Role Reversal - (23 Parts)

[ooo]

Title: Role Reversal

Author: Me (Lizi)

Fandom: Twilight

Disclaimer: Tragically, these characters aren't mine. And they never will be. I make no money from this.

Authors Notes: Thought I'd have a play around with the Twilight characters, and this is where it got me!

Not really an important spoiler, I don't think, but...just in case...

So, even though it made NO sense whatsoever for Edward or any of the vampires to catch a cold…I wanted it the whole time I was reading the series. And what’s the point of fanfic, after all, if you can’t alter a few, insignificant details…So, for those of you who like realism in your stories, I am warning you now: I have created a big PlotDeviceVampireCold. Sorry.

Let me know what you think, and whether it's worth continuing!

***

I woke up in the morning on yet another rainy day in Forks, with absolutely nothing to warn me of what a strange day it would become. As usual, the first thing I became aware of was Edward’s arms wrapped around me, keeping me safe. I rolled over to face him and was surprised to find his eyes closed, his breathing slow and regular.

‘Edward?’ I asked uncertainly.

He blinked his eyes open. ‘Morning, love,’ he said…but there was something odd about his voice. Too…quiet?

‘Were you…asleep?’ I asked, knowing the notion was absurd, but confused.

He laughed. ‘Silly Bella, of course not. Just enjoying being alone with you.’

Reassured, I pulled myself out of bed and into the shower. I was so looking forward to today: Charlie was out for the weekend and I had no homework left, just Edward to myself for the whole day.

The water was warm and soothing as it cascaded down my back, but as reluctant as I was to leave the shower, I was more excited about spending the day with Edward, regardless of what he had planned.

I dried myself off swiftly and dressed myself in the jeans and green shirt I’d picked out the day before. I returned to the bedroom to find Edward sitting on my bed, a strange look on his face.

‘Edward?’

He looked up, strange expression still fixed on his face.

‘Bella – I - ’ he broke off, looking confused, and then his face twisted suddenly as his body snapped forward. ‘Hup-shht. Eshh! Eshchhh!’ He stifled three rapid...sneezes?...in his sleeve, and looked up, blinking quickly. ‘I do apologise.’

I stared at him. ‘Are you okay?’ I asked.

His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, but he still looked confused himself. ‘I’m fine, Bella, please don’t worry yourself about me.’

I bit my lip, but nodded and turned away, trying to forget my concern. ‘What are we doing today?’ I asked.

‘Whatever you want,’ he said, but soon his face contorted again – ‘Chhshhh! Excuse me.’ He looked frustrated.

‘Is that normal?’ I asked, now unavoidably worried.

‘Is what normal?’ he asked innocently, sounding unconcerned – but you could never really tell, he had such good control over his expressions. Soon, however, his unfathomable expression twisted again: ‘Heschuh!’

‘That,’ I replied. ‘The…sneezing.’

He shrugged. ‘I’ve never heard another…vampire…sneeze. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything.’ He laughed at my concerned expression. ‘Don’t worry yourself, Bella. I’m fine.’

‘Hmmm,’ I said doubtfully.

‘So what are we doing?’ he asked lightly, but I wasn’t fooled. I played along for his sake.

‘Maybe just a movie. I’m pretty tired.’

He smiled. ‘Romeo and Juliet again?’

I smiled back, as-ever enchanted by his perfection. ‘Of course.’

As the film played across the screen, I curled up into him, snuggling into his warmth. Something was wrong, but I couldn’t quite place it.

It took almost ten minutes before I worked it out and jumped up, obviously startling Edward. ‘What’s wrong, Bella?’ he asked quickly.

‘You’re warm,’ I stated.

‘I’m what?’ he asked.

‘Warm. You feel warm to me. And that’s not normal.’

He stared at me, and put his own hand to his face. ‘I feel normal to me,’ he replied. ‘Are you sure, Bella?’

‘Yes, I’m sure,’ I stated. ‘And I think we should go see Carlisle. Being warm is definitely not normal for a vampire.’

He shook his head. ‘Bella, I’m fine. Stop worrying.’ Betraying his own argument, however, he quickly turned away to stifle a sneeze into his hand. ‘Hmmph. Excuse me.’

I stared at him. ‘Well, if there’s nothing wrong with you, it must be something wrong with me,’ I said, knowing it was the only way I’d convince him. ‘You definitely feel warm to me. Maybe I’m coming down with something.’

