Please Take Notice: This story will be removed from this site Monday March 1st unless I am forced to do so before that time. It is also posted on both twilighted and twcslibrary dot com, so if you are just starting this story, I ask that you please read it there in case you can't finish it before my removal deadline. Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience. A Cullen Wannabe

P.S. If you are wanting to know the reasoning behind this move, please see my profile for links to TWCSlibrary and a blog that explains the entire situation

Disclaimer: These characters are all property of Stephenie Meyer and I just like to pull them out of character and mess around with their emotions and mental stability a bit. I must also mention that the plotline surrounding the former Illinois Governor in this story is a pure work of fiction to drive the plot and is in no way real...but I felt it added realism to the story to work it around a real political figure facing FBI investigation and most likely prison time.

8. Sleeping With An Angel

I woke up from the most peaceful sleep I had ever experienced in my life to find myself on Emmett and Bella's couch with Bella's warm soft frame securely wrapped in my arms. Her face was tucked comfortably into the crook of my neck and the sensation of her warmth brushing past my neck with every breath was heavenly. I instinctively pulled her closer, not wanting to let go of the overwhelming sense of contentment I felt having her in my arms. I felt her foot move at the end of the couch and realized that our legs were entwined, her right leg was wrapped around my hip and her foot was tucked behind my knee.

I had spent many nights in bed with women throughout my years, but I made it a habit of taking them back to their place. I never slept in their beds or cuddled or stayed until the next morning. I buried my nose in Bella's hair and took in a deep breath, closing my eyes to savor the smells that were undeniably Bella. Being with her like this, holding her in my arms, smelling her sweet scent, feeling her breath on my flesh…it all felt so good…so RIGHT. I loved every minute of it, just like I loved Bella. There, I admitted it…I love Bella. I'm IN love with Bella. Bella is the woman that I love more than any other person that walks the face of this earth and I'm the stupid fuck that took forever to realize it, hurting her repeatedly in the process.

I closed my eyes as I thought of the events from last night. I focused on the moment when I realized, beyond all doubt, that the feelings I had for Bella were more than friendship, more than the love of a brother figure for his little sister…the moment I realized that I would give anything in the world to make her happy.

I was totally shocked when I first saw her there, looking like an angel with her long dark hair in soft waves down her back while her calves stood taut from the angle of her heels on her mile long legs. The soft skin of her legs looked silky smooth all the way up to where they disappeared under the fluffy black skirt that rippled around her as she swayed to the beat. The joyful smile on her face as she talked and joked with her friends was mesmerizing and when she would throw her head back in laughter it was like time stood still. Her creamy white skin seemed to glow in the flashing lights of the dance floor and I had to grip the seat of my chair to keep myself from crossing the room and taking her into my arms with the intent of never letting go.

I wanted to be close to her and feel her next to me more than I had ever wanted anything in my life. It wasn't just about sex, though I wanted that too, but it was more. I wanted to be close to her and hear her laugh and feel the skin of her warm soft arms wrapped around my neck. I wanted to be the one to make her throw her head back in laughter. I wanted to be the one to make that beautiful happy glow shimmer from her beautiful frame. I wanted to brush my lips over hers and feel that tingle take over my body, like it did that day in Andy's hospital room. I wanted to make Bella feel…loved.

I held myself in my seat as I marveled over how, after all of these years and in spite of looking more beautiful than any other woman in the room, Bella still held a sense of innocence. She was sexy as she rocked to the beat but even then she still had a kind of purity about her. I was pondering this as I made my way back over to the bar to get another beer. We were told to be ready for a call in twenty-four seven this week with a major case brewing in HQ, so I was nursing my beers unbearably slowly in case I needed my full faculties later.

When I turned around to make my way back to the table, I nearly dropped my beer in shock. I stumbled the last few steps to fall into my seat when I saw that Bella, my sweet innocent Bella, was sandwiched between Rose and Alice grinding away looking unbearably sexy and tantalizing and so fucking unbelievable. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that I wasn't the only one squirming to relieve some of the uncomfortable pressure mounting in my jeans.

Bella looked over and I saw the blush rising in her cheeks knowing she was more uncomfortable with the situation than she was letting on. I was about to my breaking point, seconds from jumping up out of my chair and going over to pull Bella into my arms when I saw Emmett get up with a determined look, Jasper hot on his tail. Emmett grabbed Rosalie around the waist, spinning her from behind Bella a few seconds before Jasper stepped in front of Alice. Bella took a step back to allow them to dance as a twosome.

