A/N - Thanks so much to all who have read and reviewed – I am terrible about responding to reviews, but please know that every one, positive or negative, thrills me, and I appreciate it so much.
This chapter starts out pretty fluffy, but it goes to a very un-fluffy place. Please be aware there may be some triggers.
Hope you enjoy!
I do not own anything Twilight, however, I do own this little plot.
I'm in heaven.
Edward's lips were the most amazing things ever created, she was sure of it. They traced a slow line along her jaw, down her throat, and across her collarbone, exposed by the wide-necked shirt she wore, then made the return journey up the other side, leaving a trail of tingling skin in their wake.
Somebody remind me to thank Alice for picking out this shirt.
She was equally sure that, while his lips occupied the first place position on the list of wonders of the universe, his hands were a very close second. One cupped the back of her head, his thumb drawing slow circles on her scalp, while the other explored the curve of her side, his fingers lightly tracing her ribcage and occasionally dipping inside the bottom of her shirt to stroke the skin on her back. Every place he touched felt as if it would burst into flames any moment.
I hope I don't catch fire, she thought idly. I would be a shame to burn those amazing hands.
Bella tangled her fingers in his hair, drawing him closer to her. His lips ghosted over her cheek to her ear, where he spoke, in the softest whisper imaginable, "Do you know what tomorrow is?"
"Mmmmm," was all Bella could manage to reply, as every bit of her skin broke into gooseflesh at his breath in her ear.
His lips traveled slowly, circuitously, to her other ear, where he repeated his earlier action. "What's tomorrow, Bella?"
"Shhh, you're distracting me."
Edward chuckled and withdrew a bit. He brought his lips within millimeters of hers, and spoke in a low, velvet voice. "No more kisses until you tell me what tomorrow is." He smirked at her scowl.
What the heck is tomorrow? April 17th, April 17th, April 17th...
Suddenly Bella stiffened and sat up, pulling away from Edward and his delicious lips.
"Crap! Tomorrow is Charlie's birthday!" She jumped up from the sofa and began frantically searching for her phone.
****r~d****
Edward collapsed back on the couch cushions. That had not gone at all as he had planned. Tomorrow was, in fact, eight weeks since the fateful snowstorm that had changed everything for them. He cursed whatever cruel deity had dictated that this anniversary fall on the same day as Bella's father's birthday.
"Jasper? Did you remember dad's birthday? Yeah, me neither. Thank goodness Edward did."
No, I didn't. Dammit.
Edward was irritated, but not actually angry; Bella would have been upset with herself if she had missed Charlie's birthday. A part of him, the part that wasn't occupied with wishing he were still kissing her, was glad he had inadvertently helped her remember.
"Do you want to go sometime this weekend, or just call, or what? It's too late to send a present, it won't get there 'till next week."
Edward stood up and made his way to stand behind Bella, lightly resting his hands on her hips, his thumbs stroking her sides gently. She leaned back into him while she waited for her brother's reply.
"So, tomorrow then? When? Jas, that's awfully early for a Saturday. Oh, ok. Sure. I'll ask him."
Bella turned her head to look at Edward. "Do you want to go to Forks with Jasper and me tomorrow? Alice is going too, but she has to be back in the afternoon, so we'll have to leave pretty early." Bella paused for a moment, pulling her lower lip between her teeth, before she added, "If you don't want to go, that's fine."
Edward considered for a moment. He had anticipated spending the next day with Bella, but he hadn't planned on spending half the day in someone else's car, and Bella's father had definitely not been included in his vision for the day. Still, at least he would get to be with her, and there was something about the look on her face...
"Sure. Count me in."
Bella flashed him a small smile and returned to the phone. "He's coming. OK, fine, 8:00."
Edward groaned at her words.
Bella hit end on her phone and turned to wrap her arms around Edward's waist. "Thank you," she murmured against his chest.
"For what?"
"For being a really great boyfriend." Edward's heart skipped a beat. Even after being together for nearly two months, Bella still rarely used the word 'boyfriend'.
He chuckled. "Will you still think I am a great boyfriend when I fall asleep on the way there tomorrow and drool on you?"
"Ew!" Bella tried to pull away, but Edward's arms around her held tight. He dropped a kiss on her head.
"Actually, I think I have a better idea. There's no reason for us to kill ourselves just because Alice has to come back early. Why don't I call mom and dad and see if we can have dinner with them and stay at their place tomorrow night?" Edward didn't bother to suggest staying at Charlie's - he knew what the answer would be.
"Edward, what are we gonna do in Forks all day?"
