I'm going to keep this short and sweet… Thank you for being so patient! This chapter was quite difficult… And I think you'll see why… There was a lot to write… And it never just seemed to FEEL right… I hope I did them justice…

Thank you to zgirl21 and NoMoreThanUsual… You both are amazing and so supportive! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And thank you to everyone who is reading. I don't say that enough but you can't imagine how much I appreciate you!

And lastly, I hope you enjoy and please, if you have the time, let me know what you think!

You Found Me
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

Chapter Twenty Two

Sun falls down like the memory of a sword
Turned everything from gold into grey
There's a light that still finds your face
Giving all the dust and shadows a name.

And the night turns just as cold as the surface of the moon
Showing nothing more than sorrow and the face
There's a sight seeping slowly in my mind
With a sound that is waking up the shade
With a sound that is waking up the shade

It's you, my love so kind are your eyes
I see them in the darkest skies
If it's true, my love, I've got to see the way
I'll love you till my dying day

A feeling hits your heart like an arrow in the snow
Waking all the blood that's sweeping in your veins
It's alright for it that you don't really know
Just how the waters are going to deal with your remains
Just how the waters are going to deal with your remains

There's a spirit in your mind, I can see it in your eyes
Like a gift you bring to ease a trouble to
Where we cast another storm beneath the sad stained moon
And wait to find ourselves alone
In a room
And wait to find ourselves alone…

It's you, my love so kind are your eyes
I see them in the darkest skies
If it's true, my love I've got to see the way
I'll love you till my dying day

Marcus Foster, "You, My Love"

__________

The Paradiso. He had dreamed once of playing the venue on a world tour, so much so that the image had been burned into his own mind. The first time he had been there was in 1995 when his father had taken him to see the Stones play an acoustic set and even then he had been in awe of the converted church. The high ceilings, the amazing acoustics, the sheer life force of the place, even at the young age of eleven he had been able to appreciate it and know that someday he would give anything to be there in Keith Richard's place. It had always been his dream, so it was startling that now, moments away from standing on the stage to a sold out crowd, on a stage that so many other musicians that he respected had stood on, he felt nothing. Kurt Cobain had stood there; even Glen Matlock played his last gig ever with the Sex Pistols there before Sid Vicious too his place among the iconic band. He was standing in a place filled with so much creative history, hell, he was creating history and it didn't seem to matter as much as it had in the past. Part of him couldn't help but wonder if he would feel the same way when they closed the tour at the Olympia in Paris, another venue he had dreamed of since his fascination with Jeff Buckley had begun when seeing him play that same year. Amazing how time and experience can change even the most lasting of dreams, how everything you once thought you wanted can change in the blink of an eye. Now, all that he wanted, all he could think about, was having the two weeks end so that he could be back in London and have her cradled safely into his arms. Nothing else mattered anymore.

"You've got about ten minutes Edward."

He looked up from the table he was sitting at, noticing that he had been digging his black pick into the palm of his hand, a small red mark now appearing on the flesh. His manager seemed to eye him with curiosity, no doubt wondering why he was lacking the enthusiasm that he had been able to fake on the first leg of the tour. "I'll be out in a moment." Nate would never understand that it was so much easier to fake being happy about the tour when there was nothing waiting for him back at home.

As he stood up, he let his mind wander to the woman who was waiting for him back in England, or at least, the woman he hoped would be waiting for him. He knew better than to worry that she would run, Rose had promised that if at any moment she feared Bella might flee, she would contact him immediately to help him talk her down. Thankfully, that event had yet to transpire. Still, the thought lingered in the back of his mind; she had run once, what was there to stop her this time around? But, she had promised him and though she had broken promises to him before in the past, he was certain that this time she would not. This time, everything was different; she was different, he was different, they were different.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to see a text message from the one person he needed to hear from. It was short and simple but it was enough to bring a smile to his lips and give him the strength to pull through the gig, especially knowing that she would be waiting for him when it was over.

Break a leg hotshot. I miss you, more than you can imagine.

__________

He had never been happier to walk into a hotel room as he was in that moment. It could have been a dump, and the bed could have been lumpy, but he didn't notice, all he saw was heaven in the form of a stuffed mattress. He was exhausted, physically, mentally, emotionally, everything was draining him and the one person who could make it better was not with him because he had been foolish enough to convince himself that it was better if she stayed in London until everything with the press was sorted out. He knew he was a fucking idiot, and he was regretting the decision more and more with each passing day. Luckily for him, the hotel wasn't a dump and the bed wasn't lumpy.

He sighed as he let the mattress swallow his tense body and though it was happening much slower than he would have liked, he could feel the stiff muscles of his body begin to smooth and relax with each deep breath. He had one more week of this torture, one more week of sleeping without her, of not seeing her face, her smile, not feeling her lips against his own… But he didn't know how long that would even last because they had a North American tour lined up and though they weren't headlining and were instead opening for another bad that was moving their way up the Billboard top 10, there was no way that he, or any of the other band members would be able to back out of that. But he still didn't know what that meant for him and for Bella, what it would mean for their relationship or getting their relationship back on track. If he asked her to go with him, would that scare her? Was that something she would consider moving too fast? And even among it all, he didn't understand her hesitancy to jump right back into where they had left off.

