Author's Note: I don't own these characters, I just put them in awkward and sexually charged situations for my own sick pleasure.

Chapter 18: I guess that's why they call it the blues

EPOV:

The bare bulb swung, casting shadows and making the room feel like it was rocking. Mist swirled through the air and my legs ached from holding them tight to my chest. I wondered for a moment if the dream would ever change, if we could ever break free from this haunted room.

I stretched out with a sigh and looked over at Bella, sitting on the metal table pulling out clumps of her eyelashes. She had said that we could continue exploring in our dreams as we had before we knew we shared them, but for the last few weeks we just held each other and ignored that she only wore a sheet. It was getting past time to address it but based on the twisting in my stomach and her nervous tick, I imagined it wouldn't be easy.

"If you keep that up, you won't have any left," I called out to her.

"These are dream eyelashes, I'm fine."

She pulled on them just as much in the waking world, but they were still dark and full, lining her eyes and brushing her cheeks every time she blinked. They had fluttered against my lips when I kissed her eyelids last night.

"Do you think you will get tired of me?" I asked and made my way across the room to her.

She twisted the sheet closer to her chest. My breath caught at the flash of the milky skin just below her collarbones. I had seen more with her regular blouses, but this was different. "Will you get tired of me?" She asked, biting her lip.

"Never," I whispered, brushing my thumb over her bottom lip and letting my knuckles drift across her cheekbone and into her hair.

She leaned in and pressed her forehead to mine.

"Should we…" she trailed off but looked down at the sheet she was wearing.

I shook my head, there was too much pressure, too many nerves. I never wanted anything between us to feel forced. "Not tonight, okay?"

Bella let out a sigh, "Good, I kinda wanted our first time to be…real. I mean, I know that we have done…stuff in these dreams, but we've never actually…"

I nodded, "I want it to be real too."

My eyes opened to the soft morning light, warmth pressed into my chest, dark brown hair tickled my nose. I took a deep breath, savoring the scent, freesia and strawberries. Everything about her called to me. She sighed and turned in my arms, her eyes half lidded and a soft smile on her face. We had been sleeping in my room since Charlie shot me. I was concerned about it at first, worried about him staring daggers at me across the breakfast table after that first night, but he wasn't there. None of the adults were home. They had been ghosts for the last couple of weeks, leaving evidence of being home, but none of us saw them. We only communicated through notes. I was used to them leaving for a couple of days, but this was odd.

A crease formed between Bella's eyebrows, "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing important," I said smiling.

I didn't want to waste this time talking about her dad. She smiled back and I stole a chaste kiss which she deepened, soft lips moving in time with mine. I opened my mouth to sigh and was met with an electrical current as her tongue touched mine. My hands wrapped around her hair and she pulled closer, her soft breasts pressing against my chest. I groaned into her mouth as she turned our bodies so that my weight was on top of her, her legs on either side of me. My hips worked on their own accord, thrusting into her core.

Stop!

My shoulder blades hit the wall on the opposite side of the room with a thud. She sat forward, resting on her elbows. The t-shirt she was wearing was riding up on her still spread legs, her hair mussed from my hands and lips red like plump berries. I imagined the wall was made of glue, holding me to it as it took every ounce of my self-control not to pounce.

"Edward?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

"Mmmmhhhh," I almost whimpered.

"Edward," she purred, "come back."

This time I did whimper but I shook my head.

"You don't really want this, Bella. It's the bond, it's compelling us."

"No, it's not. Well…yes, it is, but it's not just the bond. It's been over a month since I found out that you were like me, and we were dating before then, you know? So… I've been thinking that…um…since we agreed that we didn't want our first time to happen during a dream…that…um…we're awake now…"

WHAT!?

My feet were moving before my brain caught up with what she had said.

STOP!

The compulsion was so strong that I had to physically push my back into the wall, leveraging my feet and locking my knees to keep from moving.

"It's the bond, please give it five minutes." I begged. My hands were ripping at my hair, but I grounded myself by imagining her regret after this was over. I let out a ragged breath, the exertion of holding myself in place burning my muscles.

