Sorry this chapter has taken longer than usual to get up. Working retail is a nightmare right now and I had the flu a week ago. Needless to say all I've wanted to do is sleep or read, not write myself.

But alas. Here is the new chapter. Oh I hope you like it.

Chapter 11

Work was dragging on Monday.

It could have been the mountain of paperwork on my desk, the fact that the other assistants were just as busy as I was so there was no way that any of us could talk to one another, or it may have been the fact that the office doors to both of the Cullen's offices have been shut since I came in this morning. Nobody had come in or out of them all day.

"Hey, Bella," a voice snapped me away from my typing.

"Emmett," I was surprised. He was the first person I'd seen up here today.

"Do you have a minute?"

"Sure, what's going on?" I saved my work on the computer and moved a stack of papers aside.

"Can we talk in private?"

"Um…yeah." To say I was a little nervous was an understatement.

I followed him to an empty break room and sat down.

He pulled out a chair opposite me and leaned his arms against the table.

"Any idea what's going on with Edward?"

I hadn't seen him all day so I didn't know how he was acting. "What do you mean?"

"He's being all broody. Which isn't saying much, because brooding is his specialty. But it's more than what he's normally like."

"I yelled at him the other day." That was the only thing I could think of.

"This should be interesting. Please, continue."

So I did. I sat there and explained everything that had happened. How he wanted to take Kate to the park and how I found him with his back turned to the playground on his cell phone.

"Fucking idiot," Emmett grumbled when I finished.

"My thoughts exactly."

"I would like to say I'm shocked, but I'm not. He still can't separate work from real life."

I was really tired of that phrase.

"I take it he's done this before?"

"Yeah, Rose skinned him alive when she found out. She takes his work phone from him if he plans on taking the kids with him anywhere now."

"Why is he like that?" I really wanted to know.

"One thing you have to understand, Bella. He wasn't exactly Mr. Popular in school. He was this scrawny kid who got picked on relentlessly. I tried to stop it and intervene as much as I could, but I couldn't be with him every step of the way in school. So he did what he did best, stuck his nose in his school books and tried to pretend that rest of the world didn't exist. Then he became old enough to start helping out with the business. Everything multiplied from there. The only real social contact he had with people was when he worked. In college things became a little easier for him, his body filled out from working out at the gym, he wasn't teased anymore, and he got a girlfriend. We thought everything was going to change for him, but then we paid closer attention. He could have cared less that he had a girlfriend and I honestly believe that she just used him to get invites to social functions because no girl is going to put up with being cast aside at any time of day for a work phone call. That's what happened. They didn't make it very long. Like a year or so, I think. I don't really know. Long enough that she made contacts through the functions to get her invites without him. Edward just doesn't know how to act. He's never had to. Rose would yell at him, but it never really sunk in, until now I think. He knows he messed up this time."

"I appreciate you telling me this, Emmett. I really do, but that doesn't mean that I'm willing to forget what happened. Something could have happened to my daughter. I can't just let that go because he doesn't know how to separate work from life. Kate is everything to me. I will not risk her. I'm not cutting Edward out of our lives; I just don't trust him to be alone with my daughter right now."

"That's completely understandable. You are going to be good for him, Bella. You're teaching him more about life and you don't even know it."

Kate was in an absolute foul mood after I had picked her up from school Monday and it seemed to progress each day after.

"Kate, you have to talk to me. What's going on, princess?" I was pleading with her now.

"Nothing. Everything is fine," she said with more attitude than I had ever heard her use.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

"Evidently it's not fine. Quit the attitude and talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about!" She screamed and ran to her room. The door slammed shut so hard that picture frames shook on the wall.

She's too young for PMS, right?

I groaned pushing myself into the couch cushions and yanking on my hair.

My hair is either going to go bald or grey. I don't know which one yet.

I spent the entire evening on the floor in her bedroom trying to talk and get her to tell me what was bothering her. Nothing worked.

I woke up with the biggest crick in my neck.

Sleeping on the floor will do that to you apparently.

I was still in Kate's bedroom. I fell asleep trying to talk to her, she fell asleep ignoring me.

