Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just not that creative…
So much for getting back on schedule. Real life has been kicking me hard and repeatedly, so writing time is at a premium and the luxury of weekly updates is out of my reach.
As always, love and thanks to FangMom for pre-reading and killing me with her comments, and to A Little Distracted, for beta-ing and being a friend indeed.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, added as a favorite or story alert. Review replies are going to be sporadic at best (if I get to reply at all – I know, it's inexcusable), but please know that I love you all.
And now to continue with my anti-angst campaign, I bring you chapter 16.
Playlist for Chapter 16 – "Better World" by Eclipse, "Live Like We're Dying" by Kris Allen, "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo, "Dragula" by Rob Zombie, and "Ka-Boom Ka-Boom" by Marilyn Manson. Yes, it took that much music for me to be able to crank this one out…
Sixteen – Dead Man's Party
~Bella~
Jacob was sitting in my kitchen, stuffing his face with whatever he could get his hands on as I fixed dinner before Charlie came home. I eyed the clock on the wall, willing the hands to move faster. I was looking forward to Edward coming over to stay with me after Charlie fell asleep, as he had done every night the past week. Jake enjoyed my cooking and his camaraderie helped pass the time. It seemed like a fair trade.
"So tell me, how did you get to be the 'Big Dog' of the pack? I mean, Sam was first, right? And then Paul and Jared?" I was curious. I knew that Sam, Paul and Jared had changed before Jacob, and wondered what had taken place for Jacob to be the Alpha.
"And Leah after me," Jacob mumbled through the huge bite he had just taken. He finished chewing and thought carefully for a minute before answering.
"Sam and the guys were just waiting for me to change, and since I'm the great-grandson of the last Alpha technically that makes me the Alpha and Chief. Sam was willing to keep the position if I didn't want it, but I saw it as a chance to make a difference. I hope that I can help the guys get past the petty hatred that they have for all 'Cold Ones.' I knew you were really good friends with the Cullens, and I trust your judgment better than my own. If they've earned your respect, then they have mine. My great-grandfather trusted them enough to form a treaty with them, and in all this time, they've never given us reason to doubt them.
"You know how I hate prejudice, in any form, and I've seen the results of it against my own people. It's wrong, plain and simple. I refuse to judge people because of their race or species, especially when they've proven that they are truly good. I know from what you've told me that Dr. Cullen has spent his life helping humans, not hurting them, and in my book that's better than most of us can say. I'm sure there are plenty of bad ones out there… hell, last week was proof enough of that, and we'll do what we have to do to keep people safe…"
A shiver ran down my spine at the memory of James and Victoria attacking me in the meadow. Edward had scored huge points with Jacob when he worked together with Jacob to save me and destroy James.
"There are obviously good ones, too. The Cullens are perfect examples," Jacob continued. "The key is to distinguish between the two. That's why I decided to take the job. I can actually do something good with my life and use this chance to change the world for the better. Our purpose is to protect human life, but I want to take it farther. I think we should value all life. Even if it doesn't have a heartbeat," he qualified.
Listening to Jake talk, it dawned on me just how mature he had become underneath his boyish personality. I had no doubt he would do a great job leading his people.
"I think the Quileutes are in good hands if you're the Alpha, Jake. You'll be a great leader. I'm really proud of you!" I said, hugging him tightly. "It means the world to me to hear that you feel the same way I do, and if there's anything I can do to help, I will."
"Thanks Bells, you know how important you are to me. I've been thinking… Now that I've imprinted on Leah, it's easy for me to see how much you mean to Edward. I can't imagine ever being apart from her and I definitely wouldn't want to go on living if anything happened to her. I know that Edward feels that strongly about you. It will be the end of him when you die. He said as much…" Jacob stopped and a strange look crossed his face, his thick eyebrows knitted together. "You know what? Even though it goes against everything I've been raised to believe, I think I'd rather see you become a vampire than for two good people who were obviously made for each other come to an end in too short a time."
