Chapter 7
"Okay Edward, what are we going to watch?" I asked my younger brother as Bella and I got situated on the couch. All three of us were in pajamas, since Edward and I decided to have a movie marathon. I wasn't sure Bella would make it through, given that she was already yawning widely, snuggled up to my side. I grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and threw it over us, as Bella let her head rest on my shoulder.
"What if we each picked one movie to watch?" Edward suggested, his eyes darting to Bella, before turning back to me for a decision. I nodded. "I'm going to pick Transformers." He stated, taking that DVD out and placing it on the coffee table.
"Hmm, grab Save the last dance for me." I smiled feeling a building purr vibrating against my body as my hand ran through Bella's hair. "Bella's will be Finding Nemo. That's her favorite." She murmured into my shoulder, nuzzling her cheek against me. I giggled. She was too adorable when sleepy. "You want to go upstairs Bella? You want to sleep?" I asked her.
"No, Bella an' Liss…an' Dee." She said softly, following her proclamation with another yawn.
"What's that mean?" Edward asked curiously. He recognized her altered name for him. Apparently Bella had sensed Edward didn't like the name Eddie, and had, just today, taken to calling him Dee.
"It means she wants to stay here with us." I translated. I fancied myself fluent in Bella speak now.
Edward nodded, holding up the three videos in front of Bella and I. I nudged Bella, alerting her to presence. He smiled, showing the cases to her.
"You pick which one we watch first." Edward said. Bella looked up at me first before poking the Finding Nemo cover with her finger.
"Nemo." She stated, without hesitation. I rolled my eyes. What a surprise. I must have seen this film twenty times since Bella came home with me, mostly within the last week.
"Did you even have to ask?" I told my brother sarcastically. He smiled, sheepishly before slipping the disc in. When the screen lit up, he slid back into the reclining chair he favored, glancing over at Bella and I again. Bella no longer felt the need to keep a constant watch on Edward. After our impromptu dance party, she'd acted much more comfortable, especially if I was also in the room. I thought the quickness of her acceptance might have been due to Edward's youth and scrawny physique. He wasn't particularly threatening. I was more than happy to share this theory with him, teasing him as any older sister would. He had only scowled and turned his Ipod up higher.
"Bloo!" Bella gave a tired, but still enthusiastic exclamation when Dory came on screen. She is her favorite character. Whether she understood her real name or not, I didn't' know, but she referred to her as Blue. Edward chuckled from his seat and I wrapped my arm around her back, giving her waist a little squeeze.
As I expected, Bella was asleep before they even reached the jelly fish. I carefully eased her off my shoulder and laid her head in my lap. She purred happily in her sleep as I trailed my fingers through her hair.
"Go ahead and put in Transformers if you want Edward, she's out for the night." I told him, laughing quietly at his exclamation of 'finally,' before he darted over to switch the discs. I smiled down at Bella, thinking about tomorrow. Esme and Carlisle would be arriving in the afternoon, and I really had no idea how Bella would react. I knew it wouldn't be as simple as Edward's reunion, but hopefully enough time had passed that Bella and my parents, particularly my mother, could start off on a clean slate. I sighed softly, thinking about how I needed to apologize to Esme for being such a brat. I've been working on leashing my beast, but there hasn't been any real tests yet. I expected once my parents got home, and especially once my other siblings arrived, that the control I had now would be stretched. I can only hope that it won't snap completely.
Speaking of control, a couple times during the movie marathon, I'd catch Edward looking over at Bella, but when he noticed me watching he'd quickly turn back to the screen. I wondered if perhaps my baby brother was harboring a little crush for my girl. The beast in me stirred at the thought, but I trusted Edward, I was sure it was just innocent affection between friends. Anyone with eyes could see that Bella belonged to me, and likewise, I to her.
Unfortunately, staying up late proved to have consequences the next morning. Bella slept well into lunch time the next day, which meant we only had a few hours before my parents arrived. And currently, I had yet to even extract Bella from her blankets.
"Come on sweetie. Time to wake up." The only response I received was an annoyed growl from beneath the covers. "Bella come on! It's almost noon!" I huffed, fighting to pull the blankets from over her head. She's stronger than she looks.
"No." She mumbled shifting away from me. That's it!
With a growl of my own I pounced on her, straddling her covered form and pulling back the blankets with one quick yank. Bella squinted into the light, her upper lip lifted in a snarl and her hair wild and half covering her face.
