Chapter Fourteen

"Emmett, no, I'm not doing it!"

"C'mon Rose, please – do it for me? You know you wanna!"

"Psh! I'm offended by that insinuation."

"Just one time?"

"No."

"Please!"

"Do it with Jasper. He wants to."

"But it's not as much fun with him. I only wanna do it with you."

"Try doing it with Edward, then. He sucks ass."

"But Rose!"

"No Emmett. What is it that you don't get? No means no!"

I rose my hand to my mouth to hide my giggle, as Emmett fell onto his recliner, guitar in hand, and with a sulking expression on his face. Rosalie was sitting on the couch a few feet away from him, and hadn't looked up from her Vogue magazine once while she was arguing with him. Jasper was next to Emmett, sitting on a chair as well, holding a drum stick in each hand, the plastic drum kit settled between his legs. Edward was looking on, truly amused.

One might not believe that this entire conversation was regarding Guitar Hero and whether or not Rosalie would play Rock Band with Emmett, but it totally was. Which charmed and amused me to no end, I had to admit that.

I felt Alice sit down next to me before I heard her, and my left hand immediately went in search for her thigh. My eyes were fixated on Emmett as he came to the conclusion that he'd not convince Rosalie to play with him. He settled for Jasper then, started the game up once more. They'd already played five rounds this afternoon (and broken three guitars and two drum kits), and I was having the time of my life.

Alice's breath was hot on my ear, when she whispered, "Are you having fun?"

As if she already didn't know that! I'd been smiling since we entered the Cullen house this afternoon. I'd barely talked to Alice all day, except when she picked me up before school, telling me with shiny eyes that she was so proud of me for standing up to Jacob. I didn't even bother asking her how she knew. I still wasn't certain about what she saw and what she didn't see regarding Jacob. She probably hadn't seen our conversation, but she'd probably seen me deciding to finally humour him with a talk. But I was happy that she wasn't mad at me about anything with Jacob, and I was thrilled that she seemed to believe that I'd done the right thing by talking to him in the first place.

I turned my head to meet Alice's eyes and nodded eagerly. "Yes. Yes, I really am."

Alice's eyes sparkled in the light from the flickering candles that Esme had put up around the room, and she looked absolutely stunning to me. "I'm glad." she cheered, licking her lips with a whip of her tongue, before she bounced off of the couch and stood behind Jasper, chanting him to hit harder and faster.

I caught Edward's eye between all the madness. He was reading in an old book; he'd been completely engrossed in it so far, his brow furrowed in thought, but now he was watching the scene unfold before his eyes, just like I was. I knew that he wasn't as amused with the entire scenario as I was – he'd been through this countless of times before with them. But I could tell that he was amused because I was amused, witnessing this for the first time. I was sure, though, that if I got used to it, I'd probably find it downright annoying.

I snapped out of my thoughts, when Jasper's strong arms snapped the drum kit in half and he looked up, a sheepish grin edged across his face. I had to hide my giggle again, but Rosalie just snorted.

"Here we go..." Emmett mumbled, attempting not to break into one big grin, as Esme scurried into the living room, her gorgeous hair flowing behind her in a whoosh.

She opted to turn the big flat screen TV off, before she turned to them, her hands on her hips. "I think you guys have broken enough electronic devices for one day, don't you?" she questioned, her eyes moving from Emmett to Jasper to Emmett again.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Not my fault the humans can't make things for shit." he laughed, before sending a teasing look in my direction, "No offence, Bella."

Esme scoffed. "Language!"

Jasper was rolling one of the drum sticks between his fingers, as he looked up to meet Esme's eyes. "Sorry. We'll find something else to do."

"Thank fuck." Rosalie commented, closing Vogue with a snap. "Maybe we'll finally be getting some silence in this house. That gut-wrenching so-called music emanating from the TV has my head doing cartwheels by now."

I had to agree with her. Though I would probably have put it more nicely.

"Language!" Esme repeated, but to no avail. I knew that the Cullen kids respected Carlisle and Esme more than anything – I could see it in the way they looked at them, spoke of them. But I also knew that they were going to talk the exact way that they wanted to, no matter what Esme wished. They were around humans my age all day long, taking classes in high school, and even though they were all raised as children in another time where people didn't speak the way we do now, I knew that it'd have to rub off on them. No one could be around teenagers nowadays and not pick up on the curse words. It was impossible.

