Disclaimer:All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Twilight belongs to the great Stephenie Meyer.

Authors Note: Okay – so this chapter is two days early but it managed to write itself. It's a little shorter than others, and a bit of a "filler" – but read it carefully as it will help you through the up coming chapters.

Thanks as always to everyone who has left me a review. I love all your comments. It's Bella's birhday today so I'm going to vist my friend and pre-reader, Michelle for some wine to celebrate. Tee hee. We will also discuss our soon to be written fanfiction collaberation. :)

Chapter 10.

BEEEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

I reach my hand out and wave it in the direction of the hideous sound. My fingers hit the snooze button and warm arms tighten around me.

"Mmmm, what time is it?" Edward asks, his voice hoarse with sleep. He nuzzles my shoulder.

"Six thirty" I tell him sleepily. "I got to get up for work. Have to be there for seven forty five… urgh. I hate Mondays. Why can't it be yesterday?"

He hugs me tighter. "I could quite happily rest here with you all day, but I have to go and secure a place to live today. I can't have a beautiful girlfriend and still be living at home now can I?" he chuckles, running his fingers up and down my arm.

I turn around to face him, but try to angle my morning breath out of his way. Edward pulls me closer and kisses me softly. "Hmmm… well it wouldn't be ideal, although creeping around in your parents house could be quite funny. I was never able to do that before… not having copious amounts of boyfriends etcetera."

He kisses me again. "I'm glad you didn't have lots of strange boys in your fathers house… although I bet he carries a gun right?"

I nod and giggle. "You betcha… and also, I bet you ten bucks that when I introduce you to him, he will make sure he is cleaning his gun when you come over. You know, like in the movies. He has however been better recently, trying to get me to date. So he might be okay. Also he knows your parents and I'm assuming you don't have a criminal record?"

"Squeaky clean." He confirms, pushing my hair away from my face.

"I think he's getting concerned that he won't get any grand-kids out of me. I'm an only child. I guess he thinks that I'm getting past my prime or something."

"You want kids?"

I nod. "Yeah. I really do. So much." I am not lying to him. I want more than ever to be a mother. The sheer thought of pregnancy scares the shit out of me but with a supportive man at my side, I hope it will be easy. I couldn't bear the heartache if something went wrong.

Edward smiles. "Me too. Working with the kids at the hospital is amazing. A lot of the staff don't have kids and like the fact they don't have to take them away with them at the end of the day, but I want it more than ever."

I remember that Esme and Dr Cullen are not his real parents. Edward had been adopted at the age of five after spending almost a year in a children's home.

"You would make a terrific father Edward." I tell him.

"Kids are so cool. They tell you exactly what is on their minds. They are so innocent yet take everything in. You should come and see my at work and meet some of the kids. I'm working in the neo-natal and NICU at the moment with the younger babies. But it's so rewarding."

"NICU?" I question. "That's like premature babies right?"

Edward nods and looks sad for a moment.

"What are they like? You know, I mean the really early ones?"

Edward inhales and cocks his head to the side. "Tiny, but so perfect. We have a baby boy at the moment, he was born at twenty four weeks, he weighed just a pound. His mother was a young teenager, poor thing didn't even know that she was pregnant and she went into premature labor. He's just so perfect Bella, and doing well. He should be fine. He's off the ventilator now. He won't be leaving until he reaches his due date and then he will be up for adoption."

I blink back tears. "That's so sad. That poor baby. His mom doesn't want him?"

Edward shook his head. "She's a child herself. Her mother brought her into hospital because she was in pain. Kid wouldn't believe us when we told her that she was in second stage labor. Thirty minutes her baby was born. She never even held him."

I shudder at the thought of it and feel it's a good idea to change the subject so I kiss him quickly and sit up in bed, pulling the sheets across my chest, blushing. "I better jump in the shower then I need to get ready. Don't be in a hurry to leave, stay as long as you like." I tell him. I want him to be welcome here, and not feel like I'm kicking him out, especially after he's given me the most mindblowing and romantic sex of my life!

Edward pulls himself up and stretches. "I'll drive you to work, I need to view this place and sign the papers. I'd like also to pick you up when you are done too."

"Trying to fufil the boyfriend duties already Mr Cullen?" I ask, grinning at him.

"But of course Miss Swan. I have ten years to make up for… now, may I join you in the shower."

Holy shit… I feel so torn. I scrunch my face up and shake my head. "Another time, I promise. As much as I'd love that, I would never make it to work on time. You're far too tempting Edward."

"Probably for the best then. I don't think I could control myself around you naked and wet." He wriggles his eyebrows at the innuendo. I just blush and pull the sheets tighter around me. He leans closer and whispers in to my ear. "You look beautiful this morning."

Cue the blush which this time seems to spread across my whole body.

