Revenge - (5 Parts)

[smiles15]

i wanna know what's gonna happen SOOOO badly!

i need more!!!!

[ooo]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, it means a lot I really meant this fic to be one or two parts long so it's a testament to how much your comments mean that it's got this far - you all just make me want to keep writing! Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

***

Just as I had predicted, the meal was going swimmingly. Not.

'Bella, you should let me cook,' Edward was saying. 'I am the one who is supposed to be apologising here.'

Jake looked down sullenly, in the same grumpy mood he'd been in since Edward had arrived. 'Yeah, because meals that stink of bloodsucker are so completely appetising.'

I looked apprehensively at Edward, but he seemed to have grown some maturity since my speech that morning, since he merely said gracefully, 'Of course.' Jacob looked slightly surprised but didn't acknowledge Edward's response in any way.

They were both standing stiffly by the dinner table and I cleared my throat, wondering how to ease the tension. 'Sit, both of you,' I said. 'I've got to get everything out of the oven but I'll be back in a sec.'

I walked out of the room but hesitated just as I walked past the doorway, wondering whether it was really...well, safe, to leave them alone together. I crept back, peering around the doorway discretely.

They were so tense that neither of them seemed to notice me. After a long silence, Jacob pulled out a chair and, without taking his eyes off Edward, sat slowly.

Edward followed suit, pulling the chair out gracefully and silently taking a seat. For a while he fidgeted in what I knew could only be emotional hesitance - vampires did not fidget from physical discomfort. Eventually, he cleared his throat - another non-vampiresque mannerism, and I was stunned to hear him say sincerely, 'Jacob, I truly am sorry. I know you and I have our differences, but it was an immature prank, absolutely uncalled for, and I should not have let it happen.'

'Bella tell you to say that?'

Edward shrugged. 'She told me to apologise, but I do mean it. You are Bella's best friend, Jacob, and I...I do respect that.' It was grudging, but I could tell it was sincere. Apparently so could Jake, because he shrugged, looking less angry.

'Thanks,' he said gruffly, and I walked into the room, beaming.

They turned to face me. 'Bella!' said Jake in surprise.

'I may not have super hearing, like you two, but apparently I have some eavesdropping skills!' I laughed, then turned serious. 'Thank you, both of you. It means a lot to me that you're trying,' I told them. They both looked away and I grinned. 'Okay. I'll stop embarrrassing you. Here's dinner!'

I hurried into the kitchen and came out with the lasagna I'd cooked for Jake and I, with a new pumpkin salad I'd been meaning to try for ages for the middle of the table.

'This looks great, Bella,' Jake said, some degree of his usual warmness in his voice. I smiled, knowing he was making an effort to be like that in Edward's presence.

'Thanks, Jake.'

I served out the salad, accidentally fumbling the bowl as I picked it up, but Edward's hand shot out to catch it before anything could spill. I shot him a grateful smile, not wanting my clumsiness to ruin this night.

After about a minute, noticed Jake was sniffling slightly.

'Are you okay?' I asked him gently.

He nodded, but rubbed at his nose with a slightly vacant look on his face. 'Did you put pepper on this, by any chance?'

I shrugged. 'Yeah, loads. The recipe says.' At the look on both Edward's and Jacob's faces, I began to feel apprehensive. 'Should I not have?'

'Bella!' they cried simultaneously, and then stared at each other, seemingly in shock at themselves for having something resembling a shared thought.

Jake's face was going blank now, his breath catching. 'Heh...HATCHOO!' he sneezed into cupped hands, as contained as he could make it, jerking away from the table.

'Oh, no,' I breathed. 'Jake, I didn't mean...'

'HATCHOO! Bells, you couldn't have...ehh...ETCHOO!...known, it's okay, it's just...just...ETCHOO!...pepper really makes be...ETCHOO!...sdneeze. It bust have got up by dose before when you dropped the bowl...'

I opened my mouth to apologise, but turned in wide eyed shock as a similar sound erupted on the other side of the table: 'HEPSHHT!'

I stared at Edward, who was rubbing his pale, perfect nose, looking embarrassed. 'Excuse me,' he said politely.

