A/N: SM wrote Twilight; I wrote this.
Thanks for your support and patience.
"Esme, please darling we're going to be late." Carlisle had been trying to get them out the door and on the road for over half an hour.
"Don't be silly, of course we won't be late Carlisle. I just want to check all the expiry dates on the food we bought. We're going to have a human living with us so the groceries I buy won't just be set dressing anymore, Isabella will need to actually eat it so I want to be sure it is safe."
Carlisle watched as his wife flittered around the house in a vampiric blur, rechecking details she'd checked several times already. Esme was certainly excited but so was the whole family. Thanks to Alice's visions, they'd known for some time that this day would come, when the human Isabella Swan and the vampire Edward Masen would be joining their family.
Since Director Dwyer's call to confirm arrangements for the couple's arrival, Esme had enthusiastically set about finalising preparations and buying all the things she believed a human girl would need. She had researched each item to be sure it was the best and most appropriate for their new daughter.
Esme and Carlisle were very believable as an old married couple, considering they'd been married for over eighty years.
Carlisle sighed an unnecessary sigh: "Are you ready yet, wife?"
Finally satisfied that all that should be done had indeed been done, Esme stopped her fussing and came to stand by his side with her handbag over her shoulder, looking calm and ready to leave: "Of course, husband. Let's go meet our new children."
Travelling to Port Angeles in Carlisle's sleek black Mercedes could've been much faster given the enhancements their elder daughter Rosalie had made to the engine, however the trip felt very slow to the increasingly impatient Esme since Carlisle insisted on driving at the speed limit. She tried to convince him that even humans occasionally exceeded the speed limit but he only gave her a warm smile, enjoying her nervous excitement. He squeezed her hand: "I'm sure we'll be there in time, my dearest."
She relaxed with his touch; he could always calm her when she was overstimulated. She leaned back into her seat looking lovingly at her handsome ever-young husband. He was her perfect match, as she was his. She couldn't help but be anxious though to meet her new daughter and new son, they both sounded so interesting. Edward was a natural vegetarian vampire who, by his own choice, had never tasted human blood. This seemed extraordinary considering he had also spent his first few years as a vampire on his own, completely unguided by a sire or mentor.
And Isabella. Well, she was a mystery to them all. They knew something of her life from Director Dwyer's report though the details were not very personal. Alice had seen visions of Edward and Isabella coming to live with them and that Isabella was Edward's mate but she found it difficult to 'see' anymore about them or their future.
"What are you thinking so hard about over there Mrs Cullen? You've gone very quiet."
"I am only thinking about what our new son and daughter will be like. I wonder how they are getting along? It's so romantic - a vampire and a human destined to be mates. It's like a romance novel."
"Well, from what Director Dwyer said this morning, Edward and Isabella only met yesterday so I am sure they are just getting to know one another. They'll be landing soon and here we are at the airport on time as I promised." He smirked proudly at his wife who leaned across the central console, placed a chaste kiss on his cheek and gave him a condescending pat of his hand: "Very good dear."
While Carlisle and Esme waited patiently in the airport lounge, the jet carrying their new family members was about to begin its landing approach.
Sitting comfortably in the private jet's luxurious chairs, Bella was working on her laptop while Edward sat next to her looking out the window, having given up his attempt to read during the flight.
Bella looked over her laptop, noticing that Edward seemed to be uncomfortable: "Edward are you alright, you look like you're in pain."
"No I am fine, really, Miss Swan. I just don't really care for air flight. I would much prefer to have travelled by rail, it is a more natural method of travel in my opinion."
"More natural? How is a train more natural than a plane?"
"A train is a natural extension of the invention of the wheel, Miss Swan. Also, rail cars are still connected to the earth. Flight, however, is only natural for birds, pixies, sirens, and other winged creatures."
Bella laughed: "You can't really be frightened to fly, from what I've been reading in SPAM's Archive Library, vampires are practically indestructible, so why are you nervous to fly?"
"To clarify Miss... Bella, if the plane were to crash and burst into a fireball that would indeed destroy me. Although I imagine if we were about to crash that I could jump to safety before the explosion. Though the fall would damage me, especially if it were over land, it would not be permanent harm."
