DISCLAIMER: All original characters, stories, plot, and ideas are the sole property of Stephenie Meyer and The Twilight Saga. No copyright infringement intended. Just pure fan fiction satisfaction. Any form of translation or publication of this work is completely prohibited without my written consent. All Rights Reserved - Heartfelt-Pen© 2010

A/N: Here's Chapter 11! Thanks for your support and I hope that everyone likes this chapter!

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome all of my new readers that found me through Fictionators and PicTease.

So, without further delay... Let's here what Edward & Bella have to say!

SPECIAL THANKS: I would like to say a huge thank you to my beta... Writing4Roses.


"Where there is love there is life." ~ Mohandas K. Gandhi

Chapter 11: Whatever this is...

EPOV

I can feel myself becoming hard again at the sound of Bella's sultry voice calling me Dr. Cullen. My cock has been hard, and steadily growing harder, from the moment I walked through her front door. The only time that he's settled down was when the kids were with us and when I fucking freaked out just a moment ago. I'm surprised she didn't throw my ass out after that little scene, but luckily she still seems to want me here.

With that last thought, I look into her eyes. Her eyes are currently looking back at me playfully; I can't help the fantasy that begins to play out in my mind, how I would lean over and devour her. Starting at her jaw line, I would begin to kiss up and down along its beautiful expanse. Next, I would slowly move towards her ear and back again purposely missing her lips while I repeated the same circuit on the other side of her face. Then, finally, when she least expected it I would crush my lips to hers, releasing all of the passion that she's invoked within me throughout the night.

With a deep breath I decide that it would probably be a good idea to actually answer her question instead of just staring at her. Plus, this topic will indubitably lead to discussing my ex-wife, which will help with my 'ever-present-in-the-company-of-Ms.-Swan' erection. So, I figure what the Hell, I'm going to be honest with her. I mean, because if this thing, this... this chemistry that we have going on, if it is ever going to develop into something more I need to be honest with her – from the start.

"Well, in a nutshell – as you say, I don't trust woman because of my ex-wife, also because of the 'money-thing.' I want to make sure that whoever I date would be accepting of Brittney. Fortunately, my first two reasons have always ruled out any women that I've met in the past, before it's ever even got to the stage of them meeting Brittney."

"Can I ask you another question?" she asks quietly and I nod my head letting her know its alright to ask me.

"How long have you been divorced?" I expected her next question to be about Heidi, so I'm relieved that she's gone easy on me by asking about my divorce instead of a direct question about my ex-wife.

"I've been divorced for a little over seven years, but we were only married for three months before we were legally separated. The divorce was finalized a little over a year after I married her." Bella simply looks at me the entire time I'm speaking; I can see the questions swirling in her eyes as she nods her head in understanding. So, I decide to continue.

"I met Heidi while in medical school; she was in the nursing program while I was going to school to become a doctor." I pause and take a drink. I really don't want to get into a heavy discussion about our past on our first official night spending time together, but I feel like I need to give her some explanation.

"We were friends for three years and dated for about six months during the last year of both our degrees; I thought I loved her, thought I knew her." I sighed and shook my head. "My Mom and Dad both tried to tell me that she wasn't who I thought she was, but I thought I knew better than them. So, I proposed and she accepted. We were married four months later, just one month after she graduated with her nursing degree."

I put my glass down on Bella's coffee table and lean forward so that my forearms are resting on my knees. "It ended up that Mom and Dad were right. Unfortunately for them, she ended up inflecting more harm on them financially then on me. Because a majority of my assets were inherited, she never had any claim to them. The damage that she's done to our daughter, though..." I shake my head and sigh. "I would gladly give up all of my money to spare Brittney from all of the pain her mother has caused her."

"Oh, Edward." Bella sighs and places her hand on my right shoulder.

"Without going into great detail about what happened, which I promise to do eventually, just not tonight. She's in jail and has no claim to my daughter."

"Edward, I'm sorry. If I had known that your divorce was something so hurtful towards you... and your family... towards Brittney," I hear her quietly sniffle. "I never would have dreamed of asking about it." I turn to look at her and she is crying.

I gently sweep the pad of my thumb across her check bone and looked into her beautiful brown eyes and say, "Bella, you're right. It is a time in my life that I don't like to think, let alone talk about." I pause and take a deep breath to steady myself, to give myself strength to say what I want, no… what I need to say to her. "But, you see, I feel like there is something here between us," I punctuate my words by waving my hand between the two of us. "I would really like to see you again, to see what this could lead to, and in order for this to work the two of us need to be honest with each other." I can't help the uncomfortable chuckle that leaves my lips before I continue on with my next statement. "I haven't gone out on a date in over five years, so I'm out of practice, but I would really like to take you out... on a date. So, that we can spend time together... just the two of us, if you're interested."

I made sure to keep eye contact with her as I was speaking – hoping that her eyes would afford me with a glimpse, a glimmer of something that would let me know if she was feeling the same way about me as I was feeling about her. But, she simply kept staring at me almost frozen in place. My nerves began to take over my mental capacities and before I could help myself, I began to ramble. "If you want to start off hanging out just with the kids, that's fine. Or, if you just want to start off as friends and see where it goes, that's fine, too." My anxiety induced ramblings were cut-off by Bella's fingers that she gently pressed over my lips.

"Edward, be quiet," she said softly, still not giving me anything on how she was feeling about what I said.

"Okay." I murmured.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

All of the sudden, her face seemed to light up before my eyes. I watch enraptured as the corners of her eyes creased with happiness. I am mesmerized frozen where I sit, watching as a beautiful smile spreads across her face. Her smile is so huge that I swear that I can see each and every one of her straight, white teeth. Then, then... Oh, my God! Then, she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and proceeds to chew on it lightly. The culmination of all of this beauty sitting before me is when I witness a slow blush light up her cheekbones, and then... then, she giggles. Holy shit! Can my dick get any harder?

"I would love to go out with you sometime, with and without the kids."

"I'm sorry, what?" I'm honestly not sure if I'm still under the spell cast by her beauty, or if I've actually heard her correctly. So, I ask her to repeat herself.

"I said, 'I would love to go out with you sometime, with and without the kids'!"

"Really, are you sure?" Even I can hear the shock and disbelief in my own voice. But, I can't help it. Part of me wants to stand up and start jumping on her couch for joy at the prospect of her accepting my invitation. However, a much larger part of me can't believe that this beautiful, gorgeous, loving woman just agree to go out with me.

"Yes, I'm sure, Edward," she says while rolling her eyes at me. Then she places her hand on my forearm. "I've enjoyed talking with you, and it's obvious by your daughter alone that you're a wonderful guy. I mean, how could you not be after raising such a sweet little girl." I see the truth in her eyes when she talks about my daughter. She isn't' trying to gain points from me by bringing her up, she truly means and feels what she just said about Brittney. That alone, her honesty and compassion for my little girl, makes my heart soar even more for this remarkable woman.

