Chapter 10 - Shaky Hands, Spinning Head, Racing Heart
Hands were shook, phone numbers were exchanged and then, finally, they were free to go. It had been a long, physically and emotionally draining afternoon. Not to surprisingly, Edward was the first one out the door. He couldn't get out of there fast enough it seemed. Only, in his haste to leave, he forgot one very important detail…. his son…
"Mr Cullen, wait!" Garrett Berger's authoritative voice stopped him a few steps short of the exit. "The child... You can't leave without the child," the lawyer pointed out calmly, but with a sense of urgency as he hurried to keep up with his client.
Edward halted, dead in his tracks, the color draining from his face when the meaning behind the words sank in.
"That's okay, I'll get the little one," Alice quickly offered as she materialized next to her brother, handing him her purse to hold while she shoved her arms into her jacket. "We'll need a cab, though… Could you call and make the arrangements, Edward?"
Edward nodded, but didn't move to comply. Instead his eyes remained distant, wandering, not fixated on anything or looking at anyone.
Just then, Bella joined the group and produced a car key from her purse. "I have a rental. It's parked about a block and a half away. I'll go get it and meet you out front," she suggested to Alice, then turning to Edward she added, "Why don't you come with me? You look like you could use some fresh air."
When he didn't respond immediately she put a hand on his shoulder. The gesture, however gently delivered, was received with a flinch.
"Don't," he snapped with a scrawl as if the touch had burned. He took a few steadying breaths, probably a conscious effort to calm himself, because when he spoke again his voice sounded more resigned than anything else. "I know I must sound like a whining five year old. But...shit...I just want to go home!"
Bella let her hand drop limply to her side. "We're ready to leave whenever you are."
"Great, then what's the holdup?" His words were strained as if it took a great effort to utter them.
"Well, one missing toddler for starters and also I think your lawyer wants few words with you before we leave."
There was that resigned look again, except this one held an element ofanxiety. "Of course," he replied, his face twisting with uncertainty glancing at the man with the expensive looking briefcase and the stuffy suit-and-tie outfit like it was the first time he had seen him.
"It's been a long afternoon," Mr. Berger said in an understanding manner. "While this is a pressing issue it's nothing that can't wait a day or two. I can put all the necessary papers together and bring them by your hotel in the morning, how does that sound?"
Edward's mouth moved as to say something, but nothing was heard.
"That would be great! We appreciate you help," Alice stepped in, thanking the lawyer sincerely. This of course prompted a new round of handshakes.
And so it went on for another 20 minutes, before they could finally be on their way…
.
..xXOXx.
The cool breeze did nothing to clear his clouded mind. It was late, much later than he had realized and the afternoon sun had long since begun its slow decent behind the silhouette of skyscrapers that framed the horizon.
Edwards eyes were fixed on the swing of Bella's ponytail as she walked ahead of him. They moved in silence. He wasn't sure where they were going. He vaguely remembered her mentioning a rental car, but didn't ask, he just followed.
No words were spoken until they had reached their destination; a sea of parked cars at the top level of a parking garage. That's when Bella pressed the unlock button on her car key and told him to look for flashing lights…. and that's when Edward's temper got the best of him….
"Unbelievable! You don't remember where you parked?" He spat the words out like a mouth full of too-hot coffee. "There are like a gazillion cars in here!"
"Sorry," she shrugged, not apologetic in the slightest. "It should be on this level. It's a Toyota, a green one… I think…"
"You *THINK*?" he all but yelled at her. "Are you sure it's a real car and not an imaginary one to match that imaginary ring on your finger?"
"There is a car, trust me. I didn't walk here all the way from the airport," she replied, ignoring this jab, as she kept walking down the rows of cars. "It should be somewhere in the red zone, near the back wall."
"The airport? Did you actually leave, only to turn around and fly right back again? And while we are on the subject; did you come back here for a particular reason? Other than to annoy me?" He threw his arms out in frustration, nearly slamming one into the side mirror of a nearby vehicle.