"I don't know - go to the beach? Revisit the treehouse?" Edward waggled his eyebrows at her. The Cullen treehouse had been the site of many significant events in their formative years, not least of which had been their very first kiss. They had been 12 and wondering what all the fuss was about. Afterwards Bella had declared kissing gross and declared she never intended to do it again. Clearly, at 12, she was not yet ready to appreciate the wonder of Edward's lips. Then again, 12-year-old Edward probably lacked the finesse he would possess 10 years later.
Bella hesitated. "I don't know..."
"Bella, I don't want to go all the way to Forks and not visit my parents. I know they want to see us, particularly since their plans to come here last weekend fell through. And I would rather not spend our entire anniversary riding in the backseat of Jasper's car."
"Our...ooooh, it is, isn't it? Well, it's no fort made of sheets, but I guess I could spend tomorrow in your treehouse." Bella grinned up at him. Edward couldn't resist - he bent down and met her grin with his own. Together they returned to the sofa to begin celebrating.
****r~d****
Bella groaned and rolled over at the sound of her alarm the next day. She opened one eye and glared at the clock, shining 7:01.
Damn perky clock.
She rolled onto her back and contemplated the day ahead. To say she was excited would not only be overstatement, it would be a bald-faced lie.
Since the divorce, her father had changed. It was almost as if he woke up the day Renee had walked out, and suddenly realized he had been a lousy father. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he was still a lousy father. His idea of parenting was to try to bond with Jasper over sports and criticize Bella, or ask her when she was getting a real job, getting married, moving back to Forks, or all of the above.
At least Jasper likes sports.
She heard Edward moving around outside her door, and soon she smelled the unmistakable aroma of his coffee. Edward was a bit of a coffee snob, but Bella wasn't complaining. It was magnificent, and he was always willing to share.
For a few terrible minutes the day before she had thought he wasn't going to come with her. She wouldn't blame him if he didn't - spending a Saturday driving back and forth to Forks to visit her father was no one's idea of fun. She could handle Charlie, and it wasn't like she would be alone even if Edward didn't go, but in that moment, the thought of facing him without Edward had been paralyzing. Her heart had stopped while he had been considering his answer, and when he had assented, she was sure it would burst out of her chest.
She lay there for a few minutes, considering the possibility of just refusing to get out of bed. If I don't get up, I don't have to go, right? She checked the clock again. 7:17. She closed her eyes and wished the day was over already. She opened them when she heard a knock on the door. She groaned.
"Does that mean I can come in?"
She groaned again.
Edward entered, looking almost as annoyingly chipper as her alarm clock. Bella forgave him his cheerfulness when she saw the cup in his hand. Edward laughed at her expression.
"You want some coffee?"
Bella nodded and reached for the cup. Edward held it back.
"Nope. No coffee for you until you are up and dressed."
Bella pouted, pulling her sheet up over her head. "Jerk," she muttered.
Edward pulled the sheet away from her. "Maybe this will wake you up," he said as he descended onto the bed. He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her until she was nearly breathless. Just as she began to lose herself in the feel of his lips on hers, his fingers came up to her ribcage...and poked. Bella shrieked.
"No...no...tickling!"
Edward laughed evilly and pinned her beneath him, mercilessly finding each of the spots he knew would make her scream with laughter. She squirmed and flailed in an attempt to escape, but Edward had strength, size, and years of practice on his side. Finally he stopped and looked down at her with a mischievous gleam in his eye. There was something else there too - something Bella could not quite place, but it made it very difficult to breathe.
"Are you ready to get up now? Jasper will be here in a little while."
Bella looked at the clock. 7:26. She sighed. "I suppose so."
Edward lifted himself from the bed, then reached down to pull her up. He hugged her briefly, planting a few warm kisses on her jaw line, then pulled away reluctantly. "Have I ever told you how much I love you in the morning?" he asked. "All warm and soft and sweet..." he reached up and ruffled her hair "...like a perfect, beautiful haystack." He grinned and pushed her towards the door, swatting her on the behind as she passed him. "Shower, woman. And hurry."
Bella stuck her tongue out at him and walked to the bathroom. She shut the door behind her and contemplated her reflection.
Haystack is right. Ugh.
Then she noticed them - the little marks on her neck, just above her collarbone. Edward had left her a souvenir of their celebration the evening before. She groaned.
Fantastic timing. Now I'm gonna have to kill him.
****r~d****
While Bella showered, Edward paced the apartment, anxious about the day. He had known Charlie for years, but this was the first time he would be meeting him as Bella's boyfriend. Charlie had always been unpredictable - Edward had no idea what kind of reaction to expect.
Bella's boyfriend. Even after 2 months, the thought still shot a thrill of joy through him.
He was a little worried about his parents too, but not about their response - he already knew they were thrilled. He was more worried that they would embarrass him or Bella.
To help let off some of his nervous energy, he busied himself in the apartment - he made Bella's bed, although he knew it would irritate her - she said it made her feel guilty when he cleaned up after her - and then he went to make breakfast for the two of them. A few minutes later he heard the shower turn off.
