Bella Baseball Chapter 2

Bella Baseball
Chapter 2

I pushed my hair down and held out my arms.  Edward looked at me.  "You sure, love?"
"Positive."  I waited for him to pick me up. When he didn't, I cocked my head at him.  "What's wrong?"
"Charlie."  He said simply.
My eyes opened wide.  My heart beat faster.  My mind flooded with the possibilities.  My stomach hit the floor.  Between sadistic vampires, suicide attempts, newborns, and werewolves, the opportunities were endless.
In an instant, I was in Edward's arms and wrapped around him on the bed with him stroking my hair and trying to calm me down.  "Bella.  I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that.  Calm down, love.  You're going to give yourself a heart attack."
Taking a deep breath, I managed to somehow speak. "What did you mean?"  
Relieved, his body relaxed.  "He's just on his way here.  Not knowing our plans, Esme and Carlisle invited him for dinner."
My eyes shot open. If they went any wider, they'd probably fall out of my skull. "Dinner?  Why dinner?  You're vampires, for Pete's sake!  You don't eat."
He laughed.  "I'm sure they just wanted to break the ice a little, let him meet the whole family.  Get him a little softened up before we tell him our big news."
"We wouldn't have had to if they wouldn't have invited him over."  I grumbled.
"You mean you wouldn't have told him if we would have gotten married tonight?"  He feigned shock.  At least, I thought it was fake.  He knew I was dreading telling Charlie I was going to permanently attach myself to his "public enemy number one."  Luckily, I had on my side that he loved Alice like a daughter and basically hero-worshiped Carlisle for all the times I had broken myself.
"I would have had to tell him eventually.  He's going to walk em down the aisle, remember?  I can't just dress him up in a tux and blindfold, drive him to the ceremony, take off the blindfold, and go 'Guess what, Dad?  I'm marrying Edward!'  It'd kill him."
"Say that again."  He said.
I was confused.  "Say what again?"
"'I'm marrying Edward.'  It was the first time you said it without cringing."  He sounded overjoyed.
"Guess what?  I'm going to cringe if I want to.  It's not because I don't love you or want to spend eternity just like this, but because my mother brainwashed me.  I do love you.  And i am going to marry you, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."
His lips swooped down to cover mine almost before I could finish speaking.  I kissed him eagerly for a few minutes before I head the door open. I groaned when i saw Alice in the doorway.
"You may want to get downstairs if you don't' want Charlie to find you guys up here, making out in a bed. He might jump to the right conclusion."  She chirped.
I reluctantly untangled myself from the love of my existence and followed her downstairs.  She explained to me on the way down that Rosalie and Emmett's room had become Rosalie's and her room.  Jasper and Emmett were now sharing a room, and Edward had his own room because he "was the only guy who hadn't left for college."
I laughed at this and stood in line between Alice and Edward in the foyer, clinging to the latter's hand.  Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper stood at the door, holding hands and looking like a Christmas card.
I smoothed my skirt and hair and waited at the door for Charlie.



