Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, it is the sole property of Stephenie Meyer. No infringement intended.
Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter. We're getting to the good stuff! A huge HUGE thanks goes out to my two amazing and very talented betas DreaC and VoluptuousVamp. Without them, this story would be riddled with comma errors and a bunch a stupid things I seem to miss! So, thanks ladies!
Chapter 25 - Father-In-Law
Andria's PoV:
Edward's family was already seated around the dining room table when Edward and I arrived. I sat down in a chair beside Alice, and Edward sat on my right at the opposite end of the table as Carlisle, who sat at the head of the table. Esme was to Carlisle's right and Jasper to his left. Rosalie and Nessie were beside Esme. Emmett stood behind Rosalie. The only person missing was Jacob, who was usually always wherever Renesmee was.
"Where's Jacob?" I asked Alice.
"All of the wolves are patrolling; they have been the entire time Vanessa was here."
"Oh." It was all I could say. I felt bad for the pack. They had to run a patrol instead of being with their friends and family… because of me.
Jasper leaned back in his chair so he could see around Alice. "Don't feel bad, Andria. It's what the wolves do. They protect humans and Charlotte is a threat to you."
"Alice, please tell us again exactly what you saw," Carlisle said and the meeting began.
Alice closed her eyes and then opened them seconds later. "She was in the Canadian wilderness. I recognized the area. I think she was close to our house there. She hasn't decided what to do yet; she was just close. I don't think she knows what she wants to do…" Alice trailed off.
"I don't think it is safe for Andria to be left alone anymore. Now that Vanessa is gone, Andria will remain here, permanently, until Charlotte is dealt with," Edward said firmly.
"Once again, you say I'm automatically going to do something. It would be nice if you could run those ideas of yours through me before you announce them to everyone," I snapped, turning my head to glare at Edward.
Edward pinched the bridge of his nose in obvious frustration from my outburst. "Alexandria…."
I hated it when he used my full name. "Yes, Edward," I bit out. I had a house, too. It wasn't like someone couldn't stay at my house with me.
"I realize you have a house also, Alexandria."
Oh shit, he can hear me. Oops.
Edward shook his head and smirked just a tad, but then it vanished and his lips were set in a firm line. "Andria, I will not risk your safety. Do you not understand I can't lose you?"
"Edward, I do understand, but you don't. I'm not afraid. I don't need to be anywhere permanently. As long as you are with me or someone is, then I'm safe."
"Andria." It was Jasper who said my name. "I have to agree with Edward. I think it would be safer for you if you stayed here until Charlotte has been caught. It's safer for you here."
I sighed and leaned back in my chair, staring down at the polished surface of the table in defeat. I hated feeling like a burden to the Cullens…even if they said I wasn't.
"It's not forever," Edward said and my eyes snapped to meet his. I hadn't meant it like that!
I still want forever.
He nodded his head and reached for my hand. "I know."
Emmett groaned. "Stupid silent conversations. You know what, Edward?"
Edward smirked at me and then looked at Emmett. "It was personal, between Andria and I only." Edward lifted my hand and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of my hand before he placed my hand back in my lap.
Emmett mumbled something I couldn't hear before he folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall like a disgruntled child.
"Is there a plan for when Charlotte shows up?" Rosalie asked.
"It would be best if I dealt with her. I was the one who trained Charlotte," Jasper answered.
Rosalie nodded to Jasper and spoke again. "Then I think we know what we have to do… wait,"
As Rosalie stood from the table, Alice's face became blank and her eyes were distant. She was having a vision.
Edward snarled as he saw Alice's vision in his own mind.
"Alice, what did you see?" Jasper asked, one of his hands was on Alice's shoulder and the other was gently stroking her hair.
"Charlotte is running south, to Forks, but everything just went blank," Alice paused for a moment. "I think she's run into the wolves."
Edward stood and slammed his hand down on the table, but not hard enough to damage it. "Jacob is coming here, I can hear him. Charlotte ran upon the reservation, she changed direction. She was running here, but Paul and Jared were on their way here with Jacob to warn us. They made her change direction again. Sam, Paul, and Jared are on her trail. She's headed to Idaho."
Just as Edward finished, a human Jacob came running into the dining room. "Did you catch everything?" he asked Edward.
"Yes, phase back. I want to know if they catch her. Tell them they are not to kill her. We want to speak to her," Edward ordered, his eyes briefly flashed to Jasper and then back to Jacob.
Jacob nodded and darted out of the house. Everyone remained silent as Edward listened to the pack's minds.
The minutes seemed to drag on as the room remained silent. The only thing I could hear was the beat of my own heart and my breathing. It seemed so loud in the quiet room. I jumped in my chair when Edward snarled loudly. Alice placed her hand over mine calmingly.
"What is it?" Carlisle asked him, rising up out of his chair.
Edward turned, pinching the bridge of his nose again, before he looked at Carlisle. "Somehow she has managed to escape them. They have lost her scent. The wolves are on their way back. Alice, can you see Charlotte at all?"
Alice closed her eyes again and a look of fierce concentration crossed her pretty features. "She's heading east. She hasn't decided where exactly yet, but she is running east."
Jacob came back in the house again. "I'm sorry, Edward. We will catch her if she comes back."
"Do you think she will try to contact the Volturi?" Esme asked worriedly.
I remembered them from Renesmee's memories and I did not want to meet them, and certainly not while I was still human.
"I hope not," Carlisle answered his wife.
"Then what do we do now?" Renesmee asked the question that had been ringing in my mind.
"We wait for Alice to see what Charlotte decides. It's all we can do," Edward answered. "Come, Andria."
