Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.
Songlines Ch10
"What do you need?" whatever it was, I'd see that she got it. I couldn't afford to lose her now.
"I think," Bella said slowly, "I need you tell me something like-," she waved a hand in a vague gesture, "I don't know. Make something up to explain your super-speed, the strength I saw tonight, the way you and Emmett are barely room temperature, and the way you speak sometimes," she ended on a breathless laugh. "Because right now things aren't adding up, and I'm wondering if I'm batshit crazy for even thinking that you might be a-,"
"Vampire," I finished for her.
We sat and regarded each other in silence.
"Yeah right," Bella scoffed as she picked up her drink, "like vampires get around attending college and … and-," her voice trailed off as she studied my face. Her hand, I noticed, only trembled slightly as she set the glass back down on the table. "You're serious," she ventured after swallowing hard.
"I'm not really known for my sense of humour," I answered, keeping my voice low.
"Well," Bella sipped at her drink again and then regarded me with disbelief. "I guess I didn't see that coming."
"You're not surprised?"
"After the evening I've had I don't know what to expect anymore," she shrugged and then cocked her head as she considered me. "What about you, did you think I'd run out of here screaming because you've fessed up?" Bella picked up her fork now and scooped up some pasta. I suspected it was more about having something to do with her hands rather than having any appetite after my revelation.
"Something like that," I admitted. After her reactions of late I didn't know what to expect any more either.
Bella stopped eating and pushed her plate to the side, dabbing at her lips with her napkin and discarding it on the table. She leaned back in her seat slightly as the waitress re-appeared to clear the table, raising an eyebrow as the woman lingered over-long beside me.
"Is there anything else you'd like?"
"I'll have another," Bella chimed in behind her, picking up her empty scotch glass.
"Just a Coke for me," I added.
Bella watched the departing waitress and then glanced back at me with faint disapproval. "That woman has got it bad," she commented.
"Whatever it is you say she's got, that's all she's going to get," I said dismissively.
Bella cocked her head to one side as she regarded me. "You really don't get it, do you," she said at last, "you could have women falling at your feet any time you like."
"Too much of a trip hazard," I replied, "and besides, they're not the one that I want."
Our drink order was delivered and Bella sipped at her scotch immediately, trying to use the glass to shield her blush. It was a futile attempt. I could hear her heart beating, see the blood rushing into her face. It was beautiful. I slid my glass of Coke across the table towards her. Bella gave an unexpected smile at the gesture.
"That's one of the first things I noticed," she said as she set her glass down.
"What was?" I leaned forward in my chair as she spoke, fascinated.
"I don't think I've ever seen you eat anything," Bella nodded at the Coke I had given her, "or drink anything for that matter." Another pause and a smile. "Granted the coffee on campus is terrible but even so-", she gave a slight jerk as she remembered something and then looked at me with fresh curiosity. "How did you know where I was going to be this evening?"
"You told me you had a late lecture," I hedged, but Bella wasn't buying it.
"I'm not sure I told you I was going to study in the library afterwards, and you seemed to appear out of nowhere as soon as that creep showed up. How did you do that?"
"I may have had some assistance," I admitted. I was leaning closer to her now and Bella's hands were loosely clasped around her glass. She unconsciously leaned towards me as I spoke in a quiet voice so as not to be overhead. "Alice told me where you were."
Bella gave me a long measuring stare.
"We were worried," I admitted at last.
"We?" Bella's eyes narrowed at this.
"Myself, Alice-," I began, watching as Bella's expression turned to one of surprise.
"Alice is one too?"
I nodded.
"And I suppose that means Jasper ...," her voice trailed off as she gave me an expectant look, and again I nodded.
"And Emmett," she mused aloud, "and I suppose that means your father too."
"That's right," I said cautiously.
"And I'm guessing you have a mother, for all intents and purposes." Bella's eyes took on a distant look at my nod of affirmation and I watched her with alarm as her shoulders began to tremble.
