The Fox

by capricapra

Taste of the Forbidden II Contest entry, now a multi-chapter fic. Student Bella is assigned to the supervision of the reclusive Professor Masen. Both are overwhelmed by their mutual attraction, despite it being against the rules. But can their relationship survive their age difference and a rogue academic hell-bent on destroying their happiness?

25. Chapter Twenty-Four

Once again, I've posted this without sending it to my lovely beta SunflowerFran, so all mistakes are mine.

Chapter 24

Bella

"I'm done with Volturi and all this bullshit. I've made a decision. After we see your parents, I'm going to talk to Bree Tanner. She's the key to bringing him down."

"But what about her delicate state?"

"If we don't do something, we'll be the ones seeing psychiatrists and hitting the bottle." The Fox started pacing around the car. "If the battle against Volturi comes down to our sanity or hers, I choose us."

"Come here."

He walked back to me.

"I'm sorry, I haven't done anywhere near enough to protect you from him."

"What could you have done, short of hiding me in a box somewhere? You've been trying to do the right thing for everyone, and I love you all the more for it, even when I've been snapping and bitching at you."

"But now your parents are involved."

"Believe me, they will only be as involved as they want to be. I doubt they want to see me because they're concerned about my welfare."

"Then why ...?"

"Because they are worried about a potential PR disaster for their business."

My mother's tone had been accusatory, as if I'd purposely put myself in a situation where I was vulnerable, in order to show them up.

"That's ridiculous."

"I know. My mother's worse than my dad. A couple of days away from her and he starts to relax, and will actually be dad-like. But the moment she calls, he's right back into business mode."

I felt tears start to burn the back of my eyes, and Edward cupped my face. As he prepared to kiss me, however, I felt two soft, warm bodies surround my legs. The dogs had jumped out of the car while we were distracted. I petted them both on the head and they whined softly.

"We love you, Baby. Me, Jake and Nessie. We'll go in there and show them that regardless of what they think, we are a family

The Fox and I returned from the Cape, fed, watered and walked the dogs and then showered and changed. I put on a denim pencil skirt and black blouse, and Edward wore his best dark jeans, a grey shirt and black blazer.

As we were getting ready, however, Jake and Nessie became increasingly fussy and clingy, refusing to leave our sides even for a moment. We suspected that they would do this. Lucy mentioned that they weren't used to being left alone; we had arranged for a dog-walking service, recommended by Carlisle and Esme, to visit them daily when we were at work, until they acclimatised to their new surroundings.

By the time we were dressed, we realised that we simply couldn't leave them, not on their first day in a new home. However, we didn't know them well enough to trust that they would behave in a public place, let alone one as posh as the Four Seasons Hotel.

"We need a temporary dog-sitter, someone who can hold the dogs outside while we meet your parents," Edward reasoned.

"Carlisle and Esme are at some MIT fundraiser thing today," I replied, "otherwise they would have been the obvious choice to ask."

Suddenly the doorbell rang several times, sending Jake and Nessie into a barking frenzy.

"OMG, don't kill me, doggies! It's only your favourite fairy! I just came to welcome you to the neighbourhood!" Two dog biscuits were pushed under the door as we got there. "See, I brought you treats, you noisy critters!"

Edward and I looked at each other and chuckled.

"Riley."

An hour later, I walked into the lounge at the Four Seasons to meet my parents, while Edward and Riley waited with Jake and Nessie in the nearby Public Garden.

They were sitting in the immaculate, luxurious bar, my mother drinking her usual Grey Goose Martini, and my suited-and-booted father with a tumbler of what was likely to be some very expensive Scotch.

"Isabella," he murmured, standing up as I approached. I dutifully kissed his cheek, and slid into an oversized armchair before doing the same with my mother. "You look well."

"As do you both," I replied, concentrating on keeping my right hand over my left in my lap.

"May I get you a drink, Miss?" asked a waiter. "I'm afraid I'll need to see some proof of age if you'd like alcohol."

"She's twenty-two," my mother interjected. "Show them your ID, Isabella."

"I am twenty-two, but I'd like a Pink Lemonade Snapple, please, so it's a moot point."

"Coming right up." The waiter slipped away, clearly picking up on the tension at the table.

"Settling in to American life, I see," she observed. "Not drinking and the like."

I didn't rise to the jibe or spill a retort about her borderline alcoholic tendencies.

