Thank you to the amazing Sri for her advice on this chapter and the fantastic Iris for going above and beyond every time I send her a chapter.

There will be a slight break after this post...no more than two weeks, don't worry. :)

The advantage of ignoring the problems in her personal life was that it caused Bella to throw herself into her work. It was only the increase in noise from the direction of the main library that caused her to check the time. She was surprised to see it was already 4:30. Satisfied she was at a point where she could leave her work until the next day, she backed up her computer and headed toward the new children's wing.

She handed the folder that was her pretense for seeing her colleague, Ruth, and engaged in some polite conversation, mhmm'ing and yes'ing her way through it. From the desk, she could see the large, glass-walled room at the back of the library.

She'd seen Edward enough since his return to have gotten used to his physical splendor, but this was something else. Despite her adamant refusal to become a mother, there was still something about watching a man with a child. It certainly wasn't because she was looking for father material. She had far too much of that at home. But she'd conceded there was something about interacting with children that amplified a man's attractiveness.

It wasn't just watching Edward with a ten year old, though.

It was watching Edward animated. He was at the head of a long table, still in his seat, but he seemed to be acting something out. His arms and upper body were moving about far too much for him to just be talking. The boy beside him was laughing and nodding, and then they both returned to the book that sat on the corner of the table between them.

"Earth to Bella." Ruth waved her hand in front of Bella's face. "I know. He's something else, huh?"

"Pardon?" Bella peeled her eyes away from the window.

"Our new volunteer, Edward. He's worthy of that dreamy expression you're wearing."

"Oh, it's not... He's... I know Edward... knew him..." Bella stumbled through an explanation, once again mortified.

"It's okay, dear. All the ladies have been by a few times since he started. If that boy heard the things they whispered about him..." Ruth shook her head as she patted Bella's arm before walking away.

It was then that Edward turned her way. She meant to roll her eyes or make a face; anything to get the grin off him. Instead, she subtly tilted her head in the direction of her office. Edward turned back to the young man but moved his head slightly, a nod, as the hand that was closest to the window raised, five fingers deliberately splayed before returning back to the table. Bella turned and made her way back to her office, missing Edward's wide smile.

Almost exactly five minutes later, there was a knock at her door. Today, she was prepared for Edward's arrival.

"Come in." She kept her voice neutral and pointed to the seat across from her. "You can shut the door behind you."

Edward sat, then leaned forward. "Am I in shit?"

Bella blinked, unable to hide her astonishment at his new vocabulary.

"Are you..." she paused. "In shit?"

"Sorry. Trouble," he amended, looking more amused than bothered.

"Why would you be..." She lingered once again. "In shit? Do you think I'm giving you shit for getting the old girls all hot and bothered?" She couldn't help but continue to tease him

"It's not just the old girls," he retorted quickly, with an exaggerated wink. He was going to give it to Bella as good as she was going to give it to him.

Bella's eyes widened again, and then she laughed. She moved her hand over her face while she shook her head; she wore an expression of feigned indignation. "Edward Cullen, what am I going to do with you?"

Oh, the things he wanted to suggest.

"Sorry," he replied, although his expression indicated that he was anything but. He held his hands up and leaned back.

He looked at her for a moment, taking the time to revel in the grin she still wore; an expression he was delighted to be responsible for. "Are you mad because I spoke to Mike in the cafeteria?" he inquired, serious this time.

She tilted her head to the side and looked to be considering the question. She quietly enjoyed ‒ just a little ‒ watching him squirm.

"No," she finally answered. "But that's why I asked you to come by."

"I figured." He nodded.

"I just wanted to say thank you. I know your heart was in the right place, I know you were trying to be a friend." Bella leaned back in her chair, mirroring Edward's casual posture.

He nodded. "But I overstepped."

"If it was anyone else..." She trailed off. "But there's a history there."

"And Mike hates me."

There was no point denying it. She was sure Edward had heard a lot more in Mike's mind than he would dare to reveal to her.

"I'm sorry I spoke up." He looked away, inwardly berating himself. It was an easy habit to fall back into.

"I'm not."

His eyes snapped to hers.

"I'm going to ask you not to do it again. Actually, I'm going to ask you to avoid Mike altogether. I really don't want you reading his mind."

"Fair enough," he agreed.

