Chapter 7 ~ Neither Here nor There

Swan POV

"You guys are going where? And for how long?"

Rose was annoyed and rightly so, I guess. I'd promised her that Edward and I would watch Lilly over the weekend sometime so that she could get Emmett out of the house, since it was his first real night off since having the baby.

First real anything off, actually.

But that was before we knew we had to go chase down a lead on this Mendez case.

A suspicious lead, in my opinion, but that was neither here nor there, really. Cullen really wanted to follow up on it, so, follow up on it, we were gonna do. I suspected it was because he wanted to busy his mind with things other than procreating but that was just my personal opinion on the matter.

I swallowed my drink as I remembered the look on his face when he'd thought he was going to be a dad.

It wasn't exactly encouraging.

"Seattle…and I'm not sure how long we'll be."

She rolled her eyes at me as she fed Lilly.

"So now, not only am I out a babysitter, but I'm taking care of Pup?"

I smiled and it felt weak but I knew it looked innocent and I knew Rose was really just frustrated.

"Nice."

"I'm really sorry, Rose," I told her, watching my…sort of but not really….niece blow baby spit bubbles.

So cute.

"It's not her fault, Rose…" Alice piped in, defending me, as she stroked Lilly's cheek and then added, "…And I'll watch Lilly for you."

Can you say, Life. Saver?

I just adore Alice.

Most of the time.

"You have a show," Rose answered, stone cold but I saw hope in her eyes, despite herself.

Still annoyed, though, I wasn't off the hook, yet.

"I'll have one of the girls run it," she said in her silly baby voice, still watching Lilly. "They need to learn to live without me, anyway." She said it very of factly and sometimes I could see Edward in her…the confidence, no sign of worry to be seen.

Unless he thinks he's about to be tied down with babies, that is.

Thoughts about my own dad started to seep into my head. About how, when I was growing up, after mom had...passed...Charlie had always said they'd wanted some brothers and or sisters for me. Of course, that never happened.

He was a lot like Edward, though, I thought...both of them highly impatient with what they perceived to be the bad guys, both very protective of the people they love and both very hard headed...yet, somehow, dad had managed to be okay with children, apparently.

My mind returned to the present and as I watched Alice, watching Lilly, I knew that the truth was, she was more happy to watch Lilly pretty much any time she could manage it.

Anyone in their right mind would be, she was an angel.

Except that one time Cullen watched her…

I couldn't help but smile.

Because, so what if he had the foulest mouth of anyone I'd ever met. And a horrible outlook on life, bad attitude…and was pretty much like a walking sex ad that just about every woman we came across pretty much sent evil vibes of warning that, one wrong move and they were taking my man.

But, screw that. Not happening, not if I could help it.

And anyway, I happened to love his mouth…and the things it did...and aside from that horrible outlook and bad attitude, he also happened to be one of the smartest people I knew…and the most caring, kindest, sweetest…despite his disgustingly unbeknownst to him, unwittingly, flirtatious bullshit.

Or his hard core, I don't give a rat's ass about anyone else but me, façade.

I noticed things about him when he interacted with the people in his life…Seth and Pup…his brother…and just about everyone else in his circle of trust, up to and including his father.

I didn't really give a crap about how he thought he portrayed himself to them.

Or himself.

It was my deep seeded, gut feeling, that he'd make the most amazing dad of all time.

I sighed.

I really didn't know what my problem was, lately.

I mean, I'd been so scared when Aunt Flow decided to come late and I'd begun to think about how there was a distinct possibility that I might be pregnant but then…

Seeing that negative sign on the pee stick.

I don't know.

It did something.

Made me feel…

Sad.

"Bella? Are you listening?"

I blinked a few times at the women staring at me with slightly worried looks on their faces.

"What?"

Rose scoffed at me, rearranging herself and lifting Lilly up to her shoulder so she could pat her back.

"I said, have you had a chance to ask your boy about the family get together at our place in a few weeks?"

"Oh…"

Boy.

The family get together.

The truth was, I hadn't…I'd been putting it off because I knew what Edward would say, anyway…"No time, Swan…bad guys to catch…shit to do…"

"Um…there just really hasn't been time to bring it up, Rose…you know, with the new case and all…"

She rolled her eyes and then it was Alice's turn.

"Sometimes I wonder if he takes case after case for the sole reason of avoiding his family."

"Seriously…I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one who kidnapped this airline princess just so he could get out of babysitting."

