I'm so sorry it's been so long since I updated; September and October have been unexpectedly eventful for me, and then the story traffic stats stopped updating in the middle of September. I had hoped they'd have it fixed by now, but no such luck. So that kind of put a dent in my enthusiasm for writing, not knowing whether anyone's reading my stories or not. I decided to keep writing when I could, for myself and for you guys, but it's hard to keep putting in effort when the people whose actual job it is to keep this site running seemingly can't be bothered.
Warnings: this chapter includes some discussion of religious beliefs in keeping with canon Twilight characterizations, and sexual activity between teenagers, although I don't think it's graphic enough to warrant raising the rating just yet. If anyone disagrees, just let me know.
Bella did indeed return to the Cullen house the next day, to continue getting acquainted with Bo (and Kenzi, who was sticking to the older succubus like glue). She claimed this was due to nervousness at being surrounded by vampires – despite repeated assurances from multiple members of the Cullen family that none of them had the slightest intention of harming her, she insisted that her blood was very tasty, which led to some humorous bickering between her and Emmett when he pointed out that it almost sounded like she wanted them to want to bite her, until Edward and Rosalie told them they were both being ridiculous – but Bo suspected it had more to do with some misplaced fear of being left out.
Alice and Rosalie joined them, and the two of them eventually managed to pry Kenzi away by drawing her into a debate over their preferred styles of footwear; she and Alice both had their own unique, very different fashion sense that they were fairly passionate about, while Rosalie, who liked clothes, shoes, and jewelry as much as the next girl but didn't go to the extremes of either Kenzi's goth style or Alice's devotion to haute couture, was left to mediate between them, which had the incidental effect of forcing her to interact with Bo's human companion more than she had intended to when Alice dragged her into the den where they were all hanging out for some 'girl time'.
Since the discovery of Bella Swan's true nature, her feelings toward Edward's mate had undergone a significant shift, as all the reasons she used to envy the girl – namely her ability to live the normal life Rosalie could never have, complete with children and the chance to grow old one day – were suddenly rendered inapplicable. Even the part about Edward, who Rosalie had assumed was asexual until he met Bella, being attracted to her after nearly a century of showing absolutely zero interest in women (or men, for that matter) made perfect sense; after all, she was a succubus.
Kenzi, on the other hand, was human – a real one – so Rosalie had wondered, when she first appeared alongside Bo, if she would inspire the same jealousy Bella had initially provoked. If her inner green-eyed monster did rear its ugly head, Rosalie had made up her mind to try harder this time to quell it…and, much to her surprise, found it easier than anticipated. Unlike Bella, who had at first been quiet and shy around the Cullens, Kenzi was so irrepressibly spirited, with a biting wit to match Rosalie's own, that it would have taken true determination not to like her. Besides, even though she was human, she'd had the misfortune to get drawn into the hidden world of the fae and claimed by one, so Rosalie decided her situation wasn't so enviable after all.
For her part, Kenzi was equally surprised to find that she was actually enjoying hanging with the vampire chicks, even if Alice clearly did not properly appreciate how awesome her boots were (she really needed to do something about the pixie vamp's penchant for delicate, strappy shoes that would be totally useless when it was time to kick butt, though she supposed Alice kind of had a point when she said she could simply remove her shoes if she needed to kick someone's butt, what with her foot being tougher than any pair of steel-toed boots and all).
She also had a sneaking suspicion that Alice and Rosalie were trying to engage with her in order to give Bella some semi-private sisterly bonding time with Bo, but she decided to be magnanimous and go with it. For some reason, Kenzi had never had many female friends, and while nothing would ever rival her bond with Bo, she figured there was no sacred rule that said they couldn't have a couple of other, lesser gal pals as well. She was perfectly capable of sharing Bo…at least for a little while.
###
Edward, by contrast, appeared much more willing to share Bella; after bringing her over, he left her with Bo and the other girls without a word of protest. Truthfully, he was glad she had her sister to keep her occupied for a while, because between going back to her house after Charlie was asleep to spend the night with her as he usually did, making his public appearance in the morning, and giving her a ride to his house, he hadn't had an entire, unbroken hour to himself since yesterday. Now the appointed time for his assignation with Bella was only a few short hours away, and he was no closer to sorting out his complicated feelings about it.
