Carlisle and I stood in the clearing, waiting for the others to arrive. Emmett and Rosalie came first, bickering. Alice and Jasper were there shortly after, and we waited for Edward and Bella.

Suddenly, there was an odd sound, one that sounded much like a bear choking. Edward and Bella arrived soon after the strange sound was heard, Edward chuckling quietly. I approached them.

"Was that you we heard, Edward?" I asked.

"It sounded like a bear choking" Emmett added. Bella smiled shyly at me.

"Yes, that was him," she said.

"Bella was being unintentionally funny," Edward shot back, settling the score between them. Alice got up, and ran towards us gracefully. She stopped at our feet.

"It's time." she said, just before a clash of thunder echoed.

"Eerie, isn't is?" Emmett asked Bella playfully, winking at her.

"Let's go." Alice said, slightly impatiently, but I was pretty sure that Bella couldn't detect her impatience. It was too subtlefor human eyes. Alice reached for Emmett's hand, and they ran together to the field.

"Are you ready for some ball?" Edward asked Bella, excited.

"Go team!" Bella cheered, slightly halfheartedly. Edward chuckled, mussing her hair gently before running after the others. I smiled at Bella's face; as she watched them (probably Edward in particular) run, her jaw dropped open. Bella's gawking, Edward, I laughed mentally.

"Shall we go down?" I asked Bella. She looked embarrassed that I'd caught her staring. She quickly closed her mouth and resembled her expression before nodding. Carefully, I kept a few feet between us. I didn't want to scare her, plus she was too good-smelling for her own good. I easily matched my pace with her human one.

"You don't play with them?" Bella asked me hesitantly.

"No, I prefer to referee-I like keeping them honest."

"Do they like to cheat, then?"

"Oh, yes! You should hear the arguments they get into!" I paused. "Actually, I hope you don't, you would think they were raised by a pack of wolves."

"You should like my mom!" She laughed, surprised. I laughed, too.

"Well, I do think of them as my children in most ways. I never could get over my mothering instincts-did Edward tell you I had lost a child?"

"No," Bella mumured, looking sympathic.

"Yes, my first and only baby. He died just a few days after he was born, the poor thing." I sighed at the human memory. It was one that still had yet to fade. "It broke my heart-that's why I jumped off the cliff, you know." I told her.

"Edward just said you f-fell" she stammered, shocked.

"Always the gentleman. Edward was the first of my new sons. I've always thought of him that way, at least. That's why I'm so happy he's found you, dear. He's been the odd man out for far too long; it's hurt me to see him alone."

"You don't mind, then?" she asked nervously. "That I'm...all wrong for him?"

"No. You're what he wants. It will work out, somehow." I was worried, though. If Edward's pull to her was stronger than mine, how did he resist?

I stopped, reaching the edge of the field.

"All right, batter up." I called out. Alice threw the ball without a swing from Emmett.

"Was that a strike?" Bella whispered.

"If they don't hit it, it's a strike." I replied. Alice pitched again, and Emmett hit a long fly. With any other outfielder, it would have been a home run, but Edward was the fastest runner.

"Home run" Bella murmured beside me.

"Wait," I told her, listening carefully. I heard the faint smack as Edward caught the ball. "Out!" I told Emmett, whose proud face instantly became pouty. I glanced down at Bella as she watched Edward in awe. Eventually, Jaser hit a ground ball to my Carlisle, and he raced Jasper to first. When the ran into each other, Bella jumped up in concern.

"Safe," I called. After the inning, Edward ran over to Bella.

"What do you think?" he asked her excitedly.

"One thing's for sure, I'll never be able to sit through dull old Major League Baseball again."

'And it sounds like you did so much of that before," Edward laughed.

"I am a little dissappointed," Bella said mockingly.

"Why?" Edward asked her, puzzled.

"Well, it would be nice if I could find just one thing you didn't do better than everyone else on the planet."

Edward smiled at her, causing her heart to speed up. He glanced towards the plate.

"I'm up" he informed her. I glanced down at Bella every now and then, always finding that she watching Edward. Who else? I murmured mentally, chuckling slightly.

Suddenly, Alice gasped. Edward looked up, met her eyes, and darted over to where Bella and I were standing.

"Alice?" I asked tensely.

"I didn't see...I couldn't tell" she whispered, eyes far away.

"What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"They were traveling much quicker than I thought. I can see I had the perspective wrong before" she murmured.

"What chaged?" Jasper asked.

"They heard us playing, and it changd their path," Alice replied. All of us glanced quickly at Bella and away.

"How soon?" Carlisle asked Edward.

"Less than five minutes. They're running...they want to play." Edward replied, his face darkening slightly.

"Can you make it?" Carlisle asked, and I knew he was talking about about Edward running back to the house with Bella.

"No not carrying..." Edward cut off. "Besides, the last thing we want is for them to catch the scent and start hunting."

"How many?" Emmett asked Alice.

"Three"

"Three! Let them come!" Emmett said, flexing his muscles.

"Let's just continue the game" Carlisle decided after a long deliberation.

"You catch, Esme. I'll call it now." Edward told me, planting himself in front of Bella. I knew that the reason was because he wanted to protect his grilfriend, ans I didn't object.

"Take you hair down." Edward told Bella quietly. She did so, then asked-or rather stated-a statement of her own.

"The others are coming now."