As always, thanks to Kristi, LisaC, Mel and LisaJ.

Chapter 48 – Viva Las Vegas

Waking up Saturday morning, I peeked into EJ's crib and was relieved to see him still sleeping soundly. I slipped on my robe and left quietly, leaving the door open behind me.

"Morning, Bella," a pajama-clad Emmett greeted me as I moved into the living room.

"Oh, good morning, Emmett. I didn't realize anyone else was awake, I just wanted to see if I could make some hot water for tea."

Emmett shrugged at me. "Most hotels in Vegas don't have coffeemakers in the room. It would take less time for you to go down to breakfast then it would take for room service to bring us something."

"Oh. Okay then, I'm going to go shower. As soon as EJ gets up, we'll head down to breakfast."

"Why don't you give my brother or Alice a call? I'm sure they'd like some company for breakfast. I'll listen for EJ. Rose and I will bring him down when he wakes up."

I hesitated. "If you're sure…?"

"I'm sure. You're entitled to a little time to yourself, and you'll have EJ most of the day. Go, enjoy breakfast."

I hurried back to my room and took a shower in the en suite. Once I was thoroughly dry, I slathered on sunscreen for any incidental sun exposure and dressed in the casual clothes I had planned for the day: denim capris that Riley said made my ass look fantastic and a cute green tank in an argyle pattern. I pulled on my white Keds, stuffed $40 and my room key in my back pocket, and headed back out. Emmett was still in the living room, reading the paper.

"Everyone must be exhausted," I commented.

"Yeah, I'm going to get the two of them going while you eat. Take your time, kay?"

"Thanks, Emmett."

I pulled out my cell phone as I headed for the elevators. My first instinct was to call Alice, but figured that she and Jasper might be enjoying their chance to spend the morning together. I thought about calling Edward. I knew, from the way he acted, that he was upset last night. I didn't mind not going dancing with everyone. Actually, I hadn't planned on dancing at all. I was serious about helping Rose and Emmett enjoy some uninterrupted time together. However, it was nice to know that Edward would have liked me to be there.

With just a few qualms, I pressed the button on my phone to speed dial Edward. I wasn't sure what happened after I left last night, and it was possible that Edward had found a "friend" at the club. One night stands weren't Edward's usual MO, but we were in Vegas, after all.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Edward. It's Bella. I'm heading down to breakfast and was wondering if you'd eaten yet?"

"No, I haven't," he answered. His voice was clear and sure. I was glad I hadn't woken him. "Why don't you come to my room, and we'll go down together. I'm in 2401."

"Okay," I agreed. "See you in a few."

I took the elevator down to the 24th floor and walked until I reached Edward's room. I knocked quietly, and the door opened immediately.

"Hi." I looked Edward over quickly. His hair was dark, and the ends were damp from a recent shower. He was wearing a plain, forest green t-shirt that was a little tight across his chest, jeans and worn black riding boots. He smiled at me, amused.

"What?" I asked.

"We match," he commented, indicating my green top and denim capris. I smiled and shrugged.

"C'mon in," he insisted. "I need to grab my wallet."

I stepped through the door and followed him past the bathroom door and down the short hallway. I sat on the small couch while Edward walked to the bedside table and grabbed his wallet. His bed was unmade, but didn't show any signs of having been used for anything but sleep.

Why did I care?

I knew why I cared. I still had feelings for Edward Cullen. Real feelings. They were mostly satisfied by our daily contact at work. Work let me channel my feelings into platonic and professional avenues. However, spending time with him casually, like this, reminded me of our past. The times when he used to hold my hand and kiss me…when he would stare at me intently, and I would grow warm under his gaze. It reminded me of that time on the couch, when he kissed me with urgency and fire, and I could feel him… Was it warm in here?

"Bella?"

"Hm? Oh! I'm sorry. I was just sorta' zoned out."

"I could see that," he said with a grin. "C'mon, you ready to get something to eat?"

"Yeah." Embarrassed, I stood up and walked back down the short hall. Edward pulled open the door and held it for me. We walked, side by side, over to the elevators. There were a half dozen people already on the elevator, in various states of dress. I saw one who was definitely doing the walk of shame back to her room; the others were casually dressed for breakfast.

