A/N: As of this writing TLC has 155 Alerts, 118 Faves, and 240 Reviews. I am honored to have your support. You all know who you are. I give you all a round of applause for your dedication.
I really want to thank my betas, SSHG316 and Charmie77, for agonizing with me through blood, sweat and tears to get this chapter out. Well, there wasn't actually any blood or tears, but that sounded good, right? But these two actually worked through their weekends to help me get this out tonight. Without their input, this chapter would have been an unreadable mess! My other beta acireamos is going to school and is really busy, but I miss her and hope she will come back to me soon. Props to JennDay for always being willing to be my third set of eyes in a pinch. Please read the A/N below for some important information about my future posting schedule.
I have been remiss in recommending other stories in my A/N, so I want to remedy that this time:
I have been really enjoying "Volition" by Rochelle_Allison. http://www dot fanfiction dot net/s/5115662/1/Volition. This is a beautiful love story set in 1972, told against the backdrop of the IRA and "The Troubles." You will not be disappointed.
Another recommendation I would implore you to read is "The Cold War" by Gleena. This story is complete, so no waiting for updates. http://www dot fanfiction dot net/s/4852413/1/The_Cold_War. It is 20 years post Breaking Dawn and fabulous.
I have been corresponding with both these authors and they are wonderful women who write beautifully. I am proud to be counted among them and look forward to a growing friendship with them both.
Trust, Loyalty, Commitment
"Crises refine life. In them you discover what you are."
Allan K. Chalmers
"Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are." – 1 Corinthians 7:26
Chapter 12 – TLC: Crisis Aftermath
BPOV
Bella, Alice, and several of the volunteers were in the the Center's common room Monday morning preparing a mass mailing for the year-end festival. All the preparations for the concert were complete, except for the piano tuning scheduled for Tuesday and the decorating to be done the night before the event. They had a productive little assembly line going and were working through the letters to be sent out fairly quickly. Bella found herself watching the parking lot, expecting a blue and white squad car to pull in at any moment. However, it was almost noon, and he had not shown this morning. She knew that Edward's regular routine was to go into the precinct at 11 a.m. and then report to the Center at 2:30 p.m., but lately he had been coming in earlier, just like she and most of the volunteers were. She had wondered where he was quite a few times over the course of the morning, but had pushed those thoughts out of her head each time.
He's not your employee, she told herself. He's entitled to come in whenever he likes.
Bella had been excited that she would get to see him today, just as she had been everyday lately. It was somewhat of a letdown to not get the few minutes of alone time she was becoming accustomed to having with him in the morning before the other volunteers arrived. Alice looked at her across the table and smiled when Bella turned back from yet another glance toward the parking lot. Bella smiled back, her cheeks growing warm because she had been caught.
A cellphone buzzed insistently, creasing the companionable silence they had fallen into while stuffing the envelopes. They all started, but then went back to working as Alice retrieved her phone out of her purse. She looked at the caller ID first and smiled. Bella thought it might be Jasper, but then realized it wasn't after Alice's greeting.
"Hi, Mom," Alice said sweetly. Her face went from serene happiness, to increasing concern, to shock in a matter of seconds.
"What? Is Aunt Elizabeth going to be all right?" Alice asked urgently, fanning her face as tears popped out like beads from the corner of her eyes. "Where's Edward?"
"Okay, Mom, just a sec." Alice gestured toward the television on the stand in the corner opposite the piano. "Quick, somebody turn on the TV!"
Sean hopped up and turned on the television. There was a breaking news flash on the local ABC affiliate.
The news anchor, Lauren Mallory, was giving details of an early morning bust at Church of the Greater Son. Bella's heart skipped several beats, and she was immediately concerned for Edward and his mother.
