DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creation of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The guys plan a weekend camping trip with the girls.

Camping 4

I listened closely to everything Edward was telling me. My heart soared at his words, knowing he really would do anything to help me deal with the things I was going through. I'd spent days trying to figure out what was wrong with me and never once had I thought it might have to do with my parents and the holidays. But as soon as Edward said it, I knew it was true.

All of my anger and frustration at Emmett melted away, leaving behind my love for Edward and his love for me. "Okay. But for now, I think we should go back to camp. I owe our brother an apology."

"He owes you one, too, love."

"I already saw it in his eyes before I slugged him," I chuckled, remembering my brother's face when he realized what I was about to do to him. I quickly lost my sense of humor, though, when I thought about how furious Emmett could get. "Think he's going to be very mad at me?"

"I think he'll understand and let it slide," Edward chuckled, kissing my forehead. "And if he doesn't, then it's my turn to hit him."

My eyes widened at his words. I wasn't sure if Edward was joking or not.

"Kidding, love," he chuckled. He stood up and pulled me into his arms. "Now, let's get your beautiful, sparkling body back to camp."

I smiled, enjoying his compliment for a change. "Only if you come with me."

"I'll always go with you, Bella. To the ends of the Earth. After all, I can't be expected to live without my heart and soul."

I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a tight hug, and then we started back toward our siblings. We held hands and talked about nothing in particular, enjoying a few precious minutes alone together. We entered the campsite and saw that Rose, Alice, and Jasper were standing in the water again. Emmett was sitting cross-legged in front of the tents, playing with a stick. I gave Edward a kiss on the cheek, and then let go of his hand. I walked over to my brother, hoping he wouldn't be angry, even though I knew he had every right to be. I felt guilty for hurting my favorite gentle giant.

"So I was hoping that maybe you and I could go for a walk and gather supplies for the campfire," I said, looking down at Emmett.

He looked up at me, his trademark goofy grin lost in his sadness. "Bella…"

I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Em, I love you, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hit you like that."

"Better you than Edward. I don't think he would have stopped at one punch," he said. He put his hand over mine and attempted a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry. You should've listened to me when I told you I didn't want to play. But, still, that didn't give me the right to hurt you."

"You can't hurt me, Picky," Emmett chuckled. "I keep trying to tell you that."

"But I can hurt your heart," I said softly, gripping his big paw between my hands.

"Yeah, you can do that," he agreed, nodding his head.

"I'm sorry I overreacted."

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Bella."

"Still friends?" I asked, smiling at him.

Emmett pulled me down on his lap, making me squeal. "Better than friends…You're my partner in crime, little sis. You and me together, we're like…Bonnie and Clyde, only prettier and we don't rob banks."

"Emmett!" I laughed, shaking my head.

He chuckled as he jumped up and pulled me along with him. "Weren't you saying something about camp supplies?"

"Yes. We need rocks and sticks for the fire, and logs to sit on if we're going to have a proper campfire."

"I thought you'd never been camping?" Emmett asked, wrapping an arm around my neck and leading me to the trees.

"I hadn't. But I do read books and watch television."

"Of course!" We were quiet for a few minutes before he spoke again. "You're going to watch this season of America's Top Model with me, right?"

"Yep! Can't leave you hanging for Rose and Alice to tease!" I said, skipping next to him.

"Or Edward and Jasper." Emmett glanced at me, that serious look was on his face again. "You know, Picky, I think you're the only one that understands me sometimes. Besides my Rosie, of course."

"That's because you don't show the other sides of you that Rose and I see."

"We all have our place in the family…I'm the comic relief."

"And what does that make everyone else?" I laughed.

Emmett counted on his fingers as he explained his labels for everyone. "Esme is the mother who protects us, Carlisle is the father who plans for us, Rose is the giver of fast automobiles, Alice is the boss, Jasper is the emo soldier who trains us, and Edward is the angst-ridden teen who hears too much."

