Chapter 1
The Cave
The cave was damp and cool, putting it at odds with the seasonal warmth just outside the mouth. Weighted down with gear, Bella pointed her flashlight in the direction of the south wall where the dig's mammoth scaffolding stood. Taking a moment to appreciate the paintings her team was preserving, she pondered how many generations of people had called this shelter home. Shaking her head, she continued to pan around the open space until the darkness of the cave swallowed the glow.
"Felix, where do you need me today?" she asked.
The hulking shape of the dig foreman lumbered behind her, narrowly missing the trench that contained several students digging contentedly through the sandy soil. He was a bit of a mystery to everyone on site. Hired by the benefactors of the project, he kept their identities a closely guarded secret. In addition to his enormous size and propensity for intrigue, his voice held the slightest hint of an accent and he wore oddly tinted glasses no matter where he was. They wrapped around his face, effectively hiding any real glimpse of his eyes.
Combined with his voice and size, the effect just made him seem creepier. Something about him always made Bella uneasy.
"Your area is roped off about 50 meters back," he barked, giving his statement the feel of an order.
"Thanks. Can I get some floods back there? I'll never be able to find anything with this little lantern."
"Yes, fine," he responded, and then turned back to the cave opening to snap orders at one of the many students milling about.
After a short time, Bella finished setting her site up with the proper lighting and began roping and marking her grid. She was nothing if not meticulous in her duties and the OCD she was teased about mercilessly growing up was a true benefit now.
Archaeology was a practice in patience, solitude and perfection. Bella often lost herself in the soil, forgetting the world around her in order to delve deeper into the knowledge hidden beneath mountains of sand, clay, and rock. This was her meditation, her escape from the pressure of parents, colleagues, and superiors. This was home.
Headphones on, she hummed quietly to her favorite tunes while continuing her careful digging well into the evening. Taking time to record her data with painstaking detail, she checked her finds against both her sketch of the area, and her catalogue.
So far she had found nothing out of the ordinary: a few shards of chiseled flint, animal bone, and petrified dung. They were searching for pieces of a long-dead culture that scholars had precious little information on and it seemed she'd have to dig through more ancient crap, quite literally, to come up with anything of value.
-BS-
From a few meters away Angela, Bella's friend and colleague called for her. Angela immediately recognized the specific hunch of Bella's shoulders and look of deep concentration etched on her dirt-smeared face. Her friend was so caught up in the thrill of the chase that she didn't even hear her name as Angela continued to raise her voice. Angela was the opposite of Bella in almost every way possible. She was outgoing, outspoken, and tall, very tall. The only real similarity was the color of their hair and eyes. Angela had taken to calling Bella her "mini me" and Bella never tried to deny it. The five inch height difference was extremely pronounced when the two women stood beside one another. They were the closest of colleagues and friends, both of which they treasured and worked hard to maintain. Of course, when they were on the same dig it was quite easy. The strings of their friendship were strong enough to withstand long-term separation because once they were reunited it was as if no time had passed at all.
Angela shook her head, sighed, and laughed at her friend's lack of attention before walking close enough to touch her.
"SHIT, ANG! When the zebra's in the zone, leave her alone! Damn it, you could have said something." Bella panted and laughed.
Angela knew the shock of being snuck up on always left Bella temporarily without her verbal filter, which honestly only worked half the time anyway. She would concede that she was lucky Bella quoted Madagascar and not Boogie Nights this time.
"Bella, my dear deaf friend, did you really just quote an animated movie? You spend far too much time alone, woman. Back to the matter at hand, I did say something, a lot of somethings in fact, but as per the norm you were so wrapped up in what you were doing that you zoned the rest of us out. It's time to call it a night and come eat. I doubt you've eaten anything all day," Angela sighed.
She knew Bella well enough to know that once the dig latched hold of her she wouldn't stop for anything. It had fallen to her more times than she cared to count to make sure Bella ate, drank, or bathed for that matter. Bella was quite simply impossibly involved in her work. Good for the dig, bad for her friend's nonexistent personal life.
"We're in France for fuck's sake. Let's go enjoy the local cuisine and scope out the smarmy French bastards who are sure to come on to you in their native tongue." Angela wiggled her eyebrows suggestively but knew her friend's reaction to that statement would be total dismissal.
Right on cue, Bella let loose her signature eye roll, huff, and sigh. Angela had her friends number, knew when to use it, and Bella never disappointed.
"Angela, could you, just this once, not go there? It was once and he was NASTY!" she exclaimed.
"Fine, I won't go there. But get your dirty ass out of that hole so we can get back to the house and freshen up. I'm starving and there is a glass of wine in some quaint café with my name on it."
After scrubbing the grime of a cave floor off of her body, Bella dressed in a light summer dress and sandals, happy to be free of the practical clothes and gear of her day. Stepping out of her room in the cozy cottage she and Angela shared with two other women, she felt clean, light, and famished.
As they made their way to the center of the village Angela decided on Café Le Jardin, one of only three eating establishments in the town. They picked a table outside and ordered their dinners while discussing the site.
"So, did you find anything of interest today? We've uncovered more of the paintings but the new stuff is far more advanced in both complexity and technique. Without dating we don't know for sure but they can't possibly be from the same time," Angela mused.
"That's crazy. Can you point it out tomorrow? I don't have an artist's eye like you, but I might be able to approximate dates for you. I didn't really find anything out of the ordinary today. Some seriously petrified animal shit but seeing as how it's a cave I expected that. I do have a lot more digging to do and there's an area just a little further down that seems more promising." Bella sat back after taking a big bite of her food, feeling extremely relaxed. She was enjoying the company and the copious amounts of wine they were both inhaling.
"Oh, did you hear they hired another archaeologist?" Angela asked.
"What the hell do we need with another fucking newbie? I just know it's gonna fall to me to train their sorry ass too, just wait and see."
"My understanding is he is hardly a newbie, so I doubt training will be necessary. Aaaaaaand, he's supposed to be seriously HOT! Beth told me, and I quote, 'He is so beautiful it hurt to look at him'," Angela said with a giggle, wiggling her eyebrows for added effect.
"Whatever. Beth would think Eric Yorkie from back home was hot. She's a sheltered girl, it's sad really. Besides, beautiful or not, he will be here to work and I won't be taking the time to get to know him. He's welcome to all the Beths, Laurens, and Jessicas he can handle. I'll just stay in my little earthen holes and dig to my heart's content," Bella replied.
"Bells, do you ever plan on letting go and realizing that not all guys are like Paul? I mean it was, what, three years ago?" Angela moaned.
"What does this have to do with the new guy, Ang? Yes, it was three years ago, and all he did was solidify my already preformed notion of how crappy being in a relationship can be. In time I might like to have a dude to hang with again but right now it's just a distraction I don't need. END. OF. DISCUSSION!"
Paul had been Bella's last relationship and her most serious to date. He wasn't a particularly likeable guy but they had their passion for work in common and the sex wasn't half bad. Looking back, Bella realized there were a lot of signs of his infidelity but being so wrapped up in her studies made it easy to ignore.
She had never really given her heart to him, so when she walked in to find him screwing her step-sister Leah over her favorite leather reading chair, all she felt was anger. She was terrified that they might damage the chair and sorry that she was too late to warn her sister about his philandering ways. Kicking him out, she wished Leah luck, and cleaned her chair until it no longer smelled of fast food and sex. Each wipe of the chemical laden rag brought a sense of relief knowing she had one less annoying complication to deal with. Her heart and emotions were still firmly in place and in no danger of failing her any time soon. But the sting of rejection at the hands of such an asshole would haunt her for a very long time.
"Fine, so no action between you and Mr. Beautiful. I was hoping to live vicariously through you, seeing as how I have Ben, but I'll drop it. It's late and we should probably get back and get some sleep. Not only do we have the new guy starting tomorrow, but Felix is leaving and will be gone for two weeks. That means the thankless job of showing this "god among men" will fall on your capable shoulders," Angela laughed.
"Just fucking great! Didn't I tell you I'd have to baby-sit the newbie? SHIT!" Bella stood and stretched before setting off at hard pace for the house and her nice comfortable bed. Her day tomorrow would be filled with less of what she loved and more of what she loathed.
"Fuck my life, I'm sure the asshole won't even appreciate me wasting my time," she slurred into her pillow. Within seconds of that irritated curse, the wine took her under and only the soft sounds of her snores could be heard.
Chapter 1
The Newbie a.k.a Mr. Beautiful
After partaking in more than their fair share of the delicious wine the night before, both Bella and Angela felt like their mouths were lined with wool and their heads full of little men with jackhammers. BIG ASS JACKHAMMERS.
"Ang, remind me to stop after one fucking glass next time," Bella whined.
"Holy shit, I feel like… Fuck, I feel like shit! Coffee and hot showers, that's what we need. You shower and I'll make some of my triple strength, hangover remedy, singe the hair off a goat coffee. Mmm'k?" Angela whispered, afraid that if she tried to talk any louder her brain would drain from her ears.
"Right, to the shower!" Bella shuffled to the bathroom while Angela set up the tools for the coffee, and once ensconced in the liquid warmth of its spray she began pondering her day.
The idea of showing a new member of the team the ropes didn't necessarily bother her, though she would rather be working her area. No, what bothered her were the stares and whispers the duo would surely receive if her new colleague was indeed as handsome as Angela claimed. Bella didn't mind having the attention focused on her but would much rather it be for her efforts and not for the eye candy she was forced to show around.
Sighing heavily, she continued to let the water work the nasty remnants of the wine out and then stepped out to dry and dress, hoping Angela was done making her disgusting but effective libation.
Her hopes were realized as she stepped into the small kitchen to see her friend chugging her coffee with a slightly wrinkled nose.
"Is it working this morning?" Bella queried quietly.
"Ask me after my shower. It's super nasty this time. Prepare for full on whiskey face."
"Thanks, I'll do that," Bella chuckled at Angela's mention of a whiskey face. Both women had a difficult time hiding their distaste of most hard liquors but whiskey was by far the worst, and anytime they drank it their faces would screw up in the most comical way.
Shaking her head, she reached for the coffee carafe and poured herself a steaming cup of yuk, sending a silent prayer to the goddess of hangover remedies that it would do the job so she could face Mr. Beautiful without vomiting on him.
-BS-
Just as she was going to pull the file she needed there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Bella plastered her most welcoming smile on her face and sat up to greet Mr. Cullen.
Had she actually taken Beth's description more seriously she would have been better prepared for the vision of male perfection before her. She had, however, not really taken those words to heart, and was now struck dumb by Mr. Beautiful in all his tall, lean, chiseled, and tousled bronzed hair glory.