They laughed but I couldn't bring myself to.

I wasn't in the mood to play bash Cullen at the moment.

"He loves Lilly," I advised them, adamantly but Rose was still giggling.

"Oh, I'm sure he does, Bella, but come on…he's not exactly…the daddy type…" she said to me and her eyes did that thing…you know, when someone's being super uber sarcastic about something?

Not to mention the fact that that was the second reference to Cullen not being the dad type.

I didn't like it.

Hated it, as a matter of fact and I again, found myself wondering...if he really didn't want children...or if it was simply just that he didn't think very highly of himself.

I tried to search Alice's eyes to see if there was something in them to tell me she thought Rose was wrong, that somewhere deep down inside, Edward really did want children of his own one day because if he didn't, where did that leave me?

Or rather, us.

I couldn't…and wouldn't think about that…it just wasn't an option to not be with him…Right?

But there wasn't anything in Alice's expression, except for pity.

My stomach dropped and I thought I was going to throw up but I just couldn't afford to start getting so wishy washy about things that really were just not that important in the big scheme of things.

For now, anyway.

"Well, regardless…you both know as well as I do, Cullen isn't the type to do something like that…and we'll just…catch up with you all when we get back."

I gave Rose a very fake but very encouraging nod and thanked her again for taking care of Pup for us as I got up and began to take a house key off of my key ring for her.

"Bella, I…"

I waved her off. I didn't exactly have time to listen to apologies and anyway, what good would it have done, really?

Grabbing my bag, I bend down and kissed the baby on her precious head and waved to the girls as I left the café.

Then I got my ass home so I could pack and find out if this new bread crumb trail could really lead us to some helpful information about our client's daughter, or not.

…..

"Cullen, we are soooooooo not taking that bike to the airport."

Or ever again if I can help it.

He laughed at me, as usual, and then cocked one of his stupid sexy eyebrows at me, making all doubts and fears that I might have previously been having about the two of us disappear.

"And what do you propose we take then, Swan…Shitty Sh…." he stopped himself before he finished that question and I narrowed my eyes at him.

I pursed my lips.

I knew that, eventually, he'd called the truck "Shitty Shitty" to my face but the truth was, I'd known he called her that for a long time, now.

But in all honesty, as much as it pissed me off, I kinda liked it, too.

I mean, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was the real hero of that story with Dick Van Dyke anyway, right?

Everyone knows that.

And besides, watching Cullen squirm every once in a while did things to my body that other men would just never be able to do in their wildest dreams.

Ever.

And then some.

I smiled a little.

"Shitty, what?" I asked him, curling my eyebrows up, tilting my head a little to the side, trying to see how far he'd go to try and hide that nick name from me.

He cleared his throat, acting like he'd gotten something stuck in it and then pointed at me and the oh so familiar tingling began between my legs began to do it's thing.

I hated and loved that man for creating that tingling feeling.

Unfortunately, today, I hated him for it.

Mainly because we didn't have the time required for me to do anything about it or to him in order to relieve that tingling.

Dammit.

"You're truck,I mean…" he said, hiding the complete amusement he felt, that I saw in his brightened eyes anyway, then he re-gained his cocky attitude and added with a smirk, "There's no goddamn way I'm goin' on a goose hunt in that thing, Swan."

Tingle, tingle, tingle.

"So you think this is a goose hunt?"

"I think everything having to do with this case is a goddamn goose hunt Swan," he told me, with that…look he likes to give me when he says my name like that.

Go away, tingle.

I cleared my throat a little. "Then why are we even going?"

I could see the wheels turning inside his brain and I wondered who was at the top of his conspiracy theory list this time.

Muldoon, or Mendez.

Taking into consideration what Jasper had told him, it sounded an awful lot like Mendez was into a whole heck of a lot more than just running drugs for Arrow Shipping but until we followed the lead and got into contact with this guy out in Seattle, Washington to see just exactly what he delivered there, we were kinda stone walled, for the moment.

Edward's cell phone rang, pulling him out of the thought he was having.

It was Emmett.

"Hey," he said, then listened for a few minutes, checked his watch and told him, "We'll be there in a few."

HUH?

"I thought we had a plane to catch, Edward," I warned him but the ever so diligent over booker, love of my, life tingle creator blew off my question. As per usual.

