A/N: Let's all enjoy some Edward. And find out the rest of the story w/ Tiffany.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

A Guiding Heart

Moonlighting

Chapter 19-A

~X~

The sky had a beautiful purple haze around the trees tonight. That happened sometimes in the area of the SSA. I remembered it well from working there at night.

"This is Henry," Edward introduced us. "He'll be our ride operator this evening." We greeted Henry and thanked him for his time. The park was closed to the general public at this time of day, but a skeleton crew remained. With a flip of a switch, the Ferris wheel lit up. Those flashes of every color in the rainbow made it irresistible to even the oldest of kids.

Without thinking much about it, I casually spoke about our surroundings. "Did you know this Ferris wheel used to be all grey and then they decided to paint it white?"

"No, I didn't. How did you know that?" Edward asked, and it occurred to me that I hadn't mentioned that I used to work here.

"That's because Bella used to work…."

I cut Alice off and shot her a stern look. "Oh, everyone around here that grew up going here for fun knows that," I brushed it off like it was no big deal. Guess I wasn't going to tell him now, either.

Henry opened a car for Alice and Jasper. They closed the doors, quickly waving goodbye to us. I laughed at how obvious they were being. Edward had his hand around my shoulders, giving me a light squeeze and a smile before Henry held another car for us to climb into.

"Keep it slow," Edward said as I watched him slip Henry a fifty-dollar bill. "After you, madam," he gestured with his hand extended out toward the empty green-colored car. I climbed in, with Edward joining me, wrapping his arm around my waist. As the door shut, he pulled me closer to him. "Come here," he said. Even though I knew I was supposed to be watching over him, he was the one who had suffered a concussion, I was the one who sunk into him, seeking safety in his arms. I laid my head against his chest and wished we could stay like this forever. Edward snuggled into me and remained quiet with me for the first four go arounds.

"Hey, what are you thinking down there?" he finally asked.

"Just that I don't want this to end."

"All things must come to an end, Bella," he answered me thoughtfully. I looked up at him questioningly. "But seeing how there's no one else in line, we can stay on."

"Can you tell me why things ended badly with you and Tiffany?" I asked broaching the subject again since we were on the topic of endings.

"Oh right." He paused. "She ran off."

"Did you . . . do something to hurt her?"

"God no. Some people showed up at the beach the next morning and she got spooked. Anyway, you know how some things or people are best to leave in the past?"

I nodded in understanding.

"I know now that she is one of them."

With the Ferris wheel still moving, he leaned in to kiss me. We blissfully made out at a slow and steady pace until the ride finally came to a stop at the very top. Our car swayed and dangled in the air with a backdrop of purple haze.

"So does this live up to the memory you recalled that first time we went ice skating? You know the one you said you were confused about."

Edward laughed. "I don't think that counts as an actual memory. It felt more like I was reading someone's mind, listening in on someone else's memories instead of my own. Maybe even yours." He took the time to chuckle then changed the intensity of his look. "Growing up in this area, how many guys beat me to taking you on this ride?" he asked as our car swung lightly in the crisp evening air.

"Tons," I said to torment him. In truth, I only remembered one special ride on this Ferris wheel with a guy. Now two.

"That's a lot of competition. I'm going to have to do something to make this ride stand out as the best," he said as he pulled me close to him and kissed me again until I felt something jutting into my hand. Soft and velvety. I looked down to see a black jewelry box.

"What's this?"

"Open it," he said with a twinkle to his eyes.

My eyes widened at the sight of a pair of gold hoop earrings lined with tiny diamonds. "Oh, Edward, I can't believe . . . "

"Do you like them? They're a circle like the Ferris wheel." He grinned at himself for being so clever.

"Of course, I love them!" I hugged him and told him thank you, as he snapped a selfie of us on his phone.

"No matter what happens, I want you to always remember this moment." He took a deep breath and kissed me again.

"Hey!" shouted Alice from wherever her car was, "What's going on in that car?" I heard Jasper laughing. Edward looked over the side of the car, and then, the cars began to move.

"It may be a little harder to tell in this lighting, but the diamonds really sparkle."