"Lisssss." She hissed, sounding very much like she does in cat form. Her green eyes flashed in annoyance. I just smirked, sitting up and putting my hands on my hips as I looked down at the flustered feline.
"Sorry Bella, but you need to get up. I gave you your ten hours! That's plenty. Now quit growling and get your butt in the shower." I said, dragging her from the bed and pushing her towards the bathroom, despite her continued fight against me. This was a side of Bella I'd only seen once before and it was when I had accidentally woken her from an afternoon nap. She was definitely a cranky kitty when she woke up before she was ready to.
Forty minutes later, Bella was finally clean and I had managed to get her into some sleep shorts and a tank top. The past couple days I'd been teaching her how to dress herself, and she'd been getting better. Her irritated state this morning caused a bit of a relapse with her reluctance to put on clothes at all, much less try and figure out how to do so herself. As it was, she ripped through two outfits before I finally wrangled her into the simple one she allowed. At this rate, I'd definitely need to go shopping again soon.
"Good Morning Bella." Edward greeted her as we walked through the living room on the way to the kitchen. Edward frowned slightly when all he got was a huff in return.
"Bella, that wasn't very nice." I scolded, trying not to laugh at her attitude.
"Bella FOO! Liss no bed!" She complained to me unhappily, stomping into the kitchen.
"Did I say something wrong?" Edward asked, looking after the hackled woman. I sighed. It was kind of sad that her most complete sentences to date had to come prodded by anger.
"No, she's just mad because I woke her up early. Plus, she's hungry which never helps matters." I explained for my brother's benefit before following Bella into the kitchen. She was sitting at the counter impatiently waiting for me. As much as I hated the fact that she was upset with me, her little kitten temper and pout was too cute not to appreciate.
Without a word I pulled out a container of cut up apples and slid it over to Bella to begin eating while I cooked up some meat.
After breakfast, I decided to go for a walk with Bella through the woods, hoping to calm her down before my parents returned. We had stopped by a berry grove, and I waited while Bella ambled around nibbling on the wild blueberries.
"Bella, Esme and Carlisle are coming home today. You remember them right?" I asked quietly, from my place leaning against the tree. Bella turned her head to look at me briefly, but then went right back to picking berries. "Bella, come on. Are you really still mad at me?" I asked, pouting exaggeratedly when she turned to face me again.
"Yes." She nodded, but I her irritated expression faltered and eventually she sighed. "No." She muttered. "Bella no mad." Gleefully I jumped up from my spot and moved to wrap Bella in a hug, kissing her lightly on the cheek.
"Aww, thanks sweetie. I'm sorry I had to wake you." I whispered into her ear, giving one final squeeze before pulling away to find a small smile back on her face. Checking my watch, I grimaced. "Bella. Carlisle and Esme will be home soon."
"Carla, s'may?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion. I guess she didn't really understand.
"That's right honey. Carlisle and Esme come here." I said trying to motion my meaning in gestures. Bella still didn't quite get it, so instead I just took her hand, leading her back to the house. I didn't know how else to warn her. Hopefully they wouldn't be there yet.
Naturally, my luck wasn't that good. I smelled my parents in the house as soon as we exited the woods into our backyard. When we were closer, Bella stilled mid step, breathing in the air.
"No, Bella…" I started to say, but it was too late. Where my girl had once stood, now stood a snowy white lion, still beautiful, but not how I had hoped she'd re-meet my parents. "Oh Bella." I sighed, staring into her big green eyes looking up at me. "Well come on." I motioned, leading her up and into the house.
By appearances I'd guess that they had really just arrived, since their bags were still by the front door and they were still standing in the entrance way greeting Edward. As soon as we entered, all three occupants turned to face us with a smile. Edward frowned slightly when he saw Bella had retreated back into animal form, but didn't comment on it. Said cat tucked herself close into my side as we walked, but never hesitated in her steps which I saw as a positive thing.
"Alice, Bella, how are you? Has there been any problems?" Carlisle asked with a friendly smile, taking a couple steps towards us.
"No problems." I said, waving away his concern before bouncing over to both my parents and giving them a hug. "I'm sorry for how I acted before." I spoke softly to my mother after she released me from my hug.
"Think nothing of it. It's always difficult when we first mate. The emotions and instincts can be overwhelming. Carlisle explained more about it to me while we were away. I'm sorry I made you feel threatened. You know I love both you and Bella." She said earnestly and I nodded. Esme was the epitome of a caring mother.
