Chapter 13: Visitors
School. Edward hated school. If their class mates were surprised to see him with Bella when they started their relationship, they were literally gawking at them every fucking second now. It wasn't helping their case that she insisted Edward stayed close to her until she found out who those nomads were. There had been a couple of deaths at the diner the other day and Bella was freaked out. As much as she wanted to go and find them, she stayed with Edward every night and made sure he was safe.
Edward slammed his locker's door and Bella was in front of him, smiling.
"This is ridiculous!" he exclaimed. "You're like my bodyguard!"
"But I'm scared, Edward. The wolv- Jacob promised to find them-"
"That's the problem! Why are you interfering? They're feeding, passing by! If you bring the heavy weapons, they might stick around and slaughter the town!"
She giggled and took his hand. "I won't allow them anywhere close to you."
"What about the others?" He hissed, looking around them at the busy hallway. "Angela? Ben? My parents?"
"You told me you were going to visit Seth tonight," she said, changing the subject.
"So?"
"I will find them while you are safely in La Push." She beamed at her masterplan.
"Do you think they know not to go there? Bella, please!" Edward rolled his eyes, pushing the door of Biology class open. It took him a second to realize she wasn't beside him. Bella was rooted in the middle of the hallway, gaping at him, her eyes wide in fear. He glanced around, realizing she was attracting attention, and he grabbed her arm. Of course, it was easier to move a boulder than make Bella move. "Let's go, love," he urged her.
Her head turned to him. "Oh God! What-"
"Shh!" Edward hissed and dragged her after him once she allowed it. He was glad no one was yet in the class. He closed the door. "Bella, as you said, I'll be safe there. If something happened – which it won't – there are the wolves," he whispered, stroking her face. "But I'm worried about you. You said they were two."
"I'll be fine. Nomads are usually kind toward other nomads. They know how it is to live like this."
"But you aren't a nomad!" Edward shouted.
"They don't have to know that." She smiled sweetly and went to their table.
"I still don't like this. Take Jake with you."
"Now, you want to throw the wolves in the middle of this," she exclaimed, amused.
He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Don't get hurt, Bella. I just got you back."
"I won't." She leaned to kiss him, but it was cut short as their classmates filled the room.
It's been a month, but it felt like yesterday: the whole meltdown episode, Bella coming back… Edward smiled, fond of the memory of his trip to the hospital. He loved morphine.
"What are you smiling at?" Bella whispered, leaning closer.
"Just thinking of morphine and Valium," he whispered back, showing her the biggest smile he could muster. She smiled back and shook her head.
That night, Edward's assault in the car, had turned in a full make out session that ended with them making love again. She had been far too gentle, but he guessed she was still scared. After that, they had been together almost every night. He preferred his bed – it was bigger than her couch.
Once school let out for the day, a panic attack hit Edward and as Bella drove him to La Push, he tried to calm down. As he saw the La Push sign, it truly hit him, what she was going to do, and black spots appeared on his vision and a faint buzzing filled his ears.
"Edward, don't faint on me, sweetheart." He could hear Bella as if she was talking from the end of a tunnel. "Edward!"
He turned his head to her, not seeing anything but black spots. Cold air hit his face.
"Breathe! Put your head between your knees, I heard that works."
He swallowed, doing as told. He started to hear and see clearly, the cold air working. She stopped it after a few minutes.
"Are you better?" she asked worried.
"I guess," Edward mumbled.
"Good, because I think I just crossed my word. I'm on their territory," Bella told him slightly scared.
"Whose territory?"
"The wolves'!" she shouted. "Can you walk to Seth's house?"
"I don't think I can stand," he said, honestly.
She groaned and hit the acceleration. "Where is his house, again?"
Edward couldn't answer, his eyes seemed to have disappeared into the back of his head as his stomach hit his back. She had never driven so fast.
"Yellow house on the beach," he whispered, wrapping around both hands on the seat belt.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm not welcomed here," she told him, apologetically. As she stopped the car, Seth appeared next to the car. His eyes narrowed at Bella and she raised her hands, which trembled.
Edward leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Be careful."
She nodded and he staggered out of the car. "Hey, Seth," he greeted his friend.
He didn't seem to have eyes for Edward. Seth kept glaring at Bella and she was glaring back. Edward thought this had ended when Leah brought Bella back to him. Edward was mistaken. Bella turned the car, leaving tyre tracks, dust and smoke behind her.
"Do you realize what you did?" Seth turned to him, annoyed.
"I didn't mean any harm. She didn't realize it until we were here."
"I truly hope she makes it out. Paul was ready to-"
"How do you kno…Oh, you were waiting? Hoping this would happen?" Edward asked, angrily.
"No, of course not."
Edward rolled his eyes. "So why did you want me here? Besides the obvious?"
"Help me with Math."