Edward didn't look up from his books as he spoke, "What do you want to play next? It's an official game night at the Cullens'."

Alice made that adorable thinking-face for a few seconds, before she chipped in, "Oh. I know! How about Picturenary?"

Emmett rolled his eyes and spun the recliner around, so he could look at her more clearly. "As if, Alice! No one in this house wants to play anything with you. You always cheat!"

My eyes found Alice's, "You cheat?" I mocked her. I had a very good feeling that it definitely wouldn't be beneath her to cheat if she wanted to win. Which, of course, she always did.

Alice swatted Emmett on the side of the head. "No. I most certainly do not!" she gasped, shaking a finger at him in the old-fashioned no-no way.

Jasper laughed. "She doesn't cheat, per say..." he paused, glancing at Alice with amused eyes, "But no one really wants to play with her, since she knows how the entire thing is gonna go, before it even starts."

"Oh." That sort of made sense.

"Have you seen her and Edward play chess?" Esme questioned me then, a smile coming onto her face. Apparently, the scorns from before were long forgotten already.

I shook my head. "Is it different?"

Rosalie sighed heavily, as if telling me this was bothering her greatly. Which – probably – it was, since she figured talking to me was a waste of time. "Hello? Don't you see," she begun, but offered me a smile when Esme coughed loudly, "Alice and Edward just stare at the board – she sees his first move, he reads her next move, she sees his next move, and before any of them manage to move a piece, they've finished the game in their heads."

"It takes approximately ten seconds." Emmett finished with a giant smile.

Edward cocked an eyebrow, truly not amused. "Well, how about we play Twister then?" he suggested, closing his book soundlessly, before placing it on the small table beside the couch.

Alice excitedly clapped her hands together, but I felt my eyes go wide in fear. Me? Play Twister? That was a disaster of epic proportions! While Rosalie actually looked like she might humour this idea, and Emmett seemed to be entertained doing whatever, I didn't really want to subject myself to a game like Twister. I'd slip and fall on my butt before I even managed to place the first part of my anatomy on the map, and I didn't want to be the laughing stock of the entire Cullen family.

My girlfriend shook her head at me. "No one's gonna laugh at you, Bella!" she cheered, before rushing out of the room, most likely to retrieve the game in question.

Jasper got out of his chair and him and Emmett quickly made history of Esme's well-decorated living room, by putting all the furniture off to the side. Esme looked on with disapproving eyes, but didn't say anything.

Alice was back then, quickly spreading the map on the floor, and I found myself – once more – truly amused by the bizarreness of this situation. I was having game night with my vampire girlfriend's family (of vampires). We were going to play Twister. I somehow found myself chuckling at the idea.

Edward gave me a funny look from where he was standing and shook his head. "I so often wish I knew what you were thinking." he whispered, and I could do nothing but flash him a tiny smile, because he'd so not want to get into my head. He'd quickly wish himself out of there again, because some messed-up things went on in there.

"I'm gonna spin it." Rosalie demanded from her seat on the couch (Emmett and Jasper had taken each a side and carried the couch off to the wall, Rosalie still perched atop it).

Esme threw her the board and said, "I'm gonna make sure these four doesn't cheat." she said in a stern voice, looking at her four remaining children.

Emmett had a childish grin on his face. "What's Bella gonna do?"

Esme offered me a tiny smile, "Carlisle would like to talk to you in his office." she said to me.

I locked my eyes with Alice's, immediately feeling concerned as to what her father could possibly want to talk to me about. Did I do something wrong? Was there some reason in particular that he needed to speak with me – alone? I was nervous in an instant, but something in Alice's eyes told me not to worry too much about it. She had a tiny smile on her lips, as she flew across the floor and pecked my cheek.

"It's up the stairs, down the hall and to your left." she whispered into my ear. "When you're done talking, come find me, and we'll go for a walk." she winked at me.

Edward's face was one of complete amusement. "It's a shame you won't be able to see her own this game, Bella. She's so tiny, she manages to squeeze herself into the most impossible positions."

Emmett broke into a full-blown belly laugh, his laughter blowing through the house, "She totally kicks ass!"

I heard Esme tell him off ("Language, Emmett, language!"), as I dashed up the staircase and onto the first floor. I had no idea what Carlisle really wanted to talk to me about. We'd covered pretty much everything last weekend after the disaster in the woods. We'd talked – all of us – about vampires and about everything I needed (and had wanted) to know, so what could he possibly need to talk to me about? It didn't matter anyway, because being alone with Carlisle was an opportunity I wasn't going to waste.

