Last time, in The Only Exception series, Embry and Leah had decided to try for a baby. I'm saying that for the benefit of any new readers. I'm going to start this story as detailed as I can, because I don't want to lose any new readers who haven't read the rest of the stories and don't have the time or patience for reading the other several stories. I want to start fresh, so a few details any new readers should know will be listed right now.

1.) Leah works as a nurses assistant in the Children's Ward of Forks Hospital. 2.) Liam is a little boy who Leah met at work, who is diabetic and only trusts Leah. 3.) Embry and Leah imprinted on each other on a cliff, and later married.

Hope you can follow. Feel free to ask any questions whatsoever! Also, I don't own.

I awoke in a tangle of sheets and limbs. Embry was deeply asleep, his heart beating under my ear as I used him as a pillow. I would have stayed there forever had my bladder not been screaming at me, and if it wasn't Monday. I disentangled myself, then I went to the bathroom to shower and begin getting ready.

I was drying my wet hair when Embry came in, slipping his arms around my waist and chuckling when I aimed the dryer at him playfully. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Morning, babe," I said, giggling when he kissed my neck. "Sleep well?"

"Very," he replied, planting another kiss on my neck. "You ready to go back to the real world?"

I shook my head, smiling slightly. "It's the honeymoon all over again. After all this time with only us, I don't want to leave you."

"I don't want you to leave me, either," he said, picking up a dried lock of hair that was hanging over my shoulder. "You're hair is so beautiful longer like this."

"I wore it longer for years before I phased," I replied, turning off the dryer and picking up a hairbrush. "I love it long."

Embry smiled at me in the mirror. "I love you, Leah."

"I love you, too."

"Then call in sick to the hospital."

I turned around and smacked Embry with my hairbrush. "I'm not calling in sick. I miss the munchkins, and Liam is coming in today for a checkup. He gets scared around needles, so I have to go."

He took the hairbrush from me. "Fine. And that actually hurt."

I smiled. "Then it worked."

"You're so abusive," he said with a roll of his eyes. "I guess I should get ready for work, huh?"

"That would be a good idea," I said, looking him over. "Because that's not exactly work appropriate attire."

A slow smile stretched across his face. "You like it."

I raised an eyebrow. "Wait."

I let him contemplate that as I strutted out of the bathroom. After dressing, I went downstairs to fill my growling belly. The cupboards proved to be bare, and all that was in the fridge was month old leftovers and out-of-date milk. It seemed as though in my depressive state I forgot eating was necessary, and forgot to go grocery shopping.

"Bry, hurry up!" I called, climbing the stairs two at a time. "There's no food, so we'll have to pick something up."

"I know," he said, coming out of the room as he pulled a shirt over his head. "I'm ready."

I flashed a smile, then went to grab a pair of shoes.

We had breakfast in our diner, sitting on the same side of the booth and playing with each other's hand under the table. It was innocent, and the waitress grinned.

"You're Leah, right?" the girl asked. She was tall and slender and had dark hair a fair complexion that was tinged lightly, almost as if she was Asian, or partly so.

"Yeah," I answered, studying her. She was familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"I relieved you last Christmas in the children's ward after the party," she said, flashing a bright smile. "I'm Angela Weber."

I smiled as recognition dawned. "I remember you now. I had Liam, and he doesn't like strangers, but it didn't take a lot of convincing to get him to go to you."

She nodded. "He was asleep, I think. I heard you got married. You two remind me of my fiancé and I. He actually got me this job when his dad fired the other waitress, Lauren, after she harassed yet another guy."

I blushed lightly. "So you work here now?"

"For the summer. Ben and I are home for the summer, and I wanted to get a little work in so I wouldn't be completely bored when he was working his fulltime internship."

"Well I hope it goes well for the both of you."

Angela smile sweetly. "Tell your step-sister I said hi, and not to be a stranger. She still lives around here, right?"

I didn't know how to respond to that exactly. Of course she was one of Bella's friends. "She's…around."

"Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you around," she said, her smile still bright.

"Definitely."

She went on to the counter to put in our order, then Embry caught my eye. "You blushed."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Because you got Lauren fired," he continued, grinning broadly.

"I couldn't let her bother my imprint."

"Oh, so I'm yours now?" he teased on, pushing me.