"If you've just joined us, we've interrupted our regular broadcast programming to bring you breaking news from a location near the Leon-Wakulla County line. This morning, the FBI, ATF, and a team of local law enforcement officials from Leon and Wakulla counties surprised the leadership of The Church of the Greater Son with arrest warrants. Warrants had been issued for the church's leader, Bishop Aro Volturi, and six others who were indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on various weapons and money laundering charges. The attempted peaceful arrest erupted into a showdown that authorities had been concerned could escalate into something reminiscent of the incident in Waco about a decade ago. The bust was timed to occur when the least number of loyalists to the group would be on site in order avoid an incident of that magnitude. However, huge caches of weapons and cash were found in the basement of the compound, which underscored just how volatile this incident could have been. We're taking you now to our very own Leah Clearwater, who is interviewing Captain Billy Black at the scene."
Bella gasped as she recognized Edward standing in the background behind the reporter and Captain Black, dressed in camouflage and talking with a man in a suit and another officer.
"Hey, isn't that Edward?" Sean asked incredulously.
"Shhhh," Bella hissed loudly, clutching at her heart, which was now beating like a jackhammer. In that moment she didn't care if she was being polite. She pushed her chair back and walked over to Sean. Taking the remote out of his hand, she turned the volume up. She needed to hear clearly what was going on because Edward was involved, and the thought of him having been in harm's way produced a pain within her heart that she couldn't bear, let alone define. Her eyes were glued to the television, but soon she felt someone come to stand next to her. Not tearing her eyes away from the television, she saw out of her peripheral vision that it was Alice, who also stood transfixed by the scene being revealed before their eyes, tears now streaming down her face. Bella moved to put her free arm around her, and Alice's arm wove tightly around Bella's shoulders in response as they comforted one another silently, taking in every word of the news report.
Bella had known about the imminent arrest of the leaders of the Church of the Greater Son. Edward himself had told her about it, but she was under the impression that it would be handled by the feds and neither he nor his mother would be so intimately involved. As she gradually became relieved of the fear that had gripped her while the story had been unfolding; Bella thanked God that Edward had come through everything okay. But what about his mother? Alice was upset, so something had gone awry this morning and she wanted to know what. Maybe the news report would have more information.
"Captain Black," Leah said. "Can you give us some details on what happened here?"
"Yes," he said, clearing his throat loudly. "We were asked several weeks ago to assist in this operation after federal indictments were handed down for the Bishop and six of his associate pastors, if you will. The Tallahassee Police Department, together with the FBI, ATF, Leon and Wakulla County sheriff's departments, descended on The Church of the Greater Son's compound this morning to arrest the Bishop and the others involved. However, there was a wired civilian who was formerly a member of the church who went in to secure a final piece of incriminating evidence. The civilian became compromised, and the Bishop and his muscle took her and two other women in the building hostage in order to try and make an escape. The Bishop and two others were taken down by our sharp shooters, the hostages were rescued, and the other four men indicted were taken into custody."
"Were any law enforcement officers or civilians harmed in the process?" she inquired.
"Besides a sprained ankle and some post traumatic stress on the part of the civilians involved, all are doing well and are accounted for, as are all of the law enforcement officers who were involved." Captain Black was succinct.
"Can you give us the names of any of the civilians involved?" Leah pressed.
"We won't be releasing any names until the families of those involved have been contacted," Captain Black said stoically.
"There you have it folks..." Leah continued, but Bella was no longer listening. She heard a quiet sniffle and looked down into Alice's tear-stained face.
"Bella, will you drive me to the hospital? They're probably at Tallahassee Memorial." she said solemnly as fresh tears trailed down her cheeks.
"Of course, I will sweetie," Bella cooed. She pulled her tiny friend into her arms for a hug. "Let me get Sean to take over for me, okay?"
Alice nodded vigorously and wiped her tears away with both hands as Bella released her.
Bella walked over to Sean. "I'm going to take Alice over to TMH to see if she can find her aunt," she whispered to Sean. "Please keep things going if I'm not back by 2:30, okay?"
"Sure thing, Bella," Sean replied.
~888~
Bella and Alice located where Elizabeth Cullen was in the ER at Tallahassee Memorial within the hour. Esme and a priest from the Episcopal church were already there and in a private waiting room. Alice embraced both her mother and the priest, and then Esme filled them in on Elizabeth's condition.
