Thanks so much for all the love last chapter!
Huge thanks to Jesspyt, WO and Nico for editing :)
In many patients, the disease caused by the H6N2 virus follows an unusually aggressive clinical course, with rapid deterioration and high fatality. Like most emerging disease, H6N2 influenza in humans is poorly understood. - *WHO
We find ourselves in a one-sided stand off. Edward's posture doesn't relax, and I'm stone stiff next to him. The stranger is oblivious to our presence. A short, stubby man climbs out of his jeep. His clothes, even his shoes, are covered in a weird suit. I can't tell from here, but it looks like the same material scrubs are made of. Gloves cover his hands and a mask sits on the top of his head as if it were a pair of sunglasses.
"Do you know him?" I whisper to Edward.
He shakes his head and starts walking toward the man, pointing at me. "Stay here."
After one step the man's eyes finally pull away from his clipboard, and he jumps back in surprise.
"Hello, folks," he says then pulls the mask down to cover his mouth.
"What can we do for you?" Edward asks in a tone that clearly says we won't do anything for you. He stops walking forward and crosses his arms over his chest.
"My name is Al. I work for the state."
I stay in my spot, and Al makes no move to come closer to us.
"Do you live here?" he asks, pointing to my house, before returning his focus to his clipboard as he writes something down.
I start to say yes, but Edward cuts me off. "Yeah, why?" His voice is not friendly. It's obvious he doesn't trust anyone coming around asking questions.
He stops writing and gives Edward an annoyed look. "Because I need to record who's still alive."
My breath catches at his bluntness. I stumble forward. My hand finds Edward's, but my eyes stay glued on the man in my driveway.
"There was no answer at these houses." He points to Edward's and the Clearwater's. "Do you know who lives in them?"
"They left town when the virus hit," Edward says, pointing to the Clearwater's house. "And I own that house."
"And across the street?"
I feel Edward's hand grip mine a little tighter. He clears his throat. "They've passed."
"Did you have contact?"
"No, we haven't."
"Good. Alright, I'll report this, and someone will be here for the body retrieval... sometime."
"They have family," I say, horrified at the thought of the Copes ending up in a random grave.
The man crosses his arms, his clipboard resting against his chest. Even from our distance I can see his eyes soften, but he ignores my statement.
"A national quarantine has been put in place. No one is allowed to leave their county for any reason. Some shipments are making it to grocery stores, but don't venture out unless you have to. You may travel freely within Snohomish County, but you will be met with the armed forces if you try to travel outside of county lines. There has been a heavy increase in looting and theft. Keep your doors locked and don't answer to anyone you don't know." He looks and sounds bored as he says his rehearsed speech. I wonder how long he's been going around house to house to deliver this message.
"When do you expect the power to be fixed?" Edward asks.
"No clue. All of King county up to the border is out."
This man is not bringing any good news, and the weight of his words is making my head spin.
"Is there any way to get in touch with loved ones? We have some in Seattle and some on the east coast."
"If you have a phone, keep trying to call, but other than that... no. Alright folks, I have a lot more houses to reach tonight." My phone is dead from trying to reach Emmett every week or so. Even if it wasn't, the cell towers aren't working.
"They have guns," I blurt out, pointing behind us.
He just nods his head getting back into his jeep. Edward and I stand frozen as he backs out and disappears down the street.
By the time we get inside, washed up and settled down for the evening it's dark outside. I know it's early still, but we both silently crawl into bed, shaken by the visit.
We lay facing each other but not speaking. Edward's hand comes up and runs through my hair. He slips my glasses off and does it again. I close my eyes and lean into his touch; it feels so good to have contact with another human being. His touch is comforting, and I find myself scooting towards him until our lower bodies intertwine. Without letting myself over think it, I lean forward and brush my lips against his.
He pulls away from me.
My stomach sinks at the rejection. I take a second, breathing deep, before I open my eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"Am I sure...?" I ask, confused.
"I've been going... crazy, absolutely nuts this past month, wanting to kiss you."
"Really?"
He laughs and nods. "How could you not tell?"
I shrug my shoulders and look away, feeling shy all of a sudden.
