AN: All of the Twilight characters belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer's. No profit is made or intended.
Hello Everyone! First I would like to apologize for the delay in posting. I hate it when stories are not updated on a regular basis but my son just arrived from Puerto Rico, today is his birthday, he turns 13, and I have been really busy.
The story is fast approaching the 2,000 hits and I am really excited about that. Thank You for reading and special thanks to my loyal reviewers, your words make my day each and every time.
Jagga-Love baby, you rock! Thanks so much for your fantastic Beta work!!
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BPOV
After that first night together, Edward and I became inseparable. For the next couple of days, we were lost in our own little happy bubble. We spent most of our days in bed, or just hanging out around my apartment, trying to get to know every single detail about each other.
We had many things in common but at the same time we were fairly different. It was refreshing to get to know someone that shares the same passion for life like I do. I admired the fact that he had taken that passion and put it to good use by becoming a doctor.
Edward was very tender and loving, he did not treat me as if I was made out of glass, but I could already tell that he was very protective of me. I had never felt so complete in my life, so loved.
Our relationship seemed to be moving at a fast pace, but given all that we had already been through and the depth of our feelings, we felt that it was the right pace for us. Everything just fit into place for once.
For those couple of days I had forgotten all about my past heartbreak due to Mike, Gage's death, and the killer that seemed to be closing ranks in my direction. We simply forgot about anything outside of our bubble of love.
Occasionally we would talk to Emmett, Rose, Jasper, or Alice, but after that night of celebration with Emmett and Rose, we had not spent time with anyone else.
In order to avoid going out in public too much, we ordered groceries online and had them delivered at Emmett's apartment. We hadn't heard any new developments from Jake or any of the detectives involved in the case, so we were still taking as many precautions as possible.
I was just finishing cooking our dinner when I felt Edward's hand wrap around my waist as he rested his head on my shoulder.
"Hello gorgeous, I missed you," he said.
"How is that possible, we haven't left each other's side since Monday and today is Friday," I asked him with a smirk on my face.
"You have been cooking for way too long and there's nothing good on TV," he sighed.
"We need to get out of this apartment, Edward. We are bored to tears," I told him. I knew that we had loved every minute we had spent together, but we both enjoyed the outdoors and I was starting to suffocate in my own apartment.
"I'm not bored," he told me. "I am in heaven. Being with you is all that I need right now. I'm sorry for acting like a needy wimp."
"That's really sweet, and you are definitely not a wimp, so please stop acting as if you are not ready to pull your hairs out from being locked in here for so long. The last time we went out was Tuesday afternoon."
He sighed. "Ok, I'll be honest. I don't think I can spend another full day of not doing anything. I'm so used to being busy all the time, it is driving me a little crazy."
"But Bella, it's not safe for you out there, and I don't want to risk something else happening," he continued.
"I know. This situation is terrible. I hate feeling like a caged animal. Perhaps we should invite the gang for dinner tomorrow night. What do you think?" I asked.
"I think that's a great idea. Why don't you call everybody while I go online to do some more shopping? I'm thinking Filet Mignon stuffed with blue cheese and asparagus."
"That sounds delicious. I could make a spinach salad with candied walnuts as a side, and perhaps some Crème Brule for dessert," I suggested. The prospect of entertaining was sounding more appealing by the minute.
"That sounds perfect. Although, I would like to ask you something," he started, suddenly looking a bit nervous.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm perfect. I was just um… I was wondering if it would be alright if I invited my parents. I know you already met them at the gala, but I have been dying to introduce you as my girlfriend," he told me sheepishly.
"Your girlfriend, huh?"
"Yeah, that's what I consider you, although if I was being honest, I would love to consider you so much more than that," he stated.
I suddenly felt giddy inside. Not only had I lucked out with a gorgeous, considerate, sexy, tender, good cook, passionate, and selfless man, but he was looking forward to a future that included me in it.
"I would love to have your parents over, Edward. I am excited to be introduced as your girlfriend as well," I told him as I closed the distance between us and I crashed my lips into his.
We kissed until we could no longer breathe. I could tell that Edward was starting to get aroused and I decided that it would be fun to tease him for a bit. I placed both of my hands on his shoulders and I pushed him a bit. He looked confused and I took that moment to make my escape.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, that sexy looped side grin on his face.
"I am going to set the table for dinner," I told him, trying my best to look innocent.
He growled and moved forward. I decided to escape to the living room.
"You are going to be the death of me, Bella!"
