Don't throw tomatoes at the late author. RL killed me these past couple weeks, guys. I'm SO sorry! Getting an education sucks sometimes. Term papers, exams and migraines, oh my!

Thanks for sticking around. I love you guys more than I can say.

And, thanks to the two best betas a girl can ask for.

xXxXx

And Now Your Dream is Real

One Month Later

Bella sits on the shore, fiddling with her camera. There are surfers crashing against the powerful waves, and she's trying to catch them in one of their more complicated, successful endeavors. These seem to be amateurs, though, because they're not doing a very good job of staying upright.

She puts the viewfinder to her eye again – despite the digital screen – and zooms in on the dark-haired Quileute boy, the only one who has mastered the waves. His long hair sticks to his face as he concentrates, and she smiles and clicks away.

A hand on her shoulder startles her, and she nearly drops her camera into the rocky sand.

"It's time, princess," her boss, Kate, sings in her ear. She offers Bella a hand, and she takes it, groaning as she stands.

She wipes the sand off her jeans and pulls her coat tighter around her. The wind off the Pacific Ocean is brutal in late March. She pulls up the hood to hide against the chill and trudges after Kate, towards the clump of rocks that Alice and her little family – fiancé and son – are sitting on, waiting for their picture to be taken.

Alice waves as Bella gets closer, and Bella smiles back. Things have gotten better between them. Not great – Alice had a special kind of cow when Edward dropped out of classes next to Bella – but better, and Bella can't ask for more.

Her son, Riley, is perched on his father's knee. Jasper, the handsome fiancé, looks tiredly at his watch. She stifles a smile, thinking that it's a characteristic of all men to hate formality, especially when a picture is being taken of it.

"Ready?" Bella calls, brandishing her camera. She starts barking out directions – Alice, tilt your head; Jasper, hand on her knee. Put Riley in between you two, and make him smile this way!

She takes several pictures, getting down on her knees when necessary, smiling the whole time. She loves her job. She can't say she hasn't thought twice about withdrawing from classes, but she doesn't regret it. It was the right move for her at the time, and school will always be there.

Renee and Phil were a little miffed, especially since Bella was only a year away from going to grad school. But if anyone can understand whims and taking life by the horns, it's Renee Dwyer.

She still has yet to tell Charlie and Sue. Even though it's none of their business, technically, she thinks it's sneaky not to at least let them know. But she's afraid of telling her father about a life upheaval so soon after heart surgery. But it's been a month, and Bella's work is stable, and her father is doing just fine. No more greasy cheeseburgers at the diner has been hard for him to take, but he hasn't been stubborn about it.

Either way, she's telling them tonight. She's all the way out in La Push, so she promised her dad and stepmother she'd stop by. Edward is joining her. In fact, he should be here at any minute. She looks up toward the pathway, but his lanky form is nowhere to be seen.

"All done," Bella announces, taking apart the camera. "Let's have a look."

Alice follows Bella to the laptop set up in Kate's car. As Bella loads the pictures, she and Alice talk about the weather and how adorable her son is. It's a tenuous relationship at best, yes, but it's peaceful, too.

"Wow, Bella… these are great," Alice breathes as Bella scrolls through the different photos she took of their little family.

"You go ahead and pick the ones you want, and then we'll talk about sizing and packages," says Kate, who handles the business side of things.

Bella backs away, and when she looks up again, Edward is climbing down the pathway. She smiles, feeling everything inside her relax now that he's here and safe.

"You about done?" he asks when he gets to her.

"Just about," she responds, kissing his cheek in greeting. "Why? Hungry?"

"Starving," he admits.

"Why didn't you eat at work?"

"Bella, please. I've had to serve those meals for three weeks now. If I have to look at another popcorn shrimp or crab cake…"

Edward is a server at a casual seafood restaurant in downtown Seattle. Being on his feet so much was really hard on him at first, but he's slowly accommodating. He complains about it everyday, but the satisfaction on his face when he brought home nearly two hundred dollars in tips after one busy night let her know that he knows it's a necessary evil.

