Firestarter

Okay, I had a little trouble putting up the last chapter. My mom was hassling me to get off my laptop so I sort of rushed it and had to redo it. If you got a report of me updating twice, it's because I did. Thankfully, it all worked out and you seem to be loving the chapter. I'm sorry I didn't go into more detail about Edward's reaction, so I'll add a little heart-to-heart about it soon. I hope this appeases my faithful readers.

I forgot to mention, that part about The Shop creating a bacteria that turned a man into fungus, I stole that from the Stephen King short story, "Grey Matter." As far as I know, The Shop had nothing to do with it, but I thought it would sound cool.

I'm going to have a little bit of fun with the Baseball Scene. I think I should have Bella give them a taste of what she's capable of. What do you guys think?

Enough ranting, here's chapter eleven!

Oh, and I did read most of the Stand, but I lost patience with it. I didn't like it when Nick died.

-

Bella slept better that night, she was too tired to dream. She greeted the abysmal darkness of Forks with a grin, skipping down the stairs and humming an old Sinatra song. Charlie noticed her good mood.

"You're cheerful this morning," he commented over breakfast.

She shrugged, "It's Friday."

She hurried so that she would be ready to go by the time Charlie left. Her hair was washed and put up in a ponytail when she heard Edward knocking. She'd never dressed so fast in all her life. She was sure she looked like a mess, but there was no time to contemplate that.

She took the stairs two at a time and didn't even bother opening the front door with her hand. She was rewarded with Edward's shocked face as her book bag flew through the air and into her hands. She grabbed her jacket in the same fashion and smiled sheepishly. Edward gave her an amused grin, still staring at her book bag and jacket.

"No hidden ropes," Bella said, waving her hand around the bag.

He shook his head and led her outside. He went to open her door, but she beat him to it. He glanced back at her uneasily. "Are you sure it's safe for you to be doing that?" he asked.

That one stumped her, "I don't know if there's such a thing as "safe" for me."

He smiled grimly and they drove to school. "Edward?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

He tilted his head towards her.

"Are you…okay with me? I mean, I had a couple of days to think over the whole…vampire thing, and you don't seem very comfortable with me when I'm…you know. I can stop if you want."

They pulled up to the school and parked next to the BMW. "Bella," Edward said, turning towards her, "I'll be honest. I don't think either of us is aware of what the other can do. Personally, it's very disconcerting to see you doing things like," he gestured to her bag, "that. I don't know if I'll ever get used to it, but I don't want you to hide it from me. I don't care who you've hurt or how dangerous you are. I love you."

I love you.

This was about a thousand times more exhilarating than "I don't want you to leave". This was too good to be true. She was sure that the goofiest grin imaginable now adorned her face, but she couldn't find it within herself to stop it.

"Oh, darn," she started, still smiling, "I wanted to say that first."

Edward smiled. For some reason, Bella felt like he was thinking about an inside joke. Suspicion coloured her features. The grin dropped. "What's that look for?"

"Nothing. It's my turn to ask a question now."

Bella let it go. I love you. rang out in her head over and over again.

He wanted to know more about people. He asked more about her friends. She'd barely made any close ones before they'd move again. He seemed ridiculously astonished when she told him she'd never had a boyfriend.

"You never met anyone you wanted?" he asked.

"Nope. I lived in the City of Love, spoke the Language of Love, but I didn't find it until I moved here. Isn't that adorable? I should put that on a bumper sticker."

He laughed. He looked upset suddenly. "I should have let you drive yourself today."

"Why?" she asked, taking a bite of her bagel.

"I'm leaving with Alice after lunch."

"Oh," she blinked, "That's okay. Maybe I can work on teleporting myself home."

He looked alarmed.

She giggled nervously, "Just kidding. Why do you need to leave?"

His face grew more angry, "If I'm going to be alone with you, I'm going to take some precautions. We're going hunting."

This subject was something she'd never delved too far into. She wasn't about to make him uncomfortable. She shrugged.

"You could always cancel," his said, his voice taking on a persuasive tone.

She looked away quickly. "Oh, no you don't. I'm not cancelling, and I'm not telling Charlie."

"You really should. What is he going to think if you don't come home?"

