All publicly recognised characters are the property of Stephanie Meyer; I've just fiddled about with them a little bit. All songs referenced are the property of the original songwriters. I don't own any of it; but I do have a grumpy teething baby.

Wow, just wow! Your reaction to the last chapter was nothing short of phenomenal. I've got everything crossed that we'll hit 100 reviews at the end of this chapter.

Big thanks once again to momma2fan for beta'ing this chapter for me, I don't know how you do it seeing as you do the same for other writers plus you're working on your own story too!

The song choice for this chapter is a nod to my lovely hubs who adores the track I've chose, and he too is a bit of a superhero fan!

I've recommended a few fics in the author's note at the end of this chapter, so please have a look and visit them.


CHAPTER 12:

I can't stand to fly

I'm not that naive

I'm just out to find

The better part of me

I'm more than a bird…I'm more than a plane

I'm more than some pretty face beside a train

It's not easy to be me.

Superman by Five For Fighting

BPOV

Friday had finally arrived, and I couldn't have been more thankful that the hours were ticking down towards clocking off time. I was finally up to date with my manuscripts and the authors had been receptive to my proposed changes, Kate was happy with my work and Angela was settling into the role as my replacement very nicely. All in all, things were going well.

After spending the night with Edward on Tuesday and then working at home on yesterday, I'd arrived at the office on Thursday morning to find the sweetest looking posy of white daisies and yellow tulips waiting for me on my desk. The card attached to the beautiful display read;

"If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever."

Lord Alfred Tennyson

Knowing that Edward has a thing for there being meaning behind his gestures, I Googled what the flowers signified and nearly spilled coffee all over my laptop at what was staring at me on the screen. In that very instant, it was cemented in my mind that I would tell him how I felt tonight. Given today's date, and what I now knew to be the reason for us going to Eclipse this evening, the timing was right. You see, Edward might have been keeping things quiet, but I knew full well what the purpose of the drinks tonight was – Edward's thirtieth birthday.

For some reason he'd not said a word to me, and I'm not sure if that was because he wasn't liking the idea of hitting that age, you know…the point where we're supposed to at least try to grow up and behave like responsible adults just a little bit more than we want to, or if it was because he didn't want me spending money on him. My suspicion leaned more toward the latter, because Edward hated the idea of me paying for anything, much to my protest, and quite often there was some sulking thrown in for good measure.

While he had surprised me with the fragrant blooms that had brightened up my work station, I had a few aces up my sleeve too, and Edward would most likely spend his day fairly confused, because in his mind I don't know. By the end of the night he wouldn't really care how I found out because if everything went according to plan he'd be unable to remember his own name once I was done with him. Quite simply I was planning to blow the guy's socks off.

It was Edward's secretary who'd tipped me off when I called to speak to him yesterday. She thought I knew and had started filling me in on what Emmett had up his sleeve for the bash at Eclipse, he was bursting with excitement at Edward being the first person ever to get the 'VIP treatment' at the bar. They'd re-booked Mike's band to play and there would be extra staff working the bar so that Emmett and Rosalie could socialise with their family and friends. In the end I'd had to ask what all the fuss was for and that was when she'd spilled the beans about Edward's turning the big three zero.

After a quick call to Kate yesterday afternoon, I took an extended break from work to do a spot of 'present' shopping and came away very happy with my purchases, and I think Edward a couple of them would give Edward a giggle too. An hour in my kitchen yesterday evening to whip up some more cupcakes for my man to share in the office and I was all set for the shenanigans to commence. Meeting Siobhan on my way to work this morning, I handed over the two dozen cupcakes, three envelopes and two wrapped parcels for her to slip onto Edward's desk at various points during the day. One was a work appropriate kind of gift, the other…not so much, but I was sure that Edward would love it all the same. Siobhan had promised me that she'd make sure that they 'just appeared on his desk' while he was in meetings and in the order that I specified.

We had both been in meetings for the majority of the day so there'd been radio silence, I was going to have to wait till tonight to find out what Edward thought of the gifts he'd had so far, and the other ones I had for him that he would receive at Eclipse and when we got back to his apartment.

I glanced at the clock and saw that it was four thirty, still another hour to go.

A light knock at my office door caught my attention.

"Come in!" I called.

The door opened slowly and in stepped Kate.

Sighing as she flopped down in the chair opposite my desk with a dramatic huff, "I'm going to head out shortly; I've had enough for this week."

I giggled, she wasn't normally one for being so theatrical unless she'd had work that was kicking her butt or her family was giving her a hard time about her career and personal life. Her father was particularly critical of her choice to go into publishing, and even more disapproving of her still being single now that she was in her late thirties.

"Well why are you sitting here talking to me then? Get out of here and start your weekend!" I giggled.

She rolled her eyes at my admonishment, "Yeah, you say that…you've got something to look forward to tonight with Edward's birthday. Me, I've got to spend the evening with my sisters listening to them prattle on about the men they've decided should date them. I swear they haven't got a clue!"

"Is it really that bad?"