"Holy crow, Jacob! Morbid much? I don't want to die and leave him behind, are you kidding? I want more than anything to literally be with him forever, but I've already heard his position on it. He's made it more than clear that he doesn't want to change me into a 'soulless monster,' as he refers to himself. He won't do it. He won't even…" I trailed off before I offered up too much information.
"What? He won't even what, Bells?" Jacob asked.
"Nevermind. It's nothing," I answered. "So Leah's a wolf now, too?"
"Yep, she's the first female wolf that we've ever heard of, and don't try to change the subject. He won't even what?" Jacob insisted.
Damn. He couldn't be distracted. Usually, waving something shiny in front of Jacob was enough to divert his attention.
"It's not important," I said, turning back to chopping vegetables and taking my frustration out on the innocent produce.
"Okay Bells, the onion and celery are dead now. You can stop trying to kill them, and you can answer my question. WHAT WON'T EDWARD DO?"
"He doesn't want for us to… havesexoranythinglikethat," I spat out in a rush. "There! Are you happy now? I answered your damn question!"
"Wow! Really? That sucks for both of you. Figuratively, not literally," he chuckled.
"Yeah, har, har," I said sarcastically. "Kissing yes… anything else, no. We're both virgins and his plan is for us to stay that way. Whatever we do is strictly G-rated. Hell, the Little Mermaid got more action than I do!"
Jake threw his head back and guffawed as I glared at him.
"Why not? I mean, he won't drink your blood, right? So what's the problem?"
"He's worried that he would hurt me because of his strength. He said that if he lost control for even an instant, he would pulverize me. I know Edward could never harm me, but he refuses to believe in himself."
"Wow. I'm glad Leah and I don't have that problem, we're pretty evenly matched. There's this thing she does where she…" Jake held his hands out in the air like he was going to demonstrate and I squeezed my eyes shut, covered my ears with my hands and cut him off before he could go into detail.
"Ewww, stop it Jake, I don't want to hear it! You'll make me lose my appetite. I really don't want to know about your sex life, or that you're having it at all since you're only sixteen."
Jake rolled his eyes and snorted, "Do I LOOK like a sixteen year-old to you? When we start phasing, we reach full maturity. You may have noticed I had one hell of a growth spurt. Physically I'm more like twenty-five. And anyway, Leah is nineteen and we're imprinted for life. We'll never be with anyone else, so it's all good… really good…" His eyes glazed over and a stupid grin threatened to split his face.
"Ooookay, and on that note, this conversation is finished. It's never going to happen between Edward and I, so we won't bring it up again, will we Jacob?" I said, narrowing my eyes and watching him squirm.
"No need for the stink eye, Bella. Sorry. I promise I won't bring it up again."
"Set the table for dinner and maybe I'll forgive you, Chief Jacob," I smacked his shoulder and laughed, sneaking another glance at the clock.
~Edward~
I couldn't figure out why Jacob had called to ask me to meet him at Bella's treehouse, and Alice wasn't any help either, since her visions were useless where the wolves were involved.
I left Bella's house after she had fallen asleep to meet him at midnight. He was pacing back and forth at the bottom of the stairs when I arrived.
I have no idea how to even start this conversation. This is by far the most awkward thing I've ever done, bar none, but someone has to talk some sense into him. Why am I doing this? Oh yeah, because Bella is the best friend I've ever had and I want to see her happy.
"What's going on, Jacob?" I asked as I approached him warily.
"Um… I wanted to talk to you… about Bella," he stammered.
A lump formed in my throat. If my heart had been able to beat, it would have stopped. "Is everything okay? Did she tell you that's she's unhappy with me?"
"No, it's nothing like that. She's happier than she's ever been, but I know that she could be even happier. You both could," he said cryptically.
"I don't understand. What would make us happier?"
Wow, I really do have to spell this out for him, Jacob thought nervously.
"Spell what out, Jacob?"
