I know I said I'll wait before getting this chapter out, but I just couldn't. Enjoy!

Stupid Cupid

BPOV

I dashed into Crystal as soon as I exited the office.

"Whoa! Easy Chika! Where's the fire? More importantly, what's cooking?" she said with thick implications.

"Nothings going on Cryst-Chris!" sheesh these names will take some getting used to. I've set up the surveillance equipment at the office.

She raised her eyebrows at me. "Let's wait for others outside." both of us stepped out to find Mason looking at some magazine.

Chris stop drooling already and listen to me. Have you got the pointer bugs?

I do… but why do you need it?

I had already bugged their luggages and carry-ons in the car, now all we need to do is bug people. I continued to tell her how.

"Don't you people get tired trying to communicate through eyes? Alice said as she joined us in the sitting area.

"You'd think. But they get a kick out of spooking people playing all psychic." Ben said. By now everyone was out in the sitting area.

"You're one to complain Alice. " Emmett said. Seems someone doesn't like mind readers and psychics in the house. Chris thought. "Will you guys teach me?" he asked trying to imitate what I assume is Alice's puppy eyes.

"Al, it's just less painstaking this way and as for Em, sure we'll give it a shot." I replied trying to be completely absorbed in the conversation while my mind raced with the possible plans for bugging everyone in the room.

"Al and Em?" Rosalie asked as she too stepped out.

"Sure. I like nick-naming people. As in Al for Alice, Em for Emmett, Rose, Ed, Jazz, Angie and Mase." I replied simply.

"I like that" A lot of them muttered in cohesion.

"Glad to know we covered that topic. Now since everybody is here; let us leave." Chris went on to the elevators.

"Leave where?" Mase was the one to ask her. I did not miss the look he gave her. They were completely perfect for each-other.

Seeing as Chris was flabbergasted, I decided it was rescue time. Apparently Ben thought the same too and we both interjected at the same time. "Oh, we're going to the Celeb-Spot mall for dining and shopping."

Chris took over now. "Alice didn't think that we could shop properly here and limited choices are a big no-no for me." She said looking directly at Mase. Thanks she thought.

"Sounds like Alice, and I thought it was you and Chris that were twins." Edward commented.

I just shrugged. Then something clicked. "Wait a minute, you mean another shopaholic?" Everyone who knew Alice nodded. "Oh joy! There goes my good day!"

"Chris too?" Rose inquired. I frowned. "I know what you mean."

"It's such a pity when the pretty don't wanna dress up." Chris muttered almost tragically. "I know what you mean." was Al's reply.

"If I got a penny for every time I've played dress up with you, I'd be a millionaire." I finished as the limos arrived.

"Your parents will be meeting you at the restaurant." The chauffer told us. We all got inside; I was squeezed between Edward and Emmett while Chris sat at the window by Mase. It took us 15 minutes to get to our destination.

We gave the name Cullen at the desk and were shown into a large booth section, where their parents were already seated. The server arrived as soon as we were seated. He was a 30-something man with blue eyes and blond hair.

"Good evening, my name is James and I'll be your server tonight." The name sent a chill down my spine, triggering some forgotten memory.

Are you okay?

I don't know Chris, but I think I've heard that name before.

It was time for us to order. James left shortly after that. Crystal was about to say something, but before she could, we saw someone from the adjacent booth peeking in, looking a little more than merely interested. Call it a hunter's intuition, but we knew that something was wrong here.

"Excuse us." We muttered at the same time and hurried after the man without waiting for a response.

For a fact, we both had sharpened blades, one in each boot, ropes, a TZ 9 pistol in our jeans. I carried a tazer, a swiss knife, some chloroform-like pheromone powder, bugs-plenty of them and stakes. A stake to the heart didn't kill a vampire, infact an ordinary stake will do no good at all, but a stake induced with hypnos made by shamankas, worked like fire on a vampire. It tortured them. Chris had tab for ready net connectivity stored in there somewhere.

The man followed the back door onto an empty street. "How predictable!" I muttered disgusted.

As soon as we entered the alley, we were surrounded by atleast 10 armed people. "How predictable!" this time it was Chris to say this.

