A/N: Hey chickadees (and maybe Roosters) I ended up having to break this chap up...cuz it was ginormous. I should have the other part of this update posted tomorrow sometime. I love you all and have to say thanks again for nomming AST for The Indies. Tonight's the last night to vote. www dot theindietwificawards dot com We're up for AH story that knocks you off your feet and Secondary Characterization for our dear Charlotte. Soooo, if you wanna jump over there real quick and vote --if you already haven't--run now and do it

AST also got rec'd on the Fictionators this last Friday, I'm beyond stoked about that and the interview yours truly gave to MVF.

Big thanks to lexiecullen17 my very own Char for her beta genius.

SM owns the characters

BPOV

Ever since Monday, and the presentation, my week had been flying by. It was almost as if the report was the acme point on my hill and now everything else was on that downward slope. Tuesday and Wednesday flew past so quickly that it wasn't until I overheard Charlotte and Alice talking on Thursday that I remembered what they had been doing...prepping for Valentine's Day.

The two had taken off after class every day this week to go out and do some window shopping, aka "Hey, Bella, check out this great outfit we found for you on the Ave." So I knew what they were up to...hitting every store in a five mile radius and harassing poor sales people for the perfect "look". And come Friday--as I'd learned we were prepping the night before--it would be all "Bella you're wearing this" and "Oh, this is how your hair should look." Then, they would argue over my accessories and make up.

But I wouldn't argue with them. How could I? It would make my Charlotte so happy. Yes and she deserves a little happy right now. Even if it does mean torturing yourself. Exactly. Getting ready for the 'Day of Love' while fighting with your significant other couldn't be fun. And by Char's wonderful attitude, I could tell just how hard it was for her.

Secretly, I had been praying that Peter would make some grand gesture to make up for his idiocy. As much as his behavior irked me, she loved him, and I wanted to see her smile and snark return. In fact, I needed him to fix this shit up...days ago. The thought of Charlotte being so upset that she would return to Texas made my stomach twist into knots as it rolled over and curled into the fetal position.

Wednesday and Thursday nights, she had barricaded herself in "our" room and stayed up til God knows when on the phone with him. The quiet conversations were the ones that bothered me most. They had spent countless hours yelling at one another, and I actually preferred it. Silence meant that they had given up the fight.

So, with all of that in mind, if she dared to pick out some barely-there, red monstrosity...then I would wear it with a smile on my face. God, she better know how much I love her. And before I left for my final shift at The Blue Moon, I poked my head in, interrupted her phone call, and reminded her of just that.

My shift had been uneventful--Ang had made sure of it. I spent almost the entire time rearranging the stock room and filling the empty space behind the bar. Then, even though it was busy as fuck, she informed me that I was to head home. I left, shaking my head, but it wasn't worth it to argue with her. I promised to call her later in the weekend and she responded with a "you better."

So, now it was Friday--the day before Valentine's. My new/old job at the coffee house wouldn't start until Monday, so I had the whole weekend to just be with Edward. Talk about the best gift ever. Flashes of Edward naked passed through my mind, making me shiver. To any passers by, it would look like the cold weather had crept up on me as I stood outside of the Fine Arts building. My last class of the day had just let out.

Everyone else was still in class or had at least one more to attend before their day ended. I thought about waiting around the quad for someone but had that odd feeling like someone was watching me. Which, in thinking about it, I was sure there was. Yeah, like half of Edward and Emmett's fraternity or any one of Alice's or Ang's recruits. I felt really silly wanting to hurry up and head home. I mean, I'd had too much creepy lately.

But fear had a wonderful way of making your feet work before your brain caught up to what you were doing. I pulled the collar of my jacket up and wrapped my arms tightly around my middle. The cold wind beat at my exposed skin, and I couldn't wait to be inside the warmth of the apartment. Trouble was, when I got there I'd still be alone. Peeking down at my watch, I saw that Charlotte and Alice would be leaving their classes in less than an hour.

