SM owns Twilight.
Story title inspired by the song Thorn in my Pride by The Black Crowes.
While this story is a sequel to Sometimes Salvation in the Eye of the Storm it will be its own story separate from the first. It is not absolutely necessary to read that one first to follow this story but it might help with references made about the past.
I want to thank the wonderful momma2fan who recently mentioned Sometimes Salvation on one of her FB groups that brought a lot of new readers to the story. Her work is amazing and should be checked out if you are not reading it already. Her story Glass is a wonderful look at the bond between women as friends as well as the bonds of relationships.
The renewed interest in the story and my lovely pre-reader costaltigergirl's insistence she wanted more from this group helped the wheels of creativity to spin another story.
Posting will be once a week on Wednesdays.
This story begins in June of 2013, six months after Sometimes Salvation finished off.
Hope you enjoy.
Chapter One
Edward's body and mind were tired but he couldn't help the sense of energy he felt walking through his front door. He always felt this way whenever he returned home to his Bella.
They have been back home in DC for four months and have fallen back into the routine of an everyday working life. Their yearlong adventure of exploring other countries and oceans both in and out of the water was now over. Edward had gone back to being an ER doctor while Bella had taken a job working at The National Museum of Natural History helping them design a new exhibit for the Sant Ocean Hall.
Edward placed his keys, wallet and phone down on the small table that sat by the entrance to their condo before he made his way to the kitchen for a bottle of beer. He leaned against the island, opened the bottle and took a drag of the cold amber liquid. It was two in the morning and the house was quiet.
Never wanting to bring the stresses of his work to his bed with Bella, he cherished these little moments to unwind.
After finishing his beer he walked towards the stairs that led him to their bedroom. Once he was at the top of the landing he heard the television playing softly and the light glow of a lamp shone in the doorway.
He quietly made his way to the door and stood there watching his wife.
Bella was sitting up in bed, a puzzle book resting on her swollen belly as she worked on it. The Princess Bride was playing on the TV in the background. Even though her full attention was on the book, she was quietly saying the lines from the movie in perfect sync with the actors on the screen.
The words 'drop your sword' softly played on her lips as she wrote down an answer in her puzzle book and he could not help the small chuckle that escaped him.
Sensing her husband's presence, Bella looked up at him with a smile on her face.
"You're home." She says with a content sigh as she places the puzzle book on the nightstand beside her.
"Why are you still up beautiful?" Edward asks as he begins stripping out of his clothes.
By the time he makes it to the bed he is only wearing his boxer briefs. He crawls into bed beside Bella kissing her softly on the lips before he leans down to kiss her belly.
"Your baby girl wanted to wish her daddy a Happy Birthday." Bella says as one hand rubs her belly and the other plays with Edward's hair. "She has been kicking around in there for the past hour."
Melanie Renee Cullen was expected to make her grand entrance into the world in late September. Edward's feeling of creating a new life that night on Christmas Island had been correct. The couple found out Bella was pregnant right before they returned back home to DC.
"That's daddy's baby girl." He said as he placed his cheek on her belly.
He was met with a soft nudge that caused Bella to giggle at the two of them.
"She is saying Happy Birthday daddy." Bella says through her giggles.
"Daddy cannot wait to hold you in his arms baby girl. Thank you for the best birthday present ever, but now it's time to go to sleep little one so mama can get some sleep too." He whispers to her before kissing Bella's belly one more time.
"When is everyone getting in?" Edward asks as he crawls back up the bed to lay his back against the head board.
His family is getting together for the weekend to celebrate his birthday.
"Dad, Sadie and Nana got to Carlisle and Esme's house late this evening, well I guess now it was yesterday evening and Alice and Jasper are going to meet us here before we go over there. They are going to stay with us for the rest of the weekend."
"And what time do we have to be over at mom and dads?"
"We are supposed to be over there around lunch time. We have a full day of swimming and lounging around the house before we have dinner and cake and you open your presents."
"I don't need any presents." He says as he leans forward and kisses her belly one more time. "I have all the presents I need right here."
"Don't you want your present from me?" Bella asks with a husky whisper to her voice as Edward moves back up to her head.
"Always." He whispers before he cups her face, his lips meeting hers.
He pulls her towards him as he lays back onto the bed, their mouths opening, their tongues meeting in a soft dance.
"Hmm, you taste like beer." Bella says, licking her lips as they part for a breath.
"I like it better when I taste like you." Edward says as he sits up, pulling Bella's nightgown up over her body, before he begins drinking in the taste of his wife.
TP
"Something is wrong with this thing." Emmett yells as he punches harder into the air.
"Quit your bitching son and take it like a man. I'm fighting the same as you are." Katie says as she moves her arm into an upper cut.
"I'm getting my ass kicked by a granny." Emmett grumbles as he punches harder into the air. Sweat has begun to form on his forehead and is starting to roll down into his eyes.
