All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, no copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 35

I woke the next morning to the sounds of Josh chattering away in his travel cot. He was obviously talking to his teddy and was completely oblivious to the fact that I was even awake. After a stretch and a yawn, I glanced over at the clock on the bedside table that had seen better days; 6:30am great, even on a weekend break I didn't manage to sleep in.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and waved at Josh who had noticed my movements, "Momma," he called as he stood and held out his arms for me to go get him. I ran my hands through the bird's nest that was currently sitting on top of my head and stumbled still half asleep over to my wide-awake son.

"Good morning, little man," I cooed as I reached over to pick him up. "Where's mommy's good morning kiss?" Josh grinned and gave me an open mouthed slobber straight on the lips. I didn't know whether to smile or grimace as I wiped away the baby drool that was now coating my lips.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," I said as I felt the weight of his diaper nestled between his chunky legs.

After a quick clean up, I dressed him in a pair of board shorts and a t-shirt. He really did look cute and suitably attired for a day at the beach. The weather outside was slightly overcast and although there wasn't a great deal of sunshine, it was extremely humid, quite a rarity for Forks, where most days it consists of rain, rain and even more rain.

I didn't even bother with making myself look presentable as I carried him downstairs still dressed in my sleepwear which consisted of a white vest top and a pair of black cotton sleep shorts.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Dad called as I walked into the kitchen and placed Josh down on the floor. Why did he have to be so cheery first thing in the morning? He was sitting at the table with Edward reading the paper and by the sounds of it, generally chatting about nothing in particular.

"If you're both wide awake, why didn't one of you come and get Josh and let me sleep in?" I grumbled as I walked over to the counter to pour myself some juice.

"Because you needed to be up and ready anyway, Sue's joining us for breakfast before we head off to the beach. She wanted to see you before you go home," Dad said, folding the paper and placing it down on the table.

"That'll be nice. It will be great to see her again."

Dad's face beamed with happiness.

Edward still hadn't spoken a word yet, he was too busy coping with Josh who was now sat on his knee drinking milk from a sippy cup. I did, however, catch him out of the corner of my eye discreetly checking out my legs and ass. I pretended that I hadn't noticed, but inside I was fist pumping. The more I thought about it, the more that I thought that Alice and Rose could be onto something. Could Edward really still have some sort of feelings left for me?

I had known for a long time that I was in love with him. I also knew that he didn't return those feeling, but could he still want me? Maybe over time our friendship could grow and develop into something more. Who knows? But the first obstacle that I had to face was to confess that "Roger" wasn't a person. Just how more embarrassing could it get? When the man you love thinks that you're in a relationship, when in fact this said person is actually a vibrator that he didn't even know existed. Especially since it wasn't my fault that he had jumped to conclusions. He had just heard other people mentioning "Roger" and put two and two together and came up with six; now I have the humiliating task of telling him the truth.

We needed to move forward because whatever IT was that was between us seemed to be getting stronger. Even though I wasn't sure how Edward felt, and regardless of what did or didn't happen between us, we needed to be honest with one another either way. Especially since not telling the whole truth didn't work out so well before.

"I best go and pick up some breakfast. What's everyone having?" Charlie asked as he picked up his car keys. Breakfast from the diner or the bakery was the norm around here.

Shortly after Dad left, Sue arrived, and it was lovely to see her again. Both Edward and I thanked her with a hug for the stew that she had sent over for last night's meal, and the atmosphere was fun and relaxed as we all sat around the kitchen table swapping stories and catching up.

Dad came back with bags of breakfast goodies and we all tucked in to hot eggs, bacon, pancakes and blueberry muffins, washed down with a pot of steaming hot coffee that I had made while we were talking.

Josh was a huge hit with Sue and she cooed over him like the grandchild she'd never had. She commented on how much he'd grown since seeing him last at his birthday party. She was equally impressed with his walking skills as he toddled around the kitchen playing with his toys and rifling through dad's cupboards until, eventually, Dad gave him an old saucepan and a wooden spoon for him to bang away on much to our annoyance.

"Thank God for cupboard locks," Edward muttered as he bit down into a muffin.

I couldn't help agree with him. The noise was unbearable, but it didn't seem to faze Charlie and Sue as they sat and watched Josh bang away to his heart's content.