"Irina has got some poor sap running around after her buying her ridiculously expensive presents, and doing her bidding just in the vain hope that she'll consider letting him take her out for dinner. My youngest sister is even worse though, it turns out she's chasing after a lawyer at one of Daddy's competitors who doesn't appear to be the slightest bit interested in her from the snippets I've overheard."

Poor Kate, it sounded like she had the right idea standing her ground over her life. When I thought about how my mother tried to force her wants and opinions on me, it made me shudder…and I live almost a thousand miles away from her. I sat there shaking my head at how peculiar her sisters sounded, and she has to live in the same city as them. It's no wonder she likes to keep some distance from them.

Continuing her slight rant, "Worse still is that she's got herself involved in some scheme of daddy's to lure this lawyer over to work for Denali, but apparently he's resisting on all fronts which is pissing them both off. Daddy's even threatened to cut her off financially unless she gets this guy to jump ship and marry her so that he's tied to the firm."

It's a wonder that Kate was still sane with the ridiculous behaviour of her family. Then a thought struck me that might make her evening a little bit more bearable.

"Tell you what, if it gets too much for you this evening, why don't you swing by Eclipse and have a drink with us?" I suggested remembering that Kate had mentioned knowing the Cullen family in a couple of our conversations.

"That's not a bad idea. It would be nice to wish Edward a Happy Birthday plus I've not seen Esme and Carlisle in over a year, it would be lovely to catch up with them. Now I think we should both get out of here and start our weekends!" she exclaimed with a grin.

So that settled it. Kate left for the day and I started to shut my laptop down. While I was waiting for it to switch off, I ran to the kitchen and rinsed my mug off before heading back to my office to gather my purse and Edward's flowers. Trotting back into the room, I stepped behind my desk to retrieve my things from the bottom drawer, and when I stood back up, I reached across the wooden expanse to grab the arrangement that had made my desk look so pretty for the last two days. It wasn't there.

In its place was a strange looking pot with what looked like yellow hyacinth, petunia and these funny little foxgloves. It definitely wasn't a typical 'Edward arrangement' but seeing as there wasn't a card attached, I could only assume that they were from him, and I would thank him when I saw him later. No doubt there was some meaning behind the choice this time, but I'd look it up on Monday when I had time. Grabbing my belongings, I dashed out of the door so I could get started on my preparations for tonight.

EPOV:

Today was my birthday, and I may or may not have deliberately omitted that little nugget of information when talking to Bella because I didn't want her to make a fuss and go as overboard on me as I had done with her promotion gifts. She didn't earn nearly as much as I did, nor did she have the backing of a hefty trust fund or inheritance, not that this was something I would ever boast about…I'd swap it all in a heartbeat if it meant my parents were still with me. That said, I would gladly spend every penny I had on Bella if that was what she wanted, but the fact that she didn't made her even more attractive in my eyes. While Bella was aware that I came from money, she didn't quite know how far my wealth stretched, but I planned to give her the full picture this weekend.

She would probably tear me a new one when I saw her at Eclipse and she found out the reason behind our little get together tonight. I also had a feeling that Emmett had been up to no good and plotting things. He'd been talking to Siobhan this week and she'd already told me that I would be leaving work on time with no questions asked, and on a Friday when I was going to be seeing my girl later, you were not going to be getting any argument from me.

Seeing as I was in such a good mood this morning, I'd stopped off at the Starbucks and picked up a double shot Americano to kick start my day and treated Siobhan to her favorite, a skinny caramel macchiato. I have no idea how she can drink that shit, coffee shouldn't be messed with, but then again at least it wasn't something totally ridiculous like the guy in front of me ordered. A double ristretto venti non-fat organic chocolate brownie Frappuccino extra hot…I mean, what the fuck is that anyway? I'll tell you what that is, it's wrong on every beverage level.

Sauntering into the office with drinks in hand, I couldn't help but grin like the smug bastard I was. Tonight was going to be great, Bella was staying at my place tonight and after our explosive make out session earlier in the week, I just knew it would be a birthday to remember.

"Here you go!" I placed Siobhan's beverage on her desk as she was stashing her purse underneath then she stood up, shrugging her jacket off to hang on the coat rack behind.

"What did you go and do that for hun? It's your birthday, shouldn't I be the one waiting on you hand and foot?" she queried, before taking a gulp of her drink giving me a cheeky little wink, effectively dismissing me. I shook my head and gave her a crooked grin then headed into my office.

With my hands full, I had to push the door shut with my foot before getting myself set up for the day. I had an eight thirty meeting that I needed to be at, so I fired my laptop up quickly and took some quick gulps of my coffee and grabbed the files I needed before rushing back out of the door to the boardroom.

An hour later I was walking back into my office, but I stopped dead in my tracks. There on the desk sat a single cupcake, a generous swirl of light brown coloured frosting with a candle sticking proudly out of the top, its tiny little flame flickering from the draught I'd caused when I opened the door.

It looked divine, and I was in need of a snack, perhaps Siobhan had left me a bit of a treat.

As I rounded my desk to sit down, I could see a small note underneath the awesome baked goodness. Sliding it out from underneath I thought it might be something from whichever bakery they'd come from. I was proved wrong when I slid the thick white envelope open and saw one of the notecards I'd bought for Bella staring back at me, insider was her beautiful handwriting.

