Love Bite by Here's To

by Stuckinmichigan

Bella gets a little too rough during a play fight with Alice, which has some unexpected consequences. But in hindsight, she really should have known that vampires would consider biting a turn on.

22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR CHARACTERS

Bella made it to prom.

Sadly.

Or, well, not so sadly. As much as Bella dreaded the event, it really wasn't so bad. She had worse things to dread in the meantime, so that probably helped to take some of the resistance away.

After talking it out with the Cullens, after lots of yelling, bickering, arguing, fighting, and near fist fights that probably would have leveled the entire surrounding area had Carlisle and Esme not intervened –it was actually heartwarming to see how much the Cullens really cared for her- they came to a decision.

In Emmett's words, that decision amounted to a giant middle finger to the Volturi.

In the end, it was decided that because Bella was not ready to give up her human life so suddenly and especially with such dubious consent, that she would not be turned into a vampire, despite the Volturi's threats. Alice put her foot down on that and said if Bella wasn't entirely sure, nobody was making her do it. She backed that up on penalty of breaking bones and cracking skulls if anyone tried to disagree. Nobody did.

She got a lot of back up from Edward on that, because he claimed being a vampire puts one's soul in jeopardy. He'd always said that nonsense though, being the devout religious man he was. Rosalie gave him a dirty look for that, and she and Bella shared a meaningful look, too, over it. It was a look that spoke volumes of the way that Rosalie was slowly coming around, and even though she didn't say much throughout the conversation, Bella still sensed the way the blonde's animosity had faded.

None of that had anything to do with it for Alice though. She simply refused to make Bella do anything she didn't want to do, especially become a freakin vampire. Honestly, Bella thought Alice actually would prefer to have her changed sometimes. It would make things so much easier between them. She wouldn't have to constantly fight bloodlust around her, as good as her control was, and she wouldn't have to be careful not to kill her if she hugged her too tightly.

But Alice was Alice, and she loved her human or vampire, any way, in every way, and left that completely up to her.

It wasn't that Bella didn't necessarily want to be a vampire. It's just…That wasn't exactly a light decision to be made. She'd thought about it, of course. Who wouldn't want to be beautiful and immeasurably strong? And surely she did not want to grow old and wrinkly and die while Alice stayed young and beautiful forever…

Besides, Bella felt like this thing with Alice was a forever kind of deal. Sometimes things just fall into place that way, where you know that no matter what, you will be with someone until the end, come what may. The realistic part of her wondered unhappily if they could ever break up for any reason, but even if that slim chance ever came to fruition, Bella knew they'd still be friends. It was just who they were, how they worked, how they loved each other.

Always.

The point was, she loved Alice, and wanted that eternity with her, but taking that next big step so quickly turned her stomach. Giving up her human life was a huge deal. It would mean leaving behind all her friends, her family, Charlie, her mother, everything she ever knew or loved. She hadn't even told her parents she was gay yet. She loved them too, so much, so to simply leave them behind…Bella didn't think she could do that so easily.

So it was a no to becoming a vampire, at least for now. She needed more time to think about that, come to terms with everything that entailed. Maybe someday, but within the fortnight as the Volturi had demanded?

Nope.

Not happening, as Alice had said.

So that left…

Execution. Her death.

Tanya argued vehemently against the final decision to call the Volturi and ask for more time for a decision than two weeks. She declared that that was not how they worked, and would not take well to having their demands or orders questioned. They would never agree to it and even bringing it up would only anger them.

Carlisle tried to assuage her protests, and eventually after being told for the hundredth time to butt out by Alice, she fell silent and let the Cullens do as they'd decided. Bella had to wonder why she felt so strongly about how the Volturi worked, but certainly wasn't close enough to the Denali vampire to ask. And anyway, her certainty of Bella's imminent doom made Bella completely dislike her on principle, because she was of course terrified that Tanya was right.

When Carlisle called, however, the Volturi seemed sketchy at best. He requested that they be given until Bella's graduation to turn her, which everyone knew was code for stalling until they could come up with a better plan. Aro, their leader, did not like that. They got into a heated argument, and when Carlisle finally hung up the phone, his look was grim. When questioned about what was said, all he replied with was, "They said they'll think about it."

That had been a month ago.

The Volturi had not called back with a legitimate answer since, and by the time prom rolled around, Bella was eaten up with anxiety. All the Cullens seemed restless, and Alice told her that the Volturi thinking about something was never good. Despite that, Alice could not get a handle on what they might do. Even watching all of their decisions like a hawk, she told Bella that everything felt blurry, uncertain, as if anything could happen, and she didn't know why. Usually the Volturi were very decisive, but right now, they weren't.

Carlisle just told everyone to be on their toes, and so Bella was when the doorbell rang the evening of her senior prom night.

"I've got it, dad!" Bella called to her father as she bounded down the stairs and headed him off.

Technically, Bella knew the person at the door was supposed to be Rosalie. Over the course of this agonizing month of waiting and wondering, she'd grown ever closer to the Cullens, surprisingly including the blonde. They'd taken to running a watch on her house most nights, just to make sure she was safe, which only frightened Bella more because that meant they were afraid something could happen to her. Still, getting to hang out with Alice's adopted siblings more was pretty cool.

Who watched her on what nights varied, depending on who had already hunted or who felt like it. Usually it was Alice, which generally meant lots of sex or snuggling or both, and doing their best not to let Charlie know.

Sometimes, though, it was Emmett, or Edward. Trying to stay quiet with Emmett in her room was like trying to silence a bull in a china shop. He was just as goofy as Alice, and twice as bad as hiding it, and though he cracked Bella up like nobody's business, he was loud about it. More than once he'd had to dive out her window when Charlie popped in to see what all the noise was about.

Edward was much quieter, and nights with him were very peaceful. Their conversations were always soft and easy, about anything and nothing. They avoided serious topics so as not to irritate each other with their vastly differing opinions, but his presence in her room always made Bella fall asleep easier. With Emmett, she was up all night.

With Rosalie, though? That was a different beast entirely. Rosalie usually just stayed outside, but once or twice she slipped in through Bella's window. Ever since their talk, Rosalie seemed to have warmed considerably. Bella discovered that Rosalie had a sharp wit, a fast tongue, and was incredibly intelligent. She was elegant in an unreserved sort of way. The first night she came inside Bella's room, they didn't even say anything beyond, "Hey." Then Rosalie sat in the rocking chair in the corner, and just observed. It was weird at first, but Bella eventually relaxed, and when she climbed in bed to go to sleep, Rosalie left without a word.

Like she said, weird. But how could she be afraid of anything happening to her with a girl like Rosalie Hale watching over her? Her presence was actually comforting, just…Weird. She was so used to the vampire figuratively being at her throat, so it would take some getting used to civility between them.

The next time though, Bella was struggling with her Algebra homework, as always, and Rosalie offered her help. She actually managed to teach Bella how to graph polynomial functions, albeit while simultaneously insulting her intelligence occasionally as she struggled through it, but now when she insulted Bella, the brunette could tell the teasing was more playful than anything. And probably still just a habit, of course.

That broke any lingering ice between them, and after that, if Rosalie was on watch duty, she stayed in Bella's room and spent the night conversing with her. Their conversations generally consisted of friendly arguments over a wide range of topics. It was odd, for Rosalie to insult her in a way that was not meant to be hurtful. Bella quickly got used to it though, and they often spent the nights seeing who could make the better comeback. Rosalie always won, but it was still amusing.

Now she was ringing Bella's doorbell, having come over to help her get ready for prom. Alice normally would have done it, but she'd claimed she wanted to be surprised when they saw each other, despite the fact that she knew exactly what Bella's dress looked like, having picked it out herself a week before when they went shopping with Angela and Jessica.

Bella wasn't any good with any of this shit, so she definitely needed help. She didn't get why Alice wanted to be 'surprised' but then her girlfriend did have her eccentric tendencies, so she simply agreed to make her happy. She loved making Alice happy.

And yet, when Bella opened the door, she did so with bated breath. It creaked open as Charlie blinked bemusedly behind her and-

It was Rosalie.

Duh.

"Hey, Rose," Bella waved her in, ignoring the way Rosalie's eyebrow hitched at her, sensing the way she was slightly flustered.

So she knew it was Rosalie, but ever since that phone call with the Volturi, Bella suspected death was around every corner. Every time the doorbell rang, she raced to open it just in case some hungry vampire was waiting to execute whoever opened it, and no way was she going to let that be Charlie.

