A/N... I do believe that you'll find the answer you're looking for in this chapter, not that it solves anything yet. However, the story isn't over, so just hang in there, my vengeful peeps. ;)
The chapter should be rated M for all sorts of Mercward naughtiness – I cracked myself up with this one. Time moves on a bit, not much, but a bit. I think you guys can keep up. So... LEMON warning and a very HIGH Bethy cuteness level. Just all sorts of Bethy fluff.
See me at the bottom...Enjoy.
CHAPTER 22
EDWARD
"What do you mean it wasn't Lilith in that fucking cabin?" I asked, speaking slow and deep, practically seething.
Eleazar flinched, tossing a file my way. My wife caught it as it slid to her. "It wasn't. We accounted for Walter Bridges and Johnny Thornhill, but the body of the woman inside that cabin was not Lilith Laray. The DNA didn't match."
"Who was she?" Bella asked softly from the end of the table.
"A Jane Doe...unknown," he answered her. "She could've been with Thornhill, but we're not sure."
"She doesn't matter. Lilith does," I growled, pacing in the dining room simply because I could, because it didn't hurt my leg as much any more. "This bitch is dead. Lilith needs to be, too."
"Edward, sit down, please," Bella requested calmly without even looking my way, and then turned her attention to the file folder, speaking to Eleazar. "Alice enhanced the camera that Jasper was wearing the night of the fight. It's impossible to see who shot Walter. All you can tell is that it is a woman..."
My head spun to her as I took my seat beside her, because that shit was news to me. I didn't think Bella or the girls had even looked back on that fight. They just seemed so fucking relieved that it was over. I felt small, warm fingers link with mine, giving them a squeeze.
Eleazar took a deep breath and let it out. He turned to my dad, who was looking over Bella's other shoulder at the file. "It is quite possible that Thornhill decided Walter and Lilith were too much trouble, had drawn too much attention. It would explain why someone on their side shot Walter, instead of letting us have him."
"A hit?" my dad clarified, sitting up straighter. "So then you're assuming Lilith was already dead...before we even approached the cabin."
"We think so," El sighed, shaking his head, and then shrugging. "We're not sure. She's not popped up on any radar, but she's done that before. She doesn't use credit cards, rent cars in her name, or even get hotel rooms."
Bella huffed a deep, frustrated sigh. "But you don't know." When El shook his head no, she closed the file folder, but kept her hand on top of it. "Alice!" she called.
"On it already, Bells!" Alice gushed, rushing into the room with a laptop. She plopped down in a chair, typing furiously. "Okay, okay, okay... How do you want it done?"
"False police search," Bella sneered, glaring at Eleazar. She was daring him to counter her on this. "Send it out like a wanted poster, or even a missing person flier – whatever you think would get the most response. Send it to every police station between the cabin and Seattle. She doesn't know any other place."
Eleazar grinned evilly, nodding slowly. "As you wish, Bella."
She turned to my dad. "When we get home, I want you to come take a look at something with me. I have an idea. Plus, you need to meet Preacher..."
"You think she'd go back to her old neighborhood?" I asked, my mouth hanging open.
"She'd be stupid to do it, but she always seems to go back there," Bella chuckled. "That gang is looking for her, but it doesn't hurt to let them know she may be still around."
The wickedly sexy, vengeful smile that curled up on my wife's face was fucking stunning. I found myself shifting in my seat, though it didn't take much from her these days to make me hard. We hadn't been able to do much more than touch, due to my injury. I still couldn't put the majority of my weight on it, and certain pressures on it were excruciating. Under normal circumstances, I lived to see my wife's mouth wrapped around my cock, but really, I just wanted her. I wanted to bury myself deep inside of her and never come out. Of all the things that my injury didn't allow me to do, that was what bothered me the most. I couldn't give a shit if I never was able to fly again, but fuck, I needed to be able to make love to my wife.
"Without Walter, she's kinda powerless," I stated, shrugging a bit and trying to focus on the conversation and not her hand rubbing innocently on my thigh. "Not that she's a saint, but she's bat-shit crazy, so without Walter to guide her..."
"She's likely to fuck up," Bella finished for me. "That's if she's still alive."
"For now? Let's assume she is," my dad concluded, a dark look passing over his face.
I didn't like the idea that the crazy bitch could possibly still be out there. Until Lilith was on a slab in the morgue, security around my family would not relent, especially since I could barely walk, much less fight to save them.
"Mommy!" Bethy practically yelled, bursting into the screen door, poor Aunt Kate right behind her. My daughter was beaming like the brightest sunny day, and it changed the feel of the room instantly from tense to happy.
"My goodness," Bella chuckled, catching her, because Bethy was running at top speed. "What's this all about, pretty girl?" she asked, scooping her up onto her lap.
I chuckled as Bethy, with bright pink cheeks, tried to catch her breath. She grasped her mother's face, panting and swallowing, before she blurted out, "P-P-Puppies!"
Bella grinned and stood up. "Well, this I have to see. I missed out the last time," she said, hitching Bethy up onto her hip. "How many, baby?" she asked her.
"Five," Bethy answered, holding up her hand and showing all five fingers as they walked back outside.
The rest of us looked to Aunt Kate, who was nodding with a surprised look on her face, most likely because Bethy could count.
"Never underestimate my minions," Alice chuckled from behind her laptop, barely giving Aunt Kate a glance. "Just wait...I'll get ahold of Caleb and the new little one, too!"
