There comes a time in every marriage when arguments start to occur. At the end of the day, nothing is perfect – including love, marriage and destiny. Even for vampires. After centuries with one another, it makes sense that they would go through a rocky period in their marriages when they no longer were able to understand what it is like in the others shoes.

You'll see what I mean …

'You know you're gorgeous, Rose, is there any need to flaunt it to the whole of Forks?' questioned Emmett.

Rosalie scoffed. 'Flaunt it? I don't have to flaunt anything to these idiots … all they need to do is look at me.'

Emmett rolled his eyes. For weeks now he and Rosalie had been arguing non-stop. Sometimes they were just playful arguments about everything and nothing, however sometimes, like today for instance, their argument was intense and far, far, far from playful. Emmett thought his wife showed off her beauty too much, sporting unacceptable clothing to go to school in, and that she must not find him worthy enough of being the only male to ogle her body. But to Rosalie nothing had ever changed – she was acted now like she had done centuries ago.

'What about me, Emmett? You always make me out to be weak in comparison to you!' Rosalie argued, placing her hands on her hips.

If she was being honest, Rosalie was sick to immortality of Emmet always flexing his muscles. It seemed that he took more pride in his muscles than his own wife. And, when a job was in need of doing and Rosalie would offer, Emmett would always tell her to lay back and powder her nose. She may not be as strong as him, though she wasn't as weak as he thought. Even Edward and Jasper thought Emmett was a little too proud of his muscles.

'Babe, I never do that … and if I do, I just don't want you to break a nail-'

'My nails are as immortal as me, Emmett!' hissed Rosalie, shoving her manicured hand in his face.

'Babe –'

'Don't babe me,' she threatened as she scooped up her purse and handbag from the bed.

'Going to let some more humans ogle your goodies?' said Emmett, mocking her with his tone.

Rosalie let out a sinful hiss before storming out of the room, slamming the door noisily behind her.

Emmett ran a hand through his hair. 'Bloody women!'

'I'm just saying Alice … maybe you could find another hobby-'

'ANOTHER HOBBY?! Jazzy, shopping, as well as you, is my whole existence,' Alice interrupted, staring at her husband with wide eyes.

It had been for a few weeks now that Jasper had suggested Alice find another hobby and maybe tone down her shopping antics. Jasper loved his wife, more than his own existence, however sometimes he found her maybe a little too hard to handle – especially when a sale was on. And her bounciness would always result in him performing some idiotic act of glee because her emotions came across so strongly to him. Obviously his requests to lessen the shopping trips did not come along too greatly to the wife.

'I know and I understand … but there is no need to buy every single outfit you think looks nice. You haven't even worn half of one of our wardrobes, let alone the full contents of the whole ten!'

Alice huffed, folding her small arms over her tiny chest. Her lips were pouted and her eyes were slit-like.

'Now, Ali, don't get angry at me,' Jasper said.

Alice stared at him through her thick fringe of eyelashes. 'Don't try and analyse my feelings, Jasper.'

She respected Jasper's gift as much as he respected hers, though lately it seemed like Jasper was always analysing and prodding at her every emotion. It was tiring listening to him question her why she felt what she did or, when they got into their recent arguments, why she got angry at every little thing he said. It wasn't easy being married to someone who, despite whatever lies you spurted out, would know whatever you were feeling at every time of every single day.

'I'm not analysing. When did you start thinking that?!'

Alice's eyes became unfocused as she dived into another time, a time that was yet to come. She saw her and Jasper arguing still, except Jasper suddenly threw his hands up into the air, declared he was going to hunt, before leaving the room. They were wearing the same clothes as they were in the present time, so Alice guessed this was going to be the conclusion of their current argument.

'If you are going to go hunt and sulk, go do it now,' ordered Alice, pointing to the door.

Jasper rolled his eyes irately as he stomped off towards the door. 'I wasn't going to sulk!'

'It's seriously not as delightful as you think, Bella, reading peoples thoughts,' sighed Edward, pinching the brink of his nose.

'But you get to know what Nessie is always thinking,' replied Bella.

