I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.

April and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.

Ch. 38

The sun was shining brightly in the sky when we stepped out of the church. I stood arm and arm with Rosalie and Alice, behind Esme and Charlotte as we watched the coffin being loaded into the hearse. From here it would go straight to the airport then on to Ireland to be laid to rest in the family tomb.

My eyes shifted to Edward, standing next to his brother and the other pallbearers. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, and his face was expressionless. He had been quiet since everything came to a head a few days ago. Beside me, Alice started sniffling, causing me to turn to her. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and she chewed on her lower lip. I handed her a tissue, and she gave me a watery half-smile.

"Thank you," she said softly, looking at Jasper, who was talking to the priest with Carlisle at his side.

"Ladies, it's time to go." Emmett approached and held out his hand to Rosalie and then Alice.

He helped them down the steps to the waiting limos, then assisted them in, being careful of Alice's arm, which was in a sling. I followed quietly behind, and Edward joined me without a word. Jasper got in the first Town Car with his mother, Esme, Carlisle, and the grandparents, who had made the trip from Ireland.

Once we were seated in the second limo, Edward leaned back in his seat and took off his sunglasses. His eyes were closed, and his face was pinched as if he had a headache.

"I hate funerals; I'll be happy if I don't have to attend another one for a long time. Anyone else want a drink?" Emmett asked as he poured himself a glass of whiskey.

Edward opened his eyes and nodded his head. "Yeah, make it a double."

He took the glass and sipped it. He wrapped his other arm around my shoulders then kissed my forehead. Since I had been kidnapped, he had hardly left my side for more than an hour.

From what Edward told me, when it was discovered that I had been taken, everyone split up to rescue me and to protect the other females in the family. Carlisle and a few of his men went to Esme at the shelter while Peter and Jasper went to the dress shop to get Charlotte and Alice. Rosalie was already home at the time, and she took Junior into the saferoom until it was all over. They located me, due to the tracking chip in my shooting star necklace.

Demetri went to the bridal shop since it was the easiest target. He tried to take Alice hostage, and in the aftermath, Peter had lost his life. Demetri had underestimated Alice, and she was able to break free and shoot him. Detective Banner questioned everyone, and eventually it was ruled that Alice acted in self-defense in a robbery, and no charges would be filed against her.

No one talked as we drove back to the house. When we arrived, a long line of cars filed in behind us for the wake. I kissed Edward's cheek before excusing myself to the kitchen to help. I expected the mood to be more somber than it had been on St. Patrick's Day, but I was still surprised by the amount of laughter I heard from the other side of the kitchen door.

"Irish wake. They will tell stories to remember the good times rather than the sad. There will be a lot of drinking too," Rosalie explained to me.

"He was my uncle; I wish I had more stories to share. We seemed to be at odds most the time," I said remorsefully.

The kitchen door opened, and Granny Catherine entered. "Can I be of any help?" she asked.

"This tray will be ready in a moment," Rosalie told her.

"Where is my great-grandbaby?" Granny glanced around the room at the busy workers.

"He's upstairs taking his nap," Rosalie answered.

"How are you feeling, Isabella?" Granny Catherine watched me closely.

"I'm well, and yourself, Granny Catherine?" I gave her a smile.

"Fine, given the circumstances. I brought you some tea; make sure to take it with you." Granny Catherine took the tray from Rosalie and left the room.

"Careful with that tea. That's how I ended up with Junior," Rosalie said quietly.

"The tea? But I'm on birth control pills," I told her.

"Yeah…so was I before Junior." Rosalie smirked. "They thought premarital sex was a sin and decided to speed up the process of Em marrying me. Secretly, it didn't bother me, because I was getting tired of him to talking of marriage but not proposing."

"Are you saying she drugged us? Why didn't you warn me before I went to Ireland?" I asked, getting upset.

"Technically, there are no drugs, just a bunch of herbs that are supposed to support conception. However, one of the herbs counteracts birth control pills, at least that's what Esme told me. They think they're helping us along, not tricking us. They're old fashion Catholics; if you're married and/or having sex, then you're trying. I didn't think you drank tea, so I forgot to warn you—so, you had some?"

