A/N: The title of this story has now changed to

"Broken Wings, Fallen Angel"

The first chapter title will retain the original story title.

This story began as an entry in the "Epic T-Rated Contest" originally organized by BronzehairedGirl0620 and the late Daddy's Little Cannibal.

This story is still dedicated to the memory of Daddy's Little Cannibal.

Note: The story rating has been changed to "M" for language, mature themes, and future sexy times.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, and all the characters. I just like to play with them.

Chapter One: Mommy's Boyfriend is a Cannibal

BPOV

"Really, Alice, it's okay. I don't mind staying here an extra week. You know your place is closer to my work and Allie's daycare." I reassured my sister for the third time since she called five minutes ago. "Just go on to Atlanta with Jasper and enjoy your time together."

"Are you really sure?" Alice's voice was still a little skeptical.

"I'm really sure. I don't mind staying here. I know the shipment you're expecting is important and, like you, I don't like the idea of it getting deposited with one of your neighbors or the super. I know how important it is to you."

"Oh, Bella, I really owe you one for this. You're doing me such a favor. If those fabrics got wet… well, I just don't want to even think about it."

I could imagine the shudder going through her petite frame at the mere thought of the expensive silks being ruined by someone's carelessness. My sister, Alice, was fast becoming one of the top designers of one-of-a-kind wedding gowns in the country, not just in Chicago. Her gowns were the most sought after gowns currently on the market. They were hand-made, custom-designed gowns, using only the finest materials. They weren't cheap, thus explaining her worry about the expected shipment of fabric. Alice usually trusted no one with her fabrics. They were custom woven Italian silks, very expensive, and incredibly beautiful. Deliveries were usually made to her shop, but she was out of town, having accompanied her husband Jasper on a business trip. Jasper now had some unexpected time off and they were going to use the time for a much-needed getaway.

"It's really no trouble. Allie and I enjoy staying here. I mean, we will so have to put up with that awesome community pool, but we'll force ourselves." I barely stifled a snicker.

"Enjoy all the amenities with our blessings!" Alice laughed along with me. "You need to take some time and smell the roses," her voice taking a serious turn. "It's been nearly three years, Bella. You're going to have to get back to the real world someday. You're still young."

"I know, Alice. I know Jake wouldn't want me to live alone forever. And he would want me to find someone to be a good father to Allie."

"Now you're talking like the old Bella. I know Jake was a great guy, and one of the finest firefighters in Chicago, but you're right, he would want you to live your life." Alice wasn't saying anything I hadn't already concluded nearly a year ago.

"I know he would, Alice. He didn't ask to leave the fire station and be called back to active military duty with his Guard unit, but he was proud to serve, and I was proud that he was proud. He died serving the country he loved, and he wouldn't want me to squander the life that I still have." I still missed Jake. I missed him a lot. But I had realized that life must go on. Not just for my sake, but for our daughter's sake.

"Now," Alice sniffed loudly before speaking firmly, "I want you and Allie to enjoy that community pool, and keep your eyes open. There are some really great guys that live in our complex. There is one guy in particular that I've been meaning to introduce…"

"Okay, okay," I interrupted her, "I think our conversation is beginning to wind down, if you get my drift." I did not want Alice to start matchmaking.

"I'll make sure that the fabric is safe." I again reassured her while deftly changing the subject.

"Thanks again, Bells. I've already given Tony and Doris the week off, or I could have them take delivery at the shop." Tony and Doris were Alice's loyal employees, having started with her at the very beginning and helping to build the business right along with her. I guess they were really more than employees. They were more like part of the family.

"Alice. Please. Stop worrying! I will make sure everything is okay. You just promise to enjoy yourself. Okay?"

"Okay, I will, if you do the same," she insisted. "You've got my number and the number of the hotel if you need anything, right?" She was still worrying.

"Yes, Alice. I do. Now, please, Go. Enjoy. Yourself! And enjoy Jasper!"

"Oh, alright! Love you, sis."

"Love you, too."

"Give Allie a big kiss and hug from her Auntie Alice and Uncle Jasper."

"Okay, I will! Bye!"

"Bye."

I couldn't help smiling and shaking my head as I pushed the button to disconnect the telephone line. Alice, what am I ever going to do with you?

"Mommy! Mommy… Help me Mommy!"

I froze momentarily as the worst fears of a mother were brought front and center. As I regained movement, I turned in the direction of the voice.

"Allie! Allie, where are you?" I called as I raced through the apartment, frantically searching for my precocious four-year-old daughter.

