AN: So…. only four reviews for chapter 17. It must have been a boring one. Let's see if you like this one any better? (hint hint) REVIEW!

Chapter 18- The devil is in the details

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"Is suck," Anthony whined and reached up and touched the back of his head.

"It's stuck, I know. You have chewing gum stuck in your hair…" Edward sighed and frowned. "I just… Hang on buddy, don't pull at it."

"Owie." Anthony frowned.

"I have no idea where he got it from, or how it ended up in his hair for that matter. Not that I'm trying to make excuses or anything," Edward explained somewhat awkwardly to his guest, Mrs. Thompson, the social worker, who had showed up more than half an hour early.

Edward suspected that it had been deliberate, kind of like a test to see how well he could handle unexpected situations. It was safe to say he was failing miserably.

"I didn't notice it until I undressed him to give him a bath. That's why he's naked by the way. I don't normally let him run around without clothes like this," Edward blushed and wished he would just stop talking, because clearly it wasn't helping his case.

"That's alright," the social worker smiled reassuringly. "He looks like he could use a bath. I'm only here to observe so don't let me stop you".

"Well before I can bathe him I need to do something about his hair. The gum is stuck like, all the way down to his head." Edward reached over and parted Anthony's hair, trying not to make it worse. I think I'll have to cut it out. I have sent Bella out to borrow a pair of scissors from the neighbors."

"I say no cut. Is my hair," Anthony protested with a high-pitched squeak and brought his hands to his head.

"I know it's your hair, buddy. I'll be careful, it won't hurt, I promise."

"No, I cut."

"You can't cut your own hair. It's all the way back here."

"I cut and no owie."

"He doesn't like it much when I comb his hair," Edward felt himself blush again. "I'll be careful, I promise. It won't hurt, Anthony. No owie, alright?"

"I have owie ina bow," Anthony sighed and touched his bruised eyebrow and the small cut that was still evident beneath his flock of small curls.

"That's quite a shiner you got there, Anthony. Did you have an accident?" the woman asked, and scribbled something in her notebook.

"I fall and have owie."

"You fell and hit your head. I bet that must have hurt, huh?"

"The bathroom floor was wet and he fell and bumped his head on the bathtub. I was right there with him, but I didn't manage to catch him in time. It looks worse than it is though, right Anthony?"

"No cry, have spider, see?"

"Look at that! You have a Spiderman band aid, that's pretty cool."

"An then I have iceceem," Anthony informed Mrs. Thompson who acted appropriately impressed.

"You had ice cream, get out of here! Who gave you ice cream?"

Anthony giggled and wiggled in Edward's lap to get down. "I donno… a monster…"

"A monster gave you ice cream? That must have been one very nice monster. Was it the cookie monster?"

"The monster say no sanwich, no apple… have cookies again, an again, an again…" Anthony nodded and tilted is head to look at Edward, who of course was blushing again. He didn't much like the direction this conversation had taken.

"Hey now, that's not true. You can't eat cookies all the time. What did we eat this morning? It wasn't cookies, now was it?"

"Seerup, but no cookie?"

"Right, we had a little bit of syrup, but what else did we eat?"

"Jallo?"

"Nope no jelly, that was yesterday. What else did we have this morning?"

"I dunno…"

"They were frozen so we put them in the toaster, don't you remember? They were flat and round, almost like cookies, but it wasn't cookies it was a pan_"

"Paaaancakes!"

"Wow, your daddy made you pancakes. That's pretty nice of him. I bet you liked that, didn't you?"

"Uh uh, I say I don like. I wan frieee."

"Yeah, fries can be good sometimes, too. Have you eaten anything else today?"

"Coclate … Is a candy."

"You ate some chocolate candy. Is that all?" Mrs. Thompson looked at Edward for clarification.

"It was a chocolate bar, but I've also managed to get him to eat some crackers and half an apple," he explained and made a face at Anthony who was getting antsy in his arms.

The woman's eyebrow went up another notch, but she didn't say anything.