"Bella, remind me never ever to buy him a drum kit no matter how much he asks."

"Don't worry, Edward, if you ever do such a thing, it's staying at your apartment and not mine," I told him as I excused myself from the table to go shower and get dressed.

By midday we were all packed up and ready to go to the beach. Since we had eaten beforehand, we packed just a few light sandwiches and a slice of cake for Edward because he had an obscene sweet tooth.

We said our goodbyes to Sue as she had to get going to help set up for tonight's family gathering. She apologized profusely for not being able to invite Edward and me, but as she explained, it wasn't her party and she had no control over who was and who wasn't invited. It didn't matter how many times Edward and I told her not to worry over it, she still looked embarrassed. Besides, I don't know about Edward, but I didn't mind at all and I was secretly looking forward to spending some time alone with him.

Dad packed an old plastic bucket and spade set that used to be mine when I was a little girl, and I found it quite touching that he'd still kept it after all these years. We transferred Josh's car seat into the back of Dad's cruiser as he'd need it for later, and off we set. Josh and dad were in one car, and Edward and I in the SUV.

I chatted lightly with Edward as we made out way out towards La Push. He looked fantastic in a pair of khaki knee length shorts and a plain white t-shirt. I had opted for a pair of navy blue mid thigh shorts and a navy blue and white striped vest that Alice claimed matched one another perfectly. I teamed it off with an old pair of navy blue converse, and knew she wouldn't be too happy if she could see those, but I couldn't give a damn; this was a day at the beach not a fashion parade.

We pulled up alongside Charlie's cruiser and the moment I opened the car door, the saltiness of the fresh sea air hit me. I took a deep breath in and held it in my lungs for as long as possible.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked looking amused.

"Can't you smell that? It's called nature. Come on, Edward, take a deep breath."

He shook his head with a smirk and made his way over to the cruiser to fetch Josh.

"Shall we walk on a bit and find a section of beach a little less busy?" Dad asked as he slung Josh's changing bag over his shoulder leaving me to get the other, which contained a blanket, towels, bucket and spade and a few other bits and pieces.

"Can do," Edward answered as he placed Josh down and took hold of his hand, "Which way?"

"Follow me," Dad said, "I know just the spot."

We walked along in a convoy, Dad first leading the way, then Edward and Josh who were hand in hand and finally me, dawdling behind.

It was hilarious watching Josh and Edward. Edward had slowed right down taking small baby steps, but Josh still had to move his little legs a mile a minute just to keep up. They were chatting away like two little old men. Edward was pointing things out to Josh and telling him what they were, and Josh would respond in his own little baby babble that no one understood but him. It didn't matter though, they both were enjoying themselves, and it was hard to believe how Edward had said that he had never wanted children, he was a born natural.

"This here will do," Dad called over his shoulder as he cut down a path in the clearing that led us right onto the beach. He was right in bringing us this way as the whole place was deserted, totally different to the beach where we had parked with the cars packed full of families and teenagers.

It was beautiful, the sky was still overcast slightly, but the heat from the humidity just made me want to kick off my shoes and jump straight into the sea. I didn't though, instead I found a nice spot and laid out the overly large blanket. Josh was totally weary of the sand and had difficulty walking on it. It was so funny to watch as we all took a seat on the blanket. Josh would sink up to his ankles in the dry sand and then try walking, which to a baby who has only just learned to walk is a pretty big task. He found himself falling over time and time again, but he didn't let it bother him as he pushed himself back up ready for another try.

After awhile, Josh grew bored, so I picked up the bucket and spade and took him down to the water's edge. He loved splashing around in the tidal puddles and the wet sand made it much easier to walk along. He helped me collect the sand with the spade and pile it into the bucket before we turned it over to reveal our very first sandcastle. He was so excited and bounced up and down on the spot squealing away, calling for dad and Edward to come and see what he'd made.

Edward, being the proud father, snapped away a few photos for posterity before joining in to add more and more sandcastles to the collection. Dad helped Josh dig out a pretty impressive moat around them before Edward carefully took him into the water to fill up the bucket to pour into the moat. It was pretty impressive stuff and by the time we had finished, we had a castle to be proud of. We all took yet more photographs, and Dad actually took a fantastic one of Edward and I sitting behind the castle with Josh nestled between us. For the first time ever we looked like a real family, all three of us had proud grins on our faces and we both insisted that Dad forward it to both our cells. I would print that one out and frame it later!

