A/N: Ok guys, here is the next installment. Sorry about the delay but life sometimes gets in the way, so here you guys go. The last chapter before the epilogue.

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Chapter 12

Edward laid with Bella all night and woke her up for the airport. As Charlie drove them to the airport he couldn't help but see how grown up his daughter truly was. She was finally acting like the confidant woman he always hoped to see from his daughter.

"You really are happy with him aren't you?" He asked and Bella looked over at him.

"More than I ever thought possible. I know that you don't like that we're back together and I understand that, truly I do. I just can't give up my chance to be really happy because I'm afraid of what MIGHT happen." She said and he just nodded.

"I know I should have handled it better when you first told me and I'm sorry about that. But it was a shock and then you to bring Renee into it just made it that much worse. I really hope that you're right. I want you to be happy Bell its all I ever wanted for you." He said and helped her take her bags to the luggage check in. As she handed over her ticket and bags and made it through security she turned to look at Charlie.

"I love you Charlie," she said and hugged him. "Nothing will ever change that and I know it wasn't easy news for you to hear. I just wanted to be honest with you. I love you and always will. But I love him too and that isn't going to fade out either." She said and he kissed her forehead.

"I'll miss you, call me when you get to Phoenix so I don't worry." He said and she nodded as she made her way through the door and out to the plane. Bella put back in her headphones and pulled out the last book she had to finish and tried to get lost in her own world. She didn't want to think of the fact that it would probably be the last time she seen her dad, or that he probably called to warn her mother about what they'd talk about. She just wanted to go back to this morning, and waking up with Edward, and having everything be right in the world.

Bella let that image calm her on the long flight to Phoenix. The stewardess woke her up after the plane was almost completely empty. She texted Edward so he wouldn't worry, knowing he was bugging Alice to know how the flight went. She slipped her phone away and went to look for her mother, as she looked around the terminal she couldn't find Renee.

"Mom where are you?" Bella said as she called her, trying to find out what no one there to get her and only got her voicemail. She looked around and went to find her luggage, pulled her bags off the carousel and over to sit in one of the chairs. She tried again and still there was nothing. Bella waited for nearly a half hour before her phone rang as she looked down at the caller id she shook her head. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, you are sitting in the airport alone." Edward said and she laughed.

"This would surprise me if I didn't know my mother. If she's not here within the hour I'll call a cab and head to the house myself. I'm sure she just got caught in traffic and forgot to charge her phone."

"Stupid sun." She heard him growl and laughed.

"Edward it's fine, I'm fine I swear. Don't worry I'm going to try her again, I'll call you later. Please don't worry I'm sure Alice will tell you everything is going to be fine." She said and felt bad for Alice knowing how crazy he was going to make her. She hung up and tried her mother again with no success. Forty five minutes later her mom came running through the terminal.

"I'm so sorry," she said as she pulled Bella into a hug.

"It's ok." She said and hugged her mother back. "I have my bags, so we can go." She said and Renee nodded. As they headed she pulled out her phone and texted Edward, knowing he'd worry until he heard from her.

"Charlie said you had something to tell me." She said and Bella laughed.

"Yeah, but I'll wait until we're home. I'm tired from the flight." She said and Renee nodded. They made it home and Bella looked around the house, unlike Charlie everything was different. The walls, the pictures it was all new to her and it took her a moment to recognize it all. "Mind if I take a nap first?" She asked and Renee nodded as she carried the bag for Bella.

"Sure sweetie, and again I'm sorry I was late. I really did leave early this time." Renee said and Bella laughed as she headed up to her old room. When she opened the door she wasn't surprised to see how different it looked. Her mother could never let anything stay the same. As she got her things settled she called Charlie to say that she was ok, and then called Edward.

"I told you everything was fine." She whispered as she closed the door. "And I am sure that Alice said the same thing."

"I needed to hear it from you." He said and she could hear the frustration in his voice. "Couldn't it be cloudy this week?"

"We both know that Phoenix is really never cloudy." She said with a laugh. "I'm going to tell her later today, I wanted to try and figure out what to say, maybe make it a little better then how I told Charlie." She said and then laughed when he changed the subject to make her feel better. The two talked for a couple more minutes before she hung up and laid down, she truly needed a break.

When Bella woke up she heard music coming from the downstairs and went to see her mother doing an exercise routine to the television.

