A/N: Hey, ladies, how's it going? Christmas is only one week away and I still don't have all the presents I need. However, today's Tuesday and that means I have a new chapter for you. Since the last one was quite steamy, this week will be a little slower but very sweet.

Before I can let you read though, I want to remind you who makes this story what it is. I'd like you to give a round of applause to my wonderful betas evelyn-shaye and EdwardsMate4ever. Thanks you, ladies for your great help and for challenging me to constantly dig deeper. And thank you to my friend and prereader Vampgirl79 for her support and advice.

Now, here's the new chapter. Enjoy! See you at the bottom.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I hope that, after the holidays, I'll maybe own the BluRay box ;).

******POMH******

Chapter 14 – Chicken Soup

After trying Edward's cell and home several times without success on Wednesday afternoon, I decided to leave him a voicemail.

"Hello, Edward," I said through my stuffed-up nose. "I'm sorry. I have to cancel our plans for tonight, but I've had a cold for a few days now, and since around noon, I'm running a fever. So I can't go to see Skyfall tonight." My message was suddenly interrupted by a coughing fit. "Sorry about that. Anyway, I already talked to Alice. You guys are still on. I'm just dropping out. Hope to see you Friday night. Bye." With that, I hung up.

Alice, Jasper, Edward, and I had planned to go see the new Bond movie tonight. When I got up this morning, I was still hoping I could go, but my temperature had increased over the last few hours, and by now, I was feeling too weak to leave my apartment.

Alice had offered to take a rain check, but I insisted that the three of them should go on as planned.

I had to admit that I was sad because I wouldn't see Edward tonight. Although I was still telling myself that he was nothing but a good friend — and my lover out of convenience — I had missed him since he'd taken me home on Sunday.

Our not-a-date had turned out to be kind of a date after all, and Alice was becoming more and more suspicious that something was going on behind her back. If something was going on, it was not only behind her back but behind my own, since I was still dead set on keeping it a friendship rather than a relationship.

After leaving the message, I shuffled to the kitchen to make myself another cup of tea before I dragged my feet back to bed. There I fell asleep immediately.

****POMH****

I awoke with a start, unsure why I was awake at all. My room was dark, and it was quiet around me. I looked at the clock on my nightstand to see that it was 8:30 p.m. Something must have woken me since I was totally bewildered.

Knock, knock, knock

Someone was knocking on my door, probably not for the first time. After the second that I needed to realize what was happening, I slowly climbed out of bed, put on my robe, and sneaked to the door, blowing my nose on the way.

When I opened it, I saw Edward standing in the hall, his hand raised to start another round of knocks. I blinked my puffy eyes a few times to make sure I wasn't seeing things in a feverish delirium. But he didn't disappear. He was still standing there, dressed casually, smiling radiantly with bright green eyes.

"Hey, beautiful. You're looking hideous," he said with furrowed brows. Immediately, I felt a little better seeing him.

"Thank you," I answered, my nose still stuffed up. "I wasn't expecting company. Otherwise I would have dressed up and put some makeup on." I did my best to lay the sarcasm on thick.

I opened the door further and let him come inside. "What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be at the movies with Alice and Jasper?"

"I canceled. I decided I could put my evening to better use if I came here to take care of you. I brought drugs," he held up a box of cold medication, "food," he showed me a can of chicken soup, "and entertainment." He finally held up two DVDs of Elvis Presley movies.

I pressed my lips together in a tight line, feeling guilty that he was missing Skyfall. "You should have gone to see James Bond blow up some stuff and shoot some people. But, thank you. I can really use everything you brought." I smiled, admitting to myself that his company was the best of all, before I had to blow my sore nose again.

"Come on. First we put you to bed again, and then I'll heat up the soup." Unexpectedly, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the bedroom. I was stunned and way too exhausted to protest, so I just let him be. Stopping next to the bed, he set me on my feet again, helped me out of my robe, and lifted the covers. He waited until I climbed into bed before he gently tugged me in. Then he looked over at the nightstand and found my empty mug.

"I'll get you another cup of tea. You just lie down and rest."

Lying in my bed, I couldn't hold back a smile as I heard Edward rummage through my kitchen. That man was really unbelievable. Did he actually pass on a night at the movies to take care of his sick friend? Certainly, not many men would do that. Then again, how many men did I really know? Not that many. Just having sex doesn't mean you know someone.

I heard the microwave ding, and a few moments later, Edward stood at the side of the bed, a tray with soup and tea in his hands.

"Can you sit up, or do you need help?" he asked as he put the tray down on the nightstand.

Straightening up and leaning my back against the headboard, I answered him with a stubborn glare, "I have a cold, I'm not dying."

"If you say so," he countered nonchalantly. "Here, first you take two of these." He dropped two pills in my hand and handed me a glass of water. As soon as I had swallowed them, I gave him back the glass. "That's a good girl," he stated with a smile.

Then he handed me the soup. "Do you want me to feed you?" His eyes sparkled with mischief.

Although I was tempted for a second, I was more annoyed by the thought of appearing to be weak. "I'm still quite capable of eating on my own. I have fended for myself for a long time." I put a spoonful of hot soup in my mouth. It was delicious even though my sense of taste was quite impaired by the cold. "Hmm, thank you, Edward. Don't you want to eat anything?"

He sat down on the bed beside me, watching me eat my soup. "I ate on the way home. I worked late today. This is all about you."

When the bowl was empty, he took it out of my hands, handing me the cup of tea instead.

"Can I do anything else for you? Do you want to eat something else, or maybe something to drink? Or a cold wet towel? Your forehead feels really hot," he said after touching his hand to my face. His brows were furrowed with concern, his lips pressed in a tight line.

"No, thank you. I'm good. Which movies did you bring?" I tried to glance at the covers of the DVDs that were now lying on the edge of the nightstand.

He turned away from me and took the boxes in his hands. "Uhm, I have Viva Las Vegas and It Happened at the World's Fair. Did you know that, before I moved here, every time I heard someone say 'Seattle', I had to think of that movie?" He grinned as he held the DVDs up for me to see.

"It's always been one of my favorites. Let's watch that one, then," I decided, pointing at the white, blue and red cover of the film that was set in the city we both lived in.

Edward set up the DVD and turned out the lights. Then he went around the bed to sit on the other side, his back against the headboard, his feet dangling from the side.

I slid down to lie on my back again, pulling the covers up under my chin as the first notes of "Beyond the Bend" sounded from the TV.

We watched Elvis fly his plane, kiss a girl, and beat up a bunch of guys for about fifteen minutes before my teeth began to chatter.

"Why didn't you say something before? I'll get you another blanket," Edward scolded as he got up and fetched the rug from the living room. Back in the bedroom, he spread it on top of the bed covers.

"Better?" he asked, standing beside the bed and looking down at me with worry in his eyes.

I shook my head as I lifted the covers, motioning for him to come join me. After deliberating for a second, he took his shoes off and slipped under the covers, wrapping his arms around me. Being comfortable and secure in his embrace, I slowly started to feel warm again.

As "They Remind Me Too Much of You" ended, I had relaxed enough into Edward's body to enjoy the movie and the company. The song was one of my all-time favorites. Slowly, the cold medication began to take effect as I drifted off to sleep. In my semi-unconscious state, I noticed Edward humming along when Elvis sang "I'm Falling in Love Tonight" before I entered dreamland.

****POMH****

I was feeling snug and happy when I woke up. My nose wasn't as stuffed up as before, giving me the chance to breathe at least a little bit. I felt a warm body spooning me from behind and strong arms were holding me close.

Unwilling to fully wake up just yet, but a little uncomfortable in this position, I turned around, placing my head on Edward's chest. It was unbelievable how used I had gotten to waking up near to him in only a few weeks when I had never before been able to endure that kind of closeness.

Ready to doze off once again, I suddenly went rigid, realizing that today was Thursday, and although my first appointment was around noon, Edward most certainly had to be at the office quite soon.

"Edward? Edward? Good morning," I whispered, actually unwilling to wake him. I looked at the clock to see that it was eight a.m. already. "Edward, you've got to wake up. You need to go to work," I said a little louder.

His voice was raspy with sleep. "Hmmm? What time is it?"

In fact, I didn't know at what time his day usually started, but I figured that he was expected at least around nine. "It's eight in the morning. You'll be late."

"Oh!" His arms around me tightened for a moment before he let go and sat up. He was still wearing his white t-shirt and blue jeans. "How are you feeling today?" he asked before getting out of bed.

I quickly stretched my limbs, testing for any pain, before answering him. "Better. The fever is gone, and I'm even able to breathe through my nose again. Thank you for taking care of me," I said quietly but sincerely, suddenly feeling a little shy.

"You're welcome." He smiled at me before he took a look into the mirror, running his hands through his hair. "I don't have time to go home and change. Fortunately, I have a shirt and a jacket in the car. I'll just declare today casual Thursday."

"I think I have a new toothbrush in the bathroom. Do you have time to take a shower?"

He looked at the clock again. "I'll have to try to be done in ten minutes," he said as he vanished to the bathroom.

When I heard the water running, I got up, too, threw the robe on, and went to the kitchen in search of some quick breakfast I could offer Edward as a thank you for his care last night. After inspecting the contents of my fridge, I decided to make him a sandwich that he could eat on the way.

About ten minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, drying his dripping hair with a towel.

"I think I made it. Now I have twenty minutes to get to the office." He went back to the bedroom to put on his shoes, then walked over to me.

"I made you a sandwich. I guessed you wouldn't have time to have breakfast here with me," I said, handing him a plastic box.

As he looked at me, there seemed to be some longing in his eyes I didn't understand. "Thank you. I'm sorry that I have to hurry like this." After a second, he planted a kiss on my forehead. "Bye, Bella. See you tomorrow night." Then he headed out.

****POMH****

After dragging myself to a day at work, I had just closed the door behind me that night, when my phone started to ring. "Hey, Bella. How are you?" Alice asked while I put my bag down and hung my coat in the closet.

"Better. The fever is gone, and I'm feeling almost normal again." I didn't tell her that Edward had been here to take care of me. "How was Skyfall?"

She seemed to think about her answer before she started to speak. "Well, the movie was good, but I have to admit that it was a little strange to see James Bond cry. If you get a chance, you should go see it some time. Maybe Edward would like to go with you. He canceled on us, as well. Speaking of which, Jasper said today Edward looked as if he had been sleeping in his clothes. You didn't by any chance have something to do with that?" Of course Alice suspected something. Somehow, she had a special sense for things like that.

"Yes, I did. He came over last night, bringing me some meds and soup. Then we watched a DVD and fell asleep." There was no use in beating around the bush, so I told her straight out.

She sighed theatrically. "He came to nurse you? That's so sweet." I knew she was beaming.

"I know, right? This morning we overslept, so he didn't have time to drive home and change. That's why he looked inappropriate." What the hell? I could be honest with her. She knew me inside out, anyway.

"When will you see him again?" Alice asked after a short pause.

I was surprised as my face turned into a frown. Twenty-four hours weren't that long, and he wasn't my boyfriend I wasn't able to be without for any length of time. "Tomorrow, just like you. Where are we going anyway?"

"We thought we'd go to The Escape. We haven't been there for a few months, and I think Emmett will like it. Do you want us to pick you up or will you go with Edward?" she asked teasingly.

I was a little unnerved by her insinuations. "We'll meet the Cullens there. So, would you pick me up?"

"Okay. Around nine then. See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Alice."

********POMH********

A/N: Let's do a collective AAWWWWW! Isn't Edward just perfect? Who wants to be taken care of by him? Me, me, me *jumping up and down with my arm waving in the air*. Seriously, he's a really sweet guy.

The movie they watch is actually my favorite Elvis movie. If you get the chance and aren't totally opposed to sixties' musicals, you should check it out.

I have a question for you. I've been working on a few short EPOV outtakes of conversations he's had with Jasper and Emmett over the first weeks he knows Bella. Who's interested in reading them? I was thinking about maybe posting them one by one over the holidays. But please, don't be mad if I don't get them ready by then. I promise you'll get to read them some time if you want to.

So, what's next week? Yes, we'll meet Emmett. Here's a little preview:

… Emmett wiggled his brows suggestively. "I bet it was hot wherever you two were." …

You're asking if it will really be hot? I wouldn't let you spend Christmas without a lemon, would I? Tell me what you think Emmett will be like. Will he know about Edward and Bella? Please, share your thoughts with me. See you next week.