Race to Win

by Baldbeauty

Edward is a race car driver with his eyes set on his hero Charlie Swans's daughter, whilst he is racing to win her heart, he is also racing to beat a mysterious racer named the Masked Mercenary... More info inside...

1. Chapter 1

A/N: I was watching one of my favorite old shows Speed Racer...and i came up with this... It was fun and really easy to write so i figured what the heck, might as well.

I do not own Speed Racer or any referances i make to it.

I do not own the song Shut Up and Drive.

I do not own Twilight.

I do not own the characters.

I pretty much don't own anything.

This is just a ramdom little thing i thought up and decided to write...hope you like it at least a little.

~Jennifer...

P.S. My long distance friend Jen helped me edit this one... She's the only person i know who enjoys writing more than i do... 3 you! Hope you like the final product Jen...

Alright here you go...

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Preface (EPOV)

Here I was, in the huge living room that my father owned. I was a twenty-two year old, famous driver, that's right a race car driver. It must have been midnight and I was watching a documentary of—unarguably—the best race car driver of all time, his name? Charlie Swan. He drove a yellow speed demon with a black nine on the side. He was the fastest driver of all time. I listened closely as the most fateful race he was in, he was in the championship race… The race of all races—except for the Grand Prix, but that race wasn't often counted.

"Charlie Swan is doing it again! The final lap and he is in the lead! He's pulling away from the cars behind him! Marcus Salio is the only person remotely close to him! THIS COULD BE SWAN'S TENTH CONSEECUTIVE WIN! ALMOST A DECADE OF WINNING RIGHT HERE FOLKS!" The announcer for that race yelled.

"And look at the face of racing! Isabella Swan is jumping and cheering her full head off! Wait, she stopped, why did she stop?" An announcer asked sadly.

The picture showed a small part of the car behind Charlie's break. The second car lost control and rammed into the back side of the famous nine car.

"OH MY GOD! SWANS CAR IS GOING INTO A FLIP!"

The car rotated a total of ten times before it stopped in the grass only fifteen yards from the finish line. The whole stadium went silent except for the running vehicles. A girl with long brown hair began to run from the pits towards the crash. The car was on fire now and the girl ran even faster.

"God, he's not getting out! The paramedics can't get to him fast enough."

The young Swan kept running, faster and faster. She reached the car and jumped halfway through the window. Seconds later she pulled her father's body out and patted the flames out that were on his legs with her own bare hands.

"The ambulance got to him, let's pray that he makes it… This is a sad day for racing."

"And it was a sad day for racing…" The documenter's voice rang out. "Charlie Swan was sent to the hospital only to find that he was paralyzed from the waist down. The Swan, would never race again… When he got out of the hospital he was asked if he would race again, given the chance."

"Hell yeah…" Charlie Swan answered from his wheelchair. "I'd race in a heartbeat. Where's my keys?"

"Charlie Swan's daughter and only child on the other hand, was not as happy. When asked if she—the face of racing—would come to the races as she normally would she simply replied…"

"No, I love my racing family, but after what this sport did to my real family, I need to shift into the slow lane and take care of my dad. I have had far too many near misses, and now this has just sealed the deal." Bella Swan looked worried, sad. "I will miss racing, but I would rather lose this part of me as opposed to losing my father, he's all I have left."

"The face of racing never did come to a race again, but her father did divulge that she still wears her old 9 cap and watches the races every time they are on the TV."

I shut off the TV and sighed. I really liked Bella, we had been friends for nearly nine years. She was sweet, pretty, and kind. And that would be the reason why I was actively pursuing the only woman I knew who ran a mechanic shop in a nobody town called Forks.

Just One Date (EPOV)

I got up early in the morning and began to drive down to Forks. I got in my Vanquish and drove as quickly as I could in the car. I loved my Vanquish, but it was nowhere near as fast as my baby, my racecar… # 17… The black hole… I loved my car… It took me a little less than half an hour to drive to the Swan's house.

There was a sleek black car in the driveway and a man in a suit standing on the doorstep, something quite common considering that it was the Swan home.

"Sir, I would pay outrageous amounts of money for the car you raced. The lucky nine. The dominator. I would pay you millions of dollars."

"I told you the answer is no." Charlie Swan said, impatiently moving his chair forwards and backwards on the porch.

"But sir!"

"Is my daughter for sale?" Charlie asked suddenly.

"No…" The man said, confused.

"Well, when my daughter is for sale and hell freezes over, I might just consider selling my car. Fortunately for me, selling people is now illegal in the United States. Now get off of my property before I get my gun out. I may not be able to walk, but my trigger finger still works." I laughed at the man who stumbled back and ran to his car. I walked up the sidewalk easily. "Edward! My boy!"

"Hey, Charlie." I grinned.

"Hey, you got a big race tomorrow, are you ready?" Charlie asked happily.

"Definitely." I pounded his fist lightly.

"You're gonna go far, kid. You race really good. You're instincts are a little shy of perfectly sharp, but if you keep hanging out around here you'll get it." Charlie stated.

"Well, we can't all drive with our eyes closed." I winked. Did I mention that Charlie is the only known person who could qualify with his eyes closed? Yeah, well, he could…and he holds the best lap time record at Swan Speedway that was named after him, after his accident five years ago.

"Ah, true… Bells can almost get it…on a straight away. She tried it once or twice…she knows a car inside and out and she can just feel it… That's what you need, the killer instinct that runs in my family." Charlie smiled up at me. "You came here looking for her didn't you?"

"I came here to talk to you," I half-lied. I loved talking to my hero, but jeez, has anyone else seen his daughter?

"Liar… She told me that you pester her all of the time… She says that she loves jinxing you…and turning you down." Charlie smiled. "I am not blind boy, I can tell when someone is pursuing my daughter."

"Yeah…well…she's the nicest person I know." I stated.

"I like you kid, be nice to her and I'll still like you." Charlie stated, but I heard a warning coming. "If you're not nice to her, I'll castrate you and then run you over with your own car."

"I'll be nice." I winked, wincing internally at his threat that was more of a promise than a threat.

"She's at the garage. Left early this morning, said something about brakes, oil changes, an axel replacement, and an engine rebuild." Charlie hinted. He rolled himself into the house and closed the door behind him. I smiled and ran to my car. I got in and drove the ten miles to the shop.

I got out of my car and walked into the huge open garage. The walls were covered with Swan paraphernalia: posters, hats, shirts, news clippings. And when I say the walls were covered…they were covered…I don't even know what color the walls are supposed to be. I looked under the white suburban and saw a pair of long legs in form fitting jeans sticking out. The dark wash of the jeans didn't hide the grease stains or the dirty hand prints where she had wiped her hands.

"Hey mister 'I lose to a rookie' if you are just going to stop and stare, please make yourself useful and grab me a rag from the counter." Her voice rang out beautifully, marred only by her sarcasm and her Rookie comment.

"Here you are Ma'am." I stated. I knew her garage like the back of my thumb, not only because I was there a lot, but also because it was organized perfectly.

"Shut up you big fat suck up." Bella snapped. She tossed the towel back at me and slid out from underneath the car. She had grease stains on her cheeks and hands. "Well are you going to help a lady up, or are you too pretty to get grease on you?" I smirked and pulled her to her feet. She stole the cloth back from me and wiped her hands. She moved to the counter and threw on her old, yellow 9 hat. "What do you want today, Edward?" She asked in her normal, less sarcastic voice.

"I was actually going to ask if you wanted to go out for dinner sometime?" I wondered.

"You mean like a date?" Bella asked me with wide eyes.

"Yes," I nodded in agreement. Her brown eyes narrowed and then she smirked.

"I'll go if you can beat the Rookie in the race tomorrow." Bella taunted. "You are totally going to lose."

"Don't jinx me!" I covered my ears.

"Race to win and you'll get what you want." Bella shrugged walking past me. I frowned at her as she opened the hood of a black Ford. "Stupid Fords, they don't make an engine that lasts… Now Chevy, they get it done right the first time…I still have a truck that has a million effin miles on it and it still runs fine, this thing goes fifty thousand and decides to die."

"Chill out Bella…it gives you something to do."

"True…" Bella sighed. "I finished all of my other jobs… I might have to start on Jacob's…"

"Hey, hey, hey, checking in boss. You know…it should surprise me that you are here this early and already done with everything except the rebuild…but it really doesn't." Jacob looked at me and smiled. "Hey, cutie." Jacob winked. "You hear to ask this hottie out again, Ed?"

"Trying to…" I shrugged.

"Well, I'm free if you don't tell anyone." Jacob smiled. I used to be intimidated by Jacob. He used to take up so much of Bella's time, but after I accidently ran into him and his…boyfriend making out, I was pretty sure he wasn't competition. Ever since I had found out he always brought it up just to tease me. Bella laughs cause she thinks it makes me uncomfortable, but in all honesty, Jacob had already told me I wasn't his type. Thank God…

"Well, I still think I'll settle for being single, since this stubborn woman ain't ever gonna say yes." I teased, praying for just the opposite.

"Bella dear, you're such a tease, give the sexy man a shot… It's really awesome that he comes here and talks to you all of the time." Jacob said. Bella stood up straight and looked at Jake.

"I don't date, besides I gave him a fair chance. He just has to beat the Rookie to win." Bella shrugged and returned to her work, which was nice because it showed off just how nicely the jeans she wore hugged her curves in all of the devilishly right ways.

"Dude, ain't no way he's gonna win. No offense Ed, but the Masked Mercenary will totally dominate. That guy races almost as good as Charlie did back in the day." Jacob grinned.

"Thanks…" I muttered dryly.

"Awe, don't worry man… If you don't win Bella's heart, you always have more options." Jacob smirked.

"Yeah, Tanya is single." Bella snorted as she walked across the room to get an engine hoist.

"Eww don't even go there! If I were straight I wouldn't be caught within a hundred miles of that hoe." Jacob gasped.

