AN- Not only is Alice in this chapter, like I promised, but once I got started, I realized it needed to be from her POV as well. I do love Alice, bless her little sprite heart. This is my first attempt at writing a POV other than Bella or Edward. If it's terrible, please let me know and I'll stop. I just felt the desire to reach a little farther and try something new. I hope you like it!
In case you forgot, I don't own any of the Twilight characters. Otherwise I'd be charging for you to read my fics!
Last time- I was speechless. Instead of trying to gather my thoughts into a coherent sentence, I reached my arms around his neck. I pulled him down and kissed him soundly on the lips.
The Morning After pt2
APOV
I stood outside Bella's house, watching the two of them in my vision.They are so cute! I quickly lost patience, though, I was here on a mission. I marched into the kitchen and announced my presence.
"Alright, enough already! We have important things to discuss!" I said, peeling Bella from Edward's embrace. How does he not crush her, using a grip like that? I sat her at the kitchen table and she pouted at me, apparently not finished with Edward. Edward laughed at her.
"It's your fault you're running late." He reminded me.
I giggled, he had a point. I had set him up so perfectly! "Perhaps, but Edward, you should have seen your face!" To my delight, Bella joined me in laughing at poor Edward's dismay. I had seen she wouldn't be mad.
"Bella!" Edward cried, "You're supposed to be outraged!"
"I'm sorry, Edward," she said with tears in her eyes, "but you really did look hilarious."
I love Bella.
Edward smiled, "I may have looked hilarious," he said leaning down to look Bella in the eye. She gulped, "but you looked," he glanced sideways at me. I suddenly had several different visions of how he would finish his sentence. Then whispered in Bella's ear, so quietly even I couldn't hear him.
Bella blushed and I nearly died from not knowing. "Edward!" I complained, "You know I hate when you trick me like that! What did he say, Bella?!" I pleaded.
Edward answered for her, "That's none of your business, Alice, a lot of what happens between me and Bella is none of your business." He gave me a meaningful look.
"I was only trying to help." I grumped. Besides, a lot of what happened, or rather didn't happen between Edward and Bella affected more than just the two of them.
"I know, Alice." Edward replied to my thoughts as well as my words.
Bella tried to change the subject. "So, what details are we fine tuning today?" she asked, using my phrase for the last minute preparations we'd been going over. I wasn't fooled.
"Like you care anyway, Bella," I huffed.
"What? Of course I care, Alice!" She was trying to sound like she meant it.
"I heard you call my wedding files junk. Well, saw it anyway." I fumed. As if! And after all the time I've put into giving her the wedding of a lifetime, of several lifetimes!
"Oh!" Bella gasped, embarrassed at being caught. "Alice, I didn't mean it, I just meant that there was so much of it! I didn't want you to have to lug it all over here!" She seemed genuinely sorry. "Speaking of your files," she said, being more careful with her language. "Where is everything?"
"Luckily, our discussion today won't require me to take notes," I answered, carefully concentrating on a hundred different wedding details at once. No reason Edward should know what I was up to. Besides, he started it by blocking me first, stupid, spontaneous vampire.
"You are dismissed. Emmett is waiting." I declared, waving Edward on his way.
"Wait, you're leaving?" Bella turned to Edward, looking nervous. She can't even let him out of sight for a few hours? It was adorable and nauseating at the same time. Even I can only take so much.
Edward smiled at Bella, dazzling her. It still surprised me how good he was at it, considering he had never even practiced the skill before he met Bella.
"I'm going hunting with Emmett, Love. But I'm sure you'll have fun with Alice," he paused to look me in the eye.
Right, like I could be intimidated. Okay, truthfully Edward could be scary. But I hadn't seen that side of him in a long time, thanks mostly to Bella.
"Please go easy on her today, Alice." He asked me. His tone was so soft and pleading I couldn't help myself.
"Oh, fine Edward, I'll be good." I answered.
He smiled his thanks at me and then gathered Bella for a goodbye kiss. Their kiss began to linger, but I didn't mind. I was so glad Edward had finally found happiness. Our family had been missing something vital before Bella fell into our lives. To see my somber brother find such joy was truly a blessing. After a while, however, I had enough. I cleared my throat.
"Ahem, unless you'd like Emmett to come looking for you..." I warned Edward.
They broke apart, laughing. Edward laughing was still a sight I couldn't get enough of. Such a rarity for so long, it seemed to be his most common reaction these days.
"I'll be back soon, my love," Edward smiled down at Bella. "Thanks Alice."
"Yep," I agreed.
Finally, Edward left to join Emmett. He was soon out of 'listening' range and I turned on Bella. "So what happened last night?"
Bella's eyes flew open and she blushed, "What? I thought you saw!"
"Actually I was, preoccupied right up to the last few seconds before Edward flew off the bed." I admitted, smiling at the memory of how Jasper and I had been preoccupied. I had started laughing riotously at a most inappropriate time, which is why I'd had to explain the scene to Jasper immediately.
"Oh," Bella said, not getting what I was referring to.
"By the way, Jasper says thanks." I added.
"For what?" Bella asked, still confused. Poor, innocent Bella, well maybe not so innocent.
I smiled, "Whatever happened last night, Edward came home a changed man." Bella blushed furiously again. "Jasper had been considering moving out until the two of you were married if things didn't get better."
Bella was horrified. "Has it been that bad?" she asked.
