Worth the Fight Update

 WTF Epilogue on FFn

WTF Epilogue on AO3

WTF Epilogue on Stars

WTF Epilogue on Wattpad

"No, that won't work for my client," Edward said in his sleek office overlooking Puget Sound. "You and I both know that his next contract should be at least double of what he currently has. He's got offers from across the country. But, being a hometown boy, he'd like to stay with the Seahawks." He listened to the other person on the other end of the line. "That's a much substantial offer. I'll bring it to my client. We'll be in touch."

Ending the call, he sent a text to his client, informing him about the new offer and he closed his computer. Placing it into his bag, he slung the bag over his body and walked to Alice's office. "I'm off. I've got kid duty today since Bella's at the gym late tonight."

"Give my godchildren kisses, Masen," Alice sang.

"You do the same with mine, Alice," Edward chuckled.

"I will, once they're born. These twins are using my bladder as a punching bag," Alice grumbled, rubbing her huge stomach. "I can't wait until I can see my feet again."

"They're still there, Ali," Edward smirked. "Have a good weekend." He walked through the office, waving at Jasper before he got in the elevator. He strode to his black Range Rover, sliding into the driver's seat and backed out of the spot. He drove to the elementary school where his two children attended.

Bella and Edward didn't want a long engagement. About a month after he proposed on the beach, they got married on the same beach, using Charlie's backyard as their reception venue. Within two months of being married, Bella got pregnant. Their first child, a boy named Patrick, was born on St. Patrick's Day. Their second baby, a girl named Elizabeth, was born a year later on April first. With the birth of Elizabeth, Edward got a vasectomy because they were happy with two children.

Worth the Fight Teaser

The fire was burning in the fireplace with some quiet instrumental holiday music playing in the background. Edward was hanging some décor over the fireplace, giant bells and straightening them, trying not to let them all clang. Bella was carefully unwrapping ornaments, hanging them on her rustically, but elegantly appointed tree. It had been put up hastily, but not decorated due to the craziness of their schedules.

“Will it snow?” Edward asked. “Not like Chicago has had white Christmases recently, but I do like the idea of the white fluffy stuff on the ground for Christmas.”

“More like a sleety, mushy, snowy mess,” Bella answered, wrinkling her nose. “In the higher elevations, they get snow. With our location, we get more sleet. Though when I was thirteen, we had a huge snowstorm. We were stuck at Bull Dog for three days. The plows couldn’t get out.”

“Three days at the gym. Sounds like fun,” Edward deadpanned.

“We had everything we needed. Showers, a kitchen, food, and entertainment,” Bella quipped. “The only thing that sucked was that I was the only girl. The guys were rank where I came out smelling like a proverbial rose. Even my dad reverted back to his baser, male instincts. I made Carlisle pick me up and I stayed with them until my dad realized that he smelled like a foot.”

“Gross!” Edward laughed. “I mean, all guys go through that phase, but a grown man?”

“Yep,” Bella said, standing up and wiping her hands on her jeans.

Worth the Fight Teaser

 “It’s starting again,” Jasper said, pointing to the television. “James appears to be in better shape.”

Edward frowned, holding Bella’s hand as he watched the fight continue. James played defense, only taking a few punches. He mainly blocked Emmett’s blows. The fight continued along this vein until the second to the last round. Emmett was getting tired, but still put everything into the fight. When the bell indicated the end of the round, James flew at Emmett and rapidly hitting him in the head. Emmett fell onto the ground, clearly unconscious. The bell rang consistently as Charlie and Caius moved to pull James off Emmett.

“Bells, why did he do that?” Rose asked, her voice sounding hysterical. “Why did he attack my monkey man after the round was over?”

“I don’t know, Rose,” Bella said, moving to crouch in front of Rosalie.

“Oh, fuck! He’s seizing!” Charlie growled on the television.

“Bella!” Rose cried, gripping Bella’s arms. Her face was contorted in anguish, terror. “I need to get to Emmett!”

“We’ll get us there,” Bella whispered quietly, gesturing for someone to turn off the television. She handed Edward her phone. “On my phone, there’s a number for … a private charter company.”

“Bensen Aviation?” Edward asked, arching a brow as he scrolled through her contacts.

“Make arrangements for Rose, Alice and me to fly to Portland,” she pleaded, hugging her hysterical friend who was inconsolable.

“I want to go, too. You may need legal representation,” Jasper growled. “I can be the spokesperson for the gym.”

Edward nodded, stepping out of the family room, which had been filled with a cacophony of sounds – mainly of shock and anger. He made arrangements for Bella, Rose, Alice, and Jasper to fly up to Portland. The pilot, a close friend of Charlie’s, waived the cost of the private charter and promised wheels up in an hour.

