A/N: Reviewers are the fuel in my writing car. You let me know that people are really reading this thing and you give great feedback. Thank you so much!

I don't intend to infringe on Stephanie Meyer and her publicly recognisable characters. That would be illegal, and there's enough of that kinda stuff in the story to begin with.

Chapter 18

BPOV

When my stomach growled, and Edward screamed dramatically and hid behind a chair, I realised that it didn't make any sense to let James hurt me while I was here, out of his reach. If James fed off of weakness, then I was no prey of his. I'd decided to make the best of every day, every minute I had.

EPOV

She looked around my kitchen, simply observing.

"What does the chef think of my kitchen?"

"The chef, huh?"

I nodded.

"The chef thinks your countertops are of good quality,"

She walked around, opening cupboards and the large pantry and the double door refrigerator.

"Excellent, fresh ingredients- top of the line appliances. The chef in me is very pleased."

"And what do you think?"

She laughed at that, "I think you're OCD!"

I was tempted to punch her arm then, but it was true. Alice and the others always teased me about it. I liked to have me things neatly labelled and organised.

"But so am I, so I'm not complaining." She shrugged. "My kitchen is organised differently, but still as meticulously."

I did not know what to think of that.

She began taking out bowls and a whisk and other ingredients. I walked toward her, hoping to help.

"So what are we making?" I asked. She lifted her eyebrow, which obviously meant, 'say that again. I dare you.'

So I went and took a seat on the stairs.

Twenty minutes later, a stack of blueberry waffles was placed before me. It was covered in sauce- I had no idea what was in it. She made me cover my eyes while she prepared it.

She offered me a knife and a fork, but I turned it down. I picked up a waffle, and looked up at her. She was watching to see my reaction.

I took my first bite tentatively; I knew it had to taste good, but I'd never expected it to taste that good.

The flavours exploded in my mouth- sweet blueberry bursting from the soft, warm waffles. The sauce created an exciting blend of sweet and sour on my taste buds.

"How does it taste?" she asked. She looked genuinely interested in my opinion.

So I decided to tease her.

"Alright." I shrugged in response. She knew I was kidding; I'd eaten two waffles so far and was well into my third.

Soon enough, Emmet and Alice came. She made a second batch after Emmet inhaled the rest of the first.

Alice sat next to her while they ate.

BPOV

"They change completely when they get together, but Edward definitely seems much... lighter today." Alice explained. "Edward and Emmet grew up together. They're like crazy brothers but were both adopted." I didn't understand, but Emmet interrupted before I could give any more information.

"Bella, tell Edward the last waffle is for your celebrity crush."

"Oh hell no!" Edward said, snapping his fingers quite gaily, "That's mine!"

I just laughed at their antics, choosing not to get involved.

I turned back to Alice, now very curious.

"Well, I'm sure you know that Emmet is related to the former first family, right?"

I nodded, urging her on.

"Well, when Emmet's father was running for senate, he knocked up Emmet's mother, who was under aged. And he was married, too. Emmet was born into an unstable home where he was unwanted, and his father would abuse him whenever he could, simply for being born."

I looked up at Emmet, now cutting the waffle in 'half' and giving Edward his share. I couldn't see the effects on him now.

"Our parents took him away from them when he had been badly hurt. My father was a young intern at the hospital and my mother had come to visit. When she came in through a private entrance, she heard the senator arguing about Emmet, and decided that she would take this child in, even before she spoke to my dad or saw Emmet in the emergency room."

"So Emmet's father was the President?"

"No," Alice corrected, "His cousin is the one that ran and won. Emmet used to be quite the recluse- he even home-schooled. Very little has leaked about Emmet's family and origin, so the press can only go with the little it knows."

Alice chuckled quietly at Edward and Emmet's antics while I sat and contemplated.

Emmet was an actual member of the family- related to the Cullens. That was quite a shock, an unexpected bit of news.

I still wanted to know much more.

"Did Edward have a similarly traumatising upbringing?" I rethought my blurted question. "I mean, you don't have to tell me. He might not want you to share that with me."

APOV

"No, Edward was adopted when he was one after his parents died. Anything traumatising happened to Edward later in life, and that's his story to tell."

She nodded, looking disappointed. I knew she wasn't going to pry; she understood.

"But what I can tell you," I began, and her head snapped up in my direction. I couldn't help but smile at that.

"What I can tell you is that you're changing him. He's usually more... reserved. It's not like he never smiled, but he rarely did. He was more closed off; he was more boxed in. You're knocking down bricks in his wall, Bella Swan. You're bringing him back."

Bella nodded dazedly; she was gazing blankly at Edward and Emmet, now arguing like an old married couple.

"Emmet I've been telling you for years! You can't cut straight to save your life!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Scratch that- arguing like four year olds.

I was glad that she was distracted, because she couldn't see me plotting.

Bella was going about this the right way. There were many ways to a man's heart. Like through his stomach. Considering the war going on over a cold waffle, I knew she was definitely set in that department. Bella was well on her way at showing her his mind. Everyone was impressed at how quickly she'd deciphered James' letter.

But Edward wasn't any man. Edward's heart was not dead, but it was more than six feet under the ruins of all he'd been through.

Despite this, Edward was a man, and Bella was a very beautiful woman. There was one other way that she could sneak past all of Edward's defences and bring him back to the surface again. And considering the way she watched him as he removed his sauce-stained shirt, I knew she wouldn't mind sneaking in at all.

And I had complete control over her wardrobe.

This was going to be good.

A/N:

Reviews are slowly trickling back down. Leave a quick word in the box please?

Seriously though, my greatest fear is that people will start shuffling out. We've transitioned into the relationship, and with Alice's help, I'll give you some lemons. I was fighting with myself to stick to my plot or jump straight into it this chapter. Stick with me, please.