"You need to pay me. What is it with you Clearwaters and your aversion to Math?"
"We're not all born Math geniuses, Masen," he joked and punched Edward's shoulder.
"Oh, great!" He groaned, realizing he had forgotten his school bag in Bella's car.
"What's wrong?" Seth asked, turning toward the house.
"My school bag... I wanted to start working on a project…"
"More time to help me," Seth said amused.
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.
.
Bella drove faster than ever before. She had managed to piss the wolves off. She needed a prize for putting herself in danger. She seemed to have a magnet for it. And now, she was headed to greater danger: nomads that didn't seem to leave her small town.
She'd been secretly tracking them and she knew where to find them. They were in the woods, close to the diner. Bella approached slowly, aware they knew she was there. They were sitting down on the wet ground, talking and holding hands. Were they a couple? Shit.
The woman's head snapped up when Bella stopped three feet away. Her red eyes looked sinister against her pale skin and flaming red hair. His blond hair was caught in a ponytail as his red eyes met Bella's as a sly smirk appeared on his face.
"Are you joining us, little girl?" he asked.
"I'd like to talk to you." Edward was right. She couldn't say she was a nomad since she was going to send them away from her town.
"My name is James," he continued in a silky voice. "And this is my mate, Victoria."
Bella nodded and tried to smile. "Bella."
"Good to meet you, little girl." She absolutely loathed being called that, but she had to suck it up so she wouldn't start a premature fight.
"Look, you've been here long enough. People are starting to talk," Bella started on an even voice. "I live here."
He smiled ruefully. "We all love pets. Yours smells delicious."
"Please. Tacoma is bigger."
Victoria laughed loudly. "You love your pet!"
Bella tried playing her part flawlessly. Her eyes frosted. "He's just a pet! But if he suspects something…he'd leave or worse, tell people about us!" She widened her eyes.
James cocked his head. "I think she's right, Vic." Then he turned to Bella. "This will be our last meal on your territory. Don't fear, little girl. We'll head to Tacoma in the morning."
"Thank you. I won't linger for long, but this pet is very good," Bella explained with a huge smile.
"We understand." He nodded.
The three of them started at each other until James sighed. "Would you like us to go now?"
Bella looked at the diner and saw Angela and Ben walking to the door. "If you could. Three murders are too much for this small town."
Victoria huffed, looking at Ben and Angela. "I'd like to have her."
Bella's nostrils flared and they saw right through her. She was beyond caring.
"You won't touch them," she hissed.
"Is that one your pet?" James asked, interested.
"No, it's not! She has another scent around her. I quite like it and I'll find him." Victoria was more perceptive than him. Bella hated her.
"NO!" Bella shouted and sprung onto her. It was a huge mistake on her side, because James was right behind her. She hadn't fought in her life, but for Edward, she had to do it. James managed to catch her hands behind her back as Victoria caught her head, and pressed her teeth at Bella's neck. She was going to kill her. Bella tried to squirm, but they were two, stronger, just fed vampires. She felt a yell of pain escape her as her wrist twisted at an odd angle. Bella squeezed her eyes and hoped Edward wouldn't suffer when someone told him about what had happened.
She didn't have time to think of that, because Jacob appeared from behind the trees in his wolf form. James dropped his hands and took off, leaving Victoria behind.
As Jacob ran after him, his tail touched Bella and she suppressed a shudder. Victoria had lost interest in ripping Bella's head off. She saw her trembling. Bella jumped on her back, trying to twist her neck as she wailed and tried to claw at her.
"Scared of the big bad wolf?" Bella teased. Her left hand was hurting from what James had done to it. It was still at an odd angle.
Bella lost concentration as she examined her hand and Victoria slammed her to the ground. She shouted as Victoria tugged violently at her arm. As much as she wanted to reach for her, her other hand clutched at her shoulder. When she smelled the wet dog stench, she sighed in relief. A small, gray wolf appeared, his eyes found Bella's but she couldn't make out who he was. He jumped on Victoria, and with her help, she was dismembered. Suddenly, the wolf collected as many limbs as he could carry in his mouth and took off in the deeper forest. Bella picked what was left and rushed after him. Where the hell was he going? She came to a halt as she saw Jacob, in his human form, near a fire. The gray wolf threw the pieces in the fire and she did the same, stepping back.
"You can say thank you now, or later," Jacob whispered huskily.
"Thanks, guys," Bella murmured.
The gray wolf had disappeared behind some trees and Bella heard movement from behind her. When she turned, she saw Leah coming back, dusting her soft black dress.
"You…" Bella didn't have words.
"You're welcome. I told Jacob you'd need help. No one else wanted to help, though."
She felt tears prickling at her eyes. Leah was good, after all. "I'd hug you, but that's a terrible idea," Bella said softly.
