AN: All these lovely characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Read and enjoy.

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20 The Experiment – Edward

It seemed like all summer someone was arguing with me about the merits of changing Bella, with the exception of Rosalie. I had to admit they made some strong arguments, but in my estimation, what it all came down to was what was in Bella's best interest. My decision was still that it was better for Bella to leave her human so she had the option of leaving me and resuming her normal human life. I couldn't take away her opportunity to fall in love with a human, get married, and have children.

My mind was speeding through a number of memories of Bella. Bella's smile, Bella's eyes, and Bella's lips were all prominent features my mind was examining. As I had hunted with Jasper on Friday, I began to think about what it would be like if for some reason Bella decided to leave me and resume her normal human life. The main question that I asked myself was how I would feel if Bella left me. I knew if she decided to leave, I wouldn't stop her, and how I would feel was obvious to me. I wouldn't be happy. No, if I were truthful, unhappy was an understatement.

The question I had to confront was could I live with the decision to allow Bella to leave me? Could I continue without Bella in my life? Well, technically I didn't have a life I had an existence, but still could I continue without her, or more specifically, did I want to continue without her?

"Are you moping again?" Emmett asked as he walked into the living room.

I just glanced at him. He didn't need a reply; he could tell from my face what I was thinking.

"You know, this would be easier if you just changed her." He claimed.

I growled at him.

He sat down beside me on the sofa. "And don't growl at me. Let's face it. Neither of you will ever be happy with anyone else, nor do I think Bella will ever fall in love with anyone besides you. You can be so dense at time."

"How so?" Emmett was beginning to irritate me.

"All this 'she'd be happier if,' or 'I don't want to rob her of,' talk." Emmett started using his hand to emphasize his opinions. "From Bella's point of view, I'd say you're robbing her of an intimate relationship and she'd be happier if you changed her."

"I warned you not to go there Emmett." I growled.

"That's exactly were you need to go." He pointed his finger at me. "You need to put yourself in Bella's place and ask if you were her would you want to end the relationship or make it permanent."

"That's all fine and good, but I know what it means to exist like this and she doesn't." I shot back.

"You mean you've never told her the truth." He held up his hand as I was about to speak. "Oh, granted, you told her what you felt like telling her, but you haven't been completely honest. Have you?"

"What difference does it make?" I couldn't expose Bella to the monstrosity that I truly was; I didn't want her to see the ugly side of me.

I can't believe him, he thought. "Tell her all the truth and it won't make a difference. Bella is not the kind of girl who would dump you just because of that. She loves you too much. Edward, open you eyes. She will never fall in love with anyone else. You are her first and only love."

"How can you know that?" There was no way he could be sure. There was no way I could be sure. Even Bella couldn't be sure unless she gave someone else a chance to be a part of her life, although, I didn't want someone else to become a part of her life.

"You're pathetic. Will you never see the truth?" He was becoming aggravated with me, but I was feeling the same way about him.

"What truth are you talking about?"

"The truth about Bella and yourself, she loves you with her whole being; she doesn't even look at the other boys at school; although they do look at her. And you, you've never looked at any female like you look at Bella. You never even looked at Rose like that and she's way more gorgeous than Bella." Emmett smiled.

"Bella's beauty far outshines Rose's any day." I shot back. Emmett was becoming extremely annoying, and how dare he slander Bella's natural beauty compared to Rose's unnatural beauty.

He got up from the sofa and stood looking down at me. "So do something about what you feel for her. You love her, she loves you, and she'll never love anyone but you; stop playing around and make her yours – forever." Why can't he be more decisive? He should take charge and make life easier for both of them?

"Emmett!" I yelled.

"Edward!" he mocked. "What more reason do you need to give both of you what you want?"

"She might change her mind about loving me once she learns what this existence is like. She might hate me for killing her and changing her into a monster."

"You see. You're not thinking." Emmett rolled his eyes.

"What am I not thinking about?"

He started walking around the room as he said, "About what she really wants, she doesn't want to be a vampire for the sake of living forever or drinking blood, or any of the normal reason some people think it would be great to have this type of existence." He stopped in front of me and down into my eyes. "She wants it because she wants to love and be loved by you, in a physical sense."

