A/N: First off, thanks to everyone who's sticking with me and reading this. I hope you are enjoying it and it's lived up to your expectations!

Secondly, this chapter was getting huge, so I decided to split it into two parts. Here's part 1. Updates will probably be taking me a little longer, what with the holiday's fast approaching and my lack of preparation. I've been a huge Scrooge these days, and just got my stupid tree up today, after it bit me twice, drawing blood, then gave me an allergy attack. So, I'm typing this while under the influence of sinus meds, which will explain any incoherent thoughts (I hope!!) I haven't done any shopping, unless you count the box of cards I purchased before Halloween, and I haven't baked a blessed thing. Humbug, I say!

Lastly, as always, Twilight and it's amazing characters belong to the fertile mind of the goddess, Stephenie Meyer.

Please enjoy...

~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 6: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend, Part I

Edward followed his usual after school routine. He dropped Alice and the others off at the front door, and drove around back to the big garage behind the house. He clicked the garage door opener and pulled into his usual spot, noting as he did this that Carlisle's big, shiny black Mercedes was already in the garage. That meant Carlisle was home already..

He closed the garage door behind himself and walked around to the side of the garage. Edward sat down on one of the steps that led to a small porch by the pair of French doors that led into a small mud room attached to the garage. He had no idea what the room was for, as they never really used it. It just seemed to be a catch-all now. Snow shovels, salt and sand for icy conditions, galoshes for mud were all housed in here, though rarely used.

Taking a deep breath, Edward lit up a cigarette and checked his watch. He had about an hour to get ready and get to Bella's by four. He wanted to take a quick shower and change. Maybe the shower would calm his nerves. If he weren't nervous enough about his date with Bella, the idea of Carlisle's presence in the house when he was getting ready made it even worse.

He took a long drag on the cigarette and held his breath, holding the smoke in as long as he could before exhaling through his nose. Hopefully Carlisle would leave him alone, although he was pretty sure his father would seek him out. And why not? It had been days since he'd been berated for something, even though he'd done his best to avoid everyone in the family since the incident in the kitchen with Esme.

Shaking his head, he lifted the cigarette up to his lips and took a quick puff. He never quite understood how things had changed so rapidly, how easily Carlisle had been swayed. Perhaps Carlisle himself had been looking, lying in wait, for one false move. One excuse. One small reason to pounce. And he had. Swiftly. Without mercy. Even for his own wife.

Edward stabbed out the remains of the cigarette on the step he sat on and tossed the butt into the small, sand filled bucket Esme had placed on the small porch for him to use. This was the only spot on the property where he was allowed to smoke. He didn't much mind. It gave him a reason to get out of the house. Out of the house and away from the others. He slowly rose to his feet and, taking slow, loping strides, moved toward the house.

He entered the front door quietly, looking around for any signs of life. He heard Emmett and Rose in the kitchen, and quietly made his way to the stairs. Music was coming from the second floor, and he quickly recognized the music as that of Jasper playing his guitar, most likely for Alice. So far, so good.

He moved as swiftly as he dared toward the third floor, aware that this was where Carlisle likely was. The master bedroom suite that Esme had designed for herself and Carlisle contained not only the large bedroom with an adjacent sitting room and luxurious bathroom, but it also had a sizeable office attached for each of them. It was in his office where Carlisle could usually be found when he was home from the hospital this early.

Stepping with caution onto the third floor landing, Edward looked down toward Esme and Carlisle's suite. The door was open, with the light on. Lightly, he began to move in the other direction, toward his bedroom at the other end of the hallway.

"Edward," Carlisle seemed to materialize from nowhere.

Closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, Edward stopped, stiffening his back and squaring his shoulders. He didn't turn to face his father.

"Edward, did you get my text message this morning?"

Edward turned to face Carlisle, gritting his teeth together. The older man stood quietly in front of him, waiting for his response as he affixed a silver cufflink into the crisp French cuff of the pristine white shirt he was wearing.

"Did you get my response?"

"No, actually I didn't get any reply from you. That's why I was asking."

"Then you got my answer, Carlisle." His jaw was clenched tightly.

"Edward, I know that we haven't exactly been seeing things eye to eye these days," he kept his eyes fixed on the cufflink he was working on. "But I think that you at least owe me the same courtesy that you afford your mother."

"I'm sorry, Dad," his tone was sarcastic.

"Then I take it you won't be joining us for dinner?" Carlisle's tone remained cool and detached, although his eyes reflected the hurt he felt.

"No. I have plans."

"Working again?"

"No. I have a date." Not that it's any of your business, he thought.

"Anyone I know?"

"No."

"She's not from your school?"

