Hi. Um… it's still Thursday in two time zones, right? Stop looking at me like that. A new chapter, see? Shiny.

Thanks to everyone. Really, you guys rock my world. Xoxoxo

And thanks to the best betas ever.

xXxXx

Spun Out So Far

Her cell phone always seems to ring when she's in the least mood to answer it. Currently, her legs are planted firmly to the side of Edward's lap, and his mouth is doing interesting things to her nipple. No, she definitely doesn't want to answer the phone, but it just keeps ringing, so she draws back with a sigh.

Edward pouts. A hardcore, legitimate pout. It may be because his mouth is blood red from all the activity, but it cracks her up. She knocks the butt of her hand against his forehead lightly, and then picks up the phone.

"Bonjour," she laughs.

"Bonjour, ma puce. You sound winded. Did I catch you at a bad moment?"

"YES," calls Edward, getting up off the couch. He shakes his legs to release the erection all caught up in his boxer briefs, and Bella snorts into the phone.

"Oh, I apologize. You did not have to answer the phone."

"I didn't the first time," Bella reminds Esme, pulling up her tank top. "It's okay. What's up?"

"I know you're off today, but we've had a sudden change in scheduling. I know it's unorthodox, but I think I've decided to hire a new instructor. I just need your approval – "

"My approval?"

"Oui, yes, that is what I said. You've been here almost as long as I have. Granted, you were about six when I took you on, but you know me, what I like, and what the studio needs. He's coming back in a couple hours for the formal interview, and I'd like it if you could interview him with me."

"Him?" They've never had a male instructor.

"Yes. He's a wonderful dancer. He does mainly hip-hop, which is wonderful, because I'm getting too old to do the sharp movements."

"So he's taking over for Whitney?"

"Yes. Whitney and I have had scheduling conflicts for months now, but I haven't had anyone else to take her place. If it works out with Tyler, we can let Whitney go."

This excites Bella. She really dislikes the diva hip-hop/modern instructor, and if going down to Esme's right now means getting rid of her, she'll do it.

She agrees to meet Esme down there in about an hour. She hangs up the phone and turns to Edward, who's sulking in the kitchen.

"Oh, come on," Bella chides, walking over to him. "You can come clean a toilet."

He tries to fight a smile but fails. "Rude."

"Esme's making you wear a mask when you clean from now on. She doesn't trust you not to pick up germs. Plus, I think your sister terrified her a little."

"I don't think anything terrifies that woman," he comments. "So, you have an hour?"

"Thereabouts."

He grabs her face and kisses her, pressing her against a wall. "Can we continue what we started now?"

"Really? So softcore porn dialog of you."

"Shut up and touch my aching cock."

She laughs, slapping his chest. "Only if you caress my throbbing core."

"You can count on me impaling you with my thick shaft."

"Thick? Let's not get ahead of ourselves – "

He tickles her mercilessly, and then kisses her. She's still trying to muffle her giggles as his lips rain down on hers, and he keeps scoffing when she bursts into a fresh round.

"Do you think this is funny?"

She's saved when her phone rings again. He lets out a noise that resembles what she'd imagine a war cry sounds like.

"Don't you dare answer that."

She darts around him, grabbing her phone off the coffee table. It's Emily.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Swan."

"Hey, how are you – Edward!"

He's picked her up, and before she knows it, he has her like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" she screeches, kicking out.

"Not a chance." He walks them down the hall, towards the bedroom.

"Is this a bad time?" Emily laughs.

"No, it's not a bad time."

"Yes, it is. Bye, Emily." He takes the phone from her hand, hangs up, and then throws into her butterfly chair across the room. "So help me god, woman, if you ever answer the phone during my seduction again – "

"You'll what?"

He drops her on the bed, and she scrambles up to the headboard, laughing.

"I'll… deprive you."

She snorts as he crawls over her. He drops small kisses on the inches of innocent exposed skin – her elbows, her collarbones. She sighs and cups his face, staring at the beauty in the angles and planes.

"You have a scar," she whispers, touching a barely visible white line beneath his full bottom lip.

"Sure do," he agrees, running his nose down the bridge of hers. "I was playing baseball, going back for a pop fly. Well, you're never supposed to run backwards. You're supposed to turn and run – you know. Well, I fell into a pothole, twisted my ankle, and knocked myself out when I hit the ground. When I came to, I discovered that I had bitten through my lip on impact. Straight through it. Pretty gruesome."