"Let's cut to the chase. What exactly have you been told? It must have been dramatic for you to drop everything and come to Boston."

My mother shifted in her seat awkwardly, and brushed an invisible strand of hair back into place. As usual, her light brown hair was pinned back in an elegant but severe chignon. She was dressed in her usual uniform of Chanel skirt suit, this time in taupe with a chocolate-brown silk top, and matching high-heeled courts.

"We had a phone call from someone at Oxford, stating that you were persuaded to move to Harvard by a renegade professor who had recently been dismissed from Oxford. He stated that he had seduced you into ..." she dropped her voice to a whisper. "S-E-X, and that you had fallen for his charm."

"I see, and when was this?"

"It was a few days ago, Isabella. Your mother tried to phone you, but you didn't call back."

"No, I didn't. You didn't mention that you were concerned about my welfare on that message, and I was busy."

"Busy?" my mother snorted. "You've been on holiday in Cape Cod! Is that what being a doctoral student means? Going to the beach?"

"If you bothered to show even a modicum of interest in me, you'd know that I wasn't on holiday." My temper flared, and it took everything in my power not to raise my voice. "You know nothing about my life. You haven't called me since before I moved to the States. If I didn't touch base with your PA, you wouldn't even know my phone number."

"You may have a point there, but we're busy people, Isabella. Our work is important."

"I'm well aware of that, Dad. You've told me every time I've seen you, pretty much all the time, ever since I was a baby. And you know what, that's fine. You prioritise your work over your daughter, that's absolutely fine. But don't expect me to tolerate your assumptions when you have absolutely no knowledge on which to base them."

Silence descended.

"You mentioned a significant person on the phone, Isabella. Where is he?" my mother said, eventually, just after the waiter placed an ice cold Snapple in front of me.

"He's outside. I wanted to talk to you first, to find out what you had been told. Just answer me this. The man who spoke to you from Oxford ... Could his name have been Volturi?"

"Yes, probably. I can't be sure."

"What's going on, Isabella?" My father asked softly. Of the two of them, he was the more reasonable.

"Last year, at Oxford, I fell in love with a wonderful man. He's kind, considerate, loving, gentle and quite the most brilliant scientist I've ever met. He is everything I've ever wanted in a partner, and despite the fact that I was a student and he was a professor ..."

"Isabella! So it's true."

"Renee, shut it and let her explain."

My mother gave my dad the evil eye, but he ignored her and kept his gaze on me.

"We fought it for a long time, but eventually, the attraction was too strong. I made the first move and eventually, he succumbed."

"I don't believe this. My daughter, a harlot, throwing herself at a professor ..."

"Think of me what you like, but I'm an adult now, and there's nothing to be gained from you judging me."

"Go on, Isabella."

I continued, telling them about the first few months of our relationship, and the lengths we went to in order to ensure that the academic integrity of his research and my studies weren't compromised. I made sure that they knew that Edward was no renegade and that he had left, by choice, for a promotion at Harvard.

"Then, Edward proposed to me."

"You're engaged?"

"No, Mum." I finally showed them my hand. "We got married in July, in Italy."

My mother looked at my beautiful, twisted platinum and diamond rings for what felt like a whole minute. She then stood up and walked out of the bar.

I let out a deep breath before looking at my father. He had sat back in his chair and was cradling his Scotch.

"What is your married name?" he asked after a moment, without looking at me.

"Masen," I replied. "I haven't changed any documents yet. We've had a lot on our plates with the move to Harvard, setting up our new house and getting our dogs."

"Dogs?"

"That's why we were in Cape Cod. We were collecting Jake and Nessie, our dogs. They're three year-old collie crossbreeds. Edward is waiting in the park across the street with them and our friend."

"You always were crazy about dogs. Even that stinky bulldog, what was his name ...?"

"Wesley."

"Ah, yes, Wesley, after the chap in The Princess Bride. You loved that movie."

"You remember?" I couldn't hide the surprise in my voice. He surprised me further by covering my left hand with his, and picking it up to inspect my rings.

"I remember more than you think, Bella, but your surprise is to be expected. After all, we aren't a close family."

"Honestly, Dad, it feels as though we aren't even a family. I'm just a person you and Mum accidentally made twenty-two years and nine months ago."

"You think you were an accident?"

"Yes." I murmured, blinking away tears. I quickly took out my mobile and texted Edward, asking him to come into the bar immediately. I needed him.