Alice and I hadn't been dating for very long, but that didn't matter to me. I'd known I wanted to be with her for far longer than the one week she'd been my official girlfriend, so I didn't feel that this question was rushed or inappropriate. I wanted to be with Alice, really be with her. So I wanted to be like her. But I didn't know how that happened, how one is changed into a vampire. Of course I could ask Alice, but that might lead to some questions I wasn't ready to answer yet, so I felt that perhaps it would be okay for me to discuss them with Carlisle.

He surely wouldn't mind, I was certain of that.

I wasn't quite sure which door lead into Carlisle's office, though Alice had given me an extreme tour of the house last weekend. Honestly, the house was just so big, I couldn't remember it. But I followed Alice's directions, and eventually ended up at the end of a long hallway; the last door was creaked open, and I could see a faint light streaming into the hallway. I had a feeling that this was Carlisle's sanctuary. His place to think; his place to work and be alone. Alice had told me that they all had places like that, because their chosen life-style sometimes became hard to deal with. And this was Carlisle's place, and I felt strangely honoured to be invited in there so graciously.

I had barely raised my closed fist to place a knock on the door, when Carlisle spoke, "Please do come in Bella."

Dropping my hand to my side, I pushed the door open and peeked into the room. It was decorated in the true style of a man like Carlisle. It had a look from another century entirely; books lined the walls from top to floor on three sides of the room, only broken once by the frame of the door I'd just entered. He had an old desk placed in the middle of the room; it was covered in papers and open books, and Carlisle was hunched above it, scribbling something furiously in a notebook. The only two things that didn't quite fit the picture were the soundless laptop right next to Carlisle, and the fact that the entire room was right now bathed in moonlight, since the wall that wasn't covered in books was made of nothing but glass.

"Close the door, will you, Bella?" Carlisle whispered to me, and I shut the door behind me, before walking slowly towards the middle of the room, where he was currently located. Two chairs was on the other side of his desk, and I suspected that this was where family members sat when he wanted to discuss things with them.

Carlisle closed his notebook with a tiny smack and lifted his head to meet my eyes. Gesturing towards the chair in front of him, I took a seat there, awkwardly crossing my ankles. I shouldn't be scared about this – Carlisle was the most gentle man I'd ever met.

"Are you having a good time with my family, Bella?" Carlisle wished to know. Happiness, curiosity and so many other emotions were written across his face and in his eyes, and I realised that this actually mattered to him. I mattered to him. I'd probably mattered ever since Alice mentioned my name for the first time.

I felt myself nod, and realised I just had to do better than that. My mouth was dry from my former insecurities, but I forced to speak anyway. "Immensely. They're playing Twister right now."

Carlisle folded his hands in front of his face and smiled brightly. "Wonderful."

I shifted awkwardly in my chair. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"You've made a real difference in our lives." Carlisle begun immediately, not blinking as his eyes scanned my face, taking in my every flinch or flutter. "Not only because we can feel certain changes because of your obvious presence, but more in the fact that Alice is happier now. So is Esme."

I didn't really know what to say to that. So I didn't say anything.

Carlisle chuckled. "Esme really wanted Alice to find someone. You're that someone, Bella, we're all very aware of how attached you two are at this early stage." he paused, poked his lower lip out a little bit and watched me again. "I know that your... relationship with Alice can't be easy, considering the fact that you're human and she's... not."

That was wonderful, just wonderful. I didn't know whether or not to be thrilled with the fact that he was edging closer to the subject I'd actually wanted to discuss with him, or if I should feel slightly concerned about it. Perhaps he wanted to tell me that there was no way in hell I could become a vampire and be with Alice? I certainly hoped not.

"I was wanting to ask you," Carlisle said to me then, and I could feel that this was the point of this conversation; the reason I'd be summoned up here in the first place, "if you would ever consider joining our family? You'd be most welcome, of course, we'd be delighted to have you. I know Alice will be devastated if you do decide to leave her. Which of course, we wouldn't blame you – I can see how... this lifestyle might not be your first choice."

