So, for the few readers that I have out there, I just wanted to inform everyone that this chapter and the next one were supposed to be combined, but it would have been too long. Hence, I separated them, so Chapter 3 will be up pretty soon. Thanks for reading. Enjoy.
Chapter Two:
"Bella, would you stop fidgeting? You're going to be late!"
Alice was rushing through her sister's tangled, cherry-brown curls with a number of salon-worthy hair products, becoming more and more frustrated at the aloofness that Bella exerted.
"You'd think that after your transformation, you'd at least know how to work a curling iron."
Bella sighed as she attempted to apply lip gloss in front of Alice's enormous mirror. She sat in a chair in the middle of the bathroom as Alice prepared her for tonight's upcoming event: Angel Weber's engagement party. She contemplated ways how to get herself out of this mess.
"Is being late a problem?" Bella asked coolly, setting down the make-up in forfeit. She obviously wasn't going to look normal to any of her old friends despite how much she tried. "Better yet, is not even showing up at all a problem?"
"Of course it's a problem!" Alice replied, applying the finishing touches to Bella's hair. "You're the host, remember?"
"How could I forget?"
What was she supposed to do? Ignore poor Angela's phone call? Bella hadn't made many friends during her brief time at Forks High School, but among the few people that she did take a liking to, Angela had proven to be the most acceptable. She was quiet and unique—and to hear that she and Ben Cheney had decided to tie-the-knot after dating faithfully for a few years, even through hectic college life, Bella couldn't help but be happy for her friend. However, she didn't expect to be responsible for the couple's engagement party for their return visit back home. She'd been blessed with the uncanny inability to say no.
"Aren't you looking forward to seeing everyone?" Alice asked, her masterpiece now complete. She took a step back and viewed Bella's hair from all angles, beaming.
"Not really," Bella answered truthfully, examining her hair for herself; not half bad. "They'll never believe our story."
Alice giggled, thinking of the half-witted lie that the Cullen family had concocted for Bella to tell her guests when they saw her new look. "Technically, we aren't lying completely—we have been traveling a lot. And it's just like you, Bella, to fall off a steep slope while skiing in Aspen, requiring immediate medical surgery." She laughed again.
Bella rolled her eyes. "That sounds a bit too muchlike me." A small smile intruded her features.
"Oh, stop being so negative." Alice replied, exiting her bathroom/beauty-salon and entering her spacious room. "I don't see anyone who is noticeably unconvinced."
"And what about Renesmee? Your visions aren't always full-proof."
"That's a different story," Alice giggled once more, rummaging through her closet for something brand-new to wear. "She looks too much like Edward—Jessica Stanley will want to get to the bottom of it. Prepare yourself."
"Funny; I could have sworn I tossed her invitation into the fireplace," Bella sighed. She was certainly not looking forward to her reunion with Jess—she evidently hadn't changed much. "Oh well."
As Alice danced into a spicy cocktail dress that she'd found a mile into her wardrobe, Bella slugged on the outfit that she was assigned tonight: a simple, knee-length dress with corresponding heels. The party had been labeled as semiformal, so Bella hoped that her attire would be less delicate. She was still having trouble maneuvering within fragile fabrics. Guess Alice didn't get the memo.
After the two girls had finished readying themselves, they headed downstairs to join the rest of the family. Thanks to Esme, the entire house had been transformed into an elegant congratulatory spread, complete with foreign imports and authentic materials. She probably would have planned the entire wedding if she had the opportunity.
"Oh, Esme, it's wonderful!" Alice said as she admired her mother's work. She walked around the entire house, analyzing every detail.
"You too, Alice," Esme giggled as she twirled a strand of Bella's hair. "You did a wonderful job with Bella, as always."
Everyone's chuckles could be heard throughout the house, despite how low Esme's voice had been as she made the comment. If Bella could have blushed, she would have.
"You look amazing, dear." Esme said comfortingly, stroking her new daughter's cheek.
"I would have to agree," a velvet-soft voice said as Edward Cullen entered the area where his mother and his wife stood. "You should be used to all the attention by down, my love."
Bella wrapped her arms around her husband, nibbling his ear as she did so. His entrance had been the first thing to go right all day. Esme smiled at her two children as she exited the room, looking to join Alice to critique the decorations.
"You've got to stop leaving me alone with Alice," Bella whispered softly to him, "the girl is out to get me."
"Hey! I heard that!" Alice called from elsewhere.
Edward chuckled, his laugh similar to the strum of guitar strings. "I'm beginning to enjoy Alice's little experiments. You look wonderful, darling."
Bella felt a flush of embarrassment surge throughout herself. She had never been well with flattery, and although Edward seemed to always know just what to say, she continuously had trouble coming up with responses.
"A simple 'thank you' will suffice," Edward chuckled again, reading Bella's facial features. She was still terribly predictable.
"Thank you," Bella breathed.
