~*~ Chapter Thirteen ~*~

Honk! A horn blared at the silver Volvo as it flew past on I-90 W. The highway was not as crowded as it would be the following weekend, which was acknowledged to be one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Nearly everyone united with family and friends for celebration, a chance to relax and unwind, and for the most lucky, to enjoy a long weekend off from work. Football games and parades would be watched; cooking and feasting would be indulged in; several would go shopping for bargains the following day. Through it all family members would hug, support, tease and snipe at each other. In the end, it was about being together that mattered.

"Why do they love her?" Edward asked aloud. It was Saturday and they were en route from Washington, D.C. The Indiana roadside flew past them in a blur of brown, gray and green. Rosalie had been waiting for Edward to bring up the subject of Bella ever since they started their trip. It had only taken a handful of hours. "What is it about Bella Swan that makes her the one human in existence to become a member of a vampire family?"

"Carlisle would say it's because she's so observant and open-hearted," Rosalie answered. "You have to admit, it takes someone very singular to discover the truth, and not only be accepting, but to keep quiet about it for several months."

"She had help. The Quileutes spoke out of turn. It's also not as though she was the only one keeping quiet; Alice knew."

"Are we talking about Alice or about Bella?"

Edward only scowled.

"I'll readily admit, I'm curious about this girl. If it weren't for Alice, she'd be dead twice."

Edward knew that Rosalie was referring to not only his impending introduction to Bella, but to their non-lethal journey into Port Angeles. It certainly had come as a shock when Alice called and not only asked them to intervene on behalf of a school classmate, but to do specifically as she requested and make certain that the perpetrators survived. "That was it. Why didn't I realize it before?"

"What?"

"That scent I caught when we put Alonzo in the trunk."

"Ah." Rosalie smiled smugly as realization dawned. "You smelled Bella on him. I'd thought it was the cut in his back."

"No."

"Interesting that just her scent caused a reaction in you. You haven't needed my intervention in years, yet just her being in proximity to him," these words were almost growled, "was enough."

"She really must be my singer."

"Did you doubt Alice?"

Edward shook his head. "Of course not. Though I wonder that she didn't see this that night. We were supposed to get there first."

"Maybe not. It didn't happen that way."

"What do you mean?"

"Alice saw Bella being hurt. She asked us to intervene, and saw Bella being hurt anyway. Fate seemed to keep us away from Bella that night."

Edward turned his attention away from the road to look over at Rosalie. "Since when are you a fatalist?"

"I'm not. I'm just thinking on this girl a lot lately. Alice began protecting her because she foresaw her importance to the family. Yet this Bella's come into potentially lethal danger how many times?"

"Alice never saw me kill Bella," Edward pointed out.

Rosalie chuckled. "True, but I have to admit, like Maggie, I'd be interested in seeing Carlisle take you on, too."

Edward grimaced. "Thanks. That makes me feel wonderful."

"Come on, it's wonderfully dramatic. The mild-mannered doctor suddenly shows his other side and fights with super strength to save the innocent."

"Are you going for Dr. Jekyll or Superman with this metaphor?"

Rosalie laughed. "Carlisle as Superman! Now that's a thought. He's a little too thin for the part though, and lacking the curly dark hair."

Edward simply exhaled through his nose. "Trust me, Rosalie. Going one-on-one with Carlisle is not something I've done since my newborn days, and not something I wish to repeat." Edward's jaw set. "Who is this girl that she would cause that to happen?"

"Edward," Rosalie said gently, all humor gone, "I think Carlisle would protect any human he saw one of us about to mindlessly attack."

"She's different."

"Yes, she is. Why don't you find out why? Call the girl; get to know her a bit before tomorrow. Perhaps you won't act so mindlessly."

"Call her? Now, that wouldn't be awkward." Edward rolled his eyes. "I still can't believe that they told her about this."

"She's a sister not a pet, Edward."

"Alright, fine. I have a new adopted sister that I'm supposed to want to drain dry as soon as I meet her." Edward scowled. "She's probably terrified of me."

"Hmm, I think not. Isabella Swan's got to have some grit about her."

"You seem to be unusually interested in this human."

"Why shouldn't I be? Don't be such a hypocrite, Edward. You're just as interested, if for different reasons. Might I remind you that it was your 'interest' in the humans that brought the Volturi guards down on us?"

"Please don't," Edward muttered bitterly. He could barely stand Rosalie sometimes, but that didn't mean that he dismissed her words. Would calling Bella have any merit? "Rosalie, what exactly would I say?"

"You'll figure it out. Pull over and let me drive. Call Alice and see if she sees this helping."

"No. I'm going to know Bella's mind when I get there anyway. Talking to her on the phone isn't going to make her any more real to me."

"Please. What do you think she's going to be thinking about as she sits in the house waiting for you to arrive?"

"Do you expect me to find out why she's so special from a single phone call?"

Rosalie held her hands palms up. "I'm just making a suggestion that you reinforce your self-control by talking to Bella first. Whether or not you do it is up to you."

