It all belongs to SM. I am lucky to dabble with them.

Irony is Overrated

Edward's POV:

"Faster, Edward," Bella pleaded, squeezing my hand as we wove our way through the trees. We were headed to one of her favorite lookout spots to watch the whales make their afternoon journey across the water and Bella could hardly wait.

"If you didn't insist on running on your own, we could be there already," I teased. She was just as fast as me when we ran together and may even have been able to get a small lead on me if left to run on her own, but that was something we could not test yet. She had only been a vampire for a few weeks and with her sensitive nose, she was hard to control once she caught a whiff of something appetizing. It would grow easier for her once she was able to control her hunger, but that was a ways off yet.

"Why did I want to watch the whales with you again?" she asked. Her burgundy eyes were narrowed and her ruby red lips were set in a fierce scowl. Those two colors against her pale, perfect skin made her the most tempting woman I had ever come across. Knowing she was mine and mine alone filled me with a possessive pride that I should have felt some sense of guilt for; instead, I only felt lucky.

"Bella, you know that I was only teasing."

She huffed and obstinately focused straight ahead of her in an attempt to ignore me. She wasn't used to the new level her emotions could reach yet and the most uncontrolled part of that was her temper.

"You really are breathtaking when you're angry like this," I said, give her the crooked grin that usually calmed her annoyance. "But you're just as beautiful when peaceful and my intent was never to annoy you."

She turned her head just a bit, her chin jutting out in defiance. "You can tease all you want, Edward Cullen. Just know that as soon as Carlisle says it's safe for me to run without holding your hand, you will be eating my dust."

I couldn't help the cocky response I gave, not that I even attempted. I was the fastest and proud of it. "Many have tried, all have failed."

Bella's lips pulled up into a devious smirk that reminded me strongly of Rose when she busy making Emmett's life hell. "I seem to recall hearing that in relation to you once before," she said as she flashed her free hand at me, showing off her wedding band.

I matched her smirk and pulled her closer to me. "Shall I add cocky to your list of new traits?"

I felt her stopping and did the same, watching her closely in case she had picked up on a scent. Her smirk turned into a sweet smile and I was fairly confident my teasing was forgiven.

Her hands settled against my chest and though I missed her warmth some, I was much happier to be able to hug her as tightly as I wanted, which is exactly what I did. Her smile widened just a little and then her lips were on mine, her tongue darting out to trace my upper lip. I reciprocated and soon found myself lost in her kiss and the tender way her hands swept back and forth across my chest.

'Edward?'

I squeezed her lightly to show I had heard her thoughts.

'I thought about your question and my list of traits. I decided I'd rather you wait and add 'winner' when I beat you.'

My laughter broke our kiss and my connection to Bella's overconfident thoughts. She could sometimes let me hear her without touching, but it was much easier for her if there was physical contact involved. She had a limited connection with Alice, but had yet to figure out how to get into the minds of our other family members. Carlisle expected Bella's power to grow exponentially as she learned to control it, and imagined she might even be able to one day send her thoughts while in a separate room from the person she wanted to communicate with.

She wasn't very keen on developing the power, though. Her vivid imagination had her thinking Aro would collect her as a "super spy lookout" for the Volturi despite our assurances that he had no interest in us. Carlisle had spoken with him personally just last week to notify him of the change and he had thanked us for upholding our promise and wished us the best of luck. I was sure he would approach us again in a century or two to see if Alice or I would want to join him, but I couldn't think of any reason for him to leave Italy and come here to disrupt our lives.

"Hey," Bella said softly, her fingers lightly tugging on my hair. "Would you get out of your head and be here in the moment with me?"

"I apologize, Love," I said as I brushed a kiss to her cheek.

"I don't want you to apologize, Edward. I'd rather you tell me what has you so preoccupied."

"We've had so many changes in these past few weeks and we are both in a state of adjustment."

"Are there any changes that are worrying you?" she asked. As soon as the words left her mouth, her teeth were sinking into her lower lip and showing how nervous she was for my answer.

"I'm probably not worried enough," I admitted. "I'm enjoying all the ways we've been able to get closer. I'm extremely proud of how seriously you're taking your training and how hard you're working to master control of your new body."

"I like this relaxed, teasing version of you. But maybe a little less with the teasing," she said, her smile turning into a small frown. "I'm getting enough from Emmett to last a decade."

