There are no words to express how sorry I am for the almost-year old delay of chapter 4. Seriously! I hope you guys forgive me since I hope to continue updates. I don't guarantee anything, but you can hopefully see updates once a month or less if I manage to write enough. But here is the long-awaited chapter!

What happened previously: Emmett and Rose discuss the history behind their elopement, and family relationships. Emmett has to deal with a new co-worker that he dislikes immensely at his daytime job (athletic store) that is vying for the exact same promotional job. Emmett becomes suspicious of Rose's recent secretive behavior as he leaves for his night job.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

chapter four

After I left the house, I headed to the club to start my nighttime job as a bartender. I had a few co-worker friends there, but we weren't exactly close or the kind you would hang out with outside of work. We'd just chat while serving drinks and crack jokes here and there.

I got hit on a lot during the job, but I didn't let it get in the way of working. I worked here because it was relaxing and offered a source of income. Other than that, I wasn't into flirting or the groups of women that shot me winks and smiles.

Rose would go apeshit if she knew that I had plenty of women trying to sweet-talk me at the club. She was the jealous type, and would interrogate me until no end. It didn't matter because I hardly discussed work with her. She would never have to know about the details of my work. If she asked, I'd keep things vague but good enough to satisfy her questions.

I arrived at the club and went into the back to change into the club uniform.

"Hey Emmett, what's up?" Josh, another bartender nodded to me as he walked through the door.

"Nothing much, you? Just want to get my work done and head home to Rosie," I answered.

Josh laughed. "I know how you feel. I want to get home too; but I don't have a girl waiting for me. You're a lucky guy, Emmett."

I smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to respond to that. Instead, I just patted his back and went out to the bar, where two other bartenders were already pouring drinks like their life depended on it.

The club was about to get intensely crowded tonight. I could already tell by the number of cars and people lining up outside the building. I stretched my arms out and cracked my knuckles, ready to attend to many eager club-goers.

I had my work cut out for me tonight; it was going to be a long night – filled with awesome tips.

By the time the club closed, the bartenders were in a hurry to leave. As an unspoken rule, the ones who stayed behind to clean up and put everything away behind the counter got what was in the tip jar that night. The ones who left early didn't get the contents of the tip jar. They got tips from drinks they served during the night, so that was alright.

I was the only one of the four nighttime bartenders that volunteered to stay behind. I had kept an eye on the tip jar all night, estimating how much I would get. There were a lot more customers tonight because apparently women were in a clubbing mood, which brought in more male customers as well. More women always meant more money for the club.

I guessed that maybe there was about a hundred dollars or more in the tip jar and made it my motivation for cleaning up faster. That way, I could go home earlier and snuggle in bed with Rose, relishing in the aftermath of a long night at work. The flip side was that I received great tips.

It was great working behind the counter because as you served more and more drinks, people's judgments are a bit clouded and they might tip more than usual. It was a little bit cruel to think of it in that way, but it was their actions. So let's say a guy wanted to impress a girl, he would whip out his wallet and show how much dough he had. He would proceed to drop a twenty in the jar like it was nothing. The girl would be impressed and dance with him. Or go home with him.

Either way, lots of tips are thrown in from both men and women.

I rinsed the towel I used to wipe down the counter and squeezed water out in the sink.

I turned the tip jar over and pulled dollar bills out of the container slowly. I didn't want to end up ripping any money.

It took me about fifteen to twenty minutes sorting out the money and totaling it all up. I had about $203.47 in tips. I put it all in my wallet and pockets. I was happy.

Before leaving, I checked all the lights to make sure they were off before walking to alert the manager that I was leaving.

I leaned on the doorway and cleared my throat. Steve was behind his desk, writing away.

"Hey Emmett, what's up?" he asked.

"I just, uh, turned off the lights and finished up behind the bar. Just wanted to let ya know. And I'm heading out now." I gave him a nod.

Steve smiled and nodded back.

I stopped by the gas station to fill up on gas since the car was running low on fuel. I went inside the gas station to pay beforehand and grabbed a stick of beef jerky as a snack. For Rose, I got a pack of blue raspberry gum since it was her favorite flavor of all time. She would appreciate the thought.