"Just sayin'." Bella shrugged. "Look, Edward, are you going to just stand here and take up valuable space and air, whilst distracting my worker, or are you going to get out of here, or make yourself useful?"

"I guess I'll get out of your way… I need to practice to beat that new guy, just for you, Bella."

"Sure sure…" Jacob called. From underneath a truck.

"See you, Edward." Bella waved before diving back into her work.

I walked away and got into my car. I started it and pulled away. Bella was a little bit more sharp today than normal…maybe I was bugging her too much…but she was always so spot on about who would win races that she reminded me of Alice. I could not allow the Rookie to beat me again. That would be the third time in the month.

A man entered racing at the beginning of this season. They drove an all sapphire car with a black three that had maroon outlining. There wasn't a single sponsor name on the car except for the name of the pit crew that kept it running in races. The driver, was a complete mystery. He was a short man who never took off his helmet and let no one see him. He promised that if he won the championship he would take off his helmet, but for now, all anyone knew about him was that he had bright blue eyes and an amazing mind for driving.

I couldn't deny that he was good, but I also couldn't deny that he was my mortal enemy…

The Race(EPOV)

I sat in my locker room for a moment. I felt really anxious for this race, and ready to win. I heard a ring and I grabbed my phone. Just the person I wanted to talk to.

"Hey, Edward…" Bella stated, not even waiting for me to greet her. "I'm watching the weather from home, weather looks great, watch out for a breeze on turn two though, it will make you drift outwards." Bella warned.

"Thanks Bella."

"Do you need a pep talk?" Bella asked with a teasing edge to her voice, I could hear her TV in the background, telling of a hot day.

"Not today, I feel good today."

"Don't crash alright? You're annoying, but not that annoying. Relax and get into the grove." Bella said with a smile.

"Thanks for the pep talk coach."

"No problem. Hey, give my dad a call… He should be at the race…heaven only knows how many times I have tried to get him to stay home with me, but he's just so passionate about the whole deal…" Bella sighed.

"Don't you miss it? The rush? The crowd? The sounds? The smells?"

"Yes…" Bella answered, her voice turned sad and terse. "I miss it…but it isn't worth my life. I have family, I have friends… I can't be worried about who might crash in my extended family next… I can't do it anymore… I just can't." Bella said truthfully. I knew her well enough to know she feared losing someone in her 'racing family'.

"I have to go." I told her, looking at the clock.

"Check the car. MAKE SURE THAT THE TIRES ARE JUST RIGHT! You don't want another one of those to blow."

"Thanks…" I said sarcastically.

"Be careful."

"I will be." I promised. "You be safe too."

"Yeah, because this couch is going to eat me alive and I am going to choke on this popcorn."

"Bells, it's you, you know it could happen."

"Be careful…" Bella whispered once more before she hung up. She denied me for dates but worried about me whenever I got behind the wheel of my car. She was truly terrified of racing...no not terrified of racing, terrified of how fast something good could go bad. I walked out to the garage and looked at my black baby. The 17 on the side was painted in full out red.

"Edward, we have it all prepared." My crew said to me.

"The tires? We don't want a repeat of last week." I whispered. Thanks Bells…

"We triple checked them dude…" Jasper said. "Relax. We've got this." It helped that three of the members of my twelve member team were my family. Rose, Jasper, and Emmett were my saviors.

"You qualified in second." Alice stated. "The Masked Mercenary has you by half a second on this track."

"What are my odds?" I asked Alice. She closed her eyes for a moment.

"In your favor… You have over a fifty percent chance to win tonight…"

"How much over fifty?" I wondered.

"About seventy." Alice shrugged.

"Good…"

"Trying to win, Bella again son?" Carlisle asked with a grin as I slid a Cullen crest around my neck as my good luck charm.

"You know it." I nodded.

"Ooh, please win, because I do love her to pieces." Esme smiled. I hugged her tightly. "Be safe honey…"

"I will be." I promised.

"Alright, let's move out. We need to be in our starting positions." Jasper called.

888

I took the turn a small bit sharper than usual, and as Bella predicted I landed right where I liked to be, thanks to the wind. I felt completely in my element, going faster than most people ever go in their lives. I looked out my window to see a sapphire car riding right next to me. It had been like that all year. Whenever I looked over, he was there, right by my side.

(MMPOV)

I looked over and there he was, he was a great driver, and I knew it. He could keep pace with me, which meant he had to be good. I had to hand it to the young punk, he had some natural skill. Something that would benefit him as soon as he taught himself to keep his wits about him and use his gut instinct.

"Hey! Masked Mercenary!"

"Go ahead." I stated to my crew chief.

"You need to get your ass in here soon… You don't have a lap left in you. That tank of gas won't last you much longer."

"I say I have three more laps in me." I smiled and slowed down just enough so I could dive under Cullen's car and swoop through the shortest part of the turn. I made three fast laps before I pulled into the pits.

"How are you feeling kid?" My manager asked as my tired were changed and my car was refueled.

"Ready to rock."

"Then go rock! GO, GO, GO!" I pulled out of the pits and punched it just as Cullen began to pull out of the pits…he had been waiting for me to stop. I was a quarter of a lap behind the leader now and there was no one in sight. Cullen pulled up next to me and we both looked at each other. Despite our rivalry, we knew we needed each other to catch up.

We raced, side by side until we caught up to the leader who became third very quickly.

(EPOV)

We were neck and neck on the last lap of the race. I slowed down before the last turn and slipped down below him. I stole his side draft and punched the gas to the floor right when I knew the car needed it. I tore around the corner and raced him to the finish, beating him by a small ten feet. I sighed and relaxed slightly at the wheel.

"Way to go kid!" Emmett screamed happily.

"That's how we Cullen's dominate!" Jasper agreed enthusiastically.

"Thanks guys." I whispered happily. I looked to my right and guess who was there again. He was there again. He looked over at me and nodded slowly then he held up one fist, congratulating me. I nodded back my thanks and then the car next to me slowed suddenly and left the track so I could have my victory lap.

One thing I had to hand to that guy, is that he lost graciously. He always congratulated me whenever I beat him…

Wait…

I just beat the Rookie! I smiled at the thought of Bella sitting at home on her couch, her face probably angry as she saw me driving the victory lap and not the Rookie. I honestly…didn't care.

(MMPoV)

I undid the straps around me and shut of the engine. "You did good today, Blu." I told the car. I had a lot of respect and love for my car, every good driver did. I pulled myself out of my car and as soon as my feet hit the ground I was bombarded with news reporters.

"How did you feel about this race, mister?" One reporter asked.

"I felt good… It was nice to get back behind the wheel again, and to be able to race next to someone who has that much pure talent is always fun. It gives you that thrill and chill that you want to have while you're racing." I answered. I was hot, sweaty, and still wearing my racing suit, these people better ask their questions fast.

"So, where do you think you went wrong? Cullen just stopped you from having a long winning streak. Where do you think you lost it?"

"Honestly, I had the win up until the last turn. The wind was not on our side on that particular turn. I underestimated it and Cullen took the lead there… I am a fast driver, but not fast enough to catch up in less than half a mile." I shrugged.

"Alright, alright! Break it up!" My pit manager shouted. He was a big burley man named Felix. "The Masked Mercenary is tired, no more questions." He grabbed my shoulders and dragged me away.

"Thanks, dude…" I whispered.

"Any time, bro." Felix smiled down at me as he pushed me into my trailer so that I could quickly change to go home.

Home(BPOV)

I sat on the living room couch watching re-runs of the latest race. Calculating where each driver went wrong. Unfortunately, Edward won…which meant I was going to have to go out with him. It's not like I didn't want to go out with him, I really liked Edward, I just wanted to stay with my father as much as possible.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Speaking of my father… I thought to myself. I got up and pulled open the door happily.

"Dad!" I called out. Jacob was pushing him up into the house.

"Hey, honey!" Charlie called happily.

"How was the race?"

"Lively and amazing, Bells, you should have been there." Charlie exclaimed taking control of his own wheelchair and forcing himself through the door. Jacob rolled his eyes. "How was everything here?"

"Quiet," I replied truthfully. "I closed down shop for the race and just sat here and chilled."

"Cool…" Charlie smiled. "Hey, that Cullen kid won, you know." I sighed heavily.

"Yeah… I know…" I sighed.

"Bells, give him a chance… I know you don't like the idea of dating, but that boy is very good, and he likes you an awful lot." Charlie stated.

"I know he does." I stated with a shrug. "Anyone up for some good old fashioned Speed Racer?" I asked, it was my favorite cartoon of all time… And forget about the next generation shi—stuff… I'm talking about the original cartoon that was BA. The one my dad got his car idea from.

"Sound's good Bells." Charlie winked. Jacob however, couldn't stand Speed.

"Well, I'm gonna head out. See you at work, Bells." Jacob called.

"See you Jake!" I called loudly. He waved and pulled away in his car. "Well I got rid of him didn't I? Are you hungry, dad?"

"Naw, Bells…I'm good. But seriously, consider being nice to Edward for a moment or two… You might just like what you see."

I already do… I thought to myself. "Sure dad, sure."

"Now…were you serious about that Speed Racer marathon?" Charlie asked with wide eyes.

"I'll go get the special editions." I smiled.

888

(EPOV)

I walked nervously up to the Swan's house. I had called Bella earlier in the week to tell her that I was going to pick her up today, she agreed, but I noted a small bit of hesitance in her voice. I hoped I wouldn't bother her too much. I had replaced my normally greasy clothes with a pair of dark colored jeans and a dark green sweater that Alice said: 'Made my eyes pop' whatever that's supposed to mean.

I knocked on the door and Charlie pushed it open. "Hey, Cullen! How's my favorite racer today?"

"Pretty good, how's my favorite racer of all time doing?" I wondered.

"Good, good, and good." Charlie smiled. "Oh…you want to talk to Bells don't you… You have that date today… I really couldn't forget… Poor Bella was working early this morning and got a huge stain on her skin…stupid grease… She should be down in a minute."

