*All characters are © Stephenie Meyer!*
A/N: This first part just wasn't working from Bella or Edward's POV. All kept hearing in my head was the voice of our favorite pixie vampire, Alice. Just wanted a lighter chapter before moving into the final arch of the story. It's a little longer because it's mainly fluff. Happy happy joy joy.
Chapter 20 - Perpetual Sunshine
Alice
"Emmmmmmmmmeeettttttt!" It sounded like an animal.
School had only been out for a few weeks but I could already tell that this summer would be one of the worst. Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett hadn't gotten to "walk" for their graduation because of the sunshine, but we at least were able to go out after dusk. That was the case until summer hit full swing and it stayed light out for longer... and longer... that's when it went from bad to worse.
"They are going to drive me insane." Jasper was pacing our living room with his hands over his ears. "The tension in this house is going to drive me to expose myself in front of the Volturi."
I peeked my head out from the closet and pouted. "Not even something to joke about Jazz. Hmph."
I went back to reorganizing my closets. I was happy when I saw the visions of the suites so I could specify the dimensions I needed. For instance, we didn't need a bedroom so I requested a bedspace. That made plenty of room to push out the wall and make a second closet for my accessories and shoes and then of course Jasper needed some room for his clothes also. It was about time I had gone through everything.
"Do you think Bella would like this? It's kind of outdated but that tends to be Bella's style." I held up a lacey cream top. Jasper made obvious his disinterest by turning the television on and pumping up the volume. "Fine." I threw it in the outgoing pile. I would be ready to take a trip to Pittsburgh and find some decent shopping as soon as I could see a couple cloudy days.
The problem was, I couldn't.
It seemed as though almost the entire United States was covered in bright and warm sunshine from dawn until dusk as far ahead as I could see, which was pretty damn far. Carlisle was working night shifts at the hospital, leaving him all day to do nothing but re-read his books. Esme had to start sending Jacob and Nessie on errands to the nursery to restock her garden supplies since the stores all closed before the sun went down. Rosalie finally had to have the car she was working on at Jacob's and all of the parts and tools brought to the house, and Emmett relentlessly fought the car for her attention making him get on everyone's nerves. Edward and Bella, no matter how deeply in love they were, could only spend so much time between the bedroom and their meadow. They were desperately trying to find things to do without each other. And Jasper had watched the History Channel so much that I was now well versed in every American war fought to date, the history of the Chinese dynasties and eventually even found myself amused by the show Ice Road Truckers. Why humans want to drive across thin ice in big semi-trucks while their mortality is so unbalanced, I have no idea. And we thought Bella lacked common sense when she was human.
"I'm leaving!" Jasper jumped up and stormed into the other closet grabbing a suitcase and stuffing clothes wherever they would fit.
"That is so not how you pack properly!" I pointed out. "Wait, you're leaving? Where are you going?"
"I don't know, where do you want to go? Find someplace away from here. Some place cloudy."
"Uh, right now? Do you want to leave the country because I'm not seeing anything in neither our immediate nor not-so-immediate vicinity."
"Emmett give me that back now!!!" Rosalie screamed again.
"Edward, please just go play your damn piano." Bella ordered.
"I'm out of fertilizer!" Esme sighed out in the garden.
"You guys suck. I want to go to Jacob's!" Nessie whined.
"Watch your mouth miss!" Edward snapped.
It was as if an electrical current went up Jasper's spine. Before I could see what would happen he threw the suitcase across the room, taking out my vanity. "Are you kidding me?" I ran over to the pile of splintering wood. "This was an antique!" I sat among the wood, a tearless cry was building up in my throat and I ran from the room and out to the patio where Esme was arranging flowers. She saw my face and like any good mother opened her arms. I hid in them shaking I was so upset with everyone.
"We need to go pack," I suddenly saw.
"Don't leave honey, it's okay!" Esme smoothed my hair.
"No I mean, we're all leaving." Just as I said that Carlisle leaned out his window, one shrill whistle stung my ears and he ordered everyone into the dining room.
There wasn't a single smile in the room. Jasper stood in the doorway, refusing to come any closer. Bella and Rosalie sat on one side of the table while Emmett and Edward, both scowling, sat across from them.
"Carlisle, it takes me the longest to pack, can I go?" I asked.