"What has the oaf done this time?" I asked, brushing a few silky strands of her chocolate hair from her pale face.

"When you went out with Carlisle, Emmett started following me around the house. He kept saying 'arm wrestling match' and nothing else until I got fed up and stopped to wrestle him. But I was so agitated that I wasn't focusing enough and I drove his fist right through Esme's coffee table. I hadn't even registered that I'd done it when he jumped up and yelled 'Bella did it', which of course brought everyone running."

"I did try to warn you."

"I know," she sighed.

"Would you like me to get back at him for you?"

"No. But maybe you and Alice can help me come up with a plan for me to get him back?"

"We would be honored. And overjoyed," I replied with a laugh. I could already picture Emmett's angry scowl at being bested and it was all the payment I required for helping my lovely wife to beat him.

"He's really into the Wii system right now so maybe we can find a way to mess with him with that. Maybe we could take his—" Bella's words turned into a growl deep in the pit of her chest and I immediately tightened my hold on her.

"Stop breathing," I ordered as her growls grew deeper and longer.

"It's the one," she replied, her eyes darkening and her face contorting in a mix of hunger and pain.

"Bella, stop breathing and think of something else. You ate this morning and you are not truly hungry."

"Edward," she whined. She parted her lips to say something else, but the only thing to come out was a snarl as her grip on my shirt loosened and she started to try to push away from me.

"Bella, concentrate and listen to my voice," I demanded, struggling to keep her locked in my arms. "Stop breathing. Speak to me with your thoughts only."

Instead of listening as she had done on previous occasions, her breathing became quick and shallow, filling the air with her snarls as she continued to fight me.

"Bella!" I yelled, shaking her just a little in hopes of getting her attention. "Fight it."

She seemed to be coming back to herself but a gust of air swirled her hair from her face and the change from the sweet, loyal woman to the ravenous newborn was instant and solid. She pushed away from me with all of her strength, leaving behind the sleeves of her sweater as she ripped herself from my grip and took off into the woods.

I was after her in a second, following the wisps of brown hair that blew out behind her as well as her familiar scent, praying the entire time that Alice had caught sight of this and was sending reinforcements. I was also busy cursing myself for being arrogant enough to assume I could control a three-week old newborn all on my own. I had assumed her stubbornness would help her to fight, but forgot that it would only last as long as she could stay coherent.

I didn't bother calling out her name, knowing she wouldn't respond. She was lost to the bloodlust now and until she either got what she was after or was taken far away from the source of the smell, she would not hear anything but the call of the animal's heart. And it had to be an animal because I couldn't pick up on a single thought.

I finally got close enough to grab the back pocket on her jeans, but it did me little good. The threads that held the fabric together were useless at these speeds and left me holding the pocket in my hand while Bella continued forward without being slowed the slightest.

I gave my own growl, this one born of frustration as I pushed myself harder, trying to catch her and stop her before she did anything she regretted. The second I was close enough, I launched myself at her and tackled her to the ground, my arms wrapped around her knees. She somehow managed to jerk one leg free and her foot connected with my forehead. The shock of having her strike me caused me to let go. The second she felt my grip loosen, she was on her feet and running again. The only parts of me wounded were my pride and my feelings and I did my best to ignore them as I chased after her again.

But I was too late.

She had found the source of her smell.

A large white wolf with black streaks across the back and the top of its head lay in her arms with her face hidden in its neck. There was no heartbeat so she'd either crushed it when she'd landed on it or severed a main artery when she's bit down on its neck.

There was nothing to be done so I sat down against a nearby tree and watched over her, making sure the wolf's pack didn't decide to come and check on it. All I could think about was how stupid I'd been while being thankful that her unknown smell had not led her to a human. She would have taken a life and I would have broken my promise to her. We were both very lucky it was only a wolf.

It seemed ironic that the animal she was called to would be a wolf, especially after her heated reaction the one time I'd mentioned them as a possible food source. She'd seemed to prefer the idea of penguins that day. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to have wolf much out here. The numbers were already too low due to overhunting by the humans. I would just have to do some research and find a spot where they were overrunning for her first "camping" trip.

