Title: You Found Me

Full Summary: Edward Masen has lived the life of a nomadic vampire, travelling with James and Victoria since he awoke as an immortal. His ability to read minds has had the unusual side effect of making him a vampire with a conscience. Despite the ridicule from his coven mates, he's confident he's making the best of his existence and doing what's morally right... until he stumbles upon a brown-eyed girl reading in a meadow in Forks. As he attempts to befriend her and learns more about the sleepy town of Forks, Edward finds there's a lot more to being a vampire than he ever thought possible.

Pairings: Canon

Rating: M, for language and sexing.

Chapter: Twenty-six; Competitive

POV: Bella

AN: Originally, I intended for this chapter to include a lot more content wise. The good news is that I wrote it as I'd intended, but decided it needed to be split due to its excessive length once I was done… So the next chapter is already complete and will be posted more quickly than usual.

As always I appreciate all of you who take the time to let me know what you think. I truly am guided by your opinions. Approximately half of this story consists of tangents and ideas sparked by readers' suggestions and it's all the better for it :)

xx

"Wow…" I murmured, as I watched the blurs I knew to be vampires whizzing by through the window. They were moving so quickly it was hard to tell what exactly was happening but I could always spot Edward, his shock of reddish bronze hair easily visible amidst the blur of pale skin and dark clothing.

Edward had agreed to let me play spectator to their defensive exercises, so long as there remained a barrier – flimsy though it might be to them – between us at all times. I took it as a positive sign that he hadn't insisted on sitting out to be my keeper. Though I was pretty sure it was as much an issue of masculine pride and not wanting to be sidelined as it was of trust.

Carlisle, who had been relegated to the role of my keeper in Edward's place, due to his non-participation, raised an amused eyebrow at me.

"They're quite something, aren't they? Imagine living with the rowdy lot of them for decades. They never lose their energy." His tone was sardonic but the underlying pride in his voice was obvious.

"Maybe one day I will," I said carefully. "If I'm with Edward. I think he cares about you guys. A lot. He won't say so, but… I think he thinks of you as a second family."

Carlisle smiled gently out the window, his gaze focused on Edward and Alice, who from the looks of it, were very evenly matched in combat. They danced around one another at the speed of light, looking more like they were performing a ballet at warp speed, than attempting to best the other in pseudo-battle. The others were all gathered around in a loose circle, cheering and goading like boisterous fans at a wrestling match.

"Thank you for saying so, Bella. I don't think you grasp how much hearing that means to me. I value my family more than anything material in this world. Edward, and of course yourself, would be welcome additions."

I shrugged bashfully. "Edward deserves to have people who care about him."

"Yes, he does. Perhaps I should thank you for being one of them, also. I can't claim to have known him well before he met you, but in your presence he glows. I don't need my son's ability to feel the purity of his love for you. He's let you in, in a way I don't believe he ever has or will ever again let anyone in. That's the greatest gift a vampire can give: his love and trust. Keep it sacred."

I flushed at the fatherly advice, having every intention of making good use of it. "Thanks, I… I'll do my best. I love him too."

He nodded warmly. "I know."

A beat of silence descended, quickly growing awkward. "Um, so how come you're not joining in?" I wondered to fill the silence, nodding to the rambunctious activities outside.

"It's not in my nature to enjoy partaking in any sort of conflict. I'd much rather watch my family and remain impartial and ready to intervene, should tempers begin to flare, as they inevitably do."

"Rosalie?" I guessed. She seemed like the one with the shortest fuse by far. Thankfully, she had yet to return from her impromptu hunting trip.

Carlisle chuckled. "Surprisingly, no. Rosalie, more often than not, is the kind to bottle her feelings and smolder over time. Rarely does she act out aggressively. Unfortunately, you and Edward have bore the brunt of a very long held grudge. Emmett, too. All my children are naturally competitive. However… my wife is a very passionate woman. Sometimes her feelings get the best of her."

"Esme!" To say I was shocked would have been a massive understatement. "But she's so sweet and wholesome. She's always trying to cook for me. She tries to feed me more than Edward! That's not easy, trust me."

Carlisle laughed outright. "As I said, she's a passionate woman. In all aspects of her life. She loves her family and is passionately maternal. However, her passion sometimes manifests itself in competition, as well."

"Did you tell her about the time Mom knocked over our house in Massachusetts?" Alice asked from behind us.

