A/N: Surprise! Updating a day earlier to wish you all a very Happy Diwali! May this Festival of Lights bring you and your family love, peace, and prosperity. Consider this my Diwali gift to you. ;)

You guys left me such lovely reviews last time! I thanked you all personally, but consider this another shout-out because one wasn't enough to express my happiness. My pre-readers are aware that writing romance scares me, so to know that you all found my E/B cute/sweet/adorkable means A LOT to me.

Payton79 and Pamela are the awesome ladies who devote their time to make sure these chapters are ready for you.

CHAPTER 10: FAMILY

In the end, Bella decided to honor her rules partly by ordering a salad and picking out a more indulgent item for the main course.

"Compromise," she'd whispered, throwing in a conspiratorial wink that made me grin.

We sipped at some delicious Chardonnay while waiting for the food to be delivered. Our nerves settled after the embarrassing moments we'd decided not to speak of again, conversation flowed as easily as ever between us.

After sharing little titbits about the day we'd each had, we ended up discussing the tragic case that'd brought us together in the first place.

"I can't believe that Eleazar didn't come forward as soon as the news of the murder spread," Bella remarked passionately as she reached for the vinaigrette.

"He is a quirky fellow. Quite paranoid, too. You know, I'm not someone who believes in clichés, but this guy . . . he really is the embodiment of every hacker you've seen in movies and such. After spending all that time hidden behind his computer, he has no confidence in anything other than machines and his skill in handling them. He was terrified of getting into this business in the first place, and even more so when he learnt of what it did to Carmen."

"Yet he was helping Carmen in her quest to bring Marcus down," she reminded me, using the same words that'd been splashed all over the news in the past week, ever since Eleazar Ackner had come out of hiding to give us a statement on what he knew.

"Yeah," I sighed. "They were childhood friends who lost touch along the way. But when Carmen realized she would need technological guidance, she sought him out."

And she'd made the right call. The evidence Eleazar had managed to collect had tightened the noose further around Marcus' neck. While there were a few hearings remaining in the trial, the result was almost a foregone conclusion. The prosecution had submitted proof the defense counsel had been unable to refute.

"I'm glad that what Carmen set out to do is happening," Bella murmured.

"Me, too, Bella. It's far too often that the wealthy get away with heinous crimes. At least this once, we won't let that happen."

She gave me a smile, and the pride that lingered in her expression made my heart soar. I pushed all thoughts of the trial away, choosing to focus simply on the beautiful woman who'd graced me with her presence tonight.

As we polished off the rest of our meal, we gradually delved into the more personal aspects of each other's lives. While there were dozens of superficial bits of ourselves we'd shared with each other over coffee, I was eager to know more about her, to discover the various facets of her past that shaped her into the lovely person she was now.

I'd noticed her reticence in speaking of her family in the past, so instead of probing her about it, I simply launched into stories of my folks when she asked.

"I don't remember much of my parents, but what I do is all because of Esme and Carlisle. They were there for me in every way a parent should be. When I needed some distance, they respectfully gave me that. But once enough time had passed that I could handle thinking of my past, they helped me hold on to the family I'd lost. Be it old videos or stories recited through smiles and tears, they made sure that time couldn't sever that bond."

"They sound like wonderful people, Edward."

"They really are. Despite everything, I- I consider myself lucky to be a part of their family." I paused to take a breath, swallowing down the emotion rising in my chest. Bella reached out to place her hand over mine, squeezing it comfortingly. I shot her a grateful smile, letting the soft warmth of her touch anchor me to the present.

It was as perfect a segue I could get to inquire about her family and the reticence that emanated from her whenever the topic came up. But she looked so content as she sat there and listened to me that I loathed the idea of doing anything that could chase her happiness away.

A comfortable silence ensued while I was lost in thought, and possibly, she was feeling the same way. I'd almost decided to steer our talk back to safer areas when she shifted in her seat and straightened her shoulders.

"I was lucky, too. I mean, I am lucky when it comes to family," she offered, her voice just a tad lower than it had been earlier in the evening. Her gaze held mine for a moment, then flickered away. I turned my palm over and gave hers a gentle squeeze, returning the comfort she'd offered me.

"I had a good childhood. My parents gave me everything I needed without hesitation. It's just that there were a lot of expectations to fulfil in return."

I couldn't help my reaction; my forehead crumpled into a frown at her words.

"No, that doesn't sound right," Bella rushed to say. "I never quite know how to explain the dynamics of my family." She huffed out a breath and fell silent for a few seconds. I remained quiet, too, allowing her the time she needed to gather her thoughts. "I never had any siblings or relatives who lived nearby, so it was always just the three of us. My mom has always been a fairly easy-going person, but my father . . . the polar opposite. He's a quiet man, but intimidating in his silence. Don't get me wrong, Edward. He has always been a good father, a good husband. But emotions have never been his strong suit. When things don't go his way, he doesn't like it. And he never needed to come out and yell at me . . . the silence of his disappointment always affected me stronger than any shouted words ever could." She looked down at our hands, twisting her fingers in my grasp.

