Chapter 68 - Teepees & Tribal Law

*Finally…I'm back. I suggest you read the last chapter of LRM (titled On The Road Part 1). You will get more out of the phone converstion between Edward and Esme).


I won't make you wait any longer. Bring on the fluffy!

*****V&V*****

"Your knees look better" Rose said with a smirk as she sat down on the lounger next to mine.

I chuckled. "I can't believe you thought I did that." I snickered before leaning toward her and continuing in a whisper. "I mean, really Rose? I go from innocent little virgin who hasn't even seen her fiancé naked, to uninhibited sex goddess grinding my knees into the carpet while giving said fiancé a BJ. Seriously?"

She laughed out loud. "Well, when you put it like that, I guess I see your point." She laughed again. "All I know is that you and Edward are wrapped so tight that I feel sorry for anyone without a forty mile radius when all that sexual tension is finally released." She blurted out a laugh.

She was quiet for a minute. "You haven't seen Edward naked?" She asked in awed amazement.

I blushed furiously as I shook my head.

"Wow" She whispered.

It was Monday morning, and the guys were rearranging the luggage in the car before they would join us for a swim. We'd decided to do a late check-out in order to have a little more time by the pool.

"Can you see a difference Bells?" Rose asked as she gestured toward her stomach. I sat up and removed my sunglasses.

My mouth fell open when I saw the small but pronounced bump below her belly button. "Rose" I said in a whisper. "You're starting to show."

We smiled at each other. "Oh I'm so excited." I exclaimed as I leaned over to hug her.

"It is exciting isn't it?" She grinned. "It's less than four weeks until the wedding, so it still won't be obvious to anyone who doesn't know."

"What does it feel like?" I asked.

"It feels like I should be able to suck it in but I can't" She giggled. Rosalie Whitlock actually giggled. "Here, feel it, it's sort of hard."

I reached over and gently touched the bump with my fingertips. It was hard. "Baby Swan" I breathed.

At that moment Rose and I were the only guests by the pool. Soon after the guys arrived, other guests, most of them female I noted, started to trickle through the gate.

I have a strong suspicion that the word is out that Edward is here.

It wasn't that people were bothering us. They weren't. They were actually pointedly ignoring us. But I couldn't help but notice how the other females let their eyes linger on Edward's gorgeous body a little longer than was polite.

I couldn't blame them. I found myself ogling him at every opportunity. He caught me more than once and gave me a playful wink.

From the expression on Rose's face, I was sure that Emmett was getting his fair share of looks as well.

As soon as it got a little too crowded for comfort, we decided it was time to leave.

-V&V—

I loved Esme Cullen. In fact, she was one of my favorite people. During the ride to the Cadillac Ranch, Edward had a phone conversation with his mother that drove home one of the many reasons why I loved this woman. Somehow, when Edward mentioned that we were visiting the Cadillac Ranch, Esme mistook it for the Bunny Ranch, the brothel made famous by cable television.

"Mom! We are not going to the Bunny Ranch. What the hell? Why would we want to visit a brothel?" As soon as Emmett, Rose and I heard this we burst into uncontrollable laughter.

My brother was laughing so hard that I was surprised he didn't run off the road. Once we quieted enough for Edward to speak, he continued. "Mother, we are going to the Cadillac Ranch. It's a spot in the middle of a field where a bunch of Cadillacs are half-buried in the ground and you're free to write or paint a message on them."

He listened as I wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes.

"It's considered to be artwork, a sculpture if you will."

I heard Rose snickering.

I grabbed my copy of our travel itinerary and fanned my face in an effort to keep the laughter at bay.

"No Mom, we don't have plans to visit the Bunny Ranch." Edward answered as he shook his head. With those words I lost my flimsy grasp on my self-control and laughed until my stomach hurt.

As I thought about Edward's Mom, I realized that at times like this, she reminded me very much of my own mother.

-V&V—

"Babe, I'm not comfortable with you climbing up there." Emmett sounded almost frantic as he stood behind Rose while she climbed up the front of a car at the Cadillac Ranch, in order to write her message.

In reality, Rose was only two feet off the ground, but my brother stood behind her in a protective stance, ready to catch her if she slipped. "I'll only be a minute Monkey Man. It's hotter than hell out here, so I promise to be quick.

Edward and I walked, hand in hand, further down the line of cars. Once we found a deserted spot, he handed me a paint pen.

We walked to opposite ends of the same car in order to write our messages. I contemplated for a moment what to write. As I added an exclamation mark to what I'd written, I heard Edward chuckling behind me. "Really Bella?"