It was easy to know the exact moment when Bella came back to herself. I wasn't sure if it was her thirst being satisfied or the horror she seemed to feel that did it, but her shield dropped and her thoughts screamed out in my head, making me cringe from the sheer volume and the undeniable panic laced throughout.

'No! No, no, no! I didn't. I wouldn't! Not a wolf! I … I just wouldn't. No! This is a prank. It has to be one. Emmett will laugh now. He has to laugh now. I can't … No! EDWARD!'

Her head jerked up and her eyes landed on my face, just staring at me. Her thoughts were closed off now and I had no clue what she was thinking. Her face contorted into the most pained expression I'd ever seen, even worse than during her change and a wounded cry left her lungs, sending every bird and animal within a few miles of us running.

I walked over to her and picked her crumpled form up from the snow, holding her as she sobbed tearlessly all the way back to the house.

"Edward, it was too late when I finally saw," Alice apologized.

"Want me to take her?" Emmett offered, his face solemn as he stood on the porch.

"Calming her may work better," Jasper suggested.

"No," I answered, shaking my head. "She's never liked it when she was falsely calmed."

"Edward, let me take her," Esme said, holding her arms out. "You will have plenty of time to discuss this with her later, but for now, let me take her."

Remembering the many times Esme had managed to make me feel better when no one else could, I passed Bella to her.

The second Esme disappeared upstairs with Bella, Emmett let out a growl and shoved me out of the doorway. I wasn't expecting it and flew right off the small porch, landing on my feet in the snow.

"What the hell happened to her?" Emmett bellowed as he landed inches away from my face.

"We found out what the smell was from last week," I replied, attempting to control my own temper. I understood from his thoughts he was in a panic for Bella and it was the only reason I hadn't punched him in the face.

"What was it?" Alice questioned as she moved to stand between Emmett and me. Jasper immediately did the same and sent out calming waves.

"A wolf," I answered.

Alice gasped, Jasper winced, and Emmett stood up straighter with a confused expression on his face.

"Jacob." My one word was enough because Emmett's confusion transformed into anger immediately.

"You idiot!" he yelled, pushing right past Alice and Jasper to grab me by the front of my shirt. "You let her take a wolf when she wasn't in her right mind! No wonder she's so damn freaked."

"Put him down." Rosalie of all people had made that demand.

"Emmett, now," Carlisle ordered.

Rose and Carlisle came to stand at my side, facing Alice, Jasper, and Emmett. It was just like the night when we'd first argued over Bella, only with the positions of my family slightly reversed.

"So Edward here forgot to be the controlling, nit-pickey, overprotective fool that we've all given him a hard time for being in the last couple of years," Rose stated. "We should forget that he's never had a partner to be responsible for and tie him to a tree and set him on fire. We certainly shouldn't try to understand or give him any helpful suggestions on how to deal with the guilt he has to be feeling and the complete freak-out Bella is going through."

Alice, Emmett, and Jasper all exchanged glances. "I never said it was your fault," Alice told me as she moved beside me, taking my hand into hers. "I just don't understand how she got away from you."

"We all overestimated Edward's strength against a newborn and Bella's control at such a young age," Carlisle said. "We are all at fault for this."

"No," I argued with a shake of my head. "I wanted to take her to see the whales alone, but I should have known better. I should have asked Alice and Jasper along."

"I know you've got this whole masochistic thing down pat, Edward, and you revel in being the poor tortured soul, but give it a damn rest," Rosalie demanded, getting right into my face. "Fault doesn't even matter. What matters is that Bella is freaked out and when she calms down, she's going to be coming for you. She'll be as angry at you as she is at herself, but she won't know that at first because she's a friggin' newborn! She'll just know she's raging and wanting to tear the head off of something other than a wolf."

"What would you have me do?" I asked, the words coming slowly between clenched teeth.

A wicked smile curled her ruby red lips up and her amber eyes practically sparkled with glee; she loved me, but she also wanted me to pay for all the ways I'd made life hell for the family in the past few years. "You will get the opportunity to truly be masochist, dear brother. You will take whatever she does calmly and without attempting to restrain her or fight her."

"That's not going to work," Alice interjected. "Bella will become even more furious if he doesn't fight back."

"Exactly," Rose replied. "She needs to see the full potential for destruction her little temper gives her. It's the only way she'll be able to gauge when she's about to lose it."

