The Kindness of Semi-Strangers
By Freddie Stardust
Disclaimer: I own nothing – Stephenie Meyer is the genius behind the Twilight series. I make no money from writing this story.
Chapter Five – The Countdown Begins
Nice. Very attractive, Bella.
"Hi yourself," Carlisle replied with a smirk. He took off his coat and draped it across the back of the sofa, and then walked around to take a seat in an armchair to my right. "I have a feeling that's not all you wanted to tell me, though."
Edward leaned back into the couch with an anticipatory grin as I fumbled for words.
"You're right. I've got words for you. Devastating ones, at that."
Carlisle shot Edward a look, and he looked sheepish for a moment. "Just a couple glasses," he replied to an unspoken question.
"Hey!" I snapped, speaking a bit louder than I usually did. "No silent conversations! I'm a human, remember? Manners much?" And I was apparently a mouthy drunk. Great. Fucking great.
Luckily, Edward and Carlisle both looked amused rather than angry, which only served to piss me off even more.
"Is this funny?" I hissed. Unhappily, I lost a bit more of my buzz in the moment it took for my words to make it from my brain to my mouth, and I remembered I was a guest in someone else's house. And that particular someone else could probably kill me eighteen different ways with just his pinky.
I decided it would be an ideal time to make a dramatic exit, i.e. turn tail and run for it, but instead I tripped on the rug and fell flat on my face. Or at least, I should have.
Carlisle had sped to my side and twisted me around so that I fell gracefully into his waiting arms instead of letting me get better acquainted with the hardwood floor, which I probably deserved after my mini rampage. I had come to his house, gotten drunk, and yelled at him, when all he and his family were guilty of was saving my life on several occasions. Wow, Bella. You've hit a new low.
"Edward, why don't you go hunt now," Carlisle said quietly. " I'll take care of Bella."
Edward inclined his head slightly and was gone like a flash. Meanwhile, I still lay incredibly exposed in Carlisle's arms.
"Sorry," I mumbled, blushing and looking anywhere but his eyes.
To my surprise, Carlisle just smiled. "I should be apologizing. It's rude to laugh when someone is genuinely upset." He carried me back to my spot on the sofa and sat down next to me. "You've figured it out."
I nodded. "It all made sense."
Carlisle chuckled. "It shouldn't make any sense. We're only supposed to exist in the novels of Bram Stoker and the warped imaginations of Hollywood screenwriters."
"But you were human," I insisted. "It's not as if you guys are these heartless, soulless monsters that prey on innocent humans. You're really decent people – just a bit different."
"I don't know how many people would see it that way," Carlisle said thoughtfully, "But thank you for being so remarkably understanding, Bella."
God I love to hear him say my name…
"Thanks for saving my life a couple dozen times," I said, laughing. "You certainly weren't obligated."
"No," Carlisle agreed, "But what kind of 'heartless, soulless monster' would I be if I let anything happen to you?"
"True," I said thoughtfully. I took another sip of water, finally feeling my head clearing up. "I really am sorry. It's bad manners to get drunk in someone else's house and yell at them." I blushed deeply and tried to hide it behind my glass of water.
I felt Carlisle take the hand that wasn't wrapped around my glass, squeezing it gently. I was drawn to his caramel eyes, my blush deepening.
"Bella," he whispered, my one hand between his two. "It wasn't your fault. My idiot son doesn't remember human limits."
His eyes were drawing me in, and I was getting a warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach. Wait… What?
"Stop dazzling me, damn it!" I squeaked, leaping to my feet. Thankfully I had a bit of my already-scarce balance back and didn't immediately top over.
"What?" Carlisle asked, obviously trying not to laugh.
"You dazzled me into forgetting about Edward saving me, and now you're dazzling me into… I don't know what exactly, but stop it!" I said, lips pursed. "I'm not a fan of people manipulating me without my consent. Or with my consent, for that matter." I growled in frustration and made for the door.
I yelped when Carlisle suddenly appeared in front of me, his hands gently grasping my forearms. "I apologize for what I did regarding Edward," he said quietly. "But I'm afraid I wasn't dazzling you just now."
"Beg pardon?"
"I think that was all in your mind. Or your heart." He cocked his head to the side, smirking. "Or somewhere lower."
Kill. Me. Now.
"And just what are you suggesting?" I stammered, so far past blushing at this point. God, if you're up there, show me some mercy and smite me. NOW.
"When's your birthday, Bella?"