Before I can gather my courage to kiss him again, his lips crash into mine. It takes me a second to react, but when his arms wrap tightly around me, mine find their way behind his neck. Our kiss is desperate and more intimate than any other I've experienced. Edward's arms tighten around me, and he rolls us over so that his body hovers over me. One leg sits between mine, and I can feel the heat from it but it's not quite touching me where I want it to. It takes everything I can to keep myself from rubbing against him.
I grip the back of his head and when his mouth travels to my neck I can't stop the moan that escapes. His hands slip beneath my shirt and run up my bare back. I copy his motions, running my hands over his back. I've thought about what touching him would be like for a month now, and it's better than I imagined. His skin is warm and soft, and his body is hard.
His lips find mine again, and I waste no time pulling his bottom lip between my teeth. In an instant Edward's thigh is pushed up against me. I pull back and gasp, surprised at how good it feels. He looks down at me; his eyes are so dark, and his lips are parted with shallow breaths escaping.
"You like that?" he whispers, licking his lips, leaning down and kissing me behind my ear.
My only response is a whimper before I kiss his neck. I shamelessly grind on his leg, but before I know it his entire body rests between my open legs. Our thin sleep pants leave nothing to the imagination, and I can feel him - all of him - pressed against me.
In the past I've always clammed up when it comes to sex but not this time. I've never been so attracted to another human being. The thought of being with him like this is driving me mad. I try to shut my mind off and enjoy the sensation of Edward's lips on my neck.
He sits up for a moment and reaches behind his neck to pull his shirt off. My mouth hangs open. He's gorgeous. The low light coming from the fireplace makes his skin look smooth and flawless. He looks down at me and smirks. Keeping eye contact he reaches for the hem of my shirt. I hesitate, only for a second, before leaning forward so he can pull it over my head.
Out of instinct one arm flies over my bare chest. Edward laughs softly as he trails his lips down my neck, then shoulder and arm. Slowly, his other hand comes up and slips under mine gripping my breast.
"Oh," I moan, my eyes rolling back and my chest arching.
His hand twists over and his fingers lock with my own. Slowly he moves my hand off my breasts and his lips take its place. He stretches the hand he's holding over my head and places himself between my legs again.
His mouth finds my nipples, and I feel like I have to claw at his back just to stay anchored to the earth. He kisses between my breasts and my eyes are glued to his motions as my free hand caresses his hair. He turns to the side to look at me and his stubble rubs the soft skin of my stomach. His eyes are focused on my breasts, rising and falling with each ragged breath I take.
"God, you are so hot."
"Uh... thanks," I say, feeling my entire body flush with heat.
Edward just shakes his head with a smile and goes back to kissing my chest.
Even though his body is molded to mine he doesn't feel close enough. Feeling brave, I move my leg in order to rub against him.
"Oh fuck," he pants, laying his head between my breasts, releasing my arm.
Encouraged by his response I continue to rub against him. His lips attack mine with ten times more energy than before. His bare chest pressed against my own is one of the best things I've ever felt. My arms wrap tightly around him, and I hide my head in his neck when I feel his hips pump, grinding into my leg. I love the fact I'm making Edward feel good, but I can't help feeling a little embarrassed, not being totally comfortable with myself.
"Oh, God. Shit, Bella," he gasps, roughly kissing my neck, his entire body shuddering. After he goes limp, and I love the feeling of his weight on top of me.
"Thank you," he whispers, placing feather light kisses on my shoulder.
I sigh, loving feeling this close to him, seeing a different side of him. When I almost think he's asleep I feel his hands play with the waistband of my pants. His fingers run back and forth between the band and my skin.
"So soft," he whispers, his breath warm against my shoulder. Then his hand quickly slips down, touching me. "And wet."
"Edward, no," I say softly, trying to scoot up a little.
He immediately pulls his hand out and looks at me confused. "No?"
I shake my head, feeling the heat raging in my cheeks. "I just... I..."
"Shh, it's okay. Was this too fast?" He rolls on his side pulling me with him so we face each other.
"No... yes, maybe a little - I mean, no... I just -"
He laughs softly and kisses me. "Yeah, maybe just a little fast."
