AN: Back from vacation feeling burned, tired and ready to conquer a pile of laundry. I did, however, get to write quite a bit while letting the sand slip between my toes.

Here's the continuing story of Queen Isabella and her prince. I hope you enjoy it, because I think I love this chapter a little bit.

Let me know what you think.

Thank you so much for all your support for this story! It is the closest one to my heart. (Also, chapter 11 is almost finished, so that will be up later this week!)

Chapter 10

Bella Swan had some begging to do and she was very uncomfortable with this development. After the years spent on her proverbial knees, in multiple attempts to appease Alec and his fluctuating mood swings, Bella was hesitant to show weakness to anybody. That's why the fact that she had to apologize to Edward left an acidic taste in her mouth.

Sure, Edward was amazing on his return from Seattle. It was probably assumed that she was forgiven already, without even saying a word. How else could she explain the crazy garden make out session? Bella's mood was immediately elevated with this thought, except for the little twinge of self-loathing. If she truly liked this man, she should be willing to show some sensitivity and humility. Doing the right thing sucks.

Bella straightened out the dress she had gotten for a cocktail party for one of Alec's clients. It was cream colored with purple water color inspired flowers that looked like they were painted on the fabric. The dress even floated when you spun around. This experiment was decided upon by Annie, who liked to determine if dresses were floaters. According to the five year old, that was an important factor in dress purchasing. The spinning was quite fun, if you could forget about getting so dizzy. The colors, the floating and Annie's approval were all reasons, she loved the dress. The fact that Alec hated it made Bella hope, with all hope, that Edward loved it.

There was a knock at the door where Bella was hovering. She quickly opened the door and staring at her with a cocky smile was Edward, decked out in a suit. Luckily, he decided to forget about the tie, Bella hated feeling underdressed. He held a bouquet of flowers in his hands; the blooms were the dizzying shades of a rainbow. On Edward's head was perched a pink construction paper crown decorated with crayons and glitter.

Edward smirked, "Waiting by the door, Pretty Lady?"

"Nice crown there, buddy." She returned the smirk.

"Thank you so much. I'll be sure to extend the thanks to your precious daughter, Princess Annie. She is quite the talented crown maker. Notice how she used the pink paper instead of boring yellow. That is the mark of a true artist." Edward thought Bella's children were the weirdest ducks in the best possible way. There was no way he would turn down wearing that hideous crown. It barely bothered him that his hair was sparkling from the glitter dandruff that rained down from the crown,

"You saw the kids?" Bella questioned. He had only left her house a few hours ago.

"I went over to my Mom's right after I left. I just made sure that she was all set to have them over for the evening, but Charlie was there to pick them up. He seemed very excited have the company this evening," Edward said with a grin. Bella returned his smile. She had gotten a very happy call from Charlie offering to watch the children. There was no way that Bella could deny him. A happy Charles Swan made an even happier Bella Swan. That was their dynamic from the very beginning, or the beginning of the Swan duo when her mother disappeared into the night.

"That's really nice of you to go see them," She stated to her suitor, for it truly was.

Edward grinned, feeling pleased that he had made Bella smile. "I missed them. Who else would give me a crown? Matt licked my hand. I feel really special when I am around them. I mean were else can I get a new, pink hat and a lick."

"Your ego needs more boosting?"

"It only needs a boost from the important people. Feel free to boost away." Edward grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her out of the front door and onto the porch. "God, woman, that dress makes you look even sexier. You look beautiful."

Bella beamed.

Edward continued, as he took the keys from her hand and locked her front door, "You would never believe how upset my dad is that Annie and Matt aren't staying over. It seems he quite enjoys being the wizard."

"That's until Carlisle realizes that Alice is working for me." Bella had a sneaky feeling that Alice's employment was being kept a secret from her dad. Esme knew and was overjoyed, but since no one had mentioned Carlisle's reaction it was to be assumed he was still in the dark.

"I think he has a sneaking suspicion. Alice is always at your house and all the timid smiling is a pretty good indication that something's up. I'm sure he would prefer the new happy side of Ali be from you and not that weirdo, Jasper," Edward said as he led her to his car and opened the door.

"I'm sure Jasper is a big part." Bella looked up at him as she sat down in the cool leather seats of Edward's car.

"Damn, are you sure?" Edward asked with an annoyed look on his face. The protective big brother was coming out in force. "Let's keep dear old dad in the dark. The idea of Alice the independent artist is more palatable then Alice who is in love with a hippie."