"Everything I know I learned after I was thirty." Georges Clemenceau

I let out a hearty chuckle, how in the hell had she found out? Of course, Siobhan denied all knowledge, and there was no way that Garrett had any involvement. Even the new girl on reception didn't know anything about how it got on my desk.

I took a breath and blew out the candle, making my wish. When I took the first bite out of it, I thought I was going to have a repeat performance of Tuesday night and jizz my pants because it wasn't just any old cupcake. Oh no sir, it was the most amazing tasting combination of fluffy light vanilla sponge, the frosting wasn't caramel or coffee as I had first imagined it to be; no it was peanut butter flavour! The best bit was that hidden in the middle of the sponge was a wonderfully liquid centre of grape jelly. She'd made me a freaking PB and J cake!

My girlfriend was the best ever, and I think I fell in love with her a little bit more when I found out that there were another twenty three of them in the break room for the team to enjoy. I may or may not have hijacked a couple more and hidden them in the top drawer of my desk for consumption throughout the day.

Lunchtime came and Garrett took me out for a bite. Over a shared pepperoni pizza we talked about the meeting we'd had this morning.

"So you're happy with what was agreed Ed?" he asked while trying not to burn himself on the cheese.

Finishing my mouthful and taking a sip of Coke, I cleared my throat, "Yeah, I'm ready for it. If it had happened when I was fresh out of Harvard then there's no way I would have been able to handle it. Thirty seems like the right time."

Garrett nodded in agreement. The final details were still being thrashed out, but there was no going back now, the papers had been signed. This weekend I would tell Bella what was going on, she had a right to know, and I wanted her to be part of it, I needed her by my side for this.

"Only if you're sure Edward? Esme and I will support you if you're not ready you know."

I sighed, this was something I'd battled with since the day I graduated from Law school, it was always what I wanted but I wanted to be sure that I could do this just as well as would be expected of me.

"It's time." I gave a definitive nod and the subject was dropped. We continued to idly chat about work and the gala that was coming up in the middle of August. Esme had really been going to town this year with her planning and it was looking like being an epic event. I couldn't wait to walk into that ballroom with my beautiful Bella on my arm looking more stunning that anyone else in that room in her gown. I'd be the smuggest fucker there that was for sure.

Walking back to my office after lunch, Siobhan had already gone on her break, so I decided to catch up on some emails before going into my afternoon of meetings. Well that was the plan anyway, but it looked like the birthday fairy had been once again, this time in the form of a white box tied together with a dark blue satin ribbon.

Like a kid in a toy shop, I raced to my seat and pulled the parcel towards me. Another envelope was tucked underneath the silky binding that held it together. I gingerly teased the thick paper open and slid the familiar heavy card stock open to reveal the accompanying message.

"There must be a day or two in a man's life when he is the precise age for something important."

Franklin P. Adams

I couldn't help but smile, my little wordsmith had such a thing for quotes with meaning, and the emphasis they gave to actions and gestures. Scanning over the words once more, I started to pull on the end of the ribbon, releasing the gift box from its restraint. I was itching to find out what was hiding underneath.

Sliding the lid up, a layer of wafer thin indigo tissue paper encased whatever was inside. Not able to stand it any longer, I tore at the delicate wrapper to reveal the most exquisite leather bound meeting pad I had ever seen. In fact I'd been looking at this kind of thing in the stationers where I bought Bella's notecards, and had decided that I needed to go back and get myself one. How did she know?

There's something about the smell of new leather, when you inhale it you can't help but smile and sigh. Bringing the soft textured folder up to my face, I did just that. Amazing!

Knowing that Bella and I were in meetings all day, I didn't want to thank her by text, email or voicemail. No, I was going to thank her good and proper in person tonight, repeatedly! Grabbing a pen from my desk and my new gift, I marched back out of the door to meet with Ben for a case update that would keep me occupied for most of the afternoon.

Déjà vu was all I could think when I got back to my office at the back end of the day. Another parcel was waiting for me upon my return. This time it was a glossy navy blue gift bag tied shut with a crisp white heavy weave ribbon. It almost seemed a shame to open the gift, because Bella puts just as much thought into the wrapping as she does the gift. That said, I might have done a very girly squeal and a bit of a happy jig knowing that Bella had gone to so much effort for me.

A third envelope peeping out of the top of the bag, so I eagerly tore into it to find out what words of wisdom she had for me this time.

"I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman" Homer Simpson

Embrace your inner geek!

I couldn't help but snigger at the more modern reference. I wasted no time in delving into the parcel, this time sending tissue paper flying till my fingers met with fabric. I peeked into the bag to see what was inside and was confronted with the most hilarious thing I'd ever seen…Superman underwear! Not my usual style I had to admit, but then I suspect Bella knew this when she found them. Was I willing to wear them for her? Hell yes! Tonight she was going to get me in all my geeky glory.

BPOV:

Walking into Eclipse, I wasn't sure what to expect. Obviously I knew that this was Edward's birthday celebration, but I didn't know how big it was going to be, or what Edward's family were actually like. I'd already met Emmett and Rose the night Edward rescued me, and I was looking forward to seeing them again, but this time I'd be meeting Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and Esme.

