Disclaimer: Not mine; no copyright infringement intended.
Sorry for the wait. I had it rolling around in my head, but I didn't have the actual time to type it out. Hope it's worth it!
For those of you that have wanted a longer chapter, you get your wish here.
Thank you my wonderful beta!
EPOV
"Keep your feet firmly planted to the Earth."
"I look like an idiot." Rosalie is unhappy.
"This position is called the Downward Facing Dog." Renee is showing Rosalie yoga in the living room. You can imagine how unthrilled Rosalie is.
"Yoga is great relaxation, Rosalie," Renee says evenly, comfortable in Rosalie's glowering presence. "You're so very tense."
"I'll show that crazy hippie tense."
I chuckle and head for the stairs to check on Bella. I'll be saving Rosalie soon. I need to drive Renee to the school to sign some paperwork for a home tutor for Bella before she leaves tomorrow. When I arrive outside my door, I hear Jasper and Emmett inside with her. They're watching a documentary on the Civil War. Bella is in the bed, Jasper is sitting next to her and Emmett is splayed across the bottom of the bed reading Sports Illustrated.
"I don't understand." Bella frowns in confusion. "How did the women wear that stuff? Wasn't it totally uncomfortable?"
"Yes," Jasper confirms. "And it weighed quite a bit too. If they fell in a lake while wearing those petticoats and skirts, they'd sink right to the bottom."
Bella looks a little frustrated at him, like she can't decide whether or not to believe him.
"And those corsets weren't the easiest pieces of attire to manipulate either."
"And just how did you need to manipulate them, Jasper?" Emmett asks artlessly, lowering his magazine.
"Shut up," Jasper replies.
"Was someone not so much the Southern Gentleman he leads some to believe?" Emmett continues to needle Jasper who growls at Emmett and Bella chuckles.
"I don't mind, Jasper," she says. "I won't tell Alice."
"If you two must know," Jasper says between his teeth, "as the only brother of two sisters, they made me be the one to lace those bone-crushers up every day because I could pull the laces the tightest. They weren't satisfied unless they were tighter than a drum."
"Yeah, right," Emmett mutters looking back to his magazine.
"You had sisters?" Bella smiles.
"An older one and younger one," Jasper confirms.
"What were their names?"
"Emma was the oldest and Grace was the youngest."
"What did you do before you joined the army?"
"My father had a tobacco plantation," Jasper explains.
"Tobacco in Texas?"
"Tobacco in North Carolina."
"I thought you were from Texas?" Bella frowns.
"I was stationed in Texas. My family had a plantation outside of Raleigh."
"Wow," Bella says softly. "Did they…you know?"
"Did they what?"
"Did your family, you know, own slaves?" She looks uncomfortable asking, but obviously can't help herself. She's always too curious.
"Yes," he laughs.
"Wow," she breathes out again and Emmett chuckles at her astonishment and naiveté. She shoves at his shoulder. "Well what about you?"
"What about me?"
"What about your family?" She asks. "Where are you from? Did you have any brothers or sisters?"
Emmett tosses his magazine aside and looks up at her. "My father was a rum runner during Prohibition. I worked as a bartender in a Speak Easy in New York. My sister was a girl of…loose morals…and when she disappeared mysteriously, I became a boxer and made my money fighting. I was really good and caught the attention of a certain crime family that made a little money off of my fights. After a 'questionable outcome' of a fight, I took off. I was on the lam in Appalachia when Rosalie found me being mauled by a bear. After I was changed, I went back to New York and slaughtered the crime family."
Bella's jaw is dropped open; Jasper is rolling his eyes.
The only part of that that's true is Rosalie finding him while he was being attacked by a bear.
Bella closes her mouth and scrutinizes him closely.
"You made that up," she finally accuses.
"What tipped you off?" he tried to play innocent and she kicked him with her good leg.
"Seriously now."
"I was an only child. We lived in Pittsburgh. My father was a steelworker. When he died in an accident at the yard, my mother and I went to live with my grandparents. I spent a lot of time on my own. That is when Rosalie found me."
That's more like it.
"I can see why you go with the rum runner story." She nods.
"This is what I'm saying," Emmett says, returning to his magazine.
"Are you two annoying my wife?" I demand with a smirk. Said wife smiles up at me.
"What else is there to do?" Emmett mutters.
"I don't know, but you're not doing it here anymore," I shoot back.
"So unfair."
"I want to hear more about Jasper's sisters," Bella complains as Jasper stands up.
"They were precocious, bitchy, spoiled, beautiful, and I miss them every day," Jasper says.
"Yeah, they sound great," Emmett says after a pause.
"Let's go find something to do," Jasper replies rolling his eyes. Instead of leaving through the door to go down to the living room, they hop out the window. They're trying to avoid Renee.
I balance myself easily over Bella, one arm on either side of her and she reaches up and strokes my face. Her touch is amazing and I close my eyes against the fire of it.
"How are you feeling?" I ask.
"Like I'm ready to get out of this bed," she returns.
