I love my betas—mcc101180 and Twimarti, and AstonMartin823 is the best pre-reader ever.

If you haven't read my first story, it was nominated last week on The Lemonade Stand—thank you, ladies. That was a lovely surprise!

A massive thank you to Kit and Kaboodle for writing such a lovely review of SSaSD on their live journal.

No vodka necessary—unless I've got you all addicted.

I do not own Twilight or any of the amazing cartoon characters mentioned below. Carlisle is my new superhero. Don't you agree? No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 21 – Hidden Identities

"Em! Turn the fuck around. Now!" Edward roared.

"No can do, my friend. Carlisle's got it covered," Em replied calmly.

"Bullshit! He doesn't know what they are capable of. I have to protect her."

"You are. By sticking to the plan, you are, buddy. Trust us. B is like a daughter to that man. Do you really think he's going to just hand her over?" Em asked as he wound his way through the late-night traffic.

"But, I can help. It's me they want," Edward said, leaning so far forward it felt like he was sitting in the front with Em and Rose.

"Well, they can't have you. We've got this covered. Garrett's prepared for this. Just sit back and let your family take care of it."

"Fuck! This is bullshit," Edward yelled again, hitting the back of both their seats. Feeling responsible for his girl's situation was one thing, but sitting back and doing nothing about it while the enemy pursued her was another.

…

Carlisle had spent the time waiting for Jenks to arrive formulating a plan and calculating its likelihood. If Carlislie wanted to control Edward, he would do it using Isabella. That boy would sacrifice himself for her in a heartbeat, and he figured the agents had already worked that out about him too. If they were going to tail anyone, it would be Isabella. Once they controlled her, they controlled Edward, and that gave them Alice as well.

Isabella was the key.

From what Carlisle had pieced together from the whispered conversations with Jenks and Alice, the three of them needed to leave the city within the hour. These agents weren't going to mess up a second time.

When Jenks had gone with the detective to hopefully have Edward released, Carlisle had waited for his moment. Just as he was trying to come up with a plan to distract the group of officers blocking his exit, luck shined upon him. A captain walked through the reception area, returning from a meal break and immediately started yelling about the wasted resources milling around with nothing better to do. One officer spoke up to say they were needed to assist the doctor, but Carlisle jumped in before he managed to finish. He explained that his patient was almost stable and did not need any extra assistance. He thanked the officers profusely for their time and effectively dismissed them all. The captain then began yelling orders, and a moment later, the foyer was bare.

Carlisle, Garrett and Alice all grabbed Isabella and hoisted the stretcher out onto the street. Once outside, Carlisle let Bella up and ushered her into his Mercedes. He wasted no time visiting both Em and Jasper in their cars to tell them the details of their getaway and his suspicions of the agents' next move.

Just as he predicted, ten minutes later, Garrett was behind the wheel being pursued by an unmarked vehicle.

Since Isabella was suffering from a "lethal heart condition," the obvious choice to maintain their charade was to head to the hospital. Carlisle didn't dare risk heading anywhere else for fear that the agents would realize they'd been tricked and call in NYPD backup and to pull them over.

If Garrett was forced to stop for any reason, then they were done for, and Carlisle would have failed his new family.

Garrett drove fast enough to appear to be urgent, but not so fast as to give them cause to stop him for risking public safety. New York City streets are never empty, but at least at that time of night, he just had to maneuver around the stream of yellow taxicabs.

The chauffeur pulled the Mercedes into the ambulance bay of the hospital. Carlisle jumped out, making himself known to the ER staff and grabbed a wheelchair. He noticed the dark vehicle stop on the street, unable to enter this part of the hospital.

Carlisle knew the agents could flash their badges and gain entry if push came to shove, but that would expose them. He had a feeling that they preferred to fly under the radar and have no witnesses.

Just as Carlisle had hoped, an ambulance pulled in right behind Garrett just as the doctor settled Isabella into the wheelchair. The large emergency vehicle blocked the view of the Mercedes from the street, thus allowing Garrett to drive off and vanish.

