A/N: Weee.

The day after one of the longest day of his life, Edward slept the sleep of the truly exhausted. He was completely spent physically and emotionally.

So when his phone blared at a little past noon, Edward was jarred from a dead sleep.

"Hello?" he rumbled, sitting up on his bed, rubbing his eyes.

"Are you just getting up?" Jasper scoffed. "Taking advantage of the PTO, eh?"

"I haven't slept like this in ages, Jasper," Edward grumbled, his voice gravelly.

"I know," his partner said, his voice sincere. "It went well yesterday, then?"

Edward rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes and no. She doesn't hate me; that's the important thing."

"That's a start if ever I heard one." There was a commotion in the background, and Jasper dropped his voice. "Listen, I gotta get back in the courtroom. Can I come over after work?"

"Yeah. I've got nothing better to do," Edward said with a sigh.

~0~

Edward was restless.

After so many weeks of far too much weighing on his shoulders, he suddenly didn't have enough.

It was a blessing and a curse.

On the one hand, his mind was jumping, going over and over the case against the Wolfe brothers, particularly Paul, as he knew it from memory. It was maddening that now, when his mind was finally clear, he had no access to the files he needed.

Why on earth hadn't he thought to have the Black residence, where Rachel stayed with her father, searched?

It was frustrating, but on the other hand, there was a reason why he was suddenly calm enough to sit still and reason through the case.

Better or worse, everything being out in the open was a huge relief. There was no more wondering when and how he would tell Bella. There was no worrying that his word would be meaningless if decisions had to be made about the baby.

At some point during the long afternoon, it hit Edward that he was going to be a father.

As awed as he had been, knowing that he and Bella had sparked a life together, he hadn't realized just how high a wall he'd built around his heart, not truly letting his impending fatherhood sink in. For so long he'd existed in painful uncertainty, not knowing how long he had with Bella and what form their relationship would take. How could he stand to think about whether or not she would make it easy for him to be a father to their child? It was too much to try to cope with.

Now, though his relationship with Bella was still in the air, he had hope.

If nothing else, the baby was now a fixed point on his horizon. Next week, Bella had an ultrasound appointment. The doctor had told her they might be able to tell the sex since she'd be about 19 weeks along. This time, Edward would be at her side.

He was going to be somebody's daddy.

The thought made him giddy and desperately frightened all at once. It was startling to realize they were rapidly approaching the halfway point of the pregnancy. Twenty-odd more weeks seemed at once too far away - he so very much wanted to meet his baby - and far too close.

Shouldn't he be putting together cribs? Buying car seats? Figuring out what he had to do to add the baby to his insurance?

Edward grimaced realizing he might not have insurance very soon.

But even though his career hung in the balance, the more he thought about the baby - his son or daughter nestled snug inside the woman he loved - the more it didn't matter. The space at the center of his chest that had been so cold these many long weeks was suddenly pleasantly warm, alive with fire even, and expanding. His smile, for once, was not tempered by the too heavy thoughts of what might or might not be, and it threatened to crack his face right in two.

When Jasper knocked on his door, Edward was still grinning. His partner lifted one eyebrow. "You're happy."

"I'm having a baby," Edward exclaimed, clapping him on the shoulder, leading him inside.

Jasper snorted. "No shit? Well, this little tale of yours just keeps getting stranger."

Still buoyed, Edward shoved the other man before sitting back on his couch.

Crossing his arms, Jasper eyed him carefully. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you'd gotten laid."

Edward smile faltered.

Jasper's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "What? Really?"

Waving a hand, Edward quickly changed the subject. "Tell me what happened today. What was the mood in the courtroom?"

"Damon didn't waste any time," Jasper said, sitting down on the opposite end of the couch. "He got Mrs. Uley on the stand. You know, her scars are gruesome. That was a powerful image right there, because not even she is denying it was Uley who pushed her." He frowned slightly. "I felt a little sorry for her, you know? She sounded like a battered housewife making excuses for her husband."

After they discussed the trial, Edward brought up his theories about Rachel.

"That's a tough sell now," Jasper grumbled, running his hands through his hair in deep thought. "Maybe during the height of the investigation we could have found something to get a search warrant."

"I know," Edward sighed. "It was stupid to let the chance slip through our fingers. Beyond stupid."

"Well, we'll have to figure out a way to fix it," Jasper said with a wave of his hand.

Bowing his head, Edward scrubbed his hand over the back of his neck. "I'm kind of torn right now," he muttered. "Just when I get a kick in the ass to get back to work, I can't anymore. But on the other hand, it does give me more time to spend with Bella."

"I told you from the get go, it was too much to deal with," Jasper said, wagging a finger at him. "Something somewhere was gonna give. All things considered, it could be a lot worse. Damon is gonna win this case, Banner will take you back..." He raised a questioning eyebrow. "And it sounds like things are going well with Bella?"

"Yes and no," Edward repeated his answer from earlier that afternoon. "I mean, nothing's certain, but she said she believed that the baby's mine." He couldn't help his smile.

"Well, that alleviates some complications," Jasper said decidedly.

"It does." His cheek twitched. "It is a relief - because they all know, now. Of course, that means I am obligated to see Charlie this weekend, and I'm not at all sure if he's decided against shooting me yet."

His partner arched a questioning eyebrow.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Charlie didn't give me much of a choice. He says he wants us to visit so he can get to know me better."

Jasper whistled lowly. "Yeah. A meet the parents when he knows you knocked up his little girl and didn't admit to it? That could get awkward."

"Yeah," Edward agreed. "But if I could get through yesterday, I can get through that." Again a smile tugged at his lips. "One way or another, I'll find a way to have a decent relationship with him. He's my baby's grandfather."

"Man," Jasper chuckled. "You're a goner." He stood up. "Well, you concentrate on your family. I was going to go see Alice this weekend, but all things considered, I think I'll try to figure out this Rachel angle."

"You shouldn't change your plans-" Edward began, but his partner cut him off.

"Hey, Pot, how's about we don't go there. It's the job. You know it. Alice knows it. Right now, enforced vacation or not, your family comes first. But I can give up a little weekend nookie to chase a possible lead." He shook his head. "Do me a favor, though. If you have a minute, say hi to my girl. She asks about you and Bella all the time."

When Jasper was gone, Edward sat in his quiet apartment in silence. In his head, he kept turning the other man's words over and over, letting them settle around his heart, finding the fit comforted and suited him well.

Slightly skewed as the vision was, he had a family.

~0~

Bella blinked awake, momentarily confused as to where she was.

A few weeks ago, when she'd come to speak with Billy about Jacob's estate, she'd woken up in her old room and thought for a handful of moments that she'd finally shaken off the nightmare she'd been living.

What a difference those few weeks made.

When she opened her eyes and found herself staring at the green paint of her childhood room, her hands flew to her belly, suddenly panicked that everything had been a dream, and she was 17 again. When her palms rested on the hard roundness of her protruding stomach, Bella felt a measure of relief.

As she woke more fully, Bella found her automatic actions enlightening.

It appeared she'd reached some kind of midpoint. She still didn't feel completely comfortable in her life, like she hadn't been paying attention in class and suddenly everyone was moving, doing their assigned tasks while she tried to figure out what project she was supposed to be working on. But given the way her heart started to pound erratically, the idea of being back in the life she'd had at 17 didn't fit either.

Interesting.

A soft sigh from beside her startled Bella out of her thoughts, and she turned her head, surprised to see Edward in the rocking chair that had occupied the corner of her room since she was a baby. His head was lolled on his shoulder, his eyes closed in sleep.

The rest of the day came back to Bella. She remembered that they'd had pizza for lunch while she tried to stop her father from asking Edward a billion embarrassing questions. Edward had repeatedly assured her it was fine, and had answered Charlie steadily. Bella had to admit she was secretly pleased. She'd been curious, but it felt rude to ask Edward about the intimate details of a relationship she didn't remember.

As luck would have it, Charlie got called to the station. The minute the cruiser had rolled down the driveway, Edward had collapsed backward on the couch.

"I don't blame him, but I can't believe he asked what my intentions were," Edward said wryly. "I mean, this isn't some alternate universe, I wasn't born in 1901, right?" He'd sighed, looking up at her with a small smile. "I'm actually very surprised he left us alone. How scandalous."

"Well," she'd smiled back at him, "I'm already pregnant, what other shenanigans could I be getting into?"

His answering chuckle made her whole body feel warm.

They'd ended up in her room - her on the bed, him in the rocking chair - while she told him stories about the things that Charlie had never cleared off the bulletin board. She remembered she'd been yawning a lot. Obviously, she'd fallen asleep.

Bella sat up carefully, keeping her eyes on Edward's still sleeping form, trying to decide what she felt for him.

She understood, too, why her father was wary. It was easy to wonder at Edward's intentions, wonder why he kept his love for her such a closely guarded secret. Bella had yet to ask what he wanted, ultimately, and he had yet to push.

It was the latter observation that had strengthened Bella's innate trust. A couple of days previous, he'd pleaded with her to believe him that he'd only lied to her with good intentions. How could she doubt his words? Hadn't he been there for her day after day, in love with her all the while but never trying to manipulate her?

Bella wasn't stupid. It didn't take an idiot to see she'd been very vulnerable, especially toward the beginning of this whole mess. Somehow, he'd become the one she turned to, the one she trusted enough to let her guard down, and he easily could have taken advantage of that.

But he hadn't.

He'd been her rock and her shelter, her constant in an unsteady world.

And here he was, subjecting himself to the Charlie Swan rendition of the Spanish Inquisition, proving again that he cared for her and wanted to be there for their baby.

He was a good man.

In his sleep, his lips pursed, the expression somehow making him look more boyish. He would turn 29 in a few days, a number that jarred her slightly even though she knew they were only 4 years apart.

He really was a beautiful man, body and soul.

Feeling shy and somewhat curious, Bella stood and crept closer to him.

The desire to touch his face had been particularly strong today. She'd been somewhat fixated over lunch, staring at the sharp line of his jaw and wondering what the light scruff on his chin would feel like beneath her fingers. Physical intimacy was such a new concept to her, and she found herself eager to touch him all the time.

She wondered a lot about them - the couple they'd been - that she knew her father would never ask.

Which of them had made the first move and when? Were they the type of couple who didn't mind PDA's?

How different was she, and how could he still be in love with a person who didn't exist anymore?

Her hand wavered just above his cheek, and Bella wondered what she thought she was doing. Did she have a right to touch him like this, invading his privacy as he slept? That he would let her do as she wished was not something she questioned. He'd made it very obvious that he would do anything that helped her be comfortable - with herself, her life... with him.

But who was looking out for what he needed, she wondered.

Was it even possible to be fair to him in any kind of relationship?

His even breathing stuttered, and his eyes opened slowly. She almost pulled back except that he was too quick, his long fingers wrapping around her wrist.

For a beat, they stared at each other, Edward looking uncertain as to whether he should let her go, and Bella hoping he wouldn't and wondering if she should feel bad about that. But the moment was broken as he lifted his head and winced. "Ouch!" he exclaimed lightly, letting go of her wrist as he carefully twisted his head back and forth.

Bella hardly realized what she was doing before she'd reached for him and begun to rub the back of his neck, knowing he must have a crick from sleeping with his head bowed. She caught the surprise in his eyes and almost stopped, but pushed through, reasoning that the least she could do, after all he'd done for her, was massage a knot out for him.

Keeping his eyes on her, he reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist, and drew her toward him. Biting her lip, Bella sat gingerly on his lap, still working her fingers along his neck.

"Is this okay?" he asked, his voice a scratchy whisper, still thick with sleep.

She nodded slowly, uncertain as to what she was doing but sure that she liked whatever was happening between them.

Not unwelcome... wasn't that the way he'd put it before, when she kissed him?

As they both relaxed, Edward's tense smile broadened and he laughed under his breath.

"What?" she asked curiously, letting her kneading fingers work a little higher into his hairline.

"The day before the accident, I told you I wanted to take you away for the weekend - anywhere you wanted," Edward murmured, his voice low and soft as he rocked them gently. "I promised you we could go anywhere, do anything, the first weekend we were allowed to be together publicly. Do you know what you wanted?"

Bella thought of the folder full of daytrip information and wondered if she'd made it with that purpose in mind. There were a lot of places on there she wanted to go. "What did I say?" she asked, not wanting to guess.

He lifted a hand from her waist, splaying it against her back lightly. The slight weight was a pleasurable warmth against her. "You said you wanted to come to Forks and scandalize your father by sharing this room with me."

Her cheeks heated with embarrassment, and she dropped her gaze to their laps.

"I'm sorry," he said, squeezing her briefly. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's okay," she said quickly. "I just... I can't imagine talking about my dad that way." She screwed her lips up at the corner of her mouth. "I guess I was a little bit bolder before." She tilted her head, looking up at him again. "What else did we talk about doing?"

"Well..." he began slowly. "You said you wanted to traumatize my parents and my brother next."

"Ah," she murmured, looking away. "Apparently, I was a real brat."

He put two fingers to the side of her chin, tilting her face back to him. "It wasn't like that, Bella. You were joking." He hesitated, searching her eyes. "My parents do want to meet you, you know."

For some reason, she was a little startled. "Do they know about..." she looked down between them.

"They know," he said quietly. "They know everything."

She continued looking down, not knowing how to feel about that. She felt inexplicably nervous because whether she knew it or not, she'd hurt their son. They had to have an opinion about that.

Edward rubbed her back soothingly. "Please don't feel pressured, Bella. They can wait. They just want to know you." He looked a little nervous, keeping his eyes on hers as he moved one hand to her belly. Bella relaxed slightly, her heart tugging when she saw his adoring smile as he cupped her increasingly larger bump. "You're the mother of their grandchild, that's all. They want permission to be excited."

Bella was silent, but she laid her head on Edward's shoulder, hoping he understood her need to think for a minute.

For a moment, it felt like too much. She had accepted that Edward was part of the pregnancy, that he could touch her bump and come with her to doctors appointments, but she didn't know how she felt about anyone else.

Still, it was unreasonable to not want to deal with the people Edward brought into her life. He was right; they were her baby's family. She was going to have to learn to deal with them one way or another.

Besides, hadn't he put up with her father's not so gentle questioning not once but twice already?

"I think your dad was the doctor in the ER when I fell last year," she said thoughtfully. She frowned, realizing her mistake. "I mean... the last time I remember, anyway. I think he was the one who stitched me up. Blond hair, very handsome?"

He laughed, and Bella liked the way his chest felt rising and falling beneath her. "You think my father is handsome?"

She hid her head against his neck. "Agh. What. Ever."

Again, he chuckled, and brushed her hair away from her face. "Yes, that was probably him. And yes, thank you for making me recall high school, when every girl in my class felt the need to inform me that my dad was 'oh my god, so hot.'"

Knowing she was being teased, Bella raised her head, giving him a calm look. "Well, I guess you're lucky that blonds aren't my type."

The look on his face was priceless, well worth the moment of embarrassment and insecurity she felt saying something like that to him. He threw his head back, laughing, and she laughed with him, enjoying the lighthearted moment.

"Fine," she said with a small sigh. "Can we go now?"

He seemed startled. "Bella, there's no rush. You don't have to push yourself-"

"No, it's fine," she said quickly, before she could change her mind. "My dad got his time, your parents deserve theirs." She took a steadying breath, swallowing down her nerves. "If they're not busy, now is as good a time as any. We're here, after all."

He studied her intently. "You're sure?"

She nodded, and then squirmed. "They aren't mad?"

"At you?" Edward looked genuinely perplexed. "Why on earth would they be mad at you? They ask about you all the time, every time we talk." He smiled gently. "As I told you before, the first time we talked about this, they are very honest people. It's highly likely that they will not understand what a woman like you ever saw in a guy like me."

She sighed, shaking her head and pursing her lips as she thought that over. "For what it's worth," she said shyly. "I think the old me had very good taste in men."

A/N: Mucho gracias to my darling GinnyW. She looked this over for me while jadedandboring was lounging around in California in my house. HUMPH. I mean.

I love you jadedandboring. :D

Also. I love y'all!

Oh, so this story is up for Fic of the Month at the Lemonade Stand. Weeee! So if you're so inclined, go vote. If not for me, for someone.

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