Disclaimer: It gets old having to do this every time, but as you all know; I do not own the concept for Twilight or any of its original characters. All references to people and events are completely fictional and fabricated for the purpose of the story. The song Spiderwebs is the property of the band No Doubt.

Author's Note: I can't believe it…I actually managed to get this written before time to leave on vacation! That's how much I love you guys and didn't want you to have to wait for the big date…not to mention I had the ideas pouring out of me before I could do much about it. I hope you enjoy!

I had a question from Kelly who was not signed in when she left the review, so I'm answering her question, which I'm sure others have wondered about as well, here. She was bothered by Bella's young age since typically an intern would be about 25 or 26. I never came right out and said it, but I mentioned through Emmett several times how she busted her hump to get through college on the fast track and by that I implied that she graduated early from undergrad. My version of Bella is very smart and determined, combine that with the fact that the insurance money left for them after their parents died covered her tuition, Bella took some community college courses in high school giving her a head start on her credits and took more than a full load every semester and took summer classes every summer resulting in her graduating after only three years of college. Plus her birthday being in September, she started school a little early and was only 17 when she graduated high school. (It's possible because my birthday is actually September 14th and that happened with me.) So between being young when she started college, starting off ahead with transferred community college credits, and taking on an extra heavy work load and summer courses, she started her first year of Med school right before turning 21 and turned 23 right after the beginning of her internship. Sorry I guess I just wrote a novel to explain that, but I'm a stickler for making sure I have my characters fully figured out before I start a story. Thanks for the insightful question though. It pleases me to know you are reading with that much scrutiny to detail.

Thanks in advance for reading and for any reviews that might come in, but since I'm leaving tomorrow, you probably won't be getting any responses, but I want to be sure to thank you at any rate.

Anyway, sorry for the long author's note. On with the update, may the fluffy goodness begin…fair warning I have been known to give people toothaches!! LOL

13. Perfection

EPOV

I woke up in my bed and looked around my room with a smile on my lips. I dreamt of Bella all night long. When she kissed me in the elevator last night I felt like I was going to literally jump out of my skin. I felt a flood of what I can only assume was pure joy. It was a new emotion for me to experience and I liked it!

I walked back to my place in a blissed out daze as her scent floated around me from the confines of my coat. Even with the chemical smell of the hospital and hand sanitizer competing with her natural aroma, it still managed to shine through and cling to the fabric. Having her wear my coat was definitely the best idea ever. Maybe I can convince her to wear some more of my clothes so I can have her scent with me more often, or maybe just lay everything I own out on the bed and have her roll all over it for a half hour or so and then my whole wardrobe would be kissed with eau du Bella.

MMM…Bella rolling around on my bed…Bella rolling around on my bed with me…ugh…those are dangerous, premature thoughts. If I was going to do this right I really needed to keep my head in the game. Step one in operation 'Win Bella' has always been to convince her that Slutward really and truly is gone for good, and getting too wrapped up in my fantasies of Bella, me, and my tangled bed sheets was not going to help me convince her of that anytime soon.

I propped myself up against the headboard as I looked around the bedroom of my apartment. There was one thing that was certain; this place was sacred. Only one woman has ever been allowed into my apartment and that was my aunt. Even the guys have only been here a handful of times, and then they were never shown my bedroom. No, my apartment and my bedroom were my sacred refuge and there was only one person I planned on sharing that refuge with and that was Bella.

I had already decided that when the time was right and we were ready, I was going to bring her here and let her into the physical symbol of my inner sanctum. I hoped that she would understand the gravity of that act because the simple truth was that she was the only person in my life who I've ever been willing to let in completely. She's already made it further than anyone else, but I still haven't found the strength to let her through the last barrier. I would never survive if, once let through, she chose to leave again. But I know if I want to keep her, if I really want her to be mine, that eventually I would have to…and when I did, I would bring her back here.

I shook my head and rubbed my eyes, admonishing myself once more for putting the cart about a mile before the horse. Like Andy said, I need to start with baby steps. I took my first two-days ago by bringing her lunch, and that went far better than I could have hoped. The next was a bit bigger, last night when I waited for her, walked her home and fed her pizza on the way. I was proud of myself actually for some of my admissions to her.

A month ago there would be no way in hell I would admit to the fact that the smell of freesias reminded me of her. No matter how true it was; that was opening up myself way too much to admit something so personal, but last night, it was like second nature to tell her why I had chosen them and what they meant to me.

It amazed me that every time I took a step toward her, the next step was the much easier. I had expected things to get harder as I continued to open up more to her, but instead of it being an uphill battle, it was more like a gradual downward slope…a small intimacy naturally flowed into a slightly deeper one and so on.

This being the case, by the time we made it to stand outside of her apartment door and she collapsed into my arms for a long warm hug, my whole body was screaming to tip her face up to mine and kiss her. I wanted to taste her on my mouth again, I had only experienced it twice and yet I found myself completely addicted to the act and desperately jonesing for another hit of sweet Bella. Andy echoed in my head again and so instead I found the will to redirect my body's instincts into nuzzling her hair inhaling her scent eagerly before kissing the top of her head. I took a deep breath and gathered my courage to ask if she'd be willing to go on a real, official date the next night. I knew I was supposed to be doing the baby step thing, but I couldn't help it.

When she agreed I felt like breaking into a victory dance right there in the hallway. After our evening tonight, it felt natural to be in her presence, the fact that I was pretty sure we both had similar feelings for one another didn't get in the way of the natural flow of us as individuals spending time together. I knew exactly where I wanted to take her and what I wanted to do. She asked about our plans and I made the split second decision to change things up, to go with what we would both be most comfortable with and add a little effort to make it a bit more special. I hoped that it would be enough for her to consider it a date and not just another inconsequential night out together.

She asked the time and I thought for a moment. It was already after two in the morning and I knew she hadn't had much sleep the past week and I wanted to give her ample time to catch up, so I suggested three even though I knew I'd be dying to see her way sooner than that. She agreed and stepped back and reluctantly pulled her hands from my waist, although I would much rather have kept them there forever, and brought them to my lips to place a kiss on her knuckles before watching her enter her apartment and close the door.