I laughed, ruffling her hair, and then kissed the top of her head. "You should sell that computer game of yours, pixie. Every parent should be so lucky."
"Psh!" she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It's the parents that need training. My own had no clue what to do with me when I started talking in full sentences at nine months old. Even less when I was reading at two years old. And don't get me started about what they were like when I graduated high school at eleven."
I chuckled down at her, leaning to her ear. "And at twelve, you robbed the U.S. of two and a half million dollars. Hmmm, where is it, Ali?"
She grinned, evil and secretive. "Where is what?"
I laughed, because no one knew that answer. I wasn't even sure Jasper knew. It was one of those things about her that we just loved. She was so fucking smart, and the fact that she could possibly be sitting on money that she'd scammed – at twelve years old, mind you – out from under the smartest people in the country just added to her whole persona.
"You know," my dad chuckled, pointing to her, "that shit is probably sitting in a bank somewhere, and now worth ten times more. But we'll never know." He laughed, because she wasn't saying anything. "It's like... Whatever happened to Jimmy Hoffa?"
I laughed, my head falling back.
"Isn't he buried in the endzone of Giants Stadium?" she asked, giving Eleazar a raised eyebrow.
He grinned, and I could tell he probably knew shit due to his career that would blow all our minds. "Tell me where the money is, and I'll tell you just what happened to Jimmy Hoffa," he bargained.
"Forget Hoffa... Was Jeffrey Dahmer's shanking in prison a setup?" she asked, her eyes lighting up, because her thirst for serial killer knowledge was endless.
"No idea what you're talking about," Eleazar chuckled, shrugging dramatically.
"Then... What money?" she countered with another grin.
"Touché, Alice... Touché," he snickered.
"Oh damn," I chuckled, shaking my head. "I'm suddenly glad I don't know shit."
My dad chuckled. "No kidding." I was just about to walk out to the barn to join my girls when he stopped me. "Oh, Esme wanted to see you."
"Okay," I sighed, knowing she probably wanted to check my leg.
Instead of turning right to go outside, I turned left and headed toward their room. I knocked lightly on the door, hearing her tell me to come in. I opened the door, finding her sitting on the bed, folding clothes.
"Dad said you wanted to see me," I told her.
"Yes, son. Close the door and come here," she ordered. "Sit," she said, patting a spot on the bed in front of her. She shoved all the clothes out of the way. "I wanted to see this leg."
I nodded, pulling up the leg of my shorts so she could take a look. She knelt in front of me, her strong, knowledgeable fingers tracing the angry red scar on the side of my leg. She applied pressure around it, causing me to wince and hiss. She wrapped her hands around my calf, lifting the entire leg up, bending it closer and closer until I shook my head.
She sat back on her heels, pulling my shorts back down. "It looks good, Edward. It's right where it needs to be. You're not limping as much, you're able to put some weight on it, and I saw you were able to pick Bethy up yesterday."
I nodded, frowning a bit. "Yeah, it still hurts deep inside when I do certain things. Turning a specific way, steps...and no ladders...at all."
"Inside," she mused, her brow furrowing, but she nodded. "That's to be expected, son. The muscle is reattaching itself. It wasn't a large sever, but it was pretty far in there. It heals on the inside, just like the outside," she said, making sure I was listening. She smirked, grabbing my bicep. "Make a muscle, big guy," she chuckled, and I flexed it for her. "You didn't get this overnight, sweetie. Understand?" she asked, and I nodded. "You had to work on it, build it up. I'm sure there were days when you could barely lift it after a workout."
I grinned, nodding at her. "There were days I couldn't get out of bed."
"Exactly," she laughed, patting my arm and letting go. "Okay, so this leg works the same way. You have to make it remember. Muscle has memory. If you went a few days without working out, then when you finally did, the muscle would pump right back up. The problem you're having is that this muscle's memory was removed temporarily. Once it's truly back together, it will remember again."
"So I should push it?" I asked as she stood up in front of me. "I mean...like a workout. Like push through the pain."
"Not to the point of agony, Edward," she replied, shaking her head. "It's one thing to feel the burn, as they say, but another to tear it while it's still healing."
I frowned, because ladders, turning, and steps weren't my biggest concern. That shit would happen eventually.
"What worries you?" she asked, sitting next to me.
I shook my head, not sure I was comfortable even sharing this issue with her. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, because I knew for a fucking fact that it would never leave the room. I just felt I was being impatient with my own fucking body.
"Nothing," I sighed, starting to stand up. "I just want to be back to what I was before. That's all."
She stopped me from getting up, studying my face intently. "You know anything you tell me..."
"I know," I interrupted her abruptly. "I know," I groaned, softening my tone and running a hand through my hair. "I just... I can't..." I huffed, finally giving in and looking over at her. "I miss my wife," I muttered, begging her silently not to make me elaborate; it just wasn't me.
Understanding flickered over her features, and she nodded. "Can you..."
"A few things...but not..."
She smiled warmly, patting my arm. "But not intercourse."
"Aw, Esme," I whined at the word like a preteen boy, putting my head in my hands and fisting my hair.
She snickered softly, wrapping a loving arm around my shoulders. "Time, Edward. Make the muscle in your leg remember. You have to build back up to it, sweetie."
I nodded, not bothering to look up yet. "'Kay."
"Is there a problem with erec..."