"He is not a big eater, that's all." Edward shrugged and placed Anthony on the floor. "I know I shouldn't be giving him sweets, I know it spoils his appetite, but if we didn't bribe him he wouldn't be eating at all," Edward confessed and threw his hands out in a gesture of resignation.

She smiled then, the social worker, and nodded knowingly. "Battles at the dinner table will usually only make a picky eater pickier, but be careful with his sugar intake. An unbalanced diet can be dangerous to the overall health, and especially harmful to the teeth."

"That's another thing we're still working on… the brushing of teeth without tantrum routine," Edward sighed, placing the heel of his hand to his forehead as he closed his eyes. "This shi-.. stuff is hard work. I'm not to sure I'm cut out for parenthood."

"Hey now, the boy seems to be in good health AND in good hands. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I almost lost him today. I looked away for a second… a couple of seconds… okay, three minutes tops and the child was gone. He trotted off and took a 30 minutes field trip, 30 minutes, which shortened my life by about two years!"

"You need to keep a better eye on him."

"I know. I will…" Involuntarily his eyes sought out the little boy who was making brum brum noises and rolling a car on the carpet by his feet.

"What was the first thing you did you do when you realized he was gone?" Mrs. Thompson asked, as she scribbled something in her note book again.

"I freaked out, of course… and then I ran to the play ground to look for him. When I couldn't find him I went to get help."

"Alright and when he bumped his head on the bathtub, what did you do?"

"I used a towel to stop the bleeding. There was a lot of blood, but the cut itself wasn't that bad. I think he was more scared than hurt."

"Did you have a doctor look at it?"

"No, but we called a medical advice line."

"And what did they say?"

"To give him baby Tylenol and keep an eye on him."

He was about to explain further, but just then Bella barged into the room with a big scuffle.

"All right I've got scissors and I got clothes! Has he had his bath yet? Let's take care of the hair before…." She halted mid step when she realized they had a guest. "I'm sorry, I didn't know we had company," she apologized with a confused glance at her watch.

"Ms. Swan, it's a pleasure to see you again. I know I'm a bit early. The traffic wasn't as bad as I had anticipated," Mrs. Thompson explained to Bella as the two women shook hands.

"Edward honey, why don't you give Anthony his bath," Bella suggested, with a reassuring smile in Edward's direction. "I'll see what I can do about the hair once you are done. I think the gum will be easier to deal with when his hair is wet…. If that's alright?" The last question was directed to the social worker.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan as good as any."

"Come on kiddo, let's get you cleaned up." Glad to have been let off the hook, at least temporarily, Edward spun into action and scooped the kid up off the floor and brought him into the kitchen.

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.. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo.

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One bath in the kitchen sink and three toddler tantrums later, Edwards head was throbbing like the speakers at a heavy metal concert, but at least the child was clean, dressed and gum free.

"I see no point in dragging this out longer than necessary, Mr. Cullen" the social worker closed her notebook and slipped it into her purse. "You've got my stamp of approval. I'll make sure all the papers get signed and handed in today. You'll hear from your lawyer in a couple of days, hopefully Monday or Tuesday the latest. I know you're eager to get home."

"Are you serious?" Edward asked in a doubtful voice. "He's mine for keeps?"

"This is only the first step in the process, but yes, I'll be recommending to Child Services that you be granted temporary custody for the next six months."

"Oh okay. So it will be like a trial period?"

"Yes. You'll have a case worker checking in with you on a regular basis. Becoming a good parent doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and LOTS of patience… You have shown an ability to adapt successfully to changing circumstances. But most importantly, the child seems to be feeling safe and content in your care."

"He's a really good kid, none of this is his fault," Edward admitted as his eyes went to the sofa where Bella kept Anthony entertained with a deck of cards and a few spoons from the kitchen. The kid looked adorably presentable, in his borrowed pajamas and with his new close-cropped hairdo.

"It's a good sign that you're aware of your shortcomings and that you are willing to learn from your mistakes."

