New Chapter! I got this one out quicker this time! I'm sorry for all the people who think I wasn't focusing enough on Bella and Edward but this is more them related.
Read on!
It was Wednesday morning when we finally had to go back to school. The past day had been making sure that everyone had plenty of clothes and food and everyone's injuries were 100 better. Layla had basically grilled about three good sized cows in the past couple days to make enough food for six young werewolves plus herself and me.
Right now I was speeding down the highway on my motorcycle with Edward. He had, with much persuasion, given up his Volvo in order for there to be enough space to transport everyone. Edward and I were riding on my motorcycle while Alice was driving the Volvo, Layla and Kyle were taking her motorcycle and Rosalie was driving her BMW which allowed for enough room for the seven vampires and five werewolves to all fit cozily. I couldn't help but consider how lucky we were that Oliver didn't have to go to school anymore. He was back at the mansion hanging out with the rest of my family.
As soon as everyone piled out of our cars I did a head count to make sure everyone was there. Sure enough, four people were missing: Jasper, Kyle, Emmett, and Layla. Layla's bike wasn't there.
…this could never result in anything good.
I eyed Alice "Do you know where Jasper is?" I figured she would most likely know where he was out of the four.
"No but he was helping Emmet with something when we were leaving. I thought he had gotten in the other car." She answered but looked skeptical "I can't see anything about any of them; Layla must have blocked visions of them."
I looked around and noticed that a lot of kids were in the area around us because it was ten minutes before school began and they were all outside. They were all staring at the four new arrivals who were all fidgeting nervously at the stare transfixed on them. The thoughts were starting to give me a headache so I blocked them out. Apparently the girls thought the three boys were all 'uber hot' and they were all trying to find something wrong with Sarah. The boys were all eying Sarah and comparing her to Layla and I and they were trying to figure out way to intimidate the guys. HA! I would like to see them try.
Sampson was the first to notice Kyle's absence "Where in the god damned hell is Kyle?" I rolled my eyes. I swear one day he and Layla were going to have a cussing fight and I would laugh when he lost.
"Seriously though, where is he? And Layla and the tall blond one and the one with all the mussels?" Collin asked. I couldn't help but count it as a score that, even though he forgot their names, he didn't call them by 'leech' or anything like that.
"I don't know. Maybe they…oh shit!" I heard Rosalie curse and looked over to see her wide eyes.
"What is it?" Alice asked and I felt my jaw drop as I read her mind. Oh. Dear. God.
Rosalie shook her head "Yesterday Layla said something to Emmett about wanting to drive his jeep and she would destroy the sheep tapes. He agreed but he had to be in the car when she drove it."
I felt Edward shift behind me as he placed his head on my shoulder "Well that doesn't explain Kyle and Jasper."
Alice shook her head "You know Jasper can be just as bad as Emmett when he wants to be and I wouldn't put it past Kyle to let Layla drive a giant jeep without him being there to protect her."
Drew shook his head "Would Layla really do that?"
I rolled my eyes "Yea, she would. You didn't see her with the stretch limo in Volterra….not a pretty picture." So that was a lie, I might have been in the back seat screaming my butt off and having a wonderful time as we sped past innocent pedestrians but no one needed to know that.
I saw Sarah about to say something but I heard tires screeching and what sounded like three very unmanly screams coming from down the road.
I couldn't help but laugh at the site of Emmett's giant Wrangler as it sped into the school parking lot. As it turned the corner without slowing down, it skidded and the entire right side of the jeep was suspended in the air for a second before it slammed back down and the car continued to speed into the lot. It wasn't necessarily the jeep itself, which was currently covered in mud, that made me laugh but of the people inside.
I could tell they had all tried to go all out and look all 'bad ass biker', or at least Emmett, Jasper and Layla did, Kyle was just in a pair of jeans and a nice shirt (all designer labels thanks to Alice.) However Emmett was wearing a black leather biker jacket and from what I could see Jasper was wearing a matching one in brown but they were sitting in the back so I couldn't see their pants or shoes. Layla however was a different story. She was wearing a blood-red sleeveless top with black rhinestones in the shape of a heart on the front, black, skinny jeans with red sparkles all over the bottom and a pair of black combat boots. They were all wearing dark sunglasses even though it was extremely cloudy out and would have all easily pulled off the look they were aiming for….
But only Layla achieved that.
She was driving with her right foot up on the dash bored and calmly driving as if she was going calmly down the road instead of speeding in a school parking lot with a giant jeep. The boys weren't so graceful. Kyle had a terrified look on his face and his hands were clamed down against his seat and his breathing was coming extremely fast and his eyes were dilated in fear and I could see that because his sunglasses were hanging off the edge of his nose. Emmett and Jasper were in the back seat holding onto each other for dear life and it was evident that they were scared out of their minds. The whole thing was quite comical.