"That's Nana my boy." Katie says as she throws her leg out to the side. "Gotcha!" She says as she stands up straight.
Emmett looks at his avatar on the screen that is down for the count. The referee avatar is patting the mat as he counts to ten.
"Get up you worthless piece of shit." Emmett yells as he moves his body hoping the movement will cause the Kinect to raise his player up.
"Eight, Nine, Ten!" Katie counts along with the game. "I win baby!" She says dancing around the family room. Her movement causes her own avatar to do the same on the big screen TV that is in front of the two of them.
"I am the Fighters Uncaged champion baby. Suck on those balls my boy!" She says as she points in Emmett's direction.
"There is something wrong with this device." He says as he picks up the Kinect box and shakes it.
"There is nothing wrong with it buddy; I just kicked your ass." Katie says as she dances around some more.
"I want a rematch!" Emmett yells.
"Damn it Emmett do you have to be so loud." Rose says as she comes into the family room where Emmett and Katie are playing games. "I swear if you wake Davis up from his nap you will be on diaper duty for the next three years. Nana beat your ass, get over it, she's done it before and she will do it again." She says as she walks back out of the room to go and check on their three month old son who is napping in the nursery room down the hall that Esme and Carlisle had designed in one of the downstairs guest rooms.
"Still say the game is messed up." Emmett mumbles under his breath.
"Come on my silly boy, you know you still love me." Katie says as she walks over to him and wraps her tiny frame around him in a hug.
"Of course I love you Nana, no one makes me laugh like you do." Emmett says as he picks her up and twirls her around.
"Now on to round two." He says as he puts her back down on the ground and restarts the game.
TP
"Where did we go wrong with that one?" Carlisle says as he watches Emmett and Katie from the kitchen where he, Esme, Charlie and Sadie are sitting.
"There's no we my dear, that one is all yours." Esme says with a shake of her head.
"That's my boy." She proudly says as she points out the window to where Edward is laying on a lounge chair, Bella laying up against him. His hand is on her belly rubbing it softly while the two of them talk with Jasper and Alice.
"I swear I did all the right things with him. It must be Katie's influence." Carlisle says with a look of mock disgust. "My son was never like that until she came into his life."
"I heard that." Katie calls out from the other side of the room.
"Shit." Carlisle whisper hisses.
"Ma's gonna kick your ass now you know that right?" Charlie says with a laugh.
"Nope, worse than that, no more chocolate silk pie for you Carlisle." Katie calls out once again.
"Katie you know I think you are the most beautiful, sweet, amazing woman in the world right?" Carlisle says as he gets up from his chair and walks into the family room to kiss her ass some more.
"Like I said, Em is his father's son." Esme says as she shakes her head once again.
"Katie's pies are worthy of a little kiss ass." Sadie says with a grin.
"So true." Esme says. "So you set a wedding date?" She asks Sadie and Charlie.
"We did, October 26th." Charlie answers her.
"Charlie wants little Melanie in the wedding so we decided to wait until after she was born."
"I missed out on all those baby moments with Bella and I don't want to miss any of them with Melanie, including having her be a part of our wedding."
"That's so sweet." Esme says with tears forming in her eyes.
"I thought so too." Sadie agrees as she wipes her own away.
Charlie begins to fidget in his chair, trying to look at anything but the two women who are beaming at him with watery eyes. He can feel his skin heating up from a blush.
"Look at that Esme, we embarrassed him. My big, bad, mean FBI man gets all soft and sweet when it comes to his granddaughter." Sadie says as she reaches over and tickles his side.
"I'm...(cough)...going to go see if Carlisle needs any help with Ma." He says as he quickly gets up from his chair.
"Come on Charlie we really do think it's sweet." Esme says while trying to hold back her laughs.
"Nothing wrong with being all goofy over my grandbaby." Charlie mumbles under his breath as he stomps out of the room like a little kid.
His actions cause Sadie and Esme to let out the laughs they had been trying to hold back.
TP
"I think we finally found the perfect house." Alice says as she takes a sip of her iced tea. "It has a big back yard, four bedrooms, four and half baths and a huge kitchen and family room."
"That's wonderful." Bella says as she snuggles into Edward a little closer trying to get comfortable. "When will you know more?"
"We put an offer in before we came up for the weekend." Jasper says. "We should hopefully hear something back by the time we get home on Monday, fingers crossed and all that other good stuff."
"Too bad I already made my birthday wishes. Not that I would waste one on you of course." Edward says with a mocking tone of seriousness in his voice. "For Alice of course I would, but for you not so much." He adds at the end.
"Some friend you are. This is my repayment for taking a bullet for you huh?" Jasper says as he rolls the sleeve of his shirt up to show the small scar of his wound.
"Not that one again!" Alice and Edward both moan at the same time.
"Not you too baby." Jasper says looking over at his wife. "You're on my side right little one, you and little Melly there. We are like a club ya know, bullet wounds united!" He says while looking over at Bella with puppy dog eyes.
