Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters etc, and I wish SM didn't own them either.

Chapter Twelve – She Goes on an Adventure

Bella fought the urge to hide under the comforter, instead pulling the soft flannel of the duvet up to her chin and trying to get her breathing under control. Though she could hear their amused chuckles, she couldn't make herself so much as glance in Carlisle and Esme's direction. Edward's hands appeared on the edge of the bed as he hoisted himself up from the floor, shaking his head exasperatedly at her. She did hide her face when she saw his finger-sexed hair, red cheeks, and unnaturally bright eyes.

"Haven't you two heard of knocking?" he demanded, earning him a scandalized glare.

"We didn't realize you had a guest," Esme said lightly.

Edward scoffed, rolling his eyes and climbing onto the bed, sliding an arm around Bella once he was situated.

It was hard not to cringe away from him, knowing full well that his parents had just caught her with their son's hand up her shirt. Still, the light pressure of his arm holding her to him had the same calming effect it always had. Even though a blush had likely turned her into a very-embarrassed looking lobster, she found herself relaxing despite the horror of the situation.

"We warned you no locked doors," Carlisle said, though his stern tone was undermined by the grin he was fighting.

"It wasn't locked," Edward said obstinately. "And you aren't supposed to be home."

"We came home early to see if perhaps you and Bella would like to have an adventure," Esme laughed. "Little did we know you were already on one."

"Mother!" Edward growled.

"I'm sorry, but you do not get to be offended at me now, my pet."

"Says who?"

"Edward," Carlisle interjected. "We don't have to speak of this again, but there are rules. Rules you have been made aware of several times in the past."

Bella tensed at that statement, remembering Edward's supposedly hideous past girlfriends.

"And her father is the chief of police," Esme reminded him, shooting an indulgent smile at Bella, who could still barely look at her. "I know how male family members are. You don't need to spend a night in the…oh what's the word?"

"The pokie?" Bella asked, startling even herself.

Both of Edward's parents broke into laughter, causing him to scowl at her in annoyance. "Traitor," he whispered so quietly she barely heard.

"Yes, in the pokie. I do not want to have to bail my baby out one night."

"If this is some sort of cruel payback for – "

"It isn't," Carlisle assured.

"Now about this adventure," Esme reminded them.

"If it involves antiques and fields of lavender, we aren't interested."

"So cranky today. No antiques or flower festivals. We were thinking of taking a trip to the beach and roasting hot dogs."

"It'll be awfully windy," Bella warned quietly.

"That is why it is an adventure!" Esme exclaimed. "I have blankets and coats and boots. And there will be romantic fire and music – "

"Not that you two need the fire for – "

"Dad! I expect those cracks from her but – "

"Do you want to brave the elements and have a marvelous evening or sit at home and mope?" Esme asked, pouting at her son.

"Alone," Carlisle added. "And don't even think about arguing with me."

"I'd like to go," Bella said, hoping to head off a fight.

"Then we'll go," Edward sighed, running a hand through his hair and shooting his mother an annoyed glance. "We'll be downstairs in a bit."

"I'm leaving the door open," Carlisle said.

"Fine."

"And it will stay open, Edward."

"Yes, sir."

"We'll leave in an hour and a half or so."

"Super."

"And if you keep being such a smart-ass, we will listen to Wagner the whole way," Esme teased as they disappeared out the door and down the stairs.

"I'm so sorry," Edward whispered, hugging her to his chest. "I didn't think they'd be home and I got carried away and…I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for pitching you off the bed."

"You should be. That hurt."

"I was surprised! And your hand was up my shirt and you didn't notice them!"

"They did it on purpose. My mom thinks it's hysterical."

"To catch you in a compromising position?" Bella asked.

"Yes. It was like a hobby back in Seattle. This one time…Oh fuck."

"Exactly," she said with a grim smile, sliding out of his embrace to look at him.

"I..umm…well, shit."

"I should have known by the way you touched me that it wasn't the first time you'd…I mean…" Bella trailed off, embarrassed.

"Do you really want to know about that stuff?" he asked her, gripping her hands as his mouth formed a serious line.

