Disclaimer- The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, not me.

BPOV

The next morning, after another shower we got dressed and caught a cab very, very early, to go to Sea-Tac.

"I'm so glad this is a one-way flight, not an indirect," I said. He kissed my forehead.

"Here you go- two first-class tickets to Chicago," the attendant at the check-in counter said.

I gasped. "You made first-class travel arrangements? I've never flown first class!"

"Everything has to be first class for my Isabella," he said, taking my hand. I gripped the camera that I was carrying on the plane with me and we started towards the metal detectors.

I had never been on a first-class seat in my life. When they called for us, I jumped up and Edward followed, taking my hand. On the plane, he let me have the window seat. They gave us bloody marys once the plane took off. I didn't finish it, because I was worried I'd puke at one point in case of turbulence.

The flight was four hours long, but it didn't seem so bad with Edward and a Xanax. Few people were flying today, because it was Thanksgiving Day. I felt bad for Alice and Jasper- they were trying to fly tomorrow to Chicago. They wanted to go to Forks to spend Thanksgiving with her parents.

O'Hare was huge. I almost got lost on the way to the baggage claim. After that, Edward wouldn't let go of my hand until we saw his father.

Edward definitely didn't take after his father at all- I had seen the pictures of him. He tall and wiry, like Edward, but he had thin, dark hair, cropped short. Edward told me all the time that the joke in the family was he wasn't related to his father at all, just by looks. Edward Senior hugged my Edward.

"Son," he said.

"Dad," Edward replied.

They hugged. They definitely had a good father-son relationship. "So, this is Bella," he said, turning to me. "Hi, I'm Edward Senior. Just call me Ted."

"Okay," I said, nodding. He shook my hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm afraid we're running a little behind on dinner. Your mother had to go into town and help a little at the DVS Thanksgiving dinner," Ted said. "She'll be home, soon, though."

"Do you normally do that, every year?" I asked as we approached the baggage belt.

"Yes, normally, especially since Edward can't come home."

"I feel a little guilty disrupting your plans."

"Nonsense!" Ted cried. "Edward had somebody special for us to meet, we weren't going to make you work on Thanksgiving day!"

After claiming out suitcases and garment bag, we went out to the parking garage. There was so much snow, I couldn't believe it. We didn't even get this much snow near the Pacific Ocean. I put on my coat and a scarf and hat, but I was still cold.

"I warned you, it would be cold," Edward said. I followed him and Ted through the parking garage until we found Ted's car- another strange car I had never seen before.

"What kind of car is this?" I asked.

"A Bentley," Ted said.

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Because rappers like these cars a lot," Ted admitted. "I liked them before rappers did. This one was my present to myself when I retired."

"It's pretty."

"Bella doesn't know much about exotic cars," Edward explained.

"Hey, now!"

Edward and Ted laughed.

The whitened streets of Chicago faded into the grayish muck on the interstate. From the backseat, I watched as only a few cars whizzed by. "This is life in Chicago," Ted said. "Snow, snow and more snow. I'm hoping Edward will come back here when he's done with his internship."

"Maybe," Edward said.

"I'm going to call my Dad to tell him know we got here."

"Tell him I said hi," Edward said.

I called Charlie's cell phone and he sounded a little distracted. He was happy that I was there alright, and told me to have fun this weekend. I told Charlie I loved him and said good-bye. I could hear a college football game going on in the background.

We got off the interstate and off onto a small town that looked more like a village. There were no signs over eight feet tall, I noticed. I saw a GAP, but I only knew it was GAP from the windows. That was weird. "This is Lake Forrest, my hometown."

"It's so…"

"Quaint? Yeah, there are no signs out," Edward admitted. "The city has an ordinance to keep large signs from being posted. You have to know where something is, you can't rely on seeing it from the car- aw man, the Arcade closed!"

"That's where Edward used to hang out with Emmett when they were kids," Ted explained. "And wasted how much of my money?"

"I mowed lawns all summer," Edward complained.

We pulled into a pretty house that looked like something out of a movie set with the decorations and snow. The driveway and the walks had been shoveled and salted. "And this is our house. Our house is your house."

"Thanks," I said, unsure.

I got out and followed Edward and Ted into the back foyer. I took off my boots, and a pair of beagles came running up to meet us.

"Ted, is that you?" a familiar voice called out. Elizabeth Masen appeared wearing an apron. She was a little thinner than I remember from the pictures, but I could definitely see who Edward took after. His mother- she had the same bronze hair, with a strand or two of gray, and green eyes, and almost the exact same face with a womanly softness and a few extra lines. She walked right past him and smiled at me. "Bella, I'm Elizabeth Masen, Edward's mother. Call me Liz."

