Author note- Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate, love and cherish every e-mail and review.

Thanks to Content1 for her continued help and support. Kali would be a very different person with out you, honey.

Thanks also to angeleync for sticking with the story so strongly. Yer a little star!

Here we go, the aftermath. Be prepared for some emo shit in this one. It couldn't be helped.

Stephanie meyer owns twilight. I may have to bribe her into selling me Jasper.


Chapter 23

Understanding.

Have you ever felt so guilty, so disgusted with yourself, that your very insides feel like they are grinding against your ribs to get away from the wretched beast that you had become?

Yeah, well, that was a mild summary of what I felt when I got back to the Cullen house. It had been so long since I was that person- so long since I had been that despicable and cruel and I had chosen my adoptive father to unleash myself on. I was disgusted with myself and seeing the beautiful white house that I had been welcomed into sent my, already devastating, sense of shame into a complete nosedive until my stomach felt like it was filled with lead. I knew what I did was necessary but it didn't make what I had done to my family any more acceptable. I could only hope that they would find it in their extraordinarily open hearts to forgive me.

I made my way into the house and was surprised to find it in a state of complete disarray; the fall-out from the slightly over-shadowed graduation party. The humans had a blast, I'm positive. The 'Fork's party of the decade' (As some had called it.) would be the topic of discussion for months. If the state of the house was anything to go by, it might take that long to get the damn house in order. There were plates and cups all over the place. The spilled drinks stains were currently dyeing the carpet a variety of different colours and streamers, burst balloons and hideous smelling little clumps of food had been trampled into the floors in the living room and hall. The detritus would take way too long to clean up. The humans should have been fitted with fucking bibs and sippy cups if this is the mess they were capable of making. I rolled my eyes and pulled in a deep breath as I began to sigh.

My throat burned. The concentration of human scents was strongest in this room and I was over due a hunt after being around humanity so much and the exertion of the training sessions had left me in need of a hunt and the smell of the teenagers that had recently occupied this room was a little much, even for me. I threw open the back windows, allowing the air to circulate through the two open doors. Rather than just sitting in the newly squalid room, I figured it wouldn't hurt my chances of redemption with the family if I started to tidy up a bit. I went into the kitchen and retrieved the large, metal waste bin that was in there and set about the arduous task of reconstructing this disaster of a party-zone.

My head snapped up as I replaced the black bag in the bin for the seventh time. The family were just on the other side of the river.

"Jasper, is Kali alright?" Carlisle asked as he broke the tree-line. I felt like crying. I had broken this man down, turned him feral, threatened his wife and children... and he wanted to know if I was okay? The plummeting feeling started up again in my stomach.

"She is feeling so guilty, Carlisle," Jasper murmured as he leaped the river and landed with a soft thud. "She is also really disappointed in herself." It was like having my own fucking therapist, I swear to God...

"She shouldn't feel guilty, poor dear." Esme lamented as they walked across the back lawn. I finally found the ability to move again and I tossed the last bag out the front door onto the heap just past the porch that I had made. The boys could move it later. As I closed the door, I realised that the others would now be back in the house... and waiting on me. Shit. I took a deep breath. Best get this over and done with quickly. If we got the yelling out the way quickly, I might have enough time to grovel and beg for their pardon. I turned to face them, waiting for the anger to bubble over and explode from someone. I scanned their faces, looking for some indication as to who would blow first. When my eyes touched on Carlisle's face, I felt like I might actually die. I charged at him, knocking him backwards as I wrapped my arms around his waist, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Kali? What's wrong?" He pleaded. "Talk to me." His arms surrounded me, crushing me to him in the most paternal way possible.

"I'm so sorry, Carlisle," I choked out. "I didn't mean... I wasn't really..."

"Enough," Esme sounded stern enough to stop the sobs momentarily. I turned to her, noting that Jasper was leaning against the wall as far away from me as he could get. I could only imagine what he was having to cope with right now. His head has in his hands and his shoulders shook as he tried to get a hold of the feelings in the room. I was instantly remorseful again and tried desperately to control myself to save Jazz the embarrassment of sobbing like I was. "Kali, I wanted to thank you- Jasper as well, she said, turning to face her son. "You have given us the means to protect our family. We have learned so much because of you both. What you said and what you did has helped us."

"I owe you an apology, Esme. I shouldn't have threatened you like that. I had to get Carlisle to react and I shouldn't have used you like that but I did and I am sorry. I just had to..."

