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Charlie was, as usual, already gone to work by the time Bella woke up. Edward was sitting in the chair at her desk instead of lying beside her.
'You were getting cold,' he said, by way of greeting.
'Oh. I guess I'm really not running a fever anymore.'
He smiled, clearly relieved. 'No. How are you feeling besides that?'
Bella really hoped this was the last morning she would have to deal with that question.
'Better. Maybe a bit tired still, but nothing hurts anymore.'
'Good. What would you like for breakfast?'
'Um,' she started and then stopped, considering. 'Probably just cereal; I doubt there's much else in the fridge since I've been gone.'
Edward smiled secretly. 'I've an easy solution to that.'
Bello narrowed her eyes, having an idea where this might be headed. 'Okay. Should I play along?'
Edward shrugged. 'It would make this easier.'
'Okay. I feel like pancakes with strawberry syrup.'
He smiled winningly. 'Done. Let me just call Esme. We can leave as soon as you're dressed.'
Esme. She'd been right to assume he meant breakfast at his house. It was also easier not to argue. 'I'll get dressed then,' she suggested. He left her with a smile to call home.
Bella's room was exactly as she had left it: an organised attempt at chaos. She managed to find clean jeans and – noting the rain outside – a sweater. Edward was right; she did feel a bit chilled. Hopefully it was just a sign that she was not quite well and not that she was sickening with something else.
Edward was waiting for her downstairs. 'Pancakes and strawberry syrup wait.'
'What if Charlie comes home early?'
Edward sighed. 'I'll have Alice keep watch. Do you have your meds?'
'In my pocket. How are we getting there? I can drive,' she offered.
'Alice is picking us up. You can hear that truck a mile off. Not exactly subtle when we're trying to avoid Charlie,' he explained.
'Yeah. I guess not. Is Alice –?' she never finished the sentence as Edward's Volvo pulled up to the curb.
Alice greeted them. 'Hey Bella! Are you feeling better? Esme's got breakfast for you. And I've got a surprise.'
Bella groaned as she got into the back seat. 'No surprises Alice.'
'Oh, let me have my fun.'
'Alice,' Edward warned. 'She's still ill. Go easy.'
'But she won't have to do anything!' He continued to glare at her. 'Oh, alright, ruin my fun. We'll just have to find something else to entertain you for the afternoon.'
That could end badly, Bella thought, but it was unlikely Edward would allow his sister to get too carried away.
Although, on that topic, Bella wasn't certain that even Edward could control his pixie sister's bubbly nature. Bella would just have to learn to accept Alice for who she was. It was probably amazing that she could be so outgoing, considering.
Bella had no idea how Esme had managed to make her favourite guilty breakfast barely half an hour after Edward had called. They would have needed to run to the store; at least for the strawberry syrup. But maybe Alice had seen further ahead and Edward had fibbed about the phone call. Either way, the Cullen's house smelled delicious when Bella walked through the door.
In the kitchen, Esme was in full cooking mode. The kitchen island was already set with a single place and there was juice and a bowl of fresh fruit ready.
'Bella!' Esme exclaimed when they entered. She rushed over to give her a hug, spatula still in hand.
'You really didn't have to do this,' Bella told her.
'Nonsense!' Esme argued. 'I don't mind one bit and I'm actually enjoying this cooking thing. I haven't done it in years!' She busied herself back at the stove in time to flip over another pancake.
'Well, thanks,' Bella told her sincerely. It was nice to be mothered, instead of being the one doing the mothering...or cooking.
Esme dished out two already cooked pancakes onto Bella's waiting plate as she sat down on the counter stool. Edward sat down beside her, obviously intending to watch.
'You eat as much or as little as you want, dear. Carlisle said you might not be terribly hungry,' she added.
Of course he had. 'I'm hungry enough,' Bella admitted.
There was indeed strawberry syrup in a small jug next to her plate. Bella poured out a liberal amount on top of the pancakes and dug in, deciding they smelled too good to care who was watching.
She was half-way through the plate – and contemplating asking for more – when Carlisle's voice interrupted.
'I'm glad to see you're hungry.'
She levelled a look at him, taking another mouthful and swallowing it before she replied. 'Even I can't go three days with nothing to eat and not want to make up for it.'
'Good,' he agreed and Bella realised she wasn't going to get a lecture on the health value of strawberry syrup drenched pancakes.
'If only you knew how good these tasted,' she all but moaned around the next bite.
