Chapter 15: Going with the Flow

~Edward~

Watching Bella sleep was still something I enjoyed. I never tired of that nor holding her in my arms, feeling her heart beat against my own chest as she rested half on top of me. At the same time my hearing picked up Renesmee's heartbeat. Both of my girls were relaxed and safe. That we had managed to have such a carefree life for this long still impressed me, though always in the back of my mind I kept alert as did the rest of my family. None of us had forgotten Alice's promise to Aro, though Caius was still obsessed with tracking down a legend nearly as old as our own. They could do what they wanted so long as they continued not to think about us.

The rustling of covers and a soft thump drew my attention away from my thoughts and as I listened I heard Renesmee's heart beat picking up. My daughter was waking up. Carefully I wrapped my arms around Bella gently supporting her as I turned over shifting her back to the mattress and her pillow. My wife sighed but did not awaken as I got out of the bed, pulling on a pair of pajama bottoms before heading down the hall to Renesmee's room.

Our baby was laying on her stomach now awake as she sucked her fingers and grasped at one of her soft rattles. As I leaned down to get her she rolled on her back and blinked her eyes, smiling at me as I lifted her against my shoulder. "There's a good stretch," I whispered while patting her back, taking her the few steps to her dressing table. Not needing anymore light than what was already there I laid my baby down on the soft diaper pad, holding another rattle out for her so she wouldn't start fussing. Once she had it I got down to the business of getting her cleaned up, something that I could do most of the time in thirty seconds, sometimes less if I was truly focused.

While I snapped her sleeper back in to place, Renesmee lifted her rattle up toward me. I pulled at it gently and she let go smiling as though she had meant for me to have it. "Thank you," I told her leaning in to kiss her baby soft cheeks. She laughed, and I chuckled before picking her back up. "Momma says you need to be awake less at night," I told her as we made our way down to the kitchen. While I got her bottle from the refrigerator, Renesmee bounced in my arms ready for some action. It was clear that she was ready to play, something I normally let her do since I didn't need to worry about sleep, but my wife had a point. Bella had reminded me that our daughter was part human and needed to sleep as much as she could at night.

I pondered that a little as I turned my baby around letting her face out as we waited for her bottle to warm. Humans needed to sleep at night in order to function better during the day. There was much more to it than that, and I was beginning to notice how fussy Renesmee was by the end of the day. For nearly a century, I had been on this earth and there wasn't any amount of reading I could do to prepare me for the reality of being a father.

A few minutes later, I held my daughter cradled in my left arm as she drank the donated blood. Carlisle and I had begun talking about when we needed to transition her from that to animal blood. Carlisle was still trying to analyze the blood sample he'd gotten when Renesmee was born. That initial sample had helped him determine if he would need to give her vaccinations. Tomorrow he would get another one, at her six month appointment, and I wasn't looking forward to putting my baby in pain.

When her bottle was empty my daughter was still very much awake reaching for my lips, laughing when I nibbled her tiny fingers. Upstairs I heard my wife stirring, but stayed where I was letting our baby stand up on my lap. Renesmee bounced as she did when she was in her exersaucer before putting her tiny hands against my bare chest. As she sat down, finding the string to my pajama pants I looked from her to my wife who had on a pair of gray sweats and a long t-shirt, one of mine.

"We were about to try going upstairs," I said when she raised a brow before smiling at me. Sometimes she grew frustrated when I didn't agree with what she said, but that was a two way street.

"I thought I heard her laughing."

"You might have, she was pretty happy just a second ago," I said as our baby chewed on the strings to my pajamas. "Should we try and put her back to bed."

"Yes," My wife said.

I stood up and when our baby saw Bella, she leaned out ready for some Mommy Time.

~*~

Morning came all to soon, though before Bella's alarm could go off I shut it off myself, wanting to wake her my way. Renesmee had taken her time falling asleep last night and wouldn't be awake anytime soon. Since this was another Monday, the first of October, we didn't have the time to do much more than cuddle and kiss. I moved my body closer to her once it was warmed by the the electric blanket and spooned up against her bare back. My wife sighed scooting against me and I wrapped my arms around her tracing my lips from between her shoulder blades up to the back of her neck.

