Here we go again … the plot bunny just couldn't stay away. Persistent little fucker. Originally, this began as a dream. When I woke up, I wrote down as much as I could, but it's morphed into something different.

In regard to updates, I'm hoping to make this similar to TOTGA and post on Mondays and Fridays, with teasers on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but that's all based on whether or not I can get a surplus of chapters written. I also have a couple other active stories. Though, LMDC is getting close to being finished. Anyhow, I'm rambling. I'd rather get started with my newest story …

Chapter Two

"Bella, are you ready or not?" Alice asked, hitting on Bella's closed door. The door opened and Bella walked out, wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a deep blue blouse that hugged her curves. "Ooooh, I like. You have better fashion sense than my sister. I'm the girly one. My sister, Cynthia? She favors oversized sweatshirts and jeans."

"When did she move out? And why?" Bella asked, picking up her black leather jacket and a red clutch.

"Cynthia got a new job. She's a software designer. Her new company is down in Silicon Valley. She moved out and down to sunny California. She was excited, but freaking out about earth quakes. She hates them," Alice chuckled. "She endured her first quake up here …"

"Wait, there's earth quakes in the Pacific Northwest?" Bella squeaked.

"You don't like them either?" Alice replied, her eyes dancing.

"I've never experienced one, but the whole concept that ground moves? That's scary as fuck, Alice," Bella said.

"We've never had anything too bad. It's not as terrifying as it is down in California, but there are a number of fault lines in the area. Pretty simply, when the ground starts moving, you go to a doorway or outside. You'll be fine," Alice smirked, hugging her new friend. "Now, I want to go out with you and introduce you to my Jasper, Emmett and Rose."

"Oh, yay. I get to be the fifth wheel," Bella deadpanned.

"You may meet someone. Jasper and Emmett are both firefighters and we're going to a local firefighter's bar called the Fireman's Pole," Alice said, tugging on Bella's hand. "It'll be fun. You will not be the fifth wheel." They left the apartment, catching a cab to the bar. Alice waved at the bouncer as she made her way past him. Inside, she weaved through the crowd until she made it to the bar. "Jasper!" She hugged a tall, handsome blonde man. His looks were rugged and he had kind hazel eyes. "I missed you, baby. How was your shift?"

"Long," Jasper replied, his voice deep and had a bit of a southern drawl to it. "There were too many car accidents and fires. I'm sore."

"Poor baby," Alice pouted, kissing him sweetly. "You sore, too, Em?"

"Never," Emmett laughed. "I work out so I don't feel the pain like scrawny over here." He pushed Jasper, who nearly fell off his stool. Emmett was muscular, with pale skin and bright blue eyes. His hair was coal black. He had a warm smile and seemed very sweet. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh! Emmett, Jasper, this is my roommate and new friend, Dr. Isabella Swan," Alice said, indicating to Bella. "Bella, this is my Jasper Hale and Emmett McCarty."

"Nice to meet you both," Bella said, shaking their hands.

"Where's Rose?" Alice asked.

"She texted me about ten minutes ago. She just finished up an emergency appendectomy. She should be here in an hour or so," Emmett said. "Until then, Dr. Bella, you're my date."

"Whatever will Rose think?" Bella smirked.

"My girlfriend knows her schedule is erratic and she wants me to have fun. I'd never cheat on her. Let's just say, I'm protective," Emmett laughed. "Unless you want to flirt with one of these guys, then, I'll be your wingman."

"Good to know," Bella laughed. "Any suggestions?"

"Hmmm, are you looking for something serious or something fun?" Emmett asked, draping his arm over Bella's shoulders. "Or a little bit of both?"

"Something fun, Emmett," Bella giggled. "But, first, I want to get you know you guys. There's plenty of time for that. The night's young."

"I like her, Ali," Emmett beamed. "She's got spunk and she's all sorts of hot." That broke the ice. Beers were ordered and they moved to a booth. They quickly blended, friendships quickly forming. Jasper and Emmett adopted Bella as a long-lost older sister. She was older than everyone, but years of schooling made her social life practically nonexistent.

Rose came a little after ten, looking even more like a supermodel than a doctor who had just gotten off a thirty-six-hour shift. She kissed Emmett and gave Bella a curt hello. Once Rose arrived, Bella went to the bar to get a refill. She didn't want to deal with a cold shoulder. Waving down the bartender, she ordered another beer and a tequila shooter.

"I'll get that," said a male voice. "A woman as beautiful as you shouldn't be buying her own drinks."

Bella blinked up and saw highlighted blonde hair with brown eyes. "Thank you," she smiled. "I'm Bella."

"Riley," he replied, giving her a gorgeous smile. "You here alone?"

"I'm with some new friends. I just moved here," Bella said, taking her shot and grinning up at him. "Though, we had a new addition and I didn't get such a warm reception." She turned and looked at the table, where it looked like Rose was getting bitched at.