(~*~)

Bella arrived home in her newly running truck feeling triumphant. "Dad!" she called as she came through the door.

"What is it?" Charlie looked up from the couch, using the remote to lower the volume on the television as Bella popped into the room.

"The new video store practically hired me on the spot. I start next week."

"That's good, Bells."

"Yeah, especially since I missed out on that chance at Newton's Outfitters. Depending on how things go, I might be able to keep a part-time position there after the new year."

Charlie nodded. "That sounds good. You'll be able to keep up with gas and repair easily that way. And buy your own prom dress in the spring."

"Dad- ugh, let's not go there right now."

Charlie crossed his arms over his chest. "I've got five months to wear you down."

Running away from the discussion, Bella called behind her shoulder as she walked out of the living room. "Don't count on it!"

"Don't underestimate me," Charlie muttered, loud enough for Bella to hear. "Oh, hey Bella, you got a message. Someone name Edward left his number for you and asked that you call him back."

Bella stopped. After a second she turned and walked slowly back into the living room. "When did he call?"

"About forty minutes ago. I take it he's not someone responding to a job application?"

"Um, no, he's a friend of Alice's," Bella covered quickly. "I've never met him. Wonder why he's calling." Bella tried to sound nonchalant as she walked toward the kitchen phone and the note waiting there.

"A friend of Alice's?" Charlie followed her into the kitchen, lines in his forehead.

"Yeah, he knew her and Jasper at their last school. They've mentioned him from time to time."

"If you don't know this guy, maybe you shouldn't be calling him back."

Bella's fingers hesitated over the note as she looked over at her father. "Maybe you're right." Her hand dropped back down to her side.

Charlie looked at his daughter for a second before nodding and heading back to his couch. Bella went upstairs and plopped onto her bed.

Just a few days earlier Bella had been wigging out from learning of Edward the Killer, and now he was leaving messages with Charlie. Why was Edward calling her? What possible reason would he have to want to talk to her? Who gave him her phone number? Bella didn't come up with any answers. The more she thought about it, though, the more wrong it felt to ignore his message. She wouldn't have ignored it if it came from anyone else. Outside of common courtesy, Edward was important to people that she cared about and that enough was reason to call him back.

Sneaking back downstairs after Charlie was asleep, Bella flicked on the low light over the stove and went over to the phone. She picked up the notepaper and leaned against the wall. The message in her hand became gradually more visible in the dim yellow light as her eyes adjusted. It was simple, Edward's name and a phone number. Taking a deep breath, Bella dialed.

As soon as the ringing started Edward pulled over, cutting across traffic to get from the left lane to the shoulder. He answered his phone as he and Rosalie switched seats.

"Hello?"

A sweet youthful female voice answered him. "Is this Edward?"

"It is. Bella?"

"Yeah."

"Hi."

"Hi."

Silence.

"Did you want to talk to me about something?" Bella asked tentatively.

"I just wanted to… introduce myself before tomorrow."

"Oh."

This was the weirdest conversation ever. He was talking to a human teenaged girl on the phone, and he had no idea how to make it less awkward. Edward wished that he could just read her mind through the phone and know where to go next. Since he couldn't, he said the first thing he could come up with.

"So, it must be difficult to live in Forks after spending so much time in Phoenix."

Did he seriously just say that? Bella asked herself. She felt like it was the first week at Forks High all over again. Only this time she was talking to someone who wanted to suck her dry. "I've had time to get used to it." Bella decided to throw the guy a bone. "It's probably easier because I lived here until I was eight."

"Why did you move back?"

"My mother got remarried."

"You didn't like the guy?"

"I do; he's great, and very good for my mother. He just travels a lot and I felt I was holding her back from being with him."

"So you moved fifteen hundred miles to make your mother happier," Edward said. Well, this was . . . surprising. At the same time, it wasn't. Carlisle said all along that she had a unique heart.

"It's important to make your family happy. Being with my dad is good, too. We've missed each other."

"I can understand that."

I hope so, Bella thought and kept herself from saying aloud. "Good."

Silence.

"Well, tell her I say hello, too," came a strong voice from near Edward.

"That was Rosalie," Edward explained needlessly.

"Hi," Bella responded lamely. This was the weirdest conversation ever. She was talking on the phone with two vampires whom she knew to be killers, and it was damned awkward.

"Bella," Edward began, a new determination in his voice. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay?"

"With meeting us tomorrow."

"Oh. As much as I can be, I guess."

"I will do my best not to hurt you," Edward said with as much sincerity as he could convey.

For some reason, Bella believed him. In the last three days, her stress over the upcoming encounter had actually been receding. She trusted in the Cullen family's plan to be barriers between her and Edward, not really so much for the physicality of it, but for the emotional attachment. Also, aside from being comforting just in and of itself, being held by Carlisle that Wednesday afternoon had helped to increase Bella's confidence and sense of safety. She had been feeling less anxious, and her trip with Angela the day before had brought her more inner peace than she expected. Now with these nine words from Edward, the last vestiges of her fear for herself dissipated away.

"I'll hold him down if I have to, don't you worry. He knows I can kick his ass any day," Rosalie called sassily to the phone.

