Disclaimer: All actual Twilight things belong to Stephenie Meyer, this story line and a few original characters belong to us. Please by all means, write your own stuff and don't steal ours. A huge thank you goes out to: Jess2002, Content1, Aurellacullen FFN/Aylacullen TWCS, MustangMel1968, mersedez2001, toocute24, and Sarah… These girls are one awesome group of ladies to work with. Any mistakes in the final wrap belong to us. Thanks, Kasi and Nikky.
Chapter 14: A Cowboy, a Princess, and a Butterfly
I called Bella on Sunday to let her know that I would meet her at Seth and Leah's school today. As I park my car by the school and wait for Bella and the kids to arrive, I decide that it would be better to type out my email to Aro now, while I can, so I grab my blackberry.
Aro, I would like Sally to be on the bench with her arms restrained above her head, wearing nothing but a nice pair of stilettos. Her feet placed on the pegs, with her knees high in the air and spread open. She needs to be gagged with a ball gag and have a buzzer in her hand. I'll be there promptly at six-thirty. ~ Anthony
Just as I am about to send it, I see Bella arrive with Seth and Leah. She has some pumpkins and bags with her. She walks them to the door and gives them both a kiss. She hands each of them a pumpkin and a bag, and then waves as they head into school.
I hit send on my phone and jump out of my car. As I walk toward her, Bella's head moves up and she gives me a smile as she starts walking toward me.
"Good morning, Bella."
She bites her lip. "Good morning, Edward. I couldn't bring your coat with me. I'm sorry; it's just that I had to bring the pumpkins. I didn't want your coat to be messed up, but I can go back and get it now."
"No, it's fine, I can get it later. Come on Baby Bella, we better get going or we'll be late."
She looks perplexed. "Edward, aren't you expected to be at the college; I mean, I thought you have classes today?"
I chuckle. "Yes I do, but I got this morning off. I'm using some of my vacation time. I would like to take you to see Charlotte today. She's the one that sells the girl things; remember I told you I'd take you to see her? She was sitting on my right at the ball." Bella nods her head at my explanation, but I see she is biting her lip again. I know she's worried, so I do my best to reassure her. "I will be there with you. I am not going to leave you, I promise." Bella nods again as we begin walking to the bus stop. We take the bus and arrive at Charlotte's store a little after nine-thirty. Charlotte had texted me earlier and asked that we enter through the back door. She was going to leave it open for us, as she had the front locked up so that no unexpected customers would arrive. I hold onto Bella's hand as we walk thought the door.
Charlotte sees us as soon as we enter; she smiles and makes her way toward us. "Edward, Isabella; come on in. I already have several items laid out for you. I have done this for a few years, so I'm pretty good at guessing sizes." I rub Bella's hand and smile at Charlotte's obvious excitement. "Isabella, I'm so sorry, sometimes my mouth runs away with me. It's very nice to meet you. My name is Charlotte, but you can call me Chas; all my friends do." Charlotte gives Bella a big smile, but keeps her distance for now.
"It is nice to meet you. I'm Isabella, but please call me Bella." I squeeze Bella's hand, trying hard not to jump for joy. This is the first time that she has openly asked someone, apart from me, to call her Bella.
Charlotte smiles at her. "Well, I was thinking that these things would be perfect for you." I look at the collection of bras and panties that Charlotte has picked out. They are mostly plain, white ones. There are some with lace, but none them are overly sexy like the ones that were in Alice's bag. I am both relieved and somewhat disappointed. "Come with me, Bella, so I can take your measurements to ensure that we have the correct size."
Bella looks at me and I nod my head at her. "Bella..." I clasp her face between my hands. "Baby, I'll be right here. I won't leave you." Bella whispers a low thank you, and strokes my hand before giving it a squeeze at the end. I watch as she walks away with Charlotte.
They have been gone for ten minutes, and I'm looking around the shop, wishing that I hadn't. I have stumbled across some of the fucking sexiest lingerie sets I've ever seen. Every set I see, my mind imagines on Bella. I am standing here taking in all the different colors and textures of lace and frill. I'm so hard right now, my dick twitching with excitement at every new thought. I reach down and pick up a pair of sheer, red lace panties. I feel my cock get even harder as I imagine Bella in them. My thoughts don't stop there, though; I can picture myself ripping this flimsy piece of lace off of her. I swallow the drool that is pooling in my mouth, and put the panties down. Thoughts like this are not good; she's only my friend!
I don't want to fuck her.
Oh yes, my friend, you do, and a lot of other dirty things, as well. Like touching and tasting her, causing her to moan your name out in pleasure.
Fuck no! I need to stop. She is just my friend; I don't - and can't - see her that way.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I zoom in on a blue satin and lace bra and panty set which has a matching baby doll cover. All I can see is Bella standing in my bedroom at the foot of my bed, wearing this. I pick it up; holding it close as I try to stop my thoughts, but it isn't working very well. Argh!
"Edward, you need to come here right away, please." I hear Charlotte and I look up, seeing she is upset as she quickly runs towards me. I drop the baby doll outfit and move to her.
"I'm sorry, shit! Edward, I can't calm her down!" I look to the back, and start moving toward Bella.
"What happened?"
