A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed or put this story on their alerts. That gives me warm fuzzy feelings! =D Hope you all enjoy this chapter! I'm not one hundred percent sure I like it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Stephanie owns everything! If I did I'd have money and we could have our horse farm!
Chapter 2: Welcome Home
It was the longest car ride of my life. We were stopping every two hours so that I could nurse Evelyn, then whenever I needed to use the bathroom, which was frequently as I was drinking so much water I thought I was going to float away, but my milk had come in well and I didn't want to risk it going away. It should have been a 14 hour drive, we could have done it in a day, but we ended up taking three days. Three long, but happy days.
Alice, ever bubbly always found something to talk about when I was awake, or she would quietly hum while I nursed Evelyn, or talk quietly on the phone with Jasper who had followed us and never said a word about the length of the trip or the frequency of our stops. He and Alice would always bid Evelyn and I goodnight and escape to the privacy of their own hotel room each night. I couldn't blame them. Alice had put their marriage on hold for 9 months for me and I felt that the least I could do was allow them privacy at night. No matter how badly I wanted someone there to hold me while I cried.
I cried for many reasons. The first being that my crazy hormones hadn't found a level they liked and I had no control over myself. The second was the amount of love I felt for the small angel who slept next to me every night and looked at me with the most love and trust that I had ever seen. I didn't think I would ever be able to stand up to her expectation, but I knew I had to try. I needed to be the one she leaned on, the one who held her when she was sad, played with her and laughed with her. I needed to be there for her no matter how dark and sad and alone I felt. I cried for my parents, knowing they would not be with me to watch this child grow and get to hold her in their arms. Lastly I cried for Jacob. I cried for the hole he had left in my heart, that even Evelyn could not fill, although the hole was much smaller now then it had been. I cried for the fact that he would never know her and she would never know him. I cried for the fact that he didn't want us. I couldn't understand how someone could not want Evelyn, just one look at her prefect round face or into her wide beautiful eyes and you melted. I could understand not wanting me, plain as I was but not wanting her, that didn't make since. So I cried myself to sleep.
The nights in the hotels were strange. I missed my bed, even the hospital bed was more comfortable then the mattresses in the hotels we stayed in. Even though I insisted that we would be fine in a cheap motel Alice and Jasper would have none of it. We stayed in nice three star hotels or bed and breakfasts, they wouldn't let me pay for my own room, or food, or anything. It was starting to wear on me, I hated feeling helpless, I knew I could pay for myself, they knew it too.
When my parents had died Emmett and I had both inherited a nice little lump of cash. Our parents weren't rich by any means but Charlie had always been a wiz at money and had invested and saved well. In the will they had left Emmett the house we had grown up in as well as some stocks and bonds, and I had received a number of bonds and savings funds. I used some of the money for my education and the rest I left right where my parents had put it. Until I found out I was pregnant. Then I had cashed out a few of the bonds to afford the furniture, clothing, bedding and other things that came with having a baby, and of course the down payment on the house that I was moving into…a house that I had never seen, other than the pictures on the real estate site. But I trusted Alice and Jasper's judgment. If they said the house was perfect then it was. I knew it was down the street from my old house, now Emmett's when he was in the country, and across the street from Alice and Jasper. So the location couldn't be better. I was looking forward to making it my own.
I watched the forest fly past me as Alice drove my dark blue 2009 Acura RL down US Highway 12. We were almost on the last leg of our journey; Evelyn was sleeping peacefully in her car seat. I had given up on trying to keep her head in the pillow that sounded it; no matter what I did she always managed to be slumped to the side. But she seemed comfortable and I wasn't going to wake her. Alice had the radio on low and was singing along to some top 40 song as we drove. I watched the trees, bright green and brown, pass me and I tried to count them. It was silly, but it was something I had done when I was little to keep me busying during long road trips. As I looked out the window a sudden vibrating between my butt and the seat caused me to jump and squeak a little. Alice giggled and rolled her eyes as I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. I heard her mutter something close to "out of date piece of junk" and I stuck my tongue out at her.
"Hello?" I asked holding the phone up to my ear.