Before we knew it, four o'clock came around and it was time for Dad and Josh to leave. They both needed to get cleaned up and changed for the party later. Reluctantly, we packed up the bags and made out way back to the cars, loading everything into the trunk of Dad's cruiser. We hugged goodbye and I made him promise to let Josh take a nap before he took him out this evening, otherwise he would have one very cranky little boy on his hands. We stood and waved watching them drive away leaving Edward and me alone.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked awkwardly as I made my way to the trunk of Edward's car to collect my purse.

"Well, since this is your old stomping ground, how about you show me around, and we can take it from there?" Edward said closing the trunk and locking up the car.

We spent the next few hours strolling around the huge market that is open at La Push the first Saturday in every month. We laughed and joked as we stopped off at the various stalls. Edward tried on a Native American feather warbonnet that had nothing to do with the tribe at La Push, but was aimed at tourists nonetheless. He looked ridiculous and I snapped off a photograph as a memento. We even tried to win Josh a gigantic Winnie the Pooh teddy that was almost as big as I was by playing hoopla; we knew that the whole game was a con but played along anyway. Eventually, after wasting over thirty dollars, we called it a day and decided to buy him one instead.

By 6pm we had made our way around the entire market and back again. It had been a fun afternoon and we had smiled and laughed the whole time.

"Where to next?" Edward asked as we locked the bought Winnie the Pooh teddy in the trunk of the SUV. "Are you hungry? We could go and grab a bite to eat."

"Actually, I'm starving, and there's a terrific diner not too far away," I told him pointing down the beach.

"Wouldn't you prefer a nice restaurant? There must be one around here somewhere."

"Edward, I don't think either of us is suitably dressed for a nice restaurant," I said glancing down at our shorts.

"I suppose you have a point," he sounding disappointed. "So what does this diner have to offer? If you say burgers and corn dogs, we're not going!" he chuckled.

"That's the rich-boy snob coming out in you, Edward," I teased. "Besides burgers and corn dogs, they do the most amazing fresh seafood pasta that you'll ever try."

"Well, that sounds like a challenge that remains to be seen, show me the way."

"Great, follow me," I called over my shoulder as I set off down the steps onto the beach only stopping to remove my shoes.

"Bella!" Edward called. "Where the hell are you going?"

"To the diner, this is the quickest way, unless you want to go the long way around which will take an extra twenty minutes or so," I shouted back to him.

Edward shrugged his shoulders and removed his shoes before jogging across the sand to catch up to me.

The sun was starting to set and if this had been a real date, it would have been quite romantic. We walked along the beach for a good fifteen minutes, the shops and waterfront behind us had switched on their lights and they twinkled away in the distance.

"Do you actually know where we're going?" Edward asked as he jumped out of the way of the tidal wash that was threatening to engulf his feet.

"Ye of little faith, of course I know where we're going. It's just a little further. It's where all the locals go, most of the tourists don't even know about this place. It's La Push's best kept secret."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to trust you on that one," he mocked, scrunching up his face.

I gently pushed him and he stumbled sideways into the gentle waves that lapped the shore.

"Bella, I'm soaked now," he moaned ankle deep in water.

"Oh, get over it, you big baby. It's a little water, it won't kill you," I laughed.

"Right, missy, you're getting it now," Edward's eyes widened and he held out his hands pretty much in the same way that I do to Josh when I'm threatening to tickle his belly.

"Don't even think about it, Edward," I warned as I backed away with a smirk on my face.

"Is that a threat?" he asked with a raised brow.

"You bet it is!"

"Well, bring it on!" he laughed as he lunged towards me.

I set off running down the beach laughing; I could hear Edward's footsteps catching up with me, so I did a sharp left turn into the drier sand. That was a mistake as he caught me easily wrapping both his arms around my waist and picking me up with ease and throwing me over his shoulder. I squealed and thrashed my legs around, but Edward never let me go as he carried me to the water's edge laughing.

"Don't even think about it," I giggled as he took several steps into the water until he was shin-deep. He loosened his grip slightly and lowered me down so that I was now looking over his shoulder.