The second the lock clicked I felt the deep sense of loss to no longer be in her presence as I rushed to the elevator before my will power broke and I knocked on the door and begged to stay on the couch, just to be near her. Thankfully the elevator was still on the floor and opened immediately. I studied the ugly design of the carpet on the elevator floor, trying to distract myself when I heard Bella yell my name and I looked up to see her running toward me holding my coat. Just as I saw her I noticed the door starting to close and I rushed my hand up to tap the door and make it re-open, desperate not to lose a single second with Bella.

She handed me my coat. I told her that she could keep it, but she refused and made a comment about how I needed it to not get sick and bail on our date. I knew my smile probably got ten times larger at that statement. She was just as excited for it as I was. YES! Then she shocked the fuck out of me and thrilled me all at the same time as she tipped up on her toes and kissed my lips. It was only for a brief second and yet in that second my lungs lit on fire and the warm tingle I always felt when we touched filled my whole body…just from a chaste little closed mouth kiss…and then she blushed and sprinted back to disappear once more in her apartment as I just stood there with my hand still holding the door open, staring in amazement at what had just happened.

I rolled out of bed and looked at the clock. Holy Shit…I actually slept until noon. I never sleep very well and definitely not nine hours straight. Only three hours until I got to pick up Bella. I was already getting anxious. I wonder if she'd mind if I called and asked to show up early?

BPOV

When I first walked out of the ER last night I just knew I would have a restless night's sleep full of nightmares of the gruesome night I had faced. But thank the good Lord, Edward's sweet gesture of waiting to walk me home and everything that followed actually managed to give me something better to dream about…and dream about it I did.

I woke up with a smile as I stretched and blinked the sleep from my eyes. I looked over at my alarm clock….twelve thirty. I actually managed to get nearly ten full hours of sleep. I don't even remember the last time I got that much sleep within the course of forty eight hours, much less one single night. I rolled to my side and grabbed my pillow, cuddling up to it and sighed happily as I replayed my dreams from the night before a couple of times. I finally got out of bed and made my way into the bathroom for a quick shower.

Once I was all cleaned I decided to get dressed for the day. Keeping in mind Edward's suggestion for strippable layers, I decided to go with a basic pair of relaxed-fit blue jeans with a black tank top over which I wore a dark blue long sleeve, light-weight vneck sweater and then figured I would wear my medium weight leather coat over it. I grabbed my hair brush and opted to simply sweep my wet hair up into a high ponytail, pulling a few short strands down over my ears that would fall anyway and used my finger to curl them a bit so they did more than just lay straight and look dorky. I stepped back and checked myself out in the mirror. Edward said casual and he's known me forever, so I was pretty sure he wouldn't be disappointed by my look today.

By the time I finished getting cleaned up it was just past one. I meandered my way into the kitchen to toss together a cold cut sandwich and salad for lunch. I balanced my food in my hands, holding a can of soda in the crook of my elbow and cautiously made my way into the living room where Emmett, Jasper, and Alice were all sprawled out on the furniture. Alice was appraising the room and then looking back down at a sketchpad in her lap, scribbling furiously on the page while Jasper and Emmett were in a turf battle on Need for Speed Carbon.

I sat down in the corner piece of the sectional couch next to Em, stretching my feet out in front of me onto the unused portion of couch. I settled in with my food and began to eat as I watched the war wage on. I had just finished my food and surprised when I heard my voicemail alert go off since I didn't hear the phone ring.

Sorry I'm not home right now I'm walking in the spiderwebs,

So leave a message and I'll call you back.

Unlikely story, but leave a message and I'll call you back.

And it's all your fault, I screen my phone calls,

no matter who calls

I gotta screen my phone calls.

Alice looked over at me and snorted while Jasper and Emmett just smiled, never looking away from the screen.

"Nice," Alice said with a smile as I hit the button to hear my message. It was from Edward.

"Hi Bella, I guess you must still be asleep. Sorry if I bothered you or woke you up or anything, I was just wondering if you maybe if you were up for it we might get together a little earlier than we had originally said. But…uh…if you're busy or still sleeping then nevermind. I'll just wait until three…..okay, well…see you later either way. Oh, this is Edward by the way."

I chuckled as I listened to his message. It still baffled me how my typically cocky Edward had become so cute and awkward at times. He was so new at this; it really was like some high school kid trying to work up the nerve to ask a girl out for the first time or something. It was so stinking sweet it practically made my teeth ache while simultaneously making my heart speed in my chest because it was all in service of pursuing me.

Now with a little distance between the night of my date with Trevor and my frustrations at his choice of time and place for his little revelations, his words would occasionally play in my head and give me excited little chills.

I'm not desperate to keep you single; I'm desperate for the chance to make you MINE!

I love you Bella. There! I finally said it; I am in so fucking in love with you that it hurts.

It still was more than a little unreal to me, that after all of this time I was the one inciting these grand gestures and heretofore unfathomable vows from Edward. If you told me a few months ago that Edward Masen would ever admit those types of things to any woman on the planet, let alone me, I would have laughed in your face and told you that you were a fool. But I was standing right there, he was saying those things to me with more passion and intensity than I had ever seen Edward display…and then he pulled me into what had to be the most amazing kiss of my life.

How sad is it that the two best kisses of my life were during situations full of bad timing and massive confusion. Both times, before reality set in and ripped away the illusions, I felt I had died and gone to heaven. Never in my life have I felt such amazing feelings through a simple little kiss. The thing that really made my breath hitch in my chest is the idea that if those kisses, under such less than ideal circumstances were so amazing and practically earth shattering, what would an ideal kiss under the right circumstances be like?