Okay well, maybe that was a lie because he did understand why. He knew that they were both different but that didn't seem like a good enough reason to stay away from each other. After so much time apart, the only thing he could think about was spending every waking moment with her, and hell, even those moments when they were sleeping too because sleep wasn't the same when she wasn't wrapped up in his arms. He feared that the more she thought about needing space and getting to know one another, that the more she would realize that his new life wasn't compatible with hers. The press was vicious and they would continue to be vicious, calling her out, calling him out, and trying to rip them apart at the seams and what if she decided that it wasn't worth it? That they weren't worth it? Could he give it up? Could he do that to his band, the band that he had been with for six years because love was more important than anything else? What a stupid question, he knew that he could and he would if it came down to that because as much as music was a part of him, she was so much more than that and living without her the past six months had been enough for him, he would not go through that again.

His hands grabbed for this phone, the bulky object feeling foreign in his hand after the small pick that he had clutched for the last hour and a half. It was awkward and took a moment for him to find his bearings but as soon as he had it in front of him he scrolled through the phonebook, his eyes eagerly searching out the one number he wanted to call more than anything else.

The phone only rang once before the familiar click of the answer sounded.

"Hey." Though he couldn't see her, he could hear the smile on her face and he closed his eyes and let her warm voice wash over him, wishing that she was there with him.

"I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"Have you found a flat yet?" He bit his lip as he listened to her pause. More than anything he wanted to demand that she stop her search and that she move in with him because it was what he wanted and what he thought was best for them, but he also knew how stubborn she was and once she set her mind to something, she was more than likely to never waver from it. He loved that about her, and he knew that it was something that she was just discovering about herself, and maybe this was why she was so adamant about living on her own. She never had that experience before and who was he to take that from her.

"No," she sighed. "I've seen about ten places but none are really where I imagine living."

"Where do you imagine living?" In his mind he was pleading her to tell him that she wanted to nix all this talk about separate places and that she couldn't bear to live anywhere but where he was. He just couldn't see the point in her paying rent when he was certain that they would be together all the time.

"This is going to sound crazy but I have no idea… I just think that when I walk into a place, I'll know."

"Have you checked out Chelsea?"

"Is this you saying you want me close by?"

"Bella, of course I want you close by… In fact, I'd much rather you actually lived in my building, or really, in my flat, but I'm not going to pressure you into that." He heard her sigh on the other end and then the very distinct sound of a baby, wailing for attention. "What's that?"

"I'm sorry, I'm looking after Aiden for Rose and Emmett tonight… He just got back from being with you and well… I think they were feeling a little amorous. I… uh… I hope you don't mind but I took him to your place."

He smiled, visions of Bella and a baby, their own baby, filling his mind. He had never seen her with Aiden, but he imagined that she would be an amazing mom. Her caring nature was ingrained into her, he had known this all along, had seen it in her inability to put anyone before herself, even if that was what was right. She would be a wonderful mother to his children and he thrilled at the thought. His friends would have laughed at him a year ago if they knew he was thinking such things.

"I hope that's okay," she worried and he realized that he had been silent for longer than he had anticipated. "I can go back to their place."

"No Bella… It's okay, it's more than okay… I'm so glad you're there." He heard her coo to Aiden and he wished that he was there, that he could help her care for their friends child, that they could play house, even if only for a little while. "I love that you are there."

"How is the tour going? Are you enjoying Berlin?"

"There are places I'd rather be besides here… but it's okay… How are you?"

__________

It would have been easy to fall in love with the apartment she was in, anyone would have. The floor the ceiling windows that overlooked the Thames and Blackfriars bridge, which was, apart from Tower Bridge, her favorite in London, would have been enough to sell her on it. But that was a thing of the past, no longer was she able to make this kind of decision with just herself in mind. Each time she stepped foot into the apartments her agent led her to, she couldn't help but let her mind wander as she explored the rooms: could she see Edward here? Could she see them together, making love in the bedroom, the bathroom, or on the floor of the living room while the fire roared, casting a red and orange glow in the room? Was it the kind of place where he could bring his guitar and compose beautiful music, or the kind of place where Hudson could lounge on the floor comfortably while they cuddled on the couch and watched whatever movie they had picked up at Blockbuster?

"It's not right."

"Bells, I think you're getting a little too picky here," Rose sighed, eyeing her best friend as they looked at the sixth apartment that day. Rose had been certain that Bella would have liked this one, hell, she was even considering renting it to have a sanctuary away from her own hectic household if Bella didn't want it. "We've seen twenty flats over the past week; you have to pick one if you're serious about moving out on your own."

"There is one more, off Brompton, near Sloane Square, and I believe there might be a flat opening up off of Kings Road" the agent interjected as she began closing down the flat, pulling the blinds down and turning off the lights while the two women loitered near the door.