Bella was laughing when he got in and started the car. "You Cullen men need to let her make her own decisions. She's a good girl and Jasper's nice."

"Bella, she's made mistakes before..."

"She's learning from them." Bella was still trying to gather Alice's backstory, but knew Alice would let her in when she was ready. Bella took Edward's free hand in hers and he smiled. Edward thought, Alice who?

They pulled out of Bella's driveway and as the trees passed by them quickly due to Edward's need for speed. Every passing minute, Bella's guilt filled her to her very bones. He was so sweet this night and she had behaved like a beast. She barely heard Edward discussing his plans for their evening together.

She was continuing to feel like a cad as Edward droned on, "...it really is one of the best additions to town, eating establishment wise. Sure the brew pub was a good idea in theory, but I think Emmett ignored the old timers' love of watching the Mariners in that old dive bar on Elm Street. I think..."

"I am so sorry about my behavior last week! You had an emergency, a medical emergency and I acted like a brat. My behavior was worse than Matty's when he wants to steal grapes off the counter. I swear the kid knows I need to cut them up before he eats them, but he always throws a temper tantrum. I mean for god's sake they are a choke hazard!" Bella exclaimed, speaking in a rush. She felt if she could quickly get the apology out, then the quicker they could forget she acted like a damn fool.

This is the point where Edward's guilt started to flare up, because yes, he had something huge to feel guilty for.

"Bell...I...well...just forget any silly feelings like guilt. It's completely unnecessary and all that. Don't worry about it," Edward said quickly and concentrating harder on the road before them.

Edward Cullen was a big fibber who fibbed. If Annie was there at that moment it would have been her very articulate description.

"It is a big deal, Edward! You were so kind to me after the phone call with Alec and I acted like a jerk. A big old, stupid head jerk! God, I sound like Annie now, saying stupid head. Jeez." Bella's hands started flapping around as she spoke. Edward was so distracted that the car swerved into the other lane for a moment. "Ignore my crazy ramblings, but I need to point out that your job is important. You are a physician and help make the world a better place. Okay, you mostly suck the fat out of people's butts, but sometimes you do good work for society. I bet you helped a burn victim!"

Edward felt like a jerk.

"I might have twisted the truth a little bit."

"What?" Bella looked at Edward in confusion.

Edward grimaced, knowing that angry screaming was eminent. "It was a breast enhancement. The surgery was for an important donor to the hospital's mistress."

"Oh," Bella answered simply. "It was a boob job."

"Umm yeah, I might have known about it last week."

Bella's mouth dropped. Like the old saying said, if there had been flies in the car, she would have caught dozens. Or maybe the saying went something like that, Bella wasn't sure. She let out a quiet, "Last week?"

"Right well, you see, I...might have been a bit confused about, you know everything. I thought I had told you I had to be in Seattle, but I guess I didn't."

"Nope, you certainly didn't," Bella stated simply. "In fact, you said that it was an emergency."

"It would be considered an emergency for some people. She had an audition in Vegas." Edward started to sweat. There would be yelling and he hated yelling.

"She had an audition in Vegas?" Bella said quietly. It was always a concern when Bella got quiet.

Edward cringed before he got answered. "Supposedly, she is trying out to be a showgirl at the Bellagio."

"You couldn't have told me this! I would've been cool with it." Bella started her hand flapping again.

"That Mr. Angelino's girlfriend wants to dance in Vegas? I guess it's cool and all that, but going to a double D with her frame size would be considered excessive…"

"That you had a surgery scheduled!" Bella gave her best glare. The glare that she saved for her little ones for instances like the day they decided to wrap household goods in toilet paper. With all the toilet paper that had been the house, so that Bella had to search the house looking for a roll that didn't exist. Darn that taco truck on Eastern Boulevard.

"Oh..." Edward began sheepishly. He really did feel terrible. He wasn't good with the whole relationship situation, since his romance with Kate crashed and burned. That night had been so special to him and just laying with Bella in his arms felt wonderful. It frightened him more than the movie JAWS. Edward just hadn't liked someone as much as Bella in such a long time. That fright made him run with his tail between his legs. Of course, he first had to make himself look good, where the lie about the emergency came in.

