A/N: here's the second part of what i had written! yay! :)
Disclaimer: i own nothing. :(
Bella
As I awoke, the sun was halfway hidden by the horizon, casting pink and orange into a dark blue sky. Edward's arms were still wrapped tight around my body, and his closeness made it easier for me to breathe. I kissed his chest, letting him know I was awake.
"Good afternoon, my love." he whispered into my hair.
Afternoon? I looked out the window at the sinking sun. Had I really slept that long?
"What time is it?" I asked him, settling back into his arms to lay my head on his chest.
"Its around 7:30," he said, pressing a kiss onto my forehead, "so maybe I should have said 'Good evening' instead" he chuckled.
His voice was soft, welcoming me back to the land of the living after almost 20 hours of sleep. I yawned and stretched my legs and arms, my toes still not reaching far enough to touch his through the blanket.
"Are you hungry?"
I shook my head, but my stomach growled, disagreeing with me. Edward laughed.
"I'll go get you something to eat." He moved to disentangle himself from me and I panicked.
"No!"
He stopped moving immediately. I looked down at his chest, abashed at my outburst.
"Can I come down with you?" Even though I was horribly sore and bruised, I was pretty sure I could make the trip downstairs to the kitchen.
Edward hesitated, clearly debating on whether or not to give in to my request.
Finally, he smiled and nodded, stooping to gather me in his arms. The sudden lift sent my head spinning, and I had to lean in closer to his chest, closing my eyes to keep the nausea away. He took the steps lightly, trying to keep me from being jostled as much as possible. After setting me on one of the barstools in the kitchen, he set to work, pulling ham, eggs, bacon, and biscuits out of the fridge and onto the counter top in front of me. I merely shook my head, wondering how I was going to eat it all.
"Where's everybody at?" The living room had been deserted when we had breezed by, which had been highly unusual for the Cullens. Edward threw the ham onto the pan, making it sizzle, the scent wafting through the kitchen. I was hungrier than I thought.
"Everybody just got back from hunting. Carlisle stopped at the hospital to pick up some more medication and testing materials for you, Alice and Esme are headed to Seattle, and Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper are upstairs. Now they know you're awake, they should be coming down to see you soon." Edward flipped the ham over and back onto the pan with a flick of his wrist. For someone who didn't eat human food, he sure was a good cook.
"Wait," I stopped him, "why are Alice and Esme headed to Seattle?"
Edward popped a couple biscuits in the toaster and set the finished ham on a plate, handing it to me. I grabbed my fork and cut off a bite, waiting for his answer.
"They're picking up Renee."
I choked mid-swallow. Edward, terrified, rushed to my side and patted my back, trying to dislodge the stuck piece of food without hurting my ribs further.
When I could finally breathe, I rounded on him.
"What do you mean, 'They're picking up Renee'?" Edward dropped his hand from my back, and continued to make my breakfast, moving the bacon around on another pan.
"Charlie called Renee before he left last night. She caught the first flight to Seattle, and since Charlie had to work, Esme and Alice went to pick her up."
He stated all of this matter-of-factly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Edward pulled the biscuits out of the toaster and buttered it before slapping on some grape jelly and dropping it on my plate.
"Eat." He commanded.
I picked up the fork I had dropped during my choking episode, trying to sort my feelings for this sudden announcement.
Part of me wanted to pretend last night had never happened, even though the ribs and arm were a constant reminder. Another part of me wanted to see my mother- to be comforted the way only a mother can comfort.
My thoughts were interrupted by the loud boom that was Emmett running down the steps toward me.
I smiled at him, though it probably looked more like a grimace with my swollen eye and busted lip.
"Bella!" he exclaimed, coming to a stop a split second before he would have crashed into me, "How are you feeling?"
His huge smile was infectious, and my own grew wider, tugging on my split lip, but I didn't care.
"I feel a lot better." I answered, truthfully. Maybe it had been the 20 hours of sleep I had gotten, but honestly, I did feel better. My arm was in its plain white cast, my ribs were bandaged up, and my bruises, minus the ones on my face were covered up. I was sure I looked better than the list time he had seen me, so I took comfort from that thought.
"You look better, kid," Emmett agreed, ruffling my hair affectionately, "Though in comparison with how you looked last night, that probably isn't too hard!"
I let out a laugh when Edward shot a murderous glare in Emmett's direction. Just as Edward set the bacon on my plate, I saw Jasper and Rosalie walk into the kitchen. While Rose sat on the side of me that Emmett wasn't completely blocking off, Jasper leaned against the wooden door frame, looking the most 'at ease' I had ever seen him before. Rosalie smiled at me kindly, and I tried to gather up a thank you for her.
