Chapter 2 - Pets
A/N: This is a story inspired by the many (wonderful) stories about Bella being torn between Edward and Jacob, as well as some others. Please remember that this is listed as humor/romance, and everything is meant in good fun!
This story takes place as an alternate course of events at the end of New Moon, and completely ignoring Eclipse. The characters might be a bit OOC, but since it's an alternate universe, so please allow me a bit of poetic license.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse. I just like having fun with the characters and world the wonderful Stephenie Meyer created.
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I could tell that Emmett had dazzled the shelter workers, but I didn't care. We brought Mystic out to his precious Jeep, and he didn't mind her sitting on the back seat, even if it was getting covered in dog hair! For once, I didn't begrudge the Cullens' money - I wanted my pup, and a sizable donation helped me take her home right away.
Emmett started whistling as we drove off, only stopping when a smile broke out across his face. It seemed like he had some secret joke inside him. I didn't care - Mystic had put her head on the console between the seats, and was licking my hand.
"Let me run in and grab a leash, then we'll bring her in! I've never gotten to shop with a dog!" Emmett enthused, jumping out of the Jeep at a nearby PetsMart. He came back with one of those cool retractible leashes and a regular leash - both in blue, of course.
"I got her a blue collar, too!" he smiled. "Since Edward likes you so much in blue, he won't be able to resist her, either. Hey - remember that she is blue? That's why she's perfect for you!" The grin broke out across his face again.
I grinned back. "That must be it! I was thinking there was some special connection, but you're probably right - it's just an affinity for blue." I giggled.
We walked through the store, grabbing some tennis balls, frisbees, tug-ropes, plus the less-fun, necessary things like food, dishes, dog treats, and a pooper-scooper. Finally, Emmett found a blue dog bed and a blue dog crate, and we were set.
I have to say that shopping for a dog with Emmett was infinitely more fun than shopping for clothes. He had me laughing a lot, and I needed some good laughs. That's probably why Edward had asked him to spend time with me.
As we were walking to the checkout counter, Emmett poked me. "OW!"
"Sorry!" Emmett had the good grace to look sheepish. "But shhhh ... look over there!"
I followed where he was surreptitiously pointing, and saw a short, thin man and his chihuahua dressed in identical jackets. "Oh my gosh!" I gasped, and then we both started laughing far too hard. Emmett was even hooting at one point.
Mystic barked at us, and I tried to control myself. But then I'd glimpse the man again, and it would set off more gales of laughter. Finally, we both managed to get ourselves calmed down enough to actually check out. If we hadn't been spending so much money, it's likely that they would have kicked us out after that scene!
The back of the Jeep looked a bit overloaded - it felt like we had bought the whole store! Before I could get buckled, though, Emmett jumped back out of the car. "One last thing I forgot!" he yelled, and ran back in.
A few minutes later he came back out with a box. He put it gently in the back of the Jeep, and then we drove back to my house.
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It didn't take very long to get Mystic settled - she liked the yard. I put her food and dishes in the kitchen, and her crate in the rarely-used dining room. I brought her bed upstairs, but she seemed much more interested in snuggling up at the foot of my bed.
"Emmett, what was it you ran back in for? I didn't think there was anything we could have forgotten." I looked at him, baffled - I hadn't seen anything new when we were unpacking Mystic's stuff.
His eyes sparkled, "Just you wait! It's perfect!" He ran out to the car, but walked back to the house. He came into the room, and carefully set the box on one of my book shelves - several shelves higher than where Mystic could reach.
"I need to get it ready. Why don't you go give Mystic one of the dog treats?"
"OK" I was still baffled, but I walked downstairs. Mystic sat prettily for her dog treat. I bumped into a chair getting her second treat, and it flew out of my hand. I caught myself on the chair, and she caught the treat in her mouth! "Emmett, are you ready? This dog is great - she can even catch a flying dog treat!"
"One more minute! Why were you throwing a dog treat in the house, though?" came from upstairs.
"Er, well, I wasn't. I tripped, and ... "
"You're OK, right?" Emmett asked, anxiously.
"Yep, I caught myself."
"Thank goodness. I was told to return you undamaged! I don't want to fall down on the job!"
"Nope, falling down on the job is my job!" I laughed again, being around Emmett was good for me.
"OK, I'm ready for you!"
"Coming!" I started to run up the stairs, impatient, then thought better of it and walked, Mystic right on my heels.
Emmett stood in front of the bookshelf. He cleared his throat, as if he were about to make a speech. "As an emissary of the mosquitoes, I bought you a peace offering of a dog - to show that our kind bear no ill will toward dogs."
I nodded, my eyes widening as what he meant sunk in. "Ha, ha, ha. I hadn't thought of that. WAIT! Tell me you didn't buy me a pet leech!"
Emmett's big guffaw almost shook the house. "Nope," he pouted, "they don't sell leeches at PetsMart. But what I got you is infinitely cooler. Meet your second new pet of the day - Stripes!" He stepped aside, and I walked closer. It was a tarantula!
"WHAT?! What are you thinking?! How do I take care of that?"
"Bellaaaaaa," Emmett whined, "don't you get it? Vampires bought you a dog when our natural enemies are werewolves, related to dogs. Well, kinda. Anyhow, since they didn't have leeches, I got you the next best thing - a tarantula! It feeds on blood, too! But don't worry, I'll feed it for you. Unless Jake wants to. He might think it's funny."
"I'm not sure I think having a tarantula in my room is funny, Emmett! Is the cage secure?"
"Yes, yes, the cage is secure. It won't do anything to you. There aren't many pets you can buy that suck blood. The guy in the exotic section looked a bit put out by my request, until I told him that my sister had a thing for vampires ... "
I whacked him. Then shook my hand. "OW! That was supposed to hurt you! You're such a goofball!"
Emmett gave me a puppy-dog eye look. I could tell this was how he got his way with Rosalie when he was in trouble! "I'm a lovable goofball, right? Not one you want to get in lots of trouble. Right?"
I laughed. "Yes, you're lovable. I won't complain about you to Edward. Not as long as you or Jacob feeds the thing."
"Stripes. You'll hurt his feelings if you call him a thing!"
"OK, OK ... as long as someone other than me is in charge of feeding Stripes, I'm fine."
"Thank you!" Emmett bowed at me.
I looked at the clock - it was only about 2pm - we still had hours before I needed to make dinner. "Why don't we take Mystic over to your place? We can play fetch or frisbee with her!" I looked him over again. "But throw human-style, OK?"
"Sounds good! Let's go!"
I thought I heard him mumble something about "Edward's going to flip out having this smell in her room and at the house", but I must have been mistaken - he was back to whistling as we drove off towards the Cullens' property.