I stood up and faced him. "Emmett!" I was definitely mad. How could he be so crude?

"Oh, for the love of . . . you can be so dim witted at times. Do you know nothing about human desires? Not just males have them. Okay, we have them more often and sometimes for the wrong reasons, but females have the same human desires when they fall in love with a man. You're a man and Bella is a woman. I hope you've realized this. She is deeply in love with you, and she won't ever feel this way about any other man. She wants you Edward, in more ways than one."

I growled. How could Emmett say that about Bella? How could he know how she feels? "You don't know anything about Bella. She's not like that." We were standing face to face with only inches between us.

"Then she's not in love with you." He said flatly.

"Yes, she is." I growled back.

"Then she feels that way." He said emphatically. "There has to be some way to prove to you that Bella will never love anyone but you and you're doing her the greatest injury by keeping her at arms length and denying her the closeness she desires."

"What way?" I didn't like where this conversation was going. Emmett could argue all he wanted, but I wouldn't change Bella. I had convinced myself she would eventually fall out of love with me and then I would have to let her go. I didn't want to deny her the choice.

Emmett's pushing so enraged me that I hadn't noticed Bella arriving at the house until she walked into the living room.

"Hi," she started but abruptly stopped. "Maybe I should leave?"

"Maybe this will convince you." Emmett said as he rushed across the room toward Bella.

Before I could breathe out a 'what,' Emmett had Bella in his arms and he was kissing her. I was so enraged, I was on the verge of physically harming Emmett, but before I could reach them, Bella did the last thing I would ever have imagined her to do. In less time than it took me to cross the room, Bella had pushed herself away from Emmett and slapped his face. I was so stunned, my anger vanished, and then I saw tears running down Bella's cheek.

"Now look at what you've done," I roared. I was instantly at Bella's side and wrapped my arm protectively around her. "I'm sorry Bella. Emmett should never have done that."

I saw Emmett smirking and my hand itched to hit him, not slap him but knock him through the wall, but Bella's soft voice stopped me.

"It's not Emmett," she sobbed, "It's my hand."

Until then I hadn't thought about what it would've felt like to her to slap Emmett. Emmett was right next to me as we both looked at her outstretched hand. It was extremely red and looked like it was beginning to swell up.

Just then, Carlisle walked in and demanded, "What is going on? I could hear the shouting before I pulled up to the house." Then he noticed Bella's tears and her hand. "What have you done to Bella?"

I was about to blame Emmett, but once again, Bella was quicker.

"It was an accident," she said between sobs.

"Jasper, go get some ice." Carlisle commanded.

I hadn't noticed when Jasper had entered the room.

Carlisle smiled softly at Bella. "Now, Bella, tell me what happened." Carlisle's fatherly tone meant 'spill the story.'

"I slapped Emmett." Bella answered quietly.

"And did Emmett deserve a slap?" He looked over at Emmett as he asked this.

Emmett's thoughts all focused on Bella and his remorse that she hurt herself.

"It was a reflex action. I wouldn't have done it if I would've thought about it before hitting him." She offered.

"And just what did you do to deserve a slap, Emmett?" Carlisle started intently at him.

Emmett looked over to me and for the first time since he the slap had a coherent thought. Oh man, I hadn't meant for that to happen. I'm so sorry Edward, I didn't mean for Bella to get hurt. I was just trying to prove a point.

Bella looked from Emmett to me and back to Carlisle, but said nothing.

Emmett looked down at his feet and replied, "I kissed her."

"You what?" Carlisle was a little more than upset.

"I kissed her." He repeated.

"Edward, were you here when this happened?" Just then, Jasper walked in with a bowl of ice. Carlisle made Bella sit down on the sofa and gently laid the palm of her hand on the ice. "Hold it here until it's too cold, remove it for a minute and then put it back on the ice." He instructed, and then he looked to me for a response.

"I was right here." I replied simply.

"Will somebody just tell me what this was all about?" Carlisle looked around at us.

Bella blushed, no doubt embarrassed by the entire event, yet she had no idea of what had just happened or why.

Emmett calmly informed Carlisle about the argument he and I were having prior to Bella's arrival.

