Hello

I know, it's finally the next part of the chapter. Not as long as the first part, but I think it's good.

:D

Um, sorry it's taken me so long to get this out. I was focused on other fanfics and well, we all know that this one doesn't have a must-update-regularly vibe. I'll get better with that though. Promise.

Thanks to all of those who read the last chapter of A Choice and reviewed. I was happy to hear your thoughts and see where your mind was going on it. We cracked through two hundred reviews. I'm telling you, this story is fast becoming my second most reviewed story - and I could not be happier!

Please see the AN below, it's very important.

Read. Review. Enjoy!


But then, Esme thought of something. "Edward, dear," she said, turning around to face us once again.

I immediately looked up at her, smiling as she thought of momentarily – just as an errant thought – of how well Bella looked tucked into my side, or merely just standing beside me. And of course, how blindingly happy I was.

Part of me also made sure that I paid attention to my mate, as we were walking up the stairs at this precise moment. I relaxed when we stopped just a few steps away from the top of the flight.

Esme then continued with what she wanted to say, and I listened. "Would you please go and round your sisters and brothers up. I want them to meet Bella properly." She said, mentally adding, it may seem silly, darling, but they are her siblings and she is part of this family. I can see that she is nervous. We must remedy that. She needs to feel comfortable here, with us.

"Of course, mum," I said, smiling internally as her thoughts froze for a moment at my casual use of the name. This was why I did not call her that very often; whenever one of us did, the reaction was always such a tremendous gift.

I was just about to go get them when a thought came to me, "where's Carlisle?"

Esme smiled apologetically, looking at my love in particular as she spoke. "I'm sorry to the both of you, but he's been asked to take a double shift at work. An important meeting came up that he just wasn't allowed to miss."

He really did wish to be here, dear, she thought to me and I nodded with my eyes. She relaxed, knowing that I was not angry but I would and could never be. My father, for all intents and purposes, was a good man and it was not his fault if he simply was not able to be here from time to time.

It was not his, nor any of our decisions to make.

"Ah," I sounded quickly, just to let her know that I accepted that before I turned and disappeared.

Though I was moving throughout the house, my mind remained upstairs with my mother and the woman that I loved. It was purely instinctual.

I watched through my mother's eyes as she leaned forward and kissed my darling on both of her cheeks. I watched, a brief smile on my face, as my love responded. I knew that it was a surprise. She had never felt or known the love of a mother, nor the extraordinary thing that it could be.

Esme's mind reflected on the silent pain in my love's eyes and, had I not known why it was there, I would have immediately panicked. As it so happened, I was already frowning.

Go, the monster whispered in my ear, taunting. Go and be with her. She needs you, Edward, she needs us.

I ignored him, growling lowly at myself. I needed to be able to handle this, to tame the monster. I knew that he wanted to look after our darling mate, but the simple fact was that this happening that was occurring upstairs, was needed. It desperately needed to happen, a fact that could not be denied by any one person.

I left them to their own conversation as I wandered through the house, just a little aimlessly.

It was a few minutes later that I was shocked out of it, my heart, soul and mind having already been focused out of instinct on the happenings upstairs.

My love laughed; it had a bitter sound to it and I did not like that. Not when it came from such a loving and genuine person such as my darling. My dislike for this whole occurrence was again warring with the knowledge that my darling – and my mother, for that matter – needed this, and so I stayed where I was.

"She doesn't care about me," my sweet angel said and I frowned, my hands curling into wrought-iron fists.

It was just not right; it was not just at all. It was ridiculous that this had happened to my Bella and I wanted the death of her mother – as ghastly and terrible as that sounded – on my hands, imprinted on my brain.

My monster roared from his cage, shaking it with all his might and I closed my eyes, clenching them shut as I fought with him. As much as I wanted this, I could not have it. I would not be a killer, for if I was, I would be only as bad as my darling's mother and that simply would not do.

