A/N

First, let me apologize for how long this took to get out to you. I had major writers block for about 2 months. The chapter was completely written, but it sucked and needed to be rewritten, and Emmett stopped talking to me. Once again, my apologies for the lateness of this chapter. I do have the next one in the works; hopefully it won't take me 3 months to get it to you.

Second, as always, thanks to my AMAZING beta – BlackJackLily, who's the one that helped me bring some focus to the chapter & work out the kinks. She's my biggest cheerleader and I just love her to bits.

Lastly, thanks to any readers still here. I realize without an update, you lose interest. I'm doing my best, thanks for the support you've given me in your reviews, tweets, etc. Much love to you all.

Oh, and while this chapter is smut-free – have no fear. It will return in the next one. Gotta put some plot in here somewhere.

Chapter 5

It's funny how one weekend can change your entire outlook on things. The previous weekend's foray into Aro's little club had flipped a switch in my brain. Suddenly my mind was an endless loop of sex, positions, partners, and money.

The thing about money is that it tends to mar and sully. What might have been a private and consensual ménage a trois, instead becomes a paying for sex kind of exchange, even if I wasn't one of the trois. Watching after all did get my hands dirty, but only of my own doing. The image of Rose's disgusted face kept popping up in my mind at the most inopportune times - like when I was on the phone with my mom before heading into work tonight.

Still, it made me think getting paid to watch, even if I enjoyed watching, might not be the best thing for me to do. However, I wasn't sure I could back out, especially now that the proverbial ball had started rolling downhill, fast. The biggest issue was that while I enjoyed my job as a bouncer, it didn't pay well, and I really needed to get out of my dingy studio apartment. So I was in a quandary. Deal with my conscience feeling a little bit pervy, or take the money and run, conscience be damned?

I knew myself well enough to accept that the potential for money would, at least for a time, beat out any kind of ethical dilemma I might face.

Shit, Rose wasn't even mine. So why was I obsessing over what she might think about the situation?

Because I'm hoping that someday she will be, the less depraved part of my consciousness reminded me.

Thankfully, once I got to the club all thoughts of Rose, and facial expressions, and moral dilemmas vanished.

In an exact opposite start to last weekend, it seemed the beginning of the summer had graciously given us the dregs of the city. It was barely midnight and I'd already thrown out three chicks, five dudes, broken up two fights and had to send a couple on their merry way for their attempt at defiling the booth they were trying to fuck in. Yeah, it had been that kind of night. From the look on Felix's face as he muscled a guy past me, he was having a similar experience himself.

On Felix's return trip past, he leaned in and tried to whisper something into my ear over the scream of Pink shouting about raising your glass and the noise from the throngs of club goers. I could only give him a look that said 'no clue what the fuck you're trying to tell me, so don't waste your breath.'

"Emmett!" Felix screamed into my ear, so loud I winced at the onslaught.

I smacked the back of his head in response and motioned for him to continue.

"Edward's invited you to stay for a drink after shift. A couple of guys are going to play poker for a little bit. You in?" He was still yelling, but thankfully he'd pulled back slightly.

I suddenly felt as if I was being welcomed into the inner sanctum of Edward's friendship circle. Which, by the way, was a total chick thing to feel, but still I was thrilled. I nodded to Felix and yelled back that I would meet him in the locker room after our shift.

Of course, now that I had something to look forward to, the night dragged on endlessly. As if the gods found it humorous to drastically slow the passage of time just to piss you off.

I watched the crowd thin and expand like the waves of the ocean coming up to the shore. They moved like the tide; groups shifting from one bar to the other, all trying to see which floor had the hotter women, the better music, or prime seating available. The monotony of it made my eyelids heavy, leaving me as close to sleep as one could get while still standing, until my favorite c-listers came marching up past me into the VIP section.

"Hey, Em, how are you?" Izzy's demeanor was light and airy, her smile bright and cheerful. It appeared almost as if she was lit from within, which was in contrast to her normally quiet and reserved personality.

"Izzy!" My usual boisterous greeting was met with an equally exuberant hug. "What's going on with you? You're awfully cheery tonight." We'd become somewhat close after she'd accidentally dumped her drink on me, and I was curious to see what was going on in her life outside of what I read in the papers or saw within the confines of the club's walls.

Unfortunately, Alice butted in from behind, shoving herself past me and up the stairs, muttering about Izzy being in love. The way she dragged out the word 'love' made me think that perhaps Alice was a tad envious of her friend's interest in someone other than herself.

Cocking my head, I smirked and waited for Izzy to explain.