His marble brow creased in immediate concern. ‘You’re right.’

‘In fact, I do feel a little…I don’t know, wobbly,’ I lied, praying my blush wouldn’t give me away.

‘Bella! Why didn’t you say so before?’ he demanded.

‘I don’t know, I guess I didn’t want you to know I didn’t feel well.’ I faked a cough into my hand, really piling it on now.

‘Well, we’re going to see Carlisle,’ he said forcefully.

I faked a pout. ‘Fine,’ I agreed sulkily.

He picked me up and sped towards the house. By the time we got there, though, I could feel him…tiring?…was that possible? Or at least slowing down. He slowed to a stop just outside the door and put me down rather abruptly, and I looked up just in time to see him raise his hand to catch another sneeze: Heschuh!

I bit my lip, but followed him into the house without a word.

---

[twinkies690]

hahahahaha sneaky bella!

really enjoy the story so far! please continue

[Quite Contrary]

Eeep! So cute! Haha,

‘Well, if there’s nothing wrong with you, it must be something wrong with me,’ I said, knowing it was the only way I’d convince him. ‘You definitely feel warm to me. Maybe I’m coming down with something.’

Yeah, that totally would get Edward, wouldn't it?

[ilovesneezing]

awww I'm not familiar with the series but this is so cute!

[ooo]

Awww, thanks guys!

***

‘Carlisle?’ Edward called softly, and Carlisle flashed into the room after only a second.

‘Edward, Bella! I thought you two were spending the day at Bella’s – is something wrong?’

Edward moved forward. ‘Bella’s temperature seems a little off, and she says she’s been feeling a little dizzy.’

Carlisle looked at me with concern, but before I could come up with a way to reveal my deception without annoying Edward, we were both distracted by a sharp intake of breath from Edward as he raised a hand to his face.

‘Please excuse me, I think I’m going to…heh…eschew! Epchew! Hesschew!’

‘Bless,’ I said quietly.

‘Thank you,’ he said politely, but his mouth was tight. Carlisle was staring at him.

‘…Edward?’ he questioned.

‘It’s nothing,’ he said.

‘No, it’s something,’ Carlisle replied. ‘When did this start?’

‘This morning,’ I blurted. ‘He looked tired, and he sneezed a few times, and when I was sitting against him just now he felt warm.’

Edward glared at me, and turned to face his father’s concern. ‘I’m fine,’ he tried to say, but Carlisle was too busy putting a hand to his son’s forehead. He hissed in surprise.

‘Edward, you’re burning,’ he said in shock.

‘Honestly, I’m fine…’ he started to say, but trailed off. Carlisle and I stared at him as he seemed to become even paler than usual, if that was at all possible. Doctor’s instinct taking over, Carlisle guided him towards the couch, where he sat down without his usual grace.

Edward blinked slowly. ‘I must have overdone it on the run over,’ he said.

Carlisle shook his head. ‘That’s never happened before. Edward, what’s going on?’

He sighed, seeming to submit to our worrying. ‘I just feel a little…tired,’ he said.

‘Tired?’ repeated Carlisle – vampires weren’t supposed to feel tired. ‘Do you mean emotionally?’

‘No,’ replied Edward, before he was interrupted by a series of sneezes. ‘Heschuh! Epchew! Huh…eschew! Excuse me. No, I mean…physically. Like almost…’ he lowered his voice so that I barely caught the word, and I doubted that I was meant to hear it at all: ‘weak.’

There was a long silence now, broken only by Edward’s quick inhaled breath, before: Huh…hep-CHEW!

He cleared his throat, keeping a carefully smooth expression. ‘Excuse me.’

Without really focussing, Carlisle reached into his pocked and pulled out a clean, white handkerchief, which he handed to his son. Silently, I marvelled at the chivalry of a vampire who knew (well, had known) he couldn’t get sick, carrying around a clean hanky for presumably three hundred years.

Looking quietly embarrassed, Edward accepted the cloth, muffling a new series of sneezes into it: Heshhh! Mpshhh! Eshhh-EW!

He closed his eyes and leant against the back of the couch, and Carlisle shot me a worried glance.

‘Carlisle, I’m fine,’ said Edward quietly, obviously responding to something his father had thought.

