I do not own Twilight or its' characters

BPOV

Chapter 13

Topaz

The brief moment of tension we had in the car passed quickly, as it usually did, and everything was normal again. Edward and I sat in the den across from one another at the two drafting tables. He was typing rapidly on a lap top computer and I was manically highlighting important segments of a piece we had to read for literature class. We had a paper due in two weeks and Edward had just finished typing it. He finally stopped, leaned back in his seat and stretched.

"So, it's my night to cook, what would you like for dinner?" he asked resting his large hands behind his head easily.

I put my highlighter down and let out a deep sigh, waiting for my eyes to readjust. "It doesn't matter to me, I'm easy. What did you learn in your classes today?" I asked, becoming interested.

"Not a whole lot just yet. It's still the first week, so they haven't gotten in all of their supplies and the kitchen isn't quite ready yet, they just remodeled it. It was mostly terminology today."

"I think it's really cool that you've chosen this as your major. It sounds like it could be really fun and interesting. I don't think I've had a chance to tell you that." I said thoughtfully, sounding more like a parent than I intended to.

"Thank you Bella, that's nice to hear. Everyone else seems to think it's trivial." He replied.

"Well, all you have at this point is time, might as well keep learning different things." I said offhandedly, "I wish I could learn as much as you can."

"You can still switch majors. Why don't you join me?"

"Uh-uh, me around knives and fire, that could be hazardous to everyone's health." I joked sadly.

"It doesn't matter, you can do it, you do it all the time around here as it is. Maybe we could open up a restaurant together."

"I don't feel like that's what I'm destined to be." I said quietly

"Just because Alice suggested that you were going to go into social work, it doesn't mean you have to. You can decide what you want to be, no one can take that away from you." He said, looking at me intensely.

"I know, we'll see what happens." I started, and then I remembered Alice, "oh, I forget, we're supposed to get a visitor tonight. I wonder what that means." I said changing the subject.

"Coming from Alice, it could mean anything." Edward said rolling his eyes; he didn't press the 'future' discussion any further. "I suppose I should get dinner started then, if we're going to have a 'guest' later." He stood up and touched my shoulder gently as he walked out of the room.

I sat at the big wooden table for another minute or two, staring at my work, zoning out. He was right after all; I could choose to be whatever I wanted to be but deep in my heart I had already made the choice. I wanted to be what he was and be with him forever. The thought of getting to a point where I would have to choose a career and get a job like everyone else in the world did not appeal to me as it once had. I let out a deep aggravated sigh and got up to help Edward.

Even though Alice had made light of our mysterious alleged visitor, I could tell from his expression and mannerisms that Edward was remaining vigilant. He looked agitated, but was trying to keep it hidden from me. When it had reached nine o'clock and nothing had happened I was starting to get a little nervous. I decided that I would stay up until ten and then get ready for bed.

The clock struck ten and still, no visitor, I was becoming anxious, but kept my promise to myself and headed up to bed. I went through the regular evening routine with the shower and the reading and the teeth brushing. I was getting ready to shut the light off at eleven, Edward had remained downstairs watching something on the discovery channel, and I figured I probably wouldn't see him for awhile. I was just about ready to fall asleep when I heard an unfamiliar sound. The wind had picked up a little and was causing the trees outside the bedroom to creak and sway, it sounded like it was going to rain, but underneath all of that, I knew I wasn't mistaken when I heard the sound of something scratching the window. Maybe it's just the tree branches rubbing the glass, I thought to myself. I listened more closely, the scratching sound was too even and deliberate to be a rogue branch, this sound was being created by something with claws or fingernails. I started to feel the pit of my stomach churn at the horror that something was trying to get into the house. Something nonhuman, as Alice had put it. Rain had started falling outside; the scratching sound seemed to be getting more frantic now. Then I heard a loud thud outside of the window and a snapping sound, whatever was out there had just fallen out of a tree. My stomach started to unknot slightly as I calmed down. Nothing that I could think of, that was not human, that could hurt me, would have just fallen out of a tree. I smirked and crawled out of bed and headed downstairs courageously.

