AN: Thank you all for the reviews and to Kathy247, thank you for being the sole member of the LiveLaughLoveSwim fan club! I appreciate it ma belle! (French for: "My Pretty")
This chapter is a little drably, a little fluffy. Enjoy! I thought I should add as well, the names mentioned when Bella tries to guess who Edward is drawing WERE ACTUAL FIRST-CLASS PASSENGERS ON THE TITANIC. They are not fake.
As for the sketching part, I am anything but an artist, so I didn't go into detail and I have no clue if it makes sense. My apologies.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Titanic.
Edward POV:
I tapped my fingers impatiently on the desk. I paced the room countless time. No matter what I tried, I couldn't ease my worries for Bella. What was Alice blocking from me? It was eating me alive. As I remembered the sketch pad and coloring pencils I had in my bag, and idea struck me. As I dug them out, a plan had already begun to form.
I sketched her eyes first. I always start with the eyes, build from there, then add color and detail. After a while of erasing, restarting, erasing, starting over, I got her eyes to the point where I could be satisfied. No skill, lines or color could duplicate the soft accents in her eyes, or the perfect shape, the thick black lashes or the slightly surprised look she always had. I did the best I could, but it still didn't do her justice. I made her eyes staring into space, something outside the frame. I really hope the thing outside the frame is me, I added, but shook my head at the thought. I knew it wasn't true.
Next I did her eyebrows, straight, not arched. I brought the pencil back and forth over them, giving it shape and texture. I added a nose, straight, small. Her mouth was even harder than her eyes; I couldn't get the curve of it just right. In the end it ended up slightly turned up in one corner, in a little embarrassed. I put a shape to her face, heart-shaped. Her hair, brown, soft, gently waving down to her back, was done in a second. I had practice with Rosalie's hair. She always was willing to pose for my drawings....
Her body was hard as well, but not as hard as the eyes or the mouth. It took much work, but in the end, I think I got pretty close. I put her in a blue dress, with little white shoes. My heart filled with sadness. She looked absolutely adorable.
As I picked up a brown to do her eyes and hair, I heard Alice and Rosalie's thoughts in the hallway. Before I could rush out and ask, I heard Alice speaking in that mental over-bubbly voice.
Edward, everything went just as planned. She's safe, but she is so tired. Don't badger her, just let her go to bed. She's had a long night, remember. She's perfectly fine, she added again. I felt the relief wash over me like a wave. I went back to my drawing, added the pale, translucent skin color, which was hard, because I didn't have the right color, so I had to draw lightly with one pencil and dark with another to get it as close as I could.
She stumbled in, almost drunkenly and almost fell on to the bed. I wanted to help her into the bed, to tuck her in, kiss her goodnight, but that would go against Alice's don't badger her rule. Ugh.
I saw her peeking over at my drawing, looking impressed. I smiled and grabbed a pink, adding the perfect flush to her high, strong cheekbones..
.What is she staring at?"
I looked up immediately. "She's staring at whatever she wants to see." I waited for the comment to set in and for her to understand what I meant, but poor thing, she was too tired. "She's staring into space." I explained, and watched comprehension flood her face.
"Oh," she added softly. "Why is she blushing?" She asked, a slight blush rising to her own cheeks. I looked at my drawing and knew it was horrible compared to the real thing.
"No particular reason." I shrugged. "Of course, she's always beautiful, but when she blushes, she's everything I could ask for." By the way, it's you, but I didn't dare say the last part. I knew I shouldn't no matter how much that little voice inside said 'Go for it!'
Bella was silent for a while, deep in thought, the spoke up. "Is there a reason why she's wearing blue?" Then for a reason unknown to me, she cringed. Was the fact that I was a vampire finally dawning on her?
"There are many," I said, and was surprised with my own answer. Only after I said it did I think of them all. "Do you want to hear them all? You seem tired." I really took in her drooping eyes and sallow-looking skin.
"Yes. Yes, I do."
"Well, one reason is she looks nice in blue. Another is because she is so beautiful, but I don't think she realizes it and that makes me sad. I'm sad when I'm not with her. Blue is the color of the ocean, and she waves around in my mind like the waves crash on the shore. The sky is blue, and of course, she is my sky. Also, blue reminds me of power and she has complete power and control over me. I don't think I could refuse her everything. I am at her disposal." I smiled. She must know it was her.
Yet again she was silent before she spoke up. I wanted to know so badly what she was thinking. When I was about to ask, she fired another question at me. "Yes, it answers my question, but I have some more questions to ask if you don't mind."
"No, of course not. But if I might add, you seem to know much about art." I chuckled. She didn't seem to be interested in art, more reading. I took a mahogany pencil and added mahogany highlights and a few lowlights.
"Okay. Tell me about the shoes. Is there a story behind the shoes?"
I smiled. I had put thought behind the shoes, and was quite proud of it. "Yes, and I'm glad you noticed that. They are to show that she is pure, sweet, innocent, but look closely. See that little scuff on the right shoe? And the dirty sole on the left?" She leaned in to get a closer look and her hair fanned out in front of me. I took a quiet deep breath and sighed. It smelled so nice and tempting.
"Yes." She said, nodding. "What about it?"
"It's to show that she isn't perfect. She makes mistakes, like we all do, but she can ignore them and let them go, which not all of us can do. I admire her for that." I started think of more things I could say about what I loved about my Bella, but I stopped myself.
She was quiet for not as long this time. "Where did you meet her?"
Now I was in trouble. How on earth could I not tell her it was her? I sighed. After all, I couldn't deny her anything. "Here, on the ship. She's a first-class passenger." Now she must know it's her.
"Oh, first class. Is there a chance I know her?" I sighed internally. She was a little dense, but it was so cute!
I stared right at her. "You know her very, very well." She took in my serious face and thought for a while. Was she trying to guess?
"Do you want to know who it is?" I said slyly.
"I have a few guesses," she replied equally slyly, fighting back.
"Pray, tell me." I wanted to see how creative these guesses would be.
"Is it Helen Bishop?"
I had heard about her. Married to a business moguel, money coming out of everywhere. Causes scandals for attention. "No. She's married, isn't she?"
"Elsie Edith Bowerman?"
"Who?" I laughed. I had no clue who that was!
"Then it's got to be Mary Conover Lines."
"No! Her eyes are blue." Seriously? Mary Conover Lines? Rice Pudding is more interesting than her, but I wouldn't say that to her face.
"Ruth Taussig?" She said hesitantly. Ruth Taussig? She had Ice Princess written all over her.
"Nope. I don't think you're going to guess. You are truly horrible at this game." I teased jokingly.
She was a little frustrated. "Stop insulting me. Just tell me who it is."
I couldn't wait to tell her. I didn't even know what I was going to say until I said it. "Bella. Bella, my flower, it's you."
I saw her eyes fill with tears, and she put her hand over her heart, clearly touched.
AN: I want your help, all of you. I've been debating over a scandal between Madeline Ismay and Mike. Want it? Don't want it? Tell me in a review! Also, tell me if you want the sneaking around bit, told in Rosalie's POV, Alice's POV, or if you even want it at all. You've got some big duties there. So review! YKYLM! (Sorry, I'm reading Gossip Girl now, I had to put it!)