A/N:

Hey guys, I'm FINALLY back. My MacBook had to go into repair, I was sick, my darling beta had things to do, blah blah… I'm terribly sorry for the delay. Thank you all for your patience!

Thank you, as always, to my wonderful beta dellaterra!

Any remaining mistakes and errors are mine.

I do not own Twilight.

ooOoOoOoOoOoo

Chapter 8: Yes,Yes,Yes

BELLA

He stares down at the gift on his lap.

"Open it," I urge him again, getting more nervous with every second.

Edward's long fingers untie the ribbons and he unwraps the paper, revealing two brand-new bound volumes of WinniethePooh.

My mouth is terribly dry.

Edward opens one of the books and browses through it, probably looking for a hidden meaning.

"Well, thank you…" He kisses me. "You are aware though, that I already possess these books, right?"

"Yes."

I need to swallow. Our faces are so close together that I can feel his breath, a strand of his hair tickling my brow.

"You said you thought that every child should own a copy, so…" My voice is a low whisper. "If we want any, well, we already have the book for… for the first…"

There's a long silence and neither of us moves.

Outside, a helicopter circles, the sound muffled by the thick glass of our bedroom windows.

Edward is still silent. I feel so horribly vulnerable right now. If only he'd say something.

"Bella…" He's so close our lips are almost touching. "Do you mean… Do you mean what I think you mean?"

His voice is hoarse.

"Well, we'd… We'd have to wait till after the play closes, but… yes."

"Really?" He cups my face in his hands, pulling back a little so he can look at me properly. He looks just as vulnerable as I feel, his huge green eyes filled with longing.

"Yes," I whisper. "Really."

Even in the dim light, I can tell that his eyes are moist.

"Really?"

"Yes!" A tear runs down my own cheek and I smile, love and relief at finally having said it out loud flooding my body. "Yes, Edward."

With that, he pulls me as close as humanly possible, burying his face in my hair.

"Bella…"

He's holding me close, so close, and my eyes brim over with tears as I realize that this is right.Slowly, the turmoil inside me quiets and is replaced by a deep and steady sense of security and certainty.

I let myself relax into Edward, his scent and his trusted body close to mine making me feel boneless. He's warm and strong, his even breathing grounding me even further.

When we part enough to look at each other, Edward looks divinely content.

"You," he says tenderly," are making me the happiest man on this planet."

He kisses me then, warm lips brushing against mine in moves so soft, so reverent hat I can't help but shudder. Our lips play with each other, tugging and caressing, our breaths mingling. We stay like that for a long time, kissing almost tentatively, as if for the first time, with whispered "I love you"s the only sounds except for the soft ones our mouths create. Edward's tongue darts out to pass over my lower lip, then pushes past my teeth, exploring, ultimately stroking against mine.

Now and then we stop for a second to utter more words of love and tenderness before our mouths connect again. Laying back, I pull Edward on top of me, running my hands through his hair, massaging his scalp.

"Mmm…" he responds.

Our kisses are getting more urgent and wet, our hearts speeding up as our bodies flush with heat. Edward's hand is on my belly and moves higher until it's covering my breast.

"Ahh…" I sigh.

His lips travel to my neck and he licks a path to a spot beneath my ear, where his tongue causes me to tremble with anticipation, while his dexterous fingers fondle my breast. He's making me dizzy with pleasure. Desperate to touch his hot skin, I start tugging at the hem of his shirt. We pull it over his head together and I moan when I feel his naked torso, my fingers impatiently roaming his muscular back.

"Baby…" Edward's breath is hot and coming in gasps.

He unbuttons my gown and kisses every inch of newly exposed skin, licking and sucking until I'm moaning his name.

"God," he murmurs, kissing my soft flesh through the lace of my bra. "I love your breasts…"

He tugs at the material so he can put his mouth on my nipple. He circles it with his warm, wet tongue a few times before he begins to suck.

"Ah! Oh, Edward…"

I'm afraid I'm scratching his back too hard, but he doesn't seem to notice. His erection is bulging behind the fly of his jeans, pressing into my thigh. I want to reach down and touch him, but Edward grabs my hands and keeps them prisoner above my head while he feasts on my breasts.

I'm losing track of time, floating on an Edward-induced high, basking in the sensations he evokes.

"Mmm…" Edward licks a trail down to my belly, kissing it all over. "I can't wait to put a baby in there…" he whispers, causing me to tighten my grip on his hair.

"I love you…" My breath is coming in heavy gasps. "I love you…"

"I love you too, Isabella." He swirls his tongue over my bellybutton before his lips move lower.