"She's new."

"Chief Swan's daughter?"

How the hell did he know? How the hell did he always know? Why the hell was he always up in his business?

Edward took a long deep breath. "Yes. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"Edward, you're my son. I'm interested in everything you do." Carlisle smiled slightly at him.

"Oh, I bet you are." The bitterness he felt toward Carlisle was evident in his voice. Anger spit forth in every word. "Always lying in wait for something, aren't you? Have your little spy network fanned out all over Forks, don't you. I know how you operate." Had he really just spoken like Yoda?

"I don't want to argue with you tonight, Edward," Carlisle sighed. "I had hoped that you and I could, well, at the very least, put our differences aside for one night, for your mother's sake."

"That's low, even for you, Carlisle. You leave my mother out of this." His fists were balled up at his sides. One punch. One hit. Just one. That's all he asked for. One chance.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way, Edward," Carlisle bowed his head slightly, as if contrite. "But it is our anniversary, and you know it would mean everything to Esme for you to join the rest of us for dinner in Port Angeles."

"Please send my regrets," Edward mimicked Carlisle's formal tone. "I made these plans before I knew about dinner."

"Perhaps you'd like to bring Miss Swan with us?"

"Pffft," Edward let out a low, humorless laugh. "Yeah, when hell freezes over."

Carlisle gave him a hard look. "I expected as much."

"If that's all, I need to go get ready. I'd rather not be late."

"That's all, Edward. Please try to abide by the midnight curfew, even though I know you wont," he started back toward his bedroom, shaking his head as he walked. "And please, try not to come home too intoxicated or stoned this time, hmm?"

"Bite me," Edward mumbled as he hurried to his bedroom, locking the door behind himself.

Throwing his backpack onto his bead, he yanked the leather jacket off his shoulders and threw it on top of the bag. He paced angrily in front of the windows, nervously running his hand through his hair. One year and seven months until graduation. One year and seven months until he and Bella could get the fuck out of this hell hole.

He and Bella?

Not even one date, and already he was making plans for the rest of their lives. Assuming a lot, I am, he thought.

He shook his head and pulled his gray tshirt off, throwing it on the floor. He kept his bedroom neat, not allowing Esme's cleaning woman into it. Instead, he cleaned it himself, dusting and vacuuming weekly, scrubbing is toilet and tile until they gleamed. Sometimes, when he couldn't sleep, he would scour the shower, eliminating any and all soap scum. Bought all his own cleaning supplies at the Thriftway. No one knew any of this, of course, except for Alice. Edwards' was the only bedroom in the huge house with it's own bathroom, besides Carlisle and Esme's. It was his own little world.

He sat down on the big ottoman and untied his boots, kicking them off before sliding his jeans down and tossing them onto the tshirt that lay on the floor. He pulled his socks off and stood up, adjusting his gray boxer briefs. Ignoring his slender, pasty reflection, he walked past his dresser mirror and into the bathroom.

The hot water felt comforting as it cascaded down his body. He looked up into the steady stream of water, letting it roll over and caress his face. He closed his eyes, washing away the tears that were silently falling from them. Tears of anger. Tears from sadness. Tears for the past and tears for the future.

He forced his thoughts and his tears away, focusing instead on Bella Swan and the date he would be on with her in less than an hour. Bella, who's very presence this past week had made him smile~genuinely smile~for the first time in what felt like an eternity. He poured some shampoo into his palm and lathered his hair up, scrubbing his scalp vigorously and feeling invigorated from it.

He rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, shaking his head and making the water splatter all over the shower. The more he thought of Bella and the impending date, the happier he felt. What was it about her that made him so damn happy to be around her? That even the very thought of her could lift him from a slump?

He soaped up his wash cloth, and began running it along his arm, still thinking of Bella. Thinking of Bella being the one running the soapy cloth over his body. She would stand behind him, and slowly slide the wash cloth from his shoulder down to his hand, where she would lift his arm up so she could run the cloth back down the underside of his arm, along his armpit and down his side. Of course, her naked body would be pressed against his back while she did this. He closed his eyes and sighed, a soft shutter going through his body.

She would run the rag over his hairy chest before discarding it and using both of her hands to massage the soap into bigger bubbles. By this time, she would have turned him around so he faced her, the hot water caressing is shoulders and back. Her slender fingers would move across his slick wet skin in a series of circles, while her long, manicured nails would scratch their way down the hairy trail on his stomach for an added sensation. Before long, she would realize that it was much too big of a project for just her small, delicate hands, and she would add her full, pouty lips, moving them over his hard little nipples so that he could feel her lip ring scratching against the sensitive skin there.