He was only semi-amused by my foresight and gave one firm "No!" so I sat without another word.
"I already called the hospital and am using my vacation. We are packing and heading to Melbourne in two days. June is their cloudiest month, you can all enjoy the change of scenery and for Christ sakes you can all shut up!" Carlisle never lost his temper so everyone sat there silent and frightened.
I sat in the middle of our living room later that night with three suitcases around me. "I don't even know where to start. I want to bring these," I pointed to a pile of sundresses, " but what's the temperature there this time of year?"
Jasper, already packed with a single duffel bag, looked at me like I was from another planet. "Oh I don't know Alice, you're the one that sees the future. Why don't you tell us?"
"Oh right!" I had been so excited about the vacation I hadn't even been looking for anything. "Hm, rainy. Great. Ohhh new rain boots though!"
"Umm, aren't those a little small for you?" Jasper asked pointing to the second pair in my hands.
"Silly, those are for Nessie!" I showed off the smaller version of my pink and black boots.
"Uh huh," was his only response and he walked out to the main house.
I was not just packing for myself, but for Bella too. I knew she wouldn't bring nearly enough to sustain her through the entire week... or however long Carlisle feels is appropriate. He hadn't made up his mind yet so I didn't know. There was always shopping while we were there, but who knows what the fashions in Australia are, better not to chance it.
"Hey Alice," there was a knock at the door, it was Bella.
"Hey just thinking about you! Let me guess you're done packing?"
"Yup, but I'm sure you're packing for me also." She sat down next to me among the clothes and bags.
"You guessed right!" I already knew she was coming to talk to me about Nessie. "So do you want to spill it or not?"
"Nessie doesn't want to come," she sighed. "She wants to be with Jacob," it was unusual how she accented his name. "Am I being ridiculously jealous of my daughter? I have Edward!"
"Maybe you aren't jealous of her, maybe you're jealous of him," I pointed out.
"What in the world are you talking about?" She stood up and walked into my closet, pretending to look through the shoes.
"Most parents have their kids all to themselves for years, even if they have extended family around. Jacob is different, he's in Nessie's life for a completely different reason that she doesn't even understand yet." I paused, pondering if I should continue and decided I may as well speak my piece now. "Edward told me about them in La Push; how they couldn't stand to be away from each other. It's awkward for Edward too. When she was a baby it wasn't as obvious, but it's going to become more apparent as she gets older..."
She sighed again, I think finally understanding where I was coming from, even though she may not be happy about it. It seems like it's been decades since we first met. This girl that stood in front of me now was so different than the introverted fair faced child that walked into Forks High School only seven years ago.
Bella
Edward showed me the hotel Carlisle had made reservations at and it was nothing less than absolutely spectacular. I didn't want to leave, not without Nessie, but I didn't know if it would cause any more tension if I declined this vacation. It had only been weeks since Billy's funeral and I was still emotional spent from it. I had been spending more time over at the garage helping Jake with the new bikes, constantly keeping an eye on him. He caught me giving him concerned looks several times, growling at me to chill out, but I couldn't help it. At least I always knew where he was. If he wasn't at the garage then he was with Renesmee. Alice hit the nail on the head there; the older she got the more obvious their strange magnetic connection was. Jake even admitted to me that she could now practically read his mind, though seem seemed oblivious to the fact.
"I don't think she can hear me like Edward can," he told me one evening while we were taking a break from working. "If she could I think she'd tell us. I think it's much more subtle, more like a knowing rather than a hearing."
What couldn't my daughter do?
"Excuse me?" A man in slacks, a sports coat, and a pair of extremely expensive leather shoes was standing in the entry of the garage. I instinctively backed up into the shadows; the sun hadn't completely set behind the cloudless sky and was filtering in through the windows. I had been going over at dusk after Jacob closed the garage to customers and sent his other employee home so I could get out of the house for a least a little while.
Jake wiped his hands off in a towel and strode over to him. "Can I help you?"
"Jared Simon," he introduced himself but did not outstretch his hand. Anyone that wore that to a garage probably wasn't a fan of grease and dirt. "I need to speak with the owner."
"That'd be me," Jacob crossed his arms.
"Really? Well, not what I expected..."
"Can I help you?" Jacob repeated again, now annoyed that the man was belittling him.
"I met a couple when I was in Pittsburgh on business, they had a car that they said you restored for the woman. It was a Shelby."