"Melly and I are staying out of this one buddy; you are on your own." She laughs.
"You wound me Bella." He says as he leans back in his chair defeated, holding his arm.
"Poor baby." Alice says as she walks over to his chair and crawls into his lap. Jasper gets a big grin on his face before he kisses his wife, pulling her back into his chest.
"It's not like you need to have any more wishes come true Edward, you have all you could ever ask for." Jasper says with a grin on his face when he finally breaks away from his kiss.
Despite their shaky beginning, Edward and Jasper have become the best of friends and love to give the other a hard time whenever they can; both of them knowing they share a brotherly love for one another.
"I am pretty damn blessed." Edward says as he kisses the top of Bella's head. "And it's not like you're wanting for anything either there my friend."
"That's true I almost have everything I want." Jasper says as he looks up at his wife.
"Almost?" Bella asks.
"Almost." Alice says with a grin on her face. "Jasper and I are trying to have a baby."
"Oh Alice that is so wonderful and if I could get up right now I would give you a big hug." Bella says as she tries to get up from her prone position.
"Stay still mama." Alice says as she stands up and walks over to her best friend, leaning in and giving her a hug. "We should have started sooner Jasper, maybe then Bella and I would be pregnant together." She says as she sits back down on his lap. "Oh well maybe next time." She says with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Next time? Let me get through this time first Alice." Bella says with a laugh as she nestles back into Edward's embrace.
TP
Edward stands outside of Oscar's deli the following Wednesday waiting for Bella to arrive. Once a week they met Sam and his wife Rebecca here for lunch.
"There's my girls." Edward whispers to himself as he goes to meet his wife.
"Hey baby, how are you doing?" He asks as he pulls her into his arms.
"Ok." Bella says with a sigh. "Melly's really active today. She keeps kicking me in the ribs."
"Settle down baby girl." Edward says as he places his hand on Bella's belly. At his touch Melanie calms down a bit.
"Sam and Rebecca already have a table inside." Edward says as he walks them toward the deli, his hand never leaving her belly.
"Bella you look so beautiful." Rebecca says as she stands up from the table they are sitting at to greet Bella with a hug.
"Wish I could say I felt that way." Bella says as she hugs her friend back.
"Nonsense darling, as clichéd as it sounds you are glowing." Sam says as he leans over his wife and kisses Bella on the cheek.
"Thank you Sam." Bella says as she sits down in the chair that Edward has pulled out for her. "I'm starving!" She says as she picks up the menu that is laid down in front of her.
The two couples spend the next hour talking about everything and nothing at the same time, just enjoying each other's company as they always do.
When it's time for each of them to get back to work, they stand, the girls once again hugging.
Just as they are pulling apart a scream from behind causes them to pull apart quickly. The four of them look back towards the kitchen where the scream was heard. Seconds later four masked men, each one of them carrying semi-automatic guns, come rushing into the small diner.
Edward and Sam instantly pull their wives behind them as they try to assess the situation.
The men rush over to the table they were sitting at, one of them grabbing Edward before he can react and pulling him away from Bella. He is shoved into the arms of another man who begins to pull his hands behind his back as if to cuff him while the first one holds him back from escaping.
Another gunman grabs Bella and begins to pull her towards the back. Sam moves to stop him when he is hit over the head by the fourth gunman, knocking him out.
"Bella no!" Edward screams as he tries to get free from the men who are holding him. "Leave her alone damn it!" Edward yells again.
Bella tries to break free from the gunman's grasp calling out Edward's name as she struggles. She manages to jab her elbow into his gut causing him to let go of her as the air is knocked out of him.
"Puta!" He moans before he reaches over and knocks Bella across the face, knocking her down on the ground in the process.
"Bella no!" Edward screams as he turns on the man holding him and punches him in the face. The man who was holding him in the front moved over to the man who attacked Bella which allows Edward to get free. He is almost to her when he is grabbed from behind and feels a sharp prick in his shoulder. His vision quickly begins to fade. Falling to his knees, Edward tries his best to stay conscious.
"No!" The fourth gun man says as he rushes over to the man who is about to kick Bella. "She was not to be touched." He says in a thick accent before he shoots the man in the head.
"Just him." He says to the other two men while pointing at Edward. He leans down to check Bella's pulse, before he stands back up.
"Estupido!" He says as he kicks the man he shot just moments before.
Edward feels himself being lifted by two sets of arms. He cannot move any part of his body, his head falling to the side as he desperately tries to stay awake.
The men carry him towards the kitchen as the fourth man silently waves his gun over the crowd in warning, all the while walking backwards towards the kitchen.
"Bella." Edward manages to rasp out before his mind shuts down.
The last image he sees is of Bella lying on the ground, not moving, before blackness takes over.
Yeah I know, but it had to start out with a bang right?
Much love my dears and thanks for reading. Would love to hear your thoughts.