"Fine," she said, a pout forming on her lips. The clock read 7:13 am, the muscles in my calves shook. She sat forward, knees still spread, eyes locked with mine and ran her hand over her hip bone. The movement was mesmerizing, her fingers moving towards her waist band, she pulled her bottom lip with her teeth in concentration. There wasn't any air in here.

7:14 am

Her fingers dipped below the elastic, her eyebrows knitting together.

"Bella, please."

"I know what I want, Edward. I've been thinking about this for a while," she said. Every muscle in my body tensed, a war between my will and the force of the bond. I scrunched my eyes shut, there was no way I could stay put if I watched her touch herself.

"Do you want this too?" she asked after a moment, her voice suddenly vulnerable.

I nodded, letting my eyes peak open at the clock.

7:15 am

"I just don't want you to regret it, please love, just give me three minutes," I rested my head against the wall, looking at her again would be a mistake.

"I hope it lasts a little longer than that."

How could she oscillate so quickly between innocent vulnerability, to quippy seduction? Was she some kind of witch?

"You know, I never wear panties to bed."

I was on a ship during a storm, the floor tipping me off the wall towards her. Suddenly I was back between her legs, lips exploring her neck and collarbone as she giggled and writhed beneath me.

Soft hands cupped my cheeks, pulling my eyes to hers, "I could never regret being with you," she said. I nodded, accepting.

My hand drifted lower, hooking her knee around my hip and trailing up the toned milky white skin of her thigh and cupping her ass. Her breath hitched and she pushed, grinding her core against me, nothing between us but flimsy pajama pants. I rested my forehead on her shoulder, trying to calm myself down before something very embarrassing happened, and thanking god for Jasper's advice to start masturbating in preparation for this day.

Tap tap tap

Thinking about Jasper was helping until she grabbed the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it up. The room started to spin around me but all I could see was the peaches and cream skin of her stomach, then the round, soft mounds of her breasts, perfect pink nipples tightening in reaction to the air. My mouth fell open. I nestled my head between her bare breasts, kissing every bit of skin I could find, feeling like a starving man at a buffet. I kissed up her neck and found her lips with my own, rolling my hips into her again and consuming the moaning sound she made into my mouth.

Knock, knock, knock.

She tugged at the back of my shirt and I lifted up to allow her to pull it over my head. She pushed into me and I could have wept from the feeling of her breasts pressed into my chest, her legs wrapped around my hips, her body fitting mine like we were made for each other.

We were.

Bang, bang, bang.

"Oh, for fuck's sakes, open the door! We are going to be late for school," Emmett called out from the other side of the door.

No!

It took every ounce of control to push away from her. I cracked the door just enough to poke my head out, hiding my prominent erection from my brothers in the hallway.

"Go away," I growled.

Jasper tilted his head towards me. "I can tell that you would really rather stay home today," he said, "Trust me, based on the emotions pouring out of this room, I want to as well."

An image of him throwing Alice over his shoulder played through his mind.

He shook his head, trying to reclaim his own control. "...but the quickest way to get our parents' attention is a call home from school."

"I can't Jasper," I admitted, "I don't think I can leave here…she isn't wearing panties," I whispered.

"Really?" Emmett asked, leaning to peek through the crack. I closed the door a little further to block his view, a growl vibrating in my chest. "How many articles of clothing have you two lost?"

"Most of them," I said through clenched teeth, "so as you can imagine, it's going to take a hell of a lot more than you two to drag me out of this room right now."

I would fight them.

"I get that, I really do," Jasper said, visions of my sister bouncing on top of him flitting through his mind, I cringed.

"Sorry….," he said, shaking his head again. "But last time the school called…Charlie shot you. How do you think he's gonna react to you staying home to deflower his daughter?"

My eyes widened at the thought. He might actually kill me; he could do it too.

I glanced back at Bella wrapped in white sheets, dark hair fanning across my pillow. I would face death.

