This chapter is a bit of fluff, but I thought it necessary for the relationship to progress naturally since Edward doesn't really know too many details about Iris before professing his love for her—my bad...I jumped the gun there...It's mostly been the mating bond driving them together, but Iris has had the benefit of knowing the important stuff about Edward...you know, things you should probably know about the one you love.

Hope you like the literary liberties I have taken so far! Happy Reading!

Ch. 22 Food Poisoning

"Rose. I love you, but if you come any closer to my mate, I will remove all your limbs." Edward growled. Whoa, Ed, that's your sister. Can't we all just get along? Hold on! Did he just say mate?! Holy shit! I mean, I'm happy, but wow...

"Eddy, I love you, man, but I'll kill you if you touch her." Emmett growled back.

"Boys!" Esme chided. A weird feeling of calm, almost like I was floating, filled the room. Jasper stood in front of Rosalie and Emmett, while Alice came to stand behind me, and squeezed my shoulder.

"She's fine...for now." Jasper said.

"She won't hurt you as long as you stay where you are." Alice shrugged.

"I'm not comfortable with her being here. Let's go—"

Several things happened at the same time. Edward quickly moved to pick me up. The motion must have created just enough of a wind for my scent to waft toward Rosalie who had just started to take a practice breath, testing the room. Horror flashed across Edward and Alice's faces just as Rosalie sprung toward me.

Edward growled, pulled me into his arms, forming a cage around me with his body, and jumped backward, flipping the couch over. He landed on his feet lithely, and moved me behind him as he stood in a protective crouch.

Rosalie, however, simply straightened herself, flipped the couch back over, and had a seat where Edward and I had been a moment before. She grabbed a magazine from the coffee table, and flipped her hair over her shoulder as she proceeded to then peruse said magazine. What the fucking hell just happened?! I was panting as the adrenaline in my system slowly dissipated.

"Are you kidding me, Rose?" Edward snarled. Looking me over to make sure there were no lasting injuries on me.

"I'm fine." I whispered, taking deep calming breaths.

"What? You thought I was actually attacking her?" Everyone in the room stood stalk-still. Carlisle had one hand still on Rosalie's upper arm. Esme's gaze shifted between Rosalie, Edward, and Me. Jasper had only just straightened after she had pushed him out of the way, and Rosalie just continued her rant casually as if she didn't notice any of her surrounding family members. "Apparently you could make out with her when she was your singer...you think I can't handle being in the same room as her? Hah." Damn. Rosalie Hale was batshit crazy...and I think I liked it.

"Hell yeah! That's my girl!" Emmett slammed into the couch, and swung his arm around his mate, pulling her to him.

"Well done, Rosalie." I clapped my hands together. "I see why Emmett the prankster loves you. You're the master." She wouldn't look at me, but I saw the very edge of her mouth twitch.

The rest of the room relaxed then. Alice sat back down with Jasper, and Esme and Carlisle disappeared up the stairs. I tried really hard not to think about what I couldn't hear but was probably about to happen up there...Ew.

Edward looked at me like I had lost my mind. "I don't know you at all, do I?"

"I'd wager that I know more about you...but I've had years to study." I shrugged.

"Then I suppose I should catch up. It's only after six now. How would you like to go for dinner?"

"Are you asking me out?"

Emmett and Jasper wolf howled from where they sat. As the girls just looked to one another and rolled their eyes.

"Of course. I would like to properly court you." Edward said matter of factly.

"I need to call Charlie first..."

"Already did. I told him that I was studying with you and Angela, and asked you to stay over a little late to help finish a project since you don't have school tomorrow anyway." Man, Alice was amazing.

"I know." She said, answering my comment I was about to make.

Then I caught sight of myself in the mirror. I looked like I belonged in a mugshot. "Oh, I'm not dressed for a date." I blushed.

"I can help with that!" Alice jumped out of her seat, running at her natural speed to my side. "Yes! I knew I would need this one day!" Alice sang, and she pulled me into her arms and had me up the stairs before I could even ask what in the name of Sam Hill she was talking about.

"Alice, I have legs you know..."

"But mine are so much faster." She answered.

"Ok, I'll give you that." I laughed. "So what's up here that you just knew that you would need?" I asked as she disappeared into her closet. Then I remembered what fashion was like in 2005. Hell no. "If you come out here with a juicy tracksuit, Ugg boots, and a trucker hat, so help me God, Alice—"

"I would never, and this is perfect." She came out of her obnoxiously large walk-in closet holding a cobalt blue blouse with a deep 'v' neckline and bell sleeves. She paired it with a pair of dark bell bottomed jeans and a gold strappy heel. The outfit was exactly something I would have picked out. Alice's psychic abilities certainly were handy.

"Well, that's one way to get rid of me..." I murmured when I saw the heels.

"Oh hush. They're stunning! And do you really think Edward would let you injure yourself?"

"Depends on how obnoxious I'm being."

Alice rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out. "You'll be fine. Now go change so I can fix your hair. It's a mess."

"Well, excuse me, I didn't plan on almost being murdered by two demented vampires today when I wore it down. I'll try to plan ahead next time."

"That mouth will get you into trouble." Edward said from the doorway.

"I hope so." I shrugged, and winked at him. "You need to go back downstairs so I can change."

"I just missed you." Awwwww. If anyone else said it, I'd roll my eyes, but when he said it? It was perfection...Maybe Emmett was right about us, but I'd never tell him so.

"Go on before I change my mind." Edward pecked my cheek, and turned to leave. *swoon*

I changed quickly, and Alice applied the smallest amount of makeup and pulled my long hair back into a messy half updo with bohemian style braids. She made my hot mess look like a HOTT. MESS. The girl was good.

"It's amazing, Alice. Thank you so much. I'm so glad you like me enough to do this for me."

"I don't like you. I love you!" She smiled and hugged me around the neck almost tightly enough to strangle me.

"Can't...breathe..." She released me, and I hugged her back. "And I love you too."

"Sorry!" She said but was still grinning. It's a shame that Bella didn't let Alice do this more often. She was beaming.

I promised myself that as long as I was with the Cullens, I'd let Alice dress me whenever she wanted. She would always pick something in my style, or better than my style if I'm being honest, and she would be ecstatic to have a living mannequin. Everyone wins. Before I could say anything, I had barely opened my mouth when Alice cried, "yessssss!" She kissed me on the cheek about fifteen times, and ran out.

I slipped on my killer heels, and went to the door. "Edward..." I called, and he was there almost instantly.

"Ye—oh, you're beautiful."

"Thank you." I blushed. What did I do to deserve him? "Alice insisted that I wear these death traps on my feet...'part of the aesthetic' is how she put it, so I'm going to ask you now to please not let go of me when I walk unless you want a girlfriend with two broken ankles." Edward gently caressed my face where it felt the most flushed, tracing my cheek bones down to my jaw. Ok, maybe the blush was growing on me if I got this kind of attention every time...

"I would be more than happy to do that. I can do you one better though." He smirked and swooped me into his arms bridal style, having us to the car before I even took another breath. My heart was pounding again. Is it hot out here or is it just me? It's just you, Iris. It's fifteen degrees out here.

Alice walked out shaking her head, holding my sweater. "Thanks." I said with a blush again.

"Mmhmm." She hummed with a knowing grin, and disappeared back in the house.

"So. Where to?" Edward asked.

"Anywhere but Bella Italia. There has to be more out there..."

Edward raised his brows in question. "Do I want to know?"

"Just trying to make our own memories." I explained.

"I know just the place." There was his crooked grin again...damn he's so handsome...

We arrived in front of a tall, non-descript brick building in Port Angeles with vines growing up the side.

"Are you opposed to seafood?" He politely asked.

"No way! It's my favorite. I ate so much fish back home that I was known as the mermaid." I laughed. That was another one of Sandy's nicknames. I told her that mermaids wouldn't eat fish—it would be like cannibalism—but she kept it up. I missed her.

The restaurant was totally gorgeous, obviously expensive, but I felt it would be rude to say so. The maitre d' seated us in a corner, away from the rest of the diners without being asked. I raised a brow, and Edward said they were frequent patrons of the establishment. I don't know what a bunch of vampires needed with fish and wine, but whatever.

The server flirted shamelessly with Edward of course, not totally ignoring me, but definitely trying to assert her superiority over his chosen company. I just let her because honestly, if Edward wanted her, I didn't want him. No need for petty jealousness or insecurity. I often wished when reading Twilight that Bella would have just known how awesome she really was. Her worth was not dependent on Edward, but she always seemed to calculate it with him in mind.

"What did you used to look like?" Edward pondered.

"Umm, plain I guess. Blonde haired, blue eyed...darker skin than Bella, and I was nearly six feet tall."

"That sounds a lot like Rosalie."

"Yeah, just like her, except like the ugly duckling step sister version...I broke my nose when I played varsity volleyball as a teenager during the final match of the season. It was not attractive." I laughed, but Edward frowned.

"You were an athlete?" He took on an expression of incredulity.

"You have no idea how frustrating this body is..." I chuckled in response.

"I can only imagine. What about your family? Do you miss them terribly?"

"No." I answered simply, not wanting to lie, but I felt embarrassed to tell him about my dysfunctional parents when he had such a great family. Two great families really if you included his biological parents.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject." I felt guilty withholding information. After years of therapy, I knew all too well that secrets, lying, and controlling information would only lead to my own demise. The irony of my situation when I first arrived here was not lost on me.

I took a deep breath. It's fine. It's Edward. You can trust him. "I didn't exactly have a great upbringing."

"Oh? Well, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but I'm here if you would like to talk about it." A saint. The man was an absolute dream.