Looking at her bedside clock, we were going to be late if we didn't hurry. As if this day could be any worse.

"Wake up, Kate. We need to get ready," I shook her arm.

"No. I hate my school. I'm not going today," she grumbled.

I was passed playing nice.

"You're going and that's final. I'll drag you there myself if I have to."

"I hate you!" She yelled.

That knocked me back on my ass. I could feel the lump rising in my throat as my eyes filled with water.

We had always been good at talking things out.

She had never said that to me before.

I blinked back my tears.

"Your uniform is on your dresser. Put it on, brush your teeth then come to my room and I'll put up your hair." I walked out of her room.

I walked into work angry.

This was not my week.

Edward's office door was shut, as it had been all week.

I had seen him maybe twice and each time he ducked and walked the other way.

As with Kate, I had enough.

I barged in his office without knocking.

"You're avoiding me."

He looked up startled.

"I said I didn't trust you to be alone with Kate. Not that I wanted you out of our lives. You didn't come over Tuesday, she was asking about you, and you had been hiding all week."

"I thought you didn't want to see me," he spoke.

"I was pissed off, Edward, and rightfully so. What you did was really stupid. I however, did not say that I didn't want to see you; I said that I didn't trust you to be alone with Kate. That's all. You could still come around; I would never keep you from her. I doubt she would even allow that."

"I didn't know. I thought when you said goodbye, that that was it. You didn't want to see me anymore."

"I can see how you'd think that. And I'm not going to lie; I don't know how receptive I would have been to you coming over on Tuesday. I'm not going to avoid you though, I just wanted to tell you that you can come around."

"Okay, thank you, Bella."

Ah, the man of many words.

"You look like hell," Rose said to me.

We were sitting in an empty conference room. Esme had made a lot of food and wanted to have a family lunch in here. She had included me in her family and I loved her for it.

"Thanks," I said sarcastically.

Esme and Carlisle walked in hand in hand followed by Emmett carrying multiple containers.

"It's been a long week," I told Rose as I scooped white pasta and salad on my plate.

"How's Kate? We told her that Emmett could take her tonight too if she wanted to go."

"What?" I asked confused.

"The dance tonight," Rose said as if that explained everything.

"What dance, Rose?" I had no idea what she was talking about.

"You don't know about it?"

"No, Rose. What dance are you talking about?"

She hesitated before answering.

"The school is throwing a father/daughter dance tonight, Bella," she said sadly. "It's kind of last minute. They sent a flyer home with the kids on Monday."

"Oh my god," I whimpered. No wonder she's been in such a foul mood all week. I can't believe I didn't know.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Rose took my hand.

I glanced up. Esme, Carlisle, and Emmett were both wearing the same sad expressions that Rose had on.

"I can't believe she hid the flyer and didn't tell me about it." Who was I kidding, I could believe it. I would have done the same if I was in her shoes.

"I really wouldn't mind taking her, Bella. Jane wouldn't mind either," Emmett said.

I just looked at him.

"Okay, so Jane might mind a little, but she'd understand."

"Thank you, Emmett, but no thanks. I'd call Charlie, this would be the type of thing that he'd hate yet love to do for Kate, but he's out of town fishing all weekend. I'll just make a girls night with her. You can come over if you want Rose, I can give Alice a call too. That might cheer up Kate a bit."

"I'd love to. Alec would love a few hours at home by himself. He's gotten into that, "I'm big enough to be by myself stage."

"Can you bring a bottle of wine?" I asked. "It's been a long week, I ran out."

"I'll bring the wine and the ice cream."

"Sounds perfect."

"Now where's Edward? He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago."

"I know about tonight," I told Kate sitting her down on the couch.

"It's just a stupid dance," she grumbled.

"I know you want to go. I'm so sorry, princess."

"I don't want to go. It's stupid. I hate it," she spat.

"I know you don't really think that," I stroked her hair. "It's okay to be angry and upset."

Kate finally broke.

"It's not fair," she cried into my chest. "Everyone was talking about it. They had pretty dresses and their daddies were going to wear the same color."

I kept stroking her hair as she cried and cried. A couple tears fell from my eyes mixing with hers.