"Alice is starting to see around Bella's shield. The parents will start looking closer at your sleeping arrangements," he said, "and our after-school activities."

I leaned my head against the door frame and groaned.

It was going to be a very long day.

School was…hard. Hard and uncomfortable…and throbbing. Wait, no, that wasn't school, it was something else.

I leaned forward, elbows on my desk and fingers clenching my hair at the roots. I kept randomly breaking out in cold sweats, I basically felt sick.

"Did you do anything about it," Emmett asked. We were too close; this couldn't be a regular conversation between brothers.

I shook my head, "No time," I answered.

"Fuck man, that sucks."

"I don't want to discuss it," I glared at him, trying to shut this conversation down.

"Can't be too upset though," he mused, "I mean…did she say that she was ready? Cuz Jasper implied that it might go somewhere this morning before we knocked."

"Tell Jasper to mind his own business, I swear to god, there is no privacy in this family," I hissed.

"Mr. Cullen, would you like to share with the rest of the class?" Mr. Mason asked.

"No sir, I really would not," I answered, shooting another glare at Emmett.

"Then I suggest you return to your writing assignment," I nodded and continued to count down the minutes until we finished school.

The bell rang and I basically sprinted to the lunch room to see Bella. Somehow, after this morning, I needed her more. I was a drowning man and she was air. I was a wanderer, lost in the desert, and she was an oasis, wet and welcoming and tight and…

I shook my head to clear the thought.

Things did seem easier when she was near me. Easier, but unfathomably harder. I looked down at it to make sure my black dress shirt was long enough, thankfully I had the forethought to tuck the goddamned thing into my waistband this morning.

I grabbed my food and sat down next to Bella who had a big bite of apple in her mouth. She was so cute, like a little chipmunk.

"Hi," I said.

She covered her mouth with her hand, "Hi," she said back with a giggle. I leaned over and kissed her cheek, feeling much better than I had most of the morning.

"How have you been this morning?" I asked as the rest of the family took their seats.

"Wet," she answered and the bite of broccoli I had just taken lodged itself into my throat.

"Good lord, Bella! Are you trying to kill him?" Emmett yelled while slapping my back. The rest of my siblings laughed and I tried to cough up a floret.

Bella turned bright red, "No, no! Not that, I mean….," she glanced at her lap and my coughing fit got worse, "No, that's not what I meant, I stepped in a puddle this morning and have been wet all day. Oh god," she looked at me bent in half coughing and buried her head in her hands.

I took a drink of water and rubbed her back, still clearing my throat every few seconds. She looked up at me, cheeks pink and I winked at her. Her head on my shoulder, the soft weight grounding me for a moment but the position allowed me a clear view down her shirt.

Try to be a gentleman.

I averted my eyes and finally saw her feet. Sure enough, one of her Chucks was muddy and water was wicking up her gray stockings. For a moment I wished that I was warm so I could bring her some comfort.

"Are we looking into the creepy girl," Alice asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"I'm on it," Rose said. She was our resident hacker and had experience dealing with human trafficking. The creepy girl was probably an agent, though I had never seen one with red eyes before. Either way, she wasn't much of a threat since she was nothing more than a pile of ash now.

"Monte Carlo," Eric Yorkie said, handing Bella a colorful flier.

"What?" I asked, resting my chin on Bella's shoulder and reading the flier.

"The prom theme, Monte Carlo. You know, casinos, James Bond, elegance," he answered.

I rolled my eyes. I had been to Monte Carlo and doubted that paper decorations and the Forks High School gym would capture the essence of Monaco, but Bella's eyes seemed to light up at the mention of prom. She had expressed wanting to have a typical high school experience.

"Will you go to prom with me, Bella?" I asked, trying to sound smooth. She stared at me blankly, her eyes melting into pools of chocolate, her pupils dilating.

Shit! What if she says no?

I stupidly asked without thinking, she didn't want to go, she was going to say no. I stared at her, desperately trying to read her mind. I realized that I wanted to go to prom. I had never desired the typical high school experience before, but now I wanted every experience with her.

