Chapter 9 - Incarcerations & Crazy Love

Lying around in bed, naked, with Edward until well after sunrise…

Oh how I'd missed this…

For the past two days, that was how we'd begun our morning. Edward had the hotel deliver breakfast to our suite, but instead of eating in the sitting room, like civilized adults, we ended up filling a tray and carrying it to our bed.

There, we would eat our fill before making love, the lack of clothing proving to be most convenient, and fall back to sleep in one another's' arms.

"I feel so hedonistic…" I whispered that first morning as he held me. His answering chuckle made me smile.

"When I look back on our time in France, without a doubt the days spent here will be my favorite."

It wasn't like we spent all our time in bed. We made sure to leave the chateau every afternoon in order to do a little sightseeing. Our tour of the Roman ruins was of particular interest to me. As we walked amongst them, I'd imagine what life had been like back then.

That led to wondering what would have happened if Edward and I had been born in another time and place, which usually in turn led to images of Edward dressed as a Roman soldier… or rather undressed…

Hmm…

As Edward consulted his various brochures and imparted facts and dates about the sights around us, all I could think about was getting back to the chateau. He'd gotten very good at reading my facial expressions, and once my mind had wandered down that particular path, it wasn't long before he'd grab my hand and lead me back to the car.

I mean, those ruins had been there for like a bazillion years, they weren't going away anytime soon.

***L&EL***

While Edward stepped out to settle with the front desk, I checked through the suite for any personal items I may have missed while packing. As much as I'd enjoyed our time in France, I was looking forward to England. And then in a few more weeks, we'd finally be returning to Seattle.

There was Dad and Sue's wedding…

A pang of anxiety shot through me as I realized that once back home, we'd be gearing up for our baby's birth.

Oh my…

I took a deep breath and sat down on the bed.

"You're still in France?" I turned to see Edward entering the suite, cell phone to his ear. "I thought you'd be in England by now." He paused then, listening. "Yeah, we're heading to the airport in a few minutes." He came to stand beside me and absently began rubbing my baby bump with his free hand while silently listening into his phone. I assumed it was either Jasper or Alice at the other end.

Abruptly the movement of his hand ceased as I heard his sharp intake of breath. "What? Arrested?" Edward seemed to stumble over his words. "Jasper, what the hell did they get arrested for?"

My eyes went wide with shock as I watched him. "Jesus Christ." He muttered as he glanced in my direction. "Okay, yeah, I can't wait to hear all about it." He snapped into the phone, Jasper bearing the brunt of his irritation, "Listen," his tone softer now, "I'll phone you as soon as we arrive in Paris."

He ended the call and stared at me, disbelief at what Jasper had told him still evident on his face.

"Edward, who got arrested?" I could feel my heart beating wildly in my chest, as my anxiety level rose once again.

"Baby," he breathed the words, his hand immediately returning to the baby bump as he tried to calm my reaction. "My silly sister and Christopher somehow managed to get themselves arrested."

My mouth fell open. "For what?"

"I don't know what they're charged with exactly, but suffice it to say that they were fucking with the paps and I guess it went too far." He pressed his lips together, his mood shifting abruptly to one of amusement. "So, change of plans. We'll be stopping in Paris for a bit and taking a later flight to London. Jasper hopes that my appearance may have some influence. I guess he thinks I'll be able to sweet talk the authorities into dropping the charges." Edward shrugged; a bewildered expression on his face.

"Oh my God," I muttered. "I am beginning to think that your sister is every bit as insane as my brother."

Edward nodded, "When she's with Chris, most definitely."

We shook our heads in stunned amazement, "Poor Jasper," I muttered as a giggle escaped my lips. That brought a smile to Edward's face and before long we were both shaking with laughter.

"Come on, wife." He said as he grasped my hand in one of his and picked up my travel bag with the other. "I can't believe I'm actually going to say this but, let's go bail my sister out of jail."

***L&EL***

Alice and Christopher had refused to sign the paper acknowledging the charges against them; therefore they were still at the police station when we arrived.

We found Jasper waiting in the lobby area, sipping a cup of coffee and looking absolutely exhausted.