I removed the delicate small studs out of my ears and inserted the earrings. The wheel came to a stop at the bottom and I found Alice and Jasper out already and waiting for us. Alice made a big deal over the earrings, saying how lovely they looked in my small ears. She complimented Edward on his selection.

"I think this is a bit more your style than a tongue piercing," Edward said while flashing a smile at me. Jasper clicked his tongue ring along his teeth in a way that he knew only Alice and I could hear, just to annoy me.

Alice cooed over my new earrings once more before we followed Edward over to his site. Edward checked on a few papers, when Jasper excused himself, saying he was going to step out to have a cigarette. Alice shot me a look as if to ask if I needed to join him, but I didn't. When Jasper returned, he suggested it was time to head over to Donohue's.

~x~

"You should probably be at home resting," I told Edward while we were in the car speeding down the road. "Did my dad even show you to my room? Your room, I mean?"

"No, he took my stuff upstairs, though. I peeked in after I used the bathroom earlier. Guess you'll have to do it when we get back tonight."

"Yeah," I agreed absently, my mind wandering to other details of where I was going to stay if I wasn't going to return to the Cullen house.

"And tuck me in of course," he said as he pulled me in to cuddle me. "And kiss me goodnight."

Once parked at Donohues, I watched Alice and Jasper look at each other strangely and with concern, though darkness had covered us, so I knew Edward had missed it. On our walk inside, I held back, quickly asking Jasper about smoking. "Did you need a cigarette? Was Edward in danger from you?"

Alice went up to Edward, looping her arm through his and asking him some questions, giving Jasper and I time as we strolled through the parking lot.

"No, Bella, and I'm sorry if I made you worry. I sensed another vampire outside the perimeter of the park. A drinker of human blood, I think, so I thought it was best to go."

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "Victoria?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, but the vampire was experiencing something unusual. He or she was in some degree of pain."

"Can vampires feel pain?"

"Haven't you? It felt more like the pain of losing a loved one. Like I said, it was unusual. I projected some of my vibes toward it, but without knowing the proximity, I'm not sure if my mojo spanned far enough."

"At least you tried," I said sympathetically to Jasper.

"Yes, well, I hope it was worth it." As we reached the bar's door, Edward was holding it open in a gentlemanly fashion.

Alice and Jasper commanded us to grab a table and went up to the bar saying the first round was on them. The bar wasn't too crowded, and we spied that the same table in the back by the dartboard was available.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" I asked Edward, pointing slightly to the bruise on his head.

"This head has gone through worse. And I've felt worse, but trust me, I feel fine. If anything, the puck to the head just momentarily exacerbated an old injury." With that Edward smiled at me. "What a difference tonight, huh?" he said as we hung up our coats on a rack.

"What's that?" I asked.

"You know, from the last time we were here together," he said as we reached the table.

"Oh right," I agreed, sitting down as he held the chair out for me. "I was afraid you were done with me that night," I admitted. "That you wouldn't understand why I was confused."

Edward leaned in and kissed my nose, whispering, "Never" then flashing me a huge smile. "Besides, we've come a long way since then. We've spent the night together. We've made declarations in the laundry room. I've met your family." I nodded in agreement. He tapped the bottom of my right hoop earring. "These look pretty on you."

Then we laughed as we spoke over each other. "If I do say so myself," he said, just as I was telling him, "If you do say so yourself."

"I like your family," Edward said.

"Well good, because they like you, too." Except Carlisle, I thought.

"And then there's Dr. Cullen," Edward said like he was reciting a movie promo that should end withdun dun dun.

What the….that's what I was just thinking. Literally in my head.

Edward continued, "I didn't realize his bedside manner would carry over to a skating rink."

I tried to downplay it. "He's just cautious about his patients. He definitely would not approve of you being out tonight, but we won't be out late. And you'll have plenty of time to rest tomorrow." I could hear Alice up at the bar asking Jimmy, the bartender, if he had her special orders. He told her he had to go to the back.

"Bella, as long as you're with me, I feel fine."