"You know why I came," she replied without stopping or looking back.. "You're the one that set the ball in motion by mentioning my name to the police. "
"Sure, but that doesn't explain why you're still around. I thought you said this wasn't a case for FBI. I thought you told me to hire a PI." She turned, narrowing her eyes, but before she had a chance to reply he continued with his rant. "It also doesn't explain why Alice felt the need to tell that ridiculous lie about our non existing relationship. Did she get that idea from you, because she sure as hell didn't get it from me?"
His words were cutting, but she didn't back away. Instead she closed the distance between them and poked a finger into the middle of his chest. "I think your sister is worried that the social worker is going to deem you, "– she jabbed him again –" an unfit parent. I think, by hinting at a steady relationship, that she was trying to make is seem like there will be a second caregiver around to pick up your slacks."
"Right, and what is one more lie in the grand scheme of things? " He grabbed her fingers and took a small step away, holding her hands between them like a shield.
"It's just Alice being Alice. Given her background, it's not all that strange that she'd go to great lengths to keep that boy out of the foster care system…. Ha, there it is!" Bella suddenly exclaimed, twisting her hands out of his grip and gesturing towards a very small Toyota iQ, parked between a BMW and a dirty white van.
Edward didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. "You've got to be shitting me! That's not a car, that's a joke!"
...xXOXx.
Bella let the conversation rest until they were successfully loaded into the small, but in her opinion feisty car.
She fastened her seatbelt and adjusted the rear-view mirror before she spoke again. "For the record, I was just as surprised as you were when Alice pulled that stunt."
When Edward didn't answer she continued, "I should have known she was up to something when she begged me to come to that meeting today."
Still no reply. She glanced over at him, but he had his whole body angled away from her his eyes closed and his head resting against the window.
"If it makes you feel better I think you're handling this better than most guys would."
He opened his eyes to glare at her. "Christ, Bella, enough with the chit chat. Just start the car, will you!"
Bella sighed, but turned the key in the ignition and the car roared… no hummed to life. She let the silence stretch while she navigated out of the parking garage and into the flow of traffic. Then, while stopping for a red light she decided to try a different angle. "So…" She drew out the word on a long breath. "… something struck me the other night. Something about Anthony's mother."
There was a heavy sigh from the passenger seat. "Why can't we just not talk for a little while?"
"No hear me out," Bella insisted. "I think that's quite obvious by now that she doesn't want to be found, right? And if she doesn't want to be found then how do we know that what she wrote in that letter is true? She could have easily fibbed with the facts to suit her purposes."
"You mean her name isn't really Kebi." He raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Really? I would have never guessed she'd lie about such a crucial detail."
"The mothers name, the name of the child, the birth date… She must have known that we would run every piece of information in that letter through all sorts of databases and official channels in hope of finding a match. But there is no match, no birth record, now is there?"
"No, not in the Seattle area anyway." Edwards at up straighter. "But maybe the child was born elsewhere?"
"Maybe… That's one possibility, but I still think that there must be some sort of connection to this city. I mean, this is where the child abandoned and this is where he was conceived… well supposedly anyway."
Edward grimaced, but refrained from commenting.
"Your sister seem to think he has a touch of a Seattle accent."
"Yeah, I know that's what she thinks, but there is no way anyone can tell for sure. He doesn't even talk that much to begin with, he's still just an itzy bitzy baby."
"A two year old is hardly a baby, Edward," Bella smiled at his reasoning. "But back to realization I had the other night. There is ONE thing, one sentence, in that letter that stands out from the rest. Something that is of such importance that it couldn't be left out. "
"And what would that be?"
"There was a mention of allergies. Do you remember?"
"Nuts and strawberries… "
"She wouldn't have put that in there if it wasn't important."
