Chapter Thirty-one
Thank you, mynxi, for everything you do to make my story better. I'm just yours.
Thank you to team Malcolm for the Scottish assistance! NewTownGirl translated (while travelling!), and Pyejammies (and her fine Scottish man!) and chedoo28 were kind enough to preread and offer their feedback.
Twilight is the property of Stephanie Meyer.
JPOV
I followed Bella toward Alice's room, listening as Esme and Rosalie gently filled Alice in on the events of the last few months. With relief, I noticed that Alice's emotions were calm, despite everything she was being faced with. She felt a great deal of shock and disbelief, but I could already sense the beginning of acceptance in her emotional mix.
Bella knocked softly on the door, and I was proud of her for not flinching when it quickly opened, revealing Malcolm's imposing figure.
"Hello, Lass," he greeted her, giving a smile and a nod in my direction. "Jasper. Ah'm guessin' ye did nae cut yer shower short fer social reasons," he teased with a lascivious grin. "What can we do fer ye?"
As usual, Bella took the sexual teasing like a champ, ignoring it and getting right down to business. "You're right, Malcolm. I wanted to ask you a favor, but I don't want to impose on you," she said, literally fluttering her eyelashes at the now-flustered Scot.
"Lass, after the way ye helped me wi' Alice, there's no much I wouldnae do for ye," he answered gruffly. "Now put those eyelashes away before Ah agree tae give you everything Ah own," he ordered with a smile. "How can Ah help ye?"
Bella turned to look at me, and my curiosity about her plans increased exponentially. "I need somewhere private to explain it to you guys," she admitted, a satisfied smile crossing her lips.
"Well then, let's take a walk," Malcolm agreed amiably. He turned away from us, putting Alice and Bella within each other's line of sight.
I felt Bella's discomfort and anxiety about facing her former friend, and I rubbed her arm reassuringly.
"Hi Bella," Alice whispered, breaking the silence that had grown in the room. "I can see you're busy right now, but I wondered if I could speak with you and Jasper later today?" Her voice was hesitant and unsure, a marked contrast from her former confidence.
"Um, sure, Alice," Bella responded awkwardly. I could feel her reluctance to sit down and hash things out with Alice, but I knew it was necessary in order for all of us to move on. Better to endure a difficult conversation than live with our painful pasts for the rest of eternity.
Turning back to Malcolm, I casually redirected things back to the issue at hand. "We'll just wait for you in the clearing to the north of the house."
He agreed, and Bella and I headed out of the house together. We held hands as we walked the short distance, taking our time and verifying that we were out of Edward's hearing range. Minutes after we reached the clearing, Malcolm joined us, his emotions full of curiosity over Bella's plan.
Wasting no time on pleasantries, Bella cut right to the chase. "I want to block Edward's gift the way we blocked Alice's," she blurted out. "Do you think we can do the same thing to him?" My eyes widened as I took in the enormity of what she wanted to do.
Malcolm's expression was calculating as he looked down at Bella. "Ma instinct says aye, we can do it," he said slowly, "but Ah wonder what yer motivation is, Miss Bella."
She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand. "Ah'm no' sayin' Ah willnae help ye; ye've earned ma assistance at the very least. Ah just want tae warn ye that revenge usually doesnae taste as sweet as we think it will."
"That's not it," Bella insisted. "I won't lie; part of me wants to make him pay for messing up my life. I'm also tempted to hurt him so bad he'll never even dream about approaching me again, but that's not what my plan is about. This isn't to hurt him- it's to help him."
I stared at her in shock, wondering how she thought that blocking his ability would help him. She smiled slightly, realizing that both Malcolm and I weren't following her train of thought.
"It's like this," she began. "I think that most of Edward's problem is that he doesn't relate to people the same way the rest of us do. Most of us can only operate on what people say to us and how they treat us. You and Malcolm both have extra insight, but it's still limited. Edward, though, has to operate knowing every single thought that passes through the minds of the people around him. It must be terrible," she insisted.
"Everyone thinks awful things that they don't actually say. Imagine having to hear all those terrible things anyway. I think that it's made him unable to completely empathize with others. He sees the worst of us, and he responds to it. Blocking him will be a chance for him to learn to deal with people on a level playing field. It will be good for him, and he may even come to appreciate it!"
I took in the sight of my Bella, breathless in her enthusiasm, even as a vampire. I could faintly feel her sincerity through her shield, so I knew her heart was in the right place, but I wasn't sure if she had convinced Malcolm. His feelings were conflicted, and he kept looking at her, searching for an answer in her face.
