BELLA'S P.O.V.

"Emmett?" I asked, leaning forward. He looked lost in his own thoughts. He turned slowly and looked at me, studying my face, and I began to feel uncomfortable. And I could sense his discomfort. It was more obvious then I could take. I knew I'd caught him off guard and he didn't know what to say.

But as much as I was dying to know his answer, I knew not to rush him. At that moment, I really wished I knew what he was thinking. It didn't seem like he would answer, so all I could hope for was that this would be brought up again someday, maybe after he'd had time to think about it.

Thankfully, the two small cubs broke the silence.

"Have you named them?" I asked as they started biting at his hand.

"No, but I was thinking something along the lines of Beavis and Butthead." He was still lost in thought.

"That's terrible! How can you name these adorable, cute, baby cubs something so...not cute?"

I pet one of the cub's head. Its fur was soft and pleasant to my touch. It wrapped its arm around mine, trapping it and gnawing on my fingers. I pulled my hand away before it could hurt me on accident. Emmett chuckled and finally looked at me.

"Fine, then. You name them." He looked at me expectantly, amused. I looked away, and thought for a second. Finally, I knew what they would be.

"Pharaoh and Dynasty," I said decisively. He smiled and nodded. He stood up, and his face and exposed arms glittered in the sun. I watched him take his shirt off, and his overly-handsome face was perfectly paired with his amazing body.

I saw the shirt land next to the cubs' home from the corner of my eye; otherwise, my eyes were focused on him. He looked down at himself and wiped his chest, as though it had something on it.

I took my time looking at every part of him that showed. I was fully aware that he knew I was, but it didn't matter much anymore.

EMMETT'S P.O.V

I knelt down and picked up the bag I'd brought. I reached in and groped around until I felt a smooth, silky fabric. Bella looked at me curiously as I pulled out the black piece of clothing I'd packed for her.

As she recognized it was a bikini her expression changed.

"Where did you get that from?" she asked in horror.

"Alice has a ton of these things in one of her drawers. She doesn't like to wear the same bikini more than once." I tossed it to her. It landed on her lap, and she stared down at it for a moment.

"You want me to wear it?" she asked, looking up, her face red. "Did you guys ever think that maybe I packed my own swimsuit?"

"I didn't want to look through your things," I said innocently. "And yes, I do want you to wear it. There's this really beautiful waterfall a few minutes away. You have to see it."

"Then show me. I don't see why I have to wear this for that." She was being stubborn.

"We're going in for a swim, too."

"Um, well, I can't really swim all that great so..." she stammered, her face even more red then before.

"Bella. You swim perfectly fine." I knew what this was really about. "I already saw you in a bikini, and trust me, I'm not complaining." I smiled, then licked my top teeth as I made my eyebrows move up and down to make her laugh.

"Yeah, but being half naked in front of you…I don't have the best body."

I chuckled when I remembered Bella falling after I'd startled her and the strap of her sleeping gown had lowered. It had given me half a view of her chest; it had seemed pretty great then.

"You want me to take my shorts and boxers off? That way you won't feel like you're almost naked?"

Her eyes opened wide.

"How will your being naked make me feel any better? If anything you'll make me feel worse, because unlike me your body is perf-"

I cut her off by putting my hands around the elastic band of my shorts, ready to pull them down.

"You'll feel more dressed than me. I don't really care about being naked."

I pulled them down. She looked down quickly and swallowed, her eyes wide open, her face turning red again.

"WHOA, Emmett! No, no. It's okay, I'll put it on."

She had turned away, blocking me with her hand. She got up with the black bikini and walked away from me into the woods. I stood there alone, totally exposed, my shorts and boxers bunched around my feet.

I looked down at myself and grinned at how she'd reacted.

"Good impression for the first time, huh?" I said to myself as I bent down and pulled my shorts back up. It wasn't long before I heard her coming back.

"Emmett? Are you decent?" she called before coming into view. I looked up from the ground where I had laid on the blanket and laughed.

"Yeah." I could see her head but the rest of her body she hid behind a tree.

Bella slowly stepped out and walked towards me. I whistled.

"Sexy!"

And she did look stunning, so I stared a little longer so she would know I meant it. She smiled and blushed. I stood up and held my hand out for her to grab.

"You're going to love it. I promise." I leaned forward so she could get on my back easier. I didn't hear her approach me so I turned to look at her. Was she admiring my body?

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head and smiled. She moved forward and grabbed on. Her half-naked body on my bare back felt really warm to me. It was soothing. I grabbed her arms and moved them around my neck. I could feel a lot of heat coming from the lower part of her torso.

BELLA'S POV

"Alright. Behave, you two!" Emmett said to the cubs.

I was quiet and held on to him tightly. He began running again, and my skin tightened in the chill of his speed, creating a cool air around us. I shuddered and sighed into his neck. He turned his head slightly to look at me.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a little cold from the breeze," I said.

