A/N… I won't keep you. Just see me at the bottom.

~oOo~

Chapter 23

BELLA

"Now?" Sid complained from his carrier in the back seat.

"That's Sid's version of 'Are we there yet?'" I laughed, gazing out the window of Edward's truck.

Edward chuckled a little. "Not yet, Sid," he answered, still amused at my cat.

Edward and I had left the hospital, volunteering to pack everyone's things at Carlisle and Esme's house in order to be able to save time and driving. Esme and I did most of the packing because Edward only had the use of one hand, though he'd tried. I'd never heard that many curse words strung together in one breath. Esme just about laughed herself sick. Clearly, his lungs were fine.

Glancing over at him as he drove, I asked, "How's your shoulder?"

He glared my way, shaking his head. "It hurts like a bitch. It'll be even worse when I try to shower or change clothes."

I turned a little in the seat to gaze his way. "I'll help you." He was shaking his head, and I huffed a laugh. "You're so stubborn." When he frowned my way, I pointed to myself. "Girlfriend. It's now my job to help you. A shower with me might be something you'd enjoy, Detective."

That snapped him out of his pain-induced grumpiness, but I understood it. He'd been going since he'd been released that morning. Between Alice having the baby, talking to Jasper, the drive to his aunt and uncle's home, and packing, he hadn't really rested.

He grimaced. "Sorry, beautiful."

"Don't. I know you haven't stopped today. Have you taken anything for the pain?" I asked, and he shook his head. "Then…my apartment first."

He smirked, but he stayed quiet as we drove back into the city. He'd answer Sid's whiny queries, which made me laugh. He was driving like it was a race to get back, but we hadn't actually been home since Dad was assaulted over a month ago. I couldn't fathom the state of my shop. I was trying really hard not to panic over cleaning up and reopening and all the shit in between.

Carmen and Eleazar weren't in town, and they hadn't been since we'd had to close the doors of not only my shop, but the apartments as well. They were in Alaska with her family. Mr. Saunders was still in Arizona, but once we'd gotten back to Esme's, I'd messaged them that it was clear to make their way home. However, my dad, Alice, and Edward were all out of commission for a bit, and they normally were my biggest helpers. I wasn't sure what I'd do.

I sighed as we neared Common Ground. Edward pulled the truck up to the curb in front of the apartments. My brow furrowed at the welcoming committee standing outside.

Garrett, Emmett, Rose, Tanya, Seth, and Eric were all hanging out in front of my building, wearing grins and smirks.

"Why are they…" I started to ask Edward, but he grinned. "What'd you do?"

He outright laughed. "C'mon. I'll let them show you." He got out, going to the back seat. "I'll carry Sid so we don't have to leave him in the truck."

"No, baby," I told him. Surprise or not, I didn't want him in pain. "Just give his fluffy ass here."

Emmett was the first one to us, and he held out my keys. "I'm sure you'll be glad to have these back," he said, wearing a smile. He looked to Edward. "How you feeling, bro?"

"I'll live."

I shook my head at the stubbornness, but a bit of that made me sad. Edward had been forced to be okay his whole life, no matter what he'd felt. However, Garrett's and Tanya's cheesy grins made me chuckle.

She walked to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "C'mon. We did the best we could."

She led me to Dad's door, and I opened it. Tugging my hand, she guided me to his spare room, Alice's room. My mouth fell open.

"Oh, my God," I barely breathed aloud.

They'd done everything. They'd shifted the bed a little, creating space for the crib. And it was not only assembled, but completely made – crib mattress, sheets, toys – all in the dinosaur theme Alice had picked. On the shelf in the closet were diapers, wipes, and more clothes than CJ would ever have a chance to wear before outgrowing them. Some of that had been my doing, but not all of it.

Blankets and bibs were stacked on the changing table we hadn't even had a chance to open. And lastly, on the bed was a basket full of bottles, pacifiers, stuffed animals, and teething toys. There were even clothes for Alice.

"I can't believe you guys did all this," I said softly, looking to Tanya and then to Rose and Emmett as I ran a hand over Sid's head. "Thank you!"

Rose smiled. "Are you kidding? This was fun! Makes me want one."

Emmett went pale, and Edward barked a laugh, gripping his shoulder. "Good luck with that."

"That's not all, Bella," Garrett said from my dad's living room. When I stepped out of Alice's bedroom, he waved me forward. "C'mon."

We locked Dad's door back, and I followed Garrett, Seth, and Eric next door to Common Ground. I barely remembered what it had looked like when Dad had been attacked by Laurent and Jake. I knew it had been ransacked, that they'd searched the whole place for Maria's drugs, but at the time, I could only focus on Dad.

