Last Chapter

"Yes." She kissed his neck. "Yes." She kissed his back. "Yes." She kissed his shoulder. "Tonight." She slide to the edge of the bed, looking back at him.

He now understood why men went to war for the love of a woman. He would have followed her anywhere. Up on his elbows he watched as she found her pants that had somehow escaped to the floor. There was another round of kissing and rubbing in the middle of the night, and he'd needed to feel more of her skin, but that was as far as they went. She draped the plaid flannel over her shoulder, then crossed to his door. He'd never seen this playful side of her, or as much of her legs. She smiled as she left his room.

No sooner had the door snicked closed, when he heard Charlie's voice from the first floor. "I knew it!"

Chapter 13

How exactly had the best morning of his life degraded into this catastrophe?

He considered squeezing under his bed or hiding in the walk-in closet, but he couldn't live with himself if he left Bella to face her father alone.

Digging out a pair of sleep pants and a tee-shirt Edward went to join the argument in the hall.

"You!" Charlie was standing midway up the stairs, pointing at him. "You told me she never slept in your room!"

"Dad, we just slept." Bella had donned her pajama pants, but her shirt was on inside out. Not the best morning after look if she were going for innocent. "Leave him alone!"

"No, I'll answer." As Edward moved to stand next to Bella he caught a glimpse of his Einstein like hair in the mirror. About as damning as Bella's inside out clothing. "Last night was the first time Bella was ever in my room."

"But not the last time!" Bella reached for Edward's hand.

Her hand in his gave him some comfort, but the irate looking man blocking the stairs wasn't backing down. He was glad she wasn't afraid of her father, but he sure as hell was.

"So you had sex with him, with all of us sleeping under this roof?"

"No, we've never had sex."

"So, you're a virgin?"

"I didn't say that."

"Charlie!" Renee called up from the bottom of the stairs. "What are you doing?"

"Bella slept in Edward's room."

"And?"

"She's a baby!"

"Oh Charlie!" She waved to Bella and Edward. "All of you, kitchen table. I made banana pancakes."

"Mom, I have to get to lecture and Edward has clinic hours."

"News flash, neither of you will flunk if you miss a few hours. We're figuring this out. Now."

While he resented being told what to do in his own apartment, their secret was out and there was nothing to do but face the music. Charlie and Renee spoke in low voices; she seemed to be chastising him. That should work in their favor, yes?

He sat at the kitchen table, expecting Bella to join him, but she'd turned to make a preemptive strike.

"Mom, this is hypocritical of you. What about all those lectures about the 'antiquated patriarchal ownership of a woman's maidenhead'? All that, 'I'm responsible for my own sexuality', or was that just noise?"

"Sweetie, you've got me all wrong! I'm sad you didn't tell me you shared your sacred femininity for the first time. It's a cause for celebration! Remember the Moon party for your menarche? The red rice and beans and the ladies from my Reiki class?"

Edward wasn't sure which was most disturbing, the idea of having a party to celebrate Bella's first menstrual cycle or the fact that she wasn't a virgin. He hadn't been a virgin at her age, so he wasn't shocked, but he irrationally wanted to beat this unknown male for having sex with her while simultaneously hoping he was gentle with her. The idea of Renee and her friends celebrating a biological function with Bella, who probably thought the whole thing a pointless New-Age ritual, made him want to giggle. Charlie's face, drained of all humor, made him hold back any comment. He tried to keep his expression as blank as possible. The man was a police officer and carried a gun, and while Edward had some experience suturing wounds, he didn't think he could stitch himself up.

Bella took the seat to his right, Charlie sat at the head of the table, taking a long drink from a coffee mug while eyeing Edward's forehead.

Renee brought in a platter of pancakes and a jug of syrup. "You know it's not too late Baby. I'm going to Google if there are any special ceremonies for sharing your virginity."

"Sure there is." Charlie slapped the table. "It's called a wedding!"

"Charlie, we didn't wait for a wedding."

Edward wanted to high five Renee, but instead put two pancakes on his plate.

Renee sat across from her husband, but reached across the table to grab Bella's hand. "So how was your first time? Was he any good? Did he make you climax? Who was it?"

Charlie stole the words from Edward's mouth. "Do we need to discuss this now?"