His posture finally relaxed, and I smiled, realizing what his decision was. "Alrigh' then, Lass. Let's go," he said simply, turning back to the house. Bella smiled triumphantly before taking off after Malcolm. Shaking my head, I brought up the rear, eager to see how this would all play out.
By the time we reached the house, Bella had taken the lead, her posture strong and confident. Her hair flowed behind her as she strode quickly toward Edward's room, and I wished she could see herself through my eyes, storing the memory for when she felt weak and defenseless.
She knocked briskly, and Carlisle answered quickly.
"Bella, I'm surprised to see you here," he said, his confusion evident on his face and in his feelings. "Do you need me for something?"
"No, Carlisle. I'm here to see Edward," she answered politely, smiling when Carlisle's expression became even more confused.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Bella?" he asked hesitantly. "You're more than welcome to see him, but I can't guarantee that he won't upset you again."
"Don't worry, Carlisle," she answered neutrally. "I'm sure he will upset me, but I promise to leave all of his body parts attached."
He smiled slightly as he stepped aside to let us enter. I could feel his curiosity deepening as he glanced at Malcolm.
Before we were all in the door, Edward was on his feet, rushing toward Bella. "I knew you'd come to your senses," he exclaimed, only stopping when Bella snorted derisively.
"Yeah right," she scoffed. "You've done nothing but impose yourself on me since you tore my front door off the hinges, but it's okay, because I've decided I'm into that now," she hissed sarcastically before becoming deadly serious.
"I've tried every method I can think of to make it clear to you that you are not welcome in my life, but you just don't get the message. Because you chose not to listen to me, I missed out on stuff I wanted to do before I was changed. I didn't get to savor my last cup of coffee or lay in the sun. Now that may not sound important in the great scheme of things, but I've got to tell you that right now, it's really pissing me off," she growled, taking a threatening step toward him.
I was gratified when he took a quick step away from her, his eyes darting to Carlisle in a silent plea for protection. Carlisle just looked on, apparently indifferent, although I could feel his burning curiosity as Bella began to speak again.
"So," she continued, "I asked myself why you're having this issue listening to me, and I came up with a theory."
"A theory?" Edward whispered, his emotions turning apprehensive.
"Just sit back and relax," Bella ordered, stalking slowly toward him. "It's kind of hard to explain, so Malcolm and I are just gonna show you." Her evil smile was enough to give me chills, and Edward's fear suddenly spiked off the charts.
He turned toward Carlisle again. "You're just going to allow them to experiment on me?" he asked desperately, continuing to back away from Bella.
Carlisle nodded succinctly at his wayward son. "Yes, Edward. I am just going to allow them to do whatever they came here to do. I hope it helps you, because I can't. I don't know who you are anymore, son." His amber eyes were full of the sadness he was feeling, and he took a few seconds to find the words before he continued.
"I've known things were wrong with you ever since we left Forks, Edward. I've tried to be supportive while giving you space to work things out. I've defended your actions to everyone, even when I couldn't understand them. But my protection of you ended the moment you laid a violent hand on Esme," he said in a hard tone, his eyes suddenly a dangerous black. "Esme," he continued, "who has only ever treated you with compassion and patience. Something has to change, Edward. I truly hope Bella can make you see the light, because if she can't, you're not welcome in this family anymore."
His bleak face matched the pain he felt at saying those words, and my still heart ached for him. I knew only too well how much Carlisle loved Edward, and to banish him from the family would be devastating for him. I shot him some comfort and reassurance, hoping I wasn't offering false hope.
Edward stared at his creator and father figure in shock, his mouth literally hanging open. Before he could even look at us, Bella snapped into action. "Drop him, Jasper," she ordered.
I immediately hit Edward with a large dose of lethargy, my cock twitching at Bella's authoritative tone. She smiled smugly at me, eyeing my crotch, before giving me a quick wink and turning back to Malcolm.
"Shall we?" she asked politely, holding out her hand to him.
Malcolm smiled appreciatively at her, causing me to growl involuntarily. I shot him an apologetic grin, but he just chuckled. "Aye Lass, let's get on wi' it before yer man gets more territorial."
He and Bella joined hands before each placing their free hand on Edward's head. His eyes darted back and forth and I felt his fear amplifying. Moving to stand behind Bella, I put my hands on her shoulders again, sighing as our peace drifted over me.