"Did you have stitches?" she asks, running her fingernail over it.

"No, they just butterfly'd it closed on one side. They couldn't stitch it up both sides; the mouth is too germy."

"I like it. It gives your face character."

"Great. I'm practically a Disney character with all of this goofy red hair – "

"I've never seen you with anything else."

"You've seen me without any hair at all."

She shakes her head. "No, you always wore a cap."

"Didn't you notice the absence of my eyelashes? My eyebrows grew back pretty quickly, but they're nowhere near as bushy as they used to be. They're like… naturally shaped now. Alice asked me if I got them waxed."

"I didn't really notice, no. Your cap was so far down your face all the time, plus you scared the crap out of me. Every time I caught your eye in class, you'd scowl at me."

"I thought you were staring at me because you could tell something was wrong."

She shakes her head, running her nails against his scalp. "I know it sounds corny, but I was staring because you're so handsome. I couldn't look away."

"I don't think I'd believe that if it was anyone else but you."

"Why?"

"Because you're so weird."

She huffs. "See? I try to be nice, and – "

He kisses her, his mouth open and soft. She practically sighs when he draws away. "The first time I saw you, you were in dance clothes, all black. I could see your pointe shoes hanging out of your bag. You kept messing with your hair, taking it down and putting it back up. Your freckles made your face look otherworldly, because they were sticking out against the paleness of your face. I wanted to touch every single one." As he says this, he drags the pads of his fingers, mapping each one against her skin.

"It's a testament," he continues, "to how beautiful I found you that I couldn't stop staring at your freckles, when you have such a nice rack."

"Such a guy," she comments, hardly bothered.

"It made me nervous to have such a beautiful girl staring at me," he admits after a moment. "It made me feel… more exposed, I guess. The contrast of you being so pretty, and me feeling so unattractive all the time – it made me act shitty. But you were so nice, buying me a drink, letting me tease you about the cigarettes. I mean, yeah, every guy wants a challenge, I guess. But a girl who's beautiful, kind, smart and funny? Yeah, that's what every guy really wants. And you… just kind of fell into my lap."

"I'm not all of those things," she whispers, curling up into his side.

"Yes, you are. Don't fish. I emailed my little brother a picture of you the other day – "

"What picture?"

"Well, I emailed him your Facebook link."

"What?"

"Yeah, so, if an Emmett Cullen requests you – "

"You did not."

"Anyway, he went on this rant about how he doesn't get how an 'ugly fucker' like me gets such a hot girlfriend."

"That's not very nice!"

"No, but it's brother speak. He called me that before I got sick, and if he ever stops calling me that just because of the cancer…"

"I understand," she murmurs. "I can't believe you're letting people stalk me on Facebook."

"People back home are curious," he admits. "Ever since I moved here, I've been pretty vehement about not wanting to go home, but I think I was just waiting for someone to convince me they… you know… wanted me back bad enough. But now, I flat out refuse to go."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

She presses a kiss against his shoulder. "Good." Glancing at the clock, she groans. "Speaking of going…"

"No," he protests, hanging onto her. "Don't leave."

"I have to."

"Take me with you."

"I have to conduct an interview!"

"I'll clean a toilet."

"Edward. You're not well enough to be around germs like that."

"I'll wear a mask."

She stares at him, hard. "Why are you so determined to go? I know you've got homework to do, and your show is on in thirty minutes. Don't act like you're desperate for my company. I'll be back soon."

He nods, deflated. "I know."

"What is it?" she presses.

He buries his head in her chest, muffling his words. She makes out 'guy' 'dancer' 'jealous' before she lifts his head back up and kisses him soundly.

"Want to know a secret?" she whispers.

"Okay."

"I think male dancers are really unattractive."

"What? Really?"

She nods, getting off the bed. She has to look somewhat presentable for this interview, and she's in one of Edward's t-shirts and a faded pair of leggings.

"They're usually really arrogant," she starts as she rifles through her side of the closet. "They think they're better than they actually are. They're really handsy and have no awareness of personal space. Male dance instructors are ten times worse than that." She grabs a black turtleneck and dark jeans, heading to the bathroom to shower.

