I don't own these characters. They are the sole property of Stephanie Meyers. I only borrow them. No humans are permanently harmed through my actions, though I do confess to harassing, annoying, torturing, and exasperating them – just because it's fun. I make no money from my little stories, sad day. I only play in the sandbox, I didn't build it.

Author's Note: There just might be a HINT of lemony goodness in this one. Okay, just barely. I know the pace might be agonizing, but I really couldn't see them jumping into bed together. They're both older, more aware of the consequences that every action brings, and let's face it, it's hard to find private time with four kids running around even after you've made the decision! So please have patience with them…and me. And thank you for reading, as always!

Chapter 7: The Birthday Boy

For the first time in years, I woke up on my birthday actually excited about the whole ordeal. I quickly jumped in the shower, rubbed one out just as a precaution against spending the day with Bella (soldiers are like boy scouts and always prepared), and then hopped in my car and drove the short distance to Bella's house.

Jake answered the door, as was his habit. He smiled up at me. "Happy Birthday, Mr. Edward."

"Thank you, Jake," I replied, reaching out to ruffle his hair. He frowned, as he always did, and straightened out his sleek, dark hair. I knew he didn't really mind because once when I had forgotten to ruffle his hair, he reached out and put my hand on his head. I got the hint. I ruffled. He frowned. He straightened. That was how we said hello. We were both happy with the little ritual.

He tugged at my hand, leading me toward the kitchen. I could already smell the delicious aromas wafting throughout the house. Damn. Bella was a great cook. He released my hand, clambered up a stool at the breakfast bar and I followed suit. Together, we watched as Bella moved gracefully around the kitchen. In the background, I could hear some music. I smiled. Old school rock…AC/DC – "Let Me Put My Love into You." She was a woman of unexpected tastes and the song was uncomfortably erotic. Of course, watching her drink coffee was erotic too. I suspected that the problem just might be me.

She looked at me and smiled and then her eyes went to Jake. "Did you wish Mr. Edward a happy birthday?"

Jake nodded and began toying with the syrup bottle, pouting a little pool on the plate in front of him and then scooping it onto a finger and licking it up. The kid had a serious sweet tooth and he and Bella were usually engaged in a battle of wills to keep him eating fairly healthy.

"Enough," Bella warned, waving the spatula at him. He giggled and ducked his head. Then she looked at me once more. "Happy Birthday, Edward."

Something about hearing my name on her lips, seeing her still all soft and sweet from sleep, made my body react. Again. Hell, I'd spent much of the last month hard for her. I shifted on the stool, glad for the camouflage that the breakfast bar offered. "Thanks," I replied. "And I'm really looking forward to my French toast."

"Coming right up," Bella promised.

A few moments later I was groaning my appreciation for her culinary skills. "Oh…my…God…" It was like heaven in my mouth.

Bella smirked and Jake laughed. "Pretty good stuff, huh?" he asked.

By that time, the smell of the food had drawn the other boys. Emmett scowled at me as he loaded up a plate that might have fed a small country for a day…or a week. Seth was good-naturedly hassling Emmett, who merely grunted in response. They both wished me a happy birthday, though Emmett's was slightly less cheerful. Sam was the last one to arrive. I usually didn't see Sam on Saturday mornings. According to Bella, he liked to sleep more than the other boys and six a.m. was just too early for him.

To my surprise, Sam was quite talkative in the morning. It seemed that he got quieter as the day went on. He sat beside Jake and they teased each other, stealing bits of food of each other's plates and playfully pretending to stab at each other's hands with their forks. All of Bella's boys were close, but it was clear that Sam and Jake shared a very special bond. Maybe it was their age, maybe it was their complementary personalities. Jake was exuberant and enthusiastic, and the kid didn't have a shy bone in his body. Sam was quiet, contemplative, and protective. I was beginning to realize that not only had he appointed himself guardian to his mother, but to his younger brother as well.

It sort of reminded me of how I had viewed Masen when we were kids. Masen was only sixteen months younger than me. The age gap between Jake and Sam was slightly bigger, but they were still only about two years apart. In a family that had faced so much, the boys had learned to rely on each other. Each of them tried, in their own ways, to fill in the gap left behind by their father's death.

I sat back and ate my breakfast, watching Bella James and her sons. For the first time, I wondered if I had missed out by not sharing my life with someone.