"That's the problem with keeping sex a taboo subject. Shrouding this natural part of being a human being, that's what caused the Madonna-Whore complex." Renee took a sip of her tea. "Society would be better off with a matriarchal system."

By the resigned look on Bella's face, Edward guessed this was not the first time she'd heard this lecture.

Putting down her mug, and ignoring the fact that her daughter and husband were staring at their plates, Renee continued. "The whole concept of virginity is absurd anyway, just an economic device to insure that a man was raising his own offspring. With the advent of DNA testing, there's absolutely no reason…"

Charlie looked up from his plate. "Speaking of DNA, what the hell were you doing with DNA results in your pocket? Are you someone's father?"

Edward wondered what else the police had shared with Charlie, and whatever happened to confidentiality when Bella spoke.

"No, but you are, Dad. We tested your DNA."

"Can anyone here give a straight answer?" Charlie pushed back from his seat, pointing between Edward and Bella. "You two are sleeping together, but not having sex. You," he pointed to Renee, "Want to have a party because our underage daughter had sex. And for some reason you people did a DNA test on me? Is there something else you want to tell me?" He turned back to Bella. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"What?" Edward stared at Bella, who was shaking her head. They both turned to Renee, who was nodding.

Charlie looked like he was going into shock. "Really?"

Renee was smiling and crying while Charlie rushed around to her chair, pulling her into a hug. Bella got up and joined the huddle.

Edward wasn't sure what to do, he wasn't prepared for this type of social situation. Make a silent retreat to his room? Congratulate the apparently happy couple? Did no one else see the irony that the man who'd been having a fit that his daughter might be having sex was now brought to tears when the evidence of what he'd been doing with his wife was presented to all of them? The quiet escape sounded like the best plan when he heard his father's voice coming from the stairs. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, fine Carlisle." Renee seemed the most together of the group. "Bella is going to be a big sister."

Thumping quickly down the stairs, Carlisle joined the crowd circling Renee. "That's wonderful!" His father rubbed his eyes, kissing Renee on the cheek and thumping Charlie on the shoulder. "It's…"

"You can say it Carlisle. A lot happier than last time I found myself knocked up."

"Yes, I didn't want to say—"

"No more secrets," Renee smiled while sniffing away her tears."That's the key to good relationships."

Edward looked to get Bella's attention. Surely being told that the news of her existence was unwelcome must be hurtful, but she was still smiling.

Renee took Bella's face in her hands. "I found out I was pregnant with you right after Charlie and I had had a huge fight. I called him a drunk and he accused me of sleeping with Carlisle. He left town on his motorcycle and I never got to tell him I was pregnant."

She turned her attention to him, reaching out a hand and holding his forearm. "Edward, I want you to know the kind of man your father is. He told me I could stay, and that he would help me raise the baby if that was what I wanted to do. He gave me tuition money, he wanted me to get my GED and go to college. He even offered to find Charlie and convince him there was never anything inappropriate between us."

"Yes,' Carlisle said, "Bella could have been raised with you, like a little sister."

"Then my mother was offered a job in Florida. If my own boyfriend thought I was shacking up with Carlisle, I figured the rest of the town was thinking the same thing."

Edward considered how awkward falling in love with a pseudo-sister would have been, only marginally more acceptable than a half-sister, and he silently thanked Renee for choosing to leave town.

"Then my Mom got sick and my tuition money went to pay for all the things you don't think about when someone has cancer. But I don't want to talk about sad today."

"Yes, we can all have a toast." Carlisle headed to the kitchen. "I'll get some orange juice. It's high in folic acid."

Bella was back in her seat, but was still holding Renee's hand. "Mom, when did you find out?"

"I literally was peeing on the stick when Esme called to tell me they were headed to the jail. Frankly, there didn't seem to be a good time to tell anyone until now."

"Who was peeing on a stick?" Esme, still wrapped in her bathrobe, was looking accusingly at Edward.

"Me. I'm preggers!"

"Oh, Rennie! Congratulations!"

Edward whipped his head around to look at his mother. "You called her Rennie."

"So? I've called her that for years."

"When she was my babysitter, we all called her Leia."

"Oh baby, that was just to humor you. When you weren't around, I called her Rennie."

