A/N: A special thanks to SunflowerFran for her awesome beta skills. Also to twimom1960 for pre-reading. You rock.

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Chapter 11

EPOV

"Yeah, Eddie. How are things?"

I visibly cringed, hearing the disdain in Bella's voice.

What was she doing here?

My mother stood by the door with her arms crossed over her chest and a disapproving look on her face. My father was trying to mask his smile behind a coffee mug.

Yeah, laugh it up, Dad.

Grabbing Irina's arm, I turned to Bella with what I hoped was an apologetic look on my face.

"I'll be right back, Sweetheart."

I emphasized 'Sweetheart', making sure Irina heard it and by the look on her face, she did. She scowled at me as I led her outside with force.

Nothing she can't handle.

The door closed behind us and Irina yanked her arm from my grasp, "What the fuck, Eddie?"

With my hands on my hips, I glared at her, "Exactly, Irina. What the fuck are you doing here?"

Her stance loosened and she smiled sweetly at me, rubbing my arm affectionately, "I have missed you, Eddie. It's been too long."

Now it was my turn to yank my arm from her. "First of all, stop calling me Eddie. You know I don't like it. And second, it hasn't been too long. You're the one that decided to end it."

Rubbing my chin between my pointer finger and thumb, I looked up to the sky as if in thought, "What was it that you said?"

Snapping my fingers, I fixed my glare on her, "Oh yeah, I remember … Something about wanting different things and not ready to settle down."

She toed the ground under her highheeled shoe, "That was a long time ago, Eddie. I've changed. I want you. I want what you want."

I snorted, "Great, because I've changed too." Pointing between us, I continued, "This ... Iraq, was a long time ago. It was sex, comfort in distress, nothing more. You know it I know it. You were on a case in the area; I helped you get in touch with the locals. When I wanted more, you left saying that Intelligence was your life and that you didn't have time for a relationship." I paused, smirking, "How is the CIA treating you?"

She leaned against the railing, "Where did you find her, Sweetheart? Nebraska?"

I grinned at her, "No, not Nebraska. And yes, Sweetheart." My grin turned into a glare, "Now tell me why you're here, interrupting my breakfast with my girlfriend and family."

Her entire posture changed to business. "I came here on business. We picked up some chatter about Mayor Tortuga's book..."

I held up my hand, appalled, "Hold on … What are you saying? Are you spying on us? What the fuck?"

"If you stop interrupting, I'll tell you." She was irritated.

I sighed and motioned for her to continue. I was sure I wouldn't like it.

"As I said, it was chatter on what the book contains, and no, we are not spying on you." She paused to gage my reaction and I nodded for her to continue. "Do you know what's in the book?"

"What's it to you?"

She sighed again, "Because it's much bigger then what you're expecting."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that it goes high up the chain. If you pursue this, it could be dangerous, very dangerous. Do you get that?"

I crossed my arms over my chest, "What are you saying? What do you know?"

She looked around the property, "I'm saying that you have been warned. I don't know much else, just that you should watch your back. Things could get rough very fast."

Irritated, I raised my voice a notch, "Irina, stop skirting the issue. What. Do. You. Know? Spit it out!"

She huffed, "All right. All I know is that someone in your office has been feeding info to someone in the Senate office. We don't know who, but that's why I need you to watch your back."

I nodded, keeping my face straight. She didn't have to know that I knew who the mole was. "Thanks, Irina." I heard cars coming up the driveway, "I think it would be best that you go."

Her eyes narrowed, assessing me, "You know who it is, don't you?"

I watched the cars appearing one by one in the driveway, not answering her.

"All right. You won't tell me, which is fine. Just be careful, Eddie. You've been warned." She kissed my cheek, climbed into her car and drove away.

I stood on the front porch watching each vehicle park, watching the Chief make his way towards me.

Shaking his hand, he asked, "Where's my daughter?" Behind him stood Alice, Jasper's wife, bouncing on her feet. I should have known Jasper would bring her. She was Bella's sister after all. To be honest, I wasn't ready to share her yet. We still needed to talk a bit more and I was anxious to 'make things up to her.' Thinking about our night in Chicago caused my dick to harden.

Focusing on her father, I told them that she was inside. They disappeared while my team stopped in front of me, minus Newton. It was a good thing, because I wasn't sure if I would control myself if I saw him. I wanted to give his face a makeover with my fist for putting Bella in danger.

Rose ruffled my hair welcoming me back, Jasper shook my hand like the professional he was and Emmett hooked his arm around my neck, kissing my cheek loudly.

