Disclaimer- Stephenie still owns the usual suspects.
I own my original characters and original story.

*This parallels chapter 58 of V&V, 'Family Photos & Mama's Squeeze Box'

Enjoy!

****************************LRM**********************************

Chapter 58 – Male Bonding for The Contrite

I walked through the kitchen and noticed Charlie, Emmett and Rose still in the living room speaking in low voices. Needing to be alone in order to think, I opted for the basement.

I sat at Charlie's small bar and tried to pull my shit together. This was so fucked-up.

What the hell was this woman's game? She must be so fucking stupid.

I knew that it would be easy to prove that I wasn't the father of her child, but it still troubled me that some people would assume I had a relationship with her regardless. It bothered me, because I knew it would bother Bella.

How much more shit was going to be thrown at us? I needed to get this situation resolved. I also needed to figure out who sent her those damn flowers. I needed to make sure that Lou stays with Bella at all times so no one harasses her.

I'll be so damned glad when she finally graduates.

I continued to rake my hands through my hair.

I really needed to beat the holy hell out of Victor James, maybe that Mike character too, but Bella would be upset if I got arrested. I also wanted to track down that bitch Camille and push her down an elevator shaft.

I want to destroy anyone who would hurt my girl.

I rubbed my eyes.

Fucking nightmares.

The nightmares weighed heavy on my mind. Daily. I realized at that moment that what I feared most about them was the possibility that maybe; just maybe, I in some way shared Alice's gift. I couldn't stand the thought that these nightmares may somehow be a foreshadowing of something to come.

I can't even consider that. It will fucking break me.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it." I chanted as I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands.

"You ready to go Edward?" Emmett asked in a quiet voice.

I looked up in surprise to find him sitting on the barstool next to me.

How the hell did he get there without me noticing?

"Ready to go?" I asked, confused.

"To class. It's time to leave." He answered.

I took a deep breath.

Of course. Class. The whole reason we're in Forks today.

I sincerely hope Bella still wants to marry me after I inform her of this new clusterfuck.

I nodded and headed for the stairs.

Once we were upstairs, Emmett turned to me. "Why don't you go wait in the car, I'll be right out. I've got to talk to Pops." He said before disappearing around the corner.

I looked around and didn't see Bella or Rosalie anywhere.

I suppose they're waiting in the car.

I walked out the front door just in time to see the girls driving away in Charlie's truck.

What the hell?

I walked to Emmett's hummer in a daze, not sure what had just happened.

During the short drive to the church, Emmett made it painfully clear why Bella left with Rose.

"She knows about the woman's statement Edward." He informed quietly.

"What?" I looked at him.

"I said that Bella knows about the woman claiming to be pregnant with your kid." He stated with a little more force. "Alice called while you were feeling sorry for yourself."

Shit. No wonder she didn't want to ride in the same vehicle with me.

"Fuck" I muttered.

Emmett sighed. "You need to talk to Bella man. She's pretty upset."

"She should be. I want to kick my own ass right now." I admitted as I raked my hands through my hair again.

"Dude you need to calm down. You're going to blow a gasket pretty soon if you don't fucking chill." He directed. "Just talk to her."

I nodded as he pulled into a parking space. I could see Bella entering the church as she cast a sad look in my direction.

Once inside, I sat beside her in the same chair I had the week before.

Father Pat sat down and said our opening prayer before giving us all a hard look. "A little while ago, I got an interesting phone call from Charlie." He quirked an eyebrow, "Today we were scheduled to speak about 'conflict resolution'." He smiled gently before continuing. "Along with that, this may be a good opportunity to speak about another issue."

He took a deep breath. "You know, because of your situations, I scrapped the part of the lesson on making financial decisions as a couple, in favor of one I thought more appropriate and also unique to the four of you."

We looked at him questioningly.

"It seems you could benefit from a discussion about how to handle being in the public eye, and everything that entails."

Even Father Pat probably thinks I'm useless. I haven't done a very good job of sheltering Bella.

Father folded his hands on the table and spoke in a low soothing voice. "You know, I've lived a long time, and in my experience I've learned that one of the worst things that can happen to a person is to be the victim of false accusation."

"Sure you can prove your innocence and win your case in court, and most people will believe you. However, there will always be that small percentage of people that believe the worst. To them, an accusation is all the proof they will ever need for the accused to be the condemned."

I let Father's words sink in; they were not what I had expected to hear.

I had been falsely accused. I should be angry about that.

But the fact remained that it was through my own fault.