"Actually, speaking of that, I did some more research while I had access to my larger library." Carlisle interjected, and I turned to face him, while moving a few steps back to where Bella had stopped. In an unspoken move, we all made our way to the living room, taking seats before Carlisle continued. "As it happens, Bella may not be a shifter." He started and I leaned forward in expectation from where Bella and I had settled on the couch. "She could be a werecat." He finished.
"A werecat?" I laughed disbelievingly. "Like a werewolf, but a werecat?" I clarified, still giggling at the idea. I'd never heard of a werecat before, and it sounded a little ridiculous to me.
"Yes, exactly like that. They are exceptionally rare, which makes me think Bella is more than likely a shifter as we originally thought." Carlisle continued despite my interruption.
"What's the difference?" Edward asked curiously, his eyes moving to Bella, who was only just losing the tension in her back since she first changed.
"Well, shifters are born with the ability to become an animal. It just takes a significant threat to either themselves or someone they care for deeply to unleash the ability. Typically, shifters won't make their first transformation until they're in their teenage years. Werecats are produced through a bite. Both shifters are said to be extremely fast, even faster than vampires. Werecats can travel at nearly twice the speed of an average vampire. Shifters reach speeds somewhere between the two."
"Bella can't be a werecat. She shifts at will." I noted.
"Ah, but it is a myth that were-cats and werewolves only transform during a full moon." Carlisle countered, his eyes twinkling in excitement at being able to share knowledge. "According to legends, that was the only way were-creatures could change, but over time they evolved. If they fight against the beast inside, the transformation is forced only on the full moon and is very painful. A person who has accepted the were-creature as part of themselves can make the change at will, with minimal pain. If they change regularly, a full moon will not force a transformation."
"O-kay, so how can we tell which she is?" I asked, looking down at the furry head in my lap.
Carlisle paused to examine Bella briefly before continuing. "Typically it is easier to make a distinction because shifters are much more human in their actions in animal form, whereas were-cats tend to be forced into more base behaviors. In fact, even in human form were-cats will have a tendency to act on their animal instincts regularly. In Bella's case, it is difficult to tell due to her seeming unfamiliarity with human society."
"So there's no way to figure it out?" I asked, frustrated. For some reason, it was important to me to know exactly what Bella was. Even though I doubted whether it would really make any difference to either of us.
"Well, I did read one notable variance that could help us determine her species, but it wasn't verified in other accounts…"
"Just tell me!" I interrupted, my impatience once again on blatant display. Carlisle seemed slightly uncomfortable, which made my need to know even greater. Apparently steeling himself, Carlisle finally explained.
"It has to do with their menstruation cycles." Edward shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the movement catching my eye. If my father looked uncomfortable, my younger brother looked like he wanted to pull the ears off his head. Esme rolled her eyes at both males, turning towards me with a comforting smile.
"As I understood it, shifters will continue to have normal menstruation cycles, like any human female. Werecats, on the other hand, have more sporadic cycles, where instead of bleeding they are overcome with an insatiable sexual appetite for a short time. It's described like they're going into heat, but in an extreme fashion. Honestly Carlisle, you are a doctor." She said turning to her husband in amusement.
"How sporadic is sporadic?" I asked nervously, glancing down at the currently calm lioness, who appeared on the cusp of sleep.
Clearing his throat and trying to regain his professional demeanor, Carlisle jumped back in. "The account wasn't very clear on that point, I'm afraid, but their impression was that it was less often than the typical monthly female cycle, perhaps maybe only a few times a year. I contemplated all this new information for a few moments, but it seemed like it only raised more questions for me.
"What about aging? Shifters don't age after they start shifting, so if Bella started shifting young, wouldn't she have stayed that age?" Carlisle shook his head.
"That is true of the Quiletes, but it is not a universal trait by any means. Shifters can age normally, as any human would, or they may only age to the point where they're considered matured. Shifters are not like vampires or were-creatures. They're not homogenous, so not all of them have the same traits. Very few, in fact, seem to correspond to all shifters. If Bella is a were-cat, she should cease to age at the point her beast decides it's reached its optimum age. Usually that is linked to when it will meet its mate and how old the mate is."
"So… about mating?" I asked, trying to seem non-chalant, though it was obvious the act didn't fool either of my parents. Edward didn't seem to even be paying attention anymore. His eyes were unfocused and staring off towards the wall.
"Imprinting is one of the characteristics that seems to be universal among shifters. That is, they will recognize their mate immediately upon first seeing them and from that point forward both will feel a pull to always be close by. The love is very deep, and because of this, if one of the mated pair dies, the other will swiftly follow."
