Roll up! Roll up! [Bella]

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

The Cullen’s had settled in Forks a few times over the years. The constant over cast weather made living a semi-normal life possible; they could have jobs and go to school without much disruption from having to hide away when it was sunny. It was one of the only places that Edward actually liked to live; partly due to the weather, but also partly because it really was a peaceful place. There were lots of isolated mountains that he could run and plenty of animals that he could hunt and feed on without the risk of coming across any humans or impacting upon that animal population too much. Plus, now he’d found Bella there, Forks would always be a little more special to him.

Running through the forest towards the small town, Edward glanced over his shoulder at his wife and grinned at her. He loved being able to share this with her now; just simply running through the forest together with no impending threats hanging over their heads. This day’s events had completely changed directions. Initially he had planned to spend it hunting with Emmett. Now he was with his wife, planning on visiting his father in law. Not his favourite activity, especially seen as Charlie still disliked him – dislike probably wasn’t a strong enough word in fact. As much as the chief tried to pretend that he tolerated him, Edward’s little talent of being able to hear his thoughts told him otherwise.

As they got closer to town, Edward began to pick up unusual scents; sweet and salty and lots of humans… The smells came along with the sounds that began to drift through the air – carnival music, laughing, and shouting and screaming. Slowing his pace to a walk at the edge of the forest, Edward stepped out onto the main road, the hum of lots of people’s thoughts buzzing in his head. His eyes scanned the grassy park area across the road, which was usually empty apart from a few children throwing around a football. But today, it was full. Red and white tents stretched out in various positions on the clearing, rides and booths with prizes and food hanging from every available surface and of course, people; lots and lots of people. His golden eyes noticed a large sign announcing that this was Forks’ annual spring carnival.

Instantly, he reached out his hand to clutch Bella’s. He knew that she’d been able to control her instinct around humans when she was newborn; which was a talent in itself. But he wasn’t sure she would want to be in such close proximity to all these humans at one time. It was difficult for even him at times. ”Fancy the carnival? Or should we go?” he asked softly.

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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Being somewhat considered a newborn by the majority of her family - and her kind, Bella was probably more controlled that expected. Although, she still had her moments of weakness - which was in her nature - she had learnt how to stifle the urge. Living in Forks meant a lot to her, this was where she met Edward…this was where her life began. She loved it which every fibre of her being, and the thought of leaving it behind left her with a lump in her throat. But what was to be, had to be - they had to protect themselves as well as the people of Forks from what they were.

Bella took off in the direction Edward was heading in, towards the town. She grinned at him as he glanced over his shoulder at her. He was still faster, but in this new life at least there was a small chance of keeping up with him - without all the fuss of losing her breath or needing to rest. It was a well known fact that just over a year ago - Bella couldn’t even hit a volley ball in a straight line, or without breaking a sweat. She’d never been the most sporty, active girl out there…but now here she was running effortlessly through the forest with her husband. Simple pleasures.

Coming to the edge of the town, a burning sensation hit Bella in the throat and she held her breath. That was a lot of human blood, more than what she was used to dealing with. She faltered slightly, slowing her run down and resisting her natural instinct as she’d practised. As she stepped out and stood next to her husband she sighed…of course. Charlie had mentioned it but Bella hadn’t really been taking it in - instead she had been worrying about whether or not he was going to mention Renesmee’s recently growth spurt or taken another subtle dig at Edward.

She felt his hand around hers and suddenly felt completely grounded. Bella glanced up at him, taking in his question before glancing back to the carnival. It would be fun sure, and she knew she had this control thing down - it was time to prove it, not just for Edward’s peace of mind but for her own. Gently, she tugged on his had and smiled “why not, it could be fun! We did miss out last year…” mainly because they’d been to busy with well…everything else in their lives.

Wandering over to the carnival, Bella let her eyes drink in all the details around her - it was so colourful, so bright, and so loud - the smell of sweet popcorn and candy floss triggering old, human memories for her. “What do you fancy going on first,” Bella giggled, trying to ignore that fact her throat felt like it was being stabbed repetitively.

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

Owl

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

Edward vividly remembered the day that Carlisle brought him out into a heavily populated place. At first Edward Carlisle had take him to quiet spacious areas like national parks, getting him accustomed to being around human blood and not feeding. Of course Edward had the advantage of being able to hear Carlisle’s reasons behind abstaining from human blood, but that didn’t mean it made doing it any easier for him. It was going against every single natural (or unnatural) urge that he had. When he was around two years post transformation, Edward and Carlisle had done a simple mundane human task; took a trip to the supermarket. They had been in a living in a small area of Boston at the time and Edward felt like he was strong enough to spend a sustained period of time around humans without attacking. He’d strolled around the store, every part of his body tense and his throat feeling like someone had shoved a fire torch inside it. He didn’t take a single breath the whole time. But he managed it. The fact that he could hear the people’s thoughts helped somewhat too. But it had been one of the most uncomfortable moments of his life.