"No. And yes," she admitted. "The idea of you having been with someone else is…bothersome."

"I've only, erm, been with one person Bella. I've kissed other girls, and my parents have walked in on some heavy make-out sessions, but I've only had sex with one girl and it was a disaster."

"A disaster?" she asked, curious.

"The first few times were fine and all," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away from her. "But the time we got caught was the time…it was the disaster."

"What happened? Who was she?" Bella asked, even though she was fairly sure she didn't really want to know. Her inner-gossip – cultivated for so long by Alice and Emmett – got to her, though.

"Her name was Morgan."

"Was she blonde? Bet she was blonde," Bella mumbled.

"Don't be ridiculous. She and I'd been dating for a while and we were…well…"

"Doing it?"

"Shut up," he groaned. "We were, and then, all of a sudden, she said my dad's name."

"What?" Bella gasped. "Are you shitting me?"

"I wish I was. She just shouted his name – "

"Oh my God."

"And then she did it again."

"Oh my God!"

"I didn't realize my parents were home, and my bedroom was on the same floor as theirs in the Seattle house. I kept trying to get her to just shut the hell up…and then in busted my dad."

"Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit."

"Well, she had been calling for him," Edward said, shaking his head as his eyes looked up..

"Most embarrassing story ever. I don't believe it for a second."

"Believe it."

"Why on earth would she be shouting your dad's name?"

"It turns out that she had this crazy American Beauty-esque fantasy thing going. I don't know. We broke up about five seconds after my dad walked out laughing uncomfortably."

"How did you not know they were home?"

"I was a little pre-occupied," he said, his crooked grin stretching wide.

"This is too fantastical to be real."

"We can ask my dad about it if you want."

"What?" she asked, flushing pink. "No!"

"How 'bout my mom? She still thinks it's the funniest thing ever."

"Are you trying to make your parents think I'm a psycho?" she demanded. She saw the beginnings of his crooked gin and poked his side. "Don't even say it."

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You were going to make a comment about how they already think I'm easy, weren't you?"

"I was going to say no such thing!"

"You are so full of crap."

"Do you need a jacket for the beach?" he asked, abruptly switching to a safer topic, something she'd noticed was a bit of a habit with him.

"I have your flannel," she said.

"Come here," he said, pulling her off the bed.

He led her to his closet. Walking in, she inhaled deeply. Edward's smell was just so very Edward. Sure, there were the traditional boy smells – bar soap and cedars and the faintest hint of engine oil – but underneath them there was the distinct scent of the fancy blue Downy fabric softener. It never failed to make her smile. She waited patiently in the middle, hopping up on to the large island-dresser in the middle as he dug through a box in the corner.

"Here," he said, tossing her a black and gray flannel with a thick, padded lining.

"More flannel?"

"I like what I like," he shrugged.

"You like what you like a lot."

"Fine, I'll take it back," he said, moving to snatch it away from her.

"No!" she argued and clutched it to her chest. "I like it."

"Good. Come on. If someone doesn't supervise, my mom will end up packing a five course meal in antique baskets for this little sojourn."

"I wouldn't complain," Bella said, hopping on to Edward's back as he carried her from the room and down his stairs.

"Well, when you are seven years old and eating involtini and pumpkin soup, you learn to appreciate good old fashioned American processed deliciousness."

"I'll make you all the deliciously processed food your stomach can handle. You can…you can come have dinner with me and my dad." Her words came slowly, and, had she not been clutching his shoulders to keep from falling, she would have been clenching her hands together in anticipation of his answer.

"Well…" he said, pausing mid-step for a split second, "what kind of processed are we talking here?"

"Ummm…green rice made with cheese whiz? Meat-loaf filled out with saltines? Whatever you want?"

"Deal," he said, and she wished she could have seen his face when he said it.

They rounded the corner into the kitchen, and Bella was grateful when Edward dropped her on the blue granite of the island - it was awkward clinging to his back and feeling his long fingers holding her legs wrapped tightly around his waist in front of his parents so soon after they'd walked in. She sat, her heels bumping against the wood cabinetry below, and Edward leaned back against the counter next to her.

