Pinky Promises

by CiaraShayee

When two little girls were allowed to walk home from school one bright spring day nobody could've predicted the events that followed. The way two families were torn apart by the vendetta of a deranged man. Twelve years on, we'll watch as two girls stolen away from their homes at eight years old fight to take back their lives. If only it were as simple as escaping. M for violence.

39. Chapter Thirty-Seven

I'm switching it up and doing my full a/n at the bottom today.
As you know, this is the last regular chapter. I'm holding it
together - just about! - so I'll see you at the end.

This one's a biggie, so enjoy :)

~ oOo ~

Pay it Forward will be featuring three fics in different
categories on their new blog each month. Number one will
be our rookie…a new, first-time writer showcasing their
first fic on our blog. Number two will be our encore…a new fic
from a seasoned author giving us a sneak peek. Number three
will be our classic…one from the vault, a time-tested oldie.

If you are a rookie and need help, contact Fran on the PIF

Page, or myself. And if you have an encore, contact her to get
your new fic showcased. And anyone interested in writing a
summary on one of their favs, please feel free to send it in.

~ oOo ~

***TISSUE WARNING***

You're probably gonna want a whole box, just a
heads up ;)

***TISSUE WARNING***

Summary: When two little girls were allowed to walk

home from school one bright spring day nobody could've

predicted the events that followed. The way two families

were torn apart by the vendetta of a deranged man.

Nearly twelve years on, we'll watch as the two girls stolen

away from their homes at eight years old fight to take

back their lives. If only it were as simple as escaping. AU

Pinky Promises

Chapter Thirty-Seven

December 2nd, 2017

The gentle aroma of roses and lavender caressed the senses of everyone in the aptly named Winter Wonderland room. The girls who'd been tasked with arranging the flowers flitted to-and-fro between the scores of guests pouring in through the ornate double doors to take their seats. Fifty, white, satin-wrapped chairs had been set up in perfectly neat rows, the matching lilac ribbons tied in pristine bows on the back of each seat. At the end of every other three rows sat silver stands containing potpourri in shades of silver, white, and dusky lilac; curls of white ribbon twisted down around the stems of the stands like vines clinging to trees.

At the front of the room, a four-post canopy had been erected and draped with thin curtains of wispy lace, the aisle merging onto a shaggy white rug around two feet long and three feet wide – just large enough for three people to stand in a loose triangle formation.

Guests mingled, their excited chatter reverberating into the high ceiling before bouncing back down to create an air of tense anticipation; it left many of the guests fidgeting as they were ushered to their seats. With the arrival of four men dressed in full morning suits complete with tails and waistcoats, the loud conversations dropped to hushed murmurs. The men paused to shake hands, kiss cheeks, and bestow smiles upon friends and relatives, the congregation craning their necks to see the proud groom as he slowly made his way toward the slightly raised platform where he would soon make his fiancée his wife. Despite the rising air of anticipation, the quartet took their time meandering toward the altar, their joviality putting smiles on everyone's faces.

Twenty minutes later, once the celebrant had arrived with her twinkly-eyed smile firmly in place, and once the pianist had taken his place on the piano bench, the ceremony officially began.

As a cheerful tune began to fill the room, there was a chorus of 'aww's and delighted laughter, as the first members of the bridal party began stepping into the aisle to make their way toward the altar. Marley beamed, her silver dress shimmering as she moved, the sparkly hem catching the light with every step. She paused, looking down to her side. "C'mon, baby Bodhi," she hissed, her smile widening when Bodhi grinned and began toddling forward with her, their hands linked between them. He'd been dressed in a tiny, charcoal suit, wearing the same waistcoat and lilac tie as the groomsmen – though his was clip-on. Carl-Roman and Chase, who were right behind them, wore matching suits and waved merrily at their friends as they passed them.

The sweet quartet made their way down the aisle with matching grins, taking their spot beside Archie at the altar. He gave them both high-fives before scooping Bodhi into his arms as Charlie grabbed Chase, then handed them the first of the handful of carrot sticks he'd hidden in his jacket pocket. The idea was that they would be distracted enough by their snack not to demand to be put down; only time would tell whether the plan would work, or not.

The congregation moved their gaze to the end of the aisle once more, just in time to see the first two bridesmaids. The identical twins moved in perfect synchronicity in their tea-length, strapless lilac dresses; the white lace detail and sashes around their waists offset the color pleasantly. Their happy expressions made the groom's stomach clench with pride. Soon, they took their positions beside the flower girl, groomsmen, and pageboys, all eyes swiveling back to the ornate oak doors as the maid of honor appeared hesitantly in the doorway.

Jade green eyes warmed as they landed on sea-blue. The floor-length dress clung to her healthy silhouette like a glove, a mermaid skirt trailing in her wake while a pair of hidden heels lent her an extra few inches to make her appear taller than her natural five-feet-four. As her long lashes lifted to reveal nervous azure eyes that immediately jumped to Edward's, he feared he'd swallow his tongue before she made it to his side. Her recently-dyed, long, chocolate brown curls were artfully arranged atop the crown of her head, sun-kissed skin almost glowing under the dimmed ballroom lights. With the burgeoning smile on her face, Bella had never appeared so radiant; Edward couldn't have stopped his eyes from following her every step toward him if he'd tried.

Finally…finally…after two days apart as some sort of pre-wedding ritual that Edward had abhorred, Bella reached the altar. She paused in front of Edward, her smile widening, then stepped right toward Archie and her children. Before the pianist could move into the next piece of music, the groom shot him a look and quickly stepped away from the altar to draw Bella into a tight embrace. She squeezed him back just as hard and placed a kiss on his cheek; they were both teary-eyed when they retook their places.

Then, and only then, did the pianist segue into Canon in D, the congregation collectively gasping as they turned as one to watch the bride make her way down the aisle on the arm of her proud father. He was beaming, his pride unmistakable.

All eyes were on the bride though; or, more importantly, her dress.

It was flawless – white, A-line, and embellished with lace in a delicate, floral pattern. A thin, sparkling belt drew her waist in while a demure sweetheart neckline joined an off-the-shoulder lace wrap. Her veil, too, was white; it flowed down her back and followed her up the aisle as she made her way toward her future. Her eyes filled with tears as she took in the group at the altar. All the people who meant the most to her…they were there. Waiting.

For her.

Archie and his boys.

Bella, Marley, and Bodhi. Sweet little Bodhi with his slow, adorable grin, and Marley with her bright smile and bouncing-on-her-heels enthusiasm.

Charlie stood proudly beside Edward, their smiles a perfect pair as they gazed at her with tears gathering on their lashes.

Then there he was…her groom. Her love, her soul, her life.

Her Emmett.

The music broke in a stunning crescendo just as the bride and her father reached the altar. Peter inhaled shakily, doing as the celebrant said and placing his beloved daughter's hand in the palm of her chosen groom. He leaned in to kiss her temple as a tear tumbled over his cheek, then stepped to the side.

Emmett beamed, tears falling without shame as he leaned in and broke tradition by placing a quick kiss on the end of his bride-to-be's nose.

Cameras clicked, and the guests cooed as he cleared his throat and sighed, his relief plain as day. "Hey, Rosie."

She giggled, sniffling. "Hey, Emmett."

~ oOo ~

"Emmett and Rosalie's love story brings them here. A time to pause, look back, and smile at all the moments that brought them here. And a time to look ahead at all the moments still to come. I'm here – we're all here – because we want those moments for you. We're here to hope with you, to support you, to be proud of you, and to remind you that love is the experience of writing your story. It's not one moment – not even this moment."

The celebrant paused, smiling at Emmett, then Rosalie. "It's every moment. So today, we have some words about what love is, coming from some of the people who love you the most." Her eyes moved to the gathered bridal party.

"Carl-Roman, Marley, would you like to come and say a few words?"

The congregation released a collective 'aaw' as Carl-Roman and Marley stepped forward. Carl-Roman pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket, smoothing it out and holding it in front of himself and Marley so that they could both read; Marley's section was mostly memorized, as she struggled to read some of the words. Rosalie's eyes were full to bursting with tears and Emmett chuckled as Carl-Roman straightened his shoulders, puffed out his chest and cleared his throat. He and Marley took turns, taking two lines of the poem each.

"Today you're getting married; some say you're getting wed. There's crowds of people in our house, and strangers in my bed!"

Marley cast a nervous glance toward Edward, smiling weakly, then more brightly, when he responded with a wink.

"We had to get up early, take breakfast all together. Allowed to have the TV on to listen to the weather."

"Shower time was hectic, should have seen the queue. Girls were taking twice as long and air was turning blue."

"Hair was being straightened, perfume being sprayed. Nails were being painted, the boys of course delayed."

"Lots of make-up, lots of shoes, sparkles in the air. Pretty cards and parcels, flowers everywhere."

"Everyone had new clothes, Pawpaw even wore a suit. Aunt Rose is looking stunning, and I look kinda cute."