He wore what she would call the Uniform…khaki cargo pants, dark t-shirt, hiking boots, and sunglasses. She had seen dozens of men and women wearing the same thing but never, ever had it looked this delicious.
As he shifted his weight, Bella noticed the muscular cut of his calf as it flexed and the desire to lick it was nearly too strong to resist. The further up her eyes roamed, the stronger the urge became so she opted to skip over the one part she most wanted to study, even through his clothes. The planes of his abs and chest were visible through his perfectly fitted shirt and begged to be fondled. Raising his arm to take off his glasses she noticed the the shape of his biceps and forearms looked strong and toned but not bulky. Finally, she reached his face, all angular lines, pouty lips, and caramel colored eyes. The man belonged on a sundae or a banana split…he was edible, she was sure of it. His jaw alone could melt panties with minimal effort.
Before finally meeting his eyes, she decided to just ruin herself and her underwear by staring openly at the front of his shorts. What she saw made her mouth pop open and her mind reel. He was packing some major heat and she had never wanted x-ray vision more.
Holy mother, Mr. Beautiful doesn't even begin to cover it. More like Mr. Big-Dick-Sex-me-up-til-I-scream-your-name.
-BS-
More time passed as they both stood and stared, the creak of the door was the only thing to break their mutual trance.
"Hey Bells, is the new…" Angela's voice faded as she wrapped her mind around the scene in front of her. A sly smile lit the corner of her mouth before she continued. "Uh, hi. I'm Angela Weber, resident art historian and restorer of all things painted." She held her hand out to the Adonis in front of her and gasped at the coldness of the hand that encased hers moments later.
"Oh, uh, sorry about that. I have a circulatory problem and my hands are always freezing. My name's Edward, Edward Cullen. It's nice to meet you Angela."
"Likewise. Well, I'll leave you alone with our fearless leader so you can get acquainted with our little piece of archaeological heaven," she said as she backed out of the door, leaving a bewildered and slightly dizzy Bella with a wink.
"Shit. I'm so sorry for being rude. I'm Bella Swan and I have the honor of showing you the ropes today."
"Bella, it's nice to meet you. You have a beautiful name. Are you Italian?" Edward asked, tilting his head slightly and smiling.
Bella was so caught by his melodious voice and captivating smile that she had a hard time processing his questions.
"Uh, well um… I'm sorry, what did you ask again?" She shook her head as if to clear it, silently willing the awe induced fuzz away so she could keep from looking like a lust crazed fool.
"Are you Italian?" he repeated.
"No, but I guess my name is. My full name is Isabella, after Isabella Rossellini, my mother's choice. I prefer Bella because it's easy to shout. We do a lot of shouting at one another on these digs," she laughed. She might as well tell him her life's story while she's at, she thought.
"I'm aware. This isn't my first rodeo, so to speak. Felix mentioned some paperwork when I spoke with him last. Should I do that first or would you rather wait?"
"Yes, right. Here it is. Top copy is yours to keep and then I need you to sign where you find the taped arrows. I'll leave you to it and be back in about ten minutes?"
"That's fine. I'll just wait here if I'm done sooner," Edward said.
Stepping out of the small trailer Bella sucked in a large breath and held it, trying to regulate her breathing and bring her heart rate back down. The man she left to sign papers had undone her carefully crafted façade of indifference in milliseconds and she was none too happy about it.
He was attractive, to be sure, and seemed a nice enough person but she didn't have time to fawn over some guy. Especially not some guy she had to work with daily for an undisclosed period of time. Her only response to her psyche's banter was a resounding"FUCK"!
Pushing off the flimsy door, she went in search of more coffee. She was sure Angela's death drink this morning had rid her of the after effects of the wine, but the arrival of Mr. Cullen had made her stomach flutter and her head spin again.
After chatting with several students and pouring an overly large cup of coffee, she headed back to Felix's trailer to get the tour underway.
Once at the door, she could hear what appeared to be a rather serious conversation Mr. Buttery Voice was having with someone she assumed he was on the phone with. After consideration, she decided to eaves drop with the intention of simply learning more about the mysterious man. She rationalized that it would make it easier to work with him is she knew things like whether or not he was gay, or married, or turned on by short brunettes with foul mouths.
-BS-
"FUCK!"
That one word out of her mouth did things to him he couldn't have ever imagined. His already painful protrusion gained a level of hardness not known to mortal man, and he briefly wondered if he had time to take care of it. Deciding it would be difficult to hide the evidence, he pictured Emmett and Rose in flagrante delicto. He had never been happier that Emmett had absolutely no mental filter in regards to his and Rose's…escapades.
THAT DID IT! Masturbatory crisis averted!
Settling back into the chair, Edward finished the paperwork before Bella could land on the last stair, giving him 9 minutes and 45 seconds to kill. He opted to call the family and give them an update, knowing they were all anxious to know more about the girl whose life he was there to protect.
Inhaling sharply, purely out of habit, he thought about Alice's vision that prompted his trip here. She had let him view the scene as she had, so that he would understand, and still he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that it invoked.
A young woman digging diligently in a hole. There is a presence around her, watching and waiting, wondering if she is the one that will find the link to his humanity. He struggles with whether or not he should really give it up to those who will destroy it and keep the status quo. The storm behind his eyes is evident through the tinted glasses.
The scene changes and Edward sees himself with the same young woman whose smile is as big as her face. She found it, and now he must help her protect it as well as her. This tablet holds the key to his kind's past and it is imperative that they be the ones to decipher the text and save its message for eternity.
Breaking himself free of the memories and the new feelings he had for the woman he was waiting on, he hit the speed dial for his home and waited for an answer.
"Carlisle, it's Edward."
"Good to hear from you, son. How was your first day? Did you meet the woman in Alice's vision?"
"I did, her name is Bella Swan," he sighed, "and she's not what I expected." Edward wasn't sure how much to share with Carlisle about his reaction to her.
"She has a beautiful name," Carlisle mused, "but your tone is a touch ominous. Would you care to elaborate?" he asked.
"There is something about her that just draws me in. I can't explain it, but it's like I know her."
"Are you having difficulty being near her?" Carlisle asked.
"At first I thought that might be an issue, but after just a few minutes with her, though the burn was still strong, I felt more drawn to her mind and body. I've never met anyone like her. It's confusing and, to make matters worse, I can't hear a damned thought in her head. Everyone around her comes in loud and clear but she is completely silent. It's fucking unnerving but nothing I can't handle. Does Alice have any more information?" Edward scrubbed his face hard with his hands, trying to rid himself of Bella's image and the multitude of questions he had because of her.
"Yes, and she's been bouncing around the house waiting for you to call. Something about a new vision and you meeting her best friend before she does. Very Alice." Carlisle laughed lightly and covered the phone with his hand as he called for Alice.
"Bon jour, mon frere," Alice sang.
"Hi, Alice. What do you have for me?" Edward chose to ignore Alice's attempt at getting him to converse in one of the many languages he was fluent in. He just didn't have it in him today.
"Really, not even a return hello in French? You are such a killjoy Edward. Anyway, I had another vision last night but it involved another vampire. All I could tell was that he was large and Bella was holding some kind of slate. Do you know if there is any of our kind there?" Alice asked, her voice had lost its bounce and she was all business.
"No, but I have a feeling the guy that hired me is one or is in contact with one because his office was saturated in the scent. Why do you ask?"
"There was a lot of fear emanating from Bella in the vision. I'm not sure where I'm getting it from but I know whoever is there is with the Volturi. You need to tread carefully. I'm not sure what will happen when this other person realizes you're a vampire too," Alice said quietly. A few short beats later she was back to her bubbly sounding self as she issued a firm but loving warning to Edward. "Just so you know, Bella and I are going to be the closest of friends so don't go being a complete dickhead or we'll never get her to visit so I can meet her."
"Alice, I think you're mental and the probability of Bella stepping anywhere near our home, given she is across the ocean from it as we speak, is highly unlikely. I will, however, reign in my asshole-ish tendencies and try my hardest to be kind and civil." Edward hesitated to ask the next question, knowing it might set off alarms for Alice, but he needed to know the answer. "Have you seen me hurting her in any of your visions?"
"Don't worry Edward, you won't hurt her. There's something special about her. Something you'll understand better in time. But like I said, if you ruin my chances of meeting her I will kick your ass myself." With that Alice hung up, leaving Edward with his jaw nearly touching the floor and his mind once again muddled with thoughts of the strange woman he was waiting on.
-BS-
Did he like her? What did he mean "Will I hurt her"? Fuck me, he's hot but now I'm thinking he might be nuts.
Gathering her courage and successfully calming her blush, she opened the door with as much noise as possible. What she saw brought the color back to her face in a flash. Edward was lounging in his chair, feet propped on the desk, looking for all the world like he belonged right there. The only thing missing was a cigarette and a highball of scotch.
"Are you ready to see the sites, Mr. Cullen?" she asked.
"Lead on, Ms. Swan! Oh, and please call me Edward. It's hardly fitting to be called something so formal while digging around in the dirt, don't you think?" he mused.
"Okay. Well, then please call me Bella. Remember, it's easier to yell." Her thoughts immediately went to all the places she would like to hear him yell it, in bed, in the car, over the table…much easier to yell.
As they exited the trailer, they both felt much more at ease in the other's company. The questions could wait for another day, as Bella thought that her day might actually turn into something of worth, even if she didn't get much actual digging done.
-BS-
"That sounds brilliant. Until they get more lighting back there, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Not really. I've lost so much time today that I think I'll just make my rounds and check on everyone else's progress. I have a bad habit of getting started on my own site and not stopping, which would be even worse today since I'd be starting so late. Would you like to wander around with me and take a little more time to see what we've uncovered?"
"Sure." Edward motioned with his arm for her to walk ahead.
As they walked from hole to hole, Edward's confidence grew and he began asking all the questions that had been filling his mind since he had laid eyes on the woman beside him.
"Did you always want to be an Archaeologist?" he asked softly.
"Not really. I mean, all little girls want to be an actress or ballerina but my hopes for the life on stage or screen were dashed when I was young. I was terribly shy and at my very first ballet recital I vomited all over the first row." She laughed at the memory. Wiping the tears from her eyes before she continued. "The horrified look on their faces as I let loose the Fruit Loops and mac and cheese all over their lovely suits and dresses was classic. Needless to say, I quit ballet and took up karate. Why I chose archaeology is still a little bit of a mystery. I suppose because I love history and I love to read, it seemed like a great choice. Then you add getting to play in the dirt and I was sold!"
Edward was laughing so hard he had to bend over to calm himself. Before he could ask his next question Bella spoke.
"How about you? Did you have wild Indiana Jones fantasies when you were a kid?"
