This is my first venture into writing in the 3rd person.

Much love and thanks goes to Team Landscaperward.

Olena and Sam (Uk Alice)- pre reader extraordinaires.

And to Lushious Lita's &

Lamomo's awesome Beta skills.

Without them this would not be worth posting

Thank you

And as we all know SM owns all things Twilight.

I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 1

Bella was waiting outside a small cottage, leaning against her rental car, for the real estate agent to appear. The area seemed nice; all the houses had well-kept lawns and seemed safe enough. As she bent over to look at her reflection in the side mirror, she wished had taken the time to apply at least some blush to her rather fair skin. While she waited, she pulled her hair back into a pony tail, let it loose, and once again, pulled it all up. She was fidgeting more and more as each minute ticked by. Finally, she let her hair loose, smiling as she saw her brown curls fall around her shoulders and down her back.

Where was that real estate agent?

Standing up straight again, she thrummed her fingers against the body of the car. Inexplicably, she felt a little nervous as this was going to be the fifth house she would have seen just this week.

The house looked like it had come out of a painting. It was described as a three bedroom wood cottage, with a wraparound porch, and even some wisteria. To her, it looked idyllic. She especially loved the way the wisteria climbed and wrapped along the porch railings and up onto the eaves, spreading its pungent aroma.

Her fingers crossed, Bella prayed that the inside was as lovely as the outside.

Bella really didn't know that much about the previous owner. The flyer just gave the basics and included a picture. However, while at the real estate agency, she had overheard some agents speak about the house. The previous owner had lived there for quite some time and had finally passed away of old age. It seemed that her family just wanted to sell the house as quickly as possible. As much as it saddened her to learn of the previous owner's death, Bella desperately hoped that this house, number 5, would be the one. The tiny apartment she rented in the city was just too small. She felt closed in and longed for some open space, she wanted something of her own.

Bella had been parceled between her parents, moving from town to town with her flighty Mother for years. Finally, she put her foot down and begged her mother to let her live with her father for the last year of school. She then had to endure being known as the Police Chief's daughter.

She had been to so many different schools when travelling with her mother that she knew how to mold into the background and go unnoticed although she was the perpetual "New" girl. She became a fly on the wall, threw herself into her books and studying.

Finally, after finishing her University degree, she moved to the city as soon as she got a job. She needed the escape that the move provided; she needed her own space, her own life. She was tired of being known as the daughter of the police chief and tired of being the mother of her "self-discovering" Mother. She longed to branch out, explore, and just be ….free. Yes, free. Bella smiled at herself. Free from an awkward life; free to start a new beginning.

Free was quickly becoming her favorite word.

Looking towards the cottage, she quietly whispered, "Please, let this be the one."

Jake whimpered in the car and Bella shushed him. A shiny and new, white car drove up next to her and stopped.

"Hi! I'm Jessica. You must be Bella." The bubbly young agent smiled brightly and shook Bella's hand as she introduced herself.

"Yes, I'm Bella."

"Let me show you around." Jessica smiled, swinging her dyed blonde hair over her shoulder.

Bella momentarily closed her eyes as if in prayer. Please, God, let there be a park or something near here. Jake will drive me nuts if he's stuck in the backyard.

As they walked towards the cottage, Bella began asking about the surrounding neighborhood. "Are there any parks nearby? I need an open space for my dog."

Jessica grinned; her eyes glinted as she realized that this could be the thing to get Bella to buy.

"Oh yes! There is a beautiful park, just two blocks away. It has boardwalks and even has a heritage-listed stand of original forest. It's really a stunning park; very popular with families and picnickers on the weekends."

Jessica rambled on about the local scene but, as long as there was a park, Bella felt like this house could be it. Using an old-fashioned brass key, Jessica wrestled with the lock until the door opened. Falling like snow, paint particles and dust landed on Jessica's shoulders. Jessica laughed lightly, mentioning something about it only recently being put on the market. Bella wasn't really listening.