"I'm terribly sorry you feel that way, but you were never a mistake. We wanted you desperately."

"You did?"

"But when you came, we found it sohard. By the time you came along, we were thirty-eight and so set in our routine of work and travel that we couldn't adjust."

"That's a shit excuse, Dad. It's hard for all new parents."

"I know, but it's the truth, seeing as we're being honest. We ended up reverting to the way that I'd been parented- from a distance. We used our means to get you the best nannies and the best education money could buy, made sure you wanted for nothing."

He gulped at his scotch before continuing.

"And we told ourselves that it must have been the right thing because you were such a good child. Academically brilliant, always kept out of trouble, never a rude word, even with your legendary temper. Every teacher and professor sang your praises ... I suppose it's no surprise that you fell in love with one."

I finally took a good look at my father's face. His eyes were a little red and damp.

"Is that Mum's opinion too? Because it's all very well you saying that stuff, but Mum's the one who especially makes me feel like an unwanted accessory to your jet-setting life."

"You're both so similar, so stubborn. I know she comes across as cold, but it's the way she's learnt to deal with the world. To let anyone in, even you, would expose her to shame, guilt and a sadness she has no idea how to handle."

"You sound as though you've been talking to a shrink."

"I've been having weekly therapy, via video-phone when I'm abroad, with a psychotherapist in Harley Street for nearly two years," he admitted. "Ever since that Christmas we spent in Saudi Arabia. I could see you were miserable, like a bird in a gilded cage. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before we lost you forever, and yet, I didn't know how to reach out to you."

"Do you want to try, Daddy?" Tears were falling freely down my cheeks and I made no move to stop them.

"Desperately, my darling girl."

My darling girl. He hadn't called me that in years and years.

I reached over and took his hand, but I couldn't bring myself to embrace him yet. However, the fact that he wanted us to be closer gave me hope that we could knock down that wall in time. Whether it would be the same with my mother, I was less sure.

Before I could reply, Edward rushed into the bar.

"Bella."

I jumped up. He gathered me up in his arms and kissed away my tears, and I calmed down, finally back in my safe place.

-cc-

Edward

"I don't like this, I really don't like this," I heard myself mutter as I paced up and down on a patch of grass in Boston's stunning Public Garden. I was too stressed to enjoy the lake view or Jake and Nessie's joy as they frolicked with Riley. "I should have gone in with her straight off."

"Uh-uh. She needs to build up to introducing you," he replied, throwing a ball at my feet so the dogs came hurtling towards me. "That's right, doggies. Show Daddy some love."

I knelt down to receive them and found comfort in their affection.

"Good dogs! Now sit!" Nessie promptly sat, but Jake was too focussed on the ball. "Jake, sit!" I repeated, and he did as he was told, albeit hesitantly. His preference for Bella was clear but at least he liked me too.

I threw the ball towards Riley and they rushed in his direction, Nessie capturing it first before letting Jake take it from her. Jake then trotted back to me and dropped it at my feet.

"Oh, yeah, you're definitely the Daddy now, Edward."

I couldn't help but chuckle. Riley was finally calling me by my given name, but I'd become so used to his various names for me that I couldn't take it seriously when he did.

"So, how are you settling into your second year at NYU?" I asked, continuing the game of Fetch with the dogs as we chatted.

"Man, the novelty of the Big Apple is sure wearing off. I'm so sick of commuting from the apartment in Brooklyn to campus, how crowded it is, and it's expensive as fuck. I love NYU and doing the science thing full time though."

"It's only been a couple of weeks since the semester began, though. Give yourself time to adjust."

"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "Daddy-O says it'll get easier too, and I believe the both of you. I won't be coming back to Cambridge as often anyways, now that Freddie's gone, so I'll have more weekends to settle in."

"What happened to Freddie?"

"He felt like some sun so he quit and jumped a plane to Hawaii. It's just the way it is with him, impulsive and free-spirited. He's so much fun, but unreliable. That's why we could never be serious."

"So you're not heartbroken?"

"Nah, we're cool."

An ice cream van pulled up by the gate to the park, distracting Jake and Nessie, who started barking loudly. The ice-cream man turned and froze; he looked terrified at the sight of two dogs with their eyes and noses firmly set on him.

"Jake, Nessie, come!"

They stopped momentarily, ran to me and then looked at the ice cream man before barking again. I was amazed at how much they could tell me with such simple communication.

