A/N: Don't hate me. I know it has been SO long since I've updated. But I have a good reason. I've had computer problems constantly for nearly a month, and it finally got fixed (hopefully for good) today, and I started writing immediately. I'll try and be better about the updates in the future. Hopefully this will curb your appetite for a little while.
Of Curses and Cures
Chapter Sixteen
Family Christmas
December 22nd, 2008
8:00 p.m.
Edward smiles as they arrive at the airport in Florida. It's late, just after sunset, and Renee is meeting them here. He is relieved that they have arrived late enough that they can skip dinner. The prospect of meeting Renee is exciting. He can't read Bella's thoughts, but if there is anyone in the world that has an insight into Bella Swan it is her mother.
"Don't slouch. She hates when people slouch. It can ruin even the most handsome man she would always say." Bella rattled off rule after rule.
"It wouldn't hurt for you to play the piano, but stick to the classics she's most likely to know. She can get defensive about her little hobbies. Oh, and don't be too buddy buddy with Phil, she has a thing against all that male-bonding mumbo jumbo."
"Buddy buddy? Mumbo jumbo? Your eloquence astounds me sometimes." Edward grins.
"You're pushing it, vampireboy." She teases.
He shushes her playfully and listens carefully to the thoughts of those around him to make sure no one heard.
"Just calm down, Bella. You forget that I will have more knowledge of your mother than any of your previous boyfriends." He smiles, taping a finger against his forehead.
"Well for someone who has so much knowledge," she mockingly tapped a finger against his forehead, "You forget that there weren't really any other boys. Not any important enough to meet my Mom especially."
He sighs. He doesn't need her to remind him of how little she truly knows of this world. There's so much she hasn't seen. So much she doesn't know. How can he take her away from all of that? Take her away from this life. He plasters a smile on her face, and reaches over to unbuckle her seatbelt when the plane finally comes to a stop.
"You'll just have to be careful not to let on to your mother how deeply deeply in love you are with me. Wouldn't want to blow our cover of being a brand new couple would we?" His smirk is spread wide across his face, and he laughs as she scowls and crosses her arms across her chest.
"You know how much I love you, don't you?" He wraps his arms around her middle as they wait for everyone around them to grab their bags from the overhead compartments.
"Mmm…" She smiles, "This much?" She holds her fingers a few inches apart.
"I don't think so." He nuzzles his nose into her neck.
She holds her hands about a foot apart. "This much?"
He laces his fingers with hers and spreads her arms as wide as he can. "More like this much."
She stretches her neck up and plants a gentle kiss on his lips. "That's not even close to how much I love you."
He smiles. "Funny. I was thinking the same thing."
"Time to go meet your Mother." He throws her bag over his shoulder and reaches for her hand.
"I hate to break this to you, but I've already met her."
"Hilarious, Bella."
"I know." She laughs and darts in front of him and off the plane.
She laughs as she runs down the hallway towards security, and he runs after her. She takes one of the moving sidewalks to stay ahead of him, but he easily catches her, even carrying both of their bags.
"That was fun." He whispers to her as they walk through security. "I think I'd like to chase you more often."
"Mmm… and I think I'd like to let you catch me" She whispers back saucily.
He takes her hand gently, "You'll be the death of me one day, Bella Swan."
"I hope not."
"Bella!" He immediately recognizes Renee from a few pictures belonging to Bella.
"Mom!" She rushes to her, and he thinks that he should have done this so much sooner. She appears so happy. Her face is illuminated with joy, and he loves her more in that moment than ever before. He wonders if there are limits to love, if he'll someday reach that pinnacle.
"You must be Edward."
"That I am."
Goodness, she picked a handsome one.
Edward smiles genuinely, and hears Renee's heartbeat peak slightly. All jokes aside, this weekend is important to him. He has heard about these moments in the minds of so many people, and knows how important it is to make a good impression on the parents. But at the same time, he has difficultly looking at Renee knowing that in the future, one of them will eventually have to give Bella up. If Bella stays with him, in the way a small part of him wants her to stay with him—as a vampire—then she will have to leave her old life behind. But if he does the right thing and keeps her human, he will eventually have to give her up. The thought pains him to his very core.
"It's so very nice to meet you." He smiles at Renee, unsure of whether to call her by her name or Mrs. Dwyer.
"Is your husband here? Bella's told me how happy you two are together."
Bella shoots him a warning look and he smirks. He knows… don't get too "buddy buddy" with the husband.
"Actually he's away at the moment for a game, but he'll be arriving home late tomorrow night, just in time for Christmas."
"Oh!" Bella smiles, "I'm glad he'll be here. I would have hated to pull you away from him at Christmas time."