I started to rise slowly from my chair when I noticed a large bald guy come up behind Bella pressing himself against her. She spun instantly and he grabbed her hips to pull her close and the anger that began to fester the moment he stepped behind her mounted into a full blown murderous rage. I began to cross the floor to her side at a near sprint, my anger growing when I saw his large dirty claw grasp at her ass.

I was only a foot away when I froze in awe as I watched tiny little Bella reach behind her to grab his hand and bend his middle finger back causing the guy to pull away sharply. She used her other hand to grab his wrist, at which point he yelled out in pain and dropped to his knees. I watched her growl in his face, a beautiful and strong avenging angel who was quite capable of defending herself, simultaneously turning me on and causing me to revere her in awe.

She finally released him with a bit of a shove before turning to look at Emmett, Jasper and I as we all watched him sulk back to the bar. I couldn't take my mind off of the violent ways I wanted to abuse the man for even thinking of touching Bella like that. She was kind in her response compared to the many bones I planned on breaking along with his nose and jaw.

I was pretty deep in my violent fantasies when I saw her stand in my line of sight with her hands on her hips, her face set in a mask of authority, and her high heel clad foot tapping rapidly against the wooden dance floor. She told us that she had taken care of the situation and unless we caught him treating another innocent girl in a like fashion we were to leave him alone. I was a bit surprised to see how quickly Emmett and Jasper seemed to agree to her request. They began teasing her about her defensive skill, but when she turned to leave I saw the look pass between them. I smirked for a second knowing that this was not the end of our interactions with the sleazebag.

Bella looked across the dance floor and I saw what appeared to be sadness cross her face as her shoulders slumped a bit. She turned back toward the bar again taking a step in that direction. I couldn't help my reaction. I immediately reached my hand out to grasp her arm, the feel of her silky skin under the pads of my fingers tingling with the contact.

"Bella, are you okay?" I asked barely able to control the wavering of my voice. I knew she had to be upset over the situation that had taken place and I knew her well enough to know that she was feeling abandoned by her friends at this point. I wanted so badly for her to allow me to hold her close for just one song. I wanted things to be good between us again and deep down inside I wanted to hold her and kiss her and tell her how I felt about her, but I knew I could never do that. I wanted more for her than what I had to offer. She deserved much better than me.

She slowly turned toward me and I could see she was annoyed at my intrusion. "Yes Edward, I'm fine, thanks."

Even though I knew she wanted me to leave her alone, I couldn't just walk away. I had to at least offer to hold her close, to comfort her, to make her feel safe. I reached a tentative hand out toward her. "W-Will you dance with me?"

She looked deep in my eyes with a conflicting sadness. "Edward, I'm sorry but I…I don't want to do this tonight. I'm here to have fun with my girlfriends. I need a break from the drama. Thank you for checking to make sure I'm okay and being willing to step up to help me, but we're going to need to really sit down and talk about all of this stuff and I just don't want to do that right now…okay?"

Her words stung, but I knew she was right. This was supposed to be her night out with the girls to relax, to have fun and I was getting in the way of her enjoyment. Even though she was alone at the moment with her friends all coupled off, she preferred to be alone than to be in my company. I dropped my head in disappointment and frustration and walked back over to join Mike and Tyler at the table, taking an appreciative swig of my Sam Adams and wishing I could indulge in the hard stuff to dull some of the pain that was ripping at my chest.

I watched Bella at the bar carefully, desperately hoping that nobody else tried to place a hand on her for fear that I would literally pull them limb from limb. Many pieces of scum ogled her appreciatively, but after her little display on the dance floor, none were foolish enough to approach her, much to my relief.

By the time Bella had her drink Jasper and Emmett reappeared at our table. The girls settled on the far side of the room at a table that contained two guys that the other Femmes had just been dancing with. A third man appeared to be with them. I had noticed that he was watching Bella with interest while his friends chatted up Krista and Sabrina earlier. But now his interest seemed piqued, earning a deep growl from my chest as Bella slid into the only open seat, which just happened to be next to him.

I watched as Sabrina leaned forward introducing Bella to the three men. The third guy seemed to be actively avoiding the girls after obviously showing great interest earlier and my jaw tightened. I saw his game. He was quite good because all five of the girls, especially Sabrina and Bella were watching him curiously. Finally I saw Bella look down at her glass in contemplation before taking a long drink and I watched the player lean in close to reel her in.

Bella looked surprised at first that he had spoken to her and even more surprised at his close proximity. I was kind of hoping she would give him a taste of what she gave the quasi Neo-Nazi earlier in the night, but no such luck. She did, to my pleasure, appear to find him suspicious and I was hoping she would prove her intelligence and flee.

