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TROUBLE IN PARADISE, I SEE
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Moments after excusing herself to go upstairs, Harley Quinn appears at the top of the stairs, pushing the heavy box in front of her. It's now wrapped in metallic green wrapping paper. It looks like regular birthday present, completed with a slightly larger lid and a massive, green bow on top with a label poking out. With her grin intact, she looks down to find everybody looking up at her with the same expression of curiosity and confusion.
"Time to open presents," she announces cheerily, finally reaching the bottom step. She giggles, mischief in her laughter as she plops down next to Rosalie on the living room couch. "Had it imported from Seattle," she laughs again, knowing something they obviously don't. "Come on, Bellsies! Open it!"
"Harls.." Bella protests, a martyr's pleading expression on her face. "I told you I didn't want anything –"
"But I didn't listen," she sings, finishing her cousin's sentence for her. Another disturbing giggle escapes, putting Edward on alert. That's never a good sign. "Now, open it! Open it! Open it! Open it," she encourages, clapping her hands excitedly.
Something must've slipped through her thoughts because now Edward is eyeing her suspiciously. "What's in the box, Harleen?"
She continues to laugh as everyone watches. "Oh, Eddie! You really don't know how presents work!"
"Harley," Charlie warns, standing by his daughter. "What is it? Tell me now." There's that fatherly tone.
She simply raises her arms in the air whilst grinning at them. "That's the point, though! It's a secret - a special surprise for Bellsies from yers truly!"
Emmett, standing by the box with his arms crossed, slightly leans forward to look at the strange box. He looks at her and lifts an eyebrow. "Wait," he starts, just as suspicious as his brother, "are those air holes? And.. is that rattling?"
Sure enough, the box is moving slightly from side to side. Inside, they hear what sounds like noises coming from an animal. It sounds like a loud - 'mmm-mmffm.'
Her blue eyes flicker from Bella to Emmett. "Uh, maybe.." her response sounds more like a question.
"Harleen, what the hell is inside this box," Charlie asks again, pointing to the gift.
"Sorry, uncle," she responds with a cheeky smile. "Can't ruin the surprise for Bellsies!" They watch her carefully as she starts to look around the room, noticing how the cake has been cut into. "Hey," she whines while pointing to it, "did ya dig into the cake without me?"
"Mmm-mmmrrrrff!" Whatever is in the box continues to howl loudly. It bangs itself against the side of the box, causing it to rattle heavily.
"Huh. Looks like he's getting angry," Harleen shrugs it off. "Guess he'll just have to deal with it until Bella decides she wants ta open her pressie," she sings, cackling.
"He," everyone shouts in unison, causing her to laugh harder.
"Harleen," Charlie takes a step forwards, angrily pointing to the box, "that better not be what I think it is, young lady. Answer my question."
Harleen rolls her eyes and sighs deeply. Take a freakin' joke.. "Honestly, uncle, it's nothing but the second best thing I could ever get Bellsies! The best thing never turned up, so I had'a go with this, but I'm sure she'll love it anyway!"
"Rrffrr-mm-mmmff!" The box continues to rattle aggressively, almost tilting over.
Then a small hand is placed over his shoulder. It's Bella. "It's okay, dad.. I'll open it."
This makes her cousin squeal with excitement.
This better be no goddamn bomb, Charlie thinks to himself. You can tell he's very familiar with his niece's antics. For his latest birthday, she had gotten him an antique revolver, even though she's not allowed to buy any type of firearm because of her parole. Not to mention it was fully loaded.
Everyone is tense as they watch the brunette walk cautiously towards the box. It continues to jingle as she reaches it. She wears a suspicious look on her face, but nevertheless she slowly begins to tear apart the wrapping paper with Edward Cullen stuck to her side like glue. And just as she gets to the second layer of green wrapping paper, there's a loud knock on the door.
Edward quirks an eyebrow, hearing something no one else does..
Being the one nearest to the door, Carlisle moves towards it and pulls it open to reveal Jacob Black. He stands on the other side of the door, holding a bouquet of wild lilies he handpicked from his front yard. It's a lovely gesture, and he didn't spend a dime for it.
"Jacob," Carlisle starts with a welcoming but cautious smile, "it's lovely to find you here. You're here for Bella's birthday, correct?"
Jacob nods his head, a smile tightening his lips. "Yes.. Is she here?"
The family doctor looks over his shoulder to find his son seething in his spot beside his girlfriend. His eyes flicker over to Bella, who watches the door with curiosity. He looks back at a grinning Jacob, his kindness overpowering Edward's hostility towards Jacob. "Yes," he answers finally. "She's here. Come on in."
The front door opens wider, and Jacob walks on in. Immediately, Bella's eyes lighten up with happiness. He made it..
