A/N: No Lemons in this Chapter, (for those who can't or won't read them) just sweet, sweet Romance. I promise you won't miss that there isn't a lemon. And I'm posting just in time for the weekend!

Bella and Edward's lives are about to get complicated.

My song choice for this chapter is:

"It's Your Love" – by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

The title of the chapter comes from the first line of the second verse of the song. If you're not familiar with the song, please listen to it. It is truly one of the most beautiful love songs EVER! Follow the link on my profile to the video of the song.

If you are enjoying the romance, follow the link on my profile and go over and vote for 'Bella, the Lioness." Voting ends on May 26th.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, and all the characters. I just borrow them from time to time and make them do my bidding. I'm also hopelessly in love with Edward!

Now, without further adieu …

Enough of this crazy stuff! Just shut up and post the chapter already…

** BM **

Chapter Fourteen – Better Than I Was, More Than I Am

EPOV

I had to literally force myself to walk away from her. Mentally make myself put one foot in front of the other and walk out her door. But I did it.

I had just pressed the button for the elevator when the doors opened and Jake burst out.

"Where have you been?" he asked, but continued rapidly, not waiting for an answer. "I told you Charlie had called for you. Well, he's been calling every five minutes since that first call! I can't keep telling him you're in the shower. Come on!"

With that, he grabbed my arm and dragged me bodily into the elevator, stabbed the button for our floor before turning to me once more.

"I think something's wrong. Charlie won't tell me, he just say's he has to talk to you." Worry tinged his voice.

My annoyance with Jake evaporated to be replaced with unease. "You think something's wrong? What's happened?"

"How the hell should I know? I just told you, he wouldn't tell me anything." The elevator doors opened on our floor.

"Come on." This time it was me dragging Jake down the hall, my room card already in my hand.

The room phone was ringing as we let ourselves into the room. I rushed to grab it.

"Hello."

"Edward! Thank God! Where the hell have you been? I've been calling for hours." Charlie's voice was filled with irritation with a disquieting undertone.

"I was in the shower," I childishly crossed my fingers behind my back as I told the white lie, "and you called the first time less than half an hour ago."

"Well, that's not important now. Edward, you have to fly to Chicago. Now. Today."

I could hear the urgency in his voice. "Why, what's wrong?" My heart started pounding. There was only one reason I would have to go back to Chicago. My parents!

"Has something happened to Mom or Dad?" Fear was beginning to take over. My heart was now racing as I imagined all sorts of scenarios, involving everything from house fires to terrorists.

"Okay, Edward, calm down, I didn't mean it to come out like that. I don't want to scare you."

"Just tell me what's wrong with my parents." I was nearly shouting by this time. Jake had come over, his face awash with concern as he stood by my side.

"There's nothing wrong with your Dad. It's your Mom."

If he said anything after that, I didn't hear it. All I heard was 'It's your Mom.' "Mom?" Something was wrong with Mom. The phone fell from my nerveless fingers, to be caught up by Jake.

He pressed it to his ear, speaking rapidly, "Charlie, its Jake. What's wrong with Mrs. Masen?"

"Where's Edward?"

"I think he's in shock." I distantly heard Jake talking to Uncle Charlie. "What did you tell him? What's wrong with his mom?" Jake was beginning to get a little scared himself.

Through the haze filling my brain, I heard Jake voice the same question burning in my mind. I shook my head forcefully to clear it and I reached for the phone, nodding and mouthing "I'm alright" as I took the receiver.

I put it to my ear just as Charlie was explaining, "She's being transferred from a hospital in Malaysia to a hospital in Chicago. She has something wrong with her blood; I'm not really sure what it's called. All I really know is that Edward's father called and said they needed Edward to meet them in Chicago as soon as you guys returned from your hiking trip."

"It's me again, Uncle Charlie. I'm okay." I took several deep breaths, trying to steady my raging nerves. "Tell me exactly what my father told you."

I listened as Charlie told me everything he knew. My mother had been feeling under the weather even before they went to Malaysia, but her condition continued to deteriorate over the last couple of months. The doctors there had run tests and discovered she had a blood disorder, Charlie couldn't remember the name. My parents hadn't wanted to interrupt my vacation with the news of my mother's illness, as they knew I couldn't do anything about it but worry. But they had arrived in Chicago yesterday to consult with a specialist friend of my dad's. They had called Charlie last night and told him the doctors wanted to see me, to run some tests on me to see if I might be a suitable donor for my mother.