"Later, when Carlisle is here," I promise. Carlisle is acting as both doctor and physical therapist. While I acknowledge that she needs to move around, I am too nervous to do it without Carlisle's direction…and access to pain reducing medication for her.
"Just for a couple of minutes," she pleads. "What if you just brought me as far as the living room? I won't even try to walk; you can carry me the whole way." She puts a pout on and my restraint is slipping. "You'll make sure I don't exert myself, and I promise not to mope when you leave with Renee. You can bring me back up here."
"Okay," I cave. Is there nothing I won't give this girl?
"I love you so much!" she smiles brightly and pulls on my silent heartstrings.
"Yeah, yeah," I sigh in defeat. She tosses her arms around my neck as I gently slide her into my arms, winding them around her with the protectiveness of a steel cage. She tucks her head under my chin and I smile to myself. One little gesture has made her so happy. When we enter the living room, I see yoga is finished. Rosalie is nowhere in sight and Renee is reading on the couch.
"You're looking well, baby." She smiles at Bella. "How is it that he manages to carry her down the stairs so effortlessly? He doesn't look like he's straining at all." Well, I'll just chalk that up to being 17. There are just some things Renee has noticed.
"I can sit by you at the piano," she suggests hopefully. Ah ha. I see her ploy now.
"You little devil," I murmur.
"You did promise," she counters.
"So, I did."
I settle her down at the piano and Renee's excitement grows. "Bella tells me you're a beautiful pianist, Edward, are you going to play?"
"It would seem so."
I sit down at the piano and Bella leans her head on my shoulder with a sigh. The long-neglected pearl keys shine up at me, but this is not a skill I lose, no matter how long I may be away from it. Claire de Lune falls from my fingers. Bella was expecting her lullaby, I'm sure, but I choose this as a gift to Renee, whose mind goes curiously blank as she listens to one of her favorite pieces. Esme is instantaneously in the living room, her thoughts gushing as they always do when I play. She joins Renee on the couch and my impromptu concert continues.
Bella's arms wrap around my waist and for a minute, I forget all about the two other people in the room with us. This moment in time could not possibly get more perfect. It is just she and I, and I'm playing for her because it is something we both love. I'm peripherally aware of Esme beckoning Renee to the kitchen. They will still be able to hear in there, but Bella and I will have a bit of privacy. It's been too long since we've been truly alone, and we're not now unfortunately, but the attempt was made.
"You'll tell everyone at school that I said hello?" she asks.
"I doubt anyone will really talk to me," I chuckle. "I have no idea what I'm going to do all day."
"Whatever you did before I came along."
"It was boring; I was bored."
"Alice will be with you."
"Alice was bored, too."
"Somehow, you'll survive."
"It won't be any fun," I mutter petulantly under my breath. And it won't be. Nothing is fun without Bella. If she's not with me, there's no point to anything else. What's the point to high school if she's not going to be there? Why bother enduring anything that she's not a direct part of?
"I'll miss you though. Every second." She squeezes me more tightly and presses her face to my shoulder. "Make sure you drive extra fast."
"Well, that's not something you hear every day," I say with a laugh, bringing my song to a close. It is; unfortunately, time to take Renee to the school.
"I will," She insists.
"As will I," I agree, kissing her. I will never tire of the reaction she stirs in me, the consuming hunger and urges spawned from deep within. It's supposed to be many times more powerful than what she would feel. I'll have a bit of explaining to do when she's changed and she discovers I've been holding out on her. I pull away with a slight groan. I know she thinks this is easy for me, but it feels like I'm pulling chains out of concrete, not that that is actually difficult for me, but you understand the comparison.
"Hurry," she whispers. Her wish is always my command.
"Would you like to stay down here while I'm gone?" I offer.
"Yes, please," she smiles.
"All right." I move her to the couch and settle her in with her favorite blanket, handing her the remote control. "You let Esme know if you have any problem at all." She nods. "Any problems," I repeat.
I kiss her with the typical desperation I feel whenever I'm going to be parted from her for any length of time. It always makes me anxious not to be with her. But really, can you blame me? It's not like anything good ever happens while I'm gone. I give her one more kiss on her forehead and escape to the kitchen.
Renee is ready. She calls out a goodbye to Bella and smiles when I open the passenger side door for her.
"So charming; such a gentleman. No wonder he makes Charlie crazy."
It's tough to really control my speed, I do my best, but she thinks I drive too fast anyway. It's lunchtime at the school when we arrive and kids are scattered all over. It's a bit surprising when I'm mobbed as soon as I step out of the car. All girls, of course, gushing with concern for Bella. Alice, who has been back to school for a few days, arches an eyebrow at me.
"Maybe he needs a hug."
"Maybe he'll get tired of waiting for her to get better."
"Maybe he'll be looking for comfort."
"Edward!" Finally, a familiar and actually friendly voice. Angela Weber runs over to Renee and I; Alice is behind her. "How is Bella today?"
"Who cares about Bella?! Maybe he needs a shoulder, or another body part, to cry on."
"She's well, thank you," I reply, looking only at Angela. "Have you met Bella's mother, Renee? Renee, this is Angela Weber."
"Oh yes," Renee gushes hugging Angela. "Bella has told me so much about you!"
