Chapter 6: Another Surprise

Fish Friend

Disclaimer: Like I've said before, I own none of the characters that are recognizable as Stephenie Meyer's. Boo-Hoo!

Note: Ta da! Here we go. Sorry for the bit on the update. Huge school project...Anywho, thanks to my great Beta Reader, Lioness! Round of applause! Picture of Bella's outfit on my profile.

The house was perfect. Already furnished, its beautiful interior was elegant in a modern style. I went to the bedroom, and a queen-sized bed invited me in. Of course, Edward laughed as I sat on the bed and bounced up and down a little. I flopped backwards, exhausted. Edward was standing over me then, there without my eyes having seen him move.

"You should sleep." He sounded firm, shielding. I yawned, which proved his point.

"Mmmm," I agreed, my grogginess coming over me again. Traveling wiped me out, and I was ready to fall asleep.

"I'll go and get your bag, so you can change." He was back in a moment, and gently handed it to me.

After Edward briefly stepped out of the room so I could change, he reentered to find me nearly asleep, flopped down across the bed. He chuckled softly, lifting me up to lay me under the covers. Then he lay down next to me, smiling. I smiled dazedly back up at him. He buried his head in my shoulder, kissing my neck softly. "I love you." he murmured into my skin. I could feel his cool fingertips brushing against my cheek, and I shivered.

"I love you, Edward." I responded slowly, slurring my words.

He chuckled quietly in my ear, and whispered, "Sleep, Bella. Just sleep." So I did, a troubled, nightmarish sleep.

I was running, trying to escape the flash of flaming red hair that followed me behind every corner of the city. I sprinted around each turn, but couldn't escape it. I cried out for Edward, and saw his bronze hair from around the next city corner. I called his name, but he did not turn back for me.

I was tripping now, and my face and knees were scraped. I dashed out to reach him, but something hit me hard from behind me, sending me crashing down to the ground.

"Edward!" I cried, and saw nothing. The darkness took me then, and I screamed as I felt a pain in my neck.

Edward shook me awake, and I was still screaming. "Edward!" I buried my head in his chest. "Oh, Edward!" I was very near tears, and his cool arms encased me in my cage of protectiveness.

"Shhhhh, Bella, I'm here, it's ok. It was just a dream. Just a dream." He cooed in my ear, as I as I continued to shake.

I looked up at him after several long minutes. "What time is it?" I asked shakily.

"Around 8 pm. You slept for more than 5 hours. Would you like to go to dinner?" Edward still looked protective. "You look like you need it."

Only then did I realize that I was ravenous. "Love to, if you wouldn't mind, that is." I looked up at him as he chuckled.

"I never mind." His topaz eyes dazzled me, and my head felt light. Edward scooped me up into his arms, breaking my gaze. I squirmed, struggling against his unbreakable hold.

Of course, Edward ignored my struggles, but insisted on cradling me there for a few moments, before vigilantly setting me on my feet. "Change. And meet me down stairs. Wear something that's decent for a formal restaurant." He grinned, and before I could protest he was gone.

I went to my suitcase to find it empty. In confusion, I looked up, and found that my clothes were put away in the closet. Edward must have done it for me. I sifted through my clothes, finding many that were not mine. "Edward!" I called, confused. He appeared, slipping into the room silently. "Who do all of these clothes belong to?"

Edward gave me a funny look, like I was missing something very obvious. "Yours, of course. Though Alice did get some new ones for you ready before you left and slipped them in, so you'd have something to wear." I crossed my arms. "Edward!" I complained.

He rolled his eyes. "Just get dressed, Bella." Edward left the room, shutting it behind him. I grudgingly turned back to my closet.

I ended up choosing a short sleeve white shirt, that ruffled at the neck line, exposing most of my collar bone. I put a braided brown and sliver belt around the middle of the shirt, adding a pair of Capri looking black pants. To finish the look, I added a white cap and black ballet flats.

I walked down the stairs carefully, as to avoid tripping. I reached the bottom of the stairs without doing so, and grinned, looking up at the angel before me. He was wearing a simple dress shirt, and a nice pair of pants. But I really didn't bother looking at what he was wearing, I was more concerned with his face.

"You look wonderful, love." Edward smiled his crooked smile, and my breath caught in my throat. "Come, now, I've only just gotten last minute reservations, so we'll have to hurry." He scooped me up in his arms once again, walking out the door in a manner that was slow for him.

After Edward had me settled me down in the passenger seat of his car, he walked around swiftly to his side, entering in a speedy movement that left my eyes far behind.

As usual, he drove insanely down the small and confusing roads of the suburbs of Boston. We were in the center city after passing under several tunnels and over many overhangs, but still very quickly.

Edward let me walk myself in, rather than carry me again. The restaurant, of course, was much too formal for me and my inescapable clumsiness. Yet, there Edward was, marching along besides me. It was still so much like a dream to me.

We were seated very quickly as the waitress looked at Edward, and then to the server who was standing near by. We were put into a quaint little corner of the room, with Edward facing the doors. Like the times before, the waitress was flirtatious, and Edward cracked jokes about it…as usual.

After we had gotten my food (it was delicious, some kind of chicken with a sauce over it), Edward was explaining something about a theory he had come up with how infinite numbers could actually be the smallest numbers, when he suddenly froze, his eyes going black. He caught the eye of the waitress, beckoning her over. She came, hurriedly, and I was a little irritated a bit at the both of them. "Here, keep the change." He didn't bothering smiling as he stood, and I stood fluidly with him.

"What is it?" I whispered as he pushed me toward the back exit.

"The Volturi…they're in the city."