Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight; it is the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are mine. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Italicized means Bella's thoughts and those she can hear
Italicized bold means Edward can hear it also (wont be bolded unless Edward hears it!)
Chapter five
A simple melody
As the water poured down my body I thought about the last two days. It felt like weeks instead of two days, well that was probably from all the emotional stuff. I still hadn't completely explained my mental family to them or my ability. But we had a connection now that made these questions easier to answer, they weren't going to take me back or insist I live out the rest of my life in an institution. It was nice to be apart of the family, though Rosalie and Emmet weren't there for my amazing breakdown they didn't seem to hate me. Okay Rosalie looked wary and well pissed about me knowing or maybe she didn't like me but Emmet seemed to think I was hilarious. Finally deciding I should get out of the shower, the egg gone a long time ago. I grabbed a towel just as I heard a knock at the door.
"Yes?" I called through the door, even knowing they could here a pin drop miles away I raised my voice.
"Can I pick out your outfit?" I heard Alice answer as she opened the door; obviously she knew I already had the towel wrapped around me.
"Umm... Sure? Lenora already had something in mind but I'm sure she'll agree with anything you pick out." I said knowing she wouldn't mind Alice's choice, like she did mine. Alice seemed confused by my comment. "Oh Len is one of my family, the fashion forward one. She went with us shopping." I said hoping to have clarified the misunderstanding. She still looked a bit confused. "I don't shop without Len close by; it makes it... fun I guess instead of a painful chore." I explained and Alice looked at me horrified.
"You don't like to shop?" She questioned me as though I said that I enjoyed running over small furry animals. I laughed at how similar her reaction was to Len's. I shook my head and walked quickly back to my room Alice following me.
"You are quite like her; she thinks I'm crazy too. But shopping just isn't fun to me. She likes it so we join and its more fun." I said smiling. "I get all her weird positive emotions about shopping and then its fun." I explained. Alice still looked like she thought I was nuts so I sat on my bed and waited for her to do something.
"So she made you excited about shopping by joining with you?" she asked and I nodded in response. "So you feel her emotions when she joins with you?" she asked again and again I nodded. "I don't know how you could possibly not like shopping." She said heading to my closet like that was the weirdest thing in the world. Not joining with another person but not liking shopping! I giggled while I waited for her to pick out an outfit.
She picked out a long sleeved deep blue shirt and a black knee length linen skirt and put them on the bed before contemplating something. I arched an eyebrow and waited for her revelation. She smiled and headed back to the closet and pulled out a no sleeve white linen cover. I had to admit it looked like a nice outfit that wouldn't drive me nuts. She put it on the bed and left the room for me to change.
She has a gift! The skirt is the perfect length and makes you look leggy, with the shirt and the cover it just works so perfectly! I love that colour on you Bella it looks simply amazing! Len commented and I agreed with her, I looked almost beautiful. Though in this family I was definitely the ugly duckling hands down, even the boys were prettier then me. My thoughts drifted to Edward as Alice re-entered the room.
"Perfect you look lovely!" She said pulling me towards the bathroom. I knew that I would not enjoy this as Len followed us in.
Save me! Please someone! I called to my family praying that they could talk at least one of the women down. Alice sat me down in her bathroom and all I could see were beauty products. My eyes went wide and I tried to beg but Alice stopped me before I even opened my mouth.
"Please Bella! I never get to do this!" She begged and as soon as she began to pout I knew I had lost. Dang I was at Alice's mercy. I stopped planning my escaped and she smiled victoriously. "Thank you Bella!" She said before getting to work on brushing out my hair.
"Alice." I heard from the doorway, looking out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward looking at Alice and her pouting back. "I think Bella would like to be freed." He said amusement clear in his voice.
"She agreed Edward you know that!" She huffed at her brother never stopping from her work on my hair, I couldn't bear to look and see what she was doing. "Sides I'm almost done." She stated before sticking her tongue out at him.
Thanks for trying. I thought at him. He smiled at me as he leaned into the door frame. She has an evil puppy pout. I finished, he smiled at that. He knew it obviously. Alice turned my head in order to apply a bit of eyeliner and lip gloss.
"Done! And I must say you look amazing Bella!" Alice exclaimed while moving to reveal the mirror behind her. The make-up was light and only highlighted my face instead of coating it. My hair fell in gentle waves around my waist. I was shocked that I could look this beautiful.
