Chapter 7
Before I knew what had hit me, Alice hugged me hard, pulling me up from Edward's arms. "Oh Bella, I'm so happy that I've found a relative. I can't believe after all this time, and all the wondering I did about my past life that I've found a real sister. And you're Edward's mate too!" I smiled as she bubbled over with excitement and happiness. She may have lost her memories, but she was still the same Alice.
Jasper smiled gently at me once Alice released me. "Thank you for taking care of her, if you hadn't, she might never have found me."
"Believe me Jasper, caring for her was no hardship – she's my sister." We both looked at her fondly while she beamed at us. She was bouncing on the spot in excitement. "Oh Bella, we're going to have so much fun making up for the last forty years! We'll have to go shopping in Seattle tomorrow. Obviously you've let yourself go over the years, because I would never let you wear that," she looked at my shirt disdainfully. It was a simple sky blue t-shirt I had picked up for a couple of dollars because it looked comfortable, and it was. However, it was in no way stylish or designer. I sighed. I was happy to have her back, and I supposed a shopping trip was definitely in order. It wasn't like I'd had much of an incentive to shop while Alice was gone.
"Okay Alice," I was resigned to my fate.
"Excellent!" she was now eyeing me up in a familiar way that told me she was envisioning different options to dress me in. Edward chuckled behind me, and I turned to give him a mock glare. I may not like shopping, but the idea of spending time with my long lost sister made it far more appealing than usual.
The rest of the night was spent catching up, hearing about their latest trip, and them relating a little bit more about themselves. Emmett seamed to easily accept me into the family, joking and smiling, while Rosalie still seemed a little stand-offish. I wasn't too worried, she wasn't glaring suspiciously at me anymore, so I figured that it was a step in the right direction. Throughout it all Edward was beside me, happy for me, and understanding of my past.
We stayed up all night chatting, stopping only for my dinner, and I forwent my sleep that night, just happy to watch Alice, afraid that if my gaze left her for a moment she would disappear. Jasper seemed to understand and smiled gently at me every now and then. I could see how much he loved her, and I was so happy that she had succeeded in finding her mate and a family. Through it all Edward held me close, wordlessly sharing in my pleasure at finding my sister alive and happy.
The next morning, as soon as it was light, I eagerly dragged Alice over to Edward's and my, house. I showed her around, pointing out photos of our islands, while the rest of the family followed along behind. "Oh Bella, we simply have to visit them again. They look so beautiful," Alice sighed wistfully, "I wish I could remember."
"Don't worry, we can make plenty of new memories there," I reassured her.
When we came to the painting, the birthday present Alice had never gotten, I took it off the wall. "Happy belated birthday," is said softly. She scanned the painting intently, a wide smile breaking out on her face before she handed it to Jasper and hugged me tightly. "Oh Bella, thank you, it's wonderful."
I beamed back, so pleased that she had liked it. "You're welcome. I'm only sorry that it's taken forty years for you to get it."
Alice rifled through my closet of course, chucking out some of my comfier clothes, and nodding approvingly at others. "We're gonna need to do a lot of work," she muttered to herself. A slight whisper of trepidation passed though me. I knew what my little dynamo sister was like when it came to shopping, and my fear was warranted.
There was one last thing I wanted to show her. "Come on Alice, one last thing," I said, eagerly taking her hand and pulling her out to my garage. I flicked the light switch and ushered her inside through the side door. She gasped when she saw her cute yellow 1960 Porsche 356B Super Roadster convertible. "That's your car," I told her proudly, watching as she eyed it with delight.
"Oh, it's perfect!" she ran her hands lovingly over the lines of it. The rest of the Cullens also admired it.
Emmett chuckled, "It suits you wonderfully Alice. I couldn't imagine a more appropriate car for you." The others agreed.
"That's why I brought it for her in the first place," I informed them. "It was another of my birthday gifts to her." You accumulated a lot of birthday gifts when you were immortal. I plucked the keys off a hook by the door and tossed them to Alice. "She's all yours now Al," I grinned and she beamed back.
"Oh, I can't wait to take her for a drive!"
"Well she's ready to go – I've kept her in working condition over the years, even taken her out for a drive on occasion to make sure she ran well," I explained. "You can go right now." I pressed a button on the wall to get the garage doors to open.
