Summer Explorations of the Olympic Mountains by Sanguineblood

Author's Note: This story is written in a colloquial, first person point of view, so you, as a reader can feel like Bella, and hear her thoughts. And I'm mostly metric Canadian.

Disclaimer: Everything and anything related to the Twilight saga belong to Stephenie Meyer. This is a work of fiction based on her writings. No harm is meant by it.

Chapter 6 Swimming at the Olympic Hot Springs by sanguine blood

I called Charlie and left a message that I was at the Cullen's for the evening. Dinner for me was cheese covered nacho chips with avocado and salsa during which we played apples to apples. I nearly choked several times because I was laughing so hard. Once was for the word 'classic' and the options were Berlin 1945, Custer's Last Stand, Graffiti and Elizabeth Taylor. It was a difficult choice for Emmett to make but graffiti got the apple.

After dinner we watched The World is Not Enough, which Emmett howled with laughter at the puny Bond ending. Edward and Jasper immediately joined in. Luckily that took the focus off of me for a while, until Alice asked about my cast.

I said, "My cast was coming in off in less than a week!"

Everyone but Rosalie looked contrite I guess I'm not the only one who's feeling uncomfortable about why my leg is in a cast.

"I'll drive you to the hospital," Alice said with a smile, that left me wondering about her offer yet I agreed.

The next week was typical of our Pacific Northwest rain forest. An unusual storm front passed through the area toppling trees on to road and disrupting electrical lines. I spent time reading and baking muffins, counting down the days until my body was free of this cumbersome and awkward hindrance. Edward and Alice came over to hang out with me as I had come to depend on those two. My boyfriend and best friend.

I read the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It left me feeling contemplative about human nature, especially in world that seems fraught with illness and disease. How much is brought on ourselves by our own thoughts? And where do vampires fit into this?

And before I knew it Alice and I were off to the hospital for my leg to be free again, I hoped.

The procedure took a couple of hours and I was informed that my bones had healed without complications and other than some muscle lethargy I was considered healthy and free! After we left the hospital Alice had booked me a complete spa treatment including a body wax followed by a massage by a physiotherapist. I was shown several muscle flexibility and strengthening movements including the Alphabet Exercise. Alice and I looked at each other and laughed at that one. All I need to do is draw the letters of the alphabet in the air with my feet.

We returned late from the hospital and Alice dropped me off without a word. Charlie greeted me at the door, and knowing better than to offer me a hand, allowed me to wobble in and rest during our pizza dinner and ball game.

I slept solidly that night and woke alone to another gray overcast day. My muffin making period was over and I was to start at Newton's in a couple of days, but I was up early by habit.

The door bell rang. Not expecting anyone right after my dad left, I pulled open the door cautiously. Alice bounced in. "Where is your swim suit, Bella? We need go."

I must have looked confused as Alice pushed a large bag into my hands, "Choose one and leave it on, quickly, we're going swimming. Edward said he'll meet you there!"

I when into the bathroom and opened the bag to discover various scraps of fabric in pink, blue and green. Alice and her amazing style. The blue two piece fit the best and over it went my clothes. Alice's bright orange bikini top was showing through her light yellow chemise.

"This day is going to be so excellent," Alice said, as the down pour proceeded to drench both of them, "It will keep the other hikers away."

"I can't hike, you guys know that, especially in this," I exclaimed, looking up at the gray wet sky.

"The trail is nearly paved and its only a couple of short kilometers, we can nearly drive there," Alice confided. "That's why we chose this spot."

In moments, she turned off Highway 101 and onto the Olympic Hot Spring Road that parallels Elwah River and the next few kilometers breezed by fast that I barely notice the distance. Driving at her typical speed we flew passed Mills Lake. Shortly thereafter we parked at the trail head all while the down pour continued. Alice graciously scoped me out of the car.

"The rain will let up in a few moments before we arrive at the hot springs," Alice said.

With the sun shining and steaming up the ground, we crossed the first log bridge without trouble. Then Edward appeared dressed only in board shorts.

"Hello, Bella," he said. "You are looking well."