"You're here with Jasper and Emmett?" Riley asked. "They're good guys. So, is Alice. But, Rosalie? She can be …"

"A bitch?" Bella offered. "I kind of gathered that. But, I can also be a bitch, but I didn't want my true colors to come out right away."

"You can't be a bitch. If you were, you would have thrown the tequila in my face and kneed me in the balls," Riley laughed. Bella arched a brow. "Not very many women accept drinks from single guys. I promise I'm not an asshole."

"I'm a pretty good judge of character. You don't seem like an asshole, or I would have given you a tequila shower," Bella laughed. "Do you work with them?"

"Yeah. I'm a paramedic," he grinned. "But, I'm hoping to start medical school in the fall, University of Washington."

"Congratulations," Bella said. "What specialty?"

"Cardiology or oncology," Riley shrugged. "My mom had a heart attack a few years back and the cardiologist was amazing, but my little sister had leukemia and the oncologists worked so hard to cure her."

"And now?" Bella asked.

"Bree is about to graduate high school," Riley answered, sipping his beer.

"Biers, scram," said a female voice.

"But, I'm getting to know the beautiful Bella," Riley pouted.

"I've been up for almost forty hours. I don't do this often, but I need to apologize." Bella turned around and saw an exhausted Rosalie standing behind her. "If you want to bone her, you can, but give me a few minutes."

"Promise me a dance, Bella?" Riley asked, squeezing Bella's hand.

"Only if you want me to break your feet," Bella laughed. Riley smirked, sliding away and moving toward the table where Alice and the guys were sitting. Bella turned around, arching a brow at Rosalie. "I know you must be exhausted. I just finished my residency and the hours on end, working and hoping that your patients don't die. But, it's no excuse to be a twat. Riley said you were bitch."

"That little …" Rose sneered.

"And I agree, but you ain't got nothing on me," Bella said, crossing her arms over her chest. Rose pursed her lips. "I'm going to be working in the same hospital as you and I am one of the pediatric fellows. You may not have to like me, but you don't get to treat me like I'm the shit underneath your shoes. I don't know why you think it's an appropriate way to act, by treating everyone like they're garbage and exhaustion is not an excuse."

"You're right," Rose sighed, running her hands through her blonde hair. "I'm so used to doing it that it's second nature. I'm sorry." She held out her hand. "Rosalie Hale, doctor, bitch and I hope, friend?"

"In time," Bella said, shaking her hand. "Now, I have some adorable med student that I want to finish getting to know." She slid off the stool and they walked back to the booth where Bella slid her arms around Riley's waist. He smiled, holding her to his body. "Get a few drinks in me? Maybe we can talk about that dance."

xx SG xx

"Dr. Masen, we have a little boy with a suspicious rash," said Shelly Cope, one of the charge nurses. "I'd send in one of the residents, but the boy is covered head-to-toe in this rash."

"Thanks, Shelly," Edward said, finishing his notes on his tablet. He handed her the tablet, getting the new one for the boy, Cole. He read the history and strode into the room. "Hello? My name is Dr. Edward Masen."

"I'm Kathryn and this is my son, Cole," the mom said. She was clearly worried and running her fingers through the boy's hair.

"Why don't you tell me the symptoms?" Edward asked, sitting down next to the quiet, sick little boy. Kathryn shared the symptoms and Cole piped up when Edward gave him a physical examination. "I think that you just have a mild form of miliaria. It's a heat rash."

"I disagree," said a petite, brunette doctor. She was dressed in a pair of gray dress pants and a light blue blouse, underneath her white doctor's coat. She glanced at the tablet in her hand, wrinkling her nose. "Did you vaccinate your son?"

"Vaccinate?" asked Kathryn.

Edward looked at the young doctor. She was new, that was certain. "A word, Dr. Swan?" he growled, glaring at her coat, seeing her name, Dr. I. Swan. The woman arched a brow, holding her tablet to her body. "Please?" They both gave Kathryn a clinical smile. Edward gestured to the hallway and glowered at the woman. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Dr. Isabella Swan. Shelly paged me and asked me to consult on your case," Bella said, holding out her hand. Edward sneered at her, leaving her hanging. She put her hand down, placing both of her hands on her hips. "And I would appreciate if you would not swear at me." Edward continued to glare at her. "Look, I don't think that Cole has miliaria. He's running a fever, which is not an indicator of heat rash. He also has never been vaccinated." Bella showed Edward the medical records, showing that Cole did not receive any vaccinations.

"Regardless, you should have approached me since I'm his physician," Edward snapped. "It makes me look incompetent."

"If the shoe fits," Bella snarled back. "You didn't look at the whole picture. Nor did you run any cultures. You were going to release this boy back to his mom with his this highly communicable disease. I ordered Shelly to take his blood and test it, just to verify my diagnosis. If you would pull your head out of your own ass, you would have done the same." Before he could respond, Bella turned on her heel, gliding back into the examination room and explained, calmly to the mother what she believed her son to have.

Edward was panting in the hallway, wanting to strangle Dr. Isabella Swan, regardless of how gorgeous she was.