‘Of course you are,’ nodded Carlisle absently, but even I could see his mind ticking over furiously. Edward opened his eyes suddenly, staring at him.

‘What are you thinking?’ he asked Carlisle.

His father shrugged. ‘Just…going over possibilities…’

‘I…I can’t hear you,’ Edward said slowly.

Carlisle stared at him, forehead creased in concern. ‘Your gift is affected…’ he murmured.

Etccshhh! sneezed Edward abruptly. ‘Excuse me.’ He paused, and looked up at his father. ‘Wait, I can hear you again…’ he said.

‘What?’

‘I can hear what you’re thinking again…but it’s dim, unclear…’ He was fighting to keep the worry off his face, but I could see through it and put a warm hand on his arm in comfort.

Suddenly, I started as Alice appeared at my shoulder, speeding into the room at her inhuman pace. ‘What’s going on?’ she demanded. ‘Jasper and I were out and…there were weird things in my visions, I must have misinterpreted…about Edward and…sneezing?’

From the couch, Edward grimaced. Carlisle nodded as Alice refocused her gaze on Edward, lying on the couch in a way I’d never seen a vampire do before – looking weary and almost limp.

‘Edward seems to have…come down with some sort of…well, for want of a better word, cold. I’m not sure what to call it – I’ve never heard of this happening before, at least not while I’ve been alive.’

We all looked at Edward as he breathed in sharply: ‘Heschuh! Ehchuh!…Please excuse me,’ he muttered, rubbing at his nose. Alice stared at him.

I leaned over to brush his hair from where it had fallen into his face. He looked somehow…smaller, more vulnerable.

Carlisle cleared his throat. ‘Bella, I might have a look at our collection of legends…I can’t remember seeing anything like this before, but I suppose it can’t hurt to try. Will you be alright?’

I nodded and he put a gentle hand on my arm, soothing, before leaving the room.

***

[ilovesneezing]

aawwww this is so cute ! More please!

[twinkies690]

love! more!

[Quite Contrary]

This is so good! I can't wait for more!

[ooo]

Thanks for the comments everyone!!

***

After a while, sitting with a tired-looking Edward and an intense-looking Alice, the quiet tension in the room was too much.

‘Alice, are you alright?’ I asked tentatively, watching the small but strong vampire staring into space, her mouth tight in concentration.

She blinked and looked up at me. ‘I can’t see,’ she said, sounding uncertain. ‘I’m trying but I…’

Edward lifted himself to look at her, slowly but struggling to retain his usual grace. They both stared at each other, focussing, I knew, on their respective gifts – he trying to hear her thoughts, and she trying to read his future…both of them, it seemed, failing, their faces falling in frustration.

‘I can’t hear you thinking,’ he said quietly, and I knew he wished there was some way he could have this conversation without me here. He hated to see me frightened, but it was impossible to stop when he seemed so afraid himself. ‘Not properly. It’s gone…fuzzy. I have to really concentrate.’

'I can see everyone else just fine,' said Alice slowly. 'Emmett and Rose's hunting trip, they'll be back tomorrow...Jazz's out in the forest...he's decided he needs to hunt, he's too thirsty...he's going to ask me and Carlisle to come with him...but anyone connected to you, I can't see...'

Edward looked at her very intensely for a minute, and then both of their faces were smooth again, though I was sure it was for my benefit only. I was suddenly very, very tired of being the vulnerable human they always had to protect.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Alice leapt up. ‘I should tell everyone else what’s going on…’ she said by way of explanation, and blew from the room. I softened: Alice would hate feeling this useless.

Alone together now, I turned my gaze on Edward. He saw the concern etched into my face and his face hardened.

‘Bella, please,’ he started, his normally velvet voice sounding cracked and dry.

‘Edward, don’t shelter me. Please,’ I begged him, but he shook his head.

‘You don’t understand. I – I have to…’

‘Have to what?’

‘I - ’ And his face twisted again: Heh-ESSHH! ETCHHH! ‘Excuse me. I have to…keep you safe. I can’t…I can’t…I couldn’t bear to lose you, love,’ he said. ‘You have to understand that.’

I shook my head fiercely. ‘Edward, you’re not going to lose me. But you have to let me in. You have to let me help you.’

I became aware that someone else was in the room, though I wasn’t sure whether she’d just arrived or whether she’d been waiting there for a while.

‘Esme,’ I said, looking up.

