Saving Me, a twilight fanfic

Contest: The Second Season of Our Discontent Anonymous Angst Contest
Pen Name(s): Bells Masen Cullen
Twitter or Facebook (will be removed before we post): BellsMCullen09 (Twitter)/Bells Masen Cullen (Facebook)

Title: Saving Me
Picture Prompt Number: 2
Pairing: Edward/Bella
Rating: M
Word Count (minus A/n and header): 9107

Summary (380 characters or less, including spaces and punctuation): One night Bella finds a homeless Edward and his newborn son. When she decides to help them and bring them to her home, her life will change forever.

Warnings and Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. Rated M for language and lemmon. Warning: this story includes difficult / sensitive subject matter that may include one or more of the subjects listed in Rule #7 on the Season of Our Discontent profile page. Please refer to the profile page before reading if you are concerned about content.

This was betaed by the great Marly580

I got out of the building and got in the car to go back home. There was a snow alert, and I wanted to be at home before the storm started.

It wasn't long before I parked the car in front of my apartment's building, but as I looked out the car's window, I found myself not wanting to get in my empty home. I looked across the street and I saw the park, and I thought that I could have a short walk.

I bundled myself in my coat and crossed my arms around my torso after I put my beanie on, and walked to the gravel trail of the park. The slightly frozen ground crunched under my feet, and my thoughts went directly to my job.

I had always wanted to be a teacher, so when the moment came, I studied English at college so I could be a high school teacher. After a lot of jobs as a substitute teacher, I finally got a job a year ago as a permanent teacher at Forks' brand-new private high school.

I was happy because I would be back home, near my family. So I found an apartment – I was going back to the town, not to my parents' home – and I got settled in that summer. I also met Mike Newton, a nice guy with whom I started a relationship; his parents had gone to Forks to take over the family business, Newton Outfitters, and Mike worked as a cop.

Everything seemed perfect - I had the job that I had always wanted and Mike and I moved in together six months after we met. But later I found out that I was totally wrong. Nothing was perfect.

Rather than the job I had dreamed of, it was a complete nightmare. The place was a center for rich kids who didn't work for anything in life, and they wanted it to be like that in my class. The worst thing was that the parents thought like them.

The thing with Mike didn't last long after we started living together. I'm just going to say that he preferred his office over our bed and the clothes of Jessica Stanley on the floor. What he liked less was me walking in on them.

Then there was my family. I wanted to go back to Forks to be with them, but my parents had just retired and were always traveling. And my brother, Emmett, had married Rosalie Hale, the biggest bitch in the world, so I didn't get to spend a lot of time with either of them.

So there I was, twenty-seven years old and dealing with a job I didn't find fulfilling, being alone, and a family that really wasn't there.

The noise of a crying baby took me out of my thoughts. I stopped walking and looked around me, but I was alone in the park. I shook my head and decided to go to home; I was tired and my mind was playing tricks on me.

Suddenly, I heard the baby once more. It was a weak sound, but somehow I knew it was real. I was almost sure it came from my left, so I moved in that direction and was rendered speechless by what I saw. Between a tree and a litter basket, there was a man sitting on the ground. He wore faded jeans and a worn jacket and was shaking with his head down, showing just a mop of dark brown hair.

I heard the cry again, louder this time, and I found out that it came from the bulk that stuck out of his jacket. I got closer and the noise made by my footsteps alerted the man, making him lift his face and letting me see him.

His face was covered by a huge beard, but I could still make out his features, that allowed me to see that he was a young man, probably my age. His eyes, a dull green, showed that life had made him older than he was. His body was moving back and forth, rocking the baby and he was silently crying; his look was one of resignation.

"C-c-c-can I help you?" I asked hesitantly.

He shook his head. "He's dying," said the man in a tiny voice.

I bit my lower lip as a lump formed in my throat and I crouched down at his side. I touched the baby's face softly with the back of my fingers. I gasped. He was so cold. My eyes prickled with tears when I realized that in fact he'd die if they spent the night outside in the snow.

Suddenly, I had an overwhelming need. I didn't know this man, but I couldn't let him and his son freeze out here. "I live across the street," I said. "You can come to my house, if you want."

His stance changed quickly. He hunched over the baby and turned his head slightly toward me. "I'm not going to give you my son," he said. His features were hardened but there was fear in his eyes.

"What?" I said, confused.

"You think you're the first? I'm not going to let anybody touch him."

The confusion lasted a few more seconds before understanding dawned on me. I felt disgusted just thinking that somebody could have asked something like that of a frightened father. A shiver ran through me.

"No!" I exclaimed. "I don't want that. It's just… I have a spare bedroom and I know a doctor. I don't want anything from you."

He narrowed his eyes at me, as if he was looking for the lie in my face. "Really?" he finally asked.

I nodded, smiling at him.

He bit his lip and looked down at his son, caressing his little face. "Okay," he whispered. "Thank you," he added, looking at me again. "I'm Edward, by the way."

"I'm Bella. And you don't have to thank me." I smiled.

