A/N: Thank you guys so much. :) I'm glad you enjoyed the date! I know you all want to see the reactions to them showing up at school as a couple, and this will touch on that, but there's a bit of a time jump, so... Read on and then see me at the bottom!
Chapter Twenty
The three weeks after her first date with Edward flew for Bella. There'd been a lot of whispering and gossip when they'd shown up for school together that Monday, holding hands as they walked to math. But her friends had been supportive and excited, and the rest of the school had lost interest not long after.
Over those three weeks, Bella had grown closer to not only Edward, but his family, as well, which was why, when Alice brought up the idea of throwing a party for Bella's eighteenth birthday, she felt comfortable saying no.
"No way," Bella argued, looking back and forth from Alice to Edward as the three of them sat around Charlie's kitchen table after school. It was the Thursday before her birthday, and they were working on homework—well, she was working on homework; they were already finished with theirs and were keeping her company. "I don't want a big party, Ali. You know I hate being the center of attention."
"But Bella..."
Bella shook her head. "No party. We can go out or whatever this weekend or next, but no party with the whole school." She shot Alice a look. "Swear to me."
Alice frowned, but held up her hands, shaking her head. "Okay, fine. No party."
Edward slipped his hand into Bella's hair and stroked the back of her neck. "Love, Carlisle and Esme have asked that you come to the house so everyone can give you your gifts. Esme's been preparing for a birthday dinner for a couple of days. I believe she's planning on all your favorites..."
Bella's mouth began to water. "Short ribs?"
He smiled, nodding. "With polenta and kale."
Sighing dreamily, Bella acquiesced with a smile. "Tell them I'll come over for dinner as long as she includes—"
"Blueberry cobbler for dessert," Alice finished with a grin. "She bought the blueberries this morning."
Bella laughed. "Okay, fine. But no gifts."
Edward turned to her, taking her hand. "If not for yourself, think about accepting the gifts for us, Little Bird. In our long lives, celebrating each year gets...old after seventy, eighty years, but turning eighteen is a big deal, and being able to celebrate with you would mean a great deal to everyone."
Bella looked at the hopeful look on Alice's face, the sweet, open love on Edward's, and tried to understand what he was saying. They'd all celebrated nearly a century—and in Carlisle's case, over three and a half centuries—since their births. She wasn't sure she understood why one little human turning eighteen would mean so much to them, but from their words and expressions, she could tell it did, so she finally smiled, nodding. Then, looking mock-sternly at them both, she said, "But no going overboard, guys. Seriously. I have everything I need"—she squeezed Edward's hand—"and don't need a lot."
They both smiled, and Bella turned back to her Calculus homework.
Saturday, on the way to the Cullens' house, Bella turned to Edward, who was behind the wheel of his Volvo. "I'm worried about Jake."
"Still haven't heard from him?"
She shook her head. "No, not since he went home sick from your house. His dad just keeps saying he's sick but getting better. Maybe it's mono?"
Edward frowned. "I don't know... It's possible."
Bella settled back in her seat. "I guess I'll just keep calling until I get ahold of him."
Five minutes later, they pulled up in front of the big house, and Edward opened the garage door, pulling his car into the empty spot under Carlisle's Mercedes. The double-layer garage that the Cullens had built was one of the coolest things Bella had ever seen, and the fact that they'd literally done it overnight was nothing short of impressive.
"Bella!" Alice squealed as she came rushing into the garage, pulling Bella gently out of the car and into her arms. "Happy birthday!"
Bella laughed. "It's not my birthday yet, Alice. Not until Monday."
Alice shrugged before passing her off to Edward, who wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "We're celebrating today, so I get to say it now." She winked and then turned. "Now come on. Esme left dinner ready for you, and I'm going to join everyone else for a quick hunt while you eat."
Bella turned to Edward. "Do you need to go?"
He shook his head. "I went earlier before I came over."
"Good." She smiled. "Maybe you can play for me while I eat?"
He nodded. "Of course. Lady's choice of music."
Alice gave them a wave and then left through the back door of the garage as Edward guided Bella into the house.
As Bella sat on the couch and moaned her way through the short ribs Esme had cooked to perfection in beef stock and red wine, Edward played the piano softly in the background. Her lullaby, Esme's song, and a few classical pieces, and then he transitioned into more contemporary songs, playing the birthday song and making her laugh as she finished the last bite of her dessert.
"Geez, that was good. How'd Esme learn to cook like that?"
