*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.

Thanks to Shug, who even beta'd on her birthday! *squishes* We can thank her for the extra chapter this week. Enjoy!

Whatever Works

Confrontation of a Brat

Edward did return home at some point that night. He didn't stretch it into days, but he didn't avail himself to anyone either. He kept to himself in his rooms upstairs, having his meals delivered to his door as if his house was a hotel. It annoyed me that he would treat Sue as though she was his personal servant now that I knew the family's connection with him. It was one thing to ask her to run his house for him; it was another to ask her to wait on him this way. And Esme… her heart was breaking.

Emily had mentioned that he had hurt Esme in the past – enough that Sue had refused him initially. Did he learn nothing from that? I had only known Esme for a matter of weeks, but it was long enough for me to see the love she had for him. It was a biased love, most definitely, but it was strong. And he abused that love. It didn't seem that she asked much from him. It didn't seem like it was outrageous to ask him to go with her to the cemetery – he had brought it up! Why ask her, only to refuse to accompany her? And refusing to talk to his sister? Esme had told me Alice was considering a visit since she was off school. That would really invade Mister Man's space, I snickered to myself.

All of the drama running through my head wouldn't allow me to fall asleep, and all the tossing and turning trying to force myself to sleep was only making me hot. A heat wave had hit, and we weren't even getting a reprieve at night. I decided to go to the pool. Even just sitting in the water would cool me off. I twisted my hair up into a bun and changed quickly before heading out. I had worked up a sweat just making my way through the garden to get to the pool, so I didn't waste time when I arrived. Shedding the t-shirt I had over my bikini, I dropped it with my towel on the patio and stepped into the water. I used the steps this time since I wasn't in a rush to escape a half-naked man. I was a competent swimmer, just not under pressure. Alone, I was fine, and I was seeking relief, not the exercise of a swim anyway. The water felt good on my skin; just cool enough to relieve the heat but not make me shiver.

I lounged, perched on a step so that my head rested against the ridge of the pool, with my body submerged. Closing my eyes as a breeze swept past, I began to hum an old favorite that always soothed me. Dad had told me it was my lullaby as a baby. Soon enough, humming gave way to full on singing, as it usually did.

"Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play. Now I need a place to hide away. Oh I believe in yesterday…"

"What are you hiding from, Bella?" Edward's soft voice sounded out as I completed my solo.

I sat up, affronted by the intrusion and embarrassed that I'd been caught. "You're one to talk about hiding," I snorted in his direction. He was in a chair, not six feet away just behind me. Had I taken the time to put my towel and shirt on a chair, I would have seen him then and saved myself the embarrassment.

I heard a low chuckle at my remark. At least he didn't have his pissy attitude at the moment. "How is my mother?"

Oh! The nerve! I turned my head to glare at him. "Your mother…" I clenched my lips together to pinch off the angry words I wanted to spew out.

"Go on," he said calmly. "I'm used to people telling me what I do wrong. I can see you've got your own ideas already, so let's have it."

He got my raised eyebrow, mouth clenched glare that Dad used to affectionately refer to as my 'bitch face'. "Your mother doesn't need your crap. If you've got a shitty outlook on life, keep it to yourself. She needs love and support, and for some reason, she craves that from a full-grown brat who doesn't give her the time of day." There. I said what had to be said and I could pack my belongings when I dried off.

He didn't lash out, as I expected him to. Edward sat motionless, deep in thought. Maybe he hadn't heard me? Finally, he let out a breath and a corner of his mouth lifted. It wasn't his playful crooked smile; more of a sneer. A bratty sneer. "I agree. What you fail to see is that I have cravings myself. But that's selfish, correct – to need love and support as well? I had a nanosecond to mourn. And another to get used to the idea that my mother may never walk again. It's time to grow up and put my own emotions to bed, does that sound right?" He sat forward and finally looked away from my eyes. He stared blankly towards the reflections on the water. "You're right, of course. I'll suck it up." He swung his legs to one side of the lounger and stood.

I cursed myself for being so thoughtless. He had lost his father just months ago… somehow that didn't even seem to factor in until now. I hadn't seen a hint of him mourning at all. Or was that what the brooding was about and his need for privacy right now? Even when he mentioned the cemetery, for some reason it hadn't occurred to me that he wasn't coping well with his own loss. 'Edward can be an incredibly good actor… frequently…' Shit. "I'm sorry," I offered hastily before he disappeared. I didn't want to be in Emily's shoes and have to wait days or weeks to get my apology out.

He stopped his departure and turned back to me. "For what? Speaking your mind?"

"I'm sorry for your loss," I replied earnestly.

His eyes blinked rapidly, and he made a huffing noise as he cleared his throat. "And so you can understand why I don't want anyone close to me dying any time soon. Please don't come to the pool by yourself in future." He left me alone without another word.