"Mommy, I'm out here! Help me, Mommy, I can't get out!"

"Allie, Baby, Mommy's coming!" I called as I raced in the direction of the calling voice. My destination was the apartment balcony.

In the short seconds it took me to reach the balcony, my mind imagined all sorts of predicaments that my baby might be in, the worst of which was hanging by her fingertips from the edge, dangling three stories in the air.

As I reached the French doors leading outside, I was brought up short by the sight that met my eyes. I had to suppress an outright laugh as relief swept through me.

"Allie, what in the world have you done to yourself?" My beautiful, tiny little daughter was kneeling on the balcony floor, her black-haired head wedged tightly between two spindles of the balcony railing. Try as she might, she couldn't get her head back through them and was, therefore, neatly trapped.

"Honey, how did you get your head through there?" I asked as I dropped to my knees beside her, carefully taking her head between my hands and trying, to no avail, to remove her head from its confinement. No matter how I turned her head, I couldn't get it back out. Her ears kept getting in the way and I didn't want to hurt her unnecessarily.

"I don't know, Mommy. I was trying to reach the pretty butterfly over there" she pointed to her left, "but I couldn't reach it." I could see her lip start to quiver and knew tears were not far away. I had to keep her calm. I didn't want to have to deal with a hysterical, trapped daughter.

"It's okay, baby, don't worry. I'll have you out of this in no time." But how? I had tried turning her head this way and that, but her release was still blocked by her ears. I had nearly come to the conclusion that the only way would be to cut the spindle when a voice called from below.

"Hey, do you need any help?"

Peering over the balcony, my gaze met the most amazing green eyes I had ever seen. Eyes owned by one of the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. He was grinning up at us.

"I'm not sure. Do you have any ideas?" I could hear the breathless quality of my voice, and hoped if he noticed it, he would attribute it to the situation my daughter had placed herself in and not my reaction to his awesome self. I mentally shook myself and took a moment to notice that he was wearing a black tee-shirt with a Chicago PD insignia on the left breast pocket. Maybe he could help.

"Well…" I watched as he looked over the situation and then his eyes ran over me. I felt his gaze as he studied me. It was almost like a touch. Then I saw a mischievous glint enter his eyes. "I can think of a few ideas, but first let's free the little lady."

I felt my eyes go wide as what he said registered in my brain, and I felt blood infuse my cheeks. For a moment I was unsure how to react. Should I be angry at his fresh remark? One look at the dazzling smile splitting his handsome face answered that question. There was no way I could be angry with that smile trained on me. Whew! He should register that smile as a deadly weapon! I had just been 'dazzled' by one of Chicago's finest!

It took me another moment to compose myself and think of a suitable comeback, "Let's just stick to 'freeing the little lady,' what do you say?"

"Okay, if that's the way you want it. But I reserve the right to revisit those 'ideas' at a later time."

Oh, yeah, he was definitely dazzling me! I was brought out of my reverie by the loud, clear voice of my daughter.

"Who are you?" Leave it to Allie to be direct. No beating around the bush for her! She turned her head so she could look directly down on him.

"My name is Edward." He had now turned that dazzling smile on my daughter. "What's your name?"

Like most females of the species, she was not immune to the effects.

"Allison Jane Black and I'm four years old." She proudly held up the fingers of her right hand, displaying the correct number of digits in the universal sign for 'four.'

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Allison Jane Black. You're a very smart girl to only be four years old. Are you sure you're not older?"

Wow, he knows how to talk to children!

Allie responded to the fact that she seemed 'older' as only a four-year-old can. She bestowed upon him a smile that rivaled his own in dazzle-worthiness.

She answered him, "I'll be five on my next birthday," she told him, pride evident in her voice.

"And what would Mommy's name be?" He asked Allie, but his gaze was trained on me and his green eyes caught and held mine.

"Her name is Bella. It's really Isabella Marie Black, but she likes the name Bella." Sometimes I wished that my little Allie wasn't so smart for her age.

"It's very, very nice to meet you, Isabella Marie Black who likes the name Bella." I was being dazzled again.

"It's nice to meet you to Mr…"

"Cullen, Edward Cullen," he supplied. "But, please, call me Edward."

"Edward," I relented and spoke his name. What a nice name; a little old-fashioned. You didn't hear it everyday. And despite my better judgment, I found myself returning his smile.

"Now, let's see if we can free Miss Allison Jane Black from her predicament." He continued to look at me. "May I come up?"