"No!" I snapped, shaking my head and looking up at her as she fought her smile. "There's no problem there. In fact, she drives me crazy, and half the time, she doesn't even know it." The words came tumbling out of me, but fuck, it was the truth. "If anything, I have the opposite problem..."
"Is Bella pushing?"
"No, she's perfect and patient. More patient than me. And she can't stand it if I'm hurting," I admitted softly.
She smiled again, but not in a teasing manner. "I believe I've had this conversation before with you two. I said it then, and I'll say it now... Try," she urged softly. "Bella was at her wits end when you were in that fight, even worse when she heard you were hurt. She's probably terrified of even the mere idea of you in pain. You forget so soon what her association with pain is?"
I grimaced, shaking my head. "No, but I didn't think of it that way."
"Try," she said again. "You'll find a way, but she needs to know that you're okay. That she's not hurting you." She sighed, rubbing her finger across her bottom lip as she thought. "My suggestion is to take it slow...get to a certain point and stop. Then assess how you feel, how that leg feels. Don't rush. If you rush, then you really could cause yourself a set-back."
I nodded, because that made much more sense than waiting or mauling poor Bella to death. Esme putting it into workout terms helped me, too.
"Thanks," I sighed, finally standing up and wincing a bit at the movement.
"Anytime, son," she called after me as I left the room.
I found my wife and daughter in the barn, giggling together over small, gray, grunting newborn puppies. I smiled as I took in the scene. Tom and Obie had used bales of hay to create a safe place for Maia to give birth. They'd used one of the empty stalls, closing it off with a fence of hay in order to keep the wandering pups safely inside until the mother was ready for them to come out.
Bella was sitting with her back to me with Bethy on her lap, their feet inside the pin, and I couldn't help but join them. Maneuvering the best I could, I straddled the hay, keeping them both between my legs.
"Hi, Daddy! Look!" she whispered, pointing to the litter.
"I see, baby," I chuckled, wrapping my arms around them both and pressing my lips to Bella's temple.
"Where'd you run off to?" Bella asked, smirking up at me. "I thought you were right behind us."
"Esme wanted to see my leg," I told her, setting my chin on her shoulder, and before she could ask, because I knew she would, I continued. "I'm right where I'm supposed to be, she said."
"Good, Edward. That's really good," she said with a bright smile.
I pressed my lips to her cheek, simply because I couldn't resist when something so simple made her happy. "She said I needed to keep building the muscle," I said with a shrug. "Like a workout."
"And the pain?"
"All normal," I stated, kissing her again. "She says you worry too much."
"She did not!" Bella gasped, smacking my arm when I laughed at her. "She would never!"
"No, she didn't," I chuckled.
"You got in twouble, Daddy!" Bethy pointed out, laughing like it was the funniest shit ever.
I grinned, tweaking her nose. "Every day, little sweetness. Trust me."
Bella giggled, shaking her head at us and patting Bethy's bottom. "It's time to get washed up, pretty girl. I'm sure dinner's almost ready."
"Aw," she protested, giving the now sleeping pile of puppies a longing look.
Cupping her face and smiling at her, I said, "They'll still be here in the morning, baby. I promise."
Begrudgingly, she allowed Bella to set her outside the little pin. My wife stood up, offering me a hand.
"Nope," I grunted, pushing myself up with my arms first, and then letting my legs take over. "I got this." Once I was standing straight, I scooped Bethy up, tossing her onto my shoulder. "Come on, little sweetness. Are all puppies accounted for? You're not sneaking any out, are you?" I asked her, tickling her all over relentlessly until she squealed, her little legs kicking. "Don't make me pat you down against the wall."
"No, Daddy! They're all there!"
"Good. Then dinner time, little soldier," I ordered in a growl against her neck.
"Yes, sir!"
~oOo~
I snapped awake from my dream, sweat pouring down my face. Fuck, I hadn't had the dream about the little Iranian girl in years. But it had changed, morphed into something else, something fucking scarier. I'd started out in the little desert village, but when the kid pulled the pin on the grenade, it was Sam that fell on her, not Mike Newton. However, my goal to reach the other side of the small town was replaced with finding my girls. And I couldn't. They weren't any-fucking-where.
I'd stepped through a broken down doorway of what was once someone's home, but inside, it was my own house. It was in a fucking shambles. Shattered windows, turned over furniture, pictures off the wall – all of it screamed trouble. The hallways and bedrooms were empty, and there was blood everywhere. Even in a crib I'd never seen before.
It was Bella's and Bethy's calls for me from the edge of the woods outside that snapped me awake, because I couldn't tell if it was coming from inside my mind or from reality.
I sat up in bed, rubbing my sore leg and giving a glance next to me. Bella was sound asleep on her stomach, her beautiful, peaceful face aimed my way. I leaned down, kissing her hand that rested on my pillow, and then got up.
Walking silently to Bethy's room, I peeked in. She was just as asleep, just as peaceful as her mother was. She'd kicked her covers off, so I tugged them back over her and Mr. Bunny, giving her head the lightest of kisses.
Just touching them both pushed the fear away that the dream had evoked in me. Just seeing them, hearing their soft breathing made it all okay. My heart settled down, my stomach stopped churning, and my breathing was easier.
I took a piss, washed my face with still slightly shaky hands, and then sat back down on the edge of the bed. It was too early to get up, but I had a feeling that it would be some time before I'd get back to fucking sleep. I was deciding whether to lay back down or go watch TV in the other room, when Bella shifted behind me.
