Epilogue - The Returning Champions

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Around Three Years Later...

"Congratulations on the win," he mumbles against the hollow of my throat.

I respond with a moan. That's all I can do. Edward's awfully good at kissing me while still conducting an intelligent conversation. As for me, not so much. I'm forced to communicate with grunts, groans, and sometimes, hand gestures. His mouth does crazy things to both my body and brain.

He nibbles my bottom lip, drawing a gasp out of me before he releases it. "The way you knew that the first chimpanzee sent into orbit was named Ham was mind-blowing. If you had been on the show, you would have definitely won on there, too."

"Mmm..."

I'm sitting on his lap in the middle of a hotel room in downtown Seattle. Alice and I checked in this morning. It's a rainy Saturday and Jeopardy doesn't normally come on TV today. But playing along with the contestants on the show has always relaxed us. And we need the relaxation today more than ever.

Alice has plans to do a complete makeover on me until she deems that I look perfect. Afterwards, Edward and I will be squeezed into formal wear and dragged to the event she has been organizing for the past six months. We insisted beforehand that we would need time today to unwind before all of that happens. At first, Alice complained that it would take valuable time away from my beauty regimen and put her hours behind schedule. Edward countered that if we didn't get that thirty minutes of Jeopardy time, we would forego the fancy outfits she helped pick out for us and we would instead show up in our regular clothes. Terrified that I really would wear skinny jeans and a raggedy sweatshirt to the formal event tonight, she gave in to our request.

My damp hair is wrapped in a white towel. For clothes, I am wearing a plain terry cloth robe. My toes have separators shoved in between them because Alice was giving me a pedicure right before Edward arrived. She had also wanted me to wear a clay mask on my face since she said my pores looked clogged today. I told her I didn't want him to confuse me with a hog coated in mud - it may give him second thoughts about furthering our relationship. She had to agree with me on that one.

When Edward showed up at my hotel door right after noon, Alice headed to the bathroom to organize her supplies and to give us privacy. He found an old episode of the gameshow on a streaming service and we played against one another like we always do. I snuggled into his lap and we watched it on his IPad, making out whenever we could until the credits played. The show is over now, but we have yet to inform Alice. Once she figures out that the show is over, she will be kicking him out again.

The last time we saw each other was last night when Alice pushed him out of the apartment she shares with Jasper. Though, to be fair, she pushed Jasper out too. She declared that in order to have a proper girls' night in, all people who identified as male had to go. Alice, Rose, and I then drank champagne and watched chick flicks until midnight. That's when she advised us that it was time to go to bed since we would be waking up early. The morning would be bringing tons for us to do.

At approximately 12:27, I tiptoed out of bed and headed back into the living room. My plan was to sneak back to Edward's apartment. Our apartment now. My logic was that sleeping alone when I had a perfectly sexy but lonely partner three floors above me was insane.

I really did try to go asleep on my own, but my nerves were on edge. I knew that in a few hours my life would change forever again. I needed comfort. I needed Edward. I figured that he probably couldn't sleep either. He's accustomed to spooning with me until we fall asleep. I rationalized that he needed me, too.

So I stealthily crept towards Alice's front door, only a few steps away from freedom. My hand fell on the deadbolt and I slowly twisted it until it unlocked. That's when the living room lights flicked back on and I saw my female friends standing there with crossed arms and knowing smirks. Then Rose slapped a twenty into Alice's outstretched palm. Alice had made a bet that I wouldn't be able to stay away from Edward for the night. Rose lost.

Since our late night rendezvous failed, Edward's being especially attentive now. He hasn't stopped touching me since he stepped inside my hotel room a little more than a half an hour ago. I'm not complaining. We have a lot of catching up to do.

"You wiped the floor with me. And doubled your score," he compliments, sucking on the tip of my earlobe.

My skin prickles with goosebumps. "Ahh!" I reply, my eyes rolling into the back of my head.

With my earlobe clenched in between his teeth, he playfully adds, "I'm very impressed. I think I'll reward you now."

Seconds later, he tugs the sash of my robe until it opens, fully exposing my thin tank top and boy shorts. A spark ignites in his eyes as he examines what I have on and his expression smolders. It's the type of look that let's me know that I drive him crazy just as much as he does me.

His hands begin roaming around my body, moving from my waist up. Through the fabric of my shirt, a thumb brushes against my nipple and I involuntarily arch my back. His other hand fondles the back of my head and he presses his lips against my collarbone.

Although this feels fantastic, I'm well aware that his sister is in the bathroom twenty feet away. She could pop in at any moment, and I doubt she wants to see what Edward and I do for fun. Anymore "rewards" he wants to give me will need to happen later.

With an anguished groan, I push him away until he drops his hand from my breast and a few inches separate our faces. I drape my arms around his neck and give him a small smile. Now that his mouth is no longer attached to my body, my ability to speak magically returns.

"Considering how badly you were beaten today, you sure don't sound too disappointed that you lost. Most people would be at least a little upset," I point out. At the end of the game, I had $5000 while he was left with a humbling $1200.

His arm locks around my waist and pulls me until I bump into his chest, eliminating the few inches that separated us. "Why should I be upset? I have a lovely consolation prize to heal my ego." After that charming comment, he plants a kiss on my forehead. "I'll beat you next time," he adds in a cocky tone.

With my lips set into a mocking pout, I pat the side of his face condescendingly. "Aww. It's so cute when you act confident," I sweetly retort. "You go on telling yourself that if it makes you feel better, honey."

His eyes me roguishly and his lips curl into a smirk. Without warning, his skillful fingers dig into my waist, setting me into a fit of giggles and squeals. His smile gradually disappears when I use my feet to push at the crook of the arm that is attacking me. This strategy helps me to move his hand a half an inch away from my skin and gives me a much needed break. But that doesn't stop him for long. Since neither of his hands are available to tickle me, he utilizes a much sneakier tactic to get back at me.

In one swift movement, he bends over, somehow nuzzles my shirt up with his nose a few inches, and then attaches his mouth to the exposed skin. He places seemingly innocent, wet kisses everywhere he can. But, since he was only moments before mercilessly tickling me, my body is still reacting as though it is under attack. My belly involuntarily sucks in an attempt to try to avoid him. However, once he swirls his tongue around my navel and blows a breath across the surface of my skin, I don't know if I should be shrieking in agony or moaning in ecstasy. So I do both.

