In case you didn't notice I have a link up for pics of Rose's apartment. I haven't decided what I want Tyler's nursery to look like yet so I haven't put a pic of that. But go check it out.


I'd rather spend my life close to the birds than waste it wishing I had wings… (A patient on House MD)


"What did you do to her?"

"She was fine a minute ago."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Bella, Bella can you hear me?"

Those voices…where are those voices coming from? I recognize Rose calling my name and her boyfriend's is coming to me too…but that other…more perfect…almost velvet like in its smoothness…I've never heard that one before. I want to hear more of it, but how? Should I continue lying here, wherever here is and hope it continues or should I wake up from this strange dream and maybe try to make it speak again? But what if when I get up I realize the voice was part of this dream? What then?

"What do we do? Should I call a doctor? Oh I hope she's alright! It's all my fault!"

"How so Rosie?"

"You do recall that I'm a doctor don't you? She'll be fine. Her breathing is normal and so is her coloring. Maybe she just has a cold or something. For now we have to wait to find out what's wrong. I'll go get a damp cloth for her head. Do you have any smelling salts?"

"Yes, it's in the second drawer to your right. Well I've been overworking her and now she's blacked out with exhaustion, I'm sure of it. Damn it!"

Oh no, Rose is blaming herself. Now I have to get up; even if it will mean that I have to lose the sound of the most beautiful voice I've ever heard.

"Rose, I'm fine. I…I don't know what happened really but I'm…oh" I can't even formulate words anymore because suddenly I remember why I fainted when I see him again. Wow. Talk about a Greek god. If I thought Emmett was a catch I was wrong, because damn if his brother isn't the best specimen of the male species I have ever seen. And that's with his clothes on…Hmmmm.

Focus.

"Oh? Does something hurt? Edward, do something!" I hear the words but I can't process them because the next thing I know his hands are on me and all else ceases to exist. His hands rest against my throat and forehead and he announces that all seem fine on that front.

"Does anything hurt?"

I blink twice to clear the fog and answer "no, I told you Rose I'm fine" not yet able to address him.

"Well I'm going to have to take your word for it. I want you to stay still for me for at least a minute okay? Rosalie can you bring her a glass of water?"

"I told you so Rose. I'm fine! Now where's Tyler?"

"Did you not just hear what was said? You had better lie there like a dead fish or I am going to make Dr. Cullen put you on bed rest! Do not cross me Bella, I mean it." Wow, she is mad! I better just lie here because, if I know Rose, she is definitely the follow-through type.

"Fine"

"Drink this. Maybe I should introduce myself. Typically I introduce myself before treating my patients but since we did everything in reverse, and this is far from a professional setting, my name is Edward Cullen."

"My baby brother. But don't let that fact fool you because he is nothing compared to me. He is most definitely the inferior Cullen."

"Well I won't hold that against him. It's nice to meet you Edward; I'm Bella by the way." Edward, that's a name I can definitely grow to love. Oh who am I kidding, I love hi-I mean it, yes it, already.

"Bella…beautiful." Of course I blush. I know he's simply translating my name but I can't help but imagine that he's really speaking about me.

"Way to lay it on bro. Come on Rosie let's go see what the little man is up to?" They leave the room and suddenly I'm nervous and I don't know why. What I do know however is that I've never been able to hide anything; my face is an open book.

"Do I make you nervous Bella?" he asks me with this annoying yet gorgeous smirk on his face. Is he making fun of me? He better not be.

"Not in the least." Did I mention I was a terrible liar?

"Uh huh. I'm sure." Damn. I need to learn how to lie better. No matter, I'll just have to change the topic.

"So what kind of doctor are you?"

"Changing the subject are we? Okay, I'll play along. I'm a cardiologist. So is my father. Emmett as you may already know is into bio-mechanical engineering. I take it your Tyler's nanny?"

"Yes I am. I'm studying to become an English teacher with a special focus on special education. I actually didn't know that about Emmett. Would you believe that I only met him last night?"

"Anything is possible with my brother. He get's comfortable around people very quickly."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Well do you get comfortable around people quickly?"

"Typically no. But strangely enough around you I feel extremely comfortable. How about you?"

I take a moment to process that question. I choose to answer him honestly.

