"…., You're on the Air"
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyers and Carrie Vaughn own their respective worlds. I'm just having some fun with them.
Ch. 4: Family Reunion
RPOV
I eagerly allowed Bella to lead me into the bathroom. She started the shower and when the spray was hot enough, we got in. If it had been any other day, the two of us would've re-enacted the shower scene from every porno ever made. We stared wistfully into each others eyes as we both realized that between the twins' eagerness to meet Izzy and Alice's desire to see her best friend/sister, the family would more than likely arrive early. That didn't mean we couldn't have a little fun while we cleaned each other off.
Bella soaped me up then rinsed me off first, so that I could have the room straightened up before the others arrived. When it was my turn to follow suit, I paused when I reached her right hand. The scar that was left over from the whole James nightmare looked different. When I asked about it, the petite werewolf blushed, and then admitted to engaging in some "Blood Play" with a vampire lover she'd had a brief fling with. That led to a detailed account of her sexual history, including the only two men that she'd slept with. In total, Bella had been with seven people in the time my family wasn't around.
Ironically, it wasn't the sex that bothered me but the blood play. In a show of possessiveness, I bit down on the old scar claiming it as my own. Then I bit where her right shoulder and neck met. I only swallowed a mouthful of her intoxicating blood and left just enough venom behind to form a scar of my own. I pulled back to admire my handiwork with smug satisfaction. Bella let out a mock huff of exasperation.
"You could've just as easily put a ring on my finger, instead of leaving a scar," she remarked coyly.
I stared at my mate in shock. We'd only been together for a day and I hadn't even considered talking about marriage because I hadn't wanted to scare her. My rational self knew that her wolf had already mated with me but I figured it'd take her human side a while to warm up to the idea. Just like the old Bella, the new one didn't react how you thought she would.
I asked the logical question, "Is that you or the wolf talking?"
"Both, we know who we belong to, and who we love," she replied with sincerity.
Bella kissed me lovingly on the lips then pushed me gently out of the shower. The room still needed to be straightened up before our family got here and it was also her way of giving time to process the last couple of minutes of conversation. I dried off, got dressed and went to work. With vampire speed, the room was cleaned up in no time. That left plenty of time to think.
The simple truth of the situation was that I loved Bella Swan with every fiber of my being. To the point that I went out of my way, once I realized she was in rut, to mate with her. I was as much hers as she was mine; an equal partnership. The more I thought about it, the more I loved the idea of the two of us being settled down as a married couple, not just a mated pair. The only thing I wouldn't ask her to do was give up her career. Her job, friends and life were back in Denver. I always wanted to live in Colorado; the problem was how to tell the others.
I was snapped out of my musings by a knock at the door. A quick look at the clock told me it was 9:30 a.m. and as predicted, they were early. I let the family wait at the door for a couple of minutes while I ordered room service for Bella. After I'd hung up the phone, I reluctantly opened the door.
TPOV
Amber and I had the rest of the family out the door and on the way to the hotel for our meeting with Izzy. I knew we'd be way early but I didn't care. What surprised me the most was the fact the Alice was just as excited about the meeting. Between the three of us, the others eventually caved. A fifteen minute walk at human speed later and we were riding the elevator up to the seventh floor.
Amber flashed down the hall as soon as the doors opened and knocked on Izzy's door. After a couple of minutes, Rosalie opened it and let us in. The room looked nice but reeked of sex. I glared at Rose and she smiled back unrepentantly. She motioned us to take any of the available seating.
"Where's Izzy, Rose," I demanded hotly.
The older vampire indicated the bathroom. I was about to demand some answers when the bathroom door opened and Izzy walked into the room wearing casual clothes and drying her hair. Alice launched herself at the other woman.
"BELLA," my pixie like sister screamed as Izzy easily caught her and hugged the vampire close.
Izzy…Bella…Isabella…Isabella Swan; holy shit Izzy is Eddiekins ex, Bella Swan, I thought. A light bulb went off in both mine and my twin's heads. We both remember the story of Izzy's vampire boyfriend that had broken her heart. Edward looked upset as he read our thoughts but we still managed to surprise him by pouncing on him and kicking his ass.
"YOU JACKASS," we screamed as our fists beat the shit out of him.
"I guess they figured out you're the vampire that took me out in the woods then dumped me," Bella laughed then Emmett and Jasper joined us.
EPOV
Carlisle had finally gotten the others to stop beating me after about five minutes. While I freely admitted that I deserved it, Bella laughing the whole time didn't help the situation. I sat up and noticed that she was curled up in Rose's lap, rubbing soothing circles on my sister's back. Once everyone was clam, we looked expectantly at the human.
"Bella, there are so many questions; could just explain things," Carlisle asked.
"Sure, but if Edward growls or interrupts during any part of it I'll have the boys kick his ass," she answered and pointed to my brothers, who looked more than willing to comply.
She started to fill us in on the highlights of her life without us. The whole lesbian thing was a relief. Though from my brothers' thoughts, they both found it arousing. Bella was finishing up talking about her relationship with Leah Clearwater when I interrupted her.
"I may not understand the whole lesbian thing, but at least you were never with any other men," I said and my family looked at me like I was the most insensitive jerk on the planet.
"Newsflash, Eddie, I've been with two men. I took Seth to Tahoe for his seventeenth birthday and made a man out of him because he was so shy and virginal it was too cute to pass up. Then there's Ben. I slept with him on a regular basis because up until last night, it was his right," she replied, her voice filled with condescension.
I was too shocked by her answer, so I was thankful when Carlisle asked the obvious question.
"Who is Ben and why was it his right to have sex with you," he queried in a concerned tone.
Bella went on with her story. She told about college, being an Intern at KNOB, Kitty, Charlie begging Kitty to change her when Bella had been attacked and the doctors' hadn't expected her to live through the night. Then she explained the dynamics of a werewolf pack. About how the Alpha pair had the right to have sex with anyone in the pack; it was a way to gain submission without the need for blood shed. Apparently, Kitty and Ben never really enforced that right. The only reason they both occasionally slept with Bella was because she was the Beta and unmated. Now that Rose had become her mate, that wouldn't happen anymore.
Bella's cell rang so she stepped out into the hall to answer it. I used the opportunity to read everyone's minds. Rose was blissful while my parents, brothers and remaining sister were thrilled to have Bella back. Amber wanted to castrate me for what I'd done to the werewolf when she was still human. Tiffany's thoughts were the most distressing. She thought that Bella was so much better than her and she wondered when I'd leave her.
We all heard a muffled sobbing then something hit to floor outside the room with a dull thud. Rose rushed outside, through the open door we saw Bella curled up on the ground. Her face was a mask of pain as tears flowed from her vacant eyes. Esme and Alice rushed out to help. I noticed Rose pick up her mate's discarded cell phone and start speaking to whoever was on the other end while the other two vampires got Bella back into the room.
"Bella's mother and stepfather were killed in a car crash; their two-week old baby was the only survivor. Bella is the only living relative and the authorities want her in Florida," my sister explained when she came back into the room and went to comfort the brunette werewolf.
My family sprang into action; Carlisle was on his cell phone making plane and hotel reservations while Esme and Jasper where on their phones talking to real estate agents and our family attorney. Alice flashed about the room packing up Bella's things. Emmett and Amber went down to the lobby to check out and get the car. I just pulled Tiffany into my lap and the two of us kept out of the way.