Crap! I totally forgot about the mind-reading thing. Just suck it up and spit it out, no turning back now.
"How would you describe your relationship with Bella?"
"What do you mean? I'm obviously not following you here," I answered, with only the slightest touch of annoyance.
"I mean your physical relationship with her."
"What the hell, Jacob? I don't think this is something we should be discussing," I growled.
I'm doing this for Bella… She deserves to be as happy as I am.
"I don't understand what you're getting at," I said, frustrated with the turn of the conversation, but willing to give Jacob a chance to explain. "I love her, more than I could have dreamed was possible, but there is no way that we can have a physical relationship beyond hugs and kisses. Why do you ask?"
"I'm asking because Bella is my best friend. She's been more of a sister to me than Rachel and Rebecca have. I want to see her have the life she deserves. Do you think hugs and kisses will keep her happy for the rest of her life?"
"Are you suggesting that I should leave her so she can actually have sex with someone, get married, have children, and live a full human life? I honestly believe it would destroy us both if we were separated," I choked.
"God no! Don't you dare leave her - ever! It would kill Bella, without a doubt. Hell, I'd hunt you down and kill you myself if you did!" Jacob yelled emphatically.
"Well then, what are you trying to say?"
"Let me tell you a little bit about imprinting and how it works for us," Jacob said, as he struggled to organize his jumbled thoughts. "According to the Quileute legends, imprinting is not an age-specific thing, and it doesn't happen by choice. I've seen proof of that. My buddy Quil has imprinted on a two-year old, please don't make that face, and there's nothing inappropriate about it all. He won't have romantic feelings for her while she's little, that's just gross. Imprinting simply changes the focus of your world from yourself to that person. The meaning of life becomes making that person happy, doing everything in your power to protect them, support them, be there for them. It's about loving that person more than you love yourself or anything else. They simply become the center of the universe for you. It isn't sexual attraction, but something far greater. Of course, when the person becomes old enough to have those feelings of their own, you will be exactly what they need in that department as well." Thank God I imprinted on Leah – it would suck to be destined for monkitude while I waited for my imprint to grow up.
I wondered if he was going to stop for a breath before he continued.
"You were there for Bella when was a little girl and she needed you as a big brother. Now that she's a grown woman – she's eighteen for God's sake – she needs you now more than ever. At some point, and I'm sure it's sooner rather than later, you're going to need to take it to the next level. I'm not sure how it is with vamps, but if you love her anywhere near as much as one of us loves our imprint, and vice versa, there is no way you can deny her without it tearing you both apart at the seams."
Jacob's intense passion for Leah consumed his thoughts for a moment, and then he replayed his conversation with Bella in his mind.
"You actually discussed this with Bella?" I was appalled.
"Actually, I tried to discuss this with Bella, but she didn't want to talk about it. She made me promise not to ever bring it up with her again. However, she didn't say anything specifically about me talking to you about it…"
"For a good reason, too. There's no point in getting her hopes up about anything going further than where we are now. Did she tell you that one wrong move and I could kill her by accident?"
"Yes, but I don't believe for a second that you could ever do anything to hurt her, not under any circumstance. What would you have done if James and Victoria had killed her?"
My chest clenched as a wave of agony washed over me at the thought of existing without Bella.
"I would have made sure that they suffered before I killed them, and then I would have found a way to kill myself. If your wolf pack wouldn't have done the job, I would have gone to Italy and begged the Volturi to destroy me."
"What's a Volturi?"
"They are the leaders of our kind, sort of like a royal family. They make and enforce vampire laws," I explained.
"Vampires have laws? What kind of laws?" This sounds pretty important.
"The only one that really matters is to keep our existence a secret. The Volturi have very little regard for any vampires making themselves known to humans, and will slaughter both the offending vampire and the unfortunate humans who know them without a second thought," I answered. "They were the reason I left when Bella was younger. Alice saw them coming, and that Bella would be in danger from her association with me."