"Right, so the child has a few allergies. Brilliant work there Sherlock…"
"With small children it's often hard to tell what's wrong, when and if they get sick, because they can't always communicate what's causing their discomfort or pain," she darted a glance at him, before continuing. "The only way to know for sure what you're dealing with would be to bring the child to a hospital to see a pediatrician."
"Okay, " Edward nodded without sounding entirely convinced. "And this is useful how?"
"My bet is that out there somewhere, there is a doctor that has treated Anthony for Anaphylaxis."
"Anaphylaxis?"
"A severe form of allergic reaction which may cause swelling of the lips, eyelids or face, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, hives, breathing difficulties, sudden weakness or dizziness or in worst case scenario unconsciousness."
"I see where this is going now, but could you please explain to me exactly how this will help me locate this Kebi woman, because last time I checked Seattle was a big city and correct me if I'm wrong but aren't most, if not all, hospital records confidential?"
"Ahhh, but this is right down my ally. I can help you with that. I'm an federal agent, remember? I do this sort of research all the time." She stole a glance at him to gauge his reaction.
"Excuse me, did I hear you right? You're offering me your services, your help?" He looked like he was about to explode, not a very good look for him. "A month ago you didn't want to be anywhere near me, you even had your mother threatening me with a restraining order…"
Bella stomped the gas pedal with a little more force than needed, causing the car to surge forward. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to bring that up," she sighed, steering the car over to the right lane after having spotted Alice further down the street. She had been crawling around the block at 50 MPH. This was the third and most definitely final lap, because the conversation had now taken an, in her opinion, unpleasant turn.
"Look, whatever my mother told you, it wasn't true. I wouldn't sink that low." She knew it wasn't much of an explanation, but it was the best she could do. "I was upset with you, I still am, no point in denying that. I almost lost my job because of you." It came out sounding like an accusation so she hurried to add, "You took off without even giving me a chance to explain myself, without giving us a chance to talk things through and work things out."
"You were the one that kept telling me there was no 'us' and that there could never be an 'us'," Edward pointed out in a strangely distant voice. Replaying the past in his mind, no doubt. "Besides you withheld information to the point where I couldn't trust you anymore."
His words stung. "Everything you just said is true, but it was never my intention to intentionally hurt you. In fact I did everything in my power to keep you from getting hurt."
Pulling the car to a screeching halt, she honked the horn. "You're sister will join us in about 30 seconds. I suggest we table this discussion for now."
"How about we postpone it indefinitely? It's not like it will change anything anyways."
"I second that," Bella agreed readily, ignoring the sudden feeling of emptiness that washed over her.
.
..xXOXx.
"My phone is ringing, could you take him?"
Edward didn't have a chance to protest before the child was pushed into his already occupied arms.
He dropped his keycard and his wallet, but managed to hold on to the shopping bags and the half empty water bottle he had been drinking from.
They were back at the hotel again after a seemingly never ending detour that involved stocking up on what Alice called 'strategic necessities' like ice cream, leave-in conditioner, color-coordinated bibs, pull ups and night diapers. On Alice's insistence they had also swung by McDonalds for some drive through carbs, which had turned out to be a pretty smart move. Anthony ate exactly one third of a happy meal burger and two super sized portions of fries before he was struck with a reversed sugar rush and fell asleep in backseat of the car.
The child was heavy and so were the shopping bags. "Alice, wait!" he protested, staggering under the sudden weight. "Let me at least unlock this door first."
"Can't wait…. "Alice shook her head, flipping her cell phone open. "I need to take this, it's mom, and you don't want her to know where I am at the moment, now do you?"
She had a point there, of course, but that didn't mean Edward had to like it.
Hoisting the dead weight of the sleeping boy onto his hip, he grumbled something, not very nice, about his sister under his breath.
Alice just laughed and flipped him off to which Edward retaliated by throwing the first thing handy, the water bottle, after her as she skipped down the hall..
The water bottle bounced a few times and then disappeared around a corner where he could hear it hitting something with a muted thud.
He held his breath, waiting for a crashing noise. It never came. Instead Bella appeared around the corner, her hands on her hips and a scorn on her face.
