A/N: And The Mothers are here.... ;-) The response for last chapter was fantastic, thank you all so much!!! It means so much to me when you review and let me know how I'm doing. Thank you. Also, thanks to Lea for being so fast sending this back to me, thanks darling!!! I'm going to be working at Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel from Thursday till Sunday, so I'm not entirely sure when the next update will be, but I'm going to work fast to get it out on time. Thanks for your patience!!!

Disclaimer: Bloody hell, if I've told you once, I've told you a million times. This stuff ain't mine!!!

BPOV

Entirely too soon, two sets of knocks rapped on the front door simultaneously. I'd had to tear myself away from Emmett to make the living room look like I'd been sleeping in it, and brushing through Emmett's hair so it wasn't rumpled from my hands, which I was currently doing with my fingers. I loved touching his hair.

"Ready?" I asked Emmett, steeling myself for the barrage of The Mothers.

"As I'll ever be," he said. I leaned forward to steal another kiss, the last one until our moms left… or at least the last one with that door wide open. I couldn't stand the idea of not kissing Emmett now, not for two days when he was so close. It was a necessity, a pure need at this point.

Emmett seemed to feel the same way as I did. "C'mere," he said roughly, crushing my mouth to his again, and I moaned, instantly forgetting the world around us. It was a rough kiss, and our teeth clashed together with its ferocity, but I didn't want to stop. Ever. His hand brushed the side of my breast, and I mewled into his mouth.

The twin knocks interrupted the kiss, pulling us back to reality. I smoothed my hair quickly, making sure my eyes weren't too bright, my lips too swollen, my heart pulsing too fast. I appraised myself in the mirror. Too late. Emmett wasn't much better, but if we waited much longer to let in Renee and Esme, we'd have a mutiny on our hands, and they'd definitely know something was up.

I gave one last desperate look at Emmett, seeing his handsome, smirking face and flung open the door.

"Bella!" Renee and Esme sang out in unison, both rushing forward to hug me. I laughed as I was engulfed in a big, motherly hug.

"Hi Mom, hi Esme!" I said, hugging them back as tightly as they held me. "How was your flight?"

"Just fine," Renee said, tossing her purse onto the couch while Esme sat hers down primly by the door. Sometimes it was too funny to observe my mother and her best friend together. Renee was wild and chaotic, and forever scatterbrained. Esme was five hors d'oeuvres short of being a Stepford wife half the time, until you discounted her severe passion for hard liquor, the occasional game of poker, and her not-so-secret love of firemen calendars. Yet somehow they'd managed to become best friends for most of their adult lives, and I'd never realized just how much I'd missed them. I felt a stab of sadness realizing how long it had been since I was home.

"It's so good to see you baby," Renee said, swooping me back into her arms while Esme darted into Emmett's room. I could see over Renee's shoulder that he was grinning widely at seeing his mother, and a little flutter went through my body. I loved that smile.

"Bella, did you hear me?" Renee asked, bringing me back to the living room, tearing me away from my boyfriend's perfect smile.

"Huh?"

She laughed, grasping my head between her hands, forcing me to look at her. "I said, have you been working out or something? You look… glowy."

"Glowy? Is that even a word?"

I was trying to distract her. I smoothed my hair once more for good measure.

"You know what I mean."

"Nope. Just same old, same old!" I said brightly. Too brightly. Renee gave me a suspicious look, and then went into Emmett's room to join Esme. Esme was currently sitting in my spot on the bed, examining Emmett's leg. She was still upset they hadn't put a cast on his leg, though that wasn't normal procedure for a broken femur in an adult. I'm not sure how Carlisle convinced her Emmett would be just fine that way.

I followed Renee, and stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe watching The Mothers fuss over Emmett. He had a pained expression on his face, as if he were working very hard to not burst into laughter over their cooing and prodding.

"Really, guys, I'm doing fine," he kept saying.

"And is Bella taking good care of you?" Renee asked with eyebrows raised, looking pointedly at both of us, probing our reactions.

"Yeah, Bella's the best," Emmett said with a grin. I melted just a little bit on the inside, and I realized my face gave away that fact when Renee zeroed in on me. She turned; arms crossed over her chest, and watched me. I gulped inwardly.

"The best, huh? I thought you guys had it in for each other." She raised one eyebrow.

"We called a truce, remember?" I said, trying to be strong and indifferent towards her gaze.