I could manage that long by myself. Geesh, I need to tell Edward that I should start learning to walk alone again. I had spent so much time under someone's watchful eye--ever since the weird flowers and the break in--that I was now scared to be alone in my own apartment, even under lock and key. As the door clicked into place, I made sure to double and triple check that all the locks, including the deadbolt, were in place.

The whole place was too quiet without all the background noise from everyone. The first thing I did was turn the television on then wrapped myself up into my snuggie and planted myself on the couch. One of those crazy judge shows was on. The man sitting behind the bench had on a typical black robe, but his attitude was something else entirely. He talked in slang and got in the faces of the people taking up space in his courtroom. It was all kinds of hilarious and distracting...just what I needed it to be.

He had just called the plaintiff a crack head, and I was having a hard time containing my giggles so I could hear the rest of his ruling, when there was a knock at the door. Looking through the peephole, I didn't see anyone there. Figuring it was a mail drop, I cracked the door open. Charlotte's parents had taken to sending her 'care packages' lately. Her favorite chocolates and other treats had been showing up regularly.

So, as I bent down to pick up the brown paper wrapped package, I was surprised to see that it was addressed to me. It couldn't be from anyone outside my close circle of friends or my family. The school didn't have the new address on file yet, but the post office did have the forward address on file. But the yellow post master sticker was missing from this one, so whoever sent it to me knew this was where I lived.

Figuring it was a gift from either Edward or my parents, I sat it on the kitchen table. I would wait and make sure who it was from--I didn't want to open something if Edward wanted to give it to me himself. Curiosity was starting to get the better of me, though. It sat in shadows from the window, which made it look ominous and intriguing. Just as I was about to tear it open, I heard a bunch of clatter at the front door.

Rushing to see what it was, I almost tripped over the too large snuggie I was still wearing, instead stubbing my big toe. Pulling it free of my body and tossing it on to the back of the couch was a chore while hopping on one foot like a lunatic. The pain began to dull as Alice tried to finagle herself in the door with arm loads of bags, most of which appeared to be from local boutiques and high priced retail stores. Internally I groaned; I knew exactly what was about to happen.

I picked a few bags from her death grip and followed her over to the same kitchen table I had just been standing over. The small brown box was taken over by a mountain of Alice's stuff and would have to wait. Alice was talking a mile a minute about Charlotte skipping out of class early to come home. She began prattling on about different outfit combinations and some great deal she got at a close out sale on boho jewelry.

She was talking animatedly, her hands swinging a bag about, when Charlotte came in the house. I knew it was her when she started yelling from the living room about us setting up in there. Alice headed out, and I stopped to picture what might be wrapped up in the tissue paper bundles and tucked in the fancy bags.

"What do you mean set up in here?" I asked when I finally made it in the den. The two were happily draping complete outfits, shoes included, over the back of the couch. "Edward will be here soon. We just can't undress in the middle of here."

"Oh..." Alice looked at me, all wide-eyed and innocent. "Did I forget to tell you that Jasper was stealing him away and keeping him busy for a bit?"

Batting my eyelashes at her, feigning the same mock-innocence, I countered. "Yeah, you may have. But between all of your discounts and sales chatter, I could have missed it."

"What are they out doing anyway?" Charlotte asked, her voice sounding sad. I could imagine that us speculating about what our men were out planning was not helping her mood any.

"Actually..." Alice paused and almost looked concerned herself. "...actually, for once, I have no idea. Jas made me promise not to do recon and let them plan tomorrow out with no interference."

Charlotte and I stood with twin expressions...mouth agape, eyes surprised, and speechless. Alice not being sneaky and not knowing what was going to happen was, well, amazing and a little scary. Left to their own defenses, who knew what they would choose for us to do tomorrow. Paintball shot into my head, and I winced.

"I know just how you feel," Alice spoke softly to my shivering frame. "It scares me, too, but Jas assured me that we'll enjoy ourselves...you" she pointed directly at Charlotte's grim face "you included."

"Not happening," an adamant southern voice rang out. "I am not being the extra wheel."

Alice waved off her response, and I laughed. We all knew that she would get her way, and there was no use in Char even bothering to argue the point. Two hours into playing dress up--complete with snapping a picture with every new look--my phone rang out. Charlie's ring tone chirped along happily. I showed the screen to the girls and excused myself to Edward's room.

