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

No copyright infringement is intended.

HUGE thanks to my wonderful betas darcysmom and twimom817 as well as my pre-reader EdwardsMyObsession 1971. Without them – this wouldn't be readable.

Please see the note at the bottom!

When You Least Expect It

Chapter Thirty-Four

Surprise

Our weekend in Napa was wonderful. After my conversation with Rosalie on the deck, we had a delicious breakfast and spent the day relaxing. Jared and Carlisle barbequed a tri-tip roast for dinner that evening, and we chatted and laughed the time away until the fireworks started.

While I enjoyed spending the time with his family, I sorely missed Edward. Carlisle and Esme both went out of their way to make us feel at home and when it was time for us to leave on Sunday; they made us promise that we would come visit again whenever we wanted.

Carlie told me that she'd be coming to Los Angeles in a few weeks for the launch of a new clothing line at Nordstrom at the Grove. She asked if we could get together for lunch or dinner while she was there, which I was happy to agree to. We got along really well – much better than Rosalie and I.

"Don't mind Rose," Carlie smiled as I helped her clear the breakfast dishes from the table. "She's all bark and no bite. But Edward is our baby brother and we can't help but be protective of him."

I nodded.

"I don't have any brothers or sisters, so I'm not sure what it's like to be protective of a sibling. But I do know what it's like to be a mother who's protective of her child, and I can imagine the feelings are similar."

"They are." Esme smiled as she leaned in the doorway.

Esme joined us in clearing away breakfast and the conversation continued between the three of us. Esme assured me that she trusted the feelings I had for her son, as did Carlie. They were eager to get to know the woman and her son who had stolen away Edward's heart.

After the fireworks, I headed back to the house to tuck Kaden into bed. Once I pulled the covers up to his chin and kissed him goodnight, I quickly changed into my own pajamas and crawled into bed. I pulled out my Nook and began to read. A few moments later, there was a light tapping on my door.

"Hey," Alice said as she peeked in. "You awake?"

"Yeah, I was just reading. What's up? Are you feeling okay?" I asked worriedly.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. It's just … I miss Jazzy you know?"

"I know. They'll be home in a few weeks, though. It won't be much longer. How's the baby tonight?"

"He's active tonight. I'm not sure if it's because of the heartburn or what." Alice giggled.

"Aww, I'm sorry," I apologized as she sat down next to me and I rubbed her belly.

"Edward's family is wonderful, Bella," she whispered.

"I know. Kaden adores them already and I think he sees Esme as the grandma he's been missing for so long. He's not quite sure what to do with Carlisle because of my dad."

"He'll figure it out, Bella. Give him a little time."

I nodded.

"Would you mind if I stayed in here tonight?" Alice asked weakly. "I really don't want to be alone."

I looked over to find my dearest friend glassy-eyed and on the verge of tears.

"Of course you can, Ali. Have you tried calling Jazz?"

"Yeah … I talked to him a little while ago. I woke him up of course and his first thought was that he needed to jump on a plane and come home immediately. He was being ridiculous of course, but he can't help but feel that way when I call him and I'm a hormonal mess."

"Ali, it won't be that much longer and the baby will be here. Jazz will be home in time for that and he'll be home for a few months after that because Edward's next film is going to be shot in L.A."

"Thank goodness. Jazz loves his new job and working for Edward, but the distance thing is killing me."

I could certainly feel her pain. I found myself missing Edward more than ever since our weekend together in Morocco. I wasn't sure if it was because we had solidified our relationship by taking it to the next level – sharing something so tender and intimate or purely because we had gotten incredibly close since he came stumbling to my condo a few months before. I was leaning toward the former because leaving Morocco after such an incredible weekend was one of the hardest things I'd ever done – and that included making the decision to leave my ex-husband.

Alice and I talked for a while longer before we finally settled down to sleep. Although we'd spent most of the day lounging around and relaxing, we spent quite a bit of time playing with Kaden and that left us as exhausted as he was.

The next morning, Esme announced that the girls were going to spend the day at the spa. When I argued, Carlisle stopped me and said that he wanted nothing more than to spend the day with the little boy he would love to one day consider his grandson. Kaden beamed and jumped into Carlisle's arms.