I turned to smile at him. "What did you expect me to write?" I smiled sweetly. Edward laughed lightly as I walked over to see what he'd written. In silver paint, encircled by a heart, he'd written:

'E + B'
6-28-10

I wrapped my arms around his waist. "That's really sweet." I told him with a smile. "Makes me feel kind of stupid for writing 'Frodo Lives'." I chuckled.

"Don't feel stupid." He answered. "It's very you."

"Okay, I won't feel stupid, especially since that's not the only thing I wrote." I grinned as I tugged on his hand and led him back to where I had been writing. Just around the corner from my 'Frodo Lives', I had written:

B 'heart' E
'47 more days'

He smiled brilliantly before pulling me into his arms for a kiss.

"It's hotter than the pits of hell out here, and you two are wrapped around each other again." Rose said with an exasperated sigh. "Emmett and I will be in the car."

-V&V—

For the next hour, we were treated to music with a southern flavor as Rose called it. We were singing along to 'Dixie Chicken' when we pulled into the parking lot of the Midpoint Café.

"This is it" announced my brother "We are officially halfway from Chicago to Los Angeles."

We ate lunch at the café and made sure to have our photo taken before we got back on the road.

Approximately one hour after that, we arrived at the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari New Mexico.

Edward said the motel was over seventy years old. It truly was a Route 66 landmark with its cool neon signs, and the fact that each room came with its own garage.

Sadly, they didn't have a pool, but they did have wifi. Emmett insisted that we not go to dinner until it was dark enough to enjoy all the neon signs in Tucumcari, so Edward and I lounged around our room watching television. I surfed the net a little, that was how I came across a 'breaking news' story about us.

Edward Masen and fiancée Bella Swan were guests on the Oprah Winfrey show last week.

Now word has reached our ears that they've been spotted in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and now Amarillo Texas. It doesn't take an expert to realize they're in the midst of a road trip across the mid and southwest.

I went on to read, to my horror, that the news site was offering money for photos and information about our trip. So they were, in effect paying people to spy on us.

"Edward, I think you need to see this."

Edward frowned. "I'm wondering if we should have Sidney and Lou fly out here. We may need them."

"I don't know." I said with a shrug. "No one's bothered us yet. Let's wait and see."

He agreed, but we did bring it up later at dinner.

Emmett understood our concern, but had a couple of ideas of his own. "We're going to go off the beaten track in a couple of days. If they've figured out that we're driving Route 66, they won't expect that."

"Besides" Rose began "They real paps haven't followed us. I can't see ordinary citizens doing something crazy just to make a little money. The paps yes, but not the people we've seen on this trip."
I hoped she was right.

-V&V—

We left Tucumcari bright and early the next morning, headed west. Our first stop was Santa Rosa for breakfast at Joseph's Restaurant, another Route 66 landmark. A vague feeling of anxiety had been creeping over me since sometime the day before. As I poked at the omelet on my plate, I felt Edward's eyes on me.
"You okay?" He asked in a low voice.

I shrugged. "I guess I'm not as hungry as I thought." I answered as I forced a small smile.

We sat quietly for the rest of the meal, content to let Rose and Emmett do most of the talking. I searched my mind, trying to understand where the anxious feelings were coming from. I knew I was beginning to feel nervous about the wedding. Up until now, there had been other things to keep my mind off of it. With a little over a month to go, the day was suddenly looming large.

I was still quiet as we toured the Route 66 Car Museum. After an hour, Edward and I had seen enough. "Rose, Edward and I will be up front."

Emmett shot me a dirty look, "Come on Edward" I said as I pulled him with me toward the gift shop. Rose was in her element, and it would be a while before Emmett would be able to pry her away from the antique cars.

We were the only people there, aside from the lady behind the cash register, so we chatted freely as we browsed. "Baby, I know something's bothering you. You can't hide it from me." Edward whispered as he looked at the Route 66 shot glasses.

I sighed. "It's funny that even though we've know each other a relatively short period of time, you already know me so well." I smiled up at him. "I'm starting to freak out a little about the wedding" I held my hand up to stop him from speaking. "It's okay Edward. I believe it's a bride's prerogative to get nervous, excited and a little crazy from time to time. I promise to keep it to a minimum."

He grinned as he squeezed the hand he was holding. "Bella, I was just going to mention the fact that we'll be in Vegas in a few days. It would be very easy to elope." He gave the impression that he was joking, but I knew that if I agreed, we'd be headed to Vegas by nightfall.

"Thank you for the offer, but I think we'll stick to our original plan." I leaned up and kissed his lips. "Besides, Rose and Emmett would kill us if we messed up their bachelor parties."

