A.N: I know, I broke mY dailyupdating streak. But you guys seriously ended to review more. In the next two chapters I am aiming to get to three hundred reviews. If we don't I'll be a sad puppy which equals less frequent updating.

I took some of your romance requests into mind - hope this pleases you enough to leave a nice review for soapy :)

Aim- 13 reviews!

Onwards!

Chapter 25 – Shopping with Alice

I wasn't entirely sure how I'd ended up agreeing to go shopping with Alice, the perfect definition of a shopaholic. The idea of going shopping with her before today was all but terrifying – of course, it wasn't quite as bad knowing that Edward would be subjected to the torture alongside me. But I was still a little… nervous?

A cold hand on my arm caused my eyes to fly open in surprise. I'd been lying in my bed with my eyes squeezed tightly closed; silently praying that Alice would forget about my promise and allow me to enjoy my Saturday morning in peace.

"Leah!" Alice called, far too chirpy for eight o'clock on a Saturday morning. I groaned in response, tried to turn over and bury my head underneath the pillows.

"I don't think she wants to wake up," I heard Edward say from the doorway, a low chuckle meeting my ears.

"Well she's going to have to. She promised that she'd come shopping with me today," Alice replied, sounding grumpy.

A second later, the duvet was pulled back from my body, a wave of freezing air meeting my naturally hot skin. Goosebumps erupted along my arms and back; I curled myself into a ball, trying to find some warmth.

Edward's laughter seemed very loud.

"Come on now Leah, it's not that bad," he whispered. I felt his cool breath on my ear, causing more goosebumps to appear on my torso. I let out a growl as he laughed louder, squeezed my eyes tighter.

"You promised," a small voice said. I could hear the pout in Alice's voice, and though it didn't work on me, I sighed in defeat.

In spite of it all, I had promised Alice that I'd go shopping with her today. And I wasn't going to break my promise because it was a little earlier than I'd expected. Granted, I didn't even want to go shopping, but Alice was obviously desperate to.

"Alright, I'm up," I groaned, my voice thick with sleep. I pulled myself up, grabbed the duvet and wrenched it from Edward's grip. He let go immediately to stop the fabric tearing.

Edward smirked at me, obviously noticing the bags under my eyes and enjoying the grumpy expression on my face.

"I'll get you a cuppa!" Alice called, skipping out of the room. She was more than thrilled about our shopping trip.

"You don't have bags under your eyes," Edward said. I raised my eyebrows at him sceptically. "I don't lie to you, Ms. Clearwater. You do have morning breath, yes. But you don't have bags under your eyes. Actually, considering it's so early on a Saturday, you look quite good."

I rolled my eyes at Edward's equivalent of a compliment. He grinned wryly at my thought.

"When did you stop caring about me reading your mind?" Edward asked curiously. "I didn't actually notice."

I shrugged. "I guess you can't tune it out. I accept that."

"What if I was listening to you on purpose?" he arched an eyebrow curiously.

"Then you'd be a dickhead."

We both laughed, silence filled the room. Edward's smile seemed to drop from his face as he heard somebody's thoughts. His eyes became incredibly pained and he looked at me with fear in his eyes, mouthing 'help!' desperately.

I was about to ask what was wrong when the door burst open and Alice rushed over to me, placed down the cup of tea on the nightstand. It was filled to the brim, yet despite her speed not a droplet of the liquid had left the cup. I was silently impressed.

"Edward! We need somebody to hold our clothes while we're trying things on. Congratulations, you're coming shopping with us," Alice said in a rush, smiling broadly as she finished her sentence. "Leah, when you're dressed, I'll meet you downstairs."

"Alice –"

"I replaced the green hair dye with actual shampoo," Alice added.

Edward opened his mouth, trying to speak.

"Alice –"

"Esme's making pancakes, see you downstairs!" she waved an exited the room quickly. I was impressed at her tactics for ignoring Edward. He stuck his tongue out like a child when I thought this.

"Looks like you're the official bag carrier," I smirked. "See you downstairs, bag boy."

I moved towards the bathroom quickly, grabbing my clothes from the nightstand and shutting the door behind me before Edward could say another word.

XxXxXxX

I found my mood deteriorating dramatically as I walked towards the kitchen. My favourite jeans had mysteriously vanished the day before, and I'd found them at the bottom of my wardrobe, torn to bits. Apparently somebody had been hacking away at them with a pair of scissors.

Oh, and I was going shopping today.

I walked into the kitchen, took in the scene. Emmett was sat on one of the bar stools behind the kitchen island. Esme was standing before the oven, holding a frying pan in one hand. I could smell the pancakes from the bathroom – they were going to taste delicious.