"No, my dad's love for history just kind of rubbed off, I guess." Not wanting to lie to her he changed the subject as quickly as he could. "Have you known Angela long? You seemed to be real friends, which is always rare on a dig."
"Pfft," Bella blew air through her lips. "Ang and I have been friends since grade school. We went to Arizona State University together because neither of us wanted to be far from home. We grew up in Phoenix," she shrugged her shoulders, "and I guess we've sort of followed each other when we could ever since. She's not always on my digs but if there's a chance I can recommend her for a spot, I will."
"That's pretty cool to be able to work with your best friend. Occasionally, I get to do a project with my brother Jasper, but usually I'm kind of on my own. What do your parents think of you traipsing all over the world?" Edward asked. He was enjoying himself and the conversation was a good distraction from his real purpose.
"At first, my dad was set on coming with me to each and every dig. He's a retired cop and I am his only daughter. I'm sure you can put those pieces together. My mom, she just thinks it's all adventure and artifacts covered in gold and jewels. I think I've been doing it so long that they just kind of don't think about it anymore, you know?"
"I suppose. I understand your dad's view though. I'd never let you out of my sight if you were mine," he whispered not meaning to actually say it out loud. He just couldn't wrap his brain around the emotions her proximity brought out.
They continued their talk, getting to know one another through stories and debate. It made Edward feel more human than he had in a century, and he realized he didn't want to let it go.
The crazy, filter-less, beautiful woman beside him had managed to wiggle her way into his long silent heart and if that hadn't been enough to undo him then the lust that raged in his mind and groin would.
Chapter 3
Dig and Discover
Bella couldn't deny the strange connection and attraction she had formed with Edward during their time together. Their discussions about the site and their lives just made him that much more attractive, though thinking back to all that was said, she realized he was less forthcoming with his life than she was with hers.
She knew that should bother her, but the little voice of reason in her head seemed to be giving her the verbal thumbs-up every time she glanced at him or even thought his name. No doubt it was also stricken mute by his fuck-hot good looks and dazzling charm. This was an absolute first for her and she was oddly at peace with the swirling feeling in her stomach, mind, and lady bits, as well as her increased heart-rate when he was near.
She thought of him in a way she had never thought of a man before. She was drawn to his humor, intelligence, and love for his family. In the past the feelings she had for the opposite sex were clearly delineated. There was lust or friendship. With Edward the mixture was even and the pull was strong for both. There was also no denying the physical attraction that charged the air between them when they were close or the comfortable conversation they could carry on for hours. His mind could seduce her intellect and his body could to the same for the rest of her. He'd be an adventure for all her senses…in bed, in the woods, in the library…
Oh the places we could go, my beautiful man.
For the first time in her adult life she wanted a man to want her in every way. She wished she knew if he felt an ounce of what she did.
-BS-
"Damn it!" Edward exclaimed, raking his hand through his hair and pacing the small confines of the apartment he had rented in the village. He was going stir crazy in the cramped space but saw no real solution to his problem: Bella Swan, archeologist extraordinaire and current star of all his pornographically charged daydreams.
If he sat and pondered the situation too long, his thoughts would automatically turn to her. From there his reflections became more personal in nature. Specifically, Bella Swan naked, underneath him, on top of him, in front of him…you get the idea.
To that his thought remained those of a gentleman, he forced himself to solve difficult mathematical equations, translate ancient texts from memory, and even recite every known leader of every country from ancient times through modern day.
Glancing at the clock, like he had every minute on the minute for the last six hours, he realized he only had a few more of those agonizing clicks of the hour hand before he could show up at the site and not raise an alarm.
In the meantime he would see just how high he could count before the numbness of boredom would overtake him…again.
-BS-
"Edward? Is that you?" she asked.
"Yes, my sweet. I've wanted to have you to myself all day," he cooed.
His breath smelled of sweet basil and mint. Cool, refreshing, and earthy. It floated over her skin and raised the flesh, though she felt like she was on fire everywhere else.
"Why?" she asked.
"You must know I want you, my beautiful Bella. I want to feel you under my hands and hear you moan my name." He was standing directly behind her, his hands ghosting over her tight stomach, raising her shirt to touch the bare skin underneath.
"I want you too. I've never met a man so beautiful and bold. Please, I'm yours for the taking," she moaned, sinking into his chest and molding herself to him.
"Your wish, my lovely." With that, he moved in front of her and began stripping her of her bothersome clothing. No time was wasted on a seductive striptease. The anticipation was already thick and they both just wanted completion, quickly.
Lying down on the cold hard dirt of the cave floor, Edward pressed himself between Bella's legs, nudging her knees apart until he could settle himself comfortably.
"I'm afraid slow and gentle isn't an option tonight, my love, but I promise to take care of your needs before my own," he said as he forcefully pushed his way…
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP, BEEP-BEEP-BEEP…
Bella swung her hand in the general direction of her bedside table, pissed off that the best sex dream she could ever remember having was cock-blocked by the grating beep of the alarm clock.
"Son of a mother goat and all the fucking saints! Come here, you cock blocking bitch!" She mumbled into her pillow, grabbing the offending device and throwing it at the far wall.
"Take it easy there, She-Ra. What the hell did that poor clock do to you?" Angela laughed sleepily.
Bella was not a morning person and quite often she was informed that her pissy attitude came off as comical.
Angela continued with a shit eating grin. "Oh, and can you keep your nocturnal sexcapades down from now on? Some of us actually prefer to sleep at night, though from the sounds of it Mr. Moan-My-Name-Not-So-Slow-and-Gentle made quite an impression."
"SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP. ANG!" Bella yelled and threw her pillow in Angela's general direction, missing her completely, of course.
She was more than aware that she talked in her sleep, and if she hadn't been able to room with Angela she would have requested a single for that very reason.
Having her best friend give her a ration of shit because she had obviously made all sorts of lewd and highly entertaining noises and comments was not how she had hoped her day would start.
"Ang, can you please not give me crap today. I have to work right next to the new dude all day. It will be hard enough to look at him and remember what I dreamt about without blushing. Having you make not so subtle innuendos on top of that might push me over the edge."
"Hehehe, you said hard," Angela snorted.
"Seriously, how fucking old are you? So, are you going to leave it here in this room or do I have to sit on you and practice my loogie control to keep you from talking?" Bella demanded.
She had a veritable arsenal of juvenile torture tactics from which to pull and Angela had been at the receiving end of several more than once in their friendship.
"Christ on a cracker, Bells! You suck the fun outta everything for me. What good is it to have a roomie who does play-by-play of her sexy dreams, while asleep I might add, if I can't give you shit about them?" She crossed her arms and huffed. "Fine, it stays here. BUT, I reserve the right to bring it up if you pick on me about Ben or my height," Angela said, quirking her eyebrow before adding, "let's just see if you can go a whole day without spewing one Amazon joke, my friend."
Angela had Bella's number and she knew it. Bella decided her best strategy would be to go along with it and just make herself as busy as possible so she wouldn't be tempted.
"Fine, no jokes about your height or your boyfriend. Now, do you want to shower first or can I?"
-BS-
As they came to the opening, they heard what sounded like singing. To be honest, it could have been a dying cat with its high pitched screeching suddenly falling to a low moan. It sounded terrible.
Sneaking their way into the cave, they both noticed illumination deep in the first "hall" off the initial main room. The bright lights were coming from the area close to where Bella's dig was which left only one real possibility.
Edward "Fuck me side-ways" Cullen.
"Ang, you realize that's Mr. Beautiful, right?" Bella snickered. It felt good knowing that while he might be beautiful, eloquent, and a damned good archeologist (she had Googled him) he couldn't carry a tune to save his life.
"Well, there goes the serenading fantasy. Let's go see what he's up to," Angela responded.
As they got closer to the awful noise coming from the beautiful man, their breath caught. He was bent over on his hands and knees scraping the top layers of dirt away carefully, his head nodding to the beat of the music in his ears.
With mouths opened wide and heads tilted to the side, they were entranced by the steady movement of his glorious ass in his cargos caused by the bobbing of his head.
"Breathe, Bells, you're turning blue, and," Angela whispered while scrunching her brows in concentration. "why can't I take my eyes off of that? I feel like I'm stuck in some twisted magician's trick where they hypnotize you with a watch only it's his ass that's swinging and not a watch."
"Uhhhhhhh...wow. That's all I got," Bella replied, trying to remember to close her mouth and check for drool.
Several more minutes passed before either of them could wrench themselves from the vision of perversion before them and continue forward to get Mr. Beautiful's attention.
-BS-
It wasn't lost on him that in acting as though he didn't know they were there, he gained a little more insight into the woman haunting his every thought. She thought he was attractive and if Angela's thoughts were fact then she had also dreamt about him naked.
These revelations only proved to intensify his perpetually hard dick, thanks to his own constant thoughts about nakedness and Bella, so he resolved to stay sitting when they interrupted him. It would be much easier to hide his issue.
After another few seconds he felt a light tap on his shoulder and forced himself to jump. Looking over his shoulder he saw Bella and Angela smile down at him, motioning for him to take out his ear buds.
"Good morning, ladies. I was a little wired so I came in early," he said, trying to even out his voice and unclench his jaw. His pants were entirely too uncomfortable at this point.
"Brilliant. We just didn't want to scare you by making a shit load of noise before we announced our arrival. Have you had any luck yet?" Bella asked.
"Not really, but the day is young. I should get back to this," he replied, motioning to his grid. He needed some time to diffuse his situation before he tried to carry on another conversation.
"Sure. If you need anything we'll just be in our respective spots. Have fun."
Edward went back to digging, dusting, and scraping, as he willed his hard on away, always keeping an ear out for any sign that Bella had made the big discovery. Alice had no real insight into when she would hit pay dirt, just a general time frame without anything to guide her. He just hoped that she found the tablet while he was near. He was eager to avoid anyone else finding out about her discovery before they could decipher the text and protect the tablet.
-BS-
After several hours and a few daydreams, she hadn't found anything other than a few rocks. Her spirits were running low and she was contemplating digging out just a bit further from her original grid to see if she could catch anything when her small shovel hit something hard.
Thinking it was another godforsaken rock, she almost ignored it but something in her gut told her to check it out. Picking up her brush, she began gently removing the loose dirt and found a flat surface that she could tell would be rather large once uncovered. Working fastidiously, she alternated between her small pick and her brush, being careful of the surface beneath the dirt.
After more than an hour of tedious cleaning she found herself staring at a large piece of stone with some kind of carving. Grabbing her camera she documented what the tablet looked like still surrounded by the dirt and then went back to slowly loosening it from its earthen tomb.
