Disclaimer: Okay guys, are we ready … altogether now, on the count of three … 1 … 2 … 3. (deep breath) … "Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight"
Cut! And that's a wrap people! Well done!
A/N Well, this is it. It's the last chapter, but there will be an epilogue to follow. I hope you're sitting comfortably, because it's a BIG chapter!
Thanks to Leisa for being such a wonderful Beta. I'm so amazed that I found a fellow Aussie on an international forum who has become such a wonderful friend. Also big love goes to Autumn, Ady, Melina, Shiv, Mel, Judy, Kiki, Barbarito, Julie, Caren, Lalina, Topaz, Keeny, (deep breath to continue), Trinity, Leigh, Susan, 'You won't see an iguana', Kari, Kassiah, Guinevere, Viridis, Madison, the Cullen girls (there are a few of you!), Lindy and …
And …
Oh, the orchestra's started. Does that mean I have to get off the stage? Now?
Oh.
Damn.
Oh well, without any further ado, on with the chapter!
Chapter 20
Bella smiled as she pulled into her car park and saw Edward's car parked in the street outside. She let herself into the apartment to see Edward sprawled on her couch, talking on the phone.
"Actually she's just gotten in, would you like to talk to her?"
Bella dumped her handbag and laptop on the kitchen counter, and walked towards him as he kept talking.
"Yeah I know, but you've had the best so it's time for the rest," he continued, then paused to listen to the response and laughed. He looked up at her with dancing eyes and pulled her down onto his lap. "I couldn't agree more," he replied, "but here she is so I'll let you go. Okay. Okay. Sure, and it was great talking to you too, give my best to Charlie."
Bella rolled her eyes as she took the receiver.
"Hey Mom, how are you?"
"Good sweetheart, have you had a good day?"
Edward was kissing the side of her neck.
"It's getting better now," Bella answered, trying to maintain a reasonable conversational tone while Edward tried to distract her in the most delightful way, "how about you?"
"Oh it's all good here, and Edward has been bringing me up to date so I don't know that I have much to report to you now. What with the combination of the magazines, TMZ and chatting to him, I pretty much know everything that you guys have been up to."
"God, you sound just like Esme!"
Renee laughed.
"Funny, that's just what Edward said. I was talking to her during the week, we've taken to comparing notes."
"Oh Mom, tell me you're joking," Bella groaned.
"I am not, she's absolutely delightful, why wouldn't we keep in touch now and then?"
o * o * o * o *
Bella had finally had the chance to take Edward home to meet her parents six months prior, just in time for Halloween, and his arrival had provided the small town of Forks with enough gossip to see them through the next decade at least.
She had regaled him with high school stories on the flight, and given him a quick tour of the town before they had arrived at her childhood home. Just as she had been about to knock on the door, Bella had turned to Edward as if on an afterthought with a mischievous look on her face.
"And don't listen to any stories about Charlie shooting one of my ex boyfriends," she muttered.
"Right," Edward had replied.
"It was only a graze, and he was fine," Bella added with a wink.
Edward's eyes were a little wild when he and Charlie shook hands moments later.
Renee had at first been a little over-awed by Edward, asking him stories about the Hollywood stars he knew, all but fainting against Charlie when Edward had referred to the likes of George Clooney and Matt Damon. As the weekend had progressed, she had seemed almost disappointed that he was a mere mortal after all, and by the time Bella and Edward had to leave, she was treating him like part of the family.
Bella's father, Charlie, was a man of few words at the best of times, so he had been silent for a time. After watching Edward with a measuring gaze that had been long enough for Edward to start to feel nervous, Charlie had begun to speak.
First it was football, and then the subject moved on to baseball.
And then Edward had mentioned that although he didn't follow a lot of sports, he and Emmett had been taken on a lot of camping weekends by their father when they were boys, and had developed a healthy appreciation of fishing.
After that revelation, they couldn't shut Charlie up.
"Honey," Renee had observed as she and Bella watched the two men sitting in the living room talking animatedly, "if you don't marry Edward, I think your father will."
Bella stood watching the two men in her life, a fond smile on her face.
o * o * o * o *
"So your father wants to know when Edward is coming to visit again," Renee was saying.
"Am I included?" Bella teased.
"Of course you are, but you know what your father's like. If he thinks he's got a chance of wetting a line I won't see him for dust. It'd be nice to have you there for some company."
"Well, we'll have some time later in the-"
"Year, yes I know," Renee interrupted, "Edward has already mentioned that you can probably come up in a few months, Forks should have recovered by then."
She had a point. When word had gotten out that Edward Cullen was in Forks for the Halloween weekend the Swan house had been under siege. The children wanted candy, their mothers wanted eye candy, and some of the more ambitious teenagers and not-so-teenage women in the town had braved the cool night air in a variety of barely-there outfits, offering an entirely different candy of their own.
At one point, the house had been visited by what had appeared to be a group of giggling hookers. They'd taken one look at Edward and squealed, barely able to speak as he dished out the candy with a dry smile. Thankfully none of them had fallen over as they left, because their outfits had left precious little to the imagination. As Renee had tartly observed, 'If their skirts were any shorter the world would be their gynecologist'.
"Well," Bella hedged, "I know that I'm going to be working on a couple of projects, and Edward is going to be filming. How about he and I check our schedules and give you a call back?"
"It's just so good to see you both anytime, and you know how happy we are to see our girl happy," said Renee. She sounded like she was in the mood to reminisce, and Bella could feel that Edward was in the mood for something else altogether.
"I know Mom," Bella said, squirming against Edward's lap, making him give a soft groan, "Listen, I've just gotten in from work and need to get a few things done so-"
"Alright Bella, give us a call soon, and give Edward our love."
"Will do," Bella replied.
She disconnected the call and handed the phone to Edward, who put it back in the cradle where it sat on the table beside the couch.
"Get a few things done huh? Such as?" Edward asked, kissing Bella in the hollow at the base of her throat, his breath tickling her skin.
"One or two things spring to mind," Bella replied in a faint voice as Edward made a soft snarling noise and sank his teeth into her neck.
Dinner was very late.
o * o * o * o *
"Hey you're early, the meeting isn't for another half hour," Alice greeted as Bella arrived at the office the following morning.
"I know, but there were a few things I wanted to go over first, just to make sure I've got everything covered off," Bella answered.
She walked into the lunch room to see Jasper turning from the coffee machine with a surprised look on his face.
"You're in on the meeting too?" he asked as he reached for a second cup.
"Sure, Alice told me I absolutely, positively had to be here," Bella replied, leaning her hip against the counter and watching Jasper go to work on another coffee. She accepted the cup with a smile and followed him into his office.
"Did she," Jasper said, "well that's interesting, because-"
"Jazz," Alice called out in a warning tone, "it's a surprise."
Bella looked at Jasper and raised an eyebrow.
"Is it meant to be a good surprise, or a bad surprise?" she asked.
"Bit hard to tell at this point," he hedged.
"Hmmm," Bella said in a considering tone, "well whenever you two want to share let me know, I'll be at my desk."
o * o * o * o *
An hour later, Bella looked up from her laptop as Jasper appeared beside her, a harried expression on his face.
