A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. I do not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

Bella:

As the evening progressed, it was time for Vanessa and Jacob's first dance. They were introduced to the dance floor by the very enthusiastic DJ who let them dance alone for their first dance. Nessie looked wonderfully happy—her dress flowing as Jacob spun her around before settling her close to his chest. He then looked at her like she was the light of his life, which I both suspected and hoped was the case.

My happy bubble was abruptly burst when the DJ insisted the parents of the bride and groom join the dance floor next.

Kate and Tanya looked thrilled as they made their way quickly to the dance floor, where they held each other closely in what looked like a well-rehearsed stance. They were slow dancing before either Edward or I had stood up, but the DJ's repeated calls for us meant we didn't have much choice.

Part of me desperately wanted to dance with Edward, especially in that tux, but the other part of me knew it wouldn't be a good idea, given our audience. I looked at Edward, who had been sitting a few chairs down from me. He stood and wiped his palms on his thighs, seemingly buying time.

As the first song morphed into the next track, Vanessa and Jacob parted. Jacob headed for me, as Vanessa walked to Edward, who whispered something to her before taking her hand and leading her in a slow dance. My heart skipped a beat as I saw him being so tender towards my daughter, who, right now, should be dancing with her own father.

I didn't have time to dwell on that as Jacob was taking my hand and asking me if I recognized the song now playing.

"Amazed," I whispered as he nodded.

"We threw that one in for Dad!" He joked as I looked over Jake's shoulder at Edward, who was already looking back at me. He'd noticed too.

I could see him swaying slowly with Nessie. He said something that made her throw her head back in laughter. His large hand was resting on the top of her back, between her shoulder blades, and I could tell he was the one leading the dance.

As the song continued, he whispered in Nessie's ear and withdrew from her hold. I watched as he approached Jake and me. Damn, that man could fill a suit well. His broad shoulders gave him stature and confidence, and his tie made him look more authoritative than his usual attire.

I struggled to work out his expression as he approached me. It seemed to be a mix of seriousness, lust, and a hint of mischief.

When he got closer, Edward patted Jake on the shoulder and nodded to Vanessa. "Son, go dance with your wife."

Jake dropped a kiss on my cheek and patted his dad's shoulder as he left, and Edward's eyes met mine.

He slipped effortlessly into Jake's place, one hand slotting into mine while the other one held my waist, lower and more intimately than Jake had.

Nessie and Jake and Kate and Tanya were the only other couples on the dance floor, and I was well aware of the eyes of our family members on us. Edward and I were moving slowly as we tried to look like we weren't standing too close, that we weren't holding each other too tightly, that our bodies weren't lit on fire by being this close to each other.

Edward squeezed my hand. "Relax, I won't bite," he whispered as I looked up at him.

His eyes glistened with mischief.

Bastard.

A bastard who was remembering the same moment I was, when, only a few nights ago, he'd nibbled my shoulder as I'd clung to him while he moved his body on top of mine.

Inside mine…

Over and over…

He moved his body a notch closer to mine. I wasn't sure that was sensible, but I wasn't about to object. His chest met mine, warm and strong. "You're lucky everyone's watching because the things I want to do to you…" he trailed off as I felt the rumble of his words from deep within him. His voice was gravelly as if he were using all his energy to remain calm and behave himself.

I bit the edge of my lip as I looked up at him. I could feel my face reddening, but Edward just maintained eye contact and nodded, ever so slightly, standing by his words.

"Behave!" I scolded, using all my energy to resist resting my head on his crisp white shirt, on his soft, warm chest.

"That's the problem, I can't seem to behave around you," he murmured, glancing around the room at the faces watching us before he spun me around gently before settling me firmly against his chest once more.

Right where I belonged.

Or not.

Because now we were family.

Not soon.

Not in a month.

Not in a week.

Not tomorrow.

Now.

As of five hours ago, our kids got married, and we are now co-in-laws or something like that.

"Well, you'll have to now." I didn't know why I said it, and I regretted it immediately, but I couldn't help myself.

I'm not sure if Edward felt me tense at my own internal thoughts, or if he was thinking something along the same lines himself, but he took a slight step back, creating a gap between our bodies, breaking the spell we'd been under.

Now we were both more irritated at our situation. Neither of us spoke, but within seconds our bodies had closed the gap we'd just created. My racing heart and butterfly-filled stomach weren't getting the memo that Edward and I were now family. He seemed to be ignoring that fact as well, as his fingers smoothed over the back of my hand, and the one he had on my hip, worked its way around my back and held me even closer.

His broad, strong chest was right there, so close to me; I could easily rest my cheek and hear his beating heart; instead, I jumped about three feet in the air when I felt a tap on my shoulder that catapulted me out of my thoughts.

Emmett stood over Edward's shoulder, looking a little sheepish.

"Bro, how about sharing the mother of the bride tonight? I've barely said hello to Bella." Emmett's words were jovial, but he was shooting daggers at Edward. I felt Edward hesitate before his hand released mine as he passed me over to his brother.

He sat off to one side of the dance floor, watching us for a minute until Rosalie dragged him reluctantly to his feet for another dance.

"Sorry, I thought it was best to help Edward cool things down; every minute that passed, you two were looking a little less and less PG-13 from the sidelines." Emmett was holding my side and stood a more respectable distance away from me, making me realize how close Edward and I had actually been.

I felt my face redden at Emmett's words. "Oh."

Shit!

Just how much did Emmett know about Edward and me?

"Yeah." He nodded to emphasize his words. "Edward looked like he was going to start humping you here and now, and even though Jake and Vanessa are in their own little bubble right now, I think even they would have noticed that."

I froze. Emmett must have sensed my panic as he bent down slightly to meet my eyes. "It's okay, Bella. I'm not going to tell anyone."

"You…you know about Edward and me?" My words were barely a whisper above the music, but Emmett merely smiled and nodded.

"Eh, yeah! You two might think you're being subtle and careful, but…" he whistled and raised his eyebrows, "…the tension rolling off you both…Christ…"

"Emmett!" I shoved his shoulder in a playful gesture. "He told you?"

Emmett nodded.

I scoffed. "Go on then," I told him, resigned to his next words.

"Huh?" Emmett looked confused.

"Give me your opinion, tell me how wrong this is; how we could lose our kids if they took this news badly…"

Emmett paused momentarily, making me pause with him before he seemed to notice and pick up the slow dance again. "You think that could happen?"

"You don't?"

He seemed to think about my words for a few seconds before commenting. "I think everyone in my family has noticed how much happier Edward has been these last few weeks, including Jake. They don't know the reasons behind it, but they've noticed and just want him to be happy."

"Me too, Em, but it complicated."

Emmett scoffed. "I've seen the way he looks at you, the way he is when you're around. It reminds me of teenage Edward, the more carefree and jovial man he was before Kate fucked him over."

I was surprised by Emmett's strong words.

"I want him to be that man, but how can he when we can't even tell our kids about us," I said softly.

"Don't you think you should be saying this to Edward, not me?"

I looked into Emmett's eyes; he was more clued up than he let on. "Probably, there's just never a good time because any time we get alone we don't want to spent it talking about the kids and now … well, our kids' wedding night doesn't seem like good timing either."

"I guess not." Emmett conceded.

Thankfully, other couples were now joining us on the dance floor; the music moved up a tempo, and Rosalie joined Emmett and me, and then we broke apart. I made the excuse of needing the restroom and left them to it.

When I returned to the ballroom, I found myself sitting with Kate and Tanya, which may have been intentional on Kate's part as she didn't waste time chatting to me.

"So," she leaned in conspiratorially, raising her voice above the music in the room. "How well do you know your daughter's new family?"

I choked a little on my drink and tried not to hesitate in my answer. Be natural, Bella. "I'm still getting to know Jake's whole family."

She held my gaze as she nodded at me. "They're fiercely loyal. God help anyone who fucks with this family, I should know."

I must have looked shocked at her words as she held my wrist and leaned into me in a friendly gesture. "Oh, don't worry, Bella. As long as you don't repeat my mistake and break Edward's heart, you'll be just fine."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Good to know!"

She chuckled before turning to look at Edward, who was across the room, standing with his mom and dad, throwing his head back in laughter. "God, he's aged well. I mean, he was always handsome, but I'd forgotten quite how sharp that jawline is, photos do not do him justice."

Jeez, I was learning Kate was a straight talker who had no reservations about speaking her mind. I looked sideways at her as my expression must have conveyed my shock at her words.

"I can still admire a handsome man. My time with him was a lifetime ago."

She took a sip of her drink, not taking her eyes off Edward. "It's odd seeing him again. We'd never have stayed in each other's lives if it weren't for Jake, I'm kind of glad we had a reason though, he's one of the good guys." Kate's expression had softened, but I wondered if the alcohol was making her say things she'd regret in the morning.

She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, then again leaned into me. "Bella, Jake told me about Vanessa's dad. I'm so sorry he can't be here today."

Kate looked genuine as her hand squeezed my wrist, and I tried to force a smile.

Sam's absence had been nagging at the back of my mind all day. I didn't want to dwell on it, especially in front of Nessie, but Kate's words made my resolve break.

"Thank you." I choked out, my voice breaking even though I'd only uttered two words.

I didn't usually think about Sam, except for the odd birthday or special date, but today was different. He wasn't here to walk Nessie down the aisle, give a father of the bride speech, dance with her, or give Jake a hard time about looking after his little girl. My eyes welled up as I thought of everything Nessie had missed out on over the years. I was mortified to be getting upset in front of a relative stranger, so I stood and excused myself to a confused looking Kate.

"I'm so sorry; I just need some air."

I left through the double doors that led outside, pleased for the cool air, and even more pleased when I realized no-one else was there.

However, I wasn't alone for long; within seconds, I heard familiar footsteps as Edward's concerned face found mine.

"Bella, are you okay?" He sounded worried and mad.

I nodded, not trusting my own voice.

"I saw you talking to Kate. Did she upset you? I'll talk to her...she has no right…" His jaw was set, and his eyes were darting back through the open door as he seemed uncertain whether to stay outside with me or going back inside, presumably to speak to Kate.

"No, Edward, she was just asking me about Nessie's family. I was talking about Sam, and … and it just hit me. He's not here. He's really not here." I choked on the last few words, and Edward's face immediately softened.

He closed the gap between us and pulled me into a hug in such a fluid, natural action I felt like he'd been in my life for years, not months. He rested his chin on the top of my head as I rested my weight on his broad chest, and he wrapped his arms tightly around me, cocooning me next to his strong warm body.

He swayed a little with me in his arms and sighed as I closed my eyes, enjoying his strength and appreciating having someone to talk to about this—someone to share the burden with and someone to hold me.

"I'm so sorry, Bella." He kissed the top of my head as I sniffled into his shirt.

"It's Nessie, I feel for."

"Well, if it's any consolation, she's having a blast. She was smushing another piece of cake into Jake's face a minute ago, and they were deciding which to torture the guest with first, the Macarena or that god-awful Ketchup song."

I laughed but didn't move; I was enjoying Edward's hug too much.

After a minute spent in comfortable silence, the familiar beat of the Macarena floated out to us.

I felt his chuckle from his chest before I heard it. "Let's stay here for a few more minutes and avoid that!" he joked. Part of me wanted to see Edward attempt that dance, but I was more than happy to stay in his embrace, even if we probably should move before someone spotted us.

As if thinking along the same lines, Edward spoke.

"Bella, I know after today, things might change. Your daughter is now my daughter-in-law. I hadn't really thought through the reality of that before. I've never had a daughter, and she's the closest I'll ever get to a daughter of my own, which makes me wonder what the crap we're doing. Then...then we're together, and I hold you like this, and it doesn't matter. The kids are happy, and we're happy, and that seems to be all that's important."

I nodded. "I know. Sometimes everything seems so complicated, but then other times, other times, this is so easy I don't know what we're worried about."

As I spoke, I felt Edward's body jerk, and he stepped back from me so fast I was thrown off balance. I'd been leaning on his chest, so I stumbled before I regained my footing and saw what, or who had made him move so fast, and I almost face-planted the ground.

Angela was grinning at me as I relaxed my beating heart, relieved the reason for Edward's concern was a false alarm.

"Bells, I came to find you, this is our song, we rock this dance…but now I see you're…occupied."

"Oh, we weren't…" Edward started as I placed my palm on his chest.

His eyes went wide as he looked at me in confusion.

"It's okay. This is my bestie, Angela."

Angela smiled at him. "Nice to meet you. Bella's told me a lot about you."

"Oh." Edward seemed to relax his shoulders a little but still had a questioning look on his face.

"Yeah, it's okay," I assured him. "I talk to Angela like you talk to Emmett. She's the only person I've told about us."

"Okay. Well… hi Angela, perhaps we can catch up later, for now, I feel like you and Bella are going to talk about me, so I'll let you ladies catch-up."

I chuckled as he turned to me. "I'll be back in there. Come and find me, I don't think it will be long until the kids are done for the night."

"Sure." I nodded and again felt that tension between us at his words.

Edward leaned down and gently brushed a kiss onto my forehead. "Good." He then turned to walk back inside. "Nice to meet you, Angela." He told her with a wave and a grin that looked so heartfelt I went a little weak at the knees.

"You, too," she mumbled before turning to me and squealing.

"Eeeek! Oh my god, Bella!" She grabbed my arm and shook it. "Damn, girl!"

"Hush!" I tried to calm her down, knowing full well Edward was still in earshot and would love the ego boost he'd get from hearing her words.

"Bella, he is H-O-T!"

"I know!" I assured her.

"Jesus. No wonder you couldn't stay out of his bed!"

"Angie!"

"What? I kinda thought you'd lost your mind getting involved with your son-in-law's dad, but now…now I get it! Christ, Bella, the way he looks at you…damn!"

I smiled at her words. I hadn't been able to tell anyone else about Edward and me, and it felt good to introduce him to the one and only person I had told.

After a few more questions from Angela, I tried to weigh up which was the lesser of two evils; stay outside and let Angela continue to quiz me about my relationship with Edward or return inside to the damn Macarena. I decided the dance was the way to go. "Come on, let's show these youngsters how this dance is really done."

A/N: Thanks to my great team of people willing to help with this story. Frannie Walsh, ChristyWIX, RebAdams, Heather Stack Riggs and Julie Gotcha Dodge have giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own because I tinker with this story all the time.

Please check out my beta Frannie's Facebook group, a friendly place to discuss Twilight and Fanfiction. You'll need to replace the dot with a . as i cant post a direct link here.

www dot facebook dot com/groups /896806390388220/

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