A/N ~ Quick note to say hi, I'm back! And thanks for the notes while I was away. Sorry for my lack of responses - I got completely lazy on holiday. :) That's the point of those, right? Anyway, here we go...

True Love Way

Chapter 23

A broad grin erupted when I left work a couple of days later. I'd been feeling low ever since my talk with Rosalie, and Bella's spirits seemed to dip lower with each phone conversation as well. Seeing my brother-in-law with baby and puppy in tow made me smile. It was nice to have a reason to smile.

"Hey, buddy! How's my best little guy?" I squatted down to greet him face-to-face.

"Really? He's better than Nathan?" Emmett teased me as I loved up my puppy before peeking in the stroller he was pushing. Nathan was sound asleep with rosy cheeks and his bottom lip protruding. It was moving up and down as though he was dreaming of sucking.

"You have your favourites; I have mine," I countered in the same tone he used. "Is he too warm? His cheeks are awfully red." Shifting the light blanket that covered Nathan, I took the opportunity to feel his skin. Warm, but not overheated.

"He always gets like that when he's overtired. That's why I brought him for a walk to meet you. Rosalie says the movement knocks him out every time. She was right."

I took the leash off Emmett's wrist so he could focus on the stroller. Don Everly was over-excited at seeing me, and he was causing Emmett's hands to jerk on the handles. "Rose taking a break?"

"She ran out for some groceries and stuff. We're on our own for dinner, by the way. I thought we could check out that new place by the pier. They have a patio. Don Everly is allowed, and Nathan loves being outside. He'll have a good little nap by the water."

I hummed in hesitation. "Sounds good, but has Don's situation improved any? Won't he put off the other diners?" His day of discovery in the apartment's cupboards had taught both of us a tough lesson. There are things puppies shouldn't eat. Ever. And puppy digestive upset was not pleasant. I'd dry heaved on more than a few occasions with his warning signs of impending business alone. I must have stared at the first mess on the grass for half an hour trying to decide how I would even begin to clean it up. It was not scoopable, certainly. But it was so ripe, I couldn't just leave it there. After that, I'd carried a jug of water with me to kind of wash it away. It wasn't ideal, but better than nothing.

"Nah, he's been good all day. Nice, solid poop this afternoon. Right, buddy? You did a good duty, didn't you?" Emmett's excitement over Don Everly's excrement matched the joy he had when he spoke of his son's movements. I'd never realized my brother-in-law had a poop fetish.

The new place not only permitted dogs on the patio, but catered to their needs as well. A bowl of water and complimentary Milkbone waswere served to Don Everly when the waiter broughtalong with our drinks. I determined this would be mine and Bella's new haunt. I'd yet to take her on an actual date – one that was understood to be a date. If our puppy continued to have separation anxiety, we'd never get out together. Or we'd have to bring him along.

Emmett asked the latest news on Bella as we finished our meal. Don was chomping away on his treat under the table, and Nathan dreamt on.

"Still no word from the lawyer, and Charlie had to fly back today."

"He couldn't get an extension on his time off? He's the Chief for Christ's sake!" Emmett scoffed.

"I'm sure he could have, but there was an incident…"

Emmett leaned forward on his elbows, anxious to hear the scoop. "An incident in Forks? Do tell."

"One of his deputies discharged his firearm. Reports have to be filed. Possibly an investigation –"

"Who?" His eyes lit up. "Anyone I know? What the hell happened, anyway? There's no crime in Forks."

I chuckled, allowing myself an internal whoop for this one. "Remember Newton?"

He scowled at the mention of his name. "That's the kid you kicked the shit out of in high school, right?"

I shrugged. "He finally got through the Academy. Charlie hired him on despite his taking half a dozen attempts to actually graduate."

"He's far too decent for his own good, that Charlie." Emmett shook his head in disbelief. "So what did the shithead do?"

I chewed on a corner of my mouth to supress the broad grin that threatened. "He, um, thought he saw something… behind his house."

"An intruder?"

"Nope. A wolf."

"A wolf? In Forks? Does he live up in the mountains?"

"Nope." I was finding it difficult not to burst out in laughter.

"And he shot it," Emmett guessed.

"He sure did. Only it wasn't a wolf."

"Dog?"

I nodded. "His neighbour's dog. Better still, he missed the dog and shot the neighbour."

"Oh shit!" Emmett took the pressure off me not to laugh at Mike Newton's expense by busting a gut himself. "Man… who's the neighbour?"