"If you're looking for something closer to Edward that would be the ticket, you wouldn't even be a mile away I'm sure."

"That's not necessarily what I'm looking for." Rose lifted her eyebrow, questioning the validity of her friend's words, and Bella just shook her head. "Yes, it would be great to be by him but that's not what it's about. I want to walk into a place and know that it's right, that I'm home there… That he and I could have a home there." The agent flittered back into the room and looked at the two expectantly. "I'd like to see it if that's okay?"

"Sure, let me go ring the building manager."

When she had left Rose turned to Bella and eyed her curiously. "If this is about Edward, why don't you just wait until he gets back and let him go with you to find the right place… It might make it easier."

"If I waited for him to come back, he'd insist that I move in with him and we aren't ready for that. I need to do this while he's gone, before he can dazzle me out of my plans."

"Which are what exactly?"

"To stabilize whatever the hell is going on with us so that we can finally move forward."

"And this requires living alone?"

"It does… For a little while, until we can figure things out between us."

__________

She pulled the sleeve of his shirt to her nose and inhaled; fresh detergent and sweet musk filling her nose as she closed her eyes and let the warmth that always accompanied his scent was over her. It was cold that day, one of the reasons why she had opted to throw on his long sleeved shirt and yes, she could have just as easily worn a sweater, but she loved wearing his clothes and feeling close to him. It was a little piece of him that was tangible and at the moment it was something she needed. Looking at apartments and not being with him was hell, especially given that she knew that it was important that he support her decision so wearing something that was reminiscent of him, was helping the process.

"You know, you could be, I don't know, a little more subtle."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, looking over the table at Rose who was, with one eye, looking pointedly at her while the other was watching Aiden as he played with the sweet flaky pastry that Bella had purchased for him even with Rose's protests that he would be up all night if he ate it. She just grinned and told her that as the boy's aunt, it was her duty to spoil him when his parents wouldn't.

"Everyone knows that shirt."

"Oh come on, it could be anyone's! Who would even assume that it was Ed… E's," she stuttered, remembering that they were not in private and instead in the rather crowded garden area of the Belgravia Patisserie Valerie. There was the unspoken rule that in public, especially with Rose who was known among a few gossip rags, that Edward's name would not be spoken for fear that they would figure out just who she was before they were able to figure out how to put their own spin on the situation that Jacob had made worse. Edward had made her promise and she wasn't willing to do anything that might hurt the trust that they were slowly building with one another.

"You can really be naïve can't you? You know that people have been asking me who you are don't you?"

"And what do you tell them?"

"That doesn't matter… I just think you should be more careful before wearing shirts that are so obviously his in public." Her eyes did not meet Bella's and instead turned to focus on her son who was covered in crumbs and giggling as he tore up the pastry some more.

"But it was cold."

"Wear a sweater then…"

"Rose… I just…" she sighed, she knew that Rose would understand if she told her why she wore them: that she reveled in how it made her feel close to him when he wasn't around, how she had gone nearly over half a year without him and smelling him on her was better than anything she could have ever imagined, was more comforting than anything she could have ever imagined, especially given the delicate nature of their current relationship.

"I know… Trust me Bella, I know."

"Is it really that obvious?"

"I'm not sure how many people don't know that shirt; thankfully they haven't seen it up close enough to see how much of a rag it really is."

"Hey! I like this one."

Rose snorted, a few patrons nearby turning to look at the table and see what the commotion was all about. "I know, which says something about your true sense of style."

__________

If they had believed that the first week had passed slowly, nothing could have prepared either of them for the last week. It seemed that any time they would glance at a clock the second hand seemed to move at an excruciatingly slow pace and where days had once seemed to pass by like the blink of an eye, they now seemed to drag. It wasn't exactly something that could have been helped either though because the only thing either really wanted was to be with one another. It was for that reason, and that reason alone, that they both tried their hardest to keep themselves busy during the day: Bella searching for an apartment and Edward playing his guitar and writing new songs.

It was the nights that made everything a little more bearable; the night was their time and nothing was going to take that away from them. While Rose had tried hard to convince her to come out with her, she merely shook her head and told her that there were more important things to do, or that she just wasn't in the mood to drink alcohol. Likewise, Edward found that his fellow band members were rather enjoying the travel and the different cities every night and while they went out to explore the nightlife after their set, he nearly always trekked back to his hotel room and collapsed on the bed before calling her and letting her voice fill his ears. Together, they would spend the entire night on the phone, talking and teasing one another until the words drifted off into silence and both would let sleep take over them as they sighed one another's names and vowed to meet each other in their dreams.

It was on one of those nights, two days before Edward was due to be back in London, that Bella found herself pacing around the apartment that she had finally settled on. It was a small place, but it was perfect for her: a one bedroom, furnished flat just off Kings Road and less than two miles from Edward's own place. It had been everything that she had been looking for, containing room not only for Edward and some of his things if he wanted to leave them there, but space for Hudson so he wouldn't be alone, a spacious kitchen that she had already begun planning meals for both of them, a fireplace right under the mounted television screen that she knew would come in handy in a few months, and even a small balcony that overlooked the small, quiet street. Yes, it had been perfect, and she knew as soon as she walked into it that it was the right place for her, for him, for them.

