A/N… This probably would've been done sooner, but I caught some wretched cold that was being passed around at work. I pretty much had to sleep that shit off.

I'll let you get to it. We are temporarily in Forks at Edward and Bella's house.

~o~H&E~o~

Chapter 24

BELLA

The sun was bright when I finally awoke. I half expected to be alone in bed, but a strong arm tightened around me, pulling me closer. I knew we needed to get up. We needed to pack, get the helicopter ready, and make our way to Aunt Kate's. We also needed to check on Rose, Makenna, and Alice; they needed to get up to Alaska as well. We needed to plan, prepare, and start the search for Kim Min-Jun all over again.

The latter would take time and all my girls, not to mention IGOR. Alice's computer system would most likely play a key role in this next phase.

"Sweetness, no one should wake up this tense."

I smiled at his grumbly demeanor, rolling over to face him. Deep-green eyes studied my face as a gentle hand lifted the sleeve of my T-shirt just a bit, blindly checking my bandage with the lightest of touches. He was shirtless, with bedhead and eyes that still seemed tired.

"I'm okay." My voice was still a little horse, but some of that was sleepiness.

"Y-You s-scared th-the sh-shit out of m-me," he confessed in his sweet stutter, leaning in and pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"I have to keep you on your toes, Mr. Cullen."

A snort escaped him as he rolled his eyes. "I can think of a million fucking better ways you could accomplish that shit. You've been doing it for years."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" I asked through a laugh.

"Oh, let's see," he mused in a dangerous, low tone. A wickedly sexy smile curled up his lips as I suddenly found myself straddling his hips with sneaky hands slipping beneath my shirt.

"The first time I met you," he said shyly, and I wasn't exactly prepared for him to take that direction. "I expected you to tease me or ignore me. You didn't. You never did."

I smiled, leaning down to kiss him because talking about when we met as kids always made me melt into a puddle of goo. "Why would I make fun of you? You were so cute," I whispered against his lips that curled into a smile.

"Everyone else did."

"I'm not everyone else."

"I know, but it was still unexpected." He spoke against my skin, breathing words across my cheek and up the shell of my ear.

"Mmm, fair e-enough." My voice cracked when his tongue swirled lightly just behind my ear, but I felt his smile against my skin. When his teeth joined in the mix, my voice was barely audible. "Edward."

"Wait, I'm not done," he countered, sitting up in front of me and then cupping my face and kissing me softly. He kissed me again when I started to argue. "And I know we have to get up and get shit done. Just… Give me this, sweetness."

It wasn't a command; it was a sweet request, and I wouldn't have dared deny him. I couldn't deny him when we'd had such a close call the day before. Edward dealt with scary things his own way, and as someone who understood fear, I would never stop him from whatever it was that gave him solace.

He went quiet for a moment, his hands touching, feeling, verifying. When his thumb skimmed up the thick scar on my thigh, I knew where his mind was going.

"Here. This," he said, lovingly caressing that mark. "Your strength, Bella. That was amazing to me when I saw you again. You could've shut down. Hell, love, I'd seen war-hardened soldiers shut down after going through less, so your ability to push on was amazing to me."

I kissed him for that one. I fought my tears and won. When I pulled back from his lips, he carefully removed my shirt, leaving me in his boxers astride his lap. Edward balled up my shirt and tossed it somewhere behind me. My skin broke out in goosebumps, but his warm hands soothed them all away. They moved softly up my sides, down my back, across my stomach, and between my breasts. When he got to my neck, he pulled me in for a toe-curling kiss.

Strong arms wrapped all the way around me as he kissed me, but it was over way too soon. He seemed to know he was driving me crazy, because he fought his smile as he lay me back on the bed between his legs, reaching for the waistband of my shorts. In moments, they were off and launched across the room somewhere. His gaze was dark as he reached out to touch, paying the old scars their usual respect. His thumb trailed over the scar of which we were most proud: my C-section for both kids.

"This definitely got my attention, Bella," he whispered, his brow furrowing a little. "Especially Bethy."

I grinned, biting down on my bottom lip. "I was so scared you weren't ready."

"I know, but I was."

I wanted to tell him he was the best father I'd ever seen, but he was already moving on and pulling me up to face him. He kissed me deeply, with swirling tongues and hums for more, and we were breathless when he finally fell back to the pillow, his gaze taking in every inch of me as I sat completely bare.

