Bella the Babysitter: Chapter 5

Bella the Babysitter

Chapter Five

Bella Swan POV

"Bella meet Edward. Edward this is my roommate and really good friend, Bella Swan. Currently unemployed."

The dude holding the reason behind all of the noise just stared at me as if I had grown a third eyeball or something and I realized that he might have heard my comment. Clamping my hand over my mouth I gave him an apologetic smile.

"Come on in." Edward said as he resituated the screaming infant. "Lucas is apparently starving to death."

The chubby baby that was writhing in his arms clearly had never turned down a boob or bottle for that matter. He had flaming red hair that was sticking up in not so casual disarray up in his wrestling around in an effort to find the source and his baby blues were shining with frustration. The squeal emitting from him was eardrum rupturing, but Edward seemed to not notice.

I followed Emmett inside the house still confused at the situation. He had told me that we were going to be going to an interview but here we were, at a huge ass house with a dude and his baby.

I really hoped that Emmett wasn't trying to get me a job as a maid. I'd rather go and flip burgers at Shake's Shack and I'm a vegetarian, rather than clean up after rich bitches and their ass hole children. A quick look at Edward's hands told me that he wasn't married but people that had children lived together without being married all the time. He could be a single lazy ass mo-fo or he could have a girlfriend at work or inside. He was definitely a looker, all bronze hair and bright granny smith apple green eyes so it wouldn't be surprising if he had a honey. If so, she was probably a blonde bimbo that refused to do a dish or touch a vacuum cleaner.

Rich bitches piss me off.

We sat in a very spacious and beautifully decorated sitting room that was possibly larger than the entire apartment that I shared with Emmett and Rose. I was surprised to see that there wasn't plastic covering on the furniture as we sat in plush couches. Edward snatched a bottle off the coffee table and placed it in front of the wailing babe's mouth. Immediately the hungry cries turned into greedy grunts as he tore into his bottle sucking the rubber nipple like his life depended on it.

"Damn Edward starve your baby much?" Emmett said as he threw his arm over the back of the couch we were sitting on and squeezed my shoulder hard.

"No." Edward snapped. "He's just used to a very complex and set schedule that he was placed on at birth."

I was right. Rich bitches and their set schedules.

He then turned to me. "I'm sure you understand how important maintaining an infant's schedule is?"

Did I look like I have a kid at home or some shit?

Inconspicuously I looked down at my belly. Still flat and toned. While unemployed I tried to stay fit with yoga and here lately that was my only form of entertainment. I wasn't able to fit in my goal jeans but I could feel the burn.

"Um-" Emmett cut me off.

"Yeah Bella knows loads about the baby thing. She used to baby sit my little brother and sister when they were younger."

That's funny. Emmett's an only child.

Edward gave me a warm smile before turning his attention back to the baby. He had a pretty mouth… And body… he was all around pretty let's just put it at that.

"Well Miss. Swan."

"Bella, please." I insisted.

"Bella." He smiled. "Tell me some stuff about you so that I can see what we might be getting into. Lucas and I."

"What do you mean?" I sat up a little straighter hoping he would elaborate. He was clearly not gay so that made Lucas the baby in his arms. He didn't mention a lady friend but that wasn't really my business.

"Just tell me something I don't know about you." he sent me a wink and I proceeded to have a severe case of word vomit brought on by the simple muscle spasm.

"I'm twenty four years old. I grew up in Forks with my grandmother but moved to Port Angeles with Emmett and Rose after she passed away. I fear escalators and spiders. I'm a vegetarian." When I paused he just gestured for me to continue as he situated Lucas on his shoulder and started patting his back like he was choking or something. There were no sounds coming from the little tyke so I figured he was okay, I mean Edward would stop from blathering if his son was in danger or some shit right? "I have broken seven bones in my lifetime, six of which happened at the same time when I attempted to perform a Jackass stunt after seeing the first movie. Green beans freak me out and I've only had one pet a goldfish named Garfield that I accidentally killed when I tried to give it coffee. Speaking of coffee I have an insane addiction to the stuff. Anything with caffeine really but iced coffee is my forte." I finally realized that both Emmett and Edward were staring at me with amused smiles.

"And I just realized that you were probably wanting information on my work history not my life's story." I blushed ducking my head.

"No, you did good." Edward chuckled sending another powerful wink my way.

God he's so pretty. I should probably stop calling him pretty… handsome, biblical? A masterpiece.

"Well, I'm done I guess." I shrugged still embarrassed. "I mean aren't the hired help supposed to be allowed to be somewhat elusive? 'The butler did it' and all that jazz. You probably know more about me now than you do about your boss."

Edward threw his head back and laughed heartedly before stopping, a sad smile graced his lips as he pulled Lucas off of his shoulder and laid him on his legs. Lucas cooed and waved his tiny little hands, awkwardly causing me to snort.

"Yeah he's drunk on milk." Edward said wiping Lucas's mouth with the edge of his baby bib before sitting back and looking at me with a serious expression. "Alright Bella. This has been a deal breaker with some of my recent applicants. Are you available to move in here effective immediately if you get the job?"

"Um, well." I shot Emmett a worried look and he just smiled.

"It's not like Rose and I haven't been doing the bills on our own Bee Bee. This is a really good opportunity for you." he assured me. "I mean I hate to see you go and I'm sure Rosie will feel the same but it's not like you can't visit."

I turned to Edward. "Apparently I'm being forced out of my home so that shouldn't be a problem." I elbowed Emmett playfully.

"Alright question two." Edward reached over and grabbed a baby rattle from a basket under the coffee table and handing it to a gabbing Lucas. "My occupation entails traveling every so often. How apposed are you to traveling at least once every so often? Of course it will be all expense paid."

"Wait. Are you that much of a slob?" I blurted out before I could catch myself.

"What?" Edward asked clearly as confused as I was at the moment.

"What I meant is. No wonder none of the other applicants have made it through your interviews. What kind of person drags their house maid along with them when they go out of town?" I tried to continue but Emmett clamped his meaty hand over my mouth effectively shutting me up.

