Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Hi, this is Bella, either I couldn't get to the phone or I lost it again. Leave a message after the beep!"

Frowning, Edward hung up. It was Monday afternoon already and he still had no answer from Bella. Either she'd blocked him or she'd turned off her phone, but neither of these options made sense. He didn't know why Bella had cancelled on him yesterday despite having agreed to not break off her friendship with Alex. Yesterday, when he'd gone to pick up his kid, the disappointment had been palpable about not seeing Bella. When Alex asked why Bella had cancelled, Edward told him she'd sounded sick on the phone, and that they would visit when Bella gave them the ok.

He'd called her about eleven times already, and he was getting increasingly worried that this wasn't a matter of avoiding him but that something had happened to her. She lived alone, after all, and she was a successful author; too many things could happen. Edward eventually worried so much about Bella that he closed shop a little early and made his way to Bella's apartment.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Cullen," Jack greeted when Edward came in.

"Hi Jack. How's it going?" Jack smiled back, tipping his hat.

"Good, thank you. Here to see Ms. Brandon?" Confused, but forgetting the doorman always called Bella by her real last name, he nodded. "Very well. Go right up, Mr. Cullen." Jack let Edward in past the doors, and thanking him, Edward hurried inside. The ride up the elevator seemed eternal, but when he finally arrived in Bella's floor level he hurried over to ring the doorbell.

Ding-dong!

Nothing.

Ding-dong!

Nothing again.

He rang the bell one more time just in case, and this time the door opened. An angry-looking Alice opened the door, who lightened her expression when she realized who it was.

"Oh, hi Edward. What's up? What brings you around here?" She opened the door wider, letting in the older man. Confused, Edward realized that everything seemed pretty much untouched from Friday night. Alice sat on the couch's armrest, and Edward decided to remain standing; he didn't think Bella would want him using her furniture, with how they'd left things.

"Uh, is Bella home?" He asked, and he saw Alice's expression return his confusion.

"What do you mean? Didn't she tell you?" Edward shook his head. "That's weird. I would've thought you'd know, given..." her smile grew so wide Edward swore she'd crack her face in half. "The used condom I noticed in her trash can."

Edward's face flamed such bright red he swore he'd pass out from how it all concentrated on his skin. Alice laughed so hard she slipped from the armrest and onto the couch.

"So, it was you. Good, it would've been a drag if it had been someone else banging Bella," Alice shuddered, grinning wickedly to herself. "Name of her sex tape."

Edward felt they were getting off track.

"Uh, Alice, is Bella ok? She hasn't been returning my calls—"

Alice waved him off.

"Oh, don't even try. She turned it off on Saturday," Alice said, and then her face took a grim look to it. "Her foster care father died. The last one, Harry. He meant a lot to her, and on Saturday she got the call that he'd passed away. I imagine she's with his family now."

Edward paled.

"On... Saturday?"

Alice nodded sadly.

"I know, right? On her birthday, too. I feel terrible for her."

On. Her fucking. Birthday.

If somebody pulled all his teeth out right then and there, he'd deserve it.

"You ok? You look a little green there, Ed." Alice said worriedly, cocking her head to the side. "Wanna sit down?"

Edward shook his head.

"I didn't know it was her birthday on Saturday," Edward admitted, feeling sick to his stomach.

Alice rolled her eyes.

"No one ever knows. Bella never tells anyone, hardly ever lets me celebrate. She…" Alice grimaced, recalling their previous life together. "She says no one ever celebrated it. That until I was old enough to remember it was her birthday, which was like when I turned nine, nobody had ever even made her a cake. She had a rough life in the system, but an even harder one before that," Alice said, and seemed to be about to say something else when she abruptly shut her mouth. "Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have told you. Bella hates it when I divulge too much about her."

Edward frowned; he couldn't help himself from asking.

"Why?"

Alice pursed her lips and shrugged lightly.

"Dunno. I think she's not used to thinking about herself as someone worthy of pride," Alice admitted. "I think she deserves the world, but when you're so used to being told you're nothing, it's kinda hard to believe anyone who would tell you otherwise. Heaven knows I've tried for years telling her all I love about her, but… More than a fragile self-esteem, she has a non-existent one."