"Rose does have a point, Edward," Carlisle said, his hand settling on my shoulder.

"It's how you guys trained me," Emmett offered, looking calm and somber now.

"But that was you," I argued. "Bella is different."

"Bella will be different," Jasper corrected. "Right now, she's a typical newborn. Nearly always hungry, her emotions in a constant flux, and unaware of just how strong she is now. You love her and that makes it harder for you to separate the person from the newborn. But you have all of us here to help, Edward. You just have to take advantage of that."

"Edward," Esme called from the porch. "Bella is asking for you."

I was beside my mother in a flash. "How is she?"

Esme gave me a sad smile as her hand cupped my cheek. "Hurting."

****************************

Bella's POV:

"It will all be fine, Sweetheart," Esme cooed as she brushed my hair with her hand. "Try to relax your body and mind."

She'd been saying those things for a while now, but I couldn't relax either. I had torn into a wolf. A wolf! What if that had been Jacob? Or Seth? Or Paul? Okay, I probably wouldn't have felt bad if it had been Paul. He'd been the one to put me into that stupid coma.

And where had Edward been? Why had he just been sitting there when I'd finally been able to understand again? He hadn't said a single word to me. Not a word of solace or encouragement or even anger. Nothing. And to just hand me off to Esme …

Edward and I had never specifically discussed wolves, but the one time he'd mentioned it, I'd told him wolves were out. I wished I could say he had forgotten that conversation, but I knew that wasn't true. Edward never forgot anything. So why didn't he stop me? Did he think because we'd left Jacob behind that my opinion would have changed and I would really be accepting of taking down a wolf? Or had the idea of me attacking that particular creature so pleasing to him that he didn't care what I would think? When he'd been just sitting there and watching me, had it been Jacob's neck he'd pictured my teeth sinking into?

"I want Edward."

"Bella, dear, you should relax a while longer," Esme said softly. I thought for a split second of allowing her to soothe me, but the horror at my actions and the anger for Edward not stopping me were too great.

"I want Edward."

"Alright, Sweetheart. I'll get him," she promised, kissing my forehead before leaving me alone.

I pulled myself out of the bed and went over to the window, staring down at the snow covered cliff edge and the trees beyond. I wished I had my iPod with me, something to drown out of all the thoughts in my head for just a few seconds, but it was down the hall. I was afraid of damaging the furniture in our real bedroom, so Edward and I had been staying in one of the guest rooms.

"Bella, would you like to take a walk?" Edward asked.

I spun around immediately and wished I somehow had the power to send him through the wall with just my thoughts. "Yes, being outside where there are smells is the perfect idea right now."

"Only to the training building. You seem upset and I know you would feel guilty if you broke anything in here."

"I seem upset?" I roared, grabbing the first thing I could reach. Once it had shattered against his chest, I knew it had been a small blue vase from the dresser.

He calmly swept the dust and pieces from his sweater, letting them fall to the decorative rug beneath his feet. "Again, I don't believe you want to destroy this room or any part of the house so let's move this to the training building."

I wasn't aware I'd moved until I noticed the plaster dust falling around us. Edward was partly in the wall with my hand wrapped around his neck. He could have stopped me. He could have moved out of the way. But he had done nothing to stop me. His face was a perfect mask of calm and composure—even his eyes didn't give anything away.

I waited to feel sorry for my actions, but there was only anger; boiling and raging within me and giving me a false sense of feeling warm and overheated. I let Edward go and moved toward the door.

"If you've suddenly gotten bored of taking care of me and helping me through this, you should just say that." I didn't wait for a response; I left the room and left the house, blowing right past everyone.

I was angry, but I wasn't self destructive so I went into the training building instead of the woods. I had been sorely tempted to just run and not stop, but that behavior would have hurt the others more than it would have hurt me.

I sunk down in the middle of the room, folding my legs into my chest and wrapping my arms around myself. That hot anger had dissipated as quickly as it had built up, leaving me feeling cold—or at least giving the sensation of it. I wasn't used to the differences yet and was still figuring out how to put my new feelings into words.

"I hadn't realized until just now that you really are a newborn," Edward said from behind me. He was still using that calm tone and it set off my anger again. He didn't get why I was so upset because he wasn't asking—he didn't care. I understood why he didn't care for Jacob or the wolf pack, but I'd figured he would respect that I did. Sort of like how I respected his friendship with Tonya though I didn't care for it or her, but that was another argument for another day.