When the tablet was finally free, she picked it up gingerly, observing its size, shape, color, and lastly the text. It seemed to be written in several types of cuneiform she wasn't at all familiar with, perhaps an undiscovered language.
Pulling her brows together, she tried desperately to relate this piece of the puzzle to the other finds they had but nothing fit. The civilization they were looking for communicated verbally or with cave pictures. The carvings on the tablet would be far too advanced to fit the time frame they were looking for but she uncovered the tablet within proper layers of sediment for it to match the appropriate age.
Her head began swimming with possibilities and before she could think to stop herself she hollered for Edward.
"Edward, I think I've found something. Shit, I know I've found something."
-BS-
"Ow, what the hell, Bella?" he asked, playing up the sore spot and turning to face her.
"COME HERE NOW!" she hissed.
"Alright, you know I would expect an apology from any one else," he grumbled, all the while laughing a little on the inside.
Ambling his way to Bella's hole he squatted down next to her with wide eyes. He instantly felt a connection with the piece of stone she held in her trembling fingers, though he could not read it anymore than Bella could.
"What the hell is that?" he asked.
"I…I don't fucking know. It's some kind of writing for sure, but I've never seen this version of cuneiform before and by the looks of it, you haven't either. So much for hoping the bronzed god of archaeology would be any help." She instantly wished she could take those words back and noticed a smug smile cross Edward's face as he acknowledged what she said.
"So, you think I'm a god, huh?"
"For the love…get your head in the game Cullen! The tablet…focus on the tablet. I think we should keep this quiet for right now. At least until I can do some research," Bella whispered.
"You know, I have some amazing books on dead languages. Maybe I could translate this for you," Edward hedged. If he could get her to give up the tablet, then he could leave with it, keeping her safe from the Volturi and their single-minded wrath.
"Uh, yeah, NO! Don't think so, hot shot. This little gem isn't leaving my hands. PERIOD."
"Fine, how about you bring it to my place and we can both go over it. Angela would cover for you for the remainder of the day, wouldn't she?" Edward should have known that Bella wouldn't give up the prize so easily. If he were in her shoes he wouldn't either. The discovery of something new, especially language, would put her name on all types of scientific maps. It would ensure her years of grant money and work doing what she loved.
"Jesus Edward, I don't trust you any farther than I can throw you, which is undoubtedly not very far. I just met you yesterday. What in fuck's name would make you think I would accept your help?" Bella was a little livid with his assumption that she would just include him. She had fought her way into this field with teeth bared and nails sharpened. The last thing she needed was some arrogant, albeit insanely attractive, asshole to waltz in and take credit for what she found.
"Mother of fuck, Swan! I don't want any credit for this, I just want to help. I swear I would offer the same if you were some overweight dude!"
Edward's use of the words fuck and dude seemed so out of character to Bella, that all she could do was dissolve into a fit of laughter. At one point, while viewing his incredulous face, she actually let her head fall too near the dirt floor of the cave and snorted dust in her mouth and nose causing a coughing fit. Even then she couldn't stop the giggles and realized that Edward had finally joined her.
"Edward, you have no idea how wrong it is to hear you say such uncivilized words. I mean, I cuss like a sailor, it's a job hazard, but you? Holy shit, Mr. Prim n Proper saying fuck is like Mother Theresa gettin' herself off."
"Honestly Bella, you don't know me at all. My mouth and brain are as improper as yours. Back to the issue at hand, are you going to let me help you or not?"
"Fine, but you get zero credit unless it's just a little blip in the beginning of the bestselling book I'm going to write once this all goes global!" Bella held her hand out in the universal symbol of agreement.
"As you wish, Bella," Edward mused, noting briefly that Bella's face went from smug to ghostly white in seconds.
"Are you ok?"
Bella tried to recover as quickly as she could but the words in her dream echoed through her mind, "Your wish, my lovely".
Hearing the very man that uttered those words in her dream say something so similar while she was awake had a serious moistening effect on her girly bits.
"Uh-huh. Just realized I haven't eaten since this morning. I feel a little nauseous. Would you mind waiting for me at your car? I need to get my stuff together and check something in the office before we go."
"No problem, and we can pick lunch up on the way to my apartment. OK?" Edward could tell there was more wrong than what she was telling him but because her mind was a blank slate to him he didn't know what. He just hoped she wasn't going to try to skip out on him, making saving her ass all the more difficult. "I'll fill Angela in quietly unless you'd rather she didn't know."
"That would be great, actually. Don't go into detail. I trust her but if this is something really big then I don't want Felix catching wind and coming back early."
"See you in a few, then?" Edward asked, silently praying he wouldn't be left hanging.
"See ya in a few," she responded.
Bella considered leaving Edward in the lurch, but after some intensive introspection she realized she might actually trust him. There was nothing in the way he spoke to or looked at her that made her feel otherwise. So she gathered her things and made her way to his car where he was waiting for her with a look of relief.
-BS-
"Honestly, yeah. You looked like I was still offering to sell you to the highest bidder," he laughed.
"Well, I'm here, I trust you, and now we need to get going. Drive on, Jeeves."
Edward laughed and shook his head as he started the car. Besides being incredibly intelligent, and beautiful beyond words, she was also hilarious. Taking a deep breath he remembered one more thing he could add to the increasingly long list of Bella's attributes. She smelled delightful. So delightful, in fact, that if he didn't roll down the window she might not survive the short drive. With that last disturbing thought, he hit the buttons on his door to mercifully roll the windows down and infuse the small cabin with fresh Bella diluted air.
"So, do you mind if I ask why you are so willing to help? Most guys in your place would be trying to figure out a way to steal my thunder but I can tell that's not what you're up to," Bella said.
"I suppose because it's pretty damn exciting finding something so obviously undiscovered. I don't need recognition to want to be a part of figuring it out."
"You are an anomaly, Cullen. I think I would like to crawl inside your strange mind and do some digging. I might come up with stuff more interesting than this tablet," she said while patting her backpack.
The remainder of the drive was spent in silent contemplation for both the passengers. Edward wondered how he could possibly keep his true identity from Bella and still keep her safe and Bella wondered what the hell Edward was hiding.
Chapter 4
Flight
"Nice place you have here, Eddie," Bella said.
"Thanks, and if you don't mind I really hate that name. I'd rather you call me Cullen if you can't stomach Edward," he snipped. His distaste for the name Eddie was long and sordid. It didn't matter that Bella was the flesh and bones manifestation of everything he wanted in a woman; calling him "Eddie" was simply not an option…EVER.
"Touchy. No problem, Edward. Anyway, where are the books you were mentioning, this could be an all-nighter."
"Why don't you sit down and eat your lunch while I go rummage around in my room for them. I think I have three or four that might help." Edward walked out of the room as he finished what he had to say and made his way to his bedroom. The books he had were old and one of them might actually be helpful but not enough to translate what was on the tablet. He had to keep Bella from figuring out what was written long enough to formulate a plan to steal the tablet and keep her safe.
Coming up with that plan had seemed a lot easier just two days ago.
Locating the books, he reentered the living room to find Bella stuffing her face full of food and humming in enjoyment. If ever there was a time he was thankful for the casual t-shirt and shorts he had on, it was now. His pants pulled around his crotch painfully as he stood and gawked at the vision before him. Even the mundane act of shoveling food in her mouth was incredibly erotic. No matter how hard his subconscious tried to bring him back to reality he continued to stare, mouth wide, pants bulging. A few more seconds went by before his head snapped down to the problem with his lower half and he pulled his t-shirt out, discreetly trying to adjust himself, to no avail of course.
"Here they are," he mumbled.
"Fanks, Edfard," Bella answered through a mouthful of food. After swallowing and taking a long sip of her water she added, "let's get started, my good man," in her best British butler accent.
Four painfully long hours later they were no closer to translating the stone than they were when it was found.
"Seriously Edward, I don't think we will ever figure this shit out. It could take years. It's like this person took fifty different versions and created their own. Fuuuuuuck!" Bella moaned, rubbing her eyes fiercely.
"You might be right. I really wish my father was here, he has more knowledge of ancient languages than anyone I know."
"Is he an archeologist too? I don't remember reading about another Cullen in the field," Bella muttered.
"Checking up on me, Swan?"
"Maybe. I had to make sure you weren't some spy for the competition. Not that I would have any idea who the competition is when I don't even know exactly who is funding me, but still. Better safe than sorry." She blushed bright red, having been caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar for the second time in less than 24 hours.
"You know what I think? I think you like me. It's alright, I'm a likeable guy. You can admit it. I promise not to gloat." Edward's teasing tone cut through the tension that had been building since they had sat down to work on the tablet. It felt good to smile in her presence and see her smile in turn. The blushing was just an added bonus and hazard. "And no, my dad is a medical doctor but has always been fascinated with all things historical. He's the reason I'm in this field."
"Well then, it is too bad he's not here. Anything to shed some light on this fucking puzzle would be a huge relief." Bella sighed and sat back on the couch with an audible thud.
-BS-
"Ang, what's up?" Bella asked, her voice full of apprehension.
"Felix is back and he is seriously pissed off. He keeps yelling for someone to find you and I heard him mumble something about making sure you don't talk. What the fuck is going on, Bells? I'm scared. Like horror movie, "don't go in that room alone, moron" scared!"
"I found something this morning but I can't see why that would have him all worked up. Try to sneak away, Ang and meet me back at the house." Bella was working on a plan to get them both out of town so they could figure out exactly what was going on.
"I can't go to the house. Felix already sent some goon named Demitri to wait there for you," Angela whispered.
"Bella, tell Angela to meet us here. I know why they want you but before I can fill you in we need to get the two of you out of here." Edward's chiseled jaw was set firm and tight as he growled out his order.
"Edward, I really don't want to involve you too. I can do this…" Bella began.
"Do what I say or more people than you can possibly imagine will be in danger. NOW!"
"Fucknuggets, fine!" Turning her mouth back to the receiver, she ordered Angela to meet them at Edward's apartment and gave her directions. Factoring in time for her to sneak off undetected, Bella figured it would be about 40 minutes of pacing before her friend arrived. Bella was nervous and determined that Angela not be hurt due to their friendship.
"Edward, do you really know what is going on here? Cause I have to tell you, it's freaking my shit out and I'm just praying that my faith in you isn't misplaced." Bella fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as she stared into Edward's honeyed eyes.
"I'm afraid I do, and when I tell you I'm pretty sure your shit will freak even more, which is why I can't tell you here. Just know your faith isn't misplaced and I'm one of the good guys." Edward's sincere expression allowed Bella to breathe just a little easier.
"Thanks for the warning and for helping me. Jeeeeezus! Is this the longest mother fucking 40 minutes or what?"