He winced. "Is there a chance that they could come back and find out that she knows?"
"There is always a chance that they will return, but Alice would warn us beforehand, and we could leave the area."
"You'd take Bella with you this time, right? She couldn't handle it if you left her." Jacob imagined Bella standing at the edge of a cliff near LaPush, pale and thin, staring out at the ocean with dull, lifeless eyes. Pain crashed through me at the thought. I would rather burn for a thousand years than see Jacob's vision of Bella in anguish come to fruition.
"Of course I'd take Bella. I told you, I'm never leaving her again. The eleven years I spent away from Bella were the most miserable years of my existence." It still hurt to think about the emptiness that I felt while we were apart.
Jacob took a deep breath and held it, releasing it in a rush before he spoke. "I know this is going to sound crazy, and I know it goes against the treaty, but couldn't you change her to keep her safe from them? She'd still be Bella, right?"
"Yes, she'd still be Bella. Although what you are changes during the transformation from human to vampire, who you are stays the same. One's personality remains the same, essentially frozen, although their human memories are less clear than the ones accumulated as a vampire. That being said, there is absolutely no way that I will change her. I refuse to damn her to this life. We can get around the Volturi without having to change her."
"So you have what, like sixty years, seventy tops, to spend with Bella, all of which is speeding toward her death. Halfway through that time, she'll start to decline physically. She'll get old, frail, and sick, and finally die, if she doesn't die from something like cancer or an accident before then. Do you want that for her? Do you want to watch her suffer? Dude, she's dying right now, with every passing second."
"No, of course I don't want to see her suffer. I don't want her to die. You know damn well it will kill me. I want to keep her with me forever, but I can't be that selfish. I can't take away her soul." If I were able to cry, tears would have been streaming down my face.
"The selfish thing is for you to take away her choice in this. She wants to be with you, always. The way I see it, she's imprinted on you. Don't think for a second that she isn't in this for the long haul. Don't dismiss her feelings on the matter. And you're not taking her soul; you said yourself that who you are doesn't change. That's your soul, it's who you are. Bella has the kindest soul of anyone I know. She always puts everyone's needs before her own. Nothing can take that away." You have to believe me.
"You've given me a lot to think about, Jacob. I can't say right now that I feel right about changing her, but it helps to have your opinion on the matter."
"And I'm not saying you should change her right this minute, but don't rule out the possibility in the future." Jacob's eyes gleamed. But I am sayin' that you should be hittin' that, dude.
"Jacob, that's enough." I scowled at him for a moment, and then sighed heavily. "But thanks for the advice. It's good to know that Bella has someone on her side who cares as much as you do."
"Speaking of Bella, you'd better get back to her before she wakes up and finds you missing." And thanks for listening.
"No, Alice. No way. We are NOT hosting a Halloween party for the juvenile delinquents of Forks."
Alice was quivering with excitement over her most recent vision. The entire first floor of the house had been converted into a haunted nightclub atmosphere, covered within an inch of its foundation with Halloween decorations. Practically the entire student body of Forks High School was crammed into the space, bodies swaying to the blaring beat of the music, flashing lights reflecting off their colorful costumes.
"There is no way Bella would want this. I don't want this. No, Alice!" I yelled.
Bella's eyes grew wide as she walked into the house and she asked hesitantly, "What won't I want? Alice, what's going on? What do you see?"
"Hi Bella, you got here just in time. We're throwing a costume party for Halloween here at the house, and I'm inviting the senior class. You'll love it! Now you just have to decide on your costumes," Alice chirped happily. "Jasper and I will be going as Danny and Sandy from 'Grease.' It will be fantastic!"
Bella's eyebrows furrowed in concern as she slipped her arms around my waist and looked to me for support. "A Halloween party? For the whole class?" she groaned.
I didn't have the heart to tell her that in Alice's vision, it was not only the entire senior class, but most of the juniors and half of the sophomores showed up as well.