"We've got time and Emmett didn't sound like he wanted any of Muldoon's eaves dropping motherfuckers to hear what he had to say, so…" he swung his overnight bag over his shoulder, picked mine up and we left but not before he told Pup to keep on eye on things and I swore that dog understood exactly what Edward had said because it looked to me like he stood at attention, afterward.

I smiled at the adorable dog and he whined a little but I assured him, "We'll be back before you even miss us, little guy."

Then we locked up and headed for Emmett's precinct.

I wasn't looking forward to another run in with Muldoon, to be perfectly honest but as we exited the elevator onto Emmett's floor, it didn't look to me like Muldoon was even there.

Thank god.

"So, what's up?" Edward inquired as we arrived at Emmett's office...who immediately got up out his chair, urgently, closed his door and then motioned for Edward and I to come over to his desk.

I felt like we were in a secret club, all of a sudden.

One where Edward was about to lose his temper. I could see it in his eyes but it was also apparent in the clenching of his teeth and that vein on his neck, behind his ear, the one that always looked like it was going to pop when he really lost it.

Kinda like that one time when he was still unsure of where my loyalties lay…when I managed to convince him…in bed of course…when he finally admitted he'd trusted me.

The tingle store is closed…I thought we covered this, dammit.

No. Time.

I guess the question of late wasn't so much did he trust me, but rather, did he trust me for the rest of our lives?

"Muldoon's tightening his grip on everyone since yesterday's….you know…" he gave Edward this look like that whole thing had been his fault and even I wanted to slap him for it but Edward just scowled and waited for the rest of it.

"….Not only are we not supposed to touch this case with a ten foot pole...but if we're caught dealing with you on it…" and then he did this thing with his finger, like he was slitting his own throat.

This…made Edward's forehead do that thing it does when he's about to either punch someone…or go off the deep end.

Since this was Emmett we were with and I had to assume…or…hope they were on better terms these days, I figured he wasn't gonna punch him.

So I squinched my eyes a little and waited for the voice raising.

"Are you shitting me?"

Oh boy, here we go.

"Are you. Fucking. Shitting me?"

"Eddy..."

Ohhhh, Cullen hated it when Emmett called him Eddy, this was not gonna be good.

"No, seriously, Em…You fucking had me…come all the goddamn way down here…so you could tell me you can't fucking talk to me about the case? Fucking seriously?"

See? It's never good when he used Fuck more than once in one sentence…

Ever.

"…What the fuck?"

Oh, there's another one.

"Edward…" Emmett started but Edward wasn't done yet.

"I've got a motherfucking plane to catch…"

Hand flailing was thrown in there and I had to move out of the way so as to not get wacked in the head with one of them.

I almost wanted to laugh.

"Bro…shut the fuck up…" Emmett whisper yelled and kinda peeked out of his office windows to make sure no one was hearing Edward, who did actually lower his voice at that point.

I was guessing so he wouldn't get his brother into trouble but the scowl and the anger was still there.

I bit my lip a little, worrying we were gonna be banned from the precinct which would not bode well with our DC Metro PD relationship.

"Well, here's some news for you…Bro…." he said and I pretty much knew what was coming next…

"…I fucking hear ya, and we'll be going, now."

No way he was planning on coming back to see his brother for a while, I guessed but then Emmett cut him off.

"Dude….stop being an a-hole…I called you down here…to tell you I did some digging on this guy and it turns out, he owes an awful lotta fucking money on multiple mortgages, multiple second mortgages…I figure he's pissed off a big wig loaner. Maybe even someone who he owed some favors to…maybe someone he's flying drugs for."

I smiled as Edward's face froze. Right in between the anger stage and the, oh man I am a great big idiot stage.

Kinda like the one he'd donned the day before when we were talking about…

Annnnd there's the baby thoughts again.

Awesome.

Where's that tingle when I needed it?

I changed the subject…in my head anyway.

"Or, maybe he stole some of the drugs himself and sold them to help pay off all those debts."

This statement won me the Cullen has been upped one on the conspiracy theory look.

From both he and Emmett.

It was priceless.

A little throat clearing and my Edward was back.

His eyes gazed downward as his brow cocked…only a fraction though, before he looked back over to Emmett and told him, "I'm impressed Em…going against the grain…givin' the man the finger…I'm…fucking touched."

This is Cullen speak for, "thanks."

Emmett laughed and punched Edward in the shoulder and once again I was left speechless as I witnessed the odd brotherly communication and anger replacement system that went on between the two of them.

