For those who asked my book is called. "Outcast" but, I don't have any release dates set in stone yet. Thanks for all your support.

hope the length of this chapter will make up a little bit for my lack of updating, I've been band from typing for the last two weeks (Doctors orders) apparently the cartilage in my wrists is really weak, so I'm eighteen and I already have carpal tunnel (WooHoo). He's says I've got to limit how much time I spend writing every day or I'm going to need surgery by the time I'm twenty-five.

Chapter 37- Mud Bath

Pov-Bella

"Bella?"

Small fingers pushed against my shoulder and I rolled over tucking myself farther under the blanket I was wrapped in.

"Bella get up." The same light voice insisted sounding more irritated as the tinny fingers tugged on my arm again.

I groaned and pressed my face into the warm quilt. "Five more minutes." I pleaded with the high pitched voice trying to tug my blanket away from me. It was too early to deal with Alice.

"No." Alice insisted getting grumpy with me. "Your Boo is standing in my doorway and you need to get out so I can shower before breakfast."

I sat up so fast, Alice and I clonked heads. My boo?

"Ouch." I squeezed my eyes shut and bit down on my bottom lip as a sharp pain shot threw my still foggy head and I clutched at my forehead.

Alice rolled back on her heels; hands pressed to her forehead, and let off a few stronger words she probably learned dodging traffic in New York. Alice had the vocabulary of a sailor with a P.H.D.

"You ok Bella?"

I opened one eye, wincing at my oncoming headache and found Edward standing over us looking concerned. Rose was sitting on the bed above me and I was wrapped in Alice's quilt on the floor. The menu screen for Finding Nemo was still playing on the TV, but someone had muted the volume so I could see the fish talking but no words were coming out.

"I'm ok." I glanced over at Alice who was crouched by my side hands still on her forehead. "Alice? I'm sorry, are you ok?"

She groaned and rolled back to her toes standing up. "I'll live."

I took Edward's hand and he helped me up, catching me when I tripped over the blanket tangled around my feet.

"How long have you been here?" I ask him kicking Alice's quilt away and grabbing my things.

He shrugged. "Not long, Alice was telling me about your movie night."

Alice walked us to the door and said she would see us down at breakfast later. Rose ran a hand threw her still snarled blond hair, sleep deprived bags under her eyes. "What time is it anyway?" She asked glancing down at her bare wrist like there would be a watch there.

Edward glanced down at his watch. "Twenty to six."

Rose groaned and disappeared into her room, complaining about not having adequate time to shower and do her hair. Edward followed me into my room and said he would wait for me while I jumped into a still cold shower. I shampooed and rinsed as fast as I could, not taking the time to repeat, before slipping into a pair of black sweats and threw a tank top over my sports bra. I brushed my teeth, skipped flossing, and found Edward still lying on my bed looking far more appetizing then anything the crew could be serving for breakfast downstairs.

Edward passed me my brush and told me about his own movie night while I brushed out my hair before it could start getting tangled. Emmett had tried to have a Harry Potter movie night and insisted that they try watching all six DVD's plus bonus features.

"I only made it to the second one but, I think Em and Jasper made it to the third or forth one before they passed out."

I tied my hair into a messy bun so it wouldn't drip water allover my shirt and stepped into my fuzzy slippers. All we had to do today was film the next set of dance choices, nothing worth getting dressed up for and I didn't feel like wearing shoes.

"Ready?" Edward asked holding my door open for me.

"Let's do it."

We walked down stairs and ran into Erik in the stairwell. Once I'd gotten my food I slipped into a seat next to Emmett, Edward on my other side, and dug into my pancakes. Only fourteen dancers were left and I'd noticed that the crewmen had taken one of the smaller tables out of the lounge to give us more space. We didn't need it anymore.

"Morning Bella."

I was pulled back into the slow breakfast conversation as Jake and Leah sat down with their own plates of breakfast food.

"Morning Jake, Leah."

Conversation rose and fell throughout breakfast never maintaining a steady beat or a steady topic. Emmett hadn't hosted a mass party but it turned out a lot of the dancers had grouped up to watch movies or talk long past the time we all should have been in bed.