"So…you chicks think you can out do us?" One of them sneered.

"We don't think so… we know." We said together with determination.

"Well, I'll do you one up. Leave now, step aside, let us take the girl. It's a win-win situation. Anyone who thinks two petite girls will do any good in a battle such as this, is bound to be a fool. Sending novices…huh. Go back to your mommy and play in your daddy's backyard." He said as he continued to circle around us.

"Shut up. This isn't your monologue Hamlet, this is the battle scene." I said jerking my chin. My English professor will be so proud.

"Well you really don't grasp the severity of the situation do you? We do not want to do any unnecessary harm." He glared at me as if I had interrupted Sunday sermon at church.

"You are right. This one just won't shut up." Chris said. He lunged.

"Back to back" she yelled at the same time as I smashed my shoulders into hers. Standard field combat.

She smashed her hand to the right just as one of the fellows tried creeping up on us, I let my boot out and tripped him backwards, yelling "duck!" and in the same spin hitting a guy on Chris' opposite side in the guts while Chris went low and sweeped her leg from under another guy at our left.

Three guys at once! We were getting better at this. Initially, the ability to read each-other's minds created problems while fighting together; since you used to be thinking two moves at the same time.

We both jabbed our boot heels, which were basically knives, into the men's arms; as the three of them screamed in pain. Girly much? "Three O'clock" Chris yelled. I gave her a spin and leap as she pulled a dagger out of her boot, landing on the back of a hulk-imposter; effectively slicing his neck. Just then a guy pulled my hair and wrapped them around his hand like a rope. Why did one kind of guy always go for the hair?

I had to go through three field tests to prove it to Grandpa that I will not get caught because of my hair, or else he would have cut them off while I slept. I had earned my hair. "Leave my hair!" I all but shrieked at him; while she staked another guy. I hit him with a chop at his kidney line and then dropped to the ground. I went with the momentum into a roll, releasing myself from the douche's hold and sliced his neck too.

We were back to back once more. Us in the centre and the remaining four guys circled us. Chris and I interlocked our arms backward. First she lifted me on her back, my legs spreading out to catch the closest guy in the face and toppling him over. I did the same for Chris and then the boots did the job.

Already on my feet, I slashed out forward and staked the guy in front of me before he could say "kill". Now it was me and Chris versus one guy, "Let's hold him out for news." she said empting his pockets. "We'll stash him by the bins and come back later." I said as I tied him up.

We were out and in in about a minute. Nothing to alert the others. I thought.

They sent humans for the job, they weren't expecting resistance. Any idea who it might be? What do you think will happen when none of them return? She asked as we walked back in and made our way to the restaurant.

Well, rule one: don't leave anyone to return to the boss with news They'll know opposing parties are involved. But as for now, we have the upper hand. The question is how did they know that Angela was here? I dragged Chris to the kitchen and over to where James was.

"Hey I need you to do me a favor." I said in a muffled voice, intentionally husky and looked up from under my eyelashes. I saw him gulp before he nodded. Lewd-men! Even though he still made me uneasy, this should be easy.

I took out the bugs from one of the many sections of my belt and handed them over to him. "I need you to add one of these in each of the beverages at our table, except ours ofcourse. You see, our friends really need to get stoned." He nodded with a smirk accepting the hundred dollar bill I slipped him. I and Chris then made our way to the table. We had not been gone for more than three minutes altogether.

"What happened?" Esme asked, so mother-like that I almost saw an image of Renee, my mother pass before my eyes. Chris squeezed my hand below the table at this. "Nothing to worry about. I'm just allergic to shell-fish, even it's smell." I said jerking a thumb towards the adjacent booth.

"Creepy Bella, sniffing stuff." Mase made a scrunched up face at me.

"Well then what would you say if I told you she can smell blood too, and that when we were young she fainted at the smell of it." Ben interjected.

"That was once." I defended myself. A vampire hunter, scared of blood. The irony wasn't lost to me.

"You can smell blood?" Jazz, Edward and Carlisle questioned together.

"I thought we were the twins." I pointed towards Chris. "You guys doing it is just creep-tacular."

