Two: I'm Here

"Soul meets soul on lover's lips."
-Percy Bysshe Shelly

I sat on a small bench in the middle of some department store in Seattle, watching the love of my life in absolute torture, and it killed me knowing that there was nothing I could do about it.

She was shoe shopping with Alice.

Normally, I would not have gone. But Bella pleaded with me to accompany them, just in case Alice wore her out or something. Alice was annoyed with me, but she forgot about me as soon as we hit the stores.

We have been there for ten minutes, and Alice already had twenty pairs of shoes.

"Alice, I can't wear these," Bella announced, trying to stand in six inch heels. I watched the delicate heel, anxious that she would fall and hurt herself. What was Alice thinking? Oh, wait, I know that. She wanted fashionable shoes, not safe ones.

"Bella, stop being so pessimistic," Alice said, handing three more boxes to Bella. She groaned.

"Honestly, I should just wear sneakers," she moaned, sitting down and taking off the deadly footwear. "It's not like anyone is going to see my feet under my dress."

"It's not about what you see, it's about tradition!" Alice said, and hurried off to find more shoes.

"I don't think there's anything traditional about marrying a vampire," I stated, and Bella laughed.

I watched her laugh, her beautiful face become red as the blood rushed there, her wonderful sound escaping her lips, her eyes scrunching up slightly. She was amazing.

I got up and moved closer to her, and she gasped at my sudden movement. I smiled and put my finger under her chin, angling her mouth up towards mine. When I captured her lips in a sweet kiss, she smiled and kissed back.

"I love you," I told her breathlessly, when I pulled away. I could hear her heart beating erratically.

"You know I love you," she whispered, then she smirked. "Otherwise I wouldn't put up with this."

I laughed, and she smiled. Alice came back with eight more boxes, each shoe looking almost exactly the same. Bella groaned in annoyance again.

"Alice! Do you want me to break my neck?" She held up a white stiletto, her face blanching at the five inch heel. I glared at Alice.

"She is not wearing that," I declared, taking the shoe and placing it back in the box. Alice growled.

"And why not? With a little practice, she'll be able to practically float down the aisle." Bella and I both raised our eyebrows at her in disbelief. She couldn't be serious! I delved into her mind. She was.

She huffed and wrinkled her nose. "Fine! Go barefoot! Wear flip flops! I don't-"

"I like these," Bella gushed, picking up a pair of almost three inch white satin shoes, Mary Jane style. They were plain, yet elegant and sturdy; perfect for Bella.

I looked at Bella's face to see if she was bluffing, to make Alice happy, but the sincerity in her brown eyes was true, and she touched the smooth fabric with a smile on her face. I looked at Alice, who sighed, then smiled.

"Well, try them on!" she urged, and Bella hastily slid her tiny feet into the white shoes, smiling as she stood up.

"They're so comfy," she said, happily. "Thanks, Alice."

Alice kissed her cheek, then swiftly picked up the remaining boxes. "Put your sneakers back on, we have to go look at cakes!"

Bella blew a piece of her hair out of her face as she put on her own shoes. "But you don't eat cake!"

"Tradition, Bella, tradition!" Alice sang, as she returned the shoes from wherever they came from. Bella looked at me for help, but I shrugged.

"Just a few more hours, and we'll be done," I promised, and her eyes widened.

"Hours!" she echoed, exasperated. I chuckled and kissed her nose.

"The time will fly by." I kissed her jawline from her temple to her chin, then brought my lips to hers. She was tentative at first, and I was able to enjoy the taste of her, the sight of her, the feel of her on my lips, wishing that I could give her more. But I wouldn't- couldn't- risk her life by being selfish. She was much more important than a little pleasure.

But, naturally, the instincts in Bella took over, and she pressed her body to me, entangling her fingers in my hair and moved her lips sensually. I had to force myself to push her away while a little voice in my head screamed for me not to.

"Sorry," she gasped, leaning her head on my shoulder. I could hear that her heartbeats were accelerated, her blood was pounding in her veins. It made my senses go wild. Not with thirst, but with love.

"Don't be," I assured her, brushing back her hair. "Someday we can do more."

She blushed furiously at that statement, and I couldn't help but laugh. Her eyes watched me, and they were wide and earnest. But, when Alice came back with the purchased shoes swinging from her arm, they became filled with fear. I touched her cheek reassuringly, and she gave a sigh.

"Let's go try some cake," Bella huffed, defeated. Alice beamed and led us out of the store.

BxExBxExBxExBxExBxE

Bella ended up deciding on a chocolate cake with white buttercream frosting. There were simple designs on it, along with pink flowers, and it was beautiful. At first, Bella didn't like choosing the cake by herself, but I teased her saying that unless it was made of blood, I wouldn't be eating it. She gave me a look then.

"I'll only be looking at you all night anyway," I had told her. "I'm not going to be concerned with how the cake is decorated."

Alice ordered the cake, and the three of us were on our way home. Bella and I sat in the backseat of my car, and she fell asleep against my chest. I played with her hair while I watched her sleep. She was so innocent, so beautiful, and so fragile, I couldn't help but be absorbed in all her features while she slept. She had light freckles dusted across the bridge of her nose, and her eyelids fluttered ever-so-lightly every time she exhaled. I could watch her forever and never be bored.