I could feel my mouth watering just at the thought, but I quickly shoved away the idea before I could get carried away with myself. Who says we would ever share another kiss? To be honest I still wasn't convinced that this thing with Edward would hold out. How could I be sure that all of this new sweet and caring Edward wasn't just a knee jerk reaction to the things I said? Eventually, old dependable Slutward could just show up one day and ruin everything! I can't help but be scared and cautious because if the feelings Edward pulled out of me from our few encounters thus far and our years of friendship are any indication, getting romantically involved with him only to lose him would be practically unbearable.

I sighed and looked up to see three pairs of eyes trained on me looking concerned. I smiled and shook my head to shake away those thoughts. I opened my phone and sent Edward a quick text telling him that I was ready whenever he was and he could just come over whenever.

Only seconds later I had an eager sounding response that he was glad and was on his way over. I smiled and tossed my phone in my purse. I leaned back on the couch, tossing my hands over my head to play with my ponytail.

"So Edward's coming over a bit early to pick me up for our date. He'll be here any minute."

Three heads snapped in my direction, the game and the sketchpad completely forgotten. "Date?" All three chirped in unison.

I smiled wider remembering that they had all been asleep when we made our plans last night and weren't aware of our date. "Yeah, Edward waited for me last night in at the hospital and walked me home. He bought me pizza on the way since we couldn't have our date last night due to the accident." I shuddered at the memories of the horrific cases I had seen that night. They all smiled knowingly and nodded.

"Anyway, when he dropped me off at the door he asked if I wanted to do something today instead and I agreed. We originally said three, but we're both ready early so he's coming over now."

"What?" Alice screeched from her spot next to Jasper on the love seat. "You can't go on a date dressed like that Bella!"

"Of course I can Alice. Edward told me to dress casual with layers that I can strip and add as needed." When I mentioned stripping layers Emmett looked over at me warily with a raised eyebrow. I just kicked his leg with my foot.

"Not that kind of stripping doofus. Just layers so no matter how warm or cool it is out I can still be comfortable."

Alice rolled her eyes. "There's a difference between casual and rejected styles of the early nineties. At least do something decent with your hair." She got up and made her way across the floor to me trying to pull my ponytail out. I smacked at her hands.

"Mary Alice Brandon, get your hands off the head! Edward knows me well enough to expect this when he tells me to dress casual. And if he doesn't then screw him because I'm not going to change who I am to land a guy, even the almighty Edward Masen!"

She scoffed but went back to the dual recliners, pouting like a three year old. The boys were already locked in another turf race on a canyon track, forcing them to concentrate on their drifting. Emmett had a slight lead over Jasper and so being the bratty little sister that I am, I reached my foot up and nudged his knee upon which his elbows rested as he leaned forward in concentration. His car swerved slightly and he groaned and mumbled for me to watch what I was doing. I apologized quietly and then waited for the next curve before bumping him again.

"Stop is squirt or I'm going to make you pay."

I giggled as I saw the smile creep across Jasper's face and Alice eyed me with a twinkle in her eyes. Emmett was approaching a complicated double S curve when I started tapping his leg repeatedly causing him to spin out so much that there was no chance of recovery to win the race. Emmett turned to me with a murderous glare and grabbed my foot, dragging me down the couch toward him.

"I told you to leave me alone squirt and now it's time to pay!" He yelled as he began to assault my feet and ribs with tickles causing me to scream and thrash just as there was a knock at the door. I was too distracted by the tickle torture to hear it. I screamed "Stop Em, Stop it! Come on Stop!" between breath halting cackles as I attempted to slap his hands away.

Finally I caught a break and launched myself up off the couch onto Emmett's back, grabbing around his neck and rubbing the top of his head to give him my best noogie. This of course only last about half a second before he grasped my waist and pulled me off effortlessly, tossing me on the floor and pinning me under is knee as he assaulted my arm pits and feet with more tickles until I finally cried uncle. He got up laughing as I lay on the floor gasping for air.

I lay still for a moment before I finally managed to start to get up, completely forgetting that someone had been at the door until I felt warm hands help me up. A velvety voice chuckled in my ear, "So I gather you sabotaged a race in Carbon?"

I looked up at his beautiful face which was covered by a big wide smile and his green eyes twinkled with amusement. After staring a second in bewilderment I realized what he had asked and nodded a bit with my own wide devious smile.

"I almost had the fucker too until pipsqueak here blew it for me. Just you wait Isabella Marie…one of these days I'll find the right moment to get you back. You'll see." Emmett said looking at me through squinty eyes. I just laughed and ruffled his hair a bit before bending down to kiss his cheek.

"Sorry brother bear. My chances to annoy you are at a premium since you won't be my roomie after you get back from Minnesota. I had to take my chance when I saw the opportunity present itself."

Emmett looked up at me with sad eyes, the annoyance immediately left his face and he suddenly realized what I had been up to. I was creating one more sibling moment for the memory banks before our lives separated in a way that we would never reestablish again. He reached up and tugged at my now woefully fallen ponytail and smiled.

"Yeah, guess I can't blame you for learning from the master of annoyance now can I?"

I smiled and grabbed the ponytail holder out of my now mostly dry hair and tossed it around my wrist before fluffing my hair and running my fingers through it. I plopped down on the couch again between Emmett and Edward. I felt Edward take in a deep breath next to me as he stiffened slightly before relaxing again and leaning over to whisper in my ear.

"So are you ready to go yet or do you want to take a minute to recover from your brother's tickle torture?"

I looked over and smiled, "Yeah, I should probably run to the restroom and comb out this mess before we go. I'll be right back."

He smiled at me as I got up and squeezed between his legs and the coffee table before heading down the hall to my room with Alice hot on my heels.

I turned, expecting her to start in on me again about my fashion choices and trying to get me to go with a different hairdo, but instead I was met with mesmerized eyes.

"Bella, you're a genius," she whisper squealed from beside me as I eyed her in confusion. "I didn't know you had it in you. That whole taking down your ponytail and shaking it out move had Edward drooling like he'd just watched you strip your top or something. You are so right. You know Edward way better than I suspected. Just keep on following your instincts."

I rolled my eyes. "Alice, that wasn't planned in order to induce Edward drools, although it is encouraging to know he had that kind of reaction."

