All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer; I just like to play with her characters.

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HUGE thanks to my betas darcysmom and twimom817 as well as my pre-reader Edwardsmyobsession1971. HUGE love for these three ladies for their unending support and encouragement.

When You Least Expect It

Note: This chapter is a continuation of EPOV from the last chapter. Sorry if some of you thought yesterday's update was nothing different from the last chapter in Bella's POV – I think it's pretty important how Edward views things as his feelings aren't always on the same page as Bella's. Enjoy.

Chapter Thirteen

The Morning After

I felt like ass when I woke up the next morning. It was no doubt a result of my imbibing from the evening before. I quickly showered and made my way downstairs to meet my new assistant.

As I was descending the stairs, I could hear voices in the kitchen area. One I didn't recognize at all and I knew the other two were from Bella and Emmett.

Whoever the unknown voice belonged to seemed awfully comfortable with Bella. He even went as far as calling her 'Bells'.

What the fuck was that all about?

"Bells?" I asked as I walked into the kitchen.

Bella gasped and turned to face me.

"Mr. Cullen, nice to meet you, sir." The unknown man drawled with a slight Southern accent.

I offered my hand and raised my brow at him in question.

"Nice to meet you too…"

"Jasper, Jasper Whitlock."

"Jasper. Well, welcome to the funhouse. I assume you already know Bella?"

"Yes, sir. She's a good friend of my girlfriend's and also a good friend of mine." Jasper admitted.

I looked at Bella with a questioning look.

"Alice?"

Bella nodded and I smiled widely at her. She rolled her eyes at me before turning and making her way to the fridge. I think she wanted to give Jasper and I a couple minutes to get to know each other. Emmett followed her, and I envied that he was able to so easily go and enjoy her company over a cup of coffee.

I could hear them talking quietly from where Jasper and I stood. Bella was curious as to whether I'd have Jasper accompany me to Australia – which he would. She also made a comment about Eric which made Emmett chuckle and then he told her about me wanting to fire Eric when I'd come back from Iraq.

"Jasper's a really nice guy." Bella said quietly to Emmett. "I think he'll get along well with Edward."

"He came highly recommended to me," I said, walking into the kitchen behind her.

"Damn it, Edward! Will you ever learn that I don't like to be snuck up on?" Bella shrieked.

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped from my chest.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I don't mean to sneak up on you. It seems you get so lost in what you're doing that you don't realize there are other people in the room."

Bella shrugged and went back to making breakfast.

"Are we on for dinner tonight?" I asked quietly.

Bella sighed and hesitated for a few moments. I worried that she would tell me no.

"Would you mind terribly if Kaden came?" Bella asked in a small voice.

I was completely shocked that she even asked if she could bring Kaden with her. I knew she wanted to feel like she could trust me completely before she allowed me to be around Kaden. This was a huge thing for Bella. It was a huge thing for both of us.

"Of course not. He's welcome here anytime, Bella."

"Thank you. I have to pick him up today, but we'll be back later this afternoon. Around four if that's okay?"

"That would be perfect, Bella."

Bella made us an amazing dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans. I watched as Bella carefully cut up Kaden's chicken and green beans. When she finished, Kaden eagerly tucked into his dinner.

"Mommy makes da bestest mashed tatoes. Ever." Kaden said seriously.

"Your mommy is a very good cook," I replied, smiling back at him.

Kaden was adorable sitting at my table that had never seen any young kids sitting at it. He looked like a little chipmunk with his little cheeks all puffed out – full of his mashed 'tatoes' – no doubt.

After dinner, Bella and I cleaned up the dishes while Kaden sat at the breakfast bar – coloring another masterpiece for my refrigerator. The one that he'd sent me as a thank you for his Christmas present still hung proudly on the front of my fridge. I'd become fond of it. It put a smile on my face every time I opened the refrigerator door.

After a while, we moved into the living room and I sat and watched the loving dynamic between mother and son. If it wasn't clear before how much Bella loved her son – now it was crystal. It was well-defined on Kaden's face too. He thought Bella hung the moon. It really was a cool thing to see. I'd always been close to my mom but I didn't remember being that close. The bond between them was strong and pure.

Bella waved me down to sit with them on the floor and Kaden brought a puzzle over to me and I started working with him on it. Bella unfolded herself and moved over to the sofa. I was glad – she'd worked all day and then made a wonderful meal. She deserved a little time to relax.

As Kaden and I worked on our puzzle, I made small talk with him.

"Do you have any animals, Kaden?"

"Uh huh! We'd have a doggie … her name is Koda. She's Mommy's doggie." Kaden replied.

His excitement over their dog was heartwarming.

"Yeah? Is she a big dog or a little dog?"

"She's white wif black spots and blue eyes and she's fluffy and wikes to wick a wot."

I chuckled at his rambling and I heard a beautiful, soft giggle behind me. Bella was listening to every word we said of course.

"She's half Australian Shepherd and half Husky," Bella explained. "She's medium size but that's probably huge to him. Huh, buddy?"

Bella ruffled Kaden's hair and joined us on the carpet once again.

"I bet she's a great dog."

"She's amazing."

"Koda sings songs!" Kaden said excitedly as he jumped into my lap.

I was a little taken aback, but I appreciated his enthusiasm.

"She does?" I asked enthusiastically.

"Uh huh! But she only sings for Mommy, and Papa always yells at her to shuddup when she sings."

"Aww … well, I hope I get to hear her sing one day."

"Uh huh! You can come to our house and play and then you can meet Koda and Papa. Can you come tomorrow?"

Oh how I would have loved to have gone over there tomorrow to see Koda sing … as well as spend a bit more time with Kaden and Bella.

Bella laughed and pulled Kaden from my lap.

"Little Bear, Mister Edward has more important things to do than come over and play with you and Koda. Besides, Koda hasn't had a bath in a while and no one wants to smell a dirty stinky dog."

Little Bear. It was such a fitting name for such an adorably handsome little boy. My heart swelled with love for the beautiful woman sitting opposite me.

Love? How was that possible when I didn't really know her? I didn't want to rule it out because frankly, it was entirely possible and I knew that Bella was something I wanted. I wanted both of them – a family. I watched Bella pull Kaden to her chest, hugging him with love that only a mother could give as he snuggled into her warmth. Bella looked up at me – her eyes full of understanding and kindness.

"You okay?" Bella asked quietly.

I nodded and smiled back at her softly.

"I better get Kaden home, it's getting late."

"Mommy! 'Fore we leave, I wanna help Mister Edward put a new drawwin up on the fridgidator!" Kaden cried.

We took one of the drawings he'd done earlier and fastened it up on the refrigerator using the Cars magnets I'd asked Eric to get for me. It was one of the few things he'd done right.

For the first time since Lauren left, my home felt warm and welcoming – thanks to the presence of Bella and Kaden. When they left for the evening it felt cold and empty once again. I could only hope that in time they'd be back because they filled my heart with love and laughter – something I desperately needed.

Over the next few days, I managed to get all my affairs in order with the help of Jasper. He was turning out to be a fantastic assistant and I wondered why in the hell I'd ended up with Eric in the first place if Jasper was working in the agency.

"Jazz … can you make sure that any incidentals that Bella may need are taken care of?" I asked.

He looked at me quizzically.

"I don't want her struggling while I'm out of the country."

I could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't happy.

"Edward … what are you doing with Bella if you don't mind me asking?"

Jasper's attitude was a little on the cocky side and it kind of pissed me off but I figured if he was her best friend's boyfriend then he probably knew a little bit about her and maybe even cared about her.

"I do mind; Jazz, as a matter of fact. But since you're her friend," I sighed. "I like her. I like her a lot and I'd like to get to know her better."

"I can appreciate that I guess, but do you understand the fact that she's a single mom? Do you know that she's still married?"

Still married? What the fuck?

I took a deep breath and tried to get my anger under control. There was still a lot that I had to learn about Bella. Maybe she had a good explanation for still being married.

"I see that look on your face, Edward. She's not married by choice, man. She tried to file but was told that she had to wait until she's been in California for six months. She moved here in the end of August and she's got a little over a month to go before she can legally file."

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

I couldn't help but wonder … file for what? Separation? Divorce?

"Anything else you want to know, you'll have to ask her about. But just so you know, I love Bella like a sister. We were roommates in New York while I was going to school and she was going to culinary school. She's one of my best friends. Don't hurt her …. She's sweet, loving, good and one of the best people that you'll ever have the privilege of meeting."

"Thanks, Jazz. I have no intention on hurting her. I really like her and I'd like nothing more than to get to know her but obviously – since I'm heading to Australia in a couple days that is going to have to happen over the phone, via text messages and email."

Jasper nodded and asked me what I meant by incidentals since her salary was already covered for the duration of my filming in Australia.

"Things like a car – if for some reason hers breaks down – she is more than welcome to my car service or my personal vehicle. God forbid, if something should happen to her father's house and she needs a place to stay – arrangements can be made for her to stay at Chateau … or even here if she's comfortable with that since I won't be here anyway."

"Edward … no offense, but Bella can't afford to stay at the Chateau." Jasper reminded me.

"I don't expect her to pay for it, Jasper. Whatever she needs, I'd like to take care of it."

"Bella's not going to allow you to do that for her, Edward."

"She's not going to be given a choice, Jasper."

I heard the gentle clearing of a throat behind us and I realized that Bella had been standing behind us only I had no idea how much of the conversation she'd heard.

"Good morning, guys." Bella said softly.

Jasper and I both greeted her as she made her way into the kitchen. I should have been paying better attention to the time because I knew she would be in sooner than later.

"Jazz you can use the office to take care of that stuff …" I offered, hoping that I could have a few minutes alone with Bella.

If nothing else, I wanted to find out how much she'd overheard.

Jasper nodded and walked out of the kitchen.

I could tell Bella was pissed off by the way she was slamming things around in the kitchen.

"Bella?" I asked. "Can we talk?"

"Do I have a choice?" She snipped.

I sighed, knowing that she'd heard a good deal of the conversation.

"Bella … I just want to make sure that you're taken care of. It's just that … I know you were pretty much alone when Kaden was in the hospital and I know how helpless you felt. I thought I could ease a potential burden by making provisions in the event that something happened. I'm merely providing you a safety net, Bella."

Bella was turned away from me so I couldn't see her face, but I would have given anything to have seen her expression in that moment.

"Edward … that's incredibly sweet of you. I'm touched that you thought of doing that for me but honestly, I need to be able to take care of myself. I depended on Mike and look where it landed me. I'm sorry but I just don't have it in me to trust like that right now."

I felt like I could breathe again. She didn't seem as angry as she had been when I asked her if we could talk.

"I know that, Bella. I also respect the fact that you want to take care of yourself. I worry that I'm going to be half a world away and something will happen and I won't be able to help. I'm merely having Jasper set these things up in the event that you need them, it won't cost me anything if you don't."

"Do you do this for all of your employees?" Bella asked with a wry smile.

"My 'employees' consist of you, Jasper, Emmett, and Doug. The housekeepers and gardeners don't really count because they work for companies – not independently. Since Jasper and either Emmett or Doug will be with me in Australia – you and whomever doesn't accompany me will be taken care of while I'm gone."

Bella nodded.

"You're not angry with me are you?" I asked.

"I was – and for the record, I was ready to tell you that you could find a new chef when you came back. But I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, Edward. As long as I'm not being singled out to be 'taken care of' – I guess a safety net isn't a horrible thing to have."

"I was going to talk to you about it. I'm sorry that you walked in on mine and Jasper's conversation."

"But you still wouldn't have given me a choice would you?"

"No," I chuckled. "Sorry, Bella. It's one thing I don't want to budge on."

I watched her carefully as she nodded.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Bella asked quietly.

"I have to be at the airport by five."

I talked to her for a few more minutes before I excused myself to go upstairs and pack. I wish that I could have asked her to come up and help me but I think that may have been pushing it. She still seemed a little ticked with me and I didn't want to leave with her mad at me.

Jasper eventually came up to find me, telling me that he needed to get home so that he could pack his own things and be ready to go the following morning. I invited him back later that evening for dinner. I'd already discussed it with Bella and she'd agreed to come and bring Kaden. I told her that I'd ask Jasper and have him bring Alice.