"She looks lovely Alice." Edward said as his sister passed him leaving the bathroom having finished her fun. I stood slowly and turned my head to look at Edward. "You really do look great Bella." He said as we left the bathroom heading out into Alice's and then the hallway. I nodded as I walked still trying to wrap my head around the image in the mirror. "So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" he asked as I calmed down and sorted out my thoughts.
"Oh! Um... I really hadn't thought about it. Though it will probably include music of some sort, or I'll end up humming." I said truthfully it was still weird to talk this much. He looked at me when I said this. "I love music, Alastor has helped me learn to play so many different instruments and I have always loved listening to music too, it's so powerful." I babbled on as I looked at him, he was too unreal to not actually look at.
"What type of music do you like?" He asked as we walked towards the front room of the house.
"Well pretty much everything, Rock, Pop, Opera, Country, Jazz, Blues, Classical of course..." I thought about it as I spoke, "I guess I like most everything but crappy rap and overly repetitive stuff." He seemed to agree with me. I walked over to the piano; having remembered it and sat down Edward followed me into the room.
I began to play Alastor's favourite song; he had helped me compose it no more than a year after we met. It began thunderous and softened to a complex melody before randomly ending half way through a series of notes. I ended it at a different point every time. Once I had only played a quarter of it before finishing.
It is nice to hear you play. Alastor spoke gently from the left of me and I looked up at him and smiled. It has been far too long since you last played for the mere joy of it. He said with a wistful smile on his lips.
"It has been playing through my head a lot lately." I said smiling at him, "It has been far too long since I had an instrument in my home." I finished letting my fingers play on the piano not really thinking as they produced a nameless melody. I thought about this house and the people in it as I played, Esme and Carlisle, Alice and Jasper, even Rosalie and Emmet. Finally I got to Edward he was like me different then his family, apart and yet not. He was alone. I could only ever touch my family when I slept and even then it was only with my mind, I was apart from them. I was alone too. I realised my thoughts and abruptly stopped playing. The melody was much too revealing even though I trusted and loved them deeply. I blushed deeply looking at Edward his eyes met mine and my blush deepened.
"That was beautiful." Esme said and I looked up to see her standing in the doorway wrapped in Carlisle's arms. Alice and Jasper were curled together in the small love seat both nodded in agreement. Jasper sent me a wave of calm laughing as he did so. I nodded my appreciation. Even Emmet and Rosalie were listening from other room, and most of my invisible family were scattered about the room.
"You are very talented Bella." Edward said from just behind me.
"Alastor is a very good teacher." I muttered as I stood from the bench, "Do you play?" I asked Edward trying to find a way to get the attention off of me. He nodded though made no move towards the piano. "Play for me?" I asked softly both wanting the attention off me and to hear him play. I began to wonder what he sounded like, each artist so different from the rest. He sat at the bench and I moved to stand behind him. Everyone looked pleased to see him play. I stepped back and pushed myself to the wall and sat waiting his sound. It was a very complex melody a mush faster time then mine but it felt almost like being wrapped up in the warmth of a summer evening, lush. I smiled and tried to place in within Edward, it was a game I played with Alastor.
"You wrote it for Esme." I said the answer so obvious I came out of my mouth before I could think but the music didn't stop. Edward nodded and Esme looked very pleased that I could tell merely from the song. Slowly the melody changed and soon it became a lullaby, sweet but sad. I tried to place who would make Edward feel this way but I was stumped and stopped trying and just listened to it. It was a touch darker then most lullabies but the sweetness to it confused me, it seemed wistful. After a few staggering notes he stopped playing, I looked up at him and saw that he had turned to face me.
"A new composition." He said to me, could that mean he had wrote it for my arrival? My expression showed my confusion and he chuckled slightly. "I wrote it for you Bella." He said and I stared up at him in awe. "May I ask about yours?" he asked uncertain I nodded.
"The first was a piece that Alastor helped me compose when I was five. It's our song I suppose. The other one wasn't really a composition more of my thoughts." I said slight uneasy, "about all of you." I finished looking only at Edward. He smiled at me and as I looked at them all they each looked happy, even Rosalie though she left quickly after.
"Thank you." Edward said for everyone as they began to disperse. I nodded, the lump in my throat now for a completely different reason. They knew how I felt and they didn't mind that in two days I fell in love with their family. He didn't move as I sat there delighted that they didn't mind how attached I had become to them.