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

No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: I apologize in advance for any flaws this may have. My lovely co-beta darcysmom has been severely under the weather this past week and she hasn't been able to get this chapter back to me. Here's wishing her a quick recovery because no one enjoys being sick. Everything has fallen onto twimom817's shoulders and she is wonderful to have gotten so many chapters back to me in one go! HUGE thanks to them and my pre-reader EdwardsMyObsession1971 – without them, I'd be a mess!

When You Least Expect It

Chapter Twenty-Six

Sleep – Overs

"Have a good time with Auntie Alice and Uncle Jazz and be a good boy, Little Bear!" I hollered from the edge of the sidewalk as Alice carefully buckled him in.

"He'll be fine, Bells," Jasper assured me.

"I know but I'm a mom – it's programmed into me to say those things."

Jasper laughed and kissed me on the cheek.

"You better get back to Edward … he's anxious to spend time with you."

I must have blushed seven shades of red knowing that Jasper thought that was going to happen tonight but he couldn't have been more wrong. As much as I wanted to spend some time alone with Edward – it wasn't because I wanted to move our relationship to that level. Honestly, I wasn't ready for that yet and apparently I needed to talk to Edward about it.

"Jazz …"

"All I'm saying is have a good time, Bella."

I suddenly felt like a teenager going on a date. In reality, it wasn't a date at all so I'm not sure why I felt that way. My hands were clamming up and I began to feel nervous.

It's just Edward … I kept chanting to myself.

I walked into my condo and decided to take a quick shower to try and relax a bit before I went back to Edward's. I stepped out of the shower, dried off and slipped into a pair of my softest sweats. I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and grabbed a hoodie before heading out the door. I decided to take Koda with me knowing that Edward wouldn't mind having her there. He'd fallen completely in love with her and she with him. She'd never taken to a man so quickly before.

As I was helping her into the car, my phone pinged with a text.

Are you okay? It's been over an hour. – E

Sorry … I'm fine and on my way over now. –B

The sun was setting and twilight was settling in upon the Hollywood Hills. As I pulled into Edward's neighborhood, I could see a few cars sitting outside Edward's house that weren't there before. I pulled up to the gate and immediately saw camera flashes going off. I could hear things being yelled at me as I pressed the button for the gate and made my way up the drive. It had only happened one other time but for some reason this time I felt more shaken by it.

"Bella?" Edward asked as he tapped on the glass of my driver's side window. "Is everything okay?"

I nodded and reached over for my purse as Edward opened the door to help me out.

"The paparazzi are out tonight. They accosted me at the gate."

Edward sighed.

"Come on, let's get you inside."

I let Edward lead me in the house and into the living room. I kicked off my shoes and settled into my favorite spot on the couch.

"Can I get you a glass of wine?" Edward offered.

"Mmm … that sounds good."

"Was Kaden okay when he left with Jazz and Alice?" Edward asked as he poured the wine.

I thought it was sweet that he wanted to know if Kaden was okay when he left. Edward seemed genuinely concerned. He wasn't just asking because he knew he'd get brownie points if he did.

"Yeah, he was excited. He loves hanging out with them. I'm glad that he gets to see them more since we moved here. When we lived in Washington, he'd only get to see them a couple times a year."

"Jasper and Alice seem to get a kick out of it. They adore him."

"They're very good to him. They're good to me too. I couldn't ask for better friends. They've been there for me unconditionally as I've gone through all this … shit. They encourage and support me – they love me and they have no idea how much I really appreciate it."

"I don't think that's true at all, Bella. I think they know exactly how much you appreciate it. And don't you think for one minute that they mind doing it. You're right – they love you and they want to make sure that you're happy and that you're okay. You can't fault them for that."

I nodded.

Edward walked into the living room and handed me my glass of wine and sat down next to me. He was drinking a beer – Stella. I couldn't help but chuckle at the last time we'd had a drink together – it was at my condo and he struggled to find the light switch in the kitchen. He cursed before finally finding it and making his way back to the living room.

"You look relaxed."

Edward's voice was rich and soft as he spoke.

"I don't know what came over me." I giggled. "Jasper said something about having fun before they left and I suddenly felt like a teenager going on my first date – only this isn't a date. It was so bizarre so I decided to take a shower to relax and that's why it took me so long to get back."

