Here is Chapter 13. Thank you to my beta magicaltears. And thank you to all the reviewers of last chapter. Sorry this took me so long I just ran out of ideas. I also started two softball seasons plus baseball and soccer with my cousins so I kind of have a lot on my plate. I will do my best to keep a semi-steady update schedule. Plus I have to keep my grades going and do all the fifty-million projects and papers for the last semester of the school year. Insanity I tell you!
Bella's POV
The boys ended up falling asleep in the car so I was left to my thoughts about what happened. Edward and I had almost kissed. It's not that I didn't want it, but did he? He still isn't my favorite person, but from the boys memories other than tricking the truth out of them he was very nice.
My head was spinning with questions. Do I like him? Do I want to risk getting hurt again? Do I want to put the boys in harm's way? And so on.
I knew the answers to a few of them. I didn't want to risk but if he was willing to risk for me I would be willing to risk for him. And lastly, I didn't want to put the boys in harm's way on purpose, but being around me was in harm's way all the time.
We pulled up at the house and I started to pull the boys in. Robbie woke up halfway into the house.
"Bella put me down. I can walk" he said sleepily. I looked up the stairs where I had put the other boys in their bedrooms.
"You hungry?" I asked him as I set him down at the table. Robbie nodded in response and I turned to make some food.
We sat in comfortable silence while I scrambled eggs for him. Then I let him eat when I went to check on the boys upstairs.
They were all asleep. Then when I turned out of the nursery Robbie was heading into his room. I kissed him on the top of his head and then headed to the music room.
I sat down at the piano and looked at the keys. My hands subconsciously moved to them and my eyes fluttered closed. I started to play the lullaby I composed for Robbie when he was little.
I made it through all four boys lullabies before a voice broke me from my reverie.
"Those were very beautiful" Edward's velvet voice told me.
I swung around on the bench to see him huddled in the corner. The moonlight danced on his stark, white skin. If possible he looked even more handsome then he did during the day.
"How did you get in here?"
"The window."
"Do you do that a lot?"
"Since the first day I saw you."
"I've never smelled you in the house. Just that one time and before when you were outside."
"It rains a lot in case you haven't noticed."
"Yes the fact that I have to dress my brothers everyday for rain has completely slipped my memory."
We stared at each other for a few minutes. Slowly, Edward crossed the room. I smiled at him and stood.
"Bella from what I gathered from Robbie's mind, I needed to go to Port Angeles as well. Would you mind if I went with you?" Edward asked.
I looked confused. "Edward what do you need from Port Angeles?" I asked.
"Music" was his simple reply.
"Sure. I guess." I answered. Somebody moved downstairs. I turned to the door and motioned for Edward to follow me.
I jumped down to the ground level and saw the light on in the nursery. I felt Edward come up behind me.
I stopped for a minute waiting for the person to come out of the room.
We waited. Nobody came out. It isn't one of the boys. I stayed patient and waited for the person to come out. It had to be somebody who knew me. Normal vampires wouldn't just waltz into another vampires house, but then again I had only met a handful of vampires who actually lived in houses.
I finally had enough and walked forward. I jumped to hang from the ceiling and crawled into the nursery. What I saw surprised me.
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Edward's POV
I jumped into the top level of Bella's house. She was sitting at the piano playing I was guessing they were self composed pieces considering I had never heard them. She looked so peaceful.
After watching her awhile I couldn't hold back any longer. "Those were very beautiful." I said before I thought about it.
Bella spun around at vampire speed."How did you get in here?"
"The window."
"Do you do that a lot?"
"Since the first day I saw you."
"I've never smelled you in the house. Just that one time and before when you were outside."
"It rains a lot in case you haven't noticed."
"Yes the fact that I have to dress my brothers everyday for rain has completely slipped my memory."
We stared at each other for a few minutes. Slowly, I crossed the room not wanting to scare her. Bella smiled at me and stood."Bella from what I gathered from Robbie's mind, I needed to go to Port Angeles as well. Would you mind if I went with you?" I asked.
Bella looked at me confused. "Edward what do you need from Port Angeles?" she asked. I panicked what I needed from Port Angeles was time with Bella.
"Music" was my brilliant reply.
"Sure. I guess." Bella answered after she thought it over. Somebody moved downstairs. Bella turned to the door and motioned for me to follow her.
I jumped down to the ground level behind Bella. Her lithe movements were distracting me. I came up behind her and saw the light on in the nursery.
I stopped for a minute waiting for the person to come out of the room.
We waited. Nobody came out.
Bella finally had enough and she jumped to the ceiling and crawled, along the ceiling into the nursery. I walked on the ground beneath her. What I saw shocked me.
Rosalie was standing over the crib with her hand reaching downward.
"Rosalie Elaine Hale McCarty Cullen what on earth are you doing in my house without telling me, as well as thoroughly scaring every last bit of life out of me?" Bella spit as she jumped down from the ceiling.