He turned to her and gently moved a loose curl of her hair to tuck it behind her ear: "However, you my dear human friend, would not survive a crash and that is what has me so unsettled."
Her eyes widened at the tingles she felt as his hand brushed her cheek. She was shocked at the macabre turn their conversation had taken and didn't want to contemplate either a fireball or crashing. "Edward, you worry too much. It's very sweet... but completely unnecessary. Planes are a very safe method of travel."
"Hmm," he responded not wishing to argue and wanting to move away from the distressing topic of Bella's human vulnerability. He looked over her shoulder to see what she was working on: "What are you working on so diligently, my dear?"
"I'm putting together an Assimilate Edward Plan. I am mapping out all the ways I can help you adjust to high school in the 21st Century; things have changed quite a bit since you were last in a classroom."
He smiled, admiring her dedication. "I am intrigued. What do you have in this Plan of yours?"
Bella sat up and grew quite animated, glad to be talking about her work rather than terrifying fireballs: "One of the advantages of working with a vampire is that you don't sleep. So I can plan a full 24 hour, 7 days a week assimilation program. For program elements where you need my input, I have slotted those into the daytime sessions and then while I am sleeping you can be working on both self-education elements as well as working with your new 'family' - the other Cullens - since they are all vampires and don't sleep either." She gave him a bright smile and he wanted to lean down to kiss her nose, she was so cute, but he would never be so presumptuous.
She turned her laptop to show him her Program outline which included topics such as: Fashion; Culture; History; Interpersonal Relations; Contemporary Music; Intensive Curriculum studies; and Language.
"See here in Culture," she said pointing to a tab on the screen. "This is one element which falls into self-education because you can do this when alone or with others; so far one idea I've had is to put together a playlist of 'teen' movies for you to watch. I haven't put the list in date order yet but once I do we can download the movies and you can just start watching in order."
"What do you have on your list?" He scanned the list quickly.
The Breakfast Club
Easy A
Heathers
Rebel without a cause
Ferris Bueller's Day off
Say Anything
Fast times at Ridgemont High
Times Square
Boyz n the Hood
The Outsiders
American Pie
Lean on me
Dirty Dancing
Dazed and confused
Cruel Intentions
Valley girl
13
Some kind of wonderful
Pretty in Pink
Pump up the volume
The Lost Boys
10 things I hate about you
River's edge
Little darlings
Better off dead
Grease
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Adventureland
Empire records
Do the right thing
Juno
Footloose (old and new version)
Beach party
Risky business
Endless love
The karate kid (the old series)
Mean girls
She's all that
Clueless
Poetic Justice
The Craft
Scream (the series of films)
Blackboard Jungle
West Side Story
The last picture show
American graffiti
Cooley high
Rock n roll high school
Puberty blues
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (not the movie - the first 3 TV seasons)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Dazed and Confused
The Virgin Suicides
Romeo & Juliet (any version)
Donnie Darko
To Sir with love
"Buffy the vampire slayer?" Edward did not like the sound of that title at all.
"Don't worry, it's not instructional; it's more of a romance with a little magic and martial arts thrown in. It's fun, you'll like it."
"I have already seen a few of these others ... 'Rebel without a cause', I've seen that one. It was an excellent drama. James Dean's career was short lived but quite influential."
"So you like movies?"
"Yes I do. I have enjoyed many good films over the years, although I notice the language and sexual content has changed considerably in the past several decades."
"Well, Edward, you might need to brace yourself, especially with the whole mind-reading thing; you are going to be hearing a lot of things you might be shocked by. I hate to tell you this but I am afraid high school seniors think and talk about sex all the time and their language is sometimes quite colourful."
He leaned his face close to Bella's and whispered to her, "It might surprise you to learn that back in my human days, my friends and I talked and thought about sex all the time too."
She leaned back surprised: "Really? Even the girls?"
He chuckled as he sat back: "Well not as openly as the girls of today but the girls of my generation were part of a dawning age of liberation for women. Their fashions were looser and shorter so they were more active and fun than women of my mother's age who still wore long dresses and constrictive corsets. In fact, most of my young lady friends smoked cigarettes, talked politics and even spoke of wanting careers instead of becoming wives and mothers but society wasn't quite ready for all that just yet. An educated female secret service such as yourself would not be even dreamed of back then."
