Thanks to Heather, Mykaela, Gail, and Fran for their work on this chapter. This chapter is pretty italic heavy but I am not sure I like that style so I think Im gonna try other writing tactics in future/other stories. Most of this story is like that already so I said oh well :-)

Italics = flashback

Normal = present day

This is the last chapter. Epilogue will be up tomorrow.

The Boy in the Backyard

Chapter 27

8 months later

The legs of Charlotte's tea party table scraped the wooden floor as Peter bumped his head.

"Dang it!" He exclaimed under his breath, maneuvering his arm to rub the fresh bruise.

Peter froze as he heard the sliding door close. He twiddled his thumbs as he shifted even further under the table; his legs tucked uncomfortably below him. He paid little attention to the thickness of the envelope shoved hastily into his front pocket, though it had been the reason for his current position.

His grandma had given it to him when they arrived, shortly after Edward came out of surgery. He wasn't sure why he had it on him now…it was something he had grown to appreciate over the past few months. It was something that made him feel strong.

"Peter! Oh my, Peter! What happened? Bella's mother called us…we jumped on a plane as soon as we could. We…couldn't find one with room for the three of us…so we just came."

"Three of you?"

"Your father…was going to come but decided against it. He wants to give you guys space…he wasn't sure how Edward would feel about seeing him…given everything that's happened.

"Uh…yeah, that probably was not a good idea." Peter agreed solemnly. He wasn't sure what his uncle would do if Garrett decided to show his face around the hospital. They were still not on great terms despite everything that happened with the trials.

"He asked me to give you this." His grandma started, unsure of how to continue. She pulled a thick envelope out of her purse and gently handed it to him. She said nothing more on the subject as Peter stared at his name written in a messy scrawl on the front.

He couldn't deal with it then.

He folded it over gently before shoving it into his pocket.

"Peter, where is your mother?"

"Where she belongs. They arrested her after…" He trailed off, turning his head to glance down to the automatic double doors leading to the surgical wing, "how much do you know about what happened?" He gave his grandparents a taciturn look.

"We know Edward's been…hurt. And that Kate was involved…"

"We should talk to Bella ... she's in Charlotte's room."

"Charlotte's here too? In the hospital?"

"Yeah, we have a lot to talk about."

It was inside these four walls of the playhouse where he'd found something he didn't know he was looking for. It was a cool summer night, and he had begun to run out of places to make a bed for the night. He figured he could make do with the small, yellow playhouse in the backyard of a grand looking blue house. Surely the kids would have something better to do than sit in a playhouse on a hot summer night. In a world of video games, tablets, and virtual reality lining every aspect of a child's life, what could they want with an old play shack out back?

"Peter?" the voice said, causing him to shuffle further.

Peter?

The voice was raspy but calm as if he needed to clear his throat or take a long drink of water.

"Are you awake for real this time, Uncle E?" The worry was heavy in question.

Edward groaned lightly

"I think so," Edward muttered, his eyes blinking rapidly as he adjusted to the light. They were uncomfortably dry as if he'd been sleeping for a very long time and had left in his contacts. He turned his neck slightly, setting his sight on a rectangular blur on the table next to him.

"Peter, can you…grab those for me. I want to look see what I'm attached to before really moving."

"Your glasses?"

"Yeah."

"Bella said they took your contacts out before your surgery. That's probably why you can't see. Something about corn raisins or something; I didn't hear the whole conversation. When you woke up before, it wasn't for long." Peter shrugged his shoulders as he moved to grab the glasses from the table. He opened them, moving his arms to set them lightly on his uncle's face.

"Thanks, kid," Edward said, his eyes again readjusting. He chuckled lightly at Peter's thorough description of the risk of corneal abrasions, "Oh, don't make me laugh." He mumbled as a burst of light pain shot across his torso and shoulder.

He used his hands to calmly assess his body and the machines he was connected to. He turned softly, feeling a slight pull from the area of his chest where he remembered the bullet hitting. It was hazy but clear enough to get an overall picture of what had gone down in that kitchen, hours, days…

"How long have I been sleeping?" Edward asked aloud.

Peter shrugged again.

