A/N: I know I'm so sorry for the delay. Work has me so stressed right now I'm lucky if I even know what day it is anymore. Then I got sick and my kids got sick…
Ok so anyway… Here is the next chapter and I hope you all like it.
3
"Emmett!" I called through the crowd of people. The music was booming and the black lights and strobe lights were blaring. I worked my way through the crowd of costumed party goers.
The music suddenly changed and the crowd began to become more rowdy. I was knocked into some girl who was dressed in a pink lacy corset, fishnet stockings, pink heels, bunny ears and a puff ball on her butt that was barely covered by what looked to be only her underwear. Whooa, please tell me my hand did not just touch her thigh. I shuddered and hurried to get away from her and cut through the rest of the crowd.
Emmett was standing in the doorway of the French doors that led out to the backyard talking to a couple friends while holding a beer. His gold armored chest reflected the lights from around the room and his white skirt hung just past his midthigh. He and Rosalie were dressed as a Gladiator and Warrior Princess this year. "Emmett," I called again.
He was laughing at what one of his friends said when he caught my eye and grinned at me gesturing in my direction. His friends turned to look at me and they looked me up and down before smiling Apparently liking what they saw. My step faltered slightly at their looks but I continued to Emmett.
"Hey Bells," he called holding an arm out and gave me a half hug. "You look hot. I'm surprised Edward let you out of his sight."
I blushed looking down at my costume. I was dressed in a white gown with gold and lace accents. I was supposed to be Christine from Phantom of the Opera. My hair was done up in tight curls piled on top of my head with some cascading down over my back and shoulders. "Funny Emmett," I said, "Have you seen Rosalie?"
"She went outside to call mom to see how Dec is doing," Dec was short for Declan. I kind of liked it. It was short and sweet and it suited him. "She should be back soon," he said.
"Oh," I said, "What about Alice or Jasper?"
He shook his head as he took a drink of his beer, "No clue," he belched.
"Eww, Emmett," I scolded.
He grinned and hugged me tighter to his side, "Hey guys, have you ever met my future sister-in-law?"
His friends both shook their heads 'no'. I noticed their faces fall slightly when he said sister-in-law. "Bells, this is Craig and Rick. They're in law school with me."
"Nice to meet you," I said shaking their hands.
"Where's Edward anyway?" Emmett asked.
"Not sure," I said looking into the crowd of dancers. "I lost him after he…"
Suddenly two strong arms wrapped around me from behind and pulled me back against their chest. I gasped and quickly looked up to see my Greek God dressed in black and a white mask that covered half of his face. Alice and I had warred for hours on which costumes we should get. She had insisted on me dressing as a devil so I'd be wearing an outfit similar to the Playboy Bunny I had accidentally bumped into earlier. I told her that I was not going to dress like that unless I was in the privacy of my own home and Edward was the only one present in the room.
She was quite put-out with me about it saying I was no fun but helped me find our costumes so we could be Christine and the Phantom from Phantom of the Opera.
Edward bent his head and kissed my neck, "Sorry," he murmured against my skin, "I got a call from Jasper."
"Oh," I said, "Where are they?"
"He said they should be here any minute," he said.
My brow furrowed, "They aren't here yet?" I asked incredulously. Alice was always early for a party. I wonder what happened to delay them.
"Esme said he's doing fine," Rosalie said as she came in from the backyard talking to Emmett about their son. Her armor from her warrior Princess costume reflecting the lights that danced around the room. She looked similar to Sonia from the movie 'Red Sonia' but infinitely more beautiful. "Hi Bella, I love your costume."
"Thanks," I smiled resting my head back against Edward's chest. His arms tightened automatically around my waist. "You look great," I commented.
"Thanks," she said, "Have you seen Alice?"
"Edward just said they should be here soon," I said looking through the crowd to see if they had made it here yet.
"You're kidding me," Rosalie said, "They're not here yet?"
I grimaced. Apparently I'm not the only one who finds this strange. Emmett and Edward don't seem to think anything of it.
The music changed and it went into a hip hop beat. The crowd on the dance area parted slightly and I saw a guy grab at the girl in the Playboy bunny outfit. She laughed and pressed her body up against him.
As I watched them I saw Alice dressed in a Saloon Maidens dress cutting through the crowd coming toward us. She grinned when she saw us. "Hi guys," she said moving her body absentmindedly to the music.
"Hey," Rosalie said, "Where have you been? This is like the first time we've ever beat you to a party."
"And I can tell you it will be the last," Alice said. "Come on girls. Let's dance."
"Where's Jasper?" Edward asked as he let me go so I could go with her.
"I…" Alice began as she looked over her shoulder and her smiling face fell into shock and… hurt?
I fixed my gaze to where she was looking and didn't see anything at first. I began to look back at her when I heard Emmett speak, "No way? Is that Stacy?"
Stacy? Who's that? I looked to see where he was looking and saw a girl in a French maid outfit brushing her feather duster lightly down the chest of a blond cowboy. I saw his chest rise from his intake of breath and saw his lips curl up slightly. It was then I realized that I knew that face. Jasper?
"Humph," Alice huffed, "typical," she spat.
