Disclaimer(s): All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. TY lovely Twilight ladies for the great sample, this disclaimer is also not mine. While the author desires to keep the story as REAL as possible, Creative License may be taken.
Epic A/N at the end with thanks and everything.
Previously
"Come on, beautiful," I said as I led Bella out of the kitchen and into our room. I laid Abby down in her bassinet while Bella removed her clothes and crawled into bed. It was a little early to be heading to bed, but it had been a long few days. Once I had Abby situated, I stripped down to my boxers and crawled into bed with my wife.
Pulling her toward me, I wrapped my arm around her and could already tell how different she felt against me without the baby between us.
"I love you, Bella," I whispered as I kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you for giving me the most precious gift in the entire world."
BPOV
"Abby," I whispered as I laid her on Edward's chest. "Can you say good morning daddy?"
I had just gotten done feeding Abby and was excited to get Edward alone. Today would be the first day I would leave the house without my daughter. I was a little anxious, but knew that she'd be safe with Edward, and I really needed the girl time. I also couldn't wait to go to the concert.
We had been home from the hospital for three weeks and I was feeling great, and Abby was already sleeping in her room down the hall. I knew we were extremely blessed, but I didn't know how blessed until we had our new neighbors over last night with their six-week old son. They were only here two hours and he cried the entire time. We'd put Abby to bed after they left and she'd slept for almost five hours when I had to wake her up so I could feed her.
"Edward," I giggled as Abby snuggled up under his chin.
"G'morning, baby," he said as he held her against him and sat up. "Morning to you too, angel," he whispered as he kissed Abby on her forehead.
"I'm going to go make breakfast. What sounds good?" I asked as I slipped my robe on and approached the door.
"Whatever, beautiful. You know I'm not too picky," he answered as I grinned at the two of them and headed downstairs to start the bacon.
I had just sat the breakfast on the table when Edward came down the stairs with Abby.
"What time is Alice going to be here to pick you up?" he asked as he strapped her in her swing.
"Sometime around four, I think."
Alice, Rose and I were attending the Gavin Degraw concert that was playing in town. Even though Alice was three days overdue, she was still as bubbly as ever. When her due date came and went, she had searched all over the internet for tickets to the concert.
"You don't think Alice could have the baby tonight, do you?" I asked.
"It's possible, but if that happens, you guys just need to remain calm, head to the hospital, and call us. We'll all be here and will be able to get to the hospital quickly." He took another bite of his eggs before he continued. "She does need to realize that if she starts having contractions, real contractions, she should head for the hospital before they are too close together. Other than that, there's really nothing to worry about," he said with a smile as he picked up our plates, taking them into the kitchen.
"The dishwasher is dirty," I hollered, hoping he'd take the hint and put the dirty dishes away.
Abby began to fuss in her swing, so I wandered over and lifted her out of it.
"Mommy's going to miss you tonight, angel," I said as I patted her back and walked into the kitchen to join Edward.
"What did you want to do before everybody gets here, love?"
We ended up spending the afternoon in front of the television as we caught up on the shows we had recorded. It was a relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and not something we got to do too often with the family's hectic schedule. It seemed like we always had something to do over the weekend with his family or mine.
My parents had been up just last weekend to see Abby again; they'd also been celebrating the announcement of Jake and Nessie's first baby. I couldn't believe that in a few months my little brother would be a daddy. I never really thought about how fast everything could change, but the past year had given me a glimpse of how fast your life could be altered by a simple decision.
I had just stepped out of the shower when I heard a knock at the front door. Edward was in Abby's room with her, so I wrapped my robe around me and went to answer the door, where I found Jasper and Alice.
"Hey sweetie," Alice said as she hugged me and walked inside. "You almost ready?" she asked.
"Just give me about ten minutes and I'll be ready to go," I said as I glanced at the clock. She was early, and she knew it.
"Oh, okay. Take your time, Rose isn't here?"
"Not yet, Alice. You weren't supposed to be here for another forty-five minutes."
"Jasper," Edward greeted him as he walked in with Abby.
"Ooh," Alice squealed. "Can I hold her?" she asked.
"Of course, she just got done feeding a little bit ago before Bella got in the shower, so she might need to be burped again," he told her as he started to hand her the baby. Alice walked over to the couch and took a seat before taking her from him.
I left them to go get ready and I had barely shut the door before Edward snuck in our room behind me and wrapped his arms around me. His hot hands slipped between the opening of my robe and skimmed up my stomach to my breasts. I moaned as I leaned back against him.
"You like that?" he asked cockily.