Finally, her entire body would be moving against him, both of them slick with soapy water. He would feel her small, firm breasts hard against his chest, her taught, flat tummy against his hips. She would slide down his torso slowly, caressing as she followed the soft, wet trail of hair until she was kneeling in front of him…

His powerful orgasm caught him by surprise as he opened his eyes, clutching himself as he climaxed. A soft moan escaped his lips as he used his free hand to lean against the wall, knees trembling, so he wouldn't fall. He kept his head down, letting the warm water hit him on the back of his neck as he struggled to control his ragged breathing.

This was the power Bella Swan already had over him.

He finished up his shower quickly, toweling himself off roughly and wrapped the towel around his waist. He was a little ashamed of himself for what he'd just done. Things weren't like that with Bella, at least not yet. He just needed a release, and this had been a much better release than any he'd had at the thought of Hollywood beauties like Megan Fox or Ashley Greene. Through her ability to alter his mood like a drug, Bella was his release.

He dried his hair, spiking it up haphazardly, before donning a fresh pair of black boxer brief's. A spritz of deodorant and a light dab of cologne later, he was slipping into his good black jeans, pairing them with a brand new charcoal gray tshirt that Esme had given him last Christmas but he'd never worn until now. He grabbed his leather jacket from its spot on his bed and headed toward the call of his siren song.

~*~*~*~*~*

Charlie let out a low whistle. "I'm tellin' ya, Bells, that Edgar is one lucky little bastard!" He stood up from his usual spot on the sofa and walked over to where she was standing, leaning over quickly and kissing her on the cheek.

She rolled her eyes. "It's Edward, Charlie, and thank you," she smiled.

"Edgar, Edward. Either way, he's an Ed, right?"

"He prefers Edward," she giggled, feeling giddy at the thought of seeing Edward shortly.

"You're really hung up on this kid, aren't you?" He grinned widely at his beautiful daughter. He was certain that when the other people in Forks looked at her, they saw a person that they knew immediately was not from here. She was different, and different was scary. They probably couldn't look past the piercings, strange clothing and odd hair colorings to see the beautiful person they adorned. But, apparently, this Cullen boy could.

"Oh, Charlie, I am! I really am!" She couldn't contain her joy.

"Just…just be careful, ok?"

"Careful?"

"You…you know…be…," he hesitated nervously. "Be…safe."

"Charlie, are you talking about…" her voice trailed off as she came to a realization. "Oh my God! Charlie!" She felt eyes widen and her face redden.

"Well, you're beautiful, and I'm sure he knows it. And you really like him a lot. And you're both just a bundle of hormones at this age. I know. I used to be a seventeen year old boy myself, Bells," he sighed, and shifted his weight uncomfortably. "And, being a cop, I've dealt with my fair share of aftermaths as well."

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I promise, Charlie, that I won't…do anything with Edward tonight. I wasn't even thinking on those terms!" She smacked him lightly on the arm.

"Still, Bells. When things start to heat up, well, you can lose your sense of logic. Especially with someone you really like, like Edwin."

"Edward."

"Whatever." Charlie pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and began digging through it. "Just be careful, regardless of what his name is." He pulled something out of his wallet and cupped it in his palm. "Here, I want to give you this."

"What are you…Oh my God! Charlie! I don't want a condom! Especially not from my father! I told you I'm not having sex with him!" She held her hands out in front of herself, closing her eyes and turning her face away.

"Huh? A what? You think I'd give you a condom?" Charlie guffawed. "That's like saying 'Here…go have all the sex you want with my daughter, kid'. I'm irresponsible, but not that irresponsible!" Charlie couldn't help the amused expression playing on his face.

"Then…what are you giving me?" She looked at her father with caution.

"I'm giving you some money." He held up a small green square with a twenty showing. "You aren't exactly wardrobed for Forks. I figured if you saw something you liked in one of the stores in Port Angeles, like, say, a jacket or some pants or something, you would need some money." He grinned like a Cheshire cat.

She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. "You scared me!" She smacked his hand. "Thanks, but it's ok. You don't have to buy me clothes."

"Hey, you're my daughter. I have a lot of years to make up for, Bells." He held the cash out to her. "Please? It would make me very happy to see you in a jacket that actually kept you warm and dry."

Bella sighed and took the money from him. She flipped the folded square open and counted the bills. "Charlie, there's like, two hundred dollars here! I can't take this."

"Take it. Just don't pay for dinner. Let him pay. The Cullen's are loaded and that boy works like an ox," he nodded at her, smiling. "Besides, even if you don't spend it tonight, you still need to get a proper jacket. Winter here isn't like winter in Phoenix." This was true.