Still, even though she was comfortable with the place, she knew that he was still nervous about her decision to not move in with him and instead, to find a place on her own. It was obvious to her that it bothered him and she was terrified that it made him think that she didn't want him because that wasn't the issue at all. The biggest part of her knew she just needed a place, even if only for a little while, to have to herself, to be her own. It was an experience that she had been denied in the past and something she sometimes wondered if it led to her inner resentment for Jacob. After everything that she had been through with the first man in her life, she knew she couldn't bear to go through that again, especially with Edward; she loved him too much to end up hating him as much as she hated Jacob, not that she suspected that would ever be the case. She just didn't want to take any unnecessary risks, and chances that could lead to a downfall between the two of them because she never wanted to imagine her life without him any longer.

The buzzing of her phone alerted her to not only the time, but also her surroundings and she sprinted towards it, thankfully only tripping once, though not so badly that it completely knocked her off her feet.

"Hi," she smiled, panting quietly, not wanting him to know that she had rushed to the phone and fret about her current state of health. He knew she was accident prone, knew that she often attracted danger and pain like a magnet and was often overprotective to a fault.

"Hi," he sighed contentedly and she heard the ruffling of sheets and pillows.

"Already in bed?"

"Like I'd be anywhere else?"

"The boys are going to get furious at you for your anti-social behavior," she teased and reached down to pull a few things onto the kitchen table.

"I don't care really. Besides, they know that I'd be a complete wanker all night if they forced me out when I could be back in bed talking to you."

"Still… I don't want to come between you and the boys."

"I, frankly, don't give a damn, but either way, you're not." He could hear the faint ruffling of bags in the background. "Where are you tonight?" He knew that she had been spending more time at his flat and he was hoping that she had just listened to him and gone ahead and moved in, it really did seem like the most logical thing to do and the sound on the other end did seem to alert him to some kind of movement; maybe god was smiling down on him and letting him get his way for once.

"My apartment."

"You found one? So soon?" She could hear the sadness in his voice and she knew it was a result of him being so certain that she would give up on her apartment search and just move in with him, but she knew that even if this was only for a month or two months, it was something she had to do.

"Mmhmm."

"Is there enough room for me there?"

"No, none at all," she teased and heard him chuckle on the other end. "Did you even have to ask? There's even a small green space outside the door for Hudson."

"How long is the lease?"

"It's week to week."

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," he sighed.

"For what?"

"For everything… For you."

She didn't know how to respond to him so instead she made her way to the bedroom and flopped down on the bed, wiggling herself under the covers. "Two more days…"

"I know." He wanted nothing more than for her to be there, at the airport when his plane touched down, but he also knew that too many people knew of his pending arrival and the last thing he wanted as for them to be hounded by paparazzi. Yes, he knew Jacob's appeal in the papers had dissipated, especially since he had been out of the country and quite obviously, not in the arms of the man's wife, ex-wife, soon to be ex-wife, but he had a sinking feeling that once he was back the rumor mill would be as well. He needed to make sure that he secured a story that would paint both him and Bella in a positive light, especially against Jacob's horrendous accusations. This, he knew, would mean not only involving the lives of their friends, but also the life of another rather innocent victim in the shit storm that was Jacob Black. He would have to find Leah and he would have to go to her and ask her to do the one thing he was afraid she would never want to: to admit to an affair with the man and prove that Jacob wasn't the innocent bystander that he tried to make himself out to be.

"I want to be there when you get in."

"Bella…"

"If I can't be at the airport, can I be at your flat?" She questioned and his heart was torn between breaking and feeling elated. He really did hate that she couldn't be there when he did finally get back into town. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her and if it wasn't for those damn magazines and their hateful lies and interference into his life, he could do that. Instead, because of their existence, he would have to wait at least an hour before doing so. Either way, at least she would be there.

"I wouldn't dream of you being anywhere else."

__________

It was raining on the day of Edward's return and Bella was struggling with the bags that weighed her down while attempting to maintain her grip on the umbrella that she was holding to keep her dry. She would have laughed at herself four years ago if she had been told that she would one day use an umbrella; growing up near Seattle, it was a crime to be caught dead with one, of course, unless you were a tourist and unversed in the way of rain. But it seemed Londoners didn't share that same repulsion to the device that Seattleites had and she found herself growing fond of the shield: it made her hair so much more manageable and she was never freezing down to the core because her clothes were soaking wet.

"Good afternoon Miss. Swan," William smiled as he held the door to Edward's building open and helped with the three Whole Foods bags that hung from her left elbow. "Enjoying the rain?"