"What choice do I have? He's my own flesh and blood…I'll try… I'll do my best…."

"I know you will, otherwise I wouldn't leave him here in your care. Now, let's tell them the good news, shall we?"

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.. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo.

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They celebrated with cookie dough ice cream and a game of hide and seek. When bedtime rolled around, Anthony crawled under the covers and cozied up with his father like it was something he'd been doing his whole life… picture perfect…almost… There was just one small problem, the child refused to close his eyes and fall asleep. He tossed, turned, cried, whined, fussed, rubbed his head, his eyes and then whined some more… until finally….

"Finally!"

"He's asleep? " Bella asked as she looked up from her laptop with a quick glance at the watch.

"Yep!" Edward nodded, closing the door carefully behind him. "I don't know why he does that. He falls asleep just fine as long as I let him do it on his own accord, like in front of the TV or with his toys on the floor, but whenever I try to put him in a pajama and get him to fall asleep in an actual bed, he just won't cooperate."

"Maybe he has never had those kinds of routines before," Bella suggested, sitting up straighter on the sofa, then instantly regretting it as the waistband of her jeans dug into her stomach. Damn, those jeans were getting painfully snug.

She must have winced, or groaned, or something, because Edward was looking at her oddly. She followed his gaze and realized why. Without thinking she had let her right hand slid under the hem of her T-shirt to undo a button… or technically, to undo a second button, since she'd already given up on buttoning the top one a few days ago. No wonder he was staring, he had just caught her with a hand down her pants. Judging by the smirk that spread across his face, he was clearly drawing his own conclusions. Of course… Edward and his one-track mind.

Grasping for something, anything, to re-direct his attention she blurted "Separation anxiety!" and snapped her fingers like she just had an epiphany. "…or abandonment issues... or something to that extent."

"What?" Edward blinked, taken aback by this sudden change of subject.

"Think about it, I bet Anthony don't want to go to sleep because he's worried about you not being there when he wakes up in the morning."

"Oh," Edwards his smirk deflated into a parted frown, and his eyebrows knit together. "You think the little guy is acting up because he's looking for reassurance?"

"I'm no expert, but yeah. His mama just up and left him, that's not something he's likely to forget anytime soon."

Edward sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "I must say the inner workings of the toddler mind is confusing. I should probably read a book or something…"

Bella studied him for a moment, trying to see if he was being serious or just mucking around with her. "Uhm, I'm sure there are classes you could sign up for…" she suggested warily, earning herself an eye-roll.

"Yes, because I'll fit right in at the Mommy-and-Me class."

"I'm sure you'd be a welcome addition to the group. And if that particular class doesn't work out for you maybe you could try a single parent support group or… I don't know, a single dad support group, perhaps. You're hardly the first guy to become a single dad overnight, Edward."

"You seriously think I should sign up for something like that?" he frowned, as if the idea hadn't even occurred to him.

"You want my honest opinion?" she asked to which he nodded affirmative. "Alright, honestly I don't think parenting is something you can learn from a book or a class. It's probably beneficial to have a tight knit group of people you can vent your frustration to, but ultimately I think it all boils down to trial and error. That's life; you live, you learn."

"That's bullshit!" He shook his head. "There is no learning curve. There is no room for mistakes. You look away for two seconds and the kid either gets lost or gets hurt."

"I'm pretty sure that's why most kids can't remember their first few years of life, so they can't hold things against their parents."

"Gee, thanks Swan! That's very reassuring," he replied with sarcasm as he plopped himself down on the sofa next to her.

Bella yelped in surprise as she narrowly escaped getting her feet crushed. "Hey, watch where you put that bony ass!"

"Do you mind?" he asked, gesturing towards her outstretched legs.

"You do realize you have a perfectly functional armchair less than two feet away, don't you?"

"I do, but the sofa is more comfy," he replied and then resolutely hooked an arm under her legs, turning them to the side. "…and besides I thought we could talk."

