A/N Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight.

This story is dedicated to Chocaholic123, Errontrisha, SparrowNotes24, Lel2768 & Twilightladies, my wonderful Betas and pre-readers. Thanks for your help ladies.

A big thank you to Dolly Reader who nominated this story for Fic of the Week over at The Lemonade Stand last week. And hello to all of the new readers.

A shout out this time to Gabi-b for being the 200th reviewer. I am amazed at your love for this fic.

Edward had just finished wrestling with his bow tie when Garett began banging on his bathroom door. "Come on man, we're going to be late picking up the girls if you don't hurry yourself up."

Edward suppressed a smile, knowing there was only one girl his best friend was in a hurry to get to. When Isabella and her friends had agreed to accompany them to the Halloween party at Liquid he had to rethink his costume. She didn't strike him as the kind of girl toopt for something slutty, so he had chosen something more sophisticated for himself. A costume that would be worthy of standing next to a Princess.

He unlocked the bathroom door and let out a snort when he saw what costume his friend had chosen for the evening. Garrett was barely recognisable, even to Edward who had known him for almost three years. His usually short, dark hair was draped with a long, blonde wig, half of which was pulled back into a pony tail. His ears were covered with plastic, fake ears giving them a pointed look at the tops and he was wearing green leggings, green boots and a green tunic, all covered with a green cloak.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Edward couldn't contain his laughter any more.

"I'm Legolas, you know, from The Lord of the Rings. Katie said he was her favourite movie character." Garrett was a little sheepish in his defence of his costume, especially when he took in Edward's. "Who are you supposed to be anyway?" Garrett knew the answer. He was just trying to save some of his dignity.

"Bond. James Bond."

"Very original," Garrett taunted his friend. He knew exactly why Edward had chosen the character. It had everything to do with their royal flatmate and nothing to do with a lack of costumes, as Edward had previously suggested.

-x-

When Angela opened the door to her room twenty minutes later she laughed a little at what she found. Bond and Legolas weren't exactly your usual pairing but she moved aside to let the guys in. Kate squealed in delight. She was so happy to see that Garrett had made the effort to go as her favourite movie character and she was glad that she had opted to dress as Galadriel. The two elves looked rather striking when stood next to each other.

Edward offered Angela a comment on her own costume but he was really waiting to see what Isabella had chosen. If he knew her at all then it would be nothing like either of her friends'. Where Kate had gone for sci-fi and fantasy, Angela had clearly gone for sex appeal, dressing as Angelina Jolie from the Tomb Raider movies. Edward had to hand it to her; this time last year he would've had her in his bed by the end of the evening. This year, he found himself indifferent to what Angela was wearing and more excited by what Isabella could have chosen.

When the bathroom door finally opened, Edward's heart started to race like a runaway train. Isabella had not been aiming for sexy, but damn did she pull it off anyway. She was wearing a floor length, black gown which was incredibly modest, only showing off her arms and small sections of her back and shoulder blades. She had accessorised it with a huge pearl and diamond necklace, matching earrings and elbow length black gloves. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, held in place with a diamond clip that matched her necklace and she was twirling a prop cigarette holder between her index and middle fingers. He would know that look anywhere; she had chosen a character from his mother's favourite movie. She was Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's. His mouth had suddenly gone very dry.

Edward stood and watched as Isabella's friends praised her on her costume and told her how good she looked while she returned the compliments. He couldn't find the words to tell her just how stunning she looked. For the first time in his life, Edward Cullen found himself completely and utterly speechless. Thankfully, Garrett saved him from any embarrassment by picking up the conversation.

When Isabella turned her attention to Edward, she took her time to fully take in his own costume. Every time she saw him around campus he was casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt or sweater, depending upon the weather. Last night, she thought he had looked good dressed up for their meal. Tonight, stood before her in a tuxedo, he looked positively sinful.

"Looking good, Mr Cullen. There is just one problem though." She stepped forward, pulling his crooked bowtie loose to re-tie it for him. Edward had never tied one before so he had struggled slightly. Having grown up surrounded by men, Isabella had often seen her father and her brothers tying their own. It was something of an art form.

Once she had finished she stepped back slightly to survey her handiwork. "There, now you'll be fighting all the ladies off tonight."

That remark was the one to finally snap Edward into action and he walked forward, taking Isabella's hands into his own. "You look amazing, Isabella. You will definitely be stealing the show tonight."