"Hi honey, I'm sorry I woke you up." She said, without missing a step.

"It's alright, I needed to get up anyway." She said and sat on the couch. "New diet plan?" She asked and her mom nodded.

"I think I might be able to stick with this one." She said and Bella continued to nod. "So what did you want to tell me?"

"I'm seeing someone." She said and her mother stopped mid move and squealed.

"That's great. So what's his name what's he like? Tell me everything." Bella stood up and started to play with her hands.

"That's the thing, you already know him." She said and then took a deep breath. "It's Edward, we kind of ran into each other on campus and started seeing each other again."

"Edward Cullen?" Renee asked confused, and Bella nodded. "But you two..."

"We hadn't seen each other since high school until this semester." She added and waited for Renee to freak out but she didn't.

"If that's what you want," she said and then turned back to the television. "Just be careful, he really hurt you last time." She said and Bella ran over and hugged her.

"Thank you mom, I was worried you wouldn't be supportive."

"I can't say that I'm thrilled, but I'm sure Charlie already gave you that speech, so there's no use for me going over it again."

"I know that he hurt me, but I don't want to look back and wonder what I could have had if I gave it the chance." She said and Renee nodded. "I'm just finally feeling something again. I know I wasn't the easiest kid to deal with after he left, and I made you guys worry a lot. But now, I finally feel whole again, nothing is missing, and he did that. I love him, always did and now I can finally share that with him."

"Ok, if that's what you want I know I can't change your mind." Renee said and then changed the subject, feeling like they both needed something else to talk about. Bella sat down and let Renee tell her about her newest hobbies and Phil. They both just let the whole thing with Edward go, but Bella had a feeling Renee would bring it up again, just after they had some time together just the two of them.

Bella went to sleep that night easily. It was like a giant weight was lifted off her chest, and she could just breath. Renee and Charlie both knew about Edward, and they weren't complexly against it. Given, they weren't thrilled about it, but they were letting her make her own choice and she felt good about that. She was in control of her life, she was making the decisions for herself and that was all she ever wanted. She wasn't hiding because she could get hurt again, she wasn't hiding because she didn't want to worry her parents. She was living because she wanted to, with Edward she had everything.

Bella spent the entire week with her mother, and not once was Edward brought up. They went shopping and she tagged along to her mother's exercise classes. Just spending time with one another again, and trying to catch up in each other's lives. But as the days wore on, and the time came for her to return to Edward Renee knew she couldn't wait any longer to talk to Bella.

"Bella," she said as Bella came in the kitchen. "I know that you have your mind made up about Edward. But are you sure?"

"Mom, I know it's hard to understand." She said as she sat down, "but I love him. Not just part of me, but all of me. All that I am loves him." She continued and looked at her mother. "You think I'm crazy, Charlie thinks I'm crazy, and I understand you just want the best for me, but he is what's best for me, Edward always was. No matter how things end now, I would never take back the time I had with him." She said leaving no question to her meaning and went to the kitchen to pull out a drink. As she did her phone went off and she immediately lit up as Edward's name lit up the screen.

I MISS YOU. CALL ME WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH YOUR MOM, I WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE. – EDWARD

Renee watched her daughter, looking at her as Edward texted her. There was this light in her eyes as she looked at the screen, this glow that she never saw before. The same one she remembered everyone accused her of when she first started to see Phil. In that moment she couldn't argue anymore, all she could do was be happy for her little girl and hope she found love this time.

"Be careful, don't just let him back into your life easily. Make sure he knows that he can't walk out on you again."

"I know mom, and trust me, it wasn't easy for him to come back." She said with a smirk as she remembered what she did to his car. "If anything, I might have been too harsh." She said and continued to laugh.

"Ok I trust you." She said and got up to hug her daughter. "How about we have a movie night, spend your last night here just relaxing."

"Sounds great, I'll make some popcorn and you pick a movie." She said and as Renee disappeared into the living room she sent a message back to Edward.

I MISS YOU TOO, I WILL CALL YOU LATER. RENNE AND I ARE GOING TO WATCH A MOVIE. LOVE YOU, CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I SEE YOU TOMORROW. – BELLA

She smiled to herself, knowing in 15 hours she would be back with him, in his arms and ready to start the rest of her life. As she went to bed that night, she tried her best to get some sleep, knowing she'd never be able to sleep on the plane. However, sleep wouldn't seem to find her, so she did the only thing she could, call Edward.

