I know you may be thinking to yourself, "Finally!" Please accept my apologies for this long overdue chapter. RL kicked and punched me, doing its darnedest to keep me from writing. I appreciate the notes of encouragement (Courtney, Mel!) along the way, and am happy to finally get this one out there.
As always, a major thanks to my incomparable beta, Mr. Bigg, without whom this would just be a massive vowel movement. Also, thank yous to the support and love of DonnaTWOW and Spunky. You know why.
All characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No disrespect or copyright infringement is intended.
Stony Man
"When?" Charlie stared off into space in his trademark expression of disappointment. "Uh-huh. And they'll be supervised the entire time. Okay. I guess it's okay." He raised his arm, resting his head against his forearm as he spoke. "No, it's all right. I trust you, Dr. Cullen. And I trust Bella. This will be a good opportunity for her to see that part of the country, and Easter is the perfect time." He pushed himself erect and nodded, listening. "Alright. Yes, he's here now." Charlie finally glanced in my direction as I stood behind Bella seated at the table. "Goodbye."
Bella's heartbeat had been racing and uneven, but now came to a stop as she sucked in and held her breath. I gently squeezed her shoulder, a silent reminder to breathe.
"Dad," she started, exhaling in a huff.
"No, now wait a minute," Charlie cut in, one hand pulling the chair out to sit, the other palm out in a stopping motion. "Let me talk first. Edward," he glanced up at me briefly, then returned his gaze to the table. "Why don't you grab a chair from the dining room."
Charlie's mind was a swirling miasma of doubt, hesitancy, and concern. He was convicted in his purpose, but completely unsure about addressing the situation. I chuckled a little to myself, too low for either of them to hear, as I prepared myself for the oncoming conversation.
I returned to the table, pulling my chair alongside Bella's, arranging my face into a mask of innocence and guilelessness.
"Now, you know I just gave you permission to go on this, er, trip or whatever. I trust you, Bella," he said, shooting another quick glance at me. "But don't think I don't understand how all this works. I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday."
"What do you mean, dad?" I turned to watch her as she spoke. Bella's heart rate and breathing were even and strong; she truly didn't see where the conversation was heading. The situation seemed almost comical, neither wanting to talk about or hear the other's thoughts on sex. I returned my gaze to Charlie.
"Well, you're going to be off in some place you've never been before, and you may get to thinking that the rules don't apply to you. But I'm here to assure you that they do." Chief Swan's heartbeat picked up a notch, and blood flooded beneath his cheeks. "I know I haven't been much of a father, but there's at least one thing I've learned the hard way that I'd rather you didn't, Bella. You probably know by now that your mom and I had to get married." He paused, unable to hold his daughter's gaze, and I was seized with compassion for the man across the table from me. His thoughts were embarrassed, chagrined; he did not accept that Renee had married him solely for the sake of their daughter, but he couldn't escape the feeling that it was true. I was chagrined myself, embarrassed that I had laughed at this man's discomfiture.
"Chief Swan, we're waiting until we are married." I bit back the truth of the statement, that we were already married and had moved far beyond simple intercourse. "You have nothing to worry about."
Charlie's thoughts turned icy and biting as he leveled his stare into my eyes. "You say that now, but in the heat of the moment, things may be different."
"My parents will be there, and I assure you, they will be quite vigilant." Though I couldn't afford a glance at Bella's face, the heat from her cheeks brushed against my cold skin from where she sat next to me.
"Dad, please don't worry. We won't do anything… inappropriate for people at this stage in their relationship." She really was a terrible actress: her heart thudded erratically and her voice nearly broke in a squeak under the force of her deception. But Charlie's thoughts turned to ending the conversation and fleeing the room, his awkward feelings drowning out any hints of insincerity in Bella's voice.
"Just remember, I trust you." He pushed back the chair, poised to stand.
"Chief Swan?"
"Yes, Edward?" His brows knit together in puzzlement.