"Does Jasper even know about this? He's not going to appreciate being packed into our house with an untouchable all-you-can-eat buffet, much less forced to wear a costume depicting a character from a mediocre musical." I would rather have gone through the change all over again than dress as a character from Grease. It was bad enough going through the fifties in reality.
"Yes Bella, I am inviting the whole class. Edward, Jazz will have a great time. He'll just have to stuff himself on wildlife before the party. Besides, I can definitely distract him…" Alice's thoughts drifted to the last act in Grease when Sandy showed up at the amusement park in a skin-tight black outfit. Danny was putty in her hands.
"Why do you want to do this? Our past Halloweens have always been nice and quiet. We've never even had Trick-or-Treaters visit our house." My frustration with my psychic sister was reaching new heights. Bella had such a tight grip on my hand that had she been a vampire she would have crushed every bone in it.
"Because it will be fun, and God knows, we all could use some fun around here. I've had it up to here with stress and angst and whiny emo-crap," she wailed, waving her hand over her head. "Trust me, darling brother, even you will have a good time. Bella will have a blast, and the whole class will have something amazing to remember from their senior year."
"Can we invite Jacob and Leah, and my other friends from the rez?" Bella asked tentatively. "They've been like my extended family my whole life."
"Sure, the more the merrier, we'd love for them to come. It will give them more proof that we're not the vicious, bloodsucking monsters they think we are," Alice answered brightly.
Emmett came bounding down the stairs. "Excellent! A party at Casa de Cullen. That'll be an event for the history books! I even have an idea for costumes for me and Rose." Dude, she makes a smokin' hot Marilyn Monroe, he thought as Rosalie joined him. I barely managed to not make a gagging noise.
"What d'ya think, babe? You as Marilyn in that white halter dress, and me as Joe DiMaggio?"
Rosalie smiled fondly at her husband and then turned to face me. "I think that's a great idea. What do you think you and Bella will go as?"
Before I could even open my mouth Emmett blurted, "I think Edward should go as a priest and Bella can go as a Nun, because as sexually repressed as those two are, it won't be much of a stretch..."
Both Bella and I glared at Emmett, as Rosalie smacked the back of his head, yet again. It was a wonder it didn't have a permanent dent.
"Or you could dress as 'traditional' vampires, with capes, plastic fangs and fake blood and all…" Emmett offered.
Everyone turned with raised eyebrows to stare pointedly at Emmett.
"Really Emmett? Vampires? That's original," I scoffed.
Just then, Alice let out an ear-splitting squeal. "I love it! It's perfect!" Emmett puffed up proudly and Alice amended, "No, Emmett, I didn't mean the vampire costumes. Heavens no. That's just ridiculous. I'm talking about Bella's idea."
Emmett appeared to deflate at Alice's criticism.
"Great. Can you please fill us in? Since no one seems to like my ideas," Emmett whined.
Alice smiled and encouraged Bella to voice her suggestion.
"Who better to go as than the couple that best represents True Love? Westley and Buttercup!" Bella said with a huge smile.
Yes, I could definitely see us going as the main characters from our favorite movie.
"I could go as Fezzik," Emmett shouted excitedly.
"I'd make a great Inigo! After all, I do know how to use a sword…" Jasper added enthusiastically, jumping around muttering, "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die..."
Rosalie and Alice glared at them.
"Or not…" Emmet and Jasper said in unison.
"Okay ladies, let's go, we have to get our costumes planned out." Alice grabbed Rosalie's and Bella's hands and led them up the stairs to her bedroom, giggling the entire way.
This is going to be great, Edward, just you wait and see.
Alice had prepared and sent invitations to the entire senior class, and the student body of Forks High School had worked themselves into a frenzy over the idea of a party at the mysterious Cullen residence. Costumes were being discussed in the hallways between every class and in the cafeteria during lunch.