"I don't want to get up," Bella grumbled.

"You could always call in sick. Alice says it's going to be a sunny day and once you're turned you will have to get used to that."

Bella grumbled, "And until I am I should behave." She rolled over and our lips met in an all consuming kiss. It took focused control not to love her with my whole being, and as I finished getting her undressed and was hovering over her, we both knew how very late she would be.

An hour and a half later we were in my new Volvo with our daughter in the back seat asleep. Today there hadn't been time to even drop Renesmee off with Rosalie or Esme. I'd moved her from her crib to the infant seat while Bella was getting in to the car, hoping she would sleep until I got her home.

"What are you thinking?" I asked as I took my wife's hand.

"About my test in Calculus," Bella murmured looking out the window.

"You will do fine. You got through the one I made up before the hour was finished, and I can guarantee that anyone else will be a breeze."

She nodded.

"What else are you thinking, love?"

Bella turned to face me. "Are you sure you don't mind sitting out this semester."

"Is that why you've been so quiet these past few weeks?" When her head nodded I brought her hand to my lips. "You need to stop worrying about that. I've been a college student more times than I can count. What I don't get to do more than once is to be a father, and don't you start fretting over that either. You going to college is what we agreed on. It's working out fine for me to bring Renesmee on compass when it's rainy, and so far no one has really been paying attention."

"No one knows us well enough yet," Bella pointed out.

"But that doesn't mean you need to stay closed off. You can make friends, even tell them your married if you choose to. I'm not sacrificing anything, just loving you more all the time for being the strong woman you are," I told her.

We were at a stop light and she gave me a kiss. After that I quizzed her on theoretical problems she might see on her test.

After dropping her off I sat in the parking lot watching as she hurried off toward class. I was glad Jasper and Alice were now enrolled as students part time at night, something Bella had asked of my sister.

Once she was out of sight I pulled out of the parking lot and headed for Carlisle and Esme's so Renesmee could get her check up.

When I pulled my car in back of the house, Rosalie and Emmett greeted me. "You're late," Rose pointed out as I got out of the car and she opened the passenger one on my side. Renesmee had been awake for ten minutes trying to figure out a way to get her foot in her mouth, and when Rosalie lifted her out I noticed how wet the feet part of her pajamas was on the left side.

"Let's get you dressed so you can look like a princess," Rosalie cooed.

"Rose, Carlisle needs to see her first, and she needs to be fed."

I'm not sure she heard me as she walked on in to the house and Emmett chuckled. "It was so nice of you and Bella to have a baby for Rosalie to dress up," he joked.

As we entered the kitchen Rosalie glared at him. She was getting Renesmee undressed while holding her on her lap and Carlisle had everything he needed. Grandpa wasn't going to be very liked in a minute, but the moment he held my daughter in his arms Renesmee began to smile. Once he had given her a hug and kiss Carlisle laid her down on the changing pad Rosalie had put on the kitchen table.

"Rosalie if you will hold this at the top of her head," Carlisle instructed as he took the strip of measuring tape out and got her length.

"You are growing into a healthy little girl," Carlisle said as Renesmee reached her hands for him. She laughed more as he nibbled them and her feet, finally getting a toe in her mouth as my father measured around her head.

As he finished Esme came in from the garden and washed her hands before joining us.

My mother removed Renesmee's diaper and laid her down on the baby scale, and as she did Renesmee gasped and the fun of the moment was gone as she began to cry.

I lifted her bare body against me as Rosalie gave me a blanket. "Shh," I crooned not sure what scared her, but guessing the sudden move from the table to the scale had confused her.

When Renesmee was calm again I put a clean diaper on her cradling her in my arms as Carlisle got what he needed to get her blood. Rosalie left the room and Emmett followed her, but Esme stayed putting her hand on my shoulder for support as Carlisle swabbed my daughter's heal. The needle went in to her skin without any trouble and my daughter cried so hard that I had to blow gently in her face to remind her to breath once it was all over.

After wrapping her in the soft, pink polar fleece blanket Rosalie handed to me I carried my crying baby outside and sat down in the swing humming to her as she continued to cry against my chest. I'd seen her angry before, but not quite this bad and I felt helpless wanting to take away the pain and hurt she felt.

