Chapter 9

We took turns in the bathroom, quickly brushing our teeth and doing all the necessary things one does before heading to bed for the night. I walked back into my bedroom to find Edward sitting up on my bed in a pair of striped cotton pyjama pants without a shirt, reading what looked like the same papers he'd been reading at the kitchen table when we decided we'd be "friends".

I quietly sat down next to him and opened the book I had been reading intermittently for months. "Interesting?" he asked.

"Sorry?" I looked over at him with a blank look on my face.

"Your book," he smiled, indicating the biography on Nelson Mandela lying across my chest. "I'm sure it's more interesting than reading up on the malpractice suits the hospital has had over the last two years."

"Oh, yeah," I replied, blushing yet again.

Edward laid his papers carefully on the floor next to the bed and then just as carefully removed my book from my chest, marked my page and placed my book on the floor as well.

"So tell me about the hospital," he said. "I need to know who to avoid and all the important stuff – like is the cafeteria food edible!"

"No!" I blurted out, giggling at the ferocity of my response. "Don't eat there if you don't want to end up in the emergency room. Although," I added slyly, "you could always end up as a trauma patient and we could play doctor…"

"Bella Swan, are you suggesting I should get sick on purpose so you could seduce me in the hospital?" Edward asked in mock horror.

I smirked at him as I responded, "You know what? You're right – it'd be much more fun if you weren't feeling like crap – then I could seduce you and it could actually go somewhere, instead of me having to monitor your pee output or encouraging you to poop so you could go home!"

Edward snickered like a teenager boy at my response. "Ok, enough talking about my poop – focus on the hospital! Who should I avoid and who should I make my best friend?"

I thought for a minute before a smile stole across my face. "Well, you've already met the biggest skank and the biggest man whore in the hospital, Dr Mallory and Dr Newton. Then there's the next biggest skank, Jessica Stanley – she's one of the nurses in the trauma centre where Jazz and I work with Dr Skank and Dr Man Whore. Most of the attendings are nice – they're serious about what they do, but they let the majority of us second year residents do things our way – there's a good level of trust. The only interns I have anything to do with are the ones that Jazz and I supervise – they're mainly ok as well, trying to prove themselves. It gets annoying but then I remember that was me not so long ago…What?" I asked, seeing how intently he was listening and watching.

"Nothing – you're just cute when you get into something," he answered. "I can just see you with patients, being all friendly and gentle and helping them out. I get the impression that no matter what you're doing, it's always the most important thing going on in your life – I admire that," he finished, leaning over and kissing me gently.

I leaned back against my pillows after our kiss and thought about what Edward had said. "You know, I think you're right – I really do focus on what's in front of me, especially at work. But I see you much the same way – look at how quickly your career took off – a partner two years out of law school?" I raised my eyebrows. "I'd say that's pretty impressive."

"It is and it isn't," he responded slowly. "I was so focused on being the youngest partner in the history of the firm that I didn't really live. I worked my butt off during the week, then I'd get hammered with the guys on Friday night, recover on Saturday, and do all the houseworky stuff on Sunday. Then the cycle would start again. Once I made partner, I started working harder to show the people who promoted me that it was the right decision. It's no wonder my girlfriend left me that summer I met you – I was never around!" he ended in frustration.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing for me that you've seen the error of your ways then, isn't it?" I teased.

His eyebrows knitted together as he turned to me and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Isn't the whole point of your hopeful move to Seattle to have a life? And by extension, won't I be some part of that life?" I couldn't believe how forward I was being, but I needed to know where "we" were going.

His expression brightened as he pulled me into his arms, cradling me gently against his chest. "Bella, I have every intention of you being a very important part of my life when I move here."

I wrapped my right arm around him and squeezed gently. "I can't believe how much you sounded like Alice then – so certain! I never bet against her, and I'm starting to think I won't be betting against you much either!"

"I want this job Bella," he answered fiercely. "And what I want, I get."

With those words he rolled us so he was looking into my eyes. He lowered his head and let his lips brush gently against mine. "I wanted you and I'm pretty sure I've got you," he whispered against my lips.

"Uh huh," I whispered back, slightly breathless by the intimacy of his kiss and his words.

"And as much as I'd like to take this further right now, I also know I need to sleep tonight so I'm fresh for my interview in the morning," he said wistfully as he pulled back slightly.

Even thought I was disappointed, I understood. "It's ok Edward," I told him gently. "I work crazy hours and sacrifice a lot of fun time for sleep – which is hopefully something you'll get to see first hand when you get this job."

He smiled at my words. "I like the way you think Bella, 'when' I get this job. And I'd very much like to discover your sleeping habits first hand, starting right now."

He leaned over and kissed me tenderly once more, before lying down on his side of the bed and pulling me snugly against his side.

"Goodnight my Bella," he whispered.

I smiled at the emphasis he placed on the word my. "Goodnight my Edward," I whispered back, snuggling in closer so I could feel his body against mine as I drifted off to sleep and sweet dreams.

A/N: Sorry this is a bit short – there is more coming but there's a massive storm about to hit so I wanted to get this up.

Thanks again for the adds and reviews!