Instinctively I wrapped my arms around his neck and fastened my legs around his waist, "I'm warning you, Edward, if you throw me in, I'm taking you with me!"

He laughed and lunged forward several times as if to throw me in, I screamed and gripped tighter.

"You're going to burst my ear drum if you carry on screaming," he chuckled as he turned around and carried me back to the shore.

I still had my whole body wrapped around him and my lips were just inches from his neck.

"Um...Bella, you can let go now, you're safely on land,"

"What?"

"I said you can let go?"

I blushed with embarrassment as I lifted my head. I was face-to-face with Edward whose laughter had been replaced with what I could only describe as a look of hunger, our lips we're only inches apart and if I moved my head just a little further forward, I would have felt their softness. I could feel his hot breath fanning across my face and I closed my eyes briefly, breathing all of him in.

"Sorry," I eventually mumbled as I loosened my legs from around him and slid firmly down the contours of his body until my feet touched the ground. I reluctantly let my arms fall from around his neck and it was only when I was steady on my feet that Edward removed his hands from my waist.

We stood uncomfortably for maybe a second or two, but it seemed like so much longer before Edward spoke.

"Come on, let's get that food before we both starve," he said in a cracked voice.

It had now turned almost dark, but thanks to the lights streaming from the houses on the beachfront, we could still see our way. Edward surprised me by taking my hand in his. He looked down at me and smiled.

"Is this okay?" he lifted our entwined hands.

I nodded and returned his smile.

"Come on, it's not much further."

We clambered over a tree which had been swept ashore and walked a little further in a comfortable silence.

"It's just over there," I said pointing to a set of wooden steps that led up from the beach.

We walked slowly over to them before brushing the sand off of our feet and replacing our shoes. Edward stood looking around.

"Where are we?" he asked concerned, "There's nothing here but a few houses."

I smiled up at him and automatically took his hand in mine; it just felt the right thing to do.

"Come on," I said nodding my head towards a dimly lit path. "It's just along here. Trust me, it's worth it."

We walked along the narrow path that led to a mountain of stairs. There must have been at least a hundred steps, and by the time we'd climbed them, we were both out of breath.

"Here we are," I said breathlessly as we reached the top. Edward's eyes widened as he took in the surroundings.

"Bella, this isn't a diner," he whispered in awe.

"Well, technically no, it's a Greek taverna, but all the locals call it a diner because it's so relaxed. Everyone just comes here to chill, there's no formality."

"Wow, this place is amazing, how long have you known about it?" Edward asked still looking around at the colored lights that were strung around the outside pergolas which overlooked the beach and the twinkling lights of La Push.

"It's been here for as long as I can remember. Dad and I used to come every Sunday when he wasn't working. Nikos, the owner, is a family friend. Come on, let's find a seat," I pulled him towards an empty table that looked down onto the bay.

The atmosphere was light, Greek statues were dotted around, and brightly painted pots and baskets hung from every place imaginable filled with red and pink bougainvillea flowers.

The whole place was busy but not packed with what looked like families and high school students, all chatting and munching away on Gyros and other Greek treats.

"So what are you thinking of having?" I asked Edward as he studied the menu.

"They really do have burgers and corn dogs," Edward chuckled.

"See, I told you, they cater for everyone here. That's why the locals see it as a diner rather than a restaurant. It even opens for breakfast in the morning," I smiled across at him.

Greek music played gently in the background.

"Bella... It's good to see you!" Nikos cried as he walked out of the taverna carrying several dishes at once, he stopped off at another table to set them down before making his way over to greet us.

"It's good to see you, Nikos," I said standing to hug him. "It's been too long!"

"It certainly has, I was beginning to think you'd fallen off the face of the earth," he laughed as he held me by the shoulders to take a good look at me. "You've lost weight!" he scolded.

"I know, I know," I said rolling my eyes. "I'm trying to gain it back."

"Well, I'm sure some good Greek food inside you will do you the world of good."

"I'm sure it will," I smiled, "but before we order, let me introduce you to my friend, Edward. He's never been here before, so he's in for some real Nikos treats."

"He certainly is," Nicos grinned as he shook Edward's hand. "You need to eat some real Greek food, none of this corn dog rubbish."