"So when is the adventure commencing?" he asked.

"As soon as your mother figures out how to put the contents of the pantry into the picnic hamper," Carlisle joked, dodging the dish rag Esme pitched at him.

"Damn you and your feline reflexes," she chuckled, brandishing a baguette at him.

"Woah, woah…what's with the French loaf? I was promised hot dogs. Hot dogs and cheap white buns and plain yellow mustard!"

"Well," Esme said, "I was thinking perhaps Bella might prefer – "

"Bella would prefer hotdogs," Edward interrupted with a glare.

"Who could prefer hot dogs to deliciously home baked baguettes and goat cheese and Greek olives and – "

"You can't roast Greek olives over a beach fire."

Bella couldn't stop the tiny laugh that escaped her, and she clapped her hands over her mouth when Esme shot her an amused look.

"But you can melt the cheese over the toast and then – "

"Mommm," Edward whined, giving her a very clear pout.

"Do not try that face with me, mister – "

"My love, I think Edward may be right. We should keep it simple. You'll be able to enjoy the beach more that way."

"See. What he said."

Esme started mumbling under her breath in rapid Italian, and Edward and Carlisle both rolled their eyes.

"Some hot dogs aren't going to kill you, mom," Edward said.

"When my stomach is in agonies, I am coming to your room in order to be vomiting."

"Her English gets all messed up when she's mad," Edward said in a low voice.

"But my ears…they are as good as ever."

"If we don't hurry we'll miss low tide," Bella said in hopes of a distraction.

Carlisle smiled gratefully at her, and she shyly returned his grin, eliciting a scowl from Edward.

"I'm not the rose petals type," she said, leaning down to whisper into his ear. A blush crept up his neck at her reference to his earlier American Beauty comment, and her grin spread wider.

His ears turned pink and she ruffled his hair playfully. He leaned up to place a soft kiss on her forehead, and it was her turn to blush when she was reminded that they weren't alone. She cursed her pale skin as she felt the heat take residence in her cheeks. Fortunately, no one made any comments, and the rest of the meal was packed quickly while the Cullens all called out reminders of things to bring.

Once all of the necessities had been sorted, everyone headed toward the garage and piled into a silver Volvo SUV. Edward's hand immediately reached for hers, and she smiled as she gave it to him. Her smile broadened when she saw Carlisle with one hand on the wheel and his other hand clasped to his wife's on top of the gearshift.

The drive was filled with friendly chatter. Bella told everyone about the town and who lived in what house and who ran what business and who was employed in which store. Carlisle chatted about his work at the hospital and about the logger whose life he saved that afternoon when a tree had crushed his leg. Esme ordered the gore to cease and chatted about her plans for the gardens surrounding the house. Edward just watched her, a half-smile on his face as he played with her fingers and toyed with the thin jade bracelet Alice had given her for her last birthday.

It was enough to pull her out of the easy bliss she'd let herself fall into. Her fight with Alice crept into her mind slowly, with each cool touch of the jade to her skin. Every little bump made her think of a cruel thing she'd said. Every little jiggle made her think of another cruel thing she could have said…and wished she had.

Sensing that she had slipped away, Edward stopped his fiddling and squeezed her hand. The pressure was reassuring, and she felt grounded once more. Her smile was grateful as she met his concerned eyes, the green darker and more intense in the confines of the SUV. His fingers untangled themselves from hers and his slid his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.

"Where'd you go?" he whispered.

"Nowhere good."

"Glad you're back."

"Me too."

They pulled into the lot of Ruby Beach, and Bella smiled at the choice. Ruby wasn't as close to Forks as La Push, but she'd always found its sea stacks infinitely superior. When Carlisle had parked, Bella climbed from the door he opened from her. The sound of the waves roared over her and the salty air had her grinning in satisfied contentment. Looking around, she noticed only a few cars – tourist cars – meaning that the beach would soon be empty. She offered to help carry picnic hampers and campers, but Esme and Carlisle shooed her away with a smile.

"Want a lift?" Edward asked, gesturing at his back.

