I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.

Gabby and April, thank you for prereading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.

Ch. 11

I paused looking at the two options in my hands; one was a pair of comfy pajamas and in the other was something mostly made of lace. I wasn't sure which one I should pack. The first would allow me to be comfortable; however, it wasn't very sexy. The latter definitely made up for the former. It was unlike anything I had ever owned before and it made me slightly nervous about wearing it.

After some serious deliberation, I had decided to spend the night at Edward's. Although I certainly was sexually attracted to him, I haven't decided if I was ready to have sex, but I wasn't completely against the idea of it either. It wasn't because I've never had had sex before. That shipped sailed my Freshman year of college. I had two reasons for holding back; it had been years since I was last with a guy, and to be honest—it had sucked.

The other hold up was I wasn't on any birth control. When we made our pact, I never refilled my prescription—Why bother if I wasn't going to have sex? The Monday after the hayride, I called my doctor's office. Unfortunately, her schedule was full unless it was an emergency and she's on vacation this week. The other doctor in the office was booked solid. The earliest appointment I could get was next week.

I tossed both garments into the bag and zipped it up then I turned to check myself in the mirror. Edward should be here any minute now. I fluffed my hair and smoothed down the skirt of my blue dress. Reaching into my jewelry box, I pulled out a sapphire butterfly necklace that my mother and father gave me for my college graduation.

There was a knock on my door and Rose entered a moment later. She spotted the bag on my bed and raised an eyebrow. "So you made a decision," she inquired.

"Yes, I think I have. Give me a hand with my necklace." I held it out to her.

She took it from me and motioned for me to turn around. She fiddled with the clasp for a moment then met my eye in the mirror. "You don't seem so sure. He's not pressuring you is he?"

I wrung my hands in front of me. "No, not at all. He's even offered for me to stay in his guest room if I wanted. It isn't even the idea as much as my experience is fairly lacking. I've only been with Mike and I can't say that it was enjoyable. What if it was me? And I disappoint him."

Rose snorted and shook her head. "Please, I'm sure it was Mike. I bet he couldn't even please himself with his own hand."

Her crass comment killed my nerves and I started to laugh.

She smirked and went over to sit on my bed. "Honestly, Edward looks like a guy who knows what he's doing. And I know from experience that not all sex is bad," she said tentatively.

Before I could respond to what sounded like she was having a chang of heart, the doorbell rang.

"Auntie Bella, Mr. Edward is here!" Alicia yelled up the stairs.

Rose smiled and handed me my bag. "Ready?"

"Why do I feel overdressed?" I suddenly noticed her skinny jeans and a nice blouse.

"Pfft… I'm not trying to impress anyone." She rolled her eyes.

I went down the stairs and spotted Alicia spinning, showing off her new dress for Edward. The step creaked under my foot, and they both turned. Edward's eyes lit up when he saw me and Alicia hurried forward.

"Auntie Bella, look. Mr. Edward brought me my own roses." She proudly held up three pink carnations tied with a pink ribbon.

"Those are very pretty. That was very sweet of him." I smiled at her. I gave them a small sniff as she held them up to my nose.

"Bella, you look beautiful. These are for you, sweetheart." He held out a second bouquet, this one made up of mixed flowers.

"Thank you." I took the flowers and kissed his cheek.

"I can put your flowers in water with mine," Alicia held out her hand out for them.

"Thank you for offering, Sweetie." I handed her the flowers.

She turned and skipped down the hallway, narrowly avoiding Alec, who was coming the opposite way.

"Let me take your bag. If you're ready, we can get going." Edward took the bag off my shoulder and moved it to his own.

"Why are you bringing such a big bag?" Alec piped up in question.

"I'm going to have a sleepover at Edward's tonight," I explained.

To my surprise, Alec's eye lit up with this information. I had been worried that he would be upset, but it seemed like the opposite reaction.

"Can I have a sleepover with Jake?" he asked excitedly.

"Not tonight."

His smile fell to a pout instantly and Edward quickly jumped in before he got too upset. "I'll tell you what Alec, if it's all right with your mom, the two of you can have a playdate again, and maybe he can stay the night. But don't bug her about it."