"Morning dear," Esme said, flipping the pancakes perfectly. She caught them with the frying pan, placed them back on the hob.

"Morning Esme," I replied, taking a seat at the island beside Emmett. He was examining a Rubix Cube, brow scrunched in thought as he turned it in his hands, apparently trying to work out the quickest solution.

"Morning Emmy," I said.

"Hi Leah," he smiled goofily, looking up from his Rubix Cube for a second before he returned his attention to it, turning it in his hands again.

"How's the Rubix Cube going?" I asked curiously.

"Okay," he replied.

"Really?" I asked sceptically. The thing was nowhere near completed – it didn't look as if he'd turned it at all.

"No," he sighed grudgingly. I sniggered, highly amused at the expression on his face. He managed to look like a pouting, whining child with no effort at all.

"Stop laughing at me!" he whined, only adding to the impression. "It's not my fault that my mind isn't logical. Don't be a meanie."

I stopped laughing as Esme placed a plate stacked with pancakes before me. I licked my lips, dug into the food with enthusiasm.

"So," the Rubix Cube had apparently disappeared. "You're going shopping with Alice today."

"Yep," I replied.

"You gonna get lots of dresses to impress Eddie Boy?" he asked. "Or maybe something else…"

I knew what he was suggesting without the waggling of his eyebrows, the sly wink. He was such a pervert.

"Maybe something to really get Eddie excited…"

I chewed my pancake hard, swallowed painfully. Trying to ignore Emmett's taunting was impossible.

"Maybe something from a certain shop…" he trailed off again, obviously baiting.

I closed my eyes, ground my teeth.

"Lingerie."

The urge to hit him was almost unstoppable. I ground my teeth, fought to prevent myself phasing out of anger. That hadn't happened to me since my first month as a wolf – I wasn't going to break that now.

Edward entered the room, mouth a thin line. He walked up to Emmett – calmly – and proceeded to hit him across the face with all the force he could. Emmett's head flew back, the sound of the blow echoing around the room. I heard a cracking sound – his neck under the strain. Obviously it wouldn't kill him, being hit in the face. But it probably wasn't exactly a nice sensation either.

"Hey!" Emmett said angrily, adjusting his head back into place. I repressed a shudder at the sight.

"Thanks Eddie," I told him.

"It wasn't for you," he replied. "Your mind has been screaming at me for the past thirty seconds to hit him in the face. It was more for my own relief than for yours."

I stood up, proceeded to hit Edward in the face as a thanks.

He winced, rubbed his jaw and hastily retreated from the room. Esme smirked from where she was scrubbing the frying pan, smiled at me and resumed her work. She didn't normally appreciate violence between her children – which was why I didn't like to hit Emmett in her presence – but apparently she was going to let this one slide.

Alice bounced into the room eagerly, a beaming smile plastered onto her face. She skipped to the kitchen's island, sat down beside me and then began to rant about our shopping trip.

"…We're going to get new clothes, underwear, dresses…"

"…Maybe some makeup…"

"…It's going to be so much fun!" she gushed.

I was beginning to regret my promise about going shopping with her.

XxXxXxX

"I'm hungry," I whispered, my stomach gurgling. It was half twelve – my usual lunch time.

"She won't let you leave," Edward whispered in response.

"I know," I replied, again whispering.

"Leah!" Alice sang from somewhere in front of us. She appeared in front of us, shoved a pile of clothing into my hands. "Go and try these on, quickly!"

"Can't you already see the outcome?" I asked wearily.

"Yup! But it's no fun to just buy things," she replied cheerfully, pushing me in the direction of the changing rooms. She shoved me into one of the stalls, pulled the curtain. I heard her light footsteps retreating back into the shop.

"Are you dressed?" a voice hissed. Edward, of course.

"Yes," I replied, also in a whisper.

The curtain was hastily drawn back. Edward smiled at me, eyes twinkling in amusement. He took the clothes that had been loaded into my arms, placed them on the bench at the back of the changing room. Then, he winked at me.

He looked ridiculous with all the bags hanging from his arms.

"Run," he whispered.

We tiptoed quickly across the shop, both of us looking around warily, half expecting Alice to jump out of nowhere and drag us both back to the changing rooms.

"Leah!" I heard her call from the direction of the changing rooms.

"Shit," I whispered, speeding up.

"She's coming," Edward hissed. He looked around frantically, before grabbing my hand with his own stone cold one, gently squeezing it before taking off at top speed. My legs fell into a pattern with his own, we sprinted across the shop and out of the door.