While I wasn't scared about meeting Edward's family, it was still a big step. My biggest concern was that I knew Alice was all about fashion; she was a designer and owned her own boutique, even if it was lingerie that she sold. Usually my clothes would not cause me such consternation, I was by no means a fashion addict, but I like classic combinations, I'm not into high end clothing nor do I care about the latest trends. I was however, determined that I would look good for Edward, and hopefully not make a fool of myself on the apparel front.

I'd played it safe with a classic pair of black skinny jeans, and layered beaded chiffon shirt with in the same midnight blue colour as the wrapping for Edward's presents and a fitted black blazer. I had a new pair of sparkly dark blue heeled sandals on my feet and I was good to go, hopefully I'd achieved a look that was stylish yet relaxed enough for a bar setting. He'd once told me that he thought the colour made me look even more beautiful than I already was. Not that I believed him, but the fact that he said it to me just made me feel all gooey inside.

This was a big step for Edward too, and I knew that for him to be happy about it meant he was totally secure in his feelings for me, especially after what that bitch and her accomplice did to him.

I was a little bit early for meeting Edward, so I headed for the bar, hoping to find Rosalie or Emmett. From behind me I heard a booming voice, "Little One, you came back to my humble establishment!"

Turning on the spot, I found myself scooped up into a bear hug by a very enthusiastic Emmett who proceeded to twirl me around in a circle. His grin was infectious, two dimples appearing on his cheeks as his eyes twinkled with excitement. From behind us, a feminine voice exclaimed, "Put her down Em, she'll get dizzy. Do you really want Edward going off on your ass for making his girlfriend sick?"

Reluctantly Emmett placed me back on the floor while grumbling, "Awww come on Rosie! I'm only showing Bella a bit of big brother love. She's practically part of the family after all!"

Rosalie just rolled her eyes at his pouty expression before pulling me into a gentle hug then stepping back and holding my gaze with her pale blue eyes, "Good to see you Bella, you look fabulous. I hope it wasn't too hard for you to walk in here tonight?"

I thought for a second. In honesty, coming back to Eclipse hadn't been that much of an issue for me. Yes, what happened with James had been distressing, but meeting Edward and our blossoming relationship far outweighed any bad memories that I might have of this place.

Shaking my head in response, "No, it was fine. I can't bring myself to dwell on the bad, when something so good came out of that night."

"Have you had any more issues with that scumbag?" she asked, taking hold of my hand.

Things had been thankfully quiet since he'd returned to work. There'd been the odd glare in my direction but apart from that, not a hint of trouble thankfully.

"He's been remarkably inconspicuous in the office, despite being back at work. To be honest, I've just avoided being anywhere near him, but my boss Kate is aware so she's keeping an eye on things too." I assured her, squeezing her hand gently.

Remembering my overnight bag was in my hand, "Rosalie, is there any chance I could put my bag in the office? I'm staying with Edward tonight and didn't really fancy doing the walk of shame in the morning." I shrugged.

"Say no more, in fact I'll take it for you!" she exclaimed a little louder than I expected which startled me. Taking the bag from my hand, she marched off towards the back of the bar leaving me a little confused by her exuberance. Emmett stood there shaking his head at his wife's slightly over the top behaviour.

"She's been on edge all day about whether you'd be alright coming here tonight. I told her not to stew over it; that you struck me as a tough old cookie, but she's a worrier, especially when it comes to family," Emmett laughed.

Draping his arm around my shoulders, he started guiding me toward a roped off area which included the booth I'd been sitting in the night I met Edward. Leaning down so that he was level with my ear, Emmett whispered, "I thought this part of the bar would be most appropriate, he had a good view of you that night you know?"

I couldn't help but giggle as my cheeks flamed which only made Emmett chuckle even louder. We were broken out of our reverie by the sound of a golden voice from behind us. "I hope you're behaving appropriately with my girlfriend Em, or I'll have to tell Rose how much money you lost in our last trip to Vegas."

Spinning out of Emmett's arm to face Edward, my jaw almost hit the floor. If I wasn't in the middle of a public place, I might well have jumped him then and there. His was dressed from head to toe in black. Wonderfully fitted straight leg charcoal colored pants that if he were to turn around I'm sure would be hugging his ass perfectly, his shirt was tailored perfectly to his frame, and the top two buttons undone exposing just a cheeky hint of his chest hair. The dark fabric stretched across his broad shoulders and molded itself to his contoured chest before disappearing into the waistband of those amazing pants. His sleeves were rolled up to just below the elbow, exposing his toned forearms perfectly. On his left wrist he wore a black leather cuff with what looked like the Cullen crest branded into it.

My eyes glazed over as I took his appearance in. Oh God he looked like sex on a stick and I wanted nothing more than to have a nibble. I might have groaned out loud, I couldn't be sure, but right now I didn't care.

Gazing up at Edward while chewing on my lip, he took both my hands and entwined his fingers with mine, gradually pulling me towards him. I willingly allowed his tractor beam to reel me in as his strong arms encircled my waist in a warm embrace, one hand trailing up my back to sit firmly between my shoulder blades, the other dancing down to cup my ass and give it a firm but gentle squeeze.

