Disclaimer: God knows I don't own Twilight.

Ten Years Later

The were supposed to be recording but somehow, between Emmett, Jasper, and Edward, they had entered a discussion of when it was appropriate for teenage girls to date.

Bella was, of course, left out of the discussion, along with Jake, who had adopted a son with Paul. She rolls her eyes when Billy cuts into the conversation from the sound booth, agreeing with Emmett's insistence that dating at 17 should be illegal.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," she mutters to Jake. "Seriously. We're in our thirties. It wasn't that long ago that we were all dating as teenagers."

Jake snorts. "And we started dating earlier. Or, Emmett did, at least. He and Rosalie have been together since they were fifteen. I should throw something at him."

Bella sighs. "You can't. He breaks enough things without people throwing things at him. That's his fourth set of drum sticks this week."

Jake laughs. "What's your take on this, then? I mean, your husband and best friend are really adamant about thirty being the right time to start."

Bella narrows her eyes at Edward and Jasper. "You should have heard the discussions when Laila was 16. I won, in the end, because I know she's a smart girl. But Edward was ready to lock her away in a tower. He's only on this kick again because Cassie just turned 14 and Abigail was begging him last week to let her hang out with her male friends after school."

Jake grins. "Glad I don't have these problems with Seth."

"Yet," she says. "Have you seen the way he looks at Abigail?"

"He's twelve, Bella. Twelve. And she's eleven."

"Laila told me that Abi has a crush on Seth," Bella confesses in what she thinks is a quiet voice.

But Edward hears her.

"No," he says, standing quickly. "Please, no! It's too soon! Jake, ground your son. I don't want him around my daughter!"

Jake looks at him with wide eyes. "Are you serious?"

Bella snorts.

Jasper stands up to. "Edward's right, we need to stop this right now."

Bella raises a brow at him. "Naomi is ten, Jasper."

"She's growing up so fast," he says mournfully. "Mary Alice is letting her paint her nails now. She doesn't even call me Daddy any more; now I'm Dad. Just Dad."

"Eve just turned two," Emmett says, standing up. "And I'm never going to let her date."

Bella shakes her head. "You're all ridiculous. I mean, you all met your wives when you were how old?" None of them answer and Bella smirks. "That's what I thought. Kids grow up. Get over it."

Edward frowns. "Hannah is five. There's still time to-"

"Edward," Bella says quickly, cutting him off. "We are not going to raise Hannah any differently than we have our other girls."

"But-"

"And besides, Laila came out alright."

"Laila is engaged! At twenty one!"

Bella just stares at him with a raised brow.

We were engaged at twenty-one, too. Men.

From her pocket, her phone chimes and Bella turns away to answer it – Laila is calling. "Hey, chickadee."

"Hey, Mom," Laila sighs into the phone, pausing to yell at some cabbie that she's walking here, you know. "Sorry about that. It's like they don't see pedestrians or something. Anyway, Joseph just called," she tells Bella, speaking her fiancé's name with a happy lilt. "Your paperwork at the agency just went through."

Bella smiles. "Yeah? That's wonderful. I think your Dad could use this good news."

Laila snorts. "Is he turning into a dragon Dad again, wanting to lock those girls up in some ivory tower?"

"You know him so well."

"Yeah, well, I did warn the girls not to tell Dad if they have a crush."

Bella winces. "Unfortunately, he knows about Abigail's."

"Mom! You weren't supposed to say anything!"

Bella huffs. "It's not like I told him, or something. I was just talking to Jake."

"You know Dad has super sonic hearing for these kinds of things."

"It's called selective hearing," Bella says, tossing a look over her shoulder to her oblivious husband, who was now talking about the "Rules of Dating My Daughters" with great conviction. "Anyway, thanks for letting me know. Can we pick him up today?"

"Yeah, Joe's with him right now. In fact, the sooner the better. Or are you still recording?"

"No, Emmett and your dad derailed that and dragged Jasper into it. Billy is even participating and his girl is only seven. But we'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yeah, love you, Mom."

"Love you too," Bella responds, disconnecting the call and turning back to her husband. "Edward, we need to go now."

"Huh?"

Bella raises her brows. "Joe called."

Instantly, Edward's face lights up. Bella couldn't get over how excited he got when the adoption papers went through and they got to take another child home. Her desire to fill her home with children was constantly fulfilled and Edward never made her feel like less of a wife and mother for not being able to give him biological children; in fact, he seemed to welcome the children with more enthusiasm that Bella could ever think of mustering.

"Let's go then!"

They catch a cab to the adoption agency and pass through the security clearance easily, going up to Joe's kid-friendly office on the elevator. Joe was intimidating at first, with dark hair that brushed his shoulders, and piercings through his ears and nose – he was tall, rather bulky, and covered in tattoos. And he loved Laila as much as Edward loved Bella, which was all she could ever ask for.

"Hey, future in-laws," he greets.

Edward grins at him easily, pulling him into a hug and clapping him on the back; they were rather close in age, as Joseph was twenty-eight. "How's my boy?"

"Well, I'm fine-"

"My other boy," Edward deadpans.

Bella smiles at Joe and bypasses her husband, stopping just as she enters the room to look at the little boy who stole her heart – Zane, with his curly penny-colored hair and dark grey eyes, six years old to the day. He reminded her of her parents with his eyes, and of Laila with his bright, light hair. He was a sweet, gentle boy, and a musical prodigy. They'd met him a few times before now and each time, he'd look so disappointed when they left.

And today, they wouldn't be leaving without him.

Edward's hand curls over her shoulder and she looks up at him with a smile. They approach Zane and crouch down on his level. Zane puts down the book he was looking through and gazes at them with large, trusting, child-like eyes.

Edward and Bella had adopted many children over the years, most of whom still lived at home, and another who was in college, and of course Laila, the first. But there was something special about Zane and made her question she always asked these children all the more important. "Would you like to come home with us?"

Zane licks his lips and looks between Edward and Bella. His file was dark, full of abuse like Laila's, but Bella held hope for him. "I can this time?"

Edward smiles at him the same way he smiles at his daughters. "You can always come home with us, Zane."

Zane's large grey eyes smile with the rest of his face, showing off the gap in his teeth. He reaches forward and hugs Bella tightly and she allows a few tears to escape as Edward wraps his arms around both of them.

Bella's heart spreads warmth through her body as she welcomes another child into her soul – a child that she didn't give birth to, but a child that was hers all the same.

Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Thank you, God.

A/N: Next chapter is the playlist and my final Author's Note. Please continue!

~cupcakeriot