Ch. 27 A Glorious Reunion

It had been two days since my odd dream about the Volturi. Friday and Saturday passed in a blur of shopping, a trip to the spa, and mani/pedi's. I wasn't much of a companion for Alice. My preoccupation with trying to understand where the nightmare stemmed from kept me distracted much to her dismay.

By Saturday night—before the other Cullens were to return Sunday morning—she had finally reached her breaking point.

"Ok, that's it. I've had it with mopey Iris. You're dead, but you're also alive again. Get over it." I blinked when I saw Alice standing in front of me in her silk pajamas, one hand on her hip and tapping her foot impatiently. It was just so surreal to know that my former life was truly over, and then there was that dream about the Volturi. It was only a dream, but it just seemed so...real.

"Very compassionate pep talk, Alice." I replied sarcastically with an eye roll.

"Sorry, but I signed up for a fun weekend of girl stuff, not for you to stare at the wall and be sad about something that there's nothing we can do about. Besides, you didn't have Edward there, and here you do. Be happy." I couldn't argue with her there, and I loved him irrevocably, Twilight reference be damned. Stop complaining, Iris. Your life sucked before, and now it's amazing. Suck it up.

I relaxed my face into what I hoped was a light smile. "Ok, sorry. I'll try to be better at this...you know, gossiping, giggling, freezing your bra...everything." She grinned at the thought of a hopefully less distracted girl's weekend. "What time is everyone getting back?" I tried to ask the question as nonchalantly as possible, but Alice heard through my casual tone, of course.

"EDWARD will be back around eight-thirty in the morning." She smirked.

"Ok, thank you." In that moment I was happy that Jasper wasn't around to feel the anxiety rolling off of me. I missed Edward and was ready to be back in his arms, but things had been a little off between us before he left for the hunting trip Friday afternoon, and by "off" I mean that I was totally mopey, guilty as charged...But we were at an impasse on the sex issue, and I wouldn't feel right until we settled the argument one way or another. "Well, what's next? A pillow fight?" I asked with a smirk.

"Yes!" Oh good God.

"There's just one problem. You're just a tiny bit stronger than I am, Alice."

"Good thing pillows are soft..." she trailed off with a devious smile. No...she wouldn't...

WHACK!

"Oof..." I fell off of the bed. She actually hit me off the bed! Ok, you asked for it...

"Oops sorry." She grinned cheekily and didn't look or sound very sorry at all.

"You'll pay for that!" I called from the floor, but I rolled under the bed, pulling my phone from my pocket. I sent a quick text message.

"No! You wouldn't!" She gasped from atop the bed.

"Oh, yes I would, and I did." I stuck my tongue out at her as I hit send.

Your sister is torturing me. SOS.

Got it.

I was calling in the big guns to help. Hah!

"No! I can't see what he's planning..." Alice pouted. Silly vampire. That's the point...

"Well, I knew that there weren't many threats that I could make to hold a candle to yours, so I evened the playing field a bit." I shrugged, as I stood from the floor. "Now paint my nails. They look like crap." I laughed, and she smiled.

"Ok fine, but only because I agree. They look like crap." She giggled along with me. Alice was truly my best friend here. And a bonus is that she wouldn't have an affair with a married man and get me fucking shot...don't go down that road, Iris. It's fine. You're here. You're happy. You have a real family. That is your past. This is your present.

"Alice, I have a question for you." I said casually.

"Why do you want to know if the Austin Powers movies exist here?" She questioned.

"Do they?"

"Yes, but—" She was still confused.

"That's all I needed to know." I answered with a shrug, and she gave me a funny look.

"You are so strange." Alice must have realized that I was on the verge of passing out. "You should change into the blue pajamas. He likes that color..." Alice trailed off suggestively. Hmm. Ok psychic, I hear you.

"Thanks." I winked at her, and she giggled as she walked out of the room.

I must have fallen asleep only minutes later, but it was restless sleep. Edward insisted that Esme find a bed for his room, so I was tucked into a massive California King sized mattress. Despite it being the most comfortable bed I had ever slept on in either of my life times, I kept waking up. The bed was a big stupid reminder of what Edward and I had talked about the day before.

