Bella's POV

I didn't sleep well last night.

I kept having second thoughts.

What would happen when I wanted to leave?

Normally, I would just walk out, but Jasper and Alice promised me they wouldn't allow that to happen.

That scared me.

I shrugged out of the covers of the overly comfortable bed and threw on a sweatshirt before dragging myself down the stairs.

It was completely silent in their house.

Alice and Jasper probably left for work.

I helped myself to their coffee and sat down at their kitchen table.

A newspaper was left open purposefully. Circles around most of the page. They were all ads for places hiring.

After ten minutes of reading, I wanted to dump my coffee on the newspaper.

None of those jobs were things I would even be remotely considered for.

Maybe I could be a janitor there, at best.

I rolled my eyes as I got up to clean my mug of coffee.

As I was placing it in the dishwasher I heard the door open.

I turned around with the coffee mug in my right hand. I was squeezing it for dear life, like it could save me from whatever was in the house.

I raised the coffee mug, just in case I had to strike this… attacker?

I thought this was a safe neighborhood.

A big, brawny man entered the kitchen.

His shoulders were broad and his muscles were clearly defined throughout his entire body. What struck me as odd, though, was that he smiling so broadly that his dimples were coming out.

"I'm not afraid of you," I growled to the intruder. I hoped my voice rung out confidently.

There was a silent moment and the man broke it by letting out a hearty laugh. "Hi, Bella."

I felt my eyes widen. How the hell does he know my name?

Has this man done research on the house…?

"Who are you?" I asked, my coffee mug still up in the air.

"Emmett," he said. "Are you going to hit me with that?"

"I've never heard of you," I said avoiding his second question.

"For real? Go figure. I'm Alice's cousin."

"Are you related to her other cousin?" I asked lowering the coffee mug.

"Uh," he said brushing past me to get his own cup of coffee. "That depends. If it was Edward, then yeah that's my brother."

"You don't look like him," I accused.

"I don't act like him, either. Do you know where the sugar is?"

"I left it on the table," I told Emmett.

"So, you met Edward?" Emmett asked. "He probably yelled at you, right?"

"I met him," I said, "but he didn't yell at me. Why would he?"

Emmett looked at his coffee and began stirring it with a spoon. I took a seat across from him.

"He's been a real pain in the ass lately. Rose said it's just him dealing with stress, but I say he's not having fun."

"Rose… short for Rosalie?" I asked.

"Yep," Emmett said. "Hey, did they tell you bout Rose and not me? Those jerks."

"No, they didn't say much about her."

"Good," Emmett huffed. "What do you want to do today?"

"Um," I said confused.

"I was instructed to help you get a decent job, but that's boring shit that Edward would be better suited to help with. Me, well, I can show you all the crooks and kinks of this town. I was born and raised here."

"Honestly, Emmett, I'll be fine on my own. You don't need to baby-sit me."

"Baby-sitting?" Emmett let out a howl of a laugh.

"You know what I mean."

"I do," Emmett said. "But, if I leave then I have to go home and Pregnant Rosalie is worse than Seth's mud pies."

"I won't rat you out if you want to just do guy stuff or whatever."

Emmett shrugged his shoulders, "I don't mind hanging out with you. I've never met someone who threatens me with a coffee mug when I have a gun in my pocket."

"You… have a gun?" I was getting nervous all over again, even though moments before I felt completely relaxed.

"I'm a cop," Emmett said. "Well, detective technically."

"Wow," I said. "And I thought you were a criminal."

That earned another hearty laugh from Emmett.

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"And this is where I met my lovely lady," Emmett said as we walked into a park.

Since the summer season was starting, all of the flowers were bloomed and the trees were green. It was strange to see a park in such a busy city like Chicago.

"This is a nice place," I replied.

"Yeah," Emmett said. "Rose doesn't like it much, though."

"Really?" I asked. "Why?"

"It holds some bad memories," Emmett's face was drained of its smile and cheer.