"A few hours, the nurse gave you pain medicine when you woke up this morning. Now it's afternoon."

"Okay, wow. Yeah, I have been out for a while…You said Bella has been here?"

"She was here…They didn't want too many people in the room…Bella and Charlotte are over in the cafeteria with Grandma and Grandpa."

"They're here too?"

"Yeah, they got here this morning."

Peter bit his lip. This is what he had been waiting for.

Silence fell over the room as Edward continued to look at the machines he was attached to, studying a chest tube carefully. He lifted the side of the dressing gown lightly, squinting to look at the incisions.

A wave of unease washed over Peter. He wasn't used to being uncomfortable around his uncle, but what was going to happen? Surely, he wasn't going to be able to stay with him…his family. Would his Uncle Edward want him to leave with Grandma and Grandpa? After all, everything that happened was his fault.

Bella was forgiving…she didn't blame Peter for what had occurred with Charlotte, but he couldn't help but shoulder the blame. What would happen if he had never crawled through the window of Charlotte's yellow playhouse in the backyard? Charlotte surely wouldn't have been put in danger… and Peter wouldn't have nearly lost the closest thing he had to a father…

Would Uncle E be as forgiving? His uncle cared about him a great deal. He had proven that over the past few months, practically putting his life on hold to help him, to get custody of him. It was expensive, but Uncle E had always said it was worth it and for Peter to never think about it. But he couldn't help it.

This was different.

None of that had almost cost Uncle E his life.

The scenes from the nightmare had soared across his mind like a meteor sending chills slithering down his spine.

"Pete? You okay?" He asked, scrunching his eyes behind the dark frames. Peter hadn't even noticed his uncle was done looking over the wounds, muttering to himself. He'd been too lost in his own head. Was this it? Was this the moment he'd been dreading? He trembled over his words, nearly stuttering with fright.

"Yeah…Uncle E…I'm okay…I haven't packed anything. I've been…here…all the while…"

Edward whipped his head around as fast as the wires would allow.

"What in God's name are you talking about?" The raspy whisper had left his voice. It was fuller now, both in tone and emotion.

He was startled by his uncle's tone.

"I…" He trailed off.

"Peter? Talk to me, kid."

"Don't you want me to leave?"

"Peter, why would I want you to leave…We just spent…how many months fighting for you to stay here…" Edward was confused, squinting as his nephew through his frames.

"Uncle E, it's my fault you're here… My mom … I mean she, hurt you. And Charlotte. I thought…when you passed out…I thought you…" Peter sputtered, not keeping track of the words that came out of his math. He trailed off as he made his last revelation. The traitor tears beginning to fall. The images catapulted back into his head like a canon.

"Peter…none of this is your fault. Don't you dare even think about that. A lot of things have happened, but the only one to blame for this is Kate."

"It wouldn't have happened if I hadn't decided to run away."

"No, but the way things were going, something worse could have happened.…I'm glad I'm the one laid up in this bed instead of you, Peter. And I'll be all right, kid. We're just going to have to cool it on going to the batting cages for a while." Edward added the last bit, raising his lip to a slight smirk.

Peter laughed softly through his tears.

Edward moved his good side around his nephew's torso. He pulled him down for a hug, planting a kiss on Peter's head.

"Everyone's all right. Pete, we're going to be fine, and that's all that matters."

The small wooden door opened, letting the light from the spring afternoon spill into the small house.

"You are so not going to make me crawl in here, Pete." His Uncle Edward poked his head and shoulders through the opening.

Peter shrugged, his shoulder again smacking the corner of the table.

His uncle sighed, crouching tightly as he weaved his way through. He scooted in, not bothering to close the door.

"Come out from under there, Pete."

"Why?"

"For starters, I've heard you bang your head about three times in the past few minutes. Secondly, we've got to talk about this kid."

"What's there to talk about? I…don't want to leave. It doesn't feel right." Peter said sighing. He hurried out from underneath the table, careful to avoid the sharp edges. He stopped only when he was sitting across from his Uncle E.

"All right, and why don't you want to leave?"

"It's…not right. I can't really explain it…" Peter muttered, looking down at the bare wood floor. Bella and Charlotte had already been through to sweep out the playhouse, so there was nothing he could focus his attention on to escape the tension radiating off his shoulders.