Edward was officially the biggest dick in the world. I see. You think so little of me, then. That's all Bella had said of his confessions, and perhaps now he understood a bit better. He'd unilaterally decided he wanted her, and then had also unilaterally decided she couldn't handle his treasure. He'd dealt her one blow after another and had all but high-tailed it out of there. Instead of facing his actions head on, he'd run like a coward and left Bella to deal with everything from then on. It hurt to think that he was so senseless on a day she didn't like, and that had he stayed longer, he might've been there to help her digest the news of her foster father's family. It was clear how little Edward knew about Bella —virtually nothing next to what she knew of him— but also how badly he wanted to find out everything that was missing. Now he saw the extent of his mistake —how he should've thought through more the moments that led them up to having sex, the way he reacted the next morning. He wondered with a heavy heart if his forgiveness was even deserved; he'd chickened out, completely so, and had probably not helped with what would already be a terrible day.

"Alice, I need to go. Can you… tell Bella to text me when she's back? I really want to see her." Edward mumbled, but instead of a dismissive response, he got skepticism.

"I can see that look in your eye, dude. Stop it. Bella's fine, she's not broken, and she needs no saving. Who you see now is who Bella really is —she doesn't see herself as a victim, and she'd hate it if she thought you saw her as one. She got a shit hand; she cleaned it off. Don't try to be a hero when she doesn't need one." Alice huffed, hitting the nail on the head a little bit. She was kind of right, much as it pained him to admit, but…

"It's not about that. I just… really fucked up on Saturday. I already knew I had, but with what you're telling me I can see how bad it was."

Alice squinted her eyes furiously, abruptly standing on top of the couch so she'd be eye-level with Edward. She just barely made it.

"What did you do to her?" Alice went from annoyed to pissed in a matter of milliseconds, which gave Edward a little bit of whiplash; she was a little spitfire, and he knew he'd have to be careful. He, however, was a stubborn man who was not as open with everyone as he was with Bella. Really, from day one things had been unusual with that woman.

"Some things are not mine to tell you, Alice. I don't think you'd want to hear it from me," Edward said honestly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get going. Thanks for letting me in."

Alice scowled.

"If I'd known you'd hurt Bella I wouldn't have, you fucking dick." Alice bit out, feeling like she'd been used against her own best friend. "What did you do?"

Edward crossed his arms in front of his chest, and in that moment Alice remembered she was speaking to a man thirteen years older whose hands could probably crush her jaw if he so wished. She didn't personally know this man enough to feel safe with him; all she knew was the Edward through Bella's eyes, and she could make even the devil sound nice.

Alice averted her eyes.

"I hurt her feelings," Edward said, all too conscious of how he shouldn't be alone in a room with a teenager, no matter how unattractive she was to him. Not just for her sake, but for his; he sighed. "Look, I really do need to go. Alex is due back from school any moment and I need to make him dinner."

He took a step back, and though Alice tried not to, she let out a breath of relief. It stung Edward a bit, but he couldn't fault her; Tanya had often told him how scary his face could seem to someone who didn't know him. Something about a resting bitch face, she'd said, whatever that meant.

"If you can't fix it, you better stay away from Bella," Alice said, getting down from the couch; Edward let his arms fall to his side, sighing.

"I intend to try, but whether or not I'll get a chance is up to Bella, isn't it?" Edward watched as Alice walked to the front door and opened it, then followed.

She rolled her eyes.

"You fool no one, buddy. You've got the talk, and she'll let you do the walk." She opened the door wider and Edward stepped through it. "Tell that son of yours I said hi."

Then the door closed.

Tuesday was morose.

The Church was filled to the brim with Harry Clearwater's old friends, co-workers and family members. Sue couldn't stop crying through the whole service, so she declined to give a speech; Leah was in pretty much the same condition, and Laurent didn't want to talk. Bella offered to speak, and no one in the family objected. She'd be the only one to talk, and it was appropriate, given the great writer that she was.

"Thank you all for coming," Bella began, addressing all the churchgoers. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Bella Swan. Harry and Sue welcomed me into their family when I was sixteen, which as you know, is not an easy age. I…" Bella swallowed hard, looking at the front row towards the family that meant so much to her. "I was an awful kid. Angry, rebellious, disrespectful. I thought I could shake off my foster care family, but you all know the Clearwaters. Stubbornness and kindness are their best traits. Harry had so much love inside of him he gave me a chance, and I don't know how you pay back someone for saving you. He was kind, and gentle, and just a little bit annoying," Bella smiled back at the chuckles that flittered through the room. "But he broke through to me. He gave me a family even though all I gave him was trouble. He… He was a father to me, a light, a savior. A friend. I'm sure this resonates within all of you, because no matter where he went, Harry was a friend and a joy to be around. Except when he went fishing, because he smelled awful." Even Sue laughed while crying, knowing this line was for her; she'd always scolded Harry every time he came back for smelling so bad. "Harry was love. Love is gentle, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. This was Harry Clearwater; to Sue, to Leah, to Laurent, to Seth and to me. He was this to all of you, therefore, I cannot call him anything other than 'love'. Thank you."