"You can't have ice-cream, guys. It's not good for you." I looked over at Riley who was also eyeing the ice-cream van wistfully. "Riley, have you got the dog chews and the water bowl?"

"Sure thing."

Riley sat on a bench and whistled as he rattled a packet. Jake and Nessie went running over.

Just then, my phone chirped.

Foxy, I need you. Mum walked out. I'm dissolving. B xxx

"Go to her, PILFy. I've got these two." I looked up at Riley, who responded with an encouraging smile, before running through the gate and across the street to the Four Seasons.

As I walked up to the ornate doors of the hotel, I passed a middle-aged woman in a beige-coloured suit, smoking a white-tipped cigarette while huffing and puffing, clearly annoyed about something. As I passed she looked up, and I did a double-take.

Heart-shaped face and a button nose.

Thick, wavy hair, but light brown peppered with grey, not dark.

Large, wide eyes, but cold sea-green, not warm, deep chocolate.

She was, without a doubt, Renee Swan.

I didn't linger; instead I hurried into the hotel lobby, and into the lounge bar.

Bella was sitting in a group of high-backed armchairs, holding the hand of a middle aged man with the same dark brown colouring as her, and both their eyes were red.

"Bella."

I said her name involuntarily, and she got up and hurtled towards me. I held her tightly, her tears dampening my shirt. I tilted her face up and kissed her wet cheeks, and her ragged breaths settled.

"I've got you, Baby. I'm here," I mumbled into her hair. "What happened?"

She didn't answer me straight away, and I looked over at her father, who looked as upset as she did.

"I can't even begin to explain it, Foxy."

"I won't have you upset, Bella. You know you don't need to explain or justify anything ..."

"No, it's all right. Just meet Dad and then we'll go. I don't think Mum's going to be able to be civil today."

She stepped out of my arms, and led me by the hand to the chairs.

"Hello," said Mr Swan, his voice hoarse. "I'm Charles Swan." To my surprise, he held out his hand. I tentatively shook it.

"Good afternoon, sir. My name is Edward Masen."

"Bella tells me that you're in love and you got married this summer in Italy."

"Yes. She's the love of my life, Mr Swan. Our relationship may seem unconventional, and you wouldn't be the first person to judge us for the age difference ..."

"Edward." His quiet murmur of my name stopped my ramble in its tracks. "May I call you that?"

"Yes."

"I'm not going to sit here and lie and say that marriage to a man twice her age is something I wanted for my daughter, but nor am I going to make a big fuss about it. I don't have the right, given how little actual parenting I've done for Bella over the years, as Bella has pointed out this afternoon."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to wish you well, Bella. If he makes you happy, and your relationship, despite your age difference, is an equal one, then that's wonderful. I can't speak for your mother, I'm afraid, but I, for one, want to be part of your life, and your children's life."

"He makes me happy, Dad," she replied, linking her fingers through mine. I brought her hand to my lips and brushed them across her knuckles. "So happy."

"And the feeling's mutual," I echoed. "She's my other half, my everything."

"Good."

"Dad, we're going to leave now. All this is getting to me and I just want to go home."

Mr Swan looked deflated but nodded.

"When do you leave Boston, Mr Swan?"

"Charlie. Call me Charlie."

"Charlie ..." I sounded it out.

"We leave late tonight. We're in Houston for a few days and then we're going to Santiago for a new project. We'll be there until the New Year, give or take the odd trip to New York." After a pause, he added, "but I could come back to Boston in a couple of weeks, for a weekend."

"Dad, if you come back in two weeks, we would love to have you." She turned to me and I nodded my agreement. "Just you, though, unless Mum's prepared to speak to me civilly."

"That would be lovely, Bella. I'll call when I confirm the flight times."

"Perfect."

We started to leave but then Bella turned back.

"Dad?"

"Yes."

"You said you wanted to 'desperately' try to fix things?" He nodded gravely. "This is your chance. Please don't let me down."

"I won't," he promised.

She wrapped an arm around my waist, and I curled mine around her shoulders protectively. Together we strode out of the hotel. Riley was across the street, by the gate to the park, holding Jake and Nessie on their smart, leather leads. They crossed the street towards us and I held Bella, who I could tell was starting to feel quite shaky, while we waited for the doorman to hail us a cab.

"Isabella!"

We turned around to the sight of her mother coming towards us.

"Mum."

"You're leaving?"

