Coming Home, Open

[Edward Cullen]

Continuing from "Dealing With Mike" post:

The silence in the car seemed comfortable and deafening at the same time. He didn't exactly know how to start another conversation without bringing up her impending...change. Just thinking about it made his hands grip the steering wheel tighter and his jaw tighten. She deserved more than he could give her. She deserved a life.

Then he suddenly felt her arm rest on his shoulder and her fingers run lightly through his hair. He loved the feeling of her warm fingertips against his skull and it was something that he reveled in. Deep in his chest there was a sound too low for the human ear. It was almost like a purr. He smiled slightly and leaned into her touch while still trying to concentrate on the road ahead of him.

There was relief when they safely made it home. His grin widened at the thought of both he and Bella calling it home. She used the word so casually and he couldn't help but feel hope that maybe things would work out the way they were supposed to. Her sighed before turning and parking the car in front of the garage.

Frowning he got out of the car quickly and went to her door to open it for her, taking her hand and helping her out. It was odd that his families thoughts weren't there for him to listen to. Usually Alice would be delighted to see Bella again as would Emmett, Jasper, Esme and Carlisle. There wasn't even Rosalie's mind thinking about fixing one of the cars.

"I don't think they're here, love," he said, leading her up to the front door. "Maybe they've gone out. I'm sure they'll be back soon when Alice realizes your here." He grinned and chuckled as he held open the door for her to walk inside.

[Bella Swan]

Bella took Edward's hand and stepped put of the car. She held onto his hand tightly as they walked up to the beautiful white mansion. She was still amazed by how well Esme had it done on refurnishing it.

"I don't think they're here, love. Maybe they've gone out. I'm sure they'll be back soon, when Alice realizes you're here," Edward said, flashing Bella one of her favorite crooked smiles, and her heart melted. Bella smiled hugely back at him.

"That's okay. I suppose we will just have to occupy ourselves then," she said.

Bella followed him in and wondered if they were going to stay in the living room to wait for his family, or go up to his room. It had been a while since she had heard him play her lullaby, and she longed for the smooth melody. But she was going to follow where he went.

[Esme Cullen]

Esme decided to hunt while her children were at school and Carlisle was at the hospital. Esme loved to run. She found it liberating. She hunted until her thirst was more than satisfied and she took her time heading back to her home.

When she approached her home, she noted that Edward's car was parked in the driveway.

Checking the time on her watch, Esme noticed that Edward was home earlier than normal. I hope nothing is wrong. Esme thought to herself as she ran into the home.

She caught Bella's scent before Esme saw her. Finding relief with the fact that Bella's heartbeat remained strong, Esme relaxed. She found Bella and Edward in the living room.

"Hi Bella! Hi Edward!" Esme said, unable to hide her delight that her children were home. "How was school? You are home earlier than usual. Is there anyting wrong?"

[Bella Swan]

Bella was always happy to see Esme, she really was like a fairy tale. She liked to think of being near Esme as meeting Snow White in person. She would always love Renee with her whole heart, but she was anxious to be able to call Esme a mother as well.

"Hey, Esme," Bella said sweetly, her expression soft. She looked up at Edward, wondering if anything was wrong. "I don't think anything's wrong," her voice was edging towards unsure. She squeezed Edward's hand gently.

[Edward Cullen]

Edward chuckled as Bella smiled up at him. Something about that little innocent smile on her face made him grin before leading her further into the house, her hand safely clasped in his own.

They reached the living room and he stopped with frown. Not only was he wondering what he and Bella could do but he was wondering where the family could have gone. They might have even gone to the Canadian border to hunt. They all needed a change of scenery once in a while and maybe they had chose that day to leave.

I hope nothing is wrong, a familiar, soft voice thought. Edward frowned for a moment. Esme was believing something had gone wrong with Bella. It was disapointing that she thought he would hurt Bella but he couldn't blame her. No matter how used to Bella's scent he became he would never drop his defenses against the monster inside of himself.

He turned to see his 'mother' Esme standing perfectly in the doorway, not a hair out of place like normal. She greeted them in her cheery way and his smile returned. "How was school?" she asked. "You are home earlier than usual. Is there anyting wrong?"

He noticed Bella turning a pointed glance in his direction as if she was unsure if she should tell Esme about what happened. He smiled softly at her again, rubbing his thumb gently across the back of her hand before looking back at Esme.

"Well Carlisle has already recieved a message from the school administration so I'm sure it won't be long before you know," he said nodding. "Mr Melina seems to find my behaviour towards other students, one in particular," - he gave a small smirk to Bella - "volatile. But we left for another reason. Bella was having a large fit of coughs so I thought it gave her the right to skip the rest of the day. Are you alright now, Bella?" He looked down at her with anothe smirk, his eyes dancing in amusement.