"A vampire family," she began to giggle.
I frowned a little at her reaction; perhaps the shock hadn't worn off after all. After considering the conversation however, I realised the shocks had kept coming. Bella picked up her glass and toasted me before chugging back the contents and thumping the glass onto the table with a flourish.
"I think you'd better finish up with that," I nodded towards the soft drink in front of her and she sighed before obediently picking it up and sipping at it with a little more decorum.
"Are you okay?" Bella asked.
"I've just told you what I am, and you're asking me?" I was hard pressed to conceal my amazement at her concern for me after what she had seen tonight. "Bella, you continue to say the unexpected, and that is a rare gift to someone like me."
"I'm sure there are plenty more surprises where that came from," Bella assured me, "weird is starting to look pretty normal these days." She hesitated for a moment before reaching over and covering my hand with her own. The warmth of her hand was delightful, and I enjoyed the sensation as she rubbed her thumb over the back of my hand in a random pattern before speaking again.
"So, how old are you?" she asked, biting her lip as she waited for my answer.
"Twenty-two," I answered.
"Twenty-two," she mused pulling her hands away from mine, "and how long have you been twenty-two?"
"A while."
"How long?" Bella pushed her half-full glass to one side and sat forward, elbows on the table with her chin propped in her hands as she regarded me with her warm, curious eyes.
"I wonder what you'll think," I mused aloud as I gazed back at her. "I was changed in 1918." I watched her face as the information sank in and her eyes widened.
"Wow," she breathed, and then shook her head. "Sorry, I should be saying some more profound but-," she waved her hand in an inarticulate gesture, "my frame of reference for these kinds of conversation is somewhat limited."
"I should hope so," I smiled at her, trying to relieve the tension.
"Um, so how did it, I mean, you know-," Bella looked at me and tapped two fingers against her neck in a parody of a vampire bite.
"Carlisle," I answered, "he found me dying of Spanish influenza."
"Do you remember it happening?" Bella said.
"Mercifully little," I admitted, "I was all but dead when Carlisle made his decision so things were blurry. I knew that my parents had died and I was alone," I gazed past Bella as the blurred memories sat just on the edge of my vision. My reverie was broken when Bella shifted again to clasp my cold hands in the comforting warmth of her own. "I knew I was in a hospital, and that I was dying but the rest of it was," I closed my eyes briefly against the remembered pain, "it was … difficult."
"I'm sorry," she whispered reaching for my hand again. She was fidgeting in her seat, alternately reaching for me and then pulling away. She didn't seem to know what it was that she wanted and at the same time couldn't stay away. I knew the feeling.
I looked down at our entwined hands with a quiet sigh, revelling in the sensation of simply being touched by someone so warm, so vital. It had been so long since I had felt anything like it. I looked up and saw Bella's gentle smile. Her shock and anger seemed to have dissipated for the time being.
"This evening is nothing like I expected," I murmured, and had to smile at Bella's ironic laugh.
"Preaching to the choir," she agreed. "What were you expecting?"
"Beyond getting to you in time? I honestly don't know.
"You want to get out of here?" Bella suggested, and at my nod we got up. I paid the check against her vocal protests and ushered her out into the night air. The moment we hit the pavement my head was up, tasting the air.
"What are you doing?" Bella looked at me, curious as my gaze searched the street.
"He's still here," I answered and when she stepped back in shock I heard the snarl in my voice. "I can't sense him," I explained in an apologetic tone, "but I know he's not going to run from a fight."
"You're sure," Bella's eyes were huge as she looked up at me and I could see the fear. I felt a moment's regret. Had our paths never crossed she would never have had to experience this.
"I've met enough like him," I admitted, "and from what I heard earlier he-," I broke off as Bella took another step away.
"You mean there are more?" she asked, and at my cautious nod began to rub her arms as if to warm herself, "How many?"