As the jeep screeched to a halt beside the Volvo, taking up to parking spaces, Layla hopped out and pulled out a black leather jacket with red rhinestones in the shape of a heart on the back and her backpack and smiled at us innocently. Innocent my ass.
The other students took this as a chance to go up and admire the giant jeep as I ran over to her. "What the hell did you do to them?!" I said flailing my arms in the general direction of the scared men.
She shrugged "I merely tested out the off-road function of the jeep." She looked back at the frozen vampire and then to Kyle before looking at me with a coy smile "Might I suggest you get them out of the car before school starts."
I rolled my eyes at her "Do you realize that there's usually a patrol card in front of the school?!"
She smiled again "Well there was a mysterious break-in at the Newton's store and I just happened to know about it and the fact that all the patrol cards would be called to investigate the scene." I felt my mouth fall open and she briskly walked over to the passenger side girl to retrieve her boyfriend.
Edward came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me tightly. I could feel chuckles racking his body as he tried to suppress his laughter. "Come on, love, let's go to class."
I nodded. Layla had agreed to taking care of everything to have to do with the werewolves so the five of them followed her to the office while the rest of us headed to class. Everyone pretty much moved out of their way because they were either intimidated by the four boys or Layla. Rosalie and Alice stayed behind to pry Emmett and Jasper out of the car both muttering things like:
"Off road doesn't mean down a fifteen foot cliff and through a creek." (Jasper)
And
"Next time she just needs to hit the effing squirrel." (Emmett)
I reluctantly sat through my morning classes without Edward. I felt a bit uneasy, we hadn't been out of the other's sight for more than a couple minutes and I was getting anxious. I knew he was still around because I could read his mind and I knew he was just as uneasy as me. During all our morning classes Layla was trying everything to keep me distracted from Edward.
Finally lunch came around and I was surprised to see Edward waiting for me outside my class. He held his arm out to me and I took it. "Just like old times." I smiled and he nodded back and returned it with my favorite grin.
"While I love that you two are back together, might I suggest we head to lunch before Shelby and her group of shmuck-bags have a chance to try and convince Kyle and them to stay away form our group. I swear if she tries to hit on him I'm not admissible for my actions." Layla said with steering us towards the cafeteria building.
I laughed but made sure to keep my hand tightly interlocked with Edwards on our way there. Once we got into the cafeteria I saw Emmett and Jasper pushing together a couple of tables so everyone could fit and then they both sat down and were joined a few seconds later by Collin and Drew who were both looking starved and very eager to get to a table where people knew them instead of facing all the stares they were getting. Sarah, Rosalie and Alice came in a few seconds later talking about a fashion show in Seattle that they wanted to go to this weekend while they got their food and sat down with the guys. As I got my lunch, I couldn't help but pray that I could somehow get out of that.
We sat down at the table and Layla looked around worriedly for Kyle. She sighed and closed her eyes. They snapped open and she growled causing everyone to look at her. She didn't say anything but got up and stormed out of the cafeteria at a very fast pace; to human it she probably would have appeared to be gliding. We all exchanged a nervous glance – wondering what she was going to do.
She came back a few minutes later with a grateful and a bit flustered looking werewolf in tow. She sat down in her seat and sat him down next to her before pushing her tray of food in front of him and told him to eat. We all looked at her with quizzical looks and she rolled her eyes "Ms. Goody-two-slut cornered him in the boy's locker room after his P.E. class. She wanted to know if she could borrow a shirt because she accidentally ripped hers. I told her to go stick her head in the toilet."
I couldn't help but laugh at the image of a poor Kyle trying to tell a human girl to get away from him. He was too nice to be mean to her. His pack was all howling with laughter and he shot them a look "It's not funny! She came in there with no shirt on and asked if she could use one of mine! She apparently had to get really and I mean really close to me and I don't think she understands to value of personal space!"
"Just eat you food and you four, shut up or I'll make sure the same thing happens to you and I won't be the one to come and save you." Layla said and immediately fell into laughter when she saw the pack's terrified faces.
Through the rest of lunch we found out this lunch arrangement had worked out well because the pack would eat all the food and it didn't have to go wasted and the vampires didn't have to pretend to eat.
Layla shot me a look but it wasn't a bad one, it was one that said 'ha! We did it!' She gestured to the table around us and thought to me 'We did a good job, Bells!'
I looked around again and found what she was talking about. There was no divide. You could never tell by looking at the table that at one point the people sitting there were ever on opposite sides of a treaty.