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude…"

"You didn't," Emmett said. He started to smile again, but it was more forced than before.

Emmett's cell phone rang and he excused himself before walking away to talk.

I kept walking through the park and found a path, if Emmett wasn't with me, I'd take it.

I didn't want to walk away from him, though.

I'd come back another time by myself.

"Bella!" Emmett's voice sounded yelling my name.

"Over here!" I called back and I saw Emmett's body prancing through the flowers and weeds to catch up to me.

I had to stifle a giggle.

"Rose needs me home," Emmett said.

"OK," I answered walking back with Emmett.

I didn't realize that Emmett had walked me back to his place and not Alice and Jasper's. I wouldn't have minded him not walking me home, but I didn't know where I was.

Emmett began to go up the path to his home and I stayed frozen on the sidewalk.

"Bella?" Emmett asked, but kept going to his house.

"I don't know how to get home," I confessed, still frozen.

"I'll walk you back later, come on." Emmett left his front door open for me.

I walked the short distance to the house and slowly entered the house and shut the door behind me.

Their home was just as nice as Alice and Jasper's, yet more sophisticated.

"Up here," Emmett called.

"'Kay," I said walking up the stairs slowly.

I followed the sound of talking until I was right outside of the master bedroom.

I knocked quietly.

I was expecting Emmett to call me in, but instead a soft voice said, "Come in."

I opened the door and saw Emmett standing off to the side with a notepad in hand and a pen in the other writing furiously.

Lying on the bed was a woman who was very pregnant. Her golden hair that was curled to perfection, naturally. Her plum blue eyes met my boring brown ones.

"Bella, right?" She asked.

"Yeah," I answered unsure where to go.

"I'm Rosalie," she introduced herself and stuck her perfectly manicured hand for me to shake.

Unlike Edward, I shook Rosalie's hand.

"Oh, and Em," Rose said. "I want stuff for tacos, chips that can hold the salsa, and I want watermelon. Maybe a grapefruit? Actually, scratch that I want some pickles."

Emmett scribbled furiously into his notepad and I looked back and forth between the two.

"I'm not usually this fickle," Rosalie said brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm just…"

"Pregnant," I said.

"And very hungry," Rosalie said.

"She eats more than me!" Emmett beamed. "My baby boy is going to be big and strong."

"Daughter," Rosalie sighed. "He doesn't believe the doctor."

"Why not?" I asked Emmett while I took a seat on their couch against the window.

"Easy," Emmett said. I heard Rosalie sigh heavily, but Emmett continued, "I know Rosalie like no one else –"

"Oh my God," Rose breathed under her breath.

" – and I would know what her body decides to create."

"Well, actually," I said with a smile. "The man decides the sex of the baby…"

"Really?" Emmett asked. "You're sure?"

"Well, I went to college so that I could become a DNA technician, so yeah, I know my basic biology."

"Cool!" Emmett said. "I determine the sex of the baby."

"Very cool," Rosalie said. "Can you add bread to that list of yours?"

"It's at the top, baby," Emmett said. "I'm off."

He kissed Rosalie on the cheek and waved to me before heading out the door.

This is… awkward.

Here I sit, in my brother and sister-in-law's friends' home.

I don't know much about them.

I wish Emmett brought me back to Alice and Jasper's.

"You wanted to be a lab technician?" Rosalie asked sitting up a little higher on the bed.

"I still do," I said. "It's just not really the best economy right now, so…"

"If you went to a decent school, I'm sure someone would hire you. This place always needs new people on the C.S.I teams, it's almost ridiculous."

"How do you know?" I asked, intrigued.

"I work with the police force sometimes for my job."

"What do you do?" I asked feeling stupid asking so many questions.

"Right now, I'm on a leave. Obviously, I mean, I'm on bed-rest, but…"

"Rosalie?" Alice's voice called as we heard footsteps leading to her room. "Oh. Bella."

Alice looked shocked to see me there, but recovered quickly and gave Rosalie a bagel.