"Good evening Beautiful," he whispered against my ear, his nose rubbing against the steel of my industrial, before softly kissing a trail to my mouth.

A contented sigh escaped me as I mumbled against his lips; "I missed you."

"Ditto baby, but I'm here now and we have the whole weekend if you want?" He looked hopeful at this suggestion. We'd only agreed on this evening, but I didn't have any plans for the rest of my down time, so I readily agreed.

We were yanked out of our little bubble by a shrill whistle coming from the direction of the area set aside for the celebrations.

"Yo, Edward…you gonna hog the girl all night, or do we finally get to meet the hottie that tamed the beast and made his blackened heart start to function once again."

I moved my head slightly to see where the comment had come from. Standing on one of the benches was a tall guy with dark blonde shaggy looking hair, his eyes twinkling with mirth and a smirk plastered across his face. With a beer bottle in his hand, he raised it in acknowledgement of me then took a sip, while a tiny little pixie-like woman with cropped, wispy dark hair sat to his left looking back over the back of the seat offering me an apologetic look. This had to be Jasper and Alice.

"Jazz man, this is a classy establishment, do you mind not lowering the tone to the point that it's like a Texas gin joint!" Emmett boomed from across the bar.

Edward just shook his head at their antics. "Come on, I think I need to introduce you to my family before they disown me…or try to kidnap you." He murmured into my hair.

I nodded in agreement.

As we walked over to where everyone was seated including Jasper who had finally climbed down from where he was standing, Edward bent down and whispered into my ear, "I'm not sure how you found out about my birthday before today, but thank you for your gifts. They've made my day."

"You're welcome, but there's more to come." I warned with a grin as we arrived at the table where his family was sitting. Edward just huffs, shaking his head once more.

Edward stood behind me with his arms wrapped around my torso protectively, as though he thought his family might actually pounce on me if he were to let go. Clearing his throat, he finally greeted his loved ones, "Good evening familial unit, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Miss Isabella Swan, also known as Bella, my girlfriend!"

Rosalie had now joined them at the table, and they smiled knowingly at his words.

"Took you long enough bro." Jasper groused.

Alice poked him in the ribs while looking at me apologetically, "Sorry Bella, he does have manners I promise, but when you put those three boys in the same room it's like they revert back to being at high school with the way they talk to each other. I'm Alice by the way, it's so nice to finally meet you. I love your outfit, blue is most definitely your colour, it sets off your skin tone amazingly and works so well with your hair and eye coloring. Oh my, you have a stunning figure. I'd love to get you into my store, we'll have so much fun! I can just tell that we're going be the best of friends!"

I'm not sure she even took a breath in all of that, and for a tiny little thing she sure had bags of enthusiasm. Despite her and Jasper being polar opposites, you could just tell that they fit, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Edward took over the introductions at this point.

"By now, you've worked out that this idiot next to Alice is Jasper."

"Pleasure to meet you ma'am." He declared whilst giving me a salute. He was also wearing a dark coloured shirt, more loose-fitting than Edward's but his sleeves were rolled up the same revealing that the lower part of his arms were inked. He also had more buttons on the shirt undone to reveal part of what looked like the same family crest tattoo as Edward has on his bicep.

"Rose you've already met, same with Emmett. That just leaves these two here...Carlisle and Esme, my guardians." He gestured to a couple sitting closest to me on the right who couldn't have been more than in their early forties. I was mesmerised by how stunning the couple looked together. Esme's auburn coloured hair was immaculately coiffed into a French pleat, and she was wearing a beautiful dark wrap dress with what looked to be pale blue flowers splashed across it. Her hazel eyes shone as she gave me an award winning smile. Carlisle sat with his arm protectively wrapped around her shoulders, his almost white blond hair perfectly styled. The pale blue button down shirt and beige khakis he was wearing gave him an air of effortless class without being overtly obvious.

Taking my hand and clasping it firmly in bother of hers, Esme spoke.

"Bella it's so good to finally meet you. I was beginning to think that I'd need to hunt you down myself if Edward didn't let us meet you soon!" Her eyes gleamed, and she looked like she might start to cry, but her grip on me just got tighter and tighter till I was starting to lose the feeling in my fingers. She just kept on giving me a watery grin.

"You can let go Esme, she's not going anywhere." Edward assured her as Carlisle gently pried her grasp open.

"Sorry, it's just, you don't know how long I've waited to see him happy again. The weight that he carried around with him after college has gone, and I have you to thank for that." She sniffled as Carlisle offered her his handkerchief.

"You won't find me arguing with that." Edward agreed.

Finally getting my chance to say something, I smiled brightly at them all, "It's wonderful to meet you all properly, Edward has told me a lot about you, and I'm looking forward to getting to know you better."

As we finally took our seats, Emmett arrived at the table with two bottles of Champagne and a tray of glasses.

"Garrett just called, he's going to be late, but he said to get started and the drinks were on him." He announced.

Alice bounced in her seat, clapping like some kind of tin monkey on speed. "Ohhhh, bubbles! Can we do presents now?"

