So apologies for the delay... between the holidays and the fact that I was blocked for over two weeks, this chapter was slow coming. I hope I'm past the writer's block, because having an entire chapter brainstormed with Stratan and sitting in my head, only to not be able to write any of it, is awful.

Speaking of the beta dude, thanks as always. I feel like a dork saying it every chapter since this fic has pretty much been all his idea from the beginning (I'm just the one executing it and adding my two cents as we go along), but I think I would feel even worse not saying it. Not to mention, he'd kick my ass. JS ;)

I'm getting ready to write an outtake in Rosalie's POV that will detail some of her time away for Fandom Against Domestic Violence. I thought given her human life it was fitting, and luckily, Stratan liked my idea for it. If you're interested in getting it before I can post it on FFn, here's the link to donate and get the compilation:

http:/ fandomagainstdomesticviolence(dot) blogspot (dot) com

Also, thewaywardgirl made a blinkie for this fic, and it's great! Check it out on her blog: http:/waywardgirl-ff (dot) blogspot(dot) com/

Chapter 10

Bella

"I don't think I've told you yet, Bells," Charlie started, clearing his throat nervously, "but you look wonderful."

I felt the color rise to my cheeks and glanced away. "Thanks, Dad."

He slowly spun me around on the dance floor in a small circle, trying his best to fulfill his father-daughter dance duty. It was anything but the graceful dancing Edward and Esme were doing around us.

"They're not really fooling anyone, you know," he whispered gruffly as he nearly stepped on my toe. I managed to jerk it back just in time to avoid pretending like I'd need to limp away after he did. "Dancing like that? Dead giveaway."

I giggled. "Only because you know what to look for."

He smiled back awkwardly. "You're happy, aren't you, with this life you've found yourself in?"

"Very," I affirmed.

"Okay."

"Are you okay?" The baby started to kick, so I backed a little further away from Charlie. I knew he wasn't completely adjusted to the fact that Edward and I would have a baby that was likely to be born in the next couple of weeks. Even I wasn't completely adjusted to it. There was so much to do beforehand… Two weeks gave us almost no time to prepare, which made me suddenly and extremely grateful for Alice's immense shopping knowledge.

"Yeah," he said reluctantly as he stared down at me uncomfortably. His eyes darted down toward my midsection then moved right back up to my face. I waited for him to say something, but like he had done since I'd told him I was pregnant, he avoided the subject.

I'd always thought his eyes were identical to mine, but now I could see the gold and cinnamon flecks they had in them. Mine were so dark, like pure chocolate, but not quite the onyx color of Jacob and Billy's. It was strange that I could only see the difference now that I knew of my heritage and not before. My vision had been clouded by a story of what my life should have been, but wasn't.

And I was finally okay with that. I still had Charlie, Renee, and my same friends. But now I had more. I had a husband, a brother, and would have a baby soon… things I never really pictured for myself. I had a new kind of family with the tribe and the pack. Once their initial shock over the baby had passed, they were all—with the exception of Paul—accepting of the situation. Edward and I were imprinted; there was no changing that. Now it was just a game of wait and see. Everyone was looking for information about the baby, of whether he'd be wolf, vampire, or as Edward had said, a hybrid. I was simply curious as to what gift he'd have, if any. His father was a fairly powerful mind reader. I had the ability to block my thoughts from the pack; something that I'd recently realized had nothing to do with being the product of an imprint or the daughter of the chief, and probably everything to do with the vampire venom that had lain dormant for so long.

Questions arose now that we knew about my genetic makeup. Billy had been on to something: how much of what the tribe had been taught about the Cold Ones was true and what was written out of fear? We'd always assumed that vampire venom was poisonous to our kind when, in fact, it was proving to do the complete opposite. I benefited from it when in human form, and this baby proved that we were more like vampires than they'd thought. We were compatible; not the enemies that we'd spent so many years believing.

It was terrifying and intriguing for them, all at once.

I pulled myself out of it so I could listen to him. "Sue's helped me deal with it all. Otherwise, I think I might have snapped when you told me that a va-" He glanced around as he broke off and smiled. "Well, anyway, it's fast. I always thought I'd have time to work through it. You'd finish college before you got engaged. Plan the wedding, have your honeymoon… then work on the family."