A crew guy came in just after seven to get us and we all walked down to the auditorium for the tapping of the next dance style choice. Cat was already waiting on the stage for us and she smiled as we walked in.

"Good morning everyone." She called, far more chipper then the rest of us on this slow morning.

Everyone said good morning back as we lined up on stage and Cat called some direction to the guys up in the lighting booth. Cat had to get the batteries in her mic replaced and then another crew guy brought the magic "hat of doom" out.

Cat took the black top-hat and got a cue from camera one to start her script. She wishes us all good morning again and explained how the drawing would work so anyone who hadn't seen the show before would understand what we were doing and how it would affect the show. I was standing just in front of Edward, lined up with the other couples while we waited for her to address us.

"But this week America our dancers are in for a surprise." Cat said turning her hundred watt smile on us. My stomach flopped and I heard a few of the dancers start whispering to each other. What surprise? I hated surprises.

Cat shook the hat in front of her and we all heard the scrapping of paper. "This week America-" She continued turning back to the camera. "Each pair will be drawing two styles from the hat and on Wednesday each pair will be dancing to two dances for the judges."

I glanced up at Edward and he smiled down at me. I rolled my eyes and looked back at Cat, he never seemed to worried about anything.

"Angela, Erik" Cat held the hat out. "Why don't you two go first? Come up here and each of you draw one card."

Angela and Erik stepped forward and one by one picked a small white card out of the hat. Erik had Contemporary and Angela had African Rumba. Rosalie and Ben got Broadway and Tango. Alice and Jake got Hip-hop and Salsa and then it was time for Edward and I to go.

We stepped up to cat and she held the hat out to me. I reached forward and grabbed the first card my fingers touched. I pulled the card out but didn't look at it as Edward pulled a card to. The camera zoomed in as we flipped them open and I looked down to see what we had. Edward had pulled Contemporary and I had the Viennese Waltz.

"How do you feel about your choices?" Cat asked holding her mic out in my face. I hesitated for a second before finding my voice. "I was hopping I'd get to try a Viennese Waltz." I said honestly. Edward agreed with me and said he was looking forward to getting to do more contemporary, then we retreated to the other side of the stage with the groups who were done.

Once all of the groups were done getting their two styles Cat whished us a good day-off and said the bus would be waiting to take us into town in an hour if we wanted to go. Alice and Rose were waiting for me as I started to climb down the sitars from the stage. I groaned and tried to turn around, hoping that if I hide backstage I wouldn't have to go. I didn't feel like playing Barbie Bella and being dragged around town all day.

Edwards grabbed my shoulders when I bumped into him and forced me to continue walking forwards. He had a smile on his face and I frowned. He was feeding me to the sharks.

"Edward." I complained, trying to fight my way free.

He chuckled at me; his stupid, beautiful laugh making it very hard to be irritated at him. "I promise you'll like this Bella, trust me ok?" He pushed me back lightly and a pair of smaller hands grabbed me. This must be how a bear felt when it realizes its leg is caught in a trap and its not going to get away without chewing itself free.

"Come on Bella, we don't have much time." Alice said in her business voice that meant I was in for a nightmare full of powders and sprays and curling irons.

I pouted at Edward who waved at me as Alice and Rose pulled me out of the auditorium and up the stairs. Alice spun me into her bathroom and a chair materialized out of nowhere just in time to catch me. Alice was calling out instructions pulling at the band holding my hair up. She tugged when it wouldn't come out and I winced.

"Rose, go and get that dress we made her get the first time we went into town."

A dress! "Alice do I really need to wear a dress out shopping?"

"Shh." She commanded brushing out my damp hair as it curled. "Do not complain; you're going to love this. I'm your new favorite person. Just give me a half hour to make you even more stunning then you are normally."

I rolled my eyes.

"Bella," Alice said frowning at me in the mirror. "You're a beautiful girl, everyone else sees it. You need to have more confidence in yourself."

I resisted rolling my eyes again but said nothing. Alice and Rose were both beautiful. Rose with her long legs, perfect hair and runway attitude. She had dark eyes that hinted at mystery and drove boys crazy while they trid to learn her secrets. Alice was petit and perfect in an exotic pixy way, her ebony hair spiked out around her soft face and her eyes were bright blue. My hair was light brown and my eyes were a flat brown. I wasn't particularly short or tall. My bust was normal, I didn't have any talents other then dancing, and I liked to read old books. I was normal, brown, plain and boring.