With this memory crystal clear in his mind, he was constantly trying to shelter his wife from experiencing a similar thing. There went his over protective streak again. Things had been difficult over the last year or so; with the battle with the Volturi, worrying over Renesmee to name a few. But now, things were starting to settle down for the moment and he didn’t want anything to really rock the boat. And Bella being uncomfortable was definitely rocking the boat. Damn it, this was a time that he really wished he could read her mind. Knowing if she was okay – not just saying she was okay - would be really helpful.

All the times that Edward had been living in Forks, he had never attended the Spring Carnival. Usually there was never any one he wanted to visit with. The Cullen’s were more of a hunting trip together family than attending a human carnival together kind of family. And of course, last year, they had all been slightly preoccupied. He felt her hand tighten around his and he nodded his head curtly at her words. ”It could be funn…” he repeated. Carnivals had never really appealed to him, so fun was probably a stretch – he would have actually preferred to spend the afternoon jumping off cliffs with Bella. But he could see that she wanted to attend, so he would too. ”Is this like a date?” he laughed. ”I think we’ve done this all backwards.”

Edward followed his wife into the chaos that was called a carnival. His sense of smell being attacked even more concentrated now they were in middle of it. His own throat burned hotly from the scent of humans that swarmed by, laughing and chatting. He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face at the sound of Bella’s giggle. It made his heart stutter each time he heard it. ”You pick. I don’t think I’ve been on a ride since I was human... I don’t know what’s good.”

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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Thinking back to the moment Charlie arrived at their door, Bella remembered how much she’d had to concentrate. This would be no different. Her own dad had tempted her into sinking her teeth into a human neck - something she had so far avoided in her short vampire life. But for the sake of normality - or at least to appear normal - Bella was keen to continue life like any other human would. This time there would just be a bit more elegance to it.

Hearing the skepticism in Edwards voice, Bella rolled her eyes. Years of being a loner meant Edward hadn’t understood or gotten involved in simple human fun - she felt he secretly laughed at her old human pastimes, the fact that things like carnivals were considered fun…though the rides were probably a lot better than he’d experienced way back when. She nodded enthusiastically, “that is exactly what this is,” a date…date night had been something neither of them indulged in as of late…even when she was human they rarely did ‘date night’ things. Like the movies, or dinner…for obvious reasons. “When have we ever done anything the right way?” she laughed, looking back over their time together. They were anything but conventional.

Holding her breath, Bella moved further into the crowd - she tightened her grip a little more, being careful not to hurt Edwards hand in the process. It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. She bit down on her lip and zoned in on the ferris wheel. Probably without a doubt the most boring of the rides - but it meant only the two of them in one seat - not to mention a breath of fresh air at the top. “Ferris Wheel,” she nodded, glancing over her shoulder and smiling up at a beaming Edward. “You look happy,” she noted, keeping her body close to his - partly for the protective reassurance and partly because she simply enjoyed being as close as possible to him.

As they reached the Ferris Wheel, Bella clamped her teeth tightly together. Waiting for the next free seat, she tapped her foot impatiently as the discomfort of holding her breath was starting to kick in. She was so intent on not letting her mind wander or her instinct take over. “So what else can I expect on this date?” She focused her eyes on Edward and aimed for distraction, smiling coyly, that was the best way to do this. Aiming for normal…whatever that was…

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

Owl

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

Edward wanted to give Bella a normal as life as possible; it had been one of the reasons he’d fought so hard to keep her human; well until it was inevitable anyway. But now, seen as she had gotten her way and joined him, he was going to embrace it and give her the best life he could, ensuring that she experienced everything possible. And if attending a cheesy carnival was on that list; so be it. Over his years as a vampire, Edward had avoided things like this, he attended high schools, colleges, and occasionally work - if they stuck around a place long enough. But social things like homecoming and spring fling with humans were always a no no. They always appeared mundane; even listening about them after they had happened through teen’s thoughts was bad enough. But since attending prom with Bella, well since finding Bella really, he was starting to see the appeal in most things he’d scoffed at before.

”Well, we got married before having coitus… that was the right way, “ he teased. Edward had been born into a time when men and women didn’t publicly announce that they were having sex with a different woman every night. Generally people waited to be married before doing the deed. Therefore, his values and morals were very different to those of his age today. If he had met Bella when he was still human, he would have courted her with a chaperone, asked her father for her hand in marriage, married her and then slept with her. Now, technically he asked Charlie’s permission after Bella had already agreed, and he hadn’t technically dated her – with or without a chaperone, but still, he’d tried to keep as proper as possible. ”And we were married when we had Renesmee, so that’s another tick in the right way column,” Edward rarely got to spend time with Bella alone, they had a daughter to raise and a ever constant present family. So the idea of date nights alone definitely sounded appealing. He was definitely going to have to put in more of an effort to do things like this with her.