"Of course," I said, although I was nervous. I gave her my best smile, although I was sure it was a nervous one. She hugged and kissed me- I was taken a little off-guard.

"It's nice to meet you," she said, looking into my eyes.

"You too."

"I know I've said this a hundred times already, but I've been looking forward to meeting you so much," she said. My cheeks burned. She chuckled. "You blushed just like Edward said you would! I didn't mean to do that to you, dear!"

"Hi, Mom," Edward said. "I'm just the person you carried in your womb for nine months and gave birth to."

"Edward, honestly," she said, finally looking at him. She smacked him on the shoulder. "Come here and give your mother a hug!"

"Mom," he said, softly, hugging her.

"You're looking really worn out, son," she said. "Why don't the three of you come inside and warm up? I've made some stuffed mushrooms and tiramusalata for appetizers."

I followed Edward into a giant living room that was more rustic and manly than anything. There were some appetizers set out on the coffee table. "Have a seat, we'll get the luggage," Edward said. I sat in front of the food while I listened to Edward and Ted drag our suitcases up the stairs. I had had stuffed mushrooms before, but never this tiramusalata. It looked like a creamy-colored whipped pudding.

"Is this that coffee-flavored dessert?" I asked when Edward came back into the room.

"No, it's a Greek caviar," Edward said as we sat on the couch. Ted turned on the flatscreen over the fireplace, and turned on the game. "Hey, Dad, did we get this from the Pappases?"

"Yes," Ted said, not taking his eyes off the TV.

"The Pappases own a restaurant chain here in the Midwest," Edward explained. "They give us stuff all the time."

"They're going to be at the wedding, too."

"Have they threatened to break plates and yell 'Opa' yet?"

"You know it."

"Because everybody wants to be Greek," Ted and Edward said together in perfect Greek accents. I smiled.

"Edward, can you turn on the fireplace? It's a bit chilly in this house."

"Yes, Dad, of course, Dad," Edward said, getting up.

"I know, you're home five minutes and we're already ordering you around," Ted joked. "Next time, don't bring guests home."

I tried the tiramusalata, and it was actually delicious. I had had caviar at the Cullens before, but I hadn't liked it at all. When Edward and Ted started doctor talking, I felt a little lost. "I'm going to go get to know Liz and help in the kitchen," I said, getting up.

In the kitchen, Liz was chopping up vegetables. "Oh, hello, Bella, how is everything going in the living room?"

"Edward and Ted are talking about colonoscopies and blood sugar levels," I said.

"Oh, I know," she said. "Nothing is disgusting once you've been through medical school."

"What needs to be done?" I asked, taking an apron.

"You're not going to let me just talk without doing something, will you?" she asked. "Alright. The green bean casserole needs to be made."

"OK," I said. "I can do that. What else is on the menu today?"

"Well, I've got a turkey in the main oven. I've made twice baked potatoes, Ted's favorite, and I'm working on Granny's salad," she said.

"What's that?"

"It's got peas, bacon, mayonnaise, another family tradition," she said. "And then, we've got the candied yams, sourdough rolls, and for dessert, I just gave in and ordered a cake." Just the very mention of all that food was making me nervous. Someone knocked on the door. "Edward said that you're a picky eater, so don't feel like you have to eat a lot to impress us." She said it so off-handedly, I knew that she didn't know about my eating disorder. "I'd rather you be comfortable her than concerned with being a good guest."

"OK," I said, relaxing a little.

"Edward does nothing but tell us about you," Liz said. "Well, you and his job. The two great loves of his life. I'd much rather hear about you than medicine-"

"Ted! Liz! Why you never come to see us anymore!" an unfamiliar voice rang out. He had a Greek accent. The dogs started barking and yipping.

"It's George and Nicky," Liz whispered. "Let's take a break from cooking. You'll want to meet them."

"George, you old dog, I just came over on Monday to see your new grandson!" Ted replied. "We've been getting the house ready for Edward to come home."

"Where's little Edward?" a Greek woman asked.

"Right here," Edward replied. Liz and I went into the foyer just in time to see tiny little couple with curly salt-and-pepper hair taking off their coats hugging Edward.