"Fuck, sweetness, anything 'keeps me on my toes' better than you scaring the fucking shit out of me by almost getting yourself killed. Sexy underthings, cooking a good meal, helping the kids with homework, this sweet ass… But seeing you like this… That always gets my undivided attention."

I smiled down at him, groaning when his hips shifted beneath me and his fingers trailed to where I needed him the most.

Edward was dangerous – in every form of the damn word. He was a short-tempered soldier who had no patience for bullshit. But he knew exactly what do and say to make me fall in love with him all over again. He knew exactly how to touch me in order for me to fall apart in his arms. He also knew that if he pulled me up his body to straddle his face, I'd fall apart almost instantly.

He looked like a starving man as he licked his lips before placing a long sucking kiss to my inner thigh. I didn't even need to look to know he'd left a mark before he started to lick me from one end to the other. It was long, deep kisses to my center and firm sucks to my clit, and my thighs shook with my need to come. It wasn't long before my hands threaded into his hair to hold him right where I wanted him, and I shattered into oblivion, body shaking and muscles twitching.

I huffed a light laugh when I found myself on my back again, this time with Edward looming over me as he kicked out of his boxer briefs. He wore a proud smile as he licked his lips again, and his beautiful cock was standing thick and hard.

"Looks like I have someone else's attention, too," I teased, licking my bottom lip.

"You think?" he asked in a sexy chuckle as he settled between my legs. "I wish I could take more time with you. I miss just fucking you six ways from Sunday, sweetness."

"Sounds like a d-date," I said, my breath catching on the last word when he slid deep inside me.

I knew this would be over too soon and reality would kick our asses back into gear, back into our responsibilities, but I held him close, kissed him deeply, and told him I loved him repeatedly. Because when we came up for air, we'd have to get back to work.

~o~H&E~o~

EDWARD

It was nighttime by the time we packed up the chopper, fed everyone on my property, and secured Ji-Yun, still blindfolded with headphones. Aunt Kate's came into sight as I flew over the last ridge.

My helicopter was full. Along with Ji-Yun, who was sitting on the floor, I had Jasper, Bella, my dad, Mickey, Boris, and Dean. Eleazar had secured a military transport helicopter for his handpicked men and Dr. Sharp. I circled over the property, giving the military pilot a chance to unload Eleazar, his passengers, and their equipment.

"Dad, come in," I heard Bethy over the headset, making everyone in the chopper smile.

"There's my copilot. It was an awful flight without you, little sweetness," I called back.

"Then don't let it happen again," she chastised with a giggle. "Aunt Alice says the chopper camera is on and thermal is running, so if you want to take a pass over the farm, you can."

"Roger that, Bethy. Thank you."

I followed the edge of the property along the fence line all the way around. I even gave a sweep of the lake where the kids liked to camp, the mountain trail, and main road that led back toward Anchorage.

"Hey, Dad," Sammy piped up on the radio. "Uncle Emmett says you're clear to land."

"Ten-four, Sammy. See you on the ground."

Jasper's chuckle came over the headset, and he glanced over at me. "One day, they'll be runnin' this shit-show. All of 'em."

We all laughed, and I caught Bella's eye. She was smiling and shaking her head. I remembered just how sharp the kids were when we were all inside Twi Tower. Not only had they been calm, but they'd actually helped Alec and me. Without Sammy and his drone and Bethy with her knowledge of the secret passageway, I was pretty fucking sure we wouldn't have been able to get everyone to safety.

Just before Sammy was born, my dad said there was a certain amount of ego-stroking when your kids wanted to follow in your footsteps. At the time, he was talking about me. But he wasn't wrong. I didn't know if Bethy or Sammy ever wanted to do what Bella and I did, but the idea of it did indeed boost my ego. Then again, there was another part of me that wanted to see them be more, be better, be something altogether just them. As I set the chopper down in its usual spot on Aunt Kate's property, I saw both of my kids step out, and I realized I simply wanted them safe and happy.

That thought led me to Kim Min-Jun, and I knew if we didn't find him, then none of us were safe. That motherfucker had to die. His followers – however many remained – had to die. And if he didn't come to us, then we'd bide our time, find whatever rock he decided to hide under, and rid the world of the maniac.

I powered down the helicopter, and my wife and Mickey opened the side door, where they were met with Eleazar's men. They took charge of Ji-Yun, who was still in her hood and headphones. The tent was already being erected just off to the side of Aunt Kate's barn not far from the horse paddocks. Mickey had Obie and Katelyn in her arms instantly. Bella was being bowled over by Sammy.