"That's right," she said softly. I felt heat in my cheeks, and cursed my bodily reactions to embarrassment. It gave me away, every single time.

Esme stood up from the bed, oblivious to Renee's little interrogation, and said, "Emmy Bear, I think it's time for my very best chicken noodle soup and mashed potatoes. Sound good?"

"Yeah!" he said enthusiastically, and we all had to grin. He looked so much like a little boy in that moment that it was hard not to remember him when he was that age. That was before we hated each other, before we had all these stupid squabbles and teased each other relentlessly.

We had actually been good friends growing up, long before we went off to school and things changed. We'd play together, exploring the woods behind our houses together, riding bikes, building forts, pretending we were superheroes, and at one point, playing doctor. I'd have to remind Emmett of that sometime later. I was hoping for a repeat, but more adult, performance sometime very soon.

I bit my lip, and shifted so my thighs created friction just where I needed it. Whenever I thought about Emmett, I couldn't help but think about him that way. I knew already that if he weren't injured, we'd have already sealed the deal so to speak. I wanted him, badly, and I knew he felt the same way about me. I felt it against my hip every time we made out.

The Mothers were staring at me when I broke out of my reverie, and Emmett was grinning so widely I thought his face was going to break in half. He winked, as if he knew where my mind had just gone.

"Is that okay, Bella?" Esme asked, and clearly not for the first time. My face was beet red, I just knew it.

"Uh… what was that Esme?" I asked.

"I'll make the three of us girls some spaghetti and we can have some red wine. Would you like to call Alice to see if she can join us?"

"Sure," I said, willing my blush away.

The Mothers walked into the kitchen, and I closed the door so that it was only open a crack.

"You Ookay there, baby?" he asked, clearly amused with what had just happened.

"Fine," I said. "My mind just… wandered."

"Care to share?" He winked.

"Just… thinking…"

"About?" he prompted, but I could tell he already knew, and was relishing teasing me.

"You know what I was thinking, Emmett Cullen," I hissed.

"Don't worry baby, I was thinking along the same lines," he said, gesturing to the pillow lying across his lap. I stifled a moan. "Soon," he promised.

"That doesn't help!" I whined. "Now I gotta go out there and pretend like I'm not thinking about you and your…" I snapped my mouth shut, but the damage was done.

Emmett let out a low growl from deep in his chest, and he adjusted himself under the pillow. "I need a moment alone," he grunted. "Bring a washcloth back to me."

My eyes widened as I nodded. "I wish I could help you," I whispered.

"Believe me, baby, I wish you could, too. Now… please… go…" He sounded desperate.

"Close the door," he hissed.

I nodded, closing the door behind me. My insides were throbbing. This was SO not the time to feel this way, but I couldn't help it. He drove me crazy, even without a single touch. I couldn't imagine how it'd be when we finally were able to touch, in all the right places.

I hurried to the bathroom, and wetted down a washcloth for Emmett. The Mothers were banging around in the kitchen, oblivious to me, which was just fine with me, because I was a horrible, blushing mess, and I needed a minute to compose myself.

Apparently, Emmett needed even less time than me, because just a few short minutes later, he was calling my name… hopefully not in ecstasy, but who knew?!

I rushed into his bedroom, thrusting the washcloth into his hand, not daring to look at him. If I saw him post-O, I knew I'd have to throw myself onto the bed and claim him as mine once and for all, The Mothers be damned.

"Thanks," he said roughly. "I wish I could kiss you."

"I have to go," I whispered. "They're gonna suspect…"

"Yeah," he said sadly. "Later."

"Don't tempt me," I said desperately, walking out of the room, and this time I left the door wide open.

"Bella, come in here!" Renee shouted from the kitchen. Really, the apartment had three different rooms. There was no need to shout. I rolled my eyes. "Come sit with us!" she said, patting a kitchen chair. "And let's gossip! How's that man of yours?"

"M-man?" I stammered. Were we that apparent? I know I had been acting like a goober, but Emmett had seemed pretty cool.

"Yeah, Edward!"

I shuddered. "He is most definitely NOT my man, Mom. We're not seeing each other anymore."

"Why not?!" Esme and Renee squealed. They really were best friends, I thought, staring at their twin expressions that were begging for more gossip.

"It just wasn't working out anymore," I said. "It wasn't meant to be. He was jealous."

