A/N: OK OK so it wasn't quite fondling. SORRY! Let's face it… Edward does like Bella. He's in denial and his insecurity will begin to unfold more in the next chapters. Yes, hot boys can be insecure too. Like countryprincess says - all men are animals. Some just make better pets.

Thanks for all of your support. It means a lot. Really. Especially yours. Yes you… I'm talking to you. You mean the world to me, thank you.

I love these people almost as much as my mom: Twike, Profmom72, Daisy, and Everwondering. They make this story happen.

Characters are not mine.

Good Enough Chapter 10

As I drove home from Bella's I reflected on what a crazy day it had been. It felt good knowing that Bella and I had come to an understanding about our relationship. I just hoped our friends' ridiculous attempts at matchmaking wouldn't ruin what we had. Bella seemed fine with the way things were, and that's what really mattered.

I took a turn toward my house and noticed the SUV behind me turned as well. I made a second turn and they followed. I was probably being paranoid, but now was not the time to take chances. I made a few more purposeless turns, and they fell back a bit but continued to follow.

Damn it. Everything had been going so smoothly. I didn't want to be stuck in a safe house for weeks. I'd die of boredom, and I wouldn't get to see… well anyone I cared about seeing. I threw the shift into forth and sped down the street. I slowed and made a quick turn to the right. I went a block and made another quick turn to the left with my tires screeching on the wet road as I down shifted and braked.

I heard screeching tires behind me, and whoever was following me wasn't trying to hide it anymore. I sped down the street and onto an entrance ramp on the highway. Whoever this was wasn't planning to ask for my autograph. The only plan that made any sense is that they either planned to kidnap me or kill me.

I was breaking a hundred on the expressway, and I knew I could out run those bastards. It felt good to finally be able to do something fast without my body wearing out. If I could make it back to my house and inside, I'd be fine. I didn't think they'd try anything with the squad car out front. Maybe I could get rid of them and accidently forget to mention this to Alice. I would just have to be more careful and…

No!

I slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel skidding through the water on the highway and turning my car around. It was late enough that there wasn't a lot of traffic. I sped down the far lane going the wrong way. I headed on a collision course for the black SUV and the driver seemed determined that he could crush my little Volvo and me. I swerved to the right at the last second and punched the gas pushing my car to the limit. I swerved around a couple of cars and did another u-turn to get off near

Bella's apartment. I had to get back to her. If they'd followed me, they knew where I'd been. I couldn't take the chance that they'd do something to Bella. How could I have been so stupid!

I checked to make sure they weren't still behind me and sped through the guard gate without bothering to stop. On second thought, I slammed on the brakes and threw my car in reverse. I grabbed my badge and flashed it at the rent-a-cop. "FBI – don't let anyone through that gate, and I mean anyone."

I was thankful she lived in a cookie cutter apartment. It would buy me some time. In one motion I put the car back in drive and flipped my phone open to call Alice.

"Whitlock," she answered.

"Alice, I was followed out of Bella's apartment. I lost them, but I doubled back to make sure Bella's safe."

"I'm on my way with backup. If you don't see anyone, hide your car and stay there. Stay away from the windows."

"Just hurry." I flipped the phone shut, parked my car out of sight of the main parking lot, and sprinted toward Bella's apartment. My body protested, but the adrenaline was enough for me to push through the pain. I grabbed my gun out of my belt as I ran and released the safety.

"Bella, open up." I fisted the door hard. I considered breaking it down again, but twice in one day seemed excessive. I pounded again, "Bella!"

Emmett opened the door wearing only his boxers. "What the heck man?"

"Em, thank God you're here. Wait, what are you doing here? I just left ten minutes ago."

"I know. Rosalie and I had to make out in the car for hours waiting for you to leave. If I'd known you were going to stay that long, I'd have driven my jeep. It gets so cramped in her BMW."

"Em, James' men followed me when I left here. They know I was here, and I'm worried they'll come back."

"Rosalie, Bella, get out here!" Emmett ordered in a voice reminiscent of his days in the Marines. Bella came out of her room wearing glasses and her iPod. She had a book in her hands. The door to the other bedroom flew open.

"What is he doing back here?" she seethed.

"Later, Rosie. Somebody followed Edward over here. I want you girls where I can see you at all times. He pushed Rosalie down on the couch and grabbed his gun off the kitchen counter.

"Baby, as hot as you are holding that gun in your underwear, you might want to put some pants on," Rosalie said fanning herself with one hand. Emmett looked down, rolled his eyes, and stomped back to the bedroom. "Watch them, Cullen."

"Edward, are you okay? You're shaking!" Bella ran to me and wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

"I'm so stupid for putting you in danger. I'm so sorry." I held her against me and tried to communicate just how awful I felt.

"Don't start blaming yourself. James is the bad guy, remember?"

We all jumped when we heard banging on the door. "Open up, it's Whitlock."

The four of us breathed a sigh of relief together. I opened the door, and Alice came rushing inside with four other agents trailing behind her. I told her what I could about the SUV, and she called the info back to the Bureau.

"I'm sorry Edward, I mean all of you. It was stupid of me not to take this threat more seriously. I put all of you in danger," Alice sighed.