I set my headset down, grabbed my bag, and opened my door. When I slipped down to the ground, I caught sight of red Chucks and blue denim.

"You owe me a flying lesson," Bethy commanded, and I grinned, catching her when she launched herself into my arms. "You guys scared us," she admitted into my neck.

"I'm sorry, little sweetness." I pressed kisses to the side of her head as she wrapped herself all the way around me.

She pulled back, cupping my face in her hands. "Mom got hurt. Did you? You okay?" When I nodded, she hugged me again. "We weren't supposed to be watching. We were supposed to be in the living room, but Uncle Emmett and Alice kind of lost their minds. And we all went to see what happened. That ship blew up, Daddy."

"Yeah, it was a close one," I whispered against her forehead.

"A close one?!" she squeaked, squishing my face. "You yell at us about being safe, and you guys hop on a boat loaded with bombs. Seriously?"

"Does that mean we can ground you?" Sammy asked teasingly from my side.

Laughing, I set Bethy down and knelt next to my son. I pulled him to me playfully, making him giggle. He was dressed like me – backwards cap, jeans, and a sweatshirt.

"And just exactly what would I be grounded from?" I asked him in a growl against his neck.

Both my kids chanted, "No apple pie."

I gasped. "You wouldn't dare!" I glanced between the two, wide mouth and shocked expression.

"Gamma made it, but she said she shouldn't have because you guys scared the stuffin' outta her," Sammy said with a wide grin.

Bella's laugh met my ears from behind the kids, but one voice rang out above all others.

"Edward Anthony! You better get that handsome face over here!"

That simply sent my kids into hysterics, but I kissed Sammy's forehead before standing up to face Aunt Kate. Bethy and Sammy ran off to tackle Poppy as I walked over to the woman who had been my mother's best friend.

She looked older but just as spry as she always did. She'd say it was clean living and staying away from big ugly cities. She probably wasn't wrong. Considering the shit-storm we'd just been through the last several days, I'd most likely agree with her that big ugly cities were going to be the death of us all.

"Hey, Aunt Kate," I said, wrapping her in a hug.

When I pulled back, she cupped my face and pulled my cap off so she could rake her fingers through my hair. "My God, boy, you still look like her. Although, some of your father is starting to finally show."

"Ah, hell," I heard Dad behind me.

Chuckling, I kissed her cheek. "Sorry to bring all of hell with me."

"Ah, poo. You guys keep me young." She tugged my hand, pointing to the house. "C'mon. We've got lots of food and lots to discuss."

I turned to grab the last bag out of the chopper and close the side door, my gaze falling on a reunion that was playing out quietly off to the side.

Dean had a young boy about Bethy's age wrapped around his waist and a pretty woman in his arms. The latter was in tears, and I barely recognized Miranda and Marcus Carver from the photo that Mickey had sent to my phone when we'd been in that harbor. It seemed ages ago. I didn't even need to be near them to understand the conversation that was going on. I knew that feeling. I understood it on a bone-deep level that was hard to articulate.

He wanted to know if they were okay, if they'd been touched or hurt, and if they forgave him for whatever it was he'd had to do to get to them. Although the truth was, he wasn't sorry for anything he'd done to get them back. He'd do it again and again and again, never stopping until they were safe.

"Rumor has it, you're gonna punch the shit out of him," I heard beside me, and I grinned over at Emmett. "I don't blame you, but…" He trailed off, shrugging a shoulder. "It's good to see you, dude. I'm not fit for this info bullshit. You motherfuckers drove me bat-shit crazy."

I squeezed his shoulder with a laugh. "Now you know what the girls go through."

"No thank you. They're tougher than me."

I caught sight of Bella hugging Esme on the porch. "Yeah, they're tougher than all of us." I gave Emmett a smirk. "And I almost put a bullet in him, so… He's lucky I get this shit." I waved a hand to the reunited family.

Emmett chuckled, taking one of my bags. "C'mon. I'm starving. Alec and Esme have been cookin' all damn day."

"Wait… Where are the Cauldwells? Aren't all four here?" I asked him.

"Yeah, yeah, they're out on the property. They've been patrolling the woods and the fences. They've got Lock and Load with them too."

"Copy that."

I made it to the front porch where Esme was waiting for me, and she hugged me fiercely. "I'm so glad you're all okay."

"Me, too, Mom." I agreed, kissing her cheek. "However, we would all like to negotiate Dad's retirement terms. Like…right now."

Her laugh was loud, and she nodded. "It's definitely on the table for discussion, Edward. Now get in there so we can all sit and eat. I need to see everyone under one damn roof for at least twenty-four hours. I don't know what your plan is, but I can well imagine that this situation isn't over."

"Not by a long shot."

She eyed me for a moment. "This is different."

"It is. This man knows too much."

"Okay, well, we'll get down to it after everyone has eaten and the kids are in their room."

After dropping the bags off in our room down the hall and washing my face, I joined the chaos in the kitchen. There were so many of us that we were filling our plates and eating wherever we could find a place to sit. Understandably most people who had been separated were a touch clingy.

Sammy was talking quietly with Bella at the coffee table in the living room. Bethy was in front of me, leaning back against my front, and I dropped kisses to the top of her head while we waited in line to fill our plates. Alice and Jasper took one end of the dining room table, the ever-present laptop open in front of her as they spoke softly. Caleb, Emmett, and Rose sat on one side, and Makenna and Boris chatted with Dr. Sharp on the other.

Obie watched Mickey and Katelyn with a contented smile on his face at the other end of the table; the two were forehead to forehead and all smiles. Katelyn had gotten bigger since the last time I'd seen her, and the blend of her Inuit father and Italian mother gave her a beautiful little face. I wondered if she was still crushing on my son and at what point he'd figure that shit out, that girls weren't "eww." The thought made me smile into the top of Bethy's head.

Dad, Esme, and Eleazar were sitting in the living room, taking up a sofa and chair. Alec and Sarah took the loveseat, with Abby between them.

My daughter's head turned, and I followed her line of sight. It was Dean and his family coming in from outside. They looked nervously out of place, considering this was a family/crew reunion. These people had history spanning decades.

She glanced up at me and whispered, "I tried to tell them you'd bring him back. I don't think they believed me."

I smiled, kissing the middle of her forehead. "They've been through a lot, little sweetness. Maybe they were afraid to hope, huh?"

"I guess," she said through a sigh. "Uncle Emmett said you may blame him for some of the stuff that went on."

"You should probably stop eavesdropping, Bethy," I chastised her with a laugh. "Your mom will not be happy."

Bethy grinned, shrugging a shoulder. And she was my Bella made over at that moment. She was all things curious and smart and caring, but she earned her strength from both of us. She had my green eyes, but the shade of her hair, the tilt of her head, and her easy acceptance of the issues at hand were all from Bella.

"Food, little sweetness," I said, handing her a plate and silently offering the same to Dean and his family.

"Edward," Dean started, gesturing to the woman next to him. "This is my wife, Miranda, and my son, Marcus. Guys, this is Edward Cullen."

Miranda smiled and shook my hand. "It's nice to meet you. You're the Edward they were talking about back in the warehouse. Carlisle's son."

"Ignore whatever they said. It's all lies," I teased and shook Marcus's hand, noting he looked like Dean but with Miranda's smile. Bethy's giggle and eye roll caught their attention, and Marcus glanced nervously her way.

"Make yourselves at home," Aunt Kate piped up from the kitchen. "And then I want someone to explain to me why there is a military tent in my barnyard."

"Yes, ma'am," I answered her, following behind Bethy to fill my plate.

Esme and Alec had outdone themselves. Along with the apple pies – four of them in total – there was pot roast and mashed potatoes, roasted corn, salad, and sweet potatoes with cinnamon and butter.

"Here, Dad." Bethy offered me an enormous slice of pie.

"Is there ice cream?" I asked her, and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Has there ever not been ice cream?" she countered sarcastically, a carbon copy of Bella.

I grinned at her sass because we sounded like Dad and me. "Point taken, little sweetness. Let's sit with Mom and Sammy."

We stepped into the living room and into the middle of a conversation about Seong. I'd honestly forgotten about the young daughter of the man we'd been paid to guard.

"I set her into the hands of one of Eleazar's men," Alec explained, smiling and holding up a hand when a few started to question his actions. "Relax. You all know this guy. Remember Finn?"

"Oh! Finn, like the boat captain from when we went to the North Pole?" Mickey asked him.

"That very one, and he told me to tell everyone hello," he replied and then pointed to Bella. "He told me to tell you, Bellissima, that your buddy Paul has been reassigned to Moscow. He's now a part of a team that hunts down human traffickers. He said Paul needed a lesson in respect, compassion, and humility. His CO is a woman."

"Oh, I hope she tears him up occasionally," Mickey said through a laugh.

My lip twitched in hatred. Paul had been on the boat we'd taken in order to stop the nuclear bombs from being sold on the black market. He'd been a pig toward Bella and Mickey when we boarded. If those two hadn't broken his nose, I would've fed him to the fucking sharks.

"That's good," Bella said, poking my leg once I'd sat down next to her. "Finn is trustworthy."

Conversation turned to the Chos, and I listened but didn't say much. They were no longer an issue to this situation. They'd been the key for Kim Min-Jun to getting into the country, Twi Tech, and to my father, but that had been it. They'd only been the vehicle, not the cause or the enemy. They'd been manipulated by Kim Min-Jun, especially young Seong.

The next steps we took would be crucial. I knew Bella would take the girls into the computer room and start their search for Kim. The rest of us would probably begin the questioning of Ji-Yun. Honestly, I wanted no part of it, and I was willing to let Eleazar lead that shit. I had no problem using military questioning tactics on a man, but on a woman was a different story. I wasn't sure if it was me or all the shit I'd seen Bella go through or if I just didn't have the stomach to torture a woman. And it was essentially torture.

It was waterboarding, shock treatment, sensory overload, sleep deprivation, and mental manipulation. I wasn't sure what part of that or more Eleazar planned to use on Ji-Yun, but it would most likely work, even though she'd been pretty strong-willed since Bella and my dad had taken her. They'd kept her awake off and on since we'd gotten out of Port Angeles. If I had to guess, she was probably on her feet and restrained with her hands above her head in that tent with El's men.

"Dad?" Sammy said softly, pulling me out of my thoughts.

The conversation continued around us, but my son was the soft-spoken one in the family, much like I was at his age.

Leaning closer, I smiled. "Yeah, bud?"

"I want to show you the kittens," he said, smiling up at me. His eyes were the same dark-brown color of Bella's.

They were also the harder ones to say no to, if I were being honest with myself. Sammy was the content one, while Bethy had always been the louder, more needy one. Maybe needy wasn't the word, but she was a girl, and they had a tendency to require a different level of just…stuff. So Sammy rarely asked for something unless it was a big thing.

I had to tease him, though, so I raised an eyebrow his way. "You think that'll sway my decision? Seeing tiny little fluff-balls?"

He giggled. "Maybe," he said, still laughing. "She has six of them."

"It's too dark now, Sammy, and we have some work to do after dinner. But I promise I'm all yours in the morning."

My son smiled, nodding a little and pulling out his tablet. "If you say yes, because Aunt Kate said we could each have one, do you think you could make this?" he asked, showing me a picture of one of those intricate carpet-covered, climbing cat tower things.

Fuck me, I was a sucker for my kids and my wife, because even she was listening in on this quiet conversation. I shot her a raised eyebrow, which made her laugh silently. Apparently she had no negative opinion on this whole kitten thing, or she would've put her foot down instantly.

Having grown up on this very farm, I understood the love for pets. However, I was never allowed to take anything off the farm. I shot a glance toward my dad, thinking back over the years growing up. He'd been gone on military tours, so it would've been my mother who would've been responsible for the pet – which had been one of the huskies Aunt Kate kept. And then Mom got sick, so that would've been bad, too. After that, I had other things to deal with in my life.

Bethy laughed, throwing a roll at her brother. "He's not gonna tell you yes or no right now."

Grinning, I flicked her ear. "Hush, you."

Bella chuckled, but her face said it all. We'd missed family time. We'd missed the kids, and considering they'd been inside Twi Towers when all the shit hit the fan, we were fucking grateful as hell that we were sitting together right at that moment.

I took Sammy's tablet, taking a good look at the cat tower. It would be an easy project but also something Bethy and Sammy could do with me. I made a mental list of the things I'd need if it came down to it, and then I handed the tablet back.

"Tomorrow, we'll talk. All of us, okay?" I said without teasing or sarcasm.

"Okay," they both replied softly.

"But tonight," Bella started, "I need you guys to let us work. This'll be some not-so-nice things, okay? And under no circumstances are you to go anywhere near that tent outside. Not any of you. Bethy, you're the oldest, and I'm putting you in charge of keeping everyone inside. Am I clear?"

"Yeah, Mom. Got it," our daughter said solemnly, giving me a quick glance.

We all heard the slight edge to Bella's voice. The kids wouldn't know what was going to happen inside that tent, but my wife would. Questioning prisoners was not something she could handle very often, and this time, it would be different. She'd only ever seen men questioned.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, I kissed the side of her head. "I'd feel better if that went for you, too, sweetness."

She was nodding before I even finished my request. "Not gonna be a problem, Edward. I have plenty to do to keep me in here."

Caleb came running into the room. "Are we watching that movie or what?"

"You guys know the rules," Aunt Kate called out. "Dishes scraped and in the sink. Hands washed, pajamas on, and teeth brushed. Get to it. And you, too, son," she said sweetly to Marcus. "I'll get you a toothbrush, and I'm sure we've got something for you to wear until we can get to the city."

I chuckled at the routine that Aunt Kate and Esme had created for the Gravity kids. They were a tight group, with strong wills and minds, so they had no choice but to lay down the law with the parents off working.

Once the kids had kissed parents and put their dishes in the sink like they'd been asked, Eleazar sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Ladies, I have no doubts that you'll be hitting the computer room. I'll be questioning Ji-Yun tonight. She's probably ready at this point." He looked over to my father. "Without weapons to take, Kim will probably come at us for revenge and maybe for Ji-Yun, but I doubt that. He's not exactly shown any compassion for the loss of any of his people."

"It won't only be revenge," Alice piped up. "He'll come for this." She held up a small square object in her hand about the size of a pack of cigarettes. "This goes to the EMP."

"Yeah, but that was on the boat. Isn't that thing at the bottom of Port Angeles harbor?" I asked her, because I could've sworn everything had been in that container.

"Nope, nope, nope," she chimed in her usual three-time manner. She spun her laptop around, showing a map of the Pacific Northwest. In the middle of the screen was a blinking red dot. "If it had blown up with those thermobaric bombs, then my GPS chip would've melted. It's still transmitting. Pretty soon, he'll figure out that it's been messed with, and this bad boy isn't exactly something he can find at your corner store."

"Don't even bother explaining what that little thing does." Mickey sighed, shaking her head and looking to me. "Pretty boy, you said you think he knows where this place is. Do we need to fortify this place?"

"He studied us, studied Dad before he started this shit." I nodded, scraping the last bite of apple pie and ice cream onto my fork. "He knew which places to hit in order to control communications at Twi Tech. He knew who he could use to get into the country, inside Twi Tower, and he knew who Boris was. Not just who he was but what he'd been." I sat forward a little. "If he found out about Boris, then it would not shock me if he could trace back to former members of Dad's mercenary teams. Which would lead him to—"

"Garrett." Aunt Kate's voice was calm with a slight touch of sadness. "This place, though, isn't exactly traceable to Garrett…or Carlisle…or even me."

"No, but patterns will lead him to Alaska. Flight patterns, spending patterns, and even phone records," Alice countered. "I've done my best to scatter some of that info for all of us – every home, safe house, friends, and relatives, but we come here at least two or three times a year."

"I'm sure you've done a helluva job, Alice," my dad praised her. He looked to me. "Garrett built this place with the idea that should the end of the world hit, we would all be safe. It's why the house has the sections it does. The hidden caches, the underground bunkers, and the camera system were designed for the safety of our families because what we did for a living, as you all know, has a tendency to come back to bite us in the ass."

"And just when are you retiring?" I asked him, grinning at his middle finger. "Okay, so to answer Mickey's question, yes. I guess we need to bring the Cauldwells in from the perimeter. We need to know what all we have here."

Aunt Kate got up and walked down to the computer room, coming back with a long roll of paper in her hands. She set it down in Mickey's hands. "Everything you need to know is on these blueprints. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thanks, Aunt Kate," I told her. "Alec, Dean, Emmett…you're with me, Dad, and Eleazar in the tent. Jasper, you and Mickey get with the Cauldwells and work out some sort of fortification plan. Ladies, I have all the faith that you'll let us know if you find this bastard."

Bella kissed my lips before we stood up as everyone started to get to work. "Edward, if you get info before us, please come tell us. Finding this asshole will be hard enough without being able to narrow the search."

"Ten-four, sweetness."

~o~H&E~o~

A/N… I simply adore Edward with Bethy and Sammy. I miss writing it when they aren't together. Family time is probably of the main reasons I keep coming back to this series.

Guys, I'm doing my best to keep this coming. I'm not sure I'll ever be back to once a week postings. My schedule just isn't allowing it. But it looks like two weeks works. Either way, I'm doing my best to keep the updates coming. Until next time… Mooches, Deb ;)