Bella and I were sitting at our usual table with Alice, Angela and Ben. We had been talking about the party since we first sat down. Alice was in heaven, surrounded by the excitement that her party was generating.
"I love the ideas for your costumes! I know it's cliché and somewhat ironic, but Ben and I are going as Napoleon and Josephine." Angela smiled and grabbed Ben's hand tightly.
The irony was that Angela was six inches taller than Ben, so as Napoleon and Josephine, Ben and Angela would definitely be 'to scale.'
"I know you two will look great," Bella said sincerely. "You know, I'm actually looking forward to this party. I think it will be a lot of fun."
Bella's smile lit the entire cafeteria. Her warm brown eyes were shining as she caught my gaze, and it made my silent heart swell. I couldn't stand for there to be any space between us, I needed to be touching her, so I scooted closer to her and lightly massaged her neck and shoulders. Bella leaned her head back and made a soft moan of contentment in her throat, and a jolt of electricity shot through me. Ordinarily that would be my cue to put some distance between Bella and myself, but the late-night conversation with Jacob played in the back of my mind. For once, I decided to just let myself relax and not over-think my every action. I buried my nose in her soft hair and breathed deeply the fragrance that was uniquely Bella. I might have been purring, too quietly for anyone to hear.
The sound of a throat clearing brought me back to the cafeteria. Bella and I both jumped at the sound.
Alice winked at me and whispered, "Geez, you two – get a room!" Your eyes are almost black, Edward. She glanced discreetly at my lap and turned away quickly to study something fascinating on the ceiling.
An image of Bella flashed through Alice's thoughts, and she immediately started singing an obnoxious pop song in her mind to block me from seeing her vision.
"My, my, look at the time. Come on kids, we'd better get going if we're going to make it to class before the bell rings," Alice said loudly, her satisfaction evident in the "I-told-you-so" tone of her voice.
I looked up and noticed that the cafeteria was nearly empty. I hadn't realized that I had moved closer to Bella and was sitting flush to her back, with no space between us. We both sat up straight, and I mourned the loss of her warmth when we broke contact. I took several deep breaths to help clear my mind before we got up to leave for class.
Bella blushed furiously, and Angela and Ben laughed as they stood and picked up their trays.
~Bella~
The night of the party had finally arrived and everything was ready to go. To be honest, I was almost as excited about the party as Alice. I had been at the Cullen house since Friday after school, thanks to Alice convincing Charlie that I needed to spend the weekend with her to help set things up for the party and clean up after. Charlie just looked at me sympathetically when Alice described the monumental undertaking that she had planned to transform the house for the Halloween party of the century. I had no idea how or when Alice was able to get some of the items we were using, but everything was Disneyland-quality. Charlie had taken me there when I was a little girl, and the finished product reminded me very much of the Haunted Mansion ride.
In reality, Alice put Jasper, Emmett, and Edward to work setting everything up while she supervised. She made them move everything at least twice before she was satisfied with the placement of the decorations. Even with the guys flitting around at vampire-speed, I could hear them grumbling.
"I knew where I wanted everything all along, but it's so much fun watching the men get frustrated," she confided as she worked on my hair and makeup.
The costume she found for me was gorgeous. It was a copy of the beautiful burnout velvet and lace dress, with matching slippers, and the silver crown that Buttercup wore in her "wedding" to Prince Humperdinck.
In Alice's mirror I saw Edward peek in through the door of her room and he let out a gasp. He walked across the room to where I sat, and made a slow circle around the chair I was sitting in, studying me.
"You are breathtaking, my Bella," he whispered, his cool lips caressing my ear.
I couldn't speak. I wanted to tell him how absolutely handsome he looked in Westley's "Man in Black" costume, but I was rendered speechless. With his black, deep v-neck pirate shirt, tight black pants and boots, it took every ounce of my control not to jump on him and cling like a starfish. His hair was covered with a black bandana. Gah. I'd die when he put the mask on.