Being this close to so many people at one time caused the hum in Edward’s head to intensify drastically; it was like constantly having static on a tv. Plus, the fact that all these people were human meant that he could practically feel the thump of their blood. Ugh. Closing his eyes for a moment to centre himself, he mentally took a breath to calm himself. After a moment, he opened his eyes and fixed them on his wife. It made him grin like an idiot seeing her so happy. ”Ferris wheel it is then…” Edward followed after her towards the large wheel that towered way above the ground. If they both hadn’t been immortal and bulletproof, he definitely would have been concerned for their safety. Surely this thing couldn’t be safe. It looked older than he was! ”I’m spending time with you, of course I’m happy. You look like all your dreams just came true,” replied, giving her hand another squeeze and let his thumb grazed lazily over the back, reassuringly. He was glad she was sticking close to him. It helped keep himself grounded as well as in a position to protect her from any trouble that may arise.

Automatically, Edward draped his arm over Bella’s shoulder as they waited in line for the Ferris wheel. ”You’re doing really well,” he whispered, low enough for only her to hear. A laugh rumbled through him and another smile tugged at his lips. ”Well, I’ll have to win you a gigantic teddy, one for Renesmee too. “ He had never really dated before, even when he was human; no woman had caught his attention, so it was all new to him. But it came naturally when he was with Bella. ”And get our fortunes told by someone other than Alice. That will be fun,”

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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When she was a human, Bella would kill to avoid social occasions. Parties, proms - anything like that had made her want to run away and hide in the corner. That was, at least, until she met the Cullens, Alice in particular. Even her wedding had been considered one of the social events of the season…everyone attended, which had made her extremely anxious. Still, with Edward by her side, she’d soldiered through them all without too much drama. Now, she kind of felt nostalgia with the human frivolities that took hold of the town from time to time.

If Bella could blush, she definitely would be right now. It always made her cringe inwardly when Edward spoke so formally - they were so in tune she almost always forgot he was from a different time…a time where people did it all properly. “Only because you wouldn’t have it any other way…” Bella narrowed her eyes at him, Edward had made her feel like some sort of predator wanting to take his virtue, but she’d understood it had been necessary for him to do the whole process properly. She laughed, they had been married a matter of weeks before Renesmee came along - most people would have assumed this had been the reason for the marriage. “Only just…” she giggled, “though I think there would be a few people thinking differently if they knew the truth.” Bella winked up at him, people would have definitely talked if they’d known the truth.

Date night with Edward. The whole idea made Bella the happiest, she loved spending time alone with him. Being within reach of their constantly awake and ever present family, along with the raising of Renesmee, made nights like this difficult. Bella felt the urge to swallow - a human pretence she’d been working on, but with the burning ripping through her throat it was more soothing to try. His face was a picture as they reached the ferris wheel…if she had been human right now, he wouldn’t let her anywhere near this ride. “Is it such a bad thing that I’m thoroughly enjoying time alone with my husband,” Bella beamed, biting down on her lip. It pleased her that he feelings she had been afraid of losing towards Edward, at least in the first few months of being a newborn, had never faded. He was still her world, her everything.

Bella nuzzled into Edwards arm, they looked like any other couple there…maybe a little more intense. “I’m trying,” she whispered back, trying not to breath too much. The taste of the scents around her made her throat burn deeper, but it was bearable. Bella wrinkled her nose, “maybe just focus on winning one for Renesmee,” she laughed, Edward had given her enough in just being - she always shied away from presents from him. She nodded to the last one, wondering if the fake fortune tellers had an inch on Alice. Eventually, a free chair came around, and Bella lead the way - taking a seat on the slightly old, tired ride before glancing back at Edward to follow her. “Come on, or are you too afraid?” she laughed.

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

Owl

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

When Edward had been human, his father had been a successful banker. He had constantly been away on business more often than he was at home and as a result his bond with his son had suffered. However, during those times that Edward Sr. had been home, Edward Jr. had been forced to attend any social gathering that his father attended along with his mother. Elizabeth Mason had always ensured that Edward was smartly dressed and bathed ahead of the gatherings, to show him off almost. But they had been extremely boring for a child; all stuffy adults talking about money and the threat of a looming crash. But he was sure that events today that children and teens attended were less dull and definitely more illegal. Edward had wanted to ensure that Bella involve herself in as many human traditions as possible, especially when she had been human; including prom and an Alice Cullen wedding. Of course he knew that she didn’t like being the centre of attention; but he didn’t do it for those reasons, he did it because he wanted her to have the experience of it, before it became tainted with vampire urges.

