Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga. No copyright Infringement intended.

Author's Note: For those of you who did not check out the teaser on my blog, you're in for a nice surprise. We have the return of a POV I had said would not come back, but I just had to when the idea came to mind. I hope you like it. This is your Monday post four days early, so I hope you enjoy. I have not written the next chapter yet, but hope to get it done before Monday after next.

Thanks to AgoodWITCH for her support and beta work. Hope you enjoy the chapter!


The Foreign Familiar

Not Bella's POV… :D, February 3, 1945

I entered the building at a slow gait, getting surprised looks from everyone I encountered. After the security guard managed to close his mouth once more, he nodded toward the elevators without another word. I was sure that the biggest shock was my appearance. I was still wearing the same clothes that I began my journey in two days ago, travel grime still caked on my skin, a scraggly beard covering my chin and neck. I should have done the polite thing and gone home and changed and shaved before coming here to see her, but I simply couldn't wait. Today was the board meeting and so I knew as sure as I knew my own name that she was in the building still.

I stepped into the elevator leaning against the wall with my heavy cast stretching out in front of me, the thick heel resting on the floor of the elevator before me. I leaned heavily on the wooden crutches that the navy had supplied me in England and willed my heart to slow. The closer the elevator came to my destination, the more I regretted not taking an hour or so to clean up at home. I didn't want Sue or Mom to be the first to see me though…I wanted to see my wife before anybody else. I wanted to hold her in my arms, breathe in her sweet scent, and finally relax to know I was truly home in her arms.

The elevator stopped with a shudder and the doors opened to reveal the familiar entryway into the Executive floor. The clean light colors and the crisp scent in the air that used to feel so comforting and familiar now seemed foreign and confining. I braced myself on my crutches and began creeping my way onto the floor and down the hallway toward where I knew her office was now located.

I recognized the girl behind the desk who froze with the phone she was answering hanging midair between the desk and her ear, the client on the other end hearing nothing but a gasp and then silence. I nodded slowly before continuing past her, her hand remaining in limbo as her head tracked me across the floor. Once I was past her and all she could see was my back, I finally heard her greet whoever was waiting on the other end of the line.

It was the same all the way down the long hall. Each face, both familiar and new seemed to become a frozen statue when they caught sight of me. I turned down a hall and was almost to the short hallway that I knew would lead to the offices of Marcus and Bella. I had nearly reached the intersection when I froze in place, just as my employees had and watched what seemed like a beautiful dream pass by me.

A tiny little girl in a red wool coat with little black dogs on the front toddled past the intersection of the hallways with her hands out before her…her tiny bronze ringlets bouncing lightly with each unsteady step. My vision blurred and my heart felt as though it had literally crushed in my chest with the heavy, all encompassing love I felt for that tiny person that I was seeing in person for the very first time.

I stepped into the hallway so I could watch her continue on, not even looking when I heard a gasp behind me. The person stepped beside me, and from the smell of her perfume, I knew immediately it was my Mother.

"I would hug you, but I can't look away from her. She's so perfect, Mom."

I felt her wrap her arm around my waist as she took a long deep sighing breath. "It's so good to have you home, sweetheart. Go ahead…go to them."

Just then the tiny vision in red stopped at the next door on the right that was opened and squealed, "Mama!"

She threw her hands in the air and began a tumbling gait that was almost more like a controlled fall than an actual run. Then I heard the voice of my first angel, the love of my life fill the air as I hurriedly shuffled on my crutches down the hallway to the door.

"My little Cherie! Oh, Mama missed you sweet girl! Did you have fun today with Grammy Esme?"

I stepped around the corner to see the tiny girl clinging to her mother's chest, her arms wrapped around her shoulders, her head resting on her chest. My wife had her arms wrapped tightly around the precious beauty, her nose turned to rest in her curls, her eyes closed as she rocked them side to side. The emotions rolling through me were like a tidal wave so powerful they threatened to knock me to the floor.