"I like to let her think so," Edward retorted and Bella giggled.

Her laugh was so unexpected, so sweet - like tiny toy Christmas bells tinkling. It made Edward smile. He just might like this girl, once he got through meeting her.

"Can I ask you two something?"

Edward tensed a bit. "Yes."

"What exactly does coming home for Thanksgiving with the Cullens entail?"

Edward laughed. "We won't be eating turkey, I can tell you that."

"Figured that one out for myself, funnily enough."

"It's just a good time to come home and spend with family. Don't you and your father have plans?"

Huh. Bella hadn't realized this before. "Actually, I don't know what we're doing yet."

There was a moment of silence before Edward spoke. "It must be lonely only having a one-parent home and no siblings."

He was trying to connect with her, Bella knew, but his words just irritated her. Maybe they struck a little too close to home. All three conversation participants were thinking the same thing in that moment – that Bella's attachment to the Cullen family was something she needed because she'd never had anything like it.

Bella spoke after a few seconds had passed. "It's a little late. I need to get some sleep."

"Of course, I'm sorry to have kept you up."

"I'll see you both tomorrow, I guess. Goodnight Edward, Rosalie."

She hung up.

(~*~)

Bella made scrambled eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast the following morning for herself and Charlie. Her mood was a little sour, and even though there was obviously a lot going on around her, she couldn't quite explain to herself why.

"Heading over to the Cullens' today, right?" Charlie asked as he forked eggs into his mouth.

"Yup."

"They doing anything special for Thanksgiving?"

Bella shrugged. "Just family stuff."

Charlie nodded, setting down his fork and gulping down some orange juice. "'Preciate the breakfast, Bella; you're a good cook."

"Thanks."

"Y'know, Bella, I usually go over to the Black house for Thanksgiving, but how would you feel about them coming over here?" The suggestion made Bella's eyebrows lift in surprise. She really had been missing Jacob lately and the idea of seeing him and Billy for the holiday really had its appeal. "You wouldn't be alone in the kitchen. Rachel will be home, and she's sure to make her pecan pie. We can all pitch in to help with the food."

"Dad, that sounds great! I'd love to have them over," Bella enthused. Charlie smiled and went back to eating as Bella continued. "The Blacks are like family and it would be nice to catch up with Rachel again."

"The Blacks are family," Charlie said around his mouthful of bacon.

Bella was thinking on the irony of Native American houseguests coming over for Thanksgiving dinner, and didn't quite hear her father. "What?"

Charlie swallowed. "The Blacks are family. Billy and I grew up together. His grandfather Ephraim was brother to my grandmother Miriam."

"What?"

"I guess I wouldn't expect you to remember your great-grandmother. She died not long after my parents."

Bella's brow furrowed. "Mimi?"

"Yup, that's what you called her."

"Whoa. So I'm . . . one-eighth Quileute?" Charlie nodded. "That's makes Jacob and Billy…"

"Billy is your second cousin one generation removed. Jacob is your third cousin. The Quileute is mostly thinned out, but the family connection is still there."

Bella blinked at her father. He gave her a sheepish grin. "I looked it up this summer when you two were hanging out so much."

"Huh. Wow." Bella let the information settle before letting out a big grin. Jacob never broke the treaty by telling her about the Cullens after all. He kept it in the tribe. "Cool."

(~*~)

Bella drove to the house about an hour or so earlier than Alice anticipated Edward and Rosalie's arrival. That gave her time to settle in and feel absurdly normal before everyone shifted to "assume positions." At one point, Bella had grimaced at the idea that she would be waiting for Edward in the mostly unused kitchen. Yet, it was logical based on the set-up of the house. The kitchen was located on the second floor, and furthest away from the driveway and front door. Edward would have the chance to catch her scent before he could get to her.

Jasper waited just inside the door near the baby grand. Bella had been surprised to see a piano on the raised level floor when she entered the house. Esme explained that it was Edward's; they kept it safely in storage but for his visits - a practice, apparently, she disagreed with. The idea of Edward-Vigilante-Killer playing the piano impressed Bella. She was willing to bet that he played beautifully.

Maggie had stationed herself at the foot of the stairs, across from Jasper. This put her at a distance from Edward's entrance, but in his direct pathway to Bella. Alice waited at the top of the stairs and down the hall from the kitchen. She was intending to focus on Edward's decisions, so that she could anticipate and voice instructions if need be.

Esme and Carlisle were with Bella in the kitchen. Esme hoped fervently that it would not come to her needing to fight Edward. She had chosen to be by Bella's side with Carlisle, in the role of protector. Bella knew that should Edward happen to get that far, Carlisle would step forward, and Esme would try to hie her away out the kitchen window.

Fun times.

It was hard for Bella not to get anxious now that the moment was so close. While Esme had immediately given Bella an embrace when she arrived, it was Carlisle who held onto her in the tense moments. He stood with her, arms around her shoulders. She could feel the hard strength of him at her back, and the intimate yet non-intrusive way his forearms rested just above her breasts. Bella allowed herself to calm against him. She was with Carlisle, and to her that meant safety and comfort.