"I know how sorry you are, Kals," Jasper muttered, his hands still covering his face. His voice was rough as hell with the emotion he was currently being submitted to and I felt guilty all over again. "But I'M not. You needed this. You needed to see just how bad it would be and how far down the rabbit hole you would have to go and Kali only gave you a taste of that."

"Kali, come with me please?" Carlisle asked, pulling me towards the stairs. He kept his arm around my shoulder as we ascended the staircase. I was a little surprised that he continued up to the third floor rather than stop at his study on the second. He led me into my bedroom and ushering me into a seated position on my bed. Although I was ridiculously upset, I still felt a little pang of shame when I realised that my appointed room looked like a tornado had hit it. In the aftermath of the party, graduation, training and two very painful brain burning episodes, my room looked like a squatter's hovel. There were clothes and shoes all over the fucking place.

"Sorry about the mess," I said in a small voice. "It's been a fucker of a day," He chuckled tensely at the colour of my language but chose to pass on the chastising. Perhaps he was saving that for my inexcusable behavior in the baseball clearing. I would have fucking earned any kind of repercussion that was coming my way.

"Will you stop apologizing?" He asked. "I wanted to say sorry myself and you are making it difficult for me."

Okay, now I was confused. "Come again?"

"Kali, I shouldn't have attacked you like that. I-"

"Yes, you should have. That was the point." I stated. " I needed to break you. I wanted to see you crack and let out the animal that would do anything for his mate and his family."

"Then why are you feeling so guilty?"

"Because I threatened Esme, I upset you and the rest of the family, I frightened Bella- although she will deny it."

"Kali, you made me do what it took to protect the people you just mentioned." He argued. "Dear, I can't begin to understand what today has cost you or felt like for you- between graduation, the party, two visions, arguments with werewolves and having to train us - You have shown dedication to this family beyond anything we would have asked of you and we honestly, couldn't be more proud," Well that went and fucking did it.

The flood gates opened and I was dry sobbing again. Carlisle was off the bed in an instant and back within second with a warm washcloth and a dry towel before I could even raise my head to see where he had gone. He tilted my head back with one hand, pressing the warm cloth under my eyes to alleviate the stinging tear ducts that just would shed the damn venom in my system. The only problem was, he was taking care of me; like a father would and I found that THAT upset me more. I didn't deserve for him to look after me like this.

"Stop that, Kali. Seriously, you are killing me here..." Jasper called from downstairs. I laughed, proper belly laughed.

"Sorry, Jazz. I'm trying, I promise..." I muttered. I felt a warm fuzzy feeling of love and support wrap around me as Jasper helped in his own special way.

"If you keep this up, Jasper is going to be on the receiving end of some spectacular insults at the hands of Emmett," Carlisle teased, offering me the dry towel to dry my stinging face.

"God, I am such a wreck today." I grumbled into the soft, white towel.

"Not surprising, really. It has been difficult all-round."

"Carlisle, you understand that it doesn't matter how rough I have had it, or how shit my day has been, It doesn't excuse my behaviour earlier." I kept my eyes turned down. I was still embarrassed by my actions and was struggling with their easy acceptance of it.

"I forgave you the in the clearing," He said flippantly, like it was no big thing.

"When?"

"When you called me 'Dad'. "He looked like he might cry himself. His eyes glistened and his pride was evident.

"You know, I think of you like a brother in so many ways, Carlisle. Tonight- the whole fucking day, in fact- you have looked after me, cared for me, applauded me. You allowed me to teach your children how to fight and you forgave me for threatening your soul-mate." I lifted my head to look into his dark eyes. "What I am trying to say is that, you treat me like your daughter and you love and look after me like I am your daughter. You are the closest thing to a father that I have any kind of memory of and I love you for it." I was pulled into an almost crippling bear hug by one overly emotional vampire doctor.

"Alright, you pair of girls!" Emmett boomed from the living room. "Sort out your tampons and quit the lovey-dovey, Hallmark, Lifetime special crap!"

I released Carlisle and charged out of my room, straight down the stairs and made a bee-line for my idiot of a brother. He made the mistake of standing in the frame of the open back door., his whole frame taking up the space. I ran at full tilt. Alice gasped when she saw my intention and no-one was close enough to stop me. Jasper moved, but never got to me in time. I pulled my right fist back, snapping it forward and connecting with Emmett's head, knocking him clean out of the house, off the back porch and onto the lawn in a spray of dirt, mud and grass.