Edward grinned, "What would you recommend? I've heard that the fresh seafood pasta is good."

"Good," Nikos said. "It's the best, but let me tell you a secret," he came in closer and whispered. "It's not Greek," Edward and I both threw our heads back in laughter. "I kid you not, my wife's grandmother came from Italy and that recipe came from her. Now if you want some real Greek food, I would recommend the lamb stifado with lemon potatoes."

"Sounds great," Edward said licking his lips.

"I think I'll have that too. Would you like to share a Greek salad for starters?" I asked.

"Whatever you want."

"It's wonderful, Edward, you'll love it. It's sprinkled with Greek oregano and olive oil; it's to die for."

"Okay, so that's one Greek salad and two lamb stifardo," Edward told Nikos.

"What would you like to drink?" he turned to me.

"I'll just have iced water with lemon please."

"Make that two."

"Anything else?" Nikos asked as he jotted down the order.

"I'm good," I told him "but just wait until Edward sees the desserts."

Nikos laughed as he walked away.

Edward raised a brow

"Trust me, Edward, the desserts here are orgasmic, nothing will ever compare."

Edward's mouth dropped open as my face paled...Why do I say these things?

Thankfully, my embarrassment was short lived as Nikos brought out fresh bread and black olive tapenade as an appetizer along with our drinks.

"This is amazing. I actually wish I wasn't driving, and we could have shared a bottle of wine," Edward said as he tore apart another piece of bread and smothered it with the tapenade.

"Careful," I joked. "This is beginning to sound like a real date."

Edward gave me a tight lipped smile, but didn't say a word, instead choosing to pop the bread into his mouth.

By the time we had eaten our starter and the main course, I was stuffed.

"I couldn't eat another thing," I told Edward as I sat back and rubbed my stomach. My appetite had pretty much returned to normal, but my stomach had shrunk so much that I couldn't eat anywhere near the amount that I could have previously.

"That was the best meal I've had in a long time," Edward smiled happily. "Thanks for bringing me here."

"It's my pleasure," I took a long sip of my iced water. "Do you have room for dessert? I highly recommend the baklava," I teased.

Edward's eyes lit up. "I haven't had that in years," he said.

Nikos came and cleared away our plates accepting Edward's gratitude with a beaming smile. He returned shortly afterwards with the biggest piece of baklava I had ever seen.

"Wow, that's big!"

"You said that once before," Edward joked with a wiggle of his eyebrows causing me to go bright red.

"I love it when you blush," he laughed. "Here, have some." He picked up a forkful of his dessert and held it out for me to try.

Two could play that game; I opened my mouth wide and wrapped my lips around the fork moaning loudly as the delicious taste of walnuts and cinnamon invaded my mouth. A small amount of honey ran down my chin as I slowly slid my mouth from the fork and cleaned it away with my tongue...Where had this bold and brash Bella come from? I didn't know but I found it highly amusing as I watched Edward squirm in his seat, his eyes never leaving my mouth!

I sat back, self satisfied as Edward pulled himself together.

"You did that on purpose!" he croaked.

"So did you."

"Touché," he smirked, picking up his fork and polishing off his dessert.

He sat back full. "So, are we ever going to get around to discussing the events of last night?"

"What about it?" I cringed knowing full well what Edward was referring to.

"You said that you had something to tell me...About Roger."

I placed my elbows on the table and rubbed my face with the palms of my hands with nervous embarrassment.

"I do, just not here, okay?"

Edward looked confused, but acknowledged my answer with a nod of his head.

"Where then?" he asked

"On the walk back, it's dark and you won't be able to see my face."

Edward scrunched up his face clearly not understanding my meaning, "Well, let's get going then."

We threw back the complimentary drink of ouzo that Nikos had brought along with Edward's dessert. It gave me Dutch courage if nothing else, and we were on our way once we had finished arguing over who was picking up the bill. Edward had won though. We said our goodbyes and made our way back towards the beach.

A/N

Because this part of the story was so long I decided to split it into two chapters and post them both together. Also, you don't need me to tell you that the market and taverna are not real…Well actually the tavern is real it's just not in La Push. I pulled that one from my memories of a holiday on the Greek island of Thassos.

Anyway, click the next button.