We stood and began walking to the park gates as the firsts snowflakes started to fall. The fact that he didn't had some kind of bag with him wasn't lost on me, and as I looked for my keys in my bag, I noticed the lights of the pharmacy at the end of the street.

"Hmmm, we may need some things," I said to Edward, pointing to the shop.

"I don't… have money."

"I'll pay for it."

"No! It's enough that you let us sleep at your home."

"But you'll need diapers, a bottle… And when was the last time he ate? You can't feed him with whatever I have on my fridge." He hesitated, and I took it as my chance to drag him to the pharmacy.

To the bottle, the diapers and the powdered milk I added a pacifier, talcum powder, oil for babies, soap, a sponge… It seemed that my biological clock had started to work suddenly. I had to stop myself before I started to purchase things that weren't really necessary and we finally went to my place.

"I think I'll show you the bathroom so you can bathe him while I get everything ready to feed him. A warm bath will do him good," I promised.

"That will be okay, but… I may need some help," he said hesitantly. He still feared that I wanted his son… Shit! I was going to throw up.

I led him to the bathroom and I turned on a heater for extra warmth. I turned on the warm water on the sink, and when it was at a good temperature, I put the plug in.

"I'll go for the bag with the toiletries. Can you undress him and get him in the water?" I asked.

It didn't take him long. Edward just opened his jacket and revealed that the baby was naked underneath; the only thing covering him was a dirty cloth as a diaper. I brought my hands to my mouth. It was no wonder he was so cold; what was a wonder was that he had lasted so long like that.

Edward blushed. "A woman gave me old clothes. There was a small pair of pajamas amongst them, but this morning I saw that he had red marks on his body. He wouldn't stop crying, so I ended up undressing him."

"And the diaper?"

"It's a T-shirt from his mother that I ripped. Tanya died after giving birth."

I felt really bad for him, and trying to contain the tears, I turned off the water and approached him. "How long ago?"

"Two days."

"I'm sorry," I choked out. "Can I see him?" I asked after taking a deep breath, holding out my arms.

He didn't pass me the baby, but he adjusted him in his arms so I could see him. I trailed the back of my hand down his face to his arm so I could take his little hand; he was still cold, but was beginning to gain color in his face thanks to the bathroom's warm temperature. I looked down at his navel; it didn't seem infected, but I wasn't sure.

"How did you cut the umbilical cord?" I asked.

"With a knife. I washed it in the river and disinfected it on the fire before cutting it," he said.

"In the river?" I inquired, confused.

Edward nodded. "Tanya and I were living in a meadow in the forest."

I decided to call Carlisle, a friend of my parents who was a doctor, before putting the baby in the water. After telling him briefly what had happened and promising that I'd tell him everything later, he told me that I could wash the baby with water and soap and that I should clean his navel with gauze and rubbing alcohol after drying him.

We bathed him, and while Edward dried him, I went to get the bottle, milk, and pacifier ready, sterilizing everything. Then I went back to the bathroom to clean the baby's navel.

Edward bundled him in a blanket and I went to prepare Edward's bath. When I turned around, I saw that the baby had his thumb in his mouth, sucking eagerly. He was so cute.

"Has he eaten something since he was born?" I asked, watching him.

Edward nodded. "Tanya breastfed him when he was born, and I got a bit of milk yesterday. I had to make him suck it from my thumb, but at least he could eat."

"Was it cow milk?"

"Mmm… yes. Why?"

"It isn't good for babies. They don't digest it well."

He stared at me a moment and finally asked, "Are you a doctor?"

I looked at him, confused a few seconds, and then, blushing slightly, I answered, "No, no, I'm sorry. When my sister-in-law got pregnant, Carlisle didn't stop talking about what they could and couldn't do."

"Carlisle… is the doctor who's going to come here?"

"Uh-huh."

"Is he trustworthy?"

"Yes, I've known him since I was little. He and his wife are my parents' best friends."

"It's just… you know, I can't let some doctor see him. They could call the police, and… they would separate me from my son. He's the only family I have left."

"Don't worry," I said. "Nobody's going to call the police." I chose not to tell him that he'd have to tell the cops about Tanya's death.

He gave me a grateful look and then gave me the baby. "Will you hold him while I bathe?"

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine,

I got a love and I know that it's all mine. Oh, oh, oh, oh.

I stirred in bed. It seemed that I had fallen asleep a few minutes ago.

Do what you want, but you're never gonna break me.

Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me. Oh, oh, oh, oh.

What the hell was that noise? I raised my head and opened one eye. The screen of my cell was illuminated in its place at the bedside table.

Take me away, a secret place.

A sweet escape, take me away.

I reached out and picked it up. Alice. I checked the time before answering—five-thirty. I answered before another note of the awful melody sounded.

"It better be important, Alice. And why have you changed the tune of my phone again?"

"That generic tune was so boring. Doesn't your best friend deserve something better?"

"Alice…"

"Okay, okay. I'm calling to tell you that school has been cancelled because of the snow."

