Breaking Tides

4 February 2010

Sum: What if Edward wasn't the first vampire Bella met?

Chapter 10

"Thank you." Bella stated later that night, Edward was in the bed with her, well, more like on top of the covers while she was buried underneath them and he wasn't touching her, but it was a start in the right direction. She liked him being there. "For everything today, I know how hard it must have been for you."

"Not as hard as it could have been." He agreed, reaching out and laying one arm around her. "Let me know if you get cold." Bella nodded and as her eyes started to drift shut, she mumbled something. "What was that?" He asked amused.

"Please stay tonight, even if you know that Jacob is coming tomorrow to pick me up." She felt him still in the bed, more so than he could normally and she peaked at him, to see his reaction.

His face was tense but he nodded. "Not a problem, just don't expect me to interact with him. I thought you were going to tell him that his guard of you was no longer needed."

"It doesn't matter, I'm still his friend, and I will occasionally disappear from Alice's view to go see him, or hang out with him. That doesn't change just because we're now an item. In fact, it might take him awhile to get used to that idea, so I need to reassure him on occasion that I'm not going to just vanish in the night, for any reason." She stressed the last part. "I want to make sure your treaty stays intact just as much as I don't want to lose Jake as a friend." She shifted so she was looking him in the eye and held his hand. "Please understand that?"

"I suppose you'll be safe with him from any crazy vampire, especially when I can't protect you on the Res. But Bella, be careful, those wolves are dangerous, you might not believe me, but trust me, you've seen the damage first hand. They can loose control."

"Not Jake." Bella refused stubbornly, Jacob was different.

Edward gathered her close and her head found his chest again and as he hummed a song, she drifted off to sleep. "We'll let this go, for now."

"What is that song?"

Edward's lips quirked, it was payback time. "Your lullaby." He answered truthfully and she only snuggled deeper as she lost the battle with the realm of the awake. She didn't seem too upset by the title.

When he left the following day, she cursed herself, she didn't know how to get her boyfriend and best friend to interact and she knew it was going to be a source of tension for a long time to come, she didn't plan on this being a momentary thing. There was only one logistical problem with her plan, she was going to get old, and he would remain 17 forever.

Well, besides everything else too... she laughed at herself. She turned to get ready for the day, he had left without a kiss goodbye, but it was amazing that he had been able to remain the entire night on her bed, holding her. She hadn't forgotten what he'd told her just as she was about to fall asleep last night, she'd thought it was cute, so it hadn't occurred to her to get upset by him calling the song he hummed to her, her lullaby. She'd have to find out the real title and find it on itunes or something.

Bella finished dressing and exited the bathroom, she went into her room to close the window and head downstairs, she hoped it would air out her room from Edward's smell, hoping that Jake wouldn't catch it and let it be. As she was sliding it shut, a pale hand reached out and stopped it, and then an equally pale face was near hers, leaning in towards her, their noses almost brushing. A crooked grin was in place as his eyes racked her face, she was startled, but that was the extent of her anxious heartbeat. "Wh-what are you doing here Edward?" She finally croaked out, she was having difficult breathing.

"I just remembered I forgot to tell you something very important." He admitted, one hand hanging off the eve above his head as he leaned in through the window. Vaguely Bella worried about the neighbors seeing him half in and half out of her room, so many things they could think about that.

"What would that be?" She asked breathlessly, he was so close, and it was doing things to her head, and heart, it was doing a strange flop as he just looked at her amused, both refused to move from their positions.

"I love you." The hand that had halted the window reached out to cup her cheek. "I thought it was very important that you knew it before you spent all day away from me." He drew her to him, closing the distance before she could form words to respond to that and kissed her. The kiss lasted only a few seconds before her knees gave out on her and he had to catch her. "Are you all right?" He asked concerned as he helped her sit on the bed.

She shook her head, trying to get her breathing back to normal. "Yeah, I'm fine, I just forgot to breath, I guess."

Edward chuckled. "First you attack me, then you faint on me, what am I going to do with you?" That was a very good question, she didn't know if her reactions were normal, and she got a mischievous look in her eyes. "What are you thinking?" He hedged, but his tone was still amused.

"That we should try it again to see if either one was a fluke."

Edward glanced behind him towards the window and when he turned back towards her, he grinned. "Your mutt is here. But we can very well try anyways." He wiggled an eyebrow at her and she groaned, pushing him away with no physical results.

"You knew he was coming, and planned it, didn't you?" She glowered at him and he shook his head.

"Sorry, but that's just a bonus. It wasn't my intention. I didn't hear him until he rounded the bend, the rest just fell into place. I really did just want to tell that." He tapped her nose. "Don't worry, I don't expect you to return the words, or even the feelings." He placed a cold finger against her lips to stop her words. "Call me before you come back, I'll meet you at the border."

Bella's face scrunched up. "Uh... I haven't told Jacob yet about us, so I don't think that would go over well, even if I were to tell him now and he'd had all day to get used to it."

Edward shook his head. "It's all right, we've only been seeing each other for a few days. I shouldn't have expected anything else. But we should tell your father soon."

"Can we wait on that?" Bella pleaded and bit her bottom lip.