You know, tomorrow I'm going to have to take her out without you, Alice thought, and my eyes snapped up to meet hers in the rearview mirror. We were on the road to Bella's house now, the trees passing by us in a blur. My eyes narrowed.

"Why?" I whispered, low and quick so Bella wouldn't wake up.

Well, we have to go dress shopping. Me, Rose, Esme, and Bella. You can't come. She smirked at me.

"Bella's not going to like it," I retorted, barely making a sound.

She has no choice in that, unless she wants us to go naked. Her face scrunched up at the thought, and I rolled my eyes.

"Renée is coming in two weeks," I said. "Why don't you just wait for her?" Bella shifted in her sleep, and her hand curled around my shirt. I watched her unconsciously become comfortable in her slumber, a smile playing at my lips. She was so adorable.

If we wait for her, how would the dresses ever be ready? Well, I could pull some strings, and maybe... She continued to rant for a long time, debating whether or not to wait for Bella's mother. I turned my focus to Bella again, and I brushed her cheek with my hand.

"Okay! We'll wait for the two weeks! But as soon as Renée comes, and I mean as soon as she comes, we're going to get our dresses!" Alice declared, reaching her decision. Bella stirred at the sudden outburst, but she didn't wake up.

We pulled up to the house, and Alice stopped right behind Charlie's cruiser. I opened the door and pulled Bella into my arms, holding her against my chest. Her head rested on my shoulder, and she gave a content sigh.

I walked up to the house and knocked on the door, holding Bella with one arm. Charlie opened the door, his tired face forming into a smile as he gazed at the sleeping Bella, then let me come inside to put her in her bed.

"It's only seven," he muttered, watching me climb the stairs effortlessly, as if I weren't even carrying anything. "She must be really tired."

"Alice took her everywhere," I informed him over my shoulder, and he laughed. I walked into Bella's room and laid her down gently on her bed, grabbing her quilt and covering her delicate form. She curled up in the blankets and mumbled my name. I leaned down and kissed her cheek, then went to go downstairs. Charlie would never let me stay with his sleeping daughter... knowlingly.

I bid Charlie good bye, then left the house to get in the car with Alice. Music was blasting from the speakers, a nice song in French, and she sang along nicely as she sped away to our house.

We pulled up into the garage in no time. Emmett and Rosalie were there, getting pretty intimate against the side of his Jeep. Alice chuckled lightly, then got out of the car and skipped over to them. I opened the door and followed her, watching with amusement as Emmett's irritated thoughts filled my mind.

"Hey guys!" Alice chirped, jumping up and sitting on the hood of the Jeep. "Why don't you do that inside? Or far away, where none of us can hear you?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "What about you and Jasper?" she retorted, placing her hands on her hips. "When you two go at it, Carlisle can hear you all the way from the hospital."

Emmett and I chuckled, and Alice sent us icy glares. "Of course, Jasper must make you feel pleasured ten times more than usual," Emmett laughed. "To make up for his tiny-"

Several things happened at once. Emmett was interrupted with a gasp of shock from Alice, who slumped on the windsheild of the Jeep, her expression vacant with her vision. Emmett swore, and Rosalie went to gather the rest of our family. I ran up to Alice, holding her upright with my arms.

My sister's hands were shaking, and she shook her head back and forth with whatever she was seeing. Her eyes were blank and her mouth was open, and a single word came out in a kind of gasp.

"Bella." That was all the persuasion I needed, and I delved into Alice's mind to see what she was seeing.

It was Bella, and I became instantly frightened. She was in a small, dark room, made completely of stone. One lone lanturn hung on the wall, and the dim fire cast shadow's across Bella's tear streaked cheeks. She was a real mess. Her body shook with her quiet cries, and her tears created dark paths on her dirty face. Her hair hung limp on her shoulders and down her back, and her clothes were dirty from being on the floor.

She was sitting against the stone wall playing with my mother's engagement ring, and she whispered one word.

"Edward."

The vision ended and I pulled out of Alice's head. I was barely aware of my breathing becoming labored, even though I didn't need it, and I looked into Alice's panic-striken eyes.

I let go of Alice and looked around at the rest of my family, who had appeared when I looked into Alice's mind. They were watching Alice and I, wanting to know what happened.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked, his voice filled with authority. My breathing still hadn't slowed, and I looked to Alice. She nodded, knowing what I wanted, and I turned around and ran away from the house, towards Bella. I reached her house in seconds, and climbed up the side of it to her window, which was open, like always. I entered the room and my breathing relaxed every so slightly.

Bella was still sleeping, and I laid down next to her on my side, draping my arm over her and holding her close. I kissed the top of her head tenderly while I let the panic slowly dissipate from my body. I was never going to let that vision come true.

Bella snuggled into my body, and I planted another kiss in her hair.

"Don't worry, love," I murmured to her. "That will never happen while I'm here."

Cool! Some people reviewed! Thanks ;)

Anyway, here are Bella's shoes: www . onewed . com / bridal-shoes / bridalshoes29 . html

Just take out the spaces. I think they're simple, yet pretty; perfect for Bella. Please review!