A/N Stephenie Meyer owns all. I just own a box of Cheerios and not enough milk.

Thanks again to my lovely reviewers - the response for the last chapter was SO fantastic and more than I've gotten for any update before!!!! It totally inspired me to write this and update early.

PLEASE keep reviewing - I really want to try and make it to 100 reviews before chapter ten :)

CHAPTER NINE

Previously (EPOV)

I decided then I would not push her anymore. If she wanted to tell me more - tell me how the story ended - I would listen. But I would not ask, I would not push.

It was her story to tell and I would wait forever until she was ready to tell it.

~ * ~

We were only a couple of hours away from the Nevada border when Bella unrolled the window on her side fully, sending desert-hot wind through the car. Despite the speed we were travelling the breeze was far from refreshing in the full sun.

"What the hell are you doing? It was cooler with the AC!"

She had her head half-stuck out of the window as she spoke. "No offence, Edward, but the air is getting a little...ripe in here."

I snorted. "You're no bouquet of roses either, trust me you've more than contributed to the body odour situation in this car."

At first she looked angry at my remarks, then shrugged and laughed a little, plucking at her shirt that was now stiff with dried sweat. "Yeah, I guess sprinting through Phoenix then going a day without a shower does that to you. When can we stop? I feel seriously gross right now."

I shook my head, wanting to make a sarcastic remark about her priorities, but I bit it back. In all honesty I'd been torturing myself with thoughts of a cool shower for the last ten miles.

"Once we swap cars in Nevada I'll find us another motel. We can get a couple of hours sleep and clean up. Okay?"

Bella grinned at me. "Thanks, Edward."

I suddenly felt bad for my earlier scorn, wondering how something so basic as the promise of a shower could elicit such gratitude. It just reminded me of all she'd been through. Seeking to change the topic, I asked, "How's your head?"

Out of the corner of my eye I could see her run her fingers over the purple lump on her forehead, wincing slightly. "Not too bad. Still have a killer headache but the aspirin helps some." She smiled, and added, "And you'll be pleased to know I'm not feeling sick anymore."

"Thank fuck for that," I murmured. The recycled air in the car was already bad enough from our marathon run in the blazing heat.

I wanted her to carry on telling me about Demetri, but I didn't want to bring it up. She looked relaxed now, but I could see by the tension around her jaw and eyes that it was an act and that, for now, she was done talking about her past. I scrambled to find something innocuous to discuss, but small talk had never really been one of my more regularly-exercised skill.

Bella beat me to it and half-turned in her seat to face me. "So, distract me already. We've had an hour of Bella 101, so tell me something about yourself."

"Like what?"

"Anything! Like, do you have a wife, a girlfriend?" She paused, and seemed to appraise my hair with new eyes and asked tentatively, "Boyfriend?"

I snorted and shook my head. "I'm not gay, Bella."

She shrugged, leaning back into her seat, a small smile playing at the edge of her lips. "It's the hair. That colour can't be natural - do you dye it?"

"No! I do not dye my hair."

"Hmm, sounds a little defensive to me. It's okay to be a little metro, Edward."

"Seriously, Bella, can you really see me in a salon?"

She giggled. "I guess not. Anyway, you're stalling - answer the question."

"No wife or girlfriend, no one special." I sighed, not particularly wanting to go into detail about the occasional one-night stands I'd indulged in over the years. "This lifestyle - it's not made for serious relationships, it's too dangerous to have a weak spot like that. Anyone I had a connection with would be forever in the firing line."

She looked puzzled, and asked, "But Jasper's married, right?"

I snapped my head to her, fuming. "What?! Jasper told you he was married?"

She nodded, looking confused. "Yeah. Why, what's wrong with that? Not everyone who works for the Cullen Group has to be an asshole twenty-four-seven, you know."

"It's against the rules," I said through gritted teeth. "We're not supposed to share personal information with clients, it's too dangerous - for everyone concerned."

"Well, apparently you're the only one following them because Emmett told me he was married, too."

She sounded far too smug and my hands tightened on the steering wheel. "That's still not as bad as Jasper. Emmett's married to another operative." Then I snapped my jaw shut, cursing silently for sharing that. Shaking my head I said, "What is it about you that seems to make everyone so intent on breaking the rules?"