I'd seen it plenty of times and yet, was still dumbfounded at how they could go from being almost ready to rumble to the thickest of thieves within two point seven seconds.

I shook my head, grinning ear to ear and although I could tell Edward wanted to ask me something along the lines of "what the fuck are you smiling at, Swan?" he didn't, he just winked at me and concentrated on the information at hand.

"You said Jasper got a tip about a dude in Seattle?" Emmett asked and Edward nodded, before adding a little further detail finally.

"Right. Vladimir something or other, into fine arts which I'm assuming is code for cocaine or some shit and runs some kinda auction house…we're headin' out there tonight."

That detail didn't seem to faze Emmett and I wondered if Rose's plans were a surprise, so I didn't bother apologizing again for us not being able to watch Lilly.

There was a Muldoon sighting within the few minutes they had to discuss tiny details that may or may not have had anything to do with the airline princess so Cullen and I said our goodbyes and decided to make some sort of contact with Emmett again once we landed in Washington State.

My personal goodbye was an almost painful bear hug from Emmett who whispered into my ear before setting me down onto the ground, "Give him Hell, Bells."

I didn't know if that meant Edward had discussed our…scare or if it was just Emmett being Emmett but it still created the tiniest of tears to well up in the corner of my eye.

I kissed his cheek and then we were gone.

In the elevator ride back down to the lobby, Cullen asked me, "What'd he say to you back there?" but I just told him, "He said to teach you some manners," with a smirk which I was countered with a little goose bump creating husky voice against my neck saying, "Maybe at the hotel."

There you are.

Cullen put his lips on the very place he'd spoken those words next to as though he was sealing his promise with a kiss and before I could even swallow in response, the doors opened and we were once again, rudely interrupted by people.

Stupid tingles.

Once we got to the airport with not…too much complaining about Shitty Shitty, parked with a few whispered prayers on Edward's part for her to be stolen or disemboweled as we left her and only one or two near death instances of security detail who were only doing. Their. Jobs by checking Cullen's gun for him since carrying them on wasn't going to be allowed. Ever.

I mean really, I don't know why he even tried.

Anyway, we were in our seats, in the air and relaxed when suddenly, I realized this was not going to be a very smooth flight.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't Mr. Cullen and his…" a snide look from the Blonde woman I was growing to hate and then, "Partner."

Was it a coincidence that she was on our flight?

In the words of my…partner…I don't fucking think so.

The only question I had was, was she there to simply deter us? Or was she there to kill us? Because let's be honest here, she was in attendance the day Cullen's car had exploded...and now, she's on the same flight as us? Going across country...to see a man who may or may not have something to do with our current case?

Yeah, like she was innocent.

Pleeeease...make a move...I beg you.

But hurting that bitch would have only ruined any chances we might have had to find out what her intentions were. It's not like she had to give herself away like that...we'd have never known she was even there had she not come and said something.

"I think I'm gonna go ask the flight attendants how long I need to wait before I get a drink," I told Edward and then excused myself so he could…whatever.

I didn't go far. I only put enough distance between me and them so that the little blonde bimbo would feel like she could talk freely and maybe Cullen could get some information from her.

I caught every move she made.

Every leg touch, every head tilt, every….

Super sexy flirtatious smile that Cullen returned.

Jerk.

My eyes rolled involuntarily at him but I at least knew he didn't mean any of it on his end.

He was just a little too good at what he did, sometimes.

I hoped, anyway.

my concentration was disrupted for only a few minutes when the stewardess asked if there was something I needed. Probably because she wanted to make sure I wasn't some sort of terrorist as I blocked the aisle. I told her no and she asked me to take a seat to which I apologized because...well, I didn't want her thinking I was a terrorist.

I was almost entertained with how well Cullen played that blonde bimbo's little games and when she finally left him to go sit in her first class area as I approached them again, I noticed a look on his face.

Like he was worried.

About what, I wouldn't find out.

Not yet anyway because by the time I'd gotten back to my seat and started to ask him what had happened we were having a horrible bout of turbulence and I just don't do turbulence very good, so I took something to calm down and passed out until we arrived at SeaTac.

I was still a little groggy when we arrived and the blonde Cullen theiver wannabe was no where in sight...but our ride was.

And when I saw him, I perked up within no time.

"JAKE!" I screamed and then a short "Yay" from Cullen followed.

"Bells!"

I flew into his arms, not realizing how much I'd missed him even just since he and dad had left DC not long ago and he squeezed me tight.