”I had to protect your soul somehow seen as you were intent to selling it to the devil himself,” he teased, lightly. Edward had wanted to go against his values several times before they eventually slept together; especially that night where she was practically undressing herself on the bed. It had taken a whole lot of self restraint not to give in – as if he wasn’t showing enough restraint by not drinking her blood! He knew nothing of the afterlife, whether there was heaven and hell nor did he know what would happen to a vampire after they had been destroyed, but what he did know, was that he hadn’t been willing to risk Bella’s soul if she was intent on becoming like him; and he had taken all the necessary steps to do so. He bound himself to her in every way possible. Edward laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. ”Yes, Jessica attended our wedding for the sole purpose of seeing if you were showing yet,” He remembered hearing that thought just before the ceremony. Humans were so fickle. It was sad that in today’s society people only got married young because they were pregnant, not because they were in love.

Knowing that Bella wanted him just as much as he wanted her in every single way possible made Edward the most content he had ever been. They were soul mates. Staying away from her at first had been difficult; there had been a magnetic pull towards her. And if he wasn’t able to be close to her, he had been thinking about her, worrying about her safety because not only was she a magnet to him, but she had been a magnet to danger, period. ”Not at all.” he confirmed. ”I’m quite enjoying spending alone time with Mrs Cullen too. In fact I think we should do this more often, just the two of us,” Sure they had eternity to spend time together, but no amount of time would ever be enough. He would never tire of her; of looking at her, listening to her. And if having a date night made her this happy, he’d have one every freaking day!

If Bella would let him, Edward would shower her in gifts. But she fought him at every turn. When they had finally announced their engagement, Edward had managed to get his way and give her a car seen as the truck packed it – he will honestly say that he had nothing to do with that, it was natural causes. He wasn’t even allowed to give her birthday gifts or even a graduation gift – but Jacob had been. Of course that had only fuelled his jealous of the dog and sneak his own representation on her bracelet – a diamond heart. ”Oh come on, it’s not a date if I don’t win you something. Humour me?” He nuzzled his face into the top of her head affectionately. He could hear the thoughts of people around him about how loved up they looked, which made him smile. Before he was ready for their little moment to be over, his wife was already moving towards the rusty wheel. He followed after her, of course reaching the seat a few moments ahead of her; he was nothing but a gentleman, and offered her his hand to help her inside. ”Ready?” he asked, sitting himself next too her and pressing the bar shut around them. Within seconds, the ride groaned into motion and began raising into the air.

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

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During her human years, Bella had wanted to experience everything before she turned. That had meant everything much to Edwards dismay. He hadn’t always been so keen on the idea…mainly because he could have killed her quite easily. But that hadn’t stopped Bella getting her way eventually. She beamed in a smug sort of way “if you’re the devil, I’m very glad to have sold it to you…” of course, she believed he was more of an angel - despite Edwards original protests. That had been one of the reasons it had taken Edward so long to agree on giving her the life with him she’d always wanted, the full life with him.

Bella rolled her eyes, that Jessica…she liked a massive gossip. “Naturally, she’d assume that was the case,” she didn’t know why, but Bella always got the feeling Jessica hadn’t ever really warmed to her. Not that it bothered her, Angela had always been there to soften the blow when it came to Jessica’s remarks in high school - and the rest of the group, minus Lauren, had always been more accommodating. Still, none of them had really understood what the reasoning behind she and Edward getting married so young, but they'd all sort of accepted it.

Pulling him a little closer to her, Bella reached up on her tip-toes and kissed him softly on the cheek. It amazed her that something as simple as a date night could have such an affect on her, but it really made her overwhelmingly happy to be in Edwards company, alone. As she settled back on her feet, she leaned in against him. “That is always good to know, I agree though…more of this please,” she smiled to herself, wondering if she should allow him into her head, just to see how truly happy she was. Hmm, maybe later.

Even as a human Bella had hated the idea of gifts, Jacob had snuck a couple in but not with Bella’s knowledge beforehand - although she had always felt a little put out when he did spring them on her. It had been like he was trying to get one up on Edward, a competition he’d never been destined to win. She rolled her eyes and sighed huffily, “one…and only one, any more go to Alice, Rose and Renesmee you hear?” He’d already given her so much, a beautiful daughter, a wonderful family, and an eternity to live her life with him. Anything else was shadowed in comparison. As she settled into the seat, letting the bar shut around them, Bella wriggled with excitement, it had been years since her last ferris wheel ride. The ride creaked as it started moving, and Bella felt a rush of fresh air. She took the opportunity to let out the uncomfortable breath she’d been holding in.

“This is, without a doubt, one of the best date nights with you ever…” the first had of course been the night he’d sat with her at Bella Italia…if that counted? Focusing slightly, she pulled the elastic, invisible shield that protected her inwards, allowing Edward to peek into her mind. She thought of how happy she was, how utterly happy was, but also of that night and what it had meant to her.

