Okay guys… Here it is… The final, full chapter. *Tear* It's been an amazing ride.

Thank you to zgirl21 and nomorethanusual who have been there from the beginning.

I hope you enjoy this chapter… It was beyond difficult to write. I hope I did them justice.

You Found Me
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

Chapter Twenty Three

You showed me the way
When I was someone in distress
A heart in search of happiness
You showed me the way

My sky was so gray
I never knew I'd feel a thrill
I couldn't dream a dream until
You showed me the way

The moment you found me
The shadows around me
Just disappeared from view
The world became rosy
Each corner so cozy
Darling all because of you

You showed me the way
And I've learned that love can be paradise
For you and me, here's all I can say
You showed me the way

"You Showed Me the Way," Billie Holiday

__________

All hell was about to break loose. Emmett could feel it, Rose could feel it and the only two who seemed oblivious to this fact were the two were had been locked away in Chelsea. Not that either blamed them really; they had a lot of catching up to do. Still, for two weeks, the couple had barely heard from Edward or Bella, save from a few, 'we're still alive, and thanks for inviting us out but we made plans to stay at home' text messages. Rose thought it was cute, Emmett however was growing more and more anxious over not being able to talk to Edward regarding what he was now calling 'Jacob Gate."

"You really need to relax," Rose sighed, flopping down on the couch next to her husband who was surrounded by the headlines of the week. He had become a man obsessed and it bothered her. Where as he once spent his nights with his family, now he would sit at the table and thumb through the rags, reading Jacob's carefully constructed words, revenge firmly positioned in the forefront of his mind.

"Have you seen this crap?"

Rose reached for the magazine, if it could be called that, in his hand, her eyes reading the front page: Edward Cullen's Jealous Rage. Her lips pulled down into a firm frown while her fingers flipped through the pages, finally settling on the article.

"Word is, Edward is threatened by Jacob's reemergence into his wife's life as he works to try and patch things up with her. 'He's worried that now he finally has her, she's going to run back to her husband,' our source claims. 'Jacob's willing to forgive her for her indiscretions and she's thinking seriously about going back to him. She's only with Edward because she thought Jacob would never forgive her.'" She paused for a moment, scanning down the page just a little bit more. "'Jacob has been frantically sending her text messages and calling her, reassuring her that he still loves her and that he wants to try again and Edward hasn't been taking it well,' our source continues. 'They've been arguing at lot lately and Bella's begun to worry about his volatile behavior. He's literally pushing her back to her husband by acting this way.'"

"This is such crap!" She tossed the magazine down amongst the others. "How much is he paying is 'source'?"

"I'd say that his source is himself."

"I'm going to assume that they haven't seen it?"

"Being that we've barely heard a thing from them, I'd say that was probably a pretty fair assumption but you never know. Hell, they could be laughing about it."

"No, Bella wouldn't laugh about this shit." Rose found herself scowling at the magazines once again, understanding her husband's obsession. It was tough to have to watch this, to see your friends ripped and torn because they had made a mistake, done the wrong thing. Still, they weren't rubbing it in Jacob's face, they weren't even going public. She had known he was capable of cruel behavior but this level of deceit was astonishing to her. "Are you going to leak the story?"

Emmett shook his head and leaned back against the couch. His arms sought his wife and he pulled her close to him, tucking her head under his chin. "No… It's not my story to tell but if we ever do see them, I will advise them both that they need to do something before this spirals even more out of control."

__________

Edward was certain that he had never been happier than he was in that moment watching Bella sleep, her body curled up against his own. Even the lingering thought of Jacob Black couldn't touch him now, couldn't lessen the happiness he was feeling. Well, maybe he could a little. Three days prior, Bella had gone out to purchase food for them when she had stumbled upon the tabloids that Jacob was feeding his lies to. She had purchased them, afraid to read them in public and the two of them spent the night thumbing through them. Edward tried hard not to laugh at the farfetched lies the man was capable of creating, but any jovial feeling he had was dispelled the moment he saw the tears in Bella's eyes. He had hated Jacob Black before, but now, he despised him. Even outside of their marriage he was doing all he could to hurt her. It wasn't fair.

