AN: Here it is everyone! Sorry it has taken me so long to get out. I actually had the chapter finished, decided I just hated it and scrapped it, leaving me to write the whole thing once again. I hope it turned out better this time. It didn't help that my family has been blessed with all sorts of winter maladies the last few months. Well, enjoy!
BPOV
I glanced over at Edward as he drove. We'd been driving for two hours this morning and something was...off. He was acting strangely, non-communicative, avoiding my questioning glances, and even shying away the few times our skin had comecame into in contact. Finally, I couldn't bear the silence any longer, and I snapped. I had to know what was wrong, because obviously he was upset with me for some reason and I refused to let his sullen attitude ruin our first vacation, especially a place I'd chosen for its peaceful beauty and solitude.
"Are you ever planning on telling me whats wrong, Edward? I know you're mad at me for some reason, and I'd really like to know why," I demanded of him. He didn't so much as even glance in my direction, and I began to seethe. "Edward," I snapped, "are you even listening to me?"
"Huh," he asked, looking at me now, a confused expression on his face. So he really hadn't heard me. That made me feel the tiniest bit better.
"I asked you why you're mad at me," I said again, only to become confused myself when his expression grew even more puzzled.
"Mad at you? Bella, why would you think that?" he whispered so quietly, I could barely hear over the humming of the cars engine.
"Well, for starters, you're barely talking to me. You also jerked back when I touched your hand this morning. Please, just tell me what I did. I can't stand the silence and I really don't want anything to mess up our friendship," I told him.
"No Bella! I'm not mad at you at all. If I have seemed a little distant today it's just because I've been worried about the driving. You know how crazy the traffic can get. I'm also a bit worried about the clinic. I know that it's a really good idea for us to get away and Rose and Jasper are very capable, but I just have this paranoid feeling that the minute we leave, disaster is going to strike," he explained, and though his reasoning was quite plausible, from the way he was avoiding eye contact with me, I sensed he wasn't being quite truthful. I decided to let it drop for at least the moment.
We settled back into our normal habit of talking during the ride. Edward acted like everything was normal, trying hard to keep up the conversation and bantering with me when I made an absurd joke or comment, but I could sense that all was not perfect. He seemed to hold back a little more, to avoid eye contact and to drift off into deep thought whenever there was a lull in our discussion.
12 hours later, just as the sun was starting to set, turning the sky into that blood red color that Africa is so famous for, we were finally pulling off the winding, mountain road to the Sipi Falls campground. I got out, stretched my legs, and breathed a sigh of relief that we'd made it safely and before dark. It had been a long day, and we'd only stopped a few times to fill up on gas and take the requisite bathroom breaks. I'd packed us snacks and lunches to eat, so we hadn't even stopped to find food.
I ran into the main lodge to ask with room we'd be staying in. I greeted the man in charge and he handed me a key to our room and directed me to the smaller of the two buildings. Edward followed me to our room holding the two small overnight bags we'd both packed. I dug through mine to find the flashlight I'd packed before opening the door. The sunlight was rapidly fading and with no windows, I knew the room was going to be dark. The guest accommodations consisted of a buildings made out of bamboo, a few rooms inside each one. The rooms were hotel like, opening up on the outside and ours had one bunkbed pushed up against the sides of the wall. I knew from reading the tourist brochure that some rooms had more than one bunkbed, but we'd been given a smaller room. Each bed was made with a sheet, pillow and extra blanket folded at the bottom. There was no lights, no electricity, and of course no normal bathrooms. There was a pit latrine conveniently provided for our use a short walk away. Somehow I'd managed to avoid using one since coming back, but I'd known it wasn't going to last, and I was dreading the experience.
As I inspected our lodgings, I heard a suspicious scurrying sound coming from the corner of the room. Because of the noises that the animal was making, I figured that it wasn't just a large cockroach, but more likely a rat. I shuddered and turned to Edward. "So, I think I'm choosing the top bunk so the rodents don't get me," I stated casually before tossing my bag on top. The farther I could get from the floor, the safer I would feel. Edward scowled at the corner where the omninous sounds were coming from, but tossed his bag on the bottom bunk.