"Okay Bells, this is it."
"They're here?" Bella started to gather her papers.
"Uh, they've been here for an hour, Alice and I have been doing the preliminary discussions and now they want some more input into the project from the contributors."
"Right," Bella was a little nonplussed. She hadn't been involved in many meetings at all, but it seemed that this particular project was getting a little more traction. For a fledgling company such as Jasper's, Bella knew there was a significant amount of pressure for this one to get across the line.
She followed Jasper into the conference room and stopped dead in her tracks.
Edward was sitting there, alongside Eric, looking equally surprised.
"Edward?" she asked, her voice sounding funny in her ears.
"Bells?" he answered, sounding as puzzled as she was. He got up from his seat and rounded the table to give her a quick kiss, gently rubbing her forearm, then sat back down.
Bella took a seat, shooting a quizzical look at Alice who was doing her best to maintain an innocent façade, for all that she mouthed the word 'surprise' when no-one else was looking.
"I didn't realise that this was one of the projects you were interested in," Bella ventured after a startled pause.
"And I didn't know that you were one of the writers," Edward said, "although I should have guessed when I got the script last month and thought some of it sounded familiar."
"Actually, some of that is probably my fault," Eric supplied, "Edward gets a lot of scripts coming his way as you'd imagine, so I don't usually bring him up to speed on where the scripts are from or who's working on them until he expresses an interest.
"Hmm, and all you told me was that it was from Foresight Productions," Edward commented in a droll voice.
Bella was watching Edward, feeling a slight flush building on her cheeks.
"I can't believe you're here," she ventured, "this had better not be nepotism or you're in for a world of shit when we get home."
Bella's comment shocked a laugh out of Eric and Jasper.
"Bells, believe me, I'm here because I'm interested in the script, I've only just become aware that it's one you've been working on," Edward answered in a quiet voice.
"Maybe," Bella said, "but we'll be having a talk about this later."
"Sooner you than me," Jasper muttered to Edward under his breath.
"So," Alice began in a bright tone of voice, "now that all our cards are on the table, what's the verdict from your side of things, Eric?"
Edward and Eric exchanged a slight glance.
"You sure?" Eric asked. Edward nodded. "Okay," Eric turned back to the others, "we're very interested, and we'd love to get involved. I can say on behalf of my client here," he indicated Edward with a nod, "that it can be in an acting or producing capacity, whatever level of involvement you would prefer, we can negotiate on."
"That's a pretty generous offer," Jasper managed after a long silence.
It was no understatement. For a small and relatively new production company to have attracted the attention of a major Hollywood star was no mean feat. It would be a make or break effort on everyone's part, and would put Foresight Productions very firmly on everyone's radar for the coming months.
"Edward," Jasper continued, "don't get me wrong we'd be thrilled to have you on board, but compared to the blockbusters you've worked on, this is going to be a stray dog production by comparison."
Edward laughed.
"There's nothing wrong at all with stray dogs. Sure, they need more attention and care, but I believe that they ultimately reward you with a fierce loyalty and a great personality," he paused, "and sometimes fleas."
"Seriously?" Alice asked.
"Sure. Look," Edward rubbed the back of his neck and leaned forward in his chair, looking earnest, "I'm not getting any younger, and I want a career that's going to offer a bit of longevity in this town. I'm happy to be involved in front of or behind the camera, and I want to give people the kind of breaks that I was given."
Bella stirred in her seat, and Edward glanced at her before he continued.
"I'm not talking about charity here, I know it's going to be hard work. It's as much of a risk for me as it is for you guys, but it was the quality of the writing that drew me to the script. I want this movie made."
Bella's mouth went dry.
"Would you be interested in being cast in the film?" Alice ventured.
Edward shrugged.
"Sure, who wouldn't? The roles you guys have created here are amazing, but that puts the pressure on you as the production company," he replied, "Getting someone high profile like me on board means that the studios are going to want to up the budget, special effects, more people, and that means a loss of artistic control for you."
"Can we even afford you?" Bella blurted out.
Edward turned to her with a smile.
"You can if I agree to work for scale, which I'm happy to do."
Eric blanched at that, but quickly smoothed his expression into one of calm acceptance. He'd just kissed his commission goodbye, but had to admit that he'd made a very good living from Edward's projects in the past, so letting one slip through to the goalposts wasn't going to hurt. Having Edward on his books had been very good for business, and they'd developed a personal as well as a professional friendship.
The meeting wound on. By the time it concluded some two hours later, Edward had accepted the role in the movie that he had been interested in, and Eric was already suggesting alternate people in the industry for Jasper to contact for funding.
Bella's head was swimming. A script that she and a team of writers had done a considerable amount of work on was going to be turned into a film.
Turned into a film starring Hollywood super star, Edward Cullen.
Turned into a film starring her boyfriend, Edward Cullen.
Turned into a film with her boyfriend.
Her life was changing beyond anything she had ever imagined, all from one interview with a certain someone.
o * o * o * o *
"Hey babe, you want a glass of wine?" Edward greeted her as she walked into the living room.
"That'd be great," she sighed, and relaxed onto the sofa.
"So how did your meeting go today?" he asked with an innocent expression as he handed her a glass.
"Pretty good, the script has been getting circulated and I think we've cast the main role."
"Anyone I know?"
"Not sure," Bella shrugged, "his name is .. uh … ," her forehead wrinkled in apparent concentration, "E-something?"
"Sounds like he didn't make that much of an impression, are you sure you've got the right guy?"
"Oh I don't know anything about that side of movie making, but he seems cheap enough."
"Really?"
"Bargain basement. I warned Jasper afterwards that you get what you pay for, but he seems excited enough. Still," Bella said with a reminiscent smile, "he was pretty cute, I might have to see if he's taken."
"I think you'll find that he's very taken," Edward supplied.
"Just my luck," Bella sighed.
"Yep, sorry Bells, you'll just have to put up with me instead."
Bella regarded him over the rim of her glass.
"I suppose I'll be able to cope with that."
o * o * o * o *
The conversation had taken a more serious turn after dinner as the two of them discussed the pros and cons of Edward's involvement on the picture.
"Are you sure you didn't know I was going to be at the meeting?"
"Bells, I might be an actor but you should be able to tell when I'm really surprised about something. Seeing you walk through that door was not something I was expecting. I knew you worked for Jasper and Alice, I just didn't you'd been working on that script."
"Right, so your interest in the script-"
"Was purely on its own merits," Edward replied firmly.
"Oh," Bella said, subsiding with relief. It had been weighing on her mind.
"Eric and I had a talk about me funding the project, but once I saw the script I wanted to be more than a checkbook," he leaned forward as he spoke, choosing his words carefully. "Bella I'm not in this as some kind of vanity project for myself, and I'm not in it because you wrote it. This is something that I genuinely want to do."
"But this is so different from what you normally do," Bella replied, "Hell, even the money is going to be radically different. You get paid millions, and with this you'll get a pittance of that."
"Bella you know we talked about this weeks ago. I'm scaling things back now. I've made a good career for myself, and I can afford to slow things down and do the films that I'm genuinely interested in, not just because of the money, or because I think it's how people want to see me. Now that we're together, I don't need to running around the world filming back to back. I can have a life now."
