DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creations of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Cullen family moves for the 'children' to attend college.
Moving Day
Stony Creek, New York. That was the name of our new town. It was nestled near the Adirondack Park and wasn't too far away from Dartmouth College. Humans might have found the drive too long, but for the drivers in my family, it was just enough time to really enjoy it.
The average number of sunny days in a single month was four. The town was less than half the size of Forks. The last census recorded only showed about a thousand residents in the entire town. We didn't have to really worry about that too much since we would all be attending college out of state and not the local high school.
Esme had found the perfect home for us. We'd only seen a few pictures of the outside so far. It was a dark wood and stone structure with five bedrooms on 10.8 acres. The garage was a little small, but she and Rose had plans to tear it down and build a new one. The house itself was long and the basement was above-ground. The boys had big plans for the basement area. Little did they know that Esme planned to section it off and only allow them use of half the space.
The only sign of landscaping was a few trees that blocked the front view of the house. Esme planned to fix that as soon as we settled in. The front yard and right side were clear and nicely maintained. The left side and back of the house were surrounded by woods. The driveway was a long, winding dirt road and access from the main road was just as tricky as the one for our white house back in Forks.
Edward had agreed that he would have the same major as me for my first time through college. I had wanted to do a simple English major, knowing that math would not be necessary. Edward convinced me, by convinced I mean completely dazzled me without an ounce of shame, to take Comparative Literature which for some reason, included a lot of math. We were also taking some music classes together. Jasper decided to split his courses between psychology and philosophy. He said he'd pick a major in a year or two. Alice was going to major in computer sciences so she could learn about the latest technological advances, as if she couldn't see them if she wanted! Emmett … well, Emmett lost a very big bet with Rosalie. The two of them were going to start out in the Women's and Gender Studies program. If Emmett behaved and got good grades for the first year, Rose would let him change his major. If he didn't … let's just say that there are majors that Emmett would consider to be worse and that Edward and Jasper would NEVER let him forget.I was standing in our room. I guess it wasn't really our room anymore. It looked a little forlorn without all of our personal possessions. Only the furniture would be staying. Esme liked to buy new furniture to suit each house. She said it was always a good idea to keep the houses furnished in case they needed to go back to one of them suddenly.
I walked over to the large window and looked out over the front yard and to the trees and mountains beyond. Just yesterday, I would have given anything to get away from here and today I was sad to be leaving. Of course, yesterday the Volturi had been here.
I smiled as soon as his scent became stronger. He would be here any second. I smiled wider as his arms wrapped around my waist and he rested his chin on my shoulder.
"What are you thinking about, love?" he asked.
"I'm thinking that I will miss this place," I whispered, putting my hands on top of his. "For me, this is the first home where nearly every memory is a happy one."
"We will live in many homes over the centuries to come, Bella. They will all hold happy memories for you. I promise."
"As long as you are with me, I think I can believe that."
"I'm not going anywhere, Bella," he said before kissing my neck.
"You two ready?" Alice asked from the doorway. We turned and smiled at her, nodding our heads.
We somehow managed to get everything into the vehicles. Alice was truly gifted as a packer. Emmett was taking his overloaded Jeep. Rose was packed tightly in the X5. Jasper and Alice had been able to fit a few things into the Porsche. Carlisle and Esme were taking the Mercedes. It too was packed. Edward and I rode in the Volvo with the backseat and trunk filled. The Aston Martin had been shipped out yesterday morning and would arrive at the new house a day after we would.
Edward eyed my iPod nervously as I unraveled the cable for it. I saw his expression and laughed. "Don't worry, Edward. I promise that you will approve of all the music on it. No vampire migraines for you today, honey." I picked a light jazz song to start with. "Remember this one?" I asked him.
"It was playing in my room the first time you came to my home," he replied, smiling at me.
I grinned mischievously at him, remembering how he had pounced on me for the first time. The rush of adrenaline had been amazing. Of course, it was nothing compared to how he could make me feel now that we were equals. A single touch from him could make my entire body quiver.
I shook my head, trying to will away those thoughts before they could get me into trouble. I looked out my window at the trees flying by us. "So we're really going to college?"
"Yes, love. Are you still nervous?"
"Very." I was almost completely convinced I would flunk my math classes.
"Amazing," he chuckled.
"What?"
"You faced the Volturi just yesterday with so much strength and confidence. Today, you're afraid of college."
"You shouldn't sound so surprised. I am Silly Bella after all. And it's not so much the entire college experience that has me worried. It's mainly the math and the math, and oh! The math!"
"Bella," he laughed. "You'll do fine!"