"Elizabeth has been sedated. She has a badly sprained ankle, but no other physical injuries." Esme paused and took a shuddering breath, her eyes welling with tears. "I can't imagine having to do what she did. She went in there wired and secured some very damaging information on the Church of the Greater Son, but Aro insisted on hugging her at the conclusion of their meeting and discovered the wire. He tried to use her as a human shield to get away, but he was taken down, and by Edward's shot, I understand." She shook her head incredulously. "Oh God, he had to have nerves of steel to protect his mother like that. Edward was here with her until they got her settled in, but he had to go back to the scene, so I promised I'd look after her. She's going to be fine. They're admitting her for observation overnight." Esme concluded, her expression weary but relieved.
Bella stayed on the periphery, allowing the family and their clergy to interact freely. She didn't want to impose, but Esme walked over to her with open arms, too.
"Bella," she said, giving her a warm hug. "It's so nice of you to come. I'm glad Alice wasn't behind a wheel alone after hearing the news. Thank you."
"Alice means the world to me. I'd never let her handle a crisis alone," Bella said.
"And she feels the same about you," Esme said, smiling warmly. She drifted back to her chair next to the priest, and they began talking quietly again.
Bella couldn't sit or relax. She kept vigil close to the door, her thoughts only for the green-eyed sniper who had allegedly saved the day. She worried, however, not for his physical safety now, but his emotional state.
Jasper came rushing in at that moment and scooped Alice up. She clung to him and wouldn't let go. He shook the priest's hand and greeted Esme and Bella from the corner of the sofa where he took up residence with his wife.
Carlisle entered the room next. He nodded a greeting to all in the room he hadn't seen before.
"They're close to putting her in a room," he announced. "Probably within the next half hour."
"Is Aunt Elizabeth awake?" Alice asked.
"No, she's still sleeping," Carlisle said. "Which is good; protects her from the stress."
Esme nodded in agreement. The door swung open again and in walked Rosalie in full uniform.
"How's Mrs. Cullen?" she asked anxiously.
"Her left ankle is badly sprained, but she'll be fine," Carlisle said. "She's resting now and will be moved to a room shortly for overnight observation."
"I'll text Em and let him know. He wanted to be here, but he can't leave the school grounds until dismissal," Rosalie said to the family in general.
Rosalie let out a relieved breath and went directly to the corner where Jasper and Alice were seated, giving Bella an acknowledging nod before she began to text furiously on her cellphone. Carlisle talked for a few minutes, staying close to his wife, but soon had to return to work.
After Carlisle left, Bella paced near the door with her arms folded. She wondered again how Edward was doing. She knew he had been required to take lives while he was in the Marines, and intrinsic in his position as a police officer was the possibility that he would have to draw and use a weapon from time to time, but she couldn't imagine how he would deal with the crisis of having to take the life of a man who was holding his mother as a hostage. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously and prayed a silent prayer for him, his mother, and his family. She was making another pass of the door in her pacing when she paused and looked out the small window into the hallway. Standing about fifty feet from her at the nurses' station was Edward. Her heart rate sped up again.
He was talking to another police officer and a nurse. He was in the same BDU* cammies he had been wearing when she saw him on the news earlier. His arms were folded and his head was bowed as he listened intently. When he looked up and saw her in the window, his sullen, dead expression became vibrant and animated in a split second. He moved involuntarily toward her, then turned briefly back to the nurse and the officer. He said something in parting to them, still drifting toward the waiting room. He then pivoted, locked eyes with her, and made a beeline to the door where she was standing. Bella stepped outside the waiting room to meet him.
He closed the distance between them in what seemed like four steps. Bella opened her mouth to ask him how he was, but he embraced her so tightly and quickly that she felt her feet leave the floor. They didn't exchange words for a few seconds, just gave and received the comfort they both needed and wanted in that moment. He finally released her and stepped back, his hands gripping her upper arms as he looked desperately into her eyes.
"Thanks for being here," he murmured.
"Are you okay?" Bella inquired softly.
"Um, yeah, I'm fine," he said, but there was a slight grimace. She couldn't comprehend what turmoil must be going on in his head.