"You've never had any trouble leaving or moving before…" Edward inched softly. He knew he was close to getting answers, "how is this any different?"

"Yeah, but now everything is different. I don't want to leave this place…I have a lot of happy memories here." Peter explained, "Sneaking into this playhouse through a loose window, finding Charlotte…it's what started everything. The other places were different. I wanted to leave them. They had all kinds of bad memories."

"Don't think of it as leaving something behind. Is it the house that gave you those memories, Pete? No, it was the people. Think of it as starting a new chapter; you just get to keep everything that gave you those happy memories and make new ones going forward." Edward said quietly.

"There's a lot of reasons we're moving, Peter." He added, "We think it's the right time to stop jumping between houses like we usually do. You got lucky; half of your stuff is already at the other house. And with everything coming up with the trial, don't you think it's important to give our girls something they can look forward to? And besides, you already know Charlie already has blueprints for an even bigger playhouse for Charlotte."

Charlotte and whoever else might be coming along…if Edward was correct in his assumption from the box he found on the counter of their bathroom. He was going to keep his mouth shut until further notice on that one. The thought alone sent a thrill through him.

"And don't you think it's time for someone else to use this playhouse? You had your happy memories with it…imagine what it's going to do for someone else. The people that are buying Bella's house have a daughter who is four."

Peter frowned.

"I guess you're right." He said softly, the folded-up envelope in his pocket now feeling even heavier. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a light knocking on the side of the playhouse.

Edward maneuvered himself out of the entryway, giving Peter a clear view of Charlotte standing on the grass.

"Edward, Mommy wants you to help her. She's in her room." The little girl said, smiling. Charlotte wasn't thrilled about leaving the playhouse behind either, but she didn't question Peter's being upset over it, "I can tell her you're playing with Peter, though."

Edward bit back a laugh, earning him a confused glance from the two children, "Uh, Charlotte, why don't you take over here so I can go help your mom?"

She nodded happily as Edward pulled himself out of the sitting position he had been in, ruffling Charlotte's hair on his way out. n his way back into the house, he ruffled Charlotte's hair.

"Peter, you okay?" She asked quietly as she crawled through the door. Peter was distracted, looking down at the crumpled envelope in his hand. He'd pulled the even more crumpled paper from it and allowed himself to read it once more.

Peter,

I am not sure what I am doing with writing this letter. There's nothing I can do to make up for my mistakes. And I sure as hell can't make up for anything your mother has done…especially now. She'll get what's coming to her… Sorry if this letter is a mess, your grandma only now just called me and told me what happened. I guess all I can really say is I'm sorry. I'm sorry for those years, piling things on your kid shoulders, making you carry a burden that no child should ever have to.

I knew you were like my kid brother the moment you learned how to speak. You're determined, driven, and fiercely loyal. It might not have looked like that, but I definitely knew. God, you even look like him.

But Peter, like your uncle, you're also strong. The strongest one I know. Remember that. I know my little brother and he'll pull through this.

I'm sorry I couldn't be…something more to you. But I will spend the rest of my life trying. And I hope one day, I'll be in a time of my life to have a place in yours.

Garrett

Traumatic Pneumothorax and a broken rib." Carlisle said to himself, staring at his son's medical chart, "sounds like you were extremely lucky, son."

"I'll say. Any higher—" Edward started but shot a look at Peter in the hallway with Bella, Esme, and Charlotte. He decided to mince his words instead, "could have been a lot worse."

"Did they say how long you will be in here?"

"A week, maybe ten days or so. They'll remove the chest tube and see how it is from there. I think it will be okay."

"Okay, now that we have cleared up the fact that you are indeed, all right, why don't we all talk about what exactly happened. I imagine the police are going to want to talk to you soon, Edward." Carlisle said, evening out his breaths.

The rest of the family chose this moment to head back into the room. A wave of calm washed over Edward when he finally saw Bella, her arms tethered around a sleeping Charlotte as if she was a life preserver. She walked her gently over to the sofa on the other side of the room. Peter was asleep in the chair beside Edward's bed, ever faithful to his post.