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I was working on some articles that I insisted for the Post to send me so that I could keep myself occupied in other things rather than Edward, when the door bell rang.
"I've got it," Edward yelled from the guest bedroom. He was using the spare bedroom as an office, and was trying to do some research for his mother on regards to some charities she wanted to support in the area.
"Hey Emmet!" I heard him say.
"Wow, you two are alive, huh? I was starting to prepare a search and rescue party if you two didn't surface soon," Emmett chuckled as I entered the living room.
"Hi Emmet," I said.
"Hey Bella, is the beast here treating you right?" he asked
"Hey, that's not nice. Besides, the only beast in this room is you, dear brother," Edward responded as he lightly punched Emmett on the shoulder.
"Of course he's treating me right, you silly bear. Anything but, and I would have already gotten him in trouble with you," I said with a giggle. Edward tried to give me an evil glance but couldn't stop himself from smiling.
"So you had more groceries delivered. Should I bring them in?" Emmett asked.
"Let me give you a hand with that," Edward told him as they stepped out of my apartment.
"Hey Bella," Rose said from the door.
"Hey you, how are you doing?" I asked her.
"I am doing great! Someone just brought a Bugatti Type 41 Royale to be restored. Emmett is beyond himself," she told me all excited. I had no idea what kind of car that was, but for the look in her face it must have been a classic.
Emmett and Rose owned a car restoration garage in Rockville, and they were both very much into cars.
"That's great!" I told her.
We chatted for a while longer while the guys moved the groceries to my apartment and put them away. It was nice seeing the easy banter that Emmett and Edward carried. They truly loved each other. I was very lucky to have such great friends and such a great boyfriend.
"Alright Bella, we'll see you later for dinner. Thanks for the invitation," Rosalie said as she waved us goodbye.
"Let's start cooking!" Edward exclaimed. He seemed to like cooking as much if not more than I did.
We worked in silence for a while as he marinated the steaks and made his homemade blue cheese sauce. I quickly made the mix for the Crème Brules and placed them in the oven before turning my attention to the salad. I wanted to have everything ready to be tossed beforehand so that we did not have to spend the entire dinner party in the kitchen.
After finishing with all the kitchen prep work, I decided to head for a shower while Edward made some phone calls. He was still helping Esme with her charity work.
Two hours later we were all sitting at the dining room table enjoying the delicious dinner.
"So Bella, has Edward been treating you good?" Esme asked.
"I think he has been treating her better than good, huh Eddie?" Emmett broadcasted before I could respond, earning a smack from Rosalie and a smack from Alice, while Edward just glared at him.
"Do you always have to be so crude?" Rose asked as she shook her head in mock dissatisfaction. In reality, Rose loved how outspoken Emmett was. She would always tell us how his lack of censorship turned her on.
"It's alright Rose, Emmett just can't help his unfiltered mouth," I told her while I winked at Emmet. I was overly embarrassed but at the same time it felt nice to be joking around with my friends.
"And to answer your question Esme, Edward has been wonderful. You did an awesome job of raising him," I told her while she beamed at Edward.
"I am so happy for you guys, I have never seen Edward so happy," Esme told us as she wrapped her left hand around my shoulder.
"So when are you planning to start at the clinic, Edward?" Carlisle asked.
"I'm not sure dad. It seems like the killer left town for good, but it has only been a little over a week since his last attack and I am not comfortable leaving Bella all on her own right now," Edward replied.
"I understand son, and in all honesty, things are pretty slow still. I was just trying to get a better idea of when to expect you. We need to hire you an assistant and I wanted to have that all ready for you before you started."
"Edward, I am not planning to stay locked at home forever either. I think that if after a few months or so there is nothing new from the killer, that we should resume our normal lives," I said.
"Bella is right Edward. I am expecting her back at work by the end of February. She is a great asset to my department and we all miss her," Alice added.
"I guess that sounds fair. So dad, how about I start the first week of March. Would that work?" he asked.
"That actually works great. I was planning of taking the winter off and doing some traveling with your mother. How does the Maldives sound?" Carlisle asked as he looked at Esme.
"Oh, Carlisle, really? I love you so much," Esme responded as she turned to him and pecked him on the lips.
"Great, so now that everything is settled, where's the dessert?" Emmett asked.
We all busted out laughing at Emmett's impatience.
After dessert we all sat on the living room making plans for the holidays. Esme and Carlisle invited all of us for Thanksgiving since they were going to be leaving the first week of December.
"Well, since I am not allowed to leave my apartment too much, I was thinking we could do Christmas here," I said to everyone.
