A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! We're finally off to Jasper's for the first time!
(Previously):
Edward sighed, clearly defeated. "All right, I'll go. But she'd better get some sleep tonight Alice, or you'll be sorry," he muttered under his breath.
"Great – now we'll all be happy," I replied, eager to get away from Emmett before he started with the comments again. "Let me grab my toiletries bag and we can go. Alice – Jasper does have a bathroom, doesn't he?" I asked; it's not like he needed it, but surely a normal camp employee would need one.
"He certainly does, Bella. I think you'll be pleased," Alice replied, beaming happily at me.
"Awesome – about time you decide to have fun," Emmett said, slapping Edward on the back. "Let's go, the girls can catch up." Emmett began dragging Edward off in the direction of Jasper's, while Edward looked worriedly over his shoulder at me.
I waved him on promising we were right behind them, and went to collect my overnight things. I refused to let Alice's over-exuberant nature make me nervous – after all, if Edward was able to have peace of mind for the night, anything would be worth it.
Chapter 15:
As we approached Jasper's cabin, only a faint light came from underneath the drawn blinds. Its dank exterior still looked as uninviting as always. Pausing, I noticed a pulsing under my feet, as if the ground had a heart that was beating – how incredibly odd. When I raised my glance back up to the cabin, it revealed no new hint to as of why the air was still but the ground trembled. While Alice continued forward, I cautiously followed, glancing around uncertainly.
Alice opened the door, and I actually squeezed my eyes shut, almost afraid of what I would see on the other side. When I cracked one eye open, I was more than a little surprised – it was merely a dark, dingy room with an assortment of old, dusty furniture, the only source of light coming from a rickety-looking lamp that was sitting atop a shabby end table. I don't know what I was expecting, but this definitely wasn't it. My confusion only increased as I glanced over at Alice, who was beaming with pride.
"Err… Alice? Don't get me wrong, um, I think it's great if you're starting to appreciate the simpler things in life, but well…it's a bit unlikely for you to be so happy about it…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say. I glanced down at my feet trying to understand the weird sensation I was still feeling – were we going to have an earthquake?
"Bella, do you know what used to be here instead of a campground?" she asked, still grinning.
I shook my head in response.
"Years and years ago, this entire plot of land – all thirty acres of it – used to be a winery," Alice said, as if that explained everything.
"Ok…but I don't see what that has to do with anything - unless you've found an old stash of wine and discovered a way for alcohol to somehow affect your vampire systems?" I replied sarcastically – it would account for her odd behavior at least.
Alice's bell-like laughter filled the air around us. "Of course not Bella – don't be ridiculous. Come with me, I want to show you something," she added, pulling me through the musty room toward the back of the cabin. The rest of it looked to be in much the same condition as the front room – there was a tiny kitchenette area that looked as though it hadn't been used in quite some time, full of rusty cans with faded labels. Off to the left of that there was a tiny bathroom that looked to be no larger than a small closet. I was beginning to miss my bunk back in my cabin – at least it was clean. Alice came to an abrupt stop in the narrow hallway between the living area and the kitchen, and then motioned for me to step back a bit.
She daintily kicked aside a small braided rug from the center of the floor, and I coughed at the dust that rose into the air. Alice smiled apologetically at me, then leaned over and pulled up the floorboards – or at least that's what I thought she did, until I noticed it was actually a trap door that had been hidden under the rug.
The second that small door opened, an overly sweet smell permeated the air, and muffled sounds floated up to us, one of which I could have sworn resembled a "Woot!"
Alice waved at the hole in the ground, encouraging me to climb in. I couldn't help but recall the last time I'd jumped into a dark hole in the ground in Volterra, and I shuddered at the memory.
"Go on, Bella – there's a ladder you climb down, you'll be fine," Alice insisted, nudging me toward the opening. Glancing around the dust-ridden living space around me, I begrudgingly crept forward. With my hands firmly grasping the old ladder's sides, I awkwardly began my descent.
As I got lower and lower, traces of faint light began to fill the space. Just when I thought I had to be close to the bottom, strong cold hands gripped the sides of my waist and pulled me from the ladder. I fought the urge to scream out in terror just as Edward murmured into my ear.
"It's about time, love – I've been waiting for you," he said, removing any paranoid thoughts of scary things in dark basements.
"Edward! Do you always have to move so quietly? You scared me - this whole set-up has 'terrifyingmurder movie' written all over it; you could have warned me you were there," I huffed, feeling silly for being so on edge.
"I'm sorry Bella, but I didn't want to frighten you by calling out – you didn't look exactly stable on that ladder. You were shaking the whole way down," he replied, brushing the hair back from my face, his cool fingertips leaving a trail of fire across my cheek.
"It doesn't matter – I'm here now, and you're here now, and we can finally spend some time together," I said, hopping up into his arms. He chuckled at my sudden change in demeanor and carefully swung my legs up into his arms so he could fully carry me.