Beside her, Edward sat watching, entranced.
'I'll take your word on that, Bella. As long as you are enjoying them,' Carlisle relented from his place beside Esme.
It suddenly struck Bella as an altogether bizarre situation. She abruptly put down her fork and burst out laughing.
'What's wrong?' Edward asked immediately.
She just grinned at him, continuing to laugh.
'Alice,' Edward turned to his sister, 'is she alright?'
Alice looked at him as if he were stupid. 'She's laughing; of course she's alright.'
'What is so amusing?' Edward asked and Bella finally found the breath to answer.
'Seriously? I'm discussing the merits of strawberry pancakes in a kitchen full of vampires. It's not funny?'
Alice grinned.
'When you put it that way,' Edward admitted. 'I can see your point.' And he started laughing himself.
'Hey, what am I missing?' Emmett's booming voice interrupted next. 'Is Bella being intentionally funny?'
'Very,' Edward said dryly.
'You gotta tell me when you're going to do something funny, girl! I want to see it.'
Bella continued to laugh. 'I'll try to remember next time, Emmett; sorry.'
'Naw, that's alright,' he shrugged it off. 'I'm sure you'll have lots of chances, since you're sticking around.'
'Lots and lots,' Bella promised and went back to eating. All she needed now was for Jasper and Rosalie to show up and then all seven Cullens could entertain themselves watching their human eat.
Their human, she though. But that was what she was, wasn't it? Hadn't James and Laurent implied that? The human they kept around for food. Even if that wasn't true, she was still part of the Cullen family now. And if that was true, then she was as much their human as they were her vampires.
As soon as her plate was empty Esme forked over another two pancakes. Bella smiled her thanks and drowned them in more syrup. She ate a bit slower, starting to get full and really not wanting to make herself sick.
By her fourth bite, Emmett got bored and disappeared out of the kitchen. Esme and Carlisle finished a quiet conversation and Carlisle announced he had to work.
Esme busied herself cleaning up, sticking to human speed to remain occupied. Alice seemed to be bored, obviously anxious to get to whatever part of the planned surprise Edward was going to allow her to get away with.
Bella dragged it out as long as possible, but finally had to admit she couldn't eat another bite. Esme cleared the plates with a small smile, obviously happy Bella had eaten as much as she had.
'Done?' Alice asked with entirely too much enthusiasm.
Bella looked pleadingly at Edward. He shrugged apathetically.
'Some protection you are,' she muttered.
'Only when it's your life at risk. My sister? Doesn't count.'
Bella sighed and in a voice that suggested she was off to her execution, said: 'let's just get this over with.'
Alice clapped her hands in glee and dragged Bella out of the room. She threw Edward one last pleading look of misery, which he answered with a smile.
'Damn vampires,' Bella muttered, knowing Alice and probably Edward too, would hear.
Bella had been treated to Alice's massive bathroom the night before. It fit Alice's personality well; all carefully crafted lines, pleasing to the eye, beautiful despite the use of granite and tile. The towels were fluffy. The soft rug on the floor was squishy under her feet. The lights were calming and it did, Bella admitted, smell wonderful.
'You need a haircut,' Alice announced as soon as she had shut the door behind them.
'Alice, no, it's fine,' Bella protested, backing away a step.
'Oh, come on, I'm not going to do anything dramatic. But you have split ends galore. Just let me trim it, please?'
How exactly a-who-knew-how-old vampire managed to make puppy dog eyes, Bella wasn't sure. It seemed to be Alice's version of dazzling.
'Just a trim,' Bella relented. Alice was probably right anyways.
'Yes!' she practically vibrated with excitement.
An hour later, Bella had to admit that the cut – and subsequent style – did look good. Her hair felt softer and it waved around her face in a way she had never managed to achieve herself.
'Now,' Alice started after she had given Bella a moment to admire her hair in the wide vanity mirror. 'You could really use a manicure. And a pedicure.'
Bella sighed in defeat. She could deal with that.
It did feel nice, being a little bit pampered after a week on the road, bouncing between protectors, cars and planes. Alice hummed quietly and after a while Bella realised it was the music Edward had written for her. It was calming and relaxing and Bella found herself drifting as Alice treated, first her fingernails, and then her toes. Thankfully, the vampire pixie didn't go beyond a clear colour of nail polish.