However, everything seemed to be back in place as I walked from the front door through the dining room. The counter was clean and organized again as I made my way to the kitchen door. I knew this was where the worst of it had been. But all the food and pans and ingredients that they'd thrown to the floor were gone. The floors had been swept and mopped, and most of the pans were sitting on the shelves or on top of the prep tables. There wasn't even a smell from anything going bad.

"How'd you do this so fast?"

Garrett grinned. "Because Edward called in every favor, Bella. Now, none of us know anything about food, so you're gonna have to clean out that big-ass fridge. We threw out like the rotten veggies, but…"

When he trailed off, I said, "Thank you!" I rounded on Edward, who looked nervous. "You called them all?"

He grinned, but it was fleeting. "I promised I'd help you, and then…" He gestured to his wounded shoulder.

Oh, he was getting kissed stupid as soon as there wasn't an audience.

"Thank you," I told him, making sure he acknowledged me before I walked toward my office.

The blood on the wall was gone, and my office was cleaned up after Charlie had been worked on by the EMTs. Sitting on top of my desk was my laptop. They'd done it all. When the time came, all I'd need to do was order supplies. Every worry I'd had on the way here or while I'd been in hiding was suddenly gone, and I didn't quite know what to do or say.

My eyes filled with tears, and a lump formed in my throat. I shook my head.

"Bella?" Edward called softly.

I shook my head again, finally facing them all. "I don't have words…for this." When I hugged Sid closer, he rubbed his face against my chin as the tears fell. "I don't know… How do I…"

Edward smiled sadly, pulling me to him and whispering in my ear. "You've done nothing to deserve all that's happened these last few months, beautiful. We just wanted to set it right. Okay?" When I nodded, he wiped the tears from beneath my eye with one hand. "They were more than willing to do it because they like you."

"Love you," I whispered to him, and his face broke into the sweetest smile before he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"And that's why I did it, Bella," he whispered against my brow. "That reason right there."

Sid pushed up in my arms to hum against his face, but I stopped him before those paws came anywhere near Edward's shoulder.

"Sid," I said through a sigh, "don't hurt him." I glanced up at Edward's face, and even though Sid didn't touch his shoulder, I could see he was in pain. "Okay, let's get you some painkillers. You've done enough today, Edward."

He acquiesced way quicker than I expected, which meant he was done.

I faced the group who had busted their asses to help me, help Alice, and keep us all safe. "I can't thank you enough. Seriously."

Emmett looked at Edward, grimacing a little. "Okay, the last thing I'll do is help unload the truck." He patted Garrett's shoulder. "C'mon, let's help him out. He's hurtin'."

They all ended up helping unload the truck, but I led Edward up to my apartment. Once the door was closed, I set Sid loose back into his home. I needed to set up his litter and food, but he'd be okay for a minute.

I settled Edward down on my sofa. "Don't move."

He smiled, but it came off as more like a grimace. I walked into my bathroom, rummaging around in the cabinet.

Coming back out, I held up two bottles. "Over the counter? Or something that could get me arrested, Detective?"

He huffed a laugh. "Do I want to know?"

Grinning, I shrugged. "I had wisdom teeth removed. That shit was torture."

Shaking his head, he reached for the over-the-counter bottle. "A few of these will be fine, baby."

I brought him some water to take them and said, "Let me set up Sid's litter and feed him. We'll have to make you waterproof." I smirked his way. "My shower or yours?"

He'd sat back on my sofa, closing his eyes. "I honestly don't care, beautiful."

"Mine it is," I teased him, and he grinned, keeping his eyes closed.

I went about getting Sid's life back in order. A glance over at Edward, and I figured my shower would definitely work, because he looked like he was pretty damned comfortable. He wasn't asleep, but he was getting there.

Walking into my bathroom, I rummaged around in my first aid kit for what I needed. This wasn't my first time dealing with stitches and showers. When my dad had been shot during that convenience store robbery, he'd had the same issue. Jasper had been in more fights and scuffles than I could count, so same thing.

I came back into my living room to see Edward sitting forward, struggling with the sling.

"Relax," I whispered, standing between his legs and gently lifting the strap off over his head and slipping the sling off his arm. "Stand up for me." I started to unbutton his shirt, and he flinched a little. "Sorry."

"That wasn't you. Just taking off the sling…"

I pulled his shirt open, slipping it off his good shoulder and then gently removing it from his injured one. The bandage wasn't big, but it was from the curve of his shoulder to the middle of his pec. I was happy to note that there wasn't any bleeding through the gauze.

The logical part of me knew – deep down – that he'd been wearing a Kevlar vest, but if the bullet had been a few more inches over, it could've hit his neck or his head. Squeezing my eyes closed, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Bella?"

I shook my head, saying, "This was way too fucking close."

"I'm okay."