Worth the Fight Update

WTF Ch. 24 on FFn

WTF Ch. 24 on Stars

WTF Ch. 24 on AO3

WTF Ch. 24 on Wattpad

While Charlie and Bella reconnected over spaghetti and meatballs, Alice demanded that Edward drive them back to his apartment so he could change. Apparently, his dark wash jeans and t-shirt were not appropriate for the steakhouse Alice wanted to take him to. Despite spending the day at Bella’s, helping her out, Alice was still dressed to the nines. She told him to put on a suit without a tie.

Wrinkling his nose, Edward went to change and put on a pair of black dress pants with a black dress shirt. He topped it off with a black leather sport coat. He also packed a small overnight bag and tossed his dirty workout clothes into his hamper. Spraying on some cologne, he walked out to his living room.

“Your place is very interesting,” Alice said, giving him a wry grin and gesturing to the rustic décor. Her eyes lit up when she took him in. “Very nice attire, Masen. Most of the guys need to have their clothes labeled.”

“This place was decorated when I rented it. I didn’t want to buy something if this wasn’t a good fit,” Edward explained. “I sold my condo in Chicago with all the furniture. Fresh start and all that.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Alice laughed, looking at his apartment. “This is all sorts of tacky.”

“It’s growing on me, but I prefer … not this,” he laughed. “I’m not into this.” He vaguely gestured to his apartment. “Cow horns? Nope. I like the wooden accents, but the rest? Meh.” He went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. “Do want anything?”

“Nope,” she said. “We’ve got a reservation at El Gaucho at six. The steak is to die for!”

Nodding his head, he picked up his bags and keys, opening the door for Alice. They got back into his car and drove to El Gaucho in downtown Seattle. Alice told him to use the valet, plucking the ticket from the attendant. Walking inside, the host led them to a private dining room. “Alice, this is too much.”

“I’m expensing this, Edward,” Alice smirked. “Besides, I’m a month too late. I wanted to take you out once you arrived, but my dad said that to hold off until you got some more solid news on the head injury. Since you’ve started training, I think it’s a good idea to talk about your public relations plan. But first, we need wine.”

“Alice, I’m training,” Edward argued.

“One glass will not hurt you,” Alice chided. “I’ll drink most of the bottle.” She waved down their server. “Do you prefer red or white, Edward?”

“White. Less possibility of having a hangover,” Edward said.

“Can we get a bottle of the Scarpetta, with two glasses?” Alice ordered without looking at the menu, flashing the server a grin. “Can we also get an order of the scallops, crab cakes, the tenderloin Diablo and pork belly to start?”

“Of course, Mrs. Whitlock,” replied the server. “Only the best for you.” With a flourish, the server left.

“So, I suggest either the steak El Gaucho or the Chateaubriand,” Alice sang. “With a salad. We can split the tableside Caesar. It’s delicious.”

“I don’t know where I’m going to put all this,” Edward laughed.

“Charlie probably said you need to gain weight, right?” Alice asked. “You need protein to rebuild your muscles.”

Alice Whitlock

Edward Masen

Worth the Fight Update

WTF Ch. 16 on FFn

WTF Ch. 16 on AO3

WTF Ch. 16 on Stars

WTF Ch. 16 on Wattpad

Edward was organizing his kitchen, getting settled into his new apartment. After he got the keys, he loaded up his SUV with his clothes, kitchen supplies and personal effects to decorate his place. After he got inside, he went grocery shopping to pick up healthy foods. Eating room service was not necessarily good for his workout regimen. He couldn’t run as far or strength train because of the limitations that Carlisle had put on him for his head injury.

As he was putting the food away, his phone rang. Sliding his finger across the screen, he put it on speaker. “Hello?”

“Masen! It’s Emmett! What are you doing?” Emmett bellowed.

“I’m organizing my new place and trying not to go batshit crazy,” Edward snorted.

“You got a new place?” Emmett asked.

“Yeah, I signed the paperwork last week. I spent the past few days moving in and getting settled. The line at the DMV was killer,” Edward laughed. “Do you want to come over? I’m trying to load up my fridge with healthy food and …”

“Send me the address. Jasper and I will be there in a half hour,” Emmett said. “Looking forward to it, man. Do you need anything? Never mind. We’ll bring over some nosh. See you in a bit.”

The phone call ended abruptly, leaving Edward flummoxed. Emmett was a very chatty guy, but his conversations flitted from one topic to the next. Shaking his head, Edward finished putting away his groceries and went around his place, picking up any random crap from the floor. Since it was so new, there was very little out of place.

He did light some candles around the place, since the apartment did smell like fresh paint. He was looking at his computer, checking his email and paying some bills. The intercom buzzed. Walking to the doorway, he saw Emmett and a blonde man standing in the doorway. Emmett waved goofily at the security camera, making Edward chuckle. He buzzed them in, leaving his door open.