"I'm sorry," I said for what felt like the hundredth time in the span of only a few weeks. "I didn't ask for all of this, but I can't picture anything else. Anyone else."

"I wish I could say that I know what you mean, but I honestly don't think I do. I see it, but I can't imagine how it feels."

"It's…" My eyes found Edward's, and I immediately smiled. They were warm and buttery, full of adoration. It was all I could do not to disengage myself from Charlie and run over to him.

"It's better than anything I could've asked for," I finally said, tearing my gaze away from Edward's.

He looked over his shoulder and laughed once he saw Edward standing in the distance, seeing exactly what it was I was smiling at. "Good."

We didn't talk anymore as we continued to dance. It was just my dad and I; no one else existed, with the exception of Edward. I always knew where he was. I could feel him, even when he was out of sight. The imprint seemed to anchor me to him at all times, but I knew the urge to be with him was simpler than that tonight. It was nothing more than me wanting to share this event with my husband.

The dance ended and Edward suddenly appeared at our side. "I'll take her off your hands now, Charlie," he said, holding his hand out and fighting a smile at my questioning look. For someone so adamant about keeping "his kind" a secret, he'd gotten over here awfully quick…

I took his cool hand and stood on my toes to press a kiss to Charlie's scruffy cheek. "I love you," I whispered.

He blinked a few times as he tried to keep his composure. "I love you," he finally managed to say back.

"Well, that was fast," I said to Edward, arching my brow.

He grinned crookedly and enveloped me in his arms. He looked so… happy. It was a simple description of what we felt, but no less true. "No one saw."

I laughed as Edward spun me away from where my father was retreating back to the table where Sue and a few other members of the tribe sat. Leah glared over at me as soon as he sat down.

My mouth nearly dropped open at the hatred that blazed in her eyes.

"It's not directed at you," Edward said soothingly. His hand moved down my back slightly. "She's unhappy with everything."

"Oh." Nothing else needed to be said. Sam breaking up with Leah after he imprinted on Emily wasn't a secret in the pack. In fact, we all got the pleasure of feeling his guilt at some point. "Isn't there anything someone can do?"

"Short of making her forget about her father and Sam?" He shook his head. "Not at the moment, no."

"That's too bad," I replied sadly.

He nodded once, and then changed the subject. "How are you two doing?"

"We're okay. I'm beginning to get a little tired, though," I admitted.

"I'd imagine so." He held me closer to him and managed to keep our steps moving fluidly, regardless of our close proximity. His hand moved even further down my back, stopping just at the swell of my bottom. Every inch of his body was pressed against mine, causing desire to slowly unravel inside me. The affect he had on me was amazing. Everything could shift with just a look or touch.

I tipped my head up to see him and ran my fingers through his hair, just so I could feel the silken strands. His eyes snapped to mine, darkening as he licked his lips in anticipation. I desperately wanted him to kiss me, to take me under him and seal our bond even further, in the usual, human way.

He slowed his steps, and his lips inched toward mine. His cool breath ghosted across my face… And then all at once, he snapped out of it. "We should go," he said huskily.

I blinked and blew out a shaky breath. "Can we?"

"You've been fed, I've forced cake down my throat, we've shared our first dance… Yes, I think we can, love. If we don't, I…"

I swallowed hard. "Yeah. Yeah, definitely." The need for him drummed through me, and I realized that I could strip him down right here where we were dancing in front of all of our guests and wouldn't care who watched.

Talk about inappropriate.

We quickly made our way around the room and let everyone know that we were leaving. Getting to the house to spend some time alone was suddenly all I could think about, and Jacob wound up snapping his fingers in front of my face since I was doing such a poor job of paying attention to what he was saying to me.

"Bella!" he shouted, laughing loudly. "Hello, you in there?"

"I'm here." I pushed his hand away with a blush. "Sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked if you were going to be at the training session on Friday."

"Oh." I glanced over at Edward, who nodded, even though he was in the middle of a conversation with Carlisle. "Seems that way. I'll just be watching, though, since I can't phase and all."

