Hey all! Sorry about the delay. Between applying for jobs, taking care of my niece, Thanksgiving, and then getting sick, not much writing got done. But here's the next chapter with a little cliffie ;)

In case you are wondering about the title of this chapter, look at the song lyrics.

Stephanie Meyer owns all. I own lots of wine. I'm not complaining, of course.

Follow me on twitter: chicabonita519 I don't have many followers and I judge my worth by popularity :-p

Chapter 1 – 6 in 10

Imagine now, the pilot's voice,
On the intercom right before we leave the ground,
Sayin', folks thanks for flyin' with us, but there's a 6 in 10
chance we're goin' down.

But that's the strangest thing about this emotion,
Even knowin' our chances are small.
We line up at the gate with our tickets,
Thinkin' somehow we're different,
I mean, after all...

We're in Love, Look at us go,
Now what in the world could go wrong?
To hell with the odds, we'd rather not know,
If love was a plane, Nobody'd get on.

"If Love Was a Plane" – Brad Paisley

With a loud "thunk," the Volvo's trunk closed and Edward sighed in relief before heading towards the driver's seat. Everything was packed and already heading to Seattle, where it would be unloaded in the apartment Alice picked out for him. He didn't care much about the apartment's appearance; just that it was in his budget and not too far from the Children's hospital where he was about to start his residency.

When deciding whether or not to drive to the west coast or ship his car and fly, Edward took in account the last days of freedom he truly had before his residency began. He knew that he was lowest on the totem pole in terms of hospital hierarchy, and there would be plenty of 36 hours shifts ahead of him. So he packed up the only luxury he allowed himself from his inheritance and planned a three to four day road trip to his new home across parts of the country he had never seen before.

As time passed between making his decision to accept the residency in Seattle and the day he was set to leave his hometown, Edward knew that he had made the correct decision. The only family he knew well was Emmett and his parents who lived in Forks, about three hours outside of Seattle. There was a hospital in Forks, but it was not conducive to the field he wanted to work in.

Turning his music on loudly, Edward backed out of his driveway and onto the main road. His mind went on auto-pilot, however, as he thought of the small town his Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle lived in.

It wasn't just Emmett that grew up there. His long-term girlfriend, Rosalie hailed from there, as well as her two best friends, Alice and Bella. Even Jasper had attended high school with them, where he met Alice.

Edward sighed, this time in exasperation. He knew he made the biggest mistake of his life when he did not pursue a relationship with Bella, even if it had only been friendship. His only excuse was that he thought there was no way a relationship would work with so much distance between them. At least if he had given it a chance, he would not have so many doubts running through his brain.

Although he had stopped trying to get information out of Emmett a long time ago, he had gleaned some information. All he knew, though, was that Bella was no longer a middle school teacher, instead she moved to the high school in the same district, and she also had a long-term boyfriend who was also a teacher there.

"Practically engaged," Emmett had mentioned once.

So here he was, probably going to come face to face with the woman who still haunted his dreams of "what ifs."

And he no longer had his studies to distract him.

It was going to be a long drive.

FMO

Four days later, Edward pulled into the parking lot of what was to be his new apartment. He smirked as he saw Emmett and Alice arguing on the sidewalk. There definitely was something amusing in the scene of the tiny woman facing off the tall and broad Emmett. Meanwhile, Alice was talking so quickly, it looked as if Emmett could not get in a word edgewise.

Edward honked the horn once, immediately silencing the two friends. As soon as he exited his car, a strong pair of arms was surrounding him while a high pitch squeal sounded next to his ear.

"Oof," Edward let out while hugging Alice. "For someone so little, you sure know how to squeeze their breath out of their body."

Alice grinned as she stepped back. "It's my specialty."

"Hey man," Emmett cut in to give Edward a typical "man hug" complete with a slap on the back. "Good to have you here."

"Good to be here," his cousin answered before a little hand grabbed his and practically pulled him towards the apartment buildings.

"Come on! I have to show you the apartment. You're going to love it! Rose and Jasper wanted to meet up, but they couldn't get away from work."

As they walked towards the apartment that now belonged to Edward, he spoke of his long drive and the sites that he saw. Driving alone was tiring, but to Edward, it was worth the time spent, not only to see the country but to finally have time by himself. Meanwhile, as Alice gave him the "grand tour" as she called it, Edward took the time to appreciate his new home. It was small; only one bedroom, one bathroom, a living area, and a small kitchen, but it would fit his bachelor needs.

