XLVII. Ballgame Theme Intensifies
"How do I look?" I asked, sliding into the kitchen with a grin.
Charlie glanced up from the stove, where he appeared to be cooking for once. "A baseball uniform?" he asked in disbelief.
"I told you Edward invited me to go play baseball with his family," I reminded him, adjusting the baseball cap over my twin french braids.
Charlie couldn't quite erase the skepticism from his face. "Are you sure that's safe?"
I wrinkled my nose. "I'll mostly be watching," I assured him, quelling my disappointment. Even if I knew I couldn't keep up with the Cullens, Charlie wasn't supposed to think that.
Except he was, because I was meant to be playing the role of someone else.
"It's probably your safest bet," he chortled.
I grimaced.
"What are you cooking?" I asked him instead, dropping into one of the kitchen chairs, pushing down the dread creeping up my gut. This wasn't about me. For the sake of Charlie's sanity, I had to keep playing the role of Bella.
"Nothing. I'm reheating that ground beef you cooked earlier this week. The one with the potatoes and veggies."
"Leftovers? On a Sunday?" I laughed. "Why not order some takeout or go to the diner?"
Charlie shrugged, using a spatula to shuffle the beef across the pan. "I like your cooking," he admitted, sounding almost shy.
A grin stretched across my face. "Is that so, chief? I should probably do it more often." Cooking wasn't my favorite pastime, but for Charlie I could be persuaded. After all, his memories with me would be all he'd have left of his daughter.
"No need to do that on my account, Bells," he assured me. "You focus on being young. Are you going to want a plate?"
I shook my head. "No, Edward will be here any minute."
As I said this, the doorbell rang.
"Speak of the devil," Charlie snorted. "Go on, you have fun."
I jumped to my feet, but before I rushed out of the kitchen, I impulsively darted forward and enveloped Charlie in a sudden hug.
"Bella?" he asked, awkwardly wrapping an arm around me.
"I love you, dad," I mumbled against his shoulder. I appreciated Charlie. So much so, that I could do this one thing for him.
"I love you too, Bells," he choked out, pressing his face against the top of my cap. And I wondered how long he'd been needing to hear that.
I lingered for a few seconds longer, before pulling away. "I'll be back later tonight."
"Go on," he said, smiling gently. As I hurried off, he called after me, "And stay away from the bat! And the ball!"
"Will do, chief," I called with a roll of my eyes, snatching my black parka and exiting the front door.
Edward was waiting for me on the porch, just outside the reach of the heavy rainstorm, damp hair tousled and windblown. "Everything alright, love?" he asked, eyeing me with concern, likely having heard my exchange with Charlie.
"Yep!" I said, shrugging on my parka. "How do I look?"
"Like a true Cullen," he chuckled, tapping the bill of my baseball cap.
"A class act to be sure," I grinned, and then turned a wary eye to the torrential downpour, across from which I could make out the shadow of Emmett's enormous Jeep parked behind my truck. "I'm going to make a run for it."
Flicking the hood over my cap, I jogged down the steps and splashed across the slick driveway. Edward chased after me and beat me to the passenger side. He opened the door for me, grabbing me by the waist and hauling me up into the seat.
"Thanks, babe!" I called, just before he shut the door.
I pulled off my hood and tried to make sense of the off-roading harness, but didn't have much luck.
As soon as he was on the driver's side, Edward leaned over me and adjusted the straps of the harness, buckling me in. His face was mere inches from my own, and I couldn't help but close the distance, pressing a quick kiss against the corner of his lips.
Edward grinned, pleased, as he secured the last buckle. "What was that for?"
"What?" I pouted. "I can't kiss my own boyfriend?"
"You need only say the word," he murmured, unbelievably close once more, before he pushed his mouth softly against mine.
I knotted my fingers through his damp hair. His scent was pleasantly dizzying and I angled my face closer as we kissed, slow and unhurried.
I melted with intense adoration and I wondered how anyone could love another so profoundly. It felt as though my heart were too big for my chest.
All too soon I grew breathless and Edward pulled away before I could pass out.
My chest heaved as I caught my breath and I relaxed my fingers, slipping them through his hair and caressing his face. Edward's gaze remained steadfast, red lips stretched into a dopey grin.
Once I could breathe properly, I said, cheeks still flushed, "We should go."
"I'm almost tempted not to," Edward said, voice low, eyes lingering, before he reluctantly pulled away.