"Edward, all grown up, being the big doctor, now," the woman said, who I assumed was Nicky. Nicky took Edward's head in her hands and started spitting on him, just like they did in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Edward just smiled and let her. "When you gonna come home and let me cook for you? I know you took busy this weekend, but I see Tedward's car, and I realized that he's back from the airports and I say to myself, we gonna have to go see Edward before he go off to be best man at the wedding-"

"Thea Nicky, I hate to interrupt, but I want you to meet somebody," Edward said, taking my hand. "This is Isabella Swan. Just call her Bella."

"Hi," I said.

"Bellas. Oh, such a pretty name," she said. "But what about my Georgia?" Everyone laughed.

"Georgia's fourteen, Thea," Edward said.

"But she gonna need a good doctor to marry her!" Nicky cried. "She not gonna marry a Greek, that's for damn sure."

"She gonna be at the wedding?" George asked.

"Of course she gonna be at the wedding! Why else he bring her here?" Nicky cried, smacking him upside the head. They launched into an argument in Greek. "Anyway, we come to drop off Ouzo. You can't have a good party without Ouzo."

"We haven't finished off the last bottle of Ouzo you gave us, yet," Liz said.

"You gonna finish it off," she said. "and we bring Dolmathes."

"Oh, Thea Nicky's Dolmathes," Edward moaned. "The best."

"I've gotta get back to the kitchen," Liz said.

"I help you," Nicky announced, inviting herself into the kitchen.

"I want Greek neighbors," I whispered to Edward, going into the kitchen.

We congregated in the Masen's kitchen. I put the green bean casserole in the oven. "You make the green bean casserole?" Nicky asked me. "Put sliced almonds on top. Make it extra good. You so skinny-" she grabbed my collarbone, which was protruding from my v-neck sweater. "I snap you like twig!" I jumped and backed away.

"Thea!" Edward cried.

"What? People not eat in Seattle! No good food! Go to the Eccelsia, they feed you real food every Sunday," Nicky ordered. "I gonna send you food in Seattle. Let's have some Ouzo!"

"No, really, it's too early," Liz said.

"It's never too early for Ouzo," Nicky said, opening up the cabinets and taking out some whiskey tumblers. She poured a double shot's worth of Ouzo into the glasses without asking for me. "You ever had Ouzo?"

"No, actually."

She thrust the wineglass in my direction. "Here you go, Bellas."

"Are we toasting to something?"

"We think Edward never gonna get married!"

"We're not engaged, Thea."

"You come over tonight for coffee," she said, knowingly. "I tell you if you gonna get married."

George and Nicky had to leave after we took our shots of Ouzo. It tasted like black licorice sticks.

Edward hugged me. "She's a bit overpowering, sometimes."

"Why do you call her 'Thea Nicky?'"

"'Thea' means 'Aunt' in Greek."

"Are we really going over for coffee?" I asked, putting the dried onions and slivered almonds on top of the green bean casserole and putting it back in the oven.

"Yes, she wants to read our coffee cups," he said. "It's a Greek tradition."

"I think fortune-telling is a load of bunk," Liz said. "But, she's so funny when she does it, I can't help but let her go ahead and tell my future."

"She's a laugh riot," Edward said. "She means well. She's crazy about Emmett."

"They're kindred spirits," Liz said.

"That's because they've both got ADD," Edward corrected.

"Bella, I can get the green bean casserole from here, if you want to get freshened up and dressed for dinner," Liz said. "Or should I say Bellas."

"Okay," I said, getting up. "But, I don't know where my things are."

"We haven't given her a tour of the house!" Liz cried, smacking her forehead. "Edward, can you take care of that?"

"Sure, Mom," he said. "Come on, Bella."

He took me around the house, explaining which rooms they used the most often and which ones they didn't. The Masens had a beautiful house. He took me upstairs and showed me the bedrooms. I shouldn't have been surprised, but my suitcase and camera were in Edward's bedroom, and it was a surprise to me.

"I can't believe your parents have already put me in the same bedroom as you."

"If you're not comfortable with it, you can always sleep in one of the guest bedrooms," he said. "Although, it's an unfamiliar environment, I'm worried you'll have a flashback, and if I'm not there…"

"Okay, I'll sleep in the same bedroom as you."

"Alright," he said, kissing my forehead. "I'll be downstairs helping Mom set the table."

I changed into the dress I picked out for Thanksgiving and brushed my teeth. My make-up needed a little bit of a touch-up, too. I text messaged Alice to tell her things were going okay, so far. Before going back downstairs, I put on my pearls. I could smell the food, but it was making me nervous. I took a Xanax to keep calm.