"That would be great Bella. Jasper and I could stay over starting on the 23rd and we could celebrate the rest of the holidays either in your apartment or at Rose and Emmett's," Alice stated as she started bouncing in her seat.
"That sounds good to me as well. We could do Christmas here and New Years at our apartment," Rose added.
"As long as we have lots of yummy food like earlier, I really don't care where we spend the holidays," Emmett boasted.
"It looks like you kids are going to have a great time," Esme told us.
"The only bad part is that I can't take Bella shopping," Alice sighed.
"We could always do the shopping online," Rose suggested.
"Does everything have to be accompanied by a shopping trip of some sort?" I asked. I was not a huge fan of shopping, and I knew that even online shopping was bound to be exhausting with Alice around.
"Of course, silly. How else where you planning on getting Edward his Christmas presents?" she stated as if it was the most obvious thing.
She had a point. I hadn't even thought about Christmas presents for Edward. I suddenly found myself excited at the prospect.
"I saw that smile," Rose teased. "I knew we would convert you sooner or later."
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The rest of that week went by in a flash and before we knew it, we were standing outside of Edward parents' house.
"Ostentatious isn't it?" Edward asked with a smirk on his face.
"It's beautiful. Your parents have great taste," I told him. His parent's house was huge. It had a stone and brick finish on the front and it had two levels. The inside was even more amazing.
Everything was perfectly decorated in a way that made you feel cozy and at ease. The décor was white on white with splashes of cherry wood here and there.
"There you are. Welcome to our home Bella," Esme said as she hugged me tightly.
"You have a beautiful house," I told her.
"Thanks dear. Edward why don't you put the casserole that you guys brought in the oven and serve Bella some wine as I show her around?" she asked.
"Alright, but not baby pictures mom," he begged.
"Of course not," Esme replied as she winked at me.
Esme showed me around her 6 bedrooms, all decorated with different themes. My favorite was the one they had separated for Edward. It was dark, but very cozy. The colors were a combination of black and midnight blue. It was a huge contrast compared to the rest of the house, but it was definitely Edward.
After the grand tour, we made our way to her studio where she started showing me pictures of Edward, Alice, and Emmett, as babies.
"Did you know that Emmett was adopted?" she asked as I glanced at a picture of them celebrating Alice's fifth birthday. I had a chuckle at the Rainbow Bright décor.
"No, I had no idea," I responded.
"When Carlisle and I got married, the first thing we wanted to do was have babies. We started trying right at our honeymoon and were really excited when we found out we were expecting a couple of months after the wedding," she told me.
"We were beyond ourselves. We called everyone and we told them the news and immediately started making plans for decorating the nursery. A month later I woke up with horrible cramps, and I lost the baby a few hours later at the hospital," she continued, her eyes filled with tears.
"It was devastating. We could not understand what we had done wrong. That same night, a woman not much older than me was brought into my room. She was seven months pregnant and was about to give birth to a premature baby. Her husband had beaten her up and afterwards had shot himself. At first I was angry that they would place someone pregnant next to me. I had just lost my baby and I thought it was cruel and inconsiderate," she said as she grabbed my hand, the tears now running freely down her cheeks.
"I noticed that she would not stop crying, and against my better judgment, I moved to her bed and embraced her trying to console her. She told me that she had a bad feeling and that she was crying because her poor baby will have no one in the world to care for him. She seemed so desperate, so sure of the fact that she would die, that I found myself promising her that I would take care of her baby. A few hours later she died while giving birth to her baby boy. She told me before she was moved from the room that she thought she was having a boy and that his name was Emmett. We told her doctor of our intentions of adopting the baby, and since there was no family to claim him, social services allowed us to follow through with the process and we were able to adopt him," she said as she gave me a small smile.
"Wow, Esme that is such a sad story. You and Carlisle are the most compassionate people I have ever met," I told her.
She moved closer to me and we embraced. Edward's family was so different from mine. My father was a good person, but very reserved. You could almost say that he lived in his own world. My mother however, was always trying to find ways to climb the social ladder. She wanted nothing more in life than to have a good status and lots of money. In their own way, both of my parents were very unhappy.
In contrast, you could feel the love and dedication on Edward's family. Everyone was so considerate of the other. They all thrived in helping others, and although it was clear that they had money, it was definitely not the purpose or the central focus of their lives.
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EPOV
I went to the kitchen to place Bella's green bean casserole on one of the empty ovens and was assaulted by all of the wonderful aromas of the meal being cooked.