"They've just turned onto the drive," Alice called, and Bella's muscles involuntarily tensed. Carlisle tightened his arms about her, kissing her temple and moving her closer into him.

"I'm here," he whispered to her. "You'll be fine."

(~*~)

"Welcome to Forks," Rosalie said once they finally drove into the town line. "A town where delectable teenaged girls befriend vampires and all sorts of melodrama ensues."

"Nothing's happened yet."

"Oh, I beg to differ. I seem to recall a certain phone call that made us drop everything and drive to Port Angeles eight months ago."

Edward refused to rise to Rosalie's bait, and changed the topic. "There certainly seem to have been a lot of phone calls. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone in the flesh again."

"Particularly our young Swan?"

"No, not really."

"You're afraid you'll lose control." Rosalie said, very straightforward.

"I won't lose control."

"Edward, you forget that I know you better than anyone, even Carlisle. Admit that you're afraid."

The one word came out between grinding teeth like a growl. "Fine." It was all Edward was going to give her.

"Good." Rosalie smiled shortly. Having got what she needed -and what she thought that he needed- she told him the truth. "You won't lose control."

Edward slowed down, seeing a cruiser hiding on the side of the road up ahead. It threw him off that he didn't hear the cop's thoughts first. He must be distracted; Rosalie was distracting him. Focusing in on the man behind the wheel as he drove by under the legal speed limit, Edward found the man's thoughts to be mostly blank, getting only a slight sense of hunger and the want for more scrambled eggs. The man must not have a very active mind, disappointing in a cop.

Soon Edward was turning onto the back road that led to Carlisle's house. He started picking up on the minds of those inside. Not surprisingly, he found Alice to be searching him through her gift. He felt tempted to give a little wave.

Everyone was in preparation, a tense pre-battle mode. Jasper was hoping that using gift might counteract the bloodlust, but he was doubtful. The strongest thoughts of protection were emanating from Carlisle. It made his heart sink a little. Had they no faith in him at all? Yet, touching on Esme, he could feel her love for him and the conflict and worry she felt. He took some reassurance in that, before all happiness quickly fled him.

"I can't find her thoughts."

Rosalie didn't need him to clarify. "Edward, if you can find a toddler in a crowded city mall panicking because he can't find his Mommy, you can find the only human in a house of six."

"She's not there to be read. She's in the house, I can hear everyone thinking about her, but her thoughts…" Edward concentrated hard, putting more mental effort into his gift than he was used to using.

"You're blocked from her thoughts?"

Edward didn't answer.

"Well, this girl gets more and more interesting. Is it her scent that's clouding you? I don't smell her yet, do you?"

"No." Pulling the Volvo alongside an old red truck that could only possibly belong to Bella, Edward parked. Rosalie was out the door before the engine had stopped.

Slowly stepping out of the car, Edward took a deep inhale of the fresh air before going inside – and choked.

His eyes flew to the truck, and he knew that he'd caught her scent from it. Not sure if it was fallacy or wisdom, Edward moved in on the truck, sniffing it, and opening the door.

"Mmm, that is pleasant," Rosalie said, then bit her tongue.

Precious nectar, the scent was so deliciously sweet. It made his throat burn, and mouth go dry in a way that the pooling venom could not satiate. Edward swallowed as his torso crouched catlike over the seat of the truck's cab. Why was sweet so appealing? His body hardly needed sugar or the calories it provided for a more living creature. Yet, he practically wanted to lick the musty old fabric. Unwilling to stop himself, Edward took in another deep breath.

Mine.

Edward stepped back and shut the truck door, looking up over to the house. He could see Rosalie watching him intently. Clenching his fists, Edward took short shallow breaths. Bella's scent wove into him minutely each time, and it became more and more familiar. How could anything smell so good? It was almost floral; it was so sweet.

The thought of eating flowers was so absurd that it helped Edward to relax. Nodding in Rosalie's direction, they both moved to the house. There was no point in knocking; everyone knew that they were there. Still, Edward paused on the porch, clenching his fists tightly before releasing one to open the door.

He opened it slowly, and Rosalie stepped in ahead before he took his few cautious steps.

She was here. She was in the house; there was no doubt of it. His throat burned with the desire to find her. The scent carried a path up the stairs, and Edward saw Maggie waiting there, eyes on him and nowhere else. It was interesting that he wasn't distressed, he felt strangely emotionless at that moment. Everything was the burn of his throat, a trail of fire that began in his gut and pushed upward until the only thing his body wanted was to sink his teeth into soft flesh and extract what he needed.

He hadn't felt anything like this since he'd woken in Chicago on a bed in Carlisle's home. Carlisle had fought him down, kept him from immediately leaving in search for human blood. The memory made Edward's mind fly to Carlisle, who was mutually focused on listening to him at the door, and holding on to the girl in his arms.