As he slid the scrambled eggs out of the pan, and stuck two pieces of bread in the toaster, there was a familiar knock on the door. He went to let Jasper and Alice in, checking the time. 7:45. They're awfully early.
He opened the door and accepted a warm hug from Alice, who, despite the early hour, seemed to be vibrating with energy the way she usually did. He greeted Jasper with a handshake and a half-hug, and invited them in.
"You guys want anything? I made breakfast. Bella's not ready yet."
"We ate already, but I wouldn't say no to some of that fancy coffee," Jasper drawled. He had only spent a few years in Texas, but he had picked up a bit of an accent. Bella theorized that, while it may have been authentic when he first returned, he had kept it up on purpose because he knew Alice liked it. Edward was inclined to agree.
Alice and Jasper joined him in the kitchen, at the little dining table. Alice launched into a story about something that had happened to one of her fit models earlier in the week. Edward wasn't entirely sure what a fit model was, but the story was funny even without that knowledge, and soon he and Jasper were laughing along with Alice. They had just stopped laughing when Bella's angry voice filled the apartment.
"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! You are in so much trouble!"
Alice raised her eyebrows, and Jasper chuckled. He knew that tone all too well.
Edward met Bella at the doorway, hoping to head her off. "Bella...wait..."
His attempt was unsuccessful. "No! Look what you did to me!" she exclaimed, pulling the neckline of her shirt aside to show him the small cluster of dark circles on her neck.
"Bella, um..." Edward was fighting hard not to laugh at her ferocious expression.
"Edward, did you miss the fact that we are going to see our parents today?"
"No, but-" A tiny chuckle escaped from his lips.
Bella's eyes narrowed. "Is something funny, Edward?"
"Well..."
Bella took a deep breath, but her tirade was cut short by the sound of a giggle coming from the kitchen. She looked around the room for the first time, and noticed her brother and sister-in-law seated at the table, desperately trying to contain their laughter. She turned crimson.
Jasper carefully composed his face into the picture of seriousness. "Morning, Bella." He pressed his lips together tightly.
Alice was not as successful at controlling the broad grin that covered her face. "Sleep well?" she trilled.
Bella turned, her face flaming now, and left the room. Edward went to follow her, but Alice stopped him. "Let me," she said, slipping past her into the hallway.
Edward sat down at the table across. Jasper's eyes met his. "I suppose," Edward said, "that you are going to threaten to punch me again?"
Jasper shook his head. "Bella would massacre me, and then Alice would bring me back to life and kick my ass. Besides, that was the funniest damn thing I've ever seen."
****r~d****
Alice followed Bella into her bedroom. Bella turned and gave Alice an evil eye. "Go away Alice."
Alice ignored her completely. Instead of leaving, she came forward and looked at Bella's neck. "First hickey?"
Bella looked at Alice and rolled her eyes.
"It's not bad. He does good work. My first one was a gigantic mess." Alice took a moment to look more closely, then she gasped. "Look, they're in the shape of a C! He signed his name!" Alice began to giggle.
Bella looked closely at the small crescent of marks, and her mouth twitched. "He did, didn't he," she observed, and began to chuckle. Soon her chuckle had turned into giggles, and from there into full laughter. Soon she and Alice were lying next to one another on the bed, laughing hysterically and clutching their stomachs.
"He signed...his name...on...my...neck!" Bella gasped out, renewing their laughter.
In a few minutes they calmed down and sat up. "Now," Alice said, "I will teach you the fine art of covering a hickey. I am a master of concealment."
Bella looked at Alice in surprise. "But...I've never seen you with one..." she trailed off.
Alice's eyes sparkled. "Like I said - master of concealment."
****r~d****
Edward was dimly aware the Jasper was talking, but he wasn't paying attention. He was focused on the sounds coming from Bella's room. When he heard laughter, he visibly relaxed. Jasper laughed at him.
"So, are you going to start listening now?"
Edward had the grace to look abashed. "Sorry. I hate it when she's upset. Sounds like she's ok now."
Jasper rolled his eyes. "We'll never get going now that they've started. I am guessing nine."
"Oh, it won't be that bad. Bella's almost ready. 8:30 at the latest."
Jasper looked at Edward speculatively. "Fifty?"
Edward grinned. "You're on." Bella, win me this bet and I'll buy you anything you want.
They continued to chat, and Edward filled Jasper in on his and Bella's plans to drive separately and stay with his parents. Within a few minutes, Bella and Alice reappeared in the kitchen, both grinning madly. Bella came up behind Edward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I'm sorry," she murmured, before placing a kiss on his earlobe. Edward reached behind him to gently caress her hair, and then turned to place a soft kiss on her lips.