Rosalie didn't reply, but then she usually didn't. She just floated in, a bag slung over her shoulder, and nodded politely to Charlie when he greeted her.

"Hello, Rosalie," Charlie said amiably, but Rosalie just waltzed on by him and up the stairs as if she owned the place.

She may have warmed up, but she was still a total ice queen sometimes. Bella kind of admired that in her, though. She seemed so unaffected by anything. Bella wished she could be that way, especially in times like these. She stifled her grin when Charlie's brow furrowed and he shook his head, still bemused.

"Ya know, I do like her, Bells, but she's just not as friendly as Alice," Charlie grunted when Bella darted past him to follow her.

"No one's as friendly as Alice, dad. Especially Rosalie," Bella laughed, and then she disappeared up the stairs as well.

That wasn't really fair of him, anyway. Charlie may have hated Edward for what he did to her even if Bella didn't, and was wary of the rest of the Cullens by association, but he had a huge soft spot for Bella's girlfriend. Alice had charmed the hell out of him from the moment they met, much to Bella's amusement, so for him to compare Rosalie to Alice was totally biased and unfair.

Rosalie was already in her room, and when Bella walked in, she saw an assortment of girly products that made her want to cringe, from makeup to complicated looking hair clips and bottles of chemicals that she had no bloody idea what they could possibly be for.

Rosalie turned around, saw the horrified look on Bella's face, and smirked.

"This is going to be fun," she said, and Bella could only groan.

An hour later, Bella slowly walked down the stairs, and when Charlie looked up and saw her coming, she knew Rosalie had done her job well.

Her hair was silky smooth and soft, styled in glossy waves over her shoulders. Her dress hugged her frame lovingly, swirling around from her shoulder, around her waist, and fluttering just shy of her ankles in different shades of blue. Rosalie had done her makeup in a way that was not overbearing, but flashy enough for prom, coating her eyes in faint shades of hazy blue smoke and her lips in the deftest shade of light pink gloss.

It wasn't that Bella couldn't do her own makeup or anything, but fancy stuff like this she was clueless at. She didn't dress up often, and never went crazy with the cosmetics. Rosalie, however, was good, and accentuated her natural good looks that she inherited from her parents without drowning them.

"Wow," Charlie muttered, jaw a little slack. Bella blushed, but was pleased by his reaction. She'd been a little nervous dressing up like this, but was glad to see Charlie liked the results. Rosalie smirked next to her, privately pleased with her work, and they both came down the stairs.

"You look beautiful, Bells. I mean, not that you don't always, but…" Charlie stammered, and ran a hand through his hair as Bella stopped in front of him.

Oh, Charlie.

They were never very good at verbalizing to each other. Charlie was a less is more kind of guy when it came to words, but Bella could still tell what he was trying to get across.

"Thanks, Dad," Bella grinned at him, and he seemed relieved that she understood. "So you like it?"

"Yeah. You look great," Charlie nodded, still taking her in with proud, affectionate eyes that made Bella smile happily. "I definitely need to get a picture before you go."

Rosalie clearly had no interest in this pre-prom parental ritual, and she quickly said, "I'll be in the car when you're done."

She took off before either Charlie or Bella could say a word, which made Charlie shake his head again. Bella knew he thought that was rude, but well, most of what Rosalie did and said was rude. He might as well get used to it.

"So why isn't Alice picking you up?" Charlie inquired as he walked over to the table and picked up his camera.

"I told you, Rosalie came over to help me get ready and now we're driving over to their house to meet up, and then we're all going together," Bella said, mildly exasperated as she'd told him this not once, but twice before already.

Charlie nodded noncommittally, and motioned for Bella to pose. She did a little awkwardly, self consciously, and Charlie began snapping pictures of her.

"It's just," Charlie said a minute later, peering at her over the camera lens and hesitating. "I thought, when you said you were going with Alice…"

Bella paused, and then her breath froze in her lungs as she cottoned on.

What? What did he think? Does he…Does he know about us? Does he know I'm…Gay? But how could he possibly? Surely he would have said something before now! I thought word hadn't reached him yet. Shit! Okay, stay cool. Don't overreact. I'm sure he doesn't know anything.

"You thought what?" Bella murmured, struggling to keep her poker face as Charlie snapped another picture, and then lowered the camera. He hesitated again before he spoke, and it was like a punch to the gut of anxiety, and Bella knew before he said a word what he was going to say.

"I thought you meant you going with Alice to prom."

Bella tensed. The implications were clear, and Bella found it suddenly nearly impossible to meet her father's eyes.

He doesn't mean it like that.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, despite the fact that she had a damn good idea, and it was making her skin tingle with nerves.

Shit shit shit, she thought. Shit. Does he know? If he does…I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do if he does! What if he hates me? Does he hate me already? God, no! No, no, no! I won't be able to stand that!

"I just mean…" Charlie sighed and broke off, and then he met her eyes directly. "All I'm trying to say is that I love you, Bella. You can tell me anything, and nothing is going to change that. You know that, right?"

Bella's breath hitched, and she knew in that moment, in that gut wrenching realization that her father was speaking to her with a parental connection that one can only share with their child, and that he knew.

He knows, she thought, and Bella took a heavy, lung shaking breath as he stared at her with love in his eyes, and a comprehension she had never thought him capable of.

Word had reached him. Charlie knew that she was gay.

She absolutely and totally panicked.

"Yeah, of course dad. Hey, I've gotta run though, don't want to be late or keep Rose waiting. You know how she gets," Bella blurted, darted forward to kiss his cheek, and took off.

"Bella!" Charlie called after her, but Bella moved as fast as she could in that restricting dress out the front door and didn't look back.

It didn't matter that he'd said he loved her, or that she could tell him anything, because what if he took it back once it was out in the air, if she legitimately came out to him? What if her father started hating her instead? What if he tried to tell her that it was wrong, a sin, that she needed to get help? What if he looked at her with disappointment, or disgust?

No. No, no, no. I can't, Bella thought as the door slammed shut behind her and she speed walked over to Rosalie's car, heart pounding. I can't. Not right now. Not yet. I can't face that yet. I can't do it.

When she got in, Rosalie started the car as Bella took another shaky breath and tried to push the tears beginning to burn in her eyes back down.

"Are you okay?" Rosalie inquired quietly as she backed out, staring at her the whole time, not needing to look to reverse out of the driveway.

Bella stared out the window to avoid her eyes.

"I'm fine," she replied weakly, but Rosalie was not fooled.

"You should tell him," Rosalie said tonelessly as they drove down the road. "He loves you, you know."

"Rose."

She was grateful that Rosalie knew better than anyone else what it was to need silence instead of words, and so the blonde did not pry, or say anything else at all.

They pulled up a little while later, and together they approached the front door of the Cullen household.

Bella really didn't want to go to prom tonight, but she also needed something, anything to distract her from her woes and worries. She got just that when she walked inside the Cullen home, and forgot all about her brief but intense talk with Charlie.

She walked into the Cullen home, only to run smack dab into what looked like a party in full swing the moment she stepped foot in the living room.

There was music playing loudly from the very expensive looking speakers perched on the shelves in the corner, and Bella saw the Cullens all milling around, dressed up in suits and dresses alike, talking animatedly. She saw Tanya under Edward's arm as Rosalie kissed Emmett on the cheek before darting upstairs to get ready herself, which probably wouldn't take very long, and even Carlisle and Esme were in refined garb, looking ready to go out.

What are they holding? She wondered, however, when she spotted what looked to be tall, dark glasses in their hands.

She didn't get a chance to find out though, because she spotted Alice at the same time that Alice spotted her, and the vampire lit up at the sight of her.

"Bella!" Alice cried, and Bella grinned the moment Alice's arms wrapped around her as she darted over, smelling and looking fantastic, from the brief glimpse Bella had managed to get of her girlfriend before she was in her arms. Already the night felt easier, happier. "Let me get a look at you sweetheart. You have no idea how hard it was not to peek and see what Rose decided to do!"

Bella stepped back, and got a good look at Alice as well.

She was…

Beautiful.

As beautiful as anything Bella had ever seen, and so her eyes feasted on her lover hungrily. They'd coordinated colors, but Alice's dress was blue and yellow, vibrant, gorgeous. The dress was made to cut across the tops of her thighs and drape low on her lovely, pale legs, and from the hem a brilliant shade of canary yellow swirled up into the sparkling, bright blue of the rest of her dress. Bella's eyes traveled over her, up the graceful slope of her neck, where blue and yellow feather earrings hung from her lobes.

Finally, their eyes met, and together they beamed.