"This is the good part – Jacob Black."

"Jacob Black… Jacob Black… whyWhy does that name sound familiar?"

"Forks' would-be star, Jacob Black – you know, the kid who was scouted in college and promised to be the new Tebow? Massive kid… really quick, great arm –"

His jaw dropped. "Christ. Newton took out Charlie's football wet dream?"

I nodded, trying to show the proper amount of concern for the kid. It couldn't be completely pulled off since the injury wasn't life-threatening, and it made Newton out to be the entire town's enemy number one. "Could be a career-ender. For both of them."

It felt good to laugh with Emmett, and I momentarily forgetforgot the emptiness I felt without Bella at my side. My worry over her still gnawed, but I headed home feeling better than I had since she'd left.

"Rose and I figured we'd get out of your way for the night," Emmett announced as we climbed the stairs. "You've got to be sick of having us around. Not to mention the nipples lined up on your counter and diapers in your garbage."

"It's actually more disturbing seeing my sister's bra hung over the shower rod. Why does she do that?"

"You're asking me, man? I have no idea why women do anything. Look at the women I grew up with and ask me that again."

I chuckled as I thought of his upbringing. His mother was like no other, and Alice was Alice.

"I forgot you never shared a bathroom with her."

"Benefit of having a brother and a large house," I retorted. "Jazz may have left his boxers on the floor of our bathroom, but he never hung them out on display like a piece of art."

"Ladies undergarments are pieces of art," Emmett quipped with an eyebrow waggle. "You'll see all about that, Nathan." Tenderly, he kissed his son's forehead as he removed him from the stroller. He was alert now and staring directly at me. I gave him a finger wave, and his arms started flapping.

"You want Uncle Ed, eh? Just wait until we get inside and get you changed. You haven't dropped a bomb in hours. There's got to be one in there."

While Emmett took care of Nathan's business, I filled Don Everly's bowl with his dinner and then checked my messages. Nothing from Bella, and that was the only one who mattered. I was typing out a text as I made my way to my bedroom to change but got tripped up as I stubbed my toe on something immovable that wasn't normally there.

Cursing, I reached into my room to click the light on as I rubbed my wounded toe. I was still standing there staring at the foreign object when Emmett and Nathan came out of the spare room.

"Like it?" He beamed as he directed the question at me. "This is gonna make your life a whole lot easier."

"What the hell is it? A resting place for shitty diapers?"

Emmetted snorted in disbelief. "Certainly not!"

"It's not a playpen of some sort, is it?" It wasn't that I was opposed to having some of Nathan's things here for when they came over, I didn't want him caged up like an animal – "Wait… that's not what I think it is."

"It's a crate!" My normally intuitive friend and brother-in-law was oblivious to my feelings at the moment.

"What's the crate for, Emmett?"

"For crate training."

I blinked at him, holding my tongue.

"Look, I know it doesn't look very appealing, but trust me on this – you need crate training."

"I need crate training?" My eyes widened as I tried to figure out how I'd even get in there.

"Not you, numbnuts. Don Everly."

"I'm not putting him back in a cage, Em. I rescued him from a cage. He's not going back."

"It's not a cage –"

"It looks remarkably like a cage," I argued.

"Well, you can decorate it or whatever the hell you want to do with it. It's not a cage, per se, but a training tool and a safe house for when you're out. Do you want him destroying your apartment every day? Getting sick every time he eats the wrong thing? Howling?"

"Okay, okay… I know he needs training. It's just this… I don't know if this is something I can do. I'm serious. I'm weak, Emmett. I don't think I can lock him up in that."

Emmett displayed his deep dimples as he grinned. "Here, take Nathan. We'll show you how it's done."

After I had hold of the baby, Emmett sat on the floor with my puppy, just as he had the first day he met him. He hugged him and rubbed his ears. He stretched out and let Don Everly nuzzle at his ribs as though he was digging for something. Both were in their glory. After a bit of playful wrestling, Emmett scooped something up and tossed it in the crate. Don Everly happily chased after it. I peered in to see what he was after.

"Shit. Em, that's Nathan's!"

"Yeah, I know. He doesn't give a hoot about it, but your puppy goes nuts for it."

"Didn't Alice give him that?" I knew she had. Only Alice would give a baby boy a hand-sewn soft doll dressed in little blue overalls.