We lay quietly, his hand softly running over my chest. "I'm going to go get cleaned up." He says, sitting up.
"Okay." I nod, reaching for my shirt.
I watch him walk away then slip my shirt back over my head. I lay berating myself for stopping him. I don't even want to speculate on what he thinks of me. It's just that one second we're platonic with a little flirting and teasing and the next we're on the bullet train to sex.
When he comes back, I make sure I'm facing the wall so he can't see how embarrassed I am. I feel his weight on the mattress then his arms wrap around me. I can feel him nuzzling my neck.
"I'm sorry."
I roll over quickly. "What? Why?"
"For pushing you."
"You didn't."
He gives me a skeptical look, so I place both hands on either side of his head. "Edward, you didn't. I promise."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah... I was just overwhelmed, that's all."
His eyes go a wide, and he leans away from me. "Bella..." he hesitates. "You're not... I mean - Are you a virgin?"
"What?" I exclaim, sitting up.
"Are you?" He winces.
"No, Edward."
He lets out a breath and falls against the pillow in relief.
"Would that be so bad?" I ask annoyed.
"No…I just think I should know."
"Well, I'm not." I flop down next to him.
We're quiet for a few minutes before Edward's laugh breaks the silence. "Well... I'm sorry I came in my pants like a virgin."
I laugh so hard I snort, rolling over on Edward and hiding my head in his neck.
I feel his hand on the back of my head. "Don't laugh at me; it's been a while."
"Don't want to know, Edward." I'm not stupid. I know Edward's been with other women, but I don't really want to think about that right now.
"What? You just said you're not a virgin."
"Yeah, but I've only been with one guy," I blurt out before I can stop myself.
"Really?"
I nod my head.
"That's... that's cool."
"Really?" I sit up, looking at him.
"Yeah. I like that," he says as if he's decided something.
I just nod and lay back down next to him. We both lay staring at the ceiling. Edwards fingers play with mine.
"Who was he?"
His question surprises me, and I'm not sure if I should lie or tell him what happened. I really like Edward. Reallylike him and decide it's best if I'm honest with him.
"His name was Stefan. We went to college together. He was my first real boyfriend. You know... first time away from home and Alice."
"Alice?"
"My best friend. My gorgeous best friend who's friendly and mysterious - the one every guy wanted throughout high school," I say blandly.
"Ah," he says.
"Yeah. Anyway, I met Stefan my sophomore year. I worked in the writing center, and he needed help with one of his papers. He asked me out and… Yeah, it just happened naturally. I just assumed he was my boyfriend. He never said it, but... I don't know. I shouldn't have assumed. He was on the track team and student council - always busy. I thought that's why we didn't do much together outside of his dorm room." I roll my eyes, and Edward snorts.
"He kept... pushing me. I know it's stupid; most girls have sex in high school, but I just wasn't ready."
Edward rolls to face me. "No, that's not stupid."
I smile softly at him. "Yeah, well, Stefan thought it was. Anyway, I finally gave in, and after that he just... wasn't around. I decided to confront him, and when I went to his dorm a girl in his shirt answered the door."
"What a fucker." I look over at Edward, but his eyes are glued to the ceiling.
I shrug my shoulders. "It's just how guys are."
"No, Bella. That's how assholes are."
I don't know what to say, so I stay quiet.
"That's your only experience?"
"I mean... I've had dates and done... stuff, but I never put myself in that position again."
He grabs my hand. "I would never do that to you... use you like that. I care about you." He grabs my hand and pulls me closer to him.
I don't know what to say, so I lean forward and kiss his lips softly. "I care about you, too."
I lay my head on his chest and curl into his side. Edward pulls the blanket over us and kisses the top of my head, letting his lips linger.
"Goodnight, Bella."
"Night," I say, closing my eyes.
I lay there unable to fall asleep. Edward's words play like on a loop in my head. 'Iwouldneverdothat...useyou.' Something inside of me tells me I can believe him. In this short amount of time I have no doubt - I've fallen for Edward.
I feel his hand gently run through my hair. I sigh, loving the soft caress.
I place a soft kiss on his chest, finally able to relax, and fall into a peaceful sleep.