"Yes, in Ireland. It made me want to…" I trailed off.

"Jump Edward like you'd been lost in the desert and needed water." Rosalie giggled.

"That's one way of putting it." I blushed, remembering that night in the meadow.

Rosalie grinned. "Does this mean I have a nephew or niece on the way?"

"I…" I tried to think if I was late or not, or even upset at the possibility.

"How is everything going in here, girls?" Esme entered the kitchen.

I quickly realized we had stopped working. I felt extremely guilty getting into a conversation about babies at a time like this. Rosalie held up a tray.

"Thanks to Kate, everything is out but this tray. All that is left are the pies; I figured we could space them out," Rosalie said.

"That sounds fine. Have either of you seen Alice since we've been back?" Esme looked around the kitchen.

"No, I haven't. Perhaps she's with Jasper?" I suggested.

Esme shook her head, looking worried. "He's in the other room with his ma and granny. Alice wasn't there. I'm a little concerned about how she's handling everything."

"I'll go look for her," I told Esme.

"Thank you, dear." Esme gave me a grateful smile.

I started for the stairs to check her room but paused on the first step. I turned around and headed to the basement, specifically the gym. I had an inkling that's where I would find her. No one was in the man cave. However, I could see the light spilling out into the hallway from the gym.

When I stepped inside, I almost didn't see Alice as she was huddled in a corner hidden by a pile of mats. In front of her was a bottle of whiskey, thankfully it was still full.

"What are you doing down here, Alice?" I asked.

"I needed a drink. I snuck this from the bar and came here to drink by myself. But then I sat here and realized if I took that sip, I would be throwing away everything I worked so hard for," she said, staring hauntingly at the bottle.

"I'm sure you're not the first one and certainly won't be the last to have urges like that. The best part is you stayed strong." I picked up the bottle and hid it from view.

Alice shook her head. "I'm not strong. I thought it would feel great to be able to defend myself when Demetri held that gun to my head. I had a moment of panic, but when he shot Peter, something inside me clicked. I don't even remember flipping that asshole until he was on the floor looking up at me in shock. I took his gun and shot three times, missing once. But instead of feeling relieved, I felt sick. I killed a man." Alice shook her head.

"Alice, that's more than understandable. I still get nightmares about shooting Paul." I sat down beside her.

"You do?" She looked surprised.

"Yes. I know I did what I needed to do to survive, but at the same time, I'll never forget seeing the life fade from his eyes." I shuddered.

"It's not that I regret it, but I wonder if I was too slow. If I reacted faster and didn't hesitate would Peter still be alive." Alice chewed on her lip.

"Don't do that to yourself, Alice. You'll drive yourself crazy with should'ves and could'ves. What happened to Peter wasn't your fault." I gave her hand a good squeeze.

"I was overwhelmed with guilt and blamed myself at first for what happened to Lauren and her daughter. I even thought about scrapping the whole idea of a child care center. It took Edward a few hours to convince me that I wasn't to blame. That the fault lied with two people, Colin and Demetri, and maybe even Tanya," I told her, thinking about the poor mother and child, who had been innocent victims in all this.

We didn't know all the details since they were all dead, but it appeared Colin had been a rat for a while. Demetri chose Lauren and her daughter as easy targets to get to me. Since Colin was sent ahead to check out Lauren's house, it fell perfectly in with their plans, so no one was aware of anything wrong. To the public it was reported as a home invasion gone wrong.

"I don't know how to help Jasper. What if he blames me for losing his father?" Alice looked at me.

"How would he? Jasper and his father knew what this life entailed and the risks involved. All you can do is support him, even if it's just standing silently by him or making sure he eats," I said.

"Mrs. Cullen." I turned my head and was surprised to see Seth at the door.

"Seth, I didn't know you were back. How are you doing?" I asked, standing then helping Alice.

"Almost as good as new. The boss…Edward," he clarified, "sent me looking for you. He got concerned when he didn't see you upstairs and weren't answering his texts."

I nodded. "We're coming."

I spotted Edward in the sitting room, talking with his grandfather. He had a drink in his hand, but no signs of a plate. I was sure he didn't get a chance to eat yet, so I filled a plate and made my way over to him. His grandfather abruptly stopped talking when he spotted me.

"There you are." Edward looked relieved.

"I was helping Alice. I brought you something to eat." I handed him the plate. "Can I get you anything, Granda?" I asked.

The man shook his head at me. "No thank you, lass. If you'll excuse me, I'm sure my wife has something for me."

"You ignored my texts." Edward seemed unhappy.

"My phone is in my clutch in the kitchen. I have nowhere to keep it on me in the dress, and I didn't think I needed it while in your parents' house. I'm sorry if I worried you." I kissed his cheek.

"No, I'm sorry. I may be paranoid for a while if I can't reach you. You gave me quite a scare." He frowned then glanced across the room at Alice.

She had just brought Jasper a plate. He whispered something in her ear, and she managed a half smile. Alice sat next to him on the couch, and he wrapped his arm around her.

"Is she doing okay?" Edward asked, setting his glass on an end table, so he had a free hand for his sandwich.

I shrugged. "Struggling a bit. She is blaming herself for what happened to Peter."

"That's ridiculous. There's only one crazy bitch to blame for that, and she's dead," Edward scoffed. "She should be proud of herself for taking out Demetri the way she did."

"It's the first time she killed someone. Protecting herself or not, that comes with mixed feelings. I'm sure with time she will be able to get past it," I commented.

LS

We were both dragging by the time we made it back to the penthouse. I kicked off my heels in the elevator and pulled the elastic out of my hair, shaking it loose over my shoulders. I caught Edward's eye, and he smirked as he loosened his tie and rolled his shoulders.

"Is that Granny Catherine's tea?" he asked, unlocking our door while glancing at the box in my hands. "Why would you take it when you hated it so much?"

"Because it was easier to take it and not drink it than to hurt her feelings by refusing it. About this tea…"

Edward's cell rang, and he cursed, pulling it out of his pocket.

"Ignore it," I suggested.

"I can't. I should only be a few, and then I need to talk to you about something," he said as he answered. "Cullen."

"I'll make us something to eat," I told him.

He nodded and kissed my forehead. "That's not good enough. The shipment was supposed to arrive yesterday; I don't care what the fuck has been going on. I demand answers, not excuses." He disappeared down the hall to his office.

I busied myself in the kitchen, reheating the tomato soup I made the other day. I decided to make some grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it. The mood called for comfort food tonight. As I moved about the room, I grabbed Granny's tea and went to chuck it into the trash. But instead of tossing it, I paused.

I looked at the container contemplatively and wondered if Rosalie could be right. The tea had definitely affected me when I had it last. I was due for my period yesterday, but it wouldn't have been the first time I was a day or two late—I just assumed it was all the stress.

I placed a hand on my belly. It was a lot sooner than I wanted, but if I was, it wouldn't be a terrible thing either. Edward certainly wouldn't be disappointed, I thought with a grin. My earlier annoyance at the grannies had faded. They were both too sweet to stay mad at for long. I knew they were meddlesome, but after seeing them interact with Junior, I knew they had the best intentions. It wasn't as if they knew I was on birth control or was waiting.

Although I didn't have plans to take the tea again, perhaps it would be something Alice would be interested in at some point. I knew she really wanted babies one day and maybe it could help her. However, I would make sure she knew about it rather than let her be surprised like I had been. I shelved the container and finished up our meal.

Edward was still on the phone when I brought him his food on a tray. He paused and put a hand over the speaker.

"Sorry, Acushla, we are missing a shipment. It seems some people think they can take advantage of the fact we lost a family member and thought we would be too distracted to notice," he explained.

"Are you going to have to leave?" I asked.

"I'm hoping not to. I will try to make this quick," he promised.

"Okay." I left the tray with him.

Hours later, I awoke with a start, finding myself on the couch. According to the clock, it was just before midnight, but Edward hadn't come up yet. So much for I'll try and make it quick, I thought with a sigh.

I went looking for him, hoping he would've told me if he had to leave. I heard piano music coming from the floor below and followed it to him. He had his jacket off, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

"Are you taking requests?" I asked.

He glanced up and stopped playing. "I thought you were asleep."

"I was, but then I woke up wondering where my husband was. Is everything okay?" I asked.

He slid over on the bench and patted the seat for me to sit. "I got everything sorted but was too wired to sleep. After playing a few rounds of pinball, I realized it was only keeping me more awake so I thought I would play for a bit."

He turned to me on the bench. "I don't know if this is the best time to tell you, but Da decided he was ready to step down. So, over the next few months, I will be taking on more responsibility as he pulls away. Emmett will be taking over my position for the foreseeable future. By the end of the summer, I will be in complete control."

"We knew it was coming sooner or later—I can't say I'm surprised. Will he and your mother be moving to Ireland?" I asked.

"No, not right away. Ma wants to be around to see her grandchildren grow. Also, she wants to continue with the shelter. Rosalie will be groomed to take it over in a few years," he explained.

"I have something to tell you as well," I told him.

"Is this a good something?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Depends on how you look at it. We have meddlesome grannies." I smirked.

"Aren't they all? What did they do this time? Slip you more chocolate cake to make you horny?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"It wasn't the cake, it was the tea," I said. "And it wasn't just an aphrodisiac either. Apparently, it has a bunch of herbs that are supposed to be helpful for conception and supposedly makes birth control null and void."

"Are you saying you're pregnant?" A grin stretched across his face.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to find a pharmacy tomorrow and get a test. But there's a good chance I might be."

He glanced at a clock. "I'm sure there's a twenty-four hour one somewhere in this city."

"I'm not in that big of a hurry to find out; we can wait for a reasonable hour," I told him with a chuckle.

"Are you upset about this? I don't have to fear for the lives of our grannies do I?" He looked slightly amused and worried at the same time.

"Stop it; I wouldn't hurt them." I smacked his arm playfully. "I was upset at first. But Rosalie swears they only had good intentions. She told me they were old school Catholics, who didn't believe in birth control, especially for married people. That once a couple are married and having sex, they think they are trying for a baby. So the grannies thought they were helping us along," I explained.

"I see. I know the timing isn't how you want it, but I hope you are. After all the shit that went down, it's like a silver lining." He placed a hand on my stomach.

"Does that mean you'll be disappointed if I'm not?" I wondered if I had spoken too soon. Maybe I should've waited to take a test before saying anything.

He gave a half-shrug. "I would be lying if I said no. But we have more tea, right?"

"Oh, no." I wrinkled my nose. "That tea is going to Alice but with a full disclaimer."

I slid closer to him. "However, I have decided just to let chips fall where they may. If I'm pregnant now, next month, or in a few, so be it."

He leaned down and kissed me heatedly on the lips. We broke apart when his elbow crashed into the keys, making a loud noise.

"I guess I better get to practicing." He over exaggerated stretching out his arms and hands. He wiggled his fingers and then started to play, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

I laughed and leaned into him, closing my eyes. He switched over to another lullaby and hummed along with it. I found myself drifting off to sleep.

"Sweet dreams, my Acushla. I love you." He kissed the top of my head.

"I love you too, boss man." I yawned.

I heard him chuckle as the music came to a stop. His arms slipped around me as he carried me up to our bed. I fell into a deeper sleep with my head on his chest and his arms tight around me.

A/N: I will work on writing an outtake on what happened in the bridal boutique. It will most likely be in Alice's pov. I'm, sure many of you are pleased she was able to shoot Demetri herself. Hopefully you can understand her mixed feelings over it.

As for the tea…I know they are mixed feeling over it. The grannies are meddlers that is true and what they did wasn't right. However, they had no way of knowing Bella was on birth control or wanted to wait. They are old fashioned enough to believe if you're having sex then you're trying.

Sadly this is the last regular chapter, the next one is the epilogue.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.