Meet me in the middle [Bella]

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

Edward dragged his knuckles across his mouth, removing the trace of any blood from the mountain lion that he’d just fed on. It had been weeks since he’d been able to track down his favourite animal and actually feel almost satisfied. Mountain lion it was the closest thing to drinking human blood that he had found over the years. Sure, elks’ blood did the job, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant to drink. If the taste of elk could be described as a colour, it would be green. But mountain lion on the other hand, probably due to the fact it ate other animals, tasted red – very meaty and almost human like. But sadly, they were rare to come across these days, especially in Washington State. And the Cullen’s tried to avoid any animal species that may become endangered. It was hard to be a vampire and have morals. Most vampires killed people without a second thought, but Carlisle had raised Edward and the rest of the Cullen’s with the values of preserving human life and ensuring the survival of any animal species. There were however, lots of elks in the forest around Forks. Yummy.

The now golden eyed vampire found himself on the border between Washington State and British Columbia. It was a little further out than he usually went, but today he had felt like he’d needed a good run and hunt as well as a feed. Being on edge waiting for a revolt from Italy made him tense and the feeling of freedom that he got from running was much needed. Emmett was supposed to have accompanied him and they were going to make it a weekend hunt, but he’d dropped out at last minute.

With his thirst sated, Edward began his journey back towards Forks. He was the fastest vampire in his family, but right now, instead of running at full speed, he jogged at a leisurely pace – which to the human eye still was at least 50mph. Enjoying the feeling of the cool air hitting his skin and musing his hair, he swerved between trees and jumped over fallen logs and threw himself over terrains with ease. His mind drifted back to the first time that he’d shown Bella how he travelled through the forest. He’d honestly thought she was going to throw up and pass out afterwards. He’d practically had to scrape her off of his back; he was sure if he’d had human skin, he would have been bruised from how tightly she had held on to him. Looking back now, Edward was able to laugh about it, but in hindsight it hadn’t been his greatest idea. Probably should have worked up to it. It had been so easy for him to be himself around Bella, he’d often forgot to restrain himself.

It took him a moment to realise where he was heading; the meadow. Just after he had met Bella at Forks High School, Edward had come across this beautiful small clearing one sunny afternoon. With the sun out, he’d had to take the day off of school. He’d tried to stay close to by, to keep an eye on his new interest, Bella; but out of frustration with himself, had retreated into the forest in an attempt to clear his mind of her completely. On their first date, he’d brought her here to share it with him and to show her his true self in the sunlight. And since then, it had been a special place to them both. Although, had been awhile since he’d been there. Edward stepped between the threes and out into the meadow. The grass was short and damp with small flowers beginning to bloom randomly around the area, showing early signs of spring. Dropping down in front of a tree, Edward rested his head back against the bark and closed his eyes; enjoying the peace and the feel of sunlight against his cold skin. He let his memories of times he’d spent here with his love wash over him.

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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Bella pottered around the cottage, picking up clothes that Renesmee had left strewn all over the place in her mad dash to get ready. Jake had offered to take her on some adventure over in La Push and, of course, Renesmee had jumped at the chance. At least it gave Bella a moment to breathe - metaphorically speaking of course. She loved her daughter more than anything, but with the excelled growth and the half human/half vampire needs, it was sometimes nice to just stand still and get some peace and quiet.

Bella picked up the last few items and folded them neatly - placing them onto the end of Renesmee’s bed. It wouldn’t be long until her daughter needed new clothes, but Bella knew roping Alice into a shopping trip with her favourite (and only) niece wouldn’t be difficult. She still couldn’t understand or get into the whole shopping thing…it wouldn’t ever make sense to her, nor would she ever enjoy it!

Bella glanced at the time, it would be hours before Jake bought Renesmee back - which meant only one thing. Hunting time. It had been a little while since Bella had managed a good feed, and her eyes were starting to show the side affects of this. Pulling on her sneakers, she headed out into the forest in search of something delicious.

It wasn’t look before Bella picked up the scent of a young deer - not her favourite but it’d do. There were times to be picky and this wasn’t one of them. Closing in on her prey, Bella began to stalk swiftly and quietly - making sure she was in the right place so as to not alert the deer to her presence. In one swift movement, she had the deer in her grasp and it was all over before the poor creature had a chance to realise what was happening.

…

Feeling slightly more satisfied, Bella rose to her feet. As she stood up, a slight breeze passed over her, carrying a very familiar scent. Edward. She knew he’d headed out for a hunt earlier in the day, but wasn’t he with Emmett?
Shrugging off the fact her brother-in-law wouldn’t be too happy if she gatecrashed, Bella took off in the direction her nose was leading her.

Slowing her pace, Bella reached the edge of the meadow. Her favourite place. This was the first time she’d seen Edward in all his beauty - sparkling like a diamond in the sunlight. She smiled to herself before peaking past the branches. It looked as though he was alone, no Emmett around to make some sort of sarcastic joke about them never being able to be apart. “Well hello stranger, fancy seeing you here?” she smirked as she stepped out of the trees and began making her way towards him.