~*Exposed*~
"Pass the turkey, please."
I grab the plastic bag and toss it in Edward's direction. We opened up the dining room this morning, so it would heat up and we're in the process of having our Thanksgiving dinner.
"So good," Edward says sarcastically, taking a bite of a mystery meat piece of jerky. He scoops out a handful, placing a pile on his plate next to his canned veggies and boiled potatoes.
"You should have some," he says, tossing the bag at me.
I catch it right before it hits me in the head and set it next to me.
"What do you usually do on Thanksgiving?"
My head snaps up. We don't usually ask personal questions; it's been kind of an unexpected rule between us. After last night though, I feel like opening up to him. If I'm going to try and make something between us, he needs to know me.
"Uh, I would spend it with my brother. Then once he married Rose, she would join us, too." I shrug.
"Your parents?"
I pull my leg up and hug it. "Dad died when I was little, and my mom's a junkie."
"I'm sorry." Sincerity is clear in his voice.
"It's fine."
"So you and your brother are pretty close?"
"Very. He... uh... he pretty much raised me." I'm hesitant to open up fully to him. Alice is the only other person who knows my whole story. It's embarrassing.
"He's a lot older than you?"
I nod.
Edward sits patiently, not pushing, but obviously waiting for me to continue.
"My mom... she would disappear a lot. Emmett, he's seven years older than me. He got a job as soon as he could, and he paid most the bills."
Edward's eyebrows lift slightly, but he keeps his mouth closed.
"Emmett... he had to be an adult at such a young age." I shake my head. I look up to see Edward staring at me intensely. "I remember being young... like six or seven, and Emmett trying to do my hair for school pictures." I laugh. Emmett wasn't very old, and I remember him brushing my hair and me crying; he was pulling too hard. "I ended up with like... six pony tales for the pictures."
Edward laughs with me. I pick up a piece of jerky and take a bite. "My teacher tried to change them, and I freaked out - like, totally lost my shit - because I didn't want her to change what Emmett worked so hard on." Our laughter turns quiet. I never really thought about that particular situation before; how sad it really is that Emmett had to deal with that at such a young age. "Mom was in and out of jail, or off on a bender somewhere, so Em and I were in and out of foster care.
"When I was twelve, almost thirteen, Emmett moved out. He was eighteen and ready to start his life. I couldn't blame him but at that age I did; I didn't understand."
"You couldn't. You were just a kid."
I nod my head. "Shortly after that, mom disappeared again. She was gone for a while but eventually came back with another new boyfriend."
I look down at my lap but can see Edward stiffen in my peripheral vision. "She did that from time to time - would bring guys home. When she did, Em always made me sleep in his room, I never understood why but didn't ask questions. He didn't live at home anymore, and I woke up to find this new guy sitting in my room. He was just... sitting there, staring at me."
Edward shifts in his chair and leans forward on the table, resting his elbows on top.
"I screamed for my mom, but she was passed out, dead to the world. I was screaming, and he just sat there and stared at me. Then he smiled at me; it was disturbing." I shiver, remembering that night so clearly. "I remember his smile scaring me. His teeth were missing or rotted, and he had sores on his face. I stood and ran. I got out of the house, and I just kept running until I got the apartment Emmett shared with his friends."
"What happened?"
"Emmett called the cops, told them mom had drugs in the house."
"Did she?"
"He was guessing, but yeah, she did. She usually did, and she was arrested."
"Did you have to go back to foster care?"
"No." I smile, leaning back in my chair. "Em dropped out of school, got two jobs and became my legal guardian."
"Wow. And your mom?"
"I've only seen her a couple times since I was thirteen."
"So it really was just you and your brother, then."
"Yeah... so we're pretty close."
"I guess so," he agrees. "That's pretty cool of him, to take in his little sister."
"Yeah," I smile, feeling so grateful for Emmett. I miss him so much. "Rose too."
"The blonde?"
"Yeah, the blonde." I roll my eyes. "She always let me tag along on their dates and stuff. I just feel bad that he missed out on... everything, because he had to take care of me."
Edward scoots to the chair that's closer to me and places his hand on my leg. "It's not your fault."