"If I may, I'd like to take a moment to talk to you privately." I squeezed Bella's hand gently, hoping to reassure her. Her head swiveled to me, curiosity blazing in her eyes. I smiled weakly.
"Sure… Edward. Uh," he stammered, looking around the room for somewhere private to talk, and settling at the sink. He turned on the water and rinsed his hands, hoping to get the sweat off his palms. He wrung his hands in the dishtowel as a distraction.
"Bella, would you give us a few moments?" I spoke calmly, keeping my face free of the nervousness I felt.
"Uh, sure," she said, biting her lip. "I'll just go start on my homework." She pushed away from the table, the v between her brows deepening with each passing second. I didn't want her to worry, but I knew I couldn't explain, not with Charlie's attention so heightened.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Bella," I said softly, trying to radiate reassurance and calm from my words and expression. I watched her as she left the room; her noisy climb up the stairs told me she didn't understand, and that she would be expecting an explanation.
"Well, Edward? You've got my attention. What did you want to talk about?" Charlie's front was brave, but his thoughts were scattered between fear and curiosity. His responses to my alienness were more in line with an average human – completely unlike Bella's reactions to me. I idly wondered about the origins of Bella's courage and lack of self-preservation for a split second, before returning my attention to Charlie.
"Well, sir," I started, pulling myself upright in the chair. "I guess you know I'm head over heels about Bella. And I'm happy to say, I believe she feels the same about me." I waited a moment, letting him digest my statements.
"Yeah, well, it's pretty obvious, you're what she wants."
"I just wanted to do this properly. She isn't really aware of my asking…" Why did my throat suddenly constrict? I was not thirsty in the slightest. "I just thought the proper thing to do would be to ask you, as her father, for her hand in marriage."
Charlie's face went from pink to purple in six seconds, his heart pulsing strongly in his chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but sound eluded him; instead he chuffed and blustered, stammering without noise. I waited impassively, listening to his thoughts range from outrage to resignation to acceptance. After a full two minutes, his coloring began to return to normal, and he found the words he'd searched for a minute earlier.
"Aren't you kind of young? I mean, Bella's just eighteen, and you're… you're… Do your parents know about this?"
"Yes sir, they're completely aware and support the idea one hundred percent." I gazed directly into his eyes a moment, letting the confidence in my voice ring out. "I know today fathers are rarely asked for their daughter's hand. But Bella loves and respects you so much, I thought if I was going to ask to join our families, I needed to show you the same respect."
Charlie broke his gaze, rubbing his forearm and looking at the table. "Well. You are what she wants. And I know Bella. Once she makes up her mind, she's convicted. Gets that from her dad, I guess." His voice trailed off to a mutter as he rationalized Bella's marriage at such a young age with the promise of her happiness.
"I will take good care of her, sir. I love her."
He looked up at me again, his thoughts and expression now aligned in the belief of my sincerity. "Okay. I guess you can ask her. But this doesn't mean hanky-panky is okay outside of the weeding bed on this trip, you got me?"
"I understand you perfectly, sir."
"When are you going to ask her?"
"I thought I'd present the ring and proposal at the cabin, while we were away." Charlie surprised me; his thoughts were relieved and grateful. He couldn't conceal his discomfort with the idea, and he didn't want to deny Bella her happiness, but he didn't believe he could be there when I asked her. "I'll have Carlisle provide a full report, sir."
"Just make her happy, Edward. That's all I want for her."
"I promise, sir."
~ooOO0OOoo~
"Bella, we're here, love."
"Wha-… Where are we?" Her eyes were dark with sleep, her hair tousled. She looked sleepy and adorable.
"We're at the Lost Pine Airport, sweetheart. I know you're sleepy. We have a car waiting." I leaned across her seat and unclasped her seatbelt, pulling her into my lap. Her delicate fragrance filled my senses, warm and familiar, and venom flooded my mouth. I stood with her still in my arms, unwilling to let go.
