*Disclaimer - Sadly, I own nothing of Twilight with the exception of merchandise, bought and paid for. I do, however, own my love for borrowing the characters and playing with them however I choose to. I thank Stephenie Meyer for creating the TwiWorld and for allowing us to have our fun with it. She owns Twilight, the insanity it created in my mind is my own.

Shug is my beta reader/punctuation guru/cheerleader, and she is awesome at it! You all are awesome at making me smile. :D

Whatever Works

Drama, Drama, All the Time

It was dark when I awoke some hours later. I had fallen asleep with my wet bikini still on, as well as the shirt. Both were stiff and uncomfortable. My bed was damp. I threw the window open to let the breeze through and hopefully dry it out, and then I headed for the shower. My stomach growled angrily at me for missing dinner. Sue had told me I could use the kitchen any time; I decided I would take her up on it. And then pleaded with whoever was listening to not let me somehow burn the kitchen down, or flood it, or open it up to a locust infestation. Not tonight, especially.

As I neared my bedroom door, I heard sounds coming from the sitting room. Low music and the clinking sound of a spoon stirring in a cup. Emily must have come back. I smiled and opened the door.

"Hi. I heard you up – thought you'd like another tea." Not Emily. Edward.

"Oh. Uh, yeah. That's great, thanks." I walked slowly towards him and the table.

"And a sandwich. You missed dinner." He'd brought a sandwich, and a plate of fruit, and another with bite-sized cakes and biscuits. "Emily got it all ready before she left. I just went and got it," he advised. "I did make the tea, though, so I hope it's to your liking." He took a seat and picked up his own cup – he was staying, not just delivering.

I managed a "thank you" as I sat opposite him at the table, eyeing the sandwich. My stomach spoke out again, and he chuckled as my hands gripped it.

"It's here to be eaten, Bella. Dig in." He sipped his tea as he slid a puzzle piece into place and nodded at his own accomplishment. "Am I disturbing you? Would you rather I left you alone?"

Would I? "No, of course not. It's your house; you can be wherever you want to be." I instantly regretted the tone of my flippant remark when he grimaced.

"Be that as it may, I like to think I respect the privacy of my houseguests," he said quietly. His fingers traced the outline of a puzzle piece as he spoke. I realized this was the first real conversation we'd had. He seemed to carefully think out his words before uttering them, always, and he spoke slowly and clearly. His voice was very pleasing – the grim look on his face, was not. "I wanted to discuss something with you, and then I'll leave you with your privacy."

Shit. He was going to fire me. I knew it. This would be our first and last real conversation. "Okay." I placed my half-eaten sandwich back on the plate. If I was about to get canned, I didn't want to take anything else from him.

"My mother tells me you and she are getting along extremely well." Again, the slow, clear diction. This time, his eyes captured me as well as his voice. He stared at me directly and didn't even seem to blink. "She also tells me that you had no idea what you were getting into. Is that correct?"

And here we go… would I fluff his ego to keep my job? If that's what he was referring to… oh, god… what if he's not talking about me not knowing who the hell he was? Maybe he meant Esme not being ready for rehab. I decided to take the business approach. "I'd certainly like to see Esme on a stronger path to rehabilitation, but right now, we're focusing on recovery. Emotional recovery plays a huge role in physical rehabilitation. I didn't realize… I wasn't aware that we'd be focusing on that initially, but ultimately I'm here to help Esme, and I'm fine with taking it slow and working with her at the pace she chooses."

His face relaxed, and a small grin even appeared. "Thank you," he whispered. "My mother has been through hell. I'd like to see her up and about, of course, but more importantly, I'd like to see the fiery woman I've always known her to be return. She has a spark, since you've been here. Whatever you're doing… is working."

Whew! He wasn't firing me. And, unless he was the greatest actor in the world, he seemed sincere about wanting the mother he knew before the accident back in his life.

"Now, about the other surprise…"

Prepare to fluff. My mouth opened to apologize, but I just couldn't. It wasn't like he was a renowned creator of something that aided the entire population. Society makes role models out of the wrong people. I wasn't in awe of his celebrity… I was uncomfortable with it. But admittedly in awe of his voice. And his fingers. Possibly the little nubby in his chin as well…

"I'd like to request something from you." His warm honey voice flowed around me. I decided I may be capable of fluffing… just a little. But he didn't give me the chance. "Please don't treat me any differently than you have been. I'm the same person I was when we hired you."