They appeared to banter back and forth when I saw her eyes drop to the table a rosy blush gracing her cheeks. Seconds later, she looked back up at him though her lashes to throw him that sexy as hell smirk; my heart promptly dropped into my abdomen. I didn't want him to be reeling her in, but even more than that, I didn't want her giving that smirk to anyone else. That was my smirk…I wanted it to be my smirk. I wanted her to be my girl.

I saw the wide smile of the predator zeroing in on my sweet beautiful Bella. I wanted to scream. I hadn't even realized I was voicing my concerns until Jasper and Emmett piped up on either side of me.

"Oh come on Eddie, he doesn't seem that bad. You're just jealous." Jasper drawled before taking a sip of his Amstel.

"Jasper, I'm not…jealous. You know how the fucking game is played. Are you watching this guy? He's got slime written all over him, and she's too damn sweet and innocent to recognize it."

Emmett and Jasper both snorted. "Man, you don't give Bella any credit. First of all, she's a smart woman and after watching us all of these years, I'm pretty fucking sure she can spot a player nearly as quickly as we can, maybe even faster. Secondly, you've got it in your head that Bella's this precious, innocent, virginal princess locked in a fucking tower or something, but she's not. Listen to her for five seconds when she's drunk and you know she's not. After living with us all of these years the girl could make a sailor run out of the bar in fear when she's properly soused."

"Yeah, she's got the mouth, but that's all superficial. Inside she really is so innocent." I watched the girls pull Bella up to dance again when a Pink song came on and I relaxed a little in my seat to see that the girls were dancing in a group alone. That's when I heard Jasper's next question and I felt ill.

Jasper looked at me from the corner of his eye with a smirk. "Edward, do you think Bella is a virgin?"

"Of course she is. We've chased off every guy she's ever brought home long before anything too physical happened."

This time Emmett and Jasper broke out into coughing laughter. "Oh Edward…and you call her innocent and naïve! She stopped bringing home her boyfriends to meet us after sophomore year at NW when we ran off that Caleb guy, but that doesn't mean she didn't have any boyfriends. Did you seriously think that those weekend study groups she had lasted nine hours?"

Suddenly I felt like I had to been kicked in the chest and all of the air had been knocked out of me. She had been seeing guys secretly? She had been alone with them and let them see her and touch her? My mind was suddenly reeling wondering who she allowed to take her virtue, which one of the fucking cocksuckers in her life got to be the first one to taste her and feel her and watch her face as she came on their dicks.

I felt sick…it should have been me. All of those years avoiding her, pushing her out of my mind, secretly loving her but being too chicken shit to admit it even to myself, hiding in the cunts of a parade of slutty whores…I should have been with her. I should have been putting in the effort to be the man she deserved me to be, instead I ran away from her because I knew I wasn't.

I finally came back to the present and heard the taunts of Emmett and Jasper in my ears. "Awe poor Eddie looks like he's going to blow chunks. He really did think my baby sister was the virginal little angel all of this time!"

"Shut up Emmett…and don't call me Eddie!" I growled through clenched teeth.

"But you let Bella call you Eddie…why can't we?"

"Because I fucking love her dipshit, now leave me alone!" I froze as the words flew out of my mouth before I even realized what I was saying. Both Jasper and Emmett froze mid drink and turned to me with wide smiles on their faces.

"About God damned time!" Emmett yelled pounding me on the back with his massive hands!

"Yeah motherfucker…we've been trying to get you to realize this for how many years now Em?"

"Uh…well I guess it's been four or five because I never would have allowed it until Bella was at least legal…but I think she had been eighteen for a while before I really noticed it, so I'm going with four."

I groaned. "Guys I fucked up so bad though. She wouldn't even fucking dance with me when she was left alone while all the rest of the girls were dancing. She's so pissed at me, I can tell. What the hell do I do?"

"Well yeah man, you fucking stomped on her heart with that whole kiss and then go start your very first relationship with the nearest slut; Shit," Jasper explained as he pat me roughly on the back. "You're just going to have to do your best to explain why you did it and hope that she once more can find it in her heart to forgive you and let you back in. Otherwise you're screwed man."

"God, I am such an incomprehensible fucktard."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Emmett chuckled before taking a large gulp from his beer.

I turned back to look for Bella just in time to see her slide back into her chair at the table, wincing as she reached down to massage the top of her feet. Those heels were probably hurting by now. She was definitely not a high heels type of girl. I was about to get up to try to talk to her when the player who had been working his mojo on her all night slid in next to her, sliding a drink into her hand.

