Chapter 10

"Hey, who braves the hens to get those eggs?"

In the end, after a lot of fight from the blasted feathered creatures, Stefan pulled his lips back over his teeth and hissed. Every single hen shut up immediately and the two grabbed the eggs and strolled back toward the house. Bella asked,

"Why does your family always have the most aggressive chickens known to man? I remember when we were kids they were just as bad but we couldn't hiss-cheat then."

Stefan shrugged.

"I don't know, what's the lifespan of a chicken?"

For some reason that made Bella snicker.

"About two minutes, from coop to oven, if I had my way."

Stefan laughed and Bella chuckled alongside him. They put the eggs in the fridge, and Bella headed to her car for her bags while Stefan grabbed the first shower. Bella lingered, taking her sweet time into transferring her things to the house and then going back into the store for the forgotten computer bag and placing a call to Charlie to check up on him, staying away from any risk of encountering a wet Stefan.

When the water stopped running, she grabbed a T -shirt and a skirt and headed into the bathroom. She locked the door, stripped off her clothes, and peered at herself in the already foggy mirror. In that dream world where Stefan turned into her overnight, would he like what he saw?

Enough guys had. Bella was lean and fit but not muscled; she had spent a life of working and not sitting on her butt before changing. Her breasts weren't large but not tiny either, a pair of well proportioned B cups. Her stomach was flat and she was waxed, because he'd come to enjoy the way that looked, and felt when touched.

She ran her hand through her locks. The dark hair was longer than usual, but some guys liked that. Edward did... Oh who was she kidding? She was ordinary, she'd always been ordinary and that wasn't going to change.

Bella turned away abruptly and cranked on the water not even caring to turn it warm.

They headed to town in the rental car, with the windows down and the radio cranked. The station was some kind of stupid top-forty, and Bella was appalled at how many of the songs she actually knew, and how willing she apparently was to belt them out once Stefan got them started.

The years rolled back. It was her and Stefan and a carriage and a road and nothing vital to do. The center of town was a fifteen-minute ride. It wasn't even seven when they arrived, but they found to their dismay that all the stores were closed.

"Damn."

Stefan pulled over in the supermarket parking lot and rested his wrists on the wheel.

"Small town Sunday night. I wasn't thinking. One of us should have come down here sooner."

"I guess we could drive to the nearest city"

"That's another twenty minutes assuming I don't get us lost"

Stefan sounded as reluctant as Bella felt. Bella glanced around.

"We could find a diner and get dinner. We have eggs and bread for breakfast. We can shop tomorrow."

"Good thought."

Stefan pulled through the lot and down the street till they reached a circular plaza and a corner diner. The two shared a smile. The place was brightly lit and clean, with half a dozen tables occupied. Bella looked at the black vinyl booths, the hanging lights, the grey linoleum floor, the rows of pool tables.

"It looks almost identical to Mystic Grill back home."

As if to accentuate his point, a teenage waitress paused to glance at them and waved casually.

"Sit anywhere. I'll be with you in a minute."

Without discussion they automatically headed for the last booth in the back. They'd barely slid into the benches, the vinyl sticky against the back of Bella's knees, when the waitress appeared with menus.

"We're out of the fish,"

she said,

"But it wasn't the greatest anyway. Can I get you guys some cokes or some coffee to start with?"

Stefan said,

"Coke."

Bella grinned and nodded her own order

"Make that two"

As the waitress headed off Bella leaned back in the booth and looked at Stefan. Just like the old days. she could do this. Think back to being seventeen. No, not seventeen. Better stick with the boys have cooties phase. Think fourteen.

"So, tell me what else is new with you."