Hey! Sorry this took forever to be wasn't letting me login--maybe you all had the same glitch. Glad to be back! Enjoy this chapter, please--sorry it's a little short. Cont. from Emmett's POV...

Isabella Swan. New from Phoenix and preferred 'Bella'. Pale as us! I didn't give her a second glance 'til I whiffed her. Aww man did Arizona girls have a tasty scent!

We were all thrust into a life we never dreamed of. It happened quickly. Alice apparently envisioned this plain human as Edward's mate. None of us knew what to make of it--try to be happy 'bout it around Ed was all we could do. It was weird--seeing Edward in love. Especially with a human. He talked about humans in an almost respectful way and began to slip off to be with Bella.

He would play new pieces of music on the piano. I would see him just staring off into space like a love struck boy. Other times, I would see him sitting alone, arguing inwardly with himself.

None of us knew what to do about it. We had all turned to Carlisle for a way out--but he left it all up to Edward. Edward, of course, found no option in changing her. He refused, even though Alice had had a vision of it happening one day. He was bitter about it, ranting about how he wouldn't 'steal her soul.'

I told him that there was an easy way out--it was only one human. He nearly smacked me for the words. He knew I had done it. What made him so high and mighty as to spit on my escape route? He could drink the blood and life would go on.

But, day after day, we saw him less. He'd be sitting with Bella, watching her eat her vile human food at school. We--his siblings--would watch him with wide, dark eyes, trying to understand how difficult it was. She was pretty potent.

Often Edward would come home with her scent rubbed all over him, and I longed to poke and prod him about it. But...it felt so unnatural. I always wanted him to pair up with somebody--anybody--just not a smelly human.

They were so fleshy and soft and fragile--a wrong finger twitch would end up in broken bones and internal bleeding with one.

We all were sort of weird about it--reacting differently. Esme was thrilled to see Edward so happy--even if it was with a human. Carlisle believed in Edward to make the correct decision. Alice was also positive about it--she knew Bella would become her best friend. Jasper was nervous about a human in the house, as usual. Rosalie was bitter about the thought of a human thinking about throwing her life away to be with Edward. I didn't really care--as long as my brother was happy.

One day, Edward set us all down at the dining table.

He pleaded to let Bella meet us. PLEADED. Yeah. I didn't mind--a little mouthwatering was all. I'd have a big lunch that day and be good to go. Rose's interlaced arm tensed to stone as Edward softly asked permission with his smoldering eyes. Joy. Well, no wonder my love acted this way. How would you like to see everything you wanted in someone else's hot little human hands?

Next was Alice and Jasper's recations. At Edward's propsal, Alice immediately fed Jasper encouragements while he sat frozen in fear. Esme spied him, anxiously. "Dear, maybe we should have Alice and Jasper--"

"No, nonono…" Alice and Jasper barked.

"He'll be fine. I had a vision while I walked to the table." Alice nodded to Jasper, smiling in an assuring way.

"I can handle it just like the rest of you…" his tone was defeated for his family placing little to no belief in him. Esme regretfully sucked on her lower lip. Carlisle straightened up.

"Bring her then. Same thing, Alice?" He turned to her as she rubbed Jazz's arm. My brother had his fingers pinched over the bridge of his nose, looking down. She brightly smiled at our father. Carlisle meant her Bella-is-Ed's-soul mate vision.

"Unchanged." She beamed. Edward beamed back, a little nervously.

"I'll bring her at four." Edward said. He left us at the dinner table.

CARLISLE

I helped my wife straighten out our already spotless home. I had wondered if it really was good or not to have Bella meet the family. Rose was jealous and bitter; Jasper was always tensed and thirsty for blood.

Esme fluffed at some more rare flowers rescued by our lovely daughter. "You know what would be great?" Esme asked. She didn't wait for an answer. "We could make her…food!" She built up the drama and suspense in her pause. I laughed at her eagerness, leading my excited wife to the kitchen. I flipped to the Food Network on the small breakfast nook's TV. She huffed out a breath happily and out whirled cheese graters and oils and pans and pots…

The green bean pods sizzled in the oil, and Emmett lurched in with Rosalie. "What's that revolting sme--" Rose stepped on his foot, and he hushed, looking at Esme sheepishly. She only shrugged. "We are making Bella…food!" she hooted. I laughed again. Rose rolled her eyes. Emmett approached, intrigued. He picked up a cheese block. "Huh."

"Why is there even human food in the house?" Rosalie spat. Esme looked at me, suddenly confused.

"Alice must've envisioned it." I offered. She took away Emmett's cheese and a grater and gave it to Rosalie. She gaped at her mother incredulously. "I--you--me--"

Esme's brow crinkled. You help me, Rosalie. Help Edward. Help us all." She crossed her arms sternly. Emmett comically waited for an explosion.

Rose gave us a classic 'because-I'm-the-bigger-person' look and unwrapped her cheese. I didn't blame her when she grimaced at the maggoty smell--a farway whiff made me sniffle.

I turned on the TV volume and began to cook. I silently blamed Esme for giving Emmett a knife while I watched him through the TV screen reflection. He was doing karate-style moves with it and slashing tomatoes to the point of no return. I grinned.

Yay! Sorry for keeping yo hanging so long again. I will update soon, scout's honor! THEN you will see Bella for real! REVIEWS inspire me to post quicker, FYI...PLEASE AND THANX!