Disclaimer:

S. Meyer owns Twilight. While I borrowed several obvious quotes from her books, no plagiarism is intended.

BPOV

Edward stumbles forward, somewhat clumsily, until my back hits the door with a soft thump. He presses his body against mine, pinning me between him and the door. My arms are still wrapped around his neck, my legs wound tightly around his waist, my mouth permanently attached to his. I try to untangle my legs to stand on my own, but Edward just shakes his head, without breaking the kiss, and hoists me up again.

"This can't be real," I mumble against his lips. Edward kisses me harder, his answer to my statement.

"I… I must have… fallen asleep on… the couch." He isn't going to let me talk. Every time I try he simply stops my mouth with his.

"This is… all just a… a dream." I can feel him smile against my lips.

Suddenly, there's a sharp pain on the bottom of my thigh. I pull back abruptly and stare at Edward's guilty face. He bites his bottom lip, trying to hide his smile.

"You pinched me!" I playfully slap his shoulder.

He shrugs. "I wanted to prove you were awake."

He leans in to kiss me again, but I plant my hand firmly against his chest to stop him. "What are you doing here?"

Edward smiles and gently kisses my nose. Then he moves to my cheek, placing soft, slow kisses on my flushed skin as he works his way across my face. When he reaches my ear, he presses another gentle kiss against my neck before whispering, "I came for my shirt you little thief."

I pull away from him, playfully slapping his shoulder again as his bubbling laughter fills the silence. This time, when I uncross my ankles from behind his back, Edward allows me to untangle myself from his grasp. I slide down as he sets me gently on my feet, but he doesn't let go. His hands remain tightly wrapped around my waist, and he lightly rocks me from side to side.

For a moment I simply study his face. He looks so happy – happier than I've ever seen him. Even in the dim light, his emerald green eyes sparkle and dance. He's trying so hard to suppress an enormous smile, biting his bottom lip as he bounces on his toes. He can't seem to keep still. Eventually, his excitement wins out. With a happy growl, he sweeps me up into his arms and spins me around. My feet fly out behind me as he whirls across the porch.

He sets me down again and places both hands on my face, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "Never again," he says seriously. "We can never be apart that long again. I was losing my mind."

I wrap my fingers around his wrists, holding him to me. "I'm sorry. I -"

But I can't finish my sentence, not with Edward kissing me again.

"Don't apologize. Please don't," he begs as he presses his forehead against mine. I nod, and Edward folds me into his arms, holding me tightly against his chest. I've never felt so safe and so cherished in all my life.

"Hi," I mumble into his shirt. His chest rumbles with a soft laugh.

"Hi."

"Are you ever going to tell me what you're doing here?"

Edward loosens his hold on me and glances over my head to the door. "Are you ever going to invite me in?" he mocks.

I slide my hand down his arm and intertwine our fingers. When I try to pull him toward the house, Edward drags me in the opposite direction. I trail behind him as he quickly descends the short porch steps. In one swift move, he scoops up a duffle bag and tosses it over his shoulder before turning back to the door.

"A bit presumptuous there, Mr. Cullen," I tease with a nod to his bag.

"I'm not presumptuous," he says as I open the door. "I was invited."

Edward doesn't notice as I freeze in the doorway.

Invited?

He brushes past me and walks slowly into the living room.

He said invited.

His bag hits the ground with a soft thud as he looks around, studying the space. A picture on the wall catches his attention, and he walks over to have a closer look. Of course, the room is still dark since I haven't turned on any lights, but my brain has been focused on one thing, one word, for the last thirty seconds, and I can't seem to think about anything else. Luckily, Edward still has his wits about him. He switches on the floor lamp to get a better look at the picture that has his interest.

Invited!

"I'm not paying to heat the entire neighborhood, Bells."

I jump, my mind snapping back to reality at the sound of my father's voice. I whirl around, my back slamming against the open door, and my hand flying up to restart my heart.

"Sorry, kiddo. Didn't mean to startle you."

Having inadvertently stepped aside, Charlie and Sue walk through the door. The smell of beer and fried foods seeps from their clothes as they pass.

Awesome. This is just what I need. Charlie's buzzed, and my boyfriend, who my father wants me to get some distance from, is standing in my living room in the middle of the night.

