A/N The great thing about fanfic is that I can make almost anything happen with a flutter of my fingers :) Thanks to HollettLA for letting me!

Off Piste

- 34 -

"You ready, beautiful girl?" Edward called from the lounge of the LA apartment.

I was five months pregnant and had just zipped myself into a tight black knee-length camilla and marc dress. I second guessed the high heels, but decided to suck it up and cope with the too-high pumps. Thank heavens my ankles weren't swollen yet.

We had a cocktail function that night put on by Edward's sponsors to wish him all the best for the last of his training and racing before the Olympics. Scheduling and logistics didn't allow it to be any closer to the actual event, which was almost a blessing given what our lives could be like by then. From the cocktail function, we'd go to an Olympic Commission dinner for the athletes who had qualified for the US team with the Winter Games. There would be plenty of press around, hence the need for a bit of effort.

When I checked myself in the mirror, I was surprised. I actually looked pretty hot for having twins out in front. I was grateful to Rachel for setting me up with camilla and marc again and so lucky to be able to meet up with them when they were in LA. The couple of dresses I'd worn of theirs had received good press, so they'd agreed to help out to make sure something worked for me and was still somewhat sexy. It was a tidy bump all out in front – for now. No doubt the babies would need more room to move eventually.

I was exhausted by the end of the night, but it had been a great one of speeches, pictures, toasts, catching up with people and beautiful food. The media at the dinner were attracted to the story of Edward's campaign to retain his title, my twin bump, and whether I'd be making my comeback to the sport post-pregnancy. I just laughed at that question given it was James who asked it. Asshole. I gave him shit the next day when we worked together filming athlete interviews for ESPN to run in build up to the Games. It was my last piece of work before an empty schedule until after the birth.

Alice and Jasper's wedding was the following weekend in San Francisco. I was glad it wasn't any later, when I would really take up way too much space in the family photos. Alice had chosen a slim-fitting but flowing dress for me as a caution to how I would feel in the few months time from our first fitting to the last. Jasper's groomsmen were two of his old Colorado mates, Liam and Garrett, who I had spent all that time with growing up on the mountain. Jas asked Edward to take on the role of emcee, and Rosalie did a beautiful reading at the ceremony.

I didn't know how, but I was still able to move well enough to dance after dinner. It only took one song before I kicked off my heels and went barefoot to give me a bit more staying power.

"Are you having a good time?" I asked Edward as he took me carefully around the dance floor. My bump was rubbing against him, and I had joked that our hands wouldn't meet to be able to dance soon.

"I'm having a great time, I've been making moves on one of the bridesmaids, and I think I might get lucky."

"Kate is gorgeous," I conceded.

"Oh no, she's not my type at all. She's a bit artsy and smells weird."

I giggled. It was true; she was a lovely girl, but she kind of smelled like potpourri. She was a loyal school friend of Alice's, but I got the impression she kind of felt obligated to have her in the wedding party and may have rather had Rosalie.

"The pregnant one gives me a raging boner," Edward continued. I burst out laughing and almost lost my footing on the dance floor. He stabilized me and smiled brightly.

"I heard she's hot for you too, and that she couldn't wear panties under her dress."

"Ooh, good tip." Edward nodded.

"Mm, maybe you'll get to put your tip in back at your hotel."

"I wanna put more than just the tip in," he said seriously.

"You better pull out your best wooing moves then," I suggested.

"Oh, I've got moves she's never seen," he whispered in my ear, his hand snaking closer to my butt.

You wouldn't have bet against Edward succeeding that night. In his perfectly tailored suit, with his smooth words and soft touches, I was a willing candidate by the time he slipped my dress off my shoulders and placed his tongue against my clit in our hotel room.

My brother's wedding was the last travel I could make. Edward was off to two World Cup events in the next month, and I was pretty upset that I wasn't going to be able to go. Tanya had promised she would have me on the phone when he was racing. She was going to be there with James while he worked, so I'd watch it live on TV with her personal commentary in addition.

It might have been the anxiety of Edward going off to race, but the Olympics being mere months away was really bearing down on me. Missing his World Cup racing was one thing, the Olympics was another. There was no way I could sit at home and watch him achieve something huge without me there to support him. I knew he felt the same and tried to ease my concern by telling me that we'd make it work, somehow. The Olympics were in Russia though, for fuck's sake; From Vancouver to Russia, of all places. I had no idea what having twins would be like, let alone know how realistic it would be adding international travel into the equation.

Back home in Tahoe the day before Edward flew out for two weeks, I got some good news. Agent Rich informed Edward that his sponsorship team had come to the party after realizing our concerns about getting me and the babies to the Games in February. They'd booked us a private jet to fly us over, instantly removing so many of the challenges. Edward would be travelling a week before to acclimatize and practice on the course, but at least I knew that I could follow soon after and be at the finish line in person.

-x-x-x-