I'm so sorry for the wait! I had my Taekwon-do black belt grading at the week end (WHICH I PASSED!!!) and I have been kinda wiped out and basically brain-dead for the past couple of days.

Also, I got Twilight on DVD yesterday! It's so awesome! Especially the baseball. I might have to include some baseball in this fic (hint hint!)

This isn't one of my better chapters, and for that I am sorry.

Disclaimer: Check my profile. It says there that my name is Emma, not Stephenie Meyer.

Playmate

Emmett

Two hours, thirty two minutes and fifteen… sixteen… seventeen… How long must I be forced to endure this? It was pure, unadulterated torture! Life without the squirt was painted in shades of dull grey and black. I was both bored and agitated, but Alice had explained the necessity of this trip. I wanted Edward to snap out of his… his… grouchiness. How could he not see how plain adorable Bella was?

Alice's phone rang. She picked it up and instantly Edward's voice bellowed through the speakers.

"ALICE! What doe…"

Alice smirked. "Edward. Calm down. Remember to breathe. We need to practise for when we are around people. She's hungry." Alice gave us all thumbs up. We grinned and all slapped very quiet high-fives.

"What do I do?!?" He sounded panicked. I had a sudden, very vivid, mental image of Edward running around the house like a headless chicken, wearing a pink, frilly apron and catering to Bella's every whim. I started to shake with silent laughter. Jasper shot me a questioning look, and I shook my head at him. I would explain later.

"Go downstairs." I heard the rush of wind created by his speed.

"Yes?!"

"Put Bella in her high-chair."

"But, Alice, I don't want to let her go! What if something happens?" He asked, a touch of hysteria in his voice. He would be hearing about this for the next few centuries, I would see to that. But, Alice… Ha, ha.

The conversation continued in that fashion, with Jasper and I laughing every time Edward sounded like an over-protective mother hen.

Finally, Alice hung up the phone. There was about four seconds of total silence. Then…

"YES!! It worked!!!!" Rosie cried in delight.

"You know what that means, don't you?" Alice trilled.

"Ummm, no?" I offered, not sure if I was just being slow again.

"Edward loves her just as much as we do. The social workers will see that we all want to keep her. Bella can stay with us: forever!"

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Edward

In the space of one day, I learnt to change a nappy, bottle feed a baby, get said baby to sleep, and retain my sanity throughout all of this.

I thought I deserved a medal.

Alice really was one cunning little vampire. She had obviously seen that, left with Bella for a certain amount of time, I would come to love her. All that she had had to do was create the ideal environment for it: some way that I would be forced to stay in the same room as Bella for more than thirty seconds.

Darn her fortune telling.

Bella was sitting on her little play-mat-thing, looking around her with great interest. She seemed to care little or nothing for her toys, apparently more fascinated with watching… well, anything.

Was that right? I thought that children liked to play with their toys. Was that wrong? Or was Bella the exception rather than the rule?

I showed her the little box that had been resting against my knee. It had a removable lid, and holes in the top of various shapes – the child was supposed to put little wooden blocks through the correct holes. Would Bella manage it? I remembered the intelligence in her gaze, but she was still only a baby.

Bella took it from my hands and stared at it for a few seconds, seemingly confused as to what she was supposed to do.

Then she gripped the lid, pulled it off, placed the shapes inside, and put the lid back on. She handed me the now full box, while I sat, gaping at her. She frowned – I saw her nose wrinkle in the way that I had come to recognise: it meant she was about to cry. Instantly, I scooped her up, praising her, and stroking her hair.

"Clever girl, Bells, clever girl," I cooed, probably sounding like I was talking to a particularly obedient dog. I hoped that she wouldn't hold it against me. Bella laughed, and the sound was delightful.

"You'll have to show everyone how clever you are when the get back!" She smiled, and grasped my hair in both hands, seeming to look at it very closely. I patiently let her jerk my head around, waiting until she got bored of her game. It didn't take long.

"Have you finished?" I questioned her. Having lost interest in my hair, she was now reaching for something behind me. I turned around and saw only my piano.

"Do you to have a look?" I didn't wait for an answer, running over, and seating myself carefully, mindful of Bella's fragility. She stretched out one hand and hit a key. Her eyes widened to size of saucers as the clear note echoed around the hallway. Then she started to giggle.

"Oh, you think that was funny, huh?" I asked. I wasn't sure why I kept asking questions when it was clear she wouldn't answer.

She pressed a couple more keys, in no real order, and started to laugh harder. That made me laugh, and soon we were both shaking uncontrollably. Bella nearly fell off my lap once, which sobered me slightly – but not for long. I didn't even notice the others walking in.

"Wow. I think Bella must be the only one who can touch Edward's piano and get away with it," remarked Emmett. In his head, he was replaying my conversation with Alice and a rather… interesting image of me in a frilly apron. I raised my eyebrows at him.

What? It was funny.

Bella squirmed in my arms, and reached out to Esme. I handed her over, smiling at Bella's delight. Jasper's thoughts caught my attention.

I guess Alice was right then. I was confused. Right about what?

"Well, Edward, I see you've become quite attached," Alice smirked. I searched her thoughts, looking for some clue as to what Jasper had been thinking. She was singing the English national anthem backwards. How did she even know the English national anthem? We had never been to England… at least, not since Jasper and Alice had joined us.

"Alice," I said, voice low, eyes cautioning. The backwards-anthem paused at Queen gracious our save God.

Yes, dear brother?

"What did you see?" I was tense, quivering, and my whole body was a coiled spring.

I saw the images flashing through her mind like a slideshow, some sort of movie made of still images from the future.

Bella at Christmas, covered in wrapping paper. Bella on her first birthday, smooshing cake everywhere. Bella walking on unsteady legs, for the very first time.

Bella at school on her first day, nerves plain on her face. Bella growing into a beautiful young woman, dancing at… prom? She was dressed formally, and on the arm of… someone. I couldn't see their face clearly but Bella looked fabulous. So simply gorgeous.

And in almost all of these brief snapshots, we were on the fringes, watching her grow and mature.

I thought that perhaps Alice was still hiding something, but whatever it was, she was hiding it well. I guess I would just have to patient and wait to find out.

Because it looked like we had plenty of time with Bella to look forward to.