Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, Stephanie Meyers does. I do own this plot and storyline. I own my own original characters and a sweet little Chromebook I just love.

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Chapter 18: Back to Seattle

POV

I am not ready for this particular Monday morning as my alarm goes off. I know I have to go back to Seattle in order for me to close out that chapter of my life there, but just the thought of leaving here makes my chest ache. I don't understand this pull I am feeling to the ranch. Maybe in time I will figure it out. I get up and take a shower and pack my bag. I strip the bed and gather up the dirty towels to take them down to the laundry room.

Once that is taken care of, I head down for some coffee. As I walk into the kitchen, Bella is feeding Cassie breakfast and they both are dressed for the day. After fixing myself a cup, I go and sit at the table with them.

"Good morning, ladies," I greet. "What are you two beautiful ladies doing today?"

"Well, this little sassy thing is goin' to school and momma is gonna see about that scared horse that was brought in," Bella replies including Cassie in the conversation.

Just then, Sarah walks in the kitchen with a scowl on her face, but smiles as soon as she sees Cassie sitting there. "Baby girl, those boys are gonna drive me insane! Always asking when breakfast is gonna be done. Like they don't already know," she rants clearly frustrated. "Acting like they can't open a box of cereal and pour some milk."

Bella and I just laugh, which causes Cassie to start laughing, too.

"What is so funny in here?" we hear my mother ask from the doorway.

"Bad boys," Cassie tells her. Bella and Sarah have looks of shock on their faces, while my mother just smiles warmly and walks over to kiss her on the forehead.

"Are the boys being bad, pretty girl?" she asks.

"Yeah," she whispers.

I noticed Bella wipe a tear from her cheek. "Those boys are driving Gamma crazy, right pretty girl?" she asks her daughter, getting a toothy smile in reply.

They don't make a big deal about her talking, but I can tell that both Bella and Sarah are overjoyed.

"Come on, Cassie. Let's get you to school before Mrs. Kate starts the morning song," she requests of her daughter, as she helps her out of her chair. I watch them walk out of the kitchen before turning to Sarah, who is standing there silently crying.

"I can't believe she spoke to you like that. It's so rare for her to talk at all, but to put two words together almost never happens," she tells us with a watery smile. "Well, I better get breakfast started before those boys come in here acting like fools." Sarah wipes away her tears and wipes her hands on a nearby towel before she heads over to the fridge, taking out ingredients.

"I'll help," I state, getting up.

It wasn't long before we had eggs, bacon, hash browns and biscuits on the table and everyone is filing into the dining room and filling their plates.

After the kitchen is cleaned, the guys go back to work as we all bring our bags downstairs to be loaded up. By the time we have everything together, Bella is back.

"If y'all need anything, just let me know. Carlisle has my email and phone numbers. Jessica will probably be calling if she needs any information from ya," she tells us. "Will you be driving back or shipping your cars?"

"Well I'm going to be selling mine. It's not practical for driving around here. We're going to keep Esme's and drive down once we have everything settled," my dad states hugging her. "The others will have to decide what they want to do."

"Discuss it, and then let me know. Don't worry about room, we have plenty," she states hugging my mother who is already in tears.

Jacob pulls the small coach up and we start loading the bags. After everything has been secured inside, the rest of us give Bella and Sarah hugs before loading up.

"Y'all be safe, and let me know when you make it home," she tells us all waving as the doors close. Soon, we are pulling out of the drive, headed for the airport. I can't get this over with soon enough. This feeling that the ranch is home to me now, is undeniable.

The flight back is uneventful. For once, Emmett actually behaved. I think that leaving the ranch, even after the short amount of time we spent there this weekend, has affected us all more than what we were prepared for.

We are headed to my parent's house when my father speaks, "Could we meet tomorrow night, at our house, and work out a plan to get everything here settled?"

"That'll work, Dad. We'll be there," Jasper tells him.

"Us, too," Rose answers, looking over at a quiet Emmett who seems to be lost in his own thoughts.

"I live there, so no problem," I shrug, smiling at my father's replying snort.

Once in bed, sleep finds me easily. The exhaustion from the trip and the time difference collectively helped, I'm sure.

Sometime later, I'm awaken by warm, wet lips traveling down my bare chest, with feminine hands trailing just after.

"What are you doing?" I ask groggily, not fully comprehending who or what is taking place. "How'd you get in here?"

"I have my ways," a familiar voice answers in a seductive whisper, as she continues her descent down my torso. "Do you like the feel of my lips on you, Edward? No need to answer, handsome. Your body seems to like where my lips are headed."

Before I could respond, or deter her away, I feel her lips wrap around me. It has been so long since I have felt the effects of a feminine touch. Without any consent, my body reacts instantly, becoming harder than I can ever remember being. I am so focused on the pleasure she is pulling from me, that I can't even concentrate on anything else. So many thoughts are careening through my mind like, why was she here in the first place? And, how did she get into my room? How did she manage to undress me?