I took a step into his house and sat on the sofa. I loved the Swan's house. It was small and modest, and the garage was bigger than the house. It showed off exactly their personality. They were fans of going fast, and it showed in their house.

"So where are you taking her?"

"A special place I found when I was a kid." I smiled at him.

"When will you be bringing her back?" Charlie asked.

"Before ten, I promise." I grinned. Charlie quirked a brow at that.

"Four hours?" Charlie wondered. "What could you possibly be doing in four hours young man?" Charlie asked critically. "She better come home just as innocent as she left it."

"She will, sir." I promised. That would have been a whole lot more awkward if I hadn't known Charlie since I was racing go-karts when I was twelve. But I've known that man for ten years, and knew the difference between half-teasing but serious, and flat out I'm-Gonna-Kill-You-In-Your-Sleep-Serious.

"Good…" Charlie nodded. "I'm counting on you… Besides, she would probably kick your ass in a fight if you so much as looked at her the wrong way. I swear that girl is in better shape than I've ever been in my life." Charlie chuckled.

"She probably could beat me up." I laughed along with him.

"Dad, you better not be telling any of your wild stories again." Bella stated. I saw her shoes as she began to walk down the stairs. They were black, slightly heeled boots. She was wearing dark blue jeans, but I couldn't tell anything else…the stupid wall was in the way.

"Stories? These are cold hard facts, Bells." Charlie stated. I stood up as Bella came around the base of the stairs. She was putting in a small stud in her left ear. Her hair was down and wavy. Her brown eyes were lit up. She was wearing a dark blue blouse that went with her skin. She didn't wear any make up, she really didn't need it.

"Oh, dad…" Bella shook her head. "Hello, Edward. I seriously hope he hasn't been telling you horror stories."

"Nothing that I didn't already know." I shrugged teasingly. Charlie flashed a grin at me, thankful that I played along.

"Great… Well, I just better leave before I die of embarrassment." Bella leaned down and kissed her father's cheek. "See you when I get back, dad."

"Sure, sure… I'll have the shotgun ready if you feel like killing him."

"Thanks dad… I might need it." Bella winked and walked with me out of the house. I opened her car door for her and closed it behind her. I got in next to her and smiled.

"You look absolutely stunning tonight." I complimented her. She blushed and looked down.

"Thank you…" She whispered as I pulled out of her driveway. "Where are we going?" She wondered sweetly.

"It's a surprise…and I am not telling you." I stated with a smirk.

"Fine…" Bella sighed.

"What you're not going to fight me about it?" I asked surprised.

"Nope… And I do want to apologize… I have told you no so many times… It's not really you…I just, I don't know, I felt as though I would be betraying my father by leaving him alone…you know? He was there for during everything, and I always felt if I strayed for too long, something might happen that I would miss…" I looked at her sadly.

"I understand…losing your mom young must have done that to you…" I whispered, she nodded in agreement. I tried to think of a way to lighten the mood. "So you were attracted to me the whole time… See I knew even Bella Swan couldn't resist me." Bella snorted.

"A little full of yourself there, that could be rather unhealthy for you." Bella teased me. I smiled, knowing that I had gotten her mind off of what was upsetting her.

"It comes with me, you either take it or leave it." I shrugged.

"Well, if you're giving me the choice…" Bella started teasingly.

"Okay, okay, no need to decide now." I stated with a huge smile. She laughed at me and then glanced at the speedometer.

"You should slow down, speed demon." She told me.

"Afraid of the speed?" I asked sarcastically. Geez I was only doing eighty in a fifty five…not too bad for me anyway.

"Hell no!" Bella scoffed. "You forget I used to ride in my dad's car when he raced sometimes. Heck, you forget that I used to race all of the time. I merely mean to say that if you are always racing for the finish line you'll never be able to enjoy the ride… And life is all about enjoying the ride."

"Were you born wise?" I wondered in awe.

"Mom said I was born with my dad's temper and skill, my grandfather's wisdom and strength, my grandma's lead foot, and my aunt's kindness…" Bella chuckled. "I told her she was crazy."

"She was crazy, she forgot to mention that you were sarcastic." I teased. She nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I am…" I slowly pulled up to the side of the road and put the car in park.

"I hope you don't mind a walk."

"Not really."

Meadow (BPOV)

We walked a long ways through the woods making small talk until he moved behind me and covered my eyes. "What are you doing?" I asked harshly. I did not like anyone having an advantage over me.

"I want to surprise you, geez…"

"I don't like surprises."

"You'll like this one, I promise." Edward whispered to me. I felt her move me forwards. He warned me occasionally to step up or to be careful stepping down. In a few seconds he chuckled and uncovered my eyes.

I was standing in the middle of a brilliant meadow. It was so beautiful I was shocked for a moment, surrounded by all of the wild flowers. "It's beautiful."

"I thought so too." Edward commented. He offered me his hand and I took it without hesitance, which I am sure startled him a bit. He smile though and led me to a small blanket in the meadow. He had food ready and everything…geez this guy was prepared…

(EPOV)

We sat comfortably together, eating and talking for a long while. I was glad that she seemed to finally warm up to me, at least a little bit. Of course soon the discussion turned to cars and racing, because we knew both like the back of our hands.

"Do you ever have a song in your head when you're driving?" Bella asked me.

"A song? Not really…" I chuckled. "Why do you get one when you drive?"

"When I used to race…I always had 'Shut Up and Drive' stuck in my head…"

"You know that song's not about driving right?" I asked with a snort.

"Oh, it's about driving…just not driving a car." Bella shrugged. "'I got class like a '57 Cadillac'." Bella sang to herself, her voice sweet and perfect.

"Wow Bella, I didn't think you were that corrupt to know what a song like that meant." I teased.

"I am only a month younger than you are… Shut up." Bella snapped back.

"Okay…I'll admit I sometimes get '100 in a 55' stuck in my head when I drive…" I admitted shyly.

"SEE? It happens… There are just some songs that stick." Bella shrugged.

"Okay, I agree with you there, but really? Shut up and drive? You couldn't think of anything else?"

"I think it works… I apologize for having good taste in music." Bella stuck out her tongue at me.

"Sure sure…" I whispered teasingly.

We spoke for a few hours, lying flat on our backs in the meadow as the sun went down. Somehow, (must've been a miracle) Bella had found a way to rest her head on my chest and curled up against my side. She felt so warm, I swore I could feel electricity leaving her body and entering mine.

"Bella, I promised your dad that I would get you home soon…"

"I wouldn't want him to kill you now would i?" Bella sighed into my chest. She sat up and began to help pack up. I grabbed her hands and stopped her…

"I'll come back for it later…" We got up just as we heard thunder.

"Stupid Forks…" Bella whispered under her breath as the sky darkened. "We had better book it back. I grabbed her hand and we began to move quickly through the woods. It started to downpour and the forest only gave us minimal coverage because the rain was so fierce. When we made it to the car I opened her door as quickly as I could. She got in and by the time I got around to the other side I was drenched times four.

I got in the car and looked over at Bella who was almost as soaked as I was. We both laughed at the stupid, inopportune Forks weather. When our laughter died down we realized just how close we were to one another. Her lips being just a few inches out of my reach. I raised my hand and cupped her blushing cheek gently. I leaned forward slowly and pressed my lips to hers.

Electricity exploded inside of my body when she entangled her hands in my hair. She tasted so sweet, too sweet. If it were possible to kill with a kiss, she could do it. She was so sweet, perfect and gentle. I grew dizzy just by holding her. Unfortunately, there is a little problem I have that I like to call breathing… We broke apart, our foreheads pressed together.

When we disentangled from each other completely I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. "You look drunk… Are you alright? Or did my kissing expertise disable you?"

"The latter I'm afraid." I grinned at her. She stole the keys from me and opened my door. When she leaned over me I could smell her shampoo…strawberries.

"Get out…and you better move your ass quickly." I got out and ran to the other side. She was busy moving my seat when I got in. "Jeez, you're tall." She complained.

"Why did you kick me out?"

"You were too intoxicated to drive, I could tell just by looking at you." She answered, adjusting the mirror as I looked at her curiously. She started the car and began to pull back onto the road. "You are intoxicated by my presence."

"Okay, you got me there." I agreed wholly. She grinned.

"I know." She stated smugly. She drove my car very smoothly. I didn't trust anyone with my car, but somehow I felt at ease with her driving. She was after all Charlie's daughter, and she had raced herself at one point. Even when you are young the stuff you learn in a car sticks with you. She drove perfectly, holding my hand gently. I was just watching her when her eyes squinted. She let go of my hand in a rush and whipped the car around in less than a second…

"What is it?" I asked, and then I heard a huge crash. I looked to my right and saw a huge tree lying in the road right where we would have been if we would have kept driving. "How did you see that coming?"

"I saw the tree start to fall. I thought it was an illusion at first, nope…I was wrong." Bella said calmly. She wasn't like a normal girl. If anyone else I knew would have seen that they would have gone into hysterics. "Well, that's something you don't have happen every day." Bella said, turning the rest of the way around and going down a side road to get around the obstruction.

"Geez I didn't see that coming…" I whispered.

"You were paying too much attention to me." Bella smirked. She drove quickly back to the house.

"You know all of the back roads around her really well…"

"Dad taught me how to drive out here on these roads… I actually got pulled over for the first time up on this corner." Bella pointed. We were only a few blocks from her house so she stopped at the spot.

"What happened?"

"He said he pulled me over for swerving and doing twenty over… What he didn't know is that dad placed little white dots on the road that I had to swerve through. They were half the size of a penny. Then Dad told me to do it with my eyes closed… Well, that just happened to be when I got pulled over." Bella laughed. "The cop took one look at my dad and said: 'She's like her old man, have a nice day.' And that is how I got out of my first ticket. I got pulled over a few miles down from here two weeks later… The road got really curvy and I wanted to see how fast I could take it… Um…that time I got out of it because he knew me as 'the face of racing'."