"Pissy?" I smirked. Oh, shit! Why did that come out?

His gaze was penetrating for a moment; then the corner of his mouth twitched, and he erupted with laughter as he dropped his head to his arms on the table. When he looked up, his cheeks were tinged red and there was an amused twinkle remaining in his eyes. "I can be an arse, I know. Thank you for your honesty."

"I'm sorry!" I blurted. "Sometimes it's out before I even finish thinking. It's a birth defect."

"It's genuine." He smiled amicably. "Don't change. I have to make a call, so I'll leave you." He stood abruptly and patted his pockets to ensure he had his phone. "Finish up. Enjoy your tea. And thank you for not dying in my pool. That would have been messy to explain."

~ 0 ~

Still groggy, probably from too much sleep, I thought I heard voices when I woke up in the morning.

Esme! I flew out of bed. Sue and Emily must have brought her home. She was my responsibility; I shouldn't let them take care of her any longer than they already had. I ran a brush through my hair and tied it up as I quickly brushed my teeth. I wanted to see if Esme needed anything before bothering to dress for the day, so I ran out in the shorts and camisole that I had slept in. Esme was home, but she was with Edward. They didn't notice me.

"Did I say anything?"

"You don't have to, Edward. I know you."

He sighed in frustration, running his hands through his hair. It was wild this morning. "Mum…"

"I know, I know. You want me to keep my nose out of it. I won't say a word."

"It's not that I don't appreciate your concern…"

"I'm staying out…"

"You brought it up!" he exclaimed in a higher pitched voice.

I turned on my heel to retreat back into my own room. If they were arguing, it wasn't something I should eavesdrop on.

"Bella! How are you feeling this morning?"

Caught! I turned back when I heard Esme call out to me. Edward turned to look at me. He was a mess. I assumed he thought the same of me by the look he gave me. "I'm great. Like nothing happened." I stood awkwardly at my door with both sets of eyes on me.

"Are you sure? I can have Mike call a doctor in for you." Edward, feigning concern? Or covering his ass in case I sued him? His last comment to me played in my mind… 'Thanks for not dying in my pool. That would have been messy to explain.' I guess his public would be wondering why a stick bug was in his pool in the first place.

"Like I said, I'm great. No concerns."

He glared at me. "Great. Well then, since I'm not needed here, I'll go someplace I can be useful."

"Edward's at his pissiest in the morning, dear. He didn't sleep well. Just ignore him."

He snorted. "If only…"

Esme rolled her eyes. "Not everyone is incapable of ignoring you. I'm well practiced." She smirked at him as he rolled his eyes. It was a cute exchange, and it made me smile. "We don't need your attitude, that's all. So if you're going to be grumpy, Mister Man, leave us be. Otherwise, I'll ask Emily for an extra coffee this morning and you can join us."

"Sam is picking me up in half an hour," he replied sullenly. "And my attitude is what it is. I'll be going now. Bella? Easy around the pool."

I changed into something more appropriate for the main house and went to the kitchen to get Esme's breakfast. I wanted to thank Emily for her help with the pool incident and also let her know that she didn't have to serve me. I was more than willing to help her out. Once again, she had company – Sam and Mike were gathered at the centre island with her.

"Sorry I missed the start of your show last night!" Mike laughed.

I shrugged. "Wasn't too spectacular. Didn't make the newsreel."

Emily and Sam appreciated my humour. Sam pulled a stool out for me, and Emily poured me a cup of coffee.

"Ah!" Mike joined in the laughter and tapped on his forehead. "Smart one, huh? Caught onto the privacy issue right away!"

"Oh, she's smart all right," Emily nodded. "She's got a natural bullshit radar as well, so don't even bother."

Sam roared with laughter, but I wasn't sure what she meant until I looked over at Mike and saw an abashed look on him. Emily winked at me as Edward strode in. He was showered and unwrinkled and smelled really good as he reached past me for a muffin.

"Thanks, Em. Um… I probably won't be around for dinner…"

"Uh-huh." She didn't look up at all as she replied.

"This is really good. You outdid yourself this morning."

Continuing to ignore him, she lifted herself off her stool and took her cup over for a refill. She didn't offer him one.

"We should go?" Mike asked, sensing tension.