I couldn't speak. My throat was closed up. Perhaps I was going into anaphylaxis. Thank you God. I gurgled a bit, which I'm sure sounded very sexy to the vampire who was inching closer and closer.
"When – is – your – birthday?"
"September 13," I managed to say.
Carlisle growled so softly that I wasn't even sure it had happened, and then he released my arms and backed off a few steps. "We'll talk more then." His voice was full of promise, and it made me a bit weak in the knees. "But in the meantime, my home is your home. Edward, would you like to take Bella back to Chief Swan's house now?"
"Sure."
I gasped and whirled around to see Edward standing behind me, his eyes even lighter than before.
"If I die of a heart attack…"
"Then we won't be able to properly celebrate your birthday," Carlisle finished with a grin. "Sleep well, Bella."
I was going to sleep well, all right. And I bet I'd sleep even better after my eighteenth birthday.
"What do you think, Bella?"
I sighed as Jessica held up yet another pair of shoes that were a fraction of a shade darker than the last pair of pink shoes she had shown me.
"Those are great," I said halfheartedly.
"I think they're the ones," Jessica announced, admiring them. Then she caught sight of another pair in her peripheral vision. "Oooh!"
Angela rolled her eyes, holding the shoes she had picked out forty minutes ago.
"We're going to be here all weekend at this rate," she murmured, trotting off after Jessica.
It was Prom Shopping: Part Deux in Port Angeles. I hadn't been back in the city since my encounter with Carlisle and Jasper a month and a half ago. Prom was a couple of weeks away, and every girl save me was beginning to panic about not having the right accessories, the perfect hairstyle, a great body, et cetera et cetera. Even stoic Angela was a bit worried about the way her dress fit, despite my honest assurances that she looked beautiful.
Just as I was about to pass out next to the wedge heels, I heard a beautiful, bell-like voice. "Hi Bella!"
I turned, wondering who of the eight people I knew at Forks High was stalking me today.
"Alice?"
It was Alice Cullen, Edward's younger sister.
"Would you like to come get some lunch?" she asked hopefully. "Of course your friends can come along, too."
"Um, yeah, that'd be great," I said, looking back over my shoulder at Jessica and Angela. Jessica had paused from perusing the shoes long enough to stare, no doubt wondering why the untouchable Alice Cullen was bothering to talk to me, Bella Swan, a nobody, instead of her.
"Lunch sounds divine!" she squealed, dropping whatever shoes she was holding hostage. "Ang?"
Angela cringed at the nickname, but gave Alice and I a warm smile. "Absolutely. If I see another pair of stilettos, I'll fall on them samurai-style."
Jessica and Angela bought The Chosen Shoes, and then we walked over to a café down the street. While Angela and Jessica browsed the menu at the counter, Alice and I hung back to talk.
"So," I began, feeling incredibly awkward. "What brings you to Port Angeles?"
"You," Alice said matter-of-factly.
"Me."
"That's right." Alice gave me a friendly smile and put her hand on my shoulder. "You and Edward are friends, and you and Carlisle are…friends." She winked, and I blushed. Naturally. "And we're going to be great friends."
"What are you guys going to have?" Jessica asked, bouncing over with an eager grin directed at Alice.
That girl has issues.
"I'm just going to grab a salad from…"
"Alice? Can I order something for you?" Jessica said, cutting over me impatiently.
"I'll have what Bella's having," Alice said politely. Jessica looked a bit crestfallen, returning to the cashier's counter with a pout.
I rolled my eyes and Alice giggled.
"It seems the Cullens are the people everyone wants to know in this town," I remarked, grabbing a salad from the cold case for myself and another salad that Alice would probably only pretend to eat.
"And by 'everyone' you mean Jessica," Alice said with another roll of her beautiful eyes. "She's something else. At least Lauren Mallory leaves us alone."
We ate our food at a table by the window, watching the passersby and listening to Jessica gossip about the latest teen drama at school. Apparently a senior girl was having an affair with one of the teachers – surprise, surprise. That was barely news in Phoenix, it happened so often.
"Oh Lord," Jessica said mid-sentence, clutching her stomach.
"You alright?" Angela asked, looking concerned. I watched with morbid fascination as Jessica suddenly dashed to the bathroom.
"Food poisoning," Alice announced, looking neither surprised nor concerned.
"How can you tell?" I asked.
"Just a hunch."
After Jessica was done regurgitating her meal, Angela took her back to Forks and Alice volunteered to bring me home later, as she needed an opinion on an outfit for a date. As soon as they were gone, Alice breathed a sigh of relief.
