Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 13: Seeking Approval

Edward's POV

"Emmett," I said as I walked out into the living room. "How does this look?" I had on a pair of nice jeans and a green button down shirt. She hadn't said if this dinner party was a dressy affair or not.

"When did you turn into such a girl?" he asked from the couch where he was watching Talladega Nights.

"Why did I even bother asking you?" I turned back to my room to grab my wallet and keys.

I had talked to Bella each night this week. I would call her before she went to bed, and we would talk about the day's events and spend time just getting to know each other better. No matter how insignificant something was, I found myself more fascinated with her as each conversation progressed. I wanted to know everything about her.

I had been surprised when she invited me to this dinner party. We weren't officially dating, hadn't even been on a real date yet. That was my original plan for tonight. I wanted to take her on a proper date, not just coffee, but when she suggested the dinner party, I couldn't say no. I knew the time would come when I had to meet her friends. I didn't, however, expect it to be so soon.

I had no worries about Alice. She had the ability to put anyone at ease. I felt we would get along well. She was exactly what I imagined a little sister would be like. Her bubbly, happy attitude was infectious. I was a little apprehensive of Rose. Bella spoke highly of Rosalie. However, her statement of 'Rose will be Rose,' put me a little on edge. I didn't know what that meant.

Then there was Jasper. I was nervous about seeing him again. I had made a fool of myself at coffee, and his opinion was going to be critical. Bella and he were close and it was obvious she held him in high regard. He would be the one to impress tonight. I headed out of the apartment and to the car.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do tonight," Emmett said suggestively from the couch. "Don't forget we have to be at work by eight in the morning, Eddie."

"Yes Father, and don't call me Eddie," I snapped back. "I will see you later. Maybe I'll even bring back leftovers." He perked up at the mention of food then waved me off with a smile.

I got into my Volvo, happy to have her in working condition after Emmett fixed my botched oil change. I drove to the local florist shop before the evening began. I wanted to pick something simple for Bella; maybe I would get a freesia since that was what her scent reminded me of at Starbucks. I also wanted to pick up flowers for Alice. My mom had said never to go to a dinner party empty handed. I pulled into the parking lot five minutes before closing. I hurried inside to make my purchase.

"Hello," an elderly woman said with a smile from behind the counter. "Welcome to Judy's Bouquet Boutique. I'm Judy. How can I help you?"

"Hello. I'm Edward Cullen," I introduced as I extended my hand to shake. "I'm sorry for running in right before closing."

"No need to apologize, Sweetheart. Can I help you with something, or do you know what you're looking for?" I turned in a circle, beginning to feel overwhelmed with all the choices.

"A little of both. I'm taking this lady on our first date tonight. It's a dinner party at her friend's place. I wanted to get her something meaningful and something for her friend, the hostess."

"How thoughtful of you." She smiled sweetly at me. "Tell me about your lady." I smiled at her wording. It was the third time someone had referred to her as mine.

"Well, I was thinking about freesias for Bella. I think it may be her perfume or body wash. Would that be appropriate?"

"It's very thoughtful, but may not send the right message. Freesias mean friendship." I frowned at that. Freesias would have to wait until we were in a relationship.

"No, that's not the message I want to send. I'll tell you about her. She's beautiful, shy, and intelligent. She is very compassionate and kind, selfless to a fault. She has the most beautiful laugh and deep chocolate eyes. It's mesmerizing." I looked back at her to see her eyes sparkling as she smiled knowingly. "No roses though. She deserves more than the cliché."

"I think I have just the thing. Follow me." She turned and bustled off, me following on her heels. She stopped in front of a colorful display. "These are orchids. They mean delicate beauty? Does that seem appropriate?"

"It sounds perfectly appropriate." I smiled my crooked smile at Judy. Her eyes glazed a bit before she shook her head.

"Now do you know anything about this friend of hers?"

"I do. Her name is Alice. She's a hyper, happy pixie, a ball of energy. I only met her once, but that's the impression I got of her. She's planning dinner and board games for after."

