Chapter Text
Dreaming the Impossible
Bella Swan was in a forest. She spun around slowly, taking in the hundreds of brown and black tree trunks packed close around her. In an instant, she knew she was one of the deepest, darkest, and most forbidding parts of the vast woods around Forks, Washington. She glanced up through the shadowy, tangled branches to judge the sun's position. She whirled to the north and raced the sun, trying to reach the meadow before it dived beneath the horizon. The wind whipped her long mahogany brown hair behind her as she ran. Her long strides flew over the ground, making an impossible journey at an impossible speed. She never faltered, never stumbled; the destination was too important, and she must be there by twilight. She must, and nothing could stand in her way. Nothing.
Just as the red sun fell below the horizon and darkness overtook the land, she broke through the woods and came to an abrupt halt. The meadow was shrouded in dusk's light and the grasses rippled in the now-gentle wind. Bella was confused; she had been expecting something–or somebody–to be here. Something compelled her to look up at the sky. As she peered into the rapidly retreating dusk, the wind gave her one final assist and blew the thick clouds away. She was nearly blinded by the sudden appearance of the bright crescent moon, already high in the sky.
She followed the crescent moon's light back down to the meadow, and was startled to see several people standing at the far edge of the meadow. They were nearly ethereal, pale skin almost glowing in the moonlight and golden eyes that surveyed her with sharp intelligence. For a moment, just a moment, she felt as if she was prey instead of friend. She was gripped by the instinct to run away to the safety of the human town in the south. Then their eyes lit up with recognition and warm love, and Bella knew at once who they were. The enigmatic and ever so secretive Cullen vampires: Edward, Alice, Jasper, Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, and Rosalie. She let the fear dissipate, knowing that they meant her no harm.
Alice's soft laughter, so similar to bells, floated on the wind as she pranced toward Bella with a pale hand outstretched in delighted invitation. Her brother Edward also stepped forward, opening his cold and strong arms for an expected hug. Bella dashed further into the meadow, her right arm already rising to accept Alice's hand in friendship. Light bouncing off something caught her attention and she glanced at her arm, wondering why it would be the source of the odd light. She screeched to a halt in astonishment. Her arm was almost as pale as the Cullens'.
She sprang up in bed, blankets flying to the floor as she shook in shock. Her chocolate eyes cast around the room, trying to ascertain exactly where she was. She struggled to calm her panting as she realized that she was at her home in Forks. The full moon shone through the window, shedding light on the space that contained her belongings. It also shone on a tall, extremely attractive man with bronze hair, who was lying next to her. His gaze was on her with concern in his bright golden eyes.
"Bella, are you all right?" The gentle whisper came on an ice-cold breath as he stroked her cheek.
She gasped and then sighed in relief, "Edward, you're here. It's okay… I'm okay now." She snuggled into his granite chest and whispered, "It was just a weird dream. I mean… it wasn't a bad kind of weird. Just a good kind of weird. I think." She looked up at him, hoping that her reassurances were enough for him.
Edward Cullen laughed and brought his arm around her shoulder so that he could draw her closer to him. He gathered the blankets and rearranged them so that she was once more warm and comfortable, despite cuddling up against a very cold vampire.
"Do you want to tell me about your 'weird' dream?" He watched as Bella sighed and started making circles on his chest with her hand. Truth be told, he was really hoping that she would not stop doing that any time soon; it was far too sweet and comforting.
She sighed again and muttered, "What? You didn't hear enough from me talking in my sleep?" She glanced up at him through her eyelashes, grinning shyly. She dropped her eyes back down, resting them on his neck and tried to just enjoy the sensation of his chest beneath her roaming hands.
He chuckled as he shifted his position slightly to run his hand along her arm. "Not this time, Bella. You were panting and making small noises, but there were no words." He shifted his gaze from her arm to her eyes and smiled softly.
She smirked, moved her hand around his side to his back, and hugged him. "I didn't talk in my dream, so…" trailing off, she snuggled her head into the nook between his chin and chest and continued, "I'd tell you, but I can't really explain it right now."
He nodded in understanding and moved his hand to rearrange the blankets, as she had loosened them when she shifted to hug him. He heard her chuckle in response to his efforts to keep her warm and grinned, "Well, I just don't want you to get too cold, Bella."
"That's fine, Edward, just so long as I get to stay next to you," was the sleepy answer, as she began to feel drowsy again. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and groaned, "It's only 4:00 am?"
"I'm afraid so. Why don't you go back to sleep, love?" He tried to shift her so that her head was on the pillow, but was stopped by her soft murmur.
"Okay, but I want to sleep right here, on your chest, Edward. Please?" She nuzzled him gently and inhaled deeply. As his sweet scent flooded her nose, a soft breath escaped and she smiled softly.
He hesitated, and then sighed in resignation. He'd never understand why she could enter slumber so easily while her head was resting on an ice-cold, granite-hard chest. This was one of the few things he could offer her, however, so he allowed it. "All right." He resettled Bella so that she was more comfortable, and began humming her lullaby.
She dozed off quickly into a dreamless sleep. After the real-life horrors that she had faced so recently, Edward was exceedingly happy that she hadn't suffered any nightmares tonight. In the past several weeks, he had often seen her twist and sob in the grips of powerful nightmares. It caused him such pain and guilt to know that his world, the world of the vampires, brought such horrors to her innocent mind.
Of course, he didn't realize that Fate had more adventures in store for Bella, or that he would be the cause of some of her worst nightmares, however inadvertently. He had absolutely no idea that he would be tested severely in the near future, as Bella's hidden spirit came to light. She would need him soon. In fact, she would need all the Cullens.