Before closing the door I heard Alice say, "Char, I still think the one we picked out the other day is my favorite for her." Smiling, I knew that even in my absence, my clothes would look perfect for tomorrow, and I would be thrilled with whatever they picked out. Settling on the bed, I sighed and answered the phone. Charlie had gone to court today, and I was not sure what type of mood he'd be in.


EPOV

By the time Jasper and I made it back to the apartment, we had met up with Emmett and devised the plans for tomorrow. And as we approached the front door, I was totally convinced that an angry Bella would be waiting for me. I had not called because Jasper told me that Alice would let her know where I had gone, but knowing Ali, it might not have gotten relayed.

Even with my trepidation, excitement bolted through me. Tomorrow would be a blast, then everyone would have Sunday to recover or be off on their own. Fuck Valentine's Day...it was officially Valentine's Weekend. Emmett, Jasper and I had divied up Saturday, so that we each got to plan something. And, keeping Charlotte in mind--because we all adored her, we decided that the group activities should be something everyone would enjoy.

We just prayed that the girls would enjoy what we had thought up. Then, after the last activity, we would split up into couples and venture off for the more erotic...errr...romantic part of the holiday. But as I braced myself to meet the angry gaze of my lover, I was met with only quiet and darkness. Flicking on the lights, I was also met with a mess--a mess that I recognized in an instant.

The living area had various brightly colored bags, articles of clothes, and hangers laid over every inch of both couches. There were shoes outside of their boxes and some left in, even if those ones were mismatched. And there was a digital camera set on it's side on the coffee table, still plugged into the laptop by a USB cord.

Suddenly, flashbacks of Alice from high school hit me hard. I remembered her making me sit in our parent's den and watch as she modeled outfit after outfit until she found the right combination and response from me. Shaking my head, I realized that Bella had either been the audience or the main attraction. With either of those options, I was sure that she was tired and more than likely...grumpy. Jasper left me alone in the midst of the mess and headed toward the music coming from my sister's room. He smiled at me, and with a wink and a 'shh' motion, disappeared.

I headed down the hallway and looked at the room she was supposedly sharing with Charlotte--even though she hadn't slept there once, not that I minded. It had the glow of lights coming from underneath the door jamb. I knocked lightly and was met by a smiling Charlotte, who when she cracked the door open, I noticed had her phone pressed to her ear. I gave a small wave, and she pointed at my room's door. Giving her a silent 'thanks' and a nod, I left her to finish what I was sure was a conversation with Peter.

My bedroom was flanked in darkness. The only form of light came when I cracked the door open and highlighted Bella's sleeping form, lying diagonally across the bed. Yup. I had guessed right. Talk about exhausted--she still had on a pair of jeans and only one shoe, and the mate to it sat on its side just below her foot as it dangled off the bed. My eyes roamed up her denim-clad legs, and I saw that she had taken off her shirt and only had a lacy pink and black bra left on.

At that sight, my erection sprang up and slammed hard into the confines of underwear and jeans that I was wearing. Selfishly, I wanted to walk across the room and pull the skinny jeans down her wonderful legs, push her panties over to the side, and enter her from behind, but the fact that she was half-clothed and sound asleep stopped me dead in my tracks. Instead, I choose door number two and walked in to the bathroom. I'd just have take a shower and kill a few kittens as Alice said.

I let out a long, slow breath and shut the door slowly, so it wouldn't make that loud clicking noise. My heart was practically taking up residence in my cock--the damn thing was throbbing in correlation with my accelerated heart rate. My hand stayed gripping the handle tightly, while my forehead found some cool relief on the wall, my free hand propping my torso away from the cool textured surface where my head lay.

The whiteness of the room had always gave me a sense of cleanliness and serenity, but now it was too bright...too much. Closing my eyes, my mind flashed back to the bare skin on Bella's back as she laid spread out on my bed, only it wasn't my bed anymore...it was ours.

