Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.

Rated M for several reasons.

Chpt 11 Kalnienk Vision

BPOV

"Fine." He laughs as he sets me down on the threshold. "You stay out here in the dark wilderness and I'll go inside and check for spiders."

"You do that." I huff.

I loathe spiders.

Em thinks this is hilarious since my extended family could kill me in a heartbeat and most American spiders couldn't kill me if I went looking for them and specifically encouraged them to have at me.

Edward tries to be nice about it but I know it amuses him too.

"Come on." The man in question laughs, re-appearing. "Not a recluse in sight."

"We don't have those in Washington Edward." I drawl as I sweep inside.

...

We start off well enough, watching a movie I've been meaning to see for ages and snuggling on the bed but it isn't long before I'm overwhelmed with the desire to touch and to kiss him . . . .

And that's when I realise how far we've regressed.

It's worse than our first fumbling attempts at intimacy and more like our first fumbling attempts at straight up kissing.

Oh well, I lock my disappointment tightly away and just revel in the fact that he and I are getting some quality time together, since it's been in such short supply recently.

...

Alice is waiting for us when we get back.

"He's fast asleep." She twinkles, laying aside the magazine she was reading. "Did you have fun?"

"Yes and thank you for looking after him. Um . . . ."

I don't know what we do now. If we were normal people I'd be making up Charlie's old bed for Alice though that's clearly not necessary, but it's late and I'm tired . . . .

"Go to bed Bella, I have a mission from Esme to complete."

Edward starts laughing.

"A mission." She confirms waspishly. "Esme would like Ninja Alice to make a full evaluation of her precious house while the occupants are in the land of nod."

"Are landlords allowed to do that?"

"Not human ones."

"Well be careful." I warn her. "Principal Jaruzelski is just the type to attempt to blow your head off."

"Pfft Bella, like he'll ever know I was there . . . ."

...

"Tell me the truth Alice, did you see Charlie lay into me about Edward?"

"I might have."

"A little warning next time?"

"Hardly." She giggles, enjoying my ire. "Who told me not to watch her every decision like a hawk because its creepy?"

"Yet you do it anyway."

"I know, its irritating to be loved by me, what can I say? At least admit its often useful."

"Fine. Occasionally your supernatural nosiness is quite useful."

"You're welcome. And since I have banished Edward from our presence what you like to do today?"

"What did I decide?"

"Hair, nails, facial. Chick flicks and junk food. Oh, and now yard work, seriously Bella you know I'm not afraid of a little manual labor, but if that's what you want I insist it's before I begin the beautification process."

...

If Charlie was impressed with the speed by which Alice rid his yard of leaves he kept it to himself so we left him to his TV and took ourselves off to my room for a couple of hours.

...

"Yes." She's emphatic. "Too thin."

I sigh and pull one of Edward's shirts over me.

"When the mental timer in your head goes off, the one that's terrified Edward's going to get bored, put it on snooze and finish your dinner. Trust me, he's never going to get bored. And while we're on the subject why don't you re-train yourself to sleep through the night like a normal person? Again no boredom, the sap actually loves watching you sleep as much as he says he does."

"Okay."

She rolls her eyes.

"Okay I'll try."

"Sometimes." She growls. "This gift of mine is a curse. Please try Bella. Looking after Charlie is already putting a strain on you and if you keep trying to keep up with Edward you're going to get sick."

"Maybe I shouldn't do the freelance thing . . . ."

"Oh yes you should young lady." Alice growls softly. "You just need to take care of yourself properly and you'll be fine."

"Okay, I really will try."

"Better. Now how about you let me dip dye your hair?"

"Oh god."

"You're going to love it but if you ask me if Edward will I'm going to beat you with this brush."

...

"Nice." Charlie comments as come back down to make his dinner. "Did Alice get bored before she got to the top?"

"No she didn't." The lady herself informs him. "And it happens to be extremely chic at the moment. Perhaps you'd like me to do something with your tired old mop?"

"Over my dead body." Charlie huffs which sends Alice off into peals of laughter.

She can be a little strange . . . .

...

Our last night together is fun but a little poignant.

It's been so lovely to see her, I really do love her even if she sometimes drives me crazy, but it's a shame we had to hide out in the house, especially since we got so little time back together in Boston. Though, to be fair, entertainment options are somewhat limited in Cutlery.

I wave them off with a sad smile but at least Edward will be back in a few hours, he's only running with her as far as the airport in Portland.

...

Arthur and Greg are arriving in PA on Wednesday and Mike gave me a stupidly hard time about changing my shift, if we didn't need the money for therapy treatments Charlie wants to try I'd have rammed his ankles with the floor buffer he had me using. His Mom's away on a buying trip and clearly the power has gone straight to his head. In short Handsy Mike has been replaced by Hitler Mike.