"You can still learn some by watching," Jasper interjected. "I'll make sure of it."

"Yeah, and I'll sit on the sidelines and keep you company so Edward can get some practice in," Jacob continued. "We can all rotate until the baby comes and you're feeling better or something."

Words failed me. They'd all done so much in the last few days to keep the town protected at my expense. I wasn't sure how I'd ever repay them, Jasper, Jacob, and Sam, especially.

"Thanks," I finally managed. "You've had to stop everything because of me-"

True to form, Jacob rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Bella. We might all be tired, but it's worth it. This is the most excitement I've seen since you first phased. I mean, we can't really use our skills on your husband…"

I reached out to slap his arm. "You most certainly cannot."

He flinched slightly before he snickered. "Exactly. So we're learning what we're capable of and seeing what your vamps are capable of firsthand. It's a good thing, Bells. Don't act like you've put us all out."

"Jacob's right. It's been very…" Jasper smirked at Jacob, "educational."

I gave up on the conversation and nodded. My guilt wasn't going to go away, and they weren't going to change their minds. It was useless to keep talking about it.

The ride home was mercifully short, thanks to Edward's insane driving. I simply sat there with my hands clutching the seat as he wound down the road. I knew, realistically, he'd never do anything to hurt me. His reflexes were astoundingly sharp and quick. You'd think that since I had experience with it that it would quell my fear, but my heart still raced every time he rounded a curve sharply or got the Volvo going as fast as it could go. Maybe that part of my human life would always linger, another thing I was perfectly fine with. It made me feel less like the freak I'd proclaimed to be so many times before.

I was definitely going to keep that to myself, though. Edward hated it when I talked like that, and I was working hard not to. I might still be adjusting to everything, but I was happy. There was no reason to point out what I was self-conscious about; I did enough of that to him when I was just a human.

I stepped out of the car and took in a deep breath, glancing over at Edward waiting for me at the door.

"It's so quiet," I said with a smile, realizing just how alone we were. "I've only heard it like this once before. There's always something going on since no one around here sleeps but me."

"You mean when we were gone?"

I nodded. It wasn't painful to talk about like it was before. Just like I'd told Jasper, I truly felt that we needed that time apart to come to terms with what we were to each other. If he'd have been here when I first phased, and then we imprinted, there was no guarantee that we'd be here—in a wedding dress and tuxedo—today. He could have still left, and I knew my heart wouldn't have been able to take like it had before. Every feeling and thought that revolved around Edward was so much more powerful now. Just the thought of never seeing Edward again… It made me infinitely more amazed of Billy and Renee's determination to live their lives apart.

He flashed a mischievous smile. "We're all alone until tomorrow morning."

"No kidding?" I asked in surprise. A few hours, sure. But the whole night?

"Everyone plans to give us as much privacy as possible. They'll go hunting up north after they've helped clean up at the Clearwater's. It'll be an all night trip."

I stood there and watched him lithely move closer to me, almost as if he was stalking me. My heart sprinted, and my breathing quickened with the sight.

He cocked his head to the side with the sound. "Anxious, are we?" he murmured, reaching out to stroke my cheek. A trail of icy heat was left in its wake, and I nearly moaned with the feel of that heat blooming throughout my entire body.

"Maybe," I answered unconvincingly as I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch. His fingers skimmed along the line of my neck, pausing at the pulse point there, and then dipped below the flimsy strap of my gown. I shivered as they moved down toward my breasts, biting down on my lip and bringing myself even closer to him.

"We should go inside," he said roughly, slowly pulling his hand away.

I almost whimpered. "I'd rather not."

His brows shot up, and he abruptly scooped me up into his arms. "I'm not making love to you out here. Not for the first time as your husband."

I laughed and let my head fall to his shoulder as he darted through the door and up the steps to our bedroom, turning on the bedside lamp on his way by. "That's too bad," I joked.

He gently laid me down on the bed and hovered over me. "We have all night for that. So long as you're not too tired, that is. You're not tired, are you?"

He looked so worried, staring down at me, so I smiled reassuringly up at him. "I'm not too tired. I might collapse with exhaustion afterwards, but I'm fine right now."