"Nonsense!" Renee cries, pulling her into another hug, "It's been too long since I've seen you. I've missed you."
"I missed you too, Mom."
Edward feels as if he is intruding in their moment, so he courteously looks away.
"I like him." He hears Renee whisper quietly to Bella. Well, quietly by human standards anyway. "He's cute!"
"Cute is an understatement." Bella whispers back, "But don't tell him that. So far he's been remarkably humble, I'd hate for him to get a big head."
He suppresses a smile, and Bella winks at him over Renee's shoulder.
"Shall we be going?"
Bella nods happily and moves to Edward's side.
How cute. They both look like they're dying to hold hands, but are terrified of my reaction.
Edward grins crookedly, and reaches out for Bella's hand. Her eyes widen and she looks at him with worry. He only raises an eyebrow in response.
"So tell me about yourself, Edward."
"Well. I'm an intern at Seattle Presbyterian Hospital, that's where I first met Bella actually."
Renee turns to Bella with a frown. "You got hurt again? Why didn't you tell me?"
Bella rolls her eyes and replies, "If I told you every time I managed to injure myself our phone bills would both be ridiculous."
"She's exaggerating." Edward smiles, "She's actually had a pretty good track record lately."
"Only because you won't let me hurt myself." Bella pouts.
"I'm sorry I spoiled your fun." Edward counters.
"You know what I mean. I'm glad you keep me safe. I just thought you deserved a little credit, too."
"My credit is not having to have you as a patient ever again."
He's perfect.
Renee's thoughts bring him back. He had once again become so absorbed in Bella that he forgot about the world around them.
He clears his throat quietly, and Bella's face flushes crimson before she peaks at Renee, who is smiling happily in the other direction.
They climb into Renee's sensible sedan, Bella in the front seat and Edward alone in the back. He spends the entire ride watching Bella in the rearview mirror. He keeps up conversation with Renee, answering her effortlessly, but his eyes stay locked on Bella, and he's rewarded with a blush every time her eyes catch his in the mirror.
They're in love.
Edward smiles. So they'd been here less than an hour and their cover was already blown.
I wonder if they even know it yet.
Edward wants to say that he knew it the moment he laid eyes on Bella, but knows (from experience) that answering an unspoken question only succeeds in freaking people out.
"So what do you two say about hitting the beach tomorrow?"
"I'd love to Mom, but Edward will probably have to stay in and work."
"Work?"
"Yeah, he's working on some big research thing at the hospital and the only way they agreed to let him have the time off was if he wrote some article while he was gone."
"Well, that's too bad." Edward thinks that Renee looks slightly relieved though.
It will be nice to have some time alone with Bella, just the two of us. I guess he was telling the truth about only doing this for her. He's not some stupid frat boy looking for a weekend at the beach with his girlfriend.
"Yes, unfortunately, real life calls. But the extra work was worth spending Christmas outside of the hospital."
"What about the rest of your family? Won't they miss you this Christmas?"
"They were just happy to see me this last week, and meet Bella too. It had been a while since I'd been able to visit home."
Bella looks at him knowingly through the rearview mirror.
"Oh, Mom! You would just love Edward's parent's house. His mother, Esme, designed it all herself. It's absolutely gorgeous!"
"Really now?"
"Yes! Actually, you may remember it! It was that huge white house in Forks that was abandoned out on the edge of the forest outside of town."
Renee's expression slackens and her face seems to pale.
"I do remember it."
"Well, Esme has done wonders with it. It's practically a mansion."
Renee was silent as they pulled up in front of her home.
"Well here we are, home sweet home."
It is a small quaint home, white with green shutters, and the sun bounces off it giving it an airy, welcoming feel.
"This place is great, Mom!"
"Thanks, we like it." Renee hands her the house keys and says, "Here why don't you check the mail for me and run and open the door. I'll open the trunk so Edward can get your bags."
Bella smiles and climbs happily out of the car. Edward moves in silence around the back of the car. Renee opens the trunk and waits until Bella is out of earshot before she turns to Edward.
"How long have you been in love with my Daughter?"
His shoulders slump.
"She told me I couldn't fool you." He smiles. "Honestly? Since the moment I met her."
Renee absorbs this information and her thoughts cause his smile to drop immediately, and then her voiced words cause his body to go rigid.
"And have you told her yet that you're a vampire?"
A/N: Well that's it for that chapter. Review if you were surprised by that ending….
You better all review because even I was surprised by that ending! It came out of nowhere really. But I like it. As if you can't tell by now… I'm definitely deviating from the Twilight plot now… and it's so much fun!