"Sorry. We're almost there."

I kept my head close to his neck. The image of...him back there was still on my mind. I couldn't believe what I had seen. No wonder he and Rosalie broke houses.

As we got farther and farther into the woods, I could hear a sort of hissing, splashing noise, the sound of a lot of water.

"Here we are."

Emmett had stopped. I stretched my legs down and let go of his neck, in awe at how beautiful the clearing before me was.

A high mount of rock jutted out from the ground at one end of a pool of clear, aqua water, some parts of the rock darkened by moisture. A stream of water cascaded from the top, creating a foamy, misty splash as it hit the water pooled at the bottom. Patches of grass-like plants grew on a rock bank behind the waterfall. We could swim through and lay on it if we wanted. Tall trees let in enough sunlight to catch the colors of the birds and butterflies, but there was enough shade so the spot wouldn't be unbearably hot.

"Wow," I whispered. "It's beautiful."

"Told you. I knew you'd like it," he said proudly. "Want to go for a dive?"

I looked at him and smiled widely.

"You mean like jump with the waterfall?"

"Sure. But we have to jump together. It can be dangerous because of the water pressure. It's enough to push anyone down into the water, and for someone like you..."

"Ha, ha, very funny, Emmett," I said, rolling my eyes and laughing. "Okay! Let's do it!"

I was excited. Edward would have never have let me jump in, let alone jump with me.

"Let's go."

He ran towards the water. I smiled and followed behind. Together we swam until we reached the rock bank next to the water fall.

"How are we supposed to get up there?" I asked.

"We're climbing up, of course. Come on, get on my back again. It's too slippery for you to do it on your own."

EMMETT'S POV

With one last push up, we were at the top of the rock mount. I helped Bella off of me, holding her warm hand in mine to keep her from slipping.

"Oh, God. This is really high," Bella said. She held on to my hand tighter and wrapped her other hand around my arm. I could still hear her heartbeat quickening even over the roar of the waterfall. She was scared.

"We can always go back down," I said to her. I relaxed my hand, and felt hers relax too; instead of gripping my hand, she laced her fingers through mine. I looked down at our hands and smiled. I was sure she wasn't even aware of what she had just done.

Her gaze was focused on the height from where we were to the water down below. She shook her head and looked up at me.

"No way. Let's go." She smiled so widely I could see her teeth.

"Okay."

As I bent my knees, ready to jump, I told her one last thing. "Don't let go of my hand."

We jumped together, our arms flailing in the air but never letting go. I could hear her screaming from the thrill, and I found myself howling with her. We hit the water and were pushed down quickly as I'd said. I swam away from the waterfall, holding on to Bella tightly.

I turned make sure she was okay. She looked amazing next to me in the clear, blue water, smiling, squeezing my hand to assure me she was fine. Bella pointed up with her free hand to remind me she needed to go up for air.

We swam up together, and when she reached the top she took a gulp of fresh air into her lungs. I helped her stay afloat by grabbing her around her small waist, and she automatically wrapped her legs around my torso. She ran her hand through her hair, combing it back and out of her face.

"That was…intense," she said breathlessly. "I was so scared." She beamed a smile at me. "We're not telling Edward about that are we? He would get mad after... what happened last time he left."

I smirked. "That's like asking if we're going to tell him about this."

I kissed her, licking her bottom lip. She opened her mouth, allowing me to deepen my kiss. The warmth of her tongue felt strange on mine, but I loved it. I had never felt this before, not while a vampire.

I cupped the back of her head in my hand, and it fit perfectly. I wanted to kiss her endlessly. I liked the feeling of her warm tongue. I could feel myself becoming aroused.

She pulled away, turning her head, gasping for air. Bella's breathing was hard, as if she was choking. I looked at her confused. She turned to me and giggled.
"I kind of forgot to breath."

I burst out laughing and caressed her face.

"You'd think you would be used to kissing a vampire by now." She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Want to jump again?" I asked. She opened her eyes, leaned in closer, and gently pulled my neck towards her. I tightened my grasp around her waist.

"In a bit."

This time she began kissing me.

JASPER'S POV

"I don't understand. Why did he leave?" I asked Alice. We drove full speed down the desert road. All we'd seen was sun and dry dirt. I watched as we passed another ROUTE 66 sign. "And why here?"

"I don't know. Maybe he thought we wouldn't think of looking for him in a place where he'd be so exposed." said Alice.

I rolled the window down from the jet-black car we'd bought, and the blazing sun and heat roared in. I caught the sight of my skin sparkling from the rear view mirror. The hot air bothered me a bit, it was much more dry than what I was used to. I held my hand out; my skin was blinding.

"I can't sense him here," I said

"Oh, I know. He only passed through here."

"Where is he going?"

