Capitolo Quinto

A/N: So, I'm bored and I want to post this chapter now. Thanks to everyone who reads and revies and thanks to my crew. Off we go.

Family is not an important thing. It's everything. - Michael J. Fox

When I was growing up, my parents were never really heavy on religion. I believed that there was some sort of creator, or deity if you will, but I never went to church or even read the Bible. Now I was in New York with this new family who not only wanted me to go to church with them, but they expected it. To add to that, they were Catholic, which was new to me.

Rosalie and I woke up early as hell to get ready for the service, which I guess the Sunday service was called Mass. Elizabeth was running around like a crazy person between making sure that we were getting ready but also getting dressed herself. I met Royce, Rose's fiancé after we were done with hair and makeup. Apparently, he liked to pick her up and drive her there, even though he could just meet her there as he always sat with her family. Rose was right—he was attractive and charming, but something about him just gave me bad vibes. I was nice and polite, but when Rose offered to let me ride with them, I grabbed Edward's arm, pulling him close to me.

"Actually, I already accepted Edward's offer to ride with him. Thanks anyways, Rose."

"Oh," she replied, trying to keep the frown off her face. I felt really bad, but I couldn't shake the ominous feeling Royce gave me. "Okay, well I guess we'll see you there."

When Royce put his arm around Rose and pushed her forward by the small of her back, I got an insane desire to launch myself between them, but I held it back, keeping the smile planted on my face. Once they were out of the house, Edward turned to me with his eyebrows raised.

"What was that all about?"

"Royce skeeves me out. I didn't want to be trapped in the car with them, sorry."

"Oh, you're not getting out of it now." He put his arm out so that I could link mine with his. "You gotta ride with me. I'm kinda digging this dress thing by the way." We walked out to his car, and he opened the passenger side for me. He smiled at me and winked. "Skirts are easy access." The hem of my dress hit my knees in the front and then was longer in the back, hitting my ankles. The different lengths was one of the main reasons that I liked it so much.

When he got into the car, I chuckled. "Oh my god, you're such a guy. I don't wear dresses often. On the other hand, I can totally get on board with this whole suit thing you've got going on here." Edward was attractive all on his own, but in a nice suit that fit him perfectly, he was downright dangerous.

He flashed his beautiful smile at me and started the car. "You just like me because of my looks, Swan. I'm hurt."

"Well, I mean the fast car is pretty cool too."

He chuckled and revved the engine, arching his eyebrows. We were quiet for a few minutes while we just listened to the radio.

"So, where are we going?"

"We are going to Saint Augustine Church. It's in Brooklyn, where my Nonnie lives. We go to her house after church, where we all eat and hang out. You're gonna meet a lot of people today."

"What does Nonnie mean?"

"Oh, my grandma. But don't call her that. I got whacked with a spoon the first time I did," he said, wincing like he was remembering how much it hurt.

"Ouch. Well, at least I look like I fit in, right?" I asked, my expression concerned.

"You'll fit in fine, Bella. You have the feistiness of an Italian woman, but you're also nice. It'll be fine," he assured me, patting my knee, trying to soothe me.

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Edward."

It was about a half an hour's drive to the church, and we were quiet for most of it. Edward wasn't someone who seemed to try and fill the silence with small talk, and we were similar in that way. I preferred to observe and watch rather than have mindless conversations. Whenever there was silence between us, it was comfortable, not tense. On arrival at the church, I was surprised when Edward told me not to get out of the car yet, then proceeded to get out of his side and open my door for me. I thought it was pretty nice of him to do. He put his arm out for me to take again, and I wondered, not the first time, what was going on in his head.

We entered the church and found his parents. I noticed that Ted looked a little surprised to see me all dressed up. I was reintroduced to Alec who was sitting with us. There were a few other people that I didn't recognize seated in our row. Behind us, I saw Alice with a handsome blond-haired guy. Rose was sitting there with Royce, but I noticed that she and another intimidating-looking, huge guy were sneaking peeks at one another. That was interesting because Rose was sitting with her fiancé and making moon eyes at this guy. They were obviously trying to be discreet but I noticed it. I sat next to Edward and waited quietly for the service to start.

I had never really been to church, but I think that Catholic Mass was a completely different experience than most. I had friends I grew up with in Forks who went to church, and they never talked about it. While it was different and not what I expected, it wasn't a bad experience. Once it was over, we were back in the car again on the way to Edward's Nonnie's house. Apparently she started cooking early in the morning because homemade tomato sauce, which would be used, took time.

