Hungover

"Holy mother of fucking GOD!" I literally shrieked in pain as someone began to pound on my door at some ungodly hour. Yeah, ten in the morning was ungodly when you have had little sleep, lots of sex, and even more booze. "I will never drink again."

"Oh, god," Edward groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Alice, go away."

"But I have some hair of the dog!"

"You're going to have a black eye if you don't let me go back to sleep," I shouted. I heard her huff on the other side of the door, despite my massively painful hangover ringing in my ears.

"Hey! Be nice and open the door!" Jasper said. "We've got food, too. We don't want to miss the parades."

Edward threw the covers off of him with a grunt, and I noticed one pleasant little thing. Well, maybe not little. He was still nude. He saw this too and quickly threw on some pants. I found my panties and a t-shirt, Edward's in fact, before giving up and falling back onto the bed. Since the shirt went down to my knees, I wasn't bothered.

"Finally," Alice said, carrying in a pitcher of Bloody Marys. I grimaced, throwing an arm over my eyes. "Come on, it's not that bad!"

"I hate you," I mumbled, turning over onto my stomach to hide from the light. I felt Edward slide in next to me.

"Isn't it amazing how she drank more than you, and she isn't the least bit hungover?" I heard Rose's voice ask. She sounded way too perky, especially since I knew she had to be suffering from some sort of morning sickness.

"That's because she's already had three bloody Mary's," Jasper chimed in. "She's still drunk, I think. She'll be drunk for days at this rate."

"Nahhh..." Alice laughed. "Come on, guys. I've got bloody Mary's for all, except Rose. And we've got some fruit, bacon, and some toast that we found down at the breakfast buffet before it closed."

"You know, drinking water is better for you than the 'hair of the dog,'" Emmett added into the conversation. He sounded perky too, dammit. Perhaps it was because he was so big that he could hold his liquor better.

"He's had like six bottles already this morning," Rose said as I felt the bed shift beside me. "Maybe you should have some too."

"I'll compromise and have both," I said, finally giving up on the fact that they were not going to shut up or leave me alone. I flopped over, patting my already snoring boyfriend on the ass to wake him up. "If I have to be awake, so do you."

"Don't wanna," he mumbled, and I smacked him harder. "Ow, fine! I'm awake. Mean thing," he complained. "Oh, bloody Marys."

I sat up, and Alice brought both of us a tall glass of the tomato vodka stuff, sans celery, and a plate with a mix of food on it. I picked up a piece of bacon and grimaced. The idea of oil made my stomach churn. So, instead, I settled for a slice of plain toast and passed the plate to Edward. Even though he had a hangover as well, he didn't seem to be bothered by the food at all.

"So, plans for today?" I asked.

"Parade. Lunch. Parade. Dinner. Parade. Then DRINKING!" Alice said happily.

"I was with you until the drinking part," I smirked. "I'm drinking water tonight."

"Fine! Be boring!"

Emmett sat down beside Edward and started to eat as well. They fought over the last piece of bacon like a couple of children. They finally broke it in half, Emmett getting the larger piece which he shoved the entire thing in his mouth.

But, I barely noticed that. What I noticed instead was the fact that Jasper was staring at me. Hard.

"What?" I demanded of him.

He flushed, looking down at his lap. "Oh, nothing. Sorry."

"No, it's okay. Seriously, you can tell me," I told him gently. "Something on your mind?"

"Well... after last night... I'm just… curious… Sorry."

"Last night?" I asked stupidly. It took me about ten seconds to remember exactly what happened the night before. I blushed a bright red, and my hands flew up to my face. "Oh, my god. I am so sorry about that. I forgot."

"What happened?" Rosalie asked, confused.

"We walked in on them going at it," Alice snickered. "It was way hot too."

"Dude, my nephew," Emmett complained, pointing at Edward.

"Then don't listen," Rose waved him off and leaned forward as if she was waiting for the juicy details. I could tell by the look on Alice's face she was going to share. Emmett bolted up, going towards the bathroom.

"Fine, I gotta piss like a Russian Racehorse anyway," he muttered, slamming the bathroom door. Alice and Rose both giggled, and Alice sat on the bed across from Rose.

"I am right here," I complained.

"We know," Alice said, patting my knee. "But, sweetie, when you see things that sexy, you have to share. So, anyway, she was straddling him- topless. And they were attacking each other like something off of the discovery channel."

"Alice, please," Edward said, putting his empty glass on the nightstand. "Can you do that when we're not around?"

"So, what is it exactly are you curious about?" Rose asked her brother. Jasper just flushed a bright shade of red. "Oh, this is good."