I smile and nod but don't speak in order to keep the tears in my eyes. After a couple sniffles I shake my head a little and let out a breath, before I face him, placing my hand on top of his.
"What about you? What were Cullen Thanksgivings like?" I smile, shaking his hand a little.
"Quiet... but nice." He leans back and faces me.
"You didn't have a big family?"
"Not really. Both sets of grandparents were gone, my mom was an only child, and my dad's brother lived on the east coast. My mom though, she's big into holidays. Every corner of the house decorated, cooking for days. She always complained, because she was so girly and ended up with three wild boys." He laughs, rubbing the side of his head absentmindedly.
"She'd set out all of this awesome food and then make us wait and everyone had to say what they were thankful for. We'd always see who could sneak the most food."
"Your poor mom!" I smile brightly, loving hearing about his family, but I'm jealous that I have no idea what it feels like - to have a family and have holidays be major events.
"Nah, she loved it. She totally knew what was going on and pretended she didn't. I would catch her and dad smiling at each other."
"What's your dad's name?"
"Carlisle."
"Are you guys close?"
"Yeah... not as close as we used to be, but yeah, we get along."
I stay quiet not sure what to say.
I decide to pry a little. "Not as close as you used to be..." I hedge.
He looks over at me, a sad smile on his face.
"I was the youngest... a surprise." He laughs, shaking his head. "My parents were done, happy with the two, but... yeah, here I am."
I shake my head, laughing. Only he would behave as though his being born was an accomplishment.
"So, Jake was the oldest. He was a senior when I was in eighth grade, and Alec was a junior. I wanted to do everything they did. I followed them around everywhere. I played sports, because Jake played sports. I wanted to play guitar, because Alec played guitar. Even though we were close, they didn't always want their little brother, who had a tendency to spill their secrets to mom, following them around all the time."
"Oh, so you were that kid?" I joke, hitting his arm.
"Yeah, I guess I was when I was younger." He pulls me towards him and sneaks a quick kiss before continuing. "It was right before Christmas, and my brothers were going shopping at the mall. I wanted to go so bad and was following them around, begging them to take me. They refused; they were meeting some girls there and didn't want me within fifty miles."
His voice gets quieter, and he's staring at his lap. My stomach sinks, knowing he's going to say something bad happened.
"By dinner they still weren't home. Mom was getting worried, so to make her happy, Dad went to the mall to find them. He let me come with him, and before we got there we saw the wreck. Their car hit ice and flipped. Alec died instantly, and dad and I got there in time to watch Jake die."
"Oh my god, Edward," I gasp, turning towards him. I have to resist crawling into his lap and holding him. "I'm so sorry. That's terrible." I grip his hand with both of mine.
"Thank you. Yeah, it was pretty rough. My parents have never been the same. My dad, he was always the coach of our teams, really involved, and he's..." His lips purse a little and his eyes narrow. "He's just faded. My mom went into hyper drive. Obsessing over me, became way too over protective."
"That's why she was over here bringing you groceries and stuff..." I felt like shit. His mom was trying to take care of her only living child, and I made fun of him for it. "Edward, I'm so sorry."
"For what?"
"For what I said before... making fun of you. I had no right... I didn't know."
He waves me off. "Nothing to apologize for. My mom is over the top. I let her do it, because it makes her feel better... and because she's a really good cook," he smirks.
I laugh and appreciate him trying to lighten the mood. We sit a while longer both nibbling at our sad little dinner. It's not long before I feel Edward's leg brush against mine.
I rub him back, and before I know it, I'm straddling him in his chair and we're making out. I can feel him pressed up against me, and I can't help wiggling against him. Before things go too far he pulls back, placing his hands on either side of my head.
"I'm thankful for you, Bella," he says leaning forward, placing a soft kiss on my forehead.
I close my eyes and commit the moment to memory, wondering if it's possible to have the best and worst Thanksgiving all at once.
Thanks for reading!
kdc2239 on twitter.
Next week is Thanksgiving (Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!) so there probably won't be an update for 2 weeks.
So... Breaking Dawn! I just saw it and loved it! Have you seen it? Favorite/least favorite part?