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

Owl

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

Three years ago, if anyone – including Alice, whose little talent let her see the future – had told Edward that he would be married to his true mate and be a biological father, he would have laughed in their face. Fatherhood had been a concept that had been so foreign to him. Even when he was human, he had only been seventeen when he was stuck by influenza and hadn’t even considered having children. The only thing he’d really debated was whether or not he could leave his mother to join the army and fight in the war. And even after being changed, as far as he was aware at the time, having children was impossible. So it had never been something he’d contemplated. From the moment he had laid eyes on Renesmee though, he had been wrapped around her finger. He even tolerated Jacob being a permanent fixture in their lives because it made her so happy.

The marriage thing was a little easier to wrap his head around, but before finding Bella he had been sure he was destined to spend eternity alone. Carlisle and Esme had tried tirelessly to pair him off in an attempt to bring him their contentment that they found with each other. First with Rosalie, whom he never saw as anything more than a sister and then with Tanya. She had been nice, and she had really tried to win him over. But they both knew that it wasn’t going to work. Then he met Bella and everything fell into place. Now they had their own little unique family and it worked. Edward was slowly starting to accept that he deserved happiness. Believing that he had a soul was another matter. But he refused to believe that Bella was now soulless and refused to believe that Renesmee’s soul was compromised in anyway.

Being a vampire enhanced ones natural senses. His sense of smell was more attuned; his eyesight was sharper and his hearing was clearer. All of which of course meant that he could sense someone approaching from a fair distance. Edward also had the added bonus of being able to hear peoples’ thoughts to foreshadow someone’s approach. But today, it was a scent that alerted him of company. Keeping his eyes closed, a small breeze carried a familiar scent; Bella. She smelt exactly like she had the moment he had met her; minus the blood lure of course. It was a smell he could identify anywhere, anytime with ease. He let it engulf him, until he heard her step out of the trees. His golden eyes opened as he heard melodic. ”I guess the lamb found its way back into the lions’ den,” he replied, a wolf like grin spreading across his lips.

ooc; OMG THIS WAS SO HARD TO WRITE; I'M SO RUSTY!!!

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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Her husband was without a doubt still the one thing that took her breath away. Even more so now she saw him through vampire eyes. Every detail caught her attention and honestly, she could spend days just staring at him, taking him all in and not get bored. She adored him, and without a shadow of doubt - she was happy to finally be a part of his world. Really be a part of his world.

Bella smiled, “I don’t think I’m much of a lamb these days…” she replied, taking her time to wander over to where Edward stood in the middle of the meadow. As she got closer, she glanced around the meadow, “no Emmett?” she questioned, letting her gaze fall back onto her husbands beautiful face. He was definitely not a monster, more of an angel - despite how he used to see himself.

Edward had believed he had no soul, that he was damaged - damned for all eternity. Surely now, after everything they'd both been through together he couldn't really believe that anymore. He'd not mentioned it in a long while, so Bella secretly hoped that all those feelings had passed, she loved her life...she loved him.

She came to a stop in front of him, looked up, and grinned. It wasn’t often the two of them were completely alone in peace and quiet. More often than not there was somebody around intruding or making comments. Naturally Emmett was the most vocal about it - but if it wasn’t him, Alice would be around trying to push Bella out of the door to get new clothes for Renesmee, or Jake was lurking around unable to ever fully let go of her daughter thanks to the wolfy bond between them.

“Hello” Bella reached up, balancing on her toes, and place a gentle kiss on Edwards cheek, taking in the wonderful scent of his and letting it totally intoxicate her. She was still somewhat relieved her thoughts were a mystery to him unless she decided otherwise, keeping him on his toes at times is what Bella did best.

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

Owl

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

The grin widened across his lips, ”True. More of a vampire lamb these days.” Edward had thought that Bella was beautiful when she had been human; the blush that coloured her cheeks when she was flustered or embarrassed had been his favourite thing. Vampire eyes had given him the added bonus of being to notice every small detail about her. But Bella as a vampire was another thing completely. Her beauty definitely gave Rosalie a run for her money. The brunette never failed to take his non-existent breath away.

While Edward did not believe in religions, he definitely did not believe that he had a soul that would be able to pass on to heaven or whatever else was in the afterlife; especially after the things he had done over his one hundred and something years on the Earth. Vampires were unnatural and unholy creatures; damned. Most regular vampire’s moral compass was controlled by the thirst that constantly burned in the back of their throats. Humans only existed as a food source for them. However, thanks to Carlisle, the Cullen’s were slightly different in that respect. They chose to be good and not kill people – these days anyway. So maybe there was hope for them after all. Edward hoped that was the case for Bella anyway. For himself though; the jury was still out on that one.

Allowing Bella to become like him hadn’t been an easy decision for Edward; he had tried to avoid it at all cost. Not because he hadn’t wanted to spend eternity with her, but because he hadn’t wanted to risk her becoming damned and losing her soul. She was unlike any other human that had been turned before; she had the choice. He wanted her to be able to have a normal life with a chance of a family and if heaven does exist, a shot at getting in. But of course, he was selfish when it came to Bella and couldn’t stay away. She was his only reason to stay alive. He had tried to move the Cullen’s away from Forks, removing them and any trace of them from her life completely after Jasper had lost control around her. But that had been detrimental to both of them. He’d spent days believing that his love was dead, because of him. So he’d plotted his own demise at the hands of the Volturi. After living through that, he knew there was no way around it. He could not be without her, and made his lust for her blood bearable.