Whoa, Bella thought as she saw how bright Alice's eyes were. They were a shining, vivid shade of gold. She wasn't sure if she'd ever seen them that solid before. It made her whole face glow.

"You're so gorgeous, Alice," Bella fawned as Alice swooned.

"Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. You are incredible, Bella. You really do live up to your namesake, honey. I love what Rose did with your makeup. And your hair! I'm so glad she left it down. I love the way it frames your perfect face," Alice gushed, and Bella got all warm and fuzzy, blushing under the heaps of compliments. Alice was babbling, but she looked adorable, and Bella knew it was because she was excited for tonight, even if Bella wasn't really.

"Hey, Baby B! Welcome to the pre-party!" Emmett called as he walked over and scooped her up into a huge hug that made her yelp before he unceremoniously dropped her back to the floor and grinned at her.

"Uh, hey," Bella blinked dumbly, a little surprised at such a strong greeting though she didn't mind.

"Hullo, Bella," Edward waved from across the room, even his face open and warm, his tone light. The mood was infectious, and Bella could see that the Cullens really were excited for tonight.

She couldn't help but wonder why. Surely they'd been to too many proms to count, but still, it was nice to see them all so happy.

"God, Bella, this is going to be so much fun," Alice said, and grabbed her hands to drag her into the room properly. Her voice was bright and effervescent, even more so than normal, which was saying something.

Well, maybe not so much lately, as everyone had been tip toeing around and looking worried. Alice had been doing her best not to let Bella see the worrying in her eyes, but still Bella caught it, knowing her the way she did. It was so good to see her relaxed again for once. It made Bella smile, to hear her lover as such.

"Sure," she agreed, just to keep Alice in her good mood.

"Dude, check me out, Bells," Emmett demanded, and struck a pose.

Bella looked him over with a barely stifled grin at his goofiness. He did look smooth and suave, decked out in a slick tuxedo with a red vest that Rosalie's dress would undoubtedly match.

"Looking good," Bella laughed as he waggled his eyebrows at her and popped the color of his shirt.

"Damn right I do. Wait till you see Rose though. She looks fucking killer-I mean freaking killer in her dress," Emmett quickly corrected himself as Esme gave him the evil eye.

"Not as good as me," Alice boasted, and did a twirl that made the hem of her dress swirl around her legs and distracted Bella for a good long second. When the dress lifted, she got an even better look higher up at the toned backs of Alice's thighs.

Bella was about to say something in agreement, but Esme caught her attention first.

Hope nobody saw me peeking.

By the twinkle in Alice's eye, she totally had, but Bella just smiled privately and looked away quickly from Alice's smirk.

"Hello Bella. You look very beautiful," Esme hummed when Emmett took a swig from the mysterious dark tinted glass in his hand to avoid her warning eyes.

"Thanks. So do you guys. What are you and Carlisle all dressed up for though, if you don't mind me asking?" Bella inquired curiously.

"We're taking the rare opportunity to go out together for a night. We've gotten caught up in the festive spirit, so to speak," Carlisle replied loftily, and sipped from a glass in his hand. "And I've got the night off for once, so I figured I'd take my lovely wife out for a night on the town that she desperately deserves."

Esme leaned into him as Bella nodded noncommittally, distracted by the glass in his hand. She glanced over as Alice bounced back to her arms and dotted a kiss to her cheek, before spinning away to begin dancing with Emmett to the new song that came on, both of them laughing loudly as Edward and Tanya watched and laughed, uncharacteristically amused.

Okay. What the fuck were they all drinking?

The Cullens didn't drink or eat anything, besides…Blood.

Blood. Are they all drinking blood? Now? Bella wondered with a start, and was about to ask when Rosalie came back down the stairs.

Rosalie did, in fact, look killer in her dress. It was blood red, and fit her body like a glove. Her hair was now styled in thick glossy ringlets that framed her face, and Bella could only think of her as a much prettier version of Marilyn Monroe, or a sixties beauty queen. She wore elbow length black gloves that matched Emmett's tux, and Bella couldn't help but feel a little insecure when she entered the room, head high and haughty as ever.

Emmett wolf whistled, stopping in the middle of his ridiculous dance with Alice, and Rosalie shook her head with a wry smile.

"So tell me Bells," Alice suddenly murmured in her ear, and Bella leaned back instinctively when she felt the vampire's arms slide around her waist and pull her close. She couldn't help but shiver at the slightly husky quality of Alice's voice. "Does she look better than me, darling?"

Hell to the nizzo.

"Not a chance," Bella breathed back, and turned in her arms, meaning it. Rosalie was beautiful, strikingly so, but Alice was just something else.

There was no girl in the world like her, and she really was a shining light tonight. When their eyes locked, Bella couldn't even remember what Rosalie looked like, but she realized she was not the only one the blonde was capable of causing insecurity in.

Alice smiled at her, assuaged and lovingly, with her nose crinkling and her golden eyes twinkling.

"And she doesn't even come close to you," Alice murmured, destroying whatever insecurity Bella might have been feeling herself.

But when Bella leaned in for a kiss, Alice pulled back. Surprised and confused, Bella cocked her head at her, but Alice squirmed and avoided her eyes.

"Alice, what-?"

"Oh, don't worry, Swan. Alice just doesn't want to kiss you with blood breath," Rosalie chuckled as she leaned into Emmett, slipped the glass out of his hand, and then turned it bottoms up to drain it, her throat bobbing as Bella watched.

Oh.

Oh.

They were drinking blood. Of course, what else could it have been? But why?

Bella didn't even know what to think or feel about that; only that she didn't know why. When she looked around, she saw most of the Cullens were avoiding her eyes, especially Edward and Alice. She realized that just like Alice, their irises were bright gold, more so than usual.

"Our apologies, Bella. Does it make you uncomfortable? Alice was worried that it would, but…It's a necessity for tonight," Esme spoke up.

Did it make her uncomfortable?

I don't know. It's not really a big deal is it? Bella thought uncertainly, trying to process it. I've always known they drink it. I just don't get why they're all chugging it down right now, of all times. I guess it doesn't really bother me, I mean if they need it…

"How come?" she asked as Alice fidgeted next to her, which bothered her. She didn't want Alice thinking this upset her. They were vampires. They drank blood. So what? That's how it was. Who cared? It was kind of gross, if she sat and thought about it, but she knew better than to do that.

"Why do you think?" Rosalie said as she blurred over into the kitchen and came back a second later with the glass refilled. "We're going to be surrounded by hot, sweaty, dancing humans all night. Their blood is going to be pumping with hormones, and our pheromones, as they try to get lucky, or dance their ass off. We need all the fortification we can get. It's going to take forever to stock all this back up again. So here's to splurging," Rosalie laughed, and sipped from her second glass of blood, her eyes already brightened a few shades from the first one. She ignored Esme's eye roll over her crass language.

"Oh," Bella said. "Oh, that's totally cool. I mean, drink away. I don't care. Do what you have to do, don't mind me. It doesn't bother me."

The Cullens looked completely relieved, and most of them relaxed. That fast, the smiles in the room returned, and Bella jumped in surprise when Alice kissed her cheek several times in quick succession.

"Good. That's good. See, I told you guys she wouldn't care," Alice declared, and bumped her hip playfully into Bella's.

"Then let me kiss you!" Bella laughed, and reached for her, but Alice darted out of reach.

"Yeah, let her kiss you!" Emmett added, which made everyone chuckle.

"Nuh uh. I'll taste gross. Even your tolerance for weird only goes so far," Alice shook her head firmly. "Hey, I'll be right back. I've got a present to give you, okay? You just relax, and get ready to have hella fun tonight at your senior prom! We're leaving in half an hour!"

Bella's eyebrows rose as Alice tossed back what was left in her glass, and then shot up the stairs in a blur.

How does she contain all that energy in such a tiny body? Bella wondered. And why is everyone so energetic tonight anyway? Prom Isn't that big of a deal!

"Even though we still don't know the answer to that," Edward chuckled, having heard her think it.

"'Hella,'" Rosalie rolled her eyes slowly. "God, she always reverts to that horrible slang when she's drunk."

"Drunk?" Bella tilted her head, not comprehending, and Rosalie smirked as Esme sighed.

"She's not drunk, and neither are the rest of you," Esme huffed, but the Cullen 'children' all shared similar mischievous expressions.

"Your mother's right. You know we are not capable of being drunk," Carlisle added, but Rosalie scoffed.

"Yeah, right. Give her two more glasses and she'll be slurring and purring," Rosalie said. "You know Alice is a total lightweight. I can't believe the rest of you aren't already. Em, how many glasses have you had?"