‘Hello, Bella,’ she acknowledged, uncharacteristically barely looking at me. Her eyes focussed on Edward, her “son”, looking as though if it had been possible, she might have cried. ‘Alice said…’ Her voice trailed off.

I knew how she felt. Every instinct rebelled against seeing Edward weakened like this. It seemed impossible and it made everything feel uncertain…nothing was absolute.

She moved quickly - too quickly, dropping the human charade the Cullens normally adopted instinctively - and held Edward’s too-warm hand in her cool one, rubbing and soothing. And he let his mother in where he would not let me, sinking back on the couch again, eyes shut, breathing slowly.

We must have sat there for hours, but it didn’t feel like it; no time spent in Edward’s presence had ever felt long to me. Eventually, the silence was broken by Edward’s sigh of frustration, followed by a quick, hitched breath: HaTCHSHH! he sneezed strongly, only just bringing up a hand in time to catch it.

‘Excuse me,’ he said, his cracked voice drained of energy, and leaned back tiredly.

Esme stared at her son, her marble forehead creased in worry. I smiled gently at her. ‘Carlisle will work it out,’ I said quietly, feeling strange to be reassuring the powerful vampires.

She looked up at me and smiled in return. ‘I know,’ she replied softly, and her eyes spoke of her absolute trust in her vampire-husband. Then she blinked. ‘Bella, you must be hungry - I’m so sorry, I forgot.’

‘It’s fine,’ I reassured her. I had grown used to not eating in company, though the Cullens always made sure I was well-fed despite their own intolerance for food.

‘No, you’ve been here all day!’ she cried. ‘I’ll see what we’ve got in the kitchen.’

‘Thanks, Esme,’ I said. If I was honest, I’d been fighting off hunger for a while.

As she left the room, I turned my attention to Edward, still leaning back on the couch. ‘Why don’t you lie down?’ I suggested.

He shrugged, but he must have been too tired to argue because he settled back to lie down as I fluffed up the pillow underneath his head.

I looked into his face and saw him struggling with something, a valiant effort that he seemed to be loosing.

‘Edward, if you need to sneeze, just do,’ I said quietly, ignoring the embarrassment he would feel at my seeing his “weakness”.

He continued to struggle silently, but eventually the itch must have won, because he burst forward on the couch as I leapt aside. He raised Carlisle’s hanky to his face just in time: HESSSHH! KKESSCCHH!! Mmppph! Mmmpsshhh! EkkCHOO! They were getting wetter and harsher by the minute, and I struggled to keep the worry off my face.

‘Bless you.’

‘Thank you,’ he replied, ever the gentleman. With a sigh, he lay back on the couch. I brushed his hair from his face again, feeling strangely maternal. After a minute, Edward opened his eyes to look at me.

‘I’m so sorry about this, Bella,’ he said, and it was obvious he was struggling to keep his voice strong despite his exhaustion.

‘Edward, stop apologising. Just let me look after you,’ I replied softly.

‘I just don’t know what’s going on with me at the moment,’ he said quietly, a rare moment of weakness that made my heart melt.

‘Shh, Edward,’ I soothed. ‘Let yourself rest. You’ll be fine.’

***

[ilovesneezing]

aw this is too precious, keep it up

[twinkies690]

ugh what i would give to care for edward

[littlesneezer18]

so adorable! though i agree w/ twinkies690!

[Mischa]

OH I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS!!!

[confetishcake]

Thank GOD.

I got SO sick of Edward being the man all the time. This is so refeshing.

[ooo]

Hehe, thanks guys!!

***

I woke up and found myself on the couch, felt Edward’s body curled around my own, now almost uncomfortably warm since I was so used to the coldness of his marble skin. Blinking, I felt him try to move away, his body oddly rigid, his breathing uneven.

‘Edward?’ I asked uncertainly, rolling over to look at him.

He managed to pull away entirely, rolling away and putting his hands to his face to catch a series of forceful sneezes: HesCHUH! EshCHOO! EpCHEW!

‘Bless you.’

‘Bella, I’m sorry,’ he said, his face full of regret. ‘I was trying not to wake you.’

‘Oh, Edward. Don’t be silly,’ I replied gently. ‘Of course I don’t mind. And don’t you dare feel guilty.’

He half-smiled and leant over to kiss my cheek softly, a strange look on his face.