"All four of you are well-known now. Your celebrity status will, from time to time, attract the wrong kind of attention. There will always be people who will attack you and sometimes spread falsehoods about you. The question you need to ask yourselves is whether you are strong enough to accept the bad opinion of some, even when you've proven them wrong. Are you able to move forward despite that and live a happy life?"

"Before you answer that question, you need to think about how your answer will impact the person you've chosen to spend the rest of your life with. You're not in this alone. You know another term for 'spouse' is 'help-mate', and that's exactly what they are. With God's help, you will be there to help each other."

I need to handle this alone. Bella is too fragile. I'm supposed to protect her, not lean on her.

"Always remember that Our Lord suffered at the hands of the cruelest of men, the verbal attacks sometimes were every bit as painful as the physical. He is aware at every moment of what you need and what you're suffering. He is waiting to help. All you have to do is ask."

I wondered if that were really true.

He asked us to think about this, and have an honest discussion with each other before the next class which would be in three weeks. For better or worse this situation would be resolved by then, and hopefully Bella would still want to marry me.

When Bella rode back to Charlie's with Rose, I admit that it stung, however I still wasn't ready to talk to her about all this, so it was probably for the best. Once we got to Charlie's, she went upstairs. I went to the kitchen to grab a beer. I needed a little liquid courage before sitting down to talk with her.

"Edward" Charlie nodded from his seat at the table when I entered the room. He was in his uniform, so I assumed he'd be leaving for work soon.

"Hello sir." I said in answer as I opened my beer.

Charlie continued to watch me. "Why don't you have a seat son?" He gestured to the chair across from him.

I sat down carefully, not sure what was going to happen next.

Charlie looked down as he stirred his coffee. "Seems like you've got some stuff to work out." He said quietly.

I sighed. "That I do. I just hope Bella forgives me for putting her through this shit." I muttered.

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "Edward, are you telling me that this woman's statement is true? Because that would mean that the stuff about you being inexperienced" He whispered it like it was a dirty word, "was all a line of bullshit, and I don't like being lied to."

"No, of course her statement isn't true Charlie." I defended. "It doesn't change the fact that this is all my fault." I sighed again. "I don't blame Bella for being angry with me."

Charlie smirked. "You think she's angry with you for going on fake dates Edward?" It looked like the Chief was holding back a laugh.

"Simply put, yes." I said before taking a sip.

Charlie snickered then. I found it difficult not to glare at him, but I didn't need to be at the top if his shit list too.

"You know there was this one time, years ago that Renee was really angry with me. We'd planned to go to Bumpershoot. We were going for the entire weekend. She was really looking forward to it. A week before the event, I was told I'd have to work that weekend." He shook his head. "I was pretty damned upset because I knew she'd had her heart set on going to that thing."

He fidgeted with his coffee cup. "I figured the best way to get past the bullshit was to be blunt and honest. I told her I had to work, and that was that. I also told her I didn't want to hear any arguments about it, and that she needed to act like an adult."

Charlie let out a breath. "She didn't yell and scream. She didn't argue. She didn't throw a fit. What she did was worse, a lot worse. She became withdrawn. She wouldn't speak to me. It was awful."

"After two days of that, I went into the station and DEMANDED that they find someone else to take that weekend shift because my wife and I had plans. That night when I arrived home I was pretty damn happy to be able to let Renee know that I'd fixed things so we could go."

"Do you know how she took the news?" He asked.

"How?"

"She locked herself in the bathroom and cried for an hour. When I finally coaxed her out of there she admitted that she wasn't mad at me because our plans were cancelled, she was mad at me for the way I'd delivered the news. I had been abrupt, callous, and had basically told her she needed to grow up. In short, I'd hurt her feelings." Charlie then let out a labored sigh. "I mean, what the hell was I supposed to do with that?"

I fail to see what Charlie's story has to do with my situation with Bella, but I do appreciate his concern.

Charlie looked at me. "Edward, go talk to my daughter."

"Yes sir" I answered as I stood and walked to the doorway.

"Oh and Edward"

"Sir?" I turned to him.

"Just remember that women aren't always logical thinkers." He muttered.

"Okay" I answered.

The Chief may need a vacation.

-LRM—

I went upstairs to find Bella lying on her bed. Not wishing to disturb her, but not willing to wait another moment to get this out in the open, I knocked softly.

She looked over at me, her expression unreadable.

"May I speak with you?" I asked quietly.

"Of course." She answered.

I sat in the chair by the window, not sure if Bella wanted me close to her. I thought about how to begin this conversation.

Finally, I cleared by throat and began. "Bella, I realize that you're upset, and I need to know if you would rather I go back to Seattle this afternoon instead of waiting until tomorrow."

I watched as her eyebrows knit together.

