Chapter 7 - Fun Houses & Gossip Rags

BPOV

In my dream, I stood in the middle of the fairground, holding my Daddy's hand. It wasn't as much a dream as a memory of having gone there as a child after my parents' divorce.

I gazed up at the lights of the Ferris wheel looming overhead, feeling slightly fearful, but certain that my brother wouldn't insist that I ride on it.

He didn't like heights any more than I did…

"Belly, let's go through the fun house." He called, "I turned to find him already heading inside. Daddy let go of my hand with a smile. "I'll be waiting out here for you Bells."

I ran, clutching the teddy bear Emmett had won for me against my chest, and ventured inside. I called out to Emmett and forced my legs to carry me quickly around each corner, trying to catch up with my brother. Now and then I caught a glimpse of him, but he always seemed to be just out of reach. Soon, I was lost in a maze of yellow and green walls bathed in the pulsing glow of carnival lights until I reached the base of a spiral stairway.

After quickly scrambling to the top, I noticed that the colorful walls had given way, replaced by ones made of glass. I trailed a hand along the mirrored surface, no longer caring whether or not I found my brother. I needed to find my way out. I wanted my Daddy.

After turning one last corner in the mirrored maze, I was met by a blinding flash of light. I blinked until I was able to make out the dark silhouettes before me, blocking my only path of escape.

"Isabella," they called to me in voices that sent shivers down my spine while holding their cameras aloft. My eyes brimmed with tears as I looked away from them and down at the teddy bear I held clutched in my arms. I gasped in shock when I discovered that the bear had vanished and in its place was a tiny newborn baby wrapped in a fuzzy blanket.

"Isabella, just one more photo," a disembodied voice called through the darkness just before I was assaulted by flash after intrusive flash. The baby began to wail, and I used my hand to try and shield his little eyes from the light.

"Just one more, Isabella" the voices continued, I looked up to find the dark figures drawing closer. I backed away until I was pressed against the mirrored wall.

My head swam with the realization that there was nothing I could do, so I dropped to my knees in defeat and huddled into the corner, curling myself around the infant in my arms as a loud sob escaped my lips.

I woke with a start, finding myself wrapped around a still sleeping Edward.

Holy crap that was unnerving

I blinked several times before nuzzling my face against Edward's side, drawing comfort from his warmth.

Just a dream…

Just a dream…

My movement caused him to shift slightly and his arm closed around my back, holding me tight against him.

I looked up at his face, gratified that I hadn't woken him during my nightmare. I shivered slightly as I remembered the shadowy figures closing in on me and my baby.

I forced myself to breathe along with Edward's steady rhythm.

Obviously the events of yesterday had fed into the fears I'd been harboring since the last night of my book tour.

I'd tried my best to hide my apprehension from Edward. I had been honest when I told him I didn't want to go into Paris unless he could be with me, but failed to confide that part of the reason was that I felt safer with him beside me.

Not that I didn't have complete confidence in Lou's abilities to protect me. Despite what happened yesterday, I knew he was very good at his job. The best.

I'd been angry with myself for being such a coward since we'd arrived in France, and when Edward asked that I meet him in the city for dinner, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to set aside my anxiety and visit the book market beforehand.

It seemed like the perfect plan. That was until everything went to hell.

There wasn't a sign of a single photographer when we arrived, therefore I suppose someone saw me and tipped them off.

Why do people do that?

It had been such a pleasant afternoon that I'd actually deluded myself into believing that I hadn't been recognized.

After paying for my purchases, we were met by a large group of paps crowding the entrance as we attempted to leave. They were shouting questions and jostling against one another, each trying for the best vantage point.

Lou had to physically push against them to get past. The next thing I knew, they pushed back. I got elbowed in the side and another pap fell against me, knocking me down.

Until that moment, I'd never heard Lou curse. He let loose with a string of expletives that would have made even Rose blush. He yelled at the paps and, thankfully, they took a step back as he helped me up.

The first thought I had as I felt myself falling was to protect my baby. The second was one of absolute incredulity, when I realized the sound of clicking cameras hadn't halted or even slowed the entire time that I was on the ground.

My baby and I were just a payday to these walking pieces of human debris.

I sighed deeply as I clung ever tighter to Edward's sleeping form.

In the hospital, I had hidden how nervous and worried I actually was. As soon as I saw the ultrasound image of our baby however, tears of joy and relief had poured down my face.

I knew I couldn't hold it in any longer. I needed to tell Edward how I felt so that we could plan our outings accordingly.

As always seemed to happen these days, I found I couldn't stay and ponder the question for long due to the strong urge to empty my bladder.

The joys of pregnancy…

After leaving a soft kiss on Edward's chest, I slid out from under the covers and made my way up to the loft bathroom.