The bathroom door creeks open and we instantly stop messing around. Edward pulls my shirt down to make me more presentable and buries his face into my neck, giving one more kiss there before Alice appears.

She walks out of the bathroom with a hand covering her eyes. Her other hand is waving around on front of her, presumably to keep from bumping into anything as she blindly maneuvers around the bed and furniture.

"Are you guys decent?" she asks nervously. "Please tell me that all of your clothes are still on."

I turn my head just enough to wink at Edward. "Umm, give me a sec. I had better get my g-string back on before you reopen your eyes... You too, Edward."

She sucks in a breath and her hand falls from her eyes, her face contorted into a hilarious mixture of disgust and astonishment. Edward chuckles into my shoulder and hugs my waist tighter. He loves it when I torture his sister.

Alice's eyes turn into slits and her hands plant themselves onto her hips. "Real funny you two. I'm glad that you can joke around when there's so much work to be done."

Edward straightens up in his chair and snorts derisively. "Don't even pretend like you don't live for this stuff. If you could, you would throw a wedding every single day. You love the pressure. As for us, we prefer to take it easy and let the chips fall as they may. If we're five minutes late or the florist brings lilacs instead of lilies, so be it."

She gasps again, her mouth gaping open in horror. "How can you sound so complacent? This is your wedding you're talking about! Don't you want it to be perfect?"

He catches my eye and grins. "As long as the bride shows up, it will be." Then he's back to kissing me into a stupor.

I love his lips...

Tiny, high heeled feet stomp upon the hardwood floor. "Hey!" she shrilly yells in our ears. She shakes his shoulder in an attempt to break us apart. "Save that for later, Romeo!"

He pauses kissing me for split second and gives her a smug smile. "Don't worry. I have plenty of stamina," he smoothly replies before resuming his work on my lips.

I giggle. Alice groans.

"You promised me, Bella!" I hear her whine behind me. "You promised that I could do whatever I need to do to make you look fabulous tonight. And I need to finish your nails and make-up soon or I won't have time to even dress myself later! Please!"

I break the seal his lips have on my mouth and gaze into his moss green eyes. "She's right. And I did promise her that," I say with a forlorn sigh.

His brow ridge furrows at me, appearing puzzled. "Why would you ever agree to let her do whatever she wants on you? Do you have a death wish?" Even he understands that giving Alice that much power is dangerous. She probably has multiple instruments of torture waiting for me in that bathroom. It's likely that there's devices that will rip out my leg hair by the root and tiny, spiked beauty tools that poke holes into your flesh with the supposed intention of encouraging collagen production.

Tensely, I bite down on my lip and glance down at the floor. My reasoning is going to sound very dumb...

"She said that she found a present that I would love and that she would give it to me if I cooperate without complaining," I reluctantly admit.

His forehead rises up and he stares at me with wide, skeptical eyes. "A present? From her? All she ever wants to give you is clothes. Since when has that ever tempted you?"

"It's not clothes," I counter with a small frown. "Well...at least I don't think it is. She said it has something to do with Jeopardy."

His head snaps up to glare at his sister. "Targeting her one weakness is low, Alice," he hisses with tight lips. "This present you're to give her better be worth it. If it's just a coffee mug with the word Jeopardy embossed on the front or something similar, you will pay dearly."

Folding her arms at her chest, she rolls her eyes at him. "When I say I have a fantastic present for Bella, I'm not referring to something tacky. Give me some credit, please. You have my word that it's not clothes, shoes, or handbags. I can guarantee you that she will love what I got for her." She then grabs my hand and pulls me into a standing position. Once I am out of his reach, she adds, "Bella, you go sit on the stool in the bathroom. Edward, it's time for you to go. Antoine is going to be here any minute."

"Antoine?" he repeats suspicously, his eyes narrowed. "That sounds like a man's name."

She moves her hands in a slow, taunting clap. "Nice deductive skills, Sherlock. It sounds like a man's name because it is a man's name. Antoine is the best hairstylist in Seattle. He can take even the frizziest mop of hair and turn it into a work of art. The second after you and Bella agreed to have the wedding on this day, I scheduled an appointment with him. He's going to make Bella's hair even more beautiful than it already is!"

Edward's mouth twists as he mulls over her explanation. "If he can be here, I don't understand why I can't stay for a little while longer."

"He can stay because he isn't the groom! You are!" she snaps irritably. "You're lucky you saw her at all before the ceremony! Most guys don't. So quit the complaining and leave before I call Jasper and Emmett to escort you out the door."

"Fine," he grumpily replies as he rises up from the chair. "I'll go. But at least let me give her a proper goodbye."

Alice agrees to his demand and steps back a few steps. I walk straight into his embrace and wrap my arms around his middle. He has on a black v neck shirt and jeans that look like they are glued to his body. They're my favorite. Whenever he wears them, my heat index rises. Those jeans are so tight that I could read a credit card in his front pocket. Out of his sister's eyesight, my hands squeeze his butt cheeks and he smothers me in a kiss that could last for days as far as I care. It's not long before Alice, Antoine, and the rest of the world are erased from my mind.

A tiny finger taps my shoulder a few times, puncturing my happy bubble. "Bella," a feminine voice chimes. "I think that's enough of a goodbye for now. You can let him go."

He kisses me harder. And growls. Growling drives me crazy in the best possible way. If he growled any more than he already does, I would make sure that we would never leave our bed.

"Mmm hmmn muumnn," I intelligently reply. I had wanted to tell her "give me a few more minutes", but it came out as an incoherent jumble. My brain isn't currently coordinated enough to send the proper signals to my mouth.

"You made a deal, Bella!" Alice tartly reminds me. "And my gift is one of a kind. You don't want to miss it."

Dreams of owning a Jeopardy buzzer or maybe even Alex Trebek's old eye glasses dance through my thoughts. Edward's right. Alice does know my weakness.

I reluctantly step away, putting a couple of feet between us. "I'll see you later," I mumble sadly, my mouth puckered into a frown.