Rosalie mouthed her "thank you," to Marley, sniffling through her laughter.

"Posh car turned up at the door, took Aunt Rose away. Left me with the other kids but was told I couldn't play."

"Lots of photos, lots of fuss, what's it all about? Parties are for having fun, there's no need to shout!"

"Aunt Rose looks really pretty, Uncle Emmett's not too bad—"

Carl-Roman paused to let the guests' laughter die down, turning to attempt a wink; it was more of an overly-deliberate blink, but Emmett leaned down to ruffle his hair anyway.

"Someone here is crying, but doesn't look real sad."

"Lots of people laughing, sometimes very loud. Then it goes all quiet, lady talking to the crowd."

"Uncle Emmett holds Aunt Rose closely, putting on a ring. Says some words and makes a speech and makes them cry again."

Marley beamed as she looked to Rose.

"Aunt Rose takes another ring and puts in on his finger. Says some words and makes a speech and then we hear a singer."

"Someone says a poem,"

Carl-Roman paused again, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "That's us, by the way! Uh, where was I…Oh!"

"Lots of people clap. Waking up the funny man who's taking a quick nap."

"Soon we'll all be standing, watching them both kiss. They'll look so very happy, think they call it bliss!"

"Time to do some writing in a great big book. And with all those cameras, which way shall we look?"

"Is it nearly over, can I go and play? Let's come back tomorrow, we can do it all again."

A round of applause put proud, bashful smiles on the faces of Carl-Roman and Marley, who both darted toward Emmett and Rosalie for cuddles and kisses.

"Thank you, you beautiful little angels!" Rosalie cried, holding them both tight to her chest.

"You're welcome, Aunt Rose." Carl-Roman leaned in, planting a loud kiss on her cheek.

"Hey! That's my job, Mister," Emmett teased, shaking Carl-Roman's hand with a faux-serious expression. "Good job with the reading, you two. You were great."

"That's okay, Uncle Em," they chorused before stepping back into position. The celebrant beamed, tears glistening on her lashes as she continued the ceremony.

"We now have the final reading before the vows, although I'm not sure how you top that. Bella?"

Bella froze under the weight of the stares that befell her. "Oh God…" She whispered under her breath.

Why did I suggest this again?

"You've got this, baby girl," Charlie murmured, squeezing her hand.

She managed a weak smile. If Carl-Roman and Marley could stand up in front of their family and friends, so could she. Besides, her reading wasn't even half as long as theirs had been; they'd chosen it and insisted upon being allowed to read that exact poem.

Bella cleared her throat quietly, moving to stand beside Rosalie. They were equally teary-eyed and emotional, and likely would be all day. Both women had already lost count of the amount of times they'd cried just this morning while they got ready. "Rosalie…you're my best friend, no—my sister, and I just want you to know that I love you." Looking between Rosalie and Emmett, she added, "I love you both." Sucking in a deep breath, Bella called the reading to mind and deliberately left a short pause between each line of the exert. She'd eventually decided upon this particular reading after weeks of trawling through books and online pages of suggested poems.

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."

"Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. 'Pooh?' he whispered."

"'Yes, Piglet?'"

"'Nothing,'" said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. 'I just wanted to be sure of you.'"

"'We'll be friends forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet."

"'Even longer,' Pooh answered."

Bella paused to dab at her eyes with the handkerchief Charlie pressed into her hand. She sniffled, her smile a mile wide, eyes overflowing with emotion as she looked at her best friend; her sister, her rock. And almost Emmett's wife.

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart…I'll always be with you."

The entire ballroom burst into tears as the women fell into each other's arms and made good use of the waterproof makeup they'd applied.

~ oOo ~

Once everyone had a chance to compose themselves, and handkerchiefs had been utilized to dry Bella and Rosalie's faces, the celebrant reclaimed their attention with a gentle wave of her hands.

"Emmett…Rosalie…you fell in love by chance, but you're here today because you're making a choice. You both are choosing each other. You've chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you smile, makes every day brighter, and cherishes you and all that you are."

"You're about to make promises to each other that you intend to keep. You're going to take a vow to take care of each other, to stand up for one another, and find happiness in the other. There's a simple premise to each of these promises: you're vowing to be there. You're teaming up and saying to the other, "every experience I am going to have, I want you to be a part of."

She smiled and looked to Emmett; he had tears tumbling over his cheeks already and the brightest of smiles adorning his face.

"Will you, Emmett McCarty, keep Rosalie Hale as your favorite person – laugh with her, go on adventures with her, support her through life's tough moments, be proud of her, grow old with her, and find new reasons to love her every day?"

Emmett's chest heaved with a deep breath, but his voice didn't waver as he affirmed, "I will."

"Will you, Rosalie Hale, keep Emmett McCarty as your favorite person – laugh with him, go on adventures with him, support him through life's tough moments, be proud of him, grow old with him, and find new reasons to love him every day?"

Rosalie's smile was radiant as she nodded jerkily, then took note of the celebrant's pointed look and quickly added, "I will!"

The celebrant laughed quietly. "Good! Will you, Emmett and Rosalie, be each other's partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely – for the rest of this lifetime and for whatever may come next?"

Emmett and Rosalie shared a loaded, love-filled look. It made hearts flutter and eyes leak; their adoration of one another was clear for all to see. "We will."

"May we have the rings now, please?"

Edward stepped forward, rummaging in his pocket. Bella bit her lip to stifle a giggle when Edward visibly shook with repressed laughter; he'd confessed his plan to pretend that he'd lost the rings to her over dinner a few nights previous. As he handed over the matching white boxes without such trickery, Edward shot her a wink and shook his head slightly. He'd obviously thought better of it.

"Thank you. All right…you've both chosen to wear rings as a reminder of these promises that you've made. People often say wedding bands are a perfect circle, with no beginning and no end. But these rings did have a beginning. The stones were formed a long time ago deep within the Earth. Eventually, a series of lucky events caused them to rise to the surface, where someone dug them up. Metal was then liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees – molded, cooled, and painstakingly polished. Something beautiful was made from raw elements."

"Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, and through a combination of serendipity and effort, imperfect beings shape it into something extraordinary. It's the process of making something beautiful where there once was nothing at all. As you look at these rings over the years, I hope you remember that. You've created something extraordinary, and just as I know you'll protect these rings, I'm confident you'll protect the commitments you've made to one another today."

She turned to Emmett. "Emmett, would you like to place the ring upon Rosalie's finger?"

"I sure would, Ma'am." After sliding the ring onto Rosalie's ring finger, where it sat prettily beside her sapphire engagement ring, he raised it to his lips for a lingering kiss.

"Rosalie, would you like to place the ring upon Emmett's finger?"

Rosalie's hands trembled as she carefully removed Emmett's simple, titanium ring from its cushion and slid it onto his finger.

"So, to wrap this up before you all fall asleep on me," a ripple of titters spread throughout the congregation, "I'll ask you all to get to your feet for the new, Mr. and Mrs. McCarty."

She leaned in and whispered conspiratorially to Emmett, "Emmett, you may now kiss your bride, if you wish to."

Before she'd finished speaking Emmett had swooped Rosalie into his arms and bowed her back as they shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

~ oOo ~

With tears in his eyes, Edward watched as Emmett steered Rosalie in loose circles around the dance floor. His fingers moved over the piano keys with ease; he'd been practicing this piece of music at Rosalie's request for almost three months and could play it in his sleep, at this point.

"You're my always, you're my forever, you're my reality. You're my sunshine, you're my best times, you're my anomaly."

His eyes cut over to Jessica – Eleazer and Carmen's daughter, who'd been asked to sing Emmett and Rosalie's first dance song. She'd been nervous as all hell right before the wedding, but you wouldn't have known it now. Her voice was sure and confident as she watched Rosalie and Emmett and serenaded them with Ryann Darling's I Choose You.

Edward had never seen Emmett look so happy. He was proud as punch with his bride in his arms. And Rosalie…

Edward couldn't reconcile this beautiful, happy, healthy young woman with the girl he'd pulled from that flaming motel room all those months ago.

She absolutely glowed.

"Mamma told me to bring you a Coke, Edward."

Edward grinned, kissing the top of Marley's head as she slid onto the piano bench and held the telltale red can between her hands, a straw protruding from the top. "Grazie, little sweet."

"That's okay." She pushed up onto her knees, peering over the piano at her dancing aunt and uncle. "Why're Uncle Emmy and Aunt Rose still dancing?"

"It's their first dance, little sweet. Everyone who gets married gets to do a dance."

"Hmmm." Marley seemed content just to watch, so Edward returned his gaze to the dance floor. Not for the first time, his attention was diverted from the bride and groom by the beautiful face of his beloved.

