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storyline: Brighter

Word Prompt: Bold, fold, hold

NOT BETA'D

Edward adjusted the baby carrier, moving it so that the straps weren't digging in to his shoulders. He was still getting used to it; we both were. Normally, we preferred to just hold Bailey in our arms, but that was impractical for travel. Especially when we were going from the Caribbean clear across the country to the west coast.

"Want me to take over for awhile?" I asked, resting our carry-ons on the floor. All around us, fellow travelers rushed around O'Hare Airport at a frenetic pace.

He shook his head, smiling a little. "I'm okay. He's sleeping, anyway...I don't want to bother him."

"If jostling him through two crowded airports and an airplane didn't wake him, I doubt moving him from one body to another would," I chuckled, looking affectionately at our baby's tiny sleeping face. I reached down to touch his socked feet, only to find Edward already cupping one little heel. Our eyes met, and we grinned, tangling our fingers together.

He still made my heart flutter. They both did, actually.

Renee and Esme had both flown to St. Croix for baby Bailey's birth. My doctors had projected a rather large birth weight, and so, to avoid complications or the necessity of an emergency Caesarian, they recommended inducing. The good thing about that was everything was scheduled and orderly, at least, as much as something like child-birthing can be. There were no middle of the night messes because my water broke, no break-neck drives to the hospital. We checked in to the hospital early, filled out my paperwork, and got a room, almost like we were in a hotel or something.

The bad thing was the stuff they used to induce labor, pitocin, hurt like a bitch. I was prepared for pain, but this stuff apparently really upped the ante. Esme said that contractions were way more intense when brought on this way. My tentative plans for going without pain meds flew right out the window.

Thank God for epidurals.

Bailey Masen Cullen was almost a Christmas baby, born on the twenty third of December around eleven p.m. Edward and I fell in love all over again, with each other, and then with the little one. Our lives hadn't been the same since.

Now he was six months old, and we'd finally moved his crib in to his room. Not that I'd wanted to. The first couple of nights were rough on me, having him that far away, but baby monitors and frequent night check ups helped.

And, okay, it was nice to play around with Edward in bed without having to worry about being too loud.

And now we were en route to Seattle, to spend a couple of weeks visiting with both Charlie and Renee before heading to Esme and Carlisle in Chicago. I'd been there with Edward once, before we'd had the baby, but he'd never been to Seattle. I couldn't wait to show off my old stomping grounds, and of course, we were both excited about everyone meeting Bailey.

"I'm kind of hungry," I said, leaning against the wall. Food smells were coming at me from all directions, thanks to the smattering of restaurants we were next to. "Are you?"

"I'm always hungry," Edward said, nodding. "Let's go find something."

We found a place to eat, and managed to stuff it down before our flight began boarding. I just hoped Bailey stayed asleep throughout take off. He'd cried a little leaving St. Croix, and my heart just went out to his little ears.

He did, and I managed to grab a cat nap, too.

Our Seattle stay was close to perfect. It only rained some of the time, so we got to do a lot of outdoorsy things.

I got to see most of my friends, as well – even Peter, who was fast tracking it through grad school, and working, and doing about a million of other things, too. He and Charlotte were buying their first home, a gorgeous townhouse in an expensive part of Seattle. No surprise there. They seemed happy, though, and I wished them the best. I might not have been right for him, but it was comforting to see someone who so obviously was.

And really, I could say the same for myself and Edward. He was like my other half, corny as it sounded. We did well apart, and we needed our own space from time to time, but coming back together again was always somewhat of a relief. Like everything was back to normal, we were safe and sound and complete. Amazing how seamlessly baby had fit right in to that picture, and I assumed it would be the same for any future kids we might bring in to the fold. I couldn't imagine loving any child more than I loved Bailey, but Alice assured me I would. She said it was as natural as breathing.

Landing in Chicago, to stay this time, and not just hurry through the airport as I'd done so many times over the past two or three years, was a big deal for me. I knew Edward grew up here, even if he had spent most of his life in , and I was excited to see where he'd come from.

Esme met us at baggage claim, insisting we hand Bailey over immediately.

"Lucky for you, he just woke up," Edward said with a tired smile. "Otherwise he'd be screaming right now."

"Oh, you wouldn't scream at your Mimi," she cooed, ready to just leave us there now that she had her baby held tight. "How'd he do on the flight?"

"He was okay," I said, yawning. "Slept a lot."

We collected our luggage and followed her out in to the warm, bright afternoon. It felt good to breathe fresh air after our rather long flight.

I let Edward sit up front with his mother while I chilled in the back with Bailey. Esme had remembered his car seat, thankfully, so we hadn't had to rent one. I was loathe to drag ours from St. Croix; it was a heavy pain in the butt down there, and traveling with it just sounded awful. The one we'd used in Seattle had been a hand me down from my cousin, so we'd lucked out there, too.

"Sorry Carlisle couldn't come," Esme was saying, glancing at me in the rear view. "He's been stuck in this meeting all darn day...hopefully he'll be able to beat traffic on his way home."

"It's okay," I assured her. "I'm just sorry he's stuck somewhere he doesn't want to be."

I knew how fiercely independent Carlisle was, and how protective he was over his free time. These days, he really only worked as a freelance consultant, hand picking jobs and projects that interested him.

"That's life," Esme said with a sigh, merging on to the freeway.

And it was life. Especially up here. Fast paced, busy. Always on the move. Edward's parents, and mine, spoke of it fondly, but I saw more and more how I'd been cut from a different cloth. Visiting the states was great...but I couldn't imagine staying. Not now, not at this part of our life.

I mean, I spent my days with Bailey at the beach, or in the backyard with Midnight.

I cringed away from the window, still not used to how many lanes there were, and how fast everyone was flying, and the fact that we were on the right side of the road again. It didn't matter we'd just spent the past week in Seattle; years in St. Croix had totally changed my perceptions.

As if he was reading my mind, Edward twisted around in his seat, looking at me. "It's crazy out there, huh?"

"Insane," I murmured, watching exit ramps and bright green signs blur by.

Papa and Mimi, otherwise known as Edward's parents, were babysitting so that we could go out for dinner. I was excited. I'd heard good things about both the cuisine and the nightlife here. And it was always fun to have a little adult time, too.

I slipped in to a flirty, haltered black dress and strappy heels, finishing off with simple gold hoops. The hook bracelet Edward had given me for Christmas never came off my wrist, and neither did my Chaney bracelet. The ring I wore sometimes, depending on my outfit. It matched tonight, and I was glad. I loved the eclectic feel my jewelry collection lent my look.

Edward appeared beside me as I put mascara on, regarding our reflections in the mirror.

"You look good," I said, right as he kissed my ear and whispered, "yummy."

I smiled at him, letting him pull me in to a kiss. "You're messing up my lipstick," I said, biting his mouth.

"I want to mess it up," he said, sliding his hand up my thigh, under my dress. "All of it."

"Stop," I said, dancing away. "Or we'll never get out of here."

"You're right. I can always seduce you when we get back."

I winked at him, and reapplied my lipstick.

Edward's hand tickled back up my thigh, from the back this time. "Or maybe when we're in the car."

"You're a bold boy," I sighed, extra breathy just for him, leaning over further so my ass was in his face.

"God, Bella," he moaned, smacking it before leaving the room altogether.

Esme and Carlisle hurried us out the front door, promising to call if anything happened, but also making us promise not to worry. It was difficult, leaving like that. I still stayed home with Bailey back home, and except for a handful of times when Alice had watched him, I rarely left his side.

But I could do this.

"I miss him already," Edward said, once we were in the car.

"Aw, me too!" I admitted, grabbing his hand. "I was just thinking that. Mind melt."

"I know . You should've seen your face as we were leaving."

I nodded, looking out the window. "Yeah...we needed this, though."

"Yup."

We were quiet awhile, gazing outside at the city lights.

"Do you ever miss it?" he asked, squeezing my hand.

"Sometimes." I shrugged. "It's kind of exciting, being in big cities again. And it's pretty...especially like this, when the sky's all colorful, and the sun's going down, and the lights are all...sparkly."

"It is pretty," he agreed.

"But it's nothing like home."

And there it was.

He looked over at me, smiling, and he was so breathtakingly handsome that it made my heart feel freer and tighter all at once.

"Nope," he said, pressing a kiss to our clasped hands. "It's nothing like home."

fin

la isla bonita by madonna is today's song. haha, just kidding.

also, i flirted with the idea of naming baby bailey charneé eslisle, as i stated earlier on twitter. haha, now i'm really just kidding. no made up names today, folks.

awww, i love you guys! you have made this self indulgent journey back to the land of my origin so wonderful. st croix is not perfect, by ANY STRETCH of the imagination, but it can be pretty idyll and mellow and sweet. good for the soul. i miss it every day, but honestly, it's going through a lot economically right now. kind of sucks...but that's life.

thanks for reading. i cherish every review, every note.

xoxoxo

ps new storyline starts tomorrow.