"Thank you, for agreeing to go out with me and for what you said about my daughter. I love her with all of my heart. I would do absolutely anything for her."

"I can tell," she says and then she proceeds to bit her bottom lip again; without even a conscious thought, I reach out and pull her sweet, plump bottom lip from between her teeth with my thumb. She shyly ducks her head and then clears her throat. "So, can I ask you another question?" She says quietly while looking down at the floor.

"Sure."

"What about the kids? What do we tell them? Do we let them know that we're going to go out on a date? I don't mind if we do." All of the sudden, she sits up rather quickly and places one of her hands on my arm, her sudden movement startles me a little bit, which she notices and quickly apologizes. "I want to make something clear to you," she says while looking at me poignantly, "I think that our number one priority should be the kids, Maddy and Brittney especially. They're such good friends and I don't want anything that happens between us to effect them in any way."

The determination that I see in her eyes in response to her last statement and the shear desire she has to protect not only her kids, but my child as well confirms for me, even further, that Bella Swan is in fact, without a doubt, a wonderful woman.

"I completely agree with you about the kids feelings and happiness being at the forefront of minds if we decide to see where this goes." I straighten up and look into her eyes, making sure that I have eye contact with her before I continue. I want to make sure that she can see the truth and conviction of my next statement through my eyes. "To answer your question about what we should tell the kids. Well, I don't think we should hide anything from them. I've never lied to my daughter and I'm not about to start now. However, I also don't think that we should necessarily tell them that we are dating tomorrow."

At my last statement, I see a brief look of hurt flash across Bella's beautiful brown eyes. I immediately sit up and pull both of her hands into mine. "Please don't misunderstand. It's not that I want to hide us, because I most definitely don't. But, like you I don't want to hurt the kids. So, I don't want them to misunderstand." I sigh, aggravated with myself, because I'm not sure if I'm explaining this correctly. Squaring my shoulders I quickly squeeze her hands and continue.

"I'm not sure if they're old enough to understand the concept of dating. I'm not sure if they can comprehend and understand the logic behind us trying to see where this goes. I just don't want them to misinterpret our dating into being something more."

I groan out loud. "Fuck! That didn't come out right!" Aspirated with myself, I continue, praying to God that I can get my tongue, heart, and brain to cooperate, so that I can explain myself. "What I mean is... I saw how Brittney responded to you earlier, at my home. I never realized how much she's missed not having a mother around. But, I saw it tonight, Bella. I just... I don't want my daughter to jump to conclusions. I'm afraid that if she does, that if whatever this is between us doesn't work out, that my daughter will be shattered. I just can't allow that to happen."

During the last part of my statement, I had shifted my eyes so that they were looking at Bella's hands clasped in mine. But, although I was terrified to see, I knew that I needed to look at her while I said my last statement. So, I slowly lifted my eyes and the warmth I saw staring back at me gave me the strength to continue.

"After saying that though, I don't want you to misunderstand. Like I said before, I haven't dated in five years. I haven't found a woman that I've felt comfortable allowing into Brittney's life, let alone mine. But, I don't feel that way with you, Bella. I want you to know me and my daughter. I don't want our going out to be that... simply us going out. I feel a connection to you and your kids and I think... no, I hope that you feel the same way about us, and because of that, I want this, whatever this is to turn into something more."

Still unsure of myself, and petrified of the reaction that Bella's going to give me regarding my last proclamation, I can't help but squeeze her hands one last time. Then, with a shake of my head and a humorless chuckle I ask, "Do you know what I mean?"

Bella squeezes my hands back and then I feel her begin to pull one of my hands out of my grasp. I panic. Fuck! I've fucked this up. Why couldn't I just keep my fucking mouth closed? I'm such a fucking idiot! Here I have, sitting in front of me, my definition of the perfect woman and I'm such a moron that I've screwed it all up before it's even had the chance to begin. Fuck!

I begin to pull my other hand away from Bella's grasp, but she holds my hand tighter. It's in that moment that I notice that the hand she pulled away earlier is actually reaching up towards my face. I inhale a shuddering breath as my brain and heart take in this new development. Everything around me seems to stop, except for Bella's hand that is slowly getting closer and closer to my face. And then... then, her soft, small hand is touching my cheek, cupping it. I can also feel her thumb slowly moving back and forth over my cheekbone, caressing me. Without so much as a second thought, I close my eyes and lean my cheek into her hand. I'm in Heaven.

Reality slowly begins to creep back into my mind, and she's yet to reply to my ramblings. Still afraid that she's about to tell me that she doesn't agree, that I'm crazy, or an asshole, I slowly open my eyes and look into her beautiful eyes hoping that they will ground me.

But, instead of her eyes it is her voice and her words that pull me back together. "I completely understand, Edward, and I agree." I let out a relieved, much needed, breath at her statement; completely unaware that I had been holding my breath in anticipation of her reply.

Glancing at her, I watch as a sweet smile spreads across her face. This smile tells me that we truly are okay and that I honestly didn't fuck this up. So, I take a deep breath and decide to continue on with the conversation about how to handle the kids. "Okay, so then, I think we should go out, just the two of us, at least three times. If everything goes well, like I know it will," I emphasize by squeezing her hand and giving her a smirk, trying to lighten the mood a little bit. My playfulness has the desired effect and in return Bella graces me with one of her giggles. Chuckling, I continue, "Then," I shrug my shoulders, "I think we should tell the kids. In the meantime, I also think that we should go out as much as possible as a group." I pause thinking for a moment. "The real test will be the group outings because you really learn about a person, who they are personality wise, what their true character is, when they are around kids. Plus, it will also give us a chance to see how the kids will react to being together continually. I don't think we'll have a problem with Brittney and Maddy, but we need to watch and make sure that Merrick and Meredith are okay with us being together also." I let go of both of her hands as I finish speaking. Reaching back, I grab my glass of water and take a much-needed gulp. When I'm finished, I place the glass back down on the end table and as I look back at Bella, I notice that she's simply watching me. I reach forward and tuck a loose strand of hair that seems to have gotten free from her ponytail. After tucking it behind her ear, I softly run my hand down her cheek, down her shoulder, then down her arm until I softly, reverently clasp her hand in mine again. Then, I ask, "So, what do you think?"

"I agree completely and I really appreciate that you are taking all of my kids feelings into consideration, Edward, it just proves to me even further that you are truly a good, kind man." At Bella's praise, I can feel my own cheeks begin to heat up. Ahh, Hell! I'm fucking blushing again.

Embarrassed that Bella's probably can tell that I'm blushing yet again, I'm about to start talking again. I have no clue what I'm about to say, but I'm hoping that if I begin to start a new conversation that it will draw her away from my now pink cheeks. But, I don't get a chance because I hear Bella clear her throat, which causes me to look up at her and when I do I see that she has an unsure look written all over her face. She looks apprehensive, shy... so very un-Bella-like. I have to say, that I am honestly curious and intrigued now to know what this beautiful woman is thinking. Fortunately, I don't have to wait long.