"Yes," I hissed. "But, we don't have time," I sighed as I stepped away from him and opened the closet door. I reached for my favorite pre-baby jeans with high hopes. I had yet to try them on since having Abby, but was thinking I had lost enough weight to be able to fit into them again. I had only been able to wear them once when I bought them, right before my maternity jeans. I remember thinking at the time that my stomach seemed to get bigger overnight.
I held my breath as I pulled them off the rack. Sure enough, when I stepped into them I breathed a huge sigh of relief. They fit and I would be able to pair them with a black top so that I would at least look like I belonged at a rock concert.
Why Alice was insisting on attending a concert just days past her due date was beyond me. When she first found out about the concert, she was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to see Gavin Degraw because she thought she'd have a newborn. When her due date came and went, she called me up and told me she'd bought the tickets.
"Damn, why do you have to look so sexy when you know we don't have time?" Edward asked as I passed by him to finish fixing my hair.
"Not only do we not have time," I reminded him, "but we can't for another few weeks."
"Not true," he said as he appeared, propping himself up in the doorway.
I shot him a look in the mirror as I combed my fingers through my hair.
"Have you been experiencing any pain?" Edward asked and I shook my head.
"No, but it doesn't matter. I don't want to screw anything up...down there," I said as I turned around. "We'll just have to wait until Addison can check me out."
"I can check you out," he said eagerly.
"Eww, no." I took a breath as I tried to not sound all weirded out, but having Edward look at my hoo-ha for medical reasons made the times we were intimate seem like they'd be less intimate. "That would be...just… weird," I sighed as I slipped my flats on.
""What? Why? Bella," he paused, "you really think that?" he asked, hurt evident in his voice. "I mean, this is what I do for a living, baby."
"Honey," I sighed as I walked towards him. I wanted to comfort him, but he backed away. He looked at me, and just as he was about to say something, I heard Abby's wail from the living area and he left to go check on her.
When I walked into the living room where everybody was standing, I saw that Edward still seemed bothered. I hated leaving things like this, but the girls were ushering me out the door. While they were saying their good byes, I walked over to Edward. It hurt my heart to see the sadness apparent on his face because of my earlier comments.
"I love you," I whispered as I kissed him on the cheek.
"I love you, too," he replied, but that's all it seemed to be, a response.
Tonight was starting out great, I thought sarcastically.
The car ride to the concert was filled with chatter from Rose and Alice in the front seat. I could tell Alice was really excited for our special evening, but she seemed to be a little off. Just as we pulled up to the venue and saw the crowd gathered, Alice gasped.
"What?" Rose asked.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing," she sighed. "Just the baby kicking," she replied with a smile as she opened her door and let the sounds and the excitement around us filter in. All of a sudden, we were lost in the experience that is a rock concert, and we made it inside to find our seats and acquire some sustenance.
We had a little while before the opening act would start and the two of them ventured off to see all the merchandise. I pulled out a book I had been reading and got lost in the romance of the lovers in the story. They made it back, huffing at me for reading while the crowd was getting anxious for the concert to start.
"Why is it uncool to read at a concert?" I asked. "I am a mom now," I reminded them just as the lights dimmed and the opening act took the stage. They were okay, but I didn't see them going anywhere very fast. They didn't have enough of an original sound for me to want to pick up their CD on the way out.
When Gavin approached the stage, Alice started squealing. She got so excited that she was bouncing as much as her pregnant body could. He opened with I Don't Want to Be and the crowd, filled with mostly females, went wild. Just as he started the second song, Alice grabbed my arm as she bent at the waist and grabbed her stomach.
"Alice?" I looked at her as she glanced up at me, wincing.
"It's time," she whispered as Rose grabbed her hand from the other side and led us through the crowd. I was surprisingly calm as we hurried out to the car. Her contractions were far enough apart that she didn't have another one until we were standing in the parking lot.
As soon as we were in the car and Rose had pulled into traffic, I called the guys. Emmett answered Edward's phone and I told him we were on the way to the hospital. He quickly handed the phone to someone and Jasper came on the line.
"Alice?" he asked. I handed the phone to her and saw her smile as she breathed through the pain. They talked for a little while as Rose sped through the lights in a hurry to get us to the hospital. Alice handed the phone back to me and Edward was on the line, asking about how far apart her contractions were. He said they had the kids loaded in the cars and were on their way now.
"Bella, I'm sorry," he said just as I was about to hang up. "I love you, so much, baby."
"I love you, too," I assured him. "I'll see you there."
I sat next to Alice, rubbing her back and reassuring her that we would be there soon.
Alice's contractions were about five minutes apart when we made it to the hospital, and Carlisle met us at the door.
"Dad!" she yelped as he helped her into a wheelchair.
"Hey, baby," he said as he kissed her on the cheek. "How's my grandchild?" he asked with an easy smile.
"Ready to come out," she laughed. Carlisle wheeled her over to the elevator. Just as the doors were about to shut, Jasper came barreling through the entrance.
"Wait!" Alice screamed at the same time Jasper yelled, "Hold the elevator!" and ran toward us, reaching us just before the doors closed.
Jasper leaned down and kissed her on the lips before he crouched down and kissed her swollen stomach. Their happy moment ended as Alice had another contraction and we entered the maternity floor. Jasper's parents and Esme were already there and they greeted the couple as Rose and I stood back by the elevator to wait for everyone else. It dinged, but it wasn't the guys with our children. Finally tiring of waiting for the guys to show up with our kids, we sat down in the waiting room. It dinged four times before they came traipsing through the doors, looking a little worse for wear. Edward was carrying one of the twins in one arm, and Abby in her carrier in the other. Emmett was pushing the twin's stroller with one arm and holding a baby in the other, while Izzy came strolling in behind them, her little finger holding onto Emmett's back pocket.
"Guys," Rose greeted them with a chuckle.
"Don't," Emmett said as he slung the diaper bag off his shoulder and hung it off the stroller.
"Mommy," Izzy said as she walked up to Rose. "Is Auntie Alice's baby here yet?"
"Not yet," Rose told her as she smoothed her hair out of her face and pulled it back into a ponytail. "It could still be a while, sweetie."
Edward sat down beside me and placed Abby on the floor between us. She was sleeping soundly in her seat, all wrapped up in blankets.
"Hey, beautiful," he said as he kissed me on the lips. "I'm going to go find out how long it will be," he told me as he kissed me one last time, leaning down to kiss our daughter's forehead before he headed off to the delivery room.
Addison wandered out, looking fabulously tan. "Hey," I said as she sat down next to me and looked adoringly at my daughter.
"Hey yourself, mommy," she teased as I asked her about her trip to California.
"Oh, it was great. I can't wait to be out there permanently," she smiled. "It's going to be so different, but I'm definitely looking forward to the normal office hours."
"Yeah, I bet that's going to be nice," I said with a hint of jealousy. Edward had just returned to work this past week and I hated the way his schedule worked out so that he would sometimes need to sleep while I was wide awake with our daughter.
We talked a little more about the replacement they had hired for her and how well she was doing with the patients. Alice sure loved her, enough to not even care if Addison was in the delivery room with them. She was young, just fresh off of her residency, and absolutely adorable. We discussed various other things as we waited for a member of our family to emerge with the details of our newest addition.
While we were waiting, I started questioning her about how long Edward and I would have to wait before we could have sex. She asked me the same questions Edward had, making me feel even worse. She caught the look on my face and questioned me about it.
"Edward suggested that he could check for me, but that just kind of weirded me out. I know that probably sounds silly," I sighed.
"Not at all," she said as she patted my arm. "We could do it right now, if you'd like," she offered.
"Really?" I asked and she nodded. "Let me just see if Rose can watch Abby for me," I said as I ran over to Rose to see if she could. She eyed me knowingly as I turned to follow Addison off to an exam room.
Once I was done with Addison, I didn't have to wait much longer before Edward came out of the room with a smiling daddy and grandpa.
"It's a boy," Jasper said as he beamed with pride. I still couldn't believe Alice had been able to keep the gender a secret the entire time she was pregnant. This would definitely give her bragging rights for a while.
"Gavin Lee Hale," he said as he turned around to go back to his wife and son. Edward and Carlisle told us the other details as Esme peppered them with questions.
Esme and Carlisle went to see them as soon as Alice had been placed in her private room, and Jasper's parents were next. Edward was smiling as he watched the members of our family go in and out of Alice's room to greet the mommy and new baby.
"I can't believe she named him Gavin," he chuckled as he pulled me against him.
"Why?"
"It's just, do you think she would have done that if she wasn't at the concert?" he asked.
I shrugged.
"Alright," Jasper's mom said as they came out of the room. "The couple is asking for you and Bella, Edward," she hugged us as we walked past her after passing Abby off to her grandparents.
We walked into the room and I saw Alice holding Gavin. She looked as fresh as if she'd just stepped out of the powder room. I shook my head. Only Alice.
"Hey, guys," she greeted as we approached the bed and she offered to let us hold him. Edward declined until Alice gave him the eye. He held his nephew as Jasper snapped a picture of the three of us.