(BPOV)

I took us the rest of the way to my house. I put the car in park and gave Edward his keys back. "Sorry for stealing it…but it sort of was a good thing I did… I had some sense of control over myself, which kept us from being hit by a tree…and I babbling." I chuckled.

"Babbling…but truthful." Edward smiled. I looked out at the pouring rain and quickly got out of the car. I closed the door gently and ran to my front porch, only to be met by Edward.

"You didn't have to walk through the rain." I laughed. I stood at my front door, smiling at the soaking wet god on my porch. "I had a good time." I told him truthfully. I hadn't had fun like that in years. I stood up on my toes and kissed his cheek gently. That wasn't enough for me at all… I pressed my lips to his and he wrapped his arms around me tightly, kissing me nearly senseless.

I heard a small squeak but I didn't pay attention, I was in my own bubble with Edward, and this bubble was a very happy place to be. I heard someone clear their throat and I turned to see my father looking up at me. "I'm guessing you had a good night. Get inside both of you before you catch a cold." Charlie insisted. I slowly unwrapped my arms from around Edward and grabbed his hand, pulling him into the house. "Go get changed Bella, you look freezing."

(EPOV)

Bella tasted so darn delicious, that the only reason I would stop kissing her was if her father showed up. I heard someone clear their throat. Shit…I just jinxed myself. Charlie looked up at me and I could see his accusations in his eyes. "I'm guessing you had a good night. Get inside both of you before you catch a cold." I could mentally see him stabbing me repetitively.

Great…

Bella pulled me into her house. Charlie sent Bella away, my only protection. Then…I saw that the gun really was out, sitting on the table…I let a stream of curses go off in my mind. "So, how did it go?" Charlie asked. Leaning forward to stare into my eyes.

"Better than expected…" I answered truthfully.

"Uh-huh…" Charlie nodded slowly, analyzing everything I said with excruciating detail. "I could see that by the way you had your arms wrapped around my baby girl." Charlie paused for a moment. "Edward, if it weren't you I was talking to right now, I would go pick up that gun and fire a few rounds… But you are the boy I've known for ten years Cullen. I know your parents very well, and they raised you to be a decent kid…but listen, that's still my baby, so you better take care of her… My promise still stands about the castration and the car… If you don't treat her like the princess she is I will kill you. If she ever comes to me, crying over you for whatever reason, I will take everything out on you. I may be stuck in this chair, but I can still kick the snot out of anyone who touches my daughter, do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Dad…" Bella said in a slightly angry tone, looking at her father with disapproving eyes.

"What dear?" Charlie asked as if nothing was wrong.

"I am twenty-two… I can kiss a man of my own accord without you ridiculing him and scaring him to death."

"Hey, I forgot to tell you, Edward… I'm glad you let her kiss you, and not let yourself mull her like a bear would a traveler…I've seen some pretty nasty boys do things like that." Charlie smiled at me.

"DAD!" Bella shouted. "Chillax. I am not a little girl anymore… You don't need to kill him. I'll do it myself if he makes me angry and he knows it."

"I am just making sure someone has your back baby." Charlie winked. "I'm going to bed. Drive slow kid, the weather is gross. Oh, and you better not stay too long after I leave." Charlie warned, rolling himself quickly up the ramp next to the stairs.

"Sorry about that…" Bella whispered.

"I'm glad you have someone to take care of you." I smiled. She walked slowly towards me and kissed me gently. She walked with me to the door. "Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if we did this some other time?"

"I wouldn't mind spending more time with you." Bella grinned. I kissed her cheek once more before leaving her house and driving away happily.

Invitation (BPOV)

I got up slowly and looked around my room. There was soft light coming through my window, but I knew better than to think it was the sun. I knew it would be just as cloudy and rainy as it was every other day in this town.

I got up and walked down the stairs. Charlie was already sitting in his chair in the living room. One thing was for sure, I had the most determined dad in the entire state. Most people who had been paralyzed would be able to get out of bed, let alone dress themselves and get out of bed on their own.

"Good morning, Lucky Nine." I kissed dad's cheek. He grinned at the mention of the nine. He loved that car, probably almost as much as he loved me. He always joked with other people that he would probably sell me before he sold the car, but we both knew that was a tactic to scare the crazy people away.

"Good morning, Bells." Charlie smiled at me.

"I'm going to go make us breakfast alright?"

"Okay, honey." Charlie grinned.

I made lots of pancakes and eggs, knowing that Jake would probably show up and eat everything that I made and then some. I set the table for three and, just on time I might add, Jacob knocked on the door. I went and answered the door.

"JAKE!" I cried out. "How did I know…?" I whispered sarcastically. He hugged me tightly.

"Hey Bells, I could smell you cooking from my house, I decided to come over here before I got ready for work." Jake smiled.

"Come in then." I sighed. He ran right to the table, barely beating Charlie there.

"YAY PANCAKES!" Jacob shouted loudly. I shook my head as the men ate almost all of the pancakes by themselves. I took the last three pancakes before they ate them and I went without breakfast. I went up to my room and got dressed in a checkered flag tee-shirt and knee-length jeans. I pulled my hair up and threw on a yellow bandana that I had painted a 9 on. I walked down the stairs.

"Dad, I got to go to work."

"Alright hon…" Charlie smiled at me.

"Let's go, you fat cow." I called Jacob.

"Hey! I'm not a cow!"

"Really? You only just ate thirty pancakes!" I snapped back, stealing his car keys from him.

"That does not make me a cow, it makes me human." Jacob grinned.

"No, it makes your truck mine, because you stole ten of my pancakes." I grinned and ran out to his truck, waving goodbye to dad. Jacob followed me and got in on the passengers side. I started the car and began to drive down the road. I felt something off about the car and weaved back and forth a few times. "You are going to need to rotate your tires within the next week, and you need new power steering fluid." I told him quietly.

"What are you talking about? I drove it here and it was perfectly fine." Jake stated.

"Oh, it's perfectly fine right now… But if you pay a lot of attention you can feel it… I can just feel it." I said, I was in cars far too often to not feel when a car needed something fixed. Heck, I could tell you just by driving for a few seconds what the car needed done to it and just exactly how the car was broken in when it was bought.

"You are a Car Whisperer I'm tellin ya…" Jacob shook his head.

"I know… I get it from dad…" I grinned. I pulled up to the garage and got out of Jacob's car. I threw him the keys and opened up all of the garage doors. I pulled a rusted out black pick-up into the garage and smiled at it. It was a beast. I looked at the amount of miles on it and grinned. "Hey Jake! Eight hundred thousand miles on this one!"

"Chevy?" Jake asked.

"Heck yeah it's a Chevy." I grinned and got out. I jacked up the car with my dad's old jack and then slid underneath the car. I emptied the oil quickly and crawled back out from under the car. I went and grabbed a filter when I heard a honk outside. I turned to see the owner of the black beast being dropped off at the door. "Hey Jim! I already got the breaks done! Just give me a few more minutes, kid."

"No rush, Bell… I only have to get to work, and they already told me it was alright for me to be a little late, so take your time." Jim replied happily as I filled the new filter with a little bit oil and placed some oil on the rim.

"You got it." I smiled and dove back under the car. I took out the old filter and placed the new one in with my oily hands. I turned the filter in just a small bit after it met the metal. I carefully cleaned off the oil cap and I put it back in place, making sure it was on securely.

I crawled out, lowered the truck, and began to open up containers of fresh oil. I poured the oil in carefully and then I checked the level of the oil. I got into the truck and turned the battery on. I pumped the break five times and the small oil light went on in the dashboard. I turned the car on and waited, ready to shut off the car, but seconds later the oil pressure went up in the engine. I smiled happily and shut the truck off. I looked under the truck to see if there were any leaks.

I wiped my hands off as I smiled at Jim and began to lead him into the small office. Unlike my garage, my office was dedicated to my own racing awards. The first go kart I ever raced hung on the wall. All of my trophies were stacked neatly on the shelves. Pictures of me in go karts and in the junior pro races were nailed to the wall.

I washed my hands in the sink and handed Jim's keys to him. "How are you today, Jim?"

"Perfectly fine." Jim grinned.

"I'm sorry I wasn't done with your car this morning… I got the breaks done yesterday, but I took the rest of yesterday off."

"Oh my gosh! You took a day off?" Jim asked in a teasing tone. "Where you dying?"

"No, I had a date." I smiled, knowing I could trust Jim not to go off gossiping.

"Wow… Taking a day off, and going out on a date. Someone's a bit different lately." Jim smiled. "I am happy for you, you need to get out more. So how did it go?"

"Very well thank you." I stated. I began to write a receipt for Jim. "Alright, I did the rear brakes and the oil so that should bring you to about eighty dollars even."

"Bella…" Jim said in a slightly irritated voice. "It costs eighty dollars even for the parts and the oil… I've done my research." Jim began to set twenty dollar bills down on the table, counting out to a hundred and forty dollars.

"Jim, I can't take that much from you." I insisted when he slid the money towards me.

"You're the best mechanic ever, Bells, and you honestly don't charge enough. Take the money." Jim stated. "I'll see you in five thousand miles." Jim nodded and walked out into the garage before I could even fight with him about the money. I sighed when I heard him pull away. I grabbed my keys and opened the register under the desk. I unlocked the bag in the register and placed the money inside of it. I relocked everything and went back out into the garage to help Jake.

I slid underneath the car and began to work alongside Jake. "So when are my other two mechanics coming back?" I asked casually.

"Seth is still on his honeymoon with Carrie…and Embry should be on his way back from Orlando any time now." Jake answered casually.

"Cool… Will you join me in avoiding Seth for a good weak until he's back to normal again?"

"Hell yeah… He's going to be out of his mind and airy… Maybe we shouldn't let him come back to work until he gets his head on straight." I chuckled with him. I heard a car pull into the parking lot. I heard a door close and footsteps.

"Hello?"