I should have predicted that, while perched on the toilet upstairs, my phone would start ringing.

Right, right turn off the lights
We gonna lose our minds tonight
What's the dealeo?

Rose had made it a habit of calling me early in the morning, as soon as she deemed that Edward had left for the studio.

"What the fuck?" I heard Edward mutter sleepily followed by the sound of something hitting the floor with a thud.

"Shit," he muttered next.

I silently hoped my cell phone survived, but because Rose's ring tone was still playing, I wasn't overly concerned.

Party crasher, panty snatcher
Call me up if you a gangster
Don't be fancy, just get dancey
Why so serious?

"Hello," Edward answered in a voice rough from sleep.

I heard him clear his throat before I washed my hands. "No, I have today off."

"S'okay. I'll get her." He paused then before softly calling out to me. I smiled at him as I made my way down the stairs and over to the bed.

I pressed a quick kiss to his lips before taking the phone. "Hey, Rose."

She snorted out a laugh, "At least I only interrupted sleep and not sex."

I shook my head, even though I knew she couldn't see.

"I already apologized to Edward for waking him up. I thought he would be leaving for the studio by now, and I couldn't wait any longer to speak with you."

"What's going on?" I felt Edward move and turned to see him lying on his side, watching me.

"I wanted to warn you that there are a ton of photos from yesterday all over the internet."

Shit

"How embarrassing are they?" I began to worry. The photos had been on my mind, "I mean, did I flash my underwear or anything?"

I bit my lip as I felt my face begin to flame.

Rose chuckled. "Uh, no. Your undergarments are not an issue, Bella. The photos that are drawing the most attention are those of you clutching your baby bump after Lou helped you to your feet."

Double shit

"The gossip sites are going crazy. I'm serious now; you may want to consider staying in hiding for a few days. You don't want a repeat of yesterday." Her tone had lost all humor.

Suddenly, I could hear Emmett's booming voice in the background.

"Is Emmett okay?"

"Yeah, but he's not going to be if he wakes Whit." Rose's whisper yelled at my brother. "Emmett, quiet down." I heard the muffled sound of movement. "He wants to speak with you Bella."

"Okay."

"Bells?" Emmett's voice sounded loudly in my ear.

"Yeah?"

"Me and Pops think you should come home."

"Emmett…"

"I'm serious. Those fuckers won't be happy until they draw blood, and then sell the photos of it to the highest bidder." He was livid. "Now, are you going to talk to Eddie, or do I need to?"

"Emmett, I am not coming home." I said insistently, causing Edward to immediately sit up.

"What's going on?" he asked; a worried look on his face.

I pulled the phone from my ear. "Evidently, there are photos from yesterday which make it apparent that I'm pregnant."

"Is Eddie right there?" Emmett's voice sounded loudly. "Let me speak to him, Bells."

"Before I do, know one thing," I eyed Edward as I spoke, "you two better come up with a solution that does not involve me coming home, because that's not going to happen."

With that, I handed the phone to my husband.

"Hey, Emmett." Edward listened. "Yes, well I'm just selfish enough to not want that either." He glanced at me as he paused again to listen. "No, I've actually got my security people working on it. Next time we won't be caught unprepared." He rubbed his hand across my back as he continued. "I share your concern believe me. I know. I promise. You definitely don't need to tell me that." He paused again. "All right, talk to you later."

He kept his eyes on mine as he ended the call.

"He's very upset."

I held my hand up, palm out, to stop him from saying something I couldn't bear to hear. "Don't look at me like that Edward."

"Like what?"

"Remorseful," I frowned. "Like somehow this is your fault and that you're going to try and talk me into going home without you."

Edward shook his head slightly. "Would that it were that simple. The trouble is, even though it's the best option, I can't bear the thought of you going home." He set the phone on the bed and pulled me until I was sitting across his lap. "As I just told your brother, I'm a very selfish man."

I breathed out a sigh of relief; glad that we wouldn't need to argue over this.

"So, now that we're awake," he began suggestively while his finger traced the skin of my side, under my t-shirt.

I quirked an eyebrow and smiled, "Yes?"

"Well, the shower is pretty big…"

"It's a good thing, because the tub certainly isn't." I said before scooting off his lap, standing and pulling him with me toward the stairs.

"I thought you liked the tub?"

"I do. It's cool; however it's too small for the both of us." I smiled.

The tub was one of those old claw-footed affairs, beautiful but only designed for one occupant.

Once upstairs, we brushed our teeth and Edward started the shower while I discarded my t-shirt and panties in a heap on the floor. Soon, his boxer briefs joined them.