I opened my mouth and closed it, totally at a loss for what to say. Was this some kind of weird dream? Nightmare? 'You're...you're allergic too?' I managed to stammer, my eyebrows raised so high I could have sworn they were no longer part of my forehead.

He grimaced. 'Unfortunately. Oddly, it's something...' he hesitated, glancing at Jacob, who shrugged.

'I know adyway - legeds, rebember? It's...heh...ATCHOO! - how Paul knew about the laveder.'

Edward seemed unsure how to reply to that, and turned back to me. 'It's something...excuse me,' he said hurriedly, face going slack, and he turned away from me quickly. 'HEPSHHT! HEPSHHT! Excuse me. It's something Jasper and I share - we're not sure why, since we're not technically related, blood or venom...not that I suppose it mat...HEPSHHT! matters.'

I bit my lip, feeling incredibly guilty. The evening had been going so well and now look what I'd done. 'I didn't know! I'm so sorry!'

Edward shook his head. 'Bella, it isn't hehh...your fault...you couldn't - heh...heh! HEPSHHT! - couldn't have known...'

'HATCHOO!' added Jacob.

At the sight of both of them, a little giggle slipped out, unbidden. They both glanced up at me. 'What is it?' asked Edward.

I bit back my laughter. 'You have to admit, this is kind of...ridiculous. I mean, all these stupid sneezing pranks and now...the...pepper...' I was gasping for breath now, I was laughing so hard.

Edward was staring at me as though I was mad, but across the table, I could hear the beginnings of Jake's throaty, rumbling laugh, and glancing between us, it seemed Edward couldn't help but join in.

The laughter seemed cathartic, releasing some of the the unconscious (and conscious!) tension in the room. From then, each time one of them sneezed, one of us would start laughing again, and every time it was contagious.

When dinner was over, and the sneezing had quietened down somewhat, I felt so contented that I felt compelled to make a quick speech. 'This has been a lovely night,' I said sincerely. 'Thank you, both of you.'

Jake grinned. 'It has been kind of fun,' he smiled at me.

Edward nodded, squeezing my hand. 'I didn't expect things to turn out quite as they did, but I must admit I've had a...surprisingly pleasant night.'

They'd both been looking at me as they'd spoken, but they glanced at each other briefly, the smiles fading from their faces.

'This doesn't mean we're friends,' Jacob said warningly, looking up at Edward as though he might suddenly hug him in a burst of spontaneous affection.

Amusingly, Edward looked equally alarmed. 'No,' he said quickly.

'Just...a truce. For Bella's sake.'

'For Bella's sake,' Edward said gruffly.

They hesitated, staring each other down for a few long moments, before Edward put out his hand. Jacob let out a long breath and then, as though he knew he'd regret it a minute later, shook it briefly, before they both let go as though they'd been holding a burning object.

I would have burst out laughing if I hadn't been so touched. The two most important people in my life, finally getting along...sort of.

I set up a bed up for Jacob in the spare room, making sure all the windows were shut tight to keep out the pollen. He smiled as I mentioned this, shrugging his wide shoulders. 'Probably wouldn't make much of a difference, after this - heh HATCHOO! - day we've had,' he laughed.

'True,' I grinned, leaving him alone to change, pulling the door shut behind me. 'Night Jake.'

'Night Bells.'

I padded down the hall to my room, where Edward was lying in wait on my bed. I smiled at him as I approached, but he held up a hand and I stopped, knowing by now what was coming. He raised his other hand to his nose, chest rising sharply as he gasped in breath: 'heh! HEPSHHTT! Ahh...' He turned back to smile at me. 'Excuse me, Bella.'

I lay down on the bed and let him tuck first the blanket, then his body, around me. 'Bless, Edward.'

I closed my eyes, ready for sleep after a long day. But I couldn't wipe the smile of pure contentment off my face: just lying here, with Edward's cool marble body close to mine, and Jacob snoring loudly in the next room. After such an inauspicious beginning, it had been such a surprisingly good day. Who knew that sneezing could be such a powerful force of good?!

~THE END~

[Aprilcot]

And, like Bella, I can't keep a grin off of my face either!

WOWEEEE!!!!!!!

This was awesome!!!!

Thank you soo, so much!

[obsessed]

Awwwwww. *smiles*

[Weirdo Girl]

that was so good!

thanks for writing it!