So the golden eyed vamp had come up with a compromise; he would change her into a vampire, if she agreed to marry him. Bella would have gotten her way in the end anyway; she had gained the support of most of the family. So that had been the only way that he would agree to it also. He’d been sure that she’d decline, but Bella had always surprised him, doing everything that he’d never expect.

Edward shook his head at his wife’s question. ”No. He dropped out before we left. Something to do with his truck,” he shrugged. Emmett’s jeep was his baby. It wasn’t uncommon to find him propped underneath it for days – much to Rosalie’s annoyance. ”No Renesmee?” he half expected his daughter to bounce out of the trees any second. Edward let the warmth of Bella’s kiss wash over him; now that they were the same temperature, it was more intense. ”Hello Mrs. Cullen,” he murmured, pressing his own kiss to her temple. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he gazed down at her. He desperately longed to know what she was thinking about. Her eyes gave nothing away; they never had. Each day Edward tried to work out the puzzle of Isabella Marie Cullen, and every time he thought he’d cracked it, she’d do something else. ”What are you thinking?”

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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“A vampire lamb? Well that’s…um…interesting…” Bella bit her lip to stifle back a laugh. Sometimes Edward came out with the strangest stuff in an attempt to be funny. But that only added to his overwhelming charm that had every girl she knew swooning over him since the first day she saw him. She shook her head and wondered if there would ever be a day her husband didn’t totally consume her with the simplest look or comment. In reality, she prayed it never came.

It didn’t surprise Bella that Emmett had ditched to tinker around with the true love of his life - his jeep. Poor Rosalie. She wouldn’t ever understand his fascination with cars, engines and that sort of stuff. Bella had spent enough time with Jake to know it was just a guy thing. Men and mechanics…a match made in heaven. “Bet Rosalie is thrilled…” Bella commented, wondering how long it would take before her sister in law blew up at Emmett for lack of attention. “Jake appeared with a promise of some La Push adventure…” Bella laughed, knowing her husband knew only too well that Jake could offer a trip to the dump and Renesmee would still jump at the chance.

Bella nuzzled into Edwards chest, she felt completely at home in his arms. Her body relaxed, despite the fact she didn’t even know she’d been that tensed up. “I’m still not entirely used to that..” she laughed. The whole ordeal had been a whirlwind and something difficult for everyone to get their heads around. Charlie was definitely the one that struggled the most with the whole thing. He’d been left behind and only knew specific details of their lives - so to speak.

“If I told you, I’d be worried your head might explode…I don’t think you need ego boost right now” she chuckled, teasing him a little. Bella knew it killed him to not know exactly what was going through her mind. Although she did hold the ability to let him in, Bella still liked that her inner most thoughts were kept private. Especially from her husband. He didn’t need to know her fears on the Volturi or how she worried about Charlie and his involvement in their lives. Those thoughts weren’t often, but they were there - and the less Edward knew about them the better.

Turning the tables around, Bella poked him in the chest playfully, “what are you thinking? Hm?” She smiled to herself before glancing up and looking into those deep, golden eyes she adored so much.

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

Owl

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

So, comedy wasn’t exactly Edward’s forte. He may not have been an average Joe dad, but he often came out with your typical dad jokes – after all he was one hundred and twenty years old. And anyway, he’d say or do anything in an attempt to make Bella laugh or smile. It was his favourite sound. ”There should be a bedtime story revolving around a vampire lamb. Renesmee would have loved it.” By no means had they been your typical new parents – there had been some definite learning curves with raising a hybrid daughter. But Edward had adapted quickly to being a father. He told bed time stories, and made Renesmee human food when she wanted it; though she quickly learnt there was no point asking her father; he could not get to grips with using the stove or the microwave or even a tin opener.

”Rosalie is Rosalie… you know how she is,” He rolled his eyes and shook his head at the thought of his sibling. As much as Emmett wound Edward up about various things, he felt kinda bad sometimes for him. Rosalie was a little bit of a live wire sometimes when it came to not getting attention, so Emmett often got the cold shoulder or thrown out of their bedroom for a few days after working on his jeep for too long. Most of the Cullen’s had a collection of fast cars; Edward had his Aston Martin Vanquish, Alice had her Porsche 911, Jasper had his bikes. It was just another pastime for them; after all they had all the time in the world and an unlimited supply of money from various pursuits over the years.

Edward sighed and inwardly groaned at the mention of his daughter being with the wolf. He’d tolerated him being around when Bella was human, and he tolerated him now being a permanent fixture in their lives thanks to Jacob imprinting on Renesmee, but it didn’t mean he liked it. They had bonded slightly over the whole Volturi misunderstanding, but still they were natural enemies. ”What is it with you two girls and a La Push adventure?” he questioned. ”Couldn’t keep you away from the place when you were human,”. That had been a tough time for the vampire. Not knowing if Bella was safe, and not being able to go see her due to the treaty and not being allowed on the reservation. Plus at the time, Jacob had also been trying to steal his reason for existing away from him. Once he’d kissed her without her permission. It had taken all of Edward’s strength not to kill him there and then. But he had known that Bella would have never forgiven him. Renesmee also felt at home there too. Edward wasn’t thrilled, but he knew that Jacob would protect her with his life.