Emmett's booming laughter filled the restaurant over all the babble. "Creep-tacular…I like that, sniffer!"

Just then James arrived with our drinks. Ours were bug-free, while Ben politely declined saying he had a cough. The bugs were basically minuscule mics that had practically no end to its range. If there was we hadn't discovered it yet. And since it was used by morois over the globe, we were pretty confident about it's capacity and reliability.

"Well enough cracks on me." I didn't like too much of attention and this fact irritated Chris to no end. But isn't the whole point of being a hunter, mixing in the shadows? This she heard. Damn right I don't!

"So, here is to all of us here, successful, secure and most importantly happy." I raised my glass to the center of the table. All glasses clinked together.

"Hey in a shot." Emmett said, before the glasses reached anyone's lips. Only making our job easier. Was Chris' prime thought. And then we all gulped it down.

Mine was the first glass to hit the table, the second was Emmett.

"Damn you Swan! I've never lost a shot before." Emmett whined.

"Em, don't whine like a five year old chick." I waved a hand at him. Everyone, including Rose laughed at that.

"Babe, you to?" Em puppy-faced Rose.

"What? The girl has some guts on her, you've got to hand it to her." then she tuned to me. "Kudos to you I guess. I appreciate people who like keeping their back-bone straight." She smile-smirked at me. I returned the same.

"I think there will be a lot more firsts to come here Rosalie." Angie was the one who spoke. I gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned with a head bow of her own.

The order arrived and the light chit-chat went on. I, Chris and Ben were constantly on the look-out for anything out of place. Even the parents joined in the conversation.

"Now that we've had dinner, let's go shop!" Al bounced up and down in her seat.

"Wait a minute Alice."Carlisle interjected.

"What now?" Al muttered under her breath.

"Nothing Alice." Then he turned to face me. "I'm sure you are informed Bella, but are you prepared for the presentation we have tomorrow morning? Because if you are going to be late tonight…?"

"Yes, I have the ppt file prepared and the models are ready too.I'll take about half an hour. And don't worry about the probably going to be all-nighter. I'm used to working for atleast 20 hours a day."

Everyone's eyes shot up. "Workoholic" Chris and Ben said in a sing-song voice.

"You sure you are human Bella?" Mase raised an eyebrow at me.

"Last time I checked…I am."I gave an emphatic nod.

James arrived with our bill. "Carlisle and Jim (Mr. Webber) took the bill.

"You didn't think you were going to pay the whole amount now, were you? Because even the particular thought is just plain absurd." I said trying to imitate an upset mother.

"You do the upset mother thing down to a tee." Edward noted.

I and Chris sat up straight suddenly. Think he can read your mind?

No, my shield has never failed me. I immediately rejected the very notion.

"What you reading minds now?" I and Chris peeked into the minds of everyone around. Shock, was the predominant thought in all the Cullen's minds, except Edward's. The Webbers didn't react.

"Nada. Your face is just too easy to read." The others were still shell-shocked.

"So, we pay for ourselves, and no you don't get to argue. If it was any of your kids, you wouldn't have argued and if you do, I'll get the fact that you haven't accepted us and that we are still just strangers to you." I said changing the topic.

"More specifically, you do Esme to a tee." Jazz added.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Thank You."

We finally settled the bill and got out of the restaurant. Right now, there was a decision to make. What to do? Pubbing in the disc or the shopping spree?

Alice, Jasper due to her, Chris and the adults opted for the shopping spree, which made 7 of them.

While; me, Rose, Edward, Em, Ben, Mase and Angie opted for the disc. Alice and Chris puppy-eyed

"Why can the guys go? While me and Angie can't?" I grumbled.

"Oh don't you fret Bells! Plus Angela doesn't really mind either of the two." Chris stated with a huff.

"Ofcourse she won't, because me and Bella are the ones who'll by your life-sized dolls." Rose flicked her hair.

But what Al and Chris want, AL and Chris get. I knew this fact with respect to Chris, but I soon learned that Al was just the same, only worse maybe.