"Bella, Edward isn't hiring a maid. Lucas here needs a nanny." he said.

"Oh." I squeaked pulling Emmett's hand off my mouth and looking over at the baby who was now slapping himself in the face with his rattle and giggling. "Oh."

Edward Cullen POV

Everything had been going perfectly until Bella revealed that she thought that I was hiring a house maid. The house was big but nothing a person with my lifestyle couldn't handle. Vicky and James never had a maid or nanny for that matter, so hiring a nanny would make it even easier to keep everything organized and give me more than a little peace of mind while I was working.

Emmett was quick to correct her assumption and I got a little worried when she sat with a shocked expression plastered on her face while she stared at Lucas as he resided on my lap. Her petite mouth formed an 'O'.

"Shouldn't you stop him from doing that?" She asked gesturing to Lucas who was now slapping himself in the face again with his rattle.

I took the rattle from him and made a note to find some softer noise making toys for him if he was going to continue this form of self harm. He got angry so I let him latch onto my fingers and pulled him to stand up against my legs.

Lucas was born three months early. After scaring the living day lights out of his family we found out that he was going to be a little slower in development. While most nine month olds were able to pull themselves up to a standing position and some of them able to walk, Lucas had just started sitting on his own. Right before Vicky and James died Lucas was starting to army crawl/scoot around on his own but it would be a while before he walked.

"Are you alright Bella?" I asked after a few moments of silence figuring that she was going to book it. It was apparent that Emmett had drug her here without informing her about anything critical like the fact that she was coming to interview to be a caretaker of an infant, not a damn maid.

"I'm fine. Just a little surprised that's all." She blushed.

She was a very beautiful woman. When I first saw her I was struck with how breathtaking she was. I was a little apprehensive after hearing the first words to come out of her mouth but at the point I was pretty desperate. It didn't feel like an interview so I kept it light and comfortable.

When Bella started rambling after I asked her to tell me about herself, I was surprised. She had been relatively quiet after the initial introduction and here she was rambling about her life story. Usually it would annoy me, a woman going on and on about themselves but with her, it was completely different. I found myself gesturing for her to continue when she stopped to take a breath and wanting to hear more when she caught on to what she had been doing. Her blush was adorable, flushing from her hair line all the way to the professional collar of her blouse.

"Um, what exactly does a nanny's job entail?" she asked fidgeting with her sleeve.

"Your sole purpose would be to care for and look after Lucas and any of his needs. I work at home so I will be here most of the time but your responsibility will be to bathe, watch, feed and nurture him."

"Wouldn't you be the nurturer?" Bella asked nervously as she looked at Lucas curiously.

"Of course. But there are things that I can't provide to Lucas. He's recently lost his mother and father so I want to try my absolute best to give him a normal life."

Bella's eyes grew wide as did Emmett's.

"Wait. I thought you were Lucas's father?" he asked sitting up a little straighter and looking a little angry.

Bella's eyes welled up with tears so she took a second to wipe them on her sleeve.

"No, I'm his god father. His mom and dad died two weeks and four days ago. He was left in my care under the direct instructions to raise him as my own. His mother, my best friend Vicky believed that he was young enough to not know the difference and wanted him to have a normal childhood." I explained sadly.

I hadn't opened up like this to any of the applicants but something about Bella was different.

"I'm sorry." Bella whispered her voice thick with emotion.

"Don't be. It was tragic but I want to make them proud by raising Lucas as best as I can. I'm new to the game so I'm gonna need a lot of help." my voice broke at the end and it didn't go unnoticed by Bella or Emmett.

Where she frowned sadly and blinked away tears, Emmett shifted uncomfortably wrapping his arm around Bella comfortingly and Lucas began to whimper a little in my lap.

"I'd love the opportunity to help you as best as I can Edward." Bella said intently. "But I need to be honest with you."

I waved my hand for her to continue.

"I don't really have a good rapport with holding a job and it's not that I'm not a good worker, it's just that I haven't found the one that's for me." she blushed again.

Despite her background something told me that Bella was meant to be Lucas's nanny. My mother warned me not to jump the gun though.

"That shouldn't be a problem. I think it would be wise to do a trial period. If you feel that the job isn't for you then you can walk away clean." I replied. "You can bring a bag or something until we come to a mutual decision. That way you don't move everything in only to move it back out."

"O-okay. Um there's something else." Bella shot Emmett an apologetic look before turning to me. "I have absolutely no experience."

Well fuck.

Bella The Babysitter: Chapter 4

Bella The Babysitter

Chapter Four

Bella Swan POV

Searching for a job in such a small town wasn't a very easy task, especially when I had been hired and fired by the majority. Emmett refused to try to get me a job at the joke of a game store he worked at just inside of Forks and Rose had already tried to get me on as a receptionist at the doctor's office she nursed at. I lasted a grand total of three days until I pissed off the head receptionist by alphabetizing the patient files from A to Z instead of the bullshit they called an organization plan.

I had placed a few applications during the day around Emmett's game store but nothing looked very promising seeing as it was the middle of the summer and all the teenagers had already soaked up the minimum wage employment.

I had pretty much forgotten about the ad that Emmett placed on Craigslist until he busted in my room one afternoon after dinner to show me the many offers I was given. There was a grand total of four replies, three pictures of men with their wangs hanging out and the last one was a very kinky couple that wanted me to walk into their home and take on the role of the wife including going out on the town all while the wife acted as a family friend tagging along. Let's just say no one got a reply back on the Craigslist front and I bribed Emmett with chocolate cranberry muffins to take the ad down.

I had even had the wonderful honor of falling victim of an online agency. Luckily Rose came home right before I could send in my banking information for direct depositing my wages. She first slapped me on the back of the head and then confiscated my computer so now I was only able to place applications via pen and paper or under the careful watch of my roommates.

I felt like a preteen with the way they treated me lately and finally had to put my foot down when I was handed a ten dollar bill from each of them after I did the dishes one morning. I resulted to acting like an immature preteen as I flung the money in the dishwater and stomped to Rose's and my bedroom, slamming the door behind me. Four days of silent treatment and refusing to eat resulted in something magical.