"And you have to call at this awful hour? You couldn't wait an hour?"

"But now you know that you don't have to wake up early."

"Alice," I said as patiently as I could, "you've woken me up early anyway."

"You're so grumpy when you wake up," she whined. "I'll call you later. Go back to sleep!"

She hung up before I could say something, and I left the phone on the bedside table again. I couldn't understand how she was so cheerful at this hour, but then again that was Alice's charm, she was always happy.

Alice and I worked together at the same high school; she was the art teacher. I had met her a few days after I came back to Forks, and she quickly declared herself my best friend. And she truly was my best and only friend, even though I didn't like her at the moment. I had had trouble falling asleep, and she had woken me up really early.

Thankfully, the night before Carlisle had found that the baby was miraculously healthy, given the circumstances. What had made me toss and turn all night was the look of pity that he gave me when I told him the complete story.

I knew what he thought. He believed that I had done this because I felt lonely. And it was true, I felt lonely, but there was something more, something that had made me help that man and his son. I wasn't really sure what it was, and somehow it frightened me.

I finally slept a few more hours after Alice's call.

When I woke up later I felt better and got out of bed to go to make breakfast.

The first thing I saw when I got out of my bedroom was the guest bedroom's door. I approached and opened it slightly, careful as to not to make a sound. Father and son were soundly asleep. Edward was lying on his back with one arm outstretched and the other protectively over his son, who slept on his chest. My feet moved on their own accord and suddenly I was in front of the bed; I smiled when I saw the baby fist his father's t-shirt in his little hand. I pulled the covers up and left the room.

I felt sad as I closed the door again because I realized I didn't have the right to share that moment with them. And the reality was that it didn't matter how much I told myself that I was an independent woman or that I was too young, I really longed for a family.

I went to the kitchen and started the breakfast. I boiled the water to sterilize the bottle once again, started the coffeemaker, and began to fry eggs and prepared the batter to make pancakes.

I had just taken the last pancake out of the pan and was cutting fruit in a bowl, when the doorbell rang. I finished with the strawberry that I had in my hands and washed up before going to the door. The doorbell rang again, more insistently. I looked my watch as I walked, wondering who it could be.

"Are you crazy?" At the other side of the door was my brother, Emmett. "Whatever made you bring a stranger to your home?" he continued, moving me out of the way rather sharply.

Well, Carlisle had talked to my family.

I closed the door and sighed. "Emmett…"

"It seems that you don't think! How could you be so stupid?" He raised his voice as if I hadn't said a thing.

"Emmett…" I tried again patiently, though he was starting to annoy me.

"You could have been robbed, or…"

"Emmett!" I exclaimed finally, shutting him up. "First, I won't tolerate you coming to my house and speaking to me like that. Secondly, I'm an adult and you don't have a right to tell me what I can and can't do. For God's sake, he's just a frightened father."

"He's a vagabond, Bella."

"He's a person, like you and me, but has had bad luck in life. Imagine it were you – would you like if your wife and daughter died because of people's prejudices? Because they would have died last night if I hadn't brought them home."

He shot me a look of disbelief. "I don't understand you," he said, throwing his arms to the air. Well, that didn't surprise me; he had always been a bit obtuse. "I really, really don't understand you. What do you want? Company? Do you feel alone? Just adopt a fucking dog! Do you know what people are going to think? The shame it will be to our family? Or maybe it's that, maybe you just want your bed warm. Well, you really can't find a normal man? Do you have to find a charity case to...?"

He didn't say anything more. I didn't let him. I slapped him hard in the face, rendering him speechless. Without a word, I opened the door and threw him out, slamming the door shut.

I rested my head on the door, my breath fast and shallow, and I bit my lip, trying to avoid the tears. A moment later, I lifted my head and saw Edward on the threshold, with the baby in his arms and the pajamas that I had given him the night before… Mike's pajamas, one of the few things that he had left behind.

"Good morning," I said, putting quickly a smile on my face. "Come to the kitchen. Breakfast is ready."

"I… don't want to bother you. If you give me my clothes, we'll go right away."

I took a deep breath. Damn Emmett! "You're not bothering me. In fact… you can stay as long as you want."

"W-w-what? What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Are you really going to do this? "I mean you can live here with your son, Edward." I guess I was. Maybe I was crazy after all. "You can look for a job… you'd have a free place to live in… the opportunity to build a new life for you and your son."

I walked to the kitchen and he followed me. "Why are you doing this?"

I sighed and shook my head. "The truth is… I don't even know. I guess I just want to do something good for someone who can appreciate it." He stared at me in silence. I sighed again. "Look, my brother is stupid, more since he met his wife. I want nothing from you, I don't want you to pay me in any way. I know I can't prove it and you don't know me, so I don't have any right to ask you to trust me, but it's the truth."

"I appreciate it," he said. "It's just that I'm not used to people not wanting something back."

"So… you'll stay?"