He turned to face me and I took a moment to drink him in. He was so beautiful, and he was mine. 

It was still hard to believe.

"What's that look for, baby?" he asked softly as he ran his fingertips down my sides until his hands were lightly grasping my hips.

"I just can't believe how lucky I am." I moved my hand until it rested on my belly, "I have you, our baby, and a wonderful family. I am so blessed."

"As I've told you before, I'm the lucky one." Edward pulled me against him.

I could feel my eyes filling with tears and I knew that I needed to tell him everything. "Edward," I whispered as his hands ghosted over the skin of my back.

"Yeah, baby?"

There, standing naked in our rented cottage, in the middle of France, I was about to spill my guts to my loving husband.

"I haven't been honest with you."

"What about?" his voice was low as he kissed my hair and his hands rubbed soothing circles across my back.

"Ever since the last night of the book tour, I've been afraid."

His hands stopped their movement.

"The threats brought back a lot of bad memories and, as a result, I've had some disturbing dreams." I paused. "Well, you already knew that."

I felt his head nod.

"I've been trying to work through it, and it is true that I don't want to explore Paris without you, but one of the reasons is that I feel safer when you're there."

I heard him sigh.

"Then, what happened yesterday, sort of tipped the scales. I had a nightmare; the paps surrounded me while I was holding our baby." I sniffled, "I know it wasn't real but it didn't help the way I've been feeling. It's easy to tell myself that a person threatening my life is a rare occurrence, but the fact is that the paps shadow our every move, and that isn't something that's going away any time soon."

I took a deep cleansing breath. "I just don't want to go back to the way I was before I met you, being afraid of everything."

I felt his head nod again before he reached to open the shower door. "Come on, baby."

He tugged at my hand and we step under the spray together. Edward brushed my hair away from my face as warm water flowed over our bodies. "Please don't be afraid. I may not have done a very good job so far, but I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Bella."

"Edward," I argued "this has nothing to do with any kind of failure on your part. I will regret confiding in you, if you start blaming yourself."

"Okay," he nodded quickly in agreement.

I suspected his acquiescence was more an effort to pacify me rather than to absolve himself of responsibility.

"I've been giving this a lot of thought. At the moment, I've got Jasper and Alec both looking into what we can do. I mean, hell, most celebrities have families, and have found ways to deal with this. We merely need to figure out the best way to keep this sort of thing from occurring again."

We didn't speak again, instead we washed each other between kisses until the water began to turn cold, then we vacated the shower and wrapped up in big fluffy towels before returning to our bed.

Edward ran his hand slowly over the exposed skin of my arm as we lay facing each other. "You and this baby are my whole world Bella." He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I promise to do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"I know," I smiled. Where our baby was concerned, it was painful to consider the alternative.

"And I'm glad you told me how you've been feeling. I always want to know, okay?"

I nodded.

"Good."

He leaned in then and pressed his lips to mine, sweetly, slowly. "I love you."

"I love you too." I answered, and scooted closer so that I could feel him pressed against me. 

Edward pulled at the towels before tossing them away.

We snuggled under the duvet, enjoying the feel of our warm bodies pressed together.

He brushed his lips against mine once, then twice, before kissing me deeply.

"If you keep kissing me like that," I breathed out the words, "You may just get lucky." I teased.

"I'm counting on that baby," he answered in a whisper.

After the events of the day before, we both needed the reassurance of our physical connection. I felt it in the way that Edward's kisses turned urgent, and desperate. I threw my leg over his hip, pulling him closer, and spoke the words he needed to hear, "Make love to me, Edward."

Suddenly, he was turning us until he lay on top of me, the weight of his body pressing down on mine. The palm of one hand cupped the side of my face while the other skimmed over my hip and then up to my breast before kneading gently.

His loving touches ignited my own desire causing my heart to pound loudly in my chest as my hands explored his toned body.

His hand lingered on my breast for a moment longer before slipping away. I watched as Edward lowered his face and placed his lips where his hand had been only seconds before.

I arched into his warm, wet kisses as his hand then brushed along my side before slipping between us.

He kissed my lips again while, with the lightest of touches, he prepared me for what was to come. I ran one hand through his hair and reached down with the other, boldly grasping onto his hard length in order to guide him inside.

As always happened, the moment of anticipation just before finally being connected caused my body to tense, and then, there he was, entering me, filling me.

"Fuck," he moaned, "you feel so good." I wrapped my legs around his waist and allowed myself to relax as Edward shifted his hips before setting a slow steady pace as we moved together.

Too slow…

Too sweet…

Too controlled…

He lifted his head and his eyes burned into mine. I saw the raw need and knew that he was holding back. The intensity of that look coupled with the sensations I felt as he moved inside me caused a moan to escape my lips. I reached up to caress his handsome face, "More, Edward. Let go."