The rain was pouring now, I could hear it slapping against all sides of the house, I got to the living room and Edward was still sitting on the couch, with his feet up on the coffee table watching TV. He turned and looked in my direction once I had entered the living room.

"What is it love?" He asked, slightly concerned

"I think our visitor is here." I answered calmly.

"What makes you say that?"

"Don't tell me you of all people didn't hear that?"

"Hear what?" He asked, confused.

"The giant thing that just fell out of the tree near our bedroom window."

"Oh that," he said dismissively, "yes, I heard that. It's probably just an animal of some kind."

"Right, a nonhuman visitor that can be taken lightly. I'm going outside to check." I said firmly. I headed toward the closet to grab my boots.

"Bella, it's pouring rain outside and the lighting is awful, you don't need to go out there." He said his voice rising a little

"I have a feeling that I do," I said continuing to put my boots on.

"Bella, come on, really, it could be some kind of wild animal, you have no way of knowing what's out there. We are in the woods of Alaska; it could be a bear for all you know."

"It's not a bear." I said rolling my eyes and putting my coat on.

"How do you know that?"

"Fine, if you're so worried then come out with me, if it is a bear you can use your Jedi mind trick and fight him off or you could have a snack." I said mocking him a little.

He sighed deeply, getting up from the couch, "very funny," he muttered as he grabbed up his shoes and his coat, "let's go." He said leading the way to the front door.

"Wait, should I bring a flashlight?" I asked in a very serious tone.

He stared at me in disbelief for a minute, "Vampire, can see in the dark, remember?" he said sarcastically as he pointed at himself.

"Right, lead the way Vladimir."

"You know, you're just absolutely hysterical tonight." He declared, annoyed.

We went out into the rain that was now coming down sideways. Edward had turned on the outside floodlight on the way out, he started over to the side of the house where the bedroom was, when suddenly he stopped and looked in the direction of a Ewe shrub to his left. I followed close behind him and I saw it now too, the bush was rustling and moving slightly.

Edward extended a long arm behind him "stay behind me," he commanded without an ounce of sarcasm in his voice, I immediately stopped.

The bush rustled a little bit more and he crouched down and moved slowly toward it. He parted the branches a little bit, and the tension coming from him eased.

"It's just a cat." He said quietly, he dropped his arm down and I crept over beside him. It was difficult to see clearly in the dark, but as I peered through the branches, I could see that it wasn't just any cat. It was a kitten, it looked like it was no more than a month or two old.

"Can you grab it?" I whispered, hoping that he could put his supernatural reflexes to good use.

"What?! Are you crazy?" He hissed at me in disbelief.

"Edward, look at it, we can't just leave it here in the rain. It's just a baby, it'll die." I coaxed.

The kitten was drenched and shaking, it looked like it was paralyzed with fear, and it appeared to have a wound on its' head, from falling out of the tree I supposed. I had never tried to play up to Edward's weaknesses before, but tonight I would. I gave him the saddest, most wounded look I could muster. He glared at me, rain dripping through his hair and down his face, finally he rolled his eyes and within less than a second reached into the bush and pulled the kitten out by the scruff of its' neck. It looked like he hadn't even moved, as he dropped the kitten in my lap and I quickly wrapped it in my jacket.

"Can we go inside now?" He complained.

"Thank you." I said smiling at him he just shook his head at me and headed back to the house. I thought I heard him mutter to himself, "going to be the death of me."

We entered the warmly lit living room and took off our wet things, I was very careful to the cradle the kitten gently as Edward helped me take off my jacket, he left the room and was back in an instant with a towel.

"Wrap it in this." He said calmly, handing me the towel.

I did so very cautiously, unsure how the animal would react now that he was in a better lit place. The kitten's wild eyes started to dart around the room as if he were about to bolt, I didn't think I'd be able to hold him. "Help me," I said, my voice becoming slightly alarmed, I could feel the kitten's clawed feet pushing against me as it prepared to escape.

Edward was quickly at my side again, scruffing the kitten gently. A trancelike look of calm crossed over the baby's twisted face. I wrapped the towel around it tightly, so that only its' head could be seen and Edward let the scruff go.