Carlisle instructed the ER staff to let anyone inquiring about Miss Swan to be directed to Cardiology on the sixth floor.

Jumping into the first available elevator, Carlisle pushed the B button and winked at Isabella.

"So far so good, sweetheart," he said, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Bella nervously chewed on her nails. The next few minutes were critical. She wondered where Edward was at that moment and said a quiet prayer that he was safe, and that Carlisle's hunch was correct.

The ding of the elevator reaching the basement caused Bella to jump because she was so tense. Carlisle rubbed her shoulders from behind, preparing to push her out when the massive door slowly opened.

"It's okay. It'll work," he said. "When we get there, I want to give you a proper check up. I'm not happy about what they did to you."

Bella nodded, and the nauseated feeling that had been building inside her eased when she saw the familiar black car waiting in front of the elevator in the staff parking lot.

Once inside, Garrett drove through the underground parking area to the exit on the far side of the hospital. If one of the agents had remained in the car, they couldn't risk being tailed again.

The tension inside the car was palpable as they exited onto the street. Three pairs of eyes scanned each and every vehicle that came remotely near them.

Oh, thank fuck!

We're clear.

Please may Edward and Alice be okay too.

Bella slumped into the comfy leather seats in relief, and a small giggle escaped her. She actually felt slightly delirious after so much stress.

…

The shadows of the darkened office building had Bella back on edge. The rest of the drive through the city had been uneventful. Carlisle and Bella had left Garrett in the parking lot. He would wait for the others to hopefully arrive soon. Bella followed closely behind Carlisle as he wound his way through the dark ghostly corridors. She half expected someone to jump out and yell "boo."

Carlisle stopped outside a set of polished walnut doors. He held the key in his hand but couldn't seem to find the strength to fit it into the lock. Bella wasn't the only one keeping an eye out for ghosts. This was the first time he'd been back here— Esme's office—since her death.

As Carlisle and Esme owned the office space, there had been no reason or rush for him to clear out her belongings and lease the space. After she died, he had her small team finalize the last few designs before he closed the doors, sealing off some of his emotions as well.

Walking back into her lifeless office was facing her death from a different angle. It's not that the doctor hadn't accepted her death, but more that he didn't want to accept it.

Bella didn't need to be told what was going on in Carlisle's mind as they stood together in the dark. She'd seen her father run from ghosts too many times, but she was so proud as Carlisle stood preparing to face one of his.

Without thinking, she put her hand in his and squeezed. The comforting touch seemed to anchor him in the present enough that he slid the key home.

The air in the office was stuffy and stale, and Carlisle sighed heavily as they stood just over the threshold. Esme wasn't here. Her spirit, her presence and even her floral scent were long gone.

"I'm a love-struck old fool," Carlisle said quietly, breaking the eerie silence.

Bella squeezed his hand again.

"There is no such thing," she replied, looking up at him.

Twenty minutes later, the air conditioner had kicked in, pouring fresh air into the boardroom. Carlisle sat googling on a laptop while Bella paced.

They should be here.

They're late.

They've been caught.

We're fucked.

To avoid drawing unnecessary attention to the usually abandoned office, they had dimmed the tiny overhead halogen bulbs. The light was just enough to get by with.

"Isabella, please take a seat. Your pacing isn't getting them here any sooner, and your body doesn't need the extra exertion right now."

Bella sat for a few seconds to appease him but was up again doing laps of the table before he'd moved onto the next website.

The printer suddenly whirring to life made them both jump, but the next noise caused the air to leave their lungs altogether—the main front doors had just creaked open.

Carlisle checked the service on his cell phone—perfect service. Garrett was supposed to text him to announce their arrival. Trying to be brave for Isabella, Carlisle snuck toward the boardroom doors and put his ear against it. Just as he did that, there was a loud knock and a familiar voice called out hello from the other side.

Carlisle thought his heart had leapt right out of his chest. He opened the door, and Jasper's warm smile seemed to light up the room.

