Disclaimer - All recognisable characters belong to their original owners. I do not make a profit from writing this; I simply do it for my own amusement. No copyright infringement intended.

PROMPT: Missed Connections

Missed Connections

"This is one of the weirdest things you have ever done… and you left a cat turd in Cai's bed."

I turned away from my laptop and turned to look at my other older brother. "Did I ask for your opinion? Um, no. So, shut it, Jas."

My brother shook his head at me. "It is weird, Ro. Isn't this stuff usually used for romantic connections, not 'I bonded over some geeky shit with a girl on the bus and now I want to find her so we can be best friends'."

"The urge to smack you gets fucking stronger every time you open your mouth," I told him, entirely sick of his negative energy.

"I'm just saying - God knows who is going to turn up. You might end up on a crime documentary, with me and Cai saying what a wonderful sister you were, and we're so fucking sad that you died looking for a fellow fanfic addict!"

"There are worse things to be addicted to," I told him. I loved fanfiction. It was my life. I was a reader and proud. I wrote too… but had yet to actually publish anything. I hadn't quite got the nerve yet.

I'd been on the bus, reading Pearly Fox's latest fic, when the girl sitting next to me tapped me on the shoulder.

"Are you reading fanfic?"

My family laughed when I told them what I liked reading, and even my closest friends didn't understand it.

I nodded, ready for her to scoff, laugh, or even mock me.

So, imagine my surprise when she grinned at me. "Me too." She produced her kindle, Pearly's fic, on the screen.

For the next twenty minutes, we bonded. We loved the way that Pearly wrote; her style of delicious smut had use squealing, dreaming of strong, dark men who could take us away. She was an amazing fucking writer.

We were so into the conversation that she nearly missed her stop and had to run off the bus. I didn't even have a chance to find out her name.

It sucked. It fucking sucked.

After a week of me moping at the fact that I'd possibly missed the chance to make a best friend for life, my dad suggested that I try and find the mysterious fangirl using Facebook.

So, that's precisely what I did. I posted in a local group with my name, what bus I was on, and what the girl looked like. I finished with the line "One foxy pearl to another", hoping that would be enough of a clue as to why I was trying to find her.

Turning back to the computer, I scrolled through my notifications, disappointment filling me when nothing of interest came up. "Crap," I muttered, angrily shutting the lid of my laptop.

Jasper, who was leaning against the counter, eyed me wearily. "I assume that means you haven't found the mystery woman?"

"No," I said, feeling completely deflated. "Just shitty notifications."

"If it's meant to be, you'll run into her again."

I looked at my brother. "You've been spending too much time with Alice." She was into all that stuff.

"Well, she is my girlfriend."

I chuckled. "Come on," I said, standing, trying not to feel too disappointed. I only put the post on Facebook two days ago. There was still time. "I want food."

"You always want food," Jas said, jumping from the side and falling into step next to me. "You could out eat me and Cai."

I winked at him. "You know it."

Excitement flared through my veins as I ran through the house and into my brother's bedroom. Even though I was twenty-three and a fully functioning adult, I jumped on his bed, bouncing up and down, my feet on either side of Jasper.

I jumped up and down, my movements eventually having the desired effect as Jasper was bounced around the mattress.

"What the fuck, Ro?" he explained, clearly not at all pleased at how I had woke him.

"I found her! I fucking found her, Jas!" I screeched - akin to a demented banshee. "She commented on my post and then added me and then sent me a message! She lives in Forks, not Port Angeles!"

Jasper grabbed my calves, making me wobble. "Stop!"

I ceased my jumping and begrudgingly got down on the bed, kneeling next to Jasper as I waved my phone in his face. "See! Her name's Bella, and she remembers me!"

Jas raked his fingers through his hair and then snatched the phone from my grip. He read over the few messages we had exchanged. "You're arranging to meet her?" he asked, pulling his eyes up to me and looking like I had just offered her one of my ovaries.

"Yeah - there's a craft fair a Sappho this weekend, so we're both going to go and meet up."

"Rose - you can't," Jasper said with all the exaggeration of a parent trying to talk to their child. "You don't know her. You don't know if this is the same person. It's not safe."