"Alice?..." I began to ask but I was stopped when I heard Edward respond to Emmett's question.
"What's she doing her? I thought she transferred to ASU," Edward said.
"Who is she?" Rosalie asked looking back at Emmett.
"A slut," Alice said huffily. She grabbed my hand and Rosalie's and began to tug us to the dance floor. "Come on, I'm in the mood to party."
Rosalie and I glanced at each other once before hurrying our steps to get to the dance floor.
The three of us started to dance together to the beat of the music. Alice seemed to make it a point to have a good time. Her head only turned once in Jasper's direction to note that he was still talking to that Stacy girl and it only bothered her more.
After the next three songs had past we made our way over to the kitchen to get something to drink. Laurent was manning the punch bowl that was no doubt spiked and handed each of us a glass.
"I can't believe Jasper would do something like that," Rosalie mused after taking a drink of punch.
"Mmmm," Alice hummed in mid swallow of her drink, "It just figures," she said, "I practically had to drag him here kicking and screaming and now he chums up with an ex slut." She shot back the rest of her drink and made to grab for a Jell-O shooter.
"No way?!" Rosalie gasped.
Alice nodded after shooting back her shooter, "Oh well," Alice said, "I guess now he can thank me for giving him the opportunity to meet up with…" she squealed suddenly as her body was picked up nearly 2 feet off the floor by her waist. She squirmed and kicked to be let go and was obliged. She quickly turned to see that it was Jasper smirking down at her.
"Jasper you shit!" she scolded and slapped him hard on the arm. "You damn near gave me a heart attack!"
"Pardon me, Ma'am," he said in a thick Texas drawl to match his cowboy ensemble while tipping his hat to her, "but you dragged me to this thing and I think it only fair that I should dance with you."
"Isn't the French maid keeping you entertained enough?" Alice asked scathingly.
"Eh," Jasper shrugged, "I got my eye on a much finer woman," His hand drifted down to her butt and smirked lustfully.
"Oh, really I'd like to meet her," Alice said.
Jasper smirked and ushered her out the kitchen and over to the dance floor.
"Do you sometimes get the feeling that their relationship is bipolar?" I asked Rosalie and she laughed.
"They're just having a few rough spots like most relationships," she said. "Here," she handed me her drink, "you have the rest. This alcohol is making me have 'let down'. I'm leaking everywhere."
"Should you even be drinking at all?" I asked. Declan was still breastfeeding and I thought I heard somewhere that you shouldn't drink alcohol.
"Oh, I'm going to have to pump this next batch out," she said off handedly, "I didn't even have much anyway."
"How is Declan by the way?" I asked.
"Oh he's good," she grinned, "He is beginning to be such a little character. He laughed yesterday."
"Oh he did," I said grinning. "How is Emmett dealing?"
Rosalie laughed, "You know he actually bought a mask to wear for when Dec poops and needs to be changed?"
"You're kidding me!?" I laughed.
She nodded laughing, "He's such a man of steel," she joked as we walked out to the living area where the dancing took place.
"Who's a Man of Steel?" Edward asked showing up at my side and kissing my neck.
"Oh your brother," I laughed.
"Really," Edward mused, "Should I be taking tips?"
Rosalie and I just looked at each other and broke out into hysterics. Edward looked at us curiously trying to understand what was so funny but all we could do is shake our heads.
-
Edward took my hand in his and pulled it up to his lips to kiss it as he drove us back to our apartment. He then held it to his chest rubbing his thumb lightly on the back of my hand.
I loved the feel of his loving touch. He was more soothing to me than he'll ever know.
"Bella I need to talk to you about something," he said as he put on a blinker and looked back at his blind spot and moved to changed lanes.
My brow furrowed, "About what?" I asked and turned to get a better look at him.
"My father has a medical conference that he is going to and he's asked me to join him," he said.
"Oh? When?" I asked keeping my tone light to mask the sudden queasiness that I was feeling.
"In about a month," he said kissing the back of my hand again and continued to rub circles with his thump once again.
"Oh," I said nodding, "Where?"
His hand squeezed mine before answering, "It's in Chicago," he said.
I felt myself relax a little. Carlisle was talking about the line-up of all the conferences that he had been invited to the other day and half of them had been on the east coast. But that wasn't what bothered me. It was because two of them happened to be in New York City.
"He wanted me to go to one in New York but…" he began but he felt my hand tense and stopped.
"New York," I whispered shakily and looked quickly out the window.
"Bella look at me," he said and tugged my hand lightly. I closed my eyes and sighed before looking back at him. "There is nothing wrong with New York. Okay?"
"You're right," I scoffed, "Except that it is the home of the Benitucci's." I turned my head and looked back out the window again. I didn't want to have this conversation now. We have had such a good night together and now he is going to ruin it with the stupid Benitucci talk again.
"Bella," he sighed, "Jasper showed us that article. Demetri called and said that the plan worked. The Benitucci's are in jail. It's over."
"I doubt that," I muttered.
-Flashback-
"Bella," Alice sang as she came into the student library.
"Alice, SHHH!" I whispered loudly as I worked on filing back the books on the shelf that had been checked out.