"So all these years, when you were talking about Rennie's little girl, you were talking about Bella?"

"Obviously." Esme squeezed in to hug Renee. "Not that you ever listened to me."

He remembered hearing the phrase, 'Rennie's little girl' many times. Of course, that was in the midst of Barbara's nephew, and Sandy's granddaughter and the hordes of people his mother kept up with and talked about seemingly all the time. If only he had known to pay attention. He could have known Bella for years, been there for her. He had a sudden notion. If it hadn't been for him and his special requirements, Renee wouldn't have been living with his father, she never would have gotten into the row with Charlie, and maybe Charlie would have gotten his life together sooner if he knew he was going to be a father. Bella might have known her father from the beginning and had the support of two parents. He looked at Renee. "I promise, I won't mess up your life this time. If you didn't have to stay with me night and day-"

"What are you talking about my little Ewok? If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have had any idea how to handle Miss Brainiac here. I wasn't a great mom, but if I hadn't cut my teeth on you I wouldn't have recognized when she started reading as a baby. How else would I know that giving a three year old some Sudoku puzzles would be soothing? I'm glad we had that time together young man, never doubt it."

Carlisle set glasses of juice in front of everyone. "Here's to new beginnings!"

"Congratulations!"

"Great News!"

Watching Bella over his glass, he was happy to see her smile. It seemed the baby news had successfully derailed the earlier conversation.

"So, as I was saying," Charlie had returned to his seat at the head of the table and was again glaring at him, "What was that about the DNA test? It had nothing to do with this baby, since no one knew that Renee was expecting."

Edward's father set down his glass. "I was trying to figure that out too."

What ethical standards were we operating under here? Did everyone know everything? Did he have no privacy at all?

Bella leaned in. "It's kind of a funny story. I wasn't sure if you were my biological father. Edward had a theory that we might be related. We added up all the evidence and came to the wrong conclusion."

"See that Renee? It wasn't just me who came up with that idea." Charlie pointed between Edward and Bella. "They're smart, and they thought it was possible."

"You forget that I knew there was no other possible father, unless some alien probed me while I was sleeping." She turned to Bella. "I'm sorry you wasted your money. But your father and I settled this between us years ago, or I never would have married him."

"I'm glad that's done." Edward gulped the last of his coffee and stood. "Now, we could still make cl—"

"Oh, we're not done." Charlie pushed him back into his seat. "My daughter half naked in your room. Explain that!"

Esme smiled. "We thought we heard something."

"She's still seventeen." Charlie was getting louder. "It's not appro—"

"Dad." Bella interrupted. "I did mom's tax returns for six years, incorporated her business, trademarked her brand, and set up her website. The only reason I didn't become an emancipated minor was I knew it would break mom's heart. Age based laws are ridiculous in my case. Do you really think I lack the ability to make rational decisions?"

"Baby, the heart doesn't know about rational." Renee had that funny upside-down frown-smile on her face, tilting her head towards her daughter. "Just as long as you're careful. I'm not ready to be a grandma yet."

And somehow everyone was staring at him again, as if his plan was to knock Bella up as soon as they were alone. "I need to call in if I'm going to be late." He escaped to the kitchen before someone else had something more to say about his embryonic romance.

Whatever the police had done to his phone while he was still under investigation, he'd never know, but it had been returned to him with a dead battery. It was charged now and as he turned it on it began to ring. Odd, since everyone who might call him at this hour was in the other room, unless it was Peter begging for a ride. It was a private number, but on the chance it was a professor or resident, he answered.

"Is this Edward Cullen?"

He answered yes cautiously.

"I'd like to set up an interview with New Day Northwest, as part of the 'Everyday Hero's' segment."

The young woman rattled off his address, asking him if they could bring a camera crew that afternoon.

"I'm sorry, I'm busy in the afternoon."

"Then tonight, whatever works for you. We could set up a phone interview in five minutes, we want to talk about your bravery at the hospital—"

"Miss, just give me a minute." An incoming call was toning in, with a New York number. "Call back in five minutes."

He turned off the phone and held it like a specimen bag between two fingers as he walked back into the dining room. "Some news show wants to talk to me. And someone from New York is calling."

"How exciting!" Renee and his mother gasped together.

"Not exciting, ridiculous. I only did what I did because of Bella, they should be interviewing her."

