Homecoming
I stepped off my plane and squinted into the sunlight. I got into the rental car that was waiting and drove to a local hotel. I specifically chose a lesser known hotel so that I would stay hidden. I checked in under the name 'Jared Hudson.' I went to my room and opened up my laptop. I hadn't received any more messages from the captors so I lay down on the bed. I spent the entire plane ride sleeping so I wasn't falling back to sleep any time soon. I sighed as my cell phone started ringing. The caller ID said it was Carlisle.
"Hey Carlisle. I just landed. What's the plan?"
"Have you gotten any more e-mails?"
"No. Why?"
"Alright. Then he must be biding his time. He probably thinks that we are going to be making a move and he wants to see what that is."
"How pinpointed is the signal you have right now?"
"Not very. We need him to slip up so that we can pinpoint it closer."
"Somehow I see that as a long shot."
"So do we. Did Bella have her cell phone on her when she was taken?"
"Yes, but it has been off. I've tried calling but it goes straight to voicemail."
"We can't track it then. Edward, don't go wandering around. We don't want you to be seen or get yourself into trouble."
"So you want me to sit in a hotel room with nothing to do but wait to get another video of sick people torturing my fiancée?"
"Well, if you want to put it that way then yes. Bella's safety is the most important. I'm sure you'd agree with me."
"Yes, I want her safe. I just want to be helpful."
"You can't be the superman here, Edward. In this case, the cops are going to be the superheroes. You have to be careful. Caius doesn't know us. He knows you; and he clearly knows you are willing to give up everything for her. We have one other tidbit of information. We ran his recent phone records and charge history. Caius is paying a middle seas agent by the name of Demetri."
"I know him."
"You what?"
"I may have contacted him in the past about buying weapons."
"Edward, I am going to pretend you didn't say that. Anyway, if he is buying weapons, it could be the reason he needs the money so badly. Do you know what kind of weapons Mr. Demetri sells, Edward?"
"Um pretty much anything. Nuclear, atomic, standard hand guns, you name it, he probably has it."
"Can you get in touch with Demetri? Talk to him and find out if he has had contact with Caius recently."
"I can try. It's been a long time since I talked to him. That was back when I was more paranoid and thought I needed protection from people out to get me."
"Edward, I really don't care what you were doing and I will pretend you never said anything about going to get weapons. Talk to this guy please. Let's work to get Bella back."
I hung the phone up and leaned back in the chair I was sitting in. I always have hated hotel rooms. There is this funny smell in them and I always hate leaving home. Unfortunately, I have to travel often for business and as a result I have an entire cabinet filled with air fresheners. I rushed out of my apartment this morning so I was unable to grab one. As a result, I felt extremely uncomfortable in this room. I had only ever been so uncomfortable one other time; the time we went to visit Bella's parents.
"Get in the car already!"
Bella was practically screaming at me since I had taken so long packing. I just wanted to be sure I got everything before we left. Bella just wanted to be on time to the plane. I don't think she realized that I was in charge of when the plane actually left.
"I'm on my way."
I grabbed my cell phone and threw it in my bag and raced out the door. The flight passed quickly, her parents lived in Chicago in a relatively small apartment, so we had gotten a hotel room for the weekend. I was certain to get a nicer suite on the thought that it would have at least two bedrooms. I was concerned that having us sleep in the same bed may give her parents or Bella herself the wrong idea. She did occasionally spend the night at my apartment and slept in my bed with me but after all the fights we'd been having lately, I wasn't sure what would or wouldn't offend her. In other words, I was treading very lightly when it came to Bella because I had no intention of losing her and having her walk out of my life.
We checked into our hotel and went to meet her parents for the evening. I wore a shirt and tie and Bella wore one of her many stunning cocktail dresses. I was having a difficult time not thinking about all the ways I wanted to show her how much I loved her in that dress, but I resisted on account of meeting her parents. We spent over a week choosing the best place to eat and we finally settled on a restaurant at the hotel. The website boasted that it had the best fine dining in Chicago. Her parents were anxious to meet me and I was a nervous wreck at meeting them. I headed to the mini bar in our hotel only to have Bella slap my hand away.
"You will not be smelling like a drunkard when my parents meet you."
"I just wanted a sip to calm the nerves though."
The look she gave me told me that I was not having any liquor before meeting her parents. I put two and two together and turned back to her.
"Wait, do you actually care about what your parents think of me then?"
"Well, I don't want them to think you are a bum I picked up off the street…"
"A bum off the street could not afford to pay for dinner, let alone for this room for the weekend."
"True. I guess I want them to like you because you mean something to me."
"How much exactly do I mean to you?"
"You mean more than any other guy I have been with…that's all I'm saying."
"Fine, but that still doesn't explain why you want your parents to like me."
"I guess that I am growing up a little and some part of me has always tried to consistently please my parents. Old habits and all…"
"I suppose. If they say something that offends you, please don't make a scene in the restaurant. I really don't want to get kicked out of the hotel. It is really nice here…except for the smell."
"The smell? It smells normal to me."