"I swear that I've always been honest with you. What that woman said is not true." I needed to get that out there, in case she thought differently. "I have no idea why she'd even say such a thing."

"Once again, my bad decision of playing a part created by the studio has come back to bite me in the ass. I would understand if you needed a little distance from me to sort things through."

"And I know I'm no picnic to be around when I freak out like this. It's just that I worry so much about you, especially once we're back in Seattle and the press starts hounding you…"

"Edward!"

I stopped talking and looked at her.

This is the moment where she tells me to go fuck myself.

"I'm not angry with you, although I am a little insulted right now." She said. "Do you really think so little of me that you believe I'd blame you for any of this?" She asked.

Huh?

"You don't blame me?" I gave her a hopeful look.

"Of course not, I'm just hurt." She answered.

Oh shit. I hurt her. How did I hurt her? Think Edward.

"I'm hurt that you pushed me away when I tried to speak with you this morning." She blurted.

I felt like absolute shit.

"Edward, how many times will you allow yourself to be punished for one error in judgment? This is still part of the Tanya debacle; you've done nothing to deserve this. How could I be angry with you for it?" She ended in a whisper.

I was such a jerk. "Oh Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize what an ass I'd been this morning." I said as I began to pace the room. "I was so angry, I wanted to punch something. I still do."

"Please believe me when I say that I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I just didn't want you sucked into more bullshit that I had caused. I was trying to figure things out."

She stood from the bed and walked over to me. "Edward, don't you want to marry me?" She asked quietly.

I could feel a knot forming in my stomach.

"I want that more than anything in this world Bella, never doubt that." I answered.

Please don't tell me to go fuck myself.

"Then why would you shut me out?" She asked. "Edward, I'm here, and I want to help you through this. Please let me."

How can I explain myself?

"Bella, I just want to, no I have this need to protect you." I took a deep breath. "The press; whoever sent you those fucking flowers; the nightmares; that prick James at WIRI; I don't feel in control and it's killing me." It all came out of me in a rush then, everything that had been troubling me for weeks, before I collapsed onto her bed covering my face with my arm.

I felt Bella pull at my arm until she was holding my hand.

"Oh Edward." She choked out. "Please calm down. You protect me more than you know. Please let me help you." She said as the tears streaked down her cheeks.

I pulled her down and wrapped my arms around her. "I'll try Bella." I whispered before kissing her hair. "I promise I'll try."

Obviously I'd completely misunderstood everything about Bella's reaction earlier today. I'd hurt her. Charlie's story began to make sense.

I knew now that I needed to let her in, but could I do it?

We lay there for a while before we were interrupted by Emmett.

"Come on Andy, get the fuck up, you're coming with me." He demanded.

"Emmett what are you talking about?" Bella asked.

"Pops just left for work, he won't be back until after midnight. You're staying here with Rose, and Eddie's coming with me to do 'guy stuff'." He said with a smirk before turning to me "Oh, and bring a change of clothes, we're going to the gym."

-LRM—

There I was a half hour later with Emmett, on our way to the gym. During the ride, Jasper called to say that he'd found out that Jill Richardson had been promised a part in a movie in exchange for being my date for the VMAs.

Of course as soon as the studio became aware of her condition, they dropped her from the project. She was notified of this just one week ago. The timing of her statement started to make sense.

Jasper, realizing that I'd calmed down, read me the actual statement that she'd released to the press. After getting him to read it a second time, I realized that she never came right out and named me as her child's father.

This was getting weirder by the minute.

When we got to the gym, Emmett disappeared into the back. This place was so unlike all the fancy L.A. fitness centers I'd visited. This place was a real gym. It smelled like sweat and tiger balm.

I liked it immediately.

When he reappeared, Emmett was walking toward me followed by a muscular guy who looked to be in his thirties.

"Hey Eddie, this is Curtis Owens. He owns this place."

Curtis reached out and shook my hand. I tried to give him a firm handshake so he wouldn't think I was a pussy.

"Hey man" He said in greeting.

"Curtis, my friend Eddie needs to spend some quality time with the heavy bag. He really needs to hit the shit out of something."

Curtis grinned. I gave Emmett a dirty look.

Fucker was eavesdropping on my conversation with Bella.

I was familiar with bag training, having done extensive work with it for The Last Straw. I had to admit that after thirty minutes, I felt like a new man. It gave me a measure of satisfaction to imagine Victor James, or any number of people who had insulted my fiancée, being on the receiving end of my attack.

"So Mr. Hollywood knows his way around a gym I see." Emmett remarked after he'd finished his session with the bag.

"What did you think?" I answered with a smirk, as I finished with the weight bench.

