Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Chapter 57 Games

"Charlie, that girl would be mortified if she knew you heard that," Sue told me worriedly.

EPOV

Well that just topped off a hell of a day. I was so into making love with my wife that I neglected to pay attention to Charlie and Sue approaching the house. I knew that Alice and Jasper were outside, along with Jacob, keeping an eye on the house to protect Bella in case Victoria got any ideas or made a decision. I guess I just felt safe and at home. Bella giggled as I quickly tried to control my growls once I told her they were coming into the house and could hear me. That did it. Her giggles did some amazing things to me the way our bodies were joined at the moment and to hers as well. She came almost immediately.

"Oh my God, baby. Please, please. Oh . . . don't stop . . . Edwaaaaaaardddd!"

Taking me with her as I called her name loudly for all to hear. Oh well. It seemed from what I gathered from his mind, that Charlie had grown somewhat accustomed to hearing us. We apparently were not as good at muffling our sounds as I had thought. He had heard the growling coming from me and thought it was an animal outside. I snickered to myself,

No Charlie, that was the animal upstairs in bed with your daughter . . .

Sue had known. Though she did not have the gene to make the change to wolf, but she knew a supernatural growl when she heard one and her body trembled instinctively. Bella's reactions were not normal. Bella absolutely loved my purring, but my growl . . . she loved my growl. Though anyone else on planet earth would have been terrified at the sound, it only served to turn her on further, no matter how fierce. Sue discounted the growling to Charlie and he soothed her when she heard us calling out each other's names in the throws of passion.

The day had started off well enough, Esme had made significant progress with Sue by telling her how she came to be an immortal I suppose the loss of a child is something all mothers can relate to and sympathize with, though I could not imagine having to endure it. Sue seemed more understanding and less nervous around us after the conversation at breakfast was over. She was going over and over the idea that none of us had chosen to be cold ones, to be vampires. It had never occurred to her that we were humans who had our choices taken away. According to the legends of her tribe, we were stone hard bloodsuckers, heartless monsters with no soul that did nothing but feed on innocents. The idea that we had feelings and opinions and choices was a completely new concept to her . . . but she was coming around. It was, after all, easier to hate that which you did not understand.

The morning had improved tremendously when I found Bella in the shower after breakfast and we were able to try out something new together . . . something we would definitely have to try again. I rarely took her from the back before she got pregnant, always preferring to be able to look on her face, to look into her eyes as I entered her. The mirror helped though as I was able to watch the reflection of her face and her eyes soften as I moved in her. Though I had remained connected to her all night the night before, spooning her and rocking into her from behind, it never seemed to be enough. I had refrained from sucking the fluid her breasts so readily offered, even though she encouraged me to drink from her. It was embarrassing to come all over her and her not be getting any pleasure from it. I chuckled. She had a field day with that one. I could still hear the words coming from her . . .

. . . you listen to me Edward Anthony Cullen. I'll decide what I do and do not like and I fucking love it when you suck my breast so hard that you drink from me. It is an unbelievable turn on for me and I love that it turns you so much and you come all over me! When the baby comes he will need his milk and you might not get to do it so often, so please . . .

I didn't have the heart to remind her that if the baby has vampire teeth, teeth sharp enough to chew his way out of her, he might not be able to nurse on her very human nipples.

My brother Emmet's untimely challenge to Rose to race to town on the bikes didn't even manage to spoil the mood of our guests, though Charlie had quite a bit to say to Emmett about it!

Phil and Renee had been almost literally bounding up and down with excitement over their gains in the market and I loved that Bella wanted to be a part of doing the finances with me. She seemed to enjoy both the buys and the sells and was learning to accept having wealth, though some of the high numbers still shocked her somewhat. I knew that the concept of millions of dollars was sometimes hard to really grasp.

Enjoying Dry Falls from the overlook gave Bella and I some alone time as Jasper drifted off from us, scouting and listening to the surrounding woods for signs of trouble. He and Alice had stayed at the house with us under the guise of helping with the finances, but they were truly there because none of us would leave Bella without at least two if not three of us to protect her at all times. Three of us could handle two other vampires without much of a problem and we wanted to be sure she was always safe. She seemed to prefer the small window of time to spend with me, to making her way down to the falls themselves with the rest of the family. The switchback trail was hazardous in that it was full of moss covered slippery steps, hewn from the natural rock. They were not even and Bella was not nimble, especially not now. I loved to come here when no one else was around, one quick jump either up or down bypassed all the back and forth walking and allowed our kind easy access to the falls. That was why only Jasper stayed at the top with Bella and I, one jump and all the rest could be with us if there was a need.

