To all my US readers, HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I'm getting ready to start baking so I'm tossing this out now.

Big thanks to my sister and HeartforTwilight for their awesomeness.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Chapter 26

Driving through town to get to our apartment seemed to take forever.

There was electricity flying through the car and we were having trouble keeping our hands off each other.

"You're even more beautiful than you were when I left."

"You're biased, and you've been away from civilization too long. I bet anyone would look good right about now."

With a nip to my wrist and a kiss to my palm he said, "Say what you will about my bias, you're a sight for sore eyes, baby. I can't stop looking at you. I thought I'd missed you when I was in Iceland, but it's nothing compared to how I missed you in Kuwait."

I held my breath and waited, knowing he had something on his mind.

We'd refrained from talking too much about what he saw over there while he was gone; not only because he wanted our conversations to be happy ones, but because he didn't want me any more concerned than I already was. I respected his decision, even though I always want to know what's going on with him.

Shaking his head he started talking, and part of me wished he hadn't.

"There were days where we didn't sleep because there were rescues coming from every corner. All these people getting hurt and needed my help and I spent so much of that time wishing I was home with you instead. I know I had a job to do, and I know they needed me, but I needed you."

My heart was breaking, I had no idea how hard things had been over there; partly because he shielded me and partly because I was focused on just getting through it, ignoring everything else.

Before I could say anything to try and take his guilt away, he continued.

"I remember one guy, he was shredded to pieces and I had to try and keep him calm so we could work. He was so scared and all I kept thinking was how lucky we were that it hadn't been us; he wasn't one of our men. Then I felt terrible because this poor guy sees this kind of horror on a daily basis and, on that day, it almost killed him. He'll never walk again, probably won't be able to have children, but he's alive. I just don't understand why humans do this to each other. It makes me sick."

There was no controlling the tears running down both our faces.

What he had been through was traumatizing and eye-opening.

I see what's on the news, or hear what's on the radio, but I've never heard a firsthand account of what happens during war.

I asked him to pull over and, once he had, I jumped out of the car and ran over to his side; I pulled his door open and jumped onto his lap to hug him as hard as I could.

"I'm so sorry, babe. I'm sorry that you had to see any of that but I'm mostly sorry that I couldn't be there with you to try and take some of the pain away. Hearing the things that you've seen tears me up and I wish you'd never seen any of it. What can I do? What will make you feel better?"

He hugged me to his chest, kissing the top of my head, and held me while he said, "I love you so much. The only thing that kept me somewhat sane was the knowledge that you were here waiting for me. Your pictures were all over my bunk, you were the first thing I saw in the morning and the last thing I saw at night. There was nothing more important to me than getting home, that's how you helped me ease the pain. The letters and boxes you sent me? Baby, those were the best things…just don't tell my mom I liked yours better…"

The laughter that escaped broke the tension and I looked up just in time for him to put his lips to mine.

Our kiss started slow and sweet but turned heated quickly.

Hands started roaming, pulling and begging when we heard a car blare it's horn at us as it sped down the road.

"Asshole." Edward spit out, clearly pissed at the interruption.

I finagled my way back into my seat and told him to get us home and we'd pick up where we left off.

He might have broken multiple speed laws getting us there…

But once he did, we couldn't be stopped.

My shirt was ripped from my body in a haze of lust and it brought forth a feral growl; though I don't know who from. There was ripping of clothes, tossing of shoes and moans of passion as we tumbled into our room. We barely made it to the bed before he was lifting my hips and slamming into me.

He stilled, dropping his forehead to mine, before starting an agonizing slow pace.

"Oh, I've needed this, needed you. There were nights where your pictures sent me into overdrive and I had to take matters into my own hands. But never did it satisfy the want to feel your warmth wrapped around me."

His words were burning me from the inside out, I couldn't control myself. I managed to flip him over and, as I slid back down over him, I told him all the thoughts I'd kept to myself.

"There were nights when I'd touch myself and wish it were you."

I smiled at the strangled sound that came from deep within his chest.

"My hands were never big enough, they didn't feel the same wrapped around my breasts. I tried using toys, but they had nothing on what you can do to me. The way you fill me, stretch me and hit the places deep inside makes me ache for you when you're not here."

It was too much for him. He took the control back without ever leaving my body.

He was pounding into me, causing the bed to groan, and I still needed more.

"Please, baby, I need you."

I wasn't above begging at this point. I was so close.

"You never have to beg, kitten. I'll give you anything."

With that, he started a bruising rhythm, determined to make me come until I couldn't breathe.

Falling into oblivion with him was what I've longed for since the Navy took him.

Now he's back and I'm not letting him go.

Introducing Edward to Tyler and Lauren was nothing short of hysterical.

Lauren, having spent so much time with me over the last few months, felt like she already knew my husband and acted like he was an old friend. Edward wasn't sure how to take her at first, but gradually warmed up to her.

Tyler was another story; that poor man is so shy and it a lot of trying on Edward's part to get him to really start talking. They spent most of their conversation talking about the Navy because that was the main thing they had in common as Tyler didn't watch sports and Edward doesn't play video games.

I really think Tyler could be a good friend to him though so I'm going to have to get them together more often…

The night was spent with lots of laughter and good food…minus tomatoes because Lauren's crazy ass doesn't like them.

We ended our night in the apartment's hot tub with the booze we had in our fridge, meaning wine coolers for us and crap beer for the guys.

I really need to go shopping.

Edward had been home for just over a month when I started to feel funky again.

Seeing as though we'd been actively trying to get pregnant again, I knew what to look for and ran to the store on my lunch break.

Thinking I could wait to take the test until I got home, I went back to work and left it in my car.

Stupidest thing.

Twenty minutes after logging back into my computer and I was racing out to my car claiming to have forgotten my phone.

After removing the plastic wrapping, I stuck the test into the waistband of my pants, and hurried to the bathroom.

I sat down and stared at the little plastic stick that would tell me if our lives were about to change. Again.

As much as I wanted to take the test, I was scared out of my mind.

What if it was positive and I miscarried again?

What if it was negative and the last miscarriage messed me up?

What if we could never have kids naturally?

Holy shit.

I can't take this test. There's too much pressure.

Standing up threw me off and I almost fell backwards, dizzy out of nowhere.

Well, if that wasn't a sign then I don't know what is.

Pulling up my big girl panties, or down rather, I sat down and peed on the damn thing. I needed to know one way or the next and I wasn't going to let my freakout stop me.

It took all of two seconds before the test was flashing "pregnant" at me.

I yelped and dropped it in the toilet, then scream and gagged when I reached into the bowl without remembering I'd just peed in there.

Grabbing it out, I wrapped it up and dropped it into the trash, then raced out and washed my hands before heading back to my desk.

"Bella, is everything ok? You were gone for quite a while."

I looked up to see Eli looking over from his doorway, concern clearly etched on his face.

"Oh, I'm fine."

The look on my face must not have convinced him because he pulled up a chair and brought it over to my desk and said, "Tell me what's going on. Is it something with Edward? I feel like you've been off all day."

Could I tell him before I've talked to Edward? That seems like something I shouldn't do, but he's asking and I feel like I might burst.

"I just took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. I'm freaking out. This is too soon after Edward got home, it shouldn't happen this fast! Something's wrong."

Breathing heavily was starting to make me dizzy again so I leaned forward and rested my head on my keyboard, not caring about the pattern it was going to leave on my forehead.

Feeling Eli get up, I wasn't surprised when a glass of water was placed in front of me a minute later.

"Bella, I never told you this but, before the girls were born, Carm and I went through a couple miscarriages."

Shocked, I looked at him and tried to think of something to say other than "I'm sorry."

"Eli, I'm so sorry."

FAIL.

"I mean, I just…I'm sorry." I shook my head at my incompetence and waited for him to say something.

"No need to apologize, it was a long time ago. I'm telling you this because women who have miscarriages still go on to have healthy pregnancies. They are terrible things to have to go through, but bodies heal quickly and tend to get to that 'ready' point long before their emotions do."

Mulling over what he said, I offered him a smile and watched as he put the chair back and retreated to his office. He'd clearly had enough girl talk for the time being.

It was torture getting through the rest of the day without calling Edward and just telling him over the phone.

He deserved better than that though, I'd tell him while we were eating dinner. I'm going to do it right this time, make it special.

4:30 finally rolled around and I was heading to my car when I heard my phone ring.

Looking down at the screen I saw it was Edward and, without thinking, answered and yelled: "I'M PREGNANT!"

"Uh, I'm sorry, kitten…what did you just say?"

So much for doing it the right way.

"Ya, so, I felt a little funky earlier and it reminded me of how I felt last time so I kinda took a pregnancytestinthebathroomatwork."

There. Now he knows all of it.

"Bella, you know damn well I have no idea what you just tried to rush out. Know what? This is insane, are you on your way home? I just got here and I was going to start dinner but I think I'm going to sit my ass on the couch and wait for you to get home and explain what the hell is going on. I love you and I'll see you in a few."

With that, he hung up and I was left completely confused as to what just happened.

A honk down the road knocked me out of my thoughts and I jumped in my car, eager to get home and see his reaction, even though I was still unsure of my own at the moment.

Ya...so...see you guys on the flip side!