"But thank you." She leaned forward, resting her arms on the desk. He took advantage of her momentarily looking at her hands to lower his eyes. She wasn't in a button down today and gravity worked to his advantage. The creamy swell of her breasts pushed against cream lace. He pulled his eyes away before she looked at him. "It meant something that you did that for me."

Her tone seemed final, so he stood up to leave, unsure how to respond to her; he was feeling guilty about the image he stole set his body aflame. "No problem." He turned and headed towards her door.

"I'm closing the store by myself tonight." He stopped. His back was still to her, so he missed her wince at the words that blurted out of her mouth.

"Open window?" He kept his eyes on her door, not trusting himself to look at her.

"Open window," she confirmed.

Edward nodded once more and walked out the door. Unable to keep the joy off his face, he didn't look back. He missed the matching expression on hers.

"Well... It's very yellow," Edward observed as he climbed into the passenger side of Alice's newest car.

"I've missed you too, little brother." Alice threw him the side-eye as she peeled away from the curb. "Seattle was great. Thanks for asking. I thought about getting you a little something while I was there. Are you ever going to replace it?"

"Is this why you're blocking me? Are you mad that you had to pick me up from work?"

"You really need to get yourself a car, especially now that you're a working man." She made a move to mess his hair, but he knocked her hand away.

"Why are you blocking me?"

"Payback."

"So this is about picking me up?"

"No, it's about you blocking me."

"Explain." Edward lost his joking tone.

"You were with Bella today."

"You know that. You just picked me up from her work ‒ our work."

"Did you see her before that? With Carlisle?"

"Yes. Why?"

"You faded. Both of you."

"We faded?"

"I had a vision; the two of you were standing in Carlisle's office, and then you weren't there. The office was empty, but I felt like you should have both been there. Then it was an empty hall, an empty stairwell, an empty cafeteria. Then you were both back in his office. Were you with Bella in any of those places?"

"We were with her in all of those places."

"And today in the library? You were with a boy, and then you were gone. The library was empty. Then you were in an empty office. Now you're here."

"I was reading with him, and she came by. Then I went to her office, and I left."

"Holy shit," Alice whispered.

Edward remained silent. He wasn't sure what it meant, but it was significant. She was always able to block him ‒ that was strange enough ‒ but when they returned and she could block Alice, they assumed it was related to their absence, or even the wolves. But this? What was this?

"You disappear again tonight," Alice said, interrupting his thoughts.

"I knew you were going to say that."

"Hey! I predict the future, remember? You knew that you were going to see her? Does she know?"

Despite the implications of what they were previously discussing, Edward grinned. "She invited me."

"Oh, so that's why you practically floated out of there."

"I don't float." He reached over to mess her hair up this time, but she swatted his hand away.

"I can see what you decide now, idiot."

Edward's laugh filled the car.

"You're laughing." Alice didn't know if she should be happy for her brother or warn him. She was too used to the certainty her gift provided.

"I am." Her pointing it out caused him to stop.

"Are you afraid Esme is going to freak out a little? Is that why you went to Carlisle first?"

"Maybe a little. Mostly, I just wanted his blessing. I wanted to make sure he knew it wasn't like the last time."

"Oh, Edward. Of course he would've known that."

"I know... I just wanted to tell him why. It's been... I just felt like I owed him that. Have you seen how Esme reacts?"

"I have."

"You're still blocking me."

"I am."

"Brat!" This time he got his hand on her head before she belted him in the ribs.

"Do you know how long it takes to get these extensions in? Get your concrete mitts off!"

"You're really not going to tell me?"

Alice ignored him and turned the radio on. Edward turned it off.

"What are you doing?"

"Tell me!" he pleaded. He was joking, but there was a note of seriousness.

"You're nervous."

"I am. Telling Carlisle was hard enough. Esme..."

"Just got you back." She finished his sentence, and he just nodded in agreement.

"She's going to be fine. She understands."

"That's good to know."

"I can't believe you're moving out."

"It's ten minutes by car. Less if you run." He tried to sound annoyed, but his slight smile betrayed him.

Alice turned, beaming at her brother. "Look at you becoming a man!"

"Stop it." Edward rolled his eyes at her.

"Seriously, though. If you're old enough to get your own place, you're old enough to get your own fucking car! This picking you up from work thing is already old."

"You've done it once."

"That's one time too many. Get a car."