*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.

My patient beta reader is Shug. She's wonderful at catching my boo-boos. :)

Whatever Works

Not Alone

I spent a lot of time with Edward's family over the next week. They included me in everything, as if I were just one of them. I noticed, however, that they seemed to have an unspoken rule of not discussing Edward when it came to Celebrity Edward Masen. I heard stories from childhood, stories from London and New York, but nothing about him after he returned to New York at seventeen. I was fine with that – mostly. I preferred hearing it from Edward anyway, but he was working long hours on the film set, and when we met up at night, we only talked about the day's events, not his past. The more I knew of him, the more I wanted to know everything.

Alice grew more curious about the nature of our relationship as well. She asked me directly, in front of Emily one day as we prepared lunch, if we were sleeping together upstairs. I scoffed at the notion, reiterating that we were friends – just getting to know each other. She then asked if we were kissing friends (aka fuck buddies, I presumed). My response of 'no' was truthful – he had licked me, and we had a contract that he could kiss my toes at some point in the future, but we hadn't kissed. Of course, I didn't tell her about those things. And I didn't tell her how much I was missing him since the weekend.

I thought I would catch a break and have him around for an evening on the day they were meeting with Mr. Jenks, Carlisle's estate lawyer. He went to the set very early in the morning and made arrangements to meet with them at Jenks' office, arriving and leaving separately. However, he didn't follow them home. He was required back on set for a dusk shoot. I wasn't sleepy when I left the others for the night, so I took a book and made use of Edward's balcony for a little while. The book didn't capture me, since all I could think of was him. It was abandoned in my lap when he tapped on the glass behind me.

I jumped up to greet him, all smiles. "I didn't hear you come in!"

"I know. That's a bad habit of yours, lack of awareness of your surroundings. It worries me." His voice was playful, but there were frown lines on his brow. "You're not leaving, are you? I was hoping we'd get some time together – haven't seen much of you all week."

"I can stay!" In my head, it sounded totally casual. What came out sounded desperate. Ugh.

Whatever it sounded like to his ears, it pleased him. "I'm just going to change, and I'll need to scrounge up something to eat – I skipped dinner. I won't be long."

"Sue made up a plate and left it for you. I'll go get it while you do your thing. Sound good?"

"Perfect!" He smiled, stretched, and headed for his bedroom.

He was still in his bedroom when I returned with his dinner plate. I put it in the microwave but held off reheating until he was ready for it. After a few minutes, he returned looking refreshed and cheery. He was wearing loose black pants, and a cotton shirt with only a few buttons done up on. And yes, thank you Lord, he was barefoot. Upon closer inspection, his hair was wet. A water droplet fell from a lock of hair and rolled down his cheek. I reached over to wipe it for him without giving it a thought.

"Feeling better?"

"Much!" he replied with a grin. "I was working with dogs… in the heat… outdoors. I think I smelled more like them than they do. How was your day?"

We fell into an easy conversation while his food heated, and I sat at the bar with him while he ate. "This is really bad – going to bed with a full stomach. I'll regret it tomorrow." He pushed his plate to the side and rested his head on his arms in its place. "Never mind tomorrow – as soon as I lie down," he mumbled.

I took advantage of his position to get a good long peek at his bare feet. I had an urge to rub my own feet across them.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice was soft, but it still startled me. He had turned his head so he was staring at me as I admired his lower extremities.

Your feet, your hands, the way you smell right now, and how soft the hair on your arms looks. I want to rub my nose along it. Would that be weird? "You must be tired." And I must be super alert – how did that come out? So glad it did… I would have died if the other shit had spewed out instead.

He hummed and briefly closed his eyes. Then he sat straight up and grabbed my hand. "Let's go get more comfortable." As he went to take a seat on the couch, he suddenly spun me around without releasing my hand and pulled me down with him so that when we sat, his right arm was draped over me, still holding my hand. His left was draped over my shoulder. In one swift movement, he had completely enveloped me.