"Eight," Emmett stated proudly. "But I can hold my plasma, unlike some people. Look at Eddy boy's eyes. Watch out, Tanya, the hunter's out!"

They all laughed at that, and Edward gave a grudging smirk, but Bella felt like she was missing something. Rosalie noticed her confusion and came to stand next to her.

"Don't worry," she murmured lowly, swilling the liquid in her glass around idly. "You'll see what I mean before the night is over, I bet. We can't actually get drunk, I know, but we can definitely get blood buzzed. It's harmless, really, but it makes us much…Nicer. Alice included."

Bella still felt like she was missing the obvious innuendo in Rosalie's words, but she gave up when Emmett suddenly clapped his hands and yelled, "This song is my jam!" and began to dance wildly, gyrating his hips to the cheers of his family.

Bella laughed, and they spent the next fifteen minutes watching him dance, till he pulled Tanya and Edward in and made them join him, then Esme and Carlisle got dragged into it when Rosalie, in a surprising show of joining in on the fun, pulled her adoptive parents by the hands into the fray. She was right; the blood buzz really did loosen these broody vampires up.

Bella watched with arms crossed, cheeks beginning to hurt from smiling so much and watching them all.

Why couldn't they stay here and have prom among themselves? This definitely felt like a lot more fun than prom would be. Now if only Alice would come the hell back. She was taking forever upstairs. What present took so long to fetch? Bella was starting to worry.

After a while they all ended up seated as they waited for Alice to return from whatever mysterious thing she was doing upstairs. Bella was plopped down on the end of the couch with Rosalie on her side and Emmett next to her, and she snorted when Emmett pulled Edward and Tanya down with him, so that they all had to squish up.

Somehow the conversation turned to trading embarrassing stories, which Bella loved to hear but had no interest in sharing. Emmett wouldn't stand for that though, and eventually, under his demands and the prodding of the rest of the Cullens she got roped into telling them about the time when she was thirteen that she fell naked out of her window into a cactus patch back in Arizona, and had to spend the rest of the night with her mother picking barbs out of her ass.

It was a long story, okay?

She was still thankful none of her neighbors saw that nonsense. Her mother thought she was so fucking funny sending a cactus to Bella every year in reminder, which is why Bella always threw them out.

Sometimes.

She did still miss her mother, after all.

Telling it made her cheeks glow like Christmas light bulbs, but she couldn't help but laugh along with the rest of the howling Cullens as they all completely cracked up. Even Rosalie burst into laughter, and everyone in the room froze when she laughed so hard that she gave this adorable little hiccup in between.

"Oh my god," Rosalie clapped a hand across her mouth, looking mortified, and everyone grinned a shit eating grin, which made her attempt a feeble scowl.

Then they all started laughing all over again, and Bella's night just felt so much better. The more Rosalie hiccupped between laughs, the more she couldn't help but giggle, but she froze when she felt Rosalie's hand on her knee.

The blood buzz had really gotten to her apparently. How many glasses had she had now? Was it seven, or eight? Maybe it was ten?

She wasn't the only one. All the Cullens were bright eyed and in wildly good spirits. The gesture wasn't even really a big deal; it was just a friendly motion as Rosalie tried to contain her laugh. Bella did the same with her friends all the time.

And yet…

Bella suddenly became acutely aware of the raised level of pheromones in the room, and though her body was generally accustomed to it, she understood exactly why the Cullens were 'fortifying' themselves for tonight.

They were a pack of predators about to dive headfirst into a sea of their natural prey, and Bella saw as if she'd never known before how beautiful they all were, and how deadly they could be.

Wow. This is what blood does to them, huh? If this is how animal blood affects them, I can't imagine what they'd be like if it were human blood…

"Damn it Emmett, where the hell did you put it?" Alice complained as she came flying back down the stairs out of nowhere, looking frazzled. "I've torn the whole upstairs apart, I even looked in the attic-"

Everyone in the room turned to her. Bella felt Rosalie's hand on her knee like a white hot chain as Alice stopped mid sentence and narrowed her eyes imperceptibly.

"What's going on?" Alice asked in a tone that spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e plainly to Bella.

Okay, no, don't look at me like that, Alice. This is nothing. Man, is she really mad? I didn't think…

Oh wait.

Bella fought the powerful urge to face palm herself, as she remembered what she'd forgotten caught up in the moment of vampire pheromones and good mood vibes.

Alice was the jealous type.

The very jealous type, no matter how hard she tried to fight it. Rosalie's on her hand could have been as good as kissing her in the eyes of Alice's inner vampire.

"Bella was just telling us about the time she became a human porcupine," Rosalie replied easily, her hand sliding off of Bella with absolutely no guilt. She met Alice's eyes steadily, but Bella felt her shift towards Emmett and lean into him.

"Oh really? That's cute," Alice said, her voice sounding strained. "Bella, can I speak to you alone for a moment? Upstairs, please?"

Welp.

Shit.

"Of course," Bella stated immediately, but as she stood and stepped away from Rosalie as quickly as she could, she barely heard the blonde whisper, "You're welcome."

Choosing to pretend like she hadn't heard that, because she didn't understand it anyway, she stepped towards Alice, who had that scary, tight look on her face that meant Bella had pissed her off. Her jaw was locked, and her reflective buttery yellow eyes were hard.

Why does she reserve that look only for when she's mad at me? She wondered desperately, and hurried after her girlfriend when Alice shot up the stairs without waiting for her. She tried to pretend like the rest of the Cullens didn't watch them go.

Okay, this is totally unfair. She has no right to be mad at me. I didn't do anything wrong. And neither did Rosalie! She wasn't like groping me or anything. I saw her grab Esme's knee like that just the other day when they were goofing around. She wouldn't even do that normally anyway. Rose is just…Drunk. Kind of.

Bella's thoughts instantly became defensive as she reached the top of the stairs, and she opened her mouth to call out to Alice, who she could not see in the gloom of the upstairs hallway, but she never got the chance.

"Come here."

Bella yelped as Alice grabbed her by the front of her dress and pulled her. The world turned into a streak, and Bella heard the faint slam of a door banging shut, and then she was laid out flat on her back on something soft with a furious thump.

Talk about vertigo. Did they just break the sound barrier?

Then there were lips smothering hers, covering them. Bella gasped as Alice kissed her hungrily, furiously. Dizzy and shocked and confused, Bella's eyes popped open, but she groaned and kissed back reflexively, clutching Alice's shoulders.

What is happening?

"Mmph, Alice-What-"

"Shh," Alice growled against her mouth, and snapped her teeth into Bella's lower lip, her fangs just away from it. Bella whimpered in surprise as a bolt of arousal shot through her when Alice pulled it away from her teeth luxuriously, slowly, sensually, and sucked on it briefly before plunging her tongue into Bella's mouth.

What the hell…Ugh, oh my god!

How was she supposed to think when Alice was all over her like this?

Bella arched and moaned helplessly as Alice grabbed her by the hips and pushed her further up the bed. She realized that this was not Alice's room. She whimpered confusedly, and was rapidly getting turned on as Alice leaned up into her and peppered wet, open mouthed kisses up and down her neck, rumbling the whole time. She looked around in the hazy darkness of a falling night to see unfamiliar walls, an unfamiliar bed, and an unfamiliar hardwood floor. Alice's room had a carpet, and that's not where her window was, and that was not where her dresser was supposed to be placed.

"Fuck, Alice," Bella gasped and shuddered when Alice jerked Bella's hips up as she pulled back with another growl.

"What the hell were you doing?" Alice snapped down at her. Bella was extremely aware of the way her dress was bunched up around her hips, and the rapidly growing wet spot in her underwear. Her legs were spread lewdly on account of Alice's movements, and she was struggling to think.

"Don't be mad," Bella pleaded, trying to find her brain. "Rosalie was j-just-Hey!"

"Just touching you," Alice rumbled, eyes flashing as Bella shivered and gripped the sheets, looking down on her in bewilderment and arousal.

What was she saying again?

"Alice…"

"Just touching what is mine. Don't you get it, Bella?" Alice hissed, and pushed her dress further up her body, running her hands over Bella's quivering belly as she glared into her eyes.

Instincts. Her instincts are going off, Bella understood, and she sucked in a heavy breath.

Alice's instincts were flaring…And it was hot.

It really shouldn't have turned her on, but it did.

"Yes," Bella breathed. "But A-Alice-It wasn't anything. You k-know that…"

Alice groaned and let her head fall back for a moment, and then she shot forward and kissed Bella hungrily on the mouth so that Bella could do nothing but moan helplessly.