Bella agreeing to marry him had been one of the best moments of his long life. It was the symbol of him tying himself to her in every single humanly way possible. The day they had said ‘I do’ was forever engrained into his brain. ”Well we have an eternity for you to get used to it.” Edward exhaled automatically as he felt her melt against him. When she was close by, as cliché as it sounds, he felt like he was whole; like they could face anything as long as they had each other. And so far, they had faced everything that they had thrown at them; together. ”You’d once said that you were going to hyphenate your name. Would you still like to do that?” He was aware that he had been brought up in a different time; with different ideas and values. Back when he was human, when you got married, the woman took the man’s’ name as the family name. In the twenty first century however, women were fighting to prove their independence and women often either kept their maiden names or hyphenated it. In the months after they had been married, so much had happened, Edward hadn’t had chance to ask Bella what she wanted.

With Bella’s mental shield, Edward had a taste of what it was like to be an average vampire; one without any special gifts. He didn’t like it. It constantly demonstrated to him how much he relied on his ability to read peoples’ minds. He’d never had had to be without his gift, so he felt lost without it with her. Though, it always meant he could truly be at peace when around her. When they were alone, away from other people there was silence. It was a rarity for him to only be competing with his own thoughts. ”Always so secretive,” be murmured quietly, ”but I that I’m in your thoughts.” Bella consumed his thoughts constantly; she had from the moment he laid eyes on her in the cafeteria in Forks High School. Edward laughed lightly at her tactic of turning the conversation away from herself. Always the same. ”Right now? I’m actually thinking about our wedding, and how you’ve made me the happiest man alive.” There was no point down playing his feelings for her.

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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At least Edward didn’t tell the god awful Charlie type dad jokes. Those still made Bella cringe. She loved her dad, but he really didn’t understand humour. “Hey, don’t encourage her, she needs a little less violence in her life sometimes.” Renesmee was special, she understood so much more than a normal human child her age would. Bella did her best to shelter her daughter from the dangers they had lined up against them, though it didn’t always work. Her daughter had definitely inherited Bella’s natural curiosity that was sure to wind her up into some sort of trouble.

Bella laughed, her sister in law was something to behold - that was for sure. Ever since the birth of Renesmee, the two of them had in a way grown closer. Bella had provided the one thing Rosalie never had - and allowed the family to spoil her in anyway they wanted. Well, there were some limits. But overall, Renesmee had bought everyone closer together. “You can’t blame her, Emmett does spend an awful lot of time with that jeep…I have to admit even I have my suspicions…” she joked, the Cullens and their cars. That was never going to change.

She knew it was a hard limit for Edward, letting his daughter run around with a werewolf was just a tad on the boarder between bad and very bad. The two of them, despite Bella’s trying, had never seen eye to eye. That wouldn’t change anytime soon either, Edward tolerated him for Renesmee’s sake. “It must be in our DNA,” she winked. All along it had really been her unborn daughter that had drawn Bella to La Push, to Jake. It all made a lot more sense now to her, and to Jake. Though, that wolfy imprint did get to her at times. “Besides, I had my own reasons to try and keep the peace…” granted, it didn’t always go to plan. Bella still carried the vivd memory of Jake trying to kiss her, and breaking her hand in the process of punching him back. At least now she could make a bit more of an impact. Not that they fought like that anymore. Well, apart from that one time…

“I still don't think that’ll be long enough,” Bella smiled. An eternity with him, to have and to hold. As long as the Volturi didn’t have a reason to come after them again. Though Bella, Edward and Alice all held talents, gifts that Aro was sure to want. Having them in the Guard would be his biggest achievement. She shook her head, it had been an idea as a human to hyphenate her name, trying to hold onto that modern marriage and independence she always wanted. But after everything they’d been through, it seemed silly now. She was his, entirely. “I’m too happy being Mrs Cullen to want to change it now, besides…Renesmee Carlie Cullen-Swan is kind of a mouthful.” she chuckled, knowing she’d already given their daughter the longest, most unusual name out there.

Bella smirked, her husband hated feeling like any old average vampire. He constantly utilised his gifts and understood - thanks to Alice and her visions - exactly what was going on all the time. It was refreshing for Bella to know she had control over this, she practised it often. Pulling and expelling her shield wasn’t easy, but it was improving. She didn’t have to think about it so hard anymore. “You just don’t like feeling average” she smiled, and nodded. He was always in her thoughts. Bella beamed, admittedly she’d hated the idea of the wedding - it was purely for Edward, and Alice, that she’d agreed to go through with it. At the end of the night though, she’d been so blissfully happy that any negative feelings she’d had towards marriage had melted away.

Nuzzling in closer to him, Bella closed her eyes. She was totally and completely happy and didn’t want to move, “how long do you think we have until someone notices we’ve disappeared?” Bella asked, wondering how much time they had together in peace, completely alone.

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

It had been clear from the moment Edward has discovered that Bella was pregnant with his child that it would be a unique child. At first, he had been sure that it would be a monster; just like an immortal child. He had wanted to get rid of it, without hesitation, without so much as a second thought. Then, he could hear her thoughts; they were good and full of love and happiness. It made him realise that he had been quick to assume that it would be just like him; he hadn’t taken into consideration that she was part Bella too.

