Thanks for all the reviews. They are really getting me through this hellish week!
What About Now was nominated for Fic of the Month over at Twilight Fanfictions Recommendations(Completed)! Go vote if you are so inclined!
"Oh God, seriously…you're naked?" A voice said, disgusted. "Get dressed…please. Before I need therapy."
Bella struggled to wake up.
"Kate?"
"Denali? How the hell did you get in here?" Edward groaned, turning away from the intrusion.
"Under the welcome mat? Really, Doucheward? That's where you chose to put the spare key?" She smirked.
"What do you want, Denali?"
"Not you, that's for damn sure. Bella, I need to vent…and I came all the way out here in the middle of nowhere, where there are bugs and shit, to talk to you…so get up. Cullen…leave." She ordered.
"This is my bedroom and that is my wife and I am naked. You leave."
"Well, that is my person…and I need her and believe me…I will turn around. I don't need that image in my head." She retorted, shuddering to prove her point.
"Bella." Edward groaned.
Bella looked between the two.
"Edward…" She said, hesitantly.
Kate smirked. Edward sighed.
"Fine. Turn around Denali." He ordered.
"Gladly." She said turning around.
Edward grabbed his pajama pants and his shirt and pulled them on. He leaned over and kissed Bella before handing her her robe. He sighed again and headed out the door.
"Hey, can you check on Emma?" Bella called out to him, shrugging into her red robe.
"Yeah." He said disgruntled.
Kate walked over to the bed and just before she was to sit on it, she pulled the throw from the ottoman and put it over the sheets.
"Don't want Doucheward sperm anywhere near me, whether I am clothed or not. " She informed Bella, who giggled.
"So…what's up?" She asked.
"There is this man…" Kate began.
"Seriously?" Bella asked, a smile spreading over her face.
"Don't get all girly on me, Bella…he has problems…"
"Like mental problems or sex problems…cause there are pills for both." Bella said.
"Mental problems…he is…was…in the Army and he saw stuff. And his shrink said to stay away from me but I don't think I want him to and I am all confused and I need my person's advice…now that you are all bright and shiny." Kate said.
Bella blinked and looked carefully at her friend who was vulnerable, really vulnerable, maybe for the first time in her life.
"Okay…" Bella said slowly. "Screw the shrink…well, not literally. He needs the shrink don't get me wrong…shrink is very important…believe me, but you can help him, too, Kate…just by being there and being understanding and not letting him back down or back away from you. Show him you are in this for the long haul. Show him you are not bailing. Trust in him and in yourself and it will work itself out."
Kate regarded her for a minute. She nodded.
"Okay…I think I can do that. Be there for the long haul and stuff. I just…I really think I like…no, love…this man. I can see myself in forty years being with him…eating dinner with you and Cullen…no matter how agonizing that would be."
"Agonizing?"
"Bella, it is torture just being in his presence…"
Bella grabbed her pillow and hit Kate with it.
Kate looked at her in shock.
"You did not just do that." She said.
Bella hit her again.
"Oh, it is on, Bitch." Kate yelled, grabbing a pillow and whacking Bella with it.
***IASS***
Edward looked up towards the ceiling, wondering what the hell was going on up there.
He looked at Emma, who was eating scrambled eggs and just making a general mess.
"Can you say Kate is really weird?" He cooed to Emma.
"Kay Weer?" Emma said.
"That's my girl." He said, kissing her on top of her downy blond curls.
He heard a crash and looked up again.
"I am so not cleaning up that mess!" He yelled to them.
"Shut it, Doucheward!" Kate yelled back.
"I didn't ask you, too." Bella yelled, sassily, while giggling loudly.
Edward rolled his eyes.
"Bitch!"
"Whore!"
"I am married…"
"Okay, so married whore…"
"Slut!"
Edward looked up in amazement. Get Kate Denali over here and Bella turned into a teenager again. He smiled to himself. She was happy.
"Sut…Bits…" Emma squealed.
"Language." He called up the stairs.
"Shi…Crap! Sorry!" Bella giggled. "Ouch!"
"You should pay attention!" Kate yelled.
Edward groaned. He returned to his task of making breakfast for the two dirty mouthed teenagers upstairs.
***IASS***
"Hey Bree. Where's Bella?" Edward asked, as he walked up to where Bree had Emma.
"She had a meeting with the Chief about coming back to work so she asked me to look after Emma and, of course, I said yes." Bree informed him.
"Eh?" Emma reached up for him.
Edward handed his chart to a nurse and took Emma into his arms.
"Wha Tat?" She asked, pointing to his stethoscope.
"This is to listen to your heart." He explained, putting it to her chest and hooking one part into her ear. She giggled at the sound.
"Tump…Tump." She said. She took it from her chest and put in one his. "Tump…Tump!"
Bree and Edward laughed.
Edward took the stethoscope and blew into it. Emma jumped and then laughed out loud. She took it from him and babbled into it.
"Well, that will keep her occupied. Starting early, are we?" Bella asked, coming towards them, smiling.
Edward kissed her cheek.
"How did it go?" He asked.
"Great." She said. She looked at Bree. "Thanks for watching her for me." She told her.
"No problem, but now back to work." Bree sighed, walking off.
"Tump…Tump Eh!" Emma said, putting the round piece on Bella's breast.
"Are you going to be a doctor, Emma?" Bella asked.
"Dotor…Tump…Tump!" Emma squealed.
"So when do you start?" Edward asked.
Bella sighed.
"Whenever I want to. The Chief left it open ended but I can't afford to lose much more time off of my training or I will fall behind…so I told him I would start Monday." She said.
"You're worried about something." He stated.
"I have been with Emma non-stop since we got her and I am worried about her reaction to both of us being away from her for long each day. What if she gets scared or worried that we won't come get her or if we died and went away or…"
Edward put a hand to her mouth.
"She will be here in the hospital with us…only she will be in the daycare. We are minutes away if they need us. She needs to interact with other children, it will be good for her. We can't be with her every minute of every day…we have to let her stand on her own." Edward said.
"She is one, Edward, not eighteen." Bella pointed out. "Let her stand on her own? What kind of crap is that?"
"Smart crap." Edward said.
"Edward, what if…"
"Why don't we go down to the daycare now and take a tour…let Emma get used to her surroundings before we call in the shrink for her abandonment issues, okay?" He said.
Bella glared at him.
"Don't be a smartass, Edward, it doesn't help you get laid." She taunted.
"Stopping now." He said quickly.
"Good boy." She said.
"Question…why is it that wives do that to their husbands? Threaten to or actually cut off sex?" He asked.
Bella looked at him sassily.
"Because it works." She said.
"Hmmm…what if I did that to you?"
Bella raised an eyebrow.
"Do what exactly?"
"Withhold sex from you…I bet I can outlast you having no sexual contact for two weeks." He said.
Bella laughed.
"No sex for two weeks?"
"That's what I said." He said smartly, his eyes challenging.
"Whoever gives in first does what the other wants for a week." Edward said.
"No matter what it is?" She asked.
"No matter what it is." He agreed.
Bella smirked.
"You have a deal." She said offering her hand.
He took it and shook it firmly.
"Deal."
Bella took Emma from him and walked away slowly.
"Your Uncle Edward just made a deal with the devil." She whispered to the little girl.
Edward watched Bella walk away, her bottom swishing enticingly. Edward swallowed hard thinking he should have gotten some today before opening his mouth and inserting his big fat foot.
*waiting for the comments blasting Kate for breaking and entering and Bella for making Edward leave* LOL