Then a tumble of raw images flew through my mind at such high speed, making my head spin. In my mind, Bella was riding me, and then I was pushing into her against the door. Then I remembered her going down on me while I was driving us home, my teeth grazing over her collarbone, and the resulting moan that escaped her perfectly plump lips. It was like flipping through the mental pages of a photo book.

My hand left the door and traveled across my stomach, the light touches triggering more blazing thoughts of Bella's tiny hands groping at my flesh. I was too far gone in the fantasy to even make it in the shower. The muscles that ran up and down my back clenched as I felt Bella wrap herself around me.

"Starting without me?" she whispered into my shirt. "And after you left me to be beautified by the fashion twins. I don't get a reward for good behavior?"

I turned to face her and ended up repositioning us so that she was pressed snugly against the wall. Looking into her half-awake stare, I spoke, sex driving my tone and breathing. "You were asleep when I got in, and I saw the mess in the other room...figured you needed the rest more then I wanted to be inside of you." She moaned the moan I had just fantasized about and ground her hips into mine.

"Well, if you'd rather do this..." she reached down and cupped my cock in her hand "by yourself, I can go back to bed. But then, I'd feel so left out that I'd have to work on myself...all alone in your bed."

The vixen had her claws out to play. She knew the thought of her touching her slick lips would drive me crazy. A growl sprang out of my mouth at the thought. The erotic mental image triggered my need to be inside of Bella again. As she played out her little tease and tried to get out of my grasp, I slammed my mouth to hers, knocking her head back to the wall. My hand found purchase in her hair's tangles and cushioned her skull from the hard surface.

Rolling on the balls of my feet, I gave myself the balance I needed to free my other hand up. I made quick work of the clasp of her bra and felt her shift so that it dropped down her arms and onto the floor. Small hands clawed at my pants and the hem of my shirt. I only broke the kiss to pant out some short breaths and pull my shirt off my body. We worked in fluid synchronicity to undo each other's pants and shimmied in a somewhat choreographed dance to get them to our ankles.

I didn't allow the shock of finding Bella's bare pussy show. Not only had she foregone panties, but she had also been busy getting waxed. Fuck. That must have been the appointment she mentioned this morning. As my fingers felt the smooth skin and slick lips, my cock twitched in delighted anticipation.

"It was going to be a sort of present for tomorrow night," she purred close to my ear. When I didn't say anything, just kept staring at my fingers while they worked, she spoke again. "I even bought something to wrap it up in, pretty bows included...and crotchless." She elongated the last word, and I could no longer breathe. The image that word conjured up was like a vacuum that made time standstill.

"Bella, I want you now and I don't think I can go as slow as you would like." The words sounded foreign to my own ears. but her reply sealed the deal.

"I just want you to fuck me." The pitch of her words rose as I entered her roughly, making her squeal. My hand made sure to grip at the back of her head as I slammed into her wet, tight pussy, and with the wax dissolving any barrier, all I could feel was Bella.

The base of my cock was punching against her swollen clit, and I could feel my sack slapping her thighs and ass with every stroke. I felt her body walls begin to convulse around my shaft as I penetrated her. Her free leg left the floor to wrap around my hips, giving her a better position to grind out her orgasm. I took full advantage of this new position and slid my hands to clutch her ass in my palms and carry her into the shower.

Her muscles flexed with the change but then eased under the warmth of the spray. The glossy black tiles shone in the dim light, and I tried to focus on her face but was too lost in the feel of her. I could discern the coy smile on her lips before she purposefully ran her tongue along the line of the top one. She was up to something, and I could only hope it involved being naughty. As if on cue, Bella hooked her heels into the bend of my knees, and her hands squeezed my shoulders. She was going to ride my dick under the warm stream while I was standing up with nothing to brace myself.

It was dangerous and definitely kinky...and I wanted her all the more for it. My emotions rolled off me in hot waves that matched the water's temperature, it wouldn't be long before I lost it and spilled--in more than one way. Her jerky strokes told me that she was close again. So, in running my hands up her spine, I pulled her frame down on me by way of her shoulders and started pumping into her. The lack of stabilization kept the strokes short but full of passion, and soon we were a tangled mess of wet limbs, panting out our joint orgasms.