"I know I'm not your favorite person at the moment, but there is no need to take to violence."
Edward let his head fall like a defeated man and heaved a sigh that was long and deep. "Go home Bella!"
"I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here. Unfortunately, though, Alice still has the MasterCard I lent her when we stopped for gas. I'm not leaving without it so you won't get rid of me just yet." As she spoke she bent down and grabbed the keycard and the wallet off the floor. "However, if you ask me nicely I might lend you a hand with the door and the boy and all the crap you've spread out on the floor. Or are you planning on standing here until Alice gets back, because that could take a while. "
"Fine, I need your help with the door. But that's all I need from you, got it?," he huffed, feeling his impatience creeping into his voice. "And hurry the fuck up, because I think I just got pissed on!" he added when she made no move towards the door.
"I didn't hear a please."
"Are you serious?" he spat, looking at her incredulously.
"Hurry the fuck up, PLE-EE-ASE."
"Look, Bella, I'm not kidding. Something just soaked through my shirt and I don't think it is snot, tears or drool."
She sniffed the air and her nose wrinkled, but still made no move to open the door.
"Please. There I said it. Would you please get the door."
"That wasn't so hard now, was it? " she teased, finally sliding the key card into the lock.
.
..xXOXx.
Once inside the room Edward struggled for a good five minutes just trying to free himself of his now contaminated leather jacket and gray zip-up hoodie.
"Wouldn't it be easier if you put the child down first," Bella suggested from the doorway where she had been watching the spectacle with both glee andfascination.
"You want to hold him? Be my guest," Edward snapped back, taking a few steps in her direction.
Bella felt herself back away instinctively. The kid was cute, but the smell, not so much….
Fortunately, though, Alice picked that precise moment to step thought the door and ask, "Is everything alright in here?"
"I smell like a rest stop urinal. So, no; everything is not alright in here!"
"Aw, did you have an accident, Edward? I told you that second milkshake was a bad idea!"
"Ha, ha very funny," Edward grumbled under his breath.
"Why don't you cover the bed with a towel or something, so that you can get the little guy off your hands? "Alice suggested with a barely concealed smile. "Unless, of course, you're planning on waking him up for a proper bath?"
"No way, I value my sanity way too much to deal with that tonight!" Edward shuddered.
Even Bella knew, after having spent only a few hours in Anthony's company, that the little guy hated water with passion, hence the recent purchase of leave in conditioner and dry shampoo.
"Whatever you're comfortable with," Alice said, bravely crossing the room to give her brother a pat an his shoulder before she strode over towards the balcony and cranked the door open.
"Everything will look better in the morning, you'll see!" she offered cheerfully, then turning to Bella she added, "It's getting late. Do you need someplace to stay tonight? You're suitcase is in the car, right? My room is across the hall. I could always ask for an extra bed to be put in there."
"Well, I guess I've missed my chance to get on a plane tonight," Bella sighed. "Thanks, I appreciate the offer."
"Great, I'll make the arrangements," Alice nodded. "I'm just going to say goodnight to Jasper first," she added gesturing towards her cell phone. "Speaking of goodnight, Edward don't forget to brush his teeth before you tuck him in."
"Right, cause good forbid the kid goes to sleep without brushing his teeth."
"Don't worry, you'll have the bedtime routine down in no time," Alice grinned and turned back to Bella. "I'll be across the hall, in case you need me."
.
..xXOXx.
"This...is...just...nasty!"
"Sorry, were you talking to me?" Bella asked, inching closer to the bed where Edward was still struggling with the logistics of disrobing the sleeping child.
"Not necessarily, but since you're asking… I need diapers; they are in the plastic bag over by my suitcase. Can you get them for me, please?"
"Alright, since you're asking so nicely… And while I'm at it is there anything else you need?"
"Well, a wet towel would be great," Edward sighed and rolled Anthony onto his back carefully, removing his socks, shoes and slightly damp sweatpants. "This is nasty! I did NOT sign up for this. Kids are messy little buggers."