Fifteen minutes later Renesmee was finally settling down, though her little chest heaved every time she would draw in a breath.

Quietly Esme came out with a bottle of Bella's milk and I took it gratefully offering it to her. Renesmee held on with her tiny hands and shut her eyes. "I felt like knocking down a few walls," I admitted as Esme sat next to us on the swing. "I had hoped she would have skin as tough as ours."

"Carlisle shouldn't need to take anymore blood after this," she assured and I nodded glancing back at my baby, hoping she could forgive me for subjecting her to the stick of the needle.

I had intended on helping Esme with some landscaping, but found myself unable to give up my hold on my baby. A cool wind ruffled through my daughter's soft bronze curls causing her to shutter. It wasn't the cold, and though I knew that, getting her back into the house was my first thought once we had both seemed to calm down.

~Bella~

After finishing my test I felt pretty good about the outcome. As I walked across campus my mind was on this morning and exactly how my husband had gotten my day going. It was difficult to focus on walking without running in to anybody while my mind was else-where, but I managed and would be glad to see Edward and our baby when I went home for a few hours before my three night classes began. In the beginning I had been ready to drop back to part time, but Edward presented me with an idea of him staying out and being with our daughter pretty much full time. I had been weary because I didn't want to miss my time with her either, but with the huge space in between classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and only three morning classes on Tuesday's and Thursday's it was all working out pretty good. My life was busier than it had ever been but that was how I liked it.

In my Literature class we all got in to groups to discuss the various chapters of The Mill on the Floss. As a group we were going to present chapters five through seven of Book First. It was pretty evident that only three of us had actually read the chapters so some of the time was spent getting the other two girls in my group caught up. The period ended with us having a working outline going and since I was the only one with a working printer I was going to go home and try and fine tune it.

While gathering my books to head for the parking lot Karen waited for me. "Have you read this all before?"

"Not until this year, but I'm a book worm and that helps," I said as we headed outside.

"You don't stay on campus do you? I'm sorry, I'm just curious."

I smiled at her, "No I have a baby at home, so I pretty much take my classes and go home."

She nodded and her quite manor reminded me a little of Angela. As she headed toward the Music and Drama department, I made my way to the parking lot finding Alice in her Porsche.

Once I was buckled in she took off. "How was the check up?" I asked.

"She hasn't forgiven them for subjecting her to such horrible torture. Every time we think she's going to laugh she starts to cry again."

My heart began to ache and I was glad that my baby was healthy and didn't have to deal with shots and getting stuck on a regular basis. Once we were at my house, I thanked Alice and headed for the door, wanting to see my baby and my husband. Usually Edward would greet me, but when I walked in the house was quiet. 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. Silently I went to them 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 stripes and little bunny faces on each foot of the outfit. My sisters 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.

When our baby was finally settled down we walked downstairs hand in hand. "How do you feel you did on the test?" Edward asked me on the way to the kitchen.

All I could do was smile, "You prepared me well, it was actually pretty easy." He was about to leave me so I tugged on his hand. Edward turned and knowing what I wanted he pulled me into his arms. We only got as far as a few kisses before we both heard our baby cry. "My turn," I said ready to face being a Mom, hoping I could make her feel better.

With My daughter sitting on my lap shaking her butterfly shaped rattle, I looked over what I had dictated to Edward to type since she wasn't willing to let me put her down. He had gone over to his parents to help out like he had intended to do this morning. With his help I had been able to finish something that would have taken me three hours on my own. We made a good team.

"I think that's it," I said kissing my baby's head and inhaling her sweet scent. Renesmee pulled her rattle to her mouth chewing on one of the wings as I leaned forward and slid some paper into the printer. When it finished I left it with my Lit. book and stood up settling my daughter against my shoulder as we went downstairs to have some lunch. This morning we would have fed her rice cereal for the first time, but other things happened and that put a smile on my face as I got the box and read the instructions. I put in enough for a few bites, wanting her to just have a little like her Grandpa suggested.