"Watch your goddamn mouth, Emmett. Or so help me, God, I will turn you inside fucking out!" I snarled, before about turning and planting myself onto the sofa.

Jasper was doubled over laughing. Alice's tinkling giggle sounded as Carlisle finally hit the bottom stair. Esme looked appalled and Rosalie was cussing me out mentally. I didn't need to hear her mind, her face was telling me everything I needed to know. Emmett finally reappeared at the door rubbing his forehead, causing Jasper to set off in a whole new round of hysterics. I however, found nothing fucking funny about the insensitivity that my brother was exhibiting. The indents of my knuckles in his fucking forehead should serve as a reminder to be more tactful around upset female vampires. how he hadn't learned THAT lesson in this family, I would never know. Emmett's face was twisted with rage until he clocked my expression. I was so far beyond pissed off, I was seriously considering kicking his ass all the way over the river and into one of the Cedars on the opposite side.

"Not a good idea, Kali. Esme likes that one." Alice informed me.

"Shit." I grumbled, folding my arms over my chest. Emmett marched with purpose, ignoring every other body in the room, stopping directly in front of me and dropping down so that he was at my eye level. My muscles tense out of habit, preparing for attack. It was unnecessary. Emmett's face softened as he knelt before me, placing both of his hands on my knees.

"Sorry, sis," He whispered. I froze. The whole fucking room did.

"You feeling alright, Em?"

"Yeah, I heard what you and Carlisle were talking about. I thought the joke would help."

"And you thought that would be appropriate after the day I have had?"

"Miscalculation," He shrugged his massive shoulders. "I'll try to think it through twice before I say stuff like that again."

"Don't strain yourself," Rosalie scoffed.

"Am I forgiven?" Emmett pulled out the most heart-wrenching puppy dog eyes. I felt my stomach flip at the image. He was so damn cute when he was trying to suck up...

"Yes and no," I stated, moving to stand up. "I forgive you for being a jackass' you can't help it and on any other day, it would be endearing. But I am not forgiving you for forgetting your training so damn quickly."

"What do you mean?"

"Em, I came at you with plenty of warning, going for a straight forward attack. I showed you how to block those not one hour ago."

"Great, not only do I get punched in the face, but I get lectured as well?" His arms flailed by his sides in a very 'Alice' way.

"You are such a girl sometimes." My eyes rolled as I got up from the sofa. "I'm going to lie down for a bit. If it were possible for me to be tired, I would be dead on my feet just now..."

"You know, Kals. Technically, you ARE dead on your feet." Emmett said, smirking.

"Em, did you forget already? Brain first, mouth second." I reminded him.

"Shit..."

"Emmett Cullen!"

"Sorry Esme."

I giggled once and started towards the staircase, just wanting some space. I needed to sit and do nothing but listen to music and get my over-active brain to cool down and take stock.

"Kali, just take your time," Jasper murmured, sensing my emotional need. I nodded once and took the stairs two at a time. Once on the third floor, I made a bee-line for my bedroom, closing the door behind me and feeling thankful for my own little sanctuary. It had been a long fucking day and I was mentally exhausted. I had spent so much time using other peoples gifts, I was slightly worried about never getting rid of them. Alice's gift was particularly unnerving for me- not to mention painful as fuck. And the most depressing thing about this shit, was I had at least two more days prep work and a battle to get through.

Just that thought alone had me throwing myself down on my bed, grabbing my iPod off of the bedside table as I went. I didn't want to be hearing the conversations that would now be taking place downstairs. I didn't like being the center of attention but this family seemed to put me in the spotlight a lot more than I was comfortable with. To be fair, I wasn't really helping myself with the record number of violent and emotional outbursts, but this family, this ridiculous and fantastic family was bringing it out in me. They made me feel alive. Just that notion was enough to calm me back down enough to start scrolling through my iPod for my intended chill out music. Hitting the menus, I found Apocalyptica. Fucking perfect. Pressing play, I stuffed the buds into my ears and allowed the first notes of the music to wash over me. I cranked the volume and allowed the Worlds Collide album to relax my frazzled head under a profusion of cello melodies.

