I'm so glad you guys seem to like the story! I'm officially done with school, so I'll be able to update pretty frequently until the Fall. Enjoy the chapter… some pretty important vampires come into play here!

CHAPTER THREE

When he looked at me, I relaxed into the deep abyss of emotion flooding my soul in a comfortable way. I was pulled into the brooding mystery that held my heart captive. When he glared at me, I was filled with an unquenchable desire to please him, to take away whatever caused him pain. Submitting to him became something of a passion, wrecking my spirit and filling it all at the same time. But when he smiled at me… that was the treat so unfathomably beautiful that it was almost too much to take. His brilliance outshined anything I had ever known, and all the glory in the world was captured in his face. Yes, he smiled at me and the world wasn't such a scary place anymore. I was held unwaveringly by his smile, and reached out my hand to accept the one he offered. I was ready to let him lead me wherever he wanted to.

I was pulled out of my dream date with my curly haired angel by a loud rap to the door.

"Bella? Are you awake? We have some food for you downstairs if you'd like to meet the rest of the family." Reality came crashing back to me when I heard the offer. I was in a stranger's home, with no memory and seemingly nowhere else to go. I grimly smirked at the tone in Edward's voice. It sounded more like he was bribing me to go meet his family, but my stomach's protests quickly reminded me that I didn't care. I was hungry.

I rubbed my eyes groggily, and answered him through the door. "Yeah, I'll be out in a second. Thank you."

"Of course. Alice laid out an outfit you can change into if you'd like. No rush." I looked down to the end of my massive bed, and sure enough saw an entire outfit pieced together for my wearing pleasure. It looked decent enough from here: black jeans, a loose white top, and a red belt. Comfortable, yet fashionable… Especially compared to the ratty outfit I had been sporting all day. I quickly changed into the clothes, and was grateful for the clean smell and fresh feel. With a glance in the mirror, I decided that it wasn't going to get any better after a few brushes of my hair.

I walked out of the room to find Edward patiently waiting for me on the other side. He greeted me with a smile, and asked me if I had slept well. "Is the room to your liking? Was the bed comfortable?"

"I wouldn't change a thing, thank you." I replied politely, with a well-rested grin forming on my face. He led me down to the kitchen, where I presumed the rest of the family was waiting. I couldn't help but wonder if the rest of the Cullens would be so inhumanly beautiful as Edward and Carlisle. If so, I'd stick out like a sore thumb. I immediately felt self-conscious. I was a plain girl, and my injuries left me feeling extra unappealing. As we reached the room, I tried to remind myself not to resent them if they were prettier than me. These people are housing you, Bella. Be nice. Suck it up. I took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

And of course, there waiting for me were five striking people. I had to stifle a gasp, but their amused expressions almost made it seem that they had heard it anyways. All were the same shade of iridescent white, and all were the same kind of gorgeous while having their own distinct facial features. I could immediately tell who was who, based off of the descriptions Edward had provided earlier. My attention first went to the petite, Tinkerbell-like young woman that my new friend smiled a dazzling smile for. He quickly walked to her side, and put his arm around her lovingly while she flashed him a charming wink. It was obvious he adored her. "Bella, this is my girlfriend, Alice." Alice smiled at me, with all the glee on earth, and ran from Edward to give me the hug of a best friend.

"Bella! It's so good to meet you. Edward and I were so worried when we found you, and I'm just so glad to see that you're okay. Something told me you would be. And, oh my gosh! You look so good in that outfit! As soon as you're up to it, we'll have a girls night and get to know each other better!" I was so taken aback by her sheer friendliness that I had to rerun her words in my head in order to form a proper response.

I tried to give her my most convincing grin. She seemed wonderful, and it would be nice to have a girlfriend while I was here. I didn't know at all how long that would be, but it couldn't hurt. Besides, Edward had already been such a good friend to me. And she was clearly important to him. "That would be… nice. Thank you. It's good to meet you too. And thank you for the outfit."

Edward smiled at our conversation, and then reached forward to pull Alice into his arms. "Okay sweetheart, let's not completely overwhelm her right away." He smiled teasingly and kissed her cheek while she grumbled. He smirked, and then gestured to the large, burly man intimidatingly positioned next to a phenomenally formed blonde woman. "Bella, this is…" He was cut off, however, by the boisterous voice of the grizzly bear himself.

