Bear

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thank you all for the fun reviews. The madness continues...

Chapter Four

"How much is that doggy in the window?" Emmet bellowed with laughter at the vicious glare Edward shot in his direction. Rosalie's mate had been teasing him mercilessly for days. "Woof woof."

"Ignore him." Alice tried to soothe Edward's ruffled feathers. "Jas." She whispered to her bored other half. "Some help here."

Jasper looked at her indifferently. He would have been joining in the teasing if it wasn't for Alice swearing him to silence. Edward was being overdramatic as always. But to keep the peace and to stop Alice chewing his ear off about Edward's hurt pride, he sent calming waves over to the disgruntled mind reader. Almost immediately Edward relaxed and Jasper was rewarded with a pleased smile from his mate.

"Has Bella apologised yet?" Alice dared to ask.

"Not in so many words. I know she feels remorseful about sending the video footage to certain members of this family who have shown no loyalty to me at all." Edward scowled in Emmet's direction again.

"Well perhaps buying that crate wasn't your finest hour." Alice pointed out.

"The little beast hates me. Every time I go into the house the little devil is nipping at my heels. I've had to stop my nightly visits to Bella because he's always there lying next to her in bed like some infernal guard dog." Edward complained to the only sibling who was willing to listen. "At least if the beast was locked up he would be out of the way."

"Look Bella clearly adores the little puppy, so you are just going to have to find a way to get along with him." Alice suggested. "Buy him some treats. Take him out for a walk. Try and bond."

"I have." Edward replied irritably. "Every time I've tried to pet the hound it tries to bite my fingers off. They way it slobbers over Bella is disgusting. I cannot even get near enough to hold her hand or kiss her because the creature's appalling stench is all over her."

Emmet snickered behind them. "I'm off to take Rosie shopping." He said loudly as he picked up the keys to his enormous Jeep. "Would you like me to pick up a diamond encrusted dog collar for you, Eddie boy?"

"Get out of here." Edward snapped as he grabbed a book and launched it at his tormentors head.

Emmet caught it easily. He grinned widely, booming with laughter as he finally left to join Rosalie. Jasper was making impatient signs to Alice that he wanted to leave too. She sighed heavily, feeling torn about leaving her favourite sibling to brood alone. She put a sympathetic hand on his arm. "I think Bella is so attached to the little puppy because he was a present from her father. You know how reserved Chief Swan can be. Try and see it from Bella's side, Edward. She must have been so touched by his gift and that's why she is so fiercely protective of the dog."

"Do you know you may be right?" Edward mused as he nodded in agreement. "If I was to give Bella a similar gift I am sure she will hold it in higher esteem than that irritating little beast. Thanks, Alice." He flashed her a grateful smile before vanishing from the room.

Bear was curled up in his basket, a fluffy blanket tucked in neatly around him. His mistress was sitting a few feet away at the kitchen table tapping away at her laptop. He yawned widely, earning himself an adoring smile from her. Bear closed his eyes and settled down, all ready for a nap. He'd had a busy morning, following his mistress around as she did her daily chores. They had taken a long walk down the road to visit the local store before coming back with bags loaded with delicious food and enticing treats. Bear's mouth watered at the memory. His ears twitched as he began daydreaming about his next meal which was due in a couple of hours.

Then suddenly his peace was shattered as an appalling sickly sweet stench hovered under his sensitive little nose. Bear bolted out of his basket at the speed of an arrow as he went to his mistresses defence at once. Loud barking ensued, followed by a yelp as Bear nipped at Edward's heels forcing him to dance around the room.

"Call him off, Bella." Edward cried as he hugged the small pet carrier he had brought with him to his chest.

"If you just knocked at the front door like a normal visitor instead of sneaking up on us like this all the time, then you wouldn't keep startling my poor baby Bear." Bella snapped irritably. She ducked down and managed to scoop the wriggling puppy up in her arms. She nuzzled his sweet head with her lips and soothed him with soft words. "He woke you up from your nap, didn't he precious." She cooed. "Silly, Edward."

Edward grimaced as he watched Bear slobber kisses all over Bella's face. It repulsed him each time. He was forced to hide his distaste behind a bland smile. "I've brought you a special gift." He announced with a flourish.

Bella tickled Bear behind his ears as she looked curiously at Edward. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the pet carrier. "I thought I made my feelings clear about locking Bear up in a cage."

"No, darling, this isn't for him." Edward couldn't bring himself to utter Bear's name. "Your gift is inside." He quickly deposited the pet carrier on the floor and opened the wire mesh door. He put his hand inside, there was a faint hiss followed by a small meow, then he pulled out a white fluffy ball of fur with the greenest eyes Bella had ever seen. It was a kitten.

"She's a Persian." Edward informed Bella as the little kitten immediately began to wind herself around Bella's legs, rubbing the side of her head against the bottom of her jeans affectionately. "She's a proper pedigree. Isn't she just lovely?"

"Yes, but what am I supposed to do with her." Bella cradled Bear against her chest. He was quivering in her arms, clearly not happy at the presence of this new interloper. He whined as he looked down at the fluffy ball wiping her unpleasant scent all over his mistresses feet. The kitten stopping moving for a moment before shooting him a malevolent glare with her emerald green eyes as she looked up at him.