I smiled, glad to hear that. Despite the fact that it sounded like a line, I knew there was some strange truth to it.

"What about your family? Your mom and your cousin?" I asked. "Are they back in Chicago?"

"No, my cousin, with his condition, he didn't make it past 16. And my mom, well she passed away last year suddenly while I was traveling."

"Oh no, Edward," I leaned in to kiss him then leaned my cheek against his.

"Yeah. That's why the project at the SSA is so important. I'm doing it for them. I have an aunt and uncle though, my mom's brother, my cousin's parents, that I check in with. They've always treated me like their own."

I justed wanted to be able to absorb some of his pain. "I'm sorry," I whispered before kissing him again.

"Hey, hey, what's all this canoodling going on over here?" Alice asked. She placed a drink down in front of me, that I didn't even bother to look at, and a pitcher of beer in front of Edward with a glass.

Jasper sat down and proposed a toast, holding up his glass. I wasn't partaking. Instead I watched Edward pour himself a glass of beer, admiring his form and his arms as he poured.

"Bella, c'mon, raise your glass," Alice said.

I shook my head slightly saying that I didn't really think it would be a good idea.

"Bella," Alice said sternly, "It's your favorite cocktail, but don't worry it's a very, very light version of it. Think Denali as Budweiser well then this would be Denali Light." I looked at her questioningly then looked down. Is that? Alice nodded her head and gave me a wink. Either she made this herself or had some of the Denali cocktails shipped in, I didn't know which, but I was going to partake in the toast. I raised my glass to join in.

Jasper was just being ridiculous going on about how much it meant to have friends and nights out like this and jewelry that we liked, finishing with, "Edward, in short, we're glad you came to Forks. Cheers."

Edward smiled humbly before agreeing with the cheers, clinking his glass all around and taking a gulp of his beer. He reached out and held my hand under the table, and I suspected he was embarrassed by the display. Edward humored us with stories of his hockey games and celebrity run-ins - stories that entertained and held our attention. Jasper excused himself to go smoke, and Alice joined him. This time I suspected they were just getting out of more drinking rather than vampire tracking.

"I guess we're alone," Edward said.

"Yep, just you and me," I smiled in agreement.

"What would you say if I suggested we forget about your dad's house tonight and went back to my hotel room instead?" he posed with a wicked smile, the center of his forehead lightly pressed against my own. He moved our hands up onto the table and played slightly with my fingers, bringing them up to his mouth to gently kiss my knuckles one by one seductively. With his eyes focused on me, he… God that felt so attentive and yet caring and seductive all at the same time.

With his lips hovering over my knuckles, he mused, "I'm so drawn to you, Bella. I don't think you have any idea. Say yes, doc."

I pulled away, scrunching up my face slightly in a way that completely conveyed the opposite of what I was feeling. "I don't think that's a good idea," I whispered, knowing I was already on thin ice with Carlisle and not wanting to change the plans on my dad.

Edward wasn't giving up. "Sure it is." He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine in his all-too-Edwardly-persuasive manner, and too many parts of my body wanted to give in to him.

"How could it not be?" he continued. His hands released mine, allowing for how his right hand found its way to my leg and traveled smoothly up and down my thigh. His left hand innocently played with a wave of my hair. My body felt alive and wanting more when he touched me, kissed me, and told me he desired my company. What girl, vampire or not, wouldn't want this to be a good idea? How lucky was I? I glanced around the bar quickly-luckier than any other bitch in this place tonight.

"Let's just see how things go," I answered after rounding up all my wits.

He pulled back to search my eyes, holding my gaze for a few seconds before relenting with an okay then taking a long draw of his beer. Jasper and Alice returned, and I asked if everything was good.

"For the most part," Jasper answered, and I wasn't sure what that meant.

"How about a game of darts?" Alice asked. "I'm challenging you," she said pointing a finger at Edward.

"Only if Isabella here is going to be my teammate," Edward smiled over at me. I was dreamweaving as my name rolled off his tongue.

"Of course. You guys set it up," I said as they moved from the table. "And it's just Bella, Edward," I reminded him sweetly, emphasizing that I was calling him by his preferred name. Meanwhile I turned to Jasper. He still sensed a vampire cruising through the greater area but it hadn't reached inside the town of Forks. Apparently, ones did travel through occasionally and sometimes they were interested in meeting Carlisle and his family but sometimes not.

"I need you to make Edward feel drunk," I told Jazz. Jasper laughed and said he thought Edward was already on his way. "Yeah, I know but I don't think he should be drinking and I . . . I think his hubris might get the best of him tonight, and I don't want anything to happen to him. So after darts, I want to be able to take him home."

"Sure thing, Bella," Jasper answered just as Alice called over to us to tell us it was time.

We played the darts with Alice, Jasper and I all handicapping our abilities to the point that Edward and I won, celebrating each of his bullseyes with a high five or a kiss. As the night went on, I felt each time Jasper threw vibes Edward's way, until his gait finally showed he was off kilter.

"And how about we call it a night?" I asked.

Jasper fake yawned. "Yeah, this has been fun, but I've got to get up early tomorrow," he said.

"And I've got an early class," Alice said unconvincingly. I shot both of them a look, neither seemed to be putting any effort in.

I looked to Edward to ask if he was ready and he replied simply, "I'll go where you go."

"Then schtick with me kid," I said in a voice that mocked some old Hollywood actor, giving Edward a pat on his tush. He slurred a few things in return about how he loved when I told him what to do, and I'm sure I was wrong, but it almost sounded like he called me just-Bella when he pointed out that we had yet to visit the stockroom.

Since Jasper didn't partake in drinking, and later I was going to have to ask Alice how she got ahold of the Denali cocktail I did enjoy tonight, Jasper drove us home. Edward wasn't overly drunk but he was more quiet than usual. He held my hand strongly against his chest, tugging at my arm until I was sitting across his lap. With his arms around me now, he told me how good he felt. I realized Jasper was hitting him with some kind of relaxation mojo. The waves felt different to the point Edward seemed to be drifting off to sleep. Before I could comment, Jasper had suddenly veered off the side of the road and was getting out of the car. Alice got out, too. "Stay here," I told Edward softly to which he agreed in his groggy state. I joined them in what turned into a lesson about scent and tracking. Jasper could smell another vampire. Alice agreed; she caught a whiff. I was less sure, but maybe the Denali cocktail was enough to mess with my senses.

"Big deal. Another vamp," I said to Jasper. He looked at me sternly, like I had just insulted my people.

"There's something off with this one though. It's the same one as before. This vampire is still in pain. I've never felt anything like this, from a vampire that is. I've felt heartbroken vibes and remorse even, but this is stronger, and it's driving this vampire but it's also hindering him or her, like a human who is sick."

"Wait, is it a Volturi? Is that it?"

"Probably not, their leader's decisions shouldn't have much to do with us," Alice said, "but we do have to tread lightly where they're concerned. If they did send someone to the area to monitor us then that's a problem. Now we'll definitely have to tell Carlisle about this."

"Maybe Carlisle can help this vampire. Maybe that's what it needs. Let's just get Edward home," I begged, suddenly feeling very protective of his safety.

We sped back to Charlie's, by which time Edward had passed out thanks to one more supernatural mickey from Jazz. I distracted Charlie, who was up still on the couch, while Jasper agreed to carry Edward upstairs, instead of me, in case he woke up. Once we got Edward's shoes off and him in bed, I went back to talk to Alice outside.

"How did you get the cocktail?" I asked.

"Oh, Kate came by and dropped it off. We have more at the house that we can mix up ourselves. I figured we could keep up the appearances better with it so Jasper here took it over to Donohues earlier and dropped it off. For a few dollars the bartender was willing to hold it for us. Poor Kate. She also wanted to know if I could come up with a vision about Garrett."

"And did you?"

"No, unfortunately."

I hugged Alice. "Thank you, this felt so real tonight." Jasper lit a cigarette and held one out to me, which I accepted.

"Well of course it was real, Daph!" Alice assured me.

"No." I puffed on my cigarette watching the smoke swirl through the night air of Forks knowing she didn't understand my sentiment. "It feels like I've got a midnight curfew because of what Carlisle said. Like I'm up against a countdown clock! Time will be up soon and I'll have to walk away from Edward, but not because I want to." I paused. "Do you think Carlisle is going to change his mind at all?"

"I don't know, Bella, but I hope so. It's not like him to be so unreasonable. Jazz and I will try to find out more about what is going on, but we wanted you to have this tonight, this experience, regardless of what Carlisle said."

"That's why we came with you," added Jasper. "And I hope this makes up for any recent times when I've been a slight jerk." He smiled mischievously. "There shouldn't be any normal hangover side effects by the way," Jasper said.

I smiled. He had been a jerk before we left for Denali.

"For either of you," Alice added, laughing. "That batch Kate delivered actually used deer blood platelets mixed with schnapps, not grain alcohol. Your system should be able to handle it more easily."

"That's brilliant! I thought it tasted different, but still so good!" I finished my cigarette, putting it out and wondered where I was going to stay during the night. It's not that I needed to sleep or work, but it was already midnight. I should probably go attempt to straighten things out with Carlisle, I thought.But ...is there anything he could tell me that would make me stop seeing Edward? I asked myself.No! No there wasn't. I was too deep in this. I … in some way…. already loved him. Talking to Carlisle would have to wait. "Look guys, I'm going to give things a few days to cool down with Carlisle, and then I'll figure things out from there."

"We'll work on figuring out what's going on with Carlisle too," Jasper said confidently. "It's gotta be easier than dating a human."

"Hey!" I quietly yelled in reaction to Jasper.

"Yeah, yeah. You know Bella, Edward seems like a great guy, but there's one obvious difference between you and him, and at some point, that's going to be an obstacle."

"I know Jazz," I whined, "but can I just not deal with that tonight?"

"Don't listen to him, Bella!" Alice said. "You just have to ride this roller coaster until the end. However it ends."

I asked Alice and Jasper why they were so supportive of me and Edward when Carlisle surely wasn't.

"Hold out your hand," Alice commanded.

I did so, and in it, Alice deposited a blue photobox keychain with SSA written on it like the one I had found in the tree there. I looked through it, as Jasper lit a lighter to provide light for the background of the film. It was a picture of Alice and I in front of the stand from when I worked there. She had her arm around me and we were laughing. I was in my uniform.

"Bella," Alice said, "who was it that befriended me when I was no more than a vampire freak forced to go to high school?"

"Me?" I asked then laughed, dangling the keychain until she snatched it back.

"Yes you! You were a human! I was a vampire. We bonded, and it made our friendship work. Look at us now! There was never any intention of making you one of our kind, but it happened. So I'm not willing to shut the door on the possibilities that exist in life, whether for humans or vampires, especially not any possibilities where my best friend is concerned." Alice hugged me tightly. Jasper threw in a ditto, before hugging us both.

We said our goodbyes, and I kicked off my shoes before I went up to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Charlie had made his way up to his bedroom, and I closed his door gently as I passed by. I made my way through Edward's things, unpacking them and putting them into my chest of draws. When I came across a pair of flannel bottoms, I figured Edward would be more comfortable in them, so I pulled the covers back and removed his shoes, socks, and jeans, but before I could fit on his flannel bottoms, I found myself fascinated by his body's sleeping form here in my old room. His chest rose and fell slowly, and his lips pouted out full and inviting, just as they had that first night in the hospital. I leaned down to kiss his mouth softly. He murmured something slight in response. His eyes fluttered open until they were focused on my face in front of him. He looked around at our surroundings, displaying a surprised yet amused look to his eyes, without pulling his lips away from mine. "Hi. My room," I whispered, "Shhh, my dad." I nodded my head toward the direction of the door. "Can you be quiet?" He nodded his head yes and moved to a sitting position in my little twin-sized bed making it rattle and creak. He grasped my face with one hand, kissing me and pulling me in close to him as I climbed over him, straddling his torso.