"Um, it's nothing really. I just met this guy in here last week and I just like him is all. Okay?"

Even in the dim lighting, I could tell she was blushing. Her arms flailed around as she talked, trying to convince me how this big deal really wasn't one. Not that I would have believed that for one second. I laughed, unable to hide my amusement over how awkward she was being about the whole thing.

"God, can't I just like a guy without everyone going all mental?" She stomped past me, making it about two steps before I grabbed her and wrapped my arms around her, bear hug style. I reassured Izzy that I was happy for her and hoped to meet the guy who had apparently captured her interest.

"His name's Trevor and he's supposed to meet me here in a bit. You'll have your chance to size him up, Em. Don't worry."

I had grown to love the sibling like relationship we had, even if it lasted only on the weekends when she graced my presence.

Since that night she dressed me in her standard issue rum and Diet Coke, we'd formed a bit of a bond. She sought me out every night she came in, spending a few minutes talking with me every time she traipsed around the club, giving me little tidbits of information or even sharing a joke at Alice's expense whenever she got tired of being dragged around from club to club whenever the whim struck her best friend. She'd often seek my council about something that was bothering her, or was wondering why someone was acting the way they were. Having been in the public eye made her weary of other people's actions, and for some reason, she trusted me and I wasn't about to take that trust lightly.

We've never spoken outside the club's four walls, but I felt like I could ask her for her number and she'd give it to me willingly. I guess I just haven't wanted to ruin the easy going friendship we've started with the real world. I realized she was someone completely different when she wasn't with me, and while thinking about it, I suppose so was I. But in the few odd moments when we had a chance to talk, I knew she was being real and honest with me, and from the look of gratitude in her eyes and the relaxation in her posture, I knew she let her guard down and was relieved in some part to be able to do it. Even if it is only one day a week for a few spare moments in time.

"Izzy, you are one person I will never cease to worry about," I teased, batting my eyelashes dramatically at her and releasing my hold on her. She laughed as she turned and disappeared in the VIP section. Her smile helped to brighten my mood as my expression slid back into serious, no nonsense bouncer mode; the face most people in the club didn't want to see up in their grill. Cause if they did, it was for one of two reasons, and both would spoil the shit out of their night.

I didn't have to wait long before Izzy's new love interest made an appearance.

"Trevor Ashton," he announced, attempting to look past me. I blocked his view as I scanned the list. Sure as shit, his name was on there and I had no choice but to let him pass. As he did, I took inventory of his appearance so that I could keep an eye on him. He was a few inches shorter than me with short, dark, spiky hair, identical to about eighty percent of the club's male patrons. His build was lean and athletic, reminding me slightly of Edward.

I suppose he wasn't bad looking for a dude, not that I was an expert in male attractiveness. Though he seemed harmless enough, my gut had a 'something ain't quite right with this guy' feeling. Of course, there was nothing I could do unless he gave me a reason to, but I took solace in the fact that I was stationed at the only exit. At least I could make sure Izzy knew what she was doing before she went home with him.

Fuck, I'm turning into a bad Kevin Costner movie. All she needs is for me to swoop in and save her, all Bodyguard'ish.

I stood stoically at my post as the rest of the night wore on. It seemed like all of the drunken fighters had passed out already or something, because it felt like time was standing still by the time I heard my name chirp in my ears from Demetri.

"Emmett, I need an escort. Can you come up?"

"On my way," I replied, taking the steps up to his bar two at a time.

I rarely came up to the VIP section while on my shift, and with the red lighting and mirrors, everything appeared as if it was on fire.

Duh… that's the name of the bar, nimrod. My internal voice had a nasty habit of calling me out on my exquisite ability to notice the obvious.

Rounding the corner, I saw exactly who was going to need the escort. Izzy and Alice were atop the bar, singing at the top of their lungs to some shitty Lady Gaga remix and dancing their asses off. Well, dancing their dresses off anyways, seeing as they were grinding on each other and their hems had risen about three inches higher than they could really afford without showcasing all of their goods.

Nodding over to Demetri, I stood at the base of the bar where Trevor sat in one seat, looking up Izzy's dress and taking pictures of her shaking her ass. Some sleazy looking blond dude sat on Alice's side, doing the exact same thing.

"I believe it's time to be heading out, fellas," I said as politely as I could manage, despite the level of rage churning inside me.

"Emmy!" Izzy yelled, holding out her arms for me to help her down from the bar.