Edward sighed, and pulled her close, she returned the hug and heard the truck pull up onto her driveway. "Bella! Jake's here!" Charlie called from downstairs where he was no doubt helping himself to a snack while watching the Saturday NBA game. Usually Billy would be over to watch it with him, and Bella stuck her forehead against the window to see if Billy had come too, but it was only Jacob getting out of his truck.

"Go on, I'll let myself out when you've left." Edward nudged her towards the door and she threw her arms around him one last time before she ran down the hall and the stairs.

"Coming!" Edward winced when he heard her crash into something.

Charlie was laughing. "Take it slower Bells!"

"Will do." She turned and opened the front door, throwing her shoes and coat on. "Jake!" She launched herself at him and he caught her easily.

"Hey Bells, ready to go kite surfing?" He asked, putting an arm around her shoulders and walking back to his car. "And what's that smell?"

"Oh- you know-" Bella laughed it off, closing the door on Charlie's curious ears.

Edward growled softly, it was irresponsible to take her kite surfing, it was supposed to be one of the windiest days of spring. He heard a slight growl back, and knew Jacob was well aware of his presence, and heard it in his thoughts too, but he tactfully refrained from demanding answers from Bella until he got her away from both the vampire and the human who had no clue.

It was hell waiting for Edward, he literally had nothing better to do than wait for some sign from Alice that Bella was back safe, no doubt learning that the trouble magnet was now seeing the worse thing for her, would probably upset the wolf to no end.

He paced the woods outside her house, it was another thing he needed to broach with Bella, staying away from the woods unless she was with one of her 'unique' friends. Any woods.

He heard the car pull up and heard Black's thoughts. I know you're here leech. But it wasn't actually directed towards him, Bella must not have explained their talents yet to the wolves, and he hoped it would be a conversation refrained for the longest period of time, he didn't want their advantage or disadvantages announced. I don't know what she's thinking, but hopefully that information she wanted from me, means she's intending on using it on you! Jacob was laughing at the mental image of Bella- a much frailer looking Bella- if it was possible, standing in front of him, or at least it was a conglomerate of many vampires, his family forefront in the pup's mind, looking more frightening than any real vampire he'd ever seen, even in the fictional realms, and looking more pathetic, as he cowered from Bella who was gloating over a pile of flames she had created and was throwing in a middle finger into the flames.

Edward rolled his eyes, it was such a foolish young mind to think that way, and he was more interested in seeing how Bella was faring after a day away from him, but he couldn't see her through Black's mind and Charlie's was almost as much of a mystery to him as Bella's, but at least with his, he got sharp images before fading back into nothing or mild muttering from the Chief. He'd learned the cop was anything but slow.

A fact that he would have to be conscious of when he finally did deal with Charlie face to face. First though, he'd have to deal with Bella. He moved to intercept her from walking into her house, but Black had his arm around her again and they were talking and leading her up to her door. She laughed at something he said and they hugged before she let herself back into the house, they'd made some sort of plan to go see a movie next week or something.

When the door shut, Jacob tossed a superior look towards him. Ha! She's safely away from you, you bloodsucker. Edward wondered if maybe Bella did tell him about his mind reading, or if Jacob was just the type of person to talk to another person in his mind as if he was talking to a real person. Then it clicked as Jacob started thinking about what he'd allow to let slip to the guys, if they knew about Bella and Edward- then he didn't know how they'd react to the news exactly- probably with less control than he'd exuded. Edward saw how Jacob reacted from his memories and was slightly annoyed at the argument that commenced, really he shouldn't have yelled at her like that! But what really made it interesting is that it seemed that it was normal for Jacob to seem like he's talking to other people, because a lot of times, he was, the rest of his pack could hear each others thoughts, all the time when they were in wolf form.

Edward smirked, very interesting. He was over the whole fact that Jacob was trying to keep them apart, if for no other reason than just protecting Bella from something he viewed as a threat to her life. Edward should have been thankful for that, and in a way, he no doubt was, besides, Jacob didn't really know about him being able to enter her room without her minding, he'd just thought that Bella had a really creepy stalker who'd somehow managed to seduce her.

Edward grinned at that thought, might as well go be the stalker. With a chuckle he swung himself up onto Bella's window frame and slid open the unlocked window. If it wasn't for him, he'd have a talk with her about leaving herself wide open, though locking things wouldn't keep any vampires out, it might keep out other predators. Then again, they were in Folks, WA and the likelihood that a predator would pick this house, was slim, though it was Bella...

Bella talked to her dad downstairs for a little while and then came upstairs to study, she opened her door and stifled her scream at the unexpected presence in her room. "Edward!" She gasped, closing the door so her father wouldn't hear their conversation. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured you'd be home by now, and I couldn't stand not being able to see your beautiful face all day, I couldn't wait to relieve that injustice." When she turned fully towards him, with a sheepish but pleased smile on her face, it was his turn to be taken off guard and by her side in an instant. He gently tilted her head to the side to get a closer look. "What happened to you? That mutt-"

"No, no." Bella tried to quickly relieve his accusations, it wasn't Jake's fault, really. She put her hands over his to try and calm him. "I fell." She explained.