Emmett was the only person who knew that his cousin desired to live off of his own income. When Edward's parents died, they had left behind a sizeable inheritance, but instead of using the money for commodities, he used it to pay for medical school, and his one luxury – his precious Volvo. The remainder he invested to be used when it was truly needed.

Edward secretly wished it to be a college fund for his children he one day hoped to have.

He was broken from his reverie by a question his cousin posed their friend. "Alice, don't you think you should tell him who…" But suddenly, Alice's hand forced itself over Emmett's mouth.

"Now there is no need of that, Emmett," Alice glared at him.

Edward raised his eyebrow. "No need for what?"

"Nothing," Emmett sighed, finally relenting to Alice's firm discipline. "It doesn't matter."

Whatever was going on between Emmett and Alice certainly had Edward's curiosity, but revealing the mystery was certainly on the bottom of his list of worries. The moving van had just arrived and men were already carrying boxes and furniture in.

The mystery would just have to wait.

FMO

Bella leaned back on her hands as she felt the warmth of the barely seen sun on her face. The day had been perfect so far. Mike had taken her on a picnic date, choosing a park outside of the city. The only sounds heard were the birds chirping and the children's happy squeals coming from the playground. Mike had been attentive all day – holding Bella's hand, opening doors, and even feeding her bits of fruit while they ate.

It wasn't as if Mike was usually inattentive – he was a very sweet man. Bella and Mike had just come to the point in a relationship where they were both comfortable. He did not necessarily do overly-romantic things for Bella, and she didn't expect them. It didn't mean she didn't appreciate them, though.

"Happy?" his voice sounded to her side as she felt him tuck her hair behind her ear.

"Mmm," she responded without opening her eyes.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"Open your eyes."

The anxiousness in Mike's voice startled her into submission, and when she did as she was told, all the breath left her body.

Next to her kneeled her boyfriend of over three years, holding out a diamond ring in his shaking hand.

"Fuck. I mean, shit. I mean…" Mike stuttered as he wiped his brow. "I had this whole speech planned out but now that I'm here, I'm…." He trailed off into silence as he stared at the piece of jewelry in his hand.

"Mike?" His girlfriend gently prodded with his name.

"Isabella," Mike finally looked at her, grabbing a hold of her left hand. "Will you marry me?"

The answer was at the tip of her tongue when the unwelcome vision of green eyes came before her. She quickly willed it away, knowing there was no use to dwell on lost causes. She had loved Edward in the past, and even though what she felt for Mike seemed different than her feelings for Edward, it was love nonetheless.

Mike loved her; she knew that. He was a good man with a stable job who treated Bella with the utmost respect. They could have conversations that lasted for hours about the trivial and the philosophical. Besides Alice and Rosalie, Mike was Bella's best friend.

So as she peered at Mike's frightened face, she knew there was only one answer.

Leaning forward to wrap her arms around his neck, she kissed him before leaning back and declaring, "Yes, Michael, I will marry you."

"Really?" his eyes perked when he heard the answer.

Bella laughed. "Yes, really. Why wouldn't I?'

"I don't know. I guess you never know, you know?" Mike whispered shyly as he clumsily pushed the ring on her finger. "You have made me the happiest man in the world."

Bella held out her hand to inspect the ring more closely. It truly was beautiful, even though it looked as if it cost more than a teacher's salary could afford. The diamond was round and had to be at least one karat, and it was set in an intricate setting surrounded by tinier diamonds.

"Do you like it?" her new fiancée asked eagerly.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, leaning to give her new fiancée a kiss.

Bella was telling the truth. What she did not impart, though, was that it wasn't what she imagined in an engagement ring. She preferred a simple solitaire diamond without all the intricacies of an expensive setting. But she knew that if she told Mike this, it would break his heart.

The couple sat there, with Mike's arms wrapped around Bella, as they reveled in the happiness they felt. Bella had found the man she could see herself with for the rest of her life, and as far as she was concerned, nobody could take away her happiness.

Not yet, at least.

FMO

"Holy shit, Bella! I was not expecting that," Rose exclaimed as she practically crawled over the table to inspect Bella's new piece of jewelry.

Bella, Rosalie, and Alice were enjoying lunch together at a local café they frequented. Bella was now out of school for the summer, but Rose and Alice would take time out of their jobs as a classic car restorer and boutique owner.

"Well, it has been almost four years," Bella reminded her. "And you know that Mike and I have been talking about it."

"True," Rose smiled. "So how did he do it?"

Bella went right into the story of the perfect day she had with Mike. She told of his attentiveness and the romantic picnic at which he got down on one knee and fumbled for the words. Finally, he was able to complete the question in which he asked for Bella's hand in marriage.