"Is that really how you see Edward?" I asked, as I stopped walking.

"Nope!" Emmett chuckled, putting his hands on my shoulders. "I just like to make fun of him. Edward is the bringer of the Picky! His smartest move was to marry you and make you a part of our family."

"So what's my place in our family?"

"You are our humanity and the holder of Edward's heart."

"Aw, Em!" I sighed, giving him a big hug.

Emmett broke up the feel-good moment by pushing me away playfully and ruffling my hair.

We walked and talked together while finding our supplies. Emmett gathered up logs for us, while I handled the firewood, not bothering to look for rocks since Emmett said he already had some at the campsite.

As nice as it was to spend time with just him, I was starting to miss Edward. "Do we have everything?" I asked my brother.

"Yeah, I think this will be good. If we end up needing anything else, we'll just send Eddie to get it since he's so fast."

"You better not call him that tonight. You know how he hates it."

"I won't. I wouldn't want you to slug me again," Emmett chuckled.

I laughed as I picked up one last twig for the fire. "Let's get back to camp with this stuff."

"Race you!"

"But I'll probably fall and drop everything."

"That's half the fun of it, Picky!" Emmett showed me his big, goofy grin. "Come on! You haven't fallen down in ages!"

"I fell last week!" I cried

"See what I mean!" he said, with a wink.

"Fine!" I laughed.

We took off through the trees, heading back to camp. I was holding a rather large armful of sticks, while Emmett had his arms wrapped around three huge logs. We came out of the trees and I skidded to a stop in front of the tents. I was laughing so hard, I dropped everything at my feet. Emmett put down the logs and gave me a hard pat on the back. I wasn't expecting it, and the force of his pat knocked me to the ground. I heard a loud thud and realized it hadn't come from me…It was from Emmett falling on his butt, laughing at me.

I smiled wickedly at him as I turned, and pounced on him. I hit his chest, knocking all of him down, so his whole body was on the ground. He laughed even harder as he pushed me off of him. I was getting ready to jump on him again when two strong, familiar arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me backwards.

"I've certainly created a little monster, now," Edward chuckled against my ear.

"She does have that pounce down," Emmett said, wiping the dirt off his chest.

"Are you two still fighting?" Rose asked with a big smile. She knew we were only playing.

"Nope! Em and I made up. That was just for fun!" I said.

The six of us swam and played, joking around with each other as we waited for twilight to approach so we could build our fire. As the day finally started to come to an end, we went into our tents to dry off and change.

I grabbed my jeans, the ones Alice lovingly referred to as 'ratty', and a dark blue tank top. I was deciding on what sweater I should wear, when I noticed Edward had pulled out his black hooded sweatshirt. I snagged it from the floor where he had set it down and slipped it on, over my tank top.

He turned and smiled at me. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting dressed," I giggled.

"I was planning on wearing that."

"Well, you'll just have to wear something else. I want to wear this."

"Why? You have your own clothing."

"Because it's loose and comfy! Please, Edward!"

"You and that damn word," he sighed, trying to hide his grin from me.

"Thank you!" I cried, tackling him to the floor of the tent.

"You're welcome!" he laughed, staring up at me.

I laid my head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around my back. I sighed happily. We laid together for a few minutes, listening to each other's breathing and matching the rhythms so that we inhaled and exhaled in unison.

"If you want to enjoy the campfire and hear some stories, you're going to have to move so I can get dressed, love," he said, interrupting the peaceful silence.

"Okay," I said, rolling off of him.

I sat cross-legged, watching him put on his jeans and a black, long-sleeved shirt. We put on our socks and sneakers, just in case any humans happened upon our campsite. It would look weird for us to be barefoot at night during this time of year.

We were the first ones dressed, and back outside. Emmett had set up the logs earlier, so we took advantage and sat down to wait for everyone else. Alice and Jasper came out next, with my sister bouncing around with excitement.

"Does that mean you have your story all picked out?" I asked her.