The morning slipped by as Alice worked along at human speed, knowing Bella needed some TLC just as much as she needed the time to relax and process everything. It had been Esme that had suggested it the night before after seeing the state Edward and Carlisle had returned her in. Even knowing Bella was suffering from a bout of flu, Alice had been frankly horrified to see the human.
'Face next,' Alice explained after the pedicure. Before Bella could protest she held up a silencing hand. 'No make-up, I promise. But you could use a facial.'
That Bella happily relented to. And it did feel wonderful.
Alice was just finishing up and contemplating carrying a half asleep Bella into the bedroom to rest, when Edward knocked on the door.
'Yes?' Alice asked, knowing it would bring Bella out of her doze.
'Lunchtime?' he asked through the closed door.
'Are you hungry Bella?' Alice asked her.
Bella shook her head. 'I think I'd rather sleep,' she admitted.
'Done,' Alice agreed. 'Not yet, Edward,' she said aloud for her companion's benefit. Silently she explained that Bella was tired and would like to lie down. And that Alice would stay with her.
'Let's get you to bed then,' Alice said, after she heard Edward retreat from the bedroom. Alice helped her the dozen or so steps out of the bathroom and to her bed. Though Alice had never used it for sleeping, it was comfortable enough.
Bella sleepily crawled under the covers Alice held back for her and didn't protest when the older girl divested her of her jeans.
'You can sleep as long as you want, Bella,' Alice assured her. 'I'll stay right here. And Edward is downstairs if you need anything alright?'
Bella managed to nod before sleep pulled her under.
Edward and Alice had changed places at some point, because when Bella woke up mid-afternoon, she found Edward lying on the bed beside her.
'Did that help?' he asked.
Bella stretched with a moan of pleasure. 'Actually, I feel fantastic.' She sounded surprised.
Edward smiled. 'Alice said you would. So, despite your protests, I just let her get on with it.'
'Thanks,' she admitted.
'How about an early dinner and then I'll take you back before Charlie gets home?' Edward suggested to her.
'Yes to the first and a definite yes to the second.'
'Esme's making chicken parmesan. Emmett told her she should cook Italian because of your name.' Edward obviously thought his brother was being stupid.
'I'm not Italian, but I love the food. Chicken parmesan sounds great; just let me get dressed,' she pushed back the covers.
Edward was out of the bed in a second, handing her the jeans before she'd even let go of the duvet.
'Thanks,' she said and pulled them on.
Outside the room, Bella could smell dinner cooking. Esme was hard at work once more when they reached the kitchen. 'Give me ten minutes!' she looked up from tossing a Caesar salad large enough to feed all the vampires in the house who didn't eat.
'I'm still working on my appetite,' Bella assured her. 'Don't rush; it's fine.' She sat down at what was becoming her assigned place at the kitchen island, Edward beside her. Bella knew well enough already that there was no point offering to help.
'Are you sure Charlie won't be home early?' Bella worried.
Edward looked at her. 'Alice promises. He'll be home at his usual time. I'll have you back before five and with dinner. You can tell Charlie you got hungry. Esme says the chicken should reheat well.'
Bella glanced at Edward's mother figure, bustling around the kitchen as well as Julia Childs ever did. 'I'm so spoiled, but thanks. Charlie loves Italian too.'
'Oh, that's good,' Esme sighed in relief. 'I should make up a casserole now and then to drop by. I know you do all the cooking, Bella.'
'I don't mind. It beats starving or eating scrambled eggs every meal.' Edward chuckled. 'I really don't know how Charlie – dad – managed to survive.'
'He ate out while you were away,' Esme admitted. 'The diner, mostly, but he was down to the reservation one night as well,' she frowned slightly at this last part. Edward frowned harder.
'Stop,' she demanded of them both. 'No one on the reservation is going to cause trouble for Charlie, alright?'
Esme nodded, but Edward looked sceptical. 'I don't trust them,' he all but growled.
Bella glared. 'You don't have to. It's enough that I do, at least concerning Charlie.'
Edward gave her another long look, but finally nodded.
'Dinner!' Esme broke through the tension with her sweet voice. She put a plate down in front of Bella with every square millimetre covered by chicken, pasta and salad. Bella knew she'd be lucky to eat half of it.
'Thanks Esme,' she smiled at the cook.
'I hope it's alright. Not being able to test anything is detrimental.' She sounded annoyed at her inability to eat human food.