"So, no reason to be worried about a tall, dark, handsome asshole dancing you off your feet?"

She pushes his nose with her forefinger. "No reason to be worried about anything."

Five minutes into her shower, he joins her under the spray. They've only showered together a handful of times, and even though sex in the shower is completely impractical and difficult, she can't help but cop a feel when he washes the soap off his body.

"Desirous, Miss Swan?"

The shower may be impractical, but the bathroom counter, they find, is quite sturdy.

xXxXx

When Bella arrives to Esme's studio, she's on the phone with Emily. She's cracking up at Emily's description of Sam's face when he found out about the baby, and not at all paying attention to the fact she walked in late to the interview.

"No, shut up! He really said it wasn't his? He called you a what? Um, I don't know, wasn't he the one cheating? Exactly. Guys seriously have a ridiculous sense of right and wrong – "

A tactfully cleared throat spins Bella around to face Esme mid-tour with a male around Bella's age.

"Oh, shit," she swears, causing Esme to go purple. "I mean, shoot. Emily, can I call you back?"

"Always an excuse with you, Swan."

"Okay, bye."

Esme raises a slightly amused eyebrow at her. "So glad you could join us."

She checks her watch. "I still have a couple minutes!"

"I was just early," offers the man, Tyler.

Now she sounds lazy. "Just give me two seconds to put up my stuff. Emily was talking to me about – well, you know."

Esme nods and shoos her off. She drops her things into the office, straightens the clip in her thick hair, and then rejoins them in the main studio.

She makes eye contact with the man. He's tall, with skin the color of warm brown sugar, and eyes as dark as hers. He moves with grace as he goes forward to shake her hand, and his smile is full of straight white teeth. Clinically, he's a beautiful man, but it doesn't even stir something inside her. She has the most beautiful man in the world waiting for her at home, and with that comforting thought, she and Esme lead him to the back for an interview.

Thirty minutes later, Tyler Crowley has a job. Bella is actually somewhat excited. He's a choreographer, and he shows her a dance he'd thought up from start to finish. He teaches her a couple steps and makes her laugh. He's humble and talented, and she nods in approval when Esme shakes his hand in congratulations.

Bella follows him out, telling Esme she'll see her tomorrow. She digs her cigarettes out of her purse, and Tyler asks if he can bum one.

"Sure," she says, surprised. She hands one over and leans against the brick wall of the building.

"I've been going nuts for nicotine for about ten minutes, but I left my pack at home because I didn't know if being a smoker would hurt my chances at the job," he explains, handing her the lighter back.

He has an eyebrow piercing, a bar with two metal balls at each end. She likes it, and tells him so.

"Thanks," he smiles, touching it. "Esme says it has to go, though."

"Just put in a clear one," she advises. "She'll be fine. And yeah, she's not super thrilled I smoke, but…" She shrugs. "I'm not super thrilled about it either. My boyfriend smokes, and we kind of enable each other."

"Isn't that always how it goes?" He flicks ash off to the side. "So, how long have you been teaching?"

"Teaching? Um… a few years. I've been with Esme since I was a young kid, though. She's practically raised me. She's… well, I'd say she's like a mom, but she's not. She's like a cool older sister or something."

"Yeah, I can tell you two are close." He stubs his cigarette out against the wall, and then throws it in the trashcan. "Well, it was good to meet you. I'm looking forward to working with you two."

"Thanks," says Bella, smiling.

xXxXx

When she gets home, Alice's yellow VW Beetle is in her parking spot.

"Fucking really?" Bella grumbles, beating her steering wheel. When she gets to her door, she hears shouting.

Edward is bellowing, and Alice sounds like she's crying. She wonders how much of a dick move it would be to leave. Then she hears something breaking, and that's the last straw.

She bursts into her apartment, taking in the scene. There's a picture on the floor, the glass of the frame shattered around it. Alice is sobbing, and Edward's jaw is clenched so tight, it looks like she could knock it apart with one punch.

"What the hell is going on?" she shouts, slamming the door behind her. "I'm tired of you just showing up, causing problems wherever you go." She points at Alice, then the door. "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out."

"Bella – " starts Edward.

