Bella POV

I woke up the next morning and yawned. That was when my recollection of the previous day's events came rushing back. I sat up in bed and looked at the rocking chair where my own personal miracle was waiting for me.

"Good morning, Bella." He welcomed me in his musical voice.

I ran across the room and jumped into his waiting lap.

"What are we going to do today?" I asked him. As long as I could stay with him, I didn't care.

"What would you say to meeting my family?" he asked. I could feel myself stiffen and my heart beat faster. I'm sure he noticed it as well. "Don't worry," he whispered seductively in my ear, "I'll protect you."

"Won't they be... surprised that you would bring someone... like me home to meet them?" I asked, still working to calm my heart.

He stiffened slightly underneath me. "No, they already know about you."

We sat together for an immeasurable period of time. We sat in silence for the most part, except for the occasional sigh from one of us. I felt his lips pressing onto my hair every once and a while, not that I minded, at all.

"Would you like to take a shower or have breakfast first?" he asked in my ear in his low, velvety voice.

"I'll have breakfast first, thank you." I told him before trying to stand up.

Before I could, however, he had swept me up and carried me down the stairs, vampire speed.

"Charlie?" I questioned him as he put me down in the blue chair.

"Left an hour ago, he's fishing." He informed me.

"So, Edward," I said, hoping to find something he wasn't amazing at, "what's for breakfast?"

He looked around the kitchen quickly before staring back into my eyes. "I'm not sure." He answered slowly, unsure of his words

"That's ok," I said as I stood up, "watch me hunt." I smiled seductively at him, but scampered to the cupboard, out of his reach, before he could encircle me in his arms. I saw a small smile play on his lips at my choice of words.

Took out some Raisin Brand and poured myself a bowl. I put in some milk and grabbed a spoon.

"So what do they think of me?" I asked him in between bites.

"They have no problem with you." He answered too quickly.

"All of them?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

His lips twitched into a quick frown before his face went back an emotionless mask. I knew I must have been getting close.

"You can tell me." I whispered to him.

He looked up into my eyes, and what he saw must have encouraged him, because he sighed in defeat.

"Alice is... very enthusiastic, and Carlisle and Esme are... understanding, to say the least." He told me.

"And the rest?" I asked, finishing the last of my cereal and putting the bowl in the sink to clean later.

He looked down at the floor again. "Rosalie will get over herself soon enough." He said quietly. "Jasper is... incredulous. He trusts me, but not as much as he trusts Alice, who is the real reason he hasn't argued against it, against you." He looked up at me again, staring into my eyes, studying them. "Emmett doesn't understand why I can't stay way from you..." he sighed, "Neither can I for that matter."

I looked down, away from his eyes. Of course he wouldn't understand why I was so special to him, I sure didn't. But it still hurt. I looked back into his eyes, fighting tears.

"I'm going to go take my shower now." I told him, trying hard to keep my voice unwavering.

I turned around and started walking up the stairs.

"Bella." I heard his musical voice from behind me.

I kept walking, trying very hard to be careful and not fall.

Edward POV

As soon as I had said it I knew I had hurt her. She would believe, as any human would, that I didn't see her beauty. She would think that I didn't like how she talked or walked or acted. But those were exactly the things that I did like, the things that captivated me.

"I'm going to take my shower now." She said. Her voiced sounded forced.

I watched as she turned around and started walking up the stairs. I had hurt her again... and the pain that it caused me was excruciating.

"Bella." I started to apologize, but she just kept walking.

When I could hear the shower running I turned around and cleaned up the kitchen. I put the milk back into the refrigerator and returned the cereal to its cupboard. Finally, it took me another few seconds to clean and dry the dishes. After putting them away, I sat down in the yellow chair again.

I tried my best not to concentrate on Bella's shower, but instead distracted myself on inconsequential things. I would drive her to her house in her car, if she let me. I would try to keep slow; after all, I didn't know how fast her old truck could go without breaking down.

I stopped, hearing the shower turn off upstairs. I heard her step out and pick something off the floor; her towel, probably. I heard each step she took around the bathroom as she walked to the sink. I heard her brush her teeth, wash her face, I finally pull her clothes on.

Finally, I can apologize I thought. Then I heard her turn on the blow-dryer. Or not. Now she's just punishing me.

Five minutes later she was walking down the stairs, or at least she was trying to. She tripped three stairs from the bottom and fell into my waiting arms.

"I'm sorry, Bella." I told her. "What I meant was the truth, but not for the reasons you think. I told you I didn't understand why I couldn't stay away from you, because I should be able to stay away from you. You don't understand the danger of being around vampires, and I should be able to do the right thing, for you, and leave." I explained.

Her half smile vanished.

"Don't talk about leaving. I don't want you to leave" she whispered into my chest.

I to her face, rubbing my thumb on her blushing cheek. I lifted her face and kissed her.

The feeling I got was indescribable. It was happy and excited, but calm and anxious. As she wrapped her warm, soft arms around my neck, the latter two feelings disappeared. After a few moments I felt her tongue running over my lower lip, and I knew I had to stop this before it got too far.

I pulled back a few inches and pulled herm arms off around my neck. I could feel her pulse through her shirt.

"That color blue looks lovely on your skin." I complimented her before I could stop myself.

She blushed a pale shade of pink.

"So does pink." I joked to her.

She blushed even deeper.

"Let's go." She suggested, slightly exasperated.

"Alright, then, Miss Swan. Let's go." I told her.

I walked with her outside to her car, holding the passenger door open for her again. As soon as she was in I ran to the other side and started the car.

"Very human," she commented sarcastically.