Before Edward can respond, Alice seizes the opportunity and begins pushing him towards the door. As he walks backwards, he looks at me and says in a serious tone, "If she starts going overboard and you can't take it anymore, you call me."

"I will," I nod.

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Alice yelps as she shoves him out into the hallway. She grabs the doorknob but pauses before closing the door. "Say goodbye, Edward," she says with a sigh.

He locks eyes with me and I notice that they're smoldering again. His tongue deliberately glides over his top lip, torturing me and causing the temperature of the room to spike. "Bye, Bella," he purrs seductively. "I love you. I can't wait until later when I can whisk you away from your miniature bodyguard. In the meantime, I'll be thinking of you. I hope you rest up because what I'll be doing to you toni-"

"Goodbye, Edward," Alice curtly interrupts, shutting the door in his face. After she turns the lock, she whirls around and glances at me, her face in a grimace. Her hand rises and she pinches her fingers together. "He was this close to giving me way more information than I needed to know. Come on. Let me brush your hair out before Antoine shows up."

I put myself into her hands and head into the hotel bathroom. As hours pass by and my hair is cut and highlighted, my face buffed and painted, and my body exfoliated and moisturized, I allow my mind to wander. So much had happened in the past three years.

After Edward and I confessed our feelings to one another, the transition from mere friends to lovers was remarkably simple. In a way, he never stopped being my friend. A lot of the things that we did before that fateful trip are things that we still do. We tease each other. We watch TV and read together. We hang out with Alice and our other friends down at the sports bar on Friday nights. The main differences between back before the trip and now is that we have added kissing, cuddling, and sex to our routine. And I think that those three things helped our friendship more than hurt it.

I used to think that he knew everything there is to know about me and vice versa. But I was wrong. Now we do. Some of the most interesting things that we now know about each other would have been left undiscovered forever if we had never went beyond being friends. And I can unhesitatingly state that it would have been a travesty if I had never known that he prefers to shower with a friend (me) in the mornings. And I'm sure he would have been equally devastated if he had never discovered what happens when I eat Thai food for dinner. There's something about eating that spicy food that causes me to wake up at night in the midst of pulling off his clothes. We eat Thai a lot now.

Since graduating college, we both have real jobs but always make time for one other. Jeopardy is still our game of choice. Every evening after work, we go to battle. We tease. We taunt. We make out. It's something that brings both of us much joy.

During the day, Edward works under his father at Cullen Enterprises, learning the ropes of how to run the company once Carlisle retires. His dad seems very excited at the prospect of being able to whisk Esme away on a trip around the world at a moments notice. They insist that the next stage of their life will be like an extended second honeymoon. I think it's adorable. As for their children, Edward and Alice's faces turn a funny shade of green whenever Esme talks about the private island her husband bought for her. Supposedly, if you own the island, no swimsuit is required on the beach. I love encouraging her to talk about it whenever her children are in the room.

I was hired at a company that publishes textbooks for schools and universities. My job was proofreader, which basically means I was an error checker. I would read a textbook draft and search for spelling and grammar mistakes. It was pretty easy to do and paid decently for an entry position. But I hated it. It was boring and offered no challenge.

After a year of working there, the Cullens offered me a solution. Carlisle badgered me for weeks, telling me how his company needed to be brought into the twenty-first century and that they desperately needed me to start a new social media department for the company. He explained that I would create buzz on Twitter, Facebook, and the like by posting pictures and information concerning the company's many medical related products, find influencers willing to advertise the products on their platforms, and work with the advertising agency to create relevant ads on websites that would intertwine with what I was doing on social media.

I turned him down many, many times.

I insisted that I wasn't experienced enough to handle such a big responsibility. I told him that it would be inappropriate for me to work for my boyfriend's family business. I told him that I wasn't smart or trendy enough to be able to keep up with the changing tide of the internet.

Fortunately for Carlisle, the Cullen charm isn't limited to merely his children. Every reason I gave why I shouldn't accept the job, he had a reason why I should. He eventually wore me down and I became the Social Media Director of Cullen Enterprises. It's a demanding but interesting job. I never have a slow day. I'm either working with the graphics department to create an eye-catching picture to upload to showcase a product, or reading and replying to the comments people leave on our posts. I've always suspected that Edward was the one that convinced his father to hire me, but he strongly denies it. I don't mind anymore if he did. I love the job too much to complain about how I landed it.

As for Alice, she works for herself. Although she sometimes creates her own clothes, she discovered that she prefers to work with other people's designs more. She took her portion of her inheritance that she received when she turned twenty-one and opened her own clothing boutique here in Seattle. And through the power of persuasion, she convinced Rose to go into business with her.

They work great together. While Alice designs the store layout and deals with most of the customers, Rose handles the finances and intimidates warehouse managers over the phone that don't send promised shipments on time. As a bonus for having Rose as her business partner, Alice found that customers respond to her too. Whenever a customer looks doubtfully at a suggested outfit, Alice summons Rose to model it. The customer almost always changes their mind. Rose's flawless face and curvy body would make even the rags that Cinderella wore look stylish.

Jasper moved to Seattle right after he obtained his bachelor's degree. He's working on his master's degree now. He initially moved into a rental house with the newly married Rose and Emmett. Alice was ecstatic to have him close by after going through a long distance relationship for more than a year. Jasper's presence also helped when I announced that I was moving in with Edward. While Alice was truly happy for us, she also cried. A lot. She had become used to having me in the apartment with her and wasn't sure how she would cope living alone. I reminded her that I would still see her every day and that we were literally a ten second elevator ride away from each other. She weakly smiled, nodded her head, and then burst into tears again. It wasn't until Edward put out the idea that Jasper could move out of the McCarthy household and into Alice's apartment did the tears dry up.

They're supposed to marry next year. Alice insists that the ceremony will be held at Club Eclipse, even if it means renting the entire building for the day. I've told her many times that she could have a nice wedding here in Seattle instead of flying all the way to Florida. She always scoffs and says that the wedding she wants to have with her dream man needs to be conducted at the exact place where she met this dream man. Once she gets an idea into her head, it's almost impossible to shake it out.

