First off, thank you all so much for those of you who voted for me in the Twific Fandom Awards. I placed first for What About Now? ! I am so honored.

My daughter didn't place in her pageant but she remained very level headed about it.

So now I am back and we have about 13 more chapters left.

"I love you." He whispered.

Bella wrenched her head up from his chest, sat up and looked at him in surprise.

"What?"

"I love you." He repeated.

"Oh…wow…you love me. Okay…I am not going to freak out…we are married and raising a kid together…you love me…seriously?" She rambled.

Edward laughed softly.

"You are surprised?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well…I mean I was gone for a year and I just…left and you were with her and I just…yeah surprised."

"Just because you were gone and I was with someone else doesn't mean I didn't love you. I have always loved you. Three years ago you entered a bar and left with my heart and no matter what happened between now and then…that didn't change. The only question is…how do you feel about me?"

Bella swallowed noticeably.

"Um…I…um…"

Edward felt hurt wash over him.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to put you on the spot there. I am rushing you. My apologies…" He said, getting up.

Bella grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait! Don't go. I just…we don't talk about feelings and I was just…shocked…and…"

"Bella, we are married and we are raising a beautiful little girl but I wouldn't have married you if I didn't love you. That time you were gone I felt like a piece of me was missing and I just want to know if you feel the same way or if I was just the guy you used to get your niece."

"You were more than willing to marry me so don't put that off on me."

"You're right. I just thought you were happy." He said.

"I am. Happier than I ever thought possible. And I do love you. I have always loved you…through the drama and the nurse and everything in between. You are a part of me and that time away from you was necessary but it was the hardest thing I ever did- staying away from you. I used to ask James how you were because the others wouldn't tell me. He eventually stopped too when I would cry every time he updated me." She laughed softly.

"I am so sorry for everything. I never meant to hurt you." He said.

"Do know that is the first time you ever apologized to me for that?" She asked.

"I just realized that. I am an idiot." He said, his eyes downcast.

Bella put her fingers under his chin and raised his head up and forced him to look her in the eye.

"You are not the only idiot in this relationship." She reminded him gently.

"No?" He asked.

"No." She confirmed.

He trailed his fingers down her silken arm.

"So you love me, huh?" He asked.

Bella giggled and looked at him, tears in her eyes.

"Yeah, I love you."

"You know, only you and I can argue about whether we love each other or not." He smirked.

"I don't know about you but I don't want to argue anymore." She stated looking at him seductively.

He dragged her to him and kissed her deeply. He slipped his tongue into her warm cavern and she sucked on it sensuously. He moaned. She pushed him down and straddled him, her wetness leaving a slick trail on his abdomen as she settled into place. His erection bobbed against her lower back. She leaned forward to nip at his neck and he used the opportunity to slip inside her hot moist tight channel. She arched her back and moaned loudly.

"Ohhhh…Shit…Edward." She gasped.

He stilled, letting them both relish in their connection. Finally, she began moving slowly, carefully. He let her set the pace, forcing his hips to stay still. He gazed at her, so full of lust and awe and…love. She had her eyes closed, her breasts bobbing as she bounced frantically over his erection, her hair a messy halo around her delicate features…he started to feel the familiar beginning of his rapidly approaching orgasm. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and pushed it back, waiting until he felt her muscles tightening, strangling his cock like a vise…milking his orgasm like she was playing him like a violin.

She screamed above him and he forced his eyes open, not wanting to miss the chance to see her in the throes of her release. She collapsed on top of him, both of them spent and panting.

"Don't…want…to…move." She mumbled from her place on top of him, him still inside her.

"Fine by me." He said.

She laughed, but settled beside him.

She threaded her fingers through his.

"Edward?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think we will always be this happy?" She asked uncertainly.

Edward forced her to look at him.

"I can't promise that we will never fight."

Bella snorted.

"Obviously." She said.

"But, I can promise that I will do everything in my power to make you as happy as possible…everyday…and that I will love you with my last dying breath and beyond." He whispered.

Bella gazed at him and then promptly burst out laughing.

He looked at her, slightly wounded.

"I'm sorry…just…that…so incredibly corny." She gasped in between giggles.

"Thanks. Really." He said dryly.

She grabbed his head and kissed him.

"I love you, too and all that other cheesy crap you said."

She laid back down and snuggled into him. Two minutes later, her snores were reverberating around there bedroom.

He looked at her wryly and then promptly reached for his earplugs. Thank god for wax.

***IASS**

Three weeks later, Bella was just finishing her rounds when she saw a brunette exiting out of the Chief's office.

"Alice!"

Alice grinned as she saw her sister for the first time in two months.

"It's so good to see you." Alice said, wrapping her arms around Bella and squeezing.

"What are you doing here? I mean I am glad you are here but I thought you still had another two weeks?" Bella rambled.

Alice laughed.

"I went ahead and just wrapped things up in Boston. I needed to be here, with my family -with you and Emma. How is she?"

Bella smiled serenely.

"She is just…wonderful and brilliant and funny and cute and amazing and just awesome." Bella breathed.

"Wow…Mommy Bella huh?" Alice smirked.

"Shut up…and I am not her mommy. I could never replace Rosalie and I would never try. So she will just call me Aunt Bella or Beh, as she calls me right now." Bella said.

Alice pondered this for a moment.

"Do you have a minute to sit and talk?" She asked finally.

"Yeah, I can make some time. I don't have surgery until eleven."

They walked into the cafeteria and sat down with coffee and muffins.

"What is on your mind, AllyCat?" Bella asked gently.

"What happens if down the road Emma calls you, Mommy or Edward, daddy?"

"Well…when that time comes, I will just tell her about Rosalie and Emmett." Bella decided.

"Bella, she isn't going to remember them. She will only know you and Edward as her parents. Aren't you worried that it will make her feel…different from other children when she has to go to parent's day and say this is my Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward, they are raising me because my drunk son of a bitch grandfather killed my parents?" Alice asked.

Bella sat for a minute gathering her thoughts.

"I don't for a minute want to replace Rosalie in Emma's heart so what do you think I should do? Take all the credit for bringing that amazing little girl into the world when the truth was, I couldn't wait to get away from her when she was born because she was a reminder of everything I never had with my father's shiny new family?" Bella demanded.

"You can't replace what Emma doesn't remember. Do I think you should wipe all traces of Rosalie and Emmett out of her life? No. But you should take the credit for making her what she will become. You and Edward are raising her and I think you should consider adoption." Alice recommended.

"What?" Bella asked shocked.

"You deserve it and Edward definitely deserves it."

"Why do you say that?"

"I have been thinking on this long and hard. What happens if you decide to leave Edward for whatever reason? He doesn't have any claim on her. He is simply her aunt's husband. He has no rights concerning Emma in the long run, but if you two adopted her then he would. He took in a child that is not his because he loves you…and I don't know Edward very well, but he seems like a great guy."

"He is." Bella agreed smiling.

"Then talk to him about this. Just think on it." Alice suggested.

"Okay, now do you have a key to Ros…I mean…your house?" Bella asked changing the subject.

"Yes and it is yours, not mine. Thanks for letting me stay there."

"Actually, it is ours. I had you put on the deed. So happy homecoming!"

Alice squealed.

"You mean…I co own a house…not renting a crapartment…but an actually house?"

Bella nodded smiling.

Alice threw her arms around Bella.

"Alice…can't…breathe." Bella gasped.

"Sorry. I am just so excited!"

"I know someone you will get along with very well…I will have to introduce you." Bella said thinking of happy go lucky Bree. "Come on, I will give you a tour before my surgery and then you can get settled in and join Emma, Edward and I for supper."

"You won't be cooking this dinner, right?" Alice asked hesitantly.

"Look, I told you, I didn't know you were allergic to eggs." Bella defended herself.

Alice giggled.

"Hives were nothing compared to barfing them back up…that tasted almost as bad as them going down the first time…"

Bella hit her on her arm.

"Bitch!"

"Awww…I missed you, too." Alice said softly.

"Me too, Ally."

She was glad to have her sister home.

Alice is home! The whole gang is here!

And...moist. I know everyone LOVES that word...*snort*