(* in French in the text: excerpt from “le lapin", a popular children's song sung by Chantal Goya)

 

Lauren had a very bad evening. When she returned to her car the night of her naughty act, the battery was dead, but luckily for her, Tyler was willing to help her. When she returned home, she found herself trapped outside her home, with the house key missing from her pocket. She then passed through a window that remained ajar. When she wanted to have a snack, she realized that the contents of her kitchen cupboards had been interchanged. When she wanted to take a shower, she realized that the hot water tank had been emptied and her toilet was done with ice water. Her parents got angry when they came home, not only because of the cupboards and the hot water tank, but also because of her house key stuck in the lock outside the door. When she came back up, vexed, she found writing on her window: "there will be no further warning." She stormed out of the room to fetch her parents, but when she returned, there was no message in the window… That day, her parents decided to give her a drug awareness course.

 

I hadn't tried to interfere in Edward's petty revenge, I had even suggested the message on the window. After all, thinking myself crazy could be considered a psychological injury, I wanted my reward and didn't find it necessary to go further than a warning. Lauren's nemesis wasn't actually just Edward and I, Alice, Emmett and, more surprisingly, Jasper, had participated. Alice had even made a little photo essay to show Esme later.

 

On Tuesday evenings, Edward invites me to his house after class. I'm nervous about returning to their villa for the first time in a long time, but Esme greets me warmly, apologizing for her attitude and asking me how I'm doing.

 

"It's okay, I tell him. You don't need to apologize, my behavior wasn't quite right either. Let's start on new bases.

• That's it ! exclaims Rosalie. Let's act as if we weren't risking anything. If its existence is known...
• The Volturi will come and finish me off and punish you, I complete…I know…”

 

The silence in response to my words encourages me to continue.

 

"I don't intend to be trained in their little family... No... No way...

• Yet another pleasant surprise… growls Jasper.
• No ! And not so fresh news, if you want to know everything, I reply. I saw it before I came to Forks. Edward, Alice and I were in their kind of tower in a room with thrones… And they were offering the three of us to stay.
• Why were we there? Edward worries, pulling me into his arms protectively.
• Why was I not there? growls Jasper.

 

I shrug my shoulders and continue:

 

“Anyway, you and I didn't look healthy, sweetheart. I felt like we hadn't seen each other in a very long time. I think it will happen after you leave, when you leave me behind.

• You still think we're leaving, Alice moaned.
• I don't know. I prefer not to exclude this possibility, but I would like to make sure that I don't meet the three musketeers from the underworld…”

 

She raised an eyebrow.

 

“Aro, Caius and Marcus, I mean. »

 

I see Jasper and Edward looking at each other grimly. The latter leads me to the couch, putting his arm around my shoulders. Jasper does the same with Alice and Esme sits on the armchair while Rosalie walks away upstairs, indifferent. Emmett hesitates, then decides to sit next to Alice, much to the annoyance of his wife who slams the door to their bedroom. I jump at the noise and Edward kisses my forehead telling me she'll change her mind eventually. Jasper abruptly asks:

 

"What do you know about them Bella?"

• The Volturi? »

 

He nods.

“Well, they're like vampire royalty, responsible for enforcing the law and punishing for transgression.

• Were you human when you met them?
• Yes, I huff and the women gasp.
• You said they had offered to stay the three of you. They didn't want to kill you?
• Oh yes ! I sneer… Caius is charming… really…”

 

I feel Edward tense before asking.

 

"Did he hurt you?"

• Aro stopped him. He was interested in my development.
• Your… Your evolution, Edward stutters.
• He thinks that since I'm blocking him as a human, I'll make an interesting immortal.
• Hold on ! Are you blocking it? Jasper exclaims, his eyes widening.
• I am a shield! Apparently it's powerful enough to be effective even when I'm human.
• That's why I can't hear you, Edward whispers.
• Probably, I nod.
• I understand better why they don't kill you on the spot, Jasper said then placing his fingers to his lips. What happens to you next?
• We're leaving, I answer, but not fast enough and we hear them feeding on these poor tourists when we walk through the door.
• Oh no ! Esme exclaims. My poor darling !
• They wouldn't let you go if they didn't know for sure that you would be transformed very soon, Jasper retorts and I hear Edward growl. »

 

I take a deep breath before throwing the bomb:

 

"Alice showed them a future where I am one of you."

 

I feel a breeze on my back and find myself knocked to the ground further into the room. Above me, Rosalie has her features twisted with hate. She yells at me:

 

"That's what you're waiting for, huh?" Admit! Do you want to be immortal?! »

 

Edward snatches her from me and pushes her towards Emmett who is holding her arms, while she continues to scream:

 

“You have no idea what it's like to be a vampire. You idealize, you only see the facade! You have no idea what you're leaving behind.

• Rosalie, Edward growls, crouching next to me protectively.
• Damn it ! Rosalie, I thought you had a little more savvy than that! I exclaim. You think I don't know that Edward doesn't want me to live an immortal life by his side! »

 

I feel Edward's hands tighten around my arms, he looks stunned. I give him a wry smile, placing my hand on his cheek.