Did I feel a pull to Bella? I suppose you could call it that. I always want to be near her, to protect her. My love for her is certain, and I couldn't imagine what I would do if I lost her, but did that mean she imprinted on me?
"What about were-cats? How do they mate?" I asked.
"Actually, were-cats are very similar to vampires in their mating habits. The attraction and affection are instant, but the feelings grow deeper over time. They are very territorial and protective when it comes to mates, which is why, like vampires, they will typically claim their mate by marking them."
"Marking them?" interrupted, rejoining the conversation.
"Yes, with a bite, or by scent, sometimes both."
Hmm. So much to think about.
"So I guess we just wait and see?" I finally concluded, looking to Carlisle for assurance that he didn't already suspect Bella's species. He nodded.
"She has been in our company for less than a month, but in that time she has not had a menstruation cycle?" He looked to me to verify, and I nodded. "Well then we should know relatively soon." We all looked down at the lion in my lap, sleeping peacefully ignorant of the four sets of eyes carefully examining her.
Bella slept for a couple hours as I gently stroked her fur and watched television. My family had long since gone about their days. My parents unpacked before taking off for a hunt, while Edward had disappeared into his room. A wide yawn alerted me to the fact that Bella was waking and I smiled down at her, looking into beautiful green eyes.
"Hey sleepy." I murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She smiled a lazy cat smile, purring softly and I giggled. She climbed off the couch, stretching at my feet before pausing and staring right at me. "What?" I asked. She cocked her head to the side briefly, before nudging me in the thigh with her nose. I stood and she moved a bit away from me, looking back over her shoulder to see if I was going to follow her. I smiled, gesturing for her to lead on.
Bella led the way upstairs to my room, never getting more than a step or two ahead of me. Once we were inside, I turned to close my door and noted the sound of Bella changing behind me. When I faced back towards her, she was standing before me in all her naked glory.
"Liss, Carla S'may." She stated. The names of my parents were mumbled together like one word, but I still understood her. Moving towards her, I nodded.
"Yes Bella. Carlisle and Esme are home. Are you scared? Sad? What's wrong honey?" I questioned, regarding her silence with worry. Apparently my Bella comprehension wasn't as fluent as I thought, seeing as how I was having a hard time understanding what she was concerned about. Her brow furrowed, and I knew she was having trouble expressing herself. "Here, let's sit down." I said, leading her towards the bed. She immediately crawled up towards the headboard, leaning against it, and I sat down across from her, next to her extended legs, taking her hands in mine.
"Liss s'may hug." She finally said, looking at me like I should understand something, but I didn't.
"Okay, yes. I hugged Esme. What?" I asked, still confused. Bella huffed, her nose wrinkling, and eyes pinning me with a frustrated look. "I'm sorry Bella. I don't understand." I said softly, the confusion obvious on my face. This only seemed to incense Bella more and she pulled her hands from mine, gesturing at me wilding.
"No! Bella no…no…" She tried to say, still motioning to my expression, which I'm sure had only escalated with my befuddlement. A light bulb seemed to click on in my head and I took her hands back into mine to subdue her, leaning forward.
"You don't understand? What don't you understand, Bella? Tell me?" She remained flustered and upset about whatever it was I wasn't getting. So I moved my hands to cup her face. "Slow down sweetheart. What has you upset? Why are you mad?" I asked again once she had settled a bit, staring at me with slightly glassy eyes. Whatever was going on was apparently distressing her greatly and I felt like crying myself because I didn't know how to help her, to fix this. Bella took a few deep breaths before looking at me intensely and speaking.
"S'may bad. Liss mad. Carla s'may go. Come S'may hug Liss. S'may bad Liss no. Bella…Bella…Liss mad s'may! Was that?" She exclaimed unhappily. The words rushed from her mouth quickly, but still choppy. Regardless, I was fairly certain I followed her.
Smiling at the pout on her face, I ran my fingers through her hair and moving to straddle her legs so we were closer.
"Bella I'm not mad at Esme. Esme is not bad." I started to explain, but I saw the protest in Bella's eyes before she could find a way to express it. "Yes, before I was upset, I was mad, but I will always hug Esme." I tried to explain in a way she'd understand. "Bella," I paused thinking of how to say this, "Esme, Carlisle, Edward, Rose, Emmett. They're special to me. Like you. I care about them. They're my family."
"Fam-lee?" I smiled, kissing her briefly on the lips.