"A donor? What kind of donor?" I asked Charlie, as I tried matching a possible disease with the symptoms he described to no avail. Did she need a kidney or something?

"I don't know exactly, maybe a blood donor. You and your mother share the same rare blood type." Charlie knew that my mother and I were both AB negative, and it was a rare type, so that was probably it.

"Okay, what should I do? Do I need to fly out today?" My thoughts were racing as I contemplated calling the airport, packing, how long would I be there. Everything was jumbled in my mind to near-overwhelming levels.

"I've already called the airport. You're scheduled on a 1:15 flight out of Seattle to Chicago this afternoon."

"Thanks, Uncle Charlie." My voice was low and I knew he could still hear the fear lingering even though I desperately tried to hide it. "I'll call you when I get there. I'll give Dad a call right away. Do you know if he has his cell?"

"Yeah, that's how he called me."

"Okay, I'll talk to you soon."

I hung up the phone with Charlie and quickly pressed the speed dial number for my dad, barely registering that it was six in the morning in Chicago. He answered on the first ring.

I spoke to my dad for nearly half an hour, learning all he could tell me of my mother's condition. It all boiled down to the fact that she had something called aplastic anemia. The doctors would try treating it with drugs, but eventually she would probably have to have a bone marrow transplant. That's why the doctors wanted to test me: To see if I could be a donor. The perfect donor would be a sibling, but as my mother was an only child, the next best possibility was me. The doctors seemed quite hopeful as we shared the same blood type, but they couldn't be sure until I underwent testing.

I finished my call to my dad, "I love you, Dad. Tell Mom I love her too. Give her a kiss for me, and I'll see you both this evening. I'm booked on a 1:15 flight out."

"Okay, son, love you too. See you soon."

As I punched the button to end the call, I turned to Jake, relating the facts to him.

"Hey, Bro, what can I do to help?" he asked.

"Well, you can drive with me to the airport, and then drive my car back to Forks for me."

"You're gonna let me drive your Volvo?" Jake was stunned. NOBODY drove my Volvo but me.

I stifled a snicker. Leave it to Jake to get me to smile even in the direst of circumstances.

"Yeah, you can drive my Volvo. But," my tone suddenly serious, "you so much as scratch it, remember, I know where you sleep."

Jake's eyes widened slightly in fear until he saw me snicker again.

"Gotcha!" I gave him a slight smile. It was all I could muster in the circumstances.

Less than forty-five minutes later I had showered and completed my packing. It was only 9:30. I needed to talk to Bella.

"Hey, Jake, I need to go see Bella." I shouted out to Jake, who was in the bathroom. "I'll be back in an hour or so. We need to check out by eleven so we can get to the airport."

I heard a shouted, "Okay, see ya later."

As I stepped off the elevator on the sixth floor I though how things had changed so much in such a short time.

BPOV

The door had no sooner closed on Edward than Alice and Rosalie burst from their respective rooms.

"Soooo," Alice dragged out the word, "did you have a good time?"

"Yes, Alice, I had a wonderful time. He is the most wonderful man in the entire world." I knew I was gushing like a, well, like a sixteen-year-old in love for the first time. That's what I felt like, so I guess that's what I was.

"I knew it, I just knew it." She was clapping her hands and dancing around the room. "Oh, Bella, it is so about time you found someone to make you as happy as Rose and me. It's what we've always wanted for you, isn't that right Rose?"

"You know it, Honey. I've never seen you this happy. And if it takes that fragile little human to make you happy, then we will make sure you get to keep him, won't we Alice." She spoke as if Edward was a new pet kitten that I had found by the side of the road. But I knew she meant well.

I was laughing with them when Alice suddenly stopped, stood stock still and got that far-away look in her eyes. I knew she was having one of her visions. I waited patiently until her eyes focused on the present again.

"What did you see?" I asked in the hushed voice I always seemed to use when inquiring about one of her visions.

She looked at me with a look of concern before answering, "Its Edward. He's going to be flying to Chicago this afternoon. Something has happened to his mother."

"His mother? What Alice? Did you see what happened?" I felt panic start to invade my conscience mind.

"She's ill. Edward has to fly to Chicago to meet her and his dad at the hospital."

"Will she be okay?" I whispered the question, not really knowing if I wanted to hear the answer.

"As of right now, I don't see her dead or anything, at least not for the foreseeable future."

"Oh, thank goodness!" I felt relief wash over me. I remembered what it was like to lose a parent: To lose both, in fact. I didn't want to think of Edward going through that pain.