When Charlie arrived, I could immediately tell.  Jasper sent calming waves through us all, Alice tried to bounce out any excess energy, and Edward squeezed my hand.  Esme opened the door like any good hostess would.  Charlie, looking amazed, stood at the door and sought me out.  I smiled at him reassuringly and gave him a little wave.  After all, the Cullen's wouldn't bite.  
My father glowered at Edward and my intertwined hands.
"Hello, Charlie.  So good of you to join us for dinner."  Carlisle told him, stepping forward slowly to shake his hand. I was immediately reminded of the first time I had come over.  He had approached me much the same way.  "This is my wife, Esme, and our children."  He swept his hand behind him towards our line. I was no longer surprised to see that he included me, but I was instantly warmed inside and out.  "You know Edward and Alice, and Bella, of course.  That's Jasper," Jasper stepped forward and waved.  "Rosalie,"  She smiled. "And the big one on the end is Emmett."  
My favorite new brother stepped forward.  He waved like Jasper had and smiled.  Charlie never stood a chance.  Despite his size, you could help but like Emmett.  His kindness and goodness oozed out of every pore.  And I couldn't help but notice that Charlie's eyes never left Emmett's wife.
Edward was smiling beside me.  I made a mental not to ask him what Charlie was thinking as he took in my beautiful new family.
Esme, being a genuinely caring person who possibly watched too many old movies, led Charlie into the dining room, where both he and I gasped in unison.
Spread out on the table was food that I could hope to prepare in a million years as a vampire.  There was a magazine-esque turkey in the center of the table, browned to perfection and garnished beautifully.  The glorious aroma of mashed potatoes, corn, carrots, and chocolate cake assaulted my nose.  What looked like wine was poured in three of the gorgeous steins that sat at the nine place settings.  The other steins held a clear, bubbling liquid.  "Sparkling water." Edward whispered in my ear, following my gaze.
"I feel entirely inadequate." I whispered back.
"Don't." Alice whispered to me from my right. "She ordered the food from a caterer."
I smiled at Esme, who smiled back warmly.
Edward pulled out my seat at the same time that Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett pulled out their respective wives' seats.  All four of us girls sat down and waited for our men to sit.  I caught a grimace pass over all of the vampire's faces as they sat.  I'd be up all night with Edward, I was sure.  While they could eat a little bit without being affected, like the bite of pizza Edward had eaten to prove the point to me,  a whole meal wasn't a little bit.
"It's no wonder Edward comes home every night for dinner.  This looks delicious, Esme."  Charlie told her.
"Thank you, Charlie." Esme smiled.  "Would you like some turkey?"
After the food had been doled out, conversation began. Charlie asked Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper how school was going.  They replied politely, making up storied of dorm scandals and ornery teachers.
I noticed that no bit of food passed Rosalie, Alice, or Esme's lips, and yet the piles on their plates disappeared.  Edward, Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle hadn't yet gotten the idea of whatever they were doing.  Edward had eaten a lot of his meal.  Not all of what was disappearing, but still a lot.  Emmett was already on his second plate, keeping up images, I suspected.
Once the meal was finished, Charlie was escorted to the door by the guys, who claimed to be leaving for a camping trip, leaving us alone for some girl time.  The Jeep was all ready to go, filled to the top with all the gear campers would need. Watching the Cullen boys pile into the Jeep, Charlie turned back to the rest of us.
"Thank you for dinner, Esme.  It was delicious."
"You're welcome, Charlie.  We should do it more often."  The boys pulled out of the driveway, waving back to us.  "The boys wanted to meet you before they left.  I'm glad they had a chance."
Charlie walked over and kissed me on the forehead, as Edward was fond of doing.  "Have fun with Alice, kid.  Keep out of trouble."
I laughed.  "How much trouble could I get into with Esme here?"
"Good night, Bells."
"Night, Dad."
"Night, Alice!"  He called as he walked to the cruiser.  
"Night, Charlie!"  The little pixie waved to him.
We went back inside and waited or the Jeep to reappear.  It only took about forty seconds, but it was forty seconds too long.
Edward was green when he walked into the house, as were the rest of the guys.  We girls rushed them upstairs and into the bathrooms so that they could expel their dinner.
I sat in Edward's bathroom for most of the night, holding his head in my lap and stroking his hair.  We talked casually for a while, until he would need to do a little praying to the porcelain god, then he would lay his head back into my lap and I would place a cold compress to his forehead. For some reason, he said that it helped.  
I was twirling a lock of his hair around my index finger when Alice walked in.  "You done yet, Edward?"
"Nope." I answered for him, as his mouth was busy elsewhere.
"Neither is Jazz, but I thought Edward ate less than he did...."
"Why aren't you like this, Alice?" I asked.
"Silly Bella.  I didn't eat anything.  Each of us has a little hole in the floor under our chair for when we have company.  Charlie was paying attention to the guys, so they actually had to eat.  Esme and Rosalie are with Carlisle and Emmett.  Emmett's going to have it the worst.  I should probably get back to Jasper.  Don't worry, Edward.  Only two more hours."  She disappeared.
Edward groaned.  "Sometimes I would rather not know."
"Bet you wish you could sleep it off right now, huh?"
"How could I possibly sleep, with you talking so loud beside me?"  He teased back.
"I'm not the one with my head in the toilet."  I grinned at him before leaning down to kiss his forehead.  He reached up and pulled my face forward more so that my lips brushed against his.  Then he had to do a little more expelling. "Oh, you are so not going to kiss me again until you brush your fangs." I told him, chuckling.
He flashed me his teeth in a smile, no sign of said fangs anywhere.  He pulled me into his arms.  "Besides, love, if I could sleep, I would miss this."
"Miss what?"
"You taking care of me." He smiled and rubbed his nose against mine.
"I'd take care of you every night, if you'd let me."  I told him, my voice thick with the love I felt for him.
"This isn't the ideal way for me to spend the night.  Remove the toilet and the second coming of dinner, and I may just be okay."  He grinned.
I had to remember to breathe again.  Edward being serious was sexy.  Edward being silly was breathtaking.  
"Okay, Nosferatu. Finish your vomiting and we'll go cuddle in bed.  Sound like a plan?" I asked.
"Sounds like a plan I could live with forever."  
Chapter 2 Fin