In my disbelief, I hadn't even noticed that Alice and Edward had called it quits and were both standing next to us. Vampires moved stealthily when they wanted to.

Edward immediately made his way to my side. He kissed the top of my head, double and triple checking nothing had happened to me in the last twenty minutes, I was sure.

"Esme knocked over a house?" I asked dumbfounded. It kind of felt like I'd entered wonderland unknowingly and everything was all mixed up.

"Yup," Alice said proudly. "Jasper gave her a violent case of the giggles that lasted for hours on end, after she enrolled him as Women's Studies major at Boston University. When he finally let up after thirteen hours, she wasn't so pleased. Fire breathing mad is more like it. When she kicked him out of the house, he took a couple support beams with him. She was extremely remorseful, the moment after it all went down – literally – of course."

"Okay, remind me never to piss off Esme."

"It's probably for the best," Alice agreed.

"So…" I changed the subject, looking to Alice and Edward. Talking about Esme as anything but a sweet homemaker was seriously weird. "Who won?"

They both looked at me sourly.

"Tie." Edward spat out the word as if it had done something to personally spite him. I wrapped my arms around him in a consoling hug.

"It was a stalemate, even after twenty minutes," Alice added. "We weren't going to get anywhere. He's faster than I am but I'm more limber. Then there are our abilities, which are also evenly matched."

"Well that's good, right?" I said diplomatically. "Everyone wins."

They both rolled their eyes.

"See? What did I tell you?" Carlisle interjected, amused. "Competitive."

"Since there was no winner, who's up next?" I wondered, eager to direct the subject away from the blasphemous tie.

"It was supposed to be Jasper and Emmett, but they've both gone missing," Edward explained, looking out the window for them. "I can't hear them at all. They might have gone looking for Rosalie? It has been a few hours since she disappeared."

Alice glanced slyly at me then back at Edward. He appeared unfazed but I knew better. Alice was brewing up one of her schemes.

"Why don't you go entertain Esme?" Alice suggested to him. "I'm sure she's eager to get in on the action. No one except Jasper feels comfortable rousing her competitive spirit. Even Carmen and Eleazar know better. I'm sure she's dying for a new opponent."

Edward nodded, no doubt eager to redeem himself after his stalemate with Alice. "Will you be okay here with Alice and Carlisle?"

I nodded, standing on my toes to kiss the corner of his mouth. "I'm fine. Go have fun and try not to get thrown into the house, please."

He nodded, kissing me back. "I wouldn't dream of it. You're in here. I'll keep you safe at any cost."

"That's sweet," I murmured. "Now go kick some ass."

We all watched as Edward approached Esme in the Cullens' sprawling backward, his swagger declaring his confidence.

"He has no idea what he's getting himself into," Alice chuckled, as Edward tapped Esme, who had been chatting with Carmen, on the shoulder. "Look how casual he is."

"Oh dear," Carlisle muttered worriedly as his wife rounded on Edward, a huge shark-like grin on her beautiful face. "Perhaps I should be near at hand, to ensure things remain on the straight and narrow. That grin never precedes anything good."

He didn't wait for a response before disappearing, only to materialize beside Edward and Esme seconds later, just as they faced off in the makeshift-ring that had been drawn in chalk in the grassy backyard. I could almost hear his resigned sigh.

"Speaking of looks that don't mean anything good, you have one of your own," I told Alice suspiciously. "Where did you send Emmett and Jasper?"

She looked at me with huge doe eyes. Wide and gold, her eyes looked so much like Edward's, they could easily pass for the cousins they pretended to be. "Okay, but this isn't a big deal. Just remember that you're my friend and you love me. Promise?"

I exhaled loudly. If I wanted in on the secret, I was going to have to sacrifice my better judgment. "You're trying to trap me, but fine, I promise. I'll still love you. I make no promises about continuing liking you, though."

Alice was appeased. "That's the best I could hope for," she said brightly. "Well, you remember last night, how there was that little mishap with your bed? Jasper and Emmett are replacing it for you. Don't worry, I picked out the replacement."

I flushed scarlet. "How did you know about that?"