Nodding, I continued covering his wound so that he could get a shower. Before I could step away from him, his hand slipped into my hair, forcing my gaze to his.

"I'm okay," he said forcefully, raising an eyebrow up at me. "Yeah, it was fucking close, but I'll live."

"I know. I know!" I told him, nodding a little, but I lifted up on my toes to kiss him.

Careful not to hurt him, I pressed closer. I kissed him because I could've lost him. I kissed him because he'd called in everyone he knew to not only keep my family and me safe, but to also clean up my home, my shop, my fucking life. And he did it simply because he felt it was the right thing.

Suddenly, I couldn't let him go. He had his own apartment right above me, his own shower, his own bed.

"Stay," I pleaded in a whisper. "Just…give me tonight. I just… I'm not… After your shower, I don't care if you just hold me. I know you're probably ready for your own place again, but…"

He huffed a laugh against my lips. "I think you're stuck with me, Bella."

Smiling up at him, I let out a nervous breath and took his hand. "C'mon, let's get that shower. It's been a long couple of days."

I knew he hadn't taken one since before he'd left the night he was searching for James, and I was right there with him. After hospitals and surgeries and babies, we were due, but I also knew this would relax his muscles and give the painkillers he'd taken a chance to kick in.

And the selfish girl in me simply wanted him in my shower, in my bed, even if we just slept.

Edward kicked out of his shoes, and I helped him with socks and his jeans, which left him in a pair of boxer briefs. I fought my desires, because that man was deliciously perfect. When I'd first met him, he made a suit and tie seem sexy, but then in jeans and an untucked button-down shirt, he looked like a damned model. Now I'd seen everything about him, and I could see on his face that he didn't have a fucking clue just how gorgeous he was. Not even a blip on his radar.

I'd have laughed out loud about it, but I didn't. I focused on starting the water.

It was crowded in there with the two of us, but we made it work. I helped with his hair and his back when his arm wouldn't cooperate without causing pain. And he might have been tired and sore, but other parts of him were standing at attention.

When I met his gaze, he merely shrugged and pulled me close once I was rinsed. "You're beautiful. I can't help it."

My lips twitched a little at how awkward and nervous he sounded. "Do you—"

"No," he said through a laugh, and he ran a hand over his wet hair. "You come anywhere near me, and I'll probably take us both out in this damn tub."

I laughed, shut the water off, and grabbed us some towels. After drying off and combing my hair, I came back into my bedroom to Edward in my bed, but he was just about to drift off. I turned out the lights and joined him. He gathered me to his uninjured side, pressing kisses to my forehead. I wasn't sure either of us said anything before we were out.

~oOo~

EDWARD

I wasn't sure what woke me up first – the twinge in my shoulder or my phone vibrating across the nightstand by my head. The sun was up, but Bella was still asleep with Sid curled up around her arm. He opened an eye my way but merely stretched his toes and went back to sleep, which made me smile and shake my head. I could get really used to this shit. Being with Bella was comfortable, and she'd learned how to stop my snappy personality.

I knew it was anxiety. Uncle Carlisle had pointed it out years ago. Sometimes, I simply couldn't stop it. Things would overwhelm me, cause me to falter, and I reacted with anger and curtness. It was why he and Aunt Esme had begged me to seek counseling.

Careful of my shoulder, I pulled on my jeans, hit the bathroom, and went in search of that bottle of pain reliever she'd given me the night before. It was still in the living room, so I shook a couple out and went into the kitchen for water to take them.

I leaned against the counter, scrolling through my messages. Emmett had forwarded my parents' case file. My aunt and uncle were checking on me, as were Tanya and Rose. I replied back to them, letting them know I was okay, because this had scared more than just Bella. They didn't say it, but it had.

Garrett had panicked at James's warehouse, and he'd told me Emmett said that he was bringing everyone with him when Garrett had called while I was in surgery. But Bella's reaction last night when reality hit her told me more than anything. It was a close fucking call – too close.

I stepped out of the kitchen and back into her living room, hoping the pain reliever would kick in soon and remembering the day I'd helped Bella clean up her apartment after Jacob Black and Laurent Brunelle had ransacked it. They didn't just search the place for the drugs; they'd broken, ripped, shattered all her possessions. Some of that was probably Jake's revenge against Bella for not just breaking up with him, but also for completely closing him out. She gave him nothing because she was fucking done.

It was the first time that I'd truly seen Bella. I'd seen what helping everyone she loved was doing to her. It didn't matter that it was done with good intentions or that it came from her sweet, loving heart. I remember wondering when helping was going to put her in danger, and it did.

The broken snow globe was sitting on the shelf, now empty of liquid. The tears she'd shed over this simple little thing had hurt to see, but I understood those tears. To cling to a memory with white knuckles and fierceness, to hold on to tangible things – all to keep loss and heartbreak from setting us on fire or giving up completely. She kept the snow globe as a reminder of her mother.

