AN: I don't own twilight

AN: I'll make a deal with you guys, this weekend I'll post as many chapters as I get reviews, repeats don't count, so does that sound like a fair deal?

How would you guys feel about...detailed intimate moments between Edward and Bella? Not a full on anything, but not a breaking dawn maneuver? It would mean that I have to change the rating, but whatever you guys want.

I hate friendship drama, but then again something has to give eventually. I wish I had a friend like Alice, but don't we all.

Chapter 14

This time there was hardly conversation on the way to my Volvo, it seemed like every subject had been touched today, nothing more to discuss.

I watched Bella walk, noticing how careful she was, stepping gracefully over anything that would have made her trip before.

"Have you gotten more gracefully?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I had to be more careful when I was pregnant with Ashley; I didn't want anything to happen. Maybe I'm still being graceful," she laughed lightly shrugging.

We finally made it to the car and I quickly opened and closed the passenger door for Bella before tossing the empty picnic basket and my sunglasses in the trunk.

I drove at a reasonable speed back to my parents' house, partly because I was paying a great deal of attention to the conversation Bella and I were having.

I noticed when we reached the mansion in the forest that Rosalie's red BMW was sitting in the driveway. We got out of my Volvo still smiling and laughing.

Bella looked at the car that I took notice of moments before. "Is that Rosalie's?" She asked while I was closing the passenger door. Bella was standing so close to me that I could smell her breath.

"Yeah," I said after some consideration of what Bella might be thinking. "Don't worry about her though, she doesn't think like Alice does."

She smiled timidly and allowed me to lead her to the house. When we walked in I could smell freshly made cookies and hear Ashley's laughing. I looked back at Bella to find her smiling and walked to the kitchen with her following.

"Edward! Mommy!" Ashley's high pitched voice announced our arrival. She was sitting at the small round table in the kitchen with a three quarter empty glass of milk and a half eaten cookie.

"Good cookies?" I asked Ashley in a friendly voice.

She shook her head up and down quickly; taking another bite of the chocolate chip covered sweet, and then clutched the remains close. "Mine," she declared.

"Can't blame her, Esme always did make the best cookies," Bella said with a smile, wiping a chocolate mark from Ashley's cheek. It was a strange experience to watch Bella be so maternal.

I heard the sound of clicking footsteps, clearly made by heels and considering whose car was outside, that meant Rosalie must be nearing.

"Bella, your daughter is adorable," Rosalie said as soon as she was in the room. She was wearing a blood red trench coat, dark jeans, and matching heels.

"Thanks," Bella replied. It seemed as though she was afraid of Rosalie, even after my reassurance.

"So, how was the meadow?" Esme asked, turning from the oven to us.

"Still beautiful," Bella said admiringly. She always truly loved that place, although I couldn't understand how she could be quite so in love with it. "How was Ashley?" She asked while ruffling her daughter's pig tails.

"An angel," Rosalie said with the same amount of admiration as Bella had with the meadow. She smiled brightly towards Ashley, who, to my surprise, returned it.

"Rosalie showed up about ten minutes after you left to talk and decided to stay and help me watch Ashley," Esme explained with a smile. She always enjoyed when everyone got along like this.

We continued to talk, the conversation centering mostly on Esme and Rosalie catching up with Bella. When the talking slowed Bella looked at the clock located on the coffee maker.

"I think I should go, I still have to edit this story for work and that might take awhile," Bella explained, looking at me.

"Of course, come on," I said, grabbing my keys and Ashley's bag that was sitting by the table. Bella grabbed her now sleeping daughter and turned her attention toward Esme and Rosalie. "Thank you for watching Ashley today."

"Of course, like Rosalie said she was an angel."

"You should come to dinner next week," Rosalie suggested, eyeing me almost as if to check for approval.

"It could give you a break from cooking," I said in a teasing manor, nudging Bella slightly.

"Okay," she beamed before saying a quick bye. I helped arrange Ashley in her car seat once we made it to my Volvo, and soon we were heading away from the forest.

"You would think with the cookies she ate she would be awake," I commented looking at Ashley in the rear view mirror.

"She's never been a rational child, never made any sense," Bella said with a laugh and I joined in with a quiet, unsure chuckle.

We made it to Bella's house and I helped her get Ashley's things into the house while she carried her sleeping daughter to her room while I stood in the foyer awkwardly. I wasn't sure what was expected of me by Bella. So, I leaned against a wall and waited for Bella to come back down.

She finally came down the stairs, not lifting her head until she reached the landing. When her eyes met mine, a smile spread across her face, the smile that she's been using on me since I met her. Bella crossed the short distance between us until she was at arm's length. I could reach out and hold her...

"I should leave you to your work," I said to break the silence and change the subject going on in my mind.

"I guess," Bella said with a sigh, her eyes glancing quickly to the laptop sitting on the kitchen counter. "Come on, I'll walk you out." She opened the door and led me to my car. She stopped at the passenger side and leaned lightly on the car. I followed suit, leaning next to her.

"I can't tell you how glad I am that we're talking again," Bella said finally. "I missed doing things like we did today."

"I know, it's almost as if no time has passed, it's strange."

"I agree," she replied quietly, looking at the ground.

"So, I'll pick you up next Thursday, that's when we have family dinners," I explained.

"Okay."

"I'll see you then," I said and then began to walk to the driver's side, but then a hand grabbed my elbow, forcing me to stop and look back at Bella. To my complete surprise, she stretched up on her toes, wrapping her arms around my neck, and placing her lips onto mine.

In that instant my instincts took over and I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me. She smelt and felt the same in my arms.

The kiss didn't last for as long as my mind originally thought it was, but it was just as sweet of a moment. When I pulled away and looked down at Bella I realized I still had my arms locked around her waist and her around my neck. She was blushing a deep scarlet, but her confidence wasn't evaporating.

She slowly slid her arms from my neck and I followed her lead, removing my arms from her.

"So, I'll see you next week," she said finally, her confidence still not wavering.

"Right," I replied weakly, still slightly shocked by her sudden move.

She smiled and began to walk back to her house, waving goodbye shyly once she reached the front door.

I quickly got into my car once she was inside; retracing the path I just took back to my parents' house. If there was anyone I was going to talk about this with, it would be my mom.