‘What is it?’ I asked him, taking in his strange mood.

An amused smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. ‘I…slept.’

‘You slept?’ I repeated, and then realised that really, nothing should surprise me today.

He nodded. ‘And I dreamed, too…’

My eyes widened. ‘Of what?’

He looked down then, and I thought that if he had been human, he definitely would have been blushing. ‘Nothing.’

I raised my eyebrows but didn’t comment further, instead snuggling close to him. I was growing accustomed to this warmth.

We lay in peaceful quiet for a while, until Carlisle crept silently into the room and let out an exclamation on finding us awake.

‘Oh, you’re are awake!’ he exclaimed. ‘I didn’t want to wake you, but…’

‘But…?’

‘I’ve been researching for hours and found only one thing that makes any sort of sense. It’s always been theoretically possible, of course, but it’s so undocumented I thought the venom must be too strong for the virus to survive…’

‘What is it?’

‘Vampire flu,’ he said, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

As we were talking, Esme, Alice and Jasper had followed Carlisle into the room and I knew they’d been listening from outside.

At Carlisle’s mention of ‘Vampire flu’, Alice’s eyes narrowed and her gaze became unfocussed as, once again, she examined Edward’s future. She frowned in concentration, unaware that every pair of eyes in the room was focussed on her.

‘There’s something wrong with her visions,’ Edward explained for the others’ benefit, a look of intense concentration on his face as he focussed much harder than he usually had to, reading them from her mind.

Alice nodded as his words registered. ‘I don’t know. I couldn’t see anything when I tried before. They’ve been this unclear before…when we’re dealing with the unknown. Now that I have an idea of what I’m looking for, it’s easier, but still…maybe the virus blocks our powers?’

Edward winced briefly, and then quickly smoothed his face. ‘What can you see?’ he asked.

She bit her lip, focussing, and then her expression cleared. ‘You’ll be fine. You just need to ride it out.’

Edward smiled weakly as everyone in the room visibly relaxed. ‘What did you all think, that a flu was going to kill me?’ he joked.

Esme and I both made similar noises of pain mixed with relief mixed with laughter. ‘Don’t you ever joke about that again,’ warned his mother, but her sternness was overcome by her visible relief.

Edward laughed softly, a mistake because it soon turned into a cough, and then he couldn’t seem to get it under control. I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his back.

Eventually, he swallowed and sat up. ‘Excuse me,’ he said, voice cracking. He cast his eyes away uncomfortably as he saw everyone’s looks of sympathy and concern, and we struggled to rearrange our faces.

Knowing Edward well, his family filed out of the room, leaving us alone together. I smiled at him but his eyes were distant, his nose twitching.

‘Hesschuh! Chh! Epchhh! ESSHHHH! HESSHHH!’ He leaned into the pillow, groaning almost inaudibly. ‘I’m sorry, Bella.’

‘Bless you,’ I said quietly.

For once, he didn’t reply. He seemed to still be struggling to “protect” me from his weakness. I thought about suggesting that he move upstairs to one of the beds (previously only there for the benefit of human guests), but he looked too tired to get up again.

‘You probably want some time alone just to rest,’ I said softly, much as I hated to leave him; I wanted to do what was best to help him recover.

Even half-asleep, a frown creased his forehead and as I pulled away to stand up, his arms tightened around me, binding me there. He was still so weak that I could have broken away but I smiled, love for him swelling up inside me, and leaned back against his feverish warmth as we both drifted off to sleep.

***

[twinkies690]

Even half-asleep, a frown creased his forehead and as I pulled away to stand up, his arms tightened around me, binding me there.

***

Squee!!

[Ophelia_Fluff]

AW! this is adorable!!!

[confetishcake]

‘What is it?’

‘Vampire flu,’ he said, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

That...was amazing.

[ooo]

Wow, thanks guys!

***

The days passed in a blur of time moving fast and slowly. With Edward now sleeping, the time we spent together seemed to move much more quickly as I slept beside him, waking when he woke and caring for him as he had done so often for me.

Esme and Carlisle flitted in and out of the room often, Esme bringing food for me and surreptitiously checking Edward’s temperature and condition, and Carlisle for medical measurements and questioning. At first, Edward had protested against Carlisle’s testing, but had lost the argument when Carlisle insisted it was only to prepare them for the future.