"If you're sure," Bella replied in a hesitant voice, "I don't want to hold you back from anything."
"And I don't want to hold you back either. If you think me getting involved in this movie is going to be too detrimental to your career, then I'll pull out."
Bella looked at him in disbelief.
"You'd do that?"
"Sure. I know plenty of people to give the script to in my place."
"I-" Bella paused, "I don't quite know what to say to that."
"Just think about it," Edward urged. "There's no reason for something like this to come between us."
"Okay, I will, and thanks," her eyes glowed at him.
o * o * o * o *
"He said what?" Alice's eyes nearly popped out of her head as Bella relayed the details of the conversation to her over a coffee.
"Just that. He said if I didn't want him involved in the movie he'd pull out altogether."
"Bella, there are movie makers in this town that would crawl naked over broken glass to get Edward in their movies, and you've just told me that he's as meek as a lamb with you. Do you realize how powerful that makes you in Hollywood right now?"
"Yeah, right," Bella scoffed and sipped her coffee.
"Whatever. So what did you tell him?"
"I told him that I'd think about it."
Alice's cup clattered back into the saucer and Bella heard her stop breathing.
"And what is there to think about?"
Bella picked up her spoon and swirled it through her coffee, then looked back at Alice who was still holding her breath.
"Oh god Alice, don't worry that I'm going to jeopardize the production! If you and Jasper are okay with him getting involved, then it's okay with me."
"Oh we're okay, we're very okay," Alice interrupted.
"I guess I was just freaked out that he wanted to do it as some kind of charity offer is all."
"And do you still think what he's offering is charity?"
"Not anymore," smiled Bella.
Bella thought back. They had discussed the project for most of the evening, throughout which Edward had continued to reassure her that the script had won his attention for the writing, not the person.
He told her he had adored the writing.
He told her he adored her.
Then he took her to bed and showed her just how much.
"He said he can't wait for it to start."
"Amen to that sister," replied Alice, toasting her with her coffee cup, "he's going to love it."
o * o * o * o *
"I love doing this," Edward commented.
Bella looked up.
"That came out of left field," she replied, "what's going on in that pretty head of yours?"
"Nothin', guess it's just another happy attack," Edward sipped his juice and leaned back in his chair. "It's just nice to be able to go out for a quiet brunch with my girl."
"And I'm having a happy attack being away from the computer," Bella replied.
"How're the revisions going?"
"Getting there, I'm meeting with the team tomorrow to go over some of the changes, and I think we're still on track.
"Honey, don't turn around but I think you've got some admirers over your left shoulder."
"Yeah? Are they screamers or freezers?"
Bella gave them a casual glance.
"Neither, they look pretty excitable and one's getting her camera out, so get ready to work it, Cullen."
A few minutes later, Edward had looked up as a shadow fell across their table.
"Um, Edward, please excuse the interruption," one of them began, "but we were wondering if we could get a picture with you."
Edward flashed them a broad grin, making one of them give a faint squeak. If the fans were prepared to be polite, he was usually happy to accommodate them.
"Sure," he said getting to his feet, "where do you want me?"
"If only it were that easy," muttered one of the girls, looking at Bella, who gave them all a warm smile.
Edward posed with them for a few photographs, signed autographs, and the girls were on their way. He sat down and reached for his glass of juice, sipping it and regarding Bella.
"You okay?"
She looked at him over her copy of Vanity Fair.
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, the interruption-" he ventured.
Bella shrugged.
"It doesn't happen as often as it used to, and they don't know the Edward that I do," she commented, giving him a cheeky wink.
Over the last few months Edward had started to ease off on his media commitments. He had stopped going to movie premieres unless it was a movie he was in, print interviews were likewise restricted to his body of work, and he was endeavouring to lead the Hollywood equivalent of 'the quiet life'.
"Oh? And who is the Edward that you know?" he asked, leaning forward, eyeing her intently.
Bella put down her magazine and returned his gaze.
"The Edward that I know, my Edward," she began, smiling as his eyes flashed with satisfaction at her possessive tone, "is romantic, sensitive and charming, he has a foul temper if his brother raids the cupcakes unannounced,"
"True," admitted Edward, nodding his head.
"He burps like a champion when he's had too much Pepsi," she continued, "leaves the seat up more often than not, and likes 80's hair metal music much more than I think a reasonable person should."
"Hey," Edward objected, "that White Snake song is a classic!"
Bella almost managed to ignore his comment, but rolled her eyes and kept talking.
"He goes fishing with my Dad, and deliberately dropped to one knee in public the last time we were in Forks to see how long it would take for a rumour to start about us getting engaged,"
"I told you, it felt like my shoelace was coming loose," Edward replied in an all too innocent tone.
"He's not a vampire, or a knight in armour, or a reckless adventurer. He's just a guy called Edward who loves his family, and he loves me, and he's all mine." Bella finished, reaching over to lace her fingers through his.
"Sounds like you know him pretty well," Edward replied after a charged silence, his eyes crinkling as he smiled at her.
"Yup."
Edward's eyes darked as he looked at her lips, and her breathing quickened.
"You want to get out of here?" he asked, ducking his head to look into her beautiful brown eyes.
"Oh hell yeah," she replied.
The drive home was quick and distracted, and once inside they barely made it to the bedroom.
o * o * o * o *
"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'm loving this," commented Edward some time later.
"You having happy attacks again?" Bella replied in a lazy voice.
"And how," Edward answered. He was lying on his back with Bella curled up against him, "and I'm thinking about how it will be when I've got my house to myself again, so I can bring my girl home."
"Did you want to go back to your place today?"
Edward shrugged, "Your apartment was closer."
Bella wiggled around so that she was lying across him, her soft breasts pressing against his chest.
"Do you think you'll miss them when they move out?" she asked in a curious tone.
"Yeah, although I'm not sure when it'll happen so I'm okay with it," Edward replied after a moment's pause. "I have to admit it's good getting home to a bit of company, and knowing there was someone there while I was overseas."
He reached up and began to idly twirl a lock of Bella's hair around his finger.
"Having them there makes it feel like the house was turning into a home, and I like it."
"Hmmm," drowsed Bella. If Edward ever wanted to quit acting and spend his days naked in bed playing with her hair, she'd move heaven and earth to make it happen.
"Still, once they've got things sorted they'll do what's right for them," Edward added.
"Uh-huh," Bella replied.
A chuckle rumbled in Edward's chest.
"You'd agree to anything as long as I keep playing with your hair wouldn't you."
All he got in response was a soft snore.
o * o * o * o * *
"All I'm sayin' Cullen, is that if you snooze, you lose," Bella sassed Edward as she walked past him and into the house.
"Aw but c'mon, those cupcakes were mine, and he still managed to scam some!"
Bella laughed.
"I'm wonder if there will ever come a day where you and Emmett can both be around food without turning into ten year olds?"
"Oh sure," answered Rosalie from the kitchen, "and on that day Satan will drive to work on a snowplough."
Bella had snorted with laughter at the indignant look on Edward's face as he spotted another cupcake wrapper on the bench and Emmett swallowing hurriedly.