I watched as she looked up at him and back to the drink a few times contemplating and to my horror she actually took it from him and knocked it back, taking a long drink. "Fuck! Have we taught the girl nothing? She just took a drink from the sleaze. She doesn't know if it's been drugged or what he might have put in it! What the fuck is she thinking?!" I knew I was screaming but I couldn't help it. I was really getting worried about Bella and hoping she never went out without us again because who knows what trouble she would get herself into.

"Calm down Bro," Jasper said from beside me. "I was watching too, she didn't just drink it. She thought through her options and I'm pretty sure that she figured we are watching and would have her back if she starts looking off. She's not stupid. Credit dude, give her credit."

I sighed and slumped back into my chair as I watched my beautiful Bella talk animatedly with the fucking player, gesturing wildly with her hands, a bright smile plastered on her face and a sparkle in her eyes. The longer they talked the sicker I felt. She was enjoying this asshole's company and he seemed to be enjoying hers too.

About ten minutes in I saw something that concerned me more than the fact that he was a player…I saw him switch off the player tricks and actually honestly engage her in conversation. He stopped trying to simply pick her up and was truly becoming attracted to the amazing girl that was my Bella. MY Bella! I couldn't let someone else claim my Bella!

I could feel my nails begin to dig into the palms of my hands as I clenched my fists tighter and tighter with every passing second as I saw him make her laugh. I saw the twinkle in her eye and the tossing back of her head as her face glowed with mirth. I was supposed to be doing that with her. I was supposed to be making her laugh.

After thirty minutes of hell, the girls came back and once again grabbed Bella to dance with them. I watched them dance and when I saw Bella look over with wide eyes I finally unclenched my fists and felt my muscles twitch as they tried to relax. I wanted to punch something and I wanted to punch it hard. My release came in the form of the asshole who had made the mistake of grabbing Bella's ass earlier standing at the bar harassing another girl who was yelling at him telling him to keep his hands to himself. I reached over to smack Emmett and Jasper on the arms and nodded my head toward the Neanderthal. They both smiled and we crossed the room as Jasper and Emmett each put a hand on his shoulders and I clapped mine on the middle of his back.

Mama D was standing behind the bar giving us a worried expression. "Don't worry Mama; we're just taking the trash out for you. This cue ball made the mistake of grabbing Bella's ass earlier and didn't learn his lesson when she made him collapse on the floor in pain, so now we're going to take him out and teach him some manners. He won't be bothering your patrons again tonight."

Mama smiled at us. "Alrighty then boys just keep the law out of it and we'll be fine."

"Oh but Mama, we are the law…SWAT team…remember?" Of course this was said more for his benefit than hers. The jackass's eyes widened at the new info and he immediately began to beg off with his hands raised in surrender, but it was too late.

We hauled the asshole out into the alley beside the bar where Emmett and Jasper held him while I gave him a few good gut shots. I wanted so bad to pound his face, but I knew he wasn't worth the bruised knuckles and possible broken hand. It felt good to channel my anger as I took one final knee to his groin and another to his gut before we let him collapse on the ground.

"You never put a hand on a lady without her permission, and when she tells you to back off you fucking do it. If we ever see you treating a lady with anything less than the proper respect again, you'll get a lot worse. Now go home and sleep it off Mr. Clean, and don't make this little discussion be a necessity ever again!"

He got up and stumbled down the street. We began making our way back to our table. Along the way a blonde I had taken home for some fun a few weeks ago grabbed my shirt and placed a rather slobbery kiss on my lips, poking her tongue at me to gain entrance. I pulled her away and explained I wasn't looking for a date tonight just as I looked toward the dance floor to see Bella inhis arms. I felt myself immediately tense. I sat down in my seat unable to take my eyes off my beautiful Bella in the arms of this motherfucking player. Thankfully I wasn't alone. Emmett and Jasper were FINALLY reacting appropriately to the situation too sitting nearly as tensely as I was.

Bella was slowly drawing closer to him and I saw her eyes close as though she were savoring the moment. The black hole had returned to my chest, sucking my heart through my back and splattering it against the far wall in an ooze of red blood. She was enjoying being in his arms. She looked pleased and seemed to be…attracted to him. And that shit hurt.

Fuck…is this how she felt when she saw me with Maggie? With every other girl I've ever picked up unthinkingly in her presence? This hurts like a motherfucker and I am most definitely the biggest prick to ever walk the earth!