"Cupcake, you scared the crap out of me," the doctor said, breathing deeply and holding his chest.

His cuss momentarily stunned Jasper. "I'm not at work now, doc," he replied, gripping the Carlisle's shoulder in greeting.

Carlisle shook his head. "Oh, sorry, Jasper. Old habits die hard."

Jasper stepped aside, and Alice flew into the room, right into Bella's waiting arms. The men stood back and watched the girls sway from side to side as they hugged each other like their lives depended on it.

After a moment, Bella pulled back.

"Where's Edward?"

A pained look crossed Alice's face. "I was going to ask you that."

The four of them stood looking at each other, unspoken worries filling the air.

"Em's cell is dead," Jasper informed them. "Do you know Rosie's number?"

Bella shook her head slowly, biting her lip. She never memorized anybody's number these days because her iPhone made life so easy—that was until it was taken away from her.

Jasper tried to put everyone at ease. "Don't worry. Em's probably taking his role as Secret Squirrel a little too seriously. I doubt you would be able to track his Jeep even from the air."

Not wanting to waste precious time worrying about something they couldn't change, Carlisle pulled Jasper to the computer and began discussing their next move.

Jasper was impressed with the way Carlisle's mind worked, as he looked over the doctor's plan.

"I think you missed your calling, doc. Espionage suits you."

Alice and Bella both gave him stern looks. It was too soon for spy jokes.

To busy herself, Alice made black tea—as it was the only thing not expired in the kitchen—for them all. It tasted surprisingly good, especially given that they hadn't had anything to eat or drink in almost twelve hours.

Jasper's watch beeped on the hour, sounding more like a death knell.

Midnight.

Fuck!

Where is he?

Alice grabbed Bella's hand. She could see the decisions flashing through her friend's mind in quick succession. Bella didn't know what to do to help Edward. She felt helpless…lost…and alone, despite her friend's presence.

Carlisle went to speak but hesitated. He didn't want to be the one to break her heart, but they couldn't wait any longer. Alice nodded her head at him, trying to encourage him to speak. Nobody had ever discussed what exact extra abilities Edward's sister had, but Carlisle knew she wasn't dragged in for interrogation for nothing. He remembered that she had been shocked when they were children and wondered if she was exactly like Edward.

"Isabella, we can't wait any longer," Carlisle said.

Bella looked at him like he was insane.

What?

What on earth does that mean?

"Why?"

"Because we need to get you and Alice out of here tonight."

"I'm not leaving Edward behind."

"I know you don't want to, but he wanted me to protect you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do," Carlisle informed her. He was remembering that night at BE and how seriously Edward had asked the doctor to take care of her if anything ever happened to him. Carlisle always felt like he was indebted to the boys for letting him mourn on his own terms at their bar. This was a way he could repay that debt.

Tears welled in Bella's eyes, and even in the dim lighting, Carlisle could see the distress and pain he had caused her at his words. He wondered if Esme would have wanted him to leave her in her darkest hour if he would have been able to. Would he have followed his beloved's request, or done what he could to try and save her?

"Sweetheart, all he cared about was keeping you protected. If they have him, I'll get Jenks on it in the morning. But, please. Let me get you and Alice safe first. The less leverage they have over him, the better it will be."

Bella hated to agree with Carlisle's logic. She knew she was the one thing that would break Edward if the agents managed to get a hold of her, but the idea of running away and leaving him to God-knows-what in their hands made her feel like the biggest coward. She didn't deserve him if she took off at the first hint of trouble. She'd seen the terror in his eyes when she entered the room, and Edward knew he was fucked now that they had her to use against him. She'd seen him war with himself over what to do—tell them what they wanted or fight for his girl and sister. If Bella stayed and got caught by the agents again, then his sacrifice would all be for nothing. Logic told her to listen to Carlisle, but her heart told her to stand and fight for her man.

"Okay," she said almost too softly for them to hear before she burst into tears and covered her face with her hands.