Edward pulled her in for a deep kiss, and Bella smiled to herself. His kisses never got old.
"Oh, get a room!" said a husky tone.
Bella turned to see Jacob, clad in a button-down collared shirt and a tie, his long black hair pulled back neatly in a ponytail. In his arms he held little Nessie, who was glowing in her silk dress and curled hair—Rosalie's doing.
"Hey, Jake." greeted Bella, taking her daughter into her arms. "Looking good!"
"No, mommy, he looks very handsome." Renesmee corrected her mother as she turned to look at Jacob. Her Jacob.
"Thanks, kid," Jacob said, playfully tugging at Nessie's hair. As he let go of it, the butterscotch lock sprung back into its place. "You too, Bells."
Bella smiled, now flooded by potent happiness. To her right stood Edward—the love of her life. Jacob leaned against the wall, sticking his tongue out at Renesmee—Bella adored her best friend. And in her arms was little Nessie, the absolute center of her world.
It seemed almost unfair that all of these sources of enjoyment stood together in one room. Perhaps tonight wouldn't be so bad after all.
*-*-*-*
Forks, Washington was nothing less than spectacular—if even that—but the view from overhead was somewhat remarkable. Green forests surrounded the small, rural town, and a light rain showered the inhabitants below as Storm found a vacant space within the trees to position the Blackbird. The machine's cloaking device had been activated since the team had entered the vicinity, and only the slight swoosh of the trees could be heard as Stormed landed in a clearing.
"It's about time!" said Kitty, phasing through her seatbelt and standing up to stretch. Immediately, the Professor pinned Kitty back into her seat with the strength of his mind. He turned in his chair and gave her a severe look, immediately informing her that was a further complication.
The Professor spoke quietly: "Sit absolutely still. We have a visitor."
Though the others could not see it, the Professor could sense the young wolf outside of the jet. He was incredibly large—though not as big as the one Xavier had seen in Cerebro's projection earlier that day—and had sandy brown fur. He pressed his nose to the dirt, looking for a scent that was no longer there.
I could have sworn there was something here a minute ago. . .
Wait, where was that voice coming from? Xavier's eyes shifted to the window of the Blackbird, seeing the figure of the wolf move as it scoped out the surrounding shrubs and bushes.
Man, I must be seeing things—or smelling them, at least. Ha ha. Jake would get a kick out of that one.
And then, another voice. A female one this time.
Seth, your jokes suck. Go play in traffic.
Yeah, I'm sure a minivan ramming into me will do a whole lot of good.
For the first time in a long time, the Professor was confused. He saw another wolf emerge from the trees—light gray, and smaller than its counterpart, but still massive nonetheless. There was no doubt that the voices he was hearing were coming from the two animals sniffing the clearing around the invisible Blackbird.
Come on—there's nothing here. Jake wants us securing the perimeter of the bloodsucker's house tonight; says there might be some danger interrupting the party. This thought came from the gray wolf as she jetted into the forest.
Oh, alright. The sandy brown wolf seemed disappointed that he hadn't found what he was looking for, but he mimicked his companion's gestures and also disappeared into the forest.
"All clear." The Professor's voice broke the eerie silence hovering within the Blackbird.
"Okay—what just happened?" Kitty was the second to speak.
The Professor shifted back to reality, forgetting that his students had missed out on the conversation that he'd overheard outside.
"More surprises," he said softly.
The others' gazes shifted towards one another—Colossus squeezing Kitty's hand tenderly, Rogue fidgeting a tad as he unbuckled her seat belt, and Storm's eyes widening in puzzlement. Wolverine was the only one whose face seemed just as serene as it had before.
"The wolves," he chuckled aloud.
"You knew about them, too?" questioned Xavier, looking at Logan. "How much do you know?" He excavated through the confines of Logan's mind, but found nothing. Wolverine had gotten awfully good at blocking him out lately.
"I know enough." Logan snapped.
"Well, then," Xavier said thoughtfully, now re-thinking his plans for the night, "it looks like we'll have to try a different approach." He wheeled himself toward the front of the Blackbird to gaze out the wide window that depicted the vast forest. "Rogue, are you up for a challenge?"
"Always," Rogue's answer was confident, though that wasn't at all how she felt.
"You'll have to be our decoy." The Professor was beginning to improvise as his previous plans had been thwarted as he'd overheard the wolves' conversation about an event at the Cullen house tonight. "Did you see the two wolves outside?"
"How could I miss 'em?—they were huge!" Rogue responded in utter disbelief, her southern accent a little shaky.
"They're mutants themselves," Wolverine said before the Professor could. "Most people call 'em werewolves—funny as hell, because they don't just change at night. They're free to transform as they please."
"Logan is right," agreed Xavier, turning to face his students once again. "Evidently, they're loyal to the Cullens. If they so much as sense our presence, they'll attack without warning. We'll have to take evasive action."