"I'll be right with you in a moment!" I called loudly. I was holding something up for Jake, but he grabbed it and smiled at me, allowing me to leave. I slid back out from underneath the car and stood up. I walked up to the man who wore a black suit.

"Are you Isabella Swan?" The man asked, looking at her questioningly.

"Yes, sir." I stated with a warm smile.

"You've gotten older." He chuckled. "You won't remember me, but I was one of your father's pit crew members when he was racing in the junior pro league. You were only a little girl then…" He smiled.

"To what do I owe this visit?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, yes… I was sent to give you and your father an invite to the annual racing party in New York."

"But, we haven't been a part of the racing family for nearly five years." I said in a confused voice.

"But your racing family is still there, and misses both of you." He smiled and handed me a letter. "We would appreciate it if you and your father came there with us."

"I will speak to my father." I smiled.

"And miss?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you have any idea who the Masked Mercenary might be?"

I laughed at the thought. He thought I knew who the Masked Mercenary was, how funny. "No, I have no idea."

"He told the press he lived in Washington…but no one knows where he lives, so we have no possible way to invite him."

"Well, I guess he wouldn't be one for a party when he is trying so hard to hide who he is."

"True… Well, my dear, I have a few other people to visit in Washington. Have a good day." He nodded and left in his car. I went to the office and opened the letter. The date for the party was set a month from now, in the middle of June.

"Jake! I'm going out, get your butt up here."

888

I sat at home across from dad. Jake had gone home. Dad read the letter for the fifth time. "Hmm… I would get to see all of my brothers again." Charlie smiled. "Honey, you need to go out and buy yourself a nice dress."

"I don't need a dress."

"Yes you do…this party is formal. You can pick out any dress you want, it's on me."

"Okay sir…" I smiled at him.

Like Sisters (BPOV)

I sat in the Cullen's living room. Edward had insisted that I meet his family officially as his girlfriend…not that I hadn't practically lived at their house due to my friendship with Alice.

"BELLA!" Speaking of Alice…

"Alice!" I got up and ran to hug Alice. I hadn't seen her in a while, and I totally missed her. She wrapped her arms around me tightly.

"I missed you, Bella… And listening to Edward talk about you non stop made me miss you more." I blushed and shot a glance at Edward who was glaring at his sister. Esme and Carlisle chuckled.

"Oh, my, gosh, ALICE!" I shouted.

"What?" Alice asked.

"You never told me you were engaged!" I shouted.

"What?" Esme asked.

"When?" Edward asked. Carlisle just smiled.

"Geez…Bella way to mess up my delivery. Jazz just proposed to me." Alice sighed dreamily. "Emmett's married. I'm getting there… Now it's just up to you and Edward." I blushed maroon.

"Alice!" Esme snapped.

"What? It's going to happen anyway." Alice said, as if her statement was totally innocent. "I knew that years ago… OMG! Are you going to the party in New York?" Alice asked me.

"Yes…Dad wanted to go really bad, so I decided to go with him." I smiled. "Well, go with Edward, cause he asked me, but you know what I mean." I shrugged.

"See you mom!" Alice shouted grabbing my arm and dragging me to the door. "We're going shopping."

"Alice!" Edward yelled.

"It's okay… I need to hang out with her anyway…" I hated shopping, but I loved Alice…it was a compromise for me.

888

I sat next to Alice in the middle of a mall cafeteria. She was eating a whole three servings of onion rings by herself. "Oh, these are so good…"

"Geez Alice…in love much?" I wondered.

"Yeah… So how are you and Edward? I know that you've had a crush on him since forever, but now that you've finally allowed yourself to date, I want to know everything!" Alice squeaked.

"I'm happy, Alice… Happier than I have been in a long time." I grinned. "Were you serious about what you said back home?"

"About you two getting married? Yes… I see it happening before the end of the year." Alice shrugged. Alice was amazing…she could literally see the future. Very seldom was she wrong.

"Within the year? Isn't that fast?"

"GEEZ! YOU'VE KNOWN HIM FOR TEN YEARS! HOW LONG IS LONG ENOUGH?" I winced at her voice. Everyone in the mall stopped to stare at her for a moment before they continued on.

"How are you and Jazzy?"

"Amazing!" Alice sighed happily. "He was so cute when he proposed… I love him so much…" Alice said lovingly.

"Awe…" I smiled.

"Yeah, I know… It was just such a surprise… I actually didn't see it coming. He told me that he's been carrying around the ring in his pocket for the last year, not knowing when he was going to pop the question. He said he wanted it to be just right so that I couldn't see it coming…" Alice cooed.

"Awesome." I grinned.

"Emmett and I both are going to be married before Edward is even engaged." Alice sighed and shook her head. "I am only a year younger than him, but I still have him beat. It's kind of cool." Alice winked. "I can't wait for you to join the family Bella… You're already like a sister to me…but it will be even more amazing when it is official." I hugged Alice tightly, not knowing what to say when my best friend told me I was going to marry her brother within the year…

A Party(EPOV)

.com/bmz_.

I got ready in my hotel room with Jasper and Emmett. Emmett had his own room with Rose, but he still came to me and Jasper's room just to chill with us when the girls were out. I remembered the flight into New York. I had sat next to Bella the whole way. And she slept sweetly on my shoulder the entire time. I wished the plane ride would have lasted longer…I hated waking her up. She looked so beautiful when she slept…and she talked…about me…so that was also a plus.

"Earth to Edward!" Emmett shouted.

"Yup, he was thinking about her again…" Jazz said softly.

"Dude, get your head out of the clouds. You're one of the main guests, you can't get all zoon-y like that…" Emmett grinned. "Was a certain race car driver going to a happy place with a certain mechanic—"

"Emmett…" I warned.

"Who happens to look super hot in tight dark wash jeans." Emmett said in an awed tone. I punched him in the gut—not too hard, just enough to get him to stop talking.

"To answer your question, no… But I wouldn't be thinking about my girlfriend that way…if Rose hears you, you are dead and not getting any for a month." I teased.

"Oh…so true. I'll shut my mouth… But it's cool to see my little brother finally falling for someone…especially Bella. Dude, I've never seen you this happy."

"I am happy…" I smiled.

"We're happy for you dude… It's about time you weren't all alone." Jazz stated.

"I tried to get her to go out with me sooner…she's just so stubborn sometimes."

"Sometimes, how bout all the time." Emmett teased.

"About certain things, yes…" I shrugged.

"Hey, we should go. The party starts soon." Jasper stated. We all walked out of the room together down to the lobby. Charlie, Esme, and Carlisle were there along with Rose, but Alice and Bella were nowhere to be seen. There was a limo waiting for us out on the road, but we all stayed inside. I went and sat down at the piano in the lobby, deciding to play…probably because I hadn't played in a while.

After a few moments I felt someone sit down next to me and lean against my shoulder. I turned and kissed the top of Bella's head gently as I let the song I was playing come to a close. "That was beautiful…" Bella whispered.

"Not as beautiful as you." I stated. I helped her to her feet and looked at her. Her dress looked vintage. It was a strapless blue dress that hugged her skin beautifully before it flared at her hips. It had dark lace on her skirt. She had on black high heels and her mother's pearls hung around her neck. Her hair was pulled up and curled perfectly. She looked breathtaking.

"Alice got me all dressed up…is it over the top?" She asked me worriedly as I continued to gawk at her.

"It's perfect." I promised her, kissing her lips gently.

"Thanks…" She blushed as I led her out of the hotel. Charlie shook his head at me and sighed. I looked at him and tried to smile, knowing that I was probably getting on his nerves by stealing Bella's attention all of the time.

"No problem sweetie." I whispered. I lead her to the limo and turned to help Charlie, but somehow he had already used just his arms to get himself in the car. I shook my head and picked up his wheelchair and put it in the limo. I got in and sat next to Bella. We all talked lively to each other until we arrived at the place where the party was being held. Bella bit her lip and I kissed her cheek comfortingly. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't fall." I teased.

"Thanks." Bella snapped sarcastically. "I'll be sure to ensure that you do fall down." I chuckled at her and helped her out of the limo. I watched her turn instantly to pull out her father's wheel chair. She helped her father into his chair and helped him get settled. I held out my arm to Bella and we walked together into the huge building.

I heard huge cheers erupt as Charlie Swan entered the room. Bella looked up at me and smiled. "Try to follow that." Bella teased. We walked through the doors and were received almost as warmly…probably because the very face of racing was on my arm. Bella blushed and I moved us quickly out of the spot light.

"Isabella Swan!" A reporter called out.

"Oh no… Hide me…" Bella whispered. Alice appeared out of nowhere and dragged Bella out of the report's sight. The man with short blond hair looked around.

"Didn't you bring Isabella here tonight?" He asked me.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said.

"Ugh…fine… I'll go find her myself." He stormed off. Alice appeared with Bella half a second later.

"Finally, he completely twists my words around every time he talks to me." Bella said angrily. "That is the type of scum that give reporters a bad name."

"We're not all that bad are we?" A short little girl asked. Bella looked at the little woman and her eyes softened.

"No, hun…. I didn't mean you at all, Jane." Bella grinned at the little girl.

"Good." She smiled happily. "Would you three allow me to interview you? That way you can get away from the onslaught of paparazzi until it calms down, and then you can be happy and actually enjoy the real party."

Bella looked at me, asking permission. "It's fine with me, if you want to go." I whispered into her ear.

"We'd love to Jane." Bella smiled.

"I'm gonna stay here with Jazz." Alice sighed. Jane took Bella's hand and pulled us through the people into an empty room.

"Thank you, Jane." Bella sighed.

"No problem, love." Jane winked. She sat down in a chair and looked up at us. "So…do I start with: Isabella Swan Begins to Rejoin the Racing World, Edward Cullen Races His Way to the Championship, or The Face of Racing Falls for the Racing Champion?"

"Jane, no relationship stuff, you should know that by now… Also…me rejoining the family again? Not so sure about that." Bella stated quickly.

"Okay…I guess that means I start with you, hun." Jane smirked and looked at me.