Alice and Jasper left to hunt but returned within the day, eyes gleaming golden. I knew Alice would have pushed Jasper to hurry, hating being separated from her family at a time like this.

Emmett and Rosalie had returned as well, stunned at what they had missed while out hunting.

‘How’re you doing, bro?’ Emmett had asked.

‘Alright,’ said Edward croakily, and winced at his sore throat.

Emmett chuckled. ‘Trust you to be the first vampire to catch the flu,’ he teased.

Edward rolled his eyes and Rosalie stifled a giggle next to her husband.

I looked at Edward’s face and saw his nose twitch almost imperceptibly, and knew instinctively that he was fighting not to sneeze in front of his brother. Taking pity on him, I reached over under the pretense of touching his face lovingly and pressed a finger under his nose as I’d had to do so many times myself in awkward situations.

His face relaxed and he shot me a grateful glance.

‘And now you’ve got Bella looking after you!’ laughed Emmett and I glared at him; I didn’t need him working on Edward’s insecurities. He caught my expression, which must have looked much more aggressive than I’d thought because he backed away instinctively. ‘Okay, okay…come on Rose, I promised I’d help you have a look at the BMW…’

Rosalie followed him from the room happily and Edward relaxed for a second before breathing in a desperate breath and twisting away from me.

‘Huh…CHHSSSHHH! ESCHHH! HESHHH! KkkESHOO! HESSHOO!’ The sneezes were getting louder and stronger. I guessed that he’d been trying to rein them in before, but had lost the energy to do it. He fell back into my arms, exhausted.

‘Sorry,’ he still had the energy to whisper.

‘Don’t be silly, Edward,’ I admonished, and he smiled wryly. ‘And how are you really feeling?’

He sighed, all fight seeming to go out of him. ‘…awful, truly,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m not used to feeling this…weak. Or sore. Or congested. Or aching…’

I hummed in sympathy and pulled him closer into a tight and secure embrace. He smiled.

‘You know, Bella, I never thought I’d say this, but your skin feels pleasantly cool.’

I laughed, imagining how my normally warm hands must feel on his feverish skin. I rubbed his back with one hand and held him tight with my other hand, until we both fell asleep in each other’s arms.

I woke up a while later with a distant feeling of time having passed. I looked up at Edward, who looked, if possible, much worse than he had before – cracked lips, his eyes and nose edged miserably with sore redness.

‘Bella,’ he said, but it came out as a hoarse whisper – he’d completely lost his voice. I put a cool hand to his face, gently, but I couldn’t tell whether the warmth was receding. At least it hadn’t got worse.

Carlisle, presumably hearing that we were awake, entered the room with his thermometer. Edward sighed but opened his mouth obediently and I smiled; he seemed to be getting used to being the patient and not the carer.

Carlisle put the thermometer into Edward's waiting mouth and I took his hand in mine, rubbing smooth circles while we waited...until a strange, sharp breath made us both look up at Edward's father.

Carlisle looked at us both, a strange and faraway expression in his eyes.

'Carlisle?' asked Edward, 'Are you alright?'

‘No, I feel…I feel fine,’ he said slowly, shaking his head, and the expression faded.

‘Carlisle,’ warned Edward weakly from the couch, and I wondered briefly what he had heard his father thinking.

Carlisle opened his mouth to respond, but quickly changed course as the odd expression returned to his face. He fumbled in his pocket, withdrawing a fresh hanky, just in time to catch a violent sneeze that bent him at the waist. HUH-SSHHHOO!

He sniffed quietly as he straightened, looking taken aback. Edward and I stared at him, both knowing (despite one of us not being a mind-reader) exactly what he as thinking.

‘It’s contagious…’ said Carlisle.

***

[Just Older]

Contagious? Oh no! Poor Edward.

I'm absolutely loving this story, ooo.

[queenie]

This is quite lovely. I am thrilled with it. Excellent.

[twinkies690]

AHHH! so goooooooooooooooood!!

[Mischa]

contagion is always fun

yeeeeeeeeeeah!!!

[ooo]

Thanks guys!!! This part is a bit...blah...but it's something.

***

HESSHH! ESSHHH! ESSHHOOO! The shock of the realisation seemed to have temporarily destroyed Edward's control over his nose.

I looked up at Carlisle to try to read his reaction, but he looked oddly distant as well. Huh...HUSHHOOO! HUSSHHOO!