If it was merely a simple question of whether he wanted to take his relationship with Bella to the next level, the answer would be equally simple: he loved her, so of course nothing would make him happier than to express that love in every way possible. The problem was that he came from a time when things weren't so simple, when the particular expression of love he was currently contemplating required more than just an emotional bond.
There were also his religious views to consider, and those weighed much heavier on his mind than the social mores of a bygone era, which was why he ended up in Carlisle's study, gazing at the wooden cross that hung on the wall as if hoping to receive some form of divine guidance. It didn't come – at least not in any overtly recognizable form – but after he'd been there for some time, Carlisle came in.
Edward made to leave, not wanting to intrude on his father's private space if he wanted to use it, but the older vampire stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "You know," he said softly, "I don't need yours or Jasper's gifts for hearing thoughts or sensing others' emotions to tell that you've been preoccupied lately."
He paused to give Edward a chance to willingly reveal the source of this preoccupation, but no response was forthcoming. Seeing that his son had decided to be a typical reticent teenager, Carlisle pressed on. "It's about Bella, isn't it? You feel conflicted over what you'll have to do to help her heal."
"Of course I do. When I first began to realize how I felt about Bella, I didn't even let myself think about the possibility of physical intimacy with her; I was convinced that the risks were too great. Then, when we discovered that she's fae, I started to hope that maybe it wasn't so impossible after all, that she might be durable enough…"
"I don't think you need to worry about that," Carlisle interjected. "According to Bo, sexual energy is a source of strength and healing for her kind, so I doubt they would sustain any damage from the act itself."
"Yes, that was my thinking as well. Even if it can be done without the risk of injury or death, though, it still wasn't something I intended to consider unless I was fortunate enough to be able to call her my wife one day – and knowing Bella, that day may not come for at least a century or two. I wouldn't have minded waiting…but now I can't, can I? We've seen what happens when she doesn't get the energy she needs, and I can't demand that she marry me immediately in exchange for basic sustenance."
"No, that would hardly be fair." Carlisle paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully before continuing. "Listen, Edward, I'm glad to know you aren't taking this lightly, because it is a serious matter, though I'm not sure it has to be as great a moral quandary as you're making it out to be. I know we've had our disagreements on the probable origins of our species and what the transformation means for us spiritually-"
"Carlisle…" Edward hated to interrupt him, but he really wasn't in the mood for another round of their ongoing debate over whether becoming vampires had cost them their souls.
Carlisle held up a hand to forestall his protest. "A pureblooded fae like Bella, on the other hand, one who was born that way – you can't argue that they're a product of anything other than nature's design."
"No, I suppose not," Edward conceded with a slight frown.
"Well then, if you believe, as I do, that only God holds the power to create, who do you think made them what they are?"
"I see what you're getting at – that God wouldn't create a species whose nature is inherently sinful only to punish them for doing what they must to survive, correct?"
"I can't believe a loving God would do that, no," Carlisle affirmed in a tone of utmost conviction. "As for sin, you may not be married to Bella yet, but you share a deeper love and commitment than a substantial number of married couples I've met over the centuries. Surely that must count for something."
"I hope you're right." Edward wasn't so sure, or perhaps he was just too cynical to share Carlisle's unwavering faith in the benevolence of a creator who allowed monsters such as themselves to exist, much as he wanted to…yet despite his lingering reservations, he found that he did feel a bit better about his plans for the evening.
###
Charlie had already left by the time Edward and Bella arrived at her house, which eliminated the need for any delay or pretense, yet as he opened the door for her, Edward still found himself asking, "Do you need one of your human moments? Would you like something to eat?"
"No." Bella's voice came out in a high-pitched squeak, betraying her own nerves, which were even worse than his. As the succubus in this scene, she felt a certain pressure to take the lead, to be confident and sexy like Bo, or at least to give the impression that she had the faintest idea what she was doing. The problem was that she didn't feel very seductive in her bulky sweatpants and cast, and her inexperience wasn't exactly helping either.
Clearing her throat, she tried again. "No, I'm not hungry, or at least I don't think I could eat anything. Human food would be more of a snack for me anyway, so maybe we should just go up to my room and, uh…skip straight to the main course?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she cringed at her clumsy phrasing. 'The main course'?! Did I really just say that? Oh, this is off to a great start!
Luckily, Edward didn't tease her about it, possibly because he was too tense to find anything humorous right then. Instead, he simply said, "As you wish," swept her up in his arms, and carried her upstairs.