Edward rolled his eyes as Esme nodded in agreement. Thirty minutes later there was a pile of ripped paper on the table and a small pile of gifts in front of Edward. Carlisle and Esme had given him an all expenses paid weekend in Las Vegas for up to six people…excluding gambling money of course. Alice had gone to town for her big brother, there was a Gucci Chronograph watch, a thousand dollars to spend with the personal shopper at Neiman's in Bellevue, a twelve year old bottle of Macallan's which was Edward's favourite, and Jasper had promised to do his next tattoo on the house.

Rose and Emmett hadn't given him a flat package that was about the size of a piece of printer paper. When Edward ripped it open and pulled the piece of card out that was sealed within he let out a loud cry.

"NO FUCKING WAY! Tell me that's not an original Em?" Edward was practically bouncing in his seat.

I peered over his shoulder to see what was on the piece of card. It was a picture of a guitar, a very nice looking guitar.

Emmett shrugged, "Sadly not bro, if I'd dropped that kind of money on an original, then what I lost in Vegas would have looked like small change and Rose would have divorced my ass! It's a 2000 Reissue. It's in the office for you to take home, but we didn't want to bring it out here in case it got damaged. Hope it's alright."

Edward leapt from his seat and warmly embraced Emmett in a full on bear hug with lots of manly back slapping.

Scrunching up my nose in confusion because while I love music, and stuff with heavy guitar riffs in particular, I know absolutely zero about the instrument, "So that's good right?"

Returning to his seat, his eyes alight with joy at this latest gift, "It's a 2000 Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Reissue Les Paul Standard to use its full name. Basically it's my dream guitar, well the original is but I'm with Emmett on the price, there's no way I could justify that kind of spend."

"How much are we talking?" I enquired.

"It's the Holy Grail of the guitar world, there were only fifteen hundred made, so anywhere between a quarter and half a million for one in good condition." Edward admitted without missing a beat.

I on the other hand choked on the sip of champagne I'd taken and started coughing in the most un-ladylike fashion ever. Great, I was making a fool of myself in front of his family. Unfortunately, that amount of money as totally beyond my comprehension.

Edward chuckled while he rubbed soothing circles on my back as I regained my composure. When I was finally alright, I slipped my hand into my purse and pulled out the small, neatly wrapped box that contained Edward's next present from me and placed it gently in his lap.

"It's not much, but I hope you'll like them." I whispered shyly.

Edward leaned in to me, pressing his wonderfully soft lips against my cheek, "I didn't expect anything from you baby, just having you here is enough for me, but I'm sure I'll love this as much as I've loved everything else you've given me today."

Once he'd gotten through the layer of blue paper to the box inside, the corner of his mouth curled upwards, twitching slightly. He'd clearly detected the theme of most of his gifts from me, but after such wonderful presents from his family, my humorous items seemed a little out of place.

Fiddling with the hem on my blouse, I could see Edward's shoulders shaking with laughter as he stared at the contents of the box that he'd opened. "I figured you couldn't really go wrong with a pair of cufflinks." I sighed.

"Are you kidding me, these are awesome, I love them. I only own boring ones and these will certainly liven up proceedings when I'm sitting in an arbitration meeting." He chuckled turning the box around to show his family the enamelled pair of Batman logos nestled inside.

I blushed profusely, I wasn't used to having a boyfriend be this happy with a gift I'd bought. Paul had been particularly critical if it wasn't a certain brand, or something he'd specifically asked for.

Leaning back in to my ear, he whispered, "I love them because you chose them for me. If you're really lucky, I might even wear them with your other gift!" before pulling back and giving me a saucy wink. Oh hell, there go my panties, I'm getting wet thinking of my boyfriend wearing nothing but shirt cuffs with Batman studded through them and a pair of Spiderman underwear. I really am sex starved!

Moments later, the music cranked up a notch with the arrival of the band on stage and Alice decided it was a good idea for me, her and Rosalie to hit the dance floor. She tried to persuade Esme to join us but was dismissed with a gentle, "I think I'll stay here and keep Carlisle safe from the sluts at the bar dear." Glancing in that direction we spotted a group of under-dressed, old enough to know better women who clearly didn't care whether they picked up a toy boy or a sugar daddy. Esme simply gave Carlisle a peck on the cheek and the women at the bar a sly wave along with a knowing look that said, "Back off bitches, he's taken."

Giggling at her boldness, I leaned in and told her, "I like your style Esme. Mark your territory!" before Alice grabbed my hand and dragged me off to dance.

The guys on stage were rocking out with a rousing rendition of The Boys Are Back In Town, which led into a pretty good cover of Don't Stop Believing which we all sang along to with our hands in the air while we bounced up and down and rocked out to. We must have been out there for a good thirty minutes, and the things were starting to get a little crowded so I decided to take a bathroom break and grab a bottle of water.

"We'll come with." Alice informed me as Rosalie nodded in agreement. I was grateful. Walking down that corridor was not something I really envisaged doing alone, despite how rational I may have been about the events that had previously taken place.

Once we'd finished our business, we were all seated at the vanity touching up our make-up.

"So Bella, how are things going with my brother." Alice asked giving me a meaningful look.

"Ummm, it's going fine Alice. We get on really well, and I care for him a great deal." I blustered out as slicked some lip-gloss on.