"I don't believe you would've given him much reason to be disappointed, Bella."

Warmth shone in her chocolate eyes as they flicked up toward mine. "I always tried my best to fulfil his expectations. I was a good student, and I enjoyed most of my studies, so it wasn't that hard to keep my grades up. I didn't mind molding myself into rules that'd push me toward my goal. Even once I left for college, those habits of working as hard as I can to meet all expectations and deadlines, not indulging in too many distractions stuck with me. I think . . . I think being accountable to my dad's standards made me somewhat of a perfectionist. The things I do . . . I need to do them well. Half-assed efforts are the stuff of my nightmares."

"That's why you were so angry at losing your job," I murmured, realization dawning on me.

A grimace flashed across her face. "Yeah. I told you I've never been fired before. I've always prided myself on that. I've never given my employers a reason to be that dissatisfied with me. As childish as it sounds, I was hugely bothered about the way that incident sullied my record."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. We've already covered that. With my parents breathing down my neck back then, I just didn't have the clarity required to realize and accept that."

I winced. "They were pissed, huh?"

"A bit," she sighed. "But I'm more concerned with their disappointment, remember? I never told them the whole story of what happened. The fact that I'd moved out here, two states away from my home to grab the job opportunity at Volturi only to have it snatched away from me four months later . . . yeah, that didn't sit well with my dad. He was worried about my finances, which were obviously in shambles. I'd had no time to build my nest egg, after all. Mom was trying to get me to move back there, if only for a little while. I just couldn't stomach that thought. I'd moved out on my own to prove myself—my worth. I wasn't ready to give up yet, but my mind was all tangled in emotions and practicality. I had to give up my apartment, after all the time I'd spent making it a place I could call home. You were just an unfortunate target in the way, Edward. I spent most of that week boiling over about the littlest of things."

"I'm sorry." She threw me an annoyed glance, so I held up my free hand. "I know, I know. It was nobody's fault. But I'm still sorry for what you had to deal with because of it. I'm allowed to say that, aren't I?"

She rolled her eyes, but her lips were already curving up at the corners. "Fine, I'll allow that. I have to say, though, we might not be here today if you hadn't barged into the hotel that day. That offers a different perspective on the matter, doesn't it?"

I leaned forward. "Are you saying you're ready to accept that it was a good thing I got you fired?"

Bella snorted, pulling her hand away. "Don't push your luck, Detective. Count your blessings." She grabbed her spoon and popped the last morsel of her dinner into her mouth. I tipped my glass of wine in her direction before taking a sip. "Now I've had enough of my own voice. You heard my story. It's time to get back to you. Tell me when you decided to join the force."

Respecting her need to change the subject, I took a moment to consider her question. It wasn't something I hadn't encountered before from friends and family, but I wanted to make sure I gave her an honest answer.

"I don't really know. I mean, what happened to my parents was an accident. I've never lost a loved one to crime. Usually, people assume that's the reason someone would get into law enforcement, but that's not how it was for me. For as long as I can remember, I've felt strongly about justice. It's something every one of us deserves, but very few get. I've always wanted to do my part to change that. There was no pinpointing moment that defined my choice. Somehow, the ideas that were nothing but games in childhood became dreams, and then as I grew up, they grew, too, into something real. They became goals." My mouth pulled up into a smirk. "And as you know, once I set my mind to something, it isn't easy to make me back down."

"Even if your actions to achieve your goal border on stalker-ish tendencies."

"Even then," I agreed with a chuckle.

She picked up her glass and held it up. "To the underappreciated art of tenacity."

I echoed the sentiment before clinking my glass with hers.

Our eyes met over the rim and held, a spark fizzing along my skin as her tongue darted out to caress her lower lip, savoring the taste of the wine.

How could I possibly regret my persistence in chasing her down when it'd brought us together in the moment?

A/N: In case I managed to confuse you . . . No, the information about Eleazar wasn't mentioned anywhere before this. I've put it here in this way so that it'd fit naturally into their conversation. At the same time, I've tried to incorporate all that you need to know about him to tie up the loose ends of the murder case. I hope it was clear enough to make sense.

Teasers, photographs, and other details about my stories can be found in my FB group: Fanfiction by ForeverRobsessed. The link is available on my profile here.

See you next time!

FIC REC – The Mail Order Bride (and its sequel: Bear Valley Ranch) by Mrs. Brownloe – It's the late 1800s in the wild west. A lonely man seeks companionship; a woman restricted by convention seeks a future. Add those together and what do you get?