He closed his eyes before releasing a shuddering breath and then he pulled back slowly before thrusting forward, hard, fast and oh so deep.

My reaction was immediate as I gasped in pleasure. "Fuuuuck," I whispered before his lips were covering mine again, swallowing another moan.

Edward responded by picking up the pace even more. I stared in fascination at the muscles of his chest, neck and arms as they strained in their task, a light sheen of perspiration now covering his flesh due to his efforts. His hair was a tousled mess, while his now wide open piercing green eyes, stared intently into mine.

The room around us was silent save for the sounds of our labored breathing, and flesh meeting flesh. My mind was lost in his beauty, while my body responded to his ministrations by forcing my hips to rise and meet his every thrust.

I pushed up to rest on my elbows, allowing my eyes to drift down to where we were connected, watching him enter me over and over. When the sight became too much, I tilted my head back, only to feel Edward's lips on my neck kissing and nibbling at the tender flesh.

It wasn't long before I felt myself begin to unravel. "Come with me, Bella." He said in a hoarse whisper against my neck as he continued the punishing, frantic, desperate rhythm.

It was a plea. And I was lost.

My breaths came out in pants as I began to tremble and pulse around him. "Baby," he whispered in desperation as with one last thrust he stilled and joined me in my climax, holding tight to each other before falling together.

As we lay in silence, each trying to catch our breath, I stroked the now damp flesh of his back.

"I need another shower." He murmured. I could feel his smile against my shoulder.

I giggled.

"I love that sound." He murmured before rolling to his side, taking me with him.

"I love you." I answered.

***L&EL***

"What would you like to do today?" Edward asked as we dressed after taking our second shower of the morning.

"Um," I tapped my chin with my finger. "I'm kind of in the mood to cocoon, I think."

He laughed at the term.

I grinned. "I'm serious. I think Rose is right. Going into Paris right now would not be smart. Let's just stay around here, maybe walk into the village for lunch?"

When a broad smile overtook Edward's face, I knew my suggestion had been the correct one. 

"Sounds great, baby."

As soon as we were dressed, we walked downstairs to an empty kitchen. Edward looked puzzled.

"I gave Martin the day off." I told him softly as I wound my arms around his waist. "My intention was to cook breakfast for you, and then I thought we'd be in Paris after that."

As it turned out, Edward and I cooked breakfast together and, after finishing our omelets, he spent a good portion of the morning meeting with Sidney, Lou and Alec about security issues, so I retreated to the cushioned settee in the kitchen to read.

It was shortly after noon when he came looking for me. "Hey Bella, did you still want to walk into town?"

I sat up quickly, nodding as I set down my kindle. "Yes, Edward, very much. I've been dying to explore."

Lou accompanied us on our way, and Sidney followed in the car just in case we needed to make a quick escape. At first I thought the precautions were a little over the top, but when I remembered being knocked to the ground the day before, I decided to let Edward handle things as he saw fit.

The walk was longer than I thought. On our way, I made note that very few people were out and about.

Probably because it's a weekday…

We passed an elderly man taking his dog for a walk. We smiled and he tipped his hat. As we walked by a woman pushing a small child in a stroller, the look on her face told me that we'd been recognized.

I silently prayed that she kept that information to herself.

We ate at a small restaurant, and picked up a little something for later at a sweet shop. Truth be told, I was dying for a bit of chocolate and as soon as I revealed that to my husband, he practically bought out the entire store.

Silly, adorable man.

"This is nice," I murmured as I lay back on the sofa in the sitting room that evening while Edward massaged my tired feet.

"It is." Edward agreed.

After we'd returned from town, Alec introduced us to the new body guard who would be accompanying us, along with Sidney and Lou, whenever we ventured out in public. I was surprised to find the new hire was a woman. "Bella, Edward, this is Katja."

Katja was not much taller than me, with shoulder length brown hair, a slight figure and a sweet face. She honestly didn't look as if she could harm a fly.

"Pleased to meet you," I said quietly as I shook her hand.

We chatted for a short time, and then Katja left, promising to return in a couple of days.

The door had no sooner shut than Edward turned toward Alec with a questioning look. "You know, no matter what I say now, I'm going to come off as a sexist," Edward muttered. "But," he hesitated and shot a quick glance in my direction, "Katja certainly isn't a very imposing figure. How do we know she can do this, Alec?"

Alec smirked. "She used to be a police officer in the Ukraine. She didn't find it challenging enough and went into security. Her normal gig is guarding European soccer teams. She's the best. We're lucky to have gotten her."

Wow

Edward looked as shocked as I did. We both knew how intense soccer fans could get, so, yeah. We were going to take Alec's word on this one.