What the fuck?

He took a breath, walking back into the room. Kathryn looked angry at Dr. Swan, prattling on about how vaccinations cause autism. Edward rolled his eyes, hating the stance on people who were anti-vaccine. However, Bella was bringing up valid points and was acting calmly. She gave Edward a hateful glower as Shelly finished the blood draw. "Hopefully, we'll know what's wrong in a few hours. For now, let's start Cole on a fever reducer and some cream to alleviate the itchiness of the rash."

"Can I get some ice cream?" Cole asked, his voice raspy.

"I think that's doable," Bella said, smiling gently. "You took that poke like a champ. What flavor?"

"Strawberry?"

"It's yours bud," Bella beamed, nodding at Shelly. "We'll be back. Dr. Masen, a word?" She stepped out and led them to the doctor's lounge. Edward was angry and humiliated. "I think we caught it early enough. We just need to support Cole in his recovery, but we have to make sure that he's no longer contagious."

"I can't believe you," Edward hissed.

"I can't believe you, either. We're working for the same team, Dr. Masen," Bella growled. "Do you want to help that little boy?" Edward stared at her, his eyes narrowed. "You can hate me all you want, Dr. Masen, but we need to work together to help that boy."

"I don't think he has the measles," Edward replied, his hands clenched into tight fists.

"Well, what harm would it be for you to wait the few hours to see if he does?" Bella asked. "He's still running a fever and is dehydrated. By the time he eats his ice cream, is rehydrated and his fever falls to a more normal range, we'll have the information whether or not he has the measles." She pushed past him, handing her tablet with her orders to Shelly. Shelly at least looked abashed when she blinked over at Edward. He snarled, stomping away and into his office.

Sitting down at his computer, he pulled up Isabella's personnel file. Who was this woman and what right did she have to pull this shit over on him? He read her biography. She graduated from Dartmouth at the top of her class in pre-med. She completed her medical training at University of Chicago, completing her residency at Lurie Children's Hospital, with some other local hospitals in Chicago, as well. His brows raised when he saw that she was the daughter of Dr. Charles Swan, who was a world-renowned pediatrician, known for several surgical techniques that saved children's lives. She had excellent training and a well-known pedigree, but it gave her no right to treat him so rudely, to undermine his diagnosis.

A few hours later, Shelly knocked on Edward's door. He looked up, his stare angry. "What?"

"The results are back on Cole's blood test," Shelly replied. She handed him the tablet. He read the information, growling lowly. "Dr. Swan was correct. She's working on admitting him since his fever hasn't gone down."

"He's my patient, Shelly," Edward snapped.

"No, he's both of you and Dr. Swan's patient," Shelly snapped back. "Look, I don't know why you're pissed at me, Dr. Masen. I called in a pediatrician, at Dr. Volturi's suggestion. Dr. Swan is one of the best and brightest, per her department head and she might be joining the emergency department. This was a test for her. A test, which she passed."

"What?" Edward snarled.

"She's going to be the pediatric emergency fellow, Dr. Masen. You're going to have to work with her," Shelly said, looking at him. "Now, she did step on toes on how she approached you and Cole, but she's an excellent diagnostician and great with the kids." Shelly turned and left. Edward looked at the test results again, hating that he was wrong. Pushing away from his desk, he got up and went to Cole's room. Dr. Swan was sitting on Cole's bed, speaking to Cole and Kathryn. She was explaining the diagnosis and handing over the paperwork for Cole's admittance.

"Dr. Masen," Bella said, blinking up at the handsome, green-eyed and bronze-haired doctor. He still looked angry, but resigned. "I was just telling Kathryn and Cole about the measles. Do you have anything to add?"

"Um, do you have any questions?" Edward asked, looking at them.

"How long will he have to stay in the hospital?" Kathryn asked. Edward looked down at the tablet, seeing that Cole had a minor case of pneumonia.

"Probably when the pneumonia clears up and his fever breaks," Edward answered. "But, you should make a full recovery."

"I'll be up to visit you," Bella smiled, holding out a fist. Cole laughed, then coughed, but fist bumped her hand. Cole held out his hand to Edward. "It's called a fist bump, Dr. Masen."

Stiffly, Edward bumped Cole's hand. "Feel better, little man."

The orderlies came and rolled Cole out of the room, with Kathryn following them. Edward and Bella stood there until they were out of ear shot. "I'm sorry," Bella said. "I didn't mean to step on your toes, Dr. Masen."

"Don't. Do. It. Again," Edward hissed out, stomping out of the room.

A/N: So, they met. And it wasn't all puppy dugs and rainbows. Edward's hatred of woman is still quite apparent, but why? Now, will they stay arch enemies? Only time will tell. But, Bella is now a permanent fixture down in the emergency room as a peds fellow. It's what she wanted.

Leave me some loving and thanks for reading. Also, pictures of the characters are on my blog. You can find the link for that on my profile. I'm also on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.