As bad as Alice's jealousy was, and as much as she was frustrated by it, she could not lie about the effects it had on her. She knew it frustrated Alice too, but Alice got so electric when she was passionate, and nothing roused her faster than when it came to Bella.

"I know that," Alice murmured, her voice dripping sex that made Bella's stomach clench. Even in the darkness Alice's eyes glowed with desire, and a fierce, loving possessiveness. "It's not you. It's her. I don't care if she's blood buzzing, I don't want her hands on you for any reason. I can't stand it."

"I know," Bella replied, and whimpered when Alice started sucking at her pulse point, running her hands all over her, forcing her dress up higher. Bella knew what she was doing, why she was coming onto her so strongly.

Alice was struggling with her instincts, and Bella didn't know how to help her. She could tell Alice to get off, but yeah fucking right. Why would she ever do that? She was practically soaking through her underwear at this point, and besides, what good would that do?

She knew Alice would listen in a heartbeat, would be off of her the second she requested, but somehow Bella knew that would only make her jealousy issues worse if Bella rejected her now. Not that she wanted to anyway, but damn she really wished Alice didn't have to deal with feeling as if Bella would ever want anyone but her.

Because no. Fuck that. There was no one else in the whole world, the universe.

"Alice," Bella hissed and dug her fingers into her back, squirming under her ministrations as Alice rocked into her. "Alice, don't be jealous. You know I don't want anyone but you. You know that was nothing."

"I know," Alice moaned helplessly, but the tension stayed drawn in her shoulders.

"I don't know how to help," Bella said in frustration, and Alice drew back to stare into her eyes. "I don't know how to prove it to you, Alice. You have nothing to be jealous of."

"You have nothing to prove. I know I have nothing to be jealous of, I just can't help it."

Bella realized it was not Alice she was trying to convince. It was Alice's vampire as she looked into swirling, hypnotic pupils.

"But…"

Bella's breath hitched when Alice licked her lips slowly, and she leaned in to brush their noses together intimately, provocatively, affectionately. The mix took her breath away.

"There is something you can do to help…"

"What? I'll do anything," Bella said devotedly, heart pounding. Anything for Alice. Anything to help.

Alice hesitated and then said, "I didn't want to bring it up the first time…It wasn't the right moment, and it wasn't about that, but…Do you remember how Victoria kept telling me to claim you?"

Rankled at the thought of Victoria now, Bella made a face, but nodded.

"That would help. It would, so much. Let me claim you, Bella…The way vampires claim their mates."

The thought of being claimed by Alice in the primal way she could see it written all over her face in lust and love made Bella shudder.

Claim me. She wants to claim me like a vampire would…I don't know what that means, but fuck it, if that's what she needs. Whatever Alice needs, I'll do it.

Still, she had to ask, "Okay. How? What do you have to do?"

At this, Alice gave a deep, chest rumbling purr and started kissing her neck again, so Bella had to squint and whimper in delight, distracted.

"That's the fun part, baby doll," Alice drawled silkily, and slid downwards in that way that always made Bella's heart skip a beat because she knew where Alice was headed. "But it would be so much easier to show you than to tell you…"

"Okay," Bella squeaked, her voice shooting up in pitch as Alice hiked her dress up out of her way again, and her eyes almost rolled back when pearly white teeth clamped onto the damp fabric of her underwear and dragged it down her thighs slowly, Alice's eyes on her the whole way.

Fuck, eye contact with Alice during always cut her straight to the core.

She throbbed in her sex, hungrily, wantonly, and it only deepened when she caught a peek at Alice's fangs before the vampire unceremoniously tossed her panties away.

Even in the gloom of this unfamiliar room, Bella glistened. Alice inhaled sharply at the sight of her naked folds, dripping with the evidence of what she did to Bella. How could she ever be jealous seeing what she could do to Bella. Did she not see, didn't she know?

"It's going to be intense," Alice said with a sudden seriousness. "Bella, don't take this lightly. When I claim you, I'm going to mark you as mine, and any vampire within twenty feet of you is going to be able to know. But you're not an object to be owned-It's just to show them that you belong with me, not to me, and I-"

"Alice," Bella bit out. "Shut up. I know that, baby, I know. So just shut up and do what you have to do to realize I'm yours. I trust you. I love you."

Alright, her libido might have had something to do with that one. Alice had gotten her all worked, and as much as Bella appreciated her caring, she was dying here. She was all spread open, hot and aching, and Bella trusted her.

Alice's eyes flashed at her words, and Bella knew she'd roused the beast.

Fuck yes.

"Yeah?" Alice growled. "Then you better get ready, because you're about to orgasm like you never have before. I'm going to give it all to you, and you're going to give it right back to me."

With that, Alice roughly grabbed the backs of her knees and yanked her legs across her shoulders.

Bella could only yelp through a shock of arousal, and then Alice wrapped her arms around Bella's waist and lifted her, so that Bella's back arched off the bed and she was supported at a near perfect 45 degree angle.

Bella gasped in a sudden breath, sucking in the thick, delicious white chocolate and berries air that blasted her senseless.

Alice was literally giving her everything, like she'd promised. Pheromones coated the inside of Bella's mouth, her brain, her whole nervous system, and she gushed, crying out.

She had never known how much Alice held them back, how powerfully she could exert them. Not even Victoria had ever done it quite like this.

And then Alice devoured her.

"Oh fuck-Alice!" Bella mewled, and cranked her back even further up of the bed until it strained as Alice's tongue sworded through her folds, lashing into her, laving over every spot, every nerve. She pressed it in deeply, fearlessly burying her face into her, growling into her so that Bella had to feel every vibration.

"Shh," Alice purred, sounding like a hissing snake as Bella remembered they were not the only ones in the house and let out the strangled sound of a dying animal that she was sure was anything but sexy.

Her mind turned to mush. Nothing but swears, praising deities, Alice's name, nothing coherent.

Just bliss.

How could she stay quiet through this? How? Was it even possible?

It was a struggle, that was for sure.

Alice buried her face into Bella, nuzzling in, licking, swiping away at everything that came out. Bella loved it, loved the way Alice was doing everything but literally eating her. She reveled in it, but this was not the best part. As the pheromones saturated the air so thickly that Bella could barely breathe anything but Alice's existence, Alice's tongue dipped inside.

Cool, and slick, and lithe.

Oh my fucking god, Bella thought, and scrambled for a pillow to sink her teeth into, muffling her desperate cry.

Alice had done this before, but not quite like this. She pushed it in, deep, deeper than Bella felt like it should be possible. It reached into her being, sliding over every single nerve. Was her tongue even that long? Holy shit, it didn't matter, because it was in and Bella began to rock desperately, back muscles straining, chest heaving as Alice began to fuck her.

With her tongue.

Oh god.

Alice groaned into her and scraped her nails over Bella's skin lightly, her tongue flashing in and out of Bella at inhuman speeds, fast and deep and quick. She kept it stiff, somehow exerting total control over the muscle. She pumped it into Bella until Bella felt the hot coil in her walls and stomach knot so tightly that it made her eyes water, the back of her skull throb. The bridge of Alice's nose, the tip of it kept bumping, nudging into her sensitive clit. Her legs dangled over Alice's shoulders, and her dress was so ruffled and wrinkled and her previously perfect hair was splayed out messily on the pillow, and somehow none of that seemed to matter with the sexy vampire's face buried between her thighs.

"Yes, Alice. Yes!" Bella whimpered breathily. "God, yes."

She was right there, dancing on the edge, ready to fall off the skyscraper, to feel that orgasm building up so heavily and powerfully inside her that she knew Alice was right when she'd said it would be like none she'd ever experienced before.

So good, so good, so good!

When Alice's eyes locked on hers, her irises a persistent blackening shade of brass gold, and held them, boring into her, nearly glaring with the ferocity of the claim she was laying down, Bella lost it.

"Fu-u-u-uck!" Bella sobbed, a strangled, muted cry of ecstasy as she fell apart all over Alice's tongue.

If the Cullens hadn't heard anything else until this point, there was no way they wouldn't have heard that.

Bella's walls fluttered and then spasmed wildly, heat flaring through her whole being. She arched up as far as she could, felt her spine protesting as if her back would break, felt Alice's arms lock on her waist and hold her tightly. Bella's thighs clamped down on her cheeks, and she was sure had Alice been human she might have suffocated her in the death grip she got on her, what with how deeply Alice's face was buried into her climaxing sex.