I was surprised to find quite a few people in the house already when we arrived. Edward led me almost immediately to the kitchen. "You need to meet my Nonnie. I think you'll love her."

The minute we came into the kitchen, Edward was pulled into an older lady's arms. "Edward! How is my favorite grandson?"

"Thanks for that, Nonnie," a guy answered. I realized that it was the same guy who was with Alice at church. He was standing in the dining room, which was right off the kitchen.

"Well, if you are the first to give me great-grandbabies, then maybe you might pull ahead of him," she yelled at him.

I heard Alice and her husband 's laughter coming from the other room while Edward pulled me to stand in front of him. His Nonnie was older but obviously still beautiful. She had olive-colored skin and dark brown hair that still flowed down her back. Her eyes were the same blue color as Ted's, but they were warmer and bright. She was also a few inches taller than me. "Nonnie, this is Isabella Swan. She's the daughter of an old family friend."

Her eyes widened when she looked at me and then smiled when she took in how close Edward was standing to me. "Hello, Isabella."

"Please, just Bella. It's so nice to meet you." I put my hand out for her to shake.

She pulled me into a hug. "We hug in this family, Bella, none of that handshaking business." She pulled away from me. "Let's take a look at you." I felt her eyes studying me, and she smiled again. "You are beautiful. Bella suits you just fine." Then she tutted. "But you are too skinny. Is anyone feeding you in that house?" She looked at Edward with narrowed eyes.

He held his hands up in surrender. "I'm not in charge of the meals, Nonnie."

"Elizabeth," she yelled, and I noted that there were even more people in the house now than before. Edward pulled me along with him away from the bickering between the two women. I giggled.

"Okay, so you already know Alice, and that man with her is my cousin, Jasper, her husband. He is my Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme's son." He led me over to the other room, and I was introduced to everyone. I really liked his aunt and uncle. They were nice and warm. It wasn't fake or forced. Jasper was very handsome and had a slow drawl like he had spent some time in the South.

I was soon led away from them, and Edward took me around the room, introducing me to several people. There was Marcus, Edward's second cousin, and the son of his nonnie's sister Jane. Jane had unfortunately died about ten years prior. Marcus and his wife, Chelsea, had a daughter named Heidi. She was there with her friend Kate. Both Chelsea and Heidi were very nice and fun to talk to, but Kate kept shooting Edward furtive looks that made me feel like I was missing out on a secret. I wondered if they had dated or just slept together because that was what it seemed like was transpiring between them. Edward was completely ignoring the looks she was giving him, and I kinda almost felt bad for her. I could imagine that she was enamored with him, and the sex was just meaningless to him. I'd have to ask him about that later.

Soon I was led to meet even more people. The big guy I caught giving Rose eyes in church was Emmett. He and Edward had been friends since they were teenagers. I was intimidated by the sheer size of Emmett, but when he threw a dimpled grin my way and I heard his rumbling laugh, I realized that he was more like an oversized teddy bear. I really enjoyed talking to him, and soon we were carrying on a conversation like we had been friends for years. Turns out he was just as flirty as I was, but I knew it was all in good fun though.

Demetri, Felix, and Santiago all joined us with their girlfriends, Irina, Victoria, and Corin. They were friends of the family, and we chatted so they could get to know me better. We were in the middle of joking and laughing when a man that looked a lot like Ted came over. I was told that this was Eleazar, Edward's grandpa. He told us that it was time to sit down to eat.

Soon after that, the meal was ready. There was a ton of food, and I was a little overwhelmed by it. I tried to take a little bit of everything because I didn't want to be rude, and I made sure to eat everything on my plate after Nonnie eagerly commanded mangia at me more than once. The whole affair was loud and felt like a family gathering, which it mostly was. I felt a surge of affection toward Edward. His entire extended family was welcoming, and I really felt like they were trying to show me that I was wanted there. In the wake of losing my entire family and friend structure, I wanted to cling to something that would give me a sense of self again.

Even though church was over mid-morning, we didn't head home until well into the evening. I enjoyed meeting the Cullens' friends and family, but I was exhausted. I was a very outgoing person, but when I was around a lot of people, I got drained easily and had to be alone to recharge. Luckily, Edward was a fairly quiet person sometimes, so we didn't talk much while we drove. I had told him a few times throughout the day that I was having fun and liked his family, so there was no need to rehash all that on the way home. Since it was a lengthy drive, I broke the silence halfway through.