"Okay." Alec looked more appeased. "Are we leaving now?"

"Edward and I are leaving to go to dinner first. We'll see you guys later at the dance," I answered while slipping on my coat.

"Where are you going, can I come? I haven't had dinner yet." Alec stared at us with puppy dog eyes.

"We're going to The Lodge. I suppose…" Edward started to say but was cut off quickly.

"Never mind." Alec wrinkled his nose and ran back to the kitchen.

"Is The Lodge a problem? I took the recommendation from Ben. Unfortunately, Forks doesn't have much to offer." Edward looked worried.

"The food is excellent. It's one of my father's favorite places to go out to dinner. However, the kids are a little freaked out by the deer and moose heads on the wall watching them eat." I chuckled.

LIL

Music wafted out of the open doors of the barn as we arrived for the dance. Edward held my hand in his and they swung gently between us. We paused a moment just inside to take in the warm, joyful atmosphere.

Ladies were spun around the dance floor by their partners, allowing their skirt to flare out in circles. A few kids were giggling and trying to copy the adult moves but were tripping over one another. Off to one side, an area of barrel tables was set up and there was a large table with refreshments.

"What are you thinking," Edward whispered in my ear—his warm breath tickled my bare skin.

"I'm thinking about how I'm probably going to crush your toes, before the end of the night," I joked.

"Good thing these boots have steel toes." Edward wrapped both his arms around me and pulled me closer so that my back was leaning against his front.

"Shall we find a table, first, or would you like to dance?" His chin rested on top of my head.

"Let's find a table so I can take off my coat. It's warmer in here than I thought it would be."

We weaved our way through the barn, and I spotted a table near the back with familiar looking jackets on the chairs. Edward helped me off with my coat and then removed his as well. His phone buzzed and he glanced at it quickly before shutting it off.

"You know I won't get offended if you answer your phone." I noticed he seemed to do it a lot.

I wasn't sure if he was doing it trying to be respectful of me or if he was trying to avoid something else.

"The call wasn't important. It's that time of year for telemarketers and political calls." He shrugged. "Let's dance."

As we stepped out onto the dance floor, the band began a slower number. I stumbled and stepped on his foot. He tried to hide his wince, but I was pretty sure he lied about the steel-toe shoes.

"Sweetheart, relax and don't fight my lead." His lips brushed my forehead.

I took a deep breath and did what he asked as we began to move smoothly and gracefully across the dance floor. I glanced up at him, and he gave a wink.

"I told you it was all in the leading." He grinned.

I relaxed even more and let my head fall to his shoulder. I barely made contact with him when we were interrupted.

"May I cut in?" Alec tugged on Edward's sleeve.

"You want to dance with me?" Edward gave him a bemused smile.

"No, I want to dance with my Auntie Bella." Alec gave him a strange look.

"My mistake." Edward smirked and stepped away.

Alec grabbed me with his hands and started to try to spin me in a circle. It was a little awkward at first, and I focused on not stepping on his feet. Over his shoulder, I saw that Edward was now spinning Alicia around the dance floor. She was standing on top of his feet and giggling like crazy.

When the song ended, we stopped dancing and Alec looked at me expectedly.

"Should we dance again?"

"How about you ask Lucy. I can see her over there; I bet she would love to dance with you," I encouraged him.

"But what if she says no." He bit his lip and peered at her from of the corner of his eye.

"You won't know until you ask." I gave him a gentle push in her direction.

I watched him walk very slowly over to Lucy. She was standing with Jasper and her grandmother, Maria. Her hand clutched Jasper's as she watched the dancers curiously.

She noticed Alec when he was about two feet away and gave him a timid smile. Although his back was to me, I could see him sign his question. Lucy's smile brightened and she nodded enthusiastically.

"They're cute together. Maybe Alec will form a new crush and back off Edward." Rose appeared at my side.

We watched as Alicia hovered nearby, looking a little jealous. Jasper stepped up and tapped her on the shoulder then offered her his hand. She smiled shyly as she accepted a dance with him.

"He's really decent guy, I don't see why Alice insists on raging war with him." Rose shook her head.

"She's promised to play nice. I secretly think she likes him and doesn't want to admit it." I glanced at Rose out of the corner of my eye. Because I thought the same about her and Emmett.

