A/N:

Bottle to brief: Safety rule that says a member of the flight crew must not have ingested any alcohol within twelve hours of the brief time, which is usually two hours before take-off. In the late 1970's, the Naval Safety Center began regulating aviation programs, and the mishap (crashes) rate went down by like 75%. Prior to that, there was kind of an unspoken rule about alcohol the night before flying (even back then, no one would have considered flying a jet after a few drinks). This rule was known as "bottle to throttle," and sometimes you still hear it referenced, but it is not used.

NAMI whammy: the big exhaustive flight physical that you get once you arrive in Pensacola for initial flight training. I'm embarrassed to admit that this was the last time I had my eyes dilated, and it was 10 years ago. How bad an ophthalmologist am I? This term also can refer to the flight physical that juniors at the Naval Academy get during pre-commissioning. Midshipmen rank their choices as to what they'd like to do for their naval careers during their junior year (surface warfare, marines, aviation, submarines, etc), and they receive physicals to help them rule out things they wouldn't be able to do anyway. These physicals are referred to as pre-coms, and if you want to go into aviation, occasionally they refer to them as the NAMI whammy.

From the end of Chapter 6:

"Guys?" I asked, drawing out the word, just as none other than Edward came through the door into the living room from the porch, carrying and empty beer bottle. He was grinning and chuckling at something Jasper had said, his face still turned back toward the other man. When he turned and saw me standing there in the living room, he stopped dead in his tracks, his face wreathed in what was likely the same expression of surprise that covered mine.

Alice had some explaining to do.

Chapter 7

Alice answered my question nonchalantly, as if she didn't have two statues struck dumb in her living room. Jasper hovered by the sliding glass door to the porch, looking confused and embarrassed by the strained silence.

"Yes, I invited Edward to dinner to keep the party at a round number," she trilled. "Since, you didn't have anyone that you wanted to invite," she said looking at me pointedly. "Plus, Edward's going to miss us while we're gone this weekend. He's really new to Pensacola, too." She turned her attention to Edward, who had unfrozen and was making his way hastily toward the kitchen for another beer, no doubt.
"How long were you in town before we left for El Centro? A week?" she asked him. Edward briefly disappeared behind the wall dividing the room from the kitchen. I heard the refrigerator door open, and then, his head popped back around to look at us.

"Yes, Alice, I guess it was about a week, since I joined the team so last minute," he sounded resigned. "Bella, can I get you another beer?" he asked politely. I shook my head and held up my bottle to show it was still nearly full. He disappeared again, and I heard the door shut and a bottle open. Then, he joined us again.

"So, technically, I have only been in town for about a week and a half," he concluded, looking at all of us, obviously deciding to make the best of the situation. Jasper was glaring at Alice, obviously aware that something was up, but not fully clued in. I had not discussed my disastrous introduction to Edward with Jasper on Tuesday, so although he knew that I had treated Edward's cornea condition, he might not know much more than that.

"So, Jasper, how are the steaks coming?" Alice said suddenly. "Why don't you show me? You know how you can sometimes overcook them…" she trailed off after she had clamped onto Jasper's elbow and tugged him out of the room onto the porch.

Edward sighed, shaking his head, and took a seat on the couch. I perched awkwardly on the arm of a leather recliner. I smiled at him tentatively, he returned it, and then we both looked anywhere but at each other for several long minutes. The silence was very awkward. Finally, Edward broke it.

"I'm sorry about her," he said quietly obviously referring to Alice. "I've only known her for a few months, but she can be very meddlesome. She thinks her duty to take care of us extends beyond our physical health," he finished wryly. I shrugged and waved my hand in front of my face to indicate it was fine.

"It's no problem," I told him. "I'm sure she's just worried about leaving you here alone. She knows I have an appointment to see you, so she probably wants to make sure I'll take it seriously." Edward looked at me strangely.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it," he replied with an edge to his voice, and I got the impression he wanted to say more. I was too uncomfortable with the whole situation, so I didn't press it. I could see the Whitlock's through the sliding glass doors. Alice was gesturing wildly at the steaks on the grill, while Jasper pointed back inside with a resolute look on his face. I motioned for Edward to look.

"She is pretty funny," I told him with a light chuckle. I got the full blown smile in return and had to look away for amount to recover from its stunning effect. When I looked back, Edward had toned down the gorgeous and was just smiling and nodding.

"That she is," he agreed. "She's also a good person to have in your corner, so I try not to get too annoyed with her." I could tell he had a true fondness for her, and it warmed me up to him just a little bit more. It fell silent in the room again, but it felt more relaxed now. Jasper was now forcefully pushing Alice back towards the doors to get her inside. He finally succeeded, and she entered the room grandly.

"It's time to eat!" she declared excitedly. "The steaks are done." I moved to try to help her in the kitchen, but she tsked at me to get away.

"You and Edward are our guests. Have a seat at the table, and I'll serve you. We're having creole-seasoned steaks, red beans and rice, and a salad. It's a nod to my Mississippi origins," she announced proudly. Jasper followed her into the kitchen with the steaks covered in foil on a platter. He grinned at us as he passed and made a rubbing motion on his belly, making yummy noises as he went.