Bella wished he hadn't done that, since hobbling up the stairs at her own snail-like pace would have given her more time to prepare for what would happen when she reached the top; thanks to Edward's quick strides, it seemed like almost no time at all passed before he was nudging her bedroom door open with his foot, then crossing the room and placing her gently on the bed. He sat down beside her…and they proceeded to stare at one another, both of them too nervous to make the first move.
At last, when the silent staring started to become uncomfortable, Edward asked, "Bella…are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to do anything just because Bo told you it's what succubi are supposed to do, you know."
"I know, but I'm going to have to feed again eventually, right? I can't keep running to Bo for chi forever. Besides, this part-" She waved her hand in a vaguely encompassing gesture that took in the two of them and the bed "-might be new, but I'm absolutely sure about you. I've been sure about you for a long time, and there's nothing I want more than to be with you…to show you how much I love you in every way I can." She started to move closer, only to stop when her cast bumped against the bedframe as she turned her body toward him, causing her mouth to twist into a wry grimace. "On a less romantic note, I also want my leg back."
"Aha," Edward teased her, "I knew you had an ulterior motive for luring me to your den of iniquity, succubus."
Bella burst into side-splitting laughter at that, not least because her tastefully decorated bedroom hardly resembled a den of iniquity by any stretch of the imagination. The moment of levity broke through the strained atmosphere that had taken hold between them, and as soon as she was able to stop laughing, she didn't hesitate to lean in and kiss him.
It started off slow and careful, like all their kisses, before she began to get carried away (which was also par for the course). This time, however, he didn't push her away; his hands came up to grip her shoulders, but then he stopped, holding himself still as a statue (apart from kissing her back) while she pressed her lips ever more insistently against his. At first it was just her usual desperate desire to get as close to him as possible, but as their kiss deepened, she felt the same instincts that had prompted her to actively siphon Bo's chi stirring once more, followed by a strange pulling sensation, like she was trying to suck the last drops of liquid from deep inside a Coke bottle. Then came the exhilarating rush of pure energy pouring into her, except this time it tasted even better since it came from someone who was actually attracted to her.
Gasping at the overwhelming sensation, she pulled back, her eyes opening just in time to see a stream of ethereal blue light flowing between them before it stopped with the breaking of her concentration. "Holy… It worked! I did it! …Are you all right?" she added, belatedly noticing that Edward was breathing heavily and looked somewhat dazed.
"Fine, although I do feel… I suppose this is what humans would call a head rush. And you? You want more, don't you?" Even though she was genuinely concerned for his wellbeing, her eyes were still bright blue.
Bella nodded, lowering her gaze in what he took to be embarrassment, though the way she peered up through her eyelashes lent a certain coyness to her attitude that he'd never really noticed in her before, making him wonder if she was doing it intentionally or if succubi just had a natural talent for making even perfectly innocent expressions look flirtatious.
"You taste really good," she admitted while silently acknowledging the bizarre feeling of role reversal; after all the times Edward had remarked on her deliciousness, she had never expected to hear herself saying the same thing to him.
"Then take it." His fingers tightened on her shoulders just enough to make her look up. "Take as much as you need."
Bella wished she could find words to tell him how much his trust, his willingness to step out of his comfort zone and push the boundaries he had clung to so stubbornly throughout their relationship further than they ever had before meant to her, but she didn't seem to be at her most eloquent tonight, and with her newly awakened succubus instincts clamoring for more, the first taste having only served to whet her appetite, all she could do was nod eagerly before diving back in.
Drawing out Edward's chi was easier the second time, and now that she knew what to expect, she didn't stop; instead she pressed closer, pushing against him until he ended up on his back, his arms locking around her to pull her down with him as if he couldn't bear to let her go for a single instant. She threw her uninjured leg over him, pausing her feeding just long enough to yank his shirttail free of the waistband of his jeans so she could run her hands appreciatively over the lean yet well-defined muscles of his abdomen, then up to his chest, pushing his shirt up further as she went.
"Bella," he gasped out, causing her to stop just as she began exploring with her lips and tongue as well as her fingers and lift herself up to peer into his face again.
"What's the matter? You don't like this?"
"No, I do, it's just…" He wasn't sure why he had spoken up in the first place, whether some part of him still had reservations about what they were doing or he was simply taken aback at this new side of her that had seemingly sprung into being out of nowhere – until tonight, he would never have imagined that she could be so assertive, almost domineering, though he couldn't say it was an entirely unpleasant surprise – and the intoxicating sensation of her hands on his bare skin wasn't exactly helping him get his thoughts in order.