"I thought we already were," Bella attempted a shrug, but ended up making somewhat of a strained face as her legs were swung over the edge of the sofa and she was once more reminded of the snugness of the waistband of her pants.

Edward, of course, misinterpreted her grimace. "Muscles sore eh, Swan?" he asked with an amused smile. "Don't tell me I wore you out last night? I thought you were in better shape than that?"

She rolled her eyes at him, hastily pulling a pillow into her lap. "My muscles are fine, thank you very much. If you paid half as much attention to your son as you do to me, you'd have this parenting thing figured out in no time."

"Ouch!" He pretended to be hurt for a moment, and then he put on another one of his infamous smirks. "Ah, but see, the kiddo is asleep right now. He really doesn't need my attention at the moment. You, on the other hand," he said, cupping her chin and tilting her head so he could look at her. "…are looking kind of bleak. You're not going to faint on me, are you?"

Not this again… She glared at him with all the indignation she could muster. "Faint? No!… Explode? Possibly!" Scowling, she shoved his hand away. "I ate way too much ice cream. I'm pretty sure I'll detonate if I as much as smell anything chocolate-y right now."

She was, in fact, feeling a bit queasy so it wasn't a complete lie.

Edward, however, seemed unimpressed. "Please, I ate twice as much as you did. You'll live, I'm sure."

"Did you not see that shake I chugged down? It was massive," she told him, adding a small but audible burp for good measure.

"What? A protein shake? That hardly counts. Don't think I haven't noticed that you've been eating like a bird lately. You're almost as bad as Anthony."

Oh, he did not just go there! Bella groaned inwardly.

"I fail to see how my diet is any of your business, Edward," she said in a tone of voice that should have told him to back off.

"I fail to see why you're even on a diet in the first place," he challenged, with a finger trailing down her bare arm. "I like you like this, with real curves and a wee bit more padding. Don't ruin it, by starving yourself."

Bella gaped at him. "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. You can forget about those curves because I won't be letting you near them again anytime soon."

This time when she slapped his hand away she made sure to use enough force knock him backwards in stunned anguish.

"F-ing hell, that hurt!" he cursed rubbing at his leg. "I was merely stating an observation."

"Yeah well keep your observations to yourself," she snarled with rising agitation.

"You know … you're quite hot when you're angry, Belly Bells!" he teased.

"You did not just call me that!" She raised her hand again, but he ducked before she could strike.

That's when she heard it, a laugh, a deep down, from the pit of the STOMACH laugh and her breath was caught in her chest. He was laughing, truly laughing, for the first time in days.

"Jackass." she huffed and got out of the sofa. "I'm gonna go take a shower. You better be out of my sight when I get back."

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.. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo.

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Once again, she had lost her cool, lost her temper, way to easily. Damn hormones!… and damn that jerk! He knew exactly what buttons to push!

Edward wasn't stupid. Nor was he easily fooled. She had let him get too close and now things had gotten way complicated. She had even less time to work with than she had originally calculated.

Bella had hoped the shower would sooth her nerves and calm her down. Instead it did nothing but get her wet. And of course, as the hot water slid down her body all she could think about was HIS touch. She hadn't allowed herself to think about their salacious kitchen tryst all day, but now it was all she could think about. The way he had felt against her, inside her, all around her….

She found herself sliding a hand down her body, and between her legs feeling the wetness that pooled there; a wetness that had very little to do with the shower and very much to do with the direction her thoughts were taking her. She had way more urgent matters to tackle, bigger obstacles to face, but yet there she was, naked in the shower, trying to get herself off to the thought of one Edward Cullen.

Damn hormones! She was helpless against them. Her body wanted what it wanted…and apparently it craved a play-by-play reenactment of the previous night.

She caved, of course, and afterwards she felt even more disgusted with herself.

She was setting herself up for a disaster; a crash and burn of epic proportions, no doubt. So why go through that kind of hurt? She was weak, there was no denying it. She had no self control.