The dining room table with in an alcove to the side of the living space near the kitchen's other entrance. Edward made a sweeping motion with his hand indicating that I should go ahead of him and sit down at the table. It had already been set with tasteful red and white dishes and accoutrements. Alice bustled back in with two bottles of wine, one white and one red.

"Now, red really goes best with this meal, but do you have a specific preference for white, Bella?" she asked me. I assumed she either already knew Edward would want the red, or didn't care about his preference.

"Red is fine," I told her and finished up my beer. Edward picked up my empty bottle and carried it, along with his own, into the kitchen, I presumed to the trash. What a gentleman, I thought. Edward came back, just as Alice set the open bottle of red on the table.

"Help yourselves," she told us, heading back into the kitchen for the food. Edward reached for the bottle before I could get it, and I was rethinking my opinion on his gentlemanliness. But before my negative thought could complete, he was pouring the wine into my glass, serving me first. I smiled at him and thanked him. I got the blinding, perfect white teeth in reply. I really needed to work on handling his dazzle if we were going to be spending time around each other. Wait, after Friday, we really wouldn't be. We'd just see each other around, I told myself. Casual, I would be casual.

Edward poured his own wine, and then Alice and Jasper joined us at the table with the food. I have to admit the evening was very pleasant. The conversation flowed easily. Having Edward there, made the topics more varied than if it had just been the three of us. I had to hand it to Alice; she was a very good hostess. I couldn't stay mad at her, when she was just so lovable. She and Jasper were really cute together. Jasper was so laid back and calm, seemingly unflappable. He toned down her excitement without belittling her. I could tell they adored each other.

Once we'd finished the delicious food, and a few glasses of wine (we'd opened a second bottle), Alice announced that she had met her bottle to brief limit, which meant it was time for dessert. She brought out my cake and made a big production of oohing and aahing over it. I happened to notice that Edward looked pretty impressed when he saw it. I couldn't help that pride that filled me, seeing that reaction. She handed me the knife to give me the honor of cutting, and I gave everyone a generous slice.

I'm not sure what possessed me to pause with my fork over my own cake to watch Edward's face as he took his first bite, but I was rewarded for my effort. His tongue peeked out beyond those plump, pink lips and brought the cake into his mouth. His eyes closed, and he made a humming noise as he chewed slowly. His tongue peeked back out and made a quick circuit of his lower lip. I'm pretty sure I was drooling at that point. I had never wanted to be cake more in my life. The flaming blush came when I remembered where I was and realized that Alice had been noticing me, noticing Edward enjoy his cake. Did that even make sense?

Edward was complimenting me then, telling me how delicious it was, and so was Jasper. Apparently, Jasper had been having the same reaction, only I hadn't been watching him like a closet porn addict. Thank god, Edward hadn't seen me staring. Alice was bad enough; I was sure I'd suffer for that later. Maybe she would forget about it before she got back from Utah.

Now it just felt too hot in here, and I pushed the cake around on my plate, unable to finish a piece of chocolate pound cake for the first time in my life. Finally, I looked at the clock and knew it was time to head out, so that Alice and Jasper could have some alone time. It was well past 2200, and I was surprised the time had passed so quickly.

"Alice, Jasper, thanks so much for having me," I told them sincerely, after they had shooed me out of the kitchen in my attempt to help clean up. "I had a wonderful time, and I hope we can do this again." Alice nodded enthusiastically, promising many more dinner parties to come. I looked at her suspiciously, wondering why she had phrased it that way.

"Anyway, I've got to be heading home," I told them. "Jasper, please keep the rest of the cake," I told him when he made a motion to wrap it up for me. He looked like he'd just won the lottery. Edward made a small sound of protest, and I looked at him in surprise. How had I annoyed him now?

"Umm," he began nervously, "would it be all right if I took some for myself?" He gazed at me hopefully, his green eyes intense. Jasper was already cutting the leftover bit in half in preparation for him to take it.

"Sure," I told him, and he looked so happy it surprised me. Jasper wrapped up the cake and handed it to him. I waved once again at Alice and Jasper and started for the door, when Edward stopped me again.

"I'll walk you back," he said decidedly, opening the door for me and motioning me out ahead of him. We exited through the main front door onto the stoop.

"That's really not necessary," I told him. "It's really close." He nodded at me with an amused expression.

"I know it's close," he said smiling. "I live 5 feet from you. It'll be a lot easier if I can walk with you. If not, I'll just have to skulk in the shadows ten feet behind," he joked. I don't know why walking a block with him had me in such a panic, but it did. Maybe because we were alone. And in the dark. Forget about butterflies in my stomach, these were peregrine falcons. But, I could see the ridiculousness of my refusal. We had to walk together; we were literally going to the same place.

We set off into the darkness. There really weren't very many streetlights; you didn't need them to deter burglars on a military instillation. Edward was clutching the leftover cake like a lifejacket. We hadn't gone far before I heard his intake of breath and knew he was about to say something.