We had been shopping for over two hours now, it was 11:00 pm. This was the tenth store we'd been to, including prada, Gucci and what not. We already had around 40 bags for only six of us, and they thought that I still hadn't found my dress for tomorrow evening. After my formal introduction and admission into the Institute as a Senior Research Personnel and announcement of the Nobel Price I was receiving, there was dinner and dance. Which meant I needed a partner. Great! As if I wasn't already toast!

This was the only shop, were very determinately, I had searched for a dress. I even found one. It was a sky blue dress. The strap came on one shoulder and its borders were beaded. It went around the upper torso and then gave to a lighter shade as the body-hugging bodice gave to a flow-y skirt. I personally loved the piece. !" (Picture of the dress on my profile.) This was what I had put on right now. As I swirled around in the changing room, admiring my dress, I call out to the girls. "Girls I think I've found it!" But I got no reply. I came out of the changing room only to find Edward leaning against the nearest rack and looking out the window.

"Hey I said what are you doing here?" I said as I straightened my dress, suddenly self conscience. This was seriously not healthy. No guy had ever had this kind of effect on me. I just couldn't let myself get carried away. But he is so cute and caring and… I rebuked the mental voice almost immediately. I looked up from my reverie only to find Edward opening his mouth wide and then closing it again.

"That is a really good imitation of a fish. You do it to the tee." I said trying to not let him know the effect he had on me, I played the 'Girl Card' and smirked.

"I'm sorry. It's just that…" he waved a hand at me.

"Is it too much? They have been dragging me for hours and the ones they pick up are either to deep or too fluffy or too tight or too short or simply too slutty. I don't think I'm getting out of here tonight." I fell in a chair by the door and out my head in my hands.

"No way! Don't get me wrong." He waited for me to look up and when I did, he continued. "What I meant to say was that… you are looking really pretty, more gorgeous than you usually do…prettier than any girl I've seen in a dress. And let me tell you that is something, for I have Alice and Rosalie for sisters." He sat down in a chair beside me.

"You're just saying that, you don't mean it." I stood up again and went to the full length mirror.

"Ofcourse I mean it. Have you seen yourself Bella?" I waved a hand at my image in the mirror. He came to stand behind me. "No I mean have you really seen yourself? You are the most beautiful lady I have ever laid my eyes on. You're smart and confident and caring…" he suddenly seemed to step out of a stupor. "You don't need someone's approval for what you want to do. Any dress would look fabulous on you, but I'd say I'm partial to this color on your skin." He said moving my hair to one side, his eyes slightly darker. While I blushed. Traitor cheeks! I usually wasn't that moronic around guys. I hadn't been like this earlier today when he'd scared the crap out of me. I'd been too busy trying to pretend my heart wasn't trying to squeeze out of my ribcage. Now I couldn't stop trying to figure out what exact shade of gold-brown his eyes were; not quite butterscotch, as clear as the sun, but more like metallic gold. Or topaz? I had to stop myself from leaning forward to have a better look.

I looked down. He put his arms on either of my shoulders and turned me, so that now I was facing him. "You look particularly amazing with that blush of yours." He put his hand under my chin and lifted my face. "You don't need accessories to look pretty." He added, with a smile.

"Thank you." was all I could say for I was getting all warm on the insides.

"Now for the agenda for which I was here."he left it at that.

I tilted my face to one side and looked at him questioningly. "…To spring you. You really looked like you needed some help. I would have come faster if my brothers would have let me."

I sprinted into the changing room. "I'll be a minute." I got out and in of the dresses as fast as I could. I opened the door and started looking around for my purse.

"Damn it! They took my purse!"

"No problem. I can always pay for the dress." When he looked at me objecting, he continued. "Bella, now really is not the time argue. Do you want to get out of here in one piece or not? Going to them for the purse is useless since then they won't leave you and going without a dress will only get you killed later." I gave a resigned sigh.

As soon as we were done with the billing, Edward started moving out the front door. "Do you want to get out?" I asked pulling him the other way. I pulled him into the changing room and locked the door. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Don't worry. I'm not trying to take advantage of you." He chuckled at that.

I placed the stool under the window, held on to the sill with my hands and then all at once, I swung my legs, crashing the glass with my boots and hooking my legs out.