Cliffside was another story. We had not been walking long when I heard his thoughts. Jacob had followed us and was playfully ducking in and out of the undergrowth along the trail, which worked since no one else was at the lake today, it being a weekday I suppose and winter. Carlisle had heard and smelled him and was keeping Charlie way up ahead on the trail. I chuckled at their thoughts, Charlie assumed that we kids wanted to be away from the grown ups and were giving ourselves some distance.

Jacob would fly across the trail and Emmett would attempt to catch him, sometimes grabbing onto his tail and stopping him in his tracks and sometimes almost falling flat from the effort. It was hysterical and we were all in stitches. Alice took the opportunity offered by Emmett grabbing Jacob's tail to jump onto his back and tell him to be a nice boy and give her a ride. Honestly, even though Jacob was in wolf form, the look on his face was priceless. He grabbed her jean covered leg in his mouth and tossed her off, luckily missing a mud puddle but still eliciting a scowl at the thought of dirtying the designer jeans.

"Alice, why are you worried about a little dirt, you'll have to burn them to get the dog stench out of them anyway," Rose laughed and told her. Alice looked appalled when she realized that Rosalie had a point that she hadn't considered.

"Jacob wants you all to know that while he obviously can't burn his fur and there isn't a wolf salon near, that he'll probably be rolling in nasty smells and swimming for hours trying to rid himself of your sticky sweet smell, Alice," I translated, though not in Jacob's words, eliciting a growl from him.

"Just trying to perfume you up a bit, dog," Alice chimed in, cocking her head to the side to wait for his response.

Well, at least you made yourself smell better in the process, leech! I translated for Jacob.

"Hey, at least he didn't call you a bloodsucker, Alice. It's his new favorite name for me," I told her.

Hey, listen up bloodsucker, are you tuned into my head?

He was literally shouting in his mind, impossible to drowned out even if I had wanted to. I nodded my head at him and he continued.

I haven't picked up the smell of any vampires other than you guys between here and your house.

I did a lap or two around the town and there is nothing there either, at least not as far out as I was, it's not like I can walk the streets sniffing or anything like you guys can.

There is the smell of a kill over by Mirror Lake, off from the trail a bit and I got the scent of two vampires there. I assume those are the two that are after Bella?

I nodded, "There was a murder down near Mirror Lake and the scent there was Victoria and Riley, so good, you have their scent."

Yea, I would recognize their stench anywhere now.

Amazing how clear smells have become.

I'm gonna check out that stand of trees that she used as a perch and see if I can get a read on anything there, you guys said she was in the trees there and then got into her car, right?

I nodded.

Jacob walked with us for a few more minutes, rubbing his muzzle against Bella's arm as she playfully petted him and scratched him behind his ear. I tried not to be jealous, but I was not successful.

Well, the clearing is coming up, I better take off. Tell Chica bye for me, bloodsucker.

I shook my head as he trotted off into the forest. "Jacob says to tell you bye," I told her as I hugged my arm around her, avoiding the side that Jacob had rubbed against due to the horrible stench of dog that had permeated her hair and clothing on that side. She noticed my avoidance and smacked me on the shoulder, telling me that all of us smelled fine to her and I was just exaggerating. I couldn't wait till she was a vampire and she would be forced to eat those words!

As we headed into town to go shopping and to Sweet Treats, glimpses of Jacob's russet fur could be seen flashing in the woods along the road. He obviously enjoyed running just like I did. I was somewhat hopeful that perhaps his sensitive nose could pick up something we had missed - some trace to Victoria leading to a house or somewhere that she was staying, somewhere that we could set another trap and end her. I hated having to be on guard every minute, knowing she was out there planning to harm my wife and child.