"Sooo, we have football practice for Merrick tomorrow," she states and then she proceeds to chew on her bottom lip again.

I can't help but longingly look at her teeth as they chew on her bottom lip, wishing that I was the one actually doing said chewing on her pink, plump lip. Like the force of a tidal wave, the images of me pulling her lip into my mouth, of nibbling on it, then sucking on it leads me to sigh out my response, "Yeah, we do?"

"Will your brothers and Alice be there tomorrow?" Hello, wake-up call! Now, all fantasies of nibbling, suck, and chewing on Bella's lips are erased from my mind with the mention of Alice and my brothers.

"Yes, Jasper and Alice will be there. My other brother, Emmett, who is the coach for the team, and his son Seth will be there, too. I'm not sure if my Mom and Dad will be there?" I shrug my shoulders at the end of my answer. I'm not really sure why she's curious all of the sudden about whom, from my family, will be there. With that last thought it dawns on me, at about the same time that Bella's eyes get huge, that she might be nervous about meeting my family already.

"Your Mom and Dad might be there tomorrow?"

"You don't need to be worried about meeting my family tomorrow."

We both speak at the same time, which causes us to laugh. I decide to repeat myself, putting emphasis on the fact that she has absolutely nothing to worry about. "Bella, my Mom will love you, plus she's a well known interior designer so it will give you the opportunity to speak to her about what you would like to do with your house. I can tell just from what I've seen already that the two of you have very similar tastes. And as for my Dad, well, I'm the one that should be worried." I say and then laugh, shaking my head. "The minute he takes a look at you, he will probably flirt with you non-stop."

Bella smiles at me and thanks me for my compliment, and then she asks, "What's your Mom's name?"

"Her name is Esme Cullen, but professionally she goes by Esme de Beau." At the sound of my mom's full name Bella squeals, literally squeals! It honestly catches me off-guard because I never would have pictured Bella as a squealer.

She bounces up and down on the couch for a little bit and then she finally seems to calm down. After getting over the initial shock of her squealing I can't help but smile at her while watching her bask in this new information. "Wow, your mom is Esme de Beau? I can't believe it!" She whispers in awe, placing her hand against her cheek. She was literally stunned it seems.

I watch as she shakes her head, in what looks like an attempt to clear her thoughts, and then she looks at me determined. "Well, what do you think about inviting everyone over here to have a cookout after the game? I already need to talk to Jasper about the bid that he's supposed to have completed for me tomorrow and I would really like to get to know Seth's Dad better since him and Merrick are such good friends. So, what do you think?"

As Bella mentions getting to know Emmett better, I try with all of my might to not visibly cringe. It doesn't appear that she's noticed a change in my facial expression, so I hope that I've pulled it off. But, this could be a definite problem for me. Sure, I "get along" with my older brother, but we are not friends, unlike the relationship I have with my younger brother, who is, for all intents and purposes, my best friend. My relationship with Emmett is strained and has been for quite some time. In fact, my helping him coach this year was another attempt by my Mom to try to assist us with mending our relationship. I love my Mom dearly, but if I hear her say, "Edward Anthony, brothers are meant to love each other, to depend on each other, NOT to hate each other..." I think I'll literally scream. But, like I've tried to explain to my mom, a hundred times it seems like, the only way that my relationship with Emmett changes, or mends, is if Emmett changes and apologizes.

Realizing that I've yet again allowed my thoughts to run away with me without answering one of Bella's questions I quickly ask, "Are you sure that you want to have everyone over here? Especially just after football practice? The boys are going to be starving and my brother Emmett alone eats for like... three, four, Hell... five people!"

"Well, will you help me? Do you mind working my grill? That thing terrifies me." She shudders as she makes her comment about the grill.

I couldn't help but laugh as I tell her that if she's sure about having everyone over here that I have no problem manning the grill for her. We talk for a little while and decide on fixing hamburgers and hot dogs tomorrow. Then, we agree that it would be a good idea for us to head to the store to buy the food before practice. This alone excites me because it gives me an opening to propose our first "official" group outing.

"So, since the boys don't have to be at practice until ten in the morning what do you think about me coming over here at around eight, we can take the kids to eat breakfast at IHOP, and then we can go to the store. That'll give Merrick enough time for his breakfast to settle before practice and we should still have enough time to drop-off the groceries before we need to be at the field."

"I think that sounds like a great idea. Plus, it will be our first official group outing." She says to me while smiling and pulling her knees up to her chest.

"That's what I was thinking." I tell her honestly.

We stare at each other, getting lost in one another's eyes. I lean towards her slightly and take her left hand in mine. "I really want to kiss you." At my omission, I hear Bella gasp. I shake my head trying to let my mind and my heart rule this moment. Over the last couple of hours, it's become exceedingly clear to me that this woman, this goddess in front of me could be my future and I really don't want to mess that up.

"I do, I really want to kiss you, but I'm not going to." At my last statement, Bella's eyebrows furrow in confusion making me continue on with my thoughts quickly.

"Like I said, I really do but I'm not going to, because I don't want to make any mistakes with you, Bella. I want to make sure that we take things slow not just for our own hearts, but for our kids' hearts as well." Bella's eyebrows relax and she gives me a sweet smile while nodding her head.

The two of us sit on Bella's loveseat for at least half an hour just caressing and holding each other's hands; it's calming, it's nice... Eventually, I notice Bella try to covertly hide a yawn; an action that makes me chuckle. I glance at my watch, because I have no idea what time it is, and I'm shocked when I see the time.

"I can't believe it's two-fifteen in the morning." I say out loud to which I hear Bella mumble a quiet 'Holy shit!' that I don't think I was supposed to hear.

Laughing I add, "Yeah, I know I can't believe I've been here that long. It feels like it's only been just a couple of hours."

"I know, me too,"

We sit for a little while longer just holding onto each other's hand, then I feel her squeeze my hand. "I hate to see you go, Edward, but if you're going to come back over here at eight o'clock, which is less than six hours away, you really need to go get some sleep."

"I know," I simply reply, "I'm just not ready for tonight to end. Do you know what I mean?" I ask sheepishly, embarrassed to be admitting my feelings out loud.

"I know exactly what you mean. But I'm excited about tomorrow, because it could be the beginning of something wonderful."

"So, I guess the sooner I head home the sooner I can be back. Is that what your saying?" I say as I jokingly poke her on her side, which makes her laugh. Huh, that's something to definitely remember... Bella's ticklish!

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." She says while laughing and swatting my hand away.

We play and joke around for a little while longer, then finally we both reluctantly stand up and she leads me to the front door. "I'm really glad you came over, Edward, and I'm glad we talked. I'll see you in the morning?"