"You walked out, all judgement and indignation. What did you expect me to do?"

She didn't answer, instead shifting her flinty eyes between Bella and me.

"Sir, your cab."

"Thank you." I turned to my wife; she was starting to tremble. "Bella, shall we?"

"My daughter and I are still talking!"

"No, we're not." Bella's voice was as cold as her mother's eyes, eerily calm and detached. "What you're doing is demanding, and shouting, like you always do, without listening. You haven't even been civil enough to introduce yourself to my husband, or give him a chance to introduce himself. And now you've lost the privilege."

Barking and growling from Jake and Nessie interrupted the staring match going on between Bella and Renee Swan.

"It's okay, doggies, Mommy's okay," murmured Riley, kneeling down beside them to rub their ears.

"Thank you, Riley. Please get them into the car and take the front seat."

"Of course, Honey."

"When you apologise, Mum, and when you feel prepared to listen to me and Edward, then you can contact me. Until then, don't bother." She turned to me. "Edward, I'd like to go home please."

She climbed into the car and I followed. She spent the journey in silence, curled into my side, with Jake on her other side and Nessie draped across both our laps. It wasn't until the cab pulled into our street that she finally let go of a few sobs.

-cc-

Bella was unsettled for almost the whole of the week that followed her meeting with her parents. Every time I made reference to her father's potential visit, she either changed the subject or she shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. We got on with our work at Harvard and adjusted to life with Jake and Nessie, who, apart from still being a little anxious when we left them alone, had settled in nicely. Rather than having a dog-walker visit once or twice a day, we found a neighbour, Sarah, who did dog day-care, and our pups loved her.

I had, however, had very little luck in contacting Bree Tanner. I had emailed her, left voice messages and I even wrote her a letter. Bella had showed me how to use Facebook and we tried searching for her and her husband Don under his name of McKay, but we got no hits. Meanwhile, we had heard nothing from Oxford except that the Proctors were investigating Banner and Volturi's complaints against us.

In the days leading up to Charlie's arrival, Bella spent every free minute straightening up the house, tidying, organising and decorating. Considering it was a rental property and we had moved in less than two months earlier, it looked like a bloody show home. Even Jake and Nessie were learning to clean up after themselves, as Bella was teaching them to take their toys back to their baskets in the kitchen, using the command 'Toys Away!'

By the night before his arrival, I was getting a little sick and a lot worried about Pod Person Bella.

"Maybe we should off-set the sofa a little, and make this walkway narrower, so the living space looks bigger," she mused, pacing up and down in front of me. "Give me a hand, Edward?"

"No."

"And maybe after that we could ... What?"

"Bella, please sit down a moment."

She stood where she was, hovering over me, hands on her hips.

"What's wrong?"

"I want to ask you the same thing. The house is absolutely perfect, Baby. There are fewer dust particles in our house than there are in an operating theatre. Even Jake and Nessie ..." Our gorgeous doggy duo trotted over at the mention of their names and sat at our feet. "... Are starting to act like Stepford dogs." I held out my hands to her. "I love you, Bella. Please, talk to me."

Jake decided to help me out by putting his paw on her knee and whining. She scratched his head and sighed before sitting down on my lap.

"What if he doesn't come?" she murmured against my chest. "I'm trying to brace myself for disappointment, Foxy. But what if he does come and hates where we live and the way we live and then decides he doesn't want anything to do with us, with me?"

"All these fears could be completely unfounded."

"I know. I'm actually a little pissed off at myself. I mean, they've been distant parents my entire life, and at the first sign of getting attention from my father, I've become all giddy and obsessive. It's pathetic, right?"

"Not at all. Regardless of the distance, Baby, he's still your dad. It's only natural to want a relationship with him. I was lucky enough to have a very positive relationship with my dad, but that didn't stop me from wanting to make him proud in everything I did."

She leaned up and kissed my jaw.

"He would be so happy to see what you've achieved so far."

"Thanks Baby. Your father is too. I could see it in his face."

"I hope so."

Later on, just as we were returning from an evening walk around Spy Pond with the dogs, Bella's mobile started ringing.

"Oh God, it's my dad." She handed me Jake's lead. "Hi Dad ... Yes, I'm out for a walk with Edward and the dogs ... Six-thirty tomorrow is absolutely fine. Do you want us to come to you or ... okay, we'll see you at the house. No, I'll make dinner ... yes, I can cook. Okay, looking forward to it. Bye!"