Rather than looking irritated as I would have predicted, she just smiled with a secret mystery and looked out the window. "Just lucky, I guess," she murmured. This girl never did anything I expected. "So how come it's okay for Jasper to be married?"

"The situation with his wife is...different." I had a brief flash of Rosalie: a tempest of blonde hair and icy blue eyes flashing with steel and gun oil. When it came to Rose the only people in need of protection were the ones who pissed her off.

"Does she work for the Cullen Group too, like Emmett's wife?"

"No." Alice is a Cullen. She would be in danger whether she was married to Jasper or not, just because of who her father and brother are. I struggled to explain without revealing too much. "Her background...it made her more knowledgeable about...what she was getting into. And there were already...issues anyway, so the marriage didn't make much of a difference."

She paused, then said, "Well that was delightfully cryptic. You do realise I have no idea what you're talking about?"

I smirked. "Mission accomplished then. I told you, no personal information." I desperately clung to the mantra. After all, it had been instigated for a reason.

She rolled her eyes like I was refusing to share toys at playtime and absently curled a strand of her chocolate hair around her finger. "So...if you can't tell me personal information then what can you tell me then? I mean, I doubt it's going to compromise 'national security' or whatever if you tell me which Harry Potter movie was your favourite."

I snorted at that. "I've never seen a Harry Potter movie."

She stared at me, shocked. "You've never seen a Harry Potter movie? Honestly, Edward, that's like...blasphemy against modern culture or something. Jeez, I've been on the run for months and even I still found the time to make it to a movie theatre."

Are you fucking kidding me? Taking time out while hiding from a ruthless crime syndicate to see a goddamn kid's film! Without thinking, I snapped,"Glad to see you've got your priorities in order, princess."

As soon as the words left my mouth the atmosphere in the car flipped from amused teasing to furious. Ah, angry kitten was back.

She scowled. "Bite me, Edward, I am allowed a few indulgences. You know, it's not easy having to lie to everyone you meet and never being able to make friends, or make any sort of connection with anyone at all."

I flinched at that, clenching my jaw. Of course I knew that, possibly better than she did. She'd only had to do this for eight months; I'd been doing it for nearly seven years.

This was exactly why no personal information was shared with clients, why no connections were formed. It was too dangerous. This conversation was too dangerous. I didn't want to know which goddamn Harry Potter movie was her favourite.

She glared over at me, but must have seen something in my face because her expression softened. I kept my gaze on the road, not wanting to look at those depthless doe eyes that saw too much.

"Maybe you do know something about that," she murmured.

I didn't answer. I just kept driving.

~ * ~

JPOV

I slid of a knob of butter with a splash of oil into the pan and tilted it expertly, coating the cast iron base. Still listening for Alice upstairs I lightly whisked the eggs and poured them into the pan, tossing in a handful of sliced olives and dill pickles with a twist of salt and pepper. The peanut butter was already out and ready on the counter.

I loved that my wife was pregnant, that our family was growing. But her taste in food at the moment made me shudder.

Alice stomped down the stairs in true Godzilla fashion, sending shivers through the glasses of orange juice beside me. It still shocked me that a woman so tiny could carry so much weight on her belly; some days I could swear her side profile looked like an egg with legs.

I turned the burner off and poured Alice's scrambled egg concoction onto a plate set at at the breakfast bar, adding a spoonful of peanut butter on the side with a carefully concealed grimace. "Morning, beautiful," I murmured, kissing her cheek and automatically running my hand over her swollen abdomen.

She smiled back at me, her earlier tension melting, and kissed me back with a smile. The smile widened when she saw her breakfast set out before her. "Jasper, this is why I love you. You even remembered the peanut butter!"

She launched herself into the bizarre egg mixture with glee, occasionally letting loose a heavy-lidded groan of pleasure that went straight to my groin as she devoured the plateful. My own breakfast was completely forgotten as I was lost in the sensual experience of my wife ravaging the food like a nutrition-deprived hyena.