Charlotte shakes her head, clasping her hand to her forehead. "She didn't know that she had to remove her shirt. I...I explained that to get her correct measurements, it was necessary but..."
I let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, Charlotte; I didn't think about it. Damn it! I should've known she would be uncomfortable undressing in front of someone she had just met." I place my hand on the main door of the changing room.
"That is not really what the problem is. I need to tell you something before you see it. Edward, it was my face that caused her to get so upset. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't control my reaction."
I frown at her. "I know she is a little thin, but..."
I stop as Charlotte shakes her head. "Edward, she has whip marks; scars, on her back. She said that she was bad, and that was her punishment. She was embarrassed that now I know she was bad!" The anger and disgust in her voice is crystal clear. I feel like my heart has been crushed. I now have clear evidence that she has been physically hurt. "Who the fuck does that to someone, much less an innocent human being like Bella?"
I push the door open as I locate the dressing room where Bella is. I find her sitting on the floor, cradling her knees. She looks up towards me and her eyes widen as she grabs her blouse.
"No, I don't want you to see me; I was bad. Please, I don't want to lose your friendship."
I drop to the floor, placing my hand on her face. My eyes go to the mirror as she sits forward, and I can see her back. I close my eyes, and silently count to ten. You can clearly see the scars. There are a lot of them, and poorly formed as a result of lack of care. "Bella, who did this to you? Please, tell me who left these marks on you?"
She looks up at me, shaking uncontrollably. "I was bad. Please, I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't. I was really trying."
I pull her head towards mine, placing my forehead onto hers. "Please baby, tell me what happened. I'm not going anywhere; I swear to you, I won't leave you. You'll always be my friend."
Her hand grabs a hold of my shirt. "Mom was away with one of her friends. She said they had a problem, and she was going to help them. A few days later, Uncle Harry came to the house we were staying in. He was there to pick up some money mom had left for him. He decided to stay for a few days. Leah wasn't feeling well, and I was taking care of her. I tried to make her better, but she was so warm, so I bought her some medicine. The lady at the store said it would help. I took the medicine back to where we were staying, and saw that Uncle Harry had a friend over. Leah was getting warmer and crying a lot. I thought that a bath would help, so I bathed her. After her bath, I gave her some of the medicine, and she finally fell asleep. Uncle Harry and his friend started making loud noises, and it woke her up. She wouldn't stop crying, and I tried to calm her; really, I did. But Uncle Harry's friend got mad and left. She told him to get rid of the brats before calling her again. He was very angry, and Leah was still crying. He went to take her from me, but I pulled her away from him. I didn't mean to, it's just that he smelled funny. I didn't know then what the smell was, but I did learn recently from working at your bar, that it was beer. Uncle Harry was so mad, but he gave me a mean look and walked away. I got Leah back to sleep, and went to get a glass of water, but Uncle Harry was there. He said that there was money missing. I told him I took five dollars for the medicine for Leah. He got really angry, and told me that it was my fault that his friend went away. He said I was very bad and did everything wrong. He said that because I stole what was his, and upset one of his friends, I was disobedient and that he had to punish me. He said bad people get punished and marked as bad forever. He took me into my mom's room; he was sleeping there while he stayed with us. He told me to undress and bend over the chair. He then hit me ten times for each wrong doing that I did. After that, he told me to get dressed and deal with the brats. Seth and Leah were both crying now; they woke up while he was whipping me. He left the next day; he said he couldn't bear to look at me: that I was disgusting. He said that if anyone saw the marks on my back, they would know that I was bad, and would never want me around."
I feel sick; every part of me wants to pull her in. I know that I can't, but fuck! How her Uncle, or anyone, could do something like that to this girl. "Did he touch you anywhere on your body?"
She shakes her head at me. "No, he just hit me with the belt."
"Did he do something like that before?"
Again she shakes her head. "No. He had been mad at me before, when I would fall around him. Sometimes, when he was going upstairs, and I was going down, he would knock me with his foot if I accidentally touched him and sometimes I would fall. But he never touched me before that." It sounds to me that he liked making her fall.
"What about your mom and dad? Did they touch you? Did they hit you?"
I feel her shake her head. "No, they never touched me."
I sigh, relieved that they did not beat her on a regular basis.
"Has anyone else, girl or boy, touched you anywhere on your body with their hand or an object?"
My heart just about stops as she nods her head. "Can you tell me where they touched you?"
Again she nods her head. "My breasts and in my private place."
She looks at me confused as I feel the rage misting over me. "Can you tell me with what and who?"
Her puzzled look increases. "Carlisle. And Edward, you were there at my check-up."
A strange chuckle came out. "Apart from him, has anyone touched you?"
She shakes her head. "In those areas, no one has touched me. Some people have pulled on my arm, and that guy from the park hit my face and pulled my hair."
I close my eyes trying, to calm myself down from the thought of people hurting her. I am ninety-nine percent sure now that she has never been sexually abused. Thank God! But, I am fucking pissed at her 'so called' Uncle Harry. How could he make her think it was her fault? He made her think she was bad, which explains why she is always worried that she has done something wrong. "Bella, you were not bad. He shouldn't have done what he did. He was the bad one."