Bella was pleased to hear him speak of the liberated ladies of his time with such an admiring tone, perhaps he wasn't as old-fashioned as she thought. Although she was a little curious about his reference to his young lady friends and she wondered if he'd had a sweetheart back then. He was so tall and handsome, she was sure he must have been the apple of some girl's eye.
The voice of the pilot announcing the start of the landing routine brought an end to their conversation, and Bella's wondering thoughts, and they quickly went through the motions of preparing to land. Bella packed up her laptop which Edward took from her to stow safely before checking that her safety belt was securely fastened. Bella gave him a smile which he returned shyly. He was aware that Isabella was very independent and exceptionally capable but he just couldn't help the growing need to take care of her.
After a safe and smooth landing Edward went to thank the pilot and the crew before disembarking with Bella and making their way towards the small airport building. When they entered the terminal they recognised their new 'parents' immediately since there were no other waiting guests in the lounge. Edward extended his hand to introduce himself: "Dr Cullen, I am so pleased to finally meet you in person. May I introduce my ... Miss Isabella Swan or I should say Agent Isabella Swan."
"Edward, please call me Carlisle, I am very pleased to welcome you both to the Olympic Peninsula," Carlisle said as he shook first Edward's then Bella's hand.
"May I introduce you both to my mate, wife and best friend, Esme Cullen."
Esme stepped forward and shook Edward's hand: "How lovely to finally meet you Edward, Carlisle has spoken fondly of his phone conversations with you."
She then turned to Bella, "Agent Swan, it is very lovely to meet you too. I hope your flight was pleasant."
Bella returned Esme's handshake gladly: "Please call me Bella. Thank you for collecting us from the airport."
Bella was struck by the beauty of the couple before her, she was also struck by their normality. They looked just as you would expect a small town Doctor and his wife to look; they looked like they were in their late thirties by the way they dressed and the way they held themselves, though from the files Bella knew that there were both in their mid-twenties when they were each changed. The rich gold colour of their eyes and their hard, cold hands where the only reminders that these were indeed vampires, just like Edward. Their eye colour she now understood to be a vampire reaction to consuming animal blood rather than human blood which would change their eye colour to ruby red if they did consume it.
Carlisle gestured towards the exit and led the group to leave the terminal: "Come, shall we make our way to my car? Your larger items are being unloaded from your jet and packed to a truck; they will be delivered later this afternoon. Your smaller bags will fit in my car easily enough. It is only a little over an hour's drive to Forks so we should be home and settled before the truck arrives."
Esme took Bella's arm and whispered to her, "Do you need a few human minutes before we leave, my dear?" It took Bella a moment to work out what Esme meant by 'human minutes' but when she did she chuckled and shook her head: "No, no thank you though. The plane crew made me very comfortable with lovely food and I took care of all my human needs while on board, so I am quite ready to leave. Thank you for thinking of me though, that's very kind."
Esme smiled contentedly, glad that she'd been right to at least consider Bella's human needs. Edward hearing her kind thoughts turned and smiled at Esme. Her thoughts were clear and unguarded, she was a very kind woman with strong motherly instincts.
Esme patted Bella's arm as they continued to follow the men out to the car: "Our other children were very sorry not to be here to greet you but it is a school day and we must keep up appearances. They'll be home before we arrive so we can make the introductions then and, of course, they'll help unload your things once the truck arrives."
As they approached the car Edward took one of Bella's hands and placed his other hand softly on her lower back, guiding her towards the rear passenger door which he then opened for her. Bella smiled at his quaint manners as she took her seat. He leaned in to her and spoke quietly: "I will sit up front with Carlisle, if that is agreeable to you, my dear?"
"Yes," she nodded. "I'll chat with Esme, but Edward?"
"Yes my Bella?"
"Just so you know, I won't always sit in the back and you won't always sit in the front." She gave him a wink and a giggle. He smiled though he was a little confused by her meaning.
A/N: Yes Edward, don't think this Bella is always going to take the back seat...
Did you like Bella's movie list?
See you soon