A/N - Here's how I approached the last chapter, where Jacob tells Bella about Edward. In Twilight, during the beach scene, he tells her about his tribe's legend and that the Cullens are vampires. There he is trying to impress her and he succumbs to her flirting. Here he is trying to protect her. He tells her about the Cullens but doesn't actually come out and say that he or the others change into wolves, thus protecting their secret. Also, in the end, he ends up being the true Alpha, making it easier for him to disregard Sam's orders.
Chapter 11 – Meanwhile, in Africa
APOV
"I can hear you!" And the whole world can hear you, too, Rosalie. She was yelling at Emmett, again. I don't know what was going on with those two but they've been at each other's throats since we got here.
We were supposed to be all together today in a little compound Carlisle found for us in the Congo. After hunting separately all night, we were going to spend the day relaxing. The plan was to stay here for a week and move on to a few other locales, ending up in Madagascar before heading home to Forks.
But for some reason, without Edward here, our group dynamic had changed. We were already on edge when we got here, what with his staying behind to follow after a girl.
Carlisle, ever the father figure, was worried about Edward's control around her, given that she was a human. Esme tried to play down this fact and focused on his finally finding someone of the female persuasion to fall in love with. Carlisle and Emmett both scoffed at that. I think we all might be guilty of thinking at the back of our minds that Edward would never fall in love. And while he didn't know that was what was happening to him, I did. And I was excited.
"Come on Jasper, let's head south." I grabbed his hand and started walking away from the Bobbsey Twins. "I need some peace and quiet." And a little lovin, but I suspect he already knew that.
"Alice, wait." It was Carlisle. He and Esme approached us tentatively. This could only mean one thing – they wanted an update on Edward. "So, how is he?"
"Upset, confused, in love, in lust. Take your pick." While I hadn't spoken to him since the other night when he left Bella's apartment after his unfortunate accident, at least that's what we've been calling it, I did see him at Bella's house in Forks. He was hiding in a tree in her backyard making the most awful expressions but I couldn't see why. It looked like he was listening to something and it was shocking. In my next vision he was in her tiny bedroom sitting on the floor watching her sleep.
I thought things looked calm enough so Jasper and I continued to hunt. Having just returned less than an hour ago, I haven't had the chance to peek in on him again.
"I haven't looked in about six hours. Jasper and I are going for a walk. I'll check in on Edward then and update you guys when we get back." I know I sounded a little irritated, but really. They treated my visions like they were the 411 telephone directory, and that I could just call them up at any time and get a number.
"I thought we were all supposed to sit around here all day and "enjoy each other's company"" Rosalie used air quotes around that last part, underscoring the annoyance she's been exuding since we got here.
Emmett was acting no better. "Maybe this whole trip wasn't a good idea. I mean, I love hunting and the bigger the prey the better, but two months is a long time to be out here in the jungle." He sat on a boulder and tried to pull Rosalie down next to him. "I miss my Xbox already."
Despite his arrogance and broodiness, the awkwardness he exhibited when one or more of the couples engaged in extracurricular activities and the fact that his mind-reading capabilities meant that we were never truly alone with our thoughts, Edward was an integral part of this puzzle we called a family. Right now he was missing and we were just not complete.
It's only been two days but this stress was built on the fact that we'd be without him for two months.
"Look, I know we're all dying to know how it's going for Edward," Jasper spoke now, trying to break the slowly building tension with his little play on words. We all died years ago. "This is a big deal for him and we all want to be there as he discovers this new side of himself. But maybe it's best to just let him figure it out on his own. If he wants our advice, he'll ask for it."
This was harder on Jasper than all of us. All of our angst over Edward's new found love life was wearing on my beautiful, empath husband.
Nobody spoke, but we all just nodded. Silently, I reached for Jasper's hand again and we drifted off for some privacy of our own.
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EPOV
I'm usually a man with a plan. So why is it that I'm sitting here in this meadow in a state of mind that can only be called "no clue"?
Bella knew I was a vampire. Better still, she wasn't afraid. How is this possible? Humans should be afraid of us since our prime instinct is to drain them of every last drop of blood that flows through their veins. Just because I'm well practiced in ignoring that instinct doesn't mean it's not still there, waiting for a weak moment so that it can reclaim me.
Bella. Now that she knew what I was, she'd have more questions and would expect more answers. This, however, did not frighten me. I looked forward to spending hours talking with her, questioning her about her life as well.