I don't know why, but thinking about college made me think about Jake. I wondered if he would be going to college somewhere. I had spent my year learning how to be a good little vampire and he had spent his doing the whole senior year thing in high school. I had wanted to ask him about it all, to see if he had met someone and maybe taken her to prom.
But our little reunion wasn't exactly friendly. Standing in that clearing and listening to his speech, I realized just how immature Jacob was when compared to me. He couldn't see the big picture. He could only see what he really wanted to happen. I knew in my un-beating heart that I had viewed my choice from all sides and considered all the important people in my life. Jacob would probably never understand that.
"What are you thinking about so hard?" Edward asked.
"Maturity," I shrugged.
"Care to elaborate or to let me in?"
I took Edward's hand in mine and kissed his palm. I opened my mind for him and let him sift through my thoughts.
"You miss him."
It wasn't a question. "Not really. I guess I do a little, but mainly, I still feel sorry that I hurt the both of you by letting things drag on. I should have listened to you when you first came back."
"Please try to listen to me with an open mind and not think too poorly of me," Edward said with a serious tone. "When I first came back and you told me about Jacob, I was worried for you. Werewolves, especially young ones, are so volatile. I tried to keep you away, but you were so damned determined. I worried that it was more than friendship and that you were trying to spare my feelings. I couldn't understand why you would risk your life if he was just a friend. I admit to being overcome with jealously at times. But when you showed me your memories back in February, I felt very foolish. All that worry and jealousy I had been feeling was for nothing. I sometimes wonder how different all of this would have been if I had been able to hear you from the very beginning."
"Or if you had been able to trust me," I said, playing with his fingers.
"I've always trusted you, Bella."
"Not completely," I said, shaking my head. "You trusted me with your secret, sure. But you never trusted my words or my heart when I told you how much I loved you. That's why you kept underestimating me and thinking of me as just another human."
"I don't think it was a matter of trust, Bella. I just had no way to imagine that a human could feel as strongly as a vampire. You are one of us now. You feel how deep our emotions run. Can you honestly tell me that you think a human can feel the way we do?"
"I don't think that just any human can do it. But if I was an exception, there could be others."
"There will never be another like you, love."
"There you go again, getting me all dazzled," I said, playfully slapping his shoulder. "Besides, none of it matters anymore. We went through what we went through and now we are here together. We're married and we love each other and we will be together forever."
"You forgot to mention how we are going off to college."
"Again with that?" I chuckled. "I thought you hated school."
"I can't stand the herding in high school and all the lusty little human fantasies that I have to deal with. In college, I am not forced into small rooms with hormone-crazed teens. Not to mention that the most beautiful woman in the world will be in all of my classes sitting right next to me."
"I was just thinking … what do you think would happen if I somehow needed summer school for math?"
"I think we would still end up in Italy at some point during the summer. I also think it would be best to go on our own terms right away instead of giving them a reason to come and collect us."
"Why the hell does everyone have to be so damn fascinated with me?"
"My, my. We are in a mood," Edward said, running his fingers along my jaw. I hardly ever used 'bad' words.
"Have you ever wished I hadn't come along to complicate your life?"
"Yes and no. That first day, I was already feeling protective of you in the cafeteria. But then in biology, as I've explained before, I thought you were some sort of demon sent to personally torment me. As I ran away to Denali, I wished that I had never met you. And even as I thought that in my mind, another part of me was still very intrigued by you."
"What about right now? After James and the wolves and Victoria and now the Volturi? Aren't you aggravated by all the danger I've brought to you and our family?"
"Bella, the love you bring to me, and our family, far outweighs any danger that has come along." He looked at me, searching for something in my facial expression. "You aren't about to go back to your old self-sacrificing ways, are you?"
"Of course not, Edward! We both agreed that staying with each other and our family is the only way to handle the mess with Italy. Besides, I don't want to be anywhere else. I've become just as selfish as you always claimed to be."
"And I'm very glad for it."
I was quiet for a moment, thinking over all the things we'd been through together. Something that I'd been meaning to ask about popped into my head. "I have a question."
"Another one?" Edward chuckled. "What is it, love?"
"Why did we exclude so much information from the Denali coven? I mean, we told them about my eating habits and nickname, but not about my memories or my powers."
"Irina," he said, his voice cold.
"What about her?"
"We cannot completely trust her. She still wants to go after the wolves for Laurent. Vampires are very good at holding grudges. Carlisle and I have spoken at length about her feelings on the pack. She will never go against Carlisle's request to leave them alone. However, she may end up going to the Volturi to have them wipe out the pack. In her mind, she will not have broken her word to Carlisle."