Needless to say, the past two nights had been hell and Bella hadn't been sleeping much which gave Edward plenty of time to think about their options. Being back for two weeks now, he had managed to stay out of the public eye, though that had more to do with that fact that he rarely, if ever, left his flat. This also meant that he had been able to spend uninterrupted time with Bella; something they both needed more than anything else. If he had been unsure if they could weather the storm, he was almost certain now that things would be okay. With that revelation he and also realized that he didn't want to keep hiding. His idea of a relationship did not include hiding it from the world. He had nothing to be ashamed of; they had nothing to be ashamed of; especially not now that Jacob was going around saying the things that he was.

"What are you thinking about?" He heard her voice, thick with sleep but still the most beautiful sound in the world to him. She brushed her fingers along the stubble of his jaw, growing thick enough to nearly be considered a beard now.

"Nothing really, just things."

"What kinds of things?"

He rolled over onto his side, draping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. "I don't want to hide anymore. I don't want to act like we are ashamed of our relationship because there isn't anything to be ashamed of. I love you… I want the whole fucking world to know."

She bit her lip. To say she hadn't been expecting this was a lie; ever since he had gotten back to London, she knew that this wasn't too far off. It was stupid to think that they could keep this a secret and, if she was being honest with herself, she knew she didn't want to keep hiding it but now, more than ever, she was terrified of what might transpire if they did just come out with it. She wondered if it might have been easier if they hadn't waited so long; if they hadn't given Jacob the chance to tell his 'story' to the press.

Edward could feel her retreating. He worried that he was coming on too strong, that he was scaring her, pushing her to move faster that she was ready to. It was a plausible fear; he knew that her issues were still deep rooted. Four times during their two weeks of bliss she had left to visit Charlotte, even though he tried everything in his power to keep her in bed. Still, he didn't want her to feel afraid for their future because there was still one huge obstacle for them to overcome and if she wasn't with him on this… Well, he just knew that it wouldn't end well. He was also painfully aware of how hard it would be to let go of her a second time.

"Talk to me…" he whispered. He tried to keep his voice calm but he could hear it cracking as he pleaded with her. Deep down he had hoped they were past this, but in a quick moment he could see all her insecurities rise back to the surface.

Reaching forward he ran his index finger along the soft line of her jaw, tracing its way to her lip. She seemed to relax a bit as he tugged at the pink flesh that was trapped between her teeth. Slowly, the tender skin slipped from the pearly trap and he watched in wonder as it released: pink and red and puffy. On first instinct, he leaned in to kiss her, to claim her lips with his own but he knew that nothing would be resolved if he did. Second instinct kicked in and instead of angling his lips to hers, he pressed his head against her shoulder, his stubble covered chin nuzzling her collarbone, his nose breathing her in.

"Please don't shut me out," he sighed against her skin, his hand still pressed against her face. He felt close to her, but still never close enough. A lifetime of being with her could never quench that desire, could never quell the constant stirring in his gut to be with her in every way of the word.

"I'm afraid," she finally replied, her voice quiet as though she was terrified that the words were going to let him down, that her fears would scare him. She had done enough harm to him and though she knew he wanted the truth, she also knew that the truth had the ability to hurt him even more.

"Of what?"

"Of ruining everything for you. You've worked so hard to get where you are and what if all this drama regarding our relationship, regarding Jacob's lies… what if it makes things impossible for you?" Her eyes were watering and he let the pads of his fingertips brush them away. "What if I cause your dream to slip through your finger tips? I can't bear the thought that you'd regret giving up music to be with me."

"I'd never…"

"No wait," she continued, shaking her head and pressing the palm of her hand against his mouth to silence him. "Let me talk."

He nodded and she felt his lips kiss her hand.

"I watched my parent's marriage fall apart Edward. My mom, she gave up everything to be with Charlie, everything. She wanted to be a dancer, and she could have been; she really was that good. But she met Charlie and they fell in love… The Seattle Ballet gave her a position, it was in the chorus but there was some kind of understanding that she would make principle in a year, maybe two. She gave it all up because of Charlie and then she got pregnant before she was going to leave for the first time. I kept my parents together when they should have just separated. I destroyed my mother's dreams, and I crushed my father's heart. The thing is, I won't do that to you. I'm not going to hold you back with your career and dreams of writing music. I want you to succeed because I don't want you to commit to me and find, one year, three years, hell, maybe ten years down the road, yourself wondering about what could have been. I'm terrified that if we're together, everything is going to end for you and the band and I don't think I could handle being responsible for that."