As she exited the shower on shaky legs, she caught sight of herself in the foggy mirror. It was a sight she didn't want to see. She couldn't stand to look herself in the eye and she really, really didn't want to look too closely at her body. Didn't want to acknowledge the changes to it; the new curves, the additional padding…. No, she did not want to see…

Damn hormones!

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.. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo.

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Of course Edward was still there when Bella exited the bathroom, still waiting for her, still sitting in the exact same spot on the sofa.

There weren't many places for him to go really. The cabin was small and besides they really did have quite a few issues that needed to be addressed before they called it a night.

"I thought I told you to get lost?" Bella huffed, fluffing her hair with a towel as she stomped into the room.

"We still need to have that talk," Edward shot back, looking up to meet her glare.

"Right, you keep saying you want to talk, yet I haven't heard anything remotely intelligent coming from you all day."

He opened his mouth to defend himself, but then it seemed he thought better of it and just shook his head.

A full two minutes passed in silence, in which Bella continued to dry her hair and Edward continued to remain motionless.

His staring, unwavering eyes were driving her nuts. She felt exposed even though her body was completely covered from neck to toe in her unflattering but safe night attire.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore. "You said you wanted to talk, so talk!" she ordered, stepping in front of the sofa.

"Okay, if you insist," he smirked, his lips quirking with the satisfaction of ruffling her feathers. "Let's start with some practical issues. Firstly," Edward held up a finger, " there is the coffee maker. It's beyond repairable so we're going to have to replace it. Secondly," he said, adding another finger. "I sincerely hope you stocked up on condoms when you went to town or else we have a real problem on our hands."

As expected Bella's response was immediate and quite explosive.

"Just kidding. just kidding…" He held up a hand, stopping her from lunging for his neck. "Easy tiger! Choking is not my thing," he teased. "But now that I have your attention, we do have some stuff we need to discuss. Like my brother for instance. Did you call him like I asked you to? You haven't said a word about it and I'm no mind reader so I really can't tell one way or another."

Decidedly not amused by his antics she shook her head in exasperation before answering. "Yes, I had a brief chat with Emmett while you were busy putting Anthony to bed. And guess what? He too wanted to discuss the state of the coffee maker."

"Heh... " Edward had the decency to look a little sheepish. "I might have mentioned something about it being out of commission when I spoke with him this morning."

"I bet you did. The two of you are worse than two old ladies in a Brooklyn barbershop."

"He just wanted to know how things are going with the kid and how we are handling being cooped up in close quarters together. I didn't give him any details."

Bella put a hand on her hip and gave him a look that clearly stated that she didn't believe him. "Your brother was kind enough to let me have Jared Jankowski's phone number. He also told me to let you know that Jasper is still working on locating Peter's whereabouts."

"Good, then consider yourself thoroughly briefed. And before you ask… No, this new information hasn't done anything to jog my memory, meaning I'm still as clueless as I ever was."

"Right, but for me to be completely briefed I'll need you to tell me how your conversation with Carlisle went. I bet Dr. Cullen had a few well chosen words to say about your memory gaps and your alcohol consumption"

"Probably, but we never got that far. I didn't feel like opening that particular can of worms with my mother listening in on speakerphone. I'll try again in a few days, when they're back from their vacation."

"Alright, don't wait too long, tough. Sometimes the smallest of details can be the most important ones."

"I know, I know…. The devil is in the details. Speaking of details, I believe you said you had something you wanted to show me? Something about a new witness?"

Now this was a topic she could handle. Relieved to finally be on safe grounds, Bella produced a brilliant smile and dove into her laptop case to retrieve a neatly folded map of the Seattle area.

"How familiar are you with the layout of this city? she asked spreading the map out on the coffee table.

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.. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo. oOXOo.

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AN: Sorry it took me so long to get this out. I hope you can forgive me. I've been vacationing in Italy with no internet access. Capri was lovely, Naples not so much (they have a bit of a garbage problem) and Rome…Rome was exhausting, but well worth the visit.

I'll try to catch up with the reviews and have another chapter written for you within a week.