She shakes her head at me. "Baby, please look at me. As your friend, I'm telling you, you didn't do anything wrong. Have I ever lied to you?" She looks at me, shaking her head. "Then believe me when I tell you that you weren't bad." Pulling her shirt on and helping her pull it down, I pat her shoulder. I clasp her face, and look at her right in the eyes. "You are a good and wonderful person. You're the most beautiful person I have ever met."
She looks back at me, but I know she doesn't believe me. She has had years of being told otherwise. I know it's going to take some time for her to believe me. "I'm going to tell you every day that you are beautiful, every day for the rest of my life." I just hope at some point along the way she will begin to believe me. I help her stand, and head back out into the main area of the store. I see that Charlotte is on the phone, but hangs up as we walk toward her. She still looks upset, but I know she is trying to not to show it.
"Bella, sweetie, you are a very beautiful girl, and I would like to be your friend. Here is my phone number; you can call me anytime. I would like your phone number, too, if that's okay with you. I would really like to get together sometime; maybe I can come to visit you. I could bring some girly movies, and we could watch them and chat." Bella smiles back at her, and gives Charlotte her cell number. I see her mouth the words 'thank you' to Charlotte, but she is too quiet to be heard. "These will fit you; there is no charge because these are end of the season. I would just be giving them away anyway, so I am glad to give them to you. You are honestly doing me a favor by taking them, because it is a lot of paperwork to write them off." Charlotte hands Bella four bags full of undergarments." I give her another smile before I set off with Bella.
By the time I get Bella back to my home, she has completely calmed down. It is strange in a way, because it is almost as if this morning's talk did not occur. It worries me that she is blocking things out. I decide to go into my office at UW, and leave further discussions for another day. I need Peter and Jasper's input on how to handle this. As I go to leave, I find myself telling Bella again that I am here for her, and to call me any time and I'll be there in a heartbeat. She thanks me, and nods her understanding, but lets me know that she is not ready to talk right now. I'm about to argue that point, but stop because I know what she means. I'm not ready to face some of my demons either, so I just nod and leave.
~HCV~
I'm on my way to Aro's and park my car three blocks away from his club. I never park outside the club, as I don't want people knowing my business. I'm cutting down the alley between a shop and Zion church, when I hear Bella's voice.
"Look, here they come now." I peek out to see her; she still looks happy, even more so now than earlier. Bella is standing on the church steps with Seth and Leah. Seth has a cowboy costume on, and he looks so darn cute. I also see Leah, who is dressed as a princess. I would say Leah was Princess Aurora, 'Briar Rose'. Bella has wings on, and I study her for a few more minutes, trying to work out what she is. I draw back into my hiding spot, but continue to watch and listen as I hear more voices coming this way, moving my head to see who.
"Oh my God! You guys are so cute. I want to take a picture." My breathing is slightly elevated and erratic as I finally see who the voice belongs to. There stands Sally, the same Sally who I am seeing in just fifteen minutes. Along with Sally are Aro, Felix, Garrett, and four other girls. I am not sure who they are, I just know that they all work for Aro. "Seth, you are the best cowboy I've ever seen! Goodness gracious Leah, no other princess has anything on you; you're way more beautiful and elegant than the rest of them! Oh Isabella, you are an awesome butterfly. Your costume is great," Sally goes on, as she snaps her pictures.
"I think so, too. Seth and Leah made it for me. They really wanted me to get all dressed up, too." I smile at how happy they sound.
"So, what's it gonna be, boy?" Felix drawls, as he reaches into his coat. I can see that he has some toy guns stuffed in his pants. Seth moves, so as to stand in front of him. I see Seth smirk at him, and place his hands on his toy guns. "So, I see you wanna go the hard way, is that right boy?" At that, they both draw their guns.
"Bang, Bang," Seth shouts out. As Seth makes his gun noises, I watch Felix start his very dramatic death scene.
"God, no; it wasn't meant to end this way." I clasp my hand over my mouth to stop the laughter coming out as he keeps going. "It hurts so bad, so very bad." Finally, he falls the rest of the way to the ground and closes his eyes. Seth laughs at him and moves forward. Felix's head suddenly pops up making Seth jump back a little. "So bad; it hurts, I tell you, so...bad." I shake my head at seeing the hardest guard Aro has, act this way. I look at Bella and see her smiling over at them. She gives Seth a wink. Leah is being hugged by the girls, who are busy telling her she makes the most beautiful princess.
"I think you all deserve these bags of candy. Here you go." Aro gives them each one. "This one is for you, Bella." He gives her a pointed look.
"Bella, the candy in the pink bag is just for you, not the children. That is candy for big people only," Sally says, looking at her.
"We better get going, I have an appointment soon. See you later," Sally says to Bella and the kids. The girls and Garrett all wave as they start to walk away. I watch as they head to the club. Aro is very protective of his girls; even in a large group, they have a guard.
It's just Felix and Aro now. I can see that Aro has a smirk on his face. "So are you going to go anywhere else after this?"
Bella shakes her head. "No, just back home. Thank you for asking Mr. Brophi for some time off for me, and thanks for inviting us to meet you here tonight; this made their day."