It had only been a day since I'd last saw him as he had been off hunting while Alice took me to the hospital yet when I saw him I just stared. Maybe it is the way he walks or the relaxed expression on his face. Maybe it was the way his hair still stood up right in places that resisted the wet rainfall. Maybe it was the way his skin sparkled in the sun. Then our eyes met. And he kissed me. I could get used to this as my arms went around his warm body.

"Hi Edward," I said. "I'm feeling free. And I must be a lot less heavy now."

Edward raised his eye brows and then he eased me on his back.

"Yes, you are feather weight, Bella," he said with a grin and we traveled slowly along the trail across the Boulder Creek Bridge. The sun was quickly drying out the lush moss and ferns along the trailhead. In a couple of place the steam could be seen rising off the Western red cedar and intermittently Douglas fir. The cedar trees has the uneven growth in their trunks compared to these fir trees.

"Edward this area has been logged, right?" I said as I looked around.

"That's right, there also used to be a resort of sorts here but most of those buildings are gone. Have you seen any old tree stumps left behind by the logging activity?" Edward said using his head to get my attention to one that he noticed. It was not easy to spot as the stump had another tree growing over it and was covered in moss.

Emmett was submerged while Rosalie lounged in her runway swim wear when we arrived. Jasper quickly took Alice, who had gone ahead, to one of the many pools, while Edward lead me to the one closest to the trail.

"You should get the use to this temperature before you try the other six as this is one of the coolest, Bella" he said.

I shivered as I undressed to my blue bikini and moved toward the streaming water, "Okay, this seems hot enough right now. How long have you been here?"

"A couple hours, it's a great place to come when the weather been cold and rainy and we know no one else is here."

"I can see why. This is fabulous. And it's great to have my leg out of that cast finally."

Edward frowned guilty then smirked, "Now it's easy to tickle you too!"

His hands felt warm in the water as they gentle took mine to guide me into the hot water. My eyes did not leave his golden ones as I walked forward. They couldn't. It was like I was mesmerized by the irresistible orbs and the arousing touch. And the water was so warm and comforting. Soothing. Trusting. My insides clenched as his touch continued, traced along my forearm to my elbow, with gentle stokes and stabilized me a bit then moved toward my shoulders. I ought to be used to this sensation after this summer. My eyes moved toward his mouth and I licked my lips in anticipation. Then I made a fatal move and slipped, submerged, completely underwater.

As I tried to find my footing on the slimy slippery bottom, I felt his hand on mine and pulling me up. If I opened my eyes I probably would have seen his, underwater watching over me carefully. But I couldn't open my eyes in this warm water, even though I knew the water flowed through the pool and was clean, it would be like recognizing that I was so in love yet faint hearted and fearful that I could not make it work. I wasn't worthy.

My head popped up quickly and I inhaled against Edward hard sculptured body, if I wasn't so warm from the shock of the hot water, my face would have been more flushed than normal. So much for grace and presence while I seductively lowered myself into the steaming water.

I let go of his hand and gently pushed away to drift, still feeling Edward's light touch, and relaxed in the warm water. I opened my eyes and found myself looking directly into Edward's eyes. He gave me an engaging grin. Did he have to be so beautiful? I asked myself. Is he really mine? I wondered.

"Have you caught you breath yet?" Edward said.

I looked at him with surprise then my smile filled my face. I said, "Oh yes, I always enter the water like that, it takes away from the initial shock."

I let my arms float lazily. "This is so soothing, exactly what I needed, despite the rain."

"Hot pools are always more mysterious and alluring when it's wet and steamy," Edward said.

"I can feel it's magic working on my leg already."

"Let me help too." Edward reached down and gentle took my foot into his hands and softly rolled his fingers and palm around it and up my calf.

I went under again, although this time I was ready to gulp a breath as I'd known my other leg would turn to rubber when he touched me. And I now knew the water is quite shallow only a couple feet deep.

"Opps." Edward was smiling when I surfaced in front of him and I splashed the warm water at him.

"Oh ya." I laughed back, "You knew that would happen."