The pheromones pulsated in her, prolonged it until Bella was gasping for air, literally unable to breathe. She reached out desperately, whimpering Alice's name, raked her fingers through the her hair and begged, pleaded for a reprieve from her unending release, the never ending crashing waves coursing through her lower belly, her shaking thighs, her heaving chest, her throbbing walls.

"Please-No more, I can't, Alice, p-please," Bella gasped, breathing in pure static electricity.

Alice held her there for a split second more, and then Bella's back hit the bed again and Alice's tongue slid out of her, slowly, dragging the whole way. The whole room was spinning, and Bella thought she might pass out as she continued to quake.

It was still going. She was still going. She was still cumming.

"Alice," Bella whimpered desperately, haplessly.

Alice was there, and she laid her body out along Bella's and pressed her back into the bed, slowly, firmly. Bella felt a wet slickness on the top of her thigh that was not her own, though it could have been considering the fact that she was wetter than she'd ever been in her life.

But it was Alice this time, grinding onto her leg, sliding herself slowly back and forth with a rumbling purr. Bella couldn't even do anything but lay there and tremble and let her do it, her brain struggling to reboot after that not so little death.

Holy shit…

Alice switched legs and slid up that one too, coating Bella in her wetness, and Bella moaned softly when Alice shifted upward and slid along her stomach too, pressing down on her with a soft grunt, a high noise of delight leaving her mouth.

"Bella," Alice rasped, and Bella's eyelids fluttered open weakly as Alice shifted up even higher, and the lovely scent of her arousal flooded her already drowning brain.

She was not breathing air anymore. She couldn't think.

It was all Alice. Everything was Alice.

Bella stared straight up into Alice's slick sex, and a hungry moan left her mouth even though her whole body felt like a numb puddle, a floating cloud, and her eyes lidded as she mindlessly lifted up and latched onto Alice the best that she could.

Surely in any other circumstance, what she did would have been considered inadequate. It would have been poorly done though she'd learned well in this past month with Alice and loved to go down on her, but after whatever the fuck Alice just did to her, she couldn't apply any of that.

Tastes like heaven…

She just licked obediently, luxuriously, languidly sliding her tongue over her, tasting every inch of Alice, the white chocolate of her flesh, the berries of her wetness. Bella moaned and sucked the pearl of her clit into her mouth, and played with it with her tongue like a hard candy, and that was more than enough for Alice to release her high pitched mewl of bliss and fall apart all over her face.

Alice shook, and Bella's eyes rolled back for the duration of her release, until Alice let out this huffing gasp of a breath, and then she was simply gone.

Bella opened her eyes, feeling drugged, drunken, way more than anything like a blood buzz. It was more like a straight injection of heroin. She blinked owlishly, slowly, staring up at the ceiling, faintly wondering where the hell Alice had gotten off too.

Besides my face.

Bella felt a huge grin split her face, and she had to suppress the insane, almost hysterical laugh that threatened to bubble out of her.

Oh man, what's wrong with me? She thought, smiling like a maniac as she weakly lifted her head, feeling like she couldn't even move any other part of her body.

When she looked round, she spotted Alice with her head hanging out the window, sucking in the outside air like she would never get to again.

"Alice?" she called weakly, her smile dropping a bit as she tried to collect her senses. The pheromones in the air seemed to have dissipated a good bit, but Bella could still feel them, lingering inside her. They shifted inside her cells, making a home, so it felt like Alice was still inside her, like she'd never left.

"One sec," Alice called back faintly.

When Alice finally turned back around and walked slowly back over to her, Bella raked her eyes over every inch of her and breathed slowly, deeply, finally beginning to come down. The trembles began to fade, and with a huge effort, she brought herself back to reality.

"What," Bella groaned the instant Alice slid back into the bed next to her, molding their bodies together as she kissed softly over Bella's face, pampering her with affection. "the hell was that?"

Does it matter? Wow, I feel so good.

"That," Alice grinned down at her, rubbing at the top of her chest lovingly. "was me claiming you. Are you okay, Bella? Was it too much? I told you that it would be intense. Do you need me to go get you a glass of water, or anything-"

"No. You're not going anywhere," Bella grunted at her, and tightened her grip on Alice, snuggling into her and breathing in deeply.

Am I high? She wondered. This feels incredible. What exactly did she do to me?

"Okay," Alice smiled serenely, her eyes black now.

"So what was that exactly?" Bella insisted dreamily, the feeling of being surrounded by Alice even in the air still not fading. "Explain, if you can. Not that I'm complaining, because wow, that was fucking awesome, but…"

"Vampires claim by scent, Bella," Alice murmured, stroking her hair out of her face. "Inside and out. I released all control over my pheromones, so that they would saturate you, and I'm sure you felt me inside, darling…"

Normally Bella would have gotten turned on all over again by Alice's tone, but she was incapable at this point, so she just grinned, and they both giggled.

"I coated the inside of you with my scent as best I could. It's easier for males to do so, but I'm sure we made do, didn't we?"

Hell yes we did.

They did a whole lot more than just 'make do.'

"And I'm sorry, I hated doing it, but it was part of it. It's just so base, and I felt like I might as well have peed on you or something, but I had to…You know. Grind on you, to get my scent on your skin," Alice wrinkled her nose, and Bella burst into laughter.

"I thought for sure that would weird you out," Alice said, sounding amused and bemused with her reaction.

"Alice, no. Don't worry about it. It was actually really hot," Bella husked, and nuzzled into her neck, sighing contentedly.

She can hump me any time she wants.

Alice smirked, and then softened when Bella said, "But it worked, right? The claim did?"

"Yes. I may have, er…Overdone it a bit?" Alice replied, sounding guilty. "When I said every vampire within twenty feet of you was going to be able to tell…It came out to be more like fifty."

"That's not what I meant, but that's fine," Bella chuckled, and sat up with Herculean effort, feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside. "I was asking if claiming me worked for you. Are your instincts better now? We did this for a reason…Besides the orgasms. Hard to believe those were just a bonus, I know, but still."

All the pheromones tonight had put her in a spectacular mood, for obvious reasons. Bella's tone was joking and light, but Alice sighed and ran a hand through her mussed black locks.

What? What is it now? Did it not work right? She said it did!

"Bella, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so terrible with my jealousy. That's not even who I really am. And it's not that I think you'd ever cheat on me or anything like that, or that you'd want to be with anyone else. I trust you, and I love you, I really do. I just can't help it. I'm trying, so hard-"

"Alice, I know," Bella replied easily, and shifted around on the bed so that she could sit up and kiss Alice properly on the mouth. Her legs felt like jelly, but Alice still needed her, and so she was going to reassure the best that she could.

It was not Alice that had such extreme issues with jealousy. It was her vampire, and Bella understood that. She only wanted to help her overcome it. She did not blame Alice for it, especially when she tried so hard to control it all the time.

"If claiming me is what you needed, then that's what you needed. If it helps you, I don't mind. I certainly don't mind if that's what it's like. I just want you to be happy. And I want you to know that as worried as your vampire is, you have absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to me. You never have any reason to be jealous, because you're the only one I want. I love you, with everything I've got. As long as you know that, and I know you know that…" Bella smiled gently and shrugged.

Alice still looked skeptical, so Bella said, "Look, I know you're not some Neanderthal walking around with a club and beating me over the head, dragging me around by the hair and grunting 'mine' at anyone who looks at me funny."

That did it, and Alice burst into giggles, black eyes twinkling. Bella's heart did a little dance at the sound of it.

God, I love her so much. Don't you know that Alice? Don't you get it? I know you do. And now every other vampire will, too. Which is fine by me. Let them. I'll wear her proudly. I am Alice's. And she's mine. I don't want anyone else.

I am hers.

After they got all cleaned up, which took a good deal of time considering they'd fucked up their hair, makeup, and dresses with their shenanigans, Bella finally got to figure out what her present was.

They found out the Cullens had left without them, which Alice assured her was out of respect for them. She'd read the text from Emmett telling her that, and Bella was horribly embarrassed when Alice refused to let her read it because she didn't want her to know that the Cullens knew exactly what they'd been up to upstairs once they got started.

Bella wasn't stupid.

But oh the fuck well.

It's hard to worry about anything in post coital bliss like that.

She was still walking funny when Alice led her into the garage and gave her the present.

"Oh my god-Is that my truck?" Bella gaped.

Sitting in the middle of the Cullen's garage was her old beaten up truck, completely revamped.