Her cupid bow lips slowly pulled up into a smile, and she ducked her chin in the tiniest of nods. "Yes, I would like that very much," she said, still looking at her lap. My shoulders lifted and I took a deep breath, pride filling my chest. I couldn't help the wide grin that stretched across my face. I leaned over and kissed her temple.

"It's a date."

Rose slammed a file onto the table in front of me, causing several of my plastic space elves to clatter off the ruin they were holding against the Imperium of Man.

"Hey, I just painted those," I yelled and Bella laughed, then went back to planning her next move. She was clobbering me, her tanks slowly advancing as they blasted my poor Eldar off the board, I would be tabled by turn 4. We had gotten home and I suggested that we play right away instead of going back to my room, although it was all I could think about. But what was the move here? Should I just assume that we would jump right back into bed? The moment had passed, right? I went with my instincts and avoided the situation by playing Warhammer.

"Katrina Danali…the red eyed girl!" she said, annoyed at my apparent confusion.

"You found out who she was already?" Emmett yelled, dropping his controller and jumping over the back of the couch to join us.

I leafed through the file, finding an article from the Long Beach Press-Telegram about a house fire that had killed a family of five.

"This is sad and all, but what does it have to do with the girl with red eyes?" Jasper asked, craning over my shoulder to read the article.

"I think she is one of the girls that died in the fire," she said, then turned the page to a high school yearbook photo and the hair stood up on my arms.

It was the same girl, a little younger with pretty blue eyes instead of creepy red ones, but this was the same girl.

"How?" Bella whispered. She had moved from her chair to stand behind me, her proximity crackling through the air. My fingers twitched to touch her, but I wasn't certain that I could stop.

"I don't know," Rose answered, "but Long Beach is a part of the San Pedro Bay Port complex. That is the busiest shipping port in the U.S., it can't be a coincidence."

I scratched my head, the connection with the shipyards meant that she was probably trafficked, but it didn't explain her supposed death or her superhuman abilities.

"Is it possible that she was one of us and that the Agency didn't identify her?" I asked. "Then when they did…they killed the family that adopted her?" I wouldn't put it past them.

Rose flipped the page to a family photo, showing an older woman that looked exactly like Katrina and two girls, one a little older and one a little younger, all sharing the same features.

"If Katrina was one of us, then so is the rest of the family," I said.

Rose nodded, "And based on his age," she said, pointing at a blond-haired little boy that looked about two, "they either reproduced here, or arrived after us."

"Then why would they kill everyone except Katrina?" Alice asked.

"I don't think they did," Rose answered, pulling out her laptop. "I also found this," she turned the screen for us to watch. There was just enough light to make out a dark alley then a flash of movement, blond hair. It was a little boy, maybe three years old. The owner of the phone approached him, asking where his mommy was. He turned glowing scarlet eyes on her, the video ended as he lunged, needle sharp teeth bared.

"She was found dead in that alley, her blood drained," Rose said in a whisper. "Her boyfriend posted this video on Clik-Pop after the police gave up on the investigation. It was removed from the platform in minutes, but not before Gothemprince69 made this connection in the comments." She opened a grainy black and white still of a little boy, maybe six or seven years old and I flinched back at the sight of the image.

"VADG owns Clik-Pop don't they?" Emmett asked. Someone answered him but I tuned them out and watched Bella inspect the haunting picture. I made myself look, though it was already seared into my memory. The boy's face was in profile as he looked away from the camera, the hood of his jacket pulled up. Blood had been sprayed across his cheek, his jacket, his arms. It was smeared across the machete he held in his tiny grip. Bella's eyes widened as she took in each horrific detail.

"Who are these homicidal toddlers and how do we kill them?" She asked, her voice laced with disgust. My stomach clenched.

"Well," I said, tapping on the screen, "that one is me…and fire seems to do the trick."

AN: Thank you for reading, reviews keep me going. Clik-pop is this universe's version of TikTok.

Thank you to my husband who acts as my editor, my sounding board and my cheerleader. He made me a banner for this story! Please review.