The eyes of those milling around immediately landed on us, and followed as we escaped with Jasper to a quiet corner.

"Okay, now would you care to tell me what the actual fuck is going on?" If he hadn't sounded so angry, I would have laughed out loud at Edward's choice of vocabulary.

Jasper rubbed his face with his hand and gave us a weary look. "They told me that we couldn't go to England until today because they had an 'appointment' with a client here in Paris." Jasper shook his head in disgust. "They are damned liars, those two. What they actually did was lure the paps to where those sum bitches thought they'd get photos of you and Bella. Instead, my sister and her best friend were waiting for them."

"What happened?"

"From what I know, most of it was harmless stuff. They hid behind one of the vehicles, Alice used a Nerf gun while Chris was armed with a Super Soaker."

Edward snorted in amusement as I laughed out loud.

"Things got loud and ugly, though. There was a scuffle and Chris junk-punched one of them."

"Oh, shit." Edward muttered. His smile disappearing.

"That alone was enough to get them in trouble, but on top of everything, they had let the air out of the tires on a couple of the low-life's cars. When the paps attempted to drive away, there was some damage. The list of charges first presented were ridiculous; I've managed to get most of them dismissed but they've still got what we'd refer to in the States as a charge of malicious mischief hanging over their heads." Jasper paused to rub his chin, "The little bitch that got junk-punched can be bought. I'm certain of it. But we'll merely call it 'restitution'."

"Jesus," Edward muttered.

"Are they in a holding cell?" I asked, suddenly all humor gone as I thought about my friends languishing in some nasty jail cell.

Jasper smirked, "Not exactly. I was actually with them until I knew it was getting close to your arrival. Follow me."

After Edward and I signed in, we followed Jasper upstairs. We found Alice and Chris in a very nice conference room. There was a long table in the center, surrounded by plush chairs. The wall on the far side of the room consisted of floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the city.

Alice and Chris were both seated at the table, nibbling on French pastries while sipping cups of coffee.

"What the hell?"

Edward took the words right out of my mouth.

Jasper motioned back towards the door. "I'm gonna go get the officer…"

As soon as they noticed us, Chris and Alice were on their feet, speaking at the same time.

"Thank heavens you're here, I don't think I can stand another minute of this uncivilized treatment…"

"Can you believe what they're putting us through?"

"You cannot be serious." Edward answered in a sharp tone, "It doesn't look like you're suffering to me."

"Looks can be deceiving, Hunkward. For instance, this coffee is disgusting. I mean, you'd think in Paris they'd know how to make a proper café au lait. It should be second nature after all…"

Alice nodded her head in agreement.

"AND, they have some kind of nasty no name soap in the rest room dispenser. My hands are now chapped and smell like laundry detergent." Alice remarked with a painful expression.

Edward blew out an exasperated breath while shaking his head. "You two are incredible, you know that?"

"We like to think so, but don't hear those words nearly often enough…" Chris answered with a grin, causing me to giggle.

Edward continued to glare. "What the hell were you thinking?" He asked as he folded his arms across his chest.

"What do you mean what were we thinking?" Alice mimicked his gesture by crossing her arms as well.

"I mean, why would you do something as foolish as taunt the paps that way? You were asking for trouble…"

"Hold on," she narrowed her eyes as she held up one hand, palm out. "You're asking me why I would want to give those jerks a taste of their own medicine? Really, Edward, not even you can be that thick."

"What does that …" Edward began to argue, but she cut him off.

"For your information little brother, I happen to love you and Bella very dearly. When you hurt, I hurt."

"That goes double for me," Chris interjected.

"I just couldn't stand by for one more minute and allow those wretched excuses of humanity get away with their nonsense. Bella's in a delicate condition. She's under enough stress, what with following you around the world. She doesn't deserve to be savaged in the media on top of everything else."

Edward relaxed his stance, his arms dropping to his sides.

"So, Christopher and I discussed it and we set them up." She said with a smug smile. "It was sooo freeing to have them at our mercy like that." Her smile turned positively gleeful.

