The sun rose high along the horizon as Bella Swan perused the eclectic assortment of books and CDs in Edward Cullen's room. She'd picked up a copy of Dracula, and clicked on the CD player, curling up on her spot on the sofa in his room. A calm melody emanated from the machine, and her lips curled into a knowing smile as she enjoyed the tune. Debussy, of course. No surprises there.
With a contented sigh, Bella leaned back against the plush cushions, enjoying the view of the vast forest around her. The light seemed to cast beams of movement that danced over the floors and shelves.
She loved these moments of solitude in a weird sort of way. It gave her the chance to explore Edward's world. His room was a sanctuary of sorts, filled with mementos and trinkets that spoke of a life lived long before she had entered his world. It seemed like the place of introspection, rife with a sense of history and knowledge. Or maybe that was just Edward.
But he wasn't here today. Edward had gone hunting early with his family, leaving Bella alone to her devices in the quiet house. Barring what could be expected of her usual clumsiness, she felt that she'd probably manage okay.
She turned her mind back to the task at hand, Dracula, and ran her fingers down its spine thoughtfully. The cover was old and classic, and probably an original, she suspected. Everything in this house seemed to be either procured in the long lives they'd lived, or since purchased with the limitless money they had. The Cullens never had to be complacent with a budget. That was something she'd learned from viewing Alice's wardrobe.
As the hours passed and the sun started its descent in the sky, Bella noticed a growl in her stomach. She realized she hadn't eaten since breakfast and decided to venture downstairs in search of a snack. Esme had kept the fridge stocked with everything a human might desire. Milk, French cheeses, puddings, yoghurts, fancy smoothies, meats and even some soda as per her request. Even on a culinary level, the Cullens had prepared for every eventuality.
In some ways perhaps it was too much choice. She stared, ogling each item for the perfect flavour to satisfy her hunger.
As she dithered over her choices, her hand absent-mindedly roamed towards the bowl of mixed nuts that lay untouched next to the fruit, grabbing a handful and popping them into her mouth. Hungry minds can't decide she smiled to herself, still studying her options. As she crunched down on the nuts, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her jaw.
Bella froze, her hand flying to her mouth. She grabbed a tissue from the side, and cautiously spat out the offensive items. A ragged white piece swam among the bits of shell that she'd neglected to remove. That was most definitely not a nut.
In slow realisation, her tongue traced the contours of her mouth, and she was greeted by a dull ache and a sharp curve in one of her lower back teeth. The white porcelain in her hand was most definitely the missing puzzle piece. She scrapped the nuts, and studied the exiled piece in her hand, trying to ignore the violent throb she felt pulse through her jaw.
It looked enormous. Have I got any tooth left? Her thoughts were panicked and erratic, searching for solutions she knew she didn't have.
Okay, think.
She grabbed the milk from the fridge and poured it messily into a glass on the side. The tooth chip made a soft *plop* as it drifted under the surface. She had no idea whether it could be saved, but she wasn't taking any chances. Then, she took out her phone and dialled Edward. He picked up on the first ring.
"Bella, are you okay?" His voice was urgent.
"Edward," she breathed, her voice tinged with desperation as she tried to control her emotions "I-I need your help. It's my tooth."
"I'm coming back, Bella. Go to my room and wait there. I'll see you soon." He clicked off.
Bella took herself and the glass upstairs, grabbing a lid to seal it shut, and clutching her jaw desperately as silent tears streamed down her cheek. She hadn't wanted to disturb the hunt, nor cause a scene. She felt sure that the entire family would have heard their conversation, and she wasn't relishing the questions or comments that would follow later. How could she be so stupid?
She was interrupted 5 minutes later by Edward's appearance on his balcony. His eyes were more golden than since she'd last seen them, and his skin sparkled under the sun.
"What's wrong, Bella?" he asked, clutching her face with his hand, his thumb stroking her cheek delicately. His other hand he used to steady her. He could see the mixture of panic and pain swirling in her brown eyes.
Bella launched into a babble of explanation. "I don't know! I was eating some nuts and then I felt a huge crunch and this came out, and I don't know which tooth exactly but I can feel a giant jagged edge-"
"Okay, Bella, hold on." He disappeared for a moment and then returned with a small flashlight. "Let me see it." He said, reaching for her cheek once more. Edward's expression took on a look of measured concern as he battled his internal worry. He was trying his best to assuage the panic in her taut features without betraying his own.
He took the small of her chin, tilting it gently up towards him, and lowered her jaw gently. He was searching for the damage among her white teeth, his flashlight making the rounds of her small mouth. He noticed the composite filling he'd given her only 2 weeks ago, before stumbling onto the offending tooth in the lower left quadrant of her mouth. He spotted the jagged edge she'd been referring to immediately. A molar, fractured on the corner, the dentin exposed. It needed filling.
"I think we better fix this in my office." He said mournfully, moving his hand to smooth away the wrinkle in Bella's forehead. He wiped away a stray tear on her cheek with his fingertip and she nodded sadly.
He took her in his arms, and a moment later they were in the car, the glass still clasped in her hands.
Edward had chosen one of the faster cars among the Cullen's collection, and it started up obediently with a hungry growl. With one last look at Bella, he pulled out of the driveway, and sped through the forest, his foot flat on the gas.
He kept casting sideways glances at her as the vehicle raced at top speed, and Bella fought her internal voice telling him to not drive like a maniac. She was in too much pain to care. She could see the concern lining his beautiful features and remembered the grief he'd felt when she'd been hurt in the past. It must be hard to watch something so fragile she thought sympathetically.
Edward interrupted her thoughts.