I immediately knew he was talking about the Shelby GT that Rosalie now treasured with all of her heart. She actually told Carlisle to sell her brand new Mercedes because she never drove it anymore. It was out of character for Rosalie to give Jacob so much credit because she had worked on it with him.
"Yeah, that was me," Jacob replied shortly.
"Is that Camaro yours?" He pointed to my car parked out front.
"Nope, belongs to her," he gestured back to me. "We're closing up though, so if there is something I can help you with I kinda need to know."
"I'd like a few cars restored."
"A few?"
"Death in the family. I was left a few cars. Well, six cars. What do you say?" The man held out a handful of photos.
"Yeah," Jacob was doing a good job staying serious but you could tell he was ecstatic. "I'm going to need some time to go over a budget with you."
"There is no budget," Jared Simon said without flinching.
"Uh..." Jacob speechless was something you didn't see very often. "Sure. I'll write up my recommendations. Where can I reach you?"
The well-dressed man seem to flick a business card out of nowhere. "I will look forward to talking with you."
Before Jacob could even say goodbye the man had already turned around and walked away We ran over to the door watching him get into a Porsche and drive off. Before I could say anything Jake handed me the pictures.
"Another Shelby?" I was impressed at the condition the one in the picture was in. "A Charger? Challenger?" I flipped through all six pictures amazed at the amount of money the man would be spending on them. Each car when finished would be worth at least $200,000, which may or may not make up for what he'd be paying out. I looked suspiciously down at the business card:
JARED SIMON, ESQ
212-555-5789
That was all. No company, no title. Just black embossed letters on white stock card.
"Is he legit?" I asked skeptically.
"Well let's see if he comes back. Maybe I could have someone check his credentials?" He took the pictures back and was looking through them. "I could pay back Carlisle for this place if this guy is for real."
I wasn't going to argue but I doubted that Carlisle would take any money from Jake.
"I'm going to head back to the house and make sure everyone is packed. Are you sure you're okay staying with Renesmee?"
"C'mon Bells, you know better than to ask me that!" He playfully threw a towel at me. "I'll be there bright and early tomorrow morning."
When I got back to the house I could see Edward waiting for me in the window. I looked up at him, winked, and took off through the woods. Far behind me I could hear a door slam and a whoosh of trees. Edward caught up to me before I could even reach the clearing, his blinding speed easily surpassing mine. I fell over into the grass and without hesitation he fell on top of me. His lips were searching my body starting at the crook of my neck and following up to my ear where he breathed gentling into it sending a warmth through me.
"Edward..." I dug my nails into his impenetrable skin wrapping my legs around his body. Not in ten years, not in fifty years, not even in three hundred years would I ever get enough of this. Of him. Of us.
Edward, being the gentleman he was, insisted I cover myself with his shirt as we lay in the grass looking up at the still and clear sky. He tickled my skin, running his fingertips up and down my arm. "Why don't you want to go to Melbourne?"
"I'm not sure." I took his free hand and intertwined my fingers in his. "Alice thinks I'm jealous of Jacob; of his relationship with Renesmee."
"That would make two of us," he whispered brushing hair away from my face and tilting my head towards him. "Not only with their relationship, but he's also less hindered than we are. The sun for example," Edward looked up to the night sky and sighed. "Renesmee and Jacob don't need to live like this," he said, a little sadly I think, while basking in the moonlight.
"And by the way," he pulled himself on top of me again. "Why exactly would you have a problem spending a week with me, your husband, in our own private suite?"
"Mm I d--" I couldn't answer because he had started to kiss me.
"Is a week or so of this really that horrible?" My mouth muffled his words.
"Mmm," was all I could manage. Okay, maybe this would not be as torturous as I first thought.
Renesmee
I had really upset Mom by not wanting to go to Australia. She didn't even need to tell me, I could just tell from the looks she had been sending my direction. It's not that I was doing it on purpose or being a brat, it's just that they were going somewhere cloudy. I don't need to be somewhere cloudy. For the first time in four years I hadn't seen a cloudy day in over a week. I had suggested that Jacob and I drive the family to the airport in Washington, D.C. and then sightsee for the rest of the day in the nice weather. This immediately pleased my dad who spent the night gathering as much educational material he could.
