CHAPTER 28

I never imagined anything quite as beautiful as our wedding day. It wasn't the church, the perfect blue sky, or the flowers. It was Edward. It was the way he looked at me. It was the way my heart beat uncontrollably in my chest as I walked down the aisle, alone, towards him, towards my life. It was the way I felt in the dress Alice made. I felt beautiful. I'm sure everything else was probably perfect, too, but I didn't notice anything but Edward - only Edward, and his perfection. His eyes, his lips, his vows to me. All the promises he made us, they were never ending and I knew he would keep every single one of them. He would never give up on us. He had already proven that to me.

When the officiant finally told Edward he could kiss his bride, I could hardly see through my happy tears. I felt Edward's soft lips on mine as we sealed our promises to each other. I could taste my tears between us. I felt him pull back a little as the pad of his thumb swept away the tears beneath my eyes. "I love you, Mrs. Cullen."

I smiled so wide. It felt good to be a Cullen. I kissed him again and told him I loved him as the small crowd cheered.

There was a small reception at Esme and Carlisle's. It was just with our closest family and friends. Everyone made little toasts to us and everyone commented on Edward's sudden ability to tame his wild side. Everyone said I must be special to cause such a change in him. Edward was embarrassed, but it did make me feel special. I was glad he was mine.

Everyone drank, mingled, and celebrated. I on the other hand, was exhausted. I was trying my best to keep up, but I was failing miserably.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked.

I turned to face him. I wanted to lie and say I was fine, but I couldn't. "I'm exhausted. My back is killing me. It's just been a long day."

Edward took my hand and led me down a small hallway into a guest room. "Why don't you lay down for a bit?"

It was really tempting. I just didn't have as much energy as I used to, before I was pregnant. "I should be out there."

"Don't worry about it. Just rest your feet for a while. You've been standing for hours."

I sat down on the bed and Edward removed my shoes and lifted my legs, swinging them onto the bed. He kissed my cheek. "You're beautiful."

I smiled.

"Rest. I'll wake you before too long, okay?"

I nodded. "Thank you."

I think I was asleep before he closed the door.

I woke up in a familiar place, a place I hadn't seen in a while. Everything was white and metal. Cold. It was so cold. I felt like I weighed a ton as I tried to sit up on the edge of the small bed. I did weigh a ton. I was huge. My round stomach stretched out in front of me, covered in a dirty white t-shirt. Pain. I was in so much pain. My back, my neck, my hips, everything hurt. I tried to stand and realized I was sitting in a small pool of blood. I began to panic and yell for help. A nurse strode by and threw a few white towels and a garbage bag through the slot in the door. "Her you go, hun. You'll need them!" A garbage bag? What for? I couldn't do this by myself. I screamed in pain. I had never felt such terrible pain before. There was so much pressure building in side me I didn't know what to do but push.

Eventually, out came two babies, one after the other. I tried to clean them as I heard the door to my cell being unlocked. They weren't crying. They were purple. They felt like ice. They looked like Edward. The nurse came in and took them from me and started throwing bloody towels into the garbage bag. She put the babies in last and I started to scream. "Calm down, honey. There's nothing you could've done. They sure would've been cute, though," she said as she put the last one in the bag and secured it before she walked out. There are no words to describe the emptiness I felt. I screamed for them until I lost my voice and made myself sick.

"Bella! Bella! Wake up, it's okay."

I sat up quickly, breathless. I looked around quickly, trying to get my bearings. My hand flew to my stomach. The bump was still there. I broke down in tears. That empty feeling still haunted me.

Edward stood to close the door. I saw the eyes of the others trying peak in. Edward returned to me. "Baby, what happened? Are you okay?"

I nodded. I hadn't had nightmares like that in a while. "It was just a bad dream."

Edward handed me a tissue. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head. "No, no. I'm fine." I took a deep breath. "Was I screaming? Did everyone hear me?"

Edward nodded. "Just a few people, though."

I sighed. "I'm ready to go home. I'm sorry." It was a long day and that dream didn't help. I was so tired. I didn't feel like mingling or being asked about the "baby" any more.

"Don't apologize. It's alright. There are only a few people left. We'll go shortly, okay?"

I nodded. He stood to leave.

"Edward?"

He turned around to look at me.

"Will you send someone in to sit with me? I don't want to be alone."

His face fell. "I'll be right back." He left the door slightly ajar and returned a moment later.

"Mum's seeing everyone out."

"I feel terrible for not being out there."

"It's fine, really. Don't worry about it."

I wasn't convinced, but I nodded anyway.

"Now, what will it take to make you smile again?" he asked as he sat down next to me.

I smiled at him. "Just you."

Edward laughed. "That was easy."

Then, it hit me. Chocolate ice cream with sprinkles. I felt my mouth water at the thought of it. "I take that back. I want chocolate ice cream with sprinkles!"

"Ouch," Edward teased. "We'll get you chocolate ice cream and sprinkles on the way home. Anything else?"

I shook my head. "That'll do it, for now."

Nearly an hour later, I was being carried over the threshold of Edward's flat holding two chocolate ice cream cones, one with sprinkles. He was tickling me and making me laugh and I was desperately trying not to let the ice cream drip onto my beautiful dress. My tongue darted out occasionally over both cones to catch the quickly melting ice cream.

I was relieved when Edward finally put me down and closed the door with his foot. His apartment wasn't as welcoming as it once was. It was bare now and full of boxes. We were set to move into our new flat the following weekend.

Edward took the cones from my hands and kissed some chocolate from my lips. I smiled at him when he pulled away. "I'm going to change before I get ice cream on this dress and cry like a three year old."

"Okay, love. I'll be in to help you in a just a minute." He went to the kitchen to put down the ice cream before joining me in the bedroom. I had just let down the rest of my hair when I felt his arms come around me and his breath on my shoulder, in my hair.

"You made the most beautiful bride." He kissed my shoulder. "You, and this day, exceeded all of my expectations." He began to unlace the bodice of the dress. I tingled all over as he gently helped me out of the dress. As I turned around, his eyes instantly went to my stomach. I swear it was growing at warp speed. His hands rested there before he bent down and kissed my bump. He stood again, his lips finding mine. "I love you, and them."

I smiled and felt my eyes tear as I tried to push the memory of the dream I had earlier far, far away. I would be inconsolable if anything happened to our jelly bean or beans, but I would be devastated even more to disappoint Edward. I silently hoped the dream wasn't some sort of premonition, but I quickly remembered Alice's promises that we would be happy. I pushed the worry away and focused on my husband. "I love you, Edward Cullen. I want to show you how much," I said as I kissed him again and began unbuttoning his shirt.

Needless to say, our ice cream cones were very soon forgotten.

The following week was full of surprises. Edward went back to work. He spent more time working than I would've liked, but I understood why. I wish he would understand that he didn't have to work so hard to try to give us everything. He had already given me so much, but the company was important to him and to his father. He told me it was different now, his view on the company. Before, it was just work. It was a means to play, to pay the bills, and live a little, but now, it's success was vitally important to him. Now, he had a family. He wanted to see to the company's success and ensure that we were taken care of, should anything ever happen to him.

Our first surprise came on Tuesday. I finally had my doctor's appointment. I knew I was well behind on my appointments and I didn't think I would ever hear the end of it from the doctor. I was anxiously waiting for the ultrasound technician to come into the room when Edward finally came running through the door.

He wiped sweat from his brow, like he had run the entire way here. "I'm sorry, baby. Did I miss anything?" he asked as he sat down next to me.

I shook my head. I knew he'd make it. I smiled as his lips found their way to mine. "I'm sorry I'm late, Bella. I swear it won't happen again. I just couldn't get out of this god damn meeting."

"It's okay, Edward. Really."

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He hated not being perfect. I tried to take his mind off of it. I lifted up my shirt. "Look how big it's getting!"

He laughed and smiled and kissed my belly. "Will we know the gender today?" he asked.

"I think so, the doctor gave me hell for missing my last appointment. He was appalled that we didn't already know the gender. Wait until he finds out that there's more than one."

Edward and I laughed and were startled quiet when the doctor and technician returned to the room. The technician squeezed the cold goo over my stomach and I knew as soon as the screen displayed the image that there were two. She immediately looked to the doctor and then at my file. Edward and I pretended to be surprised when they told us. The doctor reviewed my file from the doctor in the U.S. and said there had been two all along but one was hiding behind the other, but he could barely make out the signs of an additional sac in the first ultrasound picture. He verified there were two heart beats and Edward and I got to hear them both. It was so neat, and you could tell they were different. They named them Baby A and Baby B. Baby B was bigger, but the doctor didn't seem to be too concerned about it right now. He was however concerned with my blood pressure. He warned of the risks of preeclampsia and advised I would need to be in for bi-weekly visits, gain more weight, drink more water, and rest rest rest. I was a little disappointed with that news.

The doctor told us they were fraternal twins and eventually told us the genders. Edward and I were thrilled. Baby A was a girl and Baby B was a boy. We were getting the best of both worlds. I couldn't have been happier.

Edward took the rest of the day off work and we shared our news with his family. Edward went way overboard with the doctor's recommendations of eating more, drinking more water and resting. He and his mother worked out a schedule in which they would check on me and make sure I had everything I needed. I scolded him at first, insisting I was more than capable of taking care of myself, but in the end, if it made him feel better, I'd deal with it.

The next surprise came later that evening after we returned home from Edward's parents' flat. Edward told me he needed to talk to me about something, but he didn't want to get me upset, but he had been putting it off long enough.

He sat me down on the bed, the only place left to sit in his flat, and told me he would be back. He disappeared into the closet.

"You're really making me nervous, Edward," I yelled out to him. I had no idea what he was going to say, but it couldn't be that bad. Right?

"Don't be nervous, it's not bad," he called back to me. "I'm just worried you might be upset with me for not telling you sooner."

I racked my brain. I had no idea what it could be.

He finally came out of the closet with a stuffed old white envelope in his hand. He sat across from me on the bed, indian style, matching me.

"You remember all the times I told you not to worry about money, that we were fine, and you were contributing?"

I nodded my head, unsure of where he was going. I knew we were more than fine, thanks to Edward and his family, but I still felt terrible for all the legal expense I caused him.

"Well, this is what I meant by that," he handed me the white envelope. I gave him a strange look, unsure of what he was up to. I pulled the folded papers from the envelope. The first thing on top was a Last Will & Testament, my Dad's Will. I gasped, inwardly chastising myself for never thinking of this. It had crossed my mind a time or two when I was in jail, but I just assumed everything was Renee's. I read through it quickly, realizing the only thing that was hers was the house and one specific life insurance policy. All other material possessions were mine along with two additional insurance policies that I was the sole benefactor of.

I looked up at Edward. "I don't understand."

"When you were cleared of the charges, these became yours." He removed the Will from my hand and pulled out two additional pages. They were insurance declaration pages. I was the sole benefactor of both. One was for $250,000 and the other was for $150,000. I gasped and immediately felt my vision blur from the tears pooling in my eyes. I looked up at Edward in disbelief. "Jenks handled it all with the insurance companies. The funds are secured. You just have to sign some papers."

I started bawling. I couldn't believe it. I thought everything was Renee's.

"If Renee is convicted, your the secondary benefactor of this one," he said as he passed me another paper, "and the house."

My eyes went straight to the dollar sign. Another $250,000.

"If she's convicted of murdering him, she cannot collect on the policy and it would go to you."

I was speechless.

"Jenks was in touch with Charlie's accountant. He had an accountant that helped him with all of this. Did you know that?"

I shook my head.

"Yeah, she always helped him with his finances. He spent a lot of money on the policies. He wanted to make sure you were taken care of if anything ever happened to him. A year before he died, he made you the primary benefactor of the two I showed you and removed Renee as the primary. The accountant wasn't sure why. She told Jenks that Charlie said Renee would figure things out on her own, but he wanted you to be secure and wanted you to be able to do whatever you wanted in life. He didn't want Renee to have control over you and your needs."

I sobbed uncontrollably. "He knew," I cried. "He knew she was going to leave him."

Edward crawled to my side and held me. "Shhh. It's okay, Bella."

"How long have you known?" I asked as I tried to wipe away the tears.

"I've known it was in the works since before your hearing, but I didn't know it was confirmed until we were already here. I think I got word from Jenks a week or two after we got here. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. There was just always so much going on."

"It's okay. I mean, I must owe you half that."

Edward scoffed. "No, sweetheart. I don't want a dime of it. It's yours."

I shook my head and nearly laughed. "What would I ever do with that kind of money?"

"Well, I'm sure you'll come up with something. I think a college fund or trust for the beans would be a good start," he said as he rubbed my belly.

My hand covered his. I felt a huge amount of weight lifted off my shoulders. No matter what happened, my children would be cared for. I'd save it all for them. "That's a good idea."

Edward's hands cupped my face as my tears streamed between his fingers. "I love you and your dad loved you, so much."

I nodded my head as my lips found his. "I love you. Thank you so much for everything. I never could've done all of this without you."

Edward smiled at me and kissed my nose before jumping off the bed to grab me some tissue. I cleaned my face and requested a warm bath. My back felt like it was in knots. My wonderful husband tended to me eagerly and helped me into a warm bath before he brought me some fresh fruit to enjoy in the tub.

"You're really spoiling me," I said as he placed another grape between my lips.

"And I'll continue to, as long as I can."

I smiled and rested my hands over my belly. Our babies. I laid my head back and closed my eyes. I was so blessed.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, as usual. My RL is out of control. Renee is back in the next chapter... Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. 3

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