"I'm going to be thirty pounds heavier after this," Rosalie replied with a sarcastic smile.

"It'll be worth it," Alice said. "You already love kids, and this one is yours and Emmett's… so, you know…"

"I know I'll love the kid, Alice." Rose shook her head. "I was just ranting. I miss using my feet and seeing the sun."

"Aw," Alice cooed.

"And Emmett finds it hilarious that I can't see my own feet when I stand up," Rosalie said. "I still have a long way to go."

"It can't be that much longer," I said and then realized my slip. I didn't even know how long Rose was pregnant.

"Two months," Rosalie whined not at all mad at me.

"It's worth it," Alice said.

"Do you have butter in your purse?" Rosalie asked Alice suddenly.

Alice's eyebrows raised and Rosalie took that as no.

"I can get it," I said. "Is it in your kitchen?"

"You don't mind?" Rosalie asked.

"Nope."

"It should be in the fridge, and grab a knife, too."

I walked down the long stairs and admired the artwork on the walls. I passed her dining room and entered the kitchen.

It was all dark wood with granite counter tops. The appliances were obviously new and the place was just gorgeous.

I ran a hand over the countertop.

"That's new," A silky voice replied behind me.

"Edward." I said and turned around.

"Hello."

"Hi," I said shyly.

He was still absolutely gorgeous. In his hands were four or five grocery bags.

"Can you tell Rosalie I brought this over?" Edward asked while unloading the bags of food. He was standing so close to me.

"Uh huh," I mumbled. My head was too foggy with him near me.

I took a step away and inhaled.

I then turned away from the man and opened the refrigerator in search of the butter. I figured he was about to leave.

"I just wanted to apologize," Edward said. The sound of his voice caused me to jump and hit my head on the top of the refrigerator.

"I realize you're going to be part of my life for a period of time and I don't want things to be awkward…" Edward trailed off concentrating on unloading the food.

"Don't apologize if Alice put you up to this," I said rubbing the back of my head.

"She didn't tell me to, though she did tell me I was a quote 'dickhead', but really I'm not controlled by Alice. So, really, this is genuine. Take it or leave it."

"Whatever," I said. It sounded like he was playing games with me and I wasn't up for it.

"Goodbye, Bella."

I didn't say goodbye to him, I wasn't going to be polite to that guy.

Emmett came through the door with about ten different bags in his hands. How many people did Rosalie send off for food?

Emmett plopped the bags down on the floor and asked, "What'd you do to him?"

"Edward?" I asked.

"Yeah," Emmett said.

"Nothing," I said.

"He looked pretty pissed, but I don't take you as a liar."

"He needs to get the stick out of his ass," I replied.

Emmett came over and threw me into a bear hug, "Why haven't I met you before?"

I laughed and shrugged. "I better take this," I lifter up the stick of butter, "up to Rosalie."

"I've got it," Emmett replied snatching it from my hands.

"You sure you can handle all of these items to carry upstairs?"

"She doesn't need it all now," Emmett replied walking away to grab a knife.

"What?"

"If I bring up tacos now with watermelon… she'll lose her appetite and want some saltine crackers."

I was impressed by Emmett.

It wasn't much for him to know the food routine for his wife, but it was sweet? And something I'd never experience.

So I just smiled.

"Let's play a quick game of Halo?" Emmett asked.

"Cops play Halo on their days off?" I asked shaking my head.

"Hey, I'm prepared for anything," Emmett replied.

"Emmett!" Rosalie's voice rung thru the house.

"Sorry," Emmett said picking up a few grocery bags, "I'll be back down later. Want to come back up?"

I shook my head no. "Tell Alice I'll be at her place later. I think I want to explore this city."

Teaser For Chapter 6:

Tentatively, Edward reached for my hand, when our fingers were within millimeters I jerked away. "Sorry," he muttered.

Hmm… why is he reaching for her hand?

Next chapter is, like, half-way done. I can assure you the story starts to get a move on.

And I'm sorry for the wait.

Review, darlings.