It wasn't until Bella was watching the dirt hit the casket that she felt the gut-wrenching emptiness of losing Harry, and she started crying. Silently at first, but when she saw Laurent's tears, she had no choice but to join Sue and Leah in their wailing. How could she have thought she'd only ever loved Alice? She loved this family enough to feel the pain of every member as her own. She couldn't quantify how much she loved them, or if she loved Alice more than them or not, but even in the face of tragedy she felt her world expanding. She felt as the love that had eluded her for so long fill her from the tips of her toes to the top of her head and the bitterness over not having a blood-related family leave her. She felt the warmth from Sue and Leah's hands clasping hers, the warmth from Laurent's hand on her shoulder as the other locked with Tanya's fingers. She saw Seth crying as he hugged his grandmother, the loss of his grandfather finally hitting him. In that moment, Bella swore to herself she'd never think of herself as an outsider again.

She was part of their family, and nobody could ever change that.

-.-

"I'm so sorry that we have to go back already, Sue," Tanya sniffled, and Seth echoed the sentiment with a furious nod of his head.

Eyes swollen, Sue shook her head.

"No, Seth shouldn't miss any more school. Harry would be furious if he knew Seth had missed so many days already," Sue said, smiling down at her grandson. "Grandpa was a grouch when it came to school, wasn't he?"

Bella and Seth dutifully nodded. They'd both been at the receiving end of an infamous tell-off for skipping school. Bella, because she'd skipped school to get high with some friends; Seth, because he'd faked being sick so he could watch movies with Aunt Bella on a school day. Seth had always liked staying Sunday nights with his grandparents, back when they'd lived closer; then Bella graduated high school and moved out, and Laurent opened a restaurant far away enough that they had to move. Bella missed those days of hanging out with her nephew, and she now knew she could be more forward in wanting to see him. After all, Laurent only lived half an hour away from Bella's.

"Yeah, plus he has a project due tomorrow and he only told us yesterday," Tanya said, looking down at her stepson with an unamused face. "So he needs to get home to work."

Seth pouted, looking up at his grandmother and aunt with a pitiful face. Leah was inside the house with Laurent washing up the dishes from lunch.

"But I want to stay with you, grandma," Seth whined, then cutting a look to his aunt. He laid the guilt on thick. "Plus, it's only here that I get to see Aunt Bella."

Bella laughed at the cheekiness, ruffling the young boy's hair.

"Tell you what. You get home and present a masterful project, and you're invited Sunday night at my place for a sleepover, alright?"

Seth's eyes lit up so fast it was clear he wasn't even going to stop to ask if she was for real.

"Come on, mom! I've gotta get home!" Seth flew off to the car, and laughing, the three women watched the scene fondly.

"Well, I'll go get that son of mine to see you off. Thank you for coming, dear," Sue kissed Tanya's cheeks, who gave the older woman a sad smile.

"Of course I did, you silly woman." Sue walked off after blowing her grandson a kiss and giving a last hug to her daughter-in-law.

Sighing, Tanya sat down on the stairs to the porch, and after tapping the stair next to her in silence, Bella sat down too. The two women stared at the silly child who was sticking his nose to the window.

"I know right now's not quite the time to talk about it, but I need to get this off my chest," Tanya said, turning to look at Bella. "Edward is my one and only little brother. I love him more than I love anything in this life, probably second only to Seth. Laurent knows I'd take a bullet for my brother before I took one for him, which is not to say I wouldn't take one for Laurent. That's just the way my parents raised us to be. His ex-wife… she didn't get that. She hurt our relationship by spreading lies about me and stopping us from spending time together. I never want someone to get in between our relationship again."

Bella nodded; she understood the sentiment in theory, even if not in practice.

Tanya sighed.

"Sorry, I just needed to get that off my chest. I know you're nothing like her, but I worry. He… he's been deeply hurt by his ex. She made him question his worth, from his job to his capacity as a father. I haven't seen my brother be as happy as he's been the last month, and I guess I know why now. You're good for him, Bella. He…" she chewed on her bottom lip, looking into the kind eyes of the girl beside her. Her voice dropped down to a whisper. "He's worth it. Please don't give up on him. You're what he needs, and something inside of me knows he's what you want."