"Does he need anything, Alice? Do you think I need to do something for him?" I wanted to do something, anything I could to help him.

"His uncle has already arranged a flight out to Chicago this afternoon." Alice stated.

"Do you think he would mind if I went with him to the airport?" I asked her and Rose, looking from one to the other.

"I think he would love to have you go to the airport with him. He'll be up in about an hour to talk to you." Alice was smiling. When Alice smiled that usually meant good things.

"Well, I need to shower and get dressed. What shall I wear?" I bit at my bottom lip as I turned in circles in the middle of the room trying to decide what to do first. I had never worried about what I was going to wear before. I usually just put on the first thing I found in my closet. But now, I felt different. I wanted Edward to like what he saw when he looked at me.

"Don't worry, Sweetie," Alice pushed me in the direction of the bathroom. "Let Alice take care of everything."

She continued to push me until I was in the bathroom and then she closed the door soundly behind me.

An hour later, I was showered, dressed and waiting for Edward. I heard the elevator ding and again I smelled him as he stepped out into the hallway.

Oh, God, he smelt amazing! I nearly swooned. I, a vampire, was nearly swooning at the smell of a mere human. But this wasn't your ordinary, garden-variety human. This was Edward Masen. The epitome of what every human should aspire to be. He was perfect!

I was drawn out of my musings of the sweet smell of perfect Edward Masen by the soft tap on my door. I opened it slowly and let the enticing scent of the man flow over me. I swallowed the sudden gush of venom filling my mouth and smiled at him.

EPOV

"Hello again." She spoke and her voice sounded like musical bells.

"Hey, beautiful. Miss me?"

"Only once. But that once has lasted," she glanced over to the clock before meeting my eyes again, "one hour and twenty-seven minutes." She bit her lip slightly and looked at me shyly through her lashes.

She backed up a few steps, allowing me to enter and close the door. The second the latch clicked, I moved to her, slipping my arms around her waist and pulling her tightly to my chest and proceeded to kiss her soundly.

Her lips parted automatically to receive my questing tongue and I proceeded to drink my fill from her lusciousness. God, she tasted so sweet! I knew I could drink forever and never completely quench my thirst for her.

She kissed me back with the same fervor, locking her arms around my neck with surprising strength, and it was several minutes before we parted, our foreheads pressed together, both breathing heavily.

"Oh, god, Bella, your kisses are like a drug. Like my own brand of heroin. I can't seem to get enough of you. If I kiss you one time, I just want two more, and four after that, and eight after that. It gets exponentially worse and worse, until I think I would die if I couldn't kiss you again."

"I don't think you'll hear any complaints from me. I thoroughly enjoy kissing you and have no objections to filling your every request."

"Love, God definitely smiled on me when you pulled into that convenience store parking lot in Portland."

"No, Edward, I'm the lucky one."

Our lips met in another breathtaking kiss, and I had to force my lips away from hers. I needed to explain why I couldn't stay in Seattle for another night. I dreaded this. I had so looked forward to spending another day getting to know her. But my mother needed me. I had to go.

"Bella, I've got some bad news."

She just looked at me with those big, chocolate-brown eyes, waiting patiently for me to continue.

"I have to leave Seattle today. I have to fly to Chicago this afternoon."

Still she waited patiently for my explanation. No accusations, no hysterics. Damn, she was so special!

"My mother is ill. I have to meet her and my dad at the hospital in Chicago. They need to do some tests to see if I might be a possible bone marrow donor for her."

I proceeded to relate to her the entire story, as much as I knew myself. She interrupted me only to ask soft questions and to express her concern for my mother's condition.

She told me again that her foster-father was a doctor and asked if he might call the hospital and inquire about my mother's condition. I told her to have him call and speak with my dad, but I was sure it would be okay.

We sat for the next hour just talking, as she asked questions about my childhood, my parents, and about my relationship with them. I remembered she said she had lost her parents a long time ago, but I still asked about them. She told me they were the best parents in the world and she missed them terribly, but Carlisle and Esme had done their best to fill the void their deaths had left behind.

Soon, eleven o'clock rolled around and I rose to leave. I saw her bite her lip again, as if she wanted to say something.

"Bella, did you want to say something?"

I saw several expressions flit across her face before her eyes met mine and she asked, "Would you mind if I accompanied you to the airport?"