"I'm Emmett, Bella! Pleased to meet you. I'll be here for all of your entertainment needs, including but not limited to practical jokes, songs, and embarrassing games of 'Truth or Dare'." He smiled wickedly, and bent forward to kiss my hand. I tried not to giggle as all intimidation I had felt by his appearance completely drifted away. He might still be a bear, but more of a teddy than a grizzly. I definitely got a big-brother vibe from him, and I wasn't complaining. I would take all the family I could get right now, because I couldn't remember if I had my own.

"It's very nice to meet you Emmett. I'm afraid I don't remember how to play 'Truth or Dare', but maybe you could teach me." I smiled, and he looked thrilled.

"It's a deal! Now, this," he paused and made exaggerated motions to the blonde next to him, "is my Rosie."

While she wasn't as exuberant as Alice or Emmett had been, she was polite enough. "Hello Bella. Nice to meet you." She gave me a half smile, and something about her cool demeanor made me take it as a victory.

I responded with a shy expression, and a gentle reply. "Hi Rosalie. It's nice to meet you. Edward has told me a lot about you, and I hope we can be friends." She answered my comment with a diplomatic nod and smile, and I supposed that was the best I was going to get from her. I moved on, hoping Rosalie's indifference wouldn't affect the entire family's opinion of me. I was pleased to see Carlisle and Esme standing there, arms around each other and proudly watching the scene before them unfold.

"It's good to see you again Bella. I hope you had a good nap." Esme graciously offered.

I smiled warmly, and then Carlisle also threw in a comment for my benefit. "We do have another member of the family, Jasper. He is out running an errand at the moment, but he will be home shortly. You can meet him then." Ahh… Jasper. The one Edward said was "interesting."

"I'll look forward to it. Thank you."

"Now Bella, we were going to wait until the entire family was here to talk to you about this, but I don't want to make you wait for Jasper. We have talked to him about it, and he is not opposed. I know you were very kindly concerned about the rest of the family's approval on your presence before accepting our offer. But we have discussed it, and it is quite alright with us." The patriarch of the family smiled at me warmly, and I felt completely wrapped in love in that moment. Tears had just about sprung to my eyes in gratitude when my stomach betrayed me with a loud growl.

"Oh, you poor thing! Your meal is on the table. I hope you like soup… I wanted to fix you something you could eat easily." Concerned with being the perfect hostess, Esme looked genuinely worried about my food preferences.

"Soup is just fine. Perfect, really. I'm sure it will taste wonderful… Thank you." I looked around in confusion. "Will any of you be eating with me?"

Edward smoothly intervened as I made my way to the lone bowl of soup on their flawless kitchen table. "We have unfortunately all already eaten, but Alice and I would be glad to keep you company while you eat."

"Yes Bella, I'm afraid I have some housework to tend to, but just let me know if you need anything. I will take care of it. Enjoy your meal!" Esme wished as she left the room with Carlisle.

"Bye baby sis!" Emmett unnecessarily yelled as Rosalie quickly ushered him up the stairs.

I was left with Alice and Edward, but I didn't mind. They seemed to be genuinely interested in being my friends, and I was grateful for it. While I ate the mouthwatering soup prepared by Esme, I learned all about their school and their home. Every word they said fascinated me, and I was glad for the distraction from my current mental issues. We laughed as we got to know each other, and I found myself forgetting about my physical pain.

After I finished my meal, Edward asked if I remembered the way to my room, which I did. They offered to stay up and watch a movie with me, but I didn't want to take any more of their time so I rejected politely. They bid me goodnight and made their way upstairs.

I was planning to do the same, as soon as I had washed my dishes and put them in the sink. Esme had already done so much for me, and I wanted to be able to help a little bit. I was standing over the sink, wiping my hands off with a nearby towel when I heard the front door open behind me. Before I even got the chance to turn around and evaluate the newcomer, a soft and honey-like voice with a slight southern drawl rang out like bells.

"Hello, you must be Isabella. I'm Jasper."

I spun around to face the final member of the family, and I couldn't even attempt to cover my gasp when I saw the man standing in the doorway. There, in all his glory waiting for a response, was the star of my subconscious… The man from my dreams.

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