"You're forgiven," he whispered, before kissing her again. They both leaned into the other, but just as Edward began to deepen the kiss, they were interrupted by the sound of Jasper clearing his throat. They pulled back abruptly. Bella blushed, but Edward just looked pleased with himself and took Bella's hand.
"You ready?" he asked. Bella nodded, her cheeks still flushed. "Do you want some breakfast?" She nodded again.
Edward grabbed the toast he had made and wrapped it in a napkin, and poured some coffee into a travel mug, adding cream and sugar before he handed it to her. He slid his hand to the middle of her back and guided her towards the front door.
"8:17. Not bad, sweetheart." He dropped a kiss onto the top of her head, then turned and winked at Jasper, who sighed and reached for his wallet.
Bella laughed when Edward told her she had unknowingly helped him win the bet. The only thing Jasper hated more than losing a bet was losing a bet to her. She refused to let him spend the money entirely on her though, instead insisting that they spend it on something for both of them. They sent the next several hours talking about nothing of consequence, their conversation punctuated by long comfortable silences while they listened to music on Edward's ipod. Edward kept his fingers entwined with Bella's, their hands resting in her lap, his thumb slowly stroking hers.
As the hours passed and they got closer to Forks, Edward noticed that Bella got more agitated. She pulled her hand away from his and began playing with the ipod, skipping from song to song until Edward couldn't stand it anymore and gently removed it from her hands. She smiled sheepishly as she relinquished it, then began to fidget - tapping her fingers, bouncing her legs, playing with the hem of her shirt. As they crossed the line into Forks, Edward reached over and laid his hand on her knee, sliding it up her thigh to stop the bouncing of her leg.
"Relax, Bella. Today's going to be fine."
Bella did not speak, but she put her hand over his.
"Are you sure your parents are ok with...y'know...this?"
"Bella, my parents are thrilled. They are beyond thrilled. If we ever break up they will probably get rid of me and keep you."
Bella frowned and removed her hand. "I'm sure that's not true," she said, looking down at the floor of his car.
Edward pulled up in front of Charlie's house and put the car in park. He reached over and caught her hand again and brought it to his lips. "Bella, as far as I am concerned, that is never going to be an issue." She looked up and gave him a watery smile as Jasper and Alice pulled up behind them.
Bella took a deep breath. "You ready for this?" Edward nodded and gave her knuckles another kiss before opening the door. He walked around to open her door, and placed his hand solidly on her back as they approached the front door.
****r~d****
Here we go.
Jasper reached up to ring the doorbell, but before he could reach the small button the door swung open to reveal their father. Charlie wore jeans and a flannel shirt, both of which had seen better days.
"Jasper! Alice! Come on in! Edward, this is a surprise." He reached out to shake Edward's hand.
"Good to see you, sir," Edward intoned as he returned the handshake.
"Bella! Good to see you baby!" He wrapped one arm around her in a half-hug. "Looks like you've lost a little weight, good for you!"
"Happy Birthday dad," Bella said, with a smile. She didn't think anyone could see the work behind it.
They entered the living room and sat down, making small talk. After a few minutes of listening to Charlie and Jasper discuss some team she had never heard of, Bella went into the kitchen to get a glass of water, taking in the overflowing trash can and pile of dirty dishes in the sink as she did. She sighed as she ran water into the sink.
They won't miss me if I'm gone a little while.
She had failed to take Edward into account in this estimation. A few minutes later he came into the kitchen and came to stand behind her at the sink, resting his hands on either side of her waist.
"I thought maybe you got lost. Everything alright?"
Bella nodded. "I just thought I would wash these, then maybe take the trash out." Suddenly she missed Edward's warmth behind her, and looked to see where he had gone. He was lifting the bag out of the trashcan, picking up the few items that had toppled off the pile into the floor.
"Edward...stop, you don't have to..." she sputtered, but it was useless, he was already out the door with the bag. As he reentered the kitchen, she shook her head at him. "You're a guest Edward, you don't need to empty the trash."
"You're a guest too, and you're washing the dishes," Edward pointed out.
"That's different," Bella insisted. Edward gave her a look and picked up a dishtowel. Bella sighed in surrender. It was nice to have the company, at least.
When they returned to the living room, Alice gave them a little smile, but Charlie didn't even notice. They sat and listened to he and Jasper discuss the various strengths and weaknesses of several baseball teams, and then Charlie turned his attention to Bella.
"What you up to these days, Bell? Still going to college?"
"Yes, I am still in grad school dad. I've got a teaching assistantship."
"Hunh. Guess they let anyone teach in those colleges these days. You ever gonna graduate?"
"Yes, dad, I am going to graduate."
"You talk to Jacob much?" Charlie was friends with Jacob's father, and had encouraged Jacob's pursuit of Bella.