Once we reached the lobby, Edward and I veered off from the others, heading to the Bayside Buffet for breakfast. The hostess seated us near the windows, which had a magnificent view of the tropical water garden outside. I enjoyed the sight while mentally cringing at the sign I'd seen upon entering. The breakfast buffet was $23 per person. Maybe I'd see if I could buy a box of granola bars or something in the gift shop. I couldn't spend this kind of money on breakfast every day.

"Good morning," our waitress said with a sunny smile. "What can I get you to drink?"

Before I could answer, Edward spoke up, "Hot tea for the lady, English Breakfast if you have it, coffee for me, and orange juice for us both."

"Sure thing, you can both help yourselves to the buffet. The chef's making a goat cheese omelet that's to die for at the omelet station, if you're interested."

With that, the waitress walked away to get our drinks.

"Shall we?" Edward asked, with exaggerated formality. I smiled up at him and decided that for just this hour we were together, I'd stop thinking about what was or would have been and why I was really here and just enjoy his company.

"Let's," I replied, giggling. Edward chuckled. His hand ghosted over my lower back as I stepped past him, and I embraced the thrill that ran through me at this lightest of touches. Edward would be gone for hours on that ATV excursion while I took EJ to the aquarium. I had plenty of time to calm my pounding heart.

We split up as we chose our breakfasts. While the goat cheese omelet did sound yummy, I was craving carbs big time. Next to the French toast and plain pancakes was a warmer with lemon pancakes in it. I took two and slathered them with the hot berry compote offered in the next dish. I decided on a fat country sausage, instead of the more mundane bacon. I scooped out a portion of creamy Greek yogurt and topped it with a sprinkle of granola. I selected a few pieces of fresh melon and two huge, shiny strawberries. Satisfied for now, I walked back to the table and settled down to wait for Edward.

I was just adding a slice of lemon to my tea when Edward returned. His plates were similarly bogged down.

"You tried the goat cheese omelet?"

"Sounded too good to pass up. I haven't had an omelet in months."

I pursed my lips slightly, remembering making Edward an omelet. I guess Dr. Snow wasn't big into cooking breakfast. With a mental head shake I banished the image of that woman from my mind. I wasn't going to ruin this meal with unpleasant thoughts.

We both dug in, moaning appreciatively at the delicious flavors. I looked at up Edward while sipping my tea. He caught my eye and grinned at me.

"Good?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes at the obvious ridiculousness of his question and smiled in response when I lowered my tea cup. His eyes zeroed in on my mouth.

"You have a little…" he started. Before I could react, he reached across the table and rubbed his thumb at the corner of my mouth. Slowly. His fingers rested on my jaw and the playful look in his eyes disappeared to be replaced with something more…serious.

I froze as he pulled his hand back, trailing his fingers under my chin, causing goose bumps to erupt on my shoulders and chest. I watched as he pulled back his hand, which now had a daub of warm berry compote on his thumb. I continued to watch as he raised his hand to his mouth and licked the compote away. I realized I was holding my breath and released it shakily.

"Delicious," he commented in a low voice, his eyes not leaving mine.

Determined not to fall apart under his gaze, I replied. "Would you like some more?" His head moved in the barest of nods. I sliced into my pancake and swirled the piece around in the berry compote. I held the fork out to him, a drop of the purple sauce threatening to fall to the white tablecloth. We both leaned forward as I slid the fork carefully between his parted lips. He closed his mouth, and I gently pulled the fork back. He chewed once…twice, quickly, and swallowed, before running the tip of his tongue across his upper lip.

I followed its path with my eyes. He leaned forward infinitesimally. I mirrored his movement. Our faces were no more than a handbreadth apart. I saw his eyes drop to my lips, and I licked them nervously. His eyes tightened and a determined look overtook his face. He leaned in towards me more. My eyes slid shut…

"Good morning, guys!" a cheerful and unwelcomed voice squealed. "Ooh! That looks good!" Alice snagged a chair from the next table and slid it next to mine. "Do you mind if I taste?" She grabbed my fork and scooped up the last of my pancake.