"How did you do that?" I gasped, unable to disguise the awe I felt.

With a confident, but not smug look, he snickered softly. "Trade secret." The fingers of his left hand lightly stroked my arm. "Are you uncomfortable like this?"

I shook my head. I could spend the rest of my life like this. Though my right arm seemed to be wedged between us – we were practically sitting on my hand. A little grunting sound came out as I tried to free it. He lifted a cheek to give me room to manoeuver but didn't release me from his hold. Then there was the dilemma of where to put it after it was freed. I looked crunched with it on my lap, so I moved it to his, and that just seemed too forward, so I pulled it back on my own lap and tried to look totally at ease.

"How was Alice tonight?" he asked quietly. "Did she have a lot of complaining to do after our meeting?"

I frowned, giving it a good thought before replying. "No… actually, she was unusually quiet now that I think about it."

"Hmm. That is unusual."

"Was she upset there?" I hated asking personal questions, but he had brought it up.

"No. She was quiet there too. That's concerning. My sister isn't the quiet type, so it leads me to believe there will be an epic explosion. I thought it would have occurred immediately after. If she's letting it build more steam, it won't be good."

"Maybe she's satisfied with the terms of the estate," I suggested. Edward had bought the house for her, and according to Jasper, he was paying for her school as well. It made me wonder exactly how much Edward was worth, with all the expenses he took care of – several properties, Emily and Alice's schooling, Esme's medical care, plus paying staff. Obviously jealousy played a role in Alice's attitude, but I couldn't understand why when she reaped all of the same benefits every other family member and friend did from Edward's own fortune. The estate money wouldn't even be touched for years. What more could she want?

He was silent for a few moments and then grunted softly. "I doubt it. Not entirely anyway. There was even a little surprise for me, so I don't know how she's managed to keep it in. She didn't say anything to you?"

"Nothing, I swear."

I think he said, "That's good," but it was a very quiet mumble, and he was moving at the same time. He somehow managed to get me to hook my awkward arm tucked behind him, and my head ended up resting on his shoulder. "Mmm. Nice," he mumbled more clearly as I settled in. It was comfy. "You can't be Carlisle's son and not have come out of it with somewhat of an understanding of human nature. I know why I do some of things I do. I get Alice too. What I don't have a clear understanding of is my mother."

That threw me, but I went with it. He was talkative in a quiet, comfortable setting. I had a feeling I was about to learn more about Edward Cullen. "What do you mean? Why is she faking paralysis? We talked about that –"

"That, and more." He sighed as he traced circles on my arm with his fingertips absent-mindedly. "One of the issues Alice has is keeping Mum here, with me. She hasn't mentioned anything about that?"

"No… not a thing." I suddenly felt like a double agent. Alice grilled me on Edward's relationships, and he wanted details of Alice's gripes. Was that the purpose of having me close to all of them?

"She's fought it from the start. She doesn't think it's good to have Mum in the environment that took her husband. Alice feels it would be better for her, emotionally, to be away from here. It's not her home. She was only here to look after me, and look how it turned out… Carlisle died and Mum's… as she is."

A flood of sadness washed over me. "Edward, you don't think it's your fault…?"

"Yes and no. They were only here for me."

"It was an accident," I said soothingly. "It could have happened anywhere." I tipped my head up to look at him. His face looked vacant before he turned his eyes to me and sighed once more.

"I know." His voice cracked with emotion, and he cleared his throat before continuing. "Still, it happened. Here. It would make sense to go along with Alice and have her in New York or London where she had homes, but she chooses to be here. I don't get that. I could easily have got out of this role I'm doing now and taken her wherever she wanted, but she encouraged me to stick with it. She wants to be here, and for the life of me, I don't understand why."

"She wants to be with you, Edward. You're her son. She adores you. Period. I don't think there's anything contrived about it. She just wants to be with you."