They heard a car horn outside the house. Bella turned and looked at the cable box. 4:01pm. He was right on time.

"That's him! How do I look?" She stood and straightened her black mini skirt. She wore black suede over the knee stiletto heeled boots with it, forgoing her usual combat boots for a sleeker look. She had also abandoned her usual high necked, long sleeved, body clinging knit shirts for a tight black corset~style halter top adorned with chains and buckles.

Charlie looked his daughter up and down. "You look…well, you look like Dominatrix Barbie, but who am I to judge?" Bella let out a long, low laugh as her father moved to the door. "Let's get Edsel in here and see what he thinks, shall we?

"Edward, Charlie! Edward!" She stomped her foot without much effect, as she was still giggling at the Dominatrix Barbie comment.

Charlie opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch. Edward had parked the silver Volvo right out in front of the house and was standing in front of the passenger side door in the light drizzle that was falling. He stared blankly at Charlie as he motioned him to come up to the porch.

Edward swallowed hard, and moved slowly toward the steps. It would be unwise to piss off Chief Swan on any given day, let alone the day you were taking his daughter out on a date. He climbed the steps like a man walking his last mile and stood in front of Charlie.

"Hello, Chief Swan. I'm Edward Cullen." He nervously held his hand out and Charlie gripped it hard. Edward winced slightly, much to Charlie's delight.

"Edmond, if you're going to date my daughter, you need to know two things. One, I expect you to come to the door to get her, not honk your horn down at the curb for her. This isn't a full service gas station. And two, you bring her home in the same condition she left here in. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," he rasped, his throat suddenly dry.

"Now, come inside, Ephraim. I expect any boy who dates my daughter to, at bare minimum, have the good sense to come in out of the rain." Charlie clapped Edward on the back hard, almost knocking the wind out of him, as he opened the door to the house.

"Bells," he called out casually. "Look what I found out by the curb!"

"Are you picking through the trash again, Charlie," Bella strode out of the living room, looking directly at Edward, her denim jacket on over the halter top. "Why, Charlie Swan! This is the nicest piece of trash you've ever brought home. Good job!" She winked at her father. "Hi, Edward." Her smile warmed Edward's numb insides as he felt his mouth drop open. If it was at all possible, she was even more beautiful right now than he'd remembered in his wild fantasy.

He gulped once, and quietly replied to her. "Hi, Bella. You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Edward," she blushed and looked at her father, smirking. "Anything you have to say, Chief?

"Yep. Edward, I expect you to respect the rules of the road, particularly the speed limit. I expect you to behave and be a gentleman to my daughter. Remember…I'm a cop. I know what to do with the body." He winked at a frightened looking Edward. "Lighten up, kid! You're going on a date!" He clapped Edward on the back again. "Have fun, Bells." He leaned over and kissed his daughter on the cheek.

"I will. Don't wait up!" She grabbed Edward by the arm.

"Midnight, young lady!" Charlie pointed a finger at her. "Edward," he called, and Edward turned to look at him. "Midnight."

"Yes, Chief Swan," he managed to quietly whisper with a slight smile on his face as Bella led him out the front door.

Charlie followed behind, calling out "Don't forget your seat belts!" as Edward opened the passenger door to the Volvo for her to get in. He turned, nodding to Charlie, then motioning for Bella to put on the seat belt.

Finally, Edward slid into the drivers seat, letting out a heavy sigh, relief flooding his face.

"Don't let him bother you," Bella giggled. "He's all bark. No bite."

"That's easy for you to say," he let out a nervous laugh as he started the car. "I never realized how intimidating Chief Swan was before." Classical music came from the stereo speakers, surprising Bella.

"That's because you never went out with his daughter before," she smiled. He looked beautiful. She could smell his soap and shampoo. He smelled beautiful, too.

"Heh. I've managed to avoid any run-ins with the law, I guess." He was starting to calm down as he hit the highway, heading to Port Angeles.

"So, what's in Port Angeles that everyone always heads there," she asked.

"Everything that's not in Forks," he laughed. "You've never been there?"

"Years ago, yeah. When I was little. I don't really remember it. There's a waterfront area, right?"

"Yep. With a small boardwalk pier thing. It's pretty cheesy."

"And a shopping area?"

"Yeah. There's like, a mall thing. Some museums. Mostly it's for the tourist trade, like those people who read those silly vampire books." He rolled his eyes.

"Hey now, I've read those silly vampire books," her voice was teasing.

"So you must be giddy with anticipation, then," he smirked at her.

"Oh, hell yes. I can't wait to find me a hot and spicy teenage vampire. After he eats you for dinner, he'll be all mine!" Why was this type of banter so easy with him?