"It's the same for me. I'm normally so closed off to new people that I can count the number of friends I have on one hand. Somehow, with you, I, well, I'm not so closed off." And it seems my brain to mouth filter isn't working around you either! Bloody hell. Why did I seriously just tell him that I have, at most, five friends? How sad does that make me sound? Ugh.

Luckily I don't get to see what his facial expression is at my embarrassing confession because I hear Tyler calling for me. Well as good as any one year old would be able to call me.

"Excuse for a moment, duty calls."

I thought that by saying that I was going to attend to Tyler I wouldn't have to worry about Edward but he followed me into Tyler's playroom.

"Edward, meet my son."

Oh so it seems he has never met Tyler either. So Edward is just as new to Rosalie's life as Emmett. I would have thought that since she was working on something with him they knew each other before that.

Tyler takes one look at Edward and wobbles his way over. Hmmm. It seems Tyler has become a lot more welcoming with new faces. Edward picks Tyler up like a natural and coos at him. It's so cute.

"Tyler! I guess you don't want me anymore do you? Rose it seems your son does not need me now that there are men around."

"Bella don't you ever say that! Tyler will always need you. He just seems to be craving some male attention right now, that's all." She looks rather unsure but determined to make me believe what she's saying is true. Rose is nothing if not determined.

"Well I love kids and kids love me so why wouldn't he come to me? And Emmett is a big baby so Tyler recognizes himself in him."

I think I agree with that theory. It makes me feel less unwanted. I really hope Edward is right because I can't really afford to lose my job and the security it offers me. Without it I would be homeless, broke and hungry. That is not the position I see myself surviving in for the next two years of college.

"I just remembered you wanted to talk to me about something this morning. What was it?"

"Oh, I completely forgot about that. Can we talk up in my room? Leave the boys to it?"

"Sure" she easily complies.

"Okay, start talking, I'm all ears."

"Well, I uh, I was wondering if maybe I can get this Saturday off. It's just because I have a paper to hand in and exams to study for and I really don't want to fail. This is a really important class and I-"

"Bella, stop. Yes you can have Saturday off, and Sunday too if you need it."

"I can?"

"Did you honestly think I was going to say no?"

"Honestly I don't know. It was definitely a possibility."

"I'm hurt Bella. I really am. You obviously think of me as a heartless b-"

"No, no I don't. You know how I get sometimes Rose. I just had a bout of insecurity that's all."

"Well then you need to learn to get over that. Don't you know that you are an indispensible part of my family? No matter what and in any capacity that I can have you. Okay? So the next time you need something from me please, don't hesitate."

"Rose, don't say things like that, you'll make me start to believe it. I already owe you much more than I can ever repay, how do you expect me to repay you for accepting me shortcomings and all?"

"That's just the thing, I don't. I meant what I said Isabella. I love you like a sister and when you get married and leave me and my son to go start your own family I can only hope that you come to visit often."

"You're gonna make me cry. You know what, even if you no longer need me when you and Emmett go off to live happily ever after I'm going to impose myself so much on you that you're going to be sick of me."

"I hope so."

We hug and then return to the boys gathering.

"Em hunnie, it seems we're going to have to dine in on Saturday okay? That way Tyler gets to spend time with you, I get to spend time with Tyler and Bella gets some much needed time off. I'm afraid we've been very selfish; spending so much time together meant that Bella had to pull double duty with Ty."

"I am so sorry Bella. I honestly didn't realize what my wanting to spend so much time with Rose would mean for anybody else. Please forgive me."

"I don't hold any of you accountable; I blame love. It makes people do crazy things or so I've heard."

Edward perks up at that and asks "have you never been in love Bella?"

"I've been in like lots of times but never fortunate to have been in love."

"How unfortunate."

I blush. I really need to learn how to control that because Rose gives me this smug knowing look and all I want to do is melt or run away, whichever's easier. To make matters worse Edward is staring at me rather intensely but I can't figure out what that look means. My mind tells me that he is just trying to figure me out; a new puzzle to conquer; that would be the logical explanation; but my irrational side makes me hope that it means more than just mere curiosity, maybe even faint interest.

I brush that irrational hope aside, there is no room for irrational behaviour in this world. Absolutely no room.

"I should probably get going, I've imposed myself on you all for long enough. Em are you ready?"

"Yea, in a minute."

"Bella why don't you show Edward around. He may be spending a lot of time here." Huh? What does she mean by that?