"Izzy, maybe it's time for you guys to have a seat. Drink some water perhaps?" Her face was flushed a deep red, enhanced by the mood lighting surrounding her. Alice paid us no mind as she continued her show for everyone in the club.

"Alice, please come down from there, or I'm going to have to escort you guys out." Resembling a petulant child, Alice stuck her tongue out at me, but reluctantly complied, holding out her hand for the greasy guy to help her down.

"Emmy, did you meeeet Trevor? Isn't he niiiice. He bought me this amaaazing cocktail; it was all purple and yummy." Her slurring, had it been in the right environment, might have been cute. Instead, I turned and glared at the douche bag who had fed her too many drinks, too quickly. She was most likely going to hurl before the night was up, and tomorrow feel like a complete ass when the pictures from people's phones ended up on Twitter, Facebook, and probably even some gossip rags before dawn had arrived.

"Izzy," I shouted, trying to get her attention away from giving Trevor googley eyes and to focus on me. "I need you to sit down and have some water. I'm going to find someone to take you home. Is Alice's limo around?"

"No! I'mma go with Trevor. He's so handsome…" She sighed, turning to face him again. However, he wasn't paying any attention to her. No, he was busy playing with his phone. Peering over his shoulder, I saw he was working on sending a picture of Izzy's crotch to someone.

Yanking the phone away from the guy, I fucked with some buttons, trying to delete the pictures he'd taken of his date's nether region. All the while Izzy was shrieking next to my ear, possibly causing permanent damage.

"That's my fucking phone. You can't take that, or I'll sue," Trevor threatened.

I threw him my best "you really wanna go there with me" face and finally managed to delete all of the photos I'd found on his phone.

"Do me a favor and get the fuck out of this bar before I embarrass the shit out of you by throwing you out. Take your slimy friend, too." Chucking his phone back at him, I gave him one nod to indicate he should be getting his mosey on.

"Hey, Eric, let's split. This club's lame. Just like these two." He motioned towards Alice and Izzy and I just about lost it. If it wasn't for Edward strolling up at that exact moment, I probably would have laid the fucker out.

"Gentleman, I do believe, as Emmett stated, it's time for you both to be leaving," Edward said.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw him flanked by both Alex and Felix.

Fuck. Demetri must have sent out an SOS, thinking I couldn't handle the situation. Just what I need, Edward and the other guys thinking I can't do my job.

"Relax, dudes, we're outta here." Putting both hands up in surrender, Trevor spun back towards Bella and Alice. "Ladies, you know how to find us later if you want to have some fun."

Both guys turned towards the exit and walked past the group of hulking men as if they owned the place. Izzy was trying to run after them, but thanks to her impaired balance, she tripped on the rug, sending her flying into Edward's arms. Alice, meanwhile, was sitting on a stool with her head on the bar, looking like she was taking a nap.

"Emmett, can you help Alice. Let's take them down to the offices and I'll have one of the waitresses bring them some water. I don't want them leaving in this condition, and they are obviously in no state to stay up here. Let's do this as discreetly as possible, ok?" Putting Izzy back on her feet, Edward whispered something into her ear, making her giggle. Whatever it was made her forget all about Trevor as she took his arm and followed him down the steps.

Unfortunately, Alice wasn't in the same state, and I was forced to pick her up and carry her down. Thankfully, most of the club goers had had their eyeful and were back to partying the night away, heeding no mind to me carrying the tiny girl in my arms.

By the time I got down to the offices, Edward had settled Izzy in one of the leather chairs in front of his desk and had turned on the flat screen TV for her to watch.

"Izzy, I'm going to go find you and Alice some water. Make yourself comfortable," Edward directed, handing her the remote.

Placing Alice in the chair beside Izzy, I tried to put her in a position that I hoped was comfortable, seeing as how I couldn't exactly ask her.

"Iz, you doing okay?" I whispered, kneeling before her. Her face was blotchy from the alcohol, and her eyes had the glassy appearance you could only get from saddling up to the bar for an extended period of time.

"Why do I always pick the wrong guys?" she whimpered, bringing her knees to her chest and burying her face into them.

"Iz…"

She looked up, eyes welling with tears, lips trembling in the way that can absolutely ruin a man with one look and whispered, "No, I mean it, Emmett? Why do I suck so baad? I know I'm not a blonde glamazon or anything, but I'm a good persson. A really fucking good perssson." She was slurring so badly I was having a hard time understanding her self-depreciating rambling. I was, however, able to make out her last comment, "Why can't I find someone who will like me for who I really am, not who they think I am?"

