I don't own these characters... in an at all kinda way.
Bella.
He kissed me. He. Kissed. Me. What does that mean?
I blushed thinking back to how I reacted to Edward's lips on mine. I can't believe how carried away I got. That pleasant tingly sensation must have been one sided. When he did it-- he was confused, he was angry. There is no way he meant it.
I don't know why that knowledge left me so disheartened.
A soft knock sounded at my door and my heart went into overdrive. I never have that reaction when the family comes around. We really needed to talk and I realized how desperately I wished it was him.
"Come in." I said, quickly smoothing down my unruly hair.
"Hey," Alice gracefully danced into my room situating herself on my bed. She look frustrated.
"I don't like it."
"Don't like what?" I asked trying to hide the colour of disappointment in my voice.
"Don't like you disappearing like that." She stated more calmly than she appeared. I nodded my understanding. "I don't like it because he's been really moody since… which makes Jasper moody which in turn…" she jerked her thumb at the ceiling which was immediately followed by a loud thump.
Moody. He must definitely be regretting that kiss. I knew it. My face fell infinitesimally. Good thing it didn't matter much because I didn't think about Edward that way either.
"It's not like I had much choice, Jacob as good as kidnapped me." My word were followed by another loud crash. Alice smirked at the spot above my head. I learned long ago the tell tale signs she was talking to him. "Besides," I continued as if there hadn't been any interruption, "it's not like you couldn't see I'd be all right."
"Right…" she sounded unsure.
"What?" I was confused. Alice was never unsure.
"She has a right to know," She spoke aloud to the same place above me.
"Know what?" I asked knowing that I was missing something important.
"I can't see them."
"See who?"
"The wolves," If I thought I was confused before, "the werewolves." Alice concluded.
A smile broke out on my face earning myself a reproachful look from Alice. "The werewolves." I repeated punctuating the words with air quotes. "You can't see the werewolves." I started full on laughing so hard my belly began to ache. This had to be some trick they were playing on gullible Bella.
"This is not a joking matter. Jacob and his pack are more a danger to you than yourself, and that's saying something." Her words stopped me short.
We sat cross-legged facing each other as she remained unwaveringly serious. "Jacob?" I asked knowing it was true the instant the name passed through my lips.
"That's what I thought." She appraised the situation for a moment. I encouraged her to continue.
"So there's this treaty…"
Edward.
I couldn't take it anymore. When I flopped on my couch-- the scent of freesia would assault me from when she fell asleep reading. When I put on a random black sweater-- the hood would smell of strawberries, from the time she got to cold listening to music.
There was no escaping her.
The sound of her music laughter drifted up to me from her room where all our siblings had congregated. As pleasant as it was, it was also very distracting. A frustrated growl escaped my chest.
I lopped down the stairs stopping short in front of her doorway. "I'm going hunting."
"I'll come with you." Jasper said through the tail end of his own laugh. Alice stood to join them as well.
I should go too, Emmett thought. "I'll--" I shook my head 'no' as he moved to stand, "Stay right here. I'm not too hungry." He grumbled sitting back down. If I wasn't here with Bella then I wanted the larger of my family members to be. "If I get peckish I'll just have Bella as a snack."
Everyone, save for me, laughed.
"Hey," her playful voice cooed as she smacked him on the shoulder, "sitting right here."
I chanced a look at her. Those dark chocolate brown pools of hers, entrapping my own black ones. She met my gaze with a delicate intensity. Her face had the faint remaining glow from recently laughing.
"I need to speak to you still." She scolded, suddenly serious. She had been trying to talk to me since that day in the car. Doubly so after her talk with Alice. It shamed me to no end, the hurt echoed on her face, each time I dodged her.
"I know… later."
She would tell me how wrong I was to kiss her the way I had. Maybe she regretted kissing me back. My worst fear would be she wanted to stay here. What did I have to offer her; a life on the move, never able to settle in one place, placed in constant danger from being in the path of others of our kind, never being able to forge a real relationship with another human being. She may as well be one of us.
No.
"Later." she promised. And we were off.
Bella.
"Checkmate," Emmett smile gleefully throwing his arms up in the air.
I looked back at him amused. "Emmett were playing checkers, not chess!"
He laughed. "I know but 'checkmate' seemed to make more sense then 'yahtzee'."
"Good call." I nodded my agreement.
The whole game I had been distracted, thinking of ways to sneak away to see the Black's. I also wanted to go see my parents again and figured I could kill two birds with one stone.
All I had to do was get to the garage under the pretence I was going to the kitchen for snack.
Emmett's phone went off in his pocket signalling a text message. It seemed as good a time as any to leave while he and Rose exchanged dirty text messages back and forth. He might be distracted for a…
"Not so fast." His large hand took hold of my shoulder.
"Yes?" I asked as innocently as I could manage.
"Where am I driving you?" He held up his phone, where Edward's most recent text flashed across the screen.
"I don't need a chaperone."
"Except for the part where you do."
I looked pointedly at his hand on my shoulder to the cell phone in his other. "Fine," I sighed after taking in his apologetic smile, "the cemetery; but I have to make a call first AND you stay in the car."