 

“Don't think of tricking me, sweetheart. »

 

I sigh as I get up. He is still frozen, crouched. I breathe, then resume my explanation:

 

"You don't want to turn me…and right now I don't even know what I want for the future." What I can say, however, is that I absolutely do not want to meet these ugly guys with red eyes. I will do everything to never cross their path…”

 

I take Edward's hands and say, looking him straight in the eye:

 

“On the other hand, one thing that my visions do not show me is the time I have left with my companion. So I want to be with him as much as possible, to build happy memories that he can keep in his head and in his heart when I'm gone. »

 

I stop with tears in my eyes and curl up against Edward's chest, still as a statue. I finally feel his arms close around me and his head nestle in my neck. He then whispers to me:

 

“You knew everything… You knew everything and you still accept me…

• I knew everything and that's also why I accept you as a companion. »

 

I try to lift my head but he holds me tightly against him. I continue, my voice trembling with emotion, but above all full of determination. I have to tell him that I understand him. Bella had her insecurities in the book, but so did he. In the end, he's just a seventeen-year-old teenager who doesn't know how to react and does the best with the patriarchal upbringing he received as a model.

 

“I know that you will protect me no matter what, even if for that you consider that you must disappear from my life. I know that your decisions could hurt me and I would blame you for that, but never…never, I will doubt your love for me. »

 

I feel him shaking. We stay like this for a while until Alice reminds me that I had to cook Charlie's meal. Only then did Edward release me. I say goodbye to Alice. The others had disappeared and he walked me home. I felt him nervous and that worried me, but I figured he'd talk to me when he was ready. I understood the origin of his nervousness when he unbuckled his seat belt after parking in front of my house. He moved quickly towards my door, which he opened, while I registered what was about to happen.

 

“Good evening, Chief Swan,” Edward says, extending his hand to Charlie when I introduce him to my father. »

 

My father takes her hand, squeezes it, and cocks his head to the side, skeptical. Edward is impassive.

 

" Well ! Holy fist my boy! Come sit with me in the living room. Bella, would you make some fish wrappers for tonight please? You're eating with us Edward, aren't you?

• Yes sir, if Esme agrees. I'm going to text him."

 

I give Edward a worried look, check that my dad's gun is in the hallway and not nearby, and give Charlie a warning look. Charlie doesn't look at me, he stares at Edward and escorts him to his home interrogation room. Deciding that my boyfriend can take care of himself for a few minutes, I start preparing the meal. I'm frustrated not to hear the conversation: Charlie has closed the door behind them.

 

Once the papillotes and the tomato rice are ready, I join them in the living room. They watch the baseball game on television in silence. I approach Edward, who smiles at me. I invite them to the table and we eat quietly, they both seem very relaxed. I, on the other hand, feel rather uncomfortable. Edward is very good at hiding pieces of fish and rice in his napkin and Charlie has his head buried in his dish.

 

"You really do make the best papillotes in the world, Bella," he told me between bites. Billy asked me for the recipe.

• I'll give it to him when I go to the Reserve. »

 

I see Edward grimacing. Charlie asks me when I'm going and I say Jessica told me about it this morning, they're going next Saturday. Charlie promise to call Billy to send Jacob to take you home. I thank him. Come to think of it, it would allow me to see Harry Clearwater.

 

Once the meal is over, I walk Edward to the door. He wishes me a good night and announces that Thursday evening, he invites me to the restaurant. I am surprised. I turn back to my father who is pretending to be looking at the sports newspaper. How do I know? The story is about horseback riding… Edward kisses me on the cheek and says see you tomorrow with a wink. I mime with my lips: "In my room in twenty minutes." And I close the door.

 

Twenty minutes later, I've washed up and I have the sexiest man alive lying on my bed, arms behind his head. I walk over to him and lay my head on his chest.

 

"Alice let you know she's kidnapping you tomorrow afternoon." Your teachers have a meeting and she's taking you to Seattle. »

 

I smile mischievously and answer:

 

"Great, I just wanted a nice set in black lace...

• And you're telling me that to… asks a slightly tense Edward.
• So you know what's going to be under my clothes when we meet on Thursday.
• …
• Are you alright my heart?
• Hmm…yes…yes.
• By the way, I was wondering, Edward.
• Which ?
• What are your tastes in cooking?
• Are you asking me what animals I eat or what I ate when I was human?
• Hmm, I guess both, although I saw you hunting a deer in one of my visions.
• Oh yes ? he looks at me, uncertain. And that didn't scare you.
• In fact, I found it rather sexy, I answer while blushing. »

 

He gives me his crooked smile and says:

 

“Well, yes, I do hunt deer, but I prefer large carnivores, especially…”

 

He stops and I understand. I put my hand on his cheek to encourage him.

 

“When I was human, I remember very much enjoying the Brown Windsor soup.

• Beef soup, right?
• Yes… And the jellied eel too… The food was very different back then.
• You could tell me about the customs of people at the time. What were the cities like?
• I don't have many memories of my human life.
• And it took you a long time to be able to meet humans after your transformation?
• No, a few years at most.
• So tell me about what you saw at that time.
• Well, first of all the roads were unpaved…”

 

We spent hours talking until, I don't know when, I fell asleep. The next day, Alice kidnapped me as planned and I went on a rampage at Victoria's Secret, pretending to be indifferent to the four-figure amount the saleswoman told Alice. She then dragged me to the hairdresser and to a nail bar. I tried on countless dresses at exorbitant prices. At least that's what I imagined because in this store, no item had a price… Luckily I already had the perfect shoes. I was on my knees when I got home, I made a homemade pizza and Charlie was delighted with the consequences of my immense laziness at the end of the shopping session of death.

 

“You have unlocked the title of “distinguished spender”… Necessary requirements: bring home more than thirty items over one hundred euros each. »

 

"Alice complicity: +1"

 

“Bonus Quest: Show Edward at least five of your purchases for that day… Reward: Hidden… Penalty: None… Duration: Unlimited.”

 

I smile at the blue window. I already knew what to do. Edward doesn't know what awaits him. I'm sending a message to Alice. I get one almost immediately:

 

" My lips are sealed ! »

 

I chuckle. It's time to hunt the hunter!