-BS-
"I'm off for the night Felix. If I see Bella should I give her a message?" she asked slyly.
"No message. I'll have someone take you home," he replied in his ever-present groan.
"I have a car, dude. I can get myself home just fine."
Angela began walking for the path that led to base camp but was cut off by Felix, who had not only been behind her but should have been at least 30 meters away from her.
"You will let someone drive you home or I will do it myself. This is not an option." He grabbed her upper arm roughly and began to drag her to camp and his office. Once there, he called a man named Alec to take her home and turned to make his way back to the cave.
"Listen man, I really have to pee before I leave. Can you ease up on the guard dog routine and give me some space?" Angela could feel his cool breath on her shoulder as she asked to relieve herself in private. Turning around to face him she noticed he was wearing glasses very similar to Felix's, giving him the same creepy look and it made her more uneasy than she already was.
"Fine, but I will be watching you and I can hear everything you say and do," he said with a sneer.
"Alrighty then, Terminator. I'll be baaaack!" With that, she headed for the portable bathrooms by way of a large group of students.
As Alec turned his head in the direction she had gone, he saw a woman with a long dark ponytail enter the bathrooms with a huff and a slam but Angela was already on her way to her car. She had written a note to a girl that looked remarkably like her from the back and asked that she cover her by going to the port-a-potty. When the girl said she would, it took all of her might to keep from hugging the girl ferociously but her desire to high-tail it out of camp won over and she sprinted for her car.
Once on the road, she was amazed it hadn't been more difficult to get away and figured her escort was a little too confident his ability to use fear to persuade his prey to relent to his demands. He didn't consider that Angela might be smarter than the average target.
With 5 minutes to spare, Angela showed up to Edward's apartment door shaking, scared, and in desperate need of answers.
"Oh Jesus, Ang. I am so glad you made it." Bella hugged her hard as she dragged her into the room, leaving Edward to shut the door behind her.
"I wasn't sure I was going to. Do you know what that asshat Felix was going to do? He was going to have some Terminator wannabe drive me home. .FUCK!"
"Angela, Edward has promised to fill us in but we have to get out of here first. We can't go back to the house so all we have is what is on us. Do you have your passport?" Bella began digging in her own bag to be sure she had hers on her person.
"I do, thank God. So what do we do now? FUCK! I feel like I'm in some B version of Indiana Jones or something," Angela huffed.
Edward snorted at Angela's comment, knowing that Indy himself wouldn't have believed half the shit he was going to have to tell these two women.
"Now we get the hell outta Dodge and pray we aren't followed. Angela, did Felix know I started yesterday?" Edward asked.
"He didn't say anything about you, so maybe not? I think he might be preoccupied enough with Bella to overlook your dig and he's trying not to bring attention to the whole situation so he hasn't been asking people what they know. I think the only reason he asked me is because Bells and I are always together."
"Good. Well, this gives us an option that will allow us to leave now without him or any of his men knowing who I am. As for you two, I'm thinking we need to go incognito. Ladies, let's dude-ify you," Edward laughed.
"Dude-ify? Christ on a cracker Edward, stop speaking in code and just tell us what the fuck to do!" Bella was walking in circles wringing her hands as she said this. She was never very good with tense situations and this definitely qualified as tense.
"What I mean is you both need disguises and the only thing I can come up with is making you look like men. I have all the clothes for the job."
"Really? That's your idea of a brilliant plan? Son of a biscuit eater, Edward that will never work. First of all I'm like a million times smaller than you and I have long ass hair! Second…well, I don't have a second point but I think the first one is more than valid," Bella whined.
"We can make it work. Angela, you are tall enough to pass easily and I have a stocking cap you can wear to hide your hair. I have several pairs of sunglasses too. Let me go rifle through what my sister packed and see what else I come up with."
Edward stepped out of the room to search for anything they could use as a disguise. Bella was still more than skeptical but Angela was on board with anything that would get her away from the situation they were in.
"Bella, just trust him. I'm a pretty good judge of people and Mr. Beautiful there is good people. I just want to get back to Ben and my mom. I just want to be safe and boring," Angela seemed to be struggling to stay calm.
"Shhhh, we'll get you home safely Ang, I promise. I do trust him, more than you could possibly know, but there is a lot he has to tell us and I'm pretty sure it's gonna freak us both out. As a matter of fact, he already warned me it would." Bella was trying desperately to wrap her head around everything that had transpired since she woke that morning.
-BS-
When he reentered the room, he was carrying what looked like flesh colored pillows stitched together, hair, and a handful of paperwork.
"So, this is part of what I will need to explain to you once we are somewhere safe but for now just know that my sister Alice is our savior and we won't have to make do with my ridiculous excuse for disguises." With a flourish, he laid everything he had been holding down onto the floor and proceeded to explain what the cluster was. "This," he said, holding up the connected pillowy thing "is body padding. Bella it would be best if you use this as making you a guy really is out of the question."
Bella threw him a disgruntled look.
"What? You said it first! You're too short and your hair is too long to get completely under a cap, so, we will just make you a chubby old woman," he finished, looking quite proud of himself.
"Fine. But when will we change outta this shit so we can use our passports?" Bella was less than pleased with being required to play the part of a fat old woman but understood the necessity.
"That's the beauty of Alice. She sent passports for all of us. I just have to make each of us look like the picture on the passport and we will remain in these disguises until we make it to London. At that point we have another set of passports and some more, ah, appealing disguises to get us to the States where we will again change costume. I'm hoping that if they are trying to follow us it will throw them off enough to give us time to get back to my family."
"I'm game Edward, but won't I just be going straight to my family? I need to know they're alright." Angela's concern for Ben and her mother was obvious as tears welled up in her eyes as she waited for Edward's response.
"Angela, my family is keeping an eye on your loved ones and they are safe. Very, very safe. I can't let you go directly to them because that would put everyone in immediate danger. If we feel at any point that their safety is compromised, I promise to bring them to you." He rubbed her shoulder in a soothing gesture as she nodded her head in agreement. "Now, let's get this started."
For the better part of an hour they all worked to make one another look the part they were to play. Bella donned the padding to transform into the old woman while Edward was outfitted with a beard, mustache, and beer gut. Their clothing was appropriate for a pair of older travelers and Angela completed their little family dressed as a young man with a penchant for gansta rap. They looked convincing enough but Edward had a feeling his sister had chosen these costumes as payment for a little trick he played on her a few years ago involving her prize Prada purse and profuse amounts of mud. She always warned there would be retaliation but Alice was an opportunity stalker and loved to let the anticipation brew. Just when Edward had forgotten to be afraid of her, she struck.
Once they were all disguised, they packed what they needed, secured their passports and the tablet, which they intended to ship to Edward's family, and tried not to look in any mirrors for fear of collapsing in raucous laughter, thus ending their need for them.
Edward suggested taking the train north to Paris where they would board their plane for the first leg of their journey. He booked flights that would seem random in hopes of throwing off any pursuers so the trip home would take a number of days rather than one and he wasn't at all sure how his human companions would cope.
His plan was not a simple one because in addition to rigorous flights and drives between various airports, they would need to acquire and change disguises several times. This task was nothing for him, he never tired or needed sleep but the women in his care would need more than a few moments for their human needs, especially given the strain of the situation and rigorous travel.
As they began the drive to the train station, the conversation was stilted and the air surrounding them tense. Edward did his best to soothe their worries with music and laughter but neither did the trick. By the time they boarded the train and found their private roomette he, knew the time had come to discuss the situation they were in. He also knew that being honest about everything that was going on might prove difficult, at best.
Questions flew through his mind: Was it wise to tell these women that he and his family were vampires? How would they react? Would Bella be repulsed? Why did he care if Bella was repulsed? Sweet mother, would they scream? He really didn't think he could handle two screaming women in the small compact room they were in but didn't see any way around it.
Before coming to anything close to a conclusion on his inner ramblings, his mouth opened and began spewing forth words that were anything but eloquent.
"Now that we're on our way and securely out of range from Felix and his crew, I think it's time to let you in on what's going on. I need your promise that no matter how bizarre and crazy the things I say sound, that you will hear me out and give me the benefit of the doubt. I promise I am anything but crazy, and I DO. NOT. LIE."
There was a small chorus of "ok" from the women and he continued.
"Felix and the men working for him are part of an, uh, organization? I suppose that's the word for it. An organization called the Volturi. They are based in the Italian city of Volterra. Angela, I'm sure you're familiar with that city. I believe you did some preservation of the frescos in one of the large city buildings a while back, yes?"
"Uh, yeah. I was actually hired by the city, though, and I never heard mention of the Volturi. Are they like organized crime or something?"
"Not exactly. I'll get to who they are in a moment. They have funded several large digs around the world for the express purpose of finding the tablet you have, Bella. It is a piece of history that they share with my family and a world outside of your knowledge. Which leads me to whom, or rather what, we all are. Fuck, this is going to sound like something out of a horror novel…"
Bella watched Edward's jaw flex under his perfect skin and wondered what could be so ridiculous that would make it this difficult to say. Before she could continue her thought, he cleared his throat.
"Vampires."
"What about vampires?" Angela asked.
"WE. ARE. VAMPIRES."
Chapter 5
Forks or Bust
"WHAT. THE. FUCK?" Bella moaned. "Vampires are real?" she continued.
How could something born of the overactive imagination and mob mentality of past civilizations be real?
"I assure you Bella, it's the truth. As long as humans have existed so have my kind. We began with one and slowly multiplied over the ages," Edward stated matter-of-factly.
"But you can go out during the day and hold up…open your mouth," Bella demanded.
"WHAT?" Edward asked.
"Just open your fucking mouth! I am about to lose my shit here, so I suggest that you shut the hell up and OPEN. YOUR. MOUTH."
Doing as she requested, Edward opened his mouth as Bella scooted herself around to take a peek. Staring into his open mouth, she resisted the urge to lick his deliciously plump bottom lip but only because she was fairly sure it would end in her demise, something she would rather avoid if at all possible.
"Dude, you don't have fangs either. Come on! What kind of assholes do you think we are? A vampire? Really?" Bella protested.
-BS-
"Bella, all you know of vampires and other mythical creatures is from books and movies. We do not combust in sunlight. We do not have fangs. A stake through the heart will not kill us. Holy relics and water have no effect on us either. As a matter of fact, it is extremely difficult to kill us at all and usually only our own kind are successful in destroying us through total mutilation and burning. Our skin is as hard as the hardest stone and we are the world's number one predator."
"That still doesn't explain why you haven't killed us yet. Don't tell me! Real vampires don't drink blood?" Angela snorted.
