I'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry this took so long! Ahhhh I feel so bad!

Anyhoo, trekked again up that giant hill to get this to you...i'm so tire,d you all have no idea.

Please, don't send any more assassins after me! My security won't hold up and then I can't write more stories....

Ok, no more ranting. I hope you like this chapter and i'm sorry it took so long!

DISCLAIMER - as always, the coup is still in progress.

Read on, my brave warriors!

Bella's POV

"Oh god, Al, I think I'm going to be sick…"

"NOO!" Alice, long floaty dress and all, shot into the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen towel and threw it into my face, holding it to my mouth.

"Alice!" I struggled with her, trying to breathe, pushing her off me onto the floor, "Mary Alice Cullen, are you TRYING to kill me?"

She shrugged cheekily, "You said you were going to be sick, and I can't have you ruining that dress!"

"I was speaking figuratively!" I huffed and crossed my arms, pulling the neckline up a little higher and trying not to blush.

"Well, why did you say it then?"

"Because I'm so nervous I feel ill!"

"Why are you nervous? I'm going to the same party and I'm not nervous."

I glared at her, "This isn't your first proper date with Jasper!"

She blushed furiously, "Well…I'm not actually…dating him…per se."

"What?!" Alice jumped up and sat on me.

"Shh, shh, keep it down!" She looked around conspiratorially, as if Jasper was in the room. I pushed her off and rolled my eyes.

"How are you not dating him?! You guys went off in that truth or dare game and you kissed him…then went up to his room!"

"We didn't do anything!" She was still whispering, and her smile began to fade, "Nothing happened at all. It was as if we hadn't kissed at all and we were just 'hanging out'." She did airquotes with her fingers then sighed, "While you and Edward were confessing your love for one another…I was doing nothing."

"Oh, Al."

She shrugged, "I like him, so much, Bells, but whatever I do…nothing happens! It's like…I'm trying my hardest, and I'm being so nice to him and everything and he's just…does he even care?" She gasped, "Maybe he's just toying with me! Maybe he doesn't even like me at all…"

"No way, Alice!" I exclaimed, "It's so obvious that he does!"

She shook her head miserably, "But what if I'm right?"

"You're not right." I punched her shoulder gently and smiled, suddenly struck with an idea, "Come on then, Al, let's make tonight the night!"

"The night for what?"

"The night operation Jasper begins!"

"Operation Jasper?"

"We're going to get him to admit his feelings for you."

"We are? How?"

"Easy, just turn on the Alice charm, and I'll get Edward to talk to him."

"You will? Bella, you are the best!" She made to hug me, but I stopped her.

"The dresses?"

She giggled, "You have learned well, young pupil." She clapped her hands, grinning excitedly again, then her gaze turned calculating, "Ok, let me just check you over again."

She straightened my dress, which hung a few inches above my knee, white, with a tight waist, a flared out, light floating skirt and a v neckline which came together in short sleeves. It was lightly patterned with blue flowers. As she played with my hair I said, "Alice…why is this dress so…floaty? And why are my heels suspiciously lower than you normally like?"

Alice laughed, "Because you'll need a floaty dress and dancing shoes, Bella."

I gasped and she put one hand over her mouth, biting her lip, "Oops."

"Dancing?!"

"Well, is it my fault that the hospital staff all happen to love ballroom dancing?!"

"Ballroom…dancing?" I fell back onto the couch, one hand on my forehead, "What is Edward thinking?"

"Emmett may have…told him about your ballroom dancing lessons when you were a kid."

"What?!" I shrieked for the second time that night, "Oh my god, why would he do that?!"

"Were you any good?" Alice asked curiously; I threw a don't-even-try-it look at her and she laughed, "Come on, tell me."

I blushed, "It wasn't so much that I couldn't get the steps…I was just too uncoordinated to dance anyway." Alice laughed and I huffed, "Hey, at least I know the technical stuff now…and I hold no responsibility for Edward having to amputate his feet. This is his fault."

Alice laughed some more then went back to my hair whilst I closed my eyes and groaned, "This is going to be torture."