"He wants to see her ta-tas!" Alice blurted out happily.

Three people in the room yelled ''Alice' at the same time. "Oh, please stop now. I'm horrified enough as it is," Jasper complained. "Yes, I am curious, but I've always been curious. Jesus, did I just say that out loud?" He said, covering his eyes. "Maybe I'm still drunk too."

"It's Mardi Gras, Bella. Flash Jasper. Maybe he'll give you some beads," Rose snickered. "Flash him."

"Oh, god," Alice moaned with laughter, falling on top of my legs. "That would be awesome. Do it!"

"I was kidding!" Rosalie laughed and shoved at her head. "Mostly. Look, I gotta help my brother out now and again. He's wanted to see your boobs since high school. Seriously, I think you'd be scratching something off of Jasper's list."

"I have not!" Jasper said, almost purple in the face. "Stop it!"

"Liar," three people said at once. I was not one of them.

Edward covered his eyes and took a deep breath. "Why are we talking about my girlfriend flashing my best friend?"

"Because it's funny," his aunt answered.

"And awesome," Alice added in.

And to my embarrassment the two girls began to chant 'flash him, flash him' over and over again. Edward groaned as I looked over at Rose.

"You have no excuse!"

She shrugged.

I was never good with peer pressure or impulse control.

Maybe I was a little drunk still too because I lifted up my shirt for a good second before dropping it back down. The two girls cheered, Edward laughed despite himself and brought a blanket up to cover my body, and Jasper's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Emmett demanded as he came back from the bathroom. "You guys are loud."

"Bella flashed her ta-tas at Jasper," Rosalie laughed.

"Dammit, I always miss the good stuff."

"Alright, we need to get ready," Edward said as he stood up when his uncle complaining at not getting to see my chest. He handed Alice her half pitcher of bloody Marys. "We need to get dressed, and Bella needs to put on a bra." He walked up to Jasper and patted him on the shoulder. "Stop staring at my girlfriend's breasts. I can't stare at Alice's. It's only fair."

"You can stare at mine if you want!" She laughed. Rosalie rolled her eyes as she stood, grabbing Alice by the arm.

"I think he means yours are so small that he can't. Go take a shower, alky. We've had our fun now. Let's let them get ready." She then grabbed Emmett by the elbow. "You, too."

"I always miss all the fun," Emmett complained as he walked off with his wife. Jasper was still standing there, looking bewildered.

"You didn't have to do that," he finally said, shaking his head.

I finally got out of bed and walked over to him. "Hey, this trip is all about making dreams come true. Who am I to deny you?"

He laughed and wrapped an arm around my waist as he gave me a one-sided hug. "Thanks, baby."

"You're thanking my girlfriend for showing you her tits," Edward huffed playfully. "There is something wrong with this picture."

"It was just a friendly boob showing. Not like I touched them," Jasper pouted. I laughed, hugging him back.

"Go before you get in trouble."

"With who? Alice or Edward?"

"Both," I snickered.

When the door closed behind Jasper, I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist. "I never, ever, know what you're going to do next. You are so unpredictable."

"You're not mad at me, are you?" I asked, pouting out my bottom lip.

"No," he laughed. "I can't believe you did that, but no. I'm not mad. With breasts like those, I suppose you should share them with the world."

I turned in his arms and smacked his chest. He threw his head back, laughing. "Edward!"

"I'm sorry," he snickered, leaning his forehead against mine. "I can't believe you did that."

"I can't either," I agreed with a soft sigh. "I can't believe a lot of the things I did last night. Sorry about the stripper."

"Same here," he smirked. "Seemed like you two had a nice conversation though."

"We did," I said, running my hands over his arms. "I wonder if there is anything I'm not remembering from last night..."

"Oh! That reminds me," he said, pulling away from me and going to his jeans that he wore the day before. They were on the floor, and he searched through his pockets before finding a plain paper bag. "I think we'll both need this today."

He pulled out a little purple pouch. "What is that?"

"A gris-gris bag. It's supposed to be good luck. I know you're worried about the house and I figured a little extra help wouldn't hurt," he said, placing it into my palm. "I think we'll probably need it in general for the rest of the trip."

"Well, I'm not going to drink anymore so that should help my luck greatly," I muttered, making Edward laugh quietly. "Come on, let's get ready."

The parade we went to was at straight up noon and was pretty much for the kids. It was a lot of fun though. I got a lot of impressive throws, including a cute handmade teddy bear. We had lunch after that just from a vendor on the street. It was fried food, and honestly, it didn't help my stomach in the least.

We were waiting for the next parade when Edward's phone rang. "Hello? Yes, this is him. Oh? Hello, yes, sir."