"Oh for the love of all that is holy!" I looked back down to find a wide eyed Edward staring at me.

"Hey that's a line I use. Come on now." We got on to the roof, slid off the side and then used the pipe lines to climb down to the ground floor.

"Seriously Bella Swan! You are a new surprise every hour. Where did you learn to maneuver on roofs like that?"

"It is a skill that comes in handy when you have a Grandpa like mine." I grinned at him, while we went around the building towards the disc.

We were at the disc and were seated at a table on the far side.

"From the looks of it, you neither drink nor dance, why were you so eager to come to the pub again?" he tilted his to one side.

"Nope. But then anything triumphs shopping."

"You're not like other girls at all." He said shaking his head.

"I'll take that as a compliment." I said raising the coke to my lips. "And besides you don't need to drink to get drunk. Just a little attitude is enough." A drunk hunter is a dead hunter.

"According to you apparently. Well me and you both are going to be screwed when the girls come back."

"Hmm… But you brought it on yourself, why again? Hoping to be let easy for laughing when I fell?" I slightly raised an eyebrow.

"Something like that." We lapsed into comfortable silence. After a while he said…

"Hey, I was wondering… whom are you going with… to tomorrow's function I mean?"

"No-one." was my only reply. Was he going to ask me as I thought? What was I going to say? Ugh…since when am I a normal teenage chick fumbling before a guy?

"Well…would you like to go with me?" he rubbed his face with his hands. "Ugh…why is this so difficult again?" he peeked from between his eyes.

"Yes, thank you. I would like that." And that was the truth, I really liked it, just not the butterflies in my stomach.

"Wanna go out for a walk?" he asked suddenly.

"Oh please! Thank God!" I said already getting up. "The noise they call music was seriously giving me a head-ache."he chuckled at that.

"How old are you again?"

"I'll be seventeen in like two days. Why?"

We were exiting the pub when we spotted Chris and Mase making out. "Well not getting killed today atleast." We muttered together, and then went on outside giving them a wide berth.

"I was just asking you, you don't talk your age." he said continuing our earlier conversation.

"Well Grandpa always says I was born 35 and that I keep getting more middle aged every year."

"You sure your boyfriend won't mind us going together?"

"I don't have one."

"Really?" I nodded in negation. "Wow! Scary Grandpa, I'd say."

"It's more of me than Grandpa." He burrowed his brows. I went on to explain. "It's not that I don't catch guys looking, when Chris has dressed me up. But then they spot the ripped jeans and the combat boots and then the John Keats I'm reading and not because it's homework; and suddenly all the brown curls in the world are not enough." I said with a smirk.

"So, basically guys are scared of you?" he said it as if he couldn't conceive the idea.

"They should be. I can totally kick their asses."

"I'd say so. But doesn't it bother you?"

"Nope, not at all. Never found the right guy. And I'm not one for hook ups. You sure your girlfriend won't mind?"

"I don't have one. Before you ask I too never found the right girl. And I'm not one for hook ups." He repeated my words.

Just then we spotted Ben and Angie at the café. "Apparently Ben did. It's good you know. He's too shy for his own good." I said, both of us smiling their way.

"Why did you want to leave the pub?" I asked him.

"For the same reason as you. I too like older music better, especially the seventees. What kind do you like?"

Before I could respond, my phone rang. Claire de Lune playing out loud.

"I guess that answers my question. It's my ringtone too."he said.

The caller-id read DA. Now what? I wondered before picking up the phone. "Hello? Isabella?"

"Yes"

"Listen I don't know how, but someone knows where the shamanka is. You people need to get someplace safe. Get in and read my mail. Gotta go bye."

The line cut before I could question him.

Someone knew- someplace safe. I had to get all of us back to the hotel, but how?

"Listen Edward, it's already two and we need to get back to the hotel if we have to reach the breakfast, so could we pack up?"

"Yes you are right we really should go." With that he went inside to call the others.

In the car Chris asked me what was going on.

I don't know. DA called. We've got two gangs on the shamanka's trail and a cupid messing up our plans. Way to go!

So, there is a lot that has been going on this chapter. I hope the Bella and Edward moment and the fight scene came out fine. Please review.