A/N *

Sorry, life's been rough.

I wanted to send a quick shout out to cusic1981, because she rocks for the continued support! And to pie-102 for getting her thoughts in edgewise for the past few chapters and of course to for kicking my butt into gear! Reviews and messages make me very happy :)

"Okay class! Everyone line up please, we're about to get on the bus!" I smiled at them, seeing some of the parents still coating their children's cheeks in sunscreen leaving white blotches on the tips of their noses.

It turned out that only one other parent volunteered for the trip, so Edward was more than pleased to be joining us. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Actually I was one hundred percent sure, but I just wasn't sure if my feelings were a good thing. Over the past few days, Edward had been haunting my dreams constantly. I was left feeling restless every morning.

I couldn't get our brief kiss out of my mind. It felt so, so, right but I was pretty sure it couldn't be a good idea to date my student's father. If anything did ever happen between us, and it ended badly, how would that effect poor Owen?

But that kiss…

My thoughts were interrupted by the kid's giggles and squeals of delight as the bus pulled up beside me. Each of the kids had a bus buddy they were sitting beside, and I tried to split up the related bunch as best I could. It kept everyone feeling included and it seemed like everyone in my class got along well.

I tapped each smiling kid on their head as they loaded the bus and sat down with their bus buddy. Edward was suddenly standing in front of me.

"What Beautiful? You're not going to pat me on the head too?" Edward smirked at me. I tried very, very hard, but I wasn't able to hold in my burst of laughter. He looked incredibly confused and then a faint pink blush spread out over his face and even masked the tips of his ears. He looked adorable. He gestured for me to step up on the bus first, and I went, even though knowing he was probably just going to look at my ass. So naturally I swayed my hips a little more as I walked up the steps, still being careful of where I stepped. Tanya, because unfortunately she showed up, and the other parent, Carlos, stepped onto the bus last and we were off on our way to safety village.

I watched the kids carefully as they got off, It's been known that the large bus steps are often a challenge are for the little kids. Edward was at the bottom though and he was helping all the kids off. They looked around wide eyes at the big center, and the bits of the tiny town they could see behind the building.

"Good morning to you! You must be the lovely Ms. Swan? I'm Eugene, we spoke on the phone I believe!" A man spoke from behind me.

Eugene had sandy blonde hair that was about an inch long with a receding hairline and a slight bald spot peaking through the back of his head, though he looked only a few years older than my Dad's age of 55. He was plumper than most, but also somehow still seemed lean. He greeted me with a hand out stretched.

"Hello, yes! Call me Bella, please." I smiled at him. "The kids are very excited to visit safety village, thank you so much for having us! Aren't we excited class?"

The kids cheered as Eugene led us into the big center and we sat in a circle in the middle of the neon orange carpeted room before he let the kids loose in safety village. All the kids sat and listened to Eugene's spiel and I could see how excited they all looked, sparkles in their eyes and huge smiles on their faces. After Eugene was finished he gave each child a "safety job" for in the little community. Some of the kids became fire fighters, policemen, paramedics, store clerks, crossing guards and a few were town folk.

Each group was taken and given mini safety lessons for their jobs and they switched about every half hour.

Of course, that left Edward and I sitting all alone on the bench, as Tanya and Carlos seemed to have disappeared. I figured—I knew—I should talk to him, but sometimes I had difficulty forming proper sentences and coherent thoughts around him.

"Has his always been a thing?" Edward asked me.

"Has what always been a thing?" I inquired.

"This safety village thing. When I was a kid we didn't have stuff like this."

"See now, here is where I'd make a joke about 'back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth' but we are about the same age so my joke doesn't really work." I winked at him slyly and we laughed lightly together.

"You're a good teacher, Beautiful." Edward murmured, smiling at me slightly. I blushed cherry red.

"You're not to bad either, Edward." I thrilled to say this but I couldn't look at him, so I looked forward as I said it.

"What are your plans this weekend, Bella?" Edward's voice seemed deeper, and it seemed closed to me than it was before. Maybe I was getting a little light headed.

I needed to get myself under control, there was no way Edward could have this kind of influence over me. Not this strong and certainly not this fast.

"Daddy! Look, I'm a paramedic!" Owen giggled as he ran into our sights. Edward and I shifted quite far apart, I knew we were moving slightly closer during our little conversation, but I hadn't realized how close.

"Wow, that's great bud!" Edward's face broke out into the most beautiful, brilliant smile. As sexy as it was, his crooked grin that he shot me once was still panty-dropping-sexy. My heart stuttered and picked up again in double time.

Surely one dinner—one date with the man couldn't hurt anyone. I bit my lip, having a very strong feeling that just one anything wouldn't be enough. I'd just want more. It would be best if I didn't even engage in anything once. I didn't like the idea of this thought, and I tried to ignore the aching protest from deep inside my chest.

The day continued on and the children switched jobs and safety training duties and continued playing in the town, I wandered around and played with them a bit, but I stood out like a sore thumb since the town was child sized. I looked like a giant. I caught a few glimpses of Tanya and Carlos briefly but I didn't pay much attention to them. Edward was always around the kids and not just his own child, or what I was assuming were his nieces and nephews, but around all the children and they seemed to really thrive on the attention they were getting from someone other than just me.