Bella, however, didn't seem inclined to give him time to sort out his internal conflict. "Just relax," she said soothingly, "and let me take care of everything. I'll make it good for you, I promise." And she knew she would; she had been afraid that their first intimate encounter would be embarrassingly awkward, that she wouldn't know what to do and would end up making a fool of herself, but much to her amazement (and relief), she was finding that that wasn't the case. It was as if the same long-buried instincts that had risen up to kickstart her feeding were now guiding her hands, giving her a sense of confidence she'd never felt before.
She was a succubus, so of course she could make any act they indulged in unbearably pleasurable for her partner – after all, this was what she was born to do. Emboldened by that thought, she slid her hand down to his belt buckle and the fastenings of his jeans, which she undid in a single deft move, one hand slipping down to touch him in ways she wouldn't even have dared to imagine just that morning while her other hand took hold of his and guided it past the waistband of her sweatpants.
The cold caress of his fingers made her gasp and arch her back, but this reaction didn't last long, the thrill of their mutual exploration of one another soon overriding any discomfort caused by the difference in their body temperatures. Just as they brought each other to the peak, a very different but no less intense sensation shot through her broken leg, a powerful jolt followed by an unsettling feeling like hundreds of ants swarming over the fractured ends of her bone as the cellular activity involved in repairing the break, which normally took place over several weeks, was compressed into a matter of seconds.
She yelped in shock and rolled off of Edward in order to reach her leg, but its plaster casing prevented her from doing anything to relieve the bone-deep itch. Luckily, Edward had sat up the instant she moved, quickly fixing his clothes as he did so, and was now anxiously asking her what was wrong.
"My cast – take it off!"
"I'd rather wait until-"
"No, I need it off now!"
With a sigh, he obligingly ripped through the layers of plaster and cushioning bandages – although he would have preferred to leave it on until Carlisle could X-ray her leg to verify that her healing truly was complete, it would be easy enough to put another cast on if necessary – but before she could satisfy her irrational yet overwhelming urge to scratch, the crawling sensation vanished as suddenly as it had begun.
"Bella?" Edward asked after her agitation subsided, and she simply stared at her bare leg in evident amazement for a long moment. "Are you all right?"
Slowly, she lifted her head to meet his worried gaze, her eyes wide with wonder. "I think… I think it worked," she whispered. "I think my bone's back in one piece!"
"Let me see." He gently probed the place where the fracture had been, his own eyes widening at what he found – or rather, what he didn't find. "I don't feel any breaks in the bone. Does it hurt at all?"
"No," Bella answered, her astonishment giving way to elation as it began to sink in that her first experiment with her healing power had been a greater success than she had dared hope for, "it feels fine. It worked! It actually worked! We did it, Edward!" She threw her arms around his neck, and then, before he could stop her, leapt to her feet.
"Bella, wait, I really think you should take it slowly…"
But she wasn't listening, already pacing around the room as she reveled in her newly restored ability to move freely, unhampered by crutches or a clunky cast. Maybe it was his imagination, but she also seemed to be walking faster than he remembered her doing before she was injured, without tripping once.
After completing three circuits, she rushed back to the bed where he was still sitting, watching her with a mixture of happiness and bemusement, and pounced on him again, crushing her lips to his in an enthusiastic celebratory kiss. "Thank you, Edward. You healed me. Thank you so much."
"Happy to help," he said in the brief intervals when his mouth was free, as she punctuated each expression of gratitude with another kiss. When her euphoria finally subsided enough that she was able to settle down, he asked, "Based on your reaction to getting your cast off at last, I don't suppose you'll be willing to put it back on for a while longer, to keep up appearances for Charlie's sake?"
Her face fell; she obviously hadn't considered this.
"You need to think about how you're going to keep your true nature hidden, for his safety as well as your own."
Bella bit her bottom lip as she thought it over before saying, "I don't think Charlie will ask too many questions; he'll just be glad I'm all better, and he's happier not looking too closely at things that don't mesh with his view of the world as a normal, sane, thoroughly non-supernatural place anyway. If he does get suspicious, though, I'll just have to distract him with something else. I think it's time I introduced him to Bo, don't you?"
Yes, folks, Bo's finally going to meet Charlie. This should be interesting…and I'm going to try really hard not to go more than a month before updating this time.