"Wow, looks like you've been busy," Bella observed once she had stopped laughing at the two men, "what's going on here?"
"Special dinner," Rosalie said with a smile.
"How special?" Edward asked, his gaze flicking to Rosalie's midsection, which she didn't miss.
"Not that special, we've got champagne as well and I'm not missing out on that."
"Right," Edward was mystified now, but looking forward to hearing about whatever it was they were going to be celebrating. "Anything you need doing?"
"You can take your fine ass and your girl outside, and Em will set you up with drinks. We've got everything under control so you kids just take a seat out the back and relax," Rosalie had replied, shooing them out of the kitchen for good measure.
The evening progressed, and Rosalie had stuck to her word. She must have spent the day preparing, because there seemed to be an endless procession of dishes. What may have been a refined seven course degustation menu for some, was an exploding horn of plenty as far as Emmett was concerned, and he had eaten with gusto which had gradually slowed to a halt.
"I think my armpits are bulging," he finally sighed as he leaned back in his chair.
Edward looked at Rosalie with awe.
"I think he's finally eaten enough. Hell Rose, not even Mom could do that."
"Well, I did go a bit overboard," Rosalie admitted, "but we wanted to say thanks."
"Ah, is this the mystery surprise you were alluding to earlier?" asked Bella.
"Sure is, Honey, go get the bubbles," Rosalie said, leaning over to nudge Emmett.
"I don't think I can move," he protested.
"Now, honey," Rosalie said.
Grumbling, Emmett got to his feet and shambled inside, returning with a bottle of Bollinger champagne in a happier frame of mind.
"I've just remembered we've got some good ice-cream inside."
Bella was incredulous.
"You were just complaining about feeling too full, now you're talking about dessert?"
Emmett gave her a pitying look.
"Bells, there's always room for dessert, I thought everyone knew that."
"Honey, sit," said Rosalie.
Emmett sat.
"Wow," commented Bella.
"It's all in the delivery," smiled Rosalie.
"Not just that," chipped in Emmett, "she's got this thing she does with her tongue that really-"
"Honey," said Rosalie.
"Yes dear," Emmett subsided.
Edward and Bella exchanged a look.
"No ideas," Edward warned.
"Too late," Bella replied.
Rosalie sighed and lifted her fingers to her mouth, Edward noticed and grabbed Bella's hand.
"We're listening!" he said quickly, "Tell us everything!"
Rosalie smiled. "Well, the fact of the matter is," she reached out and took Emmett's hand, and Bella watched the big man's expression soften as he gazed at his wife, "Emmett and I have bought our own place, so you won't have to put up with us for much longer."
There was a moment's pause before the excited babbling began.
"Really? Where?" Bella was the first to speak, getting up and hurrying around the table to shower Rosalie and Emmett with hugs and kisses. Edward followed, laughing as Emmett wrapped him up in a bear hug.
"Well we've been looking for a while, the business is going really well and getting our place was always the long term plan," Emmett explained, "so we started looking as soon as we got here."
"When do we get to see it?" Bella asked.
"Settlement goes through in a month, so that's when we get the keys. It's only a street away, so you'll see be seeing plenty of us," Rosalie added with a smile.
"Congratulations you guys," Edward replied, holding up his glass. The others followed suit and they toasted each other, "I'm thrilled for you."
"I bet you are," grinned Emmett, "you guys will be able to go out on dates and have somewhere to go for sexy times afterwards because you had 'houseguests'."
Bella spluttered over her glass.
"You remember don't you Edward?" Emmett continued, "you and Bella went to catch that band, and you came home miserable because you didn't want to bring her back to your lair for some sexy times."
"Oh I remember," Edward replied dryly.
"I think Angela does too," Bella chimed in, "I got home feeling just as bad and we ended up ploughing our way through a bottle of whiskey and some ice-cream."
"Fortunately things have changed since then," Edward said, linking his fingers through Bella's.
"And how," Bella agreed.
"So," Emmett said after there was a momentary lull in the conversation, "Mom's been wondering how the two of you are going."
"Huh?" Edward looked at his brother.
"You know, things are looking serious, and I have to say it, you're not getting any younger."
"Look who's talking," scoffed Edward.
"Yeah, but Rose and I are married, so that takes a bit of the heat off us. When are you guys going to pony up?"
"Thanks bro, glad you're not putting any pressure on us."
"Hey, anytime it takes the heat off Rose and I, we're only too happy to oblige," Emmett said, raising his glass.
Edward gazed at Bella, still chatting happily to Rosalie. His brother had a point. They'd been together for a year now and things were going well. They had their occasional squabbles but nothing that hadn't been able to be resolved. They were still juggling their careers, but even that was starting to even out.
He couldn't guarantee smooth sailing, but Bella seemed to have her feet on the ground, and more importantly, kept him grounded too.
He liked that.
Even more, he loved her for that, and a whole lot more.
It was time for the conversation that he had been mulling over, and he wondered what her answer was going to be.
o * o * o * o * *
"I've got a question for you, and you have to say yes," blurted Angela as she took a seat at the table where Bella had been waiting for her.
"Well just look at you," Bella had said, gazing at Angela who had all but bounded in.
"I'm having a great day," Angela replied, beaming as she sat down. She fluffed around, setting her bag down neatly on the chair, fussing with her hair and smiling at Bella.
"So I see," observed Bella with a smile, "so what's going on?"
"Guess," Angela grinned.
"Uh, really hot morning sex?"
"Well yeah, that too, but that's not it," Angela blushed.
"You found some kick-ass shoes on sale?"
"Nope," Angela grinned again.
"Scientists have found a way for women to leave their butt fat to Gwyneth Paltrow when they die?"
"Oh for fuck sake Bella, work with me here," sighed Angela. She ran her fingers through her hair and sat watching Bella.
Bella had stared and shrugged.
Angela sighed again with amused exasperation.
"Bella, watch what I'm doing," she said.
"You're fidgeting, do you need a coffee?"
"No Bella, pay attention to what I'm doing, with this hand. This hand with this ring on this finger."
Bella stared.
"Holy shit, he's going to make an honest woman of you," Bella said, gaping at the ring.
"You like it?" Angela said shyly.
"Ange, the only think that can out-sparkle this ring would be your eyes," Bella said, cupping Angela's hand in her own to look at the solitaire diamond, before launching herself out of her seat to give Angela a hug.
"Thanks babe!" Angela said, "now let's get a coffee."
"Fuck that, let's get out of here and so somewhere swanky, I'm getting you some serious bubbles!"
Twenty minutes and half a glass of champagne later, Bella had giddily agreed to be bridesmaid. Bella had phoned Edward to tell him the good news, and he had insisted on taking them all out to dinner to celebrate. Another bottle of champagne later, Edward had happily agreed to stand up with Ben in the wedding party as well.
"How big is the wedding going to be?" Edward had asked at one point.
Angela and Ben exchanged a happy glance.
"Not very," explained Ben. "We just want to keep it to family and close friends. We can't afford a hell of a lot so the bridal party will be just the four of us."
"Sounds good," Edward commented. He'd been to a few enormous weddings in the past, but preferred the intimacy that came with smaller groups. He shot a quick glance at Bella. They hadn't talked marriage yet, and he wondered what sort of wedding she would go for. That was something to be explored later.