"Don't be ridiculous," I told him, rolling my eyes. "She knows about Pearly and who Doe is." That wouldn't mean anything to him, but to fans of Pearly Fox, everyone knew who had earned that nickname.

"I don't care," Jasper said, clicking onto her profile. "Look! She hasn't even got a profile picture, just a silhouette of her and some dude. What if this is a creepy old man?"

"I don't think creepy old men read porn stories about fictional characters," I told Jas, my face completely deadpan.

Jas sighed and then looked at me. "You're going to do this, aren't you, regardless of what I say."

I nodded my head and crossed my arms over my chest. "Absolutely."

"Fuck. Fine. What time are we leaving on Saturday?"

"What?" That had not been the response I was expecting.

"What time are we leaving? You're not going alone, so that means I have to come with you."

"No, it doesn't," I tried to argue. "I'll take the pepper spray mom got me."

"Nope," Jasper said, stretching, his blond hair in disarray around his head as his muscles strained. "Not up for negotiation. Either you don't go, or I come with you."

I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I didn't want Jasper to come. I wouldn't fully be able to explore my fangirl side with him there, watching me like a hawk. But I wanted to see her. I wanted to see this girl who I was sure would become my new best friend - I just knew we'd be closer than sisters.

So, because I am the youngest of three children and the only girl, I did the only thing I could. "I'll tell mom and dad about the time you smoked pot in your bedroom, and then you fell out the window." I crossed my arms over my chest. I could play dirty if I wanted to.

I glared at Jasper as we drove to Sappho. It turns out that mom and dad were fully aware of what happened the night Jas broke his arm. They knew about the pot and the falling out of the window; they just didn't tell Jas they knew.

The result? They couldn't care less but told me that Jas was coming with me. That or they were going to fly down from Chicago and come with me. Now that I did not need. Hence the reason I was sat with Jasper.

Bella - my fellow fangirl - understood completely. She had an older brother who had also insisted on coming in case I was some kind of murderer. It was another thing we bonded over - deeply protective brother's. Bella was luckier than I was, though; she only had the one, whereas I had Jasper and Caius to contend with.

"Stop sulking," Jas told me, briefly sparing me a glance before his eyes returned to the road. "I promise not to get in your way; I just want to make sure that you're safe."

I sighed because I knew that. And I knew it was safer to bring someone with me. That didn't mean I had to like it, though.

By the time we had parked the car and were making our way to the craft fair, I was a nervous fucking wreck. I'd chosen to wear a black blazer with a white t-shirt underneath, tight blue jeans, and brown boots. Was it too formal? Not formal enough? What would Bella be wearing? From the few pictures that Bella had on Facebook, she seemed to have perfected a 'cool street' style - something I could never pull off. What if Bella took one look at me and decided she didn't want to be friends with a fat loser? It wouldn't be the first time.

"Chill, Ro," Jasper said, slinging his arm over my shoulders and pulling me close. "You look great, and this chick is going to be thrilled to meet you."

I blushed and knocked his shoulder with mine as a silent thank you.

As we approached the craft fair, colorful banners and balloons decorating the shops and confetti on the pavement, a voice called out.

"Rose?" I turned and was met with a familiar face.

Bella was stood looking at me, the biggest grin on her face. She was wearing a grey sweatshirt, skinny jeans, and a black pair of converse. A dark blue baseball hat was on her head, and her dark brown tresses were loose around her shoulders. She was the epitome of relaxed.

I opened my mouth, ready to issue some kind of greeting, when she ran at me, a squeal leaving her lips. Her thin arms wrapped around me, and she gave me a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh my God! I can't believe you're actually here!" she exclaimed with excitement. "My stupid brother said you might not come, but here you are!" Pulling back, she bit her lip and looked at me. Her face was full of excitement, her brown eyes bright.

"Here I am," I said, feeling slightly overwhelmed that I was finally meeting Bella in person. It was probably somewhat silly, but talking with Bella for those twenty minutes had been so much fun. We had so much in common, and talking to her was easy.

Bella smiled and hugged me again. This time, I hugged her back.

A cough made us pull apart.

"Sorry," I apologised. "Bella, this is my brother, Jasper. Jasper, this is Bella - the creepy old man."

Jasper had the decency to flush as Bella just laughed.