As for the prophetic dream she once had, she won't tell me if she has had any more since then. It makes me curious if she has had any about me. Whenever I ask, she dodges the question by saying that as long as I'm happy, what she sees in a dream shouldn't matter. I guess she has a point.

At five o'clock, I'm standing behind a door and waiting for my signal. Alice wears a periwinkle blue bridesmaid's dress that she picked out and I OK'd. I'm wearing a simple but tight, white gown that flows down to my calves. Thanks to the design and a secret contraption hidden underneath the fabric, the dress gives me the illusion of having bigger breasts than I really do. It makes me think I should wear it all the time.

Before I know it, the violinist Alice hired begins the Wedding March and I start walking. No one is here to support me as I walk down the aisle. I have no one to give me away. I walk alone. Carlisle offered to do it, but I politely declined. When I lost my mother, I was alone - just like now. The next stage of my life did not begin until after I found the Cullens. First their children and then the parents welcomed me into their clan. I felt that this brief walk down the aisle would be somewhat symbolic. After today, I will leave behind that lonely existence and become a Cullen officially. Wherever Mom is, I'm sure she couldn't be happier for me.

The first thing I notice when I step into the room is a sea of faces. Some I don't recognize. Edward has invited old high school friends he hasn't seen in years, coworkers, and a dozen or so distant relatives that are scattered around the United States. Some faces I do recognize, like Emmett holding Rose with one arm and their toddler in his other. Liam has his father's curls and his mother's blonde hair. He's the cutest little boy I've ever seen. Alice wanted him to be the ring bearer today but he is still in the I-want-to-put-everything-into-my-mouth phase. Rose told her that unless she wants the wedding rings to pass through a baby's digestive tract, she should just take a pass on that one.

It doesn't take long for me to spot Edward waiting at the end of the aisle. He's as devastatingly handsome as always, dressed in a black tuxedo with his arms behind his back. But it's his smile that leaves me breathless. It's broad and joyful, making his elation unmistakable. And there at one corner of his mouth, it's tilted up slightly more than the other. This gives him a rakish air that hints at the thoughts racing through his mind.

I can't take my eyes away from his face. The beautiful, twinkling lanterns hanging overhead and hundreds of white lilies decorating the room can't hold a candle to him.

Walking towards him like this makes me wish that I could kick my former self. I was afraid of this? Sure, things could have gone wrong and Edward and I may have not made it. Although in this case, we beat the odds. It was a risk that has paid off. But I've had time to think things over since we got together. And on my own I have accepted that life is riddled with risks and dangers the moment you exit the womb. Setting up walls to insulate yourself only serves to keep the good things from getting through as well as the bad. And Edward is a definite good thing. I was crazy to ever think that friendship would be enough.

Before I know it, I'm grasping his hand and Alice takes my bridal bouquet away. His smile turns into a grin and he winks in that playful way that makes my heart race.

"Are you both, this day and before all present, ready to accept each other in marriage?" says a familiar voice nearby.

Edward and I in unison answer that we are.

With supreme reluctance, I tear my attention away from my groom and look in the direction from which the voice came from. I'm expecting to see the balding man with wireframe glasses that Alice hired to officiate the ceremony. But that is not who I see.

Instead, a man that I have seen nearly every day since I turned ten years old stands there. His hair is much whiter than it once was. His face is as kind now as it looks on TV. His eyes sparkle amusedly while I stare at him openmouthed.

I think I found the present Alice got for me.

Somehow, she brought me Alex Trebek.

My head snaps up to stare at Edward, my eyes wide and frozen open. He's grinning down at me and his body shakes with restrained laughter. He evidently thinks my reaction is hilarious. I can't say that I can blame him.

"Did you know?" I whisper under my breath.

"No," he smiles, barely moving his lips.

I glance back at Alex. He's smiling at the two of us and takes a step forward. Lowering his voice, he says, "I know that this is a surprise for you and you're a bit confused. But, if you aren't comfortable having me officiate, I can step aside and let a professional take over. I'll understand."

"No!" I yelp so loud that it echoes throughout the room. More than half of our guests laugh at me. On a normal day, I would be embarrassed. But this isn't a normal day.

He laughs along with the guests and resumes standing a couple of feet away. Quickly, I look over my shoulder at Alice. She's wearing a smug smile, her nose tilted haughtily in the air. Having Edward doubt her earlier and now seeing my positive reaction is a confidence booster for her.

I smile back. She may be annoying sometimes but she definitely devotes everything she has into making her family and friends happy. "I love you," I mouth to her. She giggles a bubbly laugh in response.

Wedding Officiant Alex does what nearly every Wedding Officiant does. He begins a speech focusing on Edward and me as if he knows us, which secretly thrills me. He reminds us that marriage is made up of highs and lows, which scares me. Then he says that a strong marriage is one in which the partners are bonded in both friendship and love, which helps me breathe again.

Once the speech is done, Alex directs his full attention on me. He suddenly appears dead serious and I'm feeling nervous as well as starstruck. "'Bella Swan, do you take Edward Cullen as your partner for life, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health, for as long as you both shall live?' is a question that should be answered in this way if you accept the responsibility of the marriage vow."

I stare at Alex with bewildered, blinking eyes. He's staring back at me expectantly. What a weird way to say the vows...

"Uh. I do?" I answer with a scrunched face.

Wagging his finger as though I am being naughty, Alex smiles and says, "Excuse me, but it needs to be in the form of a question."

Edward's laughter is the loudest in the room. I flash a scowl at him and he shuts up instantly. He'll pay for that later...

Once the noise of the room dies down, I focus my energies back on the task at hand. "Sorry. Umm. What is I do?" I correct.

Edward answers his vow without a hitch, and it isn't long before rings have been exchanged and Alex is informing him that he can kiss the bride. Edward seems to think that this is the most important part of the ceremony. Instead of giving me a sweet peck on the lips, he goes all out. He grabs me by the waist, tips me over until my back is parallel to the floor, and proceeds to kiss me with a fervor that can be described as borderline obscene. People hoot and holler as though they think that they are at a peep show. I can hear Emmett yelling "get a room!" amid the noise.