"I know," I said as the engine roared to life. "But I didn't dress in this cute baseball outfit for nothing."
"You do realize," he said, as he confidently began driving through the gloomy downpour. "You are not actually playing baseball tonight."
I stuck out my tongue. "A girl can dream."
"If Emmett had it his way, we would make the right accommodations just for you."
I narrowed my eyes. "And why doesn't he?"
"I don't trust him," was his simple reply.
I released a sharp laugh. "Typical."
"In an ideal world, he could safely include you in his games. But I can throw Emmett a lot further than I can trust him."
"All this Emmett slander," I tsked disapprovingly. "And he's not even here to defend himself."
"You'll be hearing from him soon enough," Edward said as he merged the Jeep out of the highway and onto a steep, mountain path.
"Oh, shit," I cursed, the harness the only thing keeping me in place as the engine revved thunderously and the wheels crushed the undergrowth, jerking us up and down through the rugged terrain.
Edward laughed.
Eventually, the path came to an end when we were met with a green wall of towering firs.
The rain had slowed to a barely-there drizzle.
"We'll have to go on foot from here," he said, shutting off the engine.
"How the hell does this thing come off?" I demanded, struggling to loosen the multiple straps from the off-roading harness.
"Let me," Edward said, gently pushing aside my hands and unclasping the multiple buckles in quick succession.
And then, his fingers slowly wandered down the length of my neck and along my collarbones. When his gaze lingered on my mouth for too long, I surged forward and kissed him again, tasting the seam of his lips.
He cradled my face between his hands and kissed me back, just as eager.
But too soon, he pulled away and began dragging his mouth across the sensitive skin of my neck and along the hollow at the base of my throat.
I breathed out a sudden moan and Edward abruptly jerked back.
"Let's get out of here before I do something really stupid," he said roughly and vanished from my arms.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing, amused, but mostly disappointed.
Edward appeared by my side of the car and opened the door. "Are you ready?"
"Of course," I grinned, taking his hand as I jumped out of the Jeep and onto his back.
Once my legs and arms were locked around him, Edward shut the door and warned me, "Hold on tight."
He forgot to call me spider monkey.
The world became a green blur around us, wind whistling sharply against my ears and drying my eyes as we flew through the forest like a shot.
It was over in less than a minute.
With Edward's help, I jumped down to my feet, white tennis shoes sinking into thick moss and damp soil. The drizzle had tapered off into a light fog.
"Where to?" I asked. The trees looked the same in every direction and the gloom had set in, shadows consuming any path that might be visible to my eyes.
"This way," Edward directed me, clasping his hand with mine.
I threaded my fingers through his and hurried to keep up as he lead me through tall, wet ferns and draping moss. We edged around the sprawling roots of a hemlock tree and finally broke out into the massive field cradled between the Olympic peaks.
It felt like a lifetime ago, that I'd last been here. The pile of ashes where James and his coven had once burned was long washed away.
In the distance, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie sat on an outcropping of rocks. Much further out, Jasper and Alice stood across from each other at opposite ends of the field, throwing a baseball back and forth, though it remained invisible to my eyes. And it appeared as though Carlisle was moving about marking bases.
As we drew closer, Emmett hopped to his feet.
"You made it!" he said, waving enthusiastically in our direction.
I grinned and called, "What's this I hear about accommodations?"
His face split into a pleased grin. "Edward gave the green light?"
"Not yet," I winked.
"Most certainly not," Edward scoffed as we reached the rock outcropping where Esme and Rosalie still sat. "I thought it might appease you to know that you had one ally. Emphasis on one."
"With my talents, one is all you need," Emmett said smugly.
"Do not encourage him, please," Rosalie cut in, shooting me a look of long-suffering. "The last thing we need is the human going splat."
I gaped. "What exactly did you have in mind, Emmett?!" I demanded. "Because I am not a fly to be swatted around!"
"You're not a fly, Iz," he assured me. "More like a…baton."
I squinted in disbelief. "This is baseball, not a relay race."
Emmett tilted his head in thought. "It could be both."
"No," Esme said, pushing herself to her feet. "No one is throwing Isabella around like a baton."
"Boo," Emmett pouted. "And after you came up with something as cool as vampire foosball, I really thought you'd be down."
