Spring With the Cullens
By Holly-Batali

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Cullens--or Bella--and I don't own Forks. Though I have been there and probably know more about La Push than SM does. So there.

Chapter Seven: Blood Bank

"...so then, of course, I had to get a whole new CDR valve for the engine shipped in from a friend of mine down in Daytona Beach so I could fix Edward's stupid Aston Martin. So then, of course, he just had to race Alice--who won and Edward overheated his engine, so I had to fix it all over again!" Rosalie was trying to sound outraged, but I could tell that she was really pleased with the way Edward had to ask her for help. Nothing like getting an older brother to admit defeat. Well, that's what she says, anyway; I wouldn't actually know, being an only child.

"Three-quarter wrench, please." I shuffled around in Rosalie's toolbox, pulling out a shiny wrench (minus the black oil spots from a few minutes ago when she gave her M3 an oil change, that is). "Thank you." She went back to work and we elapsed into comfortable silence. I'd gotten really far with Rosalie over Spring Break, and I was actually starting to enjoy her company. Well, besides all the technical terms like 'CDR Valve' and 'High Pressure Fuel Injection Lines.' If she wasn't a vampire with a photographic memory, I might ask myself: How the heck does she remember all of this crap?! Oh. Yeah. Vampire. I forgot.

"So why doesn't he fix his own engine?" I asked, leaning back on my hands.

"Well," she said, wiping her oily hands on a rag. "Of all the things that Edward is, a mechanic he is not."

Well said, Yoda. "So why do you keep fixing it for him if he just keeps busting it?" I was kind of confused.

She paused. "Well, 'cause he's my brother, I guess."

"Maybe you should charge him," I suggested. "You're the one who has to keep buying the parts, right?"

"You're right," she said, surprised. "I'm being way too nice. Thanks Bella!" she went back to working.

"You know--" I broke off and frowned. Rosalie looked up from her work; she heard it too.

"...I don't care if it was Jasper's idea, Emmett. You should know better than that!"

"But Carlisle! What about Edward, he did it too!"

Rosalie and I exchanged a look with raised eyebrows. I jumped up and walked over to Rose and gave her a hand getting up. We ran to the house, Rosalie still wiping her hands on her rag. We stopped around the corner of the house, where, around back, the boys were getting chewed out by Esme and Carlisle for something. Edward looked about ready to cry. Rosalie and I exchanged a confused look. What the heck?

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't ship you all off to Tanya for a month!" fumed Esme, pointing a finger at Emmett, who flinched. Smartly, they remained silent.

"Whoa, Esme," soothed Carlisle, putting up his hands in a 'whoa Nellie!' gesture. "Karma."

"Don't even talk to me about karma!" she fumed angrily. "I have half a mind to ship you off to rehab!"

"What'd they do?" I hissed to Rosalie. She shrugged, looking amused.

"Beats me." We scooted just a little bit closer.

"I can't believe you boys would do--" Esme stopped mid-rat. "Okay, let's be realistic here. I can believe it, because you boys are the most thick-skulled, dimwitted vampires I have ever raised."

"I'm sort of surprised that you would do this, Edward," said Carlisle. "I mean, Jasper, okay. Emmett, no surprises there. But if you weren't such a pushover, I wouldn't have believed it. At least we caught you before you could really do it." I was pretty frustrated at this point. What were they doing?!

Esme pulled up a gigantic duffel bag and hauled it over her shoulder. Rosalie sniffed the air and her eyes widened. "They didn't," she said. "Idiots."

"What?" I hissed.

"Blood," she groaned. "They are so busted. Which means I'll be so busted because I 'didn't know anything about it.' That's it. Edward owes me for seven engine jobs after this."

"You guys drink blood anyway," I said. "What's the big deal if they took some to go?"

She grimaced. "Because it's human blood. I bet Jasper and Emmett stole it out of the freezer in the hospital. Again."

My jaw dropped. "What? They were getting blood out of the hospital?!"

She nodded. "Yeah, it's the stuff that expires and they throw out. Looks like Stupid One and Stupid Two have been 'volunteering' to take it out to the dumpster or whatever."

"I'm going to throw all of this out, and you will never--"

"ESME, NO!" Screamed Jasper and Emmett. "Do you know how long it took?" yelled Jasper.

"It was all Jasper's idea!" screamed Emmett.

"Esme," said Carlisle suddenly. "They're right."

Everyone stared. "What?" she said in a dangerous voice.

Carlisle smiled evilly. "Well, after all that work, don't you think they ought to enjoy it?" Esme paused, and she smiled. It wasn't a very nice smile. "I think we should let them drink all of it. Today."

"I think you're right," Esme said reasonably. "They should go into the kitchen with these," she threw the bag at Emmett who caught it with a grunt. "And drain them dry. Every drop."

The boys looked horrified. "You too, Edward." said Esme sternly. "I want you to learn a lesson. All of you." Rosalie was practically vibrating with evil glee. I didn't have to be Alice to know that her camera would be out and filming in a matter of minutes.

"Esme!" yelled Jasper. "Really; you don't want us to develop bad habits. You're right. We'll just go and throw it all away," he sneakily took the bag from Emmett and swung it over his shoulder, "and just forget it ever happened."

"Nice try, Bozo." said Esme, crossing her arms, not amused. "If it makes you sick the rest of the year, you're going to drain each and every one of those blood bags. Now."

"I think I just became vegetarian again," squeaked Edward.

Emmett gulped and nodded, his eyes wide. "I've seen the light," he said weakly. "And it doesn't like me."

Authors Note: Okay. Just the epilogue to go, and then I'll start work on Summer With the Cullens, 'kay?