A/N: Y'all... Snow White and the Huntsman was AWESOME. Go see it! It was so great to see such strong female characters. Both Kristen and Charlize were very powerful characters. I loved it. It wasn't without issues, but overall just great!

The break room was empty for once, and Bella was glad.

After so many years of being mostly alone, it honestly surprised Bella that she didn't feel smothered. Except for the fact Home Depot occasionally scheduled her days off during the week, she hadn't really been alone since Edward found her in Vegas. It was odd how quickly she'd grown used to his presence.

It was frightening how... essential to her he was becoming.

But occasionally, she did need her solitude, especially when it came to the call she was about to make.

"Bella!" Jacob Black, Bella's best friend in Forks, picked up on the second ring.

Bella smiled and closed her eyes, feeling a brief moment of homesickness at the sound of his voice. "Hey, Jake."

Jacob was the one person in Forks - well, near Forks - that would have believed her story. They'd been best friends since they were children. When she ran, Bella had first considered going to Jake for help, but that wouldn't have been fair at all. Jacob was two years her junior and still in high school.

He was the one she'd called when she finally stopped driving the first night. She'd told him a lie - that she just needed time - and asked him to tell her mother she was okay. The last thing she needed was to be reported missing.

Since then, she'd called one more time, letting him know she was still alive and doing well. She'd been in Chicago by then, and she still didn't know if she'd believed the words coming out of her mouth.

"How's Mom?" she asked eagerly.

"Same as last time," Jacob said quietly. "She was glad to hear you were okay, but she doesn't understand why you don't call her directly."

Bella closed her eyes against the sting of tears that threatened. She longed to hear her mother's voice again. "Do you know..." She took a deep breath, willing her voice to remain steady. "Do you know if Alec has been around?"

"Your cop friend?" Jacob scoffed. He was one of the only people Bella knew that had never fallen under Alec's spell. "Oh, yeah. He and your mom are BFFs since you took off. She tells everyone what a great comfort he is."

Pressing the back of her hand to her mouth, Bella tried to keep calm. It was no less than what she'd expected, and it frightened her more than she wanted to admit. Even though she was far, far away from Forks, she looked around nervously, as if he would pop out from behind the vending machine.

"I don't understand why you care about him, anyway. Did you know, when your mom told him that I'd spoken to you, he was all over me about it? He was asking me questions like he was interrogating a suspect in your disappearance."

Bella let out a startled cry. "Oh, Jake. I'm so sorry. I didn't think he'd... Did he..."

"Whoa. Bella, calm down." There was a pause on the other end of the line before he spoke again. "What aren't you telling me, Bells?"

Bella bit her lip hard and didn't answer.

"Is there something going on between you and this creep? Is that why you-"

"N-no," Bella lied. "No. I just didn't think he'd bug you, that's all. I know you don't like him."

"Well, he's a prick. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to freak out about it, but when you left, before you called me, he had your mom all worked up. He said you'd been to his house and you were acting all crazy, like you were on drugs or something." He snorted. "I told Renee that I'd know if you were on drugs."

"On drugs," Bella repeated scathingly. "No. Please tell Mom I'm fine."

"Of course. I did before." He paused. "Are you really okay?"

Bella cocked her head considering that question honestly. "Yeah. I really am," she said, realizing with some shock that it was true. "I'm right where I want to be."

~0~

"Flatscreen. A big one."

Edward smiled indulgently at Emmett, resisting the urge to shake his head.

"Careful," Carlisle said warningly. "I know it's a lot of money, but you can whittle it all away to nothing quite easily.

"I know that, Pop," Emmett said easily. He reached over with a grin, grabbing Rosalie's hand. "We're going to pay off our school loans, pay off the condo, the rest of the wedding, and make a few wise investments." He grinned widely. "Namely, we're going to invest in a flatscreen."

"So you're keeping the condo then?" Esme asked.

"It seems like the best idea for now. We're both swamped at work, and wedding plans are time consuming," Rosalie inserted with a shrug. "There's no rush."

"And you shouldn't count your chickens before they're hatched," Edward added. "The house hasn't sold yet. Who knows. It may linger on the market for months."

Emmett waved his hand, unconcerned.

"And have you two decided what you're going to do?" Esme asked, looking at Jasper and Alice.

"Speaking about not counting chickens before they're hatched, I'm a little more worried about keeping up the payments on the condo for the time being," Jasper admitted.

Edward tried not to feel hurt, reminding himself that it was wise for Jasper not to depend on getting the portion of the money Edward had promised. They'd had several long discussions, hashing out old hurts and misconceptions. Jasper was right to be wary if only because anything could happen; life proved to be uncertain. His worry didn't stem from mistrust in Edward's intentions.

Old defensiveness died hard, but they were all working on it.

As if she sensed his moment of tension, Bella - sitting beside him - ran her hand up and down his back. Smiling, Edward turned to her, thanking her silently with a soft kiss to her cheek.

It still left him a bit awestruck, the power she had over him. Here they sat at a table in a busy Mexican restaurant, surrounded by his family, and yet with a single touch, everything faded away. He was only tangentially aware of his parents assuring Jasper they had the means to help him make ends meet until everything was settled. He saw nothing but the woman beside him: her shy smile that was only his and the light in her eyes, the reflection of adoration that was forever caught in the photo that now sat on desk at work.

Edward blinked sporadically as a sharp chip hit him on the cheek. He looked over to find Emmett cracking up.

"Stop ogling your wife and pay attention to your mother," Emmett said, going for a stern expression.

Turning his head, Edward saw that indeed her mother was looking at him with a bemused look. "Sorry, Mom," he said contritely. "Can you repeat the question?"

"If I must." Esme's tone was teasing. "Have you had time to look into homes?"

Edward and Bella exchanged a glance. Her hand slipped down off his back, falling to her side again.

"Erm. No, to be honest," Edward admitted.

"Do you know what you're going to look for?" Alice asked. "When Jasper and I look, we're going to find a place that has a little extra room for each of us."

"Because you, my girl, have horrendous hobbies." Jasper tightened his arm around Alice's shoulders, grinning at her.

She stuck her tongue out at him, and Edward was glad when the spotlight shifted away from him and Bella again.

~0~

Later on that evening, Edward was considering the elephant in the room.

He sat with his laptop open, supposedly searching the MLS for a new home - his home.

Really, he was surreptitiously watching Bella. She sat on the floor, her back against the couch. Her hair was loose, flowing over one shoulder while she idly played with a strand, her eyes on the movie screen and a hilariously serious expression as she watched.

Technically, they'd kissed for the first time only four weeks before.

Technically, they'd only been on a few dates, trying to figure out how they worked at a couple. At least, that's what he assumed they were doing. Unwisely, he knew, they had yet to clarify that.

Which was probably why he found himself in such a quandary.

How did one ask his girlfriend of a few weeks - who was also his wife of 11 weeks - to move in with him? How did he tell her he didn't want to find his home, he wanted to find their home?

Shoving himself off the couch, he sat on the floor beside her, balancing his laptop on his knees. "I need your help."

Bella looked at him curiously. "With?"

"I've never searched for a home."

She snorted. "And I have?"

He nudged her lightly. "Just help me," he said, showing her the page with the home search on it.

Rolling her eyes, she nonetheless snuggled close to him for a better look. Smiling, he draped his arm over her shoulder.

"See, I can't tell one neighborhood of Chicago from another," she said, shaking her head.

"Just for your information, the neighborhood we live in is otherwise known as Gold Coast."

"That figures."

He smiled gently. "Just leave it on all neighborhoods. I'm not set on staying here. It's the other things I can't figure out in any event."

Skipping over price, he hit the drop down. "Bedrooms?"

"I guess that depends what you want your home for," Bella said slowly. When he chanced a glance at her, he noticed she wasn't looking at him. There was a strange tone to her voice as she spoke again. "If you're looking for a house just for you for the time being..."

"I want..." He trailed off, taking a deep breath before he plunged ahead. "I want a home that's ready for a family."

She nodded. "Right. It would look weird if you bought a place while they still think we're married." She frowned at the thought. "I wonder if I could find a little apartment on my salary. And then we could tell them, and you wouldn't have to-"

"Bella," he protested, curling her closer to him. His throat was suddenly tight. "Is that what you really want?"

For a few painful heartbeats, she was quiet, gathering her thoughts. "What I want is for you to have a choice. This is your house. You've made it clear that you hate this house because it wasn't your choice. I don't want to be your grandfather all over again. I don't want you to have to choose a house that's big enough for a family just because everyone else thinks we're married."

He opened his mouth to speak but she pushed ahead quickly, her words flowing so fast he had to listen intently to hear them all. Her face was flushed; she was blushing, but why?

"Maybe... I've been thinking that if we're going to continue to do this, if we're going to try to be an us-" she brushed her fingertips over his cheek tenderly "-maybe it would be better to start over. No more lies. We could come clean... I could come clean to your family, and we can do things right. Equal."

Edward was quiet for a moment, taking the time to brush her hair out of her eyes. His heart had stopped for a few beats when he thought she was trying to leave him completely. He kissed her forehead, understanding that she wanted what she had wanted all along - to be more stable than she could be at the present time.

"I've had quite a bit of time to think about right and wrong," he murmured finally. "All things being equal... Yes, things could be very different. But all things aren't equal, Bella. The more I've had time to think about everything that's happened - to you, to my family - nothing is ever equal."

He tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. "I hope you understand, you don't come up with the shorter end of the stick - not by a long shot."

She scoffed. With a small sigh, he kissed her softly. "You don't. Look at what has happened these last weeks and tell me with a straight face that I have my life in any kind of great order."

Understanding lit her eyes. When she didn't answer, Edward pressed on. "And some things haven't changed." He let his hand rest over her little bump. "I'm still worried for your safety, and Bean's. I just don't think it's wise to change things yet. As it is, wherever we go, the neighborhood security wouldn't be as good as it is here."

A glint of fear flashed through her eyes. "You really think they'd come for me after all this time?"

"I think I don't want to take that chance," he said quietly. The pads of his fingers played along her cheek bone. "You are precious to me, Bella. I told you before: what happens behind closed doors, what happens between us, is only our business. It's easier for me to keep you safe, to keep Bean safe, with our original arrangement."

As he spoke, he tilted his head closer toward her, his tone getting quieter, more fervent.

"Say you'll stay with me," he whispered, his lips so close to hers he could feel the heat of her breath.

Her hand against his neck, she sighed. "I don't want to leave," she admitted and kissed him sweetly.

Relieved, he kissed her back. It was a slow kiss, a serious kiss, and he wondered if she knew all the things he didn't have words to say. He wondered what staying meant to her - if it meant the same as it did to him.

When he broke the kiss, he only pulled away enough to rest his forehead against hers, his eyes closed for a moment. He nuzzled the side of her face with his nose, breathing her in once more before he got back to business.

"Three bedrooms then," he decided. "At least."

~0~

Not for the first time, Bella observed that her life was more than a little surreal.

Here she was, two weeks shy of her 21st birthday, holding her husband's hand as they toured homes with his mother - Bella's mother-in-law.

She had a mother-in-law.

Still, she felt a little awkward. Naturally, Esme directed many questions at her, pointing out this feature or that, pointing out rooms that would make good nurseries or offices and urging them to take future children into consideration before they decided how many rooms they wanted.

Bella gave her opinion, but did her best to redirect so the focus was on Edward. Yes, she thought this little nook was charming, or she liked the sloping ceilings of this guest room, but what did he think?

"This kitchen leaves much to be desired, but the rest of the house is fabulous!" Esme said, tapping her lips thoughtfully.

"It would be easy to redo this kitchen," Bella said absentmindedly.

"What were you thinking?" Esme asked.

"Oh." she blushed, realizing too late she'd spoken out loud. It had been an idle thought. "Just... look at the wide windows here." She gestured to the front of the kitchen. "This room has great lighting but the paint is too dark. I would strip it and go with something a little more blond, maybe? Oooh!" She brightened. "Or even better, make the cabinets glass faced. That would play off the light very well."

Esme was staring at her with wide eyes. Edward laughed. "Bella wants to go into interior design," he explained.

"What a fantastic idea."

Edward turned to the realtor. "Mark this house as a maybe."

As they turned to leave, Esme looped her arm through Bella's, pulling her closer. "So why is this the first time I'm hearing about you wanting to be an interior designer? I have a little experience in this area you know."

"I don't know that I've thought it out all the way," Bella hedged. Again, this was awkward territory. How could she explain to Esme that she was trying to find some sense of security on her own, for herself and her baby, without Edward's assistance? Most people wouldn't think twice about letting their very capable, very well paid husbands foot the bill for school. There was no way she could go to school on her own. Thinking about things like breaking into a career were so far out of her reach presently. "A lot has changed very quickly, and I haven't had time to plan for much." She touched her palm to her belly, her heart twisting.

Some days - most days - she still felt so unprepared to be someone's mother.

"Oh, of course." Esme patted her hand. "Forgive me, sweetheart. Sometimes I forget how new you are to this family." She cocked her head, considering Bella for a moment.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw Edward smile. It was a grin that made whatever awkwardness she felt at the situation fade away.

"I know what you mean," he said quietly, speaking to his mother but looking right at Bella. "I can't remember life before her."

Bella pressed her lips together, but still she couldn't keep the smile from her face.

Esme chuckled. "Well, there's no rush. Concentrate on the baby. When you're ready to think about it - if and when that day comes - you let me know. I can put you in touch with the right people, the right schools."

"I'll think about it," Bella promised.

A/N: Thank you SO MUCH to Shug and Ginny. I have no idea how you two are so patient with me, willing to discuss tiny nuances for HOURS on end. And thanks to Baburella - you make me laugh.

So! I know it was a shorter chappy, but we have a lot going on next chap, including finding out the sex of the baby. I'm so excited. I love surprises!

Oh, wait. I'm the author. I already know what Bella's having.

Also - dear mycrookedsmile: I told you I'd update today!