I stood without question. Edward's voice was serious and left no room for argument.
I didn't want to argue. I had been excited when the wolves were on her trail, but she had evaded them. Charlotte was still out there. Edward let me quickly out of the dining room and up to his bedroom.
Once in the room, he held me tight against his own body. "Alexandria, I will keep you safe no matter what. I love you."
"Oh, Edward, I love you, too." I stood up on my tip-toes and softly brushed my lips against his. "I've missed you," I whispered.
Edward captured my lips with his and slid one arm lower around my body and tangled his other hand in my hair. He released my lips and allowed me to catch my breath.
His dark eyes looked deeply into mine. "I swear, Alexandria, I will keep you safe."
"I know you will. I trust you, Edward," I said firmly. "Do you think Charlotte will tell the Volturi?"
"I'm not sure, Andria," Edward said. He led me over to the bed and we sat on the edge together. "The Volturi will not be pleased if she does. They do not value human life and they hold their rules in very high regard. Humans are not to know our secret. I'm not sure how they would react knowing you are a part of this family. We have had issues with them before."
"I know. Renesmee showed me," I told him quietly.
"I won't let them hurt you, Andria," he assured me.
I touched his jaw with my fingertips and Edward sighed contently. "I'm not worried about me. They will hurt you and your family, too."
"They won't hurt us, Andria. It won't come to a fight." Edward kissed my forehead chastely. "Let's not talk about this right now. I have not been able to be alone with you in a very long time."
"Edward, it's only been a week, and I saw you almost every night...alone."
He lifted me in his arms and walked to his bathroom.
I couldn't help but raise my eyebrow at him. This wasn't the way I imagined Edward had wanted to spend our time.
"Oh my darling, you do not know how much I have longed to kiss you." He trailed his lips down my jaw and then my neck and across my collarbone while he set me on my feet. "To touch you." Edward's hands trialed down my sides and he lifted the hem of my red t-shirt.
"You look beautiful in red," he whispered as I lifted my arms over my head and he pulled the shirt off. "Stay still," he commanded.
He didn't turn to the bathtub like I expected him to. Instead, he opened the glass shower door and turned the faucets on. I had never been in Edward's shower.
It was a massive stone and glass shower in the corner of the room. Three of the walls were a soft, creamy colored tile and the fourth was a large etched glass door. Water sprayed from the ceiling of the shower and from the three tiled sides.
Edward stepped back to me and I tugged on his shirt. He swiftly pulled it over his head while he stepped out of his shoes. I fumbled with his belt buckle while he easily unhooked my bra.
He knelt down and unbuttoned my jeans before he pulled them and my panties down my legs. Edward groaned and he looked up to meet my gaze.
I was frozen in place. Edward's eyes had turned darker than I had ever seen them before, and I couldn't tell if he was angry or just surprised and very turned on.
"Who did this?" His voice was husky.
"A woman yesterday at the spa." I felt like I should let him know it was a woman and not a man. I didn't think Edward would have been pleased in the least if another man had touched me there.
He hissed. "You're bare," he stated.
The sound of his voice worried me. Did he not like it? Had Alice been wrong? "You don't like it…" I muttered. I wasn't sure what to say; it hadn't been my idea.
He shook his head. "I love it." He kissed me on the bare skin just above my clitoris and I shivered.
Edward lifted my leg and helped me step out of my pants and then he stood back up. He opened the door again and I stepped into the hot streams of water gushing from all around me.
I waited for Edward to join me and was surprised when he stepped in and shut the glass door behind him. He was naked. He had never been fully naked in the water with me before.
Edward stepped into the water with me and I wrapped my arms around his neck. "What are you planning on doing?" I asked, trying to sound seductive.
He ran his fingers through my hair, pushing it back away from my face. The hot water made his touch feel warm instead of cold.
"I want to shower with you. You had a relaxing day yesterday away from me. I want to have a peaceful day with you, starting with a shower since I rushed you out of your house this morning."
He grabbed the shampoo Alice had bought me and squeezed some into his hand. "Turn around," Edward commanded.
I did as he said and felt his hands begin to massage the shampoo into my hair and scalp. I tilted my head back so water wouldn't run into my eyes and Edward washed my hair. He then rinsed away the shampoo and repeated the same steps with the vanilla scented conditioner.
I turned back around when he finished and grabbed his bottle of shampoo. "Your turn."
Edward dropped to his knees instantly and I poured a little of the shampoo directly onto his wet hair. I ran my hands repeatedly though his hair, creating a thick lather. Edward scooted closer to me and placed soft kisses across my stomach.
I tugged on the edges of Edward's hair and smiled when I heard a soft noise come from Edward's throat. He was purring softly as I played with his hair.
I washed the soap away before I sunk to my knees so I could be level with him. I gently placed a kiss on his lips.
Edward shifted quickly as he moved to hover over me. I wasn't touching the cold stone floor because Edward was cradling me in his arms. "Oh how you tease me."
"You were purring." I touched my fingers against the base of Edward's throat. "It was very sweet."
Edward stood and brought me upright with him. The water cascaded down both of our bodies and created a strange sensation as it flowed between us where we were pressed together.
Edward took the bottle of body wash and poured it into the palm of his hand. He rubbed his hands together and then, starting at my shoulders, worked his way down my body with the silky feeling body wash.
It smelled like jasmine, and I remember when Edward had told me I smelled like white jasmine and cherry blossoms. Was that why Alice had purchased jasmine scented body wash? Most likely, Alice does everything for a reason.