"You always fall, I hardly see any bruises."

"You don't see me in gym class." She responded glibly and at his raised eyebrow she sighed. "Fine, you do." Then her eyes sharpened on him. "Don't tell me you watch me in the locker room!"

"No, no, I don't." It was his turn to try and soothe her anger. "I have never intentionally watch anything like that, living with six mated vampires though, has been difficult to filter out some of their thoughts, and so I make sure to respect any privacy anyone else has, as much as I can, so I jump out when ever someone is going to the bathroom or locker room and try to put some distance between us." Bella was content with that answer, he could lie to her, and she wouldn't know it, but she didn't think he would. Why would he declare that he love her, when it hadn't been needed?

"Anyways, I got a giant bruise on my hip last week from falling into the bleachers." She shifted her shirt so her hip would be seen above the waistband of her jeans. It was yellow and fading, and Edward wouldn't have any choice but to believe her, and it's exactly the way she wanted it.

The bruise on her cheekbone throbbed, she'd gone cliff jumping again with the boy and the water turned on her and she slammed into the rocks when she emerged from the depths. Luckily, it only seemed her cheek and elbow were really the only things that had gotten injured, and she had fallen today as well, she almost fell into the whirlpools if Jacob hadn't caught her.

He tilted her head back again and ran his cool fingers along the angry flesh, she knew he'd see it, and had wanted to put it off until she could get the red to disappear somewhat, and not look so bad. The cold helped it a lot, Jake had tried to help, but he kept melting the ice as he brought it to me and it was just a mess. "I think it should get x-rayed." He finally said, moving away from her a little.

She winced at the idea, then she'd need to explain it to Charlie again, she had managed to get away and upstairs by saying it was no big deal, it wasn't broken, but really, she wouldn't know about that one, she'd never broken a bone in her face before, except maybe her nose. She'd have to get Carlisle to x-ray the elbow too, it hurt to move and seemed over time to be seizing up on her, making it harder to do so, when she could bare the pain, like hug Jake, not to get him to worry either. She didn't need to move it for anything and left Edward in the dark, as much as she could. "I will, if it still hurts later. There's probably nothing they can do."

Edward frowned but didn't say anything on the matter as she sank into her chair at her desk. He had something else he needed to talk to her about. "Why do you want to know about killing us?"

Bella gasped sharply and she snapped around to look at him. "I don't want to kill you!"

"The Cullen family?" He asked, sitting across from her, he wondered if this was the real topic she wanted to broach with him the other day, but switched to seeing them in the sun, though he did think she really wanted that mystery solved as well.

"Definitely not, at least not those that I've met." She tried to smile, but she knew that he was being serious and really, even if she met the rest, if they were anything like he said they were, then she had no interest in harming any of them. "I guess… I just wanted to know so I'd have some type of advantage against him if I ever ran into him. Know his weaknesses, if I could do anything."

"Doubtful." Edward tried to break gently, even if she knew how to kill them, she wouldn't ever be able to do it herself.

"I know." She sighed dejectedly. "I got a very hard crash course on that very same topic with the wolves today, they'd warned me too that I wasn't ever to get near them, that I shouldn't go near you guys either, you might appear nice, but you're still vampires. That I should probably just be near one of them at all times if I ever feared for an attack. Jacob especially is saying he'd like to hang out in the woods more often in case he showed up."

"Not a bad idea. That is to say, if Black will only be in the woods, nothing closer. I have to feed sometimes, and I have to tell you about another thing that has popped up. Alice had a vision that we're going to have some non-vegetarians come to Washington, this region in particular, but if they keep on their current course, then they'll stay away from Forks. "

Bella's nose wrinkled. "How many?"

"Three."

"I don't think you could have found a human girl with more interactions with vampires than I have. Even in the most remote sense, like these three from a distance."

"Don't-"

"Go into the woods, yeah I know, Charlie told me the same thing this morning."

"Really?" He hadn't heard anything from the Chief's thoughts on that topic, though the man had been pleased that Bella and Jacob were spending so much time together. Edward tilted his head in thought as he looked at Bella. "How would you like to meet my family?"

"Right now?"

"I think tomorrow actually, if you'd be ok with it." His phone chirped but he ignored it, no doubt Alice was pleased and wanted to go over the details, but at the moment missing the fact that Bella hadn't actually, physically said yes yet.

Bella nibbled the bottom of her lips. "Will they like me?"

"What's not to like?" Edward teased, pushing back her long brown hair. "You've met all but two already anyways." He added. "At least officially."

"I guess."

Edward chuckled. "You're not afraid because they're all vampires, but because you worry about being disliked?"

"Inadequate, actually." She clarified.

"Nonsense, if I think you're perfect, they can't argue."

"You think I'm perfect?" She was shaking her head. "I would think you were the one that hit your head if you weren't impenetrable."

"Bella!" They were cut off as Charlie called up to them. "I ordered dinner, it should be here shortly!"

"Ok!" Bella called back and gave a guilty look back at Edward. "Have to cut this short, sorry." She leaned in and Edward held himself still as she stole a quick peck on his cheek before she disappeared down the steps.