Thank you to everyone who has been reading and recommending my story. I have been moved to a new department at the University I work at, well actually 2 departments but amazingly that means I am probably going to be less busy for the forseeable future. So while I won't promise something crazy like a chapter a week or anything I will say that I should have much more time to work on this in my down time. (I am also a student and mother to 4 kids so I don't have much downtime)

This is a big chapter for our couple.

Chapter 17

When we pull up to Alice's Edward takes a moment to kiss me, leaving me breathless.

"What was that for?" I ask.

"We are about to lose our alone time and I wanted to make sure I got one last kiss in," he replies.

We get out and he takes my hand as we walk up to the door. Alice opens up as soon as we step on the porch. We both laugh because we know she was watching from the windows.

"Hey Sis, did you take notes?" Edward teases her. She just punches him in the arm and sticks out her tongue.

"Did you have a nice time?" she asks politely. I am sure that my face is flushing as I look to the ground and Edward grins.

"Yes, we had a lovely time," he answers for us both. "Now where is our girl?"

"She's asleep in Jaimie's bed. She was great. She spent a little time worrying about you but we reminded her that you'd be back soon," Jasper says from the couch.

"Oh no, was she too upset?" I ask feeling guilty. How do parents do this? I think to myself.

"No she never got upset just nervous. She and Jamie played for a long time and then out of nowhere she started asking what time it was and how long till you got back. I think she was getting sleepy because less than an hour later she was sacked out," Alice explained.

"Thank you for keeping her," I say.

"It is not a problem. She can stay the night if you want to just come get her tomorrow," Alice offers.

Edward looks at me for some kind of indication of how I feel about that. I am so torn. Part of me really wants to let her stay so I can spend the night with Edward. However, there is a bigger part of me that says she will wake up and be terrified and I won't be there to console her. I am worried that if we don't keep our promise that she will lose her trust in us.

"I think I will wake her up and ask her if she is ready to go home. I don't want her to think we didn't come back," I say hoping it was the right decision. Edward squeezes my hand and smiles.

We walk back to Jaimie's room and peek in to see that Natalie is sitting up in the bed watching out the window. Then I know that I made the right decision.

"Natalie, honey, we're back," I say quietly.

"Mom! I woke up when I heard the car doors," she says sliding out of the bed and practically tackling me to the ground. I stumble back into Edward.

"Whoa kiddo, let's get your stuff together," Edward says catching us both.

We move her into the living room so she can speak without waking up Jaimie. She tells us all about her evening and asks about ours. We tell her we took a drive and ate Chinese food. She knows we aren't telling her something but thankfully she doesn't ask. She hugs Alice and high fives Jasper. We grin because we know that the only men she is comfortable around are Edward and my dad, so that high five was a big deal.

Alice offers to let her spend the night soon and she actually says yes. I am so happy that I hug Alice too. "Thank you," I whisper in her ear. "That little 'yes' made my night and it was already pretty perfect."

"You are more than welcome and I hope it was," she whispers back.

We say our goodbyes and head to the car. Edward is carrying all of Natalie's things while she holds my hand. We drove back to the hotel and she fell asleep on the way. Edward held my hand while he drove and it just felt so 'right'. We were a family, no matter how we started or where we were headed I knew it would be us, all of us.

When we pulled up to the hotel Edward lifted Natalie out of the car and I grabbed her stuff. We headed inside. Once in the room, Edward put Natalie in the bedroom while I set about cleaning up her bag. I was throwing her dirty clothes into the hamper when I saw him settling her into bed. He moved her blonde hair off her face and kissed her cheek. She smiled a bit and I could tell she was pretending to still be asleep.

When he returned to the living area he was chuckling. "I used to laugh at Alice because she would do that to dad but now that I am on the receiving end of the 'fake sleep' I totally get it," he said shaking his head.

"She just wanted to be your baby for a bit. I think it is about the cutest thing ever."

"Yeah and it made me think. I know it is too fast but would you consider living together?" he asked cautiously. "I mean I know you just bought a place and I don't want to intrude or for you to think I am trying to be pushy but I just can't stand the thought of being away from you girls more than I absolutely have to be."

I am shocked but not upset. He keeps going on and on and I know I have to stop him so I just rush at him and kind of throw myself in his arms. Fortunately he catches me and I start kissing his face. Between kisses I say yes over and over.

"I guess this is something you agree with then," he says laughing at me.

"Yes, I really hadn't even thought about it because like you said it is so soon but really why not!" I said pulling myself out of his arms. My thoughts are going a thousand miles a minute and I am already thinking about furniture when he starts laughing again.

"Hey babe, slow down. We will work out all the details in the morning right now I want to pull that sofa bed out and snuggle with a barely clothed brunette," he says while rubbing my arms.

"Oh gosh; I really need to find my filter! I do not know what is wrong with me."

I kiss him and then run off to change my clothes. I throw on a pair of shorts and a camisole. When I return to the living room I find him in his boxers pulling the sofa bed out. I whistle and he shakes his head. I feel so much more relaxed around him now. I guess now that the unresolved sexual tension is gone I can just focus on being with him. We put the blankets and pillows on the bed and climb in. He immediately moves us so I am lying in the crook of his shoulder.

"What do you think Natalie will think of all this?" he asks.

"I think she'll be happy. I almost feel like making these changes all at once is the best way to go," I say thinking about her therapy appointments.

"Is she still waking up at night?" he asks sounding worried. "I don't want her to find me in my underwear."

"Oh no, not really and she usually calls out for me so I don't expect to have her in the bed like the last time."

"Okay, then let me say that I can't wait till we have a room with a lock on the door. I don't plan to sleep with clothes on in a bed we share," he says sounding all too confident.

"You are pretty sure of yourself. I was thinking about separate bedrooms for a while."

"What no? That's not even right!" he says indignantly. I can't help but laugh and tickle him in those spots I found earlier. He grabs at my hands with his one free one and manages to roll us over so he is straddling my hips. I sometimes forget he is a cop and has moves. He begins tickling me and I am trying not to laugh too loudly. While I am struggling against him my top gets sideways and my breasts are on full display. It is amazing how fast the air around us changes to something charged and we are all teeth and lips and hands. Before I know it he is settled in between my legs moving against me. I want him again so badly but that responsible woman inside my head reminds me that we need protection. I gently remind him as well. He stops and lifts his head from my chest. "I know and I wouldn't dream of having sex in the living room with Natalie in the next room. I had other plans for this little make out session," he says with a smirk.

"Oh well then on that note. I will let you continue."

He smiles and dips his head to kiss me. He then rolls us onto our sides, where he pushes my top down and out of his way. Our bare chests are pressed together nicely; the light hair on his chest and stomach rubbing against my sensitive nipples. He slides his hand into my shorts to find that they are the only thing between us. "You have been panty-less this whole time?"

"Yeah, these shorts are tight and I didn't really need them," I say as he presses his finger through my lips to my clit. I start an embarrassing panting as he draws circles on my sensitive flesh. While he is working me over, I reach for his hard cock pressed into my hip. He hisses as I stroke him over his boxers so I reach to move them out of my way. He tries to stop me but I am too quick for him. "Bella, I don't want to make a mess," he warns.

"I don't plan for there to be a mess. Just relax," I say as I shuffle down the bed kissing my way to his cock. I find my prize and start with a simple flick of the tongue to which he nearly jumps off the bed. I giggle and do it again. I run my tongue around the head and then suck only the tip into my mouth. He groans so I shush him. This time he chuckles. I decided enough is enough and I take the entire head and part of the shaft into my mouth. He jerks into me and practically stabs the back of my throat so I take him into my hand to steady him. I am not one of the lucky few who have no gag reflex. I start a back and forth rhythm on him coordinating my hand and mouth. I run my tongue around the head on the upstroke and every so often apply a hard sucking motion until he is begging me to let him come. I just simply pick up the pace and he starts to shatter. I take every bit he can give me and lick him clean before sliding back up the bed. He is euphoric and serene. I feel pretty damn proud of myself.

"Oh my, that was," he starts and then takes a few deep breaths before saying, "amazing!"

I just giggle and lay my head on his chest. Before long he is asleep and I am left thinking about the events of the day. I am the most blessed woman in the world. So I say a little thank you to the man upstairs and drift off to sleep.

I am drawn out of my slumber by the most amazing pressure on my nether regions. I revel in the feeling of electricity pulsing through me when I realize that Edward is teasing me and I am missing it. I open my eyes to see that he is watching his hand as he circles my clit. "Good morning," I say.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" he asks still watching his hand.

"Pretty well, I was a little tired," I answer all the while opening my legs for him. He takes full advantage and pushes his hand further, fingers searching for my entrance. When he slides his fingers inside me I moan. He shushes me and then it's my turn to chuckle. He sets a fast pace and curls his fingers into me and I am nearly undone. He must feel the tightening because he slows down. I am now on edge and ready to explode. He slides down the bed and with my shorts pushed aside he moves so he can place his mouth on my slick and swollen skin. I am so close I am kind of embarrassed. He licks my clit while pumping his fingers inside me. With each flick of his tongue I clench around his long fingers. He sucks my clit into his mouth and flicks it while pressing his fingers against my front wall and I can't hold back any longer. I come spectacularly while he moans on my most sensitive flesh. As I am clamping down on him he is lapping up the steady flow of my arousal. I should be embarrassed but I am now way too relaxed to care.

I suddenly panic thinking we are in here doing this and Natalie could be up. I look at the clock on the wall above the T.V. and see that it is only five a.m. I am relieved. "Why are you up so early?" I ask.

"I don't know. Working nights has my inner clock all jacked up. I woke up to this gorgeous woman and just couldn't stop my wondering hands. I was hoping you'd wake up or I would've felt like a total pervert."

"How long had you been, well you know, before I woke up?" I asked embarrassed.

"Only a minute or so; you were moaning quietly so I knew you were enjoying it."

"Yes I quite enjoyed that. Can we try to go back to sleep before Natalie wakes us up at seven?"

"Yes, but I have to use the restroom first. I'll be back," he says before kissing me and sliding out of the bed.

When he returns I head to the bathroom to get cleaned up. When I return we curl up together and fall back to sleep easily. After a while, I start to hear little feet walking around. My eyes open to see her standing at the side of the couch looking at us.

"Hi baby, good morning," I say.

"Hi mom," she says looking puzzled. I give her a minute to decide if she wants to ask me something. She walks away and goes to fix herself some cereal. I get up and follow her. "How bout we make some breakfast?" I ask.

She looks toward the living room and smiles. "Okay. Pancakes?" she asks.

"Sounds good to me!" Edward says from the bed. I giggle and Natalie starts laughing. He reaches for his jeans on the floor next to the bed and slips them on quickly while Natalie is finding the pancake mix for me. We start the pancakes as she tells us about the silly dreams she had. Our life is so normal now. I mean we still live in a hotel and we just buried her mother but for us, it's about as normal as it can get.

Natalie starts placing plates and silverware on the counter while I turn to the stove and flip the pancakes. She is just chattering away to Edward about her new school and the new house. I smile thinking about how happy she is. I can't wait for the next step. I finish the pancakes and grab the syrup.

"Let's eat!" I say placing everything on the counter. We start filling up our plates and Natalie digs right in. I look to Edward for some sort of permission to tell her our news. He stares at me trying to figure out what I am looking at him for. Once it dawn on him he smiles and nods ever so slightly.

"So Natalie, we will be moving into the new house in a few days. I need to know what you want me to get from the apartment for you," I start.

"Oh gosh, I really don't want to go back there," she says looking down at her food and dragging her fork through a puddle of syrup.

"I know honey, that's why you and Alice are going to set up the new place while Edward and I move out of the apartments," I assure her.

"Oh good. I don't really need anything from the apartment. Maybe the new clothes I got and some toys. Most of my stuff was really old but I'd like to keep my new stuff; mom bought some of it," she says.

"Ok then I will pack up all the new stuff in one box and maybe I can just pack the rest into another and we can go through it and donate what you don't want; when you're ready," I say hoping she understands that I don't want her to just throw away her old life. "I have something to ask you; how would you like it if Edward moved into the new house with us?"

She drops her fork and looks up. "Really? Like live with us; like a family?" she says excitedly.

He answers for me, "Yes, exactly like a family."

"Oh! My! Gosh! I would love that!" she says bouncing in her seat.

"Okay then, I suppose that settles it. We are going to be a family in our new house," I laugh. Everything just feels so 'right'. We may have met under terrible circumstances a month ago but it feels right. I am nervous that I am rushing but I can't deny the way this feels. I decided to call my dad and talk about all of this.

After breakfast Edward has to leave so he can go to work. He promises me he'll call me after work and then at some point I need to meet his mother. That thought scares the heck out of me for reasons I haven't been willing to think about. He kisses me good bye and give Natalie a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"I love you both," he says. Natalie's eyes light up.

"I love you too," she says as tears start to well up in her beautiful eyes. She hugs him with all the force her little body can muster. I had heard her tell me she loved me and I tell her all the time but this was the first time he had said it. She was overwhelmed. It was the most beautiful thing I had seen.

"Edward, can I call you dad?" she asked, "It's okay if you say no, I just wanted to know."

"I would love that," he says.

"I love you, daddy."

It is that moment that all my fears and concerns vanish. I know we are moving fast and I know that it feels right but now I know that we were meant to be a family.