"No way." Bella put both hands up. "You take your fifteen minutes of fame."

"I'd be happy for some recognition for some project or invention or breakthrough. Knocking someone down is-is-"

"It's brave sweetheart." His mother took the phone out of his hand. "If you want me to set something up I will. If you want me to fend them off, I'll do it. I'm sure after a day or two there'll be another story for them to follow."

"Yes, thank you. Get rid of them, please. Really, if Bella hadn't batted her eyelashes three times, I wouldn't have known what was going on."

"I only batted my eyes because you didn't catch when I said 'knows' three times."

"What are you talking about, you didn't say it three times."

"I did, I was sure you would catch my unlikely speech pattern. It was glaringly obvious. How often do I use the same word in as many sentences? I was forced to give the more obvious signal of batting my eyes and in case you didn't catch on, I elbowed him in the solar plexus."

"It was certainly not glaringly obvious."

"You know, I'm suddenly not worried." Charlie laughed as he loaded his plate with half the remaining pancakes. "You're either going to kill each other or be together forever."

~T~

He wasn't sure what his next step should be between him and Bella. They had had no time to discuss what a relationship would mean since, when they finally escaped the townhouse and the tribunal of parents, they had to go their separate ways. He plunged into his work, trying to placate his resident and to ignore all the funny and mocking comments about his brush with the whack job James.

"The back of my head, seriously, that was me. Yeah, gotta go." Peter sat at the break room table, clicking off from his call. "You're internet famous, dude. If only you stood back a little, people would have seen me, but noooo. No one believes it was me."

"What are you talking about?" Edward broke the dry granola bar in pieces. He was trying to make up for his lateness by skipping lunch, but he was starving.

"Check your phone."

His mother had kept his phone since every time he turned it on there was another call or text. He'd had to use Bella's phone to call in that he'd be late, since every time he tried to dial out on his he got an incoming call. "I don't have it on me."

"Someone put up a video of you pounding on James and it's already over four million views. You're trending on twitter man, #hotdocsaveme and #doctorsexhair. There were girls with signs out front; security chased them away. Man, you could ride this pussy train for years. Just, you know, sharing is caring. Feel free to help a brother out."

"No." Edward shook his head. "I have no interest in any of that Pete. It's absurd."

"But your dry spell is over, seriously, when your groupies come back you can just pick and choose. At least one of them has got to have long hair." Peter paused before taking another bite of his sandwich. "I'd be happy to audition them for you, weed out the crazies."

"You're the one who's crazy. Why would I be interested in some lunatic with a sign when I have Bella?"

"Whoa, when did this happen? Last I heard you were just roommates."

"A lot happened in the last 24 hours." Edward walked across to the hall window, and peered out to the front entrance. Sure enough, there were women with signs standing out front. The last thing he needed was to be followed by some fanatical horde of women. Earlier he noticed suspiciously well coiffed women wearing skimpy clothes sitting in the clinic waiting room, who wiggled their fingers at him when he passed. They looked nothing like their usual clients.

"Pete, I need your help."

~T~

He made a mental note to wear a hat tomorrow. It was surprising how much heat was lost out of a bare head. Pete was more than happy to grab the electric razor they used when someone needed stitches on a hairy place, and buzzed until Edward's head resembled a cue ball. It worked. He walked past the small crowd of people, who were looking for his easily identifiable red mane, and made it to his car in peace.

Her shoes were in their spot by the front door. He resisted the urge to shout 'Honey, I'm home', instead he rapidly put his things away and went in search of Bella.

"Is the coast clear? Did they go home?"

"Crystal clear." She sat cross-legged on the sofa, a shiny new mobile phone in her hands. She didn't look up. "I programmed your new phone, downloaded your contacts from the cloud and I'm just adjusting your calendar."

His mother told him she was going to pick up a new phone with a new number before they went home, what he didn't expect was Bella taking it upon herself to- "How did you know my password?"

"Seriously? Ewok?" She continued clicking.

He grew uncomfortable with her seizing control of his phone. Was this her interpretation of a relationship, suddenly she was telling him what to do? What were these adjustments to his calendar?

"What adjustments?"

"I reviewed our schedules for points of congruence. I eliminated one of your workout days."