With all of my senses on fire, I unable to control myself any longer. Ignoring the plaguing thoughts, I reach down and grab her under her arms, pull her up and flip us over in one fast, passionate movement. I don't waste any time and push into her hard and fast.

No words are spoken, movements and touches are simply orchestrated and conveyed through eye contact. My mouth dives to cover her screams and gasps of pleasure, and to ensure that no one else in the house is disturbed by my midnight visitor. Thrust after thrust, her muscles begin to constrict, massaging me; pulling me in further. The passion is escalating to heights that I have not felt in some time.

Knowing I won't last much longer, I take her nipple between my lips, sucking and teasing it hard. She shivers at the sensation. Her movements become as erratic as mine are and I feel her quaking around me. The pull that she has on me is insane and I freeze, thrusting a couple more times as I spill inside her. The energy quickly leaves me and my arms give out beneath me as I collapse onto the bed, near her sweaty body.

"That was...amazing," she whispers, kissing my cheek as she gets out of the bed.

Suddenly, I feel cold chills covering my body as my eyes fly open. I'm lying there, uncovered, with my hand in my boxers and I'm a mess.

It was just a dream! Fuck! That was the best dream.

What I wouldn't give to have Bella's lips on me, her body surrounding mine for real. I climb out of bed and make my way to bathroom to clean up. I quickly throw a new pair of boxers on and climb back into bed. The memory of my dream offers me more questions than answers, however, I don't give them a second thought. I smile at the memory and find myself falling back to sleep quickly.

Tuesday morning, I am heading to the restaurant when my cell phone rings, "Hello?"

"Mr. Cullen?" the caller questions.

"Yes, this is Edward Cullen. How can I help you?"

"This is Mr. Riley, with the FDIC branch in Seattle," he introduces himself.

"What can I do for you, sir?" I ask a little confused as to why he is calling me.

"I am the investigator handling your claim against the bank, Sir. I was notified that the charges you filed against Ms. Denali were dismissed," he tells me.

"Yes, Sir. They were," I confirm my mood souring at the thought of losing so much to that wretched bitch.

"Well, since we have evidence showing that she was, indeed, the one who embezzled the money from your accounts, we will be filing a federal civil lawsuit against her and a Mr. Laurent Henry," he explains to me. "When would be a good time that I could get a formal statement from you?"

I quickly find a safe place where I can pull over so that I can focus on this conversation. I can hardly believe what I am hearing. Mr. Riley doesn't seem fazed by any of the information he is speaking on as he continues, "Also, I wanted to inform you that your claim of negligence against the bank has been approved. Any and all funds will be returned to your account within the next six weeks.

I am struck speechless, but manage to choke out a reply. "I am happy to hear that, Sir. Will I need to provide documentation, testify or anything? The only reason why I am asking is because I'm planning on leaving Seattle within the next month." I explain, hoping like hell that this doesn't affect my moving. "I'm free to give you a statement anytime, but I'll need to contact my attorney."

"No, sir. A statement will be plenty," he answers and I can hear him shuffling papers around through the phone. "I have already notified your attorney and we can meet at his office tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. Will that be ok?"

"I will be there and thank you for everything," I answer him before hanging up. I place my phone down on the seat next to me, stunned at the quick turn of events. I did not expect anything like this to happen. Tanya's dad has his hands in so many pockets, that I just thought that I would cut my losses and move on.

Just knowing that Tanya will finally have to answer for something offers a small bit of relief off my shoulders.

I am sitting at my desk when Bree rushes in. "Edward! There's a Mr. Whitlock out front. I tried to tell him we weren't open yet, but he insists on speaking with you immediately."

I jump up, walking past her with a quick, "Thanks."

"Mr. Whitlock, thanks for stopping by. I assume you received my message?" I ask, hardly containing the excitement I feel building.

"Edward, great to see you and yes, I did. Is there somewhere we can talk?" he inquires looking around the dining room as the staff bustles to get ready to open for lunch.

"Sure, follow me," I say leading him to my office and shutting the door.

Taking a seat, he starts to speak, "First, let me say how sorry I am for what you and your family are being put through. You must understand that there is a very small population of people that actually believe what the media has been saying about you and your family," he begins as I settle into a seat near him. "I've known you for a long time, and I personally, don't believe a damn thing that they are saying. I assume, and correct me if I'm wrong or out of line; that you wish to sell the restaurant because you are leaving Seattle?"

"Yes, Sir. I am moving to Texas," I answer, knowing I can trust him. "I really love this restaurant and want to leave it in good hands, if you're still interested."

"Actually, I am very much interested. I'm willing to make the same offer as before; four-hundred-thousand dollars, as is," he proposes. "I'm also willing to keep the staff you already have, so no one will lose their job. I would love for this process to be as smooth and painless as possible for everyone involved. Is that acceptable?" he asks, smiling at my shocked face, I'm sure.

"Very acceptable. I can have my attorney contact you in order to get the paperwork started. I would like to close as soon as possible, if that is alright with you?" I reply trying to not let my excitement show.