"Hello, Bella."

"Hi," she greeted back, giving him a small wave.

"I didn't say you were a creepy old man," Jas clarified, a dark colour covering his cheeks. "I said you might be of been a creepy old man."

"It's not a problem. My brother thought you might be a murderer," Bella said, winking at me. "He's just parking the car - shall we go and get a drink?"

I nodded my head as Bella looped her arm through mine, and we headed to one of the cafes on the corner.

For about five minutes, we just talked - at a speed, I don't think anyone else could understand if the look on Jasper's face was anything to go by. Pearly had posted a new fic that morning, and we were both fangirling over it.

"I mean, seriously, she's just such a fucking talented writer!" Bella exclaimed before she took a sip of her smoothie.

"I know, right?" It was as if Bella and I had been friends since we were little.

Bella looked over my shoulder. "Finally!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

I turned.

It was a fucking wonder my panties didn't fall off there and then.

Holy fucking shit.

It was like a character right out of Pearly's fics had walked down the street. He was tall, about six six with black ink covering sections of his body. His hair was dark, and there was a light smattering of stubble across his jaw.

"Chill, Bells. There was nowhere to fucking park."

I drank him in. Jesus. No one should look that good. No one should be that ripped in real life. Fuck. I wanted a taste.

Bella rolled her eyes and then gestured to me. "Well, I've my met murderer," she joked, and I blushed, looking down and then back up only to be met with the bluest eyes I had ever seen,

Whereas Bella's were the color of melted chocolate - the type that you dip marshmallows and strawberries into her - this man's were the colour of the sky on a clear blue day.

His eyes widen when he saw me and then settled, a slight grin curving at the corners of his mouth. "You must be Rose."

Suddenly, my mouth was incredibly dry, and I'd forgotten how to talk. Instead, I nodded.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Rose; I'm Emmett - Bella's brother."

"It's nice to meet you, too," I finally said, taking a sip of my hot chocolate.

Jasper glanced at the two of us and then Bella. "And I'm Jasper, in case anyone was wondering."

As if on instinct, I answered him. "No one was wondering."

Emmett chuckled at my words, a deep laugh that had my nipples straining under my top. He sat down next to Bella and opposite Jas, leaning across to shake his hand.

"See?" I said, turning to Jas. "No one is going to end up on a crime documentary. You and Cai won't have to give statements or anything."

Jasper rolled his eyes as Bella giggled.

"Cai's your oldest brother, right?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Yep. He's twenty-seven and lords it over me and Jas." I was acutely aware of Emmett's eyes on me. It made my skin prickle in a good way.

"I know how that feels," Bella joked, playfully elbowing Emmett in his very well muscled stomach.

"Hey! I'm a good brother!" Emmett complained, making me laugh.

When he heard the sound, he shot me a wink.

It did dangerous things to me. I shifted in my seat, rubbing my thighs together.

My movements didn't escape Emmett's notice. His eyes darkened, heat blazing through them.

I'd been so focused on Emmetting and trying (and failing) not to think about all the things his sinfully wonderful lips could do to me that the ringing of a phone made me quite literally jump out of my seat.

"Sorry," Bella apologised, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "It's Edward - my boyfriend."

Raising from her seat, Bella began talking to Edward as she took a few steps away from the table.

"He's a lovesick fool," Emmett said, watching Bella for a few seconds before he turned back to Jas and I. "They've been together since high school."

"I'm pretty sure that's how Rose would describe me," Jas joked. His relationship with Alice was sweet - it was so fucking obvious that he worshipped the ground she walked on.

"I wouldn't use the word fool," I told him. "Maybe fuckwit, but not fool."

"Have you got a girlfriend, Emmett?" Jas asked, sipping at his coffee.

"Nah," Emmett's eyes found mine, and I felt my cheeks heat. "I'm single." He cocked his head to the side. "What about you, Rose?"

I swallowed. "I'm single, too."

"She hasn't met 'the one' yet," Jas said.

"Hey!" I said defensively. "Just because you fell in love with Alice the second you saw her doesn't mean we all do."

"When you know, you know," Jas said, unembarrassed by his feelings for Alice.

"Yeah," Emmett said, staring straight at me. "You do."

I wanted to try something a bit different with this one.