Disclaimer - All recognisable characters belong to their original owners. I do not make a profit from writing this; I simply do it for my own amusement. No copyright infringement intended.


Chapter Twenty Nine

Bella

After the attack at the restaurant, it was decided that it was best for us all to congregate at our house, humans and vampires alike (with a shifter and a valkyrie thrown in). We briefly stopped at Esme's so she could get some supplies for Ethan before we headed home. After the attack Jake had let Tyler know we were shutting for the rest of the day – he didn't want to risk more coming back and anybody else being hurt. The restaurant had sustained some damage, but nothing that Jake couldn't fix himself.

"Come on in," Rose said as she unlocked the front door and led Esme inside, instructing her she could have her bedroom and Jake could have the spare; she'd sleep with me tonight.

Not long after the sun had set, the vampires began arriving. Carlisle, Edward and Nessie came first, Nessie sporting a slit limp from a run in with a were (Jake was hovering over her, almost like a mother hen). Emmett and Jasper arrived next, Jasper swaggering his way into the house whilst Emmett held back and he and Rose seemed to have some sort of unspoken conversation.

I wasn't really paying attention to anything that was going on around me until Edward gently touched my elbow, his cold hands bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Can we talk?" he asked me timidly. I nodded and we headed upstairs into my bedroom.

Apprehensively I sat on the bed as Edward wandered around the room, looking for somewhere to sit until I patted the bed next to me.

We were both silent. I was watching Edward, looking at every inch of him and wondering how we got here. His pale strong hands which I had loved on my body were the same hands that had pinned me down as he had tried to kill me. His lips which had loved me were the same ones that had almost drained me dry. And his eyes, his eyes that had held so much love in them, were now shrouded with regret and remorse.

"I am truly sorry for what happened," Edward began, his voice breaking the silence. "I never meant to hurt you. I wouldn't hurt you on purpose ever." His eyes began to water and his hands began to tremble. Reaching out, I placed my hand on his to try and comfort him, but his hands just seem to shake more.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he whispered, red tears now falling down his face freely. My heart ached for him.

I used one hand to tilt his chin up so he was facing me. "You really hurt me. Physically and emotionally." More tears fell from his eyes and stained his alabaster skin. "I can't forgive that in twenty-four hours." Edward nodded. "I need time to forgive you." He nodded again. "I still love you."

That sentence seemed to give Edward a spark of hope as he eyes glinted with something before a small smile appeared on his face.

"I still love you too."

Despite how badly Edward had hurt me, there was still a part of me that loved him, that liked hearing him say that. It was this part of me that prompted me to move forward and brush my lips against his. Edward seemed shocked by this for a few seconds before he leaned forward and kissed my lips. It wasn't passionate. It was loving. It was a promise – a promise that somehow, someway we would find our way back to each other. I wasn't quite ready yet, but someday I hoped I would be.

Edward broke the kiss, gently pulling away as our eyes opened. "There's something I have to tell you..."

"Sorry to interrupt," Rose said, coming into the room. "But Esme wants to know if pasta is alright for dinner?" She looked between us as we pulled away, my face red from the blood rushing to my cheeks and Edward's red from the tears he had been crying.

"Tell Esme she doesn't have to cook," I responded. I moved away from Edward slightly.

Rose shook her head. "She wants to, even shooed me out the kitchen!" I giggled at the image.

Are you alright? she asked.

I'm fine, I reassured her.

With that Rose left the room, leaving Edward and I alone once more.

"What were you saying?" I asked, turning to Edward.

He opened his mouth and then closed it, a smile settling over his face. "It doesn't matter."


Downstairs

Esme was in the kitchen having left Ethan in the capable care of Nessie whilst she got dinner ready. Rose had stuck her head around the door and said that pasta was fine. She offered to help but Esme had waved her off. She enjoyed cooking, it relaxed her.

"Need any help?" a voice asked from behind. Esme smiled, his voice was only part of what made him so attractive.

"Can you even cook?" she asked, turning and raising her brow at Carlisle. He gave a chuckle.

"I can take direction very well."

Esme giggled. "Alright then. Chop these tomatoes up please," she instructed, watching as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, her heart skipping a beat.

Carlisle came and stood next to Esme, picking up a knife and chopping the tomatoes just as Esme had instructed.

Together they worked side by side in companionable silence, each one enjoying the company of the other. After preparing the ingredients, Esme put the sauce and the pasta into one large pot, placing it on the stove as she waited for it to cook.

She turned to Carlisle. "Not bad for someone who hasn't eaten food in over two thousand years."

Carlisle smiled at her praised. "Well, I couldn't have done it without your instruction."