"You can see from the way he is with you, he's more like the old Edward. Even when he was with 'Her' he was never as comfortable as he is with you. It was almost as if he was waiting for the other shoe to drop…" she trailed off. The look on her face told me she thought she'd said too much.

Turning to face her and Rosalie, I shuddered at the memory of what Edward had told me about how Victoria had treated him. "It's alright Alice, I know all about that woman, and I can assure you that I'm not that kind of person. If I want out of a relationship then I get out, I'm not malicious, nor am I in this for how it can benefit me other than emotionally."

Immediately I was pulled into a bone crushing embrace by the little sprite like woman. "I knew you were the right fit for him, I just knew it!" she gushed.

Rose just nodded and patted my back.

Eventually Alice released me, gave me a wicked smile as I popped my makeup back into my purse. "So how's the sex, I trust he's not letting you down in that department?"

"Alice!" Rosalie gasped.

"What, it's not like I've asked her for specifics. He is my brother after all. That would just be gross. Nope, just want to make sure that things aren't going to go wrong because he's not catering to Bella's needs." She shuddered at what I can only assume was a mental image.

I was horrified and my expression must have told Rosalie so as she told Alice off.

"I am definitely not going there with you both." I shook my head.

"Fine!" huffed Alice, "but be warned, you will probably have to stake your claim when we get back out there. Not that I think Edward would do anything to hurt you, but the women that come in this bar don't just come in for the pretty drinks and electric atmosphere, if you catch my drift. They come in hoping that he'll be helping out behind the bar and that they'll get a slice of him!"

We headed back out into the corridor. I was keen to get back to my man. I felt bolstered by Alice and Rosalie's acceptance of me. Alice's enthusiasm was bordering on being a one woman cheer squad it would appear.

Rose decided she was going to get another round of drinks for everyone and Alice offered to help carry them. Grabbing the bottle of water that had been pulled out of the chiller for me and I sauntered across the bar to find Edward. Carlisle and Esme were out on the dance floor as the band were winding up their first set with a slow number, while Emmett and Jasper were off to the side talking to a tall good looking guy in a suit who had the same hair color as Esme. He had to be Garrett.

As I approached Edward who was standing by our table with his back to me, two very female hands snaked up around his neck and wove into his hair. Instantly I could see the muscles in his back and shoulders tense. This was unwelcome touching if ever I saw it. Edward brought his hands up to try to release her hold, but she wasn't having any of it, instead her left leg curled around the back of his right calf and rubbed up and down in what I'm sure was meant to be a seductive manner, but Edward visibly shuddered and tried to shrink away from her grasp. In frustration, Edward balled his fists at his side.

As I inched closer and stepped off to the side where Emmett and Jasper were, I was able to hear what the woman was saying to him and get a good view of her too. Her features were absolutely stunning and her glossy strawberry blonde hair hung in loose waves down between her shoulder blades, but she had gone way too heavy with the make-up. She was beautiful, but she looked like she was trying too hard. Her bright yellow designer dress looked to be a size too small as her pneumatic breasts spilled over the top and her fake tan looked just a little too like teak wood stain against the glare of her clothing.

"Oh Eddie, why didn't you tell me it was your birthday? We could have had a cosy little celebration for two." She purred, bringing one of her hands down and trailing her perfectly manicured talons up and down his arm.

"Tanya, I've told you before not to call me that, my name is Edward." He gritted out. "Now will you take your hands off me please?"

Even when he was being pawed at by a desperate hussy, he still remembered his manners. His gentlemanly ways were just another reason to love him.

"Oh tosh, you know you can't keep fighting your attraction to me. If you'd only just admit it then we could seriously sizzle darling." she drawled.

Edward looked like he was going to throw up at her words. This time, he successfully managed to extract her claws from him and took a welcome step backwards, reclaiming some of his personal space. The look of relief on his face was clearly visible for all to see.

Behind me, Emmett and Jasper and their companion had stopped talking and were watching the car crash unfold. If it wasn't such a laughable sight, I might have felt sorry for her but the girl was making a total fool of herself.

"I will tell you once again, like I told you the day you invaded my office space. Stay away from me! I am not interested in you! When will you get it through your head that I wouldn't be interested in you if you were the last sorry excuse of a woman on this planet?"

An unfamiliar voice came from behind me, "If I were you Miss, I'd step in there and set the young lady straight. Or at least rescue my nephew from her clutches. I'd wager that we're going to need to disinfect him as it is."

Nodding in agreement, I step up and tap Tanya, as Edward called her, on the shoulder.

I receive a cursory glance followed by a quick dismissal, "I don't need a drink thank you."

At least she remembered her manners I muse, "I'm not here to take your order."

She spins on the spot trying to block Edward from me, one eyebrow arched in challenge and her bright red lips snarling, "Listen honey, you're interrupting an important conversation and this is a private party so I suggest you run along now."

The woman even had the nerve to do that annoying wrist flicking thing, effectively telling me that she was done talking with me. Game on bitch!

From behind her, Edward growled, "Tanya…" Looking him straight in the eye, I gave a minute shake of my head, telling him to leave this to me. That million mega-watt smile flashed across his beautiful face in understanding.