"Yeah?"

"Yes," I breathed, grabbing the back of his neck and bringing his lips to mine.

I could feel his smile as my lips shaped themselves around his, soft against hard. I relished the way he tasted and the way his hands felt touching me as they snaked further and further down my leg until he had the hem of my dress up at my waist and had hitched my leg around his hip.

I groaned when his hips ground into mine and started grabbing at his clothes, suddenly needing to feel his smooth skin sliding with mine. He was everywhere, surrounding me, consuming me—so much that I wasn't even aware of the sound of the zipper of my dress echoing throughout the silent room until I felt the whisper of cool air against my skin as he slid the fabric down away from me.

His black eyes roamed my body in a heady mixture of greed and awe, stopping just at the swell of my stomach. He bent down and placed a reverent kiss there, one that nearly brought me to tears. My chest was heavy with emotion… so heavy I felt like I couldn't breathe with the extent of it. We were a family. It was like the weight of the word was finally registering.

I needed to lighten things up a bit before my hormones got the best of me.

"You're still dressed," I pouted, pulling his crisp, white button up shirt out from his pants.

He grinned. "That can easily be fixed, you know."

With a quick flurry of movement above me, Edward undressed himself. When he was completely naked, he grabbed the side of my panties and in one fluid motion, ripped them off of me, using his other hand to stroke me, moaning when he felt my body readying itself for him.

I squirmed beneath him while he touched me, trying so hard to keep focus and reciprocate, but his hands were so fast… so skilled, I barely had the cognizance to bring my hand down and wrap it around him.

And then unexpectedly, I fell apart at his hand, making that ridiculous sounding purr sound and incoherently calling his name as I came. When I resurfaced, I found him buried in between my breasts, kneading, licking…

"They're bigger," he stated against my skin. "So is he."

"Since the wedding?"

He nodded and moved up my body, wrapping my leg around his waist just before he sank into me.

"Oh, God," I whispered, clawing at his back. It did nothing to his impermeable skin, but I couldn't help myself. It just felt so good.

"You're beautiful," he ground out, doing his best to stay slow and keep control of his motions. He kissed me once before murmuring, "You're mine."

"Yours," I groaned into his mouth. I flexed my hips to meet his and dropped my hands to his waist, urging him to go faster.

"No." He grunted and clenched his jaw. "The baby… I can't…"

"He can handle it. He's like us."

He shook his head stubbornly, and then rolled us so that I was on top of him. I could feel my orgasm building, starting low in my stomach and shimmering outwards. I braced myself on his chest and moved on top of him; circling my hips as I came down and watching him get closer to his climax with every slight thrust of his hips. For the first time since we'd imprinted, there was nothing but us. There were no potential interruptions, no escapes into the woods for some time alone, or vampires trying to occupy themselves with mindless things so that they didn't hear us.

It was unbelievably freeing; it didn't take either of us long to come.

Nor were we quiet.

I snuggled up next to Edward and placed a kiss on his chest. I wanted to stay awake and shower—have a few more rounds of sex with my new husband—but I couldn't keep my eyes open, which made me want to cry. It was our wedding night. We were supposed to be stupid with exhaustion in the morning.

Well, I was, anyway.

Edward tightened his hold on me and chuckled. "Go to sleep."

"But it's our wedding night," I protested with a yawn.

"And you're exhausted. Sleep, baby. I can have my way with you whenever I want for… ever," he replied with a smirk. "You won't always be this tired."

"Sex in the garage…"

His laugh deepened. "The garage isn't going anywhere, either. I promise."

He pulled the blanket over me and reached out to turn off the lamp, lightly humming my lullaby as soon as the room went dark.

I was asleep before he could finish it.

Edward

"Are you busy?"

Bella popped a chip in her mouth. "Does it look like I'm busy?" she returned playfully.

"It looks like you're eating… again," I answered, sitting beside her.

"I'm always hungry." With the use of my hands to get some leverage, she shifted her body awkwardly on the couch so that her legs hung across my lap. "I can't help it. He's part wolf, remember?"