***L&EL***

For the next couple of weeks, time seemed to pass at just the right tempo. Of course the days when Edward was filming dragged, but I tried to fill those days as best I could.

I continued to write my mother's story. Sometimes it was a struggle, so much so that I could barely complete a single paragraph in an entire day.

When I wasn't writing, or talking on Skype with Rose or Esme, or on the phone with Alice or Chris, I'd gotten into the routine of helping Martin in the kitchen. I'd always loved cooking, but obviously had never received any formal training. He was fascinating to watch, and most of the time I couldn't help but pitch right in.

He would scold me now and then, reminding me that I was defeating the purpose of him being there if I was doing half the cooking.

His teasing was always good natured, so I laughed it off.

We had long conversations about our childhoods. I had to laugh at the stories he told about his seven siblings and, of course, I shared a few about Emmett. In the end, he admitted through his laughter, that all of his brothers and sisters combined hadn't been as 'entertaining' as Emmett. He told me about the city he came from in southwestern France, where his father drove a taxi and his mother was a nurse at the local hospital.

Whenever I spent time with Martin, because of my promise to Edward, I made sure that Lou was in the house as well. It wasn't that I ever felt threatened by him, but Edward was right; Martin did have an eye for the ladies. He was harmless enough, but I'd personally caught him giving me the once-over a couple of times. I ignored the first incident, but when it happened again, I told him that it was inappropriate and made me feel uncomfortable.

He apologized profusely, and it didn't happen again.

I decided not to share the incident with Edward.

All bets were off though when I went to the market with him. It was impossible not to notice the way he eyed a couple of attractive females we passed. Sometimes his head appeared to be on a swivel as he watched them. It was like shopping with a fifteen year old boy.

I laughed out loud at his behavior, causing him to smile sheepishly.

"Martin, instead of staring, why don't you strike up a conversation? You never know, one of them may even go out with you." I suggested with a smile. "Your current approach sucks. No woman likes to be ogled like they're a piece of meat."

He shook his head. "Bella, just because I enjoy the scenery, that doesn't mean I want to date it."

I scowled at him.

He laughed. "I'm sorry, that didn't sound right. Eh," he reached up and scratched his chin, "Let me put it this way, as soon as you and Edward leave, I'm moving to the coast. I have a couple of promising employment prospects there, and since I'm not the guy to date casually, it wouldn't do to start a relationship here."

"You're a relationship kind of guy?"

He nodded, still grinning.

"Well, I'm impressed." I teased. "Now if you could only work to curb your staring and drooling, you might actually give the impression that you're not a creeper."

Martin burst out laughing.

"You think I'm kidding?" I said as I smiled wider. "Edward was ready to kill you the first time we met because of the way you looked at me."

Martin cringed. "I'm glad he didn't."

"You have me to thank for that." I laughed. "But seriously dude. Poker face. It's what you need to perfect, and I'm not talking about Lady Gaga here."

Martin laughed again. "I will take that under advisement."

I had talked him into letting me do most of the cooking that night, so he had decided I needed a lesson in grocery shopping beforehand. There was one market for fresh vegetables, another shop just for cheese, another for bread, obviously. It was very time-consuming but he was adamant that it was the only way to purchase quality ingredients. The butcher shop was the only one I made him enter alone. As soon as I saw the chicken carcasses displayed in the window, I shuddered.

They still had their feathers for cripes sakes…

"Martin, I'll meet you at the café across the street." I gestured in the direction I intended to go, all the while not allowing my glance to stray back to the window.

One viewing was quite enough.

Martin chuckled. "Of course, Bella."

After a nice cup of tea, and coffee for Martin, Katja and Lou, we were soon on our way back to the house.

I was pleased that evening to present my husband with a sumptuous meal prepared, for the most part, by his loving wife.

***L&EL***

"Hey baby, why don't you come with me to the studio tomorrow?" He asked after dinner while we sat snuggled together under a fleece blanket on the back patio. "You haven't been yet, and I'd like to introduce you to everyone."

"You said there were a lot of paps camped out there." I frowned, searching his face in the light of the setting sun.

"A few," he said, "but they can't get close."

"But," he hesitated as he face fell, "if you'd rather stay here, I understand."

"No!" I practically shouted, surprising us both. To be honest, I was thrilled that he'd asked me. 

"No," I began again in a softer tone. "I would love to go." I wrapped my arms tighter around him, and rested my head against his chest. "I miss you so much during the day. I don't even care if I have to wait in your trailer, as long as you're nearby."

His chest rumbled under my ear with his quiet laughter.

