AN: Sorry this is posted a bit later than usual. School year has started and my kiddos have wiped me out! But, it's the weekend and hopefully I'll get some good writing in!

...

Chapter 27: Bella

Friday, December 21

Los Angeles, California

19 Weeks

I paced back in forth outside the arrivals gate, feeling simultaneously excited and anxious. The last few weeks had utterly flown by and now I was picking up dad, Sue, and Seth from the airport. I was so excited to have them down here for Christmas.

I'd ended up caving and calling the event planner friend of Esme's. Siobhan Brennan was a force to be reckoned with, and she'd been an absolute godsend, fully taking over the wedding planning. I was excited about the ceremony that we'd managed to pull together in such a short amount of time and knew dad and Sue would love it.

Edward had debated coming with me to pick them up from the airport, but we figured we'd save the potentially awkward first meeting for privacy. We didn't need paparazzi getting wind of Edward at the airport. Dad would hate that sort of greeting. Instead, I'd come alone. I was definitely recognizable to most paparazzi at this point, but after the initial shock of the pregnancy had subsided, I'd become less interesting news. Some actors had been caught in a sex scandal and we'd been moved out of the headlights, much to my relief. Edward and I had been heading out around LA more and more lately, and there were constantly people photographing us, but just as Chelsea had expected weeks ago, getting that taste of us as a couple was enough to satiate the press. For a few weeks, it had been frustrating, but as of last week, things had finally settled a bit. I still got photographed when I was out, but it was by far less frequent than when I was with Edward.

I'd also officially moved in with Edward a few weeks ago. I barely had anything to move, having about a handful of things left at Alice's place. I'd considered having dad send me down some things from Washington, but really, all the stuff I had up there were things I didn't need anymore. The move had been pretty anticlimactic in the end, though Edward had spent days trying to insist that any change I wanted to make to the house, I should feel free to do. I didn't want anything in the house to change though, because everything about the house was perfect, as is.

I didn't know that having a place to call home could be so comforting. I'd always thought of it as a burden, but it was a relief to have somewhere to come to, somewhere consistent and safe. I had no idea how much I'd love it.

In front of me, the arrivals board shifted, pulling me out of my thoughts. Their flight had arrived a few minutes ago, and they should be coming through the gate at any point.

I was crazy excited to see my family. Dad had tried to insist on getting a rental car and driving themselves over, but I'd shut that down. When I traveled, one of my favorite things in the world was seeing people reunite at the airport. I'd never had that for myself, which had been fine, but I wanted to give that to my family now. Plus, they were staying at our place anyway, and Edward definitely had enough cars to loan them. I wanted their trip down here to be as low cost as possible.

A wave of people came through the security check point and I saw Seth, head and shoulders taller than just about everyone around him. I grinned at him as he saw me.

I ran over to them just as dad appeared through the crowd. "Dad!" I shouted, giving him about five seconds of warning before I was ploughing into him. He grunted as he caught me. "Bells! It's great to see you kid," he said, winding his arms around me. He smelled like leather polish and woodsmoke and flannel. I sucked in a deep breath, beyond happy to see him.

"I'm so glad you're here," I said burrowing my face into his neck. Dad laughed and squeezed me before letting me go. I smiled, turning to Sue, and wrapping her in a tight hug. Her hug was strong and steady and familiar, and I felt tears sting my eyes. I hadn't realized how much I missed my family.

"Bella, sweetheart you look radiant," she said, pulling back and touching my cheek lightly. I smiled.

"Thank you. It's so good to see you all," I said turning to Seth. I pulled him into a tight hug, laughing. "You're still growing?" I asked. He was so tall now, but he was still as a thin as a rail. He chuckled, patting my back.

"Doesn't seem to stop," he said shrugging. Sue rolled her eyes.

"I can't wait for it to stop. He's about to eat us out of house and home," she said smiling affectionally up at him. Seth grinned, shrugging.

"Well, come on, let's get your bags and then we'll head out," I said, pulling them toward the luggage carousels. "How was your flight?"

Dad huffed. "I've never been on a plane before," he said shaking his head. "But if I had known it could have been that nice, I might have tried it sooner."

Edward had of course, sprung for first class seats for them. This had been the first time my dad and Seth had ever been on a plane. Sue told me she hadn't flown since before she had kids, and I was happy to be able to share such an amazing experience with them.

"I'm glad it went well," I said looking at him. Dad nodded.

"So, where is Edward?" he asked looking around. I shook my head.

"He's at home. We figured it would be better if he got to meet you all in private, without people gawking," I told him. Sue nodded.

"How are you doing with all the paparazzi?" she asked. "I feel like every time I open a magazine, there you are!"

I bit my lip. They had no idea. Sue and dad weren't exactly cruising social media sites, but according to Tanya, we'd been trending on Twitter for a while now. "It's hard sometimes, but you get used to it eventually."

Dad frowned. I knew he had a hard time with this aspect of my relationship with Edward. In dad's mind, anything that put me at the risk of exposure was bad. I needed time to walk him through it all and let him adjust to the idea, just like I'd needed.

We scooped up their bags before I led them out to the parking garage.

Dad whistled when I stopped behind the Audi, popping the trunk. "This your car Bells?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "No, it's Edward's. I don't own a car yet."

Dad nodded, placing his luggage in the trunk before reaching for Sue's. Seth slid his bag in as well and I closed the trunk before we piled into the car.