When Alice finally placed the delicate silver crown on my head I raced from the chair into Edward's arms. He was wearing that crooked grin that I loved so very much, and looking at me with emotion so deep I was drowning in it.
Alice smiled and slipped quietly from the room.
"I remember you dressing as a princess when we used to play in your treehouse… You were the most precious thing in my life. And now you are a real princess, and you mean so very much more to me, my beautiful Bella." His honey-smooth voice caught for a moment. "I love you."
"I love you, Edward." Forever, if only you'd let me.
He placed a soft kiss on my forehead and groaned, "We have to go downstairs. Our guests are starting to arrive."
I took his hand as we headed for the stairs, and stopped before we reached the top step.
"Your mask!"
"Oh, I almost forgot. See what you do to me, Bella? Making a vampire forget something. Inconceivable!" he winked as he teased me.
He secured the mask in place, and I nearly swooned. I would have to beat our female guests away with a stick. Or maybe brandish "Westley's" sword. Oh who am I kidding, I won't be brandishing Edward's anything. Ever. Okay Bella, let's move away from that line of thinking because it will only leave you frustrated. Party guests… must greet the party guests…
~Edward~
The doorbell rang as the first group of party-goers arrived. Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Tyler Crowley and Lauren Mallory stood on the front porch, open-mouthed, their thoughts focused on the sights and sounds that greeted them.
The trees lining the mile-long drive from the road to the house were wrapped with orange twinkle lights, and the yard leading to the house had been converted to a graveyard, complete with gravestones and a mausoleum. Just inside the foyer was a séance scene, and our living room had been cleared for dancing, with a long buffet table against the wall set with cobweb-covered candelabras and enough food to support a small country. Coffins with banging lids, rattling skeletons, and ghouls filled every available corner. Alice had truly outdone herself on this party.
Mike had come to the party wearing a gunslinger costume from the old West and Jessica was a saloon girl. He wasn't having any problems imagining the few areas of Jessica's that were barely covered by her costume. Tyler had worn a policeman's uniform and Lauren, as Tyler's jailbird, was wearing a striped, skin-tight mini-dress which, in similar fashion to Jessica's, left very little to the imagination.
Mike's eyes followed Bella as she walked around the room. Bella looks hot tonight. I still don't get what she sees in Cullen, though. She must love him for his money or something. It sure as hell isn't for his charming personality.
I growled under my breath and Emmett appeared from the shadows. He saw that I was watching Mike with a frown on my face, and said too low for anyone to hear, "I've got this."
The two couples made their way through the house to the food table. As Mike was loading up his plate, Emmett moved to stand behind him with a toothy grin, while Rosalie glared coldly from Emmett's side, and I saw Mike shiver. Damn, all these Cullens are creepy, he thought. That big one looks like he could break me in half in a heartbeat.
That's right, Newton. I gave him a sharp look as he glanced in my direction. I could break you in half in a heartbeat just as easily as Emmett could.
"Be nice, boys," Esme admonished as she brought another tray of food from the kitchen out to the banquet table, and Carlisle followed her carrying a huge punch bowl. They were dressed as Morticia and Gomez Addams, from the old Addams Family television sitcom. Esme smiled warmly at me as she thought, You and Bella are so adorable in your costumes. Have fun Edward, you deserve it. Carlisle wrapped his arm around Esme's waist and gave me a wink as he guided her back to the kitchen.
Ben and Angela and had shown up shortly after Mike's carload arrived. As Angela had described in the cafeteria, they came as Napoleon and Josephine. Ben even had his hand tucked into his jacket, in Napoleon's trademark style. Angela looked beautiful in her gown, and was glowing as she held Ben's free hand.
A delighted squeal from Bella let me know that Jacob and Leah, known for the evening as Mark Antony and Cleopatra, had joined the festivities.
"You two look fantastic!" Bella shouted over the noise of the party, hugging each one tightly in turn as they murmured their thanks.