Silence fell between them, but not for long. "How are you? After what happened at Aro's mansion?"

Esme's hand reached up and her fingertips touched her neck. The bruising was gone but only because of Carlisle's blood.

"I'm alright," Esme told him, and she was. The encounter with Edward had scared her – it would have scared anyone – but she knew it wouldn't have done it if he were in control. "I don't think Bella is though..."

A wistful look crossed Carlisle's face. He knew Esme was right. The attack had affected Bella badly, everyone could see that, but Carlisle knew how much Edward loved Bella and he also knew that Edward would never intentionally hurt her.

When Carlisle didn't respond, Esme knew he was worried about Edward so she reached out a hand to rest on his crossed arms.

"They'll work it out," she tried to reassure him. Carlisle looked down at Esme's hand on his arm, savouring the warmth it brought to him. Without thinking, he rested his hand on hers and gave her a smile, thinking about how right it felt to have her with him.

Carlisle raised his blue eyes to look at Esme and he was overcome with emotion. He remembered her as a young girl having just fallen out of a tree and how beautiful she looked then, but now, now she was radiant. She was kind and beautiful and she made him feel things he had not felt before. He'd had partners over the course of his long life, but none of them had ever felt permanent – with Esme, he could see a future.

Esme stepped closer to Carlisle, her eyes never leaving his face as the air crackled between them. Carlisle unfolded his arms and tangled his fingers with Esme's, pulling her even closer, his thumbs brushing over the soft skin of her hands.

Esme smiled as she gazed up at Carlisle's face. He was so handsome.

Carlisle continued to look down at Esme, part of him wanting to kiss her, and the other part of him not wanting to break the connection they had.

Esme, tired of waiting, made the first move. She rose up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips gently into Carlisle's, leaning into him as she threw herself into the experience. His lips were soft and full and made her dizzy. Carlisle leaned into the kiss, pressing his body back into hers.

Carlisle would have been happy to stay like that for the rest of his life; Esme's lips on his and her in his arms – it was perfect.


In the Living Room

Jake sat across from Nessie watching as she giggled and cooed at the little baby currently sat on the floor. Ethan was rolling around and 'playing' with his toys – he was pushing them from one hand to the other, but he found it entertaining enough.

His eyes drifted to Nessie's leg where her jeans currently hid her injury. She'd shown him when she came up where the were had bitten her (at his insistence of course). Carlisle was sure she'd make a full recovery but that didn't stop Jake worrying, whilst also wanting to kill the were that had hurt her.

"Stop worrying," Nessie told him, "I'm fine." She looked at Jake through her lashes. "How's the restaurant?"

Jake snorted. "Nothing I can't fix myself – it may mean that we open later tomorrow, but it's better than anyone getting hurt."

"I'm glad you weren't hurt," Nessie whispered, choosing to focus her eyes on Ethan. "I don't like the idea of you being hurt."

"I don't like the idea of you being hurt," Jake retorted, a blush blooming over Nessie's face when she heard.

Sensing they were walking into dangerous territory, and territory that Nessie wasn't ready to venture into, Jake changed the subject.

"Tell me about you – anything," Jake demanded.

Nessie looked at Jake for a second, his request surprising her. No one had ever really wanted to get to know her, Edward and Carlisle had asked her questions, and she got to know Bella and Rose, but apart from that, very few people had taken an interest in her. To the outside world, she had just been the kid with no parents. A title she didn't really like.

Nessie gave Jake a smile before she began to tell him about her life. She didn't have any memories of her life before the orphanage but she had plenty of growing up there. Nessie told Jake about having to share a room her entire life, and how she was the only occupant who never changed – all the other girls seemed to come and go, but Nessie never did. She told Jake about how the members of staff had tried to make it feel like a home, putting pictures up and adding personal touches to her bedroom, but it always felt like something was missing.

As she talked, Jake listened, and couldn't help but think she deserved more. She deserved a home with loving parents, a bedroom just to herself, and someone to love her. Jake wanted to be that person.


Rose's Bedroom

After Rose had walked in on Bella and Edward and informed Esme that pasta sounded lovely, she crept into her bedroom to grab some things for tonight before Esme and Ethan went to bed. She had passed Emmett on the way, their eyes meeting before he followed her into the room.

Rose went over to her drawers as Emmett entered and silently shut the door behind him.

"We need to talk about what happened."

"There's nothing to talk about," Rose defiantly informed him. She didn't want to talk about. She didn't want to think about it because if she thought about it, she'd have to admit how nice it felt, and how wonderful it was to be held and kissed by him.