The following days and weeks had been nerve wracking; even before the threat of the Volturi. Carlisle and Edward had researched until they were blue in the face about what they could expect from Renesmee’s development. It was evident that she was growing and learning at a rapid rate. It wasn’t until they found another hybrid like her that they were able to understand that she would be alright; even if she was wise beyond her years. ”I think the ship of hope of a violence free life for a girl who likes to hunt and feed on animal look sailed a long time ago.” Of course no father wanted their child to be aware of some of the horrible things in the world.. They could shield her from some of it, but ultimately she was going to find out things that weren’t ideal for a child of her age. ”Plus, it would make bedtimes a lot for interesting for me,” he replied, grinning wickedly at his wife.

”We’ve been alive for a very long time, we have to have our hobbies and interests otherwise we’d have gone crazy,” he stated as a matter of fact. Carlisle had thrown himself into studying medicine and working at various hospitals. Esme busied herself with various interior design tasks. Alice shopped. Edward’s attention span varied a little more; he’d studied for two doctorates, leant several languages fluently, and learnt to play many musical instruments as well as collecting vinyl and CD’s. And Emmett liked his cars. ”You’ll see when you’d been around for a century. Your ultimate hobby will probably be books. We’ll have to have a house specifically for all of your books.” Cars were just a perk. The designs changed on a yearly basis, so you never had to buy the same thing twice. Plus, most of the Cullen’s had come from a time where cars weren’t a regular thing. You had to be rich to have one. Now, they were the most common form of transport.

Vampires and shape shifters were natural enemies. Shape shifters started to phase because of the vampires; some of the pack had phased because of the Cullen’s return to Forks. So the fact that he was now expected not only to tolerate them living nearby, but also accept one as part of their family and allow his daughter to ‘hang out’ and eventually date one was really pushing his limits. ”Ironically, Renesmee has done more of keeping the piece that you ever did.” he teased lightly, pressing another kiss to her cheek. ”In fact, she even bridge the two packs back together,” Sam had ordered them to kill Renesmee before they were aware that she wasn’t a monster. Jacob had refused because he knew that in doing so, they would kill Bella. And at the time, there had been a bond between the pair of them which later came to be Jacob’s imprint on their daughter. So Jacob had disobeyed and the pack had split. After Renesmee had been born, the packs were able to settle their differences and work together.

”I’ll never tire of calling you it.” He’d waited over a century to find her and marry her; no measure of time would be enough with Bella. But for the moment, he’d settle with forever. ”Though, it’s going to be interesting to see what story we come up with the next time we move. Renesmee is your younger sister maybe for the first part” Edward mused out loud. They always tried to keep to themselves in new places, but of course human nature always drew attention to the family. Humans were always going to wonder, make assumptions and make up rumours. ”Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Bella, Renesmee, Alice and Emmett Cullen. And Jasper and Rosalie Hale. Now that’s going to draw a lot of attention.”

Edward was a creature of habit. He’d been able to hear thoughts before Carlisle had realised what he was capable of being able to. So being without that talent was a little like being without a left leg. He scoffed at her. ”You know it drives me crazy, and you use it to your advantage.” Even though it infuriated him not knowing what she was thinking, weirdly, it was one of the things he loved most about her. Go figure. ”Probably not until Renesmee comes and finds us not home – so a few hours. Although, knowing Jacob, he’ll use that to his advantage and suggest a beach camping trip down at La Push res,”.

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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Bella shrugged her shoulders, she knew what Renesmee was like, the girl liked to hunt and wasn’t afraid of anything. Perhaps this is just how Edward felt when he constantly went on about her lack of self-preservation as a human. Renesmee was exactly the same, she wanted to be just like the rest of them! The only difference was, she was half human - like any mother Bella just wanted to protect her. Bella laughed, “Of course it would, and you’d have far to much fun telling it…” her husband really was still a boy at heart. Even though, mentally, they’d both done a lot of growing in the days after Renesmee’s birth - adapting to life as parents as well as Bella coming to terms with being a newborn, both of them were still young. More often than not, it showed through when they were alone together. It felt like before…but better.

It was true, her new family were centuries old and had managed to put aside plenty of time to do the things they loved. Which, of course, meant they were all extremely well accomplished and talented at many different things. Something Bella needed to catch up on. Naturally, she wasn’t going to head off to college anytime soon, but it was still on the cards eventually. For now, she was enjoying her life in Forks with her own little family. Besides, her friends from school had all left for their colleges now - no danger of Renesmee being seen by anyone who didn’t already understand that she was…special. “Are you trying to say I’m a book worm? Because I can definitely think of a hobby I’d much rather do that is way more…enjoyable. And wouldn’t consist of buying an entire library…” Bella smiled, raising her eyebrow slightly and biting her lip. If he couldn’t think of what she meant by that, he was not the man she married.

Bella huffed, she had done the best she could keeping the peace between the two rivals. Edward and Jacob would have definitely killed each other countless times over if it hadn’t been for her. She frowned at his teasing, “I think you’ll find I spent a lot of time acting as Switzerland which wasn’t an easy job I might add…” she scrunched up her face and stuck her tongue out at Edward. Her daughter was an amazing creature, that was for sure, and that silly imprint had saved her life - though Bella still won’t ever quite forgive Jacob for that. “That I will agree on, although you do have to give Jacob half the credit on that - it was his wolf instinct that saved her…”

She hadn’t thought about the family starting again - at least not added Renesmee into that one. It was definitely going to draw attention for sure, and that was something the family didn’t need. “Oh, that is going to be…um, tricky?” Bella wasn’t sure how she felt about pretending to be her daughters ’sister’, it all just felt a bit weird. “We’ll manage somehow - won’t we?” she allowed a flash of worry to pass over her face, this was all going to get somewhat complicated. And what freaked her out more? The idea of pretending her husband is her brother. Weird.