"Edward," she breathed, and for a split second, I thought I'd woken her, but when I shifted to lay beside her, I could tell she was still asleep.
Her beautiful leg had escaped the covers, searching for me. Her hand gripped my pillow, and I wanted to moan when she called my name again. I knew that sound. And as her whole body shifted again, her hips rolling just slightly, I knew why she was calling my name in her sleep.
"Fuck," I groaned, my head falling back to my pillow. As if I didn't want her just as fucking badly. "Trade you dreams, sweetness," I muttered wryly to the ceiling, shaking my head and rolling my eyes.
Bella shifted closer, and I should have gotten up and left the room. I should have let her sleep, because she needed it. I should have let her have her dream in peace and privacy, but suddenly, I was jealous of whatever the fuck was going on in that amazing head of hers.
"Edward," she whispered again, and my good intentions, my last thread of control snapped.
I didn't know what I could do about it, but I had to give my girl something. Reaching down to her exposed ankle, I skimmed my hand flat up her leg, pushing the covers completely out of the way. Her shirt had ridden up, revealing smooth skin and her strong back. My boxer shorts that she insisted on wearing to bed had dropped just a bit, and my whole body shuddered at the sight of just the mere hint of the crack of her ass. Leaning forward, I dropped a kiss to it, swirling my tongue from there up her spine.
When I got to her ribs, my eyes glanced toward her face. "What am I doing to you, sweetness?" I asked her softly, not expecting an answer, before sucking on her skin. Putting all my weight on my good side, I tucked her hair behind her ear, taking her earlobe into my mouth. "Mmm, I'd better be fucking you good, baby," I groaned when her whole body rolled again. "You make sure I take care of you," I told her, dropping more kisses to her neck.
I wasn't sure what I wanted more – to see the outcome of the dream, or to wake her up and take over. I wanted to do what Esme had said and try. I wanted to see Bella's face awake and aware when she said my name like she was currently doing. But the dirty bastard inside of me also wanted to see if she'd actually come in her sleep – a thought that made my dick so hard, it was almost painful.
A whimper escaped her, and she rolled onto her back, her shirt still bunched up around her breasts.
"Christ," I breathed, shaking my head, because goddamn, she was just fucking gorgeous, and so fucking turned on, I could barely stand it. Her nipples were hard, her hand was clenching by my head, and her legs shifted just a bit. I leaned down to her bare belly, whispering, "Oh little one, please don't pay any attention to what happens next. I'm about to do really naughty things to your mom...things you shouldn't know about yet."
I leaned over my wife, my hand replacing my lips on her stomach, only to skim underneath that shirt to cup her breast. Bella arched up, offering me more, but I nipped and licked up her neck to her ear. I wanted her awake. Fuck, I needed her awake. And soon.
"Bella, baby," I crooned in her ear, taking a chance and sliding my injured thigh between her legs. She immediately ground her sex against me. I winced just a little, hitching her leg higher so that it was around my hip and away from my injury. "God, you're killing me, love. Please wake up," I begged softly, kissing her neck, her jaw, her chin – all with long, wet, open mouth kisses. I wanted my mouth on her everywhere.
I pinched her nipple lightly, rolling it between my thumb and forefinger, gently dragging my teeth across the soft spot just behind her ear.
That did it. That woke her up, because suddenly, small, warm fingers wove themselves into my hair. I pulled back to see confused, but lust darkened eyes staring up at me.
"Edward," she panted, pulling me closer. "What are you..."
Before she could finish, my mouth was on hers, consuming her, claiming her. One of my hands gripped her hair, while the other skimmed down her side and around to the waistband of her boxers, sliding inside to cup and knead her ass and bringing her closer to my now throbbing dick.
Twirling my tongue with hers, my hand slipped farther between her legs, and I moaned shamelessly at how wet she was. Gliding my fingers over every inch of her folds and both entrances, my tongue assaulted her mouth, because she was absolutely fucking soaked.
"Fuck, baby," I panted, pressing my forehead to hers. "What was I doing to you, sweetness?"
If I thought she'd be embarrassed at having her dream discovered, I was wrong, because all she said was, "Everything," before pulling my mouth back to hers.
My eyes rolled back in my head when she ground her heat against me again, her leg slipping just a little. I reached back, hitching it up higher, and nipped at her neck.
"That stays there," I commanded as softly as I could.
"Edward, we shouldn't..." she started, but I cut her off with another deep, devouring kiss.
"Oh, yes, we fucking should," I growled into her neck. "We'll take it step by step, but I have to fucking have you, Bella..."
I felt her smile against my bare shoulder, and I moaned when she dragged her teeth across my skin up to my neck. Arriving at my ear, she swirled an open mouth kiss, suckling slightly on my earlobe.
"Then do you really want to know what you were doing to me in my dream, baby?" she asked, her voice so fucking sexy that my head hit her shoulder.
"Yes, yes...for God's sake... Yes," I panted.
A small giggle escaped her, but she pushed me back just enough to tug her shirt off. "Your mouth...it was everywhere, Edward," she stated softly, falling back down flat on the bed and pulling me to her.
I cupped her breast, locking gazes with her before dragging my tongue flat across her nipple. Her whole body shuddered.
"Like this, baby?" I asked her, doing it again, only to switch to the other one.
"Yes," she hissed, bucking slightly.