"Hells Bells!" The loud boom of Emmett voice made me pull the phone from my ear quickly, Alice giggled again. "How are my baby sister and my beautiful niece? You know Bella you need to get a new phone, if it wasn't for Alice's picture messages of little Evelyn I don't know what I would do!" Alice nodded in agreement next to me.
"Hey Em. We are both fine. We are driving home to Forks now. And my phone is perfect thank you very much!" He laughed at me and my stubbornness. "When are you coming home?"
"In a week, maybe two, I've got to get somewhere with this deal before I leave. I've told you before how the Volturi can be when it comes to make deals. Plus it's Italy! I'm having a ton of fun!"
"What her name?" I asked rolling my eyes. Emmett had always been a lady's man, even as a child. He would flirt with the little girls in the sand box at kindergarten, and Mom and Dad had been called in to talk to the teacher more than once about his flirting habits. He was athletic and strong and funny and good looking so it wasn't a huge surprise that women flocked to him like moths to a flame.
"Ah you know me too well! Rosalie if you must know! And she is amazing Bella, all fire and spunk and beauty and brains. And great in bed!"
"Wow Emmett! I've never heard you talk like that before! You love her don't you?" He laughed at me then muttered something about a meeting and that he would call me tonight. I didn't miss that he avoided my question; I'd ask him again later. We said our goodbyes and I slipped my phone back in my pocket.
"So in love?" Alice asked passing the green minivan in front of us.
"Sounds that way, I mean you know Emmett! He never talked about a woman much beyond her beauty and how good she is in bed. But he was talking about this Rosalie's brains and something about her being spunky." I shrugged and looked at the road in front of us.
"Well he needs someone who can keep up with him." Alice mused, I nodded. That was true; Emmett had always been a big joker and wild man. If this woman could keep up with him more power to her!
"It won't be too much longer Bella" Alice smiled at me and patted my hand. "Get some rest." I nodded and closed my eyes.
"Here we are!" Alice squealed as we passed the old wooden sign proclaiming "Welcome to Forks". It was a rare clear day here in this small town; Forks' claim to fame was having the highest rainfall amounts in the greater US. But it was home, it always had been. I had been kidding myself when I left and said I was never coming back. I always knew that no place would ever really be home for me. Although San Francisco had come close, until things ended with Jake. Sitting up I watched the little town pass as Alice dove us to our new home.
"This is it!" She exclaimed as we pulled up in front of a small two story home.
The outside was a soft green color, much like the trees that surrounded the front and, from what I could tell, back yard. The shutters on the windows were a darker green and the front door was painted to match. The front yard was a large patch of grass with three very large trees surrounded by ferns and small flowering bushes. There was a short path from the driveway to the door with three steps leading up to it.
"Wow!" I exclaimed stepping out of the car as Alice got Evelyn out of her car seat in the back. It was perfect. I couldn't have picked a better house. I was so glad Alice and Jasper knew me so well. I turned to Jasper who was standing next to me and hugged him, thanking him again. He hugged me back and told me not to worry about it.
"Come on Bella! I want to show you the inside!" Alice was bouncing lightly holding Evelyn close to her chest. I nodded and followed her to the door, where she handed me the keys. I unlocked the door and entered the house.
I gasped; the inside was even better then the out. The floors were a light hardwood, bamboo Alice told me as I studied them. The entry way was narrow and the walls were a light cream color with a coat closest on the right and a large black picture frame holding a picture of Alice, Jasper, Emmett, my parents and myself taken at Alice and my high school graduation. The entryway opened into a large living room it was painted a light shale color with my gray and ivory couch, loveseat and large chair arraigned around the entertainment center, built in bookshelves lined the back wall and were already filled with my books and a number of picture frames. Behind the couch was a large sliding glass door that lead out to the backyard. Next to the bookshelf was the stairs. Off to the left was a large kitchen, painted a deep red with dark counters and appliances. My small round glass table and chairs was set up next to the large windows that looked out on the large backyard. To the right was a formal dining room painted a dark blue, which held my desk, chair, computer and printer. I noticed some of the toys and the swing that Alice and I had bought were set up n there as well. I made my way slowly to the foot of the stairs with Alice right behind me talking to Evelyn in an excited voice telling her all about the rooms we were walking through.