"So, you and Kate?" I asked. I wasn't jealous or even upset; I was just genuinely curious.

"What about us?"

"Was it a relationship or just sex?" I asked curiously. He glanced at me, hesitating. "Edward, I'm still young; I know the look of longing and a crush. Kate was throwing glances at you all night."

He sighed and raked his hand through his hair. "Heidi and Kate have been friends since they were little, so she has been around my family her entire life. After I decided to stop pursuing long-term relationships, she was one of the first people I slept with. I thought with her being close to my age, she wouldn't develop the crush she did, but she's just after the money and power like every other girl I've been with."

"I don't see how someone can fake a relationship like that. Yes, you're attractive, and yeah you have money and power with all your businesses, but that's not all there is to you. From what I've seen, it's all stuff that should make someone want to stay with you."

"Like what?" he asked, his eyes holding complete curiosity.

"You obviously care about your family, and they are all very welcoming. You're considerate and do things that are sweet, like when you took me to Target instead of enduring shopping with Rose. You're funny." I smiled and placed my hand on his upper thigh, pulling my body really close to his, my breasts brushing against his forearms. "Plus, you're a really good kisser." I breathed, kissing him on the corner of his mouth. "So the way I see it, it was those girls' loss that they couldn't realize what they had," I whispered in his ear, biting the lobe before I backed away.

He groaned and glanced at me. "You're a tease."

I laughed and sat back in my seat. We talked more about inconsequential things until we arrived at his house.

I wanted nothing more than to hole up in my room for a little while, but as I walked in the front door, Ted asked me to come speak to him in his study. I knew that it was gonna be some time before I would be able to do that. I looked wearily at Edward, but then I nodded and asked for a few minutes. I wanted to wash my face and change my clothes first. I did what I needed to, switching my dress for my lounging clothes, and then headed to Mr. Cullen's office. I knocked and waited to be called inside. Ted was sitting at his desk already and gestured for me to sit down in front of the desk, coming to sit next to me as well.

"It seems you had a good time today," he said with a small smile.

"Yeah, everyone I met was really nice and welcoming."

"I wanted to talk to you because I was able to contact a couple people in Washington. We are having a hard time finding out who did this to your parents. The cops want to just write it off as a robbery gone wrong, and it has all the makings of that, but if someone was following you on the way here, then that doesn't fit. Can you tell me a little more about the people you think are trailing you?"

"When I left Washington, I stopped in Coeur d'Alene. The next morning after I woke up, someone tried to come in the room through the sliding glass door of the balcony. I didn't stick around to try and find out who it was, and I booked it the hell out of there. Not wanting the same thing to happen at any of my future stops, I bought one of those bar things to block the door or window. Nothing else transpired as far as attempted break-ins, so I don't know for sure that anyone was still on my tail, but I did feel like I was constantly being watched so I didn't stay anywhere long. I thought about ditching my mom's car, but I'd have no way of getting a rental anywhere, and without a fake ID, if someone was watching me, they'd be able to see if I bought a plane ticket out here. The train would have taken too long, so I did my best to switch up my route and get here as quickly as I could."

"From what I have been able to gather, the man who was following you between Washington and Idaho was asking around about you at the hotel after you left." He pulled a file from his desk and seemed to read a paper in the file. "He had your full name, Isabella Swan, and he had a fairly recent picture of you. Since you had only been there one night, no one knew who you were." He paused, allowing the information he gave me time to sink in. "I do have to say that I am very impressed with how smart buying the bar was. You were thinking ahead the whole time. Getting rid of the cell phone and making your hotel room more secure. Most people wouldn't think to do those things."

"My dad instilled that kind of instinct in me. He taught me to always be aware of my surroundings and to think outside the box."

"That sounds like Charlie." He smiled and leaned closer to me. He put his hand on my upper thigh, and while it was something that Edward did earlier, this did nothing to soothe me. "You look so much like Renee. You're a very beautiful woman, and what happened to your parents was so tragic. I can make sure that you are taken care of for a very long time, Bella."

"Okay. I don't want to seem ungrateful, but you told me the other night that there is a price for kindness, so what are you wanting from me, Ted?" I had a very bad feeling about this, and I was hoping that my intuition for once was completely wrong.

When his hand slid a little higher on my leg and he briefly squeezed it, all hopes I had were dashed. He was hitting on me, and while I was completely disgusted, I wasn't surprised. He had an affair with my mom while he was a married man, and she had ultimately rejected him. Nothing that I'd seen since I arrived screamed that Ted was mafia, but something told me that this was a man who didn't get told no often, if ever. Regardless of that fact, I couldn't take him up on this proposition. "I think you already know the answer to that. Did your mom tell you I offered her to be my mistress?"