By the time Edward is done, my legs can no longer support my body. Since he is the cause of my current condition, he has to walk me to the reception room with his arms holding me up. Being kissed into a haze in front of hundreds of people should make me feel embarrassed. But I am not. I would let him do it again if I could.

At the reception, toasts to our future are given, dinner is eaten, and music is played. After our first dance, we sit back down and our guests twirl and shake in front of the band that was hired. While they're having a good time, I keep track of what Alex is doing and tap Edward's shoulder whenever I see something interesting. Which is often.

"Look! He chose the salmon instead of the steak! I wonder if he's on a diet?"

"Aww! Your mom just made Alex laugh. Ooh! And he's looking at you! I bet she's telling him one of those stories about when you were little..."

"Wow! Alex is tapping his foot under his table. He must like this song... Edward, why isn't he dancing like everyone else is? Do you think he wants to dance but is too nervous to ask someone? Or maybe he asked and the person turned him down. Oh my god, Edward! Now he thinks that no one wants to dance with him! He's probably having a terrible time and can't wait to get out of here! What are we gonna do?!"

Edward rubs his hand down his face and sighs. "You're worrying over nothing. He's probably too tired to dance right now."

"But look how sad he looks! There's got to be more to this than just that."

"Approximately two minutes ago, you told me that he was smiling when Aunt Julia asked for his autograph," Edward reminds me. "I doubt he has gone downhill that quickly."

Playing with the material of my dress, I glance at my brand new husband. "He's probably a good actor. I mean, look at him right now. No smile in sight, hmm? All he's doing is sipping his drink and looking bored out of his mind! Maybe I should go ask him if he'd like to dance with me."

Edward grabs my hand before I can back my chair out and starts distributing kisses on the inside of my wrist. "He's fine, Bella," he mumbles into my skin.

"How do you know?"

His lips curve into a smile and he folds both of his hands around my own. "I can read minds. Have you forgotten? Perhaps I should read his and tell you exactly what he's thinking," he jokes playfully.

He is referring to his ongoing habit of pretending to hear the thoughts of strangers just to make me laugh. I admit that it's usually funny the things he makes up, but he can't do that in this case.

"Don't you dare do that!" I hiss under my breath. "Alex Trebek is off limits. You can't poke fun at living legends! Besides, what is there to make a joke out of? That he's smart and interesting? That he's witty, handsome, and one of the most successful gameshow hosts of all time?"

Edward's smile vanishes and is replaced by a small frown. "You think he's handsome?"

I peek back at the man in question for a moment. "Of course I do. Just look at him. He's one of the best looking senior citizens out there."

"He isn't that good looking," Edward grumbles, his brows smashed tightly together.

I stare at him for a short while, wondering what his problem is. Then it hits me.

"Oh my-!" I giggle, covering my mouth with my free hand. "Do you feel threatened by Alex Trebek?!"

"No," he mutters grumpily, knitting his eyebrows further.

"You are! You don't like that I think he's a smart, handsome, wonderful person."

Edward's mouth twists as though he just ate something rotten. "So now he's wonderful, too?" he asks pointedly.

"I knew it!" I snort, laughing at the absurdity. "I can't believe you. Are you seriously jealous of him?"

His mouth thins while he busies himself by playing with my fingers. "I am not jealous. I've just never heard you go on and on about anyone like this before."

Yep. He's jealous.

I peer into Edward's eyes, arching my eyebrows. "And I've never seen you look so upset just because I said that someone else besides you is nice looking and smart. You didn't care the other day when Alice and I were talking about how handsome Robert Pattinson was in his new movie."

Edward cocks his head to the side, observing me for a few moments before he forms a reply. "For one, Robert Pattinson wasn't in the same room with you two when you were discussing him. And for two, you've been staring at Mr. Trebek nonstop for the past hour and gave me a play-by-play of everything he has done since you met the man. So I would say that this is very different."

Edward has managed to make me sound like an obsessed, twenty-something year old fan girl that likes to stare creepily at an elderly man. And sadly, he is right.

Raising my free hand, I play with the hair right above his ear. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," I murmur in a gentler tone. "But the reason that I've been staring is because that's my idol over there. I've watched him on TV for forever and never imagined ever meeting him. Did you know that he is the closest thing I had to a father figure growing up?"

"No. I didn't," he exhales.

"See? That's all there is to it. I'm just super stoked about all of this. I mean...do you realize what happened today? We had Alex freakin' Trebek marry us!" I yelp, shaking him by his shoulders.

He chuckles a few times and plants another kiss to my wrist. "I know. I'm happy that you liked it so much. And I'll try to lay off the insecurities for the rest of the night. If you want, go dance with him. Just...promise me you won't ask him to sign your cleavage like Aunt Julia did. Please."

I place my hand behind his head and pull him in for a brief kiss. "I promise. But I guess I'll have to wait to dance with him later. Somebody else beat me to it."

Edward's eyes dart around until he spots Great Grandma Cullen pulling Alex out onto the dance area. She looks fantastic in her lacy yet demure Sunday dress and sneakers. She smiles politely at Alex, turns around, and does something I never would have expected.

"Wow," I say with raised eyebrows. "Who knew that a ninety year old could twerk?"

"You can thank her yoga classes for that," Edward announces with a smirk. "She's the only person her age that I know of that does handstands and splits while her friends move around with walkers."

It doesn't take long before he's hauling me out there too. The song being played is nice and slow - my favorite kind. I lay my head on his shoulder and sway with him to the music.

"Bella?" he says after a while.

"Hmm?" I hum with eyes closed.

"Remember that story you once told me about your junior prom?"

Like I could ever forget that. Exposing my nether regions to the entire school is something that will unfortunately live with me forever. I'm sure there are heaps of people that only know me by Bella Thong thanks to that night. However, despite that traumatic experience, I've come to enjoy dancing with Edward. He holds me too close for me to ever worry about falling or accidentally mooning our guests.

I tilt my head up a few degrees in order to see him properly. "Yeah. What about it?" I wonder aloud.

"Well, I'm curious," he begins, his mouth slightly pursed. "If you were to fall right now in that same manner, what would your new nickname be?"

One of my eyes squint as I decide what I should say. I could be coy and make him wait to see for himself later. But what's the fun in that?