888

Jane was very good at interviewing, and she wasn't personal, and she was nice. I understood why Bella didn't mind being interviewed by her. We were done with the interview, and Jane was right, the paparazzi had calmed down completely. I sighed and pulled Bella out onto the small dance floor.

"I can't dance." Bella said to me.

"Yes, you can…" I smirked.

"No, I can't." Bella fought back. "Unless you count the 'YMCA' and the 'Macarena' I suck and I fall a lot." Bella stated. I placed my hands on her waist and pulled her closely. I whispered into her ear quietly.

"I won't ever let you fall." I promised her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and sighed sadly. I began to twirl her around in circles easily. "See, you're dancing."

"It's kind of fun." Bella whispered, pressing her lips to my throat and then resting her head on my shoulder. I sighed happily as we danced for a long while to the music.

"Are you tired?"

"Yes…" Bella whispered to me quietly. I pulled her off of the floor and helped her sit down on the chairs close to the wall. She sat and relaxed.

"I'll go get you a drink, I'll be right back." I promised. I got up and walked twenty steps away when the paparazzi swarmed me. Great…

(BPOV)

Edward was gone for five seconds and three other racers came up to me. I knew Caius, Alec, and Mike just by looking at them. They were on the Salio team…Caius and Alec's father was a rival to my father at one point.

"Isabella right?" Mike asked with a small smile.

"Yeah…" I nodded, ignoring the way he said my name.

"So what is a pretty think like you sitting out for?" Mike inquired with a smirk.

"I was tired." I smiled.

"So why is a girl like you at a driving party?" Alec asked.

"I love racing, it runs in my family… Besides I know everyone in the room…here." I stated truthfully.

"That can't be true." Mike stated.

"She knows everyone here. Trust me." Caius said in a deep, dark voice. "This is after all the face of racing." He smirked at me.

"I'm not her anymore." I said calmly, not feeling comfortable around them. Just in time Edward walked back to me. I stood up and took his outstretched hand.

"Hey, we were talking to the lady." Alec stated.

"No you were taking advantage of my girlfriend's sore feet." Edward countered, pulling me away from them quickly.

"Thank you." I smiled up at him. He handed me a drink and I chuckled.

"I leave you alone for a moment and all of the racing competition that I have swarms you like a pack of wolves." Edward smiled at me. "I guess I can't ever leave you alone…can I?"

"No, never." I smiled, suddenly liking the idea of him being around me for forever. "What did the paparazzi have to ask you?"

"They asked me what I thought about the Masked Mercenary." Edward shrugged casually.

"And what did you say?"

"I respect him… He's a good guy. He's talked to me a few times and has always been polite, win or lose."

"I watched the way he acts…he seems pretty cool." I agreed casually.

"He is." Edward shrugged.

Racing for a Spot (MMPOV)

….Late July

I walked up to him slowly. He had his back turned to me and his head was under the hood of his car. "Cullen?" I asked, my throat aching slightly when my deep voice came out. He turned around quickly and called Rose over to take his spot.

"What do you need Double M?" Edward asked me with a slight smile.

"I came to wish you luck." I told him quietly.

"Thanks, right back at you." Edward grinned.

"Listen…the wind is supposed to pick up soon… So watch the second turn." I warned.

"Yeah, Bella told me, it would be about twenty miles an hour, pretty steady wind coming in."

"So your girlfriend is your weatherman?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, she doesn't come to the races…but she watches out for me." Edward grinned happily. "She just warned me a few minutes ago on the phone."

"That's good of her." I stated slowly.

"Yeah it is…" Edward smiled. He was a happy man, whenever he spoke about her, it was nice to see him that way. "Do you need anything from me?"

"I wanted to warn you. Alec is racing today, so watch out." I warned.

"He better not try to pull what he did last time, forcing other people to crash is not right." Edward said in a strong voice.

"I hope he doesn't try it either…I just wanted you to watch out." I smiled, but I knew he couldn't see it behind my helmet. "Be careful kid. You qualified faster than me today."

"Did I?"

"By half a second." I shrugged. "See you at the finish line?"

"Totally." Edward nodded. He held out his hand. "Good luck." I smiled and shook his hand firmly. I began to walk away but then I stopped and turned around.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Check your right front tire, it's out of balance." I warned before walking away. I heard him curse to himself as I walked away.

888

"You ready kid?" My pit chief asked.

"I was born ready Felix." I stated pulling on my gloves as they moved my car out into starting position, right next to Edward.

"Alright, you go get 'em kid… They need you at the Championship race."

"I don't want to race there…" I said slowly.

"I know… You'll do fine alright?" Felix nodded. "I got to go… Remember that she's in love with tight turns so make it happen."

"Felix, don't tell me what my car needs… I know exactly what it needs… I've been in a car my whole life Felix, that's longer than you and your three years older than me." I grinned.

"Okay, just remember to give her what she needs and she'll race perfectly." Felix took off putting on his headset. "Check, check, check…"

"Shut up I can hear you!" I snapped.

"Ooh, don't be so tense." Felix said teasingly.

I looked over at Edward's car and nodded at him slowly. He smiled at me before he slid on his helmet and pulled on his gloves. I started the engine of my car and instantly Edward looked up at me. I looked away from him and began to check all of the gauges in my car. Everything was normal and the engine was purring happily, ready to run.

When the go light went off, we took off. Edward and I both kept pace with each other as we accelerated. He fixed his wheel, that for certain, this was going to be a fun race…

888

(EPOV)

The wind was killed; it drove you far out in the second turn without even trying. Somehow though, the Masked Mercenary cut through the wind. He drove the track in a way that made him faster than me…much faster than me. He was ahead by nearly fifty yards. I tried to hug all of the turns I could to try to catch up, but that second turn slowed me up again. I was only twenty yards behind.

In three laps we were side by side again.

(MMPOV)

I won the race by exactly three feet. I stood in the winner's circle waiting for the Championship racers to be announced. "Ten racers will be competing for the national title." Someone announced. In first, two racers tied with the most races Edward Cullen and the Masked Mercenary, Alec Salio, Caius Salio, James Jameson, Eric Poole, Riley Carney, Laurent Jordon, Avery Miller, and Cori Slim are the racers who will be competing. We will see these ten racers on the third of August on renowned Swan Speedway at three in the afternoon."

I turned to look at Edward. I nodded at him, showing him that he raced well, before I took off into the crowd, running from the paparazzi with ease.

888

(EPOV)

"Edward!" Bella cried out. I saw her standing on her front porch and I ran up to her. She practically jumped on me, wrapping her arms and legs around me. "You made it to the Championship Race!" She kissed my cheek lightly. I hugged her back and slowly set her feet on the ground.

"Yes I did." I smiled proudly.

"Hey kid!" Charlie called from the front door. "Come on in, eat some good food to celebrate, Bella will cook for you." He smiled up at me.

"No, that won't do… What kind of guy would I be if I had my girl slaving in a kitchen all of the time?" I asked teasingly. I looked down at her. "Do you mind if I steal her from you for a few hours?"

"Nope, just remember my terms."

"I will, sir." I smiled at him.

"Do I have to change?" Bella wondered. She was wearing a tee-shirt and jeans.

"Naw, you're perfect." I promised her. She waved to her father and I pulled her out of the house.

"Oh my, you brought your car with you?" Bella asked.

"Yeah, she wanted some back roads to drive on." I chuckled. "Do you mind?"

"No, I love racecars." Bella said with a wide smile. "Can I drive?"

"When we get where we're going…" I promised her.

888

Practicing (BPOV)

I sat in the driver's seat of Edwards' favorite car. Edward was in the passenger's seat. Unlike my dad's old car everything there was nothing in the whole front was clear. He slid into the middle seat and strapped on a harness.

"Alright, do you remember how to drive one of these?" Edward asked. We were on a practice track just south of Seattle. I am guessing he wanted to go to Swan Speedway, but he didn't want to stir bad memories in my mind.

"I'm pretty sure I remember." I smiled over at him.

"Now, let's not go too fast… Stay within your comfort zone, alright?"

"I can do this." I said with a smirk. I started the engine and loved the sound it made. Edward turned on the radio and I heard a song that I knew. I smirked and took off.

Being behind the wheel of the car always reminded me of what I hated to miss from being apart of the racing family. I pushed his car faster, singing along with the song.

"Get you where you wanna go if you know what I mean, got a ride that's smoother than a limousine… Can you handle the curves can you run all the lights, if you can baby boy than we can go all night…" I looked down at the speedometer. It was pushing over a hundred ninety miles per hour. That was not fast enough.

I pushed the car faster and Edward didn't stop me. He seemed to really trust me behind the wheel of his favorite car. I pushed it passed two-hundred and kept climbing as I twisted and turned down the road. The quicker the speed the more touchy the steering wheel became. And it felt so much like home, so familiar.

I drove only two laps before I stopped where I started. I shut off the engine and sighed happily. "You do know how to drive." Edward said with a huge smile.

"Daddy taught me." I smiled at him. I handed him the keys and un strapped myself. He quickly got out of his side—through the window—and tried to help me, but I was already pulling myself out of the car by the time he got to me. I let my feet touch the ground, but I stumbled back slightly. He caught me and held my back against his truck.

"Getting out of a car after going that fast can disorient you…and set you off balance." Edward whispered into my ear. He pressed his lips to the soft spot just under my ear.

"I am just naturally out of balance." I whispered in a dazzled voice. He affects me way too much. He turned me around and pressed my back against the hood of the car gently.

"Are you? I might have to make sure you don't fall over then…" Edward smiled at me brightly. He kissed my neck gently before he kissed my lips. It felt so juvenile, to be making out on the hood of a car, but it felt so right, natural… Probably because we were both huge car geeks…but gosh, it felt perfect.

888

We sat on the hood of his truck with our backs resting on the windshield, looking up at the stars. Our hands were tangled together as I rested my head against his shoulder. "Bella?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure…" I smiled at him. His green eyes locked on mine, sending shivers down my spine.