I wanted to argue with him so badly. I wanted to say to him that this was exactly what I wanted: This family. Even if it meant I had to give up on Charlie and Renée. I just wanted to be with Alice. And with her I would be if I was changed; forever. Though it was a tough decision to make, I thought that this was what I wanted. Of course the deed wouldn't be done right now; I was in no way ready for that. But it was nice to know that if I wanted it to happen, it would.

I clenched my fist tightly to support myself. "I do want it." I whispered, my voice shaking badly; the emotion inside of me stirring me, playing with my control. "I would very much like to be with Alice, be with her forever, be a part of your family. If you do wanna have me, that'd be my dream come true. I can't imagine living without her. Even if living means never dyeing, never growing old."

Carlisle smiled warmly at me. "Those are the unfortunate circumstances of this after-life. Technically, when one is changed into a vampire, they die. In this life, there are no beating hearts, only the growing thirst." he paused, his golden eyes holding mine in a firm lock, "But the life that we've chosen; this life has given us something else to focus on besides the need for blood. It gives us reason to form bonds beyond mating, create a life like we have. Which actually makes this after-life worth living."

I nodded; my eyes were completely round with wonder as he spoke, and I could feel my mouth hanging slightly open. But I didn't care, I was enthralled in his story, in what he was telling me. These questions, they were more than I'd wanted to know. He was giving me information about all the things I wanted to know about being a vampire. And I could see that love wasn't foreign for them, love was strong – at least in this particular family. Maybe it wasn't for other vampires, but that didn't matter to me. It was this certain family that I wanted to be a part of, and this family? It had plenty of love to give.

"How does I happen?" I whispered to him, my eyes studying the interesting lines in the wood of his floor instead of his face, "I mean, how is one changed into a vampire? I could ask Alice, but..." I trailed off, not sure if I should elaborate further.

Carlisle chuckled. "You really don't want to get her hopes up this early, it's understandable."

I nodded.

"The transition," Carlisle begun, going into professor-mode. This was not a conversation he was having with me as my girlfriend's father and my future 'father' as well, this was a conversation he was having with me as a doctor; honest and open. He wasn't going to hide anything from me, I could hear it in the way he spoke. "is very painful. The venom we have in our teeth – the venom we produce when we drink blood – it's what changes a human into a vampire. Naturally, when we bite something, the venom starts entering the body through the veins. It burns, Bella, the transition is very painful. It feels like your body is on fire, but on the inside. It's nothing I can describe for you. When you lie there, it takes around two days for the venom to reach your heart. And while you lie there, you're gonna wish you were dead. You're gonna wish that it was over – anything for the pain to stop."

He paused again, and I gaped at him. His eyes were serious, and I could tell that he wasn't exaggerating. There was no way I knew of the pain he was describing. I'd broken plenty of limbs before, even cracked my head open, all due to the clumsiness of my nature, but I just knew for certain that this was worse – much worse. But he wasn't going to scare me off with it, because after all that pain – there was my future with Alice.

Carlisle spoke again, "When you've transformed, you won't remember much of your human life, perhaps small glimpses. Some remember more than others. For instance, Alice doesn't remember a single thing, where Rosalie remembers a lot. Whatever Alice knows, she's researched after she was changed. You, if you're ever changed, will have all of us to fill you in on your life beforehand." he blinked a few times, before he continued, "Of course there's also a risk in being changed."

"Of course." I sarcastically replied. Why wouldn't there be a risk? Of course there was a risk! …I just didn't know it yet.

Carlisle laughed warmly. "When we taste human blood, a sort of frenzy begins... whoever is changing you, will have to be able to stop before they finish you for every last drop. It's hard, I've done it four times, and it takes great restraint. I could do it with you, Bella... I'm sure you'd prefer it, though, if Alice could be the one to change you, but I'm not sure if she's strong enough. You'll have to talk to her about that."

I could imagine it; the intimacy we'd feel if Alice were the one to bite me, to put that venom in me. It'd tie her to me forever in an even more intimate way – not just as mates, but as my creator, my entire life. I'd love for it to be her, but of course not if it was going to be painful for her. I didn't want to harm her, I didn't want her to go through something so horrible. Not for me. I would ask her though, when the time came, if she thought she could do it.

"After the change, you won't be able to really think clearly for a couple of years," Carlisle continued to tell me, and I felt my eyes go wide (a couple of years?), "everything you think about is blood, and your instincts are out of control. Newborns are the worst kind of vampires, the strongest. But they have no self-control, and you'll probably not be able to stick with our vegetarian lifestyle."