Bella didn't hear a thing Jessica said as she slowly ventured inside. Bella felt like she had stepped into a fairytale cottage. Wooden planks made up the walls in a gorgeous oak hue and the polished floors practically shined where rugs had once been. This cottage might be old, but Bella saw that it had been well taken care of. Dust had collected in the corners and spider webs clung to the window panes. As the women walked through the cottage, their footsteps echoed though the empty rooms.

Each room had its own fireplace and seemed quite large for the cottage. From the street, the cottage looked small and cozy but once inside, Bella saw that it was only deceptively small. The living room was a bit of an eyesore, but Bella could envision knocking out the wall through to the dining and kitchen walls to make a huge open space.

Jessica opened the creaky back door, explaining the dimensions and the possibilities of a sub-development in the back yard. Again, Bella wasn't listening as she was caught up in the subtle charm of the house. She stepped past Jessica and saw an overgrown, wild garden, fully fenced off from the neighbors.

Without hesitating, Bella turned to Jessica and said, "I'll take it."

After a quick trip back to Jessica's office, Bella jumped into her car and hugged Jake. He covered her with wet sloppy licks.

"Eww, Jake," She ruffled his thick fur as she pushed him away gently.

She couldn't believe that the owners accepted her price, but they did. They were ready to sell, she was ready to buy. Tomorrow, the keys would be in her hands.

Driving back to her tiny little apartment, she knew she had to call her farther. She dreaded calling him - well, not him. Rather, she dreaded the idea of calling and having to speak to his new wife. Pulling out her BlackBerry, she nervously pressed the numbers.

Please, don't let Sue answer. Please, don't let Sue answer. Please, don't let Sue answer.

Luckily, her call went straight to the answering machine.

"Um, Dad, it's me. I just bought a house, it's really perfect. I think you would like it."

Next up was Renee, her mother. Bella had no fear in calling her mom's number – she knew Renee wouldn't answer. It came as no surprise to anyone that Renee was off on another one of her many self-help trips. This particular trip had Renee taking a vow of silence for an entire month. If her mom lasted a day, Bella would be very surprised. Bella left a short message, wondering if her mother was even allowed to have her phone with her.

Pulling her wayward thoughts together, Bella did what any new home owner did. She called her home contractor with the good news.

~O~O~O~

Fucking idiots!

Edward drove his truck through the congested streets, cursing at the stupidity of the other drivers clogging up the road. Rush hour made him long for a simpler life, but in reality he loved living in the city. He had everything he could ask for, right around the corner from where he lived. Traffic jams were the only thing he could mentally think of as a drawback. Before he knew it, he was at his apartment building, slowly making his way through the underground parking garage.

As he walked towards the elevator, he was pleasantly surprised to see how empty the garage was. Soon it would be packed to the walls, with everyone fighting to park close to the elevators and stairwell. Quickly striding in that direction himself, his boot steps echoing, he made his way up to the tenth floor.

How his sister had managed to convince him that this would be the best place for him to live, was still a mystery to him but he was grateful all the same. His apartment took up almost half of the entire tenth floor. Square foot living space competed with the wall to wall windows as the major buying points. From the windows, Edward was able to look across the entire city. Way in the background, on really clear days, he could even see the mountains. Alice had been a lifesaver when he moved – organizing the packers and movers and arranging his belongings. She was his sister and there was no one better to understand how he liked his stuff to be done - no extra clutter anywhere. As he watched the sun setting over the city, he hit the remote that caused the rollaway blinds to come down. He had no worries about privacy – he was on the tenth floor, after all - but he still felt that eyes were watching him. The blinds he'd specifically requested through Alice, allowed him to look out so that no one could see in. Privacy for a private man at its best.

If he was a poetic man, Edward would say that the lights made him feel less lonely. Late in the night, when he couldn't sleep, he would tell himself that the city lights meant that someone, somewhere was awake. The lights made them friends in the long hours before dawn.

Shucking off his work boots, he thought it was time to get something to eat. After a long day, Edward was positively starving. Looking around, he noted that the apartment had been straightened up - not that there was much to straighten up, but he could tell that Tanya must have stopped by. The pile of papers on the kitchen bench was the tell-tale sign. He made a mental note to grab her a bunch of flowers for her efforts. Opening the refrigerator, he mused that he would rather she left him some cookies, than straighten up his house.

