Here's the latest chapter! I wasn't able to post while on vacation, but that just means you get a bunch of new content today. Chapter 26 is with mizzdee and 27 is in the works so I'm hoping to keep things coming here.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of theirrespective owners. The original characters and plot are theproperty of the author. The author is in no way associatedwith the owners, creators, orproducers of any media franchise. No copyright infringementis intended.
Chapter 25
Carlisle texted me first thing Christmas morning to tell me that the girls may try steal the puppy. I laughed at his comment, because he had been the one to pick up the dog for me since I'd been busy with the kids.
I had gotten the essentials and locked them down in my office, but I'd be bringing them out after the big reveal.
I was nervous about seeing the kids' reactions, but after having laid out all their gifts when I got home from midnight mass the night before, there was plenty here to excite them.
Alice was my early riser, running down around six o'clock, full of energy, but thankfully I was able to waylay her with making breakfast before she woke up her siblings. Jasper woke up on his own just before Alice went barreling up the stairs, but when Rosalie came down with her a few minutes later we all settled in to eat.
It didn't take too long for them to tear through the wrapping paper to reveal all of their gifts, each of them excited about their bounty. I asked them to bring their gifts upstairs and put them away so the downstairs would be clean for when their cousins got here and then we settled in to watch some Christmas shows on TV.
Carlisle, Esme and the girls showed up around noon, Esme taking over the kitchen to start on dinner while Carlisle walked in awkwardly carrying a large box. He barely had a minute to sit it down before the puppy popped out the top and pandemonium erupted.
Squeals and cheers were shouted as the kids all crowded the dog. Lottie and Tia joined in as they told their cousins about him sleeping in the crate in their room last night.
We were advised to crate train the puppy first, and then, once he was fully housebroken and able to start more rigorous training, he could roam free full time.
It was then that the name debate began. I honestly almost stepped in when Rosalie's snarky attitude actually helped us.
"He's lucky he's cute, because this pup is already turning out to be a major pain," she groaned.
It was Jasper that lit up as bright as the Christmas tree. "That's it, we can call him Major, like the army rank."
No one seemed to have any argument about that so I quickly agreed that Major was his name. Our early dinner with Esme and the kids was nice, but I kept looking at Bella's seat wishing she were here with us.
We enjoyed the rest of our time with my family and then after they left we went upstairs to Skype with Tanya. Even though she wasn't a dog person, Tanya gushed over Major and reminded Jasper that if he was going to take on the responsibility then he had to stick with it and not dump the dog on Bella and I. She also told Rosalie that she should help her brother with some of the tasks.
It was a nice visit, and once I got the puppy settled into his kennel in Jasper's room, then got Alice and Jasper to leave the puppy alone long enough to go to sleep, I was finally able to call Bella.
"Hey, Love," I said.
"Merry Christmas, baby," she told me.
"How was your day?"
"Nice, I hung out with the family, Leah went to spend the night with Sam and I'm whooping Seth's ass at war until he decides it's past his bedtime."
"He's going to sea tomorrow?"
"Yup, we'll see him off first thing," she said.
"Well, I'll let you enjoy your time with your brother, and we can talk tomorrow."
"Sure, Edward, talk to you then," she said before we hung up.
I was happy that in the week Bella was away I got to really enjoy time with the kids, and started working with Major on not making a mess everywhere. Luckily, the shelter used wee wee pads, so he was somewhat familiar with them, and would go in search of them when he needed to go.
It was near the end of the week that we made an appointment with the vet, and after a thorough exam and some more shots, he was approved for walks outside as long as I kept a close eye on him. He was micro chipped and I brought him to the pet store to get a nametag for his collar and some treats for when I began training him.
I knew this wasn't something I wanted to shoulder Bella with, so I hired a dog trainer to come in and begin the process, getting the dog used to the commands and then showing us the proper technique. Even with him being so small, it was amazing what he picked up in that first lesson.
After dinner, I asked Rosalie to get her siblings to bed while I picked up Bella, and she was happy to help.
Driving to JFK, and then parking so I could go into baggage claim, I saw her before she ever got to the carousel and rushed to wrap my arms around her.
"I've missed you, Love."
