A/N: Can't tell you how many times I've laughed recently, once I decided it was time to start writing again, whenever I'd look back at Chapter 9 and see the note I left there. It's been a while doesn't quite seem to cover it.
I always knew how this story was gonna go and I always wanted to finish it, so after all these years I'm giving it another try. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 10

Edward was sitting alone at the kitchen table staring off at nothing. He had been alternately slouched in his chair or pacing the floor for the better part of three whole hours now, with no answers as to what might have happened and no ideas as to how he might gain any. Still, he would stubbornly remain here—just in case.

He heard Alice sigh after coming back to check on him for the fifth time in just the past hour. They had already talked at length, going over all of the possible scenarios and had debated different ways to figure out exactly what was going on, but every option seemed frustratingly unachievable. She knew that he was worried and hurting, but so was she at this point. They needed to figure something out and soon. Edward was exhausted, but he couldn't make himself go back to sleep. He was hungry, but the mere thought of food made his stomach turn. Alice had assured him that Bella wasn't the type to hide from an issue, but that just meant that whatever had her tied up this morning was not of her own doing—something that actually scared him far worse than the prospect of her being upset with him in some way.

"I thought you all were going out with Bella today?" Their mother innocently greeted the pair silently lingering about the kitchen before Alice could think of anything new to say to her poor brother.
She had no way of knowing what had happened or how long her children had been agonizing over why Bella had not shown up this morning as expected. Once she had been informed, Esme couldn't help but be a bit confused by her absence as well.

"I'm sure it's nothing serious. Would you like to use the phone? We don't have the minutes for a long conversation but you could at least check that she's okay." She had kindly offered, seeing just how heartbroken her son looked while Alice relayed the fact that they hadn't seen or heard from Bella this morning.

"She knows we don't have a normal phone situation so I never got her number." He mumbled.
He glanced at Alice wondering if maybe she had, but reading his thoughts just as easily as if he'd asked the question aloud she shook her head sadly.

"What about riding over to see if she's at home? Perhaps something unexpected came up and she was unable to come by to let you know of the change in plans."

"Her place has a security gate." Alice explained. "You can't get in unless you've been specifically invited. They don't even call to check if a visitor might be welcome, you just get turned away if you aren't an anticipated guest."

Esme took a breath and looked back and forth between her children.

"When was the last time either of you saw Bella?"

She'd had to work the past several evenings and wasn't privy to all of their comings and goings the past few days. The more they discussed their concern over Bella's whereabouts and what might have happened, Esme began to realize she couldn't really offer much in the way of help other than to find something that might reassure them that the reason for Bella's absence didn't have to mean that something bad had happened.

"She gave me a ride home Friday night." Edward offered, again looking to Alice to see if she'd had any correspondence she might have neglected to mention earlier. She shook her head again.

"Did she seem okay, or did anything out of the ordinary happen?"

It was an innocent enough question, much like her earlier greeting had been, and one that he'd already asked himself a handful of times since it had become obvious that Bella wasn't just running late today. While thinking on it once more, Edward let his mind wander back to the wonderful surprise that it had been, finding her parked against the curb out front of the hardware store a few days ago now.

It was closing time and after giving everything a final once over and locking up, Edward had turned expecting to find his brother's Jeep parked somewhere nearby. His mother had dropped him off on her way to work that afternoon, leaving him in need of a ride home. After less than a second he'd been surprised but undoubtedly pleased to recognize Bella's truck parked several cars down to his left instead.

"What are you doing here?" He'd asked the most obvious question, but whatever her answer would be didn't matter. He felt himself grin at the way she'd pushed her hip off of the truck's bumper she'd been leaning against, meeting him halfway when he'd started to walk in her direction.

"Bribed Emmett into letting me give you a lift tonight instead." She explained while looking up at him once she stood less than an inch away. She made no move to reach out but Edward knew that she wanted to. She was blushing in the glow of the streetlights and her eyes were far away like she was thinking of something else entirely.