He laughed. "I think you look like you feel better."

"I do, but you are one nosey fucker for listening to my conversation with Bella." I said with narrowed eyes.

"Look Eddie, I think you're a good guy. If I didn't, I can promise you that you wouldn't be allowed anywhere near Bella."

I nodded. "Yeah, yeah, you'd kick my ass." I said sarcastically.

"I wouldn't have to. Rose and Charlie would probably get to you first." He barked out a laugh. "Seriously though, she seems better." He thought for a minute. "I really think she is better. There's just this small part of me that keeps expecting her to regress back to the insecure nervous little girl she used to be." He drifted off.

"I worry about that too Emmett. I'm so afraid that something is going to happen that will test her beyond her strength. I'm afraid she'll decide that I'm not worth it."

Emmett shook his head. "You are one emo little fucker aren't you?" He laughed. I shot him a glare.

"You've got to stop thinking that way man. You're getting married in a couple of months. You should be on top of the world. This wallowing in misery is horseshit, and you aren't giving my sister very much credit. Bella's not some shallow twit that's going to dump you, especially over something that's not your fault." He slapped me on the back.

"Come on. Showers, then we're going out to eat."

"But" I argued

"No buts. Move your ass" was his genius response.

I had to phone my fiancée and explain that her brother was forcing me to have dinner with him and a couple of his friends.

I was not pleased.

"Go ahead Edward; enjoy your bonding time with Emmett." She told me with a chuckle.

"Ha, ha." I answered. "I just miss you." I breathed into the phone. "I need to make up for how I acted this morning. I really fucked up."

"Edward stop. You're beating yourself up again." She ordered.

"Are you still upset?" I asked.

I wanted nothing more than to wrap myself around her at that very moment.

"I'm alright Edward. Please stop dwelling on this. We'll talk later tonight."

"I worry about leaving you alone." I muttered, hoping that something would get me off the hook.

"I'm in Charlie's house. I'm perfectly safe surrounded by his guns. I can shoot you know."

All the breath left my body as I imagined Bella taking aim as some stupid asswipe trying to break into the house.

"Bella, you know how to shoot?" I asked.

"Edward, I'm the Chief's daughter."

In my mind, she wore black leather as she aimed her weapon.

Forget Charlie's Angels, Bella was hotter. Much hotter.

"That is so sexy." I said out loud before I'd even realized it. "Oh, um, sorry."

She giggled. "Hm. So the thought of me firing a weapon is sexy huh?" She teased.

"Uh….fuck yeah." I admitted with a laugh, being as we were in 'full disclosure' mode.

She laughed again. "I love you Edward."

"Love you too baby."

-LRM—

"So Eddie, Clint should be coming to town soon huh?" Emmett asked as we ate dinner with his friends.

I nodded.

"Clint?" Curtis asked. "As in Clint Eastwood?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely" Emmett grinned. "Edward's filming a movie with him in September."

"Emmett, I hope you make sure Charlie gets to meet him. He'll shit a brick." Curtis remarked with a laugh.

Everyone in this town must know of Charlie's obsession with Clint Eastwood.

"Eddie boy's working on that." Emmett answered.

I made a mental note to touch base with Clint soon.

-LRM-

"No Emmett. I want to go back to Charlie's. You can't force me to go to a bar with you." I said as we were riding along in the hummer.

"Would you relax Andy. I's not like I'm gonna slip ruffies in your drink and take advantage of you." He said with a dimpled grin as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Fuck my life.

"I don't get to spend time with these guys much, and the next time I'll see them will probably be at my wedding." He defended.

"That's fine Emmett, but why do I have to come along?" I whined.

"Stop being a bitch. You, my friend, need to have a drink and relax. I have a sixth sense about these things."

I glared at him as I dialed Bella once again.

The call went to her voicemail.

"Bella, call me when you get this. Emmett has kidnapped me. He says we're going to a bar. I'd like it very much if your father would come and arrest him."

I ended the call and smirked at him.

Emmett bellowed with laughter. "You're alright Andy" He said with a smile.

When we arrived at the bar I recognized it to be the same one where Emmett and I had to beat up that asswipe a couple of months back. I didn't have time to think about that before we were seated, and Emmett's friends arrived.

Aside from Curtis and Benny, who we'd had dinner with, there were two other guys: Kevin and Gus. Gus was quite a bit older than everyone else, and I soon found out that he was Emmett's old high school football coach.

My phone rang before we'd ordered the first round of drinks.

Bella

"Hey baby." I said when I answered. It was noisy, so I started to move to the hall by the bathrooms in order to hear. "Hang on a second."