"Hello, Chief Swan," Edward says, walking to my father with his hand outstretched. "It's nice to finally meet you. In person, I mean."

Wait. What?

"Edward." Charlie shakes his hand quickly then turns and wraps his arm around Sue's waist. "This is Sue," he says, pushing her slightly forward.

"Hello, Edward." Sue takes his hand and pulls him to her, gently kissing Edward on the cheek.

"It's nice to finally meet you too."

"How was your flight? Are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat?"

Edward reflexively places his hand on his flat stomach. "No, thank you. I'm saving room for those blueberry pancakes you promised me."

Ok. That's it. "What the hell is going on!" I snap.

Three pairs of eyes all focus on me.

"Bells, for crying out loud, shut the door," Charlie scolds.

I do as I'm told, closing the front door with a little more force than necessary, before stomping across the room to join the strange reunion.

Charlie looks at Edward again. "I just got here," he says with a shrug.

I cross my arms over my chest. "You invited him?" I ask, my eyes flashing back and forth between Charlie and Sue.

"I thought you'd be happy, kiddo. I can throw him out if you'd like." He looks at Edward again and winks.

"I was – I mean, I am. I'm… confused."

"Well, I'm beat," Charlie says, stretching his arms up above his head as he yawns. "We can talk about it in the morning."

"What? No," I argue.

"Edward, the guest room is upstairs. Bella can show you." Charlie yawns again and turns toward the hallway.

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"But - "

Edward grabs my hand, and I look to him. His eyes are focused on Charlie's retreating form, but he shakes his head slightly. I shut my mouth.

"Doors open," Charlie commands over his shoulder.

"Yes, sir."

"Night, kids," Sue calls.

"Good night," Edward says with a smirk. With his eyes still fixed on the hallway, he leans down and whispers, "I didn't know she lived with you guys."

"She doesn't. She just stays over sometimes."

Edward looks at me then and playfully wags his eyebrows.

"Gross, Edward." I try to swat at him, but he dances out of my reach with a laugh. He walks back to his duffle bag, scoops it up, and tosses it over his shoulder. He turns and holds his free hand out to me.

I huff and fold my arms across my chest.

Edward smirks and closes the distance between us. I try to hold on to my annoyance, but with every step he takes it gets harder and harder to hide my smile. He lifts my chin with his finger and kisses me sweetly.

"Let's go upstairs, then we can talk," he says, taking my hand again. This time I allow him to pull me to the stairs.

There are only three rooms on the second floor: mine, a bathroom, and the guest room. When we reach the landing, Edward glances from one open door to the next, quickly figuring out which room is which. He tosses his bag into the guest room and, without releasing my hand, pulls me to my room. He doesn't let go until he crosses the threshold.

Just like downstairs, Edward walks though the space, taking in his surroundings. I lean against the doorframe, watching him wander through my bedroom.

My bedroom.

Edward is here. In my bedroom. I start to reevaluate if this could really be real, or if it's actually possible to feel a pinch in a dream.

"Who's this?" Edward asks, snapping me from my thoughts. He's standing in front of my dresser, holding up a silver frame. I don't have to look closely to know which picture he's referring to.

"Ben, my boyfriend from the tenth grade," I answer, just a tad smug. Edward scowls at the photo, probably focusing on Ben's arms wrapped around my waist as we pose under an arch of blue balloons.

"That was from the homecoming dance," I clarify.

"Humph." Instead of placing the frame back on my dresser, Edward opens the top drawer and drops the photo inside. I giggle as he mutters something about prom under his breath.

He abandons his inspection of my pictures and turns to my music collection instead. The small assortment of CDs lining my shelves is a monument to nineties hip-hop and obscure techno bands.

Edward shakes his head. "I don't know you at all, Bella Swan."

"Most of it's for dance. I think the last real CD I bought was Nirvana." He plucks the exact CD from my shelf, holding up the naked baby swimming toward a dollar bill.

"Yug," he groans when his eye catches the case behind it. "Genie in a Bottle? Really?"

I move my hips slowly, pressing my palms together in front of my chest. All my belly dance is missing is the jingle of the coins that dangle from the waist of my costume.

Where is that skirt? Hmm… that could be fun.

Edward quirks an eyebrow at me, probably imagining something similar. Instead of returning the CD to the shelf, he tosses it onto my bed. "That's coming home with us," he announces and turns his attention back to my collection.