Day four I found myself sitting in the middle of the living room while my internet chaperones sat awkwardly on the small couch, Emmett rescued from a thrift store. I couldn't focus on my elaborate resume because my eyes were focused on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle dumb ass's awkward I-want-to-touch-but-I'm-too-chicken-shit-to-do-so dance. Emmett's hand would get tired of being all tight and balled up against his thigh so he would flex and accidentally brush against Rose's leg as she flipped through a magazine she wasn't even paying attention too. Rose would tense up and pull away quickly as if it burned and the entire cycle would repeat itself.

Six times, touching, tensing, shifting, flipping. Lather, rinse, mother fucking repeat until SNAP.

I threw the pen I was using to make notes in my Resume Writing for Dummies right at the wall above their heads. Rose was caught by surprise as Emmett grabbed her in an effort to shield her from the flying projectile. They did this whole slow motion gaze into each other's eyes for a total of thirteen seconds before I stood up.

"Finally you fucking pussies." I screamed, they turned to me slowly before catching each other's eyes once again and went back to ignoring anything that wasn't the other person. "You two have been skirting around each other for fucking years. I hope you're happy together you stupid fuck heads."

I grabbed my computer off the coffee table and headed down the hallway just before the door to the bedroom shut I heard the distinct sounds of lips smacking.

Gross.

A week later I was enjoying a nice cup of tea in the kitchen before bed sulking in my lack of job-ness when Rose came in and sighed as she leaned against the sink.

"Hi Bells."

"Hi Rose. Want some?" I gestured towards the kettle.

"No thanks. I wanted to talk to you." she shifted. "About me moving into Emmett's room."

"Cool." I shrugged. "It's about time I mean you've been sneaking into his room the past couple of nights. It's only right."

"But."

I picked up my cup. "Have fun, don't ask me to help and use protection or that bastard better make an honest woman out of you."

Living in the same house with a couple that were so grotesquely in love with one another was absolutely appalling. I had taken to listening to my Zune at night for fear of having to hear the two of them and I made sure to clean and sanitize anything and everything I planned on touching even though they were very respectful of my living there.

The searching for a job continued for a few more days and each passing day brought more and more disappointment. Rose and Emmett tried to convince me that I shouldn't worry but I felt guilty having them pay for everything and this was the longest I had gone without a job.

I fell into a small funk and even applied at the local burger joint. Being a vegetarian was rough in fast food joints, the whole touching meat disturbed me but in an hour of need I had worked at a hotdog stand and a few other chain restaurants that served carcass.

I got a call back almost immediately after hitting submit. I had just hung up the phone after agreeing with the manager on a time to meet up for an official interview when the door burst open revealing Emmett's huge ass.

"Get dressed. Something presentable. I might have gotten you a job." he wheezed holding his chest like he was about to have a heart attack.

When I sat, frozen in shock for a second too long, he grabbed me by the arm and drug me to my bedroom. He then tore into my closet like a bat out of hell and started pulling things out and tossing them my way.

"We have to hurry Beezy." he said tossing me my dream jeans.

You know the pair, the one's you buy that are like two sizes too small just for the simple fact that they were insanely cheap. After trying to fit into them doing everything but lathering your thighs down in Crisco to get them over your hips, you turn them into your goal pair of pants… eventually when you're able to shed a few unwanted pounds you will be able to slip them on with a feeling of satisfaction.

I've had my dream jeans for two and a half years. They were only four dollars and refused to stretch to accommodate my nonexistent thunder thighs according to Rose but I couldn't part with them.

"You're going to have to stop and step out of the room Em. I don't think Rose will take it too kindly if she finds out you watched me undress." I shooed him out of the room.

"You forget I came home to find you both doing tequila shots and attempting at hot yoga in your birthday suits." he laughed as I slammed the door in his face.

"It was fucking hot." I screamed.

Not knowing what kind of job interview I was heading for and not wanting to question lard face I dressed in a casual pair of beige flared dress pants and a white button up shirt with a black vest over the top. I decided to wear my power boots the only form of shoe with a heel that I was able to walk somewhat gracefully in. I clipped my shoulder length hair up at the back of my head in a messy but professional bun and straightened my bangs. After applying some cover up to my dreaded period pimples I was plagued with on that certain time of the month, I headed out to find Emmett impatiently waiting by the door foot tapping and all.

We got in his giant red neck honky tonk truck and headed towards Forks.

"I thought you refused to let me interview at the game store?" I asked as we entered Forks.

"Oh you're not interviewing at the game store." Emmett smiled before turning to me. "How good are you with kids?"

"Um, never really felt the need to get to know one. Why?" then it donned on me. "Emmett, I'm not working at Chuckee Fucking Cheeses."

"Shut up." he sighed before pulling into the driveway of a massive house. "Get ready to lie a little. On second thought, let me do all the talking."

Edward Cullen POV

The search for a proper nanny for Lucas was grueling and a proverbial dead end. I had interviewed more than fifty women but during none of those had I felt in my heart that they were the right ones. I even interviewed a few men but none of the applicants met my needs and wants.

I was dying to hole up in my office, a room on the first floor that my mother and sister in law set up for me. I had attempted to go inside a few times just to do a little bit of writing but every time I started up my computer, something would happen. The door bell would ring, Lucas would decide he didn't want to be alone during his tummy time on the floor by my desk or the dryer would beep.

Today I decided to take us on a walk back to the strip mall. Just as we passed Moe's, Emmett walked out and gestured for us to go inside.

"I'm so effing bored today. My girlfriend refuses to come down here for lunch and Mondays are super dead. Seriously I don't even know why we open on Mondays." he said as he handed me a soda out of the mini fridge behind the counter. "How's Luke today?"

"Great. I'm trying to find a nanny but I'm about to give up." I shrugged.

"You're looking for a nanny?"

"Yeah. I've interviewed about fifty people and no one meets my expectations. I haven't been able to work in weeks and it's sort of driving me crazy." I babbled.

"Well what are you looking for?"

"I need someone that's willing to come and live with Lucas and I. I'm sort of new at this, so experience is a plus. I have to travel for work at times so I need the nanny to be willing to travel with Lucas and I." I sighed. " I think I've set my standards too high. I work at home but need time that I can just sort of escape to my office without having to worry about feeding Lucas. Great now I sound like an ass hole."

"Nah, I understand dude." Emmett patted me on the shoulder harshly and looked down at Lucas as he slept in his stroller. "He's a pretty cool kid eh?"

"Well he's the first one I've ever met but as far as I can tell, he's pretty easy to please. Clean diaper and a warm bottle make him happy." I smiled down at my godson.

"I'm about to close shop." Emmett passed me a pad of paper and pencil. "Write down your address and give me an hour. I might be able to answer your prayers."

"What are you talking about?" I asked looking down at the paper.

"Just trust me. I'll see you in an hour at your house."

After stopping and grabbing some diapers and formula Lucas, I headed home. To be truthful I didn't really put a lot of faith in Emmett's attempt at answering my prayers. I had just sat down to feed him a bottle when the doorbell rang.

Lucas was not too happy to have his meal interrupted so I hurried to the door.

Lucas was screaming as I opened the door and the only thing I heard was a feminine voice softly ask. "Dude are they torturing a cat or some shit in there?" before Emmett coughed.

"Bella meet Edward. Edward this is my roommate and really good friend Bella Swan. Currently unemployed."

Bella The Babysitter: Chapter 3

Bella the Babysitter

Chapter Three

Edward Cullen POV

It had taken five days in total to make my best friend's home somewhat into my own. I still felt like a guest every time I sat a cup on the coffee table or took off my shoes by the front door, but we were getting there. Slowly but surely.

Like I had promised I picked up Lucas the day after the will was read and brought him back to the house. It broke my heart that he showed no signs of what was going on. He was still the same old babbling baby happy to play with his fingers and toes for hours. He wouldn't remember the wonderful people that his parents were and even though Vicky sort of wanted it that way, I knew I couldn't allow him to grow up not knowing about her and James.

We spent every waking moment together and sometimes when we slept. I had requested that my family give me some time to get used to fatherhood. They made an unneeded list of emergency numbers even though I already had them and tacked them in the kitchen just in case I needed to get a hold of my mother at her hair salon or my sister in law at her favorite boutique.

I had babysat Lucas for a couple of hours every now and then when James and Vicky needed a break. Nothing could prepare me for the three a.m. feedings and the seven o'clock wake up calls by a gassy infant. The first time he woke up before the sun came up screaming his head off, his face beat red I freaked out and called my mother as I hurried to get us ready for a drive to the local hospital. Luckily she was able to calm me down before I did anything drastic and inform me of the predicament.

How the hell was I supposed to know that adding powdered jello mix and warm water would help with that?

It took us four days to get a routine of sorts situated. I was tired and every so often would get a little frustrated but then I would remember Vicky's words. As a man I'll admit that the first couple of times that Lucas was completely inconsolable I broke down crying right alongside him. Eventually I learned to distinguish a cry for attention from a hungry sob.

After a couple of days I had started taking Lucas on walks down to the local playground and the shopping centers just to get us out of the gloom of the house.

Even though he had no idea what was going on I could tell that he enjoyed the sunshine, even if it was overcast half the time. We ventured inside each of the small shops on the street one by one and today we just so happened to enter a video game store that had been here since I was a kid. I somehow managed to maneuver the stroller through the door while holding it open awkwardly with no help from the guy sitting on his ass behind the counter.

"Welcome to Moe's. Everything in the bin is half the original sticker price today." the huge dude behind the counter said pointing to the large plastic tub in the middle of the store. He turned toward me when I didn't respond, his eyes lit up when he took in the stroller. "Aw, a baby."

Immediately the guardian in me recoiled from the creepy dude and his boy-like dimples. He hopped over the counter and trotted over to where I stood and peered over the hood of the stroller.

"Aw, it's a ginger baby." he cooed before looking up. "You know, children of the corn? South Park? No. Well he's a looker."

"Erm, thanks?" I stammered. "We were just looking around."

"Oh, well let me show you around." he strode over towards the clearance bin and straight back to the consoles. "We just got a Nintendo 64 in mint condition that I found on eBay, comes with a crap ton of games."

"I'm not looking to buy any games, like I said, we're just looking around." I looked inside the locked glass cabinet. "I've got too much on my plate at the moment to even think about video games."

"Oh, I know that look. Your woman won't let you?"

"I don't have a woman." I said just as Lucas started to whimper before he quieted down.

"Oh. OH. You're gay?" the dude said before taking a step back. "That's cool. Gay people are adopting babies all the time now."

"What? NO. I'm not gay." I snapped. "Jesus. This is my godson. Erm son?"

"Oh, Jesus. Okay so I only freaked out for a second. It's cool. My name's Emmett."

"Edward. This is Lucas." I flipped the sun shield up so that I could see Lucas better and found him quietly sucking on his hand.

"Hi Lucas." Emmett said giving Lucas a gentle fist bump. Lucas immediately took his hand out of his mouth and latched onto Emmett's giant paw.

I was surprised when Emmett pulled away giving a girlish squeal as he shook his hand.

"I'm cool I'm cool." he assured himself wiping his wet hand on his pants as a stunned Lucas started to bawl.

"You get used to it." I unclipped the baby and rocked him in my arms to calm him down.

"Well I'm about to close shop for the day. I'd stay open but your not here to buy anything so there's really no point. My roommates are cooking dinner tonight and if I'm late, they will flip shit." he winced and gave an apologetic look towards Lucas. "Sorry."

"It's alright. I'd better get him home anyways. His shirt's wet with drool and it gets pretty chilly out here."

"Yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about." Emmett said flipping the sign on the front door. "Come by when your back out this way, we're usually pretty dead during the week so having someone to talk to is pretty awesome."