Bella cocked her head to the side.

"But he doesn't want me, Tanya. I can't do anything about that."

Tanya flattened her lips.

"Oh, so he rejected you once," Tanya rolled her eyes; she'd grilled Bella enough that she'd gotten the basic details of what had happened, and then the girl had fled to her room with a face so red that it could rival a firetruck. "That happens, doll. Didn't you say yesterday perseverance was one of Harry's best traits? You could try it, ya know."

Bella pursed her lips in thoughtfulness.

"That's if you want my brother, you know. If you don't, then there's no need for this talk. And just so you know…" Tanya shrugged, looking back at her husband, who was walking out of the house. "I rejected this hunk about four times before I agreed to go on a date with him. He used to scare me, back when I didn't know about his doll collection."

Laurent frowned, catching the end of the conversation.

"Star Wars figurines are not dolls." He huffed, making the two women chuckle. "Now, you've got to get going if you want to get home before it gets dark."

Sighing in mock-annoyance, Tanya stood up. Bella followed.

"If I'd known he would be so bossy, I'd have dated someone a little more like Mike," Tanya said, making Laurent frown and Bella giggle in disbelief.

"You found yourself the best man out there," Laurent asserted, grabbing his wife by the waist. In the car, Seth had doubled down on sticking his nostrils and tongue to the window. "I don't believe you if you say otherwise."

Bella smiled at the interaction, then looked away when they kissed goodbye. She caught Seth's disgusted face, and together, they made a face that spelled 'yuck' at the PDA.

"I saw that," Laurent mumbled, pulling away from his wife. He gave her cheek another kiss. "I'll be back on Sunday at the latest."

Tanya nodded sadly.

"See you soon, Belle," Tanya said, pulling Bella in for a hug. "Think about what I said, 'kay?"

Bella nodded.

"I will. Thanks, Tanya."

Tanya pulled away, and with another kiss for her husband, the blond beauty got in the car and pulled out of the driveway, heading home.

"You found yourself a nice wife there, Laury," Bella said, hands on her hips as she saw the back of the car disappear.

"I really did," Laurent said, arms crossed over his chest. He looked down at his sister. "You should think about what she said, Belle. I know Edward, and he's a good guy. Not as good as you, but then again, no one is."

Bella blushed, feeling her heart warming.

"You matchmaker."

Smiling, the two went back into the house.

Sunday evening, Edward got a call. He was balancing the shop's books though, so without looking at the caller ID he answered distractedly.

"Hello?"

"Edward? Hi, it's Bella."

And… the books were balanced well enough.

"Bella? Hi, how… how are you?" Edward was suddenly much too conscious of their last interaction, and closing his laptop he sat back against the bed-frame. He used the desk the minimum amount possible, finding it more comfortable to work from the bed. "I heard from Alice about your foster father. I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Oh, right, I got her text. She said you swung by on Monday?" Bella asked, and Edward said he had. "Sorry for not telling you more. I was in a rush to go and forgot to explain a bit before going off the grid. I should've, but… well."

There was an awkward pause, and Edward was quick to break it.

"Are you back home?"

"That's what I was calling you about. My nephew is coming over in like an hour for a sleepover. Think Alex would like to join?"

There was much to question about that statement.

"Nephew?" Bella replied that it was the son of her adoptive brother. "How old is he? Think Alex will get along with him?"

Cryptically, Bella said she did. That the nephew was a sweetheart and just about Alexander's age. Hesitantly, Edward told Bella he'd ask Alex and get back to her in a few minutes. Agreeing, the two hung up.

Edward knocked on Alex's door before poking his head in; his son was looking at a piece of sheet music with furrowed brows, looking like he was trying beyond reason to understand what it read. He still had difficulty with reading music sometimes, and from what Edward could see, it was a very difficult piece.

"Alex?" The boy looked up, startled at the intrusion; Edward stepped into the room. "Bella called. She said if you want to you're invited to a sleepover at her place. But…" he stopped his son before he got too excited, needing to get out the last part of information. "She said that her nephew's also staying over. He's about your age, she said. What do you say?"

It took him about ten seconds longer to nod furiously, having probably weighed the pros and cons of meeting a new boy.

"Please dad, can I go?" He asked, looking livelier than he had all week. He'd been moping, especially when Seth didn't go to school until Thursday. When Edward had asked his sister what had happened, she'd sent back an emoji of a devilish mask and a middle finger. Whatever that meant.