The corner of his mouth tipped up in an ironic grin. "You do know that I was a real shit to her about the Masen thing. It hurt… I was hurt, and I blamed her. I lost respect for her. I was a total shit. It took me a long time to get over it, and even longer to accept that she could forgive me for it – for all of my mistakes. We were there – it was good between us and then… I know it's not my fault. I wasted so much time."

I deduced that must have been the incident that caused Sue to refuse Edward's first request to live with him. God, he must have felt so alone. "There's no way you could have known, Edward." I snuggled into him a little more. It was too little, too late for those years spent on his own, but it was all I had to give. "And you still have your mum."

"I could have had all of them, all the time. I never pushed Dad – Carlisle – away like I did Mum. I never blamed him. Like a complete prat, I figured he was the only decent one of the lot. He raised me, loved me, like I was his own. He didn't have to. He wanted to be my dad, and he was. Alice felt horrible about the whole thing – I thought she was too young to understand really, but she's really the one who got me through it. I joke that Rosalie's my favorite sister, but I'd be lost without Alice too. This is just our rough patch. She has to learn to mind her own business when it's really not hers to interfere with, and we'll be fine."

"You're lucky to have siblings," I commented. "Even if there's frustration and arguments – you know she wouldn't interfere if she didn't care about you. That's the bright side."

A low chuckle came from him. I felt his cheek rest against my head, and his thumb stroked my hand as he held it. "You said you had nobody during your interview." His voice was gentle, and the motion on my hand was soothing. "Why is that? How can that be?"

I shrugged. "Family-wise, both parents were only children. I was an only child. I've never really thought about whether it was a good or bad thing, it's just how it is. My mother ran out on us when I was still a toddler. Dad only ever talked about it once – she left us for a few months and then had a change of heart. She was killed in a car accident soon after. I don't even remember her. My life has always been a Bella-Charlie thing. He gave me a mix of what I would have had if Renee had been around to be mother and wife – she loved to cook, and she was a big Beatles fan. Dad made sure I listened to every song so I'd know her passion. He tried to teach me his side – sports of any sort – but I'm not exactly graceful. In the end, he did teach me his passion – being a parent. He was all that I needed. When Dad was shot, I did whatever was necessary because he's my dad. Even when he died, I didn't think about being alone in the world. It's just how it is."

"That makes me sad," he whispered against my hair. "I don't like thinking of you alone, at any time."

I snorted. "It never bothered me until I got involved with you people. You really know how to draw a girl into the cusp of family, I have to say."

Another chuckle, and a really nice squeeze. I never knew what I'd been missing all those years on my own. It felt awesome. "Friends can be even better than family sometimes."

"Mm, yeah, you've got great friends tossed in, too," I agreed.

He tilted his head down to look at me. "You never go out."

"I'm not allowed to. It's in my contract," I retorted like a smartass.

"Touché. But you did go out once – got a little defiance in you?"

I pulled out of his hand to indicate a small amount with my fingers. His freed hand wrapped around my waist.

"What about your friends, Bella? You don't miss going out with them? We can make arrangements, you know. There are lots of people around to keep Mum company, and I can have one of the guys take you wherever you want to go."

"Trying to get rid of me?"

"Not at all. I just want you to be happy."

"You don't think I am?"

He shrugged his shoulder. "Half the reason Emmett lives here is because I'd miss him if I couldn't see him when I wanted to. Do you not have an Emmett?"

"I'd love an Emmett." I laughed.

He snorted. "Okay, let me rephrase…"

"I got what you meant, Edward. I'm just teasing you. If this is your way of asking me if I'm a loser, yes. To be honest, I kind of removed myself from the social scene once I started taking care of Dad. I just didn't have time between all of his needs and school. People eventually stopped calling. It's quite simple to become a recluse."

There was a long hesitation before he responded. "It was actually my way of asking how someone like you isn't missed – I would miss you, if you just dropped out of my life. But apparently, it wasn't this job that made that happen. I'm sorry, Bella… that you've been alone all this time."