True to her word, thirty minutes later Alice spun my chair around and let me look in the mirror. She and Rose had run soft curls threw my hair and a little dark powder on my eyes matched the dark blue color of my dress. I looked better then I had for our photo shoot week one and my signature flush colored my cheeks.

"Wow Alice." I breathed not knowing how else to describe what I was seeing.

She beamed at me, hands on her hips and a proud smile on her face. "See Bella, I know what I'm doing."

"I never said you didn't know what you were doing." I countered. "I just don't see the point of getting all dressed up just so we can run around Las Vegas and spend too much money shopping. I'll be in and out of changing rooms all day anyway and it'll just mess up all of your work"

She and Rose exchanged smirks and I felt my expression turn suspicious. "Guys?" They were planning something.

Rose cut me off before I could say anything more. "Alice, we're running out of time. Now we need to get ready."

Alice clapped her hands. "Right and Bella still need's shoes."

Alice pushed me onto her bed and ordered me to stay and not touch my face. Ten minutes later both she and Rose had changed into nice jeans and cute tops with sneakers. Alice ordered me into a pair of black boots with two inch heels and glared at me when I opened my mouth to complain. Why weren't they wearing dresses and heels?

Rose tied her hair into a simple pony tail, her bangs curling around her face and Alice left her short hair spiking out around her face like a black halo. They both looked incredible regardless but, I looked like I was going to a fancy party or a fairytale ball. All I needed was a prince and a pumpkin carriage. I felt like a pouting five year old but it wasn't fair.

Rose took my hand and pulled me out into the hall, Alice trailing along behind me after she locked up her room.

"Here's your bag Bella."

Rose passed me a dark blue purse I'd never seen before and told me my phone and wallet were in it along with every thing else I would need for the day. I didn't ask what else I would possible need. Only a few other people were on the bus when we got on and I smiled when I noticed Edward was one of them. I might not have the magic, horse-drawn pumkin carriage but I had the perfect prince charming.

The only other people on the bus were Victoria and Tanya sitting in the last seats with James. A man with dark hair in the seat in front of them was dressed in the same shirt Leo was wearing. Their body guard for the day.

Rose and Alice sat in front of Edward and I almost jumped into the seat next to him. Leo was sitting across the isle from us chatting with the bus driver.

"Wow Bella." Edward said as he took in the dress, he was flustered and I blushed. Alice had made me try on this dress in the first place because it was Edward's blue. The same color as the tank-top I liked to sleep in.

"Yes?" I asked softly, hoping he would continue.

"You look amazing."

I blushed darker. "Thanks. Alice and Rose are good at what they do."

He looked up and I followed his gaze to find Alice and Rose both turned around in their seat watching us, satisfied smiles on their faces.

"Thanks Alice." He said and she beamed at him.

"Any time Edward."

I didn't get it. Alice started talking about all of the shops she wanted to hit today and my feet started hurting. The dress was worth it because Edward liked it but, these shoes would give me blisters after an hour of walking around.

The bus pulled up to its usual drop off place and Edward waved goodbye as Alice hooked an arm threw mine and started towing me down the street.

"So where are we going first?" I asked as we turned around the block.

Rose giggled and Alice smiled at me. I smiled at Rose, glad to see her having fun but my mood turned suspicious again when we stopped seemingly randomly on the road and Alice leaned against the nearest building arms folded across her chest.

"Rose and I are going to Brandon's first to see the new designs my aunt released this week. I'm not exactly sure where you're going."

They were ditching me. "I'm not coming with you?" What did I do? Were they mad at me?

"Bella is going off alone?" Leo asked. He'd been following us silently, keeping an eye out in case anyone recognized us like he always did.

"She won't be alone Leo don't worry. She can call us if they really need you." Rose said comforting our body guard. We'd never needed his assistance during one of our shopping trips, but after some of the stories he'd told us I was always grateful he came with us.