"I hope you actually paid him with money and not his usual currency." Edward playfully chuckled.

"I actually didn't have to give him anything; but now I'm curious, what's the usual currency?"

Edward slowly shifted closer and let one of his arms come around to hold her; he smiled while leaning in, his eyes asking for her trust. He paused for a second before pulling her in a bit more possessively, the fingers of his right hand caressing the length of her face, travelling from just above her eyebrow over her cheek and around the curve of her jaw. He gently lifted her chin and when he had finally claimed her lips he proceeded to give her a kiss like they'd never shared before, enjoying the groan of appreciation that immediately escaped her. A good long minute passed before he relented, but he would find out soon enough that Bella wasn't upset in the least.

"Something along those lines ordinarily." He'd teased feeling her body sag against him.

Bella took a moment to focus and Edward recognized right away that she'd never looked at him like that before. He couldn't quite tell if she was intrigued or disturbed by this bit of information—perhaps just enjoying his boldness, but Edward was reminded suddenly that he should never be concerned that Bella might be tempted by his older and apparently far more forward brother.

Framing his face with her hands, Bella looked him dead in the eyes. Her voice was quiet but firm when she told him, "You are the only one I want to kiss me like that," she waited a beat to make her point, her gaze promising him as much as it challenged him, "but you need to get into the truck—because I think I need you to do that again."

He didn't have to be told twice. He turned, pulled the driver's door open and gave Bella one more little peck before making his way to the passenger side. He barely had the door closed before he found Bella in his arms once more. She didn't need him to kiss her again because she was now in the driver's seat—in more ways than one.

After the necessary display they'd willingly given Jessica earlier in the week, neither one of them had seen any need to provide an encore. They were content to fall back and resume the comfortably innocent affections that had become their norm as of late when in the company of others, however they still longed for those rare moments that they could be alone.

Lately those moments had occurred less and less, which meant that Bella's decision to meet him after work was for more than the purpose of offering him a ride home. This relationship had blindsided the both of them and their level of attraction was growing at such an amazing pace that they were finding themselves frustrated at times by the limited amount of privacy their circumstances offered. They could talk and smile and hold hands with the greatest of ease by now, but there was an ever growing need to explore what they couldn't comfortably experience in the presence of their peers.

"Please tell me you don't have to be home right away." She'd begged in a breathless voice, before kissing him again.

Home…I am home. His ever-present internal voice happily informed him.

"I have to be back here at eight in the morning, until then I'm yours." He whispered against her throat after a long pause.
The incredible scent of her skin made him want to hold on to her all night and the pleasurable moan his attention had pulled from her had assured him that she'd liked the sound of that almost as much as she enjoyed the feel of his lips moving along the side of her neck. He would have happily kept quiet and allowed Bella to have her way for as long as she desired, but he'd really wanted to let her know that he wasn't about to leave her anytime soon if she wanted him to stay.

He'd been dreaming of a scenario like this for most of his teenaged life and he'd had a renewed sense of optimism that it might actually be attainable since Bella had become a part of it. He was still leery of taking things too far—of pushing for the type of relationship he knew that his heart would never recover from if things were to end badly between them. Still, holding and kissing and cuddling his girl without fear of interruption and without a time limit to force their separation before they might be satisfied with whatever interaction they deemed necessary was wildly tempting.

Edward shook his head slightly hoping to get his thoughts back to the present and provide some type of answer for his mother. Sitting here with his mom and sister watching him as he mentally relived the most passionate encounter of his young life to this point was not going to help him figure anything out this morning, nor was it going to make him feel any better to think that perhaps he'd done something wrong. Had he let things go too far? Had he frightened her—disappointed her in some way?

When Bella had finally left him standing in the driveway Friday night, Edward was under the impression that all was right with the world. He wasn't one for clichés but he certainly knew what people were talking about when they spoke of the euphoria that went along with young love all of a sudden. There were fireworks and there was such a place as cloud nine.