"Perfect! Have him draw up the papers and send them to me so that we can get the ball rolling," he states as he stands to shake my hand. "Have a good day and good luck with all of your future endeavors."

Is this really happening?

I'm simply overjoyed and can't wait to tell my family tonight. I cannot remember the last time that I was this happy.

This is so surreal.

I pick up the phone and call my attorney, explaining everything. He says he will have the papers drawn up for me to look over after the meeting with Mr. Riley tomorrow.

I call a brief staff meeting, informing them of what has transpired. I explain to them that Mr. Whitlock is a very fair man and they will enjoy working for him and his wife. After everyone goes back to work, I grab an empty box and head to my office. I start cleaning up some of my personal items and putting the things I want to keep into the box. I close the restaurant early due to a lack of customers, but let my staff know that they will still get paid for a full day's work and head over to my parent's.

Everyone is already there when I arrive. I make my plate and sit down to eat dinner with them. We are all quiet until everyone is finished eating, thanking my mother for a wonderful meal.

"So, um...I was thinking. Since Rose and I and Jasper and Alice live in apartments, we can go ahead and give our notice to the Super. We can start to pack everything up and put it in storage along with Edward's stuff." Emmett starts to brainstorms. "If you don't mind, we could move in here once our terms are up. Would that be alright with you?" Emmett asks, turning to my parents. "Then, when we're ready to move, we can all share a moving truck to ship all our stuff to Texas?"

"That is fine with us, Son." my dad answers.

"I figured since I'm not working right now, I can help you guys out and get some things packed," Emmett continues looking toward Jasper and Alice.

"That's not a bad idea. Your mother has already been in contact with a realtor and we'll be putting the house on the market this week," my dad agrees.

"Well, I already have a buyer for the restaurant. The papers are being drawn up for me to review tomorrow," I inform them with a smile. My family was a little stunned by my announcement, so I took advantage of the silence and continued. "I also have to give a statement to the FDIC investigator tomorrow."

"What? Why are you having to deal with them, now?" my mother asks incredulously, going into mama bear mode.

"They are filing a federal civil lawsuit against Tanya and Laurent," I explain, calming her down almost instantly. "Oh, and all the money she took, will be returned to my accounts within six weeks."

I am sure that the next door neighbors can hear my mother's squeal after I explain everything that has transpired this morning. "That is wonderful, Edward. Good thing the bitch is not getting away with this." The resounding head nods and blinding smiles from everyone tells me that they all agree that this is great news.

"I resigned today, my last day is February 15th," Rose states matter of fact.

"Me, too!" Alice exclaimed. "They begged me to reconsider, but I just told them I was moving out of state."

"Well, I have a meeting with the board tomorrow. I'll let you know how that goes," my dad tells us, glancing at my mother. "Now, let's talk cars."

"I'm selling mine. I will ride down with you and mom, help split up the drive," I tell them. "My car isn't practical and I will buy something used when we get there."

"Rose and I will be selling ours, too. We'll buy a truck or an SUV to share once we get there," he confirms as Rose nods in agreement. "I emailed Bella and she said there was a dealership in Madisonville. I looked online today and I really like the Tahoe, but Rose wants to wait and check it out when we get there," he tells us.

"My truck belongs to the company," Jasper states frowning. "So, if I find a buyer for my company, I will include all the vehicles in the sale. Alice's car is a piece of junk anyway, so we'll just sell or donate it. We can buy something when we get there to share as well. I don't see each of us needing a car."

"Hey, Jasper. Mr. Whitlock is a local businessman that I consider a friend of mine. He is actually the gentleman buying the restaurant," I tell him getting his full attention. "I can ask if he knows anyone who would want to buy you out. That way, you don't have to advertise and the Denali's will never know. They won't be able to try to ruin it for you."

"That would be great, man," Jasper agrees, his smile growing. "Yeah, have him call me if he knows of anyone."

"I have a question, and I feel bad that I forgot to ask Bella. What about pets on the ranch? I didn't really see any animals there besides the horses and some cows out in a pasture." Alice asks, clearly upset with herself. "Since we'll be living in the main house with Bella and Cassie, I don't want to cause problems if they are allergic to cats or anything."

"I know Sarah has a cat in their cabin. I saw it while we were there," my mother tells her patting her hand. "I think we need to just ask her. If Gracie isn't allowed in the main house, maybe she can live with Sarah. I do know that Bella wouldn't want you to leave Gracie behind."

"I did see other animals on the ranch. Seth even has a dog. He just keeps him in the bunkhouse while all the campers are there," Emmett states. "He's a young lab and really playful. He told me that they are training him right now."

"I think Bella has a dog, too," Rose interjects. "Well, Cassie has a dog."

"What makes you think that, dear?" my mother inquires.

"Bella and Kate made a few comments in reference to Cassie's seizures and how Dasher has been a great help in alerting them of an oncoming seizure," she explains, shrugging her shoulders. "I assumed that they were talking about a dog."

"Well, it sounds like we have a plan," my dad states, getting up from the table. "I'm off to bed. I have a very early day tomorrow. Goodnight."