"Well…." I hesitated. Who was to say he wasn't a serial killer or a rapist or someone else just as vile. He was a stranger.

He saw my hesitation and realized the reason for it. "Hey, listen, I know you don't know me, but I live in the first floor apartment below you." His eyes never left mine as he rattled off the reasons I could trust him. "I've lived here for over four years. I know the owners of that apartment are Jasper and Alice Whitlock. I know Jasper is the curator of the museum at the Chicago Institute of Art, and Alice makes wedding dresses. They've been together for five years, and married for two. I attended the wedding and I recognize you as her sister. You were her Matron of Honor. The little angel there toddled down the aisle as her flower girl."

Wow! That was quite a list of quasi-references, I thought. Man, he was observant and he had a phenomenal memory for details. He remembered Allie and me from Alice's wedding! Well, I guess if he's a cop, he would have to be observant. I didn't remember seeing him there, but then, during that time I didn't remember a lot of things. I only remembered the actual wedding because of Alice's happiness and seeing Allie play Flower Girl. Everything else during that time was just a blur.

He was still waiting for an answer to his request to come up, and as Allie was still in a bit of a situation, I knew I needed his help.

"Okay, come on up." I hope I don't live to regret trusting him, I thought as I waited for him to knock on the door.

"Allie," I addressed my daughter, "I'm going to go let Edward in. Okay? You'll be okay for a few minutes?"

"I'm okay, Mommy. Go get Edward." I really shouldn't be surprised by my daughter's easy use of Edward's first name, as she, like her father, never met a stranger, but I still corrected her. "Allie, you should call him Mr. Cullen, okay?"

"Okay, go get Mr. Cullen." Allison had been raised with manners so she understood how to properly address adults.

I walked quickly to the front door and arrived just as the knock sounded. I opened the door and was overwhelmed by the presence of the man. He was even more devastatingly handsome up close. Those bright green eyes were framed by long, thick eyelashes that would make any girl envious. His gorgeous head was covered by thick, bronze-colored hair that I though might have a tendency to curl given the way it was styled in one of those modern, messy do's. He was tall, easily over six feet, and I suddenly felt very short as I stood there in all my five foot, four inch, barefooted glory, trying to will myself to appear taller. My eyes traveled down his black-shirted chest, noticing how the fabric clung to his muscular torso, pausing momentarily at the spot six inches below his belt, before traveling down his long legs encased in slim-fitting black jeans. When I reached his black, New Balance running shoes, my eyes made the same return journey back to his face. Wow! Unbelievable!

"Well…" he interrupted my perusal of his awesome self, "if I've passed inspection, may I come in?" That crooked smile was back on his face as he cocked an eyebrow at me.

Oh my goodness! I suddenly realized I had just been standing there staring him up and down and lingering a moment in the middle. I felt the blood rush to my face and I knew I was blushing profusely.

"I… I… I'm.. sorry," I stammered, embarrassed beyond belief, and wishing the floor would just open up and swallow me. "Please… forgive me… come… come in."

I stood back, turning my back to press it against the open door as he stepped in front of me and entered the house.

BIG MISTAKE! By standing against the opened door, he had to pass right in front of me, thus allowing me feel to the solidness of his body as it brushed against mine as he passed.

I turned my head away, stepped away from the door and took a second to look outside before closing the door and resting my forehead against the cool panels briefly to compose myself. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face Edward Cullen.

"This… this way." I turned and led him through the living room, through the bedroom and finally through the French doors to the balcony.

I could feel his eyes burning into my back as he followed me through the apartment. I stopped on Allie's right side when I reached the balcony and felt his body brush against mine again as he moved around me to stand on her opposite side.

Trying to ignore my racing pulse, I knelt down beside Allie, "Are you doing okay, honey?"

"I'm okay, Mommy. Just get me out of here." I could see a slight case of panic creeping up on her. Before I could speak, Edward kneeled down and spoke softly to her.

"If you'll just give me a second, Sunshine, I'll have you out of there before you know it." He gave her another of his signature 'dazzling' smiles and I could see the panic waning from her face.

He turned to me and asked, "Could you bring me a scarf or headband of some kind?"

"Oh, sure," I jumped up immediately and headed to Alice's closet. She had a scarf to match any possible outfit, and they were folded neatly in one of the sliding drawers in her massive, walk-in closet.

I returned in just a moment holding a bright yellow silk scarf. I placed it into his outstretched hand.