"Ahh … but you don't know why you were nervous?"

"Nope," I said popping the P. "I've never been nervous around you before – that's what was so strange about it."

"Are you nervous now?"

"Uh uhh … in fact … now that I've had a couple sips of wine – I feel a bit like Jell-O. I'm not tipsy or drunk – just extremely relaxed. It feels good, I don't get to do this very often."

"C'mere," Edward chuckled.

I leaned over into him and he pulled me down to lay my head in his lap. His long fingers pulled the elastic from my wet tresses and began to work the tangles out.

"I love the smell of your hair …" He whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I'm going to miss it when I'm gone. I'm going to miss you. Period."

"I don't want to talk about you leaving right now," I said sadly.

"But I am leaving, Bella … in two days."

"I know, but I'd rather not think about it. I'd rather enjoy the time I have with you not worrying about you leaving."

My lovely, relaxed feeling evaporated in an instant. Suddenly my heart began to ache – I didn't want Edward to leave. The past few weeks had been wonderful – more than I could have ever hoped for in fact, and I didn't want that feeling to pass just because he had to leave the country for a couple of months. I sat up from my place on his lap and looked at him very seriously. My hazel eyes bore into his bright green ones.

"What is it, Bella?"

"Is it horrible if I don't want you to leave?"

"It's not horrible at all, beautiful. It tells me that you want me. Can I tell you how happy that makes me?"

The look on his handsome face took my breath away. His smile was blinding and his eyes shone with happiness. I couldn't help but lean over and kiss him. What was meant to be a brushing of lips turned rather heated. Edward's lips felt so good against my own that I couldn't resist the urge to keep kissing him and he wasn't resisting me. He nipped gently at my lips before gliding his tongue against them. Our tongues met and slid against each other easily. My fingers reached for the hair at the nape of Edward's neck and tangled in its softness. The faintest grunt floated across his lips as we continued to kiss. With one arm around my waist and the other extended upward as his hand gently cupped my face and neck, he held me to him.

I was the first to break the kiss.

"Edward …" I whispered, pressing my forehead gently against his.

"Hmm?" He hummed.

"I hate that you have to go …"

"I'm here, Bella. I'm not going anywhere just yet."

"Tell me you'll come back," I whispered again, squeezing my eyes shut as tight as they would go.

"Of course, I'll come back. Bella, love, look at me," Edward said, tilting my chin slightly with his finger. "I'm not Mike … I will come back to you and Kaden. I want more of this – of us. I fall for you a little more each day and damn it, I'm not ready to give you up. I'm not sure I'll ever be."

I sagged against his chest, resting my head above his heart. I could still feel his fingers working their way through the tangles in my hair. It was a funny thing, I never enjoyed the feel of Mike's fingers in my hair – it was entirely different knowing it was Edward's fingers buried in my long, thick tresses. His touch relaxed me – more than I ever thought it could. I didn't realize that tears were falling from my eyes until I felt the wetness on Edward's thin t-shirt.

I wanted to tell Edward that I was falling for him too and that I wasn't ready to give him up if ever as well, but I couldn't force the words from my lips. I stayed perched in his lap, allowing the tears to fall while he stayed silent and allowed my little break down. I strained to listen to the beating of his heart – it was constant and soothing.

"Are you all right?" Edward asked quietly.

I nodded.

"I meant what I said, Bella. I will come back to you if you'll have me," He promised.

I looked up at him through bleary eyes and cupped his face.

"Of course I will. Please understand that I'm still struggling with my feelings, Edward. I care for you – more than I ever meant to and I'm trying to convince myself that it's okay. I know that I'm not tied to Mike anymore and I can't hold you responsible for his mistakes but my fear is still there and it's very real. Thank you for being aware of that."

"I know you are, beautiful. I see it in your face. I also know that you care for me. I try my hardest not to push you. If you ever feel that I am, I need you to tell me. I don't mean to and the last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable. As for your fear of me not coming back Bella – you don't need to worry about that. I'm afraid that once I get there it will be all I can do not to work myself to the bone so that I can get back here faster. I really am going to miss you and Kaden."

"We're going to miss you too. You're not even gone yet and I feel like I miss you already. But Edward, I don't want you to work yourself to the bone. You need to rest and take care of yourself. If you can't do that, I may be tempted to go over there and take care of you myself."