Suddenly I felt Bella's eyes on me and shifted my gaze from the middle of his back, where I longed to plunge the nearest butcher knife, to her eyes. I saw her face harden and her eyes narrow in warning. She knew what I was thinking. Then she shifted her gaze to Emmett and Jasper giving them similar looks before shifting her weight, causing them to move so that her back was to us and then we saw his expression. Whatever genuine interest he had in her earlier had been replaced with something else and then we saw him check out the ass a silicone enhanced blonde next to them. I heard Jasper and Emmett growl the same time I did.

"Sorry Edward, obviously there was more to your observations than mere jealousy. This jackass has to go." Emmett growled from next to me with his arms crossed over his chest.

Just as we began to concoct a plan to get her away from him we saw them both jump apart so he could pull a blackberry from his pocket. He began speaking to her with a smooth smile. She held her hand out to take his phone and gave him hers in return. We all groaned when we watched them exchange phone numbers and then he left after placing a kiss on her cheek that made my stomach boil.

I had to fight every instinct in me not to follow him and beat him to a pulp for his ill intentions with my Bella, but instead I balled my hands into fists again. I watched him leave and the girls once again surround her, squealing and jumping up and down as if the exchange that we had just witnessed was a good thing. Obviously the girls hadn't seen what we had. Rosalie or Alice would have been ready to rip his eyes out with their bare hands if they caught his lustful, voyeuristic behavior.

I stayed in my seat, willing myself to calm down now that the fucker had left, but I found it exceedingly difficult. I was wishing so hard that I could bury my frustrations in a nice big bottle of Jack Daniels, but we were on alert and I knew I had to stay sober. I sat for the next hour watching as Bella tossed back drink after drink while she danced with the girls. At least my sanity was saved by the fact that no other guys approached the girls for the rest of the night. Yes they all watched, actually drooled would be a better description of what they were doing, but they never approached.

As time wore on I noticed that Bella's balance became more and more impaired between the heels, the booze, and from the look on her face, utter exhaustion. She began to stumble and after the third time, I couldn't just watch anymore waiting to see her finally hit the floor. I was approaching behind her when she began to stumble again and I caught her waist to steady her.

The sensation of her warm hips in my hands was euphoric and I couldn't resist the urge to wrap my arms around her waist to pull her warm body closer. I leaned down to whisper in her ear, taking in deep pulls of her intoxicating scent that went straight to my groin, causing my jeans to tighten. I pulled my lower body away slightly so she wouldn't feel my issue as I whispered into her ear.

"You look stunning tonight Bella. Every guy in this room was drooling over you, but none of them are good enough for you Bella. You deserve the best and you're not going to find that in a bar in downtown Chicago."

She suddenly gripped my arms, yanking them from her waist with surprising speed and strength as she spun to look at me in anger, but stumbled and fell against me and my dick jerked in my pants when her warm body crashed into mine. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and kiss her and rub my hip into her, but I fought the desire, pulling her away quickly instead. She looked surprised and glanced down at my pants for a moment before looking back up as the mask of anger returned to her face.

"What the hell Edward! Who are you to decide who is or is not good enough for me to date? The last time I looked I'm fully-grown and capable of making my own decisions as to the company I keep. Besides what the fuck does it matter to you? You don't want me so why can't somebody else have me?"

Her words stung because, well, I DID want her. I wanted her more than anything in my life, but I couldn't tell her that. I felt my face start to harden in frustration as I focused my attention on the one thing I could deal with in the moment.

"Fine, go get your fucking heart broken by that player and see if I care. Trust me Bella, I can spot a smooth operator ten miles away and that guy is a total fucking sleaze. Don't let him play you Bella."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I guess it takes one to know one then huh Masen? Who are you to pass judgment on someone you haven't even spoken to? You are like the king of the players, but that didn't stop you from kissing me and then fucking ignoring me for two weeks before getting caught banging a slutty nurse in the doctor's lounge."

My frustration flared and I spat the next words out in an attempt to defend myself. "I wasn't banging her. I'd been seeing her for over a week and that was the first time we had done anything but kiss."

She froze. My heart broke as I saw her eyes go wide and her face crumble from a mask of anger and defiance to one of sorrow and pain. I hurt her. I felt like my heart shred in two in my chest as I watched the emotions I caused play across her face. The tears that began to pool in her eyes were torturous and I was trying to figure out what the fuck I could say to make this right when she bit her lip and crossed her arms and started to yell.