"Can you please come to the Championship race for me?" Edward asked. I stared at him for a long moment. "I just want you to be there with me…my lucky charm."

"I was someone else's lucky charm and they are paralyzed from the waist down because of that track." I stated in a slow voice.

"Honey, that wasn't your fault… It was an accident…" Edward told me cupping my face gently. "I just want to see your face in the end of that race…so, win or lose; I can wrap my arms around you right away instead of waiting for an hour to drive to your house."

I froze for a minute and thought… I slowly looked back up at the sky. "I'll be there… I will watch you race…but don't expect to see me before the race." I smiled at him and kissed his lips gently.

"All I need to do is see you at the end of the race…" Edward sighed, pulling me closer. "Thank you so much…"

We sat there for a long time. "Edward?" I wondered.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Would…you…be very angry with me if I didn't tell you something?" I asked biting my lip.

"If it were something that could hurt you? Maybe a little, but you have the right to keep secrets…" Edward said slowly. "Why?"

"There are just things in my past I haven't told you… I didn't know if that bugged you or not…"

"Are you healthy?"

"Yes…"

"Are you happy?" He wondered.

"Of course…" I replied.

"Do you hate me in anyway?"

"No! Never!"

"Do you secretly have a kid?" He asked in a teasing voice.

"No," I chuckled.

"Then it doesn't really bug me." Edward grinned at me. He kissed me sweetly.

"Thank you…"

"No problem…" Edward sighed, holding me close.

"You're going to be busy now won't you?"

"With what?"

"Practicing." I grinned at him.

"Probably…"

"I can fix your car…before the race… Make sure everything is in working order."

"Rose might get mad at you for touching the car she works on so hard…" Edward grinned at me. "But you will probably fix it better…" He smiled brightly and kissed my forehead.

"Oh no!" I said after a moment of thought.

"What is it?" Edward asked.

"Dad… I should be home by now…"

"Don't worry… I told him we might be out late." He smiled peacefully. I sighed and relaxed, looking up again. I rested against his warm chest and stared at the stars. "So…when you come to this game… Are you going to be wearing the number seventeen proudly?"

"I thought about wearing a nine hat, a checkered flag shirt, and a pair of my number three shorts." I stated. Edward pinched grabbed my arm tightly and rolled me onto my back so that he was hovering over me.

"A three huh…?" Edward asked in an angry voice.

"Yup." I smiled widely at him.

"Fraternizing with the enemy, love?" Edward asked, his eyes growing darker.

"Well I want to cheer for a winner." I taunted.

"Bella…" Edward half-growled at me.

"Or! I have this sapphire colored bikini that has huge black three right down—" Edward's lips attacked mine. He kissed me harshly, longingly. His tongue licked my lips gently before prying its way into my mouth, without any resistance from me. His tongue caressed mine in a tangled secret dance. We pulled away, completely out of breath. Edward kissed my neck, collar bones, and back again.

"Now what were you saying about that three."

"You might actually like the bikini I have…" I teased him once more.

"Bella," He warned me.

"I might be able to find a pair of shorts with the number seventeen on them." I sighed finally gaining my breath back.

"You better…" Edward grinned at me kissing my lips gently once more. "What did you mean when you said that I might like that bikini?"

"Oh, it's just really skimpy. I only bought it because the top says: 'I hide nothing', and the back of the top says: 'not even my face'." I chuckled. The bikini really was too skimpy, but it was hilarious and I had to buy it when I saw it. It was a perfect play on irony. "I would never wear it of course…far too revealing." I explained. Edward groaned.

"Tease." Edward mumbled, rolling himself off of me. Just then I watched three shooting stars fly through the sky. "Did you see that?"

"Yeah…notice how there were three of them?" I asked.

"Why you little—" I took off before he could catch me. I ran quickly towards the buildings in the center of the track. I slipped into an unlocked door and hid. My phone vibrated in my pocket. Thank god I turned the ringer off.

You can't hide pretty… ~Edward x

Yes I can. ~Bella X

I almost laughed but I remained silent. I looked around the room and slid underneath a car that was parked in the old garage. The door opened. Edward walked in and began to look around. The phone vibrated in my pocket again.

I didn't even move to answer it… If I did I knew that he would see the light, and I was barely blending in with the dark floor as it was. He soon left the room and I got up.

The clouds are rolling in…hope you're not afraid of thunder. ~Edward x

I love thunder, it sounds like a car engine. ~Bella X

I snuck out of the building just as it started to rain. Sure enough, in typical Washington style the clouds rolled in in under five seconds flat. I began to run quickly towards Edward's car.

"Hey!" Edward snapped. Bella ran faster, she got almost out of the grass when she was tackled. "Trying to steal my car?"

"Maybe…" I grinned. The rain was pouring down on us as we lay on the ground. My phone vibrated in my pocket and he felt it. "That would be my father, wondering why you have been corrupting me for so long into the long hours of the night." I stated simply. Edward sighed and got off of me. He got into his car and searched for the keys that had been in his pocket. "Slide over, honey." I whispered playfully, dangling his keys just out of his reach.

"Someone should totally punish you for all of your bad behavior." He said as he slid into the passenger seat.

"Oh…I'm terrified." I teased as I hopped through the window into the driver's seat. I pulled on the harness and began to drive off of the track.

"Remember this car doesn't have tail lights, so if you get pulled over you're in trouble."

"I know…besides, they wouldn't be able to keep up if they decided to chase me." I winked at him.

888

I was driving through the winding roads when Edward undid his harness. He slid into the center seat and kissed my neck, nibbling it gently. I moaned and closed my eyes. "Now now…you wanted to drive…you can't be getting distracted now…" Edward scolded. I opened my eyes slightly and he began to kiss me again, nibbling my skin lightly. He wasn't going to leave a single mark, jerk…if he was going to punish me he should at least make it known to my father so that my father could shot him.

I closed my eyes and let the sensations take over. Everything was heightened. I could still feel Edward kissing, teasing, tormenting me. I don't know how long I drove like that for but I felt Edward pull away and I opened my eyes again.

"Do you realize you just drove three miles with your eyes shut?" Edward asked in an awed and an amused voice.

"It doesn't surprise me… Dad taught me how to feel what a car needs rather than just guess what a car needs by using my sense of sight." I shrugged.

"Well, honey…I hope you've learned who your favorite driver is."

"I guess it has to be you…" I sighed, smiling at him.

"That's my girl…"

Warning (MMPOV)

I was getting ready to walk to my garage to get dressed and ready to qualify when I heard two voices. "I want to win, more than anything!" I heard Caius snap.

"Well, then make sure you win." A cool voice stated.

"How can I? They are faster than me by far!"

"If their cars are junked and they are unable to drive, they can't possibly be faster than you."

"if I take Cullen and the Mercenary out, they'll arrest me!"

"I'll do it… It's only a little while before the feds catch up to me anyway." James Jameson stated. "I will take them out and make sure they can't drive at all during the race."

"Alright…" Caius stated. "They will be close together, if you knock one out the other will crash too."

"I've got this under control."

"Hey! Little Mechanic!" I whirled around to see Alec walking my way. "Fans aren't allowed down here, bucko, even if they have family that races." Alec rolled his eyes at me.

"I'll be on my way…" I stated walking quickly away from Alec. I sprinted to my room and got changed quickly into my suit and helmet before I ran back to the Cullen's room. I walked in on Emmett and Jasper dancing together singing 'My Girl' at the top of their lungs to Edward who was red with frustration.

"Zip it!" Edward snapped.

"Oh, and when you win you are totally going to swoop her up in your arms and say—" Emmett began.

"Hey look it's the Masked Mercenary." Jasper smiled.

"No! He's gonna say 'Oh Dearest sweet Bella—" Emmett looked at me. "Oh… I thought you were joking, Jaz… It is the Masked Mercenary." I rolled my eyes even though they couldn't see it.

"What do you need?"

"Has your girl checked the weather?"

"Yeah…she says there isn't any wind today." Edward nodded.

"Do you trust these buffoons?" I asked.

"With my life." Edward replied. "What is it?"

"There's been a change in the winds… Caius is determined to win. He has James doing the dirty work for him. Apparently James is about to get into some major trouble with the feds so James volunteered to take both of us out so Caius could win the race." I paused. "Don't let anyone get near your car… You don't know who he might have messing around with it."

"Thanks for the warning." Edward stated gratefully.

"Those guys always race dirty…this time they are taking it too far." I nodded. I put my hand on his shoulder. "Be careful out there, drive safe kid."

"You too… Cause if you screw up I'm going down with you." Edward teased.

"Funny…that's exactly what they said."

"How did you hear them talking?" Emmett asked.

"I wasn't in my uniform, they didn't know who I was…" I shrugged. "They didn't know I was the person they were trying to take out." I smirked. "I have to go." I'm qualifying last…which is now…" I walked out of the building and into my garage. Felix was the only person in the room, as I had requested. "Did anyone try to tamper with my car?"

"Someone tried to get a look at it…but I kicked their ass and kicked them out of here." Felix smiled. I trusted him…Felix owed me a lot…and he knew it. I got into my car and pulled out onto the track. I started my three practice laps before the final Qualifying lap."

Race to win(Omniscient pov)

Charlie Swan sat in an upper deck. He listened to the announcers from his wheel chair as he looked out of the windows onto the track.

"And the Masked Mercenary begins his qualifying lap!" The announcer shouted as a green light flickered on. Charlie Swan hit a button on his stopwatch just as the car hit the starting line. "This is one of the fastest drivers Racing has seen since Charlie Swan himself." The Announcers rambled. "Charlie Swan set a record of three minutes and forty three seconds. This track is a fifteen mile track that has only two turns, one slightly more hazardous than the other."

(MMPOV)

I felt perfectly in the grove. I ignored the bad luck of this track and closed my eyes tightly as I went into my qualifying lap, giving the car all of the gas it wanted. I kept my eyes shut tight, feeling rather than thinking.