"Food Network," Esme herself answered as she and the rest of the family came through the back door.
Bella chuckled. "Well, it was delicious. Thank you."
"My pleasure, sweetheart," Esme said, hugging her gently and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Did you get enough?"
Groaning, Bella patted her stomach. "More than enough," she said. "I wouldn't turn down more of the cobbler tonight before bed, though."
Esme laughed. "It's all yours to take home, as we won't be eating it."
"Present time," Alice chimed, holding up an envelope and a small wrapped box as Jasper whisked Bella's dishes away.
Bella held in her eye roll as Carlisle stepped back into the living room with his arms full of gifts wrapped in colorful paper. He handed Edward a small box and set the rest down on the table in front of Bella and Esme on the couch. Edward took a seat on Bella's other side as Jasper came back into the room and sat in one of the club chairs to the side, letting Alice slide onto his lap. Rose sat in the other chair, leaving Emmett and Carlisle to stand beside their wives.
"We'll go first, since ours isn't wrapped," Rose said, smiling over at her. When Bella nodded slowly, Emmett said, "We'd—Rose and I—would like to fix up your truck."
"Like a tune-up?" Bella smiled. "That'd be great. If you can get it to go over fifty without shaking, that'd be amazing."
Rose laughed. "We'll definitely fix that. But we're talking a complete overhaul, Bella. New interior, everything under the hood... The body's solid and the tires are new last year, so you're good there."
Bella opened her mouth and then closed it without a sound, finally opening it again to say, "That'll cost... No way. I can't ask you guys to do that. That'll cost way too much."
Emmett shrugged. "Not as much as you think, Bellsy. Seriously. Parts, obviously, but the labor's free, and it's something we both enjoy doing, so it isn't as though it's really work."
"A-Are you sure?" Bella stammered. "I'm really okay with it the way it is..."
Rose nodded. "We're sure. And it's not all coming from us... We went and talked to your dad, and...well, we kind of lied about how much it'll cost, but he insisted on giving some money as part of your birthday gift, so it's partly from him, too."
Bella finally nodded. "Okay, then... I guess I can keep riding with Edward to school?"
Smiling, Edward said, "Of course."
"Then...thank you," Bella said with a smile as she reached into her pocket for her keys. Taking the one for her truck from the key ring, she tossed it to Emmett, who caught it easily.
"Our turn," Alice said lightly, leaning over to give Edward the envelope.
Once he'd given it to her, Bella carefully slid her finger under the flap, opened it up, and pulled out the two rectangular papers. Tickets for a concert in October to see...
"Bruno Mars?" Bella squeaked, looking to Alice and Jasper, who nodded.
"We know you both like him," Alice said with a smile. "When I saw that he would be in Seattle then, we had to get them so you could go see him."
"Thank you guys." Bella handed them to Edward. "Can you keep these so I don't lose them?"
Edward chuckled and nodded, setting them on the coffee table in front of them.
When Bella opened the two bigger boxes from Carlisle and Esme, she couldn't help but smile. "This is great. Thank you!" They'd gotten her a bunch of new art stuff. She could see a few different sketch books, some pencils—both colored and regular—charcoal, blending stumps, and kneaded erasers.
"You're welcome, sweetheart," Esme said, smiling. "Edward told us what you might need and use. If we missed anything, let me know."
Bella shook her head. "No, this is all perfect." She raised an eyebrow when Esme handed her the last box, thinner than the others. "More?"
"Yes, and it goes with this," Alice said. "These are from all of us." She handed Bella another gift.
The tablet and Photoshop made Bella speechless. She'd wanted to venture into drawing on the computer, but it was an expense she just hadn't been able to afford yet.
"Holy crow!" Bella bit her lip. "This is too much..."
"Not between the seven of us, Bella," Alice reminded her. "And besides, you only turn eighteen for the first time once, right?"
Bella chuckled at the way Alice had phrased that, and as she looked around, she realized she needed to accept the gifts without arguing. They'd put a lot of thought into them, and she knew if she'd been able to afford it, she'd spend just as much on each of them. With a nod, she clutched the new tablet to her chest and said, "Thank you. All of you."
~oooOOOooo~
Watching Bella open the gifts from his family made Edward smile. He knew she was uncomfortable with the attention, but she knew how much it meant to let them spoil her a little, so she was accepting them with an open heart, and he could tell how much she'd loved everything they'd given her. As she turned when he cleared his throat, he smiled, reaching for the ten by twelve-inch flat wrapped box Carlisle held out.