She stopped me.
"No thanks necessary, Bella," she said, giving me another warm smile, "Its about time that I started acting like a sister to you anyways." I was shocked at her admittance, but grateful nonetheless. I saw Jasper still leaning against the wide door frame into the living room and, still elated by Rosalie's acceptance, I gave him a grin.
He chuckled and gave me a small grin as well.
I turned back to my breakfast and quickly emptied my plate before Edward gave me the scrambled eggs.
It was quiet as he washed the pans and everybody else watched me eat, looking like they expected me to shatter onto the floor in front of them.
"Where's Renee going to stay while she's here?" I asked Edward, watching him dry the pan with a thick white dishtowel.
Rosalie answered for him.
"Charlie thought it would be best if she stayed with him." I nodded and she continued.
"After Charlie's conversation with Jasper, Alice, and Sue last night, he thought it would be" -she shot a glance at Jasper- "prudent if she stayed in a house with her own species."
"What do you mean, 'with her own species?'" Edward shot Rose a death glare. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"You haven't told her yet?" Edward shook his head, momentarily looking a bit sheepish.
"She had just woken up!" he defended himself, gesturing with his arms, pan still dripping in one hand. "I didn't want to put any more stress on her than necessary!"
"Wait," I interrupted them, "do you mean to tell me that my father knows that you're..." I raised my eyebrow suggestively.
"Well..." Edward set down the pan and walked around the bar to me, "technically I didn't tell him anything. You'll have to take that up with Jasper and Alice."
I rounded on Jasper.
"Hey! Don't blame me!" Jasper put his hands up, looking like a gangsta caught by the Po-Po, "it was bound to happen anyways... I can't believe those stupid werewolves phased right in front of him in Port Angeles..."
"WHAT?!" I screamed, "HOW MUCH DOES HE REALLY KNOW?!"
"Everything." Rosalie answered simply.
"Charlie was also told about our... eating habits... and was surprisingly calm about it." Edward took me into his arms, trying to calm me after my recent outburst. "He actually reminded me of you a little, my love, his relative calmness about the whole subject. He compared my family's nutritional needs to recreational hunting!" He smiled, trying to lighten my mood, and it worked. I laughed. I turned to Jasper.
"You said Charlie saw someone phase in Port Angeles? Why were there werewolves in Port Angeles yesterday?" Emmett let out a howl of laughter, and Rosalie chuckled. Jasper just smiled down at me.
"Well?" I demanded, ignoring their amusement at my unintentional humor.
"You'll have to ask Edward, Bella." Jasper watched me with interest, and I slowly turned to Edward, waiting for him to answer my unasked question.
"Well..." he said again, delaying his answer, " I may have asked Seth and Leah to keep an eye on you while I was away." He looked at me, trying to calculate any hidden rage in my expression, prepared for another outburst. I bit my lip, trying to remain calm. Edward was only trying to protect me, I reasoned. I couldn't blame him for enlisting Seth and Leah's help, especially not after...
I didn't want to think about last night. One thought alone would demolish my "ignore-the-fact-that-anything-happened" plan, and I had to keep up a front. I wouldn't let Edward see how much I was hurting. I looked him in the eyes, and I saw concern for me floating in them. I never wanted to hurt him again, not after my horrid display last night.
"I understand, Edward." I told him, reaching out and taking his hand. "I need all the protection I can get!" I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, and he joined in, pressing a kiss into my open palm.
Emmett tried to suppress a groan.
"What's wrong with you now?" I asked him. I turned just in time to see Jasper collecting a huge wad of bills from Emmett, and sighed, defeated.
"Do you guys always bet on my reactions?" I asked them.
"Yep." Emmett confirmed, giving me a grin.
I smiled.
"Who's ahead so far?" I asked, genuinely curious for once.
"Jasper," Edward said, kissing my hair as he wrapped his arms around me once more. I breathed in his scent, more wonderful than any other fragrance on earth. Flashing me a grin, he continued. "He never bets against Alice."
A/N: please make me smile. ReviewsLOVE. so lay all your love on me!! lol
no seriously. it makes me happy when you guys review, and when i'm happy, i WRITE FASTER! its a proven fact. :)
also, if you love me, wink wink, you'll check out my new story, La Vita Nuova, which is gonna be full of Jasper/Alice goodness and more. its gonna be amazing, if i do say so myself. so review!
P.S. - those of you who review will be getting a sneak peek at an upcoming chapter in An Unexpected Legacy. but you have to check out La Vita Nuova to be considered for a spoiler chapter! :)
much love,
RedHeadedBelle