Alice stepped forward and took one of my hands. "Don't worry Bella. We're not mad at you or anything like that; we got you a surprise. I told you I was going to be your favorite person." She spun me around and shoved me forward. "Surprise!"

I toppled forward in my heels and crashed into a hard chest as warm arms snaked around my waist to hold me up. My fingers instantly curled into his shirt and if the smell of spice, fresh cotton and boy hadn't been enough the sound of his voice confirmed who I'd run into. My prince had saved me from falling, again.

Edward was back.

"Was that really necessary Alice?" He asked the troubling pixy as I found my footing and turned back around to glare at her. She could have twisted my ankle. I hurt myself enough as it was I didn't need her adding to my injuries.

Alice smiled up at him ignoring me. "I'm doing you a favor today Cullen, don't question my methods. I'm losing a full day of shopping with the one girl at the studio who needs it most. I got her dressed and away from the others for you. As long as you avoid Tanya and her little gang you'll be fine. I talked Jasper into talking Emmett into keeping the others busy back at the studio so none of the other dancer should be coming into town today. And by the way-" She took a deep breath before finishing. "You're welcome."

"You told Jasper about this?" Edward questioned.

Alice shook her head. "No, he doesn't know exactly why he's helping me but, he already knows you and Bella are into each other; he's very good at reading people. I'm not sure why you guys are trying to hide it everyone can tell."

"What exactly is going on?" I asked sick of being the only one besides Leo who was out of the loop. Our bodyguard had stopped listening to us a while ago and he was scanning the street for trouble.

Rose stepped forward and smiled knowingly at me her arms crossed over her chest. "Edward came to us this morning and asked if we'd help him set up this little meeting. You didn't think we'd really make you wear those shoes for shopping did you? We're not that mean."

I glanced down at little Alice who was staring at Edward withy a knowing look on her face and then back up at Rose who was smiling at me. "Yes you are."

She laughed. "True, but not today; have fun you two."

"Bella, Edward are you comfortable going off alone or would you rather I call another guard to join you?" Leo asked, his phone already out as he turned back to our conversation.

"I'll take care of her." Edward promised and I nodded along, not wanting someone to tag along on my time alone with Edward.

"I'll call Alice if we need you." I promised him.

Alice waved goodbye and made plans to meet up with us later so we could split up before going back to the bus and then they walked off down the sidewalk leaving us alone.

I glanced up at Edward and smiled when he took my hand. "So what are we doing?"

"If you don't have any objections I'm taking you on a date, Ms Swan."

I blushed and moved my hand so our arms were hooked together as we started walking in the opposite direction, partly because I wanted to be closer to him partly because I needed help in my heels over the uneven sidewalk. "I don't object at all."

He smiled. "Good, then lets go."

We window shopped on some smaller streets for over an hour finding lots of cute little ma and pop shops. I bought a worn, vintage cope of my favorite book Withering Heights and complained when Edward bought me the copy of Romeo and Juliet I'd also been looking at.

"Bella this is supposed to be a date." He reminded me. "Besides it was only five dollars."

I relented and took the book, tucking it with the other one in my bag because I really wanted it and it was a sweet gersture. "Thank you."

He opened the door for me and we continued our way down the street. "Are you hungry?" He asked pointing up the road at a little ice-cream parlor. It was cute and the sun above us made today a good day for ice-cream.

"Sure."

We got one of the small round tables outside under a large rainbow umbrella and I ordered a strawberry cone whereas Edward got chocolate. We chatted about the show and the other dancers and how we thought we would do next week.

"Two dances will make it harder." I said honestly thanking the waitress who brought us our ice-cream. Edward nodded along.

"Which one do you think will be harder?"

I thought for a moment catching a drip of ice cream when it threatened to melt off my cone and onto my dress. Alice would kill me if I got it dirty. Then she would probably buy me a new one.

"Probably the Waltz." I said swiping his napkin because I didn't have one so I could wipe off my hand. "I don't have much experience with Waltz's." I admitted.

He grabbed a napkin dispenser off another table and laughed at me when my cone tried to melt on me again. The stupid thing was out to get me.

"The Waltz will be slow and exposed-" He agreed. "but, I think I'm more worried about the contemporary number."