"You know what Edward…" We were cut off by the sound of my beeper and I knew before I ever looked at the thing what it was going to be. Of all of the times to get called in…THIS had to be it. I growled in frustration…'fuck'. She looked up to see the rest of the guys checking their pagers and I saw her face first pale and then go blank while fear clouded her eyes.

"Be careful," she whispered as she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around my neck and I just wanted time to freeze. I wanted to stay here in her arms forever. I turned my face and buried my nose in her soft fragrant neck and took in a deep breath, trying to memorize the feeling of her being in my arms and the way it made my heart beat faster. It wasn't the adrenaline of the coming mission that caused my heart to speed uncontrollably. No, it was the feeling of the beautiful girl I loved in my arms knowing that she cared for me. We might argue and we might have our shit screwed up to high heaven, but at the end of the day she cared about me in some way, like I did her.

I finally managed to find my voice again as I tried to comfort her. "I will. I promised you and I'm going to keep that promise. We will be safe and we will come home."

After a lengthy hug she stepped away; my body ached at the loss of her warmth as she was pulled into a bear hug by Emmett and then Jasper as they all said we loved each other. She made us promise to call, warning that she would be waiting for our call. Walking out that door and leaving her like that was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but we had to go do our duty. We ran out into the cool Chicago night, jumping into Jasper's Camaro and sped toward the precinct to get ready for our unknown mission.

Throughout the entire ten minute car ride to the station I couldn't see anything but Bella's tortured face, the tears welling in her eyes. Each molecule of moisture was like a needle pricking my heart. In all of the seven years I had known Bella I had angered her many times, incurring her wrath and ire and earning myself more than one knee to the nuts, but I had never seen hurt in her eyes as a result of my actions…never…and it was the purest form of torture.

(A/N: I put definitions for some of the basic SWAT lingo at the bottom in the final A/N for anyone who is interested)

In a daze, I walked in the back door of the precinct with the other officers arriving for the strategy meeting before the mission. Tonight we were missing Andy; Joey had already arrived and had saved us seats in the conference room. Emmett, Jasper, Mike, Tyler and I all joined him and sat waiting for the Lieutenant to give us our strategy for tonight's op. The one thing we knew for sure was that our team was going to be the first ones in.

The seven of us made up the entry team. We were always the first ones in the soup and usually the last ones out. We were just a small part of the overall SWAT division, but we were considered the elite of the elite. We were proud of that title, but it also meant that every time we went out, we were in the most direct line of fire, and we were at the highest risk of not making it back home. I made a promise to Bella and I intended to keep it, but I never said it was going to be easy.

The commanders of our division gave us the basic layout of our target. Over the last year the news stations aired more and more information about our fine state's wonderful, corrupt as hell governor. I never liked Rod Blagojevich…he always stuck me as being a crooked little weasel. What most of the general public didn't know was that his ties to corruption went far deeper than just the political arena. The son of a bitch had his hands in every corrupt enterprise in the tri-state area and our division had narrowed down on a particularly crucial mob connection in the city.

Troy Deluca was a small time thug who just so happened to go to the same high school as the less than illustrious Robbie Rod. So imagine the coincidence that he suddenly managed to make it to the big leagues just in time for the good ole Governor to come into office. Among other things that Deluca had done for the crook, he had managed to stuff ballot boxes in six precincts that gave Roddy boy the most influential district in the state to turn the tides of the election in his favor.

After that Deluca came into a great deal of money with which he deeply entrenched himself in the drug trade, setting up multiple branches that ranged from low grade pot to heroin and everything in between. He catered to all levels of wealth, passing deadly concoctions of Meth to the street bums for nominal fees while selling high grade cocaine and heroin to his more affluent client base with a generous markup for his own personal use.

The FBI had a lot on Blagojevich as it was, but Deluca was going to be the lynchpin that would tie him to both the political corruption as well as the other side ventures. He'd be the key to putting the man into federal prison for life…of course the guys around the station thought Pontiac was a much better choice. The unnecessary closure of Pontiac prison had been a pet project for Robbie Rod and we were pretty sure that he would receive the full measure of his punishment if he were placed there.

We sat listening to the details of the op and I fought to focus on the job at hand. Distraction was deadly and would be counter productive to keeping my promise to Bella. We all geared up in full black dress with our Kevlar body armor and full face masked helmets. The gear was hot and heavy, but going head first into the hot zone meant you needed to be fully prepared.

It was two in the morning when we poured into the hot cramped van and my mind wandered once again to Bella. I thought of her face as I hurt her, and then the way the anger melted away when the call came in. She was terrified, and in spite of all of the hurt I had caused, she still cared. The emotion in her eyes, the softness and…love…was it love? I don't really know for sure. The thought that it might be love made my heart speed again and the emotion in her eyes, it simply melted me.