Alice, Jasper and Carlisle shared concerned looks.

"He's got thirty minutes, and then we must go," Carlisle added, shaking his head at how soft he was. He knew in his heart of hearts that he never would have had the strength to abandon Esme, and that if he had, it would have killed him to do so.

Bella nodded her head in understanding and managed a weak smile, but she couldn't stem the flow of tears. Something had gone wrong. They should have been here long ago.

"Why don't you girls go use the facilities," Jasper suggested. They had a long drive ahead of them, and the less they stopped, the better. "We need to be ready to go."

Alice pulled the still sobbing Bella up from her chair and went to freshen up. Luckily for them, Esme liked to pamper herself and her staff and had a range of L'Occitane face, hand and body products in the restroom. They were a little old, but the heavenly scents made a difference when both girls felt like they had run a marathon to get there.

"How are you so calm?" Bella asked Alice in the mirror as they rubbed the soothing creams on themselves.

"Long ago, we made a pact."

Bella could tell that even though Alice was acting calm, she was a hair's breadth away from losing her shit too. This was her brother—the only living relative she had that loved her and would do anything for her.

"A pact?"

"If one of us had a chance at freedom because the other was caught, then we were to take it and never look back." Alice's voice was devoid of all emotion as she said it. "We had to live our life of freedom to the fullest to make up for what the other had lost." Her voice cracked on the last word, and her face screwed up in the unmistakable sign of a woman trying not to burst into tears.

Bella felt terrible for putting a chink in Alice's armor. She pulled Alice into another tight hug. They held each other so close and so still because they were holding on to more than just each other's bodies—they were holding onto hope.

Please come.

Please be all right.

I love you…

When the girls finally broke apart, Alice spoke softly. "We're going to do this for Edward. We're going to be strong."

Bella nodded once, and they returned their attention to the mirror and beauty products to try and trick their minds into believing it would be okay.

A dull whooping cry disturbed the silence. Alice and Bella both locked eyes in the mirror and dared to hope.

"That was Jasper," Alice whispered.

As realization of why Jasper would be hollering out loud hit them, they turned simultaneously and ran for the door. Their desire to get back to the boardroom got them get stuck in the doorway as one pushed the door while the other pulled. A nervous giggle escaped Alice as she stepped back and let Bella take the lead. Alice had just seen Carlisle's decision to leave in the next five minutes now that all of them were here.

Bella ran down the dark hallway toward the thin wedge of light that peeked out from under the boardroom doors. It amazed her how a place could seem so spooky and desolate not so long ago, and now it was a safe, protective haven.

She yanked open the conference room door in time to see Jasper release a familiar set of broad shoulders from a hug.

Edward.

The instant the thought hit her mind, he spun around and opened his arms to her. She ran at him and jumped. The force of her body colliding with his caused Edward's knees to buckle as he tried to support her. He fell to the floor cradling in his arms the most precious human he'd ever had the joy of knowing.

Bella's tears erupted once more as she clung to him.

You're safe.

Thank God.

"Where the fuck have you been? I've been scared half to death," she sobbed.

Edward leaned back and laughed. He adored her and kind of wished he could have seen the accompanying image in her mind.

"I'm so sorry I kept you waiting," he said before kissing her hard.

The pair soon let the stress of the past thirteen hours leave them via their joined lips, tasting tongues, exploring hands and flush hips. A not so discrete throat clearing brought the couple back to reality and ceased their amorous activities. Bella flushed scarlet as she realized she'd been grinding against Edward in full sight of everyone after only being back in his arms for less than a minute.

"Where have you been, brother?" Alice demanded. Now that she knew he was out of immediate danger, she could boss him around like normal. There would be plenty of time for a more emotional reunion later.

Bella got up from Edward's lap and helped him to his feet. He kept one arm slung over her shoulders as he looked toward Em, who was grinning like the cat that ate the canary.

"I think I'll let Speed Racer explain," Edward said with a wry smile.