Sarah was sitting in the middle of Alice and Rosalie talking about a natural hot springs she had found once up in the mountains, Emmett was sitting on the other side of Rose talking animatedly with Drew and Collin about cars and Rosalie would sometimes turn from the girls to correct them on some mistake they made, Jasper was sitting on the other side of Alice talking to Sampson about warfare for a paper he had been assigned and I was leaning on Edward's side next to Layla who was trying to cheer Kyle up from his little run-in with Shelby. I must say I was feeling a little proud of myself at the moment. If only we could get Jacob and the other's to do the same. I don't think the pack had any problem with it, from what I could tell it was only Jacob.
'He's your problem now.' I heard Layla say through my mind and I looked her way.
'Huh?'
'Jacob. He's your charge now. For the delicate reason that if you let me within a ten foot radius of him I'll probably kill him and I know that wouldn't be good for our cause. Besides, I think it's you he needs to talk to. He had moved on but he still hates you and vampires for leaving him. I can't even figure out why he's held on to this grudge for so long but it does have something to do with you and I can't fix it.' She said simply and turned away.
I leaned into Edward some more and sighed, causing him to kiss my forehead "What's wrong, love?"
I scooted closer to him and shook my head "It's nothing that'll resolve itself any time soon. Don't worry, it's nothing to bad." I could practically hear Layla roll her eyes "And not everything's bad. Look around us." He smiled as he realized what I was saying.
He leaned down to whisper in my ear "I think the girls are planning on taking you to a fashion show in Seattle this weekend." I heard the humor in my voice and I groaned. That was something Heidi and Jane would love. If Layla went at all it would probably be to sneak backstage and sabotage something: the outfits, the model's minds, the lighting, the music, the stage manager's clipboard, the radio waves on all the people's headsets, the body guards, ect. She had been band by Heidi a couple decades ago from going to anymore fashion shows after the little….incident…in France.
I heard Layla laugh and they all turned to look at her like she was crazy…I couldn't blame them. She shook her head "Bella just reminded me of one of my prouder moments in the wonderful city of Paris, France. Don't expect me to come with you to that fashion show. It's either me or Heidi." She said to Alice.
"Why?" Alice asked in a pout.
Layla smirked and Alice got a vision. She came back gasping "You wouldn't!"
"I would. I've done it before, just ask Bella." Alice turned to me and I laughed at the desperation in her face.
"Yes Alice, she would. I don't even know what she thought about doing and I don't want to but just know it's just her first thought, whatever you saw it's not the worst thing she could come up with. Plus she can block herself from your visions so you won't even know what's coming." I laughed as Alice seemed to pale and she glared at Layla.
"I will get you to do something fashion related. I don't know when, I don't know where and I don't know how but I will." Alice hissed and I couldn't help but laugh at her serious face.
Layla raised a perfect silver eyebrow and quickly blocked her mind from me "Oh? You will?" Alice gulped a bit under Layla's confident stare but didn't lose her vigor and nodded her head wildly. Layla's smirk grew. I knew she was planning something and Alice wouldn't be able to get out of this one "Ok, then we'll make a deal. You will agree not to take me or Bella to anything concerning fashion or try to give us makeover's unless it's wanted by either Bella or I."
Alice's mouth dropped open but Layla had said the words 'you will' and Alice no longer had a say in the matter and she could do nothing but nod. However she needed to have the last word in the situation "It's ok, Sarah's going to be my new project."
I shot a worried looking Sarah a sympathetic look. I knew what it was like to be Alice's new Barbie doll. I shuddered at all my human memories of being forced into something and being placing a chair while she put mountains of stuff on you face. Sure the end product was worth it but being forced at any random time for no reason got a bit tiresome after a while.
Layla shook her head and it seemed as if Alice remembered the little deal she had been submitted to "What's you end of the deal?"
Layla smiled sweetly…too sweetly "Well, in exchange I will pick out your and every other one of the girls' dresses from our little group for the ball – and I know that word sounds cheesy but that's the only way to describe it – Aro will throw with the entire vampire community and the werewolf pack to celebrate the alliance….when it happens."
At this point Rosalie, Sarah, Alice and even I were staring opened mouthed at a very smug looking Layla. It's not like I didn't trust her fashion sense…it's just that…she didn't ever express that she had a fashion sense. I looked over her outfit again. Ok, she did have a fashion sense but knowing how to accent combat boots and how to pick out dressed for a ball thrown by our father is a big difference.
"But we didn't agree to that!" Rosalie hissed out, obviously upset about being dragged into this unwillingly.
Layla smirked "But Alice did." She practically sang out. Rosalie turned to glare at her sister before snapping her head back to Layla and was about to say something else when the bell shrilled and Layla got up "Time for class, see you guys after school!" she sang and glided from her seat and dumped her tray and left the cafeteria with Kyle in tow.
