Chapter 12: Explanations

The sun rose and Edward was taking his family back to his home. "Esme might kill me," he chuckled.

"Why?" Elizabeth asked.

"I was gone all night," he replied, wrapping his arm around his wife's waist.

Bella leaned into him with a smile. "Okay, mom, dad, I'm really happy to see you guys together and everything but don't get that kind of cuddly in front of me please," Elizabeth insisted.

"Wait until you fall in love," Bella answered.

"Not anytime soon," Edward put in.

Elizabeth laughed as they started walking up the hills. "By the way, if you guys plan on doing….anything….warn me so I can leave," she told her parents.

"We weren't that bad last night," Bella insisted.

Elizabeth glared at her parents. "Mom, I was outside and I could hear you," she muttered.

"Elizabeth, we were apart for eighty-seven years, cut us some slack," Edward answered.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and they made it back to the house. Bella gripped Edward's hand. "What if they don't like me?" She asked.

"We've been through this," he replied.

He placed his hands on his wife's face. "Bella, I have been married to you for eighty-seven years, I don't need their approval," he said quietly. He kissed her gently and she kissed him back, her hands on his wrists. "I love you," he told her.

"I love you," she answered.

They went over a hill to where they could just barely see the house when Edward stopped. "What?" Bella asked. Edward gestured for her and Elizabeth to be quiet. She gave him a quizzical look when Edward got into the crouching position and jumped up into a tree. Two seconds later they heard two growls and in vampire speed Edward was pinned to the ground.

"Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, why do you keep thinking you can beat me?" Emmett asked.

"One of these days I'll beat you," Edward answered.

Emmett laughed getting off him. He looked over at Bella and a grin came across his face. "Well, hello," he greeted. Edward got off the ground, cleaning the dirt off his clothes.

"Emmett, this is my wife, Bella," he informed.

Emmett looked at Edward in disbelief. "What wait…didn't you say…" Emmett trailed off confused.

"It's alright Emmett, Bella will give us some kind of explanation," Edward chuckled.

Bella held onto Edward's hand with a smile. "This is our daughter Elizabeth," Bella informed.

"Wow…good news Edward she looks nothing like you," he laughed.

Edward rolled his eyes and Elizabeth circled Emmett. "So you are the big bad Emmett that dad's told me about," she commented.

"The big bad Emmett huh?" He asked.

"So am I going to meet the person who claims to be the most beautiful person in the world, Rosalie?" She asked.

"Sure will, she's inside," he replied beaming.

Elizabeth grinned as she suddenly grabbed Emmett's arm, throwing him on his back. "So easy to distract people," she sighed.

"Cheater," Emmett answered.

"Payback for all the times you've cheated," Edward laughed.

Bella held onto her husband's hand as they walked up the hills to the house again. "Emmett don't you dare," Edward called to his brother when he was about to jump Elizabeth.

"You're lucky your dad can read minds," Emmett muttered before following them to the house.

Bella walked into the house and looked around. "Edward…it's beautiful," she commented.

"I'm sure Esme will love to hear that, she decorated it herself," he answered taking her jacket off for her.

"Really? She did all of this?" She asked.

"Well when we're all at school and Carlisle's at the hospital she needs something to do," he replied.

Bella smiled as Edward wrapped his arms around her, his chin over her shoulder. She placed her hands over his and closed her eyes. He nuzzled her neck making her giggled a little. "Hey, hey, not here," Emmett told them.

"Says the guy who we caught trying to be intimate with his wife in the living room," Edward muttered.

Emmett laughed and shoved Edward slightly before heading into the den. Just before Edward could lead his family inside, Alice came down the stairs with a smile. "Hi Bella," she greeted smiling. She walked over and hugged a stunned Bella.

"Uh…hi…" she greeted confused.

"Bella this is Alice, I've told you about her," he informed.

"The one who sees the future right?" Elizabeth asked.

Alice looked at Elizabeth with a smile. "She's even prettier in person than in visions," she commented. She walked over and hugged Elizabeth too.

"A better greeting than she gave me," Edward chuckled.

"How did she greet you?" Bella asked.

"She threw my things into the garage," he replied.

Alice was still grinning. "Only because your room had the better view," she told him. Edward rolled his eyes.

"Are Carlisle and Esme home?" He asked.

"Yes they are in Esme's garden," she replied.

Edward nodded and took his family out to the garden.

He smiled to find them chatting and pulling the weeds. "Esme, Carlisle," he called. Esme got up.

"Edward there you are!" She exclaimed.

Carlisle stood up and stared when he saw Bella. "Bella this is Esme my mother for all intents and purposes," he informed. Esme stared at Bella in disbelief.

"Oh now I can see," she commented.

She saw a true smile on his face for the first time since she met him. "Esme…this is Bella…my wife…" he informed.

"Looks like fate has a funny way of putting things," Esme commented.

Bella smiled a little and looked over at Carlisle. "Hello Bella," he greeted.

"Dr. Cullen…" she answered.

Edward wrapped his arm around his wife's waist, his hand resting on her hip. Bella pulled away and stood in front of Carlisle. Everyone in the garden stood absolutely still, having no idea what she was going to do. "You lied to me," she said through her teeth.

"I did…" he answered.

"You said my husband died," she told him.

"I did," he repeated.

Bella swallowed hard. "I spent the next seven months of my pregnancy believing my husband was dead, believing I was a widow and that when my one year of mourning was up, my stepmother was going to hand me over to the highest bidder. I hated you for so many years, thinking you let my husband die," she told him. Carlisle stood still, waiting for any kind of blow she would throw. "I hated you for eighty-seven years just like how I hated the monster that turned me into this," she told him. Carlisle kept quiet.

"Would you have believed me if I told you the truth?" He asked.

Bella was quiet. "No you wouldn't have believed me. You would've had me put in the nearest insane asylum," he added.

"Maybe so," she answered.

Carlisle stared at her. "You can hate me, but you know why I wasn't allowed to tell you, the Volturi would've found out and we would all be dead," he told her. Bella remained quiet and let out a sigh.

"I don't know what to say Carlisle, only the things I have said," she said quietly.

She turned and left the garden after saying that. Edward went after his wife. "Bella wait, please," he called to her, grabbing her arm.

"I did nothing but hate him for eighty-seven years Edward…I had an idea of what I would've done if I saw him but I can't do it now! Because it'd be foolish now that you're alive," she answered.

Edward sighed, moving his hand over her face. "If it makes you feel any better I threw him through the wall when I woke up," he commented. Bella laughed, pressing her forehead against his chest. Edward wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead. "My darling Bella…" he whispered, rubbing her back. Bella closed her eyes, gripping his shirt. "We're together now, that's all that matters," he whispered. She smiled a little and kissed her gently. Bella kissed him back, her hands on his arms.