Chapter 14: Angela's Visit

~Bella~

My first week of college had gone by in a blur, and by the weekend I had a mountain of homework. My classes began in the afternoon and ran on in to the evening, and those were the ones I shared with Edward, and Alice. Emmett and Rosalie were taking the semester off, which was more or less a blessing, because when Esme couldn't watch Renesmee they could. As I sat in the bed I shared with my husband, my notes and a few books spread on the surface, I heard our daughter crying. Edward was with her trying to put her down for a nap, something she desperately needed after a long night of fussing last night. It was difficult to believe that she was already five months old, and that she could crawl short distances, and sit up unsupported if we helped her into that position.

As I began to read the book required for my English Victorian Literature and Culture class, I also took notes on key points blocking out anything other than what I was reading. The book was one written by George Eliot, an author I had heard of but had never really read any books by her. The Mill on the Floss was required reading and I needed to have most of Book First completed before the end of next week. One thing I could say was that the text was very descriptive, though I found it hard to really get in to what I was reading and jotted that down in my notes. If we had to do a paper on this, maybe I could use that as an angle to some extent.

I heard the door to our room being opened but didn't look up as I began writing more notes before chewing on the end of my pen. The mattress sinking down beside me did little to keep me from what I was doing, though when I heard Renesmee whimper I glanced over at them. We had spoiled her by letting her sleep with us enough so that she despised her crib. I wanted to try and work on that but didn't know when I would have time to.

My baby reached her hand out and I leaned over and kissed it before going back to work on the book. By the time I finished two chapters she was asleep on Edward's chest and I was ready for a break already. "Maybe Alice was right," I said as I shut the book putting it on top of my notebook.

"About?" he questioned.

"About dropping a few classes and just doing this part time. I guess you were right too when you told me I can't do everything. I don't want to miss out being with you or our baby, and this week I've barely seen her. It's driving me crazy." I knew if I was feeling this way now another month of it and I would be ready to quit all together.

"Which class do you think you might get rid of?" he asked softly.

"French for sure, maybe Psychology as well," I answered moving all my stuff off of the bed before I settled on my side beside Edward and our baby. I reached out tracing my fingers over her soft cheeks. "We need to get her used to her crib, but I can't stand letting her cry," I admitted. We were both bad about picking her up the moment she cried, and I kept thinking about all the books which said that letting a baby cry was healthy. Carlisle advised us to put her in there when she was happy with some of her favorite toys which sitting in the rocking chair, but so far that didn't work, the moment she knew she was going in there she pitched a fit.

My husband was quiet for a moment, "I think we need to just let that happen. Eventually she will be ready for sleeping in her crib, and she does pretty well once we get her to sleep."

While he rested in our bed with Renesmee, I went downstairs to fix a snack before starting to work on my Calculus. I'd just finished fixing a ham sandwich when my cell went off. I grabbed it off of the counter and found Angela on the other end, "Hey, how was the Honeymoon?"

"So wonderful. Maui was amazing." Angela told me all about her trip, and I was glad for my hands-free which allowed me to eat and talk to her at the same time.

"How is everything on your end?"

"Busy. I just finished my first week of school and I'm already thinking about dropping down to just doing it part time. I didn't think it would be so hard, but I have a baby who needs me and I barely got to see her this week."

"I still can't believe you didn't say anything," Angela teased, though I felt bad.

"I know, it was just a really hard time for us."

"Well I did have a purpose for this call. Ben and I are actually going to be in Hanover next weekend. There is some sort of extra curricular study going on so I was hoping maybe you and I could meet up for lunch on Saturday."

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't imagine having time, "I'll have to see what things look like and talk it over with Edward."

Again Angela understood and after we hung up, and I finished my lunch I went back upstairs to try and make a dent in my studies.

~Edward~

With Renesmee still asleep against my chest, I glanced over at my wife who continued to press on with her studies. I knew how determined she was to make everything work the way she wanted, but also noticed the change. Our earlier talk brought me to the conclusion that she was realizing she couldn't do everything. A year ago I would have tried to make her do things my way, but again I was also changing. Bella had a right in making decisions for herself, but was also considerate enough to include me and our daughter when she made them.

When she finished her Calculus she took another break and settled next to me on her side. "Angela called. She and Ben are going to be in town next week for some sort of class through their school. I was thinking maybe she could come over Saturday for lunch. She already knows about Renesmee and she respects the fact that we want to keep things with our daughter private."

I remembered seeing her at the airport the weekend of her wedding and was touched by her reaction when she found out we had a baby, and that my wife hadn't said anything to her. Angela had always been a true friend to Bella and I saw now reason why that couldn't happen. "I think we could arrange that," I agreed as she lifted up on her right arm and leaned toward me. We shared a kiss before she sat fully up ready to get back to work.

After Renesmee woke up from her nap, and Bella nursed her we laid her in her carriage and took a walk together as a family. It was chilly enough that we had to put a sweater on her, but her body temperature ran higher, so that was all she needed. As I pushed the carriage, Bella held my hand and we were both quiet.

"It's so beautiful here. How long do you think we can stay, you know, before we have to move again?"

"Maybe two or three more years," I said rubbing the pad of my thumb over Bella's hand. Renesmee had turned over on her stomach and was chewing on the edge of he soft blanket we had put under her. I was hopeful that by the time we moved she would be better able to handle the changes in her day to day life, and knew we needed to try and expose her to more things once she was a little older.

We turned around and headed home when we arrived at the fork in the driveway, the other road led to Carlisle and Esme's and was almost two miles away, too long a walk with the threat of rain that I could smell in the air. Renesmee was settled against Bella's shoulder having grown tired of the ride in the carriage and was alert as we headed home. "How much more studying to you have planned for tonight?" I asked.

"I want to get Sociology out of the way, then I'll quit," Bella answered as Renesmee patted her left cheek,laughing when my wife nibbled her fingers. Going for a walk seemed to have lightened all our moods. I had homework to do as well, but for me it was easy, and I could get it done in two hours once I got started.

Once we were at home, Bella put our daughter in her exersaucer, winding the mobile that hung on a bar that stretched from the left side of the saucer to the right. I'd never seen an exersaucer before, but our daughter liked it most of the time, mostly because she could stay in a standing position.

When our baby was settled, Bella came over and sat down on the sofa next to me, "What happened to homework," I said nuzzling my nose against her neck.

Bella sighed moving closer to me, "I have Sunday too, and I want to spend time with you," she answered. I wrapped my fingers around her hand and for a while we sat watching our baby play.

~Bella~

The next week of school was as overwhelming as the first week had been and by Friday,I had made an appointment with my adviser not at all upset by having to cut my work load down and go only part time. The big reason for doing that, aside from my sanity was that Renesmee was having a really tough time as a result of my being gone so much of the time. We came to that conclusion because when I did take the time to really be with her she was happy and playful.

By Friday I'd already spoken with Angela and given her directions on how to get out to the house. She was coming alone because Ben had made plans to go to Boston. As I sat through the last half hour of English Lit, I was only partially listening. My mind was on my life, and how to try and manage the few classes I was going to keep taking, and figure out a way to plan our daughter's day better.

Class came to an end, and after I gathered my things I met Edward outside the building. It was dark now and I was ready to go home and have a good weekend with him and our friend.

"Esme phoned," he said as we made our way across campus, "She and Carlisle are at our house. They both agree that they will try watching her there when we are gone," he informed and I was glad. My mind was already on mommy mode, and on the fact that I hadn't had any real time alone with my husband in over a week. My body craved his touch, and as I thought about that I felt my stomach tighten a little. Please let her be asleep, I thought as we got in the car and started on the drive home. I was so consumed by the thoughts of the last time Edward and I made love, that I hadn't realized the car was stopped, not until my door opened and he pulled me out of the car crushing my body to his as his lips came down hard and unyielding against my own.

I had no idea where we were and didn't care as his hands slipped my shirt from the confines of the slacks I had been wearing and moved under to touch my bare skin. Edward broke the kiss but I grasped at his head trying to pull him back to me, "I need you," I whispered huskily. It was an unseasonably warm evening, or maybe what my husband was doing to me was causing me to feel warm. His lips were all over me kissing my neck, and moving lower as he revealed more of my skin when unbuttoning my blouse. His hands traveled behind my back as I pressed kisses over his firm cool chest flicking my tongue against his tits, hearing his sharp intake of breath.

