This is something that has my plot bunnies running rampant on, so I am hoping that once I have more time, I can embellish on this one. *fingers crossed* Right now, my updates must come first though.

Penname: kyla713
Creative Original or Derivative Fiction: Derivative

Rating/Warning(s): T

Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

Prompt: Dialogue Flex: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," she laughed.

My brother was bringing home his girlfriend of over two years for the holidays, finally. All we'd heard about during his increasingly infrequent phone calls throughout his time at college was 'Bella'. Honestly, I had never heard my brother as happy as he had in the time he'd been with her. And when he'd announced that he'd proposed to Bella and they intended to be married at the end of this coming semester after graduation, my parents insisted that he bring her home to meet the family.

No one could understand his resistance in bringing her home, if he were so in love with her and meant to make her a part of the family. But our mother would not take no for an answer, nor would our sister, Alice.

They were both standing at the front door, bouncing with excitement as Edward's car pulled up in front of the house. I stood with my father, peering out the window between the curtains inconspicuously, attempting to catch a glimpse of this mystery girl. Through the tinted windows, all we could see was a curtain of dark hair, blocking any hint of her face.

We'd been so focused on seeing her that we had missed Edward opening the trunk of the car, and our jaws dropped when he came around the passenger side, pushing a wheelchair. Locking the brakes, he opened the door and a pair of hands appeared, gripping his shoulders. As he lowered the petite frame into the chair, he leaned in to kiss her forehead before stepping aside to walk behind the chair, finally revealing her to us all.

"You must be the Bella we've heard so much about," my mother gushed, as she walked out to meet them at the bottom of the front steps.

Bella reached out to shake my mother's hand, startled slightly when kissed her cheek instead. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Cullen."

"Please, just call me Esme," she smiled warmly, gently stroking her cheek before moving to Edward to embrace him.

"Hi, I'm Alice. Welcome to the family," our sister squealed, embracing Bella as if they'd been friends for years.

"Emmett, come out here and help your brother bring Bella inside," my mother called to me and I walked outside with my father.

x-x-x

Later that evening, as we were getting ready for dinner, I heard voices from the back yard and I glanced out onto the patio to see a vacant wheelchair. Off to the side in one of the lounge chairs, I spotted Edward holding Bella on his lap, brushing her hair away from her face.

"They don't like me," she mumbled softly with her head resting on his shoulder.

"Of course they do, why would you think they didn't?"

A heavy sigh released from her body and she sat up to look at him. "Look at me, Edward? Am I really what they pictured for their son or brother? You should be marrying someone perfect like Rosalie or something."

I leaned back against the wall beside the screen door. My wife had shown up with the kids about an hour before, and Bella had noticeably retreated back into her shell that she had just barely broken out of. I figured it was the nervousness of meeting another set of new faces, but never something like that.

"Baby, what have I told you a million times?"

"That I could be a troll with a hunchback and you'd still love me, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder," she laughed and I glanced out again, seeing her smile in place as she rested back against his chest.

"Being nosy?" my wife whispered in my ear, and I turned quickly to look at her, shaking my head. "It's rude to eavesdrop."

"I wasn't! I was resting!" I replied, as she rolled her eyes and took my arm, guiding me away from the door.