Disclaimer: I dont own anything but the plot

Chapter 10 Revelations

Edward POV

The story Bella had told me of Luke's name was sweet and funny. Just like her. But when she had told it, I could see how it confused Luke. He had, absentmindedly, thought of a memory from when he was younger. Barely a toddler anymore I thought. The memory was blurry and not in great focus, as he was clearly starting to lose those memories from his early childhood like all humans did as they grew older. But it clearly showed a distressed Bella trying to convince Luke to eat his food. This wasn't what had confused me though. No, the thing that had confused me was that Luke had spoken in the memory. Out loud.

"Come on Lucky Luke. You need to eat your dinner." She tried to feed him some vegetables, but he turned away and held up his hand.

"But I don't like carrots."

I realized then, that Luke hadn't been born mute. So what had caused him to lose the ability to speak? Had there been an accident? Had he been injured in a conflict? When did it happen? And even though the story Bella had just told was probably true to some extent, she had clearly given him the name before the event that took his voice. Which would mean that the true reason behind the name was a different one. So many questions filled my head as I drove the pair of them home.

I parked the car in front of Bella's house and we all got out. As Bella thanked me for the ride and I told her that it was no problem at all, I looked closely at Luke's neck. There. Right under his chin, above where his adam's apple would one day develop, I was just able to see a small scar. It was nearly invisible and no human would notice it unless they got very close. It was round, yet it had a ragged line jutting out to the left side. "So it was caused by an injury." I thought darkly. I decided not to ask about it now. If Bella wants me to know the details of the incident, she would tell me.

I went home then and spent a few hours playing the piano for my mother. She sat beside me on the bench. I had just finished her favorite piece, a tribute to the love I had seen develop between her and my father, when I was reminded of the song Bella had been singing to Luke as he slept. I tried to find the right notes to imitate her voice. It sounded nice but seemed to be lacking. It couldn't compare to Bella's soft pitch.

"That's very lovely. Did you write it?" Esme asked as she closed her eyes to listen to the soft melody.

"No. It's a song I heard the other day. I'm trying to replicate it, but it doesn't sound as lovely as the one I heard."

"What is it about?"

I thought about the lyrics. "I think it's a mother singing to her child. Telling him that she'll always be there for him should he need it, and that she loves him and she believes they can do anything as long as they're together."

"That's sweet. Where did you hear it?"

"Uumm.. I heard a woman singing it to a sleeping child." I was a little wary. I didn't want to get scolded for eavesdropping. "Ha! Look at me. I'm a 104 year old vampire, and I'm still anxious about getting scolded by my mother." I berated myself.

"Was it Bella singing to Luke?"

My fingers stopped abruptly on the keys. I was sure my face betrayed my shock and slight embarrassment. I looked at my mother, nervous now. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I just.."

Her giggle cut me off. "You've been thinking about her a lot lately, haven't you?"

"Well, yeah I mean.." Then I saw in her head how she thought I might be infatuated with the girl.

"No, mom it's not like that. She's just a friend."

"A friend huh?"

"Yes a friend. Nothing more."

"The last 55 years you've always talked about her as your future sister. But now she's a friend. Why is that?"

"Well.. She… I mean she isn't my sister yet. She hasn't officially joined the family yet so.."

"Everyone else seems to see her as a sister already. Why have you changed your perspective? Don't you want her to join us?"

"Of course I do." I hurried to say. Perhaps a bit too fast, because Esme smiled wider then.

"But not as your sister." It wasn't a question.

I sighed. "Mom. Seriously, it's not like that. I've only known her for a couple of days."

"Rosalie and Emmett fell in love at first sight. So did Alice and Jasper. It didn't take your father more than a week to accept my love for him. So why is it so inconceivable that the same could happen to you?"

I thought about that. Did I feel that way towards Bella? Did I think of her, not as a sister, but a friend because I wanted there to be more between us? Was I in love with her? No. I don't think so. I cared for her, yes. But love her, not in a familial sense, but as a girlfriend? Lover? Wife? I didn't think so. At least not at this moment. But was that where I was heading?

"I don't know." I didn't know if I was answering her question or mine.

"Good." I looked up, a little startled.

"How is that good?"

"Trust me, my son." She smiled warmly and kissed my right cheek. "It's good." She got up then and walked towards the stairs. "Emmett and Rose are about to leave, I think. Weren't you going with them?" She said without turning around. But I didn't need to see her face to know that she was smiling triumphantly. Like she had just won the lotto or something.

Confused and a little dazed, I walked out to the garage. Esme had been right. Emmett and Rose were waiting for me.

"What took you so long? We're gonna be late." Rosalie said as she got in the car.

"That's the second time the subject of Bella has enraptured me so much that I wasn't fully aware of my surroundings. Could Esme be right? Was I falling in love with the girl?"

The introduction with Luke went great. Rosalie absolutely adored him. She's always had a soft spot for little boys with blue eyes. They reminded her of her nephew. But when Luke had me tell her that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, her heart melted for him, and she hugged him as gently as she could. Emmett and Luke played some ball in the backyard and for once, Emmett didn't mind not using his superhuman strength. I stood beside Bella, watching her brother laugh and play with two people who very much wanted to be considered his aunt and uncle.

For the hundredth time, I looked at Bella from the corner of my eye. Everything Esme had said was still swimming inside my head. I looked away from her face quickly when I caught myself staring at her lips, wondering if they would feel as soft as they looked. "God Edward! Don't be such a creep! You're starting to sound like Newton." No. I didn't sound like Mike. Because that greasy faced little, good for nothing, soon to be dead, crapweasel, was a whole different level of creepy and disgusting.