Once I found a relatively quiet spot, I started to speak. "I don't want to be here." I muttered.

"Emmett obviously thinks you need to blow off a little steam Edward. Now that I think about it, I agree with him." She remarked. "Rose and I are fine. We've been looking through old photographs for our wedding slideshows."

"I can't wait to see them." I said with a sigh. "Alright, I'll go let your brother kick my ass at pool."

She laughed. "That will make his night." As soon as I ended the call I realized that I was standing right where that douche Tim had cornered my girl.

'Yeah little Swan, they are mighty sexy. I'd like to see those boots resting up on my shoulders while I pound into you baby.'

I saw red as I thought about yet another piece of shit that had hurt my girl. Back at the table, I found that the guys had already ordered their first round. I walked to the bar and ordered Wild Turkey on the rocks. Alice would kill me if she knew, so it was a good thing she wasn't around.

I took a swig while still standing at the bar and remembering everything that motherfucker said that night.

'What do you want Swan? I didn't touch your precious little sister'

I looked around half-hoping that he'd somehow materialize as I slowly walked back to the table.

'What? You realize that it's three against two. How about we fuck both of you up and maybe I'll find your little sister and fuck her afterwards'

The group was now headed toward the pool tables. I took another swig of my drink as I followed them.

"So, no sex until after the wedding?" Kevin was asking Emmett.

Emmett shook his head and took a swig of his beer. "None." He answered. "Hey I agreed to it, I'll survive." He set down his beer and grabbed a cue stick.

I felt the familiar burn from my drink, and started to relax.

"Man you must have some blue balls right about now." Kevin announced with a snicker as he grabbed a stick as well.

All eyes were on Emmett then as he began to sing in his best 'Larry the Cable Guy' voice: 'Blue balls, blue balls, it's dollar night at the titty bar'." Which of course caused everyone within earshot to erupt into laughter.

"Emmett Swan you know damned well this ain't that kind of establishment." The bartender hollered before laughing and throwing a bar towel at Emmett.

He caught it easily. "Your aim sucks Tyler." Emmett yelled back with a laugh.

I don't give Emmett enough credit, he's pretty fucking funny.

I ordered another wild turkey rocks with the next round, downing it quickly. It was mighty smooth. I thought again about the night Emmett and I beat up Tim and his friends.

Emmett's really a great guy. I should hang out with him more.

The guys were talking football. Gus praised Emmett for sticking with the Seahawks. "I know for a fact you've had other offers."

Emmett nodded and then kept his eyes fixed on the pool table in front of him as he answered. "My life is here." He announced simply.

Bella's really going to miss her family if we move away. We need to talk about where we're going to live.

Where the hell is that waitress? I need another drink.

After deciding that the waitress had taken French leave of us, I walked over to the bar, bumping into some dude on the way. He seemed pretty drunk.

I hope he doesn't drive home like that. Charlie will probably arrest him.

A couple of minutes later I was back with my drink, playing pool, and having my ass handed to me.

The guys were now talking about my movies. Not surprising that the overwhelming favorite of this group was The Last Straw. "Get this, my man Edward here is going to be filming with Clint Eastwood in a few months." Benny bellowed.

They all looked expectantly at me.

Why are they looking at me?

I nervously took another sip of my drink.

"That's got to be a little scary for you Edward. I mean he's Dirty Harry." Gus said in an awed tone.

I thought about that, although it was a little hard to focus.

"He's gonna fuck me up." I slurred.

"What?" Emmett asked.

"My face, he's gonna fuck up my face." My lips felt numb. I looked around and they were all giving me weird looks. "Clint is going to fuck up my face just like Laurence Fishburne did in The Last Straw." I was able to stutter out through my numb lips.

"You mean he's going to hit you?" Emmett asked, amused.

"Duh" I answered, sounding a lot like Bella. "That's what I just said."

I really miss Bella.

I heard a couple of the guys snicker.

Did I miss something funny?

"I think I'd better get Eddie home, he can't seem to hold his liquor." Emmett announced.

I held up my glass. "I can hold it just fine, right here in my fucking hand, motherfucker." I said before I downed the rest of it.

All the guys laughed as Emmett ushered me to the door.

"Maybe I should drive." I announced from the passenger seat of the hummer.

Emmett gave me a pointed glare. "Uh, that would be a no." He said.

I sighed and sat back in the seat, glad to be going back to my Bella.

I felt a little dizzy when I got out of the car.

"Emmett" I whispered when he came around to help me. "Don't tell Alice I was drinking Wild Turkey."

"Oookay." He answered.

"She'll kick my ass." I continued in a whisper, causing Emmett to chuckle.