"And look at you, pretty Princess Buttercup!" Jacob laughed as he lifted Bella from the ground and held her with her tiny feet dangling in the air. Leah laughed along with Jacob, her ultra-white teeth gleaming in the eerie light, but instead of appearing menacing, it emphasized how truly happy she was with Jacob at her side. She radiated joy. He reflected it right back at her.
Three other members of the pack and their dates followed behind Jacob and Leah, their eyes huge as they took in their surroundings.
Jacob grinned and reached out to bump fists with me. "Kickin' party, dude. Thanks for inviting us."
"It's our pleasure. Alice promised us it would be 'the social event' of our high school career," I chuckled and pointed to the food table. "Esme made enough food to feed an army, so please make yourselves at home. She's an excellent cook, from what I hear."
Jacob didn't hesitate to lead Leah and his company straight to the food, where they immediately began wolfing it down. We are a pack of wolves after all, and this stuff is great! You were right; Esme's got some mad skills in the kitchen.
More students steadily poured into the house, and within the hour the ground level was packed with bodies. Alice was playing Halloween-themed dance music, and the rhythm was infectious. Flashing colored lights and strobes lit the crowd as they danced. All of the thoughts around me – human, wolf, and vampire – were of enjoyment. It seemed that Alice was, not surprisingly, right in her assessment that great fun would be had by all and that the Cullen Halloween Party would be remembered for years to come.
Angela and Alice dragged Bella into the mix, and before long Bella was gracefully swaying along to the beat, her hands in the air, her normal clumsiness vanished for the evening. I felt the pull between us growing stronger and I worked my way through the crowd to stand behind her. The electricity increased exponentially as the space between us decreased. By the time I reached her, it felt like my hair should have been standing on end.
"May I have this dance, my Bella?" I asked, as I encircled her waist with my arms.
"Of course, my Edward. All my dances are yours," she answered, turning to face me.
We moved together in sync with the music, our bodies on autopilot with no space left between us. Bella filled all my senses and the rest of the party, the noise of the crowd and their thoughts, simply faded away. I lost myself completely in her. No… I wasn't lost… I was home.
"Let's get out of here and go someplace quieter," I said, taking her hand and leading her from the crowded room. "Let's go to our treehouse."
A/N: Finally, another update! My sincere apologies for taking so long to get this one out *grovels*. I wrote the original conversation between Jacob and Edward just after I first started writing the story, but when I pulled it up and re-read it, I wasn't happy with it. At all. It sucked. So I went back and pretty much re-wrote the entire chapter, and now you have it. I've also posted some links on my profile of some of the costume ideas.
I was delusional enough to think that I could get back to my original weekly posting schedule, but I'll be realistic now and say it just ain't gonna happen. I want to give you, my dear readers, the best that I can, so it will take me longer to polish the future chapters to the point I feel they are ready to post.
Chapter 17 will come with a big, bold M warning… Just sayin'…
In the meantime, I have the following fics to recommend (all of these are vamp fics). PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE RATINGS (M or NC-17) ON THESE FICS:
And with Thee Fade Away by Derdriu oFaolain (complete!) – At the beginning of the story, Edward is an absolute ass who you wouldn't throw water on if he were on fire. I would hurl myself in front of a speeding bus for him by the end…
Beyond Time by tkegl – An amazing alternate NM and I love it SOOOOOO much! Edward leaves and doesn't return, and Jacob thinks a spirit quest would help Bella get over her funk. Instead, the spirits have other plans for her and she ends up in a place she could never have dreamed. Carlisle and Alice are great in this one.
La Canzone della Bella Cigna by philadelphic – I love the imagery of this story, excellent music and really creepy Volturi characters. I have lots of love for Alice and Jasper in this story. Don't skip the outtakes, either. *Sigh*
Osa Bella by Myg – Bella is a school counselor at Forks HS, the Cullen kids are the new students… She tries to fight her attraction to Edward with normal relationships, but we all know that Edward trumps any ordinary human or stinkin' wolf...