He looked thoughtful for a moment, probably considering how specific the instructions he had been given were.
"Deal."
"I'll get my coat."
OOoOoOo
"The only thing they loved more then each other was you."
I smiled feeling the blush creep up my neck. Billy was sitting next to me in his chair while I sat on the ground. My butt had gone numb from sitting in the cold so long.
Jacob had excused himself early on saying he had business to attend to, Instead of going back to the parking lot, he went to the bordering tree line. My mind ran rampant with the possibilities. I hadn't had a chance yet to talk to him about the wolf thing.
"You looked so much like Charlie as a kid…" he laughed causing his eyes to crinkle in the corners, "I felt so sorry for you. Look at you now. Spitting image of your Mom."
I was sure my naturally pale complexion must be close to the colour of a strawberry by that point.
"I have a question for you."
"Ask away." He smacked his knee gleefully.
"Why did you look for me all these years?" I knew he was my fathers friend but maybe he was just trying to rid the world of some vampires.
"Don't you know?" he asked, "that's what you do for family."
"Family?" My head snapped up.
He looked back at me his expression laced with confusion and hopefulness. "You did take your birth certificate. Names on there. Godfather:" he pointed his thumb to his chest, "Me."
"Oh." I hadn't read that far.
"I'm your legal guardian Isabella. I loved you and wanted you back where you belonged--still do."
"Right." I nodded turning my head away from him.
"Please Bella," he begged grabbing my hands and holding them in his own. I couldn't look back to his face.
But… The Cullen's face all flashed in my mind.
Carlisle and Esme. Their arms and hearts open to me as if I were their own daughter.
Rose, Emmett, and Jasper. The brothers and sister I never would have had.
Alice. My best friend that has loved me unconditionally and made me who I am.
Edward.
I never would have thought it was possible to be as close to any one person as I was to him. I never felt alone when I was with him. I was whole as only he could make me… because he was my other half. My mind strayed to his kiss. The memory of his lips moving with my own and the red hot sensation that travelled through my body.
The kiss. I can't remember ever feeling more alive. I loved him. He knew I loved him but in that moment it was inexplicably clear.
I was in love with Edward.
A smile broke out on my face with the epiphany. "Bella?" Billy asked breaking me out of my trance.
"Bella?!?" he sounded, more concerned than before.
"Excuse me Billy, "I kneeled before him and gave him a quick hug, "thank you, really! But I already know where I belong."
He muttered something under his breath and then released me. "Good luck child."
He had Jacob. He was going to be just fine.
I ran as fast as my legs would carry me back to the Jeep, nearly tripping as I ran through the gates. The vehicle shook with Emmett's booming laughter at my clumsiness.
"Where's the fire?" he asked as I hope into the passenger seat. I threw myself into his arms and hugged him fiercely. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but what was that for?"
"I love you Em."
"I love you too, kiddo." he smiled back at me.
"I think I'm in love with Edward."
He nodded and his smile grew. He shifted the car into reverse and peeled out of the parking lot. "About bloody time you figured it out."
I watched the beautiful trees pass by my window in Emmett's haste. Looking at the clock I knew I had some time to work through things before he got home. Edward. My stomach fluttered with the knowledge I'd be seeing him soon.
Edward.
Bella. The first and last thing on my mind every second I was away from her. I promised Emmett we would be gone a day at most. So we were on our way back from our short trip. Knowing that I would be close to her soon was the only thing that kept me from insanity.
Alice was singing in the front seat to a horrible song, changing the words to her own comical ones keeping it perfectly in tune. Jasper laughed heartily and smiled back at his wife while I drove.
She stopped her singing and threw her head back.
"Alice." Jasper grabbed her before she fell into the window. I glimpsed the tail end of her vision and pushed my foot down on the gas pedal. She came around with a sharp gasp and gripped to Jasper for dear life.
"We can't prevent this. This is going to happen." Her head shook side to side hysterically. We weren't far from the house now. Ten minutes before I would pull into the driveway that was filled with several confused and blood thirsty newborns.
"I know."
"What can we do?"
"Get her back." I said with certainty. There was no other option. A distant hum of voices sounded in my head. They were mislead but more than ready to fight.
One rang out above the others. I told you this wasn't over.
Bella.
I decided to write in my journal. I couldn't be too specific because if Alice saw what I was writing then Edward would too.
It wasn't long before they pulled into the drive. The banging noise that usual accompanied the boys rough housing floated up to my ears. They sounded like they were wrestling in the house though they usually kept it outside. I smiled at the thought he was right below me.
I jumped at the particularly loud crashing sound that came from downstairs. Esme was going to be very angry if they let anything happen to her immaculate house. Getting up to investigate, I came face to face with some familiar red eyes. The same ones haunted my dreams for the last 10 years.
"Hello Bella."
Please review. You know you want to.
I wrote Jakes POV for the grocery store. It is typed up. If you want a copy, I can send it to you in a PM or review reply. It's actually really cute. I'm all BxE though. Poor Jake!