She touched both sides of his face with her hands and tiptoed to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Are you sure?"
He forced a smile. "My mother is fine and you're here. I'm good," he insisted.
Bella was not convinced, but she didn't press. "Your family's in here," she said, turning the doorknob to open the door.
He took her hand and removed it from the knob, then held both her hands to his heart. His green eyes were moist. "I'm not really fine, but I will be. There was nothing I wanted more than to see Aro Volturi pay for what he did to my family. He's gone now, but revenge wasn't what I thought it would be."
Bella remembered her father describing his anguish at having had to shoot a man once. He had confessed from the pulpit that no matter how much one prepared for it or how many times it happened, no one could prepare for the emotional trauma that followed. She was not surprised that Edward had those same feelings of remorse for having taken a life. Her heart ached for him.
"He had your mother—you had no choice but to take the shot. When you take a life in the line of duty, you are exempted from any repercussions in the eyes of God and man; you are not judged for it," Bella said vehemently. "It may sound cliché, but it's the truth."
He kissed her lips softly, holding her close again. "I have an appointment with Dr. Levy tomorrow morning. Anytime a firearm is discharged resulting in the injury or death of a human being by the use of deadly physical force, we're required to see someone. Good thing I'm already doing that," he said blandly, shrugging his shoulders infinitesimally.
Bella squeezed him tight. Her feelings were so jumbled. In addition to an overwhelming relief that everything had worked out and both he and his mother were safe, Bella also felt something else, which she couldn't quite pinpoint yet. Simultaneously, she felt tears stinging her eyes, which surprised and frightened her all at once. She blinked them back and swallowed to keep from sobbing helplessly in his arms. Instead, she chose to concentrate on how happy she was to see him. Maybe this is what her mother had felt when her dad had close calls when he was still on the force. She only knew that at that very moment, she was so happy that Edward was good at his job, and she hoped that he would always do everything he knew to do to come back from dangerous assignments.
As he released her, Bella laced the fingers of her hands into his and smiled, "I am so proud of you." When her words elicited his trademark crooked smile, only then was she satisfied that, with time, he would truly be all right.
~888~
EPOV
Edward found himself in Dr. Levy's office at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning. Ironically, his mother was currently just down the hall with Dr. Turlington, a colleague of Dr. Levy's. Carlisle had called in a favor, and Edward was grateful for his intervention. His mother had endured a fitful night at the hospital, and he had stayed at her side, eventually drifting off on the chaise that folded out into an almost comfortable faux bed. Leaving the hospital around 8 a.m., Edward had driven them out to Crawfordville where they'd showered, eaten a quick breakfast, and then returned immediately to Tallahassee for their appointments.
Dr. Levy was eager to walk Edward through his experience of the day before and gave him some coping mechanisms to deal with the incident. However, things became a little uncomfortable for Edward when Dr. Levy mentioned Paul.
"What do you think Corporal Featherstone might have felt about what happened yesterday, Edward?"
Now why the fuck did you have to go there, Doc?
Edward shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a muscle working frantically in his jaw. He looked away from Dr. Levy's eyes and studied the wallpaper pattern like it was the Dead Sea scrolls or some shit. It pissed him off that Paul had even been mentioned in the same conversation as Aro Volturi. However, he realized that Dr. Levy more than likely had a method to his madness, or he hoped like hell he did because he was going to suggest he go fuck himself if he didn't.
"Paul was a Marine's Marine. He would have believed that we'd taken the life of one to protect many—kill or see innocent people killed," Edward said, as if reciting a mantra.
"Would it be fair to say that you and he saw things roughly the same way?"
"Yeah, we had very similar views about most things," Edward admitted grudgingly.
"Then it wouldn't be a stretch to say that you took Aro Volturi's life in the line of duty, because he would have taken the lives of innocents if necessary in order to get away." Dr. Levy pointedly did not state the obvious.
Aro would have killed his mother with no remorse if his attempt to escape had been compromised.
"Not at all," Edward agreed. He breathed a sigh of relief, believing the line of questioning about Paul was over. But a new wave of questions came immediately after that admission, making his gut clench and bile rise unbidden in his throat.