Bella was across the room holding Bodhi and talking to Charlie and Peter. Edward sighed, unable to stop his eyes sweeping over her figure. The silvery satin dress clung to her in all the right places and swept out around her feet. It had what Bella had informed him was a cowl neck and keyhole back, and there was a small satin bow resting in the small of Bella's back. As she rocked slightly from side-to-side, her smile widening, Edward released a breathy sigh.

She'd never looked more beautiful; he'd never wanted her more.

In the nine months since he'd professed his love for Bella, Edward had behaved. He'd been true to his word that he wouldn't pressure her; he'd remained her friend.

If she needed something, or one of the babies needed something, Edward was there.

When Emmett and Rosalie announced their surprise engagement shortly after everyone returned from Italy in June, after Enrico's funeral, Edward stepped in to take care of the children for Bella while she helped Rosalie and Esme throw together a wedding they'd be proud of.

She'd been sick with the flu back in September and Edward had spent every day for the two weeks she was ill taking the children on fun day trips to tire them out and let her rest.

When they cooked together, which they did most nights, Edward began to anticipate what she'd need and when. They became a well-oiled machine, and both looked forward to their nightly kitchen duties.

During Bodhi and Marley's first experience of chicken pox, Edward spent every single night on the sofa at Charlie's house and demanded that Bella – only recently recovered from the flu – sleep through while he tended to the poorly babies. He mopped up tears, changed diapers, and cuddled screaming children through their misery for two weeks; all without complaint or being asked.

Carlisle and Esme had both spoken to him and questioned his motives for being so helpful with the children and spending so much time with them. They'd been appeased by his easy admittance that he would continue to love on them until they asked him to stop. His love for the children was in no way influenced by his love for Bella, and he assured his aunt and uncle that he'd love them all until the day he died – whether Bella ever admitted that she reciprocated his feelings or not.

As the song came to an end, Edward caught Jessica's eye. She nodded, stepping down from the small stage to let the DJ take over. He called for everyone to applaud the bride and groom, then informed Peter that it was time for the father-daughter dance. The cameraman snapped away as Peter left Bella and Charlie to pull Rosalie into his arms.

They smiled at one another and Edward could just about make out Peter telling her, "you look beautiful, sweetheart."

Their chosen song began – Paul Simon's Father and Daughter – and the room hushed as they watched them shuffle around the dancefloor; neither of them were talented dancers, so they chose to sway almost in one spot as they whispered quietly to one another, their smiles wide, tears plentiful.

"Edward?"

"Yes, little sweet?" Edward scooped Marley onto his lap, taking a few long pulls from his drink as she frowned thoughtfully.

"How is Uncle P Aunt Rose's daddy?"

Edward's brows drew inward. "Umm…" This sounded suspiciously like the intro to the birds and the bees talk, and that was something he was far from comfortable getting into, especially without Bella. His eyes darted around but came up empty.

Of course, she'd disappear now, right when I need her, he panicked.

"Well, little sweet…Uncle Pete and Aunt Tina had a special hug and then your Aunt Rose was born, right?"

Marley nodded. She'd heard this much before when Carl-Roman had questioned Archie about his creation at the dinner table. It had made for a very awkward, but interesting, dinner conversation.

"So, to have a special hug and make a baby there has to be a daddy and a mummy. Babies can have two daddies or two mummies, but someone has to help them make their baby first. You need a boy and a girl to make a baby. Does that…does that make sense?"

Edward was relieved when Marley grinned and nodded. Jesus H Christ…I'm so not prepared for this! His eyes roamed the dance floor, still desperate for Bella to appear and come to save him from totally messing this up.

"So…Mamma had to have a special hug with someone to make me? Did she have to give a special hug to my daddy?"

Ice slithered through Edward's veins. Cazzo. Why hadn't he realized that this was where she was headed? Why hadn't he just stopped her at the beginning and told her to go ask Bella? Or Esme! Esme was there…just a few feet away, talking to Carlisle and Carmen. He tried in vain to catch her gaze, but she was looking at photos on Carmen's camera – most likely of Jessica, as Edward had seen Carmen snapping away a few minutes ago as her daughter sang.

"No, little sweet. He wasn't—" For as much as Edward wanted to slate Marley's sperm donor – he didn't deserve even the title of biological father, as far as Edward was concerned – her sweet, guileless expression as she peered up at him so trustfully just wouldn't let him do it. He couldn't break her heart by telling her what a fucked-up individual he'd been. Possibly, one day Bella would tell her a bit about him when Marley was older and could handle more of the truth, but Edward couldn't bring himself to.

"Mamma got a little help to make you because she wanted you so darn much." Edward tickled her belly, setting his Coke can on the piano. He hoped it would distract her; it didn't.

"What about baby Bodhi? Did she get help to have him too?" She asked as soon as she'd caught her breath and stopped giggling.

Edward sighed. "Yeah, little sweet. Mamma had help making both of you."

The frown was back on Marley's face. Edward absolutely hated it and fought the urge to lean in and kiss it away. He only ever wanted to see toothy smiles on his pretty little sweet's face. Seeing her so contemplative, so serious and wise beyond her years, made him uncomfortable.

"What does a daddy do? What's their job?"

Her new line of questioning confused him, but Edward answered as best he could manage. "Well, they help the mummy changing lots of nappies when the babies are small, and they give them cuddles and teach them all kinds of fun stuff like how to ride a bike, eat spaghetti, read…lots of things."

Marley's eyes twinkled with something akin to mischief, but there was curiosity there, too. "And swim?"

"Yeah, little sweet. And they teach their babies how to swim. Why? Where's all this come from, huh?"

Marley sucked in a deep breath, her little body shuddering with force. She looked over to Peter and Rosalie, who were just finishing their dance, then raised her gaze to Edward and stared into his eyes.

Suddenly, under Marley's scrutiny, Edward felt incredibly scared. He felt very small, as though she was looking at him under a microscope.

"Edward, will you be my daddy?"

Like a fish out of water, Edward opened and closed his mouth repeatedly. He couldn't get any air into his lungs, but at the same time, he'd never felt more alive. His heart raced like a thousand wild horses, and his palms abruptly felt clammy.

Edward, will you be my daddy?

Every part of Edward wanted to scream 'yes!'…except the tiniest, most infinitesimal part of him. For almost the past eighteen months, he'd been playing dad to Marley – and to Bodhi, once he'd arrived. He'd changed the nappies, read the bedtime stories, wiped the snotty noses, and kissed the boo-boos that should have been their dad's job. Edward had fallen head-over-heels for his little sweet, tesoro, and Bella. There was no doubt about that and never had been.

But until Bella fessed up and admitted that she loved him, there was a tiny part of himself Edward had to hold back. It wasn't on purpose, and he'd have given anything for Marley, Bodhi, and Bella, but still…he couldn't let go and be all in until he knew that Bella was, too.

"Don't you love me, Edward? That's what daddies do, too, isn't it? They're s'posed to love their babies, aren't they? And you love me! And you teach me all the stuff…like to eat spaghetti and read and swim."

Suddenly, it became glaringly obvious why Marley had asked those questions – 'what's a daddy's job?' She wanted to compare Edward's answers to the things he did with her and had done with her ever since she opened up to him back in Montana.

Not her paternal grandfather or her uncle, but him.

She'd felt a connection to him even then; Edward would be lying if he said he hadn't felt drawn to the silent little girl, too.

As he choked on words too reluctant to leap to freedom, Edward wondered if there were even enough words to describe exactly what Marley meant to him. He was almost certain that no explanation he could give would adequately describe just how much he loved his loving, beautiful, tiny little sweet.

"Marley, of course, I love you. You're my little sweet! You're my best girl, my little sidekick. But I—" don't have the right to call myself your daddy, even though it would make me the happiest man in the whole world.

If he hadn't been so distracted, so discombobulated by this totally unexpected line of conversation, Edward might have noticed the footsteps approaching from behind, or the babble of a baby reaching for two of his favorite people.

As it was, the first he knew of their presence was a distinctly feminine gasp when Marley blinked her lashes at him, tears threatening to fall as she whimpered, "please, Daddy?"

Despite having dreamed about this moment hundreds of times, and imagined how it would go countless others when she called out "Edward!" at the park or when she wanted to say 'goodnight,' Edward wasn't at all prepared for how he would feel hearing Marley call him 'Daddy.'

It was like…the most exhilarating roller coaster. It was that petrifying but fantastical moment when you reach the tallest point, and you're about to fall.

The DJ inviting the guests to join the dance floor didn't even register. Nor did the scent of a familiar perfume until Bella slumped onto the piano bench beside him, her eyes filled with tears, lips pursed.

His heart stuttered and restarted, thudding hard enough in his chest that he was almost certain it was going to break free.

"Bella, I—" Edward trailed off. He had no idea, none whatsoever, what to say.

She inhaled shakily, letting Bodhi slap at the piano keys with abandon. "Marley, you can't just decide something like that, okay? It's not that simple."

Edward's heart broke. It split wide open and fell to his feet. She doesn't want it. She doesn't want me.

