*** I hope everyone is doing well! Life has been kicking my butt, so I apologize for the long wait between the last post and this one! I don't think anyone really needs to read the drama of my life when we just enjoy reading the fanfiction stories instead, but my grandmother is now living with me, and I am her full-time caretaker. Any well wishes that can be spared in her direction would be so greatly appreciated! Stay safe out there in the world wherever you are reading this. I can only hold on to the hope that 2022 will be a better year for everyone. ***
Lily was relaxing on Alice's pink shoe shaped lounge chair as Bella painfully looked through the bottles of beauty products cluttering every inch of counter space in Alice's room. In the time that Lily had grown to know Bella, she had become decent at reading her body language. Right now, Bella's body language was shouting that she was anxious, worried, and worn out. Alice was busy combing through Bella's hair trying to soothe her, but it wasn't working.
"That's enough, Alice," she said tonelessly. "I want to go back to La Push."
Alice sighed but continued combing Bella's hair. "Jacob's still unconscious. Carlisle or Edward will call when he's awake. Anyways, you need to go see Charlie. He was there at Billy's house, he saw that Carlisle and Edward are back from their trip, and he's bound to be suspicious when you get home."
"I don't care. I want to be there when Jacob wakes up."
Lily groaned before putting her face into her hands on her lap; her blond curls creating a curtain around her. "Bella, think about Charlie," Lily begged.
Alice jumped right in with her own comment to add. "It's more important now than ever that Charlie stays safely in the dark. Play your role first, Bella, and then you can do what you want second. [art of being a Cullen is being meticulously responsible."
Lily snorted before moving her face from her hands to raise an eyebrow at Alice. Alice either willfully ignored the look or chose to engage.
"Go home," Alice ordered. "Talk to Charlie. Flesh out your alibi. Keep him safe."
Alice and Bella made some small talk quietly between themselves while Lily zoned out.
Lily was thinking back to the clearing.
With Jasper.
It was rushed and hurried and wonderful and messy all at once. At the time they were both high off adrenalin and the relief of seeing the other unharmed.
She reached up to touch the spot on her neck that he had bitten her, sealing their bond. She had checked it out in the mirror as soon as everyone got into the house. She could barely see the fang marks from where he bit her, but it glinted in the light when she turned her neck just right. It was like she had two small diamonds imbedded in her neck.
She loved it.
Just then zoned back into the conversation Alice was having with Bella, noticing that Alice was stroking Bella's arm.
"Everyone is different, but something like that, yes." Alice said in a low voice.
Bella looked constipated while she was focusing on whatever thought that was going through her mind.
"It passes," Alice promised.
"How soon?"
"How soon does what pass?" Lily interrupted, curious.
"The blood lust of a new vampire," Alice said quickly. "A few years, maybe less. It might be different for you Bella. I've never seen anyone go through this who's chosen it beforehand. It should be interesting to see how that affects you."
"Interesting," Bella replied.
"We'll keep you out of trouble."
"I know that. I trust you," Bella said in a dead monotone voice.
Lily got up from the shoe chair, stretched, and made her way to the door. "Alice, thanks for the girl time but I think I need to get home. My parents are waiting for me."
She made it out of Alice's room to be greeted with Emmett leaning against the stairwell banister.
"I have strict orders from the twins so get you home safe and keep you safe. Ready to go pixie?" He said, his deep voice accompanying his crossed arms and smirking face.
"Yeah? You sure Rose would let you out of the house dressed like that?" Lily smirked back at him, crossing her arms and looking up at him.
"Look at you, all big and bad and mated up," Emmett teased.
Lily's face turned tomato red, having forgotten that not only could other supernatural beings see the mark, but could also smell Jasper on her as she hadn't yet showered.
Emmett's smirk deepened. "What? You think you'd get a pass from being teased pixie?"
Lily rolled her eyes, her face still flushed, before moving down the stairs. Emmett followed behind her laughing.
They got into Rosalie's convertible to bring Lily home. Emmett looked ridiculous in it, but Carlisle and Edward had taken his jeep down to the reservation to check on Jacob.
The car ride was quiet, but it was comfortable.
After they pulled into her parent's driveway, Lily took a good look at the simple house. It was almost surreal, stepping back into her somewhat normal life after fighting vampires and narrowly avoiding death.
"The area is clear, but Jasper is still doing rounds to make sure nobody is straggling behind in the woods," Emmett offered unprompted.
"Thanks Em, I mean it."
"Of course, Pixie. You're one of us, whether you like it or not. And we stick together. Jas said he would come to the house once he's done."
"Is there. . . anything I should know from the male half of the bond?" Lily asked, quietly.
Emmett cocked his head sideways thinking for a minute before he answered, choosing his words carefully. "It might be different because you two are different. There is always the protective instinct, but in a freshly mated couple it's almost a need to keep the other protected. They can't travel too far away for too long depending on how the bond manifests. The sex is great, and never dies down," He added, getting her to laugh.
He put her in a sideways one arm hug. "It'll be okay. Just give it time. Besides, everyone's first time is rough and messy. It's the next however many times you have to perfect it and find what you like." Emmett winked then before releasing her. "And the best part of being immortal is having all of eternity to find out what that is."
Lily laughed again before leaving the car. Her parents had turned the living room light on, so they must have realized she was home.
"Good like pixie!" Emmett called before he drove off.
Lily squared her shoulders before entering her home.
She had a lot to tell her parents.