It's short but sweet. It's also un-beta'd, unedited, probably total nonsense and all screw ups are mine. All Twilight characters are owned my SM I only use and abuse them for my amusement. Rated MA for language, lemons and total madness from my psychotic brain. If you're offended or annoyed by what I write then STOP READING IT! duh!

Ball control: an offensive strategy in football in which a team tries to keep possession of the ball for extended periods of time.

Chapter 36: Ball Control

EPOV

It was six-thirty in the morning and I was bored as fuck. All I wanted to do was leave. I'd only arrived thirty minutes ago so leaving wasn't an option. No not when it was a fucking mandatory team meeting. Who the fuck has a team meeting at six in the morning? I was sleep deprived, starving and needed caffeine in a big way. I was a moody bastard and hated everything. The biggest problem was my idiot brother. He was having too much fun with Mike Newton being traded to Carolina. His idiocy was rapidly becoming my problem. Emmett had no filter or understanding of the importance of subtlety. He has had the same attitude of cool casual indifference since he was born. Yet, like everything else, what he meant to say or accomplish was nothing at all what was happening. Instead he was unintentionally being a fucktard. Mike Newton was traded to Carolina and for whatever reason Emmett found that shit hilarious.

"Newton drops back…he looks…no one's open but wait…its Newton he throws annnnnnd Touchdown Newton."

Like I said he thought he was hilarious and then like the moron he is he said "it's funny because they won't know its two different people because they are both black."

That was when I made Emmett sit the fuck down. That was almost twenty minutes ago. And still no coach.

I took a sip of my water wondering when this fucking meeting would get underway. Knowing it was just your standard POS about the upcoming game was annoying. Casting a sidelong glance in each direction I noticed I wasn't the only one who wished they were somewhere else. I wanted to be done and back with Bella who was currently asleep. She should be getting up soon and I wanted to be there. She had to be at the Medical Plaza at nine for her appointment with Joe. After that it was off to her surgeon's office. Today we would find out when her first reconstructive surgery would be. I took a sip of my water and leaned my head back against the wall. I hoped to hell this meeting would hurry the fuck up. I had somewhere else to be.

Bella POV

"Edward, don't leave me!" I screamed as I reached for him because he couldn't be telling me goodbye.

"I lost you once, I won't do it again. Fucking Christ Isabella, I can't live without you, but you're pushing me away," he said and I wiped away my tear streaked cheeks with the back of my hand.

"I don't mean to. I wasn't-" I hiccupped as Edward walked to me and crouched down so he was eye level. He ran the back of his hand across my cheek.

"I know Baby, but you are and I am done and won't let you do it anymore. I love you Baby and I am not allowing you to push me away any longer." He used his thumb to catch a tear that slipped out.

"I-I love you too Edward, so much and I'm so sorry." I sobbed and Edward smiled as he stood up. He held his hand toward me and I went to grab it, but his hand was just out of reach. Edward's eyebrows knitted together in confusion and then I saw the look on his face morph into some sort of agony.

"Edward?" I questioned but he didn't say anything as he moved farther away.

"Baby!" Edward screamed just as two arms reached around me and held on for dear life dragging me further out of his reach.

"Edward!" I screamed as I frantically reached for him through the air. I fell forward against the arms holding me and saw my feet which were dripping off my bones. Edward started running toward me.

"There's no saving you this time you're mine." A voice I recognized was in my ear and I screamed.

I sat straight up in bed screaming for dear life clutching my chest and looking around frantically. This time Edward didn't come running to comfort me. I didn't even have time to catch my breath. I ran into the attached bathroom and expelled myself of last night's dinner.

When I was done reliving the lasagna from last night, I flushed the toilet and done and sat on the lid. It had been three months since we were moved into the playroom. Even though the place was like Fort Knox my nightmares were coming more frequently. At first I couldn't figure out why, because I was even more secure with all the new precautions. Extra security guards, bars and sensors on the windows, bulletproof cars, even the door to the playroom looked like it belonged in the CIA. I just couldn't figure it out at first.

