Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight…. But I do own my obsession with all things Disney!
A/N : Holy writer's block, Batman. Seriously. I am not in love with this story anymore so this is just a short chapter to get us through. I've lost my mojo and I don't know where it went or how to get it back. I think I need to start moving this along…
You all need to thank Twilightheaded23 for this chapter. Jessica, I don't think I could write this story without you. Thank you for always being there whenever I need a brainstorming session.
BPOV
"You're going to have to stand still if you want me to help you with your skates!" a huffy voice muttered over the speakers.
"I'm trying to stay still! Have you ever had to balance on 1/8" thick blades?" a new voice sulked back, wobbling slightly as they moved to cross their arms over their chest in defiance.
"Yeah, actually, I have! I am RTFN! Crouched down. Tying YOUR skates!"
A groan was emitted, "These sequins are chaffing my thighs."
"Edward, quit crying about it!" Bella stood and smoothed her jeans over before stifling a laugh at the sight of her boyfriend in tights and a tutu.
The Morning show was doing an expo on Disney on Ice for their last broadcast. Drew B. had to leave for a family emergency, leaving the morning show a man short for the stunt- Edward drew the short straw.
"You're laughing at me, aren't you?" Edward mumbled with an arched eyebrow as he fluffed his puffy sleeves.
"No, baby, of course not!" Bella giggled.
Edward grunted just as a boisterous Emmett glided across the ice on one foot and his arms out in a surprisingly well performed arabesque.
"Let's DO THIS, pretty boy!" Emmett's grace was wiped abruptly away when he hit a rough patch on the ice and ate it, falling flat on his face. Emmett scrambled up, slipping twice, before he was able to get steady on his skates.
After containing her guffaws, Bella patted Edward on the back before giving him a gentle shove to towards the center of the rink. He shuffled his way out there as Bella held up the camera to film, looking over her shoulder to check with Rosalie that the sound was coming through the mics. Rose gave Bella the thumbs up and started the music, soft waves of muted notes filling the arena, just as Edward reached Emmett.
"I look better than you," Edward said with a smirk, again fluffing his tutu.
"*BEEP* off, dude! You do not! I make this leotard look damn sexy!" Emmett retorted.
A good natured shoving match ensued until Jasper skated out to join the boys.
"Ok, ladies, let's do this." Jasper had offered to help Bella film since she wasn't the most graceful of swans on the ice.
"Ladies?" Emmett questioned after Edward was positioned behind him.
Jasper waved him off as Edward placed a hand on Emmett's hip and took his other hand in his, holding it primly out to the side.
"Why are you wearing a cape?" Emmett mumbled over his shoulder.
"Why are you wearing *BEEP* … fairy wings?" Edward hissed back, batting said fairy wings out of his face.
With a flourished wave over his ensemble, Emmett replied, "Dude, it completes the look."
Jasper whistled to get the boys attention so they wouldn't miss the music cue to start the routine. Emmett and Edward corrected their stance, and with a push off the toe pick they began their choreography. The boys shuffled around the ice on wobbly legs with flailing arms as 'A Whole New World' from Aladdin sang through the arena. Emmett turned to face Bella and shimmied his leotard covered man boobs at the camera, quickly losing balance and once again face planting on the ice. As Emmett tried to recover and turn the fall in to some sort of sexy floor move, spreading his legs and walking himself back on his hands as he gazed at the camera with exaggerated hooded eyes. Edward laughed and flapped his arms in a wild display as he hobbled around on his skates, apparently trying to portray the elegant movements that a real ice skater would while performing. Jasper was shouting out critiques the entire time, bringing everyone's interest to a peak as to how he came to be so informed on the art of Ice Dancing. Alice was vibrating in place with sparkling puppy eyes, Emmett was laying face down on the ice with his hands clasped in front of him, Rosalie was beaming with mischief and shouting for Jasper to 'man up' and confess; all of them combining their efforts to try to guilt him in to telling his secrets.
"I don't want to talk about it…" Jasper mumbled with a smirk as he walking off the ice, a pouty Alice close behind him.
xXxXxXxXxXx
"Tell me a secret," I asked Edward.
We had been home from Disney for a week and were sitting on the floor in Edward's living room wrapping presents for Christmas, which was only a few days away. Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, and I were going to spend the day with Renee in rehab while Alice and Jasper were going to see his parents in Texas, so we were going to do a gift exchange with the whole group before splitting up.
"What kind of secret?" Edward replied.