I went back to the car to start pumping gas. As I waited for the numbers to turn to 20 dollars, I glanced around. I saw a heavily pregnant woman making her way out of the gas station. She was struggling with walking down the steps. I wanted to help her out, but I couldn't leave my current position.

I quickly looked at the numbers and saw that it was almost done pumping gas. I finished off and placed the pump back in its holder and closed the door on the gas tank.

"Here, let me help you, miss," I offered to the pregnant woman.

She smiled gratefully at me. "Thank you so much. I'm not even supposed to be out today, but I was really craving beef jerky. You know those slim thingies? I ate it as soon as I bought it."

I looked down at my pants pocket. The Slim Jim I bought was sticking out of a pocket. I didn't want the poor lady to exert herself anymore than she already did by going back in the store to buy another Slim Jim.

"Here, have it. I don't need the extra snack," I shrugged nonchalantly as I placed the beef jerky in her hand.

"Really? But why?" Her eyes were wide in surprise.

"Ah, well my wife doesn't like me eating junk food much. It's probably better you have it." I gave her an assuring smile. "You should eat healthier, though. Beef jerky isn't the best option."

"But you helped me down the stairs. And now you're offering me a free beef jerky. I'm going to cry now," she said as tears welled up and poured over her eyes. "You're just so nice. Can I do anything to repay you?"

I scratched the back of my head, feeling a little bit uncomfortable now. I just wanted to help out a random person. I wasn't expecting her to be so emotional, but I guess it's not surprising or anything, given the nature of her current condition. I would guess she had twins in her belly.

"Nah, I don't want anything. I just wanted to give you a hand up the stairs. It looked difficult and painful. I don't want any payment." I backed away and held my hands up.

She frowned. "Well, that won't do. I've got to give you something back. Now I feel bad."

"No, really. I don't want anything. I just was lending a helpful hand," I tried to sound firm.

Finally, she sighed. "Alright, if you insist. But I mean, seriously, if you need anything, give me a call. How about that?"

She fumbled around in her handbag and finally handed me a white business card. I read the front.

ALICE BRANDON-WHITLOCK

SHOE DESIGNER

xxx-xxx-xxxx

"Nice," I commented, waving it in front of my face. The card gave off a floral scent. My nose twitched a little but I tried hard not to sneeze.

She grinned. "Thanks. I love it. It's so simple, yet so striking and professional."

"Well, Miss. Brandon-Whitlock, I have to go. My wife is probably waiting for me at home," I tried to say it gently so it wouldn't offend her in any way.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I'm keeping you from going home, aren't I? I get really chatty sometimes and lose track of time. I honestly don't know what to do with myself," she sighed dramatically and fanned herself.

"Do you need any additional assistance?" I wanted to make sure she got home safely.

I had a soft spot for pregnant women and babies. I didn't want any harm to come to them. Women gave birth to children. Children were the future. Women gave life to children.

I would forever be amazed at how great the gift of life is. Nine months- that's all it usually took. And then, a baby would arrive. Your world would be utterly consumed by that tiny being that's no bigger than a shoebox, or even a loaf of bread.

But the moment you saw them, everything changed. Priorities reset themselves and you became an entirely new person. I wanted to be a part of that amazing process. I wanted to raise a baby of my own with Rose.

I was so whipped.

The only thing that was in our way was money. That, and the fact that I wanted to be a little bit older when I had my kid. Rose agreed with me on this one.

"No, thank you. I'll be just fine. My friend is picking me up, you see. She's also pregnant, but her husband is way more protective than my own." She giggled and swung her bag around.

I nodded. "If you're sure. It's dark out and women shouldn't be out alone by themselves, especially you since you're pregnant!"

Mrs. Brandon-Whitlock rolled her eyes and sighed. "You sound exactly like my mom. I'll be okay. My friend's on her way, I got her call as I walked out of the store." She gestured behind her to the convenience store.

"Okay, but how about I wait until your friend gets here?" I asked, still uncertain about leaving her here alone. I really didn't want to wake up to tomorrow's newspaper with giant headlines stating a pregnant woman was kidnapped or murdered at a gas station. The guilt would remain with me forever if I didn't make sure she was picked up and brought home safely.

"Fine, fine! Just go in your car. I'll go back inside the store and wait for my ride. But wait, what's your name?" Mrs. Brandon-Whitlock asked.