For the next hour I just kind of wandered. Edward wasn't around me much, he didn't bring up my weekend plans again and I didn't approach the subject either. I was glad it was already Thursday—I could use the night out with Alice on Saturday. Dealing with Tanya for any concentrated amount of time was enough to drive a strict mormon to drink!

I walked around a little more, searching for Edward and Carlos and Tanya (though I wasn't thrilled to be looking for her). I don't even know why she was a teacher, she hardly ever interacted with the children and they didn't approach her. I didn't understand why I deserved to be punished by having her in my class. Forks was not big enough to have two grade one classes, but she could have been placed in a grade two class….or better yet fired.

First, I walked into the washroom and met with Tanya's high pitched sex sounds. No one I the world had ever wanted brain bleach as much as I in that moment. "OH Carlos!" She wailed. She sounded like a dolphin that was trying to bark. It certainly wasn't a pleasant sound. I can't imagine….actually never-mind, I didn't want to imagine.

I shuddered multiple times after running out of the washroom, leaning against the hallway trying to burn what I had witnessed out of my brain. It wasn't really working.

What a slut! How dare Tanya have sex with a father of one of my students! Wasn't that the reason she was stuck in my class in the first place? She was too unprofessional! It reeked of sex in there. What if one of the students had walked in?!

For a tiny little second, an even tinnier little voice at the back of my mind asked me 'what if she had strong feelings?' or 'what if they were in love?'. What if, I thought for one tiny little moment, she had ever felt what I had a little for Edward? What if it was stronger or what if it grew?

See, I reasoned with myself, this was exactly one of the reasons I couldn't involve myself with Edward. Not that we would be doing it like bunnies on my grade one's class trip. We would be more careful, we could meet at each other's houses. We' be sneaky, it would be kind of sexy actually, keeping us hidden from everyone. I could do whatever I pleased with him and vice versa with no one coming to find us out. I could take my time with my lips going up and down his smooth marble chest and—

I stopped that thought cold. I was getting carried away, I was getting too excited.

My head swirled back and forth, arguing my position over Tanya's. I wasn't like Tanya, I didn't carry myself the way she carried herself. She was maybe in love….I was….not involved with Edward. She was maybe just a….I didn't know how to put it politely, but a slut or something…and I was, maybe in love. There were no obvious answers. I nearly jumped ten feet in the air, I was so absorbed in my own thoughts when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"What are you thinking about so hard over here beautiful?" Edward asked me with a smile. It was almost eerie how attuned to his voice I was already. Not possibly normal. We sat down on the bench that was at our knees against the wall.

"It's Bella—"

"I know, Beautiful." He cut me off, and in spite of myself I blushed. "So what's got you so troubled?"

And so I started to rant about Tanya—as incredibly unprofessional as it was, it felt really good to just be human and moan about life for a couple minutes, and if I was being one hundred percent honest, it also felt good to be talking to Edward.

He listened to me complain about the way she dresses at work. He listened to me whine about her poor attitude. He listened to me rant about the reason she was paired to teach with me in the first place. And the way she was with the kids, and of course her most recent fraternization with Casper. Edward laughed when I used the word fraternization.

"Okay, I'll admit that her attire is not appropriate, and I've actually never even seen her with the children, it's always you. Also the only time she's ever spoken to me was an outright lie, so her attitude is poor as well. I'll agree with all of that from what you said. But is her being with this guy really that bad?" He inquired with a raised eye brow.

"Yes! It is! When they are fornicating on my grade one classes trip to safety village it is that bad!" I spluttered.

"What is it with you? Fornicating and fraternization?" He laughed again. "But seriously, what if she has serious feelings for this guy and vice versa?"

"Well," I hedged. "That makes things more complicated but it's still not right on a class trip."

I could feel Edward and I moving closer together sitting on he bench; angled towards each other. I could ghostly feel his cool breath fan against my face. It made the blood rush to my face and pool in my cheeks. The room felt warmer and Edward was close, so close.

"No, it's not. I'll agree to that too. But what if they met—oh in a dark alley or something, or if they ere having dinner in a private place?" Edward's voice was deeper than before, and the conversation topic seemed to be less and less focused on Tanya.

"Then that might be okay…..but that's still a parent of her student." My voice was marred by my breathlessness.

"What if they really liked each other? What if they could love each other? What if they do love each other? What if then they touched, or held hands, or when his lips touched hers a spark flew between them?" Edward breathed, still his face was only inches from mine.

Edward rested his hand on top of mine as if to prove a point, and if I had any doubt about who this conversation was about before, it was long gone. I was sure this conversation wasn't about Tanya.

I was about to respond, or I was at least going to try to though I had no idea what I was going to say. Tanya who looked rather unashamed and a very guilty looking Carlos strolled out of the woman's washroom together.

I straightened up and, almost painfully, took my hand out from underneath Edward's. I never let on to Tanya that I knew anything. This was hardly the place for any kind of confrontation like that.

As the kids finished up in their play stations, I had almost forgot where I was for a moment, something Edward had said—okay all of what Edward said, but one thing in particular was plaguing my mind. The only time Tanya had ever spoke to him was in front of me, and to my knowledge I couldn't find any lies in what she said. She must have spoken to him at some other time. The thought of that bothered me for no justifiable reason, but it bothered me to no end.

Edward and I never got to speak again, as I sat at the back of the bus talking quietly with all the children about their trip! They each had so much fun and all their faces were practically glowing with the brightness of their smiles. Edward looked like he as asleep, or trying to sleep at the front of the bus where Tanya was draping herself over an uncomfortable looking Carlos. At least one of them had the inkling for class. I rolled my eyes.

As we were sitting on the bus, Owen tugged on my sleeve asking for my attention.

"Did you have a good day, Owen?" I asked him with a smile.

"Yes I am really happy my Daddy came!" He grinned hugely. "I was surprised he came, I'm glad he's sleeping."

"What do you mean Owen?"

"Daddy has to go to night work tonight. He works night work for two days. I am staying with Grandma Esme and Grandad Carlisle."

"Oh, I didn't know your Dad worked nights! He's going to be really sleepy."

"Yes," little Owen emitted a small sigh. "But he doesn't always. He only has night work this week so he could come to safety village with us! He said it was important for him to come."

Owen turned around after that and talked to some friends in the class. It was really amazing of Edward to mess up his whole week schedule to be there for his son. Though I'm surprise he did come if he was working nights. He would be exhausted tonight, but at least he didn't have to work the weekend as well.

Each kid was picked up by their parents as we pulled the bus back into the school parking lot – the final bell had rung ten minutes before we arrived back at the school. The McCartys , Whitlocks and Owen all went home with Edward. I knew they all seemed to be related but I couldn't help but wonder whom to whom. Alice and Edward didn't look much a like, and Rosalie didn't fit in there either. Though I hadn't met Emmett or Jasper. Perhaps it was all the boys that were related.

After everyone had left, and once it was about ten in the evening I thought I should go to sleep. But I couldn't. My mind was still on Edward and the fact that he had shifts his whole week to come to safety village with Owen. I realized how badly I actually wanted to see Edward. I knew he was going to be at the hospital right about now….

Then I remembered how upset I was over Tanya's obvious lack of professionalism by hanging out with Carlos. I argued with myself that they were doing a lot more than hanging out and all I attended to do was bring Edward a coffee. Surely there could be no harm in a friend visiting anther friend for a coffee? Even if it was an unsuspecting visit, at their work place….

Despite all the negatives that were telling me to put my ass in my pyjamas and go to sleep, I found myself putting on my burgundy converse sneakers, locking up my apartment door, and walking down to my car.

I wasn't listening to anything that was probably right. I should probably just go home, and leave Edward alone. I was nearing stalkerish tendencies.

I kept driving.

It wasn't until I was standing in the hospital, coffee in hand and had already asked the receptionist to find Dr. Edward Cullen that I realized that I was actually about to do what I knew I shouldn't be doing. I argued with myself again, I couldn't just leave! He would know I was here. Then again, I hadn't given the receptionist my name. I was about ready to turn around from the hospital when Edward appeared from around the corner.

Shit.

He was wearing dark blue scrubs, and his hair was sticking up in all different directions, begging me to run my hand through it, his shirt was a little open, begging me to nip at the skin I could see of his chest. His eyes were dark.

"Beautiful!" Edward grinned hugely at me, in my favourite crooked smile. "What do I owe this extraordinary pleasure?"

"Well," I fumbled to remember the reason I had come and realized I didn't really have one, I just wanted to see him. I could hardly tell him that. "Owen told me you were working nights, so I brought you a coffee. I know you're busy so I'll just give this to you and be on my way."

"And here I thought you were here to see me, Ms. Swan." Edward teased me with a wink.

"Oh? And what would be in it for me, doctor?" I winked back at him, surprised at myself.

He blinked a couple times and stared at me a little bit. I smiled at him and he reached out and too a sip from the coffee I brought him.

"Mmm, this is good, what is it?" He asked me.

"Caramel Latte, with extra vanilla."

He nodded before speaking to me. "Go out with me, Bella." When I didn't say anything right away he continued. "There's something between us….and I'm not talking the coffee. One date. That's all I'm asking for right now. One dinner. Please?"

I didn't say no. No part of me even wanted to say no, sure there was the small voice that said it was bad ethics, but even she liked Edward. "Okay Edward. I'll go out with you. One date."

"Is tomorrow night too soon? It's a Friday after all." Edward asked me.

"No, tomorrow night is fine, but aren't you sill on nights?"

"An early date then? I'll pick you up an hour after school is out, and drop you at home before my shift?"

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," I looked up at him from under my eye lashes.

We grinned at each other like idiots before his pocket started ringing, signalling he had to go. The whole exchange took no more than ten minutes, but I went home feeling happier than I had in a really, really long time.