"Alright, it was good meeting you Emmett."

"You too Edward." he shook my hand before awkwardly patting Lucas's shoulder. "You too little man."

I put Luke back in the stroller and walked us to the local deli to grab dinner before heading straight home. Once we got home, I fed Lucas his dinner bottle and ate quickly before getting him ready for bed. My mother had taught me how to bathe him in the kitchen sink until I was comfortable to have him in the bathtub.

Instead of reading to Lucas at night I had started sitting with Lucas in my bedroom and watching home videos that Vicky and I had made when we were younger. Tonight's entailed the three of us playing in a fort made entirely of wood we had stolen from a local construction site at night. We ended up getting fined for it when they caught us but it was worth it.

Lucas could care less about the movie playing and after a couple of days I found that I focused more attention to him than I did the TV screen. That was Vicky's intentions anyways but it still made me feel guilty later when I realized.

I had always found Lucas extremely cool but living with him was completely different. Everything he did surprised me and I found myself talking back to his random baby babble as he had his tummy time.

I put him to sleep in the crib at the foot of my bed keeping him close for the time being was important to me. I fell asleep quickly only to be woken up a few hours later by Lucas. I fed him his bottle and enjoyed some late night television before falling back to sleep.

Luckily Lucas slept in a little later the next morning. I was able to get showered and dressed before he woke up and my mother came over a few hours later to help me start on my search for a nanny for Luke.

"Hi sweetie. How are my boys today?" my mother asked as she sat across from us at the kitchen table. I had already set up my laptop and a pad of paper.

"We're good. Luke decided to sleep in a little today so I got to enjoy a shower." I sighed looking down at Lucas as he played with a rattle, smacking himself in the face with it and giggling. I grabbed his hand before he could hurt himself and shook it earning a gummy smile. "Goober."

"You're such a natural with him." my mom smiled at the two of us. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks." I said bashfully.

"I'm serious Edward. When your brother called to tell me what was going on, I thought you were going to ask to move back in with your father and I so that we could help you out. But here you are, making your father and I proud."

"I'm just trying to make Vicky and James proud." I said sadly. "They left him in my care and I can't let the two of them down. I'll die before I do that. Lucas is my life now and I have every intention of making a comfortable home life for him, here where his parents intended for him to grow up."

My mother started sniffling standing up and walking around the table to pull me into a hug. After a few minutes she was able to calm herself down and find her seat.

"I figured we could check with the local nanny agencies and other things online that we can find. I know you need to get some writing time in and until we find a proper caregiver, I'll come by every other day to take him for a few hours so you can get some work done." she said pulling out her laptop.

"Mom you don't have to do that. Lucas is my responsibility. I am hoping that we can find a nanny but until then I can comfortably take some time off and get my bearings back."

"Fine, if we can't find one in two weeks time, I'll start coming over to help out. Deal?"

"Deal." I smiled before cradling Lucas on my legs and opening my laptop.

Four hours later we had a total of twenty four interviews scheduled for the following day.

My mother left right before I set Lucas up in his bouncer on the kitchen counter so I could cook myself some dinner and wash some of his bottles. I had read that you should boil their nipples and spent some time making a few bottles of formula so that I wouldn't have to stop in the middle of the interviews to do the whole measuring of water and powder formula dance. I used to watch Vicky make a bottle in less than a minute while driving down the road and it took me almost four minutes to measure everything and shake the bottle while standing in the kitchen.

The following day was full of interviewing different potential nannies and after eight hours of talking nonstop, watching women fawn over the pictures that they saw of Lucas in the sitting area. Alice was watching him upstairs in his nursery every now and then I could hear her flit down the stairs, baby in arms to the kitchen to get something before quietly heading back upstairs.

Eight hours, and twenty four interviews later we were at a dead end. A majority of the nannies that we found that held the potential as a great caregiver for Lucas refused to be live-in. That was sort a necessity in finding a nanny seeing as I was a freelance writer. Sometimes I could hole up for hours in my office writing to no end where as other times I went a week or two without writing a word.

I sold my work to some local and some famous magazines, newspapers and websites so that also called for me to go out of town for meetings every now and then. The few nannies that were able the be live-in refused to do traveling.

I had taken five doses of Ibuprofen and half a bottle of Tums. My head was pounding and I had heartburn, so my mother offered to take Lucas home with her for the night to give me a break.

I tried to refuse but Alice had already taken upon herself to pack a bag for Luke and get him situated in my mother's car.

I ended up at my parent's house, sleeping in my old bedroom that was now converted into a fancy sewing room for my mother, it had a tiny little daybed but I slept comfortably with Lucas in his playpen right beside me.

I was growing into the whole fatherhood thing. Slowly but surely and all I wanted to do was make Vicky and James proud.

Bella The Babysitter: Chapter 2

Bella the Babysitter

Chapter two

Edward Cullen POV

"There has to be some kind of mistake." I stood up in the small room and began to gather my things.

"I was present when Mr. and Mrs. Stewart signed their wills, Mr. Cullen. They were adamant as to who they were leaving their most prized possessions to." Mr. Jenks the fat bald man that looked to be one double cheeseburger away from a heart attack said as he wiped his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. "They left you a letter as well. I believe they knew you would be hesitant to take on their wishes."

I reached over the mahogany table and snatched the envelope from his hand ripping it open immediately. The slanted curvy doctor's handwriting caused my stomach to twist painfully and tears to pool in my eyes.

Ed-o…

If you're reading this it probably means that James and I have kicked the bucket so to speak. You're probably sitting in a board room with smelly Mr. Jenks, the most trustworthy lawyer we could find in this crappy town. (Sorry I wanted to say something to ensure that he didn't read this =]). I want you to keep your cool in this situation Ed because we didn't hesitate once when Jenks asked us to list the benefactors, if something should happen to the two of us.

You're my best friend and according to James you've grown on him as well throughout all of the years as well.

If anyone deserved to live a little easier beneficiating from the hard work James and I put into creating our lavish lives, it's you Ed. Please don't be sad because I will always be here for you and no I am not going to haunt you like I threatened many times in our youth.

