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Prompt: Expand, exploit, explode

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I muttered as I pulled on an old-fashioned dress. Alice seemed to think that being in jeans and a t-shirt might be too shocking for Lord Edward. Geez, if that shocked him, what would he think the first time he went to a beach and saw actual skin?

"Bella, it's almost time," Alice called from the other side of the door while knocking. "We need to get started, and you need to be on the bed."

I yanked the door open and glared. "I have no idea how to even put this thing on."

She looked down my body and began to laugh. "I'm pretty sure you've got it on backwards. I think it laces up the front."

"No, I don't think so," I replied, going over to the computer. Giggling the mouse I pulled up a picture of a 1890s dress. "See, it laces up the back, and then you put a blouse and skirt over it. I honestly don't understand why women back then wanted their behinds to be so big."

I glanced back and looked at the contraption that my skirt was supposed to fit over. It made my behind look like it exploded out of my body by about a foot. "I don't think I really need the corset. They didn't wear these kind of clothes in his time anyway."

"But then it wouldn't be authentic," Alice whined.

"Like he would know, like he's going to show up to know." I yanked on the tie in back and shimmied the corset down over my hips. "I'm going to wear my normal underwear. The blouse will be fine, and I'll carry the back of the skirt over my arm to keep it out of the dirt."

"Whatever, Bella, although I think you'd look better in the entire outfit."

"It'll be easier to lay on the bed without that cage behind me," I said, buttoning up the blouse. It was cute with its bell sleeves and fitted seams. Lace lined the high neckline and the bottom of the sleeves that I buttoned at my wrists. I would be more covered up than women of his own time period, but that didn't matter. It wasn't like he was going to show up.

When we made it downstairs I noticed that all the candles in the room were lit. Carlisle stood just outside the door, medical bag in hand. He'd already sanitized the kitchen and turned the table into a surgical site, hanging IV bags containing saline, antibiotics and a number of other things I didn't understand close by. He winked as I walked past.

"Be sure not to freak out when he shows up," he said, trying not to laugh.

"I can't believe you did all that," I said, waving toward the kitchen. "How much did it cost?"

He leaned over to whisper in my ear. "A bundle, but it made mom happy." With a shrug he stood. "Besides, most of it is close to its expiration date and the hospital was throwing it away, so I got a deal."

"Great way to exploit your position."

He laughed. "Yep, all those long hours, crappy food, never seeing my family and dealing with people on the worst day of their lives does have some benefits. Now go lay on the bed, mom is getting antsy."

I turned back to the room. The candles gave it a warm glow. Incense was burning somewhere, making the room smoky and musky smelling. The bed curtains were pulled closed except for one small section I was to crawl through. My feet turned to lead and pterodactyl-sized butterflies took up residence in my stomach. "This won't work, this won't work," I chanted quietly as I crossed over to sit on the bed.

"Lay down on the east side of the bed," Maman said, pointing to the far side. I did as she instructed and lay still as she arranged my skirts. "Keep your eyes closed. We'll be out here the entire time."

"How will I know if it worked or not?"

"When we tell you we're finished, if someone is in the bed with you, it worked. If you're alone, it didn't"

It was all I could do not to roll my eyes at her. Thank goodness I was closing them.

I settled into the mattress and listened as Alice and Maman moved to the head and foot of the bed. Maman began to chant, she was at the head. I had no idea what Alice was doing, but listened to the sing-song sound of Maman's Cajun French. She'd assured me this wasn't voodoo, but considering the way my heart started to pound, I wasn't sure.

Air moved above me, and I almost opened my eyes, but decided the air conditioner must have kicked on since it was cool. Maman continued to speak, and with my eyes closed it began to sound like a lullaby. Taking a deep breath, feeling my chest expand with chilly air, I relaxed deeper into the mattress. I hoped I didn't need to stay awake. It was so comfortable here. My mind drifted to what Lord Edward looked like in the portrait upstairs. Tall, lanky, with really nice calves. I chuckled remembering when I'd pointed them out to Alice. She said I was weird, but they guy had nice legs. His face wasn't so bad either. I could sit and stare at a face like that for hours. Carlisle shared some of his features, namely the sharp jaw and aquiline nose, making him almost as handsome.

The smell of the incense changed, became sweeter. Maybe that was what Alice was doing, although I hadn't heard her move. Whatever it was it made a lassitude steal over my body, as if my bones were too heavy for my weary body to lift. I took a deep breath, enjoying the spicy note that joined with the sweet ones.

I thought it impossible to relax more and still be awake, but managed. The air was heavy, humid in spite of the air-conditioning, each breath more difficult to take in than the one before it. It was so peaceful here. I turned my head slightly on the pillow, and gave in to my body's demand for rest.

Someone grabbed my hand. "No, Maman, let me sleep," I whispered.

"I'm not Maman," a rough, male voice answered.

Sleepiness fled as I opened my eyes. Green ones stared back into mine. Then I did the only thing I could think of. I screamed.

Things are crazy at work, but I'll do my best to try to write something. I'm also herding cats tomorrow (I'm an adviser for a youth group that has 65 high-school-age kids), so no guarantees!