CHAPTER 4

At the moment that Emmett let out the almost silent hiss, I grabbed his arm and held on, knowing that if he wanted to do anything drastic he'd have to risk hurting me, because I wasn't letting go until we were outside and in the car.

"Emmett, don't be rude! These are very good friends of my family," I said quietly, but just loud enough for the others to hear.

Taking a deep breath he smiled and nodded, "it's a pleasure to meet you. Bella has told us so much about you," he replied. Billy and Jacob narrowed their eyes at this statement.

"Yes, she's told us much about you too. She tells us that your scumbag brother has gone to Alaska to stay with an uncle?" Jacob said.

Emmett didn't let his surprise at my lie show, "that's right. Edward has gone to live with my adoptive father's brother, Richard. He's…what he's done to Bella has not gone over well with our family and so he thought it best to leave until things settle down. I don't think he realizes that we may never forgive him."

Billy's eyes widened a little in surprise but he did not say anything nice. "Well, the next time you talk to him you tell him that what he's done does not go over well with anyone, and I don't mean just your family. He has no right to do as he's done to Bella and if something of this nature happens again he will find out just how much we don't like him."

I glared at him and tugged uselessly on Emmett's shirt. But he heeded my warning and backed up a step. "I'll be sure to tell him your warning. It was nice to meet you. Bella won't be out late Chief Swan," Emmett said as an afterthought to Charlie. Charlie nodded and winked at me.

Emmett and I practically ran to his waiting jeep and he quickly boosted me into the seat. In a flash he was in the driver's seat and we were gone.

"Emmett! What were you thinking? You shouldn't have reacted like that!" I reprimanded.

He didn't reply right away. "I'm sorry Bella, I just got carried away. It's still hard for me to take the fact that you hang out with them… I thought I handled myself rather well though, considering," he said with a grin down at me.

I snorted, "please, if it weren't for me you would have totally started World War III in my living room!"

He frowned, "no I wouldn't have! I was completely under control!"

I looked at him with a smile, "right, that's why I had to grab your shirt and hold you back?"

It was his turn to snort, "like you could hold me back, pip squeak!"

"Well not literally! But you have to admit that you couldn't really have done anything without getting me hurt, seeing as I had no intention of letting go of you."

He sighed. "I suppose not. And I suppose I should thank you. It's so humiliating having to thank a tiny little human like you," he said with mock despair.

I growled and smacked his arm lightly, still causing my hand to throb with pain at the contact with his stony body.

Soon after this we were stopped in front of the now familiar Cullen house. Emmett rushed around the jeep and helped me out, slinging his arm casually around my shoulders as we walked into the house.

"Bella, how are you?" Esme asked, concerned.

"I'm okay. Really. I thought it would hurt a lot more than this…"

Her golden eyes were full of understanding. "I know sweet heart. And I really am sorry about what Edward has done. I never thought… my first son…"

"It's alright Esme. It wasn't your fault. Edward does what he wants; he's never made that a secret. I'm just sorry that he has hurt and betrayed all of you this way."

Esme didn't reply, just hugged me and then led me into the dining room, where a plate of lasagna was waiting for me. As I made my way to my seat, the rest of the family came in and sat down too, watching me. Self consciously I began to eat, unable to ignore the gazes of the Cullen's. Finally I stopped eating and looked at Alice, who was sitting next to me.

"Alice, I want you to look at my future," I said simply. "I want to know what I have to look forward to, if a certain vampire will have any part of the rest of my life."

She didn't question, just closed her eyes and focused. After a moment she opened them and looked at me in panic.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Jasper asked, catching her emotion.

"I, I can't see her! She's gone from my sight! Every time I try to see her my vision turns black, like it's not there at all. But…I would see it if that meant she was going to die…I don't understand. Carlisle?" she asked.

"I don't know Alice. We've never dealt with someone like Bella. I think you and I should go research this. You too Jasper," he said, knowing that the handsome blond would go anyway.

The three Cullen's disappeared out the door on their way to Carlisle's office, followed almost immediately by Esme. This left me sitting at the dining room table with Emmett and Rosalie.

"So…" I said, trying to fill the silence.

Rosalie cleared her throat just before glaring at me, kissing Emmett, and disappearing behind the others.

"Um, did I do something wrong?" I asked, knowing that I had just chased almost the whole family out of the room.

Emmett laughed, "no, Rose is just…she doesn't really like you. You already knew that but sometimes…it's harder for her to be around you because she envies you, your humanity. Plus she's afraid that if you ever get changed you'll be prettier than her. She already thinks you're prettier as a human than she was…"

"I…I think she's a little delusional, I'm not pretty. Anyway… I can leave," I offered quietly.

He shook his beautiful head. "No, don't go. You and I almost never have time to talk, or even hang out. Edward was always so possessive of you."

We made our way to the living room and sat down facing each other before I replied, "possessive? I just thought he was protective of me."

Again he shook his head. "No, he hated when anyone took more of your attention than he did. He never let us even think about talking to you for too long, and definitely not alone. Alice was only able to because she never would have given up, and he knew that."

We spent a few hours just getting to know each other. The next thing I knew it was morning and I was on the couch, lying against something very cold. I sat up slowly and stretched. Looking around, wondering what was going on, I noticed Emmett beside me, smiling.

I blushed red, "I'm sorry Emmett," I stammered. "Oh Rosalie must be furious at me for keeping you here all night!"

He chuckled. "It's fine Bella. And Rose wasn't too put out, she's been hunting all night, venting some of her frustration. I doubt she even knows that you're still here…"

"Oh…well I will say that it's a good thing you don't sleep or no doubt I would have been keeping you awake."

He was careful not to let any emotions show at this point and I knew I'd been talking in my sleep. I sighed, "what did I say last night?"