"Oh my god, Ben," Angela leaned over and took his hand, "I've just realised something."
"What?"
"Your nieces are going to pee their pants when they get to the church and see Edward there!"
Ben had thought for a moment and started to laugh.
"I hadn't thought of them, babe. You're absolutely right. Edward, you're going to have to brace yourself for some excited teenagers."
Edward looked worried at the prospect.
"Hey, if me being there is going to detract from you guys-," he began.
"Stop," Ben said in a stern voice, "don't even go there man. We love you, and you're going to be there on our big day."
"Yeah, what he said," said Angela, toasting Edward with her champagne flute for good measure, "I'm the Party Princess and I say that you have to be at our wedding. Are we clear?"
"Crystal," Edward smiled, then grinned at Ben, "you never told me she was this bossy
"You're just finding this out now?" Ben said in mock surprise, "Hell, even my Dad told me that I chased and chased Angela until she caught me."
They turned to look at Angela, who sipped her champagne and tried to look modest.
"Hey," she said with a shrug, "if it gets the job done."
"Oh you're done alright," Edward commented, patting Ben on the shoulder in sympathy.
"Yeah, but what a way to go," Ben replied, leaning over and giving Angela a kiss.
"They'll be fine," Bella said quietly, "just look at them."
"Yeah, they work well together." Edward agreed.
o * o * o * o *
"Oh Honey, we're home! See? We're just a street away," Emmett had boasted as they had parked in front of the house. At last Emmett and Rosalie had gotten the keys to their new home, and had wasted no time in piling Edward and Bella into their car to drive them over to see it.
"Ohh and it's nice," Bella commented as she stood in the drive taking it all in.
"Wait until you see the bathroom upstairs, the tub is incredible," Rosalie had replied, grabbing Bella's hand and all but dragging her into the house.
The two men had taken their time, wandering around inside and checking out the backyard.
"No pool," Emmett commented, "but we can always come over to yours."
"For sure," Edward agreed readily. He was pleased to get his house back, but he was starting to miss the company already. Still, it gave him the means of presenting a suggestion to Bella that he had been considering for some time.
"Wanna see upstairs?" Emmett asked.
"Lead on," Edward replied.
They had gone into the house and upstairs to check out the rooms, grinning at the excited conversation from Rosalie and Bella that echoed through the empty house. Edward wandered to a window and peered out into the backyard. At first he didn't notice anything, and then his eyes widened in surprise.
"Hey Bonehead," he called.
"Whassup Dickward?" Emmett replied amiably, wandering back into the room.
"Looks like you don't need to worry about getting a pool at all."
"Why's that?"
Edward pointed out the window. "Recognise that roof?"
Emmett stood and stared, a disbelieving grin on his face, then hollered for Rose, who appeared a moment later. Emmett explained and pointed, and Rosalie stared out the window as well.
"You've got to be shitting me," she said at last.
"Yeah, I get that all the time," Emmett replied, grinning at Edward.
"That's your roof?" Rosalie asked, pointing at the house for good measure.
"Looks like," Edward replied.
"But that means," Rosalie said.
"Yep," Emmett supplied. "Hey bro, how about we put a gate in the back fence?"
"How about we do that," Edward answered.
The two brothers grinned at each other, and Edward laughed as Emmett pulled him in for an exuberant hug, pounding him on the back.
Emmett turned back to the window.
"Can't believe I didn't notice that before … that's quite a view."
"Picture perfect," Edward agreed.
o * o * o * o *
"And … cut," the voice said quietly.
Edward looked up from his chair and glanced over at the Director.
"All good?" he asked.
"That was real nice, Edward. I think one more take and we'll be done with this scene. You need a minute?"
"I'm good. You do what you've gotta do and I'll just sit here for a while," Edward answered.
The Director nodded, and turned to the cameraman, speaking in a low tone. Edward exhaled, slowly letting the character go for the moment. A makeup woman wandered forward and checked his face, dusting a brush over his cheeks with a light and sure touch, nodded with satisfaction and went back to her table.
Edward couldn't help but marvel at the peace and quiet on the set. They were filming in a small house they'd rented, and everything was getting done on a shoestring budget. Everyone seemed to be pitching in together, carefully talking through what had to be done, communicating well, and working hard to get everything done on schedule. He had no trailer, no Assistants, and visitors were kept to a minimum simply because there wasn't room. It reminded him of his early films, the small budget teenage hype productions that had put him on the map. His star had certainly risen since then, but his work ethic had remained.
He was loving every minute of it.
Edward took a moment to gaze around the set, and his face lit up when he saw a familiar pair of chocolate brown eyes smiling back at him. He stood up as Bella walked towards him, and wrapped his arms around her to give her a long, sweet kiss.
"Hey you," he smiled, "I wasn't expecting to see you here today."
"I didn't think I'd be dropping by either, but there are a couple of script revisions so I wanted to drop them off to see what you guys think of them."
"Have you got them with you?"
Bella fossicked in her bag and produced a file. Edward flicked through, his eyes rapidly scanning the pages. Without asking, Bella produced a pen and he quickly scribbled some notes here and there in the margins. When he'd finished, he handed the file back.
"It looks great, Bella, you guys have done a fantastic job."
"Likewise," Bella said, as she reached up to tuck his hair behind his ears.
The makeup woman saw it and sighed. Another continuity problem she'd have to keep an eye on. Still, there are worse things to have to stare at, she told herself.
"How long are you here for?"
"As long as you want," she replied.
"Forever? How does forever sound to you?"
"Works for me," she smiled, and gave him a quick kiss, "but you've got to get back to work," laughing as he made a grab for her, "and so do I. I'll see you at you at yours tonight?"
"You got it," he said, watching her as she smiled and left the room. He turned back to the table and chair where he – his character – had been sitting. He could feel himself grinning. My girl's here! His day, which had already been good, had just gotten a whole lot better.
He looked at his watch. They had a few more hours of filming to go, and then he'd be catching up with Alice and Jasper, then home. Home to Bella. He was going to talk to her about that, and soon.
o * o * o * o * *
Bella stayed for the next take and then had to leave, blowing a kiss at Edward as she headed back outside. As she closed the door behind her, she looked up to see Jasper and Alice arriving.
"How's your boy going?" Alice greeted as she gave Bella a quick hug.
"He's doing good in there," Bella answered as she smiled over Alice's shoulder at Jasper, "but it's kinda weird."
"Writing it and seeing it become flesh are two different things," said Jasper, "suddenly the words in your head take on a life of their own, and it's a strange loss of control."
"That's it exactly," said Bella, amazed.
"I've been where you are, Bells, you get used to it, and then it becomes a buzz."
"Really?"
"You'll see," Jasper said, putting his arm around Alice's waist.
"Are you going to be here for a while?" Bella asked.
"We're just dropping in to see how it's going, so we're not sure," Alice replied, "Why?"
"I was going to go back to the office and drop these off," Bella showed them the file.
"I'll take it," Jasper offered, "if there are any more changes I can drop them off at Edward's tonight."