"Where's dad?"

"Hey there…Jake," Cullen seethed from behind me to throw his hint out for my best friend to let me go before he broke something of his and Jake just laughed, setting me down and putting a hand out to Edward.

They shook hands as Jake answered me.

"Charlie's been real busy lately, Bells, lots of activity in the Northwest the past few weeks, we're not sure what's up but he's been working loads of overtime."

Edward's face scrunched, warning me he was about to get sarcastic and part of me worried but I knew Jake could handle him by now.

At least, I was hoping he could.

"So, then…why'd he let his number one guy leave all that work to come the fuck over to Seattle to…"

"Pick up his only daughter?" Jake finished with his own brand of sarcasm and then boomed a loud laugh again, shaking his head. "Edward, you sure are dense sometimes."

And the look on Edward's face told me that those words meant more than just what Jake had been eluding to.

I mean besides the fact that he'd been pissed off.

Again.

He quickly covered his emotions, though, clapping his hands together before he said something he might regret at a later date and time.

"Well, no time like the present, if you just wanna drop us at the car rental spot…then we can…"

I laughed at him, blatantly, because he just couldn't be serious.

Could he?

Did he really think Jake had come all that way just to take us to the rental car place?

I swear, that man…

"Edward, maybe we should feel the place out, first, I mean, this isn't exactly our territory, we could be walking into a trap, for all we know."

It was true enough but really I just wanted to get his mind working in another direction other than obsessing over getting rid of Jake. I wanted more information about why dad was so busy and what was going on around Forks, of all places.

My plan worked.

"True that, Swan," he said, jetting his chin out toward my old friend. "You got a way to find a number for us, Gargoyle?"

I rolled my eyes. He knew his nick name bothered Jake, he only called him that to get his goat but Jake just let it roll off of his back, just like always.

And yeah, got him the damn number.

I was feeling a little bit better about things when Edward put the call in to make an appointment for us to question our supposed lead.

Until, that is, I heard his end of the conversation with the number Jake had found.

"What do you mean, this isn't the fucking auction house?"

Confusion washed over his face, followed by frustration, followed by that familiar tinge of, if this guy doesn't start cooperating soon I'm gonna pull the Colt out and shoot some holes into his body, look.

Not one of my favorites.

"…No, I'm not…fucking inquiring about your goddamn fine arts bullshit…"

Jake and I both sighed at the same time, knowing there was no way this was going to go smoothly.

I wanted to kiss his lips.

Tell him it was time to calm down.

To settle down, maybe.

But then, all I could hear in my head was him turning even more pig headed...maybe even cold and distant, kind of like he was when I first met him…when he just…didn't care about much.

I found myself sitting there, watching him scold the poor soul on the other end of that phone call, wondering if there even was a future for Cullen and I.

I mean, I knew I didn't really want or have the motivation for children now.

I'd only been with Edward for just about year after all, that's not exactly enough…us time, in my opinion.

But I could see them in my future…in our future if he wanted it, I just didn't know if he was only seeing the near future when he said he wasn't the fatherly type…or if it was the permanent, in for the long haul distant one.

After he slammed the phone shut…for the fifth time, Cullen punched some buttons, angrily into his phone and I asked what he was up to.

"Tracing the goddamn phone number, gonna fucking find out where in the hell they are and make an appointment with this dick whether he likes it or not."

I looked to Jake for help because, honestly, I really did worry about this whole lead thing being a trap but he wasn't much encouragement as he sat there, thinking of his own plan.

"Edward," he said as my…boyfriend…continued following an electronic trail through his super secret website that I already knew was really just four-one-one dot com.

He did stop long enough to look up at Jake, though, annoyed as he may have been.

"I think I have an idea that might work."

Cullen gave him a look like he thought he'd placate Jake's amateur police force idea for a little while but didn't want his precious time wasted.

Still thinks he doesn't need anyone.

"You know, if you're open to lying, stealing and faking an identity," Jake added and the smile on Edward's face said it all.

He was in.

And we were about to embark on some dangerous territories, most likely. Right where he liked to be.

But hey, it's not like I was surprised. This was Cullen we were talking about.

What was new?

Discussions began immediately and plans were made and by the end of the long, thought provoking, frustrating as hell day that had just graced us, I decided, the case definitely came first…it needed to...somebody else's baby was out there, possibly being hurt and we needed to find her...my own ridiculous, obsessive baby issues could be dealt with later.