"Mmm!" she moaned, "This is fabulous! Oh, Jazz, I've gotta' get some of these," she said, using my fork to point at my almost empty plate.

I shook off my surprise and looked up. Edward was sprawled back in his seat, his eyes on his friend, a deep scowl on his face. I saw Jasper shrug apologetically before reaching out to Alice.

"C'mon, babe, let's get something to eat."

"Okay," she replied cheerfully, popping up from her seat. "We'll be right back," she assured us unnecessarily.

Suddenly embarrassed, I looked down at my almost empty tea cup.

"Bella, I…."

Before he could go on, I stood. "I need to get back. We've been down here a long time. I'm sure Rose and Emmett are waiting for me so they can come down to breakfast."

Edward opened his mouth to respond, but seemed to think better of it. He nodded once.

"Have fun today," I told him.

My reminder about the plan to ride ATVs broke his pensive mood. He smiled. "I intend to."

"All done here?" the waitress interrupted our farewell.

"Yes, thank you," Edward said. The waitress dropped the check onto our table with a quick, "I'll be right back for that," before walking to a nearby table to take a drink order. I dug into my back pocket and pulled out my money, but Edward was faster, sliding his credit card onto the table.

"You shouldn't use that card on vacation, Mr. Cullen," I said with a smile. "I don't think you'll get away with calling breakfast in Vegas a business expense." Jasper had just arrived back at the table, his plate piled high with scrambled eggs and hash browns. His eyes darted from Edward to the credit card to me and back to Edward. Odd.

"Uh, you're right. Kinda' foolish of me," Edward said, retrieving the card from the table. He dug a few bills out of his wallet and dropped them on the table instead. I pulled my money from my back pocket.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked, his voice curious.

"Paying for my breakfast."

"Don't be ridiculous, Bella," he said, an exasperated note in his voice. "I've got it."

"It's okay, Edward, I budgeted for this."

"It's my treat," he said, handing me back my money. "I insist."

"But…"

"No buts. If you want, you can make it up to me when we get back home."

I opened my mouth to argue. Edward cut me off with a glance. "I. Insist."

Surrendering, I nodded. "Thank you for breakfast."

"You're welcome. I'll see you later."

"Bye." I waved to Alice who was just returning to the table, a piece of toast already between her lips. She waved back. I watched as Edward poured another cup of coffee for himself, while Alice sat down in the seat I just vacated. Jasper sat in the seat Alice had dragged over earlier.

I made my way back to the suite quickly. I used my keycard to open the door. I was surprised that no one was in the common space.

"Hello?"

A muffled voice sounded from Emmett and Rose's room.

"Emmett?"

"I'll be right out," he called back. The bedroom door opened and a now fully dressed Emmett emerged. Something was troubling him.

"Is something wrong? Where's EJ?"

"Bella, Rose and EJ are sick. Rose didn't drink after dinner last night. She thought maybe her steak was underdone or something because her stomach was bothering her. Now she's throwing up. EJ is, too. I don't have a thermometer, but they both feel warm. I think they have a stomach virus."

"Oh, no! Bring me EJ, I'll take care of him, so Rose can rest."

Emmett looked at me like I had two heads.

"That's not a good idea, Bella. You know how these things go. All we can do is hope you haven't already been exposed. It would probably be best if you stayed somewhere else. Go pack up your stuff and I'll see about getting you another room."

"You don't need to do that. I'll just stay in my room. It will be fine."

"They don't feel well, but Rose doesn't want to stay cooped up in the bedroom all day. If she and EJ come out here, you'd be trapped in your room until we leave on Monday. There's no reason for that."

"I really don't mind, Emmett. Maybe I can help, if I'm here."

Emmett heaved a sigh. He looked at me, a determined expression on his face. "Bella, Rose and EJ are my wife and son and it is my job to look after them when they don't feel well. I'm afraid I'm going to insist you leave our suite."

"Oh." At the sound of my small voice, Emmett relented.

"Bella, you're a good friend, and no one is going to accuse you of shirking your duty to EJ," he continued gently. "I'll cover the room, and you'll still be paid for your time…"

"That's not it!" I insisted troubled that he thought I was more worried about the money than I was my friend.