"Of course. Just make sure you also pack your school bag because you are heading there anyway." It was a testament to Alex's excitement that he didn't even groan and just nodded again excitedly. Edward sighed internally; he was so glad Bella was back. His relationship with Alex was ever-improving, but sometimes it was hard for him to know what he could give his son that would make him happy.

Leaving the ball of energy behind, Edward texted Bella his ok. He got back a smiley face.

-.-

Ding-dong!

"Alex, you're gonna burn a hole through the ground," Edward muttered to his kid, who was rocking on his heels back and forth.

"I can't help it. I'm too excited," Alex admitted, and before Edward had a chance to say anything back the door flung open…

… to reveal his sister, of all people.

"Tanya?"

"Aunt Tanya?" The Cullen boys let their jaws drop, not expecting the blonde beauty in front of them. She wore a smug smile, especially when she saw Edward's eyes train on something behind her.

"Is that… Seth?" Edward restrained from pointing. Already, Alex was inside the apartment and bumping fists with Seth, neither caring the how of their meeting.

"Yup. Imagine my surprise when I found out that Laurent's sister was bumping uglies with you. I was surprised, she was horrified. Even tried running when she realized," Tanya grinned smugly. "See ya later Fuckward. Bye Bella! Thanks for everything! And you behave, Seth, or tomorrow's dinner will be made by me!" Tanya called back. A groan succeeded her words, and after winking at her slack-jawed brother, she left.

Bella was coming out of the bathroom when their eyes met.

"Bella! I can't believe you know Seth!" Alex said, going up to Bella and giving her a tight hug, which she returned.

"I can't believe you know Aunt Bella," Seth returned to his friend, who stuck his tongue out from his position. "Hey Edward."

"Seth," Edward said in greeting, still getting used to the odd situation. "Long time no see."

"Well, Seth's my nephew, and Alex is my friend," Bella smiled, addressing the two boys fondly before looking up at the frozen man by her door. "Hey Edward. Wanna have dinner with us?"

Eyes flickering towards the two pre-teens, who were already ignoring him, he nodded.

"If it's no trouble."

Bella blew him off.

"No trouble at all. Come on, I made pizza."

The two boys ran to the kitchen when they heard the green light to approach the food, and when Edward turned to look at Bella, he saw she was smiling at the two kids fondly. It was so weird to think this woman was in some way related to Seth Clearwater, his sister's stepson. The first time he'd met Laurent he'd thought he was a man much too serious, but as the meetings had accumulated he'd realized Laurent was simply weary of strangers, as had been Seth. Once it had become clear to the two that the Cullens had the best regard for the father and son, Laurent had relaxed and Seth had become close friends with Alex. To think that in the four years Tanya had been married to Laurent, Edward was only just meeting Bella. Now, looking back, he did remember Laurent sometimes telling stories of his rebellious younger sister. Tanya had always scolded him to stop telling those stories because that wasn't at all who his sister was these days. Apparently, Tanya always invited said sister to family things, but she always ended up being unable to when anyone other than the Clearwaters were meeting. Apparently, Tanya had spent a solid month trying to convince Laurent's youngest sister to go to the 4th of July party, but not even guilting her into it had worked. Tanya had bitched about it a lot, so it had remained in Edward's recent memory.

"Hi Bella," Edward finally greeted, approaching the woman who'd stayed pretty much rooted in place. She was cautiously seeing the older man approach; she didn't move until he was towering over her, the difference in their heights all to stark from her point of view.

"Hey," Bella said, her smile widening with every passing second. Edward pretended not to be utterly confused. "You know, you pretty much exude shame. That's good, at least you know how badly you messed up."

Edward flinched even as hope threatened to invade him.

"You'll let me fix it?"

She was giving him a toothy grin, one that conveyed the strength of her soul and kindness in her eyes.

"Can I stop you?" Edward shook his head profusely. "Then yes. I'd like you to fix it." Bella's smile dimmed a little. "I… I've made too many mistakes to count, and the first man who'd forgiven them all died recently. Giving you a second chance when I've been given a thousand seems like the least I could do to honor him, I think."

Bella rose on her tiptoes, put a hand on his shoulder to drag him down a little and kissed his jaw, which was where she could reach. Pulling back and letting go, she winked.

"Also, I'm not giving up on us. Just letting you know so you can start preparing your heart for me."

Then she skipped away, leaving a stupefied Edward Cullen in her wake.