Edward chuckled as his hand moved over my body, rinsing the white lather off my skin.
He grabbed his body wash and I held out my hand. He grinned at me as I began to wash his shoulders and chest. The hard muscles of his body twitched as my hands slid down his stomach.
I had to squat to wash his long legs and that placed me face to face with his manhood. I quickly placed a kiss on the tip of his penis and then continued to wash his legs.
Edward stared down at me, completely shocked. I pretended not to notice that his jaw had dropped open and walked around him to wash his back. I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my breasts against his cold skin.
His sharp intake of breath was the only noise I heard as he stayed completely still. I rested my head against his shoulder, enjoying the combination of his cool skin and the warmth of the water.
I lifted my head when he slowly twisted in my arms. "Again, you tease me, Andria. Let's get out of the water."
He shut the faucet off and the streams off water stopped. Edward stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist quickly before he held out a towel for me.
I stepped out onto the bathmat and Edward wrapped me in the fluffy gray towel. He grabbed a comb from the vanity and led me back into the bedroom.
I stood in the middle of the room as he went and locked the door. "Sit on the bed, Andria," Edward ordered.
I did as he said and climbed onto the bed, trying to not flash all of my personal parts, even though it was only Edward in the room.
He approached the bed slowly, his eyes dark and sensual. He crawled onto the bed and slid behind me. I waited for him to do something and felt him slowly pull the comb through my damp hair. He continued to comb out my tangles until my hair was smooth and almost dry.
I twisted to face him, and he set the comb on the bed. We were both still in our towels, but I didn't care. I laid down and Edward did the same.
I reached out and ran my hand through his disheveled hair. "I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to hear you purr again. I liked it."
Edward closed his eyes as I continued to comb my fingers through his thick hair. He shifted so he was holding me tight against him, but his face was nestled into my chest.
I took the opportunity to kiss his hair and I heard the wonderful sound again. I tugged gently on the ends of his hair before running my hands through it. He purred again and nuzzled his nose against the bare skin just above my beasts.
I moaned and Edward pulled open the towel, exposing my breasts. His lips captured my left nipple and I arched my back. Edward's hands ran along my ribs, pushing the towel farther open, until it fell away from my body completely.
"Edward," I whispered.
He purred in response and gently pushed his hips into me. I could feel his hard length press against my thigh and I moaned again.
"Andria," Edward muttered as he switched sides, attacking my right nipple. He trailed kisses around my breast and then down my stomach.
"You smell delicious."
I could only moan in response as I twisted and Edward moved to hover over me instead of beside me.
His cold kisses continued to trail down my body until he came to the v between my legs. He placed a wet kiss on my clitoris and I squirmed beneath him. "You are so beautiful, Andria," Edward whispered just before he slid his tongue down my slit and into my warmth.
My back arched involuntarily, but Edward held my legs firmly in place with his hands. He continued his tortuous motions with his tongue until my whole body was shaking. Then he stopped.
I groaned in frustration, but Edward only chuckled. "I want so badly to feel you climax around me." He slipped his fingers into me and I groaned with pleasure. "This will have to do for now."
He moved his fingers in and out of me slowly, torturously slow, as he crawled up my body. His lips captured mine and I could taste myself on his tongue.
I could feel all of my muscles tightening again as Edward's skilled fingers brought me to the brink of ecstasy. Edward's erection was pressed firmly into my thigh as his lips trailed back down to my breasts.
Edward flicked his tongue over my erect nipple before he pulled his lips over his teeth and tugged on my nipple. My orgasm erupted through my body, sending wave after wave of pleasure coursing through me.
I was left panting and sweaty when Edward gently removed his fingers from me. In a blur that was too fast for me to see Edward sucked his fingers clean and then used his own towel to wipe the excess moisture from between my legs.
I reached for his erection, but Edward stopped me. "No, darling, I only wanted to please you. Lay with me,"
Edward lifted me off the bed and yanked the sheets down before he pulled them up around both of us. He removed the towels from the bed and tossed them onto the floor.
I snuggled against his marble body and sighed. "You really are amazing, Edward. I'm a very lucky girl."
"It is I who is the lucky one, Andria," Edward said and then kissed the tip of my nose.
I wasn't tired, but somehow I drifted asleep in Edward's strong embrace. When I awoke I was still wrapped in Edward's arms.
"Esme has made you a light lunch if you would like to get dressed and venture downstairs."
Edward's calm voice made my eyes flutter open and I stared into his dark ones. "You need to go hunting," I told him.
"I will, later." He stood and I realized that he had already dressed in jeans and a light blue t-shirt.
I sat up in the bed and stretched my arms. Edward watched me hungrily and I smirked. "Like what you see, doctor?"
Edward's eyes widened, but he smiled back and held out his hand to help me stand from the bed.
"You are the most amazing sight to behold. I could marvel at your beauty for all eternity," he whispered slowly in my ear.
"Then I guess it is a good thing we have that long. Do I still have clothes in here?"
Edward nodded and I followed him into the closet, absentmindedly putting on each article of clothing he handed me. When I was fully dressed I realized Edward had dressed me in a pair of light wash jeans and a silky top that draped across my shoulders and exposed my collarbones. The material had a tight band across my waist that accentuated my curves. The lightweight material was a lovely shade of pale green.
"Beautiful as always," Edward said and took my hand.
We walked down the stairs and Edward stopped to talk to Jasper. I went into the kitchen and found Esme busy cutting up a pear and adding the pieces to a large bowl that was already filled with a multitude of different fruit.
"I made chicken salad and I'm just finishing up a fruit salad. Please help yourself, Andria. I'm sure Jacob and Seth with dig into this when they return from the patrols."