I placed my hand over the baby and nodded. If she wasn't sleeping, she was eating. It was an endless cycle, almost predictable even. We could see when he was growing; once a day, usually at dinner, Bella would gorge on some absurdly large meal, and then fall into a deep sleep, not stirring for hours. Then, the cycle would start all over again. It helped Carlisle and I keep track of the baby's progress, and since we couldn't see a picture of him on Bella's daily ultrasounds, it helped to ease everyone's minds. As long as he was growing, he was thriving. It was all we could ask for at this point.

The baby moved, twisting and unfurling his limbs under my hand as he registered my voice. His growth seemed to have accelerated a little more than Carlisle predicted, but he was strong, strong enough to occasionally make Bella wince when he kicked, and incredibly smart. It wouldn't be long now… days, at the most, maybe. And then we'd be parents.

It was still unbelievable to me.

He wasn't silent to me like his mother was. Hearing his thoughts had only come about recently, and it had been the most unexpected and astonishing experience of all my years. There was no voice, no picture of what he was thinking of. Just an abrupt explosion of the bits and pieces of he'd heard from us, and love. Nothing but pure, immeasurable love for Bella and me that made Jasper gasp the first time he felt it, and the distinct sound of happiness coloring every one of his subsequent thoughts. He grew excited when Bella and I spoke to him. His mental capacity was enough that he knew that Bella and I were his parents, and also the relationship he had with each family member. He liked to listen to Jacob recount some of the tribe's many stories, he adored Alice and Esme already, and I knew that the second he was physically capable of it, he'd be laughing at whatever joke or goofy expression Emmett would be making.

He was already an integral part of our family, and he hadn't even been born yet.

"We need a name," I said abruptly, changing the subject. "We haven't come up with one yet." It felt wrong to keep referring to him as "the baby", especially since he understood us.

She munched on another chip as she thought about it. "Cal," she said definitively.

"Cal?"

"Um-hmm. Cal. Short for Caleb."

"What if it's a girl?"

"Then we're screwed," she laughed. "I can't think of anything for a girl. Can you?"

"No," I admitted.

"I don't think he's a girl, though." She patted her ever-expanding stomach and yawned. "He's our Cal. Aren't you, baby?" she cooed.

"Hmm." I liked it. A lot. I moved my hand so that it rested on top of hers and listened to the baby's thoughts. "Cal's good. He even likes it."

"Well, that was easy," she said, surprised.

"It was," I agreed. "I just hope you're right about him being a boy so that we're not scrambling for another name when he's born."

"I am," she said confidently. "You'll see. Is this what you wanted? To talk about the baby's name?"

I shook my head. "I need your help with an… experiment of sorts." It was a partial truth. Alice and I simply needed her out of the main house to show her the surprise we'd all spent the last few days working on for her. Bella was usually not a fan of surprises; however, I had a feeling that this specific baby gift would be well received.

Her brow furrowed. "An experiment?"

"It requires you to get up, though," I teased.

"I'll get up," she protested, yawning again. "Maybe."

I chuckled. "So I was thinking about your DNA…" I started, awaiting her reaction. She just stared wide-eyed up at me, so I continued. "And the reaction that you had to Riley's scent inside Charlie's house."

I could see the wheels turning. "You think they're connected?"

"Carlisle and I debated it, yes, and we've come up with a theory. Would you like to hear it?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yeah. Of course I do."

"We think my—well, Carlisle's—venom has something to do with that. You see, everyone in this house was changed by Carlisle, with the exception of Alice and Jasper. His mark was made on all of us when he changed us. And since a little of my venom was left behind, and I'm your mate-"

"None of you would have that same bleach-y smell to you that Riley had."

"Bleach-y?" I asked, taken a bit aback by her description. None of the other wolves had ever used that term to describe it. They simply recoiled with the burn our scent caused.

She shuddered at the memory. "That's the only way I can describe it. It was such a sickly sweet smell. It burned like bleach does when it's accidentally inhaled."

"Well, in any case, since Alice and Jasper weren't changed by Carlisle, we wanted to see if they smelled any different away from the house and the rest of the family." This theory had to be right. It was the only explanation for why we didn't smell revolting to Bella and vice versa.

"Okay. When?"