My eyes went even wider when the thought of hurting – actually killing! – another human being entered my brain.

Carlisle hurried on with his talk, before I thought too much about it, "You won't even recognize Alice as your girlfriend; you'll think of every other vampire as a potential threat. But it's going to wear down – you'll eventually feel a bit more like your old self, though you'll never be the Bella you are now."

I nodded slowly, sensing that this was the end of everything I needed to know. He'd done what he was supposed to; informed me of all the details in this life – not just the great and amazing things like they'd all shared with me last weekend, but also the true reality of what I had to go through to make Alice mine and all mine – forever.

Carlisle sighed heavily and clasped his hands together again. "So that's that!" he smiled, "What do you say we go downstairs and join the family?"

I nodded again, and followed the great doctor downstairs, where I was greeted with a kiss from Alice. I tried not to think about all this information and just enjoy myself completely, but it was still there; huddled in the back of my mind the entire night. I was determined though, not to let it affect our shopping trip. I could never do that to Alice!

x

"Bella, Bella, Bella, Bella!" Alice cheered, excitingly picking down dresses from here and there, as she scurried through the dress shop, a little too fast for a human. "Uh, this is so pretty, you hafta try this one on!" she continued in a hurried voice, shimmying yet another dress on a hanger onto the giant pile of clothes draped across her left arm. It was practically taller than her, and there was no way it would have been possible for her to carry that amount if she hadn't been a vampire with super-strong powers.

Esme's laugh broke me out of my astonishment, and she placed a comforting hand around my lower back. "Just tell her to calm down, Bella, she sometimes needs to hear it more than once when dresses are involved."

"Oh, oh!" Alice gushed again, throwing a red dress onto the pile, "This will look just fabulous on you, Bella!"

Rosalie raised an eyebrow in my direction, before scoffing at Alice, "Are you gonna slow down at any time, Alice?"

Alice stuck her tongue out at the blonde girl and rapidly ran down another aisle, the dresses swooshing behind her as her heels clicked across the linoleum floor. I found myself gaping after her.

Esme reached out for a beautiful green dress, "This is gorgeous." she whispered, before quickly picking out one in her size. She turned to Rosalie then. "What do you reckon you'll wear for the dance, sweetheart?"

Rosalie turned her eyes all over the store, quickly skimming through every dress in her sight. With a finger on her chin, her gaze x-rayed every rack, before she smiled. "That beautiful blue one over there." she said, before walking across the floor to gather one in her size.

Esme's golden eyes met mine. "Alice will not rest until she has you all dolled up." she told me, as she turned towards the changing rooms, and I just followed her. I didn't think Alice really needed my help with the dresses; it seemed like she had everything under control (I gulped at the thought). "You don't seem like much of a dress-person, though." he eyes raked over my body, but I didn't feel uncomfortable in the way I normally would have; it was just Esme, and I'd felt at home with her since the moment I met her. "Don't let her force you into anything, okay?"

I nodded, and as she entered one dressing room, Rosalie entering another, I took a seat in the soft couch right in front of them, waiting for Alice to be done with it. I figured she wouldn't really need my opinion, since she seemed to believe that all the dresses in the store would suit me. I coughed. They'd so not.

"Bella," Alice chipped, throwing a stack of dresses down on the arm of the couch, "these are for you, okay? Why don't you start trying some of them on, and I'm gonna go find a dress too. I actually saw a pretty red dress that I think would really suit my skin, and I-" she stopped talking when she saw the look on my face. "What?" she innocently asked, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks.

I shook my head. "You expect me to try all these dresses on?"

"But of course!" she whined, and for a second there, I thought she was going to stomp her foot (luckily she didn't, because that would have been seriously hilarious in a ridiculous kind of way). "Bella, how do you expect to find the perfect dress if you don't even wanna try any on?"

"Don't force her, Alice!" Esme warned, pushing the curtain aside, before stepping into view. Technically she didn't need to buy a dress, but I could understand why she would want to, because that green dress – she looked fucking beautiful in it. I actually found myself gaping at the way it hugged her gorgeous curves and was in direct contrast to her auburn hair.

"Gosh Esme!" Alice chipped, immediately flying across the floor to study her mother more closely, "This is absolutely stunning! You should wear this the next time Carlisle takes you dancing; he's gonna love you in it."