"Sure. Would you like that Edward?" I look at him through my eyelashes so that I don't have to face his rejection full on but, surprisingly enough, he accepts.

I take him through the main living area so that he'll know where everything is. We pass by Rose's bedroom but don't go in, that room is off limits to anyone but Rose and Emmett. Not even Tyler is allowed in there. I take him into Tyler's nursery and he takes a brief glance and walks out.

"I want to see your room."

"Um…I'm not sure how visitor friendly it is. I haven't really had a chance to clean it so it's up to you if you want to be subjected to all that."

"That's okay. I still want to see it."

"Fine, but you can't say I didn't warn you." I show him into my bedroom and he walks directly to my bed and sits on it as though he's always in here. He looks so good on my bed. Seeing him there only causes the dream of the night before to come to the forefront of my mind.

"Your bed is very comfortable Bella. Won't you join me?"

Without hesitation I walk over to my bed trying not to look like an over eager child, but I'll be damned if I wasn't excited by the prospect of being on the same bed as him, on my bed no less.

"It has to be. My days go on forever so my bed has to be able to help me wind down at the end of it."

"That makes sense. Can I ask you something Bella?"

"You just did. Sure anything." Okay so I know it's probably not a good idea allowing him to ask me anything considering I hardly know him. But what the hell ever.

"Anything? That's so tempting, but I'll just stick to the original question I planned to ask. What made you decide to become a nanny if what you really want to do is teach?"

"Well, I needed a job. My scholarship doesn't cover room and board. The apartment Charlie put me up in was paid only for three months more so I was desperate-"

"Charlie?"

"My dad. Anyway as I was saying-"

"You call your dad by his first name?"

"Not to his face. Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Sorry. Please go on."

"Yea so I needed a job and I saw this ad in the paper saying that a live-in-nanny was required. I called because quite frankly my other options were not very appealing. I mean who the hell can survive as a waitress through the whole of college? I know that there are people who do it, but I just can't. Not for three years. Anyway I called Rose and we met and we hit it off since then."

"So you became a nanny because it was the best of limited options?"

"Basically yes. Besides I figured that watching hours of 'The Nanny' qualified me as an expert on the subject. Plus it was something to do you know?"

"So you've never had any experience with children?"

"No. I'm an only child and Renee and Phil, my mom and stepdad, never saw the need to have more. Charlie never got over Renee so the possibility of him having another child is slim to none. I've no little cousins either so, it was just me. Luckily Tyler is no trouble at all so my work isn't so hard and my lack of experience is not a problem. Rose knows in case you're wondering."

"I take it you like kids then. I mean you want to become a teacher and you're a nanny so you obviously have a special place in your heart for them."

"Yes. I think it has something to do with not having anyone to grow up with and not having some sort of parental guidance either. Um do you want to see the garden?" I really don't feel like dredging up all those repressed emotions.

"Maybe next time. I feel too relaxed to get off the bed but I will drop the subject which I think is what you were trying to do. Am I right?"

"Thank you. It's too early in the day for tears. So what is it you need to do at Rose's company, or is it confidential?"

"My hospital is heading a charity and we need Hale Enterprises to help us with setting it up and specifically Rosalie with promoting it. I'll be the face of the charity which is why I'm the one dealing with her directly."

"What kind of charity?"

Just as he is about to answer Emmett pounds on my door.

"Yo bro. I thought you were ready to go? You better not be doing anything inappropriate to Bella in there!"

Edward smirks.

"He seems to think I am some sort of womanizer. Why he would think that is beyond me. It seems I have to get going. I hope I get to see you again Bella, and soon."

"There's a strong possibility."

"If you two don't come out right now I'm coming in. And I know you're in there because I can hear you."

"We're coming Emmett. No need to get hostile." I yell through the door. "I'm really fond of my door!"

We all walk to the front door, Rose and Emmett holding hands, Edward walking beside me and me holding Tyler.

"It was nice meeting you Edward. Say bye-bye Tyler!" Adorably Tyler stretches for Edward and fusses when he realizes that Edward is leaving.

"Same here Bella."

They leave and Rose pounces.

"Spill."


PLEASE REVIEW! Let me know where I've gone wrong, what you want more of, or what you want less of. And most importantly, keep reading!

Lunarskky ;D