Carefully, I helped her feet find the ground and steadied her so that she didn't slip on the slick tiles. Then, without saying the actual words, I showed Bella how much I cared for her by reverently, washing every inch of her beautiful body and gorgeous hair. I couldn't wait for tomorrow and the gifts that I had planned out.

~*~Valentine's Day~*~

When I woke up, my body ached from the events in the shower, but all I could feel was bliss. Rolling onto my right side, I saw Bella snuggled deep into the covers, still knocked out. The woman would be the death of me in all the best ways. Glancing over the rise and fall of her chest, I caught a glimpse of the time. Seven thirty-two AM...in an hour and a half, the day's surprise plans would start.

I knew I wasn't the only man awake when I heard the low rumble of voices in the hall. Emmett must have shown up early. We all knew what a stickler for perfection he was--when it came to Rose at least. 'Only the best,' he would always say. But as the voices got more defined, I heard the eloquent tones of the South in the hall outside my door.

Rising quietly out of bed and inching my way over, I slipped out of the room in only a pair of pajama bottoms to see Jasper and...Peter. I must have looked to be in utter awe because the smooth drawl of Charlotte sounded just to my right.

"Yes, he's here. No, we're not discussing it. Yes, everything is fine, and please fill him in on the day's goings on." She answered every question that had popped in my head and then some. Jasper paused in the middle of his sentence and pointedly stared at Charlotte. "Yes, I know I'm not supposed to know," she shot out before vanishing back into her room.

Jasper gave me the once over. "E, man, you're not wearing pj's out in public. Go get ready, and I'll fill Peter in," he said before clapping a hand down on the fellow Texan's shoulder and strutting into the living area.

My mind was still reeling from his appearance, and I hoped two things. One--that Charlotte really was okay with him being there. And two--that he didn't fuck up the rest our day with his asshole attitude that he tended to show up with...because I was only slightly afraid that Bella might kill him, and that would not go over well. I had to forewarn her and inform her of Char's seemingly nonchalance over it.

When we had met yesterday, both Em and I decided that Jasper should get to decide what we do for the evening, since he was proposing to our baby sister. Then he and I divided up the morning and afternoon parts. I got morning, so, in a little over an hour, my plan would go into action.

I grabbed a hold of my phone as soon as I got back into the bedroom and sent out two quick texts, making sure that everything was ready to go. The replies came back moments later and confirmed that we were good to go. I left my phone atop the dresser and reached into my top drawer. Sitting just under the rolls of white crew socks was a red envelope with Bella's first gift in it.

I sat it on the night stand and pressed my lips into the flesh of her cheek, causing her to mumble something incoherent back in response.

"Bella, Happy Valentine's Day. I'm gonna go get dressed...if you wanna wake up and get ready for our day."

The moment the words of what day it was fell out of my mouth, she sprang into a sitting position. Good thing I had backed away a bit, or else we would be spending it in the ER with a broken nose. Her eyes were wide with panic and--what I hoped was--excitement. "How long until we leave? Oh my, Edward, why didn't you wake me up sooner? Will I have enough time to get ready? Shit, if I don't look right, the girls are gonna kick my ass." All of this was spat out in one long anxious sentence as she rushed into the bathroom.

The water in the sink and shower being turned on at the same time drowned out any further comments. Suddenly, she reappeared in the doorway and rushed over to me, jumping up and wrapping herself around me. She kissed me firmly on the lips saying, "Happy Valentine's to you, too, Edward. I can't wait for today."

I laughed, the sound barely passing through my lips, as they were still pressed to hers. "Your first gift is next to the bed for when you're finished getting ready." I watched as she eyed it sneakily. Knowing what she was thinking, I tacked on, "I'll get dressed and then meet you in the kitchen with everyone else."

One, two, and three more kisses were gifted to me as she unwound herself and darted into the bathroom. Alice had not-so-politely picked out a shirt for me to wear, and the only reason I agreed was it went well with what we had planned. The red and white horizontal-striped polo hung inside my closest along side a brand new pair of pressed dark Diesel jeans. I made quick work of the clothes and then headed out to start some coffee.

