Ch. 28: Relief

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Thanks to ladysharkey1 and Jen328 who beta, pre-read, and just make me day.

Sorry if I didn't answer your review. FFn has been fail this past week so I might not have gotten it. Thank you for reviewing though!


She gently turned the doorknob and pushed open the back door of our house.

"It's so good to be home." She sighed and made her way through the kitchen. "I guess this is going to be just for decoration now." Her laugh was infectious and I finally felt relief for the first time since we'd left Italy.

"I don't know, Bella. We can have dinner parties." I shrugged and walked into the living room.

"Yeah. Let's see if we still have friends first." She sat down on the couch next to me, leaning her head against my shoulder.

"Do you want to call them?" I asked softly.

Bella hummed noncommittally; I knew that I needed to give her some time to think and prepare herself for meeting them. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and played with the ends of her hair.

We had been through so much, and I was struck with a sudden nostalgia - the last time we were sitting here together, she had been human, and I had been spending my last few hours with her before I left for the Challenge.

Bella was different now, obviously, but the comfort and ease that had always been between us was still there. We were still in love, and I could finally breathe, knowing that the toughest part of things was behind us. There would be traveling and pictures and balls in Volterra, but I would have Bella at my side and that made things worth it.

She nuzzled my neck and kissed me softly, still not speaking. I took this time to pull the cell phone from my pocket. "I need to call Carlisle and let him know what happened. I'm sure William and Stefan told them we were caught."

She nodded but didn't speak, and I punched in Carlisle's number.

"Edward? Is that you?" he asked in a panicked tone.

"Yes. We're all right. We're in Forks." I spoke quickly so he wouldn't become more frightened.

"Thank God. What happened?"

I went through the story with him, leaving out Bella's talent because no one could know about it. I could hear Esme with him, gasping at the appropriate places and probably squeezing his hand.

"That's amazing, Edward," he said quietly. "Is she all right?"

I looked at Bella, and she smiled at me. "She'll be okay. We just need to have some quiet time before we head back to Italy."

He laughed. "I can understand that. Esme and I went to the cabin after William stopped by…"

"We're so sorry, Carlisle. It was a complete accident," I said sincerely. Bella's fingers inched around my neck and played over my scar, causing me to shiver.

"It's not a problem. We retrieved your luggage, and we're actually leaving for San Francisco tomorrow, so maybe we can drop it by since we'll be on the same coast?"

"That would be great. We'd love to see you, too."

"My pictures," Bella whispered against my shoulder. I tangled my hand in her hair, feeling electrified with her closeness.

"We left some pictures in the condo there. Would you get them for us, as well?" I asked while Bella started running a hand along the inside of my thigh.

"We'd be happy to, Edward. Where are they?" Carlisle sounded like he was zipping a bag.

Bella's finger traced over my zipper, and I grabbed it quickly. "They're in the master bedroom closet, near the back. Some of them are more private in nature, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't look at them."

She pulled her hand away and went back to tracing the inseam of my jeans. My breathing had picked up, and I hardened at her nearness.

"We won't look, Edward." He paused, clearing his throat. "It was nice to hear from you. We'll call tomorrow when we get to San Francisco and set up a time to visit, okay?"

Bella knelt between my knees, showing me her thumbnail before smirking and using it to tear away the material of my jeans.

"Uh huh." I took the phone away from my ear. "Bye, Carlisle." I pressed the end button and picked up my hips, allowing Bella to pull away the rest of the material. "What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly.

She ran her tongue along the underside of my erection, kissing the tip, and then pulled back. "Do you want me to stop?"

Her hand wrapped on the base of my cock, stroking slowly upward. "Ummm, no. Definitely don't stop, sweet girl." I let my head fall back against the couch, one hand in her hair, not guiding just feeling, as she took me in her mouth.

Her tongue swirled around me, and I relaxed completely. For several minutes, I just enjoyed the feel of her and the calm that had settled over me. When she sat back, releasing me, I tilted my head forward, peering at her through heavy lids.

"Take me upstairs?" she asked, licking her bottom lip.

I nodded, toeing off my boots. I gripped the hem of her shirt, dragging it over her head as I stood. Her lips met mine as I pulled her against me. "I love you."

Bella whispered against my lips, but it was too low, barely words. Still, her breath told me what she was trying to say.

We made it to our bedroom, and I couldn't help but remember that the last time I was here, I had been devastated with the thought that Bella might be killed and that I had failed her. As if reading my mind, she said, "It's nice to have you back in this room. I don't like the last memories I have of it."

I didn't respond, just felt relieved that I had her near me, safe and mine. The afternoon seemed to pass slowly; we stayed tangled together, breathless and always wanting more. I needed her close, but I couldn't get close enough.

"I want to be a part of you," I panted against her neck as she pulled her leg up and hooked it over my hip.

"You are." Her voice was muffled against my shoulder and she placed hot, openmouthed kisses against the muscle there.

"I am?" I whispered. I shook my head, not really knowing what I was trying to ask for.

She spoke again, giving me the answer I was looking for. "You made me like you. You took part of me inside you and then put some of you back into me."

I closed my eyes, and she brought my hand from her hip to her neck, allowing me to feel the grooves from my mark on her skin. I kissed her hard, thanked her, cherished her.

The afternoon passed, and we finally settled under the covers, watching the sky darken.

"Are you going to call Alice soon?" I cuddled against her, bringing her back flush to my chest.

"I'll call her in the morning and ask her to dinner with the rest of them. I don't think I'll tell them about me because if I don't that means they'll definitely come to dinner. Maybe the surprise will be taken well, you know?" She seemed so worried.

"If they don't respond well, then they'll leave and get over it." She sighed and I changed the subject. "When do you want to get married?"

"June." Her response was quick. "In San Francisco. I want to get married at twilight and have twinkling lights overhead so we can dance in the garden at night. It will be really pretty." She rolled toward me. "What do you think?"

I smiled. "I think it sounds wonderful. What will you wear?" I twirled a strand of her hair.

"White, of course." She giggled. "I want to have a simple, white dress. It has to be girly, though, classic. I've never really thought about a wedding dress before, but I know I want it to be pretty. I don't think I could handle just wearing a summer dress. I want it to be special for us."

"I think it will be. I'll wear a suit." Bella kissed my chest. "Should I get a tux?"

"No. Wear a black suit with a deep blue tie."

"Why blue?" I kissed her shoulder.

"Because I'll be wearing blue under the dress."

That ended that conversation, and the next time we surfaced from getting lost in each other, it was time for Bella to call Alice.

The phone call didn't last long. Alice agreed to call the others agreed to come to our house at seven that evening. Bella said that she'd cook everything and that they just needed to show up.

I got a call from Carlisle midmorning to let us know that they had arrived at the condo and found the photo album. They wouldn't be able to come to Forks until after the New Year, so we had plenty of time to prepare for their arrival. I knew the guest bedroom needed cleaning, not that they would actually be sleeping there. I laughed when Bella pointed that out to me when I mentioned buying new sheets.

The afternoon passed quickly and a couple of hours before our guests arrived, Bella and I went on a hunt to curb her thirst.

I had to admit that I was very happy that Bella didn't have a bloodlust toward humans, but knew that I needed to discuss it with Carlisle when he got here. It wasn't normal. When he changed Esme, she still had a craving for humans and needed to be taken away from the city. Carlisle wasn't devoted to the animal diet, though. He used it when he was at the cabin or away from a donation center, but it was never his main source for blood. Not like it had become mine for the last five years.

Soon, we were busying ourselves, finishing up the lasagna and salad before they all arrived.

"Just breathe, sweet girl." I smiled and kissed her hair. "They will love you."

Bella nodded and started setting the table. It wasn't too long before we heard the car pull up and the footsteps at the door. Bella ran her hands over her dress, straightening all the imaginary wrinkles out.

"Could you let them in? I'll be right behind you." She kissed my jaw and stepped back against the kitchen counter.

"Of course." I walked to the front door, getting there right as Alice started to knock.

I took in their appearance. They looked like always, hesitant to be here, but happy. They had missed Bella, I was sure. Emmett didn't make eye-contact and seemed unsure of what to say.

"Come in. Bella's just setting the table." I waved them in and as soon as the door shut, I heard Bella sigh as she started walking down the hall. I turned, and when I heard the twin gasps from Alice and Rose, I knew that they had seen her.

"Hi guys!" Bella smiled. "I'm really glad you could come."

I walked to her side and snaked my arm around her waist. They stared at us, unblinking, for what seemed like minutes, but in reality was seconds. Bella bit her lip anxiously and wrung her hands in front her.

"You're a vampire," Alice whispered.

Bella looked down at her feet and then back to her friends. "Yes. It's a complicated story, but it had to happen now. That's all we can really tell you."

Rose shook her head. "I can't believe you called us over here and didn't even tell us what we'd find."

She seemed angry with the omission, and honestly, I could understand that feeling. Still I felt the need to defend Bella. "She didn't think you'd come if you knew," I responded. "None of you seemed very keen on the idea last time it was mentioned, so this seemed like the best way."

Everyone was quiet, and then Emmett asked, "Is this because of me? Did I force this?"

Bella looked at him, confused, and I realized that I'd never told her about what he'd done. She looked at me and I said, "The Volturi sent someone here for information, Emmett spoke to them, not knowing what they were doing." Then just for her to hear, "It was during that trip that they took your scent, while I was in Volterra."

Rose, Alice, and Jasper didn't look surprised at his questions, which led me to believe that he had told them of his mistake. I felt my brow furrow and I said, "Emmett, this would have happened no matter what you said."

It wasn't a no, but I wasn't letting him get off without any blame.

"Well, let's eat." Jasper walked toward the kitchen. He patted my shoulder as he passed. I appreciated his unspoken support.

Everyone followed him, not speaking. In fact, dinner was relatively silent. Over and over, Bella asked how things had been while we were gone and was met with a one-word answer. Finally, she just gave up.

I gripped her hand under the table as she looked at her lap. The others ate dinner and never bothered to make eye contact with either of us. I was devastated for Bella and tried desperately to come up with something that might make things better between them and us.

When everyone started to leave, I pulled Bella to me and addressed the group, "We'd love to have you back, but we'll let that be on your terms. I hope you don't cut off contact with us."

My comment was met with nods and then shuffling as they all moved out the door. When their car faded into the night, Bella collapsed against me. She wasn't crying, just worn down. "Well, I guess it's better than yelling," I offered.

She scoffed. "I think I'd prefer to be yelled at than just tolerated."

I nodded and led her to the couch. "Carlisle and Esme will be here in January. We can go to dinner with them," I joked.

"Oh yes, that sounds lovely." She pretended to wave over a waiter. "I'll have the AB negative, please."

"That won't do!" I scoffed. "We'll be heading to the woods and catching our own meal, like the men from Vladimir's time did," I added, causing her to laugh. "They'll come around, Bella. It's a lot to take in."

"You're right." She sighed. "Besides, I need to see if my job is still mine after all this, I guess." She waved a hand in front of her, acknowledging her change.

We made plans to go into town the next day, hoping that the people that had seen her grow up would realize she was still Bella, only less fragile.

Things didn't start out too well, though. When we walked into the shop, Jessica dropped the dresses she was hanging up and gasped, staring wide-eyed at us. Bella smiled and asked, "Is Mrs. Cope in the back?"

Jessica nodded, her mouth agape as Bella grabbed my hand and led me to the back office. I liked Jessica, she was always nice to Bella, but she was the biggest gossip in Forks. I knew that everyone would know about Bella's change as soon as Jessica could get the word out.

The sound of Bella knocking softly on the door brought me out of those thoughts. Mrs. Cope told us to come in, never expecting us, I was sure.

I smiled tentatively at Bella's boss, steeling myself for an angry tirade. Surprisingly, though, she walked around the desk and threw her arms around Bella.

"Oh, sweetheart." She patted Bella's back, causing Bella to sob softly. "I knew this day would come." Mrs. Cope looked at me, and I smiled shyly. She pulled back and asked, "Are you happy, Bella?"

My mate smiled and nodded. "I really am."

"Then that's all that matters." She took her seat again and motioned for us to sit. "I've known you your whole life, Bella. I'm happy that you're happy, and I've always known that Edward brought you back to life."

"You're not going to fire me?" Bella asked quietly, holding my hand.

"No, I'm not." Mrs. Cope smiled kindly. "You've always worked hard, and I know I can trust you. You might catch some flak from other people in town, but as long as you do your job, you'll have one here."

I always knew there was a reason why I liked Bella's boss, but it wasn't until that moment that I really understood the reason behind my fondness for her. She had never looked down at either of us while we were dating; she never made a rude comment or questioned our relationship. I had missed a lot over the years just because I didn't want to see it.

"When can I start back?" Bella asked, obviously happier.

"Why don't you take this week and start back Monday?" She offered.

Bella smiled. "That will be great, Mrs. Cope. Thank you."

As we left the store, I thought for a moment about just how proud I was of Bella. She braved the town and asked for her job, knowing that she might get shoved away. Still, she walked in and faced the situation head-on.

"This is very good news," she said. "Even better news, is that I don't need groceries anymore."

I laughed and helped her into the truck, though she didn't need it. "That is good news. Now we can save up for more vacations."

"A honeymoon," she whispered.

"Absolutely."

That night, Bella and I went through every wedding website we could find. We talked about the colors she'd like and flowers, too.

She knocked me over and we made love on the floor when I mentioned writing our own vows, stating that it seemed more intimate to use our own words.

We had most everything we wanted planned out the time the sun rose the next day.

The only thing we hadn't touched on was the trip back to Italy the following month. I didn't want to bring it up out of fear that Bella would cave in on herself, becoming frightened of what we'd face. Another reason I didn't speak of it was because I honestly didn't want to think about it. It was going to be hard, and I'd feel uneasy until we were home.

I knew that Aro wouldn't do anything unless we broke our end of the bargain, so I wasn't worried about death anymore. I was just worried about Bella and how she'd react.

She sensed my tension and scooted close to me on the couch. "What's got you so wound up?"

Taking a deep breath, I spilled my fears. After several minutes of me ranting and tugging my hair, Bella pulled my hands into her lap.

"Edward, it will be hard, but I'll be fine. You'll be there with me. I really just want to get it over with. I don't even know how long we have to stay there, you know? I'll have to take off more work and put things on hold here." She leaned against my shoulder. "Is there any way that we can find out the timeline now? Aro just said to be there in a month. How can we ask for details when he seems to be the type of person that wants to be able to force you to break prior engagements?"

Her eyes clouded over and she swallowed. "Engagements. Oh my God! Alice won't want me in the wedding anymore!"

Bella's breathing increased and she closed her eyes tightly. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and tried to calm her, but she didn't acknowledge me. I had to remind myself that newborns could get lost in their own minds, especially when stressed, so I just held her and tried to comfort her.

Finally, she pulled back and sighed. "I need to call Alice and ask her what she'd like. I don't want there to be any miscommunication on my part. If she doesn't want me, then I'll step aside. Since you'll be there, we need to see if Jasper still wants you to stand with him." She kissed my cheek. "I'll call them, if you'll find out information from Volterra."

I nodded, knowing I could phone Gianna and ask for the dates. Aro didn't tell us, but he would already be planning, so the times would be set. "I'll do that now. Do you want me to stay with you while you call Alice?"

"No. I need to handle this on my own. The worst she can say is no, right?"

"I guess so." I stood up. "I'll be out back if you need me."

Bella reached for her cell phone. "I'll be right here."

My phone call was rather short. Gianna answered, I asked, and she put me on hold for sixteen seconds before coming back on the line to say that we'd be expected on November sixth and we could leave the eighth. When I asked why it was so short, she responded simply, "Don't question the brothers, Mr. Masen, they will not explain themselves to you."

I hung up, happy that Bella would only miss one day of work, but unsure as to why they'd only want us there for such a short amount of time. Then I realized – it was Bella. Aro was frightened of her and despite thinking she'd make a fun acquaintance further down the road, Bella was a danger. He wouldn't want her near him for long, especially as a newborn. He could be worried that her mind could change quickly and while she might not want the throne, she could kill him in a rash moment, only to regret it later.

Well, as much as one could regret destroying Aro.

Inside, Bella was also off the phone. Either Alice didn't answer or the response was as brief as mine had been. I had walked far enough away as to not intrude on her conversation, so I walked into the living room blind to what had transpired.

"So?" I asked.

Bella looked up. "You first."

"November sixth through the eighth. You'll need to take off on Monday."

"Huh." She shrugged. "That's not nearly as bad as I thought." She looked down and I waited. Finally she turned her head and looked up at me, smiling shyly. "We're still in."

I moved to her and brought her into a hug. "I'm so glad, sweet girl. This is great news."

Bella nodded. "She couldn't talk long, but she just wanted me to know that even though it would take some getting used to, we were still her friends and we'd still be a part of their wedding."

Her eyes were glazed over and I hugged her tighter. "I should always trust you. You knew this would work out before you were turned. You make me think anything is possible, Bella."

She kissed my shoulder and shook her head.

"They're good people. It's easy to see the bright side when you know that deep down they mean the best."

I kissed her slowly, loving the feel of her lips against mine. She was beautiful and smart, but more than that she was trusting and good.

She was everything that I had trouble being.

I understood then that she didn't just bring me back into the world, she allowed me to see the promise in a future that was always changing.


Thanks for reading! Things are winding down. One chapter and an epilogue left.

I'd love to hear what you think. See you next Friday!

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