The gentle giant, whom Bella would have sworn was not capable of blushing, turned purple and rocked on his heels as all eyes were on him.

"Ah…well…there may or may not have been a red light involved," he said, trying to look innocent.

Jasper shook his head knowing what a lead foot Emmett could be. "You didn't?"

Edward laughed. "Yep, he did."

"But why were you so long?" Bella asked, confused. It was not like people didn't run red lights every single night in New York City.

"Because it happened to be in front of the only cop car for miles," said Rose, shaking her head at her hopeless boyfriend.

"No!" Carlisle exclaimed.

"Yes!" Edward and Rose replied in unison.

"I was nervous," explained Emmett in defense of his driving skills. "I wasn't sure if they were after us or just doing their thing."

"So you decided to make you guys 'their thing'?" asked Jasper with a smile.

Em grinned before explaining the events that had led them to take almost two hours to travel only a couple of miles. When the police had pulled them over for running the red light, Edward had completely panicked. Logic told him that the officers were not following them, but in the back of his mind, he just couldn't risk it.

As soon as the Jeep had come to a standstill, he jumped out and ran off in the opposite direction. Seeing a man run from the vehicle had the cops' hands instinctively reaching for their firearms, but Em quickly talked them down by informing them that his friend was suffering form the worst case of "explosive" diarrhea known to man, and if he didn't find a bathroom soon, his Levi's would be history.

Edward stood grinning and shaking his head at the bouncer's quick thinking. Only Em would say something like that to an officer of the law. It was perfect though because it also explained why he had not stopped at the red light. Em went on to apologize for putting his upholstery ahead of people's safety and promised he wouldn't do it again.

By the time the cops had written the ticket and were on their way, Edward was nowhere in sight.

"But, that still doesn't explain why you took so long?" Carlisle inquired.

Em looked back at Edward, who was now the one starting to blush.

"Yeah, well, that would be on me, I guess," Edward remarked.

"You guess?" Em said in a high-pitched tone.

Edward smiled before explaining that in his panic, he had just taken off at top speed. He had no destination in mind except from keeping as far away from the back seat of a police vehicle as possible. He must have run for a good ten minutes before the thought finally occurred to him—where the hell was Esme's office?

Em had told Edward in the Jeep that they were headed to Esme's office, but he hadn't elaborated as to where exactly that was. The Jeep had travelled north, south, east and west to avoid being tailed, so Edward didn't even know what direction he should head in. After stopping to get his breath, he decided to head back to where they had been pulled over, but by the time he got there, the others had left. Feeling nervous and vulnerable out on the street alone with no cell or money, Edward wanted to keep moving. He knew BE would be under surveillance by now, but he was at a loss as to where else to go.

After another forty minutes of walking pretty much in circles, Edward decided the only place he could go was back to BE. He set out toward the bar, despite all of his senses telling him not to.

"And, thank heavens that Rosie convinced me that Edward would be dumb enough to head there," Em added.

The pair had circled the streets around where they had been pulled over for what felt like half the night. Finally after no sign of their friend, Rose had insisted that BE was the only place Edward would go. Three blocks from the bar, they spotted Edward trying to climb a fence to cut through and enter the bar from behind. It had been pure luck, or fate as some may call it, that they were reunited.

"So after picking me up, we headed straight here."

Edward pulled Bella in for another hug. He couldn't describe the relief at finding her safe and sound. It almost felt too good to be true, but he also couldn't ignore the burning ache in his chest that he was the reason she had suffered at all. He was why she'd felt the cruel sting of torture. He had brought this upon her, and he'd known right from the start that it was a possibility, but he was too selfish to protect her. Even if by some miracle she forgave him, he would never be able to make this up to her.

Not only had he hurt her in the beginning trying to push her away, but he'd also hurt her again now indirectly. He hadn't raised a hand to her, but he was why she'd had to endure the pain. If only he'd been man enough to stick to his plan in the beginning. There was a reason he never let anybody in.

"I'm so fucking sorry," he whispered against the top of her head. "So sorry."