"I don't know. Just something I don't know about you. Tell me about how you found out about your allergy!" I placed the last piece of tape on the seam of the paper and reached for the next package as Edward took a deep breath and leaned back on his palms.
"Hmmm," he started. "That isn't something I like to revisit. But, for you, the world."
Edward grinned as he took me back to Forks, Washington, circa 2001.
"I was 16 and had a date with the hottest girl in school; her name was Nicole. (A/N: Yeah, I used my own name in my fic, suck my dick!) The first Harry Potter had just come out and the local theater was doing this 'Dinner and a Movie' thing, where they served food during the screening. I had done extra chores around the house for a month to save up enough for this date. I thought I was so cool picking her up, I had just gotten my driver's license and it was my first time driving anyone other than Alice around; or, more specifically, to the mall." Edward stopped and shook his head with a small smile before jumping back in to the story.
"I remember being so nervous because Nicole was 2 years older than me and I knew I had to bring my A-game. She was prom queen, on the homecoming court, student council- everything. And to top it all off, she was a total brain! We had flirted all year long before I finally got the balls to ask her out. I picked her up and we ate and watched the movie at the theater, blah blah blah. The whole time she was touching me; like, my thigh, my knee, my arm- something. I was driving her home and she says 'pull over' in this do-it-or-die tone of voice, so I do, thinking that something was wrong. The moment I put the car in park she climbs into the back seat and she stared at me like I should do the same. I did and then, well, she pounced! We were kissing and groping and then…"
He trailed off noticing my cringe. I didn't want to hear about Edward feeling up another girl, even an adolescent Edward. Not that I was surprised she jumped him, I mean look at him! He's fucking hot! I motioned for Edward to continue, begging him to skip to the end.
"Right, so basically, erm… that was my first experience with oral, giving and receiving. I took her home and walked her to the door, gave her a kiss goodnight- the whole nine. As I was driving home, I noticed that my lips were a bit puffy and tingly. I just assumed they were kiss-swollen, but by the time I had gotten home they had ballooned so much that I looked like I jumbo hot dogs for lips! I ran into the bathroom and was pushing on my lips when my dad walked in. He asked me all these medical questions and started to do an impromptu exam. Then my mother came in and started freaking out!"
Edward continued to tell me about how his father had him go through and list all the things he had eaten that day, and how embarrassed he was to have to tell his father about his oral encounter. He shouted at me when I had to choke back a laugh.
"What? That was the only thing different I had eaten that day!"
My giggles escaped when Edward painted the scene of him having to go to the hospital and get check out and having to call Nicole to see what soap or lotion she used and how mortified he was to have to explain to her what was going on. After coming to the conclusion that there was nothing topically that he was allergic to they ran some test to figure out that Edward was allergic the plasma in vaginal fluids. "We were both humiliated! She kept crying and wailing that she had a 'poisonous vag'." By this time I was rolling on the floor in laughter, the wrapping of the packages long forgotten with Edward chuckling along with me.
"Yeah well, I found a way around that allergy," Edward crooned as he crawled over me with a crooked grin.
XxXxXxXx
The days leading up to Christmas were busy and chaotic. The station was hosting an event called 'Jingle Ball' which featured a number of recording artist and sponsored booths, much like Fourth of Flager, but with a holiday theme. In addition to our regular morning broadcasts, the morning show had to tape extra shows for them to play during the two weeks we were on holiday vacation. We recorded a few stunts, including one where Drew B and Emmett got all dressed in black and snuck into a wealthier neighborhood under the cover of night and rearranged the holiday décor of the residents, a fruitcake eating contest, 'sneak-attack-snowball-fight' (which resulted in a restraining order), I retold the story that Edward had shared with me earlier in the week, and we did our Secret Santa on air.
We were all gathered around my little Charlie Brown Christmas tree for our own little gift exchange the Wednesday before Christmas when Emmett came out of the bathroom in a full theatrical-grade Santa costume. He handed out everyone gifts and then took his seat next to Rosalie before he started stuffing cookies in his mouth at a rapid pace.
"Whaa?" He coughed out as we all gaped at him.
"Emmett, we just fucking ate, dude! You're horking those cookies like you haven't eaten all day," Jasper answered.
Emmett just shrugged and continued on eating, so the rest of us took turns opening our presents. We went in a circle and 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed over gifts; the girls and I squealing for the over indulgent ones. We were on our last turn around when Edward handed me a bulky envelope with a hesitant smile. I smiled back and slid my finger under the tab to pry it open and pulled out the thick paper, eyeing it curiously as I turned it over in my hands to read the text.