I scowled at him. "Yes you are. I believe that was confirmed when you intruded on my cliff."

"Hey, you intruded on my cliff."

"You're impossible," I growled.

Embry simply smiled. "I love you, Leah."

I humphed, then flashed a smile at Angela, who was bringing our food.

We ate in semi-silence, our hands still playing under the table. We held hands through breakfast and on the walk to the car, then I rested a hand on his knee as he drove me to work. When we arrived, he hopped out of the car and came around to open my door.

"You forgot something," Embry said, catching my hand as I started to walk in.

"What?"

He gave my hand a firm tug, pulling my body against his in a second. His mouth sealed over mine, reminding me that I had yet to kiss him this morning, even after our weekend together. I smiled into the kiss, lifting my hand to his cheek as our kiss ended.

"I love you," I murmured, giving him a parting kiss to his cheek.

Work was more fun than it had been for a long while. The kids were all happy, the nurses were in good moods, and Liam arrived just after my lunch break for his appointment. I sat in the room with him while Carlisle performed the basic checkup, then held his hand when Jane took a blood sample. He was well behaved the whole time, and continued to hold my hand as he ate the (sugar free) lollipop they gave him. I walked with him to his parents' car after he begged and his parents insisted, talking to all of the Joneses as we went.

"Sissy Leah, is Embry really younger than you?" Liam was asking out of the blue. "He said he was, but sometimes people lie."

"He is," I said, chuckling. "He likes to lie and pretend he's older than me, but I'm older."

"Why?" he asked, looking puzzled. "Aren't the daddies older than the mommies?"

I raised an eyebrow, not sure why he was asking so many questions. "Well, we're not daddies or mommies. We don't count, anyway, because he's bigger than me."

"Embry's the biggest person I ever seen," Liam said with a giggle. "He looks like the Hulk!"

I laughed at that one. "Well, he acts like a big baby sometimes."

"Maybe it's 'cause he's younger than you. Dr. Carlisle says his wife is older than him, and they're mommies and daddies, right?"

"Liam, why are you asking so many questions?" Mr. Jones asked. "I'm sorry, Leah, he just turns into such a chatterbox around you."

I grinned. "I don't mind. It's cute."

Liam blushed bright pink, then looked at his feet.

"Now you turn into Mr. Bashful," his mother said, ruffling his hair. "Well, it's time to get in your car seat."

"Okay, Mommy," he said, then he threw his arms around my legs. "Bye-bye, Sissy Leah!"

I leaned over to hug him back. "Bye, Liam. See you next time."

Mr. Jones picked Liam up and went to buckle him into the car, and Mrs. Jones caught me as I began to walk away.

"Leah, I don't know how we would be able to do this without you," she said, smiling at me. "Liam loves you so much, and he's usually so shy around people. You are a godsend, and I just want to thank you for how much you help out with Liam."

I blushed, smiling shyly. "I love Liam, too. He makes my day whenever I get to see him, and you and your husband. He's one of the main reasons I'm starting school in the fall."

"You are?" Mrs. Jones said, smiling brightly. "That's fantastic. What will you study? Will you still work here?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll mainly be taking online courses, but I'll eventually go on to medical school to specialize in pediatric care. I love the kids."

"You definitely do a fantastic job with them. Good luck."

"Thank you."

She gave one last smile, then went on to her car as I went back towards the entrance.

Embry picked me up from work later on, and we went to the grocery store, where we filled two carts with groceries. We spend nearly an hour at home putting away food and prepping for dinner, then longer actually cooking. Embry made a big show of setting the table neatly and - after remembering there was no way to dim the lights - lighting several candles. When our dinner ended, I washed the dishes and was surprised when Embry scooped me up suddenly.

"You're coming with me," he said, smirking knowingly.

"Bry, the dishes-"

"Will be there later. They're not important right now."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"

"No, you are."

A/N: Who saw Breaking Dawn Part 1 already? And to those who did - who else noticed that Baby Bella and Baby Renesmee were - in fact - the same baby? Also, who else was pissed that in that first scene on First Beach how they made the gorgeous Julia Jones look pasty and pinched-faced? I was just glad they fixed it later. Reviews, anyone? And again, ask any questions you need.

~Sidney