He walks to her and sharply swivels Edward.
Edward grits his teeth, drowning out their greetings. Behave, Edward.. Behave. Behave, he chants over and over in his head, using what Bella said to him the night of the prom. Jacob's appearance is angering the hell out of him, practically demanding him to go after him. He refuses to let him see his growing irritation, so he keeps his face absent of any emotion. This is no time or place for a fight. He takes a steadying breath as Bella and Jacob speak to one another. He nods respectfully and turns to walk away, his teeth clenching tight enough to crush diamonds. He positions himself so he can see and hear their exchange.
Venom fills his mouth when Jacob puts a hand on her waist. Jealousy rips at him when she wraps her arms around his shoulders. What seems like just a hug to everyone else in the room, is seen as something completely different to him. Without thinking, he pushes his way back to the center of the living room. He is irate.
"Emmett," Alice nods towards him. "Stop him."
He's just a kid, Edward, Carlisle reminds him.
Before he reaches them, strong arms bind him to the spot. Emmett chuckles. "Tisk tisk, bro. Here? At her party? Can't you pick another time to rip his arms off?"
He lets go when Edward freezes.
"I'd like to do that now." He glances quickly towards Alice's chuckling form. She speaks with Charlie, her mind in a totally different place.
You were about to do something really stupid. Trust me on that, Alice explains.
A hard laugh comes from his left. "Not a chance." Emmett smirks. "Now calm down. What would Bella think?" He looks at him in mock horror.
Edward has to look away.
It is so odd to feel this infuriated over something as small as a gift of flowers and a simple greeting. Her smile is meaningful, her laughter is sincere, her hug is genuine. Her increasing heartbeat towards Jacob is real. He wants to grip his hands around his throat. He wants him so far away from her that the wish is a strong flavor on his tongue. He is automatically sorting through the range of tortures he will bring upon him.
"Jeez, Edward. Calm down," Emmett mutters, his hand on his shoulder – restraining him. Edward's face in his mind is showing nothing but a murderous glare.
"I have to get out of here," Edward whispers, pained, before striding out the front door. His disappearance goes unnoticed by Bella, who wraps things up with Jacob, Harley's gift groaning and moaning to her right.
"Well, I'm glad you came," Bella smiles a genuine smile, "Truthfully, I didn't think you'd make it." Her hands hold onto the bouquet of flowers tenderly.
"I wouldn't miss today for the world," he replies, his smiling matching her genuineness.
"Oh, Beautiful Bellsies," Harley Quinn sings from the couch. They turn to find her waving her hand in the air with a large grin plastered on her face. "You might wanna hurry it up a little. Yer gift is waiting. Soon enough, it'll be runnin' outta air.."
She means this as a joke.. Right? Jacob turns his head to look back at Bella, her facial expression fearful. So, wait.. she's actually being serious?
This seems to have caught Charlie's attention, too, his conversation with Alice coming to a quick halt. He decides to stay quiet, simply staring at his niece with a hard expression. This better be a goddamn joke.
Bella smiles softly, awkwardly pointing to the giant box beside her. "Er.. I should probably get that.."
"Yes! Yes, of course," Jacob replies, a small laugh following after. He nods his head, turns and walks towards the couch. He carefully sits beside Harleen, Rosalie and him sandwiching her in the middle. His smile returns once his best friend leans in and engulfs him in a hug.
"Glad ya could make it, Jakey," she whispers, pecking his cheek.
Jacob smiles and returns the hug. He then pulls away, his eyes flickering over to Bella, who cautiously walks towards the massive-sized box. "Came here as soon as Bella texted.."
Bella sighs deeply, scared, but nevertheless proceeds to read the tag. She then tears the paper off slowly, looking uncomfortable with all eyes on her. Harley bobs up and down in front of her so excitedly the couch is starting to rattle almost as hard as the box. A cardboard box is revealed after she peels off the wrapping paper.
They watch as she gently shakes the box for a minute, puzzled. She warily stares at it like the thing inside might explode at any moment. Then she pulls up the lid and the box comes falling apart. Loud gasps are heard all throughout the room as soon as her gift is revealed to be a young man in a bright green speedo laying down in a fetal position with his arms and legs tied up with duct tape.
"Mmm-mmm-mmmff," man's words are muffled, as there is duct-tape all over his mouth. He is in nothing but the tight speedo.
"Oh, my God," Jacob mutters, instantly leaping up from the couch.
Immediately, everyone but Emmett, Rosalie and Harleen spring into action. They hurriedly remove the man from the bondage as the human blonde explodes with wild laughter.
Only when she starts turning red in the face does she lean into Rosalie's ear. She nudges her slightly, her eyes trained on the struggling man. "Told ya you could find anything on Craigslist."