"Do you think Corporal Featherstone would believe that you've finally redeemed yourself, Edward?"
Edward swallowed convulsively, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He then looked as squarely at Dr. Levy as he could. "Paul took his oath of loyalty a lot more seriously than I did. I can't say that I have redeemed myself, yet, no."
"He gave his life so you could live Edward, and his faith would have dictated to him that he was doing it for a higher purpose. The beginning of that purpose just might have been served yesterday. Would the operation have been as successful without your participation? Would your mother's life have been saved were you not around? These questions are moot because of Paul's sacrifice for you, aren't they?"
Edward felt a modicum of relief at those words. Paul would definitely see the turn of events as the express will of the God they'd both embraced at an early age. But Paul had clung to his faith, despite growing up in a rough neighborhood most of his life and being raised by a single mother. Edward had grown up having both parents but in separate increments, and their dysfunction had driven a wedge between him and God that was wider than the fucking Grand Canyon. And the chasm had widened even more as he had been subjected to Marcus' brutality and then his father's life of debauchery, which he had emulated to seek his approval. Not that it had made any difference; his father had never supported him when he needed it most. While he had been in the Corps, Paul's friendship had moved him closer to feeling like he had someone else in the world. The last time he had felt that prior to his friendship with Paul had been whenever he was in the same city with his Uncle Carlisle and his family, or in Crawfordville with Emmett and his friends. Now he felt like that because of Bella. She was like a female version of Paul, he realized.
Edward couldn't help himself; he smirked mirthfully. "I guess they are," he finally agreed.
~888~
BPOV
Officer Seth Clearwater was temporarily assigned to the Center while Edward was on Administrative Leave for a few days. It was a good thing Seth had come over and gone through some security drills with the volunteers and Edward had already shown him what needed to be done. Bella and the volunteers welcomed Seth, who was doing a great job, but they all missed Edward. Mrs. Cullen had gone home from the hospital on Tuesday, and Edward had been able to be home with her, as well as fulfill his obligation to talk to his therapist about the incident. He called Bella every day, but it wasn't the same. She missed seeing him in the flesh but understood that he needed to take care of his mother and himself in the aftermath of a traumatic experience. Bella told him she was considering postponing the concert, but he wouldn't hear of it. He insisted that his mother's prognosis was good and that he would be eager to get out of Crawfordville in a few days.
James invited Bella to go with him to practice with his choir and praise team at Reformed Baptist on Wednesday night. She told him she would go along, but just as an observer. She felt that he should give his regular soloists a chance to shine before bringing in a guest singer. He agreed, albeit reluctantly. He was very anxious for them to sing together at church, but she wasn't ready to leave her dad's church just yet, and if things didn't work out with them, it would make for a very awkward situation later. However, it was fascinating watching James work.
Bella met and bonded with a gorgeous Brazilian girl named Vitória Maria Teixeira, who insisted that Bella call her Maria. She was a member of the choir, and they sat together in the second soprano section. She wasn't aware that Bella had come with James, and she shared some rather funny revelations about him with Bella.
"Our new Music Minister is stiff, no?" Maria whispered to Bella.
"Um, what do you mean?" Bella inquired back in a whisper.
"I think he either hates my accent or my guts. I'm not sure which," Maria said. "He refused to let me sing my usual solo because he said I don't 'enunciate' properly. English may be my second language, but I know music."
"You need to stand up to him and let him know that you don't agree with him, then," Bella said. That sounded like James. He was a purist when it came to music; he strove for perfection.
"Really?" Maria asked, smirking. "I don't know if I can do that. He's cute, but he kinda scares me.
Bella giggled. "He won't bite. He comes across that way until you get to know him."
"He may not bite, but I certainly could," Maria admitted, pursing her lips suggestively.
Bella raised an eyebrow, but didn't challenge Maria as she might have if she considered herself and James dating exclusively. However, Maria read her expression before she could mask her surprise.