Edward chuckled beneath me.

"Are you becoming a nurse now, beautiful?"

I shook my head and looked up at him once again.

"I think our movie's been forgotten."

"Yeah … I think it has too."

"Come upstairs with me?"

I looked at him quizzically.

"To my music room, Bella. I want to play something for you."

I stood from his lap and took his hand to help him up. I followed him into the kitchen, taking my glass and his bottle.

"Do you want another glass of wine?"

I wanted one – badly - but figured I probably shouldn't if I had to drive home.

"I have to drive home …" I trailed off as Edward brought out his adorable pout.

"Stay here tonight … please?"

"Edward, I …."

"Bella … it's an invitation to sleep – no strings attached. I have a guest room, you know."

"I know. Is it horrible if I say that I don't want to get more … I don't know … attached than I already am?"

"What do you mean?" Edward asked, grabbing a beer out of the fridge.

"I only want to make your leaving easier."

"Bella … I'm only leaving to work."

No sooner than the words were out of his mouth than he realized what he was saying.

"Oh God, Bella, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Edward. I know it's not the same. I just figured if I didn't allow myself to feel or to get close to you, it would be easier. I thought maybe it would be easier to wait for that part until you got home and were here for a longer period of time …."

"Bella, I want to be close to you. The night that you let me hold you in my arms – it felt so good and I haven't felt that in a very long time. Unfortunately it didn't last long enough but I understood that."

Ohh – that night. It did feel good to be enveloped in his strong arms. It wasn't sexual – it was two people needing to be close to each other. Could I do that again? This time I wouldn't have Kaden as a buffer sleeping in the next room. I wouldn't have to worry about him waking in the middle of the night screaming my name and tearing me from the most peaceful sleep I'd had in a long while.

"I want that too," I whispered. "I was sleeping so comfortably in your arms until Kaden woke up."

"Then stay. Don't over think it – just stay," Edward pleaded.

"Okay."

Edward grinned and poured me another glass of wine.

"Can you carry these?" He asked as he moved toward the patio doors to make sure they were securely locked.

I took the wine glass and beer bottle from the counter and stood watching him as he closed everything up for the night. He set the alarm and motioned for me to follow him up the stairs. Koda rose from her perch in the living room to follow us. Edward's music room was bathed in soft light. He must have been in there playing while he was waiting for me to return.

"You can set those on the coffee table."

I placed our drinks on the coffee table and followed him over to the piano where he took a seat and patted the space next to him, silently asking me to sit.

"I don't usually play with an audience, unless it's a couple of my musician buddies."

"Do you play with them often?" I asked softly.

"Not as often as I'd like. One lives in New York and the other lives in Nashville. I only see them once in a while. We're all busy but it's a lot of fun when we get together."

"I can only imagine."

Edward cracked his knuckles and settled his fingers on the ivory keys ever so gently. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to play. It wasn't a tune I was familiar with but the melody was hauntingly beautiful. It was rich and filled with emotion as his fingers glided across the keys. I was completely mesmerized as I watched him play. I knew I could never play like that and for that reason, I'd never quit my day job.

I listened intently as the song came to a close and I tore my eyes from Edward's fingers to watch his face. His brows were furrowed together and as his eyes slowly opened, he seemed a bit … nervous?

"That was beautiful, Edward," I whispered, wiping at my eyes.

"Thank you … I wrote it for you."

"For me?"

He nodded.

"I'll never forget the day that you came outside with a cup of coffee and offered … genuinely offered to talk. It wasn't because you had a hidden agenda – it was because you had a heart. I know Eric had to talk you in to it – he told me that much," Edward chuckled. "You did it and you didn't judge me. I looked into your eyes as I talked to you and you listened and I could tell that there was a whole shit storm brewing inside you. You had your own issues to deal with and there you were asking about mine – only unbeknownst to me at the time – yours were a whole hell of a lot worse than mine.

"So I wrote this song because I found this beautiful woman who is amazing and caring and so full of love. You deserve to have something special, Bella – something that's all your own. Kaden helped me perfect it."

"You played it for him?" I asked.

Edward nodded.

"He clapped and cheered when I was done and he declared that you'd love it."