Rosalie watches the man, her eyes wide and her lips tugged upwards with an amused smile.
Now free - but still on the floor - the man shakily points to Harleen, who's wild laughter has volumed down into fits of giggles. "T-That girl is t-the Devil..." His statement results in her howls of laughter. He is carefully pulled to his feet and lead up to a chair by Charlie and Carlisle. Esme places a warm blanket over his shoulder as Charlie turns his head to his niece, his expression firm.
"You have no idea what you've just opened, Harleen," he warns, knowing he'll be confiscating her phone as soon as they get home. This poor man.. What the hell did she do to him?
Harley crosses her arms, her eyes rolling in annoyance. "Oh, boo-hoo. He liked it, and it knows it."
"What happened to you, dear," Esme gently asks the man with Bella peeking over her shoulder to look at the trembling man.
"I-I got a job offer on C-Craigslist to entertain for a bachelorette's party.. I was planned to show up in the box and surprise the bride with a d-dance, and I did. I don't r-remember much.. I just remember being taken somewhere and being scared. And then I appeared in a room and her," he points to Harleen, his voice cracking, "looking down at me with a b-big smile. Next thing I knew, she was tying me up. It felt like I was trapped in that box forever.."
"Oh, dear," Esme sighs, clutching her pearls.
"Harley," Alice turns to look at her. "You can't be kidnapping strangers.. I -"
"Whatever. He deserved it," she responds simply, her eyes set and trained on the shivering man. "He said I look like a cheap hooker."
"That was after you tied me up," the man shouts, defending himself.
"Bella," a smooth voice speaks from the door. Everyone turns their heads to find Edward Cullen looking at his lover with a saddened expression. He bothers not to look at the group of people, knowing Jacob is standing in the midst. "May I speak to you?"
Harley whistles, taking a sip of her drink. "Trouble in paradise, I see," she comments under her breath, earning a glare from him.
Bella glances at her cousin, then at Edward, only now noticing that he had left the room.. She looks behind her shoulder and at her father. "I'll be back," she whispers before walking out the room with him.
Harley snakes an arm around Rosalie's shoulders and grins at the family of vampires. "So, cake?"
"Cake? Cake? Really, Harleen," Charlie starts, slowly walking towards her. Uh, oh. Dad alert. "You kidnapped this poor man, tied him up, completely embarrassed him, almost suffocated him, and that's all you have to say? I'm disappointed, truly. What is this? I thought you were getting better.."
Her lips twitch slightly, laughter just waiting to be released. You can do this, Harley.. You can do it.. You can - Her train of encouraging thoughts are interrupted by her howls of loud laughter. If no one is expecting her to laugh in a moment like this, you can only imagine what they're thinking once they hear Rosalie, Emmett and the supposedly kidnapped man laugh also.
Their eyes flicker around the room as wheezing, breath-taking laughter fills the air. What in God's earth is going on in here..? Charlie watches as Harley slowly gets up off the couch and walks towards him with her arms extended and tears escaping from her eyes. He's forced back as she engulfs him into a tight hug.
"Aw, uncle," she laughs. "I'm just messin' with yer li'l old brain," she pulls away from the hug and softly knocks on his forehead. "It's all just a joke!"
Charlie looks back at the man, who nods his head. "Dear God, Harleen," he breathes out and looks down at her, wrapping her into a strong hug. "You almost gave me a heart attack."
"You had us all fooled," Carlisle chuckles behind them.
Harley laughs softly and pulls away from the hug, just to perform another onto Carlisle. After pulling away, she places a hand on her waist and looks at them, an arm wrapped around his shoulders. "So, how about we start diggin' into that cake?"
A moment later, she is poking her head out of the front door to fetch Bella so they can sing her Happy Birthday. "Bellsies," she calls out, but gets no response. She opens the door wider and steps outside into the cold air, finding her cousin sitting on the steps whilst looking out into the woods. "Bella? Bella, what's wrong?" Moving towards her, she takes a seat next to her. This is when she notices the streak of uncontrollable tears running down her eyes and cheeks. "Jesus," she mutters, pulling her into a hug. "What the hell happened..?"
Bella turns her head to finally look at her. "I broke up with him.." The guilt of feeling a certain way towards Jacob Black had finally eaten her away, and she needed to make things right by Edward and - most importantly - herself.
Harleen stares at her, not knowing how to respond. She was sure they would last, get married, have babies.. She seemed like she really loved him. Sure, she was an ass to Edward sometimes, but she liked him. He was good for Bella. "I'm sorry.."
Bella shakes her head as tears continue to roll down her cheeks and chin. It's a small sacrifice to pay for the possibility of an eternity of happiness with her best friend..
FIN