I nipped and licked down her sternum to her stomach, gripping the waistband of her shorts. "What about in here, love? Did I make it this far?"
"Oh yeah," she purred, grinning and lifting her hips to help me tug the last of her clothes off. "You held me down, wouldn't let me move when you licked my pussy."
I grunted a half-laugh, half-moan at her choice of words. My girl could be so fucking naughty, and I loved every second of it. Slipping a bit down her body, I let my lower half lay flat, while bracing myself on my elbows. I knew what she wanted, so running my hands lightly on the inside of her thighs, I finally spread her legs, bending them up to her stomach. She was spread wide open for me as I held her by the back of her thighs, my hands and some of my weight holding her down. She was so fucking wet, so turned on, that I licked my lips in anticipation of tasting her.
I locked eyes with her again, asking, "Like this, love?" as I bent slowly toward where she smelled so fucking delicious, flicking my tongue out to the inside of her thigh to gather her juices, only to do it to the other side.
"More, baby," she breathed, gripping the sheets at her side. "You did more."
"Oh," I chuckled, darkly against her mound. "I just bet I did."
Finally giving in to her begging eyes, her heavy breathing, even her hips that tried to fight me, I swiped my tongue from one end of her to the other, my tongue flat, only to swirl it around her clit. My eyes never left hers, never broke from her gaze as I did it again, stopping this time to suckle her flavor at the source, tongue delving inside of her as far as I could. I felt her clench around me, her thighs tensing. Attaching my mouth to her clit and sucking hard, I nipped lightly with my teeth, because all I wanted was for her to come, and come hard.
Watching her fall apart while unable to move was amazing. Hands gripped at our sheets, nipples hardened even further, and my girl's toes curled. Bella's head pressed back into her pillow as her breathing caught in her throat, my name escaping her in one long, slow, fucking sexy, gasping cry.
I licked, I sucked, and I nipped at her, riding her climax spasms for as long as her body would give them to me. Wiping my mouth, I moved back up to her as best I could. I grabbed her hand when it reached for me.
"No, not this," I said, kissing her fingers. "And not this," I growled against her mouth. "I really need you, baby."
Her brow furrowed with worry for just a second, giving my leg a quick glance. "Tell me, Edward."
I knew I couldn't kneel on my knees, so I shifted until my back was propped up against the headboard of the bed. "Come here," I sighed, pulling her face to mine with my hands on either side of her beautiful, worried face. "I need you to do this. It has to be all you, sweetness, but God, I need to fuck you."
She whimpered, grasping my face and leaning over me. I turned her head, sliding my tongue into her mouth, still tasting her pussy and now her sweet tongue, too. Small, warm hands ghosted down my chest, over my abs, finally reaching the waistband of my boxers.
Bella pulled back from me, licking her lips and pressing her forehead to mine. "Then these have to go, baby."
I nodded, almost frantically, and she eased down my body, careful of where she touched, where she braced her hands. Gripping the fabric, she looked up at me to lift, and I did with my stronger leg, allowing her to quickly tug my underwear off.
"Was I fucking you in your dream, Bella?" I asked her as she dragged her fingertips up my uninjured thigh on her way back up to my face.
"Mmmhm," she hummed, nodding slowly, her eyes almost black as I threaded my fingers into her hair on either side of her face. "Yup."
I grinned when she popped the "p" of the word. "How, sweetness? How was I taking you?"
"Hmm," she sighed, giving my body a hungry gaze from my face all the way down to my feet and slowly dragging her eyes back to mine. "Doesn't matter," she stated softly. "I'm pretty sure that the reality is about to be far better."
I nodded, agreeing to that without a problem. I grasped her hips, pulling her to me. "Brace your hands on that headboard for a second, love," I told her. "We're going to do this slow, baby. Okay?" I asked, and she nodded, letting me move her where I wanted her.
It wasn't her weight or her movements; it was where here legs were positioned that was important. One wrong shift, and her foot could kick against my injury. I was so fucking hard by the time my dick was trapped between my stomach and hers, I was leaking like a sieve.
"This leg," I said, patting the side of her thigh, "stays bent by my hip, baby. The other one doesn't matter."
She nodded, swallowing nervously, her hands leaving the headboard to brace on my shoulders instead. "I don't want to hurt you, sweetheart," she whispered, cupping my face and running her fingers through my hair.
"You won't," I vowed, turning my head and kissing her palm. "I trust you completely, love."
Her whole body gave a shudder. "God, I want you so badly, Edward...but I don't..."
I swallowed and nodded, knowing the feeling. "Me, too."
Lifting her up, we locked eyes when my tip slipped just inside her entrance. Most of her weight was braced onto my shoulders, her forehead pressed to mine, and we both let out a long, low moan as I slid her down over me. I gripped her ass, holding her still for just a moment, and she seemed to know I needed to control this part. My breathing was heavy, because I was surrounded by the heat, the grip, and the wetness that I'd missed so fucking much. My eyes rolled back and my mouth fell open as her insides gave a sharp flutter around me.
"Edward," she breathed, and my eyes met hers when I heard the emotion in it. "I love you..."
"Oh God, baby, I love you so much," I panted, kissing her wildly and gripping her hips to move. "Fuck, I've missed you...like this," I grunted against her lips.
The last time we'd truly made love was the night before the fight. Afterward, it was touches and mouths, but there was nothing...fucking nothing...that compared to being inside of her. It had been weeks since we'd been together – a little over a month. Hell, I wasn't sure we'd ever gone that long.