"So, he's coming."

"Yes," she replied. "He's coming."

-cc-

The smiling man in khakis and a cashmere sweater had a very different demeanour to the uptight, designer-suit wearing businessman I had met six days earlier in the Four Seasons Hotel.

"Edward, nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Charlie, please come in."

I showed my father-in-law through to the living area, where Bella, Jake and Nessie were waiting.

"Bella, dear, thank you for welcoming me." He held out both his hands to her and she stepped into his embrace. "Your home is lovely."

"Thank you for coming back," she replied. "Did Mum come back to Boston with you?"

"No, I'm afraid not. She's spending the weekend at a spa in Santiago."

Bella shrugged.

"I'm not surprised." Bella moved into the kitchen, her long, navy striped dress swishing about her ankles. "Would you like some Chablis?"

"Yes please."

Bella poured some wine for Charlie and topped up both our glasses.

There was an awkward silence, until Jake decided he didn't like it, and dropped his tug-toy at Charlie's feet.

"You want to play, boy?" Jake answered with a bark. "Okay, then."

"He plays to win, Charlie," I warned. "He's relentless."

"Well, I'm always up for a challenge."

As Charlie played tug of war first with Jake, then Nessie, and then the two together, he asked general questions about Harvard, the house and a little about me. Bella flitted around the kitchen as we talked, finishing up a seafood risotto and some salad.

"Okay, it's ready. Edward, Dad, please wash your hands and have a seat at the table. Jake and Nessie, toys away." She suddenly paused and turned around. I grinned at her, knowing exactly why she'd stopped. "Oh, God, I sounded like a proper mum then, didn't I?"

"You did, indeed," I told her, leaning across the kitchen island to kiss her cheek.

Charlie coughed.

"Are you ...?"

"No, Dad," she replied quickly. "But we are going to start trying in the next year."

"But what about your studies?"

"They'll wait." She stopped dishing up the risotto and looked up at him, two sets of identical, big, brown eyes meeting as Charlie washed his hands at the sink. "It's like you said yesterday, Dad. By the time you had me, you were too set in your ways to adjust to the demands of being a parent. I don't want that."

"What about you, Edward? You're older than I was when we had Bella. Do you think you'll be able adjust to being a parent at forty-something?"

He asked the question without judgement, which I appreciated.

"I know it's going to be a challenge, but I've already made huge changes, for the better, since Bella came into my life. I can't wait to be a father. I never thought it'd happen for me."

My answer seemed to satisfy him.

Bella handed me the plates of risotto and a bowl of salad to Charlie, and we all sat down at the table to eat.

"Bella, this is fantastic!" Charlie exclaimed suddenly. "Better than many I've eaten in Italy. Who knew my baby girl could cook on top of everything else she does?"

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"A good kitchen was most definitely at the top of Bella's wish list for our house," I said, trying to diffuse the odd atmosphere. Bella was clearly unused to praise from her father.

"Hmm ..." Charlie, like Bella, could put on a poker face when he wanted to. "Can I change the subject entirely?"

"Err ... sure."

"That chap who phoned us, the Italian professor from Oxford? What's the story there?"

"Well, it's a long one."

"I have time."

Over the rest of our seafood risotto, and a dessert of grilled peaches with Bella's homemade amaretto ice-cream, we told Charlie about Aro Volturi and our dealings with him.

"So, we eventually realised that the only way we're actually going to stop him, is to go on the offensive," I said as we finished our pudding.

"I agree. Sometimes you have to fight dirty with dirty. You need evidence of your good behaviour and his bad behaviour, and then you have to make sure everyone and their brother knows it."

"We're in a difficult position, though. The person most able to prove that he's a shit, Dad, is someone who's very fragile and frightened. Edward's been trying to contact Bree, that's her name, but she's not responding to his emails, or returning his voicemail."

"You'll need to work on her, and when you do make contact, you'll have to make her stronger."

"I sense a 'but' coming on, Charlie."

"She can't be your only means of getting to this Volturi chap, especially if she's as delicate as you say she is. You'll also need to dig deeper. Get more evidence. Bend the rules if you have to. Know your enemy."

"I do know him, Charlie. I've known him nearly twenty years."

"Not true. You've known of him for twenty years. How many of those twenty years did you spend working with him every day?"

"Err ... one, the first year."

"So, the rest is hearsay and third-party?"

I hesitated before answering.