She eyed him speculatively. "I don't think so. The trail down is steep and muddy."

"You think I'd drop you?"

"I think you don't know the path well enough to risk it," she countered.

"I'm kind of insulted here."

"Oh, please. I've seen people lose their footing on the path down more times than I can count. Plus, you have to climb over all the drift logs on the way out and we'll probably have to push ourselves through the brush since it isn't really tourist season around here right now."

"I told you it would be an adventure," Esme said, sliding her free arm around her son.

"Yeah, danger's lurking around every turn out here in the middle of nowhere," he replied, rolling his eyes and stepping away from his mother.

"One time there was a black bear sitting in the path," Bella said, fighting back a smile when his forehead crinkled and his mouth twitched into a concerned frown.

"A bear?"

"Sure. They're all around. They like to be near the ocean because the fishing is good. Lots of salmon fighting their way out."

Edward blanched, looking nervously toward the woods that surrounded them, and she had to fight back a laugh. Carlisle had already turned away, his shoulders shaking, and Esme was biting on her lip to keep from smiling.

"But they won't come near humans," Edward said, still scanning the tree-line.

"It depends. The tourists leave food around and in the trashcans," she said gesturing toward the large green trashcan on its wooden stand. "And they're used to people now. We don't scare them so much."

"The other day, one of the doctor's at the hospital told me about a bear mauling from a few years ago," Carlisle said, his poker face back in play.

"Maybe we shouldn't…" Edward trailed off as he turned around and caught sight of Bella, now having to fight to keep from laughing. "Oh screw all of you."

"You…should have…seen your…face," Bella laughed, bending over and fighting for breath.

"My poor baby is scared of the little bears," Esme giggled.

"I wasn't kidding about the bear attack, though," Carlisle said seriously. "So be careful."

"Oh, Carlisle, don't be ridiculous. That bear attack was caused by a bunch of college guys coming up here to go camping, passing out drunk, and leaving ground beef and hot dogs and buns and all sorts of food just out in the open. And one of them was still drunk enough to try to fight the bear for their food."

Carlisle choked on a laugh. "Are you serious?"

"Ask Charlie," Bella said. "And the kid was fine. His buddies threw the rest of their food at the bear o distract it. By the time everyone got out there, the bear was munching on potato chips and hot dogs and the guys were locked in their SUV. It was a bunch of stitching and a couple gashes on his face. Hardly a mauling."

"This wilderness living…it is so quaint," Esme smiled.

"Only you would find bear attacks to be quaint," Edward mumbled.

Bella smiled as he stomped over to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the trail. He paused at the overlook, and she smiled as a smile broke over his features.

"Wow," he exhaled, tugging her into his side as he surveyed the wild, untamed beauty of the beach that spread out before them. "It looks like a beach for giants."

She just nodded, taking in his analogy as she truly appreciated the sheer scale of the beach for the first time. From the giant stacks to the huge driftwood logs piled in equally huge stacks to the enormous waves crashing against the endless expanse of gray sand. Even the high cliffs with their huge trees perched on the edge and the size of the smooth rocks lining their bottoms seemed too big to have been meant for mere humans.

"I want to build a house right here," Esme sighed from behind them, startling them out of their reverie. "A house made of nothing but glass."

Carlisle smiled indulgently. "Perhaps in a year or so when you're bored of the house now we'll look for some property right on the coast. You can start from scratch, though I might have to put my foot down when it comes to glass walls."

"Come, my darlings, the ocean is calling us closer."

Bella led the way toward the beach. Every step of the path was familiar, from the tiny drop that came after the log that had buried its way into the mud during a storm when she was ten to the stubborn tree whose roots reached across the trail. Luckily the brambles at the bottom had been trimmed down, and she was able to push her way through to the beach without scratching her face. She traipsed through the sand, the Cullens falling her in a single file, stepping over logs and walking carefully on the piles of flat, smooth rocks that had accumulated.