Suddenly I was in his arms and he was running, I wasn't sure to where and didn't care as he continued to kiss my neck around to my ear. When we stopped he laid me down on a soft blanket and again I didn't try to think about anything but him. I needed his touch, I needed him to fill me up, and didn't have to wait long for any of that.

It didn't take long for me to orgasm, and as I tried to catch my breath, Edward kept moving inside of me pressing his fingers into my folds finding my clit. He pinched and tugged the small bundle of nerves until I felt my body reacting, realizing that I was about to experience another orgasm.

I spread my legs open before lifting them up and wrapping them around his waist, locking them around him as he drove deeper inside of me. He whispered my name into my ear as he drove faster and deeper inside of me. This time he came after me, and after his release with his hard length still inside of me Edward rolled us over pulling the blanket around us.

"How did you know?" I breathed still trying to remember how to do that one simple act.

"I could smell you," he whispered.

We stayed there for a few more minutes before we got back into our clothes, and I got a good look around. We were in a forest in a small clearing and I touched the blanket we had been resting on. "Where did this come from?" I asked as I picked it up and folded it.

"I had it in the back of my car just in case we needed it," he said simply and that surprised me.

As I took his hand I couldn't help but smile. "So are you planning any more of these spontaneous stops?"

"Perhaps," he said as we stopped and shared another kiss. "Right now we better get home to our daughter."

I liked that idea and followed his lead back to our car which was parked on a dirt road.

~*~

The next morning after Edward fixed me breakfast and gave Renesmee a bath, he headed over to Carlisle and Esme's. He and his brothers were going hunting in Vermont and wouldn't be back until much later in the day. I knew he was doing that to give me time with Angela and had plans on how to thank him tonight.

"You have to be good for me and go to bed on time," I told my daughter as I sat holding her while she drank from her bottle. She could hold the four ounce bottles on her own, and was her usual very attentive self as I talked to her. This was the last bottle of blood she would get until Ang left.

When she wasn't interested in her bottle she pushed it out with her tongue sucking on her fingers as I lifted her to my shoulder and patted her back.

After she burped and I was sure she had on a dry diaper I put her down in her exersaucer, finding that was a Godsend when I needed to get other things done. Angela would be here right at noon, and Renesmee would be ready to go down for her nap around twelve thirty which gave us real time to visit.

With my baby content to play on her own I pulled out my Biology book and began going over some terms. I didn't get very far before Alice called out from the front of the house. "In here," I said using my normal tone of voice, aware that I really didn't have to tell her that. My sister was interested in visiting with Angela as well and when she came into the kitchen she had three casserole dishes in her hand, laying them on the counter.

"Esme did some cooking last night," Alice explained and we both laughed.

When the dishes were in the refrigerator, we went into the den. Renesmee was chewing on one of the plastic monkeys attached to a circular bar in front of her and smiled when she saw her aunt.

As I had guessed, the moment Alice saw my daughter wearing a pair of soft warm sweat pants and a plain white onesie, she began to complain at once. "Bella, you have company coming, we can't leave her like that," Alice was saying.

Renesmee reached for her aunt and Alice lifted her out hugging her and kissing her cheeks. "Let's go find a pretty dress," Alice said and in a moment I was standing by myself shaking my head.

I took that time to straighten up a little, not that there was much to do. Edward and I both kept things clean since Renesmee was crawling, and I was glad I had a husband who cared to help out.

"Much better," Alice said as she re-entered the room. Renesmee was wearing a sky blue dress that fanned out around her knees. On her small feet were pink satin shoes that reminded me of something a ballerina would wear.

My baby reached for me and I took her cradling her in my arms as I kissed her cheeks and nibbled her neck. She laughed, and I joined her. "Did Alice make you get all dressed up?"

Renesmee smiled at me reaching up to pat my lips. After kissing her fingers, I took her over to the blanket Alice had spread out and laid her down on her stomach. My daughter reached out and grabbed a soft rattle shaped like a butterfly before rolling on to her back to play with it.

"Doesn't she look cute?" Alice asked as we sat down on the sofa.

"Yes, but she can't crawl around in her dresses, at least not very well," I said, knowing when to give up.