"Sometimes, dad. We're both busy."
There was an awkward pause as the conversation lagged. Alice broke the silence by asking Charlie about his latest fishing expedition, and he turned his focus from Bella. Edward leaned over and asked quietly, "you ok?" Bella nodded tightly. Edward reached over to take Bella's hand in his, and she tried to pull away, but he persisted, firmly intertwining his fingers through hers. After a few more minutes of fishing talk, Charlie turned his attention back to his daughter. He took in the sight of their joined hands with a speculative eye.
"What's this Bella? Thought you and Edward were just friends?"
"We were, dad."
"Well?" Charlie eyed the two of them suspiciously.
Bella was searching for the right words when Edward spoke up. "Bella is my best friend Charlie, that will never change. I recently realized just how much I care about her, and I am very lucky that she returns my feelings."
"Lucky, hunh? So, which one of you moved out of that apartment?"
Bella rolled her eyes. She'd been dreading this moment. "Neither of us, dad."
Charlie glared at the two of them. "I will not have any daughter of mine living in sin with some boy!"
"Dad, calm down. No one's 'living in sin'. We're just roommates."
"Bella, I never liked you living with that boy, and now...move out!" Charlie yelled, standing up and approaching the couch where they sat.
Wow, check out the color of his face. I hope he doesn't have a heart attack or something.
"Dad, I am an adult, and I will live wherever I want." Bella did not yell, her voice was calm and cold, and she remained seated. She did not look up.
"This is not acceptable! It would be different if you were married, but we all know that's not gonna happen! " Charlie retorted, bellowing down at the two of them.
"Sir, I," Edward began, but he was cut off by more shouting from Charlie.
"Shut up, boy, this is between me and my daughter!"
Bella stood up abruptly and looked Charlie in the face for the first time since the beginning of their exchange. "Edward loves me, and you may not speak to him like that. We're leaving." Edward rose behind her. "Jasper, Alice, we'll see you later," Bella said, never taking her eyes from Charlie's nearly purple face. Then she turned and walked out, not checking to see if Edward followed her.
****r~d****
By the time Edward could smile a quick goodbye at a very embarrassed Alice and Jasper, grab their jackets and the purse Bella had forgotten in her anger, and make it out the door after her, Bella was leaning with both hands on the roof of his Volvo, head bowed. He couldn't tell from a distance if she was crying, but her posture indicated nothing short of despair. He hurried to get to her, and laid his hand on her trembling shoulder. "Bella? Are you alright?"
She jerked her shoulder, dislodging his hand. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice tight and cold.
"Thanks for standing up for me in there. I'm so sorry you had to go through that." He placed his hand on her again, this time on her back. She flinched away and turned around. Although she was now facing him, she did not meet his eyes.
"Can we just go?" she asked, her face hard.
"Sure." Edward reached around her to unlock and open her door. As he walked around the front of the vehicle, he saw Alive and Jasper emerge from the house. They jogged toward the car. Edward walked out and met them halfway, not knowing if Bella would appreciate company in her current mood.
"She ok?" Jasper asked when they met in the yard.
"I don't know," Edward answered, glancing in the direction of the car. "Look Jas, I know he's your father, but..."
"He's an ass? I know," Jasper interrupted, shooting a dark look towards the house. "Next year we forget he has a birthday. And maybe Thanksgiving and Christmas too. Look man, he was out of line in there. I am so sorry."
"Thanks."
"You guys are going to your parents' house now, right? That will be good for her, she loves your parents," Alice interjected.
"Yeah. I don't know if she wants to see anyone right now though, including me," Edward said ruefully, looking at the car again. Bella had not moved, she was sitting ramrod straight in the passenger seat, her eyes fixed straight forward.
"Could you drive around a little, let her cool off?" Jasper asked.
"Maybe. Or maybe..." Edward pulled out his phone and tapped out a quick text message to his mother. "I am going to see if they can give us some space for a little while. That way Bella won't have to be trapped in the car." He looked at her again. "I should get back to her, us standing out here talking about her probably isn't helping anything." He hugged the two of them quickly, promising to call when they got back to Seattle, and headed back in the direction of the car. Just before he arrived at the driver's side door, his phone chimed, indicating a new text message. He quickly read the message from his mother.
Certainly, we will run out and get some coffee. Leaving now. I hope everything is alright. See you soon. Love you.
Just then, Edward saw his parents' car drive down the street past them, his mom waving. He did not wave back, not wanting to alert Bella to anything unusual. She sighed in relief at how well that had worked out. He pulled the door open and seated himself next to a very rigid Bella.
"Ready to head to my house?" he asked. "My parents aren't there, my mom sent me a message that they ran out for a bit, so it will be just us." It's not a lie, really.