I found that I could move with her somewhat, using my stronger leg to push up. Neither of us were going to last long, because it had just been too fucking long. Her position allowed me to kiss the ever loving shit out of her, to cup her ass and squeeze, to pull her harder down onto me, and it allowed me wide open access to her clit. She used my shoulders, my neck to ride me hard, and that was just fine by me. But it was when she bent to my cheek, nipping with her teeth and swirling her tongue down to my ear that I finally knew it was almost over.
"Come for me, Edward," she whispered, licking up the shell of my ear. "Please, baby. I know you need it..."
Her voice was soothing, sexy, and all things I needed to hear at one time. I felt my dick harden even further, my balls constrict, because that sound alone could cause me to come undone.
Gripping her ass with one hand and rubbing her clit with the other, I said, "Not without you... Let go, Bella..."
Our mouths were just barely touching when we both let go. Hard. My hands on her ass were gripping so hard that I was afraid she'd be bruised by morning, but she didn't seem to care as she shattered in my arms. I spilled heavily inside of her, my head falling back to the headboard as we both came to a standstill.
I let out a long, shuddering breath as she ran her fingers through my hair. Bella's gaze was filled with pride aimed my way, with love, with sated bliss. She leaned in, kissing my nose sweetly, only to pull back again.
I wanted to thank her, kiss her, but my body was completely sated, numb, and not obeying any movement commands that I was trying to give it.
She smirked, letting a small giggle out. "Oh yeah... That was definitely better than any damn dream..."
~oOo~
BELLA
"Edward," I sighed, knowing he was awake, and placed a kiss to his shoulder blade. "Baby, it's time to go home."
His large, warm hand picked up mine from his waist and twined our fingers together.
"I know," he sighed, rolling onto his back and gazing up at the ceiling. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me to his chest. "I was just thinking about that."
"Rose and Em were talking about it last night. Jasper needs to check on his father in Texas before he and Alice go back to Washington. Wes is going crazy without Makenna. And I think even Carlisle's been talking to his office," she explained in a hurry. "If you can't fly..."
"No, I think I'm okay," he interrupted softly. "Mickey's staying?"
"Yeah. She wants time with Aunt Kate and Obie," I answered, resting my chin on my hands so that I could look up at him. "Alec is coming back with us."
He nodded again, staying quiet for a moment. He looked back at me. "And what about Lilith, baby?"
I wrinkled my nose, because I had a feeling that we were still in Alaska simply for safety reasons at this point. It had been two weeks since I'd set Alice on the task of sending out alerts to police stations in both Canada and the U.S. There had barely been any results. One station not far from the cabin called back, because they remembered seeing her, but they couldn't narrow down whether it was the time before the fight or after.
Edward's leg had shown vast improvement. He treated every day, every chore around the farm as a workout, strengthening it, using it. He'd grumbled and bitched the next day, but he barely walked with a limp, stairs and steps were no issue, and he could even kneel down to Bethy's level again.
"She's out there alone," I started with a shrug. "There's no one thinking for her, planning for her. And she isn't exactly stable. Knowing her, she probably took up drugs again after all this shit."
"Aren't you the one that said never to underestimate her?" he asked, his voice a little sharp.
"I did," I admitted, finally sitting up completely next to him. "I'm not giving her any slack, and Bethy is not going back to Mrs. Cope's yet, but we can take precautions." I sighed at his frown, his furrowed brow, knowing he was worried, but he wasn't thinking logically. "Sweetheart, I need to get back to my doctor. And it's about to turn really cold up here. It's just turned October. I really don't want Bethy here when the temperature drops."
A fierce face of determination crossed his handsome features, and he sat up next to me. "Okay, but I'm asking Alec to stay with us. Just for a while, okay?"
"That's perfectly fine, Edward. I just think we've kept these people from their lives long enough. They're kinda waiting for you," I told him. He scoffed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, but I stopped him, forcing him to look at me. "They are waiting for you, because they know it's our house, our office that we'll all be going back to. And even though Eleazar is still hunting down the rest of the D.O.A., he's also working with Alice to find Lilith – or hopefully, the bitch's remains." He grinned at my growling tone, but didn't interrupt me. "They know when it comes to her – meaning mine and Bethy's safety – that you're in charge. They've practically said it, baby. They want to make sure you're okay before they leave us. Even your dad."
His gaze snapped to mine when I said those last three words. And suddenly, he grimaced and groaned. "My dad," he sighed. "He and Esme never even got their fucking honeymoon."
I giggled at that, but it was true. "They'd stop the world for us, and you know it. Maybe we can make it up to them at Christmas or something. It's at our house this year."
He chuckled, pointing a finger at me. "Someplace warm, someplace quiet for them. Maybe a place where we can't call them."
"Done," I laughed, grabbing his finger and kissing the tip.
He looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. "What are you working on with him, anyway?"
I smiled, biting my bottom lip, because I had taken an idea to my godfather, something I think he was really considering, because he'd already started making calls. "I'll tell you if he decides to do it. I promise."
He shrugged, pulling me to his lap – a place I'd missed being able to sit for the weeks that he was hurt – and sobered quickly. "Whatever. I'm not worried about you two. I'm worried about Lilith's crazy ass."
"Same rules as always, Edward. Armed everywhere we go and constant sharp eyes," I stated.