"Thanks for inviting me, and I'm glad we finally got to meet. I'll see you tomorrow, beautiful." I reverently place my left hand on her right cheek and gently caress it with the pad of my thumb. Then, I slowly lean in to give her a soft lingering kiss on her left cheek. It takes all of my willpower not to turn my face slightly, just a hint to the left, adjusting the angle of my lips just so... which would allow me to consume her lips.

As I pull away from her I see that she's chewing on that damn lip again. I slowly drag my thumb across it and tug it loose. She blushes and dips her head slightly, embarrassed. I gently pull her face back up and whisper good night and promise to be back at eight.

Reluctantly, I walk away; I can feel her eyes on me as I make it to my car. As I open my door and start to get in, I wave at her one last time and she waves back. I notice that she continues to watch me, not really sure why, but it's a comforting feeling to know that she's watching after me. As I pull out of her driveway, I see her close her door through my rearview mirror. Now, with the realization that I'm alone in my car and out of her line of sight, I can't help but throw my fist into the air.

~~*~~ . ~~*~~ . ~~*~~ . ~~*~~ . ~~*~~ . ~~*~~ . ~~*~~ . ~~*~~ . ~~*~~

BPOV

Six-thirty came early; but I couldn't complain about my lack of sleep because I would do it again in a heartbeat. After Edward left last night, I couldn't control the dance of joy that I did in the entryway the minute the front door closed.

After I completed my nightly ritual of taking my makeup off, putting on moisturizer, and brushing my teeth I slid into bed and fell asleep easily to thoughts of a future with Edward.

I quickly glance at the alarm clock on my nightstand and curse out loud when I notice that I've wasted fifteen minutes daydreaming about Edward again, when I should have been up taking a shower. Pulling myself out of bed, I head to the bathroom to start my morning. First, I wash my entire body with my BVLGARI au thé blanc soap and body wash. Then, I shampoo my hair and follow-up with my conditioner, which I let set while I take a couple of minutes touching up my legs and under my arms with my razor. Finally, I rinse my conditioner out and make one more sweep over my body with my body wash before I shut the water off.

After rubbing copious amounts of lotion all over my body, making sure to pay special attention to my arms and legs, I wrap a large white bath towel around myself and head to my closet. I quickly grab my iPhone so I can pull up my weather app to check on what it's supposed to be like today. Well, okay... high of 80 with a low of 59. Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day!

As I close the app, I notice that I have one new text message waiting. I click on the icon and I immediately see that the text is from Edward, and it appears that he sent it to me last night. Giddy with excitement, I open his text.

Bella just wanted to wish you good night again. I had a wonderful time talking with you tonight and I can't wait to see you tomorrow... later this morning, actually!

Sweet Dreams,

Edward

I squealed! Yes, squealed and I might have danced around a little bit, too. I'm not sure if he'd be awake yet... but I took went ahead and took the chance to send him a reply anyway hoping that I wouldn't wake him.

Edward, thank you for your text. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I just received it this morning. I enjoyed our time together last night, too and I'm looking forward to spending the day with you and the kids.

Good morning & I'll see you in a little bit! :)

Bella

After I press send, I notice that it's now six-fifty and I still need to finish getting ready in addition, plus I still need to get four sleeping kids up and ready for the day as well. So, I walk into my closet and start looking through all of my clothes. I figure that since it's supposed to be eighty degrees later today that it would be the perfect time to wear one of my sundresses; but after looking through them I decide not to because a majority of them required me to wear heels and since we're going to be at a football field, I really want to wear tennis shoes.

As I continue to look through all of my dresses, I finally come across my Lacoste turquoise and white striped polo dress. I decide to wear it because I have a pair of Puma tennis shoes that match. Making my way to my dresser, I pull out a white bra & panty set and put them on. Once I'm completely dressed, I sit down at my vanity and lightly put on some makeup. I decide to go simple on my jewelry today so I put on some diamond studs and my favorite ring. Finally, I spray a little bit of perfume and then head towards the kids' bedrooms.

Waking up my three kids is never a fun experience and I'm not sure what to expect from Brittney. Meredith's room is the closest so I head towards her room to wake her up first. She's actually pretty easy to get up this morning, I simply mention pancakes and she's up and out of bed.

"Hey, Mer, do you want to help me wake Maddy and Brittney up?" I ask as I pull out her clothes for the day. She nods her head excitedly and takes off running towards Maddy's room.

Luckily, I catch up with Meredith just before she launches herself onto Maddy and Brittney, while they're still sleeping. I mean, I literally had to catch her – in mid-air – just before she jumped on the bed to wake them up. The minute I catch her, she starts giggling. Sometimes she is just too cute.

Because I had been so focused on stopping Meredith in time, I hadn't taken the chance to actually look at Maddy and Brittney. But, now that I have, well, let's just say that the sight alone has me covering my mouth... trying not wake the girls up with my laughing.

Both of the girls are sprawled out on the bed with their arms and legs laying all over each other. How they can be comfortable enough to actually sleep I have no clue, but obviously they are. I quickly snap a picture with my iPhone, which causes Meredith to start giggling really loud; so I figure it's time to wake them up – before her giggles do and I end up with two very grumpy little girls. I make my way over to Maddy's bed. I try to wake them up first by shaking their shoulders; then, I try shaking their legs; when that doesn't work, I try pulling their covers off hoping that it will jostle them awake... but still no such luck. Finally, I mention our plans to go out for breakfast with Brittney's Dad and both girls wake up.

Just like I did with Meredith, I walk to Maddy's closet and pull out three different outfits for her to choose from, once she makes her choice I hang the other two back up. I leave the girls to finish getting ready while I make my way to Merrick's bedroom... saving the worst for last. Or so I thought.

Merrick isn't normally a morning person... at all! However, when I open the door to his bedroom I am shocked to find that he's already up and throwing his workout clothes into a bag for football practice.

"Merrick, we're going to go eat breakfast with Brittney's Dad this morning and then we're coming back here before your practice."

"Cool." He says while crawling on the floor of his closet.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" I asked him.

I could barely make out his voice through the closet, "Yeah, my football."

"Oh, honey, you don't need to bring your football. They'll have them there already. But, if you want, we can double-check with Edward when he gets here."

"Okay." He says as he crawls out of his closet backwards, still on his hands and knees. I noticed that he's already dressed himself this morning. And, at the sight of his outfit, I have to cover my mouth so that I don't laugh out loud.

Merrick still has his blue and orange plaid-flannel pajama pants on and he's paired them with a bright green Hawaiian shirt that has huge white flowers all over it. The kicker though is that he's wearing his favorite shoes with the ensemble... his cowboy boots – which happen to have one leg of his flannel PJs tucked into them while the other pant leg has been left untucked. He looks so cute.