Painfully slowly, he hooks his fingers into the hem of my panties and pulls them down, kissing my thighs, my knees, my calves and, finally, my feet as he takes them off. Equally slowly, he then kisses and licks his way upward. When he reaches the insides of my thighs, he uses his hands to gently push them apart. I feel vulnerable spread out like that for him, but in a good way, because I trust him with every cell in my body, and the thought that I'm the only one he wants to do this to, and that he's the only one I'd ever allow to have me like this, is such a turn-on.

"Ohhh…" I sigh when I feel his tongue as it starts teasing me. Everything feels hot and soft and wet and I'm drowning in the joy he's giving me. Edward hums softly, carefully licking over my clit, and I moan aloud. He grabs my buttocks and pulls me closer into his face, groaning with pleasure.

When he enters me with two long fingers, I know I won't last much longer, and when I come a few seconds later, I whine and grunt, shuddering as my whole body is overtaken by pleasure.

My chest is heaving erratically and I am weak and blissed out.

"Love you…" Edward kisses my thigh, my hipbone, my belly, and I can feel my own wetness on my skin. He kisses his way up my body until we're side by side. There's a hungry glint in his eye and even though I'm still fighting for breath, I push him on his back. I lick over his nipple, drawing an immediate response from him. I kiss the other one and lick over it as well, making him moan. Slowly, I suck and nibble my way lower, enjoying the salty taste of his skin, and the sensation of hair that tickles my nose.

One by one, I open the buttons of his pants and pull them lower as Edward lifts his butt. I kiss him through his black boxer briefs. He's hot and so hard, and I moan at his smell, all musk and man.

"Bella…" he pleads.

I pull his boxers off along with his jeans and then, giving him a taste of his own medicine, kiss my way upward.

I love the hairs on his calves, and I love his knees. I lick the back of one, and Edward shudders, so I do the same to the other one.

Hard, muscular thighs tempt me for a tiny bite. My hands on his hips, I move higher toward my prize.

He's perfect.

Large and pink, thick veins protruding, moisture glistening at the head. I put a small kiss on him, and Edward hisses.

"Okay," he pants in a strained voice. "This is so not going to work."

"What is it?" I swiftly crawl higher until I'm at his side, facing him.

Edward has his eyes closed, wearing an expression of intense concentration.

"Edward? Did I…"

"Sorry." He opens his eyes. "I'm sorry." He smiles wanly and kisses me. "Give me a minute, okay? Because, if you do anything else right now, I'm going to blow my load immediately." He swallows, still trying to rein in his breathing. "You're way too sexy, baby…" He turns to his side and faces me. His hair is all over the place, slightly sticking to his forehead from sweating.

His eyes are tender as he speaks. "I can't…" He swallows. "I can't stop thinking of… making you pregnant… And that thought is so sexy…" He kisses me. "So erotic…"

Winding my arm around his waist, I kiss his throat.

"I love you so much. So much."

"And I love you," he whispers into my hair. I have my eyes closed, so I'm not expecting it when he starts to tease my nipple with two wet fingers until I'm sighing with desire. He gently moves me to my back and slides between my thighs so I can feel him, hard and ready.

We moan simultaneously when he enters me, feeling complete again. He doesn't move for a few moments, and we simply look at each other. I have never felt closer to any human being.

Edward begins to move slowly and I wrap my legs around his thighs. I hold him, watching his face, open and beautiful as he pushes into me. I love his weight on me, and the sounds we make together. I love the sloppy kisses we share, and the way he keeps whispering to me.

I can tell when he's getting close by the way his eyebrow twitches up, He thrusts into me deeply and forcefully and I know I'm going to come again.

"Bella… Oh… Yes…"

He hooks his arm under my thigh, driving into me even deeper until it pushes me over the edge and I explode around him, crying out. A second later, he stills and I can see sweet fulfillment wash over his face. It's incredibly sexy and intimate to see him like this.

Giving two more light thrusts, his whole body relaxes.

"Oh God…" He kisses me and I can feel his heartbeat, fast and strong. His lips are hot and sweet and salty and his smile is pure bliss.

"I love you." He puts his head on my shoulder, his hand covering my breast.

"And I love you."

Our breaths slow down and I pepper Edward's hair and forehead with kisses. He makes soft noises that convey how much he enjoys what I'm doing.

"'s my head too heavy?" he murmurs, sounding sleepy.

"No." I stroke the back of his neck.

"Huh," he chuckles. "Winnie the Pooh. How did you come up with that?"

"When you read it to me the other night," I say, "I realized I wanted you to read it to our kids one day."

"I'm so happy, Bella. You make me so happy."

He moves to relieve me of his weight, laying his head on my breast. He intertwines our fingers and we both watch our hands as they play with each other.

"Are you really sure?" Edward asks.