Edward groaned as he wrapped his arms around my waist, not caring that the cashier could see us. "I hate the fact that we will be in separate hotels while we're in Vegas."

"Me too." I breathed as I laid my head against his chest.

My Dad and Emmett's buddies had decided that 'the guys' needed to be far away from the women during our Vegas weekend, and insisted on separate accommodations. I knew I'd miss Edward terribly, but I'd be with Rose and Alice, so I intended to make the best of it.

-V&V—

"I should be less than an hour." Edward assured. We were standing in the lobby of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Albuquerque, and Edward was leaving me with Emmett and Rose while he was interviewed by one of the local television stations.

He kissed me goodbye before heading for the small meeting room which had been reserved.

"So we've got approximately one hour before Eddie is finished." Emmett announced. "I'm playing the slots."
I followed Em and Rose over to the slot machines and watched them as they played happily. There was nothing even vaguely appealing about it to me. Before long I wandered away, watching the activity at each gaming table as I passed.

Blackjack, Craps, some kind of Poker, and a couple other games I didn't recognize at all.

I eventually settled on watching the Roulette table; that at least was a game I sort of understood. A cocktail waitress approached me, and I ordered some kind of slushie with alcohol in it. As I sipped the delicious concoction, feeling the beginnings of an alcohol buzz, a voice interrupted my solitude. "Isabella Swan?"

I turned to find an attractive woman in business attire smiling at me. She looked all wrong for the setting. Most of the patrons of the casino were tourists dressed in casual wear, but she was in business chic. I felt sort of frumpy in my shorts and peasant blouse. "Yes?" I answered.

"I thought that was you. I had a tip that Edward Masen was here giving an interview. Do you have a moment?" She asked sweetly.

The alcohol must have affected me more than I'd realized because before I could register what I was doing, I found myself nodding in answer to her question.

Her smile widened. "I'm Connie Clark. I'm a reporter. I write a column for the Albuquerque Star, but I also freelance."

"Okay." I wasn't sure why she was telling me all of this as I continued to sip my very delicious drink.
She lowered her voice and brought her head closer to mine, a little too close than was comfortable. "You know Bella; I can call you Bella right?"

I gave her a confused look as I realized she wasn't waiting for permission.

"It seems that so much has happened so quickly between you and Edward, do you ever worry that the spark may fizzle out as abruptly as it began?"

I frowned. That question tapped directly into my latent insecurities. I took a large sip of my drink before answering. "No, I don't think that will happen."

"No?" She looked a little taken aback, I wasn't sure if it was because of my self-confidence or because she believed that Edward and I were doomed.

I shook my head. "I know what I feel for Edward, what we feel for each other. I know in my heart that it will last."

I admit though that I'll never understand what he sees in me and I'll never see myself as beautiful enough or interesting enough to deserve him.

Edward is patient, kind, and loves me beyond reason

It will never make sense to me

Her eyebrows raised in surprise as a smug smile played on her face.

Shit. Did I just say that out loud?

I felt myself begin to panic despite the alcohol buzz.

"You don't feel worthy of Edward?" Connie spoke again.

I looked away, refusing to respond.

She waited. When it became obvious that I wouldn't say any more, she continued. "Since you don't' seem to want to talk about that, I'll change the subject." The smug smile returned as she spoke again in a whisper. "A little bird told me that a colleague of yours has taped a pilot for what was supposed to be a new television show, but it was shot down by none other than Oprah Winfrey herself."

My mouth dropped open slightly, but I wasn't able to find the right words to respond.

"Bella, putting what happened to you aside for a moment, you have to agree that what Oprah did was unfair. Maybe I'm biased because I'm a reporter, but it seems to me that your new friend used her clout to trample all over Jeffrey Dryden's right to free speech. As loathsome as he is, the public deserves to hear his story."

Upon hearing those words I finally found my voice. Once I started, I discovered that the alcohol had little or no effect on an angry Bella. My voice began, low and menacing, "Free speech? Enlighten me Connie; what could Jeffrey Dryden possibly have to say while exercising his right to free speech that would be of interest to anyone?" I narrowed my eyes, not waiting for her answer. "Admit it" I said with a sneer. "The only thing of interest to come out of his mouth would have to do with me" my voice raising slightly at the end.

Connie's mouth fell open slightly at my words. "ME" I gestured with a thumb to my chest. "The only living witness to the horrific crime which earned him a place in prison for the rest of his pathetic life. What were you hoping to hear him say Connie? Maybe you wanted to hear in detail how he ripped the clothes from my mother's body before he raped her? How he intended to do the same to me? How every time she attempted to save me, he would hurt me more? How he cut my wrists? Broke my bones? What great insight were you hoping to gain from the words of a sadistic killer Connie?"