A knock sounded from the door breaking us out of the moment.

"That should be Alice," I told Kate. "She's going to help me give you an awesome fun night in."

She wiped at her eyes and nodded her hear.

Sure enough, it was Alice carrying a grocery bag, garment bag, and a gym bag.

"Alice," I laughed. "What is this?"

"This my darling, is for you," she thrust the grocery bag at me. "Raw cookie dough and cans of whip cream. Best junk food ever." Agreed. "And Kate, my dear. These two bags are for you."

Kate walked over slowly. Her face was so red and blotchy. "What is it?"

"I thought we could play dress up and I could give you a makeover. What do you think?"

"I can wear make-up?"

"Sweetie, you're so pretty without make-up. I do have some shiny lip gloss for you though."

"Okay," Kate readily agreed. A smile was trying to appear on her face, but it was still struggling to form. She loved her play time with Alice.

"Thank you," I mouthed to Alice. She followed Kate to her bedroom.

I put up the junk food and sat in the living room waiting for Rosalie. Emmett was going to drop her off on the way to the dance, so it shouldn't be too long.

Thirty minutes later, my phone beeped loudly.

Edward Cullen flashed on my screen.

Not a phone call, but a text message.

Please don't hate me for this

What?

Before I had time to think about what he meant, another knock sounded from the door.

I swung it open expecting Rose, boy was I wrong.

"Please go along with this," Edward begged.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know I should have brought this up to you first, but I overheard you talking in the room with Rose during lunch, and I realized I had so much to do if I wanted to pull this off, so I left and ran to Alice's. I even helped her sew on flowers, I pricked my fingers trying to do that, I have the marks to prove it."

"Edward, what are you talking about?" I asked again.

He rambled on, "I know you don't want me alone with her. I get that. Emmett's with Jane in the car. We wouldn't be alone. Please, please be okay with this."

My mind was spinning with what he was going on about. Then it clicked. I took in his appearance. Clean shaven, black dress slacks, black dress shirt, and a solid gold tie.

"Alice," I called for my best-friend. This was why she asked Kate to play dress up.

"Perfect timing," Alice said walking to the living room. "Bella, please do this for Kate," she pleaded.

Kate walked out. Her hair was curled into a pretty twist and she had on a shiny gold dress with cap sleeves and little flowers around the neckline.

"Look at my pretty dress, momma," she smiled.

"You look beautiful, princess," I smiled back and cleared my throat. "You also have a guest."

She took in Edward for the first time.

"Eddie," she squealed in surprise.

"Hello, Kate. I have something to ask you," he gulped nervously and squatted down. "I know I'm not your father, princess, but I would love it if you would let me escort you to the dance." He reached behind himself and pulled out a mini corsage with gold flowers.

"Really?" She whispered.

"Really," he said. "I would love it very much."

"Momma?" Kate turned to me. I knew she was asking my permission.

I nodded to her, not being able to find words to say. I felt as if I opened my mouth, I would start crying.

Maybe I'm the one who has PMS.

"Is that for me?" Kate pointed to the corsage.

"It is. I thought they would be very pretty on you." He took her wrist and slid on the corsage.

"Eddie?" She whispered again.

"Yeah, princess?"

"We match," she cried happily.

Alice pulled a camera out of nowhere and started snapping pictures, I was so happy she did, because my brain wasn't working well enough to cooperate with me to think of something like that.

"Bella," Edward captured my attention and pressed something hard into my hand.

I looked down. It was a phone.

"My work phone. I'm leaving it with you tonight. I want no interruptions while I'm with Kate. I know I have a lot to make up for and you don't trust me, but I'm willing to take whatever you give me. Thank you for allowing her to go."

I threw caution to the wind and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you for doing this for her," I whispered in his ear.

Alice took a couple more pictures before Kate rushed Edward out the door.

My stomach flopped nervously, but you have to be able to start trying to rebuild trust at some point. At least he wouldn't be alone with her.

Rosalie popped her head in seconds later waving a wine bottle in her hand.

"I bet you're ready for that drink now, eh?"

Was this chapter alright? I love all of your opinions. Thank you all for the reviews!