupid. I knew this was stupid. "You're going to their house for dinner, right?"

I wound down the world's oldest window in Aunt Jane's Beetle and stuck my head out into the fresh air. "Yes, I said yes. Well, actually, I didn't say yes, I'm not actually entirely sure why I'm sitting here right now." I snuck a glare over at Aunt Jane who was driving with the most obnoxious grin on her face. "All I wanted to do tonight was fuck around online, maybe watch a movie and go to sleep. But NO."

Aunt Jane completely ignored me which was possibly the most infuriating thing ever but I rolled my eyes and continued to talk to Angela. "Look, Bells, they're just a family. Besides, they may actually be nice, you never know. They don't have to be our enemies, they could be our friends." She actually squeaked the end part.

I sighed, "Okay maybe you're right. I doubt it, but you might be right." We said goodbye and hung up just as we pulled into a long driveway, leading to the house. The Abbott mansion. I'm pretty sure it was part of the historical society around here. I'm surprised they were even able to buy the place. It was ancient. It was beautiful, sure, that was obvious. But still, it was ancient. It was plantation style, which always confused me since I'm pretty sure it was built here and even if Forks had been plantations once upon a time, the weather here isn't exactly great for growing crops or anything; the corn would be water flooded.

The entire house was white, not off white, not cream, nor slightly yellow from age and weather; it was actually white. Pristinely white…too white. The shutters were a deep blue. It looked like a house from Anne of Green Gables to be honest.

Aunt Jane pulled the car up in front of the house, pulling up to park beside a pretentious looking BMW. I snorted as I opened my door, eyeing the car like it was about to turn and call me a name or something. I shut the door, looking back up at the house, my breath immediately sticking in my throat as I noticed the front door was open and that shadowy figures were waiting for us on the front porch.

"Come on, Bella!" Aunt Jane tried to snap quietly. I'm pretty sure they heard her in La Push. I rushed to her side as her platforms pounded against the concrete of the Cullen driveway. I tried to squint in the darkness to see who exactly it was standing on the porch watching us like hawks in the nighttime but it was useless. "Carlisle! So lovely to see you!" Aunt Jane spoke as we stepped up the three wooden steps leading up and the figures came into focus in the dim serenity of the porch light.

My eyes must've been deceiving me because there's no way one family can be this beautiful. The one named Carlisle, who I guessed was the father of the family, stepped forward, holding his hands out to Aunt Jane. Carlisle Cullen, that name did ring a bell. His hair was slicked back and he smiled with his eyes. He was quite good looking for whatever his age must be, handsome for an older man. Aunt Jane then greeted the woman standing at his side. Now this woman was beautiful. Her hair was soft and brown, falling down her shoulders in wavy curls. Her lips were full and outlined with an obviously well thought out shade of pink that would've made Rose cringe. But she wore it well, her eyes shining as she greeted my Aunt with a smile that seemed totally sincere.

"And you must be Bella." Carlisle smiled, holding his hand between us. I pulled myself out of my staring and judging to shake his hand.

"That I would be, thank you for the invitation, it was most unexpected," I replied almost robotically. I may not have been the most well spoken person around my friends but I wasn't rude. I knew how to be polite, and I could charm the pants off of anyone.

"Of course, you're most welcome." His wife smiled, reaching out to take my hand after Carlisle. "I'm Esme and these are our children." Esme, the wife, turned to point at the two standing obediently behind them. They stepped forward and I noticed instantly that neither of them was Edward and I tried to hide my disappointment with a small, polite smile. "This is Emmett… The tall, strong looking male with the dimples and cheeky grin waved at me, winking in a friendly yet curious manner. I found myself smiling wider in response as I waved in turn. "And this is my daughter, Alice; the youngest," Esme added. Now this girl did not seem anything like her older brother. She looked down her nose at me, eyeing up my outfit with a single sweep of her thickly mascara'd lashes.

I almost thrust my clutch at Aunt Jane asking her to hold my shit while I wiped that snotty look off Alice Cullen's face with my fist. My smile disappeared immediately and I returned the same scowl the stranger was sending me. "It's nice to meet you both," I shot icily, staring Alice down. She scoffed, flung her skanky hair over her skanky shoulder and began inspecting her nails. Emmett shoved his younger sister's shoulder and the two exchanged a look.

We began to head inside and I listened intently to the adults, waiting to hear something about Edward's whereabouts. As Carlisle took my coat I received my answer. "Edward, our middle child, will be back shortly. I sent him to the store to pick up a few things for me, but he should be back. I'd love for you to meet him, Bella." Esme swooned over her son. Obviously Edward's mother wasn't immune to his charm either.