"She can make him another one. No big deal. Trust me, if she saw how crazy Don Everly was about this thing, she'd make him one too."

"Okay, so what…? You bribe him into the cage –"

"Crate, Ed. It's a training crate."

I rolled my eyes at him as I shifted Nathan in my arms. I had almost forgotten I was holding him. "You lure him into the crate with something he shouldn't have – good training method."

"Don't judge. Clearly, you know nothing about puppy rearing, so let the master teach you. You get him used to his crate and provide him with a beloved plaything so he feels comfortable and not abandoned. This isn't something he shouldn't have. If Nathan knew Don Everly loved his toy this much, he'd give it to him. Since my son isn't aware he even has a doll, I'm acting for him. It's now Don's. His comfort toy for the crate. Get it?"

He did look quite content. Currently, his big puppy paws had the cloth doll pinned to the floor of the crate while he nipped at what looked like an arm. "Isn't he gonna tear that thing to shreds? He could choke on the stuffing."

"You've obviously never examined any of my sister's handiwork. This thing is indestructible. Even if he did get it opened, she doesn't use stuffing. It's some kid-friendly, non-toxic, bead-like crap. If Don eats it, he'll just poop it out. No big deal."

"Huh." I still wasn't sure about cooping him up this way, but he certainly didn't seem to mind it.

"You can put his bed in here, too. There's enough room for him to stretch out. Then you'll know he's not getting into anything while you're sawing logs. When you actually go out" – he paused to retrieve a bag from one of the cupboards over the breakfast bar – "this will keep him occupied when the doll doesn't cut it." He held out toy bone that had a secret compartment. "Just stuff some peanut butter down there, and he'll spend hours trying to get at it."

It struck me that Emmett had put a lot of thought into the crate training of my and Bella's puppy. He didn't have to do this. "Maxwell Smart prototypes for puppies," I quipped with a bashful grin. "Sorry for giving you a hard time over this. This is very cool of you. I do appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved me off with a grin. "How much do you appreciate it?"

"Ummm…" I chuckled, unsure of how to respond.

"Enough to let me take Rose out for half an hour? She's been craving ice cream. I've been craving time with my wife."

"Yeah! Sure. No problem. Go."

I could deal with a baby for half an hour. This baby, anyway. Probably not any other one.

Rose was delighted when she came in and heard the news. She'd already dropped some of her shopping off at home, so all she had to do was unpack a couple of bags to restock my kitchen before they took off. I'm pretty sure she thought I'd change my mind if Nathan so much as made a peep. Or a poop.

I carried Nathan over to the training crate to watch Don Everly. The door was open – he was free to scurry out and wander the apartment, but he was very content to lie there with Nathan's toy for the moment. I pulled over a chair so I could sit and watch him. His ears perked up as I sat. The doll hung limply from his mouth as he stood, snuffling his way out of the cage and over to me. He dropped the soggy doll on my bare foot and began sniffing at the chair like a police dog would sniff out drugs.

"What's up, dude? Did Emmett drop some peanut butter here?" I stood to check it out. "Is there peanut butter on my ass now?" Don ignored me, and my ass, so I assumed I was in the clear. He picked up Nathan's doll and jumped up in the chair, curling his body into it and staring at me with sad eyes. I sat on the floor with Nathan, resting my head against the cushion on the chair to stare back at him. It smelled like vanilla and flour. Remnants of his first day alone. If he had claimed this as his chair, it would soon smell like sweaty puppy, but for now it smelled like Bella.

Bella…

"You miss her too, don't you?" I whispered to him. His snout tipped up to nuzzle in my hair.

"I miss Bella. Do you miss Bella, Nathan?" He was so quiet and comfortable in my arms, it was easy to forget I even had him. I turned him around to face us, bending my legs at the knees to brace him against my thighs as I rested my back against the chair. He had one hand spinning in erratic circles and the other fisted at his face as his tiny lips tried frantically to get at it. "Are you hungry? No one said you should be hungry." He'd be crying if he was hungry, wouldn't he?

Behind me, Don sniffed at the cushion and whimpered softly. "Do you miss Bella?" I whispered to Nathan again. "I never knew my mom to know if I should miss her or not. I think I'd miss her if I knew her. Bella's a really special type of mom. She's not really your mom – you had another mom and now a forever mom. Your mommy's forever, Nathan. She loves you so very much."