***L&EL***

There were a few paps staked out across the street from Edward's trailer but, just like he'd said, they couldn't get close. Determined that my baby and I would not be a payday for them, I'd arrived wearing a large black trench coat over my clothes.

The gossip sites had gone crazy speculating whether or not I was pregnant. Most had decided I was, simply because of the fact that I'd clutched at my belly when I fell, but until there was solid proof, they were still in doubt.

"Glad to meet you Bella," Joe the director said with a small smile as he shook my hand.

So far, I'd met most of the cast members. They weren't very well known to me, so I was having a difficult time keeping the names straight. It was easier to remember them by their character names anyway.

The one person I'd never forget however was the English actor who was portraying Charles Darnay. Since it was crucial that Sydney and Charles resemble one another, Rob had been the perfect choice. It was startling to see firsthand how physically similar he and Edward were. Their eyes were different colors, and my Edward was a couple of years older and maybe an inch taller, but they had similar builds and facial structures. They looked as if they could have been brothers.

Obviously they were both gorgeous as well.

I could only imagine how many drooling women would be filling the theaters once the film was released.

Edward deposited me in his trailer while he went to visit hair and makeup. Before too long, there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find Alec waiting outside.

"Hey, Bella. Edward sent me to find you."

I frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all. He just thought you'd like to watch them film the scene."

"Oh,"

Did I ever

I followed Alec inside a nearby building. There before me was a perfect recreation of the French courtroom in which Charles Darnay was to learn his fate.

I spied my husband before he saw me, and smiled wistfully at his appearance. He was the image of a delightfully rumpled Sydney Carton.

"Hey sweetheart," Edward rushed over and swiftly kissed my lips. After depositing me in his chair, he went to his place in the "courtroom".

Getting to see one of my favorite novels brought to life, with my husband as the hero, was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. I couldn't seem to stop grinning.

It took all morning to film only half of the scene, when they finally broke for lunch, my bladder was screaming for relief.

We ate in the dining tent with the rest of the cast and crew, Edward, as always, was very attentive to my every need.

"Baby, would you like more to drink?" he asked as he stood, gesturing to my nearly empty glass.

"Yes," I grinned at him, "you are aware that I am able to wait on myself aren't you?"

"Indulge me," he said before grabbing my glass and placing a small kiss on the top of my head.

Alec chuckled as he watched Edward walk away.

"Sometimes, I have a hard time recognizing the Edward Masen I used to work for." He said while shaking his head.

"What do you mean?"

Alec smiled genuinely. "Before you Bella, Edward always took his meals in his trailer. He was all business while on a shoot. Hell, he was all business the rest of the time too." He laughed.

I looked down at my plate and speared a stalk of asparagus with my fork as I contemplated his words. "I've changed as well." I said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"You want to know a secret?" He asked as he leaned toward me conspiratorially.

I looked at him questioningly.

"I like the new Edward a lot, as a matter of fact; you guys are two of my favorite people." His grin widened. "Just don't tell the boss I said so."

I giggled just as Edward returned to the table.

It was early evening by the time shooting was done for the day. "Baby, you, Katja and Lou can go wait in the car, Sidney and I will be along shortly." He told me before turning to speak with the director.

As I neared the waiting SUV, I glanced across the street only to find that the crowed of paps had tripled since that morning.

And, as I found out a moment later, they'd also become very vocal.

"Bella, where's your boyfriend hiding while you're spending time with Edward?"

I stopped dead in my tracks at their words; it was only Lou's strong hand on my arm that forced me to take another step.

Boyfriend?

What the hell?

"Are you and Edward only together now because of the baby?"

I sat down and Lou immediately closed the door, shutting out the sound of their voices.

I looked at him and Katja, my confusion evident. "What are they talking about?"

Katja shook her head and shrugged. "I have no idea, Bella." Lou was also at a loss.

I thought of calling Rose, but didn't have a chance to dial her before I saw Edward and Sidney approaching the car.

The door opened for a brief moment as they piled inside, but I could hear the same shouted questions as before. And, as a result, there was a prominent scowl on my husband's face.

He sat down muttering and cursing to himself, phone in hand, seemingly taking no notice of me.

After glancing in my direction, he froze as he took in my expression. "Bella, baby, what did they shout?" He asked in a soothing tone as he scooted across the bench seat until his body was close to mine.

"They asked about my boyfriend," I gave him an incredulous look.

Edward silently dialed his phone before grasping my hand in his.

"Hey, do you happen to know what the hell is going on? Bella and I were just barraged with a bunch of stupid fucking questions as we tried to leave the studio."

I had to assume that he was talking to Jasper.

He was silent for a long moment as he listened before releasing a breath. "That would be Martin, our chef. Bella was out shopping with him yesterday. These assholes are relentless. Okay, thanks Jasper. Yeah, see you then."