It took several moments for me to regulate my breathing. I had been holding my breath, waiting for him to storm back and tell me to mind my own business and get the hell out of his house. He didn't. I saw a turn light on in the room above mine at the other end of the house and knew he was locked away. I climbed out of the water and wrapped myself in the towel, sitting sideways on the lounge chair he had vacated. There was a stack of mail on the table beside his chair. He must have been going through it when I intruded on him.

My eyes drifted towards the papers… I shouldn't be doing this. I have no right. He'd be furious… Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it didn't teach me anything about not sticking my own nose in people's business. I shimmied up closer to have a better look without having to actually handle it. It appeared to be sorted – or maybe he just hadn't gotten through the entire stack before I barged in. The envelope on top of one pile was from a phone company – bills. Another stack had what appeared to be advertising – junk mail. A third was topped with an envelope from a charity. Separated from those piles were two opened letters. The envelope of one was addressed to 'Edward Masen'. The sender was revealed on the invitation laid out below the envelope… 'We request your attendance as Margaret Mallory and Benjamin Amun unite in love and holy matrimony'. 'With regrets, will not attend' was checked off. So he didn't do weddings…

The next one was folded so I only saw the letterhead and reference line. It was addressed to 'Edward A. Cullen' from an attorney, J. Jenks. 'In regards to the Estate of Carlisle Cullen'. Shit. Shit, shit, shit! As I sat there, overwhelmed by guilt from not only reading his mail (that was left out there in the open for anyone to see, really) but for not considering his own grief before spouting off, it began to rain. I knew I only had moments before it would really open up. His mail! He'd know I'd seen it and probably snooped if I brought it in for him. But it was my fault he didn't take it in himself? At least some of it was important. Should I take his mail in with me? Yes. I should.

I grabbed it up, pile after pile, and tucked it under my shirt, holding onto it like a football as I ran for the nearest door. Locked! "Of course it would be locked," I mumbled as I dashed for the next one, also locked. It was really coming down so I hesitated before making the run to my own door.

"Hey, trying to drown yourself in rain water this time?" Emmett's smiling face held the door open for me.

"Thank you! It just started…"

"I know. I was going to take a dip myself, but I guess not." He shrugged. "A snack is a suitable replacement, I'd say. Care to join me?"

Smiling broadly, I took his lead. "I know there's some of Sue's peach cobbler left over from dinner." We both dashed for the kitchen, laughing together as we went. "Oh! I forgot… Edward left some stuff outside. It looked important so I grabbed it when it started to rain." I untucked his bundle and passed it over to Emmett. Edward trusted Emmett; he was the right person to give it to if not Edward, himself.

"Cool. Thanks." He set it aside and retrieved the cobbler while I got plates and forks for us. "So you've decided not to be a hermit after hours now, huh?"

"At least for tonight." I smiled back at him. Although he seemed to relish teasing me, he didn't seem to be doing it in a mean way. I actually felt at ease with him. "It's too hot to sleep."

"Agreed." He took a heaping forkful of cobbler in his mouth. "Too noisy, too."

The only sounds I heard were the hum of the fridge and the distant ticking of a clock in the entrance hall; unless my trip to the pool disturbed him. "Oh jeez, is your room over the pool?"

"Near enough. But my windows are closed, I can't hear anything when someone decides to take a midnight dip. I was going to hang out with Edward, but he's not in the mood. He suggested the swim."

Ah. He sent a babysitter down for me in case I drowned. Lovely. "I won't be taking anymore swims at night," I announced, just so he'd know he didn't have to watch over me.

"Too bad. It's great out there in the dark. I go in a lot. Of course, I have poolside view so I know when someone else is entertaining there… if you know what I mean." He chuckled.

He couldn't hear me and Edward, but he saw us. "There was nothing entertaining about us out there. I interrupted his privacy."

Emmett laughed before stuffing his mouth full again. "No. Not you guys. Sometimes there are… lady friends over, or whatever. I just wanted to give you a warning so you don't see something you really don't want to see some night when you're thinking of going in."

"Oh." Well that pretty much put me off the pool…

"You can always call up to the watchtower." He held his hands over his head and pointed down. "Me. And have me survey the situation. I'm twelve… on the intercom system, not my age. Though sometimes…"

I had to chuckle. "All men are twelve sometimes. Anyway, intercom?"

"No one has shown you how to use the system? It's simple. Come on and I'll show you now." He led me over to the kitchen phone and gave me the lowdown. I could page any phone in the house from any handset. Giant leaps from the standard issue phones we had at home. Dad had switched the standard cord for a 20' monster so he could wheel around from room to room while he was on the phone. It's not like he ever did, but he left his options open. Cordless would have been better. Emmett saw my smirk, and I ended up relating my memory of Dad's refusal to evolve, and dozens of others. Conversation flowed easy with him, and before I knew it, it was almost 2 a.m.

"I should go. I have to be up at six." I was actually sorry to leave him.

He snorted but agreed. "I have a 5 a.m. call, thank you. So enjoy your extra hour, and think of us working slobs."

"Why so early?" I thought celebrities slept 'til noon. Not that Emmett was a celebrity, but he was most likely on Edward's schedule.