"No problem, Bella. Well, I better get back to work. I'll see you all later this week; mother is making me come for Sunday lunch." Bella waves, as do Seth and Leah. I watch them go and I feel a tug inside of me. I want to share this with them, to see Bella's costume up close. Yeah, that's it...tell yourself it's her costume you want to see up close. I didn't get the full effect of the costume from far away. Fuck, just face it; I want to spend tonight with Bella and the kids.
Carlisle and Esme would love to see them. I chuckle, biting my lip, a habit I picked up from Bella. I shake my head and take my blackberry from my pocket. I decide to call Aro and tell him I will no longer be coming in tonight. Before I can dial his number, I am startled by a voice right next to me. "You better run down the alley, and then you can catch her before she gets past your car." I jump, seeing Aro standing there. I know that the question must be evident on my face, because he answers it. "I see all, now get going." I hear him chuckle as I turn and run down the alley to catch up with them.
I get near the end of the alley, and see Bella pass by. I pick up my pace, and I run out to greet them. "Hey Bella, Seth, Leah," I say as all three stop and turn to look at me. "Happy Halloween! You all look great." I look Bella up and down; she makes a very cute butterfly. She has her face decorated with face paint, and an antenna headband on her head. Her wings have hand prints all over them. She also has jeans and a checkered shirt on.
"Happy Halloween, Edward," Seth and Leah both say with a smile on their faces.
"Have you been trick-or-treating?" I ask as they both nod their heads a little.
"I took them to the church. Aro, Felix, Garrett, and some of the girls met us there. I didn't want to take them to people's homes that I don't know, I just..." I hold my hand up; she really doesn't need to explain this.
"How would you like to come with me, to see Carlisle and his wife Esme? I know he and his wife would love to see you like this, and they have loads of candy."
Seth and Leah's eyes light up. "Can we, Bella, can we go and see the doc?" Bella smiles at them.
"We will need to take my car, as it is pretty far and the bus doesn't go that close to where their home is." I look at Seth and Leah who both look worried and sad.
"Bella, it's okay. We've got plenty of candy, and we can show the doc a picture," Seth says as Leah nods her head.
"We have loads here, and Zafrina gave us a bunch, too."
Bella has her eyes closed and shakes her head. "No, it's fine. We can go...I'll be fine, I trust..." she looks to me, "you." I smile at her.
"My car is this way," I say, leading them to my car. Bella helps get Leah and Seth strapped in. I then take Bella to her door. Before opening it, I stroke her arm and lean close to her. "Take it easy. If you need me to stop, I will." I smile at her. "I am so fucking proud of you." I open the door to let her get in before closing it. I quickly make my way around to my door and get in. I see that Bella is strapped in and has her eyes closed. I fiddle with my iPod, to find some relaxing music. I put on Yiruma, River Flows in You; I always find it to be relaxing.
I drive much slower than what I normally would, even slower than the last time when I had Seth and Leah in the car. Bella is doing very well; she has her eyes closed and has a grip on her seat. Her grip is so tight, that her fingers are turning blue. I place my hand over hers and rub it, knowing that I can comfortably drive with one hand without scaring her. I keep rubbing it, and slowly, her hand relaxes. As I turn the corner, her hand turns underneath mine and interlocks with my fingers. She gasps and her fingers loosen a little, but I grip her hand and face her briefly with a smile. Then I lift her hand to my mouth and kiss it twice. "You did amazing, Baby. We're here."
Bella smiles at me and lets out a breath. We all get out of the car, and Seth and Leah run into Bella's arms. They are clearly proud of their sister. "We love you, Bella," Seth says as Leah nods her head in agreement. Then they both hug her again and each place a kiss on her cheek.
"Come on, let's get in there before all the candy is gone." I hold my hand out, and Bella takes it. It is definitely getting easier for her to take my hand without thinking about it. Seth and Leah walk beside us, talking away to each other. I ring the doorbell, and then open the door. "Carlisle, Esme," I announce our arrival. We walk into the sitting area, and I hear Esme's voice coming down the hallway.
"Edward..." she stops, seeing Bella, Seth and Leah. Her eyes scan to my hand that is still in Bella's, and she smiles. "Hello again, it's Isabella, right?"
Bella nods her head. "Yes, Mrs. Esme. It's nice to see you again."
Esme shakes her head. "None of that Mrs. stuff please, just Esme. What would you like for me to call you, dear? Do you have a nickname that you like better, Isabella?"
Bella smiles at Esme. As much I hate how Esme pushes me, and the things she kept from me, she still has a good heart and has this warmth about her. "Please call me Bella."
Esme nods her head. "And who do we have here? I must say young man, that you are the most handsome cowboy I have ever met; and as for you, young lady, you are a very beautiful princess."
Both Seth and Leah smile at her. I watch as Seth smirks, taking his hat off and bowing his head. "Well, thank ya' Ma'am; that is very kind of you to say. This here is Princess Leah, my sister, and I'm Seth," he says in an exaggerated drawl. "Might I say that you are very pretty? Are you the doc's wife?" I chuckle into Bella's hair at Seth's charming effects on Esme, which are actually working. Esme's smile is big and bright as she nods her head at Seth.
"Bella, you're a very beautiful butterfly. Come on into the kitchen, I have some candy for you. Carlisle is on his way home. He should be here in a few minutes." We all walk to the kitchen. Seth and Leah take a seat, but Bella stays glued to my side. "Bella, your children are a delight, they are extremely polite and very nice."