Bella seemed to relax a bit, and she nodded, not taking her eyes off the windshield. Edward's house was only two away, but the homes were widely spaced, so it took a few minutes for them to pull into the drive. Edward loved this house - it was large and comfortable, without being ostentatious. He opened his door and went around the car to open the door for Bella, but before he could get there she was already out. He removed their overnight bags from the trunk, refusing to surrender Bella's when she reached for it - thankfully, she didn't argue. After entering the front door, Edward dropped their bags and grabbed Bella's hand.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Ok, what do you want to do?" Edward was desperate to do something, anything, to help Bella erase the events of the past hour, but he knew he couldn't, and after years of experience he also knew that until she decided to let him in it was useless to push.
"Can I just...I want to be alone for a while, is that ok?" Bella looked up at him for the first time since leaving her house, and the look in her eyes disturbed him.
"That's perfectly ok. You want to go up to your room?" Bella nodded, so Edward picked up their bags and led her up the stairs to the guest room that had been designated as hers when they were younger. He opened the door and sat her bag just inside the doorway. "Yell if you need anything, ok? She nodded again. She entered the room and had almost closed the door when she swung it open again.
"Edward?" Her voice was tiny.
He turned at the sound. "Yes, love?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly, waiting.
She bit her lip, seemingly unable to speak again.
Edward took a chance. Knowing she might push him away again, he went to her and enfolded her in his arms. She held herself stiffly for a moment, then softened, wrapping her arms around his abdomen. They stood like that for a long time, Edward trying to pour all the love and strength he could into the embrace. Too soon she pulled away ad he released her. Without another word she disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Edward stood looking at the outside of the door for a few minutes, then picked up his own bag from where it had fallen, forgotten, and went to drop it off in his old bedroom before going to call his mother.
****r~d****
After closing the door, Bella leaned back against the door. Pulling herself away from Edward had been nearly impossible, and it took all of her self-control not to yank the door open and run back to him. She couldn't do that though - if she had spent one more minute in the cocoon of his arms she was going to lose control, and she couldn't let that happen. She looked at the room - it was like going back in time. Nothing had changed since the last time she had been here. The muted, comforting colors, the quilt in patterns of yellow and green, the beautiful dark furniture. She even recognized a few of her old paperbacks in the small bookshelf. The room looked like it had been designed for her, and she had always felt more at home here than in her cramped room at Charlie's. She had, on occasion, wondered if Esme had actually selected the decor with her in mind, but she had never had the nerve to ask.
Bella sat on the bed, attempting unsuccessfully to quiet the voice in her head, the voice that repeated Charlie's words on an endless loop.
It would be different if you were married, but we all know that's not gonna happen.
Looks like you've lost a little weight. Good for you!
Guess they let anyone teach in those colleges these days.
You ever gonna graduate?
Soon his recent words were joined by other, older, words, still in Charlie's angry voice.
What's wrong with you girl? Can't you do anything right?
Go change your clothes, you look like a whale.
You are the most useless creature God ever put on this Earth. Go do something useful, if you can.
No man is ever gonna want you unless you fix yourself.
What do you want to go to college for? You're wasting your time.
Edward's here. Couldn't get a real prom date, hunh?
Good thing it'll be dark, no one will see that dress.
Stop crying, nobody wants to see that.
Bella wiped angrily at the tears that spilled down her cheeks. She lay down on the bed, hands over her ears in a useless gesture. She knew the voices were inside her head and that covering her ears wouldn't change their volume, but she never stopped hoping. She wished there was a pause button for the tracks playing in her brain, or a way to erase them altogether.
I'm like a broken ipod, she thought, a slightly hysterical giggle escaping her lips.
She roughly wiped the remaining moisture from her face and curled up on the bed. After a long while staring at the texture of the wall, she escaped into sleep.
Edward and Alice were dancing, an odd, jerky, back-and-forth, up-and-down kind of dance, to bouncy, circus-y music. Bella look around the room to find Jasper and Charlie in the corner of the brightly lit room, playing an accordion and what looked like an old-fashioned washboard. They both looked at her, continuing to play, and said together "Play the Bella, Bella!"
Confused, Bella continued to examine the room and found, in another corner, Renee making pancakes on a griddle that was perched on the back of a large black-and white patterned cow. When Bella caught her eye, she sang out, "play the Bella, Bella!" and resumed flipping the pancakes while when hummed to the music in the room.
She strained to see past Edward and Alice to the far corners of the room, but they were shrouded in fog. Her attempts caught the attention of Edward and Alice, who began chanting, alternating as they spun, "Play the Bella, Bella!"
Still mystified at the words, Bella looked down to see a bright pink violin and bow in her hands. Along the side of the violin, in shining gold script, was one word: Bella.