"Are you sore?" she asks, rubbing at the tight cords around his neck.

"Not too bad," he murmurs, moving his head to accommodate her fingers. "I took some pain pills before I got on the road. Actually, I may be a bit high."

She rolls her eyes. "What have I told you about that?"

"What?"

"Not sharing." She pokes him in the ribs. "I have some bad news, though."

"What…?"

"We're having stir fry at Charlie's. With shrimp."

"Seriously?"

"No, with chicken. Your face was worth that ten second lie, though."

"So cruel, Swan." He hugs her tightly, and she is content to just rest against his heartbeat.

Ten minutes later, Bella and Edward are heading towards Forks. It takes about fifteen minutes when Edward isn't driving like a psychopath, so Bella takes her time reapplying makeup the sand and grime washed away.

"I wish you'd stop wearing that stuff. It stinks," he complains, watching her dab on foundation. "Your skin smells so much better than that crap."

She gives him a look. "Just because you think I'm pretty without it doesn't mean the whole world does."

"Since when are you concerned with the whole world's opinion?"

"I'm a girl. End of story."

"I'm just saying, our bathroom is completely covered in a film of makeup and whatever that crap is you put in your hair."

"Spray gel."

"Spray gel. Well, I'm pretty sure you get it everywhere but your head. I tried to clean the bathroom the other day and ended up making the tips of my fingers bleed, trying to get the layer of spray gel off of the counter so I could get to the real mess it was protecting. From now on, you do the bathroom."

"Fine, but you have to vacuum."

"Deal."

They pull up to Charlie's house a few minutes later, and Jacob is absently kicking a soccer ball around the thawing yard.

"You're going to catch your death out here," Bella scolds, scooping her chilly brother into her arms. "And when did you get so heavy?"

"It's all the muscles," Edward answers, giving Jacob a high-five.

Jacob looks smugly at Bella. "Yeah, I'm way stronger than a girl."

"Is that so?" she asks, giving Edward a look. He's trying not to laugh. "I challenge you to… an arm wrestling match!"

"You're on!" Jacob cries, flying into the house.

Bella follows more slowly, still giving Edward a look. "You just wait until he's a teenager. You're going to make him into a misogynist little shit."

"Bella, Bella," he placates, pinching her side. "I know boys are stronger, but look at how I turned out. Not a misogynist bone in my body."

She scoffs. "Well, when he's fourteen, talking about a chick's 'rack', you're going to be the one to run interference."

"I'm twenty-two, and I still talk about racks. Only yours, though. Such a nice rack."

"I'm serious." She pushes on his nose with her forefinger. "He's going to be all yours to deal with."

He smiles at her, but it doesn't quite meet his eyes. She's taken to talking about their future – not months down the road, but years and years. It's not that she's in denial, but she knows people need things to live for, and sometimes the present isn't enough. Sometimes, people need to hear about their future, things that can be theirs if they only have patience.

Sue is a bit miffed when Jacob and Bella take opposite sides of her dinner table and proceed to arm wrestle. Bella lets him win twice, but the last time, she actually uses her strength and beats him easily.

"Two out of three," Edward says sadly, mockingly. He pats Bella's shoulder. "Looks like you're the loser."

She looks around. Sue is on the other side of the kitchen, not paying attention. Jacob has run up to his room to watch TV until dinnertime. So she leans into Edward and whispers,

"See this mouth?" She points to her lips. "Remember all the wonderful things it can do? Yes? Well, I hope those memories serve you well, since this," she points to her mouth again, "is out of commission."

He laughs, hugging her. "Such a grouch."

Sue calls that dinner is ready, so Bella and Edward take their seats next to each other at the kitchen table. Charlie shuffles in, and Bella gets back up to give him a long hug.

Stir fry and edamame is passed around the table amidst light conversation. The stir fry is pretty good, if not bland. Bella mentally adds a list of ingredients she would have added to spice it up a bit and vows to make stir fry sometime soon to see if hers is any better.

Edward wolfs his down. When he asks for more, Bella has to smile. She remembers the days that getting him to eat anything was a battle. Now, he loves food again. She squeezes his knee under the table, and he gives her a smile. He has zucchini in his teeth.