'If it's half as good as the pancakes, it'll be amazing.' Bella cut off a corner of the chicken and popped it into her mouth. After a second of chewing she said, 'better than the pancakes,' around the mouthful.
Esme beamed at her and busied herself cleaning up. Edward sat and watched Bella eat, as he always did.
'So, you managed to survive Alice,' he interrupted her.
Bella stopped eating to answer him. 'It could have been worse. I'm assuming her 'surprise' would have been. It was nice, though, to be pampered.'
'I knew you'd feel better for it,' Esme looked happy with herself. 'Sometimes a woman needs a little spoiling, especially if she's been ill or in the company of men,' she levelled a look at Edward.
Her son looked affronted. 'I spoiled her. She was ill; she needed treatment more than she needed manicures and make-up!'
'Considering how I was feeling, I'll admit Edward's right. But it was nice to relax a little since I've been feeling better. And Alice is good at that. So long as it doesn't involve shopping, I'm in favour of it,' she admitted.
'No shopping,' Edward repeated. 'Got it. Also, my sister heard that.'
Bella blanched. 'Damn,' she muttered.
'Just wait Bella!' Alice's voice rang out from the living room. 'We're going to have so much fun!'
'Not today,' Bella pleaded.
'Oh no, silly,' Alice came to a stop beside the counter. 'But soon!' With that cryptic comment she danced back out of the room, probably to find Jasper.
'What's she on about?' Bella asked with a slight edge to her voice.
'I have no idea,' Edward announced, but his voice sounded far too innocent.
'Edward,' she ground out, dinner entirely forgotten.
'I'm not telling,' he said again.
Bella sighed. She wasn't going to win this argument. Dinner was getting cold, so she concentrated on making a dent in the massive pile of spaghetti. Considering what had happened in the last week, the fact that Bella could be nervous of what Alice had planned was laughable.
Though they didn't rush, Edward still had her back to the house before five, leftover chicken parmesan in hand for Charlie.
He walked her to the door.
'School tomorrow,' Bella sighed. 'Please tell me it's going to be cloudy?'
'All week. And I think Alice would like you to sit with us at lunch.'
'But will Rosalie?' Bella wondered.
Edward sighed. 'Let me worry about Rosalie, all right?'
'Okay. You'll be back tonight?'
'As soon as Charlie's in bed, I promise.'
'Alright, I'll see you in a few hours.' A few hours too long, she wanted to add.
'You'll manage. I'm sure there's homework,' he suggested.
Bella's eyes widened. 'Damn! Yes! I should do that,' she frowned in annoyance.
'Good luck,' Edward told her and gave her a quick kiss.
'I'll need it,' she admitted. 'Alright, I'll see you later.' She stood on the porch, watching until the Volvo had disappeared down the road.
Sighing, Bella let herself into the house. She left dinner on the counter; Charlie would be back soon enough and there was no point in sticking it in the fridge for an hour. She spent half an hour cleaning up her room, putting on a load of laundry, and dragging her feet, before she settled down to work.
Thankfully she was probably still caught up in English, even after a week away. There was certainly math to do and she should read through the next chapter in biology, though at least Edward would help her with that if she was terribly behind. Spanish and Gym didn't matter, but she had missed a quiz in Government that hopefully Mr. Jefferson would let her makeup. And Angela would let her copy the missed notes.
Bella was still slogging through trig problems when Charlie arrived home. She'd lost track of time completely and scrambled downstairs to reheat dinner.
'Sorry dad! I got hungry early, but I'll just reheat dinner for you.'
'No problem, Bells. Did you go shopping?' he asked as he followed her into the kitchen.
'Only on the way home and just for tonight. I'll have to do a proper shop later.'
'We'll go out tomorrow. Diner okay? We'll pick up some things on the way back,' Charlie suggested.
'That works,' Bella admitted, grateful to put it off another day. Hopefully by Tuesday night she'd be caught up on work.
'That smells great, Bells,' Charlie told her.
The microwave beeped and Bella set the steaming plate down in front of him. 'I had a crazing,' she admitted, only half lying.
'Wow, Bells, this is amazing. You're really spoiling me,' Charlie mumbled around a mouthful.
Like father, like daughter.
'Yeah, well, don't get too used to it. I'll probably be less creative all week to make up for it. Anyways, I've got a ton of math homework to do,' Bella said, edging out of the kitchen.
'Yeah, sure; good luck,' Charlie told her, fully concentrated on dinner.