"I changed my mind. I don't want to speak to you," I finally told him. I dropped my head against my knees to keep from having to look at him. I thought I might have an easier time calming my anger if I wasn't looking directly at him.

"I knew that already. You want to yell at me."

"You sound like you don't believe you deserve it."

"I do deserve it, but not for the reasons you think."

My resolution to not look at him was forgotten as I jumped to my feet and got right up into his face. "And how would you know what I'm thinking? I know you can't hear me right now and you damn sure haven't asked."

"You are making this into something horrible when it's not." His words set that white hot flame of anger alive inside of me again and I had him up making a dent in the metal wall before I fully realized I'd moved. If not for the horrible screeching sound the distorted metal made, I might have shoved him right through it.

"It was only a wolf, right, Edward? It has no significant meaning in my life and it's just prey. I'm at the top of the food chain now and a dangerous predator so I shouldn't care. Right?"

Once again, he didn't attempt to restrain me and kept his face and voice calm. "I agree that it's just a wolf, but not with the rest. I understand the wolf has a mental significance for you, but at the end of the day, it's a common wolf and not the friend you're thinking about."

I released his neck in favor of slapping him, that calm tone of his driving me insane. I expected him to restrain me or at least yell at me, but he just stood there. I was overwhelmed with the anger, hurt, and sadness I felt and this need to make him feel the same way was too much to deny … So I drew my hand across his chest, slicing right through his sweater and shirt and leaving marks on his chest. His only reaction was his eyes tightening at the corners.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" I screamed at him, doing my best to punch every part of him in my line of sight. "Why don't you care!"

In a flash, we were on our sides on the floor with my back pressed into his chest, my arms pinned at my sides by his, and my legs locked between his. "I do care," he breathed into my ear. "I care enough to let you get out the anger filling you up right now. I understand your horror at your actions, and I apologize for making the assumption I could control you on my own. But that is where the apology stops. I did not choose your preference for wolf's blood anymore than you did."

"You didn't stop me," I accused, the anger trying to rise up once again. I felt it this time though and was able to push it back some.

"I tried my hardest, but I failed." His words were full of too much sincerity for me to doubt him.

"If that had been a human—"

"I have thought of little else since it happened and of what I need to do to help you."

"Let me go." I wasn't completely calm yet, but I felt in control enough to want to move around on my own.

Edward released me immediately and backed up to the far side of the room.

"I won't attack you again," I told him as I sat up and folded my legs in front of me. "At least I don't think I will. I wasn't really aware of losing my temper before, but I am now. I'll probably be sorry for attacking you later, but not now. I just can't understand how you could let me do that."

"I know that I have never been a supporter of Jacob or your friendship with the wolves. But I have always supported you, Bella."

"Why did you let me get to that wolf then?"

"I didn't allow you to take down that wolf. I did what I could to stop you, but your newborn abilities gave you the few seconds you needed to get away and get what you wanted. I am sorry you're upset about it, but I don't believe there is a reason for you to equate that wolf with your friend."

"Of course you wouldn't," I muttered, looking at my shoes instead of him. "You're probably amused that my animal turned out to be a wolf."

"It does have a certain irony to it," he said, his lips pulling up at the right. "But again, I am sorry that you're upset about it."

"Irony is overrated," I grumbled. And then I lifted my face to his, wanting him to see how serious I was in asking this of him. "Edward, you have to teach me how to ignore it, just like you ignored my scent."

"Isabella," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why would you want to put yourself through that kind of torture when it's not the same?"

"Because it's the same to me, Edward! And until it's not, I don't want to lose myself to the bloodlust and come back up to find another wolf in my hands."

"You are so painfully stubborn," he accused, his eyes narrowed as he glared at me.

"Just like you." Somehow, his anger and annoyance was making me the calm one.

He sighed and came over to sit in front of me, taking my hand into his. "I love you and I will always try to do what you ask of me if it's a reasonable request. However, I think it's highly unreasonable for you to want to deny a craving when you are this young."

"It's no different than denying the urge for a human," I argued.

"They are not even close to being the same, but if you're set on this path—"

"I am."

