14.

A/N: I'm an awful author, and I'm sorry. I just have not had time to write, or the inspiration. But recently, I've discovered a little motivation, spurred by all of your wonderful reviews, New Moon (!!!), and a couple of my friends' new found love of all things Twilight. Excitement truly is infectious. Therefore, here you have it- hopefully I can atone for my wrongs with the next couple of chapters, already written and ready.

Edward's POV

I moved quietly around in my room, organizing my music and books. Though most of the house had been unpacked by the movers, these boxes had been left untouched. I had made a special request that most of my boxes remain unpacked- I just felt better doing it myself and in my own way. It was while I sorted and shelved that I couldn't help but listen to what was happening in the room across the hall.

The room was Bella's. Esme had taken pity on the two of us, granting us rooms away from the bedrooms on the third floor where the three couples would be staying. The only other rooms on this floor were a small bathroom, Carlisle's study and a guest bedroom. Each of these had been shrunk to provide Bella with the most space possible, since she liked to retreat from the family at times. Even my own room, while still large, had been downsized. It only made sense that Bella have her own space, and that was why I had felt the need to help Alice with the planning. Beyond actual architecture, Esme had given control of the project over to Alice. Of course, I knew that giving Alice complete authority would have had terrible, overdone results. In turn, I also knew that Bella would not be pleased by that outcome. That was why I had stepped in and tried to bring some reason to the entire process.

Now, as I broke open the box of C-F albums, I listened to Bella's reaction briefly. Reassured that she liked the room, I began working hard to not eavesdrop. Bella valued her privacy, and though it went against my nature, I wanted to give her as much of that as was possible. Truly I didn't hear much of anything after her initial response. In fact, I was nearly done with my alphabetizing before I picked back up on the thoughts and spoken conversation in the next room.

With interest, I realized that it was just Bella and Jasper talking now. A moment later, further shock set in as I heard my name and put together Jasper's thoughts and words to figure out what they were talking about. I clenched my jaw as Jasper told Bella that he knew about the accident, and held myself back with the promise that I would yell at Jasper about how to keep things to himself later. Then, a few minutes later, Bella uttered the question I knew she would have to answer at some point or another. I listened to their entire conversation about bloodlust, any semblance of trying to respect others' privacy gone. However, by the time the conversation was over, my anger at Jasper was also gone. Instead, I couldn't help but feel thankful to him as it seemed he had really helped Bella. I wished that she would have asked me, but I also realized her relationship with Jasper was different.

I placed the last few CDs on the shelf as I heard Jasper excuse himself and head downstairs. I paced around the room for a few minutes, trying to decide whether or not to go to Bella or not. On the one hand, she seemed to have just worked through a lot, and maybe she would want to talk about it. On the other hand, I couldn't exactly tell her I had been listening. Of course, there was also a reason she had talked to Jasper. But what if she needed me?

Ten minutes later, I decided to check in without letting on that I knew anything. I stepped into the hallway, knocking gently on the white door. It sat ajar, and my knock pushed it open just enough to widen the crack between the door and its frame.

"Come in." Bella called.

I eased in, closing the door behind me.

"Hi." She said casually, though her body betrayed her newborn reflexes, tensed and at the ready. Despite this involuntary response, I noticed she didn't leap up from the white loveseat as she might have not so long before. For whatever reason, I couldn't help but feel a little excited that she was more comfortable around me.

I looked at her from the doorway, taking in the way her hair fell over her shoulders, gently cascading down to where it brushed gently against her arm. For a brief moment I imagined brushing it back from where it hung in front of her face, before shaking the thought away. I crossed the room then, noticing the two books in her hands. She looked at them intensely, as if making a serious evaluation.

"What is it?" I asked, nodding toward the two volumes.

"Oh!" she said, sitting them down on the table beside her. "Just trying to decide whether I should start with something recent or more classic."

"Hmmm….Personally, recognizing my obvious bias, I'd say the classic. Although, maybe not if its Wuthering Heights."

"What's wrong with Wuthering Heights?" she asked, surprised and defensive.

"Nothing. If you don't mind characters that have no redeeming qualities."

Indignation swept her features. "What about their love? Isn't that redeeming?"

"Not when it's a selfish love like theirs."