Rose swung around scared at Bella's tone. "How did you know I was here?"
"I can hear you. You don't think my hearing is even more attuned after my animal insticts have protected the four humans in this house more times than you can count. I can tell you every single fact about these humans and those who surround them. That includes everyone who visits them without my previous knowledge of the encounter." Bella said as she walked over and picked up a now crying Zack.
Supplies flew around us like bottles, blankets, and a change of clothes all at the same time Bella was walking over to the changing table.
"I have no problem with you dominating him when you are with me, but when you enter my home secretly you have overstepped a boundary line that has been crossed few times." Bella said in an eerily calm voice.
"I'm sorry. I planned on being gone before you recognized I was here." Rose said as she grabbed her coat the Bella had suspended in midair.
"By the way, you took a breath and shifted your weight. The floorboards creak to quietly for any human to hear. If you wouldn't have done that I wouldn't have noticed." Bella chuckled seeming to have forgotten what just happened. Bella looked so beautiful while she acting motherly.
Rose nodded and laughed at something I had missed. "Do you do that a lot with your brothers?" Rose laughed out loud.
"Just Robbie. Normally at something I don't want everyone to hear." Bella laughed back.
I was confused. What did I miss? I'm a mind reader what went on that I didn't know about?
"What Edward is something bothering you?" Bella asked at me conspiratorially.
"Did you do something?" I asked back.
"Maybe. Maybe not" Bella laughed quietly as she finished with Zack.
I turned to Rosalie. "I'll see you at home." I said suggesting that she was going to get it.
Rose turned to leave and jumped out the window. Then I turned back to Bella. She was laying Zack in the crib slowly.
Bella reached into the crib, completely in her own world. I, unthinkingly, walked towards her. My few inches taller form loomed over her bent over form. She was running her fingers along Zack's head.
Suddenly, Bella turned around and I realized that I had bent over her. Her back bent backwards and her face came to stop inches from mine. Her eyes widened slightly and her breath caught.
My hand reached up to hers. I know she wasn't from my time, but she seemed like the kind of girl who would enjoy the gesture. I pulled her hand up to my mouth and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her palm. "Thank you for not getting mad at me for sneaking into your house and listening to you play incredibly." I whispered. I looked back to Bella's eyes. They watered slightly.
"Your welcome" Bella whispered back. Then the door swung open.
Robbie stood on the other side. How come we hadn't heard him get up. Bella's head shot to him. "Is everything ok?" Bella asked her voice edging towards hysteria.
"Yeah I thought I heard something in here and came to check it out." Robbie said. Take your hands away from my sister. His thoughts were low, violent, and directed at me.
"Just us" Bella answered as I found myself involuntarily, Bella's power, moving me back. Bella straightened out. "Robbie you should probably go back to sleep."
"I just want to talk to Edward first" Robbie said as his face turned to me. Suddenly, Robbie's thoughts were cut off from me. Bella and Robbie stared at each other.
Finally, after long enough silence, Robbie spoke. "I'll be nice." he said as he motioned for Bella to do whatever she was going to do.
I found myself involuntarily, Bella's power, moving behind Robbie. We reached the bottom floor when Robbie turned to me.
"Edward I know you like my sister" he started. I stared at him. How did he know that?
"I don't want you to force her into anything. She has been hurt before."
"I would never force her to do anything she didn't want to. But what do you mean she's been hurt before?"
"I believe that, but do you honestly think you're the only guy or vampire that has shown interest in my sister. Come on she is beautiful. And has the best personality."
"I see that. But who has hurt her before?"
"No one you would know. But I will warn you: Bella has been to the breaking point before and once more will be the shattering point. She wouldn't let you know because it would make you feel guilty, but if you hurt her and she finally shatters I and everyone else who cares about Bella will expect you to fix it. Goodnight Edward" Robbie said as he turned and walked back up the stairs.
"Goodnight Edward" Bella said so that only I could hear.
"Goodnight Bella" I whispered back.
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Bella's POV
What happened back there. I totally froze. Robbie walked into his room.
I walked into my room after turning all the lights off in the house. I lay back on my bed. What was I going to do? I was starting to fall for Edward. Why was life so dang confusing? Did I like Edward for sure? He had been sweet when he kissed my hand like a gentleman. Did he like me at all? I was hardly what he deserved. I needed to know these things before I brought him into our life.
I knew a few of these answers. I needed to talk to him and the boys and then think it through thoroughly.
The last thing I knew for sure was: I liked Edward maybe even loved him.
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There is Chapter 13. I just wanted you to know that if there is any confusion. I plan on following as close to the first book as I can. I am just making this my own spin with the boys.I will try to update more often, but like I said my schedule is a little packed and I have trouble coming up with ideas while sticking to the story. Thank you all who are reading this. And thank you to magicaltears, my beta.
God Bless,
Kara