"Bellaboo" Emmett called as we came through the door.

Bella suddenly appeared in front of us. "Emmett! What the hell?" She scolded.

"Hey, he only had a couple of drinks maybe three? What a lightweight." Emmett muttered. "I had a couple of beers and before I knew it Eddie was slurring his words."

Three? No wonder I feel so damn dizzy.

"I like Wild Turkey, but I like you more Bella." I said as I kissed her.

She looks nervous. What did I say?

As I sat on the sofa, Bella brought me some water. "Edward, drink this so you don't dehydrate."

"Sure Bella" I smiled before drinking.

She takes such good care of me.

She looked so sexy while she was helping me take off my shoes. I was happy when Emmett finally left so we could be alone. I pulled her up and deposited her on my lap. "I'm not drunk Bella. I'm just tipsy." I said with a smile.

"Should I make you some coffee?" She asked.

"Nah, I'll be fine in a while." I drank if the sight of her. It had been too many hours since I'd last seen her. "You are so pretty Bella." I bent down to nuzzle her neck. "The first time I saw you, I couldn't take my eyes off you."

She ran her fingers through my hair.

"That feels good." I said. "What did you think the first time you saw me?"

"Well, does seeing you for the first time in a movie count?"

"Um hm." I hummed while kissing her neck.

"I thought you very handsome."

I pulled back to look at her face. "That's a very proper answer Isabella." I laughed.

"I couldn't very well drool over you. I was with Rose." She said. "As a matter of fact, there was only one time I was able to escape alone to the theater to view one of your movies. I definitely drooled that time."

I grinned. "Which movie?"

"September Ends" She said as she winced, shutting her eyes.

She fucking blushed. I bet it has something to do with my ass.

"You drooled you say?" I asked with a chuckle.

She nodded.

"You're funny. I bet you couldn't take your eyes off of my ass." I laughed.

"Shhh." She grinned and shook her head.

"Yes Mr. Movie Star, I was so dazzled by your ass that on my way out of the theater I plowed into some poor guy walking down the hall." She chuckled.

"That's funny. Some crazy girl ran into me in a movie theater in Seattle once. She crashed into me so hard that she landed on the floor. Then she got up muttering something about 'having to pee'. It was nuts." I leaned down to kiss her neck again.

"Edward, by any chance was that at the Meridian Theater?" She asked

What? Oh yeah the crazy girl.

I thought about it and nodded once I remembered. I pulled down the strap to her tank top and kissed across her bare shoulder.

"Uh, do you remember if that was Thanksgiving weekend?" She asked.

Why the hell does that matter?

I reluctantly pulled away again as I thought. "It was over a year ago. I don't really remember. I was trying to escape Alice. She wanted me to pose for family photos wearing some lame Christmas sweater." I laughed when I thought about it. "So maybe it was Thanksgiving weekend."

"Edward, I'm not sure but I think that girl who bumped into you may have been me." She whispered.

Huh?

The thought was surprising, but it made me smile nonetheless. "No shit?"

"I think so." She admitted with a smirk.

We both chuckled at the possibility.

"So the first time we met, you bumped into me and fell down?" I grinned.

My head was a lot clearer now, and this was pretty damn funny.

She nodded.

"I would say that's very apro, apro, oh fuck…" I muttered.

Less sober than I thought.

"Apropos?" She asked.

"That's it." I grinned. "You know Bella, now that I think about this, it had to be you. That feeling I always get when we touch, that electric current, I know you've felt it too."

She nodded. I blinked, trying to clear my head.

"Well, I felt it that day when I helped that girl from the floor. I've never felt that with anyone else ever. Weird that I'm remembering that now…."

"I felt it too." She whispered, "That day."

Another surreal moment.

Suddenly Bella stood and tried to coax me into lying down. I was feeling pretty sleepy. "Edward, you need to sleep."

I gripped her hips, trying to pull her down too. "Only if you stay with me" I asked. I wouldn't be able to sleep without her.

Bella nervously glanced at the clock. "Edward, my Dad's going to be home soon. He'll get mad if he finds me here."

"No Bella. Charlie won't care." I said. Charlie knew about my bad dreams. "Please, you keep the nightmares away." I whispered and closed my eyes. She didn't say another word before laying down. "You smell good." I whispered with my nose in her hair.

"Thank you."

"Love you beautiful." I mumbled as I drifted.

"I love you too."

-LRM—

I woke up alone although I could hear Bella working in the kitchen. She was speaking with someone. I got off the sofa and walked toward the stairs. I could hear Emmett's voice.