"I do love it, Edward. I love it very much."

I leaned over and pressed my lips gently to his, hoping that I could express in that one simple gesture how much his song meant to me.

"No one's ever written me a song before."

"I want to be the first and last, Bella."

The sincerity in Edward's eyes was killing me and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to feel his warm, soft body curled around me. My body agreed with me as I yawned.

"Come on, beautiful. Let's get you in bed."

"'Kay."

"Would you prefer the guest room or my room?" Edward asked shyly.

"Where are you sleeping? I want to sleep wherever you are."

"My room it is, then."

I followed Edward into his bedroom and watched as he moved into the bathroom for his nightly routine. I looked around his room; the furniture was dark and heavy in contrast with the neutral, sand colored walls and crisp white comforter. His bed was unmade but the room itself was not untidy. A large black and white photo of the beach with the waves rolling in hung predominantly on the wall above the massive bed.

"Bella?"

I turned to find Edward in the doorway with a soft expression on his face.

"Do you want something to sleep in or … ?"

"Umm … yeah, if you don't mind."

"Not at all." He smiled.

I watched as he walked to his dresser and pulled out what looked like a t-shirt. He moved to the next drawer and pulled out a pair of boxers.

"Is this okay?" He asked, handing me the t-shirt and boxers.

I nodded in response.

"There's a new toothbrush on the counter and the mouthwash is under the sink if you need it."

"Thank you. Oh … umm … I need to get my phone. It's downstairs next to my purse."

"I'll get it. You do what you need to do in there. Would you like some water while I'm downstairs?"

I nodded again and watched as he disappeared down the hall.

A few moments later, I emerged from the bathroom feeling even more tired than when I walked in.

Edward was sitting against the headboard wearing only his t-shirt and boxer briefs.

"You okay?" He asked softly.

I nodded and he opened his arms to me. Crawling up onto the massive bed, I snuggled into him.

"Same thing goes as the last time I left to film, Bella. If you need anything – anything at all, all you have to do is call me or Jasper. I'm also going to leave you Nick's number just in case. I don't expect you to need anything, but if you do it's only a phone call away."

I looked up into his bright green eyes and lightly brushed my lips against his.

"Thank you, Edward. I appreciate everything you do for me and Kaden."

He nodded and brought his lips to mine once again. His kisses were soft and full of promise – promise that he'd take care of me if I needed it and promise that he'd come back to me.

I woke to hazy light filtering in through the linen curtains of Edward's room. The room seemed a bit chilly, but I was warm in Edward's arms. When we finally settled in to sleep, he wrapped his arms around me and I drifted off peacefully. Behind me, I could still hear his steady breaths – warm and comforting on my skin. I hated to move and disrupt the cocoon we'd wrapped ourselves in. Truth be told, I didn't want to get out of bed at all if I didn't have to. If life wasn't waiting for us beyond the door, I could have stayed there with Edward forever.

We'd come to an agreement that we didn't want anything physical to happen between us – it didn't seem fair since he was leaving. We both agreed that we'd hate to be that intimate only to miss it for the next eight weeks.

"I want to be there with you the next day …." He said softly.

"I want that too."

Suddenly wanting to see his handsome face, I carefully turned in his arms to find his long lashes resting on cheeks flushed with sleep. His bottom lip was forming a slight pout and I couldn't help but brush my lips against it. He seemed so innocent and sweet as he slept. Edward had shed his t-shirt before turning out the light and I took a few stolen moments to appreciate the sight of his bare chest. He was lean yet muscular – the definition of his chest much better seen without his favorite thread bare shirts. His skin was soft and sun kissed and a light smattering of hair peppered his chest.

I reached over and gently laid my hand on his chest to feel the gentle beat of his heart. I squeezed my eyes shut and allowed the soft thrum to relax me.

"Good mornin', beautiful," Edward whispered groggily.

My eyes flew open and met his lazy smile and half lidded eyes. He was still sleepy and adorably rumpled with sleep. It was a sight I could wake up to every day and never grow tired of.

"Hey, handsome. Did I wake you?"

"No … but I am a little chillier than I was a few minutes ago. Are you okay?"

Edward's eyes were full of concern and the pouty lip had returned.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to see your handsome face, that's all. I am sorry you're cold though."