"Yeah," Edward nodded as his two friends stood. "Emily, let me know when your classes are starting."

She leaned against the counter and hissed something under her breath.

"What was that?" I braced myself. Pissy Edward was back.

"I think you know what I said, Edward. Would you like me to repeat it? Louder?"

They stood inches apart, staring each other down. Sam called out a goodbye to Emily and pulled Mike out of the kitchen with him, leaving me to witness yet another exchange of words. I pretended not to notice them.

"Say what you want to say, Emily. You've never held back before."

"I want to say that what I said to you earlier still stands. Don't fuck around with this, Edward. I mean it. This isn't a game…"

"I know that! Christ! What does that have to do with school?"

"You can't buy my silence. I will tell you when you're being an asshole." Her words were simple and clear, and she turned away from him the instant they were out. What she missed was the look of a man who had just been gutted. He couldn't fake that look so effectively. No one could. His eyes flicked to me for a second, and I looked away as well.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Em. It was never my intention," he said softly and tossed the remainder of his muffin in the trash before he walked out.

Emily stood by the sink with her back to me for a few moments. She wiped at some tears before she turned around. "Sorry for that. Drama, drama… all the time," she said with a snicker.

I shook my head. I had no right even hearing their exchange. "No… I'm sorry for intruding. Are you all right?"

"Sure… Shit. I owe him an apology."

"I'm sure he takes apologies well." I hoped my attempt at a joke came off as such.

She smirked. Good.

"I guess you're close. I mean, I wouldn't get into an argument with him unless I was prepared to finish him off."

And she laughed. Better. "Stick around just a bit longer and I'm sure you will. He can be… so frustrating." Emily's hands were balled up into fists, and she turned and started scrubbing the sink to release some of her tension. "He can be really damn adorable, too. Damn him. It would be easier if he was just an asshole all the time, you know?"

No. I didn't think living with and working for a complete asshole would be a good thing. "I can't really say, Emily. I mean, honestly? He didn't seem like he was being an asshole just now…"

She turned the jet spray on the sink and wiped her brow. "No, that was him sucking up. He was an asshole earlier, while you were still sleeping. Long story."

That made the scene with Esme make a little more sense. They were arguing about something. And he was definitely in a bad mood. Obviously, Emily was not going to spill the beans. "Hey, it could be worse. We could be working for Mike."

Emily put the scrubber and jet nozzle down, tension gone. "Sooooo true. You got my warning then?"

"Bullshit radar?"

She nodded. "He's so full of shit. He does a good job, keeping Edward's schedule organized and making sure he's taken care of, but I could really do without him otherwise. He acts like he's the greatest thing ever… and expects every woman to fall all over him. I guess a lot do – the majority, just to get at Edward, though."

"That's gotta be hard on his ego."

"I guess. He'd do a lot better if he wasn't such a player though." She shrugged and started back to work, preparing a tray for Esme. I worked alongside as I had intended to do when I first came to the kitchen.

"Anyway, back to your earlier statement. Yes, Edward and I are close. I say the same things to him as I would if it were Jake acting out. He hates it and loves it at the same time. He can't stand being told he's wrong. He hates being nagged at. I'm still not as bad as his sister though, so he puts up with me. Part of him knows he needs taken care of from time to time. He's not a complete idiot."

I chuckled, pouring myself a second coffee to add to the tray. "Esme kind of said the same thing."

"Mm-hmm. You'll see. The more he lets himself loosen up, the more his real personality comes out. You've already seen more of his true self than most. I don't know if that's a good thing or not." Emily finished making Esme's tea and placed it on the tray, now ready to go. "Hey, Esme and my mom have made plans for the afternoon. Want to hang out?"

I looked at my new friend and embraced her. "I'd love that." I had never been a gossip girl, but the drama Emily referred to piqued my inner gossip something fierce. That and the fact that Esme watched every entertainment show and subscribed to every rag… I was being sucked in. This was a whole new world to me – much more than I expected out of a home-care position, for sure.

A/N ~ This story is told entirely from Bella's POV, so my intention is to have readers just as befuddled about Edward's mood swings as she is – honestly, I'm not trying to drive anyone crazy – though I do love all the speculation. ;) As you can see, Bella's not always the greatest with reading people. She is a little clueless, socially. She gets even more fodder to fuel her in the next chapter. Soon. Thanks for reading! ~ SR