"Many times many," I replied as I watched her reaction, "but they're not here."
Bella looked gave me a sharp look at that. "How can you know?"
"Alice is," I paused, feeling more awkward than I had in a long time, "I suppose you could call her our early warning system. She told us when James arrived."
Bella shivered and looked over her shoulder as if expecting to see an advancing hoard, and then stared down at her feet for a long moment. Decision made, she gave herself a shake and then stepped towards me with a determined air and slipped her arm through mine.
"Take me home," she said simply.
I gazed at the woman standing beside me and found that all I could do was nod.
* * * * *
"What did you hear?"
The car had been silent on the drive back to her apartment and I looked at her in surprise. Her words had come out of silence, out of nowhere, and I found it was an experience I was not used to at all.
"When?" I asked as I flicked her a sidelong look before returning my attention to the road. She wanted to get home, and I wanted to keep her safe, but driving at human speed was as frustrating as ever.
"Before," Bella shifted a little in her seat so that she could face me, "you said you'd heard James, but I don't seem to recall that much conversation."
"Ah," I began. The shock for Bella seemed to be wearing off and now she was beginning to process the evening.
"Go on," she gave an encouraging nod, "I'm a big girl, I can take it."
I bit back a laugh at this; the notion of a woman over 100 years my junior assuring me of her maturity.
"I'll bear that in mind," I assured her in a grave tone.
"And Alice, you said Alice warned you, but how?"
"It's a long story," I began.
"I've got time," she assured me with a wave of her hand and then frowned, "although getting you past Angela may take some explaining."
"What?"
"The car's cold," she explained, "and I figure I'm not going to be sleeping anytime soon until you've told me just what the hell is going on." A line had appeared between her brows, the kind that Esme referred to as 'I want'. "I don't know if this is going to offend your sensibilities but you can come to my room so we can talk." We had arrived at her apartment now and I parked across the street. Bella ducked her head to peer up at the building and then looked at me. "I just don't know how we're going to manage this."
"Leave it to me," I assured her.
I got out of the car and appeared a fraction of a second later to open Bella's door, smiling at her amazement. Walking her to her door, I paused and allowed myself the luxury of reaching up to trail a finger down the soft warmth of her cheek. Her breath hitched and I gave her a brief smile.
"See you soon," I whispered and was gone before she could blink.
I waited, somewhat impatiently, as Bella entered the building. She made small talk with Angela about her day and declined an invitation to watch a movie, instead offering excuses about being tired and making her way to her room. The door to her room closed and I sensed her hesitation before she drew the curtains closed while she changed. Eventually the rustling of fabrics ceased and the curtains were yanked open. Bella appeared in the window backlit against the room as she gazed out into the night before reaching down to open the window.
"I don't know what the hell I'm doing," she muttered to herself. "See you soon," she mimicked my words to herself as she turned away, "don't know how he-," she broke off with a gasp as I appeared at the window. "Okay," she said weakly, "point taken."
"Sorry," I couldn't help but grin at her started expression as I eased myself over the windowsill.
"Guess I should have expected some sort of stunt like that," she replied.
We stood at the foot of her bed and the moment felt oddly shy. I had been in her room many times of course but this was the first time that she had been conscious of the fact.
"So," she began awkwardly, "would you like a seat?" she waved towards the chair – my chair - as she sat down on the bed. She pulled her knees up to her chest and sat regarding me for a long moment, unaware that she was shivering.
"You look cold," I ventured after a pause, "why don't you-," I gestured towards the bedding and sat back in my seat as she crawled over the mattress and pulled back the blankets to get into bed.
"Tell me," Bella suggested after she had gotten herself comfortable against her pillows.
"Tell you what?"
"Everything," she shrugged. "How about you start by telling me how you heard that other vampire earlier, but I didn't hear a thing," she narrowed her eyes at me, "is that some kind of vampire hearing, or something else."