Before I knew it we had stopped again, we were one hundred feet from our extract location at the warehouse. Our target was Deluca himself. We needed to apprehend him and bring him back to HQ for FBI interrogation. Normally the FBI would have sent their own men in, but for the sake of anonymity and to keep other key witnesses from fleeing in recognition of the direction the investigation had taken, they called the best of the locals in to bring on less suspicion.

Before we stepped out of the van we received the order to lock and load, cocking our weapons and ensuring that the safeties were off and the first round was in the chamber ready for action. I heard the crackle of the speaker in my helmet when the Lieutenant gave the command to roll out. I watched as the van emptied in front of me while three other vans worth of teams unloaded and split out toward their individual objective points.

Our team was taking the Bravo entry point while the Alpha, Charlie, and Delta teams were on strict orders to set up blocks on all exits and cover them to prevent suspects from eluding capture. We all quietly moved into position waiting for the final word from our commanders in the darkness.

The word finally came via a crackle followed by "Entry team go,go,go!" Mike held the halligan as Jasper, Joey, and used the ram to breach the door. Emmett took point entering the building, Tyler taking wing and the rest of us followed. We heard commotion of the various thugs taking positions within the building and when shots began to ring out across the room I heard Emmett in my helmet.

"One Away!" I took position and waited for the brightness of the flash bang followed by our immediate shift forward to gain ground in the large warehouse. I heard the support team flow in behind us and take the right flank as we made our way deeper into the building, occasionally running across random thugs cowering amongst tall piles of bags which most likely held millions upon millions of dollars worth of illegal paraphernalia.

The support teams swept through behind us, apprehending the thugs as we continued forward in search of our primary target. We finally found Deluca barricaded in a small office in the rear corner of the warehouse. We couldn't help but laugh when he yelled idol threats out the window. Finally sick of the ridiculous stand off, we spread the word to mask up. I slid my way up to the office door, knocking out the window and tossing in a canister of tear gas and then backed up ten feet to wait for Deluca's attempted escape. I was rewarded fifteen seconds later when the door swung open and Deluca crawled out, retching and tearing at his face. I came forward and cuffed him announcing on the com, "One Walking" to inform them that we had the target in custody and were making our way out.

We crossed the lot to load him into the nearest wagon as the sweeper teams returned to the building to secure the area and then the Narc squad could come in to tag and bag the literal mountains of evidence for trial. We all felt a sense of pride as we pulled off the hot protective gear and gave one another high fives at another mission accomplished.

I felt a bit lighter on the ride back to the station as I thought about Bella. I was going to make things right with her again, somehow. If I discovered she felt the same way about me, then maybe we could give it a shot. The thought of risking my friendship with her terrified me, but at the same time, avoiding her hadn't exactly helped our relationship either. I was going to sit down as soon as possible and explain my motivations behind everything. Hopefully she would understand and be able to forgive me. Oh God did I ever want her to forgive me.

We pulled back into the station to cheers and official pats on the back as we sat through debriefing and were finally set free. The second the meeting was over, Jasper, Emmett, and I all had our phones out and dialing. Bella answered and the relief in her voice was music to my ears.

As soon as the other two were done confessing their undying love to the women in their lives we got back into Jasper's car and made our way back across town to Emmett's apartment. Alice texted to let us know that she and Rose were staying and that Bella had insisted Alice take her bed, so I changed my plans and decided to go up in hopes of getting a moment alone with Bella. I knew she would be exhausted, but sleeping on the couch she would wake up when the other two came in anyway, and I didn't want to go another night without telling her the whole story.

When we walked in I immediately stopped when I saw her beautiful face smooth and peaceful in sleep. I wanted so badly to walk straight over and kiss her face. The front door closing caused her to stir and Emmett and Jasper spoke a few minutes before making their way down the hallway to the bedrooms where their girls slept. I couldn't help but chuckle as Bella's voice thick with sleep yelled to Jasper that if he had sex in her bed she would kill him in the morning before burying her face back in her pillow with a groan.

I slowly moved over to the couch and sat on the floor in front of her, laying my head on the cushion by her head. I wished I could climb onto the couch with her, just hold her close and tell her how much I loved her…because I did; I loved her so fucking much that it hurt! I reached my hand out reflexively and began to run it through her soft dark tresses, hoping after I started that she wouldn't get angry.