She snorted. "Well, not that it matters, but just forget everything I told you before. Just go and be yourselves, everything will be just fine. I can tell…this is going to work."

After running a brush through my hair and tossing it back up in my ponytail I pated Alice on the shoulder and went back to the living room. As soon as I walked into the room Edward looked up from the couch with a smile. I walked to the closet and pulled out my medium weight leather blazer and kneeled down to throw on my black hiking boots before smiling at Edward.

"All ready when you are."

He stood up and we both told everyone goodbye then headed out the door and down to the street. We walked out of the door to the building and right in front was parked the very familiar precious silver Volvo.

"Wow Edward. You actually removed the Volvo from the vault for me? I'm honored." I gasped, placing my hand over my heart dramatically, pretending to swoon.

He smiled, "Well, I drove it the other night to Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme's too. Tonight we're driving pretty far so I thought we'd break it out instead of dealing with public transit."

He moved to the passenger door and opened it for me with a smile. "Your chariot awaits milady."

I tossed back my head in laughter and his eyes twinkled with mirth. We both knew he was being purposefully cheesy just to make me laugh and it was definitely working. I curtsied. "Thank you kind sir," I said before taking his hand and letting him assist me into the car before he shut the door behind me and circled around to the driver side.

He checked all of his mirrors twice before he carefully pulled out of the parking spot and into the Chicago traffic. I was truly amazed he actually unearthed his baby for a local night out. Normally the Volvo only escaped the vault, which was in fact a triple security monitored garage under his very high dollar apartment building, for long trips on interstates where he can open her up and really let her fly. City driving posed far more dangerous to her immaculate paint job and glossy untainted finish.

"So Mr. Mysterious, where are we going today?"

He just smiled over at me with his annoying and far too sexy for his own good smirk. "You'll see soon enough, for now just enjoy the ride."

He pulled out onto Lake Shore Drive and went north along the lakefront as I watched the water ripple lightly due to the slight breeze. We drove further and further North, getting off on Fullerton and weaving our way into Lincoln Park. The red, orange, and yellows of autumn foliage were breathtaking against the backdrop of the Chicago skyline. The contrasting color of nature against the urban sprawl made me miss the vibrant colors and the stretching golden fields of mature corn waiting for harvest downstate this time of year.

Soon we were parked in a lot near the Lincoln Park Conservatory. Edward jumped out, running around the car to get the door for me, offering his hand to help me out after which he didn't release it. It was a crystal clear day with only a few feathery clouds in the bright blue sky and the temperature was perfect for what I had on. He began to lead me along a path behind the conservatory toward the Lily Pad Pond. I looked up at him and smiled, it had been at least three years since we all came up here to see the conservatory and the pond, yet he seemed to have remembered how much I loved watching the wildlife. He smiled back down at me, his dark emerald eyes sparkling in pleasure. I tightened my grip on his hand, wrapping my other hand behind his elbow and hugging myself close to his arm as we simultaneously sighed.

"So was this the big mystery?" I finally asked after walking a few minutes while listening to the sounds of the frogs croaking along the shoreline.

He smiled deviously. "Not even close, but since we started things sooner than we planned I thought this would be a nice stop along the way. How long has it been since you were here?"

I chuckled. "The last time I was here was with you and the boys before Med school started. I've thought about coming loads of times, but I never seemed to have the spare time to make it up." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the wildlife all around us in appreciation. "It really makes me miss living downstate though. Things were slower and more laid back there and stuff like this was all around you. That's the one thing I really miss while living in Chicago, all of the nature and colors of the country."

I hadn't even realized he had turned to face me until my eyes opened to see him looking at me with a serious expression. "Do you think you'll move back down there after you finish with your residency?"

I shrugged. "I haven't really thought about it, but probably not." I trailed off for a while glancing down to study my shoes. "Everyone I love is here in Chicago. I'd much rather be near the ones I love than stare at a few wild animals."

I shuffled my feet in the grass, watching the browning blades crumple under my boots before finally looking up to see Edward staring down at me intently. His eyes were burning into my face and yet there was a softness in his features. It was an expression I had never seen before and it caused me to instantly flush.

My breathing stopped as I watched Edward's empty hand slowly rise to my face. A lock of long hair that had broken free of my ponytail and was blowing across my face, he tucked it behind my ear and brushed his thumb along my jaw once the strand was in place.

"That's good because the people in Chicago who love you would be lost if you left us."

We stood there watching each other for a long time before a splash in the lake snapped us both out of our trance. We both reflexively looked in the direction of the splash to hear several more splashes of frogs jumping into the water. I looked back at Edward the same time his gaze returned to my face and then he looked down at his watch.

"Well, we don't have to be anywhere for another hour or so. You wana go check out some of the conservatory before heading out for our dinner reservations?"

I smiled and nodded, wrapping my arm around his again as we walked back toward the front entrance of the building, the multi domed glass ceiling glittering green. I always thought that this was one of the most amazing and beautiful buildings in Chicago. Construction began in 1890 and went on for five years before it was completed. I loved old architecture like this. They made everything so much prettier back then. Today it's all about form and function, but back then even the most mundane buildings were decorated with such pride and elegance.

After walking through the double doors of the entrance we were immediately met with the muggy heavy feeling of the moist greenhouse air. I shrugged to shed my coat when I felt a pair of hands reach over and grab the sides, assisting me in removing it. I looked over and smiled, taking it from Edward. He took off his own leather jacket, draping it over his arm before taking my hand again. We walked around the red bricked paths meandering to and fro amongst the large tropical plants and towering trees. The sight of such vibrant green plant life was so foreign to our part of the world made me smile.

We wandered around for a good forty minutes before making our way back out to the car to continue on for our next destination, which Edward still refused to tell me about. When I asked he simply smiled and shook his head.

Once we were back on Lake Shore Edward managed to shift the car into its highest gear, he then reached over to take my hand from my leg bringing it to the center console where he propped his elbow on the arm rest and held my hand hovering above the gearshift. I looked over, feeling so bewildered and yet also excited at how openly affectionate he was being. It really was a new side of Edward. Slutward was nowhere in sight and suddenly this new, more gentlemanly and sweet Edward seemed to have taken over. It was strange and new, but I liked it. I REALLY liked it!