Chris laughed. "Was it ever..."

"So why did you punch one of them Chris?"

Chris lost the smile, "Because, on top of the fact that they were shouting very rude things, one of them dared to shove my girl. You know me; I will not stand for that." Chris shrugged. "So I gave him a shot to the nuts, just like Mama Esme taught me!"

I giggled as Alice placed a sweet kiss on Chris's cheek.

I glanced at Edward and was shocked to see a furious expression on his face. "Did they hurt you Alice?"

"No, Edward," she immediately caught his mood and patted his arm reassuringly. "I'm perfectly fine."

Edward closed his eyes and gave his head a slight shake. "Sorry, I…" he paused, "I just keep remembering when they knocked Bella down… what could've happened…"

"Hey," I spoke softly, willing him to look at me. "It's in the past Edward and you've taken measures to keep that from ever happening again."

He inhaled deeply and nodded before turning to Chris. "Jasper says you can pay the guy off, but if my opinion counts for anything you shouldn't. He deserved what he got."

Alice and Chris both nodded in agreement. "That's what we believe as well."

"Although, the business with the vehicles, you should probably pay for that…"

"Yes, I suppose so." Chris rolled his eyes. "Who knew they'd try to chase us with flat tires? Idiots," he muttered.

Upon hearing it open, we turned toward the door. Jasper was back, and with him an older very distinguished looking police officer. "Bonjour, Monsieur et Madame Masen."

"Bon jour," we replied before shaking hands.

"I am Inspector Lenard. It is a pleasure to meet you both."

We nodded and waited.

He glanced toward Jasper, and then turned to face Chris and Alice. "Madame Whitlock et Monsieur Miles, I have news which, I believe, you will be most grateful to hear."

"I was on my way to tell you when Monsieur Whitlock found me. As I informed him, we've had a visit from one of the photographers involved in last night's incident."

How in the world can that be a good thing?

The scowls on Chris and Alice's faces told me they weren't impressed either.

"Hard to believe, but this fellow seems to be a decent sort. As soon as he found out that you were being charged with assault, Monsieur Miles, he came in to make a statement. The facts as he remembers them, back up your story completely. I am happy to drop that charge because it would appear that the paparazzi in question, Monsieur Dorin, was the one who initiated a physical confrontation." He smiled widely.

"Wow," Chris let out a gust of air, and I watched as his body sagged. He'd been putting on a brave show, but his reaction told us how truly worried he'd been.

"I also have to say that if I were in your shoes, I probably would have done worse."

"Me too," muttered Jasper and Edward at the same moment. They locked eyes and a look of quiet understanding passed between them.

"Holy crap is it just me or does anyone else notice that the air in this room is suddenly thick with testosterone?" Alice blurted with a giggle while fanning herself with one hand. Her laughter caused everyone else to relax and smile as well.

After Edward had signed autographs and gotten his photo taken with every officer at the station, not to mention every clerk, visitor, and even the janitor, we were finally able to leave for the airport; Chris and Alice having agreed to pay the damages to the paps' vehicles.

Monsieur Dorin, on the other hand, would be informed that if he insisted on pressing charges, Alice would have no choice but to press a few of her own.

We were hopeful that this would be the end of the matter.

***L&EL***

By the time our flight touched down in London, I was bone weary. We said goodbye to Jasper, Alice and Chris at the airport as they would be staying in the city. "We'll see you in a few days," Alice assured. "Unfortunately, our immediate schedule is packed." She leaned in to whisper. "Between you and me, I'll be glad when this royal wedding is over. It's been a great experience, but completely exhausting."

The car ride to the house was a blur as I fought against my heavy lids.

As soon as I heard the voices of Mr. and Mrs. Griffin greeting us at the door however, I perked up. While Edward and Mr. Griffin stowed the luggage upstairs, I followed Edith, as she insisted I call her, into the kitchen.

"Can I tempt you with some supper, maybe a cup of tea?" She asked.

I nodded eagerly. My appetite had certainly grown recently, and it didn't help that whatever Edith had in the oven smelled absolutely mouthwatering.

"What are you cooking? It smells wonderful."

