The Edge

Skating the Edge

Summary: One night when Edward is out hunting, Alice drops by Bella's room to keep her company. Only, things don't go quite as planned.

Bella sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

She was so bored.

Sighing dramatically, she dropped her head down onto the pages of the open book in front of her and moaned piteously.

Utterly, completely, mind-numbingly bored.

Bella shook her head back and forth and she released another pained groan.

Bored.

Face still planted firmly in her book, Bella decided that she needed a hobby. It was simply too hard to find something to do to occupy her time when Edward was out hunting without one. Of course it would have to be a hobby that didn't require much physicality or co-ordination – or else she would end up spending her free time in the emergency room – but a hobby would be perfect.

She thought for a moment. Maybe knitting (or crocheting, she wasn't sure which ... probably which ever one posed the least threat of allowing her to stab herself), or painting would be good for her, even scrap-booking could be taken under consideration. Really, anything that didn't land her in the hospital and would give her something to do on these dull, boring Edward-free evenings would do.

'Hobby', Bella thought to herself, 'what a good idea'. In fact, if she hadn't been so bored that she was incapable of movement she would have patted herself on the back. Bella's eyebrow lifted thoughtfully. Trying to actually pat herself on the back would probably give her something to do, at least for a few minutes.

She shifted on the floor, preparing to take on the arduous task.

"What a strange way to read a book."

Bella lifted her head as the soft, lilting voice registered with her, her heartbeat picking up and her lips curving into a smile as she turned towards her window.

She knew that it had been a good idea to leave it open.

"You really are the oddest girl," Alice said smiling widely as she stepped lightly onto the carpet of Bella's room, and then began to prance over towards the other girl.

"Oddly wonderful," Bella said grinning happily as Alice made her way towards her.

Alice wasn't the nighttime visitor she had been hoping would stop by when she left the window open, but she was very, very, ridiculously happy to see her. Just the sight of Alice filled her with joy and laughter, and gave her a light, airy feeling that almost made her feel as if she could float away into the clouds at any moment. She was, she had realized a month before, quite smitten with the petite vampire. And, on some strange nights (probably when she had had cheese before going to bed), the thought would come to her that it was lucky for Edward that she had met him first, because Alice could have very easily swept her off her feet.

Alice's laughter tinkled through the room, the sound warming Bella until she could feel a tingling all through her body. Bella leaned back on her hands, watched as Alice gracefully lowered to the ground, her expression almost dazed. She was absolutely intoxicated by Alice, as usual.

"Well, this is wonderful," Alice said a moment later, laughing airily. There was a touch of surprise in her voice as Bella flung herself in her direction the moment she was seated, but despite the suddenness of Bella's actions, Alice caught her easily and immediately wrapped Bella in her arms, hugging her with just as much enthusiasm as she was being hugged.

"'Cause I'm warm," Bella murmured against Alice's cool shoulder, where her face was pressed.

"Delightfully so," Alice breathed out, her voice dreamy and far away as she pressed her hand to the small of Bella's back, a contented purr vibrating from her chest as Bella's warmth soaked into her.