Chapter 5: Preparations

"I'll destroy that girl!" Rosalie shouted.

"Quiet, Rose. She's sleeping!"

"All the better, then. All I have to do is snap her neck!" she made a twisting motion with her clenched fists.

"Rose, please don't be jealous. You're my angel, and you saved me. I don't love anyone else on this earth like I love you." Emmett took her hands.

"Wow, Emmett. I didn't know you had such an extensive vocabulary," Rosalie said sarcastically.

"Well," he grumbled, "usually you just say you love me, and then..." he felt no need to continue.

Even if she was human, she wouldn't have blushed. "You mean it then? You don't want the human girl?"

"I love you, my Rose. Want and love are two totally different things...No, I don't want her as much as I want you. And not in the same way. I want her blood. You..."

No vampire could overpower Emmett when he wanted something. Not that Rosalie tried to overpower him...

"Bella?" Edward knocked on the door. "Bella, I need you for a second..."

Bella practically leapt into the hall. "How many seconds?" She tried to be flirtatious.

"Silly Bella. I should have re-phrased that. I need to talk to you for a second."

Bella sighed. "Fine. Lead the way."

He didn't believe in leading. He' much rather pull her into his arms and take her there himself. Vampire style. He quickly warned her to close her eyes.

Suddenly they were in his room, on the black leather sofa, too fast for Bella to even realize that he had been running. It was only across the hall, after all.

"I hate you," Bella muttered playfully.

"Sure, sure..." Edward had a wide grin on his stone face.

As Bella settled into the soft leather, Edward grew slightly more serious. "Alice has really outdone herself this time," he admitted, dark copper eyebrows knitting together. "We have to get the human girl out of the house."

"Well it's not really an issue. I mean, Emmett's found control somewhere very deep down, and Natasha's getting along with him famously."

"That's precisely the problem." Bella was confused by this, and then, by studying his face, she knew what he meant. Edward studied Bella, too, before continuing. "I've been looking into Emmett's mind," he said. Bella eyed him suspiciously. "For the girl's safety. He means only friendship, but I can see his attraction to her. I also know how quickly intention can change." he wrapped his arm softly around Bella's softly.

"But Rosalie...," Bella protested. She had seen how Emmett and Rosalie acted. They were like newlyweds.

"True love," he stated simply. "But other loves are possible. Like you and that damned Jacob Black."

Bella nodded, knowing that it would be useless to say that Edward shouldn't insult Jacob. They insulted each other-that was just the way it went. If Edward hadn't come...If they hadn't fallen in love...She and Jacob could have spent their lives together. Easily. "Yes Edward, but you know I love you more."

"I know, but that's hardly the point." Bella huffed at losing the argument. At times, Edward could simply not be distracted.

Bella evaded the discussion. "We can't make Alice leave. I mean, I would, but it's rude, and Alice would be crushed."

"It's not that I want to make Alice upset," he clarified. "I love Alice. But I also love Rosalie, and I know how much it would affect the entire family if they left each other." he grinned. "Not to mention the catastrophic affect on our wedding."

Bella tried to smile, but only grimaced. Her wedding. She glanced at the ring on her left hand, and the diamond still terrified her. No matter how much she loved Edward, it had taken a considerable amount of persuasion to get her to agree to that one. She just didn't want to be that girl. The girl everyone thought was so careless and irresponsible. And she was very glad that Edward couldn't read her mind on that issue.

"That's soon, isn't it?" she asked, regretting the answer.

"Yes, fortunately for Alice. Charlie is extremely accepting over the issue today, unlike how he normally is..." He hummed his satisfaction.

Yes, she remembered Charlie, her father, and the look that had crossed her face as Edward announced their engagement. He had expected it, and his face had turned to grim acceptance. No doubt he remembered his own youth, marrying her mother, the young Renee Dwyer.

Damn it, Edward and his need to make things official.

"So what are we going to do?" Bella asked. "About Natasha, I mean. I'm done talking about the wedding. If it weren't for Alice, I'd have done Vegas."

Edward's chest rumbled. "If only Alice slept...Then we could sneak Natasha away without her noticing."

Alice could be a problem. Only one more day, and then Natasha would be gone.

Morning came, and Alice spent all night preparing. Nothing was out of place. For the second or third time in the last two days, Alice ignored Jasper in an attempt to pick out a dress for Natasha.

Bella yawned and stretched, opening the door out of Edward's room. She was still half asleep, so Alice shook her shoulders. "Which one do you like, Bella?"

"Where are you going wearing that?" Bella stammered.

Alice was wearing an orange and white cocktail dress that was very short, and was holding an even shorter silver and gray baby-doll. "It's not for me! It's for Natasha!"

"Somehow, Alice, I doubt that a dress made for you will fit anyone but you." Bella laughed softly, amused by the fairy's behaviour.

"Oh. Right..." She got that distant look on her face and then whispered, "There's not much time to go to Port Angeles, but maybe if we go really fast..."

Bella shook her head furiously.

"Well I'd ask Rosalie, but I don't think she'd appreciate me buying clothes for the competition." She giggled musically. "Maybe makeup can help the clothes situation."

She could hope, though humans always seemed desperate for dresses and other types of evening wear.

Alice attacked Natasha, who was fast asleep in a giant bed with a wooden headboard. Her teeth were grinding loudly, which made Alice feel slightly annoyed. How could she sleep on the day of her big date?

"Wake up, Natasha!" Alice shook her, and not gently.

Natasha glanced sleepy-eyed at the clock on the wall. "6:00? Generally I get more than four hours of sleep."

"There's no time! I have to get you ready!"

"You better hope it's six in the afternoon," Natasha grumbled.