"Hmmmph." She said, and I was taken aback by the unbearable cuteness of her annoyed expression. Yet again, I fought back against my ridiculous notions. Where were these thoughts coming from? This was Bella, and I had no right to think of her like this.

"You like her.." Jasper's words echoed in my memories, before Bella pulled me back to the present.

"You should know it's my favorite book." she said, disapprovingly.

"Actually, I already do." I answered.

She looked surprised, before recognition sparkled in her ruby eyes.

"I guess you do, seeing as you helped pick out the books for all of this." She said, gesturing to the bookshelves. "But how did you know?" she asked, suddenly suspicious and curious.

"You kept reading it from Carlisle's study- by the time you finally put it back there was plenty of new wear on it."

She shook her head. "You noticed that?" she asked in disbelief.

Suddenly I felt a little embarrassed, and I couldn't keep up the banter any longer and just shrugged my shoulders. Now that she brought it up, I began to think it was a little strange that I had noticed such a thing.

And Bella seemed to think the same, indicated by her bitten lip- her usual response to situations in which she was uncomfortable or nervous. Suddenly, it was all I could look at- her perfect, ruby red lips.

"Well, thanks. I really love the library- it's the best gift I've ever been given. And I love the blue, by the way."

A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. "I'm glad." I said, genuinely pleased. "The color seems to suit you." Again, I had spoken without thinking to filter my thoughts. A small awkward silence descended as we each recognized the oddness of my response. I looked away for a quick moment, desperately gathering my thoughts and composure before focusing back on Bella.

"There is just one more thing I'd like to give you- I'll be right back." I said, deciding that this was as good a time as any. I quickly turned and crossed the hall, ignoring Bella's questioning look.

I returned just a few seconds later with a lumpy but vaguely rectangular package. It was wrapped in a layer of bubble-wrap, keeping the precious items inside safe. Bella was still seated on the loveseat, and I stood in front of her, looking at her expectant face.

Truth was, I wasn't sure how to hand over what I held in my hands. I was unsure whether their contents would help or hurt her, and I was worried about her reaction. Bella interrupted these thoughts.

"You know you didn't have to get me anything else- you and everyone else have already done so much."

I smiled slightly before joining her on the loveseat, remembering to move slowly to avoid startling her. I looked into her eyes before replying, deciding to not mention my debt to her, knowing it would upset her.

"Bella, first, this room is not a trouble at all. Esme and Alice love this stuff, and I didn't mind pitching in, and it's no more than anyone in this family gets. Second, this isn't so much a gift as it is just a return of a couple of items to their rightful owner."

With my last couple of words, I gave Bella the package. She looked from the bubble-wrapped shape in her hands back to me. Curiosity burned across her features before she gently eased a fingernail under the edge of the tape. I could tell she would need no reminder to be gentle as her tiny hands slowly unwound the bubble wrap, revealing several framed pictures.

I saw shock register on Bella's face, and waited to see how she would react. She studied the first picture for several minutes, running her fingers over the glass. She did the same with the second, then the third, and finally the fourth.

When she looked up, I saw the traces of sadness I expected. However, the overwhelming emotions etched into her features where gratefulness and wonder.

So quietly I could barely hear her, she uttered her gratitude. "Thank you, Edward." I said nothing, waiting.

Finally, after staring at the photos for several more moments, she looked up again. "How?" she questioned simply.

"Well, Alice was a great deal of help. Our last night in forks, right before the two of us left to go hunting, I asked her to go find what reminders of your human life she could at Charlie's house. She found these photos- the one of your mom was by your computer. The one with your dad from when you were younger- around twelve, if I had to guess, was in your desk. The last two were a little harder. Charlie had a family photo album stashed in a closet- Alice went through to find the ones that wouldn't be missed. There were several like the one of you, Renee and Charlie from around when you were three. The last one is from when Renee and Charlie were dating. Alice had already ordered the frames- what with seeing the future and all."

She looked at me in awe, as I gave her the details of each of the photos.

"You should probably know that the copy of Wuthering Heights is also from your old room. So is the one of Romeo and Juliet and a couple by Jane Austen. There are also a couple of pairs of sweatpants in the closet along with a t-shirt or two. I'm sorry we couldn't get more, but we didn't want to risk Charlie noticing things were missing…" I trailed off, unsure of what else to say, wondering whether I was only causing Bella more pain.