"I suppose."

"You need to know what he's like now."

"What are you getting at, Dad?" asked Bella.

Charlie fished for something in his wallet and then handed us a card.

"You need a P.I."

Jason Jenks

Private Investigator and Personal Security Consultant

London Office: Tel ...

We both looked at it, and then Charlie, sceptically.

"Just give him a call. He's the best in the business and very discreet. If he can't help you, he won't mess you around. And you can have him bill me. " When neither of us answered, he added, "Please, Bella, let me do this for you. Lord knows I owe you far more than a P.I.'s time."

Bella

I took the card from my father's hand.

"We'll think about it," I told him, not wanting to discuss it any further. Just then, his phone chirped with a text. He looked at the message and frowned. "What?"

"It's your mother," Charlie muttered before looking up at both of us apologetically. "I'm really sorry, I need to phone her."

"We'll take the dogs out into the garden for a run," said Edward. "Come join us when you're done."

"Thank you."

"How are you feeling?" my wonderful husband whispered, when we were outside. I looped my arm around his waist and hugged him. I'd been an absolute nightmare to live with recently, stressing and nitpicking and snapping. Yet, he'd tolerated it with immense patience and kindness.

"Okay. It's just weird spending this much time with him, and for him to treat me like an adult. I'm so used to being told what to do and how to do it ..."

"And it feels too good to be true?"

"Yep."

"It's not surprising. Hopefully, the more you see him, the more you'll trust him."

"Hopefully," I echoed.

"... No, Renee, the renewables were supposed to be twenty percent. If we don't keep that as a stipulation the company will be subject to increased taxation by the Chilean government ... Exactly ..." Charlie suddenly paused and his voice lowered. "She's well. Very happy and he's a great guy. The house is lovely ... Did you want to talk to her?"

My breath caught in my throat. Was I ready to speak to my mother?

"...Go on Renee, she's our daughter. I know you feel disappointed she didn't do things your way, but let's face it, your way has made you miserable more than it's made you happy ... No, and it's not the shrink talking! You know you have issues ... well, fine!"

Disappointment washed over me. My mother was still angry.

Edward kissed me softly on the temple, and beckoned Jake and Nessie over. They nuzzled into my side and I stroked their furry noses.

"Her loss, Baby."

"I know."

"...Just so you know, I'm inviting them to New York ... Well deal with it!"

The Fox looked at me quizzically.

"New York?" he mouthed.

I shrugged. I had no idea what Dad was talking about.

"...To paraphrase Rhett Butler, quite frankly, my dear, I don't give a flying fuck. Good night."

A moment later Charlie came into the garden.

"I take it Mum doesn't say hi," I murmured.

"Ah, you overheard."

"Yeah ... What's the thing about New York?"

"We have a meeting in New York in a few weekends' time. I would love it if you'd come over while you're there."

"I don't know, Dad. If Mum's not keen and you're going to be working, maybe we shouldn't bother."

"Please," he begged. "The meeting is only for a few hours on the Saturday, and then I'll have the evening, and Sunday morning before we fly back to Santiago."

"We could see Tanya and Leah as well, Baby. We could stay with them on Friday night and hang out with them and Riley on Saturday until Charlie's free."

I hadn't been to New York in ages, and it was very tempting to spend more time with Charlie, especially when he was being nice and dad-like.

"When exactly, Dad?"

"The third weekend in October."

Edward pulled out his phone to check our diaries.

"According to this, we've got nothing planned."

"Looks like we're going to New York, then," I replied.

"Wonderful." Charlie leaned across and clasped my hand.

That evening, after a hotel car picked Charlie up and took him back to the Four Seasons, I sat at the kitchen counter with a mug of cocoa, turning the business card for Jason Jenks over and over between my fingers. Edward had taken the dogs out for a quick walk before bed, so I was alone.

Impulsively, I reached for my iPad and emailed the address on the card.

From: Isabella Swan

To: Jason Jenks

Subject: Enquiry

Dear Mr Jenks

I believe you know my father, Charles. He recommended that my husband and I get in contact with you to discuss a possible case. Please could you get in contact with me at your earliest convenience?

Bella Masen (nee Swan)

Doctoral Student

Department of Neurosciences, Harvard University

At the end of the email, I gave him my phone number, although I expected that he would email first because of the time difference.

Not two minutes later, my iPhone rang, the telephone number indicating the caller was in Britain.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mrs Masen?" The voice was deep, male, Essex-accented and slightly rough.