"I would love for you to go with me to the airport. Why didn't I think of it? Of course, I want you to go with me." I swept her up in my arms and gave her a swift kiss. "Can you be ready in ten minutes?"

"I'm ready now. I just need to tell Alice and Rose and my brothers." She gave me a hesitant smile at the word 'brothers' and I vaguely wondered how they would react if they knew I had spent the night in Bella's room and most of the early morning in Bella's bed.

"I'll meet you in the lobby in ten minutes, okay?" I asked her as I leaned in for another quick kiss before heading to the door.

"Okay. See you then."

BPOV

The door had barely closed on him, when again my room was invaded by Alice and Rose, but this time they were joined by Jasper and Emmett.

"Bella, we don't mind you going to the airport with Edward, but I don't think we want you driving back with an inexperienced sixteen-year-old boy." Jasper was speaking. "Alice has told us that Edward's friend, Jake, will be driving his car back home."

"Well, I'm not going to let that stop me. I'll just take a taxi back from the airport." I was determined. They were not going to keep me from accompanying Edward.

"If you had let me finish, I would have told you that Emmett and I think you should drive him yourself, in the Jeep. Let Jake go on home, that way he won't have to drive through all that airport traffic. Alice and Rose want to do some shopping at the boutiques near here so we won't need the Jeep. Okay?"

I secretly loved it, though I would never admit it to him, when Jasper went all 'Big Brother' on me about my safety and especially when he had great ideas.

I smiled at him and gave him a quick hug, "Hey, that's a great idea, thanks, Jazz. You're the best." I turned to Emmett, giving him a hug too. "You're the greatest, too, Em." I really meant it. I was so grateful that they were not giving me a hard time about Edward. I would hate to have to choose between my brothers and Edward.

I'm afraid I would really miss my brothers.

It was all set. I met Edward in the lobby a few minutes later and related the change of plans to him and Jake, and they were actually grateful. If Jake left now, he could be home by two o'clock, and wouldn't have to deal with the airport traffic or rush hour.

I did my best to drive within at least a semblance of what could be called normal speed on our way to the airport. We still made it there in twenty minutes.

I waited patiently as Edward picked up his boarding pass. He had no luggage to check, having put all he needed into his carry-on. He didn't anticipate being in Chicago for any extended period of time. The rest of his stuff he had sent home with Jake.

As it was a Thursday, the middle of the day, and the airport was surprisingly un-hectic. By 11:40 we were seated near the boarding gate for his flight.

Even though he tried to hide it, I could see the worry overshadowing his face. I knew, because of Alice's vision, that his mother would be okay, at least for the immediate future. I wanted to do something to alleviate some of his fear for his mother's condition. But how? How could I say anything without raising questions about my source? I had to try.

He had been holding my hands in his, not speaking, as he rhythmically rubbed his thumbs over my knuckles. I pulled my right hand free, raising it to cup his jaw, running my own thumb over his lips. I didn't worry if he found my touch cold. I had to comfort him some way.

"Edward, I know you're worried," I began, "but, please, you have to trust that your mother will be alright." I waited until his emerald eyes met mine. "Your father would have told you if her condition was dire, wouldn't he?" He nodded slightly.

"Yeah, but…" I pressed my thumb over his lips, stilling his words.

"No buts. You have to have faith, Edward. You can't go to that hospital with a look of doubt on your face. That wouldn't do you any good, and it certainly wouldn't do your mother any good. You have to be positive." My years of medical training were kicking in. "A positive attitude is the first step to any recovery. Do you understand?"

"I don't know…" I again stopped him from continuing.

"Well, I do know." I saw his eyebrow lift in question and I hastily continued, "I haven't been a doctor's kid all these years and not picked up on a few things."

He looked at me with doubt for a few more moments, before I saw him heave a deep sigh and release the tension I knew had been gripping his entire body. He nearly sagged in relief, closing his eyes briefly before he opened them again and looked deeply into mine.

He brought his left hand up to cover my hand still stroking his jaw tenderly. He brought my palm to his lips and placed a warm kiss in the center before enveloping it in his much larger hand.

"Thank you." I could see the gratitude, along with something I couldn't quite identify, shining in his beautiful eyes.

"I don't know how you do it. I've known you for less than a day, and yet I feel as if I have known you my whole life." He shook his head slightly in wonder, his eyes never leaving mine. "Do you feel it?" he questioned me. "Do you feel this… connection… between us?"