"Ai meu Deus do céu!" she exclaimed in her native tongue. "Is he your man? Sorry for stepping on your feet... I mean toes. When I am surprised or angry, I launch into Portuguese and get my English translations all wrong."
Bella smiled, amused by the woman's antics. "We've been dating, yes," she answered truthfully. "And it really doesn't offend me that other women find him attractive."
"I am not the only single, young professional woman here at Reformed wondering about him," Maria warned. "As you say here in America, 'better bring your A Game,' meu Amado."
Bella didn't know why she wasn't more threatened by the prospect that other women were interested in James. She guessed it was because she trusted him, as a man of faith, to never act on their interest. Not as long as he was dating her. He was essentially a one-woman man.
Bella liked Maria because she was gutsy and direct, much like herself. By the end of the choir practice session, Maria had expressed an interest in volunteering at the Center in the fall, and they had exchanged phone numbers and emails.
After they left the church, Bella and James enjoyed dinner at his place for the first time since he'd been in town. He grilled steaks and baked potatoes, and Bella whipped up a salad. She made a valiant effort to keep her mind from straying to Edward and what was going on with him. James noted her preoccupation and commented.
"Jasper told me about what went down with Edward, his mother, and that cult," he said. "I'm sorry their family had to go through that. Monsters like Aro Volturi are common in the faith community, unfortunately." James sounded genuine, but Bella really didn't want to talk about Edward or the recent events involving him with James.
"I'll pass your kind words along to Edward when I talk to him again," she said. She quickly changed the subject. "Let's take a walk and explore your new neighborhood. Your metabolism might not require it, but mine needs a little stimulation these days."
He appraised her form appreciatively. "I actually like your curves. My dad likes to say, 'Even a dog wants more than a bone.' Like father, like son."
"You have got to stop telling me these things about your dad. He's going to think I'm weird the next time I see him, because I'm going to laugh inappropriately," she admonished him, giggling. "Let's just take a brisk walk around the block. It'll make me feel better."
During their walk, James redoubled his efforts to get her to relax and just be with him. He told her hilarious stories about how he and his older sister, Tracey, would play practical jokes on their parents. Bella laughed so hard tears came to her eyes. After their walk, they pulled two dining room chairs together and sat at the table in front of his laptop and played an online game of "Name That Tune." They were neck and neck for most of the game, but James pulled ahead when the genre changed to southern rock. Bella did not know those songs as well, so James won handily. He declared that his prize was a kiss and then proceeded to claim his prize. Bella allowed a rather chaste kiss initially, but when he moved to deepen the kiss, she felt oddly uncomfortable and just could not give it her all. She had decided to go with the flow on this date, because James was trying so hard, but she must have been really tired not to be interested in kissing him back with equal fervor. She supposed the stress of the past few days must have finally caught up with her. James was understanding, thankfully, and so they moved to the sofa and watched an old episode of NCIS on cable.
When James took her home, they said their goodnights at her door because it was a late night for her for midweek and she was really tired. Bella saw that she had a missed call from Edward when she checked her cellphone before turning the ringer back on. She was so tempted to call him, but decided against it. It was late, and she didn't expect that it would be a brief conversation because she missed him so much. It had been three days since she'd seen him, and she was eager to see him in the flesh again. It was, she told herself, to be assured that he was really doing well again after the incident. But as she drifted off to sleep, she admitted that she needed his kiss, his touch, his proximity, and she was rewarded with a doozy of a hyper-orgasmic dream.
~888~
Bella awoke early on Thursday morning despite a relatively late night at James' place. As she lay quietly in her bed at 6:17 a.m., she wrestled futilely with her thoughts. Since Edward had once again been the dominating figure in her dream, it was no surprise to her that it was he who weighed heavily on her mind. The past week's events had only drawn her even more to him. However, as much as she was drawn to him, she was so afraid that maybe it was for all the wrong reasons. She had a powerful attraction to Edward that she knew had been largely sexual in nature in the beginning, but over the past couple of weeks, she had experienced something more with him. It had always been easy for her to be with James because she knew what to expect of him, but now she was developing an easiness with Edward that defied all logic. One of her biggest fears with Edward was that she would not be able to follow the same advice she had given James. Would she be able to guard her heart enough to make the right decision? Her prayers of late had been a continuous plea that she would make a heart decision that she wouldn't live to regret. Had dating both James and Edward at the same time only served to further complicate an already complicated situation? She didn't know anymore.