My mind saw Rosalie's pained expression from a few days earlier when she told me she'd give Nathan up for me. "She's forever. And you're the luckiest little boy to have her. Grandma Esme is my forever mommy. She can be a pain in the ass sometimes."

I snorted out a chuckle. "I've got to learn how to watch myself around you. Soon you'll understand exactly what I'm saying, and you'll tell Grandma she's a pain in the ass. I don't mean it nastily. She does everything out of love, you know? You'll see someday. Your mom will hover, and give you too much advice, and make you brush your hair when you don't want to, and sometimes clean up your face with her own spit." I shuddered, thinking of all the times my mom had wiped at the corner of my mouth after dabbing her fingertip on her own tongue for moisture.

From there, I thought of all the times she lovinglovingly and skillfully applied a fresh bandage to my many scrapes and cuts. How she always kept a little tool kit in her purse to fix my glasses quickly. The hours she spent playing cards with me when I was plagued with another round of bronchitis. She gave up nursing for me.

Would I ever feel so strongly about an infant that I'd be willing to give up something I adored? I couldn't see how that was possible. A baby is a baby. How can you know that you'll even like this new person? They don't even have a personality… except for this one. Nathan had plenty of personality.

He brought a smile to my face as he began grunting around his fist. He'd finally gotten it into his mouth, and he wore a fierce look of determination. His eyebrows were turning red, and his body was stiffening. I shifted him so that his legs could bend up my stomach. He seemed uncomfortable.

The grunting continued until his entire face was red and an ungodly noise emitted from him. I felt a vibration against my waist where he sat on me. And… moisture? I stopped smiling. "Was that…?"

Nathan went back to his usual self, pink and happy, arms flailing.

"Dude… you didn't just drop a bomb on me. Did you?" Holding him up under the arms, I got a whiff that confirmed by biggest fear. I groaned as his legs began to kick around, stirring up the odour even more. I dreaded looking down at myself but I had to. Sure enough, a mustardy blotch soiled the middle of my t-shirt. I gagged. It wasn't something I intended to do. I was the adult here, and this baby had a problem that I was supposed to deal with. I'd never heard my siblings or their mates talk about gagging over their kids' crap. I could deal with this.

I had to deal with this.

My phone rang as I stood, still holding Nathan under the armpits – at a distance. I couldn't possibly answer the phone right now, and I desperately needed to. It had to be Rosalie calling. I tried kicking my cell phone until it turned over and attempted to hit speaker with my toes. If only I had let Bella teach me her toe technique. Finally, I gave up and cradled Nathan, freeing a hand.

"Rose! You've gotta get home. Right now."

"Edward? What's wrong?"

The voice on the other end instantly sent my heart racing and soothed me at the same time. "Bella! Oh my god. You don't know how good your timing is. I'm with Nathan, and we've got a situation."

"Is he okay?" The worry in her voice made me want to kick myself. Of course she'd fear the worst.

"Yeah… he's fine. He crapped, Bella. I mean, he didn't just crap. He freakin' exploded! I had him sitting on my stomach – kinda – and he turned all red and grunted and shit. And then… holy shit. It's everywhere. What am I going to do?"

Instead of an immediate solution, I got several moments of uncontrollable laughter.

"Nice that you think it's amusing, but I'm seriously covered in shit here. And so is Nathan."

Gaining control of herself, Bella finally spoke. "Obviously Rose is out? So give him to Emmett. That's what daddies are for."

"He's not here!"

There was silence.

"Bella?"

"What are you doing with Nathan on your own?"

"They went out for ice cream," I explained with a pathetic sigh. "They've been really great about helping me out with Don Everly and everything. They wanted a half hour to themselves. I figured I could manage that, but no. The kid decides to blow out his bowels when I'm alone with him. I'm alone with him, Bella! What am I going to do?"

"You're asking me? I've never changed a baby in my life! Not even Tanya. You said they won't be gone long. Just wait it out."

"That's it? That's your best suggestion?" I expected more from her. Then I realized I had no reason to. She was in the same position as me – the non-parenting group. "Sorry. I'm sorry for that. I'm just freaked out. We can't wait it out. It's literally all over us."

"Was he naked?"

"No!" I exclaimed in frustration. "He's fully clothed! You don't comprehend the force of this shit, Bella. It came through the diaper. Through his clothes! How does that even happen? Is there something wrong with him? Should I take him over to the hospital?"

"I'd wait on that," she replied calmly. "It would be quite a scene having a 911 responder rushing in with a baby in a poopy diaper and no clue."