"I was a spectator of vampire foosball, not a player," I reminded him, rolling my eyes. "And just wait until I introduce you to slip-n-slide hockey."
"Oh hell yeah, that sounds sick!" Emmett cheered.
Alice suddenly appeared at his side.
"It's time," she announced, backed by a boom of thunder that shook the forest beyond us and crashed westward towards town.
"We're picking up this conversation later, Iz," Emmett warned me, before leaping after Alice and reappearing across the other side of the field. Rosalie gracefully stood to her feet and flew after them.
"Are you ready for some ball?" Edward asked me, eyes bright with enthusiasm.
"Go kick ass, babe," I cheered, going on my tippy-toes to peck his cheek.
Edward shot me a grin and bounded off after Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie.
"Isabella, how are you, sweet girl?" Esme asked, drawing me into a gentle embrace.
"I've been doing good," I assured her, hugging her tightly, before pulling back. "How's everything in Calgary?"
Esme kept our arms locked as we strode in the direction of the marked field. "Better than expected. The boys have been a great help in hurrying things along."
"I'm glad," I said with a smile. "Are they making you referee again tonight?"
"They're not forcing me," she assured me with a sweet laugh. "I prefer to referee. Less cheating that way."
"Even Carlisle?" I teased.
"Even Carlisle," she said with a solemn expression.
I gasped and laughed at the unexpected revelation. "Unbelievable!"
Another peal of thunder shook the sky as we reached the edge of the field, where everyone had already taken their place.
Edward was far out in left field, Carlisle stood between the first and second bases, and Alice held the ball, positioned on the pitcher's mound.
Emmett stood at home plate, nimbly swinging the aluminum bat in his grip, while Jasper crouched a few feet behind him, catching for Alice's team. I halted a couple of feet to the left as Esme went ahead and took the position of umpire behind Jasper.
"Alright!" Esme called, her gentle voice carrying easily across the sprawling field. "Batter up!"
Alice stood straight, deceptively motionless, the ball concealed behind both hands at her waist.
And then, so quick I nearly missed it, her right hand flicked out and Emmett twisted the bat in a massive, blurred swing.
The ball smacked into Jasper's hand.
"Strike!" I called, egging Emmett on.
But Emmett didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he took a few more practice swings, before falling back into ready position.
Jasper hurled the ball back into Alice's waiting hand. She grinned. And then, her hand spun out again.
This time, Emmett swung the bat in time to smash it against the ball, a crack of thunder shattering the silence.
The ball shot like a meteor above the field, flying deep into the surrounding forest.
"Holy shit!" I whistled, craning my head and stumbling a step back as I lost complete sight of the ball.
Emmett was a blur around the bases, Carlisle shadowing him. Edward was missing.
"Out!" Esme cried.
Edward sprang from the fringe of the trees, ball in his upraised hand, a wide grin stretching across his face.
"Oh, hell yeah!" I jumped and cheered. "Go Team Edward!"
"Don't get so excited, Swan! That was only the first out," Emmett said as Jasper took his place in the batter's box.
I merely shrugged and grinned.
Rosalie replaced Jasper as catcher while he went to bat and Alice switched up the play.
The changeup wasn't enough to catch Jasper off guard. He caught Alice's pitch off the end of the bat and drove the ball straight in Carlisle's direction.
The race to first was a close one that resulted in Carlisle crashing against Jasper, the deafening boom of two boulders colliding.
"Safe!" Esme called.
They switched again, Emmett now acting as catcher and Rosalie standing in the batter's box.
Alice's first curveball sailed straight past Rosalie and into Emmett's hand. Unfortunately, I wasn't confident enough in my truce with Rosalie to jeer at her, as I had with Emmett.
Rosalie caught Alice's next pitch, a clap of thunder that sailed far into left field.
The race was on.
Alice blurred out of existence, swiping the ball before Edward could get to it and chasing Jasper down. It was a blot of movement that I could barely make out, but I caught a glimpse of Alice's half-spin maneuver that allowed her to slide past Jasper and tag him from behind, a few feet short of home base.
"Out!" Esme called.
Rosalie stood safely at second base with a smug expression.
Emmett's next hit was high, rather than long. Despite Edward catching the third out, Rosalie flitted quickly to home base, scoring their first point.
It was the fastest end to a half-inning I had ever witnessed. And the most extraordinary.
As Rosalie's team moved out into their field positions, Edward sprinted to my side. "What did you think?" he asked, eyes glowing with excitement.
