CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

EPOV

"Bella! Oh God, Bella, it is so good to see you!" I watched as a woman came flying out of my parents' house and half smiled as I realised this must be Bella's mom. The resemblance was startling.

"Renee, let her get inside," came a man's voice, presumably Bella's father. He gave her a much gentler hug and she turned to me.

"Mom, Dad, this is Edward," she said. Her mom automatically grabbed me in a tight embrace and I grunted.

"You saved my daughter's life," she said.

"Mom!" said Bella, embarrassed.

"Well he did," she said, stubbornly. Charlie sighed and when she released me from her embrace, he reached out and shook my hand.

"I appreciate what you have done for my daughter," he said, a little gruffly.

"Bella, Edward, would you like to come inside?" My mother appeared at the door and then I saw Carlisle, step out. My parents stood a little awkwardly as I approached the house; I gave my mother a polite peck on the cheek and shook hands with my father formally. It cut me deep when I half turned to see Bella, smiling and relaxed between her parents, while I hardly knew where to place myself wih my parents; much less how to show them the affecton that I realised they deserved and that in my heart of hearts I wanted to give them.

"I'm sure the two of you would like to freshen up," said Mom, after she had given us all a drink. "I put you both in Edward's room; I hope that's ok?"

"That's fine, thank you," Bella said. I took her hand and led her up to my bedroom. It was all done out in creams and browns, with a king size bed. There was nothing especially personal in the room, just a framed photo next to the bed of Lily. I watched as Bella crossed the room and picked it up. It was my favourite picture of Lilly. It was taken a few months before she got sick, when we were at the park. I had a new camera and was sort of messing about with it, taking photos of her in various poses, as she giggled and hammed it up for me. That particular photo had been one of the last ones I took and she had been so happy. It was how I liked to remember her.

"That's Lily," I said, quietly. Bella turned to me, with a smile.

"I guessed. She's beautiful."

"Yes she was," I replied. We were silent for a moment and then she put the photograph down and crossed the room to wrap her arms around me.

"It's so good to be in a real house again," she said. I smiled and leaned down to kiss her; that was something I definitely agreed with.

"Do you want a shower?" I said. "The bathroom is just through there."

"Great," she said. I went through to the bathroom and checked it for towels and made sure there was a robe hanging on the back of the door. While Bella was showering, I went downstairs to speak to my dad, who was in his office.

"Dad," I said. Carlisle looked up and smiled at me; he always looked so pleased when I sought him out. I sighed, uncertain as always how to get round this awkwardness. "Have you heard from Jasper?"

"Not yet, son. As soon as he calls, I'll let you know. How's Bella doing?"

"She's fine. The wound healed up really well. Lucky I guess that there were no internal injuries as such."

"Bella is very strong, Edward and she has a lot to live for."

"I guess."

"Son, she has you and I've seen the way she looks at you..."

"Yeah well," I said, ducking my head, embarrassed. I really didn't want to get into this sort of conversation with Dad of all people. "Just let me know when Jazz phones."

"Of course."

I headed out of the office, feeling a little awkward. Conversations with dad always felt a little stunted; made me feel like a child again. Bella was getting dressed when I came back into the bedroom and I started to smile, but then I froze, staring at her in horror.

"What is it?" she asked. I closed the door softly and then crossed the room, lifting her arm gently and placing my hand there, looking at it closely. "Edward what's wrong?"

"I am so sorry," I stammered, looking down at her.

"For what?" She looked genuinely puzzled and I turned her to face the mirror, removing my hand slowly from her arm as her eyes found our reflection. Her arm was marked, the bruises the shape of my fingers. She met my troubled gaze in the mirror and sighed, before turning back to me and bringing her hand to my mouth, where my lip was still slightly swollen from the blow she had given me. "Edward, we had a fight. And to be fair I hit you on purpose; you didn't try to hurt me. Forget it. Things just got a bit claustrophobic in that room."

I bowed my head. Whatever she said, I had marked her, bruised her in anger. Bella sighed again and slipped her arms round my waist.

"It was hard in there, Edward, because we were together twenty four seven and let's face it, we're both used to having our own space. And we couldn't even... well... you know..." She ducked her face, blushing and I met my gaze, quirking my eyebrow at her. "It was kinda frustrating to be stuck on my own with you and not be able to... you know?"

A slow smile spread across my face and then I leaned down so that I was looking directly into her eyes.

"I suppose we could remedy that?" I suggested. "If you want to that is..."

She didn't let me carry on though; she threw her arms round me and kissed me. I kissed her back, my hands moving up and down her back, before coming to rest on her ass. She giggled against my lips and then slipped her hands down to my butt, squeezing it gently. Slowly, I backed her up to the bed and as she fell onto her back, I climbed on top of her, leaning down to kiss her lips, tenderly.

"I love you, Edward," she said suddenly. I gave her a quizzical look and she smiled, reaching a hand up to cup my face. "Mom was right, you did save me."

"Yes and then I went and hurt you," I started to say, but she placed a finger over my lips.

"You know what? I heard that make up sex is the best," she said, with a coy look in her eyes. I was so startled by her statement that I laughed out loud. She brought her hand to the back of my head, pulling me down to her again. "So quit talking and start making it up to me, Cullen."

"Whatever you say, Swan," I replied, before lowering my lips to claim hers in a warm kiss. She surprised me again by slipping her tongue into my mouth, as her hands continued to massage my back and my butt. Suddenly, she sat up and pushed me onto my back. I watched through half-closed eyes as she moved down my body and unbuttoned my jeans. She slipped her fingers into the waistband and slid them down my waist. I lifted up and watched her remove them completely. When her hands gripped my boxers and pulled them away too, my eyes widened a little, but then I relaxed, leaning back on the pillows, my eyes fixed on her as her hands deftly ran along the length of my shaft. A small moan escaped my lips and then she managed to shock me again as she lowered her mouth to me.

"Oh God, Bella," I groaned, as she raised her eyes to meet mine, but carried on running her tongue along me. "Bella, please, love, I'm so close." I could hear myself begging and she giggled softly, the vibrations not helping my situation any. I groaned and then as she released me from her mouth tipped us so that she was underneath me again. Two could play that game. Bella looked up at me through lust filled eyes and then I surprised her by pulling her to the edge of the bed, so that her feet were planted on the floor. Slipping onto my knees in front of her, I looked up as she shifted onto her elbows so that she could watch me.

"Edward..." she started to say, but her words were lost in a gasp as my fingers ran along her slit before opening her. When my tongue entered her she moaned softly and as I continued my ministrations she was soon writing in an agony of pleasure. "Please, Edward." I lifted my head and gave her a smouldering look.

"Yes, my love?"

"Want you... now..." she managed to squeak out, incoherently. I didn't need to hear anything else; I climbed back onto the bed and mounted her, slipping easily into her. We rocked together, urgently until we both came at the same time, burying our faces in one another's shoulders to muffle our cries. Afterwards, we lay side by side, my arm around her.

"You haven't been smoking as much," she suddenly said, looking up at me. I scowled, puzzled by her statement and then realised that what she said was true. While we were in the military compound I had had maybe three a day, generally when she was showering or in the bathroom because I knew that she hated me smoking.

"I smoke when I'm stressed," I replied.

"You weren't stressed being cooped up in the safe house?" She sounded incredulous and I grinned.

"Obviously not as much as you would think," I said.

"I never saw you smoke there," she commented.

"I waited for you to be out of the way," I replied, with a shrug. She glanced up at me.

"Do you think you could quit altogether?"

"Maybe. The thing is, Bella, I started smoking when I was fourteen. It's a habit; an addiction. I don't think I can just stop, as much as I might want to."

"Ok," she said, softly. When I glanced down at her, I saw that she looked very sleepy. As she dozed, I got up, heading into the bathroom to shower. When I came out, she was fast asleep. I crept from the room silently and headed down to the kitchen where my mom was getting out vegetables and meat to prepare dinner.

"I can do that," I offered. She looked up and smiled at me.

"I didn't think you'd want to," she replied. I smiled at her, a genuine warm smile and was gratified to see her face shine in a way it very rarely did these days when she looked at me.

"It would be great to cook in a real kitchen," I admitted and she nodded.

"We could do it together?" she offered, tentatively.

"I'd like that." And I meant it. She moved over and we stood side by side peeling and chopping the vegetables; potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips and cabbage. She moved to one side so that I could prepare the large chicken she had bought in for dinner. Her eyes remained on me as I basted it and then took out the ingredients for my own stuffing.

"So, Bella huh?" said Mom, suddenly, breaking the silence. I paused in what I was doing and glanced across at her before resuming stuffing the chicken.

"What about her?"

"Must be serious. You've done a heck of a lot for her. Have you thought about what the two of you will do when all of this is over?"

I was silent for a moment; in truth I hadn't considered that things might change between us when both the scumbags who had forced her into hiding were behind bars. And for a moment I felt panic wash through me, but then Mom smiled.

"I was thinking maybe the two of you might like to use the villa; go for a holiday?"

"That might be nice," I said. "What time do you want dinner ready for?"

"Seven," she replied. "I thought it would be nice to have a proper family meal as Bella's parents are here too. And they haven't seen her in a long time. They're lovely people."

"They'd have to be; Bella must get it from somewhere," I replied, with a shrug, putting the chicken in the oven.

"Edward," Mom said, suddenly, coming up behind me while I washed my hands. I turned to face her and she surprised me by putting her arms around me. "I'm very proud of you, son."

And my arms found their way around her, holding her close to me, enjoying the feeling of being held by my mother in a way that I hadn't since I was fourteen.

XXX

We sat down round the table, Bella next to me on one side and Mom on the other. The food was excellent, but the atmosphere round the table was a little strained. Jasper had phoned that afternoon to say the trial would be in a week's time; it had made all of us very tense. Bella's mom had been crying before they came down for dinner; I could tell by the redness of her eyes and the way Charlie was holding her hand, glancing at her every few minutes to check she was ok.

"That was a lovely meal," said Renee, suddenly.

"Edward's a fantastic chef," replied Bella, giving me a small smile.

"I had help," I replied, glancing at my mother, who smiled across at me.

Renee twisted her glass in her hand and then sighed, putting it down on the table.

"Bella, I feel like this is all my fault," she said.

"Mom," said Bella, but Renee carried on, quickly.

"If I had never met that idiot Terry Snow none of this would have happened. He was so creepy, so persistent, even back then when we were little more than kids. And he asked me out, but by then I had met your dad, so I turned him down. I thought that was the end of it, but then that poor girl Shauna Grey and... and..." She broke off and Charlie sighed, squeezing her hand.

"Renee, scum like that will always find a reason in their twisted minds. Bella doesn't need to think about any of that. She just needs to focus on getting through the trial; telling them exactly what happened. Justice will be served," he said.

"I hope so," whispered Renee.

"Jasper is very good at his job," said Dad, reassuringly. "And he has both culprits in custody..."

"Exactly," I said. "And Bella is stronger than you know; she'll testify and the pair of them will be put away for a long time."

"Shame we don't have the death penalty in this state," muttered Charlie and I wholeheartedly agreed, but couldn't say anything when I looked at Bella's drawn face. She was fighting to not break down, I knew and I reached across to squeeze her hand. She squeezed back, but I knew that this was going to be incredibly hard for her; for all of us.