Ch. 29: Falls into Place

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

Thanks to ladysharkey1 and Jen_328. ILY almost as much as that pic of Robward breaking the headboard….maybe a little more. LOL


Our anniversary came and went with little fanfare. Bella and I stayed in bed, cuddling and touching. We talked about Alice's wedding, which was the next weekend, and we talked about Italy.

There was an ease about everything, though.

We were happy and together. We had everything we had ever wanted.

"Edward?" Bella said from the bathroom.

I leaned up on my elbow, still in bed. She had banished me from the bathroom because she said that had I gone in there with her, she would be late for work. I had shrugged and lay back down. She was right.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we should bring something for the rehearsal dinner tonight? I mean, I'm a bridesmaid. Does Alice need a gift?" I could hear her washing her hair and smiled. She still got lost in her thoughts, and probably would for the next few months, but she thought of the most random things.

"No. It's just a dinner. I actually think that brides are supposed to give bridesmaids gifts as thank yous."

"Huh." She was quiet again, and I assumed she was wondering about what Alice may or may not get her. Bella loved presents, no matter how much she denied it or said "That's too much". She was just modest and didn't like the attention, but she loved gifts.

I rolled out of bed then and went to the closet. Bella had insisted that she had to shower before work because the smell of us constantly surrounding her sidetracked her too much.

"I'm already at a disadvantage, Edward. I have the attention span of a toddler. Throw in smelling like sex and you, and I stared at a rack of dresses for ten minutes before Jessica asked me if I was all right."

I smiled at the memory and pulled on some jeans, opting out of the shirt. Anything that would make her think about me during the day was always a good thing.

I hated to admit, seeing how well she adjusted, the fact that she still had a job, and provided for us, made me feel very inferior at times.

I had a horrible time as a newborn. I was always breaking things and losing my thoughts, but Bella seemed to take it all in stride. She would get lost, but she'd always come back to me, and when she did, she was happy. I remembered being angry and frustrated when it happened to me.

Additionally, she was still making money and providing for us made me feel like less of a husband, fiancé to her. I didn't hold any archaic thoughts that women couldn't be providers, but in the back of my mind, I wished that I could help out in some way. With Bella making waves in Forks by actually holding a job, I started to believe that I could get something, too.

As it turned out, that wasn't the case.

Bella was theirs. She grew up there. Her father had been the police chief there. Even after she'd been changed, the townspeople remembered the shy little girl who blushed, and didn't see the cold skinned vampire she had become.

I was the outsider. I was the one who made them question exactly what a vampire was and most of them didn't want to look too deeply into that.

I walked into the bathroom and sat on the counter as Bella stood under the spray. I couldn't see her through the curtain, but I didn't need to see right then. I had seen her like this before and could easily pull up the image in my mind.

"Sweet girl, you've been in here a while. You need to get out now or you'll be late," I whispered.

She hadn't even acknowledged me entering the room, which led me to believe that she had been thinking of something else and lost in her thoughts. It was normal, and I was glad that I could walk her through this phase.

I shivered as I thought about how close we had come to being separated for so many years because of the Volturi.

"Thank you, baby." She sighed and turned the water off.

She'd been calling me that a lot more lately, too. It was like she had more reasons to use it. To turn me on, to calm me, to thank me. It was becoming as regular an occurrence as me calling her "sweet girl", and I loved it.

She left the house after she dressed. I kissed her several times, begging her to stay or let me visit on her mandatory "lunch break", but she refused.

"Nope. I've got to be focused today, and you'll just make me skip out or meet you in the stock room, and I can't have that." She laughed and pushed me away. "Go have some dinner and when we get home tonight, we'll have shower time." Bella kissed the scar on my neck and backed away.

My voice was rough as I said, "I only like hunting with you now."

She smiled shyly. "Well then, I'll go with you tonight."

I nodded, and she ran to the car, leaving me with a wave and smile.

That was how our days went. I looked around the living room and felt my chest expand.