[Bella Swan]

Bella looked a little confused, she had been sure Edward knew she wasn't really sick. By the smirk on his face she concluded that he was joking.

A pinkish blush rose on her cheeks and Bella looked down at her feet, "Oh, I'm fine, I was only really trying to help. I didn't want Mr. Melina to think you were completely homicidal," She hoped Edward hadn't been to worried about her, but he seemed fine now, so she didn't dwell on it.

Bella lifted her head a little to see eyes on her and blushed deeper. She could tell someone was about to speak, but they were cut off by the sound of a car coming up the drive. Well, here goes. She thought dryly

[Carlisle Cullen]

As Carlisle parked his car he picked up a heartbeat in the house. He gently sniffed the air and recognised it as Bella.

"It's Carlisle" he said, knowing that Edward and Esme would hear him.

He made his way to the door and opened it and headed to the living room to see Esme, Edward and Bella.

"So, do I need to do the concerned father act, based on the lecture I have just been given by a Mr Melina" he asked, with his lips curling up slightly in a smile.

[Emmett Cullen]

Last year Emmett had graduated for like the millionth time so now he had a lot more time on his hands then he usually did. He supposed it was good that he had graduated yet again, no more boring papers to write that he had done a thousand times before, no more listening to boring lectures that he couldn't even fall asleep through. Emmett spent the greater part of the early morning lying in his and Rosalie's bedroom alone playing his x box. He had gone hunting the night prior so when Rosalie said she was going with everyone else he didn't need to.

After spending four hourse playing Call of Duty Emmett called it quits. He smirked as an idea popped into his head. Alice had been on his case lately to go get a new wardrobe. He quickly grabbed his keys and hoped into his jeep and spent the day in Port Angeles shopping. With the super reflexes that he had as a vampire and his instict to drive fast Emmett made it there and back in record time.

Pulling into the garage he saw his father's car first and then Edward's. Emmett looked at it curiously for a minute and then smirked once he smelled Bella's sent.

Interesting.

Edward shouldn't be home for another couple of hours. Emmett quickly grabbed his bags from the backseat and sighed lightly, Alice was either going to love these clothes or she was going to hate every single thing that he bought and drag him out to get all new stuff. He was a guy he hated shopping.

"So, do I need to do the concerned father act, based on the lecture I have just been given by a Mr Melina" he asked.

Lecture? Why would Carlisle be getting a lecture from Mr. Melina? Emmett thought about it for half a second and then darted into the house coming to stop at the entry way to the living room. He tossed his bags onto the ground and plopped down onto the couch a little to roughly. "So, did I hear correctly?" he began. "Did little Eddie finally get in trouble at school?" he asked, a big goofy grin on his face. It was nice to hear that perfect, calm, cool and collected Edward, the prodigal son of the family finally did something wrong. "So what did you do, Edward? Finally give that Newton kid a swift kick in the ass?"

Emmett's mind began to race at all the things that Edward could possibly have done. Obviously he didnt kill anybody because if he had they still wouldn't be here. And he obviously didn't hurt Bella in anyway because the little human was standing right in front of him, "Hi, Bella." Emmett greeted, remembering his manners.

[Edward Cullen]

Edward grinned down at Bella's blush. "Oh, I'm fine," she said to him. "I was only really trying to help. I didn't want Mr. Melina to think you were completely homicidal." Well it was good that she had done that or Mike Newton would (sadly) be without a head at that point. And that would have meant the Cullens would have to move...again. And being away from Bella was not something Edward would be able to stand.

He opened his mouth to speak again when the distinctive sound of gravel crunching under the tires of a certain car was heard. Carlisle was home. And soon enough his adoptive father walked through the front door and met them inside, a smile on his lips. "So, do I need to do the concerned father act, based on the lecture I have just been given by a Mr Melina?" he asked and Edward chuckled.

He held up his hand for a moment just as Emmett came into the room and dropped himself onto the couch. "So, did I hear correctly?" he began. "Did little Eddie finally get in trouble at school?" Edward rolled his eyes at Emmett's childish behaviour. He hated when his brother called him Eddie. It was one of the nicknames that always got on his nerves and usually started a brotherly fight.

"So what did you do, Edward? Finally give that Newton kid a swift kick in the ass?" Emmett continued. He didn't know how close he had been to doing something like that. His brother greeted Bella and finally Edward grinned. In less than a second Edward had reached Emmett's side, pushed him off the couch and returned to Bella.

He smiled cheekily at his family before shrugging innocently. "There's no need for the 'concerned father act', Carlisle," Edward chuckled. "It's just a little teenage angst. Nothing I can't get over. Besides, nothing dangerous happened. I just lost a little of that" - he turned to look at Emmett - "perfect, calm, cool and collected attitude." He turned back to Carlisle. "I promise not to do anything like that again."