"But I—"

"This way we'll be home together for a few hours at least three times a week. Studies have shown that having intercourse three times a week has significant long term health benefits."

"I…you're… brilliant!"

"I know."

Finally she looked up, her gaze stopping at his hairless head.

"Hashtag Doctor Sex Hair?"

"How did you know?"

"You're an internet sensation. I heard it all day." She flicked her hand at him. "Now go take a shower. I'll be in your room in," she checked the phone, "fourteen minutes."

"You don't want to go somewhere romantic for our first time, some sort of bed and breakfast or something?" He was confused. Other girls he'd dated had been all about the setting and timing. When he tried to explain that sex would feel as good in his apartment as in an expensive hotel room, he'd been informed that he wasn't romantic enough. Unless this was another test? He was still considering when Bella put his phone on the table.

"If you want to wait four months until we both have a full weekend off together, sure. Or, thirteen minutes."

He didn't have to weigh that decision. "I'll go with thirteen minutes."

~T~

Patting his bald head with a towel, he opened the bathroom door to his room. As promised, wearing just her pajama top, her long pale legs stretched across his comforter, Bella was sitting against his headboard. His box of condoms wasn't in their usual place in his drawer, they were on top of the end table, next to the alarm clock. She was serious. He gulped in anticipation.

"You're absolutely sure none of our parents are coming back tonight."

"Yep." She turned onto her side, looking him up and down. "I threw the dead bolt while you were in the shower. If they come back they'll just have to wait until we're done."

"You're sure? This isn't very romantic."

"Edward, we don't have time for romantic."

It was a little unsettling. He wasn't used to a woman being so upfront with her sexual needs, but considering who she was raised by, he shouldn't be surprised. Why was he hesitating?

He climbed on the bed and crawled across to where she was waiting, the towel around his waist falling away in the process.

She flinched, moving a little bit away from him. Why was she hesitating? "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. My mother has a copy of The Joy of Sex and Kama Sutra right next to the dictionary. I want to see if sex lives up to the hype."

He froze. "You told your parents you'd had sex."

"Just kidding?" She was blushing, biting her lip, the first time he'd ever seen her flush for any reason.

He grabbed his towel, shielding his eagerness.

"No, don't cover up." She put her chin down, took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I just didn't want them to know, to think…it's stupid, it's illogical. I want you. I don't know why I feel this way."

Her sharing her doubts was more intimate than her nudity. He touched her knee, waiting for her to look at him. "Because you're human. You're allowed to have emotions. Having sex for the first time is still a big deal, even if you're an enlightened, empowered, sex positive person."

"You have been listening to my mother." Bella covered her eyes with one hand. "It's just I want to be amazing at this. The one thing brain power won't help me with."

"That's where you're wrong. Your brain is the sexiest part of you." He reached out, sweeping his fingers through her soft strands, pushing her hand away from her face. "Look at me. We can wait or we can do something else. Just because sex is on the schedule doesn't-"

Her hands reached out for his head, pulling him in for a long kiss. Her tongue slid into his mouth and he responded, stroking in her mouth as she hitched her leg over his hip, pushing the towel away with her foot.

He pulled away after a few minutes to get a breath. "Do you want me to turn the light out?"

"No way. I want to see it all."

He slide a hand up her smooth thigh to her bare ass. Taking his time he lifted her pajama top, giving her ample opportunity to stop him. Instead she sat up and helped pull it over her head. They'd been almost this far last night, but they'd kept their underpants on. They were fast forwarding, not that he was complaining, but he wanted to make sure she was ready for him mentally and physically. Bella reached into the box on his nightstand.

He took the condom from her, putting it under the pillow. "Not yet. Let me take the lead." She squinted at him. "This time. Next time, you're the driver."

He flipped her onto her back, his elbows holding him just above her body. His lips trailed down her neck to her collar bone, where he licked and sucked gently, chasing her blush, before circling her breasts with his tongue. Sucking, then rolling each nipple with his tongue he could feel the tender skin grown tight, harder, just as his cock grew harder hearing her moans and feeling her hips make little circles under him. Dragging his tongue flat down her center-line he stopped at her navel, shifting himself down the bed. She must have showered when she got home, the almond scent sweeter in this little pocket of her body.