Standing on my toes, I place my mouth by his ear to ensure that he is the only one that can hear. "Bella 'Corset' Cullen," I rasp seductively.

Backing up, I watch his eyes glaze over. The grip on my waist tightens, and he begins moving us away from the dance area before I can detect what he's doing.

"What are you doing?" I question suspiciously.

"Getting us out of here. I want to see what you're wearing. Right now."

Leave it to Edward to think that he can literally waltz us out of our own wedding reception...

With wide eyes, I yelp, "We can't just leave! People will notice that the bride and groom have disappeared."

He shakes his head back in forth, the picture of confidence. "No they won't. I have two words for you - open bar. No one will notice that we're missing."

He expertly maneuvers us through crowds of well wishers, scrambling wait staff, and semi-drunken relatives until we are only a short few feet away from the exit. We stop pretending that we're dancing and revert to holding hands. He leads us to the door but has to halt right before he can reach the doorknob.

A long-haired man blocks our exit, his body almost surpassing the width of the door. He stands several inches taller than Edward. I would probably be worried about what he's up to if it wasn't for the fact that his smile appears too pleasant to be untrustworthy.

"Excuse me, but I would like to use the door, please," Edward announces politely, still holding my hand.

The burley man holds a large plate in his paws, shoveling food into his mouth and he grins wider. "Oh, right. Sorry, man!" The guy thrusts out a hand and Edward reluctantly shakes it. "I'm Seth. You must be Edward and Bella." Seth stuffs a crab cake into his face, chews exactly three times, and swallows. "Whoa! This food is awesome. I haven't eaten this good in ages."

"Yes. We're thrilled that you're enjoying yourself," Edward deadpans, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But, as you can see, my wife and I need to use the door. So if you would move to the side, please?"

"No can do, bro," Seth replies with a sheepish shrug. "I'm under orders to guard this door."

Edward's eyes harden and he glares at the stranger. "That's ridiculous. As you can see, we are the bride and groom, and we did not hire anyone to guard this door," he growls.

Seth nods his head and pops another crab cake into his mouth. "I know, right? I've never watched a door all night before. But the ad said that I'd get two hundred bucks as long as I make sure that you two can't sneak out. Oh! Congrats on the marriage, by the way. I almost forgot to tell you guys that."

An ad?

Edward and I stare at one another for several beats. Then, slowly we turn around in almost perfect synchronization until we find the person we are searching for.

Alice stands across the room, amusedly watching us. She raises her wine glass in the air with a satisfied smile. She then tilts it triumphantly to her lips.

Edward gradually turns back to our human blockade. "Tell me," he mumbles broodingly, rubbing his jaw. "Is it just you here working to guard the premises?"

Seth innocently grins with his mouth full. "Nope! That dark-haired woman hired my whole frat and scattered us all over the place! She even gave us walkie talkies so we can communicate just like real security. Isn't that sick?"

Edward doesn't answer him. Instead, he looks at me pitifully. "How much longer before this thing is over?"

"About two hours."

His head slumps down with a groan. Moments later, he takes my hand and we walk unhurriedly back to the dance floor. Dancing is the closest activity to what he had planned that he can currently think of.

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Around three years after that...

It's well after sunset when I reenter the Cullen Enterprises office building. Almost everyone has left for the day, except for a few custodians and night watchmen left to patrol the quiet floors. Plus Edward. He is up there on the top floor, working well past closing time.

Since taking over the head position last year, Edward has had a lot more on his plate to deal with. He's usually good at juggling his personal life along with work, but sometimes work demands more of his time than he would like. He just got back from a three day business trip to New York this afternoon. I would have gone too if it hadn't been for the fact that I had an important project that I couldn't put off. Then, almost as soon as he entered the building, he had to attend a board meeting. It should be ending soon, and that's why I'm here.

I lug the bags of takeout I brought to the elevator and push the button for his floor. Once the door slides open, I spot Edward's secretary throwing her coat around her shoulders and dropping her things into her purse. Sweet pictures of her two little girls are scattered all around her desk. I'm sure she's anxious to get home, but I stop her before she can pass around me.

"Hi, Kate. Is Edward in his office?" I ask her.

She gives a tight-lipped smile and sighs. "He sure is. But I think I should warn you that he's in a foul mood. He has just been informed that one of our suppliers is threatening to raise the cost of iron by twenty percent. When I checked a few minutes ago, he was on the phone trying to talk some sense into them."

My mouth thins into a line at the news. The company makes everything from bandages to heart monitors to crutches. That much of an increase in price of anything we make could be catastrophic.

I thank her for the heads up and slowly open his door. The large office is only lit by a desk lamp, plunging most of the room in darkness. My eyes squint a little until I find him. Edward sits in his office chair, his back turned towards me.

"We have done business with you for the past fourteen years," he says into the phone. "And never once in all of those years did you propose to do anything like this... I am well aware of rising costs, but this is unacceptable. Just because my father no longer runs this company does not mean that you can railroad us into paying more... Be that as it may, you are not the only supplier for this particular product, Mr. Zhao. I can assure you that if you choose to bump up the price to such an outrageous amount, I will find another supplier that is more inclined to work with me."

Edward's chair abruptly whirls around and he sees me standing by the door. The smile that I love lights up his face and eradicates the scowl that had been there a moment before.

"Yes, yes. I do understand that. Umm. Excuse me, please," he says to the person on the line. "But my next appointment just arrived. Think over what I said, and if you change your mind, call me back in twelve hours."

He tosses the phone onto his desk as though he despises it and jumps up from his chair. His hair is rumpled. His navy blue neck tie fits loosely around his neck, appearing like a hangman's noose. He is clearly exhausted. Yet somehow, he still looks amazing.

His long legs help him cross the room in only a few steps and he gathers me into his arms. "God, I missed you," he sighs into my hair.

"Me too," I reply.

He glances down and discovers my surprise, their unmistakable aroma permeating the room. He happily snatches one from my hand and peeks inside. "Mmm. Fatty hamburgers, fatty fries, fatty milkshakes, and a side salad to share so that we can pretend we ate healthy." Catching my eye, he smilingly adds, "Have I mentioned how much I love you?"