"Okay. I think I have something that will work." She led me to the other side of the shop. "These are daffodils. Yellow means cheerful, which seems to describe this friend of hers. Daffodils mean chivalry. I think it perfectly befitting since your mother seems to have taught you well." She smiled sweetly at that.

"Thank you, Judy. I couldn't have done this without you. I'm sorry again for keeping you late."

"No worries, dear. Have a good time with your Bella, and good luck with her friends. You're very brave to be meeting them on the first date." I laughed.

"Goodbye. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again." I turned to leave with the two bouquets in hand.

"Goodbye Edward, until next time." I waved before stepping back into the cold February night.

By the time I arrived at Bella's apartment it was 5:25. I retrieved the flowers from the backseat and walked up the stairs to her apartment. I smoothed down my shirt and ran a hand through my unruly hair, not that it would make a difference. Before I could lose my courage, after realizing my nerves were not going to settle, I knocked three short knocks. I stood there less than a minute before the door was abruptly pulled open.

"Hi," she said breathlessly with a brilliant smile.

"Hi," I answered. What an intelligence response. I looked her up and down. "You look beautiful." She looked down as she blushed. She was wearing designer jeans and a baby blue, long sleeve sweater. Her hair was curled and half pulled into a ponytail. She was wearing no makeup, which I preferred. She had a stunning face as it was.

"Thank you." She looked back up, her eyes slowly roaming from my feet to my face. I couldn't wipe the amused look off my face. It was nice to know she appreciated how I looked. I had put effort into it. She blushed when she met my eyes. "You look very nice yourself. Please come in. I'll just be a few more minutes." She stepped to the side to allow me access. I handed the flowers to her after she led me to the living room.

"These are for you." She smiled and pulled them to her face, taking a deep breath.

"They're gorgeous. Thank you. So, how was your day off?" She began walking towards the kitchen so I followed.

"It was good. Emmett and I went to see our parents yesterday. They had just returned from a trip to see my aunt and her family. We just got back a few hours ago." She pulled a vase from under the sink and filled it with water.

"I'm sorry to pull you away from your family." She put the flowers into the vase, took them to the living room, and placed them on the coffee table.

"Please don't worry about it. We were coming back today anyway. How was your day?" She motioned for me to have a seat then walked off to what I assumed was her room.

"It was good." She was speaking loudly from the other room. "Angela and I had lunch. She'll be taking over her class on Monday. I'm really excited. I'll have a fellow rebel. Once I got off I started on the cheesecake." She walked back into the living room with shoes on and a jacket in hand. "Oh! Can you go grab the cheesecake from the fridge? I need to turn off lights."

"Sure." I rose and walked into the kitchen.

"I would give you a tour, but I hate being late. Next time?" I nodded and followed her to the door.

She locked the front door and walked down to the parking lot, straight to the Volvo. I lengthened my steps so I could open the door for her. She looked taken back once again but recovered and got in with a small thank you. I hurried to the driver's side and buckled in before pulling onto the road. She sat quietly, holding the cheesecake, and giving directions as needed. The ride was quiet but not uncomfortably so. When we passed by my station, I decided to break the silence.

"Is there anything I should know before I meet your friends officially?" I asked.

"Hmmm," she said with her head cocked to the side. "Alice is the same age as me. She also went to Seattle U. She's an aspiring fashion designer, very talented. Jasper is 27 and went to Seattle U for his undergrad and grad school. He's finishing his Doctorate at Seattle Pacific University. He's a psychologist. He currently works at the Campus Counseling Center but is going to open his own practice after graduation.

"Rose is 23. She's at Seattle U. She'll graduate this year with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration. She wants to open her own auto shop. It's very important to her so don't make fun of it."

"I would never, Bella. I think it's a great idea if it's what she wants to do." She just smiled at me.

"She's new to the group. Where Alice, Jasper, and I have been friends for four years, we just met Rose at the beginning of term. Well we sort of knew Jasper our junior year of high school, but that's another story.

"Rose is bringing Alec. Alec is a guy from her mech eng classes. She said he's got potential but wanted to get our take before giving him a chance. Therefore, you won't technically be the new guy. Well, at least not the newest guy. It's the next apartment complex on the right."