Edward was sitting on her bed when she got back to her room. 'This is later?' she asked. 'Not that I'm complaining.'
'Alice saw you could use some help. And she said not to worry about Mr. Jefferson; he was off sick last week himself, so the class watched a movie instead. Just read the next chapter in the textbook and you'll be ready for the quiz tomorrow.'
Bella smiled gratefully, 'I'm really glad of Alice sometimes.'
'This is for you,' he handed her a folded piece of paper. 'Carlisle hopes you had "a pleasant afternoon",' he finger quoted.
Bella only glanced briefly at it. It was a doctor's note, excusing her from class for the day due to illness.
'Tell him thanks. And, I did.'
'I assumed that, considering how cheerful you were earlier.'
'Yeah,' she glanced at her math work. 'Too bad that didn't last a bit longer.'
'I said I'd help. Did you not get far or is there something you were having trouble with?' he asked as she settled down on the bed beside him.
'Both,' Bella admitted.
Together they managed to slog through the work. It was nearly eight when Bella finished the last problem.
'Thank God that's done. Remind me never to put off math work so long. And I still have that chapter to read.'
Edward picked up her textbook. 'If you promise to stay awake and listen, I'll read it to you.'
'Charlie – '
'Quietly,' he promised.
'Alright.' That sounded a fair deal better than having him watch her read it. She'd never be able to concentrate that way.
Edward could read articulately and faster than she possible could, even when doing so out loud to a human. It was barely 8:30 when he shut the text.
'I can quiz you for the test?' he offered.
Bella yawned. 'No thanks, I'm done for the night. Too much studying rots the brain.'
'Oh, does it? Well, if that's the case, then I absolutely refuse to let you study another second. You're still sick and as your doctor,' Bella grinned at him, 'it would be unconscionable to allow anything detrimental to your health.'
'My doctor huh? I seem to have so many of those...'
'Well, anyone as prone to danger as you needs all the help they can get.'
'True,' Bella admitted with a smile. 'And I'll tell you a secret.'
Edward leaned closer so that she could whisper unnecessarily in his ear.
'You're my favourite doctor.'
'Glad to hear it.' He took advantage of their close positions and pulled her in for a quick kiss. 'You should sleep. You'll need all the rest you can get to make it through classes tomorrow.'
Bella sighed, knowing he was right. 'It's still early.'
'So is school. Honestly, Bella, you are still suffering from a bad case of influenza, whether you feel better or not. The medication can only help so much. Your body needs rest too.' He was holding her head in one hand so that she had no choice but to look at him.
'I haven't asked, but...I thought about it,' she started hesitantly. Edward waited patiently for her to continue. 'It's just; I know you were worried, especially when my fever was so high. I could see it on your face so easily.' Edward nodded, though she didn't need the confirmation. 'Was it very hard for you, seeing me like that, considering...considering your past?' She had been about to say 'your parents.'
'Yes,' Edward admitted with sad eyes. 'And no. It did remind me of what happened, but I knew you would recover in a few days. I never thought otherwise. I know Carlisle kept making the comparison, though he was as certain of your recovery as I was. There were a few times he was quite clearly remembering me lying in my own hospital bed. The worst memory was on Saturday night when he came to find me, after he saw you?' Bella nodded that she remembered. 'He was picturing the night my mother died and she begged him to save me. That was the night I 'died'. Carlisle usually tries very hard not to think of those memories when I'm around. Seeing you in that hospital put it in his mind.'
'I'm sorry I worried you both so much.'
'It's not your fault, Bella.'
'Yes it is. I'm the human,' she complained.
Edward sighed. 'That's not a failing. Never think that. I love you human. In sickness and in health,' he added with a smirk.
'For now,' she countered, but fell quiet, unwilling to start an argument considering how tired she was. Bella yawned for good measure.
'Alright, sleep time. We have all day tomorrow to talk. And the next and the next...' he smiled and kissed her again.
'Bed. I need a human moment first,' she said when he released her.
When Bella returned to the bedroom after brushing her teeth and wishing Charlie a goodnight, Edward had her books piled neatly on the desk and the covers turned down. Instead of protesting that she was no longer an invalid, she climbed under the covers and snuggled into his waiting side. 'It feels good to be home.'
'Yes,' he agreed. 'Have a goodnight, Bella.'
'Goodnight,' she returned, already surprised at how quickly sleep was stealing over her.