It reminded Edward of what mattered. Not the red ambrosia upstairs, but the heart of the man and the family that loved a lonely girl who self-sacrificed for the happiness of her mother. Edward's eyes moved away from Maggie and onto Jasper at his side. He knew that Jasper was trying to calm him, but he had been right. His gift didn't change the craving. As he knew, one could still emotionlessly kill. It was the mind that ruled over matter.

Edward knew that he shouldn't rush those stairs, shouldn't dismember Jasper in a preemptive move towards his destination. He knew that the girl upstairs, whose heart beat wetly and enticingly, who smelled of sweetness and flowers, was an innocent human being. She deserved to live. She didn't deserve to have her blood pool into his mouth, a sacrifice to his baser nature. He had a higher nature.

Beyond Jasper, Edward saw the piano, and his salvation. Music resonated with him in a way that nothing else did. It turned him into both everything and nothing, connected to the world around him and yet just a miniscule part of it. The piano was where he always found a release for himself and before the thought was complete he was seated. Focusing entirely on the music, Edward selected something difficult: hard, fast and precise.

A multitude of piano chords filled the house from Edward's fingers. It was beautiful and magnificent, and put Bella in a bit of awe to know that it was coming from downstairs. Whatever Bella had expected might happen, it wasn't this. It was Beethoven, wasn't it? Maybe Rachmaninoff? No, only Beethoven, with his infamous temper, could generate something as frantically poignant as this. It was both controlled and uncontrolled, like a frenzy that was desperately trying to calm, only to briefly succeed before it exploded again. Bella stood in Carlisle's arms, letting the passion play over her as the melody repeated itself in increasing spasmodic intensity. Soon Alice stepped into the kitchen, smiling.

"It's fine now."

Bella exhaled, a quiet whoosh of breath. Esme ran a hand down Bella's arm, a happy smile on her face. Bella didn't know if she'd ever seen Esme so radiant. Relaxing, she leaned backward against Carlisle, who placed a kiss onto the top of her head, and closed her eyes. The music downstairs climaxed and changed. It was something a little slower, but still full of fervor. Carlisle's arms were gentle, sliding down to encompass her torso and pulling her closer still. It was a solid and comforting embrace as they stood together and listened to the music.

Behind them, Esme made eye contact with Alice and briefly pointed at the pair with her eyes. Alice kept the smile on her face, her expression not giving anything way.

Bella wasn't sure how long it lasted. Half an hour? Forty-five minutes? It was just peaceful, standing in the kitchen with Carlisle's arms wrapped around her while an impromptu concert played downstairs. Between composers Bella could recognize, like Bach, Chopin and Debussy and some she couldn't, Edward's choices became gradually slower until the last note, a delicate C, sweetly reverberated.

Bella opened her eyes and lifted her head. There were no longer only four in the kitchen. Paired on either side of the doorway Jasper, Alice, Maggie and Esme formed a semi-circle around the two vampires standing at the entrance.

They were the most beautiful vampires Bella had seen. Rosalie was statuesque, a tall formidable presence with womanly curves that just made Bella feel flat all over. Her long blonde hair fell in waves down to the center of her back. Her face was perfection, and Bella thought that it might hurt her eyes to stare too long at it. Golden eyes flashed with arrogance and curiosity while a small smirk played on the perfect rose-pink lips.

Edward was taller, about Carlisle's height, with unkempt reddish-brown hair. He was more boyish in appearance than Bella had expected. His face held the perfection of a young model, straight nose and a jaw made to be nibbled on – did she really just think that? Edward's eyes were a dark gold, and Bella wagered that the color had to do with how strongly he was feeling hunger in that moment.

"Hello," he said to her softly.

"Hello," she answered back.

She is beautiful, Edward thought. It wasn't a conventional sort of beauty. Some might consider her plain or awkward. Her lips were a little large against her tiny chin and jaw, but Edward saw a balance that was complementary to the face as a whole. It was her eyes that caught him most. Typically, Edward found brown eyes in humans to be flat and uninteresting, yet Bella's held a compelling sort of depth. Trust Bella Swan to turn out to be lovely.

Carlisle hesitated, reluctant to let Bella go, but then he released her to step forward and clasp arms with Edward. "It's good to see you," he said. The ice broken, Esme was quick to move in and enclose Edward in a hug while Rosalie stepped around them to approach Bella. Her eyes appeared to still be continuing their examination and Bella began to feel small and insignificant before her.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Bella. Crisis averted. You've certainly added an interesting element to our lives."

Bella didn't know how to take that comment, so she ignored it. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Tell me, what exactly do you do with yourself when you're not in school or here visiting?"

"Um, I read. I cook for my father. I've started working at a video store in town."

"Really?" Esme asked, an arm still around Edward. "I didn't know that." Edward continued to watch her in silence. His eyes hadn't lightened, but thankfully they hadn't darkened either. All the same, his gaze made Bella feel unsettled.

"I got hired yesterday."

"When do you start?" Carlisle asked, moving back to her side and putting a hand on her back.

"Tomorrow after school."

"So you're going to be working to earn a living. Do you have any beaus?" Rosalie asked.

"Um, no," Bella answered, quite startled.