"So why does Alice have us hanging out in some dark basement?" I asked, trying to look around. There was still only a faint light filling the space, and I couldn't see very far. "And where is all that noise coming from?" I added, focusing back on the odd mixture of muffled sounds again. The pulsing I'd felt under my feet earlier now seemed to be coming from the rough surfaces of the walls.
"You'll see – go on Edward, lead the way," Alice said, appearing suddenly at our side. Her sudden presence made me jump a bit; apparently I was still feeling slightly edgy about this place.
Edward began walking down what looked like a tunnel of sorts, which was gradually growing wider. The further we went, the more the light and noise increased. Suddenly, Edward turned sharply to the left, and stopped at an old wooden door. He reached out and just before opening it, turned and smiled at me. "You'll find this to be interesting," he murmured.
He pulled the door open, and as the bright light blinded me, I gasped. Blinking furiously, I fought to take in this massive room and everything within it.
The rough, old stone floor was covered in a plush flokati rug, and the walls were lined with soft inviting sectional sofas. Vases containing fresh flowers covered sleek end tables, and fashion magazines of all kinds lay scattered across the coffee table. A complicated-looking stereo system stood in the far corner, music blaring from its speakers – the loud bass was apparently accountable for the pulsing sensations I'd felt upstairs. Standing in front of the back wall stood a massive television, with an assortment of video games scattered on the ground in front of it. Emmett and Jasper were there, and as I noticed the racing motorcycles on the screen, I understood the odd sounds from before.
I turned to Edward, my gaze questioning. I didn't even know what to say…I was speechless. Fortunately for me, Edward recognized the look on my face and began to explain.
"This room – or cavern, really – used to be home to the winery's fermentation process, and where the aging wine was stored in barrels. Their specialty wine was a 'Catawba' – sickly sweet stuff I'd guess by the smell that still lingers. Alice discovered it the day before we were scheduled to arrive – upon completion of her 'shop,' she'd been seriously contemplating tearing the whole cabin upstairs down and starting from point one, when the sweet smell caught her attention. When she found this room, she realized it was a much better option to leave the upstairs alone and just work with this – far less noticeable. It was mostly empty down here aside from a few scattered items left behind. Due to the living accommodations above, running electricity and plumbing down here was relatively easy – Jasper had it done on the first night after Alice 's discovery. Remember the Blackberry Alice …well, taped to her stomach? Yes, well she started ordering things from home right before we left to come here, and since she has internet access on her Blackberry, she's been busy ever since. Pretty much anytime she or Jasper have said the words, 'it was in the shed,' translates to ' Alice ordered it and had it delivered in the middle of the night when nobody would see the truck,'" Edward said, trying to suppress a grin. "There's a back road that approaches this end of the campgrounds, one that doesn't pass near the front – so Carlisle wouldn't even notice it. She paid ridiculous fees in order to ensure confidential delivery."
Sadly, this really didn't surprise me by now. There were a few problems that seemed fairly obvious to me though, like what would happen when camp was over.
"What are they going to do with all this stuff when we leave? They can't leave it here – even Sue isn't crazy enough to think all of this was in here the whole time, regardless of how long it's been since she's been inside this cabin; she or someone else could find it someday. Surely Alice doesn't think she can take it back home – Carlisle will be so upset," I added, my brow creasing in confusion.
"Jasper's going to make an anonymous drop-off donation to the local Goodwill. That way they can enjoy the comforts of home while they're here, then offer them to the less fortunate, all while not getting caught," Edward explained knowingly. "Sue isn't even aware that this space is down here, but they're still going to remove any traces of their much-improved living environment."
"Oh…wait – how did they get all this down here? There's no way that TV or those couches fit through that trapdoor we just came through," I asked.
"If you turn off to the right instead of coming through the door to this room, the tunnel continues to widen and rise – it leads to a large cellar door that comes out of the ground in the woods. They used to move the wine barrels out of here from that path – the trap door from the house was for people only. That cabin used to be a sort of office where they kept track of inventory," Edward explained.
"Bella! Come here – you're missing the best part of the whole place," Alice interrupted, pulling me from Edward's arms. She dragged me to the back of the room, where there was another wooden door. When she pushed it open, I think my jaw hit the floor.
What looked like it used to be a large storage closet had been transformed into a spa-like retreat. The entire floor was covered in slate tile with a drain in the middle; directly above it, a giant rain showerhead hung from the ceiling. There were ferns of varying types placed along the walls and even hanging from the ceilings somehow. It was a completely open shower surrounded by plant life, and suddenly all I wanted to do was shove Alice from the room so I could use it. I hadn't realized how tiny and musty the showers in the bathhouses were – not until I saw this.
Alice pointed to the back corner of the room. "Just past that little partition is a toilet – I had Jasper install it in case you came to hang out," she said proudly.
