Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Stephenie Meyer owns it all. I am merely having fun with her characters.

Author's Note: HUGE shout out & thank you to my beta dolphin62598 for getting these chapters back to me so quickly! And another big thanks to my pre-reader teacher1209 for reading over these and giving me her thoughts! Another BIG shout out and thank you to LunaEclipse17 for creating the kick ass banner for this story! You can check it out on my Facebook page. I also have other pics posted for this story in an album called A Lie Upon Your Lips on my Facebook page. I am SOOOO sorry for the delay you guys! Don't kill me! It has been crazy busy at the company I work for and when I'm at work is my best writing/editing time. I was also off work for a week and out of town for my 7 year anniversary with my husband so life just got away from me. We have this chapter & then the Epilogue so I hope to not keep you waiting so long for the edits on the Epilogue. Song Inspirations for this chapter: Back to You by Alex & Sierra & When you Love Someone by Bryan Adams

Chapter 21

BPOV

Back to You

I couldn't believe how great things had been going. Edward agreed for us to do the family counseling sessions and we had both decided to do individual ones as well. We both felt as if they were helping tremendously.

It had been two weeks since the family dinner we had at my mom and Phil's house and Edward had been acting strange ever since though. Not necessarily bad strange…just strange.

He had basically been living at the apartment with the twins and I, only going back to the hotel when he needed to retrieve more clothes. He had turned out to be the best father to our babies. I really could not ask for a better one.

The love he had for them was so obvious. Everyone kept telling me I was blind if I didn't see that he loved me too. It just felt like it was too much to wish for.

I came downstairs today and Edward was in his usual spot with Tony and Claire when it was his turn to get up with them. I told him it was only fair that if he was going to keep crashing here we alternated who got to sleep in each day. Every day when it was his turn he would always be in the kitchen tending to the babies and cooking breakfast for the four of us.

This view was completely perfect. Everything I had ever wanted. Tony and Claire were so beautiful and amazing. They were growing way too fast and I couldn't take it. I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad that I would never be able to have children again.

My hands hovered over my stomach at that thought. I only let myself stew on that for a quick moment. I was very lucky to have the two children I had and that things turned out so well with them. I was going to enjoy every precious moment of watching my son and daughter grow and flourish.

Edward noticed me standing in the doorway watching them silently. He smiled at me and I returned it larger than I intended to. He looked down at the twins and said, "Mommy is awake. Let's eat."

We sat together at the kitchen table and ate the food he had prepared. Our conversation was limited to baby talk with Tony and Claire or discussing them.

"I think our kids are going to be child prodigies," Edward stated bluntly as he was feeding Tony.

I tried to stifle my giggle but failed.

He looked up what he was doing in shock, "Why are you laughing? I'm serious."

The biggest smile crossed my face as I gave Claire her next bite of food and she spit it right back at me giggling. She spit it so hard it landed on us both. We were covered in a mess.

By this point, Edward and I were both laughing.

"Okay, maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit," he said through his amusement. His beautiful green eyes were sparkling.

"I only laughed because I think it's adorable you would say that, Edward. All parents think their children are going to be geniuses. We will always have the highest opinions and hopes for them over anyone else."

His smile was genuine as he said, "Yes, you're right Bella. Touché. However, I know for a fact, our children will definitely be above average."

I nodded in agreement as I finished cleaning up myself and Claire with a rag from where she spit the food out all over us.

The rest of breakfast was uneventful and we went through the rest of the day effortlessly.

Edward had left in the afternoon to go to his hotel room and handle some things he needed to take care of. I think he had a lot of phone calls to make and wanted the silence of the hotel room. But honestly, it was one more thing that was strange in the way he had been acting the last couple weeks.

He kissed the babies goodbye and said he would be back.

It was now early evening and I was currently sitting in the kitchen feeding my beautiful children when my mother burst into the apartment.

"There's my precious babies!" She gushed as she entered the kitchen.

I smiled. My mother had always been such a free spirit but watching her as a grandmother was beautiful. She was so good with them. She was born to be a Nana. She preferred to be called Nana and Esme wanted to be called Gigi.

Whatever made them happy I guess. I grew up calling my grandparents Grandma and Grandpa. But times had changed and we liked to keep the grandmothers happy.

Tony and Claire smiled up at their Nana and started babbling to her. She lifted Tony out of the high chair and nuzzled his nose giving him an Eskimo kiss then leaned down to do the same to Claire.

She was practically bouncing on her heels when she said, "SO, Phil and I were talking. We want to have the twins spend the night tonight. I think it's time you have a night to yourself. And you know…Nana's rights and all. I want to keep my babies overnight."

I bit my lip with apprehension. On one hand, a night to myself and full night of sleep sounded amazing. But on the other hand, I had yet to be away from the twins at all. I was not sure if I could deal with this.

"Isabella Marie! Stop biting your lip! Why are you nervous? I am perfectly capable of caring for my grandchildren and even keeping them alive and happy for one night."

"It's not that Mom. I trust you with their lives. I know you can take care of them. I just…" I trailed off and continued gnawing on my lip.

She sighed, "You haven't been away from them and you are having issues with letting go for a night, huh?"

I nodded.

She placed Tony back in his high chair beside his sister's and sat down in the chair beside mine. Taking my hands into hers she said, "Oh sweetheart. This is perfectly normal. Look, your father and I wanted to be with you every waking minute of every single day…but sometimes our alone time together and to ourselves was just crucial to our sanity. Raising children is hard…like really hard. Be thankful I'm willing to take them off your hands for the night."

She kissed both of my hands and let them go as she continued in my silence.

"Do something fun! Be spontaneous. Go pamper yourself and get your toes and nails done! Get your hair done! Better yet…call Edward and have him come over and have crazy monkey sex with him! I don't care, just enjoy yourself!"

I spit out the water I had just taken a drink of at the end of her pep talk, "MOM! I cannot believe you just said that!"

She shrugged as she stood from where she was sitting and started searching for Tony and Claire's things so she could get them ready. Apparently this was happening whether I wanted it to or not.

I could not get past what she said about calling Edward for crazy monkey sex. Was she serious right now or trying to get a rise out of me?

Brief memories of our sexual escapades flooded my thoughts. I pushed those out quickly and shook my head. "Mom, really are you going to slow down and tell me what that was about? Why would you say that?"

She stopped and looked at me with confusion in her eyes. "What?" She shrugged and continued, "We all see how close you two are to ripping each other's clothes off half the time. We all think you should just do it already and kill the sexual tension we are ALL feeling between you. You know you love each other and belong together."

Seriously? All of them? Were Edward and I just the topic of debate for all of their conversations now?

I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn't make my mother stop, she kept fluttering around the apartment packing up things for the twins so I decided to stop fighting it and get them ready.

I scooped up both babies in my arms and took them into their room sitting Tony in his crib while I got Claire ready first. I heard Mom come in to the room and she grabbed Tony and started on him on the other changing table.

She was humming quietly. Her words were still echoing in my head.

"Mom, you know there isn't going to be any monkey sex between Edward and I."

"Mmmhm," she mumbled while she changed Tony's diaper.

"Seriously, Mother. I'm not even calling Edward. I just want to get some sleep. I have dreams of getting a full night of sleep."

"Mmmhm," she mumbled again while she changed Tony's clothes.

She didn't believe me.

"Mom, really. I am so tired all the time. I'm looking forward to getting some sleep. And thank you."

She grabbed Tony and smiled at me brightly. Using her gentle hand she cupped my right cheek and said, "My sweet Bells. Whatever you want to do will be great. I love you. Now help me get these car seats and kiddos into my car."

I did as she asked and kissed everyone goodbye and then it was just me, myself, and I…left to my own devices…what could go wrong?

I was actually enjoying my time to myself. I had checked in on Tony and Claire one too many times because my mom finally told me to go ahead and call them to tell them goodnight and not to contact them anymore.

After that, I began to enjoy my time alone. I soaked in a nice, hot bubble bath with a glass of wine, surrounded by piles of baby bath toys of course…but it was still so very relaxing.

I was curled up in nothing but my robe with a good book when I heard a key in the front door. Way too many people had a key to my apartment, but they were all family and it made life easier with the twins easier. If I was dealing with them and couldn't get away my loved ones could just let themselves in.

I pulled the blanket from the back of the couch to cover myself a little better until I saw who it was. I was so relaxed I was not moving from my spot where I was.

"Are the twins asleep?"

His voice brought me out of my book very quickly.

Edward.

"Actually, my mom and Phil took them for the night."

"Oh…well that makes this even easier in case you decide to throw things at me," he chuckled. "Bella, I need to talk to you and it can't wait any longer."

He had definitely piqued my interest now. I closed my robe a little tighter and made sure the blanket covered my bottom as I closed the book and set it on the coffee table, crossing my legs in front of me on the couch.

"What's up? You've got my full attention," I told him with sincerity.

I was dying to see what he had to say. I guess this surprised him because he looked startled, "Oh…okay…yeah right." Then he started pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table, alternating between pinching the bridge of his nose and tugging at his hair. God, Claire looked just like her father. I smiled internally at that thought.

"Edward…what's going on? Just talk already." He was making me crazy.

"This shouldn't be so hard. When you love someone you just go for it right?" He was rambling.

Love someone…

What was he talking about?

"Yes," I stated flatly. I just needed him to get his thoughts out. "Edward you're giving me whiplash. Please just spit out and stop pacing…please."

His pacing continued but he finally started speaking better, "I'm moving to Phoenix, Bella."

"That's great. I think you should. The twins need their father and they will be so happy to have you around permanently…"

He didn't let me finish.

"No, you don't understand. I'm not just moving to Phoenix for Tony and Claire."

"You're not?" I questioned.

Jesus, I needed him to stop pacing already, he was making me crazy with his weird behavior.

"Fuck, no I'm not. Bella I love you. I've always loved you. It's always been you and it will always be you. I know I have fucked up, we both have made so many mistakes. I've been a god damn fool. Don't you see? I never should have stayed with Tanya. The moment I met you I should have left her and chased you down until I made you mine."

My mouth dropped open. I was speechless. Was this really happening? He finally stopped pacing and before I knew it he was on his knees in front of me.

Oh God…what was happening?

I couldn't believe what he was saying, it was hard for all the words to register in my head. Was he telling the truth? My heart told me he was but it was warring with my head.

I was shaking my head no in disbelief. "Don't shake that beautiful head no. Never again Isabella. Never again will I be such a fool! You have given me the greatest gifts, a son and a daughter. And now I am asking you for one last gift…please…your heart. Please give me your heart again and I swear to you I will treat it with nothing but the utmost love and respect and spend the rest of our lives showing you how sorry I am for all the wrong I have done by you.

"Please, Isabella. Please. I need you to love me back. Please say we can be together, the four of us. I want all three of you. I want the whole nine yards. You, me, Tony, Claire, two car garage, white picket fence. Please say you'll be mine and I yours."

My mouth still hadn't closed and now tears were streaming down my face. It almost felt too good to be true.

He had been here…since before the twins were born, proving himself every single day…but I couldn't let my heart lead. There were things I needed to get out.

"But…I already gave you my heart. And you shattered it!" I tried to get up from the couch but he grabbed my arms and held me in my place.

"No! You're not running away from this conversation, Isabella. I don't think so. Look, we have both lied to each other and hurt each other. Don't you see? We are working on all that and will continue to work on it all. I'll go to counseling with you until we are using walkers in an old folks home if you would like. Whatever it takes to make us better…whatever it takes to keep us together. I know you feel it too, what's always been between us. I…love…you…Isabella Marie Swan!"

"Ughhh!" I shouted in frustration. "I begged you to leave Tanya! Begged you! I wanted you to choose me so badly!"

"I always chose you! My heart always chose you! But I listened to my fucking head like a dumbass! I listened to my head telling me all the other things I thought I wanted out of life. I was just too fucking stupid to see it before, god damn it. YOU…ARE…IT! My heart…my soul…my fucking life…my whole entire existence!"

I wanted this so badly and if he was not being serious right now it would destroy me. Could this be true? It was my heart's desire.

I tried to argue again, "But…"

And before I could stop him I heard him take a deep breath and say, "Fuck it," and then he cupped my face in his hands and crashed his lips to mine.

He ignited something in me I had not felt since the last time we had been intimate. It had been too long. I matched his kisses completely and fisted my hands into his hair.

He pulled his lips from mine and looked at me, both of us breathing hard. He was judging the expression on my face to see if he was allowed to continue. I bit my lip seductively and pulled his face back to mine and attacked his lips once more.

My lips were getting rough from all the kisses and I could feel the wetness pooling between my legs. God, I hoped he planned on following through because I needed him to be inside of me, immediately.

I tightened my grip in his hair and he growled as he pulled his mouth from my lips and started kissing his way down my face and neck. I uncrossed my legs and wrapped them around him bringing him in closer to me.

He rose from his knees taking me with him, and I tightened my legs around him begging for more as he found my lips again.

"I need you, Edward. I need you, now."

That was all he needed.

Everything was such a blur of passion. He dropped me to the couch and hovered over me as we were both ripping his clothes off and all he had to do was slide my robe off and throw it to the floor.

We were grinding against each other completely naked and he had not entered me yet. In between kisses he whispered once into my ear, "I love you Isabella. If I make love to you right now there is no going back. You are mine…I am yours…are we clear? Do you want this?"

I nodded into his neck and replied, "Yes, I love you too Edward. Always have, always will. I'm yours."

As soon as I said that last word, I felt his cock enter my pussy in one deep, long thrust.

Just like that, all was right in the world. We were both home and where we belonged. He placed his hands around my face and I did the same to his. And that was how we stayed making love, thrust after thrust until we both met out climax.

I let out a strangled cry of pleasure when I met my release and his was a roar of happiness and gratification as he came inside me.

He collapsed on top of me in exhaustion and chuckled into my neck.

"What's so funny?"

"You're still really loud," he laughed.

I laughed with him and replied, "You're not exactly quiet yourself buddy."

"I love you Bella, so damn much."

"I love you too, Edward. More than you will ever know."

With the biggest smile I had ever seen on that man's face he then said, "So…we're really doing this?"

I returned his smile with a kiss as I looked into his eyes and replied with a nod, "Yes…we're really doing this."

He held me in his arms right there on the couch the entire night. We never moved. We woke up two more times to make love through the night and then the next morning instead of breakfast in bed, he brought me breakfast to the couch.

I couldn't wait for my mom to get home with the twins and let us truly begin our lives together as a family.

The four of us.

Edward and I may not have done things the right way, but we finally found our way to each other. And I felt more confident now than I had ever felt that this man was my everything. He would keep his promise and protect my heart. All the things I had missed since the babies were born…everyone was right. He loved me all along.

We were going to do this.

I finally got my dream come true with one, Edward Cullen.

Author's Note: I hope you all are happy with how it turned out. This was always my vision for this story and I know some of you are going to be upset that they end up together. But I did state from the beginning that they would. Once again I promise not to make you wait two weeks for the Epilogue. I will have it up by next Wednesday at the latest! I do have more stories in the works as well but it will take some time for me to get them out. I never post until a story is completely finished and all I have to do are add my edits after my beta gets them back to me. I don't have a story recommendation this round because I have not been able to do ANY reading over the last two weeks. Hopefully I will get some done before the Epilogue. Have a great day my lovelies, you know what to do. I do have a snippet of the Epilogue if you wanna give me your thoughts on this chapter. Epilogue will be from Edward's POV.