This time, Malcolm had no difficulty slipping past Bella's shield in order to use it to block Edward's gift. Within seconds, they released each other's hands and stood up. "You can let him up now, Jasper," she said sweetly, turning to step into my arms. I released Edward from the lethargy and he immediately jumped up, snarling at Bella and Malcolm.
"What did you do to me?" he screamed, his hands on his head. "It's gone!" he screamed, his emotions ranging from panic to anger.
"Calm down, Edward," Carlisle ordered sternly. "What's gone?"
"They took away my ability!" he yelled. "I can't hear anyone anymore!"
"That's right, Edward," Bella cut in cooly. "Think of it as a time out of sorts. A chance to enjoy some quiet while you learn to communicate like the rest of us do, using words."
Without another word, she turned to walk out of the room, stopping only at the sound of Carlisle's voice.
"How long will it last?" he asked animatedly. His emotions were a combination of cautious optimism and scientific interest.
"Ah'm no' entirely sure," Malcolm admitted. "Especially since neither o' us will be in prolonged contact wi' him. It might well be permanent until we remove it though."
Bella shot a glare at Edward. "Maybe if you're a good boy, I'll come back and try to remove it," she said, shrugging nonchalantly and walking out of the room. Her head was held high, and I was proud of her confidence. Malcolm and I followed her out, nodding sympathetically at Carlisle. Based on his past behavior, I could only imagine that Edward would be a prima donna about this, and Carlisle would bear the brunt of Edward's ire.
The three of us returned to Alice's room, where Malcolm quickly waved Bella and me inside when we paused at the door. Rosalie and Esme stood up as the three of us walked inside, both of them clearly affected by what we had done to Edward. Rose was smiling viciously, but Esme just looked sad.
"I'd better see if Carlisle needs some company," she said quietly, giving Bella a kiss on the cheek as she slipped from the room.
Rose's fierce smile matched her gleeful satisfaction at Edward's "time out." She walked over and gave me a tight hug before stopping awkwardly in front of Bella.
"Oh hell," she muttered, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Bella, who stood staring at me in shock until she remembered to respond with her own little squeeze to Rose's shoulders. Rose's emotions were full of respect for Bella, in addition to a sense of hope for a future friendship.
"You were awesome, Bella," Rose admitted simply, stepping back from Bella. "I know you guys have shit to chat about now, so I'll get out of the way. You guys did a good thing down there," she said over her shoulder, tossing her blonde hair as she walked out of the room. We all knew that privacy was an illusion in this house, but over the years, we had realized that it still felt better to have certain conversations without uninvolved people in the room.
The three of us turned to face Alice, who was waiting expectantly on the couch, wringing her hands anxiously. I hated the feeling of her uncertainty, and it was difficult to resist the urge to use my ability to calm her as I had so many times in the past.
"Um, I was hoping to speak to Jasper alone first?" she asked, looking only at Bella as she spoke.
"There's nothing you can't say to me in front…" I began, in a patient tone. However, Bella surprised me by agreeing readily to the request.
"No, Jasper, it's no problem," she answered casually. "I'll go find Peter and Charlotte so we can start checking on real estate in remote locations." She hugged me tightly and I could almost feel her fighting the desire to stake a claim on me. Displaying remarkable restraint for a newborn, she limited herself to a quick kiss on my lips. I tugged both of her hands to my mouth, kissing her knuckles gently.
"I'll see you in a few minutes," I reassured her. She smiled in reply and headed out the door toward the room Peter and Charlotte were using.
Sighing, I walked toward Alice, sitting down on the other end of the couch from her. I took a moment to take in the changes in her demeanor. Rather than her usual frenetic gestures, she was now sitting calmly, although she appeared tense. She visibly relaxed when Malcolm joined her on the couch, even though her feelings toward him continued to be confused.
"Is it alright if Ah stay?" he asked us.
I nodded my agreement, cocking my eyebrow in question toward Alice.
"That's fine," she answered quickly, clearly relieved that he would be staying.
"How are you?" I asked her politely, anxious to move this conversation forward and get it out of the way.
"Strange," she admitted, her tone almost shy. "It just feels like something's missing inside me, and it's frustrating not knowing what will happen. Malcolm's been helping me learn to calm down when I get anxious about it though," she said, smiling softly.