PING!

As Edward gulped some milk from the jug, he smiled to himself. Alice was on her way and maybe she would cook something. He could hear her dogs, Seth and Leah, scampering around her, little barks here and there. Naturally, because he was the bigger, taller brother to the tiniest girl on the planet, Edward quickly hid.

He heard the key enter the lock and the door slowly open. Before Seth or Leah could give away his position, Edward wrapped his arms around Alice, giving her a tight hug.

"UGH! Edward Cullen, get your filthy hands off me! You're covered in dirt!" Alice screeched as Edward picked her up, her arms trapped by her side, and began rocking her back and forth like Seth did with his dog toys. "Put me down! You smell!"

"Come on, little sis! Don't you want a hug from your big brother?" Edward chuckled, knowing exactly what her reaction would be.

"I'm NOT your LITTLE sister, EDWARD!"

"But you're so…small. Yep, you're the little sister. The only thing on you that is big is your mouth. You are so short, you can't even get on some of the rides at the fair and you know it. Just accept it as a fact of life, girlie." Edward laughed, letting Alice out of his arms while ruffling her hair.

Edward and Alice, though siblings, looked like polar opposites. It was like genetics had taken the extreme ends of the family gene pool and created Alice and Edward. Alice barely topped five feet in heels, her colouring reminiscent of Disney's Snow White. She had the palest skin, the blackest of black hair, and looked like an antique china doll with her red Cupid's bow mouth and expressive eyes.

Edward, on the other hand, looked like he should be working on the farmlands of Ireland. His height came from their father's side; he was well over six feet tall, broad in the shoulders with muscled arms from his work. As black as Alice's hair was, it was a shock to see the burnished bronze of Edward's mane. The only shared gene between the two of them was their eyes. Alice's eyes were the green of a field clover, full of mischief, and inquisitive. Edward's green eyes seemed to take in the world around them and find it lacking. The green seemed startling to the unsuspecting. It was such a brilliant shade against his own pale skin tone.

"Gah! Edward, now I'm all dusty." Alice said as she looked down at her clothing. A fine layer of dust clung to everything; there was no use in trying to brush it off. "And what the hell is this?" She asked as she picked some greenish substance from her top.

"That, Alice, is Papillaria."

"In English, please, Edward. I thought paprika was a seasoning."

"Ha ha, very funny, Alice. Papillaria is hanging moss."

Edward bent down at Alice's feet, paying scant attention as she went on about her ruined shirt. Leah and Seth, Alice's two Jack Russel Terriers, were patiently waiting for his attention. As he scratched Seth, Leah sat on her haunches, seeming to wait for Edward's affections. Edward smiled, knowing that even though they were dogs, they seemed to act like people. Leah seemed to disapprove that he'd been petting Seth first. Her shiny eyes regarded Edward with a look of reproach, almost as if to say "Silly man, ladies first!" After a few minutes, Leah moved and went to sit by the door; turning her back to Edward.

"So, what are you and Jasper up to tonight?" Edward asked as Seth's back leg started tapping a steady rhythm against the wooden floor. At the sight of Seth's leg, Edward's laughter rang out in the quiet apartment.

"I'm not sure. We may rent a movie and order in. Want to come over?" Alice asked as she continued to pat off the dust. "You know, I'm going to have to take this to the dry cleaner."

"I'm sure you have a million similar tops in your closet, Alice, not to mention what you have in the store. I think you'll survive."

"That's not the point, Edward. Jasper likes this shirt on me, so I like this shirt more than the other ones."

"Sorry, Alice, I'll cover the cost of dry cleaning. Jasper will have another chance to admire you in that shirt." Edward replied, as he stood and attempted to give her another hug.

"No, you don't, Edward! Keep those filthy hands to yourself. Go have a shower and I'll talk to you later." Alice ordered.

"Yes, boss, whatever you say," Edward saluted as Alice swatted him on the arm. Alice stepped back into the hallway, the dogs tumbling out behind her, and walked to the only other door. Each of them had a half of the tenth floor – an apartment on each side of the hallway.

Turning back to Edward she asked, "So what are you up to tonight, Edward?"