He smiled, and two adorable dimples appeared at the corners of his mouth. The night before he'd had a long bath and then I'd lent him a razor so he could get rid of his beard and cut his hair.

"I think I'll freeze faster now that I have less hair," he answered, running his hand through his now-short hair.

We laughed as I gave him a mug of coffee, and I told him to sit at the table while I prepared the baby's bottle – it was time to name him. I sat down, checking the milk's temperature. It was too hot.

"What do I have to do now?" he asked, taking a couple of pancakes.

I took a sip of my coffee and nibbled a piece of fruit as I thought. "Well, the first thing is going to the police and tell them about… Tanya," I said with a lump in my throat, remembering that that small creature had lost his mother too soon. After a deep breath, I kept talking. "Then you'll have to look for a job and take the baby to the doctor…"

"Are you sure they won't take him away from me?"

"I don't think that would be necessary as long as you can take care of him. And now you can, Edward."

"I'll be grateful all my life for this," he said.

"You have to be kidding me," I said when I opened the door and found my ex-boyfriend standing on the other side with a smug smile.

"How can I help you, Bella?" said Mike with a smug smile.

"Mike!" exclaimed a voice in the hall before I could tell him where he could shove his help. "I told you to wait for me." Chief Biers appeared behind Mike at the door. "I'm sorry, Bella. Good afternoon."

"Don't worry. Come in," I said, moving away from the door.

"I'm glad you called. I was worried about you," said Riley as he got in.

"Why?"

"Your brother went to the station this morning." Damn Emmett. "He said that some beggar got into your house, and you don't want to throw him out."

I squeezed the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath before leading them to the living room, where Edward was sitting on the sofa. "Gentlemen, this is Edward. Edward, these are Chief Riley Biers and Officer Newton." I turned to the two policemen. "Edward is an old friend from the time I lived in Phoenix. Life hasn't treated him well and last night I found him living on the street with a newborn son."

Riley looked at me with disbelief and Mike snickered mockingly as they entered the living room and shook hands with Edward. They sat down and Edward told them everything. When he finished, Riley told him that he'd have to go with him the next day to the place he left Tanya. He also said that he'd have to call Social Services and it was really hard convince him that it wasn't necessary; he finally relented when I assured him that Carlisle had said that the baby was healthy and that they would be living here with me.

I was ushering them out when Riley spoke. "Bella, are you sure about this? If he's threatening you or something…"

"Riley," I cut him off, "he's just a man in need of a chance. Last night, when I offered him my house he thought that I wanted to use his son in exchange. Just imagine what he has gone through. The baby was freezing, and they would have died in the park. I just…"

He put his hand on my shoulder. "You have always been too sweet for your own good, but I won't interfere in your decisions. Just call if you need something," he said, and then he was gone.

At least the worst part had ended. Or that's what I thought.

Friday night I flung myself into the sofa with a groan and a glass of wine. It had been a hard week at work and I'd been anxious over everything that was going on with Edward. Thankfully, everything went well and I could relax.

Tanya's autopsy showed that, as Edward said, Tanya had died after giving birth. On the other hand, Riley had kept his promise to not call the Social Services. And finally, the baby had a name: Anthony Masen.

As for me, I got calls and visits from my parents, who, like Emmett, couldn't understand what was wrong with me. But I didn't mind. In the short time that Edward and Anthony had been living with me, they had become a fundamental part of my routine, making me feel less alone. I loved to have someone I could talk to about my day when I got home and to hear Anthony's cries asking for food, letting us know that he was alive and growing stronger each day.

But there was someone who actually supported me, and that was Alice. And Jasper, her husband. I knew they didn't understand me completely either, but they didn't judge me. In fact, Jasper had offered to lend me a few things of his nephew that his sister was going to sell.

"They'll come tomorrow with everything and I've invited them to stay for dinner," I told Edward.

"I'd really like to be able to pay you for everything you're doing," he said. "Maybe when I find a job…"

He trailed off, and I knew what he was thinking. If I ever find a job. My brother and his wife had spread the word that Edward was homeless, and we were having trouble to find someone that wanted to hire him.

"That won't be necessary," I told him. "And as for the job, don't worry, we'll find something."

I sipped from my wine and stretched my arms and legs in front of me. I was exhausted, physically and mentally.

There had been good things too, though. During the week I'd learned more about Edward. Just the basics, but it was good to know it anyway. Now I knew that he was thirty, that his full name was Edward Anthony Masen, and that he had been born and raised in Chicago until he was thirteen. But there was still a question I was dying to ask.

"Can I ask you something?" I said hesitantly.

"Of course. What it is?"

"I don't want to offend you," I said.

"You won't offend me. I'll tell you whatever you want to know. It's the least I can do."

"Okay." I sipped more wine and asked quickly, "How did you end up on the street?"

There. I had said it.

He closed his eyes and sighed, and I felt bad instantly because I was making him relive that time. I was going to say that it didn't matter, that he didn't have to tell me, when he started to speak. "My parents died when I was thirteen. I didn't have more family so I ended up in foster care.