"I've been keeping a very close eye on Edward ever since he separated from James and Victoria," she explained rapidly. "In the event anything goes sour, we need to be able to respond quickly. I try not to get involved in these sort of personal things and to provide privacy whenever possible but my gift isn't so cut and dry. I ignore what I can but sometimes what I see is out of my control. I didn't mean to see, I promise, but the torn bedding was driving me up the wall. If I didn't do something, you would have left it for weeks! It's a crime against interior décor."

"So you sent Emmett and Jasper, of all people, to remove it?" I grumbled in a low voice, to avoid drawing attention from the others, namely Edward, who thank god, was still distracted sparring with Esme. "Are you crazy? They'll make him miserable, teasing him over this. He'll never let me touch him again! Alice!"

"Relax," she soothed. "Everything works out, I promise. They'll tease him, yes, but it won't make him shy away if that's what you think. He gets defiant about it, actually. It's really actually very sweet. To put them in their place he… well, you'll see. You'll like it, trust me."

"Great," I muttered.

No sooner had I uttered the word than Alice broke into one of her all-knowing grins.

"They're almost back. I'm going to go help Carlisle cage Esme before they get here. Edward's winning. Carlisle's going to need all the help he can get. I'll meet you downstairs. They should be back by the time you get there."

By the time I made it to the back door at my sluggish human-pace, Emmett and Jasper were indeed back.

"Check it out!" Emmett called, holding my holey mattress above his head like it was some sort of trophy. "Looks like our little Eddie's been getting some!"

"Where did you get that?" Edward questioned, eerily calm. There was no masking the underlying anger waiting to be unleashed, though. He stalked towards Emmett furiously.

"Oh, nowhere. Just a little house in the north end of Forks. Home of one of Forks' finest. Should make for a little fun… well a little more fun." Emmett replied innocently. "Hey, Jas, catch!"

My former mattress went flying, soaring over Edward's head and into Jasper's arms, in a crude, super-sized version of monkey in the middle. Edward might have been faster than either of them but with Jasper and Emmett's combined strength and military prowess, they were quite easily able to evade him.

Not for long, though. Edward quickly gave up retrieving the mattress and tackled Emmett clean to the ground, a large crash echoing as he was sandwiched between Edward and the earth. The mattress collided atop them both. Edward stood and grabbed it roughly, tearing it into several smaller pieces as if it were nothing more than paper and flung them at Emmett, who shielded himself with his arms. The shreds of cotton and metal bounced off him ineffectually.

"What the fuck is your problem, Emmett?" Edward seethed at the laughing giant at his feet. "If you think this is funny, you're an asshole. Bella's just upstairs. If she sees and you make her feel so much as a twinge of embarrassment over this, so help me god… I will kick you into the lake from here."

Emmett plucked some stuffing from his hair with a huge, playful grin. He was definitely enjoying riling Edward up. "Dude, that's like five miles. You might want to think of another way to release that aggression. And hey, you're in luck, we got your girlfriend a new mattress."

Edward shot Emmett a fatal stare. "I don't think five miles would be much of a challenge right now. Perhaps we should give it a shot."

"Relax," Emmett replied easily, not the least bit worried that Edward would follow through with the threat. "So you and Bella got a little amorous last night. So you're a little embarrassed. It's cool. It happens. We totally understand. Sometimes when things get a little hot and heavy, it's hard to remember not to rip apart the furniture."

He pointed to me, causing Edward to freeze and turn to me, a deer caught in headlights. He hadn't noticed I'd joined them.

"I mean, Bella's cool with it, aren't you, Bella? Check out those claw marks." He held up a piece of the mattress with Edward's distinct gouges. "That right there is some serious passion, girlfriend. You deserve a high five." He stretched out a hand for me to slap.

"Emmett," Edward growled warningly, stepping between us, blocking Emmett from my view. "Bella, I'm so, so extremely sorry. I have no idea how they found out. I didn't tell them anything, I swear to you. I wouldn't do that. Unlike some people," he glowered at Emmett, "I value our privacy."

"I think I have a pretty good idea of how they found out," I replied sardonically, shooting Alice my best evil eye. It was a mere shadow of Edward's, but Alice had the decency to look sheepish nonetheless. "I know it wasn't your fault. Just, please, don't let Emmett's juvenile behaviour make things awkward between us."

"Not my intention, at all," Emmett interjected brightly. "The more hanky-panky, the better, I say. Just trying to show everyone that Ed's not as much of a prude as he pretends to be… and maybe get him to loosen up and live a little. It's okay to let the world know you do more than kiss your girl on the cheek. Don't be so frigid, you two."