I smiled at her as we stood awkwardly in the front foyer.

"Sorry, come into the sitting room," Carlisle offered and Aunt Jane and I followed the Cullen's from the main hall to the right where a large area with modern looking furniture sat. I wasn't expecting everything to be so…new. Especially in a house as old as this one was. I looked around at the fixtures and moldings which looked as untouched as I'd expected. The entire decorative theme clashed with the age of the house. It looked tacky and ridiculous. The coolest thing about the room was the blood-red wallpaper glittered with golden vines that crept across the walls like a web. "All of the light fixtures and crown moldings in the house are original. Over 100 years old," Carlisle beamed.

I nodded, looking around. "Seems a shame," I muttered, eyeballing a large absurd looking sculpture that sat in the corner. It looked like a bloody penis. When did the memo go out to artists that said the more phallic the sculpture the more it would sell for? Give me a sculpture of a naked man with a towel over his shoulder any day but for the love of God, own it!

"What seems a shame dear?" I looked up from my amateur judgment and found Esme looking at me expectantly. It seemed I needed to work on my subtlety.

I shook my head, smiling shyly at her. "Nothing, just a passing thought." I sat down on one of the single leather chairs and almost yelped as I sunk into the cushion. I'm sure my legs were sitting higher than my ass. My black silk cocktail dress that had been sitting in my closet since high school graduation 3 years ago was not reacting so well with the leather. If I moved even a little I was sure I'd go flying off into the cheese ball that sat on the bright red table in the middle of the room that went with absolutely nothing. My comment was quickly forgotten as Aunt Jane launched into a play by play of her entire day to Esme and Carlisle got up, fetching us some drinks. He returned with my wine and I took a sip, staring at a small apothecary table that was beside the seat I was sitting on. I hadn't noticed in my distaste that Alice had made her way over, taking the seat beside me.

"You won't find that at a Pottery Barn if that's what you were hoping for," she commented snidely. I turned to her, my eyebrow arched in shock at her sudden closeness. Emmett was flanking her, perched on a stool as he chugged back large gulps of a Heineken, watching over us with that same cheeky grin.

I looked down at the table. "I wouldn't be surprised if I could. It doesn't look very genuine, although I must say it is the only piece of furniture that goes with this room." I shrugged, sipping my wine again. Emmett choked on his beer, glancing furiously between Alice and myself. I glanced at Alice and I frowned even further. If looks could kill, I would've been twice dead now because she did not look happy. Her whole face went red as she clenched her fist.

"Excuse me, but what would you know about interior design, huh? Nothing, that's what! This room is decorated to perfection!" Alice fumed. I'm surprised she wasn't stomping her foot on the floor, flailing about, seeing as she was well on her way to a tantrum.

"Perfection for what? A condo in Florida? Look around you, this house is historic. It's older than God and stuffing it full of generic up-market leather, chrome and glass is spitting on the heritage of this house. What's old is beautiful and should be kept that way. Nothing in this room fits with this house; it's like taking a choir boy and placing him smack damn in the middle of a prison, it just doesn't work." I shrugged as nonchalantly as possible, taking another sip of wine. "But you're right, what do I know?" I smiled sarcastically at her and her mouth dropped open. She was just about to yell at me, I could feel it, but unfortunately for her she was stopped by her brother slamming an open palm playfully to the middle of her back.

"Whoa, Alice! It seems Miss. Bella here agrees with the majority of the household." Emmett laughed before he turned to me. "We've been trying to talk her into bringing the furniture up from the basement but she ensures us we'll get used to this. It's 'top of the line' apparently." Emmett's face screwed up in disgust as he looked around the room. Alice looked about ready to burst. "Edward hates it especially. I mean, I'm all for trends but this place looks like a showroom, Sis." He patted Alice's head which must've been the last straw because she jumped up; huffing out of the room towards what I guessed was the kitchen.

"Was it something I said?" I shrugged, as I tried to look coy but I'm sure I failed miserably.

Emmett threw his head back, laughing loudly and I couldn't help but smile. "Ignore Alice, she's naturally high strung," he said as he moved from the stool into the seat his sister had just vacated. "She's majoring in Interior Design but it's sort of gone to her head. She was a know-it-all before she started college. The more information she gets she somehow thinks is given to her so she can prove her point whether she's wrong or not. It's infuriating. Endearing, but infuriating." He shook his head, running a hand over his dark spiky hair as he drained the rest of his bottle.

"You're not like your brother," I said before it had even registered in my head. I immediately began chastising myself. What have we talked about, Bella? THINK before you speak. THINK then speak! My hand flew to my mouth, a physical attempt at keeping my words in my mouth.