Downstairs, Edward was putting out the good china and silverware while Liz and Ted were putting the different dishes out. "Your green bean casserole turned out very well, Bella," Liz said.

"You look lovely," Ted said.

"That's a beautiful necklace," Liz said.

"Thanks," I said, touching it, delicately.

"I'm going to say a prayer, if that's alright with you, Bella," Ted said.

"It's fine," I said, although I hadn't been raised particularly religious.

Ted said a quick prayer of thanks, and we got our plates. Thanksgiving was always so stressful on me. The amount of food out on the kitchen counter was overwhelming. "You don't have to eat everything you put on your plate," Edward whispered into my ear as I stared at the food, trying to decide on how much to eat. "Mom and Dad won't be insulted if you can't eat it all. That's the point of Thanksgiving- over eating." Edward's lips grazed my ear. Why did we have to sleep in the same bed but not have any physical sexual contact tonight? I sighed, goosebumps showing up on my skin.

"Can you make my plate for me?"

"Of course," he said. He set small amounts of food out for me on my plate. We went to the dining room. Edward had made sure that all my silverware was clean, spotless, as was my wineglass. Ted gave me some wine. I waited for everyone to sit down before I even picked up my silverware.

The conversation was light, but I couldn't concentrate on it. I carefully arranged my silverware and my wineglass in relation to my plate. If I could just control it, the food couldn't make me gain weight. But, I had to eat something or the Masens would think I was crazy. The Masens didn't know I was ED-NOS. I wasn't sure I wanted I wanted them to know, though. I thought I was doing so well. If I could just take one bite of each thing on my plate… the juice from the gravy was blending into the yams. The yams were ruined, now. My food couldn't touch if I was going to eat it.

"Bella, are you feeling alright?" Ted asked.

"Mmm-hmm," I said. I realized everybody was half-done already and I had only had two bites.

"You haven't touched your plate," he said.

"Bella, if you can't eat, we understand. You've had a long day, traveling can upset the stomach," Liz said.

Edward's hand grazed my arm in a comforting gesture. I should have known better than to come here like this. My eating disorder, another demon, was popping up, thinking it was being funny, at a moment when I needed the most normalcy. The Xanax just wasn't doing it for my panic attack. I wished I had a Valium or something.

"Can I be excused from the table?" I asked, standing. I didn't wait for a response. I went to the bathroom and sat down on the floor. I just wanted to go to sleep until the meal was over. Either that, or just eat. I wished it was just easy. I wished food didn't bother me so much as I rubbed the lump on my forearm.

The Masens were great people. They had Edward for a son. I didn't deserve Edward, really. I didn't deserve to be spending Thanksgiving in such a nice house in Chicago with such lovely people.

A part of me still believed that I deserved that Victoria and Jim did to me. If I didn't, why was I still suffering like I was?

Edward knocked on the door. "Bella?" he asked. "Can I come in?"

"Yes," I said. The door opened. Edward helped me up. He didn't say anything, but held me. I sobbed, quietly. "I've got a Xanax," he said.

"I already took one."

"Oh," he said. "If we just told Mom and Dad… they've probably already figured it out, by now. They know me a little too well."

"No, we can't!" I cried. "They'll think I'm an anorexic nutcase. They'll think I'm terrible for you."

"They won't think that," he said, softly, picking up my hair to kiss it. "They'd never treat you like that. Do you need to lay down?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Alright."

He took me upstairs and up to his room. I pulled back the covers and he took my shoes off for me as I laid down on the bed, and kissed my big toe. "Edward, that's gross!" I cried. "I've been walking around on these feet!"

"I love these feet. I love you and everything about you."

"You can't say that," I said. "That would mean you love my eating disorder."

"I love who you are right now," he said, gliding up over my body. He kissed my shoulder and then my fingers. I brushed his cheek with my other hand. "Just try to rest," he said, getting up off of me.

EPOV

"How is she?" Dad asked as I came down the stairs.

"She's just feeling a little under the weather," I said. "This is the first time we've flown anywhere together."

"We're not stupid, Edward," Mom said. She ran a hand over my cheek. "You can't hide things from us."

I felt my muscles tense. "Mom..."

"You don't have to say anything," she said. "She's just like the women and children we saw every week at the DVC. Edward, she's such a kind soul, but… really, is she really ready for a long-term relationship?"

"Mom," I began.

"Son, just think about… if you were marry her and have a child, what kind of parent would she be?" Dad asked.