Edward grit his teeth. "This relationship advice coming from a guy whose potential mate's last physical contact with him was to throw a piano at him? I think I'll pass." He stomped the few paces separating us. "And for the record, Bella and I are not frigid."

"Edward–"

I didn't get to finish my sentence. Edward cradled me to his chest and dipped me low, kissing me deeply, seductively, right in front of Emmett, who watched, completely gobsmacked. Edward even lifted my leg to hitch it around his. Only when I needed to breathe did Edward relent and allow us to separate, albeit marginally. He rested his forehead on mine, smiling at me sweetly.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Emmett grinned salaciously. "Dude, I think we might need to go put out a couple wildfires, 'cause I think I saw some sparks."

"Shut up, Emmett," Edward muttered, though the fury had disappeared from his tone. "Perhaps you should make use of the time you dedicate to annoying everyone to attempt to win Rosalie's forgiveness. You'd be golden."

"Dude," Emmett groaned, flopping back into the grass, "don't remind me. Did I tell you she called me a 'fucking assmunch' yesterday? And I thought we'd been making some progress. She actually smiled at me the day before. Well it was more of a grimace, but close enough."

Edward's expression turned smug. "Now I get what this whole thing was about. You're jealous Bella and I have what you can't get from Rosalie."

Emmett looked like he'd swallowed a sock, a very forced laugh following. "Yeah, right. Rosalie and I are copasetic. We're right where we're supposed to be. My plan is working perfectly."

"Plan? I wasn't aware you had one of those. You haven't given it much thought, if that's the case…" Edward drawled, egging him on. "Face the facts, you're just like a little boy pushing others on the playground because he's jealous."

"Not a chance," Emmett said firmly. "Rosalie and I are on the path to making out in the backyard just like you two any day now. And clawing things. Lots of things. Maybe even tearing down some walls because we'd be awesome like that."

"Really?" I asked Emmett innocently. Edward was definitely on to something. The way Emmett had been acting, he deserved anything he got. I was getting in while the going was good.

"So it doesn't bother you even a teeny bit when I kiss Edward like this?" I demonstrated, pressing my lips against his. Edward responded happily, eager to stick it to Emmett. "You're not jealous at all? Not even when I tell him that I love him, so, so much and that I can't wait until we're alone again?"

Emmett squirmed uncomfortably, squinting as if he was in pain. "Okay, fine! I'm jealous. It's not fucking fair. You guys are ridiculously cutesy and sweet all the damn time. I want that! I want to hold Rosalie's hand and kiss her cheek and tell her I love her. But Ed already knows that because he can read my fucking mind. Ass."

Edward and I giggled; that admission coming from Emmett was rather unexpected.

"I think it's charming that you want to romance her," I told him. "You should tell her that, you know. Playing the whole aloof, 'I'm cool no matter what happens between us' card has not been working for you. Clearly."

"Hear that, Emmett?" Edward asked smugly, "Bella thinks you've got no game."

Emmett banged his head on the ground several times, leaving a large divot. "I cannot believe I'm considering taking advice from the two of you on how to score. This is the fucking twilight zone."

xx

"He's really excited about this," Alice confided as she expertly twisted a curling iron through my hair, helping me get ready for the date I had promised Edward I would go on.

She'd whisked me away from the rest of her family without an explanation. My only hint was a firm comment from Edward as he released me into her care, that "no fragrances" be involved. I should have known better than to think Alice wouldn't catch wind of an opportunity to make a life-sized Barbie out of me.

That was how I'd unwittingly found myself in her cavernous bathroom, surrounded by a labyrinth of cosmetics, fragrances and styling tools. Fear bubbled. My traitorous boyfriend had eagerly passed me off to be made up within an inch of my life with typical male indifference.

Surprisingly, it was turning out to be less torturous than I expected. Alice wielded a curling iron with machine like precision, and seemed to know exactly what to do to make me feel pretty, but not uncomfortably out of my element. I didn't have much experience with the more frilly aspects of being a girl but thanks to my mom I knew enough of the basics to get by.

"I think he feels kind of obligated to, you know, complete my human experience. And he doesn't need to. I like him the way he is. He doesn't have to play human for me."

