Ok, yes, I know, I suck horrendously. All I can say is I'm sorry, law school kicked my ass last semester, and I will do my best to never let it go this long again without an update. On that note, thank you to everyone who favorited and alerted the story during the wait, and for the lovely reviews, they kicked my ass into gear once break started!
Standard adoration, love and devotion for my beta Cara and my lovely Shae for putting up with my ridiculousness and the continued efforts in the war on commas!
Sadly, I still own nothing you recognize here, because if I did, there would have been a lot more Emmett in the series and a lot less emo moping all around!
Hope you like it!
"To father's seeing reason," Jasper said, raising his glass to toast Emmett's good fortune.
Touching his glass to Jasper's, Emmett smiled before saying, "More like to miracles no one saw coming." Taking a large swallow, Emmett set his glass on the table, but didn't let go of it. "God, I still can't believe this, I feel like such a fucking girl saying this but it feels like I'm in the middle of a dream and I'm going to wake up to find he's not really going to pay, ya know?"
Tilting his head to one side, Jasper eyed his friend for a minute before sighing. "No, I get how you would feel like that. If I were in your shoes, I would probably be thinking the exact same thing." Shaking his head, and letting out a short laugh, he added, "If I were you, I'd get the first tuition check now before he can change his mind. God knows, the man won't let his son be a quitter."
"We have a 'meeting' about it tomorrow. Whatever that means." Rolling his eyes, Emmett just leaned back in his chair and grinned.
"So, the major question," Jasper started, "where you thinking about going?"
"You would cut right to the chase, wouldn't you?" Sighing, Emmett dragged a hand through his hair before answering, "Ya know, I'm really not sure. I need to look into some local schools, figure out what kind of scores I would need to achieve on tests and all that. And, I need to figure out what this whole business with Rosalie means." A small smile lifting his lips, Emmett took another drink.
"You think it could mean something, then?" Jasper asked, sounding curious more than doubtful.
Mulling it over in his head, Emmett finally said, "I think it's possible that it could if given the opportunity. I'm really not sure. I know I want to see her later today. And again tomorrow, and even the day after that. I know I've never felt like this about any woman, ever. She's different from the usual girls I pick up too. Yeah, I got some last night, I mean come on look at me, but I'm pretty sure if she'd said 'no' I would have been ok with it. I don't know man, I have to think if the girl can make me feel this way she's worth getting to know."
"Of course, if she's playing a role in your decision making, the fact that she is American may also be worth considering," Jasper pointed out. "It would require more effort on your part to go to an American school, sure, but it would also give her time home with her family, it would allow you both to figure your relationship out more completely. If you decide you want to be with her in the long term, it would be worth the extra effort, right?"
"Oh, of course. And admittedly, there's something appealing about knowing I've been accepted to a school on my own merits and not because I'm a McCarty," Emmett said in response. Then, flashing a grin across the table, "What about you and Alice?"
The smile that rose to Jasper's lips was all the answer Emmett needed, and he immediately started laughing. "Oh you poor bastard," he said, still chuckling, "you're in deep. Good luck."
"Thanks, although I think Backup needs it far more than I do," Jasper said, still smiling.
"Ahh, yes," Emmett said, his grin turning to smirk, "now that is going to an interesting situation, and hilarious. I'm quite looking forward to watching this play out." From Emmett's pocket came a loud buzzing noise. Rolling his eyes at Jasper, he fished out his phone, and after seeing the number on the screen he said, "It's the First Lady, wonder what she wants."
"Momma Cullen!" He boomed, once he'd placed the phone to his ear. After a moment he mouthed the word dinner to Jasper, raising his eyebrows at him in question, and after receiving a nod from him said into the phone, "Yeah, of course we'll be there. You know we wouldn't pass on an opportunity to enjoy some of Francois' cooking."
Looking up when Emmett waved a hand at him, Jasper saw a twinkle in his friend's eye that he knew would bode well for his entertainment that evening, but possibly not so well for others. As if he knew what he was thinking, Emmett flashed him an evil grin, before saying, "Momma Cullen, what would you say to us bringing some ladies to dinner with us tonight? The three of us met some very interesting women last night, and, based on our previous conversation, Jasper and I feel quite certain they're going to prove very important."
Giving Jasper a quick thumbs up to show he'd gotten the go ahead, he said, "Awesome, we'll see you tonight. I'll let the girls know it's going to be informal. Yup, love you too, bye."
YNK
"Hey, co-hoes," could be heard coming from the direction of Rose's bedroom.
"I don't care," was the response from the room across the hall. Immediately followed by the muffled sound of a phone ringing inside it.
From the kitchen, Alice asked Bella, "Did she really just say co-hoes?"
"You'll get used to it, promise," Bella said with a laugh, "she either wants us to go out somewhere again tonight, or Emmett wants us all to get together for something. Are you down with either of those options?"
"Um, I'm down with seeing Jasper, but I don't think I'm feeling another night out somewhere."
"Ok, cool. I'll see what she wants and fill you in." Saying this, Bella flipped her phone shut, pushed herself up off the floor of her closet, and headed across the hall, tossing her phone on her bed as she went. "What do you want, bitch?"
"Dinner with the guys? At Backup's parents' place?" Rose said, shifting the phone away from her mouth.
"As in at a palace?" Bella asked, eyes going wide.
"That's usually how it works when you're having dinner with a prince's parents. Emmett says be polite, dressy-casual, they'll love that you're not falling for their son's charms, and they're pretty cool for being royalty."
"Uh, Alice said yes, but I didn't know about the royals part when I asked. I'm cool as long as they don't expect me to kiss the twit's ass, let me check with her real quick."
Walking back to her room, Bella grabbed her phone, dialed Alice's number and headed back across to Rose's room. "Hey, it's dinner with all the guys, but it's with the royals. Are you still in?" she asked as she walked over and plopped down into the chair in the corner. "Um, dressy-casual, I guess. Yeah. Pft, fat chance, besides Emmett says they'll like the fact that I don't give a shit he's a prince. Ok cool. Let me ask, hold on." Looking towards Rose, Bella asked, "What time will they be here? I assume they're picking us up?"
"Uh, time frame?" Rose asked Emmett, then relayed, "They'll get us by 6:00, dinner's served at 7:00 so that'll give us plenty of time."
"They'll be here at 6:00. Seriously, it's like 2:00, I think four hours is plenty of time to get ready." Letting out a laugh, Bella rolled her eyes at Rose, "Ok, whatever floats your boat TinkerHoe. We're in Rose's room if you need assistance. Later." With that she hung up her phone and told Rose they were both in.
"Yeah, we're all in," Rose said, going back to her conversation while Bella glanced around her room, checking out what she'd gotten set up and unpacked so far. "Does Edward know we're coming?" she asked, then laughed at his answer. "Are you going to tell him? Ha, poor kid. Ok, I'm going to get going, but I'll see you later. I can't wait either. Bye"
Hearing Rose put her phone down, Bella glanced over at Rose and said with a knowing smile, "You like him."
Smiling back, Rose said, "I really do. I don't know if it's going to work long term, but for now, I think he's just what I need to make this trip that little bit better."
YNK
"That's what you're wearing?" Rose said, looking at Bella as she walked down the stairs.
"Eat me," was the only response she received.
"No, seriously, I like it. That shirt looks awesome on you. Hello, Bella's boobs, the Prince won't be able to keep his eyes off of you," Rose said, smirking at the end.
With a roll of her eyes, Bella stepped into a pair of black heels. "I know my boobs look awesome, stop speaking to them as if they're a separate entity. If you think I look so good, what was with the snark?"
"Um, since when do you wear yellow?" Rose said by way of explanation.
"Since I saw the shirt and thought it was gorgeous regardless of color?" Looking around, Bella then asked, "Where's Alice hiding? It's 6:00, the guys should be here any second."
As soon as she'd gotten the words out of her mouth, the sound of feet running across the hall came from over their heads, along with a shout of "I'm coming, calm your hormones, woman." Coming to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, Alice gave the other two a smirk and said, "Well, we certainly look hot."
Taking a second look at Bella, she added, "Ahh, I see the girls are out to play. Trying to see if you can give the Prince a boner in front of his parents?"
The sound of a knock on the door prevented Bella from doing more than shooting her friends a nasty look, and flipping them the bird as she turned to open it. Finding Emmett standing there, she said, "Thank God, you can save me from the she-beast you're so interested in," and proceeded to walk out the door to the town car waiting in front of the house.
YNK
"Yes, well, not all of us can be so fortunate as to be you Carlisle, so back off," was the first thing heard by the group of five as they entered the sitting room the butler had shown them to.
"Edward," an elegant woman seated on a couch with a young girl said, "please don't argue with your brother in front of guests. It's unbecoming." Seeing her son's mouth drop after discovering Bella was among the group that had entered, she added, "And close your mouth, please. We don't want to look like a fish now do we?"
At her fish comment, the young girl promptly start giggling, causing the woman to smile indulgently at her, and wink imperceptibly.
Snapping his mouth shut, Edward said nothing before walking away from his brother and the man's wife.
Turning back to the five, the woman said "Emmett, Jasper, it's so lovely to see you. Please, introduce us to your lovely friends," while walking over to them, and kissing each man on the cheek in turn.
"Of course," Emmett said. Turning, he introduced Rose, the smile on his face telling everyone she was the one he had brought specifically, Alice and Bella.
"It's lovely to meet you all, and please, call me Elizabeth," she told them, hugging each in turn. "I may be the queen, but in the comfort of my own home, I prefer not to stand on ceremony.
"Dinner should be ready in about half an hour. In the mean time would you all like drinks?" After everyone agreed that they would indeed like a drink, Elizabeth motioned to a servant to come forward and serve them all wine.
Once everyone had a glass in hand, Elizabeth turned toward the corner the men had congregated in and, with a sparkle in her eye, said, "Emmett, darling, when was the last time you visited with Francois? I'm sure he would love to chat with you, why don't you head into the kitchens and visit with him for a bit?"
"Momma Cullen, that is a wonderful idea," Emmett responded, eyes lighting up at the prospect. "Will you be ok if I leave you here for a bit Rosalie?" he then asked, garnering a raised eyebrow and shared look of interest between Elizabeth and Carlisle's wife Esme.
"Yes, of course," Rose told him with a reassuring smile, "if all else fails, I have Bella mocking to pass time."
Laughing, Emmett came over to kiss her on the cheek. As he did, he heard Bella muttering about hating the other woman, only making him laugh harder. "I'll see you lovely ladies in a bit then," he said, heading for the door.
Looking back over his shoulder, he said to the little girl, Edward's sister Jane, "Shortstack, I expect to hear how your piano lessons are going later." Throwing her a roguish wink, he added, "I prefer Mozart to Chopin, by the way."
With a shake of his head, Jasper put his glass on a low table nearby, and he too headed for the door, saying, "I should probably go keep an eye on Emmett and that bottomless pit he calls a stomach, or the rest of us won't have anything to eat come dinner." He stopped just long enough to copy Emmett and kiss Alice on the cheek.
After he had left the room, Elizabeth fixed her sons with an expectant gaze. When a couple of minutes passed without them getting the point, she sighed softly, saying, "Boys, I think, if Jasper needs to get between Emmett and our meal, he'll need your help to keep the big lug in line. Why don't you join them?"
Not giving Edward a chance to speak, Carlisle agreed to do so, and headed out himself, leaving Edward no choice but to follow.
Looking at Rose, Bella pretended a take a sip of her wine, and said, "Well, this is about to get interesting."
Rose let out a soft snicker in response, audible to no one other than Bella.
"Now that they're gone," Elizabeth said, smiling at the other women, "Are you girls hungry? I hid some appetizers for us to enjoy while we get to know each other."
After retrieving a plate each, Alice, Bella and Rose settled onto one of the many couches set about the room, while Esme, Elizabeth, and Jane, sat on one placed across from them. Giving them a minute to get comfortable, Esme asked, "So, how did you all really meet those three? Emmett and Jasper couldn't do anything more than laugh when I asked them earlier."
At the question, Bella let out a groan, while Alice glanced away, trying not to smile, and Rosalie closed her eyes and scrunched up her face attempting to keep from giggling as she so desperately wanted to.
"Judging from their reaction, the answer should be a good one," Elizabeth said, an anticipatory smile rising to her face as she leaned ever so slightly closer to them.
"Readers' Digest version," Bella began, not looking the other woman in the face, "We were all at the same party last night."
"Yes," Rose said, laughter clear in her voice, "and Bella rather abused your son's ego while we were there."
"You know," Esme began, "I heard an interesting story about Edward and a brunette while I was out this morning." Setting her plate aside, she too leaned imperceptibly closer. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that now would you?"
Alice, the only one who didn't choke slightly at her words, said, "Well, I suppose that would depend entirely on what you heard."
Smiling back, Esme said, "Well, admittedly I do not have all the details. However, first, I heard something about Edward storming into this little coffee shop and making quite the scene with a lovely young woman with dark brown hair, and one of his friends. I can't remember which, but it was ..." trailing off she looked to Elizabeth, saying, "that blond one, who's parties the three of them always attend. I know his name but ..."
"Might it have been Mike Newton?" Bella asked quietly.
Looking back towards her, Esme said, "Yes. That's it. How did you know?" sounding astonished.
"Brunette he spazzed on in the coffee shop this morning?" Raising her hand Bella made an embarrassed face, while Rose pointed both hands in her direction and Alice lifted her empty right hand to point over and down at Bella.
"But why was he yelling at you?" Jane asked, before realizing what she'd done and turning red.
Smiling reassuringly at the girl, Bella said, "Well, I suspect it had something to do with the fact that I turned him down last night, twice, and then went to coffee with his friend. He didn't seem at all impressed by it."
At her words, Elizabeth's eyes went wide and her smile widened, while Jane began giggling, and Esme gasped, before saying, "Please tell me that's true. You really shot him down?" At Bella's nod she continued, "Oh that is perfect. I think you may be the first person to ever tell him no. I knew I liked you."
Noticing Bella had set down her plate which was still half full, Rosalie said, "Bella what are you doing? You haven't dropped anything yet, your boobs must be getting hungry?"
"Really?" Bella said, glaring at her friend, while the women looked at each other in confusion and Jane's eyes got wide.
"Sorry," Rose said, looking at the three, "Bella and I have this running joke ..."
"Don't include me in your insanity," Bella interrupted.
"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes, "I have a running joke at Bella's expense about how her boobs are so big they're like their own separate entity. I pretend to talk to them, ask her if they're hungry or thirsty when she spills something on herself, that sort of thing."
"Yes, and I hate it," Bella was quick to assure the three.
"I really don't know why," Alice said, with a laugh, "it's all in good fun. And even you have to admit, the voices the guys were doing for them in the car were hilarious." Given she was laughing along with everyone else, it was clear she did indeed agree.
"Dear," Elizabeth began, taking a deep breath to calm herself, "would you mind terribly, that is, would it embarrass you if we were to address your boobs at dinner? In front of my son? He's convinced I'm this fun-sucking boring woman, and the look that is certain to appear on his face would be priceless."
"Ya know," Bella said, eyes sparkling with laughter, "I don't think that would be a problem at all."