"You have. But I don't mind if you elaborate a bit more," I tease, grabbing his necktie and pulling him down to my waiting mouth. Going three whole days without doing this was torture. If I had known how hard it was going to be, I would have asked my assistant to handle everything and travelled with Edward on his business trip.

Edward pushes stacks of paperwork to the side and his desk is soon overrun with ketchup packets and empty wrappers. Between bites of food, we share what happened during our time apart. There is a lot. The most interesting news I want to tell him is too important for me to announce over greasy fast food, so I decide to save it for later. I'm in the middle of telling the story of how I was visiting Alice and Jasper's house and witnessed their crazy neighbor yelling at them for not utilizing their recycling bin enough, when I notice something strange. Edward is staring at my mouth.

"What is it? Do I have mustard or something on me?" I ask. I then snatch a napkin from the desk and blot my mouth and chin.

He plucks it from my fingers, carelessly drops it to the side, and squeezes my hand. "You're fine," he says soothingly. "More than fine. You're beautiful. I was just admiring the way your lips move when you talk."

I arch my brow, skeptical of the claim. "You were admiring my lips?"

"Um-hmm," he relaxedly hums. His wheeled chair rolls closer to me and he lifts me up until I am sitting on his lap. He begins placing kisses on my eyelids and everywhere else that he can easily reach. "And I was admiring your dark eyes. And your chin. And your neck..."

Nimble fingers yank open the top buttons of my blouse, taking me by surprise. His mouth drifts down, down, down until I grab the hair at the back of his head and he has no choice but to stop.

"Edward?" I pant. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I want to admire more of you, and your clothes are in the way." Then he goes back to plastering the exposed section of my upper chest with kisses.

It feels good. But the paranoid part of my brain won't let me enjoy it. I grab his hair again and pull until he is separated from my skin.

"This is an office, not a bedroom, Edward. We can't."

"Sure we can. That's the one useful aspect of being in charge of this place. If I want to create a new rule, I have the right to. And I'm making one right now." Deepening his voice into an authoritative bass, he proclaims, "Henceforth, if my wife and I are in the mood, we can have sex in my office as long as the door is properly secured." Reverting back to his normal tone, he grins at me and says, "Happy now?"

I glance at the wall clock and back at him. "But Jeopardy comes on in eighteen minutes."

Sensing my weakening resolve, he untucks my blouse from my pencil skirt and toys with the remaining buttons that hide me from his lust filled eyes. Firm lips flatten themselves to the skin of my lower neck, and he mutters huskily, "We'll make it quick."

That's all the encouragement I need.

We work as a team to get our clothes off. I unbutton and slide his white dress shirt off while he almost rips my skirt in his enthusiasm to remove it. It doesn't take long before he has all of my clothes in a pile, leaving me bare in front of him. The green of his eyes darken as they rake over me. It's the look of reverence that, even after being with him for six years, makes me shiver with anticipation. When I look at my reflection in a mirror, I've never really felt beautiful. But whenever he gazes at me like this, I realize that he believes that I am. So it must be true.

I hop up to sit on his desk, locking my legs around his waist as our mouths work in unison. He tastes of dark coffee, sweet and addicting. The position we are in must not be enough to satisfy him because he lifts up and supports my bottom while he carries me to the black leather couch across the room. Once he places me safely there, I immediately latch my fingers around the zipper of his trousers. The sound is louder than it should be in the quiet room. Maybe the risk of being caught makes it seem more cacophonous than usual. I focus my attention back to him, and my thumbs hook around the elastic of his boxer briefs. I quickly send them and his pants down to his ankles.

I wish we had more time to devote to admiring one another, because I think I could conceivably admire naked Edward forever.

He isn't a bodybuilder, but his body is athletic and lean. His pectorals are nicely defined while his core is flat and sexy. His legs are muscular, long, and firm - strong evidence of his tendency to jog a mile at least three times a week.

One of my fingers traces the line of hair below his navel, marveling at what I see before me. He is a work of art. And he is mine.

My hand reaches out to touch him in his most sensitive place. I watch his face closely as I wrap my fingers around him. His eyes droop and blink as though dazed. I can feel that he is already hard and clearly anxious for more. He makes that fact more apparent when he growls and falls to his knees in front of me. The hint of seriousness on his face let's me know that he wants me now. Luckily, for him, I agree with that desire. Foreplay will have to be suspended. Three days without each other has left us desperate for immediate gratification.

Spreading my legs apart, he captures my bottom lip with his mouth and hums. The sounds he makes as he lavishes me with attention heightens the charged atmosphere. The instant I suck in a breath, he enters me and slides in slowly until he can go no further. It's slightly uncomfortable at first, but my body adjusts quickly to him. I feel full and finally complete again.

Then it's nothing but heated kisses and panting breaths. My fingernails dig into his broad shoulders, holding on tight as he makes love to me. One moment it's relaxed and slow. The next, frenzied and pounding. I never know what is coming next. And that is exactly why I love this so much.

Without giving me warning, his lips ghost across the top of my breast. A moan much louder than it should slips out. All of me seems to know now what is plans are. My body trembles once he swirls his warm tongue across my cool skin, concentrating on my nipple. It feels so deliciously good that I can barely breathe.

Much to quickly, I'm blinded by a white light and seemingly floating in ecstasy. I still feel him moving within me, holding me down to earth. For that brief time, my world is limited to just myself and him. And I love that feeling more than anything.

I hear his throat make a primal grunt in my ear. Then moments afterwards, he's trying to keep himself from collapsing on top of me. Shaking arms are on either side of my chest. His face is slumped forward and he breathes heavily.

Gradually, he meets my eyes. A slow smile brightens the his face. He leans down and places a sweet peck on my lips.

"Three minutes until Jeopardy comes on. See? We had plenty of time," he winks.

Soon he grabs a remote and the TV mounted on the wall comes to life. He flops down beside me on the couch and slings his arm behind my back, pulling me close.

Though it is tempting to stay this way, I fight against it and stand up. My intension is to make it over to his desk before the show comes on. But Edward snatches my hand before I can walk away. "Where are you going?" he asks, his voice sounding almost hurt.

"To get some clothes on. I'll be right back."