I got through two thirds of the discography before I surfaced from my stupor. It was as close as I was getting to sleep, but it did the job nicely. I felt more focused and alert. Moving off of the bed, I headed in the direction of my en-suite. Turning on the hot water, I started up the shower and removed the earphones and placed one of the true miracles of the modern world back into it's charging dock, allowing the music to play through the speakers this time. i stripped off quickly and jumped into the shower. Taking a shower was almost ritualistic for me. The water would be as hot as I could get it and the steam would billow out in plumes above the shower curtain- clinging to the mirror and sink like a shimmering film. When the bathroom began to resemble a sauna, I started with my body, washing every single inch of it and rinsing off. I didn't have my usual body wash here yet, just the one that Alice had picked out for me, but it worked for now. Once all the madness of this week was passed, I could go and shop properly and bring more of my things here. Once I was free of bubbles, I would stand under the hot spray, allowing it to warm my body until it was almost human temperature. I could have counted each individual water droplet that hit the surface of my skin. Often I would start to count, but get distracted by the sensory overload that the impacts have on me.

My favourite part of showering was washing my hair. No matter how much of a rush I was in, this was the one aspect of my routine that I would not rush. I had discovered the perfect shampoo that complimented my oddly tropical vampire scent. Normally, I smelled of passion-fruit and orchids. An odd combination considering where I am originally from, but the coconut or jasmine shampoo worked very well. It made me smell pretty.

I think I must have been in the shower about twenty minutes when I decided that enough was enough. My family had graciously given me the space and time I needed. I knew that they were scattered around the house pursuing various activities and could hear everything that was going on in this room, but the act of staying away was greatly appreciated. I smiled at the thought and made to switch off the water, running through everything that would be covered by tonight's training session. Uneven pairings and attack maneuvers were on the agenda tonight, which put me right smack in the middle of the spotlight again. I sighed at the thought and turned the water off and pulled back the shower curtain. As I lifted a leg to get out of the shower, the most intense and agonizing fire ripped it's way through my head.

"SHIT! Jazz! Carlisle!" I screamed as my brain seared and I hit the floor with a loud crack. Bella and Edward's face scorched their way across my mind, their images dancing in front of my eyes as the whole world was set ablaze. Edward was sitting out of the battle... for Bella. "FUCK!" I screamed, throwing my fist out and connecting with the wall and something that felt like metal. Water exploded around me, but didn't even get close to putting out the fire inside my head. I screeched as another wave of vision hit me. More images of Edward and Bella sitting at Charlie Swan's kitchen table burned their way into the grey matter of my brain as I began to sob.

"Kali?"

I was vaguely aware of the fact that Jasper was now here. I heard the voice, but I couldn't respond to it. Whatever connection in my brain allowed me to form words must have been destroyed in the inferno. My limbs thrashed as I tried to get a grip on something that wasn't painful. I needed to focus, but found nothing I could train my thoughts onto. "Kali, stop it and listen to me." When did Carlisle arrive and why was he yelling at me?

"Kali, focus on my voice. Nothing but my voice. Do you hear me?" He asked, holding my head in his hands. Struggling to clear my consciousness, I trained all thought on his voice, listening to the tone and timbre of the words as he spoke them. I heard Esme sobbing next to the room door. I heard Alice, Emmett and Rosalie downstairs panicking. I couldn't focus on his voice. my thoughts began to scatter again until the most astonishing swell of peace and calm surged around me, seeping under my skin. Jasper had gripped me around the waist, keeping my back against his chest and pressing his bare arms against the exposed skin on my stomach.

"Kali," Jasper whispered "I've got you." The skin to skin contact allowed his gift exponentially more powerful. I could feel the pain I was inflicting on him and I used all the available parts of my mind to focus on pushing the pain aside, effectively self-medicating. Once I was more or less in control of myself again, I forced my eyes open only to slam them shut again in complete and utter embarrassment. Oh FUCK!

"Why the hell are you embarrassed?" Jasper demanded, pushing a strong feeling of reassurance in my direction.

I grumbled quietly. "You can see them."

"See what?"

"The scars," I said quietly. Due to the fact that I had been in the shower, I was suffering from a serious case of nakedness, which put every aspect of my dangerous history on show. Jasper had scars, but not like mines. Jasper's battle scars were most prominent on his arms, neck and face. Mines were better hidden, but spoke of completely different pain. My scars littered my entire body, running from my feet up to my hips. My stomach, ribs and chest were a weave of crescent bite marks and scratches from my various fights and battles. The embarrassing scars weren't the worst, but they were in the worst place. The junction between my legs bore the evidence of just how rough my transformation had been. I hadn't told the Cullens THAT story yet. There were going to be fucking questions now. I fought against the lethargy that Jasper was smothering me in and tried to move my arms. I had to cover the scars. They didn't need to see.