"Whys that?" I asked licking my way around the base of the ice-cream laughing internally when there were no more drips to threaten my dress. I win!

"Contemporary is a very loose term. Depending on who we get to choreograph for us, it could mean just about anything. I kind of hope we get Mia Michaels. I would love the chance to meet her. She's always been one of my favorites."

I nodded. "I'd love to meet her, or Sonya Tayeh. Her pieces are always so different."

"Lets not talk about the show anymore." He suggested, running his free hand threw his shaggy bronze hair. It had grown a bit since the show started and he could probably use a hair cut, I'd kill anyone who tried. I liked it a little longer, he looked good with his hair in his eyes. "This is supposed to be our free day."

"Ok." I agreed. "Tell me something about you."

"Like what?" He asked.

"You play piano right?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"How did that start?"

"Esme plays the cello. I never got the hang of string instruments and I didn't want to join the band with Emmett so I picked up the piano. In high school I played with the jazz band but mostly I just play at home for our family."

"What does Emmett play?"

Edward laughed. "He used to play the trumpet. He was pretty good at it to; he just didn't have the drive to continue after he got out of high school. What about you? Any musical instruments?"

Now I laughed. "No, I don't play anything other then the occasional card game."

"What's your favorite card game?"

"Go fish." I answered immediately.

"Tell me about the dance school you teach at." He asked leaning back in his seat as he finished the last of his cone."

I told him all about Samba Sun. I'd been dancing there since I was eleven and I started assisting in teaching when I was seventeen. I told him all about Erika, the owner of Samba Sun and about some of the dance competitions I'd done with Matt. He asked questions about my relationship with Summer and my mom and I asked questions about his relationships with Tanya's family.

Tanya lived with her two younger sisters, Kate and Irina, her cousin Carmen and Carmen's husband Eleazar. He had no remaining living family but Emmett had an uncle in Montana who spent too much money on alcohol and hadn't wanted to adopt Emmett when his sister died leaving him orphaned. We talked easily all morning and it was eleven thirty by the time we left the ice-cream parlor to do more window shopping.

We spent all day asking questions and I even got him to try on a really ugly vest in an old vintage clothing shop. He made me try on a bright yellow dress with a nasty orange trim in return. Alice would have killed us both for putting them on, then demanded that both garments be burned for the sake of the worlds fashion sense. We got lunch at a small deli. I got a pasta salad with chucks of vegetables in it and Edward got a sandwich with two funny kinds of sausage in it.

"What are your plans after the show?" He asked while we ate. We'd carried our lunch down to a small park near the deli and were eating at an old picnic table under a giant tree.

"I'm not sure." I admitted. "It depends on how well I do in the show. If I don't win I'll probably go back to Samba Sun for a while. Publicity from the show will be good for the school. I'd like to eventually get on a dance crew."

"What if you do win?" He wondered.

I scoffed. "If I win," Which was unlikely, given my amazing competition. "I'd like to choreograph. I had a lot of fun doing the random group number during the call backs. Maybe I could hook up with a dance crew as their choreographer or start my own dance crew."

"What about the top ten tour?"

I nodded. "If I make the top ten you bet, a tour with the show would be so much fun." Cat had told us about the top-ten tour this morning after the drawing. It hadn't been a surprise since the show hosted a tour every year for the season's top-ten, but they weren't releasing that information to the public yet so we had to keep it very hush hush for now. Information about the tour would be released on the night the top-ten were revealed.

"What about you? Has Carlisle talked to you more about that med school?"

He nodded. "I've actually already been accepted, should I chose to go."

"Really?" I hadn't heard that he'd actually been accepted.

He nodded. "Yep, a full ride scholar ship at Carlisle's old school starting next year. I'm not sure I'll take it yet."

"You'd be crazy to pass that up." I said forking a bite of pasta in my mouth. "What part of medicine would you specialize in?"

He shrugged. "I'd like to be a chest surgeon. If I'm going to join the medical force I'm going to go all the way. That would make Carlisle extremely happy."

He talked a bit about his adopted fathers practice back in Forks and the different parts of medicine he liked. If he didn't pursue surgery he thought working with kids might be fun. While he talked I noticed that he pointed out how much Carlisle would like it if he joined the medical force but, he never once said it would make him happy.