Bella was excited about it because it wouldn't waste the meal she was making that evening.

I was just finishing up my packing when I heard the patter of little feet on the tile in the entryway. Peals of laughter floated up through the air and I couldn't get downstairs quick enough. Bella laughed and hushed Kaden, telling him to sit at the breakfast bar quietly while she worked on dinner.

I stood for a long while in the doorway out of their sight watching them as Bella moved so effortlessly in my kitchen and Kaden sat at the breakfast bar. Kaden must have been drawing something because he cheered when he completed it and excitedly called for Bella to come see. She quickly washed her hands and moved toward her son, wrapping her arms around him and ruffling his hair as she told him how good his drawing was. I felt like an intruder barging in on their private moment but I couldn't bring myself to feel bad about it.

My phone beeped in my pocket, alerting both Bella and Kaden that I was only feet away from them. Kaden smiled widely and hopped down from the barstool to run toward me.

"Mister Edward!" Kaden cried as he wrapped his little arms around my legs.

"Hey, Buddy," I chuckled; ruffling his hair like Bella had done only moments ago.

I cleared my throat.

"Erm, that was Jazz. He and Alice are on their way over. He said to tell you they are bringing the wine." I said sheepishly.

"Cool. Now if you're done spying, you can come help with dinner." Bella grinned.

"Bella … I …." I started but she interrupted me.

"Edward, it's fine. Now come on, I could really use your help." Bella pleaded.

I followed her into the kitchen and waited for her to tell me what she needed help with. Apparently, she was making homemade pasta and needed help pulling it from the pasta machine onto the counter.

"What exactly are you making?" I asked, eyeing a bowl full of what I assumed was some type of stuffing for the pasta.

"Mushroom ravioli." She grinned.

"Bella ..." I said in warning, "You know I hate mushrooms."

"Yes and the other night you asked me to make you my favorite dish which is in fact, mushroom ravioli. Instead, I made you my second favorite dish which is fried chicken. I thought since you're leaving in the morning that it wouldn't do to have leftovers in the fridge so I thought I'd make something I liked so I can enjoy the leftovers."

"You are such a brat. I did, however say that I would eat your favorite dish even if it was mushroom ravioli."

"Yes, you did." Bella nodded.

"I'm sure that I'll like it – especially if you're making it."

I leaned against the counter and watched as Bella carefully spooned the mixture from the bowl into little piles spaced perfectly across the span of pasta I'd helped her lay out. When she finished, she motioned for me to help her lay out another piece of pasta on top of the scoops of mushroom. When we'd finished, I watched as Bella carefully pressed down on the pasta to make sure it wouldn't shift. Then she reached over for a round cutter and Kaden squealed from his spot at the bar.

"Oooh! Mommy! I wanna help!"

"Okay. BUT you have to wash your hands first, buddy." Bella said, pointing to the sink.

"I'll help him," I offered and Bella nodded.

Kaden was adorable as he helped Bella cut out the circles of pasta. She was so patient with him but drew the line at letting him help her put the finished pasta into the pot of boiling water. When all the pasta was finished, Bella placed it all in a baking dish and carefully poured what looked like an alfredo sauce on top of the ravioli before grating some fresh Grana Padano on top and sliding it into the oven.

While the ravioli baked, Bella made a salad. She made her way through chopping the lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and green onions in no time and she even diced up some kind of thinly sliced bacon and sautéed it before throwing it on top along with some crumbly cheese that smelled like dirty feet.

"I see you wrinkling your nose over there, Mr. Cullen," Bella chided.

"I can't help it – that cheese smells like dirty feet." I admitted.

"It may smell like dirty feet but it's delicious, I promise you."

She got out another bowl and began pulling out seasonings and began to whisk them with olive oil and vinegar when the doorbell rang.

"You should get that …" Bella grinned.

Jasper grinned at me from the other side of the door and guided his petite girlfriend through the door before following her. He introduced us quickly as we made our way back to the kitchen.

"AUNTIE ALICE!" Kaden screamed as he flew into Alice's open arms.