When Edward reached Seattle, his guilt came in waves. He wanted to be with this woman and her crazy kids. That's why harassing her with text messages seemed like a great idea. It would keep him fresh in her mind, plus Edward needed to get her to forgive him. Looking back on that morning, he probably should have just woken Bella up. They could have had a cup of coffee and talked about their feelings. Discuss feelings? What was wrong with him?

"I understand that you have a schedule to keep, because you're a doctor for goodness sake's!" Bella's hands looked like she was about to take flight, they were flapping so quickly.

"You are quite the hand talker, Lady." Edward even at his most sheepish couldn't help pointing out one of Bella's silliest attributes.

Bella looked at her beau with an eye roll. He couldn't stay on track for a minute. Of course, Bella had mixed feelings on this trait. It was annoying, but also quite adorable. This realization led to a decision for Bella. He was one messed up, but pretty man. She was pretty messed up herself. Perhaps together all of their messes would cancel each other out.

"I suggest you keep your trap shut at the moment, Mr. Dubious Truth, because I have an announcement to make. I have decided to give second chance. Let's call this a reprieve of sorts. I was a mess this week and I took it out on you. If you had an emergency, I should have supported you. Of course, you are also full of malarkey, but I didn't know that when I acted crazy. I need to point out that I was full of emotional distress, which you shall learn soon enough. If you can forgive me, then I can forgive you. If you do it again, I will hurt you." Bella reached over and kissed his cheek ending her rant, making him swerve the car.

"I want to know about what happened that made that beautiful smile of yours fade, but I can wait." Edward grinned, his whole body feeling lighter. He then said in his best Irish accent, "Did you just use the word, 'malarkey'? When the hell did you start channeling an old Irish washer woman? Are you going to start regaling me with tales of the old country and the little people searching for pots o' gold?"

"It's physically impossible for you to stay on track, isn't it? Could you at least try to be serious for two seconds?" Bella complained, but she was secretly impressed with his jaunty Irish brogue.

"Is it physically impossible for you to not give long winded speeches?" Edward linked his fingers with Bella as he drove. He was surprised how well he could perform one handed driving. "Do you give speeches like that to those innocent babies of yours?"

"I do, all the time." This was the truth. Bella could give speeches of her disappointment in other's behaviors for, at her personal best, fifteen minutes. She shouldn't have been surprised that Annie and Matt usually wandered off during the middle of her talks.

Edward laughed, because he wasn't surprised, he then quickly pulled into a parking space in front of a small building, "I am not surprised that her royal highness is passing judgment on her subjects in long winded detail. Actually, Annie gave me all the gory details."

"Of course, I shouldn't be surprised that Annie complained about that. I think you like when I pass judgments around. You get all gooey eyed and you lick your lips a lot."

"I don't get gooey eyed. I'm not a thirteen year old boy going through puberty." Edward wasn't going to admit that he loved when she bossed him and others around.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Cullen." Bella gave Edward a jaunty wink. She then looked around them at where they were parked, her eyes widening noticeably in shock. "Wasn't this the Piggly Wiggly?"

It was, in fact, the previous location on the old Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store, which at the time was the only direct competition of the Fork's Hometown Grocery Emporium. It had excellent prices in her father's opinion, Bella recalled him saying, but the produce was lackluster. Bella's most vivid memory was the giant pig's head on the sign that graced the front of the building giving her horrible nightmares. At the tender age of eight, waking up with visions of creepy hat wearing pig's trying to feed her free samples of cereal was a frightening experience.

In place of the Piggly Wiggly's stood a demure, French restaurant. A green and tan awning loomed over several metal bistro table and chairs. A Taste of Paris was written in elegant scrip on the sign over the door. It was understated and pretty, making the small restaurant stand out among the older establishments in town.

Edward looked at the shocked Bella after they exited the car and inquired, "Is this okay? It really is the nicest place in Forks to eat. Emmett will be hanging out at the Brew Pub crying into his beer, as usual, so that's out..."

"No, this is fine. It's great! I was assuming we were going to The Lodge. For the longest time that was the only go to place for fine dining in town," Bella noted as Edward gripped her hand. She really enjoyed the way his hand engulfed hers. His fingers were long and lean, the perfect digits for tickling the ivories. She wondered if he could play the piano and if he could play for her. Bella was always a pushover for musical types. Alec even played a pretty good trumpet. "I really like your fingers."

Edward laughed, "Thanks, Miss Swan, they are pretty functional. Yours aren't too shabby either."