"If that is a ROUS and it gets me in the night, you know I'm going to blame you," he mentioned, and I stuck my tongue out at him. "I think iIf that isthat's a rat as big as the one in the Princess Bride, I don't think either of us stand a chance," I argued back. "Why don't we go get something to eat at the lodge? I'm starving," I said waiting for him to set his bag down and grab a flashlight out of it for the way back. The sun was rapidly disappearing out of the sky. We traipsed up the hill and both paused to look at the sunset. The sun was setting over Mount Elgon, causing the sky to turn glorious shades of pink and red. The lodge was set overlooking a hilltop of lush green grass leading into an African jungle. There was a wooden swing tied to a tree on the hillside and I made a mental note to try it out the next day. I felt Edward grab my hand and I looked at him a bit shocked. This was the first physical contact he'd made with me all day and I was even more confused. He'd gone from completely avoiding my touch to holding my hand a few hours later. I was really going to have to figure out what was going on.
We watched the sun until it disappeared behind the mountaintop, then turned to go into the lodge. There was a group already in there enjoying a meal. They appeared to be young college students, perhaps on an adventure trip for the summer. They greeted us with friendly waves, then went back to chatting and flirting over their meal.
I ran to the counter and grabbed a menu before sitting down next to Edward at a small table in the corner. After browsing the menu, I opted for the safe bet of spaghetti, figuring that since they catered to tourists, they'd know how to make it right. During my stay in Uganda previously, I'd quickly learned to go for the simple meals, rather than the adventurous. That way, I usually knew what I was getting and didn't starve. Edward proved to be more adventurous than me, and ordered a local dish of matooke, curry, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Our meal was ready quickly and I was surprised at how good it really was. The spaghetti sauce was different than I was used too, containing additives like carrots and broccoli, but it was delicious. Edward talked me into tasting his and it was actually good as well despite the fact that I usually hated matooke.
After dinner, we visited the pit latrines, which were disgusting as usual, then ran back to our room. Again, we were greeting with a scurrying sound as we walked in and I shuddered, grateful that I'd had the forsight to claim the top bunk. Edward set his flashlight down, giving us some light as we grabbed our pajamas and he went outside so I could get dressed. Since the beds weren't draped with the usual mosquito netting, I put socks on, tucked my pants into my socks and put on a hoodie tucking that into the waistband of my pants. I then pulled the hood on my head and walked out the door. When Edward saw me, he burst out laughing at the ridiculous picture I made.
"Ha ha, you laugh now," I warned him, "but if you don't copy me, you'll regret it in the morning when you are covered in mosquito bites."
"What about your face?" he questioned. "The way I see it, instead of landing on your arms or legs, the mosquitos are just going to land on the only skin available, and that's going to be on your beautiful face," he shot back.
My retort died on my lips as I realized what he'd said. He'd called me beautiful. I didn't know what to make of it, so after a brief moment of shocked silence, I finally answered him. "That's what the blankets are for. You sleep under the blankets and hopefully its enough protection to keep them from buzzing at your ear all night. Besides, this is a good way to protect against bedbugs too, not just mosquitoes," I added.
"I trust you, Bella. I was just giving you a hard time. Wait here while I get ready?" he asked and I nodded and sat on a tree stump that was outside the building to wait for his return. When he walked out, I saw that he'd taken my suggestion to heart and I couldn't help but giggle at the silly picture he made. He grinned at me, but didn't comment further.
After brushing our teeth with some bottled water, we climbed into our beds. Edward left the flashlight on since we both decided we weren't tired enough to go to bed quite yet. It felt good to just relax together at the end of the day rather than fall into bed in exhuastion like we usually did.
"What would you say to us having guests for Christmas," ?" Edward asked at the next lull in conversation. Christmas was still a month away and I hadn't even begun to think about it.
"I guess we could invite Rose and Jasper if they don't have plans to meet their parents somewhere," I suggested. Other than the villagers or Sarah and Hajji, I couldn't think of anyone else who we could invite.
"Hmm...we could invite them too. That's actually a really good idea. But I was referring to my family. They want to come for Christmas, but I told them I'd have to make sure it would be okay with you first," he explained.
"Of course it would be fine, Edward!" I exclaimed excitedly. "I can't wait to meet the parents of the most amazing man I've ever met!" I realized what I'd blurted out and blushed, grateful that he couldn't see me.
There was a pause before he answered and I cringed in embarrassment. "Well, I'm sure they can't wait to meet you either. I've told them so much about you that I'm sure they're coming to see you rather than me. I must warn you that my sister and brother are probably coming, too."
"Oh, that will be great. You've told me so much about them that I can't wait to meet them. Especially if they are like you described," I told him enthusiastically.
"Now don't get too excited about it," he warned. "Alice probably won't think too highly of your fashion sense," he teased, referring to our current outfits.
"Ha, ha, very funny," I told him. I was already planning out how we would fit everyone in our tiny apartment and what we would show them of Uganda, at least in the limited area around the clinic.