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach when he turned to look at me again. "Evidently someone took photos of you and Martin out shopping. They're all over the internet, and the paps are just trying to get a reaction, Bella. I've learned from experience that it's best to ignore them."

Easier said than done…

I frowned, knowing that he was right, but wanting more than anything to yell back at them, and maybe flip them off for good measure.

But that just wasn't my style…

"Bella, don't let it get to you. The same idiots who always say terrible things about you and Edward are at it again." Rose tried to console later, when I'd phoned her. "You're a celebrity married to a movie star; you're always going to inspire a certain amount of hatred."

Hatred?

Again, I can't understand what I've ever done to make people hate me.

"I feel like staying in hiding because anything I do can be misconstrued by these jerks."

"Sweetie, don't feel that way. I know it's a pain, but Edward's right, you just need to ignore them. If you react, they will only get worse."

"I guess." I said with a sigh.

I shouldn't have done it, but later, while Edward slept, I searched some of the gossip sites for stories about us. After about thirty minutes, I sat back in my chair in stunned silence, staring at the screen in front of me.

Someone had posted a blurry photo of Martin and me standing in front of the butcher's shop. 

There was another of us seated in the café later.

Although Lou and Katja had been with us in both instances, they were nowhere to be seen in the photos.

A couple of the websites that seemed to like me, referred to Martin as a 'mystery man', but made it clear that the reason I was in France was because my husband was filming there.

There were some particularly outrageous claims made on the more vicious sites, such as the blog belonging to Bryce Marriott, noted Hollywood gossip-monger.

Bryce never came out and said it, but hinted that Edward was in fact gay, and that I was his beard. Aside from the fact that I was paid handsomely for agreeing to marry Edward, he also claimed that my success as an author was manipulated by my very influential husband.

I felt sick.

"Baby, this isn't healthy." Edward's soft voice sounded from behind me at the same moment that his warm hands brushed along my upper arms. I reached up and placed my hand over one of his.

"Well, if it means anything, I regret looking." I was so angry that I wanted to cry. "You know Edward, I realize that you've had years to learn to be unaffected by this nonsense, but I just want to punch something."

He leaned down and wrapped his arms around my shoulders from behind before pressing his lips to the top of my head. "It affects me, but I try very hard not to let it. I mean honestly Bella, the more salacious the gossip the more they like it because they think there's a better chance that we'll respond."

I sighed. "I just…" I reached up and wrapped my hand around the back of his neck. "I want to scream that none of this is true. One of the sites thinks that Martin is my boyfriend, but they "defended" me for cheating," I said, letting go of his neck in order to make air quotes with my fingers, "by going on to list all of the times that you've been unfaithful since we met. Always citing their elusive sources, to make their lies seem more credible."

I was shaking my head as I continued. "Were you aware that you've come on to every female you've ever made a movie with?"

Edward grunted in disapproval.

"Supposedly Rachel Novak and her husband separated for a time during the making of The Harvest of Avarice, because she was hooking up with you, but they reconciled."

"Well, that's a relief." He muttered with no small amount of sarcasm in his tone.

"Amazingly, this was the same time that you were hooking up with Hal's daughter." I turned to grin at him before reaching up to pat his cheek, the humor of the situation finally getting to me. 

"You've been a very busy boy."

"Oh, and while filming with Clint, you were seen leaving set in the same car as one of your female co-stars, so obviously you spent the night with her."

Edward concentrated. "What the hell? I remember giving Caroline and Andre a ride to their hotel one night."

"It seems Andre was conveniently cut out of the photos." I replied.

"Baby, I hope you don't think I would ever…"

"Of course not." I shook my head. "As I've said before, it just annoys me that people believe this shit. Do you realize that there are a couple of sites who claim that our marriage is a fake? They're convinced that you're gay by the way."

Edward sighed and shook his head.

"The worst of the sites think that Martin is my French boyfriend and that this baby," I rubbed my hand over my stomach as my voice rose in indignation, "our baby, is the result of me hooking up with him when we were here in December, promoting The Harvest of Avarice."

Edward frowned deeply.

"It hurts to think that some people believe that the baby, which is still only a rumor as far as they're concerned, isn't yours."

"Sweetheart, there are always those who will, for whatever reason, believe the lies. Even if we were to address this, they would see the denial as a desperate move and, therefore, further proof that they're right."

"But our baby." I whispered sadly.

He rubbed my shoulders soothingly. "Let me speak with Jasper. Maybe we can think of a way to get the truth out there without giving bastards like Bryce Marriott what they want."

That made me feel a little better, and when I returned to bed I was able to fall into an uneasy sleep.