Two minutes hadn't even passed when I heard Bella squeal through the door. I happily walked out to the kitchen, knowing that if she had been dressed, she would have burst through the door to tell me what she thought of the gift.

I found Jasper and Peter sitting at the kitchen table, two cups of coffee already in hand. They stiffened and got quiet when they heard me coming but resumed their conversation once they saw it was me. "I made some calls," Jasper said conspiratorially. "We shouldn't have any problems adding you to everything. We had already included Char."

"Charlotte," Peter stated, all matter of fact. The asshole was sure to make a showing at this rate.

"No, we call her Char, and she likes it," Jasper said like an admonishing father. The hint was in his tone--fuckery would not be tolerated today.

"Sorry," was all that Peter said before Bella came in the room, shoes in hand, smiling like a mad woman.

"I guess you opened your first gift?" I asked looking at her eyes that seemed to be positively sparkling. "Did you like it?"

"Yes, Edward. It's perfect! I can't wait to go." She held up the tickets to a poetry slam that would be in Seattle next weekend. There was also a blank entry form for the open mic part of the show where they looked for new talent to showcase, but that was tucked in my pocket for later.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and when I checked it I saw it was a text from Emmett.

E~ Rose's car won't start. We'll meet you there. ~Em

That was odd...Rose kept her car in tip top shape. My sentiments were spoken back to me when I told everyone--the whole group had now gathered--in the kitchen. The girls looked like kids on Christmas morning all jittery anticipation and I smiled because I held the key.

Peter opened his mouth to say something to Charlotte, but with a look from Jasper, he shut his mouth. There was no telling what idiocy was going to come out of his mouth. "Okay, ladies, you all look beautiful," I started out, getting nodding approval from both men. And they did. The girls looked studding, dressed in varying shades of pinks and red.

Charlotte had on a really soft-looking pink sweater and some jeans tucked into knee-high boots, Alice looked casual, too, in a bright red top and leggings that looked like some animal print. Bella looked amazing in some denim-colored leggings that hugged her curves and looked deliciously painted on, and the red long sleeved shirt had a low v-cut neck and matched my polo exactly...go figure.

"Where are we going?" Alice demanded with her foot tapping on the flooring. "You said I couldn't know until today. Well, it's today, so tell me...I mean, tell us."

Jasper and I laughed while Peter just stared at her. I hope he knew not to go at it with her; she'd eat him alive. "Ali, we're gonna start out today with breakfast at a small bistro you may know."

Her giggling's volume changed as she bounced up and down. "Le Petite, say it's Le Petite." So I did, and the bouncing girl turned into three bouncing girls.

Peter looked confused, so I explained that it was a high end bistro that had a wait list for the next few months, but the owner was an alumni of my fraternity. I happened to run across his picture in the paper and the article mentioned his ties to UW and the house I was a part of. Of course, the fact I saw it two days after Bella and I started dating helped. I called him that very day to ask for the favor.

That should show you how you feel, asstard. Yeah, I guessed it did just reconfirm what had been spinning in my head. I had known the first night I saw Bella hand James his ass and turn me down that I wanted her. When I told them a car would be picking us up and driving us for the whole day, they freaked out.

"Mom and Dad's gift to us. When they found out that we were all spending the day together, they did it." Alice gushed and reached for her phone, but I stopped her. "They said don't you dare call and wake them. They're sleeping in and spending the day in bed."

A collective 'gross' rung out as everyone's minds went to that place no kids' should go...the thought of your parents in bed together. The chirp of my phone, thankfully, got everyone's attention, and I told them the driver was outside.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Breakfast:

Rose walked into the place, sans Emmett, just after we ordered coffee and juice carafes for the table. Her face looked flustered and out of character; she was usually so calm.

"Em's parking his truck in a garage since Mom and Dad sent the car," she said on an exhale of breath as she took one of the empty seats. "I can't believe my baby wouldn't start today. Sorry we're late."

A chorus of 'you okay?' and 'no worries' were said at the same time, effectively causing nothing to be heard properly. As the chatter simmered down, we all noticed Emmett looming near the maitre d's stand, looking equally as frustrated as Rose.