Her face grew sad as she looked up at me. "This," she said, waving her hand between her and Malcolm, "Is so confusing. What I feel toward him is so strong, but I don't understand it, especially after being so sure I loved you."
I felt Malcolm's satisfaction at hearing her say she had strong feelings toward him, and I smiled gently at her. "Alice, nothing that ever happens can take away the love we had. The fact that it ended doesn't make it any less real."
I felt her grief and remorse before she whispered, "I'm so sorry for shutting you out, Jasper. I saw you with Bella, and no matter what variable I altered, the outcome never changed. It just broke me inside, so I pushed you away so I wouldn't have to watch you walk into her arms. I know that hurt you, and I'm sorry."
Sighing, I shook my head in amazement at the explanation for her actions. "I forgive you, Alice," I assured her. "I just wish you had been honest with me. I'm done playing 'what if' and I have no regrets about where I stand right now, but I can assure you that the only thing that ended my love for you was the fact that you walked out on me. Losing you was the most painful thing I've experienced in my many years, and my life was just barely tolerable until Bella reappeared in it."
She acknowledged my pain, nodding her head sorrowfully. Before she could speak, I held my hand up and gave her a hard stare. "Which brings me to my question for you, Alice. I hate to ask it, but I need to know the answer if we ever want to move on. I need to know if you saw what Bella had to go through, Alice. Please tell me you didn't see that and keep it from the rest of us."
I felt her horror, even before her facial expression could alter to reflect it. "Oh no, Jasper," she gasped. "Esme and Rose just filled me in on what happened to Bella and her family while you were hunting this morning. My visions just kept focusing on you and Bella together, and I started to spend all my time trying to find something that would alter the outcome. I never would have kept quiet about seeing Victoria hurting Bella's family, no matter what Edward said, and no matter what it meant for you and me. Charlie didn't deserve that," she added sadly.
Malcolm moved his arm and Alice automatically leaned against him, causing me to smile slightly to see the calming effect he had on her. "If only Edward didn't force us all to leave." Her sadness grew deeper and I realized she was thinking about Edward's other actions.
"I feel so sorry for him," she admitted sheepishly. "I know what he's done is inexcusable, but I understand how desperately he wants to hold onto Bella. I can't believe how he endangered her though." Her face cleared slightly as she continued. "Maybe his time out will help him gain some perspective. I wish I could tell you if it will work," she ended, emitting a flash of humor.
I smiled back at her, shrugging casually. "Time will tell, I guess."
Alice nodded and turned her head toward the door. "Bella, we're ready if you'd like to join us," she said clearly. We listened quietly to the sound of Bella's footsteps growing louder until she finally reached the door and entered the room.
She walked gracefully over to us and I shifted my body to allow her to sit between my legs. She and Alice looked steadily at each other for a moment, doing some sort of female wordless communication that left Malcolm and I rolling our eyes at each other.
"I'm so sorry, Bella," Alice eventually said, her emotions full of regret. "I'm sorry for following Edward's wishes and leaving you, and especially for not saying good-bye." She paused for a moment, struggling against her profound grief. "And I'm so sorry that I didn't see what Victoria was going to do to you and your family."
Bella reached slowly out to take Alice's hand in hers. "Alice, I never expected you to keep tabs on me. I wasn't your responsibility, and it wasn't your job to watch out for me. I have to admit that I have a hard time with the way you walked away from me, as well as the way you treated Jasper, but at the end of the day, that's between the two of you," she ended with a shrug.
Alice leaned forward, radiating hope. "I hope this means we can be friends again, Bella. I really did love you like a sister."
Bella stiffened slightly and took her hand back. "I'm sorry, Alice," she said tensely. "That's going to take some time. I'm not saying it won't ever happen, but I'm not the same person you knew in Forks, and I'm not ready to just fall back into our old friendship."
Alice nodded sadly. "I can understand that," she admitted. "I realize I have to earn that position again." Bella nodded stiffly back, and I could tell that the conversation was over. Bella took a moment to thank Malcolm for his help with Edward, but he assured her he felt the debt remained in her balance for helping him save his mate. We said our goodbyes to them, leaving the option open to meet again sometime in the future.
We packed up our few belongings and said quick farewells to the others after repeatedly promising to stay in close contact. Emmett was reluctant to let go of Bella, but she assured him that he and Rosalie were welcome to visit as soon as we were settled wherever we ended up.
Peter and Charlotte were waiting for us at the front door, and we piled into the non-descript sedan that Peter procured for us. Bella curled into my side for the short drive back to the little cabin, and I rubbed her arm absently.