I stared at the table, flipping my butter knife over and over. "My parents were both Alcoholics, undiagnosed of course because God forbid they actually deal with their problems...and they argued...a lot...most of my memories of them together was just a bunch of yelling and throwing stuff. I think I learned how to use curse words before I was fluent in English." I laughed awkwardly before getting serious again.

"My dad used to hit me when he came home drunk..." I heard Edward gasp, but I didn't meet his eyes, opting to stare at the crisp folds in the freshly ironed tablecloth. "...never broke any bones, but hard enough for me to learn when to avoid him. Mom was always so wrapped up in her own self that she didn't see any of it. To the outside world, they were this power couple. My father was a top executive for Georgia Power, and mom stayed home with me for awhile, until she took over an open chair position on a local charitable organization. I think she mostly did it to get out of the house, and so she had more excuses to dress up and go to fancy galas and dinner parties. There was never enough time to spare on their daughter. It was either go, go, go or drink, argue, drink..." I looked away from the tablecloth and into Edward's eyes. He looked like he might want to cry for me, anger burning in his amber eyes.

"Iris..."

"No, it's fine. I got legally emancipated when I was 16. Mom told me she never wanted to see me again, and Dad told me I was an ungrateful brat. I didn't have anything. I got a job as a nurse's aid at the hospital because I had to prove to the court that I could afford to live on my own. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I had never felt so good about my life. I was finally free. Finally, I could go home without having to dodge lamps being thrown. I didn't have to lie about where the bruise on my cheek came from...I lived off of Ramen noodles for a good four years. I haven't eaten them since I graduated nursing school. I refuse." I made a face of disgust, and Edward laughed before sobering.

He reached across the table for my hand, his eyes smoldering. "You're more amazing than I thought. I'm glad you were able to save yourself...but you never have to be alone again. My family will care for you. Charlie cares for you like his own daughter...which to him, you always have been. After you trusted your secret with us, I wondered about how Charlie hadn't noticed. When I read his thoughts, it seemed that he did recognize a difference in you, but he was proud. He saw you as more confident, more sure of yourself. He loves you."

"Thank you for saying that. He's grown on me too. He's a wonderful father. I wish my Dad had been more like him."

Our food—my blackened shrimp, and his whatever the heck he ordered that looked disgusting...maybe octopus? It was swimming in black ink—arrived then.

"Mmm I haven't had shrimp in so long. Charlie keeps bringing fish home, which is great, but there's only so many ways to cook trout." Edward smiled at the look of pleasure on my face as I popped a whole piece of shrimp in my mouth.

"So what's your favorite color?" I asked him.

"I thought you knew everything about me?" He smirked playfully.

"Well, you told Bella brown, but I'm pretty sure you just said that trying to be smooth when you were gushing over her eyes..."

"Mmm...brown is warm."

"Ok, this is really weird dating a fictional character." I laughed, and coughed trying to clear my throat. Edward pushed my water across to me.

"Well if you don't like that answer then would you be happier that I am partial to that shade of blue you're wearing. It compliments your skin perfectly." I sighed. Well, I guess I'll just have to get used to being in Bella's body. It hadn't bothered me so much before, but now I saw where this could be a problem. He loves you for you. He loves you for you. He loves YOU, Iris.

"Thank you." I coughed again. There was the strangest tickle in my throat. I just couldn't clear it.

"Iris. Your mouth. It's swelling. Are you allergic to shellfish?!" There was panic to his tone.

"Shit! No, but Bella..." I couldn't finish my sentence as it was suddenly more difficult to breathe. I was crying, gasping for air as my throat continued to close on itself. This was fucking insane. Of all the ways I could die in this world, and this might be the way I go. How was I supposed to know that she had an allergy?! She never ate anything but eggs, pop-tarts, and that damned mushroom ravioli in the series.

Edward already had Carlisle on the phone. "He called in an Epipen prescription at the pharmacy down the street. Come on." Edward swooped me up in his arms and was out the door in seconds, moving just faster than a human should be able to.

"Sir, you haven't pa—" The same maitre d' called to him.

"On the table." Edward growled, shutting him up.

I was gasping desperately at this point. Things were getting blurry around me..."Iris? Iris stay with me. We're nearly th—"

•PTaT•

"Iris? Oh my God that's a lot of blood..." Sandy's voice was shaking, but she was moving quickly. She removed my shirt, pressing pressure to the fresh wound in my abdomen. Three times. I had been shot three times. How often had I wondered what my gunshot victims felt like? Not that I wanted to particularly experience it, but it was one of those thoughts that passes through your mind out of pure curiosity. Now I knew. It was horrible.

"HEEELLLPPP!" Sandy called from the break room. I had only just clocked in. How the hell did this happen? I just wanted to clock in. I hadn't even sipped my coffee. It was spilled all over the floor now mixed with something red...my blood. No, that couldn't be right...my blood? How? There was so much of it...the human body only had 4 or 5 liters of blood...how was there so much around me? Was Sandy shot too? How was there so much blood? How was there so m—

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