Puzzle Pieces – Chapter 9

Edward and Bella had spent the rest of their afternoon wandering around Mercer Island. They didn't have a specific destination. They just went from place to place talking and getting to know each other. They found out that she thought he was a pussy because he couldn't stand spicy food, and she loved it. While Edward loved a good, dark ale, Bella only liked beer of any shade over ice cream with a light drizzle of honey. Edward thought that The Lord of the Rings trilogy was one of the best works of art ever made, and Bella said that those movies turned her into a narcoleptic. While Bella was a Coke drinker, Edward preferred Pepsi. They both agreed that Nicholas Sparks and Seth MacFarlane were overrated, and pizza, tacos, and oreos were the foods of gods.

It was on their drive to Edward's parents' house that they found another shared love - nineties television. Thus began the heated debate over the best series.

"I don't understand how this is even a discussion," Bella said. She shook her head and argued, "Saved by the Bell is by far the best of the young adult sitcoms. It was so timeless that it spawned different generations. It gave the world Zack Morris for god's sake!"

"It also gave the world Jessie Spannow as a horrible stripper in…what's that movie called? The one where she strips."

"A stripper in the movie where she strips," Bella deadpanned. "I'm actually kind of glad that you can't remember the name of that movie. But that has nothing to do with Saved by the Bell being one of the best shows ever."

"I can't believe you're denying the awesomeness of Boy Meets World. It had everything: young love, strong family values, and true friendship! How can you overlook the teenage angst of Cory, Topanga, and Shawn?" Edward looked at Bella with sheer disbelief. "That show gave the world Mr. Feeney! Did you not want to have a Mr. Feeney?!"

"Fine! I have to give you that. Mr. Feeney does trump Mr. Belding." Bella laughed and admitted defeat. "But you have to admit that Kelly Kapowski and Zack Morris are way hotter than Topanga and Cory."

"That's a given." Edward glanced over with a very serious look on his face. "Best 90's cartoon?"

"If you say Beavis and Butthead or Ren and Stimpy, I will be forced to break up with you."

"No. Those are great cartoons, but they're no Rocko's Modern Life. Stoners and talking dogs and cats are just too commonplace. Now a talking wallaby? That's just fucking genius!" Edward thumped the steering wheel to emphasize his point for good measure.

"What?! After all that shit you just spewed about Boy Meets World, and you're ignoring the greatness of Doug? That has all the same stuff. There was Penny and Skeeter. There was even Pork Chop!"

"All teen angst is not equal." Edward pulled into the driveway of his parents' house and parked the car. "This discussion is not over. I will make you see the error of your ways."

Bella rolled her eyes and smiled. When Edward came around the car to open her door, she placed her hands on his chest. "Who knew dating you would be this fun?"

"Psh!" Edward gave an over exaggerated head roll. "Woman, you know I'm fucking amazing."

Bella laughed and placed a loud, smacking kiss on his lips. "You just might be. Now let's go before your mother injures herself peeking out the window."

"It's a very different thing to be bringing you home to meet my parents when you already know them." Edward turned and took Bella's hand to lead her to the house.

"I know. I don't just know my boyfriend's parents. I spent more time with them in the last decade than he has."

That's when the front door burst open, and Esme came out onto the front porch with a dish towel clutched to her mouth. Regaining her composure, Esme gave Edward a hard look. "Edward Anthony, if this is some sick joke, I will tan your hide. I am not too old to beat your ass."

Edward stood in front of his mother and was not ashamed to pull Bella in front of him. Esme Platt Cullen was a tough lady, and only a stupid man would try to take her on. "No, Mom. This is not a joke. I would introduce you to my girlfriend, but you already know her. In fact, by the look on your face, I think you even love her more than me."

Esme's eyes glittered. Reaching out, she gave Bella a kiss on the cheek and pulled her in for a tight hug. Looking over Bella's shoulder, Esme said, "I do."

Bella just laughed let Esme take her hand and pull her into the kitchen. "Mama, did you get the case of Cakebread Cellars Cab that I had sent over here?"

"I did! Honey, that was too much. You didn't have to do that. You made Carlisle's week when he came home and saw that sitting in the foyer."

When they walked into the kitchen, they caught Carlisle red handed trying to sneak a spoonful of cream cheese icing from the mixing bowl.

"Busted!" Edward walked forward and gave his father a hug.

Carlisle had a look of surprise to see that Bella was here so early with Edward. The other kids weren't expected for another hour at least. "My favorite girl!"

"Hi Pops." Bella went over to stand in Carlisle's warm embrace. "You better not let Rose or Alice hear you call me that."

"You send me wine. All they ever did was run up my credit card bills! If it weren't for the miles I earned, I would've been beside myself." Carlisle watched as Edward wrapped his arms around Esme from behind and gave her several smacking kisses on her head and cheeks.

"I love you, Mommy!"

"Son, are you high?"

"No," Edward said as he released his laughing mother. "I'm just trying to get back on her good side."

Esme turned around and handed Bella an apron. "He's just mad because I told him that I loved his girlfriend more than him."

"Oh? Who is his girlfriend?" Carlisle asked.

Bella lifted her hand and waved. "I'm his girlfriend, Pops."

"Huh," Carlisle said looking between Edward and Bella. Smirking, Carlisle turned to Edward and said, "Yeah, I like your girlfriend better than you too."

"What the fuck?" Edward turned to Bella and said, "I need a beer. No one loves me."

Bella just laughed at her pouting boyfriend. "Now, Mama, what can I help you with?"

Before Edward walked out of the kitchen, he placed a hand on Bella's hip and leaned down to kiss the side of her head. "I kinda love that you call my parents Mama and Pops."