"Take you to his mansion where you'll live happily ever after?"

"Don't lie…you've read the books too!" She pointed at him.

"Why would you accuse me of such a horrific crime against humanity?" He looked at her with mock agony on his face.

"Because if you didn't read them, you wouldn't have known he lived in a mansion! Ha!! Snagged, Cullen!"

Edward frowned. "You've found me out. I'm a closet teenage vampire fan. Please don't spread this around school. I do have a reputation to uphold, you know." He flashed sad puppy dog eyes at her.

"I promise to take your secret to my grave," she snorted.

"Thank you. I knew you were trustworthy." They settled into a comfortable quiet as he drove.

"So, how far is it?" Bella broke the silence.

"We should get there in about forty-five minutes. I'm afraid to speed. Your father might have an APB out for a silver Volvo carrying his kidnapped daughter, speeding along US-101, headed for Port Angeles," he shook his head.

"And being driven by a closet teenage vampire fan? Oh, be serious. Charlie liked you immediately. Why do you think he was joking with you like that?" She shook her head as she giggled.

"I dunno…he seemed pretty serious to me." His brow furrowed.

"Ya gotta lighten up, Edward. We're on a date," she smiled, looking over at him and bit her lower lip. He glanced at her, feeling the worry begin to slip away. She was right. They were on a date and he should lighten up.

"It seems to be clearing, so we can maybe walk through the outdoor sculpture garden," he mused.

"So, this is like, the local alternative to Seattle?"

"Yeah. Seattle's like three and a half, four hours away. Port Angeles is like a scaled down version~a very scaled down version," he laughed.

"I don't remember it at all," she frowned.

"Has your father lived here his whole life?" It was his turn to lead the conversation.

"Yep. Born and raised. So was my mother."

"And, I'm guessing, you were born there…but not raised, right?" He was smiling now, his jittery nerves a thing of the past.

"Yeah. Born. Raised in Phoenix," she nodded.

"And divorce is what took you to Phoenix. What brought you back to Forks?"

She hesitated, but it was only fair that she answer him. After all, hadn't he told her his whole history just that afternoon?

"Charlie and my mom, Renee, married right out of high school. Forks High School," she laughed and Edward chuckled softly. "Anyway, I guess at the time, marriage and being 'adults' seemed like a good idea. Or maybe a romantic idea. Or maybe an idealistic one, at least, but, I guess it was hard. Harder than they expected. Charlie joined the police department, and my mom was alone an awful lot. It was ok, I guess, until her parents decided to retire and move to Arizona, figuring Renee was happy in her new life, with a new husband to take care of her and a new baby to take care of herself." She paused. "Am I boring you yet?"

"Nope. I'm riveted!" He smiled, glancing over at her quickly but trying to keep his eyes on the road.

"Well, ok. But just let me know if you feel like you're going to nod off. I don't want to be the cause of you falling asleep behind the wheel."

"You got it," he laughed.

"Anyway, once my grandparents were gone, my mother was mostly alone. With me, a colicky baby, who cried constantly. Charlie worked crazy hours when he first joined the force, and with her mom gone, I guess Renee couldn't handle the solitude." She sighed. "So, one night, she just told Charlie that she was taking my screaming ass and going to her parents in Arizona. She didn't know if she'd be back. And we never did come back." She smiled a sad smile.

"So, what made you decide to move back? Not that I'm complaining or anything," He reached over and squeezed her hand. She flipped her hand over and twisted her fingers in between his, much to his surprise. He didn't mind, though and he felt his heartbeat quicken.

"Well, my mom's never been, shall we say…a conventional mom. Ever see that movie with Cher and Winona Ryder? The one where Cher's this flaky mom with no husband who feeds her kids like, marshmallows and gumdrops for dinner?"

"It doesn't ring a bell," he laughed. "Marshmallows and gumdrops? I think I'd remember that."

"Well, it could have been based on Renee," she laughed. "We'll have to rent it some night." She squeezed his hand. "Anyway, I was encouraged to express myself and march to my own drum beat, which, as you can see, I do. But mom, well, I guess she rediscovered fun when we moved to Arizona. She's like Peter Pan. Eternally young. And as she got older, her boyfriends got younger. Then she met Phil." She said his name with contempt.

"Uh oh," Edward glanced over to see Bella scowling.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that she found someone to share her life with. Honestly, I am! I just don't have to share my life with him, you know?" She shook her head, continuing. "Anyway, fist he moved in, and it was…different. He found fault with everything I did. I mean, I always cooked and did a lot of the cleaning. My mom's way too much of a flake at some things. But once he was there, Mom wanted to do those things. To make a home for her man and her child, I guess." She shook her head, before continuing in a small voice. "It caused a lot of friction between Mom and me," she sighed.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he squeezed her hand. "Believe me, I understand all about friction with the parental units."