"So, where first Nay? White House? Lincoln Memorial? The Smithsonian?" Jacob had his arms full of brochures attempting to get organized.
"Can we just go lay in the grass somewhere and watch the sun?" He looked at me cock-eyed. "Jake it's the sun!" I spread my arms as far as they would go and held my face up to the warm, glowing mass hovering above us. "I don't think you understand!"
"Well, actually, I did live in La Push for 16 years ya know." He ruffled my hair with his gigantic head and laughed.
"Ooooo!" I shrieked, running over to a window trying to fix my curls best as possible. "You're so lucky Alice isn't here!" I scolded.
"Or what? What would the mite do to me?" He pushed his shoulders back and stood at his complete height. "Well?"
"Alice always said don't judge someone on their size!" I tried to mimic his stance and keep my face as composed as his was.
Jake only looked down at me amusingly. "You're going to be taller than your mom," he said matter-of-factly. "So remember that when she is looking up in order to scold you."
I was still looking at my reflection in the mirror, Jake now at my side standing two feet over me. We looked like an ogre and an elf, though neither ugly nor weird looking. "Are we going to find some grass or what?"
"Yeah, I think I have the perfect educational place," he winked, flashing a brochure at me.
It was June. Summer. The eighty-degree air and the beating sun had no affect on Jacob or myself, both of us running body temperatures well above the average human. The rest of the tourists sported baseball caps and wide brim sun hats. There was no way I would hide from the sun. I outstretched my arms and turned in circles as I walked soaking in every second. I could hear the people around me moving out of the way.
Silly little girl. Where are her parents? Why isn't someone teaching her to watch where she's going? I heard one woman say to her family.
Of course, I knew exactly where they were without even looking; they had a better chance of falling off the curb than I had running into them.
"Teaching me? Hmph!" I frowned.
"Give the people a little slack," Jake said seriously. "You were looking really ridiculous and you are a little girl." He again pointed out my size, which made me fume up. Only a few more years and I could at least look like a teenager.
"I'll have you know Jacob Black that it is insulting for them to even mention the word teach to me!" I pouted and he raised his eyebrows only proving his point.
"Stop being arrogant Renesmee, it doesn't suit you and your parents would have a fit if they heard anything like that come out of your mouth." He tweaked my nose and then turned me around. "Besides, we're here."
"Wow." I hadn't even noticed that in front of me was the Washington Monument and to the other side, the Capitol Building. They both looked big and powerful against the bright blue sky. Under my feet, spanning endlessly in both directions was grass. The area was much more dense with visitors on the sidewalks. They held cameras to the statues and buildings, sometimes posing in front of them for memory's sake. There were families sitting with blanks spread on the grass, some had picnic baskets; the old fashion kind I made fun of my mom for trying to use. Neither you nor Dad even eat Mom! I had argued.
"National Mall." He suddenly started cracking up laughing and couldn't compose himself for a good minute. "Sorry, I was just thinking about how disappointed Alice would have been finding a mall with no shopping."
I would guess by now, after attending high school for so many years, Alice probably already had learned that this mall was not the kind she preferred, but the idea of it made me laugh anyway.
"Well, I found you your grass," Jacob motioned to the green ground as if he was introducing us.
I immediately fell on my back and basked in the sun. "I think I'm good here until they come home," I decided as he sat down next to me.
He let me enjoy my sunshine while we jabbered back and forth about nothing significant. He told me with excitement about the new job he might have reconditioning six cars. I hadn't seem him actually happy since... before his dad died. I was sad about Billy and I cried, but not like my mom and definitely not like Jake. That got me thinking.
"Jacob?" He had finally laid down in the grass too, giving into my childish impulses, and when I called his name he twisted onto his stomach. "When your dad... well… my dad told me you and mom needed to... talk about things… after that. But I just wanted to let you know that you can talk to me too. We're best friends, right?"
"Of course we are," he smiled but there was something that I was missing in its meaning; it didn't seem whole. "You're very mature most of the time," he nudged my arm. "And yes, I know I can talk to you. There are just some things that have more to do with years of experience or commonalities. Does that make sense?"
"I understand what you mean but Mom doesn't have experience in...that."
"Your mom and I have a closer relationship than you give either of us credit for. She's my best friend too and there are some things that she understands more than any single person on this planet." I could tell when he was trying to placate me. His voice turned into more of a storyteller mode, trying to amuse my inner-child.