I had to suck in a lung full of air as I fought back the angry tears. Connie on the other hand looked… regretful? "I.." She started, but I didn't want to listen.

"People like you make me sick. You're so worried about the rights of fucking criminals, what about my rights? Don't I have the right to never again hear my name pass the lips of the animal who took my mother away from me?" At this point Connie looked down at her feet. "What about my mother's rights? Doesn't she have the right to be here with me planning my wedding? Seeing my brother marry?" I took in a ragged breath as I thought about Baby Swan. "Holding her grandchildren for the first time? Those rights were taken away from her. Anyone who thinks the rights of a murderer should have more weight than those of their victims is fundamentally disturbed." I sighed; Edward would be looking for me soon. "You know, I don't know why I even bother." I muttered before turning on my heel and walking away.

I knew I'd probably said too much, but on the other hand, it felt good to get it off my chest, especially with a member of the media.

I needed to pull myself together, so I found the nearest ladies room. After splashing water on my face and giving myself a good talking to, during which I decided to let this incident die, I was ready to face Edward again.

He found me not ten minutes later watching Rose and Emmett still playing the slots.

"How was your interview?" I asked.

"Same old, same old." He answered with a smile.

-V&V-

"This place is right up your alley Eddie boy." Emmett announced as we had our photos taken in front of the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup New Mexico. "If we weren't already booked at the Wigwam for tonight, I'd like to stay here." He added.

The El Rancho had been a 'home away from home' for many movie stars back in the day. Because of the western landscape, the studios would often film nearby, so The El Rancho was quite popular amongst Hollywood stars such as John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and so on. As a matter of fact, every room in the hotel is named for a star that stayed there.

"I know you're dying to stay in a cement teepee, but the next time we do this trip, we're staying here." Rose announced with a smile.

I had to admit that I was more than intrigued with the idea of staying in the Katherine Hepburn room.
The best we could do today though, was to eat a late lunch in the hotel restaurant. As we ate, my mind wandered as I imagined how many stars from Hollywood's Golden Age had eaten in this very restaurant. I turned to Edward. "I bet Gloria Powell has stayed here."

He grinned and nodded. "I'm sure you're right." He answered. "I was just thinking of Duke. He would go out of his mind if he got to stay in the John Wayne room. I think we may have to make that happen."

-V&V—

As we crossed the state line into Arizona, I hadn't realized that I'd sighed audibly until I saw Emmett peer at me in the rear-view mirror. "You okay Sissy?"

"Yeah" I answered as I looked down at my lap.

We were pushing our luck to arrive at the Painted Desert before it closed, but somehow we made it. It was hands down one of the most amazing places I'd ever seen. Having read nothing about it before we got there, I had no idea what to expect. As we drove through, pulling over often to photograph, I couldn't believe some of the landscapes that met my eyes.

More than once it felt as if we'd been transported to the surface of another planet.

From the moment we'd entered the park, a storm had been bearing down on us. We hadn't lingered long at any one stop as we tried to stay ahead of it, but about halfway through our driving tour, it finally caught up with us.

For the remaining stops, Rose and I cowered in the car as our fiancés in a misplaced attempt to prove their courage, hopped out of the car, taking photos as bolts of lightning struck all around us.

Jackasses

"Emmett and Edward get the hell back in this car." Rose shouted several times to no avail.

By the time they'd pulled that stunt for the third time, I was pissed. "Edward, I am asking you not to do that again." I pleaded.

He just laughed off my concern. "Bella honey, these photos are going to be amazing."

"Not if you're struck by lightning." I tried to sound harsh, but it was very difficult as I looked into those beautiful green eyes.

"Just one more" He promised as he flashed me the panty-dropper before jumping out of the vehicle yet again. But, he didn't take 'just one more'. We stopped at least three more times, all the while pleading with the men not to be so reckless.

During what turned out to be the last stop, Rose turned to me with narrowed eyes. "This means war."

By the time the guys piled back into the car, we'd made our plan for revenge.

We stopped for dinner where, once again I found I didn't have much of an appetite. My nerves had already been on edge after my run-in with the reporter, and Edward and Emmett's stunt in the Painted Desert had added to my anxiety.

Rose had coerced me into agreeing to her plan to punish Edward and Emmett, but I was unsure if I'd be able to go through with it.

"Fuckawesome!" Emmett exclaimed as we pulled up to the office of the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook Arizona.