HESSSHHH! sneezed Edward

HUSSSHOOOO! sneezed Carlisle.

KKESHHOO!

HUSSHOOO!

Against my better judgement, I started giggling, looking at the two helpless vampires. 'You know guys, it's not a competition,' I laughed.

A high, tinkling laughed joined in with my giggles and I looked up to see that Alice, hearing the noise, had entered the room, followed by the rest of her vampire family. We watched the two sneezing vampires in half-amusement, half-pity.

Finally, their respective fits tapered off and Esme moved to comfort her husband, who sat back on the couch looking somehow simultaneously intrigued by this new medical information and also miserable. I encircled Edward with my arms and tried to smooth the wrinkles of pain from his forehead as he looked up at his father.

'Carlisle, I'm sorry,' he said fervently. 'If I'd known...'

His father shook his head. 'Edward, don't give it a second thought, please. Even if we'd known I wouldn't have done anything differently.'

Edward nodded, but didn't seem to let it go. It was so ingrained in his nature to blame himself for everything and to never let go of guilt, having an illness he could pass on to his family members would hit him hard, I knew.

‘Alice, can you see whether…’ Carlisle began, but didn't have to finish the question.

She nodded slowly. ‘It’s getting clearer, easier,’ she said, and her gaze became unfocussed briefly before her face cleared again. ‘It’s contagious to vampires, but Bella’s fine...I can't see anything else...’

She laughed her lovely musical laughter as Carlisle’s face dropped. ‘I suppose we’ll all be avoiding Edward,’ she continued, ‘and you now, Carlisle.’

At Alice's words, I felt suddenly stunned. The all-powerful vampire family who had saved me so many, many times, were suddenly vulnerable...and I was strong. I, alone, was immune to this, could care for them all without risk to myself...

I sat up. I felt oddly empowered now, determined. 'You know what?' I asked, aware that all eyes were on me. 'I'm taking charge.'

Alice giggled again as she read my intentions in her head. 'Oh, perfect,' she laughed.

'What?' demanded Edward.

'Bella's going to quarantine you and play nurse,' Alice said.

'Well, not quite the words I would have used, but she's got the general idea.'

'Bella, you don't need to - ' Edward began, but I interrupted him.

'Edward, it makes sense. I can't get sick. You and your family have looked after me on end since forever...it's my turn now.'

'Bella...'

'It's no use. She's determined,' Alice warned him. 'You'll just annoy her.' She shut her eyes briefly and I knew she was sending him another, silent thought.

Thankfully, Alice's words and thoughts must have convinced both Edward and Carlisle, because Edward sighed in defeat and lay back on the couch, and Carlisle smiled at me. 'Well, thank you, then, Bella. That's very kind and selfless of you.'

I smiled. 'Hardly selfless. But you're very welcome. Now...this is probably asking a bit much...but can we move two of the beds from upstairs, downstairs? That way, we won't get in anyone's way.'

Alice snorted. 'Asking a bit much? You forget you're in a house with five still-healthy vampires.' And she disappeared from the room, dragging Jasper behind her. A second later, they were downstairs holding two beds above their heads as though they were empty cardboard boxes rather than full-sized beds.

'Thanks, Alice. Now. Carlisle, Edward – bed. Everyone else – out.'

Emmett chuckled. 'I think I like this Bella better,' he grinned. I rolled my eyes at him and he left the room mock-dutifully.

Esme seemed reluctant to leave her husband's side. 'Carlisle, I'll stay,' she said gently. 'I don't mind.'

He smiled at her. 'No, but I do. I'd hate to see you sick,' he said. She was still shaking her head. 'Please, Esme? I'll be fine. I believe Bella is perfectly capable of looking after us both. And if Edward is any indicator I'll mostly be sleeping anyway.'

'Sleeping,' she mused, distracted. He dropped his voice to a whisper I couldn't hear, but I saw her nodding.

'You're right,' she said, and I wondered what he'd said to convince her. 'Besides, without one of us there who knows what Jasper and Emmett will get up to.'

Carlisle laughed, but it mixed oddly with a painful-sounding cough. 'True.'

Her forehead wrinkled with love and concern, she brushed her husband's hair gently and then rose slowly to leave.

'You look after them, Bella,' she said softly, and left the room.

'I will,' I promised, knowing she could hear me, and turned to face my patients.

***

[twinkies690]

awww!