"Mmm, thank you so much, Jazz," she said, crossing the knife and fork neatly on her plate once she was done. I half-expected her to lick the plate - then maybe lick the jar of olives. "That was delicious." She leaned over the breakfast bar and kissed me chastely, tasting of butter and salt and peanuts.

"Do you have work today, darlin'?"

She nodded, gulping on her orange juice. "Just a morning shift. I've transferred most of my patients, but there's still a few things to settle before I take my maternity leave. Are you working today?"

I nodded. "Some case files to update. And, um..." I trailed off, not sure how to bring up my continuing monitoring of the Swan case. I knew Alice was beyond irritated by the situation and the possibility of Bella living with us wasn't going to help things.

Her eyes narrowed. "Spit it out, Whitlock."

I swallowed reflexively. "It's about Bella."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Of course. When is it not about Bella?"

I clenched my jaw but ignored that. "Edward's bringing her to Seattle, they're just outside of Nevada and should be here by tomorrow evening." I paused. "Your dad was planning to have her stay here."

Steely eyes flashed and her fingers clenched so hard I expected the counter to splinter before her. "Here?" she echoed in a hiss. "Are you insane? You seriously plan to bring the Volturi girl to our house? What about me - what about the baby? It's hardly safe - for any of us!"

I immediately regretting not taking Carlisle up on his offer to break the news to his tempestuous daughter. "I know how you feel, darlin', but I promise you it will be safe." I took her hands in mine, willing her to meet my gaze. "We're out of options with this one. We've tried everything - hiding her with one guard, with a dozen, with none - they always find her. This will be the last place they look for her and, even if they do, we have enough security that she'll be safe here." I kissed her knuckles and willed her to understand. "That you'll be safe here, you and our little munchkin."

She didn't answer, averting her eyes from me, but I knew she her resolve was weakening. Especially when her laser eyes softened as I let slip the nickname for our baby.

I captured her with my gaze, pouring all the sincerity and love and doubt and worry into her that I could, reassuring her that I loved her and she was my world. "We don't know what else to do. All our usual plans, strategies - they just don't work with her. A show of force is all we have left."

She looked mollified but still a little pissed. She absentmindedly stroked circles over my thumb as she mused, her brow creased in thought. When she spoke her voice was hesitant. "How is it that they find her every time? Have you considered..." She glanced up at me, cautious of my reaction, and spoke so soft it was almost a whisper. "Is there a leak?"

My mouth went dry. Her intuitiveness was far too accurate and mirrored recent conversations between myself and Carlisle. In all honesty it was the only explanation that made sense - the Volturi were wide-spread and insidious, but every time we'd moved Bella she'd been located far too easily, far too quickly. Luck and resources could not explain it - Alice was right, they must have a source within the Cullen Group.

I hedged, answering, "Maybe." We'd scoured the offices and homes of all our operative three times in the last four months, replacing cell phones on a weekly basis. We'd found nothing, which was actually more worrying than finding something because if there was a leak then it was high-placed. It was someone we trusted.

Alice eyed me speculatively. "Do I need to watch what I say on the phone?" She phrased the question delicately, having grown-up amidst subterfuge and double-speak.

I knew what she was really asking: could they be listening right now?

I gave her my honest answer. "Possibly."

She just nodded, not freaked out or alarmed. Ever the pragmatist. "Well if your guest will be here by tomorrow then I have little time to prepare. I'll make up the southern blue room for her. Will that be okay?" It didn't escape my notice that she was one step away from talking in code, the habits of her childhood re-emerging.

I gripped her hand more tightly and tucked her hair behind her ear. "That would be great, Alice. Thank you."

She rolled her eyes at me and tugged my hair with a wry smile. "You're welcome. But don't think this show of contrition and my olive omelette excuses you from the major asskicking you're owed for last night, okay?"

I grinned at her, my angel. "Okay."

She laughed and pushed me towards the dirty dishes, her hand tucked around her stomach as she ventured back up the stairs.

~ * ~

So...who wants to which Harry Potter movie was Bella's favourite? And who thinks it's a terrible idea to hide Bella at Chez Cullen?

Review and show me some love - it makes me update faster!