For a brief moment I contemplated mortification over that fact, but then as I glanced back at the gorgeous shower area I shrugged it off. I was used to them being highly aware of my…human needs by now. My eyes continued to roam over the space, truly appreciating the effort put into the transformation. There was even a cute little table in the corner which had neat stacks of crisp white towels folded on top of it. Bins set underneath it seemed to be stocked full of various beauty products.
"Alice, how are you going to explain this beautiful bathroom if someone finds it?" I murmured, still looking around in wonder.
Alice shrugged. "We're just going to plaster over the door – it will be next to impossible to notice. By the time someone does – if that ever happens – there's no way they could figure out who built it anyway. Besides, who would argue if they found this? I know I wouldn't, would you?" she asked.
I shook my head in response. There was no way I would argue with finding this room anywhere – I'd just thank whatever stroke of luck I'd had in discovering it.
"Would you like to use the shower, Bella?" she asked, smiling up at me knowingly, already moving towards the exit; she knew my answer of course.
Completely unashamed, I nodded and eagerly shut the door behind her. She murmured something about checking the bins under the table before starting the shower, so I did, and I almost ran back out to hug her – there was a package of brand new disposable razors in one of them. I reminded myself to be more thankful of Alice 's uncanny habit of packing things for my human needs…without her, my legs would have been seriously prickly by the time camp was over.
The hot water felt divine…something about the openness of the room made it so much better than the bathhouses. Perhaps it was because I didn't have to balance precariously on one foot, while holding onto the mildew-covered shower stall in an effort not to fall while shaving my legs. There was just so much room here, and with the combination of steam and lush plants surrounding me, it almost felt as if I were standing outside in a rainstorm. I contemplated being angry with Edward for keeping us from this heaven for the past few days, but I knew it would be selfish of me - he just wanted me to get some sleep after all, and when surrounded by his siblings you never knew what would happen. As always, he was merely doing what he thought was best for me...even if I thought this shower was worth more than sleep itself.
After I don't know how long, a dull thud came from the door. "Bella…are you all right in there? You've been in there for an hour," Edward questioned from the other side of the door.
I jumped at his voice, and clutched at a towel that was folded on a nearby table. "Be right out, Edward!" I yelped. Had I really been in here an hour? I guess I'd lost track of time. As I took in my shriveled skin I realized he must be right.
After emerging from the shower, I joined Edward on one of the plush couches. I curled up next to him, surrounded by an assortment of fluffy throw pillows; I felt so relaxed I was sure I would fall asleep in no time. Before I forgot, I looked over at Jasper.
"That's a wonderful bathroom, Jasper," I mumbled, stretching luxuriously and letting the rest of my weight settle onto Edward – the coolness of his skin was refreshing after my hour long rainforest experience, he easily leaned back to accommodate me, pulling a blanket off the back of the couch as he did.
Jasper smiled back at me and nodded. "I'm glad you like it, Bella."
As I rest my head on Edward's chest, I took notice of the conversation around me - he and Emmett appeared to be discussing the afternoon's events.
"All I'm saying Emmett, is that you'd better get that kleptomaniac kid under control before he takes even more things. Rosalie isn't the only one who's been missing stuff – he's been sneaking into Angela and Jessica's cabin and taking items from them too," Edward said irritably.
"I've got enough going on that I can't constantly monitor every little thing each and every one of them is doing. Besides, the last thing I want to do is make the Fairy angry at me," Emmett replied. "Rose said she was going to go back and collect all the stuff tonight anyway, so it's over. I just know something bad will happen to me now – you shouldn't mess around with spiritual things."
Edward just sighed and turned his head towards me, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead in a delayed sort of greeting. Apparently he was giving up on the conversation.
The soft give of the upholstery near my feet signaled Alice's presence. "Now that you're all refreshed, you can help me with my work," she trilled happily.
"What work could you possibly have to do, Alice?" I replied sleepily, while Edward glared at her.
Alice rolled her eyes and began spreading a ridiculous amount of paperwork out in front of her, the sheets slowly creeping up to cover my body. "Inventory, of course – I've got to restock supplies before morning."
"Hey Alice, did you get my special order taken care of? It's pretty important," Emmett asked, his demeanor suddenly serious.
"Yes, Emmett I did. Those…things will be here tomorrow afternoon, and I should have them unpacked for you to pick up on Sunday morning. I had to really push for a Saturday delivery, you know. What a waste for something so…ridiculous," she added, shaking her head.
"Ridiculous? More like brilliant – you should hire me as Assistant Manager of your shop - I know what's cool, not to mention I clearly know how to solve a problem," Emmett deduced. What had he ordered? Perhaps it was best to leave it alone.
Alice was shaking her head in disagreement, and as the paperwork began to consume my feet and then my legs, I willed myself to ignore it and instead focus on Edward's velvety voice which was encouraging me to fall asleep as he fought to push the papers back at his sister.
A/N: Please leave a review - I'm sorry I haven't replied to a lot of them; I've been really busy, but please know that I read each and every one of them, and it means a great deal that you take the time to write them!