TAGGED

Edward Anthony Cullen

Owl

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

Edward chuckled and shook his head at his wife. She never failed to make him laugh, even now with a topic that had once been a source of fervent disagreement between them. They clearly still had very different views on the whole vampires have no soul debate, but at least now they were more able to agree to disagree. At least he was aware that he’d protected her soul in every way possible before he changed her; which had been why, hearing Jessica’s thoughts had been a source of great amusement for Edward. Back when Edward had been human, getting married at eighteen had been the norm. Then again, women were usually stay-at-home moms, so there was no need for them to worry about getting a career before setting down. In today’s society of course women were just as career based as men, so getting married was often one of the last things on their mind; unless there was a reason of course. ”Before you agreed to marry me, you said that that would be one of the things people would think,” he reminded her softly.

They were definitely going to have to have date night more often. Edward was feeling the most relaxed he had ever had and Bella seemed to be extremely happy and content. And anything that made his wife beam and relax like this, he’d buy into several times over. He let the warmth of her skill spread across his cheek. It was like someone was lighting a fire inside him at the touch. He raised his hand to her face and ran his fingers along her cheek bone. There was a time that she would have blushed, blood rushing to the surface, something that he had grown to love about her. He missed that, but he was glad that he didn’t have to think about his every move in case he broke her. ”Consider it done,” he confirmed. Maybe next time they could get in touch with their teenage human sides and go to the movies and not watch a film.

”That’s a fair compromise Mrs Cullen,” he agreed, feeling a little victorious. Edward wished that she would allow him to treat her all the time, but he was learning to compromise. He had an eternity to spoil her. He wanted to show her how thankful he was for her. She had given him a life. Carlisle had transformed him, but she had been the one to bring him back to life, and start living again. ”Though, can you imagine Rosalie’s face when she gets given a teddy? I think she’s more of a real diamond necklace as a gift kind of vampire,” he laughed loudly at the thought. ”Alice on the other hand…”

Edward draped his arm over the back of the seat, around Bella. He could practically feel the excitement radiating off of her. The old wheel creaked in protest as it began to raise them into the air. For a second, he glanced around wondering what would be the easiest way to exit the carnival if this thing were to fall apart and leave several human casualties bleeding; always wanting to be prepared. It was bad enough being surrounded by humans without human blood exposed, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to control himself if there was fresh blood from several of them at once. Shaking his head to rid the direction of his thoughts, he glanced over at Bella. The wind ruffled his hair as they neared the top of the ride.

He took in the site of Forks and the carnival stretched out below them. With his clear eyesight he was able to see further and more detail than most humans would be able to see. As usually, it was over cast in the sleepy town and as the hours ticked closer to evening, the sky was starting to darken. ”Every date night with you is the best one ever,” he replies, ”Too cheese?” Sometimes, he got a little carried away with his words. She dazzled him and he tended to go overboard in every way possible. ”Nevertheless, it’s true.” Edward moved his arm off of the back of the seat and draped it around his wife, pulling her into his chest. ”I love you, Mrs Cullen.” Life could not get any more perfect for him right now.

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

B ella frowned at her husband – he was so hung up on the fact that he firmly believed vampires had no soul. It was so frustrating. She sighed and rolled her eyes and a sign that she was giving up once and for all. This was something she would never be able to convince him about – though she felt that no matter what, he did have a soul, a good soul, that meant a lot to her. “That’s because it’s true – no one gets married at eighteen without getting knocked up,” she laughed. It had almost been true, except if you looked at Renesmee now there is no way in hell you’d imagine she was their daughter. She was far too grown up. Charlie had had to adjust and that had been a struggle. Need to know. That’s what she kept telling him. Smiling, Bella felt a wave of happiness rush over her. She liked this side to Edward, not that when she had been human he’d been that different – but he’d always been so guarded. This relaxed (slightly) side to him made her happy. The idea of Rosalie receiving a teddy bear made Bella chuckle, “I don’t think you can win diamond necklaces around here…” in fact she was sure you couldn’t. Rosalie would have to make do with a teddy bear…and Bella wanted to be there to see her reaction when she received it. That was bound to be entertaining. The sky was growing dark, it was nearing her favourite time of day. Twilight. She smiled, snuggling in further to Edward who’s arm was draped around the back of the carriage. The town, although small and covered under the near constant blanket of cloud, looked beautiful from up high. Especially through her vampire eyes. The sound of children and adults alike, laughing and screeching with delight, echoed around – bouncing off every flat surface in a five mile radius. She looked up at Edwards comment and wrinkled her nose, “just a little bit cheese,” but Bella was a fan of cheese so she didn’t mind too much. “I feel the same though, so you’re safe.” She felt his arm move to cover her shoulders, revelling in the feeling of his touch on her skin. “I love you too,” they sounded like every loved-up human couple around them, but she didn’t mind. The ride continued a couple more turns before coming to a halt at the bottom. The bar went up freeing Bella and Edward from the small carriage. She jumped up and made her way off the ride, before turning to Edward and beaming up at him “so what’s next? Your choice this time…” she’d chosen the Ferris Wheel so it was only fair to let Edward make this decision. WORDS; 460 TAG; Edward Anthony Cullen