"Renesmee will go to sleep on time tonight," my sister threw out and I understood the reason she was telling me that. I'd learned to live with her visions, and couldn't complain about her having them.

"I'm going in to talk to my adviser Monday, how do you see that turning out?"

Alice was silent for a second as her eyes unfocused then she smiled. "That is going to work out well for you. Have you had a chance to use the lingerie we got for your anniversary?"

"Not yet, but maybe tonight," I said.

We sat talking until Angela arrived. Renesmee was still on the blanket sitting up on her own as she examined her musical Dumbo while he played his song.

"She is so cute," Angela observed as I picked her up and brought her over to the sofa. My daughter watched Angela as my friend talked to her, leaning back against my chest unsure of the new person she was seeing.

It was when Angela found one of her rattles and began to gently shake it that my baby began to warm up to her, though she made no move to leave my arms. Once Renesmee was occupied with her toy, we all got a chance to talk for a while.

"Everything seems to be happening so fast, is that how it felt with you when you found out you were having her?" Angela asked as my daughter held my best friends finger.

"We were going to move here and go back to school but I had such a hard time with the pregnancy right off that I couldn't really handle going anywhere. Did you two get into married housing?"

"Yes. I almost thought we wouldn't. If that would have happened we were prepared to rent a place, but now that we are there we can focus on school, and us."

Alice came in from the kitchen telling us that lunch was served and I handed Renesmee to her, feeling my heart tug when my baby began to fuss. My sister had things under control and bundled Renesmee up before taking her outside for a walk.

"I bet it really helps having them all so close," Angela said as we started to eat.

"Yes. My daughter is going to be the most spoiled child in New Hampshire."

For a while we ate in silence, and that was one thing I liked about Angela. There was never an uncomfortable silence, we talked if we had something to say, or if we didn't we could just do what we needed to, in this case have lunch.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

My heart beat picked up a little, "Sure, ask away."

"I always wondered if there was something more to your family, something special about them."

"There is, which is why we have to be so careful."

Angela smiled at me and that was the last time she brought anything up. I'd have to tell Edward when he got home to see what he thought, but doubted we had anything to worry over.

By the time Angela left, Renesmee was still awake and was watching as Alice put pieces of a peg puzzle into place. Alice was holding her with one arm, and my baby was chewing on one of the pieces not in use.

"Did you hear what Angela asked while we were eating?" Curious to know if Alice had seen that coming and if so what she thought. If we were in danger we would have to find a way to deal with that, but Alice didn't seem worried.

"I did hear, but I don't see that ever being a problem. I think Angela knows something is different, but she isn't willing to risk hurting any of us by trying to find out," Alice explained as Renesmee leaned out for me.

It had been a long week and a long morning, so when Alice left I went upstairs and changed my daughters diaper before taking her to my room. I settled in bed with her, resting on my side while she nestled close to me nursing. Monday would be a big day for me, but that was still two days off and I wasn't going to worry about it. Making the choice to be a part time student was the right one for me and my family and they were my life now.

~*~*~

AN: I'm still on that role and I hope you guys aren't going crazy trying to keep up. This is it till next weekend, no really it is. :) But to tide you all over I'm including a few paragraphs of the next chapter which is primarily EPOV. Thank you all for all the fantastic reviews. I'm really happy you guys like all this gushy family stuff I'm doing and hopefullly the rest too. Thanks again

~Ella~

Okay so this is in Bella's POV, but for the most part it is Edward. Not edited yet either, so subject to changes.

I left my bag in the Foyer and climbed the stairs as quietly as I could and reaching the top heard Edward's soft hum. I stopped at our daughter's door watching as he paced the room gently patting her bottom as she rested against his chest while he paced.

When he turned to walk toward the door he smiled at me and I went to him moving to his left side finding our baby asleep. Instead of finding her in a dress, Renesmee was wearing a sleeper with Pink and blue strips and little bunny faces on each foot of the outfit. They still had to make her look good even in her pajamas, and I smiled.

At our daughter's crib Edward leaned over the bar and I watched him as he carefully settled her on the mattress. Renesmee cried out, but settled as he turned her on her stomach and rubbed her back. Seeing him take care of her did funny things to my heart. He had once thought himself a monster, but how could anyone place a label on him like that when he was so good with our baby girl.