I grabbed the white plate that was setting on the tan placemat and helped myself to the delicious looking chicken salad.
"They are still running the patrols, even with Charlotte across the country?" I asked her.
She nodded as she dumped the last pieces of pear into the large bowl. She tossed the fruit together and then spooned some into a separate small bowl and placed it in front of me.
"The men decided earlier this morning that the patrols should not stop until Charlotte is no longer a threat. The wolves agreed with Edward and Jasper and have taken up the daytime shift. We will take the night shift. It will also allow us time to hunt."
I groaned. It was more people doing things because of me. "Andria, please do not feel like this is your fault. You are a part of this family; we protect our family no matter what," Jasper said as he walked into the kitchen with Edward.
I smiled at Jasper, and Edward sat beside me at the counter while I continued to eat my meal.
Jacob and Seth entered the kitchen just as I was finishing my bowl of fruit. "Thanks, Esme, it was amazing," I said as I stood from the bar stool.
Esme took my dirty plate and bowl after she had set two clean plates on the counter for Jacob and Seth. They immediately dug into the food and I couldn't help but laugh. Their appetites were endless.
"Come with me?" Edward asked.
I nodded my head and smiled at him. "Of course."
Edward led me out the back door and we walked slowly down to the river. We sat on the ground and I leaned against Edward's shoulder.
"A few nights ago, I went to see Bella's father, Charlie," Edward admitted.
I wasn't upset that he had gone to see him. How could I be? It was his father-in-law; I couldn't stop Edward from seeing him and I had no reason to.
"I hadn't seen Charlie in two years."
Edward's words shocked me. Two years! He hadn't seen him in two years? "Why?"
"I was too wrapped up in my own pain. Nessie reminded me that I should see him. He asked about you. He would like to meet you."
Bella's father wanted to meet me. Hmm, it didn't bother me. It would be nice to meet him. Edward was waiting with his breath held for me to answer.
"Edward, I would be honored to meet Bella's father. When are we going?" I asked.
Edward shifted and removed a sliver phone from his pocket. He pressed a button and brought the phone up to his ear.
"Hi Dad, it's Edward." There was a pause and I assumed Charlie was saying hello.
"I was hoping I could meet you for dinner. Andria would like to meet you, too."
Meet him, why would we meet anywhere? I was capable of cooking. "I can cook, and can we meet at my house?" I whispered.
"Charlie, change of plans, can you meet me at the house that is a few miles before mine? Yes, the one Andria bought. She has volunteered to cook dinner."
There was another pause before Edward chuckled fondly. "Yes, she is," he said into the phone.
Charlie said something else before Edward responded. "Okay, Dad, well, we will see you at six thirty. Bye."
Edward closed the phone and slipped it back into his pocket. "Do you have anything to make for dinner?"
"Yes, Vanessa and I bought a roast but never cooked it. If we go to my house now, I can put it in the oven and it will be ready in time."
Edward nodded and we stood to make our way back to the huge white house. Alice came skipping up to us when we reached the living room.
"I saw that you have to go back to Andria's house. Jasper and I will come with you and stay until Charlie arrives. Then we will wait in the woods until he leaves. We can bring Andria back here and you can go hunting."
Edward sighed like he was about to say no, but I thought it did sound like a good idea since Edward was so worried about me.
Edward looked at me from the corner of his eye and smiled before he nodded to Alice. "Okay, let's go."
The four of us walked to the garage and climbed into Edward's Volvo. As soon as the garage door was open enough for the car to fit underneath, we were zipping back and then Edward slammed the car into drive. The car shot down the driveway and Edward turned onto the road sharply.
We made it to my house in record time. Jasper and Alice hopped out of the backseat and Edward opened my door before I could even reach for the handle.
"I hate that you're so fast sometimes, you know that?" I said to him as he took my hand and helped me out of the car. "I am completely capable of getting out of a car by myself."
Alice giggled and Edward smirked at me. "I enjoy doing simple things like helping you out of the car. It was the way I was raised, Andria."
I couldn't help but grin at him before I planted a kiss on his cheek. I skipped up the front porch steps and pulled the house key out of my pocket to unlock the door. "Well, your mother taught you well," I told Edward as I swung the door open.
Alice danced into the living room. "I've always loved your house, Andria. You have excellent design skills," Alice declared.
She walked over to the stair case to admire the small stone ballerinas that were placed on different steps between the rails.
"Where did you find these? I've never seen anything like them before?"
"Travis found them at a yard sale in Lake Tahoe last spring. He said the woman told him she bought those years ago from a man who carved the stone. His wife was a ballerina; these were supposed to be made to look like her."
"Wow, how did the woman end up buying them from the man if he made them in the likeness of his wife?" Jasper asked.
"The woman said the man's wife died. She had kept them in their house, but I guess he couldn't look at them. They reminded him too much of her, but he didn't want to destroy them."
I noticed the look Alice gave Edward and turned around to look at Edward. He was leaning against the front door with a pained look marring his beautiful features.
"Edward…" I stepped toward him.
"I'm alright, Andria. The story reminded me of a time when I could not stand the sight of something. I was not as wise as the man who made those statues."
I frowned. I didn't understand. What did Edward destroy? Was it something that had been Bella's?
"I could not stand to look at the house my family had built for Bella and I and our daughter after Bella died. In my anger and despair, I demolished the house and everything inside of it."
I was frozen in place. I could feel the hot tears roll down my cheeks and I felt Edward's arm wrap around me a second later. My vision blurred and I closed my eyes.