Leah giggled and held her hand up. Then, when Bella didn't move, Leah waved her hand violently, glaring. Tentatively, Bella touched their palms, retracting fast.
"That was the shortest high five in the history of high fives!" Jacob chortled.
"Watch out, dog!" Bella said in a joking tone.
His black eyes clouded and she wasn't sure if he was joking, too. That was until she saw a huge brown tail in front of her, wriggling. He had phased and now was leaning on his front legs, wriggling his huge tail in front of her face. Leah scowled at him, rolling her eyes. Suddenly, Jacob rolled on his back, all ten feet of him and grinned at them, putting his tongue out.
"That's just disturbing. I'm glad I can't sleep or I'd have nightmares," Bella said in the most serious tone.
Leah kicked him in the side and after a few more dog tricks, he went behind them to phase back into his human form.
"How old are you, five?" Leah snapped at him when he reappeared next to them, eyeing Bella with mischief in his eyes.
"Don't you dare!" she screeched, raising her hands in front of her. "You'll be running on three legs if you touch me."
"Details, details," he said, bored.
"Thanks for the help, really. I have to go back to Edward."
"You'd better wait around here or Paul will finish what they started," Leah said in a warning tone, as she nodded to the fire.
"Oh, right. I didn't realize. I just wanted to…"
"I know that, but it's better to be on alert with you vamps."
Bella scowled at her. "I'll be at my house," she said over her shoulder.
Leah nodded and took Jacob's elbow, dragging him away, scolding him.
Bella wondered if something could happen between them, but when she tried to imagine them together, she shuddered and turned her thoughts on another route.
.
.
.
"Square root of what?" Seth moaned, trying to keep up with Edward.
"This one, here," Edward hissed, annoyed his friend wasn't paying attention. He had been distracted for an hour now, since Leah had left in a rush after looking pointedly at her brother. Edward didn't understand that look. He kept tapping his pencil to the paper in front of him until he managed to dot the digits of the equation.
"Right. I get it." Seth reached for a small calculator.
"No, no!" Edward snatched the device from him. "Use your head!"
"You're worse than my teacher, man," he groaned, and focused on the problem. "I can't do this," he muttered after a few minutes.
"Give it here. Do I have to explain again?" Edward asked, worried he'd have to go through the process again.
"That's not the problem, Edward! Do you know why Leah left?"
"No…" He shrugged.
"Jacob called – I heard that –," he added when Edward raised an eyebrow, "they went to save your leech's ass!"
Edward felt the blood slowly leaving his face as the now familiar buzz in his ears appeared. Bella was in danger. He heard Seth moaning loudly and, a second later, a brown paper bag appeared in front of his face.
"Stick your mouth in that! And breathe deeply."
"They…" Edward said in the bag.
"Your leech will be safe so calm down. Do you want some water? Juice?"
"Water," he answered, still breathing in the bag. He liked how it filled with air when he talked into it.
"Here, drink." Seth handed him the glass. Edward put the bag down as he gulped the water. It made him feel a little better.
Seth managed to distract his friend until the front door burst open.
"… I swear! NOW, Jacob!" Leah screeched, hitting him. She was on his back as he carried her.
"But it's fun!" He defended his actions.
"Where's Bella?" Edward asked, jumping on his feet, looking outside.
"Hello, Edward, nice to see you!" Jacob greeted, dropping Leah and earning himself another slap.
"Where is she?" Edward hissed.
"Calm down! She's…"
"Oh, yes, Bella…" Leah started talking over Jacob, slapping a hand over Jacob's arm.
Edward was sure his heart was going to burst if it beat any faster. Something had happened. They were trying to tell him in small words. The black spot were back.
"I think we should go with the truth," Jake said when he saw how affected their friend was.
"No," Edward moaned. "I don't…" He saw his hands shaking.
"She's fine, Edward!" Leah yelled, shaking his shoulders.
"No, no. I knew it was stupid…" he mumbled.
"SHE'S ALIVE!" Leah shouted, slapping him. "Oh God, sorry. I swear I didn't mean to slap you."
"Bella's okay?" he asked, the buzzing in his ears subsiding.
"YES!"
Edward felt a grin splitting his face. He rushed to the door then turned to Jake. "Would you drive me back?"
"What do I look like? A chauffeur?"
"Please, Jake." His voice was shaking horribly as he caught his friend's arm and pulled him to the door.
"We were just joking around, but you have no sense of humor, man," he chuckled, stepping into his freshly restored Rabbit.
Edward slammed the door, just to irk him. "You can't joke about that."
"I know. Now," he added under his breath. "I don't know where she lives so you have to tell me where to stop the car from the road. I know the way through the forest, only."
Edward rolled his eyes and pointed to the spot he knew that lead to her house. Jake eyed him amused. "She's a vampire in every sen-" Now, he thought it would be good to start talking about where she lived, alone in a cottage? Why hadn't he commented about Bella being a vampire in every sense of the word before?