"We had a good time. Even I have noticed the amount of stress he's been under lately. I figured he needed it."

I sighed deeply. Emmett was correct. I needed to thank him later for that.

Once I'd showered and dressed for church, I entered the kitchen and gave Bella a quick kiss. We had a busy day ahead of us.

After Mass, I sat in the living room with Charlie watching the game when I heard Emmett calling from the basement doorway, "Come on Eddie, I'm going to help you improve your game. Your pool-playing skills suck."

I had no intention of going anywhere near that tainted pool table, not after what I'd witnessed him and Rose doing on it a couple of months before. I walked downstairs and found Emmett grinning from ear to ear, pool cue in hand.

I shook my head. "No can do Emmett."

"Why not?" He asked, curious.

"I refuse to allow any part of my body to come in contact with any surface where your jizz may have landed." I said before turning on my heel and heading back upstairs.

Emmett exploded into laughter before I'd reached the top step.

During lunch, Charlie told us the story of how Renee unwittingly got a prostitute to paint a little ceramic turkey for her. Her naiveté was quite sweet. It reminded me very much of Bella.

Bella can deny it all she wants, but she does take after her mother in some ways.

After lunch, I looked at the photos Bella had collected from her Mom's old albums. I then helped her look through Charlie's in order to add a few more. I couldn't help but focus on the photo taken the week before her mother's murder. Bella was so happy and full of life. Comparing that to the ones taken during the next year or two, I couldn't help but notice that she was the mere shell of the girl she had been. She was noticeably thinner and paler, and she never cracked a smile. The most troubling though was the haunted look in her eyes. It broke my heart to see her that way.

While we were in the middle of sorting photos, Bella got a call from Kyle Browning.

By the time we left for Seattle, several plans were in motion. Kyle had already begun the request for a DNA test on the child to be done as soon as it was born. We opted for that method seeing that the due date was in less than two weeks. Kyle was going to help me draft a public statement, and Rose was setting up air time at WIRI for the next day in order for me to make that statement.

I also agreed to hire a private investigator to look into Jill Richardson's past. I was hesitant, but Bella was adamant that we needed to do it. I deferred to her judgment on the matter.

During the ride home, Bella informed me that she intended to be with me while I made my statement. Inside I was thrilled, but I didn't want her to do something that would put undue stress on her.

She insisted, and once again I acquiesced, knowing that having her there would calm me, and also knowing that I'd promised to let her help me.

Kyle came over that evening to help draft the statement. We had a nice time, despite the reason for his visit.

After Kyle left, Bella and I finally had a heart-to-heart about my behavior the day before. I went into greater detail about the fears that were nagging at me, including the nightmares. In the end, I realized that keeping things to myself in order to protect Bella was not healthy for either of us. We both agreed to lean on each other more than we'd been willing to before. It was an important step.

-LRM—

The taping of the statement went well. I had to admit that finding out that Plateau had been swamped with messages and phone calls supporting me did help my mental outlook a great deal. We knew the segment would air about an hour after we left the studio, and immediately after that it would be picked up by all the major news networks. All Bella and I had to do was sit back and wait for the reaction.

By that evening, we'd spoken with Charlie and my parents, Alice, Jasper and Chris. Even several of the actors I'd worked with called to let me know they were behind me. The biggest surprise was the fact that Tanya offered to make a statement of her own if needed.

It was humbling to know how many people were concerned about my welfare. I was truly blessed.

Unfortunately I couldn't think about that for long. Bella would be going back to class the next day to face God knows what kind of fallout because of Jill Richardson's statement. My anxiety returned full force by the time I crawled into bed.

We lay there for a while lost in our own thoughts before I couldn't hold back any longer, "Bella, I'm going to have to insist that Lou walk you to class tomorrow."

She turned to face me as I tensed for an argument. She then shocked me by agreeing with me.

Thank God.

I lay back and closed my eyes, relieved. Suddenly I felt a soft hand on my cheek. "Edward, please try to relax. You're going to end up in the hospital at the rate you're going." I blinked a couple of times as I thought about that.

My blood pressure has probably been through the roof lately

"You know, it probably wouldn't hurt for you to speak with Dr. Miller yourself before the wedding."

I nodded in agreement as I pulled her closer. "Seventy-five days my love." I whispered.

-LRM—

The next day was pure torture. I must have sent Bella at least ten text messages throughout the morning making sure everything was okay. She tried to assure me, but I didn't buy it until Lou confirmed that her morning had been uneventful.

After that I relaxed a little until I got a call from Jasper.

"Hey Edward, I just got a call from Hal. He's going to need you on set for re-shoots tomorrow night."

"What?" I asked.