Before I could read Bella's face again, or ask what she was thinking, she leaped across the small distance between us. Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck. Shocked, I wrapped my own arms around her as she squeezed, ignoring the fact that she wasn't considering her substantial newborn strength. Though her grip was a little uncomfortable, I didn't feel the need to complain.

I was justified when just as quickly as she had embraced me, Bella let go, scooting back to her side of the loveseat. She looked sheepish, and for an instant I found myself wishing she hadn't let go so quickly. I didn't have time to consider the implications of my wish before a light knock on the door caught both of our attention.

"Come in." Bella called, and Esme slipped into the room.

She gave us both a motherly smile, and I couldn't help but hear her internal approval- she was thankful that Bella and I were getting along. Yet there was some sort of hope in her mind as well, that she was clearly working hard not to think about. Instead, she was mostly repeating the message she had come upstairs to deliver over and over again. Like everyone in this family seemed to be doing lately, she was blocking her thoughts from me. It was becoming a bit of a nuisance.

"Sorry to interrupt you two," she began, her voice quiet and caring. "I just wanted to let you know that we will all be meeting downstairs in the dining room in about five minutes- just a quick debriefing."

"Oh, you're no interruption." Bella quickly responded. "Thank you so much for what you did with the room, by the way."

Esme beamed, ecstatic that Bella was pleased. "It was no problem dear. Besides, I had quite a bit of help."

Bella nodded. "I heard." She said knowingly.

"Yes, well, it's just another way of letting you know how glad we are that you chose to be a part of our family." Bella smiled, looking bashful and much like she would be blushing if possible. I exerted an extreme amount of effort to hold back a chuckle at her sensitivity, as well as to ignore how cute I thought she looked.

Esme looked between us with knowing eyes, then shuffled her feet, obviously blocking her thoughts again. "Anyway, I'll see you both downstairs in a bit." She said, before hurriedly turning and heading downstairs.

Bella had noticed none of Esme's odd behaviors. Amazing, considering that even without being a mind-reader, it wasn't so hard to know what Esme was thinking about the two of us. At least it wasn't if you knew her, which I suppose Bella was only beginning to do. Really, I considered it merciful that Bella hadn't understood Esme's blatant assumptions- it was less awkward for everyone involved. And, after all, there was nothing to feel awkward about. Bella and I were just friends, no matter what everyone else in this family seemed to think.

Like usual, Bella pulled me out of my circular reasoning.

"We should probably head downstairs, huh?" she asked. She didn't seem to have noticed my distracted state over the last couple of minutes. Or at least she didn't say anything.

"I suppose so." I said, standing and offering my hand to unnecessarily help her to her feet. She smiled, obliging me by pulling herself up. When she stood, rather than letting go immediately as she could have, she held on to my hand. With her small, slender hand nested in mine, she abruptly locked her eyes with my own.

"I know you're going to think I'm silly to say this again, but I need to say it, just to get it out there, so just listen, ok?"

"Ok." I said, caught off guard.

"I appreciate everything you have done for me. I know that you might just be doing it out of guilt, or that it at least started that way." I nearly interrupted her there, but remembered I was just supposed to be listening, and bit my tongue. Instead, I looked intently into her eyes. "The point is, it doesn't matter to me why you have done everything, just that you have. I don't know how I could have done this without you, and I just needed to express my gratitude."

I waited to see if she had anything else to say, keeping my promise to listen. And though I certainly did think she was silly because there was nothing less I could have done considering my own heinous mistakes, I didn't say so.

"You're welcome." I answered simply. "Anything else before we head downstairs?"

"Just that I have to take back what I said about the room being the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me." She said, a weighted playful tone replacing her serious one for the moment.

"Oh?" I asked surprised.

"Yes." She said, her eyes becoming glassy and voice gravelly- the closest any vampire ever got to crying. "The pictures, books, everything- I can never thank you and Alice enough for giving me that little piece of myself."

