A/N: Anyone else excited for the Funko Pops? It's nice to have new Twilight merch to look forward to!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

A Guiding Heart

House

Chapter 18

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in the hospital...

I had waited until Edward was asleep before kissing him on his lips and murmuring something that may have sounded like I was professing something special to him in an effort to apologize to him. No matter what he said, this was my fault. I stayed by his side until late morning when he finally stirred. Once I made sure he slept well, we agreed that I would head out and meet him back at my dad's with everything he needed. When I texted Carlisle to let him know Edward was awake, in response, he told me he was not at the hospital and requested my presence at the house. Crap! Edward and I said our goodbyes and I headed out.

When I arrived at the Cullen's house, Carlisle and the rest of the family made it obvious that they were gathered and waiting for me. I rolled my eyes. This was never good.

"Bella, we have to talk about Edward," Carlisle started.

"What about him?" I asked casually.

"For starters, I'm keeping him in the hospital for observation today. And second, I think it would be wise for you to not continue seeing him."

"What? I thought we were past that!" I yelled. "Don't you like him? Weren't you impressed by what he does for a living? The good he's trying to do?" I pleaded. "Esme?" I looked to her for support. She remained sympathetic but allowed Carlisle to continue talking.

"He's a human, and he threatens our cover. There are things you don't know about him, Bella," Carlisle insisted dryly.

"Edward threatens our cover?" I asked sarcastically. "So Emmett gets to parade around with a human bloodsucker who has killed - God knows how many people in the area - but you think Edward threatens our cover?" I demanded full of anguish.

"Hey leave her out of this!" Emmett snapped at me.

"No, I won't!" I yelled back at him. "You want to take it outside?" I challenged. As far as I knew, my strength all but equaled his in my newborn state.

Carlisle stepped in, "Enough. That won't be necessary. Victoria is Emmett's choice."

"And Edward is mine!" I yelled back. "What is it you aren't telling me?"

"I'm sorry, Bella, but as the head of this family, I cannot allow you to be with Edward. He puts all of our lives in danger. Let him down gently by the end of the week. And that's all I'm going to say on the matter for now."

"You're not making any sense! And you don't have to allow anything. I'll be out of here by the end of the week." I felt Jasper's vibes encroaching on me, and I put my hand up to deflect them. "Don't with that," I told him. I looked around at my family, feeling divided from them before storming out of the house.

I heard Esme begging Carlisle to go after me, but all he told her was, "Let her go."

~AGH 18~

Charlie assured me that he had washed the bedding and that my room was ready and waiting for Edward's arrival. Charlie was going to be there at discharge time this afternoon and escort Edward to the house in his police cruiser. I was to go grocery shopping and come back to the house to fix them both a home-cooked meal. I had packed up Edward's things in my car.

My head swirled with what Carlisle said and how I felt. I didn't understand how Aunt Tanya could maintain her permanent living residence while having relations with humans - several humans - but I wasn't permitted to be with one! I may be a newborn, but I'm not a child, I thought. And I don't need anyone's permission!

I didn't know whether to head back to the hospital or take my anger out on a few trees, but I ended up running through the forest and pummeling some bark until I was satisfied then made my way to the market down on Sullivan Street in town.

I'm sprung. See you soon.

It was a text from Edward. He added a heart eyes emoji and no matter what Carlisle said, I didn't have any doubt how much I was looking forward to seeing him. Remembering he didn't like red meat, I picked up chicken at the store along with the rest of the ingredients for dinner and some breakfast foods then headed over to Charlie's house.

My guys were seated in the living room watching a game on tv spitting out stats on the players. If only guys remembered anniversaries and birthdays the same way they retained stats.

When I entered with my hands full, I quickly dropped off my bags in the kitchen and said hello before heading out the door, back to the cherry bomb. I opened the trunk and pulled out his suitcase and briefcase, smirking at the site of Edward when I closed the lid. At just the sight of him, I was convinced. Carlisle was wrong, and I had no intention of letting him down gently or at all by the end of the week.

"Your father is an interesting person," he said, inching his way closer to me. "Talking to him is helping me figure you out."

"Is that so?" I laughed. "And what have you come up with so far?" I asked. Edward sought to loosen the briefcase from my hands, letting it down gently on the ground, and I let the suitcase drop. He pinned me against the trunk until he moved to lift me up to sit before leaning in against me, kissing me hello quickly at first, then more passionately as I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me. "Smart." He kissed me. "Pretty." He kissed me. "Dedicated."

"And you needed my dad to tell you all of this?" I laughed.

"Who's Eric?" he asked playfully swirling a pattern with his finger on my leg.

"Oh god, now my dad is crossing the line. Eric is just an ex-boyfriend."

"Well he already likes me better than him." Edward said with a wink and laughed. Then I laughed. Then we were kissing, and I was happy about his little bit of cockiness. My hands glided up and down his back as he attended to my mouth so genuinely and kept his hands at the sides of my legs.

"He told you that?" I laughed.

"You kids coming in soon?" my dad called, breaking us out of the kiss.

"In a minute, dad," I responded while Edward never flinched, moving his lips down my neck and over my cheek.

"Don't kid yourself, my dad likes you because of your sports connection. Eric was one of the greatest guys I've ever known," I said teasing him.

Edward pulled his head back, and my body responded to the loss of him with a shiver. "Was he? And where is great-guy Eric these days?" he asked, his lips hovering just above mine. My lips wanted the contact.

"He's still away, getting his Master's last I heard." I pressed my lips toward his, but he turned his head, laughing.

"Sorry, I'm just laughing at something your dad said about him."

I could only imagine. "Ugh, I don't want to talk about Eric."

"Why not? Tell me about him. Was he your first?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh my God!" I pushed him playfully on the chest.

"Was he? Should I go back in and ask your father?" he smirked.

"I just want you to kiss me, if your head is okay, that is."

Edward shrugged. "I can't think straight enough to do anything else anyway, but beware because kissing you renders me completely incoherent. I might not be able to help fix dinner."

"That's what I'm counting on," I said, pulling him in toward me. We kissed until I had my fill and sensed his dazzled contentment. His heart jumped and calmed in his chest while our tongues and lips met forcefully then gently. It would have been an unknown amount of time for humans, but my head calculated it was exactly seven minutes and thirty-three seconds before he broke away, refilling his lungs with the surrounding cold Forks air and whispering, "wow" with his exhale. Yeah, wow! I thought in return, cursing his concussion, yet thinking he might not be here at my house without it.

"We should probably go get you some dinner," I suggested to him. "You must be starving."

"I am . . . for you," he replied, capturing my lips again unexpectedly. My impulse was to tense my hands, but I eased my fingers, resting them against his coat. That is until the venom started pooling. I immediately broke free from him, with a soft moan swallowed back the venom. Fuck, not again!

I coughed slightly and suggested it was time to rejoin Charlie and make dinner. Edward didn't fight me, instead picking up the stuff and carrying it but allowing me to lead the way back in. I put away the groceries and worked on cooking the meal while Charlie and Edward continued their sports watching. Occasionally, Edward jokingly threw in a comment, usually teasing if Eric could have made that shot. How strangely normal this all felt.

Charlie had arranged to text Alice, who would then call me so I could excuse myself from the dinner table. So far, Edward had noticed I felt cold but not that I hadn't eaten. We were sitting at the table when Alice called. I grabbed a chicken leg from my plate at first, then decided to just take the whole plate and excused myself saying it was important, as I walked off to talk to Alice. I tossed the chicken leg out a window from my Dad's bedroom, admiring how far it went and wondered what kind of animal would find it. I cried to Alice about the venom pooling again, but she didn't have any answers for me. My dad coughed downstairs and that was the sign that they were finished. I rejoined them, expressing my apologies, in time to hear my dad offer Edward coffee or beer in front of the tv. Edward chose beer, to my surprise.

"Sorry, that was Alice," I said approaching the living room. Edward reached out and grabbed my hand smiling at me and then complimented the dinner. Despite being on the phone, I had heard every bit of the conversation between Edward and my dad. It was all centered around hockey. Edward was giving my dad the inside scoop on teams, players, and managers, and my dad was eating it all up. He took the time to compliment my cooking and thank me for dinner.

"How's your head? Do you feel up to going into town tonight to Donohue's to hang out with Alice and Jasper?"

"Donohues?" he asked.

"Yes," I nodded, not wanting him to make a big deal about what went on there between us in front of my dad.

"Irish pub in the middle of town with a dart board and a stock room in the back?" he smirked while squeezing my hand. I let go and moved out of the way as Charlie handed Edward a Vitamin R and then took a seat on the couch. I shot Edward a look and then suggested that maybe he couldn't handle that much excitement just yet. "Oh I can handle it, Bella," he responded without missing a beat. Sweeping his bronze hair across and away from his forehead, I felt like Edward had never looked more attractive than he did in this moment. I wanted to send Charlie off to work and claim the house for the next few hours, but it was my dad's night off.

"Dad, do you mind?" I asked. "If we go out for a bit?"

"As long as you think Carlisle would think it was okay. After all, we have to do what he says."

"No Dad, it's fine." And no, we don't have to do what Carlisle says, I thought, but I opted not to go into things with Charlie about Carlisle. Somehow, I still felt like there was time to convince Carlisle to see things from my point of view.

"Well then Edward, maybe we can finish our discussion tomorrow morning. I enjoyed hearing about everything you shared, especially about that former coach of yours. Never did like the looks of him."

Edward threw out his beer can in the recycle bin and excused himself to the bathroom. My dad looked at me with an unusual brightness to his eyes. "I like him, Bells. I really do."

I plopped down next to my Dad on the couch in a very memorable human way. "I know Dad. I just….I still haven't gotten things figured out with how it's going to work between us."

"Don't worry so much. You will," he assured me putting his arm around me. "Things are working out just great between you and me, so why not you and him. Okay?"

"Okay," I smiled. "By the way, we aren't kids."

"You are to me still, hot shot. Dinner was good, kid. Thanks so much. Your old man appreciates your cooking, you know." He wrapped his arm around me tighter, squeezing me with his hug.

"Did you want me to do the dishes?" I asked, escaping from his clutches and standing.

"No, Bella go out. Have fun. Be a kid." He gave me a wink.

Edward approached the living room looking a bit wobbly, using his hand to hold up his head. "Edward? Are you okay?" He shook his head slightly.

"It's strange - just a flash, you know." He motioned to me, and I came to his side, and then followed him back down the hall as he entered into the laundry room. "I peeked in here as I was walking by, and I feel like I've been in there before. Like I've seen this fishing-themed border before."

"Well it has been up for years," I chuckled. "My mom always hated it. She wanted something more whimsical."

"How about a spin on the dryer later?" Edward proposed leaving me stammering for the right word to say in response.

He shook his head again. "I'm sorry. Uh, don't answer that. I don't know where those words came from." He paused before muttering to himself, turning his head in a way he didn't want me to hear, "Not again."

"It happened again, didn't it?" I asked, as I tried to search my memory for some time when I would have heard Jacob say that. I couldn't think of any time, but he had been in my house enough times. Looking into Edward's eyes, I searched for some other sign that Jacob was imprinting on him, in this moment, just to fuck with me. Edward's eyes sparkled, as they often did, that left no room for the arrogant or vicious darkness that I associated with Jacob.

"I'm sorry," he mostly mouthed to me again, and instinctively I reached out to cradle his cheek but instead decided it was best to run my fingers through his hair. Gently stroking his head, I watched as his eyes fluttered and his head slightly swayed back and forth with my stroking. His heartbeat was steady, and I leaned in to kiss him. His eyes widened with surprise as I touched his lips, but it quickly diminished as his arms encircled me, pulling me to him. Vibrations rippled through my throat as he kissed me back with increasing intensity that was purely Edward. As I let my eyes close and bask in the feeling, I felt my head dip back, and he accepted the invitation by placing quick butterfly kisses up and down my throat leaving a flash of heat on my skin with each one. Still holding me firmly, he dipped me like we were on a dance floor, his lips at my ear, whispering, almost darkly, "I want to know something."

"Anything," I murmured back, too caught up in the pleasant sensations, and immediately regretted it. I couldn't answer just any question, and with him so close to me, he might have some tough questions. He continued to place pleasing kisses over my ear. I wanted to make sure it was him, not Jacob imprinting on him, so I tested him, adding an, "Ed."

"Don't call me that," he said, immediately assuring me he was Jacob-free, convincing me more when he clarified, "it's Edward."

He pulled back and looked into my eyes. "Do you feel what's going on between us?"

I nodded a yes to him. "Are you seeing anyone else?" he continued, to my confusion.

"No," I responded adamantly.

"Do you want to?" he asked, "See anyone else, that is?"

"No," I gulped, still held securely in his arms, his body taut over me, and a smile playing at his lips.

"Why not, doc?" He slightly shaped his lips toward forming his crooked smile, and so many of my defenses went down. My careful reservation before answering eluded me. With a small gulp that was not to indicate hesitation and with too much honesty, I blurted out to him, "Because I only want you."

That crooked smile of his was full blown. "Good. Because I only want you, too." He leaned down to capture my lips again, pulling me up until he brought me to a standing position. My hands went to his hair, bronze strands I ran my fingers through over and over again as we kissed - our chins tilting left and right as our mouths opened and sealed again and again. With an athletic extension of his leg, he kicked the door shut behind him.

"And I want you all to myself," he growled. He backed me up against the dryer, and with his hands guiding my hips, I raised myself onto it. His hands trailed along the sides of my body over my shirt. Upon reaching my face, he lovingly took my face into his hands, his thumbs smoothing over my cheeks. His mouth opened slightly, and I waited for the skin-to-skin connection, but instead he stared into my eyes. I felt like he was about to tell me something but he held back. "Your eyes are my favorite color - a light amber." He leaned in to kiss me and my mind raced with thoughts about colors until I thought of the Yankee Candle shop. Was he looking for an amber-colored candle to burn to remind him of me?