I lean against the doorframe again, watching him flip from one CD to the next. It hits me then. Home. Us. Edward is here. He's really here. No more phone calls. No more texts. He's come all this way for me. Me. Is there anything he won't do for me?

I walk up behind him and snake my arms around his waist. He places one hand over mine, still flipping through my CDs with the other.

"I love you," I say softly, kissing the center of his back.

I have to loosen my arms to allow him to turn around, but I don't let go.

Edward lifts his hands to stroke my face. "Do you have any idea how important you are to me? Any concept of how much I love you?"

"No one has ever loved anyone as much as you love me," I confess. I've never been more completely and absolutely sure of anything in my life.

His answering smile lights up his entire face. "I think that's a fair assessment."

"And no one has ever loved anyone as much as I love you."

He leans down to kiss me. "I would agree with that too."

I lay my cheek against his chest as he wraps his arms tighter around my back. He's so tall that I fit perfectly under his chin, and he rests his head on top of mine. I can't help but smile, thinking that we are to pieces of one part, designed to seamlessly fit together. Unfortunately, my smile morphs into a huge yawn, and even pressing my face into Edward's shirt does little to muffle it.

He laughs. "Come on. Let's put you to bed."

I pull back to look at his face. "But you said we could talk."

"Get changed. I'll be back to tuck you in." With a gentle kiss on my forehead, Edward turns and leaves the room, closing the door gently behind him.

I quickly change into my pajamas and head to the bathroom, but Edward is already there. The jeans and sweater he'd been wearing are gone, replaced by an old t-shirt and his favorite grey sweatpants. His toothbrush sticks out from the corner of his mouth as he riffles through his toiletry bag, obviously looking for his toothpaste. Once he finds it he looks up, catching me watching him in the mirror. Edward smirks around his toothbrush and takes a small step to the side, making room for me to join him at the sink.

My bathroom is considerably smaller than the one we share at his house. This room is long and narrow, whereas Edward's is a perfect square. In fact, my bathroom could probably fit inside his – twice. The small bath mat in the center of the floor barely fits between the tub and the vanity. While Edward has a separate bathtub and walk-in shower, my bathtub takes up the entire back wall and doubles as a shower. I have to keep the curtain tucked inside the tub at all times; otherwise I'd trip over it. On the opposite wall, the toilet, a single sink vanity, and a modest size storage cabinet uses up the remaining space. Needless to say, it's a tight squeeze with two people in here.

Seemingly without thinking, Edward plucks my toothbrush from the cup on the counter and squeezes a blob of his toothpaste across the bristles. He hands the toothbrush to me, not noticing that his small gesture has left an amused grin on my face. His attention is focused on his own toothbrush as he applies the toothpaste, replaces the cap on the tube, dampens the brush with water and raises it to his lips. It's then he notices me watching him.

"What?"

My smile grows wider. "Nothing."

I shove the brush into my mouth and begin to clean my teeth. Edward does the same, and when his mouth is filled with white foam, he leans down as if he's going to kiss my cheek with his frothy lips. I squeal and dart away from him.

"Shh," he scolds, rinsing his mouth under the faucet. "You're going to wake the neighborhood."

I roll my eyes. "Charlie and Sue sleep with the TV on. And it would take an atomic bomb to wake my dad, especially after a few beers."

"Well, in that case."

Before I can process his words, Edward lifts me up and sets me on top of the counter. He presses his body between my open legs and kisses me. His lips are cold from the water and he tastes like peppermint. Not a bad combination, at all. I try not to moan as I pull him closer and attempt to deepen the kiss, but I'm not successful - at either.

"Behave yourself, Isabella," Edward scolds as he pulls away.

"You started it."

"I know," he says with a sigh. "I was just messing around. Believe me, I want to. But not like this, and definitely not in your father's house."

"Oh, but your father's house is OK?" I ask in a mocking tone.

"My father doesn't carry a loaded weapon."

I chuckle as Edward brushes my hair back from my forehead and tucks it behind my ear. I watch his face as his eyes follow the movements of his hand. Even with him standing so close, he seems to be a million miles away.

"What are you thinking about?"

He smiles, and his eyes focus back on mine. "I was just remembering that night in the kitchen when you asked me to kiss you."