The adrenaline rush was still pulsing through my body as we vacated the shop. The mall was busy, filled with people. We hastily dived into the crowd and began to blend in, making our way towards the food court in the centre of the mall.

It was only at this point that I really realised. Edward's cool hand was still clutching mine, as if I was supporting him in some way. His grip was firm, not tight enough to crush fingers, but tight enough to feel like he didn't fear breaking me.

The mixture of our temperature, cold meets hot, fire meets ice, seemed almost unnatural. Yet it was strangely right – the sensation of him, the feel of his cool yet somehow soft skin.

"You have nice skin," I almost clapped a hand to my mouth when I blurted this out.

"Thank you," Edward replied, smirking. "I thought the temperature would repulse you."

"No," I replied. I wasn't sure what else to say.

A pause. Our hands remained intertwined.

"We should hold hands more," Edward told me.

"Maybe," I agreed lightly.

We walked into the food court together, still holding hands. It seemed that our personal boundaries had suddenly collapsed a little more – we were comfortable with physical contact now.

"McDonalds?" Edward asked of me.

"I don't know," I replied hesitantly. I didn't want to make a habit of eating from McDonalds. Their food wasn't exactly good for you.

"Well, what about there?" he asked, nodding his head towards another restaurant. Frankie and Bennie's, the sign read. It seemed to be a formal restaurant, yet relaxed at the same time. I nodded enthusiastically upon smelling the pizza.

Edward beamed.

We marched into the restaurant, still holding hands. The feel of his hand was unfamiliar, a little uncomfortable at first. Now, though, I was enjoying the cool temperature. I ran my thumb over the back of his hand gently, surprised at the texture. It was smooth, incredibly so – not boasting sandstone like quality as I'd always imagined. I expected vampires to have strong skin, yes, but with a grainy, dusty feel to them.

"Good evening, sir and madam," the waiter said. He was late twenties with light blonde hair and a friendly smile. "A table for two, is it?"

"Please," Edward replied.

The waiter, whose nametag read 'Jim' took us through the restaurant, right to the very back in a corner booth. The chatter that echoed around us was strangely comforting.

As we approached the table, Edward's grip on my hand vanished – suddenly I was holding nothing but air. The absence of his cool skin was like a bucket of freezing water being thrown in my face.

I sat down first, my back facing the wall. Edward slid into the booth opposite me. The waiter placed down menus in front of us.

"Would sir and madam like to order drinks?" the waiter asked.

"Can I get a water, please," Edward said at once.

"Of course," the waiter replied. "And…"

"Another water, please."

The waiter nodded, hastily disappeared to get us our drinks. Edward smiled at me, quirked an eyebrow.

"What's on your mind, Ed?" I asked curiously. He only ever pulled that expression if he wanted to ask something.

"You… enjoyed? Holding my hand?" he asked, sounding more than just a little confused.

I felt blood rushing to my cheeks.

"I liked the cool temperature. I've been warm for so long now," I said in a rush. I prayed I hadn't answered too quickly.

Edward nodded though, seemed appeased.

"What's going to happen with Alice?" I asked, changing the subject.

Almost immediately after I'd spoken, my phone rang in my pocket. Tensing visibly, I pulled out my phone and looked fearfully at the screen. There was a message from her.

Sender: Alice

Message: I know where you are! You can't hide forever!

A second later, Edward's phone rang. He pulled out the JCB Tough Phone – Emmett's Christmas Present – and looked at the screen.

His face twisted into some unknown emotion. Then, he slipped the phone into his pocket without another word.

"She's found us," we both said at the same time, before smiling widely.

"She'll probably meet us outside. Drag us into Prada, or Gucci or some other hideously expensive designer clothing shop," I mused aloud.

Edward nodded in agreement.

"How long is she planning on keeping us here?" I asked.

"Until the mall closes," Edward replied. "But if you can last two more hours, I'll be able to get you out of here."

I grinned, nodded.

"I guess I'll survive."

The food was lovely. The thin crust pizza was cooked to perfection, and the desert was amazing too. I'd decided that Frankie and Bennie's could rival McDonalds as my favourite restaurant. It was definitely a place to remember.

Edward ate, too. God knows why – he seemed to enjoy the experience, but not the food. Every so often, his emotionless façade would slip and he'd grimace at the 'repulsive' taste of human food.

We left the restaurant after leaving a generous tip for the waiter, both of us discussing Jimi Hendrix animatedly.

My voice died in my throat as I looked straight into the eyes of a very angry little pixie.

XxXxXxX

"That's the one!" Alice exclaimed enthusiastically, pointing wildly at the shirt that I wore. It was white with a skeleton holding an original Gibson Les Paul in its hands. I wasn't sure what to think of her choice in clothing.