I saw his eyes roam my face as if he were searching for an answer somewhere in my countenance. I nodded my head. I couldn't lie to him, yet I couldn't explain it either. I couldn't tell him the real reason I felt we had this connection. He would think I was mental.

"Bella, I've never felt this way about anyone. I know we just met yesterday, but that doesn't matter. I don't know how to explain it and I don't want to frighten you or anything, but I have to tell you. I think I may be falling in love with you." I could see the truth of his statement in his face, but I could also see the underlying confusion this statement brought him.

"Please," he began again, "please, don't think I'm crazy. I know we just met, but I don't have any other explanation for what I'm feeling."

"I don't think you're crazy." I answered softly, watching his eyes intently. Oh, no, you're not crazy, Darling, you're just remembering.

"I know I'm not making any sense, but I feel as if my life began when you drove into that parking lot in Portland. It was as if I had been waiting my whole life just to meet you. Is that crazy? I know it sounds crazy, but it's the way I feel."

"I understand exactly what you're saying. I felt it too." And I did know how he felt. It was a wonderful, warm, floating-on-air feeling.

Oh, Edward, my dear, darling, wonderful, Edward, I wish I could explain it all to you, but you would never believe me. Until I saw you yesterday, I would never have believed it myself. And I live in a world of make-believe.

He leaned in to cover my lips with a sweet kiss before he spoke. "Bella, Love, I wish I didn't have to go right now, because there's so much I want to say to you, share with you."

I could see the agony his impending departure was inflicting on him. He was torn between his desire to stay with me and his need to be with his mother.

"Edward, I'll still be here when you get back from Chicago. Your mother needs you now. You have to go to her. I have to go home tomorrow, but we can meet next weekend here in Seattle, or in Portland, or in Timbuktu if we have too. If you have to stay in Chicago for an extended period, I'll fly out there to be with you. You just say the word and I'll be there." And I would. I would do anything, go anywhere, to be with this man.

I saw a flash of the Edward from last night when he suddenly gave me that crooked grin. "Well, I can't very well say any 'word' to you as I don't even have your telephone number, now do I?"

Oh, my goodness, he didn't, did he? And I didn't have his. "Well, I can remedy that little oversight right now." I pulled my Blackberry from my pocket and handed it to him.
"Now, put your number in here, and give me your phone so I can do the same."

In less than a minute we were the number one speed dial number in each others phone. His number had replaced '911' as number one in my phone. The only emergency I would ever have is not being able to speak to Edward.

We talked softly and shared gentle kisses until his flight was called. We shared one more, not quite so gentle kiss, before he pulled away reluctantly and headed for the boarding gate.

"I'll call you as soon as I land in Chicago," he called as he was approaching the gate. "I'll text you when I can't call." I watched as he turned away.

I couldn't stand it.

"Edward, wait." I suddenly realized I couldn't let him leave without telling him one thing.

He stopped ten feet from the gate. "What is it, Love?"

I ran as close as security would let me before calling, "I love you too, Edward."

Security knew better than to try to stop him as his carry-on fell to the floor. He would have run right over them in his quest to get to me.

His arms were around me in two seconds flat!

"Oh, Bella, I love you so much."

His lips crashed down on mine in the most mind-blowing kiss ever shared by two people because it was the first we had shared after both declaring our love. And it would have to be in an airport, where we were essentially on public display and making a complete spectacle of ourselves. And who really cared? Certainly not Edward or me.

I heard the applause as we came up for air. Unnoticed by either of us, our section of the airport had basically come to a complete standstill when I called out to Edward. We looked around in surprise at the happy, cheering spectators. One of the security guards approached us, a grin plastered on his face. He was holding Edward's carry-on.

"I hate to break this up, but you really need to board the plane, sir." He handed the bag to Edward, and whispered with a wink, "Congratulations! You're one lucky man."

"Don't I know it!" Edward grinned back, taking the bag and slinging it over his shoulder before turning to give me one last kiss. Then he was gone, with one last quick wave, and he was out of sight down the jet-way.

Damn, I miss him already!

A/N: Thanks again to everyone who is reading this story, and thanks for the reviews. I really LOVE hearing what you think of the story.

The next chapter will be longer than this one, and we will meet Edward's parents, Uncle Charlie, and get ready for Edward's first day back at school. Oh, yeah!

You know what happens then! Sparks fly at Forks High!

Again, I thank you for reading and reviewing. Just press the little green button below and send me some love. I write faster if you tell me you like what you're reading.

I really love you guys, and remember…

** May all your dreams be filled with Edward **

BM