A/N: So we have them both thinking of marriage, but will they ever get around to it? That seems to be the question...Alex is going to be leaving us soon, sorry to say he has a life to return to....Bella is also going to finally tell Edward why she came after him...so enjoy the calm while you can, there are definately troubles brewing on the horizon...

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Chapter 10

Edward knew he needed to do more then just blurt out the words. Bella deserved more then that, especially after all he put her through. No one but Alice and Alex knew of his intensions and he was thankful for that as they drove home. He didn't need everyone throwing their opinions in his face. He wasn't ready for it and wanted nothing more then to figure it all out on his own. He wanted Bella to know before anyone else when he came home with Alex he was surprised to see her sitting outside waiting for them.

"Sis have fun running away?" Alex asked as he got out of the car and went over to her on the steps. Instead of answering right away she growled. "Again, not scary, now answer the question."

"I didn't run away."

"Right, you just walked out and didn't return right away." He said and shrugged. "Of course that's not running away.'

"How would you know? You weren't even here."

"Don't change the subject, me and Edward had some bonding to do. Lots to talk about it seems." He said and went in the house, before looking at Edward and nodding his head. Bella got up slowly from the steps, while Edward just leaned against his car. Bella wanted to ask what the look was with her brother, but didn't want to at that moment. She wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what. Neither knew what to say at first, so they just stared towards one another.

"Bella…" Edward finally started but Bella shook her head to stop him.

"Don't," she said and he leaned against his car. "I can't keep throwing thirty years ago in your face. You've explained and you've apologized and now you are forgiven. If we are going to have a future we need to let go of the past." She said and reached up to touch his cheek as they met in the middle of the house and the car. "I made mistakes too. I could have come after you, tried to find you. I knew enough about your history to try, but I didn't. Instead I shut myself out from the world, from everyone and I don't want to do that anymore. I don't want that misery anymore." She said and closed her eyes, leaning further into his touch. "With all that, I'll be damned if I let you go now. I love you and I need you. You're my other half, I know we aren't perfect and never will be. But I do know that, and I want you. Despite everything I want you." She said and he wrapped his arm around her back to pull her closer. "We start from today, no past, no ugliness. Just you and me, together and finding that thing that made us 'us' again." She said and he leaned into her.

"Really? We can really try?" He said and she nodded.

"Anything before right now doesn't matter, it's irrelevant." She said and he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"I love you too and I want to try more then anything. I know we can find it again, that peace that we use to give one another. And a new beginning sounds like just the thing we need." He said and she hugged him, resting her head on his chest. "They're waiting for us inside, and Alex is watching us from the window." He said and Bella pulled Edward closer, her lips a breath away from his.

"Let's give him a show." She whispered with a smile and he closed the distance. With that kiss the two finally found their peace with one another, if only for a moment.

Edward and Bella spent the next couple of days with one another. He helped her finished clearing out Charlie's old house and spent hours with her in the meadow talking. Alex was becoming just as close to the Cullen family as Bella was. He was sad to return to his life in Phoenix.

Edward had Alice distract Bella with a shopping trip, and tried to get everyone from the house but Esme and Carlisle. He needed to talk to Carlisle about the safe, and didn't want everyone around when he did it. They would all understand too quickly what it meant and he didn't really want everyone to know yet.

"Edward what do you need?" Carlisle finally asked as he heard Edward pacing outside of his office for almost an hour.

"I need to know where all our stuff is."

"What kind of stuff?"

"My mother's jewelry, I know it was in the safe here. But clearly it left the moment you guys did, and I need my mother's ring. I want to ask Bella to marry me, and I want to use it."

"Are you sure? I mean a week ago she was throwing you out a window and ripping you apart." He said, not even hiding the shock in his voice.

"Positive and Alice agrees with me. Bella is my future and we are better now. Marriage is done once, and I'll never not want Bella. I went last week with Alex to buy a ring, but they weren't Bella."

"Then Alex knows?"

"Of course, I couldn't ask Charlie so her brother seemed fitting enough. He gave his blessing, and he knows Bella will be happy with me, that I will take care of her."

"Ok, if you're sure." He said and Edward nodded. "Everything is up in Alaska, we were living there for a while near the Denali family. So they are watching over our things until we get back, which should be soon."

"So we could run up and get it?" Edward asked sounding hopeful for once and Carlisle nodded.

"We were planning to go back soon, Esme has been looking for a new house since we were discussing starting over. Maybe you and Bella will come with us?"

"I'll talk to her. I'm sure she doesn't want to be on her own with me, and I do miss everyone." He said and Carlisle smiled.

"Good, we've missed you."

"Maybe, I'll wait until we go to Alaska and ask her there. I know the perfect place." He said and started to smile as he thought of the mountains there and Carlisle nodded.

"Tell me when you two decide. But we wanted to leave soon, so let me know. I want to resign there and start working on plans for somewhere else for us all. Europe maybe?"

"Perfect, I know Bella would love it." He said and shared small talk with Carlisle both having a lot to catch up on.

Bella came into the house and could hear the faint whispering of Edward and Carlisle upstairs and Esme singing in the kitchen. She looked at Alice who just shrugged and went with Rosalie upstairs to put their new purchases down.

"She seem to be acting giddy to you?" Alex asked and Bella nodded.

"Ya, she's hiding something." She said and then heard Edward started down the stairs. "What is Alice up to?"