"So, how's school?" Charlie asks finally, setting down his fork. "You two getting good grades?"

Bella and Edward exchange looks. Putting down her own fork, she hedges, "Well… that's kind of what I – we – wanted to talk to you about, Dad. We both withdrew from classes this semester."

Charlie looks baffled, but his expression eases as Bella goes on to explain all their reasoning. It really does make sense, and Bella's quality of life has gone through the roof.

"And you two are at a new place?" Charlie inquires.

"Yes, sir," Edward answers, chewing on a soybean. "Closer to the hub of the city. It's small – one bedroom, one bath – but it's cheaper than Bella's old place."

"It has a gas fireplace," Bella adds, as if this makes a lot of difference. "Really cozy. It's nice being closer to the city, too – Edward doesn't have to make a long commute to work, and neither do I. Kate – that's my boss – her office is downtown. Esme's is a bit of a drive now, but I don't mind. Edward and I carpool there."

Charlie nods. "Well, it sounds like you two have got everything all figured out. Proud of you, Bella. You too, Edward. You made very adult decisions and moved them into action. Takes guts."

"You're certainly your mother's daughter," Sue comments, taking a sip from her after-dinner coffee.

Bella nods. "Yes, I am." She can feel her blood starting to simmer under the surface. Whenever Sue makes a comment about Renee, it starts a fight.

"Whimsical. Idealistic. Flighty, even. Just quitting school when you're so close to being done… that seems a bit irresponsible to me. You can't be a photographer your whole life."

She's pretty sure her knuckles are white. "School will always be there when I have more time to focus on it. A bachelor's degree in psychology isn't something to just float through. Especially since I can barely do anything with a bachelors – I have to get my masters at least. I want my doctorate. I'm nowhere near being finished, and working full time is more conceivable right now."

"That's right," Charlie cuts in, looking at his wife. "I approve of what Bella's doing."

"Mom does, too," Bella smiles. "Since my parents are okay with it, and I'm happy… that's all that matters."

The emphasis on the word 'parents' was a low blow, but it's always negativity with Sue. Always. She needs a hobby that doesn't involve talking to other gossip-mongers at the church.

"Hmmm," Sue murmurs noncommittally, pinning Bella with a gaze over her coffee mug.

They leave an hour later, tension thick throughout the small house.

"I really hope Sue doesn't start a fight with him," Bella groans, slamming her head back against the leather seats of Edward's car. "He doesn't need to be excited like that."

"I can't really see your dad rising to the bait," Edward comments, heading towards the interstate.

"He usually doesn't, but he's pretty protective of me. The only fights he and Sue have really gotten into have to do with me."

"It'll be okay," Edward promises, patting her knee.

xXxXx

"Come up with anything yet?"

Bella nearly falls from the delicate arch she's created with her body. She does squeak in surprise and grip the bar for more support, glaring at Tyler in the giant mirror.

"I'm going to put a bell on your neck if you keep doing that," she threatens, bringing her leg back to the ground. She brings the other behind her, touching her toes nearly to her forehead.

"I'll take that as a no," he replies, retrieving a mixed CD from the player. "Want some advice?"

Bella brings her left leg down slowly, watching him out of the corner of her eye. Tyler is a nice guy, but her original thoughts about male dancers remain. He's full of unwarranted advice about her problems, and delivers said advice with a smug look on his face, like he's just come up with the cure for AIDS.

"Advice on what, exactly?"

"Listen, your girls are going to be great out there. You couldn't be a better dance teacher. They're tight, know their steps – plus, they're really fucking cute. But you – your heart isn't in this like it used to be, so you're stumped on the dance you have to do yourself. I'm a choreographer. Let me help you."

"We're all choreographers," she snaps, taking down her tight bun. She has a headache straight from Satan.

"True enough, but you teach little girls to memorize something like… shuffle, tap, shuffle, tap, turn, pout, shimmy – "

"What's your point, Tyler?"