I gasp and look at Bella, who has a big smile on her face. "Esme, that's very kind of you to say. They are great children." I look at Bella and frown that she didn't correct Esme's assumption.
I clear my throat. "Esme, Seth and Leah are actually Bella's brother and sister. Bella has been raising them alone for the last five years."
Esme looks at me with wide eyes, and then looks back to Bella. "I am so very sorry for assuming they were your children, my dear. Either way, they're both quite a credit to you, Bella; you've brought them up well." Bella smiles, while nodding her head.
"I hope you've saved me some candy, woman." I chuckle at the fact that we can hear Carlisle before we can see him. He walks into the kitchen and sees us sitting there. "Little One, Cowboy Seth, and Princess Leah, you are all looking really great tonight. I see you brought the grouch, Edward, with you." Seth and Leah chuckle at Carlisle's comment.
"I was making hot chocolate. Would you like some?" Seth and Leah nod their heads as soon as the word chocolate escapes Esme's lips. "How about you, Bella? Would you like some?" Bella looks at me and bites her lip. It's clear she's asking what it is.
"It's like the chocolate milkshakes, but warmer. They are delicious and very nice on a cool night. Esme makes the best hot chocolate around." Esme gives me a strange look, and I see Carlisle kiss her head and whisper in her ear.
"Yes, please, Esme. That sounds wonderful. Will Seth and Leah be okay with that? I mean, coffee and tea is served hot; I don't want them to burn themselves."
I push her loose hair back behind her ear, and smile at her. "Yes, they'll be fine. Esme will make it so theirs is barely warm. Ours will be warmer, but she would never give them something too hot for them." Bella nods her head.
Esme sets about making the hot chocolate, as the rest of us move over to the table and sit. "Where all have you guys all been tonight?" Carlisle asks, looking between us.
"We saw Zafrina. She lives next door to us; she gave us some candy," Leah starts.
"Then we went to our church, but it was closed. That's where we met Aro, Felix, Garrett, Sally, Makenna, Maggie, Emily, and Jane. All the other girls were already working, so we couldn't see them." Seth took over.
"We're not allowed to go to their workplace; it is for big people only. But they gave us each a big bag of candy," Leah says once Seth runs out of breath.
"Then we met Edward," Seth says as he looks at me with a smile.
"And we came here in his car," they both say together. Carlisle, Esme, Bella, and I all chuckle.
"What? We're twins. It's a twin thing, or so we've been told," they say together with a shrug and we all burst out laughing again.
Esme brings in the tray with the hot chocolate, some candy, and a caramel apple for everyone. I don't really think they all go together, but I love her homemade caramel. Seth and Leah's eyes go wide when they see the treats. "Wow, this looks amazing!" Leah says, taking her cup.
"It does. Thank you ma'am for making this for my sisters and me...oh, and the grouch, Edward, too." Seth chuckles and I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at him.
"I want one of these," I say, taking the apple on a stick.
"What is it?" Leah asks, scrunching up her nose.
"This," I say, handing each of the kids one, "is a caramel apple."
"So, it's a good snack with candy on it?" Bella asks, making the same face as Leah.
"Yeah!" I reply happily as I hand Bella one. "Try it." I take a big bite out of mine, and Seth laughs as the juice from the apples squirts out and hits Bella in the face. Esme shakes her head as I start to laugh, grabbing a napkin.
"I'm sorry," I say with a mouth full of apple. I wipe the juice off her face as Bella tells me not to talk with food in my mouth. That makes us all laugh.
"Oh yeah; I like her," Esme says with laugh. "Are y'all having a good night?" she asks as she looks between the four of us.
"This is the best night ever!" Seth says, as Leah nods in agreement.
"Bella, can we get this drink sometime at home? It's so yummy and it makes me feel all warm inside." Leah looks at Bella, almost pleading. I think she likes the hot chocolate better than the apple.
Bella looks back at Leah, almost looking sad. "I would, but I don't know how to make it or if it will be as good as this. But I can try." I rub Bella's hand.
I look to Esme, who frowns for a spilt second before jumping up and going to her cupboard. I watch as she gets out a large tub of hot chocolate, small marshmallows, and the chocolate shavings as well. "Here is everything you will need; I have had this in that cupboard for a while now. No one ever asks me for it anymore, and I still have loads of the other tub left. You can take this and it will save me from throwing it all away. It is very easy to make, just place two spoons of the chocolate mix in a cup." Esme holds up the mix, to show what she means. "Then add hot water, or warm milk. Some people put sweetener in it, but that is up to you. I put two sugar cubes in each of your cups. After you stir it all together, you add marshmallows, and then the chocolate shavings go on the top." Bella nods her head. "If you use hot water, just add some milk to help cool it down for the two little ones. You do that before you add the marshmallows and chocolate shavings."
Bella looks at Esme, giving her a smile. "Thank you." Carlisle leans over and gives Esme a kiss.