Charlie and Sue had a good time in town, Charlie even buying Sue an ornament from the Christmas Shop where Bella and I bought our Christmas decorations. Sue and Charlie had grown much closer since Bella and I had visited Forks a few months ago, taking their relationship to the level of being intimate with each other. I chuckled wondering if I should tell Bella, but knowing that I would. I kept nothing from my wife. I hugged her reflexively, just thinking about her.

"What, sweetheart? What are you thinking?," she asked me, looking up to me with those pools of chocolate eyes of hers as she tightened her arm around my waist.

"Charlie and Sue. Their relationship has really taken off since we were there in September," I told her quietly as we walked down Main Street following behind them. She looked at me quizzically and I nodded. Her eyes rounded and got huge as her expression morphed into one of surprise, then happiness.

"Really? They . . . ", I interrupted her, my lips near her ear as I softly said yes, kissing her as I said it.

"Good. About time. He needed to get over Renee after this many years," Bella said quietly, "I wouldn't want him to be alone." She was quiet for a minute, contemplating the situation I assumed and that was confirmed when she finally spoke.

"How will that work, Edward? A werewolf's mother and a vampire's father . . . that has to be one for the records isn't it?" she mused.

Vampire's father? She's really going to want to become what I am, realization continued to dawn on me. Though she had asked me to change her after Christmas, before we knew that she was pregnant, I still had a hard time accepting that she really did want me forever. I didn't know how I had gotten so lucky to have found this amazing creature that was now my wife. I pulled myself from my thoughts and answered her . . .

"I'd say. I have been around for a long time sweetheart, and I never even considered such an occurrence. It kind of brings Charlie into the mythological world though and Sue will probably tell him about the werewolves at some point . . . and he will be told the tribal legends, Bella. She's a tribal elder, there's no way around it," I told her, knowing that she would put two and two together.

She stopped on a dime, causing me to turn to face her on the sidewalk, a look of absolute shock on her face, "But he'll know . . . Edward, my Dad will know about both of us!"

~oooOooo~

Victoria POV

"What the hell? Get you ass back here in this bed," Riley growled, "I'm not through with you yet."

You are today you annoying little shit. I don't know how much longer I can do this, keep him strung along to help me with my plan. No choice, though. I need two of us to pull it off, but after that . . . Riley could go. If it works out right, they'll end him for me and I won't have to find some convenient way of doing it myself. I could only imagine hell being worse than appeasing that annoying boy much longer.

"So, you got us a Mercedes? Nice. I hope you dropped the Suburban off a few hundred miles from where you stole this, though," I told him as I looked out the window at the shiny black car.

"I ditched the Suburban in Asheville then ran up to that resort, um . . . Biltmore, they call it the Biltmore House and nosed around a bit. There is a resort community near there that is like here, rich assholes keeping a fully furnished house and vehicle that they use like maybe once a year for a party or something. Stupid humans. Anyway, I sniffed out one that is almost never used and took this car. It's nice, quiet but lots of get up and go to it if you need it. No way they'll trace this one, baby, stop worrying," he said as he moved to stand beside me and put his arms around me as I brushed my hair in the bathroom mirror.

"I just don't want any loose ends, baby," I said as I turned in his arms and bit his neck passionately, "I didn't like them getting so close this morning."

"Let me end the Cullens for you baby, screw this just killing the girl," he purred in my ear.

"No, I want him to suffer for eternity for what he did to my . . . friend. Right now, we need to decide how we'll coordinate my snatching her and you having the car waiting. Let's run through it a couple of times, then we can go run the route for real tomorrow . . . sort of a practice run," I told him as I loosened his grip on me.

"Let's get in that nice car you stole for us and have some lunch, shall we?" I suggested. "I need us both to be as full as possible when we take her. I don't want to be so hungry that I can't resist her blood when it spills. I want to let her suffer for as long as possible before we end her."

~oooOooo~

Emmett POV

Man, I have to say that having Bella around as a little sister has spiced the hell up our lives. I thought her Dad was going to have my head on a platter for challenging Rose to a race on bikes this morning! Ha! Spunky little human thinks he could do something! Maybe that's where Bella gets it from, though her Mom is pretty outrageous as well.