Bella narrowed her eyes at Edward, she wasn’t going to give in - not today. He saw more now than ever before, when she chose to let him in that is - and that was enough. Bella was, and always had been a private person. “You mean, the same way it drives everyone else crazy not being able to hide anything from you?” she smirked, feeling all so powerful and clever.
Moving her hands, letting them slowly wrap around Edwards neck, Bella beamed. “We could always have our own adventure?” She wasn’t sure what she had in mind, but it had been a while since the two of them had been on an adventure, well a good kind of adventure anyway.

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

Owl

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

Edward had just been seventeen years old when Carlisle had turned him, frozen him physically at that age forever. Since then, over one hundred years had passed and he had learnt a lot, and mentally aged a lot. But during his time in Forks High School, many humans – including Bella – had noticed that he spoke like he was from a different time. It was a habit that had been hard to break. It was easy for him to slip back into the mindset he had had back before he turned; make silly jokes and mess around. Sure he wasn’t as boisterous as Emmett, and he had spent many years brooding and pessimistic, keeping himself to himself. But now his life was whole, he was getting better at showing his playful side. Mainly to Bella but it was leaking through with other members of the family too. ”And Renesmee would love it… I’d even do the different voices she loves so much,” The golden eyed vampire never imagined himself acting out stories, using silly voice. But he knew his daughter loved it so much. Just as he was willing to do anything to make Bella happy, he was willing to do anything to make Renesmee happy.

Edward’s eyebrows shot up at his wife’s comment, like always, she surprised him; making a comment completely unexpected. ”Oh really?” he replied. Of course he knew what she was referring to specifically. They were always on the same page. It was some unspoken connection they had. ”I like the sound of that. Maybe that could be our pastime. I’m sure there are a few centuries we can lose to it. Give Emmett and Rosalie a run for their money.” Emmett had constantly bragged about how many houses they had destroyed and how many years they had to live on their own before anyone could stomach being around them for a prolonged period of time. Edward usually ignored him these days, but it sure would be fun to be able shut him up once and for all.

”You did a very good job, I didn’t kill Jacob which is definitely a victory for you,” he laughed lightly, shaking his head. There were some close calls. Bella’s tongue being poked out at him made him laugh harder. ”Very mature, that’s where Renesmee gets it from”. Carlisle had tried to explain what it was like being with your mate. How you could just totally be yourself and they would accept you but he had never understood it, not until he found Bella. It was moments like this that made him realise that he was totally relaxed; happy. Edward’s laugh calmed through as he was brought back to reality being reminded of that difficult time. Granted, Renesmee was saved from Sam Uley’s pack of wolves by Jacob’s imprinting. And it was good to know that she was protected not only by vampires but also wolves too. Still doesn’t mean he was happy though. ”You’re right. And I do give him credit for that. But just that. Just because he did one good thing, doesn’t mean I’m going to like the guy.”

The Cullen family had restarted their lives several times over the years; using different back stories to cover their tracks. The younger they started out in places, the longer they could stay in one place and have somewhat normal lives. So the younger vampires posing as adoptive siblings to the slightly older looking Carlisle and Esme had worked. Edward frowned at the concerned look that passed across his wife’s features. He didn’t like making her worry. ”Of course we’ll work something out. Bella, please don’t worry about it. We’ll take care of it.” He brought a hand to her cheek, cupping his fingers around her cheek and grazing his thumb across her cheekbone in a reassuring display of affection. Of course the whole concept of creating a fake history for herself was somewhat foreign to Bella. Edward had done it so many times now just like the other Cullens; he didn’t really care what people thought anymore. The whole of Forks had though it was weird that all the adoptive siblings were together, together. But as long as they bought that they were high school students, it hadn’t been an issue.

”Touché,” he smirked. The family never had any secrets; they all knew there was no point. Alice could see the future and Edward could hear their thoughts. If they avoided one of them, the other would see the outcome. It was catch 22. So it was just easier for them all to be honest and shared everything. ”An adventure you say?” It had been so long since the two of them had gone on a thrill seeking adventure, just the two of them. ”We could go on a hike? See what we can find hidden around these mountains?” Anything just to spend some time with her.

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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Ever since the Volturi had come and gone, and all the stress of impending doom had left their lives, Edward had relaxed, become himself again, in a way Bella had never seen before. When she was human he was clearly always so careful - not wanting to make a wrong move or do anything that may endanger her fragile human life. Now, she was like him, and that meant he could be carefree and relaxed. It reminded Bella of a Labrador puppy at times…in the best way. “If you now don’t make up this story to tell her tonight, even I’m going to be disappointed,” she laughed, but genuinely curious as to whether or not he was being serious. In all the time they’d known each other - Bella could not imagine him seriously acting out a story of any means.

