This is set directly after Eclipse and I take some inspiration from "Growing Up Cullen" – that delight of parodies.
I'm trying something a little different – I usually write the Wolf Pack – so please let me know what you think!
Faint, twangy music greeted the pair as they entered the Cullens' house. The entrance way had been decorated with hundreds of tiny lights that twinkled as Bella spun around to admire them.
She was still spinning as Rosalie came down the stairs. She was wearing a bright red sari with gold beadwork and gold bangles on her wrists. Her blond hair was pulled into two long, neatly braided pigtails. Bella's jaw dropped in awe. Rosalie looked more like a goddess than she usually did.
"Rosie, you look very nice." Edward gave her a slight nod of the head in greeting.
"As do you, brother." She looked over at Bella. "You, on the other hand, are a mess. Come here."
Bella took a step closer to the goddess.
"Edward, take this in to Alice." She handed him a silver tray covered in flower petals. Edward gave one last smile to Bella and went to find his other sister.
Rosalie held Bella at arm's length and ran a practiced eye over her ensemble. Very dissatisfied with what she saw, Rosalie spun Bella to face the opposite direction and had untied and properly retied Bella's top nice and tight before Bella could even breathe in to protest. Spinning Bella back around, she knelt down in front of her.
"Shoes off," she instructed but Bella's head was spinning and she couldn't understand. Rosalie raised a single eyebrow. "I know what you two have been doing this afternoon. Do you think we wouldn't smell it?"
Rosalie pulled Bella's sneakers off of her bare, smelly feet with only a slight crinkle of her nose giving away her disgust. "Skirt up," she commanded next but Bella's mind was still foggy. So, Rosalie reached up under Bella's skirt and undid her jeans, pulling them quickly down her legs. "Unacceptable," she hissed.
"Step," Rosalie instructed and this time Bella obeyed. Rosalie yanked one jeans leg off and then the other.
Understanding dawned on Bella. "But Edward didn't—"
"So, this was a solo exploration then," said Rosalie with a smirk. "Really, Bella."
Bella blushed but she felt the unvanquished tingle return as Rosalie gave one of her bare legs a lingering brush under the peacock skirt.
"I suppose your afternoon of pleasure also explains why your hair is a mess." Rosalie was suddenly behind her. Vampire quick, she finger combed it out and gave her a neat center part.
"There. It will have to do. Come on then, let's not keep Alice waiting."
Rosalie began to walk off and Bella, dazed, followed in her wake.
"Oh! I forgot one thing." Rosalie stopped and whipped around, nearly hitting Bella with her pigtails. She was holding a handful of golden bangles.
"Give me your hands," she commanded.
Bella didn't dare refuse as Rosalie slid the bangles onto one wrist and then the other. They were still ice-cold.
And as Rosalie sauntered off into the dining area, Bella could still smell the faint perfume of her on her wrists.
Alice, dressed to the nines in a blindingly white sari with silver beading, had arranged an elaborate Indian dinner – heaping bowls of food Bella could not identify and had no idea how to eat. She nervously jangled the bracelets on her arm as Edward piled food on her plate.
The table was set for eight with name cards detailing where everybody should sit. Carlisle and Esme at the head and foot of the table; Jasper and Alice, Bella and Edward on the right side; Emmett and Rosalie on the left.
"I made sure Alice gave you a fork, my dear." Esme's soft voice carried over the clink of the serving spoon.
"Yes, we don't want a repeat of the chopsticks incident," Edward chuckled.
Bella blushed and Alice squeezed her hand under the table.
"Well, you only live once, right? This might be your last chance to eat chicken masala so you had better take it. Besides, I've already seen that you think this is delicious." Alice gave her an impish grin.
Desperate to change the subject away from her, Bella picked up her fork and stabbed a piece of chicken.
"So, Alice, um, how did you cook this?"
"It was Jazz, actually. He said he missed plucking feathers."
"Don't forget to have some these peas," Edward chimed in, as Bella bit off the end of her piece of chicken.
"You killed this?" Bella choked.
"Did you think chickens grew on trees?" Jasper smiled at her and fended off Alice's swat to the arm. "I used to do it all the time as a boy. My mama would send me out to get a chicken and I would have to wring its neck. She was too softhearted for that kind of work. Chicken blood sure ain't all that tasty, though."