"I'm gonna clean up and go for a run. Then, I'll maybe hit the bar, have some nachos, hang out with the guys," he added. "The possibilities are endless…"

"We need to get you a woman, Edward," Alice shook her head.

"Why? And lose all of those possibilities?" Edward laughed a little as Alice scowled at him, each stepping in their doorways.

Edward showered quickly, washing the day's dirt off watching it swirl around his feet as the water cleansed his skin, the soap sliding over his body and hair, wanting to get his run in before it got too late. Some days, it felt as if he had all of this energy just waiting for an outlet - running was the closest he could get to having just that. It seemed to him that the harder the run, the better off his night would be. Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, he did up his Nikes and took to the stairs. Going down the stairs was a workout itself, but he felt the need for the run already coursing through him. He shot out of the foyer and was off. If only life could be so simple that a run would ease his mind.

Two hours and several miles later, he was through. He had another shower, this time with scalding water to ease his muscles and wash the sweat away. . Drying himself off, he thought back to Alice and her quest in finding him a woman. Alice wanted him to have a little of what she had found with Jasper. He understood that, but he didn't think just any woman would be able to smooth out any of his wrinkles.

"Wrinkles," Edward laughed at his reflection, running a hand through his unruly bronze hair. "More like permanent creases."

Dressed once more in old jeans, a button down shirt and a leather jacket, he slipped his keys and wallet into his pockets and went out. As if he was on autopilot, he made his way down to the bar a few blocks from his apartment. Next to his apartment, the bar was his home away from home. He'd spent many hours there, and they'd all been well spent. The lingering smell of cigarettes and beer, the bluesy music groaning out of the jukebox, the clink of the pool balls in the back corner – they were his creature comforts.

Walking up to the bar, Mike the bartender, didn't even have to ask him what he wanted to drink. Mike had already pulled out a bottle of Bud and simply asked "Nachos?"

Mike was not a man of many words and, for that alone, Edward knew he was in the right place. "I'll have one of the girls bring it over when it's ready."

"Thanks Mike. Is Emmett here?"

A heavy punch in the arm let Edward know that Emmett was indeed waiting for him. "Where have you been, Edward?"

"Hey! Yeah, I know I've been MIA. I've been lifting too many weights at work the past few weeks so I've been running instead to balance that out. You know, around the neighbourhood. Don't tell me you actually missed me?" he said, teasing.

Emmett was a personal trainer and a damn good one at that. He had taken on Edward as a client not too long ago and had told him several times that it was his calling to bring Edward up to his level. Edward wasn't in it to gain muscle but rather, to help him work off that energy vibe. It was always great to see Emmett out of the gym; mainly because he was such a hard task master and would never let him out of his reps.

"Hey!" Edward noticed that Emmett had cut off his hair. "What's going on with the whole G.I. Joe buzz cut? You look like a Drill Sergeant. I feel like I need to be doing some push-ups for you."

"Aw, man! Yuck it up while you can. Rose decided to give me a haircut." Emmett shook his head as he ran his hand over his now bare scalp.

"Don't worry, Sergeant. It will grow back." Edward laughed.

"It better." Emmett growled under his breath.

As they made their way over to Emmett's table, Adele came by with the nachos. Placing the plate on the table, she smiled at Edward coyly.

"Here you go, Edward. I added some extra cheese and jalapenos just for you. Enjoy." With a wink, she turned and swayed her way back to Mike at the bar. Edward, not one to get flustered easily, began to blush as Emmett poked fun.

"Dude! She so wants you. She winked! How come she never winks at me? Am I not cute? I even have dimples! She won't bring anything to me." Emmett complained, making Edward even more embarrassed. As he went on, Emmett reached across the table and began to eat.

"Hey, that's mine! Get your own. And Adele has got to be older than Jesus, Emmett. That's just sick."

Emmett slowed his hand, a nacho halfway towards his mouth.

"It's cool, man. Eat it up. I'll never finish it."

With his mouth full of cheesy nachos, Emmett smirked and said, "She could be your Mrs Robinson." With that, Edward spewed beer.