"Not to me. I think I have a sensitive nose. Whenever I go on trips, I always bring air fresheners to make hotel rooms smell like home. I have a certain kind of Glade air freshener all over my house. I bought like 3 Wal-Marts and Costcos out a few years back when I heard the scent was being retired. I should have enough for a while now. I keep a stock in a cabinet and the rest are in the attic. Unfortunately, since someone was in such a rush to leave, I didn't have time to grab one and as a result, I have to deal with the icky smelling room."
Bella was laughing hysterically at this point, lying on the bed in hysterics. I suppose all the details weren't necessary but I couldn't take it back now.
"Seriously? Even when you go overseas?"
"Yes. Especially there, I hate how hotel rooms in foreign countries smell."
"Why don't you get one of those portable air purifiers, you know the kind you can wear around your neck?"
"I don't want to look like an idiot."
"Didn't you say that all investors used to be nerds? Since when do nerds care about how they look?"
"So maybe the money made me a little vain about how I look…I don't want to have my picture taken and have it end up somewhere with me looking like a dork. Also, women at those parties did choose the cuter rich guys out of the pack. A portable air freshener would have designated me the freak and women don't throw themselves at the freak."
"Exactly how many women are we talking about that 'threw themselves at you'?
I saw her eyes narrowed at me, scrutinizing my every word.
"Look at the time! We've got to go downstairs to the restaurant so we are on time for your parents."
She grudgingly left the room with me. Thankfully, we were in the elevator alone and I leaned close to her ear to whisper into it.
"The number is not important. Honestly, they were ridiculous women, they pale drastically in comparison to the angel that is you. There is no competition."
Her smile and bright eyes told me that I had been forgiven. I sighed in relief that I wouldn't have to deal with two ways of awkward conversation. We made it down to the restaurant with time to spare and we were shown to our table. Her parents walked in and were immediately taken to our table. I was introduced to Mr. Charlie Swan and Mrs. Reneé Swan and Annabelle's smile upon meeting me showed that she at least accepted my looks. We sat down and ordered quickly. While we waited for our food, the Spanish Inquisition began for me.
"So, Edward is it? What do you do for a living?"
"I am an investor. I started out a couple years ago and things have progressed nicely since then."
"So you would estimate your personal value to be at?"
"Dad! Please don't ask him that. That is personal!"
"Bella, I have the right to know."
"Dad, we aren't getting married, calm down."
"Bella, it's alright, I don't have a problem telling him. Sir, I am worth about 150 million dollars."
Everyone at the table gasped. I hadn't actually even told Bella that, which was probably at least part of the reason she was defending me.
Annabelle finally spoke up, "Edward, do you only spend your money on yourself or do you—"
"Mrs. Swan, I donate generously to many causes. I actually have amassed so much money from not spending it all. I never know which investment will be a bad choice which is why I am very cautious with my money."
"Well, that is very admirable of you, Edward."
She turned to Bella and whispered something in her ear which made Bella blush and say 'Mother!' I looked over expectantly but Bella mouthed later to me so I turned my attention back to her father who continued to ask more questions of me.
"How have you found Bella? What do you like most about her? How did you meet?"
Honestly, this question seemed to come from left field. I understood his concern for his daughter, but as far as they knew we had just started dating.
"Bella is the most wonderful woman I have ever met. I think I like how brilliant she is in every way the most. Some people are brilliantly intelligent but Bella is more than that. She is stunningly beautiful and her confidence in herself just exudes from her. We met at a party actually that one of her friends dragged her to against her will."
Bella and I continued to entertain her parents with stories of our relationship together so far throughout dinner. Often her parents were in stitches, laughing at the silly situations we found ourselves in.
"So I take it you two have been seeing each other for a while now?"
"About two and half years now I think, Mrs. Swan."
"How many times have you slept together?"
"Dad…"
"Bella, I want to know. Be quiet."
"None, sir. We are not in any sort of intimate relations together."
Her dad's face relaxed and I could see his acceptance of me grow.
"Well, good. Keep it that way. You two have separate beds in this hotel room you are staying in tonight?"
"Actually separate bedrooms, we are in the penthouse suite here."
"Perfect."
"Dad, I can have 'intimate relations' with whomever I choose. Please calm yourself down."
"Bella, it sounds like you aren't having them with anyone right now and I am perfectly happy about this."
"Well, maybe that will change tonight."
My jaw dropped and her dad gave her a death glare that made me recoil.
"Darling, this isn't necessary. I don't want it to be like this."
"I know…I kind of like watching him squirm though don't you?"
I laughed nervously as her father slowly calmed down. The rest of dinner passed uneventfully and soon we were bidding them goodbye. We wouldn't see them the rest of the weekend because we were planning on exploring the city tomorrow morning before heading back.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Edward."
"The pleasure was all mine, Mrs. Swan," I said while taking her hand and kissing it, which actually made her blush. Bella shot me a death glare and I cleared my throat.
"Take care of her, will you?"
"Always."
As we headed up to our room, Bella told me what her mother had whispered to her.
"She has a little crush on you. She said that if she was younger she'd seriously be into you. Her exact quote was 'rich and generous, where can I get one?"
I chuckled and pulled her into my arms, "don't worry, I'm not into women who are 25 years older than me. I'm all yours."
As I sat reminiscing, I couldn't help thinking that right now, I had failed her father and the promise I made to him.
AN: Next chapter, find out what happens when Edward gets drunk at a friend's bachelor party! Please Review! Thanks