"I do, but that's not why I'm so excited! I've just seen Emmett's story!" she squealed.

"And you're blocking me," Edward groaned. "That can't be good!"

"Oh, just hush!" Alice said, waving a hand at Edward. "It's going to be fun!"

Emmett and Rose finally joined us. The boys made a circle with the rocks and then put the sticks inside of it. They argued over who should actually get to light the fire until Rose walked over and lit it herself. Alice and I laughed quietly while the boys growled.

"I'd like to get this campfire going before the sun rises," Rose told them.

"We were about to decide, Rosie," Emmett whined, as the boys sat down with us.

"It's done! Get over it!" Rose commanded. "Now, who wants to tell the first story?"

"Me!" Emmett yelled, shooting his big paw into the air.

"Of course," Rosalie chuckled, rubbing his shoulder in a useless attempt to calm him down.

Emmett was nothing, if not an animated storyteller. He leaned forward, using his big arms to punctuate his words. "Okay! So once upon a time, there lived this really angry beast. He lived in a big white house, cut-off from the rest of the world. The only things the beast showed emotion toward where his piano and his horse."

"Emmett! Stop! Right! There!" Edward growled.

I leaned sideways to see my husband's face, trying to figure out what had made him react this way.

"Why?" Emmett asked, looking truly confused.

"You don't get to use my life as a campfire story," Edward hissed.

"Ego much, Edward?" Emmett chuckled. "This story isn't about you! You don't have a horse!"

"Really? So what's the beast's name?" Edward asked, crossing his arms and smiling triumphantly.

"Edgar. Now, stop talking so I can tell everyone this story." Emmett took an exaggerated breath and charged ahead. "So this beast played beautiful music. One day, an angel heard one of his lullabies and came down to see who was making such sweet music. She sat on a window ledge and peered in at the beast. The beast noticed her, and stopped playing. She told him how great his talent was and, like a true beast, he yelled at her and told her to go away. Well, the angel was very sad and went into his garden to cry in the shade of an apple tree. The beast could hear her sobs and something in him changed…The ice melted from his cold, cold heart. He ran out of the house and to the tree, cradling the angel in his arms. He apologized to her many times for being a big, dumb idiot. He told the angel his name was Edgar and the angel told him her name was Ella. She asked him why he had been so mean to her earlier. He didn't want to answer her and tried to look away. But the angel was determined. She pulled his face to hers and dazzled him with her brown eyes. He spilled his guts, telling her how she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen and he wasn't worthy to be near her. Ella told him any creature that cared enough to soothe the hurt of another was more than worthy. After hearing her words, the beast realized he loved the angel and had always been waiting for her to come into his life. They exchanged words of love and a few chaste kisses until a long, long, long, long, long, long time later when the beast finally married her and gave her some real lovin'. And because he loved her and she loved him, he stopped being a beast and was just Edgar."

We all started whistling and clapping for Emmett, even Edward clapped!

Emmett stood up and took a few bows. "Thank you. Thank you."

"That was great, Em. But I thought campfire stories were supposed to be scary," I said, watching him sit down and pull Rose into his arms.

"Believe me, Picky, to have lived with the beast, you would be scared," Emmett said, winking at me.

I giggled and Edward pulled me tighter against his chest.

He leaned in and whispered into my ear. "Every time you laugh, you encourage him, love. You really need to stop."

"Wasn't it you, dear husband, who pointed out to me that Emmett doesn't need encouragement, he'll do it anyway?" I asked.

Edward chuckled and gave me a soft kiss on the side of my head. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too, Edward," I told him.

"I'm next!" Alice sang. She stood up in front of her log, grinning wickedly at all of us. "Jasper, prepare yourself. You may need to calm everyone's emotions after my story."

"Sure, Alice," Jasper chuckled.

"This story is so scary that I wouldn't dare tell it if Bella was still human!" Alice said, moving her head to look at each of us in turn.

