Going Under

Ch. 10 – Unanswered Questions

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or New Moon. They own me.

A/N: There are pictures of the Hadrian's house, Bella's dress in the previous chapter, and various others on my profile.

"Olivia, I don't know what to do. One day all's well, the next day, he looks like he's unsure of something," I told my sister as we carefully hung glass ornaments on the huge green tree set up in front of the bay window in the living room.

"Well Bells, I'm not sure either. Maybe you should ask him," Olivia suggested.

Michelle came back into the room at this point, having left to go find some more strands of lights in the attic. "What are you two talking about?" she asked curiously as she plugged the lights in to make sure they still work.

"Edward. He's been acting strange lately, like he's trying to keep a secret. It's making me really nervous," I explained to Michelle.

She looked thoughtful for a moment, unplugged the strand of lights, wound them carefully around the tree, plugged them back in again, and then said, "Ask him."

"But what do I say?" I pressed. "I can't just walk up to him and go, 'Hey Edward, you weren't thinking of leaving me again, were you?' How dumb would that sound," I added.

Both girls looked up and sighed. "Sorry Bella, I really don't have any more advice other than this. Just stand back and see what happens. It's very unlikely that he will leave again. Have you seen the way he looks at you?" Michelle said. Her words made me feel a bit better.

"I guess you're right. It's just hard to see him look like that!" I told them, and then let the conversation drop. "Oh well, everything takes time I guess."

"Wow girls, that looks great!" Aaron said as he entered the living room and sat on the couch. He was wearing a coat and a toboggan. Apparently he had just stapled the lights to the outside of the house. Andrew walked in a few seconds later, brushing the leaves off his jacket.

"Not too shabby," he said. Michelle and Olivia walked over to their respective partners and kissed their cheek. The men put their arms around their waists, and I suddenly wished Edward were here.

"Let's go look at the lights outside," I suggested, and escaped the confines of the house, taking in deep breaths of much-needed fresh oxygen.

It was nearly dark outside though the amount of white lights - lining the gutters, around every window, around the door, arranged in beautiful patterns in the large shrubs, wrapped up the trunks of all the oak trees, and lining the concrete pathway leading up the front door – gave everything beautiful shadows and lit up the silhouettes of every undecorated item in the yard, including all the flowers.

"Wow," I breathed as I stepped back to take it all in. I was about to say something to Andrew, but a huge ice ball – very hard, might I add – hit me in the side of the head and sent me staggering over sideways. "Hey!" I protested, bringing my hand up to the side of my head.

The ice ball was still stuck to the outside of my black toboggan hat, and I carefully pried it off.

Andrew was rolling around in the snow, laughing his stupid head off, when Olivia came to my side and we began to rapid-fire as many snowballs as we could make. At vampire-speed, it only took about ten seconds for Andrew, who was still handicapped from laughing, to become completely covered in snow.

He stopped moving, and Olivia and I crept closer to make sure that he was alright. When we were only inches away from him, clutching each other's hands, he burst out of his cocoon, sending snow everywhere, and yelled, "RAHHHHH!"

We squealed like little kids and raced off in different directions. We were no match for Andrew's speed, and he overtook us quickly. He had Olivia slung over his right shoulder, me over his left, and we were pounding his back with our fists, shrieking at him to put us down immediately or suffer the consequences. Out words were slurred and only about half of them made it out because we were laughing so hard.

I felt a second pair of cold hands on my waist as Andrew stopped walking, and I was going to protest until I saw Edward's face, bathed in light from the Christmas lights that Aaron had put up. He looked even more beautiful; there were little white flakes of snow in his bronze hair and you couldn't really see the shadows under his eyes.

"I'll take this one, Andrew," Edward said with a grin, and as soon as I was in Edward's arms, bridal style, Andrew flipped Olivia down and carried her in the same fashion.

Michelle and Aaron had been watching us play under the porch, talking amongst them. As both couples approached them, they stopped talking and Aaron shook Edward's hand, jostling me in the attempt.

"Sorry dear," Edward said, and kissed my forehead. I grinned in reply and caught Aaron's eye. He, too, looked indecisive about something. This quickly got rid of my happy mood and sent me into despair.

What in the hell was going on?

We all went inside, and Edward set me down carefully on the ground. He was acting perfectly normal now. Usually when Edward came over we played board games.

What else was there for vampires to do?

Michelle retrieved Monopoly from upstairs and soon Edward and Andrew were arguing over who got to be the top hat. This usually happened and always ended when I grabbed the game piece and chucked it behind me when they weren't looking.

"Come on children, I don't see the top hat here at all," I mocked them, my tone just a tad sharper than I intended it to be.

Olivia looked up at me in surprise, remembering the conversation that we had had earlier.

"Alright, alright," Andrew grumbled, and chose another piece.

Edward was holding my hand tightly under the table as we played the game. It was far from fun and I soon lost interest, though I continued to play. By the end of the game, I was close to hyperventilation. I had somehow convinced myself that this was the last time I was going to see Edward again, since he was going to leave me.

Forcing myself to take deep, measured breaths, I put away the game, my hands shaking ever so slightly. After the game was over, Edward always left. Taking my time, I arranged all of the cards into neat little stacks, and carried the box upstairs.

I caught my reflection in the hallway mirror. What was so wrong with me? My eyes traveled up my reflection; I wore dark blue jeans, a black knit turtleneck sweater, a black toboggan hat, and a brown scarf.

Olivia followed me, and steadied me when I nearly keeled over in despair as I put away the stupid game. Her eyes were sparkling. "Bella," she said, her hands resting on my shoulders. "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay," she promised. I was going to question her, but she was gone too quickly.

Anger was now mixing in with the confusion and sadness. What was going on and why wasn't I included? And more importantly, what was it about? I walked down the stairs, my hand gliding along the silky smooth railing, and I watched my family file out the door to tell Edward goodbye. They shut the door, and I ran quickly to catch up with them.

I pulled the door open, and stopped dead in my tracks, for what I saw shocked me.

Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Alice, Emmett, Jasper, Michelle, Aaron, Andrew, and Olivia were all standing around my angel; the Cullen's on his right, the Hadrian's on his left. The white Christmas lights lit up everyone's faces, and a light snow was falling.

Upon seeing me, Edward stepped forward on his right knee, and kneeled down in front of me, pulling a maroon box from his coat pocket.

"Isabella Marie Swan Hadrian, I have requested the permission of your hand in marriage from your father. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife…forever?" Edward asked with all the sincerity in the world, his topaz eyes gleaming up at me in happiness. He opened the box and a huge diamond winked up at me.

I stepped forward in wonder, out of the doorway into the cold winter night, speechless. I opened my mouth to give my answer, feeling like an idiot for doubting him, and everyone's eyes widened in what I thought was gladness. "Ye-," I started, but a cold, hard hand clamped over my mouth, causing me to bite into the soft flesh in my mouth, and yanked me backwards into the house.

I saw Edward leaping up from his position on the ground, his mouth forming the words "No!", my entire family rushing forward, the door slam, a flash of bright red hair…and darkness.