"Have they already talked to Charlotte? Or Peter?" Esme asked, looking down at her grandson perched on the edge of the chair closest to her son. He looked frightened even in sleep, as if he was afraid to leave. One wrong move and everything would disappear.

"No, and when they talk to him, it's going to be here, with me," Edward said coldly.

"Do you remember everything that happened?"

Edward nodded, "Up until I blacked out. It was a little fuzzy at first, but now I remember it perfectly."

"Kate broke into the house. She…must have locked Renee in the closet upstairs because when we got back from Peter's appointment, we heard yelling. She was trying to get out of the bathroom. I went upstairs, unlocked the door, and she told me Kate was in the house. Apparently, she waltzed in and thought she could take Peter or wait for him. She didn't know Charlotte was in the house either. Her little informant must not have clued her in on all the details about Bella's house.

Kate gave Charlotte candy to keep her quiet, but she's allergic to peanuts. Charlotte had a bad allergic reaction, so Peter went and got her Epi-Pen. Kate was frantic…probably on God knows what, maybe she was having a bad trip or something. She had a gun, for crying out loud—who says I'm going to wait for my son with a gun in her back pocket? I'm not even sure how she got in. You'll have to ask Renee.

She had the gun in her back pocket and pulled it out after…threatening to kill Garrett for going through with the custody agreement. She claimed she wasn't in her right mind when she signed those papers. Peter and Kate got into an argument…more like her just yelling nasty things at him and him retorting. I was trying to step in, but I was getting Charlotte out of the way. I jumped in and tried to get the gun away from her, and then it went off. She reacted like it was an accident, but none of that matters."

He looked down at his hospital gown, "and now we're here."

"Did the kids see anything?" Carlisle questioned quietly.

"I don't think Charlotte did; she was under the table. I know Peter did. We talked earlier…ugh, this is just what he needs. And I thought he was doing better." Edward started to rant near the end, "I think I'm fully justified in being able to say I hate her. In case I forgot to mention that."

"Is it okay for them…to know everything?"

Edward looked at Bella, who nodded solemnly.

"They were both there…Edward's right, Charlotte didn't see anything, she heard it, but…" She trailed off, looking at the sleeping seven-year-old on the couch across the room.

"Well, was Kate caught?" Esme asked this time, aiming her question at Bella.

"Yes. Peter held on to her until the police arrived. He told me she was trying to run out the backdoor, and they arrested her on the scene. My mother has already talked to them. They do want to talk to the kids and Edward. I think they were going to give you some time to rest before doing anything else." Bella answered truthfully. She glanced at Peter's sleeping form longingly, before trailing her eyes back up to Edward.

This was one of the few times she'd seen him since he'd been awake, and she was dying for alone time with him. She knew he was okay physically, and she was fairly certain mentally, but she needed to be next to him without a room full of people.

"And do we know what's going on with charges?" Carlisle followed up.

"As in what charges she'll be getting or if I'm pressing charges?" Edward asked sarcastically, "because the answer to that is a big, fucking yes."

"Edward!" Esme scolded.

"Well, I'm a little mad here." He retorted, "Sorry, Mom, a foul mouth is a side effect of a bullet to the chest."

She scoffed lightly, rolling her eyes.

"There's something else you need to know. I'm not sure you want to hear it, so I'm going to give you the choice, even though it will be public knowledge very shortly." Edward said, dropping his face into a less harsh glare. This face was only for the sake of his mother, though.

He hadn't loitered on Kate's words in the kitchen, but with the memories spinning through his mind like a record stuck on repeat, anger flared through his veins.

He remembered Kate saying, 'Alice is just as unhappy about this arrangement as I am. At the time, he didn't have much time to think about it. But now that he did, he wasn't sure why she would do something like that. Was she aware of what had occurred because of her actions? Was her brother's life just some consequence? What about her nephew? If she cared so much, why let something like this happen?'

"What do you mean, son?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm giving you a choice on whether you want to know something that could severely change your perspective on some other things…other people." Edward said simply. He looked next to him to ensure Peter was still asleep.

"It involves Kate?" His father asked.

"And others," Edward confirmed.

Bella knitted her brows in confusion. She hadn't any idea of what Edward was about to say.

"Others?" She asked.

"Yes. Something Kate said in the kitchen." Edward answered calmly, "about who gave her your address."

Bella tilted her head in confusion. Who else in his family where her house was? She racked her brain for information, sifting through the past few months. Every interaction, every time she talked to one of them. And then she thought of the scowl painted on his sister's puckered pink lips.

She gaped at him, eyes widening.

"Yes, yes, tell us," Carlisle said, hastily.

"It was Alice," Edward said softly. He bit his lip nervously, looking down at the white bedsheets. He didn't want to see the look on his mother's face when the word had left his mouth. The tension had built in the room, waiting to be sliced through, "Alice gave Kate Bella's address."

"Alice?"

"Yes."

"Edward…you've got to be…I mean, why…why would your sister do that. She and Jasper were at the hearing. They testified on your behalf…they said you were what Peter wanted."

"Yeah, they did. But don't bring Jasper into this. I'm not exactly sure what his…role was, but I'd put money on him not knowing about anything."

"How can this be?" Esme asked, frowning. Her head was fuzzy.

"Kate told me it was Alice. I don't know why she would lie—she could have thrown Garrett under the bus, she did for other things, but I don't think Garrett would do that. Not after the hearing."

"No, Garrett wouldn't do that. He's been focused on his recovery; he wouldn't do anything to risk it, especially not with Peter. Not now." Esme defended.

"Maybe Kate got to her, tried to manipulate her. You know how Kate is."

"Nobody…was…seriously…" Esme started, her stomach sinking along with her words.

"Don't even finish that sentence, Mom! Were you going to say nobody was seriously hurt? A bullet in the chest and a collapsed lung? I'm going to be fine, yes, but what if I wasn't? What about Charlotte? What if we had run into a red light, or took a longer way home? Please don't even try to defend her. You're my mother, and I love you dearly, but I won't hesitate to..." Edward shook his head in frustration, "She broke the law. And I'm not quite sure what we're going to do about her yet, but it's going to be something.

He looked back down at the covers when he finished speaking.

"Edward…I…" Esme started again. Her voice was trembling, and if he looked up to face her, he would have been met with large, teary green eyes.

"I told you…I gave you the choice to know, and now you do." Edward said softly, looking up at his father.

"Son…we just need a minute. We will…be back in a while. I'm going to take your mother down to the cafeteria to get a coffee or a water. This is a lot, son. It's a lot. But we will be back, and when we do, we'll take the kids to dinner." Carlisle said, stepping forward to wrap an arm around his sobbing wife.

Edward sighed, leaning his head into Peter's sleepily dangling arm.

Bella stood alone in the room, gathering the remnants of a week of packing into a spare box from the now sparse bookshelf. She wasn't sure this was the right time to tell him, but she would feel bad waiting. Ever since their conversation when he was in the hospital, Bella had gotten into the habit of telling Edward things as soon as she could.

It was like this the first time she told him she loved him. She couldn't wait.

"Carlisle and Esme took Peter and Charlotte to get dinner...Mind if I come in?" Bella asked, knocking gently on the door, not to startle Edward.

They'd left after their conversation about Kate's arrest. She declined the invite, eager to get some alone time with Edward. She was wary about letting Charlotte go after the night she had, but Esme gave her their word they would check over the restaurant menu carefully.

She needed to tell him how much he meant to her, how he had become such a great part of her life in the past few months. The accident had put things into perspective for her. It was as if someone pressed fast forward on her emotions, on her heart, and she needed to tell him how she felt.

After agreeing to allow Charlotte to go with the Cullens, Bella tracked down two small cups of ice cream. She didn't have the same connections he did, so she was stuck with plain old vanilla.

"You don't have to ask, Bella," Edward laughed gently. He looked slightly tired but wasn't wincing in pain every few minutes. He managed to light every candle inside of her with the simple upturning of his lips, the same gentle smile that reminded her who he was.

"I wasn't sure if you would be sleeping." Bella sighed, slipping into the room. She shut the door behind her, waiting until she heard the soft click to move forward, "but I'm glad you're not because then I'd have to eat both of these by myself."

She smirked as she set the small cups and plastic spoons on the table at the edge of the bed, "Unfortunately, I do not have the connections that big-time doctors do in the hospital, so you will have to accept vanilla."

Edward's grin widened as she peeled back the paper lid of the frozen treat. She moved to his side to hand it to him, watching as he sat up lightly. He adjusted the bed to a position that would fare better for eating before taking the cup from her.

"I'll have you know that I happen to like vanilla, especially when it's brought to me by a beautiful woman."

"Oh no, did I miss them giving you nightly pain medicine?" Bella laughed, digging into her own cup.

"No, but I was hoping you would come back." Edward admitted, looking at her, "why didn't you go to dinner with my parents?"

She shrugged softly, looking down at her ice cream, "I was going to try to take my chances to catch you before you went back to sleep. I wanted to see you without everyone else in here."

"Guess we had the same idea then."

"You know, this seems oddly familiar, only we have swapped places." Bella laughed, remembering the time when he'd snuck into her room to check on her after his shift was over, bearing ice cream for her, Charlotte, and Renee. He must have stolen it off a cart or gotten it in the cafeteria.

Bella set her ice cream down on the table to free her hands. She gently grabbed one of the padded chairs from the edge of the bed and brought it as close to the bed as she could. She went back, grabbing the treat and small blanket that was strewn on another chair and settled in next to him.

She wasn't sure what she wanted to say, how to say it, or even how to start it. They sat in comfortable silence, her leaning lightly on his good side. Various emotions flew around her mind, making her head a fairly scatter-brained place. Usually, she was calm, collected, and cool in situations, but the past few days had been nothing short of a lot.

Bella finished her ice cream, getting up to toss the cup into the trash can in the corner. As she moved, a strange possessive feeling came over her, and she hurried back to her seat beside him. Was this what it felt like to be in love? She'd wasn't sure she'd felt it any other time in her life…not in this way. But she was sure she did just now.

She was sure she loved him.

And as if he was a mind reader, Edward maneuvered himself to be as close to her as he could, gently peppering kisses on her head and ears.

"I love you." He said softly.

And those words were the incentive for the gentle tears to begin sliding down her face. She placed her head on his shoulder, keeping her breathing low. It took him a moment to realize she was quietly sobbing into the fabric of his hospital gown.

He didn't say anything. He let her cry into his shoulder, occasionally pressing soft kisses into her hair.

This wasn't his parents or Peter; he didn't have to hide anything about the way he felt with Bella. And she didn't have to hide the way she felt from him either. This entire situation was nothing short of fucked up, and if she needed a good cry with him, then that's what he was going to do.

He was angry.

He was angry because she came and interrupted what was becoming as close to perfect of a life that he could imagine…something he wasn't sure he pictured for himself. He was angry about getting shot; he was angry it caused Peter to take two steps back with his mental health. He was angry about Charlotte. He was angry at Kate, and he couldn't care less if she rotted away in jail for the rest of her life.

The fire flared in him when he felt the dots of tears on his skin.

"God, I was so scared. I…was supposed to be on my way home. I stayed back because one of the nurses needed help with something. I could have been there, Edward. I could have been there with you, with all of you. And then I get a call from my mom that you and Charlotte are on the way to the hospital. And then Charlotte…and then you…God, I thought I was going to lose my mind."

"Baby, it's all right. Charlotte is okay; I'm okay, everyone's okay."

"Charlotte's okay because of you, Edward." She sobbed harder. She wasn't sure what else to say. He curled his good side around her, trying to comfort her from his awkward positioning, "I don't...I don't even know what to say. And I thought I was going to get the chance…"

"Bella, you can say whatever you want to me. I love you. I love Charlotte. I did whatever it was I had to do. But I'm right here…I'm right here with you, and I'm not going anywhere, baby. I know you were scared, but I promise. I'm okay. A week or two here, then we can go back home…"

"I know…it just made me think. It just really made me think." She repeated.

"Okay, about what?"

"About you. About us."

"And?"

"And I love you. God, I love you. And I thought I wouldn't get to tell—" He cut her off by using his free hand to pull her close to him. Edward turned his head and smashed his lips against hers. They were soft, warm, and made her breathless. And no matter how long he held her face next to hers, it would be achingly incomplete.

She was never going to get enough.

She'd already been sitting on this one for two days, though, and they were dead center in the middle of a stressful time of moving houses and Kate's impending trial.

Was there ever going to be a better time? This was the mentality she adopted after the accident, after her heart nearly stopped that day seeing Charlotte and Edward in the hospital.

These thoughts alone gave her the push she needed later that evening.

"Edward…there's something we need to talk about, and it's kind of important." Bella toyed with her thumbs, staring at the carpet. They were alone in Bella's bedroom, the object at the root of her nerves was burning a hole in her back pocket. The two pink lines sent a swell of emotion through her head. She'd only found out a few days ago after suspecting…and it was something of a surprise. Was it wrong of her to think of this as a new beginning? A way to truly solidify putting the past behind them. A way to solidify a life with Edward—one that was already perfect.

Before, she couldn't imagine it getting any better than Peter and Charlotte…but now it was a clearer picture.

"What is it, Bella?"

She was quiet.

"Come on, we've been through a hell of a lot together and its hardly been a year…what's going on?"

"I'm…" Bella started, nervous about meeting his eyes. What if this wasn't something he was planning on … if the vision of their perfect life was one-sided? What if he didn't want this…what if none of them wanted this? Or maybe she was being ridiculous.

Edward closed the space between him, moving to put his arms on her waist, "You can tell me anything, Bella." His hand slid farther down, cupping the tender curves of her backside. He rubbed the back of her jeans in a circular motion, feeling the thin stick in her pocket. Edward hovered over it lightly, before running his hand back up to her shoulder. He tilted her neck so he would look him in the eye.

"I'm..." She started again; her nerves seemed to fade when she met the brilliant green irises of the man she loved.

"Pregnant?" Edward finished, meeting her glassy stare. He smiled lightly at her.

"Um…yeah, yes." Bella finished, contorting her face in confusion, "How did you know?"

"I'm a doctor, Bella, don't you think I wouldn't notice the signs?"

She furrowed her brow.

"Also, you left the box on the bathroom counter the other day…and the stick is in your back pocket" Edward crinkled his face at his own joke. He could sense her anxiety and tried to lighten the mood, "but mostly, the former." He winked.

She scoffed playfully, fighting the yearn to roll her eyes.

"Okay…so? What do you think? What should we…?" Bella trailed off, wanting to again stare at the floor.

"What do you mean, what should we do, Bella? I love you. And I love Charlotte. And so, does, Peter."

"So, you don't think something like this would ruin…"

"Bella, don't ever think that! Love, in my eyes, we're a family, all of us. Formalities aside, I know with you and Charlotte are where Pete and I belong. Do you feel that way?"

"Of course, I do!" Bella said loudly, "of course. I love you and Peter too. I just…had to be sure. So, you want this." Her eyes shot open in excitement, and a smile spread slowly across her face.

"Yes, Bella. Of course, I want this."

"So that means…we're having a baby?"

"I guess that means we're having a baby…" Edward said, trailing off. He grinned, tightening his arms around her waist. She looked up at him, a soft giggle escaping her lips…the anxiety gone.

"When do you suppose we should tell them?" Edward asked, rubbing his hand down Bella's back as he took a box of scattered, miscellaneous items from her. It was odd to see the house in a completely different state, nearly empty aside from the furnishings they left for the next residents. He set the box gently on the counter before turning to face her.

"This might be a lot to spring on them the same time as us moving. I think we should wait…I haven't even thought about making an appointment or anything. We've been so busy with this move and with that damn trial approaching." Bella sighed, sitting in a chair at the table.

"Yeah, I think you might be right. Pete was already having a hard time. I found him in the playhouse earlier, sitting underneath that table your dad made." Edward smiled lightly. He crossed the room, ignoring the box on the counter. He stopped, placing his hands on the backside of the chair Bella occupied. He moved his arms to rub the top of her shoulders.

"I love you." He said softly, dropping a kiss onto her hair, "and I love you." He slid his hands south, so they were resting on her flat stomach. His long fingers ran over the surface, causing her to laugh out loud.

"Stop!" She squealed, trying to keep her voice down. Charlotte and Peter were upstairs, gathering miscellaneous items they may have missed. She bit her lip to stop from laughing as he repeated his motions, swirling his fingers in a playful, light manner.

"Nah, I don't think I will. Not till I hear what I want to hear."

"Please stop, oh great one?"

"Nope."

"I love you."

"Just you?"

"No…we both love you." Bella raised her head, looking up at him. He was bent down, beaming at her. She giggled again as she bent her neck back to capture his lips with her own. Their kiss was gentle and compassionate; their noses softly rubbed against one another as she lost herself in his deep green eyes.

"I hope she looks just like you." He whispered softly.

Bella's response was cut short, punctuated by the sounds of Peter and Charlotte's footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Mommy, we're ready."

"Are you? Did you get everything out of your room and the guest room?" Bella asked, straightening herself in the chair. Edward sniggered from behind her, backing away. She could hear him move back towards the counter.

Peter stood behind Charlotte, clutching a small cardboard box. It was filled halfway with random trinkets and toys from the upstairs bedrooms. The biggest item was a plush stuffed lion placed gently into the corner.

"Yeah, I think we did." He answered, looking down at the contents of the box. His gaze lingered on the soft furs of the lion's mane.

"Well…then, I think that's everything." Edward said quietly, lifting the box from the counter. He looked around, double-checking to see if they had left anything in the kitchen, "let's go put these in the car, and I guess we can be on our way."

"Wait, Uncle E," Peter exclaimed before his uncle could move an inch, "There's something I need to do. I…left something out in the playhouse."

"Sure, kid. Why don't you and Charlotte go get it while Bella and I take these out to the car." Edward amended. Peter nodded, setting the box back on the table. Biting his lip, he looked down at Charlotte. He reached down, grabbing a fistful of the lion's mane.

"Come on, Char." He whispered, pulling the plush animal and the little girl with him through the back door.

"What are you doing, Peter?" Charlotte asked, nearly tripping over her sandaled feet. Peter pulled her quickly across the lawn towards the yellow house, "why did you bring that with us? Did we leave something out here?"

"No…we didn't leave anything out here. I need to leave something here."

"The lion?"

"Yeah."

He ripped open the door, taking a deep breath of the moist spring air. He observed the three small rooms of the playhouse—bare of Charlotte's toys and tea set. They'd been packed up earlier in the week and taken to Edward's house. He frowned when he saw the old wooden table, and instinctively rubbed his head while remembering hitting it earlier in the day.

He squeezed through the door, moving towards the table. His long arms were clutched around the lion—something that had given him hope when he needed it most. His father's letter had taught him something in the past few months, and it had taken until his conversation with his uncle that morning before it finally clicked together in his eleven-year-old head.

You're strong.

It was the only piece of advice his father had given him that made sense.

You're strong.

And he remembered clutching the lion in the middle of the night, frightened to hear the slam of the closet door. He'd been drowning in the dark memories, and the fluffy mane had been his life preserver when Charlotte couldn't be.

It'd given him the courage to face the dark, the courage to be strong.

And maybe it could do the same for someone else. He didn't know what kind of demons the little girl and her family who were moving into the grand blue house with the wildflowers in its yard might have. Maybe she didn't have any, or maybe she had more.

He moved forward, the creaks of the floor whining with each step. He sat the lion upright in the chair closest to the door, running a finger through its mane.

"Peter! Charlotte! Let's go! Rosalie, Emmett, and Jake are bringing pizza over tonight. We gotta go!" Bella's voice came through the screen door.

"Ooh, pizza!" Charlotte squealed.

Peter smiled, releasing the synthetic fur.

He took Charlotte's hand, tossed a nimble look back at the lion one last time, and shut the door behind him.

They walked side by side towards their future, towards their family.

THE END.

AN: Thank you for sticking with me on this story. This was my first story in the world of Twilight FF and to see those two words are astounding.

Epilogue/Future-take up tomorrow that includes a major time jump (4 years roughly. Long term questions answered there ;) )

If you liked this story, feel free to join my Facebook Group "Mariescullen Fanfiction and Graphics". I love to connect :)

Thanks,

Sarah