"That was incredible," I gushed. "You actually caught Emmett's hit!"
Edward grinned infectiously. "I run the fastest. It's generally how I deal the most outs."
"That's so cool!" I said, bouncing on my feet. "Do you usually team up with Alice and Carlisle?"
"Not always. But Rosalie got to pick teams this time," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Huh. Interesting." As far as choosing teammates went, Emmett and Jasper seemed to be the obvious choices. But it was surprising that Rosalie didn't put as much stock in Edward and Alice's gifts.
"I'm up," he said and headed for the plate, scooping up the tossed bat.
I leaned forward in anticipation, but there was no crack of thunder. Edward bunted Jasper's pitch and the ball bounced unpredictably across the field. By the time Emmett got his hands on it, Edward stood safely at second base.
"Whoo!" I cheered. "Nice play!"
"Alice should've got you a cheerleading outfit instead!" Rosalie scoffed, voice carrying all the way from the outfield.
"I like the way you think, Rosalie!" I grinned and shot her a thumbs up.
Though I couldn't see her well from this distance, I had the sense that she was rolling her eyes at me.
Carlisle was up to bat next, but his hit against the ball was less thunderous, more explosive. The trees shuddered in the aftershock as the ball was blasted to kingdom come.
Edward was quick as lightning, reaching home base within moments.
Jasper closed in on the home plate, seconds before Carlisle, hand splayed out. But Carlisle slid across the base just before the ball could smack into Jasper's hand.
"Safe," Esme said and Carlisle flitted to his feet with an expression of triumph.
"Beautiful!" Alice beamed, reaching up to high-five Edward and Carlisle.
Edward returned to my side, lacing his fingers loosely through mine and ducking down to press a kiss against my cheek.
"Congratulations!" I said, bumping my shoulder against his arm.
Edward flashed me a glowing smile. "Thank you."
Alice went up to bat next.
Jasper pitched a fastball and Alice drove it towards right field. But he managed to intercept the ball and tag first base before Alice could even reach it.
"Out!" Esme called.
Edward squeezed my fingers, before he went and took his place at the batter's box.
But Jasper pitched a changeup and the ball lost its momentum, hitting the ground too soon and offering Edward only enough time to reach first base.
Carlisle smashed the ball straight down against the rocky terrain. Jasper leaped up and quickly got it back into play, leaving Edward on third and Carlisle on first.
With only Alice in play, Esme crouched down as the temporary catcher for Jasper's team. And I wondered what would happen if all three were left stranded on the bases. Not having enough players for a full team seemed irritating to work around.
Alice blasted the ball with an echoing boom straight down the right foul line. Instead of tagging Alice, Jasper scooped up the ball and launched it into Emmett's waiting hand, who was blocking Edward's path to home base.
Edward ran for it anyway.
"Esme! He's trying to force an out!" Rosalie called as Emmett caught and tagged him. "Cheater!"
"Rose is right," Esme said, looking at Edward sternly. "Take the field."
Edward shrugged, not looking particularly repentant, but doing as told.
"I don't understand," I said to Esme. "Why was he trying to force an out?"
"The rule for teams of three is that if the bases are loaded, they automatically have to swap out," she explained, as Edward and his team returned to their positions across the field.
"Oof, that bites," I lamented. "Do you guys ever play with your cousins in Denali? I'm sure it's more fun in a bigger team."
Esme hummed in acknowledgment. "Yes, though it gets twice as rowdy."
"Oh, I bet," I said with a huff of laughter. "And the addition of Garrett can only serve to liven things up."
Esme chuckled and agreed.
Rosalie's team caught up in points, gaining the lead. Both her and Jasper managed to make it back to home base when Emmett went up to bat. He hit the ball with all the ferocity of a supersonic boom that flattened the brush around us, though he ended up being the first out.
Alice caught Rosalie's fly ball and Jasper made it to first base, but Edward intercepted Emmett's line drive before it could even hit the forest, and with Carlisle's help, tagged Jasper out on his way to third. Still, Rosalie's team was in the lead at 3-2.
But none of the innings lasted more than a handful of minutes and they flew straight past the ninth inning, Edward's team in the lead then, with no end of the storm in sight. The score continued to fluctuate, generally settling back into a tie and the insults being hurled across the field grew more and more creative as time wore on.