"Now, if you're up to it."

She swung her legs around and heaved herself off of the couch. "I'm up to it."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

I led her out to where Jasper and Alice were waiting for us. Alice took one look at Bella, waddling in her black sweatpants and oversized UDub shirt, and sighed.

"Bella, I really wish you'd have let me buy something for you to wear. You look… awful."

"Gee, thanks," Bella said sarcastically. "Just what every hugely pregnant girl wants to hear."

Alice scrunched up her nose. "That's not what I meant and you know it. You could be so cute right now, though." She reached out and tapped the peak of Bella's stomach, still a little unnerved by the fact that she could see nothing about the baby or his future.

Her eyes darted over to me, and she quickly started reciting the last song she'd heard on the radio in her mind so she didn't scare me. What she didn't know was that I understood her anxiousness, in more ways than she realized.

"Think of all the cute clothes you can buy the baby soon," Bella said with a grin. "And I know you will."

"Yes, I will," Alice answered shamelessly. "So do we smell any different to you?"

Bella stepped forward and breathed in the air around Alice first then repeated the process with Jasper. "Nope. You smell like you always do. It's nice, actually. Similar to Edward."

"She's too close to the house," I murmured, giving Jasper a pointed look.

Jasper nodded. "Ah. Okay, Bella. Alice and I are going to go out into the woods and wait. Edward will bring you to us and we'll try it again away from the house."

They were gone before Bella could respond.

"Wait, what did he mean by you bringing me to them?" she asked, looking up at me uncertainly.

"I'd planned to carry you."

"I'm perfectly capable of walking, thank you."

I gave her a once over, narrowing my eyes at her bulging stomach. "There's no way you're walking ten miles out into the woods like that. You could wind up going into labor." Or falling. Or any of the other horrifying scenarios flashing through my head.

"But-" She cut herself off when she saw how unwavering I was on this. "Ugh, fine. Carry me."

I picked her up so I was cradling her and waited until she was settled against me before I started away from the house.

As soon as Alice and Jasper were in our sight again, I put Bella down and let her walk the rest of the way, watching her maneuver her way through the fallen trees and underbrush of the forest worriedly. I knew that I was being a little irrational about it. Bella wasn't her clumsy, human self anymore. But at the moment, there were two people trapped in her one body that meant more to me than anything I could have ever known. Worrying over them seemed to just come naturally.

"What about now?" Jasper inquired, coming toward us.

Bella stopped and breathed in the air around them. Her eyes widened dramatically just before she shouted, "Oh, my God, you're right, baby. They do smell different!"

Her hand shot up to the point of her stomach where the baby kicked and rubbed the spot soothingly.

"You startled him," I laughed.

She grinned back. "I noticed."

"So how do we smell different?" Alice asked. "It must not be too bad; you're not acting like the other pack members do."

"It's not," she answered. "I… I'm not exactly sure how to explain it. You still smell like everyone else in the house, but out here, I can tell that you don't share the same venom they do, I guess. I think if you stayed away from everyone for a while, you'd be like every other vampire to me. You'd stink."

"Good to know we can't take a vacation without affecting your olfactory senses, Bella," Jasper said with a wry grin.

"Um, sorry?" she giggled. "Is that what you want from me?"

"Well, it helps," he joked back.

Alice and I smiled at their banter. It seemed like every day, Bella and Jasper's relationship grew closer.

"Okay, if we're done, you can take me back to the house. I think Cal and I need a nap," Bella suddenly said.

Her brown eyes stared up at me beseechingly, and I reached out and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "What if you took a nap somewhere else?" I murmured cryptically.

"What?" Bella asked, looking completely bewildered. "Where else would I take a nap at? On the reservation? Is Victoria coming or something?" she nearly screeched.

This was not going as planned. "No, love. Nothing like that."

"Then what?"

"Oh, for God's sake, Edward," Alice thought in annoyance. "Just lead her out into the clearing before she has that baby out here in the woods."

I shot her a look but verbally ignored her. "We have a surprise for you… for the baby," I said to Bella. "In that clearing over there."

"There's a clearing?" she returned, turning to face the direction that I was pointing in.