Bella thought about that, "I'm not sure. Maybe he'll think I went and offed myself. I've told him a dozen times that I'm too dangerous to be hanging around people. Either that, or he'll think The Shop caught up with me. I haven't told him about you yet." She searched her mind for something else to say, "What are you hunting, anyway?" Well, there goes not delving into hunting habits.

"Whatever we can find. Alice is more supportive than the others." He grinned, remembering something funny. "I don't think Emmett will ever hunt with me again."

"What about the others?" she began, painfully aware that the conversation had been done to death over the past few days.

"They're…incredulous."

She glanced over at them, studying their faces. Rosalie turned to glare at her. Bella felt her eyes widen. "I don't believe incredulous is the proper terminology." She narrowed her own eyes at the gorgeous girl. The compact mirror Rosalie had been holding in her right hand cracked, as if it had been stepped on. Rosalie looked down at it and then turned back murderously towards her. Bella was half-tempted to ask her if she wanted to take this outside, but Edward distracted her.

"Rosalie's like that with everyone." He grinned, "You really hit her where it hurts, though." He eyed the compact with stunned disbelief.

Bella chose to ignore the jibe. "Do you really have to go? I trust you."

"You shouldn't." His expression became more humorous. "It's probably a good thing that I'm leaving. We still have fifteen more minutes of that awful movie. The last thing we need are rumours of a poltergeist."

Bella stuck her tongue out at him. Instinct made her glance up, and she spotted Alice. The spiky-haired waif grinned at her from behind Edward's form. "Hi," Bella said softly.

"Hi, Bella!" Alice gushed. "Are you ready to go, Edward?" she asked, giving her brother an annoyed look. "Okay, I'll drop off her truck again, but it's going to be hard to drive when it starts raining."

Bella stared. She was aware of Edward's ability, but she'd never thought that the other vampires had any special talents. The way she phrased her last sentence... "Oh!" Bella laughed, "I get it, you're precognitive!"

Alice grinned, "I knew you were smart."

Bella shrugged, blushing, "I just pay attention."

Edward seemed unduly anxious about the exchange. "Fine," Alice said, looking annoyed again. She smiled widely, "I'll see you later, Bella." She trotted out the door and into to the parking lot.

"Well," Bella said, amusement colouring her tone, "That is certainly interesting." Bella began to pluck at the edges of her bandages.

Edward reached out to stop her, and then pulled back. "Knock it off. You're going to get an infection."

Bella glared, "I'm fine. Don't worry so much." She sighed, "See ya."

He smiled at her, "I'll be back before you know it."

Bella was sorely tempted to ditch the rest of the day, but she knew that Mike or Jessica would assume she was with Edward, and she couldn't afford to put him in danger.

She could barely concentrate in Biology. Gym was dull as always. Mike was speaking civilly to her, and that was a bonus. She told him that she'd cancelled her trip to Seattle and was planning on spending the day studying. Completely bull, of course. She didn't need to study, but lying was a second nature to her by that time.

At the end of the day, she found her truck parked in the same spot Edward's Volvo had been that morning. She shook her head and got inside. On the dashboard was a note. She unfolded it and read it out loud to herself. "Be safe."

She turned the key and the engine roared to life. The radio tuned in to her oldies station and she began to sing along.

Charlie was distracted, obviously thinking about fishing. Bella forced herself not to babble about the work she was planning to do the next day. They ate dinner silently. Afterwards, Bella started the laundry and folded the clothes from the drier. Her thoughts kept drifting towards Edward. Since she moved to Forks, there was nothing else that interested her more than the beautiful vampire. He loved her. She smiled brightly as she remembered that. She felt so happy.

Another voice, a small annoying one, asked timidly what she'd feel like if it ended badly.

When it became dark enough outside for it to be appropriate for her to sleep, she did something she'd never done before. She took unnecessary cold medicine - the kind that knocked her out for a good eight hours. Tomorrow would be difficult enough without her suffering from sleep-deprivation.

She drifted off soon after, and woke early. Immediately she felt a rush of frenzy as she began preparing for Edward's arrival. She dressed in a white, sleeveless shirt with a tan sweater over it and inescapable jeans. She brushed her hair quickly, barely getting the knots out and rushed downstairs for breakfast. Charlie was gone, which was a relief. She dumped her dish in the sink and raced upstairs to brush her teeth. Finally she grabbed her notebook and a pencil, and went downstairs to wait.

