I nodded, I wanted to see myself, and then I wanted to see everyone who had helped to save my life.
Edward was up in a second and he escorted me to the door, his hand under my elbow. It was only then that I realized how wonderful he smelled. I had known it all along, but until this moment I had never gotten the full scent, and now with my vampire nose, I could smell him. I guess he heard me sniffing him, because he turned to me.
"Like what you smell?" he asked an impish grin on his amazing face.
"Perhaps, but I'll have to see what else is out there." I said raising my eyebrows playfully.
"Oh, we'll see." He smirked arrogantly, and I raced past him to another door, one I knew was the bathroom for a few reasons. I couldn't hear or smell anyone in there, and I assumed that in a house full of vampires a bathroom was the last place I would find anyone. I swung open the door with excitment. To my surprise it crashed against the wall and shattered, while the walls – which I guessed weren't brand new – moaned tiredly under the force. I jumped in shock. I had found the bathroom, and just as easily broken the door.
I knew that this noise would bring Edward, but to my surprise, he didn't instantly appear next to me as usual.
First, I heard his approach, his footsteps landing lightly on the hallway as he raced towards me. Second, I could smell his scent growing closer, all of this happened fast, but it was still all new. I was ready for him when he entered the door. I could really get used to this.
"Wow, Bella. I'm kind of glad that you didn't become a vampire in my house. I have a feeling that you're not quite done with your clumsy streak just yet." He smiled and with an easy swipe of his foot, he pushed the debris to a corner. There was a few holes in the wall and much of the wallpaper was torn, but Ifigured that since Victoria probably wasn't coming back soon, it was no big deal.
"So?" he prompted. Was he waiting for an explanation from me? I thought it was pretty clear what had happened, but okay.
"Well, I didn't know I was going to swing the door open that hard. Really, I – " He cut me off mid-explanation.
"No. What do you think of…you?" he asked and turned me towards the mirror.
I could only blink, this girl in the mirror couldn't be me. She had my brown hair (which was now forever just below my shoulder, but it could be worse: I could be bald), but the rest of her seemed different. Not monumentally different, but there was enough to make me speechless.
To begin with, my hair seemed shinier and smoother than before. Moving to my face, my complexion (which had the occasional annoying break-out) was smooth and clear and pale as snow. My eyebrows where arched perfectly over my eyes which were now framed by long, thick and wonderfully dark eyelashes. My eyes were a major shock, the former chocolate brown had become a rich garnet. My nose was thin and straight, much like before, and my full round lips parted to reveal a set of bright-white teeth which I knew to be sharper than the best razor. All of this was contained in my usual oval face. The result was startling, I was not as beautiful as Rosalie, – who could be? – but I was definitely somewhere in the tens on the beauty scale (AN: Rosalie 20) Looking below my face, my body, which had been a size two and not at all ugly, now held the soft curves I had always admired in magazines and movies. Unfortunately, the mirror only revealed to about my hips, but I got the gist of my new appearance.
Edward was looking appraisingly at my new appearance also. I smiled and he kissed me, deeply.
And not like before, before I changed,the depth of our kisseswas more based on length and how close I could get to him before we had to part. Now, it was different. I was just as strongas him. Our bodies fit into one another's perfectly and the kiss deepened farther, to a point I had never even dreamed of reaching with him. Then I pulled back (much as I didn't want to), and smiled at him.
"See, getting easier all the time." I repeated the line he'd said to me almost a year before. And it was; kissing had been a challenge for both of us. For him, he had been afraid of killing me, and I had never been able to cope with the shock every kiss brought.
He laughed lightly and wrapped a hand around my waist. He led me downstairs, into the living room. Alice and Jasper were sitting on the couch, - which was sitting on the floor, I'm guessing that the legs broke under it, and half the stuffing was gone – surrounded by the rest of the Cullen's and about thirty people I didn't know. It was amazing to see so many people crammed into one room (I tried not to think of the last time this many people were crammed into this room with me).
Emmett let out a low whistle as I descended the rest of the stairs, however, it was cut short by Rosalie elbowing him, hard. I knew he was playing, and I'm guessing that Rosalie did too, but she never really liked me enough to play around with me. Besides, Emmett is honestly like a brother to me.
The whole living room was disastrous, you could tell that nearly sixty vampires had fought here. There were holes in walls and every piece of furniture seemed like it was on its last legs.
"Bella!" Alice squealed and patted the seat next to her. I ran as fast as I could to her and plopped next to her. She smiled brightly at me and started to talk, but I cut her off.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for anything to happen like this." I was going to ask where she was hurt, but then I noticed her left arm was lying limply next to her – Very un-Alice not to be gesturing around like wild. She saw where I was looking and shook her head.
"It'll be weak for another day or two, it's nothing bad. Jasper saved me. He got a bad gash on his leg." she threw an adoring smile at Jasper, who only looked down humbly. "What a catch, huh?" she said nodding her head in his direction. He looked up at her and kissed her cheek.