"It's not like that at all, Bella." She misted something– scent free, she promised – on my hair. "Trust me, he's excited to treat you to a date, properly. He wants you to see he can be the kind of boyfriend he wants to be. He's doing it for himself as much as you. Maybe more. Guys can be insecure, too. He just wants to show you off for a night, there's no harm in that."

I had to suppress a snort. "Show me off? When I'm standing next to him no one is looking at me. No one."

Alice shrugged dismissively, meticulously arranging several strands of hair. "Perhaps you're just oblivious to the attention you receive. Edward isn't. You're very beautiful. Edward chose you out of all the millions of humans out there. He loves you for who you are, yes. But don't be naïve. There's a reason you've captured him so completely. He's attracted to the way you look, also. It's no small feat capturing the attention of a vampire."

I'd never considered that before, but the argument made sense once I took the time to think about it. That didn't stop it from blowing my mind that Edward truly thought I was pretty enough to stand at his side.

"Maybe, but even you have to admit my colouring isn't very unique. Just brown. He could have found any other number of girls who are as pretty or prettier than me."

Alice shook her head. "That's not true. And it's not just Edward that sees it. We all do. I'd kill for your hair. It's such a rich, multi-faceted brown and so long." She combed her fingers through the length of it nostalgically. She'd managed to convert the usually stick straight brown into shiny, waving mahogany. "My hair can pass as fashionable now, but at times it's been a hassle to attempt to fit in. There's only so much you can do with a few inches."

"Thanks," I said bashfully. I still wasn't the best at accepting compliments but I'd learned better than to question a vampire's much more powerful vision.

"And you have the most beautiful skin," she continued. "Cosmetic companies spend billions trying to recreate what you have. Edward would probably never say as much, but I suspect it's one of the features that drew him to you. Human skin often appears rough, or discoloured through our eyes. Yours is flawless and so creamy." I touched my cheek, as if I might feel the difference. I didn't. I was as normal as ever. "It rivals vampire skin, visually. I can't imagine how smooth it will appear after your conversion."

"Why do you keep mentioning that – me being changed, I mean – like it's a certainty?" I wondered, as she swept something light and shimmery over my eyelids with a soft brush.

It was something I'd been curious about for a while. Alice mentioned it frequently – usually much to Edward's displeasure – speaking as if it was a given I would be a vampire in the relatively near future.

"Edward mentions it sometimes, too," I explained, "but he's always so vague, like he's not sure he wants it to happen. He's always talking about making sure I live a full human life first." What exactly that constituted, in his mind, I wasn't sure. My life felt full already. "Have you seen something?"

I wasn't sure if I wanted to know if she'd managed to pinpoint a date or something but I couldn't stop myself from asking.

"Yes and no." She looked at her artwork on my eyelids critically, expertly switching out brushes and various pots of colour in light nude shades as she spoke. "Nothing is certain. The future is not a static thing. As decisions get made and unmade, it changes. However, right now, there is a strong possibility you'll be one of us within the next few years. That can change, should you make a more firm decision one way or the other."

"Then why is Edward always so evasive about it?"

"He wants your decision to undergo the change to come from you. He's worried that sharing his opinion on the matter will sway you into doing something you don't want to."

"But what exactly is his opinion?" I closed my eyes allowing Alice to apply dark mascara to my lashes. She did so with aching precision.

"That's not something for me to share," Alice said lightly. "Edward wants you to make your decision for you, not for him. Or anyone else, for that matter. And I agree. Being a vampire is not an easy life, even knowing beforehand what you're getting into. If you make that choice, do it because it's what you want."

I inhaled deeply, frustrated by my own confused emotions. "I think it's what I want. But I don't want to do something Edward will hate me for. What if the reason he likes me is because I'm human and he just doesn't know it? He's said before my mind is his idea of tranquility. What if that disappears after I change?"

"You're still thinking about it all wrong," Alice criticized gently. "Edward wants you to do what you want not what you think he wants. He'll love you regardless, I promise."

"How do you know?" I countered stubbornly. "Any number of things could change that are outside of my control."

"I know because he's a vampire," Alice said firmly. "We get one shot at love. We can fall in like or lust hundreds of times over the lifetimes we live, should we never find a mate. But once we find the one, that's it, there's no escaping it. The term 'bonded pairs' is used to describe vampire mates because they're bonded together by an invisible cord. While you might not be a vampire yet, Edward has already formed his bond to you. You've not yet made that irreversible connection to him. You still have the option to choose a different life, should you wish."