"Mommy! I wanna stay wif Papa Cawlisle and Unca Em!"

"Uncle Em, huh?" I giggled. "Well, I guess that would be okay."

Emmett looked at me trying to keep a straight face but he wasn't able to contain his grin.

"Bella … you know you wanted to make a Wizard of Oz joke just now, admit it."

"I did, Em – I really did. Unfortunately it would be lost on Kaden – he hasn't ever seen Wizard of Oz."

"Aww, Bella! It's a classic! He's gotta see it."

"He will, but I think it would be a good idea to wait until he's a bit older, don't you think?"

I felt like such a lush, relaxing at the spa; sipping on delicious wines while getting a facial, massage, pedicure and manicure. We enjoyed a light lunch outside in the sunshine before resuming our pampering session. We returned home in the early evening after stopping at a couple wineries on our way back. Emmett and Carlisle were playing catch in the backyard with Kaden while Jared sat at the dining room table looking over some paperwork.

That evening, we sat around the Cullen's flat screen TV watching Cars – obviously at Kaden's insistence.

"We always tried to have a movie night with the kids," Esme explained quietly. "It was a way for them to get some time with Carlisle. His hours may have left something to be desired but he rarely missed movie night with our kids."

Saturday, we did some sightseeing and shopping. Esme told me about a wonderful little farmers market full of fresh local produce, artisan cheeses and fresh cut meat. I persuaded Esme to allow me to make dinner for everyone. I spent a great deal of the afternoon preparing dinner, making everything fresh from scratch. It may not have been my own kitchen or even Edward's for that matter but it seemed that Esme had everything I needed.

"Oh man, is Ed missing out," Emmett grinned as he came into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of tea.

I sighed as I continued working on my task of chopping red potatoes and fresh parsley.

"I know you miss him, B. He misses the hell out of you, too. He calls me every day to call and check in on you. He wants to know if there is anything that you're not telling him."

I almost felt angry at hearing that Edward called Emmett to check up on me, but I also thought it was very sweet. He knew me too well – he'd know that I was sugarcoating things so that he wouldn't worry about them while he was so far away. I didn't keep much from him, but I did try my best to convince him that the distance and time away wasn't getting to me. In reality – I was over it. I was ready to have Edward home. Kaden missed him – I missed him.

Sunday afternoon, after we'd enjoyed lunch with everyone, we packed up the SUV and started our long journey home.

"Please come back again, and bring my son with you, will you?" Carlisle asked as he gave me a firm hug.

"I will," I smiled, knowing how much Edward would love that.

"Good. You be careful driving home. Give us a call and let us know that you made it there safely."

With a nod and a quick round of hugs to Esme, Rosalie, and Carlie we climbed into the car.

Kaden must have chatted non-stop for several hours about everything he experienced over the weekend. Alice shifted uncomfortably in her seat several times, and Emmett softly snored the hours away. By the time we reached Salinas, Emmett was ready to take over driving.

"You look wrecked, Bella. Let me drive so you can get some rest," Emmett pleaded.

I would have argued had I not been so tired. I stayed up late the night before with Alice, Rosalie and Carlie. I had felt like I was a teenager again, sitting in Rosalie's room on the bed gossiping and gawking at tabloid magazines like I was a fourteen year old girl. However immature it may have been, it was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed spending the time with Edward's sisters. It reminded me of when Alice and I were in New York – just before I'd met Mike.

Emmett dropped Alice off at her apartment, helping her carry in her things before driving back to my condo.

"Stay here, B. Something's not right," Emmett warned.

If I had been sleepy before, I was certainly wide awake after his warning. It was so dark outside that I couldn't see whatever it was that had Emmett concerned, but I knew it was serious just by looking at his face as he stalked back to my SUV.

"Someone broke into your house, Bella," Emmett growled.

"What?" I shrieked.

"Someone broke into your house. You and Kaden can't stay here tonight. I need to call the police."

I must have gone into shock because I couldn't move from my spot in the backseat next to Kaden. I vaguely remember hearing Emmett speaking with someone on the phone. He must have ended one call and then made another because his voice got louder as he spoke.

"No, Ed, of course I didn't let her go in there. I called the LAPD and we're waiting for them to arrive now. No, she's sitting in the backseat with Kaden. He's sound asleep."

It wasn't until I felt something shaking me that I realized that Emmett was trying to get my attention.

"Bella … Edward wants to talk to you," Emmett said softly.

He handed me his phone and told me to talk to Edward, saying that he would deal with the police officers that had just pulled up.

"Uhh, hello?"

"Bella? Baby, are you okay?" Edward asked worriedly.

"They broke into my condo."

I wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement because I was still in shock. I had an alarm system and I lived in a safe neighborhood. Things like break-ins just didn't happen – or so I thought.

"I know they did, beautiful. I'm so sorry. I've asked Emmett to take you and Kaden over to my house since it's so late. Emmett will stay there with you at the house so you'll be safe."

"Edward," I whispered, my eyes filling with tears. "What if they had broken in while I was home?"

"You weren't, Bella. You're safe and Kaden's safe. Anything that they may have taken can be replaced."

His words that were meant to be soothing were biting. Who knew what they had taken? I didn't have any expensive jewelry or money stowed away. Most everything I owned of value was more sentimental than monetary. It was then that I realized that Edward couldn't possibly be aware of that fact.

"Bella?" Edward asked after I was quiet for far too long.

"Yeah?" I answered weakly.

"Do you need me to come home? Because if you do, I'll be on the next flight out."

"No, Edward. I can't ask you to do that. You need to finish filming so you can come home to stay. You don't need to worry about me. Emmett will help me and after tonight, Kaden and I can go back and stay with my dad."

"You don't need to do that, baby. You can stay at my house for as long as you want. There's plenty of room there for you, Kaden and Koda. Besides, it'll give the housekeepers a reason to do their jobs."

I watched as Emmett animatedly spoke with the police officers who had responded to his call. He repeatedly pointed toward me in the car before finally motioning for me to join them.

"Okay," I conceded. "Edward, I need to go, the police want to speak with me. I will call you back later after we get to your house."

"Okay. I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, Edward."

A couple hours later, we finally walked through the front door of Edward's house. I had to do a walkthrough of my condo with one of the officers who'd responded and confirm if anything was missing. Several of my photo albums were opened and photos were missing. My desk had also been rifled through – other than that, nothing was missing.

"Honestly, Ms. Newton, I think it may have been a low-life pap who wanted some information. You said that the paps knew where you lived?" The officer asked.

I nodded in response.

"Whoever did it was aware that you had an alarm and they were able to override it somehow because the box inside says it's ready to arm. Is it possible that you forgot to set it when you left?"

"No," Emmett said, stepping up beside me. "I was right with her when she set it. I heard the beeps and I closed the door behind us."

Emmett had been my rock throughout the entire ordeal. He spoke with the officers when I wasn't able to and when I needed to answer questions and do the walkthrough, Emmett stayed with Kaden, who thankfully stayed asleep in the car the entire time.

Not a word was spoken between us as Emmett drove us to Edward's house. We pulled into the drive and Emmett opened the gate.

"I don't know the code for the alarm," I murmured to Emmett.

"It's okay, Bella. I've got ya covered. I'll unlock the door and turn off the alarm and then I'll come back out to get Kaden, okay? So sit tight and I'll be right back."

I nodded and Emmett smiled back at me weakly.

"Everything will be okay, Bella."

Emmett was only gone for a few minutes before he came back to carry Kaden into the house. I followed them mechanically – still trying to process everything that had happened since we pulled up in front of my condo.

"Edward said to put you guys in his bedroom, is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine for tonight, Emmett. Thank you."

When we reached Edward's bedroom, I switched on the lamp on the dresser and moved to pull the sheets down on the bed. Emmett carefully settled Kaden down on the pillow and I pulled the blankets up around him, kissing his forehead – just like I did any other night when I tucked my son in.

"I'm gonna go get your things out of the car, I'll be right back and then I want to show you how the alarm works."

I nodded and watched Emmett walk out of the room.

"Bella?" Emmett called from down the hall.

"Yeah?"

"You better call Edward and let him know we're here. He'll be worried, I expect."

I pulled my phone out of my purse that I'd set down on the dresser and I automatically dialed Edward's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Bella? Are you at the house?"

"Yeah, Emmett just brought Kaden upstairs, and we got him tucked into bed."

"Good. How are you doing?"

"I'm scared to death, Edward. How do you think I'm doing?" I snapped. "They broke into my home – a place where I'm supposed to feel safe and they took pictures of me and my son."

"What do you mean they took pictures?" Edward asked confused.

"They pulled out my photo albums and took pictures out of them and left the albums sitting on the coffee table. They rifled through my desk …." I sobbed.

"Fuck! Paps … did the cops say they thought it might be paps?"

"Yeah," I sniffled.

"Bella, baby, I'm so sorry. I hate that I'm so far away. I don't want you to worry – you're safe at my house and there is extra security going over to your house so they don't try to get in again."

I hated that he was so far away too. I was dreading calling my dad to tell him – I knew that he'd want to come over and singlehandedly pack up my condo and move Kaden and me back to his house where we'd be safe. Even more, I was dreading telling Kaden why we weren't at home sleeping in our own beds.

"I'm sorry, Edward … I didn't mean to snap at you. This isn't your fault – I just … I miss you and I feel a little alone in this."

"You're not alone, beautiful. Not as long as I have anything to say about it anyway. I'll be home in a couple weeks – until then, Emmett doesn't mind staying with you if that's what makes you comfortable."

I felt so defeated. Kaden and I were doing so well living on our own. I felt like I'd accomplished something being able to provide for my son on my own and put a roof over our head. If it was in fact a pap who had broken in – which I had no doubt it was, I felt much more insecure. If they were able to get a name to go with the face, I'd be in a world of hurt.

"I don't want to be a burden to anyone, Edward. I just … I wanted to do this on my own – to make my way and provide for myself and Kaden. I was proud of myself but now … I'm scared. Even with the alarm, I'd feel unsafe. Koda is a great dog, but she'd never attack an intruder."

"Are you sure about that?" Edward chuckled.

I knew he was referring to the first night that he'd come over drunk and Koda sat in the hallway growling at him. Sure she was growling but her bark is much, much worse than her bite.

"I'm positive. Anyway, tomorrow I'll call my land lady and see what she says. I'm not sure she'll let me out of my lease because I'm scared of intruders."

"Why don't you forward her information to Jazz and I'll have him take care of it?"

"Oh, God, Edward. I can't do that! Jazz will freak out."

I hadn't even thought about telling Jasper and Alice about the break in yet.

"Too late, baby. He knows. Who do you think took care of calling extra security to watch the place tonight? Anyway, he's not upset because it's a perfectly safe neighborhood – he's upset because somehow the alarm got turned off and they got in. It was almost too easy for them to get in."

I murmured my agreement.

"You're tired, Bella. It's been a long day for you. Get some sleep and I'll talk to you tomorrow. Remember, I love you and if you need anything – you call me, okay?"

"Okay," I agreed.

I ended the call just as Emmett tapped on the door, my bags in his arms. I directed him where to set them down at. I'd figure out what to do with them later.

"Ed offered me the guest room, so I'll be down the hall if you need anything, Bella. I was going to show you the alarm but I think you're too tired for that tonight. Get some rest and I'll show you how it works in the morning before we go to pick up Koda."

"'Kay. Thanks, Emmett."

"You're welcome, B. Sleep tight."

I cleaned up and quickly changed into my pajamas before slipping between the cool sheets of Edward's bed. The house keeper had been over and changed the bed since Edward had slept in them last and his scent was gone. I settled my head on his pillow and let the heaviness of the evening surround me and I was helpless to stop the tears from falling.

A/N: Okay y'all … it's with a heavy heart that I tell you that this story is complete. I've finished writing the final chapter (There are 40 total not including the Epilogue) and I may or may not have snot sobbed when I was done. That said, I am starting on the Epilogue … what I need from y'all is the little things that you guys feel I've missed. I have everything outlined, but if there is something you think I've overlooked, PLEASE let me know and I'll see what I can do to tie up any loose ends. I know there are still 6 chapters to post until it's done, but in the event I've missed something in those chapters, I can go back and fix it now. =)

Thank you all so much for the reviews; the love and encouragement. Y'all are the best readers an author could ask for. JS.