A couple of weeks ago I had a severe case of the flu. I could barely drink and anything I ate would come right back up. That was the first time I had the dream. At first I thought it was because I was so sick, but soon I realized it was only when Edward wasn't near. He never left my side when was sick except once. However, when I was better, Edward went back to his routine. He would leave for the stadium by seven in the morning. As soon as my body realized he was not near, the nightmare started. I hadn't told anyone because I didn't want Edward to worry about me and miss practice.

I was afraid I was going to have to tell someone soon, because this vomiting from fear every morning was not healthy. I brushed my teeth to rid myself of said vomit breath then went back to lie down. I still had an hour before I had to be up for my appointments.

"Babe!" Edward screamed as he raced across the Medical Plaza parking lot. He had gotten in the habit of using the term of endearment in public so he didn't slip up and use Bella. We had been so lucky that everyone still knew me as Elizabeth Dwyer instead of knowing my true identity.

"Hey" I said smiling like a loon as he caught up to us. By us I mean myself and the two huge bodyguards that I had dubbed Hans and Franz. Of course Edward was accompanied by Garrett himself. "What are you doing here?" I asked as I hugged him. I had just finished my physical therapy and was walking into my doctor's office. He gave me a peck on the lips before tucking me into his side and continuing to walk toward the building entrance.

"I wanted to be here. It's an important appointment.

Of course everyone stared like crazy as we walked into the reception area. It was a huge production with the five of us. Hans and Franz stayed outside the door and Garrett disappeared to do whatever it is he does. The receptionist has me sign in and before we can even sit down Annalise the Medical Assistant is calling me back.

"Hey Liz how have you been?" she asks as she extends her arm left indicating for Edward and I to go toward the scale.

"Good, thank you." I reply as Edward takes my hand.

"That's good. Mr. Cullen it's nice to see you again." She says on a purr and Edward just smiles.

"Step up on the scale for me Liz and we'll just get your weight." She says not even looking at me as she pushes a few buttons. Edward rolls his eyes and I giggle as I step up onto the scale. I frown as I see my weight.

"Okay right this way." She says and leads us a little further down the hall into a room. She takes my blood pressure and temperature all the while flirting with Edward.

"The Doctor will be in shortly." She says as she leaves.

"Jesus." Edward sighs exasperatedly and I giggle.

"Hello again Ms. Dwyer how are you doing today?" Doctor Hughes asks as he shakes my hand.

"Good thank you."

"So…" He sits down "I have your surgery scheduled two weeks from today." He states looking at my chart. "Of course we'll need to do lab work, but other than that I think we're good to go." He states shutting my folder and looking up at us.

"Do either of you have any questions before I send you off for your labs?"

I look to Edward to make sure who just shrugs. "Two weeks sounds perfect." I answer.

"All-righty then." He says and stands up. "Set up another appointment for two days before the surgery to get one more CBC count. As long as everything is fine with today's workup I'll see you then." He shakes first Edward then my hand and disappears into another room. After the fun of setting up a follow up visit and getting poked by radiology Edward and I leave.

"What you thinking so hard about?" Edward states startling me from my gazing out of the car window.

"Just your birthday coming up." I say as I turn sideways to look at him. "Two weeks gives me enough time to have a party for you." I smile.

"Bella I don't think that's a good-" He starts to protest but I interrupt him. I had it all planned out already with a little help from Alice and my dad. There was no way anything could go wrong with all the preparations we had made. Sam and Charlie had even done recon on the venue as soon as Alice booked it.

"I've already talked to my dad and Sam about it." I said grabbing his hand in mine. "The guest list is small and controlled. We're going to have it at the Oasis and if they aren't on the list there is absolutely no way in hell they can get into the party. It's away from the house but has an easy route to get us home. Charlie and Sam have thoroughly checked it out. There are plenty of precautions we can take to make sure nothing goes wrong." I squeezed his hand

"Please let me do this for you Edward." I pleaded. I could see him mulling it over and knew I had him.

"I even have the best gift already picked out that I know you will enjoy. Besides, I've been running and hiding long enough. We can't hide forever Edward. Paul won't give up until he's either caught or dead."

Yet I wish that's what we would have done. Had I known what was going to happen after the party, or even thought there was a chance of something going so horribly wrong again, I would have gladly hid with Edward for the rest of my life.