"Edward, thank you for checking with me first, although you could have known I wasn't going to mind," I said. I really was grateful that he was considerate enough to consider my feelings before making a decision. I thought once again that I couldn't have asked for a better partner. He did have a tendency to get overprotective, especially since the LRA incident, but that was something that I could easily deal with amidst many much more obnoxious traits he could have had that I'd be stuck with for two years.
"Of course, Bella. It's your home too, you know," he assured me. I smiled at the thought. Our home. Edward turned the flashlight off, and I slowly drifted off to sleep.
I awoke later to a squealing sound that sounded almost feminine and it took me a moment to realize that it was Edward. He'd jumped out of his bed and was scrambling up onto the top bunk with me. "Ouch," he muttered as he stubbed his toe on the ladder. I muffled my laughter. How he had even found the ladder in the darkness was beyond me. He finally reached the top and laid down on top of the blankets next to me, breathing heavily, as if he had just run a race. "Those are not just normal mice or rats, they are ROUS's" he breathed in awe and I couldn't contain my laughter anymore. I peaked out from other the covers and I could just make out his face next to mine.
"You laugh, but you didn't have them crawling all over you down there," he pouted and I giggled.
"I'm sorry, Edward, but I never thought to hear that sound come from your lips is all."
"You would have screamed too if you had felt them. They are at least a foot long, probably bigger, but it was harder to tell. I'm not going back down there, so make room," he advised, tugging at the covers until I loosened my hold and allowed him underneath. Still giggling, I snuggled in next to him as his arms went around me.
"Hopefully we don't fall out of this bed," I commented when I finally got my laughter under control.
"That, or this bed doesn't collapse," he added. I giggled at the thought. "Shhh, Bella. Just go to sleep. You can tease me some more about this in the morning," Edward said, and surprised me by kissing my forehead.
As I was trying to decipher just what that kiss could mean, I heard a scurrying sound on the wall above me. It sounded like tiny little feet running up the walls. I shuddered and moved in closer to Edward, as far away from the wall as I could get, and pulled the blanket up over both of our heads. I was just dozing off when something landed on my leg. It was something big and it was running on the blanket over us! I shrieked and Edward grabbed my hand before I could throw the blanket off of us, leaving us open to whatever was crawling on top.
"I told you so," he laughed and I glared at him incredulously, although he couldn't see my face. How could he laugh at a time like this?
"In any case, we'd be better off huddling under the blankets and facing what's out there. I bet they just climb up the walls. The bamboo isn't exactly smooth," he explained. I finally nodded my head in agreement, but refused to go back to sleep in case the rats had me on their menu, so I started to question Edward more about his family. What they'd like to eat while they were here, and what I could expect. Somehow, I eventually fell asleep.
EPOV
I held Bella in my arms, savoring her closeness. I felt surpringly rested even after such a chaotic night, and I knew I owed that to Bella. Somehow her chatting had lulled us both to sleep, and either the rats gave up and went away, or we were too tired to notice, neither of us had woken up again. I checked my watch and upon realizing that it was nearly six and the sun would be coming up soon, decided to enjoy the moment awhile more before Bella woke and I had to go back to hiding my true feelings. I was determined that someday we would be together forever, but I was not going to rush her. She needed to come to that conclusion on her own, so I would wait for her to make the first move to change our relationship from friendship to romance.
She stirred in my arms and I smiled as she woke up, then tensed when she realized we'd fallen asleep despite her determination not to. "Are they gone?" she asked, cautiously lifting the blanket off of us to look around. It was still very dark in the room and I wondered if she could even see anything, but she seemed confident as she sat up further and grabbed her flashlight from the ledge near her bed to shine on the floor beneath us. "I think they've retreated for the night," she commented, "but let's not chance it! How about we get ready and go watch the sun rise?"
"Sure. I'll go wait outside," I volunteered and shone the light on the floor once again before jumping down. I grabbed my shoes and put them on before heading out. The sun was just creeping up over the hills and the world outside was hushed and silent. The chirping of the birds and monkeys from the night before had dwindled and all was peaceful and calm. I turned as Bella walked out and raised my eyebrows at the sight of her. She was carrying the same hooded sweatshirt she'd worn the night before and was wearing a navy blue swimming suit with some jeans. It wasn't a showy suit, but in fact it was only a plain looking one piece, almost plain looking, but she still took my breath away. On her feet were the simple chaco sandals I'd gotten used to her wearing. She was stunning.