"Definitely," he agreed, looking down between us. His warm hand met my belly. "Wh-What a-about w-work?" he asked softly, gazing back up at me.
Why he was nervously stuttering, I had no clue, but I kissed him for it anyway. Maybe he was concerned for my health and all I'd been through, or maybe the thought of working and running into Lilith was too much to consider, but I understood it all, either way.
"Right now, I don't know," I answered as honestly as I could. "I'd like to get back to my doctor, get settled back home with Bethy on some sort of normal schedule, and take it from there. I can't answer that any other way."
"Fair enough, sweetness," he said, kissing my lips softly. "I'm with you, whatever you decide, love. But I can't wait to see the little bean again," he chuckled, his eyes so very bright, so very happy.
I giggled. "I know, right?"
He smacked my bottom lightly, giving me that sweet, panty dropping, deliciously sexy, crooked smile of his. "Okay, baby. Let's go get our sleepy girl, make some breakfast, and we'll call a family meeting."
~oOo~
"Tell us how you want to do this, son," Carlisle stated, taking a bite of his eggs. "If Lilith is still out there, then you're right, she may still try something."
Edward nodded, and I turned my gaze out the dining room window. Bethy had already dressed, eaten breakfast, and was now running in the front yard with five very fat, very young Husky puppies at her heels. I couldn't help but shake my head and smile, because it seemed that Maia was just as concerned with Bethy as she was all of her offspring. She'd step in front of them all if it looked like they were going too far or heading toward something she deemed dangerous, like the rose bushes.
"Ed, if you want to go home, I'll station men at your place," Wes offered over the phone.
The discussion concerning everyone heading home had become a full blown meeting. Eleazar, Benny, and Wes had all been called and were on speakerphone. Every member of our crew and family were just as concerned about safety as they were about getting back to their lives.
"And I have no problem staying with you two for however long you need," Alec added with a one shouldered shrug.
"Thank you, Alec," both Edward and I said at the same time, my breath fogging up the window briefly.
"Bethy and Bella would be the only target that Lilith would try for," Rose stated, and I turned to face her as she fed Caleb a bottle. "But without Walter, she's going to be struggling and unstable."
Edward paced, not saying anything as he ran a nervous hand through his hair. I knew he was worried with Lilith still being out there, almost to the point of being unreasonable. He wasn't unwilling to go home; he just didn't want to do so blindly. For his own personal sanity, he needed to make sure that his wife, his child, and his crew were safe. I completely understood him and was willing to concede this decision to him; however, I just didn't want Bethy in Alaska when the place started to get really fucking cold. It probably didn't help that he felt weak, felt that his leg would keep him from being at his best. He'd never say it, but I knew that was a part of his indecisiveness. He'd been the same way when he'd pulled the ligaments in his knee while Miller was still looking for me. Edward didn't like to be in situations where he felt himself weak. At all. Edward liked control at all times.
I sighed, shaking my head. "What about the beach safe house, Edward? Would that make you feel better?" I offered, and his head snapped up.
"I thought you wanted to go home, Bella," he countered.
"I do, but this seems to have taken on a bigger debate than I anticipated." I huffed a humorless laugh. "I'm willing to place mine and Bethy's safety in your hands, but there are things we need to consider, baby."
"I know," he groaned, his gaze softening. "You have to get to your doctor, and we need to get Bethy out of the cold weather. I get it. I just..." He stopped, shook his head, and ran another hand through his hair. He finally turned to his dad. "What would you do?"
Not one to jump to an answer, Carlisle looked around the room, his gaze landing on Alice, who hadn't looked up from her computer during the entire discussion. In fact, she was taking a bite of toast without even looking at it.
"Alice, any word? At all?" he asked her.
"Besides the one small police station not far from the cabin, no." The finality to her voice practically echoed in the full room of people.
Carlisle looked to me, and then to his son; however, he spoke to the phone. "El, you're currently dismantling the rest of D.O.A., yes?"
"Georgia is being raided today. Florida is already done," he said. "Without Thornhill, they were a mess. They were basically running blind, and they had no clue they were even being watched."
"Benny, Wes," Carlisle continued. "You can set up how many men at the Forks house?"
"Whatever you need," Benny answered instantly. "I can put them on rotating shifts. Hell, I can put a man with Bella and Bethy, if that's what you want."
I groaned, rolling my eyes, and Alec chuckled. I wanted a bodyguard like I wanted a hole in my head.
"I think I can handle that if Edward's not available," Alec told them all, still laughing at my put-out face, and even Edward cracked a smile on that one.
Carlisle rubbed his chin slowly, finally taking a deep breath and letting it out. "I'd go home, son. I'd let Alice keep watching, let Benny station men at the house, and I wouldn't let the girls go anywhere alone. I'd be cautious, but I think that Lilith is alone." He glanced up at me when I tsked at the the last statement he'd made. "I'm not underestimating her, sweetheart, but I have more faith in my son's, Alec's, and your ability to protect yourselves. You're smarter, quicker, and obviously saner than she is. All of you have seen more, been through more, so you know what to expect in certain situations, and that makes you more dangerous than she is. Go home, but be careful."
It seemed we all turned to Edward at that statement, but his eyes left his dad to lock with mine. "Nowhere alone," he stated firmly, pointing a finger at me. "You'll be armed at all times, got me?"
"That's fine, Edward," I told him, nodding a bit.
"I mean it, Bella. If you and Bethy are only going to the store, you'll take either myself or Alec with you." His voice came out in the tone of an order, his face fierce.
I smirked, shaking my head. "Yes, sir."
He snorted and rolled his eyes, changing his tone when everyone chuckled. "Please?" he asked simply.
"Yes, Edward," I laughed softly, turning back to the window. "Now, we just have to tear our daughter away from her new friends."
~oOo~
"You can't take him, little sweetness," Edward said, kneeling in front of Bethy. "They're too young to be away from their mother, baby."
Everyone was waiting on us, the chopper checked, ready, and loaded. Bethy had only asked to say goodbye to the puppies, though once she had a hand on them, she wasn't willing to give them up.
The deep dip between her eyebrows only increased as he spoke to her, and it didn't help that she had a tenacious grip on a happily sleeping, almost black puppy.
"Why can't we stay here?" she countered softly, gazing up at him for all the answers in the world.
He smiled at her, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Because it's time to go back home, Bethy. I know you like the puppies, but he can't be away from his mom yet. He's way too young," Edward reasoned again, this time placing a warm, gentle hand on the little dog. "You wouldn't want to be away from your mommy yet, right?"
Big, sad, green eyes gazed up at me, and she slowly shook her head. She shifted on her feet, kicking hay with her sneaker, only to gaze back up at him, pressing her nose to the puppy's soft head. It wasn't like he could cave to that look, because everything he was telling her was true. His head turned my way, his face pleading for help when she gave him the most pitiful face I'd ever seen her use on him.
I giggled softly to myself and knelt beside him. "Pretty girl, we don't want you to leave him, but if you take him away from his mom, then he could get sick. He needs her more than you need him right now. You want to be able to play with him the next time you come here, right?" I asked her, cupping her face, and she nodded. "Then he has to stay, baby. I know it's hard," I told her.
Edward held out his hands, and reluctantly, she set the puppy gently down. "And you know what else?" he asked her in a whisper, absentmindedly running a soft hand over the dog.
"What?" she asked him, mirroring his whisper.
"He can't be in the co-pilot seat, little sweetness. There's only room for one, and I need you in it," he told her firmly. "What will I do without you?"
Boy, I don't know who played whom more – her or him. He knew that she couldn't resist being his "co-pilot," and she knew he could barely tell her no when she gave him "the face." They truly were two peas in a pod. I couldn't imagine what powers she'd wield over him once she truly understood what she was capable of.
She was quiet for a moment, and finally looked from the puppy to him. "I need my hat, Daddy," she stated, which caused us both to chuckle.
"Yes, ma'am," he said with a grin, standing up to nestle the puppy back into the pile of its siblings. "I'm pretty sure we can take care of that, little sweetness," he told her, scooping her up, "because you can't fly without it." He tapped his own backwards cap, and she giggled up at him.
We stepped out of the barn, and Edward set Bethy on her feet to run to Aunt Kate.
"Elizabeth Renee," she crooned, kissing her cheek. "You be good. And stop growing!"
"Unca Em says I can't help it," she argued with a smile. "He says I'm getting too big on purpose."
"You are," Emmett growled. "You're only growing because I told you not to!"
"Nu-uh!" she laughed.
"Uh-huh!" he sang back.
"Nice, Em," I sighed, rolling my eyes. "You just sank to a three-year-old's level."
Rose raised an eyebrow at me, silently asking me if this fact surprised me, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Come on, Bambina," Alec said, holding out his arms for her. "I'll get you strapped in."
She went to him willingly, leaving the rest of us to hugs and goodbyes. Emmett, Rose, Caleb, Makenna, Carlisle, and Esme were all taking a private plane back to Seattle. Jasper and Alice were flying out to Texas for a few days, just to check on his father. Alec was riding with us, and Mickey was staying at the farm with Obie.
Edward opened the side door of the chopper, helping me up into the back, and I turned to him, saying, "Easy on my stomach, fly boy, okay?"
He grinned, biting at his bottom lip a bit, before placing a warm hand on my stomach. "I'll do my best, sweetness. I promise."
I kissed his lips softly, smiling against them. "You always do, Edward. I never doubt it."
My statement meant more than just flying, more than just prying puppies out of our daughter's hand, and I locked gazes with him to make sure that he knew that, because I knew he was worried. His eyes were warm, sweet, and as green as the firs around us. He needed to know that we trusted him, depended on him, and we couldn't be more grateful that we still had him. He also needed to know that we couldn't put him in danger any more than he could allow it to happen to us, that we'd all fight to keep each other safe.
He nodded once, kissing me one more time a little more firmly. "Strap in, love. Let's go home."
A/N... Going home. It's about time. I know some of you are worried about Lilith. I'm with Carlisle on this one. Ah, and our couple finally found a way. LOL Thank God, because Mercward just might've exploded. ;)
Coming up... I just had to let you know that the next chapter got away from me. It sort of took a life of its own. If my calculations are correction, I'm looking at 25 chapters and then an Epilogue and then this story is finished.
I need to thank JenRar for beta'ing this. I need to thank GooberLou, who let's me throw the most ridiculous ideas at her, so that she can say, "Ummm, no." LOL And to MedusaInNY for the blog, but for emergency emails, too! Thank you for that last one. It's perfect.
The next posting will be on Sunday. It's finished, so we'll see you then. Let me know what you're thinking. And until next time, later! :)