Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.


Chapter Nine: Towers and Grizzlies and Ghosts, Oh My!

After Alice, Jasper, Edward and Bella had stopped laughing over the impromptu Emmett/Rosalie show they'd witnessed this morning, Edward and Bella made their way up to their room to get ready for the day.

"Edward, what's the plan for the day?" Bella asked Edward as she went to the closet to select an outfit for the day. The forecast was cloudy and cool with a slight possibility of rain, and she wanted to make sure she was dressed appropriately. Alice's voice came floating from her bedroom on the second level, "I've already numbered your outfits for you, Bella. Today's outfit is Number 4. Trust me!"

Bella shook her head, grumbling about being treated like a small child who didn't know how to dress herself. But then she laughed inside, realizing her thoughts were actually childish and Alice was only trying to help as usual. She turned her attention back to Edward. "I'm sorry, Edward, what was the plan again?"

Edward walked up to her, putting his hands on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. "The plan, love, is to first get you some breakfast. After that, we're at Alice's mercy. She's the tour director on this holiday."

Alice's voice could be heard again from her bedroom. "I heard that, Edward Cullen! And don't you forget it!"

Bella and Edward both laughed, knowing it was wiser to give in to Alice than go against her. Edward turned back to Bella.

"Right… I'm going to start on your breakfast while you, soon-to-be Mrs. Cullen, have your 'human moment.'" He picked Bella up and put her over his shoulder, causing her to squeal as he walked with her to the bathroom door. "Don't be too long, love," he said as he lightly patted her on the bum making her to squeal again. Setting her down in front of the door he planted a quick kiss on her forehead and made his way downstairs to start on Bella's breakfast.

Bella quickly showered and got ready and then made her way downstairs carefully, trying not to trip over her own two feet. Whew, she sighed in relief as she made it to the bottom of the stairs without mishap.

Bella walked into the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of Carlisle standing next to the coffeemaker while Esme was dishing up scrambled eggs and Edward was slicing fresh strawberries to go on top of the waffles he'd prepared for her.

"Good morning, everyone," Bella said in a lighthearted voice before stopping in her tracks. Carlisle, Esme and Edward had turned around at the same time and she stared at the three vampires wearing identically colored aprons that, when put together, read "KISS – THE – CHEF." Bella couldn't help but laugh as shook her head, in her mind thinking Excellent idea as she walked up to Edward, fully intending to follow the suggestion on the aprons. She stood on her toes and stretched up to give Edward a kiss just as he was adding the final touch of whipped cream on top of the strawberries.

"Mmm…delicious," she said, not even looking at the strawberries. Edward's head snapped up as he stared at Bella, not entirely certain if she was referring to the strawberries or himself. He got his answer when Bella winked at him before adding, "The strawberries too…"

Edward's eyes darkened as Bella squeezed his arm and lightly patted his bum in front of Carlisle and Esme who were trying to hide their smiles behind their hands. How I love this woman! He gave himself a little shake, trying to figure out how she could yet again dazzle him so effortlessly.

"Alright, let's get you seated so you can tell us how we've done." Edward led her to the table and set the waffles in front of her while Esme set the plate of scrambled eggs to her left and Carlisle placed a cup of coffee to her right.

Bella was hungry and devoured the breakfast, trying not to pay attention to the three vampires who were watching her closely as she ate. She started to blush and stopped chewing, causing Carlisle, Esme and Edward to laugh.

"Sorry, dear," said Esme said apologetically. "That was terribly rude of us to stare like that. It's just I can't remember what it was like to eat human food and even though, forgive me for saying this, it smells revolting, I get great satisfaction out of being able to make something that obviously gives you great pleasure to eat."

Bella laughed. "It's okay Esme; you would think I'd be used to it by now! Really, these are absolutely delicious. Thank you. Oh, Carlisle, the coffee is wonderful, so thank you too!"

Carlisle chuckled. "It seems my talents know no boundaries. Not only can I stitch wounds and set broken bones, I can make a mean cup of coffee as well," setting off another round of laughter.

Everyone turned towards the sound of the voices coming in the direction of the stairway. Alice and Jasper, followed by Emmett and Rosalie, were discussing places they wanted to see this morning.