"Will you stop trying to fucking move and let me help you, Darlin'?" Jasper cursed. That statement alone was enough to halt my actions. I had never, not once, heard Jasper curse in front of the girls. He was a southern gentleman for God's sake. "Carlisle, get her a towel and cover her over, will ya?" Not three seconds had passed before I was wrapped up in a fluffy white towel and being 'put to bed' by Carlisle, Esme and Jasper; The last of which was keeping constant contact with the skin on my shoulder, shoving alternate waves of calm, peace and focus at me. My headache was easing off enough for me to uncurl myself out of the fetal position I had found myself in and I sat up. I shot a glance at the bathroom and I thought I might actually die of shame.

"Alright, I understand the pain, but why are you guilty now?" Jasper asked, sitting next to me on the bed.

"I broke the bathroom," I groaned as I pulled my knees up to my chest and tried to bury myself into the towel that was wrapped around me. There was a hole in the wall the exact size of my fist and four inches deep. The tiles around it were cracked and broken pieces were on the floor. One of the taps was a batter chuck of metal on the floor and water was still pissing out of the broken pipe it used to be connected to. The floor tiles I had fallen onto looked like sand now. "I'm sorry guys. I'll pay to have it fixed."

"I'm doing it!" Emmett boomed, causing me to flinch at the volume. "I get to play with power tools!"

"God help us..." Carlisle sighed, moving to the bathroom and pending the fountain of a pipe over to stop the water from flooding the whole room.

"What did you see?" Jasper asked, finally working up the nerve to bring up the subject. It had been about fifteen minutes since my episode and no-one had asked me yet. I didn't want them to.

"Ask the pixie." I growled, shoving my head into the cotton toweling again. My hair fanned out around my head, allowing the copper curls to form a nice barrier between me and the three people in the room. It hid my venom-filled eyes nicely. Jasper could feel how upset I was, but he didn't need to see it too.

"Alright, every member of this family who has a penis, get downstairs and stay there," Rosalie called out, as she and Alice headed for the stairs. Carlisle and Jasper snapped to attention and made for the door. I instantly felt more anxious and drained when Jasper took his hand off my shoulder, but he sent me a little puff of calm and winked as he headed out the door. Esme shuffled her way over to the bed and sat in the place where Jasper had just been, smoothing my damp hair against my head. Alice caught Jasper halfway up the stairs and quickly explained to him that Edward would be sitting out of the battle and to start drawing up new plans.

"He is about to call me and ask to sit with Bella so he can talk strategy." She explained as she continued up the stair case.

"More newborns for me!" Emmett declared and it sounded like he was dancing.

"I am seriously going to cut you off," Rosalie threatened, smacking him as she passed.

"Aww, come on babe..."

"I'll deal with you later. Our sister needs us right now,"

Esme just about exploded when she heard Rosalie address me as her sister. I think I may have started to sob again. My head was fuzzy and my eyes already stung like a bitch so I couldn't be sure. The room door was thrown open and I was knocked straight out of my curled up position by a pixie-sized canon ball that had attached itself to my chest, hugging me like it was responsible for holding me together.

"Alice, I'm fucking naked under here..." I muttered, trying to get her off of me and failing.

"Sorry," She whispered, trying to move her body and straighten out the towel covering me before I was exposed again. Unfortunately, she didn't quite manage the second part of that quick enough and Esme and Rosalie gasped. Alice's eyes were like saucers, Esme looked devastated and Rosalie looked like she wanted to murder someone.

"I have to go, Edward is about to call," Alice said. Her lips barely moved and she was barely audible over the deafening silence that had filled the room.

"Alice, take Esme downstairs. I want to talk to Kali," Rosalie said. She was staring at the wall and her fist was clenched so hard that I was truly convinced she wouldn't be happy until she put it through something. I was so focused on Rosalie that I didn't notice the others clear the room. Rose's glare was trained on the wall in front of her as she sat at the far edge of my bed. Even in profile, her rage was evident. "Kali, are you alright?"

