A/N: *All the good stuff belongs to Stephaine, not me. I own an autographed photo of Linda Blair as Regan, but that's about as good as it gets.*

Okay, two words then on with it: HOME. RUN.

Chapter 24

Static Heat

EPOV

"Open the fucking door, Isabella," I hissed into her ear. My tone was urgent, laced and layered with want. Shivers wracked through her body as my breath washed over her exposed neck.

"Feeling a little impatient?" she asked, peeking at me over her shoulder. Her hair was still set in that messy ponytail she had it in since this morning. She smelled of paint and sweat.

I coiled my arms around her small waist and crushed her back to my chest. The sticky July air clung to us, and I could smell the rain hanging in the dark clouds above us.

"Yes," I growled. My fingertips dug into her. Thunder rolled and the porch shook. I brought my lips to her dewy skin and let my tongue snake out to taste her. She shivered and the locked popped open with a quiet click. She pushed the door open, and I clung to her. I kicked the door closed with my foot and latched my mouth onto the soft, smooth flesh on her neck.

She moaned and her hands joined mine at her waist, linking together. I slowly walked her forward, trailing open mouthed kisses across the back of her neck, my lips coated in the salt of her skin. Lightening bloomed above us and lit the house. Shadows crawled across the room and flickered out in a rapid flash. She stopped at the bottom of the stairway and pushed her ass against me. Jesus. Fucking. Christ.

"Upstairs, Isabella."

"Tell me what you heard," she said in a soft, but firm voice.

"How do you know I heard anything?"

"I saw the look on your face, Edward. You heard her. What did she say?"

I pushed my hands up under her tank top and slowly roamed over her naked skin. When she hummed in appreciation, I coasted closer to her breasts, hovering just under the soft orbs but not touching them.

"I know what she wanted me to see. I understand now." I knew I was being a little elusive, but my brain was kind of on one track. Intelligent thought was draining right along with my blood supply. My cock was throbbing, and all I could think about was fucking Bella.

"What do you understand?" she asked, rolling her hips in a slow, excruciating circle.

My hips popped forward without a second of thought behind the action. "We were never meant to be. Tanya was never who I was supposed to be with. You are. You're…" While I fought for the words, she fought with her insecurities. I heard a shaky, uncertain sound tumble from her and she'd stopped moving forward waiting for my answer. "My heart has always been yours. Always my family, my heart…" I mumbled. Her shoulders relaxed against me and slowly she led me up the stairs toward her darkened bedroom.

"Long trip," she murmured.

"Hmm?"

"It took a long time to get here, didn't it?" She wasn't talking about the car ride home from my parents, and I knew it.

"I've been waiting for you for thirty years." I let some distance gather between our bodies as she walked into the bedroom. As my fingertips slipped away from her, she turned to face me. The rain began and the sound of it against the windows was loud and disjointed. My breathing grew hard and shallow, and when the lightening reached across the sky again, I saw the smoldering look in Bella's eyes. The static hum between us bloomed and intensified as we stood in the dark. With a slow, sure hand, she reached for the hem of her top and pulled it over her head. The shirt dropped to the floor. My eyes raked over her chest. A dark bra gently cupped her perfect, round breasts. She opened the front clasp of the bra and peeled the material away, never breaking her gaze from me.

Those tits...I swear they're a higher power. I could go all fan-boy right now and start clapping, but I'm pretty sure she'll hit me.

Her creamy, white skin beckoned me. I needed to touch her, to feel her delicate skin against my rough fingers. I reached out and dragged my index finger between her breasts then back up to her chin, tipping it up a little as I stepped forward. I brought my face down to her and lightly kissed her lips. Within seconds, that gentle, easy kiss turned into a crackling, searing kiss, one capable of consuming us both completely. Her hands pushed under my shirt and her nails pulled across my skin. Suddenly, my shirt was piled on the floor right next to hers. Her hand boldly caressed the bulge that had become rather conspicuous. In one swift move, my shorts were laid to waste, pooled at my feet. Bella silently dropped to her knees and took me in her mouth. Her mouth was warm and needy, and she moaned almost as much as I did.

"Stand up, Bella," I demanded as I helped her to her feet.

I walked her back toward her bed and, she stumbled and giggled. When I felt her legs meet the foot board, I guided her around the side and up onto the bed. Gently, I laid her down and peeled her shorts off. I bent over her body and kissed her belly, her hips, and the tops of her thighs. She lifted her hips again, and I slipped her underwear off, tossing them to the floor. Thunder made the house quake and lightening threw a stark white light into the room. She looked like a perfect, white marble sculpture stretched out on the bed before me.

BPOV

I could hardly contain myself when his body joined mine on the bed. The weight of him hovering above me, kissing me, was maddening and divine all at once. I needed this, I needed him. His mouth left mine and travelled down to my breasts, and my back arched up off the bed when he sucked my nipple into his mouth. His hand snaked its way down between my legs, nudged them apart and swept across me.

"I want you," he moaned against my overheated skin. His finger pushed into me and my hips bucked forward.

"Oh God!" I cried out.

His mouth skipped across my body, kissing, sucking, and licking every inch he could as his finger pumped in and out, drawing me closer and closer to the edge.

"Oh fuck," I panted. I felt my stomach quiver, and I had to fight the urge to clench my legs together against the fast building pressure.

He slipped a second finger inside and my body moved all on its own. My legs squeezed together, trapping his hand. My back lifted off the mattress and my breath caught in my lungs. When the spasms stopped, I breathed a loud, shaky sigh. "Holy shit…"

Edward's lips pressed against mine, and his need was more than apparent. It was pressing firmly into my thigh. I let my legs fall open again, and Edward placed himself between them.

"Edward, I…" I felt my face burn red.

"What, kitten? Tell me what you need."

"I need this to be hard. I need you fuck me. We've got all the time in the world for slow, soft love making. Right now I need to feel you, need to feel how much you want me. Please. I need to be yours." I watched the emotions flip across his face in the dim light the moon provided. My words certainly shocked him, but more than that, they fuelled him. His eyes flooded with a desire I'd never seen before and it made my insides tremble.

My legs wrapped around his naked waist, and I pulled him closer to me. I felt him nudging at my entrance, and I had to put a little effort into keeping my hips firmly planted on the bed beneath me.

"Are you sure, Bel—"

"Fuck me, Edward. Now!" I wasn't about to lay there and have a conversation about how I wanted it, damn it! I wanted Edward, and I wanted to know he wanted me, too.

His hands reached out and grasped each of my thin wrists and clasped them firmly above my head in a move that was so quick it made my breath speed up. He adjusted his body, and with one fluid movement, he slipped inside me.

"Oh Jesus!" I cried out as I felt him stretch and fill me.

"Isabella," he moaned as he slammed into me again. His grip on my wrists tightened as he pushed forward, relaxing as he slid back. "You feel amazing."

I rolled my hips and bucked my pelvis. Everything inside me lit up and every nerve ending felt like a torch burning. I'd never experienced anything even close to this before. It was all heat and electricity and grunts and lips smashing.

He released my hands and they were quick to seek out his ass. I knew damn well I was digging my fingernails in a little too much, and that he'd likely have marks, but he certainly wasn't complaining. If anything, it spurred him on. And I was so not going to complain about that. His hands squeezed and teased my breasts, and my moans turned into wanton cries. Our bodies moved faster, reaching for more. My body felt heavy and light all at once. Heavy, tethered to this Earth, this spot. Tied to this body. To his body. Light, like I'd been submerged in water, floating in it and becoming pure liquid.

This was all new. Jake had cared about me, wanted me, but his caresses never grazed my bones. They never shot that deep. Everything with Michael was fashioned with lies, held together with masking tape and layers of shiny lacquer to make it pretty. But it was never real. This was rough and sweaty, and it was full of sound and fire. It was deep thrusting, guttural groans and nails pulling across hot flesh. Suddenly, everything felt on edge, tight and coiled and loaded.

One hand palmed his ass and the other gripped a fistful of bedding. My breath caught in my chest.

"Breathe, baby. Fuck, I'm so close."

I knew that with just a little more friction, a little more pressure, I would fly off that edge. And I wanted that so very badly. Thunder rolled around us and the room lit up in a heavenly white flicker and then quickly plugged back into darkness.

Edward seemed to know innately exactly what I needed, that I craved just a little bit more, that I needed him just a little deeper. He sat back on his heels and raised my hips up onto his lap. He pulled back and thrust forward grinding his pelvis against mine as our bodies met.

That hokey crap about seeing stars— turns out it's true. My eyes slammed shut, my muscles coiled and exploded into a warm flame. A pulse of electricity ran through me with such force, the only response I was capable of was tears. I heard Edward chanting my name like a verse from a prayer but I was utterly incapable of words. Once his breathing returned to something pretty close to normal, he rolled us onto our sides. I shook my head and tears streamed down my face.

"I hurt you. God, why didn't say something, Bella?"

"No, no, silly boy, you didn't hurt me. I'm…good. I just…I've never felt anything like that. It's never…never been like that for me. I…" The person you are trying to communicate with is experiencing difficultly at this time. Please hang up and try your call again. Sweet Susan, spit it the hell out! I barked at myself.

"So good," he said in a gentle, hushed tone.

I looked at his beautiful face, and my heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. Suddenly, the words were there. "It's never been so good, Edward. I've never felt so real, so wanted, so fucking alive in my entire life. I've never been so inside my own body before. It felt so damned amazing to be inside my body, not hating it, not thinking it was going to fail me. Feeling how very loved and wanted my body is… how wanted I am. It's never been that way for me before, and that's all sorts of wonderful and overwhelming. I love you, Edward. Thank you."

"You're remarkable. You've given me, hands down, the best sexual experience of my life, and you're thanking me. You're remarkable, Isabella Swan."

He kissed the tip of my nose and my heart throbbed. If the world falls away right now, I'll go a happy, happy girl.

We adjusted our bodies and I snuggled into his side, content to lay there with him forever. My eyes began to flutter and sleep was washing over me quickly.

"Shit," I snapped as I heard my phone ring. I sat up quickly and looked over at the alarm clock sitting on my nightstand. "3:32 in the damn morning," I mumbled as I drew the covers off my still naked body.

"Let it go to voicemail," Edward said in a sleepy voice.

"3:30am wake up calls aren't really the norm. I should answer it, might be important," I reasoned.

By the time I made it to the phone, it had stopped ringing. I was about to turn around and head back to bed when it started again. I tossed a dirty look at the phone and picked it up to look at the caller I.D. —Ben's cell phone. My eyes went wide as I answered.

"Hello?"

"It's go time, Bella! No false labour; this is not a drill!" Ben shouted into the phone.

My face broke out into a wide smile.

"You guys at the hospital?" I asked, already walking back toward my bedroom.

"Yeah, we just got here and she's already threatening my manhood, Bella. I need reinforcements, stat!"

I giggled. "Can she talk? Can you put her on the phone?"

"Sure, they just got her settled with some ice chips, whatever the hell those are for…" his voice trailed off, and I heard the phone switch hands.

I stood in front of my dresser, pulling clothes out: white tank top, light blue boat neck top, and yoga pants.

"Bella?" Angela said.

"I'm here, little mama."

"Can you come, please?"

"I'm pulling on clothes as we speak. Are your parents there?" I asked, tossing a pair of socks at Edward.

"Sleep woman, sleep is good," he moaned, rolling over.

"They couldn't exchange their tickets, and the cancellation fee is ridiculous. They left for Rio yesterday," she explained, sounding a little panicked.

"We'll be there soon, hon. In the meantime, ease up on Ben, eh," I said as I sat on the edge of the bed with my clothes in my hand.

"Yeah, yeah. Wait we?" Angela mumbled.

"Edward's here," I explained, lightly flicking the bottom of his foot.

"Oh, did I… ah…ouch!" She took a deep breath, exhaling into the phone.

"Contraction?"

"Yeah… shit."

"Okay, I'm hanging up. You breathe!" I hung up and placed the phone on the bed. "Move it, bud! My best friend's about to have a baby."

He rolled to his side. "It'll be hours before baby Cheney makes an appearance."

"Mama Cheney needs me now. So get a move on."

"Mmmm," he groaned, looking at the clock.

All right, big guns it is. "You're right we probably have plenty of time. Time enough for a shower…together. But, I guess I could let you sleep." My voice was coy and my finger slid along his leg.

He sat up bolt straight and threw the covers back. Note to self: Sexual favours are a great bargaining tool. Edward followed me to the bathroom, his hands clinging to my hips like suction cups to glass. We washed each other in a quiet and lazy way, kissing occasionally.

"I can't believe I have you," Edward whispered more to himself.

"You've always had me," I said, running my soapy hands over his perfect, dimpled ass. As we rinsed and stepped out of the shower, I explained Jake's take on soul mates. Edward was quiet and pensive looking.

"Makes perfect sense to me, Bella," he said, pulling on his thoroughly paint splattered shorts. "It wasn't until I saw you with my family that I realized you belonged there. In that moment, I accepted the fact that, though I loved Tanya, she was never it for me. She was never the one that fit into that space so perfectly. I'm sorry you had to endure what you did, but I'm not sorry that it brought you to me." His voice was sweet and laced with a deep love and understanding. It melted my insides more than a little bit.

I pushed up on my tippy toes and planted a soft kiss on his nose. "So you'll keep me?"

"Forever," he murmured in my ear, sending shivers throughout my body.

"Room 317, on the left," the nurse directed. Hand in hand, Edward and I walked toward the labour and delivery room Angela had been set up in.

"…Benjamin Cheney, you keep your fucking hands off me!" I couldn't believe my ears. Angela had gone evil.

Edward and I exchanged a nervous sideways glance before walking into the room.

"Knock, knock…" I said as I slowly walked into the room. A wave of relief seemed to pass over Angela when she saw Edward and me. "So where are the twins?"

"Sleeping off the Jack and Coke. Idiots. Mom and Dad are gone one night and they decide to hit up the liquor cabinet. I knew tha—" She stopped midsentence and her face contorted. She blew out hard, and both she and Ben looked to the monitor that beeped away next to her bed.

"Contraction," Edward explained, walking over and looking at the read out that had begun to print. "A good one, too."

Angela panted and grabbed for Ben's hand. "Keep breathing, baby, you've got this. That's it, almost over…" His eyes fixed on her as though she were the centre of the universe.

Once the contraction subsided, Edward and I pulled up chairs and got comfortable. Ben curled up on the small couch in the room and napped while I coached Angela through her contractions. Four hours later, the pace of her contractions changed. They came closer together and they had certainly become more intense. Angela was losing steam.

"Holy mother of shit that hurts! I need to push, I have to push," Ang cried, all red faced and exhausted looking.

Ben hit the bedside button and called the nurse into the room. "She needs to push. Can she do that?" he asked, looking concerned and tired.

"Well let's get Dr. Marin in there and have her checked out. Anyone not staying for the birth, out," the nurse directed. Edward and the semi-conscious twins cleared the room while Angela clung to my hand for dear life. Dr. Marin walked in, looking well rested and maybe a bit too relaxed for my liking. She looked like a twelfth grader with her long, wavy brown hair and her too easy looking smile. A freaking twelfth grader is about to deliver Ang's baby, lord help us.

Dr. Marin positioned herself at the foot of the bed, pulled on gloves and got to business. Poor Ang looked all sorts of uncomfortable while Doc had her hands up in there, doing God knows what to her girlie parts. "Well you're fully dilated, everything looks good to go!"

Did she just say that? Did Doogie Houser just say 'good to go?'"

Angela looked up at Ben, he smiled, leaned down, and planted a sweet kiss on her mouth. "You can do this, babe. You've been doing it. Everything we want is just around the corner."

Angela's legs were thrown up in the air in some medieval looking stirrups, and Ben took her left hand. Ang reached for me and squeezed my hand.

"All right, Angela, on your next contraction, you're going to push. We'll help you through it," Nurse Samantha said in a calm, collected voice. Angela nodded, Ben nodded, and I nodded.

Minutes passed, and Angela was grunting and groaning, and I swore I'd never heard so many F-bombs fly from that woman's mouth before. When the head was out, I sneaked a peek and amazement washed over me and tears slid down my checks.

"Mother of fuuuuucccck," Angela screeched as she gave one last powerful push. The soft cries of a rather agitated Baby Cheney took over the room. I looked to the face of my friends and saw an emotion I couldn't quite place, an emotion that though I understood, but never felt before.

"Baby boy," Dr. Marin announced as she passed him to the nurse to be checked out. Ten fingers, ten toes, no tails or horns, and no mouth full of razor sharp teeth. Though goopy and squirmy, he looked absolutely perfect to me.

"Nathaniel…" Angela whispered, tears streaming down her face.

I slipped out of the room as Samantha handed Nathaniel over to his parents. Their faces lit up and the joy that oozed from the room coated me in a warmth that ran bone deep.

Parents…The world they knew just vanished. The centre of their world just shifted.

End Notes: So, we finally get the full lemon. Worth it?