It had been difficult for Bella recently. Renesmee had been having a short temper with her mother lately, resulting in a few times where she would walk out to go stay over in La Push with Jacob for the night. Bella was just trying her hardest to be a decent mother, to be a mother to Renesmee like the way Renee should have been with her but failed to do so. She didn't want Nessie to feel as though her own mother, the creator of her life, was never there for her, as though she had to defend for herself, except Nessie took it the wrong way and started feeling as though her mom was babying her too much. Edward bonded with her so well that, on some levels, it made Bella jealous slightly. She had carried Renesmee in her womb, she had almost died giving birth to her, and she gave up everything just to give her the life she deserved. It was unfair that Edward was able to understand her on so many levels yet she couldn't.

'Nessie has nothing more in her thoughts then what she voices out loud,' Edward said, dropping down onto their bed.

'That isn't true! I know my daughter, Edward, and I know she keeps a lot of thoughts secret from me … but not from you! Why can't you just admit that for once you can use your mind reading for your own gain?'

'You think I want to know her every single thought? Do you think that's fair on her? We can't all have shields like you, Bella,' he spat.

Bella narrowed her eyes at him.

Edward knew he was out of line to bring up her shield in an argument like that, however he couldn't help himself. He found that his temper, like his daughters … like the rest of his siblings, was growing shorter and shorter with each passing day. He was aware that Bella had never asked to be a shield, she had never meant for him to be unable to read her, though it didn't make it any less irritating. She could choose to listen to his thoughts whenever she pleased with a simple twitching of her shield, yet he had to ask permission or wait until she'd allow him into her shield. And Bella would complain that it was unfair that he could read Nessie's thoughts and she couldn't, but it wasn't fair that she could shield her thoughts and he couldn't. Edward loved Bella, as he vowed he would for the rest of eternity, but it felt like Bella was in control of their marriage recently.

'So I get to have a go in your footsteps and reading your mind like you can read everyone else's … but you don't like that because you think I'm in control?' questioned Bella, shaking her head in disbelief, 'You've always had the control, Edward! Right from the moment we met!'

'The only control I've possessed since meeting you is the control of my bloodlust –'

'I have to go pick up Nessie,' Bella interrupted.

And with that, she darted out of the room before Edward could even blink.

He heard the car squeal out of the garage and down the driveway a few moments later.

Dad, where's Mom going?

Pfft, course she's gone to pick up Renesmee, thought Edward as his daughter's thoughts drifted from downstairs.

'Bella's gone too now, Carlisle,' spoke Esme from the doorway of Carlisle's office.

Carlisle looked up from his stack of paperwork, running his fingers through his smoothly kept blonde hair. He dropped his pen and rose from his seat to face his wife.

'Yes, I heard,' he replied.

'That's Rosalie, Jasper and Bella,' Esme said, frowning, 'it's falling apart, Carlisle.'

'What do you propose we do?' questioned Carlisle.

He pressed his fingertips together as he stared affectionately at his wife.

Both Carlisle and Esme were aware that their children were experiencing some difficulties in each of their marriages – living together for centuries made it easy to detect even a flicker of change. They had kept their noses out of it for the past few weeks, or months, because they decided it was none of their business, except it had been going on long enough now and they knew as their role as parents that they had to intervene before three marriages fell apart and their tightly bonded family unravelled.

'Your suggestion before,' answered Esme, her eyes shining with a solution to bring her family back together.

Carlisle nodded.

Esme flounced over, pressed a tiny kiss on his lips, before leaving his office. Carlisle returned to his seat and spun back around to face his desk. With one swift motion, the phone was against his ear and the number he needed had been dialled. After a few moments of the dialling tone, a deep musical voice answered.

'Hello.'

'Hello, its Carlisle Cullen … I think I may need a hand from your services.'

SO, WHO IS THIS MYSTERY CALLER? I CAN SAY THAT HE IS MY OWN MADE-UP CHARACTER! AND HE IS GOING TO BE A PRETTY COOL DUDE!

Now I don't know if that is right – if when Bella puts her shield over Edward then she can read his thoughts, but that is how it is going to be in my story ! So I hope you don't mind!

I hope you liked this first chapter. The rest of the chapters should be longer – this was just setting the base!

Please read & review

Lots of love,

Beth x