Alice walks us to the office where Renee speaks with the principal and I'm the unwilling center of attention. One or two girls seem actually concerned about Bella, but most are only after me. It's incredibly uncomfortable.
Bella has completely softened my image. I went from completely undatable to possibly within reach and that's dangerous, not to mention that it puts me completely out of my comfort zone. But these girls see me differently now. Instead of seeing the carefully constructed ferocious façade, they see the suffering boyfriend.
Finally, Renee emerges from the office with Alice. "Well, isn't he Mr. Popularity?" She studies me carefully. Renee has a way of making me want to squirm. Chief Swan never did that, but Renee often gives me the feeling that I have to explain myself. "He looks very uncomfortable, awkward almost. How a boy that looks like he does could ever be unsure of himself is a mystery, but then again, there are a lot of mysteries to this family."
Great. Just as long as she doesn't ask those questions out loud, I won't be forced to lie. As politely I can, I extricate myself from the swarm of girls and do my best to ignore the disappointed and few vulgar thoughts of comfort. Renee laughs at my obvious discomfort and waves goodbye to Alice and Angela from the car.
She finally breaks the silence.
"You could date any one of them," she notes.
"They hold no interest for me," I say softly, not taking my eyes from the road.
"What is it about Bella?"
"Everything," I answer honestly. I can lie better than Bella can, but I respectfully try and keep my answers as close to the truth as possible. Renee did bring Bella into the world, so I will always be grateful to her.
"She wasn't this popular in Phoenix."
"That's what she says." I'm interested to see where this conversation goes. Bella doesn't usually share too much about her life in Phoenix.
"I think she could have been," Renee continues. "There were certainly plenty of boys that were interested in dating her." I am not the least bit surprised to hear that. "She couldn't seem to find where she fit in. She couldn't find a common interest with the other kids. She's more mature for her age. That's my fault, I know. I think maybe the other kids were intimidated by her. She's very smart and she has a quiet, subtle beauty."
"There's nothing subtle about it," I disagree.
"She loves you, very much."
"Yes, I know."
"And you certainly wear your heart on your sleeve, Edward."
"There is no one on this planet more important to me."
"I believe you," she says simply. "Take care of her, Edward. She's using all of her energy to keep up with you."
I frown in response to that. It's true, of course. Renee's simple view of life strikes again. "I try. She's not always the easiest to take care of."
"I feel better knowing that you're looking out for her, Edward; that you'll always look out for her. You will always look out for her, won't you?"
"Quite frankly, Renee, I think that is why I was created," I say with a somewhat exasperated breath. "I've never encountered anyone that gets in as much trouble as she does."
"Good," she nods to herself. "Now that THAT'S taken care of…" Renee is a very intriguing mind. I'll miss her when she's gone, and I mean that for both the immediate and the distant future. "How hard is this car to drive?"
"I'm sorry?" I reply.
"I need to go and see Charlie before I leave," she explains. "I understand you're not a fan of the Blacks, so I don't want to ask you to go. Not that I blame you, Billy's always been a bit of a pain in the ass. But I used to live here, I know how to get over there, I don't need anyone to drive me, just a car. I can't drive stick though, so I can't use Bella's truck."
"It's a very comfortable car to drive. I bought it for Bella; she doesn't want to drive it though."
"It's a little too flashy for her," Renee concedes. "With Bella, less is always more."
"I wish that wasn't the case," I confess.
"Bella just wants to make people happy, Edward. You make her happy; you light her up. You're a good match for her."
"I'm glad that you approve," I respond with a smile as I'm turning into our driveway.
"You don't have to drive all the way up to the house on my account, Edward. I promise I won't watch you go the rest of the way to the house. I know how much you…like your exercise."
Well, I'll be damned.
No pun intended.
I stare at her incredulously. Not only did I not have any warning of a thought like that from her, there are no follow up thoughts surrounding it and that's only natural. I figured Bella got her silence from her dad. Sometimes it's hard to hear Charlie and I've never had a problem hearing Renee.
At least, I didn't think I did.
But she looks at me expectantly now. So, without saying another word, I stop the car where we are and come around to her side to open her door for her. She taps my cheek and doesn't flinch at the cold or stone feel of it. "You're a good boy," she says.
I try and puzzle out what exactly just happened. Does she know? Did she figure it out like her daughter did, or does she know just enough to let the rest slide? And moreover, how can she not have any thoughts on it? Or did she figure that out too? I turn to the house as she backs away. She's going to see Charlie now. What will she tell him? Will she say anything? And if she does, what will the wolves do?
I race back to the house, back to Bella. I can hear the thoughts of my family inside and nothing sounds amiss. Bella fell asleep on the couch. Esme is preparing her dinner. Rosalie is in the garage. Alice, Jasper and Emmett are out somewhere and Carlisle is at the hospital still. I think I'll wait to talk to Carlisle about my theory on Renee. It's probably best to wait until she's safely gone, though I can't imagine anyone in the family wanting to hurt her. At this rate we should just take out a billboard to advertise our presence for all the good that trying to stay low key is actually doing us.