Living On

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own no Twilight.

READ THIS BEFORE YOU CONTINUE, OR YOU WILL BE THROUGHLY PERPLEXED!:

Incase you haven' t guessed, the thing that was fake Charlie and is now one of the Edwards is a SHAPESHIFTER. It will explain so, please review.

Last time:

On one side of the room sat Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett. All piled onto one couch, they stared straight ahead, not even acknowledging my presence in the room.

Sitting on 2 separate chairs across from them, were Edwards. 2 Edwards, in the non-living flesh.

I have one question for you, ladies and gentlemen…

Could my life get any freggin weirder than it already is?

This time:

I blinked rapidly several times before I tried to get some coherent thoughts in my head.

OK, so I see 2 Greek gods looking at me, anxiously to watch for my reaction, while none of the other Cullens care to explain the situation presented in front of me, or acknowledge my presence. Obviously, I get mad.

Then Jasper's eyes flickered toward me, not even turning his head.

" Why are you angry, Bella?"

Then Alice chooses to see that I actually exist!

She groaned, and ran vamp speed toward me.

When she was in front of me she turned around to stop both the Edwards that had decided to come and greet me, or so I thought.

She held both hands in the air to stop them. She hissed, "Until I know where my brother is, I am not letting either of you touch her. Got it?"

They both nodded sadly, in the same timing. I did not choose to ignore the fact the footsteps slowly back to their chairs across from the other Cullens, were also in the exact same timing and way, for that matter. Every movement seemed synchronized, in a weird way, like a mirror image, that wasn't an imitation, it looked like a real mirror image.

Alice noticed my staring and said, "They have been doing that all day…or, I guess all the time you were sleeping," she corrected herself.

Alice then realized why I was angry, getting no explanation was bothering me from my tired head to my freezing cold toes.

She pulled me on the couch with her, and I pulled my feet on the couch in attempt to warm them, in a house full of vampires. Esme brought me blankets, which helped a lot, and I waited more patient for an explanation.

I examined both Edwards in the meantime, and noticed they looked exactly the same, even the eyes. Each one had that same effect on my, in dazzling. I didn't even have to ask a question to get my answers, though.

Carlisle started, " As you may have figured out, some shape shifter has changed from Charlie, who is fine, by the way, to Edward, and now we can't figure out exactly who it is!" He exclaimed, frustration taking over his usually calm mask he had even in the worst of situations.

I missed that mask. Now I was worried. He just happened to notice this.

" Its really nothing too much to worry about, Bella, I figure if this shape shifter hadn't hurt any one of us yet, them it might be a complete stranger. I really don't think this has anything to do with you; I'm more frustrated because I need my son to help with that. You see, Edward could have read the mind of this stranger to see exactly who this vampire is and what was really going on--," Carlisle was cut off by Alice.

" Charlie is sleeping in one of the rooms, and Bella—" she was stopped by Jasper.

" We all think you are the only one who can figure out who Edward really is… every time we ask a question, they just…"

" ANSWER AND MOVE AT THE SAME EXACT TIME!!!" Emmett roared loud enough for me to jump from the sound, it finally woke me up.

Things in my head were being processed, but I took it as cool as everything else that has happened to me.

All the other Cullens stayed the same way as before, not even flinching or scolding Emmett, and after a while he sat down.

He still muttered, "Every personal question hasn't worked! Even the ones about you!"

Now I was wondering some stuff.

"Carlisle, what are we going to do about Charlie?" I asked him, while he continued staring both Edwards down.

"That's not a problem right now, he probably thinks he dreamt it, and when we found him he was unconscious on his bed in his room, and so I'm not really sure if he really saw anything actually Bella…"

"Why are you guys just staring at them like that?"

"Sorry Bella, I am just hoping the shape shifter will crack. Unless they are really old, most shape shifters cannot hold their shape for very long, and from what I hear from Jasper, one of the Edwards is very—"

"Excited, mischievous, and nervous about us finding out who is who at the same time. Its ridiculous how I can't figure out who is who!" He suddenly said, but stayed calm nonetheless.

"And that's what makes Carlisle think that this shape shifter is young, and I hope he is right, I want Edward back, even though he hasn't really gone anywhere.." Esme sighed.

IT was silent now, enough for me to think.

Now I was curious, I had to think hard if I wanted Edward back. But suddenly I noticed my throat hurts, it was aching, and so was the rest of my body. I was in the process of getting sick. I wasn't just yet, but I had this thing that made me know when a major sickness was coming. This was it. And now I could use it to my advantage.

Starting now: I groaned.

"What's wrong Bella?" a very concerned Edward to my right asked me, and this made Alice jump because she was closest to him. He disturbed the silence, and now I realized something,

"Isn't that the first time one of them talked without the other copying too?" I asked.

But Alice was just staring at the Edward who had just talked, and she said, " I think he didn't move at all when he spoke!"

"And…?" I prompted. I didn't exactly understand why she honestly cared.

She explained, " I think that he's Edward, and the only way he can't talk without moving so the shape shifter can imitate him—"

"The other Edward here is starting to give me a very nervous vibe," Jasper interrupted excitedly.

Time to get some facts. What could I do to provoke a shape shifter? Use my scent? How else can I get a shape shifter to reveal himself?

I tried to stand up, taking the blankets off slowly. My head ached now, too. I was cold, but I was feeling my skin start to get unusually warm. The Edward I was beginning to trust noticed how I wobbled.

I was finally on my feet when I turned to Carlisle weakly; I put a hand to my head. My ears were starting to feel weird. I felt like my senses were being… muffled. I guess you could say. I swallowed hard and winced from the pain in my throat.