She turned at the sound of my voice, "Missed you too," she whispered as I kissed her.
I lifted her bag from the conveyer belt and we headed to the car, me telling her more about the puppy, since he'd only come up in conversation twice over the week. Once we were home, I wanted to tell her about the upcoming trip and everything else that was happening.
"The trip is confirmed, I fly out on the eight and should be gone a week, so by mid January we will be telling everyone. But for now I want to get you into bed. Since I know that you're going out for New Years with your friends I won't get to spend it with you, but next year will be our year. Everyone will know and we'll be free to enjoy ourselves."
"Are you nervous about telling Tanya?" she asked.
"Not too much. She can't forbid it, and she has a knack for reading people. I think she'll see that I'm happy for the first time in a long time, and that will be enough for her."
"Sue knows, and she's on our side," she said.
"That's one more person on our side, and hopefully she will help convince your father not to shoot me."
She laughed, looking around suddenly. "Where's the dog, Edward?"
"Major sleeps in Jasper's room, the two of them are inseparable."
I followed Bella up to her loft and was rewarded with some long overdue shower sex. I had to head back down to my room in case the kids needed me, but I wasn't going to be without Bella for too much longer.
I knew Bella had plans with her friends for New Year's Eve, but it didn't stop me from looking at her longingly for a second before she left. Part of me wished I had planned better, but I also understood that she needed time with her friends, so I waited up with the Times Square coverage and my phone, waiting for her to need a ride.
Just as the countdown ended my phone buzzed.
Happy New Year, Edward. Love you.
Happy New Year, Love. Are you having fun?
I am, but I'm not going to stay out all night. Can you come get me around 1:30?
Sure, just text me at 1 with the bar you're at and I'll be there.
I was happy that she was enjoying herself, but having to only wait an hour and a half for her to come home made me a little more excited. I drove downtown after getting her text about 1849 and inputting it into my GPS so I could find it.
I pulled up on the corner and was trying to figure out where to park since I was double parked at the moment when I saw Bella walking towards the car. I jumped out to help her in, telling her, "I would have come in to get you, Bella."
"I know, but I had already said my goodbyes and was waiting by the bouncer for your car," she explained.
"I'm glad you were smart and waited with him, and now I'd better get you home."
I kept a close eye on her while I drove home, wanting to see how much she'd drank so I would know just how much help she would need once we got home. She didn't seem too bad, so once the car was parked down the street I got her inside and in her room, letting her shower while I got everything ready.
I dressed her and then handed her a bottle of water and some Advil. "Sip this and take those pills, and then drink some more water when you wake up. Call me if you need me."
She did as I asked and as I tucked her into bed she whispered a sentence that broke my heart. "I wish we were married already, then you wouldn't have to leave me all alone again."
I was up for a while thinking about her words, but eventually sleep took me, leaving me wishing I could make her dream come true.
When I woke up the next morning, I got Jasper up so we could walk Major, knowing that it was important to get Jasper and Major used to him going out first thing, even if it was only to the corner.
Once Major was fed and playing with Jasper, I started on breakfast. Bella came down when I was nearly done cooking, Major running over to her before getting bored and returning to Jasper.
I passed her a plate, along with coffee and orange juice to help with the hangover.
It was my last day off, so while Bella enjoyed a day to herself I watched movies with the kids. Rosalie seemed to be doing much better, even taking Jasper and Major out a few times when he would whine and run around looking for a place to go to the bathroom.
Bella didn't come down until dinner, when she insisted on cooking a damn good steak and potato meal. She was so carefree today, and as I looked at her I wanted to make that whispered plea last night a reality.
Work was chaotic in prep for my trip. Garrett was all ready to handle anything that might come up while I was away, and the teams were busy working on their campaigns, but I had to make sure this first meeting with Alistair went well. I looked up to him, so to meet him as an equal, leading the same division as him at our headquarters, would be a tiny bit awkward until I knew how to handle it.
Maggie seemed to be working out well as our dog trainer. She set up a small area on the back terrace area with a fake grass patch so Major could go out there if we couldn't walk him, which was a nice alternative for busy mornings. I made sure the kids knew that if they did that instead of walking him on a regular basis then they would be the ones to clean it. Most importantly, she and Bella got along, so she was working with her and Jasper on some of the commands while he was out of school.