"Welcome home, baby. You know we missed ya."

I shrugged his arm off my shoulder and slapped the back of his head, "Fucker."

He winced and rubbed the back of his head, looking hurt, "Don't have to be so mean about it, boss."

Rose was looking at Emmett with adoration and I knew there was something going on, while Jasper just shook his head and smiled.

"No worries, Em." I looked between them, "Where's Newton?"

Rose spoke up first, "I traced his credit card to Chicago. I don't know if he's back already since he turned off the GPS tracker on his phone. Also, the Chief knows about Newton and we've been brainstorming on how to go about things concerning his employment."

Crossing my arms over my chest, I urged her to go on.

"You're not gonna like it," she said, hesitantly. "If we let him know we're on to him, he can, or most likely would, run. So, we think it would be best to let it play out."

"Like fucking hell," I hollered at her.

Emmett stepped between us, putting a hand to my chest, stopping me from advancing, "Calm down, Cullen. Think before you continue."

Rose gripped Emmett's arm and I saw Jasper rising too. She continued, "We also spoke to the D.A. and she agreed. All we have are his travel itinerary and credit card tracking to link Newton to whoever is doing this. It's not enough to send him to prison. There's not much we can do except watch him and wait for him to make a mistake."

Sighing in defeat, I turned my back to them and gripped the railing, my mind spinning.

"There has to be something. Anything," I mumbled to myself. However, I knew they heard me.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I'm keeping tabs on his credit cards, cellphone, anything and everything. But I'm sure he has a burner phone. He wouldn't be that sloppy."

Turning around, I leaned on the railing, feeling exhausted. "This is Bella we're talking about. What if he gets to her? What if I'm not there to protect her? What if ..." I trailed off, feeling nauseous and helpless as the revolting images played through my mind.

Em's beefy hand clamped down on my shoulder and I saw Jasper rise off the railing, approaching me with a cautious look.

He knew, I could tell.

Had I said too much?

"You can't think like that, Ed. We'll get him. Rose is the best, and sooner or later, Newt's gonna mess up. He's too much of a prick not to." Em was a big-ass scary fucker, but underneath it all, he was a big cuddly teddy bear. Not many get to see that side of him. I could see why he and Rose fit so well together. Whereas she was soft-spoken and quiet, hiding behind a computer screen, he was loud and obnoxious, not to mention fiercely loyal and protective of the ones he loved.

I nodded, having heard him, but my eyes stayed on Jasper as he approached. Jasper was quiet but very, very observant. Not much got past him. I was lucky to have him on my team.

"Edward. Why are you so concerned about my sister-in-law?"

Damn him and his observation.

"What do you mean? I care about her well-being as a witness."

His head cocked to the side as he observed me squirming and Em stifled his laughter in Rose's shoulder.

"You know what I mean. You have never cared for a witness this way before."

I looked to Rose for help, but she just shook her head and smiled brightly.

I tried again, "She's the Chief's daughter. Of course, I care more about her than others. He would skin me alive if anything..."

Jasper interrupted loudly, "Quit with the bullshit, Cullen. What's going on?"

Sighing, I confessed. "All right. Something ... happened."

What the fuck was happening to me? I am his superior.

Then why do I feel like I'm being interrogated?

Jas was quiet, watching my every movement. Em was bouncing on the heel of his feet, loving my discomfort. I just hoped Bella wasn't seeing this.

"She's ... I'm..."

Why am I stuttering?

"You love her," Em boomed.

"No. It's not like that." I glared at each one of them, "Let's get back to the subject at hand. Newton? The mayor's death? Why he was killed? The book we sent you?" I turned to Rose, "Did you figure out what those numbers mean? Where they came from? Who's behind all this? What did you find out?"

All three of them smirked at me, knowing that I was avoiding the obvious. I didn't fucking care. I hadn't even figured out what was happening between Bella and me. Did I wanna spend more time with her? Yes. She was beautiful, smart and funny. She hadn't run away after my nightmare. No, she had stayed and defined the entire experience with a few simple statements. Something a few years of sitting in a shrink's office hadn't done. And the way she said my name, made my heart pitter-patter in my chest.

She's my light.

Fuck, I sound like a girl, but it was true. Did that mean I loved her? I had no fucking clue. All I knew was that no other girl had ever made me feel like this.

Alive.

Protective.

Possessive even.