The house, money and everything is yours Edward because we believe you will keep a clear head and be able to do a lot of good with it. Your probably pissed off and too full of pride to accept this somewhat large token of our appreciation, but we love you so much and trust that you won't put all of our hard work to vain.

As for Lucas, I bet you don't remember the day he was born as clearly as I do. As I'm writing this letter to you, something I haven't really done in quite some time, he is crawling around the house or scooting like an soldier really, without his diaper on and believe it or not, he isn't drunk like some people that like to streak when inebriated. I'm not pointing fingers just stating the facts. He's going to be one in a few short months and I wish they had a freeze machine that would just keep him the little tiny bugger that he is forever. Then again diapers are a pain in the ass and seeing as your reading this letter, it means I'm gone so you would be forever stuck with an infant, I take that back. And before you think I had a freaky ass premonition about my death or something, I decided to visit smelly Jenks every year on my wedding anniversary and rewrite you a letter. Here's to hoping you wont get this one.

Anyways, back to the serious information I am trying to pass down to you and believe me it's hard. To try to write down everything you want someone to know before you die. It's fucking hard, but I'm going to try and get everything I need out.

The day that James and I found out about Lucas, we automatically knew who would be granted godfather-ness. You laughed it off when James informed you of your new title just as you always do when something serious happens, but not once did you make us question our choice.

If you're reading this and we are both gone... Dead... What the hell do I say? Passed on? Yes if we have both passed on, Lucas is probably in my mother's care for the moment and you're probably questioning the reason behind us choosing you and not her. The answer is simple, my mother is older, if Lucas can't have James and I in his life, I would want him to be close to someone that isn't going to let him down or leave him unexpectedly, someone like you. I can't bear the idea of him having to go through the loss of another family member acting as his gaurdian in a few years. Also have you met my mother? She's bat shit crazy.

We decided to leave everything in your name, for you to distribute to Lucas when you see fit. As for the house, the general idea was for him to be somewhere where he could be comfortable, but we would understand if it was too painful for you to live there. Your bachelor pad isn't exactly suitable for the care of an infant so please be smart in making that decision.

Lucas is to be raised as your son, Edward. And before you crumble up this note I want to explain. James grew up in foster care not knowing his birth parents until he aged out of the system as you well know. There's no reason for Lucas to know that we were his birth parents because we are gone. I know he loves us and that's all that matters. It pains my heart to think that he would have to carry the loss of us. Tell him about us as the fuckawsome aunt and uncle that moved to Cabo due to witness protection or some shit.

So Daddy-ward (James' idea, not mine). I think that's it. Jenks can probably answer any other questions you might have so now I get to be all kinds of sentimental.

I can't believe I'm writing my death note, it's fucking creepy to be truthful. This is actually the second one I've written to you but that was before Lucas was conceived.

You're my best friend Ed. I'll always remember meeting you at the playground. Granted we were only two at the time but if memory recalls I dumped sand on your head after you lifted my dress to check out my pampers. Please take care of yourself, don't get depressed over me not being here to bother you at all hours of the night. Don't freak out on Saturday night when you look over at your poker table and realize that James isn't coming over because you definitely have it better sweets.

Every time you're feeling down in the dumps, I want you to look at my baby boy and focus on the fact that you're here with him and that he needs you.

No matter how hard you want to, don't give into his every need and want alright. He's a cutie and I have a feeling he's gonna be a heartbreaker as he grows older, but children need rules so no letting him drink illegally or smoke pot.

And for Christ's sake virgin boy, please find a woman.

I would hate to have my son grow to believe that his dad produced and carried him all on his own. She's out there Ed, I have a feeling you'll find her I just can't tell when. Alice says that it will be fairly soon, sooner than we think, but we can't be too sure. Don't allow Lucas to watch a revolving of hooker sluts coming through. He needs stability.

You're going to need help as well Sweets. Alice and your mother are going to offer help, but quite frankly I don't want the baby growing up depending on coffee and caffeine like your sister- in-law and your mother has a life in the charities she is a part of.

I hate to say this but find a live in nanny. Someone with experience that can teach you.

Raising a child is sort of trial by error. You're going to make mistakes and sometimes he's going to pull the same shit we used to with our parents. 'I hate you' will be said, but I want you to smile and think of me when you're ready to pull your hair out.

Do background checks on the potential caregivers for Lucas and I don't think I have to ask that you show him more love than possible. You already do such a great job with him. I know you won't let us down.

I love you Ed more than you can imagine. You were the best friend a girl can ask for and the best sudo-brother ever. Take care of my baby, like I said treat him as if he were your own, please.

Love Vicky

P.S. Get your hand out of your hair... Deep breaths… you'll be fine.

P.S.S. What the fuck are you doing still reading this, go save your godson from the evil clutches of my crazy mother.

Smiling albeit through the ridiculous amount of tears that were pouring out of my eyes, I handed the note back to Jenks so that he could put it back into the file and sat back down. Laurel, Vicky's mother sat on the opposite side of the table smiling at me warmly as she dabbed her eyes.

"Please don't take him completely away from me Edward. He's all I have left."

"I wouldn't dream about it, Laurel." I leaned back. "I do have a favor though."

"Anything." she sniffed.

"Well I need to take care of a few things before I take this on so would you mind keeping him tonight and the better part of tomorrow?" I asked, mentally making a list of all of the shit I had to do.

"Of course. Take your time dear."

"I'll come by to see him tonight though. I'm going to call my brother and his wife and ask them to help me pack up my apartment." I turned to Jenks. "I plan to raise Lucas in his original home. I'll settle my apartment and move into the Stewart estate."

"Are you sure Mr. Cullen? You have time to think about things."

"I'm positive. He needs stability."

We finished signing away all of the papers and I left the lawyers office rushing across town and straight to my apartment. I ran up the stairs ignoring the doorman and starting tossing all of my clothes into duffle bags.