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

Edward was from a time that was extremely religious; families would attend church on Sunday’s wearing their best clothes in order to give thanks for being healthy, and together. His family hadn’t been overly religious but like every other family in their neighbourhood, they did attend church each Sunday. He had been sent to Sunday school with his peers and as he grew older attended mass alongside his mom and occasionally his father. Personally, Edward had never really bought into the whole religion concept. Even when he was human and certainly these days he didn’t believe that there was a God or Allah or any other all powerful figure that religious preached about. However, the years of having the bible preached at him about how creatures like vampires were evil and soulless had impacted upon his views and morals. ”These days maybe, but traditionally it signifies that two people are deeply in love and want to tie themselves together in every way possible.” Edward had known that his wife’s own divorced parents had caused her some dilemma in accepting his proposal. It had troubled him that she had had such a negative view of being married to him.

”You can give the teddy to her then,” he laughed, shaking his head, ”I value my life too much,” He had never really been a gift giving type of person, other than with Bella and even then he just wanted to spoil her. ”She’d probably throw it back at my head,” To anyone listening in on their conversation, having a teddy thrown at your head doesn’t sound like it would hurt. However, have a vampire throw it at you… well that’s something different all together.

The buzz of the carnival swarmed around him, the buzz of the people’s thoughts filled his head. If he was human, it would sure give him a headache. After years of practise, he’d managed to be able to tune it out into just white noise at the back of his mind; always present and noticeable, but not consuming. Everyone’s thoughts were happy and full of fun and joy, and for once, he actually understood. At first he’d scoffed at the idea of attending a carnival, but spending time with Bella was making it worth it. His gaze scanned the town below them before glancing back at his wife. The view was beautiful, but she was breathtaking. He grinned a stupidly dopey grin at her at her words. ”Maybe in the summer, we could take Renesmee to Isle Esme?”. They’d left suddenly last time. It would be nice to return with his family and make happy memories there.

Time was a strange concept. It moved so swiftly, but like no time had passed at all; especially when Edward was spending time with Bella. Before he knew it, he was gracefully climbing off of the wheel and following Bella past the now rather long queue of humans. Automatically, he stopped breathing, only moving his shoulders to mimic the movements. ”How about the haunted house? See if we can find any true ghouls?” Lacing his fingers with her, he started towards the spooky looking house. Pulling out a crisp twenty dollar bill (way more than the actual cover charge) and slid it under the glass window towards the very bored looking teenager behind it. ”Two please,” he spoke, ”keep the change,” Without missing a beat, Edward lead Bella into the haunted house. ”Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” he teased with a wink.

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

R olling her eyes, Bella huffed. Her husband had always seen the good in marriage, but growing up Bella had gone through the break up of her mom and dad’s marriage, not to mention a couple of guys that her mom had decided to date that hadn’t worked out…only to settle for Phil. Of course, Phil was lovely…he looked after her mom no matter what and given the way Bella’s life had gone, she was glad that her mom had someone stable in her life. Bella was around to keep an eye on Charlie, who now seemed to be in some sort of relationship with Sue Clearwater…it made her happy. Everyone she cared about was happy, but it hadn’t stopped her doubting the security marriage was meant to bring. “I am, of course, entirely yours…” in all fairness, the wedding stuff had been purely to please Edward. She hadn’t needed the ring, the vows, or the cake to know that her life was - and always would be - tied to Edwards. “She’ll probably accept it from me,” although begrudgingly - Rosalie had seemed to warm to Bella in the last few weeks she’d spent as a human. The bond Renesmee had given them seemed to be lasting, she felt closer to the one Cullen who hadn’t agreed with her choices - and that had made the whole process a lot easier. Besides, Rosalie spoilt Renesmee rotten, really treating her like the daughter she’d never had. Bella couldn’t argue with that. “Don’t be such a wuss, she’s not that strong,” she teased. Of course, all vampires were strong. But when it came to the Cullens, Bella still topped the house currently - her newborn strength hadn’t yet worn off much to Emmett’s dismay who came in at a mere second. He was dying for her to mature some more just to beat her at an arm wrestle finally. Bella glanced up at her husband, they’d not spoken about Isle Esme since…well…since she learnt that vampires go into shock fairly easily. She nodded, “we could…but you do know that would mean Jake would have to come?” She didn’t want to put a downer on Edwards wonderful idea, it truly was wonderful, but her daughter unfortunately came with baggage these days. In the shape of her favourite shifter, as much as it annoyed Edward - they were kind of a package deal. “Could you cope for a couple of weeks without wanting to, you know, kill him?” The two of them had been more civil recently, but that was only for Renesmee’s benefit, Bella still knew her husband couldn’t stand her best friends deep down. The haunted house? “You do realise we will probably be the scariest things in there…” she laughed, holding onto his hand and feeling the familiar jolt of electricity shoot between them. Some things never changed, this electric feeling had been there since the day they met. Bella followed her husband in, beaming with overwhelming joy. Edward hadn’t been this playful in a while…it pleased her to see him so carefree. As they entered the house, Bella paused slightly. Confined space mixed with the smell of a dozen humans in close proximity. She swallowed hard and continued cautiously, holding her breath as she did. WORDS; 560 TAG; Edward Anthony Cullen