She grinned at him. Only William would have known that she had been craving the rain for the past few weeks and it would have been her luck that the usually rainy London would see nothing of the sort. Her love affair with rain was rather tumultuous; she would go through bouts of loving it and then bouts of hating it but London rain, she realized was so different than Seattle rain. Then again she wondered if it was because of the company she kept in London that made it that much better. Either way, that didn't matter, what did matter was that it was wonderful that it seemed to be raining on this day, the day that Edward was returning and they would finally be together again. It was a baptism of sorts; a cleansing of their past so they could truly move on and forward with one another to a better future.

"It's perfect weather for a homecoming," she replied, the grin still on her face as she closed the umbrella and shook off the large water droplets, watching as they scattered and created a shower all on their own.

"Would you like some help bringing the things to Mr. Cullen's flat?" he offered, reaching for the wet umbrella and placing it behind the front desk as he would usually do.

"Would you mind terribly? I don't want to put you out."

"Of course not, it wouldn't be any trouble at all."

Bella knew that Edward had spoken to William before he had left and asked him to look after her, though they both attempted to act completely oblivious to this suggestion any time that she made it. He wanted to know that she was taken care of if she did ever come around and he trusted William immensely. It wasn't hard to understand why. The man was a true gentleman, and, even on his off days, his manners were impeccable. She imagined that over the course of the past few months, they had somehow formed some kind of bond and she wondered if William had become a kind of stand in father for Edward.

When the bags had been placed on the counter she turned to see that William was already leaving the room and heading back to his post down in the lobby.

"William?"

"Yes Miss. Swan?"

"Thank you… for everything."

He grinned, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"For looking after him… when everything was so messed up."

He just shook his head, "He's a good boy… I've known him for so long now, since his mother and father bought the place… and he was going through a rough time. Anyone with a heart would have done the same."

"But you didn't have to… and the fact that you did. I don't know much about that time, but I know that it probably meant the world to him… His relationship with his father… it's well… tense at best."

"As I said… it was a rough time all around. I'm sure that that part of his life is long gone. In fact, I'm certain of it, I can see it in his eyes."

"Still, thank you… and thank you for giving me a second chance. You saw him every day, so you of all people must know how badly I hurt him."

William eyed her with an intensity that made her slightly nervous. It was true though and she knew it, he had seen Edward nearly each and every day, he knew how bad he was, how much she had hurt him and yet here he was, welcoming her, helping her, acting as though those days had never happened.

"Isabella…" her eyes widened as he used her first name for the first time, ever. "We all make mistakes and sometimes when we are making them, we hurt those who we love the most. It's inevitable, it's life. But I also know that when the person makes the conscious decision to rectify that wrong, when they take the time to make it right, it shows character. As for you and Edward… Francois de La Rochefoucauld once said, 'one forgives to the degree that one loves,' the two of you love so deeply and if it were anyone else, I wouldn't dream of them getting through this… but the two of you… I have no doubts that you will survive."

"Do you truly believe that?" Her eyes were watering. She never doubted her love for Edward or his love for her, but when it was verified through the eyes of another, someone who spent his life observing the people in the building, it just meant more. Of anyone, he would know and his faith in them, it was overwhelming.

"I do," he smiled thoughtfully towards her, his hand on the door knob. "Have a good evening… If you like, I can let you know when he arrives."

She nodded and ran over towards him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. His body stiffened momentarily, obviously not use to any kind of physical contact with the tenants but he quickly relaxed and hugged her back. "I can't thank you enough," she replied as she pulled away and he just smiled, reminding her, if only for a moment, of her own father, before he patted her shoulder and turned to walk out the door, shutting it softly behind him.

When she had settled into his apartment, she began pulling the ingredients from the bags, scattering them on his counter so she could see exactly what she had to get done. It was just after four and she would be lucky if she had three hours to prepare everything: this meant preparing the lasagna, setting up the living room, and changing into something she thought he would appreciate more than the jeans and shirt she was currently wearing. She wasn't sure if they were entirely ready for this step, but she knew that she couldn't be around him anymore and not do this. She craved him, both physically and emotionally and it was about time that she showed him just how much she really did need him because in the past, she knew that she hadn't let him know often enough, if at all.

His fingers teased the skin of her neck, trailing down along her collarbone, down to her shoulder, round up along her beasts before finally settling on her heart. She could feel it beating, pounding against her skin, calling to him, begging him to set her free. His lips followed the trail of his fingers softly caressing her skin while his tongue darted out to taste her every so often. It was when his lips finally found her heart, pressing a tender kiss against the area that she twisted her fingers in his hair and closed her eyes.

"Yours," she whispered so quietly that she knew he wouldn't hear it. It was all she could give him and though she longed for him to hear the words, she knew that it would only hurt them both if he could.

That had been then, but everything was different now and as she walked to the iPod dock, her own resting in the palm of her hand, she knew that tonight would solidify them and would make them stronger than they had ever been or had ever hoped to be in the past.

__________

He was thankful that they had changed their plans and decided to land at London City Airport. Emmett had called with news that Heathrow had been swarming with paparazzi, each one just waiting to hound not only Edward but the other members of the band as well. None of them had been up to dealing with that, especially after such a long month and a half. And it was even worse for him because he knew that as soon as he was spotted the questions regarding Bella and himself would be flying all over the place and he wasn't sure he would be able to deny it any longer. It also helped that landing so much closer to London would also get him home faster; home to the one place where he knew Bella was waiting for him.