She looked so crestfallen. Knowing what I did, I knew she'd been publicly dumped by her last boyfriend during her reality show. The girl was batting for shit when it came to the dating game, but I had no great answer for her and could only wrap her into a hug. Glancing up, I saw Edward leaning against the door jam, apparently listening to the entire exchange but not wanting to interrupt.

Edward sauntered in as if he hadn't been eavesdropping, placing the two water bottles on his desk. "Here's some water for you guys. Emmett and I have to go back to work for about an hour. Can you stay here for a bit and sober up? I just don't want the paparazzi to see you both in this condition, okay?" Unwrapping myself from her, I told her I'd take her home after my shift and walked out with Edward.

"She's not like the press portrays her, is she?" Edward inquired, holding open the door for me to reenter the club.

"No, no she's not."

"You're pretty protective of her. You interested?"

"She's like the sister I never had," I answered.

"How so? Do you talk to her out of the club?" The shock in his voice wasn't surprising based on the fact she was a celebrity and I was a mere bouncer.

"No, but we talk every night she comes in. We've just gotten kind of close." I knew I sounded defensive in my reply, but I knew and understood the real Izzy regardless of whether or not I spoke to her outside the walls of this building.

"Hmm."

"Listen, she's a really cool chick, and I just hate to see people taking advantage of her, you know?" Taking a quick glance in his direction, he appeared deep in thought.

"Yup, I do."

Right before we went our separate ways, Edward turned to me. "Why don't you leave a little early and take Izzy home, and if you can, come back and play some poker. I have some steam to blow off."

Nodding once, I turned and made my way back over to my station to conclude my shift. Half way through closing up the bar, Edward's voice chirped in my ear. "No need to leave early, Emmett. The girls are finally asleep. We'll take them home after the game."

Finishing up, I wandered down to the offices and watched as Felix, Alex, Jasper, and Edward bustled around the large conference table, setting up snacks, pitchers of beer, and some shot glasses. The door to his office was closed, the blinds pulled shut, and the lights off. Edward threw me a knowing look and nodded towards the office, as if he sensed I wanted to check on the girls myself.

Pushing the door open quietly, I saw Izzy curled up on the chair, her hair half covering her face while her arm was thrown up over her head. Alice, on the other hand, was still in the exact same position I'd laid her in two hours ago. On my way out, I saw that one of the water bottles was empty and the other was almost gone.

Good job, Iz. I was happy to see she had some common sense about her, even when three sheets to the wind.

Stepping back into the conference room, I noticed the guys had all taken their seats. Their heads snapped in my direction, as if I had interrupted some kind of secret discussion.

"Em. Welcome my man. Tonight we're playin' a little Hold'em. Hope you brought some cash, 'cause I need to make rent," Felix joked, pushing a chair back with his foot for me to sit.

"I've seen you play poker before, and I hate to call you out, but… you suck donkey balls." Sitting down, I punched him in the arm before pulling out my wallet to get some chips.

The shit talk continued around the table as we all anted up for the first hand. I looked around the table and noticed that both Royce and Demetri were missing, and I couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't been included in this little bro fest, considering both had worked tonight. Even though the curiosity was killing me, I decided to keep my mouth shut and remain silent.

"Em, are you playing or dreaming over there?" Jasper drawled, waiting for me to decide on my next move. Glancing back down at my cards, I knew I had shit and folded on the spot. Watching the rest of the hand play out, I got up and refilled my beer, along with Edward and Felix's cups which were near empty.

"You gonna play beer wench all night or what?"

"Remember, I know your tells, Felix. I would shut the fuck up if I were you."

Our easy banter went on for a while; Edward shared crazy stories from some of the other club's he worked at before coming here, and Jasper spoke about some of the interesting ways he got himself booked at various clubs around town. He was as good a salesman as I'd ever seen and was honestly looking forward to catching his next gig with the guys. He was playing at a tiny club next week and we'd all decided to attend since it was on a Monday night when the club was closed.

The conversation turned abruptly when Felix mentioned seeing Royce the previous night, sneaking off in the middle of shift. Once the lid had been taken off, everyone seemed to have a theory, speculating to what Royce was up to.

"Bet he was getting blown in the stock room by that chick he was with last week."

"Nope, you know Royce doesn't do the same girl twice."

"Why does Rose put up with that shit?"

"I bet he's stealing from his dear ol' Uncle Aro."

"Why would he do that? The man's been more than generous giving that douchewad a job. Fuck, he's the shittiest manager I've ever seen."

"I swear that guys on drugs. No one can be that stupid and spacey."