I noticed Rosalie slip past me to eye up my Viper. The others hadn't even noticed it yet, they were so busy staring at Alice and her car. "See something you like Rosalie?" I asked casually. She nodded, a small smile actually adorning her face. It seemed she liked fast cars.
"This one is yours?" she asked.
I grinned, "Yep, so are the two bikes," I indicated my Harley and Suzuki Hayabusa bikes in the next car bay. Behind them sat Edward's Vanquish and Volvo. The others took notice after that, and they were all soon admiring my whole collection. Jasper was looking at my Hayabusa with covetous eyes, while Rosalie looked like she wanted to steal my Viper.
"Come on, Come on! Alice called, hopping over the side of her classic car. "Let's go!" she urged us. "I can test drive it while we head to Seattle to shop."
I chuckled. I should have known she would find a way of combining her eagerness to drive the car with her love of shopping. "There's only two seats Ali, so I'll have to take my Viper as well." Rosalie lit up at that.
The guys looked a little disappointed. "I guess we'll see you late this afternoon," Edward sighed. I nodded. He obviously knew Alice's habits when it came to shopping.
I kissed him quickly. "I'll be home before you know it." He looked resigned, gently kissing my forehead before letting me go.
We were soon heading out of Forks, Alice and Esme in her Porsche, and Rosalie and I in my Viper. It was overcast, but not raining, so we had the tops down and the wind whipping through our hair.
Alice loved relearning her car, patting the dash fondly from time to time. She almost seemed disappointed when we pulled into the shopping centre in Seattle. But her spirits lifted as soon as we got inside and she spotted the stores.
It seemed that my memory was a little faulty, because I couldn't remember shopping ever being so tiring. Either my perfect photographic memory was failing, at least in regards to memories of past shopping trips with Alice, or my little dynamo of a sister really was trying to make up for lost time. I was lucky I even got a few doughnuts at lunchtime before Alice grabbed me and shoved me into more shops. She had seen my wardrobe, and it seemed she had decided to fill the entire thing in one day. Rosalie threw herself into it as well, while Esme was a little quieter, content for the most part to watch as we shopped.
"So Bella, how is Edward in bed?" Alice asked with a sly smile. As I modelled a pretty emerald greed dress.
My jaw dropped. "Alice!" I hissed, looking around the store to make sure no strangers had overheard her. Luckily nobody was near.
"What?" she asked innocently. "Rose and I want to know. He's always been so timid about that sort of thing. Besides, don't sisters talk about their guys and share details?"
I groaned, but I couldn't help the large, satisfied grin that spread over my face when I remembered my nights with Edward. Alice spotted it immediately. "So he is good! I suppose he's seen a lot with his mind-reading though – you're bound to pick up a few tricks after so many years, though all the theory in the world doesn't make up for hands on experience." She winked knowingly at me as my cheeks reddened.
"That's it! We aren't getting into this Alice. Yes he is excellent, and that is all you need to know," I said firmly. I was bright red at this point and I couldn't believe that Esme had actually looked interested in the conversation.
She huffed, "Fine, but I would have been happy to compare details with you about Jasper," she offered.
"No thanks," I said dryly. They eventually let it go.
As we shopped I changed the subject, regaling Rosalie, Esme and Alice with some stories of Alice's and my more adventurous shopping trips. "Milan fashion week in 1960, Alice got really aggressive when she wanted the dresses straight off the models and the designer wouldn't give them to her," I told them with a smile. "She marched right up to the designer, shoved the wad of money in his open mouth, then turned and told the three models to hurry up and hand over her dresses."
Rosalie snickered, and Alice shrugged, "They were obviously good dresses, and he shouldn't have dared to try and deny me."
I grinned, "They were nice," I admitted, "I think we have pictures of them in a photo album at our New York penthouse."
"We have a penthouse in New York?" she asked enthusiastically.
"Yep, in fact we should probably visit, since there are a lot more photos there of us. Maybe for fashion week?" I offered.
Her eyes sparkled in delight at the idea. "Oh that would be perfect! I can't wait!"
"In fact, on the school holidays maybe we could take a trip around to a few of our properties- we have ten all over the world, plus the islands, and they are all furnished- in fact, you did most of the furnishing," I informed her as she broke out in a large smile.