I pulled into the complex and parked in visitor parking. I opened Bella's door and took the cheesecake from her so she didn't have to balance it while getting out. Once she was out, I pulled the flowers from the backseat. Bella looked at them then at me with a tender look. I just smiled and motioned for her to take the lead. I followed her as we took two flights of stairs and she knocked. The door was flung open almost immediately.

"Hello," Alice sang. "Bella, you look nice. What dessert did you bring? Is that cheesecake?" Bella laughed as she hugged Alice.

"Hello," Bella said. "Thank you and vanilla bean cheesecake." Alice squealed, and Jasper appeared from around the corner.

"Nice to see you again Edward," Jasper said as he extended his hand with a genuine smile. I returned it.

"You too Jasper," I said and shook his hand.

"I would introduce you to Alice, but from what I understand you've already met." His voice was amused.

"Hi again," Alice said as she pulled me into a hug. "Come in. It's cold outside. What do you have there?"

"Oh! I'm sorry." I held the flowers toward her.

"For me? Why?"

"You're the hostess." She smiled brightly and winked at Bella whose cheeks tinged pink.

"Well thank you, sir. Let me put this is water and the dessert in the fridge. Come on and make yourself at home. Rose just called and said she and Alec would be here in ten minutes. Dinner will be ready in fifteen."

We moved into the living room and sat down. Jasper sat in a comfortable looking armchair. I sat on the loveseat across from him. Bella excused herself to the kitchen to help Alice. Before she could leave the room, Alice was back already. Alice took a seat in Jasper's lap and Bella next to me. Alice couldn't remove the sly smile from her face. Jasper took mercy on the room and began the conversation. We talked about how Jasper, Alice, and Bella met and exchanged college stories. Jasper and I talked about his future practice while Alice and Bella talked about some of Alice's new designs. Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"That's probably Rose and Alec," Alice said as she bounced up. "I'll be back in a minute. Oh, shoot!" She stopped halfway to the door. "Jazz, I forgot to get something at the store." Jasper chuckled.

"What do you need?"

"Wine and beer. Do you mind running down to the grocery store? It's the closest thing."

"Sure, sweetheart. Edward, would you like to go with me? It shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes." I looked over at Bella to ask if she was okay with it. She looked at Jasper apprehensively then turned to me smiling and nodded.

"Sure," I answered and followed him out to a yellow Porsche. She was a beauty. I would have loved to take her out for a drive. We got inside and he pulled out of the complex.

"So, I first wanted to apologize for what happened at coffee."

"Jasper, there's really no need to apologize." And there really wasn't. He hadn't meant anything by what he did. I was the one who read more into a situation than there was.

"Yes there is. I realized once I got home that I made things look and sound differently than they were. Then I pulled her away from you for a while. It was really uncalled for."

"No, really. I just chose to see something that wasn't there. I wasn't the nicest to you. I should have been more pleasant."

"How about we agree that we both could have done better?" I chuckled and nodded my agreement. "So, tell me what you think about Bella." I swallowed heavily even though I knew this was coming. Bella had explained how close she and Jasper were; his opinion would be crucial.

"She's amazing. She's very kind, compassionate, selfless, and intelligent. I've read some of her work and it's great. Her educational reform theories are refreshing. I like that she takes an honest and tough approach because it shows, and pardon my French, but it shows she has some balls.

"However, I really like her fiction. I think she's extremely talented and that maybe she should look more into that. I don't want to marginalize what she's doing in any other area. I just think there's a bit more passion in the fiction than the other stuff."

"I like that you talked about her work. It's very important to her." We pulled into a small grocery store parking lot and went inside. "What are looking for with her?"

"If you had asked me that before Friday my answer would have been friendship or a relationship, but as you could probably see at coffee, I don't like the idea of her with another man. I want to spend more time with her. I want to be her call at the end of the day. I want to take care of her and protect her.

"Did she tell you about Valentine's?" He was loading the shopping cart with alcohol. This night could get interesting.

"She showed me the card."

