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FAGE 10: Reborn

Title: Thumper the Humper and the Reluctant Handyman

Written for: Honeymoon Edward

Written By: Sunshine1220

Rating: M

Prompts used: "Do you mind getting your dog off my leg?" / "Who's the asshole who left the coffee pot empty?"

Summary: When you're not looking for love, it can find us when you least expect it. A man set in his ways crosses paths with a friendly yet determined canine and his doe eyed owner. Man and beast will finally meet their match. ** A FAGE 10 gift for Honeymoon Edward. **

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community/FAGE-Reborn/113100/

A/N: Pre-read by Fyrebyrd, and 2brown-eyes, and beta'd by Sunflowerfran. Thank you, ladies! Please remember, I like to fiddle, so all mistakes are mine.

This one is 13 chapters in all will post throughout the day and will be complete by this evening.

I seriously lucked out when prompts were distributed. Not only is my story for a talented writer, it's for a woman I'm lucky enough to call a friend. Our road trip adventure to see and be lucky enough to meet Rob will always be a cherished memory. So here's my gift to the only blonde I've shared a bed with. ;) ~ Love you, Amy!

This one is mostly fluff ... but not completely. Enjoy!

Bella Swan was not a morning person. She hated to be around chipper people as she schlepped through the early hours of her day. Why she chose to be a high school English teacher puzzled all who knew her. She apparently hadn't given much thought to the hours kept by someone in the profession.

On this particular day, though, she rolled over to fumble for her phone to silence the alarm with a bit of a smile on her face.

It was her last day of school.

The students had their last day earlier in the week, so all she had ahead of her was a long day of packing up her classroom and making sure all her paperwork and credentials were current and up to date for the following school year.

As if he knew this too, her beloved dog, Thumper, waggled his way into her room, greeting her with slobbery kisses only a dog-mom could love.

"Good morning to you, too, big guy." She reached out to scratch him behind his ear, causing his hind leg to curl up and then rapidly thump against the rug at her bedside. It's something he had done since he was a puppy, and it only seemed fitting it should be his name. "Are you as excited as I am for summer break? Huh, boy? Are ya?"

He answered her with another lick to her cheek as his tail wagged so fast it made his hind end sway back and forth. It was a sight to see. Thumper was a four-year-old, Blue, American Pitbull and fifty-eight pounds of pure muscle.

"Well, I better get a move on so I can get back here sooner," she said to her trusted companion.

After a stop at the bathroom, she made her way to the kitchen to start the coffee pot. Coffee was her lifeblood on most days; the smell alone could make her almost tolerable in the morning. The trusted, twelve cup, Mr. Coffee coffeemaker had belonged to her parents when they lived here.

Her parents, Charlie and Renee, had since moved into a forty-foot, Class A motorhome to enjoy their early retirement. It had always been their dream to travel the country in style.

It seems Charlie's weekly habit of grabbing a lottery scratch-off ticket with his weekly treat of a doughnut paid off in a big way. Taking the lump sum, his payout was just over a million dollars; more than enough to pay off their home, vehicles, Bella's education expenses, and invest just enough to retire early in their tiny town of Forks.

Even though Bella lived in the family home on the edge of town, her commute into Port Angeles was worth it to live here rent free. Besides, the nearly hour-long drive gave her time to snap out of her daily morning funk.

Once caffeinated, cleansed, and clothed, she let Thumper outside to do his business one more time before she left. His usual routine of sniffing the most prime spot was cut short by the sound of voices carrying into their yard. Thumper, being the friendly dog he was, felt the need to greet whoever he assumed were new friends.

His bark of hello was met with the startled faces of Bella's neighbor, Mr. Stanley, along with two men dressed in work clothes consisting of jeans, boots, and matching neon yellow t-shirts. Mr. Stanley never didn't much care for the large animal. He never did get over his childhood fear of dogs. The more worked up Thumper got, the more he pushed on the aging fence, causing the weakened wood to lean and creak under the pressure.

"Thump, come on, now!" Bella yelled from her spot at the door, making a mental note to contact her father about the needed repair.

Not one to disappoint his mistress, Thumper relented with a huff and charged back into the house, disgruntled at not being to give the visitors a friendly greeting.

After making sure his bowls were full, and his favorite lovey was within reach, Bella left Thumper with another scratch behind the ear and the promise of a walk when she returned. Content for the moment, he snuggled into his well-worn spot on the sofa, the overfilled cushions surrounding him. With one paw on his stuffed bunny and the other guarding and guiding his mouth to his newest rope toy, he gnawed away as Bella closed her door and stepped outside.

The June morning was still chilly, as it often was in Forks, but she was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, covered in her favorite hoodie, in the hopes the sun would make an appearance and the day would warm quickly.

Mrs. Stanley was already outside, watering her precious, potted plants when she caught Bella's eye.

"Good morning, dear," she called across the yard.

"Good morning, Mrs. Stanley. How are you?" Bella stepped close enough so they could converse without yelling.

"Oh, I'm fine. Got some young men here giving us an estimate on the addition we always talked about building."

"Really? What made you decide to go ahead with it?" Doing it now didn't make much sense. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stanley were in their mid-sixties, having had their daughter later in life, so for them to add to their home in the twilight of their years was more than a little puzzling.

"Well, you know our sweet Jessie. She's decided to come home."

"Really?" Bella asked with surprise. All Jessica could talk about back in high school was getting the hell out of Forks. For her to come back must mean things didn't exactly pan out for her.

"Well, she's got those two, precious little ones now, and well, we just can't see us all rubbing elbows in our tiny house. It's just the two bedrooms, so the extra space will be nice."

Bella could tell that Mrs. Stanley was doing her best to sound positive and put on a brave face. Having your unemployed, unmarried, college dropout daughter return home with her tail between her legs and two babies in her arms would be a blow to anyone, but it must be especially hard for the Stanley who were upstanding members of the local church. For them, this had to be unwelcome news.

Bella had always kept her distance from Jessica Stanley, especially in high school. She was hell on wheels and jumped from one pot of trouble to another, not to mention one backseat to the next. Bella had been a good student and kept her nose in her books and her distance from Jessica and her drama. So, knowing what she knew, the news of her return to Forks wasn't a huge surprise.

"I'm sure you'll be happy to have them back," Bella said with as much politeness as she could manage. The thought of having Jessica back in town, and right next door, made her all kinds of ... she didn't even know. Let's just say it was unwelcome news. If Jessica Stanley was going to be living next door again, she might have to think about finding a large-dog-friendly apartment in Port Angeles.

"Oh, we will. It will be an ... adjustment."

"I'm sure it will. Well, I need to get going."

"Of course, Bella. Sorry for keeping you. Have a good day, dear."

"Thanks. You too. See you later, Mrs. Stanley."

Bella climbed into her truck and fired up the beast. It roared to life, and she put it into gear. As she drove in the direction of the 101, she passed the truck parked in front of the Stanley home. The Cullen Construction and Home Improvement logo painted on the side wasn't a local company, but one apparently out of Port Angeles.

With Jessica's imminent return and a construction crew starting an addition next door, she knew this would be quite an eventful summer, indeed.