The gentle, easy-going look over took his face as he scanned the crowd on his eyes settled on our table. I waved at him awkwardly, and he shook his head and laughed at me. "What does this place have to eat? I'm starved and have to fuel up for the game today." Emmett did the whole juvenile belly rub combo smacking his lips, getting him stern looks from Rose and Ali.

As if the man had heard Emmett's stomach rumbling from across the room, the waiter walked over with a jubilant smile in place. Before he opened his mouth to offer up greetings, a man I recognized from the paper took his elbow and directed him elsewhere. The owner walked over in the waiter's place.

"Hi, I'm Paul, and I'll be making sure you get everything you need today." We smiled and nodded at him. Paul wasn't much older than us, but he was already a successful business man who had hit it big in the upscale restaurant business. "Which one of you gentlemen is Edward Cullen?"

"That would be me. Thanks again for the table, but I didn't expect that you'd be serving us." I said in awe of the man's generosity. He just laughed heartily in response, much like Emmett had when I was younger and had said something stupid.

"Oh, Edward. I didn't say I'd be serving you...just that I'd make sure you got what you wanted. As for the table, I'd do anything for a fellow brother." He smiled and turned toward the server he'd previously dismissed, and with a flick of his fingers sent the man scurrying into the kitchen. "Don't worry about menus. Your server, Riley, will bring you what is usually reserved for my family's dining."

Before the thank yous erupted, he bowed at the waist toward the girls and turned to greet and older man in a very expensive three piece suit. "Wow, E, way to go. Starting the day off right!" Emmett said. "I only hope his family has an appetite like I do."

The spread that was brought out took three servers to bring. It was a family style course, everything in large bowls at the center of the table and a standby server to dish out portions. There were fresh croissants, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, crepes, and a bowl of creme. And that was just on my side of the table.

They were wise about placement. Glancing over to where Emmett, Rose, Charlotte and Peter sat, I saw platters of bacon, sausage, and scrambled, hard-boiled and omelet-styled eggs. It was a feast...and then some. The server then dealt another surprise... well, a surprise to everyone but me. All I have to say is one word--Mimosas.

Bella leaned in close and whispered teasingly, "Trying to get me sloshed at breakfast, Cullen? Boy you know just the way to get into my crotchless panties, don't you?" When I gulped down a breath and fidgeted in my seat, she tacked on, "Wait, you already did that, huh?"

Giggling, the evil girl dipped a fresh berry in some creme and popped it in her mouth. The fork's glided slowly from her lips, making me want to explode. And the rest of the breakfast was just as excruciating. I wanted to pull Bella onto the table and cover her in berries and whipped cream and lick it all off her. As the plates started to be cleared, the girls excused themselves to do a group bathroom run.

Once out of view, I nodded at Paul and got a gleaming smile from him, full of approval. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella stomping back to the table and the others close behind. Her face was scrunched up and lined with irritation.

"What's wrong, Bells?" Concern was dripping out of my voice, and I sounded semi-pathetic to myself.

"I dropped my purse in the bathroom stall and my favorite lip gloss rolled under the door. I thought one of them--" she jerked her thumb over to her two best friends and Rose "--would have grabbed it. But nope. Someone took my shit...and kept it."

"Sorry, but maybe this will make you feel better." I pointed behind her, and she saw four waiters, holding four vases, with four very different bouquets in them. Rose got red long-stemmed roses, Ali got daisies and some colorful filler plant, and Charlotte's was yellow roses--for Texas, Peter said. I warned him against it, thinking it might make Char think he was pressuring her to move home...and by the look on her face, it did just that.

Bella, however, had a huge smile on her face. Purple tulips and pink lilies were stuffed full into the vase, and I took out a small box and laid it next to her hand. She took the flower arrangement from the server and set it gently on the table. Then, I moved it a little to left, touched a petal and took the gift box in her palm.

"Edward, it's gorgeous." A small charm with two interlocking hearts hung off her charm bracelet I took from her dresser. "No, Bells, you are."

Part two won't take long to touch up and get to you mah loves.