I look down, feeling my face grow warm. Edward brushes his thumb over my cheek. "I love it when you blush," he whispers before kissing the spot he just touched. "Come on. It's late."

He helps me down from the counter and takes my hand, leading me back to my room. He pauses at the door, allowing me to walk through first. I pull the blankets back from my bed and sit with my back against the headboard. Edward pulls the covers up over my legs and then sits on the edge of my bed, tucking one leg underneath his body.

"I know I told you we'd talk, but it's almost two in the morning so I'm just going to give you the highlights. I promise to fill in all the details in the morning, OK?"

I nod.

"Bella, I called your father two days ago."

"You called him?"

Edward nods. "Remember when you said you needed help reigning in his unrealistic expectations?"

"Yeah, but I was being sarcastic. I didn't mean for you to - "

"I know," he chuckles. "I didn't say anything about that; it just got me thinking. I figured he was hesitant about you coming home… I mean, back to Seattle - "

"Home," I state firmly.

Edward grins. "Home," he amends. "He wouldn't let you come home because… well, because of me. I just thought I'd gone about this all wrong the first time, and I wanted to make it right – do it right, this time. Does that make sense?"

I nod, and I think my mouth has fallen open slightly.

"I thought it was important to introduce myself, to let him know my… intentions, I guess."

Yup, my mouth is definitely hanging open now.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it, but at first… well, it wasn't going very well. In fact, he hung up in my face, and I thought - "

"He hung up on you!"

Edward grabs my hand. "Yes, love, that's why I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want you to be upset with your dad because of me. But then, I dunno, something changed his mind because he called me back. He apologized for hanging up. He even said he admired my courage to call in the first place."

I visibly relax as Edward continues.

"So, long story short - "

I start to shake my head, but Edward just stares disapprovingly at me.

"I promise, every detail, but not tonight. You can barely keep your eyes open as it is." He reaches up to stroke my cheek, and my eyes naturally flutter closed at his touch. Cheater.

"Basically, there were several phone calls that day and the next, but not just me and Charlie. Your dad called Carlisle too. They talked way more than Charlie and I did. Then, this morning, Carlisle walked into my room, handed me a plane ticket, and kicked me out."

"And now you're here," I mumble incoherently around a yawn.

Edward nods and stands up, lifting the covers up slightly so I can slide underneath them. "And now you're going to sleep."

I snuggle into my bed and close my eyes as Edward tucks the blanket in around my shoulders. He leans down and kisses my forehead. "Good night, love. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night," I murmur, drifting off as I speak.

"Good night, sir."

My eyes fly open as my head jerks toward the door. Charlie is leaning against the outside of the door with his arms folded across his chest. He watches Edward as he passes by, following him with his eyes until he disappears into the guest room across the hall. When Charlie turns back to me, I feel like my heart is going to pound out of my chest.

A million thoughts fly through my mind at the same time. My life is over. But we were just talking. I'm so grounded. But nothing happened. I'm eighteen; he can't tell me what to do. He's going to have Edward arrested. Oh, God, how long has he been standing there? What did he see? What did he hear? My life is so over.

Charlie chuckles and shakes his head. Apparently my impending anxiety attack is clearly evident - and humorous - to him.

"Night, Bells," he says with a smirk as he flips off the light and shuts my door.

Oh, sure, like I can sleep now.

~o0o~

The next morning, I awake to the scent of coffee and… something sweet. Maple? Even though the smell is enticing, I'm still reluctant to drag my tired body from the comfort of my bed. I'm glad Edward made me go to sleep when he did, otherwise –

Edward!

I bolt upright as my sluggish mind catches up to reality.

Edward is here.

I toss back the covers and tip-toe quickly across the hall, not caring that my hair probably resembles a bird's nest and my face is likely marked with creases from my pillow. After sleeping in his room for almost four months, it's nothing he hasn't seen before anyway.

The door to the guest room is open, and the bed is made. The only sign that he even slept in this room is his duffle bag sitting open on the floor. Where is he?

As if to answer my question, a chorus of laughter bubbles up from the kitchen. I dart back to my room to grab my sweatshirt, tugging it over my head as I make my way down the stairs. I spot Edward as soon as I cross the threshold to the kitchen. He'd be hard to miss, towering over Sue as they stand side-by-side at the counter.