"No," she all but yells. "I'm so sick of this shit. Every time you come around, you cause some sort of epic issue. Threatening my godmother, implying what an awful person I am, telling Edward he can't fend for himself? Who are you? Get out of my house."

Alice grabs her purse, and without another word, leaves.

"Get the broom and dust pan," Bella orders Edward, somewhat annoyed with him, too. Can't anyone hold their temper?

He does, and she scoops up the glass into it. The picture is of Edward, Alice, someone she assumes to be Emmett, a blonde man and dark-haired woman.

"Is this your family?" she asks softly, cradling the picture in her hand.

"Yeah," Edward says, pulling Bella off the ground. "That's my mom and dad, and Emmett."

"Your hair was so dark," she states, running her fingernail over his dark brown hair.

"I know."

"I like it better now," she says decidedly.

He smiles at her, his eyes crinkling in the corner. "Do you now?"

"Yes," she says simply, hugging him around the middle. He's ridiculously tense.

"I missed you," he whispers into her hair.

Drawing back, she assures him he was also missed. "Now, tell me what the hell happened."

He shrugs, moving into the kitchen. "My mom got in touch with Alice this morning, and apparently Alice told her we'd all be delighted to see her again. She set up a time for us to go to Chicago and everything. I'd rather someone force feed me dog shit."

Bella rolls her eyes. "She's the most meddlesome person I've ever met."

"It's weird, isn't it? When my mom left, Alice immediately took over as my caregiver, and Emmett's. But now that my mom's showing her face again, ten years later, Alice is the one who welcomes her with open arms. I don't get it."

Bella shrugs, not wanting to psychoanalyze his sister. Personally, she thinks Alice is just plain unbalanced, even without her mommy issues.

"I don't know what to do," he says finally, plainly asking for help.

"I think you should go to Chicago," she says finally, taking some strawberries out of the fridge for a smoothie. "I think you need to see your family. I know you miss them, even if you can't stand them. Maybe from there you could choose whether you want to see your mom or not. But you should go. Seriously."

He nods carefully. "Would you go with me?"

'Yes' is on the tip of her tongue before she thinks it through. "I can't. I've got school and work – "

"So do I."

"Yeah, but you can get those things excused. Plus, you have mostly online classes. I don't. And we just hired a new instructor, so I've got to train him and all that – "

"The new male instructor?" His mouth is turned into a bitter frown.

"What is it going to take to show you that I love you, Edward?" She turns and stares at him, waiting for his answer. "I don't understand. You want to be mad at me all the time, but I haven't done anything."

He sighs. "I'm not mad. I just… really want you to come."

"I'd really like to go, but I just can't. I can't drop everything right now. It's February, and my midterms are coming up. The recital is in early May, so we're really coming down to the wire with the dances. Plus, I've still go to work on my own performance – "

"You know we've never been apart?" he asks quietly. "Since we've been together, you and I have always been together. We work together, we go to school together. We live together. We went on vacation together. You're my entire world, Bella. Do you know that?"

"Don't say that. You have so much going for you."

"You're the best thing. The most important thing. I don't know how to show it sometimes. You say things like, 'what else can I do?' when in reality, I know I'm the one who should be asking. What else can I do, Bella?"

"Keep your sister away from my house," she jokes.

He laughs, but remains serious. "Tell me. Anything. I'll do anything for you. Do you know that?"

"Go to Chicago," she says quietly. "See your family, if not for you, then for us. You need to see that I'm not the only one in this big world who loves you." She smiles at him. "Even if I do love you the most-est."

xXxXx

Edward leaves for Chicago a couple days later. They don't say goodbye with tears and arms and kisses, but with a smile. There's nothing sweeter than knowing when you come back from being away, the one you love will be waiting for you.

Her apartment is quiet without him in it. Emily calls and asks Bella to help her move her things out of the apartment, and she agrees. She spends all of Saturday moving Emily into her parents' house in a Seattle suburb.

"Twenty-two and moving back in with the 'rents," Emily grumbles, sitting down on her old childhood bed. "Little one, you better love me forever for this." She rubs her stomach.

"They will," Bella assures her, thinking of Edward. He wouldn't hate his mother if he didn't love her so much. "It's very hard to hate your mom, even if she's the world's worst."

"Speaking from experience, Swan?"