It wasn't until much later, when Edward's team had struck out at the bottom of the eighteenth, that Alice announced, "We have time for one more inning!"
Suddenly, they all became tense, expressions pinched with focus as they settled into their positions, with Jasper going first to bat.
After fouling the first pitch, Jasper slammed the ball far into left field with a thunderous strike.
It hit the ground and Jasper made it as far as second for a double, before Carlisle and Edward could intercept him.
Emmett was up next and he crushed Alice's curveball. Edward raced forward to cut off its trajectory, launching it into Carlisle's hand in quick succession.
Jasper made it safely to third base, while Emmett was out, returning to replace Rosalie as catcher.
Alice caught Rosalie's square ball, but Jasper's longer stride allowed him to reach home base before she could cover the same distance and tag him. Jasper went up to bat again and made it as far as first base, but Emmett's ground ball landed too close to Carlisle, who tagged Jasper out between first and second base.
They had only scored a single point, but they were in the lead once again.
Edward briefly returned to my side from the outfield with a look of determination. "This is it," he said.
I tried to squeeze his stone hand. "Good luck."
Edward nodded distractedly as Alice took her position in the batter's box. But she was quickly taken out when Emmett caught her pop fly to the right. Carlisle hit a ground ball between shortstop and third, allowing him enough time to reach first for a single. Edward's line drive was caught by Rosalie, but allowed Carlisle the opportunity to advance to second base.
This time, Alice launched the ball alongside the left foul line, and made it as far as first base, while Carlisle reached third.
And then, Edward went up to bat, with Esme subbing in as catcher. I bounced on the soles of my feet in anticipation.
It was the bottom of the nineteenth and Rosalie's team was winning at 24-23, with Alice at first and Carlisle at third, and two outs.
It was up to Edward. A hit, and they either won the game or tied it.
"Come on, Edward," I whispered, knowing well he could hear me. "You can do it."
He took a few practice swings and then took his batting stance.
There was cold determination in Jasper's eyes as he began his wind up.
Edward let the first pitch go by for a ball, and then a second.
My feet shifted as I leaned forward. Edward was a patient hitter. Unless Jasper wanted to chance the possibility of allowing Edward's team to tie on a walk off, there was no way he wouldn't pitch a strike.
Jasper's next fastball blurred towards the lower end of the strike zone and Edward took the swing. But this time, there were no bunts or ground balls. Instead, Edward swung the bat in a single, powerful thrust, striking the ball with a deafening shatter that overpowered the claps of thunder booming far above us.
Rosalie shot off into the forest, after the ball like a bloodhound.
But by the time she'd launched the ball into Jasper's waiting hand, both Carlisle and Alice had touched home base and been ruled safe by Esme.
"Whoo!" I shouted, jumping up and pumping my fists. "Hell yeah! Now that's how you clear the bases!"
Edward had taken off running as soon as he'd hit the ball, but once Alice and Carlisle bumped the score up in their favor, he abandoned his trajectory around the diamond and flew back in my direction. He slowed down long enough for me to catch his intent, before colliding with me.
Still, I shouted in surprise, wrapping my arms around his neck as he lifted me up and spun me around.
"I knew you could do it!" I cheered, another peal of laughter escaping me as he spun me around yet again.
Edward's thousand watt grin was the biggest I'd ever seen on him. And for an instant, I wished we could stay in this moment, that the rush of giddy joy blazing in my chest could be frozen in time.
Whatever the future held, it couldn't strip me of this memory. It was far too precious.
A/N: If y'all wanna try something fun, reread the baseball scene while listening to Supermassive Black Hole. It's so nostalgic!
And sorry if you guys wanted drama in this chapter. I'm predictable, but I'm not that predictable. Anyway, thanks for chugging along the canon train with me. Drama and plot await in the next chapter ;)
Okay, y'all are hilarious, betting on who spiked the punch. Literally didn't think anyone would care and I wasn't going to follow up on it, so thanks for instigating that Fe45lo. But now I have to be the bearer of bad news. You're all wrong. It was Emmett.
And while Vincent wasn't a bad guess, the guy's a delinquent. He'd sooner dump laxatives into the drinks, than spike them with alcohol.
Thank you for all the well wishes. I am doing better! :) Let's hope I have a better year health-wise. And I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I had a blast writing it, so let me know your thoughts. I'll be sure to update soon! :)