Chapter Thirty Eight
Present Day
Edward took a deep breath and walked back into Alice and Jasper's living room. "You okay, man?" Jasper asked softly.
Edward looked around. All the guys looked at him with the same look they had sported forever now it seemed; pity, sorrow, and at the same time, gratitude that it hadn't happened to them.
Alice placed a kiss on Jasper's lips. "I'll just give you guys a few moments," she said, wincing slightly.
"Are you okay?" Jasper asked, jumping up with her, clasping her hand.
She giggled. "I've got to pee, Baby; I'm fine."
"Are you sure? Maybe you should lie down?"
She shot him a look. "Don't 'mother hen' me, Jazzy. I'm fine. I'll go and check in on the other girls and the kids, okay?"
He nodded, knowing she would be fine with the other women and sat back down.
"So, Edward," Barbara started once more.
Just then, they heard shouting and screaming. "Daddy! Daddy!"
Edward stood and was tackle-hugged by a small body with a mane of brown curls. "Ooof," he said as he caught it. "Hey, munchkin," he said, every bit of him transforming before everyone's eyes.
"Daddy I wanna stay with you!"
"I'm sorry, Edward," Rosalie said, stepping forward. "I tried to stop her."
He smiled at his daughter, who had buried her head in the side of his neck. "My little bijou," he said to her before turning to Rosalie. "It's alright, Rose. I knew today would be hard for me. I'm sorry I came in and saw her and messed with your plans."
Rosalie smiled sadly as she looked at the two of them. "It's fine, Edward. Do you want…?"
"Let her stay with me for just another moment, okay?"
"It's national TV, Edward. Are you sure you want her on TV? You've kept her out of the spotlight for so long…"
"I need her," he said weakly. "I need her to be here with me. To hold her and know I'll never let her go."
Rosalie bit back a tear as she said, "Alright."
"You want some help, Babe?" Emmett asked as he stood to kiss his wife.
"I somehow manage to handle those two monsters of ours and you by myself, Emmett, I think I can manage." The words were gruff, but the tone was nothing but love.
He kissed her then, rubbing her still-flat stomach. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this again," she said with a giggle as his mouth traveled down her neck.
"Time and place, Em," Carlisle reminded him softly.
"Oops," Emmett said, not sounding a bit apologetic. He flashed his dimples at Barbara Walters before popping Rosalie on the ass. "Later," he told her.
"Promises, promises," Rosalie said as she sauntered off. Emmett's smile slid off his face, though, as he saw Edward sag back onto the couch, Kay's slight weight shifting in his lap.
"So, Edward, if you are ready, tell us of your heartbreak."
Edward took a deep breath, hugged his daughter tighter to his chest, and began his hurtful tale…
December 2006
She giggled as he nuzzled her neck before sucking it lightly, causing her to cry out, "Oh, Edward!"
His smile was brilliant as his mouth moved to hers. "I love you, Bella."
"I love you too," she murmured as he gently thrust into her. Their murmured declarations of love continued until she arched her back and came only moments before he burst forth into her.
"Fuck," he murmured as he lightly fell onto her. "Bella…that was…you are…"
She giggled as she pulled his face to hers. "I know; it's excellent, as are you."
He moved over to the side and pulled her onto him. He brushed her hair out of her face and said softly, "You're the best thing that ever happened to me."
She bent down and kissed his lips. "Even more so than Kaiya?" she asked of their daughter.
"Bella!" he said, feigning hurt. "You know you two are my girls."
"I'm just teasing," she said with a grin.
He flipped her easily and started tickling her. Bella let out a happy shriek and started laughing. "Besides," he said as he pulled her to him again. "If not for you, I wouldn't have that bundle of joy in the other room."
He grasped her tighter and she panted in want once more. His hand went to her folds and he began massaging her inner walls. "I want more," he whispered as he licked her ear.
"More-more what?" she managed.
"More everything. But right now, I'll take another orgasm from you," and he proceeded to do just that.
They continued to play around with each other, tempting, teasing, kissing and touching until they heard soft whimpers starting; a sign that their little princess was awake.
Edward sighed and Bella let out a groan as she slid out from under him. "She needs to eat. I'm surprised she slept this long."
Edward glanced at the clock; nine o'clock in the morning; a new record for their little lazy bones. Kaiya was a sleeper, but she didn't often sleep this late. He heard Bella move to the nursery, talking all the while. He knew she would be nursing Kaiya her first morning meal before they took her downstairs for her oatmeal or rice cereal, so he got up and took a shower.
Once he emerged and got dressed, he went and got Kaiya from Bella as soon as she finished nursing and carried his daughter downstairs for breakfast so Bella could have a little 'me' time.
"So, little girl," he said as he smiled down at his own green eyes. They weren't quite the bright green of his, but they were turning a hazel color. He hoped they would stay brownish, but he wasn't so sure. "What are we going to eat today?" He plopped her in her high-chair, gave her some toys to play with, and set about making her food. He made some formula and then added the oatmeal flakes from the box, making a face at how nasty he knew it to taste thanks to a dare gone bad with Jacob.
"Shhh, don't tell," he said to Kay as he slipped some baby jar fruit in the oatmeal. She loved Vanilla Custard, but he knew if he added that, Bella would have his head. It was a dessert, as she tried to remind him, but Kaiya loved it, so of course he wanted to give it to her.
Finally, it was ready and he sat down, slipped a bib on her and began feeding her. They were finished with her breakfast and Edward was fixing some eggs when Bella emerged from upstairs looking and smelling good enough for Edward to wish he could abandon his eggs and take her right there on the countertop. But instead, he got a chaste kiss upon the cheek as Bella walked past to grab the orange juice. "Do you mind watching her for a few hours while I run to town?" Bella asked.
His eyebrow rose as he took the two plates with eggs and toast to the table. "Why? Where are you going?"
She just looked at him. "Edward, it's December."
"Yeah, and?" he asked, baiting her.
She sighed. "I need to go buy your Christmas present."
He grinned. "What 'cha going to get me?" he asked in a sing-song voice.
She giggled at his expression. He looked like an over-excited kid. "You'll just have to wait and see."
His lips pouted out and she felt her heart swell with love. "I know you'll love it and I won't be gone long. You know how I detest shopping."
"Why don't you call Alice or one of the girls to go with you? You know I don't like you going out alone."
She put a finger on the tip of his nose. "You worry too much."
He shrugged and pulled her into his lap. "I can't help it. You're my wife. I feel very…protective over you. It's my job, after all."
She swatted his chest, but he pulled her tighter to him and kissed her again. "Please?"
She shook her head. "I don't want anyone to see what you're getting. It'll be a big surprise."
His pout grew, but he nodded. "Okay." He looked over at Kaiya. "Kay and I'll just hang out then. I might get her in the pool a little while and we can float along."
"Just make sure you don't fall asleep on the float," Bella reminded him.
"Once! And I was exhausted by what you and I had done the night before," he said with a grin.
She laughed and kissed him once more. "I remember," she said with a hint of a blush.
He ground his semi-hardness against her ass from the memory. "Can't we just…" he started.
"No," she said firmly. "I want to go and hurry up and get back. These holiday shoppers are insane."
He smiled as she stood. "And you're one of them."
She stuck her tongue out and crossed her eyes. "Only because I love you…and it's not something I want anyone else to pick up."
His eyebrow rose. "Toys?"
She snorted. "You know…you're a bit freakier than I am, Edward."
He shrugged. "You know my philosophy…" they said it together; "try everything once."
Both laughed as she bent to kiss him once more. "If I don't hurry up and leave, I never will."
"Don't," he said, grabbing her hand. "Stay here and chill with me and Kay." The baby gurgled as if she agreed with him, causing Bella to sigh.
"You guys…" she started as she picked up the purse she had brought in. "I'll be back in a few hours. Shorter if I don't have to fight too much traffic."
He snorted. "Good luck with that."
"I'll be back soon," she promised.
Present Day
"But she wasn't, was she, Edward?"
Edward's voice had that far-away sound as he cleared his throat. "No…she wasn't. We, uh, we didn't start getting worried about her until it got dark. When she had been gone all day, I knew it wasn't normal. But I just figured maybe she forgot to call me, that maybe she met up with Alice or one of the others…but she didn't call. Finally, I started calling. Not only the other guy's wives, who she hung out with the most, but then her other friends, some of the celebrities or celeb wives that lived near us, thinking she'd popped over to visit. One particularly friendly Country Music singer had just had a baby, and I knew she and Bella had co-written some songs together, so I thought maybe she was visiting with them, but after it was time for me to get Kaiya into bed and Bella still wasn't home, I knew it was time to call in the cops."
He sighed. "They didn't want to do anything, but I made them. I told them 'I'm a celebrity. If anyone knew she was my wife…'" He shook his head. "I thought the worst. I thought maybe kidnapping and ransom, accidents, anything could have happened and I just didn't know what was going on. I was terrified."
"And then what happened?"
"They went back to the mall and found her car. When they told me that, I momentarily found relief, but it was short lived. Once they looked over the whole mall and then started looking over surveillance footage…" His voice caught and he shook his head, tightening his grip on Kaiya. "They found her, on tape. Saw her being taken. It…it was a kidnapping."
Edward was so inside himself, he didn't realize Lynessa and Esme had come in and sat on either side of him on the couch. Both put their arms on him, wrapped them in their love as he clung to his life-saver, his daughter.
"They found the van two days later in West Virginia," Lynessa said softly. "It had been wiped clean, but there were traces…" She bit her lip as two tears fell down her face. "Traces of Bella, of her blood and other…things…"
Edward was sobbing now and his sobs turned to wails as Esme added; "There was semen present, along with the blood. The police couldn't identify the DNA though. We've never-we've never found who did it."
Edward was all but inconsolable. Lynessa reached for him, but Kaiya reacted first. "Daddy sad?" she asked, her own lower lip trembling.
He hugged her tighter and tried to calm himself. "It's okay, my little love," he whispered in a choking voice. "I'm just…yeah, talking about Mommy makes very sad. I miss her."
"I miss Mommy too," she said sadly, tears pouring down her pretty little face. "I want Mommy!" she sobbed.
"Me too," Edward said, burying his head in her hair. "Me too," he whispered.
"And what of Bella?" Barbara asked.
"She has never been found," Lyn finished softly. Jake came over and stood behind the couch, putting his hand on her shoulder.
"It's been over four years," Edward said in a semblance of calm, having regained his composure for his daughter's sake. "And I've never stopped looking for her. I know that these guys think she's…" he couldn't say the word dead. He shook his head again. "I can't give up. To give up is to let her go. And I can't let her go."
Barbara nodded. "Thank you, Edward, for telling us your tale. Now, I believe you want have written a song for her?"
Edward nodded. "Yeah, I have…"
