What happened that final summer Bella spent in Forks that forced Charlie to visit her in California?  This is what I think happened.  This one shot written for THE GAZEBO FIC CHALLENGE: The Essence of Charlie Swan.

After the "Bella's Mortality Vote," Jasper wants to apologize for his behavior.

Emmett has teased Edward and Bella about their quiet sex life and framkly they have had enough. What do they young couple do to get Emmett to cringe and run screaming for the hills?

Bella is a vampire...Nessie does not exist.

It’s Emmett’s birthday (his human birthday but come on it is Emmett we’re talking about) and he wants to celebrate it with his family at the zoo! Hilarity ensues as the Cullen’s try to keep Emmett in line while still allowing him to enjoy his birthday. Told in everyone’s POV.

No Renessmee but Bella is a vampire!

Bella wakes up from a disturbing nightmare, but fortunately Edward is there to comfort her. Tiny bit of angst, some fluff. 

Because once again, I had failed. Once again, I had let my family down. It is different this time, ironic almost, the situations reversed.

I had not killed a human; I had let her escape. And I was going to pay the price.

~0~

Jasper's thoughts during Twilight, when Bella escapes him at the airport.

"Emmett" and "Christmas": two words that should NEVER be put in the same sentence together.

This love & vamps story is inspired by L'Amore delle Tre Melarance (The Love for Three Oranges), a fairy tale written in the 18th century by Gaspare Gozzi, to become later a Prokofiev ‘s opera. It was one of the favorite bedtime stories I requested from my grandmother. Of course in her version there were oranges, but no lemons at all! In my version things might change. There will be passion, there will be danger, and a surprise at the end.

Please note that in Italian Edward becomes Edoardo, and all the other names needing it have been suitably Italianized.

Seven original members of the Olympic Coven, and seven deadly sins. Coincidence? Edward has lived too long to believe in coincidences.

He reluctantly relays the deaths and subsequent turnings of each member of his family to his new bride. Each death represents a deadly sin.

An astounding amount of praise and thanks to MrsC for the beautiful banner!

This was my entry for the Sexy Suspenseful Superhero writing contest.

**HONORABLE MENTION - SEXY SUSPENSEFUL SUPERHERO CONTEST**

Huge thank you to psymom for the contest and to Catherine Spangler for her time!

Slate Randalls is my superhero.   He's conflicted and trying to deal with what has happened to him.

**Honorable Mention in the Sexy Suspenseful Superhero contest**      

“I’m telling you son, they’re out there.” He spoke through a disgusting mouthful of pancakes, and I watched as syrup dripped from his chin and fell on the convenient little landing-pad that his pop-belly created, clad in a tight white undershirt. 

      “Yeah, I know.”  I handed him a paper-towel, which he ignored, so I dropped it next to his plate.  “UFO stands for unidentified flying object.  And yes, Dad, they do exist.  Do you know what this is?” I reached into a drawer and pulled out a potato masher, trusting that his nonexistent culinary skills would render him incapable of recognizing it. 

      When he shook his head I threw it across to room.  “Look, there’s one now.” 

He thought it was all a joke.  Oh, how wrong he was.

Post-New Moon but before Eclipse

I moved slightly, adjusting our position, and my fingers brushed against her pillow. It was damp from her unnecessary tears, caused by her lack of faith in me. A lack of faith that I could not argue with. I had broken her, nearly beyond repair, and I understood that the condition was not easily recovered from.

 I wanted so badly to make her feel good…

A brief look into Edward's mind as he tries to allievate fears from the past, accept the present, and hope for salvation at the end of all things.