"Hey, Bells! How's my favorite human doing this morning?" Emmett said in a booming voice, taking the seat opposite Bella's while Rosalie took the chair next to him. Leaning across the table he whispered conspiratorially, "So, have you made a man out of Eddie here yet?" Rosalie quickly covered her mouth to hide the quick laugh that escaped at Emmett's comment.

Edward growled as he listened to whatever it was Emmett was thinking at the moment, but other than a slight blush Bella remained calm as she replied, "Whatever, Macho Man Rod…"

Emmett looked at Bella, first in surprise and then suspicion when he heard snickers coming from Alice, Jasper and Edward. Bella stood up to take her plate to the dishwasher, a smirk on her face as she walked past Emmett and Rosalie singing quietly under her breath, "If you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it…Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh…"

Rosalie's mouth dropped open as she realized there had been witnesses to hers and Emmett's little morning show, while Emmett sat stunned as Jasper followed Bella to the dishwasher, patting his bum ala Justin Timberlake style, Alice trailing close behind him and doing the same.

Emmett wasn't embarrassed for long, choosing instead to laugh at getting caught. "Aw, Bella, you're killing me here!" he said, smacking his head.

"Well, that's what you get for singing so loud you woke me from a very nice sleep, not to mention leaving your door open for everyone to hear." Bella replied as Edward proudly watched her take on his brother.

"You're alright, little sis." Emmett laughed, launching himself out of his chair and running over to Bella, pulling her into a one armed hug while he rubbing her head with his other hand before Edward pulled her away and into the safety of his arms.

Carlisle cleared his voice to get everyone's attention. "Alright, any suggestions for what they'd like to do or see today?"

"I want to see the Tower of London!" said Emmett.

"No, I want to go shopping! I've been dying to get to Harrods!" said Alice.

Emmett, of course, couldn't let that comment pass without a remark of his own. "Good one, Alice. 'Dying' to get to Harrods!"

"I wouldn't mind seeing Westminster Abbey or the Churchill Museum," suggested Jasper, although one look at Alice's frowning face had him quickly changing his tune. "Hey, I know! Let's go shopping!"

Alice's frown turned into a smile as she pulled her arm through Jasper's and said, "I knew you'd see reason, Jasper. Good choice!" Jasper smiled at Alice while Emmett coughed into his hand what sounded suspiciously like, "Whipped!"

Bella piped up. "I'm all for the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey!" She looked at Alice and very quickly changed her mind like Jasper had. "I mean, can't wait to go shopping! Harrods, here we come." The smile she directed towards Alice looked more like a grimace, but Alice was pleased nonetheless.

"Very good, Bella. You're learning the most important lesson about being a Cullen: Shopping is always the right answer!"

"Right," said Edward and Bella at the same time, grinning at each other for being so in tune with the other that they were thinking the same things at the same time.

Rosalie tossed her head in exasperation. "Oh, come on! Are we Cullens or not? Why can't we do all three? Let's hit the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey and on the way back we can stop by Harrods and the other shops."

Everyone looked at each other, checking to see if everyone was in agreement, which they were. Carlisle nodded. "Let's get this show on the road." He held his hand out to Esme and they made their way out of the kitchen to the front door.

"Shall we?" Edward said as he gallantly held out his arm for Bella to hold. Edward was always the gentleman; it was one of the traits Bella found most endearing about him. It was nice to know in today's world there were still men who still knew what the word meant, in both word and deeds.

"Let's…" Bella said as she took his arm and they followed the others out the door.

*******

They decided to save Westminster Abbey for another time, instead choosing to spend most of the day at the Tower of London. Bella was quite excited to visit the Tower, having read so much about it in books. Everyone had their own reasons for wanting to visit. Rosalie and Alice were curious to see the Crown Jewels. Jasper was eager to wander the grounds, the military man in him wanting to see the armor and weapons used during the time as wells as the massive defensive inner curtain wall and the four towers, including the White Tower, one of the most famous castle keeps in the world, built to awe, subdue and terrify. Edward and Bella were looking forward to the Yeoman Warder tour, while Carlisle took great pleasure in sharing with Esme and the others what he knew of the Tower's history, recalling his own memories of the Tower during the 1600 and 1700's.

Bella read from the pamphlet Edward handed her as they first entered the grounds.

"Did you know the Tower is London's original royal fortress? It's over 900 years old!" Bella exclaimed. "It contains the Crown Jewels and is guarded by the Yeoman Warders, also known as Beefeaters. It says their nickname comes from their positions in the Royal Bodyguard, which permitted them to eat as much beef as they wanted from the king's table!"