"Hey, Little Buddy!" Alice giggled as she picked him up in her arms and hugged him.

"I's so glad you here!" Kaden smiled brightly while playing with a strand of Alice's hair.

Jasper and I stood back and watched the exchange as Alice walked into the kitchen while still holding the giggly little boy to hug her friend. Bella hugged Alice tightly and nodded as Alice whispered something into her ear.

"Unca Jazz!"

Kaden squirmed out of Alice's arms as if he had just realized that Jasper was there. In truth, he probably had been so excited about Alice that he never even saw Jasper.

"Hey, Buddy," Jasper murmured as he reached out for the little boy. "Have you been good for mommy today?"

"Uh huh! Imma good boy aww da time. Unca Jazz … look at da pittures I drawed for Mr. Edward. We hunged em on the fridgidator. He gotted speshul magnets to hang em wif." Kaden pointed at the refrigerator.

Jasper walked him over to where he was pointing and listened intently to Kaden as he explained what all the pictures were. Alice and Bella chatted quietly as I reached for the wine bottles and filled the glasses that Bella took care to set out.

"That was a fantastic dinner, Bella." Jasper said, rubbing his belly as if he were Santa Claus.

"Thank you," Bella murmured shyly.

I enjoyed the meal, conversation and company more than I could have imagined. In the company of her friends that she considered family, Bella was open, funny and completely relaxed. It was refreshing to see her that way. I learned how fiercely protective Jasper and Alice truly were of Bella and Kaden, and I found myself envious of the relationship between Jasper and Kaden. I could only hope that one day maybe I'd have a similar relationship with Bella and her son.

All too soon, our evening came to an end. I needed to attempt to get a little bit of sleep before leaving for the airport. Bella and I bid goodnight to Alice and Jasper before I helped her load what few leftovers there were into her car. Kaden had long since fallen asleep on the couch while we sat at the table drinking wine and chatting. Bella allowed me to lift him from the couch and carry him out to the car for her.

"Are you sure you're okay to drive home?" I asked concerned.

"I only had two glasses of wine, Edward. I'll be fine."

"Will you text me when you get home, please?"

Bella nodded.

"Thank you again for dinner, Bella. It was amazing. I'm a definitely a fan of mushroom ravioli now." I smiled.

"You're welcome, Edward."

"You'll keep in touch with me while I'm gone right? The time zone thing might be weird but we can text and email."

"Definitely. Just text me your email address. We'll be pen pals and I'll tease you with recipes of delicious food that you won't be able to eat because you're not here." Bella smirked.

"You really are a brat." I grinned.

"Someone's got to keep you on your toes. Tell Emmett he better take care of you."

I could see the beginnings of tears starting to well in her eyes and I knew if that happened that I wouldn't be able to let her go home so easily and I think Bella realized that too.

"I will. You take care too, beautiful Bella. If you need anything – anything at all don't hesitate to call me no matter what time it is, okay? I know I'll be halfway around the world but I'll do whatever I can, okay?"

Bella nodded and looked down, suddenly finding the pavement very interesting.

"I'll miss you," I whispered as I pulled her chin up begging her to look me in the eye.

"I'll miss you too."

I held her door while she climbed into the driver's seat.

"Text me." I reminded her.

I looked on as she pulled out of the drive and I knew I couldn't bear to watch her drive away, so I slipped into the house. Pressing my back against the closed door, I slid down to the floor holding my head in my hands.

Everything I wanted in the world had just driven away and tomorrow morning I was getting on a plane and flying away from everything important to me.

How the hell was I supposed to get through the next eight weeks?

A/N: EEP! I don't know about y'all – but I'm with Edward! He wants to be with her so bad but he has to leave … life pretty much sucks for him at this point. =( I heart him hard because he's SO in love with Bella and Kaden already but he's in such denial! LOL Next week we'll hear from Bella again. =)

I want to say thank you again for ALL the wonderful reviews. So many of you are cheering for this sweet couple as they find themselves and hopefully find a way to each other. I read each and every one of your reviews and though I haven't had time lately to reply – know that it's not because I don't want to, there just aren't enough hours in the day.