I laughed and looked around at all the people I didn't know. They – like all of us – were beautiful. Most of them looked to be around their late teens to late twenties. However, there were a few older ones, they still looked wonderful. I smiled at all of them awkwardly and turned my attention to Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett, who were mixed among the others.
"Thank you all for helping me. Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle," I listed them, and as if on cue, Carlisle appeared at the top step. "And everyone else, I don't even know you, but you saved all of our lives." Suddenly I felt increasingly awkward, I realized that I had basically been making a speech, and I never did too well on speeches.
Thankfully, Esme started talking. "It was what we would have done for them," she said smiling warmly at everyone. "Bella, meet our friends from Alaska, of whom you have heard so much. I would introduce you, but there are so many that you would probably just be overwhelmed." Edward, who was still standing next to me, smiled at me lovingly.
Everyone started to mingle with each other and start conversations; a few people even came up to meet me. I met a thin, blonde man named Lucas, a curvy, tall woman named Jenny, and another short, thin man named Marcus. We talked for a little and they told me that since there were less people there, it was easier to live in Alaska, less tempting. Also there was tons of game to hunt up there. They told me I had an invitation to visit any time I wanted.
I also found out what had happened with the coven of vampires. Apparently they couldn't let anyone live, because they were all seriously venegful, so they managed to kill them all. And then, about fifty miles north, they found another cabin (luckily the family had abadoned it a while ago) and set it ablaze.
All of this was amazing, then I thought of my human family and I was instantly agitated. I had been away from all of my family for over four days. I said goodbye and ran to Edward, by this time I was hysterical.
"My family." I whispered to him. "What about my family. Oh God, I bet they've tried to call me." I said and before he could reply I was running towards the stairs to get my cell phone.
I was upset and when I made it to the first step my foot went right through it. I yelped in surprise and Carlisle – who had been the closest – was there a second later. He helped me pry my foot out of the mangled wood. I knew people were trying not to laugh at me out of politeness, so I turned back to them and gave a small smile before rushing up the rest of the stairs carefully. I picked up my phone, it hadupwards ofthirty missed calls, all from my parents.
It was then that Edward caught up with me, you could tell he was confused by my behavior.
"You didn't even try to pick up my phone." I accused him. "My parents must have called the police by now!"
"Don't worry, once the change started, we came up with an excuse. He said smiling.
"What excuse would make them think I couldn't pick up the phone and would be away for four days?" I asked, then remembered how risky my change had been. "Or forever."
"Well, it's not that you couldn't pick up the phone." He was starting to look anxious now; I had never seen him nervous before. "It's that you wouldn't."
"Why wouldn't I pick up the phone?" I asked angrily, he was wearing my patience thin, I was terrified that he was going to tell me that I was running away from home, and I had made him tell my parents.
He took a step towards me, and to the surprise of both of us, he fell, flat on his face. He was up again instantly, but we both saw it. He didn't speak, he looked as confused as I was.
"Well," he began, his face puzzled. "we…kind of…eloped." He said and waited for my reaction.
I was mind-blown. I had run away to elope with him. Then I felt a smile grow on my face and I ran into his arms and he gave me a kiss.
"Well, that's great!" I yelled, barely able to contain my excitement. "But you do realize that my parent's aren't going to be too fond of you now. And it might be a problem, since we're not married, and can't be until we turn eighteen." I said, my logic now drowning my excitement.
"Exactly." He said brightly.
"What?"
"They think that we went to elope and almost made it, but then someone found out that we were only seventeen. We don't actually have to be married. And for the record, Carlisle and Esme aren't supposed to be happy with you either." He said in mock horror. "Tricking their youngest son into eloping with you; how horrible." He shook his head and made small tsk tsk sounds with his tongue.
I grinned, and then something else hit me. "I'm not going to be allowed to see you anymore." I gasped, "I'm new at this vampire thing. How can I live alone in a house with Charlie?" I asked, my fright returning.
"You'll be living with me and my family. Esme and Carlisle were young when they got together – or so they tell people – and they know what it's like, they aren't allowing us to share a room or anything, but they are allowing you refuge here." He finished.
"How will my parents allow that? They'll fight for me back." I said.
"Carlisle already went and had a talk with Charlie. He waited of course until we knew," he swallowed, "that you could come home again for sure. They were both disappointed in us, and Charlie said that he thinks we shouldn't be allowed together, but Carlisle – and Jasper, who was standing outside with the help of Emmett– convinced him that that would only make us do something like this again. So they decided that it would be best if we lived together without being married, so we could see what it would be like and eventually wind up like most high school relationships do." He grinned. "And since Charlie would only have one room for us to be in, Carlisle generously agreed to have us go to his house. Besides, with Charlie gone most of the time, there would be no one there to watch us, whereas, Emse doesn't work. They even placed bets with each other as to how long we would last before we grew sick of each other." He finished and kissed me lightly.
I grinned ecstaticallyand we started back downstairs, and despite Edward's previous fall, we were more graceful than ever before.
AN: Yes there is still a bit more I want to get out, so no, this is not the ending! I repeat: This is not the ending!
Please read and review!