Edward knocked seconds after she sat down on the couch. She jumped up and pulled the door open, (with her hand this time).

Her agitation dissolved as she saw his face. He smiled at her, looking her up and down, and then chuckled.

"What?" she asked, looking down at her clothes.

"We match,'' he said, still chuckling.

They did indeed. Bella studied his tan sweater, a white collar peeking out, and his blue jeans, obviously designer. He looked like a runway model.

Bella cheerfully locked the door behind her and they went to his car. She let him open her door for her and she slid in without complaint.

He flickered over to the driver's side and got in, starting the car and turning down the radio. He smiled at her, "What's with the notebook?"

She glanced down, she was still hugging it to her chest. "I never leave home without it. You never know when you might see something beautiful." She smiled at him as they raced through the early morning fog. It drifted away slowly as they drove down a road surrounded by trees. He pulled the car over as they hit the end of the pavement.

"We'll have to walk from here."

Bella groaned. "Hiking. Splendid."

He laughed. His face became more serious then. "Did you tell Charlie what we're up to today?"

"Nope," she replied, surveying the area for a trail.

He became angry, "So, no one knows you're here?"

"I assume you told Alice."

He growled. "That's very helpful," he said sarcastically. "Are you so depressed by Forks that it's made you suicidal?"

She shrugged, "I don't want you to get in trouble…if I don't come home."

He shuddered. "Of course, you're worrying about me. You should be worried about yourself."

She grumbled, "I trust you. How many times do I have to say it?"

He muttered something that she didn't catch and went outside. She opened her own door, much to his displeasure. It was warmer outside. She took off her sweater, knotting it around her waist.

"This way," Edward said, pointing towards the woods. Bella sighed as she realized they wouldn't be taking a trail, but followed willingly. They walked silently under the cover of darkness. Occasionally they would ask each other questions. Still, Bella could feel the tension. The wind rustled the trees. Bella kept her notebook firmly clamped to her chest. They walked for hours before she noticed light up ahead.

They reached the edge of the trees and Bella stepped into the sunlight eagerly. She entered another world.

It was the most beautiful place she'd ever seen. The meadow was small, perfectly round, and filled with wild flowers. Somewhere close by, she could hear the sound of a waterfall, and that set her even more at ease. She looked around, searching for Edward, only to find him still under the cover of trees.

She remembered his promise. His eyes were wary and reluctant. She smiled encouragingly and beckoned with her hand.

He took a deep breath, and then he stepped out into the light.

-

Bella couldn't get used to Edward in the sunlight. His face, already the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen - except perhaps her mother's face - was actually more beautiful. His skin sparkled. At first she'd been too awestruck by this to have much of a reaction. They lay on the field together, him with his eyes closed, softly singing to himself, and her, with a pencil in one hand and her notebook in another. Try as she might, she'd couldn't bring herself to interrupt the moment with the loud sound of scribbling, so she spent the afternoon memorizing what he looked like so that she could draw him later. Some part of her noted that vampires sparkled and that was just too funny.

Hesitantly, not wanting to shatter their peace, she stroked her fingers down the back of his hand. When she looked up, he was smiling, his butterscotch eyes lighter than she'd ever seen.

"I don't scare you?" he asked, but she could hear the seriousness in his voice.

She grinned, "You look like a five-year-old ballerina dumped glitter all over you."

He laughed, relieved. She inched closer as he closed his eyes and she reached for his arm. "May I?" she asked as her fingers brushed against the inside of his elbow.

"No," he said, without opening his eyes, "You can't imagine how that feels." he sighed.

She trailed her hand up and down his arm, following the blue veins. She reached with her other hand, intending to turn his hand over. He realized what she wanted and did it for her. For a second, his arm was a blur, but she forced herself not to flinch. She lifted his hand and twisted it back and forth, studying how it glittered as she moved it.

"What are you thinking?" Edward's favourite question.

"I was wishing that I wasn't afraid."

He sat up, blindingly fast, "I don't want you to be afraid."

"It's not that I'm afraid of you." she amended. "It's more like I'm afraid…" She trailed off, unable to put her thoughts to words.