"Yes." I kiss the back of his hand. "I know it may feel sudden, but the therapy sessions with Dr. Banner have been very enlightening. Yes. I want this." I smile. "Just imagine a little boy with green eyes…"

"Or a tiny girl with dark eyes…" He kisses my breast.

We're silent for a while, and I almost think he's fallen asleep when his voice rumbles softly against my chest.

"What about your medication?"

"I've spoken to Dr. Banner. She recommended I switch to a different antidepressant, with a lower dosage. Studies have shown there still might be a risk of babies being born prematurely, but there's no way of telling anything for sure. "

"I'm so proud of you, my little lamb." He props himself up on his elbow so he can look at me. "But why didn't you tell me you were thinking about this?"

His voice is low, his eyes hooded.

"I… I wasn't sure…" I sigh, because I don't want to make him sad. "I wanted to gain a little more knowledge first. We should probably go and talk to Dr. Banner together before… before anything happens." I swallow.

"Yeah," Edward rasps, and the mere thought of "anything happening" again puts a sparkle in his eyes. "We have all the time in the world, baby…" He kisses me softly, his lips worshipping mine, his hand cradling my face.

"I love you," he whispers against my mouth. "You cannot imagine how happy you've made me today."

"I love you," I reply.

Edward kisses me again, and it's so loving and tender that I want to melt into him. I hook my leg around his waist, wanting to be as close as possible.

"Mmm," he sighs, and while his palm moves over my breast again, I can feel him grow hard by my hip once more.

"Ungh," is the sound that escapes my mouth when his fingers lightly tweak my nipple, the sensation shooting directly to my groin.

"If we want to get this right," he murmurs, licking over my earlobe, "we need to practice, don't you think?"

"Ah," I reply, running my nails down his back.

Our lovemaking is slow and lazy this time, and when we come, we're so close, looking at each other, drowning in our very own rapture.

"I love you," I murmur once again before I turn around in Edward's arms so he can spoon me.

"The bedroom door's still open. That means Cedric will join us at some point."

"I don't mind," I yawn. "I'm only surprised he didn't want to partake earlier."

Edward kisses my neck and puts his palm on its usual possessive place on my breast for a few moments, and then groans.

"What?" I murmur.

"I think I know why. I'll bet he had a party downstairs with our dessert. I put it on the dinner table before I came looking for you."

"Oh… Damn."

We both laugh softly.

"What was it anyway?"

"Pannacotta."

"Which is basically just cooked cream, right?"

"Yep," Edward replies, chuckling.

I'm still smiling when I fall asleep shortly after that.

======oOo=====

EDWARD

I'm scrubbing my hands after a five-hour bypass operation on a three-hundred-pound man. It's after nine, and I've been awake for sixteen hours. By the time I get to Rose and Emmett's, Thanksgiving dinner will be over and the kids will be in bed.

I arrive there almost an hour later, feeling tired and hungry as I make my way to their brownstone. My sister greets me with a hug and a kiss.

"Rose. I'm so sorry I couldn't make it earlier."

"It's okay, Edward," she smiles. She looks as beautiful as ever, even with the tiny wrinkles around her large blue eyes.

She takes my coat and puts it on a hanger.

"Bella told us that it wouldn't make sense to wait for you since you might be held up indefinitely." She shrugs. She's used to a tight schedule; both she and Emmett often work overtime. In addition to that, it's the way we grew up: Our dad was always at the hospital, missing dinners and events.

I never wanted to be like that.

"Yeah," I sigh. "We had a five-hour surgery on –"

"Edward! Edward!"

I'm interrupted by Lily, who comes bustling into the hallway.

"Lily, sweetie!" I catch her and swing her around, making her squeal adorably. "I didn't think I'd get to see you!"

"Well," says Rose, "she begged us to let her wait up for you. There's no school tomorrow, so I allowed her to stay up until ten – which means ten more minutes," she adds sternly, addressing her daughter, who is already in her pajamas.

Settling the eight-year-old girl on my hip, I follow Rose into the living room, where the rest of the family is relaxing after dinner. I greet everyone, feeling really shitty for having missed dinner.

"I'm so sorry," I say, hugging Mom, "But I just couldn't get out…"

"Don't I know it," she sighs. After all, it was she who suffered the most from Carlisle's absences, having three small children and her own career on her hands.

"It's okay, darling," she says, stroking my cheek. "You look tired, Edward."

I shrug.

"Are you hungry?" asks Rose once I've said hello to everyone.

"Starving," I admit.

"Sit down. I'll get you a piece of turkey."

Thanking my sister, I take a seat next to Bella and kiss her.

"Hi, baby."

"Hey," she smiles. She looks radiant, with luminous dark eyes and shiny mahogany curls.