"Airline tickets," Edward said.
"Airline tickets?" I repeated.
"To Africa."
"Africa?"
"To… visit me.'
"….Visit you?"
"Oh, for fucks sake! Are you going to repeat everything he fucking says?" Rosalie shouted.
It was then that I realized the room had become eerily quiet, the group's heads snapping back and forth to watch my and Edward's exchange like a tennis match.
"You're going to Africa?" I jumped up, looking incredulously at Edward.
"Baby, you remember that coffee meeting I had with that attending physician? Well, she's on the board for Cross Cultural Solutions and asked me if I would be interested in volunteering for their Intern Abroad program in the Peds division. It's always been my dream to be able to do something like this so I took the opportunity."
"Without talking to me about it first?" I was angry and hurt. Edward at least had the wherewithal to look properly chastised. "How long will you be gone? When do you leave?"
I was very close to tears when Alice suggested the rest of the group excuse themselves to give us a little privacy.
"We'll just be over at Edward's," Alice spoke softly over her shoulder as they all shuffled out the door.
Edward watched the door click shut before he turned to me sheepishly. "I'll be gone for two months," my mouth dropped open, "and I leave…. Three days after Christmas." I lost the battle against the threatening tears as they poured over my cheeks. Three days after Christmas? That only left us with 7 days before he boarded the plane.
He approached me tentatively to wrap his arms around me. The moment he touched me I melted into his hold. Heaving sobs shook my whole frame as I fisted Edward's shirt in my hands. He rubbed my back and spoke soothingly into my ear as he rocked us back and forth. After I had calmed down a bit, he sat down with me on his lap to tell me more about the program, assuring me that it was well funded and that he would have access to the internet and phones.
"I'll be back at the end of February, and you can come visit me whenever you want."
We talked about possible dates for me to visit before Edward went to his apartment to tell the others they could come back over, and then shared with them the details of the program that he explained to me. Emmett clapped Edward on the back and told him how proud he was of him for doing something so selfless, promising to look after me while he was gone as Jasper poked fun at their blooming bromance. Rose and Alice coddled me and told me that they would keep me so busy that I wouldn't even notice Edward was gone.
After everyone left and I was cleaning up, Edward came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pressing his lips against the side of my neck. He took the plates out of my hands and set them on the table before threading his fingers with mine and leading me back to the bedroom where he made love to me for hours. Tender caresses and soft sighs, tangled limbs and heavy breaths. When we finally fell to the mattress in a sweaty heap we were completely exhausted; the only words exchanged before we fell asleep were 'I love you'.
On Christmas morning, Edward and I met up with Emmett and Rose to visit with Renee at Orchid's. The place was decorated for the holidays with thick green garlands and bright red bows; traditional Christmas carols were playing softly in the background while families gathered in small groups to spend time with their loved ones and exchange gifts. My mom greeted Edward with an Emmett-worthy bear hug before taking his hand and mine and leading us all outside to sit in the gardens. It was a delightfully mild day without a cloud in the sky; the soft breeze wafted the aromatics of holiday dinners and warm cookies. As Edward and my mother talked about his African internship, I sat back in awe of their bond. Renee was absolutely taken with him; they laughed and interacted as though they had known each other for years. Edward fit right in with our family. It was in that moment that I knew that no matter the distance, Edward was my forever; and even though I had known that for months it was nice to be reminded of that. The rest of our day with Renee was spent catching up, reminiscing, and going over wedding ideas with Rose. Edward never left my side.
Over the next seven days, Edward and I were glued together. We laughed, cried, and soaked up as much of each other as we could. Helping him pack was the worst. I tried to lighten the mood my crawling in to the suitcase but ended up crying onto his scrubs until Edward picked me up; holding me until my tears ran dry. Emmett drove us to the airport, waiting in the car so that I could walk Edward to the security check point alone. After we shared a coked, tearful good bye, I watched Edward walk down the terminal until I could no longer see him. Strong arms circled my shoulders as I turned around. Emmett gave me a sad smile before I collapsed and wept into his chest.
"Come on, sweet girl, let's get you home." Emmett turned and crouched down, smiling at me over his shoulder. I jumped on his back and he carried me out to the car where we sat on the hood and watched Edward's plane take off.
A/N:
Don't hate me. I needed a kick in the ass, and you know the drama won't last long! This Africa bit was NEVER in my outline, it just kind of popped into my head while Medward was answering his Formspring questions.