"Shut up!" Edward hissed. "Thanks for driving me," he muttered and jumped out of the car.
Edward started running through the forest and in his eagerness, he fell a few times. The dead roots weren't his friends, nor were the stones. When he finally reached her door, he launched at it, pounding. When she opened it, being braced mostly on the door, Edward lost his balance and fell in her arms.
"Hey, sweetie," Bella murmured and kissed his cheek. "What's the rush?"
"You're here!" he exclaimed, grinning like a lunatic.
"I owe my life to the wolves. I still can't believe they saved my ass."
"Everyone loves you, deep down, Bella." He kissed her lips, closing the door with his foot. "I love you more than anyone else would ever love you. You're the most important thing to me ever. If something had happened today…"
"Shh," she shushed him with a finger on his lips. "What happened to your palms?" she asked after a second, taking his hands and looking at the scratched palms.
"I fell down. A lot."
"Silly boy," she giggled and kissed his palms. "Let's get you home and disinfect this before something bad happens."
.
.
.
His parents were both home, shouting – one from upstairs, one from the kitchen – as Bella and Edward entered the house. He shot Bella a confused look and started to the kitchen only to bump into his mom who was coming out.
"I told you to pack," she yelled into his face. Then she saw he wasn't her husband and patted his cheek. "ED!" she yelled, looking up the stairs.
"I'm doing it, woman," he shouted back.
"What's going on?" Edward asked, fearfully. Pack? That didn't sound good.
"Your father has been invited by a charity to a party in Chicago after his last case."
Edward nodded, gulping, and glancing at Bella. Were they leaving? Just like that?
"And, the idiot just told me today. He called me at work, all cheery, telling me that tomorrow we have to be in Chicago. We'll be there until early next week. I called Sue and she promised to send food. I am so sorry for having to leave you alone, honey."
Edward blinked, not understanding a thing. "Wait. You and Dad are going to Chicago for a week and I have the house to myself?"
"Something like that. I know I won't be here to make sure you study in the living room, but I do hope you'll get some work done," she said, looking behind him at Bella. Edward felt his face catching fire. Alone with Bella for a week? Ah, the possibilities!
He turned to her and winked. Her gaze dropped to the ground immediately and he was sure she'd be just as red as him if it was possible.
And then, the most embarrassing thing ever happened.
His dad appeared at the top of the stairs, not seeing either Bella or him, and asking loudly, "Which one should I pack, sweetie-pie? Both?" He was holding two undergarments Edward wished he had never seen in his father's hands. That's what happens when you let the man pack, he tried to console himself.
Edward could feel the heat coming in waves from his mom's face. "Ed! The kids are here," she snapped, rushing up the stairs. That's the moment Edward realized he could have a little brother or sister, anytime. He hadn't thought of them…still…doing it. He felt like throwing up, just thinking of them that way.
"Oh, hey there! Didn't see you." His dad waved a red bra at them.
"Shoot me," Edward mumbled, wanting to claw his eyes out. His mom echoed his thoughts as she ascended to where her husband stood.
"Hi, Ed!" Bella answered cheerfully, waving back.
Two hours later, they were ready to leave and Edward couldn't be happier. He was wondering if bleach would erase his mom's undergarments from his brain or maybe that stuff Leah used on his shirt that day. That seemed to work pretty fast. He should call her.
"Call me if you need anything at all," Mom repeated as she kept kissing his cheeks and squeezing him in her arms.
"We'll be fine, Mom! What trouble could two teenagers get into?"
Bella snorted as his mom looked pointedly at him. Edward's ears turned red on command. As his mom hugged Bella goodbye, his dad grinned down at him and patted his back. "There's a present for you on your desk," he whispered conspiratorially in his son's ear.
"Thanks?" Edward asked awkwardly. He had no idea what his dad could have given him.
His smile widened. "Use them wisely. They're only ten."
Edward frowned and shrugged. "Okay."
As he left, he winked at Bella, and Edward felt his eyes widening, understanding him. He waited for them to pull the car out of the spot before sprinting to his room. His eyes fixated on the desk and sure enough, he had been right. On the middle of his desk was a box of condoms. They seemed to be burning.
"What's the hurry?" Bella asked from behind.
Edward made a squeaking sound he wasn't proud of and pointed to the desk, swallowing hard. Bella seemed braver than him as she took the box in her hand then she raised her eyes to meet his, giggling. "Banana flavored." Her eyebrow wiggled and he blushed harder. "Oh, cheer up! Let's put them to good use!"
She chucked the box at him and he was too slow to catch it. Since she'd realized they could have sex without hurting him, she'd been unstoppable. Edward would have never guessed she was such a sex minx. Of course, he wasn't likely to stop her – he was a teenage boy, after all.
Ready for the fun to begin?