"I couldn't help but get these," he said, sliding them onto Bella's lap before taking the tablet from her and setting it on the table in front of them.
Bella carefully peeled the wrapping paper away and then gasped when she lifted the lid to find the drawings she'd admired so much when he'd taken her to the art show.
He could smell the salt of her tears before he saw them, and he tentatively asked, "Bella? Are you crying?"
"Edward," she breathed, one hand covering her mouth and the other reaching to trace the lines on the face in the top picture.
When she turned to him, he saw the tears glistening like dew on her long lashes, threatening to spill down her cheeks.
"Wh-When did you get these?"
Edward chuckled, admitting, "I called while we were still at the restaurant that night."
She rolled her eyes, but he could tell how pleased she was when she turned back to the drawings and looked through them again before holding them up to show the rest of the family, explaining why she'd like them so much.
"That's not all," Edward finally said, taking the frames from her and setting them aside. He grabbed one of the two still-wrapped boxes and held it out to her.
Looking askance at him, Bella shook her head and smiled a small smile before peeling off the paper and opening the lid to the little jewelry box. "It's beautiful," she murmured, quickly pulling out the necklace.
Edward had found the pendant the weekend before when they'd gone with his family and Bella's friends to Port Angeles to the movies. He and Jasper had left Bella with the others for less than an hour, claiming that they needed to run an errand for Esme. The pendant was simple, but beautiful, an inch square, made of pressed, rustic-looking metal with smoothed edges. On the front was glass with a letter A and the word "ARTIST" painted in black. Behind the A and under the artist were the words: "a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination." It was hanging from a silver ball chain necklace, sturdy but beautiful. Perfect for his Little Bird.
"Put it on me?" she requested quietly as she gently rubbed the pendant, smiling tremulously.
He nodded and took the necklace from her, slipping it around her neck as she held her hair up.
"It's beautiful," she said, reaching up to adjust it when he'd closed the clasp. "Thank you."
He smiled against her lips when she leaned over to kiss him. "I'm glad you like it. I saw it and thought of you."
She nodded. "I love it."
Bella was talking to Alice and Esme about where to hang the drawings when a new mind sounded in Edward's head moments before a new scent—strong and very...wet dog-like, altogether unpleasant—assaulted his nose. He and the rest of his family stiffened at the scent.
Edward, can you hear me? I need to talk to you. It's...important.
Bella must have noticed their reactions, because she turned to him with wide eyes. "What's going on?"
That smell... Edward, is he...?
Edward nodded at Carlisle's question.
"Jacob's here," he said, not giving any more details.
Bella smiled. "Finally!" She stood, but Edward took her hand, holding her in place. "What's wrong?" She looked around at the others before turning back to him. "Edward, tell me what's going on. You're scaring me."
Closing his eyes, Edward took a deep breath, calming himself before standing up and telling Bella, "Jacob's...changed, love."
"Ch-Changed?"
He nodded. "Since we last saw him, he's begun shifting into a wolf."
She gasped.
Edward ignored the outbursts from the others—both vocal and in their heads—and kept speaking to Bella. "He wants to see me. Would you stay inside with the girls and Jasper while Carlisle, Emmett, and I go out to talk to him?"
Bella's brow furrowed. "Why can't I go out with you? Better yet, why can't he come in here?"
"Until we know what Jacob wants and how in control he is, it's safer for you. Wolves—especially those new to shifting—can be unpredictable. Remember what I explained about vampire newborns?" When she nodded, he continued, "Wolves are similar to that, in that they take a while to get used to their new situation. He may not have complete control of his reactions. So until I know for certain..."
"Jake wouldn't hurt me," she protested, but when she looked around at the rest of his family, she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Okay. I'll stay here. But you have to be careful, too. I know he won't want to hurt you, either, but..."
Edward nodded, kissing the top of her head before turning. Jasper caught his eye.
I'll stay in here with them.
Nodding in response, Edward strode to the door, Carlisle and Emmett right behind him.
When they stepped out onto the porch, Jacob held his hands up, grinning. "I come in peace, really." Then he grimaced. "I didn't notice before, but whew, you stink!"
Emmett snorted. "Says the kid who smells like wet dog."
Jacob laughed, shaking his head, before sobering. "Sorry to just show up like this. Obviously you know that I've shifted."