The old peeling, rusty red paint had been redone with a glossy, candy apple red shade that gleamed in the light. It sat on thick, new black rubber tires with shiny chrome rims to match the grill and bumper. The windows had been replaced with shady, tinted glass, and the hood had been tricked out with a thick black racing stripe that Bella was delighted to see matched her brand new interior when she yanked the door open in exhilaration. The seats were a plush black material with red stitching, and the dashboard was now laden with varnished wood inlays. Even the floorboards looked new.

And hanging from the rear view mirror was a simple silver charm bearing the letter B in swirling script.

"You're fucking joking," Bella gushed as she lurched back and saw Alice attempting and failing to contain her huge grin.

"Do you like it?" Alice inquired, and then laughed when Bella made an incoherent noise of appreciation, running her hands reverently over her old baby, her truck.

Ugh, it's so gorgeous, she thought excitedly. Holy crap, I can't believe they did this! That was not just 'fixing it up!' No wonder it took so long! Damn it was so worth the wait though…

"Yes. Yes, yes, yes. I freaking love it!" Bella exclaimed, and then squealed and threw her arms around Alice's neck. "But you knew I would, didn't you?" she grinned and drew back to see Alice smirking cutely, her golden eyes twinkling. She'd downed four more bottles before telling Bella she was ready to go again.

She wouldn't admit it, but claiming Bella had tested her control probably far more than anything else before besides when Bella had bitten her, as demonstrated by the fact that she'd had to hang her head out the window for five minutes to recoup when she never did that the other times they had sex.

"Well, duh," Alice drawled, and Bella peppered her mouth with quick, chaste kisses.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's awesome. You're awesome. I love it, and I love you."

"Whoa, easy Tiger. Don't go getting me all worked up again," Alice joked, and gave her an Eskimo kiss anyway.

"Besides, most of it was Emmett. I picked out the color scheme and design, and he put it all together. Still, I thought you might want to take your truck instead of the Lambo. Apparently he left the stupid keys in the glove box, which was not what we agreed on, but whatever."

They took Bella's truck.

By the time they pulled into the parking lot of Forks High School, with Bella's truck purring like a pampered house cat instead of coughing and sputtering like an old man on his last leg, they were a little late.

Only by thirty minutes. Alice called that fashionably late, anyway.

The moment they stepped foot into the prom, they got swamped. Bella barely got to admire the massive tents they'd put up and all the glimmering lights hung up to make the place glow even in the dead of night when her friends were on her.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Angela cried the moment she spotted them walking onto the quad.

"You guys are so late!" Mike and Eric complained.

"Never mind that, get the hell out here and get to dancing!" Jessica demanded, and Bella and Alice could only share a surprised look before they were pulled, giggling onto the dance floor that had been laid out temporarily on the grass of the quad.

From then on, they danced. It was actually really, really fun. Bella realized quickly it didn't matter that she couldn't really dance. She could move her hips okay, and follow the beat, at least better than Mike and Eric who flailed around to their girlfriends' embarrassment and dismay. All that mattered was that song after bass thumping song, they had fun. Bella's friends fearlessly pulled her into the fray of messy, sweating bodies, and they bumped and grinded and laughed and twirled, and alright.

It was fun.

It was really, really fun. Some moments more than others. Once Bella spotted a few dirty looks from Cassie and her crew, but they didn't start anything, and she really just didn't give a fuck what they were plotting. The Cullens would ward off any attempts for tonight at least, so Bella wasn't worried about them trying anything. She was going to dance with her girlfriend, and everyone else could suck on that.

It was hard to care with Alice's ass pressed back into her when they started grinding, playfully at first, and then saucily, until their friends whistled and cat called so much that they laughed and broke apart, even though it got Bella's heart racing. They got them back when Jessica and Angela started grinding on their respective boyfriends, and then everyone gave up on the concept of grinding all together.

Alice's little ballerina hips could really get going when she wanted them to. She was a phenomenal dancer, and didn't seem to care that Bella was average at best. She still slid up against her, turned her on, danced away and then started doing classics like the Running Man and the Sprinkler just to make her laugh like an idiot.

It was especially funny when the rest of the Cullens found them and joined in on the fun. Bella was thankful that none of them acknowledged Alice's scent all over her other than to keep a respectful distance at all times that they'd never given before, and she had to ignore Rosalie's smirk and Emmett's winking.

Rosalie and Emmett were shameless, and incredibly good dancers. They ground against each other all they wanted, and didn't care if anyone stared, and of course everyone did, casting jealous looks at Bella and her friends for being able to be in the presence of the most beautiful people in the school. (Rosalie made Angela and Jessica's night when she let Emmett dance with them, and made Mike and Eric's when she danced with them herself. She really wasn't that mean, honestly. Once you got to know her.)

At one point Bella had a profound longing to be able to claim Alice like Alice claimed her when she saw all the admiring and lustful looks Alice got from boys and girls alike.

Okay.

Like, no.

No touchy. No looky, either. I am hers, and she is most definitely mine. So back the hell up, Bella thought, glaring at anyone who looked at Alice like a piece of meat. So that was mostly everyone with an inclination towards the female sex.

Having a beautiful, sexy girlfriend was nice until everyone started wanting to take her away from you. Now Bella really appreciated how Alice felt, and Alice's jealousy was amplified. Bella totally understood it then.

She got over it though. It was hard not to do anything but have a good time with the Cullens around.

All the Cullens were good dancers, including the outsider Tanya, but they only got to see that when Edward actually got on the dance floor, which was only during the slow songs. He refused during anything else, but the horrified look on his face when Emmett grabbed him by the hips and jokingly attempted to grind with him was hilarious.

It was after one of these slow songs, when she and Alice were wrapped in each other's arms, just kind of swaying peacefully together as everyone else did, that something else interesting happened.

The song ended, which disappointed Bella deeply. As fun as it was to get a total work out and dance her ass off with Alice, it was supremely nice and romantic to sway to those rare slow songs, and just bask in each other. This one would probably be one of the last, because the night was almost over.

"Hey, baby doll. You look pretty worn out," Alice said lovingly when they broke apart, ignoring any wayward stares.

"I am," Bella admitted, exhausted from all the night's activities. Alice claiming her had sapped a lot of her energy in the beginning, and her friends had nabbed the rest.

"Why don't you go sit down, and I'll get you a drink?" Alice suggested sweetly.

"Sure. Preferably one that's not spiked," Bella said, only half kidding, not resisting because her feet were killing her.

Yeah. Taking a break right now sounded good.

"Water it is then," Alice chuckled, led her to a nearby table, kissed her cheek, and darted off.

Bella sighed as she watched her go. It was a lovesick sort of sigh, and she knew she was wearing that gooey look her friends always talked about, and she didn't care.

I really love that girl, she thought fondly, fingering the corsage Alice had placed on her wrist before they left the house. She'd gotten one for Alice too, but it was nowhere near as nice. Alice loved it anyway.

"Wow," a voice behind Bella said. "You okay, Swan?"

Bella looked up to see none other than Leah Clearwater standing at her table, looking awkward and beautiful.

Surprised, Bella took her in quickly, the copper skin, the pretty almond eyes, the glossy black hair pulled up in an elegant but wild looking style, the sleeveless curve hugging tiny black dress that showed off all the toned muscles of her arms and legs.

Well then.

What does she want? Bella thought warily, not having talked to Leah since the milk flinging incident. Over the course of the past month, Leah had avoided her, and she had avoided Leah. They seemed to have come to a silent agreement that all friendship was off, but still, sometimes Bella caught Leah watching her in the halls or in the classrooms. She didn't seem to be pining, but then why else was she looking?

This was not what Bella needed tonight. She really didn't want Leah to ruin what was turning out to be a really fantastic night. She needed this good night after all the sleepless ones she had worrying about the Volturi.

"Um, yeah. Why?" she replied awkwardly, out of a naturally inclined politeness.

"If you looked any more lovesick, I swear you'd be puking," Leah stated, shifting on her feet.

She was kidding, and Bella managed a weak smile for civility's sake, but she was still confused and wary as all hell.

"Or maybe that would be me," Leah drawled, and looked entirely uncomfortable. "It would help if you didn't reek."

Bella's eyes narrowed, and Leah made a face and immediately tried to backpedal.

"Okay, shit, this is not going how I planned," Leah groaned and rubbed at the back of her neck. "I didn't mean it to sound so bad. I just meant-You know, I could smell Pixie Sticks all over you from half a mile away."

Bella blinked in surprise. Was Leah blushing? Leah never blushed. And she was floundering wildly, and starting to babble.

And how can she smell Alice on me?

Oh right. The whole werewolf thing. Bella still wasn't all too sure about that nonsense.