"Well keep her of course." Edward smiled ingratiatingly. "The breeder assured me that Persians make good housecats and that they have pleasant and placid natures."

"But I've got Bear." Bella reminded him. "They might not even get on."

Edward picked the fluffy kitten up in his arms. She immediately began to hiss at him and he was forced to hold her at arm's length. "How can you resist that sweet face?" He questioned as he valiantly avoided her sharp claws as she writhed in his grip.

While his mistress was pondering what to do, Bear continued to watch the kitten warily. He didn't know what to make of it. The fluffy thing certainly didn't seem to like the pasty faced boy that kept invading his mistresses space, she had that going in her favour, but from the way she kept staring at him like he was some bad smell under her tiny nose, Bear wasn't sure she wanted to be friends.

"Just keep her for a few days, Bella. I'm sure she'll settle in. She and the...the puppy could end up being friends." Edward wheedled.

"Okay." Bella agreed uncertainly. "We'll give her a trial. But if my baby Bear doesn't like her then she'll have to go."

Edward wasn't happy about this. He had expected his love to go all googly eyed over the fluffy little kitten like she had with the devilish puppy. He kept a strained smile on his face as he tried to conceal his disappointment in her underwhelming reaction. "We should give her a name." He encouraged her.

"I'll think about it." Bella promised vaguely as she gently deposited Bear on the floor next to the fluffy kitten. She studied them both anxiously, waiting out their reaction, but to her surprise there didn't seem to be any antagonism. The little fur ball just glanced at Bear disdainfully before turning her back on him and winding her body sinuously around Bella's ankles again.

Jacob swung by for a visit. He was surprised to find that Bella had gained yet another pet. "The leech gave this to you?" He questioned doubtfully as he bent down to study the purring Persian who had made herself at home in Bear's basket. Bear was sitting next to it, glaring at the white kitten as if shooting lasers with his eyes.

"Yes, Edward brought her over this morning." Bella corrected him.

"Why?" Jacob reached out to stroke the kitten. She hissed at him and batted his hand away with her paw. "Jeez, she's a fiery one. Are you sure it's wise to keep her and Bear together?"

"He seems okay." Bella petted Bear gently on his head. "I mean he's even given up his basket for her. I think they're friends already." She was trying to be hopeful.

"Are you sure?" Jacob wasn't convinced.

"She's only here for a trial. If in a couple of days I think that she's not settling in here with Bear, then she'll have to go back to the breeder." Bella scratched Bear between the ears again before rising to her feet. "Hungry?" Bella asked Jacob, even though she knew what his answer would be.

"Hell yeah." Jacob grinned. He tried to pet the kitten again but she smacked at his hand with her forepaw. "I'll win you over, Puffball." He whispered to her, laughing quietly to himself as he went to follow Bella.

Night had fallen. Bella and Charlie had retired to bed. Bear and Puffball, (Jacob's nickname for the newest occupant of the house had stuck), were the only ones left awake. Bear was dozing next to his mistress on her bed when he heard the bedroom door creak. His head shot up, immediately alert for any signs of trouble. In the darkness he saw a glowing white furball scamper into the room. It was Puffball. The little kitten had been annoying Bear all day. She was already trying to take over the house and all the attention away from him. She had ingratiated herself with the master of the house by fawning all over him, mewling and whining incessantly, before purring loudly on the chief's lap. Even his mistress was slowly being won over. Puffball knew how to play the game, Bear had to give her credit for that.

The white Persian sat down at the foot of the bed staring up at him spitefully. He watched as she flexed her sharp claws, pawing at the carpet and kneading it. By the malevolent way she was gazing at him, poor Bear got the impression that she was imagining sinking her claws into him. She kept this up for quite a while, her emerald green eyes never leaving him once. Bear could see the fibres she was pulling up were piling up beside her. His mistress would be unhappy if she saw that the carpet was ruined. He flopped off the bed and landed clumsily beside Puffball. She hissed at him before swiping at him with her deadly claws. Bear whined and butted at her with his head.

Puffball took off out of the room with Bear chasing after her. She managed to keep ahead of him, occasionally stopping to hiss and swipe at him. She fled into the bathroom and tried to scramble up the side of the bath. Bear stopped in the entrance, his head cocked endearingly to one side as he watched her. One of her claws hooked into the toilet roll. Puffball couldn't shake it off. She tugged at her paw, shaking it and crawling backwards as she tried to unhook the toilet paper off her claw. It spiralled off the roll and floated around the room. This fascinated Bear. He dived in, thinking it was a game. Puffball was sprinting around the room, trying to get rid of the tissue, but in vain. Bear barked joyfully, jumping up and down, unintentionally knocking some of the toiletries off the side. They all came tumbling down, clattering on the floor loudly, just adding to the chaos.

Suddenly the room was bathed in light as Bella appeared with Charlie right behind her. They stared blearily around the room, taking in the chaotic mess, before their confused eyes landed on Bear. Puffball was nowhere to be seen.

A/N-oh dear! What will happen now? LOL ;)