"It was a living hell. There were too many orphans and not enough adults to care for us, so it was the law of the jungle. If you were weak, the other kids climbed over you. And I was weak - I was grieving over my parents' death.

"I started to try to escape, but they always caught me and sent me from one foster home to another. I ended up in Seattle. I had given up on trying to escape, but I met Tanya and she encouraged me. She came with me. We spent three days hiding in the woods; actually, we avoided the police for a year. I guess they finally got tired of looking for two kids."

"How old were you?"

"We were fifteen."

A gasp escaped my lips, and I felt a tear go down my cheek. "You've been living in the street for fifteen years?"

He wiped away my tears with his thumbs. "It wasn't that bad," he said softly. "We lived in abandoned forest keeper's sheds and I learned to hunt, so most of the time we had a roof over our heads and something to eat. I remember that at first I felt as if I was in one of the adventure stories my father used to read to me." He chuckled at the last sentence.

I wasn't so naïve as to think that fifteen years living in the street was like being in an adventure story, but I didn't say a thing because I guessed it made him feel better to think like that.

"Why were you in town?"

"We had run out of food and I couldn't go hunting or fishing because I couldn't leave Anthony, besides I couldn't feed him with meat or fish. I spent one night at the shelter but some people… well, you know, I couldn't stay there. Then you appeared and… everything is better now."

He stared at me and I stared back, and a couple of seconds later I was certain that he was going to kiss me… and I found myself wanting him to do it.

The spell was broken when the phone rang and later I'd welcome the interruption, feeling confused about the desire that had possessed me for a man that I'd known for a week.

On the other end of the phone was Alice.

"Bella! Guess who I've just been with!" she said animatedly.

Jeez! I didn't know how she could be cheerful after a long day of work.

"I don't know, Alice. You'll have to tell me, because my telepathic gift stops working after dinner."

She laughed. Other people would be annoyed by my sarcasm. Alice wasn't. "Silly Bella! I've been with Mrs. Cope. You know she's my neighbor."

"Oh. Well, you know I love Mrs. Cope, but why is it exciting that you've been talking to her?"

"Well, she told me that they need help in the library, and she'd be willing to hire Edward."

I squealed, and Edward, who had gone to check on Anthony, appeared at the threshold. I grinned at him as I kept talking to Alice. "Oh my God, that's just great. I've spoken with so many people this week. I even went to Newton's Outfittersin a fit of desperation. I hadn't thought about going to the library." Now I was animated.

"She said that if he wants the job he has to go to the library on Monday. She didn't told me how much they pay, only that it's not much, but at least it's something. I have to go. See you tomorrow!"

"Okay. Thank you, Alice."

We hung up and I approached Edward, hugging him tightly with the grin still on my face. "You have a job!"

He couldn't believe it, even after I told him everything that Alice had said. I guessed that was normal when so many bad things had happened to you through life.

The next morning I told him we should go to Port Angeles to shop for some clothes. He couldn't keep dressing in Mike's hand-me-downs, and Anthony only had a few things that my mother had kept from when Emmett was born, which she loaned us begrudgingly. He accepted after a long argument about how he was going to pay me for them when he got his first payment.

We spent a nice day shopping and having dinner with Alice and Jasper. It was like a gust of fresh air after the judgments I'd been getting.

The months passed and people stopped talking about us, though my family and I grew further apart. But I didn't think much about that—it wasn't my problem. I was a grown-up and could make my own decisions.

Things got even better when Edward started to work. The worst part for him was leaving Anthony at the library's daycare, but Kate, Mrs. Cope's niece, ran the daycare and she was easy to trust. And when he realized that, he started to relax.

It was nice to sit together at night with a glass of wine and talk about our days or Anthony's progress and the cute things he did. We never talked about our almost-kiss or the attraction that was growing between us, but that was good because I still didn't know what to do with it. Until one day we exploded and that moment marked the rest of my life.

We had been in a teachers' meeting, and I went home later than usual. When I got in the apartment, I was greeted with an odd silence, and I felt anxious when I called Edward's name and nobody answered.

Imagine my surprise when I went to the kitchen and found him there, lighting a candle on a beautifully set table.

He looked at me and grinned, and my heart pounded in my chest. I bit my lip when he approached me with a single red rose in his hand. Gosh, he is so sweet. And so handsome.

"I wanted to do something nice for you. We normally get home together and when you called earlier saying that you'd come home late, I saw it as my opportunity to surprise you."

"Thanks," was the only thing I could say while he took my hand and helped me to sit down.

He served the dinner. I had taught him to cook a few things and he'd made spaghetti Bolognese. "Not too fancy, but it's easy to cook and hard to spoil," he said, laughing. We dined in a comfortable silence and then cleaned the table, but ,the atmosphere tensed when we found ourselves free. I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know if I could.

He was standing against the counter and didn't move either, but was looking at me with an intense stare that made my blood boil in my veins.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and went to him. I put my hands on his chest and bit my lip. Stupid, you just have to get on your toes and kiss him. It's not that hard. I was going to do just that when he cupped my cheek and lowered his face to mine. "This isn't gratitude," he said huskily before brushing his lips against mine once, twice, before pressing more firmly.