"Edward," I whispered. It was all I could say.
Bella had been tragically taken away from Edward right before his eyes. He had lost the love of his life, the only woman he thought he would ever love. He couldn't bear to see the things that reminded him of her. He had ruined their house because it hurt too much to see it. He could see her there.
The whole in my chest that Edward and the Cullens had closed ripped over with a force I had never felt before. Travis. I could see Travis everywhere in Tahoe. In his room, in the house, I could see him at the dance studio and the theater. I could see him at the resort and I could see him in Vanessa's eyes.
I opened my eyes and noticed Alice and Jasper were no longer in the house. "Edward…" I was at a loss for words.
My thoughts were racing. Was this why he was so protective of me? Bella… she had been taken away from him. He was afraid I would be taken, too. Edward had put himself at risk to be with me, and now he was willing to protect me to the death.
I felt childish and stupid for arguing with him that morning. Edward was only looking out for me and I wasn't helping him.
My mind snapped back to Bella, Edward's first love. Was I enough for Edward?
Jasper must have thought about my whirlwind of emotions because Edward's voice made me snap out of my thoughts and listen to him.
"Alexandria, please do not doubt my love for you when I remember Bella. If I had not loved and… lost Bella, I would have never been given you. I never believed that my family could be in heaven more than the first night you asked me to stay with you. I truly believe that Bella sent you to me." Edward gently stroked my cheek with his knuckles. "Andria, you are undeniably sent from heaven."
The tears continued to roll down my cheeks and I nodded my head. "I… I don't doubt your love, Edward. It's hard for me to see you so upset. You seem so lost when you think of her. Edward, Bella is in heaven. I don't have a doubt in my mind that that is where she is. I can see that you loved her very much, but I know you love me, too."
"I hurt you when I remember her," he whispered into my hair. "Jasper told me, because I can't hear you." The pain in my chest had become a dull ache again, but spiked with those words.
I shook my head. He had it all wrong. "Your pain doesn't hurt me, at least not the way you think it does. When I see you hurt because you remember Bella, I understand. I remember the pain I feel when I think of Travis. It's not the same as losing a wife or a husband, but I lost my brother, Edward; he was my best friend. I understand what you feel. "
Edward's arms tightened around me and he made a strangled noise. Was Edward crying? I held him as tight as I could. "It's okay, Edward. I love you. You are so strong. You are an amazing man. I know you'll keep me safe. I'm sorry I've been so stubborn. You are only trying to protect me and I make it harder for you. I'm sorry. I won't argue with what you think I should do when it comes to Charlotte anymore."
Edward moved too fast for me to see him clearly, but I felt his cold lips on mine and I sighed, my body automatically leaned into his lean body. When he pulled back he smiled at me softly. "You are so much more than I deserve." With those words, the pain vanished. My angel had healed me again.
He was wrong though. He was more than I deserved, but I wouldn't tell him. It was better if he thought he was right. "Let's get in the kitchen. The roast needs to get in the oven soon, or it won't be done."
We walked into the kitchen and Alice and Jasper came back into the house. "Is there anything we can do to help?" Jasper asked.
I found an onion, baby carrots, and celery in the fridge and plopped them on the table in front of Jasper. "You can cut them into chunks."
"What size chunks?" Alice asked as she stared at the three vegetables with distaste.
"You can quarter the onion, small pieces of celery, and just cut the carrots in half. They are already small."
Jasper nodded and then looked back at me. "What am I supposed to cut them with, my hands?"
I laughed. "Oops, sorry, I didn't think about the knife." I grabbed a cutting board from the cabinet and two knives from the drawer and placed them in front of Jasper and Alice.
I turned my attention back to the fridge and pulled the roast out. "Edward, can you get me the large glass pan? It's in the cabinet beside the sink."
He nodded and placed the pan beside me. "Anything else, darling?" he asked.
"I need some potatoes rinsed and cut up into chunks, too."
Edward nodded and found the potatoes in the pantry. "How many?"
"Three should be plenty."
Alice slid the cutting board across the table. "All done!" she exclaimed proudly.
Sure enough the celery, onions, and carrots were cut up into neat piles on the cutting board.
We all laughed and I put the vegetables around the roast. Edward finished cutting the potatoes and he dumped them in the pan, too. I seasoned the entire pan before I covered it with aluminum foil and put it in the oven. I turned the oven on and then set the timer.
"Tada, and in three hours we will have dinner. Well… Charlie and I will have dinner. You three will have moose, or dear, or whatever the hell it is you catch out there."
The three vampires laughed and Edward wrapped his arm around my waist.
"Andria, did you remodel most of this house by yourself?" Jasper asked.
"No, I painted a lot of it by myself, but Jacob helped me redo the cabinets in here and the bathroom, and he put in the new light fixtures. And of course, Emmett redid the upstairs. Oh, and Jacob and Seth repainted the porch and the outside of the house!"
Jasper nodded and looked around the kitchen, studying Jacob's handy work.
"So, what are we going to do for three hours?" I asked.
"Do you have any pictures of your grandparents' house? I would love to see it," Jasper said.
"Of course I do. The one I gave Esme is hanging in my living room…" I walked out of the kitchen and into the middle of the living room and stopped. "Wait, you weren't there when I gave Esme the pictures. The first time I went to your house, where were you Jasper?"
"It was very difficult to be in the house for a long time. Strong emotions are hard to handle sometimes." Jasper left it at that and went to study the black and white photo. I didn't ask any more questions, because I had a pretty good idea that Edward's strong emotions from losing Bella were the reason Jasper was not present.