"Shhh…it's okay," she replied. "We're together, and that's all that matters. It wasn't your fault anyway."

"Don't! Bella, just don't. How can this not be my fault?"

"Edward, you didn't do this to me—they did. Are you seriously still trying to scare me off?"

"You actually want to stay with me…after…after that shit? Bella, you need to protect yourself and fucking get away from me. Do you understand?" Edward looked pained as the words left his mouth.

He didn't want her to follow his advice because he loved her, and he needed her, but he also truly did want the best for her. And, if leaving him was the best option, then that was what she should do.

"Attention, everyone. I only want to say this once." Carlisle's voice interrupted the couple's conversation. Bella never got to voice her answer, and it pained Edward wondering if she had finally decided to leave. He wouldn't blame her, that was for sure, and he also wasn't going to stop touching her to find out.

"Edward, Alice, I hope you don't mind, but I've had time to formulate a plan."

The doctor looked at both of the siblings to see if they were upset about him taking over.

"Carlisle, you've saved all our necks," Alice stated. "We're just grateful for anything you can do…but, you're going to be on their hit list if you continue to help us."

"Don't care. Nobody touches my…" he hesitated.

Edward met Carlisle's sad stare and nodded at him. "Yes, Carlisle, we are," he said quietly.

"Thank you." Carlisle gave a quick nod in return before continuing. "Nobody touches my family and gets away with it."

Alice and Bella beamed at Carlisle. Having him want to protect them, like only family would, made them feel safe.

"Hey? I've still got folks. Does that mean I can't be part of your family?" Emmett asked with a forlorn look.

"Not at all, Em. You're a crucial member of this team," Carlisle said honestly. "So if you'd like to be part of the adopted Cullen clan, then by all means."

Emmett's face lit up like a mall at Christmas. "Cool, bro," he said, holding a fist out to Jasper, who was standing next to him. Em then acknowledged each new "sibling" around the circle with either a head nod or a wink, but his smile faded when he got to Rose. "You! You are not my sister!" he said, causing the others to laugh. "Just so we're clear on that, right?"

Jasper shoved Emmett in the shoulder. "You're an idiot."

"Speaking of idiots," Edward interrupted. "What exactly were you thinking when you left the police station?"

"Huh?" Em asked.

"You were thinking about what I can only guess was a drag queen when you left the station? How on earth was Jake going to get us out of there?"

"Not a drag queen—I was trying to tell you that I was going to get you a lawyer," Em explained.

"How on earth did that stupid stick figure of yours look anything like a lawyer?" Edward was always curious to work out people's thought patterns.

"Well, I knew I couldn't show you a lawyer as they are just men in suits, so I though about a judge and hoped you get the connection."

Edward started laughing. "Fuck, that was a judge? Yeah, I can see that now…sort of." The wig and judge's gown could easily be misinterpreted as a man in drag with Em's overly simple images.

"All right, you two, shut up, and let Carlisle speak," Jasper ordered.

"Thank you, Jasper. So, we're going to remain in three teams. Team leaders are myself, Jasper and Em."

Edward frowned. The stress of the day had left him so mentally and emotionally drained, that he was having trouble picking up the doctor's images. Carlisle's thoughts had always been a mix of visual and not. He tended to be more visual the more emotional he was. So earlier, Edward had a clear imagine of "family." Currently, he was in Chief Surgeon mode, so his images were vague at best.

Edward didn't care because the only mind he wanted to be in was Bella's. He'd stopped touching her to watch her thoughts intently to see if she decided that this was all too much and told him to fuck off. So far she was just thankful that everyone was together and that she had a proper family again to support her. She missed that feeling with Charlie being so sick for so long.

"Team leaders are also the drivers," Carlisle continued.

"I'm not on Em's team," Edward announced.

The statement caught Carlisle off guard, and he was momentarily silent processing the meaning of Edward's words. Alice sighed.

"Seriously, Edward, for someone that has a gift, you are so stupid sometimes. As if he'd separate you and your girl. Now shut up and listen," Alice said in her big sister tone.