"Hmm… maybe. But have you seen what she's wearing on her feet?" Rose snickered.

"She bought cowboy… cowgirl boots. She claims they're authentic." I scanned the room for our friend.

I spotted her across the room; she was watching Jasper and Alicia dancing. I tilted my head to the side to get a better look at her feet.

"What did… she Bedazzled her boots?" I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my giggles.

"Yup. She claimed they needed a personal touch. I know they promised to play nice, but I can't wait to see his reaction on this one." Rose laughed.

"What's so funny?" Edward approached with a curious smile. He handed me a cup of punch.

"Alice's boots." I nodded in her direction.

"Wow… those are some sparkly boots. At least, she got rid of the spike heel." Emmett whistled. "Rose, would you like a drink?"

Rose glanced at the offered cup for a minute before nodding. "Thank you. Why are you still here?"

Emmett's smile faltered. I elbowed her in her side, and she looked sheepish.

"What I mean is, why aren't you in Alaska? Shouldn't you be on a boat or something?" Rose sounded more contrite.

"I decided to stick around here this year. I've gotten tired of falling into the ice-cold ocean, so it isn't as much fun anymore. Turns out Forks is looking for a new road maintenance man. I always wanted to drive one of those big snowplows. Plus, the farm will be selling Christmas trees in a few weeks. I also talked to Jazz, about maybe setting up sleigh rides similar to the Halloween hayrides. Before I'm going to know it, Spring will be here again, and the farm will need help with the planting season. So there will be plenty to stick around for."

I couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be insinuating more than just the odd jobs with the way he was staring at Rose. She met his eyes and blushed lightly before she turned her head and took a sip of her drink.

"I'm sure your brother would be glad to have you here." Her voice was so soft that I almost missed what she said, even standing next to her.

"Our parents are grateful too. If he stays around it means no more calls in the dead of the night about this fool falling overboard again," Edward teased.

"Here we go." Rose suddenly perked up.

Alice had made her way over to Jasper and the kids. She was talking with him for a moment and then her napkin fell out of her hand. Jasper responded like a gentleman and bent down to retrieve it.

"She's baiting him." Edward snickered.

Jasper glanced at the boots after the napkin was in his hand. He stood up and handed it back to Alice. He said something to her we couldn't hear, but Alice plastered on a fake smile on her face.

A moment later, Jasper walked away and Alice stared after him looking disappointed.

"Looks like Tinkerbell failed to provoke him." Emmett smirked.

He turned and faced Rose. "Would you like to dance?" he asked hesitantly.

She paused then nodded. "Sure, why not."

I took her cup as she headed out to the dance floor. The song was a faster pace now, and soon Rose was genuinely smiling at Emmett as they danced. It wasn't long before they were joined by the kids.

"Is he really staying because of what he said or was it an excuse to stay for her?" I leaned into Edward so I could whisper in his ear.

"I think it's a little of both. I think figuring out what he was missing prompted him to change his mind. My brother has been searching for something for a long time, that's why he never stayed in one spot for very long. I honestly think he found something he wants with Rose and the twins, and he's willing to do what it takes to win her over." Edward wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I'm happy to hear that because I think she really needs someone like your brother."

"Would you like to dance again? I believe I got shorted earlier." Edward chuckled.

"I would love to." I kissed his cheek.

LIL

An hour later, Rose and Alice left with tired twins. We decided to leave not long after them. But first, we headed over to Jasper to say our goodbyes.

"We're heading out. Thank you for inviting us." Edward held out his hand to Jasper.

Jasper shifted a sleeping Lucy in his arms, so he had a free hand. "I'm glad you guys came. Come back in a few weeks and we'll give you an excellent deal on a tree."

"We'll keep that in mind." I didn't want to tell him that in our attic was an artificial one due to Alice's allergies.

Once we were in the car, Edward turned to me. "So where am I headed?"

"Your place," I answered confidently.

A/N:

So she's going to his place like many of you hoped that she would.

Emmett is sticking around, and the wall may be showing some cracks around Rose.

If Alice was trying to provoke Jasper—she failed this time around.

Thank you for all the reviews and love you have given my story.