"Here buddy, since we're going to IHOP for breakfast you're going to need to put some jeans on okay?" I say as I hand him a pair of jeans.

"Do you want to wear the shirt you have on now?" I ask as I wave towards the offending shirt, trying my hardest to not show my dislike for it. "Or, do you want me to pick out a different shirt for you?"

"Different," he answers back.

I sift through all of his polo shirts and pull down an orange one that has a matching baseball cap. Because the weather is supposed to start off kind of cold today – and then warm up, I've made sure that all of the kids are wearing layered outfits. Now, I just need to find a t-shirt that he can wear under his polo that will look okay with his hat to complete his outfit. Finally, after I settle on a white t-shirt that has an orange lion on it, I hand him his clothes so he can finish getting ready.

Once I make it back to the Maddy's room, I sit down on her bed. When Meredith and I came to wake the girls up early, I made sure to bring her outfit with us. So, now I take the opportunity get her ready by starting with the pair of white tights that she's going to wear. I really like the little blue, white, and pink plaid sundress, the matching Mary Jane tennis shoes, and a light pink cardigan that I've picked out for her to wear.

Brittney and Maddy are both dressed in blue jeans. Brittney is wearing a white floral embroidered top along with a hot pink cardigan sweater. My favorite part of her outfit is her cute little tennis shoes that are two-tone pink Mary Jane's. Maddy, is wearing a white short-sleeve shirt, but since her shirt is short-sleeved and not sleeveless I just paired it with a tan windbreaker so she can wear it incase she gets cold; as for her shoes, she's wearing a pair of brown loafers.

Once the girls have finished getting dressed, it's time to fix their hair. Maddy and Brittney take turns brushing each other's hair, while I work on Meredith's. I've just finished pulling Meredith's hair up into a ponytail, using a curly pink ponytail holder, when Maddy asks me a question.

"Bell, can you French braid my hair?"

"Sure, do you want it to be in one braid or two?" I ask her.

"Um... two please." She says while grinning at me.

"No problem, are you done brushing your hair?" She nods. "Okay, well come over here and have a seat." I say as I scoot back further on the bed, patting the space between my legs to indicate where I need for her to sit. As I start to separate her hair I notice that Brittney is sitting down next to us, watching intently.

"What's a French braid?" Brittney asks while scrunching up her nose. I can't help but chuckle at how cute she is.

"Have you ever had your hair braided?" I ask her.

"Yes, Alice has braided my hair before. But, you do it different," she replies.

"Well, she was probably braiding your hair the traditional way. A French braid is just a little bit fancier than a normal... traditional braid. You'll see what I mean in a minute." I continue to weave Maddy's hair around and between my fingers. As I near the end of the braid on one side I ask Maddy to hand me the ponytail holder she wants me to use.

"Oh, I forgot to bring them with me," she whines.

"Maddy there's no need to whine. I'm sure that if you ask Brittney nicely she'll get them for you." I look at Brittney and she's smiling up at me confirming that she would, in fact get them.

"Brit, can you go get the two puppy dog ponytail holders that are sitting on top of my vanity?" Maddy asks.

"Yep!" Brittney replies while popping the 'p' and hopping up off of the bed.

Brittney returns quickly with the holders and sits back down next to me. I notice that she's still watching me closely as I start to braid the other side of Maddy's hair. I'm just about to offer to French braid her hair, too, when she beats me to it.

"Um, Bella?" I turn my head towards Brittney at the sound of her voice calling my name. As I look at her I see that she's ducked her head a little bit, as a result, I can't really see her face. "Yes, sweetie." I reply while discretely leaning forward in hopes that I can catch a glimpse of the look on her face. I notice that she's playing with the tie on her sweater. By her mannerisms it seems to me that she appears to be hesitant, almost apprehensive. The thought that Brittney could be scared of me or unsure of me doesn't sit well with my heart. So, I decide that I need to reassure her... I need to make sure she knows that she can trust me. As I'm about to repeat my question in what I hope is a sweet, loving tone I am interrupted by Brittney herself.

"Do you... I mean... would it be okay…" she sighs, unable to finish her question.

I'm not completely sure what she was trying to ask me, but it's clear that she's embarrassed and shy about whatever it is. So, I decide to try to help her out because I don't ever want her to feel like she can't talk to me.

"Hey, Brit? Do you want me to French braid your hair, too?" I ask trying to make my voice sound nonchalant.

Brittney jerks her head up towards me, causing me to look down at her. The sight before me warms my heart; she's so happy, so very happy at the mere thought of me braiding her hair. I can't help it; I give her a big smile in return.

"Would you?" Such a simple question but I can tell from the look on her face that it's actually not a simple question to her, at all. I began to replay some of the conversation I had with Edward last night, especially the part about Brittney's mom and her being in jail. I'm not sure why the magnitude of that statement didn't register with me last night. But, now... as I'm looking at the hope radiating from Brittney's eyes, it dawns on me that this sweet, precious little girl truly has never had a mother. For all of her young life, it's just been her and her dad. It's quiet clear that Edward is a wonderful dad and that he would move Heaven and Hell just for her happiness, but there are some things that a father just can't give you... that a mother can. I should know... I've been there, but I was lucky because I had Gabby. However, I always knew that she wasn't my mom and although she was there for me... it still wasn't the same.

I'm sure that Alice does what she can as well as Edward's Mom, but that's simply not the same. No wonder my Maddy and her get along so well. They understand each other on an unconscious level even if they don't realize it yet at their young age.

"Of course I will, sweetheart!" I say just as I'm finishing up the last braid for Maddy. "How about you go look in the top right hand drawer of Maddy's vanity and pick out two ponytail holders. They need to be white or pink, okay?" Maddy gets up and goes over to help her. I sat on the bed and watch them while they search. I take the moment to quickly glance over at Meredith, to check on her, and see that she's playing contently with some baby dolls on the floor.

A couple of minutes later, Brittney and Maddy both come back to the bed and Brittney excitedly asks if I think that the ribbons she's picked out would look pretty. I take both ribbons from her hand and hold them up to her outfit. "Brittney, I don't think this ribbons are just going to look pretty... I think they are going to look absolutely beautiful in your hair." I tell her as I pat the space just in front of me. She excitedly jumps up onto the bed and nuzzles herself into place so that I can start braiding her hair.

Time seems to fly by; eventually Merrick comes into the room and sits down next to Meredith. As I finish up Brittney's hair, I can't help but think about how content and happy I am at this exact moment. If someone would have told me six months ago that I would find myself in love and raising three kids on my own, in addition to falling in love with a fourth one. I would have said that were insane. But, now I know that I don't ever want this feeling to end. In fact, I want it to continue to get stronger.