"I know it isn't. I just want to make everything clear. I'm going to call down to the desk and arrange another room for you while you pack up."

"Okay," I said, turning to go into my room, still disturbed by this turn of events.

It only took me about 20 minutes to pack everything I had. I returned to the living room, suitcase and carryon in tow. Emmett was sitting on the couch, a pensive look on his face.

"I'm all packed," I told him.

"Great. Listen, the hotel only has suites like this, or larger available."

"What? Oh no. Emmett, I can't ask you to pay for a room like this. There has to be another choice. Maybe another hotel, somewhere further from the strip?"

"Yeah, I'm not comfortable with that. Vegas is all glitz and glamour here, but some of the smaller hotels off the beaten path are downright dangerous. I…uh…"

"What?"

"I'm a little at a loss." There was a knock at the door.

"Would you get that?" Emmett asked.

I looked through the peephole and recognized Edward's tousled hair immediately.

"It's your brother," I explained as I opened the door.

"You guys ready to go?" Edward asked as he walked into the room.

"Change of plans, bro," Emmett explained. "EJ and Rose are sick. I'm trying to find a place for Bella to stay, but the hotel only has suites available. I think I'll call the Trop and see if they have any smaller rooms open." Emmett reached for his phone.

"Wait," Edward interrupted. "Why doesn't Bella just stay with me?"

My head swung around so fast I thought I heard my neck pop.

"What?"

Edward chuckled at my incredulity. "It's no big deal, Bella. The room has enough space for both of us. Do you want to stay in a different hotel?"

"No, of course not."

"Then it's settled. Emmett won't have to pay for another room, and you're still close by."

"I don't want to, uh…ruin your birthday."

"How on earth is having a beautiful woman sharing my room ruining my birthday?"

I could feel my face heat at Edward's compliment. He and Emmett both laughed at my obvious embarrassment.

"Well, it's settled then," Emmett announced. "Bella you'll stay with Edward. You might as well go on the ATV adventure too. The bike's already paid for, and it's too late for refunds. Hm, those shoes probably aren't going to work, let me see what Rosie brought. You're about the same size, right?"

At my nod, Emmett retreated to the bedroom. I turned to Edward.

"You really don't have to do this. I'm sure we can find another room somewhere else."

Edward sighed. "It's already done. Besides," he said with a smirk, "it isn't like we haven't shared a bed before." My face heated again, and Edward chuckled, reaching out to touch my cheek.

"I love your blush." His words caused a new rush of blood to flood my cheeks. Emmett emerged from the bedroom carrying Timberland boots and a pair of long socks.

"Here, these are better for riding."

"Thanks."

Edward grabbed the handle of my suitcase and my carryon while I took the boots from Emmett.

"Let's go," he said, indicating that I should walk in front of him. I heard Emmett say something quietly to Edward, but couldn't make it out. I walked to the elevators and waited for Edward to catch up, which he did, a minute later.

"Emmett needed to give me the keys to the rental in case we need it later," he explained. "We'll drop your stuff off and head down as soon as you change your shoes. Alice and Jasper will meet us in the lobby. Uh, do you have a hat? I think you should wear one."

I shook my head.

"I have a baseball cap you can use. Do you have sunscreen?"

At my nod, Edward smiled. "Bring it. Do you have a t-shirt you can wear over…that?" he asked, waving his hand at my tank.

I wanted to kill Riley. Had I packed my own stuff I'd have had nothing but t-shirts, but as it stood, I didn't even have one.

"I don't. I didn't think I'd need one."

"That's okay, Bella. You can have one of mine."

It took about fifteen minutes for Edward and me to get down to the lobby where we met up with a surprised Alice and Jasper. I had a small leather backpack stuffed with my sunglasses, two water bottles, my wallet, and sunscreen on my back.

"Hey, Bella, Edward. What's going on?" Alice took in my attire curiously. Edward had loaned me t-shirt from his alma mater, Northwestern, which I had pulled on over my tank. It was big on me, so I had it tied in a tight knot at the small of my back. I had pulled my hair up in a pony tail and threaded it through a black baseball cap, also given to me by Edward.