She smiled as she prepared a pot of tea. "Nothing fancy, just shepherd's pie and baked apples. I thought you'd need something filling after the long day."

"Thank you." I sighed in contentment as I sat back and took the first sip of my tea.

There was something about this house, especially with Edith and George in residence, that made me feel a way I hadn't since we'd left Seattle. It was the feeling of home.

***L&EL***

Edward had one full day before having to report to the studio. We spent part of that day tying up some loose ends.

"Hi, guys," Ellen's cheerful smile greeted us from the flat screen, as the audience seated behind her roared its approval. As promised, Edward and I were appearing, via satellite, the camera crew from a London television station having turned our sitting room into a temporary studio.

"Hi Ellen," We answered together.

After Edward and Ellen chatted for a few moments about his filming schedule, it was time to get to the point of our appearance.

"Now, as happy as I am to see you guys," Ellen's expression became a bit more serious, "I know that you wanted to take this opportunity to address some of the rumors floating around about you both."

We nodded.

"Okay, let's see how we should do this… how about if I ask questions and you can answer yes or no, with the option of expanding if you like?"

"That sounds perfect," I answered softly.

Suddenly, Ellen picked up a stack of papers from the floor beside her chair and proceeded to spread them out on the coffee table. "My assistant was gracious enough to go out and purchase these, because I wouldn't be caught dead doing it," she admitted with a grin.

When the camera zoomed in, Edward, the audience, and I got an eyeful of recent issues of OK!, Life & Style, People, Us, National Enquirer, Star, Famous, Look, and I think there was even a copy of News of the World thrown in for good measure.

The one thing they all had in common: Edward and I were on the covers.

"Don't these just warm the cockles of your heart?" Ellen asked with a sly grin. "Let's see," She began as she pored over the display before her. "I think it's important that we get the most crucial ones out the way first." She cleared her throat while pointing at The News of the World. "Edward, I think I am right in assuming that you never participated in an orgy with a well-known golfer and ten prostitutes? Or any orgy for that matter?"

"Good God, no." Edward answered as he blew out a breath. I was smiling, but he failed to see the humor in the situation.

"Glad to hear it." Ellen smirked while the audience laughed.

"And Bella, you two have no plans to adopt an alien baby, as in 'space alien' do you?"

I giggled, "Nope."

"Whew. Well I must say that's a load off my mind." Ellen responded as the audience laughed again. "I mean adopting one of those little suckers isn't something you would want to enter into lightly. There's parenting classes to attend, addressing all the important issues like how to keep your baby from glowing in public, or using its alien powers to spontaneously combust the neighbor's cat. It's a big responsibility."

We continued to chuckle as Ellen perused the tabloids again.

"Oh, here's a good one," Ellen held up an issue of OK!, showing an old photo of me in sweats and a t-shirt, obviously after I'd gone for a run. "Bella, are you addicted to exercise, to the point where you're dangerously thin?"

I rolled my eyes. The audience couldn't see my very round belly, which would have answered the question, so instead I spoke the answer aloud. "No, I can honestly say that I've never suffered from that particular addiction."

"How about this one," she held up a copy of Look. "Is it true that you're addicted to fast food? In fact, it says here that you can't pass a McDonald's without jonesing for a Big Mac?"

Ew!

I burst out laughing then, as did Edward.

"No, I think I lean more toward other cravings at the moment."

Ellen nodded, still smiling. "Alrighty. Okay, how about this one," Ellen held aloft a copy of Famous, with Edward and Eliza Richardson on the cover. The headlines screamed: "How She Stole Him".

Edward frowned deeply. "That headline is just as ridiculous as all the others. For instance, the photos that are supposedly of me and Eliza kissing are, in fact, photos of me and my wife. Eliza is a co-worker and friend, nothing more."

I patted his arm and smiled. Edward closed his eyes and took a deep breath as his body relaxed marginally.

The audience applause brought a slight smile to his face.

"One more and then I'm sending these to the shredder," Ellen spoke up again just as she held up an issue of Life & Style. "Is it true that you guys are soon to be the proud parents of twins?"