"And you just realized that now?" Bella commented, swatting the back of his head as she walked past him on her way to collect the things he needed. That had been a mistake, of course. The touch of his hair jogged all sorts of repressed memories, making her fingers ache with the urge to pull and clutch at it.
She fled out of the room and hid in the bathroom for a god five minutes. When she returned Edward was exactly where she had left him. The only difference was the handful of baby wipes that were now littering the floor.
"Here you go!" Putting on an indifferent face, she circled the bed and stopped at a close, but safe distance.
Without a word he snatched the towel out of her hand and began wiping the boy clean from top to toe. Bella noted that, negative remarks and winy attitude aside, it actually looked like he knew what he was doing,
"So, you realize it could have been a lot worse, right?" She commented, catching herself stepping closer, despite her previous attempts to stay aloof.
"Really, because from where I'm standing it's looking pretty darn bad," Edward was quick to reply.
"Right, but you're a grown man, with a stable income and a great support system. You're lucky this is happening now and not when you were an eighteen year old kid messing around with some skanky high school broad in the backseat of your car."
"Did you just call your teenage self and Chief Swans only daughter, a skank?" He half snorted, half laughed. "Because she is, as you very well know, the only girl that ever got to see the backseat of that Volvo."
"See, my point exactly. You're lucky, because Chief Swan would have shot first and asked questions later."
"Alright smartass, point taken," he grumbled, throwing her a glance over his shoulder. "I'm going to need that diaper now unless of course you want to take over and finish this."
"Uh uh, I don't think so. Not my area of expertise," she chuckled as she handed him the diaper. "I can't believe he's still sleeping with you lifting him by the ankles like that. That can't be comfortable."
"Are you questioning my technique?"
"Heavens no, I have very limited experience when it comes to changing diapers."
"What, you think I have more experience? You're a female, aren't you like pre-programmed to know this stuff. Besides didn't you use to baby sit when we were teenagers?"
"Yeah, briefly, for one of my dad's colleagues kids, but they were like nine and eleven years old, so that hardly counts. And not all females are good with kids, you know. I was an only child and Renee isn't exactly the motherly type so it's not like I've had anyone around to teach me this stuff."
"So you don't want kids?" he asked without looking at her, but the tone of his voice was genuinely curious. "You and Jake never … you know…. considered expanding your family?"
Ouch! She stepped right into that one. Definitely not the conversation she was expecting to have with him anytime soon. "E-e-excuse me?" she stuttered, while trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.
"It's not that strange of a question. You did marry him, after all. And marriage usually means two and half kids, a minivan or a SUV and a white picket fence."
Bella bit her lip so hard she tasted the salty copper twang of blood and tried to focus on the pain to keep herself from feeing the room again."Well, Jake wasn't the minivan kind of guy. He had a very demanding career…. and so did I, come to think of it. So the answer is no, we never had any concrete plans."
"So you DO want children, then?" he pushed.
"You know what; I don't feel comfortable talking about this with you. Besides shouldn't you concentrate on getting that diaper in place before we have another accident on our hands?"
The room was quiet for a heart stopping second before Edward sighed. "You're right. Better wrap this up quickly. "
Lifting the boy's feet once more, he quickly to slid the diaper in place. "Tell me one thing though, Bella, if it had happened to you, to us, back in the day… " he paused secure the sticky tabs on each side before he continued. " If there would have been unplanned consequences as a result of all that time we spent steaming the windows of my car…You would have told me about it, right? Whatever your decision would have been, you still would have let me know, one way or another, right?"
"Whoa! What kind of question is that!"
"It's a hypothetical one. Humor me with a hypothetical answer. I'm just trying to wrap my head around how a mother could do something like this to her child," Edward explained, getting the comforter off the bed and tucking it around Anthony's sleeping form.
"I wasn't kidding when I said Charlie would have killed you, you know."