"A little of both," I allowed. "We have enhanced abilities, some-," I paused at this, amazed that I was about to realise so much to a human for the first time in my existence, "some of us more than others," I concluded.
"Such as?" she raised an eyebrow at this.
I sighed and leaned back in my seat, elbows on the armrest as I rubbed my lip with my forefinger.
"Come on," she nodded encouragingly, "spill."
"I can hear people's thoughts," I said at last, and watched as Bella blanched.
"Everyone's?" she unconsciously raised a hand to her temple.
"Most," I corrected, "in my existence there has only been one exception."
"Who was that?" she asked, fascinated now. I said nothing but raised an eyebrow at her.
"Me? Why me?"
"Actually I'm not sure, you're very hard for me to read sometimes, and it's unusual for someone of my-,"
"Advanced years?" Bella answered in a dry tone.
I inclined my head as I yielded to the obvious. "That too."
"Is there something wrong with me?" Bella frowned a little as she said this and again I choked back a laugh. "I'm so glad I amuse you."
"Here's the thing, tonight I've told you that I'm a vampire that can read minds, and you're worried that there's something wrong with you. Oh, Bella," I sighed as I gazed at her. "You've no idea how amazing you are."
This time it was Bella who raised an eyebrow.
"It's an evening of surprises," she said at last, "but tell me something?"
"After all the other revelations? Name it," I spread my hands in surrender.
"Why me?"
"I don't know how to explain it," I began, choosing my words carefully, "other than to say you are very … special to me."
Bella cocked her head as she considered my words. "Special, how?"
"I don't know what sort of analogy to use in this context, other than to say you have a certain appeal."
Bella considered this and then shook her head, settling herself more comfortably against her pillows. "Nope, sorry. You're going to have to give me more to go on than that."
"I'll try," I said as I looked at her warily.
"I'll be fine," she assured me, "no screaming, no running. Promise."
"Well," I took a deep breath that I didn't need and went on, "ask yourself this one basic question: what is it that we eat?"
Bella blinked. "Do I have to say it?"
I nodded.
She said it.
"That's right, although my family are different to others of our kind. We only eat the blood of animals," I paused and gave her a wry smile, "I guess that makes us the vegetarians of the vampire world."
There was another moment of silence as Bella digested my words.
"Fine, " she said at last, "you eat blood. There are plenty of lifestyle choices out there, yours isn't that gross I suppose."
"What?" I gaped at her.
"Come on," she scoffed, "look at the big picture here, Edward. You live on blood, big deal. Humans kill animals and eat their flesh, their organs, carve them up and wear them as clothing. Does that make us more or less savage than you?"
"Uh," I didn't know what to say and I wondered if there would be a time when she would cease to surprise me. I hoped not.
"Have you always been a .. uh …that is to say, have you-," she stuttered at this.
"Vegetarian?" I finished for her. "Sadly, no. Jasper and I are the only two not to have trodden the same path as the family." It didn't escape my attention that Bella tucked her chin into her neck as I spoke.
"How-," she began, and I took pity on her again and continued to speak. "I was changed by Carlisle and followed his lifestyle. Jasper was changed by … others."
"Ah," Bella's nod was sage now, "meat eaters."
"Something like that," I grimaced at her choice of phrase.
"So, you went off your diet for a while and then got back on the straight and narrow," Bella commented, "I think that happens to everyone."
"True, but people don't usually die as a result," I added, and watched her confident gaze falter.
"They," she swallowed, "died? How many?"
"Too many," I admitted, "for a while there I guess I rebelled against the family. I only preyed upon those whose thoughts and actions were so morally despicable that the world would be a better place without them." I paused as faces and screams flashed through my mind's eye. "That was my justification at the time."
"Okay," Bella said in a slightly weaker voice this time, "but you're a vegetarian now, right?"
"Right," I smiled at her relief.