"They do realize these are teepees not wigwams don't they?" I asked.

"This place has been here so long, I don't think the name matters Bells. Just look at it, this is amazing." He grinned.

We all laughed at his exuberance, but I had to admit I was excited as well. Stuff like this seemed to bring out the little kid in me. Whereas, most of the time Emmett's inner child was in full control, mine usually chose to remain hidden away.

Before we exited the car, Rose lowered the boom on our men.

"What do you mean you're sharing a room with Bella?" Emmett bellowed at Rosalie.

"Exactly what I said. You two didn't consider our feelings at all while you were acting like motherfucking Stormchasers. I suppose you'll think twice next time you decide to do something so foolish." Rose snarked before her voice softened. "Suppose something had happened to you Emmett, then where would Baby Swan and I be?"

Emmett looked truly sorry while Edward appeared to be in serious pain. "Babe, I've already learned my lesson. I promise never to be a douche again, only" He turned to Edward "No offense Eddie, but I can't share a room with Edward." He said before Rose pointedly ignored him and walked into the office. He followed after her like a lost puppy.

Edward turned to me. "Bella, tell me you're just teasing your brother." He started. "I'm sure you can see reason." He said in an authoritative tone. "Rose is clearly overreacting, must be the hormones."

Typical man

This caused me to get my back up, and I narrowed my eyes. "Rose and I are not overreacting. I was afraid Edward. I can't bear to think of something happening to you, or my stupid brother for that matter."

"Tell me honestly, what would you have done if I'd been the one jumping out of the car during a lightning storm?" I questioned.

He frowned. "I probably would have forced you back into the car."

"Exactly. Unfortunately, Rose and I didn't have that option seeing that you two are so much bigger and stronger than we are."

He was quiet for a couple of minutes. "I'm sorry Bella; I should have considered your feelings." He looked at me sadly. "I got caught up in the moment and I've realized that Emmett is like the pied piper of insanity. It's so easy to follow him, sometimes to my own detriment." He added with a chuckle.

"Don't I know it." I laughed. "I forgive you."

"Does this mean you'll change your mind?" He looked at me hopefully.

I sighed. "I don't know. Rose will probably kill me if I give in."

At that moment, Rose and Emmett emerged from the office. "When you're ready Bella, we're in Wigwam number one." She announced as she breezed past.

I hesitated for a moment, and then reluctantly followed her.

I lasted about an hour.

"Would you stop fidgeting." Rose snarked.

I couldn't help myself; for the last hour, Emmett and Edward had sent so many pleading texts that Rose and I finally had to shut off our phones. At first the texts had been amusing, but after a while I started to feel that the punishment was far worse than the crime.

It was about this time that I realized how pathetic I was. I'd become so dependent on Edward, and he on me that it was physically painful to be apart. I felt like a drug addict.

I sighed loudly.

"Alright, alright." Rose barked as she stood, grabbing her bags.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"It's clear that you're not going to make it. Truth be told, I'm having a hard time as well, but don't tell your brother because I'll deny it." She winked. "I'll send Edward back to you."

I smiled happily. While waiting for Edward, I hopped into the shower, knowing Rose would give Edward the spare key. As I let the warm water run over my body, washing away all the cares of the day, my mind drifted once again to the wedding, and I promised myself to call Esme the next day. I felt a twinge of guilt that I hadn't done a lot of work toward my own wedding, but if there were any problems, Esme hadn't mentioned them.

When I emerged from the shower, I was surprised to find no Edward waiting in the room.

Why isn't he here yet?

I opened the door and looked out over the parking lot. It was dark, and I could see no movement. I glanced down toward Wigwam number 4, and saw the rental car parked there.

I picked up my phone in order to send him a text, and found one there from Rosalie. It was sent over twenty minutes before.

Edward got his own room. I phoned him, he should be there in a couple of minutes.

I then noticed another message sent from Edward about ten minutes before.

B-

Do you know how frustrating it is to knock and knock and knock, but get no answer?

I'm hoping you're in the shower and not mad at me. I truly am sorry.

I love you. (I'm in number 6)

-E

As fast as lightning, pardon the pun, I had thrown my belongings back in my bag and was wheeling my suitcase in the direction of wigwam number six. The door was standing open when I arrived, and my beautiful fiancé was lying across the bed, slightly propped up against the headboard, arms crossed behind his head. The moment he saw me, his face lit up in an expression of pure joy.

He bolted from the bed, and before I could take a breath, I was swept into his arms. "I don't like it when you're upset." He breathed against my lips. "I really don't like it when I'm the cause."