"I can't wait!" I grinned in response. I really wanted to show Alice her past. We continued to make a few plans as we powered through the stores, ending up heaped with bags. As much as I loved Alice, I was quickly remembering why I hadn't shopped much in the last forty years. Shopping was exhausting, and I would much rather spend time at home with Alice and Edward than trying on different outfits. The only thing that made shopping bearable was Alice's bright and enthusiastic attitude.
When we finally left, much to my relief, it was late in the afternoon, and our bags barely fit in the small amount of storage space both cars had. In fact, Rosalie and Esme ended up holding a few on their laps.
I dropped Rosalie and her stuff with Alice and Esme at the Cullen house before assuring Alice that I was perfectly able to hang up my own clothes and that she could come over tomorrow. When Carlisle had informed me that Edward was waiting at home I was eager to leave. "Bye guys," I called as I zoomed out of their driveway and sped home to Edward. It was a nice feeling to be coming home to my wonderful man.
As I pulled into the garage Edward appeared a broad smile on his face. I hopped out and leapt into his arms, so happy to be back in his embrace. "Welcome home, love," he murmured before capturing my lips in a searing kiss that left me in no doubt of how much he had missed me.
"Mmm, I love you," I told him when we eventually parted, me gasping for air.
"Let's get your things inside," he offered, putting me down. "I bet Alice has loaded you with clothes."
I chuckled, "She sure has. I think she made it her mission today to try and fill the entire closet in one go." He whistled as he saw the bags piled up in the car, leaning in to scoop up a heap. I followed him into the house and up to our room with my own armload.
Together we pulled them out and hung them up, Edward whistling with approval at my lingerie purchases, golden eyes darkening with lust. I licked my lips and thought that there was a high possibility of a little action, but Edward controlled himself. "Not yet love, I made you dinner, and I bet our little sister didn't let you eat much today," he said as he grabbed my hand and took me downstairs.
My eyes widened when I spotted the dining table. It was set with candles, and a vase of deep purple and red roses, to symbolise enchantment, and love. Edward pulled out my chair for me and once I was settled he zipped into the kitchen, reappearing with a large plate of perfectly cooked filet mignon. I dug in eagerly, the tantalising smell reminding me of how hungry I was. Edward watched happily from the chair next to me, a pleased look on his face as he saw how much I enjoyed his cooking.
When I had cleared the plate I looked up at Edward. "Edward that was delicious – one of the best meals I have ever had. Thank you."
"Believe me love, learning how to cook for you is more gratifying than I could imagine," he replied. "In fact, I even made you a chocolate cake for dessert."
He looked so pleased with himself as he raced into the kitchen and came back out with a chocolate cake. I sat back and smiled as he cut me a large slice, sliding it onto a plate and towards me. Anticipation high, I took a large spoonful of the moist, dark cake and slid it into my mouth. Almost immediately I spat it back out, coughing hard. Edward's anticipatory look dropped in dejection. "What's wrong?" he asked anxiously.
I winced and took a large gulp of water. "Baby, did you use salt instead of sugar?" I asked, trying to get out the strong flavour I had in my mouth.
Edward frowned, "I don't know. It was the white granules in the clear plastic container, everything smelled horrible, so I didn't breath while I was cooking."
I closed my eyes and sighed. "Both the salt and the sugar are in clear plastic containers. The difference is that the salt is in a smaller container and is used to fill up the salt shakers," I explained.
"Oh," his eyes widened at the realisation. "Love, I'm so sorry." He looked so disheartened that his dessert plans had been ruined.
"Hey," I cupped his cheek gently, "it's all right. Dinner was perfect Edward, and anyone who has never cooked before could have made the same mistake when baking, especially when you wouldn't have tried to lick the bowl like most people do," I tried to soothe him, but he still looked guilty.
That night Edward seemed determined to make up for his cooking failure by proving his prowess in the bedroom. And prove it he did. I discovered just how talented every part of Edward was, multiple times. I conveniently forgot to remind him that he was already forgiven until it was morning and I was just drifting off into an exhausted sleep. "You know I forgave you for the cake immediately," I murmured, "But you've more than made up for it anyway." He chuckled as I drifted off, wrapped happily in his arms.
The next morning Alice and Jasper arrived while I was finishing my French toast. Alice immediately dragged me up stairs to survey my now almost full closet, nodding in satisfaction. "We still need to add more things, but this should tide you over for now," she said happily. I sighed, but nodded in agreement. "Come on then, everyone wants to know more about you," she urged, practically dragging me back down the stairs.