"When Bella walked in, I just thought I'd prove to Edward that she only loves him and that even if I kissed her she wouldn't swoon and forget all about him. I hadn't expected that kind of reaction though or I would have stopped her hand before she slapped me."

I could see Carlisle was holding back a laugh when Emmett explained about the slap. "I hope you boys have learned a lesson from this. Look at what you've made Bella endure. Besides, I can easily prove Bella loves only Edward."

Emmett and I just stared at him with blank looks.

Finally, I asked. "How?"

"Easy, and considering you've been to medical school more than once, it is something you yourself could've confirmed without subjecting Bella to being kissed by anyone else." He stared at me. "When you kiss Bella, what are her physiological reactions?"

I looked at Bella and watched her blush a deep pink. I wanted to know what she was thinking at that very moment, but unless she told me, I'd never know.

"Well," I had to think about that for a moment, but I caught Bella shyly looking down and away from my eyes.

I knew how I felt when I kissed Bella, but what had I noticed about her when I kissed her, beside her fragrance.

I answered as her reactions came to mind. "Her heart rate increases, as does her breathing. Sometimes her color is heightened." I looked over at Bella and she smiled slightly, but I felt like I had forgotten something, and then I noticed her deep intake of air. "Oh, and sometimes she stops breathing for a few seconds."

"And when Emmett kissed her?" He asked.

I had to reflect longer on that question. I knew my reaction; I was ready to rip him to pieces, but then I remembered as I noticed Bella move her hand slightly. "She slapped Emmett."

"Have you ever noticed any physiological change in Bella when she's around Jasper, Emmett, or other males, like the ones you evoke in her?" His tone was more professional as if he were asking for an observation of a patient's condition.

"No." I answered with conviction. Bella's breathing was consistent around them, not flutter or palpations of any kind, nor any breathing problems. Not even around Newton.

"While I was holding her hand, did she display any of those symptoms?"

"No."

"There, no other males, including those of us who have been known to cause female hearts to flutter, have any affect on Bella as you do. That proves she loves you and is not attracted to anyone else." Carlisle looked at Bella. "I'm sorry they subjected you to this." Then he took her hand and carefully examined it.

She peeked at Emmett and me through her hair while Carlisle examined her hand. I saw remorseful looks on Emmett's face, but I wondered what she saw on mine. As I watched her watching me, I saw a slight shiver ripple through her body. I wanted to know what caused it; I wanted to know what she was thinking at that very moment.

Carlisle looked at Bella and smiled. "Jasper, Emmett, why don't you go to your rooms. Edward, sit down." His authoritative voice caused us all to do as he said. Then more softly, he said to Bella, "There are no bones broken. That's the good news, but your hand is going to be extremely sore for the next few days. It may even stay swollen for a day or two. Just keep icing it for the rest of the evening." He looked over at me. "I think you owe Bella an apology for what happened this evening. Even if you didn't know Emmett would kiss her, you should at least realize how much she really loves you." Carlisle got up and walked out of the room.

He was right, besides Emmett had warned me awhile back that he would find a way to prove that Bella loved me. "Bella, I'm so sorry. Carlisle is right."

"About what?" She looked up at me.

"About how much you really love me." I kissed the tip of her nose.

"Edward," Bella began as she placed her hand back in the ice, "Do you really believe I could ever fall in love with someone else? Do you really think I'm that fickle?"

"No, I don't think you're fickle at all." I took her uninjured hand in mine and kissed it. "Bella, why did you blush when Carlisle asked what your reactions were when I kissed you?"

"It was embarrassing. I didn't want everyone to hear how I reacted. Sometimes, I hoped even you wouldn't hear how I reacted, but I learned you hear it all and I can't stop you from hearing it." She kept her head tilted down refusing to look at me.

"Bella," I said softly, "What were you thinking just a moment ago when you looked from Emmett to me and you shivered slightly?"

Bella looked up quickly. "You saw that?" She blushed again.

"Yes, and I must say I am curious as to what caused it." I tilted her chin up and looked deeply into her brown eyes. As I had remembered earlier, she had the deepest, most expressive eyes.

"I . . . it's . . ." she stammered. "Please, Edward, don't ask."

I looked deeper into her eyes. "Bella, I thought you had promised to tell me everything you were thinking."

I saw her go blank for a moment and thought she wasn't going to tell me, and then she said in a soft far off voice, "I thought how much I wanted you to kiss me like that."

"Like what?" How had Emmett kissed her?

I had to know so I breathed directly onto her as I continued staring into her eyes. I could tell she was no longer fighting not to answer, and I wondered, Is this what she looks like when I dazzle her? Her eyes were expressive pools of longing, desire, and love, but her voice still had a far off sound.

"Like Emmett when his tongue touched my lips. I wanted that to be you, not him. I wanted . . ." All of a sudden Bella's hand slipped in the dish, caused her to tip it, and spilled ice onto her lap and all over the floor. As the ice hit her lap, she jumped up and screamed.

I still had a hold of her hand, but I released it and helped her to sit back down, and then I began retrieving the ice and returning it to the pan.

"Edward!" Her voice registered her shock. "How could you do that? You know the affect you have and yet you did that intentionally."

"I'm sorry Bella, but I had to know what you were thinking."

"Well I hope you're happy," she pouted. I loved the way she pushed out her lower lip.

I could also tell from her voice that she was disappointed that I used my persuasion to trick the information from her.

"No, I'm not happy, but I am sorry I dazzled you." I said as I picked up the last two pieces of ice.

She looked into my eyes and I saw hurt radiating from her. "Are you unhappy with me?" She asked quietly.

"Never Bella." I took her in my arms being careful not to hurt her hand. "I'm unhappy with myself because once again I allowed you to be hurt."

"Edward," she whispered, "I didn't enjoy or even like his kiss." She paused briefly and then continued, "It was like being kissed by a brother or my dad."

"I really should feel insulted," Emmett said as he walked back into the room, "But this little experiment did prove I was right." Emmett finished.

I glared at him because Carlisle had told him to leave. He just glared back, but his mind revealed his intention. Bella screamed and I came, but he didn't bite her. He should, no doubt in my mind, he should give her what she wants. Maybe Rose should teach her . . . but Bella interrupted his thought.

"How?" Bella inquired.

"Bella, I am much more attractive than any human males you'll ever meet. Plus I have . . ." he paused as if searching for right word. How can I put this without offending . . .?

"Weapons?" She suggested.

I wondered if she remembered our conversation a few months back when I was trying to explain about our scent and attractiveness.

"Well, for lack of a better term," he chuckled, "Yes. In fact we all have weapons that help attract our . . . um . . ." Again, he paused.

"Prey," Bella helped once again.

Oh, she's good; she knows more than I thought. "Well, yes. Anyway, to prove to Edward that he is the only one you're attracted to, I decided to kiss you and use my scent as a lure, but we all know what your reaction was." He smiled and then continued, "As you can see, you weren't attracted me, and that was one of my better kisses."

"Oh." Bella uttered.

I added hastily, "But you didn't need to kiss her like that."

"A brotherly kiss would've proved nothing," Emmett chuckled. "By the way, let's not tell Rose about this. No need to stir up her anger." I can't afford to have her angry with me again.

We all laughed; I could just imagine what Rose's response to Emmett would be if she ever discovered he tried to kiss Bella in that manner.

"Let's just say that this was an experiment." Emmett offered.

"And did it work?" Bella asked.

"I don't know," Emmett responded, "You'd have to ask Edward."

Bella looked inquiringly at me.

"Yes, Emmett proved his point."

So, when are you going to change her? Emmett smiled, but I only glared back at him. If he knew what was good for him, he wouldn't say anything in front of Bella.

To help distract him, I said, "Emmett, go find a bear or some other animal."

"Why?" He just stared at me.

"Right now I can smell Bella's scent on your lips, and if you think I'm displeased with that fact, imagine how Rose will react. It's best if you get Bella's scent off your lips, and you'd better never kiss her again." I warned him.

"I promise not to kiss Bella again, except for one time." He replied.

"And when would that be?"

"On your wedding day," I saw him smile and wink at Bella. Then he turned to me and said, "See, I told you I'd prove she loves only you." Then he took off.