"There is. It's in walking distance," I told her, grinning crookedly. "I won't have to carry you to it."

"A surprise? Really?" She narrowed her eyes and huffed irritably, but I knew her interest was more than piqued. "I hate you all."

I chuckled and followed her as she made her way to the clearing. The moment she stepped out of the woods and saw the small, stone cabin standing alone, she gasped and brought her hand up to her mouth.

Her eyes were wide with disbelief and shining with tears as they darted around, taking in everything from the honeysuckle climbing the wall and the roses in the garden to the stones that led up to the arched, wooden door. Tears that I hoped were of happiness… but she was so still and shocked, I couldn't tell.

"Baby?" I chanced. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm…" She swallowed thickly and swiped at the tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'm wondering how you guys managed to do this in just a few days. I mean, I know you're fast and all, but how did you get everything here to build it in such a short amount of time?"

"It's always been here. Esme just needed an excuse to remodel. This was it. I suppose I could go into the mechanics of it, but I'd much rather show you inside. I can explain everything later."

She glanced behind us and frowned when she saw that Alice and Jasper had retreated back to the house. "Where did they go? You said everyone was involved."

"They thought that maybe you'd take the surprise a little better if it were just the two of us. No pressure. Everyone will talk to you tomorrow, if you want."

She laughed once and shook her head. "I'm that bad?"

"At times. This surprise isn't bad, though. You don't seem to mind it."

"How can I? You gave me a house!"

I made her face at her description. "It's not a house. A house requires more square footage. It's a cottage, at best."

She pointed her finger up at me warningly. "Don't knock my house."

My eyebrows shot up. "You like it."

She shook her head vehemently. "I love it."

I pulled her against me and tipped her head up so that I could kiss her. "Maybe you should see the inside before you say that."

She smiled warmly and opened her eyes as she stepped away. "Give me a tour?"

I handed her the iron key and watched her fingers close around it. "Open the door for us," I countered.

She hurried through the thick grass as best as she could and stopped just short of the door. She twisted around to see me and grinned giddily.

"Here goes." She slid the key into place and turned it just enough to hear the faint sound of the lock clicking as it unlatched.

She pushed the door open and started to walk inside, but I quickly yanked her up in my arms so fast, she squealed, "What are you doing?"

"Threshold, remember?" I said simply, grinning down at her.

"Oh." She seemed to have lost the ability to say anything more when we were finally inside the stone living room.

Esme had put so much thought into everything here, gathering pieces from the main house she knew Bella loved and bringing them here. It was eclectic, light, and warm. The color scheme resembled the main house, changed just enough to match the colors in the stone floors and walls and the exposed beams that hung overhead.

"So?"

She pushed against my chest, silently telling me to put her down. I immediately complied.

She gazed over at the driftwood fire flickering in the fireplace that Jacob had obviously lit for her. "It's perfect."

"You've not seen it all yet," I reminded her.

"I don't need to see it all to know it's perfect."

She had no idea how happy everyone—Esme especially—would be when they heard how much she loved the cabin.

I managed to lead her away from the plush, leather chair that sat next to the fire and into the kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom, and the enormous closet Alice had designed for us before showing her what would eventually be Cal's room.

"They didn't do much to it," I told her, wrapping my arms around her and laying them over the baby. "They wanted you to be involved in it." They'd simply painted the walls to match the rest of the house, laid down pale, hardwood floor, and purchase the wrought iron crib Bella had her eye on. Bella was to pick out the bedding and change the paint color to match, if she wanted.

"It's…" She stopped and let her hand trace over the crib. "How did I get so lucky?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm lucky, Edward. It's as simple as that."

I bent down and kissed her temple, feeling her body melt against mine. "I'm the lucky one," I argued futilely. "You could have told me to take a hike when I came back."

She shook her head against my chest and turned around to face me. I may not have been able to read her mind, but I could see how everything I was feeling was mirrored there in her eyes.

"Never," she finally whispered. "I… love you."

I smiled at the uncertainty in her words. "They're not enough, are they? Those three words?"

"Not even close."

I brought her lips to mine, letting myself get lost in her warmth before speaking again.

"I love you too," I finally said back. "Always."