Assumption Chapter 18

Title

EPOV:

Between the four of us we managed to get the drunken ones to settle down enough to eat something and then got them into cars. Alec and Felix were a little reluctant to let me leave with Bella until he talked to Jamie. I was fine with that, I was just thrilled that she had people here that made her safety their prime concern, and that they wouldn't let her leave with just anyone when she was too incapacitated to make a coherent decision. Gianna, the only one of the girls that had not been drinking, offered to drive Bella and me back to Bella's while Alec and his boyfriend took the other two to Jane's so they could watch over them through the night.

"So, she's moving to the land of the perpetual monsoon for you?"

"Sort of." I chuckled at her nickname for Forks, it was definitely accurate. "I asked her to, but I doubt that I'm the only reason."

"Hmmm…so how much time do we have before you take her away?"

I looked into the back seat where Bella was stretched out and lightly snoring. It was exactly the same scene that I had seen earlier tonight, only with a pregnant Vickie in the back seat. "It depends on how long it takes her to pack everything and list her condo for sale. So, were you the designated driver tonight?"

"Nah, we never do that. We just make sure to leave our cars at home to force us to take a cab or call for a ride at the end of the night. I'm pregnant so I can't drink."

"Congratulations. Is it your first?"

"Yes. Do you have any kids?"

"Yes. I have a daughter with my ex-wife. They live in New York."

"Ah…I'm not trying to be rude. It's just that I've known Bella for years and I guess we're as close as she'd let anyone near her, except for Jamie. She's always kept people at a distance and I get that about her. But that doesn't mean that I don't love her dearly and want to make sure she's going to be alright. You have to understand, her leaving Phoenix? Especially for Forks? Never in a million years did I think that that would ever happen."

"I understand. And you can ask me anything. I have nothing to hide."

Gianna and I talked the entire way to Bella's. I could totally see why she and Bella were friends, they were pretty much cut from the same cloth. It didn't take long before she pulled up in front of the building and we both got out. I reached into the back seat to try to wake Bella but she was completely out, so I ended up carrying her into the building. Gianna followed us up to help me with the doors.

I put Bella down on her bed and wandered through the apartment to get a feel for where everything was. It was a really nice place. I found my suitcase by the door like Jamie promised me. I decided to take a shower to get rid of the grungy feeling that I felt from being on airplanes all day. But the first thing I did was place a trash can and a glass of water next to Bella in case she woke up sick before I was out of the shower.

It turned out not to be necessary, she was still out cold when I came back into the bedroom. I wandered back out to the living room and sat down on the couch and pulled out my cell phone.

"Hey, Mom," I said when she answered.

"Was she surprised?"

"Yeah, I'd say she was surprised when I showed up at the restaurant where she was having dinner with some of her friends. I'm pretty sure that I'll get to surprise her again when she wakes up in the morning too. She was so drunk that I don't think she'll remember that I'm here, let alone tackling me at the restaurant," I laughed. If she remembered anything about tonight I will be completely shocked.

"Oh, dear!" Mom laughed with me.

"But hey thanks, Mom. I really needed to be here with her and I never had the courage to do it myself. I really appreciate it."

"I know you do because I know my sons well."

"I know you do," I startled a little when a cat jumped up on my lap. I had almost forgotten that she had a pet. I think Bella said her name was Princess. I started petting her head while I talked to Mom a while longer.

I got off the phone with mom when there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Vickie standing there, "Hey, Jamie and I are running to the store real quick. I just wanted to check if you guys were home yet and see if you need anything. I know she doesn't have anything for breakfast."

"Yeah, some bacon and eggs? Maybe some coffee? Would you mind if I wrote a little list? I'd ask to go with you but I don't want to leave her. She passed out in the bedroom. I keep expecting her to waking up puking any second now."

"I don't doubt that she will. I've seen that group after a night out. Her problem is that she doesn't drink all that often. Mostly just when she is stressed out about something or gets together with those girls, so it hits her hard when she does drink.

I wrote down a few things that I thought that Bella and I would need and Vickie was on her way. I wandered over to her bookshelves and immediately noticed a worn collection of her own books. She'd told me about these. She was always going back and double checking facts to make sure that her continuity was good. She was always afraid that some fan was going to point out some big error in one of her books someday. I grabbed one off the shelf and went to the bedroom and lay down next to her. I was only a couple of chapters into the book when she sat up suddenly and threw herself headfirst over the edge of the bed and started throwing up. I crawled across the bed and pulled her hair back and thanked God she found the trash can.

BPOV:

Tequila was evil but it was giving me the most amazing dream ever. I was dreaming that Edward was here and in bed with me. Hell, it was so real that I was sure that I could actually smell his cologne. After I stopped throwing up I tried to sit up. I felt hands trying to help me but it wasn't until I heard him speak, trying to get me to rinse my mouth out with some water, that my eyes shot open. He really was here. Or maybe I was still drunk and dreaming. I reached up and touched his face, "You're really here? I'm not dreaming?"

"I'm here, honey. You ready for a shower?"

"No. I wanna lie down again. My stomach hates me and my head is starting to hurt."

"I'd get you some aspirin but I'm afraid you'll just throw it back up." He helped me lie down and covered me up before getting up off the bed and taking the garbage out of the room. I closed my eyes and started to groan but the noise pierced my head. I thought that I heard someone knocking at the door, and on instinct I went to get up and answer it, forgetting that Edward was out there and could do it. The motion made my stomach roll again and I had to jump and run for the bathroom since Edward had yet to return the garbage can.

I felt someone pull my hair back and I knew that it wasn't Edward. The touch was too delicate to be him. When I was done heaving I sat back and found that Vickie was there with me. She helped me off the floor and back to bed. I must have been just dreaming that Edward was here. Figures. I crawled under the covers and was fast asleep again in minutes.