Bella leaned back with wide eyes. "Oh my god! I didn't even realize that I did that. I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you before just in case it weirded you out."

Edward smiled and winked. "Not weird. Definitely love it."

Esme handed Bella a large block of chocolate and a vegetable peeler. "I'm making chocolate dream pie for the boys and carrot cake for the girls. Can you make the chocolate curls for me, please?"

Bella took the chocolate and peeler from Esme and set up her little spot on the corner of the counter. "Mama, are you okay with me dating Edward?"

In the last ten years, Esme and Bella had grown close. When Bella's parents started traveling around in their R/V, Bella had spent more and more time with the Cullens. They had become her family, and Esme was more than happy to add another child to her brood. As with all of her other children, Esme had always been open and honest about everything, and her friendship with Bella had grown quickly.

Esme placed her hand over Bella's on the counter and said softly, "Bella, I couldn't be happier that you and Edward are together. Why wouldn't I be? I love you both, and knowing that you care about each other like that is wonderful."

Bella kept her eyes down on the counter, and said softly, "There's this small part of me, deep down inside, that is afraid that if this doesn't work out that I'll lose all of you. It's only been a couple of weeks, but I already feel so connected to him."

"Honey, you can't go into a relationship thinking that it'll end someday. If you do, you'll spend all your time waiting for the end, and you'll never really enjoy the person or your bond with him." Esme stepped to the side and went to check on the carrot cake that she had in the oven. "As much as we would like for there to be a guideline that tells us the inner workings of relationships, there is none. Every relationship develops at its own rate depending on the individuals. It only took one month for me to know that I'd spend the rest of my life with Carlisle. Alice knew the moment she met Jasper, and Emmett chased Rosalie for four years before she finally gave in to go on one date with him."

"I was good by myself, doing my own thing. I was completely happy with the way that everything was going in my life." Bella ran the peeler down the side of the chocolate bar and watched the curls fall to the cookie sheet below. "But I'm even happier now that I know he's there. We don't have to be together all the time. Just knowing he'll answer a text or that I'll see him later is enough for me."

Carlisle followed Edward into the den and sat down in the arm chair, while Edward sat on the couch. Placing his glass of wine on the table, Carlisle took a moment to just look at his son. Edward wasn't the tall, gangly, awkward high school kid anymore. He had grown up into a man, and Carlisle couldn't be more proud of his son. He knew that Edward has pushed himself in college because Edward felt the need to come out from under Carlisle's shadow, and Carlisle respected that.

"Son, you know that your mother and I are very proud of you, right?"

Edward looked at his father and gave a small smile. "I know, Dad. I appreciate that you and mom gave me the room to be someone I could be proud of too."

"I guess it's safe to assume that your sisters had something to do with you dating Bella?"

With a laugh, Edward said, "Yes and no. They introduced us to each other and the idea of being together, but we decided to go out on our own to see if we were interested in dating. Rose and Ali don't even know that we're together. We haven't been talking about it to them. We wanted to try it out on our own first. That way we'd know that we want this, and it's not them convincing us that it's a good idea."

Knowing his daughters, Carlisle nodded. "That was a good call. Your sisters aren't exactly the most subtle people."

"Dad, what did it feel like when you first started dating mom?"

"It felt like the world's greatest high." At Edward's raised eyebrows, Carlisle continued. "Your mother became my own personal brand of heroin. I couldn't get enough of her. I wanted to be with her all the time. Of course, with my being in med school at the time, that just wasn't possible. This was before cell phones and e-mail, so I was constantly checking the clock and counting down the days until I could call her or be with her again. I was addicted to her."

"But how did you know that your feelings for her were deeper than lust?" Edward knew all about his parents' exploits, but he was beyond the point where it continued to scandalize him.

"I knew I was in love with your mom because she grounded me. My life was going to fast trying to keep up with my studies and exams, but she slowed me down. She made sure my life was well-rounded, and she kept me balanced. It's because she's always made sure that I was whole that I was able to be the doctor that I've become."

Edward took a moment and let his father's words sink in. Picking up his beer bottle, he started to peel the label. "I've spent my entire adult life being focused on myself. I purposely shut myself off from even my family, so that I could be this person. How do I know that I can share my life with someone? What if I've become too much of a selfish bastard to be the man that Bella deserves?"

"Edward, what you're capable of has nothing to do with what you've done in the past, not in this sense. If you want to be the man you think Bella deserves, then you will be. You have to let your heart lead, not your head. Do you what you feel is right by the both of you, and don't think too much. Trust yourself and trust her. That's all that matters."

"Thanks, Dad."

Edward and Carlisle continued to talk about lighter subjects and even a few hospital matters, as Bella and Esme finished dinner in the kitchen. It wasn't too long before they heard a car pull into the drive way. Shortly after, the front door burst open.

"Ma! I'm here, and I brought my appetite," Emmett said as he walked into the foyer. Everyone hurt a loud smack. "Ow! Okay, I brought my wife too."

Right after Emmett and Rose walked into the kitchen, another car pulled into the driveway. Soon enough, Alice and Jasper were gathered in the kitchen with the rest of the family. Bella was helping Esme portion out bread for dinner rolls when Rose let out a gasp.

"Swany, where's your car?"

Bella smirked at the dough she was rolling in her hand. "At home."

Catching on quick, Alice started to bounce. "How did you get here then?"

"Edward picked me up."

"Why did Edward pick you up, Swan Face?" The bouncing was becoming more pronounced, and Jasper put an arm around Alice's waist to hold her down a little.

"Because family dinner is tonight."

"BELLA!" Rose and Alice yelled simultaneously.

Edward laughed and walked over and wrapped his arms around Bella's waist from behind. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he said, "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I made my girlfriend drive separately on date day?"

"OH. MY. GOD!"