"Bella," my head snapped up to see Rosalie shaking her head "she better have good taste in dresses." Everyone got up and I thought about all the people Alice had affected with this little deal of hers: Rosalie, Heidi, Jane, myself, Alice, Esme, Sarah and lastly Layla herself. I only say that because it was usually Heidi who helped with the dressing choices whenever Aro threw a little party. Sure it was 'pick which one you like the best' but Layla had never actually made a suggestion.
"Come on, love. We don't want to be late to biology do we?" I heard Edward whisper in my ear and the rush of air made me shiver. No matter how equal we were now he still had the same affect on as when I was human.
I turned around and smiled at him. "No, of course not. Why waste a chance to sit a few inches away from you for two full hours in not talking while we listen to information on biology that we've heard dozens of time before?" I joked and I saw him frown. I laughed a quickly kissed the corner of his mouth and pulling him behind me to biology.
Once we had taken our seats and pulled out our notebooks and pens the teacher began to lecture on the details of the reconstruction of cell tissue in damaged internal organs. I decided to listen in but about five minutes later I regretted that idea and peaked at Edward out of the corner of my eye.
He was staring into space with a calculating look in his eyes as if he was trying to come up with the best way to do something. I decided to see what he was thinking about but when I looked all I saw was a giant wall of silver….Layla.
"Haha! Nice try Bells, but Edward needs time to think about something. He even asked me if I would block his mind so he wouldn't see what he was planning." My sister's voice rang through my head and I scowled.
"Aren't you supposed to be in art class?" I hissed back at her through my mind, currently very annoyed.
"Yes, yes I am. But I have to take my painting slow or else people will think I have some form of inhuman speed. Now, why don't you think about your feelings for a little while?" It came out as a question but it was a demand. I hated her power sometimes.
What did I feel? I thought about it for a moment and was surprised with what I came up with. I was no longer scared that Edward was going to leave me nor was I angry about him leaving me at all. I felt as if all those years had never happened and was ready to start looking towards to future. A future that contained Edward and the rest of his family as well as my family at the Volturi. I had always planned to spend the rest of my existence with Edward and now I could but I couldn't help but feel as if we needed some sort of conformation thing. Like making it official that we were going to be together for the rest of our lives and no one could change that.
I heard overly animated claps echo through my mind "Go Bella!"
"Shut up and go paint." I growled to Layla through my mind. I blocked out my thoughts from her. I knew she could break through it if she really tried but I was grateful when she didn't.
I picked up my pen and scrawled a note to Edward:
Tell me what you're keeping from me. Why did you have Layla block you mind from me?
I pushed the note in his direction and he looked down at it with his now green eyes. It still amazed me how that happened and they were so green! They still had the lightest ring of gold along the outside but that would probably fade the more he… I still didn't know how to phrase it correctly. He was drinking my blood but….I don't know. The thought was still so new but it made me happy that he would never have to leave my anymore to hunt.
He scribbled something down and pushed the paper back at me with an amused look on his face.
It's a secret.
I scowled at him. He knew that would tick me off and I scooted my chair away from him and pouted. I heard him chuckle and I looked intently at the teacher.
I felt something being pushed at my arm. I looked down at the offending piece of paper:
It's an alternative to going to Seattle this weekend. I thought we could go to our meadow.
I knew he was still hiding something from me but I couldn't help but smile at him. We hadn't been to our meadow together since…a long time ago. I nodded and smiled at him but decided he was going to be ignored for asking Layla to help him keep secrets from me.
Once the final bell rang I huffed out the door without waiting for Edward but I could still hear him fallowing me right behind him.
Once we got outside I saw our family waiting for us and stomped over to my motorcycle. I heard Layla's chime-like laugh and scowled at her. She shook her head "I'm going to take Emmett's jeep back to the Cullen's place and Rosalie, Alice and Sampson are going to ride with me. So we'll be home later."
"What happened to the boys?" I asked ignoring Edward's presence behind me.
She nodded her head in their direction. Kyle seemed to pale, Emmett ran behind Rose's BMW and Jasper backed away some saying "Never again."
I laughed "You weren't the one in the back seat of the stretch-limo in Volterra with her driving."
Emmett's head popped up and he looked at Layla "How dose that work? I thought the streets in that city were really narrow."
She shrugged and climbing into the driver seat of his jeep "They are." She smiled evilly at him. I chuckled a bit as I remembered those poor building that were unfortunate enough to be in Layla's way.
I felt two arms wrap around my torso and I felt Edward lean his head down on my shoulder. I almost had forgotten that I was ignoring him. "Forgive me, love?" he asked while kissing the mark on my shoulder. I shook my head in all my stubbornness and plopped onto my bike. I started the engine and waiting patiently. When I found that Edward wasn't getting on I turned around to see him with a broken look on his face and I sighed. I patted the seat behind me and he got on and hugged me to him.