"Can you just relax around me for two seconds? I know you don't like me. That's fine, Bella. But I'm good at what I do, and you're a beautiful dancer. I admire you, one dancer to another."

"I'm not trying to be tense around you, but your attitude really irks me."

"That's fine, too. This isn't about how you feel about me personally. Just about what you can do with your body, and how I can help."

"Okay, I'll bite. But please try to make yourself sound less creepy."

"I admit that sounded sexual, but that's not what I meant. Okay? Just… relax."

She breathes in and out slowly, aware of the music clicking on. It's a funky beat, ska/punk, with reggae undertones.

"I can't dance to this," she protests.

"Why not? It's got a beat, and it's fun. Let go of those uptight ballerina thoughts, and just be a dancer."

She locks eyes with Tyler across the room. He raises his eyebrows almost skeptically, and it bugs her to no end. She takes off in a complicated series of turns, her leg propelling her spins. She feels the smile creep across her face as she accepts the weird music into her veins, and she hears Tyler laugh.

He saunters up to her, his weird mix of hip-hop and classic training moving his feet and hips in a pattern she's never seen.

"Teach me that," she demands, pointing to his step.

"I'm going to have to touch you," he warns, wiggling his hands.

"Lightly," she grouses.

He moves behind her, his hands finding purchase on her hips. He keeps a respectable distance, and she relaxes.

He gyrates her hips, laughing at her stiffness. He kicks at her heels, forcing her feet to move. Soon, she's doing the step, laughing at how ridiculous she looks.

"What are you doing?"

His voice is like a dousing of cold water in a blizzard. She stops immediately, the smile dying from her lips. Tyler removes his hands quickly, and even though he never once touched her with any other part of his body, she can easily see that this is a… delicate situation.

"He's just teaching me a move, Edward," she starts cautiously.

"Hands-on demonstration?" he asks acidly. He's trying to be menacing, but he has a plunger in his hand.

She giggles, and then pushes her lips closed. "He was just trying to get my hips moving correctly. There's a syncopated – "

He holds up his hands, and then realizes he has the plunger. Dropping it, he crosses his arms. She feels a temper tantrum coming on.

"I'm sorry if it looked inappropriate, but it wasn't. Please don't blow this out of proportion." She uses her best psychologist voice, calm and soothing, feeling bad for using her bag of tricks on him.

Tyler tries a different approach. "Glad to see you back around, man."

Edward turns towards him, his eyebrows nearly in his hair. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Bella told us you were… you know, pretty sick – just glad you're doing okay."

Edward's face is purple. "She told you I have cancer." Not a question, but a very scary statement.

"It's not a big deal, man. My grandfather died of lung cancer a few years back – "

"So that automatically means you know everything about me?" Yep, he's definitely in scary Edward mode. "Why do people say that? That makes no fucking sense. People know one person with cancer, and they suddenly become the cancer oracle. Fuck off."

Tyler holds up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. My fucking bad, dude. Sorry, Bella. Didn't mean to… you know. Whatever. Bye."

She waves him off. She has much bigger things to worry about now. She didn't think telling everyone about his cancer would annoy him so much. In fact, she thinks it wouldn't annoy him so much if it were Maggie, or someone pretty, sending him her condolences. But since it's Tyler…

"You're overreacting right now," she tells him calmly. "Don't say anything you don't mean."

"I cannot – I just can't – you fucking – "

"I told them about the cancer because… it was like they were mocking you for being out for the flu, like you were weak! It annoyed the crap out of me, so I just – "

"I don't care if they think I'm weak. I don't – "

"Really? So you're not freaking out about another male knowing a weakness in your body?"

He gives her an awful look. "I don't care if they think I'm weak because I have a common ailment. But I sure as fuck care that they know something very private about me, something it took me weeks to even admit to you, even being stupid in love with you since… since… pretty much the first day!"

"You've loved me for that long?"

"That's not the – " His face closes off. "Why? Have you not loved me that long?"

He hates being caught vulnerable, with his heart cracked open. It's like his heart is this wound that's constantly bleeding, and he's so used to people examining it without actually taking sutures to it, to close it back up.