I moved my lips from his, my defenses still down. "You might not want only me," I suggested to him vaguely.

"I told you, my hockey days are over and so is the guy I used to be. Most girls before you just wanted to be with Ed - the star hockey player. I'm not that guy any more. I don't want to be. I want us," he breathed, sneaking in a few convincingly soft pecks to my lips, "Edward and Bella. I don't know how I've lived life without you in it for as long as I have."

He was just about to kiss me again. His lips hovered over mine when I asked, "And what about the girl at the candle shop . . . Tiffany?"

He pulled back immediately, the expression on his face changed. "How do you know about her?"

"Small town," I shrugged. "She told me you talked to her."

He eyed me suspiciously. "I'm not even going to try to understand that." Then he put his head down. "Tiffany," he stated then sighed. "Remember when I told you that I came to this area for a few weeks when I was teenager?"

I nodded yes, encouraging him to continue. "She's a girl I hooked up with down at La Push beach one night, but it didn't end well."

"And you never forgot her?" I probed as thoughts of Justin suddenly entered my mind. Was that it? Was she his Justin?

"Ummm, in a way. It's kind of a blur. I had been drinking that night. And with surgery and years of taking hits to my noggin, I'm kind of short on details but yeah, there were a few things that happened that night that have uhh, in a word, haunted me over the years. At random times, usually low points in my life, I'd find myself thinking about her. So I had a private investigator track her down for me when I knew I was coming to this area. It was before I met you, Bella, and my expectations changed from something of a fantasy reunion with her to just wanting to make sure she was okay in her life, happy, which she is. Like I said, things didn't end well that night."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

Alice. I could hear her talking to Charlie. She was here to pick us up. Charlie was calling for us, and Edward heard him.

"What happened?" I asked again, desperate to know.

"Coming," he responded to Charlie, but he leaned in and kissed me again, with a fierceness this time, knowing our alone time was at the end and trying to prove something to himself. He ended the kiss, gripped me to help me jump down off the dryer and took my hand to lead me out of the laundry room.

We said our goodbyes to Charlie. Alice insisted on driving. The sun had gone down far enough. Edward insisted on us taking his car, which I had had Alice retrieve from the SSA and bring to Charlie's. Edward convinced us that he had clearance to the park and that we could visit before making our way to the bar. We all agreed, and Jasper took the time to compliment Edward's ideas and dig for more information about the concept for the Ferris wheel.

"Construction on it won't begin for another two months, but it should be completed in time for next summer's operating season."

"And it will be safe?" Jasper asked.

"The cars will have mechanisms in them to lock down any type of wheelchair and a seat to accommodate accompanying passengers not in a wheelchair. Each car rider will be offered a call button, like a key fob to depress if they want to get off the ride. Also, the park will offer a staff member to ride along with any person who may be too afraid to go up by themselves but doesn't have a companion to accompany them, for instance, in the case of someone who is afraid of heights."

"Like Bella here," Alice threw in.

"Hey I'm not afraid of heights!" I defended myself.

"Well maybe you'll get a chance to prove it tonight," Edward said, looking over at me hungrily from the back seat.

"Why don't we really test your fears tonight and take you to get your tongue pierced," Jasper posed, then stuck his tongue out at us.

"Eww!' I responded and laughed.

"I wouldn't mind," Edward smirked over at me, to which I gently shoved him in his muscular arm.

"That's not happening," I declared. As the four of us laughed, even though it was at my expense, I could hear lines from that fun Christmas song resonating my head. After so many mishaps, it felt like things were going well and magic had caught on. That was until Edward brought up Emmett.

"So where's Emmett tonight?" Edward asked. I remained quiet on the matter, but the truth was that I didn't know.

"He's out tonight with his girlfriend," Jasper responded, and I cringed at those words. I hated to think what she'd be willing to seduce him into doing. I felt a wave of Jasper's mojo approach me and I allowed it to wash over me. Getting a hit wasn't going to affect me too much.

Edward reached out and took my hand in his, bringing it up to his mouth, flashing me a crooked smile. I smiled in return as Alice pulled into the SSA parking lot.

x

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A/N:

Do you get the sense you're on the climb to the top of a roller coaster but you have no idea how high the drop will be? Click - click, click - click, click - click, click - click

I'm sure you get why I named this chapter "House" because Carlisle is being quite the pain-in-the-ass doctor & father figure.

Thanks D!