He leaned in. Bella made the mistake of moving closer, and suddenly all she could smell was his cool, sweet breath. She moved closer and he was gone. She looked around, alarmed and realized he was on the other side of the field. Shamed mixed with confusion and she apologized under her breath. "Just give me a minute," he called back.

After a few seconds, he slowly walked back towards her still form. He stopped several feet away a took two deep breaths. "I'm so sorry, Bella. Would you understand if I said I was only human?"

She wasn't quite able to smile at his joke. A feeling of danger had crept inside of her. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she tried desperately not to let the monster out of its cage. She could feel its urge to devour the innocent meadow and its inhabitants.

Edward sensed her fear, "I'm the world's best predator, aren't I? Everything about me invites you in; my voice, my face, even my smell." He snorted derisively, "As if I need any of that." He circled the meadow, invisible to her, yet she'd never been more aware of him. "As if you could outrun me!" he yelled from across the field. He pulled a tree branch - easily two feet thick - from a nearby spruce tree and threw it another tree. It shattered from the force and the large tree shook. "As if you could fight me off." He flickered towards her, startling her and the tree that he'd just ripped the branch off shuddered and then, amazingly, exploded. It was as if someone had set off a bomb inside. Scraps of bark flew in every direction, including towards them. Before any of it could hit them, though, the scraps hit an invisible wall and dropped. Edward could see now that the tree was smouldering. The remainder of it was charred and caved in.

Bella closed her eyes and sobbed. "I'm sorry." Her hands clenched into fists, trembling. She realized she'd dropped her notebook and reached to pick it up. Edward got to it first and handed it to her.

"I'm sorry," he answered back. "I keep forgetting. Your powers, they're tied to your emotions?"

She wiped the stupid tears from her eyes, "Not exactly. I don't have to be angry or scared for it to work, but when I do get like that, I tend to be a lot more dangerous. It sets off an instinctive reaction in me. It's a lot more useful than fight of flight." She smiled half-heartedly at this.

"I'm very sorry I frightened you. Please forgive me. I'm on my best behaviour now." He winked and Bella had to laugh.

"My monster's locked back up in its cage. I'm sorry I ruined your meadow."

He gave her the strangest look and shook his head, "Never mind about the tree. It will fix itself eventually." He sat back down, "Now, where were we, before I behaved so rudely?"

Bella laughed, "I was talking about being afraid." She sighed heavily and clutched her notebook to her chest, "Mostly, I'm afraid you'll leave me, and, I don't want you to leave," she echoed his words from that day in the lunchroom.

He sighed, "That is a problem."

She frowned.

"I should have left long ago. I should leave now, but I don't know if I can. Forgive me, but I'm essentially a selfish creature. I crave your company too much to do what's right."

"How do you know it's right?" she challenged, "It certainly feels right to me."

Suddenly he was angry, "Don't. Never forget that's it's more than your company I crave! I'm more dangerous to you than I am to anyone else."

"What do you mean?" It was frustrating, trying to keep up with him when he was angry.

He looked at her and narrowed his eyes. He took a deep breath through his nose and flinched, "To me, you smell much better than anyone else. Emmett has had two experiences with something like this. It's like-" He frowned, "It's like you're my own personal brand of heroin."

Bella didn't know how to respond to that. She thought for a second, "What happened with Emmett?" she asked.

It was the wrong thing to do. Edward's face twisted in regret and pain. Bella immediately reached for his hand, but he pulled back. She tried not to let this hurt her, "I guess I know," she said, finally.

More determinedly, she reached for his hand, and this time he didn't pull away, "I trust you," she repeated, "I won't let you hurt me. I don't think you could bare it if you hurt me." He smiled and looked at the hollowed tree. Smoke rose from it in pale grey streams.

(A/N If you want to skip this part, it's basically the retelling of pages 269-272 or so)

"No," he answered, "I couldn't." His voice became more rushed then, "It took everything I had not to jump up in the middle of that class full of children and-" Bella realized he was very old. The way he said "children" showed it. "When you walked past me, I could have ruined everything Carlisle has built for us, right then and there. If I hadn't been denying my thirst for the last, well, too many years," He caught his slip and Bella was a little disappointed, "I wouldn't have been able to stop myself." He paused scowling at the trees.

"I couldn't understand why you hated me. I'm so sorry I put you through that, Edward. If I had known, I would have left months ago." He flinched.

"I thought of a thousand ways to get you alone," he continued, "I struggled all through class. And later, when I tried to rearrange my schedule in a pointless attempt to avoid you, there you were. It was maddening. I almost took you then. There was only one person there. It was much better than twenty innocents, but I didn't. I don't know how, but I resisted. I didn't follow you home. It was easier when I couldn't smell you anymore. I was so ashamed. I didn't tell my family, only Carlisle and Alice knew. I traded cars with Carlisle and the next morning I was in Alaska."

He sounded ashamed, as if it was cowardly of him to try to save her life. "I spent two days there, with some old acquaintances…but I was homesick. I hated knowing I'd upset Esme, and the rest of them, my adopted family. In the pure air of the mountains it was hard to believe you were so irresistible. I convinced myself it was weak to run away. I'd dealt with temptation before, not of this magnitude, not even close, but I was strong. Who were you, an insignificant little girl," he grinned suddenly, "to chase me away from the place I wanted to be? So I came back…" He stared off into space.

Bella couldn't speak.

"I took precautions, hunting, feeding more than usual before seeing you again. I was sure that I was strong enough to treat you like any other human. I was arrogant about it."

He grimaced. "It was unquestionably a complication that I couldn't simply read your thoughts to know what your reaction was to me. I wasn't used to having to go to such circuitous measures, listening to your words in Jessica's mind…her mind isn't very original, and it was annoying to have to stoop to that. And then I couldn't know if you really meant what you said. It was all extremely irritating." He frowned at the memory.

"I wanted you to forget my behaviour that first day, if possible, so I tried to talk with you like I would with any person. I was eager actually, hoping to decipher some of your thought. But you were too interesting, I found myself caught up in your expressions…and every now and then you would stir the air with your hand or your hair, and the scent would stun me again…"

(You can start reading again)

"Of course, when you were nearly crushed to death in front of my eyes," he laughed, "I suppose you weren't in any real danger."

"Oh, I was. If you hadn't done what you did, I would have revealed myself. You probably saved me from becoming a Shop experiment again."

Edward winced, "I never thought of that. I did think of an excuse for my actions, though. If you had been crushed, your blood would have been impossible for me to ignore. To protect ourselves, we would have had to leave." He paused, "All I thought of was, "Not her,"

He closed his eyes, lost in his agonized confession. Bella felt no fear, only sympathy for his suffering.

"You were right; in the hospital, when you said that we would be in danger if you told anyone. My family fought over whether or not to kill you. Of course, I didn't doubt your word, but Rosalie and Jasper thought it would be best if you were…dealt with. Alice and Carlisle sided with me. Esme told me to do whatever it took to stay. The next day, I eavesdropped on all your conversations, shocked that you were keeping your word, though I shouldn't have been. I tried to stay away from you, to protect you. Your scent was still impossible to ignore, as was, of course, your mental silence."

His eyes met hers, and they were surprisingly tender.

"And for all that," he continued, "I'd have fared batter if I had exposed us al at that first moment, than if now, here - were I to hurt you."

That confused her, "Why?"

"Isabella." He pronounced her full name, earning a glare from her. He chuckled and ruffled her hair. Bella froze and fought to keep the meadow from turning into a furnace. "Bella, I couldn't bare it if I ever hurt you. You don't know how it's tortured me. The thought of you, still, white, cold…to never see you blush scarlet again, to never see that flash of intuition in your eyes when you see through me pretences…it would be unendurable. You are the most important thing to me now. The most important thing to me ever."

Bella sat, still trying to keep the fire locked up. "I would rather you kill me right here than for you to leave me alone. I'm such an idiot. Un idiota stupido."

He laughed, "You are an idiot!" He surreptitiously glanced back at the still-smoking tree. "Of course, my intelligence is coming into question more and more lately."

Bella grinned sheepishly.

He gazed at her, his golden eyes glowing, "So the lion fell in love with the lamb."

"What a stupid lamb."

"What a sick, masochistic lion."

Bella felt guilt well up in her throat, "Is there anything I can do to help you with the pain?"

Edward gazed at her, curious.

"I mean, you ran earlier. What did I do wrong?"

He sighed, "Bella, it wasn't your fault. I was just surprised. Most humans shy away from us. I wasn't expecting you to come so close, and the smell of your throat!" He winced.