Alice and Edward, Renee, Jasper, and Charlie all watched with keen interest as she made the discovery. This must be what they mean, she thought. Although she had never held a violin before, she had seen one played, and she balanced the instrument carefully on her shoulder. She brought the bow to the strings, and pulled it experimentally. Instead of the sound she expected, it played a long note like a trumpet. Alice began clapping her hands and jumping up and down. "Bella played the Bella! Play the Bella, Bella!"
Encouraged, Bella tried again, this time pushing the bow up over the strings. This time she elicited what sounded like a chord on a pipe organ. The people in the room formed a circle and began to whirl around her, chanting, "Play the Bella, Bella, play the Bella, Bella..."
Bella? Bella? Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of her name. There, seated on the edge of the bed, gently stroking her hair from her face, was Esme. Bella blinked heavily, trying to clear the vision of the dream from her mind.
"Bella? Are you awake, sweetheart? I'm sorry if I startled you." Esme spoke in a quiet, soothing tone.
Bella sat up and pulled herself back to lean against the headboard. "No, it's ok, I was just having a really weird dream."
Esme laughed. "I know what that's like." Then her face became serious as she looked at Bella. "Are you alright, dear? Edward was very concerned. You have been up here for a couple of hours - he was going to come check on you but I asked to come up instead."
Bella nodded and looked at the wall over Esme's head. "I'm fine."
Esme nodded and patted her hand. "I'm glad to hear it." They sat in silence for a few minutes before Esme spoke again.
"Did Edward ever tell you I was married before I met Carlisle?"
Bella was shocked. "No!"
Esme chuckled. "That doesn't surprise me - he knows, obviously, but it's not something we talk about a lot. May I tell you the story?"
Bella nodded, curious about where Esme was going with this line of conversation.
"He was my high school sweetheart," Esme began in her soft voice. "He played football and baseball, and he was a star of sorts, his family was rich and well-known, and I saw myself as a homely little nobody - I had a hard time believing he would want to be with anyone like me. That's probably why I ignored so many things. He was really picky about what I wore- he didn't like it if I wore skirts he thought were too short or anything clingy. He made sure I spent all my time with him, and any time I tried to do anything with my friends he would get upset and pout about how I was ignoring him. After awhile I didn't really have any friends left. I was flattered that he wanted me all to himself, and so I didn't mind too much on the nights he would go out with his friends and leave me home alone. I was assigned a lab partner for a science fair project - a nice guy a year younger than me - and he showed up at school one day with a broken arm. He told me some guys he didn't know had mugged him. There was no way I could have known that the mysterious guys were some of James's football buddies from another school nearby." Esme stopped and took a deep breath.
Bella was stunned. "Why did you - you stayed with him?"
Esme smiled sadly, and nodded. "I was 17, and he was my first boyfriend. He told me he loved me. Everybody adored him, and he was never mean or violent to me. It never occurred to me that the other stuff - wanting to control what I wore, keeping me away from my friends - wasn't completely normal. He asked me to marry him the night of the prom, and I was over the moon with happiness. We got married that summer, right after I turned 18. His parents owned a rental house, and we moved in there." Esme stopped speaking and looked directly into Bella's eyes. "Two weeks later we went to the grocery store and I apparently smiled more than he liked at the checkout guy. When we got home he called me a whore and punched me in the face."
Bella's jaw dropped, and she struggled to contain the tears that flooded her eyes. "What did you do?"
"I went in our second bedroom and locked the door. The next morning he was so apologetic - he said he was stressed because he had just started a new job, and he swore it would never happen again. That night he brought me flowers and brought home dinner. I am sorry to say I let it slide. I stayed away from my family until the bruises went away, and I never told anyone. The rest of the summer passed peacefully enough, and as fall approached I started thinking about what I wanted to do. Some of my high school teachers had encouraged me to go to college, and I was bored staying home alone all day. James didn't want me to get a job, but I thought he might be ok with me taking some college classes. When I brought it up to him, he lost it. He accused me of wanting to go just to meet other men, he called me a whore and worse, and then he hit me again." Esme clenched her jaw at the memory, and her eyes took on a cold look. "I spent the night in the guest room again, and the next day while he was a work I packed my things and left. I didn't have a car, and my mother would not come get me - she said it was up to me to make my marriage work - so I called all my old high school friends until I found one who was willing to pick me up."
Esme patted Bella's knee, trying to relieve her obvious distress. "Don't worry, the story has a happy ending." She smiled.
"Elizabeth was a great girl. She still lived with her parents, and she convinced them to take me in. They became my family when my own parents rejected me for ruining their dreams of being related to the town celebrities. Her parents helped me get a divorce and a restraining order, and her dad helped me find a job. Eventually Liz and I got our own place, but we still spent lots of time with her parents and siblings. She had an older brother who was in medical school - we saw him on holidays and weekends when he came home, and as time passed those weekends home became more and more frequent. He was wonderful to talk to, and never asked too many hard questions, although he knew there was something odd in my past. The day we finally talked about it, his first response was to ask me if I knew it wasn't my fault, all the things James did to me. I must have cried for hours after that." Esme smiled ruefully.