"Okay, I see you need to figure things out." She smiled, her pale blue eyes twinkling. "All those money transfers are what we figured from the beginning and I traced the origin to the destination. At least, I tried. It's being routed through a bunch of banks. Moscow, Zurich, Berlin, Montreal and the list goes on. Now, the mayor was getting ready for his Senate campaign and it looks like he did some digging into his fellow opponents. He was smart. Shame he was killed. He would have made a great Senator."

"What does all this mean?"

"It means that someone in the Senate office is funneling money." She paused briefly, "Edward, this goes high up. Lots of power, politics … a dangerous area. Are you sure you wanna do this? If the mayor's death is any indication, then whoever is behind all of this isn't afraid to kill."

"Rose we have to. They're not gonna stop until Bella, and mostly likely me are dead. We need to stop this. Are you any closer into finding out who in the Senate office is doing this?"

Thunder rolled in the distance.

A storm was coming.

"My guess is Senator Volutri. The problem is we can't tie him to any of these crimes directly. He's got people doing his dirty work for him."

"Fuck. Get everything you can on him. There has to be something. Wire transfers? Emails? Anything?" I listed off each item on my fingers.

She nodded, "I'm already on it. It's just gonna take some time. The fewer people who know, the better."

Sighing, I nodded, running my hand through my hair, "All right, notify me when you have it." Turning, I reached for the doorknob, "Let's go meet my girl."

Em snickered.

Fuck, did I just say that?

XXXXXX

BPOV

It was so good to see my family again. We sat around the table as Esme busied herself with making food for everyone. The aroma of lasagna filled the air making my mouth water. Dad and Alice sat on either side of me, Alice holding my hand and Dad had his arm over the back of my chair, chatting away with Dr. Cullen.

Edward had come in with his friends a little while ago, the big one, Emmett, laughing at Edward about something. I knew Edward didn't like it, noting the frown on his face.

My eyes found Edward every few minutes wanting to ask him who the blonde was, but I was afraid if I left with Edward, my dad would not be very happy. Edward worked for Dad, after all. He smiled his crooked smile when my eyes met his again.

My hand clasped Alice's tighter as his words from this morning ran through my head.

'I'm gonna make it up to you.'

My skin tingled with anticipation. I remembered our night in Chicago well. How his body had moved with mine. How every touch had set my skin on fire, wanting more. How it had felt having him move inside me.

Alice squeezed my hand and raised her eyebrow at me. She extracted her hand from mine in order to sign, "You and Edward? Since when?"

I felt the heat in my cheeks and I quickly turned to see if dad had seen, but it seemed as if he was too wrapped up in the conversation he was having with Dr. Cullen.

Turning back to Alice, seeing the amused grin on her face, I replied, "Yes. No. I don't know."

I got up from my chair and went into the living room, Alice following. When I turned to face her, my eyes landed on Edward's concerned expression. He raised his eyebrow as if asking if I was okay. I just smiled and nodded my head.

"Bella, what happened? I've never seen you this frazzled about a boy. Well, man in this case," Alice signed after we had taken a seat on the plush couch.

I hated that she was so observant. With her and Jasper combined, nothing got past them. Although, where he was quiet and laid back, she was wild and straight forward. If she wanted to know, she'd ask. Jasper rather waited for you to confess. It was push and pull with these two. I loved my sister and brother-in-law.

I slowly confessed, "I slept with him."

I was sure Alice gasped loudly because every head in the kitchen turned our way. Great, an audience. She turned and said something that caused Esme to fly into the living room, concerned. I saw her say the word spider and I smiled at Alice.

While Esme fussed around the couches looking for the spider, Alice asked, "When?"

"Two nights ago, in Chicago."

Her smile was big and happy when she signed, "How was it? Why?"

I fingered a loose thread on my pants before I answered her, "It was fantastic after the pain went away." I contemplated my next answer. "Because I wanted it. Well, yeah, I wanted it, but I wanted him. He makes me feel..."

She interrupted, signing excitedly, "You love him!"

I shook my head frantically no, but I knew it was a lie and so did Alice. Esme stood slightly to the side observing us. When my eyes met hers, I saw the sympathy that I hated so much. Quickly averting my eyes, I found Edward's again. His smile was contagious and I smiled in return.

My mood took a turn for the worse after that. Esme's sympathy had more effect on me than I thought. Silently, I had been hoping that she would accept me for who I was. If she found out about Edward and me, she wouldn't like it, I was sure of that. I was the handicapped woman, clinging to her son.

After a delicious meal, Dad left with Rosalie and Emmett. Giving me hug, he made me promise to be careful. Emmett picked me up off the ground and twirled me in the air, causing me to giggle. Rosalie stood by and watched with a warm smile on her face. I saw the love reflected in both their eyes. She asked for my number, which I told her I didn't have one. She said she'd get me a phone and that we'd have lunch soon. I loved Edward's friends, which in turn made me love him more.