"Thanks. Anyway, once they decided to get married, I knew I couldn't live in the same house with them much longer. My mom changed so much. She was like this different person. She had always encouraged me to be an individual. Now, because of him, she would be on me for my piercings and for my hair and for my clothing. Hell, she's the one who helped me pick my first tattoo, and once he came into the picture, there she was, telling me that I shouldn't get any more. My mother, who herself has a tramp stamp and a Ziggy tat on her boob!" She shook her head. This felt better than she had thought it would. It was just so easy to talk to Edward.

"Parents are contradictions, Bella. Didn't anyone ever tell you that?" He chuckled softly. "And that's just a little TMI on your mom, by the way."

She laughed "Sorry about that."

"Although, you never mentioned your own tats before," he glanced slyly at her.

"And those will remain a mystery to you…at least for now," she winked and he laughed.

"Something to look forward to, I suppose. So, your mom and this Phil got married and you moved to Forks."

"It's not that easy. Before they could have the big wedding they were planning, Phil got traded."

"Traded? Is he a pro athlete?"

"You could say that, in that he gets paid to play ball. But he's not much of a pro. If anything, he's minor pro. And he's not much of an athlete. He's got a paunch on him like George Costanza!"

Edward couldn't help but snort at the comparison.

"Anyway, he got traded to Jacksonville. I knew there was no way in hell I was going with them. At least, in Phoenix, I had my friends, my boyfriend and my job. Gramps had passed away, and Gran was in the nursing home, but I would go visit her, you know?"

"You had a boyfriend?" He felt his stomach flip when she said it.

"Yeah, I had a life before you, you know," she grinned at him.

"Oh…I…I didn't know. I'm…sorry?" He hated being caught off guard. Was she still seeing this guy? Was he going to swoop into Forks for Homecoming? Was she going to graduate high school next year and run off with this clown?

"Sorry? For what?"

"For..uh…for this? For our date? I didn't know, Bella." He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"Why on earth would you apologize for asking me out?"

"Because I didn't know you had a boyfriend?"

She let out a deep, throaty laugh. "Oh, Edward! I—I'm not seeing James any more. We broke up before I even came here! Silly boy!" She squeezed the hand she held tightly. "I hope you aren't the type to be jealous over my past liaisons, are you?"

"Uh…no…no not at all. It was just, well, the way you said it. I thought maybe you were carrying on a long distance thing or something," he stammered.

"Nah. I mostly left Phoenix behind last week."

He smiled "That's good to know."

"Anyway, back to my story. I promise no more mention of former lovers. I don't want you to get a complex or make you feel inadequate or anything," she snorted.

"Very funny. Just…just finish how you got here." He couldn't help but laugh.

"Sure. Um…where was I?"

"Phil got traded?"

"Ah, yes. Phil got traded. That was three weeks ago. So, Renee and he decided to go to City Hall and get hitched before he had to report to Florida. She would stay behind and pack up things and, well, pack me up as well, I guess. So, I was her 'maid of honor' at City Hall. " She rolled her eyes at this. "I couldn't take it. I…I called Charlie from the ladies room at City Hall." Her eyes narrowed at the memory. "God, Edward," she breathed, "I was a mess. I was just hysterical. I couldn't move to Jacksonville. I just couldn't! I mean, what was there for me in Jacksonville? Renee had Phil. What did I have?"

"You had Renee?"

"No, see, Renee was all about Phil. There were days when it was like I was invisible."

He snorted. "Then we have opposite problems. There are days that I wish I were invisible."

"You have to understand, Edward. For sixteen years, it was Bella and Renee. Renee and Bella. Then this…this…interloper comes in and ruined everything," she shook her head. "I hated him for it."

"I'm sorry, Bella. I understand about that as well," he frowned, tightening his grip on her hand. They hadn't let go of each other's hands since they'd first clasped them together.

"I somehow knew you would," a warm smile took away the sadness on her face. "Anyway, without so much as needing a reason, Charlie said he'd send me a ticket to Seattle the next day and be waiting for me at the gate, if that was what I wanted. Of course, it wasn't that easy. Renee was pretty much dead set against me coming to Forks."

"Why?"

"That's the one thing she couldn't tell me. She really had no reason other than she was used to having me around. Finally, Charlie was the one to convince her. Took the greater part of a week for him to do it, but he did."

"How'd he do it?"

