Hey everyone. It's been a while and I'd just like to thank everyone who gave me the time to deal with a few things lately. I'm still very busy, but I got the notion to do some typing tonight, and figured I'd give a treat, especially since Thanksgiving just occurred... Don't forget to let me know what you think, and I'll leave the bigger A.N. at the bottom.

See you at the bottom!

Chapter 18: The Giving of Thanks

I am scared to sleep.

Plain and simple. I've been sitting here staring at Bella's form in the bed, waiting, hoping, praying that something will happen. A shift of her eyes. A movement of her finger. A twitch of her lip. Anything to show that something is happening to help bring my beauty back to me.

I sighed and ran my hand over my face, scrubbing away the feelings of sleep that were trying to creep their way into my mind. I looked over at her clock and saw the time, 3:10 AM. I've been sitting here in the room for close to 6 hours. My father permitted me to be in the room at any given time at this point, praying that she will wake up soon and wish to see a familiar face.

The nurses learned hours ago that I was not to be moved. One tried, and he failed miserably when I tried to punch him in the face. My father had come in at that moment and told the nurses that I was not to be disturbed, but then turned to me and told me that if I wished to be here, I couldn't hurt his staff. I agreed immediately, and have been sitting here since, watching the nurses and every so often a doctor come into the room to check on Bella, and speak with me.

I'd been discharged from the hospital this afternoon… or should I say yesterday afternoon. I was handed my paperwork and my crutch thing and sent on my way. Stupid fucking hospital. Due to hospital policy I actually had to LEAVE the hospital grounds first, to be considered fully discharged. Which meant if I wanted to see Bella, I had to leave the hospital, take one foot off the premises, and come right back in. Stupid. Shouldn't I just be able to sign their fucking papers, and be considered no longer their responsibility? Apparently not.

I placed my head on the back of my seat and jolted as I felt myself falling asleep. Another glance at the clock said it was only 3:45 AM. God, time was moving so fucking slow. I knew I'd be catching an ear full from not only my father, but my family for not sleeping. I just couldn't. How am I supposed to sleep knowing Bella's laying there and could possibly wake at any moment? How could I fall asleep and indulge in the feel of her body near mine; her eyes shining at me? Being able to walk through my memories of her, while she's laying here in this bed. No. I must stay awake. I must stay… awake. I… must… stay…

~*~*LLNO*~*~

"Bella, stop worrying so much, they're going to love you." I could feel the chuckle bubbling from deep down as I watched her run back and forth through her kitchen. She was finishing the pies she'd been baking all morning for this afternoon's dinner with my family.

Thanksgiving was here, and my parents had invited Bella and Alyssa to eat with us.

I could hear her murmuring to herself, something along the lines of a checklist she was using to make sure she had everything to take with us. I smiled as I watched her flit from the kitchen to the living room and back grabbing things to put in a bag for Alyssa and herself. I walked over to Bella as she was placing another set of clothes for Alyssa into the bag and took her hands, placing them on my chest. Her body turned into mine as she placed her forehead against our hands.

"Edward, I'm meeting your family, your parents… how do you expect me not to be freaking out a little. You can't tell me you didn't do the same when you met Charlie."

I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her against me, rocking slightly, as I placed a kiss to the top of her head. I pressed my cheek against her hair and took a deep breath, her scent causing me to hum contentedly.

"Yes, I'll admit I was worried, but then again I was also in a slightly intimate position when I met your father… and an even more intimate position when I met Cece and Jazz." I laughed as I felt her cringe slightly at the memory of meeting her sister, Alice, and her husband Jasper.

After the awkwardness had disappeared, we got along just fine and Jasper, Emmett and I have been hanging out regularly as of late. We would meet sometimes at the coffee shop like Emmett and I used to do, or at a sports bar, or just to hang out somewhere. It was great having a new person to hang with, and Cece… well… that woman was like a tiny terrifying twister, quickly running through your life and leaving everything a wreck in her wake. Well, more like a more fashionable wake. I once woke to seeing her going through my own closet and throwing out all the things she deemed "last season." I never did figure out how she got into my apartment. I only assumed she had gotten a hold of the key I had given to Bella on our most recent date. I had handed it to her with the understanding that I wanted my place to be her and Alyssa's home too. I want them both to be with me always, and even though when I told her this it didn't mean she had to give me a key, I woke up the next morning with a new key on my key ring that matched Bella's home. That had been a great day. And night too.

I shook the memories from my mind and cupped her chin, bringing her lips to mine for a quick passionate kiss. I felt her hum against my lips, causing me to smirk before parting her lips with my tongue, caressing it with hers. I felt her run her fingernails down my chest, causing my eyes to roll back into my head. God, how I love this woman.

However, at that moment the other girl I love could be heard running out of her room and we quickly separated from the kiss, but I held her to me. As she ran into the room she pulled to an abrupt halt in front of us and placed her little hands on her hips. "Were you two kissing again?" Bella laughed and disentangled herself from my arms.

"Why yes we were, do you got a problem with that?" Bella mirrored her position which caused me to laugh.

"Boys are gross," Alyssa responded. While I happened to agree with those sentiments exactly, because I didn't want Alyssa even THINKING of kissing, I smirked as I moved closer to her.

"Really, Alyssa? Are all boys gross? Even me? 'Cause I'm really thinking I need me some kisses right now." We've played this game before and I could see her realizing just what was about to happen when her eyes grew three times their size and she started backing up.

"N-no Edward, don't you dare!" She ran down the hall back towards her room with me hot on her trail, squealing as she ran. As she got through the door I quickly scooped her up in my arms and threw her on the bed leaving little tickling kisses all over her face.

"St-stop! Ed-Edward stop" She couldn't help laughing as I started to tickle her sides at the same time.

"Am I gross, Alyssa?" I asked as I continued torturing her with kisses and tickles.

"No, Ed-Edward! N-no not you! Sto-op!" She was getting red in her face and giggling like crazy.

I laid beside her as we both breathed heavily and saw Bella laughing quietly at the doorway.

"While this is quite amusing guys, it's time to go." I helped Alyssa off the bed and she ran to get her hairbrush for her mother to fix the mess I'd created. Oops. Yeah, I didn't care too much. I loved feeling this happy with my girls. I followed them both out of the room and I helped Bella grab the pies while she grabbed Alyssa's hand and the bag she'd packed, and we all left for my parent's home.

I made the three ring call to notify the security guards we were coming and Bella looked at me with a confused look in her eye. I shrugged and nodded towards the window for her to see the gate opening for my parent's house.

"Wow."

I looked in the rear-view mirror and smirked at Alyssa's shocked face staring out the window towards my parents house. I looked over at Bella and saw her staring at the house as well. She was picking at her fingernails and I could see her sawing away at her lower lip. I stopped the car in the driveway and turned off the ignition. I plucked her lip out of between her teeth and she looked over at me.

"If you don't stop that, you'll end up bleeding all over that pretty dress of yours."

And it was very pretty. A soft lavender color with a darker purple belt around her waist, with a sweetheart neckline. Her hair was down in the waves I loved so much, and she wasn't wearing too much make up. She looked like an angel.

"I just want today to be perfect." She whispered.

"You're sitting here beside me and Alyssa's with us. It's already perfect, Bella." I moved a few strands of hair away from her eyes and tilted her head towards me so I could capture her lower lip between mine. She hummed appreciatively and I smiled into the chaste kiss. We pulled back from each other and I watched her take a deep breath of confidence before nodding her head.

"You ready, ladies?" I asked looking back at Alyssa.

"Yeah, come on mommy, let's go!" Alyssa pulled off her seat belt and was already opening the door.

I quickly jumped out of the car and helped Alyssa out before maneuvering around to help Bella take everything out of the car. As we headed up the stairs, my mother was already at the door waiting for us.

"Oh Bella, it's so nice to finally meet you. You too Alyssa." Alyssa stood beside her mother looking shyly up at Esme. I knelt down to Alyssa and she curled into me, turning her face into my neck while at the same time hiding her face behind her hair; a trait she'd gotten from her mother I'm sure.

"Alyssa, remember how I said you were going to meet my mommy and daddy? Well, this is my mom, Esme." She turned her head and whispered a quiet "hi" before turning back into me. Esme's eyes were practically dripping with awe and I just prayed to God she didn't start crying here and now. I'd never get Bella to come back with me if my mother broke down in tears two minutes after meeting them.

"Alyssa, honey, I just got done taking the cookies out of the oven a few minutes ago. I'd love if you could be my little taste-tester and tell me how I did?" Esme held her hand out for Alyssa to take. After looking up at Bella for approval, and receiving a nod, Alyssa took my mother's hand and together they walked into the house, with Bella and I following behind.

We walked through the short hallway into the home. On the left hand side, the stairwell leading to the second floor. On the right, that was leveled down two steps, the spacious living room. It had one wall with a massive window overlooking the hill the house is built on. A lit fireplace sat along the far length of the wall, an island as a connecting barrier between the living room and the modern kitchen my mother had redone a few years ago. The high ceiling made the first floor seem even larger than it already was.

"Your home is so beautiful, Mrs. Cullen." Bella continued taking in the surroundings as we walked into the kitchen.