We both shook our heads. "Another misleading headline, I'm afraid," Edward answered. "Although, in the interest of full disclosure, I will say that this one has at least a grain of truth in it."

Edward turned to me, "Shall we show them, Bella?"

I nodded as he rose to his feet and then gently helped me to stand as well. The camera drew back until the audience members got a good view of my tummy. Edward smiled and gently rubbed the bump as he was wont to do.

The audience shouted and applauded their approval.

"You HAVE been eating the Big Macs!" Ellen exclaimed.

I shook my head while laughing, "Not a chance."

Ellen was laughing as well, "Yeah, I know. You look fantastic by the way, Bella."

"Thanks very much, and let me point out that there's only one baby in here."

The audience applauded again.

"And now that the cat's officially out of the bag, I should admit that I've known about this since the last time you were on the show. You've done a great job keeping it a secret."

"We tried," Edward admitted, "Although, obviously the media has had their suspicions."

"Yeah, but you've kept them guessing; always a good thing." Ellen grinned. "Now I'm going to ask a question that everyone wants the answer to, and it's so much more important than all that nonsense," she said while pointing a thumb at the table still cluttered with gossip rags. "When is the baby due?"

We'd already revealed so much that I didn't see the harm in confessing one more thing. "August," we said at the same time.

"That's great," Ellen smiled warmly, "Listen, I want to thank you both for coming on the show today…"

"Thank you Ellen, for letting us have our say." Edward responded, his tone truly grateful.

"It is always a pleasure to see you guys. Take care and best of luck to you both."

We said our goodbyes, and once the screen went blank, Edward and I breathed a collective sigh of relief.

***L&EL***

Within a few days of our arrival in England, I fell into a comfortable routine. Each morning, I went for a walk. Sometimes Edith or George accompanied me; other times it was just me and Lou.

I frequently visited the shops that were within walking distance, the bookstore becoming a fast favorite.

Our schedule in England was so relaxed that neither of us felt the need to keep more than Sidney and Lou around full-time. With the approach of the royal wedding, Katja had other assignments anyway, but we knew that we'd be able to call upon her if needed.

My afternoons were spent curled up in Professor Tolkien's study, either reading or writing. It was easily my favorite room in the house, and exactly where Edith knew to find me once supper was prepared.

***L&EL***

I was eased awake by the feel of a warm hand travelling up the length of my thigh. "Edward?" I whispered in confusion, as I fought off the heavy blanket of sleep.

"You were expecting someone else?" He answered with a deep chuckle.

After turning my body to face him, I cleared my throat and gave him a bleary smile. "What time is it? I thought you were working all night."

"We finished shooting the scene and everyone was exhausted." He said before nuzzling into my neck. The feel of Edward's body against mine was so good, so comforting, that I didn't know whether to snuggle back to sleep in his arms or …

As soon as Edward pressed his lips to mine, I knew there would be no more sleep; not for a while at least.

My husband's eager tongue explored my mouth, breaking our connection only briefly while his hands worked to divest me of my t-shirt and panties. Once I was lying beneath him, wide awake and completely naked, his lips attacked the exposed skin of my breasts. I could tell he was trying to take things slow, but seeing that it had been a while since we'd made love, the last time being when we were in France, I knew it wouldn't be long before he was inside me.

And I was totally okay with that.

I ran both hands down the muscled expanse of his back, realizing almost immediately that he too was naked.

I let out a little hum of satisfaction as I grabbed onto his ass with both hands and gave a squeeze.

He pulled back from our kiss and smiled at me. "Are you trying to kill me?" he murmured, causing a giggle to escape my mouth.

Edward continued to kiss my lips as his fingers explored. As soon as his light touch reached my sex, he gasped. "You're so ready for me baby," he breathed in an awed tone.

"Always," I whispered in response.

"I'm sorry, I can't wait, I need you," he practically panted, his hooded eyes expressing just a hint of remorse.

"Please," I said with a little nod just before he pressed into my sex, at once filling me.