"Hell, no! Don't force me to knock your ass out, McCarty. It's still early and I sure don't want to have to answer to Rose."

As the night progressed, Edward was glad he had ventured out of the apartment. He was having a good time hanging out with Emmett - eating nachos, sipping on some brew and even managing a game of pool. Unfortunately, it was cut short when Emmett got a phone call from his wife Rose. He ribbed Emmett for having a curfew and for allowing him to be the pool game winner by default. Plans for a re-match were made as they walked out of the bar and into the foggy night.

As Edward walked back into his apartment, he pressed the remote to open the window blinds. Not bothering with the room lights, he eased himself onto the lounge to watch the lights way down below. .

The night skyline glinted with a thousand little lights. Red and white lights marked down town. "Rubies going one way, diamonds going another." Edward thought to himself.

Slowly and wearily, he began to remove his shoes and socks; next he shed his jeans and shirt until he was left in his briefs. Grabbing a throw from the back of the leather lounge, he casually covered his legs and turned the television on with the volume on low.

Edward felt his eyes grow heavy; sleep was creeping up on him and he welcomed it. It didn't last. It never did.

He mind was whirling a hundred miles a minute, work concerns, random stuff jumbling around his brain, refusing to quiet down. Edward couldn't go to sleep just yet. He had to check in with her first.

When he had first moved into the building, he had sworn that he wouldn't feel the need to check up on her all the time but he couldn't help it, not until he knew she was safe for the night. Only then would his brain finally slow down enough to get just a few hours of sleep. Resigned, he texted her.

Hey

Yes, Edward

Can't sleep w/o checking in

I Know.

U ok?

Yeah

Love you, Shortie.

Luv u 2

Nite

Good night

Edward shut his phone, happy that she was still safe; but so frustrated with himself that he couldn't sleep without knowing she was alright. His body was so worn out and his brain was so tired. He looked at his watch - 3 more hours till he had to get up. He rested back into the cushions and sleep finally came.

Edward woke up to the mottled morning light filtering into the room.

"Three hours sleep isn't too bad."

Although tired, Edward knew he wasn't going to fall back asleep. His body had already grown accustomed to the short hours of sleep. No matter how physically drained he felt; he could never sleep more than three hours a night. To get his body up and off of the couch, Edward went to brush his teeth and got dressed in his running gear. An early morning run was what he needed. He took to the building stairs at a quick pace and was soon out on the sidewalk.

Edward loved the early morning hour - everything looked and smelled new and clean. It was as if the worries of the night before had been magically erased away. It didn't matter what had happened the day before - here was an opportunity for a fresh start. With a hoodie to ward off the chill in the air, he zigzagged his way through the other early risers on the sidewalk and ran.

Edward made his way down to the park; it had great running trails and lots of open spaces. At such an early hour, not too many people were around, only a few dog walkers and a few joggers. Once in a while, he would see a "boot camp" exercise group going through their paces on the vast lawns. His favourite part of the park was the large wooded area in the centre, running through there made him feel like he was in the forest - it was easy to forget that a sprawling city even existed just a few steps away.

As he ran, he would wonder about the exact age of the oldest trees, thinking that one day he would love to do a core sample to find out. He knew every species of vegetation growing in that city forest and was in awe at how beautiful nature was when left to its own devices. He loved the soft mosses and ferns that grew with barely any sunlight and marvelled at how each plant managed to thrive.

There was a wooded path along the creek that snaked through the middle of the forest with a small bridge going over. The water ran so clean that it was like crystal. Flickers of the dappled sunlight sparkled on the moving water. As he ran past, Edward usually wanted to stop and stick his feet in the creek, but he never did.

The air seemed cleaner in that forest. Edward breathed deeply as he passed over the bridge. After going over the bridge, Edward knew it was time to head back to the apartment. His feet pounding on the trail, he thought of his schedule for the day. Today, he had to put the finishing touches on Mrs Stanley's pool-side garden. He cringed whenever he thought of her plant selection. It was so over the top that nothing seemed to flow with the surrounding landscape. He thought that she might be colour-blind, but he couldn't exactly tell how he felt about her choices. She was a paying customer.

After all, the client was always right, right?

~O~O~O~