I went to the bookshelf and grabbed the two black photo albums Edward and I had looked through together one night.
"Here are the other pictures I have. I love the house. It's so beautiful, especially in May when the wisteria blooms on the back porch," I said as I sat down on the couch and opened the first book. I set it on the coffee table and flipped to the pictures I had taken one spring, when I had been able to go to Bath for spring break.
Alice looked through the pictures and studied each one. Jasper knelt next to her and looked at them, too.
"Has the house been kept in its original state?"
"Mostly, indoor plumbing was added as well as lighting and electricity that is up to code. But as for the style and appearance of the house, my grandparents have kept that mostly the same. It's a very beautiful home. Oh, and we still own all of the original acreage – fourteen hundred acres exactly."
"That's a very large piece of land your family still owns," Edward interjected.
"We have a lot of cows and horses," I told them. "We also grow tobacco on a hundred acres."
"Surely, Wesley doesn't take care of all of that land by himself, does he?" Edward asked.
I shook my head. "Oh no, during the harvesting season Wesley employs the teenage boys and any men who want to work to help with the tobacco. But Wesley manages the cows by himself."
Alice turned the page and a huge wave of nostalgia flooded my mind and heart.
"That's my bedroom." I pointed to the picture on the top left of the page.
I had taken it standing in the doorway of the bedroom. The walls were covered in pale yellow wallpaper with a white and light grey floral pattern. White crown molding trimmed the edges of the walls and wainscoting wrapped around the lower part of the room. The queen sized white wooden bed sat between two windows that had crisp white curtains pulled back to let sunlight stream in and illuminate the room. The bed was covered in a puffy white duvet and lots of different sized pillows.
The room had beautiful oak floors and to the left was a white dresser covered in silver picture frames and in the middle a large jewelry box. On the other side of the bed was a large oval mirror that stood facing the doorway.
In the mirror you could see the image of a woman in the doorway taking a picture. Her light brown hair was down and the camera covered the top of her face. She was wearing a bright blue sundress with brown flip flops. The bright blue cotton dress stood out against her tanned skin.
"That's you, in the mirror," Edward said.
I looked at him and noticed he was smiling his beautiful, carefree smile. "That is an amazing picture, Andria. I would love to have a copy of it myself."
I blushed and looked down at the picture. "I honestly didn't mean to catch myself in the mirror, I didn't think about it when I took the picture. Once a year, my grandmother shows the house to the North Carolina Historical Society. They love it. I took a picture of all of the rooms in the house because they were all clean and pretty."
"Where are the other pictures?" Alice asked. "This can't be all of the rooms in the house." She flipped through the next couple of pages, the sunroom, the master bedroom, the huge formal dining room, the foyer, and finally the back of the house in the spring.
Alice squealed. "This is gorgeous. Oh I bet it smells heavenly. This would be the perfect…." She trailed off again, but her eyes were wide and she was studying the picture closely - probably memorizing every detail of the picture.
"My grandmother has the complete set of images; I made copies of my favorites. Each room has multiple angles. I took these pictures my junior year in high school over spring break. Ours was late, in early May, my school was strange. Anyway, the wisteria blooms in April but it's the most beautiful at the start of May."
"I would love to be able to see the house," Jasper said. "It's not every day that people have kept a house so historically accurate and privately owned. Most of the plantations are now owned by the historical societies or the state itself, and none of them are sitting on that many acres."
"My grandparents kept the farm in working condition. Not only do we raise cattle, but we board and train horses, too. The house and the farm have always been in my family. They've owned the house since my great grandfather was a small child," I told them.
"I would love to be able to go home again. I love this house, the farm, my family…" I trailed off as I remembered how much I loved North Carolina.
Edward kissed my temple and I sighed. "Alice will look into it. I will talk to Carlisle and Esme and, after we deal with Charlotte, I will personally make sure you get to go home," he whispered to me.
I threw my arms around him and kissed his neck. "Thank you, Edward."
"Ooh, is this your horse?" Alice asked as she pointed to the picture of my lovely black Arabian.
"Yes, his name is Apollo. He's my best horse. Only listens to me and Wesley's wife Katherine, and their little girl Araya." I smiled fondly at the photo.
Apollo had posed for the camera, standing straight and looking a little to the right. The setting sun made his black coat shine.
"Why is it only the three of you that can ride him?" Edward asked.
"Apollo was abused as a colt and his previous owner wasn't able to break him. My grandfather was given Apollo when the horse was three years old. He wouldn't even let a man get near him, much less attempt to put a saddle, bridle, and bit on him." I paused.
I had risked getting my head kicked in trying to calm Apollo down the day he had arrived at the farm. I didn't get kicked and Apollo trusted me enough to let me break him. First with the bridle, then the bit, too, then I started getting him used to a saddle. Apollo gave in quickly, as long as there were no men around.
"I was the only one Apollo trusted. I broke him, but he never got over his fear of men. Katherine takes care of him when I'm gone, and I'm sure Araya rides him every chance she gets."
"The child loves horses…" Jasper wondered aloud.
"More like the horse loves her. Apollo had a bond with Araya since she was a little toddler. One day Wesley put Araya in the saddle with me… when she was about two, and Apollo was very careful. Ever since that day those two have been inseparable, except when he really wants to run and then I ride him. Apollo can get a little feisty sometimes."
"How could you trust such a large animal around a small child?" Alice asked.
"Apollo would never have hurt me, so I knew, and Wesley knew, that Araya was perfectly safe with me in the saddle. He wouldn't have done it had I been on any other horse. Apollo would jump to his death if I told him to; he listens to every command I give him. I trained him to listen to Araya, too," I said to them fondly.