Once we all are finished with the hot chocolate and apples, Esme hands each of us a bag of candy. "Now Edward, don't you eat all this in one sitting; I'll be asking Bella later if you did." She gives me a kiss on the cheek. "Bella, I gave you my phone number dear; call me anytime you are unsure about how to make the hot chocolate, or for anything at all, really." Bella nods her head. As I go to leave, Esme grabs my arm. "You should bring them all for Sunday dinner, Edward. She is an absolute delight, and if you're worried about the others, don't be. I will handle Rose and Alice; all I have to do is remind them whose house they are in. But all of them are welcome here anytime." I see Esme, who is looking at me with pride, and I nod my head, not really meaning it. I see Bella as a good friend. She has lunch with me every weekday, and with Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper on Wednesdays. I would even be okay with Esme joining us as well, but not Rose and Alice; at least not now...maybe never.
Seth and Leah get back into my car, and I walk Bella around to her side. "Charlotte, I mean Chas, from this morning; she does her house up every year. I'm sure they would love it if we stop by to look. Would you mind if we drop in on our way home? She would love to see you again."
Bella frowns. "She saw me this morning. Why would she want to see me again so soon?"
I chuckle a little. "She was very taken with you. She doesn't have many close girls that are her true friends. She sees what I see in you; one of the most beautiful people in this world. Of course she wants you as her friend." Bella blushes and nods her head. I open her door to let her get in before closing it behind her.
We drive to Charlotte and Peter's house, arriving quickly. They only live ten doors down from Carlisle and Esme, which might seem to be within walking distance, but it is still three miles away.
"Oh my God, look at that!" Seth and Leah squeal out as they bounce in their seats. "Are we going in there Edward? Bella? Are we?"
"Yes we are, and you better stay close or a vampire or zombie might get you." I open my door and look at Charlotte's house. She has a large front yard covered in coffins.
She has a misty fog all over the garden, while the outside of her home is covered with spiderwebs and skulls. It looks quite scary. As we begin to move up the path, Bella's grip on my hand tightens. Just as Seth and Leah pass a coffin, it springs open and Bella jumps, grabbing a hold of my jacket. Both Leah and Seth turn and laugh at her. I rub her back, trying to hold back the chuckle, but I can feel her heart pounding.
"Hush Bella, it's okay. See, it's just a prop; it's not real, just pretend. Seth stepped on the trigger," I say. I point to the small air bag that triggers the casket to open.
Bella looks at me. "I know, but I never...it's just that, this is the first..."
I stroke her face in a calming manner. "I'm so sorry Bella; we can just go back to the car if you want to."
She shakes her head at me. "No, I'll be fine; I just got a little frightened. Besides, you're here and you'll protect me, right?" She looks directly at me, and I can see her eyes are pleading with me to agree.
"Always, Bella. I will always protect you from anyone and everyone." I will; I'll even protect her from myself. Once I reassure her, we continue to the door.
"Seth, I think you should knock. You're the oldest," Leah whispers to him and he shakes his head.
"Nah...Edward can. He's the oldest, so he should knock." All three of them look right at me, and I chuckle. I lift my hand to knock, and just as I'm about to, a knock comes from the other side of the door. This causes us all to jump back and stare at the door as it slowly opens. Seth, Leah, and Bella all step behind me and I look at them, shaking my head.
"Come on you guys, we'll be fine." I walk through the door, being careful and looking around for any triggers. Since I don't see any, I turn around. "See there is nothing to be scared of. Come on in." They look at me cautiously before I turn around again, moving forward when a skeleton drops down in front of me. "FUCKING HELL!" I scream out and hit the skeleton away from myself. I hear all the laughter behind me. "Yeah, yeah; come on. I'm not doing this by myself." I clasp Bella's hand in mine and interlock our fingers. She holds out her hand to Seth, which he grabs ahold of. I feel small arms wrap around my waist, and I look down to see Leah looking worried. She moves to take her arms away, but I rub her back to keep her close and give her a smile. Pushing down those guilty feelings which seem to be coming back, I pull her a little closer so that she knows it's okay.
We walk further in, going past all the scary props that are here. I tell you, Charlotte missed her calling. She should make haunted houses full time. She would make a killing. I drag them further in, but I'm unsure of where to go. I have never been here before.
"Well, what do we have here? An enchanted princess, a handsome Cowboy, a pretty little butterfly, and a great big...grouch," Peter's voice shakes a little. I look at him; he is in a cloak with a mask covering his face. "Oh my, I have seen some scary things before in my life, but you, my friend, are the biggest, scariest thing I have ever seen!"
I roll my eyes at him. "Peter, have you looked in the mirror lately? Oh, you should wait until you take off the mask; it will be so much scarier then." At that, Peter pulls his mask away from his face. "God! Peter, no! Put it back on; you're going to scare the children," I say as I cover Leah's eyes.
"Oh, so funny. Come on, follow me; the witch is waiting for you." Seth and Leah chuckle and Bella shakes her head. We follow Peter around the maze they have made throughout their home. "Here they are, my Queen." Peter bows down, and I look to see Charlotte smiling at us.
"Well what have you brought me this time, my little pet?" she asks, patting Peter's head like he's a big dog. He even acts the part, which, in turn, makes Seth and Leah laugh some more.
"My Queen, we have the rarest beautiful butterfly with us. None are as pretty as this one. An enchanted princess; she is the most coveted of them all. The bravest cowboy to walk our lands, who is also full of charm and wisdom; then there was this great big grouch following them."