"And Emmett's gonna love me out of this one." Rosalie joined in, stepping into view as well. She looked incredible too; the blue fabric showing off a cleavage that none of the other Cullen women had, because of the empire waist. And it stopped just above her knees, which just made her mile-long legs seem ever longer. She was beautiful. But then of course, wasn't she always?

Esme gave Rosalie a head-shake. "Yes, we all know that, Rosalie, thanks for sharing."

"Oh, no problem." Rosalie replied, before stepping back into the changing room to get out of the dress again.

It seemed to me as if dress shopping with the Cullen women was quick and painful. They all managed to locate the one perfect dress between all the dresses in the story within just five minutes of looking. But hey, they'd had a lot of practice, and they were all stunning. That was probably helpful as well.

"Alice," Esme scolded, giving her tiny daughter a smirk, "you shouldn't try your dress on while Bella's here. She shouldn't see you in it before the dance."

Alice's face lit up like a kid's on Christmas day. "That's true!"

Rosalie joined the party when she stepped out again, dressed fully due to her quick vampire skills, "I'll keep Bella entertained while you dress shop." she offered, her eyes meeting mine for only a brief second, "But first we're gonna have to find Bella a dress as well. And we're gonna need your help on this one, Al."

Alice clapped her hands together in excitement, and Esme stepped into her changing room as well, to get dressed in her own clothing. Alice pulled me out of the chair and pushed me into Rosalie's deserted changing room. "Bella. Dresses. Now." she said, as she hung three dresses into the room, before snapping the curtains shut.

I stared at myself in the floor-length mirror for a second, mentally telling my queasiness to stop. Why on Earth had Rosalie just offered to keep me entertained – alone! - for a while? That did not seem like a good idea, at all. If I didn't know how much she loved Alice, I would have thought her sole purpose for this was to kill me in one of the bathrooms in the basement of the mall. At least down there, no one would hear me scream.

Snapping myself out of it, I quickly kicked off my shoes. I was supposed to be dress shopping. Dress shopping! Of course it was dress shopping for a dress I really didn't want to wear at a ball I didn't really want to attend, but I reminded myself that I was doing this for Alice. I was doing this because Alice deserved it. And who was I to complain really? The woman I love wanted to show me off on her arm, and I had objections? Well that was just stupid! I scoffed at myself and pulled off my sweatshirt and my jeans.

The first dress I tried on was a simple black one; it had spaghetti straps and went to above my knees. My every curve could be seen and it was entirely too tight for my liking. I gulped, before peaking outside. "I look stupid." I told the three women. They were all sitting on the sofa, looking completely fucking stunning in their everyday clothes. Better than I'd ever look in a festive attire.

"Shush!" Alice snapped, but Rosalie just grinned at me.

I stepped outside fully, and I could immediately tell that this was not what Alice had thought it would be. Shaking her head, she waved me back inside, and I scornfully had to change into a purple sort of baby doll dress, knowing it'd look just as ridiculous on me. So like that it went on; I tried on dresses in every possible colour and form and cut, and they all made me look completely stupid.

I do not have a body suited for dresses. I simply do not, my mind screamed at me, after the tenth dress had been deemed useless.

Alice was realising this as well, I could tell. Every time I stepped outside, her face dropped a bit more. She wasn't thrilled that I'd been right about me and dresses. She had wanted to prove me wrong, but I just knew she couldn't. I just didn't wear dresses, I'd never done so, and that had been for a reason.

When I stepped into view for the 17th time, Rosalie groaned. "Alice!" she snapped, her eyes digging holes in her sister's head, "When are you going to put Bella out of her misery? Can't you tell that she just doesn't wear dresses? This isn't fun for her, it's supposed to be fun!"

I could hardly say that I'd expected Rosalie to stand up for me, but I was thankful that she did. (But I also feared she'd expect something in return or... or maybe she had an ulterior motive? I was afraid to find out).

Alice whined, "But what else is she going to wear? She can't attend a ball in jeans!"

Esme studied me for a few seconds, before a small smile came onto her face. "There's another possibility Alice..." she murmured, before leaning over to whisper something in Rosalie's ear.

The blonde smirked, before she stood up and pushed me into my changing room. "Go. Change into your ugly jeans." she snapped in a demanding tone, before flinging the curtains shut behind me. I stumbled, but managed to catch myself against the wall, as Rosalie said, "Alice, I'm gonna go find something for Bella to wear. Not in this store!" she finished.