I laughed, what did she expect it to be? "Honestly Bella, did you think keeping Edward so frustrated wouldn't affect anyone else? Not that I haven't been enjoying the benefits, Edward's passion for you is pretty powerful." I winked and her blush deepened. "But I do miss the feeling of my own husband's passion."
Bella was flabbergasted, it was adorable. But I had seen what she really wanted. I had tried to help them along a few times, but Edward had nearly had a come apart the last time. This morning's fiasco had only been safe because I saw it was more embarrassing than impassioning.
"Bella, can I ask you a question?" I really wanted to understand.
"That depends," she answered cautiously.
I laughed, "You don't have to share any details, yet,"Someday I'll get you to loosen up, I thought, perhaps once you're married, "but I don't understand."
"Understand what?" she asked. She could hear the honesty in my voice.
"Why are the two of you waiting?" I asked.
"Because it's what Edward wants." she replied. I raised en eyebrow in disbelief. I had been on the receiving end of his passion, vicariously anyway. There was no way that could be true.
Bella laughed, "No, really he does. Sometimes we're tempted, but in his heart, Edward wants my virtue intact." She explained. I guess that sounded like something Edward would say, but still. Bella continued, "He's afraid that turning me is going to take away my soul, but in case it doesn't, he wants to keep it as clean as possible. He thinks of himself as a monster and he wants to save me from as much as he can." Okay, that really did sound like Edward.
"Besides, I believe Edward still has a soul. The truth is, he's done some terrible things, none of which are his fault, but still. . . This is one thing he's been able to do right. I can't take that away from him just to satisfy my own selfish urges." She finished.
I stared at her. When she put it that way, it almost made sense. I shook my head, "So, let me see if I can get this right. You want to, but won't because he doesn't want you to want to, and he wants to, but won't because he doesn't think you should want to?"
"Right." Bella agreed.
"No wonder Jasper's been such a mess. The two of you are insane." I said calmly.
"Well, when you word it like that!" Bella laughed.
"At least you're the same kind of crazy." I said. "Only you could understand Edward enough to know how to torture him and still leave him giddy."
Bella was quiet for a moment, "Am I really torturing him?" she asked, her voice soft with concern.
For goodness sake! I rolled my eyes. "Bella, is it torturing you to wait?" I asked, knowing the answer.
"Yes." She whispered.
"Are you still glad you're waiting?"
"Yes." She sounded more sure.
"Well then, there you go. Edward feels the same way." I watched the emotions play across her face. "I'm sorry, Bella."
"For what?"
"I haven't exactly been helping the situation. I didn't understand what was going on between the two of you. I thought it was just awkwardness or misunderstanding that was keeping you apart. I didn't realize it was because you love each other even more than you want each other." I paused, "I didn't even know that was possible."
Bella looked at me with gratitude shining in her eyes. My eyes would have been shining as well, if they could.
"Saying it that way, we don't sound so crazy after all," Bella smiled.
"I guess not. It's not what I would do, but at least now I understand." I took her hand in mine and smiled at my sweet little sister. "And now when I try to help, it will actually be helpful."
Bella beamed at me. No wonder Edward loves her. "Alice, you have already helped so much. I hadn't been able to put it into words that made sense to even me before. Now I know I'm really not crazy. At least not about this." We both laughed.
"Will you tell me what happened last night?" I asked gently, "You don't need to use juicy details, although I wouldn't mind, but Jasper and I are curious as to what changed."
Bella blushed again. "I decided we should practice," she squeaked out.
"What?" I said, a little too loudly, "but you just said. . ."
Bella quickly explained, "No! Not that! I mean I decided we should practice our self control. Edward is so afraid of hurting me. I thought if we learned more about how we respond to each other, it might help ease his mind about our wedding night." By the end, Bella was a deep crimson red. I turned my eyes from the blood in her cheeks to our hands on the table.
"You really are an amazing girl, Bella," I whispered. I was so grateful for the way she cared about and looked after my brother. Gruff as he may pretend to be, he needed looking after. "And you are truly perfect for Edward."
"Thank you, Alice. That means a lot to me." Tears were brimming in her eyes. I would have been weeping long ago, if I could. I gave her a kiss on the cheek. Such a sweet girl! Edward better be nice to her.
"Bella?" I asked. Now that I understood, I wanted to explain it to Jasper. "Edward won't be back for few hours yet, but would you mind terribly if I leave?"
Bella looked sad, "Do you have to go?"
I smiled at her, "Well, no, but I'd like to go explain my new understanding to Jasper. I think he'll be able to appreciate how amazing you and Edward are." I paused, "I wouldn't hold out much hope for understanding from Emmett or Rose, though."
Bella laughed, "Your understanding is more than enough. Of course, go see Jasper. Tell him I'm sorry for all the torture."
My smile turned wicked, "Oh, he hasn't minded all of it. I will be glad to get back before Emmett and Edward return, however. I like it when his passions are only for me." I gave Bella a meaningful wink.
Bella laughed "Have fun!" she called after me as I skipped from the room.
"Oh, I will!" I called over my shoulder. Then I was off, running toward home and Jasper.
I hope you liked my rendition of Alice. I'm thinking about doing the next chapter as Charlie. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to attempt it. I'm thinking of having Bella and Edward spend an evening in with him, watching a scary movie. What do you think?