And to think that sort of bliss had come from nothing more than rounding first base and actually saying the words I love you to someone for the first time.

"We hung out for a little while, talked some…I was pretty sure everything was fine when she dropped me off."

Edward's expression was sad and a little shy when he glanced at the two of them this time. He didn't know how to tell his mother that he and Bella had reached such a place already. Alice knew of the rumors around school. She had already asked him if it was true that he and Bella had been making out in the hallway the other day. He'd answered her honestly, correcting the facts to make it far more believable and innocent; pointing out that it was more of a statement than some uncontrolled moment of passion. He was pleased to know that she wasn't disturbed by the truth. He did however wonder if either she or their mother would think that their relationship had become too rushed and reckless should they learn anything about what their Friday evening together had involved.
Maybe they would worry that Bella was avoiding him suddenly, perhaps unsure of how to handle this newest development and all that it might mean for them. He'd certainly entertained that thought repeatedly this morning.

Had they just spent some time kissing and playfully chatting as they usually did, teasing one another and laughing about silly trivial things, Edward didn't think that he would be so concerned just now. Unfortunately he and Bella had finally gotten around to talking about Tanya that night. He'd been very honest with her about how much it hurt to know that he'd wasted so much as a second thinking about such a horrible person when someone like Bella had been out there waiting for him.

He remembered how his heart had twisted so painfully when Bella had brought up the subject. It wasn't as if he didn't understand her curiosity, but he hated that what he would have to tell her might make her think poorly of him. He'd known after the fact that his short lived mistake with Tanya would bother him for a long time, but he'd never counted on it meaning anything to someone else.

"Edward?" She had basically whispered his name, but there was something in her tone that made him pause, pull back and look at her. Her face was full of color and her breathing was labored thanks to the many kisses they had shared, but Edward recognized that Bella's thoughts were not as lost as his had been just then.

"What is it?" He asked kindly, caressing her hair away from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear the way she usually did.

She looked away and wondered aloud, "Have you ever…you know, with anyone else?"

He adjusted his position a bit and sighed. He knew that they would talk about this eventually, but he hadn't counted on it being now. He also worried that maybe he should have mentioned something earlier, perhaps when Bella had confessed that she'd never.

"No," he shook his head, but knew that he'd never lie to her. "I did go out with another girl once, back home. It only lasted a few weeks."

He could tell that it wasn't what she'd wanted to hear but as always she was open to listening so he told her more. It would be better if she knew that it wasn't the type of relationship they had, and that Edward would never describe any aspect of that messed up situation as being worthy of comparison.

"I basically went on two dates with her. She came over and met everyone once, but shortly after that I'd decided she was a pretty awful person—ended things. She hated Alice and thought my dad was a loser. That was over a year ago and we never had…this." Edward didn't know the right words to use to let Bella know that although he'd willingly kissed Tanya a time or two he'd never had any real feelings for her and there had never been anything else physical between them. He didn't feel like specific details were necessary, instead he felt it was more important for Bella to know that while she wasn't his first kiss, she was the first that had ever meant anything to him.

Unfortunately Bella's eyes were downcast and her expression guarded, as if she wanted to ask something or say something, but she had remained quiet. It meant that Edward was going to have to give her a little more and the truth was the best that he had to offer. He worried that she was feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of their kissing, fearful of his expectations suddenly. What else would prompt her to broach the subject of his past, seemingly out of the blue?

"Bella, I've never been in love before." He confessed in all honesty. "I've never known a girl so beautiful or kind. I've never wanted to kiss someone so badly—to have the privilege of calling you mine." He smiled a bit at the look she was now giving him. There was an appreciation for his praise, but also understanding. "And Bella, I've never held a girl in my arms before and wished with all my heart that she'd look at me and smile and believe it when I promise that you are it for me. As far as I'm concerned you are my first everything."