"Can't say I'm not glad to hear that," she admitted. "And you say I have a certain appeal, how?"
"Imagine you're a chocolate addict," I began and then gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry, didn't mean to describe you in terms of food."
"If the shoe fits," she murmured.
"Let's go with something else," I suggested.
"Heroin?" she suggested, and then at my look of surprise blinked at me, "you're talking about something totally addictive, how's that for an analogy?"
"Pretty good," I admitted. "If that's what you were – are – whatever, it's like you were made for me and no-one else."
Bella ducked her head again. "I'm trying really hard not to take this as a compliment," she grinned, "but on some really sick level it's actually kind of flattering."
"Bella," I was deadly serious now, "the only reason it's in any way flattering is because you're still alive for us to talk about it. If I had been any weaker on the day I first saw you, you would have been dead before the fact even had time to register. Believe it."
Bella regarded me for a long moment. "I believe you."
We sat looking at each other in silence. The vampire and the human.
"So, why am I still here?"
I looked down at my feet and ran both hands through my hair. "I don't know," I confessed, "but I'm glad that you are."
"Me too," she offered a slight smile. She lay curled up in bed, her fingers tracing an idle pattern on the covers. "So," she began, "is your day ending or beginning?" She nodded towards the window when I looked at her inquiringly.
"Right," I nodded, "Neither."
"Really?" She looked surprised at this, "you mean you don't sleep in a coffin or have-," she broke off with a slight flush at her own foolishness.
"No dungeons, no coffins, no moats," I explained with a grin, "and I don't sleep."
"Ever?"
"Ever," I confirmed, watching her as she took in my words, worrying at her bottom lip with her teeth. I had thought my evenings watching her sleep were wonderful, but sitting here now watching emotions flitter across her face, watching her as she watched me; it was perfection. Now I watched as her expression contorted and she raised a hand apologetically as she covered her mouth and yawned.
"Sorry," she said before yawning again. "It's not even that late."
"Could be delayed shock, adrenaline fatigue," I suggested. "You've had quite a night."
"Certainly out of the ordinary," she agreed. She leaned back against her pillows and regarded me with a gaze that was becoming progressively fatigued. "I don't want to sleep," she admitted.
"All evidence to the contrary," I teased her with a gentle smile. "Why's that?"
"Because I'll go to sleep and when I wake up, you'll be gone." She looked sad now and I wished I knew why. "Today has been so strange, if I wake up without you it'll be as if it never happened."
"Perhaps that would be for the best," I suggested.
"No," she shook her head vehemently, "things can't go back the way they were, not now that I know there's more."
"More?" I cocked my head at her.
"Now there's you," she admitted. She shifted in the bed again, obviously fighting sleep now.
"Sleep," I encouraged in a soft voice.
"You'll stay?" she said in a bleary tone as she nuzzled her head against one of the pillows.
"I'll stay," I assured her, "where else would I want to be?"
Her eyes were closed and she smiled as I spoke. Her smile relaxed and subsided, as her face became slack with sleep. I leaned back in my seat and watched as her breathing hitched for a moment and then settled into a deep and steady rhythm.
There was a strand of hair across her face that obscured her eyes from me. I stared at it for a long time until it became too much. I stood up and paced quietly over to the bed, brushing the hair off her face with a gentle hand. There, perfect. I stood gazing down at her, at her stillness, marvelling that even after the near-catastrophic events of the evening, her expression could be so peaceful.
I resumed my seat and waited. Another hour or two and she would begin to speak. It was always my favourite part of the evening.
A/N: I'm back! Take The Cake was keeping me very busy, but not that one's finished I'm back on this story. For any TTC readers checking this out, there will be some out-takes very soon, and I'm working my way through my review replies. You're all fabulous, and I love and appreciate each and every one of you.
I've MISSED my Songlines Vamps, and Vamp Jasper has been very interesting of late. You'll find out in later chapters, which I hope will be coming your way soon.