"Take the afternoon off, go shopping!" Alice urged with a grin.
"Actually, I might go home and have a nap.
"Well, I guess that works for some," Alice shrugged.
"Don't worry Alice, when I want to go shopping, you're the first one I'll call." Bella reassured her.
o * o * o * o *
Edward parked his car and let himself into the house. Bella's car was outside, but the house was dark.
"Bella?"
He stood waiting, but heard no reply. He put down his bag and keys and made his way to the bedroom. The bedside lamp was on, and he saw Bella curled up asleep in the middle of the bed. For a moment he just stood there, watching her sleep.
Moving as quietly as possible, he crept up onto the bed and curled up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist, snuggling his face against the nape of her neck. He breathed in, savouring her scent, and closed his eyes.
He woke up later to find Bella had rolled over and was facing him, tracing the line of his jaw with her forefinger.
"Hi," she whispered.
"Hey baby," he whispered back, "what time is it?"
"Don't know," she replied, curling up against him for a kiss, "don't care."
Their lips met in the softest of kisses, returning again, and then again as they tasted each other. Bella ran her hands up and over his shoulders, exploring the topography of his body by touch. Edward cupped her face, dipping his tongue into her mouth, feeling the low ache begin in his belly, spiraling down until he could feel his hardness straining against his jeans.
Their movements were unhurried, both feeling warm and relaxed with sleep as they kissed and caressed. Bella made a low noise in her throat as Edward grasped her hips and pulled her against him, whimpering as she tried to get closer still.
Edward slid his hands up and inside Bella's t-shirt, gathering a fistful of fabric and pulling it higher still until his mouth latched onto her breast, still covered with lace. Bella hissed and clutched him closer, closing her eyes and giving herself up to the sensation. The room was quiet but for their quiet murmurs of encouragement and sounds of pleasure
They helped each other off with their clothes, taking longer than had they done it themselves, but they couldn't bear to not be in contact with each other. Finally their bodies slid together, and Bella shivered as she felt the hardness of his chest against the softness of hers.
Edward leaned over her, running his hand up and over her leg to hook it over his hips, dusting a kiss over her lips.
"Bella, sweetheart look at me," he urged.
Her eyes fluttered open, and he gazed back, his eyes black in the dim light.
"Tell me you want me," he whispered.
"Always," she replied.
"Forever," he agreed, and slid into her. They both held their breath, adjusting to the feel of each other, and then they began to move. Edward dropped his head, nuzzling into the curve of her shoulder, dropping slow, hot kisses up her neck. His teeth nibbled on her soft lower lip, as his tongue dipped into her mouth again.
Bella felt like she was drowning, her limbs too heavy to move, clinging to him. He was her centre of gravity now, his lips controlling her as his hands roamed over her softness. She whimpered as he pulled out and slid away from her, slipping down the bed, grasping her by the hips and pulling her towards his mouth.
His tongue flickered and teased over the nub of flesh, and her release came hard and fast. She was still gasping for breath when he rose up and slid smoothly into her again with one thrust. Bella's mouth gaped open as her body shook from the sensation.
"Look at me," Edward rasped, surprised at the pleading tone in his voice.
Her eyes opened, and they gazed at each other as Edward began to move inside her, slowly at first, then with more urgency. She felt the warmth spiraling through her again, and soon her urgency matched his. Bella held her breath, her concentration fixed on a point that burned and ached, knowing that Edward felt it too. Soon Edward shuddered, and Bella clutched at him as their release swept through them both.
Edward rolled over onto his back, pulling Bella up against him, her head on his chest.
"Stay with me," Edward said.
"I'm not going anywhere, I feel so boneless I think I've been filleted."
Edward gave a tired chuckle. "No, I meant stay with me Bella. Move in, live with me."
She lifted her head and regarded him for a long moment.
"Okay," she replied after a while.
"What, that easy?"
"Yep. I love you, you love me, let's do it," she said drowsily.
Edward felt a bubble of happiness expand through his chest, and he wordlessly clutched her to him. Bella wrapped her arms around his chest and cuddled closer. He didn't know how long they dozed, but they stirred at the sound of the doorbell. Bella looked at him questioningly, and he shrugged.
"Don't know who it would be, but-" he twisted and looked at his alarm clock, "It's just 8 so it's not as late as we can't have napped that long before-" he paused and raised an eyebrow.
"Before we got busy," Bella supplied.
"Very busy," he agreed, giving her a quick kiss. He got off the bed and after a quick look around on the floor, pulled on his jeans and padded out of the room. Bella lay there for a moment, feeling very satisfied and pleased with herself, before deciding to follow.
o * o * o * o * *
Edward opened the door to see a startled Jasper, then remembered that he was shirtless.
"Hey Jazz, sorry I was just-"
"No problem," Jasper said as Edward ushered him inside, "I told Bella I was going to drop off some revisions and-" his voice trailed off as he glanced over Edward's shoulder, his eyes widening.
Edward turned to follow his gaze.
Bella stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but Edward's t-shirt, and a serious case of sex-hair. Her lips were swollen from kissing, and her soft skin had been roughened by Edward's stubble.
I did that, Edward thought, and he wanted her again so badly that he took an involuntary step towards her.
"Gah! Sorry, I didn't realise you were here, Jazz," blurted Bella and she wheeled about and ducked back down the hallway towards the bedroom.
"God," Jasper was slackjawed.
"Mine," Edward replied.
"Noted, and I'm spoken for anyway, remember?"
"Uh, yeah. Speaking of which, where's Alice?"
"She's gone on home, she's got some designs she has to finish." Jasper supplied.
The two men looked at each other for a moment, then Jasper grinned, slapping the file against Edward's washboard stomach.
"So here's your reading," he said, "there aren't too many changes."
"Bella showed me some earlier today," Edward commented as he began to flick through.
"We've gotten some more funding, so we're going to be able to put in another couple of scenes which is great. Course," he went on, "they'd like some better known's instead of the no-name actors we've got alongside you, but we're sticking to our guns so far."
Since Edward had come on board with the project, the interest in the movie had grown. Jasper and Alice now found themselves in the enviable position of having a potential runaway hit on their hands, with a small budget.
"Jasper, don't let yourself get railroaded here just because I'm involved," Edward cautioned, "I don't want any sacrifices of script or quality just because the head honchos want to turn this into some popcorn blockbuster."
"God I'm relieved to hear you say that," Jasper said. "I want our productions to speak for themselves. No offence man, but you're the icing on the cake."
"Speaking of which, has Bella brought any into work for you guys lately?"
"Oh yeah," Jasper laughed, "I thought Alice was hyper on coffee, but once she got that sugar buzz there was no stopping her. Still," he continued in a happy tone, "I wore her out eventually, so tell Bella I said thanks!"
Edward laughed.
"Now, uh … I'll head home and leave you guys to uh … play house."
"Thanks man, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Will do," Jasper said, then paused, "Oh, and Alice wanted me to pass on a message."
"Yeah?"
"She wants to know where your bridal registry is going to be."
Edward tried to turn his surprised laugh into a cough, without much success.
"She's subtle isn't she," he said at last.