"Stop building it up and tell it already!" Emmett ordered.

"Okay!" Alice chirped. She took a moment and made her face serious again. "Once upon a time, there lived a happy, fashionable woman. She was a diva of designer clothing and her joy in life was shopping to make others look beautiful. One day, the diva tried to go shopping, only to discover that every store in the entire world had been placed under an evil curse. They had all turned into…Wal-Marts!" Alice shrieked out the last word as she shivered.

We all looked at each other, casting sideways glances at Alice.

I decided to be the brave one. "Um…Alice…Why was that story supposed to be scary?"

"OH MY GOD! You people just do not understand!" Alice huffed. She sat down next to Jasper and folded her arms over her chest.

"Who's next?" Rose asked, trying not to laugh.

"I'll give it a try," Jasper volunteered, with a wicked grin. Before saying another word, Jasper sent a wave of apprehension out to all of us. "All too often, strange things occur in this world and everyone rushes out to find the rational explanation. But what if there is no scientific way to disprove the supernatural event you find yourself trapped in? That's the question old Miss Mattie asked herself. She was a short, round woman, and she worked as a housemaid to a wealthy northern family. She had her own little cottage on a dead end street, on the opposite side of town from her employers. Miss Mattie was a simple, God-fearing woman who believed everything happened for a purpose. She clung to that belief harder than ever before one dark, foggy night."

Jasper sent out another wave of anxiety, mixed with curiosity. We all found ourselves leaning closer to him.

He took a breath and continued his story. "Miss Mattie had watched the fog roll in that night, just like she had on a thousand other nights. There was nothing marking it as a day for her to remember. She was lost in thoughts of family members long gone, or separated by the years of the Civil War. She was just getting ready to go to bed when she heard it…The rumble of heavy wheels passing in the street. She thought her ears must be playing tricks on her because of her old age. She was on a dead end street, after all. Where would a wagon think it was going? Miss Mattie waved her hand toward the window, blew out her lamp, and went to bed. She got up before the sun the next morning, as was her normal custom. She dressed and wrapped a shawl around her to keep the chilly morning air from setting off her arthritis. She locked up her little house, walked down her little pathway, and stopped cold at the edge of the street. There were deep wheel ruts in the ground. They started at the edge of the dirty white fence that surrounded her home, and disappeared into the trees that lined the end of her dead end street. Miss Mattie closed her eyes, grabbed the crucifix around her neck, and prayed to God. She feared some demon had been lurking outside of her home at night."

I snuggled further into Edward. He chuckled in my ear as he tightened his arms around me. Jasper grinned, pleased that at least one of us was getting into the story.

He sent out some suspense and a little fear before speaking again. "Miss Mattie pushed the incident to the back of her mind and set off for work for the day. When she got to her place of employment, one of the kitchen girls met her with a muffin and a mug of hot coffee. The girl's name was Peaches, and she loved to tell anyone who would listen that her momma named her that because it was the only thing she cared to eat while pregnant with the girl. Miss Mattie thought of Peaches as her adopted grandchild.

'Mornin', Miss Mattie,' Peaches greeted her.

'Mornin', chil',' Miss Mattie replied.

'You lookin' mighty tired today, Miss Mattie,' Peaches said.

'You mind your business,' Miss Mattie scolded.

Peaches was a very happy girl so she didn't take offense to Miss Mattie fussing her. She just shrugged her shoulders and ran off to find someone else to talk to. Miss Mattie hobbled into the kitchen to find out if the cook needed anything done this morning.

'Mornin', Sam,' Miss Mattie called.

'Mornin', Miss Mattie. You have a long night last night?' Sam asked.

'Yeah, Sam. I heard the most awful noises in the night and when I got up this mornin', there was wheel ruts in the road,' Miss Mattie explained.

'But you live on a dead end street,' Sam said.

'I know,' Miss Mattie replied.

'Well, what did you see and hear?' Sam asked.