"Unfortunately, blood is all that fills us. My family believes in only taking what we need from animals, though. Few of our kind follow this diet and simply let themselves run free. Ruled by instinct like all predators, they hunt what they crave and that is human blood. Most, however, are never made aware that animal blood would satiate them. By not drinking from humans, we have an advantage that allows us to control the thirst. That is why you are perfectly safe with me, although I have to admit that Bella has presented a difficult challenge."
Edward's declaration caused Bella to sit up straight and rigid.
"What do you mean…I make it difficult?" she asked, affecting a rather poor imitation of his voice.
"I have never, in my 109 years of existence, been near someone whose blood smelled as enticing as yours. It is a constant test of my strength in this confined space. Thank God I feel an even more overwhelming urge to protect you or I'm not sure I'd be able to be this near you. There's that and, of course, your delightful personality." Edward smirked.
"Whatever, Assholio!" Bella snarked, as she straightened herself in the seat. "So, we're safe with you and your family but the vamps chasing us will kill us for the tablet and our blood? Jesus, how the hell did I get mixed up in this shit? I just wanted to do my fucking job!" Bella hung her head while Angela rubbed her back. "Wait, didn't you mention something about explaining how your sister knew to pack these disguises? Do you all have superhero powers too?" she scoffed.
Edward rubbed his neck and lifted his gaze to meet the women's mocking stares. Taking a very deep breath, he shook his head yes.
"Oh, you have GOT to be fucking kidding me! So you're like blood sucking, cape wearing, fucking super heroes?" Angela choked.
"I am never going to live this down, am I? We aren't super heroes the way you think of them. We are incredibly fast, unimaginably strong, have supersonic hearing, and we don't sleep. In my family there are three of us who posses extra abilities as well. My sister, Alice, can see the future but only as someone makes a decision to do something. Her mate and husband, Jasper, can influence emotions and I can hear peoples' thoughts. Essentially everyone of our kind, if they are still in tune with even a small piece of their lost humanity, has a special gift. Something they had as a human that is now magnified, like compassion or even hatred, but few have gifts like my family."
"SHIT BALLS! You mean this whole time you've been able to hear what I was thinking?" Angela's complexion quickly went from a nice tomato red to the color of baby puke.
"Uh, well…that is to say…FUCK! Yes, I know you refer to me as Mr. Beautiful and think I have "dreamy eyes" but there's no need to be embarrassed as I get that all the time. Which makes me sound like a narcissistic asshole, but really it's just the way I'm built, ya know? I am a predator who is made to draw you in so that I can use you as my food source. Really, please don't make this weird. I can't handle a trip of this magnitude and stress with that hanging over my head and besides, I've already learned how to tune you out. Now Bella, on the other hand…I can't hear a damn thing in her head. Of course she really doesn't have a brain-to-mouth filter so I figure I'm probably hearing it anyway…" Edward continued to mumble before quickly apologizing.
"So, you can't hear what I'm thinking," Bella repeated.
"Correct. Though, as I've said, you seem very fond of speaking your mind so I figure I hear it anyway." Edward shrugged.
-BS-
With that, the conversation was over and the ride to Paris seemed to last forever. Bella found herself staring at Edward on more than one occasion, trying to reconcile what she knew before with what he had just divulged. He seemed so gentle and genuine. Never once was she actually afraid in his presence, though if she were honest there were plenty of other feelings his nearness elicited.
Planes, trains, and automobiles became more than just the name of a movie for the disheveled and disguised trio as they finally touched down in London. Edward, wanting to throw their pursuers off course, had them fly from Paris to Rome, from Rome to Amsterdam, and finally from Amsterdam to London. There was a disguise change in Amsterdam so they now looked like a rag tag bunch of exchange students complete with pimples and bad hair, though they didn't have to work at the bad hair.
Boarding the plane and sitting down in their respective seats, they all let out an audible sigh. Edward had just talked to Alice on the phone as they waited in the terminal. She said Felix was tying to track them but was still quite far behind. It seemed that the bureaucratic tangles the Volturi wrapped around themselves helped slow down the effort to locate Bella, ensuring they would make it to the Cullens' home well before the gaggle of Vamp-bots caught on to their location.
"So, your sister says we're in the clear, right?" Bella asked with undisguised fear in her voice.
"Um, yeah. She said they were slowed down by the fact that Felix had to go back to Volterra and ask permission to track you. Theirs is a very strict code and any small misstep could land a courtier in very hot water," Edward responded.
"Good, good. I think I'm going to try to sleep a little. Ang, are you ok?" Bella leaned forward to talk to her friend sitting on the other side of Edward.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Think I'll catch some rest too. Thanks for everything Edward," she said shyly. "I feel better knowing we'll be back on US soil soon." She rubbed his shoulder briefly and if a vampire could have blushed Edward would have been ten shades of red in that moment.
-BS-
From his limited interactions he knew she was a no-nonsense type of person who loved what she did and did it well. She was also beautiful but in an understated, natural way that drew him in. It was true that her blood held an allure he had never encountered but her personality was what acted like a magnet to his soul, if he truly did still have such a thing.
Wrapping his head around feelings he never once had in his century of living had was a daunting task. He decided it would be best to wait and talk to his adopted father about them. Carlisle always had the answers or at the very least, some little tidbit of wisdom to share. At that moment, Edward missed his family like he never had before.
-BS-
"Jesus, Edward! This better be our last connection because I am about ready to vomit at the thought of sitting in another plane!" Angela whined.
"Not to worry! Get into the last change of clothes in your bags, then we have a non-stop to Seattle where my brother will meet us," Edward replied, not just a little relieved himself. He had mastered the art of tuning people out, but the close quarters of a plane cabin made it more difficult than usual. It was cmpounded by the extra effort to ignore Bella's potent scent. He realized how very badly he would need to hunt when they arrived home and decided to call and give Emmett the heads up. "Ladies, I'm going to go change now and call my family. I will meet you back here in 30 minutes. Will that give you time to get something to eat, because I can grab some food for you if it won't?"
"Sure," they said in unison, and trudged off to find the restrooms to change into the last set of disguises and toss the ones they were wearing.
-BS-
Bella contemplated two things while airborn. Why did she believe a man she hardly knew? And why did she feel a strong and extremely primal urge to rip every last shred of clothing from his body and fuck him until she couldn't walk? It was disconcerting and totally out of character for her to think like that even if it had been, well, far too long since she had seen a man naked. She thought maybe it was the fact that he was a forbidden fruit or that he had the power to hurt her that added to the already powerful reaction she had at their first meeting. Her twisted mind never ceased to amaze her with its limitless ability to reach new lows of depravity. Really, lusting after a vampire? What the fuck?
-BS-
-BS-
-BS-
The announcement brought with it a sudden overwhelming feeling of relief mixed with lingering fear. Edward couldn't wait to escape the confines of the plane. He was strong for a vampire but spending so much time around so many people was starting to affect his ability to block out the voices in his head. Next to that, the bloodlust was a piece of cake.
-BS-
"There he is, ladies. Emmett, over here," Edward said. His voice didn't change pitch or volume as he summoned his sibling and Bella found it was still difficult to wrap her head around what he was and what he could do.
Both women turned their gaze in the direction Edward pointed and gasped. The man/vampire/giant that was coming at them seemed a study in contradictions. His size alone would indicate he was someone, even if not a natural predator, to be wary of. His face, on the other hand, was kind, gentle, and goofy with dimples a mile deep and a smile that could light Las Vegas. Neither woman knew whether to hug him or run screaming so they stood rooted to their spot.
As Emmett approached, he winked at Bella and Angela while wrapping his massive arms around his brother for a hug that looked remarkably like a wrestling move.
"Eddie, Eddie, Eddie…how I have missed your emo ass!" He chuckled.
"Fuck you, Emmy. Lay off the Eddie shit, okay? Let me do a quick introduction and then we need to get the hell outta here. You attract attention like a side show freak in the middle of the desert." Motioning to his left, he indicated the women and began the introductions. "This is Bella Swan, archeologist and resident smart ass. This is Angela Weber, art historian and unfortunate sidekick to the smartass. Ladies, this is Emmett Cullen, beast extraordinaire."
"Eddie, you're an ass! Emmett, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please don't kill me," Bella said, half kidding.
"Oh, you'll do just fine Ms. Bella. I think I will call you Belly. Suits you," Emmett laughed.
"Since I can't threaten you with bodily injury I suppose I will just have to grin and bear it, but you should know I really despise that name, and possibly you now," Bella seethed. Nicknames were not her thing and that one was particularly difficult to swallow.
Emmett moved a step over and pushed his shovel of a hand at Angela. "Pleasure to meet you, Angela. Since you haven't talked I don't have a name for you, but by the time we make it to Forks I'll have it figured out."
"Uh, ok?" was all Angela dared to utter.
Following the walking Sequoia, the group found the Jeep and climbed in. The trip to Forks would take half the time with a speed-loving vampire driving but Edward didn't dare tell them that until they were on their way for fear of them jumping ship and putting themselves in even more danger.
-BS-
"Emmett, I have no idea what we're going to do about the Volturi. There's no fucking way we can fight them off but I will not let them harm the girls or get hold of the tablet. FUCK! Please tell me Jasper has been doing some strategizing," Edward begged.
"He's run through every scenario he can think of but it all comes down to getting more people behind us. Carlisle has talked to the dudes on the Res and the pack is all with us, so that's helpful. I'm so fucking glad they're not a bunch of knobs and they are scary when they fight. It's awesome!" Emmett looked like a little kid as he bounced at the thought of wrestling with the overgrown dogs from the Quiluete Reservation.
"Focus, Em, focus. So, we have the pack with us but we need more vampires. Has Carlisle contacted the Denali and Irish Covens? Jesus Christ, I am NOT looking forward to seeing Tanya again but if it will help our cause then I will put up with her pathetic seduction schemes. Maybe we can get a couple of Dad's rogue friends to visit and keep her busy. She'd totally go for Garrett," Edward mused. He and Tanya Denali had a strained history. She tried to seduce him and he rebuked her at every turn. It was always easy to deny her, even though she was beautiful, because her inner dialogue was as ridiculous and vapid as her actions.