"Edward, put me down! You don't have to -," she broke off, her gaze finding my eyes. "Oh, you must be thirsty." Her eyes shifted from side to side as she studied my face.
I set her on her feet, holding her as she steadied. "It's manageable." She stretched in the aisle as I pulled the bags from the overhead. I slung them over my shoulder and motioned towards the door. "Ready?"
She nodded briefly, hurrying towards the door without pausing. I followed behind, daydreaming about the home in the hills, and wondering what Bella would think of it.
"Over here!" Carlisle raised his hand and waved as he called. The rest of the family stood around the big vehicle, stretching and chatting. Bella stopped, gaping at the big black Suburban waiting by the runway.
"Do you all own the airport?" She gasped as she walked hesitantly to the car.
I didn't understand her confusion. "No," I explained, my confusion coloring my tone. "Why?"
"Well, most people have to park their cars away from where they park the planes, Edward."
"Oh. That. We've been here before, many times. And it's a very small airport."
She took in the whole airport then. It wasn't much of a take; there was one runway and one small hangar. "Oh. Okay."
I chuckled lowly, and followed her to the car.
"Back seat dibs!" Emmett's voice boomed as we approached the door.
"Next to back dibs!" Alice and Jasper rang out together.
Esme touched my arm and smiled. "Stow your stuff. I'll sit with Alice and Jasper. You two can have the front with Carlisle."
Bella began to object, but Esme's patient and loving smile stopped her. "Thank you." Bella lifted her left foot, pulling on the sides of the door to hoist herself into the seat. In her typical fashion, her foot slipped, crashing her chin into the seat. Before she could object, I grasped her tiny hips and lifted her to the seat and then slid in next to her.
The engine roared to life. "Next stop, Stony Man Peak." Carlisle was in high spirits, ready to return to his retreat. His thoughts were echoed throughout the car, although Emmett's mind held a certain nostalgia absent from the others.
"Stony Man?" Bella's eyebrows shot up in surprise and curiosity. Her voice broke the subtle hum of reverie-imbued thoughts buzzing in the crowded vehicle. She looked from Carlisle to me, waiting for some response. Carlisle smiled.
"Old family joke," I chuckled. "When Carlisle first came to the new world, he was unsure where he would call home. The Appalachian mountains were not as densely populated with humans as they are today, and they seemed a good place to start.
"One afternoon he was enlarging a cave he'd found, and –"
"Enlarging a cave?" Bella's surprised voice shout up an octave. "Really?"
I nodded my head.
"It seemed a good place to stay," Carlisle said. "It was on the side of a hill, and nobody really went there… except bears every now and again."
"I think they stay away from there now, though," I said softly, teasing him about his family's predilection for predators. He laughed softly, enjoying the joke at his expense, and Emmett joined him from the back seat.
"Someday, I'll get used to this," Bella snorted, shaking her head. "Go on, Carlisle was enlarging a cave…"
"He was enlarging the cave a sweeping the little plateau clear of trees and brush, when a Senedos warrior approached the clearing. Of course, he couldn't communicate with Carlisle, though he certainly tried."
"I'll never forget the look on his face when his spear hit me and shattered. His eyes were so wide, I became concerned they wouldn't stay in his head."
"There was a legend at that time about a cannibalistic hunter called the Stone Man," I continued.
"Nun'yunu'wi," Carlisle interjected. "Really unpleasant. Repulsed by menstrual blood."
"The warrior fell to the ground and wouldn't look up. He was fresh out of menstrual blood and he thought Carlisle was going to eat him. He didn't want Carlisle to go back to the tribe, so he was waiting to be consumed."
"But, how -, how do you know that if you couldn't communicate?"
"He finally realized I wasn't going to kill him, and stayed to help me for a few months. I think he was grateful." Carlisle's voice took on a wistful tone. "He was a good friend. He never told anyone where I was."
"No, he just named the peak after you." We both chuckled lowly.
Bella shook her head, unbelieving, before she cuddled into my arms and closed her eyes. "Will it take long to get there?"
