Well, what happens here is……you know what, how bout I just let you read it for yourselves?
Disclaimer: Not mine. Grrrrrrr. However, I do take full credit for Olivia and Melanie. Lol.
Chapter Four- Putting Aside Differences
Bella's POV
I couldn't believe how many sick kids were in the hospital. Looking at their poor limp bodies made me feel physically ill.
Edward looked just like I probably did. Paler than usually, eyes wide with pity. One little boy in particular made me want to ball my eyes out. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, like Olivia. He was obviously very sick. He had tubes sticking out of him everywhere. "This is Toby. He was in a plane crash. His parents died".
I could hear the sadness in his voice. "Why don't you Carlisle"? Edward asked carefully. Carlisle shook his head firmly. "I could never, ever, do that to someone so young", he said. "Why not"? I blurted. It came out so suddenly. Carlisle stared at me.
"Imagine. Being a twelve year old boy forever, never being able to get married, fall in love…", he trailed off. I could see where he was coming from. I suddenly had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. Like I was going to throw up.
"Edward, I think we'd better get home. Olivia is falling asleep in my arms", I looked down at our baby. She didn't really look that tired, but I didn't like hospitals. She squirmed and I sat her on the ground. Olivia was happy about that for some reason. She tottered over to the bed where the boy was.
She touched his cheek with her tiny hand. "What's wrong with him, mummy"? She asked. I could feel invisible tears well up in my eyes. "He's sick, baby", I whispered. The sick feeling melted away. It was always like this. Once we had found a dying baby deer on our front doorstep, and Olivia had fallen in love with it.
We were given no choice but to put it out of its misery. I had sucked it dry. Olivia had a bizarre connection with creatures and people that were sick. She just fell in love with them. "Can grandpa make him better"? Olivia looked up at Carlisle.
All the nurses in the room stared in horror. Edward let out a low chuckle. Carlisle didn't even look old enough to be a father to a ten year old, let alone a grandfather to a two year old child.
Edward must have known what they were thinking. I made a mental note to ask him what they had later. But Olivia was still waiting for an answer. She was too little to understand.
"We'll try. But he has no mummy or daddy", Carlisle explained gently. I mentally slapped my forehead. Here we go again, I thought. It was the baby deer situation all over again. "Can you be his mummy and daddy"? Olivia's eyes went a sad blue.
I gave her a sad smile. The words, Baby Deer kept running through my head. "We can't Olivia", I said softly. How could I explain to a two year old that we couldn't adopt a dying boy because he couldn't be changed to a vampire?
"Carlisle, can you just change him…", Edward whispered in tones that only a vampire's sensitive hearing would pick up. "Not now. I'll talk to him when he wakes up", Carlisle frowned. I turned to Edward. "We better be going home now", I said firmly.
Edward nodded. "Yeah. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Carlisle", Edward said quietly. I couldn't get out fast enough. I picked up Olivia and we left the hospital. When we got home, I put Olivia straight to bed. I needed to talk to Edward.
"What am I going to do about Melanie"? I thundered. Edward sighed. "Leave her alone. But you shouldn't have told her that, well…you know…about the whole…adoption thing", he struggled for words.
I screwed up my face. "Well, what was I supposed to do"? I demanded. Edward considered. "Maybe going to see her was a bad idea", he said. Was he serious? He couldn't have been. Could he?
"I don't know. Should I go see her again"? I asked. A panicked look spread across Edward's face. "Christ, no"! He almost yelled. Maybe he was mad at me. His tone softened and he collapsed on the couch and opened his arms for me. "I don't like seeing you get all upset over this", he said. I let myself fall into his lap.
"I love you", I whispered. He kissed my head. "I love you too", he smiled. I looked up at him. "I hope so", I smiled back. "How much do you love me"? Edward asked. "More than anything", I whispered. "What would you do to prove you love for me", I kissed his lips, teasing him by just gently sweeping mine across his.
It was enough of a distraction. "Anything you asked me to", he said in between our kissing. "Good", I grinned smugly. He picked up on what I had done. "Uh oh". I grinned wider. "Yes. Uh oh".
"Would you not make me do anything if I called off your dare"? Edward asked. I paused on purpose, with a concentrating look on my face. I nodded finally. "Yes, I suppose that can be arranged. On one condition", I added. Edward looked cautious.
"Being…", he trailed off. I grinned and wrapped my arms around his waist. "On the condition that you will not stop kissing me for the rest of the night", I whispered. His eyes lit up. "Now that can be arranged", he leaned forward.
I let his lips brush mine. Without breaking apart, Edward lifted me into his arms, bridal style. "You are the most amazing person I have ever met", his words tickled against my lips. "I know", I sighed.
Still not breaking apart, he carried me up to the room and sat me on the bed. Somehow he kept to the conditions. Not that I was complaining.
We got up at five in the morning. There was nothing else to do, so we went for a run and a hunt in the forest behind our house. Edward's eyes lit up when he saw a doe grazing a few metres away. I saw him crouch, ready to pounce.
But then he straightened a look of defeat on his face. Then I saw what Edward had seen. A baby deer was in the dew-covered grass beside the doe, and a buck, a little further off, watching carefully for danger. He was just trying to protect his baby and his…what would you call it in deer terms? Mate?