With about twenty minutes to spare, before Edward is supposed to arrive, we all head downstairs and I ask the kids to help me pull out an ice chest from the garage. After we're done, the kids and I sit down in the living room and wait for him to arrive. At five 'til eight the doorbell rings and all four of the kids squeal, jump up from the sofas, and run towards the front door. Just as I see Maddy's hand touch the doorknob, I call out to her.

"Don't open that door, young lady, without knowing who's there!" I say in what I hope is a stern voice. Maddy looks back at me sheepishly and then presses the intercom button for the front porch.

"Who is it?" Maddy asks into the speaker.

I hear his chuckle before I hear his voice, "It's Edward." I can picture him standing on our front porch shaking his head while laughing.

"Can I open the door now, Bell?" Maddy asks while hoping up and down.

Since having the new alarm and intercom system installed this is actually the first real opportunity I've had to walk any of the kids through how to use it. So, I am going to use it! "Are you sure that's Edward?"

"Um..." By her response alone I can tell that her answer is no, so I ask her what she should do next to make sure that it is, in fact, Edward.

"Oh, I press the video button and he'll appear on the little screen." She says excitedly, remembering the steps.

"That's right." I step in behind her to make sure she hits the right button, which she does. As the screen comes to life I can see Edward standing on the front porch looking very amused.

"Hey guys, is there a camera out here that I should wave to?" Edward asks jokingly.

"Ha, ha, funny guy. No, just stand there and look handsome for us so I can finish my lesson." I reply with a laugh.

With an exaggerated sigh, shrugging, he says, "If I must." I can't help but laugh.

"Okay, Maddy, does the good-looking man that you see on the screen look like Edward?"

"Yes! So, can I open the door for him now, Bells?" Maddy asks pleadingly.

"Yes, you can." I barely get the sentence out of my mouth before she's already rushing to open the door. I quickly place my hand over hers that is currently wrapped around the door handle and continue with my thought. "But, Maddy next time the doorbell rings you need to remember to use the intercom first before just opening the door, like you were about to do." I give her a pointed stare letting her know that I mean business as I remove my hand from on top of hers. She replies with a 'yes ma'am' while she wrestle with the doorknob, trying to let Edward in.

As the door opens, I watch as all four of the kids basically tackle Edward. Even little Meredith has wrapped herself around his legs.

"Wow, now that's what I call a welcome." Edward says to all the kids while giving them hugs. He leans down to Brittney and kisses her on the forehead. "Good morning, sweetheart. I missed you."

"Morning, Daddy!" She squeals while hugging him around his waist. Edward starts to try to move into the house, but all of the kids still haven't let go of him yet. I can't help but laugh at the sight in front of me; it's so cute. At the sound of my laugh, Edward looks up at me and gives me a beautiful smile.

He looks really, really good. He's wearing low-rise blue jeans again, a grey and white polo, and tennis shoes. His shirt is halfway tucked in and halfway out just enough so that I can see the buckle of his belt. A buckle that draws my eyes to what appears to be a very, very large cock. God, I hope I get to see him naked soon! Shit, nope we're taking it slow! We're taking it slow! Hmm, I bet he would feel great moving his cock in and out of me slowly. Shit! Shit! Shit! I need to get my mind out of the gutter and obviously staring at his cock isn't helping!

Shaking my head and diverting my eyes away from Edward's "belt buckle" I say, "Okay, kids. You need to let Edward go so he can come inside." Oh my, how I'd like for him to cum inside of me. Shit, okay mind out of the gutter, mind out of the gutter.

Clearing my throat I continued, "Unless you'd rather stand in the doorway all morning instead of going to get pancakes." Yep! That last statement got the response I was expecting!

Merrick quickly lets go of Edward and throws his fist into the air chanting "Yes, pancakes!" Maddy and Brittney let go of Edward and proceed to grab onto each other which leads to the two of them jumping up and down while squealing. Who knew they loved pancakes so much?

Meredith, however, didn't seem to want to let go of Edward. Oh, honey, I completely understand! I watch Edward kneel down to Meredith, who is looking up at him with the biggest smile on her face. He reaches back and tugs on her ponytail, which causes her to giggle.

"Well, good morning, Miss Meredith." He says to her sweetly.

"Mornin', Eward," Meredith replies with a shy smile and then she throws her arms around his neck giving him a hug. Seeing her accept him so openly brings tears to my eyes; she isn't even that comfortable with Angela or Alice, who she's spent more time with. As Edward hugs her back he glances up at me and I can tell by the look on his face that he's touched by Meredith's reaction to him, her acceptance of him.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy?" The two of us are brought out of our moment with Meredith by Brittney's voice. "Yes, sweetheart, and please don't yell. I'm right here."

"Sorry." She mutters while awkwardly shifting between her feet. "Do you like my hair?" She finally asks as she swings around to show it to him. He's about to reply when Brittney speaks up again.

"So, do you Daddy? Bella did it for me. She even let me look at it in the mirror. Isn't it sooo pretty?" She continues to talk without even taking a breath, waving her hands around animatedly. I'm so touched by that fact that she's so happy that I can't help but smile at her and her enthusiasm. All of the sudden I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up followed by goose bumps forming on my arms. Without even needing to look up to confirm it, I just know that Edward is looking at me. Finally, with shy hesitant eyes, I glanced up in his direction, not sure of what I am going to see.

Just like I thought, he is looking right at me with a look of gratitude... or is that admiration? I'm not sure, but I like it. It makes me feel good that something I've done for his little girl has made him happy.

"I love your hair and you're right. It's beautiful!" He says while leaning down to punctuate it with a kiss on her cheek. When he stands back up, instead of hugging her Dad for what he just said, Brittney turns around and runs to me – engulfing me in a huge hug. It catches me off guard a little, so I stumble back a bit, but I right myself and wrap my arms around her. Then, in a voice that sounds like she's about to cry Brittney tells me, "Thank you."

I loosen up my hold on her, which makes her do the same, and then kneeling down in front of her I say, "I enjoyed braiding your hair Brittney and I'll do it again, too... any time!" The responding smile I receive is wonderful. I glance up at Edward while I hug his daughter again and I see that his eyes are watery. He mouths 'thank you' to me, and I nod back to him hoping that he understands that I truly care for his daughter and that I would do anything for her.

Clearing his throat Edward gets everyone's attention, "Okay, guys let's go eat some pancakes."

Because of the size of our group, we decide that it would be easier to take one car instead of two and luckily I have a vehicle that can fit us all. So, after we transfer the car seat over from my Mercedes to my Infiniti QX56, and all of the kids are situated in back, we head to IHOP.

Luckily the parking lot isn't crowded, so I'm able to park pretty close to the restaurant. After we unload all of the kids, we make our way towards the door; as Edward holds the door open for us, he reaches out and takes a hold of my arm as I pass.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"You look really beautiful today, sorry I'm just now saying it. The kids kinda side-tracked me." He says to me with a shy smile.

