The Beginning of Forever - A Twilight Fan Fiction

Chapter Ten

I return to my room and wait until night fall.

Edward never actually gave me the directions to the large warehouse, but with digital plotting, it shouldn't be easy to find.

I exit my room and am in the sitting room in a heart beat. Everyone is in there, with the exception of Edward and Esme, who is humming nearby.

Everyone seems to be waiting for me to speak.

'I'm sorry, if I've seemed rude by hiding away in my room. I've given it a lot of thought. I've decided I want the opportunities you have, and I'm willing to sacrifice my nomadic life for that.'

The whole room seems to relax. Alice gives a squeal and leaps across to hug me.

'Not that I didn't already know, Bella, but I'm so glad you've said it.' She gives me a dazzling smile. 'Oh, this is going to be so fun!'

I feel my eyebrows shoot up in surprise. I highly doubt this will be fun for the Cullens, watching me struggle to adapt to their lifestyle. But who am I, a lowly mediocre immortal, to contradict a compassionate psychic vampire?

I hear a car pull up outside, and judging by the lightness of the steps, I assume Edward has returned from wherever he's been.

My initial feeling is relief, and then I feel a wave of dismay. Why am I relieved he's home, safe? I shouldn't worry. It's not as if I had any sort of control over him, was there? I had no kind of hold on him - other than his sister predicting that I would someday make an honest man out of him. Shiver.

Edward walks in, carrying a large rectangular box which I suspect carries my new laptop.

I feel venom well in my mouth. 'I told you not to buy me anything.' I say menacingly.

Edward sighs and puts the flat box on the floor. 'I told you, you live in this house, you follow the law.'

My jaw tenses. 'Edward. We agreed.'

I can feel the tension in the room rise as Esme, Carlisle and Rosalie stand up and exit the room. I glance at their retreating figures, and see Emmett has spread his size across the sofa, his long arms stretched out behind him. Jasper is stood behind him, looking calm but expectant. Alice is sat in an armchair with her arms crossed, looking slightly mad.

I turn back to Edward. 'I told you not to.'

Edward hands me the box. 'I wanted to.'

I look in horror at the computer. The lastest version of the macbook, no doubt. Is that company still running?

'This is too much.'

Edward sighs. 'Bella, despite you being adverse to our family, while you're living here, expect to be treated like part of the family.' He shoves his keys back in his pocket.

'Let me pay you back.'

'With what?' Edward snaps, his eyes cold. 'Stolen money, have you?'

These words cut me deep, and I feel myself recoiling from him.

'That was low, Edward.' Alice says.

'Thank you for the computer.' I say, and rush upstairs.

I can hear them murmuring downstairs as I throw myself onto the large bed.

'-you can't expect her to be grateful, Edward. The poor girl has been alone for decades, she's had to be independent.'

'That's not the only issue, Carlisle. She blantantly told him not to, that she'd get the laptop herself. Even if it was by illegal measures, it was familiar to her.' That sounds like Esme.

Alice pipes up. 'You can't control her, Edward. Even if she's nearly a century old, this is all very new to her.' Someone sighs as Alice continues. 'I can see her getting used to it, but it's going to take time.'

'How long?' That voice is unfamiliar. Female - it must be Rosalie.

'A good decade or so. Despite her fears she has quite strong will. That should be able to help her.'

I breathe a sigh of relief. If Alice can see me succeed, then everything should be fine.

Edward begins to talk. 'So wait, you think I'm the one in the wrong?'

The family murmurs assent. Ha! In your stupid beautiful face, Cullen.

'All because I went and got her that blasted computer? Dammit, I was stopping her from breaking the law!'

'Edward, you can only lead a horse to water. You can't make her live like us straight away. She needs to adjust.' Esme says.

'You should go and apologise.' Carlisle says.

'Fine!' Edward snaps.

Oh shit, he's coming up here.

I quickly pull the laptop from its cardboard box and plug it in to a nearby socket. A little orange light indicates it's charging, so I pull out the manual and flick through, just as Edward enters.

I don't look at him as he sits down and sighs.

'Bella, I'm sorry I went against your wishes.'

'It's fine.' I say bluntly.

'Well, no, it isn't.' Edward says. 'I should have respected your request.'

I put the manual down and look at him. He does look quite apologetic.

'Edward, I understand that you want me to follow the rules of this family, but I can't do that straight away. i'm set in my ways. It's going to be hard for me to alter those ways.'

Edward nods but says nothing, so I continue.

'I've been alone for a very long time, and for me to have to live with, not a couple, but a whole family of vampires is very hard to wrap my head around.'

Edward sighs again. 'I'm sorry you feel that way, but believe me, it has it's perks. Covens of our kind... It's so much easier to live with yourself knowing you don't have to take life. Plus, we get to form relationships that go deeper than what the normal relationships for vampires are.'

'What do you mean?'

'Very few vampiric pairings are formed because of love. Our kind usually end up becoming mates because of certain things like ambition, or perhaps one mate sees the other as a kind of bodyguard. Of course, mating with vampires is different to that of humans.' Edward gives me a strange look, and sighs. 'When we mate, through love or something else, it's for life. No affairs, no divorce. And if one was killed... Well, lets just say, the remaining mate would not rest until they'd found a way to avenge their partner.'

I look at Edward, and see in his eyes that my face has taken on the same strange expression he had just given me. I feel numb - how did we start talking about this?

Edward, sensing my confusion, stands up and nods at the laptop.

'Can I ask?'

'Of course.'

'Why did you need a laptop?'

I smile. 'Because I'd like to behin my new life with my own posession, thank you very much.'

Edward raises his brow. 'And that posession had to be a laptop?'

'I have my reasons,' I smile mysteriously, 'and they won't interest you.'

Edward grins, a wide boyish grin that draws attention to his mouth, and I find myself thinking of that kiss again.

'Okay, okay!' He's saying. 'I get it, I'll go!'

Laughing, he leaves the room.

I fling myself back onto the bed as the laptop begins to load.

I want Edward Cullen, and I want him in my bed.