Apollo had always been my horse… I broke him, I fed him and brushed him, and worked with him. He would never let anyone else ride him for the longest time. Katherine had to run him in circles around the ring just to keep him in shape over the school year until Araya was old enough to ride by herself. Eventually, Apollo started letting Katherine ride him, but he loved it when I came home for summer break.
"You have a love for animals, don't you, Andria?" Edward asked, snapping me back from my thoughts.
I nodded. "I always have. I guess that will be kind of hard once I'm like you, won't it? You were lucky with Mocha and Bear. They freaked when Alice, Rosalie, and Renesmee showed up the other day."
"That is the reaction I expected when they met me. At least now I know the dogs are not stupid," Edward joked.
I pushed him playfully. "My dogs aren't stupid." I flipped to the next page in the photo album and pointed to the German shepherd that was lying under a huge oak tree. "I trained King when he was a puppy. He's a very smart dog."
"We'll see about that when we visit," Edward stated.
We continued to flip through the photo albums and I told stories about my time with my grandparents and even some of the things Travis and I did in Lake Tahoe, until it was almost six o'clock. Alice and Jasper stood from the couch and headed to the front door.
"We will be in the forest. When Charlie leaves we will come back so Jasper and I can take Andria home and you can go hunt," Alice told Edward and then they were gone.
I was suddenly very nervous to meet Bella's father and began to fidget with my hair.
Edward chuckled and stilled my hands with his own. "Darling, Charlie will love you. Do not stress." He kissed my lips softly and then stood.
"We should set the table before Charlie gets here," he stated.
Edward was right, so I quickly stood from the couch and straightened my shirt as I headed for the kitchen. I busied myself with setting the table while we waited for Charlie to arrive.
The timer on the oven went off just as Edward went to answer the door.
Edward's PoV:
While Andria silenced the timer and removed the roast from the oven, I walked to the front door and opened it. Andria was already nervous, and suddenly I was worried if this was a bad idea. I waited until Charlie knocked to open the door.
"Good evening, Charlie. Please come in, Andria is just now getting dinner on the table."
Poor boy sounds like a husband wrapped around his wife's finger.
I snorted at Charlie's thoughts and turned when I heard Andria's heart begin to hammer in her chest. She was about to come out of the kitchen.
Andria came into view and walked over to Charlie and I. She did not appear nervous on the outside, but her mind was racing still. Her smile was real and it lit up her eyes. She was so beautiful and naturally graceful.
He looks so much like a… dad.
Andria's thoughts made the back of my eyes sting with tears that would not fall. Andria had never had a real father. Daniel, in my eyes and Andria's, was a horribly sorry excuse of a father.
Andria held out her hand as she came to stand in front of Charlie. "Hi, I'm Andria DeAngelo. It's very nice to meet you."
Well, she's very well mannered. Is that a Southern accent? She looks a little like Bella, brown hair. Hmm, it's lighter though… and those eyes.
"Charlie Swan. I've heard a lot about you, Andria. It's nice to finally meet you."
"Well, dinner is ready, so why don't we move to the kitchen," I suggested. This was going to be harder than I thought.
I placed my hand on the small of Andria's back and guided her into the kitchen. Andria was shaking slightly under my touch and her heart was pounding in her chest.
She asked Charlie to 'have a seat' and uncovered the roast. I sat down beside Charlie to make him more comfortable.
"That looks wonderful," Charlie commented, eyeing the food. "My daughter used to cook meals like this."
I looked to Andria quickly; her mind had come up blank. Shit. I couldn't hear her to help her. Andria looked at me quickly, lost, before she gave Charlie a sad smile. "I'm sorry for the loss of your daughter, Mr. Swan. I lost my brother this past August."
God, I'm so stupid. Why would you bring that up? He doesn't care. he's never met you before!
Like magic I could hear Andria's thoughts again. Was Travis the trigger to her mental shutdown?
"I'm terribly sorry to hear that, and please call me Charlie," he said before Andria set his now full plate in front of him. It had come out a little awkward, but Charlie was trying.
I struggled to watch the two of them. Every time I looked at Charlie I could see Bella in his eyes. Those big chocolate eyes… her eyes. Then I saw Andria, my hope… my love… my savior… my life. This was turning into a bad idea as the seconds ticked by.
Charlie had continued to analyze Andria, making me worry that he would not approve of her. Was she too unlike Bella, too much like Bella? I felt like I could pull my hair out. Only seconds of silence had passed, but it felt like hours.
Charlie was unsure of what to say to her and nervously asked her a simple question anyone would ask a young woman with such a strong southern accent who had moved to the northwest. "What made you decide to move to Forks?"
Basic questions, right. This is easy. I didn't choose to move to Forks. It just happened. "I didn't really have a destination in mind when I started driving that morning. I just ended up here at nightfall and I stayed."
"It's not often someone young decides to move to Forks. Most leave as soon as they graduate," Charlie told her.
It was true – Bella's high school friends were all off at college. They rarely came home for holidays or summer vacations. But my Alexandria was different. She was a diamond amongst the coals.
"I prefer small towns. I grew up in a very small town," Andria told Charlie with a beautiful smile on her face.
"Renesmee told me you are a ballerina," Charlie commented after a couple bites of food.
Andria laughed softly, but her nerves were gone. This was her, etiquette classes, and ballet was her element. She could do this and she knew it. She wanted Charlie to like her. "I am. I prefer the title of dancer since I don't just dance ballet, but it's the term everyone uses."