"I mean," she continued hesitantly, apparently unable to meet Edward's gaze. "You need to ask and not push something like this on Edward. It's not…you can't just force him if he doesn't want—"

"Can I stop you there, just for a second?" Edward interrupted, his hope tentatively renewed. Bella nodded. He closed the lid of the piano and lifted Marley to sit there. Now eye-level with her, he huffed and blinked back a fresh round of tears. "Little sweet, do you understand what you're asking me?"

Marley nodded vehemently. "I want you to be my daddy. Like Uncle P is Aunt Rose's daddy, and Pawpaw is Mamma's daddy, and Uncle Arch is Carl-Roman and Chase's daddy. I want you." She leapt from the piano to wrap her arms around Edward's neck, burying her face in his neck. He moved automatically to catch her, but his hands remained frozen on her back as he cradled her small body against his chest, looking to Bella for help.

She had torrents of tears pouring over her cheeks and a sort of hopeful resignation swirling in the whirlpool of greens, blues, and grays that made up her eyes. "Edward, do you want this? You have to know for sure that you won't change your mind. I can't…I can't pick up the pieces if you change your mind. I just can't—"

"Do you really think I'd do that? Do you really think I'd change my mind?"

Bella stared into his eyes for what felt like a lifetime but was really only a few seconds. Edward hoped she'd see his resolve; his love, adoration, and commitment.

She did.

How could she not? It was written all over his face all day, every day.

Edward had been all-in for longer than anyone would ever know.

"No, I don't think that. I don't think you'd do that."

A soft sort of understanding blanketed the little quartet at the piano as Bella and Edward exchanged swiftly spreading smiles.

Are we doing this? Edward's eyes asked.

Yes, Bella's urged, dancing toward Marley before bouncing back to his face.

Edward sucked in a deep breath and carefully pried Marley away from his chest, holding her hands between their bodies as she rested back on the piano. He took a moment just to…look at her.

Her hair had escaped its braid, so loose, curled tendrils framed her wary, doll-like face. Edward's eyes trailed over her knitted brows and tiny frown, a small smile curling his lips; he loved the way her cute, button nose wrinkled when she frowned. She reminded him of a sweet, baby bunny.

"Little sweet, my beautiful little girl, don't ever think that I don't love you, okay? I love you…so, so much. You, your brother, and your mamma are my whole, entire world." His eyes were stinging, and his heart hurt with the force in which it was beating, but Edward had never felt emotion like the joy racing through his veins at that moment. He squeezed Marley's hands gently. "Little sweet, I'd be honored if you would let me be your daddy."

"Really?" Marley squealed, her azure eyes both wide and overjoyed as she beamed wider than ever before and bounced on the spot. "Really? You'll be my daddy? And baby Bodhi's daddy? You gotta take both of us."

"Little sweet," Edward croaked out a chuckle, reaching up to stroke her rosy cheek before pulling Bodhi into his lap so they could share a three-way cuddle. "Nothing would make me happier than to be your daddy – and that's both of you."

The cameraman was standing nearby talking to Carlisle and Esme when he heard the excited squeals from over by the piano. He managed to right his camera and capture the moment Marley threw herself at Edward from the perfect angle to include all of their faces – Edward's laughing, Marley's beaming, Bodhi's slightly confused, and Bella's tear-streaked.

Having squeezed Edward's neck almost painfully hard, Marley eventually pulled back with a happy little wiggle. She planted a noisy kiss on her baby brother's head and squished his chubby cheeks between her small hands before beaming and tugging Bodhi up by his armpits to face Edward.

"Look, baby Bodhi. This is our daddy."

~ oOo ~

An hour later, when Bella told Rosalie what had happened, they both earned more than a few bewildered looks. Their faces were drenched in tears, though they hesitated on their descent and pooled within the wide smiles of the young women. Just two years ago, they'd been terrified, beaten girls living under the tyranny of a crazy man, thousands of miles from home.

Now, here they were, back in their hometown celebrating Rosalie's wedding.

And Edward…Edward wanted to be Marley and Bodhi's dad.

Bella still couldn't believe it. She kept casting glances toward them – the three amigos who hadn't left each other's side in the hour since they'd peeled themselves away from the piano to dance.

Apparently, Marley wanted her father-daughter dance, and Edward was unable to say 'no.' Of course, Bodhi couldn't be left out so he was there, too, chuckling away in Edward's arms as he swung his sister around.

"God, I need to go freshen up. I'm a total mess," Bella complained when the music changed, and Edward, Marley, and Bodhi melted into the crowd of guests. She swiped at her mascara-ringed eyes and sighed, but her smile was wide.

Rosalie squeaked and squeezed her pseudo-sister in another tight hug, her excitement reminiscent of a sugar-fueled Marley. "I'm so happy for us, Bella!"

"Me too, Ro. I love you."

Rosalie's baby-blues twinkled. Bella thought she saw mischief, but it was gone before she could be sure. "I love you, too. Go on then; you freshen up, and we'll have a dance when you get back."

Bella was only too happy to seek some peace and quiet in their suite on the fourth floor. If she'd paused for a moment, she might have seen the smug, hopeful smirk on Rosalie's face.

Holding the skirt of her dress so as not to trip or tear it, Bella snuck away from the ballroom. The elevator ride to the fourth floor was blessedly short with no interruptions. Letting herself into the room with the muted click of the lock engaging behind her, Bella sighed and leaned back against the cool wooden door to soak in the silence.

Until it wasn't silent anymore

The soft sound of movement reached her ears; her eyes flew open. A few meters ahead was the living area, though the wall separating it from the kitchen prevented her from seeing who, exactly, was in the room with her. Before Bella could consider running, before her heart could take off at a frightened gallop, she heard a muttered curse in her favorite accent. Stifling a smile by catching her lower lip gently between her teeth, Bella stepped further into the suite and paused at the entrance to the living area.

Her eyes roamed over the room, lit only by the stars and the moon. She quickly found him.

Smooth, tanned skin rippled over the muscles of a strong back as he shed his shirt and tossed it over his shoulder, uncaring as to its destination. Bella's eyes followed the movement of sinewy arms as they reached up, long fingers raking through bronze curls. Warmth curled in Bella's stomach as her eyes ate up the view of the broad shoulders and fit physique of the man before her.

Moving so swiftly and quietly that he didn't hear her approach, Bella reached out with her fingertips to trace a slightly raised, jagged pink line. It stretched five inches around his side from his abs to his lower-back, and put a displeased frown on Bella's face. Though her touch was feather-soft, he startled and spun, hands shooting out to grip her upper-arms.

"Cazzo, Bella!" Edward gasped, eyes wide, tightly pursed lips betraying his shock. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry for startling you," Bella whispered, suddenly ashamed of herself for creeping up on him while he was undressing. Mortification pinked her cheeks and chest.

"It's okay." Edward's face softened, hands loosening to caress rather than restrain. A shiver rippled through Bella's body as his fingers skated down; over her bare arms, then back up to tease the edges of her satin sleeves. "Are you cold?"

"No," she sighed happily, letting her eyes drift shut as he stroked her arms.

Edward didn't bother hiding the glee on his face when Bella closed her eyes and leaned into him. It wasn't the first time, but each time she demonstrated how much she trusted him by letting her guard down in his presence it put him on cloud nine.

It helped that he was still buzzing from his new title. Daddy. He played Marley's voice calling him 'Daddy' over and over in his mind.

It would never get old.

Unable to help himself, Edward lifted one hand and skimmed his fingertips over the apple of Bella's cheek before sliding them into her hair. In return, she gently caressed the scar where the bullet had torn his skin a year and a half ago.

The wound was long healed, though sudden, loud bangs still startled Edward at times.

"Stop worrying. It doesn't hurt."

"I see you wincing and rubbing it sometimes. Don't lie to me."

Edward scowled boyishly, but it fell away when Bella opened her eyes and smiled wryly at him a few moments later. "Why didn't you say anything if you've seen me doing that?"

"Why didn't you?"

"Touché," he grinned, chuckling.

Slowly but surely, the air around them began to heat, crackling with the intensity of their locked eyes. With his hands cradling hers, their wrists pressed together, he could feel her ever-increasing heart rate against his skin. Worried that he wouldn't be able to contain himself after such a wonderful day, and with emotions still running high, Edward forced himself to release her and step away. He could feel her eyes on him as he picked up a fresh white dress shirt and pulled it on, his black bow-tie hanging loose against his bare chest.

"Did you want me to stay up here with you, or are you heading back down to the party?" He asked softly in an attempt to stop himself from saying something else.

Three little words he was desperate to say, but even more desperate to hear.

"I'm not sure…" Bella answered hesitantly from behind him.

"You're not sure you want me to stay, or you're not sure you're going back down?"

"Both."

Concealing his wince was difficult, but Edward just about managed as he turned while buttoning his shirt. When it became obvious that he was struggling with the tiny buttons, Bella stepped toward him and reached out, gently pushing his trembling hands out of the way to slowly press each button through its corresponding hole.

"Are you all right?"

"F-fine," Edward stuttered. He berated himself internally, his throat burning with the effort it was taking not to blurt out the speech he'd been rehearsing for weeks. Months, actually.

To distract himself, he used his hands to map the dress Bella had poured herself into. The satin was soft and smooth under his exploring fingers. The look of wonder on his face as he rested one palm at the small of her back, right below that tease of a bow where the large expanse of exposed skin met the top of her behind, reminded Bella of the boy she'd once known. Back when they were both younger, both untainted by the world and its darkness.

The ruched material gave way as Edward trailed his free hand round and down to her hip, pulling her gently toward him just as she threaded the last button. Smiling shyly up at him, Bella rested one hand on his forearm while the other moved to cradle his freshly-shaven jaw. She missed his stubble already, and he'd only shaved earlier that day.

"What's wrong? Don't lie to me, Edward. I know there's something going on in that head of yours." At five-four, back in her ballet flats having ditched the painful heels, Bella was almost a foot shorter than Edward, but he wouldn't dare deny her at this moment. She felt oddly powerful and it showed in the steely glint of her eyes. He readied himself for whichever way she might take his words, hating that he had to protect his heart so strongly against this beautiful woman who wielded so much power over its every beat. He couldn't afford to be naïve.

There was every chance she'd reject him. It was a terrifying possibility, but the chance was there and frighteningly likely, however much he wanted to hope otherwise.

Inhaling deeply, Edward cast his eyes around the room to prolong the time before everything changed; whichever way this went.

Four floors above the ground and facing out over Eastbourne seafront, the only sources of light to illuminate the suite was the bright moon and its blanket of stars reflecting back off the ocean. Far off planets blinked in the distance and combined with their moon-shaped lantern to cast a pair of shadows across the lush, cream carpet. Memories of the past year and a half filtered behind Edward's eyelids in a poignant reel; memories of this beautiful woman showing him everything from her physical scars to her emotional ones. He remembered pictures the FBI had shown them of the house where she'd spent her years of captivity with Rosalie – and later, given birth to Marley. He'd seen photos of the country roads she and Rosalie had traversed when they finally escaped; the beginning of the desolate days when her depression worsened.

He'd seen all those things…but he'd also seen her since.

Memories of sunny days on Eastbourne beach with all the usual suspects, plus Marley, Bodhi, Carl-Roman, and Chase…

Of rainy days indoors playing board games and the kids' first snow angels on Charlie and Peter's driveways…

Of watching Bodhi clap and laugh with delight as he took his first steps toward his first birthday cake back in August, the precious moment recorded to be watched over and over, forever…

It had been a magical year and a half, and Edward had discovered what it truly meant to embrace life and live it to its fullest, and that was all because of Bella, Marley, and Bodhi.

Returning his gaze to Bella, Edward realized that she'd been staring up at him with her head cocked slightly to one side. Her expression was earnest as she waited for him to unload his troubles.

It's now or never, Cullen, Edward told himself firmly.

"Bella, I need to tell you something, but I don't know how you're going to take it," he began cautiously.

"I'm listening."

Edward sighed, leaning his face into her palm with a quiet hum and a tiny, lopsided smile. "You always are, right?" With her amused nod, he continued, blowing out a long breath. "Bella, I…cazzo, this is harder than I thought it would be."

"Edward, you can tell me anything, okay? Anything. You know I won't judge you or think badly of you. Jesus, after everything that's just happened I can't believe you're even struggling to trust me right now."

Edward's face lit up momentarily at the reminder of what he'd always think of as the most magical moments of his life. Hearing Marley call him 'Daddy' and knowing that she and Bodhi would call him that from now on…it was incredible. Indescribable, everything he'd imagined and more.

"I know, I know." The cracked window nearby bade entry to a weak breeze, the air swirling Bella's curls before resting them against her shoulders. In the dim light of the waxing moon, her chocolate brown locks seemed to glow, and her eyes were reminiscent of the most beautiful tropical ocean.

Unable to help himself, Edward leaned forward and rested their foreheads together, eyes just an inch apart as he breathed her in and reminded himself that he'd done this first part before.

"Bella, I love you. You know that. But I—" He bit his tongue, pausing. "I've loved you for a long time now, and I promised you that I wouldn't push for you to feel anything for me in return. I just…you've enchanted me, Bella. I didn't mean for this to happen and I don't know what this will turn into, or even if it will turn into anything, but I can't just wait and not know, especially not now…you know, with little sweet and tesoro…" he trailed off, knowing Bella had caught on when her lips curled up into a beautiful half-smile.

"You've told me that you love me before. Why are you so nervous now?"

Edward gulped. "Because that's not all I have to say. Bella, I know I promised I'd wait for you to decide what you want, but…is there any chance, any chance at all, that you've thought about it since then and might be able to put an impatient man out of his misery?"

As Edward's heart pounded a rapid tattoo, he felt the first sprigs of hope blooming in his chest. Her smile didn't fall, and she didn't push away from him.

In fact, her smile widened, and he felt her hold on him growing slightly tighter.

"Edward, do you know how much my babies mean to me? How much I love them?"

"Of course! You love those babies to death, I know you do. Those kids are everything – to you and to me."

Bella's lips twitched, her eyes crinkling at the edges. "So, then it shouldn't come as any surprise to you that I couldn't trust just anyone with them." She exhaled breathily, her body relaxing against his. "Do you really think I'd let Marley call you 'Daddy' if I didn't trust you completely? Do you think I'd let her and Bodhi get this attached to a man I don't love with all my heart?"

"Bella, I—" Edward stopped. His brows drew inward into a tight frown. "Does—" He stopped again, unable to speak through his throat. It was suddenly very tight. "Did you just say…"

Bella's small smile transformed into a fully-fledged, ear-to-ear grin as an almost delirious little giggle burst from between her lips. "Edward, I love you."

For the longest moment, Edward's mind froze and stuck on Bella's words. He couldn't spare any attention for the glinting ocean beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows behind her, the star-spangled sky above, or the moon glistening pearly white like a beacon. His fingers trembled against the soft satin of her dress, the fine tendrils of her hair hanging down from her up-do almost hypnotizing.

It was sensory overload in the best way; Edward's heart thundered in his chest, desperately trying to work its way from his chest to get closer to the beautiful young woman in front of him.

My Bella, he thought tenderly, his adoring gaze roaming over her face. He could barely even see the shell of a woman he'd pulled from the flaming Montana motel room. That frightened girl was gone; a courageous young woman stood strong in her place.

She'd become his best friend and the woman he'd grown to love with all of his heart.

"Edward…"

His eyes found hers. They were brimming with tears, her cheeks dusty pink and dotted with light freckles. Bella's lips twitched upwards and sent a jolt to his heart.

"I'm sorry…"

Before Edward could panic, she inhaled a deep breath then released a year's worth of explanations and thoughts in one long tirade.

"I'm sorry I waited this long to tell you. I'm sorry I couldn't just be brave enough, but I wanted to make sure. I mean, I think I've known for…well, months, actually." She blew out a breath, her lips twisted in a wry half-smile. "You're kind of hard not to love, you know?"

Edward's grin bordered on painful. "I'm kinda glad about that."

"I guess I also wanted to be sure that you were sure. That sounds really dumb, I know, but…I had to be sure you weren't just here and being so lovely because of obligation or something. I know Archie asked you to come to Montana with Dad and Uncle Pete."

Memories of that day, that phone call from Archie asking him to go and support Charlie and Peter, were easy to come by. Edward regarded it as one of the most important days of his life. If he'd said 'no' his life would be very different now, and he'd never forget that conversation.

The conversation that brought him to his heart.

Absorbing everything Archie had said, Edward asked, "so what's happening? Chuck and Pete are flying out, I guess?"

"Yeah, that's actually what I'm calling about…" Archie trailed off.

Gazing up at the cerulean sky, Edward prompted him to continue.

"I can't leave Carl-Roman and Chase, Ed. Or work. I already took a load of time off when Carl-Roman was sick in January, so my boss would go nuts."

Another pause kicked Edward's heart rate up a notch. Where was he going with this?

"Feel free to say 'no,' man, I won't be mad. It's a lot to ask, I know that."

Sudden comprehension dawned, and Edward's mind shot off a mile-a-minute organizing things, making a mental list of phone calls he needed to make, and calling up the name of his grandfather's friend who worked at an airline in Rome.

"I'll go, man. Course I will. Is later tonight all right?"

"You're…you're kidding? You'll go?"

Edward chuckled as he lifted himself up and half-walked, half-jogged towards the house, his wet feet slapping against the tiles on the way to his bedroom at the rear of the building.

"I'm not kidding, Arch. Of course, I'll go with them."

"He did ask, and I did do it for him," Edward admitted softly, "but when we got home, I thought about leaving a hundred times at first. Not because I didn't want to be with you, but because I wanted to be with you so damn bad I could barely think straight. I might have come looking for you with your dad and Pete for Archie, but I stayed for you." His lips twitched, "well, you, Marley, and Bodhi."

Bella giggled, wearing her soft mummy-smile; the one that only ever appeared when she was thinking about her babies.

"Bella Swan, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. You're it for me, you and those babies."

"I'm sort of a mess sometimes, you know? I don't have my shit together, I'm almost twenty-three, and I still live with my dad and my kids, I have no job, no real education…I make mistakes all the time, and I'm stubborn to a fault…I'm no catch."

Edward reached up to cup her face, letting his thumb caress the apple of her cheek, his pinky finger lightly tickling the soft skin behind her ear. "I just want you, that's it. All your mistakes, smiles, giggles, tears, and laughter…everything. I just want you—oomph."

Bella threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face in the juncture between his shoulder and neck. His pulse thrummed against her forehead, grounding her. She sucked in a shaky breath and exhaled the three words she wanted to shout from the rooftops.

"I love you."

A shiver rippled down Edward's spine, gooseflesh rising over his skin as he squeezed her tight. "I love you, too. I love you so damn much."

Pulling back slightly and sliding down Edward's body so that her feet rested flat against the floor once more, Bella smiled shyly. She felt a rush of heat spreading through her veins upon realizing where Edward's eyes were focused.

They were trained intently on her lips. Her tongue instinctively darted out to wet them; she watched as his grassy green eyes darkened to jade.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

She shivered, nervous but sure of what she was about to say. "Kiss me."

Though Edward was logically aware that it didn't, it felt as though time ceased to pass, the world stopped spinning, and the air was sucked from the room. "Are…are you s-sure?"

Smiling at the adorableness of this man, so strong and confident in most ways but nervous in this, Bella removed the last few inches of space between their faces. Her chest brushed against his as she adjusted her hands to rest on his shoulders. Subconsciously, her hand made the decision to relocate to rest right over the spot where she'd resided for far longer than she realized; his heart thumped beneath her palm.

"I've never been surer of anything."

Edward shuddered with restraint. Static energy crackled around them as he adjusted his stance slightly, tilting his head toward Bella. Their foreheads touched, emerald eyes meeting their beloved cerulean. Emotions that neither of them could identify, but both felt, swam within glassy eyes. For the briefest of moments, Edward spotted a hint of fear in Bella's gaze; the urge to flee.

"Don't run away. Stay with me. Please," he pleaded in a murmur. "You don't have to run from me."

Exhaling, Bella nodded with just a tiny dip of her head. "I trust you…I love you," she amended.

Their breaths mingled in the small amount of space separating their faces, hands soaking in body heat while their hearts beat in tandem. Heavy anticipation saturated the lavish suite.

Edward barely managed to restrain himself from all but mauling Bella as he slowly bent his knees just a little, gently tilting Bella's face up to his. Despite the fact that this moment had been months in the making, Edward couldn't relax. Not yet. Not until…

Moving slowly, so, so slowly, he leaned in and let his eyes fall shut just as his lips brushed hers. This is real life, so there weren't bursts of fireworks or colors exploding behind his eyelids.

What there was, was a deep sense of affection, of rightness, of being home, finally. Edward's body simultaneously tensed and relaxed.

His lips couldn't be stopped as they spread into a grin against Bella's, whisper-soft and tender as could be. Warmth rose and encompassed them both. It overrode any nerves about this, their first kiss of what would hopefully be many. He felt giddy beyond belief, and a laugh bubbled up his throat.

It retreated abruptly when he felt Bella's lips begin to move. They were gentle and soft, her breath slightly sweet from the lemonade she'd been drinking all evening. After a moment, she became more confident, adding slightly more pressure and tightening her grip on him. Edward hummed against her mouth and felt his hands moving of their own accord; his fingers twined themselves in her sensuously silky curls, uncaring that they were undoing all of Tanya's hard work teasing them into a neat style earlier in the day.

He was all-too-aware that this was most likely Bella's first real, romantic kiss, and Edward wanted to make it memorable.

He cradled her head like the most precious piece of glass, kissing her until they were both breathless and pressed together from their feet to their lips, panting and lightheaded. Then he chuckled, leaning back just enough to be able to grin goofily at Bella. "I love you, bella ragazza."

Bella flushed under his scrutinizing gaze and pressed her heated face to his chest, beaming when she felt his still-racing heart and the rumbles of his chuckle against her cheek. His strong arms looped around her waist to hold her to him as his chin came to rest against the crown of her head.

They were peaceful and calm as they caught their breath, soaking up the comfort they freely offered to one another.

To know, see, and feel that Edward loved her was a revelation for Bella unlike any other. Reaching one hand up to idly trace her kiss-swollen lips with a finger, she smiled. Even during her two misadventures into sex, she'd never been kissed; Bella was glad. As she hugged Edward tighter and let her tongue dart out to taste him, smoky from liquor and sweet from Coke, Bella was immensely grateful that he'd been her first kiss. It was perfect in every way. He was perfect in every way.

Bella tipped her head back to see him; he looked blissful. Edward sported a wide, lop-sided, double-dimpled grin beneath a pair of sparkling emerald eyes. "I love you."

Edward sighed a relaxed, relieved sound. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Bella barely had time to breathe before Edward scooped her up with a hand on each side of her waist, his loud whoop of delight eliciting a shriek of surprise from her as he swung her in circles around the room before bringing her slowly back down until their lips were level once again.

"Bella, mi amore, ti amo."

He sealed his 'I love you' with a kiss.

~ oOo ~

"Bella? Bella, are you in here?"

Edward huffed against Bella's lips and took a big step away from her. It killed him to do it, but he doubted she wanted Charlie busting them all but making out. And honestly, he'd like to discuss it with Charlie, get his permission to date Bella, rather than have him walk in on them locked at the lips.

She quickly smoothed her hair and licked her lips before calling out, "right here, Dad!"

With Charlie's footsteps approaching, Edward just about had time to shoot her a quick wink before her father reached the living area.

Charlie's shrewd eyes bounced between his daughter and Edward. Bella's dress was rumpled and bunched oddly at her hips, and her face was flushed crimson as she looked everywhere but at him. As for Edward…his shirt was wrinkled, hair an absolute state, and he'd never looked guiltier than he did now with his Cheshire cat smile.

Charlie grinned. "You finally grew a pair, huh?"

He took great delight in the way Edward attempted to sputter an explanation and Bella did an impression of a goldfish.

"Look, you're both adults. I'm not going to pretend that I don't wish you were still five and thought all boys had cooties, Bells, but I'm happy for you both. Okay? So just come here and give me a hug, and I'll pretend I didn't just bust you like a pair of misbehaving school kids."

Bella rushed into her dad's arms and hugged him tightly. "I love you, Dad."

Charlie returned Edward's smile over his daughter's head, feeling his eyes welling up just a touch. My baby girl is all grown up. "I love you, too, Bells."

As Bella pulled away and stepped into the bathroom to freshen up before heading back downstairs, Edward shuffled his feet and sighed with a mischievous twist to his grin. "So…does this mean I can call you 'Dad?'"

With a bark of surprised laughter, Charlie shook his head and adjusted his tie. "Like hell, son. You be good to my girl and my grandbabies, and I might just let you live. Capisce?"

Edward smirked, crossing the room to shake Charlie's hand. Edward had no doubt in his mind that one day, he'd be shaking Charlie's hand as he gave her to him at their wedding. For now, he'd settle for making a promise he was only too willing to keep. "I promise you I'll take care of them, Chuck. They're my world."

Charlie's lips kicked up on one side, his eyes soft as he admitted, "I know they are, Ed. We have that in common."

"Okay, are we ready?" Bella appeared in the doorway, bright smile firmly in place despite her embarrassment of a few minutes earlier.

Charlie and Edward nodded, following dutifully as she led them back down to the party.

~ oOo ~

They arrived at the ballroom just as Emmett and Rosalie began saying their goodbyes.

The congregation moved into a large circle formation to make it easier for the newlyweds.

Marley and Bodhi were the first to spot Bella, Charlie, and Edward.

They bounded across the ballroom, Marley leaping into Edward's arms while Bodhi asked Bella to pick him up with a soft, sleepy, "up, Mamma." He clung to her like a baby monkey, settling his head on her shoulder with a lazy smile.

"Daddy, where'd you go?" Marley asked with a bashful smile; though she was happy, it would take her a while to get used to calling Edward 'Daddy.'

Edward's grin was bookended by twin dimples as Bella patted her dad's shoulder, quietly explaining what had happened earlier in the night when she saw the stunned look on his face at Marley's new name for Edward.

"Mamma came to help me pick a new shirt, and Pawpaw came to find us because he thought we got lost," Edward told her with a mischievous glint to his eyes.

Bella and Charlie both knew that wasn't the truth at all, not that they'd say anything to Marley.

Marley sniffed at the reminder of her mishap, which had forced Edward to change shirts. She'd accidentally spilled orange juice on him, making him need clean clothes when he'd planned to have spoken to Bella by then.

It all worked out for the better, in the end, Edward thought to himself gleefully.

"You and Mamma took a long time just to get a new shirt," Marley said succinctly, not realizing with all of her six years of wisdom that she was thoroughly embarrassing her mamma and daddy.

"It was a tough choice, little sweet," Edward murmured, shifting Marley so that she was dangling almost upside-down. Seeing an opportunity to distract Marley, Bella leaned forward to blow raspberries on the backs of Marley's exposed knees; her most ticklish spot. Marley's loud squeals attracted more than a few laughs and smiles, the cameraman leaving his post beside Rosalie and Emmett to snap a couple of quick photos of her laughter-wrinkled face.

When Rosalie glanced over toward Bella while Emmett hugged Carmen, she immediately knew that Edward's plan to tell Bella how he felt and ask her if she was ready for more with him had been successful. And judging by the exultant smile on Bella's face, she could safely assume her dear pseudo sister had finally come to her senses and admitted that she loved him, too.

By the time the newlywed, Mr. and Mrs. McCarty reached Bella, Edward, Marley, Bodhi, and Charlie, they'd been joined by Esme, Carlisle, Archie, Carl-Roman, and Chase, and all of the children were fast asleep in the arms of an adult. Rosalie's eyes instantly filled with tears as she pulled Bella into a hug, only just remembering to be mindful of Bodhi sleeping against his mother's chest.

"I'm so happy you finally got your head out of your butt," Rosalie sniffled, laughing aloud when Bella pulled back with a shocked smile.

"You knew?"

"Of course! Jesus, B – everyone knew!"

Emmett took Rosalie's place with a quiet chuckle, kissing Bella's forehead before stepping back to shake Edward's hand. "Congrats, guys. It was about time."

"Thanks, man." Edward smiled down at Bella. "It definitely was about time."

With a gleeful grin, Emmett looked between Marley and Bodhi before gently clapping Edward on the shoulder. "I didn't mean you and little Bella, Daddy-O."

"What? What do you mean?" Esme asked, her gaze flitting between Emmett, Edward, Bella, and the kids. "Daddy-O…Oh! Oh…" She breathed out noiselessly, her eyes filling with tears.

Edward's eyes were soft and teary as he nodded, answering her unspoken question as he looked at everyone in turn, his gaze landing on Bella last. "I'm 'Daddy' now."

A fresh round of tears and hugs were shared before Rosalie and Emmett admitted that they had to be on their way if they wanted to say 'goodbye' to everyone before jetting off on their honeymoon.

Two sunny weeks at Edward's house in Italy wouldn't wait; their flight took off in a little over four hours.

"I love you guys. I'll call you in the morning, okay?"

"Love you, too, Ro. Have a great honeymoon." Bella hugged her best friend as tight as she could with one free arm. "I'm so proud of you, sis."

Rosalie pulled back with tears in her eyes and a wide smile on her face. "I'm proud of you, too, sis."

~ oOo ~

"All right, I'm off to bed." Charlie's moustache twitched as he fought a chuckle, eyes dancing between a fidgety Edward and Bella. They were sitting a foot apart on the sofa in his living room, both with their hands in their laps and nervous expressions on their faces. "Remember…my room is right up there…" he trailed off, pointing at the ceiling above – where his bedroom was – before huffing a laugh and heading upstairs.

Edward and Bella sagged against the cushions, heads tilting inward to face each other.

"He's loving this, isn't he?"

Bella snorted. "He sure is. He missed out on doing this until now. He's going to make the most of it."

"Great." Edward's plans of persuading Bella to stay up with him for a short – ah, who was he kidding? A long make-out session – evaporated into dust when she let out a loud yawn and then giggled as she wiped the resulting moisture from her eyes.

"I'm going to head up. Bodhi will be up in…oh, God, probably in about four hours."

Edward grinned. Bodhi had made a habit of waking at six every morning just to chat to his teddies, and Edward knew it was going to be murder for Bella getting up that early after such a late night. "Tell you what…I'll kip here tonight, saves walking back to Es and Carl's anyway, and I'll keep the monitor down here so I can come get him when he wakes."

Bella's smile was grateful, but turned calculating. "Edward…have you ever, ummm…" her cheeks tinted pink, igniting Edward's curiosity. "Have you ever snuck out of a girl's room before?"

"Uh, no, I don't think so?"

"Well, seeing as today is a day of firsts…you want to sleep upstairs with us and sneak out before Dad gets up? Just sleep!" She flushed scarlet. "I mean…it's got to be comfier than the couch, right?"

It was a pointless question where Edward was concerned.

Less than ten minutes later he found himself curling his arm around Bella as she made herself comfortable tucked into his side, her head pillowed on his chest, her calves wrapped around his legs further down the bed.

"Are you comfy?" Edward whispered.

"Very," she murmured, hesitating for a moment before pressing a light kiss to the skin over his heart.

It didn't take long for Bella to fall asleep. Her breaths evened out within minutes and fanned across Edward's chest as he lay there, unable to sleep but wearing the biggest smile of his life.

He couldn't help but replay his day on a loop in his mind.

"How're you holding up, man? Cold feet?"

Emmett chuckled and caught the balled-up thermal socks Edward threw at him. "My feet are toasty warm, thanks! What about yours?" His waggled eyebrows told Edward that his conversation with Rosalie a few days ago hadn't stayed private.

The tips of Edward's ears flamed. "That little imp told you, didn't she?"

"Of course, she did! I know all about your plan to woo little Bella." Emmett's expression turned serious as he crossed the room and clasped Edward's shoulder. "For what it's worth, I don't think you've gotta worry. She loves you, man. She just needs to realize it."

"Thanks, Em."

Shaking off their emotional moment, Emmett and Edward shrugged on their suit jackets and headed downstairs. Carlisle, Archie, Charlie, and Jasper were there waiting.

"Here you go, son. A bit of Dutch courage to get you through the day."

Emmett was visibly flustered as Charlie shoved the glass of amber liquid into his hand. His eyes darted toward Peter – his soon-to-be father-in-law.

"Ah, I don't think I should…"

Peter laughed. "Don't you worry about me, son. You're marrying a Hale woman. You're gonna need that and more. Get it down your throat and don't be such a girl."

Emmett downed his drink with a grateful grin.

.

.

.

Upon arrival at the hotel where Emmett and Rosalie would shortly be married, Emmett had his first flash of nerves.

"What do you mean, the celebrant is running late? Rosie will have a shit-fit." He turned to Edward. "Fuck, man, what do we do?"

Edward floundered under Emmett's intense, worried gaze. "Look, I'm sure we'll be able to sort it."

Thankfully, their saviour arrived just in time to stop Emmett going on a nervous rampage.

Esme sashayed into the room looking positively regal in her lilac dress – it had a pencil skirt and cap sleeves that flattered her figure perfectly. "Calm down boys. I've just spoken to Marge, and she's a few minutes away."

"Thank fuck."

Esme smacked the back of Emmett's neck lightly. "Less of the cussing. It's a special day."

"Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Es," Emmett said sheepishly, rubbing his neck.

She beamed up at him – at least a foot shorter than Emmett's six-four – and adjusted his tie. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. No – great. I'm excited."

"I'm glad." She went around and straightened all the men's ties, ending with Carlisle's. "Hello, handsome. Are you keeping these boys in line?"

"Of course, my love," Carlisle told her with a wink, leaning in to kiss her forehead once she'd righted his silver tie.

"Good. Well, I'm going back to the girls." She turned to Emmett with the soft, maternal smile she so often wore. "Emmett, your Rose…" Esme sighed dreamily. "She looks beautiful. You won't know what hit you."

.

.

.

Of course, Esme was right.

When Emmett laid eyes on his bride for the first time…words didn't describe how happy he felt. It was written all over his face though, and Edward wondered if he wore his love for Bella so plainly.

Edward had been unable to keep his eyes from Bella throughout the ceremony; unable to stop himself from picturing her as a blushing bride with himself as her doting groom.

She was so effortlessly beautiful. Ethereal, almost, in her shimmering gown with her hair piled atop her head in a chocolate crown. Edward didn't know the name of the style her dress was or the technical term for her hairstyle, but he did know how to describe the look as a whole; stunning. He'd never been so in love before and it both frightened and exhilarated him.

As for Marley and Bodhi…

His pride knew no bounds. Watching Marley gently lead her toddling baby brother down the aisle, both of them dressed to the nines in a pretty dress and a miniature suit, made his heart feel as though it was going to burst. Not for the first time, Edward wished they were his to be proud of and love. He wished they had his features mixed with Bella's and were conceived with the love he had for their mother instead of the fear Bella must really have felt. Edward wished that when Marley misbehaved and Bella had to call her full name, it was 'Marley Rosalie Cullen' instead of 'Swan.'

Selfishly, he just wished they were his. In his heart, he felt like they were.

.

.

.

Daddy. I'm their daddy.

Edward couldn't believe his luck.

Marley wanted him to be her daddy – hers and Bodhi's – and now he was.

As he twirled Marley around the dance floor and blew raspberries on Bodhi's chubby cheeks just to hear him chuckle, Edward's eyes flitted to Bella.

Now, all he had to do was persuade Bella that they had to be a family.

A real family of four – Mamma, Daddy, Marley, and Bodhi.

.

.

.

He couldn't stop.

Her lips tasted sweet, and he was already addicted to the sugar high.

Between increasingly heated kisses they took turns being the first to whisper 'I love you's,' their hands gripping harder with each passing minute.

And it had been a few – minutes, that is.

Edward lost track of time somewhere between Bella trailing her fingers over his bare scar and admitting that she loved him.

Charlie's entrance was like a bucket of icy water being thrown over them.

.

.

.

"Sweet dreams, beautiful girl. I love you."

"Love you, Mamma…" Marley mumbled, snuggling into her bed with her beloved Mr. Eddie.

Edward still found it funny, and heartwarming, that Bella had named her daughter's stuffed rabbit after him. She said it was coincidental, that it had been the first name to pop into her head because of his red-brown fur.

"Night, little sweet. Sweet dreams only, promise?"

Marley's eyes opened – just a little, but enough that she could see Edward leaning over her with his elbows resting on the edge of her bed. "Can I dream about ice cream?"

Edward chuckled. "As long as it's our favorite."

She rolled her sleepy eyes. "I only like—yawn—watermelon, duh."

"All right. Night, sleepyhead."

"Night. Love you, Daddy."

Bella's hand appeared and squeezed Edward's shoulder as his eyes filled with tears.

How could three words so simple – love you, Daddy – render him, a full-grown man, to mush?

"I love you, little sweet. So much."

He pressed a kiss to her curl-covered head and stood, squeezing Bella to him before moving to Bodhi's crib. The sweet one-year-old was fast asleep in his colorful, elephant print sleeping bag, arms up over either side of his crazy bed-head. Edward chuckled to himself as he realized that Bodhi may not have his hair color, but his locks sure shared the gene for being untamable.

"I love you, tesoro."

When Edward rose from bending to kiss Bodhi's head and turned to face Bella, he found her teary-eyed sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I'm okay, I'm okay. I just…I love you. A lot."

Edward smiled gently, recognizing overwhelmed when he saw it.

Silently, softly, with a lingering kiss to the top of her spine, he helped Bella un-zip her dress. Then Edward averted his eyes and undressed himself down to his boxers while she pulled on a pair of jersey pajama shorts and a matching tank top. When he turned back and realized what she was wearing, Edward fleetingly wondered how he was going to keep his traitorous body in check sleeping so close to her in just that minuscule amount of fabric. He quickly decided that whatever he had to do would be worth it to be able to sleep with Bella – just sleep, because he knew she was in no way ready for anything more than that.

"Do you want the window side of the bed, or…?" Bella asked shyly.

Edward couldn't stifle his grin. "This is so…couple-y."

Bella snorted and rolled her eyes, looking every bit like her daughter had just a few minutes ago when she rolled her eyes at him. "Our children are calling you 'Daddy,' we've been outed to our entire family, we've exchanged 'I love you's' and just now you're realizing that we're 'couple-y?'" Bella frowned. "What?"

Edward shook his head, well aware that he was wearing a goofy smile. "It's just…it sounds really good. 'Our children…' I like that."

Bella's smile softened, and she scooted back onto the bed, beckoning Edward over to join her. They shuffled under the covers to lay side-by-side, Bella hesitantly curling into Edward as he looped an arm around her and willed his body to behave.

"I like it too. They are though, you know? Marley and Bodhi are our children."

Edward squeezed her closer. "I need to thank your dad again."

"My dad? Why?"

His body shook with silent laughter as he mumbled, "for teaching you to share."

"Mmm, Edward…"

Edward was pulled from his thoughts by Bella's sleep-talking. He grinned and stroked the soft skin of her arm with his thumb.

"I love…" he held his breath, waiting for her to continue, "PB&"

His laughter was incredibly difficult to stifle, but he just about managed to keep himself from waking Bella. His mood sobered as she wrapped herself further around him and threw her leg over his, her thigh resting perilously close to Edward's groin.

"Cazzo," he whispered, praying he'd be able to keep himself in check.

"I love Edward..." Bella mumbled then, putting the smile back on his face.

"I love you, too, bella ragazza," he whispered into her hair, resigning himself to a restless night.

It would be worth it. She was worth it.

For all the trials they'd faced thus far, and the doubtless tribulations sure to come their way in the future, it was worth it to be able to hold Bella in his arms and hear his favorite little voices calling him 'Daddy.'

Yes, they would have to work out their relationship as they went along. Edward doubted there were many relationships founded on one rescuing the other from a flaming hotel room after a twelve-year stint in captivity. On one teaching the other how to live and love after spending the majority of his life hiding in a big, lonely house in the middle of nowhere, Italy.

And yes, one day, Marley and Bodhi would ask about their biological fathers, and if Bella and Edward wanted to be honest parents – which they did – they'd have to explain how they really came to be; or at least come up with a version of the truth they could handle. Edward already had plans to speak to Bella about asking Riley to try and work out where Paul Lucien – Bodhi's biological father – was, just to rule out any possible conflict there. That could wait, though.

But in between those things?

They'd get to be a family. A real family. They'd get to go on holidays together, play at the park on weekends, go for ice cream after school when the kids took that step, and snuggle up together on the sofa to watch movies when the British weather didn't play ball.

Edward would get to be a daddy to Marley and Bodhi and a partner to Bella.

Those things were priceless and precious and made him happier than he ever had any right to be.

Life was about to get crazy with Emmett and Rosalie on their honeymoon. Edward starting work with Charlie and Peter at Swan-Hale Construction, and then there was the upcoming Christmas holidays, but as Edward fell asleep that night wrapped in Bella's arms wearing a smile, their babies sleeping close-by, he knew it would all be worth it.

He had his friends, his family, his health, Bella loved him, and he was a daddy to two amazing children.

Anything else was inconsequential now that he had the one thing he hadn't even realized he'd been looking for; until Bella and her beautiful babies had unknowingly shown him just how tantalizingly close it was.

Nothing else mattered now, because Edward had found it. That elusive, magical thing romance writers write about and song writers sing about.

Happily ever after.

---

...

I promised those sweet three words ever since the beginning...some almost 250,000 words ago! and here they are; FINALLY!

I have a bunch of thank yous, obviously.

The first is for SunflowerFran. She was the first PM I received and the first to spread the news of this big baby's birth ;) Fran, you've been a cheerleader, my beta, and I like to think a friend. I'm so glad you messaged me and took on this mammoth task, and that you've put up with me and my comma issues for all this time. I really, truly appreciate it.

The second ginormous thank you is for annaharding. You've also become a great friend and I always look forward to our late night-early morning plotting across from opposite sides of the ocean *haha* Without your critical eye I'd have missed a bunch of great opportunities with this and I'm incredibly grateful.

Thank you to RebAdams for writing such beautiful poems to go with each chapter. I'm going to go back in at some point and include them in my A/Ns, because they're just amazing.

Thank you to Gabby1017 for recc'ing this over on her fantastic story 'Rescue Ink!' It's one of my fav's, so if you haven't read it, check it out! Also, thank you to trainwreque for recc'ing PP with her story, 'The Bookkeeper,' which is also amazing!

I lost track pretty quickly of where this was being recc'd, so if you shared or reccomended it to anyone, put it on your site/blog, or even talked about it at the TwiFic Meet-Up in Vegas (I had a few message me saying they heard about it while they were there, so THANK YOU!) just know that I love you all for loving on these characters like I do. For a first-time fic author, I've been blown away by the support you all have shown me and PP. It's blown my mind and I'll never forget how lovely you've all been.

There are a tonne of people who've reviewed on every single chapter - all 38 of them so far! - so THANK YOU to all of you!

Now...many of you have asked, and here it is:

There WILL BE a sequel! *fireworks*

The banner is made, the prologue is written, and I've started work on the first few chapters. If you're up for that, add me to your author alerts so you'll be alerted when the new story posts.

I'll probably look at posting it soon, but before that...

THREE EPILOGUES! Yes, that's right; THREE. I couldn't stop at just one, so over the next week or so I'll be posting the trio of epis, which will lead nicely into the sequel.

Anyway...I've babbled forever, so I'll let you get back to your day. I honestly wish I could hug each and every one of you for cheering me on and making this roller coaster such a fun experience. I'm tearing up! I'm going to be a wreck when I mark this 'complete!'

Love and hugs to all of you xoxo