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm sorry too Edward. I'm never listening to Rose again. I was absolutely miserable."

That night my sleep was filled with a mixture of dreams and nightmares. There were visions of my mother during happy times. Then ones of her disappearing, vanishing right in front of my eyes as I stood by helplessly calling after her. I saw my Dad, Emmett and Rose looking at me with concerned eyes. After that, the dreams became even more confusing. They were filled with Edward and places we'd visited on Route 66, but at every stop, I would see Victor James, or the Park Ranger, or Gerry Chance, or worst of all, Jeffrey Dryden glaring or laughing at me.

I woke with a shudder.

Thankfully, Edward was still sound asleep beside me. My overactive subconscious didn't need to cause him to lose sleep. As I lay there, I watched as the gray light of dawn started to filter into the room. I drew in a deep breath and let it out quietly. This was the first time I'd woken up in Arizona since my mother's death.
The few times I'd successfully forced myself to remember what it was like living here before the events of that horrible day, I'd remembered that I liked it. It was never home, that term was reserved for Forks alone, but Mom and I had enjoyed our time here.

I lay on my back staring up at the ceiling as I let the happy memories wash over me. A few minutes later my mind returned to the present.

I glanced around me, never having let myself appreciate the teepee until now.

This room really is cool.

The space was completely round with a wall cutting through the top half of the circle, behind which was housed the toilet, sink and shower. Each room was decorated in a western motif with rustic furniture.

Edward's hand, which had been lying on my stomach under the t-shirt twitched just before his fingertips began to run light circles over my skin. He was awake.

I turned my head to find his eyes burning into mine. "Everything okay?" He asked in a hoarse whisper.

I nodded.

He drew in a breath, his eyes never leaving my face. "Talk to me Bella." He said in a pleading voice.

He knew me well. "It's just that being in Arizona again has kind of made me think about a lot of things."

Edward winced before closing his eyes.

"Damn it. I am the most insensitive person on the planet." He muttered. "I've been so wrapped up in this trip that it didn't cross my mind… and then I made you worry yesterday. I could kick my own ass for that.."

I chuckled. "Edward stop. If anything, you and Emmett took my mind off of my anxiety by giving me a whole new set of worries." I shook my head in exasperation.

I then went on to tell him about the would-be reporter cornering me in the casino, and my response to her. His immediate look of anger morphed into one of wonder as I recounted my rant.

"I've been thinking about it off and on since yesterday, and have made a conscious decision that my past will no longer interfere with my present or my future with you. I'll never forget my mother or what happened, but I've gotten past the point where those memories and emotions have such a strong hold that they literally cripple me."

He smiled then, still looking at me in awe.

"What?" I questioned.

"You are an amazing woman Isabella Swan." He announced before kissing me fiercely.

-V&V—

Over breakfast, my brother was still excited about having slept in a cement teepee. "Don't get me wrong, I've stayed in some beautiful places, but strictly speaking 'cool factor' this motel wins." He shrugged.

"Although, I think if I stayed in that hotel in Florida, you know the one with underwater rooms; that would probably be cooler, but just barely." He said with a dimpled grin.

Emmett's cheerfulness worked on me like a tonic. It was hard to spend time with him and not have at least a little of his euphoria rub off on you.

He caught me smiling at him, and his smile faltered a bit. "Bells, I need to tell you something."

"What's that?" I asked.

His tone turned serious. "I called Aunt Lola last night."

"Oh."

"She wants us to stop by to see her."

Aunt Lola was my mother's sister. Before Mom's death, we were constantly driving up to Flagstaff to visit her, or Aunt Lola would drive down to see us. During all that time, I was always struck by how different my Aunt and my Mother were from one another. After Mom's death however, I was struck by their similarities, all the little things I hadn't noticed before.

I'd only seen Aunt Lola a handful of times in the past seven years, but every visit had been painful.

I nodded. "We should stop." I said quietly.

"I promise we won't stay long." Emmett added.

I turned to Edward. He gave my hand a little squeeze as he smiled reassuringly.

-V&V—

Before we'd see Aunt Lola, we had another stop to make. Emmett had his heart set on purchasing a Navajo blanket. He and Edward had planned a side trip to the Hubbell Trading Post. It was an authentic trading post dating back to the late 1800's located in the heart of the Navajo Nation, and was still active today.

On the way there, we discovered something else that Emmett had his heart set on.

"Emmett, you can't just join a tribe." Edward tried to tell him.

"Why not? I did sleep in a teepee last night." He argued. "Besides, Dustin Hoffman joined a tribe."

Huh?

