A/N: Since 36 was so short due to the limitation set by the prompt, I am posting another chapter as well.

Penname: kyla713
Creative Original or Derivative Fiction: Derivative

Rating/Warning(s): M

Disclaimer: All copyrighted, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

Prompt: Word Prompt: Pet

Before Bella knew it, September rolled around, and with it, her birthday. Yet, it had been the last thing on her mind. After months of negotiations and trading offers, they had finally closed on the new house and put Edward's on the market. In a week's time, they could start moving in and preparing their new home for the start of their life together.

The wedding was also a little over a month out and she was both nervous and excited in almost equal measure. It depended on the day as to which emotion won out. Edward, on the other hand, had been unnervingly calm, and Bella could admit that it drove her a little crazy. No matter what glitch arose, he was so confident that everything would work out.

Which it always did, but that was entirely beside the point.

Yet, in complete contrast, his demeanor had also kept her from completely losing her mind, so she had conflicting moments of wanting to either shake him or kiss him senseless.

The morning of her birthday, Bella woke to the feel of Edward's body pressed firmly against her back and soft kisses trailing along her neck. A sleepy smile stretched across her lips and her hand reached back to lace into his hair. "Morning."

"Morning. Happy Birthday, beautiful," Edward whispered in her ear and turned her chin with his fingertips to kiss her.

Bella gave a happy sigh and snuggled back against him. "You already said that at midnight."

"Like I have a designated quota? I don't think so," Edward answered with a smile and kissed her firmly again, rolling her body to face him. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"You mean, aside from what we're doing right now?" Bella teased with a devilish grin and wrapped her arm around him, causing him to playfully roll his eyes. "I want to take you out."

Edward's brow creased and he gazed at her in question. "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? It's your birthday, after all."

Bella pecked his lips once more without a word and wiggled out of his arms, laughing as he groaned when she didn't bother grabbing her robe and walked out of the bedroom in the nude. After a quick shower, she returned in a towel to find him still in bed.

"Get your ass up now, Cullen. It's my birthday, so what I say goes," Bella said, tugging the comforter from the end of the bed and slowly uncovering him. He grabbed hold of it and shook his head with his eyes closed, keeping his hips shielded. "Baby, it's nothing I haven't seen before, many times just last night, in fact. So modesty is a wasted effort with me."

Edward narrowed his eyes at her and then smiled, tossing the covers aside and rising from the bed. He groaned as he stretched dramatically, twisting side to side at the waist, and despite her attempt to look mad, she couldn't help but watch the muscles of his abdomen contract and release with his movements. It didn't help matters at all that he was also completely naked and attempting to tease her.

"I will not be swayed, Edward. I have plans for today," Bella remarked and nodded toward the hall. "Shower, now. That present will have to wait until later."

An hour later, Edward was fidgeting in her passenger seat, obviously anxious, as she had given him no clue as to where they were going. She purposely took the long route to their destination as she couldn't resist how adorable he was when he was completely out of the loop about something. Yet, the anticipation of his reaction to her surprise was becoming too much to contain, so Bella finally gave in and pulled into an unpaved parking lot.

Edward glanced at her with a crooked eyebrow. "Okay, you win. I'm lost."

"You'll see," Bella replied, stepping out of the car and was instantly surrounded by the sound of barking dogs from the pens out back. She held her hand out for his at the front of the car as he slowly moved toward her. "I've decided to trade you in for something more obedient."

"You're hilarious today," Edward retorted and rolled his eyes, slipping his fingers between hers. "The pound?"

"Well, we've got the house and the wedding coming up. We're getting plenty of practice in the baby making. I only see one thing missing from the little portrait you painted of our life together. The dog or two," Bella responded with a smile, squeezing his hand with hers, but his expression never altered and it made her suddenly nervous. "I thought this was something you wanted, or was it just a hypothetical type of thing?"

"I did. I do. But," Edward stammered, turning his eyes to her. "Bella, we're going away next month for a week. We can't exactly leave a dog home alone to fend for itself for that long."

Bella smiled in relief and brought her hand to his face, kissing him gently. "How very responsible parent of you. I considered that, too, and your mother has agreed to watch the dog while we're on our honeymoon. And what I want for my birthday is to adopt one of these little guys with you, and give it a second chance."

"Ah. The Cullen women have been plotting again, I see," Edward replied and his features finally relaxed.

"Plotting could be considered devious. Planning a surprise sounds so much better. And I'm not a Cullen yet, so it wouldn't count regardless," Bella said in an airy tone, her chin lifted defiantly.

Edward released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple. "Bella, you've been a Cullen from the moment I brought you home and my mother and Rosalie got you into their clutches. The wedding just makes it permanent, binding, and pretty much signed in blood."

Bella laughed and hugged around his waist, tilting her chin toward him and he pressed his lips to hers. "You'll find no complaints here."

They walked through the shelter together, each of them looking around at dogs of all ages and sizes surrounding them in crates. Her heart broke with each sad pair of eyes she met and tiny whimpers or barks she heard, and she found it difficult to make a choice. She glanced over to Edward, who was standing at the pens on the other side and his features were twisted painfully. She stepped toward him and linked her arm through his, gripping his bicep gently to get his attention. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine but… how are we supposed to decide on just one? And what would be the right decision in the long run? A puppy who hasn't even had a chance yet, or an older dog that gets passed by just because of its age? Is either prospect less fair than the other?" Edward asked with a voice heavy in emotion. "None of them deserve this."

Bella released his arm and began running her hand over his back. She knew how compassionate Edward was, but this was a new spectrum she had never seen before, and she loved him even more because of it. She could see that, if given his way and the means to do so, he would probably take the whole kennel home, as irrational as that was. "No, they don't, but we need to pick one."

As she said that, the door on the back of the crate beside her opened and one of the shelter staff reached for the small dog inside. Bella looked to the card on the front and read the label.

Male

Beagle-?

9mos-1yr.

"Oh my God, he's just a baby," Bella cried out softly with a gasp.

"Excuse me, miss? Has that dog been adopted?" Edward asked suddenly, pointing to the wriggling puppy in her arms.

The girl shook her head slowly, a sad look coming over her face. "No, I'm sorry, sir. He's been scheduled to be put to sleep."

"He has now. My fiancée and I had just decided on him," Edward exclaimed suddenly and Bella offered no protest. "We want this one."