"Rose and EJ are sick. Emmett is going to stay here with them, and I'm going to come with you."

Alice smiled broadly. Weird, you'd think she'd be more worried about Rose and EJ.

"That's great! We're going to have so much fun." Linking her arm through mine, she pulled me towards the doors.

"Where you going?" Jasper asked us.

"Isn't there a bus or something we're taking?"

"Yeah, but it leaves from the Shark Reef entrance, over there," he explained, pointing.

"What?" Both Alice and Edward had stopped to question Jasper.

"Over there," he said again, slowly, pointing at the Shark Reef aquarium, where I had planned on taking EJ today. Alice froze, dragging me to a halt.

"Hey guys," Edward said, a bit loudly, I'm going to hit the head before we go. I'll be right back."

I felt Alice relax a bit. We chatted about the trip, since I knew nothing about it. Edward was back in a minute.

"All set?" Alice asked Edward.

"Yeah, everything's cool. Let's go."

Twenty minutes later we were on a way to Jean, Nevada, where our excursion would begin. The shuttle was more than half full with guests from other hotels. Everyone was friendly and in a good mood, ready to enjoy the day. I sat in the seat in front of Edward while Alice and Jasper shared the seat in front of me. We talked about the adventure before us, while the shuttle made a few more stops. We were nearly full.

"Have you ever ridden, Bella?" Jasper asked.

"Actually, I have. It was a long time ago, but Forks, where I grew up, is really rural and everyone had dirt bikes and quads."

"So you're a biker chick?" Edward asked with a grin.

"Well, I've never ridden anything street legal, but I've logged more than a few miles on an ATV. I'll be able to keep up," I assured him with a grin.

"I have no doubt."

We had one more stop to make. We were idling outside the Bellagio when a couple boarded. There was almost no room left on the shuttle. The girl scanned the aisle, looking for a seat. Her eyes lit up when she saw Edward sitting alone. She moved purposefully down the aisle, but before she could reach us, Edward stood and sat down next to me in my seat.

I could see the girl scowl as she slid past us and sat in the seat Edward just vacated. The man she was with sat next to her. They didn't speak to one another, but they were the only ones on the shuttle who were silent.

The driver picked up the intercom and told us it would be about ninety minutes before we reached our destination. He encouraged us to sit back and relax and promised to point out interesting sights on our trip.

When the driver switched off the intercom, Edward leaned over and spoke quietly in his ear.

"Hope you don't mind me switching seats."

I just shook my head and looked up at him. He stared down at me with a small grin. He looked like he was about to say something else when Jasper asked him a question about work. The two of them started talking about some internal audit Jasper was conducting. Alice asked if I liked the clothes Riley had chosen for the weekend. We talked a little about the outfits and then turned our attention to the passing scenery. It was beautiful, but in a way different from the forests of Forks and the steel jungle that is Chicago.

I slid down in the seat, trying to get a little more comfortable. The travel and busy days had me feeling a little sleepy. The shuttle was clean, but hardly opulent, and I was having trouble finding a good position. I wiggled around, jostling Edward a little bit. He didn't look over from his conversation with Jasper, but he slid his arm around my shoulders, giving me a bit more room while at the same time providing me a pillow by way of his lightly muscled forearm.

EPOV

When Bella bumped into me in the seat, I automatically threw my arm around her. I realized almost immediately what I had done, but she didn't comment, so I didn't move. She didn't seem to mind. Actually, she seemed pretty content. I was sure of this a few short minutes later when her head started to nod and she dozed off.

I exchanged a significant look with Jasper. Alice looked over her shoulder, her face lighting up like we had just given her a gift. She met my eyes and nodded at me once before turning around to stare out the window again. Jasper settled back next to her, and soon they were murmuring to one another quietly.

Leaning back in my seat, I adjusted Bella a little bit so she fit more securely under my arm. She sighed and burrowed her head into my chest. The warm feeling that overcame me was both new and familiar. It was familiar even though I hadn't felt this way since the last time I held her. It was new, too, because this time there was nothing in our way. We were both free of other commitments, and thanks to Angela's insistence that Bella work for her, I was no longer her direct report.