"Be careful that it doesn't bite you." He warned, "You don't know where it's been."

"Why do you keep holding it like that?" I asked, referring to his crass scruffing technique.

"It's the best way to control them and sometimes it actually soothes them a little, because it's how their mother would carry them." He explained.

"How do you know that?" I asked, astounded

"Animal planet." He said simply, walking over to the couch and sitting down and crossing his leg over the top of his knee.

I held the kitten tensely in my arms and looked at its' features. It had dark orange stripes all about its' face with lighter shades of blond circling its' eyes, like a reverse raccoon face. There was a small gash over its right eye that was crusted with dried blood. It had either been attacked or injured itself. Its' whiskers were long and wild and it had a pink nose the color of an eraser. I had to admit, it was pretty cute, and I really wasn't a cat person. It growled a high pitched frightened sound and started to stir in the towel. I quickly tried to calm it down by talking lowly and rocking it, like it was a real baby. It looked up at and stared into my eyes, I thought that it was going to pop up out of the towel and maul my face as it growled again, this time a little more fiercely. "Now, now," I cooed nervously, "it's alright, you're safe now…"

"That's debatable." Edward snorted off in the corner. I frowned in his direction.

"Don't listen to him," I whispered to the kitten, "It's alright, no one's going to hurt you, shh shh shh." And then, the kitten was quiet, it just stared up at me with huge amber eyes that reminded me of Edward's, I gasped at the resemblance. The kitten suddenly freed a front paw from the towel that bound him and I thought for sure I was going to get a swipe to the face. I held my breath and waited for the impact, but it never happened, instead the kitten just placed the free paw on the side of my face gently and purred and then it fell asleep, as if it were finally able to be peaceful.

My heart melted and I slowly crept over to the couch and sat beside Edward, he moved away from me looking quite alarmed.

"What are you doing?" He asked anxiously

"Sitting next to you on the couch." I said, confused

"With, that?" He nodded his head toward the kitten, Edward looked frightened.

"Oh come on, you've got to be kidding me, are you afraid of cats?" I asked on the verge of laughter.

"Of course not." He grumbled, "I just, animals really aren't a huge fan of me Bella." He said in a serious tone. "They're usually frightened of me. It's just a baby, it's probably had a hard enough night as it is and now you're putting it near a predator? You're going to stop its' heart."

"Are you going to eat him?"

"No, I'm not going to eat him." He said, insulted.

"Are you sure? Not even tempted just a little?" I asked, the kitten had now opened its' pretty eyes and was listening to us talk.

"I'm quite sure that I'm not going to eat a kitten." He said, scowling.

"Good, then there's no reason for him to be frightened of you. Here, hold him." I said handing the kitten to Edward, he backed away as if I were handing him a test tube full of plutonium.

"That's not a good idea Bella."

"Sure it is, stop being a baby and hold the stupid kitten. He's going to think you don't like him." I thrust the baby into Edward's arms, the only reason he held on to it now was so he wouldn't drop it. The kitten stared up inquisitively at Edward.

"So it's a 'he' now?" he asked looking down at the kitten.

"Well, studies show that 99.9% of all striped orange cats are male, so I'm just assuming." I explained

"Where did you hear that?" he asked, now staring very intently on the bundle in his arms.

"Animal planet." He glanced up at me and I smiled. "Can we keep him?" I asked.

Edward's expression changed quickly, becoming very stern, "No, absolutely not! We can keep him for a couple of days, until he heals and we can get him stronger and to a shelter, we are not getting a pet."

"Why not?" I whined.

"Bella, it's not good for him…" he started, "for it. I'm telling you that once it is more aware of everything, it is going to be terrified of me, stressed out all the time, that's no way to live. He needs a good home."

"You don't know that's going to happen." I said with a half grin.

"Yes, I do." He looked down at the kitten again, he was asleep again. "That's not humane to have to live in fear like that."

"I'm going to name him Topaz." I said taking the kitten from him.

"No, don't name it, we're not keeping it."