Edward slung his bag over his shoulder as he exited the plane, the rain falling on his head and flattening his hair. It was the one downfall of the airport: exiting the plane off the tarmac and not being able to just walk straight into the airport. But he couldn't really be that upset about, not if it saved him from the hassle of reporters.

"Someone's anxious," Jasper grinned as they rushed to the covered area and towards baggage claim. "I can't imagine why that would be."

"Like you aren't?" Edward spun on his heel and grinned at his best friend who laughed with him.

"Touché."

"Edward!" He should have been used to it, but it startled him each and every time. There had been no guarantee that they wouldn't find him there, in fact, Emmett had told him that there would probably be a few that would have staked out the airport just in case, but he hated that he couldn't just be alone for even ten minutes.

"Figures…" Edward grumbled under his breath while Jasper slapped his back and smiled as a light flashed.

"Edward have you seen Isabella Black since her return to London?"

"Edward did you know she came back?"

"Have you been in touch with her?"

"Are you dating again?"

His hand clenched into a tight fist as they began to question his relationship status. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why it was any of their business anyway who he dated. If he was happy, shouldn't that have been enough? What did she have to do with is music, despite the obvious fact that she was his muse?

"Is she getting a divorce?"

Another flash lit up his face and it was obvious to everyone, Jasper especially, that his nerves were wearing thin with the questioning and the flashes. It was still unnerving to him that they had found out that she was back and though he knew it was to be expected, he hated that she might have been hounded while he was gone and never known because he knew she would never tell him.

"Edward get in the car and go home… Alice and I will bring your things to you tomorrow…"

"No, they won't dictate how I live my life," he snarled.

"Where is Bella? Is she here?"

"I think," he started as he whipped around and addressed the photographers, "that you should leave me and my personal life alone. If, and when I feel comfortable disclosing that information, I will, but as for now, I would appreciate it if you respected my wishes. If you want to ask me about the tour, or about the band, I would be more than happy to speak with you." His jaw was still tight and Jasper looked on, amazed that he hadn't lashed out the way he knew he truly wanted to. But he also knew, that it wouldn't help his case when it was obvious that he and Bella were together, because if Jasper knew one thing for sure, it was that this relationship couldn't stay under wraps much longer.

"As for right now," he continued, "I've had a long flight and I'm rather exhausted. I'm sure I speak for not only myself, but also the other members of the band, when I say that we would just like to get our things and go home to get some rest."

He watched as the majority of the men nodded, snapped a few last photographs of the band and disbanded and though a few remained, he was much less trying on his nerves. As he watched his suitcase push through the hanging plastic sheeting on the wall he reached down for it, his hand gripping his cell phone. He hadn't seen an English paper in two weeks and with the questions that had been thrown his way, he was terrified that Jacob had come back to wreak havoc on the life that was finally starting to fall into place.

__________

Rain pelted the black car that he sat in as it inched through the streets of London. Though he had been calmed by Emmett's assurance that Jacob had not been in the papers, nor had Bella, the fact that it was taking so long to get to her was beginning to wear on his already frayed nerves. His nervous energy was manifesting itself in his inability to remain still for longer than a few seconds at a time. As he waited, he would fist his jeans, pulling at the pants until he couldn't anymore as he had run out of material and then release it only to start the process all over again.

His phone buzzed and he reached into his pocket to see that it was his mum. It seemed to have both a calming and nerve wracking effect on his body. Though he was always more of a mother's boy than anything else and there was always a sense of calm that washed over him when he heard her voice or saw her face, he couldn't fathom why she was calling him at that moment and it alarmed him. The original sense of calm was immediately crushed when he began to put the pieces together: Bella in his apartment, Alice getting home yesterday knowing full well Bella would be there, Husdon staying at his parent's home. His mother, he was now certain, had gone to drop off his dog in order to meet his girlfriend, behind his back nonetheless. Alice was so dead to him now.

"Hello Mum," he sighed as he answered her phone call, knowing that if he didn't answer now, she would only continue to call him until he did and he didn't want to be interrupted later that night.

"Hello sweetheart. I just wanted to let you know that I dropped Hudson off round your flat."Her voice lingered and his heart quickened as he realized what she was starting to imply. This hadn't been how he had anticipated their meeting.

"Mum…" His hand was in his hair, giving his jeans a much needed break.

"Why didn't you tell me she came back?" she sighed. "You know that me of all people would have been understanding, supportive even."

"I just… We only had a few days together before Amsterdam and that was all that mattered… I'm sorry… I did want to tell you but when I got back on the road everything was so crazy… Every night was spent on the phone with her and I just figured that when I got back to London I would introduce you… Though it seems that you've already introduced yourself, haven't you?"

"She's lovely Edward."He could practically hear her smile on the other end. "She's exactly the kind of woman we've always wanted for you. She's absolutely perfect for you."

"How could you possibly know that if you just met her?"