Sue scoops a cup of batter from a large mixing bowl and pours it on the hot skillet. Edward seems fixated on the counter in front of him. When Sue moves to dip another helping of batter from her bowl, I get a quick glimpse of his hands as he slices a banana. My eyes scan the room, meeting Charlie's. He sips his coffee slowly, obviously watching me watch Edward from his perch at the kitchen table.

"Morning," he mouths silently. I simply smile and focus back on watching Edward and Sue.

"So he's older?" Sue asks.

"Yes, ma'am, but only by six months. They adopted him about two months before me."

"Oh, so you were both adopted at the same age then."

"That's right. He never knew who his dad was and, from what I understand, his mom was… well, she was pretty awful. I think Social Services had to get involved, and I'm pretty sure she's still in jail because of what she did to him."

I didn't know that. I had no idea my cheerful, always happy, always smiling Emmy Bear came from such a troubled past.

"That's terrible." Sue rips the words right out of my mouth.

Edward turns to the trash can, tossing two handfuls of orange peels inside, and then resumes working on what I assume will be a fruit salad. "Emmett didn't think so. He walked away from that mess and never looked back. He even changed his name so she could never find him."

"His real name isn't Emmett?" I blurt out.

Edward and Sue look up and smile at me. Sue turns her attention back to the skillet, but Edward holds my gaze for a moment.

"Nope," he says with a shake of his head. "It was Robert. Robert Mc – McCarney or McCarthy. Something like that. I don't remember."

I shove off the doorframe and walk over to stand next to Edward. I examine the colorful bowl of chopped fruit for a second before stealing a wedge of orange and popping it in my mouth. "So where did the name Emmett come from?" I ask with my mouth full.

He laughs. "Dr. Emmett Brown."

"Who's he?" I ask, casually taking another piece of fruit from the bowl as I lean against the counter.

"Doc Brown. Back to the Future."

My eyes grow wide. "You're joking. Please tell me you're joking."

Edward chuckles again and focuses on slicing a bright, green apple. "He was obsessed with that movie."

"And your parents just let him pick that name?"

"Sure, why not."

I snag a cube of apple before Edward has a chance to scoop it into the bowl. He sets the knife down on the counter.

"Woman, I'm trying to cook here," he scolds. Edward raises his hands as if he's going to grab my face, but I dart out of his grasp when I realize his hands are covered in sticky fruit juice.

Sue giggles at our childish display, and then asks me to fetch a platter for the pancakes.

"So, why did you change your name?" I ask, holding the plate as Sue lifts the hot cakes from the skillet.

Edward shrugs. "It just made stuff easier, not having to explain why I had a different last name than the rest of my family. I didn't really change my name, just added Cullen at the end."

"So your name is Edward Anthony Masen Cullen?"

He looks up, and the surprise in his eyes slowly fades as he realizes Carlisle must have told me.

"You two have met, right?" Charlie asks sarcastically.

"Dad!" I scold. I could shoot him for choosing this moment to tease us. Of course, he doesn't realize the significance of Edward opening up about his past. Even these small, seemingly insignificant facts are monumental to me.

Edward chuckles at my annoyed expression. "Nah, it's OK. It's just… Bella and I haven't really talked about my adoption much." He walks to the sink and washes his hands.

Sue places the last of the pancakes on the plate and motions for me to take them to the table. Edward is close behind, setting the bowl of fruit in the center and taking the seat next to me. For the next several minutes the conversation turns to more trivial things: the weather, the latest headlines, and a brief discussion of who should be in this year's Super Bowl. I suspect Emmett may have given Edward some pointers on that last topic.

Charlie sets his fork down across his empty plate and leans back in his chair. "Ladies, if you'll excuse us, I'd like to speak to Edward for a moment."

I glance at Edward quickly. I'm sure my expression is one of terror, but Edward appears completely relaxed and composed. He nods to Charlie before turning to me, appearing unbothered that my father is likely about to interrogate him.

They silently place their dirty dishes in the sink, and all I can do is watch helplessly as Edward follows Charlie into the backyard.

"Is he mad?" I ask Sue as soon as the door closes.

She sips her coffee, keeping her eyes trained on the window. "Is who mad?"

"Charlie. Is he mad that Edward was in my room last night? We were just talking."

She chuckles. "No, of course he's not mad. I think his exact words were something along the lines of," she drops her voice to mimic Charlie's, "'that boy's got it bad.'" We both giggle at her imitation.