I must have made some kind of sound because Bella opened her eyes and then froze, blinking slowly with her mouth hanging open.

"Edward? Are you really here?" She whispered so quietly it was barely audible.

I felt the sob rip from my chest more than heard it as I nodded hastily, leaning against the doorframe in hopes of keeping myself erect because my bones and muscles were no longer capable of doing the job.

Bella began to sob. "Oh, EDWARD!" She ran toward me, our daughter still clinging to her chest and threw one of her arms around my neck, burying her nose in my chest.

I cringed thinking how horrible I must look, much less smell, but Bella didn't seem to notice. She leaned back with teary eyes and ran her hand over my face and through my hair.

"Oh God…you're so thin, sweetheart…so very, very thin."

I nodded, my voice breaking as I spoke. "And you're beautiful…so very, very beautiful." I ran my hand through Cherie's hair as she looked up at me shyly from Bella's chest. "Both of you are nothing short of angelic."

The next few moments were a bit of an awkward blur. Bella tugged a chair over for me to sit in as she knelt in front of me, trying to get Cherie to talk to me. We talked about how she had talked to me on the phone, but my tiny angel girl was still too leery to allow me to hold her or for her to interact with me.

Bella looked at me with apologetic eyes. "She just needs time to get used to you being here in person. It will get better soon."

She rested an uneasy hand on my leg and I rested mine atop hers. So much time had passed and so much had changed for both of us, I once again wondered as I had countless times over the past two years, if we would still be in love as we were when we parted or if too much had happened to separate our lives. I knew I still loved her more than life itself, but if she was being awkward then maybe she didn't feel the same. Maybe she realized she never cared for me at all and didn't want to say anything when I was in danger.

I fought down the panic that often arose when I would remember some of the more dangerous flights or when I would think of losing my Bella and Cherie. My whole world would cease to have meaning and the thought of a life without meaning was more than I could bear. I struggled for a moment before getting a grasp on my fears, realizing that I didn't need to panic until Bella actually came forward with such a painful prospective request.

Mom came in a bit later to help us down to the car with Cherie with Marcus at her side. He immediately rushed to my side and hugged me. He was the brother I never had. I would be forever grateful for how he had stepped up and taken care of Bella and the company in my absence.

We took one of the company cars home, mom talking nonstop the entire way while Bella and I stole awkward glances over Cherie's head. I wanted more than anything to pull her into my side and keep her there forever, but I didn't want to push her too far or pressure her. I felt my jaw clenching with another wave of panic as I glanced out the window at the familiar things that still seemed so foreign. I had spent half my life in this city, but after all I had seen, and all I had done, I no longer felt like it was where I belonged. I didn't know where I belonged anymore, except at Bella's side, and yet I wasn't entirely sure she still wanted me there.

I was about to lose the battle with my anxiety when I felt her small hand reach across the seat back and rest on my neck, her slender fingers combing lightly through the hair at the nape of my neck. The instant our skin touched, the anxiety melted from my bones and pooled to my feet, disappearing through the floorboard to mix with the snow and ice on the roads below us. Home. She was home. She was my everything.

We pulled in front of my house on Lake Shore Drive and I sighed looking at the huge home that was once my pride and joy, but was now nothing more than a house. My pride and joys were sitting next to me on the seat. With a little help, we all emerged from the car. Esme carried Cherie while Bella walked by me carefully up to the stoop and up the stairs to the front door.

Esme unlocked it and stepped through, Bella and I following her through the ornate portal into the overly lavish entryway. Sue stepped out of the kitchen across the way, wiping her hands on her apron and talking about something else, but froze mid step and mid sentence when her eyes landed on me. A moment later she seemed to melt and continue forward as if nothing had happened, except now with a new purpose as she walked directly to me and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Thank the Good Lord in Heaven that you are home. I'm so glad you are safe, young man. Now let's go get you sitting down and I'll bring you a drink and make you some lunch."

I chuckled as Sue directed me to sit in my favorite chair in the living room. Not much had changed except for the addition of little toys spread on the floor near a wooden toy chest in the corner. I smiled as I saw the rocking horse Bella told me all about ordering to be crafted for her by Sue's neighbor to give Cherie for her birthday. It killed me that I had missed her birthday.

Everyone settled in the living room and another awkward silence filled the air. Bella rested her hand on my good knee lightly, glancing up at me shyly through her eyelashes. After Mom removed her coat, Cherie wiggled out of her lap and crossed the room to sit on Bella's wrapping her arms around her waist and staring up at me through wide green eyes full of questions that she couldn't verbalize. I smiled down at her, trying not to let the tears I felt stinging in the corners of my eyes well and fall.

Bella caressed Cherie's hair while caressing my knee in the same soothing rhythm. Cherie watched her hand closely as it hinted at an intimate affection she felt for the both of us. After another quiet moment, I remembered I had a gift for her as well. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the small brown paper sack that held her gift. I leaned forward holding it out to her with a smile.

"Happy Birthday, my little one. Daddy's sorry he couldn't be here for this last year and your party, but I thought about you ever day and I got this for you in England before I left."

She looked at the brown paper as if it would bite her. Bella chuckled and reached up to take it. She rested it on her lap as she opened the top and reached inside pulling out the tiny silver necklace with the pink ballet shoe charm adorned with pink stones hanging from the end.

"Look at the present Daddy bought you, Cherie. Isn't it pretty?"

Cherie examined it for a long moment before sitting up and reaching out to touch it with her finger. When she made contact it caused the charm and chain to swing like a pendulum, causing the silver and pink jewels to catch the light and sparkle. Cherie giggled the most beautiful little tone ever created as she tried to catch the swinging charm with her chubby little hand. After several attempts she caught it and brought it to her face to cuddle it as if it were a soft stuffed animal.

Bella laughed and asked her if she could put it on her. It was way too big for her now, but I hoped that when she got older she might be able to wear it. Bella didn't even have to unhook the latch in order to place in on her; instead simply sliding it over her little head and making it rest on her stomach, just above her belly button. Cherie beamed down at it, pushing her little rounded tummy out as far as she could to admire the charm against her body. We all laughed as she looked right at Bella pointing at the charm as she stared babbling a million miles a minute in a language all her own.

After a few minutes and with a great deal of resistance, Bella finally removed the necklace from Cherie's neck. Promising to hang it in her bedroom where she could see it from her crib. That was when I realized that I really didn't know my house at all anymore. Now it had Bella's clothes mixed with mine in my closet, her pictures mixing with mine on my shelves, and a room now redecorated expressly for our little girl. I felt the need to explore, but my exhaustion after the last few days was too great to try to mount the steps anytime soon.

Sue brought in a heaping plate full of spaghetti, vegetables, and bread, sitting it on my lap in the living room, something she would never normally allow. I laughed as she eyed me with a warning that it was a onetime event before returning to the kitchen. Cherie had been playing in the corner with her toys until the smell of food hit her nose and she came over to check out what I had.

Both Bella and Esme laughed as she sniffed around like a bloodhound on the hunt. "Sorry Edward, she's a bit of a food thief. She's charmed the food right out of many a hand in her short little life. It appears your supper is next."

My heart melted as she toddled over to my side, grasping the chair as she tipped up on her toes to see over the rim of the plate. She smiled looking up at me with those big green eyes that made my heart ache. Bella had not been exaggerating when she said she inherited the Cullen charm.

"Would you like a bite, my little sweetheart?"

She blinked silently before pointing and saying "Yumm."

I laughed before asking what she could have from my plate. I picked up a small bit of noodle with some sauce on it and reached down to her mouth. She stared at it a moment, as if she was wondering if she should trust it before opening her mouth and leaning forward to take it from my hand. I felt horrible when my brain instantly correlated it to when I had used dog treats to tame my Grandfather's dog when I was little. I guess food is the way to the heart of men, dogs, and small children as well.

After a few more tentative bites, I was amazed when she started climbing into my lap. It wasn't easy with my cast, but with a little help, she was soon sitting in the crook of my arm smiling at me while saying "Yumm."

I could have cried in that moment, but I didn't want to scare her away, so I kept the rumbling emotions at bay once more. She shared a little of everything from my plate, even feeding me bites of my bread from time to time as well, and for the first time I felt like maybe we would be okay. Maybe she and I would find a way to bridge the distance between strangers to father/daughter.

Once her little tummy was full, she began to yawn and relax on my lap. The feeling of her trust, the added weight of her tiny body as she let go, made me feel like I could fly without the use of a plane. She stayed for a long while before Mom suggested she clean her up and lay her down for her nap. She told us that she would spend the rest of the day keeping an eye on her if Bella and I wanted to lock ourselves away and spend some alone time together. I hated the idea of being away from my daughter who I'd only just met, but I needed to reconnect with my wife most desperately. I looked to Bella who nodded slowly before glancing up at my Mom.

"Esme, that would be incredibly helpful. Thank you."

Mom nodded with a smile before a look of realization crossed her face. "How about if I packed up her things and brought her to spend the night at our place tonight? We can bring her back first thing in the morning and we can all have a welcome home breakfast right here. What do you think?"

I smiled brightly. "Breakfast sounds like heaven, but I'm not sure about the overnight. I don't want her to feel like I'm kicking her out or anything."

Bella smiled, rubbing my leg soothingly. "She stays with Carlisle and Esme every other weekend when Carlisle is not on call. She's used to staying with Grammy and Grampa. She'll be fine."

I chuckled, running my hand through my hair. "What if I'm not? I've only just seen her today. I don't want to be away from either one of you."

Bella smiled, getting up to her knees to cup my face in her palm. "Give us one night, sweetheart. She'll just be a few blocks away. If you miss her too much, they can bring her home or we can go stay there. It'll be fine, honey."

I blew out a long breath before nodding. "Thanks Mom. We really appreciate it."

She nodded happily, a sparkle returning to her eyes that had been missing so far. "More than happy to, son. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

She disappeared up the stairs with Sue at her side while Bella leaned over me to wrap her body around my waist, nuzzling her nose into my smelly shirt. Her presence calmed me so much more than anything else could. I soon realized that my shirt was getting wet. I tipped Bella's face up to see rivers of tears running from her closed eyelids.

"Oh baby, please don't cry. I'm home now."

She sobbed harder. "I was so scared Edward. I've spent that last two years afraid that the only man I ever loved would die over there. Now that you're here, I'm so relieved and yet so terrified that you won't want me anymore. I'm not the same woman I was when you left. I have changed so much. What if you don't find me attractive anymore? I gave birth. I'm not the same anymore. My hips are wider and my breasts are kind of saggy from breast feeding, and…"

She couldn't say anymore because I had claimed her lips with my own, desperate to show her that I could never, ever not love her. She was always beautiful to me and she always will be, no matter what changes on the outside, I would always love her for the strong, intelligent wonderful woman that she was.

"I love you so much, Bella. I have since the first second you saw me and I always will. Never ever forget that."

She blinked at me, pain on her face. "B…but you've been so distant since you got home. You just…seem so removed from me. I…I thought."

I cursed loudly making her jump as the tears swamped my ducts in a tidal wave, sending emasculating rivers down my own cheeks. "NEVER! I was feeling strange, being back here. Everything is so foreign to me now. You are the only home I have now, Bella. You are the only thing that feels right anymore."

Bella sobbed, but behind the tears there was a relieved smile as she constricted her arms around my waist and sobbed into my chest. I wrapped her in my arms and kissed the top of her head. We were going to be okay. I had no doubt now. There would be a transition, but the love was there, and as long as we had that, we could get through anything.

After a long stretch of time, I heard the ladies coming down the stairs, arms loaded with bags and items for Cherie's overnight stay. Bella broke away and went to stand, helping me up before guiding me to the entryway where the ladies were waiting. Bella smiled holding her hands out to Cherie, who reached for her and melted against her chest. Bella kissed Cherie's head, whispering oaths of love to her and promises to see her first thing the next morning. When she was done, she wrapped one arm around me and tugged me toward them. I wrapped one arm around Bella's shoulder while gently rubbing my hand up and down my daughter's back. To my great joy, Cherie lifted her head and smiled, reaching a hand out to rub my neck. After a far too brief family hug, Mom took Cherie again and with final goodbyes left us alone in the house.

Bella turned and wrapped her arms around me, tipping up to kiss me gently on the lips. I returned the kiss, savoring the feeling of her actually being with me once more. The dreams did not even come close to the reality of my bride. After we hugged for a long time, I finally leaned back with a chuckle.

"I don't know how you can stand to hug me, love. I must smell horrible. I haven't showered or changed clothes in several days."

She shook her head with a small smile. "You smell like you, only stronger than usual…and I don't mind a bit. I missed this smell. You must be tired though and would probably love to get cleaned up. Why don't we get you upstairs and I can help you take a bath."

I felt like a real jerk when the second she mentioned giving me a bath my arousal came to life uncomfortably within the confines of my trousers. I willed myself to behave, realizing that we needed to get used to one another again. I would never want to pressure her into bed too quickly. Besides, my physical ailment would keep me from being as active a participant as I would like.

I sighed, closing my eyes as I relished the feel of her warmth next to me…another aspect that the dreams could never replicate. "That sounds like heaven, love."

It seemed to take forever to hobble up the stairs; I was more worried about hurting Bella as she insisted on steadying me as we ascended. When we reached the floor that our bedroom was on, I was too exhausted to do much besides sleep.

We shuffled toward our bedroom when I caught sight of cheerful color through the open door of the room next to ours. I shuffled past our door to stand in the doorway, staring at the beautiful little room Bella and the girls had arranged for our baby. I imagined Bella sitting in the rocking chair nursing our tiny baby girl as she looked out of the window and thought of me. I could see the nights when she walked the floors with her while she was sick and the space where I should have been right at her side and yet wasn't. It hurt more than any broken leg ever could to know what I had missed that could never be replaced.

I wiped at an errant tear as I felt her tiny warm arms wrap around my waist, her head peeking out beside my arm. "Come on, Mr. Cullen. It's time we really curl up together in bed."

We shuffled into the bedroom and closed the door behind us. As soon as I reached the bed, I collapsed on top of it, feeling the full weight of the past few days weighing on my body. Bella reached the bed and giggled.

"I think you're too tired for a bath just now, Mr. Cullen. Let's get you out of these clothes and take a nap. Maybe you'll be able to get up and around a bit more in a few hours."

I smiled up at her, feeling my body respond to the promises of later, and yet feeling the exhaustion claim all other impulses. "Sounds like a plan, Mrs. Cullen. In the meantime, I can't wait to just hold you in my arms for real as we both sleep."

She smiled at me, her hair glowing all around her thanks to the light coming in through our bedroom window. In that moment, she was my angel, in the flesh, my light, my life, my everything.

"I love you so much," I mumbled as she stripped my shirt away, my shoe, pants, and sock already discarded to the floor.

She chuckled as she rolled me onto "my side" of the bed and whispered in my ear. "I love you too, my wonderful husband."

I smiled reaching up to pull her next to me from where I lay on my stomach, resting my arm heavily on her waist. She cuddled up to my side fully clothed and sighed. Seconds later I was in a peaceful sleep, so happy to finally truly be home.

Author's Note: I know, I know. You were hoping for the lemon meringue and I didn't provide, but it just didn't feel right in this chapter. I do promise however, that next chapter will start with some tangy lemonade. Will that promise be enough for now? I sure hope so because it's too late to turn back now :)