I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and that Santa was sweet to you all.

Here's a warm and fuzzy little chapter to make you all smile!! Emmett has his say tomorrow!

DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creation of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.

Babysitting Lily

Bella's POV

As I waited patiently for the blood pressure cuff to declare me healthy—or not—my mind drifted over to James. He hadn't been in my class today and I hadn't seen him anywhere on campus today or the day before. Edward said I shouldn't jump to conclusions and that maybe James was just taking the rest of the week off to make his decision. I was fairly certain he'd already made it and was probably in Minnesota.

"Slightly elevated," Carlisle announced, breaking me from my thoughts. "Only a few points, so nothing to worry over. Just be careful of what you eat and drink tonight and try to stay relaxed. Let Edward be the one to chase after Lily."

"I was already planning on that," I chuckled. "I'm having trouble walking so chasing is definitely out."

"I've left beef stew in the refrigerator," Esme said. "Edward, it's best if you heat it on the stove over medium heat. Make sure you let Lily's cool completely before you feed her. She's used to eating by six-thirty, so you'll want to have her bowl cooling on the counter by six-fifteen to prevent her getting upset."

"Thanks, Mom," Edward chuckled. "We have sat for her before, you know."

"She's my grandbaby," Esme shrugged.

The front door opened and was immediately followed by Emmett's booming voice. "Squirt? We're here."

"Urt, here!" Lily's voice announced shortly after.

I laughed as Edward, Esme, and Carlisle all started heading for the kitchen door. Lily was talking more and more every single day—and most of it was repeating her father.

"Look at that, Princess. A welcoming committee," Emmett chuckled. "Where's Bella?"

"In the kitchen," Esme answered. "Hello, sweet baby girl. Let's go see Aunt Bella."

"Bee-bee," Lily sang. And then she appeared, smiling wide from her spot in Esme's arms.

"Hey, Lily Bear," I said, smiling for my little niece. Esme leaned forward and let Lily kiss me on the cheek. "Oh, you are so sweet," I told her, patting her leg. "I don't know how your daddy ever lets you out of his sight."

"It's tough," Emmett replied as he kissed my forehead. "How are you doing, Squirt?"

"Almost completely over my cold," I said.

He sat down in the chair next to me and took my hands into his big paws. "And the James thing?"

I shrugged. "Nothing I can do about that. And I don't really know yet what he's decided."

"You sure you feel up to watching her tonight?" he asked.

"Emmett, I've looked forward to this all day. Please don't worry, and let me have fun with my niece," I told him.

"We're going to have a quiet night in, just the three of us," Edward said, bouncing Lily in his arms. "Grandma and Grandpa have a dinner to go to tonight."

"Eee," Lily laughed, leaning forward too fast and knocking her head against Edward's.

"Ouch," he chuckled, rubbing her head even as he winced at his own injury. "You've got to be more careful, Sweetheart." Lily just laughed again, resting her head on Edward's shoulder.

"Alright, well me and Rosie are heading out to dinner at that new Mexican restaurant downtown. If you change your mind about Lily sleeping over, you call me, Squirt. I don't care what time it is."

"Em, I'm not changing my mind," I assured him. "Go and enjoy a night out with your wife."

"Alright," he sighed, getting up from the chair. He kissed my forehead and hugged me. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too, Brother Bear. Have fun and tell Rose 'hello' for me."

"Edward, you keep her still," Emmett ordered, shaking Edward's hand. "Bye, Princess. Daddy will see you tomorrow morning."

"Bye-bye," Lily sang as she gave Emmett a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Emmett chuckled and wiped his cheek. "I love you, Lily. Be good for Uncle Edward and Aunt Bella." He waved at her once and then disappeared.

"We're heading out now, too," Carlisle said, kissing Lily's cheek. "See you tomorrow, Sweetheart."

"Emmett left her diaper bag in the living room, but should you need anything else, she has extra everything in Rose and Emmett's room upstairs," Esme told us as she hugged and kissed Lily.

"Mom, we know," Edward said, sounding a little exasperated with her. "And before you say anything, Dad helped me move her crib to our room so she won't be alone and it will be very easy to hear her should she wake in the night."

Esme smiled and nodded and then allowed Carlisle to lead her out of the room.

"That was interesting," Edward chuckled. "I wonder how awful she was when it was Alice and me, and not just her granddaughter."

"I wonder if you'll take after her when it's our baby and we leave him for the first time," I mused, smiling at Edward as he sat down next to me with Lily.

"We actually have to leave him?" Edward asked, smiling so much that his dimples came out. Lily stuck one of her little fingers into the indentation and laughed.

I took her hand and kissed the palm of it. "I like those too, baby girl."

"What shall we do first?" he asked.

"How about a short walk in the park? And then Uncle Edward can help you on the slide and swings."

Lily laughed and clapped her hands together, obviously liking the idea.

Edward chuckled as Lily struggled out of his arms until she was standing between us, with a hand on each of our legs to keep her steady. "Can you handle her alone while I put her carseat in the Volvo?"

"Absolutely," I assured him.

He smiled and kissed my cheek before leaving the kitchen.

Lily looked up at me and pointed toward the doorway. "Eee?"

"He's putting your carseat in so we can go to the park. And you can slide and swing. Maybe we'll see some ducks, too. We should have Uncle Edward bring crackers so you can feed the ducks. Would you like that?" I asked, running my fingers through her curls.

"Quack, quack, quack, quack," Lily yelled, waving her little arms around. I laughed as I thought about her little Elmo doll that Emmett hated so much. He blamed Jasper for Lily's sudden love for the toy, but it was actually my fault. Or my fun, depending on how you looked at it. And honestly, if Emmett hadn't shown such a strong dislike for it, it never would have happened.

"What are you giggling about?" Edward asked, smiling as he walked over to Lily and me.

"Oh, Lily is excited about feeding the ducks at the park, so she was quacking."

"Guess I need to find some crackers then," he said, walking over to the cabinets.

Almost a half hour later, we were finally at the park. Lily was holding one of my hands and one of Edward's as we walked through the park, looking for the ducks. She was very talkative today, even though we could only really understand a few of her words.

"What do you think she's saying?" Edward asked, staring down at Lily's curly head.

"I'm not sure. From the tone she's using, she's happy about whatever it is," I replied.

We rounded the corner and a small pond came into view, complete with a group of mallards. Jasper had taught me the types of ducks that frequented this park during one of our picnics here.

"Quack," Lily screamed with glee. "Quack, quack, quack."

"I believe she's seen the ducks," Edward chuckled.

I spotted something better than ducks—a bench. "Honey, I'm going to sit down for a bit. Will you take her closer to feed them?"

"Feeling okay?" he asked, lifting Lily up into his arms.

"Yep. Just feeling the need to sit down," I replied. I kissed his cheek and handed him the bag of crackers. I made my way over to the bench and stretched myself out. I had to laugh as Edward tried to get Lily to only throw one cracker at a time—he was dealing with a very lost cause.

I definitely had a new sight now that we'd gone through everything with James. And with that came a new appreciation for the type of man that Edward had become. He had been nearly as closed off to the idea of family as I was when we'd first met, but the years had changed him drastically. He was the epitome of a family man now, putting every single member—even Emmett—ahead of himself. He wanted nothing more than our happiness, and a smile from one of us really could make his day. The knowledge that our own baby would change him further was nearly baffling, but it was also true.

While the years had made Edward open up to his family completely, they had made me complacent. I'd assumed everyone would be happy and healthy. I'd expected we'd all enjoy wonderful romances and amazing marriages. I hadn't really put much thought into how those things would be accomplished. I'd never once given life to the thought that a strong family came with hard work from every single family member and that it wasn't all luck and chance. Edward knew this and that's what made him so fiercely protective of us all. I would have to learn to be more like him, especially if I wanted a true forever with him.

"Aunt Bella, someone is ready for the slides," Edward chuckled, chasing after Lily as she ran for me.

I laughed and lifted her up, setting her on my legs. "Did you feed all the crackers to the ducks?"

Lily nodded her head, her curls swinging all around her.

"Then we should definitely get you over to those slides," I said.

Edward lifted Lily up into his arms and then helped me get up from the bench. "We'll let her slide a couple of times and then head home. It'll start to get dark soon anyway."

"Any thoughts on what we'll do when we get there?"

He smiled crookedly, his dimples peeking out as he draped an arm around my shoulders and sweetly kissed my cheek. "No, but I'm sure we'll think of something."

And as usual, Edward was right about that. He'd moved the living room table and loveseat around, using sheets to create a little fort for Lily to play under. She and I were hiding in the fort, watching and waiting for Edward to try to get in again. Every time he did, Lily would smack him with a pillow and then fall down laughing about it.

"I think I hear him," I whispered to her. I pointed to our left and made sure she had a good grip on her pillow.

Edward pulled back the sheet and playfully growled at Lily as he stuck his head inside.

She screamed and then smacked him with the pillow. "No!"

"Oh, please, Lily Bear," he pleaded, pouting at her. She smacked him again, right in the mouth and he sputtered, wiping at his lip with the back of his hand. I couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face; that pillow obviously didn't taste good to him.

"Okay, Lily. I think we've had enough fun beating on Uncle Edward," I chuckled, pulling her into my lap. "Would you like to play with your blocks?"

She wiggled off of me and toddled out from under her fort, knowing right where her bucket of blocks was kept.

"That was fun," Edward said as he pulled the sheets away, letting the bright living room lights shine down on us.

"Yes, it was. She'll be ready to crash before long. She's had her fun at the park, she's had dinner, and she even got to splash you during her bath."

"And Emmett worries she doesn't have fun with us," Edward chuckled, sitting down next to me. He leaned down and kissed my belly. "Are you having fun with us, too?" he asked, pressing his ear against me. There was a slight fluttering sensation and then a stronger sense of movement. Edward smiled from ear to ear and I knew he'd felt it too.

"I think that's a yes, Honey," I said, stroking his hair.

"This is nice," he sighed, closing his eyes.

"Yes, it is," I agreed, looking over at Lily. She was carefully pulling each block out one at a time and setting them onto the floor.

"I'm looking forward to lots of nights like this with our baby, where we just stay in and play with him."

"Have you been thinking about that a lot?"

"No," he sighed.

And there was another good reason to feel guilty about my actions and to want to be a better person for him. I'd had him so worried about the James thing that he hadn't even had time to think about our future with our son.

"So think about it now," I said. "Tell me what you want to make sure you get to do with him?"

"I don't have anything in particular. I'm just looking forward to seeing him with you."

"Okay," I chuckled. "I'm excited to see you with him, and you're excited to see me with him. We are a pair, aren't we?"

"It's why we're so good together," he said, sitting up and opening those emerald green eyes of his. He glanced over at Lily and smiled. "She's yawning. We should probably put in a movie and get her to fall asleep for the night." He walked over to the television, pulling out a few of the DVDs we'd gotten for Lily. "Which do you think?"

"Let's watch Narnia," I suggested.

"That's not too violent for her?" Edward asked, looking worried.

"No," I chuckled. "She doesn't really know what they're doing. She'll like it for the animals."

"Let's just watch Over the Hedge instead."

"Sure," I snorted. "Because the animal trapper guy won't be scary at all. Or the mean lady that's in charge of the homeowners association."

"Yes, but Hammy will make up for the scary stuff because he loves the cookie," Edward said, laughing a little as he walked back over to me. He helped me up and onto my feet.

I ran my fingers through his messy bronze hair, getting a content little sigh from him. "You win. Hammy it is."

"Good," he chuckled, pressing his lips to my forehead. "That's what I grabbed."

I laughed and playfully pushed him away. "You are such a cheater."

Edward stood up straight and grabbed Lily's blanket from the arm of the sofa. "Lily, I have your blankie. Let's go up and watch Hammy."

Lily was busy arranging a stack of blocks all around her. She lifted her head at Edward's voice and smiled at the sight of her favorite pink blanket. She picked up her bottle and toddled over, tossing herself into his waiting arms.

We headed up to the third floor together and when we got into our room, Edward playfully dropped Lily right into the middle of our big bed. I laughed with her as I sat down next to her on the bed. She held onto my hand and jumped up and down a few times before letting herself fall and starting to giggle.

"You are such a silly little girl," I said, tickling her right behind her knees. She shrieked out a baby giggle and tried to turn away. "Oh, no, you don't," I laughed. "I've got you now. Aunt Bella is going to tickle all of those laughs right out of you."

I saw Edward moving out of the corner of my eye and looked up to see him getting down on his hands and knees, crawling next to the bed and heading for Lily.

"Uh, oh, Lily Bear. I think Uncle Edward is trying to sneak up on you."

She looked from me to the side of the bed, noticing the tuft of bronze that was peeking up as he moved. She giggled and rolled herself onto her stomach before crawling toward the edge. Edward popped up his head and the two of them roared at each other. He grabbed her up and started kissing her all over her face, getting her to giggle and squeal.

"She's never going to settle down if you keep that up," I laughed.

"Said the woman who was just threatening to tickle the laughs from her," he replied, climbing into bed with her. He settled Lily between us and tucked her blanket around her. I handed her bottle to her and she immediately plopped it into her mouth, turning her head so that she had it resting on Edward's chest and could see the television.

"She's going to be out before long," I whispered, running my fingers through her hair.

"It is pretty close to her bedtime," he said softly, rubbing her little back.

"She's such a good baby—always happy. Do you think our baby will be that way?"

"Of course he will. He has the same loving family to make him happy. We all dote on Lily just as much as Rose and Emmett do. It'll be the same way for our baby, and now for Alice and Jasper's, too."

"I'm so excited for them. They're going to be great parents. They're so in-sync with each other that I'm sure they'll be the same with their baby. Although, I have to admit that I'm more than a little jealous of Alice's lack of morning sickness."

"I wondered about that," Edward chuckled quietly, trying not to disturb Lily.

"At least she has the same crazy appetite that I do. Oh, I forgot to tell you. When we talked last night, she invited us over on Saturday afternoon. She's making Jasper barbecue. She's been craving barbecue ribs and sausages."

"And for you?" he asked, his eyebrows lifting up a bit.

I poked my tongue at him, knowing he was only trying to watch out for me. It wasn't a good idea for me to have too much red meat with my blood pressure issues. "Chicken. And she promised to have corn and salad as sides. She wants to spend some time with you."

"With me?" he asked, sounding a little shocked.

"That's what she said. She's early into her pregnancy. Remember how clingy I got to all of you at that stage? Especially Em?"

"Yes, I do. And if Alice needs me there for her, then I'll be there."

"I love that you love all of us so much and you're so willing to put yourself out just to be around for us."

"Bella, it's never a put-out to get you guys what you need. It's just part of loving you. Besides, none of you really ask for that much. Well, except for Alice when she wants me to shop with her, but even that's not so bad."

"I was thinking that when we go over, we could talk about the nursery with Alice. Go through those sketches she did and start actually putting the room across the hall together."

"That's a great idea. I spoke with my parents Monday night and they're very excited to have us stay and to have the baby so close."

"Your mother is never going to want us to leave," I chuckled.

"Probably not," he agreed, smiling at me. "But she'll also never stand in our way when we are ready for our own home."

Lily's bottle suddenly dropped onto the bed; I leaned up and checked on her, finding her fast asleep. "She's out."

"I'm going to lay her in her crib."

"Just leave her here."

"She kicks in her sleep and I don't want her to accidentally get you. Besides," he said, sliding out of the bed with her in his arms. "I get to finally cuddle with you."

I smiled at him, following him with my eyes as he set her down in her crib, right in front of the big windows. He tucked her in tightly and kissed her cheek before returning back to our bed.

"You are so good with her," I told him as he pulled me close.

"She makes it easy," he sighed, burying his face in my hair.

"You sound tired."

He nodded his head a little, letting out a loud yawn. "I did get beat up, soaked, and jumped on all in one afternoon."

"But you looked so cute all soaked and dripping wet. And it made Lily smile."

"It certainly did," he said, yawning again.

"My superhero husband is worn out," I chuckled, kissing his cheek.

"I'm glad we're already in bed with the lights out. I don't think I could get up again if I wanted."

"And if I needed a snack?" I asked, just teasing to see what he would say.

He groaned just a little as he pulled his head back and looked at me. "What would you like?"

"Honey, I was only joking. I don't need anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." I passed my hand over his eyes. "Why don't you close these beautiful green eyes of yours and go to sleep?"

"Just so long as you go to sleep too."

"I guess you're cute enough to sleep with," I said, trying not to laugh.

"I see your sense of humor is returning," he chuckled.

"I know how much you love it when I tease you."

"Very much the highlight of my day," he mused, kissing the side of my neck.

"I love you, Edward."

"And I love you, Bella." He yawned again as he grabbed our blanket and pulled it up and over us.

"Aren't you going to watch Hammy with his cookie?" I teased, tracing his ear with my fingertips.

"Tomorrow," he said, smiling a little. His eyes were closed and his face was already relaxed, showing just how tired he really was tonight.

I ran my fingers through his hair again and again, finally getting the chance to be the one watching him sleep. It was nice to have him so relaxed and not worrying over me—maybe I should beg Emmett to let us have Lily stay over more often.

When the movie ended, I got up from the bed to turn the television off. I also spent a few minutes watching my niece sleep, listening to her soft breaths as her chest rose and fell. She looked so angelic with her curls framing her face and her little pink blanket tucked all around her so snug.

"Is everything okay?" Esme whispered, appearing beside me.

"Yes," I replied, leaning into her. "She just looks so sweet sleeping like this."

"Did she wear Edward out?" Esme asked, looking toward the bed.

"Yeah," I chuckled. "He fell asleep not long after she did."

"What are you still doing up?"

"Oh, I was just turning off the television and checking on Lily. I'm not planning to stay up."

"Good. You need your rest."

"Esme?"

"Yes, Dear?"

"When…when everything was going on and Edward and I were arguing, did you believe him?"

"I didn't give it much thought."

"Really?" I asked, a little shocked. I pulled away and looked up into her face.

She smiled and ran her hand over my hair. "I've learned it's best to stay out of things and remain neutral. Sort of like Switzerland. I wasn't there at the school to see how James behaved, and for all I knew, Edward and you were both wrong. I will say that had you not noticed on your own during Emmett's party, I would have spoken up at that point, but only because I saw his behavior with my own eyes."

"Do you think Edward really forgives me?"

Esme patted my hand and led me over to the bed. "If he didn't, he wouldn't be sleeping that peacefully. He's always had trouble sleeping when he's stressed, even as a young child. I've still never managed to get Alice or him to confide in me about the Stanley girl, but I know she was the reason for his distance and his terrible insomnia—I'm good at allowing Alice and him to feel like they have their secrets." She smiled and moved my hair over my shoulder. "And then you came along and his insomnia went away, along with his distance. Now, I don't want you feeling guilty, because you're already doing it far too much, but while this strain has been between the two of you, I've heard him up late at night, wandering around the house. That's stopped since the party."

"Boy, when I screw something up, I don't do it halfway," I muttered.

"Isabella, please stop beating yourself up. It's a mistake anyone could have made."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Do you honestly think Carlisle has been a successful surgeon all these years and there's never been a nurse or another doctor who got a crush on him?"

"Well, no, but didn't he see that for himself?"

"Not always. There's been a time or two when I've had to take an eager young lady aside and remind her that he has a family."

"Thanks, Esme. I don't know how you do it, but you always seem to have some story or bit of wisdom to make me feel better."

"Wisdom comes with age and experience, Bella. And you have many, many years ahead of you. One day, you'll be my age and you'll get to share all of the lessons you're learning now with your own children."

"I hope I'm at least half as good of a mom as you are."

"I'm sure you will be. Now, get yourself into that bed and get some sleep. Lily will be up by seven."

"Goodnight, Esme. I love you."

"I love you, too, Sweetheart," she said, giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

I slid under the covers and carefully put my head down on Edward's chest, not wanting to wake him. I laid there in the dark for a long time, just listening to his strong and steady heartbeat.

That fluttering sensation started up in my stomach and I chuckled quietly. "Hello, Little Man. What are you doing awake right now?"

"He's probably wondering the same about you," Edward muttered, wrapping his arm around my back. "I certainly am."

"I was going to sleep. Promise. I just stayed up to watch the end of the movie."

"You've seen it a thousand times."

"A thousand and one now," I giggled.

He sighed and pressed his lips to my temple. "Goodnight, Silly Bella."

"Goodnight, Sleepy Edward." I smiled as he shook his head the tiniest bit. And then I closed my eyes, letting myself fall asleep next to the man I loved so completely.