God, this was getting complicated. I loved him, but I was afraid of his mother's reaction towards us. Would she be able to accept it?

Dr. Cullen approached me by the front door after they had left. Jasper and Alice were still sitting at the table, their legs tangled and heads bowed together. Edward was in the kitchen, helping with the clean up. His frown told me what they were talking about.

I also caught what he was saying to her, "It's none of your business. And quite frankly, I'm appalled that you would think that way."

Her eyes turned sad, "All I want is the best for you."

Edward threw down the towel and steeled his mother with a heated glare, "What if she is the best for me? Huh? Can't you see that?"

I turned away, afraid of what he was gonna say next. Dr. Cullen guided me into the living room. His deep blue eyes were warm and friendly; his smile bright. I smiled in return, the noose around my heart loosening.

"With all the people here, we haven't gotten to know one another."

I smiled and he continued, "Bella, I see the way my son looks at you."

Here we go.

My smile fell and the noose tightened again.

Before I could say anything, Dr. Cullen continued, having seen my expression, "Bella, I'm so happy that you came into our lives. Edward has ..." He paused, looking for the right words. "He has this look about him. He's happy. I was wondering when or if I would ever see that in my son, but you did it. Thank you."

I smiled, not knowing what to say. Edward made me happy, too. Jasper and Alice joined us.

Dr. Cullen continued, "I know my wife doesn't see it yet, but she will. Edward is talking to her now." He grasped my hand, "Trust me, she'll come around. Now, sweetie, can you tell me how you lost your hearing?"

Deciding not to dwell on Esme, I told him the story I told Edward. Surprisingly, this time no tears came. I saw Alice wipe her eyes a few times. I knew this wasn't easy for her and I was glad she had Jasper.

Dr. Cullen was quiet after I finished, his face a frown and his fists clenching by his side. "First of all, I'm gonna tell you that your mother was wrong, and second, it was not your fault."

I felt someone sitting down beside me, and soon I felt familiar arms wrap around my stomach, dragging me closer to him. Looking over my shoulder, Edward nodded at me, smiling softly.

Turning back to Dr. Cullen, I saw Esme sitting beside him, her eyes red as she watched Edward's hands on me. Edward noticed when my body tensed and his thumb rubbed soothing circles on my stomach. Relaxing somewhat, I focused on Dr. Cullen.

"Did the doctors ever figure out what made you go deaf?"

I shook my head no.

"When was the last time you had your hearing checked?"

I thought back, "About fifteen years ago. Why?"

His eyebrows scrunched together, "Would you be interested in getting checked again? Doing some tests?"

I felt Edward move and I turned to watch him say, "Dad, what are you getting at?" His expression wasn't one of happiness.

Dr. Cullen simply smiled and said, "Calm down, Son. All I'm saying is that technology has come a long way. Maybe there is something that can be done." He turned to me, "Only if you want. There's no pressure."

I nodded, feeling overwhelmed.

Could it be possible?

Did I allow myself to hope?

That I would be able to hear Edward's voice, or his laugh.

Or my sister's voice, and Dad's.

To be able to hear the birds in the trees.

My mind was spinning when Jasper and Alice decided to leave. Now I wasn't sure. Did Edward want me to stay? Do I go with Alice?

Edward tugged on my hand and led me out back into the backyard. Dark clouds covered the skies. The air was thick with humidity and I could taste the rain in the air.

Edward turned, "I think you should go with your sister?"

My brows furrowed, "Why?"

His hand combed through his hair, "Because there are people looking for us. You're in danger."

I put my hands on my hips, "I get that. I haven't forgotten." I lifted the sleeve of my shirt and showed him the bandaged wound, "I'll always remember."

He grasped my arms, "I was there. Just trust me, okay? You would be safer with them."

"And what about you? Who's gonna protect you?"

The first raindrops were starting to fall. "I know how to take care of myself." His eyes blazed, "Why are you arguing with me on this?"

He turned, the rain falling heavier, coating the ground and us, our clothing. Water ran down my face, plastering my hair to my cheeks.

Edward's usual unruly hair was matted down, making him look like he ran five miles, sweating. His wet clothes clung to him, the muscles on his back expanding and retracting with each breath he took.

He was beautiful.

He drew in a huge sigh and kicked the grass in frustration, making me jump.

Something in me snapped.

"Because I love you, you stubborn fool!"

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