This had to be my fourth time waking up. I glanced over at the clock, it was just past four in the morning. I laid there staring at the door, willing it to swing open, and see Edward coming for me. Jeez, Iris. Let the man have some space...

Then there was a crash downstairs, and I heard Alice screech. "Noooooooo!"

Holy shit! What was that?! I rolled off the bed with a thud. Great job, Iris. If you had any chance of escaping whatever has Alice freaking out before, it's gone now. I hopped to my feet awkwardly and ran to the door. I stumbled down the stairs, still half asleep to find what looked like a bunch of women's clothing spread throughout the living room. It was haphazardly strewn in a trail out the back door.

When I followed the trail out the back door which had been left open, I saw a couple hundred articles of clothing—shirts, dresses, pants, and shoes—thrown all over the yard and what appeared to be a large deer running frantically in the yard with more clothes wrapped around its body and dangling from its antlers. Alice was off to the side with her head laid on Jasper's shoulder in near hysterics while he rubbed her back in soothing motions. I could see that he was biting back a smile while Emmett and Edward rolled around on the grass.

"But why the Armani?" Alice left Jasper to run toward a certain article where she seemed to have almost a come apart. "Oh my poor babies...not the Louboutins!" She clutched the red-bottomed heels to her chest and looked to be saying a prayer.

"I didn't ask for this shit. You said there was going to be a vampire attack!" What the hell was Sam doing here?...Alice's visions. She was blind when the wolves were around...Very well played, boys. Bravo.

"No, I said there was a vampire we needed to attack. Thanks bro." Emmett stood, finally composed, with his arms across his chest, and a huge smile. Well, at least they were working together I guess? "Hey, Iris, look! We took care of half-pint for you!"

Sam growled and disappeared into the woods.

"Love, sorry to wake you." Edward rushed to my side, scooping me up, bridal style into his arms and planting a kiss on my lips.

"It wasn't you. It was Alice." I breathed as I recovered from his enthusiastic greeting.

"She's being a little...melodramatic." He gave his smallest sister the side-eye.

"Why did you destroy her clothes?"

"No, not me. Emmett. You texted him earlier, so he took care of it."

"You!" Alice spun toward me, seeming to come out of her daze, like she just realized I was there.

"Alice...I didn't know he would go to such an extreme. I just wanted something little...you know, a frozen pair of panties or something..." I was backing away from the crazy-eyed vampire.

"Oh, that's fine. I understand. I understand perfectly." Alice grew suspiciously calm. Freaky, Alice. I would much prefer her to be manic than like this.

Edward clutched me tighter, running me back to his room. He set me down gently on the floor by the bed, and turned to put some soft jazz music on his stereo before returning to stand across from me by the bed. He suddenly seemed quieter, less sure of himself.

"Hi." He said in a low voice.

"Hi." I answered easily. "I missed you." He looked up, his perfect crooked grin forming in place of a frown.

"I missed you more." He smiled wider yet paused for a moment, obviously sorting through his words. He slowly crossed the short distance that separated us, taking my hands in his as he looked down through his thick, dark lashes at me. "I'm so sorry. I know this must be difficult for you to sacrifice so much to be with me. I would understand if it were too much for you to bear, but I want you to know that being with you makes me the happiest man who ever existed." Ugh, sometimes I wanted to be angry with him, and then he would say things like that in such a genuine way that I was reminded of all the reasons I fell in love with him and why the sacrifices were worth it. Stop being an idiot, Iris.

"I just want you to open your mind. Allow me to make my own choices and be an equal contributor to the decisions we make as a couple. I am willing to wait as long as it takes, but I want to know that us really being together could be a possibility one day. I trust you, and I need you to trust yourself." There. That was what I wanted to say.

"I...will...think about it." He answered seriously with a furrowed brow. Well, that wasn't a no...progress.

"Thank you. That's all I want for now. I love you so much, and I want to experience everything with you." I tried to infuse every ounce of love and understanding into my words, and I think he felt it too. He pulled me snugly into his arms, lifting me off of the ground enough that he could bring my lips to his. We stayed that way long enough for me to lose my breath.