"We're going to need code names, so we might as well start with that," Carlisle said.

When Carlisle had thought of the idea, he had felt a bit ridiculous, but if the agency that was looking for them was serious, they might start tapping phone lines. When he announced his idea, he was surprised none of them questioned him or made him feel silly, and then it dawned on him. Edward and Jasper had been using code names for years at the bar. Each and every night, a new code name would make the patrons forget that they didn't really know their barman at all.

Moving around the circle away from the doctor, they all spoke in turn.

"I'm Hong Kong Phooey," Jasper said with a karate chop. "If anyone gets near Alice again, I'll go down fighting."

"Elasta-girl," said Alice. "From The Incredibles," she explained to Garrett, who had just joined them. "'Cause it's gonna be a stretch getting out here."

"Aladdin," said Edward. Jasper raised his eyebrows at Edward's choice. In his mind, Jasper pictured the Disney character wearing the puffiest genie pants ever made in bright hot pink. Edward looked ridiculous wearing them.

Edward rolled his eyes at the image before explaining his choice. "We're gonna need a flying fucking carpet to get out of this shit storm."

Bella was next. She looked a little shy when she made her choice.

"Mushu from Mulan." Bella wasn't going to mention that she always thought of herself for some crazy reason as the last lonely dragon, and Edward was her knight. If dragons and knights had teamed up back in the day, they would have made invincible forces even though they held the power to completely destroy each other, she thought. Now being small seemed far more appropriate.

"I'll be protected by my dragon scales, but I'm small enough to smuggle out in someone's pocket," she explained.

Edward had seen the thoughts that she had kept private from the others. He'd seen her thinking about dragons before, but now it finally made sense. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. Once again, he was caught between touching her and keeping an eye on her thoughts.

"I'm not sure I have that much honor, but I'll protect you to the death," he said quietly to her.

You're wrong.

Only a man with honor wouldn't have used his gift for personal gain.

You ARE my knight.

But…I don't wanna be a princess.

I'm your dragon!

Edward laughed. He was relieved she was in such good spirits after her ordeal, but he was aware that everyone was watching them.

"Settled. You're my little pocket dragon," he said, touching the tip of her nose with his finger.

Next in turn was Garrett. He stood looking blank. "Ah…ah…Nemo?" he asked.

When nobody indicated a problem with his choice, he shrugged his shoulders. "My kid can practically recite the whole thing."

"She-Ra," said Rose, winking at Em.

"That's my girl."

"Can it, Em. We don't want to know about your bedroom antics," Jasper said.

Edward winced.

Then in the deepest, most booming voice that he could manage, Emmett announced. "I'm the Phantom."

He stood with his chest pushed out, his hands on both his hips as he turned his upper body at the waist from left to right repeatedly.

Bella giggled. "Not Godzilla?"

Em frowned, torn between the two characters. She knew him well. Emmett would like the raw strength that Godzilla represented.

"The Phantom suits your task better, Em," Carlisle added, really getting into picking the characters. He could see why Edward and Jasper had so much fun with the bar themes.

"Cool. The ghost who walks," Em confirmed.

Lastly, it was Carlisle's turn. "How about Mr. Magoo?"

The resounding and unanimous "no" from the whole group made Carlisle frown.

"Why not?"

"'Cause he's the least sexy cartoon character in history," Edward answered.

"You might be feeling old, but you've still got it," Jasper explained.

Carlisle looked horrified at the idea of still being seen as sexy.

Edward chuckled. "It's true, pops. I've seen what the ladies at the bar would like to do to you."

"Told ya," added Garrett. "Nurses are never that friendly."

Jasper and Edward looked at each other. Jasper was flicking through image after image in quick succession like a slide show.

"That's it," Edward said.

"You're gonna be Clark Kent, doc," Jasper informed him with a wink. "Only blond."

Carlisle started to argue that he wasn't even close to living up to Clark's abilities but was soon won over when Bella pointed out that only Superman could have gotten them out of that dungeon in one piece.