Vicky's words from her note ran through my mind over and over again as I emptied my dresser drawers into a suitcase. How were she and James supposed to know that a week after they signed their wills, that they would be gone?

After being married for five years all of their hard work finally paid off and they could afford a honeymoon to Miami beach. We had had dinner the night before they left joking about them going down there and never wanting to leave the sunshine state. I had even talked to them on the day right before they went out to the beach not knowing that, that was the last time I would ever hear their voices.

I couldn't even remember if I told Vicky and James that I loved them.

You would think that I would remember something like that, the entire conversation I had with my best friends before they drowned across the country. Hell I couldn't even remember what I did that day or the night that I got the call from Laurel. All I remember was calling my brother to come pick me up and take me to see Lucas.

As soon as I walked into the house, he started babbling away in his play-pin and holding his arms out to me to be held. And I did. I held him and cried for the loss he suffered at a too young age. The loss of two remarkable people he would never know and was too young to ever remember.

I was brought out of my thoughts by a timid knock on the door.

"Edward." my brother's calming voice called through the wood.

"Yeah, it's open." I yelled back.

The door opened and his deep blue eyes looked around the room.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm moving into the Stewart estate."

"They left you a fucking house?" Jasper's eyes went wide.

"They left me everything." I stood up and tossed a few stray socks into an open suitcase.

"You're going to live in that big ass house all alone? I know you miss them Edward, but you can't do this to yourself." Jasper sat down next to an overstuffed duffle bag and started to wrestle the zipper shut.

"I'm not going to be alone."

"You alright man? Your kind of weirding me out with the cryptic short sentences."

"I'm not going to be living there alone. I am now the legal guardian of Lucas Edward Stewart, soon to be Cullen." I winced at the end of my sentence.

Another surprise from Vicky's twisted mind. Jenks was currently filing the paper work for me to legally adopt Lucas thoroughly turning him into a Cullen. He was going to be a Cullen before his first birthday.

"You mean..." Jasper trailed off.

"Yep, I'm gonna be a dad."

"Well shit Ed."

"My thought's exactly."

Bella The Babysitter: Chapter 1

Bella the Babysitter

Chapter one

"I'm really sorry to do this to you Bella. I mean we've been friends for so long and I hate to do this, but it's completely out of my control." Mike sighed dramatically, his face pinched as if he were about to bawl.

"It's cool Mikey, I'm no virgin to the whole getting fired thing." I waved him off and tossed my almost brand new bright orange Newton's Outfitter issued smock onto the conveyer belt. "Thanks for giving me a chance dude."

I opened the cabinet under the cash register to grab my coat and purse assuring that the super tight lime green polo that was my uniform didn't ride up. Didn't want Mikey to get a woody. As soon as I grabbed my shit, I stood up and turned to make a silent exit but was stopped by a mass of sweaty smelly flesh.

"Excuse me Mikey I've gotta go hit the pavement. Bills need to get paid and all that." I tried to shift around him but he kept moving to stop me.

"Wait. I wanted to talk to you." his face was clammy and greasy looking.

Ah shit. Here it comes.

"Make it quick." I sighed taking advantage of the complimentary mint candies.

Who the fuck put those two together. Going camping… don't forget your god damn mints.

In my three days as a Newton Outfitters employee I had scrubbed at least twenty of those fucking red candies off of the forty year old tile floor after some bitch tried to shut her screaming and crying snot nosed bastard up with a free treat. Kids and cinnamon don't mix, resulting in the sticky sugar stuck to the disgusting floor waiting for yours truly to bring a paint scraper and spray cleaner over and fight it off the floor.

I allowed Mike enough time for me to snatch a handful of candies and stash them in my bag before I snapped.

"I don't have all day Mikey." I choked on my giggle as Mike jumped at least a foot in the air, his greasy hair flopping into his eyes.

"Yeah, erm. Well when I asked you out the other day you told me that you didn't date your superiors so I was wondering now that your no longer a Newton Outfitter's Employee if you." he cleared his throat nervously. "If you wanted to maybe go out sometime? Dinner? A movie? Tonight?"

I had known Michael Newton since I was twelve years old and new to town, angry and orphaned by my father after he was killed on duty at his pitiful security job at a distribution center, my mother long dead, and her battle with cancer took her from us when I was three. My grandmother on my mother's side welcomed me with open arms in the ridiculously small town of Forks, Washington. Halfway through my first day Mike Newton's shaggy golden retriever ass leached onto me and to this day remains creepy and stalker-like.

"You know Mike." I sighed patting his moist arm. "As much as I would love to, it seems a little inappropriate. You did just fire me. That's unethical."

With that I turned and grabbed my bag, another handful of the free cinnamon candies and I was out like a trout. Speaking of which Mikey was gaping, resembling our fishy friends in almost every way.

Your probably thinking that I'm about to go sit in my car and have a meltdown seeing as I just lost my job. As soon as I sat in the worn down seats of my Isuzu pup it would hit me that I had to go home and inform my two roommates that I wasn't going to pay rent this month and that they were going to have to front me for the fifth month this year. But no, I walked around my truck running my hand over the hand painted stars along the hood and driver's side before hopping in and slamming the door. I pressed the button that my mechanic friend rigged after I had forgotten where my keys were for the billionth time since I had gotten my driver's license. That little button would start the engine no questions asked. Yes I was just asking for someone to come still my piece of shit car but I was a strong believer in tempting fate.

I started my truck and headed across town back to the apartment I shared with my bitches, climbing up the stairs to the third floor and grabbing the key from it's hiding spot behind the fire extinguisher in the hallway by the door. Opening the door and tossing the key back into it's spot, I swiftly entered the apartment in an attempt to ninja roll all the way to my bedroom without anyone spotting me.

"Freeze!" Emmett's booming voice yelled causing me to scream and turn around in an effort to pummel him.

"You stupid fuck. You know I hate that shit." I said hitting him with my handbag.

"Well someone got off work early." he said ignoring my fetal attempts at hurting him.

"Yeah, about that." I slipped my shoes off and leaned against the wall.