"I need to shower. I'll be right back" I grab my robe and slip it around myself and pad across to the bathroom and shower. When I get back to the bedroom, Edward is nowhere to be seen. His clothes are gone and the bed is even made. Wowsers, he's even domesticated! I pull on my work clothes. Black dress pants and a tailored white button up shirt and a long back cardigan. I pin my hair up into a loose knot at the top of my head.

The buzzer goes off in the kitchen alerting me that Edward has made coffee and it's ready. Again with the wow. He's so fucking perfect. When I walk through my living room he presents me with a steaming mug. Strong and black. He remembered.

"Do your students tell you how hot you look Miss Swan?" he asks me, causing me to almost spit my coffee over him. "Because if I were in your class, I'd make sure I needed extra help with my homework." He kisses me on the cheek.

"You should get your eyes tested Edward."

"Nope" – he pops the p. "You need to buy a new mirror. You look far too sexy to be a teacher."

"Shut up" I tell him, swatting him on the arm and sitting down at the table. He smirks and sips his coffee.

"You don't see yourself clearly enough Bella."

"I said shut it Cullen. I can't go to work blushing like a fangirl. But thank you, I love it when you say nice things to me." I reach over for his hand and he clasps mine. "And thank you for last night. It was amazing." I try not to blush as memories of the most perfect evening zoom through my head… as well as those words that I am certain he whispered to me as I drifted off to sleep.

We spend every since evening and morning together. Edward signs some documents and tells me that he is going to be renting a small townhouse just across the neighbourhood. He is going to be literally five minutes walk from my apartment. His job doesn't start here in Forks for another two weeks and he will be using the time whilst I'm at work to decorate as the house is fairly old and needs some work. We even manage to sneak out together to a hardware store in Port Angeles so I can help him pick out paint colors. He slips his hand absently into the back pocket of my jeans as we stand together discussing the differences between eggshell and cotton white. I feel like part of a team. A couple. I've never felt this way before.

I don't see him at all on Saturday. He leaves my apartment early to spend the morning with his mom and wait for the truck to deliver his furniture from storage. Esme apparently needs to have a say where things are going. It's sort of her thing. This is good because I need time to get ready for the book launch. I want to make an effort to look extra special for him.

Alice comes over at two o'clock to get ready. The girl has been grilling me all week. She knows that there is a guy because Forks is a stupid small assed town and news travels fast. She heard a rumor that I was being taken to and collected from the school in a very new fast car by a very attractive looking man. I keep my lips locked however and only give Alice minor details. I tell her that he is taking me to the book launch, and that it's all new and fun. I also tell her the thing I've been dying to tell the whole fucking world. "I think I'm falling in love with him Alice."

Alice looks dumbstruck. It's not an easy task to leave her lost for words. Her hands catch mine. "Be careful Bella. I can't see you go through the shit you did with James. Have you talked to him, does he know everything?"

I shake my head. "He knows about James… about Lauren."

"But he doesn't know about Sophie?" she asks. I shake me head, trying to stop the tears that are forming.

"I try. I think that the moment is perfect but then I can't. I'm so scared he won't want me when he finds out what happened. I will tell him, I'll tell him this week because I care about him so fucking much. It will be easier to tell him the whole story before I tell him how I feel about him."

Alice wrapped her arm across my shoulder. "Well, if he is as great as he sounds Bella then I'm sure he will understand. What happened wasn't your fault. You know that… and I KNOW you know that. I know those weeks will haunt you for the rest of your life but it wasn't your fault. You need to tell him sooner rather than later though."

I nod to her. "I know. I want to and I need to. He's so special. When we're together I feel so loved."

"So you fucked him then?" God, does she have to be so vulgar?

I blush. "Several times."

"On what date?" Talk twenty questions! Jeez.

"Technically second – But he spent the night after our first date. And every day ever since."

Alice's eyes are as wide as saucers. "So he like moved in?"

I laugh and push her slightly. "No… He's only recently moved to Forks. He's waiting to decorate before he moves into his new home. He has been staying with his parents, only he stayed here instead. In fact, other than when I'm at work, today is the longest we've been without seeing each other."

"Why won't you tell me his name?"

"Ali, I told you, I just want everyone to meet him tonight. I can't give you anymore details. Please, just trust me on this one.

Of course, I want to stand on the roof tops and declare to the whole world that I'm dating Edward fucking Cullen, he's a doctor, an amazing lover an I'm head over heels in love with him! But I can't. Not yet anyway.

Alice huffs and folds her arms. I think I've won. "Well, let me tell you, he had better be worth his. He's better be like totally beautiful or something, because if he's like a dork or something, I won't be happy with you Swan."

I laugh. "Oh, he's totally worth it. I promise Alice, you are going to love him."

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