Kissing further down he spoke against her skin. "I see we both shaved today."

He could feel her body shaking with laughter as she slapped his shoulder.

"Back to work, you."

Glad she was relaxed enough to joke, he traced calligraphy words on her soft skin.

His tongue met his final destination and her knees clamped around his ears. Sliding his hands up her inner thighs he spread them, giving himself room to operate. Making tiny circles on her succulent bud, he stroked her entrance with his thumbs, tracing her lips with her own liquid until she was panting wordlessly. One finger rubbing against her inner wall reduced his genius girlfriend to a series of "Ah-ah-ahhhhhs!"

Speeding up his movements, he focused on the spot inside that made her gasp. He was good at this, the technical aspect of sex, and it wasn't his first time pleasing a woman this way, but it was the first time that he was doing it not as a means to an end, but because he wanted her to be happy, to reach that point of ecstasy. For once he wasn't counting down the moments until the girl came so he could swoop in and get his. He wanted Bella to have a glorious first time. Sure, he'd be overjoyed to consummate their relationship, but his priority was her. Bella's hands had left his scalp and were pulling at the sheets, her head thrashing back and forth. It wasn't long before she was slick and trembling inside, shouting her release. Proud of himself, he looked up to see her slack jawed expression. "How was that?"

Still breathless she answered, "Better than the books."

He was about to ask that awkward question, 'Are you sure?' when she fished under the pillow and handed him the condom.

"Suit up, cowboy."

Kneeling so he could use both hands to sheath himself, Bella rose up too.

She pushed on his shoulders. "On your back." Flopping onto the mattress she straddled him. "I heard it's easier this way."

"However you want to do it." He put his hands on her hips to keep their connection, but let her lead.

She leaned over him for a kiss. "How is it you're never this compliant out of bed?"

"I'm exactly where I want to be with the person I most want to be with. Why wouldn't I be compliant?"

"I love your logic."

She stroked his cock around her opening, sank a few inches then rose the same distance. He resisted the urge to push up or pull her down by the hips. He'd told her she could drive and even though her actions were making him mad with lust, he held back. His hands drifted to her breasts, bobbing above him. As his palms rubbed the warm weight of her in his hands, she stopped her teasing and slammed down until their hips met. He felt a little tightness, but no dramatic tearing of any maidenhead. She hissed once, but in a moment was back to riding him. He started to contribute, bucking up as she drove down, trying his damnedest to hold back until she came again. She might have been in charge, but that didn't mean he couldn't give a helping hand. His thumb found her clit and swirled until she was gasping and he could feel the answering tightness around his cock. That did him in, pulsing into her, calling her name until she fell forward onto his chest.

He glided his hands over her damp skin. In the heat of the moment he never noticed how sweaty things got, and while the feeling of her surrounding him was incredible, they needed to clean up. In a moment. His hand found her hair, damp at the back of her neck and behind her ears. He fluffed it up, circling, his fingers spanning almost her whole head as he caressed her.

She giggled into his chest. "I'm waiting for you to start saying 'my precious'."

"Are you suggesting I look like Gollum?"

Her hand slid up to his bald head. "You've got the same barber."

"You are precious." He touched her chin until she was looking at me. "You are precious to me. Bella, I love you."

"That's convenient." She smiled back at him. "Because I think I love you too."

"What would convince you?" He lifted his hips, jiggling her a little.

"I don't know how to do this." She pointed from her chest to his.

"What, sex? I think you did a fine job."

"I don't know how to do a relationship."

"That's an experiment we can work on together." He took her hand, kissing her fingers. "I suggest a long term study."

"We'll need to gather extensive, detailed data." She smiled, eyes shining back at him. "How long a study do you propose?"

"The rest of our lives."

.

.

AN: Sorry this is late. I overestimated my ability to catch up with December after escaping for the first two weeks of the month. Many thanks to Cousin Beta for checking out the first half of this chapter and to Beta-in-training Zoe for her input. Nurse Beta is busy making sick people better. The lemon was all me since it's hard to discuss acceptable words for penis with people you see in real life.

Thanks to the reviewer who mentioned Edward saying 'my precious'. It wouldn't leave my brain, so there it is, thanks for the suggestion! I can't find your review (thanks FF) or I would have posted your name.