"It'll be okay." He said firmly, his eyes focused on the road. She wasn't sure whether he was talking to himself or to her, but Bella nodded weakly, her voice tight with emotion.
"I'm just scared," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
The drive to the practice was shorter than expected. In 15 short minutes, they had arrived at Cullen Family Dentistry. Bella's heart sank at the sight of the familiar building. She heaved a sigh. She felt as though she could have done with more time away to recover from her previous visit, and the thought of facing another procedure filled her with dread.
Edward led her through the large wooden doors to the marble corridor she'd encountered once before. He instinctively took a sharp left through the first door to the sage room and motioned for her to make herself comfortable.
Bella's heart raced as she settled into the chair in the centre. Her hands trembled with fear and pain, fingers searching for distraction as she fidgeted with the hem of her jumper.
Edward was moving briskly around the room. He didn't want her to feel pain for any longer and rushed to prepare the necessary tools.
Bella heard the familiar *clack* of tools on a metal sheet and was aware of the slow recline of the chair, preparing herself once more for what to expect. Edward appeared slowly in her view; now masked and gloved. He moved to shine the light over her mouth and pried the glass from her hands.
"I presume the missing piece is in here?" He asked tentatively, placing the glass on the marble countertop.
She nodded, mournfully. "I wasn't sure whether you could glue it back on." She looked imploringly at him. Edward nodded a smile of understanding. He thought it was unlikely but would have a look before breaking the news.
He took up the hand mirror and Bella's mouth opened almost immediately. She must be in some pain He sympathised. The last time they'd been here, she'd needed lots of coaxing.
He took one last look at the jagged edge and removed the mirror. Moving to prepare the lidocaine. Bella watched his movements carefully.
"Well?" She asked hopefully.
Edward turned to her, now fixing the bur in place on the handpiece in his hands. "I'm sorry Bella, but I think we better fill it. It's a clean fracture, but I don't think we can risk leaving any gaps for caries to grow. Not with that much exposed dentin."
Bella looked thoughtfully up at him, lifting her head as she tried to comprehend the medical jargon. Edward paused his movements, his dark eyes meeting hers.
"It's much more complex to fit a tooth piece this big back in place." He explained. "It's not as simple as a puzzle, and if it's even partly chipped, I can't ensure a clean fit. Bacteria would just get in and cause a cavity down the line. A layered composite filling is the safer bet." He added softly, his voice calm and reassuring.
She nodded and settled her head in the reclined chair. "I trust you." She said softly, now looking up at the ceiling, trying to focus on something other than the twang in her tooth. Edward observed her carefully. He'd never do anything to betray that trust.
After a moment, he was ready, and nodded to her to open her mouth. She could feel the coolness of his skin above her as he leaned in closer, the stopper on the needle slowly moving down as Edward's other hand stroked her cheeky lovingly. She felt no pain, and no fear in that moment, only gratitude towards the man well, vampire above her.
When he was done, she felt that familiar numb feeling move through her jaw, and felt a sense of relief as the pain dissipated.
They waited a few minutes before Edward finally spoke again, asking to check how numb she was. He pried her lips open carefully, and let his fingers trace the jagged edge where the tooth had fractured. She gave no sign of any pain.
"You ready, Bella? I have to smooth out the edge then I can fill it up. It won't be too long now." His velvet voice rippled through her anxiety; novocaine for the mind.
Bella nodded and opened her mouth patiently. Edward caught her eyes momentarily, offering a slight smile of encouragement before moving to the molar with the handpiece. She could feel the pressure and vibrations again as it began to smooth the jagged edge of her tooth. She looked up into Edward's eyes for distraction, but he was deep in concentration, and did not return her gaze. He was widening the margins of the hole with assured movements and removing any sharp edges. He knew the tooth had to be flush with the filling to prevent complications down the road.
The drilling lasted only for a few minutes, and the buzzing soon came to an end. Edward admired his work silently. Surfaces smoothed, and ready for the composite, he knew he would make a fine dentist once he'd gone through the necessary social routine. His father's words rang in his head 'the earlier we start out, the longer we can stay'. He'd have to continue the façade of an untrained 17-year-old for a few years more until he could officially open the practice up to the public.
He moved to the small composite holder on the side and began to fill up the facture, layering the resin and composite fibre to form a strong bite. Once the final layer had been sealed with the blue light, he took the handpiece once more to smooth some contours into the tooth, before polishing it.
Bella's eyes had closed somewhere along the process. She was letting her mind slow, and the panic ebb away as she gave way to a new sense of peace. She allowed her trust for Edward to take the reins, knowing the practised and superhuman hands working in her mouth far outranked those of a human. Vampires do make good dentists she mused.
When Edward was sure of his work, he placed his tools on the side of the bench, and presented Bella with a bite checker, placing it over the tooth he'd been working on. She opened her brown eyes briefly and bit down a few times, opening once more for the plastic to be removed. Edward observed the tooth carefully and made some small adjustments.
Before she knew it, the chair was moving back up. Edward was placing his tools aside to be cleaned. "Feel okay, Bella?" He asked, taking in her beauty again.
She nodded, then smiled. The numbness would subside in a few hours, but she felt a sense of relief knowing her tooth had been fixed without too much trouble. "No nuts for me I think" she said with a laugh.
Edward smiled, and brushed his hand over her lips, pulling her face to meet his and planting a small kiss that left Bella breathless.
"Let's go home" he said, taking her hand once more, leading them both towards the car as the sun began to set through the trees. The pink horizon shimmered in beams between them, and Bella took a moment to observe the beauty of its hue and how it the danced off of Edward's porcelain features. He really was the best boyfriend a girl could ask for.