"We are until he heals up, you said it yourself, so he needs a name, we can't just call him 'It' all the time. He'll adjust better to a home if he has a name."

Edward sighed loudly and rolled his eyes, "Fine, you win, Topaz it is, until his new owner decides to rename him, that's what we'll call him."

"I love you." I said sweetly.

"I'll go look for something to make a bed for him." He said defeated, as he walked out of the room glumly. I smiled to myself, and Topaz began to purr contented sighs in my arms as he fell asleep again.

Topaz adjusted quickly to his new surroundings, he had been living with us for about four days and was already climbing on the furniture and trying to sleep in the bed with me. Edward insisted upon keeping the bedroom door shut at night to keep him out, so I agreed, even though Topaz didn't seem to be the slightest bit nervous around Edward, as he had expected. Nonetheless, whenever the cat came around, Edward would keep his distance, still fearful that his 'unearthly' presence would frighten him.

The wound on Topaz's head started to heal well and he began to eat on his own without difficulty. There was one point on that first night where we thought he had a seizure, but that was an isolated incident. By the end of a week, Topaz was completely healed and fairly independent, but still very affectionate. He spent a lot of time watching us. He would perch on top of something like some kind of gargoyle and stare at us with curiosity, more at Edward then at me. It was almost as if the cat were studying us, like we were just as entertaining to him as he was to us.

"Bella, we have to have a discussion about this cat." Edward said in a very parental tone one night while I was eating dinner.

"What about him?" I asked innocently. I turned and saw that Topaz was sitting on the floor between us throwing glances back and forth at both of us.

"Well, it's been over a week and he seems pretty well healed up. Don't you think we should consider finding him a home?"

"He already has one." I said firmly.

"No, he doesn't. I told you we can't keep him." He replied in a firmer tone.

"I don't understand your reasoning behind this. He's not afraid of you, and I'm the one who feeds him and cleans up after him, you just have to exist with him and enjoy him."

"How can you say that he's not afraid of me? The thing never comes near me."

"You never let him."

"I can't believe we're even having this discussion." Edward said, incredulous, "Don't I even have a say in this?"

"Call him." I said putting my fork down.

"What?"

"Call him to you, and then you'll know for sure if he's afraid of you. If he is, we can bring him to a shelter, with my blessing, but if he comes to you, and stays, we keep him."

"Bella, that's ridiculous." He said getting up from the table. The cat watched him intently without budging from his seat on the floor by the table.

"Just try." I coaxed

Edward waited a minute and then sighed, "Fine, I'll do it just to prove to you that I'm right." He squatted down on the ground, neatly folding his long legs beneath him. "Come here," he said nervously to the cat. Topaz didn't move or acknowledge him; he just continued to watch in silence.

"Call him by his name." I said tucking my legs under me in the kitchen chair to watch the spectacle happening before me.

Edward gave me an annoyed look and looked back down at the cat who was still just calmly observing him. "Topaz," he said more softly, "Topaz, come here." The cat tilted his head to the side a little, interested. "Come here" Edward said making his voice a little higher, he tapped his hand softly on the floor and clicked at him a little. The cat didn't move. Edward looked a little disappointed, but not surprised, he looked back up at me and said, "I knew he wouldn't come to me."

I didn't know what to say, I had made a promise, we had to give up the cat. I was about to say something when suddenly, the little orange cat slowly got up and marched over to Edward.

"Edward look," I whispered, he turned away from me and looked down, Topaz was rubbing his face against Edward's still outstretched hand.

He stared down at the kitten and a smile started to play across his face. Topaz moved closer, all two of his pounds dwarfed against Edward's massive crouching frame.

They stared at each other for a moment and then Edward picked up the tiny animal and held him inches away from his pale face, studying him. "You are very brave." He said softly, "a kitten that thinks it's a tiger. Reminds of someone else I know," He said looking over at me and smirking. Topaz lifted a paw and rested it against Edward's forehead and mewed. He gently replaced the kitten on the floor and Topaz flung himself against Edward's leg, rubbing his scent all over him and purring. He responded by scratching him roughly on the head. "A deal's a deal. I guess we have to keep him now."