"Are you sure?" I asked sceptically.

"Perfectly sure!" Alice beamed. "Don't you like it?"

"I prefer that one," I admitted, pointing towards the rack. It was another white shirt, plainer in colour with large black lettering across the front that read – Bite Me.

Alice grinned.

"Let's get both!" she said enthusiastically, pulling the shirt from the rack. She tossed both clothing items onto Edward, who pouted visibly and glanced obviously at his watch.

It had been one hour and fifty three minutes since our meal in Frankie and Bennie's; which meant that I only had to endure Alice's hyperactive tendencies for seven more minutes.

"Why don't we get you a dress?" Alice seemed to be speaking to herself. She beamed widely, grabbed my arm. "Come on Leah!"

She pulled me through the shop to the very back. It was badly lit, apparently not a very popular section. I immediately knew why when I saw one of the price tags on the dresses.

"Hmm," Alice mused to herself. "Not green. Or orange, or pink. Blue's unlikely."

She began to dig around in the racks. I glanced at my watch carefully.

Four minutes.

"Leah, do you want to try this one on?" Alice pulled out a short purple dress. It was dark coloured, it'd probably just skim my knees if I tried it on.

I glanced at the watch. Three minutes.

I looked across at Edward, whose head lowered the slightest amount. I smiled at Alice and took the dress from her, moving back into the shop towards the changing rooms.

Another glance at my watch. Two minutes.

I looked at the dress, half longing for it. But I knew if I stayed now, I'd have to stay at the mall for another five hours or so. It wasn't worth it.

One minute.

I gently placed the dress on the closest rack to me, continued walking steadily towards the exit.

The alarm on my watch beeped twice, before shutting off. A second later, my phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out, read the text quickly.

Sender: Edward

Message: Run.

I moved quickly towards the exit, the door was in sight. I heard a couple of cries of alarm from behind me but I didn't look up, just increased my speed. I heard the sound of Alice's high voice calling both mine and Edward's names. She was close. I ducked down into a rack of clothing, silently prayed she wouldn't notice me.

She went past. I was more than a little shocked – Vampires were supposed to have super enhanced senses.

A cold hand wrapped around my wrist.

The urge to scream was unstoppable – but before I could make a sound a hand was clamped over my mouth and a low throaty voice hissed frantically in my ear.

"It's me! Come on," Edward whispered, taking my hand in his own.

I relaxed almost instantly.

"Where is she?" I hissed.

Edward stood up a little, his head popping out of the top of the clothing racks. It was definitely a funny sight to see. A second later, he hastily ducked down.

"She's just left the shop. I made a false trail leading out into the crowd. We need a couple more minutes before we can leave," Edward whispered.

We both relaxed, sighed in relief and leaned into the clothing.

A second later, our peace was shattered as a shop assistant pulled back the clothing rack and saw us both sat there, holding hands.

XxXxXxXxX

"Is it clear?" I whispered, feeling a bit ridiculous as I leaned around Edward's body. We'd both stuck out heads around the shop's door to see whether or not it was an Alice-Free-Zone.

"Yep."

We hesitantly made our way out of the shop.

"Oh shoot," Edward cursed.

"What?" I asked, straining my ears. It was difficult to hear when there was so much background noise. After a couple of moments, I picked out the sound of gentle footsteps that were quickly approaching us.

"Quick," Edward said, grabbing my arm. He proceeded to pull me into the nearest shop, which just happened to be Victoria's Secret.

JEEZ!

Edward ignored the lingerie around us, pulled me further into the shop. I found myself cringing violently as he dragged me past the leopard print thongs.

"What are we doing in here?" I hissed angrily.

"There's a back exit," he replied.

We passed two shop assistants, who averted their eyes hastily when they saw Edward dragging me through the shop. I immediately found myself blushing, wrenched myself from his grip.

"I can walk," I hissed.

"My apologies," Edward continued through the shop at top speed. We finally stopped at a back window. Edward quickly typed in a code on a security pad. A second later, the window – which was actually a door, apparently – slid open.

We slipped out.

"Where now?" I asked, looking around. We were in the parking lot. I could just make out Alice's yellow Porsche in the distance.

"I thought we could go that way," Edward gestured towards the main road.

I rolled my eyes.

"No car?"

"Nope."

"Can't we get a cab?"

"In Seattle?"

"Ugh. Okay."

We began to walk away from the parking lot, towards the main road.

"There's a forest about two miles away. Want to see who can get there first?"

I grinned at Edward. He smirked in return.

"You're on."

XxXxXxXxX

A.N; Now you review! 13 remember!

Much love!