"Interesting how times have changed since I was human. Also how very much they've remained the same." With that Rosalie turned away, leaving Bella to stare after her in confusion. Edward's eyes also followed Rosalie, a frown on his face, before focusing again on Bella.

Multiple conversations were happening all around her as the family reunited; yet Bella remained silent. Watching Edward watching her, Bella took a slight step closer to Carlisle. Everything seemed to be copasetic, but Edward was still an alien element to her. The concentration on Edward's face suddenly reminded Bella of the fact that he could hear her thoughts. For a moment panic struck, until she realized that being wary of Edward was hardly something she was ashamed about him reading. Straightening her spine, she stared defiantly right back at him.

Ceasing his conversation with Carlisle, Edward finally spoke. "Are you doing alright?"

"Fine. You?"

Edward merely nodded. "What are you…" Edward trailed off, not finishing whatever question he had been about to ask. Both Bella and Carlisle were watching him with bemused expressions.

"You still can't, can you?" Rosalie asked from the other side of the room where she stood with Maggie and Alice.

"No," Edward answered, not turning around, eyes still on Bella, brow furrowing.

Rosalie beamed. "Bella, you are too precious."

"I don't understand." Bella looked from Rosalie up to Carlisle. He was watching Edward.

"You can't read her thoughts?" Carlisle asked.

Bella's eyes grew wide and flew back to Edward's face, which was showing irritation now. "Really?"

Instead of answering, Edward turned around and glared at his sister. "Alice, did you see this?"

"No, actually, I didn't." If amusement could light up a face, then Alice was shining enough to have lit the whole house. She wasn't alone. "Oh, Bella, I am so proud of you."

"I second that," came from Maggie.

Esme, however, was looking at Edward concerned. "Edward, this is a good thing, isn't it?"

Edward didn't answer, but did loosen enough to give Esme a small smile before facing Bella again.

Bella was both relieved and uncomfortable. She didn't really like being the focus of attention this way, particularly when it had shifted away from her ever so briefly. Yet, she was relieved to know that her thoughts were still exclusively her own. Wait, that didn't mean that there was something wrong with her brain, did it?

The hand that Carlisle had against the small of her back moved upward to between her shoulder blades and down again in a soothing motion. Bella looked up to see him smiling at her, and she felt that he was there for her. It quieted any lingering self-doubt in her brain, and eased her discomfort. How did he always know? Bella smiled back at him.

"Why don't we move into the living room so that you can sit down?" Carlisle said.

A more relaxed migration happened after Carlisle's suggestion, with family members wandering around the house to continue their conversations. In the living room, Edward sat down casually beside Bella on a couch and with a lame query about her favorite color, opened a round of Twenty (or a hundred and twenty) Questions. It actually became surprisingly easy to talk to him, even though his unmoving eyes rather unsettled her. It was hard to remember how freaked out by him she had been just a few days ago. It was almost like talking to Edward made all her higher thoughts go blank. Which, as her gaze fell on him, struck her as being the exact opposite of Carlisle.

Bella wondered if Carlisle was still in the room because of his promise to protect her, or if it was because he had missed Edward. She thought that it might be a little of both. Truthfully, Bella really didn't feel threatened by Edward anymore, and she wondered about how Carlisle felt to have him home again. When they'd been alone in his study the other night, Carlisle had told her that it was because of Edward that he had learned to share himself with others. Bella couldn't imagine a life with Carlisle keeping to himself.

"Bella," Edward prompted gently, returning her attention to him. "Did you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry. My mind did wander." Focusing on him, a hopeful opportunity for respect for Edward birthed. "What was it like, Edward, when it was just you and Carlisle?"

Edward had been very focused on Bella, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed, the shape of her mouth while she formed words, the deliciously pink tone of her skin – and of course those deep brown eyes. Her question changing the direction of their conversation took him by surprise, and he forgot about determining what her favorite gemstone might be.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I guess when you're apart from society, with only one other person, that you must learn from each other a bit."

Edward shifted his gaze over to Carlisle. "I learned everything from Carlisle."

"Like what?" Bella pushed.

Edward paused before giving her an indulgent smile. "It's hard to explain. I don't think you'd understand."

Nothing quite like being disrespected to have your own respect for that person fizzle and disappear. "Try me," Bella said in a monotone.

Edward shook his head. "I'm sorry, Bella, but you're human. I can't explain to you what it's like to not be one."

Carlisle spoke. "Don't underestimate Bella, Edward."

"Why? Is it the plan to turn her into one of us since she's a part of the family?"

Bella blanched. The idea hadn't really occurred to her, had never been suggested to her, and at some point later she would have to mull it over. Right now, though, she was too pissed to think on it. "Being part of this family is more than what you are or what you do. You should know that."

Edward stood slowly. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Proportionally, how many people do you think you've killed against the rest of those who actually live in this house?"

"Are we including Maggie's count?" Edward spoke harshly, but then he returned to his placid smile and condescension. "I'm sorry, Bella. It's only fair of you to ask questions of me in return, and I'll be happy to answer them, but you shouldn't expect to be taught what cannot be explained without experiencing it firsthand."