Seeing me eyeing her outfit, she hurriedly put her sweatshirt on. "I thought that it might be fun to play under the water," she explained, blushing slightly. I nodded, unable to form a coherent sentence and walked past her to go change my own clothes. "Remember to wear good hiking sandals or shoes," she reminded me before I shut the door.
I threw one some jeans and a t-shirt, opting for my tennis shoes since they were really the only shoes I had suitable for hiking. I made a mental note to ask Alice to buy me a pair of chacos like Bella's and bring them over when they came for Christmas. I checked for any forgotten items and grabbed our bags to store in the car during the day, safe from exploring rodents. As I walked outside, I noticed Bella was walking up toward the lodge. I called to her to wait, and she paused while I ran to the car and threw the bags in before catching up to her.
"Where are you headed?" I asked curiously, knowing the lodge wasn't open yet.
"I'm going to go swing. Want to come?" she asked and when I nodded she started running towards it. We reached the swing at the same time and Bella jumped on. "How about we take turns?" she suggested. "First you push me, then I'll push you." I wasn't about to let her push me on a swing, but I didn't let her know that. I nodded and began to gently push the swing higher and higher. It was an older swing, and I didn't dare push it too high lest Bella take a tumble down the hill, but I did enjoy hearing her laughter.
"Your turn," she said and when the swing slowed enough jumped off. Her momentum carried her farther than either of us expected and she ended up sliding partway down the hill. I ran to her, worried that she would be hurt, but she only laughed. "I feel like a little kid again!" I smiled at her enthusiasm. She grabbed my hand and started to pull me up the hill to the swing telling me that it was my turn.
"Bella, wait!" I laughed. "I'm not going to let you push me."
"You have to swing, though. I mean, how many people can say that they've swung on a Ugandan mountainside," she insisted.
"Probably everyone who's visited here over the years," I reasoned. She crossed her arms and glared at me.
"Edward Cullen! You will sit on that swing and enjoy it even if I have to force you," Bella said menacingly and I found myself backing up as she advanced on me. I felt the back of my legs hit the wooden swing and sat down as she laughingly grabbed the rope on either side. "That's a good boy," she smirked leaning down to touch my nose with hers and turned to walk away. I had my feet planted on the ground to keep the swing from moving forward, but as she walked away, I picked my feet up. The swing carried me forward and knocked into her, causing her to fall backwards, right into my lap. Just where I wanted her. She shrieked, surprised, but relaxed into my arms quickly.
"I said I wouldn't let you push me, not that I didn't want to swing," I told her. "How about we both swing together?" I stopped the swing so we could get more comfortable and she turned sideways with her legs across mine and her arm around my neck so I could hold the rope. She stopped smiling and her brown eyes met mine. I gazed into them, oblivious to the world around me. I had to kiss her. I coudln't go another minute without feeling her lips under mine. Just as I was leaning in, I heard laughter. The group from the night before was coming up over the hill. Bella looked away and I knew the moment was lost. We continued to sit on the swing together, swinging gently back and forth, both quiet as we watched the sun rise.
After breakfast, we started our hike. The lodge owners had given us a crudely drawn map to mark our trail, and I only hoped that we woudln't get lost. Bella seemed confident, though so I decided to follow her lead. We walked down the steep trail into the canyon. I was enthralled by all the different plant life I'd never seen before. Bella stopped and pointed out a chameleon lounging on a branch. I got out my camera to take a picture. I hadn't been the best at sending pictures home to my family or documenting my time here, but I was determined that was going to change. I was, at the very least, going to get as many pictures of Bella as I could.
As we walked deeper into the surrounding jungle, the terrain got muddier and the sunlight faded away beneath the trees. We fought our way through the swamplike vegetation until we were climbing again, this time, a steep incline upwards. I held my breath as Bella fought for footing as she scaled a small cliff and let out a sigh of relief as she reached the top. When I pulled myself over the cliff, I saw that we'd come to a cluster of small caves. Bella was already scrambling into one, motioning for me to follow. "I think these go pretty deep inside the mountain, but I have to at least walk in the entrance," she announced.
"Why?" I asked her curiously. It wasn't as if no one had ever been in these caves before since they were on the trail.
"Don't you know, Edward?" she asked, her eyes wide as she turned to face me.
"Know what?" I was a bit exasperated now.
"These caves are famous! Haven't you ever read the book The Hot Zone? It's also been featured in all kinds of scientific journals!" she said excitedly and I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I realized that I hadn't been fully listening as she'd chattered on and on in the car the day before about Sipi Falls and the mountain it was located on. I briefly had heard her call it Mount Elgon and it was now all coming back to me.