I smile at him and then I lean into him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. When I pull back, I see the shocked expression on his face, which just makes me smile even larger. "Thank you, Edward. By the way, you look really good, too."

Then I reach down and tug on his belt buckle. "I really like your belt." Stepping away from him I give him a little smile and a winked, and then I turn around and continue to walk towards the kids making sure to add a little extra swing to my step.

Eating at a restaurant with four kids is an experience. Although, I'm sure it could've gone worse. Between the kids arguing over who was going to sit by who and then having them whine when we wouldn't let them get something on the menu I really thought that my patience was going to run out. But, Edward calmly helped me, which I greatly appreciated, instead of sitting back and only dealing with his child he actually stepped up and helped me whenever he felt I needed it. We worked well together.

After the initial craziness of getting situated, breakfast went smoothly. Edward and I had several people stop to tell us how "cute," "beautiful," "pretty," or "handsome" are kids were. When the first person commented on them being "our" kids, I tensed up at first – afraid that it would be too much too soon for Edward, but he simply smiled at the person and thanked them for us. Then, as they walked away he looked at me and winked. My God, this man is perfect!

Once all the kids were stuffed and after Edward insisted on paying because he said, and I quote, "Bella, it's only fair that I pay, because it was my idea." I reluctantly agreed and decided that I would pay for the groceries because like he said... "It was my idea!"

Thankfully, the trip to the grocery store was uneventful. We received several compliments again about how beautiful and well-behaved our kids were. I was starting to get the impression that this would be a recurring thing with us, because... well, our kids are beautiful.

So, now I find myself strolling down the isles at our local grocery store, placing items in the cart for this afternoon's cookout. I'm not sure if it's the domesticated act of grocery shopping with Edward or simply the man himself, but I find myself actually thinking about having kids with Edward. I mean, sure it's too soon to think about that, but the thought excites me. It's evident that he's a wonderful dad, and having kids is a dream that I gave up a long time ago. But, that was my old life. The life where I didn't want a family and I had convinced myself that I didn't need one, God, I had been so wrong.

Now, the thought of holding a little red-haired boy with green eyes, rocking him to sleep while singing a lullaby to him, watching him learn to walk for the first time, experiencing the 'terrible-twos' with him, and hearing him call me Mommy... causes my heart to skip a beat and my stomach flutters. I want it, with a longing that I've never experienced before. The most startling revelation by far is that I know deep down the this new dream wouldn't be the same if it didn't include the wonderful man who's currently standing next to me reading the labels on hot dog packages.

Damn! The realization that I want that fantasy to come true hits me and hits me hard. I can feel my heart literally beating out of control, like it's fighting to break out of my chest. I've personally never had a panic attack, I've heard about them from colleagues, friends, and seen them portrayed on T.V., but I've never actually had one myself.

I begin to think that I should grab onto Edward to tell him that I need to sit down or that I need to step outside for a moment, but then I realize that other than my heart pounding – like crazy – I'm actually okay. My breathing is normal, I'm not shaking, and I don't feel dizzy. So, it's just my heart that's going a little haywire at the moment. Since, my Dad passed from a heart attack I know enough to know that I'm not experiences any of the common signs of having one myself, so that makes me feel better; but, then again not... because I still have no clue about what is wrong with me. As we continue down the aisles shopping I take the opportunity to think about all of this for a moment. Finally, I come to the conclusion that my heart is just happy; excited about my brain finally coming to terms with what it's known all along. That I want a family... I want that family with Edward. Yeah, I want it all, and more!

Edward brings me out of my daydream by calling my name. He needs to know how many hot dogs each of my kids can eat. I notice that he looks at me, questioningly; he probably noticed that I had gone off to La-La Land for a little while there and my assumption is right because the next thing he asks me is if I'm alright to which I wave off his concern and tell him that I'm fine... just tired. Yeah, I know I lied to him, but there was no way in Hell I'm letting him know that I was just daydreaming about having his babies. He'd probably grab Brittney and run away screaming. No. Thank. You!

We head over towards the in-store butcher and once Edward picks out all of the meat, which basically consisted of chicken and hamburger meat, we all head towards the checkout. However, on the way there I decide to make a pit stop down the beverage aisle. During breakfast, I asked Edward if the kids would have drinks during practice. He said that he and Emmett would end up assigning different parents to be in charge of providing snacks for each game and practice. But, since this was the first practice of the season and the first practice for him to participate, he didn't know if his brother was going to take care of it or not. So, I decided that I would grab some water and Gatorade for the kids.

On the way to IHOP and then on the way to the grocery store, I noticed how Edward fidgeted while riding in the car with me. If I didn't know any better I would assume that he was worried about my driving, or that he was one of those guys that just had to drive everywhere. And let me tell you if that's the case... we are definitely going to have a problem here, because I love my cars!

But, I could tell by the look on his face as was checking out my car that he's just 'jonesing' to get to drive my car. So, as we leave the grocery store, I offer my keys to him. In response to my offer, his face lit up with the biggest, cutest smile and in an excited voice he asks me if I'm sure. Giggling at him, I nod my head in reply as I place my keys into the palm of his hand. What's even cuter is that I swear I saw him give a fist bump into the air as he was walking around the car after helping me into my seat.

Once back at the house, Edward pulls up into the front circular drive behind his Range Rover. We all get out of the car and I open the front door for the kids. I tell the kids that they have about half an hour before we need to leave, then I ask Maddy to grab a pair of denim shorts for her and Brittney along with a pair of tennis shoes and socks for both of them. "Maddy, can you also grab a pair of socks for Meredith, too?" I ask her as she heads up stairs, I hear her yell down a "sure" as she continues up to her room with Brittney and Meredith following close behind on her heels.

"So, you're going to have the kids change?" Edward asks as he closes the front door behind him.

"Um, no. It's just that it's supposed to get up to eighty today and I'm afraid that the girls will get hot in their blue jeans so I'm going to bring extra clothes for them just in case. And well, Meredith is wearing tights, so I thought that I'd have a pair of socks for her incase they start to get to hot for her, as well." I finish with a shrug.

Edward looks at me for a moment, with that same odd look from last night. "You're a great mom, Bella." Its a statement, he doesn't allow any argument from me on it, so I say a quiet, shy "thank you" and head towards the kitchen with the groceries.

Edward eventually excuses himself so that he can go change. Maybe fifteen minutes later, I hear a throat clear just as I'm bending over to add more water and Gatorade to the ice chest, the sound startles me. I stand up quickly I have to literally hold myself up by grabbing onto the countertop, but it's not only from losing my balance it's also from the handsome man that is now standing front of me. Edward. In a word, that should be enough... but, add into the explanation that he is currently standing before me wearing the same running shorts and tight shirt he had on the first time I saw him. Any warm-blooded female would have the same reaction. I'm speechless. I'm mesmerized. I'm dripping with desire.