"I will talk with Carlisle and figure out the best way to help you. More than likely, you'll have to be put near the animal under controlled circumstances until you can build up a tolerance. Jasper can help me with the specifics of creating that controlled environment and Emmett will have to help restrain you."

"And we aren't going anywhere outside of the house just the two of us anymore," I added.

"Agreed," Edward said with a nod.

Silence filled the room for a number of minutes until I forced two of my many questions past my lips. "Why didn't you say anything to me after? Why did you just sit there?"

"I had nothing I could say that would diminish your horror or make up for my inability to control you. Or to apologize correctly for my arrogance."

"Arrogance?"

"Rosalie came to me and asked me to train Emmett as I had trained her. She truly cared for him and that was so surprising for her at the time that I had agreed. But I had no emotional stake in whether he learned or not in the beginning. I took all the necessary precautions, never straying far from Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie. I constantly expected Emmett to lose control and for me to have to take him down. I was prepared and ready to fight him as much and as long as it took until he pushed aside the bloodlust and took control of himself."

Edward's free hand reached out and softly caressed my cheek before sliding down to rest on my neck—and my scar. "But with you, Love … With you I overestimated your ability to be stubborn. I expected you to listen to me and fight the bloodlust like a seasoned vampire instead of a newborn. I expected that I could just hold you and lull you into a calm state without having to be too forceful with you. I apologize for those misconceptions."

I moved the few inches between us and crawled into his lap, the both of us sighing as his arms wrapped around me. "I forgive you."

"And I forgive you," he said softly, his face pressed into my hair.

"I'm not sorry."

"No, but you will be eventually."

We stayed that way until the gray sky turned black and shadows filled the building. I thought about staying right there until the sun came up again, but I knew I needed to apologize to Esme for her vase and the hole in her wall.

Edward opened the wooden front door and ushered me inside. Everyone was seated in the living room and at our entry, all talking ceased.

Edward gently prodded me forward with a hand pressed against the small of my back and I tried my best to muster up a real smile for everyone.

"Bella, are you feeling better?" Esme asked, looking concerned.

"Almost," I said, not wanting to lie to her even a little.

"We are all here for you to talk to if you need it," Carlisle assured me.

"I know. And I probably will do that, but not tonight," I replied. "Esme, I'm very sorry for the damage I caused and if you'll show me how, I'll gladly repair the wall for you."

"No need, dear. I already had Emmett and Jasper take care of it," she said, giving me a kind smile that I wasn't sure I deserved.

"Thanks, Em. Thanks, Jazz," I said to them.

"Welcome," they replied together.

"We'll be upstairs," Edward said as he gently nudged me in that direction.

I stopped in our own room long enough to grab one of my comfort books and then we entered the guest room. The wall was so professionally repaired that if not for the smell of fresh paint and the missing molding at the bottom, it would have been impossible to tell where the damage had been.

I settled onto the bed while Edward changed his shirt before sitting in the armchair near the window. His laptop appeared from somewhere and I buried my face in my book, not wanting to deal with him any further tonight. Tomorrow, I'd probably be apologizing like crazy, but right now, I was still hurt and angry at his nonchalant treatment of the incident—and my feelings. I was sure he wanted as little to do with me since he thought I was overreacting so it seemed best to leave the space between us until we were both ready to start talking it out.

I lost myself as much as I could in the tale of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, but the image of the dead wolf kept coming back to me and interrupting me. I didn't really care for this dual thinking thing we could do, but I had to accept it and learn to work with it.

The more I tried not to think about the wolf or Edward, the more they became the only things my mind focused on. I went through every part of my coma dream that I could remember, trying to find something that felt close to this situation to help me decipher it all. Nothing seemed helpful, though.

My mind gave up on the dreams and went back to the main parts: the significance of the wolf to me and Edward's non-reaction. Thinking back to all of our conversations about Jacob and the Forks wolves, I couldn't see a single instance where I would have given Edward the impression I would be okay with going after a regular wolf. I could see plenty of times where I'd shown their lives meant as much to me as any humans life, but none where I disregarded them as just animals.

But was I really mad that Edward didn't stop me from getting a wolf? Or was it just that he didn't stop me. Even with the speed and strength I'd discovered so far, never for a second had I imagined myself stronger and faster than Edward. He was Edward for cripe's sake! My superhero.