"No really, I should have insisted he go to the safe house," Emmett argued.

"You guys, stop!" Bella said forcefully. "There hasn't been any sign of trouble until just now. No one is to blame except the creeps who are doing this."

"She's right," Rosalie agreed. I smiled at her appreciatively. She growled at me and bared her teeth.

"Okay, we've got agents all over the place. You're safe for the time being. I need to call in and see where I can send you Edward. There's a safe house just outside Tacoma that's probably our best bet for now. Bella and Rosalie, you can't stay here. I'm sorry. I have another safe house in the Tri Cities that you can stay at until the trial is over."

Bella, Rosalie, and Emmett all looked mortified. "No way is Rosalie going to the Tri-Cities," Emmett said.

"Don't argue with me McCarty."

"I'm not arguing. I'm stating a fact." Emmett crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. I had to hand it to him. He was brave. He was stupid for going against Alice, but he was brave. She stared him down with a glare that looked like it would vaporize him.

"She's staying with me at my place. They have no reason to bother her there."

Alice tapped her foot and continued to glare at him. "I suppose Bella could stay there too," she finally conceded after thinking about it.

"I want to stay with Edward!" Bella blurted out.

"Fine!" Alice threw her hands up in the air. "Can I get anyone a latte with their orders tonight?"

I looked at Bella who was blushing like mad. "Are you sure?" Please, please, please say you're sure. With Bella there, a safe house wouldn't be bad. It wouldn't be any worse than the hospital at least, and it had satellite. Plus there would be no Dr. Doesn't-think-his-crap-stinks there.

"Of course. I refuse to be sequestered in a house with Mr. and Mrs. Moan-and-Groan over there. I have to keep my music to near deafening whenever they're here."

"Great!" I smiled at her with a goofy grin, and she smiled back at me. This was going to be perfect. I almost forgot we were hiding out from people who wanted me dead.

"Wait, what about my test?" Bella's smiled turned to worry.

"Bella, your life is more important that your test," Alice said. Bella's bottom lip began to quake. "Oh sweetie, we'll find a way for you to take it. I promise." Alice ran to Bella and hugged her. Goodbye, agent Whitlock. Hello, sappy female. "We'll even celebrate afterwards just like I told you."

"Thanks, Alice. I don't know what I'd do without you." Bella squeezed her back. Alice went back into agent mode again and started barking out orders. She sent someone to my house to pack some things and meet us back at the Bureau. Rosalie and Bella were ordered to go pack. Emmett was on the phone setting up the logistics of the transport, the personnel, and opening up the safe house. I'd been on the other end of an operation like this before, and it was nice just to get to sit back and watch. I glanced out the window and didn't see anything except Bureau cars littering the parking lot. If anyone was around when I got here, they'd have been scared off by now.

I put my gun away and let myself relax a little. Alice shouted something about Bella packing alone and went running into her room. I was the only one with nothing to do. I started picking out some of Bella's movies to take with us, and then I realized I wouldn't have anything to read or listen to at the safe house. I decided to peek my head in Bella's room and tell her to bring plenty of books and music.

I stopped dead in my tracks at the scene before me. Bella and Alice were obviously arguing. Alice was holding up some slinky lacy blue nighty as Bella had her arms crossed over her chest and a fist full of panties in one hand.

"Oh hey, Edward. I was just trying to help Bella pack. What do you think about this? Do you think she should bring it?" Alice asked with a devious look on her face.

"I uh.. " I immediately started picturing Bella wearing that thing. Then I started picturing Bella not wearing that thing, and then I started picturing what I would like to do to her once she took that thing off. "I – um – books. Can you just bring some books?" I said with my eyes still popping out of the sockets, my heart beating faster, and sweat forming on my brow. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had this sort of a physical reaction to a woman. Not even a woman – just the thought of a woman, specifically Bella, wearing that. What was happening to me? I closed the door as Alice giggled, and I heard Bella groan in humiliation. I rested my back on the wall of the hallway and tried to get a hold of myself.

Okay, so I was obviously physically attracted to Bella. What man wouldn't be? Her eyes, her hair, her body, her perky… I couldn't act on those impulses though. I wouldn't risk losing her, and I would definitely screw things up if I tried to screw her. She was out of my league anyway. I felt lucky she was even willing to spend time with me. I was selfish and moody by nature. I was also arrogant and inflexible in my opinions. One day, if fate smiled on me, I'd find a woman who was good for me, but Bella was too good.

I would do my best to be what she needed – a good friend, a big brother, a confidant. I would try and make sure she got to experience some of the same care and loving concern she so generously gave to others. When a man who truly deserved her made her his, I would be happy for and celebrate with her. Thinking about Bella happy and in love make me sick to my stomach, but this wasn't about me. She deserved to be happy.

A/N: What is that? The sound of progress? Edward and Bella moving in together? Hmmmm. I'm not ashamed of being a review whore. I want them. I admit it. I want a lot of them. I want you to give it to me. Did that sound dirty? It wasn't supposed to. Oops.

Since I didn't reply to any reviews last time (though I read and loved them all – I was at work most of the time and ff is blocked there because of all the porn you guys read) so I will send you a teaser this time. And because you're pretty.

See you in a couple of days.