Oh God, I'd missed this…

Since reporting to the studio, Edward had been filming every night, all night. Our schedules had gotten out of sync, so much so that, during the rare moments we shared the same bed, nothing happened there apart from sleep.

As he began to move urgently inside me, every thrust caused his abdomen to press, ever so slightly, against my baby bump. So far Edward had not seemed bothered by that, but knowing him, it was almost guaranteed that, as my bump got larger, his over protectiveness would kick in and he'd start treating me as if I was made of glass.

Again

Silly, sexy man

In a move that I didn't see coming, he sat back on the bed, pulling me with him until we were sitting straight up, facing one another, his hardness still buried deep inside me.

He never paused in his rhythm as he continued to thrust his hips, the surging motion increasing in intensity as I felt myself inching closer to my release. His movements became even more urgent as his forehead came to rest against mine, our lips barely touching as we whispered our I love yous.

I dropped my head back, "Oh, God…" I moaned as I felt myself begin to tighten around him. His lips attacked my breast just as my orgasm ripped through me, forcing my eyes to squeeze shut as I gripped Edward's shoulders.

As I drifted slowly back down to earth, I was vaguely aware of when his movements stilled, and through the fog I heard him call out my name, his voice hoarse from exertion.

As our bodies relaxed, Edward lay back on the bed, this time pulling me on top of him. I shifted to the side, not able to lie fully on my protruding belly.

My limbs felt heavy as I attempted to regulate my breathing.

I silently marveled over the fact that each time we made love; it was just as good as the time before.

How was that even possible? Our wedding night held the memory of a perfect evening; one where I was wrapped in the arms of the man I loved… it was mind-boggling to consider that all the nights since had been just as memorable, some even more so.

The fear that things would change after the birth of our baby tried to gain purchase in my conscious mind, but I pushed it away. I couldn't think about that. Not yet.

The birth of a child was already a life-altering event in the lives of normal parents. Add to the mix the fact that I suffered from anxiety over just about every situation, and Edward's obsessive worry about my safety; and the birth of our baby was guaranteed to leave us, no doubt exultant, but also pretty much shredded once it was over.

As I thought about my fear of the unknown, my strength returned enough so that I was able to reach my arms around Edward's neck and hold him in a fierce embrace.

I never wanted this moment right here, right now, to end, so I lived in it and shut out thoughts of what was to come.

There would be plenty of time to worry later.

***L&EL***

"So you write children's books?" The woman was smiling sweetly, but the fact that it didn't reach her eyes gave me pause.

"Yes," I answered tentatively.

Edward and I were backstage, waiting for the start of the Graham Norton show, along with two other guests. One was a man whom I'd seen in numerous films, but never in a leading role. He was chatting away with Edward as if they were old friends. The other, the woman speaking to me, was evidently a British comedian whom I'd never heard of.

We were introduced to one another, but I was so nervous about our appearance that I'd promptly forgotten her name.

"Isn't that perfectly sweet..." She began in response. Her smile turned patronizing as her glance strayed to my husband. "Now that I think about it, a lot of celebrity wives have written children's books. I suppose it's the simplest avenue to success; I mean what fan of the husband wouldn't want a book written by the wife?" She chuckled at her own remark. "And that small measure of success has to be a boon to one's self-esteem when married to someone like Edward, you know, someone who will always be the one in the spotlight while the wife is relegated to the sidelines." 

She dared to place her hand on my forearm as if to console me.

I pulled away. "That means nothing to me." I said with a frown. "And I went to great lengths to release my first book anonymously. The sales were just as strong before my identity was revealed as they were after…"

"Oh, please don't take what I said personally, Bella, I have no doubt that you're quite talented."

Grrr

I was seething with anger, and knew I needed to get away from this bitch before I was tempted to say aloud what I thought of her and her smarmy attitude. Besides, anger caused a rise in blood pressure, which was not good for the baby.

Count to ten, Bella, and walk away…

"Cher"… Now I remember. The bitch's name is "Cher"

Oh what I could say about her name alone…were her parents hoping she'd grow up to be a singer? An actress? Or perhaps just a diva?

I took a deep cleansing breath, turned my back on the twat and walked away.