I felt a smile forming on my face and my muscles were actually starting to relax. The thought of getting to know someone better and letting them know me – I haven't felt this in decades, and even then, it was more of a familial relationship. This…this relationship would be anything but familial. Being around Bella was stirring feelings in me that I didn't recognize, in parts of my body long forgotten. And it felt good. Really good.
I know Alice thinks I'm in love with her, or will be. I don't know how I feel about that even now. Just because a man gets a little too excited when being intimate with a woman, doesn't mean love. Does it? I guess I wouldn't know. I've only ever experienced that kind of romantic love as an outsider, an intruder into someone else's mind.
It was dawn and the sun was starting to rise. Bella would not be waking any time soon, given the late hour that I left her to sleep. I knew from the conversation in the house that she would be spending some time with Charlie today before returning to Seattle. I had to see her today but the how and when have not presented itself to me yet. In the meantime, I should hunt. If anything, it will pass the time.
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BPOV
"No, no one special, anyway. You know how it is, dad." I knew full well that Charlie Swan did not "know how it is" when it came to dating, but he'd agree and drop the subject. That was his usual response to uncomfortable conversations. I also knew better than to mention my relationship with Edward Cullen.
And what exactly was my relationship with Edward Cullen? It seemed that every time I saw him, he would turn my world upside down and then disappear, leaving me to wonder if I just imagined or dreamt it all.
Last night he left me after admitting he was a vampire. If it wasn't for the remnants of a hickey on my neck and two text messages from Jacob, I would definitely be questioning my sanity. So, over scrambled eggs and burnt toast, I decided to ask Charlie about the Cullens.
"I did meet someone the other day, at the bookstore. He lives in Forks, can you believe it? His name was Edward Cullen." That should be enough to get him started.
"Uh huh." He was reading the paper, perhaps trying to avoid another conversation about boys. Well, he's the one that brought it up.
"Do you know the Cullens?"
Finally, he looked up from the paper. "The Cullens? Yeah, good family. We're lucky to have such a world-class doctor like Dr. Cullen here in our little town. Don't know much about the kids, but that's a good thing, it means they stay out of trouble. They're all adopted, I think." He went back to his paper. He'd had enough of this conversation, too.
Charlie would not win a Loving Father of the Year award any time soon, but I know he meant well and he sure was trying.
The plan was to have lunch with him and then hit the road by 1 o'clock, getting me back to Seattle in plenty of time to meet up with Angela for dinner. But since I woke up so late it was more of a brunch and I wouldn't end up on the road until 2 or 3 o'clock. I didn't want to leave without spending some time with Charlie.
Edward said we would talk today, but he never said when or how. As eager as I was to hear more about him, I was not chasing him down. I had his number on my cell phone from when he called Saturday, but I was not going to call him. For some reason, I needed him to show his intentions first.
I helped clean up after we ate and then we went out to the porch to sit and talk. Not much of importance was said, in fact, very little was said at all. Charlie was always a man of few words and I was just too distracted to keep up a conversation.
After he went on a little about Jacob and some of the other La Push boys I noticed he was looking at me and there was something in his eyes that I couldn't recognize. "So, what did you think of Jacob?" Oh dear god, no. Was he trying to set us up?
"He's nice." I hoped if I kept it simple he'd leave it alone. No such luck.
"You know, he's saving up to go to that technical college in Port Angeles. Wants to be a mechanic. He's pretty good at it. In fact, he fixed my truck a couple of weeks ago."
"Really, that's great. Good for him." I didn't have the balls to tell him that I was having multiple orgasms (in my dreams at least) with Edward Cullen, who, by the way, happens to be a bad-ass vampire.
"Next time you come up for a visit, we should have him and Billy over for dinner again. Or maybe, you and your friends could go up to the beach at La Push?" Never mind that it is the end of August and the beach weather was probably long gone by now.
"Yeah, maybe." I gave him a weak smile. "I should probably hit the road now." With that, we went back into the house to get my bag.
"Thanks for the visit, Bells. Don't be a stranger." I moved in for a hug which he accepted.
"Sure thing, Dad. I'll call you later in the week after classes start." He let go and I walked out to my car.
As I opened the car door and threw my bag in the back seat, I was so wrapped up in my thoughts of the last twenty-four hours that I didn't notice him in the car until I closed the door.
"Hello, Bella."
