.

Chapter 41

Merging

Edward

"Jake!" I yelled, shifting my gaze up a floor.

Bella and Becky had winced in shock for a moment.

"Excuse please. I just needed to distract Jake from his thoughts," I explained immediately.

Becky considered what Jake had been thinking about and now, for her part, thought about the previous night.

Oh super. That had worked out great. I could not really resent the two these thoughts, however, they hardly differed from my own, which circled inexorably around this intoxicating morning. But at least nobody had to listen to mine!

"Leah is excited about the proposal and is about to take a shower," I said, hoping to get Becky out of her flashbacks.

It worked better than expected. She was pleased that Leah let herself be distracted from her sorrow in this way.

"Jake probably wants to take a shower, too," Bella considered.

I nodded with the further hope that Becky was not now overcome by the same ideas as Jake had just yet. I was lucky. She looked down at herself with the thought that washing and changing were not the worst thing to do before she would pay a visit to the vampires who were always dressed to the nines.

'They always looked so perfectly styled and dressed that they almost appear intimidating.'

Her thoughts, not mine!

"I should probably start getting dressed too! ... Make yourself at home with us, Becky. If you want to take a shower, our bathroom is at your disposal," Bella herself noted Becky's concerns as Jake came back downstairs.

She was still as attentive as ever.

She pulled me along by one hand, probably to allow the two of them some more time without maternal supervision.

She was such a loving mother. But what did I do now to avoid eavesdropping on their thoughts? Being with Bella would be a bit more complicated than I had expected. But there was a solution for everything ...

"I'll dress you!" I insisted in a voice that sounded much more obstinate than it was intended to be.

Bella flinched a little at this tone, as if she were afraid, she had done something wrong.

"I need to get my mind off of Jake and Becky's thoughts," I explained softly, already standing in front of her, her face in my hands, covering her velvety skin with kisses.

"What are they thinking about?" Bella asked in a whisper, but offered me her neck in the process.

"Last evening," I replied, accepting the offered invitation.

She withdrew from my lips and looked at me. Her look was full of love, but also a little wistful.

"Jake ... isn't a kid anymore?" She didn't ask it, she stated.

"No. And neither is Leah anymore ... That's why she's so distraught. The fact that she told Ben about the wolves was apparently only because of that moment, because she felt so good afterwards," I said softly and took Bella in my arms.

It had to be hard to see one's own children drift away from being children. For over a hundred years, I sat been directly at the source, so to speak, for this transition. Again and again I went to High School and College and got to see firsthand through countless thoughts how people changed. Teenagers became adults, and I secretly congratulated everyone who made this transition without any significant problems. For most of them - even if only temporarily - alcohol, bad company, drugs or sex excesses got in the way. This has always been the course of life. Bella had also gone through this change. But only now I recognized the other side. The view of the parents. Bella knew exactly that it was only natural and was neither angry nor disappointed about her children. At most, she was sad because her own time with them was coming to an end and she had to release them into their own lives. Bella's position in Jake and Leah's lives would become smaller and smaller, until eventually she would play only a small insignificant supporting role. Just like Charlie and Renée.

"Oh, no!" escaped my lips as Jake was contemplating taking a shower together with Becky. And Jake's thoughts were so loud.

Bella lifted her head from my shoulder and looked at me in wonder.

She no longer seemed sad, but rather amused. Had she guessed what kind of idea her son might come up with?

"Please distract me!" I asked almost pleadingly, but she pushed me away from her.

"You're a 123-year-old marble stone that nothing can touch!" she stated, walking slowly across the room. "How could I distract YOU already?" she asked - feigning innocence - letting the bathrobe slide over her sensual body to the floor halfway to the closet.

There she stood. Naked. I let my eyes hover slowly - enjoying every square inch - over her warm body, her shapely curves, a birthmark here and there, small scars of life, the graceful face of my goddess. But yet something else I recognized. In front of me stood a woman who was in complete harmony with herself and her body. She was perfect! This image burned itself into me. I would never be able to forget it again.

Suddenly we heard music.

Loud. Oh yes, we were not alone.

"Just the sight of you makes me forget many things!" I confessed as I was immediately with her and kissed her.