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

When a vampire found his or her mate, that was it for them. There was no moving on from them. In some respect it was like soul mates only more intensified. Edward had gone over one hundred years only experiencing that feeling through the thoughts of others around him. Until he found Bella. He'd even underestimated that connection when he'd tried to avoid her and even leave her; under the pretence of keeping her safe. Each moment away from her had made him crazy. So once Edward had decided that he was done fighting it, he was committing in every way possible. In the vampire world, being someone's mate was enough but humans didn't understand it. Marriage was the human version of it. He wanted everyone to know that he was hers and she was his. Edward smiles warmly at his wife. Of course he knew that anyway, but he still liked hearing it. Lifting her left hand to his mouth, he pressed a light kiss to the ring that once belonged to Elizabeth Mason, and now belonged to Bella Cullen. "Forever,"

Not everyone had been thrilled that he had found Bella. The majority of the Cullen's had of course been thrilled that their resident pessimistic bachelor had found someone who captured his heart finally, but specifically Rose hadn't been. Not because she didn't like Bella; Edward had known that wasn't the case through her thoughts, though Bella's had been convinced she hated her. It was more to do with her how's history that made Rosalie hesitant to accept her. "Maybe, although she'd probably pass it on to Renesmee when you weren't looking!" he teased. It would be fun to listen to Rosalie's internal monologue when that went down. Over the years, the Cullen's had gotten good at controlling their thoughts around Edward, although sometimes things slipped through... Especially emotional responses. It was useless trying to keep secrets in the family, what with a mind reader and psychic in the family. "She's may not be that strong, but I don't think Esme would appreciate the teddy shape hole in the wall of the house.mor the Edward shape hole next to it."

Instantly the idea soured in his mind. He desperately wanted to try and give his wife and daughter as normal of a life as possible, including silly experiences that humans took for granted; like holidays and trips to the carnival and days out that didn't revolve around hunting. It was suppose to be years before Edward had to worry about his daughter dating guys. Let alone a natural enemy of his when she was technically two. "I'm sure he could manage being away from her for two weeks; its in her best interest to be with her parents for some bonding time. It wasn't as if they'd never see each other again after all. The bronze haired vampire thought for a moment at Bella's words. "without wanting to kill him? Hmm. I don't ink so. Could I manage to not kill him, the jury is still out on that one. His relationship - if you could call it that - was complicated. Not only were they enemies, but there was a deep routed jealousy between them that stemmed from Bella. Even now that Jacob had imprinted on Renesmee.

"We are definitely the scariest things here, Edward laughed. From what he could smell and hear (both with his hearing and telepathy), they were the only vampires here. Physically, people were curious and drawn to them, but that was all part of the vampire appeal to draw in their prey. He relished in the feeling of Bella being so close next to him. She seemed to be the most relaxed and happiest she'd been in awhile, and that in turn relaxed and made Edward happy. He existed for her and to make her happy. Noticing Bella tensing up, Edward gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before positioning himself protectively behind her. Placing his hands on her hips, his way of saying that he had her back if anything were to ugh to any human, it just looked like another intimate display of affection. Stepping in through the door of the haunted house, they were greeted by a ghost and a stereotypical vampire image which caused Edward to chuckle. "The Volturi have done a wonderful job at spreading this image as the general look for us, he whispered low enough only for Bella to hear.

ulla | Bella Marie Cullen

[Bella Marie Cullen]