And then I heard them whisper outside, while I pulled the dress off and hopped into my nice and comfortable jeans. I had no idea what Rosalie had in mind for me to wear, but I had a lot to thank her for if it wasn't a dress. We were going to be alone to find it, but today had actually be going well – she hadn't snapped that much at me, and she'd even told Alice off on my behalf. Which was probably as good as I was going to get it with her. At least this dreadful shopping trip had accomplished me something.

Fully dressed again, I stepped outside, and Alice smiled warmly at me, before pecking my lips. "Go. Go shop with Rose. I'm gonna find my dress and shoes!" she cheered.

Rosalie snatched my arm and linked it with hers, quickly dragging me towards the entrance of the store. "First off," she told me harshly, as we stepped outside and she hauled me off towards another shop, "we're gonna find you some fuck-me stilettos. I have a plan for you, Bella Swan."

And actually (this was very hard for me to admit) it turned out that Rosalie's plan for me? Yup, it was really frigging awesome. She didn't want me in a classic dress like all the other girls at school would be wearing, she wanted me in something else, which actually worked out very well for me because one, I hated dresses, and two, this would make me and Alice blend in more, since I was – in fact – wearing pants.

We went into a tailor and Rosalie snapped at him and started going off a mile a minute about adjustments and women's suits, and I just stood there, letting the man measure me just about everywhere. The idea was that I'd be wearing a black suit; it would hug my every curve, Rosalie said, and beneath it, I was going to wear nothing but a black lace bra (I cringed at this, but Rosalie insisted that the blazer would be appropriately buttoned) and a red tie. A red tie! Seriously – where did she get it from? It was going to match Alice's dress.

And my stilettos? Yup, they were red, too.

"You're gonna be so hot, Bella." Rosalie said, as we excited the tailor. My suit would be ready for me in about a week, and Rosalie promised that she'd get someone to pick it up for me, and make sure that Alice didn't see it. "You're going to have to come dress up at our place. We'll dress together, you and I, Esme can help Alice. And I'll have to do your make-up and your hair!"

I didn't really know where the Rosalie who hated me had gone, but I was dying to find out.

We took a seat on a bench outside a jewellery store, where Rosalie said we'd meet up with the others, and I turned to her with a bunch of burning questions.

"What?" she snapped, her eyes scanning my face. Phew, the old Rosalie wasn't gone completely. I was kind of worried for a minute, there.

I chuckled. "I was just wondering why you were being so nice to me."

Rosalie cocked an eyebrow, "Huh?"

I elaborated, "Since you don't like me and stuff."

Rosalie's gaze went soft again, and she slowly brushed a finger across the back of my hand. "It's not that I don't like you, Bella," she whispered, her voice soft and adorable, so far from the bitchy person I usually saw, "you're actually pretty awesome, I just... I just don't want us to draw a lot of attention to ourselves, and Alice being Alice..." she sighed and paused briefly, huffing out air, "While being with you? Two girls? It'll just be more drama, unnecessary drama."

I could actually see where she was coming from, but I wasn't about to admit that. She was just scared for her family; scared they'd be found out and have to leave this place. This place where they could almost pretend to be human.

She gave me a smile then. The first real, sincere smile I'd ever received from her, and it warmed me, completely. "But I see the way you are with Alice, the way she looks at you and the way you look at her." she bit her lip in thought, "And how could I ever object to that? You're perfect together."

She was right.

We totally are.

I'm SO incredibly sorry about the super-long delay. I totally didn't mean to, but I 'accidentally' started writing a Glee one-shot, and it got out of hand, and I had to finish it, before I could start this chapter... I hope it was worth the wait! It was just really meant to be a fun chapter with lots of Cullen goodness, so I hope you like that! I took a look at what I have in my notes so far, and counted that this story will be roughly twenty chapters or so, so there's still a while to go. I hope you're up for it! There's more drama to come...

And Rosalie? Yes. She's totally misunderstood and I love her character. She's not a bitch, I repeat: Not. a. bitch. She's frigging awesome, and I think that people are being unnecessarily harsh when they call her a bitch. She's really lovable once you get beneath her exterior... come on! Why else would Emmett be with her? ;-)

Anyways! Thank you so much for all the kind reviews, they really keep me going whenever I feel like I might be getting nowhere.

Disclaimer; I don't own Twilight – I really don't.