A few moments later, Emmett, who was larger than life, entered the apartment, with a smaller man. “Edward, my man, awesome digs!” Emmett boomed. “Very rustic. Your décor?”

“No. I purchased a furnished place because I wanted to make sure that Seattle was a good fit for me,” Edward replied. “Water? Soda?”

“Pssh, I’m not training today. I’m drinking beer,” Emmett said, putting a six pack on the quartz countertop. The blonde put two pizza boxes on the counter. “Jasper, this is Edward Masen. Edward, this is my brother-in-law and best friend, Jasper Whitlock. He’s also the attorney for the gym. The lawsuit he’s bringing against Jacob Black is going to be sweet!”

“I swear, Em, you have no sense of tact,” Jasper sighed, shaking his head. “You can’t talk about it. Nondisclosure agreement, asshat.” Looking at Edward, he held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Edward. You’re all the gym can talk about. Quite the buzz.”

Worth the Fight Teaser

 Edward was organizing his kitchen, getting settled into his new apartment. After he got the keys, he loaded up his SUV with his clothes, kitchen supplies and personal effects to decorate his place. After he got inside, he went grocery shopping to pick up healthy foods. Eating room service was not necessarily good for his workout regimen. He couldn’t run as far or strength train because of the limitations that Carlisle had put on him for his head injury.

As he was putting the food away, his phone rang. Sliding his finger across the screen, he put it on speaker. “Hello?”

“Masen! It’s Emmett! What are you doing?” Emmett bellowed.

“I’m organizing my new place and trying not to go batshit crazy,” Edward snorted.

“You got a new place?” Emmett asked.

“Yeah, I signed the paperwork last week. I spent the past few days moving in and getting settled. The line at the DMV was killer,” Edward laughed. “Do you want to come over? I’m trying to load up my fridge with healthy food and …”

“Send me the address. Jasper and I will be there in a half hour,” Emmett said. “Looking forward to it, man. Do you need anything? Never mind. We’ll bring over some nosh. See you in a bit.”

The phone call ended abruptly, leaving Edward flummoxed. Emmett was a very chatty guy, but his conversations flitted from one topic to the next. Shaking his head, Edward finished putting away his groceries and went around his place, picking up any random crap from the floor. Since it was so new, there was very little out of place.

He did light some candles around the place, since the apartment did smell like fresh paint. He was looking at his computer, checking his email and paying some bills. The intercom buzzed. Walking to the doorway, he saw Emmett and a blonde man standing in the doorway. Emmett waved goofily at the security camera, making Edward chuckle. He buzzed them in, leaving his door open.

A few moments later, Emmett, who was larger than life, entered the apartment, with a smaller man. “Edward, my man, awesome digs!” Emmett boomed. “Very rustic. Your décor?”

“No. I purchased a furnished place because I wanted to make sure that Seattle was a good fit for me,” Edward replied. “Water? Soda?”

“Pssh, I’m not training today. I’m drinking beer,” Emmett said, putting a six pack on the quartz countertop. The blonde put two pizza boxes on the counter. “Jasper, this is Edward Masen. Edward, this is my brother-in-law and best friend, Jasper Whitlock. He’s also the attorney for the gym. The lawsuit he’s bringing against Jacob Black is going to be sweet!”

“I swear, Em, you have no sense of tact,” Jasper sighed, shaking his head. “You can’t talk about it. Nondisclosure agreement, asshat.” Looking at Edward, he held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Edward. You’re all the gym can talk about. Quite the buzz.”

Worth the Fight Update

 WTF Ch. 15 on FFn

WTF Ch. 15 on AO3

WTF Ch. 15 on Stars

WTF Ch. 15 on Wattpad

“We both were burned by cheaters,” Bella sighed.

“I’m here if you want to share. I feel strangely better after telling you about the debacle that was my life,” he snorted humorlessly. He blinked to look at Bella, who was shifting on the blanket. She twisting her watch again. Gently stopped her hand, making her jump. “Or, you don’t have to.”

“No, I should …” she whispered. “You shared your darkest secret. It’s only fair that I do the same.”

“Bella, if this is too painful, you don’t have to tell me anything,” Edward murmured.

“No, not even my best friends know the whole story. I mean, I had my suspicions about Jacob for a while, but I’d hoped that they were not true,” she shrugged. “I’ve known Jacob for most of my life. Before living in Seattle, I lived in Forks. It’s a tiny town here in Washington. Jacob lived at the nearby reservation. His family were from the Quileute tribe, who lived on La Push. His father was one of the tribal leaders and he was close friends with my dad.”

“Did your father and Jacob’s father have hopes of you getting together?” Edward asked.