"Funny…I wasn't aware there was anyone named Tanya on the guest list." I smirked, just giving her more rope to hang herself.

"Oh I can assure you that I am an old friend of the family, I'm more than welcome…whereas you don't even look like you belong in this bar never mind with these people" she exclaimed, sweeping her hands around dramatically.

A chuckle erupted from behind me as the three men formed a solid wall to back me up. Garrett whispered conspiratorially to the others, "That one's about as welcome as a dose of herpes. "

The other two giggled like a couple of schoolboys at his comment.

"Funny, seeing as I received a personal invite from the birthday boy himself."

Tanya finally took a moment to get a good look at me. Behind her Edward was having trouble stopping himself from laughing at how ridiculous she both looked and sounded. Next thing I knew she was right in my face while jabbing one of her pointy nails in my shoulder.

The cloying scent of her perfume made me want to gag as she hissed, "Now listen here. You might have bagged yourself a 'pity' invite to Eddie's birthday, but he's from a family that has certain standards, and looking at you…well, you fall way below those."

She was seriously deluded.

Jasper let out a low whistle as Emmett channelled his inner Jersey Shore with a falsetto "Oh no she didn't!"

Just as I was about to let her have it, my handsome boyfriend stepped in.

"Enough Tanya, you need to learn that when someone says no, they mean no. I would also appreciate it if you weren't so disrespectful to such a beautiful young woman."

Tanya stood there looking smug at the 'beautiful' reference, obviously fooling herself into thinking that Edward was referring to her.

By now the rest of Edward's family had arrived back at our little private area, the women had looks of total horror on their faces at what was going down. Jasper and Emmett were gently holding onto Rose and Alice to stop them from wading in. Esme had a face like thunder and Carlisle was quietly talking to Garrett and gesturing towards Edward.

"See, I told you that you had no place here. I suggest you leave before you embarrass yourself any further." She simpered.

Shaking his head, a sly grin playing on his lips, Edward spoke once more, the tenor of his voice rising ever so slightly "I couldn't have put it better myself, so why don't you leave Miss Denali."

"Why should I, if she gets to stay?" she pouted, her bottom lip sticking out as far as she could make it. Yes, she actually pouted like a child who had been told they couldn't have any candy.

Edward roared, "She stays because Bella is my girlfriend!"

Cue derisive eye rolling and a mocking tone from the oversized canary, "Girlfriend, oh please…like she has the status or breeding to be dating you Eddie."

It was finally time to put my two cents worth in. While I wasn't going to be completely rude to her because Edward's family were here, I still wanted to show her that I wasn't to be messed with, and by that I meant she needed to get her filthy slutty little hands off my man and leave. Arching my eyebrow and a small smile playing on my lips, I delivered my thoughts on the way she was behaving.

"I think that's a bit rich coming from someone who clearly got dressed in the dark and is obviously so spoiled that they don't comprehend the meaning of the word 'no'. Daddy has definitely indulged you for far too long seeing as you're a grown woman who is one step off having a full blown tantrum in the middle of a bar because the man you set your sights on isn't interested...classy indeed! If the roles were reversed honey then you'd probably go home screaming blue murder and file a restraining order. Come to think about it, if you don't leave my boyfriend alone, perhaps that might be worth us considering…him being a lawyer and all that!"

Stepping up to stand shoulder to shoulder with me, Esme had obviously had enough, "She has enough grace to at least get his name right young lady. Now I suggest you go because you're ruining my boy's birthday and I won't tolerate your poor manners and even poorer taste in clothes. Quite frankly, I find both to be offensive, now please leave!"

Thankfully nobody else in the bar had picked up on the tension or disturbance that had been created by Tanya's infringement on proceedings.

"I suggest you do as Esme says Tanya, you're not welcome here." Edward added.

Turning on her heel, she started to stomp off in a huff before swirling back around and marching back up to Edward.

"When this thing…" waving her bony index finger between me and Edward, "…fizzles out, you know where I am Edward. You know we're a smart match. Besides, it will all be irrelevant when you accept Daddy's offer to join his firm. Have fun slumming it till then."

Oh my God, she's Kate's sister! Edward is the one she's been preying on.

As she stalked off once again, Edward quickly pulled me into the crook of his arm, wrapping himself protectively around me. Raising his voice so that Tanya could hear him above the music that was being pumped over the P.A. system he yelled, "Oh Tanya, you'd better get used to it…"

She froze in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder. Edward's voice got even louder as he finished his sentence.

"… BECAUSE I LOVE HER!"


A/N Dun, dun, derrrrrrr! Sorry to leave you on such a cliffy, but our birthday boy's party kind of ran away with me, and I was having so much fun writing the showdown between Bella and Tanya that I figured it would be better to split the night in two. Trust me on this; you will be rewarded in the next chapter with some good old lemony goodness.

I hope you're not too mad at me.

Recommended Reads For You:

Starshine by lizzylillyrose

Better Than Pie by savannavansmutsmut

The Biology Project by solostintwilight

Please leave me some love, it's better than declarations of love from Edward Cullen (well, almost!)

Catch you with the next chapter soon!

Lou xx