"Yes, Bella, we'll have to catch you some deer next time Alice organizes one of these… dinners. You do eat venison, don't you?" Rosalie gave an icy smile. "Or perhaps a rabbit would be more to your taste? I used have the most darling pair of rabbit skin gloves and I would so love another set."
"I can catch a rabbit." Emmett said between bites.
"Of course can, Munkin, and you can catch an extra for Bella to eat." Rosalie cooed.
"We could do an Alice in Wonderland theme!" Alice squealed in delight, already imagining the outfits.
Bella's stomach turned at the thought of eating a bunny but she determinedly kept chewing. The sooner she finished, the sooner this would end.
Three courses and much uncomfortable conversation later, they were finally down to the rice pudding - gloopy, white, sticky rice pudding.
"Babe, you know what this looks like?" Emmett stage whispered to Rosalie, who giggled.
Edward shot him a glare. "That's not appropriate conversation with a lady present."
"Hey, you're the one who read my mind." Emmett shot back.
"Boys!" Carlisle set down the antique medical volume he had been paging through. "That's enough. We have company."
"But I didn't—"
"Edward, I said that's enough."
Emmett smirked from across the table as Bella scooped up a spoonful of her rice pudding. She closed her eyes and ate the spoonful of dessert. It was sweet and milky; it was also one spoonful too much. Bella's stomach gave an unattractive gurgle and she felt herself blush bright red.
Carlisle looked at her with concern. "Bella, if you need to take a human moment, I'll have the girls start clearing the table."
Bella flashed him a look of thanks and walked as quickly as she could to the small bathroom, leaving the bickering Cullens behind.
When Bella emerged, she expected Edward would have been waiting for her but he wasn't. "Alice probably has him doing something," she thought as she walked back towards the main part of the house. "And maybe I can change into my jeans and t-shirt while nobody is paying attention to me."
Her jeans were lying neatly folded by the twinkling lights of the entranceway where she left them. It was just a matter of running out to the car and fetching her t-shirt, which had been safely hidden away in her bag. She took a few jingling steps towards the door and checked over her shoulder. Nobody was watching. She raced for the door and opened it as quietly as she good. Blocking her path was a baby in a wicker basket.
Bella's scream drew every Cullen in the house. They arrived vampire fast, expecting carnage, and instead found Bella staring confusedly at a wailing baby.
Her red sari still immaculately pleated, Rosalie whipped past Bella and was cradling the crying baby before the words, "you're scaring him" sunk in. Edward placed two rock-hard hands on Bella's shoulders and pulled her away, which was fine because she didn't want to be anywhere near the small bundle Rosalie was holding.
Standing with Edward's marble body like a wall at her back, Bella dazzled brain sputtered back into action.
"Alice, you didn't see this coming." Carlisle wasn't asking. "Can you see anything at all? The Volturi?"
Alice shook her head. "I can't watch everybody," she said softly. "Emmett, Jasper, and I can go search the area for the mother, to see if she left a trail."
Carlisle nodded and the three took off into the night. "We should get this baby to the hospital or your father, maybe, Bella."
Rosalie looked up at that, with fire in her eyes. "I will not send this baby to an institution or hand him over to the police."
"Is there a note?" Bella absolutely did not want Charlie involved in this, Volturi or not.
Esme checked the basket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "It says, 'Dr. Cullen, I know you are a good man and have a good family. You will be able to give little Paul a better life than I could. Tell him I'm sorry.'"
"Something still doesn't seem right about this." Carlisle began pacing.
"What's not right?" asked Rosalie. She had calmed the baby down by giving him a finger to suck on. "Some poor woman was in over her head and thought you with all your foster children would give little Paul a better life. I don't think that's so wrong."
"Rosalie, think about the mother." Carlisle made a move to take the baby from her arms but she refused, turning her back. "She must be missing her child." He tried again.
Little Paul began to whimper.
"He's cold." Rosalie's voice betrayed the slightest waver. "I'm making him cold."
"Give him here, Rosalie," Esme said, not unkindly. She took the bundle and gave him over to Bella. "Make sure to support his head."
Snuggled next to human warmth, little Paul quickly calmed down. Bella marveled at his tiny face and tiny hands and tiny everything. "Can you read his mind?" she whispered at Edward, who had been silent as the drama played out between his sister and his father.