"I didn't ask for a lesson in Vampire 101." Anger was making her cheeks flush.

"Edward, you aren't being fair to Bella." Carlisle began to intervene, but then stopped at the sight of him.

Edward's eyes had darkened to black, and his fingers had curled into his palms again. He stood frozen like that for a moment before he tilted his head towards them both. "Perhaps not. Bella, shall we continue this conversation later?"

Bella nodded at him wordlessly, eyes slightly widened. Edward turned on his heel and strode from the room.

Bella stood up from the couch, watching after him in alarm and regret. She hadn't meant for things to get out of hand that way. It certainly wasn't her place to antagonize the one person who'd been part of Carlisle's family longer than anyone.

"I'm sorry," she said, turning to face Carlisle, though her eyes somehow remained on the floor at his feet

Carlisle crossed over to her and put both hands on her shoulders, and she lifted her head to him. There was something so reassuring in having him so close, seeing his burnt honey eyes focused on her. He had such a beautiful face. "There is no blame, Bella, least of all on you. Wait and see how things go next time between you and Edward."

Bella's eyes blinked closed as she nodded in assent.

(~*~)

Edward's blood craving was fully sated. He had briefly stopped to see the rest of the family to explain that he was disappearing for a hunt, and to request solitude. He knew that Carlisle would hear him in the living room even as he comforted Bella. There'd been some slight hesitation on Jasper's part to let him go hunting alone, but Alice had made it clear that she believed it would be fine.

Edward had at first headed far out from Forks in order to seek more adventurous and tasty game – a benefit of Washington – but he had quickly decided in favor of deer, the more ready meat. While he had hunted on Wednesday and again on Saturday, he'd found the desire that Bella aroused in him too strong against the double meal. It would have to be three meals a week for the entire duration of his stay in Forks. Which might be longer than he and Rosalie had initially planned.

It had been several hours since he'd left the house, and night had fallen. The sky was overcast, which made the night particularly dark. It was certainly a change from the D.C. suburb, and its myriad of artificial lighting. Not that it mattered to Edward, for he could see perfectly fine.

She looked so peaceful when she slept. One arm was curved about her head as she lay on her back. If he didn't know that she was sound asleep, he might have thought that she was posing. Not Bella, though. She wasn't the kind of girl to flirt, too pure and honest.

A part of him still couldn't believe that he was in here spying on her. Though no longer in the least bit hungry, instead of heading back to the outskirts of town and Carlisle's house, he'd found himself in town and outside of the Swan residence. He'd felt uncertain when he'd realized where he was, staring at a bedroom window knowing that Bella lay vulnerable just beyond it. Yet, had he really been unaware of where his feet were taking him? Had he not known when he'd entered the town's boundaries what scent it was in the air that led him? He had been as much aware then as he'd been when he quietly eased open the bedroom window.

He should leave, yet he couldn't make himself go. He had to admit to himself that even now her scent was intoxicating, making him want to move in closer and just breathe her in. He didn't though. Edward kept to the edge of her room by the window, watching her in the dark.

"Mmgarl beb," Bella mumbled, making Edward smile. She talked in her sleep. He definitely didn't want to go now. Perhaps in her sleep he could learn what he couldn't from her mind.

She was so fragile. He took a step closer.

Bella shifted, moving slightly more onto her side, causing her thighs to rub together under the sheet. Edward didn't breathe. His eyes were drawn to the spaghetti straps of her sleep tank. Her skin looked so smooth and soft. The line of her, from her jaw down her neck to the curve of her shoulder and just under the strap was perfection. He wanted to reach out and touch her, feel that soft shoulder curve into the palm of his hand. She would be warm.

Edward.

The sound of Carlisle's mind calling to him made Edward straighten. He hadn't realized that he'd bent so close to Bella. Turning, Edward looked out the window and saw Carlisle emerging from the woods across the street. Carlisle was angry; there was a tightness in his jaw Edward could only rarely recall having seen.

What do you think you are doing?

"I don't really know," Edward answered in a voice too low to wake Bella, but loud enough for Carlisle to hear.

Leave Bella's room.

Edward looked over at the sleeping girl. She was moving about a little more restlessly now. He couldn't help but notice her thighs rubbing against each other again. Was she dreaming of something that made her do that? What he wouldn't give to know what she was seeing in her sleep.

Edward!

"I don't know why I'm here, Carlisle, I don't. She's entrancing."

What if Chief Swan were to find you in there? Can you imagine the ramifications? Better that Bella should wake up! Though I'd really rather not have her suffer through finding you in her bedroom while she sleeps.

Edward could hear the spoken thoughts in Carlisle's mind, but he could also read what passed through his head not projected. Carlisle wanted nothing more in that moment than to protect Bella and get him out of there. He was enraged that his trust could be so betrayed and her trust so violated.

He was right. Edward was breaking all sorts of proper rules by being in her bedroom.

"I'm coming," he said, giving Bella one last long look before moving out the window.

"Mmm."