Bella bit her lip and smiled, she knew he’d like that remark - there was not a chance in hell the two of them were going to tire from each other in that way any time soon. “I am definitely liking the sound of that,” she replied softly, “besides…I’d hate to lose to Emmett,” she laughed. Bella had beaten Emmett at a few things since becoming a vampire. First and foremost, that infamous arm wrestle that had him sulking for days. Not that Bella was competitive at all…well, not usually. Emmett bought out that side of her from day one.

Bella pouted, was Edward mocking her attempts in an ever so sarcastic way? “I think I did a good job keeping you both alive,” she huffed. Jake could just have easily killed Edward, though he won’t ever admit to it. “I don’t know what you mean?” she feigned shock and dismay at his comment, but let out a light laugh - their daughter was almost an equal split of them both, looking at her and getting to know her - there was no mistaking that she was their daughter. Even Charlie, as much as he denied it, knew the truth deep down.
Bella nodded in triumph, she’d at least won that argument…sort of. She let a grin spread across her face, “at least you admit that, although I think deep down you kind of do,” she was teasing, obviously, the way Edward felt about Jake was never going to change.

Bella remembered vividly the rumours that went around the school when she first started. The Cullens were outsiders, and everyone knew they were all pretty much ‘together’ aside from Edward. But still, there were always whispers from the other students…Bella wasn't quite sure how she was going to handle that. She nodded, letting her gaze drop to the floor - and she thought coming up against the Volturi was bad…this looked to be ten times worse! “I know, I know,” she mumbled, not wanting to let these worries bother her. It wouldn’t be for a while yet - so why did it bug her? “Maybe I can be home schooled, and then I don’t have to pretend to be your sister…” even just saying that sent shivers down her spine - it all sounded weird.

Bella as a human had never been well coordinated - she had hated hiking mainly because it meant falling over a rock, or a tree and breaking her foot, ankle, leg. These days, however, she was much more together, gracefully managing to walk without tripping in a straight line on an even floor - this in itself was an achievement! “We could always go cliff diving?” Bella suggested, trying not to laugh…

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

Owl

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

When Alice had that vision of the Volturi standing against them in the snowy clearing, Edward had felt his whole life stop, crash and begin to fall apart before his minds’ eye. He’d finally gotten a shot at his happily ever after, after one hundred years of waiting, and the impending arrival of the vampire royal family had threatened it. Just knowing that they had believed that Renesmee was a threat to them was enough to make Edward angry. They had wanted to destroy her; for no reason other than a rumour. He’d tried to keep strong for his family, putting on a brave face not to show how concerned he really was. And now, knowing that the Volturi wanted him, Alice and Bella still sat uneasy in his stomach. But until a vision came with the Volturi’s next move, it was easy for him to suppress the feelings. And right now, being alone with Bella, it was much, much, much easier for him to forget about it all together. Grinning down at her, he chuckled lightly. If it made her smile, he’d do absolutely anything.

Edward would never tire of his wife in any way, but the physical aspect of the relationship was definitely one he was enjoying with her. It was another way that he could show her how he felt about her; words would only go so far after all. ”I’m glad you’re on board with the idea,” he whispered, nuzzling his head into her neck for a moment, inhaling her scent. Annoying Emmett was just another bonus. Watching her kick his ass when she had been a newborn was definitely in the top fifty of Edward’s favourite moments. ”Though, in case you do get bored of that I’m pretty sure that the Cullen’s do in fact have an actual library somewhere in the states,” he teased against her neck, pressing a small kiss where her pulse point used to be before pulling back.

”Your intentions were good. And well, none of us have tried to kill each other in the last year. So I would consider that a win for both you and Renesmee.” he replied, trying to draw a line under the topic of conversation. Jacob was not someone he enjoyed talking about, past, present or future. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips and Bella’s feign of lack of understanding. ”Sure you don’t, like mother like daughter eh?” he teased some more. There was no mistaking that they were Renesmee’s biological parents, appearance and personality wise. It was noticeable even to the human eye. She’d definitely inherited both of their stubborn streaks, god help her. ”You keep thinking that deep down. It won’t ever come to be true, but if thinking it keeps you happy then so be it,”

A frown set across Edward’s features, his mouth set in a firm line. He didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable with anything. ”Bella, after a few decades you won’t care what human’s think of you. Trust me. At the moment its’ still fresh in your mind how they tick. Once Charlie and Renee and your friends have died and you have no ties to the world; it’s easier to lie about your history.” The fact that Bella had displayed such strength and was able to mix with humans despite being a new born had been a surprise to them all. It was the ultimate reason that they had stayed around in Forks. Of course, Edward was glad that Renesmee was able to get to know her grandfather and Bella could continue to have a relationship with her father. But he knew that when the time came when they did have to leave, or when he did die, it was going to be extremely hard for them both. He’d had to grieve for his own parents while trying to understand what he’d become. ”And hey, no one said you had to be my sister. Emmett and Rosalie never say they are siblings. Hence the different surnames to make that clarification for the nosy human’s,” Edward hooked a long finger under his wife’s chin, and tugged her face up in an attempt to try to make her look at him. ”Shall we just enjoy our life here first? We have a while left here before we’ll have to move and worry about that. I’m sorry I brought it up. It was very insensitive of me,” Sometimes it was easy to forget that she hadn’t been a vampire for as long as he had. It just seemed so come natural to her.