"So were you surprised when he showed up last night?" she asks.

"Ah, yeah," I answer in a mocking tone. "At first I was pissed because he wouldn't answer my calls. I thought he was out with his friends and forgot all about me."

"I don't think that's possible. From the little interaction I've seen between you two, I'm inclined to agree with your father. That boy loves you."

"I know," I say softly. I look down at my plate, pushing some uneaten bites of fruit around with my fork.

"Want to help me get this mess cleaned up?"

"Sure."

We gather the remaining dishes and pile them into the sink. I fill the basin with soapy water and begin to wash while Sue wipes down the table and counters. Just as I'm placing the first plate onto the drying rack something catches my eye, and I look up. The window over the sink provides an obstructed view of the yard, and I can clearly see Charlie and Edward sitting at the old, rusty patio table. Both have their arms folded across the table and are leaning toward each other, deep in conversation. Charlie is speaking - well, it looks more like lecturing - as Edward nods and keeps his eyes cast down on the table.

My first instinct is to run outside and defend Edward. There's no telling what my father is accusing him of. Instead, I hold my ground, watching and waiting for the inevitable moment when Edward decides I'm so not worth all this and walks away.

"Don't overflow the sink," Sue scolds, snapping me from my internal panic attack.

I quickly shut off the faucet and glance at Sue with what I'm sure is a guilty smile. She just chuckles and returns to sweeping the floor. I resume my stakeout.

When I look out the window again, Edward is forcefully shaking his head and gesturing animatedly. Maybe he doesn't need my help after all.

For the next hour, I watch the action unfold from my perch at the sink. It's like watching one of those Spanish soap operas where you can't understand what's being said, but you can't ignore the obvious drama.

Sue sneaks up behind me and peeks over my shoulder.

"What do you think they're talking about?" I ask.

Once again, Sue drops her voice into the best impression of Charlie I've ever heard. "I'm telling you, son, Ardent makes a better casting reel than Evercast. I mean, there's just no comparison." She times her words perfectly to match Charlie's mouth, even mincing his gestures. I have to grip the counter for support as I laugh hysterically.

"No, sir," Sue continues, trying to copy Edward's voice, "the Browning spinning reel is the only reel I will ever use."

"Browning!" I shout, taking over the role of Charlie. "How dare you insult me with such talk. No boy that uses Browning will ever date my daughter."

Sue opens her mouth to respond, but her eyes dart to the window. "Oh, shoot! Here he comes. Act natural."

I whip around and frantically start scrubbing a dish I'd already cleaned. Sue pretends to dry a plate from the rack. The backdoor opens and Charlie walks in and closes it behind him. I glance out the window to see Edward still seated at the table, holding his head in his hands. My stomach begins to twist nervously, and I look to Sue. She just shrugs and glances in the direction Charlie disappeared.

A moment later he returns with a large, brown envelope tucked under his arm. He walks to the fridge and pulls out two sodas before leaving through the backdoor again. I watch from my post as he approaches the table. Instead of sitting across from Edward, like before, Charlie takes a seat on the bench next to him. He opens the envelope and pulls out a large file folder, opening it and placing the papers in front of Edward.

"What is that?" I ask with a shaky voice.

"I'm not sure, sweetie."

I can't tear my eyes away from the scene outside. One by one, Charlie and Edward review every paper inside that file. Every now and then, it looks like Edward stops him to ask a question. Then Charlie flips back a few pages and points to something, likely showing Edward the answer. Of course, I can't be sure of anything. They could be discussing the latest research in fishing lures for all I know.

I'm so distracted by the sight before me that when the backdoor opens again, I jump. Sue walks toward them with a large bowl of pretzels and two more sodas. She places the snack down on the table, likely stealing a glance at the papers spread across it. Sue is a genius.

Charlie and Edward look up, offer a quick 'thank you," and return to their work. Sue walks casually back to the house, and though I know she can't see me, she looks up and winks at the window. I can barely hold in my excitement as she gently closes the door behind her.

"What is it? What are they doing?"

Sue walks straight to me with a knowing smile on her lips. She wraps her arms around me and hugs me tightly. "Edward's not the only man who loves you."

What does that have to do with what's going on outside? She releases me and walks out of the kitchen before my brain catches up and I have the chance to stop her.