Edward paused, feeling a surge of lust answer Bella's sleepy moan. Almost nothing could have made him move faster to the ground. He was quickly by Carlisle's side. They stood staring at each other. Carlisle's expression made Edward want to duck his head, but instead he held his chin up.

"Never enter her room again, Edward. I won't allow it."

"Perhaps she'll invite me."

"If she ever does, that will be her choice, and certainly would be by the light of day when she is conscious."

"She talks in her sleep."

"You have no business knowing that," Carlisle snapped. Edward could hardly believe Carlisle's anger. He could read that Carlisle's thoughts kept circling the same things: protect Bella, do not let her be violated, protect Bella, she deserves better than this.

Having met Bella, he could understand why the family cared about her so much. He already cared very much himself and he'd barely known her a day. She was one of them, though she was human, of as equal status in the family as him. Edward wondered if her human frailty wasn't part of the reason that Carlisle was so angry. It was like Rosalie had said; Carlisle would protect any human from one of his own kind. He and Bella might be equal, but Carlisle would choose her above him if it came to it. Edward didn't want Carlisle to feel as though he had to protect Bella from him. Yet, it was almost too late for that, damage was already done.

"I won't hurt her," he promised Carlisle with every bit of sincerity he could muster. "I'm sorry that I acted so irrationally tonight."

Edward could hear Carlisle's mind begin to calm, to remember what Edward meant to him. The patriarch was no longer drowned out by the protector. "Let's go back to the house," Carlisle said.

In her bedroom, Bella continued to shift in her sleep. Her face turned into the arm that curved around her head, her cheekbone grazing the sensitive skin under her bicep.

Only slightly less unconscious, she sighed quietly. "Carlisle."

Two heads turned: one blond, one bronze. Only a couple of hundred feet from the house they both looked back briefly as they continued to run.

The sound of her own voice woke Bella from her sleep. She knew that she had spoken, but had no idea what she'd said, and whatever dream she'd been having was already dissipated. Gradually opening her eyes, Bella blinked into the darkness. The blankets seemed to cling softly to her, a subtle pleasant weight. She moved more completely onto her back, feeling the cotton slide across her skin.

She let out a breath slowly. Bella had moments before when she felt horny, but this was different. This was a deeper feeling, more under her skin and in her veins than a slight physical inclination. She felt…aroused. Bella lay on her back, breathing slowly, focusing on the newly awakened senses. Moving a hand cautiously, Bella touched the bare skin under her throat and ever so lightly ran her fingertips down until the top of her tank stopped them. Moving her fingers over the to left she could just barely feel the pulse. Her heart beat strong and steady.

Closing her eyes, Bella let out a long sigh before curling up on her side and tucking her hands under the pillow beneath her head.

A/N: This is going to be a fairly long author's note this time around.

First, in an acknowledgment of the external world, I would like to thank everyone who took the time during the Premiere weekend of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows pt 1 to read this update. :) Many thanks go out to ItHappened, Nachos4Children, DecemberEclipse, and finally my husband, for looking things over when writing this chapter came to a grinding halt. I revamped it and only I have seen this final version. For those that haven't noticed yet, the original opening scene -EPOV during the phone call with Maggie- is available under the "Moonlit Deleted Scenes" story I put up. You'll find it on my profile.

Pre-emptive strike: *There will be absolutely no phasing or shifting whatsoever for either Bella or Charlie in this fic.* There are only two places in which I deliberately step away from canon, and making a thin Quileute blood connection is one of them. If I'm not going to make them phase, why did I do this? It just became a truth in my mind very early on in the story, and there are places where I can utilize it. I hope that you saw in this chapter how it can relate to Bella's need for family.

The other place where I'll step away from canon regards Emmett. Obviously, he's not here. He will, however, be making an appearance in the story in the far distant future. Like, say, chapter 46. :-P By the way, did anyone catch the very subtle reference to him in this chapter?

Another note, yes, I'm aware that Edward is a vampire, and not just any vampire, a Twilight vampire. All the same, when you're not hands-free, driving while talking on your cell phone is a serious misjudgment in safety. So is smoking at the gas pump and unprotected sex with strangers. People get away with it all the time, but that doesn't mean that it's not foolhardy and can have serious repercussions.

Also, to the readers whom I have not already taken in my confidence - I am currently pregnant, and due to give birth in March. It's my goal to put out as much of the story as I can before then without sacrificing quality. After my second child is born updates will slow down, and I am sorry for that, but as any new parent knows, there's no time for anything when a new baby enters the house. Please don't take this as a reason to stop reading.

There are lots of compositions and movements that come into play for Edward's scene in this chapter. For anyone who is interested, the piece he starts with is Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata op 27 #2 Mov 3. It's very different from the famous movement 1 of Moonlight Sonata, and has always been my favorite piece of spastic classical music. A link is on my profile.

Now, this has been something of a loaded chapter. If my note hasn't distracted you too much, I'd love to hear what you thought!

Next chapter... Carlisle's perspective, more of Edward's obssession with Bella, Rosalie begins her own agenda, and Bella... well that should tantalize you enough, I think.