"I know. Could you…" he pointed pointing towards a stuffed animal at the foot of the bed. "He'll make my night a living hell if he wakes and that blasted thing isn't where he can see it."
"Oh, okay here…." She summoned her courage to look him in the eye as she handed him the well-loved toy tiger. "I'd like to be able to say that yes, I would have told you, but I was rather upset with you there for a while and besides we were just teenagers and immature ones at that…. Strong emotions drive us to irrational behaviors."
Edward frowned, silently contemplating her answer. "This woman must really hate me then, for her to go and do something as messed up as THIS..."
"I don't know about that, " Bella reasoned, absentmindedly picking up a discarded shoe from the floor, no bigger than the palm of her hand. "Maybe it's not about you at all. It is possible that nothing you could've said or done would have made any difference to the outcome of things."
"I could have stayed sober," Edward pushed away from the bed and began pacing the length of the room."I could have not slept with her, which I still don't remember doing, but obviously did."
"Yeah, but that was what… three, three and a half years ago?" Bella commented, placing the shoe, along with its matching twin and a pair of mismatched, but equally small, socks on top of the bedside table.
"So, what? I shouldn't feel bad that I can't remember anything about that night?"
"No, but you can hardly hold yourself responsible for every decision, good or bad, that she has made since then. It happened. You can't change it, you can't take it back. It's done. You need to find a way to move forward with your life "
"That's easy to say, but hard to do. The only way I'll get the answers I need to wrap my brain around this mess is if I find her. It's as simple as that."
"Now we're back where they started…. " Bella pointed out, watching a restless Edward cross the room again for the umpteenth time. "My offer still stands or let's put it this way; you have a choice to make. I can go back and tell my boss that there is a definite link between this paternity case and one of our ongoing investigations."
"What?" He halted mid-stide. "Oh, you mean the photograph? I had almost forgotten about that darn photograph."
"Jamie T Wilson is not only responsible for some rather disturbing photos, he is also a sought after murder suspect. You'd have tons of agents swarming this place in no time." She paused to let her words sink in. From the corner of her eye, she saw Edward go back to pacing again. "Bear in mind that none of those agents would be me, because I wouldn't be allowed to work actively on a case like that. And none of those agents would prioritize finding the missing person over catching the bad guy if it came down to picking one of those two."
Edward threw his hands up in a gesture of frustration. "You said I had a choice. What's the other option?"
"I can go back and tell my boss that I've seen nothing out of the ordinary, that it was a dead end and that I see no reason to investigate further."
"But you'd conduct a pirate investigation on the sly, right? Isn't that what you were offering?"
"Yes."
"Alright, let's do that. No agents. The fewer involved, the better, I think."
"Deal!"
They sealed it with a brisk, but firm handshake. Of course, the brief skin on skin contact was enough to make her traitorous fingers yearn for more again… more touch, more skin, more connection.
This time, however, it was Edward who took off fleeing to the bathroom.
.
..xXOXx.
"Uh uh…Yeah, the lawyer will come by in the morning," Alice told her fiancé over the phone.
"… …."
"Maybe… He's still in shock more than anything, but I'm sure the boy will grow on him. It will work out for the best… it has to…"
"…"
"Yeah, you know what?" Speaking of working it out, I just got an idea. You had the chickenpox as a kid, right?"
"…"
"You didn't? That's perfect! Neither did Emmett... Hold on one second, while I set some balls in motion. I'll explain it to you later."
Phone still in hand she walked across the hallway and tapped lightly on the door to her brothers room before going inside.
"If you're looking for Edward, he's in the bathroom," Bella greeted her with a smile.
"Getting a shower?"
"No, not yet. He was about to, I think, but then Anthony woke up and Edward thought it would be a good idea to get the little tyke to use the bathroom one last time before bed."
"Ah, smart thinking!" Alice chuckled. "Say what you want about his parenting skills, but he learns from his past mistakes really well."