"OF?!" The Mothers squealed again, eyes wide; though Esme's were now directed at the pot on the stove she was stirring.

"Of me staying here with Emmett," I said nonchalantly, though my heart was racing, hoping they wouldn't find much meaning in that. Of course, they did.

"Why would he be jealous of that?" Renee asked, clearly gloating over something.

I shrugged, trying as hard as possible to be casual. "He was a dumbass."

"If he let you go, yes he was," Esme said with a sweet smile. Renee was still appraising me. I hated her knowing looks; they were nearly as bad as Alice's. Speaking of which…

"I'm going to call Alice, to see if she wants to join us," I said, holding up my phone as proof as I walked into the living room.

Minutes later, I walked in. "Can we make enough for five? Her boyfriend wants to come, too."

"Boyfriend? I didn't know Alice had a boyfriend," Renee said.

"Yeah, it's Emmett's best friend, actually. Jasper Whitlock."

Esme let out a sound that sounded more like a whinny than anything else. "Jasper! They're together! Oh, Alice is a lucky girl. Jasper is such a gentleman, and so handsome, too. Those eyes…" She got this dreamy look I had only ever seen on Alice's face before, and I had to laugh. So did Renee.

"Esme! Don't tell me you have a crush on your son's best friend!"

"Ewwww!!!!" Emmett groaned from his bedroom. "That's disgusting!" We all burst into laughter at his reaction. I could imagine the horrified expression on his face.

Delicious smells from Esme's cooking began rising from the stove, and Alice was knocking on the door twenty minutes after I'd called her.

I answered the door, hugging my miniature best friend and letting Jasper in behind her. It was too hilarious to watch Esme greet Jasper. He was oblivious, but Esme blushed scarlet when he shook her hand and drawled out, "Hello again, Mrs. Cullen, it's wonderful to see you again." Renee and I were shaking with withheld laughter, causing Alice to stare at us quizzically. She wound herself around Jasper as he walked to Emmett's bedroom.

The Mothers and I plodded back into the kitchen, and it wasn't too long before Alice joined us. "Guy talk," she explained, rolling her eyes.

"So Alice, tell us how you met Jasper!" Renee said. "You two are an adorable couple."

"We're going to get married," she said confidently, and grinned as The Mothers gasped.

"Not yet!" she reassured them. "But someday." She got that soft, unfocused look in her eyes again. "We met here, actually. I came to visit Bella; he was here to visit Emmett. We just clicked, it was like a movie. He's perfect," she sighed.

We were silent for a moment, and then Esme asked, "Is he a good kisser?"

Renee and I burst into laughter, unable to contain ourselves, while Alice turned into the proverbial blushing bride, so to speak.

"I can't… I can't believe…" Renee was gasping, tears rolling down her face. "I can't believe you just said that!" Our giggling accelerated and Alice bit her lip and tried not to laugh. Esme had the good decency to look mortified at herself.

"I'm so sorry, Alice, I didn't mean…"

"It's okay, Mrs. Cullen. I really don't mind. Amazing, would be how I describe it. Earth shattering, even." She grinned widely. "I know I'm lucky to have found him."

Renee and I were wiping tears from our eyes as she said this, clutching our sides, our laughter finally dying down. My stomach ached from laughing so hard, and it was hard to breathe.

I was shocked that Jasper hadn't even poked his head out the door to see what was going on. Then again, those two were probably terrified of being outnumbered by The Mothers and The Girlfriends.

I smiled, knowing that only Emmett and I knew the true nature of our relationship. It was odd. I'd never once kept a secret like this from my mom, surrogate mother, and best friend before. I wanted to explode with the information, let the whole damn world know, but I knew now wasn't the time.

Alice suddenly turned to me, noting my grin. "Bella, you look happy. Happier than normal."

"Well, I just about peed myself laughing; maybe it has something to do with that."

"No, it's not that," she said cryptically, still studying my face, and my heart stopped for a moment. I hadn't told her about me and Emmett. That was our secret, the sacred and beautiful thing between us that we weren't ready to share, even with our best friends.

Then again, I had a psychic for a best friend and a detective for a mother. They knew me too well, and I was an open book more than half the time. I was never good at lying, and usually people knew what I was thinking before I even thought it myself. I was so screwed…

"Are you and Emmett fooling around?" she asked suddenly, and everyone froze, three curious pairs of eyes zoomed in on my horrified face.

Aww shit.