Alright, another update. I would have had this up Friday, but I had a nice case of the flu knock me down. But I am feeling so much better now. So, for those who have waited, here is a glimpse into their reunion. Although, I do warn, chapter 23 will not be easy. They have a much needed talk. I should have that up soon, just doing some final tweaking on it.

Thank you to Darcysmom for betaing. Any mistakes are mine. I added some last minute stuff. And thank you to Nikki for pre-reading.

Enjoy!

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It felt good to close the door to the house for the final time. As the lock's tumblers latched together, another piece fitted silently into me, bringing me closer to feeling whole.

I hunted, gorged myself full every day up until our departure.

I called her, as I promised, every day up until our departure.

I called her every night, promising her a future and my love. I would stay on the line until I heard her soft snores and breaths even out, and even then it was hard for me to press end call. My heart and body yearned to be next to her, holding her as I hummed her lullaby as I used to many, many months ago.

One journal became three full journals full of my words, thoughts, fears and promises. I had a few pages left that I planned to write as we flew to LA.

I had so much left to say, but some things are better off said face to face. And those things were things only meant for her. And when she finally hears them, all I wanted was to hear her heart fly, to see a soft smile come across her face.

There was no sadness in me as we drove the streets through Brazil on our way to the airport. Excitement bubbled up through me, but there was a tinge of fear as well.

Even now, after all the talks, I still feared she would turn me away. In a way, I would deserve that, but I hoped it would not be the case.

Deja vu wrapped its arms around me as my family made our way to the ticket counter, it grew stronger as we went through security and sat down and waited for our flight to board. I sat down, and let out a long sigh as my eyes looked down on the ticket just as I had in my hallucination. Only this time, my breath didn't catch. It didn't scare me or make me second guess my sanity. It filled me with anticipation.

March 15th was the date that was printed. This date felt so much better than the January one in my hallucination.

The call to board came, and my anxiety grew. I was one step closer to her.

I sat down, the cabin filled with so many voices that I winced. I wasn't used to so many human voices overtaking my mind at once.

I longed for the silence I had at the at the Brazilian rat trap, but I would take all the noise as it brought me closer to the one person I truly needed.

My family sat down in our seats. Carlisle, Esme, and I all took one aisle, as the rest took another, leaving Emmett by himself in a row. He didn't seem to mind all that much. His mind, like mine, was on Bella. And he wondered, just as I had, if she would push us away.

A short while later the plane took off. Carlisle and Esme were deep in conversation as I pulled out that last notebook and wrote, filling those last pages for my love.

As the ink bled into the paper once more I wrote: It feels odd and exciting at the same time that I can say I am finally on my way to you. These words should never have had to be written. I never should have left you, Bella. NEVER. I should have been with you all these months, showering you with my love. It is how it should always be. You deserve so much more than that.

All these words that I have written to you, I need you to know that I mean them. I will never leave you again. Nothing, no one, not even the Volturi could tear me from you. I will forever remain by your side, until the day you push me away. Which, I pray, never comes to pass.

You belong in our family, my Bella. You ARE the daughter of Esme and Carlisle. The sister and best friend of Alice. You have two brothers in Jasper and Emmett. Emmett, of course, has always thought of you as his little sister. And you will forever be that. I think it is safe to say now that you can find a friend in Rosalie, and maybe, if you want, a sister. She thinks of you as family now.

In all of us, you have protectors, siblings, friends. We may not have done the best job of showing it before, but we will make up for it now. I can tell you that Alice plans to drag you out on many more shopping trips, even though, deep down she knows you hate it, but she does it just to get you away from me and to herself.

Jasper, on the other hand, feels he needs to make things up to you. And I know that you will set him right on that. I don't blame him (although, in away, I guess I did), and I know you don't, you are much too kind hearted for that . He plans to be the best big brother to you, I can read it in his mind right now as we fly closer to you. He plans to teach you all about the ways of the south, history, everything. He looks forward to getting to know you better as well.

Emmett... I think you should be afraid here. I kid, but he honestly just wants to take you to places, show you fun, dote on you as a big brother should. He's worried right now that you hate him. But he looks forward to giving you the best bear hug ever once he sees you again.

Rosalie. Her mind is a mess. She wants to build a friendship with you, but is scared she may have ruined her chances with how she treated you. She's hoping to get a day with you soon to get to know you as well.

Esme can't wait to hold you and make sure you are okay. She wants to dote on you the only way a mother can. Currently though, her mind is set on making up a room to call your own in the Forks house. She's already picked out the color scheme. Purple is in there of course, and I am seeing some shades of green and gold.

Carlisle has missed you, my love. He feels he has failed you. I know, as you read this, you are shaking your head no, but he feels he should have stopped me from leaving. He truly feels as if he left his daughter behind. I should warn you that he plans to father and doctor you. Even though he knows you have Charlie, he wants to make it all up to you somehow.

We all do. So be prepared, my love, for us to do so much more than we had in the beginning. You are truly gaining a family this time. We will be there for you as much as you have been for us. We owe you so much more, but I think it is safe to say that we have centuries to show you that.

Yes, you read that right, I wrote CENTURIES. If you'll have me, I want to change you.

I promised you a forever, Bella, and a forever is what you will get.

I closed the notebook, and noticed that the ninth pen I've used was almost completely empty of ink as I set it down.

Another missing puzzle piece fell into place as I placed the notebook and pen with the rest of her notebooks in my bag.

"I bet it feels good to just let yourself go and write."

I nodded as I looked at Carlisle, a small smile taking over his face as his voice invaded my head.

"I am proud of you, Edward. You've come so far these past few months. I will be honest, I'd thought we'd lost you."

"Never. I owe you so much, Dad."

"I've been thinking about things, especially about your hallucination. I think you only focused Bella in your hallucination, and no one else in it because Bella is the other half of you. You only needed her. The town of Forks, the people were missing to you because you don't know them. They were inconsequential to you. Same with the wolves. You don't like them, therefore you pay them no mind. But all those clues, and you seeing Bella were like, I almost want to say, puzzle pieces in your mind. You only know and want Bella."

"I thought the same recently. I guess the mind is an amazing thing, and can go through so much."

Carlisle patted me on the shoulder before he pulled me into a hug. "Enough with the heavy. I'm glad we are finally on our way home. Home.. it is such an interesting word, don't you think? Home. I've never felt truly at home until all of you came into my life. But that house in Forks was never home, truly home, until you brought Bella into it."

I smiled and hugged him back. I had to agree with what he said. Forks meant nothing to me until Bella came.

After a thirteen hour flight, we finally landed in Los Angeles. It was close to midnight, so we decided to play it safe and get a hotel room for the rest of the night.

I called Bella once we got to the hotel, telling her where I was, and that I would see her tomorrow. She told me about work and school. She sounded tired, so we said our goodnights.

The flight from Los Angeles to Seattle wasn't long, and it was early afternoon when we landed. We split into two groups, one getting into Carlisle's Car, the other into Emmett's jeep. We drove from Seattle to Forks in under three hours, luckily no speed traps stopped us.

The Welcome to Forks sign is one I never thought I would ever see again under good circumstances. As we drove through the town, I took notice of all the cars, people driving and walking about town. The diner was at full capacity, and I smiled as we passed it, although, I may have had the urge to flip Mike Newton off as he goofed off out in front of it with friends.

Finally, we pulled up in front of that small, white house. It was dark and empty, and dread and fear filled me. It took Carlisle's voice to bring me out of it, and a engine's rumble coming up the road to snap my attention.

A rabbit pulled up in the driveway, and I finally noticed that her truck wasn't there. The stench of wolf overtook everything as my lovely Bella stepped out of the car. She was completely soaked, pale, and looked so incredibly small.

Once her eyes locked on to me, she sucked in a quick breath, and she ran full force to me, crashing into me as I wrapped my arms around her.

You know those moments you get when everything falls into place,and feels so utterly perfect? When you feel whole, that every part of you is right where it's meant to be? I had one of those moments as she ran towards me and I felt everything all at once. The feeling of Home was the most prominent. And when she wrapped her arms around me, and I breathed in that scent that I had longed to fill my lungs for so long, that moment was perfect, nothing could eclipse it. I had her back, and I would do everything in my power to never lose her, never disappoint her or let her down. To love her as she is meant to be loved through the centuries I can now bring myself to promise her.

I held on to her tightly as she sobbed and hung on to me. I kissed her temple right before a rude throat clearing interrupted us.

"What the hell are you guys doing back?" Jacob Black snarled at us. His mind sifted through all of the possible answers, rejecting the most obvious one. "And why the hell are you here?"

I looked up and sent a glare Jacob's way. "I am back because I never should have left. Either way, Mutt, it isn't any of your business. I am here for Bella."

"The hell you are!"

He was vibrating with fury as he said those words. I pushed Bella gently towards Carlisle as I stood in front of her protectively.

"I am not leaving her at all, Jacob. Not until she sends me away. So, I am afraid you need to leave and go to your side of the treaty line."

"I don't think so! I was there for her, you weren't! I fixed her, you didn't! You don't deserve her!" Jacob's mind was hurling thoughts at me of Bella throughout the months, each thought worse than the last. I tried to reign in my emotions at seeing them, but inside they were truly breaking me.

"You may be right about one of those things, pup, but I am still not leaving."

I felt a tug at my shirt as Bella came around, her wet hair clung to her face. She smelled of the ocean and dog. I sent a questioning look towards Alice, who just shrugged and smiled.

"You need to leave, Jacob. Thank you for bringing me home. I'll get my truck in a bit. But just go, I'm fine"

"You want me to leave you with those leeches? You are fine with how he left you? You are just going to let him back in your life just like that? How could you, Bella?"

"It's always been him, Jacob. Always." Bella looked down to the ground, her eyes never meeting his. "My heart will always belong to him, Jacob, no one else. I can't be without him. Whether he wants me back, or as a friend, I need him in any capacity that he wants me. Anyways, I don't owe you an answer, Jacob. He's it for me."

"Fine. You want it this way, you got it. Don't expect me to pick up the pieces when he leaves again. And he will, Bella. You meant nothing to him then, you mean nothing to him now."

Bella flinched at his words as she wrapped her arms around herself, protectively. Almost as if she was keeping herself physically together. My family on the other hand were shouting in my head, none happy with Jacob had said. I was barely holding back from strangling him myself.

The dog finally drove away. My family stood off to the side as they waited for Bella to make the next move.

"I am so happy to see you all," She sobbed, her arms wrapped around herself tighter.

Esme couldn't take it anymore and walked up to Bella and held her, soon Carlisle joined her, then eventually the rest of my family as I looked on.

"Why don't we go in, so the neighbors don't pay attention to us." Bella said as she began to walk towards her house.

We all followed Bella in. And unlike in my hallucination the house looked clean, nothing strewn about. The television was turned off, everything in its place.

"Oh, I can't take it anymore!" Emmett bellowed, and grabbed Bella into one of his signature hugs. The kind of hugs he saved just for Bella.

"Em, loosen it up a bit, okay? Jeeezzz!" Bella laughed and hugged him back. "It's nice to have you back, Emmett, I've missed you!"

He hugged her again. "Well, you are stuck with your Em. I'm not going anywhere. The douche-that-is-Edward can't send me away this time."

Bella let out the shyest of smiles as she looked on my family, and I swear I felt the room grow warmer and fill with love. Jasper sat in the corner and shrugged his shoulders when my eyes met his.

Conversations over took the tiny front room as Bella was passed from each of us to hug and dote over. Esme briefly getting up to make her tea and something to eat. Alice told Bella to go shower and get warm.

As we waited for her to return, I couldn't help but feel how perfect this all was. How right it was.

I was home.

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Thank you guys for reading! I hope you enjoyed the start of their reunion. They will still have a few bumps in the road. Only four regular chapters left, and an epilogue.

Thank you for all of the reviews, favorites, follows. I truly cannot thank you guys enough!

I look forward to your thoughts.