I thought back to his confrontation with Bella this morning. I had been monitoring the thoughts around Bella at the time. I had convinced myself that I wasn't spying on her, just keeping an eye out for trouble. Not that she could find much trouble in her English classroom. Mike had been thinking long and hard about how to approach Bella after class. He wanted an apology for what she had said to him the day before. And somehow still thought that he had a chance to gain her affection.

As soon as my own class had ended, I bolted from the room. I wanted to intercept him before he could upset her. I didn't make it to the building in time. I stopped right outside the doors to building 3. She had already countered his verbal attacks and at this point, there was nothing I could do. Bella was a strong person. Not just in the superhuman sense, but in her words and opinions. Once again, her counter attack to his snide remarks, had won her the battle by a landslide. The thoughts around them had started speculating about what they had just witnessed. Mike's popularity and social status in the school plummeted quickly.

I hid around the corner, making sure Bella didn't notice me there as she walked out. I wanted to have a few choice words with Newton, and I wasn't about to do that in the presence of a lady. I waited for Mike to come out too. He was stalling and wanted everyone out before he exited himself. As soon as he did, I called out. "Mike." My voice wasn't loud, but it demanded attention.

He turned and saw me. Fear entered his face. But that fear turned quickly to anger and indignation. "Go bother someone else Cullen." I said my last name like an insult.

He was about to walk away again. "Wait." I used the same demanding tone. I pushed off the wall I had been leaning against and walked slowly and deliberately towards him. I looked him dead in the eye. The fear was back.

"Stay away from Bella Swan, if you know what's good for you."

"Y-yu-you have no right to her." He clearly meant that to be intimidating, but his stammering only made it sound like a plea for mercy.

"And you think you do?"

"She's n-not attached. Sh-she's anyone's g-game. Just b-because you w-want her, d-doesn't mean others can't p-play. "

I balled my fists. It took everything in me not to punch his mouth. I took a step closer and he reflexively stepped back. "Listen to me you little worm." My voice was deadly calm, mirroring the monster in me that wanted to kill him. "If you ever talk to Bella like that again, or anyone for that matter, I will break your jaw. That way those vile thoughts of yours stay in your head. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to silence those, so breaking your face will have to do." I let a small sinister smile show on my face as his inner voice started to squeak in fear. And then I walked away.

I was suddenly pulled back to the present. Bella was holding onto my forearms, calling my name and looking at me with concern. "Edward, what's wrong?" I looked down at my hands. Splinters of the wooden railing were between my fingers. I looked up to meet her eyes again.

"I'm sorry Bella. I'll fix your railing, I promise."

She looked confused. "Forget the railing. Are you alright?"

I looked out into the yard. Rose was still entertaining Luke who hadn't noticed anything, but she was quiet, listening for my answer. Emmett was looking at me, also waiting to see what was wrong. I rarely lost control this way, so they were concerned. I looked back at Bella.

"It's nothing. Really, I'm fine." She let go of my arms and narrowed her eyes.

"You just crushed my porch railing. It's clearly not nothing."

I looked down. Ashamed that I had let my emotions get away with me. She took my hand. "Come on." She pulled me inside the house and let me into the kitchen.

"What's going on? You were fine a moment ago."

I sighed and wiped my hand across my face. "I just.. I was thinking about something and it made me really angry. I'm really sorry. I promise I'll fix the railing."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Would you stop with the railing already? It's just a piece of wood. I'm more concerned about what could have made you that angry. What were you thinking about? And don't say it was nothing or I might just hit you."

I looked at her for a second, then started chuckling.

"I mean it, Edward. Don't think my right hook is joking." But she couldn't keep the smile from spreading on her beautiful lips when I laughed a little harder.

"You're cute when you try to be scary." I calmed down and smiled genuinely at her. "I was thinking of your confrontation with Mike this morning."

"Oh. You heard about that."

"Pretty much the entire school heard. And even if the story hadn't spread like wildfire, I would still know."

She realized my meaning quickly. "You were listening through Mike's thoughts. Weren't you?"

"Yes. Please don't be angry." She raised her eyebrows.

"I'm not."

Well that was a relief.

"So what about it made you so angry? I mean I know what he said was awful, but I do consider myself the winner of that argument."

"Oh you definitely were. No, what made me angry was what happened afterwards. I also had a little talk with Mike."

"You didn't get into a fight with him did you?" She looked concerned again. I found that I didn't like it when she wasn't smiling.

"No. we didn't fight. I just told him very plainly to stop harassing you."

"And I'm guessing he did, said or thought something that ticked you off?"

"Pretty much."

She was thoughtful for a moment. Oh how I wish I knew what she was thinking.

"Thank you for defending me. You didn't have to do that."

"I know I didn't. That doesn't change the fact that I want to though. I told you. I already care about you a great deal. And as one of the family's primary defenders, it's not natural for me to just stand by."

Was that the only reason though? I thought back to my reaction to Mike's comment. Just because you want her, it doesn't mean others can't play the game. I hadn't understood the fire that had burned through me then. The white hot rage that had filled my mind at the notion of someone else touching her. Of someone else reaching for her affection. I realized now what it was. Why I had been so hateful towards Mike from the very beginning. It was not paternel protectiveness of a sister or friend. No. It was jealousy. I was jealous. Esme was right. I was falling for Bella. Falling fast and hard.

Please R&R, Thank you