Emmett tilted his head at me. "You've met Edward?" he asked, intrigue plastered on his face. "When?"

I nodded, "This afternoon at Bird's & Bee's."

Emmett's eyes widened. "He went into your store?" He looked away, staring at the empty bottle in his palm and then he smiled and chuckled at his own private joke. "That explains a lot." He shook his head, obviously not willing to share what he found so entertaining with little old me.

"It's just, you and Alice have very similar coloring, as far as look's go. Edward's a little more…" I trailed off, trying to find the right word to describe the fascinating Edward Cullen.

"Pointy?" Emmett offered making me snort in laughter. I covered my mouth again, willing the snort to crawl back in me. Emmett gazed at me before he burst into hysterics. "You fucking snorted!" He pointed, openly laughing at me.

I shook my head in embarrassment. "It was the seat." I tried to blame, but it was useless. It was then that what Emmett had said registered in my head. "Did you just call your brother pointy!?" I smirked.

Emmett shrugged and his laughter subsided. "Yeah, I might have. But you know what I mean; he's a little bit…pointy."

For as strange as the summation was, it was pretty true. He was quite pointy, pointy in the best way. "I guess so…pointy and bronze."

Emmett nodded, "It makes no sense either, his hairs quite red and his eyes are green. Mom's eyes are green though." Emmett pointed at Esme who looked over at us when she heard 'Mom' before she smiled, her eyes smiling with her. She seemed kind. "Oh, speak of the devil," Emmett said under his breath, pushing himself out of his seat. "Can I fetch you a refill, Miss. Bella?" Emmett asked, holding his hand out to take my wine glass. I then noticed my glass was empty and I nodded absentmindedly, watching as Emmett made his way into the foyer and began to talk to someone who was out of sight, taking a bag from the hidden person. It then hit me: Edward was back.

I watched Emmett laugh and maneuver my wine glass and his bottle into one hand to hold the paper bag easier and he moved up the hallway towards the kitchen. And then there he was. Dressed in a black fitted button down and deep grey jeans stood Edward Cullen. His hair was in its taunting disarray and he ran another hand through it as he stepped into the sitting room, reaching his hand out to shake Aunt Jane's hand. He was smiling but it was forced, but he was well practiced; only someone who used the same fake smile in their arsenal would be able to detect it. He stood up, talking to my Aunt who began to fan herself as she smiled up at him, responding to whatever it was he'd asked. I shook my head in bewilderment. My Bronze Haired Boy was dazzling my bloody Aunt.

Your Bronze Haired Boy, Bella? My inner Bella nodded furiously, the one who ran with my heart in her hands, where as the sensible Bella that lived in my head was wielding an axe, aiming it at Inner Bella with a look of absolute dread on her face. I shook the thought from my head just in time. He looked over at me and I noticed Esme pointing at me.

"Uh yes, we met earlier today." I heard Edwards honey voice confess and all eyes were then on me, but mine were only trained on one set. He was magnetic. He moved towards me and I felt my posture change to match his whereabouts in the room. He stopped a few feet in front of me, holding his hand out. "Bella, it's wonderful to see you again."

I blinked at him a moment and my hand rose to meet his. His skin was so soft, and he smelt of musky cologne and man. I tried to hide it but I inhaled deeply as he lifted my hand to his lips. My breath hitched in my throat as he pressed his lips to the soft skin of my knuckles. "Edward." I nodded, the corner of my mouth lifting into a quarter smile.

He let my hand go standing back up to his impressive height and he excused himself from the room, heading the same way Alice had fled. Three sets of eyes were on me, all shocked, knowing or curious. "What was that?" Aunt Jane asked. Subtlety obviously ran in the family.

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and tried to hide my smile. "It was nothing, just being polite," I said, ringing my hands awkwardly in my lap. If that was just being polite, I'd love to see you two actually try! Sensible Bella taunted, sitting on my shoulder with a disgusted expression on her face.

Inner Bella was long gone. She'd followed Edward into the kitchen throwing Goddamn fucking confetti.

And here I sat, confused as all hell.

But about three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward Cullen was beautiful, in every sense of the word and I had to keep my wits about me under all circumstances. Second, he was still the enemy and as much as I could ignore it, he was a Cullen, and that changed everything. And third, I was not sure coming sans panties was such a wise move because I was pretty sure my ass was now glued to the leather seat.

To Be Continued…

a/n: and there you have it.

Drop me a line! Let me know what you think is going to happen, what you'd like to see happen, what could be the worst thing that could happen…I'd love to hear from you.

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