~TBTA~

After breakfast, Bella insisted on cleaning up the kitchen while I trooped into the living room with the boys. As tempting as it was to insist on Lifetime movies, we found a Bully Beatdown marathon on Spike TV. After getting Bella's approval (which she gave, although she rolled her eyes and muttered something about testosterone poisoning), the boys and I settled in for a few hours of watching bullies get their butts kicked.

Emmett was sprawled on the floor, his big feet crossed and his back leaning against a chair. Seth was in the chair and every now and then he'd reach down and punch Emmett lightly to emphasize an observation about the program. Emmett took the abuse good-naturedly. Sam was curled up on one end of the couch. He had a book in his hands and during commercials he'd dip his head down and read. Jake had settled in close to me though there was plenty of room on the couch.

After a few hours of watching the festivities, Jake looked up at me with his signature crooked grin and asked quietly, "Are you having a good birthday, Mr. Edward?"

I leaned in to whisper my answer. "The best I've had in a long, long time, Jake."

Jake nodded, his expression quite pleased. "Yeah, Mom's pretty good at the birthday stuff."

I couldn't have agreed more.

~TBTA~

For lunch, I had expressed a desire earlier for Cuban sandwiches. Bella had agreed and before long I was moaning again as I realized she had found authentic Cuban bread. The cheese was melted just right and the meat was all fresh and full of flavor. She had even manipulated two frying pans, somehow, to press them together, giving them that authentic flavor and feel. "Wow," I said around a mouthful of sandwich. "You're…this is amazing." I corrected myself, but something in her blush told me that she had caught my slip.

Shrugging, she replied quietly, "It's just a sandwich."

"Best fu…best sandwich in the world," I amended hastily. She snorted and shook her head, glancing at the boys.

Sam smirked at me, obviously aware of what I'd almost said.

I winked. "I stopped myself," I whispered quietly to Sam.

"Good thing," he replied. "Or you'd be washing your mouth out right about now. And let me tell you, that stuff tastes nasty."

"Know first hand, do you?" I teased.

Sam shook his head. "No, but Emmett and Jake do." He grinned at me. Sam, at least, was beginning to open up a bit more.

"Good to know." I nudged him with my elbow and he nudged back.

After lunch, I insisted on helping Bella clean the kitchen. When I suggested we go to the local arcade, the boys wore down her protests pretty quickly. She insisted on changing and I almost argued. Who would have guessed that yoga pants would be so sexy? When she came back downstairs, I was glad I hadn't pressed the point.

She was wearing an olive green skirt that came to about three inches above her knees with a soft cream tank top. She wore a pair of feminine little sandals, revealing her pedicure. I liked her feet. They were incredibly sexy with their bright pink toenails.

There was nothing immodest or provocative about her clothing but my body reacted like she was parading around in a corset and stockings, wearing fuck-me heels. It was a good thing I'd taken to wearing looser jeans in her presence. The thicker fabric of denim provided more camouflage, and dress pants were definitely out. They left nothing to the imagination.

The boys scattered immediately after we got the arcade, after begging their mom for money for tokens. I pressed some extra cash into each hand, acting like I didn't hear Bella's protests. So did the boys, who exhibited the healthy greed of children to enjoy an unexpected gift. Finally, she threw her hands up in the air and muttered to herself, though I didn't catch what she said. That was probably good, because her tone didn't indicate it would be anything complimentary.

Every ten minutes or so, Sam would wander back and check on Bella. She would always give him a little smile and wave, which he would return, and then he'd go back to doing whatever it was he was doing. She and I had settled at a small table near the exit of the arcade, just so she could keep an eye out for the boys. Even as we talked, I could see her eyes restlessly roaming, keeping her boys in sight, watching over them.

"I want to thank you for a spectacular day," I said. "It's been the best birthday in… Well, in forever."

Bella smiled shyly and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm glad. It's the least I could do after all you've done for us. Emmett especially."

"I'm not really sure I'm doing Emmett any good," I replied. "I wish I was."

She put her small hand over mine and something akin to an electric shock zinged through me. Her fingers tightened briefly over mine and her hand was shaking when she withdrew it. "You are," she assured me. "Emmett's a lot like Mac. It takes him a long time to open up. He's got a lot of stuff inside, and he's not quite sure how to let it out. That's why he does stupid shit sometimes."

"Sam said you'll get your mouth washed out if you do that," I reminded her.