They weren't shabby at all. Delicate and soft, Bella's fingers weaved into his creating a perfect fit. Edward was never much of a hand holder, even in his one actual adult relationship, but with this crazy, intriguing woman he could see it becoming a pleasant and frequent habit.

"Do you play the piano?" Bella inquired, hoping with all the hope that he could.

Edward looked at her quizzically opened the door to the restaurant and ushering her in. "I do. Your kid has already swindled me into giving her free lessons. I should give you a private performance."

Bella tripped over her own feet at that remark, Edward deftly catching her. That pesky swooning was at work again, making her brain broken. What was he doing to her?

Dinner itself was a relaxed affair, no declarations of love or angst filled moments of accusations, which was what was the norm when she went out with Alec before their marriage disintegrated beyond the point of no return. That man had always been as steady as a hurricane, which was to say not at all.

The restaurant, itself, mirrored Bella's evening. Without pretension, the small bistro had candle lit tables covered by serene, bluish gray tablecloths that created an understated ambiance. The ivory walls contained paintings of local areas of interest painted by artists who lived in town. It was a pleasant mix of modern sensibilities with a respect for the Washington countryside. It was an extremely pleasant shock that the owners of the establishment were her old classmates. The class bully, Paul and the sweet science nerd, Embry had formed both a business and personal relationship. This pleased Bella to no end, because life sometimes was pleasantly unexpected. If those two completely different individuals could find love with one another and have it work, well...there was hope for everyone.

Edward was the perfect companion. Funny, charming and willing to share his entree. This was a huge deal breaker for Bella. If you couldn't share food then you can't possibly share a life together. That's when Edward offered her a bite of his steak, she was pleased as punch. Yet, he also remembered not to offer her most hated food, chocolate.

Edward was for the first time, in a long time, having a most pleasant evening without his mind concentrating on ulterior motives. Normally, evenings out like this, Edward would be calculating to the minute how he could get into his date's pants and then how quickly he could get away without cuddling or any promises of future dates. It was true that heartbreak turned him into a callous man, who had no problem using a woman one night and never returning to the scene of the crime. With Bella it was different, because he could see possibilities that he thought he couldn't let himself dream of anymore.

Not to mention, how he got a thrill from their banter. He lived to give her a hard time and she felt the same about him. They loved to push each other's buttons and their eyes would both light up accordingly.

"I would offer you some of this delicious chocolate soufflé, but you are too busy eating that slime." Edward smirked at Bella and took a large bite of his chocolate cake.

"Crème Brule is very delicious. If you want to eat something that looks like poop, then fine by me."

"You just compared chocolate to poop? Seriously woman, pick a better description. Chocolate is a decadent indulgence. Aren't woman supposed to love chocolate?" Edward gave her an incredulous look.

"Not this lady. I wipe enough poops during the day I don't need to eat something that looks like it." Bella smirked at Edward's attempt to not gag.

Edward raised a single eyebrow at his heart's desire. "You surprise me, being such a pretty lady with absolutely no taste. I bet you watched Save by the Bell when you were a kid. I can see you with a Zach Morris poster on your wall."

"The fact that you just used the name Zach Morris in a conversation worries me greatly Mr. Cullen. I have a sneaky suspicion you had an A.C Slater Trapper Keeper."

"I can't help that Alice made me watch it!" Edward's face turned several shades of pink.

Bella gave him a dubious look. "I somehow doubt that. Alice has too good of taste for such drivel. I bet she was into cool mod rock and indie films at a young age."

"Fine, it was Emmett. He had a thing for the one that was in Showgirls."

"Jessie?" Bella asked. "I am sure that you had a favorite, too. You look like a Screech man."

Edward looked at her with a shrug. "Fine, I liked Kelly. I have a thing for gorgeous brunettes."

"You have a thing for big hair and spandex." Bella took a sip of coffee, enjoying how their words twisted around each other as if doing a complicated dance step.

"I did, but most preteen boys did. It's that whole brand new feeling a boy gets when seeing girls in tight clothing."

Bella just grinned.