"We have to warn them, Edward! Jake and Sam need to know that!"
"Bella, do you honestly think that Carlisle, or me for that matter, would leave them unaware of a potential enemy? We may not like them, but we owe them for helping to save you. Carlisle informed Sam of Irina's anger when they discussed the treaty last year."
"I'm sorry, Edward." And it was true. I should have expected more from the wonderful man sitting next to me. I should have known he would never let anyone wipe out the pack if he could help in some way.
Edward reached over and took my hand, kissing my knuckles. "Do you remember the day you broke this hand punching Jacob?"
I snorted. "Yep! That was the first time I ever contemplated letting you rip him apart."
"What did I say to him that day?"
I thought back on that day. I remembered how angry and upset I was that Jacob was being such a jerk. He wasn't being my friend that day. I remembered sitting in the car and listening to Edward talk to him. "You basically told him that he was only alive because I cared about him."
"I meant that then and I still mean it. As long as you consider him a friend and he is no threat to you, I have no qualms with Jacob."
I nodded my head. I was a little worried about the fact that I couldn't remember the actual kiss or punch, only what happened once Edward carefully took my hand into his. I was ready for a subject change. "What's it like to go to college with Rose and Emmett? It has to be a little easier without broom closets around."
Edward laughed loudly. "You were just berating me about the wolves and now you want to know about our sex-crazed siblings! Even with access to your mind, I never know what you'll say next."
"You don't have a lot of room to talk there, Mr. Cullen. Carlisle considers you as big of an offender as those two."
"That's only because Carlisle doesn't believe that you are the instigator just as much as I am."
"I would never!" I said with mock indignation.
"Oh, but you would!" Edward said, dropping his voice to that seductive tone he knew melted me. "And did and will again."
I hid my face from him, trying to keep him from knowing he was affecting me. "Don't be so sure," I sang.
He tucked my hair behind my ear and grinned. "I love it when you pretend you can resist me."
"Will we have a nice city near us for shopping and dancing?" I asked, ignoring his comment. Just because it was true didn't mean that I had to acknowledge it.
"I am once again surprised by you! Dancing and shopping in the same sentence," he chuckled.
I poked my tongue at him. He smirked.
"The shopping is for my sister and the dancing is for you," I informed him.
"Saratoga Springs is close according to Alice. And Emmett's already found a great amusement park. He wants us to go as soon as possible. Besides, I prefer dancing at home. It makes it much easier to whisk you away." I shook my head at him. "It's cute that you pretend you don't enjoy it as much as I do," he chuckled.
"Edward, I can honestly say that no one could seem like they enjoy it more than you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I gave him a small kiss on his cheek. "It just means you are one horny little vampire sometimes. I'm sure you make Emmett proud. At least you don't have to put up with him constantly trying to give you pointers with his memories of Rose anymore."
Edward laughed hard at that. "Bella, you are so wrong! As if anything could stop Emmett from wanting to help as he calls it."
"Really? I figured he would have given you a break by now. Rose and Alice hardly ever tease me anymore."
"Do you talk about us to my sisters?" Edward asked. He was incredulous at the idea of it.
"Yes," I answered, wondering why he was acting this way. "Don't you confide in our brothers?"
"Not about that!"
"So that's why Emmett still teases you! He doesn't know!"
"I can't believe you talk about us to my sisters!"
"Hey! They're my sisters, too, you know! It's not like they wouldn't have some idea of what goes on even if I didn't talk to them. We both know just how many trips they've had to make to your favorite store on my behalf, Mr. Cullen!"
"You're right," he sighed. "I was being silly. Of course they know. They'd know anyway," he grumbled. "Alice would go looking for it if you didn't tell her what she wanted to know."
"Probably," I agreed.
"And now that you have your freedom, we can make those trips together."
"What makes you think I'd allow a thing like that?" I asked, trying to keep from grinning. I was actually more than a little excited at the idea.
He just smiled his crooked grin, his golden eyes twinkling with mischief. "What's the first thing you want to do when we reach our new home?"
I smiled happily. "I want to see how Esme decorated our room! She told me she had a special surprise for us! And then I want to tour the entire house!"
"I'm glad you're finally coming around on the surprise thing."
"It's not as if I have a choice," I grumbled. "None of you listen to me when I ask you not to surprise me."
"It's only because we love you."
I leaned my head against Edward's shoulder. "I know. I love all of you, too. That's why I've been trying to be a lot more gracious about these sorts of things. So, college, huh?"
Edward chuckled. "College, Bella."
"Stony Creek, here we come," I laughed.