Another fifteen minutes passes. Then fifteen becomes thirty. Thirty turns into an hour. By the time they close the file folder I've been on my feet at the window for almost two hours. They stand up together and slowly walk toward the house, still in deep conversation.

I realize I'm about to be caught spying, so I turn and dash up the stairs to my room. Kicking off my shoes as fast as humanly possible, I pounce on my bed and grab the book on my nightstand. I open it to the middle and pretend to be engrossed in the words on the page. Of course, my panting breath and racing heart is going to give me away, so I take several deep breaths in an effort to calm down.

The backdoor opens and closes. I can hear more talking, but their voices are too muffled to understand what they're saying. Finally, I make out the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs, and I quickly pretend to be interested in the open book in my hands.

Edward walks slowly into my room and tosses the folder at the foot of my bed. He crawls over my legs and collapses face first onto the pillow next to me.

"Bella?" he mumbles, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Yeah?"

"Do you really expect me to believe you've been up here reading this whole time?"

I toss my book on the floor and twist to the side to face him. "What happened? What did he say?"

Edward holds up a hand, signaling for me to give him a minute. Cautiously, I place my hand on his back and begin rubbing wide circles over his shoulder blades.

"Mmm. That feels good."

I lift up his shirt and begin scratching up and down his back.

"I take it back. That feels good." His words are still muffled by the pillow he's trying to suffocate himself with.

"Was it that bad?"

Edward finally turns his head to the side. I scoot down in the bed to lie next to him so I can see his face.

"No. I guess not," he admits. He reaches up and brushes my hair back from my forehead. "At first, he wanted to know about stupid stuff: what I like to do, school and the classes I'm taking this year, my friends, junk like that. I think he just wanted to get to know me, I guess. Of course he asked about my past too, why I did the stupid things I did, and how I planned to stay out of trouble in the future."

Edward continues to play with my hair, following the movement of his hand with his eyes.

"What did you say?"

"I told him everything he wanted to know. I was honest about my mistakes. And as far as how I planned to stay on the straight and narrow," Edward finally looks me in the eye, resting his hand on my cheek. "I told him I had something in my life too important to screw up by acting like an idiot."

I smile and push myself forward to kiss him.

"What else?" I ask as I settle back onto my pillow.

"Well, he wanted to know my plans were for the future, and what my intentions are with his daughter," he says, a slight mocking edge to his tone. "Of course, I'd already told him on the phone that I love you and would do anything to make you happy."

"I can't believe you said that to my father."

"Why not? It's the truth."

"You know, you never did give me the details of those phone conversations you promised me."

Edward shrugs. "It was pretty much just like today. Questions about me, about our relationship, stuff like that."

"You do realize you did it again, right?"

His eyebrows knit together. "Did what?"

"Kept something from me for my own good. Last night you said you didn't tell me about the phone calls because you didn't want me to get upset. You can't do that, Edward. You can't keep things from me just because you're afraid I'm going to get upset."

Edward sits up quickly and shakes his head. "No, I was just... I mean… I didn't mean to keep it from you. I just thought -"

"You thought you were protecting me."

He hesitates, then nods slowly.

"By deciding what's best for me."

Edward bites his bottom lip and drops his eyes to his lap. He looks like a child being scolded for stealing cookies from the cookie jar before dinner. Slowly, he nods again but doesn't look up. "You're right. I'm sorry. I should have told you."

I scoot closer to him, but Edward ignores me, pulling on the frayed hem of his jeans instead. Tugging his hand out of the way, I crawl into his lap and snuggle against his chest.

"I'm not mad that you didn't tell me. I don't expect you to tell me every little detail of every moment in your life. It's just, last night when you said you kept it from me because you didn't want me to get upset, well… I guess those wounds are still fresh."

Edward finally wraps his arms around me. "I'm such an idiot. You'd think I'd learned my lesson by now. I'm sorry."

"It's OK. I mean, I don't really care about the phone calls specifically. It's just… we're learning to trust each other again, and I brought it up because I want to make sure you understand how important this is to me. I know you want to protect me, and I love that about you, but if we're going to be partners in this, then you have to include me."

Edward leans over and slides the file folder in front of us. He flips it open to the first page.