Then the doorbell rang, and Alice squealed excitedly, "They're here! Time for Operation Jasper!" She waved her hands at me, "Bella, get up! Edward can't see you on your first proper date lying all over the place!" The butterflies in my stomach were back, and I was so nervous I didn't even roll my eyes at her. I didn't know what it was, but something about tonight seemed...different? More formal; I had spent time with Edward before, but I had never felt so nervous about seeing him until now. Maybe it was the first date thing, but I couldn't be sure. It could even have been the ballroom dancing, but I was too busy trying not to hyperventilate to actually think properly about it.

Alice caught my panicked expression, and she rolled her eyes, "Bells, if you're so nervous, go stand in the bathroom for a while and breathe into some toilet roll or something. I'll stall them." That did sound like a good idea, so I did what she said and quickly darted into the bathroom as she opened the door. I heard her say hello sweetly to Jasper, and them all talking. The door closed, and then Edward's quiet, musical voice echoed through into the room.

"Oh, Bella'll be out in a minute," Alice said breezily in answer, and I took a deep breath, turning to the mirror and focusing on staring at myself, trying to calm down. Slowly I began to get more and more out of focus, until everything seemed like misshapen blobs. The simple colours began to calm me, and eventually I could breathe again.

I shook my head, my eyes refocusing, patted my hair quickly, making sure it was all in place, straightened my dress, then took another breath. "Ok, Bella, you'll be fine, you've already kissed him, what else can surprise you now?"

Answer: a lot more, the annoying voice in my head whispered as I turned the doorknob and stepped out into the living room.

Alice and Jasper were talking, whilst Edward was sitting on the sofa, his arms resting on his knees, twisting his thumbs over and over each other. If I didn't know better, I would assume he was nervous too, but Edward was never nervous.

His head snapped up as I came into the room, and I blushed furiously as his eyes widened a little. I twirled round quickly, then asked him, "Is it ok?"

Edward stood, smiling crookedly, then came over, taking my hands and pulling me close to him, "Beautiful." He leaned down and kissed my cheek, then whispered, "Hi."

"Hello," I said breathlessly, smiling up at him, my nerves dissipating in a second. We stood together for a second longer, then he turned, letting go of one of my hands but keeping the other.

"Shall we go?"

Alice nodded, "Sure," she took Jasper's hand, and we winked at each other as she pulled him out, Edward and I following behind.

"Wait a second," I said, turning back and pulling my coat off its hook. I swung it over my shoulders, then took Edward's hand again, "Ok, I'm good."

"What was that all about?" he asked as we went down the stairs.

"What?"

"The winking."

Edward didn't miss a thing, "Oh, that's Operation Jasper."

"Sounds evil," he chuckled, "care to elaborate?"

"Our plan to get Jasper to admit he has feelings for Alice." Just then I remembered that Edward was Alice's brother. Damn! I fought the urge to smack myself on the forehead – stupid, Bella, stupid.

But Edward only smiled and said, "He hasn't already?"

"No," I answered.

"Funny, because I already had the big brother talk with him. That would explain why he looked so frightened..."

I laughed, "You didn't scare him too much, did you?"

He only shrugged, "Enough. Anyway, what's your plan, and what part do I play in it?"

"How did you know?"

"Please, I'm Jasper's best friend and your boyfriend," I screamed with joy internally as he said that, "Of course you are going to use your wily charm to get me to convince him to talk to Alice."

"It's not wily if you know about it, now is it?"

"Hmm," he said thoughtfully, "that's true. Well, I'll just pretend I know nothing and then you can sneakily convince me to do it later."

I grinned, thinking of ways that I could convince him; the night was picking up already.

"Come on, guys!" Alice stuck her head out of the back of Edward's Volvo, "Stop chatting and get in here!"

"Coming!" I called, making to open the door, but Edward's hand on mine stopped me.

"Have I mentioned you look stunningly beautiful tonight?" he said softly, drawing me towards him and wrapping his arms around my waist; I laughed.

"Not in so many words."

"Well, you do," he grinned, before leaning down to kiss me properly.