Okay. I had to chuckle at that. "Fair enough. Okay. I'd laugh at the idiot who'd call in with this. You're right. I need to calm down and figure something out. In the meantime, his crap is seeping into my sleeve. I'm throwing this t-shirt out."

"Wrap him in something. Your t-shirt's already ruined. Use that."

It seemed like a viable solution to my problem. "Okay. Hold on. I'm putting you on speaker while I set Nathan down somewhere." I laid him on one of the dozen fleece blanket things Rose had around the apartment for when she burped him.

"Are you stripping?" Bella asked in a sultry voice.

I snorted as I yanked my t-shirt over my head. "Not the time, sweetheart. Okay, I've kinda got it wrapped around him… it's huge. It's too big for him."

"Duh."

"Very helpful," I chuckled.

"Fold it. Or like, lay it out and then lay him on it. Bring part of it up between his legs and then bring the sides in like a huge cloth diaper."

"Ah, now you're thinking. This could work." I did as she suggested and tied the three pieces together in a big knot at the front. And then gagged again. "Damn. This stinks."

"Worse than puppy poop?"

I gave that some consideration. Don Everly had shocked my system with his own blow-outs the past few days. "No. Just different. And it's on me. Gross."

"Aw, sweetie, you'll clean up just fine. If I was there, I'd scrub you down."

Groaning, I took a seat on the floor beside Nathan in his makeshift double diaper. "Don't do this to me. I already miss you enough."

"I have good news."

My spirits picked up, and my grin was unstoppable. "You've heard from the lawyer? Will he see you tomorrow? Please tell me you've got a firm appointment."

"Better. I just came from his house. He felt bad putting me off, so he had a driver come and pick me up. Everything's settled."

"Yeah?" I was beaming. Sky-high. "When do I get you back?" I braced myself for another setback. Another excuse to stay in Phoenix.

"Is tomorrow too soon?"

Relief flooded through me. "Tomorrow can't come soon enough," I replied softly. "I'll pick you up at the airport. Seattle?"

"Port Angeles. I want to get home as quick as possible."

"I'll check the arrivals in the morning and be there an hour early," I proclaimed. "How did your meeting go?"

There was a heavy sigh from her end. "It was… distressing. And a relief. And… "

"Too much?" I offered.

"Definitely too much."

"We can talk more once you're home." I planned on talking and listening, pampering and spoiling. I planned to go all out in completely winning my girl's heart. I wanted her to know she could tell me anything. She needed to know I would be there for her through anything. Anything.

"I'm gonna let you get back to babysitting," she said softly. It made me snicker.

"I'm babysitting," I commented in disbelief.

"I know. Who are you? This is not the Edward Cullen I know."

She was teasing, but it rang true. This wasn't a part of me I recognized in the least. I would never have imagined me in this situation. But even with the super-duper-pooper blow-out, it wasn't all that bad.

~ 0 ~

Once I had my apartment to myself again, I stretched out on the couch after a near-scalding shower. I swore my skin looked stained, but I couldn't scrub any more without taking off a layer of flesh. The couch smelled like Nathan – the good-smelling Nathan. I considered sleeping right there but recalled Emmett advising me to get Don Everly used to nightly crate trainings. There's no way I could lie there on the couch, staring at my beautiful puppy in a cage/crate/whatever. That's when I realized he wasn't his usual self. Of course he had weaved in and out through everyone's legs as I saw Rose, Emmett, and Nathan out, but after that, there was no playful Don. I sat up and peered over the back of the couch. He was back in the chair. Bella's vanilla chair. He had his chin on the arm, staring back at me as if to say, 'You're no fun without Bella. Fix this, or I'm out.' It was true – I was always more fun with Bella around.

"I'm bringing her home to us tomorrow, Don Everly. You can't monopolize her, either. I miss her too, and I was here first."

One of his ears twitched, and he continued to stare at me accusingly.

"Okay, we'll take turns. But we can't tire her out. We have to take care of her – you and I. We can do that, right? She's easier to take care of than Nathan, and we got through that."

A doggy yawn told the tale – I was boring as hell.

"Want to go for a walk?"

He actually turned his back to me. On the way to being insulted, I grabbed his leash from the hook by the door. He usually came running when he heard the jangling, but he didn't budge.