"Bwahahaha, Garrett would hit that in a heartbeat! I think Dad is going to contact anyone and everyone he can but he's a little afraid of raising the flag and alerting the Volturi before we have a plan in place. The Denalis are busy watching over Angela's mom and fiancé. They were told they won a paid trip to a remote cabin for a week and Alice called pretending to be Angela saying she'd meet them there. That lil shit's got balls and a strange ability to imitate. Sorta like a parrot, actually. Anyway, the cabin is on the Denali property & they are taking shifts staying close to protect them. That's not say'n that Tanya won't still find a reason to come here to help." Emmett tried to contain a giggle at that statement before continuing. "Jasper sent word to Maria in Texas and she's agreed to help and keep everything on the down low. She's still pissed that Aro took her best tracker with him the last time they met. Dude's name was Fred or Frank…something that starts with an F. Anyway, she's pissed and looking for a little revenge. She has a small following in the South so they are at our disposal. Jasper said we might have to have this showdown somewhere way up North with as many non-vegetarians as there will be around when this all blows up. Maybe even Isle Esme, 'cept the pack won't be able to help us if we go too far away. If worse comes to worst he thinks the wolves might be enough to keep the meat eaters in line and let the fight play out a little closer to home," Emmett finished.
"Shit, that's a lot to process. So it's possible this is all going to have to take place far away from humans, which makes sense, but if they have a decent tracker we won't be able to leave Bella behind. She'll have to come with us or they'll simply use a fight as a distraction to kidnap her from where we've hidden her." Normally Edward's head didn't swim when given so much to process, because as a vampire the ideas just always fell into place.
Unfortunately for him, this time that wasn't the case. Because he had other feelings for Bella and knew how important the tablet was, he just couldn't place everything in nice, neat little compartments in his brain. It was all a muddled mess, sloshing around and bumping into one another. He had never felt more human or fallible.
-BS-
As the Jeep pulled into what looked like a trail, they realized they must be close to the Cullens' home. The driveway was narrow, rockey, and canopied with the most vibrantly green trees they had ever seen. It reminded Bella of a picture of a magical garden she had seen in a book when she was young. Given that two supposedly mythical creatures sat in the front seats of the vehicle, she didn't think she was too far off base.
Looking at Angela and shrugging, she decided to ask the obvious question.
"So, are we getting close?"
"Uh, yeah. The house is just ahead. My family has prepared everything you will need, Bella. Angela, I know I mentioned not sending you to your family directly but it seems that my scheming family came up with a brilliant plan that will allow you to leave to be with them immediately. We all think it is wise to keep the two of you hidden separately, essentially make the Volturi choose who is more important, which I'm sure will be Bella. Anyway, there is another family like ours that's taking care of them right now. They were told they won a trip and Alice called them pretending to be you, Angela, to tell them you'd be coming back for a break. Are you two going to be okay being separated?" Edward asked.
Bella looked over at Angela and noticed pleading look in her eyes. She knew Angela really wanted to stay by her and see this through. She also knew that Angela needed to be with the ones she loved, just in case it didn't end well.
Bella sighed deeply before responding.
"I'll be fine. I want Angela to be with her family, especially if I can't be. Besides, it'll be easier to keep one human safe at a time I suppose."
Both men nodded silently as they pulled up to the house. Angela reached over and latched onto Bella's hand, squeezing gently in thanks.
The journey they were sent on mere days ago would continue but they would be sent in different directions. They both prayed to make it out alive and with the tablet intact.
Chapter 6
The Cullen's a.k.a. Vampire Super Models
The human occupants of the Jeep climbed warily from its seats. Bella, having already surmised that vampires were by nature beautiful creatures, wondered exactly what lay in wait behind the big blue door of the big white house looming in front of her.
If Edward and Emmett were any indication, then she assumed they would be attractive as well, and hopefully as kind.
Lifting her pack on to her shoulder, she followed behind the two men and Angela, trying to control her breathing so she didn't appear as nervous as she felt. Oddly enough, the quiet fall of the rain around her helped to soothe her frazzled nerves, making it easier to relax even if just a little.
Watching Edward open the door with narrowed eyes, Bella prepared herself for…well, for whatever was going to happen. It seemed unlikely that the inhabitants would be so different from the men in front of her that they would fly out with fangs bared and attack, but after the last several days she wouldn't discount anything. EVER.
Peering around Angela, Bella's eyes immediately landed on the five most stunning people, aside from the two men already with her, that she had ever laid eyes on. There was a tall blond woman with gentle eyes on the left, looking for all the world like she just stepped off of a movie screen from the 40's. Next to her was a tall blond man with the face of an angel. His arms were wrapped around a petite woman with caramel colored hair and an equally angelic and kind face. Beside her was a short black haired woman oozing energy being restrained by yet another handsome blond man. That must be Alice and Jasper. Bella remembered Edward talking about their gifts & Alice's energy. The man she assumed was Jasper was tall with curly hair and a slightly pained look on his face.
She stared, mouth open and unable to speak as Alice walked up to her and wrapped her arms around her tightly. A little too tightly. She couldn't breath.
"Alice, I think you're either scaring her or cutting off her air supply, my love," Jasper cooed, effectively getting Alice to release her over enthusiastic arms from Bella's body.
With a large intake of air, Bella laughed.
Had she really thought they would be ready to consume her the moment she walked in?
"Hello there, Ms. Swan. I'm Jasper, Alice's husband. It's a real pleasure to meet you," Jasper said stiffly.
"Don't mind him. He's the newest convert to our vegetarian lifestyle and it's still a little tough being around delightful smelling humans, such as yourself. You really are intoxicating." Alice sniffed.
Bella's level of apprehension grew with those few short sentences, making her rethink the whole "ready to consume her" thing.
"Mother of fuck, Alice! Do you mind? I think Bella is a little uncomfortable meeting a shit ton of strangers and then you have to go remind her that we're vampires and she smells like a heavenly elixir sent by the gods? Yeah, that'll be calming and make her wanna trust us," Edward muttered, placing a protective arm around Bella's waist and pulling her into his side.
She chanced a peek up into his face to see he was looking down at her with questioning eyes. Her small smile and relaxed body seemed to give him all the reassurance he needed as they both turned back toward the people anxiously awaiting their chance at an introduction.
Emmett, taking advantage of the lull, sidled up to the stunning blond woman and gently pushed her forward with a hand at her back.
"Belly, this is my lovely wife Rosalie. Rosie, this is the amazingly outspoken Ms. Bella Swan. Belly for short! And this is Ms. Angela Weber. She's a little shy, " Emmett stage whispered, which caused Angela and Bella both to laugh.
Rosalie offered her hand in introduction and smiled kindly.
"Bella, Angela, it's wonderful to meet you. I hope you know we will do everything we can to keep both you and your families safe. Emmett and I will be taking you to our friends up north, Angela. I wish you had more time to relax but we really need to keep moving." Rose offered a soft, cool hand to Angela's shoulder, squeezing gently. "We'll take your bag and get it settled in my car while you finish your introductions and say your goodbyes."
Bella mused how very easily it would be to get lost in the topaz eyes and gentle voices of these beautiful people, as Rosalie told her friend of their plans. In that moment she realized how very glad she was to have met Edward, knowing she would be safer here than anywhere else and realizing that in the short time she had known him she had formed a deeper attachment than in any of her previous relationships. This quiet introspection quickly took a turn on the naughty train as she began thinking of the beautiful bronze haired man to her right…naked.
Aaaand cue the blush!
"Bella, Angela, it's a pleasure to meet you, as well. My name is Carlisle and this is my wife Esme. I do wish the circumstances were different but we are happy to help get Angela to safety with her family and excited to host you, Bella, in our home. Once everyone is on their way or settled we will go over the security we have set up and what we expect to happen. I believe Alice has some new information for us as well." Carlisle offered his cool hand to the girls as well, which was followed by a quick hello and hug from Esme.
After letting Esme go reluctantly, Angela straightened up and lunged to give Edward a hug of epic proportions. If he hadn't been a supernaturally strong person she would have knocked him on his ass, but his steady form simply absorbed her friendly gesture and returned it with equal enthusiasm, minding the very breakable human in his grasp.
"Mr. Beautiful, you rock. You and your family have done so much for me. I know I'll never be able to repay you because I don't have much to offer but if you're ever in a bind please know you can count me as a friend. I won't say goodbye because I WILL see you again. I will say thank you and take care of my girl there. She may have a smart mouth but she's as squishy inside as the next girl. Don't let her bully you around." Angela grabbed Edward's slack jawed face and planted a nice wet kiss on his cheek. If vampires could blush she's pretty sure he would have been the color of a strawberry.
Turning to face Bella, she sucked in a large breath and let it out slowly. She was scared for her friend as it was her the crazies were looking for. She could tell by the look in Bella's eyes that she was doing her best to simply get through this goodbye with a brave façade.
"Bells, don't give Hottie McArchaeologist a hard time, okay? I mean, you can give him a HARD time but not a hard time…if you know what I mean." Angela wiggled her eyebrows suggestively before continuing, completely aware that Edward was once again sporting the invisible blush look again. "I will only be a phone call away and I know I'll be safe. I trust the Cullens to know how to keep you alive and well and maybe you'll get lucky and have some fun. I love you Bells. You're like a sister to me and I know everything will be okay." Angela grabbed Bella, bringing her in close for a hug only sisters can share and understand, related or not.
They both sobbed quietly into the others shoulder until Angela felt the familiar rumbling of Bella's laughter.
"What?" Angela asked.
"You said HARD!" Bella replied and they both dissolved into a fit of laughter.
Slowly shifting herself away from Bella and wiping her face, she turned to the mountain of a man waiting patiently with his arms wrapped around Rosalie.
"Alright EmmieEm, lets you, me, and this gorgeous wife of yours get going. You know Rose, if I batted for the other team I would totally be into you!" She giggled as Emmett's eyebrows arched and a goofy smile spread across his face.
"You know, we could arrange for a little trial period, my little art historian," Emmett replied.
Before he could move out of the way, Rose smacked him upside the head and wrapped her arms around Angela's waist as she laughed.
"I'll take that as a high compliment, my dear. You and I are going to have a blast on this little road trip…"
-BS-
"Do I get the grand tour now or later?" she asked.
"Well, I think it would be wise for me to feed you, my captive little human and then I can give you the tour. Carlisle has a lot to go over with us but when he is done you will have plenty of time to rest if you'd like."
"Food sounds wonderful but since you don't eat people food, why don't I do my own cooking?"
"Oh, well, actually I think Esme has already made something for you. Don't give me that look! We may not eat but we have endless hours at our disposal and Esme likes to cook, and bake, and garden," Edward mused. "It really would be ridiculous but she takes everything to a shelter in Port Angeles so nothing goes to waste. I happen to know for a fact that she is nearly jumping out of her fucking skin to have first hand knowledge of how well she's mastered her abilities. Please be gentle," he begged.
"I'm a shit liar so I really hope I don't hurt her feelings." Bella shrugged.
-BS-
He needed to catch up with Carlisle and Alice before they laid it all out on the table for Bella. He also needed Carlisle's help in locating any and all books that might be of benefit in deciphering the etchings on Bella's tablet.