B ella shrugged, she knew what Rosalie was like and the truth was that a teddy bear would be completely lost on her. “This is true…” she smiled, her family was whole and, despite her fear that the Volturi may make a surprise appearance at any time, she was happy. Everyone had their place, everyone - now - got along. Even Jake made more of an effort with the Cullen’s, though she knew deep down it killed him to do so. A small laugh escaped from Bella, the idea of a teddy shaped hole in the wall would seem strange to most - but in their house it was more than a possibility. Especially when tempers flared, who knew what to expect. “A nice painting would hide it - she’d never know.” Feeling her husband shift beside her, Bella knew that his mood had changed slightly. Any mention of the wolves - Jake in particular - made him seem to tense up either mentally or physically. She looked up at her husband and raised an eyebrow, “oh sure, just like you could stand being away from me for more than two days?” Pot, kettle, black. There was going to be a day where he’d eventually accept this as a way of life…clearly that wouldn’t be today. “Besides, it’s uncool to have bonding time with your parents, you know…we aren’t as cool as we used to be,” she laughed, Nessie wouldn’t want to spend two weeks with just her parents. Rolling her eyes she felt like this battle with her stubborn husband was never going to end. “Behave, they’re happy - she’s happy. Just smile and nod,” both Jake and Edward were going to have to iron this all out once and for all. Eventually. Bella proceeded into the haunted house with caution. It was getting a little overwhelming, but she held her breath which did…sort of…make things easier. Still, this was becoming a test of her control around humans, something she was going to have to face at some stage. She felt him squeeze her hand, she felt safe but she wasn’t sure if she could trust herself. The image of a vampire made her scoff, “I’m glad we don’t look anything like that,” she whispered back, it made her cringe. Of course, it protected them from being revealed, kept their secret safe. But still, it wasn’t exactly flattering. Meandering further around, they came face to face with a skeleton dangling from the ceiling, and a oversized jack-in-the-box. Ugh, clowns still creeped her out more than they should. She shuddered at the memory of being dragged to the circus by her mom, it had scarred her for life. Fighting her way around it Bella bumped into the person in front of her. She immediately tensed up and froze. This really was a house of horrors. “I vote the waltzer next…” she murmured softly, holding her breath this much was starting to get uncomfortable. WORDS; 512 TAG; Edward Anthony Cullen

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Edward Anthony Cullen]

I'M IN LOVE WITH THE SHAPE OF YOU girl, you know I want your love, your love was handmade for somebody like me.

E dward grinned his wife; ever the problem solver. She was definitely the optimistic one in their relationship, Edward on the other hand was the pessimist; forever brooding and over thinking things that may or may not harm his family. ”I’m sure that would work… especially if it is a painting done by the famous Renesmee,” His daughter was gifted in many ways; and one of them was how she glued the family together. Everyone she met adored her, she just had an aura about her that you could not not love. His memory flitted back to the various times that Emmett had thrown stuff at walls of old houses out of anger and caused them to have an object shaped hole; a Renesmee painting probably would have cheered up Esme upon discovery. Edward wished that he could be as nonchalant when it came to the wolves, superficially Jacob. His wife was in a unique position, she had built a friendship with a wolf before she had know; and before he had know; what he was. Edward however; his natural instincts were a lot deeper rooted of disliking an enemy; regardless of who they actually were. The fact that a shifter had imprinted on his daughter was enough to have made his blood boil if he still had blood pumping around his body. At first, he’d been able to laugh it off, especially seen as Bella had kind of kicked Jacob’s ass upon waking up over it. But then reality had set in for him; and he had to deal with the fact that there was no shaking him now. It was bad enough that he owed Jacob for the times he looked after his wife, when he had been unable too. ”That’s different,” he muttered stubbornly. ”She’d just a kid, granted a special kid, but still, just a baby,” It was indeed a strange situation they found themselves in. ”Bella,” He gazed at her with a slightly confused look on his face, ”Aren’t you a little bit concerned about her relationship with the wolf? I know he won’t let anything harm her… but she needs time to be Renesmee.” It wasn’t really about them being cool parents; because those rules didn’t exactly apply to vampires; they weren’t exactly knocking on. Honestly this discussion was probably the most pointless one they would ever have; truth of the matter was: they were probably never going to see eye to eye on Jacob. ”I’m sure Aro would love to hear your thoughts on the vampire stereotype. You should write him,” he teased, whispering to her low enough that only she would hear. There was a time that humans had a good idea about the tell tale signs of a vampire; that’s one of the ways that the Quiluete’s had managed to work it out… but of course that caused problems for the vampire royal family. So they had worked hard over the years to spread lies and rumours about spotting and deterring vampires; including the whole can’t walk in sunlight and garlic ones. ”If I remember correctly, you believed some of them at first – coffins and dungeons?” he recalled her expectations of the Cullen’s house upon her first visit. The memory made him smile. Feeling his wife tense up at the human contact made Edward tense up automatically; prepared to take control of the situation if need be. ”Waltzers it is,” with that, the golden eyed vampire ducked out of a fire exit door, tugging his wife with him. The fresh hair swarmed over him and he inhaled deeply out of habit. The scent of humans was still strong, but less intensified out in the open compared to in the house. At a leisurely pace, with his fingers entwined with Bella’s, Edward made his way through the carnival booths towards the waltzers. ”Lets hope we don’t throw up blood,” he laughed, nodding his head towards a poor kid that was hurling his guys into a trash can, his thoughts shouting at Edward about how he shouldn’t have eaten that third hotdog before riding the waltzers. ”After you, Mrs Cullen”

Bella Marie Cullen | credit to nat of adoxography.