"You know, I think Angela is wonderful, but that Jessica…" She shook her head.
"She's overwhelming," I agreed. I regarded her with curiosity. "So how could you really tell it was food poisoning? I mean, I know you guys have heightened senses and everything, but I thought Carlisle was the only doctor in the family."
Alice grinned at me, practically skipping down the street and dragging me along behind her. "I have a knack for predicting the future."
"Can all of you do that?" I asked, half-jogging to keep up with the tiny little vampire.
"Nope. Edward can read minds, I can tell the future. But it's never certain – someone could choose a different path, and the entire future could change."
"Doesn't that get… I don't know, creepy?"
Alice shrugged. "It is taxing sometimes. But I try to stay positive." She gave me a cheery smile and pulled me into a store that looked far too expensive for my meager budget.
"Wait, I thought that story about needing a shopping companion was just a cover," I protested, trying in vain to pull Alice back out of the store.
"Are you kidding?" Alice almost looked really offended. "Of course we're shopping!" She gave me a drawn-out once-over, and I suddenly felt very underdressed.
"Fine. But I need to be back by six – I've got a test in biology on Monday to study for."
"That should be plenty of time to fill you in on the rest of the family," Alice said happily, dragging me once more to the back of the store where some very intimidating dresses hung on a rack.
Despite my every instinct telling me to run as far from those price tags as possible, I suddenly felt that Alice and I really were going to be great friends.
"Great dinner, Bells," Charlie said with an appreciative grunt, rubbing his full belly.
"Thanks," I said, taking his plate and mine to the sink. Charlie and Billy had caught another five thousand pounds of fish this weekend, and I had a feeling I would be sick of fried catfish within a week. Probably wasn't great for my waistline either.
"School's good?" Charlie asked, looking a bit awkward. Small talk wasn't his forte; that must be genetic.
"I'm getting good grades, making nice friends, all that jazz," I replied, opening the dishwasher.
"I heard you've been hanging out with the Cullens."
I froze. "Is that a bad thing?"
"No, no!" Charlie exclaimed, chuckling. "Those poor kids haven't made a real friend since they moved here. I just thought it was… I don't know, nice of you or something."
I rolled my eyes even though my back was to my dear, deluded father. Poor kids indeed. "It's no big deal. They're nice, and they don't gossip like most of the kids at school."
"It's a small town, Bells. They've got nothing better to do."
"I know."
We went back to our comfortable silence for the rest of the night. I semi-watched a ball game with Charlie for ten minutes or so before calling it a night.
As I washed my face and brushed my teeth, my thoughts were, as usual, preoccupied with a blond, beautiful vampire who was apparently after more than just my blood.
I shuddered in excited anticipation. Countdown to birthday: four months.
A/N: And now, for my poetic plea for reviews, a cinquain in honor of Tetiani:
carlisle
sexy devil
thrusting, pounding, panting
this man is freaking sex on legs
woof woof
If you agree, leave a review!
Sorry for the update delay! I really don't have a great excuse, other than work has been intensely busy and I'm house-sitting for a friend who went on a cruise to the Mediterranean (yes, I'm insanely jealous). I know it's also a bit shorter than usual, but the next segment would have made the chapter uber-long, so I split it up.
This had a tiny, itty-bitty hint of lemon – more like lemon zest than actual lemon. But never fear: lemons are on the way!
I'm not sure if I'll be able to update again by this Thursday, but I'll try to get a chapter up over the weekend, and then hopefully I'll be back on schedule to every Thursday.
Much love to everyone favoriting/alerting me, and even more love to everyone reviewing – you guys are the reason I'm writing, and I love knowing that you all are enjoying the story. Seriously, what fun would it be to write if there were no readers?
Shout-outs to my boos: Kathy Hiester, acw1, Nevaehell, StormDragonfly, aerobee82, Kookie-chan, Blood Red Vampress, bb1028, lifelesslyndsey, Tetiani (I like Eddie boy better as a friend, too), B-RizzleDizzle, Harleygreen, jamielynn25, Officially Confused (maybe, maybe not! We'll see…), TLMorris, notashamedtobesoilyfan, Nissa-Cullen (lemons are on the way! And we'll meet the family in the next chaper – should be quite an adventure), rebelangel566, and lilminx22. As always, I thank you kindly for sharing your encouragement, frustration, and giggles. :-)
Next up: we meet the rest of the family, and perhaps one hell of a birthday party…