"Of course I have," she says softly, moving towards him. "I stalked you for weeks before you even spoke to me."

He smiles, but it's more of a grimace, like he really doesn't want to. "Yeah, you're pretty creepy, aren't you?"

"Really creepy." She reaches for his hand, and he lets her take it, but doesn't actively hold her hand in return. "The creepiest. And the sorriest. I didn't… I wasn't thinking. I told them to protect you, your image. But I don't think that's what you're the most mad about, to be honest. It's just a vessel for you to hang on to – right? You've been jealous over Tyler since he started working here."

He makes a face at her. "I thought the psychobabble would stop after you withdrew."

"Don't be mean."

"I don't like that guy. He leers – "

She giggles. "Leers? You make him sound like some villain, coming around to steal my virtue."

"I'd like to think I've stolen all the virtue you had left."

"I'm sure I have some more you can find… somewhere." She's being coquettish and distracting him from the argument, and it's working beautifully.

"Is that so, Miss Swan?"

"I know how you can find out."

xXxXx

Twenty minutes later, they're both searching for their clothes in the tight space of Esme's office. They can't stop laughing, and she keeps poking at his butt every time he bends over.

"Exit only, Swan!"

"Yeah, I remember telling you that… and you 'accidentally' missing several times."

"It was slippery down there. Not my fault."

"Actually, the slippery-ness was all your fault."

He's in the smug post-orgasm phase, so those words wash over him like a warm bath. "Very true. Still… keep your fingers away."

"Emily was telling me that some guys really enjoy it."

He gives her a withering look. "All this anal talk is really… you know what, are you stuck in the Anal Stage, miss psych?"

"Do not quote Freud to me."

"It's a valid question."

"Anyway… um, let's not mention this to Esme, okay? I don't think she'd fire me, but…"

"She's not going to fire her heir."

"She still hasn't told me about that, by the way. I wonder what she's waiting for. It's killing me not to ask why she's left me this place."

"She told me she was waiting for 'the right moment.'"

Her phone chooses that moment to go off, so she scrambles to hook her bra and search for the buzzing thing.

"No, keep the bra off. All the jiggling is very enticing."

"You're so weird. Just a note, girls don't appreciate being told they jiggle."

He walks up behind her as she grabs her phone, and very immaturely takes hold of her boobs, jiggling them.

"Stop! Hello?"

"Hello, my young Jedi."

"Hi, Kate. What's up?"

"Just wanted to call and congratulate you! You've officially become a photographer."

"What? What do you mean?"

"You've booked your first gig alone. You were asked for very specifically."

"What? That's awesome!" She tells Edward, and he gives her a thumbs-up with a pretty little smile. "When? Where?"

"In a couple weeks. The Cullen-Whitlock marriage. You're the wedding photographer."

"Alice Cullen?"

"Yep. Congrats!"

"I… thanks." She clicks off the phone. "You knew?"

Edward shrugs. "Alice told me she wanted you. She loves the beach pictures you took… they're really great, baby. I think she's really trying to make amends and show faith in you."

"But… Edward! A wedding! Her wedding! If these pictures suck, they'll follow me around forever!" She shakes her head, trying to wrap her head around it. "I didn't even know the wedding was so soon. I don't even have a dress."

"We got the invitation in the mail ages ago. You two were just… not really getting along, so I didn't say anything about it. I didn't know if you'd want to go."

"She's your family, Edward. Of course I'd go."

He pushes her nose with his finger. "She's your family, too, Bella." He hugs her, kissing her sweaty hair. Then he makes several unmanly spluttering noises.

"What is it?" she laughs.

He gives her a dark look. "Spray gel."

xXxXx

Chapter title's song comes from "Romeo and Juliet" by the Dire Straits. But really, the Brown Derbies' version is so much better. All A capella, doo-wop style. Beautiful stuff.

The song Bella danced to with Tyler is '"Santeria" by Sublime, at least in my mind.

Also, I did an interview all about Grand Jete for the SYTYCW blog. It's on my profile. There are pretty pics to accompany it :)

See you guys next Thursday (seriously. I swear).