"He convinced her that she'd be able to focus all her attentions on her new husband with me safely in Forks. And that it'd do me some good, too. And that he hadn't seen me in five years," she smiled at the memory. "Charlie, he can be pretty persuasive when he wants to be. Charming too. And…" she looked down. "And when I got here, he had Billy Black's old pick up truck waiting for me. Just like that. Bought it for me without my having to ask. I think," she knit her brows together. "…it…it showed me how, even though I didn't see him a lot or even talk to him much more than I saw him, it showed me that he really, really loved me." She bit her lip.

"Charlie is a good father," Edward mused. Unlike Carlisle, he couldn't help but think. "And you two seem to get along really well."

She nodded. "Yeah. I thought it would be weird, but it's like, so natural. Charlie's a lot like me. Or…I'm a lot like him, I guess. We just fit together so well. It's so much less stressful than being with my mom, to be honest. And it's like a God send since she found Phil."

"So, is it safe to say that, Mike Newton aside, you like it here in Forks?" He laughed as he said it. Why did everything seem to come back to Mike freakin' Newton?

She laughed out loud, that deep, throaty laugh that made him tingle somewhere inside. "Yeah," she nodded. "Yeah, I do. I mean, if I hadn't come here, how would we have met?"

"Good point! He smiled, holding tightly to her hand, as they drove the rest of the way to Port Angeles, making fun of Mike Newton.

Edward easily found a parking space at the mall and turned off the engine. He turned to Bella. "We're here," he smiled.

"Why, Captain Obvious, I never would have guessed! Thank you!"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, you have to cut me some slack here, Swan!"

"Ok, I will," she leaned in close to him. "Come open this door for me or I'll tell my father you weren't much of a gentleman."

Grinning from ear to ear, Edward got out of the car and quickly hustled around to her side, opening the door and grandly offering his hand to her. She took it and slid out of the seat.

"I figured we could walk around the mall a bit before going to eat," he slid his left hand in his jeans pocket. His right hand firmly held on to Bella's left had.

"That sounds good," she smiled at him. Edward Cullen is holding my hand, she thought happily.

"It's probably not like the malls you're used to in Phoenix. There's no Abercrombie here, I'm afraid," he let out a low chuckle as he shook his head.

"I much prefer Hot Topic, myself, but I guess you kind of figured that out yourself by now, right?" She just couldn't wipe the grin off her face. It felt like someone had stuck a wire hangar in her mouth and twisted it up into a huge smile. Edward Cullen made her happy.

"Oh, you won't find that here either," he laughed. "What is here, though, is enough to tide you over until you can make the trip into Seattle." He held the door open for her to enter into the mall first. "You'll also see a lot of art galleries. Art gardens. Museums. It's like, an artists enclave or something."

"Any teenage vampire art? I know what a fan of it you are." She tried to sound sincere, but the giggle at the end of her sentence gave her away.

"Not that again," he shook his head. "I was bored. Alice left the book in the kitchen. Why am I even explaining this to you?"

"Because you're mortified that I know your secret," she laughed and swung their clasped hands as they walked. "It's…it's not very big, is it," she mused as she looked around the mall.

"Told you," he laughed. "We can go see a movie after dinner, if you like."

"A movie?" She looked around as they walked slowly. "Nah, I'd rather sit on a bench and talk with you than sit through some crappy movie."

Edward felt his chest swell. "I have to confess," he looked at her, green eyes blazing, "I'd prefer that too."

They walked and talked through the entire length of the mall, and Bella even tried on a black jacket with a hood that she ended up buying.

"So, are you hungry?" Edward carried the shopping bag containing Bella's purchase as they walked to the car. By now, it was dark out and the mall security lights cast a creepy glow in the large, open lot.

She nodded her head. "Oh yeah. Shopping really gives me an appetite! Back in Phoenix, I worked in a mall. I was always shopping and always hungry," she laughed.

"Where did you work?"

"Where do you think? Hot Topic, of course! 40% discount, baby!"

"So I'm guessing you spent every penny you made, right?" He couldn't help the huge smile on his face.

"Every penny, plus," she laughed. "I was kind of hoping they'd have a store here, but I'm guessing the closest HT to Forks is three and a half hours away, right?" She sounded disappointed. She would no doubt have to resort to the internet for clothes, since, jacket aside, Port Angeles marched to a different fashion beat than Bella Swan did.

Edward opened the passenger door for Bella. "Well, I can take a Saturday off and we can go to Seattle for the day, if you like," his voice was soft.