I ran at a reasonable, well almost reasonable speed into town, Rose beside me in the lane. The bikes were a great idea! I had wanted one back when we were watching the drag races and Bella had her accident, but Rose had said no. Edward even confirmed that no place in her mind was there any room for doubt, she wasn't going to let me have a bike. Funny how things changed when Bella came into the picture. Unbelievable that Rose had actually gone in on buying the bike for me. Not only me, but the whole family. Well, Merry Christmas is all I had to say about that, and way to go little sister!

Dry Falls was beautiful, as always. Don't get me wrong, I loved showing the humans a good time, especially Charlie. I even enjoyed going fishing with him, but my mind was on Victoria and Riley. I was sick and tired of watching and waiting, risking her catching us off guard and something happening to Bella and my nephew. We needed to find a way . . . set a trap, something. I knew Edward wasn't going to go for any idea that used Bella as bait, but what was she now? Wasn't she just the same as bait walking around and breathing in air while Victoria tried to end her? Damned redhead. It wasn't like it was our fault that her mate had died anyway. If James hadn't gone after Bella, hadn't wanted the thrill of the chase none of this would even be happening. We would have had no reason to burn him if he hadn't tried to kill her. Whatever. She just needed to die at this point, and I was almost as determined as Edward to be the one ripping her apart.

Walking around Cliffside was a great idea. I rarely got Rose to go out sightseeing with me, much less hiking in the woods. She preferred to sit and go through her magazines or go to Europe. I didn't understand why, there were sights here in the States that rivaled anything Europe had to offer and I had been there enough times to know. Rosie and I did lie to get it on in odd places, though . . . public places. The thrill of exposure was just something that was exciting to us. We had sex on park benches, in subways, hell we had even done it in a movie theatre like a couple of hormone enraged teenagers. Just something exciting about risking getting caught I guess. My thumb was rubbing suggestively over her knuckles as I held her hand while we walked, but my mind was jerked from it's near permanent home in the gutter by the sound of Jacob approaching.

Jacob hadn't gotten the hang of being stealthy in the woods yet and I should have heard him from a few baseball fields away even if I wasn't listening for him. He trotted out into the path with us as we rounded a turn and it startled the hell out of Bella.

"Jake! You're going to give me a heart attack, or worse yet, cause me to go into labor scaring me like that," she told him, grasping onto Edward even more tightly than normal. You could see my brother stiffen. I don't really know if it was Jacob's presence or the fact that he was in wolf form, or the fact that he had mentioned Bella going into labor that had gotten to him. You could see the all too familiar broomstick shoved up his butt expression cover his face almost instantly. He had worn that expression for decades before he met Bella, but I rarely saw it now. Well, never really. I hadn't seen it till all this tension with the whole Jacob phasing and Victoria stalking us had happened at the same time. Guess he was just on overload . . . and I understood that. Hell, he had waited for a mate for almost a hundred years and I would be damned if I was going to spend an eternity with him acting even worse than ever if something happened to her. I wasn't even sure the family would survive it cause he would probably just find a way to end himself, throw himself into a fire or something. There was no way he would stick around without her and I knew it.

Jacob was a riot, darting back and forth across the trail daring us to catch him, Alice jumping on his back to ride him like a pony and Rose telling him how bad he smelled. Fun with the Cullens, I guessed. He left such a stink on Alice and Bella's clothing though that I couldn't say I was sorry to see them head back to the house and leave just Rose and me to watch Charlie and Sue.

Apparently they were the latest item in Forks and Charlie wanted to take her to dinner in Highlands . . . alone. Charlie was trying to figure out a way to say something about going to dinner with just Sue without offending anyone else. Edward had suggested that he take Sue out alone since he had not seen her for Christmas, after he had heard Charlie's thoughts. The sun was unexpectedly starting to make an appearance and Alice warned us that we needed to get home. Charlie's desire for alone time with Sue gave us just the out that we needed.

Rose and I stayed to make sure nothing happened to them. No point in giving Victoria another way to hurt the Cullen family and it was easy enough for us to hang out in the shadows and trees near Main Street, close enough to smell any other vampires that came near. Her stench was all over town along with the other one, Riley. It was just too risky not to have someone watching out for them when we knew for a fact that she came into town fairly often. Problem was that even if we saw her in town it would be difficult to do anything about it, other than follow her. We could not risk exposure, even if they didn't care about it. Following her was perfect as far as I was concerned. All I needed was a chance. . .