"No clue, she's counting in Hebrew." He said and came down to take her bags from her. "I'm sure she'll fess up soon enough." He said and she nodded as they went over to the couch to sit with Alex.

"You know, I thought Kristen was bad, but I think Alice might have her beat. She's like a hurricane, and insists on paying for everything. I tried to buy food and she nearly lost it." He said and Edward laughed.

"She doesn't let me pay for anything either." Bella said and Alex shrugged.

"Well I need to pack, I have to leave tomorrow to return to my life." He said and Bella hugged him.

"I don't want you to leave."

"Don't worry, I'll visit." He said and laughed as he seen Alice at the stairs.

"Sooner then you think, I have to meet your fiancé and help with wedding plans. Lord knows its been too long since I planned one." She said and returned to her room with Jasper.

"Ok, so it seems I will be back soon. So no worries. Besides, I know you two have a lot to go over. Excuse me, and I'll be upstairs packing." He said and Bella looked at Edward.

"What are you two keeping from me?" She said and Edward just stared at her.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he tried but she laughed.

"Ya, ok. Now you want to try for the truth."

"He was helping me on a surprise for you, and I don't want to ruin it. So please leave it alone?" He said and she nodded.

"Fine but you better be giving me this surprise soon."

"Promise," he said and pulled her into his arms. "I do need to talk to you." He said and she turned to face him. "I was talking to Carlisle, and the family is planning to return to Alaska to get things together before they move again. They want us to come with them, start over with them. Probably somewhere in Europe."

"I like that idea, I've never been to Europe. I don't have anything keeping me here, and Alex can keep in touch no matter where we are now that he understands a little better. But Alaska, why there?"

"That's where they were all living before we rushed here, and all our things are there with the Denali family, they are watching everything for us. We both have houses not far from one another." He said and felt her tense in his arms. "Hey what is it?" He said and lifted her chin to look at him.

"Nothing," she said and turned away from him. "I just can't believe I'm going to Europe. I've always wanted to go there and never thought I would be able to go." She said and he kissed her forehead.

"Now who's lying." He whispered in her ear. "You know you can tell me anything love."

"I don't want to go there," she whispered and he looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "Alice saw something and it was about you and Tanya." She said and he pulled her into a kiss.

"There is nothing to worry about, I haven't even been there in years. Nothing is going to pull me away from you, and we won't go if you don't want to." He said but she kissed him and shook her head.

"No I'm being ridiculous. I know you love me, I just…"

"What did Alice see sweetheart?" He said and felt her tense again and waited for her to be ready. Bella paused, unsure if she could say it herself.

"You married her," she said and went to move away from him but he held her tight against him, using all his strength for once. It was a ridiculous thought to him, he could never see himself marrying anyone but Bella, especially not Tanya.

"No, I would never…" he said but she shook her head. He was confused, he couldn't figure out anything that would possess him to choose anyone over Bella. "Wait is that why you came after me when I left again? Because you were afraid I'd go to Tanya?" He asked and she nodded, he could see the sadness in her eyes. He wanted to be angry that she only came after him because of a vision, but he ran off for the same reason, in one way or another, so he couldn't yell at her.

"It just gave me the push I needed to finally go after what I wanted." She said and he nodded, knowing there was more. "Alice said you thought you lost me, and just wanted to show your family you could be happy like them." She said and he could hear the tremble in her voice, knowing it wasn't easy to her to say.

"Well see it is impossible, because you are here with me and there is no one else I'd rather be with." He said and breathed in her scent. Just letting himself get lost in her. Squeezing her tighter into his embrace to reassure her he was there for her. "If it makes you uncomfortable then we won't go. We'll start our trip to Europe early, meet my family there."

"You would do that for me?" She asked and he nodded.

"I would do anything for you, and I will never put you in a situation that makes you uncomfortable." He said and she never felt more sure of anything he said to her.

"No we can go, part of me wants to meet her. Meet all of them, to know more about you."

"Are you sure?" He said, trying to gauge her face. "Because we don't have to, we can meet everyone in Europe, no one would think anything of it."

"Ya, tell them we'll go. Can it just be after I take Alex to the airport tomorrow?"

"Of course, I would never say to go before that. I sure there are also other things you have to take care of with Charlie's house and your job."

"I really don't have much, the house was put on the market, most people understood why I couldn't be there and I was getting a month off to grieve, I can just say I'm resigning and moving away. No one would really be surprised that I wanted to get away."

"Great, because I can't wait to show you Alaska, I know you'll love it there. It truly is beautiful." He said and she nodded. "Especially my special place, it's like our meadow, only with a lot of snow." He said and she laughed.

"I need to get a camera then." She said and it was his time to nod.

"I think we can manage that, you know I've been dying to buy you something." He said and she laughed.

"Fine you can buy me a camera, but I'm buying the film." She said and he laughed as he kissed her.

"Deal."

Bella left to go home and get the last of her things together. She also called and put in her resignation. She was excited to start over, she wanted to truly start her life with Edward and knew that had to be somewhere new. They were getting their chance with one another, their second chance at happiness. But the more Bella thought of going to Alaska the more she felt uneasy about it, there was just this bad feeling surrounding it, a cloud hanging over her head that she couldn't shake and she couldn't shake it no matter what she did, or what Edward said. But she still had to go, she had to meet and see the woman that could have taken Edward away from her if she wouldn't have stepped in and did something. Edward was hers and she wasn't letting anything or anyone take him from her ever again.