Lily climbs into my lap and begins to play with my tie. It's homey and warm, and I feel myself slowly begin to relax after a grueling day. Bella's hand is on my knee, her thumb rubbing soothing circles.

Alice and Jasper are sitting across from us in the loveseat, and I'm surprised to see my sister's face wearing a frown, which is totally out of character for the normally chipper and lively pixie.

Emmett and Dale are in the corner of the room with a laptop, laughing about something. Dale has lost the awkwardness of boyhood and is looking more like his father all the time. He's as tall as Emmett and becoming rather bulky as well. Since he decided to take the medical course as well, he's always full of questions, and I'm sure he will grill me later on, just like he does at every family gathering.

Rose arrives with a plate full of food and I tuck in happily while my father asks for details of the operation.

"Oh, Carlisle," Mom scolds. "Let the poor boy eat!"

I say nothing and devour my dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, gravy, and Esme's famous pumpkin bread.

"It's delicious," is the only thing I mumble for the next ten minutes. Everybody takes up the conversation, and the room is filled with chatter and laughter. Alice and Bella talk about Alice's spring line, while Jasper tells my parents about his trip to Texas to do research on his latest book, and also to see his family.

Alice throws him a strange look somewhere along the line, and I dearly hope that there's no trouble in paradise.

Emmett comes over to take Lily to bed, but she's busy braiding my hair, and it takes Em quite some time to get his little girl to abandon the task. I kiss her cheeks and promise to visit soon.

"Or you can come and spend a night at our place," I suggest.

"Really?" Her blue eyes grow even larger.

"Sure," I say, looking at Bella. I hope this is okay with her, but the smile she gives me in return is very sincere, if a little intimidated.

"Give your little sister a good-night-kiss for me," she says, squeezing my leg and putting a smacking kiss on our niece's cheek.

As expected, it feels a little anticlimactic after that. Rose asks me if I want some wine but I decline. I'm tired, and I still need to drive home. I finally answer Dad's questions about the surgery I performed, and he gives me his professional opinion. I have a good mind to tell him that the patient does not suffer from a neurological condition, but Bella's hand on my thigh steadies me and I smile and stay silent. Dale joins our conversation, which gives it a little life after all. He has his father's dimples and his mother's eyes. I'm sure he's breaking a lot of hearts.

Emmett needs to head to bed, having to take an early flight the next morning. The Mets don't care whether this is a long weekend or not. Jasper calls a cab for him and Alice. Mom and Dad will be staying the night.

Everyone is getting ready to leave in the foyer, putting on their coats and scarves. Before she can follow the others, I put my hand on Mom's arm.

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear?" She looks up at me, her green eyes warm and loving.

"Do you remember the Winnie the Pooh I had as a kid?"

"Of course! Maggie and Liam gave it to you for your christening."

"Is it still around?" I ask, lowering my voice.

"Sure. It must be in the attic. Why are you asking?"

I shrug, but can't help a big grin spreading over my face.

"I just told Bella about it the other day, and I wanted to show it to her."

Esme smiles indulgently.

"I'll look for it." She hugs me and kisses my cheek, then laughs.

"What?"

"You have three little braids in your hair, Edward." She chuckles and kisses me again. "Drive safely, dear."

Bella puts her hand on my thigh once we're in the Volvo.

"You're tired, baby," she says. "Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"I have to go in for a few hours in the afternoon," I say, covering her hand with mine. "But Saturday and Sunday, I'm all yours."

"Mmm, I love the sound of that." She strokes my thumb, and I yawn.

"Sorry…"

"You know what? Once we're home, I'll give you a massage. What do you say?"

"That would be heaven," I reply.

My phone beeps with an incoming message.

"Oh, fuck," I mutter. "Can you get it out and read it for me, love? It's in my right pocket."

Bella fumbles through my pocket and digs out my cell.

"Edward,justtoletyouknow," she reads. "Angelajusthadahealthyboy.We'reoverjoyed.Ben."

I gasp. "Wow, that's great."

I turn into our street.

"Yes," Bella says, and I can hear the smile in her voice. "Is she at Lenox Hill?"

"Uh-huh," I reply. "I suppose Victoria delivered the baby."

"Oh."

"If you want, and if Ang is up to it, you might come over when I finish tomorrow, and we could visit. What do you think?"

"I'd love that."

Watching Bella the next afternoon as she shyly, carefully touches the tiny infant's cheek while it sleeps peacefully in Angela's arms, moves me to the core.

I can't wait for that to be us.

ooOoOoOoOoOoo

A/N:

Thank you for reading. I hope the outcome was worth the wait, LOL.

So if you liked it, why not let me know through a review? Because, seriously, each and every one makes me very happy.

Next chapter will be up in about a week.

xoxo

harperpitt