I had run to the clearing counting down the seconds to the time when I could phone her. I had said seven o'clock. Forty two seconds until I could call her. I was doing laps of the clearing we used for our games, partially to keep myself occupied, and partially to clear out the animals. At five seconds to 7 I dialed her number. It should take about that much time to reach her phone. When she answered the video chat her hair looked freshly wet, her face shining with excitement. I would have given anything to have her here with me. I currently had the phone muted, as the wind would create a meaningless static that would surely confuse her. As soon as her face lit with recognition, I signed a greeting. She signed back, although I would have been able to hear her.

I re-entered the clearing closest to our version of home-plate. I un-muted the phone and slowly rotated it carefully around the clearing to display my family preparing for our game. Jasper and Emmett were laughing at a joke that I had missed. I was too focused on re-living today. The meet and greet day had been so successful. Esme had very nearly exploded with happiness every time I smiled at something Bella had said, or done. Jasper had flooded me with the positivity everyone had felt. It was such a high that I wasn't sure anything could possibly be better. When Bella had denied coming with us, I had grasped onto the first thing I could to keep that high going – more Bella. And now here I was, showing her one of the more unnatural aspects of my existence. When the phone view coursed across Rosalie, she made sure to scowl meaningfully at me, and drop the bat she'd been flicking dirt off of, into the mud again.

You could be helping us instead of showing HER around. She's not even here it's ridiculous.

I continued turning the phone back to myself. I could see Bella looking confused and enthralled. She was biting at her lip, unconsciously, while she thought about what she was seeing.

"So you just run around and let loose?" she asked quietly.

"Exactly." I almost yelled back. "The bases are marked out to the very edge of the clearing, and the outfield stretches into the forest."

Is he going to do that all game? God that'll get old fast. Rosalie.

That's so cute. Look how happy he is. Alice.

You could show her the tree you broke last time. Emmett.

The others had their thoughts to themselves, either purposefully or not. Jasper was plotting game strategies, as he was the second most competitive here, and Carlisle was simply marvelling over how lucky he had been that the lord had chosen to bless him with such a family.

Bella began laughing, and the screen on her end shook slightly. "How loud are you yelling right now?"

"Quite. The only thing louder is Rosalie's eye rolling." I responded. Rosalie kicked the bat she had dropped at me, and I back-flipped rather flamboyantly to escape the collision.

You're up to bat. Ass. Rosalie thought voraciously at me. I looked over to my mother who had taken up her traditional umpire pose. From there she could undoubtedly see everything, and she wouldn't mind holding the phone for me while I played.

"Do you mind if I pass you to Esme? I'm up to bat first." I asked Bella, and Esme, at the same time. Esme smiled, reaching her hand forward, and Bella shook her head scathingly. She, of course, didn't want to get in the way. I retrieved the bat Rose had flung at me, and walked to home.

"Of course." She muttered, probably a little sharply for her own liking. Esme took the phone, smiling at Bella before turning it back to home plate. Alice threw the ball, focusing very intently on how much she enjoyed parts of Jasper that I'd prefer to never see. As it came towards me though, I could tell it had a wicked spin. I wound up and hit the ball, running for dear life, as I sent it into the outfield. I heard it collide with the ground, as I made my way past second, and then Jasper was chasing me in giant leaps. We skidded into home, and I felt my foot slide over the fresh mound of home a quarter of a second before Jasper collided into me with the ball.

It took us a moment to disentangle ourselves, and we both looked over at Esme.

"Safe." She smiled. Jasper grabbed the ball and threw it back to Alice, and I informed Bella – who was looking thoroughly flabbergasted at what had just transpired.

I won that. Esme called the play in my favour.

Esme switched the phone camera to herself to explain. She and Carlisle seemed to be the most enthusiastic about this whole ordeal. Alice was unreservedly happy, but we had managed to concoct some interesting arguments about Bella's future with our family. My strongest attitude towards it was to see how things turned out, rather than go rushing into anything. Alice said that she saw – without a doubt – Bella permanently joining our family. Cold, harsh, and lifeless as we were. I shuddered thinking about it. For now, I would focus on the present. Bella, warm, laughing, and shy, because my mother was including her in the running commentary of the game. I managed to fix a smile back onto my face as the phone swung around again. I played jovially, trying to relax and get competitive with the rest of my family. I did have an audience after all. After three innings I saw a flicker of light on the phone being held up so sturdily by Esme.

"Um, I'm not sure if you can hear me…" a quiet voice peeped from the screen. I could hear it clearly through Esme's ears. "But Charlie's home, and I have to go."

I made to move off of the plate and three sets of mental voices yelled the equivalent of 'don't you dare'.

"Goodnight Bella. I'll see you soon." I said quietly, knowing she would never hear me. Esme passed on the message perfectly, and after some brief niceties the phone was stashed away.

"Finally. Maybe now Edward will actually play." Jasper jeered – kindly – before Rosalie could make a snider comment. I raised an eyebrow at him and re-focused myself. Fine. If he wanted me to try, I'd try.

Emmett's next hit send a ringing crack through the trees and I dashed towards third and then home, running fast enough that I felt my shoe split beneath my foot. I made it to home with enough time to spare to grab Esme up in a thankful hug before the ball made its way back to me. Jasper flipped me an appreciative finger and we lined up for the next pitch. I looked over at Alice, saw her stretch, and then pause.

Three vampires, all nomads, were walking into our baseball clearing. One of them was tall, commanding, in the center, he had black waist length hair that had matted into dreadlocks. One was blond, shorter, and with a darker presence, his eyes the wildest. The female that strode forward on their left was red haired, confident, and calculating. My family had lined up to greet them, not in a menacing fashion, but in a clear play of power. We had the upper hand after all.

Alice and I looked at each other for a brief moment, before her tinkling voice rang out; "We're about to have visitors."

Everyone else looked at her in surprise.

"The individuals we've been tracking through the area?" Carlisle asked. Jasper nodded before Alice had a chance to – it made sense to him. He was correct. These were the individuals that we'd briefly discussed earlier today. That meeting had been one of good news – they were passing through, and wouldn't stop.

"Yes, the same three." I said aloud.

Alice flicked through a snippet of an inevitable conversation about what drew them to us. I watched with concern.

"They heard us playing. They were leaving, but they decided to meet us instead." She turned abruptly to look at the far edge of the clearing. I looked around briefly, realising we were in exactly the configuration that Alice had seen.

I opened my mind, trying to tune out the buzzing thoughts of my family, perusing for the thoughts of the newcomers, and trying to keep my mind off of Bella.