Edward nodded.
"What happened, son?" Carlisle asked, stepping down from the porch to stand in front of Jacob.
Edward followed, happy to note that Jacob's thoughts were calm and that he seemed in control.
"I first shifted the day after going home sick"—air quotes around the word sick—"from here a few weeks ago," Jacob explained. "Look, is there any chance I can come in to talk about it? Everyone needs to hear, including Bella."
Carlisle and Emmett looked to Edward, and when Jacob saw, he immediately held his hands up again.
Look, man, I promise, I'm under control. My temper is shorter than normal right now, but I swear I won't hurt her. I'll stay on the other side of the room if you want me to. Then he grinned. Besides, Esme will kill me if I shift inside and tear up her house.
Chuckling, Edward agreed. "True, that." Looking to Carlisle, he nodded.
Carlisle smiled. "All right, son. Let's go inside so we can hear everything."
Once inside, Edward nervously watched Bella rush to Jake and hug him, but Jacob's thoughts stayed calm.
"Are you okay?" she asked when she stepped back to Edward's side, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I've been calling."
"Yeah, Bells. Sorry... I wanted to tell you all what had happened sooner, but it wasn't really news I wanted to give over the phone, and...well, it's been busy." He smiled wryly.
"Apparently," she said with a snort. "You're huge! I guess that comes with the territory?"
Jacob nodded, his thoughts amused at her reaction. "It is. We've all gotten bigger—taller, more muscular. That sort of thing."
Bella shook her head, laughing softly. "Well, sit and tell us everything."
Edward led Bella to the far end of the couch. As Jacob sat in the chair farthest from them, Edward's family took up the other seats and stood around them all, alert, yet still relaxed.
"First things first... Because I shifted first and because my great-grandfather, Ephraim, was Alpha, I'm now the Alpha of the pack. As you know, the tribe has followed the treaty ever since my great-grandfather worked with your family to create it."
Edward and Carlisle both nodded.
"I certainly won't be changing it. You've proven to me that you are still the same as when you met Ephraim. I believe you are trustworthy and that you value human life just as much as our tribe does."
"Thank you, Jacob," Carlisle said with a smile.
Jacob nodded once before scrubbing his face with his hands. "It's been a long month," he sighed when he looked back up. "Quil and Embry both shifted soon after I did—we think because they're the two that hung out with me most—and then last week, Jared, Paul, Sam, and Seth and Leah Clearwater—Sam's girlfriend—shifted, too. So now there are eight wolves."
"I don't know Jared, Paul, or Sam well, but... How are the others?" Bella turned to Edward. "Seth and Leah's parents, Sue and Harry, are friends of my dad's. Harry goes fishing sometimes with Charlie and Billy."
Edward nodded.
Jacob shrugged. "They're okay. Everyone but Leah is okay with shifting, I think. It's actually pretty cool."
Bella frowned. "Leah doesn't like it?"
"When we shift, whatever we're wearing is ripped to shreds, and then when we shift back, we're..."
"Oh!" Bella laughed. "Poor thing. Being the only girl has to suck."
Chuckling, Jacob nodded. "Apparently."
"So why now?" Emmett asked, looking from Jacob to Edward, and then to Carlisle. "I mean, why did you guys suddenly start shifting now?"
Jacob's thoughts hit Edward at the same time that Esme gasped and put her hand to her lips, looking over to him.
It was us, wasn't it? she thought. Our being here in Forks caused them to shift.
Edward nodded slowly and looked to Jacob. "We're sorry, Jacob."
Shaking his head, Jacob said, "It's okay, man. You didn't know. No one did."
Bella frowned. "What are you guys talking about?"
Carlisle was solemn as he turned to Bella. "It seems our presence caused the tribe to start shifting."
A/N: Okay, first, obviously, you can stop worrying about how Jake shifting would affect his attitude toward the Cullens, right? :) I told you he was a good guy in this one! ;) We also got her birthday, which went much better than the one in the book/movie. No paper cut! ;) LOL
More birthday next week, with Charlie, Jake, and Billy...so you'll get to finally see Billy's reaction to the Cullens being there and Bella being with Edward. :)
Be sure to check my site or Facebook, because I have a link to the pendant Edward gave Bella. :) Links are on my profile.
Leave me some love! I'm *almost* finished with the chapter I started the other day, so maybe you'll get a surprise posting Sunday. We'll see. :) Mwah! – Jen