"Long enough, love. You can sleep," I said, pulling her into my arms. Her body molded around mine, her hands seeking purchase as she held me. I leaned down to kiss her forehead, and the scent of her hair filled me, a heady intoxication. Reflexively, I began to hum her lullaby, keeping my voice low and soft, resonating in my chest where her head rested against me. I held her as her breathing slowed and deepened, my thoughts turning to the upcoming days and how we would face them together.
~ooOO0OOoo~
Bella slept so soundly, that when the car stopped, she shifted slightly, still clinging to me without waking.
"Go ahead. I'll follow you in, carrying her." Carlisle's quick nod told me he heard, though my voice was nearly inaudible.
Alice trilled a whisper behind me. "We've got your bags," she sang, her words hanging on the rushing air of their departure.
I stood alone with Bella cradled in my arms, taking in the beauty of the woods, earth, and sky surrounding us. "Don't open your eyes, sweetheart," I cooed into Bella's ear. I resumed my humming, soothing and willing her to stay asleep as I ran.
Though someone could argue one forest was very much like another, they would be wrong. Running down slope from Skyline Drive, the deep musk of the red oak and the sweetness of the occasional chestnut mixed together in a rustic perfume. The smell of the trees mingled with Bella's scent rushing past me as I ran, an aromatic, exhilarating euphoria. I slowed to a walk, breathing in the heady scents, listening to the skitter and tweet of the forest. For just a moment, I stilled, awestruck beneath the canopy of the trees, lost in the dappled undergrowth of yellow slippers and ferns. The shrine of nature engulfed me, and I stood stock still, unable and unwilling to move.
A herd of deer wandered into the sanctum where I stood, upwind and taking no notice of me. I watched their tentative trek towards me, their eyes cautious as they grazed. My thirst burned for a moment, flaring in response to the close proximity of food. I tamped down the call, still spellbound by the wonder surrounding me as I stood with my beating heart in my arms. A doe approached us shyly; I held my breath to save its fright. She sniffed at Bella in my embrace, and swiftly snaked out her tongue and licked across her forehead.
"What?" Bella stirred, awakened from her slumber, batting her hand across her face. I inhaled sharply in surprise. The deer scattered, sensing the danger in movement and catching the scent of my breath. Bella's eyes were wide with shock as the herd leaped around us on all sides, dashing away into the cover of the undergrowth.
"Did that deer lick me?" She stared into my face, her eyes wide with surprise and fear.
"Yes," I said, gently dropping her legs and setting her upright. "Does that scare you?"
"No?" She seemed unsure of the answer, then spoke again. "No, it's just sort of disorienting, waking up with a deer kiss in the middle of a forest when the last thing I remember was sleeping in the car."
"I apologize, love. You were just sleeping so deeply, I didn't want to wake you."
"Why did you stop?"
"It's just so beautiful here. Your scent mixed with the fragrance of the trees…" I let my voice trail off, unable to aptly express the beauty that had captured me.
Bella took in a deep breath through her nose. "Uh, okay. You must smell something here different than I do."
Her statement surprised me. "What do you mean?"
"Can't you smell that?"
"Smell what?"
"The trees smell like… well, sex. They smell like cum." The look on her face, the ridiculousness of her words, the perplexed inflection in her voice – it all combined into one overwhelmingly funny picture. I threw my head back, guffawing, unable to stop myself. Still laughing, I returned my gaze to her. She added petulantly, "Well, it does," sending me into paroxysms of mirth.
"Are we going somewhere, or did you just bring me here to laugh at me?"
I stilled my laughter, but could not contain my smile. "Why don't you hop up on my back, and I'll take you to Stony Man Peak." She eyed me cautiously, unsure. "We're almost there."
She walked toward me, climbing over my bent frame. "No more deer kisses, okay?"
"As you wish, love," I said, unable to lose my smile. "Next stop, Stony Man. Close your eyes."
A/N: Please leave a comment so I know you're out there.