Isabella blushed slightly and then turned to grab her wrap, trying to hide the colour in her cheeks. She wasn't successful.

-x-

When the car pulled up to the kerb outside of the club, Garrett thanked the driver and then helped the ladies out of the vehicle. Unlike Edward, he didn't seem to realise Jasper had been following them all around the city and wasn't just some guy hired for the evening. It made Edward wonder if Angela and Kate knew about Isabella's security detail like he did, or, if she had kept it to herself. He secretly hoped he was the only one she had confided this secret to.

It took them a few minutes of waiting to get into the club. Isabella had offered to pull some strings to make it faster, but her friends all knew how she hated using her title when she was with them. They were more than happy to wait in line like regular university students, as long as she was.

When they made it inside, Garrett went off to fetch some drinks while Edward and the girls hunted down a free table. Isabella had never been in a nightclub before and she was fascinated by the amount of people inside the one room, all drinking heavily and all dressed as their favourite Hollywood characters.

She was rather enjoying watching Tom Cruise dancing with Jennifer Aniston and a Marilyn Monroe lookalike making out with Brad Pitt, when a guy approached the table asking Angela to join him on the dance floor. She spared a quick glance at her friends, checking to see if they were happy for her to leave, before making her way to the centre of the room with Daredevil.

Over the next few hours Angela and Daredevil, or Ben as he introduced himself to the group, spent their time split between the dance floor and their table. Ben was at Dundee University studying mathematics and Angela seemed quite smitten with him. Kate and Garrett also left the table on occasions to join the dance floor when one of their favourite songs were playing.

A few girls approached throughout the night asking Edward if he wanted to dance or if he wanted a drink, but he always politely declined their offers. After a while, Isabella began to worry that she was cramping his style a little so, after another round of drinks, she joined Angela and Kate on the dance floor. She watched, while she was dancing, as Edward continued to dismiss girl after girl, his eyes always finding their way back to her.

"You should ask him to dance, you know." Isabella pulled her eyes away from Edward to look at Angela.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Isabella wasn't fooling herself let alone her friends.

"He's been watching you all evening. Sending away woman after woman. Garett's already told me, that is not normal Edward behaviour. This time last year he had already left the party with some random brunette. He's waiting for you to go over there and ask him to dance." Kate's eyes were fierce as she urged her friend on. She had seen the way Edward and Isabella had been dancing around each other and if she waited much longer, she was worried Edward would take up one of the other girls' offer for a drink or a dance.

As much as her friends had been worried about Edward's intentions with Isabella, what they had seen the night before, over dinner, had put both of their minds at rest. Edward seemed genuinely interested in getting to know Isabella better and he made no move to flirt with her the way he used to with other girls their age. While Edward couldn't see what was happening, Angela and Kate could.

Edward Cullen was falling for Princess Isabella of Scotland.

"It's just one dance." Angela's tone was almost taunting.

Isabella took another look in Edward's direction just in time to see him send another admirer on her way. When he turned, his stare locked with hers and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. She raised her right hand and with her index finger, beckoned Edward over to her. He took the hint; rising from his chair, downing the rest of his beer and making his way over to the girls. Angela and Kate took that as their cue to leave.

Then it was just the two of them.

Like a cheesy movie scene, the song shifted, the DJ opting this time for something a little slower and as Isabella heard the opening to Nelly and Tim McGraw's "Over and Over," she felt her confidence grow. Looping her arms around Edward's neck she pulled him further onto the dance floor and into her arms.

At first, Edward was a little tense. Although he had danced with plenty of girls in the past, he had never danced with a Princess. She had probably taken dance lessons in her childhood. He certainly hadn't. He had been more interested in playing football. He was unsure about how to hold her or where to put his hands. Eventually, Isabella made the decision for him, resting her head on his chest, leaving Edward no choice but to wind his arms around her waist.

They continued swaying back and forth for the duration of a few songs. It wasn't awkward for either of them. In fact, Isabella felt incredibly comfortable in Edward's arms and he was rather enjoying having her there. As the song switched once again to James Blunt's "You're Beautiful," Isabella felt Edward's chest rumble slightly as he began to sing along, his voice muffled by her hair.