When our mouths opened and our tongues met, I sighed in his mouth and lifted my hands to his hair. I've wanted this for so long. The need of air made our mouths part, but our foreheads and noses were still touching. I opened slowly my eyes, savoring the moment, and I met his stare.

"I… I think I love you, Bella," he said.

"I think I love you too."

He kissed me again and moved his hands to my waist, turning us around and sitting me on the counter. My hands traveled down the collar of his t-shirt while his lips kissed my neck. I started to feel frustrated for not being able to go further than his shoulderblades and I moved so I could get rid of the garment.

I threw my head back so I could admire him but I hit my head against the cupboard behind me. We laughed. "Maybe we should go to another place," said Edward.

"Yeah," I murmured, rubbing my head.

Every trace of pain disappeared when he moved between my legs and with his hands on my backside, he moved me toward him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck; my fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

We stumbled into my room and fell on the bed. I had lost my shirt and bra on the way and we were skin-to-skin. Edward's lips found my nipple; painfully slow, he licked and sucked the first one and then the other and kissed down to my navel as his fingers moved from one hipbone to the other. "You're so beautiful," he said with his chin resting on my stomach.

He unfastened the button of my pants and everything went fast from there… well, not everything, but… yeah. Soon our clothes were flying and we were a tangled mess of limbs… tongues… my hand on his cock, his fingers between my folds… we searched for a condom… and then, finally, he was inside me and it was heaven.

The room was filled with our moans and panting, and our whispered names as we came. A satisfied sigh escaped my lips when he collapsed over me.

I wake up when I felt the bed sink behind me. I snuggled in the sheets, not opening my eyes. I felt Edward's lips on my neck; I smiled but still didn't open my eyes. He moved a finger from my shoulder down the side of my breast and to my hipbone at the edge of the sheets, I shifted a bit and he chuckled. Suddenly, his fingers fell on my ribs, tickling me; I burst out laughing and writhed to escape his attack.

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" I said, laughing and turning so I laid on my back.

"Ahh," he sighed. "I knew you were awake," he whispered, nuzzling my nose.

I moved my face slightly and gave him a quick peck on the lips, conscious of my morning breath. The last three days had been pure bliss, waking up every morning beside him, and I couldn't remember the last time I felt this happy; the grin that stretched my lips was great proof of that.

"Come on, it's time to wake up," he said.

"Mmm, no," I said, yawning. "It's Saturday, we can stay in bed longer."

He chuckled. "Bella, it's eleven in the morning." I turned my head and looked the clock that was on the bedside table. He was right, it was eleven in the morning, though my body felt it was earlier. "I thought that we could go out and have breakfast… or… well, lunch."

"A brunch?"

"What's a brunch?"

"Err… it's breakfast and lunch… you know… brunch."

He laughed. "Okay, we'll have brunch."

It wasn't the first time we had gone out since we had declared ourselves. It wasn't the first time we kissed in public, either. But still, I felt the stares while we entered the Lodge hand in hand. I smiled at the people we passed by and didn't think twice about them.

We had a nice time while we ate, and Edward was all smiles while we went out of the restaurant because he had paid the bill.

"It isn't such a big deal, you know?" I joked.

"For me, it is," he said smiling, but his tone was serious. Of course, I knew it was important for him.

Then we went to the park for a walk. We attracted a few more stares while I pushed Anthony's stroller and Edward put his arm around my waist; I think I even heard some gasps when Edward lowered his face to mine, whispering "I love you" before kissing me.

We spent Sunday watching movies, playing with Anthony, cuddling, making out… making love. Monday came too fast and reality hit me hard when the principal called me to his office after lunchtime.

I was surprised when I found the members of the Parents Association there, and some others that were just parents of my students.

I was the only matter on the agenda for that day, of course. Me and my relationship with Edward. Was that even legal? I didn't know. I did know, though, that they were firing me. They were firing me because I "didn't meet their criteria" to teach at their fucking palace. So they would pay me the correspondent compensation, but I had to leave immediately.

I accepted it incredulously, because they were firing me because of the decisions I made in my private life, but also proudly, because I'd never feel ashamed of what I had done. Before I left, though, I let off some steam.

"You're all so fucking stiff. When you take the sticks out of your asses, you'll realize that you have shitty lives that only provide you material things." I started to open the door. "And, for the record, Edward is a better person, man and father than you'll be in all your lives."

I got out and slammed the door shut. I smiled. I knew I should have been more classy but… Fuck! It had felt pretty damn good.

My high vanished once I got home and saw Edward's guilty face. He thought it was his fault that I had lost my job. I had to reassure him that I wasn't happy in that place and that I'd find something better.

"Good morning, Mrs. Cope," I said brightly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, dear," she said with a smile. "I guess you're here to see your man."