He looked fucking hot the first time I saw him, but NOW with him being this close to me in my fucking kitchen it's almost too much. Almost! God, I want to touch him. To run my hands up and down his sculpted chest, his strong shoulders, his neck, then his jaw line... I begin to make a slow sensual path with my eyes following the same circuit that I wish my hands could at this very moment, I finally rest my eyes on Edward's eyes. As I do so, I see that his eyes are now smoldering pools of deep evergreen. I can tell from the look in his eyes that he knows what he's doing to me, and it's obvious that he's having a hard time controlling himself at the moment, too. The evidence of which is prominently displayed and outlined in his running shorts, and I'm pleasantly rewarded with the confirmation that Edward Cullen definitely has a large, thick cock. Thank you, God!

I hear Edward clear his throat, then he shifts behind the island slightly blocking my view of his dick, but I don't miss his hand moving slightly in front of him, adjusting himself; I can't help myself, I smirk. Then, I look up into his eyes again and I'm sure that what I see is a mirror reflection of everything I'm currently feeling looking right back at me; longing... lust... heat! The intensity of how he's looking at me makes me involuntary shudder.

Edward suddenly looks over his shoulder and then in a move so quick that I probably would have missed it if I had blinked, he is by my side. He's so close to me, I can smell him and he smells so good... pure one hundred percent man.

"I can't handle it when you look at me like that, Bella." Edward whispers into my ear. He's right next to me, but his body is still not touching me. I need to touch him; I need to feel his skin on mine. Slowing I place my hand on Edward's forearm, and then I run it down his arm slowly, teasingly until I come to his fingers, which I play with lazily. Looking up at him I breathlessly reply, "I would say that I'm sorry, Edward, but I'm not." I watch, fascinated, as his eyes dilate and his breathing becomes labored. Just as he's about to respond to me, a very excited six-year-old little boy comes running into the kitchen.

"Edward, do I need to bring my own football?" Merrick asks.

"Umm, no buddy. We'll have footballs there at practice for you guys to use." Edward says in tense voice.

Merrick nods his head and mutters, "cool," then he proceeds to walk over towards us checking out what we're putting in the ice chest. Eventually, the girls come down, too. It's plain to see that the moment between Edward and I is now lost, so I walk over to the girls and commence to placing the clothes they've picked out into my large tote. Then, I pick up the little backpack I have for Meredith; I started carrying it around filled with toys and coloring books so that it gives Mer something to do. I learned the hard way, early on, that it's not a good idea to have a bored three-year-old.

With a couple of minutes to spare we all head back out towards the vehicles. Edward had asked earlier, at breakfast, if we could all ride together to the football field. I'm not going to lie. I did an internal happy dance, in response to his question, because it means that he still wants to be with us. More importantly, though, it told me that he isn't ashamed to be seen with a twenty-six-year-old that has three kids. Sure, they aren't biologically mine, but they might as well be... because it sure is beginning to feel that way to me. So, him wanting to still hang with us makes me feel really good.

As Edward is driving us to the football field, I can feel myself becoming nervous at the prospect that in just a few moments I might be meeting Edward's entire family. I'm fidgeting and I can feel my palms starting to sweat from my nerves. Just as I'm getting lost in my thoughts of "what if they don't like me, et cetera." I feel Edward place his hand on my left knee.

"Hey, what's wrong beautiful?"

"Um, is your mom going to be there today?" I reply in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, I haven't actually talked to her, but she sent me a message while we were in the grocery store confirming the time for practice. So, I'm assuming she's going to be there," he says.

I can't reply, I simply nod my head and look out the passenger side window. I feel him squeeze my knee, trying to get my attention. "Hey, don't worry she's going to love you." He says with so much confidence that I simply can't help but believe him. Giving him a quiet "Okay" I pat his hand that he still has on my knee.

"Daddy, is Grandma and Grandpa going to be there?" Brittney asks from the back of the SUV.

"I think so sweetie." Edward replies while glancing up at her through the rearview mirror.

"Is Tanya and Kate going to be there?" Brittney askes timidly. Her question and the tremor in her voice make me turn around to look at her. As I do, I notice that Edward is also looking back at his daughter.

"I don't know, Brit." He answers with a sigh and then shifts to look ahead again. Brittney answers back immediately, "I don't like her, Daddy." Nodding his head, Edward replies, "I know, honey, she's not one of my favorite people either."

"Edward, is there really a possibility that they're going to be there? I didn't know that she had a son, too?" I ask, trying very hard to control my temper. Just the thought of seeing that, that she-devil and her spawn-child the day after she broke Maddy's arm has me seeing red... already.

Sighing, Edward looks at me pleadingly and then back at the road. "She could be." Taking a deep breath, he continues. "This is the first year that I'm actually helping Emmett coach the team. So, in the past, Tanya would just show up at the practices, claiming that she simply came to the park to let Kate play, but the whole time she would try to sit next to me or my mom, shamelessly ignoring her own child in the process." With a disgusted sigh, he continues. "I can never stand to be around her too long, so I would always get up, almost immediately after she arrived, and I would go down to the field with Emmett. Just to get away from her."

"Does your mom like her?" Part of me really wants to know the answer to this question and the other part of me doesn't. Because the likelihood that I can get along with someone that actually likes the she-devil I find to be absolutely incomprehensible. So, I'm afraid that the answer to my question could spell out the preliminary doom of a future relationship between Edward's mother and me.

"No, she doesn't like her. But, she's friends with Tanya's mother. So, it makes it hard on her to be rude to Tanya because she doesn't want to upset Irina."

"Well, I'm warning you now, if she is here today with her demon-spawn I can't be held accountable for my actions. I'll try to keep in check for you and your mom's sake, but if she even looks towards our girls in a smug or degrading way... all bets are off." I pause and squeeze the hand that he still has on my knee, and continue with my thought, "And the proximity of your mom won't even be an afterthought."

Edward squeezes my hand back as he pulls into the parking lot. He puts the car in park and then turns towards me. "I completely understand, Bella, and I make you this promise: If I happen to see or hear her say anything towards any of our kids or you... I promise that you won't have to face her alone. I'll be right beside you." I can see the honesty and determination in his eyes as he looks at me. It makes me feel safe and protected. I smile at him and nod my head while saying, "Okay," then we both exit the car and start helping the kids get out.


A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you guys liked the dual - POV. The next chapter will be the same... we will hear from both Edward & Bella.

It's been a crazy two weeks! So, I haven't had a chance to update my blog, or Polyvore, but I hope to catch up this weekend! I came really close to not posting this chapter because I'm so busy, but I wanted to make sure to get it out to everyone. Send me a PM or a review to let me know what you think.

Also, please feel free to follow me on Twitter - Heartfeltpen

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There you go! I will be uploading Chapter 12, if everything goes as planned, next Thursday.

Thanks,

Amy

WC - 13,296

Published Date - 1/20/11