"You enjoyed that kiss we shared, Rose. You can try and deny it, but I can feel everything you feel, so I know you did." His words made Rose pause as she pulled a pair of pyjamas out the drawer. "I refuse to deny what happened, and I certainly won't let you deny what happened."

Rose turned, ready to berate Emmett, but when she turned around, he appeared in front of her, his hands taking her pyjamas and throwing them down on her bed. Rose was too stunned to speak.

Emmett raised his large hands and cradled her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks as he stared deeply into her eyes. "Don't fight me," he whispered.

Rose parted her lips as her hands came up and wrapped around Emmett's wrist, but not to stop him. She looked into his eyes and couldn't find the strength to push him away. She didn't want to.

"I won't," Rose responded. That was all Emmett needed to hear before he closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers.

Torture. It was torture, in the sweetest way. Emmett and Rose kissed, lost in the feeling of one another. Their lips slanted over each other as they both moved closer.

They kissed for what could have been an eternity, or what could have been seconds, neither one of them knew. All they knew was that this... this moment right here was bliss.

Gasping for breath, Rose pulled away, her hands pressing into Emmett's chest as she put some distance between them.

Emmett pulled his hands from her face as she caught her breath. He could have carried on kissing her for hours.

When Rose had focused once more, she looked Emmett straight in the eye, they had business to discuss.

"Tell me honestly - will Aro ever stop?"

Emmett didn't answer right away. He didn't know how to. What was he supposed to say? He'll stop when you're dead... because after escaping, Emmett knew Aro would be out for revenge. Emmett couldn't even fight Aro himself, he was older and so stronger than him.

"They'll only be one thing on his mind," Emmett told Rose. "Aro never loses."

Rose took a moment to consider his words. "What if we make him lose?"

The large vampire's brow furrowed. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"With your help."


The Next Morning

Swan/Hale Residence

Bella awoke the next morning to an empty bed. She sat up and strained my ears to hear, listening for movement. Eventually, she heard the faint sound of footsteps downstairs so got out of bed and went in search of Rose.

Once she was downstairs, she saw sunlight streaming into the living room so deduced that in all likelihood, the vampires had already left.

Walking into the kitchen, Bella called out to her cousin, "Morning."

"Morning," Rose called back, a cup in her hand as she stared out of the window. "Jake and the others have all gone." She took a sip from her cup. "He said not to worry about coming into work today, he's not sure how long the repairs are going to take – and he's wary about opening again in case of more attacks."

Bella nodded her head, understanding the reason behind Jake's reluctance. She didn't mind having the extra day off.

Rose was glad she had the time off, but not for the same reasons as Bella; she had to go and see a vampire about something, and she didn't want Jake or anyone else finding out.

Rose's quiet demeanour didn't escape Bella's attention, "Are you alright?"

The blonde gave her cousin a smile, "I'm fine." Thinking quickly she pulled her shield up, rendering her mind quiet. That didn't escape Bella's notice either, but she decided not to say anything; people were allowed their privacy, and they had all been through a lot recently. Although Bella did get the feeling that Rose was withholding something from her, she just wasn't sure what.

Leaving her cousin to her thoughts, Bella sat at the table and thought about what had transpired between Edward and her last night. She was completely honest when she had told him she still loved him, but she wasn't sure how to forgive him just yet. Part of her wanted to just shrug it off and tell Edward she was sorry for overreacting, but another part of her felt wronged. Internally she was confused, and she knew she still didn't fully trust him.

"I'm going out," Rose mumbled, finishing her drink and putting her cup into the dishwasher. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Where are you going?" Bella asked, turning her body to face her cousin.

"Into town," Rose replied, not looking Bella in the eye. She hated lying to her, but this was something she needed to do on her own. Bella wanted to ask her more questions, but something told her not to push it.

"Alright," Bella acknowledge. "Stay safe."

Rose left shortly after that, grateful that Bella wasn't pushing things. She grabbed her phone and got in her truck, turning the engine over as she began to drive to Port Angeles.

The drive passed far too quickly for her liking and before she knew it, she was pulling into the parking lot of Fangtasia. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself before getting out of her car and heading to the front door. Opening it, she headed inside, the darkness of the club a contrast to the bright sunlight outside.

"Morning Rosie," Emmett bellowed jovially as he came out the back. He hadn't been home at all. He had a quick shower at the club, changed his clothes and then waited for her to come. They'd made arrangements to meet here last night, Rose had been very cryptic, and Emmett had been achieved. And he was also hoping more kissing would be involved. "You want to tell me what this is all about?"

Rose had a plan, a plan she had thought about all night. A plan she was sure would. "We're going to kill Aro."


Thank-you for reading.