"I forgive you." I said, trying to sound exasperated when there was really nothing to forgive at all.
Saturday night I found myself standing in front of my open closet wishing for the first time that Alice was here to help me pick out what to wear but that wasn't possible seeing as she, Rose, Sarah, Heidi and Jane were all in Seattle for the weekend. I knew even thought Edward had said we were just going to the meadow I had the sinking feeling I wanted to look nice.
But for the love of God I didn't know what to wear! I had never had to look nice for something I thought was important and technically this was mine and Edward's first date in over fifty years and something big was going to happen and I couldn't figure out what to wear! I was never one to have that many nice clothes but now I was regretting not letting Alice or Heidi ever take me shopping.
I heard a knock at the door and I grunted signaling to whoever was there to come in. I saw Layla walk in and she sprawled herself unceremoniously across my bed and laid on her stomach with her feet up in the air behind her and her round face resting in her hands.
I listened to the rest of the house and all I could hear was a few clinks. "It's quite down there." I commented and turned back to my walk-in closet and looked through my shirts again.
"They're eating." I heard her say. I looked through all my shirts one more time. No, no, no, no, No, NO! I groaned and hit my head on the wall beside me.
I heard Layla sigh and roll off the bed. "Go take a shower and relax and I'll help you with your wardrobe problems."
I looked back at her with grateful eyes. I knew she would pick out something that was me even though it might now be the most stylish thing out there. "Thank you!" I ran past her and into my bathroom.
As I let the warm water wash over me from all angles I felt some degree of my stress leaving my body. I washed my hair with my strawberry shampoo and when I finally decided I was relaxed enough I got out of my shower and used my power to take all of the water off my body and hair.
I wrapped myself in my fluffy bathrobe and walked to the door. As I laid my hand on the door handle I heard Layla shout "Turn on the curling iron and get out every single eye shadow in shades of blue you have and eyeliner." I turned on my heel and immediately did as instructed (not that I had a choice.)
Once everything was out Layla came in the room and sat me down in front of vanity and began brushing my hair out.
"Don't be nervous, everything's going to go great." I felt all signs of nervousness left me and I sighed. "How can you say that?"
"Because I know Edward and I know he's going to be a perfect gentleman tonight and I also know you're going to like what he has to say to you." She said matter-of-factly as she picked up the curling iron and started to lightly curl my hair so that it wasn't curly, it was just a bit fuller and wavier.
"Where did you learn to do this?" I asked in a teasing voice and Layla rolled her eyes. "Alice and Rosalie. I know how to apply any type of makeup now to. Those girls have more memories about fashion they I ever needed."
I laughed as I remembered her power and its setbacks: everyone's memories were automatically transferred into her brain. It was useful but unwanted at time. I could turn my power off but Layla couldn't unless I put a block around her and I couldn't do that all the time.
As she curled my hair she asked me another question "So, what do you think it is?"
I looked at her reflection through the mirror. "What what is?"
"The little conformation thingy you need. Have you decided what it is yet?"
I shook my head and stopped when Layla whacked me over the head for moving. I saw amusement in her eyes and knew the answer was probably as clear as day but I just couldn't see it.
She put down the iron and brushed out my hair a bit more and it tumbled down my shoulder in soft, natural looking waves. She turned me around in my swivel chair and started to mix together about twelve different shades of blue and some smoky black together and then put it on my eyes with a bit of eyeliner. She stopped and nodded.
"That's all you really need." She told me and then turned me around to stare at myself. My blue eyes were standing out because of the mixture of blues she had put around my eye. The rest of my face had no makeup but like Layla said I really didn't need it and it made me look natural.
"Did you learn to mix eye-shadow from Alice as well?" I questioned looking at the strange blue mixture on my eyes.
She smirked "No, I paint remember? It's just like mixing paint but with make up." She nodded at me. "I put your outfit on the bed. I found it hidden in the back of your closet. Get ready quickly; Edward's going to be here in about twenty minutes." I nodded. Edward had spent the last couple of hours with his family and Kyle who Layla had instructed to go get to know the rest of Edward's family. The rest of my Volturi family had also headed to Seattle because Aro wanted to interact with humans in modern-day setting….I think he might end up given a few of them heart-attacks.
I walked back into my room to see a short, blue, off the shoulders, knee-length dress that was made of a flowing but comfortable material. It was simple yet elegant and was complemented by a pair of white ballet flats and sapphire heart-shaped earring and a matching necklace.
I smiled, it was perfect. I turned around to see that Layla had stuck her head back in the door. "Oh, and I just want you to know that when you do figure it out I have all rights to mock you for not seeing it before hand."
The door snapped shut and I immaturely stuck my tongue out at the door.