I was shocked when we got off Lake Shore and began to meander down Michigan Avenue. Edward avoided taking his precious Volvo down these major tourist filled streets at all costs so for him to take us this way must mean he was still trying to show me the sights more rather then getting to our next destination. We soon turned onto Wacker and then Randolph then Ogden to Lake where we pulled up in front of La Luce.

I looked over and shot him my most approving and excited smile as I bounced in my seat in a very Alice-like fashion in anticipation of my soon to be ordered zesty lasagna. It was no secret that I had a love of mushroom ravioli and ordered it at most Italian restaurants…except La Luce which was well known for having the best lasagna in the city. He beamed with pride at my eager response to his restaurant choice and placed his hand on the small of my back, leading me into the restaurant.

The hostess immediately beamed seductively at my date as we entered; it was typical in response to all of my boys, but Edward in particular. I had grown used to this over the years and usually didn't react, but today I felt myself tense slightly in response. Edward immediately reached an arm around my shoulder, glancing only briefly at the hostess to tell her the name the reservations were under and then looked back at me with a smirk and a wink as he reached up and gently pulled my lip from between my teeth with his index finger. The hostesses' face dimmed a bit as she shot me a confused look and then led us to our table. She sat our menus at the two seats directly across from each other at the small square table and walked away.

I had been here several times with the guys over the years, but never before had I noticed how romantic the setting really was with its dark paneling and dim romantic lighting. We always were in larger groups, getting the nice cush booths, but since there were only two of us and it was a busy Saturday evening, we were relegated to one of the small tables along the wall. Edward stood behind me and pulled out my chair before sliding it in behind me as I sat and then he slid into the seat across. He immediately reached out with a smile to grab my hand and put it on the table between us as he opened his menu, studying it.

In no time our server, Ted, came to take our drink orders. He was very friendly and funny, making a few jokes before turning to go retrieve our drinks. The thing that surprised me though was that Edward tensed and gripped my hand tighter while Ted stood talking to us, only relaxing once he left the table.

"Geez, I'm holding your hand for fuck sake. Can't a guy take a hint?" He mumbled with a furrowed brow as he browsed his menu.

"Huh?" I asked quite ineloquently.

Edward looked at me like I had three heads. "Bella, we're obviously here on a date and that guy was fucking hitting on you."

I rolled my eyes. "Stop it Edward, he was not. He was just being nice and likable in an attempt to garner a better tip, that's all."

Edward scoffed and shook his head with a disbelieving smile. "You really are oblivious to the attention to you get from men aren't you?"

This time it was my turn to scoff. "You're already on a date with me Edward; you really don't have to butter me up." I unnecessarily looked back down at the menu to distract myself from the conversation since I was already well aware what I wanted…a fact Edward was unfortunately fully aware of. I felt him release my hand, only to reach over and tip my chin up to look at him again.

"Isabella Swan, you are a beautiful woman. Everywhere you go men take notice, as they should. I am not trying to butter you up and I know damn well exactly how lucky I am to be here with you tonight."

I watched through widened eyes as he spoke to me with such determination and pure sincerity that it made my heart skip in my chest and moisture prick in my eyes. I pulled my lip between my teeth again nervously and whispered a 'thank you' before he finally let my chin go and moved his hand back to mine; this time lacing our fingers together instead of simply clasping our hands as they had been before. He looked down at his menu, stiffening again as soon as the waiter returned.

We placed our orders and chatted comfortably, occasionally cracking up when one of us would remember a particularly funny story from our past. He told me a little more about growing up in Chicago with his parents and later Carlisle and Esme while I told him about young mischievous Emmett and his love of all slimy creatures on the planet. Throughout the course of our childhood we had to search for more escaped garden snakes, frogs, turtles, lizards, and iguanas that had gotten loose in our home than I could remember. It conversation was nice and comfortable and for the first time in my life, I didn't feel all strange and awkward while on a date.

Soon we had finished the food and as Edward went to pay the bill Ted made one more stop by our table slipping me a napkin with his phone number on it and whispering for me to call him sometime. I smiled politely and stuffed it into his shirt pocket patting it sternly.

"Sorry Ted, I'm on a date, so even if I were interested, I would never accept this number. Not only am I not the type of girl to accept a guy's number while on the date with someone else, but I'd never trust anyone willing to give their number to someone while on a date. Thanks, but no thanks."

I grabbed my jacket off the back of my chair and turned to find Edward standing behind me with a thousand watt smile on his face; I smirked at him and shrugged. He stepped forward and grabbed my face between his hands, rubbing my cheeks with his thumbs as he placed a quick kiss on my lips. I blushed immediately at the kiss, not to mention the fact that it took place in the middle of a room full of onlookers and he chuckled before lacing his fingers with mine again and leading me back out to the car.

Once we were buckled and situated he turned around and grabbed a bag from the back seat handing it to me with a smile.

"What is this Masen?" I asked suspiciously. He rolled his eyes. "Just open it!"

I sighed and pulled the top of the bag open to peer in at a pile of black fabric. I pulled it out noticing the red stitching before shaking it out to find an official Blackhawks jersey. I blinked at it a few times noticing the large number 88 and the name Kane on the back.

"Edward Anthony Masen…what did you do?! This is a Patrick Kane Jersey…these things are like a hundred and fifty dollars!"

He smiled and then rolled his eyes at the price before reaching into the back and pulling out a second bag. "I got one for me too. I thought we could wear them to the game tonight."

My eyes widened and I was once again jumping like Alice in my seat. "We're going to a game tonight?"

He smiled proudly his chest puffing out a bit. "Yep, Blackhawks, Redwings, Faceoff in thirty minutes."

I squealed and jumped across the console to throw my arms around his neck before kissing him on the cheek. "Oh my God Edward, you are too awesome!"