"Sorry, it can't be helped. They had to back up the dates because of the weather. Tuesday's reshoots have been moved to tomorrow."

"Shit." I muttered. "Bella and I were due to fly down on Thursday night."

"I took the liberty of getting your Letterman appearance switched to Tuesday, since you won't be shooting that day." He informed.

"I don't know if I can leave Bella to fly down alone Jasper." I said in a quiet voice.

Jasper sighed. "Bella will be fine Edward. Won't her bodyguard be with her?"

"Yes" I admitted. "Look, I'll talk this over with her. I guess I really have no choice at this point."

"Alright" Jasper said. "It will be good to see you. We miss not having you in L.A."

"Thanks Jazz."

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The next call I got was actually good news. Alec called to inform me that Bella's Mustang was ready and he'd arranged for it to be transported from California to my parents' home on Mercer Island.

Just in time for graduation.

I smiled as I thought about surprising Bella. She seemed to be doing better at accepting gifts so I held out hope that she would be happy about it and not rip me a new asshole for spending money on her.

The best part of my day was when Pete the doorman phoned to let me know there was a package downstairs. As soon as I saw the box I smiled broadly.

The invitations

I couldn't wait to see Bella's face when she opened them.

I carried the box with me to WIRI. Her reaction didn't disappoint.

As I glanced at the elegant writing, I could feel a lump forming in my throat.

This was really happening; she was really going to be mine.

.
Isabella Marie Swan
daughter of Charles E Swan & the late Renee L Swan
and
Edward Anthony Cullen
son of Dr. & Mrs. Carlisle A Cullen
request the honor of your presence
at their marriage
on Saturday, the fourteenth of August
Two thousand and ten
at two o'clock in the afternoon
Saint Anne's Catholic Church
511 5th Avenue
Forks, Washington
.

"Oh Edward, it's perfect." Bella said as she looked at it with watery eyes. "You know sometimes I'm afraid this is all a dream. This" I held up the invitation, "makes it feel real."

"It's real sweetheart." I whispered as I pulled her into my arms.

On the ride back to the apartment, I phoned my parents.

"Hello" My father's voice sounded over the line.

"Hi Dad" I said brightly as I reached for Bella's hand.

"Hello Edward, everything alright?" He asked.

"Yes, everything is wonderful. The wedding invitations came in, and we'd like to come down this evening to show them to you and Mom." I said while smiling at Bella.

"I don't think that's a good idea son. You're Mom's not in any condition for company." Dad answered.

I was immediately concerned.

"Why what's wrong? Is she sick?" I asked.

"Nah, I've just been working a lot recently, this is my first evening off in almost a week. Your mother and I haven't gotten to see much of each other and, well, when I got home she was waiting for me. Let's just say that she's in need of a little TLC if you understand me." He said, slurring the last line.

What the?

"Dad have you been drinking?" I accused.

"Not as much as your mom" he chuckled. "As soon as she put 'Squeeze Box' on the stereo, I knew I was in trouble." He laughed.

"Dad!" I exclaimed. That was way too much information.

Just then I heard my mother's voice.

'Carlisle that had better not be the hospital calling or you won't be getting lucky tonight'

I could hear Roger Daltrey belting out the chorus to 'Squeeze Box' in the background.

"Sorry Edward, I've got to go. If she finds out you're on the phone she'll want to speak with you. Trust me, she'll give details. I don't want to scar you for life." He said before laughing loudly in my ear.

Why did I ever dial this phone?

"Oh my good Christ" I muttered. "Goodbye Dad." I ended the call and covered my face with my hands.

"Is everything okay?" Bella asked.

I pulled my hands away from my face to look at her. "Yeah, I guess so." I thought about the information imparted by my Father. "Are you a big fan of music by The Who Bella?"

"Not really, they're a little before my time." She grinned. "Charlie is though."

I nodded.

"Why? Are you?" She asked.

"Oh, I would say I'm a fan, although after that conversation" I said as I gestured toward the phone lying on the seat, "I may never be able to listen to The Who again." I muttered.

"Why not?" She asked, confused.

"Let's just say, I'm having a flashback to every time I remember hearing Squeezebox blasting from the stereo in my parents' room while growing up, and it's making me feel a little uncomfortable right now." I admitted quietly.

*Mama's got a squeezebox, Daddy never sleeps at night*

*************************************************A/N**************************************************************

A/N Admit it, that song is now stuck in your head isn't it?

You know the drill…I need reviews to make me write faster. Next up is a new V&V…watch for the sneak peek on Facebook and the blog.

As always, anything else this wordy bitch has to say will be posted on Facebook. Cheers.