When I woke again, I felt someone holding me. It scared the shit out of me because for the life of me, I couldn't figure out who it could be. I slowly turned my head, not wanting to alert the intruder that I was awake and was shocked to find Edward in my bed.

"Holy Shit! You're really here! Or am I still dreaming?" Yelling was a bad idea because my head felt like someone was stabbing me with an ice pick. I winced and closed my eyes again until I felt Edward's hand on my face.

"Good afternoon sunshine. Are you ready to face the day or would you like some coffee in bed?"

"How are you here? And coffee would be amazing but I don't think I have any."

"I'll explain how I'm here later and you do have coffee. Jamie ran to the store last night and offered to get us a few things. That's why I wasn't here for you when you had to run for the bathroom. I went down to help Jamie carry up the bags and left Vickie to watch you. You have some pretty cool friends, by the way. Although, I'm not too sure about the ones you were getting drunk with. Oh, I had to promise Gianna I'd make sure you came back to see her once in a while, but we can discuss that later, too." I was dazed and confused as Edward walked out of the bedroom. I laid there trying to wrap my head around the fact that he was really here, in Arizona, with me. He wasn't gone long before he returned to bed with the coffee and some dry toast, "You need something in your stomach in case you start throwing up again so you have something to throw up. Plus, you can't take aspirin on an empty stomach."

I sipped on the coffee and nibbled on the toast while he laid next to me and held me, "I missed you. I am so glad that you came."

"Me too."

As soon as I finished the toast, Edward handed me two aspirin and a glass of water. I swallowed them and lay back willing everything to stay down, "I should get up and pack some more."

"Nah, take the rest of the day off. We're in no hurry, but maybe a shower and brushing your teeth would be a good thing."

"Oh God!" I exclaimed, absolutely mortified. I had to smell nasty after drinking so much and puking all night. I got up and wobbled my way to the bathroom with some help from Edward. He left me to have some privacy to get undressed after he started the shower for me. But not before kissing me on the forehead and telling me how glad he was to have me in his arms again. I guess I must not smell that bad if he was willing to get that close to me voluntarily.

I did feel more like a human being after a hot shower and brushing my teeth twice. When I came out into the living room I found Edward lying on my couch, with Princess on his lap, and reading the first book in my series. The scene before me made me smile big time. I could easily get used to seeing this kind of scene often.

I walked over to the living room and sat down on the coffee table. He looked up at me, smiled, and closed the book, "So if you're here, who's minding the store?" He sat up and told me how miserable he was after I had left. I could believe that because I was just as bad as he was admitting to be. I was beyond thrilled that he was going to be driving back with me. I was not even remotely interested in making that drive alone again. I'd already done it twice recently and a third time spending that much time alone in a car and I might just lose my mind permanently. I moved over to the couch and leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around me and held me, "I'm so glad that you are here."

We sat there for a while, just being, until I had a sudden hit of inspiration. I grabbed my laptop and spent the next hour writing while Edward kept trying to peek over my shoulder to read what I was writing. I kept swatting him away and he kept laughing and trying again to read. When I was done for the day I was finally feeling well enough to take him out and show him a little of Phoenix.

It took us another two weeks to finish packing and be ready to return to Washington, because I kept stopping to write or sightsee with Edward. One afternoon, while Edward was in the shower, I took a call from Esme. I tried to apologize for keeping Edward gone so long but she wouldn't hear of it.

"Bella, the times that I've actually managed to get my son on the phone since he got to Phoenix, he's sounded happier and lighter than I've heard him in years. He hasn't taken an actual vacation since, well, since his honeymoon. He's been to New York since his divorce but those weren't exactly restful trips. If you can get him to relax and enjoy himself, do it. We're fine here."

But our time in Phoenix came to an end. It was bittersweet for me, actually. On the night before we were going to leave, Jamie and Vickie surprised us with a going away dinner with our friends. Edward was a little worried after what he walked in on the night he arrived in Phoenix, but I promised him that I wouldn't drink. There was no way that I wanted to be hung over and stuck in a car all day.

We had a fun night and my friends had a good time telling stories about me all night. Let me rephrase that, they told Edward every and any story they could recall that would embarrass the shit out of me. They stories slowed to a virtual stop once the girls started getting drunk.

There were a lot of tears when Edward and I were ready to leave and head home for the night. I promised Gi, as had Edward, that I would return for her baby shower and again after the baby was born. I had promised Vickie the same thing. Some might call me crazy for being friends with Vickie, but I held a grudge against my father for years, I wasn't going to make that mistake again, even if I was justified this time.

Soon it was morning and we were ready to leave. We had rented a U-Haul and attached a trailer to pull my car. I had considered selling it before I left but after I found out how low the blue book value on it really was, Edward had another idea. Angela and Mike needed a more reliable and safer car for when the baby arrived so I agreed to give it to them as a baby gift.

A/N:

Happy Friday (or Saturday if it already is where you are) and Merry Christmas!

I had every intention of posting this last weekend but I got thwarted by Cox Cable. The email system crashed and took my chapter with it. Unfortunately, when I work on this at work, I have to delete all traces of the file from the computer so IT doesn't have a fit. Next time I email the file from work, I'll send it to two of my email addresses to prevent this from happening again. By the time that I got the email, it was already Wednesday so I decided to wait to post.

I am off to take some pain pills maybe some Z-quil and crash. I am in pain from shoveling snow yesterday. To those in the path of the storm that hit us yesterday, stay safe, dry, and warm! Well, at least try to. See you guys next Saturday and remember that reviews will get a teaser.