He was sad about Billy and about his family that would all eventually leave him… and he knew my mom would understand that. That's what he was thinking, but he wouldn't say it. I wasn't sure yet how I knew, I had wanted to bring it up to Grandpa Carlisle but never had the chance. I wasn't sure what my parents would think if I could read werewolf minds.
"Jacob!" In the distance I heard the chimes of an ice cream truck and it woke us from our depressing conversation.
"I'd say I'd race you but I think that may draw too much attention," he threw me onto his back. "We'll have to settle with walking very quickly."
After picking out my ice cream treat I sat down at a picnic table while Jacob brooded over his decision between something called a ChocoTaco that looked absolutely revolting, or a red white and blue popsicle. He finally gave in and chose both of them, handing the money to the driver. Before he could turn around a woman came up to the truck and bumped right into him, knocking his popsicle out of his hand.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" She threw her hands in the air. "Let me buy you a new one. Really."
Hello, fake, I rolled my eyes.
"No, really, it's okay. I still have this one." Jacob threw the melting colored iced into a nearby trashcan.
"I'm Kelly," he held out her hand, smiling. Fake.
"Uh, Jacob."
"Is that your... niece?" She pointed over to me and smiled. I did not smile back. "She's just beautiful." Who is she kidding? She would have been less see-through if she had asked him if he had abducted this strangely pale child from the street corner.
"No, not my niece." He sounded uncomfortable and unsure how to answer. "She's... well, she's pretty much my best friend." He winked over at me and I grinned.
"Oh how sweet!" Kelly took her perfectly polished hand and ran it down Jacob's long arm, giggling the entire time. Her other hand was holding her mane of brown curly hair out of her face, twirling one piece of it haphazardly. I could see tiny droplets of sweat at her hairline and hear her heart race just a little too quickly.
"Hey lady, do you want ice cream or not?" The ice cream man with his funny little hat leaned out of the window.
"What? Oh, no!" She waved him off. "What's your best friend's name?" She crooned turning her attention back to Jacob.
"Renesmee." I stated, now standing at their feet. She was too close to my Jacob and I didn't like it at all. My Jacob. I called him that when I was little, but tried to wean it out of my vocabulary. Anything that made me sound immature had to go.
"Isn't that an unusual name," she bent down to me. "Look our hair matches!" She reached for one of my bronze curls and I pulled back.
"Not really." I sassed and I saw Jacob eye me. "Yours is just brown." What was I doing? Talk about immature! But I didn't like her around Jacob! He was my Jacob after all.
"Uh huh..." She didn't have anything to say back to that one.
"Well," Jacob swiftly had his hand on my back leading me away. "It was nice to meet you, Kelly. Bye!"
I just peaked around Jacob long enough to see the girl standing their alone and perplexed. I smirked and waved as two friends ran up to her.
"You just got dissed by a ten year old! He picked a kid over you!" They were teasing her.
"Why did we need to leave your new friend Jake?" I hopped up on a wall that framed the walkway and could actually look down at him for once.
"I wasn't waiting around for you to do something stupid," he shook his head.
"What? Like challenge her to a spelling bee?" I smiled proudly at myself.
"When you slip up and say something smart like that in front of your dad, I'm only going to say I told you so."
He was right, of course. I don't know why I reacted like that, but I didn't want her around Jacob. Her friends were right also. He picked a kid over her. She was pretty for a human, I guess. Don't boys date? Why doesn't Jacob date?
"She was flirting with you," I pointed out.
"Aren't you perceptive," he snorted.
"Why don't you date?"
He smiled at me but it was the same unfinished smile I noticed earlier. I didn't know what he was thinking and it frustrated me. "I'll date when I'm ready to date, or are you going to start setting me up on blind dates if I don't watch my back?"
"Uh no!" I gasped. "I'm fine with no dating!" I suddenly felt all embarrassed and red.
Before I could ask anything else, my Jacob pulled me down off of the wall and onto his shoulders. I felt like I could almost reach up and touch the top of the Washington Monument I was so high up in the air. While we walked I picked the few leftover cherry blossoms that hadn't fallen from the local trees. I pulled the pedals to pieces and threw them up over our heads so it was raining down sunshine and flowers.
"This is so much better than Australia!"