"God, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. That's what I came over to say," Leah finally blurted, looking ruffled, though Bella didn't know why she was so nervous.

"You're sorry?" Bella said slowly, perplexed now.

What is she trying to get at? And she better hurry up before Alice gets back! She still wants to gouge her eyes out.

"Yeah," Leah repeated, avoiding her eyes. "I was a dick to you, and I'm sorry. I never meant to be. I'm really not like that. It's just…Well. You know."

"What do I know, Leah?" Bella inquired uncertainly, looking around nervously for her very protective vampire girlfriend.

She wasn't sure how she felt about this apology, but naturally, she appreciated the thought at the very least. She met Leah's eyes again and saw how uncomfortable this was making her, and that let her know that it was sincere.

Leah really did feel bad. That's why she was so nervous. It definitely wasn't Alice. Leah wasn't afraid of jack shit, let alone 'Pixie Sticks', she was just…Ashamed.

"That we're werewolves," Leah said, tilting her head slightly. "I know I told you, and I know your bloodsuckers-er, vampires told you it was true. They did, didn't they?"

"Yes."

Why all of this was relevant, she had no idea. Leah was really blatant about what they were, too.

Like she didn't care. It was the complete opposite when it came to the Cullens, and Bella wondered why she was so flippant about the fact that she and her La Push friends were a bunch of shapeshifters.

"Okay, well, um…It messes with us sometimes. I didn't mean to blow up like that. I'm not like that. Our tempers-They're really nasty. The changing does it to us, and we can't control it completely until we're more experienced. And I was having a bad day, and then you said all that stuff to me, and I'm really just a dick, okay? So I wanted to apologize. That was all," Leah rambled, gesturing with her hands and barely meeting Bella's eyes when she talked.

Something about the way she spoke ignited the bleeding heart in Bella, and she softened as she saw that Leah really meant it.

She hadn't known all that, she couldn't really verify the truth of it, but for a moment, she felt as if she were being really harsh and formal with Leah unfairly. Yes, it had been a shitty thing to do, but if there was truth to Leah's words…And she did look genuinely remorseful.

It's not like Leah was a bitch or anything. She was actually really cool, and chill, and nothing like what Bella had seen that day in the cafeteria. Her words made sense, and she'd been a good friend up until that point. Bella had missed their friendship a little, too. But still…

There was always Alice.

Who was lurking somewhere, about to come back with her drink.

"It's fine, Leah," Bella waved her off, meaning it. "It's really no big deal. No use crying over spilled milk, right?"

Leah smirked a little at her pun, and then it was gone to be replaced by an expression that Bella could only describe as…Not bitter, really, but resigned.

"Right. Well…That was all. I know we can't be friends or anything, and I wasn't aiming for that anyway really. I just wanted to apologize. It was cool getting to know you for a while though, Bella. Sorry again. And I should dash before your girlfriend catches me lingering. I'm sure she wants to do a whole lot more than cry at me over that spilled milk."

Bella and Leah both hesitated, Bella wanting to say something though she didn't know what, and Leah on the verge of leaving. Then Leah spoke again.

"And if you ever need help with something, anything, you can come to me. I know you won't want to now, but…If something ever happens, I'm around. I regret fucking things up with you, and I don't mean any of that romantic shit. Just our friendship. All I'm saying is…Yeah. I'm around if you ever need help. Okay. Bye."

Bella didn't even get a chance to respond before Leah gave her a slight jerk of the head, turned on her heel, and slipped away. Watching her go, Bella felt her chest tighten, and she didn't know why, but a strong feeling of compassion overcame her as she saw the slight hunch in Leah's shoulders, the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes when Jake clapped her on the back and pulled her back into the group they had going.

Bella felt a soft spot form for Leah and she didn't know why. She just seemed so-

"What did she want?"

Bella stood immediately at the sound of her girlfriend's voice, heart skipping a beat.

"Alice!" Bella yelped, and hated the way her voice sounded so guilty.

Alice didn't say anything, but her face was very stony and she was staring past Bella at Leah and her group. So far tonight the two groups hadn't crossed paths, probably deliberately, and Bella rushed to do damage control.

"Alice," Bella repeated, softer, and Alice turned back to her. When the vampire saw her expression, she softened, and her shoulders slumped a little. Alice took a deep breath, handed her the water bottle she seemed to have crushed just slightly in her hand and asked again, gentler.

"What did she want?"

"She was apologizing," Bella told her, taking a grateful gulp, and then stepping forward to drape her arms over Alice's shoulders, leaving no room for Alice's instincts to flare at all. It probably helped that when Alice's nostrils flared, she smelled herself all over Bella. It also probably helped that Alice was good if at nothing else than controlling her vampiric side.

At least for Bella's sake.

"And what did you say?" Alice murmured. Her eyes had darkened again from prom, and Bella knew that it was a good thing that she drank again before they left the house.

"I forgave her," Bella said honestly.

"Of course you did," Alice sighed, and Bella could tell that she wanted to say more, a whole lot more on the subject of Leah Clearwater and what she really thought about all this, but that she was holding back for Bella.

This would not be the last of it. They would undoubtedly talk about it later, at some other time. But the night was so sweet, it had been so good, and neither of them wanted to spoil it.

"You know what?" Alice mumbled, dipping forward on the tips of her toes, so their eyes hovered close together.

"What?" Bella whispered, mesmerized by all the lights sparkling and reflecting in Alice's big beautiful eyes.

"I'm glad you did," Alice said against her lips, so close to kissing her, but just not.

"Really? Why?" Bella furrowed her brow, pulling back a bit.

"Oh, I don't know. I really don't like her, but it's kind of hard to hate someone who is literally the epitome of a kicked puppy," Alice sighed dramatically, and grinned her nose crinkling grin when Bella laughed.

She was surprised that Alice would express something other than absolute loathing for Leah Clearwater, but then she'd also been surprised when Alice expressed absolute loathing for anyone at all.

"You think you're so punny, don't you?" Bella smirked at her own pun, and Alice giggled.

"Yep. And you know what else?"

"What?"

"I love you," Alice said, and kissed her on the lips.

Bella swooned, and they held it softly, until the DJ called out that this would be the last song of the prom, and they broke apart to go and dance the last of the night away.

Alice got her back home late that night. At about 11:30, Bella pulled into her driveway and parked, and Alice, naturally, walked her to her door. It was a good thing Charlie worked the late shift tonight, because it took them a ridiculously long time to actually say goodbye. They ended up kissing, and then making out against the door, and then just holding each other for a long time, until finally Alice had to break away.

Alice needed to hunt desperately, despite all the blood she'd consumed tonight. Grinding on Bella at prom and being around all those excited humans with their blood pumping all night had taken a toll on her, but she promised to come back afterwards.

Bella hated to see her go, but she knew she had to. So they finally kissed one last time, and then Alice gave her one last fond, adoring look, and took off into the night.

Bella reluctantly turned away from where she disappeared, went to her house and shut the door behind her. She sighed and slumped against the door, and then she smiled, buried her face into her hands, and squealed.

Just a little.

She shook herself out of it, but wow, this had been a much better night than she'd thought. She was so glad she'd gone to prom now. She wanted to go upstairs and pass out, sleep for days because she was exhausted, but it was a good kind of exhausted.

But she had to get a shower and wash away the grime and sweat and…None of Alice's scent would be coming off, not for a good long while, the vampire had told her. But she liked that. She couldn't smell it herself, but she admitted that she liked the thought that it was there, telling anyone who could scent it that she and Alice loved each other.

After she showered and changed, Bella was sleepily pouring herself a glass of water in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.

She smiled to herself.

Alice.

That was fast, she thought and set the glass on the table, trotting to the front door with a beam on her face. It had only been about an hour since Alice left. Usually it took her at least three when she was hunting. Maybe she didn't need to feed as much since she'd already drank so much, and that's why it didn't take as long as usual.

But who was complaining? Not Bella. If Alice was here, that meant she could go to sleep instead of waiting up for her, and they could snuggle up together, and that sounded like the best thing in the world right now.

"Back already?" Bella laughed as she pulled the door open to see a fully hunted and restored vampire standing on her front porch.

"Yep. Did you miss me?" Victoria smiled a feral smile, blood red eyes gleaming as she stepped into the house, causing Bella to stumble back in dumbfounded shock.

Victoria kicked the door shut behind her, and as soft as the lock was when it clicked into place between her fingers, to Bella, it sounded like a gunshot.

Bella had the bad feeling this was going to be one bullet she just couldn't dodge.