"Evasive action, meaning . . .?" Rogue was eager to see how she fit into this strange arrangement.
"You'll be attending a party tonight." The Professor smiled.
*-*-*-*
It was hard to believe that Angela Weber knew this many people. Everywhere Bella turned, there seemed to be a new face. Was that Angela's aunt?—they vaguely resembled each other height-wise, though she couldn't be sure. All Bella knew for certain was that the event had barely begun a mere half hour ago, and she was already contemplating suicide.
All the other vampires seemed to be enjoying themselves as they mingled with their unknown guests. Carlisle was quite the charmer—he allured many faces with his intellect and sense of humor. Esme rushed to and fro, refilling drinks and restocking the dinner trays. Rosalie and Emmett portrayed a normal, functional couple, and laughed with other people who looked their ages. Jasper stayed away most of the night, still struggling with his craving in such an overwhelming environment. He occupied himself by making sure that everyone in the house was happy.
"You're doing a great job, dear." Alice whispered under her breath, so low that only her siblings could hear. Or so she thought.
"Sorry, did you say something?" Jessica Stanley stood next to Alice, smiling widely, a glass of wine firmly gripped in her right hand. Alice's job tonight was to keep Jess busy in order to avoid any awkwardness between her and Bella. Thankfully, Jessica had began downing the wine as soon as she had arrived—briefly mentioning something about drowning her sorrows as she saw that Angela the book worm was somehow happier than her, even with that ungodly hairdo—and had spent most of her night talking non-stop about completely irrelevant topics, seemingly unaware of Bella's existence.
"No, I didn't." Alice replied to Jessica, forcing a polite smile to broaden across her small face. Jessica began babbling on about her life—men, fashion, and gossip seemed to be the center of their conversation. Alice sighed, now regretting mailing out Jess's invitation.
Tell Bella she owes me so bad! Alice thought aloud, causing Edward to chuckle from where he was outside. He and Bella sat together in a tree swing, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Alice is very upset," he said with a smile on his face.
"Good." Bella replied sternly. "She asked for it."
Edward laughed again, stroking Bella's smooth face. Though there were at least a hundred guests crowding their household, and Jacob and Nessie were playing quietly in the woods behind them, not to mention the pitter-patter of Seth and Leah encircling the perimeter—it felt as if they were alone. Just the two of them, just the way he liked it.
"Should we go back to the cottage?" Edward cooed, his brilliant smile almost blinding Bella as she looked up to see his face.
"That'd be wonderful—but I'm the host, remember?" Bella giggled sarcastically. Her equally brilliant smile flashed across her face.
Edward frowned, his bottom lip sticking out like a sad puppy's.
"Oh, stop." Bella said, now turning to face him.
Bella traced Edward's soft, ice-cold lips with her cool finger, following every curve precisely. He shuddered at her touch—not because of the frigid tingle of her finger, but because of the surge of desire that flooded inside of him. They needed to be entirely alone, right this instant.
Come on, guys, not in front of the kid! Jacob's thoughts rang in Edward's mind, causing his eyes to shift towards their daughter, who was now reading quietly to Jacob. Edward chuckled as he directed his attention back to Bella.
"Later, my darling," Edward whispered to his wife, kissing her softly. "We have forever, remember?"
Bella smiled, rolling her eyes. She fastened Edward's shirt back together, unaware that she'd been unbuttoning his clothing with her free hand. Sighing, she slunk back into place next to Edward, clutching his hand in hers, determined to keep things G-rated as the party continued.
Edward let out a sigh, too, before perking up as Alice and Rosalie rushed out of the house.
"Alice, what do you see?" Rose was frantically questioning her sister, who was staring blankly ahead, her mind scanning the future.
No—no, no, no. That can't be right—damn wolves!
Edward read Alice's mind as he and Bella rushed toward them, hearing nothing but a jumble of slurs and misconceptions, knowing that Alice couldn't exactly pinpoint what she was seeing. With Jacob and Nessie around, along with the abundant guests flooding indoors, she was struggling to get a vivid picture inside her head. But through the current radiating from her mind, Edward knew that Alice sensed something.
"Alice, tell me what you see." Rose growled to her sister.
"It's—I can't—"
Suddenly, Alice paused. She shook her head as the shock settled in. Without another word, she turned and faced the house.
There's someone here. Alice jammed the thought into Edward's mind forcefully. The visions I was having—they're here, they're here, they're here. . .
Edward was confused at Alice's thoughts, and rushed to his sister's side to try and bring her back to reality.
And then the doorbell rang.
Despite the blend of music and chaos chiming from inside the house, each vampire heard the jingle of the doorbell. Whatever it was that Alice had sensed in her foresight was here, was waiting.
"Rosalie," Edward spoke softly, turning his head to face her.
"Yes?" Rose prepared herself.
"Get the door."
*-*-*-*
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