"She answered that, 'Yes, she'd be my Valentine.' What she didn't understand is that I was asking her to be my girlfriend." We made our way to the cash register to pay.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to make it clear tonight before dropping her off." We didn't continue the conversation until back in the Porsche. "Jasper, Bella has made it clear that you two are close. Your opinion is very important to her. I'm not going to ask you to put in a good word for me. I'm asking you to be honest with her. If you think I'm not good for her, tell her. If you think I deserve a chance, tell her that. I want you to understand though what it means if you give me the okay.

"I want her in a more permanent role. I'm not looking for a good time or a fling. I don't take relationships lightly. I can't say where we'll be a week, a month, or a couple months down the road. I'm not saying I love her or want to marry her. I'm saying I want to seriously see where this goes."

"I just wanted to make you're being realistic about this."

"I am," I said with conviction. I had put more thought into this than was probably normal.

"What about her illness? Have you considered that?" We had parked at the apartment complex but were sitting outside to finish the conversation.

"I have. It's not something that's going to scare me away. I know what it's like to be in a relationship with someone that's sick. I understand that it's just as much an emotional and mental battle as it is a physical battle. I-"

"What do you mean you understand what it's like? It's not something to be taken lightly," he said with an edge to the voice.

"I dated someone who had a cancer. I'm not saying she has cancer, just that I do know about serious illnesses. I understand the battles she's facing. I will make sure she is fighting this, whatever this is. I won't let her give up like she tried to do already." Jasper just stared at me before his face fell.

"She did, didn't she?" His voice was small and just above a whisper.

"She did, but I haven't sensed that lately."

"She can't do that again. I can't protect her from herself, and that scares me."

"All we can do is be there for her and give encouragement. She'll tell us what she needs, but not directly; we just have to pay attention."

"And you're willing to do that? You're willing to start something with her, and not be guaranteed time? She seems to have it in her head that whatever this is, it's serious. She has tried to keep it from us and play it off, but she's scared."

"Do you want my honest opinion?" He nodded. "Coming from a medical standpoint, fear is an appropriate response. People who are considered experts can't give her answers. She's essentially living blind in a way. Wouldn't you be scared? She needs to learn to turn that fear into determination. Instead of fearing what is to come, she needs to be determined to beat what is to come."

"And here I thought I was the psychologist." He laughed lightly.

"Sometimes it's hard to handle when it's this close to you. That's what happened with me."

"I guess." He looked at his watch. "We need to get inside." We got out of the car and walked towards Alice's apartment. He stopped me at the door. "No matter what happens, know that if you hurt her, I won't be forgiving." I chuckled.

"Get in line. My dad said the same thing." He looked at me curiously. "Dr. Carlisle Cullen in Forks is my father. He and my mother have always had a soft spot for Bella." He nodded and looked pensive for a moment.

"That's a conversation for another time." I laughed and nodded before we headed inside. Alice walked towards us with an annoyed look on her face.

"Thank you," she said as she roughly grabbed the wine. "Why don't you two go meet Alec?"

"What did he do?" Jasper said in a low voice.

"Nothing yet. I don't have a good feeling. He's no good; I just know it."

"Alice, let's try to be nice. Rose wants our opinion, but let's not give it until we've given him a real chance." She huffed.

"I know, but it's hard to ignore. I'll be good until he steps out of line, and trust me when I say he will."

I just looked at Jasper skeptically. He shook his head slightly so I dropped it. We walked into the living room where Bella was in the armchair and who I assumed was Rosalie and Alec on the loveseat. The girls were talking adamantly while Alec sat by patiently. We walked over to join the group. Alec looked relieved when he noticed Jasper and I. Bella noticed us then, stood, and walked to my side.

"Rose," Bella said while looking hesitant. "This is Edward."

"Pleasure to meet you," I said as I extended my hand. "Bella speaks highly of you." Rosalie quirked an eye at Bella who blushed. She shook my hand and eyed me critically.

"Pleasure," she said icily. Alec stood up next to her. "Jasper, Edward. This is Alec."

"It's nice to meet you both," Alec said as he shook our hand.

"Dinner's ready everyone," Alice called from the kitchen.