(Omniscient POV)

"OH MY GOSH! We just check inside the camera of the Masked Mercenary's car and the driver's eyes are closed! I haven't see anyone drive with their eyes closed since Charlie Swan!"

"This young man has instinct… This man knows his car." Charlie stated, rolling his chair close to the railing on the glass windows. Charlie looked down at the stopwatch. The Masked Mercenary was ten seconds faster than he was.

"He's going into turn two! Now this turn is where the good racers go to die and the Great racers fly with amazing colors!"

(MMPOV)

I felt the weight and tilt of the car shift and I dove low into the turn. I came out of the turn faster than I went into it.

(omPOV)

"OH MY GOD! THE MASKED MERCENARY IS GOING TO BEAT CHARLIE SWANS RECORD BY TEN SECONDS!" The announcers screamed.

Charlie Swan put his hands on the railing in front of him and used them to pull himself into a standing position, using only his arms to hold him up.

"CHARLIE SWAN IS ON HIS FEET! HE IS WATCHING HIS RECORD GET BLASTED AWAY AND HE DOESN'T EVEN LOOK DISAPOINTED!"

(MMPOV)

"Kid you got ten seconds on the old man." Felix stated.

"What?" He asked in shock, opening his eyes. He saw the timer on his stopwatch and let go of the accelerator, hitting the break. He slid past the finish line .01 seconds under Charlie Swans time.

(OmniPOV)

"He hit the brakes! HE SLOWED DOWN TO AVOID BREAKING THE RECORD! UNBELIVEABLE FOLKS!"

(MMPOV)

"Why did you do that kid?"

"He almost died here…he deserves to win here." I stated evenly.

"That's sportsmanship kid…"

888

We took a break before the race began. I walked quickly up to the upper deck where my hero sat. I opened the door and saw him sitting in his wheelchair. Charlie Swan…my hero.

"You should have beaten me… Why did you stop?" Charlie asked, turning to look at me.

"You deserved the win… I wasn't going to take it from you."

"Listen kid… I don't know who you are…but when you race, you race to win. Do you hear me? Don't go soft on an old man like me… Go and get it! I always told my daughter that and I meant it and still mean it. Race to win!"

I heard my stopwatch go off…and knew I had to get to my car quickly.

"Listen… I hate to cheer for you because I am pretty sure that my future son in law is also racing today…but go kill him for me please… He brought my daughter home late a few nights ago."

"I will." I agreed. I walked out of the room.

(CSPOV)

"Do you know who the Masked Mercenary is?" A woman asked me, bringing me my iced tea.

"I'm pretty sure I know him…" I smiled brightly at her.

(EPOV)

I looked over at the Masked Mercenary and smiled before I pulled my helmet on. I was thankful that he hadn't crushed my hero's record as he very well could have. I was three seconds slower than Double M today but I felt able to win. Alice had told me that win or lose today would be a great day for me…so I really didn't care.

I started my car and waited. I hated that this was my last race of the season…it hurt to think that my car would have to hibernate for the winter. But…on the upside I would have all winter with Bella.

I saw the green light flash and I took off. I could feel the weight of the ring in my back pocket as I drove. Win or lose, I was going to propose to Bella today. Yeah, yeah…it seemed short notice, we had only been dating for a few months, but I loved her and had known her for ten years. Charlie approved of me, even though he got angry for keeping her out late some nights… I just couldn't leave her alone some days… To think she was in the stadium watching me.

"Hey kid?"

"Double M? How did you get my radio signal?" I asked curiously.

"Never mind that. Are you alright? You seem dazed… You can't be dazed today. This is a really short race today, you can't afford to zone out… James has been riding my ass, and you haven't even noticed Alec on yours."

"I'm awake now… Sorry… I have a lot on my mind."

"Just shut up and drive. Get on with it already. Drive, that's your job right now, drive."

"I got it." I stated, ducking low in the turn so that Double M could duck lower and get further away from James.

"Hey, on this second curve, slow down…and close your eyes… I'll make sure no one runs into you."

"What?"

"Trust me…you'll know how to race the track better. That is all that this is about. You aren't racing other people, you are racing the track."

I saw Double M slide back behind me, pushing James and Caius back. I closed my eyes and felt rather than saw, just like Bella had said. I could feel what the curve needed and pulled it off.

"Okay, now that I've taught you how to drive the corner let's skedaddle! These guys are getting really close to tearing the paint off of my favorite car. Let's pull away from them so they can't crash us."

We pulled a safe distance away from the pack and remained that way with only five laps to go.

(MMPOV)

With three laps left to go I planned how I would mess up the second to last lap so that Edward could win, so I didn't have to reveal myself…but Charlie's words entered my mind. 'Race to win.'

I punched it and dove underneath Edward. "You're on your own kid…it was a pleasure racing with you." Then, I took off, pulling away from him, allowing the speed to consume me…and yes! I won by thirteen feet.

Victory (MMPOV)

I drove my victory lap and pulled into the victory circle. I pulled off my helmet and gloves, grabbing my hat as I pulled myself out of my car. Felix was the first one there to help me out. I saw Edward walking into the circle to see me revealed. Felix patted my back and hugged me. I walked up to the interviewers who were waiting for me.

I took off the ski mask that I wore under my helmet before I put on my faded old nine hat and took off the dark blue suit. Everyone knew me the instant I shook out my mane of dark brown hair. Edward moved forward and wrapped his arms around me tightly.

"I knew it was you." Edward whispered into my ear. "I knew it when you said 'shut up and drive'."

"Are you mad at me?" I asked quietly.

"No, Bella… I couldn't be mad at you… You joined the family again… You faced your fear." Edward kissed me. "You are so brave… My brave Bella…" I was given my trophy and asked thousands of questions, the most reoccurring one being 'Are you going to race next season?"

Dad arrived and I hugged him the instant he came into view. He cried, I cried…but neither of us were sad… The paparazzi then pulled me away and again began asking questions. That's when Edward stepped in.

"Hey! She's a small girl who needs more air than your giving her… Leave her alone, you can write your slandered stories later." He took my hand and pulled me away from the crowd. I got into my car and drove both of us back into my garage while Felix handled the paparazzi.

Edward hugged me tightly as soon as I got out of the car. "How did I not see you?"

"I was under a whole tone of extra padding that made me fat, I talked in a low voice, put in colored contacts and never showed my face…that's how." I grinned.

"But you drove just like you always did…perfect." Edward smiled and pressed me against the front bumper of my car. "You know…you put a scratch in the hood of my car…your jeans did…" Edward smiled smugly.

"I'm sorry!" I told him instantly.

"Payback." Edward whispered pushing me back onto the hood of my car and kissing me senseless. "By the way… I love the shorts."

I had on black shorts that had a seventeen written on the front in bold on the front of my thighs, one number on each thigh. On the back it said 'property of Edward Cullen'…that I had written in, in dark sapphire sharpie.

"I thought you might…" I smiled.

Wedding (BPOV)

I sat on the hood of my racecar in the center of the old race track Edward and I came to quite often… Charlie had gone all the way home from the championship race with a lady from the rez named Sue, that I knew he had a crush on…so I gave him his time, and spent my time with Edward. We were lying on the hood of my car, which had a scratch in it now thanks to Edward's jeans.

Edward got off of the hood and I sat up to look at him. "What is it?"

"I've known you for a long time, Bella."

"Yeah…?"

"Well…you know…I suck with words… so I have a question for you…"

"Spit it out!" I chuckled. Edward got down onto one knee and I gasped.

"I love you, Bella…and I will love you every day until the end of time… Will you marry me?" He was holding out a ring to me but I didn't see it. I jumped off the hood and nearly tackled him in a hug. I kissed him all over his face.

"Yes!" I promised him over and over again. He stilled me and pulled me into a deep, passionate kiss as he slid his ring around my finger. I looked down at the ring and realized something… It was my mother's old ring. "Oh Edward."

"Is it too much? I can get you a different one."

"It's perfect… Now I will always have a piece of her with me." I whispered happily kissing him again.

(EPOV)

In spite of what Alice wanted…Bella and I had a small wedding less than half a week after I proposed. Just our families came…well, plus Jacob and his boyfriend, Seth, Leah, Billy, and Sue. That was all we needed, Just our families together to celebrate a happy event.

Today…was the polar opposite. It was a huge wedding in the back yard of my parent's house… This was Alice and Jasper's wedding. Emmett and I were the best 'men' because Jasper was too much of a chicken to pick a favorite. Bella was the maid of honor…which worked fine for me…

We danced for what seemed like hours. I looked down at Bella. She was wearing a dark blue dress and dark black high heels. She looked enchanting with her hair down in curls. The dress she wore had only two little strings holding it up around her neck.

It was driving me crazy!

I was a married man now…and my wife wearing something that easily accessible did not go unnoticed in the slightest. I had been married to her for a month…and the three week honeymoon wasn't enough…and I had her everyday…repetitively. I couldn't get enough of her.

I tried to control myself, but that definitely wasn't going to happen.

"Edward, not now, your sister is getting married." Bella whined. She could tell…well I wasn't very good at hiding it…fail… The song ended and I grabbed Bella's hand taking her quickly through the crowd. No one seemed to notice we were missing… Except for Emmett who winked at me wickedly. I picked Bella up and carried her into my old room setting her down on the bed.

"Six hours is too effin long." I stated undoing my tie and shrugging out of my coat. Bella giggled lightly.

"Come on, just a few more hours…" She tried to walk away.

"Hell no! I am not waiting three more hours!" I stated grabbing her and kissing her senseless. She gave into me…she was just like me, we just couldn't get enough of each other… She was just better at pretending to be normal. I unzipped the back of her dress, which is when I realized that the two little strings around her neck wasn't attached to her dress. "What are you wearing, Mrs. Cullen?"

"Do you remember that really slutty bikini I was telling you about?" Bella asked in a teasing voice. I wasted no time getting her undressed and making the woman I loved more than anything mine once again.