"Bella! We are not going into those caves. I really don't want to be trying to save your life from some virus that know one knows how to kill," I said grabbing her hand and trying to stop her from going further in.
"Relax, Edward," she admonished. "It's not like I'm going to get the Marburg Virus from walking in a cave for a second. That guy was sleeping in them and besides, he was on the Kenyan side. They still don't know where he got it anyway," she said glibly and I felt my temper rising.
"Bella. You know as well as I do that this is not something to joke about or mess around with." I grabbed her hand and tried to pull her out as she resisted.
"Edward, listen to me. You're overreacting. I know you care and all, and its very sweet, but really, what are the chances of us getting something like that just by walking in and taking a picture and leaving? That's all I'm asking." I could tell that she was annoyed with me and I took a deep breath, finally conceding.
"Okay, but that's all Bella," I told her and she nodded. We took a few pictures of both of us inside the caves and even one of us together using the timer on my camera, and then were back on the trail. I could tell she was still a bit upset with me as we walked. She was quieter than usual and wouldn't look at me. I sighed. "Bella, I'm sorry for acting like that back there. I know I was out of line, but it just scared me, thinking of you with being sick with something so dangerous and unpredicatable. I just want you to be safe," I explained and her face softened as she stopped and looked up at me.
"I know, Edward and I understand. I love that you care about me the way you do, and try to take care of me, and if I ever am taking a big chance and need some sense knocked into me, then feel free. But you can trust me to make good decisions and not put myself in danger." She reached for my hand and all was right with the world again.
"I'll try," I told her, "but its really hard for me to watch you take chances with your life. It has become one of the most precious things in the world to me," I added. She looked at me intensely for a long moment, probably trying to decipher what I meant by that, but I just shrugged and urged her to start walking again. "Let's go see these beautiful water falls firsthand." There were three separate falls in all. The biggest one, and the farthest away, is what we could see from the lodge. That was the one I was most looking forward too.
The rest of our hike passed pleasantly. At one point, we ran into a bunch of local children and women washing clothes at the river. They all had buckets and rags for washing and had gathered at a wide open, calmer part where the river wasn't quite as fierce. They all posed with us for pictures and the children were very fascinated with our white skin and especially my color of hair. They were climbing all over me until Bella saved me by teaching them how to play Red Rover. We played at the riverbank for quite awhile with the kids before we continued on.
The first two falls were spectacular, as promised, but it was the largest which took my breath away. The water seemed to pour directly out of the sky, hitting the rocks below and sending a spray of water shooting outwards. The cliffs rose on three sides around us as we stood gazing up at the water, causing us to be in the shadows. A slight mist was caused by the downpour of water and sparkling rainbows were reflected all around us. It was a spectacular place, made even better because I was sharing it with Bella. She was standing next to me in awe and had taken my hand.
She grinned at me and untied the sweater from around her waist. She'd long ago taken it off and I'd been glad I insisted on us wearing sunblock before we'd left. She sat on a large boulder and rolled up her pant legs. "C'mon Edward! Lets go play in the water," she shouted stepping carefully up to the water and holding out her hand. She laughed in pleasure as it struck her fingers, spraying outward and splashing me. "It's really not that cold," she stated before stepping under the stream and raising her hands up to the sky.
I was in awe. She looked like a goddess standing there in this beautiful environment and I couldn't help myself anymore. I had to touch her, experience our surroundings next to her, through her. I discarded my t-shirt, socks and shoes, and walked under the water with her. She stepped back to give me room and smiled in complete joy at me. I had to get closer to her, feel her skin beneath mine. I wrapped my arms around her and drew her close, but it still wasn't enough. I had to taste her. I couldn't wait another minute. I leaned in, watching her closely for her reaction. Her eyes widened when she realized what was happening, but she didn't draw back. She leaned in towards me as well, her eyes fluttering closed as we drew closer. I knew then that she wanted this as much as I did.
Our lips met and all thoughts flew from me. I needed this woman like I needed air. I gathered her closer, deepening the kiss as her hands came up and she began to run her fingers through my hair. I tried to convey the emotions I was feeling, the love I felt for her into our kiss, wanting it to last forever. Time froze as we stood under a tropical water fall sharing our first kiss. Our first of what I hoped would be many, many kisses throughout our lifetime together.
Just a few notes. I have been to Sipi Falls, Uganda and the rat story actually happened to me. It was definitely not the most pleasant part of my existence so far. Also, Sipi Falls and where Edward and Bella live is actually a much farther drive than 12 hours, and I just couldn't make it work, which was part of my problem, so I changed it so its not technically accurate there, but I hope that everyone will forgive me!