I sat back and observed as the insults and insinuations spun wildly around the table, wondering which one, if any, was the right one.

The string of discussion finally came to a close when the door to Edward's office flew open and a wild eyed Alice sprinted across the room, kneeling before the closest trashcan and spilling her guts into it.

"Guess that ends our evening, fellas," Jasper observed, wandering over to where Alice was recovering from her spew fest, his hand rubbing her back in large circles. Watching him care for a woman he didn't even know, I had to bet he had sisters or some shit, because unless you were tapping that, guys didn't generally take care of a puker.

"Um, hey," Izzy called from the darkened doorway, looking sleepy and disheveled.

"And how are you feeling right about now?" I called from my chair, cleaning up the mess we'd made all over the conference table.

"Um, mostly still drunk and a little thirsty," she mumbled, stepping into the room with a bottle of water in her hand. Taking two large gulps, she wandered over to where Alice and Jasper were now talking quietly and handed her the remains of her drink. With a curt nod, Alice took it, swishing a little around in her mouth before spitting it into the can beside her.

I couldn't help but look over to see Edward staring in fascination at the entire exchange. It was as if he was struck completely dumb, and I was going to be mighty interested in seeing where his intentions lay. Because if he was just looking for another hummer in some dark corner of the club, he was going to have his ass handed to him on a platter before I allowed Izzy to be used like that.

"Emmett, you wanna share a cab downtown with me? It's late, and I don't have the patience for the subway. You in?" Felix asked, pulling his coat from the back of his chair.

I looked between Izzy and Edward and for some reason I knew I could trust Edward to do the right thing. I wasn't sure why, but sometimes you have to take your gut reaction for exactly as it was.

"Edward, you mind getting Iz home? You have a car, right?"

"Sure." Turning to look at Izzy he asked, "You live on the Upper East Side, right?"

This little comment made me pause. Either Edward had had his eye on Izzy for longer than I thought, or he was a pansy ass who watched Entertainment tonight, cause otherwise, how could he have known where she lived?

"Oh, um… yeah. I'm up off Park and Seventy Second... But I can catch a ride with Al-"

"I honestly don't mind. Really. Besides, I think Jasper might like to take her home himself," Edward spoke in a conspiring tone, nodding his head towards the couple talking near door, apparently getting along famously. "He's had his eye on her for a while now. How about we let them get to know one another?"

Her cheeks flushed, and I could see her shy side starting to reemerge as she sobered up, "Well, if it's really not a bother."

Edward grabbed her hand and started for the exit. He got about two steps when he turned back to me and gave me a solid nod that I could only interpret as, 'don't worry about her, bro, I'll take care of her.' At least that's all it better had been, or I'd be looking for a new job after kicking Edward's ass all over the city.

"Come on, man, the sun's already rising and I need to catch some Zs." Felix pounded on my back and walked out behind the rest of the group.

Exiting the building, I winced at the dawn's emerging light just beginning to illuminate the sky.

We all said our goodbyes, but before taking off in our separate directions, I pulled Izzy aside and told her I'd talk to her soon.

I was shocked when she wrapped her arms around me and thanked me for taking care of her.

"So much for Mr. Right, huh?" She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, but I could tell she was more hurt than she was letting on.

"You'll find the right one eventually, Iz. The best ones are worth the wait," I hugged her back and tried to smile reassuringly, wishing like hell I actually believe the shit that I'd just said.

"You'll find yours too, Em." She tugged on my hand, grabbing my phone out of its grasp and proceeded to enter her number. "It's under Bella. Just in case, you know?" Hugging me one last time, she walked back towards Edward, leaving me to ponder what the hell had just happened.

"Crazy night, man. Crazy ass night." Felix reiterated my exact thoughts as we got into a cab and headed off towards the other side of the tracks.

A/N

Thanks again for reading. Please leave me your thoughts, questions and theories. What do you think is Royce's deal? Why is Rose with that guy?

Just a reminder – I am hosting the Twilight Post Secret Challenge. Check out my profile for the link to the site. You need to use one of the secrets provided as the inspiration for your O/S. Entries are due by November 30th, so you have lots of time to work on it.

Also – I have written a companion piece to Dreams He Sold Her for the Fandom for Texas. If you haven't donated to the worthy cause, please do so if you have the means (link on my profile page). You'll receive a lot of wonderful stories and help out people affected by those fires too. I do plan on continuing Dreams I Sold Her (EPOV) into a 3-shot. So put me on author alert to be notified when that gets posted.

Thanks again & have a great Halloween. I'll see you in a couple weeks.

Mcgt