During her recollection of the previous day's events, Bella could not help but notice the sullen expression on her other companion's face. She expected that Alice would be bouncing her seat, excited for the opportunity to help plan another wedding (as she was preparing to be wed herself on Christmas Eve). Instead, Alice's eyes were downturned to her plate as she fiddled with her utensils, moving the food around.

"That's adorable," Rose drawled. Although her voice was not as enthusiastic as it could be, Bella knew that it was actually quite a complement when Rose did not outright criticize the method Mike had chosen. "Isn't it Alice?" she continued, elbowing Alice in the ribs.

"Ow!" her friend exclaimed as she seemed to come out of her trance. "What?"

"I said, isn't it adorable?"

"Oh yeah. Extremely," Alice muttered. Both her friends knew that an idea popped into her head when she suddenly brightened and a mischievous smile appeared on her face. "I have a great idea!"

"What's that?" the newly engaged friend asked.

"I'm going to throw an engagement party for you two! It'll totally be fun!"

Bella narrowed her eyes. "No. I don't want any party."

"Why not?" Alice whimpered. "It'll just be the usual crowd. I won't make it big. I'll even just call it a celebratory dinner."

Bella sighed. Although she did not like the attention, she knew that Alice would get her way eventually. "Fine," she huffed. "And I suppose this celebratory dinner will take place at my apartment, of course."

"Of course," Alice grinned.

It seemed that Alice always loved to throw dinner parties, but there were two problems: first, Alice's and Jasper's kitchen was not big enough to host such an event. Because Bella enjoyed cooking so much, she made it a priority to choose an apartment that came equipped with a larger kitchen.

Secondly, Alice didn't cook.

And so, every time a party was suggested, it fell upon Bella to not only host the event, but to cook as well. Luckily, she did not mind the trouble that came with cooking.

"So Friday?"

Bella tossed the napkin she was using onto her now empty plate. "Sure. I'll let Mike know," she answered as she stood up. "I have to go. Got errands to run, a menu to plan," she smirked.

As Rose stared at Bella's retreating back, she couldn't help but to confront the tiny friend next to her. "What are you up to, Mary Alice?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she smirked. "See you later." And with a twirl, Alice skipped away from the table, leaving Rose alone with her thoughts.

"Oh Alice, Alice, Alice," she whispered to herself. "What trouble are you causing now?"

FMO

"Everything smells great, babe," Mike muttered against Bella's cheek just before kissing it. "When's it ready?"

Bella turned to give a chaste kiss on his lips. "A half hour or so. Second round of beer already?"

Mike chuckled. "What do you expect? We're just a bunch of men watching baseball and drinking beer, waiting for our food."

"Go away," Bella laughed, slapping Mike in the shoulder. "Leave us women alone."

As Bella turned back to the stove to stir the sauce for the pork roast she was making, she heard Angela sigh.

"What?"

"You guys are just so cute together! I'm so happy for you."

Bella turned to grin at her friend. "Thanks."

When Alice, who was leaning against the counter, snorted, Bella chose to ignore her. Ever since Bella announced her engagement, she noticed that her friend was acting unusual. One moment, Alice acted as if she was happy for Bella, but the next, it was as if Alice could care less. Bella could not fathom what was going through her friend's mind; after all, Alice always seemed to like Mike. She never complained about him, and she was definitely known to speak her mind about something she did not like.

Angela also ignored the sound effect from the little woman in the corner as she asked Bella about her plans. "Have you set a date yet?"

"No," she shook her head. "We're thinking over Spring break. That way we can go on our honeymoon directly after our wedding."

"How perfect," Alice rolled her eyes.

This time, it was Rose who spoke while reaching out for the wine glass that Alice held. "Alice! How much have you been drinking?"

Pulling the glass out of Rose's reach, her friend snapped, "This is my first one!"

The other three women shared glances, all showing their confusion and concern over their friend's attitude. Before any more could be said, however, there was a knock on the door.

"I got it, babe!" Mike called through the wedding.

His fiancée furrowed her brow in confusion. "Who can it be? Everybody's here." Her two friends who were not in ill spirits shrugged their shoulder, but what any of the women didn't see was the smirk hidden behind the glass of wine.

A ruckus of men's exclamations broke out from Bella's living room, and she knew she could not ignore the noise. Not even a baseball game could illicit such a response from the men.

"What's going on?" she called as she rounded the corner to investigate, still with a spoon in her hand. "What's with this rowdy…"

At the site before her, her words caught in her throat as her hand released the spoon grasped in her hand.

"Edward?"