"All right. I'm not in much of a walking mood myself. We should just call it a night. The sooner we go to sleep, the sooner it's tomorrow and Bella will be home." I put his bed in his crate, as instructed, and tossed in Nathan's still-soggy toy. Don Everly allowed me to hug him before he slipped inside and curled up with the doll. I didn't latch the door. He looked so sad in there I couldn't bear to lock him in. "It'll be tomorrow when we wake up."

Dad used to use that on us when we were little. It was his famous line whenever we were over-excited about an excursion or holiday. Once sent up to bed, Jasper would sneak into my room, and we'd read comics together under the blankets. Sometimes we'd play cards. Young Jasper had an infectious giggle, however, and it always gave us away. Dad would come and scoot him back into his own bed and tsk-tsk me. Then he'd sneak back in, knowing it would be nearly impossible for me to sleep with the anxiety over whatever was coming. I used to think it was something he did in rotation with all of us until I was a little older. Then I thought it as our special thing. I didn't go throw a football around with him like Jasper did, and I wasn't Daddy's girl. I was just the odd son. Spending those nights whispering in the dark about everything and nothing made me feel like I was special to him in some way. I put an end to it when I figured out it was easing his own anxiety to keep me calm. I didn't want another parent coddling me or pitying me.

Older and wiser, I now wished I had given him more time – appreciated him more for trying his best with a difficult child. He never made it seem like I caused him trouble, though I know I did. He had the patience of a saint, something essential in a great dad. I would never be able to be like him. He always knew when I needed him around and when to just back off. The ideal dad.

Except for the lectures, of course.

I smirked, recalling some of them. Fatherly advice. Something else I'd never be able to do because I'd be just as embarrassed as the advisor as I was as the recipient. Thank God I'd never have to have a talk with Don Everly about masturbation, or birth control, or knowing how to take a girl's cues to stop. Of course, the latter two pertained more to my brother than me, but I still had to sit in.

The one speech I recalled the most was when we were twelve or thirteen. I sat enraptured as he informed us how to tell if a girl liked a boy. He spoke of how they'd giggle a lot. How they liked to tease us. They weren't being mean if they teased us with giggles. It meant they liked us. He said we could catch them staring at us doing ordinary things, like eating an apple or stowing books in a locker. They would gather with other girls and whisper and giggle some more. And some brave girls would even smile at the boy they liked – a lot.

That never happened to me, but I saw it a lot with Jasper. Oddly, I could identify the flirtatious girls now. There were a few of the nurses at the hospital who routinely checked me out. There was even a woman who did volunteer hours at the dispatch office who insisted on running her fingers through my hair every time she saw me. She had to be seventy. Lauren had when I first started going to her restaurant. Then we became friends, and the looks she gave me changed. They changed again when we started dating. Funny, the only girl I ever wanted to have look at me that way was Bella.

Bella didn't giggle much. She laughed a lot though. She was the first girl besides my sister with whom I could maintain eye contact with. Sometimes, we didn't even have to use words to speak to each other. If I was on the edge, she could just look at me and keep me calm.

I couldn't recall when I'd climbed into bed, but there I was, thinking of my dad and of course, Bella, when I heard Don begin to whimper. "Fuck it," I said to myself as I threw the blankets off. "I'm a spare the rod kind of guy. DON EVERLY!" I called out as I pulled my bedroom door open.

The puppy I knew and loved came rushing towards me, knocking me off my feet when I stooped down to hug him. He lapped at my face and then my arms when I tried to cover up.

"Come on, buddy. This is our last night alone, and it's gonna be a long night. You can stay with me, just don't drool on my pillow." He was on the bed even before I was. I got the impression he didn't know I'd given him permission. He just knew what he wanted. And he probably knew what a pushover I was already. I prepared myself for his snoring, but it didn't come. There were long sighs and whines. A lot of scratching and rolling around. At one point he jumped off the bed and disappeared, only to return with clothing hanging from his mouth. One of Bella's t-shirts. He curled up with it and Nathan's doll, and the snoring began soon after I started rubbing behind his ears. At least one of us would sleep.

~ 0 ~

I should have been a bear in the morning. I'd maybe slept for two hours, tops. Instead, I felt invigorated when the sun shone in through the blinds. I hadn't bothered to close them because we rarely had sun disturbing us in the morning anyway. The moment I stirred, Don Everly was up and at 'em as well. By the circles he did around me as I stood in front of the toilet, he had to pee just as badly as I did. I gargled as I threw on some sweats and a hat, and Don and I went for a run in the early morning light. A little quality time did wonders for his spirits. I wondered if I'd be allowed to bring him into the airport when I went to retrieve Bella. Probably not. She'd said her flight was in the morning, so that meant afternoon or early evening arrival. I figured I could hit up Emmett for another hour or so of puppy-minding.