At her words, I felt my stomach twist, but not from regret or guilt. I only understood exactly what she meant, thinking of the few small things that I had been able to salvage to represent my own human life. And I would be lying if seeing her so vulnerable didn't make me a little uneasy. Unsure of what else to do, I decided to do what had seemed so natural for Bella just minutes before. I pulled her in close, burying my nose in her hair. I breathed in her sweetness for a moment, running my hand gently through her hair, smoothing it down her back before pulling away. On instinct, just as I had done in the woods just a couple of nights before, I kissed the top of her head before dropping my hands from her shoulders.

"Ready?" I asked. She nodded, and I let her lead the way out of the room and down the stairs.

--

When we arrived in the dining room, Alice and Jasper were just ahead of us, while the others were already inside, seated. Bella and I took the last two remaining seats on opposite sides of the table, each of us on either side of Esme. I couldn't help but notice that today's family meeting was tempered by a much lighter atmosphere than the previous two, despite its usual official air. Meetings were one of the few times that Carlisle was so tangibly our leader.

"Well," Carlisle began, his hands folded together on top of the table. "I promise this will be short. You are all perfectly capable of settling yourselves in, so there is no need to address that. We will also be mostly keeping to ourselves here, so it should be simple enough to fly under the radar. However, just in case, this is our story."

"Esme and I are in our early thirties- we will be leaving here in the next couple of years, so that age works fine. As usual, Jasper and Rosalie are twins who we adopted when they were orphaned eight years ago in a car crash- they are seventeen and Esme's niece and nephew. Edward is their brother, and 15. Emmet, Alice and Bella are siblings, all in the system from an early age until we found them seven years ago. We were inspired by Jasper, Rosalie and Edward to adopt, and ended up not wanting to separate the three of you. You three are 17, 15 and 16 respectively."

He paused to assure we were all keeping up, particularly glancing at Bella. I too followed his gaze, observing Bella's rapt attention. Apparently satisfied, Carlisle continued.

"Esme works in interior design from home, as usual. I will be working at the hospital in the city- I should be able to manage day shifts considering this region's weather. Like I've said, this is a temporary move, until Bella adjusts. Until then, you are all homeschooled as far as anyone else is concerned. Other than that, you are each free to do what you wish while we are here, and I hope this is a nice break from the usual cycle for you all. And of course, it goes without saying that we are, and have always been a family, and I expect you to behave as such. Any questions?"

There were none. With that, the family meeting was indeed over quickly. It was still early in the morning- just around eight. We had been in our new home all of two hours before Carlisle left to complete a few final arrangements with the hospital. Esme went with him, saying she needed a few more things for the house. Rosalie and Emmett slinked away immediately; I didn't want to imagine what they might be doing. Alice and Jasper left a moment later, leaving Bella and I alone, yet again. This situation was turning into the usual occurrence. Not that I minded so much- this was better than the more than eighty years that I had spent as the third, fifth, and most recently, seventh wheel.

Bella turned to smile at me, and not for the first time, I wondered if she could read minds too.

"This happens to us a lot doesn't it?"

I smiled back. "It does."

She cocked her head to the side, looking around the room for a moment. "Can I ask you something?" she finally said, looking nervous.

She should have known better- I owed her everything now. Of course she could ask me a question. "Certainly." I said, waiting.

She paused, as if working up some sort of courage. "Would you play the piano for me?"

I was taken aback. For whatever reason, I would have never expected Bella to ask me that. Not that I minded. It was just that Bella was always surprising me, and leaving me on uneasy footing. For the first time in nearly a hundred years, I felt like I had no idea what might come next. At least as long as Bella was around. Unfortunately, she obviously misunderstood my pause.

"I mean, it's just that back in Forks, I always heard you playing at night while I read." she backtracked. "You play beautifully, and I was just thinking…"

"I would be honored Bella." I interrupted, gently taking her hand and leading her over to the piano, without even considering the physical contact. It seemed that it was becoming the norm, though I was far from not noticing the way we seemed so natural together. I let her fingers slip through my palm as I sat down, patting the shiny black bench as I lifted the keyboard cover with my other hand. I felt Bella sit beside me, and without a thought as to what I would play, I stretched my fingers across the keys, and let them dance across the ebony and ivory.

A/N: So, the Cullens have a new home! I hope you enjoyed this long awaited update, and I also hope you review. And not to bribe, because I will post it tomorrow either way, the next chapter is written and ready to go : ).