After dinner, the journey to Bella's home remained lighthearted until they pulled in the driveway. It was that moment, the one that could beckon many things, like a simple good night and thanks for the eats. Then again there was the option of an invite in for coffee. Coffee was a dangerous proposition, for many reasons. One could assume it would be just a friendly beverage to top of the night and extend the evening's wonderful conversations. Usually, in Bella's world, it meant that at least one person involved would be thinking of getting intimate with the other. Though Bella was intrigued with the idea of someday becoming more comfortable around Edward in an unclothed capacity, it was far too soon. There were so many factors to think about: her children, the way her past with Alec was rearing its ugly head again and most importantly the mere fact she didn't think she could handle heartbreak so soon after being hurt by her ex-husband. It would crush her like what she was doing to the delicate stones her feet were crunching as they walked towards Bella's front porch.

Who picks such tiny stones that crumble so easily when walked upon? She hated that those little white pebbles were becoming a metaphor for her crazy.

Bella made her decision, no coffee invitation. That decision was made easier when Bella noticed her jittery hands. Three cups of coffee at the restaurant during dessert wasn't the best of ideas. Of course, the thought did flit across her mind that perhaps the jitters were caused due to being nervous about being so close to an obviously engaging man in the evening hours. She should perhaps offer a relaxing glass of wine? That idea was quickly extinguished, due to the very real fact that Bella was extremely affectionate when drinking. Water, would be a great idea. Water, it is.

The couple reached the front door, Edward taking in Bella's silence and wide eyed looks. She mumbled, "You want to...ahh...come in...Water?"

Edward wanted to laugh, but didn't want to offend Bella. She reminded him of a skittish fawn that he and Emmett had found on the Annual Cullen Camping Experience when they were young. Emmett, had of course, had scared the poor thing off with his booming voice. The last thing Edward wanted to do was scare away this charming lady. He did want entrance into her house, into her life and someday into her pretty pants, but he knew he had to wait. He was a man after all, but as much as he wanted to ravage her and make her forget her own name, he had flashes of their lifetime together instead. He was willing to play it slow, because the outcome that way was so much sweeter.

"Could we just sit on the porch swing for a while? I just want to swing with you." Edward took Bella's trembling hands in his and led her over to the swing. They sat down and Edward moved his body close to hers, wrapping one arm around her shoulders, with his other arm reaching to take hold of her hands that were twisting together furiously. He rubbed those hands gently and was pleased as they calmed. Bella let out a contented sigh and lowered her head to his shoulder.

"This is nice. I don't think I've ever had such a nice evening," Bella whispered to Edward. The whispering seemed appropriate as they swung back and forth slowly. The moon was bright overhead, with the stars twinkling at the two. There were even lightening bugs floating over the grass, making little lights over the yard. It was the perfect ambiance, for what turned out to be a perfect night.

She looked up at Edward with a smile and stated, "I feel I should be offering you a cool glass of lemonade and some finger sandwiches. I'm a poor hostess."

"Those would be perfect for courting, but maybe this week during the day would be better." Edward ran his fingers through the silky locks of her hair, not being able to get enough of the way the softness felt upon his fingertips. "It's late and we had a big dinner. I think the finger sandwiches would make me burst."

Bella gave a little laugh, which quickly faded. She looked up at him, her deep eyes serious. "What is this, Edward? To be honest, I'm scared. I like you. I haven't really let myself like anyone in a long time."

"Bella, to be honest, I'm scared. I like you and, trust me; I've been very unwilling to like anyone in a long time. We are going to have to navigate this together, because I like this and I like us."

Bella gave him a dazzling smile, which he returned. They continued to swing. Edward gave her a squeeze. Bella nuzzled closer. Edward asked quietly, "May I kiss you?"

"Haven't you done that many times before?" Bella chuckled softly.

He chuckled as well. "That's true, but I want this one to count."

Bella's eyebrows rose up in inquiry. "The others didn't count, because I sure felt those lips of yours on mine."

"They counted too! They were also very special! But this one right now, I want it to be the start of something. An official start to me becoming something, I guess, important in your world," Edward said with a solemn look.

"Then kiss me."

That, Edward did, his lips pushing against hers with a force that shook Bella to her very core. Their arms held each other tightly and they continued to nip, lick and caress each other's mouths. They intensity was so amazing that when they finally broke apart to take a much needed breath, Bella murmured, "Amazing."

Edward dipped his head close to her ear and kissed it gently, then said, "Just like you."

They sat there on that porch swing kissing and swinging, caressing and giggling until the wee hours of the morning. As the sun rose, casting a golden glow over dew covered grass; a jogger paused at the little pink house and looked over to the bodies that were intertwined on the swing. The individuals were both snoring softly, their heads close together. Jacob Black grimaced angrily and continued on his run.