"You're enjoying this," Bella said accusingly, but with a smile. "You didn't invite me here because you were worried about this turning into a blackmailing scheme or another stalker situation. You invited me because you're hoping to see me and Edward play house with that kid."
Alice shrugged, feigning innocence. "He's a great little boy, who deserves a loving family. And my brother is a pretty great guy too, who could use someone to share his life with. I think you'd make a great mom some day."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. I come from a very dysfunctional family, Alice," she reminded her friend with a grimace. "You've met my mother; you know exactly what I'm talking about. There's a fine line between 'aiding' and 'meddling'. Don't cross it, the consequences can be simply heart-wrenching."
"Or they could lead to something great."
"Look, we don't know what happened to Anthony's mother. She might come back one day. She might want to reestablish contact with her son. There might be a potential custody battle in the future. Either way, that child is going to need a lot of time to acclimate himself to his new environment. He doesn't need a new mom thrown into the mix, not now… maybe never.… And Edward certainly doesn't need the added stress of another failed attempt to sort out our messy relationship."
"I'm sorry, you're right. I'll back off and let nature take its course," Alice apologized sounding utterly sincere. It lasted for about three seconds before she added, "I fully expect you to make me the maid of honor when you merry, though."
"ALICE!"
"What? It's a perfectly reasonable request," she chuckled, obviously enjoying herself immensely. "Whether the two of you actually work out your issues or not, your paths will be entwined from here on out – entwined, if not joined. Mark my words. I'm rarely wrong on stuff like this."
"I will never understand the way your brain works. Sometimes you say and do the most absurd things!"
"That sounds like something Edward would say. All jokes aside though, I actually came here for a reason."
"Which is?"
"To tell you that I just spoke with the hotel staff. It will take them about an hour to get that bed set up for you. I hope that's alright? Maybe we can get a drink or something while we wait?"
"Sure. No alcohol, though. I really should try and get an early start in the morning. "
"Uhm, about that. Are you sure I can't persuade you to stay another couple of days. The social worker will come by to do some sort of evaluation. She is probably going to want to have a word with you, seeing as we told her you are Edward's fiancée and all… "
"We told her? Do I have to remind you that you were the one doing most of the talking. If anyone asks where I disappeared to you could always tell them that I had a desk full of paperwork waiting for me back home. That wouldn't be a complete a lie."
"She will undoubtedly have a few questions about what you do for a living. I also got the impression that Franklin might have a question or two about your job and this recent engagement and how those two intersect. Would you rather have them call your workplace?"
"Ah, I see your point," Bella groaned, knowing a set up when she saw one, or in this case heard one. "I know what you're doing and I don't like it, Alice."
"But you'll comply nonetheless, because you know I'm only doing this to help Edward and we both know he needs all the help he can get."
Bella closed her eyes and sighed. "I do have some sick days accumulated."
"I knew you would see things my way!" she clapped her hands together excitedly. "So about those drinks, will you meet me in the bar downstairs in fifteen minutes? I still have one more phone call to make."
...xXOXx.
Alice waited until she was sure no one was within earshot before she picked up her phone again.
"Did you catch that?"
"…"
"Good. Now listen, we need to get Emmett and Rose onboard for this. That's going to be your job. Here's the plan; within the next twelve hours or so Elliott is going to spike a fever an develop a rash on his neck and his torso…."
"… …."
"No of course not… but Edward doesn't know that. We'll tell him Rose thinks it's the chickenpox because that's what's been going around at day care."
"…"
"Right and the incubation time is somewhere around two, three weeks. And seeing as you've been around him non stop over the last week, there's a pretty good chance that both you and Emmett will end up sick as well. And we all know Rosie is not the most nurturing or patient person… Obviously, I'm going to want to fly home immediately when I hear this news."
"…"
"… leaving Edward and little Ms. Secret Agent alone to deal with the kiddo. It's a brilliant plan if I may say so myself."
"….."
"Yeah, I know I'm sneaky like that…. "