"I'm not exactly sure. He knows we're coming, and every time he knows we're close, he moves." She shook her head. "I honestly don't understand him. I mean, he knew what he was getting himself into when he chose to start dating Bella. He knows humans are just like us. It was only a matter of time before Bella would want to do it."

"I don't think that's it, babe. He was obviously okay with sleeping with her if he went through with it. Edward's been so careful about that. And, well, it's not like Bella forced him," I said laughing. "I think he's just going through that whiny 'I'm a monster' phase again."

BELLA'S POV

I couldn't stop laughing.

"No way."

"I'm serious. Why don't you believe me?" said Emmett with a perfectly straight face. We were lying on flat rocks in the small cave behind the waterfall. Our voices echoed off the rocks walls. We had climbed in to rest and had decided to play a game of questions.

"So. You're telling me you had the whole afro wanna-be-look, the tight pants, platform shoes, and open chest shirt?"

"That was the look. What can I say?" He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "You know how Alice is, we have to keep up with the fashion." He scrunched his nose up, like he smelled something unpleasant. "Wasn't really a fan of that look."

I looked at Emmett, and for a split second he was wearing a billowy white blouse, his chest hair bubbling over the collar, and black, bellbottom pants. His shoes had a ridiculously high heel, and his hair was in an afro. In my mind, we were suddenly transported to a disco club, colorful lights flashing everywhere, disco music blaring. I could see Emmett doing the classic disco move enthusiastically, pointing his finger down at the opposite side and raising it diagonally in the air.

By the time I snapped out of my reverie, I couldn't breathe from laughing so hard.

His greaser phase, his hippy days, those I could see for him...but disco? I just couldn't, it was too absurd.

"What? Its not funny." he said defensivly.

"Okay, it's your turn," I said, quieting down. He rolled over onto his side, and rested his head on his hand.

"What are some of the things you want to do with your life?" he asked.

"Well, that depends on if you mean while I'm human."

He smirked.

"You're still giving Edward hell about that?"

"Pretty much," I said, mimicking his smirk.

"Okay, what's something you really want to do while human?" he asked.

"Actually, I've always wanted to get a tattoo. I know, I know," I said hurriedly when his eyes widened in surprise. "No one would ever think I would want to have a tattoo, but I always have. I never did it because I've always hated needles, and you know how I am around blood." I thought for a second and added quickly, "And I want to travel."

"Where do you want to travel to?" he asked, resting his other hand on my stomach. It was an oddly light touch, and I knew he was trying to remember to be gentle.

"Hmm…Ireland. Maybe Scotland too, but I know I wouldn't understand what the hell they were saying."

"The Irish accent isn't any easier," he said, laughing.

"You've been to Ireland before?" I asked.

"I've traveled to every part of the world, Bella." Emmett began to trace his finger over my stomach, maintaining that overly light touch. "Would you like to go to Ireland?"

"Definitely." I was determined to go one day. "I've been saving some money since even before I came to Forks."

"Would you like to go Friday?" he asked casually. I turned to him, confused.

"Friday? This Friday? As in three days from now?"

He nodded.

"How?" I asked.

"By plane, and of course, I'll be with you."

The idea was so tempting. Not only was it a free trip to a place I'd dreamed of going to, but I'd be able to spend time with Emmett. Then I remembered our situations.

"No, no. I can't let you buy me a ticket to Ireland. What would the others think, especially with Edward gone? And Rosalie!"

The guilt was creeping in on my conscience now, knowing I had feelings for Emmett.

"They'll think exactly what they are now: that I'm just trying to distract you while he's gone. And Carlisle and Esme know Rosalie and I like to spend some time away from each other when we fight. Plus, it's not like we're low on money," he said. I could tell he was really liking the idea.

"I don't know, Em…this all seems wrong. You're with Rosalie, I'm with Edward. He leaves, you argue with your wife, and we go off to another country together?"

He looked directly into my eyes. "Are you saying you want this to stop?"

He tried to look unbiased, but I could tell he didn't want me to say yes.

"No, Emmett, of course not." I sat up and put my fingers through his. "I didn't say that. It's just…I really like you, Em. I know this is something good, I can feel it. Sometimes I just...I feel like we're going about it the wrong way."

"I really like you too, Bells," he said. "And given our situations, there are no other options. It just played out the way it did; we have to go with what we've got."

As much as I didn't like it, what he said made sense. I looked away sadly and nodded. Where would I be if things had turned out differently?

"This is all so strange in a way. I mean, for two years you always treated me like an older brother does a younger sister. And now look at us."

"Come on, Bells," he pleaded urgently. "Two days. That's it."

"I don't know..."

"Please." He squeezed my hand. "I want to figure this out."

I found that I didn't want to say no, I wanted to figure things out, too, despite everything.

"Okay," I answered, squeezing his hand back.

"Yes," he said, grinning. "You're going to love it. I promise."