-.-

"So, you'll drive them to school tomorrow?" Edward asked. He and Bella were saying goodbye, choosing to step out of the apartment to have a moment of privacy. It had taken Edward a while to realize that she was wearing yoga pants and a big-ass shirt from U-Dub, but he was too much of a coward to ask her where she'd gotten that shirt. An ex-boyfriend? A boy friend? Laurent? The question itched inside, but he saw no way of asking.

Bella nodded.

"Tanya already sent me the pin, so I should get there without a problem. Worst case scenario I'm a terrible caretaker and keep them against their will from getting to school," Bella joked, knowing the sacrifice would be inexistent on the boys' behalf. Edward's lip twitched, but he was still too wrapped up in everything to smile.

"Bella… Do you mind if we have lunch tomorrow? My treat. I really think we should talk things out," Edward asked nervously, not sure if he'd have the chance so soon after everything.

Bella's face fell.

"Oh Edward, sorry but tomorrow I can't. I've got a deadline due on Wednesday and I haven't worked all that much the past week, so I've got to make up for lost time. How does lunch on Thursday sound?" Bella asked, and in the span of a sentence Edward's heart fell and lifted enough to make him feel a little nauseous.

"Thursday sounds great."

Edward was a mess by Thursday.

Alex had made it safely to school on Monday, as evidenced by the picture Bella had sent him of two sullen-looking boys entering the school. After that, Bella had gone off the grid again, but Edward didn't mind it then, knowing this time it was probably because of her writing. However, for all of Monday through Thursday afternoon all he could think about was Bella Swan —what she'd said about not giving up on them, about giving him a second chance, her shirt. It came to the point that he hit the back of his head three times against a doorframe from one of the cars he was fixing and even slipped on a tiny puddle of oil (but was caught by one of his employees). He was distracted, to say the least, so when they managed to meet at a diner near his shop Edward was all too anxious to talk things out. He arrived twenty minutes early, and Bella went in through the front doors at 1 o'clock exactly.

"Bella! Over here!" Edward managed to meet her eyes, and giving him one of her sweet smiles, approached the booth he'd taken. He stood up.

"I love this diner, but I never get to come often. Laziness often gets the best of me," Bella said, leaning over to place a kiss on his cheek. The spot burned. Then Bella sat down in front of him, putting her things to her right.

"How are you? Did you meet the deadline?" Edward asked, handing Bella his menu when he realized the waitress hadn't brought the second one he'd asked for. She really must've thought he'd come in alone and was trying to save face.

"Good, thank you," Bella smiled, opening the menu. "I did, thank God. Rose would've killed me if I missed this deadline."

"This one?"

Bella blushed.

"Um, I'm not good with deadlines. It's just that I work better under pressure, so I usually can't start writing ahead of time. Terrible vice, I know, but I'm working on it I swear." Bella quickly scanned the menu. "What are you getting?"

"Fuck, I wanted everything on there, but I settled for the hamburger and apple pie." Edward admitted, making Bella giggle lightly and nod.

"Well, I really want some chicken soup and… a Cuban sandwich. Mind sharing the apple pie with me?" Bella asked, and immediately saw the struggle on Edward's face. He wanted so badly to say no he was starting to get a little purple, but after a few seconds he started nodding reluctantly. Bella burst out laughing. "Oh my God, anyone would think I asked you for a kidney! Relax, I'm not gonna make you give me any."

Edward mumbled out something crude, picking at the bread they'd brought on the house. He'd never liked sharing his food, but every time Lauren had made a hissy fit about him not giving her any (not that she ever shared with him); he didn't want to have a fight with Bella over something so silly, but at the same time, it was just how he felt about the food-sharing thing. Still, as was her usual response, Bella had laughed it off, making him feel like the shittiest person on Earth for being selfish with this woman. While he'd been having his inner crisis, Bella had already called the waitress over and ordered her food and drink.

"So," Bella said, losing her smile and staring intently into Edward's eyes. "Tell me what you want to talk about."

Well, where to begin?

"I wanted to apologize properly. The way I reacted on Saturday morning… it was shitty. I didn't think beforehand about the consequences, like you said. I… I might've been wrong, Bella, but not about putting Alex first. He is forever my first priority." Edward said clearly, wanting to convey his train of thought. Bella nodded, understanding as always. "That being said, I know I can have other priorities, but… I don't know how to. I don't know how to share priorities, either. Even when Lauren and I were married it was always pretty much up to me to make sure the household was running smoothly; I never let my parents or my sister step in unless it was things like transport. Bella… it's just been Alex and I against the world for so long I don't know how to let you in, or even worse, what to do if I let you in and you left."