We ran back though the forest to the Cullen house. I hitched a ride on Edward's back, since I didn't like running right after eating. Every greeted me with huge, welcoming smiles as we entered the house, and I had never felt more loved, and like I belonged.
I spent much of the morning in Edward's lap, getting to know the others better. Eventually they all slowly disappeared to hunt and give us some privacy, and Edward led me over to the piano. I smiled in delight. "You're going to play for me?"
"Yes," his eyes were alight with happiness as I sat beside him. "I was only waiting until I had my new composition perfected," he explained. "This one is for you. It's called, Bella's Lullaby," he murmured.
Tears traitorously sprung in my eyes at his words. I was awestruck that he had written me a song. I composed myself as his fingers hit the first keys, determined not to miss one note. It was amazing to see his talented fingers masterfully stroke the keys and bring the melody to life. The song itself was so sweet and beautiful that by the end I was silently crying. The whole song was saturated with love, and Edward's feelings for me. "Oh Edward," I breathed when he finished. "I love you so much. That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard."
He smiled, gently wiping away my tears. "Bella, I have never loved anyone with way I will love you for eternity. You are my life, the very reason I exist, and the most important thing in my world. Will you marry me?"
There was only one answer I could give, and I didn't even have to think about it. "Yes!" I cried.
He kissed me immediately, crushing his lips feverishly against mine. I poured my feelings of happiness and love into the kiss and he reciprocated in full. When we eventually pulled back I felt him slide a cool metal band into place on my finger. I looked down. The ring was beautiful, a delicate gold web of sparkling diamonds. "Oh," I breathed, unable to come up with any words.
"It was my mother's," he said softly. "It fits like it was made for you," he looked positively jubilant at the thought. I admired it further, and I could see that Edward was pleased by how much I adored my engagement ring.
Edward began playing again, and I recognised the soft melody of Clair de Lune. I grinned. "Still trying to convert me to Debussy?" I asked.
"You can hardly deny that this is a great song," he replied.
"It is, but I still maintain that Tchaikovsky is better." My stubbornness was pretty well ingrained at this point.
He sighed and when the song finished he started on a piano concerto by Tchaikovsky. I leaned my head onto his shoulder, closed my eyes and just listened to the music, allowing myself to dream of the happy future I now faced with Edward.
When it slowed to an end, Edward immediately transferred into the upbeat rhythm of Baby Elephant Walk. I laughed in delight. "This is one of my favourites!"
"I know," he grinned, eyes sparkling mischievously. "I figured that out when I moved in and we went through your music," he explained. I was impressed that he'd taken the time to remember them all- there was a lot of music that we had gone through. It was nice to know that he took notice of even the little things. I smiled as I listened to him play some more.
After a while we stopped and the whole family congregated around us, eager to offer their congratulations. Alice was bouncing with excitement, eyes sparkling as she smiled widely. "Bella! Oh I can't wait for the wedding! What kind of dress do you want? Ooh we can have a cake - we've never had one at our other weddings! Where do you want it held? We could do a destination wedding on one of our islands? Or maybe you'd prefer a traditional church? The Notre Dame Basilica in Canada would be perfect! And we should fly over to Paris before the wedding to shop! They have the best lingerie." Out if the corner of my eye I saw Edward perk up at that.
I broke in then as she paused for a millisecond to take a breath. "Alice, calm down. I haven't really thought about too many of the details yet," I admitted, "but I kind of want our honeymoon to be on Isle Swift, so I was thinking that we could have the actual wedding somewhere else," I looked up at Edward to find out his feelings on the subject.
He beamed at me, "Whatever you want, Love. My only requirement is you, everything else is secondary." My heart melted. My fiancé was the sweetest vampire. The rest of the afternoon was spent with me being overwhelmed at the sheer possibilities I could have for my wedding, and Alice getting out wedding albums for the other Cullens' multiple weddings. I have to admit that I spent more time ogling Edward in a tuxedo in the photos than actually taking in the rest of the wedding details.
That night Edward made love to me sweetly, reverently worshipping every part of me and seeming to revel in the fact that we would soon be married. I soaked it all in, so unbelievably happy that I finally had not only my sister back, but a mate and a family as well.
Thank you guys for all the great comments so far, i'm glad you're all enjoying it!