Afraid she would do a back flip out of my arms, I turned her and held her against my hip smiling as she found a bunny foot and tried to pull it into her mouth. Once I'd gotten the amount of cereal in her small bowl and mixed it with some of my milk I was about to take her to the table when my husband came back, "That was fast," I said glad he was here. I sat down and pulled a bib around Renesmee's neck, snapping it in place as she began to try and figure out what we were doing to her.

"It wasn't a big job. She's been happy," he said smiling at both of us.

"She needed Mommy," I answered grinning back. I watched my husband's face as he took the first bite of cereal and presented it to our daughter. He opened his mouth just like any father who had done this before would do and I looked over Renesmee's shoulder watching as she did the same. Her facial expressions had me giggling as she tried to figure out what Edward had just offered her, but after a second she seemed ready for more. If this all went well she would start some sort of vegetable in a few days.

After Edward fed her the last bite, Renesmee reached for the spoon seeming to want more, but Carlisle advised us to start out with just a little at first. When she dropped the spoon I got the bib off and turned her to face me letting her stand on my lap. She smiled reaching for my nose. "You are such a big girl," I told her, causing her to smile more. It was times like these when I missed being with her all of the time.

~Edward~

Once Alice, Jasper, and Bella left for their evening classes, I took our daughter up for her bath. She was fine now, and I wondered if Bella noticed just how much she lit up when my wife was around. "You love your Momma don't you?" I asked her as I finished filling her baby bath.

My baby was all smiles as I put her in the small tub and even splashed a little as I got her clean. Wrapped in a hooded towel, my little one began to wind down and a few yawns escaped as I carried her into her room. Bella had been able to nurse her a couple of times when she was here and had nursed her again before she left. In spite of that my baby was used to being rocked to sleep while drinking from a bottle or from Bella, and once she was dressed in her soft floral night gown I carried her downstairs and heated a bottle for her.

"I know you're sleepy," I crooned as she fussed a little. That stopped once she was cradled in my arms. I took her back to her room settling in the light blue recliner there, glad my sisters hadn't used all pink when they decorated Renesmee's room. Her eyes shut before she even had the bottle half empty and by the time it was almost gone her fingers slipped away. I eased it from her mouth and put it on the table close by before lifting her to my shoulder. She burped, and I thought of Emmett who liked to rate those, and had since she was born.

Once she was down for the count I went to my room finding a text from Bella saying she had left something she needed. I replied and dialed Rosalie, "I need you or someone to come sit with the baby. Bella has something she needs from me."

My sister readily agreed as I knew she would and would be disappointed that her niece was in bed for the night.

Once they arrived, I got in my Vanquish and started it up loving that you could barely hear it. It didn't take me long to get to the college and as I did I found Bella waiting with Alice and Jasper close by.

"You are a life saver, and I'm clueless."

Before she could leave me I pulled her into my arms. "No, just a busy woman, and a woman I love."

"Edward, she has class," Alice reminded.

It was difficult but I let her go and decided to go for a drive and wait for them to finish. Renesmee would be asleep for the next five hours, and if I was needed Rosalie would let me know.

My thoughts were of my wife and how we had spent the morning. That time was too short and I wanted to have another weekend with her and soon. We didn't even have to leave the house, but I needed to be with Bella and show her just how much I loved her. I took the Vanquish out of town and on a long strip of road that was pretty deserted. I pushed it to the limits able to focus on everything around me, but was unable to keep my wife from my thoughts.

Finally, it was time to go back and get her. As I drove back through town, I thought of where we could go just for a few hours, and idly wondered if Bella was even aware of what I wanted to do to her. When I parked my car I had to focus on controlling myself. I could never hurt her at this point, but my need was strong and I took in deep breaths even though I didn't need to. I chuckled wondering if Alice knew this was coming and would warn my wife.

The moment she was in the car with me, Bella's heart rate was the first thing I picked up on. I took her hand in mine and pulled out seeing Alice smiling as we left.

"Rose and Emmett took the baby with them," Bella whispered.

Her words were exactly what I needed to hear. I got us home in record time and had her half undressed before we even got out of the car. Bella wasn't far behind me as far as my clothes were concerned and before I could move her warm hands were stroking my swollen member.

"Bella, Bella," I whispered jerking off the seat as she squeezed tighter.