As he walked into the study, he noticed Jasper in the far corner pouring over books and maps, which peaked his curiosity.
"What are you doing there, brother?" he asked.
"Strategizing. I'm committing some of the Volturi's patented attack formations to memory in case we need them. I've been able to come up with several counter attacks but there are a few that I will only be able to break once Maria arrives," Jasper commented off-handedly.
The thought of Maria and her band of newborns entering their tiny hamlet immediately put Edward on guard.
"Do you really think it's necessary for her to come, Jazz? I mean, newborns are so unpredictable and we have to protect Forks and the innocents around us."
"We've already worked out a plan of action with the pack. Maria's army will be housed 100 miles from here and surrounded around the clock by the wolves and the older keepers that Maria has trained. Carlisle has acquired enough blood to sate them for a month or more, though Alice says this will all go down within the next two weeks. It seems the Volturi's biggest weakness is their pride in the power they hold. They think it makes them invincible."
Edward scrubbed his hands through his hair, pulling lightly before wiping his face.
"Shit, we only have, at best, two weeks to prepare and decipher that damn tablet? Fuck, Bella's going to have a coronary. Let Carlisle handle telling her this when she comes in. I have a feeling she'll be able to take it better coming from him."
"Will do. Lord knows I don't want to be at the receiving end of a woman's rant." Jasper winked.
Edward spent the remainder of his time waiting talking to Carlisle and Alice. They were all trying to find the best way to fill Bella in without overwhelming her with the scary facts. He would do anything to keep his crazy, beautiful Bella from feeling the full weight of the situation but he knew she was far too smart to be pacified with a mere glossing over.
What the fuck Cullen…My Bella?
-BS-
"Thank you so much, Esme. I can't say I have ever had a better meal. I just wish you weren't grossed out by the thought of trying it yourself." Bella opened one eye to peer at the mother hen currently fawning all over her and giggled.
"It was my pleasure, dear. I must say, you ate like you hadn't touched food for years. Didn't my son take care of you on the way here?"
"Well, honestly we didn't have much time for real food so we just made do with what we could. This is the first honest to goodness meal I've had in about three days. But it wasn't Edward's fault, so go easy on him. I'm glad he rushed us to get here. I feel safe and I know Angela is safe as well. That's what really matters," Bella replied.
"Well, just because you're vouching for him I'll let it slide…this time." Esme winked at Bella and motioned for her to follow as she walked them to Carlisle's den.
As they entered, the room hushed and all eyes focused on the only heartbeat in the house.
"WHAT!" Bella yelled.
Her loud exclamation broke the tension in the room and everyone laughed, except the human.
"Laugh it up everyone. After all, it's not like the weak little human can do anything about it. Harumph!" Bella sulked.
Edward walked over to his charge and lifted her chin.
"Bella, we aren't laughing at you, we're laughing at ourselves. We are all so scared of saying too much and overwhelming you that we've not been able to agree on just what to tell you and how." He smoothed her hair away from her face in a manner that seemed to purposefully show intimacy.
"Here's the deal, I've already hit my quota of freak outs for the year so everything else is just gravy. Besides, I'm a big girl. I know we're all in an insane amount of danger and I want to know what we can do about it. I'd also like to get started on the translation as soon as possible so we know exactly what secret these Volturi people are after. Maybe we can use it against them." She shrugged and straightened herself up to her full 5'4" height, realizing a bit late that she looked anything but intimidating.
"Well then, let's fill her in and get started on that tablet. I must say that I'm terribly excited translating such an old text," Carlisle mused. The glint of excitement in his eye was unmistakable as he set about explaining to Bella the perils they were facing and the plans of action they had set into motion.
-BS-
Bella, while thoroughly spent, was hell bent on beginning the work on the tablet before she would consider sleeping. She hunkered down with both Edward and Carlisle in the study ready to crack the mystery before them.
Putting a pair of gloves Edward laid out she reverently pulled the tablet from her worn backpack and placed it carefully in the center of the coffee table on a soft cloth. To the trained eye it was an amazing piece of history but to a lay-person it would simply look like a piece of stone with scribbles on it. It was roughly the size of a piece of paper and quite thin, perhaps something akin to a children's book. Too thin to actually take a hammer and chisel to it without grinding it to dust and the stone was much too hard to simply scrape these forms into.
"Here it is. Mr. Cullen, I truly hope you have something that can help us with this."
"Please Bella, it's Carlisle, and we shall see. This really is a remarkable find, my dear. Remarkable." Carlisle gently picked up the tablet, turning it from side to side, running his fingers over the markings as though he too were trying to figure out how it was all possible.
"Well, there's no time like the present to get started," Carlisle said.
A short time later her soft snores could be heard from the couch she had perched on. Edward knew if she were left to rest there she wouldn't sleep as long as she should so he gently lifted her and carried her up the stairs to the spare room. Laying her out on the bed, with her silken hair splayed across the pillows, he marveled at her beauty. She looked like a painting even in her rumpled travel clothes and weary worn face.
Divesting her of her shoes, he covered her with a throw and crept from the room, turning at the last moment in the hopes of memorizing the way she looked in that moment and that is when he heard it.
"Edward," she moaned.
His mind was ablaze with the possibilities of what that one short utterance meant. He decided to try waking her to make sure she was fine before leaving again, and walked to the edge of the bed, sitting softly. The rise and fall of her chest drew his eyes to her breasts, her nipples straining through her top and taunting him with their rigidity. Before he could stop himself he reached out and gently stroked the hardened mound with his cool fingertip, cursing himself when both he and Bella moaned.
Collecting himself as much as he could, he reached for her shoulder and shook her gingerly.
"Bella? Bella?" he repeated her name several times before she began to wake.
"Edward? Where am I?" She blinked her eyes rapidly and stretched he arms above her head, allowing her shirt to ride up and expose the flesh of her stomach.
"Uh…well, you see…FUCK! What did you ask?" Edward stammered, pulling his eyes from her waist to her face.
"Where am I? I thought we were working on the tablet downstairs." She smiled.
"We are but you fell asleep and I thought you would get more rest in your room than on the couch so I brought you up here. I was just getting ready to leave when you said my name and you kinda sounded worried so I wanted to wake you and make sure nothing was wrong. And then you go and stretch like a fucking cat looking all glorious and shit…I'm rambling. I was just worried about you."
"I look like a cat when I stretch?" she responded, and her smile grew wider.
"Yes, and if you are going to give me shit for finding you difficult to ignore then I suppose I should mention that I've heard you don't think I'm exactly ugly. That information is compliments of Angela, actually. I recall something about Mr. Beautiful and a rather erotic dream…"
"FINE! You win, I think you're hot and also find it difficult to ignore you. Happy now?" she pouted.
"Extremely, thank you," Edward responded. "Would you let me try something Bella?"
"Well, that would depend on what it was Mr. Used-to-be-Beautiful-but-is-now-a-pain-in-my-ass. Ask first and we'll go from there."
"I'd like to kiss you, though I'm not actually sure I can. Your blood smells especially appealing to me but I must admit that the allure of your mind and body seems much stronger," he confessed, looking sheepish.
"I suppose that would be okay but you have to promise not to attack me 'cause that would piss me off more than you could know. Oh, and by attack I mean bite me or whatever." She squared her shoulders and fixed him with a stare that said she meant business. It was intimidating and alluring all at once.
"I'll go slowly and if you are uncomfortable just tell me, okay?"
"Okay. Now, stop stalling and lay one on me because honestly I have been dying to find out how soft your lips are since I met you in the office." Bella leaned in closer and reached forward with her hands, laying them on his thigh and massaging the muscle there.
Edward met her halfway and groaned at the feel of her hands on his leg as their lips met and formed to the other. It was bliss for both and the mixture of cool hardness and warm pliability was intoxicating. Careful to keep his teeth away from her lips, they continued to deepen their kiss and before long let their hands roam.
Bella reveled in the softness of Edward's hair as she clung to it and pushed into him. Dislodging her leg from the throw wrapped around her legs, she scooted around until she was sitting squarely in his lap, the feel of his raging erection between her legs. With minimal effort she began grinding her aching center against his fabric covered cock and they both uttered curses about too many clothes.
"Bella, this is far easier than I ever imagined it being but are you sure this is what you want?" Edward asked.
"I have never wanted a man more and if we really are in fear of losing our fucking lives then I say we don't waste any more fucking time talking and just fucking please each other until someone drags us from this room," she panted.
"Bella, could you please stop saying 'fucking' 'cause it's really making it difficult to go slow and savor this experience?" Edward whispered.
"Right. No more fucking. Edward, if you don't take my clothes off right now and take me I will make sure that every other word I use has some sort of sexual connotation. Like pussy or cock."
With that Edward growled and began tearing Bella's jeans and shirt off with careful precision until she lay beneath him in all her naked glory.
"Holy fuck, Ms. Swan. I thought you were perfect with your clothes on but you are maddeningly glorious with them off. I may not last long." He began kneading her breasts gently with his hands before lowering his mouth and languidly stroking her nipple with his tongue.
"Ung, Edward? Holy shit…Edward, I need to level the playing field a little here. If I'm naked then you have to be naked. Now." She requested firmly.
Just as he was beginning to undress Bella noticed his face fall.
"What's wrong, Edward?"
"Fuck me, of all the times my family pulls this shit it's when I'm about to sex up the most beautiful woman I have ever known and get laid for the first time in 50 years. Bella, stay right there! I mean it…don't fucking move an inch and don't even think of putting clothes back on! I'm being summoned to a family meeting but it won't take long, I promise, ok?" He tried to sound reassuring but thought, in his frustration, he might just be missing the mark.
"Ok, but I am going to crawl under the covers. IF I fall asleep you sure as hell better wake me up and I don't mean shaking my shoulder, buddy. There are far more pleasant ways to be awakened and I am fairly sure you will be aces at all of them." She winked as he leaned in to place one more kiss on her lips and then her breast before groaning again.
"FUCK! I'M COMING, YOU IMPATIENT BASTARD"S! Remember, no clothes…none, nada, neine!"
"Jesus Eddie, I get it. I will remain naked for your viewing pleasure. GO!" She shooed him off the bed as he made a disgruntled noise.
"What did I say about that name?"
"Oh, I know but I'm hoping you'll want to "punish" me when you get back."
"Bella, you are playing with fire and I'm in the mood to get burned. I'll be back soon…very, very soon."
With his final words he shut the door on a now very aroused and very worn out Bella Swan. The thought of sleeping was both heaven and hell until she realized that per her instructions he was to wake her up using his male ingenuity. Suddenly she couldn't drift off quick enough. She might be on the verge of a life or death battle but tonight was going to be a battle of libidos that they were both sure to win.
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