EPOV
I paced back and forth in my living room as I felt my stomach continue to churn as nerves took over my system. What would she say? Would she say yes? Would she say no? Would she be repulsed? Is it too soon after I returned? Damn it! I pinched the bridge of my nose and growled at Jasper as I felt him try to calm me. I didn't want to be calm!
"For the love of God, Edward, you're making me more nervous than when I had to tell Alice that Gucci was out of style." Jasper laughed and I glared at him.
Emmet was no better "Calm down, bro." was all he said before he started laughing. Why were they patronizing me about this? For the past hour they had been commenting about how I was being absurd and how my nervous state was funny to them.
"Leave him alone you two. I'm sure you two were nervous when you had to ask Alice and Rosalie to marry you." The phrase 'ask to marry' sent a new wave of nerves down my spine.
I was going to ask Bella Swan to marry me. The idea was too perfect and I a little voice in the back of my mind told me that it couldn't happen but I had to believe that it would. I was ready for this. I had been ready to ask her to marry me since the moment I realized I was in love with her. But was she ready? I knew that she wasn't when she was still a teenager but now she was had lived much longer and we were finally back together. I was ready to ask her to stay we me for the rest of our eternity and I think we both needed this, or at least I did. I needed a conformation that she would stay by my side through all eternity and my old fashioned mind wanted her to become my wife.
I sent a grateful look in the direction of Kyle for defending me. He had been here all day per Layla's request and I was surprised to see that he fit into our little family like a long lost brother. He was also the only one of the werewolves that knew all of our names.
For some strange reason Jasper and Emmet stopped laughing and their thoughts stopped all thoughts of teasing me. …That was weird.
I quickly changed the subject before they had time to remember what they were thinking about. "What about you Kyle? Do you plan to ask Layla to marry you any time soon?" It was an honest question.
He shrugged and didn't look up from the line of photos lining that mantle. "Not any time soon but someday yes." He smiled beside himself though. I knew he liked the idea.
"I wonder what's going to happen after the wedding." Emmet wondered out loud. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow in his direction. He was sitting across the couch from Jasper while I was sitting across the room in the loveseat while Kyle looked over from the mantle. Carlisle was at the hospital and Esme was out in the garden weeding her flowers.
Sensing us all giving him weird look he continued, however I couldn't help but feel grateful that he had said 'after the wedding' instead of something like 'if the wedding happens.' "Well, I mean Bella's with the Volturi now and she and Layla are obviously as close if not closer sisters than Alice and Rosalie so she'll want Layla to stay with us and that means Kyle will stay as well because of the whole imprinting thing and he has the pack. So unless we are all moving to a very large house that has over a dozen rooms I don't see what we're going to do. And don't even get me started on what we would do for school; who's going to pretend to be part of whose family. Gives me a headache just thinking about it."
I thought about that for a moment and was amazed with my brother's thought process when he wasn't trying to make my life a bit more frustrating for me. And that certainly was a problem.
I thought about it for a moment and found that Kyle was the first to come up with an answer "Well, from what I've seen Aro and the others would gladly let Bella stay with you all as long as she visited. And also Layla and Bella are close so that would mean they would want to stay together plus it's kind of their job to stay together."
"I know that neither Carlisle nor Esme nor any of us would mind having you or Layla around here. I think it would be nice to have a new brother and sister, but what about your pack?" Jasper mused and Kyle smiled.
"I would like that, being apart of your family. I don't mean to get all mushy on you guys but I haven't exactly had much of a family since before all the werewolf stuff started up." Kyle said. Well that shocked me.
However Emmett was the one to ask "What about your pack? And your parents?"
He chuckled without humor "I wasn't exactly the best pack leader until recently. I haven't been close to my pack since we were all 'human.' As for my father…he was the reason I wasn't close to my pack. Hell, he sent his pack to kill me; I don't exactly call that fatherly love. But it's really all I've ever known."
We all sat in silence for a moment "Well damn" Emmett muttered breaking the silence.
"Well what about your pack? You can't exactly leave them without an Alpha." Jasper said, sensing the awkwardness and trying to break it.
Kyle leaned back against the mantle with a sigh "I really have no idea but to tell you the truth…I don't think there's even a need for a pack anymore. I mean sure, it is something our people have done for generations but with my father it's all been to keep you guys off our land and I see no need for that anymore. Actually…the transformation hurts plus it's fueled by anger and none of us exactly like it unless we're calm while we transform so…I'm saying that…I guess I don't see a need for our pack unless it's absolutely necessary. I know Sampson will keep transforming so he'll stay young for Heidi and I will as well. And both me and Sampson imprinted on a vampire so why couldn't the rest of my pack? And then how many will imprint on humans? The ones who imprint on humans have a right to grow old with them and the rest of us have a right to stay as long as we can with our vampires."