When Bella kissed him this time she let her hands wander over his chest and across his shoulders, her fingers eventually combing up through his hair and Edward held on for all he was worth, suddenly unaware of which way was up.

"I'm sure everything is fine. If something important has happened, Bella will find a way to let you know." Esme stood and walked over to the coffeemaker and began preparations to make another pot. "I have to do some shopping today if either of you would like to go with me."

She didn't know what else to say. She could see the amount of turmoil this turn of events had produced for her son—the concern in her daughter, but Esme had a good feeling about Bella. Worst case scenario they'd just have to wait until tomorrow and see her at school, perhaps find out then what had happened if they didn't get any answers before the day was done. The best she might be able to offer in the meantime was a distraction if they were willing to take it.

"I might ride if that's okay…" Alice had started to say after their mother made her way back upstairs to get ready for the day. Before she could finish a knock at the door and her brother's movement had startled her into silence.
Edward was immediately out of his chair and at the door, throwing it open in hopes of finding Bella there. He was so hopeful in fact that he'd been unprepared for the possibility of seeing anyone else.

He did a bit of a double take as he took in the sight of the person standing there for a moment. He didn't miss for a second how their visitor looked him up and down as well, obviously assessing his worth when it had dawned on him who this was.
Bella had spoken of her cousin with great admiration and affection and recently, with the knowledge that he and Alice would be going to meet him, she'd even gone so far as to describe him in enough detail that Edward was fairly confident in addressing him by way of a greeting.

"Jasper?"

"I guess that means I found the right place. You're Edward?"

"Is Bella okay?" Edward couldn't avoid the question and he couldn't fathom what had Jasper standing on their front porch just now instead of Bella; and why was he here when the plan had been for them to meet him out at the ranch, which was nearly an hour away.

Jasper smirked a bit and let out a little chuckle.

He liked the way that Edward was so desperate to know; he could tell that he'd been freaking out, probably worried that something bad had happened. At least he cared, which was a good thing.

"She's royally pissed off and grounded to hell and back" He informed a rather surprised Edward.

Edward was speechless. What could have happened yesterday that would have landed Bella in enough trouble with her parents to have gotten herself grounded? And why was Jasper the one telling them about it? And when had Alice come to stand beside him, looking as if she might fall over at any moment?

"Bells called this morning when she knew she wouldn't be able to come get y'all, and not having any other way to get in touch made me promise that I'd come do damage control."

"Damage control?" Edward wondered, still looking at his sister.

"You okay, Tiny?" Jasper smiled at Alice's glazed over expression, having noticed how Edward's attention was focused on her as well.

"Hi." Was all that Alice was capable of saying, her eyes still unfocused but staring at Jasper as if she were seeing the sun for the very first time.

Jasper smiled a bit brighter and Edward felt his insides drop, because he suddenly realized why Alice looked the way she did.

"Yeah, so if y'all wanna ride over with me I'm heading to see Bella. Cheer her up a little and see if I can charm Aunt Renee into letting her go off with us this afternoon at least."

"Umm…yeah. Are you sure it's okay though?" Edward was all for going to check on Bella and find out what had happened, but the idea of showing up at her parents' house, even with Jasper, was still a bit intimidating.

"Don't worry, you gotta meet them sometime." Jasper shrugged.

Edward wasn't surprised that he would catch on to the concern he'd refused to verbalize or that he would understand his sudden nervousness. Bella had assured him that Jasper was as relaxed and unassuming as a person could be.

"Come on, Tiny. You can ride up front with me." He overheard Jasper invite an uncommonly quiet Alice, encouraging the both of them to get moving so that they could be on their way.

He'd think on whatever that meant in a little while once he knew that Bella was really okay and more importantly once he was sure that he wasn't going to throw up. For now it was time to face the inevitable…Charles Swan IV and his wife, Renee.