The old Bella would have stood there, feeling hurt. The new Bella didn't have time for useless, ignorant people.

Done and done.

***L&EL***

"Welcome, welcome," Graham practically sang the words as he greeted his guests.

Edward and I sat down on the long red sofa; I was able to maneuver it so that we were at one end while Miss Thang was at the other. Thank heavens that Arthur, Graham's other guest, didn't seem to mind sitting between me and 'she who shall not be named'.

That bitch

As Graham asked questions, I sat back, allowing Edward to field most of them for us. However, when Graham mentioned how well my books were selling, I couldn't help but sit up straighter and join in.

"Thank you Graham. I feel very blessed by the success, especially considering that no one knew my true identity for quite a while."

"Bella, I have read both books, and their success has absolutely nothing to do with who you're married to my dear, they are absolutely charming. You have quite a talent."

"Thank you," I answered with a sweet smile, hoping the whore was paying attention.

Edward gave me a questioning look when the conversation drifted down to the far end of the sofa, centering for a moment on Cher's career. He must have suspected by the look on my face that I wasn't impressed.

"Later," I whispered.

He gave me a small nod.

"Now, Edward, em, I know you're almost finished filming A Tale of Two Cities. After that, I suppose it's back to the states to await the blessed event?" Graham was smiling from ear to ear.

"That's the plan," Edward agreed, "Although, there's one movie premiere to attend in L.A. first."

"Ah yes, that would be the film with Clint Eastwood, Enemy Combatant?"

"Yes."

"Now, em, a little bird told me that you will be making a film early next year in which we'll get to hear you sing?"

My mouth fell open in surprise; although judging by the expression on Edward's face, he had been prepared for this question.

He nodded.

"I hope this isn't too presumptuous of me, but I know that the audience, and myself as well, would love to hear a small sample?"

Edward appeared to be thinking it over, but I had no doubt that he was going to agree.

Oh my God

Edward's going to sing in public

As far as I knew, he'd only ever sung in front of me and his family. I could feel the butterflies dancing in my stomach as I instantly felt nervous for my husband.

"I'd be happy to." He leaned down to give me a quick peck on the lips before sauntering across the stage to where a guitar, Edward's guitar, was leaning against a stool. He took a seat and strapped on the guitar before adjusting the mic.

"The following was written by one of my favorite artists, Mister Van Morrison. I'd like to sing it now for the one who owns my heart." He gave a subtle wink in my direction before he began…

"I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles
And the heavens open every time she smiles
And when I come to her that's where I belong
Yet I'm running to her like a river song"

I allowed the warmth of Edward's voice to wash over me; both stunned and elated at this very public display of affection.

"She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love
She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love"

"She got a fine sense of humor when I'm feeling low down
And when I come to her when the sun goes down
Take away my trouble, take away my grief
Take away my heartache, in the night like a thief"

Tears pricked my eyes, I tried so hard to blink them away but it just wasn't possible.

"Yes I need her in the daytime
Yes I need her in the night
Yes I want to throw my arms around her
Kiss her hug her, kiss her hug her tight"

My heart was filled to bursting with love for this man.

Suddenly, it didn't matter so much what people like Cher or the gossipmongers thought of us.

Edward and I, we two, were all that really mattered.

Soon to be three…

As if in answer to my thoughts, the baby started to kick wildly. Could he or she be reacting to the sound of their Daddy's voice?

Without a doubt

********************A/N********************
A/N  Many thanks to PixieKat for her assistance and for her patience! Her encouragement means the world to me.

Okay, having never been incarcerated in Paris, or anywhere else for that matter, and surprisingly not able to find anyone amongst my friends or relatives who'd been held in a Paris jail; I found myself having to improvise. In other words, all the French legal system crap: yeah, I made that up. So PLEASE no one chew my ass about it in a review 'cause I ain't going back to change anything.

Sappy, sweet, and adorable. That what this Edward is. He just can't help himself.

Personally, I love Big Macs. One of my guilty pleasures…don't have them very often because I swear I can hear my arteries clogging when I do.

Song rec: "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison.