A/N: Thanks again. A lot of you have asked me if I experienced this personally. The answer is no. My great grandfather died of leukemia, and I've been asking the family (but their memories are fading), and I do A LOT of research. That's why I'm happy we're heading for remission, because I can stop reading about AML for a while. Also, his treatment may seem speedy, but I want to get to happier times. In all actuality, chemo can take place over a period of months. Because his main method of recovery was a transplant, he had a month and a half of strong chemo (given in cycles), radiation therapy for two, and then the transplant takes about a month for engraftment to occur. During this time, blood transfusions are given, weekly, depending on the blood content being transfused. After engraftment, the doctor will determine the ability to release the patient. Edward was healthy enough to go home, but will be monitored carefully.

Chapter 13: Home

"Here we go, step up carefully," I told Edward as I helped him up the porch of my father's home.

"Bella, I'm not as weak as I was."

"Whatever. You just spent too many months in a hospital. I'm taking all necessary precautions."

Edward smiled and leaned his head on my shoulder for a brief moment. Argue as he might, he was breathing heavily, as though he had just run a lap. I rolled my eyes and said, "We'll use the wheelchair when you decide it's time to go out."

"I want to go back to school," he complained.

"Not until, at least, next semester. Doctor's orders."

"This royally blows, Bella," he said. "I'm going to be stuck inside, and you will be my attending nurse lady…which, if you can get a hold of a nurses outfit, may not be so bad…"

I laughed and opened the door, flicking the lights on. I had done some serious cleaning while Edward was still in the hospital, to prepare the house for him. Everything had to be shampooed, from the furniture to the drapes. The air filters were changed, twice. And I nailed all windows shut, because I knew Edward would sneak them open when I wasn't looking. I didn't want to risk him getting an infection, so the whole house had been sterilized to the best of my abilities. Esme and Carlisle had bought a new bed for him to sleep in, and I set him up in my old bedroom.

"Let's wash our hands," I said as he carefully walked to the bathroom.

"We need to buy hand sanitizer," he mentioned.

"I don't know if you can use that just yet. Your skin will get kinda dry."

He huffed and thoroughly scrubbed his hands. "So, let's go upstairs shall we? I want to see this new bed."

We walked slowly up the stairs, and by the end, Edward was tired. I furrowed my brow. "I can set you up in the living room downstairs, if you'd like."

He shook his head. "No. The doctor said I needed to walk. It'll help me get stronger."

I nodded and opened the door to my room. I had taken down all of the old posters and gotten rid of most of my childhood nick nacks and replaced it all with more adult decorations. Edward wrinkled his nose. "What happened in here?" he asked.

"I redecorated, with Esme's help. You don't like it?" I was disappointed.

"It's not that at all. I'm just…it doesn't give off that "Bella" feel I loved so much."

I laughed and he sat on the edge of the bed and began taking his shoes off. "I do like the purple satin sheets, however," he grinned wickedly, remembering the same thing I had when I had purchased the sheets.

"Thought you might."

Edward flopped back onto them and inhaled. "It doesn't even smell like you in here anymore. It smells like cleaner and new furniture."

"Give it some time, Edward. It'll smell like us shortly. Well, as long as it takes for me to clean the room again."

"Which will be?"

"Probably twice a week. You have to go into a different room, though, when I clean."

Edward nodded and looked at my now empty walls. "Will you at least put that picture of Zeppelin back on the wall? I miss seeing their smiling faces."

"It doesn't go with the room, though," I said, waving my hand around me.

"Bella, the room is decorated in brown and turquoise. The poster was that old fashioned brown. And, I don't care if it matches."

I laughed and went to the closet and retrieved the framed poster that had hung on my wall for over ten years. I hung it on the nail next to the bed. "There," I smiled.

"Much better. Feels a little more like home now."

I nodded and grinned widely. "I bought some presents for you."

"You did?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "You didn't have to do that."

I went downstairs to retrieve the large garbage bag and box, which was no easy feat, and I thought I'd trip more than once. "So, which would you like to open first?" I asked.

He eyed the garbage bag and raised an eyebrow at it. "The bag."

I nodded and set it on the bed next to him. "What is it?" he asked.

"Look inside."

He did so, and then busted out laughing, the loudest I had heard in a long time. He lifted the bag slightly and tipped out its contents: over 100 different hats in all shapes and designs. "Where did you get all of these?" he asked, touching them.

"All over. I've been to every store that carried hats in Forks and Port Angeles. Which really was not that difficult, actually."

He laughed and nodded in agreement. He lifted a hat from the pile and put it on. It was shaped like a train- conductor's hat, but it was black with a "Voldemort votes Republican" button on it. He laughed at the button and high fived me. "That button took me forever to find. Actually, Sid found it in the end."

"I like it. Is it my style though?" he looked at me, and I could almost see the old Edward coming through.

"Yeah, makes you look like a rebellious, angsty teenager with an affinity for trouble."

"Excellent."

He rummaged through the pile of hats and laughed as he tried them on. It had taken me forever to hand wash one hundred bacteria-ridden hats, but the look on his face made it worth my time. "Okay," he said, a hat with two slots for beer cans on the sides on top his head, "what's the other gift?"

I shrugged and began shoving hats into the garbage bag as he peeled off the newspaper I had wrapped the long box in. "Oh, Bella," he whispered as he peeled off the rest of the paper. "This is awesome."

It was a portable keyboard, one I had picked up from a local pawn shop for a rather good price--the only price I could actually afford, having not worked in months. He opened the box and pulled it out. I plugged him in, and after fiddling with the knobs and buttons, he began to play my lullaby. "I know you said you wanted to play piano. And your parents bought you one of those--it's downstairs. But, I figured this would be nice for when you were too tired to go downstairs."

He smiled up at me from under his long eyelashes. "You think of everything, Bella. I love it, and I can play it in bed."

I nodded and kissed his forehead. "You hungry at all?"

He shrugged. "A little bit. I really want some ice cream."

I knew I hadn't bought any ice cream and that I'd have to run to the store. "What kind?" I asked.

"Chocolate brownie. But you don't have to run out and make a special trip."

"No, I will. What about for food? What else?"

"Some noodles. With alfredo sauce."

"I actually have that," I said.

He smiled. "Then, let's skip the ice cream. Let's have pasta."

"I have popsicles," I told him.

"Good enough."

"I'll go start the noodles now then."

"I'll come with you," Edward said, before I pushed him back down.

"Stay up here. I'll be right back."

Edward glared at me, but did as he was told. He sat back against the headboard and played with his new keyboard. I smiled as I noticed a sparkle in his eye I hadn't seen for some time. Edward's music filled the house, and for the first time, I got a glimpse of what married life was going to be like--me cooking as I listened to Edward's beautiful tunes fill the air. After the constant beeping and humming of the hospital machines, this was like heaven.

I returned to him quickly and he welcomed me in. I began grabbing his hospital luggage and lugging it to the end of the hall. I put all of his dirty clothing into the washer and sighed. "So, pretty lady, when do I get to have my bath?"

"Whenever you'd like," I said.

"Now would be nice. I feel all…hospital-y. I want to smell like me again."

I laughed and grabbed a towel from the hall closet as we made our way into the bathroom. "Do you need help?" I asked him.

"No. But company would be nice," he said suggestively.

I rolled my eyes and giggled. "Perhaps we should wait until you feel better for that?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Nonsense, you can be on top. Then I won't have to exert as much energy."

"Edward!"

"What?"

I laughed and started the water as he unbuttoned his shirt. "Ah, you're no fun," he said.

I sighed and watched as he stepped into the tub and sat down. "Like what you see?" he asked slyly.

"Yes, actually."

"Well, it's all yours."

I laughed again and took the hat off of his head. "Why are you still wearing this ridiculous thing?"

"Hey! Put it back on!"

"Edward--"

"Bella, I am bald. It is disgusting."

I rolled me eyes and ran a hand over his bald head. "It's not disgusting. And it'll grow back. Soon."

Edward looked into the water and sighed. "You know," I began, "perhaps I would like a bath."

I pulled my shirt over my head and felt Edward's eyes on me. "It's been too long, Bella. Too long."

"I'm only getting into the tub with you. Don't get any ideas."

I slipped off my underwear and climbed into the tub, settling myself between his legs. I leaned back into his chest and sighed happily. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my hair. "God, I've missed you. I hated that damn hospital, so bad. I hated not being able to do anything. I hate that you're not able to do anything, like finish the year off at school, because you're stuck here, taking care of me."

"Nonsense. I want to help you. You are my husband, and you need me."

"You know, I still haven't bought you a band, yet," he mentioned, lifting my hand from the water to look at my engagement ring.

"I haven't bought you one yet, either," I replied.

"Well, then, we'll just have to go get some soon," he said and he kissed my finger before bringing my hand back to my stomach and holding his hand over it.

He placed his chin on my shoulder and lightly kissed my bare skin. "Bella," he began.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"There was something I needed to talk to you about."

"What's that?" I asked, worried at his tone.

"Well, the doctor mentioned something to me before I left, a few days ago."

I said nothing and waited for him to continue. He cleared his throat, which sounded as though it was still rather painful. "He said that there's a big chance that I am infertile."

My eyes grew wide and I turned around to face him. He looked upset by my departure from his embrace and saddened by the look on my face. "That means…we can never…?"

He shook his head. "No. He thinks it's only temporary. He said I should be able to have kids within a year or so."

I was still worried, but felt a wave of relief wash over me. Edward continued. "He said, when I am well enough to be with you, that we should still take the necessary precautions. He also said this shouldn't affect my ability to…please you."

I nodded, taking all if this in. There was a possibility that Edward and I would never get to have kids, even if it was a small possibility in the doctor's eyes. I felt like crying, but didn't want Edward to see. So I nodded and wrapped my arms around him. "All right. It'll be all right."

He kissed the top of my head and sighed. "We should probably check on the alfredo."

O.O.O.O

Okay, another short chapter. But MUCH happier.