His words took me by surprise, and the sob that caught in my throat was even more of a stunner. I just didn't cry over that shit. Ever. It was pointless and… oh dammit! The tears started up as well. Why now? I brought my hand up to attempt to clear them away before he saw them, but he stopped me, easing away without fully releasing me. His hands simply moved to my face, and his thumbs wiped at the tears as they fell.

"Oh Bella… I'm such a dick for never asking about this before. I had no idea… I should have. You said so back at your interview, but I didn't take it literally. I'm sorry."

"For what?" I sniffled. "I'm more social now than I have been since he was shot, and that was without you asking. It doesn't make a difference."

"How old were you – when he was shot?"

"Eighteen," I whispered, closing my eyes.

"You've been alone since you were eighteen?"

"No! I had Dad…"

"Right, but friends? No friends… boyfriends…?"

I wished for tears that would dissolve me so I could just melt away and save myself the shame. I waited briefly for it to happen. It didn't. Only one single absolutely normal tear fell, and I muttered, "No one."

His thumb caught the tear and the next one that fell as he remained silent. His lips caught the third one, kissing it away from my cheek. It was that point that I broke down. I cried every single tear that I'd held in, and he held me as I did – stroking my hair, my back, massaging my neck, wiping at tears, kissing the top of my head… everything I hadn't gotten from my boyfriend at the time of Dad's injury or thereafter.

James had been the first to walk out of my sad life filled with responsibilities. I hadn't missed having a boyfriend because to me, that's what they did in times of duress – they walked away or, like James, fled. Edward wasn't fleeing. He wasn't even walking. He was consoling me like… a friend? Or more than a friend… I wasn't sure I could tell the difference, and my confusion made me cry even more.

"Bella, stay with me tonight," Edward whispered at some point much later. He may have been holding me for hours before the floodgates finally closed. I tensed up at his words. "I won't molest you, I promise."

I looked up at him with my red, puffy face and bloodshot eyes. "I'll be okay."

He smiled and pressed me tighter against him. "You shouldn't be alone, Bella. You're not alone. Stay with me. Please?"

My head was pounding from the outpour of emotions and swarm of confusion. He gave more support to me than I'd gotten from any relationship in my life. His arms felt good around me. He made me feel safe and warm and wanted. And that scared the life out of me. I wanted this – I wanted him – and that scared me even more. Yet, as he gently eased us apart to stand and pulled me up and into his side to move towards his bedroom, I didn't object. When he offered me a t-shirt and shorts to wear to bed, I took them into his bathroom to change into them and relished in the feeling of his clothes against my body. And finally, when he slipped into his bed beside me and snapped out the light, I felt that everything from this point would be different. It was frightening and thrilling and… right.

"What if I molest you?" I said softly in the dark.

There was a grunt, a sigh, and a soft chuckle in rapid succession. "You're teasing me now? I suppose that's fair."

I smiled in the dark. My first attempt at flirting without blushing – I decided I should try it more often.

"How about this… tonight, I'm your friend. I want to prove that I can be a good friend to you."

"You've already done that," I informed him as I snuggled my head up against his shoulder.

Another series of sounds came from him. "That's good, because I'm not just going to walk away from you. Know that." He shifted so that the arm I was leaning against wrapped around my shoulders, and I nestled into the crook he provided to listen to the sound of his silky voice. "Normally, I just go with attraction – I'm too impatient to wait for everything to mesh. It's different with you, because it's coming at me all at once. I'd like to see where this goes."

A gush of warmth poured through me and in the moment, I believed every liquid honey word issued from those plump red lips. Turning onto my side, I draped my arm across his chest and sighed.

"You're not alone," he whispered in the dark as my eyes closed. I drifted to sleep with the memory of his voice and those words, the sound of his heart drumming in my ear and the feel of his tender embrace. I could easily love this man. If I didn't already.

A/N ~ Still teasing, or just trying to be considerate? Remember, E has "trust issues" that he's trying to get through. Much thanks to all who are reading and special thanks to those who take the time to comment. More, soon. Happy Friday! XX ~ SR