"Emmett what are you talking about?" I asked.

"In that movie where that big transvestite offers to be his woman."

Edward chuckled. "Emmett, I believe you're referring to Little Big Man."

Of course Edward would be familiar with every movie ever made.

"Yeah, that's it!" Emmett boomed. "He joined that tribe, and he was a white dude."

"Emmett, out of curiosity, how many head injuries have you sustained while playing football?" I asked.

Edward smirked at me.

"Uh, three I think. But I fail to see what that has to do with this discussion." He answered.

"Suffice it to say that you can't join a tribe. You have to be born into one." Edward explained.

"That sucks" Emmett argued. "What about A Man Called Horse? That starred that Dumbledore guy."

"Again Emmett, that's a work of fiction. I'm sure there were times in history where that actually happened, but it wasn't the norm." Edward answered calmly.

Emmett sighed. "If what you say is true, my day just turned to shit." He muttered.

When we arrived at the Trading Post, the three of us begged, pleaded and threatened him not to embarrass us. We should have saved our breath.

He behaved as we toured the house and grounds that once belonged to the Hubbell family, and I'd almost fooled myself into believing that he'd accepted Edward's explanation.

We crossed the threshold into the front room of the trading post, our footsteps sounding against the old wood flooring as we walked around, taking it all in. We passed through another doorway to find a room filled with items crafted by the Navajo people.

There was an older Navajo gentleman seated behind the jewelry counter who gave us a welcoming smile. Emmett strode right over to him and shook his hand. "Hey, how's it hanging?" He asked.

I cringed. At first the man's eyes widened in surprise, but then he smiled. "It's a good day." He answered.

Emmett nodded. "Uh, I was thinking about buying a blanket."

The man gestured toward an entire display of blankets in various sizes and colors.

Emmett pursed his lips and glanced over there before turning back to the man. "Um, so, how long have you been a Navajo?" He asked.

I scooted closer to Edward and grabbed his hand, neither of us able to take our eyes off of the train wreck that is Emmett Swan.

The man chuckled. "All my life." He answered quietly.

Emmett frowned. "So I guess it's true that you have to be born into it? I mean, there's no way to just join?"

The man continued to smile. "I'm afraid that's the way it is, yes."

"Are you sure there's not some kind of initiation or anything I can do to become a member?" He persisted.

The man laughed. "No, we are not a Fraternity."

"You know, you may want to suggest next time there's a meeting of the elders or whatever you call it."

"The Tribal Council." The man offered.

"Yeah, the tribal council. You may want to suggest that they change the rules, because I'd make one fuckawesome brave."

Rose, having heard enough, strode up behind Emmett and landed a loud smack on the back of his head.
"What?" He questioned as he looked at her.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to choose a blanket.

I silently made my way closer to the counter. "Thanks for putting up with my brother with such good humor. We think he may have a brain tumor." I added the last part in lieu of 'He's loud and obnoxious, but means no harm.'

The man laughed. "It's fine. Believe me, I'm used to it." He said before rolling his eyes.

Before I could make sense of his words, my thoughts were interrupted by an unfamiliar booming voice coming from the room behind where he sat.

"I'm so fucking bored!"

The man turned toward the doorway and said in a raised voice. "Ben, we have customers."

Just then a young Navajo man appeared in the doorway. He was almost as big as my brother. "My bad." He said as he gestured toward himself with a sheepish dimpled grin. "Sorry."

The older man sighed. "That's my son." He shook his head. "He's seventeen."

"Is it okay if I leave? I mean the customers aren't exactly beating down the doors." He asked his father. "I promise I'll work a full day tomorrow. I'm supposed to meet the guys."

"Only if you go home and clean up all that mess you left in the yard yesterday."

Ben's mouth fell open. "But I'm not done with my experiments."

"I think they stress over and over on Mythbusters that you shouldn't try those stunts at home. You're lucky you haven't ended up in the emergency room." His father answered. "Clean every bit of that up before you go out."

Ben looked dejected. "But I'm attempting to make a smoke bomb, or maybe tear gas, I haven't decided. It will take too long to clean that shit up. The guys and I planned to play paint ball and then crash a pool party this afternoon." He shot his father a pleading look. "There's going to be college girls there." He smiled and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Clean up first." His father insisted without cracking a smile.

Ben frowned again. "Does the term cockblocker mean anything to you, old man."

"One more word and you'll be grounded."

Ben left in a huff.

His father just shook his head.

I stood there for a moment, absolutely stunned by what I'd witnessed.

"It was like watching a scene between Charlie and Emmett from ten years ago." I whispered to Edward, causing him to laugh quietly.

