A/N All Twilight character's belong to Stephenie Meyer

Lol…Brady and Belichick are a couple of douchasauruses but I looove New England (the area, not the team)…and yes, this story will have a happily ever after…maybe not the whole clichéd, "we fell in love, had babies and got married" typically fanfic ending, but it will have a happy ending…lol the beginning of the last chapter was actually part of it..but I changed it (obviously). Okay..this is the chapter where the first alternate ending comes into play...I'm going to post that one in a few minutes (it'll be a new "story" just called Full Circle alternate ending) so anywhoo...new chapter..hope you like it.

Embry

Jones paced back and forth in front of the windows overlooking downtown Tampa. He fidgeted with the blue tooth snuggly secured in his ear. He stopped pacing, turned and said, "Are you sure you want to turn down the Jacksonville offer? I mean, you gotta be sure Em, really sure, and if I'm being honest, that's a lot of money, a lot less than the Pats want to pay you."

I leaned forward resting my elbows on my knees. "It's not about the money Jones, it's about Bella and it's about Avery. It's time we got out of Jacksonville, and it's about time we had a change of scenery."

Jones sighed. "Alright if that's what you want."

It was. Bella and I had talked long and hard about where to go, we talked about Seattle, we talked about Jacksonville and even Tennessee, but we kept coming back to New England and the Patriots. Jones shit himself when I told him to try New England. The powers that be said they would take me, but it would mean a serious pay cut.

After the playoffs, Jacksonville came sniffing, offering to pay two times what Boston was offering. When I told Bella, she shook her head and said she didn't care. "I want to get out of Florida," she stated. "I mean, if you think that you need to take the Jacksonville deal then I can live with that, but if you don't care, or you don't want to play for Jacksonville, we can go to Boston. I want you to pick the team that will make you the happiest."

I leaned over and kissed her as she said that. We made great progress since the summer. The first anniversary of Jake's death came and she handled it as well as to be expected; she stayed in bed for a day, maybe it was two, but then bounced back. She still hadn't said that she loved me, but like I told her, I'd wait until she was ready. We talked about telling Avery that I was really his father. Bella wanted to tell him; I however, thought we should wait. Our therapists were torn. Mine said to tell him, even offered to help, hers said to wait, that things were still too new.

I think he knew though. Avery was more perceptive than any kid should be. Right before Valentine 's Day, he came to me and asked if I could take him out to buy a gift for a girl he liked. I was surprised, he was only five. A small part of me thought it was cute so I drove him to the store where he bought a stuffed panda for a girl named Claire. On the way home he looked at me, asking, "Are you gonna marry my mom?"

I stopped at a red light and looked at him, shrugging. "Well I'm not really sure."

"Do you want to?"

"Can you keep a secret?" Avery nodded excitedly. "I love your mom a lot, and I would love to marry her someday, but I don't think it's the right time yet."

"Because of my dad?"

I nodded, heavy silence hanging in the air.

"You know," Avery said softly. "I miss him a lot, but not as much as before. Know why?" I shook my head no. "Well, he'll always be my dad, but know I kinda have you. You're like a dad too 'cause you do all the stuff my dad used to do with me. Did he ask you to be my dad once he went to heaven?"

Not exactly, I thought. "No, little man, he didn't, but I know what it's like not to have a dad. My dad went away when I was a kid and I always wished I had a dad. I just want to be able to make sure you don't grow up the same way. You know, if I married your mom, I'd be your step dad."

"Really?" he asked excitedly. "'Cause that would be awesome!"

I relayed this information to Bella who shook her head and raised an eyebrow at me. The gesture said, "See I told you so."

But back to Jones' office. My preppy agent was staring me down. "Where are you right now?" he asked.

"Somewhere lost in the last eight months. Life has been a little here, there, and everywhere lately."

"Alright well focus. You're going to need to fly to Massachusetts to meet with the powers that be up there, get yourself acquainted with the team, I'll be going with you and we'll get your contract signed, then you need to get back here and start packing. Do I need to hire you a P.A.?"

I shook my head no. I didn't need some wet behind the ears, overeager sports agent wanna be following me around. "I'll get it all taken care of. When are we leaving?"

"Next Tuesday, our flights at 11:25, Delta flight, number 1177. We'll be gone for a week, I'll probably leave before you, I want you to get acclimated and all that. Are you guys moving into your mom's old place?"

"Mhmm. I'm going to have to get someone in there to clean it up. It's been a while since anyone's been there. Okay, so Tuesday, I'll meet you at the airport at say, nine?" I stood, stretching and offered Jones my hand. He took it and shook it firmly.

"See you Tuesday."

Bella

Eleanor Roosevelt once said that you should do one thing every day that scares you.

I was all for pushing my horizons and trying new things, but all this, everything that was going on – it was just too much. I was scared, scratch that, I was terrified.

And I loved it.

I felt so…alive, my nerves humming with anxious anticipation. The future, for once, didn't seem like it was full of doom and gloom and heartache.

I picked up the mason jar and rolled it between my hands watching as the fine bits of glitter rolled around, coating the inside of the jar. The light caught the bits of gold glitter and sent rays of light dancing on the walls.

Wishes the jar said. A similar one sat on the opposite side of the mantle, Dreams pasted to the front of that jar. I smiled as I wrapped them up. Wishes and Dreams; for once it felt like I was allowed to have wishes and dreams again.

In the family room Avery yelled, then Duke barked."Mom!" he shouted, "Embry's here."

I set the jar into the box with the rest of the knick-knacks and skipped, yes skipped, to the front door, wrenching it open and launching myself at Embry.

He caught me, laughing. "Wow you're in a good mood."

I leaned back, looking down at him. "I'm just…happy, really, really, ridiculously, happy. How did your meeting with Jones go?"

"Good. I have to fly to Massachusetts on Tuesday to meet with the team. Jones is going too, I'm gonna sign the contract and hire someone to get the house cleaned up. Then when I get back we have to list the houses for sale."

"I'd like to keep the beach house," I said, "but we can sell this one."

"Okay," he said following me into the living room. "Where's Avery?"

I pointed to the family room and went back to packing, humming Be Ok by Ingrid Michelson as I wrapped up all my knick-knacks.

It had been a long year, the longest, filled with a lot of ache and tears, but it looked like it was finally getting better. I actually felt it getting better.

* * *

That Tuesday the three of us piled into the car and I drove Embry to Jacksonville International Airport. As I pulled alongside the curb, I leaned across the front seat and kissed Embry. He reached up, grasping my face between his hands.

In the back seat Avery yelled, "Eww."

I ignored him and kissed Embry back. I kissed him as if my life depended on it. I kissed him until a security guard walked up to the car and knocked on the window. We glanced at him sheepishly. "Sorry," I said, blushing.

The guard smiled and walked further down the sidewalk toward the U.S. Airways terminal. "Okay," Embry said reaching into the glove box for his plane ticket. "I'll be back next Tuesday, same airline, but my flight gets in at one in the afternoon. You'll pick me up?"

"Yes," I said, "I'll be here next Tuesday at one to pick you up."

"Alright then," he smiled, turning toward Avery in the back seat. "Take care of your mom and behave, okay?"

Avery nodded. "I will. Will you bring me a surprise when you come back?"

"As long as you behave. Love you kiddo."

"Love you too," he replied.

Embry turned to me. "Are you gonna be okay?"

I nodded. "Of course I am. I have a lot to do while you're gone."

"Okay." He leaned across the seat again and kissed me briefly. "I love you. I'll see you next week."

"I love you too," I replied automatically, then stunned, I gaped at him. "I love you too," I repeated, feeling out how it felt.

It felt ah-mah-zing.

I grinned at Embry's stunned expression. "I love you," I repeated. "So much. More than I think you can even imagine."

We sat there staring at one another, his mouth hanging open. "Say something," I laughed.

"You said you loved me," he said, shocked.

"I know I did. Here I'll say it again. I love you."

Embry grabbed my face, kissing me fiercely. "I'm so lucky to have you," he murmured. "So damn lucky. I love you. God now I wish I didn't have to go. This is huge."

I kissed him briefly. "I wish you didn't have to go either, but you do. So go. Go take care of the business, then hurry home so we can start our life together."

Embry got out of the car, hurrying around the back to grab his suitcase out of the trunk. He wheeled it toward the curb, waving and calling out, "I love you guys," as he disappeared into the crowd.

Avery and I waved back, watching as he entered the airport. Once he vanished from sight, I pulled away from the curb and headed for home.

"Mommy," Avery asked as we sped down the interstate. "What's it like in Boston?"

I glanced up at him in the rear view mirror. "I don't know. I've never been there but I bet it's nice."

Avery tilted his head, contemplating Boston, or some other earth-altering question. "What about Daddy?" he finally asked.

"What about him?" I responded.

"Are we taking Daddy with us?"

"No, Avery, we aren't."

"Why not?"

"Because he has to stay here," I said.

"But what if I miss him?" he questioned.

I sighed. "I know it doesn't make a lot of sense, but taking Daddy with us, well…you would still miss him. You have to take Daddy with you in your heart and in your memory. That's how you remember him and that's what keeps you from forgetting him. Do you understand."

"I think so."

He was quiet the rest of the way home, but sat in the back seat with a pensive look on his face. When we got home, he jumped out of the car and ran for his room. I quickly shut the engine off and ran after him. "Avery," I called as I darted up the stairs. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," came the muffled reply from behind the closed bedroom door.

I knocked once and opened the door slowly. He was sitting on the floor, his back to the door a G.I. Joe doll in hand. "Don't worry Joe. You can come to Boston with me. If mommy says you have to stay here too I'll hide you in my suitcase."

"Avery?" I said softly. "Are you alright?"

"No," he pouted. "Are my toys going to Boston?"

I entered his room and sank down onto the floor beside him. "Of course they are sweetheart. Everything that you have is going to go to Boston with us. What made you think your toys had to stay here?"

He shrugged and began fiddling with Joe's vest. "I guess 'cause you said Daddy had to stay here I thought all my stuff was gonna stay here too."

"No baby," I replied, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "Everything is going. All your toys, your clothes, Duke, everything. " A look of relief flooded my son's eyes and he smiled. "Everything is going to be okay," I told him. "I promise, from here on out everything is going to be better."

Avery scooted across the floor and wrapped his arms around my neck. "I love you Mommy," he said into my hair. "You're the best mom in the world."

"I love you too Monster. You're the best son in the world."

* * *

At nine thirty, the phone rang. I turned the volume down on the TV, muting the annoying redhead who was butchering one of The Rolling Stones greatest hits on American Idol. "Hello?" I said softly.

"Hi gorgeous," Embry replied. "I just wanted to touch base with you, let you know how everything went. How was your day?"

I leaned back into the couch cushions and looked up at the TV. "My day was good. I had to explain to Avery that all of his things were going to Boston with us. He thought we were going to leave them here."

Embry chuckled. "What is it with kids. When we moved to Forks I was nine and I thought for sure my mom was going to leave all my stuff at our old house."

"Yeah, well, in that situation it's understandable. I mean look at what your mom went through, leaving your stuff and just getting the hell out was paramount at the time."

"Yeah, true, but we moved a few times and I always thought we were going to leave my stuff behind. I think it's a kid thing."

"Yeah," I agreed, "probably. Anyway, how was your day? Did you meet Belichick?"

"Sure did, he seems like an ass, but in a good way. I met with the defensive coordinator and a couple other people too. Overall, it was a good day. I'm at the house, its kinda creepy being here all alone."

I frowned. Avery and I were going to be spending a lot of time there alone, I didn't want to be in a creepy house all alone while Embry was away for games. "Like, creepy how?" I asked.

Embry laughed. "Its not creepy like "oh no there's a serial killer hiding in the basement," but creepy like I haven't been here since my mom passed and I've never been here alone. My mom or her nurse or both were always here."

"Oh," I exhaled.

"You were scared weren't you?" Embry chuckled.

"Just a tiny bit, but that's beside the point. So aside from football and the creepy house, how was your day?"

Embry sighed, I could hear him smiling as he did so. "Oh my day was fantastic. You see there's this woman I'm madly in love with and she told me that she loves me today. It was the best thing I've ever heard."

I blushed furiously which was just stupid. "I do love you," I said emphatically. "I'm sorry it took so long to get it out there."

"I know you do and it's okay that it took so long. I would rather have waited to hear you say it and mean it, than for you to say it and feel like you'd been forced into it. Does that make sense?"

"Yes," I answered, "it makes sense. You know, you've been so patient and understanding through all of this. You've met all of my needs but what about yours?"

"What about my what?"

"Your needs," I said slowly. "Is there anything I should be doing for you that I'm not?"

The little voice in the back of my head glared at me like I was a dumb blond. Of course he has needs that you aren't meeting, she snickered. He is a man after all.

And that was exactly what I was worried about. It had been a year and then some since he came back into my life, and I hadn't slept with him yet. Part of me wondered if he'd slept with someone down in Tampa or in another city while he was on the road. I never asked because I never really believed he did, and another part of me thought that if he did that was his business and I shouldn't complain because I wasn't giving it to him.

But I hoped with my whole heart that he wasn't having sex with random women. That would have shattered my heart.

"I have you, and I have Avery. That's the only thing I need," he said honestly. "I don't need anything but you guys. And, well food, but you know what I mean. What's this all about?"

I shrugged. "I just want to make sure I'm being everything that you need for once."

"You are," he said, "Everything and then some. Stop second-guessing yourself, do what feels right. That's all I'm saying."

"I'm trying," I replied, my voice soft. "It's just that sometimes I feel like you've been neglected in all of this, you know."

"I know what you mean, but I haven't been. I got what I needed."

"Yeah well, needing is one thing, but getting's another."

"Hey Bells?"

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Ok Go called, they want their lyrics back."

I snorted softly into the phone. "Whatever, I'm awesome and you know it."

"You are pretty amazing. But look it's getting late and I have a long day tomorrow so I'm going to turn in. I'll call you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay Embry. Sleep well. I love you."

"I love you too Bella. Kiss Avery for me and tell him I miss him."

"I will," I replied. "Night."

"Night."

Reviews are better than finally telling embry you love him..lol

"I'll Be" by A Bird A Sparrow