He rolled to his back and pulled me to him. I settled my head on his chest and snuggled in to his side.

"Is Alice taking Kaden to school today?"

"Yes," I replied. "Although, I still have to go and pick him up."

"Can I go with you? I … Umm, I know I can't actually go in, but can I go with you and wait in the car?"

"Sure … but don't you have a lot to do today?"

"I do, but I think I can get it all done this morning. Please tell me you'll stay … I'm not ready for you to leave me yet."

"Edward … I can't run around in sweats all day."

"You can run around in my t-shirt and boxers if you want to." He smirked.

"That's hardly appropriate," I scoffed.

"That might be true … I don't think I want Emmett and Jasper seeing you run around in my clothes … that's a visual I'd like to keep for myself."

Edward's smile was as warm as the sun and he seemed pretty proud of himself. I couldn't begrudge him the visual though because it meant that he was underdressed right along with me and Edward wearing only his boxer briefs was … hot.

I smiled to myself as I thought of him and it crossed my mind that it could potentially be a very long eight weeks.

"What's that smile for?" Edward asked, gently tickling my side.

I grabbed his wandering hand and pecked him quickly on the lips.

"I was thinking about you …."

"I'm right here." He grinned.

"Edward … please don't start something we can't finish," I pleaded.

He sighed heavily and kissed me sweetly.

After running home quickly to shower and change, I returned to Edward's where once again, I was swarmed by paparazzi trying to get a glimpse of Edward before he left for Morocco. Emmett was waiting outside the front door and ushered me inside quickly.

"Get the little man off to school okay?" Emmett asked with a smile.

"Umm, I didn't take him to school today. Alice and Jasper took him."

"I see. Does that mean that he stayed with them and you and the boss man got a little time together?"

"Emmett …." I blushed.

"Emmett … don't tease her," Edward said softly as he entered the kitchen and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"Hey," I murmured. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Annnd that's my cue to leave the room," Emmett chuckled.

Edward and I laughed having chased Emmett from the kitchen.

"Can you make something simple? Scrambled eggs and toast sounds amazing," Edward admitted.

I nodded.

"You better get yourself together so you can go with me to get Kaden."

Fifteen minutes later, Edward entered the kitchen again and sat down at the breakfast bar. I slid his plate over in front of him and he thanked me quietly.

"My mom wants you to come up and visit them while I'm gone."

"In Napa?" I asked.

"Yep. She wants both you and Kaden to come for a long weekend."

"Maybe … that might be something we can do once he's out of school."

Edward nodded.

"Are you okay with that?" I asked.

"Bella, I'd love for you to go and visit with my parents. Just be warned that my mom might try and steal you away to go into the city to meet my sisters."

The truth was, I was a little intimidated by his sisters – especially Carlie. She'd been here for the Oscars and that was the weekend that I basically left Edward. It was silly really – I had my reasons but she was still his sister and didn't want to see her brother upset. Edward and I had long since talked about it and he told me how he'd felt. I, in turn, felt horrible, but like Edward said, it was in the past and we were very much looking forward to the future.

That afternoon, Edward and I picked up Kaden from school and Edward asked that we spend the afternoon at the beach. Everything he had to take care of was done – his only request was that I stay that evening and help him pack. I couldn't say no when he pouted so adorably.

I followed his directions to Malibu where we ended up at his friend's house. Edward's friend wasn't home, but he'd allowed us to use his house for the afternoon and access to the private beach.

"Ewward! Dere's da wadder!"

"I see it, Buddy. You be careful and stay close to me and your mom."

Edward had taken Kaden down to the beach while I changed. I followed them down to the warm sand a few minutes later, my arms laden with towels, blankets and water bottles.

"Did you spray him down with sunscreen?" I asked.

"Yes, Bella, I did. I had a feeling that he'd burn if I didn't."

"He will, thank you."

I spread out the blanket as Edward helped Kaden carry buckets of water back up the beach. A plethora of plastic toys meant for building sandcastles were spread out on the sand. As my boys sat and dug up the wet sand filling bucket after bucket. I sat on the blanket watching them with a smile on my face - seeing them together and the bond that they were forming, warmed my heart.

