Author's Note: Once again, I apologize for not getting this out as soon as I could. I've been unfortunately busy and will probably continue to be for a little while so bear with me. A special thanks to all who reviewed and all who keep up with their reviews. I want you all to know that I do take them seriously (and freak out whenever I see I have a new one; yes, I am obsessive). Please continue to tell me what you think! I also apologize that it is rather short; I wrote it rather late so i was a bit tired but I wanted to get another chapter out. The next one will be longer!

Flowers and Music

I walked slowly, feeling as though I were doomed. Naturally, I didn't want to talk to Octavia, not after what had happened. Attempting to be as quiet as possible, I approached her with caution, not knowing what to expect.

"Hello, Bella," she said, her voice deep and musical.

"Hey," I said, realizing that she must have caught my scent.

Octavia continued working as I watched her. Suddenly she straightened up and handed me a purple flower.

"Um… thanks…" I said, confused.

She smiled at me, a deep sadness in her eyes.

"It's a purple hyacinth," she explained, "It's something one gives to another to show that they're sorry…"

I looked at her in surprise. Sorry? For what?

"Bella, I owe you an apology." Octavia continued, looking at me with utmost sincerity. "Please, try to understand that I did not mean for that to happen…"

"For… what?" I asked, confused.

Octavia kneeled down again, filling her hands with the soil. After a few moments, she sighed.

"I… I have a rather strange gift…" she began, her voice sorrowful. "It's not one that I can control…"

"Go on…" I said, twisting the hyacinth in my hands.

"You see… when I get… excited or over-emotional… I affect the people around me," Octavia said, moving her hands as if to pantomime the experience. "Whatever they are feeling that exact moment is amplified. So when Edward was happy to see me it became more than what it looked like…"

"And when I became jealous…" I continued for her, suddenly understanding, "I wasn't in control…"

Octavia nodded sadly.

"Please believe me Bella when I say that I never wanted that to happen. Then when I learned that you were hurt, well… I felt simply awful…," she said, folding her hands in her lap. She looked up at me with earnest, golden eyes. "Please say that you'll forgive me…"

I paused for a moment, before smiling gently, "Well… what's the flower for forgiveness?"

Octavia smiled back, dimpling, "There are several actually. Flowers are extremely complex in their meanings…"

"Really? I always just thought they were nice to look at," I said, feeling foolish.

"Oh no," Octavia said, her face childlike, "There is really a lot to them. More than people know. Gardening as always been a passion for me, much like music. Every flower has a meaning, and I believe that every person has a flower to represent them."

I cocked my head, interested.

"Take the Cullen's for example," she said, gesturing towards the house. "If I had to assign a flower to each of them it would be simple." Octavia began gesturing to various different flowers in the garden, "Carlisle would be an eremurus, which represents endurance, as he has shown all these years. Esme would be a pink carnation, for her mother-like love. Emmett would be a delphinium, which represents 'big-hearted' and 'fun'. Rosalie would be an orchid for her rare beauty. Alice would be yellow jasmine for her grace and elegance. Jasper would be clematis for being so intellectual and Edward…"

She paused, as if deciding what sort of flower he would be.

"Ebony," she decided, "Mysterious as the night…"

I nodded. It seemed fitting.

"What would I be?" I asked, curious.

Octavia examined me carefully, as thought sizing me up.

"A burgundy rose." She said finally, satisfied with the answer.

"How come?" I asked, genuinely interested.

"A burgundy rose symbolizes the beauty within," she said, smiling at me wisely, "I can see that you have much beauty inside you. Edward made a good choice in his human."

I flushed with pride. She was the first one to ever openly approve of my relationship with Edward outside of the Cullen family.

"Thank you," I said, feeling slightly misty eyed.

Octavia smiled, dusting off her hands as she rose up.

"Come. The ladies are entertaining in the foyer. It's a treat to hear Kate sing."

I winced slightly at the name, but rose to follow Octavia indoors, glad to find that she wasn't at all what I expected. That's when I heard it.

It was a heavenly voice, one that simply shook the body. It was crystal clear, and yet filled with all the sorrow in the world. I took a deep breath, drinking it in. The voice was accompanied by a bittersweet piano. Glancing towards the piano, I saw that Edward was accompanying Kate as she sang in a foreign language that I couldn't place. I entered shyly, not wanting to interrupt. Eleazar and Carmen nodded to me warmly and Esme squeezed my shoulder maternally. It was a scene right out of a romance movie. The perfect family listening to a perfect song in a perfect home. How on earth did I remotely even fit into this setting?

I listened as the piano dwindled to an end with Kate holding an impossibly high note that was both sad and yet meaningful. There was a gentle applause that I couldn't help joining in with.

"Come, Edward, let's hear you sing a piece!" Tanya called out.

"That's alright, I'm more of a pianist," Edward protested.

"Nonsense," Irina said, sliding over to the piano to push him playfully on the shoulder. "Come now, we all know you've been working on something."

Edward grinned sheepishly. Alice caught my eye and winked at me. I glanced back at her, confused at the meaning of it. She merely shrugged and snuggled closer to Jasper, who was looking at her with such passion that I felt obligated to look away.

Edward sighed exasperated, frowning at Tanya.

"It's not finished quite yet…," he said.

Bending over the keys, Edward glanced up to catch my eye. My breath became stuck in my throat as I recognized the beginning chords of my lullaby. I closed my eyes, ready and willing to hear Edward's singing voice for the first time.

It was an intoxicating experience, one that I was not ready for.

"The night's sky is dark without you near…" he sang, his voice seductive and silky smooth.

The effect it had on me was immediate. Instantly I could feel my blood heating up at the mere sound of his voice. I blushed deeply, knowing that the song was meant for me. Not for Octavia, not for any other girl, but for me. Edward looked up and continued singing as he stared into my eyes. I could almost hear my heart as it pounded heavily in my chest. His eyes smoldered from across the room, making me feel as if I could melt straight into the ground. I could feel myself hyperventilating slightly and I resisted the urge to run over and jump into his lap. His voice was a deep tenor-bass, the kind that critics raved over. Too soon, he trailed off, still not breaking his gaze.

"I'm afraid that's all the farther I am so far…," he said, sounding almost ashamed.

"It was beautiful…" I whispered, knowing full well that everyone would hear it.

"Bella, are you alright?" Carlisle asked, concerned.

I was confused until I reached up to touch my cheek, finding that it was wet.

"Oh!" I said in surprise, "It's just… the music was so…"

"Powerful," Octavia finished for me, smiling understandingly. "I know what you mean…"

In the next moment, Edward was at my side.

"Let's go find some privacy," he whispered seductively in my ear.

I shivered, ignoring the goose bumps that were still noticeable on my arms. Edward merely smiled wider, his teeth flashing. As we were walking away, I watched Octavia wink from the piano, where she was sitting down to play. As the first notes were played, Edward was already guiding me up the stairs. I was curious why he suddenly needed to talk to me. As we entered his room, I suddenly found myself anxious and excited. He led me into the room, shutting the door with a sharp click. I turned to face him, wondering what he needed to talk to me about.

Yikes, bad cliffy I know, but the next chapter will be a treat I promise! (Or at least I hope it will because I sure am looking forward to writing it!)