"Bella, I want you to know how sorry I am if you were uncomfortable tonight. I was abominably rude to you when we first met, and I know you aren't over it, even though I've been trying to apologize. I promise I didn't set this up. I would like us to be friends, but I won't push it. I want you to know how absolutely grateful I am to you for all the help you've given me and the squadron." It was definitely the single largest speech I'd heard from him. I turned my head to gaze into his face and saw only sincerity there. He was watching me intently, willing me to believe him, I thought.

"Edward, it's fine. I understand that your life is complicated. I've enjoyed meeting Alice, Emmett, and everyone. I wouldn't have if you hadn't had your injury, so I'm glad that all's well that ends well. So, don't feel guilty. Let's forget it." He looked very unsatisfied by my speech, and I couldn't understand why. I was giving him forgiveness and a complete out. I noticed that he hugged the cake tighter, and I felt flattered by his obvious attachment to it. I was a great baker. He opened his mouth, and I was waiting to hear more, but he decided against it. He closed his mouth and stared back at me for a minute before giving a single nod.

We walked in silence for a few more minutes, and the awkwardness we'd seemed to conquer at Alice and Jasper's was returning. Suddenly, Edward blurted out a mouthful.

"So, you're seeing Doc Black, huh?" he said with attempted casualness, but his voice shook, and I did not understand what was happening.

"WHAT?!" I choked, unsure whether to laugh or gag, or do something else entirely. He looked abashed and slightly scared by my outburst. "Why would you think that?!" I shouted at him. Now, he really looked afraid.

"Well, I saw him pick you up from your room, and you looked so nice, and I thought it was probably a date, and I figured he was just moving in on the new girl as quick as he could…" he babbled adorably, but I was too confused to truly appreciate any of it.

"Wait!" I called and stopped walking in the middle of the road. "First, Jacob and I have been friends for years. Just friends. We were in flight surgery school together. He's the only person I knew before I came back to Pensacola. He offered to take me to dinner after my first day here was so stressful," I gave him a hard look, trying to convey that the situation in question was all his fault. He appeared to get my meaning and looked down in embarrassment. "Second," his eyes popped back up to me, "what do you know about Jacob? It looked like you guys knew each other on the balcony last night. And weren't fans of each other." I added. He appeared to be considering his answer. We still weren't moving.

"Well, I've met Doc Black before," he admitted. "When I was considered as a last minute replacement for the Blues, I came down to do a mini-NAMI whammy. They had him interview me." I considered this and quickly realized it had to be true, and then wondered why Jacob hadn't volunteered this information to me before. I filed that away for later annoyance and motioned for Edward to keep going.

"The rest I've only heard second hand, and maybe you should ask him about it. You know I've been in El Centro for most of my time with the squadron, and friends and families were not part of the equation over there. One of the guys, Sam, he's #3 on the team? Anyway, he has this on and off again girlfriend named Leah." He paused and warning bells started going off in my head. Could this be Leah with the monster dog from the restaurant that he was referring to? I kept my face blank. Edward continued.

"Well, Sam and Leah were broken up for about a minute, and she hooked up with Doc Black. According to Sam, everything's fine with him and Leah, and Black just can't take a hint. I don't know how much is true, because I don't really hang out with Sam too much outside of work, but I was worried when I saw him with you. I thought he might be trying to make Leah jealous," he trailed off at the end of this and turned away from me so I couldn't see his face. He looked very uncomfortable with his admission.

"You were worried about me?" I asked shocked. He turned to look at me, and he was shamefaced.

"Yeah, like I have a right to that after how I treated you the other day," he scoffed at himself. I giggled because it was very ironic and also to put him more at ease. I was feeling very generous toward Mr. Cullen at the moment.

"Listen, like I said before, all's well that ends well. I always appreciate a kind heart," I told him, and, surprisingly, I meant it. He looked relieved, and I realized we were standing stock still in the middle of the road.

"C'mon, silly," I told him jokingly, "we've got to get home. You may have four days of leisure coming up, but I have a big day at work tomorrow." He rolled his eyes at me, but joined me walking just in step.

"I wish," he said, "They've set aside a month's worth of paperwork and correspondence for me while they're gone. I may be the only one in the building, but I'll be working hard." I mimed playing a violin, and he laughed, briefly flashing my kryptonite, the genuine smile.

"No, really, I might actually get part of Saturday and all of Sunday off, which is unheard of during the season. Since, my eye now feels fine, and according to you, it's going to be fine, too, then maybe I should thank Irina." His eyes suddenly opened wide as if he suddenly understood that he'd said her name and hadn't meant to do so. He glanced at me furtively and clammed up, all our previous camaraderie fading away.

"I didn't mean to say that," he told me, his face fading into the expressionless mask I'd grown used to. We'd reached the bottom of our stairs, and I grasped his elbow. I'd been hoping it wouldn't, but that jolt of electricity went through my hand and arm where I touched him. That couldn't be a coincidence, but I didn't know what to make of it.

"I know you were joking," I told him gently, but he pulled away from me. He motioned for me to precede him up the stairs. When we reached the landing in front of our rooms, he pulled out his key, and I dId the same.

"Good night, Bella," he breathed. "I look forward to our meeting on Friday." I stood stunned and flustered on my doorstep, as he entered his room and closed the door without looking back.

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