"Then it's a good thing they're not here to hear me, isn't it?" She stuck her tongue out at me and I was once again shifting uncomfortably. At least there was a barrier between us so my "reaction" wasn't visible to her.

"What are you planning on doing for the holiday?" I asked, more to distract myself. I didn't make any comment on what else the fourth of July meant to them.

Bella looked down at the table and shrugged. "I don't know," she replied. "It's not a good time for us."

"I know." She looked up at me and her eyes were shimmering with tears I knew she would never let fall – not here, not in public, not in front her sons. Not in front of me.

"Listen, I was planning on visiting my parents, they're in Charleston…it's not really that far." I paused. Was I really doing this? "How about you and the boys come with me?" Well now I had done it. I couldn't very well show up to my parents' house with Bella and the boys without any warning. And once I called them to tell them, my mom would have a list of questions a mile long to ask me. A part of me hoped that Bella would shoot me down, but a much larger part of me was waiting anxiously for her yes.

She was biting at her lower lip again, a habit that never failed to make my body stand up and take notice. Then she met my eyes again. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," I said with a smile. "It'll be fun." I looked over where I saw Jake making fun of Seth. For his part, Seth seemed to take the teasing in stride and responded with his usual patient tolerance. -"I think it would do the boys good to get away…especially then."

Bella's eyes followed mine and she nodded. "Yeah, I think it would do us all some good." She smiled at me. "I guess it's my turn to thank you. Again."

"My pleasure." And it was.

/TBTA\\

Dinner that night was good old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs. It wasn't fancy, but it was homemade and one of my favorite dishes. The boys ate it with satisfied smacks and Jake told me that it was one of his favorite dinners too.

"Good choice," he commended me as he shoveled another forkful into his mouth.

"I'm so glad you approve," I replied.

Later, the boys were in their rooms. As Bella told me, they were supposed to be falling asleep but that wouldn't happen for a few hours yet. "I've learned to ignore the thumps and pretend I don't know they're up there wrestling and destroying their rooms." She winked as she said it.

I insisted on helping with the dishes and after a few moments of arguing, Bella gave in. As I handed her the last dish to dry, she sighed and put it in the cupboard. She shook her head and looked at me. "I don't think I've had so much fun since-" Bella blinked. "Well, since…"

And I knew what she meant.

We stood staring at each other for a long moment. I was acutely aware of the quiet sound of her breathing. The pace seemed fast and her face pinked up with a delightful blush. Her hands were wrapping the dish towel around and around her fingers. I took a step closer, moving slowly.

I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how she would feel about it. I decided the only thing to do was to be brutally and completely honest. "I'd like to kiss you," I said, and my voice was husky. To be honest, I wanted to do a hell of a lot more than kiss her, but a kiss was a good place to start.

"Why?" she whispered. She seemed genuinely surprised that I would want to kiss her.

"Because I think you're beautiful."

"Oh." She blinked up at me.

"And you're smart and sexy and funny…"

"Oh." She seemed dazed.

"Can I?" I cradled her jaw in my hand and she nuzzled into it. So far, so good.

"Can you what?"

"Can I kiss you?" Her eyes were wide and locked on mine.

"Don't you mean 'may I kiss you'?"

"Yes, you may," I answered and she smiled. I kissed the corner of her mouth and it was as sweet and soft as I had imagined.

Her hands came up to slide into my hair and she gave a quick tug on the slightly longer hair at the top, the rest was a short brush cut, military style. She closed her eyes as I moved my mouth to center it over hers. "God, Bella…" I moaned. "You have no idea how many times I've thought about doing this."

I groaned as I felt her lips open up to me and her tongue slid tentatively against mine. I returned the movement and soon our tongues were dancing, advancing and retreating and twisting and rubbing. My hands were at her hips then, canting her toward me. I restrained myself from rubbing my erection against her belly, but just barely. "Bella…baby…" I heard a shuddering sigh from her.

"You're driving me crazy," she whimpered. Good, then we were both insane.

"I'm sorry," I apologized even as my mouth moved to her throat where her pulse beat madly. I couldn't keep my lips from her. My tongue wanted to taste every inch of her.

"I'm so…confused," she admitted as I nipped at her earlobe. I licked it in apology.

"So am I," I confessed.

Her head lolled back and she sighed. "Just kiss me. I'm so tired of thinking…"

I've always known how to follow orders.

So I did.