"It smells amazing," Jasper said from somewhere behind, me startling me.
"Hey bro, I had no idea you were here," I told him.
"Sorry for scaring you. We just arrived and I immediately followed the scent of this brilliant meal," he told me with a chuckle.
"Hey Edward," Alice exclaimed as she jumped in my arms for a kiss and a hug. "Where is everybody?"
"Emmett, Rose, and dad are in the family room watching the turkey bowl, and Bella and mom are somewhere upstairs, probably looking at baby pictures," I responded.
"Alright then, I am going to start working on my salad while mom and Bella bond," Alice told me as she winked at me.
Jasper and I made our way to the family room as my dad and Emmett were on a heated discussion about who would be winning the super bowl next year. Rose just sat there rolling her eyes at both of them, interrupting every now and then to talk about who she thought would win.
"It looks like we came in just in time to save them from having a duel outside," Jasper whispered to me as I planted myself in front of the TV.
"Are we going to watch this game, or let it go to waste while debating football games that are still a ways away," I asked.
"Move Eddie, of course we are watching this game," Emmett exclaimed, exasperated.
I spent the next twenty minutes trying to focus on the game but my mind kept drifting back to Bella. She was amazing. I don't think I had ever loved someone the way I loved Bella. In fact, I was sure that Bella was the only person I had loved and love.
She is so beautiful, caring, smart, silly, clumsy, witty, and sexy. She had so many fine qualities. I was amazed they were packed inside such a small little thing.
I loved to hear her take on different things and I cherished her compassion. We had many things in common, but also many things were different. I never knew what would come out of her mouth, or what she was thinking. It was as if she kept me on my toes at all times. I was truly and irrevocably in love with her.
For the first time since I was a child, I was giddy about the upcoming holidays. I already had a list of things I wanted to get her for Christmas and I could not wait to see her reaction. On one of our many conversations, she had mentioned that her dream was to become an author. I really wanted to help her follow her dreams, so I had purchased some journals to help her get started.
I decided to go look for Bella. I was sure that my mom was showing her embarrassing after embarrassing baby picture of me and I figured I would save her from all of that, or at least save my dignity.
I made my way up the stairs when I hear my mom's voice coming from one of the rooms. I had never been to their new house before, but I was pretty sure the room was my mom's study because that is where she kept our baby pictures and scrapbooks.
The door was slightly opened so I pushed it so that I could come in and I gasped as I saw Esme and Bella hugging each other with tears in their eyes.
I cleared my throat to let them know I was here, and my mom turned giving me her best smile.
"Is everyone alright?" I asked.
"Yes dear. I was just sharing with Bella some stories about Emmett's adoption while we looked at baby pictures," Esme said as she smiled back at Bella.
"Your family is so amazing Edward," Bella said as she approached me and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips.
"You are pretty amazing yourself," I told her as I wrapped my arms around her waist and gave her another kiss.
We made our way downstairs and joined the rest of the family. The girls decided to busy themselves in the kitchen while we guys continued watching the game.
Every now and then Bella would come in with an appetizer for us or to refresh our drinks.
"You are spoiling us," dad told her as she brought us a new round of beers.
"It's really a pleasure," she responded while her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink.
"Yeah Bella, you need to stop spoiling them," Alice piped in from the kitchen. "They're supposed to get off their rears and get their own food and drinks while we slave in the kitchen."
"I would hardly call making a salad slaving," mom told her jokingly.
After the game was over, we made our way to the kitchen to finish up with supper. It was tradition for us guys to carve the turkey and the ham, and bring all of the plates to the buffet table on the back wall of the dining room.
I served Bella a little bit of everything. We had the traditional turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, a green salad, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and a special Thanksgiving drink my mom liked to make with cider, champaign, and other spices.
"We have a lot to be thankful for this year," my dad started to say as he stood by the table. "We have been blessed with the opportunity to once again be close to each other, we have been blessed with a lot of success, and most importantly, we are welcoming a very important person to our family. Bella, thank you for accepting us into your life, we are very happy to have met you and I am not alone when I say that you are considered part of our family. Thank you God, for all that you have blessed us with, and thank you ladies for the wonderful meal we are about to consume."
"Amen to that. Let's eat," Emmett squealed as he dug into his plate.
I glance over at Bella and I noticed that she had tears on her eyes, as she digested my father's words. I was happy that they had accepted her so fully and I could tell that the feelings were mutual.
"I love you," I whispered in her ear as I scooted closer to her.
"I love you too," she responded before placing a sweet kiss on my cheek.