"I really don't feel good. I think I need something for the cold…" I said, but my throat couldn't take it so I didn't continue. I fell back onto the couch, curled up into a warm little shivering ball, and laid my head back on the backside of the couch.

Carlisle appeared with Tylenol and Water, and Alice covered me with the blankets.

Edward that I was beginning to trust again spoke without moving.

"Bella, are you okay? Carlisle, is she sick?"

I answered," I think its just a cold.

"Alice can you please cover her up! I don't want her to get sick…" The same Edward spoke again. Everyone (cept' the Edwards) was crowded around me so they didn't notice how scared the other Edward was. It was trembling in fright, poor thing. I could afford to be generous now.

I pointed toward the other Edward, and everyone turned to look. Then, in vampire speed, Emmett and Jasper had interlocked him in their grip, but he didn't struggle, he just hung his head as MY Edward came to me.

He gave me a quick peck on the lips, and said, "I knew you'd figure it out! I love you and you know me too well, to know I worry about you too much," He grinned at me and then turned toward the shape shifter.

"Carlisle, how do we get a shape shifter to reveal itself?" Edward asked suddenly frowning. He knew it wouldn't be this easy.

Carlisle had a big old brown leather book in his hand too soon. He flipped through the pages quickly, and then looked up human speed. I guessed it would be harder then I thought.

" We have to either find something that connects it to his personal life, or we have to figure out some other way to tempt it into giving us answers,"

Blood was the only way. I nodded at Edward who had silently asked my approval to take me upstairs, and as he carried me away, I whispered to him that I should talk to Charlie.

I was dropped off in the room with a quick kiss again. I glanced around the tiny room. No one was in here.

I screamed. Had Charlie been taken? Soon enough Edward was here. He immediately understood, and scooped me up protectively, this definitely had to do with someone wanting me.

Why did I have to endanger all the ones I love? I mean, think about it. I endanger the Cullens with the Volturi and Victoria, same with Jake and his werewolf friends and Victoria, too. Don't think about Jake (I scolded myself silently). I even endanger my blood relatives here. But they love me all the same.

Eeek, I have to show Edward the love note from Jake. How would he react? Happy and mad I guess. Happy cause he is gone, mad cause he loved me. But according to Edward, everyone did. And Edward thought he didn't deserve me, I am doing enough damage for the both of us. We truly belong together.

I laid my head against Edwards chest that was cooling my skin. My skin had heated up a good 3 or 4 degrees, and Edward looked more worried then before. I finally looked around. There were no other Cullens around; Edward and I were standing in an empty living room.

My head shot up.

I decided to ask Edward, "Where is everyone?" My voice came out in whispers because my throat was so sore.

"I don't know Bella, I really don't know. I just saw them all speed out of here." He answered, now gadding up and down the house with me still in his arms.

"Can you hear anyone in the house?" My voice cracked.

"Not a living or dead soul. No minds either."

I groaned. Now my family disappeared, too. I closed my eyes, my body still hurt so bad. Edward, by the way, never felt better. I laid my head back on his chest in sleeping position.

Edward found a note and laid me on the couch in the living room, where we had ended up once again. When he picked it up, he sniffed it.

His nose scrunched up.

"What is it? Edward?" He was silently muttering under his breath, pacing up and down the room. He turned to me and said,

" The note is from them, but it has a faint smell of some else. I know the smell from somewhere, but I can't place it," he said this and tossed he note to me. I read it while coughing and soon Edward had left to get me more medicine.

I read it when he left:

Edward,

I had a vision of where Charlie is, and we think he ran away by himself while we were concentrating so hard on you. We didn't even hear him when he left, but I could find no other scent in the room. Sorry we left without a word but here is what happened while you were taking Bella away:

The shape shifter couldn't hold your shape any longer when you left, and it turned out to be a little boy. He was just looking for trouble; he's only 10 years old! He has been a vampire for 2 years, but he is such a great shape shifter, and I thin he could help us protect Bella, and help with the Volturi situation. I already had some visions in the 3 minutes we knew him!

He is going to help us, but he wants us to help him gain control and become a 'vegetarian'. Please let us do this, alone too. I think you need to take care of Bella for now, and you both need to relax. The stress is getting on your nerves, and I think Bella could even suffer in a different way, like in health, possibly.

We want you guys to cool it.

Alice

I yawned when I was done reading it, Alice writes pretty fast. I wasn't worried for Charlie, it seemed like Alice was relying on her vision enough that I should too. I really felt my body shivering now, even though I was sweating, and I really wanted to sleep. Edward is here to protect me. I stood up and ran up to the room I was laid in when I woke up, Edward's room.

When I got there, it turned out Edward was there before me, and not getting me medicine after all. He was making the bed vampire speed, wait… BED?

I looked around the room in shock. He had completely redone his room. His CD's were still there, but instead of the couch was the bed, and the room was now filled with all the rest of the previous furniture, with some new pieces of course. A dresser, more drawers, and that beautiful warm brown color on the walls. IT wasn't a dark color, but just so… warm.

I gasped. Edward had done this for me. He was going to ask me to move in! That's why he was redoing his room without telling me! It was a surprise. Edward turned around to face me. I found the crooked smile and penetrating topaz eyes looking deeply into mine with hope.

All he had to say is, "Would you?" He knew I knew what he meant.

I jumped into his arms happily. I guess he knew I could refuse. I KNOW we know each other very well. I know he loves me, and I know that soon, he will eventually change me. It was bound to happen soon, and if I wanted it sooner, I knew exactly how to do it.

My evil genius plan, will soon come into action. Faster than I thought, because I never expected that I would have 24 hours a day to do it. I never expected to move in!