I'm nervous and excited about this project and I'm starting to wonder if it's just one more thing that's going to end up giving me grief. It's kind of pointless really. Sure Charlie's going to get better and not need me to look after him but it isn't really going to be practical to go back to my job is it? First off that means going back to hiding Edward and my family. And second, he is going to change me when this is over, I'm done waiting. And I'm done compromising. We both should be.

...

"Where's Edwin?" Charlie enquires as I push and pull him through his exercise.

"Gone to Seattle to see about getting a piano for his Bachelor Cabin."

"Does he play well?"

"Like a maestro."

"Who is he gonna play for out there in the woods?"

"Me sometimes, and himself, he composes, he's very talented."

"Is there anything he's no good at?"

I shake my head with a wry smile. "No Dad, nothing."

"Humph. Alice says he's not good at making decisions."

"You talked to Alice about him?"

"Of course I did. I wanted someone else's opinion on him and this crazy situation."

"Its not crazy Dad, it's just complicated."

"When's he going to make you a . . . . vampire?"

"I don't know Dad."

"You want that?"

I sigh and lower his leg so we can see each other properly.

"There are things that scare me about it, lots of them, it's not as easy as the Cullens make it look and I don't want to be a murderer."

He's silent for a long time, studying my face.

"It seems a bit much, to want to die for him, despite the obvious problems of him not ageing."

"I suppose it does." I confess. "But I love him and I want to be with him, forever."

"Even if it means leaving me and your Mom behind?"

I can't answer that I realise, without hurting him, so I opt for silence, which is probably just as bad.

"Whatever you do you'll be giving something up for him."

"Isn't that what love is all about?"

"Maybe, but it doesn't have to but what life is all about."

"He's already given up plenty for me."

"Has he?"

"Jesus Dad. His family? The lifestyle he could lead, you've no idea how rich they are . . . ."

"Seems to me he's still got those things, he hasn't exactly renounced them has he? And they'll all still be there when you're dead."

"Dad." I sigh. "I don't know where you're going with this."

"Neither do I." He admits. "Just trying to get my head round it all I guess, you've had longer to chew this over than I have."

"True. But I made up my mind pretty early on."

"So Alice says." He observes with just a hint of attitude.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't have trouble making decisions, you think them through and then you follow them through. You're like me, scarily stubborn and focussed at times."

"Dad . . . ."

"Bells. Just because it was what you wanted at seventeen doesn't mean you have to rush into it now."

And I laugh, of course I do, you can't rush Edward, this I know.

...

Edward's enchanted with his new piano. He had them ship it to a gas station and then hauled it to the Bachelor Cabin himself. And this is a good thing because I'm off to PA to meet Arthur and Greg today and I do worry about him getting bored.

...

"Bella, lovely to see you." Greg seems to mean it. "How is your Father, on the mend?"

"Yes, thank you and its lovely to see you too. He's starting Hydrotherapy next week."

"Excellent. Arthur's around somewhere collecting the baggage although there was a pretty lady on the flight so we might have to go and roust him out of the melee . . . ."

I peer past Greg but Arthur is already on his way, pushing his huge trunk on a trolley and hefting Greg's carry on.

"Bellski!" He shouts far too loudly as he sweeps me into a hug. "So much better to see you in the flesh, loving the new hair."

So am I, it makes me look younger and Edward's obsessed with playing with the lightened ends.

We load their stuff into my truck which makes stately progress through PA to the hotel they're staying at. Arthur will be here for a couple of weeks but Greg's only staying for one night. It means I have to schlep backwards and forwards but there really aren't any comparable facilities in Forks and at least this hotel can offer us an office for the duration, I really can't see Arthur and me toiling away at Charlie's kitchen table, and certainly not Ty when he comes.

My doubts about this exercise have been wiped out by excitement and it's almost midnight when Greg sees me out to the truck and I head back to Forks, or Cutlery as I'm increasingly calling it in my head, damn Arthur and his stupid word games.

...

Thursday is all about the pitch. I've heard of the Lamttesep Corporation but maybe only because they're local and based in Seattle since I'd clearly got no idea how enormous they were. Billions. Of course I've met oil company execs in Alaska but that was to assist Greg with a pitch that I'd only assisted with producing. The trust he's placing in Arthur and I is awe inspiring and frankly terrifying, but as he keeps saying if we make a mess of it we can always go back to the drawing board, yeah, even confident Arthur is looking a bit cowed. Besides, as Greg points out, they've come to us to enhance their social and ethical responsibility, not the other way round.

Despite my nerves and earlier misgivings I'm so pumped when I get home that a laughing Charlie and Sue have Edward take me out to let off some steam. I can't exactly throw trees and rocks the way he can but even riding on his back while he runs is exhilarating, especially when it's cold and the wind stings your cheeks. And of course kissing Edward in the top of a mighty fir is an experience that can't be beaten.