Chapter 26
It was early the following when Bella woke up. There was no sun in the bunker to tell her if it was daylight hours yet, but she could tell from the way she felt that it was too early for her to be up. It took her a moment to realize what it was exactly that woke her in the first place. Carlisle and Edward were talking quietly from behind the sheet. They obviously assumed she was asleep because they weren't attempting to whisper.
"… she knows, Edward."
"You can't know that." Edward insisted.
"You saw what she wanted to read. She went straight for the book of magic and Elf history. She could have chosen from any book, fiction or nonfiction, but that's what she went for."
Edward was silent.
"She didn't dispute me either when I asked if she learned anything. She didn't scoff or try to tell me it was nonsense. She told me she learned something. You heard her."
Edward still remained silent.
"You said she already noticed things about us. That she was keeping track of the differences between you and her. Bella even noticed that we looked more alike than anyone she'd ever seen."
"She's in danger if we tell her the truth."
"She's already in danger. If she's learned what we are, she knows we can perform magic. If Bella understood the book she was reading, show knows you have to believe in magic in order for it to work. It's too late for her now. We need to tell her so that she's aware of everything."
Bella heard Edward heft a heavy sigh. She could imagine him running his hands through his hair in frustration. She knew him well enough by now to predict his reaction.
"What do we say?" He asked his father. "Hey, Bella. I saw you read about magic. You must have worked out I'm and elf. You're stuck in bunker with two aliens. Congratulations." He continued sarcastically. "And then she'll run off screaming because she's terrified by our very existence."
"You shouldn't make assumptions about her reaction. If she knows, which I think she does, she hasn't run yet or freaked out. In fact, she's interested. Curious to know more."
Edward let out another heavy sigh. "I'll speak to her in the morning." He told Carlisle before she heard him get up and walk away.
She heard the heavy door open and close before all was quiet. Bella decided to roll over and get a few more hours of sleep. They would be there when she woke. And when she did they were going to have long talk about what they were.
A few hours later Bella rose form her cot. It was a much more reasonable hour than it was when she woke earlier. No one was around so she took her time getting ready for the day and made herself some breakfast when she was finished.
As she sat, munching on her cereal, she thought about the conversation she'd overheard a few hours earlier. She decided she was just going to tell Edward what she knew. The conversation last night confirmed what she already suspected. There was no need to hide it anymore. Besides, she'd be able to learn more this way.
The only problem with the plan however was that neither Edward or Carlisle were anywhere to be seen. Maybe they were on the surface, she wondered?
Bella picked up a jacket and made her way up the stairs. When she reached the second door she unlocked it, pushed it open using all her strength and then looked around, shielding her eyes from the sudden sun. Fresh snow had fallen, she noticed which had made it harder to open the door. They would need to clear the snow everyday so that they didn't get frozen in.
As Bella took in her surroundings she saw Edward and Carlisle talking by the forest, over where the back of her house use to be. Trudging through the snow she made her way to the men.
"Good morning." She called out, as she approached.
Both met her with a smile.
"How are the elves today?" She asked in a cheeky tone.
After the initial shock wore off, Carlisle let out a deep chuckle with an ear-splitting grin. However, Edward was still in shock by the time she reached them. She thought he looked a bit sick, to be honest.