Edward pov.

I was standing down stairs when Alicen came bounding down the stairs chanting. "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!"

"What, what, what?" I laughed.

"Mommy looks so pretty." She smiled wide. "Just wait and see."

I could hear Bella's heels click on the stairs and I looked up, my breath catching in my throat.
Her dress...don't even get me started. It showed just enought skin for me but I wasn't so sure I wanted any other man seeing her like this.

Alicen tugged on my hand, breaking my train of thought. "Can we go now?" She asked.

"Let's go." I smiled.



Alicen was wiggling in her seat and wouldn't be still. "Sin, be still, Sweets." I whispered to her.

"I can't." She wined. "I have to use the bathroom."

"Come on." Bella stood up and Alicen hopped down taking her hand. "We'll be back." She told me and I nodded.

On their way out of the bathroom Bella was stopped by a huge guy. He had dark hair and russet colored skin. I almost got up out of my seat but she embraced him in a hug. Alicen smiled up to him and he picked her up for a hug. I sat, my leg bouncing as I waited for them to return. They talked for what seemed like hours to me before he put her down and they waved their goodbyes.

"Who was that?" I asked as they sat back down.

"An old friend." She shrugged.

"Jacob." Alicen smiled finishing up her plate. "But he said I could call him Jake."

"Jacob?" I looked back at Bella.

"Jacob Black." She nodded. "We used to make mud pies when we were little. He's Billy Blacks son. When you were out of town or sick he would play with me."

I nodded and chewed my last peice of steak.

"Are you busy Friday night?" She asked suddenly. "I mean, Jacob asked me out to a movie to kind of catch up. Do you think you could watch Alicen?"

No, no, no. "Uhm, yeah. Sure." NO! No...no he couldn't have her.

"Thanks." She smiled.

I sat staring into space, arguing with myself untill Bella's voice sounded through my head. "Edward? Are you okay? Are you sure you're not busy or anything?"

"Well, the crew is having a masqurade ball Friday night before they send out the next group. For husbands and wives, girlfriends and boyfriends. I was going to ask if you wanted to go because well..." Tell her! "You're my best friend." Coward!

"I can postpone it. I wouldn't mind."

"No. No, go. He asked first."

"Well, I could see if Charlie could keep Alicen. I mean, it's been a while since she has seen him and I know Sue misses her too. Then you could um, ask..." She sighed. "Tanya."

No, thanks. "I think I will ask Alice. I haven't seen her and I need to spend some time with her since I'm back."

She smiled. "She's going to like that."

We looked over at Alicen who was shoveling ice cream into her mouth. "I was tired of waiting." She shrugged.

I laughed. So stubborn and impatent...just like your mom."

Bella pov.
"Bella!"

I turned to see Jacob strolling toward us. "Jacob." I smiled and hugged him.

"Jake!" Alicen let go of my hand and Jacob scooped her up for a hug.

"Munchkin!" He laughed.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Part time job. I was just comming in for my shift. What about you?"

"We are here with Edward. He came home last night so we all decided to come to dinner." I smiled.

"Hey, I was thinking. Do you wanna' maybe go to a movie Friday night? Finish catching up for a couple weeks ago?"

"Sounds fun." I nodded. "We better get back. See you Friday?"

"Six o'clock." He smiled and put Alicen down.

"Bye Jake!" Alicen smiled and waved.

I waved to him and we sat back down at our table.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"An old friend." I shrugged.

"Jacob." Alicen smiled finishing up her plate. "But he said I could call him Jake."

"Jacob?" He looked back at me.

"Jacob Black." I nodded. "We used to make mud pies when we were little. He's Billy Blacks son. When you were out of town or sick he would play with me."

He only nodded.

"Are you busy Friday night?" I asked "I mean, Jacob asked me out to a movie to kind of catch up. Do you think you could watch Alicen?"

"Uhm, yeah. Sure."

"Thanks." I smiled at him.

He sat staring into space, clearly thinking hard about something. "Edward? Are you okay? Are you sure you're not busy or anything?" I asked.

"Well, the crew is having a masqurade ball Friday night before they send out the next group. For husbands and wives, girlfriends and boyfriends. I was going to ask if you wanted to go because well. . .you're my best friend."

Best friend...that's all. Nothing more. I needed to keep reminding myself.

"I can postpone it. I wouldn't mind." I offered

"No. No, go. He asked first." He sighed.

"Well, I could see if Charlie could keep Alicen. I mean, it's been a while since she has seen him and I know Sue misses her too. Then you could um, ask..." I can't believe I'm going to bring up this whore "Tanya." Ugh. I felt just as pathetic as her just saying her name.

"I think I will ask Alice. I haven't seen her and I need to spend some time with her since I'm back."

Thank God! "She's going to like that."

We looked over at Alicen who was shoveling ice cream into her mouth. "I was tired of waiting." She shrugged.

He laughed. "So stubborn and impatent...just like your mom."



Once Alicen was bathed and in the bed, I got back to my show I recorded. I could not and would not miss Bones.

Edward sat down beside me with a bowl of popcorn. He held it out to me and I smiled as I took a handful. "So what is this show about?" He asked.

"Dr. Brennan is an anthropologist who is teamed up with Agent Booth of the FBI. Brennan and her team work with the remains of people to try to figure out who they are, how they died, when, where. Booth helps out with the questioning of suspects." I explained.

"So...thoes remains...is someone who was killed say over...six months ago?" He asked.

"Yup." I nodded.

"And they now know what she looks like from...a few bones?"

"Yeah. How old, tall, gender, race..."

"And that crack she is looking at on the dead woman's skull is all she needs to figure out how she was killed?" He looked dumbfounded.

I nodded. "The worst part is...it's her mother."

"Wow." He whispered.

"Yeah." I agreed.

"No, I mean wow, I can't believe you know all about this show like that." He laughed.

I playfully smacked his arm. "I pay attetion. Something you should do every once in a while." I giggled.

"I do pay attention." He sighed. "But it's only on one thing." He looked over at me, his green eyes boaring into mine. For a moment, my thoughts came to hault and I couldn't see or hear anything going on around me.

"Mommy." Alicen's voice snapped me back to reality.

"What baby?" I asked getting up on my feet and pausing the t.v.

"Can you fix me some water?" She asked.

"Yeah. Come on." I filled her a cup up and followed her back up stairs. I tucked her into bed.

"Mommy?" She asked, sleep covering her voice.

"What baby?"

"Were you okay downstairs?" She didn't over look anything.

"Yeah. I was just...thinking."

She nodded and I kissed her head. "Night, Sin." I pulled the chain on her lamp and pulled her door to.

I walked back downstairs. All the lights were out except for a lamp beside the couch and the t.v.

Great. I had run him up into his room. I sighed and turned of the tv. I would finish watching it tomorrow. I flipped the switch on the lamp and walked up to my room.

Edward pov.

Of course she would take the first chance she got to take off. She knew that I was leaning in. I was so close! So freakin close! I shoved my pillow over my head. This was never going to happen. I tucked my pillow back under my head and listened as Bella's footsteps sounded down the hall and dissapeared into her room. Maybe in another life. Maybe.