The Cullens joined the next Yeoman Warders tour group, following the guide as he recited the history of the great fortress.

"Our tour will take us past Traitor's Gate, the White tower, the Bloody Tower, the ravens and the chapel of St. Peter-ad-Vincula," the tour guide said as he led them past the Traitor's Gate. "I'd like to take this time to explain an interesting fact regarding the moat. The moat was partially designed to flush out sewage into the tidal River Thames, but never really fulfilled its purpose other than creating an absolutely horrid stench that permeated the surrounding area for quite some time. Thankfully, under the Duke of Wellington's watch it was drained."

Emmett of course could not let this slide. "Hey Rosie, which do you think would be worse? Living surrounded by the stench from sewage, or the stench clinging to the humans who lived surrounded by the smell?"

Rosalie snorted. "The stench from sewage, hands down."

Alice was listening and added her comments. "Just imagine accidentally falling into the water. Ew!"

Alice glanced over at Jasper and was happy to see him enjoying the tour; being surrounded by so many humans would normally make him very uncomfortable as he tried to control his thirst, but there was so much history and information to take in that he was able to concentrate fully on the history of the Tower.

Jasper caught the eye of the tour guide. "It seems so tranquil, peaceful even, it's hard to imagine it as a place of terror."

The tour guide replied, "Yes, sir. This was a place of terror and turmoil for many citizens and famous prisoners. Many, many poor souls spent the rest of their lives or were executed in the Tower. A few of the famous names include Anne Boleyn, Sir Walter Raleigh and Guy Fawkes."

The group followed the guide through the arch under the Bloody Tower where the guard pointed out the Tower's ravens. "According to legend, Charles II was the first king to insist the ravens should be protected and ever since, six ravens must be at the fortress or the kingdom will fall."

Emmett's eyes lit up, immediately causing Edward to growl. "Emmett, don't even think about it. No snacks on the tour!"

Emmett folded his arms and put on a sulky face. "I say, old chap, you're no fun!"

Carlisle decided to step in at this point. "Needless to say, you will leave the ravens alone, Emmett."

Next up was the Tower Green, where they executed high-ranking or popular individuals whose death might incite strong opposition from the general public.

"Hey Bella, did you know the Tower of London is thought to be the most haunted place in the world," Emmett suddenly said as Edward looked at him suspiciously. Knowing Emmett as well he did, Emmett only learned facts and details about a place if he had a prank planned. Alice also looked suspicious, but Emmett only shrugged his shoulders. "What? I like reading about haunted places. It's not like vampires can be scared by ghosts, now, can they?"

The tour continued as the guide started talking about the Tower being the most haunted building in the world. Emmett turned around, pointed to his chest and mouthed to the other Cullens, "What did I tell you, the most haunted building in the world!"

Emmett's attention was immediately captured when the tour guide started talking about a phantom bear that had been seen at the Tower. "Legend has it that a huge ghostly bear appeared by the Martin Tower, scaring a guard so badly he dropped dead from shock! What we do know for certain is at least two bears had lived at the Tower, both the first of their kind to be seen in England."

Emmett whispered soft enough for only the vampires and Bella to hear, "I wonder if they were irritable grizzlies."

The Cullens were hard pressed not to laugh at this reference to Emmett's favorite treat, but the reference to ghosts was starting to spook Bella. Edward noticed her hands were getting cold and her heart was starting to beat faster. "Bella, love, what's wrong?"

Bella whispered back. "It's nothing," before catching the look on Edward's face, knowing he could see right through her. Interesting choice of words, Bella thought to herself. She sighed. "Okay, I'm a little spooked by the whole ghost thing."

Edward was highly amused. "Silly Bella, only you would worry about ghosts while surrounded by seven vampires who are considerably more dangerous and more real than any ghosts or phantom grizzly bears! Not to mention that I would never let anything harm you." He bent down to kiss her cheek, his crooked grin making her weak in the knees and thankful she was holding on to his arm for support.

"You're right, I'm being silly. I know they're not real, but then I never would have believed vampires were real either!"

The others were discreetly listening to Bella and Edward and she could see them smiling at her comments.