I, on the other hand, kept an entire fucking house that I couldn't seem to find the balls to even fucking visit, in memory of mine.

Movement in my peripheral vision made me turn toward Bella, who was yawning adorably while standing there in an oversized Forks Police Department T-shirt. Even better was Sid winding around her legs, trying to corral her to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Morning, beautiful," I said, walking to her.

"Mornin'. You okay?"

"Yeah, I needed something for pain."

She eyed my bandage. "You bled overnight. Sit. I'll change your gauze."

I sat down at the table while she fed Sid and then went into her bathroom. She came back out with her first aid kit, setting it down on the table and standing between my legs.

Her smile was soft and sweet, if not still a bit sleepy. "This feels familiar," she stated softly, pushing my hair from my forehead to eye the slight scar left by my split brow – the same split brow she'd cleaned up at this very table. She leaned in to press a kiss to it.

I chuckled up at her. "I'd promise that I won't always need cleaning up, but it's the hazard of my job."

She grinned, starting to carefully work the old bandage off my shoulder. "You think I don't remember my dad coming home with black eyes, busted knuckles, and a sprained ankle or two?" she asked through a light laugh. "I'm okay with your job, Edward. I'm okay with the hours, with cleaning you up, with all the other things being a cop brings to the table – so to speak," she said, tapping the tabletop. "I didn't mind Dad being a cop. It was better when he became chief, because he wasn't always in the thick of things, but it was still a possibility. The difference is…Forks was a tiny little town, and Seattle is massive. I just need to know you'll be careful."

"I'll promise to always try, baby," I vowed.

The bandage was pulled away, and we glanced down together. It looked okay. I may have stretched it a bit, but it didn't look like any stitches were broken. She cleaned the area with water, applied another bandage, and then leaned in to kiss my lips.

"By tomorrow, you'll be able to shower without the scuba suit I put on it," she stated with a tease. "Maybe even go without the bandage as long as you're not doing anything major."

"Like?"

She smirked and leaned in. "Any heavy lifting or laborious tasks, Edward." She tilted that gorgeous head at me. "Or sex."

Grinning, I wrapped my strong arm around her waist to essentially lift her up and set her astride my lap. "I realize that sex can be both heavy lifting and laborious, but…not always," I told her, smirking at her laughter and humming when I found out that there wasn't anything on underneath that big shirt she was wearing.

"So you want me to do all the work?" she asked in a falsely shocked tone.

"Oh, yes."

She shifted back on my lap, reaching for my jeans. When she took me out and into her hand, I let out a moan at how badly I wanted her. Maybe it was because things had been crazy scary for a few days, or maybe it was because it had been days since I'd been inside her. Or perhaps it was both of those things and the fact that she was whispering she loved me as she slowly sank down over me.

"Fuck," I hissed, shaking my head when she thought she'd hurt me. "Oh, baby, I'm far from in pain right this second."

It was awkward and perfect, and I pushed at that shirt until she reached down to yank it off over her head. It landed on the table. She kissed the shit out of me as she braced one hand on my good shoulder and the other on the table to move over me. I tried to help with my stronger arm, and despite the fact that this wasn't hurried or frenzied, I was barreling toward losing my shit.

"Catch up, baby. I'm close."

Bella's hips rolled and swiveled until I thought I'd go mad, but soon, she was shaking, her breath catching in her throat, and I fell apart at her dining room table.

Bella's lips pressed to mine as she tried to catch her breath.

"Love you," I panted, smiling when all she could do was nod. "Is this in my lease?"

Her laugh started with an adorably ugly snort, but it built up. "No. Definitely not." She sat up, cupping both sides of my face and kissing me again before getting up to pull her shirt back on. "We need food. And coffee. But we'll have to go out or have groceries delivered."

My phone vibrated on the table, and I frowned at it before looking up at her. "Um, can we have it delivered? I… Emmett sent my parents' case file, and I'd…"

"You want me here?"

"Do you mind?" I asked instead of answered.

"I offered to hold your hand. I meant that," she said, raking her fingers through my hair. "If it gets to be too much, we'll do something else for a bit. I imagine everyone will be home soon – babies, neighbors, that handsome guy who lives above me."

I chuckled. "He's probably got laundry to do."

"Fine. We'll do laundry together if that file is too much. Deal?"

I kissed her. "Deal, beautiful."

~oOo~

A/N… Some of you are under the impression that this story is almost over. Not quite yet. There are a few loose ends to tie up.

I'm working on a few things, the epi to When Angels Fall is one of those things. Finding the time is the issue. But it'll get there.

Okay, see you guys next Monday. Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)