"Why?"

I roll my eyes up to the ceiling and heave out a breath. "Because I can't play like this, Edward," I reply, pointing down at my unclothed body.

"Now, I have to disagree with you there," he contradicts, holding his index finger up. "I propose that we play a new version of the game."

"What version?"

"Naked Jeopardy. The winner at the end decides what we do once the game's over."

"And let me guess. More sex?"

Edward shrugs indifferently, acting as though that isn't exactly what he has in mind. "If that's what you want," he says airily.

I laugh and shake my head at him. "If we played naked, we would both lose. We would be too distracted to pay attention to the clues on the show."

I slip back into my blouse and undergarments and toss him his boxers and pants. I choose to NOT bring him his shirt because it doesn't hurt to have at least a little eye candy to enjoy during the game.

We play against one another the same as always. Today, I am doing very well. By the time Double Jeopardy ends, I have a two thousand point lead over him. Before the show goes to commercial break, Alex Trebek announces that the category for Final Jeopardy is Modern Pop Songs.

I think it should be an easy win. I keep up with music pretty well. But when I look at my husband, another thought crosses my mind. I have news that I have yet to deliver. I wanted to make a grand gesture, like a fancy, home-cooked meal before I told him. Though, seeing him over there musing over how he should wager, makes me reevaluate that idea.

Jeopardy helped bring us together. Why not let it be involved in this, too?

I grab my spiral notebook and find a blank page. Right before the show comes back on, I scribble down my wager.

The final clue is similar to what I expected. It's asking what song was streamed the most last year. I know the answer, but that is not what I'm writing down.

Edward and I watch Alex interact with the contestants. Two of them have the answer right. The returning champion answers incorrectly and winds up in second place.

At the show's conclusion, it's time for us to reveal our own answers. I insist that he go first. Edward flips his notebook around and shows that he answered correctly. His score is now $3575.

It's my turn now, and I am nervous regarding how he will take the news. Inhaling, I hold the air in until I feel calmer and release it slowly. Then, before I can chicken out, I thrust my notebook into the air and display the bold printed words to him.

"What is...I'm Having Your Baby?" he reads aloud, knitting his brows. He appears puzzled for a few beats and strokes his jaw ruminatively. Then, the corners of his lips lift and he chuckles. "Bella. The song is called 'You're Having My Baby' not 'I'm Having Your Baby'. Plus, that song came out during the '70s. It wouldn't be considered modern by any stretch of the imagination."

Hiding my own smile, I chew the inside of my cheek and try to come up with a way for him to figure out on his own what I want to share with him. "I know all of that. But I decided to play differently today. Instead of answering their clue, I gave you a clue of your very own to solve."

His head tilts to the side and he blinks at me. Unhurriedly, his attention moves back to my notebook and he studies what I wrote.

When his eyes stretch open as large as saucers, I know that he has cracked the clue.

"I thought the doctor said that it might take months before that could happen. You only stopped taking birth control a few weeks ago," he says in a low tone, his face paler than normal.

"Yes, she did. But she also said that once I stop taking the pill, I could become pregnant much sooner than that. Some women can become pregnant within a month of quitting. Everybody is different."

He shakes his head like he is trying to wake up from a dream. Thick fingers rub his eyes. "When did you find out?"

"On my lunch break today. I stopped by the drug store and bought a couple of home pregnancy tests. Of course, I still need to be checked by Dr. Eleazar so she can tell me officially."

He covers his face with his hands, hiding himself from me. Just when I am starting to get worried that he isn't ready for this like we had originally planned, he drops his hand and I find a smile. He stretches out from his end of the couch, scoops me up, and circles his arms around my torso.

"We're having a baby," he breathes out into my ear.

"Yep," I simply respond, my mouth curling upwards.

He backs up a little, revealing the excitement dancing in his eyes. "God, we have so much to do! How will we get everything done in time? We'll need to find a bigger house in a decent neighborhood, decorate the baby's bedroom, buy baby clothes and furniture, find the best pediatrician, get a safer car, pick out a name-"

"Whoa there, Hoss!" I giggle at him, placing my finger against his lips. "We have months before this baby comes, so take a breather before you freak out. Your mom and Alice will want to help with any house buying, nursery decorating, and clothes buying, so we're covered there. I can ask Emmett and Rose what pediatrician they use for their kids. And as for the baby's name, I already have one picked out."

"You do?" he asks with raised brows.

"Mmm-hmm," I nod proudly.

"Let's hear it then."

I smile before I say it aloud, already imagining it on the baby's birth certificate. "Alex Cullen."

He eyes me doubtfully, one bronzed brow cocked up. "What if it's a girl?"

"Alex. It's unisex! It can stand for Alexander if it's a boy, and Alexis or Alexandra if it's a girl. Brilliant, huh?"

His face winces a little and he pats my back. "At least we have time to think about it," he replies hesitantly.

Smirking, I shrug and nod my head. "That's fine. We can think about it as long as you need. Then we'll name the baby Alex."

He smiles until his eyes crinkle at their corners. Pulling my body closer, he hugs me and buries his hand in my long hair. "I love you," he whispers. I can hear it in his tone. Sense it in the way his fingers touch me. He doesn't use those words lightly. He means it.

"I love you," I tell him back. I really mean it, too.

He pivots my face up and his lips crash into mine. Instinctively, I go to entwine my arms around his neck. My notebook drops from my fingers and tumbles to the ground. I technically lost the game today. I answered incorrectly. But I think I won in the end. Because tonight, and every day hereafter, I will have Edward and a family unlike anything I had when I was younger to share my life with.

I bet everything I had, and I won.

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A/N- I got the idea for this Jeopardy themed Twilight story in early 2019, but I didn't begin writing it until well after Mr. Alex Trebek announced his pancreatic cancer diagnosis. If you love Alex, send him your prayers, positive vibes, or well wishes to keep him going strong. And, if you can, find a worthy charity to donate to that is currently working to find a cure so we can finally stop all forms of cancer in its tracks.

I hope you enjoyed this mostly fluff-fest. It began with Jeopardy. It ends with Jeopardy and a baby. You can't get much better than that. ;-)

Thanks for reading!