We all walked into the kitchen where Alice had everything set up. She had made lasagna and garlic bread. It looked appetizing. We got our food then went to set at the table. Alice and Jasper sat at the ends of the table while Bella and I sat across from Rose and Alec. Conversation flowed throughout dinner. Most of the time Alec and I fielded 'get to know you' questions. Rose was a little standoffish, but Alice and Jasper were very nice. I figured Alice liked almost everyone, and Jasper and I had had our conversation already. I wasn't the one in the hot seat. Alec wasn't doing so well.

He seemed like a nice guy in the beginning. The longer he talked the more he proved how much of a tool he was. He was book smart. Engineering seemed to come easily for him, as did most things from the sound of it. His father was a very successful engineer. He had 'never wanted for anything' he said. From the stories he was telling and general way he was talking he had taken advantage of that privilege and never done hard work in his life. Rose on the other hand was a hard worker. She was obtaining two degrees at once and working full-time.

"Rosalie," I started. "My dad recently started restoring a 1968 Mustang. He said he was having some issues with transmission. Do you know where I could find him one? I was thinking about buying it for him for his birthday."

"A '68 Mustang?" she said in awe. "Man, would I love to see that. I'll call Rick's contacts when I got to work tomorrow."

"Wait! Rick's Garage? You work at Rick's?" Alec asked. "My dad and he are friends. I thought he didn't have anyone in the office."

"I've been working there as a mechanic for about three years. I recently started learning the business side of it all that way I can open my own one day."

"I can't believe I didn't know you worked at a garage," Alec said looking over at Rose, "much less wanted to own one." I looked over at Bella to see if she had heard the slight twinge in his voice. She looked sharply at Rosalie. I was expecting her to say something but was surprised when Jasper spoke up.

"I bet she's going to have one of the most successful garages. Don't you?" he asked with a bit of venom in his voice. I was shocked by Alec's reply.

"Of course it will be frequented. Who wouldn't want to look at her bending over a car? But successful? Shouldn't you consider bringing in a man to run the business? He'd have a better handle on things and people would be more likely to do business if it were run by someone who's…"

"I told you he was bad news," Alice said hotly.

"Get out," Jasper said in a low, menacing voice.

"What? Because of what I said? It's the truth," Alec said with conviction.

I glanced around the table. Alice was silently fuming, Bella was glaring at Alec, and Rose was trying to keep her anger in check as she looked at Alec incredulously. Jasper was staring down at his plate with fists clenched, lips in a harsh thin line, and breathing heavily. Alec looked truly confused. He really believed every word he had said.

"Rose is an extraordinary woman who can do more than you will ever be able to. She will start her garage and be more successful than you ever will be because she will do it honestly and by her own talents. Now, I asked you to get out. I will not ask again." Alec turned towards Rosalie.

"Rosie," he said in a small voice. "You know I don't mean any disrespect. I'm only being honest." What happened next made my jaw hit the floor. Rose stood up and stepped towards the living room. Once she was about three feet from the table, she turned and motioned for Alec to join her. He stood and walked towards her. She stopped him with her hand. "Rosie, I-" She pulled back her hand and proceeded to deliver an impressive right hook. Alec stumbled back about a foot and grabbed his jaw. "What the hell?"

"First, don't call me Rosie. Second, you're a chauvinistic pig that will never understand the real world because daddy has done everything for you. You disrespected me in front of my friends, you bastard. Now, you heard Jasper. Get out."

"Get your coat. I'll take you home." Rosalie just laughed.

"I think I can fend for myself. Leave!" Alec hesitated for just a second before leaving. She returned to the table and sat down. Everyone was quiet. "Well, Edward, I like you. I hope you stick around." All was quiet for about thirty seconds, and then Alice started to giggle. "Alice, if you don't stop laughing I'll be forced to hurt you."

"Oh, just try it," she said through her giggles. "You don't scare me Rosalie Hale. I can take you down." We all looked at Rosalie, nervous about what she would do.

"You wish. We'll settle this on the board." I cocked my head to the side. "The game board people. Aren't we going to play games?" We all laughed. Only Alice could get away with the things she says.

AN: Unedited again. I hope you enjoyed the dinner party. I wanted to see Rose unleash, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity. :) Please review, and tell me what you think. I will send a sneak peek at the next chapter if you do.