We chatted for a bit before Alice started talking about being ready to try for a second one. She had loved being pregnant, and apparently her delivery hadn't been too bad if she was ready to get right back on the horse.
"Aren't you guys ready for another one already?" she asked, never taking her eyes off of Gavin.
"Well," I stammered. "It's a little too soon-"
"I don't think we're going to not try," Edward interrupted as he wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulder. "We're just going to let nature take its course with this one," he smiled.
Emmett stuck his head in the door, eager to see his baby sister and nephew, so we stepped aside and let him and Rose in. Edward spoke with his dad for a few minutes while I chatted with Esme until Emmett and Rosalie emerged.
"I think they're going to try to get some sleep, and we're going to head home. I'm sure one of us will be up here in the morning," she said as she hugged everybody.
"I think we're going to head out, too," I said as Edward glanced at me. We were usually the last ones to leave family functions, but I was eager to get home. It had been a long evening with the concert, and then the baby coming. Plus, I was sure Edward would be all too willing to know that I had received a good report from Addison.
We said goodbye to his parents before we got on the elevator with Emmett and Rose. Apparently Jasper had driven our car here and parked in Edward's spot while Edward had ridden with Emmett and all the kids. I laughed as I imagined the guys trying to get all the kids ready to go and Jasper pacing back and forth while the guys figured out that the car seat really was as simple as the center pull latch in the front.
We said our goodbyes as they walked past us toward the visitor and patient parking. Edward had Abby strapped into the car just as I was getting in. He picked up my hand as soon as he had started the car and I looked over at him, smiling.
"Crazy night, huh?" he said as we walked into the house.
"Yeah," I sighed as I toed off my shoes and bent down to pick up Abby.
"Hey, baby girl," I cooed. "You hungry?"
She squirmed a little as I settled her in my arms and walked to her room. I took a seat in the rocking chair, rocking her gently as we started our nightly ritual.
I heard Edward walk past her room and saw the light flicker on out of the corner of my eye. After she was done, I got her changed into her pajamas and then settled her in for the night. If she could sleep for another four or five hours like she had the last few nights, I'd be one happy mommy.
Edward was turning the sheets down when I walked in. He only had on a pair of boxer's and I ogled him a bit before I made my presence known.
"Hey," I said as I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms around him.
I kissed him between his shoulder blades as he laced his fingers with mine. I loosened my hand from one of his and trailed a single finger down over his abs and stopped as I reached the trail of hair at his shorts.
"Bella," he shuddered against me. "Please don't tease me," he said as he turned around to face me.
I was shaking my head and smiling as he looked at me.
"What?" he asked with a grin.
"I talked to Addison," I said as I stuck the tips of my fingers under the waistband of his shorts.
"And," he prompted.
"She also looked me over really quick while you were with Alice," I said with a shrug.
"Oh, really?" he chuckled as he leaned to kiss me on the lips. His hands fumbled with the buttons of my shirt that were only partially done, since I had fed Abby. I made quick work of my jeans as he pushed my shirt from my body and slipped out of his shorts.
"We just have to be careful," I said as we climbed into bed.
"I know, baby," he said as he rolled so I was underneath him.
His fingers ghosted across my chest as my body came to life under his touch. Slowly, he tickled his way across my heated flesh and his hand found its way to the lips of my aching sex. He pushed his thumb against my nub as he gently stuck his finger inside me. It felt so good to have him touching me like this again. I couldn't get enough of him as he began to slowly work his fingers in and out of my body. He brought me to the edge of a climax as he pulled himself up and slowly entered my body. I cried out as I lost it. My orgasm crashed over me as soon as he started moving inside of me.
"Oh, god," he moaned against my neck. "You feel… fuck. I can feel you, baby."
He rocked his body against mine as he kissed along my neck and chest.
It felt so good to have him inside of me. Not the discomfort I think I had been expecting. I could tell Edward was getting close, so I tucked my hand between us.
"God, I love you," he breathed as he kissed me and released into me. After a few moments, he continued kissing me as he pulled out and rolled us to our sides.
We laid there for a little while, my head resting on his chest, his hand brushing the length of my back as we relished the fact that we could be together. The sound of his heart was lulling me to sleep and I must have dozed off, because when I woke up a little later, Edward was walking the length of the hallway with a crying baby.
I sat up a little bit as I motioned for him to bring her to me. He laid her in my arms and she found what she was looking for.
"She's just hungry," I said as she snuggled closer to me. He climbed back into bed and laid next to me while I continued to feed our daughter.
"Bella," he said quietly.
"Yeah."
"Earlier, when Alice asked about us trying for another one…," he started. "I'd really like to start right away. I don't want you to go back on birth control, and I really don't want to wear-"
"That's what I want, too," I interrupted him.