"He's content, for the moment," said Edward. "Baby minds are really quite simple; I wish I could share in the wholesome pleasures of food and love."
Bella's heart gave a little squeeze at that and she leaned back a little more onto Edward, thinking she could share her warmth with him at least.
Esme, Rosalie, and Carlisle were deep in conference on the other side of the room.
"Do you think I can go sit down?" Bella whispered. "He's kind of heavy."
"Of course, Bella," Carlisle called over. "But first, I must beg a favor from you."
"Um, sure," Bella said, her back beginning to ache.
"We cannot yet be sure that this baby is what he appears to be and I am as reluctant as my daughter to bring the authorities into this situation – no matter how honorable the authorities are." Bella gave a slight nod at his shout-out to Charlie. "I've decided that the baby will stay here for tonight, at least. Rosalie has offered to act as the primary caretaker but I…we would feel better if there was a human here, as well."
Bella looked up at Edward, who smiled down at her. "I guess it's okay, then. I just need to call Charlie."
Carlisle gave her a resigned smile. "Fine. Then you and Rosalie will share her room this evening." He gestured to his son. "Edward, a word?"
Rosalie swept over to Bella. "I'll show you where you'll be staying." And without a word, Bella followed Rosalie up to her room.
Unlike Edward's neat, almost Spartan living space, Rosalie's room looked inviting. Books and magazines were piled by comfortable looking chair by the window. Clothes hung out of the closet and over a beautifully painted Japanese standing screen. A number of green plants and flowers made the sharp, modern lines of the house a bit more organic feeling. There was no trace of a large, very strong, very masculine man.
"I thought you slept with Emmett," Bella heard herself say as she looked around. "I mean, it's very you in here."
"Vampires don't sleep." Rosalie held out her arms for the baby. "I fuck Emmett and you know nothing about me." Bella handed the baby over. "You'll find nightclothes in there." Rosalie pointed to her bureau. "Top drawer, on the left."
Bella dug through the bits of silken nothing looking for something that she wouldn't be completely mortified to wear. She was unsuccessful. "Rosalie, I can't wear—" she began, turning around.
"Maybe you would prefer this?" Rosalie was there holding one of Emmett large, white undershirts.
"Yeah, um, thanks," Bella said, blushing.
"You can change behind there." Rosalie pointed to the Japanese screen. "But first…"
Bella felt Rosalie's cold fingers brush aside her hair and one by one the laces from her top came loose until the fabric flapped limply at her sides. Rosalie let Bella's hair fall back down. It felt good against her bare skin. It also felt good to be free of the constricting top and Bella gave a little sigh pleasure as she walked back behind the Japanese screen to change.
"I always loved the feeling when Eliza, my maid, took off my corset – that first breath is so liberating." The Japanese screen was slightly transparent and Rosalie watched Bella's awkward human form wistfully as she changed. Bella didn't know what she was giving up to become a vampire – feeling one's pulse speed up and breath shorten when one was excited, taking a deep breath of crisp fall air, warming up in front of a roaring fire. These had all been stolen from her and now Bella was going to give them up without a second thought… it made Rosalie sick.
The baby gave a little yawn and Rosalie gave him a kiss on the cheek. He would sleep and she would watch him.
"What should I do with this dress?" Bella asked.
"Just throw it on the floor," Rosalie answered without looking up.
"But—"
"But, what? Are you going to do laundry? No. Do I care about Alice's dresses? No."
Tinkling jewelry and fabric hit the floor. Bella, dressed in the white undershirt, shuffled over to the bed where Rosalie sat.
Rosalie handed over little Paul and went to change – she didn't bother with the modesty screen. She undid the red sari fabric quickly and folded it neatly on her bureau. Dressed only in the red halter-top and underskirt, she began to poke through her drawer of nightclothes. Bella was mesmerized by the open expanse of her midriff. Vampires were rock hard but Rosalie's flesh looked so soft and dimpled that she wanted to touch it to make sure. Still staring at the curve of Rosalie's stomach, Bella gave a slight gasp as the underskirt dropped and the top fluttered to the ground - snowy white thighs and a perfect round ass were all Bella could focus on.
But when Bella blinked, Rosalie was again covered. She was wearing a long, black silk nightgown, slit up both sides. She smiled knowingly at Bella. "I'll take the baby now. You can go to sleep."