"You should be asleep."

"I can't, I just want it to be tomorrow so I can be with you again. Two weeks is too long to be apart."

"I just saw you in Forks, so it's been a week." He joked and she knew he was smiling.

"It feels longer," she said as she rolled over and tried to get comfortable.

"I know love, but in six hours you will be getting on a plane to come back to me." He said and she smiled, feeling better now that she spoke to him.

"I can't wait, it's all I want. I told you I didn't need two weeks to know I wanted eternity with you."

"Maybe so, but you still deserved that chance to find that out for sure. Though, I didn't help matters by talking to you all the time. You were supposed to be free of me while you made your decision."

"That's impossible, from the moment you opened that door I knew I could never be apart from you. You're stuck with me Cullen, forever."

"Sounds good to me," he said and heard her try to cover a yawn. "Now go to sleep love, and when you wake up, it will be time to come home to me." He said and continued to talk to her as she fell asleep, listening for her breathing to even out. When Bella woke up she was excited, she enjoyed her time with her mother, but she wanted to see Edward. She went around and packed up her things, trying her best to not forget anything as she sent a message to Edward.

THANK YOU FOR LAST NIGHT, I NEVER WOULD HAVE GOTTEN TO SLEEP WITHOUT YOU. I MISS YOU AND CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU LATER. – BELLA

Almost immediately she got a response and smiled, knowing he was waiting for her too.

YOU KNOW I'D DO ANYTHING FOR YOU. I MISS YOU TOO AND WILL BE THERE TO PICK YOU UP AT THE AIRPORT. – EDWARD

She took her bag downstairs and was surprised to see her mother making breakfast. She sat down her things and went to pour herself a glass of orange juice.

"Cooking?" She asked and laughed as Renee burnt the toast.

"I'm trying, I was never very good at it. But I get points for trying right?" Bella laughed and through the burnt toast in the trash before pulling the frying pan off the stove.

"Yes, but why don't you sit down and I'll cook breakfast." The two ate and shared some more small talk before Renee took her back to the airport.

"I'm going to miss you," she said and hugged her daughter.

"I'll miss you too, I'll call you when I land." She said and kissed her mother goodbye, knowing it would be the last time she saw her until after she could handle her new nature. As she stepped on the plane she took a deep breath, knowing she'd feel better the moment she saw Edward again. He was her other half, her everything and the thing that made her feel whole again.

JUST GOT ON THE PLANE, SEE YOU SOON. – BELLA

I'LL MEET YOU AT THE AIRPORT LOVE, CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU. – EDWARD

Bella got the message and relaxed. She pulled out her iPod and started to listen to the music that Edward left her, including tracks of him playing the piano. As the plane took off, she relaxed into her seat, knowing that in a couple hours she'd return to Edward.

"Edward calm down, the plane was delayed because of turbulence." Alice said as she stood at a magazine stand picking up the latest fashion ones.

"What if there's another problem?" He said and she paid for the magazines.

"There isn't, I'm psychic remember. I've seen it, she gets off the plane and runs to you. Now get over towards the gate or you'll miss her." She said and sat down to start looking at the magazines. Edward walked over to the gate and watched as in seconds the door opened and people started to come out. He could smell her before he ever saw her and instantly felt relaxed by the burning in his throat, she was close and she was his. Seconds later he watched her walk through the crowd and dropped her bag as she ran into his arms.

"You came back to me," he said and caught her. She pulled away to look in his eyes, seeing how uncertain he really was that she came back to him.

"I told you I'd come back to you." She said and kissed him, pouring everything she had into that kiss. "I love you and I am going to spend the rest of my existence with you."

"It's good you say that, because I am never letting you out of my sight again. One week is enough for me." He said and kissed her again while Alice snapped pictures they were both unaware of and reached for her bags.

"You two are too cute for your own good." She said and laughed as everyone watched them, not seeing what they had overcome but two people that are completely and absolutely in love with one another.

The End

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Alright guys, that's it. I'll put up the epilogue soon, and then the story will be complete. Hope you all enjoyed it and thanks for being patient with me, I know that it's been a long time between updates and I appolgize.