"Yes?"

"It's Jason Jenks. You just emailed me?"

"Yes. That was quick. And isn't it three AM over there?"

"It is, but I'm somewhat of a night owl. Besides, I was expecting your email. Your dad texted me ten minutes ago. He told me to do whatever I can to help you, and to send him the bill."

"I see ..." Edward came in at that moment, followed by the dogs who headed straight for the water bowl. "My husband, Edward, is here as well, Mr Jenks." Edward raised his eyebrows and took the seat next to me. "I'm just going to put you on speakerphone."

"Hello, sir."

"Mr Jenks," Edward acknowledged.

"So how can I help?"

For the second time that day, we detailed our issues with Aro Volturi. Jenks asked relatively few questions, interspersed with the sound of furious scribbling. When we were done, there was a moment's silence.

"So, I need to dig up the dirt on this Volturi fellow, prove he's a corrupt sexual predator who's after Mrs Masen and find this Bree Tanner who's one step away from entering the loony bin? Oh, and find out whether you have a spy in your huddle?"

"Err ... yes, in a nutshell," confirmed Edward.

"What are your initial thoughts, Mr Jenks?"

"My initial thoughts are that nothing makes me enjoy my job like bringing down a slimy sleaze."

"So you think you'll be able to help?"

"I do. I haven't failed to close a case in twenty years. I'm an expert on corporate espionage, and have numerous contacts in the pharmaceutical industry."

"Including Eclipse Pharmaceuticals?"

"Yes. Interestingly, there's much animosity amongst the board of directors at Eclipse. The founder's widow and the current CEO hate each other apparently."

"Mr Jenks, I would prefer that you didn't resort to anything illegal in order to do your investigation. I feel uncomfortable enough asking you to ..."

"Mrs Masen, I can assure you that I know where the line is, and I don't cross it. If I did, you wouldn't be able to use any of the evidence in court, if things got that far."

"That's reassuring," Edward replied. "In which case ..." He looked at me and I nodded. "We would like you to proceed."

"Excellent. I'll draw up a contract and I'll sort out the fees with your father. I can start ASAP."

We ended the call shortly after, and I immediately threw myself into Edward's arms. Without words, he swept me up and carried me upstairs.

The Fox was gentle as he placed me on our bed and slowly unbuttoned my dress, caressing my skin with the pads of his thumbs and his warm lips. Watching his coppertop head migrate down my body suddenly inflamed my lust, and I didn't want gentle anymore.

"Foxy."

He looked up, his verdant eyes focussing on mine. His expression went from soft to dark in a split-second.

"Baby, you want me to fuck you, don't you?"

"Yes."

He sprung onto the bed and straddled me at my hips before grabbing my hands and pinning them above my head with one of his own.

"My sexy vixen. I've missed you."

I'd missed me too. I'd been so wrapped up in all the shit that had been going on, first with Volturi and then with my parents, that I'd somehow forgotten myself. It had been over a week since Edward and I had made love because I'd been too tired, too stressed, and had been waking up with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"I'm sorry, Edward."

"No apologies, Bella."

"Just fucking."

"Uh-huh."

He promptly plundered my mouth with his tongue, and with his free hand pulled my tits out of my bra so he could lavish them with attention from his nimble fingers. I was desperate, aching, throbbing with need for him; I couldn't get him close enough as he still had my wrists pinned, so wriggled and rustled under him, trying to wrap my legs around him.

"Now, Edward, please!"

"Patience not your virtue tonight, Baby?" I shook my head, biting my lip because I knew how sexy he found it.

His fingers ghosted over my clit and I moaned lowly, becoming deliciously light-headed as he teased me, but it still wasn't enough. I wanted to come around him.

"Your cock, Foxy! Now!"

He silenced me with a kiss as he granted my wish, sliding in smoothly and deeply, setting up a rapid rhythm of thrusts that brought forth my release within moments. I barely had a chance to catch my breath before he let go of my wrists and flipped me over, and then he resumed, taking me from behind.

It was as though my body was on orgasm mode. I came another three times before he did, each climax deeper and more satisfying than the last, until I collapsed in a happy heap on top of our bed and drifted into the most peaceful slumber I'd had in ages, in my husband's arms.

-cc-

Hello and once again, thank you for your patience with me and this story. I hope you are still enjoying it.

CC xxx