I stopped by Tiffany and Co. on my way home from work one night, finding the perfect little gift for Bella.
Knowing that I couldn't leave without spending some quality time with Bella, I called Carlisle the afternoon of my last night home.
"Edward, what's going on?" he asked when he answered.
"I'm in a bit of a bind and I was hoping you could help."
"What do you need?"
"Bella has a date tonight, and I just got word of a big dinner meeting. I can't reschedule it because of my trip and I don't want to leave the kids alone all night. Rosalie has been behaving, but I'm not sure she's ready to be trusted with them for the whole evening."
"I'll pick them up on the way home from the hospital and then Jared can just take them to school and then drop Alice back at the house, does that work?"
"Perfect, Carlisle, thanks."
I had told Bella not to make plans, so while she was showering; I snuck into her loft to start our night.
"Why does Carlisle think I have a hot date tonight?" she asked when she entered the living area.
"Because I told him that I had a last minute business dinner before my trip and that you had a date so I couldn't ask you to watch the kids. So I asked if he and Es could watch them so that we could enjoy our last night before I'm gone."
"That was a sweet thought, especially with how you've been acting lately," she remarked.
"How have I been acting?" I questioned.
"You've just been a little cool towards me since New Year's Day, that's all," she explained.
"That wasn't my intention, Bella, I was just trying to figure something out," I answered.
Her face fell as she whispered, "Oh."
"Hey, it's nothing like that I promise you," I said, approaching her. "You made a comment on New Year's Eve and it just pulled me up a little short. I thought we were okay, but that made me wonder."
"What did I say?" she asked, clearly worried.
"You said that you wished we were married, because then I wouldn't be leaving you alone."
"Edward, first, I was drunk and thought that I was thinking it, not saying it. Secondly, I meant that we'd be sleeping in the same bed, in the open with no one to judge. I'm just worried for what comes next, not because of us, but because of everyone else. I know what's coming next is hard, and I'm so thankful that you think I'm worth the drama."
"You are, and I know you're going to get a little annoyed, but I did this so that you'd understand how I feel. We've talked about marriage, and I'm being honest with you and with Tanya when I tell her that I expect a wedding before the year is over. Because I will ask you, and I know you'll say yes. But this is for the time being," I said. I fished the box out of my pocket and held it out to her. She opened it and saw the 'love' ring that I'd found almost immediately after walking into the store. "The first ring I gave you was a reminder of my love when I couldn't openly show it. This one is a promise that the next ring I put on your finger will be my mother's."
"Edward," she whispered as I placed it on her right ring finger.
"Come downstairs and let's eat something, then we're going to enjoy our night, because I'm going to miss the hell out of you next week."
Bringing her downstairs to the kitchen where a tray of lasagna was cooking and the table was set romantically, I told her about my plan.
"It's one of your smaller pans of lasagna, so I cheated, but I wanted tonight to be special."
She squeezed my hand as she looked back at me. "This is a lovely thought, Edward, and I'm going to miss you too."
We made out like teenagers while dinner finished cooking, and then ate and cleaned up together so it would be done faster. I led her to my bedroom stopping her in front of me so I could tell her the next part of my plan.
"We're going to have to make some changes to this room when you move down here; maybe while I'm gone you can look for some tall dressers so we can replace this one and fit both of our wardrobes down here."
"I like that idea," she told me.
"Good, but for now, I want you naked and in our bed. Because we don't have to be quiet and we don't have to be fast."
She giggled as we both undressed, my hands on her as soon as the last of her clothing was gone. We lived up to my words, going a few rounds without having to be quiet, though I could have sworn that I heard Major howl at one point downstairs.
When I woke up just before six-thirty the next morning, I gently kissed Bella's face, neck, and shoulders, being rewarded with her bright smile as she woke up.
We got ready on our own, Bella driving me to the airport and saying a sweet goodbye in the car so that she could get home and start her day. I knew it would be a rough month coming up, but we were ready for it, and it all started with the conversation I was going to be having in Chicago with Tanya.