"Oh Bella," she sang in a slightly lower tone that still wasn't low enough. "Why do you have to work here? Couldn't it have been like a bar or something? It would have been so much better." She picked up a book, opened it and crinkled her nose in disgust at it before slapping it shut once again and placed it precariously on top of some books that were on the shelf.
I sighed and took the book off the shelf and looked for its correct spot and filed it properly. "I like it here," I whispered, "It's quiet, peaceful, and more importantly it keeps me close to Edward." Edward's medical classes were in the next building over .
"Hmph," Alice snorted, "I guess you're right, if you like that sort of thing."
I took another book and began looking for its proper place on the shelf. "I do," I smirked.
She sighed and hopped up to sit on the table that was behind me and my cart. "I don't know how you can do it. I would go insane in here," she said looking around.
"Alice," I sighed, "my shift ends in a few minutes could you do me a favor and meet me at the coffee shop?"
"Grande Mocha Latte," she grinned, "Fabulous." She hopped down and started for the door before she quickly turned, "Oh," she said, "Hurry, I do have great news."
I smirked shaking my head as I watched her head out the door.
I clocked out and informed my supervisor that I was heading out before leaving to see Alice. She was waiting for me at one of the outside tables with 2 cups sitting out in front of her.
"Hi," I grinned having a seat at the other side of the table and grabbing the cup closest to me. "So what's the news that's so great?" I asked before taking a drink of the latte.
"Oh the Benitucci's were arrested," she said nonchalantly.
The contents in my mouth spit out in a spray that showered the table and I suffered a coughing fit. "What?!" I choked out coughing some more.
Alice was still in shock at my reaction to her comment that she seemed to be more enthralled about cleaning the table and few stray beads of liquid that hit her than the fact that the Benitucci's were arrested. "Yeah," she said, "Jasper has been watching the local news reports out there and there was a report that the Benitucci's were arrested."
"So what does this mean?" I asked still in shock.
"It means Demetri's plan worked," she said, "He said it would go down like this. There is no need to be so shocked."
My jaw dropped at her words and I was suddenly finding it difficult to speak. "W-well I'm sorry, but I-I just can't believe it," I forced out, "But does this mean everyone…?"
"Was arrested?" she finished raising an eyebrow. I nodded slowly biting my lower lip in anticipation of her answer. "We don't know completely as of yet but Jasper will find out soon enough."
My stomach started to feel heavy and suddenly I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. I hated that I kept on getting this feeling whenever I thought about those people. It made me feel weak. "Did it say how they were…?" I began to ask.
"Oh it was a big bust," she said, "The FBI was all in on it. Demetri said that Caius Mancini would set all that up. He had even sacrificed his own men in the process so that no one would be implicated between the families."
"I just can't believe that Demetri did all this," I said taking another drink of my latte trying to let the news sink in.
"Yeah, well, apparently he really likes that Playboy bunny he's been seeing," Alice said scathingly.
"You sound like it's a bad thing," I mused.
"Oh, it isn't," Alice said quickly, "It's just… You didn't see that slut in action trying to use her charms on Jasper."
"No way," I gasped.
"It's like her default is flirt with anyone with dangling genitalia," Alice said.
"Yeah but Jasper didn't encourage it did he?"
"No, but it still bothers me all the same," she said.
"Hmmm," I hummed grimacing.
-End Flashback-
Alice may think that things are over but I just can't shake the feeling that this went a little too smoothly. Edward keeps telling me that I over think things far too much than they are worth.
"So why are you telling me all this?" I asked laying my head back on the seat and continued to look out my window.
He sighed and I could imagine him running a hand through his hair making it his normal sexy mess. "Believe it or not Bella I know that you still worry about them coming back. Your sleep talking gives you away and I don't want you to worry about me while I'm gone." He tugged on my hand and I looked over at him. He was looking at me with eyes that held conviction. "And I know I will worry about you if you do."
"So it's settled," I said turning back to my window, "You won't go. Since I don't want you to worry about me and you don't want me to worry about you."
He chuckled and smirked shaking his head as he watched the road. "That unfortunately is not an option," he said. He pulled into the parking lot to our apartment building, parked and turned off the engine before turning to me. "Think of this as a hurtle that we are going to have to face. What was it your Psychology professor said? 'Baby steps?'"
I grimaced and turned back to him. I hated to admit it but he was right. This was exactly the kind of thing that my Psychology professor had told me I needed to do. I've been using him as a 'third party' consultant to a 'friend' who had gone through a traumatic experience. His initial advice was that my 'friend' seek professional help. Edward was torn after I had told him this. He wanted me to go see someone because of my nightmares but he also was afraid of what would happen if word got out to the Benitucci's that I talked about the ordeal.
In the end, my professor just gave me 'coaching tips' since my 'friend' was unwilling to see someone because of fear.
I sighed, "You're right."
He got out of the car walked around and opened my door taking my hand to help me out. He lifted my hand up to his lips and grazed my knuckles under them lightly. "That's my girl," he grinned and then he pulled me close to kiss me.
A/N: I hope you liked it. Review and let me know. Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!!