My phone rang from inside the bag I'd brought down the towels and water in. I pulled it out realizing that it was my dad calling.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, Bells …. Where have you and my Little Man been? I've tried calling for the last couple days and I've had no luck. I wanted to see if I could pick up the little man this afternoon and keep him here with me tonight."

"Oh … umm, we've been at Edward's. He's getting ready to go work on another project and he's leaving tomorrow morning."

"I see. Well, if you needed to work you could have called me, Kiddo. I feel like you never call me anymore."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to ignore you. I've been busy, and Edward enjoys having Kaden over at the house so it's been nice to be able to be with Kaden and be able to work at the same time."

"Bells … why do I feel like there is more to this story than you're telling me?"

"There is, Dad, and I promise to tell you all about it this weekend, okay? I'll come over and make you breakfast."

"Sounds good, Kiddo. In the meantime, can I come over and get my Little Man?"

"Dad … we're at the beach right now but if you want him tonight – he's yours."

"I absolutely want him, Bells. It'll give you a break."

I didn't have the heart to tell him that I was getting a break two nights in a row. But the thought of spending a night without Kaden and with Edward leaving the next morning saddened me.

"How about I drop him off after we get home and I get him cleaned up?"

"Sounds good. Call me before you head over."

I ended the call and joined my boys down in the cool surf.

"Everything okay?"

"You ask that a lot, you know." I grinned.

"I know, but I want to make sure you're all right."

"Thank you and yes, everything is okay. That was my dad – he wants to take Kaden tonight."

"Wow … two nights to yourself. Whatever will you do with yourself?" Edward grinned.

"I don't know …. Especially since you're leaving in the morning."

Edward frowned and took my hand, pulling me to him.

"You're still going to help me pack tonight, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"We can spend the evening together … kind of like we did last night."

I could tell that the question was on the tip of his tongue. He wanted me to stay again but I didn't think that was such a good idea with the paparazzi there. They had seen me leave and come back twice that morning and I'm sure they were starting to wonder why I was coming and going so much. It was bound to raise a few questions. It was bad enough that I was going back there that evening to help Edward pack. But I did want to spend the evening with him – I just needed to find a way.

"Do you want to come over and stay at my place?"

I quickly explained my theories about the paparazzi to him and he wholeheartedly agreed. Edward would do anything to maintain my anonymity and he could tell that I was feeling nervous about it from the night before.

"That's a great idea."

"Bye, Ewward!" Kaden yelled from my dad's porch.

Edward had already said his goodbyes to Kaden in the car – promising that he'd be back as soon as he could and asking him to take good care of mommy while he was gone.

"Bye, Buddy," Edward waved as I pulled out of the driveway.

"God, that sucked."

I had never heard Edward's voice so sad and dejected. He truly hated saying goodbye to Kaden. My son had cried a little but overall, I think he had handled it much better than Edward had.

"He'll be okay," I assured him.

"I know, he's got you and your dad."

I nodded.

"I wish you guys could come with me."

"Edward … you're going to work not to play house. If we went, we'd only be in the way and I don't want that."

An hour later, I was sitting on the bed in Edward's room, folding some of his shirts and packing them neatly into his suitcase.

"Thank you for helping me, beautiful," He said as he kissed me softly on the head.

"You're welcome, Edward. If it means that I can be with you for a little longer, I'm happy to do it."

"Hey … my birthday is in the middle of June … remember how I was wishing earlier that you guys could come with me?"

I nodded.

"Maybe I could fly you and Kaden over to be with me on my birthday."

His facial expression was so full of hope that I couldn't bring myself to disappoint him.

"I'd have to get Kaden a passport."

"It's a month away … you could probably expedite it and get it back in time."

"I'd have to look at my finances and see if I could afford it, Edward."

"Don't worry about it …. It's my birthday and I want you there, so the flight and everything is my treat."

"What about Alice?"

"She'll survive without you for a few days."

I agreed and the expression on his face was completely worth it.

That night, we curled up in my bed. It wasn't as massive as Edward's but it was every bit as comfortable. I snuggled into Edward's arms and held him tightly, unsure if I'd ever be ready to let him go.

A/N: **This chapter has been re-posted with beta edits** Thoughts?

Next week Edward's up … until then, have a great week!

As always, thank you for the lovely reviews! I read and appreciate each and every one – if only there were more hours in the day for me to reply!