"I had trouble concentrating all night long because I kept seeing your face when I told you about my relationship with Maggie. I didn't realize how much that would hurt you." My heart broke again when I saw the tears gathering in her eyes again. I am such a total jackass!

"I just wanted you to know that I didn't realize what she was. She put on a really good show and right before you came out of that bathroom I finally saw what she really was. And as far as trying a relationship to begin with, I only did it because I had made a promise to myself the night that you called me Slutward in your sleep that I would try to be a better guy, one who deserved your respect. It bothered me and I wanted to prove that I was capable of being more than that. I picked the really wrong girl at the really wrong time and I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

I held my breath waiting for her response, hoping it wouldn't be full of the hate that I really deserved. My breath finally escaped when she sighed and reached forward to run her tiny fingers through my hair before moving them down to my face and grazing her thumbs over the dark circles under my eyes.

"I'm too tired to construct a coherent answer. Can we finish this discussion later?" I was torn between wishing I had gotten a better response and being relieved that she didn't yell at me for being the total fool that I was. I nodded in a haze.

Her next action shocked the hell out of me. She looked at me a long moment before scooting her body so it leaned against the back of the couch and lifted the blanket. I watched in awe and confusion as I tried to grasp what she was offering. My heart sped and I felt a surge of joy fill my chest. She was actually going to let me sleep next to her. I was going to get my wish to hold her in my arms tonight.

I hurriedly kicked off my shoes and slid under the blanket, lying on my side facing her. I couldn't resist reaching my hand up again to run my fingers through the silken mahogany locks that had called to me all night as I watched her dance in the bar, always just out of reach. I tucked the strands behind her ear before draping my arm over her waist, letting the comforting warmth of my Bella wash over me as I relaxed my head into the pillow. Being next to her like this was the most beautiful heaven. I could feel myself relax next to her more than I ever do in my own bed.

I heard her sigh next to me and then I felt her arm lay on top of mine. Her tiny hand cupped my shoulder and the warmth of her arm on mine was so beautiful, so perfect, that I never wanted to leave this moment…but my exhaustion was stronger than my will and soon I was lost in blissful sleep with the scent of strawberry and freesia enveloping me and infiltrated into my dreams.

I pulled her with me into my dreams. We lay together on the beach, the warm summer sun beat down on us and the steady cadence of the miniscule surf off Lake Michigan lapped along the shore. I had spent many days at the lake with Bella over the years; especially when she first moved here and we were constantly trying to raise her spirits. But this time was special because instead of hiding my feelings for her I was embracing them. I ran my hands up and down her soft silky sides exposed to me in her modest and yet ever so sexy blue bikini. For the first time since before my father died I felt safe, I felt warm, I felt loved, and I felt…complete and it was all because of the beautiful Angel in my arms.

When I first awoke, it only took seconds to remember that the dream was somewhat real. I was here with Bella in my arms and it felt so right to have her tucked there where she fit so perfectly into every space of my body. After reflecting on the previous night's events, I sighed and whispered the admission that I hoped to make to her while she was awake someday soon, but for now this would have to be enough.

"I love you Isabella Marie Swan…more than anything else in the world." I closed my eyes and basked in the sensation of her warm body moving slowly with her even, steady breath. I bent down to kiss her forehead and pulled her closer again. I was going to hold onto her for as long as God would allow. I wished for forever, but I'd settle for another five minutes.

Author's Note: Well I hope the SWAT stuff was somewhat believable. I will be posting some of the lingo below so you can figure out what is what. The reviews and alerts just keep pouring in, both have broken the 150 mark which is amazing to me in so few chapters. I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the ride. I know I am. Please keep it up…it inspires me and encourages me to keep plodding away.

SWAT LINGO:

Alpha: The front of the structure. The 'alpha team' intends to assault from the front.

Bravo: The left side of the structure.

Charlie: The rear of the structure.

Delta: The right side of the structure.

Entry Team: A specialized SWAT unit in charge of breaking into a suspect's hideout, combining the element of surprise with overwhelming force.

Flash Bang: A handheld device that stuns and distracts suspects by emitting a loud bang with a super-bright flash.

Halligan: A tool used by SWAT officers to pry open doors. This tool is usually used in conjunction with the ram.

One Away: Code yelled before tossing out a Flash Bang

One Walking: A phrase used to notify that an officer is walking a suspect out of the location.

Point: The first SWAT team member to enter a room

Wing: The second team member to enter a room

I think I covered all of the basic lingo. Hopefully I did an okay job describing the action sequence. I've never actually done that before, so it's all new to me…once again expanding outside of my comfort zone. Thanks for reading!