"Who is he talking to?" Alice asked from beside me. I just shrugged.

"Really? Wow! Okay! That is fantastic news. No, thank you. Well, right now we're out of town, but we'll be able to come in on Friday morning to sign the papers if that works for you. That's great! Okay. Yes, sir. Thanks!"

As soon as he hung up the phone, a huge smile came across his face. "We got it."

"What?" I asked, coming closer to him.

"We got it! We got the house!" He said, grabbing my waist and kissing me forcefully. It took a full minute for what he said to sink in.

We got the house. Edward and I were going to live together in our own home. A home where we were going to raise children perhaps.

I nearly fainted. Thankfully Edward's arms were around my waist and held me in place as his lips moved artfully against mine.

The rest of the day was a blur after that. By the time we came back to the hotel, we each had a garbage bag full of stuff from the parades. I wasn't exactly sure how we were going to bring them all home, but I knew by the way that Alice was wearing them that she wasn't going to give up her booty easily.

So we sat on the floor like a bunch of little kids on Halloween, sorting our loot to look for the best ones. We kept all the cups and all the unique throws like my teddy bear and blinky necklaces. When we were all done, we had a massive pile of things that we were going to donate back to the krewes before we left New Orleans.

"What the hell is a Moon Pie?" Edward asked, picking up the cookie package. His accent was totally English, not a trace of the southern that normally mingled in it. I laughed, taking it from him.

"Something neither one of us needs."

"Nothing is better than an RC Cola and a Moon Pie," Emmett said in the thickest accent possible. Jasper laughed, nodding his head.

Alice, after all the excitement of her prize sorting and all of her drinking, was asleep on the floor with her head on Jasper's lap. Rosalie was dozing off against Emmett as well.

"I think we wore them out," Jasper said, running his hand over his wife's wild hair. "We should get some sleep. What time do you want to meet up tomorrow?"

"Elevenish," Edward said. "We all need our sleep after yesterday and today. My feet are killing me."

"Zoo, ferry, aquarium, lunch, and then we walk the Quarter for pralines."

"Jasper, you are a wild man, my friend," I teased him.

"Ain't I though?" He teased. "Goodnight, y'all."

"What a day," my boyfriend said when we were alone. He pulled me to my feet off the floor and led me over to the bed. "How are you?"

"Exhausted."

"But happy?" He gave me a small smile, touching my cheek.

"Very," I said, leaning into his palm. I placed both of my hands on his and pressed it against my face. "Tell me what you're thinking about."

"I'm thinking, one... that I'm the luckiest man in the world to have such a good life. I've got a good woman and fun friends. I've got a good family. Everything in my life is coming together."

"And two?"

"That I need some aspirin and a soak in the bathtub. I hurt all over," he chuckled. "Want to join me?"

"Sounds good to me," I said, kicking off my shoes and pulling off my socks. Edward helped me undress the rest of the way before starting the bathtub in the bathroom. I sat between his legs as we took turns washing each other.

It was the perfect end to an eventful day.

"Mother of God," Alice squinted into the sun the following day. Her hangover finally caught up to her. And as if it saved up the pain, she was really suffering as we walked through the zoo. "Must they make it so bright out here?"

"At least it's not hot too," Rosalie told her. "Louisiana March is just about perfect if it's not raining."

The zoo was okay, not as big as the one in London but it still had some very beautiful animals. I knew it had suffered some after Katrina. I felt terrible for the animals that got left behind in the hurricane. Luckily, if I remembered what I heard from the news, they didn't lose very many, if any.

I had to admit, I liked the forty-five-minute ferry ride a lot more. It was on an old-fashioned paddle boat called the Natchez. I stood on the deck with Edward's arms around me, watching the Mississippi River.

"It's amazing how muddy waters can be beautiful," I said almost wistfully.

"I think so too," he said in agreement, kissing my neck lightly. "New Orleans is one of those places I wouldn't mind staying a while. There is so much to see and a couple of days isn't nearly enough."

"We'll have to come back on vacation."

"Sounds good to me," he smiled against my skin. I turned in his grip and wrapped my arms around his neck. We began to kiss, blocking out the entire world.

If I hadn't, I probably would have noticed the massive supertanker that was coming alongside the boat. It certainly caught my attention though when it blew it's horn. I squealed, jumping out of my skin. Edward laughed, rubbing my back gently.

"Wow, those things are huge," he commented once I got back control of myself. At that moment I could see the preteen boy lurking behind his eyes, thinking about how awesome it would be to 'play' with one of those things.