"Call it a mother's intuition sweetheart… I just know these things."

"Now you sound like Alice," he grumbled though he knew that his mother was right, that Bella was the right person for him and that there could be no one else. And, deep down, he also knew that she would fit right in with his own family. Even though Alice hadn't seen eye to eye with him about the nature of the relationship before this, he could see how happy she was that things had changed and that Bella was now exclusively his.

Esme chuckled on the other end, "did you ever think that maybe she gets it from me?"

"Yeah, you're both nuts."

"Edward Anthony that is no way to speak to the woman who gave birth to you!"

"Sorry Mum," he laughed as the car pulled up in front of his building. "Mum, I just got to my building, can I call you later?"

"Of course, have a wonderful evening tonight, you deserve it. And I want you to bring her round the house this weekend for dinner."

"I'll speak with her about it."

"No need, I already have."

"Mother!"

"Goodnight sweetheart," she replied before the line went down and he cursed at the phone under his breath, wishing that he had just let Rose take care of Hudson like she had offered in the first place, at least then this never would have transpired.

He sighed, knowing that there would be no way out of it and exited the car, thanking the driver and walking towards the building with his bag slung over his shoulder, his guitar case in one hand and a suitcase in the other towards the one person that would truly make coming back to London, coming back home.

__________

Emmett glanced down at the press release that lay before him still fighting a war with himself if releasing it was in the best interest of his two best friends, his family. They were running out of time and he knew that it would only be a matter of days before Jacob was back to pestering the press, and as soon as Bella's divorce papers reached him, he knew that shit would truly hit the fan and her own character would be called into question. It had been that knowledge alone that had led him to seek out Leah and to get, with her permission, her side of the entire story.

"I don't know what to do," he sighed when he felt a small hand grasp his shoulder, rubbing the tense muscle to try and get him to relax. "I just don't know what to do anymore."

"She asked me the other day if I had spoken to the press about her and Edward."

"What did you say?"

"I avoided it… I don't want her to know that we were the source behind the Life & Style article because I don't want to break our trust even if I don't regret it at all… Especially when it was part of the reason I know she came back… Her phone call to me came so conveniently at the same time, even if she does want to deny it," Rose replied, reaching over her husband and picking up the picture of the four of them from their weekend at the Edge. They looked so happy, them against the world and she knew that they could never return to that until all this drama with Jacob was cleared up once and for all. "The press has been asking about her though… And I kind of let her have it about wearing his shirts out in public."

Emmett laughed, his shoulders shaking as he shook his head. "What did she say?"

"She basically told me to fuck off… well, in a very Bella way. She doesn't understand though that everyone knows the shirts she pulled from his closet. I mean, he wears them all the time when he's in town, as it is, I'm surprised he didn't bring them with him."

"I was told Nate made him leave it at home," he chuckled with his wife before growing somber. "Do you think this is the best thing to do?"

"What did Nate say?"

"As his manager, he says that they should do nothing and let it pass because he believes that it will just all go away once people see that they're happy or whatever… As his friend things are a little different… I don't think he wants to see anyone stressed out about this." He reached up and raked his fingers through his short hair. "Johnson thinks I should do this because I know the whole story but for the most part AEG just wants this whole thing to go away and I don't blame them really, it hasn't exactly been welcomed press and Jake is making things ten times worse."

"What did Leah say?"

"She just wants Bells to be happy and she knows she has the chance to finally have that in her life."

"So she willingly talked?"

Emmett nodded before picking up the paper one more time. They had options; the article could go out in a reputable magazine lending extreme credibility to the story. Besides, they had sources, evidence that what Jake was saying was bull shit. They had to believe them. But part of him still felt sleazy doing this behind Edward's back and without his permission. He had told him that he could do it himself, that he had to do it himself, but Emmett worried that Edward was in way over his head and just too plain preoccupied to get it done properly. Emmett had an outsiders view, he was slightly less biased, and he knew how to go about this from years of publicity training.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to sleep on it," he sighed, grabbing his wife's hand as he stood up and led her to the bedroom.

__________

He could hear the smooth music before he even opened the door, something that sounded distinctly like Frank Sinatra, and he couldn't help but smile. With his hand on the door, he paused and steadied his nerves. He wasn't sure why, but his heart was racing and his hands were shaking. Everything was different and he seemed to know that once he walked through that door, everything was going to change.

With one last breath he twisted the doorknob and opened the door, the sight before him nearly knocking him off his tired feet. The air lingered with the scent of lasagna and what could only have been the many vanilla candles that she had lit, lighting the room and casting a yellow glow. With a thud, he dropped the bag from his shoulder and moved further into the room, closing the door and locking it behind him.

"Bella?" He asked, his voice shaking slightly with his own nerves. He could hear the sound of small feet as they ran into the room and he watched as Hudson came barreling towards him, hitting his legs before jumping up, his front legs on his torso. "Hey buddy."

His hand stroked the soft patch of fur on his head and Hudson dropped to his haunches, looking down the hall at the shadowy movement.

"Bella?"