I watched as his long, tapered fingers caressed the silk for a moment before folding it accordion-style while he spoke to Allie. "Now, Sunshine, if you will hold still for me so I can wrap this scarf around your ears, we will have you free in no time."

I couldn't believe how still my usually hyper four-year-old held for him. I watched as he wrapped the scarf around her head Indian-headband style, completely covering her ears and pressing them flat against her head before he tied the scarf securely at the back of her head.

"Now, are you ready, Sunshine?" he asked Allie.

"Yes," my daughter answered.

"Okay, now I'm going to pull your head back through the bars, but I will need you to try not to bend your head sideways. Can you do that for me?

"Yes, I can." Allie answered with complete confidence.

"Alright," he turned to me, "now Bella if you could reach through the space to Allie's right and hold her chin steady, I will pull her head through."

Once I was in place, I watched as he grasped the tied end of the scarf and started pulling gently. With her ears now held securely out of the way, and the silk in place to cushion the sides of her head, her head slipped right out.

He did it!

"You did it!" I exclaimed as Allie turned and threw her arms around Edward's neck. He caught her up and rose to his feet, swinging her about, her laughter ringing through the air. He sat her back on her feet with a quick nuzzle at her neck.

"Sunshine, you're so sweet, I could just eat you up!" He was laughing with her now.

I reached down, relieved that our minor crisis was over, and grabbed her up to myself, wrapping her in a big hug.

"Ooo, Allie, I do believe our Mr. Cullen may be a…" pausing for effect, "CANNIBAL!" I filled my voice and expression with mock horror and shuddering.

Allie looked at me with one of her puzzled looks and asked, "Mommy, what's a Cam-a-bul?"

Still playing my mock horror story role I replied, "A cannibal, Allie, is someone who…eats people!"

I gave Edward a conspiratorial wink over Allie's head before I turned and pretended to run away in fright. He caught on right away and set out in hot pursuit, making chomping noises right behind us.

I let him chase us through the house, Allie's laughter ringing out as we dodged around furniture, raced through the kitchen, before we let him 'catch us' in the living room as we collapsed on the sofa, where he proceeded to blow multiple raspberries on Allie's neck, just increasing her delight in the game.

When he finally let her come up for air, she said, "Mommy, I don't think Edward is a cam-a-bul! You won't really eat us, will you Ed…," remembering her manners, "I mean, Mr. Cullen?"

"You, Sunshine, may call me Edward anytime," he glanced at me to make sure it was okay and I nodded. I liked that he had asked my permission.

Looking once more at Allie, he continued, "And you're right, Sunshine, I would never, ever, ever eat you." He then brought that amazingly sexy green-eyed gaze to meet mine. "Now, your Mommy," I saw those eyes darken slightly and his voice drop slightly in tenor, "I'd have to say that's a definite possibility."

I felt another blush moving from my breasts to my hairline. I almost fanned myself because the temperature in the room had just skyrocketed.

Before I could find my voice to answer him, he got to his feet and turned in the direction of the front door. He was leaving? I couldn't believe the sudden disappointment I felt at his impending departure. But, of course, the man had a life outside of our little world.

"Hey," he had turned back to face us, "what are you two beautiful ladies doing for dinner?"

Taken by surprise, I managed to stammer out, "No... noth... nothing. I... I... I mean, we have no dinner plans." I couldn't keep my eyes from searching out and locking on to his.

"Great! I know a great little Italian place with delicious food and they love kids. What do you say you two join me for dinner tonight?"

I could see his genuine desire to spend time with us in his eyes.

"Okay. That sounds wonderful."

"Yeah, okay. Well," glancing at his watch, "I know Sunshine here has an early bedtime, so what say I meet you here at, say, six o'clock?" He bent down to nuzzle my daughter's neck one more time before he straightened and turned that green gaze on me.

I still couldn't take my eyes off him. How awesome was it that he thought of Allie's bedtime. "Alright, we'll be ready. Thanks."

He reached his hand out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear, letting his fingers linger along my jaw line as he pulled his hand back.

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine."

And with that, he turned and was gone.

I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding in one big 'Whoosh.' At that moment, I heard my daughter's voice pipe up, "Mommy, is Edward your boyfriend?"

Oh, my. Out of the mouths of babes.

A/N: Again, this story is dedicated to the memory of Daddy's Little Cannibal

Thank you for reading this story and please review and let me know what you think. Edward is a cop (most likely with a past). What's not to love? So, show me some love by reviewing!

Much Love to you all, and remember...

***May all your dreams be filled with sexy cop Edward***

BellaMadonna