She turned to face him, and her breath caught in her throat. She was closer to him than she'd ever been. His stunning green eyes glowed as they focused only on her. He was beautiful, there was no other way to describe him. When she finally found her voice, she was finally able to say "Yeah, I'd like that~if~if it's not too hard or something," she stammered. Did he hypnotize with those eyes? She felt dazzled.

"Nah, it wouldn't be too hard." She slipped into the car and he closed the door, racing around to the driver's side and quickly getting in. "I always ask for weekends, so I can work a full shift, but I can ask for next Saturday off. Besides, they owe me," his eyes burned into her from where he sat. She could feel her pulse quicken and her face flush.

He started the car and put it in gear before reaching over and taking her hand once again in his. Her heart jumped with glee as he drove out of the mall parking lot.

It began to mist as he pulled into a small parking lot next to what appeared to be a sculpture garden. A small Asian style building stood in the middle of the lot. A well lit red sign on top of the shiny black tiled roof proclaimed this to be The White Lotus. Charlie had been right.

"I hope you like it," he sounded almost shy. "This is my favorite place for Chinese."

"If you like it, then I'm sure that I will too." She unfastened her seat belt as Edward got out of the car, once again racing to her side to open the door for her. "You know, you don't have to do that every time, Edward," she smiled as she took his hand and slid out of the car.

"Your father expects me to behave like a gentleman," he whispered as he looked down at her. "And you deserve to be treated like a lady, so, I'm behaving like a gentleman."

She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. Why? She had no idea. It was just how Edward treated her. Like she was something special. James had never treated her like that. She swallowed and managed to eek out a "Thank you, Edward," as she took the arm he offered as he led her into the restaurant.

The White Lotus was ornate inside, decorated in bright reds and sharp golds. It looked like a building she'd seen when her grandparents had taken her to DisneyWorld one year. There had been a section at one of the parks where all different countries had been represented. She'd been particularly fond of China, she remembered, because the buildings were bright red and there was a little bridge over a pond in front of it.

"This is so pretty," she whispered to him.

"Yeah, it's worth the trip just for the atmosphere," he smiled. "Two," he held up two fingers to the hostess as she approached him. She led them to a small table in back of the dimly lit dining room. There were already several tables occupied and the hostess smiled at the young couple as she placed the menu's on the somewhat private table.

"Thank you," Edward smiled at her before holding the chair out for Bella.

"Thank you, Edward." She pushed herself in as he sat down next to her. "I swear, it's almost like you're from another time, what with opening doors and holding out chairs," she rested her elbow on the table and laid her chin in the palm of her hand as she looked at him.

"Well, my grandfather was a stickler for manners, and he found a kindred spirit in Esme," he chuckled. "I really had no choice but to be polite."

"You are rare today," she shook her head. "I offer Mike Newton as an example."

"Ugh," Edward made a face. "Let's not mention that tool while we're eating," he opened his menu. "I'd rather not have indigestion tonight."

"Me either," she smiled down at her menu. "What do you usually get here?"

"Umm…well, I'm kind of fond of the moo shu…uh…pork," he looked at her with a sheepish grin on his face.

"That's a no," she laughed. "What else is good?"

"Let's see….for you, I'd order the vegetable lo mein. It's really good. And the broccoli in ginger sauce." He looked over the menu.

"And you're going to eat...what? Dead animal?" She turned her head to the side and grinned at him.

"Bella," he took her hand in his. "If you are going to be with me," he said sincerely, "you are just going to have to get used to the idea that I am a carnivore." He smiled his crooked smile at her and her heart melted.

"If I'm going to be with you? In the Biblical sense?" She heard herself snort in a very unladylike manner, causing an older woman a few tables away to turn and look at her. The color in her face rose as Edward giggled at her. He actually giggled at her embarrassment. Edward. Giggled. And it was the single most adorable sound she'd ever heard.

He cleared his throat and picked up his menu, looking at it intently. "Eventually," he murmured, the grin never leaving his face.

She stared at him with. Being with Edward in the Biblical sense. It was definitely something to look forward to. "You know, you don't have to eat vegetarian for me. I can deal with your murderous tendencies."

"Just for tonight, I will follow your lead," he smiled as the waitress came to take their order. "We'll have the vegetable lo mein, the broccoli with garlic sauce, and the sesame noodles. Oh, and two cokes, please." He ordered for them both.

"Did you just…order for me?"

"Did I do something wrong?" He looked at her with his eyebrows raised.

"No, no, not at all. I…I kind of liked it. It was…commanding." And sexy as hell, she thought.

Now it was Edward's turn to blush.

…..to be continued….

~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: So...anyone still reading? Did you like? I hope so! Please review!!

I will try to have part 2 up some time this week. Things are getting busy, but I will chug along as long as you still want to read :)