"It is?" he asked as he scooted closer to me.
"Of course," I said as I reached out and caressed his face. "I can't wait to have your baby, Edward."
"I love you," he said as he leaned over and kissed me. "And I love you, too, baby girl," he whispered to Abby. She had fallen asleep as soon as she was done and I handed her over to him so he could burp her while I put on a robe to take her across the hall back to her room.
June 20th - several weeks later
EPOV
"Happy Birthday!" my sister squealed as she hugged me.
"Alice," I chuckled as she took Gavin from Jasper and headed over to where the rest of the Cullen women were gathered. It was my thirtieth birthday, and Bella had decided we needed to have a big gathering with family and friends to celebrate. Things had changed so much since my last birthday that I didn't even know where to start when I thought of all the things to be thankful for this past year.
I'd met, married, and had a child with the love of my life. Our little girl was getting bigger every day, and I dreaded the day she realized how much she had me wrapped around her finger. I spent my nights rocking and singing her to sleep whenever I could, and I lived to cherish each and every moment I had with her.
That thought alone was enough to keep me from dreading another birthday. If every year could bring me the best things in life, well, I'd gladly turn another year older. With all of us having kids, it slowed down our nights out and we all spent a lot more time at home, with each other, where we belonged.
I smiled as I saw Bella glancing at me while she talked to my sister. It looked like they were getting ready to bring the cake out. We had decided to host the party at our house, and it had been a huge success. I loved being able to entertain in our new home with the people we loved the most around us. I was eager to show off all the cool things Bella had let me get for the garage and knew my grill would drive Emmett crazy. Sure enough, he was over there manning the monster by himself while he and Jasper stood around, gossiping like old women and drinking their beer.
I looked back toward where Bella had been standing and saw her coming toward me.
"Hey, beautiful," I greeted her with a kiss as she grabbed my hand and led me over to the cake and present table we'd set up in the backyard.
Everybody joined in for the birthday song and I made a wish as I blew out the candles, not knowing if my wish had come true yet or if I'd have to wait a while longer. Alice started cutting the cake as Bella fiddled with her jacket. Why she needed a jacket in the middle of summer was beyond me, but when she insisted she was cold, who was I to argue?
"Edward," she whined as she tried to get the zipper unstuck.
"Do you need help, baby?" I asked as I stepped in front of her and was able to unzip the jacket easily. She pulled the jacket open and I saw that she was wearing a pink shirt. Bella never wears pink, but that's not what had gotten my attention. In plain black lettering across her chest, "I'm carrying Edward Cullen's baby" was written.
"Really?" I choked out as I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to me.
"Yeah," she sighed. "Really."
When I had acknowledged my hopes and dreams for the past year, I never would have imagined getting them all. With the one thing I wished for already coming true, I couldn't imagine what the rest of my birthdays would have in store for me. Whatever else happened in my life, I knew that I had already been blessed beyond measure.
This is the end of the story, but it isn't...Epi(s) still to come, I just don't know when. I need to know what you'd like to see in an epi. I already have one I'm working on...so I'll keep working on that.
I have so many people to thank. My beta(s) because I had a couple of them throughout this entire process. My original, my friend, Tara...this story never would have made it so far in the beginning without your helpful input. Stav for offering to beta for me after finding me in the midst of a WC and Jessica for stepping in and offering to beta for me when I needed someone. To my plastics, you girls were there when I had an idea I needed to run by someone, so thank you so much for everything, but especially your friendship! My prereaders, when I had a chapter I wanted to make sure was going to come off right, you were there with your opinions and I love you for it! Especially, ESPECIALLY all the readers that have read, the reviewers that have told me whether they loved it or hated it and to everybody that told someone to read my little story, thank you! I couldn't have done this without you!
There are outfits now for 3, 2, 1 - made by the lovely and talented AmberDK - she came in at the last minute with an offer I couldn't refuse! Seriously, thank you for all the time you put into the outfits! Really, it's a chapter banner because of all the detail she puts into these :)
The 'Til Death Do Us Part Contest, hosted by the TwiGirls(aka me, twisherry and aciepey) will be accepting entries from 4/15 - 6/5. This is a wedding O/S and all entries are thrown into a pool to win a banner!
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Rec(s) - Relative Wind by Mac214 *gasp* seriously, you must read this DILFward fic! Speaking of DILFward...Got any rec(s) for me? I need a good DILFward like I need air!
Thanks again for reading my story I never would have imagined I would be able to finish a complete fic, but you guys gave me the strength and want to do it!