Beating Heart Baby

by- Bubbles

Chapter One: Esme

The morning light filtered in through her window blinds. A few had broken off a long while ago, thus allowing the evil sunlight to filter in.

Wait. Sunlight? In Forks? Oh no, that meant no Edward at school today.

Wait. School? It's Saturday!

Bella's groggy morning thoughts swam through the stream of leftover sleepiness as she rubbed her eyes and forced them open. Suddenly, it hit her.

Something is missing. A very cold, hard, devilishly handsome something. A something named Edward.

At this startling realization, Bella sat up, fast, and immediately laid back down.

"Whoa..." she mumbled, as she got that lightheaded feeling that one gets from sitting or standing up too fast.

She tried it again, only much slower this time, and she look around the room and formed a mental checklist in her head. Window- No Edward. Rocking Chair- No Edward. But wait, a slip of paper was sitting in the rocking chair. She didn't even have to look closely to know that the lines would be filled with Edward's remarkably neat handwriting.

Bella proceeded to push the covers off and climb out of bed, so anxious to read the note that her precious Edward left that she didn't even do the customary, just-rolled-outta-bed full body stretch.

Bella,

I had to return home tonight to take care of some business. I trust your night still went well. I will see you soon.

-Edward

Ugh, could the boy have been any more vague? I mean really. Bella thought, as she laid the note on her desk and headed for the bathroom for her alloted human time of the day.

------

One shower and clothes change later and Bella Swan could be found downstairs, in the kitchen, attempting to empty a bowl of cereal with just a spoon to help her.

As was the usual, Charlie was fishing down in La Push, he hadn't even left her a note this time. He knew that she would just know.

Cereal- Check

Having fed herself and prepared herself for the day, Bella figured, what was the use in hanging around this boring, empty house with nothing but dirty laundry to keep me company? Even if Edward isn't at home, I can still hang out with Alice, or play a video game, scratch that, loose a video game to Emmett, right?

Right.

And so Bella Swan grabbed the keys to her old red truck, started it up, and began the slow but steady drive through the woods to the Cullen family's house.

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"Oh! Bella dear! How nice to see you!" Esme called out from her place in the front flower garden.

"Hi Esme." Bella replied as she walked past Edward's car which was currently parked in the driveway.

So he is here, good, i'll go straight up and find him!

Think again, Bella.

"Bella, honey, would you mind too terribly much if I simple borrowed you for just a second?" Esme called out, catching Bella right out of her thoughts.

"Uh, sure Esme, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I'm going to replant all these flowers with new ones," she gestured to a few wheelbarrows full of bright, happy, perky flowers, "and I was just wanting your opinion on what colors would go well by which other colors." Esme flashed her a huge smile, and seemed just delighted by the thought that Bella might help her out.

'Didn't Esme just replant all the flowers a week ago? Why would she be doing it again?' Bella thought.

'Well, I guess when you've got all the time in the world you can do that sort of thing.'

So Bella proceeded to sit down in the flower bed with Esme, not too worried about the dirt, and she looked up at her expectantly, waiting for her to tell her what flowers to pick from.

"Now, dear, we can't have you getting scratched up or anything, so let's get these gloves on you, oh, and these knee pads so you don't get sore. It's bright out here so I packed some sunscreen just incase you dropped by..." Esme went down the list of everything she seemed to have packed just for Bella, and they proceeded to not only decide where to put what flowers, but they also planted every last one of them.

Bella noticed that Esme seemed kind of disappointed when she had run out of things for Bella to do.

Aw, she liked spending time with me I guess, i'll have to visit with Esme more often, I really don't know all that much about her.

"Well dear, thanks so much for your help! I really couldn't have done it without you." Esme looked at Bella and smiled, and Bella felt a warmth in her heart.

"No problem Esme. By the way, you don't happen to know where Edward is, do you? You see, I woke up..." Bella was about to explain about this morning and the note when she was cut off by Esme.

"No honey, sorry, haven't seen him. Emmett was looking for you thought, I think he's in the living room. You might go and see what he needed. Thanks again dear, i'll just get all this stuff put away..." and with that Esme was bustling around the garden, gathering up little shovels and whatnot.

Hm... What could Emmett possibly need me for? Not another arm wrestling match, I hope, that was just a little embarrassing last time...

And with that last thought, Bella turned and proceeded to walk to the front door and reach for the door handle. God only knows what was going to happen when she turned to go into that living room...

A/N There you go, my second chapter! Now, i'm not sure if i'm doing good or bad or boring or what, so i'm not going to update until I get a few reviews, not because i'm demanding them, but because this is my first fic and I need some feedback! Feel free to point out ANY mistakes or inconsistencies you see! I'm off to write the next chapter, Emmett's attempt at thwarting Bella's search for Edward.

Also, what do you think/want the surprise to be? Tell me, I might take your ideas into consideration! If I do you will totally get credit!

I love ya'll!

-Bubbles