I lied so quickly, I barely noticed it slipping through my lips. "I'm fine." I was uncomfortable, my eyes stung, I was thoroughly embarrassed and I was sitting in very close proximity to someone who, until about eighty-four seconds ago, I was sure hated my stinking, immortal guts.

"Bullshit, I saw them," She stated, still focusing her attention on the wall. Why wouldn't she look at me?

I decided that the safest option was to play dumb. "Saw what?"

"The scars,"

"You know about my past... the fighting and-"

"Not those ones, Kali. The other ones" She interrupted me. Her eyes finally moved from the wall and bore into mines.

My highly intelligent response was a simple..." Oh,"

"Who did that to you?" She asked, her voice barely reaching audible levels, even for our kind. It was time to bite the bullet. I was going to get sympathy for this and I really, REALLY didn't want it.

"My sire. What's it to you?"

"Let's just say that I am familiar with THAT kind of pain." Her eyes were pitch black with fury and she was vibrating slightly out of anger. Her whole body was trembling as she tried to reign in the reaction she was experiencing to whatever she was thinking. My brain finally kicked itself into gear and started processing her comment. For her to be familiar with my kind of pain, she would have to have been... OH FUCK!

"Rose, do you want to tell me about it?" I was greeted by a stone cold wall of silence. "I think I can focus enough if you want to show me instead," I offered, gathering my thoughts and trying to train them towards Edward's gift. As Rosalie's hand flinched, I knew she was ready. Her thoughts and memories flooded my over-worked mind.

New York, 1930's. And it was spring time in Central Park. A still glorious human Rosalie was walking arm in arm with a handsome young man; A engagement ring on her finger. She was warm and happy and felt special. The images shifted again and it was night time now. Rosalie walked along a cobbled street, her arms wrapped around herself against the chill in the air. I could see the end of a street and a street lamp. A group of drunk young men were standing in the yellow glow of the lamp and one of them recognised Rosalie. The whole group leered and grabbed at her, ripping her jacket from her shoulders and fisting their hands in her hair. They had pulled chunks of it out at the roots and threw her to the ground roughly.

Rosalie's memories of the park had the fuzzy sheen that human memories took on, but she remembered every minute detail of her attack. She remembered how painful her bruises were. She remembered how cold and wet the cobbles on the street as they pressed against her back. She remembered how foul the smell of whiskey was on their breath as they leaned over her. She remembered one face more than the others; the one that had burned it's way into her vampire memories so she would never be rid of it. The man's face drifted towards me out of the darkness and I felt sick. it was the young man from the first memory in the park. Her fiance.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" I exclaimed, shoving Edward's gift as far back into my head as they would go. I was gasping for breath and I was terrified. I felt everything that Rosalie had and it was excrutiating. "I didn't know..."

"Neither did I," She countered, shooting a loaded glance at my more... intimate scars. "Do you remember?"

"No. I'm pretty sure that my sire helped himself while I was too lost in the burn to feel anything else. The extra venom from the bites had noting on what was already burning through me." I muttered.

Rosalie and I sat in silence for a little while, each of us lost in our own heads until a rather flustered Edward barged into the house. Taking half a second to read the thoughts around him, he tore up the stairs like a fucking tornado.

"Here comes the drama queen," Rosalie snickered. I couldn't help but join in. Edward burst his way into my room, knocking the door clean off the hinges and leaving it in a heap of firewood at his feet.

"You are replacing that, you jackass," I warned.

He ignored me. "Kali, are you alright?"

"If one more person or vampire asks me that, I am going to remove a vital body part and throw it in the fucking river."

"But I saw from everyone..." His eyes made a quick, sweeping evaluation of my body, clearly checking for injuries. This was fucking stupid, I was fine.

"Yeah, you saw my scars. And?" I challenged, holding the towel against my body and standing up to face him down.

"Kali, I..." He was speechless. Rosalie was shuddering with silent mirth as I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Kali, I am not taking part in the battle of Friday morning?" I guessed, mimicking his voice perfectly.

His concern turned to defense. "She cajoled me into it. Guilted me..." He said, looking at the floor.

"Edward, I love ya, man. But you are fucking pussy whipped." He growled at me as the rest of the house rocked with some very loud laughter.

Author note- Thanks again for reading and hopefully you liked it enough to review and let me know.

Thanks to Content1 again for all her help.

The next one is called 'Preparations and Propositions.' there will be a little sneaky peek for all reviewers.

Kalika87 (Amanda)