"So, what you're saying is that…there won't be anymore werewolves in La Push?" Emmett asked.
"No, there isn't a way to get rid of the werewolf gene for those who imprint and marry humans and I'm sure their kids will want to know just what they are. However our gene only activates when there are vampires around and now there's no reason for it to." Kyle said and I thought about that.
I heard my wrist watch beep and I jumped at the sound and all my nerves came back to me. It was time to go pick up Bella.
I felt as if I was going to throw up I was so nervous. Suddenly the small black box I had in the pocket of my black slacks seemed heavier than anything I had ever tried to lift. I had looked long and hard for my mother's ring and had found it in the back of my closet along with all the old pictures my family had taken when Bella was still human. I had put all that stuff back there after I thought I would never see her again for I had never intended to give the ring to anyone else.
I felt an overheated hand on my shoulder "Come on, I have to go back to and I'm going to take Layla on a date as well. Neither of us has been to a movie in years and she is an apparent fan of slasher movies and a new one's out tonight." I saw him shudder a bit.
Emmett shook his head "Not a fan of slasher movies I presume."
Kyle shook his head "But Layla's hoping to change that." He shivered a bit causing us three to laugh.
"Good luck, bro. I'm sure you'll get her. Especially with that little set up you made in the meadow." Emmett said, wishing me good luck in his own way.
Jasper nodded "She'll say yes."
I took a deep breath and headed to my car. I slipped into the driver seat and followed Kyle, who was driving his new, shiny, very expensive motorcycle down the drive.
BPOV
I looked at my reflection in the mirror and when I was finally satisfied I looked the best I was going to get I headed downstairs. While I was on the second floor I heard the yells coming from the game room and our new TV on. I couldn't hear Layla any where else in the house so I walked back upstairs and knocked on her door.
"Come on." I walked into the room just in time to see her covering up two easels with a giant white sheet.
"What are those?" I asked her as she took off her large smock and put her paints away.
"Paintings." She said with a smile.
"Smartass." I mumbled back and looked at her appearance. She was wearing a silver off-the-shoulders top and black, skinny jeans with some silver strappy heals. "And where are you going?"
She turned around "Thank you. And I am going out."
I rolled my eyes. "Seriously though, what are the pictures from?"
She smiled at me. "Well, this one" she said pointing to the larger rectangle "is a painting I made in Art Class that no one else can see yet and this" she said pointing to the other one "is something you're not going to see yet."
I glared at her and she continued "They're both pictures that I made but you nor anyone else is going to see these until they're done. It'll ruin the surprise." She told me and I smiled at her. What ever were on those canvases would probably make me smile.
"Pup!" She said while running out of the room. Well…I guess Kyle was here.
I walked down the stair and I saw that neither Kyle nor Layla were in the front room. Instead Edward was standing there in a white dress shirt and black slacks. He smiled his breathtaking crooked smile at me as I walked up to him and gave him a sweet his on the lips.
I felt his hands in circle my waist as I pulled away "You look absolutely stunning." I shivered as he dazzled me with his velvet voice.
I smiled and hid my embarrassment by hiding my face in his neck "You don't look to bad yourself." I heard him chuckle and knew my face would be a nice cherry shade if I could still blush. "Where did my crazy sister and Kyle go?"
"They shot out the door as soon as she got down stairs. She said hi but that she wanted to get Kyle to the movies before he had time to back out." He answered while pulling me towards the door. Back out from what I had no idea but I didn't really care at the moment. I was getting nervous again about what Edward was about to ask me or say or. whatever. I was getting nervous.
As we walked out to his Volvo he opened the passenger side door for me and kissed my hand as I slipped inside. Just like old times.
As we drove down the road he held my hand and kissed in occasionally as a beautiful piano piece filled the car. The silence was comfortable but I could tell he was nervous about something.
I leaned my head back and closed my eyes and let out a sigh. I was so content just sitting here with him and I laughed when I found myself wanting him to drive faster. I was a bit disappointed when the car eased to a stop and I opened my eyes only when I heard my door open and looked up to meet Edward's eyes. I felt the ghost of my heart beat as he took my hand and helped me out of the car.
"Have I ever told you that you look absolutely stunning in that shade of blue?" He asked and I kissed his cheek and pulled him towards the forest.
"Maybe once or twice." I said lightly.
As I was about to take off into the forest I felt Edward pull on my arm. I turned to see him looking sheepishly at the ground. "What is it Edward?" I asked him.
He smiled "I want to carry you." He looked up and I could tell he was trying to dazzle me "Please?" I smiled and motioned for him to turn around.
He did so and I hopped onto his back and tucked my head into his neck and breathed in his mouthwatering sent. I heard him breath out a sigh of contentment and he began to run through the forest. I had to hold my tongue to attempt not to tell him he was slow. I would let him have his fun but the fact was that he was moving at a slow pace, at least for me.