I knew that was a rough question. Bella was sweet and kind, now, but the stress of her panic attacks, her depression and her eating disorder would be such stress on a family if she continued to suffer from them.

My mother just sighed and put more leftovers in the fridge. They knew me better than anyone. "How bad was it, Edward?" Mom asked. "These people?"

They wanted to know about Victoria and Jim. "I don't even know that much about Victoria and Jim."

"Does she block it out?" Mom asked.

"Yes."

"No good can come through a mystery," Dad said.

BPOV

I woke up a few hours later. I brushed some of my teeth, again, changed clothes, and went downstairs to see if dinner was over. Edward was watching the game with Ted, and Liz was knitting. Everyone looked up when I entered the room. I rubbed the lump on my arm.

"Hi, Bella, hope you're feeling better," Liz said. "Are you?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Are you knitting?" I asked, sitting beside her.

"Yes," she said. "Do you knit?"

"No," I admitted.

"Would you like to learn how to?"

"Sure."

She got out a new set of knitting needles and a ball of yarn. She showed me how to cast on and then, she taught me the difference between the purl stitch and the knit stitch. "Your first piece is not going to look professional at all," she said. "Don't expect it to. It takes a while to learn."

"Okay," I said, focusing on swapping out the loop for the second needle.

"Good," she said. "You're getting it."

I made progress with my knitting before Nicky called, asking Edward when he was coming over with his lovely girlfriend for some coffee. I put on my coat and Edward and I went over to Nicky and George's house.

It wasn't just like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but the inside of their house had been filled earlier with their kids and their children.

"Welcome to Thea's, Bellas," Nicky said. "You call me Thea, you understand, yes?"

"Yes."

"Here," she said. "Sit. I serve you coffee."

She came out with the thick, creamy coffee in clear, white cups. Edward and I both drank the coffee while Nicky talked to us. She took my coffee cup when I was done, and turned it several times in the saucer in a certain direction, leaving it upside down. "I read your coffee cup, I tell your future," she said, as if I didn't know about it.

"Okay."

We waited for a few minutes before she turned the coffee cups over to try to read them while we talked about Edward's job and Seattle. She glanced into mine. She muttered something in Greek, and crossed herself. "Let's look forward," she said. She started reading. "Things aren't going to go the way you wanted… You gonna be a proud mother, though."

With all the starvation I had put my body through, most of the doctors said that I'd never have children. I had never had a period two months in a row- ever, not since I had gotten my first one at age 16. Even Carlisle said it.

"You're only going to have one great love in your life, and you gonna get married," she said. I looked over at Edward, and he squeezed my hand and smiled.

"Little Edward, let me see yours," she said. She picked up his coffee cup, looked into it and slammed it down on the table. "Yes, you gonna get married to Bellas."

Edward tried not to laugh out loud. "Thea you didn't even look at it!" he cried.

"You already have a ring!" Nicky said. "That's all I had to see."

"Thea," he said.

"I don't have to look any more, I already know," she said, putting the cup aside.

Nicky started asking where in Chicago we were going to have the wedding- she recommended a place in the Greek District to have our reception, was telling us that we needed to have a Greek Wedding, and what colors my bridesmaids would be wearing. Edward and I were both laughing by then.

When we went next door to the Masen's, Liz and Ted had gone to bed.

"So, what are Emmett and Rosalie doing right now?" I asked.

"Rosalie's probably losing her mind right now," Edward said. "Emmett's probably staying a safe distance from her. I have to go to the bachelor party tomorrow night. I can't take you with me."

"That's okay, I think I can entertain myself," I said. "And Alice will be here by then."

"That's true."

Upstairs, I showered while Edward changed into his pajamas. In his childhood bedroom, I found him laying in the bed, yawning. "I love you," I said, climbing on top of him. "There's so much I want to experience with you."

"Would you want to have kids with me?" Edward asked.

"Edward, about that…" I said, laying down on top of him, putting my head onto his chest. "I can't have children."

"Are you saying that Thea Nicky is a kook?" he asked.

"She means well," I said. "But, I've been told I can't have kids."

"It is because of the eating disorder?"

"Yeah."

"That's actually unknown," he said. "The doctors who told you that are saying you've got little chance of having children. That doesn't mean your chances are zero. Your chances are zero if you've had a part removed or have been thought menopause. You don't have endometriosis, do you?"

"No."

"Then, you've got a chance," he said. "God, I wish we were in a hotel right now."

"Me too," I sighed. "Don't you get bored not being able to have sex, yet?"

"We'll get there," he said, patting my back.