Chapter 6: Before she wakes

Edward PoV

I awoke early the next morning with the sun and groaned as I sat up on the couch in which I had taken my rest. My sleep had been tortured, all my thoughts and dreams centered around the mysterious Marie whom I had carried in from the snow. My dreams were filled with all the worst scenarios, waking to find she had died while I slept, or that she awoke screaming for fear that she had been kidnapped. I wanted nothing more than for my sleeping beauty to be safe and happy, and I could only hope that she had recovered from the cold. When I was not sleeping, I was tossing and turning, wishing that I could peak into my room to check on her, but I feared that I would wake her and startle her.

Fully awake now, and aware of how unhappy my back was thanks to my awkward sleeping location, I rose to start my morning chores. The sooner I began the sooner I could rouse Alice so that I could have a better excuse to check on Marie, her name sounded as angelic as she appeared.

I began with the fire, as it had become nothing more than shimmering coals in the few hours since I had fallen into my fitful slumber. Within minutes it was roaring once more, heating the main part of the home, and driving away the chill brought upon by the storm. I began to prepare for breakfast, seeing as I had not thought to remove any of my clothes from my cupboard for this morn, and as, despite my desire to see Marie, I refused to enter my room alone while she slept.

I chose instead to bundle myself in my warmest coat, as well as Carlisle's as his frame was a bit broader than mine. Once I felt sufficiently immobile, thanks to the thick layers, I ventured out through the kitchen to see just how bad the storm had been. The snow was almost waist high, far more than it had been when I had ventured into the storm last night when I found her.

I searched the pantry for any kind of shovel or plow, which would have been kept for weather such as this, so that I could dig my way to the barn. I needed to check that all the preparations Jasper and I had done to the barn had been successful in keeping the animals warm and safe. As well as needing to gather fresh milk and eggs for this morning's meal. I thought to make eggs and biscuits with jam, which Alice and Rosalie had canned in the summer months. All the while hoping that Marie would like the meal I would prepare.

Alice PoV

I awoke to clanging coming from the kitchen and knowing that Rose had not yet left her bed, as I would have surely heard her complaining about the amount of snow we got in last night's storm, I quickly grabbed some slippers and a house coat and ventured out into the house. I noticed that there was a nice warmth in the main level of the home and surmised that Edward must have brought the fire from last night back to life. I made my way quickly into the kitchen to figure out what all the racket was about. And to my surprise I found a flour dusted Edward looking frustrated and out of sorts. It took all I had to not bust out into a guffaw.

"Edward," I giggled, "what on earth have you done?"

He jumped upon hearing me, obviously surprised that someone else was awake.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making biscuits for breakfast!" He said a bit exasperatedly. But there was a light in his eyes that showed he was enjoying himself, even if he was as helpless in the kitchen as he had looked.

Mother had always wanted to teach both Edward and I how to cook, and I had always been eager to learn, as the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. But father had seen it unthinkable for any son of his to learn to cook. It wasn't a man's place. Mother would have none of that, she deemed it necessary if Edward were to survive his bachelor years, and she said it was always good to know how to care for oneself, in case of emergency. Edward had been remiss to learn, as he only wanted to please father, but mother had won that battle, and so Edward and I both learned. I had taken to cooking and baking like a fish to water, but Edward had only ever shown promise with making soups and casseroles, he had failed miserably to make any type of baked good. And never had it been more evident than now in his flour covered state.

I couldn't help but giggle again.

"Edward, you know as well as I do that you are horrid at most things in the kitchen, especially biscuits!" He looked at me sheepishly.

"I know Ali-Cat, but I wanted to make breakfast for everyone today."

Edward hadn't called me Ali-Cat since father died, I don't know if he was trying to sweeten me up or hide something from me, what I did know is it wasn't too late to save our breakfast.

"Step aside brother dear!" I said rolling up my sleeves in preparation for the work I was about to do. "While I very much appreciate your sentiment, I don't think anyone will be happy eating rocks for breakfast. Perhaps you could set the table and prepare a kettle for some coffee."

It looked as though he was planning to argue so I waved him away while calling after him, "Would you be a dear and start the oven for me while I make a usable dough out of what you started?"

I was ragging him of course, as it appeared he had not done much more than make a mess of flour across the table. As Edward scuttled around doing all that I had asked of him I prepared enough dough to make biscuits and start on a fresh loaf of bread to get us through the day.

A/N: Don't hate me for this one, I know that this could be seen as nothing more than a filler chapter, but I really wanted to showcase the relationship between Edward and Alice, and I didn't want to jump straight into Bella waking up, as there is a bit more to introduce before we introduce her to the Cullen's. We still haven't properly met Rosalie or Jasper, let alone Esme.

I feel as though I have hit a good place with coming back to this now, I have so many ideas as to how to progress this story, and my hope is to just keep writing and maybe I'll be able to get a few chapters ahead of myself so I can update more regularly for you all.

I look forward to giving you more to this story, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

~Rylandra