Title: In Due Time

Chapter 11: Aftermath

"Talking", 'Thinking', 'Text messages.', 'Return Text Messages.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

My body hurt all over but it was deliciously painful. I snuggled a little deeper into my pillow and breathed out before rolling over half expecting for someone to be there, but there was no one and sighing in disappointment, I sat up and ran my hand through my hair. Suddenly the smell of eggs, bacon, and toast hit my nose and I hurriedly got dressed. Ten minutes later I had stepped out of the shower, gotten dressed in a simple pair of sweatpants and an oversized tee shirt. As I was walking down stairs to the kitchen I pulled my hair up into a pony tail and breathed in the sweet scent of breakfast.

"Good morning beautiful." Emmett's voice was velvet smooth, and a smile slid into lace before I could stop it.

"Good morning." I slid up onto one of the island bar stools. His smile made my heart leap.

"So, Last night.. That really happened?" a statement turned question. His smile got bigger and those adorable dimples showed through. He leaned over the island and kissed me on the lips before pulling back and looking at me with those smoldering eyes. He backed up the check the eggs and bacon.

"Yes, and I want it to happen more often." He was practically growling out his words. I smiled but when he got closer I noticed that almost the whole of both of his eyes were pitch black.

"Emmy, when was the last time you went hunting?" I was starting to get a little nervous.

"I don't remember, why?" his voice was almost all growl. I got up and came around the island, his eyes were locked on me the whole way. I forced his hands off the pans and turned the burners off completely. I interlocked my hands in his and led his out to the back door. It was, amazingly, close to the forest line and with as fast as he was he would be in the forest before anyone ever caught sight of him.

"Emmy, your eyes are pitch black. You need to go hunt." He didn't look happy.

"No."

"Why not?" I desperately needed him to take care of himself.

"You'll leave." His wrapped me in his arms and held me tight.

"No I won't Emmy, I promise I'll be right here from the moment you leave to the second you get back. I promise." He leaned back, look a long look at me, kissed my lips and then he was gone before I could blink again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX TWO HOURS LATER. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I had feed, bathed, dressed, and played with the kids. They were in the living room watching some cartoon. I was occasionally glancing out the windows hoping Emmett would show up sometime soon. I was really getting worried that maybe, just maybe, he was the one that would be leaving me. Somehow in the time passed since mom died, I had fallen hard for Emmett. 'Oh lord, what have I done?' my thoughts began to wander and I was slightly scared of what was to happen in the time ahead. 'What about Rose and Edward? Oh no! Edward. Well I guess it's too late for that now. He'll smell it for sure, and Rose is Rose so…' well I suppose it couldn't get much worse from here. 'Don't cry.. Don't cry.' a hot salty tear rolled down my cheek before I could stop it. I took a deep breath and sighed. My head dropped a little and I headed back to the kitchen to fix the kids a snack. Five minutes later and I had two bottles of baby formula and a small dish of random foods in front of the kids, mom hadn't said anything about feeding them and Emmett had been the one to do it since they had been brought home. We were all sitting at the table when I decided little Angel would go first. She had started to cry and held her close hoping to calm her down a bit. After what seemed forever but was really only five minutes, Angel calmed enough to take some of the formula from the bottles and then she was out like a light. I smiled and took her to her crib upstairs before rushing back down, grabbing Stetson and the other bottle before going back up. I sat down in the rocking chair and held Stetson close as I fed him. He was done with it quickly but refused to sleep. I switched arms with him and held him close so he could hear my heart beat. A tiny smile formed on his lips and he reached out for one of my fingers. I gave him my right hand pointer finger but he put it in his mouth and wrapped his little arms around my hand and wrist. I rubbed the top of his head with the tip of my nose and he giggled before settling down and finally falling asleep in my arms. I smiled down at him and wished I could stay in this one moment for forever.

"You'll spoil him like that." Emmett's voice started me and it was a wonder I didn't wake either of the babies or hurt Stetson. I gave Emmett a weary smile.

"When did you get back?" I hadn't heard him come in.

"Just now." He sauntered over and very carefully took Stetson and put him in his crib before grabbing my hands and leading me out of the room. We wound up on the couch. He leaned against the right arm and I laid against him and he played with my hair.

"What do we do now?" it was an odd question but still it needed to be answered. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it. Obviously I think you and I need to stay together since the kids need you as their mother and they do have my last name. Rose will be furious, but I have kids and a beautiful woman that need me now. I can't just walk away from this." I turned in his arms and kissed him for all it was worth. My inner goddess was doing back flips and I was so glad he wasn't going to walk away from all this. He pulled back and smiled a small smile at me. I tucked my nose into his neck and breathed in the heady scent of Emmett, I could almost jump him right now if it wasn't for the fact that I was emotionally exhausted.

"Emmett. Thank you so much for staying. I really need you and so do the kids. The next few days are going to be really hard." And as if right on que, I heard a cracking sound and before I knew what was going on a bright flash engulfed us both and I suddenly felt weightless as my necklace shattered to pieces and fell to the floor before turning to ashes, there was absolutely nothing left. I was beginning to see little black dots and then I was consumed by a black abyss.