"So, this is LA?" Dad asked. I shrugged.

"Sort of. The actual city of LA is inland a little more. We'll be sure to see it," I promised him.

"Don't you live there?" Seth asked. I glanced at him as I navigated us out of the parking garage.

"No, we live in Malibu."

Dad looked at me. I hadn't told him I'd officially moved in with Edward, though at this point, it wouldn't be hard to guess. It was all a part of a conversation I needed to have with him, one I'd been putting off until we were face to face.

Traffic was light enough that we got back to Malibu pretty quickly. Seth entertained me with stories from his senior year, with Sue interjecting her own stories every once in a while. Dad stayed mostly quiet, which wasn't too unusual for him.

I pulled up to the gate, hitting the remote. Dad grunted in surprise as I pulled into the driveway. "Alright, this is it." I said turning off the car. I'd pull it into the garage later, once we were all unloaded.

"Wow, what a beautiful house!" Sue exclaimed. I smiled at her.

"Just wait until you see the view," I told her. Edward had hired a company to come out and string up lights in the yard, and the whole place twinkled brilliantly with the Christmas lights. I'd been so enamored with how the front had gone, that Edward had brought the crew back out to do the veranda and backyard as well. It was probably excessive, but I loved it so much.

The front door opened, and there was Edward. Looking at him sometimes still took my breath away, and I smiled, feeling warm and content as soon as he was in my vicinity again. "Everyone, this is Edward. Edward, this is my dad Charlie, and Sue and Seth," I said pointing them out. Edward smiled wide, flashing them a devastatingly charming smile.

"It's so great to meet you all, please, come in." He motioned behind him as he stepped out of the door. Sue and Seth stepped into the house and dad glanced at me before following them.

"Go ahead and leave your coats up here," I said, motioning to the closet off the front door. I pulled off my coat and hung it up on a coat stand. I kicked off my shoes as well.

"This is so gorgeous, look at that view!" Sue gasped, her eyes traveling to the wall of window.

"Isn't it spectacular?" I agreed. Sue looked back at me, her eyes wide. "Come on, let me show you the rest of the house," I urged. She nodded, taking off her coat and shoes. I motioned for everyone to follow me downstairs. Edward was hovering around at the back of the group, looking slightly anxious. I was sure that was about meeting my dad, but I knew they'd find time to chat soon enough. Dad would make sure of it.

Downstairs, we had gone all out with the Christmas decorations. There was a massive tree that I still wasn't sure how Edward had gotten in here, nestled near the glass windows between the piano and the living room. We'd considered having it professionally decorated, but in the end, decided to do it ourselves. It was a little haphazard, but I loved it. Most of the ornaments we had were beautiful, glass pieces that Edward had gotten over the years. He told me they held no emotional value to him though, and he wanted to work on collecting new, meaningful ornaments together. I loved the thought.

Sue gushed over the living room and decorations and I smiled. It did look really good in here.

"Let me show you your rooms," I said motioning for them to follow me. I took them down the hall on the second floor. Edward had a few spare rooms up here, though we almost never went in them.

"This is your room," I told Sue and dad, opening the door. It had the same view as our room downstairs, though the room was smaller than the master suite. "There is a bathroom through there," I said motioning to it. They both nodded. "Seth, your room is down here," I said opening another door. He smiled, walking in and setting his bag down. "The bathroom is down the hall, on the left," I pointed.

"This is great, Bells," He said shaking his head. I smiled at everyone.

"I'll let you all settle in a bit. Edward and I will be in the living room," I told them. They all nodded, and I turned to Edward who was waiting for me down the hall.

"You look happy," he murmured. I smiled up at him, winding my arms around his waist.

"Exceedingly," I told him. He grinned, kissing me sweetly before pulling me back into the living room.

"How was the airport?"

I shook my head. "Mellow. I mean, there were a lot of people, but no paps,."

He nodded as we settled on the sofa. "Good."

I curled up against his side and his arm came around my side, resting on my stomach. Pip had started kicking lately, and Edward was constantly putting his hands on my stomach now, trying to catch a kick.

I heard footsteps down the hall and looked up to see everyone coming out to the living room. I motioned for them to take a seat on the sofas. "Damn, Bells. This place sure is nice," Seth said, shaking his head. Edward smiled.

"It's all Edward," I said looking at him. "I've had nothing to do with it."

Seth smiled at him. I hadn't talked to Seth much since I started seeing Edward. I had no idea how much he knew about Edward, or if he was a fan. So far, he'd been his normal, loveable self and hadn't acted different around him, which was nice. I knew it helped Edward feel more at ease when people around him weren't freaking out over him.

"How was your flight?" he asked, his hands tracing unconsciously over my belly. Dad's eyes cut to the movement and he cleared his throat, looking back at Edward.

"Great, thank you again for paying for such nice seats. It was a bit much, but we appreciate it," he said gruffly. Edward nodded.

"I feel it's the least I could do. It means a lot to me to be able to meet you all finally."

Sue smiled at him and I grinned, reaching over to kiss his shoulder. I loved that he wanted to know my family.

"Bella, I can't believe how beautiful you look," Sue said looking me over. "How far along are you now?"

I smiled, shifting a little. "It'll be 20 weeks next week," I said rubbing my stomach. "Pip just started kicking. I'll let you know if they get active so you can feel," I promised her.

"Did you find out the gender?" she asked. I shook my head.

"We're going to let it be a surprise. We had an appointment a couple weeks ago, and everything is perfectly healthy."

Sue beamed. "Did you call it Pip?"

I smirked. "Yeah, that's our nickname." I told her.

Seth snorted. "Pip? Like short for Pippin?" He asked. I laughed, shaking my head.

"No, actually. It sort of came from Party Pooper," I said feeling slightly embarrassed. Seth howled with laughter and I chuckled. "I know. It was early days and I wasn't able to eat any of my favorite foods and it pissed me off."

Seth shook his head. "Only you, Bells."

I smirked. "Speaking of food, we were going to order some pizza or something," I said glancing at Edward. He nodded. "Is that alright with you three?"

Sue and Seth nodded. Dad never turned down pizza, so even though he was stoically sitting on the sofa, I took his silence as a yes.

"Great, I'll go call in the order," Edward said, standing up. "Any requests?" he asked. Sue shook her head and Seth offered up his preferences. My eyes were on my dad and Edward knew what I liked on pizza, so I didn't say anything.

"Hey dad, let me show you my favorite view," I said standing up. Dad looked at me in surprise before nodding and standing. Sue shot me an apologetic look, but I shrugged her off. I knew my dad, and I knew he was going to need time to adjust to everything I was throwing at him. He had hardly traveled further than the limits of Forks, and now he was a thousand miles from home and facing down my new reality. I didn't blame him for clamming up.

I brought him out to the veranda off the kitchen, stopping at the lounge chairs Edward and I usually ate on. "This is my favorite spot in the house," I told him, sighing deeply as I settled on the lounger. Dad sat next to me.

"I don't blame you," he said after a moment, his gaze on the ocean. I let him sit for a few minutes in silence, trying to gather his thoughts.

"I'm happy, dad," I said finally. He looked at me. "It's been hard, and it hasn't been perfect, but we're figuring things out and I'm happier than I've ever been."

Dad's face softened a little and he nodded. "I know, I can see it on you." He sighed. "I just blinked, and you grew up." He looked at me. "You've always been mature and independent, but this is different. I can't believe how steady you've become."

I smiled softly. "I still feel rocky most of the time," I admitted. Dad snorted.

"Don't we all," he huffed. That surprised me. Dad was by far the steadiest person I knew. I had no idea he felt rocky some days too. "I'm glad you've found a way to make all this work," he said after a moment. "I was worried, when you called me to tell me about being pregnant." He glanced at my stomach. "I couldn't believe it," he said shaking his head. I grunted.

"You and me both," I muttered. Dad chuckled.

"This is a lot to take in, kiddo," he said shaking his head. I nodded.

"I know it is. And I want to give you time to take it all in, but I just want you to know, I really love Edward and he loves me."

Dad took a deep breath, looking at me. "Yeah, I saw it written across that boy's face as soon as he opened that door," he shook his head. "He's taking good care of you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, even when I don't deserve it," I admitted. Dad scowled at me.

"Sweetheart, we need it more than ever when we mess up."

I smiled sadly and nodded. "I'm glad you're down here dad."

He grunted. "It takes a lot to move me out from under my rock," he said shaking his head. I snickered. "But Bells, I'd have hauled ass out of there for you, no matter where it was you needed me."

I smiled at him. I knew that, and I loved him dearly for that. "I missed you, dad."

He smiled a little. "I missed you too, kiddo." He looked at my stomach. "So, we've got a Pip, huh?"

I snorted. "Yeah, you good with that?"

Dad smiled. "I'm good with anything, as long as it calls me grandpa."

My heart squeezed a little and I shifted off my lounge chair, sitting on the edge of his and pulling him into a hug. Dad stiffened in surprise but wrapped his arms around me.

"I love you dad."

He cleared his throat. I knew he was uncomfortable getting too sappy, but right now, I didn't care. "I love you too, Bells."

I pulled away from him and felt a kick from Pip. My eyes widened and I grabbed his hand, pulling it onto my stomach. "Feel that?" I asked as Pip kicked against his hand. Dad's eyes turned to saucers. "Pip can't wait to meet you, grandpa."

I thought I saw a glimmer of tears in my dad's eyes and I stared at him, mute. I had never seen my dad cry before.

He cleared his throat a couple of times before he finally nodded, a small smile on his face.

"I can't wait to meet you too, Pip."

…

Sunday, December 23

Anaheim, California

20 Weeks

"Bells, are you sure about this?"

I glanced back at dad at the back seat. He looked anxious, though excited. I looked at Edward who smiled, nodding. "We'll be fine," I told dad. "It'll be tough at points, but it'll be okay I think."

Dad frowned but Sue reached out to him, touching his shoulder gently. Beside her, Seth was beaming like a little kid. "I've always wanted to go to Disneyland!" he cried. I laughed.

"Me too," I told him. Edward grinned next to me. Edward had assured me that enough celebrities were at Disneyland constantly that he'd likely not get too much attention. To be safe, he'd worn his trusty baseball cap and sunglasses.

Because her mom was going to be getting married, I'd managed to convince Leah to come down to California for Christmas. Her husband Sam had family in Orange County that they went to stay with instead, and Leah refused to let me, or Edward pay for anything. Anything except tickets to Disneyland. Her son Embry was almost four now, and though their daughter was still only a couple of months old, I knew they were excited about taking the family to the theme park. We were going to meet them at the park, and I was anxious about seeing Leah. Last time we had a face to face conversation, it had been a disaster.

Edward navigated us closer to Anaheim and Disney influence started popping up just about everywhere we looked. "It's massive," I murmured, gazing out my window as the park came into view. Edward hummed next to me, and I glanced at him.

"It's been expanding lately." He pulled us up to a parking garage, paying the parking fee and guiding us up near the top to park. Everything was organized, and the parking garage was filled with attendants directing us on exactly where to go. We parked and Edward smiled at me. I grinned at him, scooping my backpack off the floor. I'd swapped out my regular purse for a small backpack so I could hold waters and extra sunscreen for us.

We climbed out of the car and I pulled my own cap on, threading my ponytail through the back. Dad scowled at me, but I reached out, patting his shoulder with a smile.

"It's packed," Dad grumbled. It was early, and I wasn't even sure the park was officially open yet, but it totally was crowded.

"It's because it's almost Christmas," Edward said, moving to my side. "They have special decorations they put up and they usually get a lot of people around the holiday."

Dad scowled again and I laughed, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder.

"Lighten up, dad. This is the happiest place on earth," I reminded him as we moved through the parking garage. Dad huffed.

"It'd be happier if my daughter didn't have to put on a disguise to go in," he said shooting me a look. I rolled my eyes.

"This isn't a disguise, dad. It's a hat." I shook my head at him and dad huffed again. I knew he was just worrying about me. We'd all spent time together yesterday, and we had shown them Santa Monica and the beaches. There had been a couple of paps, but nothing overly much. I knew that part of Edward's life—my life now too—stressed dad out. He wanted to keep me safe from everyone.

We moved toward massive escalators, descending down to the ground floor of the plaza.

"Any idea where Leah is?" Edward asked, winding an arm around my waist as we stood on the escalator. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, shooting Leah a text. She responded a minute later telling me she'd meet us at the front gates. I relayed the message to the group as we climbed up on a tram.

"Just how big is this place?" Sue asked, her eyes wide as we filled up the tram seats. I shrugged, just as baffled.

The tram launched into motion and ahead of us, I noticed a couple of teenage girls, turning in their seats to look at Edward. He tried to ignore them as best as possible.

The tram wound around the backside of the park, dropping us off next to a bunch of stores. Edward told us this area was called Downtown Disney. It was a massive shopping and restaurant plaza outside the park.

We headed in toward the gates, and the sound of the chipper Disney music started to fuel my excitement. I'd always wanted to come to Disneyland, ever since I was a tiny little thing.

We got to the gates and Edward went to buy tickets for us while we all waited out of line for him. "Remember when you used to beg me to come here?" Dad asked, drawing my attention to him. I nodded, smiling a little.

"All the time," I agreed. Dad smirked.

"I used to tell you one day I'd take you." He frowned. "I guess you got impatient because now you're taking me," he said, shaking his head. I snickered.

"Does that surprise you?"

Dad laughed. "No, Bells. It feels just about right."

I grinned at him just as I heard Sue call out Leah's name. I turned to see Leah and Sam heading toward us. Sam had an easy smile on as Embry yanked on his hand, desperate to be unleashed on the park, but Leah's face had that permanent scowl on whenever she saw me.

"I'm so glad you were able to join us!" Sue cried, pulling Leah into a gentle hug. Leah softened in her mom's arms.

"The kids are excited," she said, pulling back and glancing at Embry who was practically crawling up his father's leg to get into the park. I smiled. I'd met Embry once, when he was just born. He was a super cute kid, with jet black hair and the same golden-brown skin of his parents. His eyes were wide and dark as inkwells and were taking in every little thing around him.

Leah and Sam said hi to Seth and dad before coming to me. "Hey, it's good to see you." I told Leah. She stared at me, her eyes cutting to my baby bump a few times before she nodded stiffly. Well, that was more civil than I had expected.

I turned to Sam and Embry, smiling at them. "Hey Sam," I said as Embry pulled again on his arm. He winced and smiled at me.

"Hey Bella, good to see you." Sam was easy going and had always been kind to me, thankfully. Embry's concentration broke for a minute as he looked up at me.

"Hi, Embry," I said, crouching down. "You probably don't remember me. I'm Bella."

Sam smiled, tugging on Embry's hand. "Do you want to say hi to Aunty Bella?"

I jerked a little at the name but smiled wider. I'd like to be considered an aunt to the kids, even though I hardly ever saw them.

Embry gave me a shy little smile and I smiled back at him. "I hear you are excited about going into Disneyland," I whispered to him. He nodded, still shy. "I am too. Who is your favorite?"

Embry frowned before pointing to his t-shirt. "I like Buzz," he said, motioning to his Toy Story shirt. I grinned.

"Me too."

Embry smiled a little wider, still shy but slightly more at ease. I could sense Edward walking over to us, and I stood, turning to him. He smiled at me as he came over to our group. "Sam, Leah, this is Edward. Babe, this is Leah and Sam and Embry," I said pointing them out. "And, Rachel is it?" I asked, pointing to the stroller. Sam nodded. Edward reached out and shook hands with Sam who looked a little star struck but smiled easily enough. Leah was staring at Edward with wide eyes, and when he went to shake her hand, she just nodded, accepting his hand in stunned silence.

"It's nice to meet you all," he said smiling to everyone. He looked down at Embry and crouched down to shake his hand. Embry laughed at something Edward said to him and shook his hand, much to my surprise. Jeez, Edward was a natural with kids.

I smiled at him as he stood up, winding my fingers through his. He smiled at me and fished into his pocket. "Alright, I got everyone's tickets," he said, handing them out. "We have park hopper passes, so we can head to either park all day," he explained. I hadn't realized there were two parks down here until Edward had explained it on the drive down. There was Disneyland, and then a second park called California Adventure.

"Disney is great and classic, but California will have a few more of the small kid friendly rides," he explained. Sam nodded.

"That sounds great. What do you want to do first?" Sam asked, looking down at Embry.

"I want to see Buzz!" he demanded. Everyone laughed and Sam nodded.

"Alright, we'll go find Buzz."

Edward grinned. "Well, that's Disney, so we ready?" Everyone nodded and we headed toward the gates.

"Hey," I whispered to him as we fell into line. He looked at me. "Thank you for this."

Edward smiled, leaning down to kiss me sweetly. "Anything for you, love."

…

Disneyland was truly magical. Everything was perfectly orchestrated and coordinated, and the moment you stepped through those gates, the magic of the place was sweeping you up. We ran around the park all day, sometimes as a massive group, sometimes in smaller groups. There were tons of people there, but Edward was right. For the most part, people left us alone. He had a couple people come up to him for autographs or photos. The autographs he happily gave out, but he was pickier about the photos. If it could be done inconspicuously, he'd agree, otherwise, he'd politely decline, saying he was trying to spend time with his family. A few of his fans even recognized me, and one girl went absolutely nuts talking to me about an article I'd written about Japan. I hadn't realized that I would have fans as well, but it was nice to talk to her about the work. She told me she was getting ready to move to Japan. She'd first gone there after being inspired by one of my articles and it had apparently changed her life. It was humbling, but amazing to hear that.

A few people asked about Pip, but generally speaking, Edward's fans were pretty focused on him.

Still, all in all, the day was amazing, and Disneyland had been everything and more than I could have ever expected.

The other unexpected of the day was Embry. Apparently, after a few short conversations, he was sold on Edward and me, and had demanded that we sit with him on several rides. He was the cutest kid, and honestly, it wasn't a hardship to take him on the rides. He liked me just fine, but he was totally in love with Edward. It almost made my heart hurt watching how cute Edward was with Embry. I couldn't believe what a natural father he was, and the thought of him being that way with our Pip made my heart race.

It was just after lunch, and I needed to sit and chill out a little longer, so we'd found a bench outside the Buzz Lightyear ride. Embry had been on it three times already, but had demanded to go again, asking Edward to ride with him. After getting the go ahead from Sam and Leah, Edward had taken Embry in line happily. I settled on a bench with Leah, who was trying to give Rachel a bottle.

"Embry is the cutest kid," I said shaking my head. Leah looked at me in surprise before smiling a little.

"Thank you." She looked down at Rachel who was absolutely stunning with massive dark eyes that were framed with eyelashes for days. "He's really taken to Edward," she said glancing up at me. I nodded.

"I've never seen him with kids before," I said, rubbing at my stomach. Leah's eyes shot to my bump.

"How far along are you?"

I looked at her. "20 weeks."

Leah nodded. "I couldn't believe it, when mom told me you were pregnant and dating some Hollywood star," she paused and shook her head. "Well, I believed it, because it seemed crazy," she admitted. I nodded, smiling a little.

"It is crazy," I agreed. "I still don't believe it most days."

Leah looked at me. "I'm sorry that I've been so angry with you the past few years," she said softly. I stared at her in surprise. "I was jealous that you had the courage to live so freely and I resented the fact that you didn't choose the same path I did. I love my life, don't get me wrong," she glanced up at Sam who was leaning against a low fence, talking to Seth. "I just, sometimes… I wanted more for myself before I settled down and had kids," she sighed. I wasn't quite sure how to take her apology. Was she only apologizing now because I was pregnant and going to be a parent also? Or was she finally over blaming me for her own unhappiness?

"You're still young," I pointed out. "You can do anything with your life still."

Leah looked at me, her dark eyes hard. "No, Bella. I can't just do anything. That's the point. I've never been able to, and you just walk through life like everyone has had the same opportunities as you and they are just stupid for not taking them." She shook her head, looking down at Rachel.

I frowned. "I know my life has been a privilege," I said quietly. "I've witnessed countless people in this world who would never get the same opportunities I have had. I don't take that lightly."

She looked back up at me. "I hope not."

I stared at her. Clearly Leah's issues with me were layered and complex. It wasn't something we'd sort out on a park bench at Disneyland.

I took a deep breath, trying to release the tension in my shoulders. "Thank you for coming down," I said after a few minutes. She looked back up at me. "I know it's difficult to travel with kids and everything, and I just, I'm grateful you were all able to come down for this."

Leah let out a tight breath and nodded. "Thank you for calling and reaching out. I don't think I would have if they weren't going to get married," she said, glancing beyond us where Dad and Sue were sitting on another bench. They were sharing a frozen lemonade. They were so cute together. "But I'm glad we came down," Leah said turning back to me. "It's good for Embry to spend time with other family."

I didn't know if she was talking about Sam's family, or us, but I just nodded smiling.

We sat on the bench, waiting in contented silence for Edward and Embry to come out of the ride. Without Edward, I was on absolutely no one's radar, so I could sit in peace.

A crowd of people came off the ride and my heart squeezed when I saw Edward. He was holding Embry's hand, making sure the little guy didn't sprint off the moment he could. As soon as they were a few feet from us, Edward let go of him while Embry came sprinting at us to tell us about the score they'd gotten. I smiled up at Edward as he got closer.

"You shoot enough aliens?" I asked him. He smirked, nodding.

"I think we stopped the invasion," he said looking at Embry. The kiddo was beaming.

"Can we go again? I want to go with Uncle Seth!" he said running at Seth. Seth laughed and nodded.

"I'll go with you," he agreed.

Edward looked at me. "I want to take you on my favorite ride. Do you mind if I spirit you away for a bit?"

I grinned and nodded, standing up from the bench. "We're going to hit a ride. We'll meet up with you all after," I promised our group. They all nodded, and Sam came to take my seat on the bench. Edward wound his hand through mine as he guided me out of Tomorrow Land.

"Having fun?" he asked. I looked up at him and grinned.

"So much. This place is so amazing," I said shaking my head. He smiled, squeezing my hand gently.

"I have always loved Disney," he admitted. "I'm a sucker for a Disney movie, and Disneyland has always been one of my favorite theme parks."

I grinned at him. I hadn't known that about him.

Edward led us across the park, taking our time to point out different rides and attractions to me.

"Alright, so technically I have two favorite rides," he said, pulling me into a line. I wasn't sure where we were, but I looked up at him curiously. "One is in California Adventure, and we are definitely going on it later, but this is my favorite old school Disney ride." He motioned up to the ride sign and I grinned.

"Pirates of the Caribbean?" I asked. Edward nodded and I giggled. "I love it. I knew the movie was influenced by the ride, but I don't know how much."

Edward smirked. "It was quite a bit. They've changed the ride a lot since then, and it's got more scenes that reflect the franchise, but it's still one of the best."

I grinned, winding my arms around him. "I love getting to see this side of you," I told him. He looked at me in surprise. "You're so playful and silly and seeing you with Embry," I paused, biting my lip and shaking my head. I could see his eyes past his sunglasses as they focused in on my lip. "Pip is so lucky to have you," I said finally. Edward blinked and smiled shyly, reaching down to kiss me sweetly.

"I can't wait to come back here with Pip," he whispered against my mouth. I smiled.

"All the time," I promised.

…

Tuesday, December 25

Malibu, California

20 Weeks

No matter where I was in the world, no matter how far from Forks, one holiday I was always home for was Christmas. Even if I was in town for twenty-four hours, I always had spent the holiday with my dad. It was our only family tradition, and I was thrilled that this year, though we weren't in Forks, it could continue. I loved Christmas so much. Yesterday most of us had spent the day feeling drained and exhausted from our full day at Disneyland. Edward explained to us that we were experiencing a Disney-Hang Over. A rough mix of all-day sun and walking, combined with dehydration, fried foods, and an exposure to thousands of people all day long. I'd been through a lot in life, but that Disney Hang-Over had been rough. We spent most of Christmas Eve lounging around the house, decorating gingerbread houses that Carmen had whipped up for us a few days ago. We were having everyone over to the house tonight for Christmas dinner, so last night it had just been the five of us. Sue had insisted on cooking something for us, for dinner, and with the help of Seth, the meal had been extraordinary. After dinner, we'd all headed to bed early, but not before dad slid a small flat present into my hands. Since I was little, dad had let me open a single gift Christmas eve. They were almost always new Christmas pajamas that I would wear that night. The last few years, it had been books, and I'd spent the whole night reading. I smiled at dad, kissing his cheek in thanks. He blushed a little and shrugged awkwardly.

"I left some presents in your rooms," I told him.

Dad frowned. "That's not how it works, Bells. I give you something to open."

I smiled and shrugged one shoulder. "Well, I guess I am going to have to start practicing for Pip," I told him. Dad smiled and I felt a little bit of the nerves in my stomach dissipate. We said goodnight, and Edward and I headed downstairs to our room. On our bed was a box for Edward. I'd bought everyone Christmas pajamas this year. It was silly and they were tacky as hell, but I couldn't help it.

Edward frowned at the box, glancing back at me. I grinned, nodding toward it as I ripped into the gift dad had given me. It was a book I'd talked about wanting to read a few months ago, and I grinned, hugging it to my chest. Dad had an iron trap memory for things like that.

Edward had ripped into the box like a little kid, and grinned when he pulled out the candy cane striped pajamas. He looked at me, smirking and I grinned, moving to the closet and pulling my matching set out. He had laughed and we changed into the pjs before getting ready for bed.

True to form, I'd been hardly able to sleep. I'd sat up in bed, reading my new book until I passed out. When I woke up this morning, my light had been shut off and the book was placed carefully on the nightstand. Edward was passed out still, but I knew he must have gotten up in the middle of the night to turn it off and take care of me.

I smiled, leaning over to kiss his hair. He shifted a little, but otherwise, stayed sleeping. It was early, and I knew I likely didn't get enough sleep, but right now, I couldn't go back to bed, so I picked up my book, cracking it open and reading in the semi dark.

A few hours later, Edward was shifting next to me, and I looked over at him.

"Merry Christmas," I whispered as his eyes blinked open and focused on me. He smiled, reaching out for me. I put the book on the nightstand and scooted down, wrapping myself around him, our legs tangling together.

"Merry Christmas, my love," he whispered. I smiled my eyes tracing over his features as his eyes closed a moment before they opened and focused on me again. "How long have you been up?"

I snickered. "I don't know, a few hours. I got so into the book, I couldn't put it down last night and then I woke up excited to finish it," I whispered. He grinned, reaching out to kiss my chin. I scooted closer to him, wishing we weren't wearing so many clothes.

"I miss you," I whispered, my legs sliding up his. He groaned. We were an entire floor away from my dad, but we'd not had sex since we started hosting. It hadn't been any sort of specific decision we made; we'd both been exhausted after playing host all day and had mostly passed out right away.

"I miss you too," he whispered, his hand snaking around my back and creeping under my shirt. The contact of his skin on mine, even on my back, spurred me forward, and I grinned, hooking my leg over his and nudging him so he was on his back. I climbed over his lap, settling over his hips with a smile. He grinned up at me, his hands coming off my back to rest on my stomach.

"Good morning, Pip," he said softly. The burning desire I had for him eased a little as I watched him talk to my stomach. "You won't be out here for a while yet, but next year, you're going to be spoiled rotten for Christmas," he whispered, his hands tracing gently over my stomach. I felt Pip start to stir, and I smiled. Pip responded so immediately to his voice. "Merry Christmas, my little one," he whispered. Pip kicked at my side, and Edward's eyes lit up as Pip aimed right at his hand. He looked up at me, beaming, and I smiled, my heart so full I felt like I was almost choking on it.

I leaned down, kissing him gently, and Edward released my stomach, winding his arms around me.

How could I have been so lucky in life to have found him? He was so incredible, and I knew he was going to be the most amazing dad. Regardless of how rocky I still felt about being a parent, I was comforted by the fact that I knew Pip had Edward. "I love you so much," I whispered against his mouth, breaking our kiss and leaning my forehead against his. Edward beamed at me.

"I love you so much too," he whispered. I felt like crying, which was slightly irrational, so I sat up and took a deep breath.

"We should head upstairs. I want to open presents," I said smirking. Edward laughed and nodded, sitting up while I was still straddling his lap.

"Sounds good, let's go."

Unsurprisingly, dad was already up when we made it upstairs. He was in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee. I smiled when I saw he was wearing the pajamas I'd gotten him. His were red plaid bottoms with a black shirt that said grandpa with a little Santa hat on the G. I'd been excited when I found the pajamas a few weeks ago. "Merry Christmas," I said, smiling at him. Dad smiled as I came around the counter, kissing his cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Bells." He hugged me with one arm while the other still held his coffee. "Merry Christmas, Edward."

Edward smiled at him and repeated the greeting. "You're wearing the pajamas," I said looking him over.

"I sure am. They may be my favorite set," he said smiling. I grinned.

"Thank you for that book," I told him, moving past him to make myself a cup of tea. "I was up way too late reading it, and then I woke up way too early to keep reading," I giggled. Dad grinned and Edward chuckled, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and she had passed out with the book over her face," he said chuckling.

Dad laughed and I shrugged. "I'm glad you like it, Bells."

I smiled at him as I finished making my tea. "Is anyone else up?"

Dad nodded. "Sue is. I'm sure she'll wake Seth up or else we'll be waiting until past noon to see him," he chuckled. I snorted and we headed into the living room. There were a surprising number of presents under the tree. I had asked dad if he wanted to surprise Sue with a ceremony before or after Christmas, and he'd surprised me by saying they wanted to get married Christmas day. Apparently, Sue had started planning a small ceremony for next Christmas, not knowing she'd be getting something this year. We had a couple hours before we had to get ready and head to the location still.

"How are you feeling?" I asked dad as we settled on the sofa. He looked at me and huffed.

"I'll admit it, I'm nervous," he said quietly. I frowned.

"Are you worried she won't like it?" I asked. Dad shook his head. I'd been running the plans past him all month, and he'd signed off on all of it, except for of course, the honeymoon he didn't know about.

"No, it's not that. I've just been a bachelor for so long," he shrugged one shoulder and suddenly I understood. The last time he'd gotten married, it had ended disastrously. I would be scared if I was in his shoes too. I reached out to him and he smiled at me gently.

"Sue is amazing," I whispered. "And she is absolutely crazy about you," I reminded him. Dad smiled.

"I know," he assured me. "I guess you just don't grow out of these sorts of nerves," he shrugged one shoulder and I frowned, considering that. I glanced back at Edward, who was sipping his coffee silently. I leaned back into his side, and his arm came around me automatically. We hadn't talked about marriage anymore since Australia. The thought of it still absolutely terrified me, and I was glad that he was giving me space on it.

Sue came out into the living room, breaking me out of my thoughts and I smiled at her. "Merry Christmas," she greeted us. She was wearing the pajamas I'd gotten her as well and I smiled. I'd gone back and forth on whether or not to get her a matching set to dad's. In the end, I had settled on the grandma shirt for her. Pip would know her as a grandma, and I was more than okay with that.

"Merry Christmas," I said smiling at her. She grinned, settling next to dad on the sofa.

"Bella, thank you so much for the pajamas," she said gently, touching the shirt. I smiled.

"I hope you don't mind," I said quickly. "I know you're going to be an incredible grandma to Pip, even though you won't be related biologically," I felt myself amping up for a rant and Sue shook her head, reaching out to me.

"Sweetheart, I'm so honored. Thank you."

I let out a breath and smiled, nodding.

Seth came out a few minutes later, wearing the silly elf pajamas I'd found him. He grinned at us, motioning to the kitchen. We all nodded as he disappeared to get his own cup of coffee. When he came back, he sat on the sofa and yawned.

"Alright, now that we are finally here, we can do presents," I said, hopping up. Everyone laughed as I ran to the tree. I had a Santa hat sitting next to the tree and I shoved it on my head before plucking through the pile and finding gifts for everyone to open. When everyone had a couple gifts in front of them, I sat back down, my own pile near me. "Who wants to go first?"

We took turns, opening gifts and laughing with each other. Dad and Sue had given Seth some concert tickets for a show out in Seattle that he'd been wanting to go to. Dad got new fishing equipment from Edward and me, that we promised we'd ship to Forks for him. We also got Sue a few new kitchen appliances that she'd been wanting for a while now. Most of the gifts dad, Sue, and Seth exchanged were either less bulky or were otherwise left up and Forks and instead, they'd exchanged photos of the items. Edward and I had a pile of gifts from all three of them that were for Pip. The moment I'd opened the first little onesie, I'd about burst into tears. It was so tiny, and was white with black script that read, Grandpa's favorite. There were lots of tiny cute outfits that just wrecked me the moment I saw them. I was terrified about Pip, but I couldn't deny that part of me was pretty excited as well. I couldn't wait to see Pip in these little outfits, or in Edward's arms. My whole body warmed at that thought.

Dad got up and retrieved a package from under the tree, handing it to me. "This is for you both," he said shrugging one shoulder uncomfortably. "I didn't know what to get you, since you buy just about anything you want," he said glancing at Edward. "But well, I figured you didn't have this, so…" He thrust the gift at me and I took it, smiling up at him. I tore into the wrapping.

Inside was a plain white box, and I pulled it open curiously. Nestled carefully inside the box were two ornaments. The first, I recognized immediately, and it brought tears to my eyes. I pulled it out. It was a tiny penguin, in the arms of a parent penguin. They both had little Christmas hats on, and on the bottom of the ornament, there was my dad's handwriting. For My Little Bell, Love Dad.

It was my first ornament, something my dad had bought for me when I was only a few months old. We'd been putting it up on the tree my whole life, and tears stung my eyes as I looked at it.

"Dad are you sure," I paused, my throat tight. Dad smiled at me.

"It's yours, Bells. You deserve to have it on your tree."

I smiled and stood, moving to the tree to hang the ornament. Immediately, I felt soothed seeing it up there.

"Dad, thank you. This means so much to me," I said turning to him. He smiled and shifted a little awkwardly.

"There's a bit more," he said motioning to the box next to Edward. I nodded and sat back down, pulling the box back on my lap. I pulled out the second ornament, my eyes filling with tears. This one was two squirrels, one clearly older, holding the little one in its arms. Both of them had Christmas hats, just like the penguins. On the bottom, dad had written a note. For My Little Pip, Love Grandpa.

I burst into tears, showing the ornament to Edward. He took it in his hands gently while I got off the sofa, going over to pull dad into a tight hug. He didn't seem awkward or uncomfortable as I cried on his shoulder, unable to verbalize how much it meant to me to have those ornaments. Dad had been the only constant in my life, and while I knew he was excited about Pip, seeing the ornament, our tradition continued like this, told me that no matter what, dad was with me, still supporting me, and now he would be with Pip as well.

I was so overwhelmed; I couldn't help the absolute onslaught of tears. Dad hugged me tightly, and I savored the feeling of being in my father's arms.

When I finally got a hold of myself, and pulled away from him, I was surprised to see tears on his cheeks. "Thank you, dad. This," I paused. "This means so much to me."

Dad cleared his throat, wiping at his eyes. "I love you, kiddo, and even though I've not met them yet, I love that little Pip too."

Tears stung my eyes again and I smiled, wiping at my cheeks. I looked back over at Edward who was watching me with a tender look on his face. I squeezed dad's hand once before getting up and curling up on Edward's lap. Immediately, he brought his arms around me, kissing the side of my head.

"Thank you, Charlie. It's beautiful," he said, looking at dad. Dad cleared his throat, his awkwardness coming back.

"I'm trusting you to take care of these precious gifts," dad said, looking at Edward. It was clear he wasn't talking about the ornaments. Edward nodded, hugging me to him tighter.

"With my life."

AN: Literally, writing about Disneyland right now has just broken my heart. I miss it so much! Edward's favorite rides happen to be mine. Every time I go to Disneyland, even if I'm there for an hour, I hit up Pirates (assuming it's running!). His favorite ride in California Adventure is called Soaring over California. It's a pain in the ass wait time always, but 100% worth it. It's stunning, and though I didn't write them going on the ride, I know for a fact Bella would absolutely love it.

For those skeptics, there are actually so many people and celebrities at Disneyland, that seeing one there is almost no big deal. I have run into countless stars (massive names as well as less known ones) at Disney and didn't bat an eyelash. It would be somewhere Edward would be able to walk around relatively uninterrupted.

This chapter was supposed to cover Charlie and Sue's ceremony, but they all snuck a surprise visit to Disney in there and now it's being bumped to next chapter. We will also see quite a few characters come together, which should be pretty entertaining.

Lots of emotion in this chapter between Bella and Charlie. I was so happy to have Charlie back on screen. She looks up to him so much, and I love the chance to get them to talk.

Hopefully, next chapter will be up and running without a hitch Monday! Until then, xx.