"Close you eyes." I heard him say and I did as I was told. Did he think I was scared? No, that wasn't it. He was planning something. I mentally cursed Layla for blocking his mind from me.
I felt us come to a stop and he lifted me off his back and on the ground. He turned me around so I was facing away from him and wrapped his arms around me with his head on my shoulder. "Ok, you can open your eyes now."
I did and I gasped. Our meadow was decorated in at least three hundred little white candle and there was a white sheet in the middle of the round field and even in the night the wildflowers stuck out and I smiled. "Edward, it's beautiful."
"Not as beautiful as you, love." I smiled at his out of date line. He was really old fashioned but it was part of his charm.
He led me to sit down on the blanket and we both lied down and looked at the miraculously clear night sky. I was lying with my head on his chest with one of his arms wrapped around me and the other supporting his head. Out of habit I created a sphere of water above me hand and began to mold it into different shapes. I could tell this fascinated Edward.
To anyone looking at us, we would probably appear to be sleeping except for the random glob of water above us. Again I felt content but I could still tell Edward was nervous about something.
"Edward, is something wrong? You seem nervous." I whispered and I heard him sigh and pull me closer to him.
"You know me to well." He sat us up and sat on his knees in front of me and I mirrored his position. He took a deep breath. I dropped that water and put a hand on his cheek and he leaned into my comforting touch.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, starting to get nervous.
He opened his eyes and shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong but…"
"Just tell me what you need to say." I coaxed. He smiled gratefully.
He cleared his throat "Isabella, the second I saw you again and received a second chance at your love I knew that I would never let you go again. After you forgave me for putting us both through such agony for all those years I felt as if my heart was finally back in its place and I never want you to leave my side again and I can't repeat that enough. I love you and I never intend to let you go again." I knew that if I had tears I would be crying.
I opened my mouth to say something but he silenced me with a hand. I watched as he slid on leg out from under him and got on one knee in front of me. I felt myself gasp as he pulled a small velvet box from his hand and he opened it. "This was my mother's and the one thing I have ever truly owned." He told me.
Elizabeth Masen's ring was settled in black velvet. The face was a long oval and the band a delicate gold. The gold webbed around a cluster of small diamonds on either side of the face; a large diamond that I didn't even want to know how much would have cost him. But he hadn't paid anything for it. It was his mother's and that made it all the more special. I was speechless.
Edward took my hand "I know this may be too soon but I'm ready to spend the rest of eternity with you and let everyone else know that as well. That being said: Isabella Swan," I felt myself choking up more as he said my full name "Will you marry me."
I didn't need time to think of my answer nor did I have any second thoughts. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" I said and I surprise us both my tackling him to the ground and kissing every inch of his face I could reach before kissing his lips and wrapping my arms around his neck.
I looked down at him and began laughing; I was so happy. This is exactly what I had wanted. This was a conformation of my love for him and of his for me.
He looked up at me for a moment "You said yes." He said before getting a wide grin and began laughing "You said yes!" He told me again as if he didn't belief it himself. I laughed and kissed him again.
"Of course I said yes! I love you and I want everyone else to know that." I told him and sat up again and held out my left hand "Will you please do the honors?" I asked.
"It would be my pleasure." He said, the grin not leaving his face and I could here the happiness radiating from his voice. He took his mother's ring and slid it on my ring finger. It was a perfect fit.
I smiled at him and laid back down in his arms. Both of us were lying on our back and one of his hands was running over the ring and occasionally bringing it up to his mouth to kiss it.
"Edward?" I said, interrupting our peace. But I really needed to say what was on my mind.
"Hmm?" came the response, apparently he was as lost in his thoughts as I was.
"Well, I was thinking and I would really like to have the wedding right here." Edward sat up a bit at this.
"Here? You want to have the wedding here?" He didn't sound apposed to the idea, he actually sounded like he liked it.
"Yes, and I want it at twilight on a clear day." I told him.
He smiled and buried his head in my hair. "What ever my future wife what, my future wife gets."
I smiled. The thought of being Edward's wife made me happy. I sighed again and leaned back.
I don't know how long we just stayed like that. I could barely register when the sun rose and the faint light through the dark overcast that had returned. I was content and I was prepared to spend the rest of my life just like this; in Edward's arms.
I don't think I realized at that time how our lives were never peaceful for long.
Yay! Claps for them! But I really felt like I could have done better with that part…oh well. I tried!
I think I need to explain sumtin: Bella's opinion about marriage is way different than in Eclipse and New Moon. She's much older now and being separated so long from Edward that she wants to be married.
Review if you have a question and review if you don't.
Also the wedding will not be the end of the story….not by a long shot.
- Me!