"It's coming back to me now," I joked. "In more ways then one, as well." I added. "Ever since I've talked with you, even if it's only been a few days, the more human feelings return to me. Compassion, exasperation..." love, lust.

"Exasperation?" she asked, raising her eyebrows?

"I'm still unable to read you mind, you know. " I explained. I groaned.

"What?" she asked, placing her hand on my arm, searching for a way to comfort me.

"Well, this car of yours, if you can call it that, is going at its, maximum speed of 67 miles per hour."

She laughed. It was a beautiful sound, one of tarnished silver, lower in pitch than a clean one. Silver that hadn't bean used in a while. "You want me, you bet the car." She informed me. Then she stretched in her seat to press her warm lips onto my cool cheek.

I smiled, "We're here Bella." I stopped the car in front of my house. As she got out, her jaw dropped.

I guess I could understand part of her reaction. The house is a large, white, Victorian style manner. Esme had fixed it up in a few weeks before the rest of the family came here. It had kept its old charm, but it was a bit lighter and brighter than it had once been.

And then I heard it. My siblings' reactions, not all of them were good.

It took you long enough, Alice thought.

I'll stay away; I'm not tempting myself, Jasper assured me.

Esme was waiting with Carlisle, both of them telling me everyone was ready.

Although Rosalie was gone for now, Emmett's thoughts were as loud as ever. Get her inside already! I want to meet her! Come on Edward, I know you're listening.

I laughed internally at him. Of course Emmett would be excited. He and Bella were a lot alike. Both of them had loved, and been loved in return, as a human. Even though it was only a few hours for him, he knew the miracle that I must seem like to Bella.

She turned her attention back to me as I turned mine back to her. I grasped her warm, weak hand in mine and led her up the stairs and onto the porch. I opened the large white door for her and ushered her inside.

She stared around at the open white room. The darkest thing in the entire house, not including Carlisle's Mercedes, was my grand piano that sat on the elevated section of the floor. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in the clusters of light colored couches and armchairs...

Edward, there's something you should know, Carlisle told me from upstairs. A coven is expected to arrive here later tonight or tomorrow. I thought you should know, but I wasn't sure... were you going to tell Bella?

I nodded; a slight shake of the head and turned to see Bella turning away, her heart rate slightly increasing. She knew I had been communicating with Carlisle, and she was scared. Her eyes met the piano again.

"Do you play, Edward?" she asked me.

"Yes. Do you?" I inquired back.

"I used to," she laughed, "but not so much anymore."

I heard Esme, Emmett, Carlisle, Alice and Jasper slip into the room, so I turned Bella around to introduce them.

"Bella, this is Esme, Carlisle, my parents," I told her, pausing to let her shake their hands.

"It's very nice to meet you, Bella," Esme told her. "I'm very glad you came."

Bella nodded shyly, "You have a beautiful home."

"You've met Alice..." I continued, she blushed deeper, "And this is Emmett, and that is Jasper." I gestured to my brother, but he stayed across the room, leaning against the wall to keep from temptation.

"Hello," she said, smiling her beautiful timid smile.

That was when I was bombarded with thoughts.

When are you going to do it Edward? Oh, Rose is going to kill you...

She's lovely, Edward. I'm so glad to see you happy...

You are going to invite her to watch baseball Edward. Then you are going to...

We'll leave; give you some time to talk...

It's too much... maybe later...

Bella POV

Esme was gorgeous. She had the same pale skin and golden eyes, but her features were slightly more rounded.

Emmett seemed a little less scary now that I knew him as someone other than the weightlifter-wrestler guy.

Alice... Alice was excited and practically bouncing off the walls. On the contrary, Jasper left soon after being introduced. I felt slightly hurt, but more confused.

What had Carlisle told Edward? I smiled again and the Cullens and turned to the piano. It was beautiful. It must have been in perfect condition, but it was obviously vintage.

I felt a pair of hard, cool arms snake around my waist. His nose skimmed along the skin of my neck, making me shiver. He pulled back a bit and kissed my hair. I turned around to see that his siblings were gone, as were his parents.

"So... what did Carlisle tell you earlier?" I asked him warily; I didn't want him to overreact.

"You noticed that?" he asked, almost to himself. "He wasn't sure if I would tell you something, but I will, and I don't really have a choice now, do I?"

"Not anymore." I joked, but added more seriously, "So what was it?"

"There is a group of vampires coming, Alice saw it, and I won't be letting you out of my sight for a few days."

"How about forever?" I asked earnestly, turning my head so I could stare into his topaz eyes.

"I wouldn't mind that," he responded. Then her turned me around and ran me up the stairs. We stopped outside a door on the third story. "My room," he informed me before pushing open the door.

His room was as amazing as the rest of the house. The walls were hung with a heavy light brown fabric, good for acoustics, I assumed. One wall was entirely dominated by a CD collection, while the other was a hug window, a wall of glass. In the corner was an expensive looking sound system. The only other furniture in the room was a large black couch, big enough for three or four people, and upholstered with smooth, black leather.

"It's... wonderful," I breathed.

"I'm glad you think so," he chuckled. I committed that sound to my memory; I didn't want to forget it.

He grabbed me by the waist again, and flung me into his coach. The movement was so fast that it took me a moment to catch my mind up to the actions. When it finally did, I took his face in my hands and kissed him before I could think twice.

He kissed back, his cool lips molding against mine, our bodies pressed together. After a moment he pulled away. I was already gasping for air.

"You're really not afraid of me then?" he asked. His eyes were smoldering with curiosity.

"No." I answered simply, before pressing my lips to his once again.