Bella shakes her head. "No. Renee is a good mom, but it took me years to figure it out. I'm thinking about Edward, actually."

"He make it to Chicago okay?"

"Oh yeah. He got there a couple days ago. He – get this – texted me from a new number. He let his dad buy him an iPhone."

"Let," Emily snorts.

"I think it's a big deal. He hasn't accepted a cent from his dad in months. Even if it's shallow, little signs like that can mean the bigger picture of forgiveness. You know, letting someone take care of you and all that. That's when I knew Edward was falling in love with me, when he agreed to move in with me. He accepted my help. That's huge, especially for someone like Edward."

"Miss Psychology 2010," Emily deadpans. "I get it. So, what are you doing tonight?"

"All the instructors are going out to eat and stuff. It was Esme's idea, to get Tyler more comfortable with all of us. I'm not looking forward to it."

"It could be fun," says Emily. "Have some drinks for me, okay? Apparently, babies and alcohol don't mix very well. The doctor pounded that in my head at least seven times. Do I really look like a party girl?"

"We've been moving all day, and you're wearing eyeliner. Yes."

"Shut up, Swan."

xXxXx

Bella isn't super close with the rest of the instructors, and she spends most of the dinner texting Edward. He's very cute with his new phone, sending her pictures of random things – and things she can't show other people – and texts at all hours of the day.

Enjoying dinner? He asks.

The food is good. I just hate watching all the girls shoving their boobs into Tyler's face. It's making eating difficult.

I thought you were eating dinner at a public restaurant, not a brothel.

Funny.

"Are you surgically attached to that thing or what?" Tyler asks, nudging her.

She flushes, realizing she's being really rude. "No. Sorry."

"How's Edward?" asks Maggie, one of the other instructors.

"Good," Bella smiles, missing him something terrible. "He's having fun with his family."

"Have you met Edward?" Siobhan, the other female instructor, asks Tyler.

"Not that I know of," Tyler answers. "Why, should I have?"

"He's the handyman," Bella tells him, hating the word 'janitor' and all its implications. "At the studio, I mean. You'll meet him eventually."

"Is that how you two met?"

"No, he got the job after we started dating."

"Sounds like you're a good girl to stick around," Tyler laughs.

"Anyway," Bella says pointedly as the others laugh. "He's doing good. He'll be back in a few days, and I'm glad."

"He's a nice guy," Maggie tells Tyler. "You'll like him. He actually got sick just recently from helping this little girl with the flu. He caught it really quickly and was bedridden for a while. He hasn't been back to work yet."

"Must have been a nasty case," Tyler comments, sipping his beer.

"He has cancer," Bella says quietly.

The table is completely silent.

"He… what?" Maggie is the first to recover.

"That's why he got sick like that. He has… had… leukemia. He's in remission, but his immune system was shot. I just… wanted to let you guys know."

"We had no idea," Siobhan murmurs. "We're sorry, Bella. That must be difficult."

"Sometimes," Bella allows. "Anyway… now that I've made things awkward – "

They all pick up conversation quickly, just to prove to Bella that it's not awkward at all. She's glad for it. She's laughing with them when her phone rings.

It's not Edward, like she expected.

It's Sue, her stepmom. Her heart racing, she picks up the phone.

Her dad is in the hospital. He's suffered a heart attack. She bolts out the door, apologizing.

In her moments of panic, there is a kind of morbid clarity. She remembers months ago thinking that Edward was the first thing she had in her life she was afraid to lose.

In actuality, Edward came into her life and showed her all the things she took advantage of having. She prays to whoever is listening that if she has the chance, she'll never take anyone for granted again.

xXxXx

I have a little treat for my lovely reviewers this time, as a thank you. When you review, I'll reply back with an EPOV of his conversation with Alice last chapter, the one that caused him to think he had to break up with Bella for her own good. Sound awesome?

So, I'm so sorry about skipping a week. Last week was ridiculously hectic, plus I fell in love with a little series called The Hunger Games. Do you read The Hunger Games? I wrote a pre-Mockingjay epilogue fic called "Favor Fire." Check it out, yes?

The song lyric from this chapter comes from "Satellite Heart" by Anya Marina. Yes, that New Moon song. Shut up, it's good.

See you next Thursday (I promise)!