Alice called again, and I pulled away after a second, "Come on, or she might break something."

Edward sighed and let me go, "We're picking this up later," he warned, and I tried not to blush as he opened the door and pulled me out.

"About time," Alice rolled her eyes, "You guys are like the king and queen of procrastination."

Edward shoved Jasper out of the passenger seat, saying that since I was his girlfriend, I got to ride shotgun. He was sent grumbling into the back with Alice, who got on with our plan immediately by tucking her legs up under her and leaning against his arm, grinning evilly at me as Jasper went bright red. I suspected it was because her dress was very low cut, and I giggled as I turned back round.

"What's funny?" Edward asked, and I shook my head.

"I'll tell you later."

I leant my head against the window, watching the houses and, as we got further into the city, brightly lit up shops and clubs fly by. Alice and Jasper were talking quietly in the back, but I didn't want to distract Edward from his driving, so I just kept my eyes on the window. After a while we got stuck in a traffic queue, and Edward took his hands off the steering wheel, looking over at me with a smile. "You doing ok?"

I nodded, "I'm fine."

He turned back to the road and sighed, looking over the tops of all the cars, "This is going to take a while. We'll probably be late."

"We could always take a side road," I said, twisting in my seat to look for one, but Edward shook his head.

"I don't mind waiting," he smiled crookedly and took my hand across the seat gap, twisting our fingers together and holding my hand tightly.

"Don't you need this?" I teased as the cars moved forward again and Edward followed; he grinned.

"Automatic. One hand is all I need." He demonstrated this as he swerved into a gap in another lane where the cars were moving faster, "See?"

"Remind me never to go on a long drive with you."

He laughed, "I don't think you'll be able to avoid it – I'm planning on stealing you away to Scotland next weekend."

"What?"

I felt my eyes go wide – wasn't going on holiday together a little too fast, but Edward laughed, "The expression on your face! As if I would take you to Scotland!" he laughed musically again and I sighed, more out of relief than anything else.

"Spain is much nice anyway."

"What?"

"Nothing!" Edward grinned at me, then the road cleared, "Oh, here we go." He put his foot down, and we literally zoomed through the traffic lights; Alice shrieked.

"Jeez, Edward, tell us when you're about to do that!" she was fully on Jasper's lap now, and she smiled sweetly up at him, "Sorry, Jazz, I'll move."

"No, don't, it's fine," he said quietly back, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. I smiled to myself; Alice was crafty.

Ten minutes later, we pulled into a hotel car park, and Edward parked the car before running round the car to open my door for me. "Thanks," I said, taking his hand and letting him pull me out; he smiled as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pressing his hand to the small of my back.

"My pleasure."

He led me inside, and I looked around in wonder, "This place is pretty nice," I remarked to Edward, and he nodded.

"The hospital has some pretty good benefactors, and they pay for all this. Nearly everyone comes, apart from the poor sods who are on call," he grimaced and I laughed.

"Did you ever miss this party?"

"I did, once. It wasn't too bad, except I missed everyone pouring the punch all over the chief of medicine."

"Oh dear, you must've been so disappointed."

"I was," he grinned and leaned over, whispering in my ear, "he's a bit of a git." Just as he said this a stern-looking man strode over.

"Doctor Cullen, good to see you."

Edward shook his hand, and I could tell he was holding back a smile, "Good to see you too, sir. Have you just arrived?"

"Edith and I arrived a few minutes ago." He turned to me, "Ah, so is this the famous Miss Swan?"

Edward nodded, "Yes, this is my girlfriend, Bella. Bells, this is the chief of medicine, Doctor Jones."

"John Jones, nice to meet you, Miss Swan," he held out his hand and I shook it carefully.

He kept it for a little too long then remarked in what he probably thought was a whisper, "Pretty little thing, isn't she?" Edward stiffened as he said, "Think you could share?"

"No," he said, a little roughly, "she's all mine." With that he strode away, his arm tightening around my waist.

"John Jones?"

"Like I said: git."

I know, I know, but I wanted the party to be next chapter!

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Ughh all shiver at the pervy CoM....ugh.

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Love, ATO xxx