Again Seth and Leah laugh at me being called a grouch. "I don't think that you're a grouch," Bella whispers into my ear. I smile at her, pull her hand to my lips and kiss it. She blushes, and looks to the floor.
"Well, my friends, I have a treasure for you, but you must answer me this. While on my way to St. Ives, I saw a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks. Each sack had seven cats. Each cat had seven kittens. Kitten, cats, sacks, wives, how many were going to St. Ives?"
Seth and Leah think about the riddle. They look at each other, and then to Bella. "Bella, can you help us by adding them up?"
Bella smiles at them, and leans into me. "The answer is just one right? She is the only one going to St. Ives." I smile at her and nod my head. "If you want me to count it all up, it comes to 2801, not including her," Bella says pointing to Charlotte. "But, if you listen to the beginning again, you will hear the correct answer; I," Bella says, pointing to herself, "was on MY way to St. Ives. I saw a man," she stops and points to Peter, "with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks, each sack had seven cats, and each cat had seven kittens. Kittens, cats, sacks, wives, how many were GOING to St. Ives?"
They look at her, and Leah smiles. "It's just you!"
Seth scratches his head. "But, where was the man going with his wives?"
Bella shrugs her shoulders. "With that many wives, sacks, cats, and kittens, I hope he was going home."
Leah and Seth look at each other. "Their home must be as big as this one, to fit all them in it."
"So, my friends, do you have an answer for me?"
The three of them look at each other and nod their heads. "Just one," they say together.
"Well done! You have won the treasure. Come with me," she says as she opens the cupboard and hands them each a bag of candy. I see her smile as she hands Bella a bag of candy, too. "Sorry, Mr. Grouch; no candy for you." I pretend to pout as Charlotte starts talking to Seth and Leah.
Bella leans in close to me. "I'll share mine with you. There is far too much here, anyway."
I shake my head at her. "It's okay, Bella, I'm fine. Esme gave me some, so I'm okay. Plus, I need to watch it. I really do have a sweet tooth, and I always end up buying more. The more I eat, the harder Emmett will make me work out at the gym." Bella smiles at me and bites her lip, looking at her watch. I look at mine and see that it is almost nine o'clock. "Why don't we get Seth and Leah home?" She nods her head at me. "Charlotte, Peter, thanks for the entertainment, but we need to leave and get the cowboy and princess home to bed."
Charlotte smiles at me. "We'll walk you out." We head back the way we came in. As we walk to the front door, I see Jasper open the door and enters with Alice. Jasper gives me a puzzled look and smiles at Bella. Alice looks up and her face pales as she sees Bella, Seth, and Leah.
She turns to me raising, her eyebrows. "Well, hello there. Isabella, isn't it?" Alice says in a snarky tone.
Bella looks at her and moves back from Alice. "Yes Ma'am," Bella replies, keeping her tone normal.
"Edward, I need to have a word with you. Now!" Alice grips onto my arm and pulls on me.
"Alice; Bella needs to get Seth and Leah home to bed, and I have told you to leave this alone," Jasper says.
Alice glares at him, than glares at me. "Your choice. I can say my peace here if you'd like?"
I shake my head at her. "Not over here. Jasper, can you please walk them to my car?" I ask, handing him my keys to unlock the doors and start the engine, so it can warm up the car. "Bella, I'll only be a minute or two." Bella nods her head and walks away with Jasper and the children. Charlotte and Peter walk away as well.
"What the fuck is your fucking problem, Assward? You pass up Siobhan for that young slut with kids? How could you do that? All she sees is your money! Fuck, Edward! You are the dumbest genius that I have ever known. Are you so blind that you really can't see a good woman when she is right in front of you? That trashy slut and those kids are just going to fuck you over. You're so fucking stupid to think you can use them to replace him."
I slowly count to ten a few times before opening my mouth. "Those kids are her siblings, not her children. As far as I am aware, she has been caring for them for over five years. She just turned twenty-four, which means that she was just eighteen when she started working. She has had to work at least two jobs to support them this entire time. She has never once asked me for anything. I have to twist my words to get her to eat fucking lunch with me. You know absolutely nothing about her, and yet you sat there and heard all the shit Siobhan said. She only sees me as eye candy, and someone to use to get what she wants." Alice goes to interrupt, but I hold my hand up. "We are done, Alice. I no longer see you as a friend, or a family member. You have turned into a spiteful bitch. Don't call me again because I will no longer speak to you."
Alice looks at me. "What about Jasper?"
I chuckle almost in her face. "Jasper has known about her from the very beginning. If you had just asked him, he would've told you she's a good person."
She looks at me. "Yeah, all that he said is that, his 'Little Lady' was good, and had a good heart; one of the best he has seen."
I look at her and chuckle. Fuck, she is jealous of Jasper's relationship with Bella. "I can't believe you feel insecure about Jasper's feelings for you; after all, you're the one that lied to him, and me, to gain his attention. You continued to lie throughout your relationship, while he has always been up front with you. And even if he did feel that way about Bella, you should talk to him about it, and not take it out on her." At that, I begin to walk away. I am so done with her bullshit.