"Emmett," I responded, giving her a smile.

"Emmett. That's a cool name," she mused, unwrapping the Slim Jim I gave her.

"How did you even get here?" I wondered. She was being picked up... but how did she get here?

"I kind of lied to my neighbor and said I was meeting my friend at a coffee shop, but I wasn't. I walked the two blocks down to the gas station to get Slim Jims," she confessed, looking guilty.

I laughed. "Well that's not good. You shouldn't do that. You should always let people know where you are."

"True, very true. You're great at giving advice, Emmett!" She beamed at me, nibbling on the Slim Jim.

"No, I'm really not. It's just common sense, ya know? I didn't get a degree in that or anything," I laughed, trying to make things less awkward.

We stood in silence for a few minutes before a black Audi pulled up in front of us. I whistled, admiring the shiny surface and sound of the engine.

"That's my friend!" Mrs. Brandon-Whitlock shrieked excitedly, trying to bounce up and down, but unable to because of her bulging belly.

I held back laughter and disguised it as a cough when her head snapped to face me, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Nothing, I guess I'll see you around, Mrs. Brandon-Whitlock," I waved goodbye to her, heading toward my car.

"Call me Alice!" She yelled from the distance as I unlocked the car and got in. I saw her friend's car pull out of the gas station quickly.

I started my car and drove home to Rose, excited to share news of my huge tip from tonight's shift. She would be overjoyed with the extra money we had. This meant that we could splurge a little on better snacks for lunch during the week.

She wouldn't have to eat cheese puffs and suffer from a rumbling belly. I would make sure she had some nicer things to eat this week, even if it cost me a little.

"Hey Rosie! I'm home!" I shouted as I closed the door behind me. I patted my pocket to make sure the money was still there. It was.

I smiled as I made my way to our bedroom. Before I left for my shift at the club, I told Rose not to wait up for me since I'd be home late, and I was. I told her to get as much sleep as she could since she always complained that she was exhausted after a day at work.

It was also her time of the month, so I got her some medicine to help with some of the symptoms. I just forgot to give it to her when she came home.

The door to our room was closed when I got there, but I saw light and some movement underneath. I knocked twice.

"Rose?" I called out.

No answer.

I knocked again, but there was no response. "Hey babe, open up. I got some big tips from work tonight and I thought you'd want to share the good news with me."

After waiting for two minutes, I decided to go in anyway. I wasn't going to stand out here and knock endlessly for an answer when I could go in and see what was keeping her from responding to me.

"Emmett!" I heard Rose shout.

"What?" I asked, confused, looking around the room for her, but she was nowhere to be found. "Where are you?"

I saw her clambering out of our closet. She closed it behind her and jumped on the bed, giving me a wide smile. It was a little bit concerning that she appeared out of the closet and quickly closed it behind her.

"What took you so long to respond back?" I murmured, hugging her close to me.

She wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face in my chest. "Oh, I was just reorganizing our closet. It was getting messy and clothes were falling off the shelves."

"I thought I told you to not wait up for me. It's late," I scolded her gently.

She shook her head. "No, I just wanted to wait up for you anyway. It was lonely, but I didn't want to sleep without you by my side."

She looked up at me with her wide, blue eyes that made my heart melt.

"I'm home, now," I announced, spreading my arms and grinning at her.

"You're such a goofball," she mumbled, pushing me away teasingly.

We snuggled in bed together, and I told her about the large amount of tips I received tonight. She was silent for a few moments, but I didn't think much of it. Rose probably thought that money wouldn't be able to be touched anyway, since we were always in urgent need of money to pay for bills and such. However, this time I promised myself I'd treat her to a something nice.

We wouldn't go out to dinner like the time I won the scratch ticket, but we could splurge on some quality ice cream or chocolate that wasn't grocery-store bought. I made a note to myself that I would give her the medicine for her cramps tomorrow. Those would hopefully relieve some of her unpleasant and painful symptoms. I didn't want Rose to be in pain.

So what did you think? I know we didn't get more into why Rose is being so secretive, but you will get hints in the next chapter. Drop me a review stating your theories on what Rose could be hiding, or if you liked/disliked the chapter!