Emmett was also listening and saw the perfect opportunity to spook Bella and the other tourists. He gestured for Rosalie to stay with him as he allowed the group to precede them as they made their way through the chapel of St. Peter-ad-Vincula. He could hear the tour guide explaining the history of the chapel. "It is also rumored the ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn walks around carrying her head under her arm."

Emmett noticed Bella shiver while listening to their guide talk about the other ghosts that had reportedly been seen over the years. Hehehe, Emmett thought, time to have a little fun with the human…

Bella jumped as she heard a ghostly voice singing a strange song and she held on tightly to Edward's arm. The other tourists also stopped in their tracks, becoming nervous as they wondered if they had happened upon one of the ghosts singing a ghostly lament. Edward suddenly tensed, eyes narrowed as he looked towards the back of the group, but Bella was too distracted, struggling to hear the words the voice was saying:

I'm Henry the Eighth I am,

Henry the Eighth I am, I am,

I got married to the widow next door,

She's been married seven times before,

And every one was an Henry (Henry),

She wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam (no Sam),

I'm her eighth old man, I'm Henry,

Henry the Eighth I am

Second verse, same as the first!

"Emmett!" all of the Cullens whispered loudly as Emmett came around the corner, laughing. Bella relaxed as she realized the "ghost" was Emmett.

"Oh come on, it's just a joke! Where's your sense of humor?" he asked, looking at Bella.

"Ha, ha, ha. Good one, Emmett." Bella said, an unconvincing smile on her face, while Edward glared at Emmett for making Bella uncomfortable. Alice was not entirely happy with Emmett either. She was going to keep an eye on him. There was no way she was going to let him spoil Bella's vacation with immature pranks. I may have to have a little discussion with Emmett, she thought.

The tour ended at that point, with the guard pointing them in the direction of the queue lining up to see the Crown Jewels. Fortunately the crowds were small due to a carnival taking place in the neighborhood that day. Venturing inside the Jewel House the Cullens were able to walk right through the holding areas and straight to the display. Nothing had prepared Bella for the dazzling array of crowns, orbs and scepters represented by over 23,000 gems.

"Gosh, look at that…the Imperial State Crown." Bella said in awe. "It says it's made up of over 2,800 diamonds and hundreds of other precious gemstones."

Alice was rolling back and forth on her toes. "Ooh, I can't wait to go shopping!"

They continued on to where exhibitions were set up. Jasper was spellbound by the displays of armor and weaponry used by Henry VIII. "Amazing…we soldiers in the Civil War thought we had it difficult fighting in our uniforms, but the sheer size and scale of some of this armor makes me wonder how it was even possible to move in these suits!"

From the exhibition area they continued walking along the East Wall Walk where Jasper explored the inner wall and its four towers. Jasper pointed out some of the stones etched with the names of one-time prisoners, as well as plaques explaining the many uses of the towers through the ages.

Suddenly the sensitive hearing of the Cullens picked up on the sound of Bella's stomach growling. Bella blushed while Edward laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Sorry, love. I can't believe I lost track of time like that. Let's go get you something to eat."

"Yeah!" yelled Emmett, punching the air with his fist. "Time to feed the human!"

"Let's go!" said Alice, having already looked ahead to see what Bella was going to want to eat. "She needs her energy for what's next on the agenda: shopping!" The other Cullens were laughing at Alice's enthusiasm, while Bella put her hand to her forehead and moaned, "Oh no, no, no…"

Overall it was a very happy group of Cullens that left the Tower of London, making their way back to Brompton Road.


A/N: Unfortunately I've never had the privilege of touring the Tower of London, but through power of the internet I was able to pull some fantastic information from the Historic Royal Palaces website, and some other sites. I tried to be as accurate as possible, but please forgive this American if you find something is not quite right!

I'm feverishly working on the remaining chapters of this story so that I can update by the weekend. The next chapters will be chapters focusing on each of the Cullens with Bella (i.e. Rosalie/Bella, Emmett/Bella, Jasper/Bella, Alice/Bella, etc.), and for the most part will be very light-hearted. I'm trying very hard to turn them out quickly so please forgive me if I don't respond to your PMs as fast as I normally try to respond. My only excuse is I'm desperate to finish Choices so that I can get started on the other story that so many of you have told me you're eagerly anticipating… the sequel to Punk'd…Cullen Style! I would love for you to leave a quick review, just click below! Thanks!