He took in a deep breath and that's when I realized how close we were, our faces only inches apart as our eyes locked. My lip immediately hid between my teeth as we stared for a moment before I pulled myself away and settled back into my seat. I was suddenly grateful for the forethought to wear a tank top under my sweater. I reached down and grabbed the bottom hem of my vneck, pulling it quickly over my head as Edward gasped a second before seeing what I had on underneath and chuckling a bit.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Edward, surely you know me better than to think I'd strip in front of you without something else on underneath."

He shook his head still looking at me funny, but with less shock in his eyes. "Yeah, you just surprised me is all."

Then he mirrored my action, except he…he didn't have anything on underneath his shirt. I felt myself swallow hard and my breathing grow shallow as I took in Edward in all of his muscled glory. The man was built in such a way that would make Michelangelo's David envious. As he turned to toss his shirt in the back seat and pull on the jersey his muscles rippled and contracted under his skin sending chills up my spine. Once he finally managed to pull the jersey down and obscure his beautiful chest from my view again he turned to me with a cocky smile.

"You going to actually put that on Swan or are you just going to stare at it all night?"

I shook my head a second before grabbing the jersey and pulling it over my head and sliding my arms into the long sleeves. It was a wee bit big for me, but since this type of jersey was only available in men's sizes it was to be expected. Once it was on I turned to him with a grin.

"So, how does it look?"

He mumbled something under his breath before smiling. "Looks good on you Bella. Now buckle up. It's only six blocks, but you never know."

I snorted, "Okey dokey Mr. Safety Officer," and saluted him with two fingers.

He rolled his eyes and waited for me to latch the belt into place before putting the car into gear and driving the few blocks down Madison until we reached the parking area for the United Center.

EPOV

As I drove toward the United Center I couldn't wipe the huge fucking smile off my face even if I tried. Everything was going so great…far better than I had even anticipated. Things were so easy with Bella. I didn't really feel like I was fighting to impress her or prove something to her like I had always figured an actual date would be like. Instead it was just us, Bella and Edward, and I suddenly realized that this was always how it was supposed to be…I was just too much of a fucking douche bag to see it before.

My body was still vibrating inside from that kiss in the restaurant. I walked into this night telling myself that I was going to take it slow and if there was to be any kissing tonight it would be a quick one at her apartment door when I dropped her off - that would be it. But when I saw her tell off the waiter and tuck the napkin with his number back in his pocket with a couple of smacks on top for good measure, I just couldn't stop myself. The second my hands touched her face the tingling vibrations started, and then when my lips met hers my whole body felt like it started to hum. It was an amazing sensation that I didn't want to stop for the life of me, but I knew she was going to be embarrassed that I did that in the middle of a crowded restaurant, so I forced myself to keep it short, but it made me all the more excited for our end of the night kiss, which I now figured we might actually be able to share.

We got back into the car and I was excited for the next part.

I know she hates surprises, but the expressions on her face with every new place we went were just too damn cute to miss out on. With every new location her reactions just got better and better. When she found out we were going to the Blackhawks game and practically jumped into my lap as she wrapped herself around my neck and kissed my cheek I thought I was going to lose it. Right then and there I almost attack her lips with all of the feelings that had been building in me all day, but I kept my cool.

But Holy Fuck…when she pulled her shirt over her, head leaving her in nothing but that tight black tank top, I seriously thought I my head was going to explode off of my fucking body. She made some comment about knowing her well enough not to strip in front of me without something underneath. Little did she know that having that tank top wasn't that much better for me… the way it hugged her beautiful breasts and clung to the curve of her waist, it left the skin of her arms and neck along with a sliver of her stomach between the hem and the waistband of her jeans exposed, it was absolutely unbearable. I swear this girl somehow managed to continually amaze me by making things that I had never before deemed sexy down right erotic.

In order to distract myself from ogling her beautiful form I grabbed my own bag from the back slipping out of my sweater and throwing the jersey over my head and pulling it down. It would have worked too if I didn't look up once the shirt was on to find my pants tighten over the pure lust in Bella's eyes when I looked back over at her. She was just sitting there with the jersey in her hands like she had been frozen in the process of putting it on. I desperately needed to distract her so I made some smart ass comment about looking at it all night and she slid it on, hiding the tank top under the slightly too large jersey.

She turned to me with a shy smile, asking how she looked and I couldn't help but grumble under my breath 'too goddamn sexy for your own good' before speaking up to tell her it looked good and ordering her to buckle up even though it's only a few short blocks to the arena.

Then I heard the cutest and yet most ridiculous thing ever from her spot next to me. She fucking snorted before saying "Okey Dokey Mr. Safety Officer," with a silly little salute. Who the fuck says something like that and why the fuck do I find it so absolutely endearing? Good Lord, I must be in love because if anyone else said something like that around me I would tease the shit out of them for at least a next year. Instead I opted to just roll my eyes as I watched her latch her belt thinking about how much of a pussy whipped fucker I had become and put the car in gear to drive to the arena's parking area.

Once we were in our spot I rushed around the car once again trying to beat Bella to the door handle. I had never really gone out of my way to be such a gentleman to any woman besides Aunt Esme before, but I kind of enjoyed doing things like this for Bella. Of course it would help if she weren't so accustomed to doing everything on her own, forcing me to sprint around the car to beat her to it every time. I had definitely fallen down on the job there. My aunt and uncle had taught me better than that, but in my need to escape all things romantic, I had completely abandoned the habits.

I offered my hand to help her out and once she was standing I intertwined our fingers again. I couldn't help it. Ever since we first started holding hands today I had wanted to wrap her fingers in between mine, and once I did it, I just couldn't fucking stop. I couldn't help but think that if hand holding with her was so addictive, not to mention the few kisses we have shared that haunt my brain constantly, I couldn't even imagine what other far more intimate acts would do to me and my sanity.