I nodded, grinning. "Well, he's in the back. You go find him and I'll take care of this little boy," she said, holding out her arms for Anthony.

"Thanks. I won't be long."

I passed her Anthony and went in search of Edward. I found him in front of a shelf, with his back to me. I approached silently and put my hands over his eyes; he turned around and put his arms on my waist.

He kissed me and soon we were lost in our bubble, as if we were the two only people on Earth. When our mouths separated, I found myself against the shelf, gasping for air. Edward was in the same state.

"To what do I owe this pleasant visit?" he asked, still a bit out of air.

"I have good news," I said, smiling. "I've found a job."

I told him the details. A friend of Alice was leaving the high school he worked in at the end of the year and he had gotten me the position. The bad part, for Edward, was that it was in Jacksonville, Florida. At first I thought it was because he didn't want to leave Forks, but then I found out that he felt guilty because I was leaving my home and my family.

At that point, I told him that the only one I felt sad for was Alice. She truly was my best friend, the best of friends. My family… well, I didn't have a relationship with them at the moment, and though that hurt, they weren't treating me with respect, so I couldn't feel sorry for the lack of said relationship.

We were happy a few more days, making plans, lost in our bubble - until one evening I opened the door to my apartment and I saw my parents and Emmett and Rosalie standing outside. They didn't look happy.

Rosalie was the first to speak. "What do you think you're doing?! You really think you have the right to embarrass the family like this?! Kissing him on the street!"

I took a deep breath and counted to ten before speaking. "In the first place, please don't raise your voice. Anthony is sleeping. Secondly, I haven't embarrassed you. My life is mine to do as I please. If you don't like it… well, you know the way to the door."

"We know where the door is, but for the outsiders you're still our family, and we can't avoid being the talk of the town." Emmett's voice was raised too, but less than his wife's. It wasn't the volume of his voice that hurt, though.

"Oh, so now I'm only your family for the outsiders?" I felt really sad for this, but I tried not to let it show in my voice. Thankfully, Edward, who had been in the room tucking Anthony in, entered the living room and held my hand.

"Bella, honey, of course we consider you part of our family," said my mom softly. "We just want to help you."

"Help me?" I said sarcastically. "You should start by not judging me and accepting the person I love."

Rosalie huffed. "I knew you were stupid, I just didn't know the extent of it. Have you fallen in love with him? Really? Gosh, can't you see he's only using you?"

"And what do you know about love, Rosalie? Want to talk of the reasons you married my brother?"

Before someone could say anything more, Edward intervened. "I love Bella," he said, and everybody looked at him as if they had just realized that he was in the room.

"You love my sister?" said Emmett, approaching him. "Then you should realize that you're only hurting her and disappear."

"Emmett…" I started to say, but was cut off by Rosalie.

"Shut up, Emmett. He'll disappear. He's just waiting for her to pay for his services. Because you sure have fucked him, right Bella?"

I saw red. I really fucking saw red. "You fucking bitch!" I launched at her and didn't reach her just because Edward held me hard against his chest.

He kissed my head and I turned around, burying my face in his chest a few seconds. When I turned back to my family, it was with a new resolve. "I got a job in Florida. We'll move there and start a new life. If you can't see how happy I am, which obviously you can't, you should go. Now. Forever."

My mom buried her face in her hands and started to cry. My father put his arm around her shoulders and spoke for the first time. "Your mother was right, Bella. We just want to help you."

I snorted.

"We've found a place…" he continued. "It's a bit expensive, but they have good specialists who will help you with whatever your problem is…"

I didn't let him speak another word. I couldn't stand it. They wanted to send me to a psychiatrist? Well, they had made their choice. "Out! Now!" I said, pointing to the door.

"Bella, just think about it…" my father continued.

"I don't have anything to think about. Get out of my home, now!"

The resolve in my voice told them that I was serious about it, so they went to the door.

"You'll regret this, Bella," said Emmett before he went out. "We love you and we just want to help you, but you're rejecting us. Maybe someday, you'll realize that you need us and then we won't be there for you."

"As you are now?" I closed the door and slid to the floor and started crying. I had lost my family.

I felt Edward's hand on my shoulder and lifted my head from my hands. He was kneeling in front of me and there was caution in his eyes. I didn't want caution. I wanted him. I needed to know that he really loved me.

When he brought his mouth to my ear and spoke, I realized that he was crying too. "I'm sorry, Bella," he said, pulling me to his chest. "I love you. I love you so much…" he said again and again.

I woke up the next morning tired and a little sore from all the times that we had shown each other our love. Edward wasn't at my side. I got out from bed and went to Anthony's room. He wasn't there either, or in the bathroom, the living room or the kitchen. I thought that he might have gone for a run as he did sometimes, and started my daily chores.

When lunchtime came and he hadn't arrived, a rock the size of Mount Rainier settled in my stomach. I couldn't eat, so I fed Anthony and I went to look for Edward around the town.