"But don't you think it's unfair for you to dress me while you're already dressed?" she was still complaining.

Immediately I stood there again without clothes.

I quivered and had to lean against the closet as her warm hands pushed up my boxer shorts and her kisses made their way up my thighs, my stomach, my chest, and finally to my mouth.

I devoutly slid her panties up her legs and she trembled under my fingertips. Her heart skipped a beat as I carefully positioned it in the right place. Just as devotedly, I pulled a bra out of the closet and put it on her. I played around everything that would immediately be covered with fabric. I kissed each toe and then up over her legs to her mouth, accompanied by my hands that followed the path of my lips. I did that with every sock I put on her! She grabbed my jeans, let me get into my pants and slowly, kissing, pulled them up to my hips.

I forbade her to close the buttons.

On the one hand, I would just take them off again, for which we had no time, however, and especially because the children were next door. On the other hand, I just would not have enough space if the jeans were closed.

She understood me wordlessly, but immediately took my T-shirt. Before she put it on me, she covered my entire upper body with caresses, while my hands dug into her hair.

"You're finished dressing," she breathed to me disappointedly.

I was no less so.

Since when was getting dressed so exciting?

But she was still standing there in just her underwear.

"But you still aren't!" I whispered enthusiastically and turned to the closet with her.

She stood backwards, in front of me, while I took an overview of her clothes. I remembered back.

When she first visited my family back then, she wore the only skirt she had owned. She had been insecure and wanted to make a good and well-groomed impression.

So now my hand floated to the dark blue dress she had on Wednesday.

She had looked so adorable.

But Bella shook her head, laughing mischievously. She shoved my hand into a compartment at the top of the closet.

I paused.

An old, partially torn orange T-shirt that was way too big for her. From the cut definitely made for men.

She nodded vigorously. Bella raised her arms and I pulled it over her accompanied by my lips.

It was even so big that one of her shoulders would always remain free, no matter how she adjusted it back or forth.

I kissed over the respective free shoulder, again and again, while she pulled it back and forth.

She pointed to the same compartment again and I pulled out a black bundle of corduroy.

The bundle turned out to be dungarees, like the T-shirt torn in places, some stains the washing machine had not been able to remove completely, one of the buckles was apparently lost and at the knees the fabric was scraped and formed large holes.

Then she stood in front of me, fully dressed, and I leaned doubtfully against the closet as I viewed her from head to toe.

I had an idea what was the point of this getup, in which she looked gorgeous in spite of everything.

"You're trying to annoy Alice!" I stated.

"If she hates me without knowing who I am!" grinned Bella, satisfied, and threw herself into my arms.

I asked why she kept these things in the closet at all. Usually, one disposed of tattered clothes. It was her 'work clothes' that she wore when, for example, she was renovating, gardening, or cleaning her motorcycle.

"Jake's done showering," I remarked, pulling out my cell phone.

I typed a message to my family.

No one would want to miss when I presented the woman who was the reason for my existence and thus ended their guesswork.

Bella, meanwhile, pulled shoes out of the closet that completed her outfit - dirty and busted sneakers.

"Shall we get some more motor oil from the garage to make your disguise perfect?" I asked with a laugh.

"Good idea," she considered, and my laughter died.

She could be trusted that she would really do that.

"You have very considerate children," I then said as I captured Leah's thoughts. "Leah is very calmly and indulgently waiting for us to open your door again," I explained, already heading for the door. It was naughty to deny her access to her mother longer than necessary. Especially today, when she was so sad. I thought it was sweet of her that she saw it that way and wasn't a bit angry about it.

"Wait," Bella said quickly.

She picked up the bathrobe from the floor and looked for something in the pockets. The bracelets with the little wolves on them. She looked at them again very sentimentally and then walked towards her own jewelry box.

I gently put my arms around her body from behind.

"All good?" I asked cautiously.

She nodded. She opened the box and pulled out another bracelet.

The wolf hanging at it was minimally smaller, but much more filigree and lifelike worked, from the even and hard wood of a pear tree. It was already darkened, which is not unusual for this wood, and now had a dark reddish-brown color, almost as if it had rusted.

"My graduation gift. He looks just like Jacob. Russet brown," Bella explained to me in a surprisingly strong and equanimous voice.

I would rather have expected the opposite.

She carefully placed the bracelets in the lowest small compartment and closed the lid again.

"You want to keep them from your children?" I inquired. It wasn't like her and I didn't understand why she kept the bracelets for herself. I thought it was a beautiful keepsake for the two of them.

"Just until Leah gets better. The wolf got her into trouble and caused Ben to break up with her. The bracelet would just remind her of it every time again," she explained to me.

I should have thought of that myself.

At her bidding, I opened the door a crack.

"There lies another shirt," she suddenly realized.

I followed her gaze.

I had forgotten all about that. I had taken it off yesterday when I put her to bed so that she couldn't accidentally get caught in the buttons in her rage.

"Then I guess you're not done with me yet," I promptly picked it up and held it demonstratively out to Bella.

But my shirt would probably not be too exciting.

Well, a fallacy.

Re-dressing was not very exciting, but she told me to then sit on the bed and then sat on me. Bella carefully rolled up my sleeves and let her fingertips drive over my forearms and hands causing a tingling sensation. After my collar was straightened, her lips were on my neck, moved to my nape and her glowing hot fingers drove through my hair. The button placket she did not close, but pulled it straight, kissing me sensually. I could not help but fall backwards on the bed with her and pulled her to me.

"You're dressed," she whispered, struggling for breath.

"Yes, unfortunately," I replied, disappointed.

"We could start over, but what would Jake and Leah say?" she asked enthusiastically, but scrambling off me.

"What about me?" Leah then asked as she appeared in the doorway and immediately started laughing vociferously when she recognized her mother's clothes.

It had taken some time for the children to recover from laughing.

The two of them had absolutely the right impression of Alice - at least as far as the style of dress was concerned - and had already been wondering all along what Bella would wear. They both guessed to a very extravagant outfit, which she had apparently bought once but had never worn yet.

Before long we sat in the BMW.

Apparently, I had a new favorite car. Bella liked the car very much. She carefully ran her fingers over the paint. She thought the color was beautiful - 'Longbeach Blue' - and that it was higher than a normal car she found very practical.

I had to suppress a smile as we all got into the car.

Jake was eager to drive such a car. But for one he remembered that I assumed Bella's explicit consent to do so, since this one had quite considerably more power than the Audi. The other was that he doubted I would ever give him one of my cars again after the Audi had a not insignificant dent. This time it was also added that he did not know the way.

The driveway to our property was even more hidden here than in Forks.

During the twenty-five-minute drive, the kids were in a good mood talking about yesterday, while I had a hand laid on Bella's leg the whole time. I could feel her tension. She was excited. Her heart was beating a little faster. But it was a joyful excitement. She could hardly wait.

All four were amazed when I seemed to turn directly into the forest.

Our driveway.

I chuckled.

In Forks, one had at least been able to guess at a path, but not here. Only after traveling a good way into the forest did a right path begin again. Then, in the middle of nowhere, a huge metal gate appeared to welcome us.

A radio control system that we all carried on our keychains opened and closed it automatically based on the distance. Our property was completely fenced in this time and also secured with extensive surveillance systems.

With Samantha - a vampire just one year old - we had been more careful than was usual for us. No human should be able to stray accidentally onto our land when Samantha had had to hunt.

As if out of nowhere, the main house then appeared. A large Victorian style building. The wooden facade was painted in a light beige with oriels, turrets, and balconies adorning the building. One might think it was a country residence for nobles if we were in Europe.

We got out and stepped through the front door, Bella holding my hand.

A murmur filled the high entrance area.

I heard that my family was completely gathered in the living room and already busy speculating who I would bring with me. Carlisle, meanwhile, was considering how they would all react.

The living room was on the other side of the house, which gave me an idea to be able to delay the moment of truth yet, if Bella agreed.

"Will you wait here?" I asked her quietly.

Mischief sparkled in her eyes. She had understood my request wordlessly and nodded. Grinning.

I gave her a kiss on the forehead. Then I turned to the children, all of whom no longer appeared as brave as they actually were.

"Don't worry. There's no reason for that," I said reassuringly, and I was irritated by the thought that then occurred to the twins at the same time.

They asked me tacitly and rather subliminally to take them by the hand. I did not! It was a kind of assurance for them that nothing would happen to them. Because one thing had suddenly became aware to them: They were wolves and in the house of our - not only numerically superior enemies! They were themselves aware that the vague fear of a danger was probably more ridiculous than anything else. Who would harm them here? My siblings and Carlisle already knew them. But no matter how grown up they pretended to be, deep inside there were still little children, seeking protection. I doubted that Jake and Leah would ever distance themselves from Bella as much as Bella, in turn, did from her parents.

I put an arm around each of their shoulders, Jake took Becky by his hand, and we entered the living room.

The thoughts of my family were already hilarious, apart from the complaints about the smell. I hardly perceived it anymore myself.

My siblings already knew the three from school. They realized for themselves this really had to be about the mother of the two and their curiosity grew immeasurably. But what really amazed them was the fact that I had brought Jake and Leah with me. According to them, I basically had nothing to do with these kids except that I happened to love their mother. Apparently. But maybe it was also just because Jake and Leah were wolves and that was the only reason, I brought them. Those who were able to pass judgment on us. And their mother, whose heartbeat they all already heard, of course, had only come along as a legal guardian, so to speak. I had said nothing explicitly about a woman in my message. Only that I wanted to introduce someone to them.

I led the three of them to Esmé.

She was as confused as the others.

"Esmé, may I introduce you to Leah and Jake Black. And of course, Becky Young, Jake's girlfriend," I explained calmly.

Unlike the others, Esmé realized that these children meant more to me than they appeared to. More than my siblings realized.

She greeted them warmly and welcomed them.

"Nice to see you again," Carlisle extended his hand to them.

"See you again?" the others asked in chorus.

"I already know Jake and Leah," he explained with a mischievous smile. "I'm very happy to get to know you, Becky," he followed up in a friendly manner, shaking her hand as well.

"So, you're the doctor?" she asked critically with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, I'm a doctor. I'm Carlisle," he introduced himself in a friendly manner.

I smirked at Becky's thoughts.

She just went through some TV-doctor-series, imagining Carlisle in it. Too young. Too pretty. Too graceful.

The others were also greeted, one asked about their trip, and how they were doing.

Small talk among young people, which took away all the fears of the three. In addition, Jasper had also taken away some of their nervousness. I would thank him for that later.

Then I left the room again after one cursed me in thoughts.

I should finally present the woman who made me forget Bella.

"Ready?" I whispered as I stood in front of Bella again and took her into my arms.

She nodded and her heart sped up.

I was about to leave with her when Alice's thoughts stopped me.

I laughed.

"That's something I'd consider carefully, Alice," I warned.

Bella cocked her head, questioningly.

"She still wants to hate you. More than ever," I explained to her.

After Alice now mentally chastised me for obviously telling the lady about her opinion, she continued to insist that nothing would change it. No matter how delightful the woman was also.

"Agreed!" I said turning to Alice and immediately enlightened Bella: "If against all odds she doesn't despise you, she will put together for us the most romantic vacation possible on this planet, pay for it, not bother us during it, and of course play babysitter to the twins!"

Bella's eyes lit up.

She was all too clearly excited about this wager. I only briefly considered whether I had perhaps spent too much time with Em over the past few years. In the past, I didn't enjoy any bets.

"Oh Alice, that was an own goal!" she was teased by Jake.

Carlisle had the same thought. Well then.

I pulled Bella in front of me, took both her hands in mine and led her into the living room.

It became quiet as a mouse. Not a sound and no thought could be heard, no one moved even a millimeter as soon as Bella was visible through the wide entrance.

"They are speechless!" I stated soberly. I would have expected just about anything, but not to see my family so quiet for once. Especially with Alice in the room.

"Well, if no one seems to have anything to say, we can go again!" Bella turned her head slightly in my direction.

I nodded.

My family stirred. Their gaze slid almost simultaneously from Bella's face to our interlocked hands and back to us. Then it suddenly became hectic.

Thoughts poured in on me that I could hardly understand or keep apart.

Everyone jumped up from their seats as if out of their minds and dashed toward Bella.

It was mean of me and I would certainly have to pay for it later, but I pushed Bella towards them.

Thank you for reading!