I held her hand tightly as we weaved together through the crowds and made our way through the doors into the massive arena. I had paid a pretty penny to land us the good seats…100 level platinum glass seats just left of the penalty box and as close to center ice as spectators can get. That cost me nearly four hundred dollars per ticket. Normally they would run for three hundred or so, but I had to make a deal with Uncle Carlisle's friend to purchase two tickets to some charity banquet thing his wife was hosting in a few months along with tossing in another hundred dollars finder's fee for the ticket, so in the end they really cost me more like seven hundred each, but I didn't give a fuck. I never blew my trust fund cash on anything to speak of, and of all of the things I would want to spend that money on, Bella would be my first choice anyway. But I also know how she was about people spending money on her, especially since she already knew I spent a hundred and fifty on her jersey, there was no way in the darkest depths of hell I would ever admit to exactly how much I spent on these tickets. No fucking way!

The look on her face was priceless as the usher led us further and further down the rows before taking us to the front row. She turned and glowered at me for a few minutes, instantly knowing I spent more than she would appreciate on the seats, but I shrugged and gave her what Aunt Esme called my dazzling smile. She sighed and rolled her eyes before taking her seat and looking around the arena in awe. The stadium was packed and the players were out on the ice running warm ups and shooting drills.

We were only sitting there for about five minutes before Bella stood up to get a closer look at the banners on the far end of the arena and then sat back down just in time for Patrick Kane himself to skate up to the glass and knock, giving Bella a thumbs up and a wink. I couldn't help but growl under my breath as I watched Bella blush and wave shyly back but then she reached over, taking my hand timidly. Kane looked back and forth between us a second before nodding and waving again; he skated away to rejoin the team as they left the ice for the last pass of the Zamboni before teams were introduced.

"You believe me yet?" I asked Bella taking her hand and kissing the back of it because I could no longer resist the need to lay my claim to the beauty who completely owned my heart.

She rolled her eyes. "He saw we had on his jersey…he was just saying hi and thanking us, that's all."

I shook my head…she was impossible. "Denial, my beautiful Bella, is definitely not just a river in Egypt, but hey it works in my favor so I'm not going to argue."

"Works in your favor?" She asked, a crease forming between her eyebrows. I laughed.

"Hell yeah it works in my favor. If you're blissfully ignorant of the parade of guys trying to get your attention then that means I don't have to worry about any competition," I replied with a devious smirk. She giggled and smacked my arm before tucking her free hand behind my elbow again and leaning into my arm. She had been doing that on and off all day and every time it made my heart melt a little more because it made me feel more and more like she wanted to be mine - just as much as I wanted her to be.

Soon the arena lights dimmed and the colorful spotlights began to paint the ice in a rainbow of colors. The music started and the announcer began to introduce the starting line up for both teams, but I wasn't watching the ice, I was watching the amazement and excitement dance across Bella's face.

The game started and it while it was exciting, I kept getting distracted by the beautiful woman sitting next to me, still holding my hand and occasionally jumping up to yell and cheer on the team. I couldn't help but wonder at the fact that such a perfect creature existed in the world. She was beautiful, smart as hell, funny, caring, sexy without even trying, and yet still managed to enjoy hockey and video games in addition to understanding the general male mentality and be okay with it. Basically, she was quite simply amazing.

I did my best to try to focus on the game. It was good and intense all the way, with both teams putting up a wicked defense and matching each other goal for goal. Every time the puck would make its way toward our goal though, I would inevitably get distracted as Bella would grip my hand tighter and tense next to me; she leaned forward and watched intently as the puck sailed between the players. I was so distracted by her in fact that I totally missed two separate shots that the announcer said were hall of fame worthy; the crazy part is I didn't even care because watching the expressions that crossed Bella's face when the goals or steals were made were far more poetic than anything on that ice.

And so the night continued until the end of the final quarter was announced and the game went into sudden death. We both watched as the puck sailed back and forth, changing possession multiple times before landing in the capable hands of Kane who slipped between two opposing players, doing an amazing bypass as the whole arena stood in excitement watching the scene unfold.

I felt Bella's hand tighten in mine as her spare hand once more wrapped around my elbow and hugged my arm close to her body in anticipation. Kane moved in closer, spinning around another player and surviving a rough looking body check before reaching back and landing a killer slapshot on the puck which sent it sailing toward the net. The goalie blocked the shot and sent the puck bouncing back into play. The Redwings gained possession, but didn't even get it past center ice before Kane managed to regain the puck after he tossed the player in possession into a gruesome check against the far glass. He spun once more to make his way toward the goal as Bella's grasp tightened once again. A few amazing turnabouts later Kane slipped through, taking a backshot that totally surprised the goalie as the puck sailed through the opening and bounced off the back of the net.

The crowd burst into thunderous cheers. Bella and I screamed and jumped up and down before turning to one another. She jumped up and into my arms, wrapping her them around my neck and placing a longer excited kiss on my lips before pulling away with the brightest smile on her face as she ran her fingers through my hair.

"Thank you for brining me here tonight Edward. This was beyond any doubt the best date I have ever been on. This has been so amazing!"

I stretched my neck to kiss her again before smiling back at her. "Thank you for agreeing to come with me. This has definitely been the best day of my whole fucking life." I sat her back down on her feet and ran a hand across her cheek, suddenly feeling like the thousands of people around us didn't exist. "Please say you'll go out with me again sometime."

She smiled at me and nodded excitedly. "I'd love to Edward." We walked through the crowds toward my car, hand in hand as she once again snuggled up to my arm taking our time, both of us attempting to delay the inevitable end of our night out. By the time we reached the car it was already nearing midnight.

I opened the door for her and she slid into the seat, immediately reaching for her seat belt. I climbed in next to her just in time for her to reach up and pull the ponytail holder out of her hair combing her hands through it and sighing.

"That feels much better. My hair is so heavy that it hurts my head to have it up like that for so long."

The smell of her strawberry shampoo filled the car, making my mouth water as my pants tightened at the sight of her tossling her hair around her face; she rubbed the pads of her fingers against her scalp before dragging her fingers through the long silky locks. I suppressed a moan, turning on the car and forcing myself to focus on navigating my way out of the insane post game traffic attempting to escape the parking lot.