"She's very talented, a natural," I interjected. I had not said a word the entire time, only observed which was a little strange.
She's different from Bella; Bella could never talk with a stranger like this. She's seems like a sweetheart, though. She more confident than Bella ever was.
Charlie's thoughts made my heart clench. Did he like Andria? I saw hope… maybe this wasn't a bad idea.
I studied Andria. Charlie was correct; Andria had always been confident. She had been confident the first day she walked into my house with those pictures for Esme. She had been confident when she had boldly not worn panties to bed one night, and when she walked out of her closet and to me with the most playful and sensual smile gracing her lips.
I loved the similarities Andria shared with Bella – kindness, compassion, love, the love of literature and music. But it was Andria's differences that I loved the most – her grace, her accent, her adventurousness, but most of all… her confidence.
I had always found Andria's confidence the most alluring trait. I was proud of her for her poise. I again had the urge to show everyone that Andria was mine and I stifled the strong desire to mark Andria.
I listened as Charlie complimented Andria's cooking instead.
"You are a very good cook, Andria. Dinner is wonderful."
He was still very nervous around her. She was, after all, replacing Bella in my life… in his eyes. Andria and I knew better; she wasn't replacing anyone.
"Thank you, Charlie, but it isn't very hard to mess up a roast." She did not want to sound overly confident.
"Once again she is not admitting to her full talent," I interjected. "Charlie, Andria is a wonderful cook, just like Bella was."
I regretted the words the moment they fell from my lips. I had never compared Andria to Bella verbally in front of Andria before. I looked to her, expecting her to be furious. Instead, I was met with a tearful and knowing hint of a smile.
"From what I've heard, that can't possibly be true. Bella taught herself to cook, I learned from my grandmother. It takes an immense amount of talent and patients to teach yourself to cook."
Andria shocked the hell out of me. Her response had not been what I expected, but I was amazed and more in love with her than ever. Maybe she was okay with knowing part of me still loved Bella. Then, she probably always had been okay with the knowledge.
Charlie smiled at her proudly. "I'd have to say I think you would be right."
She's very sincere. I think I really like her... Bella would have liked her.
Charlie's thoughts once again produced a strong reaction within me. My heart swelled with pride. My father-in-law thought Bella would like Andria. I felt on top of the world.
Dinner went on easily from that point on. Charlie and I both relaxed and Andria told Charlie about growing up in the South and in Lake Tahoe. Charlie hung on her every word about Travis and her going fishing for catfish as big as a man's forearm. Charlie told her a story about Bella going fishing with him when she was a little girl.
It seemed easy for Charlie and Andria to talk. They had something mutual to talk about –the loss of a dear loved one. It seemed strange for me to chime in, the husband of Charlie's daughter and Andria's boyfriend, so I stayed quiet and let the two of them interact.
I was eager to watch Andria with Charlie anyway. She lived up to my every expectation and more. Charlie talked more openly with Andria than any other person he had just met. Andria never let an awkward silence fall between her and Charlie.
Andria may have had problems communicating in front of large groups of people, but her sweet Southern charm came through full force as she talked amiably with Charlie for almost an entire two hours.
"Charlie, it was so nice to you meet you," Andria said to Charlie as I opened the front door for him – his hands were full with the large container of left-over's Andria was sending home with him.
He was very grateful that she had packed him dinner for two more nights, with reheating instructions written on the lid of the plastic container.
"You too, Andria. Edward, don't be a stranger. You either, Andria. I expect to see her with you when I see you, Edward," Charlie warned before he smiled at both of us and bid us goodnight.
I smiled at Charlie's last thoughts, That girl is perfect for him, exactly what Bella would have wanted for him. Someone to make him smile more.
I waited until Charlie had made it to his car and was driving away before I shut the door. "You never cease to amaze me," I admitted to Andria as I grabbed her around her hips and pressed her against the door.
She automatically wrapped her legs around my waist, giving me access to run my hands along her jean clad legs. "I love the way you respond to me," I whispered in her ear.
Andria whimpered and then groaned when Alice danced into the room, her cheerful giggle interrupting our intimate moment against the front door.
Andria unwrapped her legs from my waist and frowned. Jasper, who had been waiting for Andria to be less inappropriately wrapped around me to come into the room, appeared beside Alice.
"Ready to go?" Alice asked, holding Andria's overnight bag and dancing on her tiptoes. This house is decorated like a dancer's paradise. Edward, your house must be like this.
I raised my eyebrow at Alice when she shot me with a quick glance. This house is too small, Andria wants a child… remember… one bedroom house is not going to work. Plus, that attic she calls a studio just will not do. She needs something large, well lit…
I attempted to tune out Alice's thoughts as she planned out mine and Andria's future house.
Andria grumbled something about I needed to hunt anyway and how we were getting back to the house.
"I'm driving of course," I said. "I will leave to go hunt after I drop you safely at the house."
Alice shook her head. "Nope, hand over the keys. You should hunt from here; it will be better. I'll drive Andria back to the house. Jasper, you should go with you Edward. I want to talk to Andria about some girl stuff."
I looked at Andria who just shrugged her shoulders. "I'm okay, if you are," she admitted to me.
I reached out and pulled Andria against my chest. "I won't be long," I said as I leaned down to kiss her goodbye.
Her mouth was eager against mine and I moaned softly. "Andria," I whispered hoarsely. "Don't, Darling… I won't be able to stop."
She laughed softly against my lips but stepped back a little.
I walked with her out to my car and kissed her goodbye one last time before Jasper and I headed off into the woods, and Andria was left with my sister, who had something up her sleeve.