I spend Wednesday morning packing, and there's a distinct pattern when it comes to my clothes—I only wear jeans and flannels. I have a couple pairs of leggings but nothing super nice. I mean, the flannels are at least ironed and nice looking. That's something. Once my bag is packed with clothes, I do my bathroom things and toss the bag into my duffle.

All done and with like five minutes to spare.

I carry my bag downstairs and place it by the door. Ulysses checks it out, and I read him the rules.

"No parties, mister. And be good for Alice and Jasper when they come to check on you. I don't want to hear about any sass. Be a good boy for Mommy and keep the house safe."

I give him scratches, and I think he listened to me.

There's a sudden knock on the door, and I open it to find Edward. "Ready?"

I nod, grabbing my work laptop by the handle. "I told Eric I'd be accessible. You don't mind, do you?"

He shakes his head, flinging my duffle bag over his shoulder. "Not at all. I had to bring mine too—just in case. Is Ulysses set?"

I nod. "Already read him the riot act, and Alice will be over in a few hours to feed and check on him for me. I'm all set."

We walk out the front door, I lock up, and then head to Edward's Volvo. He puts my bag in the back, and I lay my laptop on top of it. The thing is durable and couldn't break if you threw it on the ground. Soon enough, we're off, but we stop at a Sheetz to grab snacks and drinks for the road. Edward tops the tank off as I run in, getting us both a Coke and some chips and gummy worms.

He's done by the time I am, so we hit the road. The drive is nearly five hours, but it goes by fast as we talk and sing along to the radio. He's right about the traffic around the city—it's atrocious and holds us up by a good hour. Soon enough though, we're pulling down a long driveway in the woods that gives way to a clearing where a beautiful Victorian house sits.

"Wow, this is stunning," I say with my mouth agape.

"My mom takes pleasure in making sure the house and landscaping looks good. She has a greenhouse garden out back too."

"So, she's where you get your love for perfection," I tease.

"Partly, at least. Are you ready to go in? We'll grab our bags later."

I nod, taking my seat belt off. He comes around, opens my door for me, and takes my hand in his. By the time we get to the door, it's already opening. Mrs. Cullen is petite with long brown waves and kind eyes—Edward's green ones. Dr. Cullen stands almost as tall as Edward with fine blond hair and a smile on his lips.

"Bella!" Mrs. Cullen says, pulling me into a hug. "It's so good to finally meet you."

"You too, Mrs. Cullen."

"Just call me Esme, dear. This is my husband, Carlisle."

He also gives me a hug. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella."

"You as well. Thank you for having me. Your home is beautiful."

"Thank you," Esme says, leading us into the house and to the living room. "Can I get you both something to drink?"

"Just two Cokes," Edward says. "Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome. I'll be right back."

While she's gone, Carlisle asks Edward about his work, and then fills him in on the free clinic he's running.

"I couldn't have done it without your mother rallying for donations. We're hosting another fundraiser just before Christmas if you want to come. Maybe throw a few dollars your dad's way?" Carlisle chuckles.

Edward smiles. "Depends on when it is and if I can get off. I'm working Christmas this year, so I can probably wiggle a few days off in the middle of the month. Could you, Bella?"

"Yeah, I'm sure I could. Our biggest issue at Christmastime is kids stealing decor, but Eric can handle the little vandals."

"Wonderful. I'll get you two tickets," he says as Esme comes back with two glasses, handing one to me, then the other to Edward.

"So, Bella, I've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time. I'm jealous Rose got to meet you first."

"Oh, we weren't dating yet."

"According to her, you both were definitely flirting."

"We kind of were," Edward says with a smirk. "Hate-flirting, at the very least. Like two kids on the playground."

I blush. "Okay, maybe we were."

"I thought your baking rivalry was adorable. I'm sorry you didn't win all four contests, Bella."

I shrug. "At least, it was Edward who beat me, but there's always next year. I'll come back stronger than a nineties trend."

She laughs. "Maybe you two can compete together next year."

Edward nods. "Might be a good idea. So, how are you, Mom?"

"I'm good. I've got my hands full with the free clinic and trying to find grants to keep it running."

"I think it's incredible you both run a free clinic. It must make a huge difference."

Carlisle nods. "We're helping a lot of people. I'm lucky to have a lot of contacts and donors to keep it going. Eventually, I'll need to hire another doctor, but we just don't have the funds for it yet."

"We'll get there," Esme says. "So, tell us about yourself, Bella. What led you to become Chief of Police in Ashbury? Are you from there?"

I shake my head. "No, I'm from a small town called Forks in Washington. My dad is Chief of Police there and inspired me. I got my degree in criminal justice, and then joined the Seattle police department's SWAT unit. There was an … incident, and I left the department and happened upon Ashbury's need for a police chief."

"What kind of incident?" Esme asks.

Edward shakes his head. "Mom, she doesn't like to talk about it."

"No, it's okay. I was shot three times with armor-piercing rounds. It took a toll on me and scared the hell out of my dad. Once I recovered, I just couldn't go back into that much danger."

"Oh my," Esme says. "You're lucky to be alive."

"Very lucky, it sounds like," Carlisle says. "I've treated my fair share of gunshot wounds. They're nasty."

I nod. "Yep, so I slowed down. This job has its dangers but nothing like Seattle."

"Speaking of which, we heard you got into a little brawl," he says. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I've spent the last few days resting at Edward's insistence."

"She's a terrible patient," Edward says with a laugh. "A little pigheaded."

I elbow him softly. "I'm not that bad."

"Well, why don't you get your things from the car and take them upstairs. Rose will be here later this evening, so we'll eat dinner without her," Esme says.

Edward nods. "My old room?"

"Yes, I made up the bed with fresh sheets."

We go grab our bags, and then Edward takes me upstairs to his old bedroom. It's got light gray walls with a queen size bed covered in a black comforter. There are Legos on the bookshelves and a bunch of books.

"Did you make these?" I ask, pointing to a Star Wars Lego set.

He fucking blushes, and I find it utterly adorable. "I'm a bit of a nerd. You haven't been to my house much, but I have a guest bedroom where I display more of them. It's a hobby."

"It's cute." I smile. "You were quite the reader too."

"I didn't have room for all my books in college, so I left the least important ones here. Eventually, I should probably get them. Mom's never complained though. The bathroom is through this door if you want to get your stuff out and settle in."

I nod, opening my duffel and grabbing out my toiletries and makeup. It's a small bathroom with just a shower, but it's very nice. I couldn't imagine growing up in a home like this.

It's absolutely lovely.

I don't own Twilight.

Thanks to Ashley, May, and Mary prereading and Sally for beta'ing.