Emmett had the nerve to fist-bump the man before paying for his blanket, reminding him that 'tough love' was the best kind for a teenage boy and telling him to 'stay strong'.

Once we were back in the car with our purchases, I couldn't hold back any longer. "Emmett, did that kid Ben remind you of anyone?" I asked with a smug smile.

Rose and Edward started to snicker while Emmett pondered the question. "Nope. I can't say that he did."

There was silence for a few minutes before I heard Rose groan audibly. "What's wrong babe?" Emmett asked as three pairs of concerned eyes turned in her direction.

"I just decided that I want this baby to be a girl."

Edward and I laughed as Emmett continued to look confused.

-V&V—

"Wow Aunt Lola, you look different." I announced after hugging my Mom's sister.

"I just wanted a change" She responded as she ran her fingers through her short platinum bob. Last time I'd seen her, her hair was shoulder-length and brown.

It was then I noticed a man come around the corner, from the direction of Lola's bedroom. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders in a very familiar way. It didn't shock me that she obviously had a boyfriend, I never knew a time when she didn't. What shocked me was that the guy standing behind her couldn't have been any older than Emmett.

As soon as his hands touched her shoulders, Lola reached up and patted one of them. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Drew."

We said our hellos before Aunt Lola spoke again. "I'm sure you're all hungry, let's have lunch and we can catch up."

As we ate lunch and talked, I was reminded once again of the similarities between Lola and my mother. Even with the blonde hair, I could see it. Instead of making me sad though, the only emotion I felt was one of happiness. I found myself welcoming those glimpses of my Mom as I watched Lola talk and laugh.

Before we left, Lola assured us that she would be attending both weddings.

I had tried to phone Esme as we rode along, but only reached her voicemail. I left a message explaining that I would be available to help with the wedding plans as soon as we arrived home.

The next couple of hours went by in a blur. Emmett was determined to arrive at the Grand Canyon as quickly as possible. The landscape leading to the Canyon surprised me. For the last two days, we'd been driving through wide open spaces with sparse vegetation, especially if you compared it to back home.
Leading to the Grand Canyon however, the landscape looked more like Washington than anything I'd seen since we left. Every few minutes Edward would announce our elevation. The temperature was dropping as the elevation increased. It was almost chilly when we stepped out of the car at the first Grand Canyon scenic viewpoint.

I had to admit that the view was breathtaking, but unlike the Painted Desert, there were a lot of tourists cramming into each overlook. To make matters worse, people started to recognize Edward. At first he happily posed for photographs and signed a few autographs, but at our third stop, the crowd became stifling. We decided we'd seen enough, and with Edward's arm wrapped tightly around me, we made our way back to the car.

We let Rose and Emmett enjoy the rest of the stops while we opted to stay in the car, enjoying a few moments of alone time. It had been a very busy day.

"I'm beat" I announced on the drive away from the Grand Canyon "I can't wait to have a bath." I said while stifling a yawn.

"Don't fall asleep yet Bells" Rose said from the front seat "wait until we've reached our last stop of the day."
"It had better be a hotel." I muttered, not wishing to play tourist any more today.

"Well actually… we're going to a brothel." She said with an evil grin. "Don't tell Esme." She added conspiratorially.

That woke me up

"What the hell are you talking about Rose?" I snarked as I shot her a glare.

I was trying not to panic.

Whatever the hell she has planned, I'm staying in the car. And so is Edward.

By the sounds of the laughter emanating from my brother and Edward, it became clear that they knew something that I didn't.
*****A/N*****
Oh my, what is Rose talking about?

Song rec: 'Dixie Chicken' by Little Feat

Thank you everyone! V&V won 'Best Love Story', 'Best Shock Value' and 'Best Canon Pairing' in the Avant Garde Awards, Summer 2011 edition. My readers are the best! I am truly humbled and grateful that you took the time to show some love for my little story.

I've been posting photos on Facebook of the places the gang has visited during this trip. Most of them are ones I've lifted from the internet; however every photo for this chapter starting with The Cadillac Ranch was taken by hubs or myself. Have a look in the album entitled 'B&E Vacation June 2010', the rest of the photos should be posted later today. The ones of the Painted Desert are particularly beautiful.

If any of you are interested, Emmett will be taking over the V&V Facebook page sometime July 3rd and probably won't relinquish control until the 4th. I only hope I'm not banned from Facebook after this…

Next up will be another chapter of V&V followed by a double LRM.
Anything else I have to say will be on Facebook ..along with sneak peeks. Love in the form of a review is one of my favorite things!