[Emmett Cullen]

To say that Emmett was...well shocked was exactly what he was. Emmett knew the one word that would always cause a brotherly fight between him and Edward, Eddie. Edward hated it with a fiery passion. So he knew exactly what he was doing when he called him Eddie just a few seconds before. But did he know that Edward would start something with him right in front of his girlfriend? No. He did not.

Emmett picked himself up off of the floor and sat back down on the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. Emmett narrowed his eyes at Edward and then smirked when he turned to look at him. He cleared his throat lightly as Edward began talking to Carlisle and then started signing Single Ladies in latin in his head. He knew it frustrated Edward to no end when he couldn't figure out what someone was hiding. Once he finished with Single Ladies he quickly moved on to Don't Trust me by 3oh!3.

Emmett glanced over at Bella as if trying to send her a silent message, "You tell your boyfriend if he says he got beef. That i'm a vegetarian and I ain't fuckin scared of him. And with that Emmett leaped up off of the couch and tackled Edward to the ground, making sure not to bring Bella down with them.

[Carlisle Cullen]

Carlisle watched Emmett tackle Edward to the floor and rolled his eyes.

"See what I have to endure, Bella" he joked in a light voice.

Carlisle shook his head and raked his hand through his hair.

"You'd think after several decades living as brothers they'd get over this macho rubbish, but maybe i'm wrong and they'll never get over it."

Carlisle strolled over to Esme and placed his arm around her shoulder and continued to watch on as Edward and Emmett wrestled on the ground.

[Rosalie Hale]

Rosalie had left the house early that day to hunt. She wanted to go somewhere outside of Forks. So she took off for the Canadian border. After all it was so beautiful up there. She was sad Emmett didn't want to go with her, but he had been out the night before, so she understood.

It was early afternoon and she was on her way home. She came up to the driveway and saw Carlisle's car in the garage and Edwards parked on the pavement.

huh? Rosalie thought she wondered why Edward would be home so early. She also hoped Edward didn't have Bella with him. But as she smelled the air she could smell Bella. So much for that thought. As she approached the house she slowed down to a walking pace and headed up the stairs. She could hear some rumbling going on in the house and wondered what was going on so she picked up her speed.

She walked in to see Emmett and Edward on the floor wrestling again. "Oh geez, won't you two ever grow up?" She asked darting her eyes in their direction.

[Bella Swan]

Bella wasn't sure what happened, it was all so fast. One second Emmett was plopping onto the couch, and calling Edward, Eddie, then Em was on the floor and Edward was back by her side, then Emmett just looked at her as if to say some nonsense about Helen Keller, and then he just tackled Edward to the ground a good two centimeters from her.

Oh, my God! OH MY GOD!!! Bella thought as Emmett and Edward rolled around on the floor, growls erupting from both of their chests. She had no idea what to do. Should she intervene? Should she scream/ should she just stand there. She couldn’t just laugh it off like Carlisle and Esme seemed to be doing. They could kill each other. As Bella thought she just stood there with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.

They just continued to fight, and fight and fight. What if Emmett hurt her Edward? What if Edward hurt her big bear of an older brother. What if they both got hurt? She had to stop them or something, she took a desperate step towards them but tripped over herself. Into the pile of fighting vampires. There was a sharp stinging in her shoulder as she collided with them.

[Emmett Cullen]

Emmett smiled the whole time as he wrestled around with his brother. Emmett let his guard down for a second and ended up on his back just as Rosalie came home. He growled in frustration and managed to flip his brother back over so that Edward was know lying on his stomach on the carpet. "Oh geez, won't you two ever grow up?" Rosalie had asked. Emmett smirked as he grabbed Edward's hands and held them down, "NEVER!" he yelled out like a battle cry.

"What's a matter, Eddie?" Emmett asked. "Are you just defeated now that you got beat up in front of your girlfriend?" he asked as he continued to wrestle with Edward. Emmett moved both of Edward's hands into one of his and pinned them down on the floor while his knee held his back down and his other hand pushed his face into the carpet. He looked over at Rosalie with a satisfied smirk on his face just as he felt something very warm collide with his back.

Emmett froze, two things were definatley going to happen in his near future. One he was definatley going to get yelled at and two Edward was totally going to kick his ass. He didn't need Alice around to see that.

[Rosalie Hale]

Rosalie stood back across the room from the two wrestlers. They really never would grow up. Rosalie never understood why boys needed to wrestle and fight each other for no reason. She looked over at Esme and Carlisle hoping that they would make them stop. They just stood back not doing a thing however.

"Carlisle, why don't you make them stop. Bella doesn't need to see this," Rosalie tried to say over the ruckus. Wait, did she actually just voice a concern for Bella. She did! She gave a quick glance over to Bella and then gave the puppy dog look to Carlisle.