She threw the sheet off restlessly and sat up on the side of the bed. She was wide awake now, so going back to sleep until her alarm rang at eight was not an option. She quickly took care of her early morning toilette, culminating with a long luxurious shower. When she was done, she dug out her coffee pot, which she had ceased using since she'd become practically addicted to lattes. She would not be heading to the Center until around 9:30 a.m., so she needed just a bit of caffeine to hold her over until she could hit her friendly neighborhood Starbucks. With coffee in hand, Bella put on a Corinne Bailey Rae CD and allowed the lyrics to soothe her into a better mood about her own complex love life. Her favorite books were stacked on the corner of her cocktail table, but the comfort they would give her would be one-sided and one-dimensional at best. She needed a real sounding board. Retrieving her cellphone from her nightstand, she punched Angela on speed dial. She walked back toward the living room. The phone rang only three times before Angela picked up.
"You have impeccable timing, Bellaboo," Angela said cheerfully. "Ben and I were just talking about calling you."
Bella plopped down on the sofa. "Oh yeah, you two got something to tell me?"
"Not what you think," Angela teased. "I have a feeling that might happen within the year... but, we were calling this morning to tell you that our flight will be in at 9 a.m. Saturday morning."
Bella was pleased. "Good. I love you and all, but I didn't want to get up at the butt crack of dawn again to pick you guys up this time."
"You're saved by my good planning and winning personality," Angela quipped.
"And for that I am eternally grateful, ma'am." Bella's teasing dissipated, and she got serious. "Ange, can we talk a few minutes? I don't want to pull you away from Ben if you guys were getting ready to do something or go somewhere."
"We're going to have a late lunch with some friends, but that'll be in the next hour. What's up?"
Bella brought her up to speed on everything that had happened with James and Edward since the last time they'd talked. Angela listened intently and only interjected when she had a question or appropriate comment. Bella concluded by telling her about the rather lackluster kiss she'd shared with James the night before that had been followed by the mega-sex dream she'd had about Edward.
"I know I am a sex-deprived woman and the whole nine, but this is getting ridiculous," Bella concluded.
"Oh, sis," Angela commiserated. "You're falling apart in Tally. I knew I shouldn't have left you for so long."
"Yeah, it's all your fault. You should have been here to give me some play by play advice."
"Sorry I missed the play by play, but here's my honest opinion, Bella. I think you're closer to making a decision than you think."
"Really. Why?"
"Because your heart is leaning in an obvious direction, but you're allowing your fear to get the better of you," Angela said bluntly.
Bella had to admit, if she were forced to make her decision today, she would have to choose James, because she was terrified that Edward would tire of her eventually. She wasn't the kind of girl he was accustomed to. Even he had admitted that their relationship was new territory. Would they be able to sustain a relationship without having the same belief system? She wanted to believe that they could, but statistics were not on their side. Everything that Edward had been saying and doing lately made her have hope that they could defy the odds, but there were no guarantees. Choosing James would be a no-brainer, but if she did, would she regret not taking the risk of maybe finding something beyond her wildest dreams?
"You're right," Bella agreed. "My heart is leaning in an obvious direction, but will my heart be able to take it if that direction proves to be fatal?"
~888~
On Thursday, Alice left the Center about an hour before dismissal, making a lame excuse about meeting Jasper somewhere for some unnamed activity. Bella gave her grief about it, but allowed her to go with her blessing. When all the children were gone, Bella was packing up her belongings to leave when she heard a commotion in the common room and looked out to see the volunteers talking to Edward. He was dressed in civvies and looking much more relaxed than he was when she'd last seen him on Monday. The volunteers were happy to see him and were each giving him words of encouragement, as they were trickling out the door. Bella stepped out of her office as Sean, the final volunteer to leave, was shaking his hand and making his exit.