Once free of the hoards of cars on their way home from the arena, Bella kept looking over at me appraisingly as I drove far more slowly than usual toward her apartment. While we traveled through the streets at a snail's pace she told me about the idea she had for Rock Band nights at Dooley's on week nights to bring in more customers and I was truly impressed at the thought she had put into it. She explained the basic ideas she had for the tournament, judging, standards, fees, and general supplies needed. She had planned it all out to the tiniest detail and I got excited to see how it would all turn out, especially considering the gauntlet that had been thrown down between Alice and Emmett. I would miss Bella playing with us, as she usually did when she was around, but the idea of girls versus boys sounded like it would be pretty fun.

I watched in amusement as her hands flailed around her face and body when she animatedly explained her ideas and asked my opinions. I couldn't help the thoughts that immediately came to my mind, making my chest ache and burn. She was so amazing and I really did not deserve her at all. She deserved so much better than me and I felt my stomach churn at the realization. I was going to do everything I could to hold on to the angel looking so sweetly at me from the passenger seat of my car, but would it be enough?

In spite of my grandfather worthy driving on our way back across the city to her place, we arrived far sooner than I was ready for. I begrudgingly parked my car in front of the building and rushed around the car to open her door for her one last time tonight. I held her hand as we walked in the building and onto the elevator; neither of us looking at the other because we simply weren't ready to say goodbye yet.

We exited the elevator and shuffled slowly toward her door. I felt her grip grow tighter with every step until finally we were standing in front of the door to her apartment. She turned and looked up at me with those big brown eyes, looking just as disappointed that the night was over as I was. I reached over and took her other hand bringing both up to my mouth to kiss the backs gently.

"Bella, this has been the most wonderful night of my life. Thank you so much."

"No, thank you Edward, for everything. This was…it was…I think this was even better than anything I ever dreamed of."

I let go of her hands and reached behind her head to massage her scalp with the pads of my fingers. She closed her eyes and moaned appreciatively; relaxing into my touch and causing me even bigger problems down below. After a few moments I ran my fingers through her silky locks, moving my hands to her face where I brushed my thumbs across the apple of her cheeks and we locked gazes while the familiar tingle steadily grew stronger in my body.

I noticed we were both breathing more rapidly as the moment grew more intense; finally I moved in to brush her lips with mine, making my body shift from tingling to humming once more. I pulled back a fraction of an inch before she leaned forward to close the space and brush my lips with hers. This time neither of us pulled away as I moved my hands from her face and wrapped her in my arms. Her hands traveled up my arms and into my hair. Our lips moved together as the hum grew stronger and stronger with every second that passed until I felt it. Her tongue grazed my bottom lip gently; I gasped a bit in surprise at which point her tongue tickled at the entrance of my mouth and then timidly slid forward to brush against my own. Suddenly it felt like fireworks were going off in my body as a rush of adrenaline and excitement flooded me from head to toe. I trailed my hand up and down her back before bringing one to her neck to pull her closer. I pushed my tongue forward to explore her mouth and moaned at the taste of her on my tongue.

I stiffened a second, fearing a repeat of the last time I let out a moan in response to her kisses, but was relieved when she took the opportunity to begin a battle for dominance of our kiss after which her own moan escaped into my mouth. Finally the burning in our lungs forced us to break apart. We remained only centimeters apart panting into each other's mouths.

"Wow," I heard her whisper breathily as I nodded. "Tell me about it." She scratched her nails through the hair at the nape of my neck gently. She smiled up at me, tipping up to place another, less intense kiss on my lips before moving her hands to wrap around my waist and hugging her tiny body close to me only to jump back with a squeak when she encountered the bulge between us.

She looked up at me in surprise; I looked down at her with a sheepish smile and a shrug. "What can I say, you are amazingly sexy even when you don't mean to be, add that heart stopping kiss and it was bound to happen."

She blinked at me a few times in disbelief before a sly smile spread across her face and an unfamiliar twinkle lit her eyes seconds before she wrapped her hands up over my shoulders and pulled me down for another kiss. This time her tongue danced in my mouth, making me moan almost instantly; she released me looking pleased and a bit smug.

She turned and unlocked the door before looking over her shoulder at me with a coy smile and her voice was husky as she spoke. "Good night Edward, sweet dreams." She winked at me and blew me a kiss before disappearing behind the door, leaving me to stand in the hallway in a state of shock with a painfully massive hard on.

I walked to the elevator in a daze and pushed the button for the bottom floor. I dreamily walked out to climb into my car for the short, two block drive home. Never, ever in my twenty seven years had a woman ever had that kind of affect on me. Yes they could make me horny, yes they could make me hard if they worked at it, but to be so strongly affected by such simple acts was never the case for me. I was either the luckiest man to walk the earth or the most cursed. I was hoping for the former because God help me I was head over heels for that sweet little vixen in the Blackhawks jersey who was utter perfection personified.

Author's Note: Okay, that was it…the big first date and boy was it a doozie! I really enjoyed writing it though. If any of you live in Chicago, please forgive me if my descriptions aren't perfect. I haven't been to Lincoln Park in well over fifteen years and the only time I ever went to the Arena was to watch the Bulls play not too long after it was built. I've never actually seen a true NFL hockey game in person, but I have seen the local minor league teams in action a time or two, but I'm not very knowledgeable about the game. I also put a link to photobucket with some pics of the conservatory, and the jersey on my profile page if you're curious. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed.

Thanks for the reviews and new alerts. The last chapter got 57 reviews! I about croaked when I saw the final number. Hopefully I responded to everyone, but if I did miss someone I do apologize, although if we keep up like this I may not be able to reply anymore because it takes a big chunk out of what little writing time I have and I figure you guys would probably prefer the updates to the replies…but I'll try for the time being to keep it up because I know I appreciate it when an author takes time out to respond to my reviews. We also had 70 new alerts since the last update which also amazed me. You guys are totally awesome.

Also, a special thanks to my Beta Sihaya 9. You're the best!