When I couldn't take anymore I moved her hand away and pulled my jeans together enough to get out of the car and get her in my arms.

The moment we were in the door I put Bella on her feet pulling her back against me as I brushed my lips over her neck, "Do you know how much I want you right now?" I breathed and heard her whimpering.

I pulled her shirt over her head and had her bra off a second later. Reaching around her with my right hand I cupped that breast moving my thumb over her nipple as I felt her legs giving. With my other arm I pulled her strong against me pushing my bulging flesh against her bottom.

"Edward, I need you," Bella gasped. Tilting her head back. I brought my lips down on hers kissing her until I had to let her go so she could breath. I didn't stop there as I pressed my lips to her shoulder while getting her slacks down and then my own. We stepped out of them and I kept my long shirt on remembering that she would get cold.

"Off," Bella panted tugging at my shirt as I pulled her against me.

Another second passed and we were fully unclothed. I took her hands into my own and led her to a wall holding them above her head before easing her body into a forward tilt.

We both cried out as I entered her, and my touch left my wife breathless begging for more. She was shaking, with need or because she was cold I wasn't sure. I quickened my thrusts into her pulling almost completely out before driving myself back into her warm wet folds.

At her orgasm I eased myself out of her still fully aroused and took my wife into my arms kissing her as I got both of us to our warm heated room.

Once she was under the covers I moved over her ready to continue making love to her, and she seemed perfectly happy to keep going.

~Bella~

My body was going to be sore in the morning, not because of Edward being too rough, but because we had spent a good deal of the evening making love. Now my body was spent and I didn't know if I could open my eyes as I rested my cheek against his chest. I'm not sure what happened to cause this side of him to manifest itself but I was in no way complaining. The bad part was I had classes, and the good was that they were all evening.

I awoke to the sun shining on my face and to an empty bed. My mind hadn't forgotten last night so it was with great care that I sat up. So far there wasn't any muscle soreness, though the moment I moved my legs it hit. I was still nude and went in the bathroom looking for bruising praying there were none. Once I was assured of that I dressed in a soft cotton top and matching pajama bottoms. I smiled because I knew Alice would be proud.

In the kitchen I found my husband feeding our baby her cereal while she sat in her bouncy seat. "Good morning," I said kissing his cheek as my daughter smiled at me before opening her mouth for more cereal. "She likes that."

"Yes, she does."

"How did she do last night?"

"Great. She slept almost all the way through. Esme brought her home an hour ago and she's been really content. How do you feel?"

"I'm little sore but just because I used muscles I really haven't."

As he finished, I got the wash cloth and dabbed at Renesmee's mouth though there wasn't much of a mess. As I put the rag down she screeched, which was her way of telling us she wanted out.

"Now, what can I get you to eat?" Edward asked as he wrapped an arm around me once I had our daughter standing on my lap.

"Waffles."

We kissed and a small hand found it's way between our lips, "What do you think your doing?" I playfully scolded cradling my baby in my arms as I nibbled her ears and her neck until she was laughing so hard her little face turned red. I let her catch a breath before she got fussy.

"Bottle or milk?"

"Milk," Edward answered form the stove.

In a moment she was nursing and I sighed glad we had comfortable kitchen chairs.

"Rosalie and Alice want to get her a costume for Halloween," Edward informed me as he brought my pancakes.

He helped me move the chair forward, and our baby completely had us tuned out.

"For trick or treating?"

"I think it's in case we get any trick or treaters. We have only had a few over the years brave enough to come to our home." he said as I ate my breakfast.

Our baby had her eyes closed and I thought about that, and wondered if one day we would take her out with the other children. Would she even be able to be around other children and have control? "I wonder if we will be able to take her out one day. Or if she will ever be able to have friends aside from just us."

We didn't have those answers yet and it will depend not only on her but on me whenever it was that I became like the rest of my family.

~*~*~

AN: Well I fibbed a little. I'm posting this one now because I don't know how this week is going to turn out. I work six days straight so on the off chance that I get to bogged down I wanted to get this out. I will try and put something up Friday. Everyone, thanks for all the great reviews. I hope you liked this chapter with Edward and how I dealt with them having a baby and Bella going to college. Let me know what you think.

~Ella~