Edward smiled, and we quietly crept further in the forest. Edward had become a lot more sensitive since Olivia had been born. Partly for the obvious reasons, and, because Olivia had an unusual love of nature.
We hunted for a few more hours, finding a few sick or injured deer and various other animals that didn't look like they had much chance of surviving. "Ready to go back yet"? Edward wiped his mouth quickly. I nodded. We were a few miles away from the house, so I said "Race you back to the house"? Edward smiled smugly.
"Sure", he replied. We both crouched. "Ready…set…GO"! I shouted. I ran faster than I ever have in my entire life. Everything around me was a blur. I could see a dark, blurred shape beside me that I guessed was Edward. So I pressed harder. There wasn't even a burn in my lungs.
Edward was falling behind. I was beating him! I didn't know how fast we were going, but I doubted anyone watching would have even seen us. As the house loomed up ahead, I darted around to the front door and stopped dead. I would have glanced over my shoulder, because I was sure I had left skid marks for about five metres. I felt my jaw drop.
A tall, slim figure stood at the door, tapping with a pale, clenched fist. The figure had on a pair of worn jeans, and a navy sweater. The hood was pulled over he/she's face but I knew who it was from the strawberry blonde hair poking out from underneath.
"What the hell is Melanie doing here", came Edward's low growl. I punched him lightly on the shoulder. My face was stern. "Act natural", I whispered, but reconsidered. "For a human", I added.
He gave a quick chuckle, just loud enough for Melanie to hear. Her head snapped to face us. "I won", I laughed, punching him playfully on the shoulder. But I did it hard. "Ow"! Edward rubbed his arm with a grin. I stopped, pretending to notice Melanie only for the first time. Edward did too.
"I'm going to go and, uh…feed Olivia", he said, running human pace into the house. He closed the door carefully behind him. Various times he had pulled it too hard and we had to get replacements.
"What are you doing here"? I asked flatly. Melanie blinked. "I came to talk to you", she said. I raised an eyebrow. "About…", I trailed off. She looked at the ground and scuffed her shoes. "I talked to my…adoptive mum", she said reluctantly.
It was my turn to stare and blink. "Oh", I meant it as a question. Melanie nodded. She pushed back her hood and shook out her hair. "She told me everything. I want to meet my real mum", she added. I took note of the nervous look in her eyes. "And say sorry", she sighed.
I nodded. "Okay, apology accepted. But Renee isn't here. She's in Phoenix", I explained. Melanie's light blue eyes went wide. "Oh. And…dad"? She frowned. It was getting a bit uncomfortable. "My dad lives here in Forks, too, but I live here with Edward and our baby girl. Renee…never told me who your…dad…was", I struggled.
A tear slipped down Melanie's cheek. She nodded. "Okay. Bye", she turned to leave. "Wait"! I called. Melanie glanced over her shoulder at me. "Do you want to come inside and meet my family"? I asked. Melanie gave a slight smile. "If it's okay", she said. I nodded.
Melanie followed me inside. Edward looked up, the surprise clear in his eyes. He had Olivia on his lap. He was feeding her apple custard. "Hi mummy", she giggled. Olivia's face was covered in custard. It was smeared across her forehead, and she shoved her hand in the little plastic container.
Her little fist scooped out more custard and she put her hand to her mouth to shove it in. Edward just shrugged helplessly. "Olivia, Edward, this is Melanie", I laughed. I could see Melanie forcing back a laugh. Edward gave me a pleading look and cupped his hands under her armpits, holding her out to me. "Edward", I groaned.
"Please", Edward begged. I rolled my eyes. "Fine", I took Olivia, who was covered literally from head to toe in the custard. "Um, sorry about this Melanie", I laughed nervously. She just burst out laughing. "How old were you when you had Olivia"? She asked.
I glanced at Edward quickly. "I had her when I was seventeen. I'm nineteen now", I replied, trying to keep my voice level. Melanie nodded. "Wow. That must have been really tough. I don't know how you could have done it", her voice was filled with awe and respect.
"I couldn't have, if it wasn't for Edward", I cocked my head in the direction of Edward. Melanie glanced at Edward. I watched her eyes scan him quickly. But it wasn't in a suggestive way. It was just a simple looking over. Even I could tell.
I saw Edward frown in concentration, and then he settled, a contented look on his face. He was watching Melanie. I glanced at her, too, and saw that she was staring at Olivia.
"She's a cute kid", Melanie commented. I saw Edward swell with pride and grinned. "Yeah, she is pretty cute", I responded. I kissed the top of Olivia's head. She snuggled closer into me, and I hugged her.
"Does she go to preschool"? Melanie asked casually. I saw Edward's eyes widen. We had discussed this a few times. I thought that Olivia should go to preschool, but Edward thought that because she was so different it wouldn't work out.
I thought it was because he couldn't stand to be away from her. He felt the same need to protect her as he did me. "Do you want to give her a bath"? I asked Edward. He nodded and took Olivia off me, leaving me and Melanie to make small talk. We had a lot to talk about.