"New one starts tomorrow." He stretched as he stood up and yawned. "Last week was better – just the pre-shoot bullshit at a decent call time every day. And we were in the hotel near the studio so we could just roll out of bed and we're there."

"Didn't he just finish a movie?"

Emmett grinned. "He's a workhorse. Or workwhore as we like to call him. This is the last of a steady string of jobs… or so he says. We'll see. Working keeps him occupied, and an unoccupied Edward is not always good. Thanks for entertaining me with Charlie stories. Maybe we'll bump into each other another night soon. Have a good sleep, Bella."

~ 0 ~

Emily cornered me at lunchtime when I went in to help her clean up after our meal. "So, you had your first head-butt session with Edward – who won?"

My eyes widened. "Did Edward say something?"

She waggled her eyebrows at me. "I have my ways of knowing… actually, Jessica told me."

"Jessica? What was she doing here that late?"

"It was late?" Now I had piqued Emily's inner gossip girl. "How late, and how did it come about?"

"Midnight, and we both just happened to be there. I wanted to cool off in the pool. He was there, and I didn't see him until later on."

Pink flooded into her cheeks, and she busied herself wrapping up a platter of sliced ham. "Please tell me you weren't skinny dipping."

I gasped and then laughed at the idea. That was not something I could see myself doing, and certainly not now that I knew of Emmett's watchtower position. "Oh god no!"

Emily relaxed into her usual grin. "So you just told him off then… nothing else?"

What had Jessica told her? What else would there have been? "I blew it, Emily. He kind of goaded me into speaking my mind – his mistake…"

Laughing, she shrugged. "He should know better."

"But I feel horrible. I gave him shit for not being here for his mother when she needs his support… but Em, he needs support too. He's suffering just as much." Funny, I had blown off Esme's insistence that all of this was hard on Edward, but after last night, I believed it. "And I had no idea he was working when he was gone last week. I just saw Esme stressed out and in the dark about her son."

"Not the whole time. And he could have called," Emily opined. "That was his choice not to. The rest, I agree with. But Bella, don't be too hard on yourself. I told you living with him is frustrating. He has a way of making everyone want to take care of him, and then when he pushes you away, you wonder why you ever bothered. Still, we keep caring. If you're not prepared for the drama that is Edward, step back and take yourself out of his life now before you care. It's impossible to do so later on."

This was a different version of Emily that issued those words of caution. I could tell she really knew what she was talking about. I nodded, stowing a reminder in my own mind to back away from him and focus only on Esme. "So you never told me, what was Jessica doing here last night?"

"Bella, Bella… you've been here long enough to know…" she leaned against me to whisper, "she's a ho'! 'Nuff said."

All right then. I didn't feel so bad for poor, grieving Edward anymore. He was boinking the maid just before I insulted him and probably just after. Dan-dy.

~ 0 ~

I played hermit, as Emmett called it, as soon as dinner was over. Edward seemed to have a change of heart after our exchange of words and spent a good deal of the evening with his mother. He brought his script with him and told her about the details of the day's filming. I tried to block out the sound of his voice, but it was alluring. It sounded musical, even if I couldn't make out all the words from another room. Esme's laughter was repeated again and again throughout the evening, so that drew me in, too. Maybe tearing a strip off him was the right thing to do after all.

He was present and accounted for all weekend as well, spending hours each day in our quarters. When he returned with us after Sunday dinner, he looped his arm through mine when I veered towards my room. "Why do you run away every time I come in?" he asked quietly when Esme went to retrieve a new puzzle from her bedroom.

"Just giving you space. It's nice that you're spending time with your mother, that's all. I'm right here if she needs me for anything."

"Bella, we're starting into a new one! Join us?" Esme held up a box and shook it. "Please? Edward's done with his sulking, aren't you, dear?"

"Yes, Mum. Done sulking," he snickered and looked at me impishly.

"Good, then you won't be miserable company for Bella."

"She'll tell me if I am," he muttered with a smirk as we took our places around the table.

"You don't have someplace to be that makes you feel more useful?" I teased him in return. I couldn't help myself.

"Nope. I am useless. I've accepted that, and I'm making the best of it. Flip the lid over? I want to see the full picture… thanks." He was already into the puzzle.

"No parties to attend?" I suggested as I worked along, turning each piece face up.

"Parties don't begin in the afternoon, silly girl. Unless you're two and there are clowns attending."

Esme reached for her glass of iced tea and tipped it off the table. "Oh, boy… clumsy of me…" Edward grabbed a towel to mop it up, and the subject was dropped. All in all, it turned into an enjoyable evening, and I even accepted an offer to join them and Emmett for pizza and a movie later on.

How could I refuse?

A/N ~ If your comments are any indication, you are mostly as baffled/put-off by Edward's behaviour as Bella is - yay! As we only have her POV to go on, it's how it should be. Love hearing from you all. Now, are you ready for some fun? Bella is – soon! Thanks for reading! xx ~ SR