"Okay," Bella said. She tucked her chin, "No throat exposure."

He laughed, "Really, it was more surprise than anything."

Very slowly, he raised his right hand and pressed it lightly on the side of her neck. "You see? Perfectly fine."

Bella struggled not to press his hand tighter. She focussed all of her energy on making sure the meadow didn't erupt into flames.

She was blushing, of course. Softly he brushed her cheek, and held her face between his marble hands. "Be very still," he cautioned.

Slowly, never moving his eyes from hers, he leaned towards her. Then, very gently, he rested his cheek against the hollow of her throat. His hands drifted down her neck, over her shoulders. His nose skimmed across her collarbone, and Bella fought the instinctive need to 'push' him away.

He rested his ear against her chest, listening to her heart. Bella couldn't think about anything, except that he was touching her. Too soon, he released her.

His eyes were peaceful. "That wasn't nearly as bad as I'd thought it would be. See?" He gently took her hand and pressed it to his face, "It's warm."

Bella felt her pulse quicken. She was touching his face. It was warm. "Don't move," Bella warned.

Edward froze, not even breathing. Bella began to slowly trace his features. His lips parted under her hand and she felt the urge to lean in and inhale. Quickly, she backed away before she could surprise him again.

He opened his eyes, and they were hungry. Not in a way that made her fear him, but rather made her want to be much closer to him. He grinned suddenly. "Want to see something incredible?" he asked, echoing the words she'd spoken to him in the cafeteria.

"See what?" she asked, nervous.

"I want to show you how I travel in the forest. We'll get home much quicker this way." He grinned lopsidedly.

Bella's mouth twisted upward, "You're not going to turn into a bat or anything?"

He laughed, "No, nothing so extravagant. Climb on my back."

He crouched down and Bella climbed on awkwardly. Suddenly he seized her wrist and pressed it to his face. He nodded, "Getting easier all the time."

And then they were running. The world had become a green and brown blur and Bella found herself reaching out with a sense she wasn't completely sure existed. For a half-second, the world was brilliantly clear. She could count the number of leaves on every tree. Every bug that inhabited the surrounding area was completely obvious to her. She wondered if that was what Edward saw all the time. She laughed and held on tighter, feeling the adrenaline pulsing through her, and then they stopped. She was still giggling when Edward set her down. Her notebook was still in a death grip in her right hand.

"That was amazing!" she twirled around with her eyes closed, not caring that she was acting like a child on a sugar high. She opened her eyes to find him grinning at her. She grinned back.

"Bella?" he asked, becoming more serious. She nodded, acknowledging him. "I want to try something." He took her face in his hands.

Bella stopped breathing.

Edward hesitated, testing himself to make sure he wasn't going to lose what little control he had left. And then his cold, marble lips were against her.

Bella wasn't prepared for it. She knew that it was completely stupid of her to let her guard down, but at the moment she couldn't remember why it was wrong of her to try to enjoy her own piece of heaven.

Her hands wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer, her mouth opened and she inhaled deeply. Her notebook dropped to the ground and that set off the warning bells in her head. She managed to pull back. Edward was frozen again, his jaw clenched tightly. Bella smelled something and found that a piece of his hair was burning. She wet two fingers in her mouth and pressed them against the tiny flame until it hissed out. She smiled sheepishly, "Oops."

"That's an understatement." He pressed a hand against the side of his head. The hair that had been burning had already grown back. "We'll need to work on this."

If he was open for practicing, she was game too. She nodded eagerly, "No objections here." She reached down and picked up her notebook, already formulating a good angle to capture their first kiss.

He gave her a "You're impossible" look before taking her hand and leading her back to his car. Impishly, she started the vehicle and a cheesy old love song began playing. Their doors opened with a flourish and the windshield wipers activated, rubbing off the last of the raindrops. Edward rolled his eyes and they got in his car.

-

I know it's not as long as the last chapter, but seeing as that one almost killed me, I've decided to keep them at around ten pages long. I hope you forgive me as long as you don't have to wait too long for an update. I'm amazed at how many reviews the last chapter got, and I hope this one is satisfactory as well. I'm sick with a cold so I haven't been working up to par these last few days. Forgive?

Language;

Un idiota stupido is Italian for "A stupid idiot"

Look out for chapter twelve.