I couldn't find him and I was getting more anxious with each passing minute. Anthony sensed my anxiety and started to cry. Shit! Where was he? The third time I passed Newton OutfittersI realized that sometimes he went to the place where he had last lived—the forest, where Anthony was born. What if something had happened to him? I called the house's landline to see if he had returned home while I was outside. No answer.

I parked the car when I realized that I was trembling. I took a few deep breaths and told myself that I couldn't lose my calm; I had to think rationally. When I was calmer, I went to the police station and talked to Riley. I told him everything that had happened and where Edward could be, and thankfully, he said he'd go immediately, before it got dark.

I wanted to go with him, but he said I should stay home in case Edward came back. He promised to call as soon as he had news.

I felt like a lion in a cage at home. I couldn't stop pacing anxiously, and Anthony started to cry again. Once again, I told myself that I should stay calm, but that was harder with the passing of time.

My last rational thought was calling Alice. I knew I was losing it and couldn't take care of Anthony like that.

She and Jasper arrived quickly, and as soon as she crossed the threshold, she took over and sent me to my room to rest. I went because it was futile to argue with Alice, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to rest until I knew that Edward was safe and coming back to me.

I got rid of my clothes and took Edward's shirt, which was hung over a chair. I heard the sound of a paper falling to the floor and I went to pick it up after putting on the shirt. It was an envelope.

The phone rang but the sound was replaced in my ears by a buzzing noise when I saw that it was addressed to me.

Bella,

I don't know how to express what I feel for you except with the words that I have already said countless times: I love you.

If you're reading this it's because I no longer am in this world, but that doesn't mean that I've left you. Please don't be sad, you and I know this is the best thing I can do for you and for Anthony. What kind of future can I give you both? My time has come. I've lived more years than I physically have and meeting you was the last thing that was left for me to do before I could go. I want you to live, please, and be happy - when the moment comes, we'll be together again. And then it will be forever.

As I write this I have in my mind you and my son and all the good moments that you have given to me. You've made me feel alive again… you've saved me, Bella.

I have one last thing to ask you, because I'm just selfish like that. But at this point I have taken so much from you that maybe you won't mind one last thing. Please, please, let Anthony stay with you. I can't think of a better mother for him… you already are his mother.

Tell him that I love him and that the few months I knew him –the months I have known you – my life was whole. Both of you have taught me that life can be good, too.

I'm not going anywhere. I'll be by your side all the time, taking care of you and waiting for you.

I love you.

-Edward

A tear falls on one wrinkled hand. The other holds the letter that so many years ago was left for me by the only man that I have loved, aside from my son: Edward.

Edward.

During sixty-three years, Edward has been the only person I've thought of when I went to sleep, most of the time wishing I wouldn't wake up. And then I think of another man: Anthony. Over the last sixty-three years, my son has been the only person I wake up for when all I've wanted to do is let go.

Anthony.

I adopted him. Of course I did. How could I not? I made him my son legally and then disappeared from Forks. Alice and Jasper came to live in Jacksonville a year later in search of something new, and the three of them were my only family.

I just went back to Forks twice a year while I could to visit Edward's grave. I remember that day as if it had been yesterday. The piercing scream that left my lungs when I finished reading the letter and Chief Biers saying that they had found Edward at the meadow. Part of me died with him that day - a part that I'm about to get back.

Being ninety years old, I've lived enough. Now it's time for me to go to where I've been wishing to go all this time.

A hand on my shoulder takes me out of my thoughts. Anthony. He looks so much like him. There was a time when I had trouble looking at him without starting to cry. It was like seeing a ghost.

Beside him is his younger son. Edward. Another copy of his father and grandfather. They've come to say goodbye. My other grandchildren have already been here, as well as my great-grandchildren and the rest of their family. Edward kisses my forehead, and his tears wet my face before he tells his father that he can't stay in here. I look at my son; he's crying too.

"You were crying the night I found you," I whisper, but I know he can hear me. "Don't cry now, too."

He tries to calm himself but fails. I smile weakly. "Listen, son. I'm going to the place where I have to be. All these years… you've made me happy and proud." Too many words together. I rest a moment before I continue. "You have been the best son I could have asked for… but your father needs me now… it's been too long."

"I know, Mother. But…"

"Don't be sad for me. I'll be okay."

I close my eyes and feel his lips on my forehead. I think he's going to leave, but instead he sits down and takes my hand. I open my eyes once again and look at him one last time.

Finally, my eyes close and I look for that peaceful sleep that I've longed for so many times. It seems that decades pass before the feel of Anthony's hand starts to vanish.

When I open my eyes again, I'm not in my room in Jacksonville, but in my old room at the apartment in Forks. I lift to a seated position and there he is, as I remember him: reddish-brown hair, shining green eyes, beautiful smile. He's too perfect, and a lump forms in my throat, as I fear that he's only a vision.

He moves to the bed and sits beside me. "Bella," he whispers. "You're here."

Tentatively, I reach out my young hand to his face and I touch him, realizing that he's not a dream.

"I love you, Bella."

And I smile. Finally.

Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it.

-Bells, :)