The monster roared once more and I growled at him, my nostrils flaring. He retreated, with a marked warning through the sound of his growl that he would be back, currently waiting in his cage to be unleashed; just as he knew he would be.

But when my mother – bless her – spoke, we both calmed completely, for we knew that our mother would take care of our darling as we looked for our siblings. And then, I was in my own mind, my monster having disappeared. Though I knew that he would be back if need be.

My siblings thought out to me, and I knew that there was no reason for me to look for them. They would be with us shortly, when the time was right. And so, I floated back up to the conversation that was still taking place. I had not missed any, for only a mere three seconds had passed since my mother had spoken.

I watched through my mother's mind as my mate pulled back to look at my mother, wiping at the tears that streaked down her cheeks. Her voice sounded so small, so unsure that it broke my heart – not to mention the words that she said. "You'd… you'd be my mother?"

Ah, it was painful! To hear the pain, the grief and the astounding hope in her voice! To look at her and see her tears! To experience all of this and yet not be close enough at that moment to hold her.

Edward, Esme spoke to me through her thoughts and I breathed in deeply as I listened to her motherly, soothing voice. Let us be for now, my dear boy. We need this time together. It is sad though, that your dear mate has experienced this… but don't fear; I will be the mother she needs.

I smiled, the smile transforming into a beam as she spoke the words that my beautiful mate desperately needed to hear. "It would be my honour, Isabella."

Bella's restraint was unrestricted as she hugged my-our mother with a fierce velocity. But her words, oh how they brought a smile to my face… and to Esme's. "Thank you… mum."

Her voice was unsure, testing boundaries but the relief that she, my mother and I felt was profound. My heart swelled as I thought to myself, yes, this is what she needs. What we all need.

I could not contain myself as I flashed through the house and up the stairs.

To see the scene with my own to eyes only made me feel better, more relief… but there was panic too.

Esme gasped at my mate's words but looked at me, just a quick glance. Wait just a moment, dear.

I nodded.

"It's quite alright, dear." My mother said and I knew now that this was the time for me to make my presence known.

"Bella?" I asked. Though I tried to remain calm, the sight of my world's emotional state and being made me more panicky than I thought I would be. I was at her side before she could respond, not a full second passing before she was in my arms and I calmed a little. I stroked her gorgeous, shining hair, murmuring in her ear to calm her. "It's alright, darling. Everything is fine; calm, my love… calm." It was a cycle as I murmured over and over sweet nothings; anything to calm her.

Suddenly, my darling stiffened and I knew that she knew that our family was behind us, watching, also having heard everything. As if the knowledge of their abilities was not enough, their sad, sympathetic thoughts proved it.

Bella flinched, ripping herself from my arms – making me internally mourn the loss of her – as she looked on to our family.

"Hi," she said simply, anger coming through in her eyes. I looked at my siblings, concerned with what they may be doing to anger her but all I could see was pity. And that made sense, for I knew myself that seeing pity in other's eyes was not something that any one person would want to see. "Please don't," she said, her voice fierce. "Please don't pity me. I got over it years ago. I don't need the pity and I don't want it."

Wow, Rosalie's mental voice said. Impressive. A human who isn't afraid to stand up for herself. Fierce, too; I'm glad you didn't find a total push over Edward.

My eyes narrowed at that last comment, but I knew that that was just Rosalie's way of telling me she was happy for me. She would never – could never – say the words in their exact form, but I could tell that that was what she meant.

Emmett's mind seemed to be on the same wave length as his wife's. Only, he was a much more vocal person on his opinion. "Jeez, you're a feisty human," he said, a strange sort of awe or proudness in his voice. I wrapped my arms around Bella, feeling her touch calming me and her. He looked over Bella's head then, to me, simply saying, "Good one, Eddie."

"Do not call me Eddie," I snapped, growling at him, an involuntary reaction to the name. But it was my Bella's reaction that warmed my heart – it seemed that this was becoming a regular occurrence – for she giggled and I could not contain my smile. Bella sighed a happy sigh, settling into my arms.