As we pulled into sight of the house, Bella and I both tensed. It had been less than a week since I walked away from Bella, leaving her inside this place, but literally everything had changed over those few days. Bella was quiet while we got out of the car and walked inside. Peter and Charlotte had completely repaired the damage the home had sustained, and I wouldn't have believed the place had ever been trashed if I hadn't heard it from Peter's lips.
"You okay?" I asked Bella quietly once we were inside. Her eyes were darting around and her posture was tense. Her shield was up tight, so I couldn't feel her emotions, but everything about her screamed anxiety.
"Just weird flashes of memories," she answered tightly. Thankfully, Bella had retained most of her human memories, but I knew from my own experience that the last few days of life prior to being changed could leave intense memories and feelings.
Peter walked slowly over to her, giving her plenty of time to react, before wrapping her in a firm hug. "Just take your time, Little Bird. Maybe let's take a walk around the house so you can get all the flashbacks out of the way. I think you'll feel calmer once you've been all around the place."
I shot him some gratitude as Bella meekly nodded her head, falling into step with Peter. He and Char gave her a humorous guided tour of the little cabin, actually eliciting a laugh from her when they explored the tiny bathroom. By the time they rejoined me in the living room, Bella was relaxed again.
Smiling, I beckoned Bella over to join me on the sofa, where I had my laptop up and running, searching for homes in remote Northern Canada. We eventually zeroed in on a simple home on the western shore of the Hudson Bay. Bella was excited to be near the water, and the location was about as remote as we could hope for. I called Jenks and instructed him to move on acquiring the property.
Peter and Char excused themselves to head to a more populated area for a long overdue hunt. As soon as the car pulled away, Bella pounced on me, clearly eager for a chance to get physical without an audience. She pushed me backward onto the couch, wrapping her legs around me and grinding herself against my hardening dick.
She dropped her shield, and I was floored by the mixture of lust and possessiveness she was feeling, even as she claimed my mouth in a passionate kiss. I met her enthusiastically, but I allowed her to lead, aware that she desperately needed to feel in control of something right now.
She broke the kiss and began to lick up and down my jaw line, causing me to purr in desire and satisfaction at her scent on my skin. Suddenly, she sat up and stared at me, an intense gleam in her eyes.
"I didn't like you so close to Alice," she growled quietly. "My head and my heart know that I have nothing to worry about, but my body really didn't like you being so close to her. So now," she continued, her voice shifting into a sultry purr, "I'm going to reacquaint my body with the fact that you're all mine."
"Yes, Ma'am," I drawled, disinclined to argue with this development in the least. In seconds, she had my shirt off and was licking and kissing her away up and down my chest, making sure she reached every single inch of me. By the time she reached my navel, I was squirming with the need for some attention to my dick.
"Eager?" she quipped, raising an eyebrow as she climbed down and knelt demurely on the floor in front of me.
"Very," I answered with a smirk.
She grinned back up at me, licking her lips. "Then help a girl out, and stand up, Whitlock," she ordered. "I like how your ass looks in these jeans, so I don't want to rip them off of you."
"Yes Ma'am," I answered again, flying to my feet and whipping the fly of my jeans open. She quickly tugged them down enough to free my dick, which was already dripping in anticipation. In seconds, her lips were on me as she enveloped my length with her mouth.
Accustomed to the heat of her human mouth, I was shocked for a second at the neutral temperature. However, the increased suction she was now able to use soon obliterated that thought, and I just gave myself over to the unadulterated pleasure of her sucking me off, bucking my hips enthusiastically to fuck her mouth, secure in the knowledge that I was no longer going to accidentally harm her.
I ground my teeth, trying to prolong the amazing sensation, but I was unable to resist the talent of her mouth. All too quickly, I was moaning her name as I came down her throat, my orgasm so powerful I was seeing stars. She sucked me clean, licking her way up and down my already stiffening length again before playfully pushing me back to the couch and tugging my jeans all the way off.
"Come here," I teased, tugging her up and onto my lap, her legs on either side of me. "You have way too many clothes on," I said casually, palming her breasts through her thin cotton t-shirt before tracing both nipples with the lightest of touches. She moaned in response, rubbing her fabric covered pussy up against my now fully erect dick.
"Ready to go again?" she gasped, arching her back and grinding against me again.
"You know it, Baby," I answered, lifting her shirt off and literally ripping her pants apart to reveal her bare folds. "Now that you've reminded yourself that my dick is all yours, I want to remind myself that this little treasure," I paused for a moment to tap her swollen little clit, smiling when she blatantly rubbed herself against my fingertip, "Is all mine."
With that, I thrust three fingers into her, rubbing firmly against her nub with my thumb. Picking up the pace, I curled my fingers with each thrust, enjoying the sensation of her walls clamping down around my fingers. With my free hand, I reached up to pinch her left nipple, confident that it would send her over the edge.
She screamed my name and I watched in fascination as her body writhed against mine in pleasure. Her face was beautiful to watch, every muscle tensed with the strength of her orgasm. She panted unnecessarily, and I smirked in self satisfaction as I pulled my fingers out of her wet passage. She grabbed my hand, pulling it to her mouth, and quickly sucked my fingers clean.
Before I could even blink, she pushed me farther back onto the couch and aligned the tip of my dick with her wet pussy. "That was great, Jasper," she said breathily. "I'm definitely all yours. Now," she said with a smirk, "Make me come again, this time on your dick."
With that, she quickly lowered herself onto my length, causing us both to moan at the sensation of being joined.
"Yes, Ma'am," I answered for the third time. "That will be my pleasure," I grunted, lifting my hips up to meet her as she bounced up and down on me. I matched her pace perfectly, enjoying the feeling of having her in charge. I noticed her looking down, and my gaze followed hers to watch my dick sliding in and out of her opening, glistening with the moisture of her desire.
Moving one hand from her hips, I licked a fingertip and slid it down her body, from the tip of one nipple straight to her clit. Bella bit her lip and tossed her head back, pushing my dick farther into her body as she rubbed herself against my finger.
I groaned at the sensation of being so deep inside of her and increased the pressure on her clit. Feeling my own orgasm building, I thrust desperately into her. "Let it go, Sweetheart," I ordered, closing my eyes as I felt her pussy clench around me and registered the sound of her screaming my name.
My orgasm was long and intense after my first release in her mouth. I kept thrusting, gradually slowing the pace as the waves of pleasure subsided. Gently, I tugged Bella against my chest, where she immediately tucked herself under my chin into her habitual spot.
"Thank you," she whispered fervently. "I really needed that."
Chuckling, I ran my fingers idly through her silky hair. "Anytime, Sweets."
We eventually dragged ourselves to the little bedroom, where we fell immediately into bed, this time exploring each other gently. We made love over and over, giving and taking freely of each other. After achieving completion yet again, I was startled at the sparkle of sunlight against Bella's pale skin.
We had loved the night away, and dawn had arrived without our notice. Picking up the sound of a car arriving in the driveway, I hastily wrapped a sheet around Bella's lithe body, just finishing in time for Peter and Charlotte to barge into the room.
Peter's smirk was a mile wide, and I couldn't prevent a proud grin from my face as I took in Bella's well-fucked appearance.
"Well, if you two are all done fuckin' like bunnies," he drawled, rolling his eyes, "We have some travel plans to make."
Bella smiled back at him, completely relaxed, despite her lack of clothes. "Whatever, Peter," she answered drily. "Just give us a minute to get dressed."
"Only if you want to," was his snarky reply as he turned and exited the room.
"Fucker," she muttered darkly, but her mood was one of content amusement as she searched for her clothing among the pile of blankets on the floor.
Chuckling, I joined her quest for something to cover up with, ready to make the plans that would take us on the next leg of our journey together.
Sorry I'm a few days late- what can I say? There was a turkey and a Darth Vader apple pie in my house!
My darling MM, I've got the snuggie ready. Come on over for more ice cream! It tastes better when your spoon is in the carton too!
Congrats to Cathy29jes for figuring out what Bella's Time Out was going to be! Good guessing my friend! All that and she's French, folks! I just wish I could read French the way she reads English!
Thanks to CentauRita for helping me get in the right mindset for Carlisle this chapter. I know he didn't really vamp out, but I think he's heading in the right direction!
And finally, my rec for this chapter is The Properties of Dreams by NewTownGirl. It's Bella x Jasper, set after Bella cliff dives in New Moon. I'm really enjoying what she's doing with Bella's character and I can't wait to see what happens next! Also, check out Strings by jdbeaner. It's AH Bella x Edward, and is a great mix of poignant and funny, not to mention it features the meanest grandma ever!