Or at least he had been. When I was human, it was expected for him to be stronger and faster. With me as a newborn …

The realization that I had unknowingly been selfish with Edward again hit me hard enough to give me the sensation of tears welling up in my eyes. Why did I always seem to be hurting him when that wasn't my intent? I'd just wanted his help to keep me from doing something regretful and he'd never said anything to give me the impression I was asking too much. He could have said 'no' just the way Alice had done when I'd asked her to keep me from saying hurtful things during the change. I would have understood.

No matter. The past was the past and I wouldn't do that to him again. Ignorance couldn't and shouldn't be a valid excuse and I would do something to make it up to him. Maybe I could find time to talk to Rosalie about doing something special to his car since he loved it so much.

My thoughts of apologies, Edward, and wolves were interrupted by an outside source, specifically Emmett's voice. He was humming a tune that I recognized enough that my body grew stiff with anger. Edward must have recognized it too because he growled toward the closed bedroom door.

I opened my mouth to ask Edward what the song was but Emmett began to belt out the words at that moment, making it extremely clear to everyone in the house what song had him singing in the halls.

In touch with the ground

SHE'S on the hunt. SHE'S after you.

Smell like the finest wine

And BELLS is hungry FOR the wolf.

Straddle the line in discord and rhyme.

SHE'S on the hunt. SHE'S after you.

Mouth is alive with juices like wine

And BELLS is hungry FOR the wolf. (Duran, Duran. Hungry Like the Wolf revamped by the big vamp.)

Twin growls left Edward and me as we stood in the hall, staring down Emmett at the edge of the staircase.

"What?" he asked with wide innocent eyes. "Too soon?"

Esme and Rosalie appeared behind him, exchanged a glance, and then raised their hands. They smacked the back of his head at the same time and he stumbled forward, dropping to his knees.

"Tonight, I'm not bothering with you," I said as I stared down at him. "Tomorrow, I'm going to kick your big grizzly loving ass. Esme, sorry for my language. Rose—"

Rosalie waved her hand and silenced me. "Enjoy, Bella." With those two words, she turned and headed down the stairs. Emmett was up and after her, begging her to reconsider the whole way down. I must have actually looked scary for once to him.

"I see …" Alice announced, drawing our attention to her as she leaned in her bedroom doorway with Jasper just behind her. "I see tomorrow being a very painful day for our dear Emmett."

"Just do it outside please," Esme requested before leaving the four of us alone in the hallway.

"Alice, could I—"

"Sure, we can talk. Jasper, go find something to do."

"No, don't," I said quickly. "Ali, I want to talk to Jasper this time." I opened my mouth to assure her I would talk to her after, but her smile threw me off. I'd been expecting a pout from her.

"Then I'll just steal my big brother away for a bit," Alice said as she slipped her arm around Edward's and tugged him in the opposite direction.

"That was too easy," I said, staring down the now empty hallway.

"Ali must have thought it was best for you," Jasper replied. "Would you like to come in or would you prefer to go in my office?"

"I think your office would make me feel more crazed than I already do, like I'm the first vampire to need a shrink," I admitted.

Jasper's lips twitched but he managed not to smile as he waved me into the room. Once we were seated, he nodded for me to go ahead.

"Jasper … I …" I blew out a breath, never having expected that I would ask this of him. Part of me wanted to forget this idea and just go back to my room, but the realistic side reminded me of today's events and I knew I had to do it.

I lifted my head and looked my brother-in-law in the eyes. "Jasper, I want you to train me instead of Edward."


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

I hope you all enjoyed this longer than usual chapter. And I hope you can all understand where Bella is coming from. She's confused and scared by her new abilities and by the sudden realization that Edward is not more powerful than her right now while she's so young. Plus, Edward not associating the wolves the way she does is upsetting her, but she is trying to figure out how to explain it to him. We'll see what words of wisdom Jasper has for her next weekend.

For my adult readers who enjoy a little strawberry every now and again, I posted a one-shot just for Halloween called Worth the Burn. I hadn't planned to write anything, but Jake came along in this black and white dog costume with a big red collar around his neck and I couldn't resist documenting his shame. Mwuhahahahahaha!

Wishing you all yummy treats and only the best types of tricks!

My-Bella