He stopped in the middle of a sentence and looked over my shoulder. "Oh no."

I twisted around looking for whatever had worried him. "What?"

I shouldn't have asked, the trouble was obvious as a stack of bright blond curls bounced down the sidewalk. Tanya, Victoria and James were walking into the park just a football fields length from us. We were about to get busted alone in the park.

"Come on, get up."

Edward took my hand and I followed him as we jogged up the path a bit. There was stream in the middle of the park with an old wooden bridge crossing over the middle. We slipped off the path and I followed him through the trees towards the water.

James had a Frisbee with him and they started playing in the clearing next to the table with our lunch garbage on it.

We crept along the bushes and had to duck down the bank of the stream when a long throw from James put Victoria only a few yards from our hiding place. Edward took my hand and helped me down the last of the dirt bank. We ducked under the bridge so they wouldn't see us and I slid in the soft dirt throwing my hands out to catch my balance. The bank of the stream was soft from the water and the soil squished under our feet as we walked.

"Carful." Edward grabbed my elbows and helped me find my balance again before crawling up the side of the bank to check the coast. His tennis-shoes gave him better support then the stupid shoes Alice had put me in.

He slid back down, getting dirt on his knees, and rejoined me under the bridge.

"Their going to be here a while I think. I'm not sure if we can get out without being seen."

I groaned. "Great."

"Don't tell me you never wanted to see the underside of a Vegas park bridge." He said sarcastically pointing at the old wood above our heads.

I smiled and glanced up. The bridge could probably stand to be stained again and there were cobwebs everywhere along with some old gang tags in bright colored spray pant. "It's lovely." I said sarcastically.

I tried to move closer to him but slipped in the mud again; the soft dirt giving way under my heels. Edward held out his arms to catch me but lost his own footing in the process. I landed in his lap and he landed in the mud.

Mud kicked up around us ruining our cloths and suddenly a drip of ice cream looking like a blessing. My boots were coated in slick mud and my dress had been splattered when we fell. Edward's legs were coated in the thick sludge and the mud had splashed up on his back and arm's

"Are you ok?" I asked whipping a streak off his cheek with my finger. Part of my brain loving the way his skin felt under my fingers and marveled at the perfection of his cheek bones while the other side realized I'd just made us both fall flat on our asses in the mud.

He was quiet for a second and I was afraid he might be hurt or worse mad at me, then he laughed. His arm's tightened around my waist as we slid farther down the muddy slop but he continued to laugh. The sound was infectious, I loved Edward's laugh and soon I was laughing along with him.

"I'm fine Bella, are you ok?" He asked through his chuckles.

I nodded trying to whip more of the mud of his chest. "I'm fine Edward, thank you for catching me again."

"Alice is going to kill you." He said lifting up the edge of my muddy dress.

I rolled my eyes and scooped some of the mud up with my fingers.

"My dress doesn't look as bad as your shirt."

He glanced down, his pants were covered but his shirt had come out mostly unscathed in the front.

"My shirts not to-"

I cut him off, slapping the mud I'd picked up on his chest and then whipping my hand up his neck leaving a dirty brown streak behind. For added measure I poked him in the nose leaving a glob of mud behind.

"You were saying?" I asked laughing again.

He was shocked silent for a second by my childish move and then his arm's tightened around my waist, holding me still.

"I was saying you look good in brown but I prefer you in blue."

. . . My dress was blue.

He slid me off his lap and I landed in the mud. The watery dirt soaked through my dress leaving me soaked and slippery as mud soaked into places I would rather not have mud in.

"Eww."

Once we'd gotten a hold of ourselves Edward helped me to my feet and held my hand while I pried first one and then the other sticky boot off my feet. We wadded across the shallow river not caring if we got any dirtier. Without the heels on my balance had improved significantly, and then we snuck up the other side of the bank. Once we were on level ground we checked to make sure the coast was clear and ran out a side entrance to the park.

We squished down the sidewalk leaving little puddles of muddy water behind us. Edward took my bag for me while I called Alice.

"Bella? What's wrong?" She asked before the first ring had finished. She'd been waiting for me to call.