The moment he said her name she walked into the light and the air left his lungs. She was wearing one of his button downs and a pair of his boxers, her hair hung in loose curls, and her feet were bare. The yellow glow from the candles caused her skin and hair to shine in the most beautiful way he had ever seen. She was sexy, though in a casual, she wasn't trying to hard kind of way. Sure, he couldn't deny that she looked amazing in lingerie, but the girl standing in front of him was heartbreakingly beautiful, the kind of girl who he knew would possess him to the very depths of his soul.

She stood there, biting her lip, her eyes not leaving his until he opened his arms and she ran to him, throwing herself into his embrace and squeezing him back as hard as she could. His lips descended on her, kissing her hair, her temple, her cheek, her eyes, before finally landing upon her lips for a soft kiss that she deepened by weaving her fingers through his hair and pulling his face closer to hers, before sweeping her tongue on his lower lip to beg him to open up to her. And when they couldn't hold their breath any longer, they pulled away and he pressed his forehead to hers.

"God it's good to be home," he sighed, his hand reaching up to stroke her cheek.

"It's good to have you home."

"What is all this?" he smiled, pulling away and gesturing with his free hand to the room. It was then that he noticed the blanket on the floor, the bottle of wine that was breathing and the two empty wine glasses.

"I wanted to do something for you… Go change into something more comfortable and dinner will be ready when you get back… You must be hungry."

He smirked, his hand trailing down from her cheek to her neck and down the expanse of her exposed collarbone, feeling her as she pressed herself closer to him, her body trembling slightly from his touch. "I'm hungry alright," he mumbled, his lips against her neck as he felt her body go limp in his arms.

He didn't need any kind of encouragement as he reached down and grasped her legs, lifting her up, and wrapping them around his waist. With her chest against his, he could tell she wasn't wearing a bra and he smiled against her lips, walking to the blanket that she had laid out and lowering the both of them onto it.

"Tell me if you want me to stop Isabella, because if you don't I'm not going to." She moaned and reached down, struggling to grasp the bottom of his tee shirt to pull it over his head and when he finally realized what she wanted, he pulled away and discarded the offending object himself before pressing himself on top of her once again, his eyes looking straight into hers, trying to understand what she wanted, what she expected from tonight.

"I want you," she replied softly, "all I've ever wanted is you."

"You've always had me."

He took his time, removing each article of clothing with a care reserved for only the most important of tasks. He was right when he told himself that this was going to be different than any other night because it was. In the months apart from each other, he had forgotten what it had been like to be with her, to touch her and watch her respond to him. He had forgotten just how soft her skin was, and how his hand fit perfectly at the curve of her hip and how if he trailed his finger along her pelvic bone, she shivered in anticipation. He kissed and touched every single inch of exposed skin, not minding that his erection was painfully making itself aware because he just didn't give a shit about himself. In the fantasies that he had had of her, in the memories that he lived in, he had been so wrong, so foolishly wrong of how wonderful she was, how good she tasted, how beautiful the noises she made where that it was staggering and somewhat alarming. He had lived in those memories and had believed them to be perfect and never imagined he could be so wrong.

When he physically couldn't stand to not be in her any longer, he reached down and discarded the rest of his clothes and when she reached out to touch him, to give him the same pleasure that he had just given her, he shook his head.

"No… Right now… I just need you," he growled, spreading her legs and moving between them.

"But," she whimpered, her protests silenced by a fierce kiss.

"We have all fucking night Bella… We have our whole fucking lives… Give me this."

And because she couldn't deny him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer just as he entered her and the overwhelming sense of home touched them both and neither knew or understood how they had gone so long without one another, how they had managed to survive that long. Nothing would ever feel that right, nothing could ever be as right as they were. Two perfect pieces, two bodies made for one another, two souls forever entwined and never to be parted ever again.

And as he moved in her, slowly and deeply and passionately, she could feel the tears as they filled her eyes. He was forgiving her in the most tender of ways. Each thrust, each long and slow pull of his body away from hers was telling her that nothing else mattered, that the past was done and all that laid before them was the present and the future. He was giving her the words that she had told him when she had tried to get him to understand. And when the tears rolled onto her cheeks and he leaned down to kiss them away; she knew that they would be okay, that they would be more than okay, that they were destined to survive this.

"I love you," he whispered against her ear.

"Forever," she replied as his body tensed with his climax. "Forever, and always."

Spent, he collapsed on her, supporting part of his weight on his forearms while he laid his head against her heart, listening to the rapid, erratic beating that he knew matched his own and without thinking, he turned his head and placed a kiss to that spot.

"Yours," she said, this time loud enough for him to hear and when he looked up at her she could see the glassy gaze of his green eyes. "It's always been yours."

__________

Wow guys… I'm still kind of not feeling the ending really… But it's been a REALLY long time since I've written a lemon… I promise that it will get better haha.

Anyways, I'd love to hear from you! So you know what to do!

Oh and quick question that I've been meaning to ask for a while now… How many of you actually go and listen to the songs I suggest in each chapter?