I let my waves of long hair drape down, landing on his shirt. He moved his hands to my hips, moving my body to rock back and forth a few times quickly before he pulled his shirt off over his head, baring his sculpted chest. Starting with the backs of my hands, I ran my hands up and down his chest, letting him feel the human feeling of my hair dangling down and fanning across his skin. His hands skimmed up and down my legs leaving warm trails through my skinny jeans.

As I leaned in to kiss along his chest and collarbone, I savored his citrusy, woodsy scent and the thumping of his heart so close to my ear. His body thrummed in response to my touch and I felt every response ripple down his body, straight to his cock. He wrapped his hands around my shoulders, rubbing easy circles with his thumbs as I lifted my face up to his.

"How far do you want this to go?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Tonight? How far do you want this to go?" I countered.

"Are you kidding?" His face pulled away from mine in shock. "I'm a guy, Bella." He smiled mischievously, but then his face turned more serious. "Don't you know I've been mesmerized by you since I first saw you in the mall?" His hands traveled down my arms and came to rest on my waist. "I'll take as little or as much as you're willing to give me tonight or any night." He kissed me on the cheek. "Or any morning." He kissed my temple. "Or any afternoon." He chuckled then swallowed harshly, an intensity overtaking his eyes. "Do you have any idea how much I wanted you when I met you in the hospital but thought I could never have you?"

"Why would you have thought that?" I asked in a whisper, waiting to hear his theories about what I really was. And no, I didn't have any idea.

"I thought you were with Emmett, like together, when I saw you at the mall. When I questioned you in the hospital, I wasn't sure if I could stand to hear that you were with him. Or Carlisle. Or even Alice, for that matter."

"Why?" I asked innocently, remaining quiet but smiling internally at the memory of his inquisition in the hospital.

"Because... I told you," he whispered wrapping his hand around the back of my neck to pull me in closer, "I wanted you for myself, differently than I've ever wanted anybody. And now that I have you . . . " He kissed me hard, passionately, like he was trying to make me understand how much he wanted me, and it's not that I didn't believe that he believed what he was saying, but I still credited his attraction to my new natural vampire camouflage. Perhaps it was time to decide if I was being too generous in how much credit I was giving to that? He'd spent time with me and hadn't run off screaming yet. We hadn't argued over differing opinions, and he'd wanted to meet my family. He even gave me a gift today.

Despite what Aunt Tanya and her sisters had told me, I had changed my mind about my approach and course with Edward. I was going to start slowly. Whatever amount of "drunk" he was or had felt this evening was now gone, and I didn't want to freak him out by exposing too much of me. He was going to have to find out more about who I was before I went through with getting too physical with him.

"That night in the hospital, when I felt I was being kissed, I thought I was dreaming or having some strange memory. When I decided it was you, that you had kissed me, Bella, it made me want you even more. But . . . . your father is in the next room, and last time I checked, I wasn't a horny seventeen-year-old boy, even if you make me feel that way sometimes. So I can keep my big boy pants on," he looked down at himself, "well boxers at least, and wait because I'm not going anywhere, Bella Swan, and we will be together. If you want that."

"I want that," I whispered back.

"Good," he smiled. "By the way," he narrowed his eyes looking around, "I don't remember getting up here."

"Jasper helped get you up here," I told him in a low tone. "You were kind of out of it. Maybe the concussion is worse than we thought?"

"And you stayed," he whispered back. "There's no concussion affecting me. Only you." He slowly loosened my shirt, unbuttoned the top few buttons, and pushed my hair back over my shoulders, exposing my neck. Without thinking, I was responding to him; he was kissing me again. He held me securely with his arms up my back, his palms cupping my shoulders pulling me in toward him, as we stared into each other's eyes. "You're very good at that," he said with a smile, and I threw my head back as I softly laughed. "I just want to be this close to you forever, and I want you to accept me for who I want to be now without holding who I've been against me," he whispered.

And I wanted the exact opposite from him about me. To accept the Bella I've always been, without holding the monster in me against me.

Somehow, we needed to meet in the middle.

~x~

~AGH~

A/N: Was it the best idea to take Edward to a bar, probably not but he doesn't seem to be suffering.