I thought about that for a moment. It was simultaneously reassuring and depressing. It was reassuring to know that Edward would irrevocably return my feelings, but it made me feel horrible that I was leaving him hanging without the same guarantee. I wondered if he ever worried that I might change my mind. I wouldn't but worrying about the possibility I might had to feel awful.

That made me think of how Rosalie must have felt when Emmett left. Was there some sort of loop hole?

"How come Rosalie and Emmett don't have that bond, then? How come he could leave her?"

Alice smiled wanly. "Don't mistake the bond for love at first sight. It's not. It isn't immediate and all consuming. It offers a rare possibility for change in our kind, yes, but the bond does not precede feelings of love. First comes love, then the bond. Rosalie and Emmett were never in love."

"Why does he care so much about winning her over, then?" I persisted. "Why would he wait decades, just for a chance with her?"

Alice shrugged, tidying the granite countertop that had managed to gather an astounding array of products considering it was only me she was putting them on.

"I know a lot of things but even I don't know how Emmett's mind works. Edward might field that question better. Or better yet, ask Emmett. But if I had to guess… Rosalie is very beautiful, even for a vampire. That's not something one easily forgets."

"That makes it sound so shallow."

"I'm sure it's more complex than that… Rosalie is a complicated individual. She has a lot to offer the world. She's fierce and compassionate in turns. Unfortunately, it's been difficult for her to get the world to see her beyond the way she looks."

Alice spun the chair I was sitting in to face the mirror that covered an entire wall of her bathroom. "Speaking of looks, what do you think of yours?"

I touched my face in awe. I still looked like myself but a slightly better version, like a soft focus light had been shined on me, masking all visual flaws.

"It didn't take much," Alice explained happily. "No base, because you've got beautiful skin, as I've said. Just enough to highlight and open up those big brown eyes of yours."

"It's really pretty, Alice," I complimented, still shocked I was looking at my own reflection. "I have to admit I was expecting it to be a lot worse."

"Worse?" Alice laughed. "Have you learned anything about me, Bella? If nothing else, I have good taste. Besides, if I brought you downstairs looking like you escaped from the eighties, Edward would kill me."

She grabbed my hand. "Now come on, let's go pick out a dress." She stopped me before I could interject. "We'll find something you'll love. I have something for everyone. Rosalie will help."

"Rosalie?" I asked dubiously, allowing Alice to drag me into her bedroom. In my experience, Rosalie and help didn't belong in the same sentence, not as far as helping me was concerned anyway.

Rosalie looked up from where she'd been lounging on her sister's bed. "Alice was right," she said disinterestedly, picking at a perfect cuticle. "You look nice… for a brunette."

"Thanks, I think," I responded carefully, sitting down on the edge of the bed, as far away from Rosalie as possible.

She sat up fluidly, crossing her long legs in a single smooth motion. "Sure, whatever."

"I… uh, I'm surprised that you're here," I said, attempting not to sound too mousy. I couldn't help it; she intimidated the hell out of me. "I didn't think you liked me much."

She quirked her shiny pink lips. "I don't not like you. You never did anything to me. Your boyfriend, on the other hand, could get my family killed."

I frowned. "Edward never asked anyone to do anything… they volunteered. Carlisle and Alice sought him out, not the other way around," I said bravely. I might be mousy but even I wouldn't let Rosalie speak badly of Edward for something that was out of his control.

"Whatever." She shook a bottle of nail polish, dismissing the topic. "Do you want me to do your nails or not?"

"Do my nails?" I looked down at them. My typical clear coat looked fine to me.

"Yeah. Alice says she doesn't like the smell but we both know it's because her hand isn't nearly as steady as mine, that she prefers I do it. I don't know the meaning of streaking."

"Really?" Alice joked, poking her head out of the cave she deemed a closet. "That's not what the Yale class of '89 would say."

"Ha ha." Rosalie waved the bottle of very pale pink polish she'd selected at me. "Are you going to give me your hand or not?"

I did, not wanting to offend her by saying no. She was talking to me in a somewhat friendly – or at least civil – manner. I considered that a victory.

With surprising gentleness and not so surprising efficiency Rosalie began coating my nails.

"You streaked?" I asked, unable to suppress my curiosity.