She headed away from the ocean after convincing Esme that the tides at Ruby were too unpredictable to spread a blanket close to the water. A smile came unbidden as she remembered the time she and Jasper had been trying to sketch a starfish for the ecology session of their seventh grade science class and a huge wave had come out of nowhere, knocking them off their feet and soaking them both, not to mention ruining an hour's worth of drawings.

"What are you grinning at?" Edward asked when they stopped.

"What? Nothing," she said quickly.

They stood to the side, watching Esme spread out a collection of plaid blankets and weigh them down with some of the rocks scattered around.

"We're going for a walk," Edward announced.

"Of course. Return with a sand dollar, si?"

"Si," Edward chuckled, already walking away.

"Won't they need help?"

"Nope. Dad will build a fire, mom'll coo over how manly he is, and then they'll probably make-out like twelve year olds."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Now tell me what you were smiling at."

"Edward, it was nothing."

"It wasn't. I need you to know that you can talk about him. I don't…I don't want to be like he was. I want you to feel comfortable telling me about him. He was important to you."

Her mind automatically corrected his sentence to present tense and she frowned, pushing it back to the dark recesses of her mind where it belonged. "I know. But I know you don't like him. And you get upset when I talk about all of that."

"Because he's a fucking douchetastic asshole."

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Her hair was flying wildly around her, and she wished that she'd been smart enough to grab something to hold it back from her bag. The wind was chilly, but Edward's flannel was warm and she pulled it tight around her. She met his eyes, their seriousness causing her to bite chew on her lip in concern.

"Stop trying to distract me, Bella."

"I was thinking about my seventh grade science project," she admitted, stalling for time.

"Your seventh grade – "

"Yes. Jasper and I were sitting right over there," she said, pointing toward a large collection of rocks butting up to the large, island like sea-stack at the water's edge. "We were drawing a starfish and the tide came from nowhere. He told our teacher the ocean ate our homework."

"And how did that go?"

"Surprisingly well," she chuckled.

"See, was that so hard?"

"I guess now. But that was something small."

"And you've already told me all the big stuff, right?"

"Yes," she said.

"Bella."

"What?"

"I know you still like him. You were right that it won't just go away. I know that."

"I wish it would."

"Me too," he sighed, bending down to kiss the top of her head. "It's a total mood killer."

"I just…" She paused to formulate her thoughts, ignoring his attempt at a joke. "They were both my best friends. And, like I said, Alice hurts more. I can't not think about it. I can't help being bummed out by it."

"Because you stepped aside and didn't say anything about her relationship with Jasper?"

"Well, yeah, that…but that's not really the main reason I was so mad. I mean, fine, Jasper wants to be with her and she likes him, it would be pretty ass of me to step in the way. What makes me so mad is that she acted like it was fine to flaunt it, that it was ok to know how I felt but think that I was an idiot for feeling it and…she's a know-it-all, and now I'm the one having to deal with the fact that she didn't get it this time. Stupid things remind me of it, like you playing with my bracelet in the car."

"I think she's probably upset, too."

"Probably not. She's probably channeled it all into some ridiculous garment she'll show up to school in on Monday and then she won't care anymore because of the gorgeous creation she'll have made. She's weird that way."

"Want me to pee in her gas tank?"

"Yes. Please. Please pee in her gas tank."

"Your wish is my command," he grinned.

"Ok, not really," she said, grabbing at his arm as he started walking away. "Edward, not really!"

"Fine, ruin all my fun. But I'd do it if you really wanted me to."

"I know you would. And I'll make it up to you."

"Oh really?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Shut up and come on," she scolded, directing him back toward the campfire. "I want to see your mom try to roast olives over a campfire."

"What?" he demanded.

"Didn't you see her stick them in the basket? I think she meant to prove a point but…"

His laughter was infectious and she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. She'd laughed more in the last few weeks than she felt like she'd laughed in months. Her laughter only deepened when Edward scooped her up, tossing her over his shoulder and heading back to his parents despite her repeated squeals and demands to be let down. A blush lit up her whole face when he shushed her, steadying her with a hand on her butt. The sudden ease with which he had been touching her counteracted her embarrassment.

When he plopped her down on the blanket, she was still laughing…laughter that would continue for the rest of her night.