"Nothing's wrong." I said sticking my tongue out at Edward when he rolled his eyes. "We just need your particular gifts."

"What did you do?" She asked, her voice full of suspicion.

"I didn't do anything." I defended myself. "Edward and I just thought it would be fun to take a mud bath and now we find ourselves needing new cloths."

All sound on the other end of the phone went dead.

"Alice?" I asked, hoping we hadn't been cut off. I had crappy service and the tall buildings might have interfered with our call.

"You got mud on that dress! Isabella Marie Swan I leave you alone for one afternoon and-" She growled in the middle of her sentence before continuing. "Do you know how hard it is to get mud out of silk? Meet us at Brandon's and I'll- You, Edward, I'm so. I can't believe what-" She growled again and I could hear Rosalie howling with laughter in the back ground.

"Alice slow down; I can't understand you."

When she spoke again her voice was low, dangerous, and scary. I shivered and not from the cold water soaking me to the bone or the mud in my underwear.

"Met us at Brandon's and I'll see what I can do." She disconnected and the line went dead.

"What did she say?" Edward asked when I flipped my phone off and stuck it back in my bag.

"She wants us to meet her at her mom's store."

He flinched probably remembering the horror stories I'd told him from our first shopping trip. "You know mud's not that big a deal." He said changing direction mid-step and walking down a side street away from Brandon's.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked moving to follow. I was curious and I certainly didn't mind blowing off a shopping trip with Alice.

We crossed the street and found another section of open park with a continuation of the same thin river flowing threw it. This time there were no dancers playing Frisbee running around to catch us. He turned into the park and nodded to the water.

"You want to go swimming?"

There were a few kids in the shallow water, their mom's watching over them carefully. Dog's and runners filled the path and I could hear an ice-cream truck somewhere behind the trees. It reminded me of a park near my home in Phoenix.

I nodded. "That sounds like way more fun then shopping time with Alice."

"I'll race you." He asked dropping my bag at the base of a large tree and kicking off his own shoes. My shoes were already off and I used that to my advantage. I dropped my shoes near our stuff and bolted for the clear water.

"You're on!" I yelled over my shoulder, dodging around a couple on the path and racing towards the stream. I only made it far enough into the water for it to hit my knees before Edward tackled me and we both fell forward under the cold water.

The water around us clouded with dirt and we laughed while we shook out our clothes and scrubbed the dirt from our skin. He dove under the water to scrub his hair out and when he resurfaced I splashed him. I'd never seen Edward let his guard down this far and I was enjoying this playful side of Edward.

He splashed back and before I knew what we were doing it had turned into a full out water fight with some of the kids who'd been swimming when we jumped in. I teamed up with two little girls about nine or ten and we turned against Edward and an older boy who looked about fifteen or sixteen.

I just leapt on Edward's back to attempt to push him under the water when a high pitched voice that was both recognizable and terrifying called my name from the shore with a his like a snake and just as venomous.

"Isabella, get out of that water this minute! Look at what you've don't to that dress. You should be tried and hanged for cruelty to cloth."

Alice was standing on the side of the river, tiny hands on tiny hips looking scarier then any lion I'd ever seen at the zoo, and she wasn't locked in a cage. I still had my hands locked around Edward's neck and he hitched me up farther on his back so he could whisper in my ear.

"At least were not still covered in mud or she would have burned us on the spot with that death glare."

"And she didn't catch you in that awful vest." I added as he started sloshing our way out of the water. I waved good bye to our new little friends and pointed to Alice waiting with a frown set on her face.

"Sorry we've got to go now, it was nice meeting you."

Rosalie and Leo were laughing as Edward walked out of the river, me clinging to his back and our clothes dripping on the path.

"It looks like you two had a good time." Leo noted as I tried to wring out the bottom of my dress and Edward pulled his shirt over his head to wring it out of the sidewalk. I might have drooled on myself at the sight of his bare chest but I didn't have time to comment before Alice was ushering us down the street so she could get us into dry cloths at Brandon's before we had to go home.

~Darkrose

Again I'm sorry this took so long and please leave me a review letting me know what you think. I'll get back to the competition in the next chapter, I just wantted to give us all a stronger look at the bond growing between our two favorite love birds.