"Thank you, dear. Please, none of that Mrs. Cullen stuff. Mrs. Cullen is my mother-in-law, and I truly wouldn't want to be in her shoes right now." My mother laughed and I smirked. Bella tilted her head in confusion and it made me grin more. "There's nothing really wrong with Grandma Elizabeth, other than the fact that she's kind of a daredevil granny now." My mother laughed and Bella seemed kind of shocked.

My mother gave Alyssa a plate of cookies with a glass of milk before turning to speak to Bella. "When she was younger she was a very prim and proper young woman, but as she got older, and the "times" changed, she'd moved to taking risky trips or doing outlandish things."

"Meaning…?" Bella asked.

I laughed out loud. "Meaning at the young age of 72, my grandmother has gone cliff diving, jet skiing, and at last I heard was dating a man in his fifties, who is taking her sky diving for her birthday this spring."

Bella's mouth was wide open in shock before she chuckled.

"Go Granny."

"Yes, well, while I admire her very much… Carpe Diem and all that, I'm pretty much a scaredy cat and cant even climb a ladder too high without hyperventilating." My mother laughed.

Bella laughed as we placed the pies onto the counter.

"Mom, where is everyone?" I asked.

"Well, Emmett and Rosalie are out picking up ice and a few other things I needed. You're father's upstairs getting changed, since he just got off work a little bit ago." I watched her eyebrow raise to me and I nodded in understanding. Dad was late coming home from the office again. Tsk tsk, Pops.

Alyssa finished her cookies and milk as we sat around talking about inconsequential things, and my father joined us soon after. As I introduced Bella I heard my brother's vehicle pull up to the house.

"That will be Emmett and Rosalie." I turned to head for the front door to see if they needed help, when I heard the door fling open and smack resounded against the wall.

"Rosie come on, it wasn't a big deal?"

"Not a big deal? Emmett you asked that woman how to tell if the cantaloupes were ripe and she jutted her chest out to you and told you to "try them out and see for yourself," and you're telling me I shouldn't make a big deal out of it!" Rosalie stormed into the kitchen and saw Bella, Alyssa and I, stopping shortly in her anger.

"Rosie, you know how much I love cantaloupe. I wasn't actually asking her about her ti…"

THWACK!

"OW, what the he….eck." Emmett came into view as he was first speaking, but it wasn't until after Rosalie smacked him thoroughly across the back of his head that he turned to see us all standing there in dumb shock.

"H… Heeey, mom." His ears turned bright red, embarrassed to have almost been caught by mom, who was holding the bottle of dish liquid in her hand, drumming her fingers against the counter, with an eyebrow cocked. Basically saying "Go ahead Emmett McCarty Cullen, finish that sentence. I DARE you."

Dad and I looked back and forth between each other, snickering, Bella was trying very hard to cover her smile with her hand, and Alyssa was just taking it all in as she sat there beside her mother. She leaned around her mother and spoke semi quietly to me.

"Is Mr. Emmett in trouble with your mommy?"

I looked down at her and smiled slightly, "Yep. She's his mommy too."

Alyssa walked over to Emmett, who by this time, like everyone else, was completely intrigued by the little girl. He knelt down to her level and she spoke into his ear. He nodded to whatever she said very seriously, and then walked over to our mother. He hugged her and said very seriously, "I am very, very sorry Mommy for what I did. I didn't mean to and I really hope you don't send me to my room without dessert."

Bella turned into my shoulder to keep her laughter as quiet as possible. I was outright chuckling, as was my father and Rosalie was shaking her head with a grin on her face. My mother was trying so hard to keep her "angry" face on, but because of Alyssa's obvious helpful hints, she was unable to and ended up hugging him back. When they let go of one another, Emmett ran back to Alyssa, picked her up and twirled her whispering loudly, "it worked! It worked!"

At that point no one could keep a straight face, and we all burst out laughing, including Rosalie who seemed to have forgotten her anger from earlier. After a while we all settled down around the dining room table, my father and mother at the two heads of the table, Emmett and Rosalie on one side, and Bella, Alyssa and myself on the other. My father said Grace and commented on how thankful he was for us all being here today, to which I wholeheartedly agreed. I was very thankful for both Bella and Alyssa being part of my life, and I prayed I would never have to go back to living without them. They are my life now…

Alright. So that's Chapter 18... I'm going to be working on writing Chapter 19 soon.

First and foremost I wanted to apologize for not being around lately to write. My head was just not into it, and while I probably won't be completely into it just yet, I do know Edward made himself known in my head again and told me to get my butt to writing. So that's what I did.

I also wanted to say that thank you for not sending me a ton of different messages badgering me to start writing. I truly hope you all had been enjoying my story, and will continue to read it... I do promise to finish the story no matter what... It just seems like when it rains it pours around me and my loved ones...

Anyway, with that, I will be trying to write more often again. I don't want angry mobs with torches and pitchforks running through the village after me... Until then..

See you next time!