"You got fired eh." he stated sitting on the floor and tying my shoelaces together in a super knot. "What's this? Job number five hundred and thirty four since graduation?"

"Nah, more like thirty seven. And we graduated three years ago, it isn't that bad." I shrugged. "I'm hungry you want sticky rice?"

"Fuck yeah I do." Emmett clapped his hands like a toddler and jumped to his feet dragging me to the kitchen. "Rose should be home in a little while for lunch so if you hurry, I can eat twice."

Emmett and Rose were my roommates, aka the bitches. We met in Home Economics freshmen year, I actually helped Emmett extinguish the fire Rose set trying to bake muffins in a plastic bowl and the rest is history. Senior year when my Grand-Marie died, the state gave up seeing as I was turning eighteen in less than a month and I was left Bella Swan, no family and only two best friends. As soon as we graduated we all moved in together, Rose and I share a large bedroom while Emmett keeps his creepy dark cave of boy-ness down the hall.

It was comfortable living with them other than the fact that they secretly wanted to fuck each other's brains out, but were too chicken shit to do anything about it. I was victim to many nights of watching the two of them skirt around each other and once had the pleasure to watch Emmett hide his boner when Rose was 'accidentally' locked out of the bathroom on her way to the shower in a small terry cloth towel. I might or might not have had anything to do with that little 'accident.'

I made Emmett and I some food opting to take my plate to my and Rose's bedroom in an effort to hide away from Rose's wrath once she found out I was out of a job for the zillionth time in my lifetime. Emmett threatened to tell her as soon as she walked into the house, and I countered with a threat to inform her that Emmett was actually the one that stole her undergarments from the laundry mat downstairs in an act of complete creepiness. I would be safe until later tonight when she got home from work.

It wasn't that I was lazy because I'm not. I just haven't found the right kind of job. Rose and Emmett both joke that I was waiting for the perfect job to fall into my lap and that I have unrealistic intentions because I refuse to do anything to better my chances at finding said job.

I've been a funeral home director, a waiter, a dog walker and a lawn mower yet still haven't found my niche. I've never quit any of the jobs that I have had because that's just tacky. I have been fired for just about everything.

George's hotdog stand:

"Isabella you have to smile." Pat the owner said, his face red with fury.

"I'll smile when I can take this godforsaken hotdog hat off. I can feel my brain sweating."

"You're fired."

Ponds Funeral Home:

"It is completely unacceptable to be laughing during a funeral ceremony." Mr. Ponds snapped.

"No, you don't understand I got a really funny text message and I didn't realize everyone was exiting the ceremony." I had tried to explain.

"I'm sorry Miss. Swan. You're fired."

Bath and Body works:

"You don't understand, that lady has been in here at least four times today to get a free sample. It's fraud." I said calmly.

"The customer is always right. Clock out, we'll mail you your check."

"What?"

"You're fired."

Hollister:

"Swan it is against company policy to fraternize with fellow employees. You drew the line while making out with the shirtless model in the dressing room. We're going to have to let you go."

"What about Sam? Does he get fired? He's just as guilty as I am."

"That's not what we heard. You're fired."

I've been fired for sitting down instead of standing up, to hold signs on the side of the road, fired for trying to sneak an M&M at a sweet shop I worked at for a dayand even fired for starting my period and needing to run home and change my pants. You name it, I've possibly been fired for it. I found jobs just as quickly, I even got fired from two jobs in one day. They just weren't it for me.

Shoveling down my lunch I checked Craigslist on my ancient computer for available jobs. Trying to weed out the stupid shit and weirdo job offers like Doms looking for a sub or vice versa until I found something that looked somewhat promising. Climbing over my bed I grabbed the phone and dialed the number.

"Thank you for calling Greg's Golf Course, if you're calling about the available position as ball retriever please press one."

"Will do." I said pressing one.

"We here at Greg's Golf Course are equal opportunity employers, we regret to inform you that the job has already been filled but if you would like to place an application we keep them on file for six months. Thank you. Goodbye." the robotic voice cheered before I was rendered deaf by the dial tone.

"Well shit." I said aloud.

I should have known that it wouldn't have been that easy. I heard the front door open and close meaning that Rose was home for her lunch hour and that I had to be extremely quiet. I rolled back onto my bed and burrowed into the covers to spend the hour being completely immobile until she left. Emmett had lent me his Nintendo DS so I played Super Mario until my thumbs were killing me and then counted the small dots on the ceiling until someone knocked on the door.

"Isabella Marie Swan if you don't get off your ass and find a job right now I swear I'm going to kick your skinny ass into next week." Rose said throwing the door open and tossing her Mac book over to me. "You better have something by the time I get home or heads are gonna roll got it?"

"Rose, I've already looked, there's nothing-"

"Shut your fucking mouth. You better pull some form of a miracle by the time I get home or you're going to sleep on the couch. I'm tired of having to share a room with someone that does nothing to contribute to this household."

Her words were lethal but nothing I haven't heard before so I just rolled my eyes and grabbed her lap top.

"Yes ma'am. I'll sleep on the couch tonight and pull a miracle out of my ass before you get home from work."

"That's right bitch." she smiled before slamming the bedroom door shut cursing the entire way out the front door.

As soon as the door slammed, the bedroom door opened revealing Emmett's huge ass with his hand over his eyes.

"I just wanted to let you know that I didn't tell her. She saw your shoes in the hallway and when I tried to distract her, she ignored me." he said before peeking through his fingers.

"Who cares? Get over here and help me perform a miracle." I sighed.

For two hours Emmett and I placed applications into any place we could think of within thirty minutes of the apartment. After his hand started cramping and he had to stop for a break, we were watching TV when he turned to me.

"What are you willing to do for money Bella?"

"Anything legal." I shrugged.

"Why don't you just put an ad on Craigslist for that." without waiting he jumped up and ran for the computer while I sat there trying to mull over it.

"Fine. You can put the ad up but you're going to have to weed through the freaks. There's no fucking way I'm doing anything creepy."

"Deal."

What the fuck did I get myself into?