A/N: Surprise! Two chapters in a row! Do you feel lucky? Huh? Well do ya? Lol okay, so I know I promised a few of you a double chapter, but in the risk of making the last chapter too long, I've created this mini one. Like a couple of chapters ago, this one is a filler, getting ready for the big stuff. You'll find out soon enough what I mean by big. I'm so excited though, because I've had to stop myself from writing the following chapters. Alas however, it does bring us closer to the end of The Spirit Vampire. But something tells me we haven't heard the last from Ally and Robert just yet, so don't fret! Now, at the start of this, I put in my disclaimer that I may tweak dates and time frames that occur in the actual book. This has happened in this chapter (and the very end of the last, if you picked that up). But please don't worry. I haven't changed events, I've just…prolonged them. x L.
I stretched out as I awoke, recognizing the piece of music that was being tapped out on my forehead. I yawned, stretching my arms out in front of me.
Robert blew in my face, causing a few loose strands of hair to fly about my head.
"Finally, you're awake!" he cried. I turned so that I was on my side, propping my head up with my hand. I glared at Robert. "What's that supposed to mean? Can't you find a way to entertain yourself while we normal people sleep?" I protested, covering another yawn with my hand.
Robert tapped me lightly on the head with a book. "I've been reading silly. There is, however, so much Dostoevsky I can take in one night. I've been bored mindless since four."
I rolled my eyes. "You don't have a mind, so it doesn't count, stupid." I turned to glance at my alarm clock, my response earning me another light whack, this time on the arm.
"Urgh," I groaned, rolling back over. I squeezed my eyes shut, pushing the covers over my head. "It's only six thirty!" My cries were muffled by the blanket. Robert pulled the blankets down back over my head, and I glared at him.
"You look so cute when you're grumpy," he teased. I poked my tongue out childishly. "Where's Charlie?" I asked, rolling into him. My face was inches from his chest, and I began poking him repeatedly, yawning.
One of Robert's hands came down in front of my mouth, covering my yawn. "He's gone to work already. Don't breathe your germs all over me," he said, screwing up his face.
I laughed. "Like you would get sick," I tried to say over his hand. He held in place however, until I grabbed it and pushed it down. Bored, though most likely unable to get back to sleep, I traced the fine lines on the palm of his hand, like I used to as a child.
"Are you coming to school with me today?" I asked somewhat sullenly. I didn't know why I had bothered asking, considering I knew what he would say next.
"No, actually. Not today. Carlisle wants to have a chat," he explained. I rolled my eyes.
It was a Friday, and it was two weeks since we had first visited Carlisle on that eventful weekend. Since our meeting, I had become a familiar face at the Cullen house, spending most of my time immersed in one of Carlisle's many books or studying while he and Robert talked.
Well, not exactly talked. After a while, we found that Robert could communicate on paper with Carlisle – not that he hadn't done so with me, but that was a different case. From then on, I wasn't really needed as a translator anymore, but instead just a presence in the room.
I didn't mind though, because it meant for once I didn't have to explain things over and over again. Plus being friends with a doctor had its upsides – in return for visiting, Carlisle would usually help me with my Physics homework, meaning I could pass instead of fail.
Bella would often come too, either departing soon after with Cullen to a place unknown to the rest of us, or disappearing somewhere in the depths of the Cullen house with Alice.
Most of the Cullens were comfortable with us around now. Rosalie, however, still avoided Bella and I like the plague.
"What more do you and Carlisle have to talk about?" I grumbled, picking lint off my pillow. Robert laughed.
"If I didn't know any better," he began, avoiding my question. "I would say that you're jealous."
I scoffed. "Jealous? Me? Why would I be jealous that you're spending more time with Carlisle than you are with me?" I turned, so that I was lying on my back again. Robert pulled me close to him, and I rested my head on his shoulder.
"If you're worried about anything happening at school, don't be afraid. I've got it covered. Plus it's Forks. What's the worse that could happen?" Robert was lightly stroking my hair.
"You'd be surprised, I mumbled. "What with Bella being here and all."
Robert laughed. "Come on, I'll let you try and squeeze another half hour of sleep in." I squirmed so that my head was under his shoulder.
"How nice of you," was my yawned retort.
--
When I arrived home from work that evening, Bella pulled me upstairs before I could even get in the door.
"I need to talk to you," she whispered.
"Okay," I whispered back. "Wait – why are we whispering? Charlie's glued to the TV, he won't hear us." Bella didn't say anything, but continued to pull me down the hallway until I was in her room.
I suddenly understood the necessity of being quiet. Cullen was here.
"What's going on?" I asked in a normal tone of voice. Bella glared at me, her eyes telling me to keep my voice down. "No-one's going to hear us Bella," I said. "Now why have you dragged me here?"
Edward spoke. "I've come to invite you to play baseball with my family and me tomorrow. Bella is coming, and we thought it would be nice to extend the invitation to you and Robert."
I groaned. "You dragged me all the way up here in stealth to ask me to come play baseball?" I threw up my hands, shaking my head.
"Please say you'll come, Ally," Bella asked. "It'll be…fun."
I raised an eyebrow at Cullen. "How do vampires even play baseball? Don't you go bang?" I asked, making clashing noises with my hands.
"Yes, we do," Cullen said matter-of-factly. "Hence why we have decided to play when there is a storm."
"Or so says Alice," I guessed. Edward grinned. "Yes, Weatherwoman Alice has decreed that tomorrow will end with a thunderstorm just over the field where we play baseball.
I shook my head. Who would have thought vampires played baseball? What next, Edward and Jasper battling it out on Guitar Hero?
"Well," I said, moving towards the door. "You can count the both of us in. It's been a long time since I've played baseball."