"Stay strong, Edward," Sean encouraged, clapping him on the back and taking his leave.
"Thanks, man," Edward said. However, his eyes were already on Bella,who was standing in her office door, arms folded, smiling and taking him in.
"Sorry I missed your call last night," she said breathily, as her body began to move of its own volition toward him. "You've been missed around here the last few days."
He met her in the middle of the room and stood only inches away, looking down at her. "I appreciate the well-wishes and words of encouragement, but I've got to be honest. I missed everyone here, too, but the only person who has the ability to bring me out of my administratively-mandated exile is you," he said, piercing her eyes with his own and gently pulling her into his arms.
Bella was glad they had already closed the blinds and prepared to leave for the day. She leaned in and laid her head on his chest. His strong and deliberate heartbeat was a steadying force for her, as being in his arms always made her weak and unstable. She could feel his chin resting lightly on the top of her head.
Realization suddenly dawning on her, she looked up at him with a smirk. "Is Alice in Crawfordville with your mother?"
"Yeah, I called in a favor. She and Jazz are going to make dinner and sit out there with her for a while. Mom's still kinda skittish about everything that happened and doesn't really want to be alone right now," he explained.
Bella was so happy to see him, but she didn't want to come across as too anxious.
"That's understandable," she said. Then her face lit up in a big smile. "So, that means you're free for a few hours. What shall we do?"
He had an answering crooked smile that made her smile even wider, if that were possible. "I thought I'd test the piano first. Alice told me it was tuned and ready."
"Yeah, they came out on Tuesday." She looked toward the piano and then back up at him.
"I thought maybe after piano testing, we could grab a bite to eat and hang out."
"I could cook something at my place," she offered.
"No, I don't want you cooking for us tonight. I'd rather spend the time you would be cooking doing other things."
"Okay," she said, happy to acquiesce to whatever he had planned.
Edward took her hand and led her to the piano bench where he sat and patted the bench beside him. She slid onto the bench beside him, trying to leave space between them so he could play comfortably, but he slid so close their thighs and arms were touching. He ran through a couple of pieces, and Bella became mesmerized by the effortless grace he employed while playing some of the more difficult pieces. He played reverently, almost like a prayer, and it moved her more than words could express. Just as when he had played for her before, she closed her eyes and felt the music moving through her. It was so raw and intimate she felt like the notes were caresses and she could feel them in her soul. When the final piece ended, she opened her eyes to find Edward's smiling face leaning in toward her own.
"You look so beautiful when you get lost in the music like that," he said softly. His sweet cinnamon breath tickled her face, and she couldn't help but smile up at him in return. He touched her lips lightly with his own and then parted them deftly with his tongue. He reached his right hand around her neck behind her hair and gently nudged her closer, deepening the kiss. Within seconds, their tongues were fencing as though in a repartee, their mouths hot and sweet.
Bella snaked her arms around his waist and held him as tightly as she could considering the way they were sitting on the bench. He wound his arms around her torso and gave her an answering squeeze. He then gradually released her mouth, and they both took deep breaths, Bella's sounding more like a sigh.
"Come on," he smirked. "Let's get you something to eat before you get grumpy."
~888~
A/N: Dear Readers, Lurkers, and Faithful Reviewers: I appreciate you all so very much for the faith you have placed in me and my writing. I feel like you have given me so much validation in your unwavering support. Please do not give up on me or this story because I intend to stick with it until the very end. Real life is challenging right now, to say the very least. I've been churning out a good-sized chapter every week and I need a bit of time to refuel. So, the next chapter will be a bit longer in coming to you. I will try not to take such a long hiatus that you forget me, but I hope you understand I need to reconnect with my family and reassure them that fan fiction has not replaced them. This chapter was very much a transition chapter, but the next Chapter brings us the Concert and Bella's big decision. I'm looking forward to making it the best it can be for you. Thanks, Bev
Ai meu Deus do céu! - OMG in Portuguese. Literally translated it means, 'Oh my God, In Heaven."
Meu Amado - Sweetheart.
BDU cammies - Battle Dress Uniform camouflage.