"Yes, family. Family is good Bella. We get mad, sad, all other kinds of things, but family is always good." I stated.
"Carla s'may good?" She asked, looking less than confident in this assertion. I smiled, wrapping my arms around her.
"Yes Bella, they're good. They're not bad to Liss or to Bella." I confirmed. She didn't look convinced, but seemed to accept what I said regardless. She trusted me and I beamed at her for that, offering another, longer kiss as a reward.
Downstairs, I heard the sound of my parents returning and thought perhaps Bella would be willing to greet them in person now that our misunderstanding was cleared up. Getting up from the bed I held my hand out to the still naked woman.
"Bella clothes." I sang and giggled at her frown. Her dislike for clothing has never wavered, despite her now wearing them regularly.
Bella allowed me to help her into some shorts and a light shirt much easier than earlier this morning thankfully, but when I moved towards the door, she didn't follow.
"Bella, come with me. We're going downstairs. No cat please." I said giving her a stern look and she huffed again, not moving.
"No." She muttered petulantly, turning to crawl back onto the bed, but before she could I was by her side, wrapping my arms around her waist and forcing her to turn to me.
"Bella. Please." I said, giving her my best pout. She stayed firm, so I nuzzled my head under her chin, peppering tiny kisses across her collarbone. I heard her breath hitch briefly when I moved up to her neck, but she still stayed silent. Pulling back, I looked into her eyes again before leaning up and capturing her lips in a very heated kiss, quite a bit more passionate than our usual embrace. She reacted quickly, her tongue eagerly seeking out my own and her arms moving to my hips unconsciously. My hands snuck beneath her shirt to caress the small of her back, and I felt her knead my own waist in response, a small growl beginning to vibrate in her chest. Her green eyes were blazing with a rarely seen lust when I finally pulled away. She tried to recapture my lips, but I danced out of her arms towards the door. "Come with me Bella or no more Liss kisses." I couldn't help giggling as her jaw literally dropped open, eyes widening in panic. "Come on." I knew I had her, because she growled at me before stomping her way right passed me and out the door. Her tantrum didn't last though. Once we got to the landing, she moved right back to my side and I quickly took her hand in a soothing manner. "No cat." I reminded her, as we slowly descended the stairs. She growled again, but followed me anyway, inching herself just behind me when we reached the bottom and moved towards the sitting area where Carlisle, Esme, and Edward all sat waiting for us.
Bella's other hand came up to grip the arm of the one attached to her and I stopped briefly, turning to make sure she was okay. I noticed the small tremor running through her body and her face looked worried, but not overly distressed.
"It's okay Bella." I soothed, patting her hand.
"Hi Bella." Edward called from his spot, grabbing the attention of Bella, who relaxed just slightly when she noticed his familiar face. It was a welcome distraction, and smiled over at him.
"Hi Dee." She whispered, barely loud enough to be heard, before moving behind me and nuzzling her face into my neck. I held her hands as they wrapped around my stomach seeking comfort and safety, smiling happily at my parents.
"Bella. Do you want to say hello to Carlisle and Esme too?" I said softly, turning my head so I could see her. She shook her own in the negative, not saying a word. I sighed, but didn't push her.
"Well, it's nice to meet you in person Bella." My father said, and Bella's eyes lifted to take in his smiling face.
"Yes, I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot, Bella. I am happy you're feeling more comfortable." Esme added, and Bella only spared her a quick glance before moving her head to the other side of my neck, hiding her face away from their sights.
"I think their was a small misunderstanding, so it may take a little while before Bella warms back up to you." I told my mother sympathetically. She nodded, looking hurt, but didn't say anything. "It's not that she doesn't like you Esme. It's my fault really, for behaving so badly before. I gave her the wrong idea." I was quick to reassure the maternal woman. I don't think she could bear anyone truly hating her.
"I understand. I'll just have to make sure that Bella and I get to know each other better." I swallowed the growl that threatened to come out with her words, reminding my beast that Esme wasn't a threat to our relationship with Bella. I was careful to keep the smile on my face despite the turmoil inside, for Bella's benefit. Actually, I was quite proud of my achievement. A couple weeks before, I would have most likely lashed out without thinking.
"Absolutely." I said with as much enthusiasm as I could force. Esme smiled, moving under Carlisle's welcoming arm. "So…anyone up for Candyland?" I asked. Hey, it worked last time.
A/N I know the wait was long. Sorry! I am curious to know what people think Bella is. Or what you want her to be? That is, of the people still reading this.