Double post today because I'm a day late. These next few chapters are rough so Fair warning.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 6

Bella drove over to my house again so we could go to the funeral together, and again, she brought muffins to make sure I was eating.

"Fair warning, Rosalie and Emmett are going to be coming over here around lunch time."

"I am capable of feeding myself, I don't need babysitters," I snapped.

"No one thinks you do," Bella responded. "But most of your freezer is currently inedible so she's going to fix that and maybe bring quick meals that you can throw in when you're feeling lazy. She does, after all, have to Emmett-proof cooking so your brother doesn't set fire to another kitchen."

I grabbed Bella's hand and kissed the back of it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be snapping at you. I just feel like this house is a revolving door sometimes. My family is constantly checking on me, but they don't know what it is like to be inside this. Not like you do."

"It's a club no one wants to be a member of, but there's no one I'd rather go through this hell with. You've held me together through every shitty thing life has thrown my way. I'm all alone now." Bella started to cry and I pulled her to me.

"You'll never be alone. As long as I'm here, you'll always have me."

After a quick breakfast, we drove over to the church and met my family. Alistair was speaking to Pastor Weber, and when he was done, he found us.

"Everything is all set. We've got Vanessa in her place, and since it is family acting as pallbearers, we brought in the bier so you can wheel her out instead of carrying her."

I nodded, a little relieved that we were being spared from having to actually carry her. We moved to the front and my family was up in the front two pews. Bella and I sat beside my parents and waited for the doors to open.

People began to enter and thankfully, there wasn't much interaction today. They took their seats behind us and then the processional began.

Pastor Weber came up the aisle and began the service. When he got to his readings, I lost all my composure.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

When it was time for the gospel, I was gripping Bella's hand because I knew what was coming from Pastor Weber.

"And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them."

The pastor finished and turned to Bella and me in the first pew, she turned to me and whispered, "I can't."

"That's okay, I'll say something."

I stood up and Pastor Weber stepped down from the lectern so I could speak.

I looked out at the crowded church and took a deep breath before I began. "They say a parent isn't supposed to outlive their child, and there is so much to that statement. It is our job to nurture and to support, to raise and protect that child until they're ready to go out into the world.

"Bella and I didn't want for examples of how to parent. We had four people who shaped us into the young adults that stepped up when the time came to give our daughter a family, and even when we went our separate ways, Nessa always came first.

"Vanessa was an easy kid to love. She was kind and loving, creative and so smart. She was inquisitive and thoughtful. We were lucky to have her as our daughter, and we are heartbroken that nine years was all we were given. Because no measure of time would have been enough with her, but we would have taken every day of our lives as a start."

I stepped down and brushed my hand along the casket, turning to catch my father's solemn nod as he cradled my mother to his side. Bella collapsed against me as soon as I was seated.

The rest of the services went by in a wave of emotions until it was time for the processional. My father and I moved to the front of the bier and Emmett and Jasper took the back corners. We walked down the center aisle and down the ramp to where the hearse was parked.

Alistair and his men loaded her inside and then we moved to our cars to drive to the cemetery.

I knew the plot all too well, since it was right beside where Charlie was buried, but since we had a few minutes before things were starting graveside, I dropped Bella off and drove to the office.

The young woman inside looked up from her computer and stood when she saw me. "Mr. Cullen, is there something the matter?"

"No, I was curious if the plot on the other side of my daughter is vacant?"

"Let me look." She spent a moment looking on the computer and got her answer. "It is available. Were you looking to purchase it?"

"Yes," I told her.

"All right. I'll mark it as sold and have the paperwork drawn up. I can have it sent to you with the proof of Vanessa's headstone. You can return the paperwork all together if that is okay?"

"That would be great. Thank you for your help." I walked out and drove over to the burial site and joined Bella and my family.

"Is everything all right?" Bella asked.

"I wanted to know if they would be mailing the information on Vanessa's headstone or if I'd need to stop in to approve the proof."

"What did they say?"

"They're mailing it."

Bella nodded and once everything was in place, a brief ceremony took place and then the flowers from her floral arrangements were passed out. One by one, we laid a rose onto her coffin and then when the last of those close to her had said their goodbyes, we watched as she was lowered into the ground.

Those few people who had stayed for the full graveside ceremony left, until it was just the family.

"Edward," Rosalie said. "Emmett and I need to stop by the house quickly and then we'll be by your place."

"Take your time." I looked over at the boys. "Be good, boys. I'll see you soon."

Bella and I got into the car and I headed back to my house.

"Your eulogy was lovely."

"I just spoke from the heart. I don't know how to move on from this."

"You'll meet someone one day who will make you happy. And you're young. You could still have a family."

"I'm not like you, Bella. You were able to move on and live a full life. I think I'm more like your dad in that way. The heart doesn't always heal. Sometimes, it just finds a way to function without that missing part."

"Edward..." Bella began, but I didn't let her compose the thought.

"I'll be fine. You just take care of you."

"I will. Alice is going to come over to the house and help me go through things like she did you."

"She really was a big help."

I turned onto my street and pulled into the garage. Bella got out of the car and looked at me nervously. "Call if you need to talk?"

"I will. And that goes both ways, Bella."

She smiled and walked to her car, climbing in and waving before she drove off. I went inside and changed out of my suit, not wanting to think about the damn thing. I was in jeans and a t-shirt when Emmett and Rosalie knocked.

I appreciated the fact that even though they had a key, they didn't use it often. Few members of my family afforded me that courtesy.

Emmett had a box in his hand, two six-packs of beer resting on top while Rosalie had two pizza boxes in her hands.

"What's all that?" I asked Rosalie, since I knew she was the mastermind here.

"We'll get there in a bit, but first, let's be adults and eat pizza, drink beer, and talk about meaningless shit for a little while."

I barked out a laugh as she sat the pizzas on my kitchen table. "Rose, have I told you lately that you're my favorite sister-in-law?"

"Shut up, I'm your only sister-in-law. You just like that I don't baby you."

We dug into the pizza and happily talked about unimportant things. We discussed the Mariners and the fact that Seattle was finally getting a hockey team, though the Seattle Kraken wasn't my first choice of the possible names.

After having more fun than I'd had since I'd first heard the call, we got to the business at hand.

"Okay, let's crack open this freezer and see what the single women of Forks have tried to win your heart with."

"You're crazy, Rose."

"Jessica and Lauren both made you a dish, they want in your panties." Emmett laughed.

Rosalie dragged the garbage right over to the fridge and swung open the door. She pulled out dish after dish, all thankfully in disposable pans, and threw them directly into the garbage.

"Mrs. Cope made this, so it should be okay," Rosalie commented as she rearranged the contents of my freezer. Once the offending meals were gone, she began to load up what was in the box, which were much smaller containers, that looked like disposable loaf pans covered in foil and saran wrap.

"What's all that?"

"I made a few different dishes for you, and put them in these individual tins. That way you preheat the oven to 350, pop this in for 45 minutes and you've got a meal that doesn't require you to wrap it up and eat it for a week straight. I marked all of them with cooking instructions, but this way you can say fuck it and have an easy dinner."

"Thank you, that's perfect, actually."

Emmett leaned across the table. "Do you have plans for your time off?"

"I want to fix up some things around here and then take care of business that I've been putting off."

"You know I'm free after school if you need any help."

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks Bro."

Rosalie and Emmett hung out a little while longer and then left with the garbage in hand so they could put it out and hide the evidence of the freezer clearing.

I went into my office and made a list of the things I wanted to get done while I was off. To move on, I would need to keep busy. Because the quiet moments were when the grief threatened to consume me.