'I heard wheels movin' down the road and saw the ruts this mornin',' Miss Mattie told him.

'You got the Army of the Dead passin' in front your house,' Sam said in a low tone. 'You best not look out the window if you hear them again,' Sam warned.

Jasper hit us with more anxiety and suspense.

"Stop doing that!" Emmett yelled. "Just tell us what the army wants!"

Jasper chuckled as he swept his eyes over us.

'What's the Army of the Dead?' Miss Mattie asked.

'That's the southern soldiers that died up here in the North. They don't know the war ended last year. They tryin' to get to Virginia to go help out that General Lee fellah,' Sam explained. 'Whatever you do, don't look out your window,' Sam warned again.

'And why not?' Miss Mattie asked, getting irritated with this old wives tale.

'Because you just don't want to do that,' Sam said, and he refused to say anymore.

That afternoon, Miss Mattie walked home alone. She'd forgotten all about the ruts and Sam's story. She was just happy to be heading home and was thinking of how nice a bath would be. Late that night, Miss Mattie sat in a chair near the window, knitting herself a new sweater. Those same noises from last night started up again. Miss Mattie's fingers shook as she debated on what she should do. Part of her wanted to pray for God's help and to crawl into bed, hiding under the covers. Another part, a curious part, wanted her to look out that window."

Jasper must have sent out more fear and apprehension because Emmett shot up off his log and squealed like a girl. "Don't do it, Miss Mattie!"

We all laughed, completely ruining Jasper's emotional effects. He had to calm us down so he could get us on the edge of our logs again.

Once he had us where he wanted us, he finished the story. "Miss Mattie was still very young at heart and her curiosity got the best of her. She looked out her window. There was a thin veil of fog covering the street. She could just make out blurry shapes and what appeared to be a convoy of wagons. She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better glimpse. She moved closer to the window, nearly touching her nose to it. AND BAM!" Jasper cried, clapping his hands.

I screamed and jumped as Edward chuckled and held me even tighter. Emmett had hopped into Rosalie's lap and she was laughing hysterically while he was trying to cling to her. Alice was rolling around on the ground, pointing and laughing at Emmett.

"So…So…So what happened?" Rose asked, through her laughter.

Jasper calmed us down once again, and then turned up the anxiety one more time. "As Miss Mattie inched closer to that window, a southern gentleman soldier appeared on the other side of it. His sudden appearance gave Miss Mattie a heart-attack and she dropped dead on the spot. Her soul rose from her body and the soldier smiled, waving a hand to her. He led her over to the convoy, where she took up post as the new washwoman, forever doomed to wander with the lost men of the Army of the Dead."

We all looked at each other for a moment. Emmett stood up and started clapping his hands. The rest of us joined him, giving Jasper a standing ovation.

"You scared the crap out of me and I love you for it," Emmett told Jasper, hugging him.

"Jazzy, you are remarkable," Alice said. She stood on her log and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I think that's enough for one night," Rose said. "I couldn't take it if Emmett jumped into my lap again," she chuckled. "Go off and have some couple time! We'll meet up at first light."

"And just who put you in charge?" Edward asked her, grinning.

"I did when I decided what we're doing tomorrow morning," Rose snickered.

Emmett grabbed a bucket and poured water over the campfire, putting it out for the night. We all said goodnight to each other, before heading off into our own tents.

I crawled into the sleeping bag and Edward followed me, wrapping me up in his strong arms.

"Did you enjoy the campfire, love?"

"It was excellent, Edgar. Oops! I mean Edward," I giggled.

"Payback, Isabella," he chuckled. "That's all I'll say about the matter."

"And I'll just say that I love you, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," I said, resting my head against his chest.

"I love you, Isabella Marie Cullen. I love you so much more than any words leaving my lips can ever hope to convey."

I smiled until it felt like my face would split if I smiled any wider. I took a deep breath, pulling in the wonderful scent of my husband. I definitely liked camping!