Bella just blinked thoughtfully, processing the words from the man in front of her. He was telling her he was scared of change, telling her his heart wasn't all that open even if it wasn't locked up. Like her, he'd been hurt by the departure of people he loved, and like her, he'd dealt with things by himself. They were sentiments she understood, had perhaps lived through once.

"Edward, you're thinking about a future we haven't reached yet," Bella said gently, covering his hand which he'd made into a fist with hers. They were rough where hers were soft. "Of course you don't know how to deal with all that because we haven't reached that stage of our relationship yet. I wouldn't expect you to make me a priority right now, and I don't want to replace Alex. A lover is a different priority from your children; that's nature. But that's what time is for, isn't it? So we don't have to make sharp turns and can instead ease into it."

The waitress brought Bella's vanilla milkshake and the soup, making Bella break apart from Edward's hand. They missed each other's warmth instantly.

"I just…" Edward sighed frustratedly, staring a hole into Bella's milkshake. "I just don't get what it is you like about me, Bella. I'm a fucking mess. A boring mess, at that."

Bella laughed.

"Well, you're not a clown, I'll give you that much. Neither am I, for what it's worth." Bella said, trying out her soup. It was so good. "But you're far from boring. I mean, you're a mechanic who plays the piano, has a son, and curses like a sailor, or so says Tanya. You're kind, you like teasing me when you're in the mood for it, you even read my books and you're an incredible father. You blow me away with everything you do for Alex; you're the first man I've ever met who makes me think a father is more than a provider, more than a duty. Laurent and Harry did, too, but I can't tell you I'd date them. Harry, my foster care father, made me see what I missed growing up; you make me think of what I wish for my future. That's what I like about you so much."

By the end of her explanation, Edward was beet red. He couldn't believe he'd even asked, much less that he'd gotten such a sincere response.

"Now who's getting ahead of themselves?" Edward muttered, slurping down on his chocolate milkshake. Bella smiled.

"I'm always getting ahead of myself. I'm a dreamer by choice," Bella said, and this made Edward remember one of the things he wanted to talk about.

"About that. You want us to… advance… this relationship, but the truth is we know next to nothing of each other. You rarely talk about yourself, and I can't say there's nothing left for you to find out about me."

Bella nodded.

"Well, I don't really like talking about my past, but I can compromise and slowly tell you about myself if you promise to do the same. You do intrigue me quite a lot." Bella gave him a sly smile, and Edward swore for a moment his heart would stop. She was a temptress, he was sure of it.

"You know, you intrigue me a lot, too. Despite how happy-go-lucky you are, Alice says you hate your birthday, huh?" Edward gave her a pointed look. Bella avoided looking at him and instead focused on her soup. "Bella, come on. It's even worse that I said all of that to you on your fucking birthday."

"It wouldn't have made a difference, had you known."

Edward rolled his eyes.

"I would've wished you happy birthday," Edward said, suddenly pulling out a small box from beside him wrapped in pink paper. "And given you this."

Instantly, Bella started saying she couldn't accept anything, but Edward insisted.

"It's not much, Bells. Come on, just accept it, please?" He threw in his famous puppy dog eyes, which he only reserved for special occasions. Thankfully for him, it worked like a charm.

Sighing, Bella set aside her half-finished soup to open the gift. She ripped the paper apart, surprising Edward; he would've thought she would be one of those people that painstakingly opened gifts. He was glad; he was impatient to see her reaction.

It was a keychain; red, and in the form of a swan.

When Bella looked up, Edward was hiding behind his milkshake.

"Edward?"

"Uh, I rescued a piece of metal from Big Red. I'd been holding onto it all this time wondering when would be a good time to give it to you, and when Alice told me about your birthday I asked a friend who's into more delicate work if he could make it into a swan."

As he'd explained, he could see how Bella's eyes started getting more and more watery, until a couple of tears fell. Startled, he hoped the tears were of happiness.

"Thank you so much, Edward, it's a wonderful gift." Bella smiled, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. Fiddling with the keychain, she looked up through her lashes before looking down again. "You know, until Saturday, I hadn't cried in more than ten years. Harry's death made something inside of me break, or perhaps get fixed, and now I can't seem to stop crying." Bella drank from her own milkshake. "There's something you didn't know about me."

Edward couldn't help himself from asking.

"Why did you stop crying for so long?"