I should buy something nice for Ms. Weber.

I leaned back as far as I could, tilted my head down, and buried my nose in Bella's hair. She smelled just as I remembered. I felt my eyes grow heavy and allowed myself to sink towards sleep with Bella securely in my embrace.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up." Alice had reached over the seat and was gently rocking Bella in a surprisingly quiet attempt to wake her. I felt Bella stir and could immediately tell when she became aware of our position.

Bella was still under my arm. While we slept, she had thrown her right arm over my waist, and was now completely snuggled against me. I feigned sleep, giving Bella the time she needed to extricate herself from our embrace. She did so, but made no attempt to be sneaky about it. I decided that her movements would be enough to wake me from the soundest sleep, so opened my eyes, blinking against the bright sun.

I yawned and stretched, pulling the arm that had been draped over her back to my side. She gave me a sleepy smile, which I returned.

"We're almost there," Alice explained. "This is going to be so much fun!"

And it was. Bella was being modest about her abilities on the ATV. She had superb control over the much-abused vehicle. We rode neck and neck for a short time before she revved her engine in a challenge. We raced across the Roach Dry Lakebed leaving everyone in our dust. Coming to a halt together, Bella pulled off her helmet laughing at the thrill. I couldn't help but grin at the carefree sound.

We stopped in Primm for lunch. The group broke up as everyone made their own plans. Alice was craving Mexican so she and Jasper headed in one direction while Bella and I decided on more a more sedate lunch of pizza and beer.

Talking with Bella was as easy as it had ever been. She expressed concerns about Rose and EJ. I was starting to feel guilty for deceiving her, but pushed the feelings down, trying to convince myself that the ends justified the means.

"I don't know what you originally had planned tonight…"

"I was supposed to spend the night with this guy I'm just crazy about." Jealously surged through me for a just a moment before I realized she was talking about EJ. "Since that isn't going to happen, though, I'm open."

"Would you like to see a show? I guess it's a kids' thing, but they're putting on The Lion King at our hotel. Cirque du Soleil is at New York New York, there's Improv at Harrah's and Donny and Marie are at the Flamingo."

"Donny and Marie?" she laughed.

"What can I say; I'm a little bit rock and roll."

"You're a little bit corny with that joke." She paused, "You're not going to the casino?"

"Tomorrow night, I think. So, what do you say?"

"I don't know…" She was going to make me beg.

"Please Bella? It's my birthday."

"You don't play fair."

"I never said I would."

"What do you want to do?"

Anything, as long as you're with me.

"It doesn't matter to me."

"It's your birthday," she insisted. She didn't mean that. If it were really up to me, we'd spend the night in our room.

"The Lion King is the most convenient. Did you ever see it?"

"Only the movie."

"I never even saw that."

"What?" She was incredulous. "You've been deprived."

"Well, we'll just have to take care of that tonight, won't we? The Lion King it is."

After lunch, we walked back to meet the others where we'd left the ATVs. We were going to hit the McCullough Mountains before returning to Jean to be shuttled back to the hotel. It felt natural to reach out and grasp Bella's hand while we were walking. She didn't pull away as I threaded my fingers through hers. She didn't look at me, but the small smile on her lips brought one to mine, too.

THTF has been nominated for The Twinklings Walk of Fame's Queen of Hearts award for most romantic fic. I'm up against the heaviest of hitters in the fandom, including The University of Edward Masen, The Wedding Party, An Introduction to Swirl and Daisy, Master of the Universe, The Cullen Campaign and dozens of others. Voting opens on Sunday, January 15, if you're inclined, I'd appreciate your vote: twinklingswfa. blogspot. com Please don't let me come in last!

The fandom is once again coming together in support of some very special people. As you know, Australia is undergoing severe flooding. Some of my favorite fanfic peeps are Australians. Anyway, I'm donating a standalone one shot for the project. Go to: fandomsfightthefloods. blogspot. com to see how you can help by writing or donating to receive the compilation. This is my first time writing for a cause and I'm nervous. I'm writing a one shot based on Lady Antebellum's song "Need You Now." It'll be E/B.