The run gave me even more energy, and when we returned to the apartment, I started cleaning. I wanted everything to be perfect for Bella's return. When I was satisfied with the cleanliness, I went around making the apartment just as much hers as mine. I laid her favourite lap blanket over her reading chair. In the kitchen, I put her mug next to the coffeemaker and placed her cooking magazine that had arrived the day before on the breakfast bar. I was hoping she'd attempt the pasta dish on the cover sometime soon.

On to the bedroom. I stripped the bed and put on the new sheets Rosalie had picked up and washed. Don Everly didn't approve of the clean laundry scent that replaced Bella's, but she'd make it her own soon enough. I put a lavender candle on her bed stand. She liked the scent and purple was one of her favourite colours when she was younger. I hoped it still was.

"Should we get her some flowers, Don? What do you think?"

He ignored me as he snuffled around with a bag he'd pulled from the closet.

"Don't you go shredding anything else, Master Mess Maker," I warned. "What have you got th – Oh." I ran my hands over my face as he hauled out Bella's panties that I'd tucked away, as promised. "Okay. Give me those." I went for him, and he ran. Black cotton and lace dangling from his jaw, he ran like a gazelle.

"Don Everly! You are in so much trouble when Bella gets home! Give me those!" He continued to lead the chase around the apartment. "Don! Come on, buddy… you're gonna get me in so much trouble." My voice took on a pleading tone, all threats dropped. He flopped to the floor, huge puppy paws protectively covering what wasn't in his mouth. He was claiming them.

"Fine," I relented. "That one pair. That's all, Don Everly. And when I take Bella shopping for replacements, you're not even gonna get to see them let alone sniff them or chew on them."

It wouldn't matter anyway. They were completely destroyed and once Bella was back, our puppy wouldn't need to get her scent that way. He'd have her here. All day. Every day. The thought of that made me happier than I'd ever been in my life.

Leaving him with his current obsession, I shaved and showered before running out one more time. I'd decided that flowers were indeed a good idea. The shop owner allowed me to bring Don Everly inside, rather than tethering him on the sidewalk, so I thanked her by purchasing three bouquets. One for her kitchen, another for the window she liked to read by, and the third for our bedroom.

Our bedroom.

I must have looked like a fool with my big dopey grin, laden with flowers and a dog pulling me along, but I couldn't have cared less. My Bella was coming home to me. Life was good. Better than good. I hesitated in thinking it perfect since I did have some lingering worries, but it truly was my ideal life.

I was at the top of my stairs when I heard the phone ringing. I rushed to my apartment door to unlock it and set the flowers down so I could answer. It had to be her.

"Bella? I just got in… give me a sec…" I half-dragged Don into the apartment, kicking the door shut before putting the bouquets in the kitchen. He ran, leash still attached, to retrieve his prized possession. Weird dog.

"Okay. We're in. Are you at the airport?"

"Edward…"

The elation I'd felt plummeted. Her voice was weak, almost breathless. Something was wrong. "Bella? Honey, where are you? What's wrong?"

"I can't – Edward, I can't do it."

"Can't do what? Where are you?" I was seriously worried now.

"I'm… at the – I'm in Phoenix. Edward – I missed my flight."

I gritted my teeth and swallowed my selfish disappointment. "Ohhh, that sucks. Well, I'll get online and check out your options. Is Kate still with you?"

"No. I'm at the gate."

I thought she sounded like she'd been crying, and it was confirmed with a loud intake of breath as she sobbed. "Honey –"

"I don't know what happened!" she cried out between sobs. "I said goodbye to everyone. They all came with me – Kate, Garrett, Tanya. I was fine. I was totally fine!"

"Okay, so what happened?" My instinct kicked in. She was in distress. I had to talk her down like I would an emergency caller. "Bella? Honey, take a deep breath. Can you do that for me? Deep breath in… and blow it out. Two more times. Okay?" I waited. "Now, can you talk? Did something happen after they left?"

"I… I froze. I started down the ramp… boarding the…" Another sob got choked off. "I froze and then I started shaking. I can't stop shaking, Edward. I can't… I can't get on –"

Fuck. Post traumatic shock. I knew it was too soon for her to fly again. It was hardly the time to say so, however. "I understand, Bella. It's perfectly understandable."

"I'm such an idiot to think I could do this."

"No. You're brave. So very brave. And human. Anyone could react this way."

"They held the plane for me. For forty fucking minutes while I freaked out. God. I'm so embarrassed. They're still staring at me. The desk crew at the gate. They're standing there staring at me like I'm a psychopath. I think they've called security. Crazy alert."

A small part of me wanted to smile at the fact that I would be thinking the exact same things if I were in her situation. "You're not crazy," I said softly.

"I seriously…" Sob. "Think –" Hiccup. "I might –" Rapid intakes of breath. "– be, Edward. I'm losing it here."

"What's Kate's number?"

Hiccup. "What?"

"Kate's number. Stay on the line. I'll call her from my cell – get her to go back for you."

Loud, heart-breaking sobs filled my ear. "Iwannacomeh-h-hoooome."

"Honey, we're going to get you home, okay? But for now, you need to go home with Kate."

"Noooo." She cried her heart out like a lost little girl.

"Bella," I whispered in a plea. "I'm going to come get you. Okay? I'll be there. I'll bring you home. I'll bring you wherever you want to go. Just wait for Kate to come back and go to her house. All right? I'll be there."

"When?"

"Soon, honey. As soon as I possibly can. I promise."

"Call her," she whispered frantically. "Please? Can you call her? Tell her… tell her I've… I'm a mess. I'm shaking so much, Edward. I can't stop shaking. Or crying. I can't… can't move. I want to hide. Everyone's staring, Edward."

My eyes squeezed shut as though I could avoid the mental image of her breaking down all alone. "I know exactly what you're going through, Bella. I do. And it will end. I need Kate's number. Can you tell me? I could call Charlie and ask him –"

"No! Oh god, no!" She pleaded frantically. "Don't tell my dad. Don't. Just don't."

"Okay –"

"Okay." She sniffled several times as she struggled to control her breathing. "Okay. Okay. Okay. I'm okay."

She was anything but, and we both knew it.

"I'm… okay. I'll call her. I'll call."

"Breathe, Bella. Remember to breathe deep and slow." As I was talking to her, I was leafing through the pad of paper she kept with her books, hoping to find Kate's number scribbled somewhere.

I heard her breathing as I instructed. "Okay. I'm good."

"You'll be even better when you get away from the airport. Is there someone there you'd feel comfortable asking for help outside? You'd be better waiting for Kate outside."

"Noooo. No. No way. No. I just want to be by myself."

I bit down on my lip to supress the scream I wanted to let out for her. I had been exactly where she was, many, many times.

"I feel so stupid," she whispered.

"You're anything but. Believe me. This can happen to anyone." I did a fist-pump as I struck gold, spotting Kate's cell number written beside a sketch of a cactus. "Listen Bella, you have to hang up so Kate can call you, okay? I've got her number here. I'm going to call for you, but she'll need to get in touch with you to find out where to meet you. Will you be all right if I hang up?"

"Y-yes… no. No!"

I blew out a breath, never wanting the ability to teleport more than this moment. "Stay on with me then. I'll call Kate, and you can talk through me."

I carried out my plan, getting them on the same track and Bella safely in Kate's car. As soon as they were together, I let Kate go to focus on driving Bella as far away from the airport as possible. While I stayed on the line with Bella, I began packing a bag with essentials. Bella alternated rambling and sobbing until finally she grew quiet.

"Edward?" Kate's voice was much stronger than Bella's.

"I'm here."

"I've pulled in the driveway. Garrett's getting her out of the car. I don't know what to do now."

"I do. Can you just stay with her until I get there? I've got it under control."

Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to do, but I had never felt more confident and in control. Bella, in her incoherent ramble, had told me she needed me. That she'd always needed me. I'd find a way to get her home and never let her go.

A/N ~ I've been getting lots of puppy tips from readers, thank you. :) When this portion was written, msj was my guide of all things essential to a new puppy owner. She is my Emmett muse - without the pecs and penis. ;) Thank you BB!

Shug did some major work on this chapter for me, at a super busy time, so I thank her again and again and again. I'm doing my final edits whilst waiting to board my flight home, so please excuse any oversights. Join me next time when Edward goes on a little adventure. Thanks for reading! XX ~ SR