”Cliff diving?” he asked. At the mention of the word, memories of getting the call from Rosalie to say that Bella was dead after jumping off of a cliff flashed through his mind. It had been a dark day for them. It always made him feel a little nauseous – or whatever the vampire equivalent was – when he thought about it. He knew it was different this time, but still the memories were as clear as day. Pushing those memories to the back of his mind, he nodded. ”Lead the way then Mrs. Cullen. To anywhere by La Push.”

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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Bella loved it when Edward showered her with affection, every single touch she savoured - never really wanting him to let go. Around her family, around Renesmee, she showed restraint - trying to control the animal that had been reborn the moment she woke up in her new life. Of course, this lead to numerous comments from Emmett, however, these days she took joy in proving him totally wrong.
She laughed, of course the Cullen’s had a library somewhere in the US…they had almost everything else. “Is that so? Why am I not surprised?” she shook her head, nothing came as a shock these days.

Dropping the subject of Jacob with a small, cheeky wink - Bella let a grin spread across her face. She liked winning, and even if he didn’t admit - Bella knew she had won. She knew it still stood as a bit of a sore spot - but in reality, and with some time to digest the whole situation, Bella was exceptionally happy that Jake had stayed part of her life in such a way. She kept him close, but not too close, he’d been her rock for the time Edward had…well, that had made a huge impact on Bella and it was one she wasn’t going to give up.

Bella winced at the thought of her family and friends dying, her living way past them for centuries. It hadn’t ever all fully sunk it - she’d not exactly been presented with the time for it to. What with Renesmee’s unexpected arrival and the necessity to turn her in order to save her, Bella had never processed it fully. Especially as she had them firmly in her life now. “I know…” she murmured, trying to not let her feelings show too much. Edward didn’t need to trouble himself with his wives fears and doubts, not when in the long run it really wouldn’t matter.
Bella looked up at him, and let a small smile follow. Pushing the thoughts to the back her mind she sighed, not because she needed to but more a new habit she’d developed. Being around Charlie and other humans, pretending to breath had become a second nature. “It’s okay, I understand it all…” she nodded.

Cliff diving was definitely something that didn’t sit well with Edward, but Bella had enjoyed it - the adrenaline rush was next to none. It would have been better if - you know - the aftermath hadn’t happened. It wasn’t the easiest memory for her either, but being now immortal meant she could have much more fun with it. “I’ll race you, edge of the forest,” she grinned stepping back from Edward and laughing. She took off into the forest, heading for the cliffs that lined the coast - being sure to steer clear of La Push.

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

Owl

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

Edward shrugged his shoulders innocently. ”Carlisle likes to study, so having unlimited personal access to books is handy. He is over three hundred years old, remember. He’s had to kill a lot more time than any of us. He’s probably got first edition copies of all your favourite novels somewhere too,” Reading for pleasure had never really interested Edward. He’d read the classics out of boredom and he read to learn, but that’s as far as the task went. He much preferred to play the piano, listen to music or learn a language. ”Maybe we could even combine the two ideas together?” he suggested with a wolf like grin spreading across his lips, ”Because I’m the library will need christening.” That would definitely one up Emmett and maybe even shut him up for a few days.

Back when Carlisle had turned him into a vampire, he had had to grieve for his parents as they had already passed away. His father’s passing hadn’t really left a mark anyway; he’d never been close to him as Edward Sr had usually been away for work, never really boding with his son. Grieving for his mother however had been more difficult. Elizabeth had been the centre of his world for his seventeen years as a human. But he’d been able to understand that there had been no hope for her against the influenza. And with the knowledge that he would live forever and she would never return, leaving Chicago hadn’t been that difficult. He had aunt and uncles there, but none of which he had been exceptionally close to. There had been no family to keep him there, so to speak. Being away from all the places that reminded him of his biological mother helped to move on. Over the years he was able to build his new life completely a fresh with Carlisle as a father figure and later Esme as his mother figure. The other Cullen’s also had had clean breaks from their human lives. But of course, Bella’s situation was unique. Edward was trying to understand and sympathise with her and what the future events would bring, but it was all unfamiliar for him too.

”We’ll get through it together, okay?” he reassured her, feeling useless knowing that his wife was worrying over the future. ”And it does get easier.” He, Emmett and Jasper had tossed around the idea of changing Charlie into a vampire, before Bella had woken up. Charlie had constantly been calling and threatening to turn up at the house and of course there was a possibility that Bella would have attacked him, which Edward knew she would have hated herself for. So the guys had suggested changing him too. But none of them relished the idea of taking away a human’s mortality unless it was absolutely necessary. The vampire had never mentioned it to his wife; but knowing that she was already worrying about him dying made him want to suggest it.

It wasn’t that Edward forgot that she was now immortal too. It was just that he was used to protecting his wife from everything, even himself at times. It was a habit that was proving hard to break. Before he could get too hung up on the old memories though, Bella had announced that she would race him, and just like that she was gone from his arms and disappeared into the forest. Edward laughed loudly. ”Cheat, giving yourself a head start,” he shouted before starting off after her, pushing his self to catch up.

Within minutes he had broken through the trees and Edward found himself standing at the top of a ravine, looking down at the water surface below. You could tell that no humans knew of its existence, it was all natural and beautiful. ”Ready?”, his gaze drifting over to his mate.

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen