Where the Heart Lies

Chapter 14: Conversations & Death

Bella

Edward had fallen back to sleep after my declaration of love for him. I was glad he had heard me because I don't think I would have had the power or energy to repeat myself. It wasn't until I finally kissed him did I realize just how much I wanted all of this to work out for us. I wanted to be with him and have him as a part of my family.

"You know my daughters aren't too happy right now," Esme says the next morning as I am getting out of the bathroom.

"I kind of thought that, but I'm sorry Esme. I just don't think I could handle being with either of them right now. I know Edward might want to see them, but for now they aren't allowed," I softly say as the door opens and the girls come back in with Charlie following after them.

"How do you keep up with the two of them?" he mutters handing me a cup of coffee.

"I have lots of practice," I say softly as Esme exits the room leaving us alone.

"I wanted to know how you really are doing Bells. Emmett came into the station this morning livid that he had been blocked from seeing his brother. The girls are even more shocked that you would shut them out like you are doing," he says as I let my eyes travel to where the twins were sitting watching the TV as we waited for Edwards to wake up again.

"Dad, they hurt me when they shut me out. I need time. I know that once Edward is able to make his own mind up, he can change the ban, but right now he doesn't need that drama," I mutter looking toward him once again.

"Alright, but Bells don't let things go festering too long or you might not be able to mend the bridge you burned," he says as he goes over to the twins and kisses them goodbye. I understood what he was saying, but right now I wanted to be able to enjoy Edward. His family closed the case on him, but I didn't.

"Hey, don't think too hard," I hear his velvet voice say as I turned from the TV to look at him.

"Edward," I say as I kiss his lips.

"I could get use to this," he smirks as I see Carlie making her way over to us.

"Daddy," she cries out as I pull her into my lap to give her a better view of Edward.

"Hey there sweetie," he says as he reaches a hand out to her. She reaches out to touch it as I move closer. She then flings herself at her dad crying as he moans from the jostling or maybe pain. I go to move her, but he shakes his head. "Leave her," he mumbles as she clings to him crying. Emmalin has sat up from her spot on the sofa watching us. She has tears in her eyes.

"Come on Emmalin," Carlie mumbles as she turns to her twin. That was all the encouragement that Emmalin needed as she ran toward us making her way up my lap and to her father.

"I missed you," she mumbles into his arm. I had to smile because each girl was on either side of him under his arm. After what seemed like forever the twins cried themselves to sleep next to Edward.

"I am sorry," I finally say breaking the silence.

"Why," Edward asks as he turns to look at me.

"I know I told you how I felt last night, but I should have stayed here where I belonged," I say as he laces his fingers with mine.

"Bygones! You're here now, that's all that matters to me right now," he says smiling at me. "I was wondering if you were behind no one coming to visit me," he asks softly.

"If you want your family I will leave so that you can visit with them, but I can't be around them right now," I say looking away from him.

"Bella what happened," he asks softly pulling on my hand.

"It doesn't matter," I say giving him a small smile. "I am going to go home and get a few things. I will come back later," I say going to wake the girls up.

"Can you leave them?" he questions softly as I know he sensed what I was going to do.

"Sure," I say moving toward the door.

"Can you tell have a nurse page my dad?" he asks as I twist the knob.

"Yeah," I smile as I turn.

"Bella, please hurry back," I hear him say as I close the door. I went to the first nurse I saw and told her that Edward wanted to see his dad. I made my way out of the hospital doors before I let the tear fall.

***XOXOXOXO***

Edward

I had wondered why none of my family had come to see me, but I had a feeling things weren't so forthcoming. I knew when I asked Bella about it and she tensed up that something had happened between them while I was away.

"Edward," my dad says as he enters my room out of breath. He takes in the sight of the girls with me and no Bella. "How did you get her to leave?" he questions as he moves closer to me.

"I asked about the family," I say as he just chuckles.

"Yeah, I suppose that would clear her out," he says softly as he sits down. We talk for almost an hour as he tells me all about what had happened to our family. I hurt to hear how my sisters and Emmett turned the town against Bella and the girls. It almost killed me to hear that Bella had gone against my family because she wouldn't give up hope that I was still alive. She was the one who found me.

I finally decided to call both Rosalie and Alice, but left Emmett off because I knew he was only doing what Rosalie had told him to do. I explained to both of my sisters how disappointed I was with them and how they treated Bella. Rosalie wanted to argue with me, but I laid it all out about what Bella did for me while everyone else believed I was dead. I also told them it hurt that they hadn't even been nice to the girls. Alice apologized, but Rosalie felt that Bella was the reason for my disappearance. I would confront her another time.

It was well past night fall as I waited for Bella to return. I was nervous as hell because nothing was ever easy with us, but more so because I was worried about our relationship. I knew she wanted me in her life, but I was no longer going to be able to stand off to the side. I needed her to know it was all or nothing. I would have to bare my soul.

"Mommy," I heard a whisper in the darkness of the room.

"Shh, daddy is sleeping sweetie," she whispers as I feel the only twin being moved from me.

"Leave her," I mumble softly reaching out to stop her.

"I have Carlie on the sofa. They'll sleep better over there," Bella says softly as I feel the empty space.

"What time is it?" I question when I feel her hand on mine.

"It's after 9. I'm sorry my errands took longer than I thought," she finally says as I turn the light above the bed on with the clicker.

"You've been crying," I say as my hand ghosts over her tear stained cheeks.

"I just had a bad afternoon. I ran into someone I was trying to avoid," she mutters as I thought of only one person she might have ran into that would turn her into a mess.

"Rosalie," I say as her eyes look up to meet mine. I knew the answer from her look. "I called them after I talked with my dad. I understand why you banned them," I smirk as she gives me a small smile.

"Emmett and your dad came to Boston to tell me you had died. I ran them off, and quickly made plans to move back. I just didn't believe you were gone," she says softly as I pull her closer to me.

"Why?" I question.

"I don't know how to explain it, but I just felt you were still alive. The twins were the same way. I mean I knew if you were gone, then I would have felt it, but I didn't feel anything," she says as she looks up again at me.

"So you didn't believe I was dead due to some sort of gut feeling," I say trying to sum up what she had said.

"Yeah, it sounds silly, but I thought I would feel worse with the thought of you being dead," she caves in and says.

"I felt the same thing months ago when I heard you were in that fire. The whole drive home I knew you were alive because this hole in my soul wouldn't let me believe otherwise," I admit a little ashamed.

"What a pair we make," she finally says laughing. I smile at her because we did make a strange pair, but I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. "So tell me about yourself. We haven't really been keeping in touch," she says getting serious.

"I had a rough year right after you left. I just didn't understand everything that went on. I missed you like crazy, but Alice really helped me pull it together. I got up and began to get back to normal, well as normal as I could. I bought the little cottage by the river to get away from the family. I would spend little amounts of time at my parents, but spent the majority of my time at the hospital or my cottage. I took an overloaded amount of courses to graduate as soon as I could, this was my first year out of med school," he says with a huge grin on his face.

"That is pretty awesome," I finally say returning his smile.

"What about you?' he counters lacing his hand in mine.

"I spent my first year angry at you and the way you treated me. My dad asked me to come home and settle things, but I decided to intern at a publishing firm in Boston. I was there for two year as a copy editor and then last year I was a fully fledged Editor. I am probably the youngest Editor in the firms' history," she says proudly.

"Well you'll have to go home at some point," I whisper out as I let my heart sink knowing she'll have to leave me at some point.

"Actually I moved here indefinitely when you disappeared. I can do most of my work from my home office, and I am lucky that my boss loves me because this is what feels right to me," she whispers as she kisses me.

"Are you willing to work on us though?" I question not really wanting the answer, but needing to know.

"Yes," she says fast as I pull her to me once more to kiss her. "Plus you will need someone to watch over you as you recover. I could let you fend for yourself, but then I might be lonely," she says as she blushes from her words.

"I almost jumped on the first plane to Boston after the first face time session with the girls after seeing you half naked," I admit as she shakes her head at me.

"I thought I would see you any day after that as well," she mutters.

"Will you stay here with me," I say softly as I see her pause to think about it.

"Move over," she finally says lifting the covers and slipping in the bed right next to me. I feel her carefully place her head on my shoulder and then I wrap my arm around her.

"I missed you," I whisper out as I kissed her forehead.

"I missed you as well," she says softly snuggling her head deeper into my shoulder. I closed my eyes happy, really happy for the first time in a long time.

***XOXOXOXOXXO***

Jessica

I stood off to the side as I watched the paramedics' sliding Edward into the ambulance. I was livid that they allowed the whore to go with him. He was mine and she would have to realize that at some point. I spent the night sleeping in the garage of a neighbor's house that I knew was out of town. I couldn't go home because I saw an unmarked car parked in front of my house. So I decided to head to Rosalie's, but she wasn't home.

"What the hell did you do to Edward?" Jacob snaps at me as I knock on his door.

"I didn't do anything to the prick. I thought I could trust you," I whisper as I let a few tears slip down my cheeks.

"My dad said Charlie and his men are looking for you," he replies handing me a tissue.

"Yes, Bella is saying I hurt Edward but I didn't. It's all a misunderstanding," I say as he just nods his head.

"Can I stay here for the night?" I ask as I see him nod once more. He leads me to the small bedroom and tosses me his shirt. I change and climb into his bed. I am jostled awake a little while later by him.

"You've got to leave, Charlie is on his way," he mutters as I look at him in disbelief.

"Why?" I question.

"My friend Seth saw you in here when he came to use the bathroom. He called Charlie and they are on their way. They told me you tried to kill Bella as well," he mutters as I jump out of the bed and run for the door.

"Jessica put your hands above your head," I hear Chief Swan yell as I reach for my coat and hear two shots being fired. I felt both of them hitting me as I collapse to the ground. I was having a hard time breathing, as I wheezed my last breath I saw the rush of activity of people trying to get the situation under control. I felt empty as I passed on, no bright white light for me. All I felt was blackness.