"At her graduation from law school," Alice butted in from the depths of her closet.

"Damn right." Rosalie agreed in a self-satisfied tone. "And I didn't even get caught."

"Not true," Alice called. "She totally got caught. Everyone recognized her hair. They just had no way of proving that she actually did it, because it took her all of thirty seconds before she was back in her seat."

"I gave that class a moment they'll never forget," Rosalie retorted. "They should have been thanking me, not trying to condemn me."

I smiled at the lighthearted banter. Rosalie wasn't so bad when neither Emmett or Edward were around. I wondered if she just had an aversion to males in general. "You guys have lived the most interesting lives."

Rosalie sniffed. "It has its moments."

"You seem a little happier now that Emmett's back," Alice observed flippantly, emerging from her closet with a dozen dresses flung over her arm.

I was glad she had been the one to say it, not me, because Rosalie glared at her lethally.

"He wishes," she snarled, capping the nail polish bottle angrily. I looked down at my hands, surprised to see she'd finished already. And done a flawless job, naturally. "The ass hasn't even apologized yet. If he wants me, he's going to have to try harder. A lot fucking harder. I am not the kind of girl who rolls over for a pretty face, no matter how cute the dimples… or how rock hard the body attached to it."

"Don't you feel at least a little better having handed his ass to him?" Alice questioned, setting the load of dresses down between us on the bed. "That had to give you some vindication."

She winked at me, explaining, "Emmett was being all cocky, and well, Emmett, running his mouth as usual and ended up issuing a challenge to Rosalie as she was coming back from hunting. Not a wise idea on his part."

"I find it amusing that you think Emmett has the capability to be wise. He's a fucking idiot."

"Right now, I think your opinion on the state of Emmett's intelligence is null and void due to personal investment," Alice said cheekily.

"Whatever."

"I think he's funny," I pointed out. "Sure sometimes he's a little annoying, but… he brings a necessary light-heartedness to the dynamic you guys have."

"If by light-heartedness you mean a sense of humour that, under other circumstances, could belong to a twelve-year-old, I think you're right," Rosalie said stubbornly.

"Okay, okay, enough about Emmett," Alice said, her sweet voice holding more command than I would have thought possible. "Dress time. I've picked out several options for you. They should all fit, so we're really just looking for something that suits you."

"Why don't you just tell us which one we're going to pick?" Rosalie suggested, in a surprising act of pragmatism. "Save us the hassle of waiting for Bella to try them all on?"

I was pretty sure she wasn't asking to be nice but I couldn't have agreed more.

Alice laughed at us as if the idea was preposterous. "We haven't seen them, so we haven't decided. Clothes don't look the same in my head as they do in person, anyway. Here, try on this one," Alice handed me a deep blue sheath. It was gorgeous, I had to admit. "I have a good feeling about it."

Self-consciously, I emerged from Alice's closet once I'd managed to wriggle my way into the dress. Alice zipped up the back for me.

"Oh my god," she breathed, swishing the silky material that just barely skimmed my knees. "It's gorgeous on you. Simple, but perfectly contoured to your shape. Edward is absolutely going to love it. And it doesn't clash with your cast!"

I looked in the mirror, full of doubt. It was more bare skin than I was used to, but thankfully not enough to make me uncomfortable. My hair covered most of my bare shoulders. "You don't think it's too much?"

"Don't over think everything," Rosalie offered shortly, briefly looking up from painting her nails blood red. "You look hot. The sweetheart neckline is perfect for you."

I didn't know what that meant but it was a compliment. Coming from Rosalie, I accepted it gladly. The dress did look very pretty and was surprisingly comfortable. The silky material felt smooth and cool.

"Okay," I agreed, glad to be spared the experience of trying on a runway's worth of dresses. I turned slightly, relishing the swishy material floating around me. "I like it."

"Edward likes it, too," Alice confided proudly. "He says you look radiant and he can't wait to see it in person."

I laughed. I should have expected Edward to be spying on me through the sisters' eyes. "Tell him he can stop spying. I'm coming down now."

"He heard," Alice said, winking. "He's waiting."

xx

Expect the next chapter in the next few days. In the mean time, take a moment to review this one… I gratefully accept gushing compliments… and any anything else you might have to say, including but not limited to commentary, criticism, fic recommendations, conspiracy theories and otherwise random rambling ;)