With their hidden identities settled, Clark explained that The Phantom and She-Ra would take Nemo to kidnap Charlie.

"Wait," interrupted Emmett. "Charlie can be Birdman."

Bella rolled her eyes. "That's so original, Kit"

"Swan—bird," he started to explain.

"We get it!" they all yelled.

Emmett just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. He was happy, and nothing they could say would change that.

Carlisle continued to explain that Nemo would get Birdman and bring him back to the Jeep. The Phantom would drop them at a random hotel to stay at until Clark made contact.

Hong Kong Phooey and Elasta-girl would convoy with Clark, Aladdin and Mushu. Together, the two cars would drive to Clark's 45-foot yacht moored in The Hamptons, and they would set sail to leave the US as soon as possible.

"No!" Edward interjected. "No. No. Definitely not."

All eyes were on him to explain his sudden outburst.

"I'm not condemning Bella to a life on the run. Forget it."

The moment he spoke, all hell broke loose. It appeared that everyone had an opinion on that. The only opinion that mattered to Edward was Bella's.

Hey, cut that out.

You're not condemning me to anything.

I'm not leaving you.

And, I'm certainly not going back to our apartment…ever!

So are you just going to leave me here to fend them off alone?

"Fuck no!" Edward dragged his hand through his hair. "I'd never leave you unprotected."

The others realized that they were communicating privately and quieted down to listen. Now that Bella didn't have to try and yell above the din, she spoke out loud.

"And, how long to do you plan on staying out of their clutches in the city?"

"Well…we'd have to leave New York."

"So, leaving New York is okay, but the country is out of the question?"

"Bella, be reasonable. It's so much to ask of you. Too much." Edward looked so upset at the thought of uprooting Bella that she found it difficult to stay stern with him.

"Well, if we're going to start afresh, then it might as well be somewhere we don't have to look over our shoulders. Turns out my minor in Spanish might be useful after all."

I love you, Edward.

It's you and me…

Together…

Forever…

And, it doesn't matter where.

Edward pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tight and marveled yet again at what he'd done to deserve her. He hadn't realized his heart had been aching at the thought of what was going to happen to them. Now that she had assured him she was sticking by him, the ache eased.

Carlisle gave the couple a moment before he continued. Bella turned around in Edward's arms, and he rested his chin on the top of her head. He hooked one arm over her shoulder and clasped his other hand that circled up from her waist. He was like a human seatbelt. His need to touch her had finally taken over after seeing the commitment she had to staying with him.

"The first task before we split up is to get prepaid cell phones," added the doctor. He'd thought of everything.

"I need to get my money," Edward stated. For the second time in as many minutes, all eyes were on him.

"Me too," added Alice.

"What money?" Carlisle asked.

Edward explained that he kept his emergency money at BE because he'd never been able to open a bank account. Carlisle initially said they should forget it until Edward explained how Alice and he knew how hard it was to start over with nothing. For that reason, they'd came up with the nest egg idea the last time they'd moved.

When they came to New York City, they had saved up until they had twenty thousand each put aside so that if they ever had to relocate again, they would be able to do it comfortably. It was decided then that Em would show up for work on Tuesday as scheduled and see if he could get in to retrieve the stash.

"So where is it, bro?" Em asked, excited at getting a chance to really be the ghost that walked.

"You're gonna need a hammer and a crowbar," Edward said.

"Dude, sweet! I get to break shit on purpose. Alice, where's yours?"

"In my wardrobe. There are six large boxes of Tampax at the back. The top one's full of…well…tampons, but the rest have my cash in them."

"Actually, baby, there are only four," Jasper said. "I grabbed two on the off chance." He patted his backpack. "We've now got travel money."

"T-T-Tam…" Em stuttered, looking horrified. "No fucking way! I'm not touching that shit."

The collective eye roll told Em exactly how the group felt, but Edward voiced his opinion, sounding incredulous.

"And, I'm the one called Pussy."