Although I wasn't thrilled that Bella was supporting us singlehandedly, I had never been happier.

That night, we joined our friends at the church. Each of us listened intently to Alice and moved wherever she told us too. She was intense and stressed, so no one said anything that went against her wishes.

I almost growled when she looked at Bella and scrunched up her face. "Does your hair hold curl now? I don't know a thing about vampire hair. I need it curly. I can't have your hair straight tomorrow."

Bella whispered to me, "Calm down. She doesn't mean it in a hurtful way." Then to Alice she said, "It still curls. I'll do whatever you want with it."

Alice sighed. "Good. That's really good." She glared at Rose. "Since she went and cut her hair all off, I need someone to look classic in my pictures. Can we put flowers in it, Bella? Just some small orange and red ones when they finish curling it and fixing it? It'll be so pretty."

Bella laughed. "That's fine. I think it will be beautiful, Alice."

"Stop being such a bitch, Alice," Rose said loudly. "This might be your wedding, but I bought the damn dress, and I'm paying for my hair to be done, so I'll do with it what I please."

I coughed, covering my laugh and saw Emmett doing the same thing.

"I don't think you can curse in a church, Rose." Bella's brow was furrowed like she was remembering something.

"I don't think they allow vampires in a church either." Emmett laughed.

We all got quiet and turned toward him. Bella looked hurt, but didn't say anything. I wasn't hurt for me, because I was used to him, but this was the first time that he had something like this directly to her. Emmett cringed. "Fuck. I didn't mean that, Bella. I say stupid shit. I'm really sorry."

The funny thing was, he actually looked apologetic. In all the years I'd known him, he never looked ashamed of himself after saying something rude to me, but as I watched him cross the room to Bella and hug her, I knew that something had changed in Emmett.

"I'm very sorry. You're an amazing person, Bella. I'm a dick," he said quietly.

"It's okay. Just be nicer," Bella answered.

"I will. I promise." He squeezed her tight then released her. As he turned back to walk to our side of the altar, he looked at me and nodded. He didn't need to say anything to me. He knew that my feelings were a lot tougher to hurt.

"Emmett, I will nut punch you if you say anything like that again," Rose said and slapped the back of his head.

That seemed to be a turning point for us. Emmett stopped being stand-offish. He looked at Bella and me with a quiet interest, but his remarks about our kind stopped.

Alice's wedding was beautiful, and what she did with Bella's hair was breathtaking. It seemed so unreal that I was surrounded by love and vows, but all I could see was how gorgeous Bella looked. I wondered all through the ceremony if she would wear her hair like that and then run through the woods with me, pretending to be a wood nymph.

We could have some fun with that.

After the wedding, life seemed to be easy again. We had our friends over once a week and cooked them dinner, and everything returned to normal.

By the time our trip to Volterra came around, Bella seemed to have withdrawn into herself a little. I noticed that she'd get quiet more and more, and when I brought it up, she sighed and said, "I'm just nervous."

I did the best I could to keep her calm while we waited until it was time to leave for the airport.

"Edward, Isabella," Aro greeted us as we walked into the meeting room.

Instinctively Bella edged behind me, gripping my arm.

"Sir." I nodded.

"Sir," Bella said softly.

Aro stood inches from us and said, "Isabella?" His voice was light and playful. Bella looked up, and he said, "Can you see anything today?"

Bella swallowed and shook her head. "I see nothing, sir."

"Very good. Keep it that way," his voice immediately turned harsh and abrupt.

She nodded, and I reached for her hand that was grasping my arm.

After a few seconds, Aro cleared his throat. "You'll have to see Tanya first and apologize." He smirked and sighed. "She's just beside herself, Edward."

"I'll do my best to apologize to her, sir," I responded.

He didn't acknowledge my statement at all. "You'll take some photos in the castle and then you'll go with another photographer and leave Volterra. I'm not sure what he'll have you do, but I only want you in the castle to deal with Tanya." He walked close to me, standing just a foot away. "Also, don't come back until we call for you. If you step foot in Italy, I will assume it is with malicious intent, and I will strike first. Do we understand each other, Edward?"

I nodded and looked into his eyes. "Yes, sir. Bella and I will not come to Italy unless we are instructed to."

"Good." He waved his hand in dismissal, and we were escorted into another room with several vampires.

The time we spent with Tanya was stressful to say the least. Bella seemed to come out of her shell as soon as Aro left us. It was as if she knew he wouldn't want to be anywhere near her while we were there.

"Edward. How wonderful to see you, love." Tanya walked toward me. Bella slipped from behind me and pressed her back to my chest, effectively keeping Tanya from touching me. "Isabella," she sneered.

"Tanya, we'd like to get this over with and go home," I said forcefully.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Really, Edward, we've been together for years. This shouldn't be uncomfortable." Her voice was suggestive, and Bella reached behind her and wrapped her right hand around my hip. Tanya followed the movement with her eyes.

"We're fine how we are, Tanya. Let's just get this over with. Edward and I have lots of plans tonight," Bella said as she squeezed my hip, subtly letting her nails scrap against me. I snaked an arm around her, trying to pull her closer.

Tanya huffed and turned away, walking to another vampire who was there to write about my apology. The whole situation lasted no longer than fifteen minutes, and we left a steaming Tanya in our wake - while she was responding to my apology, Bella spent a majority of that time breathing in at my neck and drawing attention to her mark on me.

"You're a naughty girl," I whispered as we were led out of the castle and into the countryside, where we would take photos.

"I'm jealous," she admitted. She was quiet for a few moments and then looked up at me, still walking. "Had there been a bathroom, I might have done something just so she could hear and know exactly who you belonged to." I stared intently at her as she continued, "I know that I was harsh about the birthday incident, but I understand." She smiled. "I get it now."

The pictures took far too long. And I knew they would have some steamy shots, judging on how close Bella and I were to each other the whole time. No one would doubt what we were after seeing those pictures, I was sure.

It was completely unfortunate that we had to leave Italy immediately after were finished. We spent nearly twelve hours on a plane, fighting the need to be somewhere alone. I had been tempted to take her in the airplane bathroom, but decided against it. The last thing we needed was Bella kicking a hole in the wall of the plane.

As soon as the plane touched down in Seattle and we were allowed off, I grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind me. I moved quickly, finding a utility room that was far enough away from the busier terminals. At three in the morning, the airport was fairly deserted, anyway.

After breaking the lock, I pushed her inside and against the back wall. "Pants off." I spoke quickly. "I need you right now, sweet girl. I'm going crazy."

Bella whimpered and pulled her top off, and I dropped to my knees, helping her take off her shoes and jeans. "No panties?" I asked, running my nose along her thigh.

"I forgot?" She teased, her fingers tangling in my hair.

I hummed against her stomach, standing up. I unbuckled my jeans and let them fall as I picked her up and rubbed my cock against her.

"I want you so much," she gasped.

"Fuck yes." I thrust into her harshly.

I set a fast pace with my hands gripping her hips as hard as I could. "This good?" I panted as she leaned forward and sucked on my shoulder.

She moaned, biting gently. "Harder, baby. I want you deep."

I twitched inside her and turned around, kneeled on the ground, and then laid her back gently. One leg was hooked around my hip, and I moved the other to my shoulder. I pounded into her, listening as her moans got louder and more insistent. "Like this?" I asked, pushing my hips against her roughly.

"Yes! Edward!" She met me thrust for thrust and in no time was trembling around me. "Love you. Love you," Bella mumbled over and over as she came. "So much, baby."

Her muscles squeezed me, and I dropped to my forearms, her leg almost beside her head. It couldn't have been comfortable, but as I pushed in one last time, I knew I hit a spot I never had before. She spasmed around me again, more powerfully than before, and I was gone, gasping and cursing as I climaxed so fucking deep inside of her.

"Amazing." I kissed her breast through her shirt, dropping her leg.

"Uh huh." Bella pulled me by my hair, bringing her lips to mine. When she pulled away, she grinned. "I feel much better."

I laughed, standing as I pulled up my pants. "I'm glad I could help."

We were met with the odd stare of a security guard as we exited the room. He didn't say anything to us, but I assumed that had we been human, we might have been in some trouble.

It was like our lives had been given a new start. We didn't need to worry about the Volturi anymore, and we were going home.

I reached out and took Bella's hand, and we left Seattle, making plans for Carlisle and Esme's visit at the beginning of January.

"I'm so happy right now," Bella sighed.

"Me too, sweet girl."

We ended up buying new sheets for the guest room despite the fact that our guests didn't sleep. Bella thought it would be nice, and I could never disagree with her about something as simple as sheets.

Carlisle and Esme were due to arrive in the afternoon, so that morning, we busied ourselves cleaning, and then spent an inordinate amount of time in the shower.

As we were drying off, I said, "You might not need to buy groceries anymore, but I think we might be spending that money on a water bill if we keep his up."

"I think I could handle that. Showering with you is very nice." She scratched my stomach.

"I don't mind if you don't."

Bella was still getting dressed when Carlisle and Esme pulled up. I let them in and hugged them both before showing them into the living room.

"It's not big or anything, but its home," I said.

"It's beautiful, Edward. You've made a wonderful home." Esme patted my shoulder.

"It's lovely," Carlisle added, looking at the pictures on the wall.

"Hi, everyone!" Bella greeted.

Esme ran and hugged Bella, sighing. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Me too, Esme."

Carlisle hugged her next and then we seated ourselves around the living room.

I decided to dive right into the hard questions, so I asked, "So do you think my preference for animal blood transferred to Bella?"

Carlisle laughed lightly at my choice of topic and nodded, then said, "It's possible. There really isn't any way to tell. I drank animal blood on and off before I changed Esme, but she's always preferred donated blood. You made a change that was permanent and never deviated from it, so maybe it did change things for Bella."

I nodded, and Bella kissed my check. Carlisle started to speak again, but Bella cut him off, speaking to Esme and allowing her newborn nature to show for a brief moment. "We were wondering if you would allow us to have the wedding at your home in San Francisco in June."

"That's fine!" Esme said happily. "Have you decided on anything?"

This launched Bella and Esme into a discussion about all the wedding details we had already discussed, leaving me and Carlisle to our own conversations.

"So you were in Italy last month?" He asked softly.

"We had photo shoots. I also had to appear apologetic to Tanya for breaking our engagement."

Carlisle laughed. "Tanya must have taken that so hard."

"You can only imagine." I smirked. My bet was she was chasing Alistair right now, preparing for that fiasco of a wedding.

We talked for a few more minutes about Aro when Bella gasped and gripped my hand really hard. I turned and she reached for her throat.

"I'm thirsty," she whispered, avoiding eye contact.

"If you'll excuse us for a little while." I stood up. "Make yourselves at home and we'll be back as soon as we can."

Esme smiled. "Take your time. We'll be fine."

I led Bella out the back door, and she took off through the trees. I followed closely behind her, watching as she missed deer after deer, but then realized she hadn't been trying to catch them. After running for about fifteen minutes, she stopped and fell to her knees.

"Bella, what's wrong? Did something happen?" I was right beside her, rubbing her back.

"Edward, when I tell you this, you have to promise to stay right here and not say anything. I need to you to think first before you act." Her hands shook as she reached for my arms.

"I promise, sweet girl." I looked into her eyes and saw the confusion there.

"I didn't mean to see it," she whispered.

"What did you see?" I asked shakily.

"We were talking about colors, and I haven't been able to control it very well, like yesterday, I saw some bonds between people when I was at work, but today, I saw something with Esme." She paused. "She has a mate in Carlisle and he's her maker, she also has blood relations somewhere still, but what shocked me was…"

"What is it?" I asked again, getting impatient.

"Edward, she's your maker." Bella looked up at me.

I shook my head, trying desperately to understand what she had just said. Esme was my maker?

"No, they would have told me that."

"Think about it, Edward. The way you were left? How Carlisle found you out in the woods? He knew where to look? How they have been so happy for you because you're finally happy?" She touched my cheek. "I saw it, baby."

I curled in on myself, feeling all the devastation that came with this knowledge. My maker didn't want me. I was randomly attacked by a newborn and left for dead. I had been alone and scared when I woke up and then taken in by that same newborn.

Logically, I knew that she hadn't been in any shape to mentor me, so that's what Carlisle did. He was protecting his mate by taking on her responsibilities.

But why didn't they tell me? They should have told me. I should have known. They could have given me a reason for my existence.

"Edward, baby, calm down." Bella rocked me. "I'm here."

That stopped me in my tracks. Bella was here. If none of this had happened, I wouldn't have Bella. I would have lived an incomplete life because she wouldn't have been mine.

I couldn't hate Esme and Carlisle. They hadn't been truthful, but they had helped me. They had provided me with a home and help over the years. It might not have started out well with Esme leaving me in the woods, but they did find me and keep me safe.

"I have you," I whimpered. "That makes it worth it."

"Will you talk to her?" Bella asked after several more minutes.

"Yes. I need to." I sat up and sighed. "Do you need to hunt?" I asked because even though I was hurting and feeling unsettled, she was my mate and a newborn. She needed me to hold it together and make sure she was all right. After all, she managed to lead me outside and tell me instead of letting her emotions get the better of her and yelling it to the room.

"No. I'm really fine." She kissed me.

I stood up, taking her hand, and started running home.

When we reached the door, I pulled her to me and hugged her. "Thank you."

Bella nodded and opened the door, walking in front of me into the living room. Carlisle and Esme sat watching something on television, not really looking up when we entered. They knew it was us anyway.

"Good lunch?" Esme asked, turning toward us as we sat together in a chair.

"Very." Bella looked down at her lap.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Bella. You're a newborn and you'll need to drink more often than normal," Carlisle offered kindly, misunderstanding her look of chagrin.

Bella nodded, and I took the opportunity to look at the two people who had always been there for me, helping me, teaching me. I felt grateful, but at the same time, like I had been betrayed.

"I'm about to ask something, and you cannot question how I got this information, all right?" I looked at Carlisle and Esme.

"Of course, Edward. Is everything okay?" Esme's face was full of concern.

"I just want to know why you never told me about my maker." Their jaws fell just a little. "I can understand protecting your mate, Carlisle, but I would have thought I deserved to know."

Esme tensed up and broke eye contact with me, but Carlisle caught my stare. "It was my fault that it happened. I took responsibility." His tone was absolute.

"No. Esme is my maker. It wasn't your fault," I said.

"Edward, if Bella attacked someone today, killed them or changed them, whose fault would it be?" He looked at me searchingly.

I answered without hesitation. "Mine."

"Why?"

"She's my mate, and I'm her maker. I should have been there. She's young, and my job as her maker is to keep her safe and those humans around her out of danger."

He nodded. "Exactly."

I whispered, "I see."

I looked back at Esme, who was still looking down at her hands. Finally she spoke, "I'm so sorry, Edward." Her eyes met mine again, and I could see the sincerity there. "I thought I was under control, but you…I'd never smelled anything like you."

Carlisle grabbed her hand. "Singers are rare, Edward. I never told her about them because honestly, I'd never met one. I never thought…" he trailed off, looking at Bella.

I swallowed and held Bella tighter. "Bella was a singer," I stated.

"Yes." Carlisle sighed. "It's very interesting that you are mates and both were singers as humans. Sadly, there's not really anything to go on to say if it was a pattern or not. Not many singers live."

We were silent for a long time, hours - the sun had set and the house was completely dark. Everyone could see perfectly, so when Esme spoke again, I could see the hesitance on her face. "I've carried the guilt of what I did to you for so long, Edward. I would keep tabs on where you were and what you were doing while you were away from us, because I desperately wanted you to be happy. I had taken everything from you, and you had nothing in this life." She cleared her throat, and Carlisle pulled her close to him, comforting her. "So four and a half years ago, when I found a hit for a bank account with the name of Edward Masen and Isabella Swan, I looked into it." She shrugged. "You were happy. You had everything that I'd ever wanted for you.

"I couldn't let you just flounder. You had no income to bring to the table, and I knew that there was no way you'd be able to make any kind of living in this town. I just—I just wanted to help."

Bella gasped and looked at Esme with wide eyes. "It's you?"

"Both of us." Carlisle nodded.

It all clicked then. "You've been depositing money into our bank account? You acted like you didn't even know I had a mate, both times I saw you!" I yelled at Carlisle.

"No, I told you I wanted to meet her. I was never surprised about Bella and never acted that way. If you recall correctly, we were thrilled. The only time we were ever surprised was when we found out that Bella was the target," Carlisle explained.

I thought back, and he was right. They had expressed happiness and almost a sense of excitement that came when you waited for something so long and it finally showed up. But no real surprise.

The money, though…

I couldn't even provide a life for my mate. I was useless; I had no job, nothing. I was being supported by the two people that I always thought I could trust, but who had been lying to me since I was turned.

"I need some time," I choked out.

Carlisle and Esme looked shocked and didn't move. "You've been amazing to us, but I just don't know what to say. The money has been so helpful to us. Thank you for that. I just think that Bella and I need to run and hunt and spend some time away, and when we get back, I think I'll be more settled." I moved Bella from my lap and stood. "I'm really sorry," I whispered.

"We'll do whatever you want." Esme's voice was soft and broken.

I nodded and walked out of the house, Bella right behind me.

The next few hours were filled with sporadic hunting and lots of discussion.

Bella was my best friend, and she walked me through everything I was feeling, never judging me or telling me I was wrong for taking this time to get my thoughts together.

She only said, "They want to be in your life, Edward. You need to figure out how big a role that will be now with what you know."

So I thought, and the sun rose and set again. As the stars twinkled above us, Bella kissed my shoulder.

"Have you decided anything?"

I shook my head. "I forgive them for lying to me. I would have done the same thing in Carlisle's position. I think they should have told me after I got used to being a vampire, though." I sighed. "I don't like that they lied about the money."

"Tell them that." Bella scratched my scalp.

"That's the thing. That's why I'm confused. Bella, I can't make that income up if we lose it. If I told them to stop, we'd be cutting things close."

She laughed and shook her head. "Edward, we don't need much; the house is paid off, there's no mortgage or anything. We have no debt. I get paid more than enough for our utilities and car note." She pointed at herself. "Vampire now. No food needed."

I collected my thoughts before speaking again. "I think I want them to stop putting the money in there."

Bella smiled against my cheek. "If that's what you want, then I'll stand behind you."

"I just don't feel right taking it. It seems like it was guilt money, you know? I know that's not how they see it, but that's how it feels." I finished, "I want them in our lives. They've been my friends since the beginning. I just don't want the money, not if we can make it without it."

"We can make it, baby."

We walked back to the house slowly, my hand never leaving hers.

The last few months had been a roller coaster, but she'd always been there with me. Never flinching in her support, even when I messed up. She was my rock, my roots, and as we walked back to our home I knew without a doubt my future was bright because of her.

We would make it no matter what we faced.


Thanks for reading! I really hoped you liked this.

Keep an eye out for updates to "More Time" this week. I'm going to upload my FoxyFics contribution =)

See you next Friday. Teasers with reviews.