I get to my car and see Jasper frowning. "Looks like I'm staying in the spare room from now on."
I look at him shocked as he continues. "She has gone too far Edward, especially with all the things she said at the ball. To top it all off, she is still talking to Siobhan like she didn't do anything wrong. I tried to tell her a little about Bella, about her kindness and gentleness. She is stuck on her own idea that you should be with Siobhan. That is not her choice, and she should see that she is wrong. Until then," he shrugs his shoulders at me.
~HCV~
We arrive back at Bella's apartment, and both Seth and Leah have fallen asleep on the drive home. Bella was in a pickle about how to get them upstairs. In the end, I pick Seth up and carry him in one arm, while Bella helps me by placing Leah on my other arm. I carry them up the stairs to her apartment as she opens the door for us. I take them to their room, and lay them each on their own bed.
Bella undresses and puts them in their pajamas, then tucks them in before giving them a kiss on the head. I feel my heart swell as I observe this girl's motherly instincts shining through, and I feel myself smile. I walk her back to the living room and we sit on the couch.
"Thank you, Edward. Apart from the car rides, which are getting easier, I had fun. They had a good night, too, so thank you for taking us to your friends' homes tonight."
I move her hair away from her face. "Anytime, and remember, they are now your friends, as well."
She bites her lip and turns her body to face me, while I match her movement. "Would you like some candy?" she asks shyly.
I nod my head. "Bella, why don't you go and get changed for bed while I make us some hot chocolate? It's a great drink to have before bedtime." She jumps up, and leaves for her box. It takes a few minutes to make the hot chocolate, and I place the cups upon the table as I see Bella coming back in. This time, she's in a tank top and a pair of pajama bottoms, but fuck, she still looks sexy in them. She sits down next to me with her bag of candy.
She takes out the pink bag before handing me the other bag. "Take anything you like."
Hmm, I would like to take you, love...
I cut the sex addict off before looking in the bag. I take some small pieces of my favorite, Hershey Kisses, out of it. I look and see Bella with a note. The strap on her top has fallen off her shoulders, and I can see that she is not wearing a bra under her top. Of course this is like an open invitation for the pervert in me to check her out, allowing my eyes to go to her tits, which are fucking great. Fuck me, really great. I know there is at least a good handful there...argh. I look back up at her face, and see her trying to read the note.
"Come over here, Baby, and I'll help you with it." She moves right over to me and leans over a little.
"Dear Isabella. Here is a...ch...oc...late...Chocolate cock for you!" I cough when she reads the word cock, and I look over at the note, surprised to see that what she is reading is correct. "Ma...ma...k...e ma...k make sure Seth and Leah do not see it." She smiles proudly at the note and reaches into the bag, taking out a chocolate cock. She chuckles a little and goes back to the note. "It's hard, so you will have to su...kk..." She frowns at the last word. "su...k suck on it." Tell her you have a hard cock she can suck on. I slap my forehead. "From, the girls." I look to see Bella taking it out of the box and she gasps. "It's so big!" Hey if you think that is big, you should see my monster! Bella peels the wrapping off of it, and begins to lick it. I know for a fact she has no idea what she is doing, but I am rock-fucking hard just watching her. "Would you like some?"
I shake my head at her. "No," my voice sounds squeaky. "I'm fine." She looks at me puzzled.
"Hey, I think this is one of those man things Sally was telling me about." I give her the look that she now knows as the signal to keep talking. "She told me that she once had a toy cock, and her ex made her throw it away because it was bigger than him. She said men get intimidated by anything that is bigger than what they are." I look at her in shock. "I didn't know you could get a toy cock. I thought she seemed a little old to be playing with toys, but she says cocks are for adults only." I shake my head as Bella continues to lick the chocolate cock; then, as I'm about to speak, she places it in her mouth and sucks on it. Suddenly I feel like I'm about to come in my pants.
Pulling it from her mouth, she leans it toward me. "No, that is yours, Bella."
She looks at me and pouts a little. "Please share with me. I know you like chocolate. Don't you like cocks?" No, I am a pussy man. I chuckle out a breathless laugh as I shake my head again. Bella goes to put it back in her mouth, but I can't take it anymore, so I grab her hand, pulling it towards my mouth, and bite off the tip of the cock. "Hey, Edward! You bit off my cock's head."
She gives me a look as I choke over her words. "Sorry baby, just a little much for me; I better be going." She looks sad at that, causing me to feel sad also. I know my feelings for Bella are changing. Into what, I don't know yet. I have never felt this close or protective towards anyone before. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bella. Have a good night."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," she says smiling.
"Enjoy your chocolate cock," I say as I lean over, placing my hand on her face and kissing her head. I freeze because I'm awfully close to her face now, and I have never kissed her there before. Well, not when she was awake, anyway. She turns her head to my hand and gives it a small kiss as she smiles. I know I need to get out of here, before I do something stupid.
A/N: Well who thinks Alice may learn from her display of piss poor behavior this time? Don't you just love Chas? We do because we think she is the bomb diggity. Was you surprised that Aro approached Edward about going with Bella and the kids, versus his time at the club?
We are very interested in hearing from you. Remember, those of you who leave us a review will get a teaser for the next chapter! The next chapter is titled: The Break-In