**L&EL**

"I read that you can hear Mommy's heartbeat by now. You probably can't hear my voice yet, but that's okay, you will soon." I could make out my husband's words as I began to emerge from sleep. As had become the custom many mornings, he was having a whispered conversation with our baby. I attempted to keep my breathing even so that he wouldn't suspect that I was awake.

"I keep thinking about when you get here and I can finally hold you. I can't wait. But, I have to tell you a secret; I'm a little terrified." He chuckled softly and I opened my eyes just enough so that I could see him. I smiled as I studied his beautiful profile and unruly mop of hair as he leaned his head close to my stomach, his lips almost touching. "It's probably best that you won't be aware of that though." I watched as he placed a soft kiss on my tummy. "And no matter what, I promise to always be there. I can't wait for school plays and field trips, and Daddy promises to cheer the loudest of anyone at all your soccer games."

I couldn't stop the giggle from erupting, causing Edward to turn his head and smirk at me before turning back to my belly. "Hmm. Your mommy is very naughty for eavesdropping on a private conversation."

"Well, Daddy should realize that it's kind of hard not to eavesdrop when he's speaking to my tummy." I smiled widely as he moved up my body until he hovered over me, his lips very close to mine. "Morning." I whispered.

"Morning, my love." He whispered back before kissing me.

"The baby isn't even here, and you're already an amazing father, Edward." I said as he still hovered over me.

"It's the most important job I'll ever have." He responded, causing me to smile wider.

I grimaced playfully, "You may want to rethink the soccer business however."

He frowned. "Why? What's wrong with soccer? I figured that worked for a boy or a girl so…"

"There's nothing wrong with soccer, at least I don't think so, but Charlie…"

Edward looked more confused.

I laughed. "My Dad can't stand soccer. I think he would lose his mind if any of his grandchildren were to play what he refers to as Communist Kickball."

"What?" Edward asked with a laugh.

I nodded through my giggles. "It's true. He likes baseball, football, basketball, and sometimes car racing, as long as it's not any of that Grand Prix stuff."

Edward laughed again.

"You're Dad's a funny guy." He said with a shake of his head.

"He is that." I agreed. "He has simple tastes, and he will always tell you exactly how he feels, whether you want to hear it or not." I laughed again.

***L&EL***

It was going to take several days to film Sydney Carton's last day on earth, but once that was finished, Edward would have a week off before having to report on set in England.

Although excited at the thought of having him to myself, I was also a bit nervous over the fact that we were finally going out in public again and would have to brave the paps.

As much as I loathed giving them a chance to photograph us, we were determined to visit the tourist sites that we hadn't yet seen.

We were done letting them control one minute of our future

I was sitting by a sunny window in the parlor reading, when I was startled by the sound of familiar voices coming from the front hall, "Bella, where are you Chica?"

Christopher?

Suddenly, he, Alice and Jasper appeared in the doorway. They were all smiles, although the exhaustion from their long flight was evident. "Surprise!" Alice exclaimed.

I jumped to my feet and ran to greet them.

"Oh! "Look at that tummy!" Alice squealed as she ran her hand over my baby bump before hugging me again. "It's adorable!"

Before she and Chris got carried away in their excitement, I interrupted. "How are you here?" I asked with a big smile.

"Bella, are you forgetting the royal wedding? Chris and I designed clothing for several of the guests. We'll be very busy in London in a couple of weeks."

Chris spoke up then. "So, we decided a little vacay was in order beforehand, and who better to spend it with than you and Hunkward. And where better to spend it than France?"

I contained my squeal of excitement. Barely. "Does Edward know you're here?"

They all nodded. "Jasper was coming over anyway, for Edward," Alice answered. "We thought we'd surprise you and come along."

"It's a lovely surprise," I said, beaming.

A short time later found me seated on the sofa with Alice and Chris on either side, while Jasper watched us from his spot on the loveseat, a highly amused expression on his face.

"So, how are you feeling?" Alice asked with a gentle touch to my arm.

"Good." I smiled.

"Now that we're here, you're going to feel even better," Chris announced. "We've got your back bb. Just let one of those slimy paps cross our path and I will junk punch him just like Mama C taught me!"

We stared at him in surprise for a moment before bursting into laughter.

***Note***
Thanks to PixieKat7 once again for her beta work on this! 

Rob who? Sorry I couldn't resist listing Rob as Edward's doppelganger. : )

In order to come up with the 'gossip stories', I actually surfed a bunch of sites. The rumors I listed were only the tip of the iceberg. Amazing what nonsense some people will write and even more amazing how many people will believe them. Have to say it made me feel rather dirty reading all that rubbish. *shudders*

Ciao darlings!