Bella was riveted. "What happened to him?"
Esme smiled broadly. "Right now he's downstairs losing to Edward at Guitar Hero. The day he found out he would be doing his residency in Seattle, he asked me to marry him. He said he couldn't imagine moving that far away without me. He knew my whole story, and he loved me anyway."
"So Carlisle was Elizabeth's brother?"
Esme nodded. "She's still in Ohio, where we grew up. She's Edward's godmother, and favorite aunt. Haven't you ever heard him talk about Aunt Libby?"
"Yes, but I never knew her real name was Elizabeth. That's an amazing story, Esme!"
"It's not over yet, dear. There's one important bit left. After Carlisle finished his residency we wanted to move out of the city, but neither of us wanted to go back to Ohio, so he applied for a job at the hospital in this little town called Forks. I was pregnant with Edward at the time, and you can imagine how happy I was to discover there was another mom nearby, with a toddler and another baby on the way. When my five year old son walked in the kitchen and announced that he was going to marry the little girl down the street, I knew it had all been worth it."
Esme's face turned serious and took Bella's hand. "So when I began to suspect that that same little girl down the street was having some trouble - trouble which was not her fault, by the way - I remembered how the Cullens had become my family and thought it was time for history to repeat itself."
Bella couldn't speak, due in large part to the huge lump that had settled itself just below her breastbone.
"Bella, I want you to know," Esme continued, "that Carlisle and I could not be more happy that you and Edward are together. It's what we've prayed for his whole life. But I also want you to know that no matter what happens between you two, we will always love you. Nothing could ever change that." Esme leaned over to hug Bella and wipe away the tears that had escaped from her wide eyes. "Now, do you think you can come downstairs? Edward is so worried about you that he almost lost a round a few minutes ago. To his father." Esme raised her eyebrows, confident that Bella would understand the significance of this statement. Bella laughed in spite of herself and nodded, climbing off to follow Esme out the door.
****r~d****
After a leisurely breakfast and a church service with his parents the next day, Edward and Bella set off on their way back to Seattle. Bella was quiet. Edward thought she was probably tired - after her nap the previous afternoon she hadn't been sleepy enough to go to bed when Carlisle and Esme had bid them goodnight, so they had sat up in the big family room, first playing video games on the Wii that Esme and Carlisle had bought themselves for Christmas a few years previously, then watching a couple of movies. Bella had been too quiet for most of the afternoon and evening, so Edward was glad to see her normal trash-talking competitive self come out playing Punch Out and Mario Kart. During the movies she had snuggled into his side, but had seemed hesitant when he leaned in to kiss her, so he contented himself with holding her until she finally drifted off halfway through Penelope. Not wanting to wake her, he had pulled the blanket they had been snuggled under a little higher around them and turned off the movie. Early in the morning he had awoken to a grinning Esme draping another blanket over them. He had grinned back and pulled Bella a little closer, then dozed again.
He felt her lean her head on his shoulder, her fingers woven through his. He smiled as he considered the package resting in his left pocket, the package that had been his primary reason for wanting to see his parents. That morning, while Bella was in the shower, Edward had approached his father and asked for it. Esme had squealed like a child and Carlisle had clapped him on the back before pulling him into a hug. Edward was sure they were going to spill the secret before he and Bella could get away - Esme teared up every time she looked at either of them and Carlisle introduced then to people at church as "our son Edward and his Bella", at which Bella always ducked her head and blushed a beautiful pink. Edward had rolled his eyes at his parents antics, but he could not bring himself to be really annoyed at them - even though they were generally pretty happy people, he had never seen them quite this ecstatic.
He looked down at Bella again and saw that her eyes were closed. Judging by the slow rise and fall of her belly and the slackening of her grip on his hand, it was safe to assume that she had fallen asleep. He slowly slid his hand into his left pocket, wanting to assure himself that the package was really there. A small satin bag, containing two rings - one a plain platinum band, the other a circlet of diamonds surrounding a larger stone, both once belonging to Carlisle's mother. She was still alive, but had switched to a much simpler plain band a few years prior and passed the rings to Carlisle and Esme to hold for Edward to give to his someday bride. Because of all that happened when Esme was younger, Edward and his grandmother had a special relationship. Edward could hardly wait to see her reaction when she heard the news that the time had come for him to use the rings. Slowly, so he did not disturb her sleep, he extracted his hand from Bella's and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Grinning broadly, he drove and dreamed about their future.