"Keep wearing this shade of blue, and you may get your wish wether I want to grant it on not..." he murmured against my skin. "You look absolutely ravishing." He continued to trail kisses along my jaw, neck, and collar bone, and I shivered in pleasure. Damn, I was one happy girl. Thank you, Alice...

"Mr. Cullen..." I purred, and he chuckled lowly as he towed me to the bed, placing me on my back and lying beside me as he continued his path of kisses back up along my jaw.

"Oh, Love?" He suddenly perked up.

"Mmm?" I was still lost in the nibbles he was leaving on my ear.

He spoke between kisses. "I wanted to warn you that...the Denali's...will be here in...about four hours to...visit from Alaska."

I pulled back abruptly. "Just a friendly visit?" I was instantly suspicious with his tone of voice and impeccable timing.

"Of course." He said with his sweet, innocently pure baby face. His guilty face.

"Then why did you wait until I was utterly engrossed in your lips to bring it up?" I narrowed my eyes at him. Fess up, sweetie.

"I can't help that you find my lips so compelling, but, Well, there may be one small complication..." he began.

"How small?" My voice grew sharp.

"Laurent seems to have found his way to them, and he's taken to Irina. She says she believes him to be her mate." He spoke quickly, yet casually.

"No!" Hell no. This wasn't happening. It wasn't time. There weren't enough wolves!

"Iris?" Edward's face became blurry as my eyes teared up. I knew this would happen. I'd been waiting for it. Twilight would always have its way. There was no skipping around the plot or hoping for the best. This story would get its ending no matter what.

"No. I said no! I told you this would happen. I knew it. I told you, and now...he...and she...and I...I told...you..." I couldn't seem to catch my breath and the room was spinning. Shit. Fuck. Fuckety fuck!

"Iris, it's fine. It's just the Denali's. I won't let anything or anyone harm you, remember? I will protect you with my life."

"That doesn't...make me feel better...I want you here with me, not off...risking your life for...some damn...psycho."

"It won't come to that. I'm here with you. I'm safe. I love you..." He shifted positions slightly, pulling me closer to him and allowing his fingers to brush lightly along my hips.

I couldn't help it as my breathing hitched, and my thoughts instantly changed back to our conversation from the day before. Gah, you're losing your mind, Iris. Freaking out one second from fear, and willing to jump Edward's bones the next...

"You're so warm..." he hummed against my neck as he ran his nose along the pulse point there. "And you smell utterly delicious."

"It has been a long time since a boyfriend has commented on how much they wish they could eat me..." I whispered, and Edward laughed, making...things...touch in a most glorious way. Don't say anything, Iris. He's skittish and scares easily. I snuggled even closer into him and breathed, "I love you."

"You are my life now." He responded reverently.

•PTaT•

(BPOV)

"Goodnight, Dad."

"Night, Bells."

I left Charlie, still watching the last quarter of some game. I was anxious about beginning at a new school in the morning.

I had never been one to seek out attention, quite the opposite actually. If anything, I preferred to be totally invisible, and being in a small town like Forks would make that very difficult. In Phoenix, I was one of about four thousand students at my school. In Forks, there were less than a hundred students in my graduating class.

"Oh, honey, I thought we could go to the diner for breakfast in the morning before school if we wake early enough." Charlie called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Ok, Cha-Dad." I corrected quickly. I would have to get used to saying Dad out loud. Mom almost always referred to him as Charlie so I wasn't in the habit of thinking any other way.

After my quick shower, and brushing my teeth, I changed for bed, and prepared my things for in the morning. I was exhausted from my long flight, and the drive from Seattle this afternoon, but as I laid in bed I couldn't quiet my mind long enough to sleep. I spent the longest time staring at the ceiling and watching the shadows change on the wall as the wind blew the tree outside my window. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something felt off, something other than my being in Forks for the first time in nearly five years. It felt like there was a big change coming, something foreboding hanging in the air like a thick cloud of mist. Oh well, it's Forks. It's always raining here.

Like, Follow, and Review please and thank you! :)