We do not own Twilight
Chapter 26
by Nalwaves
Bella paced.
It had been almost a day and a half since they had dropped Edward off at the KLA meeting. Where could his nipples be?
News had broken early that morning that the khaki ban had been lifted; it was legal again to wear khaki! At that thought Bella touched her long khaki skirt, recalling her fuzzy human memory of wearing this same garment to meet Edward's family. It felt right to wear it again.
Mike also seemed tense.
"Mike, don't worry. Edward won't be gone too much longer," she promised, soothing away Mike's fears. Bella stared into his lifeless eyes, and was completely creeped out. "Please wear your glasses, your eyes follow me wherever I go," Bella sighed, straightening his sunglasses and hat and heard the sound she was waiting for. Edward was almost home.
"Go, I'll take care of Mike," Tanya volunteered. (Tanya? Oh, right, Tanya was in Forks after Vegas.) Bella didn't like Tanya hanging around; she looked at Mike and Edward in strange ways.
Bella reluctantly let go of her Mike safety blanket and went to meet Edward on the porch. Emmett, Rose, and Esme were hunting but everyone else joined her outside.
"There you are!" Carlisle greeted as Edward slowed and bounded up the stairs, embracing Bella.
"Sorry everyone, I had some business to attend to."
"Have you heard about khaki?" Jasper asked eagerly.
"Oh, I've heard," Edward replied cryptically, which caused an awkward moment.
"I thought you'd be happier," Bella said quietly.
"I'm ecstatic about the legalization of the material that I love, just a bit pissy that we already got rid of all our khaki! Well, apparently not your skirt, but everything else," he grumbled. He really was a whiny teenager sometimes.
"The KLF have been planning the legalization of khaki for quite some time, there's a whole mall dedicated to it in Seattle. They have Old Khaki, Khaki Republic, Abercrombie and Khaki, Hollikhaki, American Khaki, Khaki Barn, Gaki, and Hot Khaki opening today," Alice's pixi-like body almost buzzed with the anticipation she felt over shopping.
Edward's mood changed immediately. "You mean I could be wearing my very own khaki again today?"
"Yes, my son, that's the idea," Carlisle smiled and they went to tell Mike and Tanya the plan. They were gone.
"Mike? Tanya?" Carlisle called, uncertain. "Alice, where are they?"
"She… she took him."
"Mike's been kidnapped!?" Bella screeched, fear and anger rising simultaneously in her vampire body. "We have to go get him!"
"We will, but we need khaki first," Edward said, his voice determined.
A short while later the Cullens were running to Seattle, Rosalie, Emmett, and Esme were notified and came along, they were just as excited about owning khaki garments again as the rest of them. Edward couldn't wait so he had ripped part of Bella's skirt off and made himself a crude sleeveless vest. Bella was amazed that her skirt could be any length other than long.
When they arrived at the Khaki Mall, Edward's jaw nearly dropped at all of the fantastical khaki stores. He wept his notears of joy once more. Mr. Justice was there and waiting.
"Edward, you did an amazing thing for khaki," he said, and Bella tilted her head in confusion.
"You? You're part of the KLF?" Bella questioned, and Alice gasped.
"That's what you were doing! You took a huge risk, Edward," Alice grumbled, secretly jealous but too distracted by the possibility of khaki leather pants with a matching sequined top to really yell at her brother.
"I know, but it was worth it. If Bella and I couldn't be together with khaki, well, I couldn't live that way. Forgive me, Bella?" Edward asked, turning toward her and doing his best to dazzle her.
"No."
"No?" He questioned, wishing for the gazillionth time that he could read her mind.
"No, you have to tell me what's going on…" Bella trailed off as she was distracted by a scent.
"Grab her! She'll go for the nipples!" Jasper urged, and Emmett clamped his arms around Bella.
"I'm not going for the nipples, Idiotsper, I think I smell Rick James."
"Oh. Well, the emotions are similar," Jasper grumbled and they all followed Bella to Khaki Barn.
"Rick!" Rosalie exclaimed as they saw him, looking fairly normal except for his red eyes. He was behind a cash register.
"What are you doing here?" Esme questioned, everyone wondering how he could be with all these humans and be resisting.
"This is my day job," He replied, shrugging.