"Not very, but the thing is," Jasper said as he started back down the drive, "she's usually right."
o * o * o * o *
Bella stood surveying herself in the mirror, carefully adjusting the folds of her dress.
"I don't know how you're staying so calm, but whatever you're on, I want some."
Bella turned at the comment and laughed at Angela's panic stricken expression.
"Oh come on Angela, it's not that bad," she replied.
"But they're all going to be looking at us," Angela said, in what sounded suspiciously like a wail.
"Well that's true," Bella commented, "I can't fault your logic there, but isn't that what weddings are all about?"
Angela nodded.
"Oh honey, c'mere," Bella held out her arms, and Angela went into them willingly. Bella turned so that the two of them were looking in the full-length mirror. "Just check us out, we look fantastic, and the men we love are waiting outside for us."
"True," said Angela, with a dreamy smile, "have you seen Edward in his tuxedo?"
Bella's expression turned mischievous.
"Rose and Alice had to hold me back from ravishing him on the spot on some flimsy pretext of it being bad luck before the wedding."
Angela blanched. "You didn't go out there in your dress did you? Bella!"
"Relax, I had my robe on," Bella reassured her, then leered, "I figured it'd come off easier."
Angela gave a whoop of laughter. "Bella you're terrible!"
"I'll let you in on a secret," Bella leaned forward, "thinking filthy thoughts about Edward, is all that has kept me calm today."
Angela grinned knowingly. "I'll remember that when we get to the church you know."
"I guess we'll just have to see who can keep a straight face then," Bella replied, then cocked her head as she heard the music change outside. "Babe, they're playing our song."
Angela picked up two bouquets and handed one to Bella.
"I guess this is it," she said in a soft voice, "are we ready?"
"You bet," Bella replied.
o * o * o * o * *
Bella took a deep breath and began to walk down the aisle in slow, measured steps, although she barely heard the music. Edward stood waiting at the altar, his eyes aglow. The rest of the room melted away until it was just the two of them. Bella blushed under the heat of his gaze, and dipped her gaze to the flowers she carried, before her eyes were drawn back to his.
Edward felt such a burst of love and pride as he saw Bella appear that for a moment he forgot to breathe. Ben gave him a sideways look and jabbed him with his elbow.
"Breathe," he muttered in an undertone.
"Thanks man," Edward said gratefully.
They stood at the altar, their smiles were only for each other.
The priest beamed at the congregation and began the service.
Edward and Bella barely heard a thing he said.
Finally, their attention was jolted from each other as it was time to say the vows.
"I, Benjamin, take thee, Angela," Ben began, his voice shaking at first and then growing stronger as Angela stood glowing before him.
Bella stood watching two of her closest friends exchange vows to spend their lives together. She looked over Ben's shoulder to find Edward staring at her, a soft smile on his lips.
I love you, he mouthed silently.
Her eyes answered him.
o * o * o * o *
The reception was in full swing, and Edward was enjoying himself immensely. He was leaning back in his chair, laughing with a couple of Ben's friends, watching Bella dance up a storm on the dance floor with one of Angela's uncles. Her face was flushed and she was giggling at something the older man had said. When the song finished, she made her way over towards where he was sitting. She dropped into the empty chair beside him, breathless and happy, and took a swig of the champagne he offered her.
"Having a good time?" he asked.
"You bet, how about you?" Bella replied, scooting her chair closer to his.
"It's a fantastic night," he said, leaning back in his chair and loosening his tie. Bella leaned against him and he draped his arm around her shoulders as she rested a hand on his thigh.
As expected, Edward's arrival at the church had caused quite a stir amongst the guests, and he and Ben had exchanged wry smiles at the buzz of conversation that followed them as they had made their way up the aisle.
"Twenty bucks says you get asked for a photo with the women after the ceremony," muttered Ben on the quiet.
"Uh-uh, that's easy money for you Ben," Edward replied as he watched several women gaze at him with wide eyes before nudging their husbands and boyfriends. Then he tried not to groan as he saw one of the teenagers pull out her mobile phone and start texting furiously. He turned to Ben with an apologetic look. "Ben, you mind if I head this off at the pass?"
"Sure man, knock yourself out," Ben replied, his attention elsewhere as he nervously waited for the girls to arrive.
Edward paused, and then made his way back down the aisle to the girl with the phone. She looked up slowly, as if she was afraid to believe her eyes.
"Hi, he said softly, "I couldn't help but notice you had your phone out,"
"Uh, yeah," she replied, looking dumbfounded, "I was going to tell my friends that you're here," she confessed, her face reddening.
"Well, I was just wondering if you could maybe hold off on that until after the ceremony and photos have been done? We're here for Angela and Ben, so I want today to be all about them," he explained, flashing her what he hoped was a winning smile.
The girl stared at him, trance-like. "Uh, sure," she stammered.
"That'd be great," he smiled again, and extended his hand, "I really appreciate it."
"Okay," she replied, shaking his hand in a daze, then her wits returned, "say, do you think I could get a picture of-"
"Absolutely, I'd be happy to have my photo taken with you, but after the main event, okay."
"Okay!" she beamed at him, and put her phone in her bag.
"Great," he hesitated then added, "and if you could spread the word about our deal, that would be fantastic."
"Oh you got it," she agreed.
Much to his relief, she had been true to her word. It wasn't until Angela and Ben began to mingle with the crowd after the photographs had been taken, that Edward had been approached for a photo. He had happily posed and signed autographs, but had been careful to insist that the day was all about the bride and groom.
At first, the guests had seemed a little intimidated by him, and had given him a lot of space at the reception. Later though, when they saw the easy familiarity with which Angela and Ben treated him, everyone seemed to relax and regard him as perhaps being human after all, instead of celluloid. By the time Edward had swooped Angela into an outrageous dip that had her whooping with laughter, Angela and Ben's friends and family had taken to Edward as one of their own.
Later, Bella and Edward sat together, watching Angela and Ben as they circulated amongst the small crowd, laughing, kissing and being kissed in return by the well wishers.
"It must be an incredible feeling," Bella commented.
"What must be?" Edward asked as he stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles, oblivious to the two star struck teenagers on the other side of the room who both sighed in unison at his effortless elegance.
"Getting married, having a party like this," Bella replied. She turned to him slightly, "Just think, you're in a room surrounded by all the people you love, and they're all there to celebrate a big decision you've made. The feeling of all that goodwill and support must be amazing."
"Mm-hmm," Edward dipped his head and rubbed his nose against hers before giving her a soft kiss, "I think we'll have to find out what it's like for ourselves one day."
"Sounds like a deal to me," Bella replied, kissing him again.
"Just so you know," Edward continued, "that wasn't the proposal I had in mind, so when I do pop the question, try to look surprised."
"Okay, but you might have to give me some acting lessons in the meantime," Bella teased, before running her hand lightly along his jaw and kissing him again.
o * o * o * o *
The next day, Bella had decreed that they needed a recovery breakfast, although brunch was a better term for it. They had gotten home in the wee hours of the morning, and had slept until noon. Now they were sitting out on the deck, sunglasses firmly on, as they made their way through a cooked breakfast and reminisced about the wedding.
"I think you sent a lot of women home with good dreams about your butt in that tuxedo, Cullen," Bella teased.