"Your goomah," I said in a hushed voice, repeating the word I had seen in my mother's letter.

He smiled. "Very good."

"I can't do that, Ted." I pushed his hand off my leg, feeling my skin crawl. "Not only are you married, but I respect your wife and I'm becoming friends with your children," I whispered with a hiss. This was just too much. Plus my services weren't for sale. "I wasn't raised to sell myself for protection or money." I sneered.

"I think that it would be in your best interest to stick close to our family, Bella. In our world, things are done a little differently. There are codes to follow, and there are people that are protected above all others," he said vaguely.

I shook my head, confused by his odd word choice. "What world? There is only one world, Mr. Cullen."

"You and Edward seem to be getting along well." His tone was even and calm, and he sat laid-back and relaxed in his chair.

I was again confused with the sudden change of subject. I tried for indifference, so I shrugged. "I guess."

Again with that smile that was such an echo of his son's cocky one. "You think I don't know what goes on in my house, Bella. I saw both of the very charged makeout sessions between you and Edward. There are cameras everywhere in this house except inside the bedrooms and bathrooms."

I stared at him, mouth agape. He had seen the kisses I had shared with Edward. God, no wonder he probably thought I was easy. With Edward, I just couldn't explain it. He gave me a level of comfort that made me feel like he wouldn't judge me for being bold. But now here was Mr. Cullen throwing it in my face, I was anything but at peace. "Yeah, I like Edward. I don't know him real well, but…Is that a problem?"

Ted rose from his chair and walked behind mine, disappearing out of sight. "No, I think that it's a good thing. Edward is getting older. He is thirty-two, and he hasn't gotten married yet, and with the leeches that he decided to date, he isn't inclined to find someone to get there with. He needs to have a good wife, and he needs to produce an heir. He is the only male child, and the lineage cannot stop with him." He put his hands lightly on my shoulders. "That's where you come in."

"What do you mean, where I come in?" I asked, turning to look at him.

He moved to sit back in his chair but then changed his mind, remaining standing and pacing before me. "By now you already know that Rose is in an arranged marriage. We chose a suitable gentleman for her to settle down with, and she did her duty by accepting. I want you to be Edward's wife. You're young and he will be able to protect you from anyone that may ever try to be stupid enough to come after you. He can take care of you financially, and you will be able to bear his children, ensuring the Cullen family name continues to be passed on."

I shook my head and stood up from my chair. "But I just said I barely know Edward." I started to pace as he sat down.

"But you like him," he said simply.

I paused in my pacing. "So far, I guess, but that's not enough reason to marry someone."

"It's not the only reason, Bella. I just gave you three very good reasons. The only unknown is if you can stand to sleep with him, but I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it. Those kisses were pretty sexual. And if not, it would only need to be until you get pregnant. I'm sure you could fake it long enough. I mean, you can definitely chance it and see how long you survive out there with god knows who after you."

I fisted my hair as I swallowed, trying not to throw up or deck the man in front of me. He was leering at me, like a creepy old guy, and it was messing with my head. He was right though. I was in danger. That was clear from my mom's warning and what he'd found out. "I need to think about this. Can I sleep on it and give you an answer in a few days?"

"Two days, forty-eight hours, but I won't give you an extension. I expect an answer Tuesday evening and not a second after. Then I will talk to Edward about marrying you if you accept."

I nodded. "May I be excused?"

"Yes, of course, Bella. Have a good night."

I left his study, shutting the door before I went downstairs, finding Rose in the kitchen. "Hey, Ro. Where is Edward's room?"

"Second floor, end of the hall on the left. Why what's up?"

"Can I talk to you about it tomorrow?"

"Yeah, absolutely. Night, B."

"Night." I turned around to go back up the stairs. If Mr. Cullen wanted me to marry Edward, I was going to make sure that I could stand to sleep with the guy. If I had to give him kids, then I needed to know.

I knocked on the door that I was told was Edward's. He opened the door, shirtless and only wearing sleep pants. I kissed him, pushing him back inside the room, closing the door with my foot. Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and steered me toward the bed, our lips never breaking contact. We were to the point of no return.

Translation:

Mangia- eat up

Goomah- mistress

A/N: So, Ted is not so kind, is he? How do we think this is gonna go? Leave a review and let me know what you think. Later lovelies!