Criminal History Report

I sit up quickly, almost knocking Edward over with the abrupt movement, and snatch the file.

"He ran a background check on you!" My blood boils as I glance over the page. I don't want to read it, but the words seem to jump out at me. Arrest. Conviction. Verdict. Offense. Sentence.

"I can't believe he did this," I seethe. "He had no right. It's none of his business."

Edward chuckles behind me. "I'm glad he did it."

I twist in his lap to look at him. Clearly, I didn't hear that right.

Edward smirks and takes the file from my hands. He flips through a couple of pages, passing up a sheet covered in fingerprints and a mug shot of him with a black eye. He finally stops and places the open folder back into my hands.

Procedural Guidelines for Expungement of Criminal Records for the State of Washington

I can't tear my eyes away from the paper in my hands. Crawling out of his lap, I sit in front of him on the bed. I cross my legs, mirroring Edward's posture, and balance the file between our touching knees.

"Your dad thinks I can have the entire conviction erased from my record. I mean, there's no guarantee. He said stuff I did as a minor will be easy to get dismissed. Then Carlisle's lawyer can file a petition for the rest. I might have to go in front of the judge again, but he says that since I've met all the conditions of my probation so far, and I've stayed out of trouble since it happened I might have a good shot."

A shaky, slow smile builds across my lips as his words sink in. "What made him…" I shake the file slightly.

"He wanted to know my plans for the future. I think it was his unsubtle way of asking how I plan to take care of you."

I roll my eyes and shake my head, but Edward's serious expression makes me pause.

"I am going to take care of you, Bella," he says confidently. "For as long as you'll let me."

All I can do is nod. I may have forgotten how to breathe.

"You're dad asked if I planned to go to college. I told him I want to but that I was afraid with my record I'd have a hard time getting into a good school."

"What do you want to study?" I blurt out reflexively.

He shrugs. "I really like my A. P. Biology class, maybe something like that." He looks down, suddenly interested in the frayed hem of his jeans again. "I mean, I hear they have a really great program."

"You said 'they'. Do you already have a school in mind?" Suddenly, I'm nervous about his answer. What if he wants to go away? Is that why he brought this up? Is that why he won't look at me? What if he wants to go to some Ivy League school on the east coast? What am I supposed to do without him?

Edward frowns and stares at me like I've lost my mind. "The University of Washington. Where else would I go?"

"I don't know. Harvard? Yale? Dartmouth?"

"Dartmouth?" he repeats angrily. "Why on Earth would I go completely across the country?"

"OK, fine, bad examples. But you could go anywhere you want: UCLA, Vanderbilt, the University of -"

"Bella, I'm not going anywhere. I want to be where you are. I'm not leaving."

"But -"

"No buts. I'm staying in Seattle. You'll be at the Academy, and I'll be at U-Dub. We can get an apartment in between the two."

I bite my lip to hide the smile threatening to break out across my face. "Are you asking me to move in with you?"

Edward nods, but his confidence seems to be slipping. "I mean, if you want to."

This is why he brought this up. He wants to talk about our future. He's including me, showing me what he envisions for us. And for us to make these decisions together.

"We can get a place with two bedrooms, if you… I mean, if you don't want to…"

God, he's so adorable. I toss the papers in my hands aside and crawl back into his lap. "Two bedrooms might be better," I admit slowly.

Edward sighs, and I can feel his posture slump a little.

"That way," I continue, "I can rehearse at home instead of staying at the school all night."

His grip tightens as he rolls onto his back, pulling me with him. "So evil," he growls happily. "Why do you torture me like that?" He tickles my ribs for a second, but surrenders when I beg him to stop. I curl up next to him, and he takes my hand, placing it on his chest like he always does.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we get an apartment with a balcony?"

Faster than humanly possible, Edward is hovering over me, kissing me eagerly.

"Your wish, my command."

Authors Note:

Thanks for your patience with my inability to keep up with my usual weekly posting schedule. If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen my big announcement last week. I'm expecting baby #2 in the fall and morning sickness and fatigue aren't the best companion for writing. I'm feeling better now, and working hard on getting the next chapter perfect and online ASAP.

Reviews are like chocolate ice cream to me (and u know how us pregos luv our ice cream!) ~ so leave me some ice cream... and pickles... and chicken salad... great, now i'm starving! ;-)

www. twitter. com/ Viridian6