He might not have been crying left and right, but he remembered crying a handful of times in the last few years. Out of anger (when Lauren left him), out of happiness (when Lauren left him), because of yawning…

Bella took a moment to answer; she slurped half of her drink away and brought the soup back in front of her, ready for the brain freeze from mixing the two temperatures. She stared down at the clear froth.

"After… my mother... died… I couldn't find it in me to cry. Nothing was ever so sad, or ever so happy or so funny that I couldn't help the tears. After a while I regained some emotions, but the blockage wouldn't let any tears out. I've been very happy the last few years, truly, and there's been times where I've felt quite down, but…" Bella shrugged, seeming uncomfortable with the conversation. "It took Harry dying for me to let the dam break."

Edward nodded.

"Someday, when you're ready, will you tell me about your mother?" Edward asked, knowing from her expression that this was a very delicate subject. Hesitantly, Bella agreed.

"Now, you tell me something I don't know about you." Bella said, getting back to eating her soup. Edward thought for a moment.

"Let's see… Well, I can play the piano and the violin. My mother made sure my sister and I could play at least two instruments, that we could speak two languages besides English, and that we played one sport throughout high school. I speak Spanish and French and, as you know, I played soccer. Tanya plays the clarinet and the trombone, speaks French and Italian, and used to play volleyball. We both hated our mother back then, but are grateful now."

Bella smiled at the anecdote.

"I want to hear you play piano, I really do. I bet you play wonderfully." Bella said, and though Edward tried denying it, she could see right through him. "Oh, of course you do. You're a perfectionist, so I can't believe you didn't go above and beyond with your instrumental skills."

Busted.

Letting out a half-sigh, half chuckle, Edward let his head hang.

"Alright, I'll play for you one day, alright?" Bella cheered.

The rest of lunch was spent a lot more light-heartedly, with Edward telling Bella about his last two weeks and how much Alex had missed her. In return, Bella told him of how the funeral had gone, what they'd done in the sleepover and how far along she was in her latest book. By the end of it all, Edward was so wrapped up in conversation he didn't even stop to think when the waitress asked if she should bring two spoons for the pie. Edward had said yes and the two ate apple pie without thinking of Edward's previous reluctance. Well, Edward did; Bella noticed it faintly, thinking how funny it was that a man could be so vociferous at one moment but then forget his hatreds in the spur of the moment. Smiling even wider, Bella listened to Edward talk about his piano lessons as a child, enjoying even more the few pieces of pie she sneaked off. By the time Edward had to head back to work, both were quite reluctant to part ways.

"Thank you for this chance," Edward said, opening the driver's door for Bella. They were already in the parking lot saying their goodbyes, and Edward had left his car a little bit further away from Bella's, so he'd accompanied her to her spot.

Bella smiled back.

"Thank you for my keychain. It means a lot to me," Bella said honestly. "I don't care much for things, but this makes me very happy."

Edward blushed, fiddling with his own car keys. He had to ask this, or he'd lose his mind over it.

"So… What did you mean when you said you wouldn't give up on us?"

Bella's smile didn't falter.

"Well, what do you want it to mean?" Bella asked. Edward blinked, not knowing how to answer that; her smile softened. "First you should figure that out. I don't mind the wait."

Edward frowned. That still didn't answer his question.

"Bella, the last thing I want to do is hurt you again."

Bella pressed her lips together.

"The only thing I want from you is to acknowledge that I'm serious. That, and to never again ask me something along the lines of 'Why me?'. I already told you why you, and the only reason I'd get hurt is if my feelings get questioned. As for the rest..." Bella shrugged, her features softening once more. "I'm a pretty tough cookie."

Edward nodded, frown still in place.

"What if I can't reciprocate your feelings?"

Bella laughed. She rose on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth, lingering there for a couple of beats.

"Can't you see? You already do."

Then Bella got into her car and drove away, leaving a stupefied Edward Cullen in her wake once more.

Hi! So, again, I just want to thank y'all for the incredible support pouring forth. I always love updating, but this makes me even more psyched to write. Also, I'm sorry this update isn't longer, but exams are starting on Monday and tomorrow's a busy busy day, but I didn't want to leave you hanging. So, what did you think? Were you expecting this comeback? And for those of you who might think Bella's being too easy -she's not. One of the things this Bella does is put herself in other people's shoes, so she can see why Edward's reason was valid, though unnecessary. Hopefully, you feel satisfied with how each of them said their piece. Remember the story's not finished yet so obviously there are some gaps of information, but hopefully we can fill those in the next few chapters. Again, thanks a bunch! :)

Leah.