After the meal was over, we spent a few hours playing cranium. We had decided on two teams, so it was my parents with Bella and I on one team, and Rosemett and Alisper, as we liked to called them when we were playing games on another.
"You guys are cheating," Emmet yelled as our team beat his for the third time in a row.
"It's not our fault you suck at charades," Bella giggled while she poked her tongue out at Emmett.
We continued our banter for another two games before we decided to head back home. My mom insisted on wrapping up some leftovers for us and we thanked her as we made our way to the car.
I wanted to make it back into Bella's apartment before night time. I was still weary of the freak roaming the streets and I did not want to put our lives in danger.
As soon as we entered Bella's apartment, she jumped in my arms.
"Thank you Edward, I had the most wonderful time today," she told me between kisses.
"It's you I should be thanking, Bella. I don't think my family has ever felt so united and so complete before. They all adore you," I told her while I wrapped my hands around her thighs and lifted her up, carrying her to her bedroom.
"And what do you think you're doing, Mr. Cullen," she asked with a smirk on her face.
"I'm going to enjoy dessert number two, my dear."
"Yum, I can hardly wait," she moaned as she licked her lips in anticipation.
I chuckled and I tackled her onto the bed as I proceeded to kiss every inch of her exposed skin. Making love to Bella was by far the best experience of my existence, and I knew I would never grow tired of it.
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MPOV
I was furious at myself for having to go back to California and away from Bella. I knew that there was some guy living in her apartment thanks to the surveillance that my partner was able to do for me before he left for Seattle. I wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard.
I realized however, that killing another one of her lovers was not going to help things. I needed to put a new plan in motion. A new plan that would bring me closer to Bella, without arising any more suspicions. I wanted to get so close she wouldn't see it coming.
I knew just the person. This was going to be so easy. I chuckled to myself as I dialed her number.
"Hello?"
"It's me, Mike," I answered.
"Mike!," she yelled in excitement.
Renee had told me in more than one occasion that she thought Bella made a mistake by leaving me. She wanted nothing more than for me to talk some sense into her and for us to be back together.
"I have a favor to ask Renee," I told her in a whiny voice. I wanted her to believe that I was begging for her help.
"Of course Mike. What can I do for you?" she asked.
Gotcha bitch! I thought to myself as I suppressed a giggle.
"It's Bella. I am afraid she's living with some loser. How could she do that to me? To us?" I asked as I turned up a notch on the theatrics.
"She is what? What do you mean she is living with someone?" she asked in hysterics.
"I don't know what has gotten into her Renee, but I am sure she just barely met the guy and she is just throwing herself at him. I had to leave DC. I could not stand seeing them together like that."
"I am so sorry Mike. I'm so embarrassed by her behavior. She is not the daughter I raised," she told me.
"We need to help her become that girl again Renee. That is why I need your help. I want nothing more than to make an honest woman out of her. Can I count with your support?"
"Of course Mike. Anything you need. How can I help?" she asked a little too eager.
"I am going to be spending the next couple of months in California. I am afraid that I have neglected my responsibilities for far too long, and I need to handle some things. I was hoping that you would be able to come over and spend some time in my house while we plan an intervention for Bella," I told her.
"Yes, of course Mike. I will be there for as long as you need me. We will make her see some sense," she responded excitedly.
It was no secret that she loved the house I had purchased for me and Bella in Malibu. I was going to give her a taste of the life Bella would have had if she had stayed with me, while she helped me plan how to get close to Bella. The best part was that she would have no idea that she would be helping me plan her daughter's demise.
"Thank you so much Renee. You are such a wonderful person. Just go to the airport tomorrow morning. I will have my private jet there waiting for you. I can't wait to see you."
"My pleasure Mike. You know that I love you like a son. See you tomorrow, ok?"
"See you soon, Renee."
I shut the phone before I lifted my fist in victory. This was indeed going to be very easy. Pretty soon my Bella was going to be back in my arms, and pretty soon she would have a taste of her own medicine. I was about to pop her stupid bubble big time.
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AN: I wanted to bring your attention to two fabulous stories that I really like. If you haven't read them already, please check them out. They are both by the same author: ObsessingOverEdward. Her stories are: Lady of the Night and Holding Out For You. Lady of the night is a complete story with a little Pretty Woman twist to it. I hope you like them.
Also, I would love your help in reaching 50 reviews. I know there are a lot of you out there reading the story and it would be great if you could drop in at least a couple of words letting me know how you like the story so far. Thanks so much!!