"I know," Edward said in a rueful tone, "especially Angela's grandmother."
Bella stared.
"You're kidding. Grandma Lucy was after you?"
"She wasn't just after me, she was practically hitting on me," Edward replied. "I took her out for a lap of the dance floor, and she had her hands on my butt before we'd even done the first circuit, after that it was a bit of a challenge to keep her hands somewhere decent."
Bella started snorting with laughter.
"Oh god, so what did you do?"
Edward shrugged as he sipped his coffee.
"Nothing much I could do. She told me that if I were forty years older, I'd be in a lot of trouble, and I offered to soak in the bath for a few hours to wrinkle up a bit-"
"You didn't," Bella said, her eyes widening with hilarity.
"Hey, I think it made her year! She laughed so much I was worried about her straining something, but she said you seem like a nice girl and she didn't want to worry you with any competition."
"Wow," Bella marvelled, "so you really appeal to the whole female species then."
"Seems that way, but I think it's the tux that got me across the line."
"Probably," Bella agreed, "we women are particularly susceptible to a man in a penguin suit."
"But I see that some of the older guys there were eyeing you off as well."
"They're all like big brothers, uncles and fathers to me," Bella pointed out.
"Maybe, but I saw one of the really old guys there looking at you in a very un-fatherly fashion."
"You know," Bella mused, "I can't wait to get old. It seems that all bets are off and you can do what you want."
"And how," Edward agreed.
They both looked up at the sound of a loud whistle, followed a moment later by Emmett's beaming face as he opened the gate in the back fence.
"Thought we heard something," he greeted, "how was last night? Oooh, do I smell bacon?"
"There's more inside, grab a plate," said Bella with a resigned smile. She looked at Edward as Emmett gleefully headed into the house. "How does he do it? Has he got some kind of food radar?"
"You're asking me? You need to talk to Mom."
Emmett appeared with a plate of food and had just sat down when Rosalie appeared through the gate and padded across the lawn towards them.
"Honey, you're eating again?"
"They had bacon!" Emmett protested, subsiding as Rosalie leaned down and gave him a kiss.
"And here I was thinking it Rosalie was meant to be the one eating for two," Edward commented, raising his eyebrow at his brother's plate.
"Three," Rosalie amended with a smug look on her face.
Bella and Edward gaped at Rosalie, and then looked at Emmett who rolled his eyes as he nodded and kept chewing.
"Twins?" Edward said, "you guys are having twins?"
"Yup, double the trouble," Rosalie replied, patting her slight bump with a fond smile.
"God help me," Emmett muttered.
"Huh? Bella said, turning to Emmett in query.
"Twin girls … " Emmett said, "I'm gonna be outnumbered for the rest of my life," he said in a mournful tone that was undermined by the happy glint in his eye.
"Just look at it this way, you'll have your own harem," Rosalie said, as she manoeuvred Emmett into pushing out his chair so that she could sit on his lap.
"Or to put it another way," Edward said, "your two baby girls are going to grow up into hotties just like their Mom here, and then guys like you are going to show up on your doorstep wanting to date them.
Emmett gave that some thought, and Edward decided to throw a little more fuel on the fire.
"Remember what you were like when you were dating Rose?"
Emmett's expression hardened.
"Like hell they'll be dating," he growled, making everyone else laugh.
o * o * o * o * *
"So how's work going Edward?" Rosalie asked as she leaned forward to pluck a strawberry out of Emmett's hand and pop it into her own mouth.
"Good, the shoot's going well," he replied, then grinned at Bella, "really well, in fact."
"You guys okay working together?" Emmett asked, raising an eyebrow at Bella. "Hope the princess here isn't giving you a hard time."
"Not a chance," Bella scoffed, "I'm one of the script writers, so we could always kill him off."
"Hey," Edward said in a mild tone.
"Don't worry honey, I'd be very humane," Bella reassured him, before turning back to a grinning Emmett.
"So it's all good then?" Emmett asked.
"It's going great, they've finished the principal photography, then they take it in for editing, and if the rough cut works out then they'll polish it all up."
"Listen to you," Emmett praised, "Little Miss Jargon!"
"Oh shut up," Bella said, laughing.
"So when do we get to see it?"
Bella looked at Edward who supplied the answer.
"Probably not for a few months. They'll have to finish the edit, start the marketing and find some distributors."
"Sounds more complicated than I thought," Rosalie commented.
"That's why it's big business," Edward replied.
o * o * o * o * *
Emmett and Rosalie had hung around for a while chatting and getting details about the wedding, until Rosalie had shooed Emmett back home for some heavy lifting. Edward watched them go, waving as they closed the gate behind them.
"It's funny how things turn out," mused Bella as she walked over to slide onto Edward's lap.
"Sure is," he replied.
"It's certainly a variation on the girl meets boy story."
Edward looked at her inquiringly and she continued. "You know, we've got the girl meets boy, boy stalks girl,"
"Hey," Edward objected, "I said I got your number and held off for a week before calling,"
"Excuse me, but I'm telling the story," Bella said, and Edward subsided.
"Then," she continued, "girl feeds boy, girl goes on rock tour with lots of other boys,"
"Boy goes on movie shoot," Edward interrupted, Bella nodded in agreement, "Girl gets boy, boy can't get girl because they don't have anywhere to go for a quiet shag," Bella gave Edward a light thump on the shoulder at this point, when he started laughing.
"Behave, then what … " she asked.
"Girl makes cupcakes, Boy's brother eats cupcakes, Boy starts cupcake war," Edward continued.
"Girl gets dream job, then nearly blows it with Boy," Bella said sadly.
"Hey," Edward said softly, "Boy loves Girl, and they got it worked out, remember that bit?"
"Yeah,"
"Then Boy meets Girl at work, Boy makes movie with Girl, Boy falls in love with Girl all over again at a wedding, Girl's writing takes Hollywood by storm,"
"We hope," added Bella.
"It will," Edward replied, giving her a kiss.
"And then what happened?" Bella prompted.
"What do you think? They lived happily ever after."
They looked at each other for a long moment.
"You know," Edward ventured after a while, "You just couldn't make this stuff up and expect people to believe it."
"Oh I think you could," Bella assured him, "but I like our version much better."
"I'll second that," Edward replied as he pulled Bella towards him for a kiss, "but you wouldn't have to change a thing, I like things just the way they are."
A/N: You know, I'm really sorry to be letting these guys go, I've had such a fun time with them, and getting to know you all. Don't forget though, that I have a new story going too, and yes … the cupcakes are still a feature!
It'd be great to see Reel Life crack 1000 reviews, but what the hell, we'll just see how it all goes. I love hearing from you, and have made some lovely friends. I also figure that if you've taken the time to review, I take the time to reply … sometimes with a note, sometimes with some quality time from the Cullen boys, so it's a win-win!
Don't forget, you can come and say hi on the Twilighted thread that's going for Reel Life/Take the Cake, and Reel Life has also been nominated in the Indie and Shimmer Awards!
I'll be doing some one-shot review rewards, so if you have any requests, by all means let me know! So, what has been your favourite bit? I'd love to hear that you think, and as always you know the drill … reviews = love.