She raised her head with the intention to listen as Edward sung the beautiful lyrics but when her gaze met his she froze. The look in Edward's eyes was almost too much for her to bear. His usually bright and lush greens were dark and intense, burning through her own and into her soul. His lips were still mouthing the words of the song but Isabella could no longer hear them. She couldn't focus on anything but the way he was looking at her, like she was the gravity anchoring him to this Earth.

It was in that moment that Isabella forgot everything. She forgot they were in a crowded club, full of university students. She forgot her friends were sat at a table nearby, watching the two of them with the same fascination as they had a documentary on insects mating, last weekend. She even forgot about her title and what her future held. In that moment, all she could think about was how right it felt to be in Edward's arms.

She leaned forward, fully intending on pressing her lips to his when there was a sudden flash of light to her left. Blinking rapidly to clear the bright spot in her vision she turned and was met with a wall of camera phones. Their bright flashes were like a bucket of ice cold water and both Isabella and Edward snapped out of their lust-filled haze.

Edward took charge of the situation, turning them both so that she was shielded from the phones and guiding her back towards their table. Unfortunately the crowd followed.

"I think we need to get out of here." Edward's voice was low, whispered so only Isabella could hear what he was saying.

"I should go and you should stay. Enjoy your evening. I'm only ruining things by being here." Isabella's mood had switched drastically. Suddenly she couldn't shut out the thoughts that had been absent while she was in Edward's arms. What was she even thinking trying to kiss him? He already had his picture splashed across the front page of every paper in the country and all over the internet. He wouldn't want this and it wasn't fair of her to drag him into that lifestyle.

Edward could see Isabella was beginning to pull away from him and he would not allow that to happen. Instead, he told their friends they were leaving and proceeded to escort Isabella from the building. He managed to shake a few of the people following them with camera phones but when they stepped outside of the club, there were plenty of real photographers waiting for them. Apparently word had spread. Fast.

Emmett and Jasper were already in place, and pulled Isabella back, into the safety of the club. Jasper was busy barking orders at the manager to call for more security as he dialled for a car, while Emmett tried to hold back the growing crowd with their digital cameras and camera phones. Isabella stood beside Edward, locked inside her own mind and shaking with fear. Photographers had never confronted her before without the usual guard of ten her father insisted she take. And the alcohol in her system was starting to make her feel ill. Jasper and Emmett wouldn't be enough to control the situation if it began to escalate.

Edward pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back gently to try and soothe her nerves. As much as she wanted to fight him, her body wasn't co-operating and instead, melted into his embrace. When the manager returned, telling them the car was right outside the door, waiting, Isabella straightened her head and allowed Edward to guide her outside and into the safety of the car. Jasper and Emmett followed, closely behind.

Inside, she turned worried eyes to her friend. "Edward, I am so sorry. Those pictures are going to be everywhere by morning. My God, what are your family going to think of me?" There were tears welling in her eyes. As much as she had come to treasure Edward's friendship, she was now certain she was no good for him.

"Hey, look at me." Edward waited while Isabella raised damp eyes to his own. "I will call my parents and warn them about the pictures. They're not going to be worried about them. They know you're at uni with me and they even joked about us being friends before I left for the year. Honestly, my mum will probably throw a party when she sees them." He paused as Isabella chuckled and dried her eyes before he continued. "Isabella, I'm not worried about this. It's not your fault someone outed you and it's not your fault that our evening was cut short. I like being your friend and if you think a few photographers are going to scare me off you clearly don't know me well enough."

Isabella laughed and found herself more at ease than she had been since her dance with Edward had been so rudely interrupted. He had a natural gift for assuaging all her fears. "Maybe we should rectify that?"

"Huh?" Edward was a little confused.

"It's still early. Maybe we could grab some food, a couple of bottles of beer and get to know each other a little better in my room?" All of a sudden she was nervous about the possibility of Edward rejecting her.

She had no reason to be.

As soon as the words left her mouth his face broke into the widest smile she had ever seen.

With that settled, she turned to face the front of the car, snuggling into Edward's left side, his arm slipping around her shoulders and pulling her to him tighter. She missed the not-so-subtle wink Emmett sent to Edward, over her shoulder.

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. As always your words make the day a little brighter. If you sent a guest review, I am sorry I was unable to answer your questions or reply with your teaser but I loved hearing from you. If you want any answers feel free to send me a PM or find me on twitter.

I also wanted to thank guest reviewer Allidel for you sweet words.

The teaser for chapter 6 will be up with The Fictionators on Monday.

Have a great weekend.