"Sorry for the weird start," Bella said and I watched as her eyes swept over the family. Her eyes settled on Rosalie for a moment – who was looking away, her jealousy coming through as annoyance – before she simply looked away, as if she had not noticed.

"Well, it was certainly an… emotional… introduction," Jasper said uncomfortably, and I heard him reeling from the plethora of emotions that he'd just experienced through the others.

"I'm sorry, Jasper," Bella said, taking Jasper – if not everyone else bar me – by surprise. Jasper looked at her, confused for a moment and Bella, picking that up, immediately jumped into a quick explanation. "It would have been hard… to feel my outburst."

Jasper was perplexed, and he looked at Bella for a moment, his eyes reflecting his amazement, awe and perplexity. "Um," he said, still trying to figure out just what to say to my mate. He forced himself to shake out of it then, his head cocking to the side as he tried to figure my love out. "That's quite alright," he said finally. "Don't worry about it."

Bella nodded, looking around and I could tell that she was feeling a little uncomfortable under Jasper's heavy, calculating gaze.

Alice's thoughts rung through for just a second, before she pummeled forward, heading straight for my darling. Not a half-second later, she smacked into my Bella the force with which causing Bella to rock back on her heels, my body merely adjusting to the impact.

"What the fu-?" Bella said, cutting off as she looked down to Alice.

I growled protectively, my instincts – or rather, my monster who'd crept out of his cage when I wasn't looking - telling me to eradicate the threat at the same time that my more rational side recognized that this was my sister, who also had a mate and therefore I could not do any such thing.

"Alice?" Bella squeaked. Alice's head whipped around to look at my Bella from her shoulder wordlessly.

"Oh Bella," Alice said, smiling widely. She was jumping excitedly, making us all bop up and down. Her hands were on my darling's shoulder and I felt Bella's discomfort. "We're going to be the best of friends! I've seen it!"

Bella grunted in discomfort and I frowned slightly, holding back the groan. "I'm sure we will, but uh, could you pleaseletgoofme?"

Alice understood, mentally berating herself – which calmed me and my monster, knowing that she had come to her senses and was trying to not do it again – before letting her go.

Bella rolled her shoulders a few time to ease the discomfort before she settled back into me.

My monster was out now, however, and he was stiff, uptight and thoroughly protective. The growl that resonated through our chest was the growl that was reserved especially for our dear one, our mate. It was designed to calm her, or give her what she needed whilst it put all others on edge. It was simply one of warning to those around me.

"It's your growl, my love," I said to Bella, both of us knowing that I would explain later. "And now, would it be alright if we went to our cottage?"

I felt Bella's shock just a moment before she turned to me. Her surprise and confusion was paramount on her features as she said, "We have a cottage? To ourselves?"

I picked her up, our family bidding their goodbyes through thoughts as I ran us to our cottage. I nodded down at her and she merely looked at me, stunned, shocked, in her place in my arms.

Comprehension dawned on Bella's features just before she blushed, licking her lips in desire and I felt myself harden.

I slowed to a stop then, nearing our cottage, seeing it ahead.

And when we were in our room I would be able to hold her, naked… preferably… and trace every inch of her sure-to-be glorious skin… over and over again.

It was that thought that simply compelled me to ask the not needed question; not needed because I knew the answer just by looking at her.

"Are you ready, my love?"


Alright. Mentioning of his... *smiles wickedly* thing.

I need you to read this please:

There is a group that is out to get the fanfics we love dearly because of their content on this site. They are reporting and deleting fanfics that they deem inappropriate.

I just want to take this moment to tell you that I've backed up all these stories and am on the hunt to find a new site that may be my backup in case any of my stories are deleted for whatever reason.

I'll definitely still be uploading on here - no one will stop me unless I am banned from updating for however long.

Thank you and please review,

bexie25