As I reached the landing at the top of the stairs I smiled, on the wall was a large frame that held three pictures, the top one was me, very pregnant on the beach, below that was one of Evelyn in the hospital and the last was of me and her in the hospital. I felt the tears that had been building in my eyes start to spill over. I turned to Alice who hugged me with one arm and kissed my daughter head. I smiled and continued to the first door on the right. Inside was the guest room, painted a pretty shade of green, the large window overlooked the front of the house. The next door was the bathroom, with a large linen closet next to it.
Next was Evelyn's room. I could tell before I reached the door due to the fact that Alice's bouncing increased and the small pink pillow over the door knob that read "shh baby is sleeping" on one side and "yay baby is awake" on the other. I opened the door and stepped in to the most beautiful room I had ever seen. The main wall held a beautiful mural of a forest, with small animals poking out from around trees and fairies dancing in the air. The other walls were a soft pink. The two large windows other looked the forests next to the house and held gauzy white curtains. Fairies dances off of the mural and onto the other walls as well. They ceiling was painted with clouds and I could make out glow in the dark stars painted over them. Evelyn's furniture was the perfect shade of cherry wood to match the walls. Her bedding was soft pink with brown and green spots. There was a large glider next to her crib for me to sit in when I nursed or put her to bed. Her dresser changer combo had been setup against the wall with a small lamp on it as well as a picture of me and Evelyn in the hospital. On the walls were a few pictures of Alice and Jasper and Emmett and me and my parents. Stuffed animals were poking their little heads out of a toy box under the window and I could see a few placed in the crib.
"Alice," I breathed. "It's amazing! How did you? When did you?"
"As soon as I found out it was a girl." She said simply. "I called around and found an artist and she came in and did the painting for us. She sent me pictures and I knew you would love it!" Alice moved to the changing table with the baby who was cooing happily. "Go look at your room, I'll change her and be in a moment." I nodded and kissed Evelyn's soft hair before I left the room.
I walked across the hall and opened the door to the final room. I took a deep breath and stepped inside. It was huge; most of my apartment in the city would have fit inside it. The walls were a beautiful sky blue color, which matched my blue and gold bed set perfectly. The windows overlooked the backyard and were hung with blue and gold curtains. My king sized canopy bed was placed in the center of the main wall, with sheer blue and gold curtains hung on the rods. There was a small cherry wood bedside table on each side holding two old lamps that had belonged to my grandmother. Next to the window was a large chair and another small table with a lamp. A bookshelf was set up next to the chair stocked with more of my books. Pictures of my family and friends hung on the walls. A small hall held the largest walk-in closet I had ever seen. It has mirror doors that slid open, inside was my dresser and my shoes, some of my clothes were hanging up. I looked at the open space in the closet and sighed, I didn't have enough clothes to fill this closet, and I didn't think I ever would, even if I never threw anything out. I closed the closet and walked into the large attached bath. The bathroom was a slightly darker shade of blue with white counter tops. There were his and hers sinks and a large vanity against one wall. The toilet was in its own little room next to the linen closet. The shower was a good size and encased in glass and against the wall under the three large windows was a huge spa tub. I found myself giggling with joy as I looked at the large tub and thought of the nice long bath I would be enjoying later that night.
I met Alice and Jasper in the hall. Alice had lay Evelyn down in her crib where she was napping. Jasper had brought in the bags from the car and placed them in the rooms they went in. Alice pointed to a set of sliding doors next to the picture frame that I hadn't noticed and told me that the washer and dryer were there.
We walked down stairs and to the front door. I hugged them both.
"Thank you so much, both of you. For everything" Tears fell down my cheeks. Alice smiled at me and hugged me tight.
"Anything to get you back where you belong" Jasper said. Taking Alice's hand he opened the door. "If you need anything Bella you know where we are." I nodded and smiled at him.
"Go home. Enjoy your house and time alone…without us cramping your style."
"Oh please Bella! You know we love you, both! You never cramp our style." Alice giggled, hugged me once more and followed Jasper out the door. "I stocked the kitchen for you!" She yelled back at me as she crossed the street to her own house. I waved then closed the door. I looked around and smiled. I was home.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed it. I'll try and get a new chapter out soon. Review please!