“Billy, yes. My dad knew me well enough to know that I was my own woman, and I didn’t need anyone telling me what to do,” Bella smirked. “Jacob was younger than me by a couple of years and we didn’t get together until after I’d graduated college. He was training with my dad at the point, and I’d taken over as the general manager of the gym. I love my dad, but he’s a hot mess when it comes to maintaining the books, remembering dates, and paying bills. Thank goodness for automatic bill pay, which I had set up when I was in college.”

“Tell me about it. With me not having a permanent address until a few hours ago, I had everything set up through email and my actual mail was sent to Marcus.”

“Your former doctor?” Bella asked. “He still has connections to Volterra.”

“He might have connections to Volterra, but his allegiance is to me,” Edward explained with a cocky grin.

“Explain,” Bella demanded with her own smirk.

“After you finish your story,” he countered.

Worth the Fight Teaser

 “We both were burned by cheaters,” Bella sighed.

“I’m here if you want to share. I feel strangely better after telling you about the debacle that was my life,” he snorted humorlessly. He blinked to look at Bella, who was shifting on the blanket. She twisting her watch again. Gently stopped her hand, making her jump. “Or, you don’t have to.”

“No, I should …” she whispered. “You shared your darkest secret. It’s only fair that I do the same.”

“Bella, if this is too painful, you don’t have to tell me anything,” Edward murmured.

“No, not even my best friends know the whole story. I mean, I had my suspicions about Jacob for a while, but I’d hoped that they were not true,” she shrugged. “I’ve known Jacob for most of my life. Before living in Seattle, I lived in Forks. It’s a tiny town here in Washington. Jacob lived at the nearby reservation. His family were from the Quileute tribe, who lived on La Push. His father was one of the tribal leaders and he was close friends with my dad.”

“Did your father and Jacob’s father have hopes of you getting together?” Edward asked.

“Billy, yes. My dad knew me well enough to know that I was my own woman, and I didn’t need anyone telling me what to do,” Bella smirked. “Jacob was younger than me by a couple of years and we didn’t get together until after I’d graduated college. He was training with my dad at the point, and I’d taken over as the general manager of the gym. I love my dad, but he’s a hot mess when it comes to maintaining the books, remembering dates, and paying bills. Thank goodness for automatic bill pay, which I had set up when I was in college.”

“Tell me about it. With me not having a permanent address until a few hours ago, I had everything set up through email and my actual mail was sent to Marcus.”

“Your former doctor?” Bella asked. “He still has connections to Volterra.”

“He might have connections to Volterra, but his allegiance is to me,” Edward explained with a cocky grin.

“Explain,” Bella demanded with her own smirk.

“After you finish your story,” he countered.

“Fine,” Bella sighed dramatically, opening a container of brownie bites. “In order to continue, I need some comfort chocolate.”

Worth the Fight Update

 WTF Ch. 14 on FFn

WTF Ch. 14 on AO3

WTF Ch. 14 on Stars

WTF Ch. 14 on Wattpad

After picking up some coffee for Bella - she’d been delayed thanks to her phone call with Jacob - they drove to the first of three apartment complexes. Edward did not like the layout or the drive to the gym. It was the farthest from Bull Dog, located in Redmond.

The realtor, an older woman with sharp eyes and friendly smile, gave them the address for the second place, which was in a neighborhood near the Space Needle. As Edward drove to the second apartment, he slyly looked at Bella. She was staring out the window, twisting her watch around her wrist.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Edward asked.

“Just thinking about what you said in my office,” she murmured. “Grieving what I had with Jacob … we’d known each other for as long as I could remember. He used to be so sweet, but once he got a taste of winning and notoriety, he changed.”

“Most people do. I’m not the same guy from when I started fighting,” Edward shrugged.

“Why did you? I mean, you said you went to Northwestern. You could have used that degree in business,” Bella said.

He blew out a breath, narrowing his eyes. “I started fighting because my dad lost everything. My mom, she died when I was really young and with that a part of him died, too. He started drinking. His alcoholism became his driving force. I didn’t matter. Our home didn’t matter. His job …”

“Oh my God,” Bella murmured.

“Yeah. We lost the house and were forced to move into a shithole apartment. We kind of floated because he’d cashed in my college fund. But, he didn’t care about me. I was just a cruel reminder of what he’d lost,” Edward sneered.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“I look a lot like my mom. Same coloring, similar mannerisms and …” he trailed off. “My dad, who was also Edward, adored her. Tolerated me. I was the thing that stole my mom’s attention away from him. He resented me and when she was gone, that resentment changed to hate. Trust me when I say that I hate him as much as he hated me. I don’t use that terminology lightly.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I got accepted to Northwestern and received a decent scholarship. That scholarship was not enough to cover it all and I couldn’t get student loans. My dad had opened up credit cards in my name in order to get more money for booze, tanking my credit score.” “Your dad’s an asshole,” Bella snorted humorlessly.