And the image of a little red-haired boy with brown eyes popped into my mind. It was almost shocking how clear the vision was of our offspring. Freckles, possibly glasses, with wild hair like his father and brown eyes framed in thick lashes like his mother. Tall and smiling with a tiny gap between his teeth like I had. Perhaps he would have braces just like I did when I was a teenager.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked quietly into my ear. I flushed, shaking my head as I looked down shyly. I knew he was going to press for more information, but the boat docked, and we were joined by the rest of the gang from the inside of the ship. Both Rosalie and Alice had decided to use their time for a nap, and the men decided they wanted to have a beer.

Now, the zoo was decent, but the aquarium was awesome. We wandered through it for about an hour before we went to get some lunch in the food court. We decided out of our choices that we wanted Burger King. Edward and I each got a salad and shared half of a double whopper. And then after that, we had some ice cream.

Who could turn down Haagen Daz?

After that, we decided to go through exhibits some more. I loved the two giant otters and probably could have watched them all day. Edward liked the sharks, as did Alice.

Rosalie liked the gift shop. So far on the trip, she had bought six different little gifts for Bridget from six different places. Plus she had all the beads she could be possibly ever want to play with.

That little girl was going to be very spoiled when her mama got home. Though, if I knew anything about Esme's family who was watching her... well, she was already being spoiled.

Once we were done with the fish, we decided to walk through the Quarter. It was a ton quieter than it was the day before on Mardi Gras, something I was grateful for.

About thirty minutes into our walk we came across something that made even the hungover Alice chipper again. The Blue Dog Art gallery. She squealed loudly, a shrill and overly giddy sound, and took Jasper by the hand as she dragged him inside.

I had to admit, I liked the paintings. They were bright and beautiful, and there was just something about the dogs that seemed to be in all of their pictures.

We weren't there five minutes before Alice went, "I'd like to purchase this one."

She pointed to one with the blue dog off slightly to one side sitting in a swirl of pinks. Of course, the painting was called 'Pink Floyd.' It was very Alice.

Which meant I knew better than to look at the price. I was sure it was outrageous.

It took far less money to make Jasper happy. Well, perhaps it did. He bought a pound of pralines at every single store that made them. And different kinds too. Different nuts. Some were chocolate. He said that he wanted to 'analyze' them so he could figure out what route he wanted to take. And that he wanted them for inspiration.

I was just happy with the free samples most of them gave out.

After that, we went back to the hotel to drop off our purchases. The painting was being shipped to Dallas, so Alice didn't have to worry about carrying it around. We all freshened up before going out to dinner.

I decided to wear the one dress I brought with me and a pair of ballet flats. We went to a beautiful 'Creole Italian' restaurant called Bacco. It was amazingly romantic, and I wouldn't have minded being alone with Edward there.

Perhaps when we returned on our vacation.

It was starting to get dark when we came out, all the party goers coming out once more. None of us wanted to truly deal with the 'younger' crowd again.

"What should we do then?" Jasper asked.

"Let's go to the casino," Edward suggested with a small and almost evil grin. I couldn't imagine what he had planned.

The casino we went to, Harrah's, was much larger than the ones we went to in Shreveport. It was also land-based. It was a bit mind blowing actually. My boyfriend took my hand and led me directly to the blackjack tables.

"I don't think this is a good idea," I complained as I sat beside him. He smirked as he pulled out a hundred dollar bill from his wallet. It was a five dollar table, and he split up the chips between us. "Edward..."

"Come on! Play with me, baby," he said smoothly.

Something about his words made a tingle shoot down my spine. "Fine. I apologize if I lose all your money."

The first hand I got a fifteen and Edward got a blackjack. Next time I got a fourteen and Edward got... another blackjack. Each time, I busted, and each time he came out ahead.

"You have foul luck," he chuckled as the dealer took away my twenty-two and slid Edward his winnings. He started out with an eleven and doubled down. He got a twenty and won. "But, I think you bring me good luck."

After I lost the fifth hand in a row, I slid the rest of my chips over to Edward and stood from my chair so someone else can play. "Then why don't I just stand here and be your good luck charm?"

He wrapped his arm around my waist as he placed ten dollars down. As they dealt his cards, I leaned in and kissed his cheek softly.

It was yet another blackjack. Who had that kind of luck?

"Hm, yes. I think you'll stay right here," he said, squeezing my waist as he brought me closer to his side, "for the rest of the night."

As if there was another place I would rather be.

He walked away from that blackjack table with five hundred more dollars than what he came with.

Bella has impulse control issues while inebriated, clearly lol and Rosalie and Alice are troublemakers. But, if she didn't she wouldn't have made out with Edward within two seconds of meeting him.

Thanks for reading!