He reached out and took my shoulders to pull me toward him and my hand when up his back, skimming up the warm wet skin. My lips meet his with gusty and my legs, with a mind of their own wrapped around his. I ran the tip of my tongue along his lips only to be denied with a gentle rebuff.

"I think you are hot enough to try the next pool," Edward said, as he pulled away.

"Humm," I said, as it was all I could manage with the cool rejection, does my breath smell bad?

I slowly think about moving to the next pool, to follow Edward, when a thought crosses my mind.

"Aren't these pools closed because they are considered unsanitary," I said, before I remember that Alice had already told me that the water flows through the pools and it's only the presence of contaminants, like people, that would pollute the waters.

I looked over to Alice. "I just remembered you told me all about that," I said stupidly.

"It's okay, I know your brain turns off when you are around Edward," she said back at me, only slightly joking.

The next two pools were each slightly warmer for me and the other two were way too hot. This didn't seem to bother the others at all and seem to give them more energy. Even Rosalie was in and out of the shallow pools horsing around.

I looked around the series of pools, the lush green of the forest, the slight sulfur smell and the sound of waterfalls and let my body float. Delightful, relaxing, peaceful and a light weight leg. I felt like I found tranquility.

"How far away are they?" I heard Edward ask in a quiet voice.

"Then we must leave now," Edward lower himself into the water and he touched my lower back gently to pulled me toward him. "Bella, we must leave right away."

I shook my head to get the water out of my ears. "What's wrong?"

"There is something coming that Alice can't see but it makes her uneasy, so we are leaving," Edward replied, lifting me to my feet.

"Here let me help you get your balance and your clothes."

We quickly dressed and then Edward said, "Hop on me, Bella, quickly, there are moving faster than Alice first thought. Alice and Jasper will circle back to the car and we'll run home."

I jumped up then looked back down past the steaming pools wondering what mysterious thing was coming that we needed to exit so rapidly. Something that Alice couldn't see.

"Hang on, Bella, I'm leaving fast," Edward said. All I saw for the longest time was just a blur of green.

Finally, we paused at a small alpine lake and Edward placed me on the ground near some small alpine fir trees. I know this because the trees had a distinctive long and narrow top section and often lose their lower branches. Their seed cones are a distinctive purple color while the pollen cones are blue-green in color.

I sorted out my clothes better while I looked around I saw Edward had already climbed the up a mountain, so I said that I want to see too. Even though I just spoke the words Edward heard me and was soon by my side again.

"You want to see the view too?" Edward said.

I looked at him and held out my arms. He scoped me up and before I know it we were on the mountain top. Will I be as fast when I am a vampire?

"What's this place called, Edward?" I said as I looked out over mountain tops, some that appear higher than ours still.

"It's Boulder Peak, most of the water that forms Boulder Creek, that's near the hot pools, starts as snow melt from this Peak."

"This is not a lot of snow right now," I said realizing that mid-summer sunshine would have melted it all away, even though some of the surrounding areas still had snow.

"Do you know the mountain peaks around here?" I said point at the closest one.

"That is Mount Appleton and further past it is Mount Olympus," Edward said as he moved my hand a little bit left. I leaned toward him, kind of like a magnet. Edward's arms reach around me.

"I'd like to take you there later is summer, to Mount Olympus, if you'd like. It is a popular hike and considered a beginners hike even though it takes a few days to reach it."

I just nodded my head knowing full well that I would not have to do much actually walking and that I would find the knowledge of the area useful while working at Newton's Outdoor Store. Anyway, anywhere that Edward wanted to take me was good for me. I've come to depend on him a great deal.

"Okay, Alice called ahead to let Charlie know that you staying over because we have a long distance to travel before we get home. And there is something else I want to show you, are you up for that or do you just want to get home?"

I looked at Edward in wonder, still amazed that he could communicate with Alice telepathically. "What was coming at the hot springs at Alice couldn't see?"

"We'll have to find out when we get home," Edward replied as I climbed on to his back.

We traveled for what felt like a short time, when Edward paused, then continued on more slowly.

I could hear a waterfall.