"Can I talk now?"

Bella nodded but averted her eyes to the sheets, not sure she could stomach this conversation. Two days ago she had voiced her concern to Charlotte and that had been hard enough. What was still unsettling for her was Charlotte's positive enforcement that Edward wouldn't care. She was certain of Edward's love; she would have had to have been blind to not see it. But she knew that there had also been a time when her parents had been in love. When lifelong dreams become part of the equation things change, fundamental foundations of relationships shift and her heart couldn't take it if he one day regretted them.

His hand cupped her face, pulling her eyes to his. "Thank you."

"For what," she stuttered.

"For wanting what's best for me…"

"Even though I've had a shitty way of showing it, that's all I've ever wanted."

"Then know that all I'll ever want is you."

"You don't know that."

He shook his head. "I know enough to tell you that nothing will ever change the way I feel about you, even if music doesn't work out. I think we've been through enough to prove that."

"Things change, people change. Don't promise me things that you can't be certain of Edward."

He frowned for a moment, unsure where all this talk was coming from. The night before he was certain that she had said she loved him and that they would find a way to make this work. She was back peddling again and it startled him. Was all of this a result of Jacob? He feared that all this press coverage was merely making thing worse, no, he knew that all this coverage was making things worse. Could they ever go back to the couple who was blissfully happy? Yes, they could… If she would allow him to do the one and only thing he knew he had to do.

Rolling onto his back, he reached towards the nightstand, his hand groping for his phone.

"What are you doing?"

He could hear her talking but shook his head, listing not to her but to the ring tone.

"Hey… I need a favor."

__________

It was a three page article. It had been last minute. Still, the editor in chief didn't mind, in fact, she jumped at the chance to publish the story. It was a numbers game, but at least the magazine was reputable and it wasn't too intrusive: Waking in the Fire was already on the cover. Emmett and Rose encouraged the move, it was Bella's reaction that had worried him. Immediately following the interview she had closed off just as he had expected her to. For three weeks now she walked around, neither fully acknowledging him nor fully ignoring him. He didn't know what to do and it bothered him but instead of making a bigger deal of it, he suggested they leave London for a while and she had agreed, her entire demeanor suddenly changing. She was light again, she smiled again, and best of all, she seemed to forget about it all.

That was how, two days before the magazine would hit news agents, they were lounging in the Cullen's villa just outside of Florence.

But now the bubble that they had created in Italy was suddenly gone as the glossy covered stared up at them. It was, in theory, unassuming if it wasn't for the words that the two of them knew existed in the pages. Thankfully, as per Bella's request, any mention that they were going to come out with their relationship on the front cover was kept to a small block of letters that hung on the left page near Jaspers hand.

"Ready?" he asked softly, turning to wrap his arm around her shoulder and pull her close to him. Her body was tense and he rubbed her bare arm with his finger before leaning in to kiss her temple. "I know you're afraid but it will be okay."

She nodded into his chest and curled her body closer against him as he began to flip through the pages. And there, on page two hundred and seven it was.

Tucked away in a quiet corner of the Carmel Room at The Berkeley in London is a fairly unassuming couple. From the entrance they are barely noticeable but drawing closer to them, it becomes obvious how deep their connection flows. He's dressed in dark fitted jeans and a black tee shirt worn under a button up oxford. His messy hair is tucked under a black beanie but it doesn't do much to tame the frays that still stick out. His arm is draped across the shoulders of a small girl, her body tucked closely into his as he leans down to whisper something into her ear that lights a big, bright smile and they both giggle. She's lovely; dressed casually in a dark blue blouse, jeans and flats. "She's terrible in heels," he jokes after I sneak a glance at the Chanel flats that I've been eying for months now. "She's the biggest klutz I've ever seen," he pauses to glance at her, dropping a sweet kiss to her cheek as she flushes. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

He's become one of the most talked about celebrities in recent months but not for the right reasons. Edward Cullen, the Waking in the Fire front man with the haunting voice and ability to turn words into beautiful poetry that speaks straight from the heart and his amazing talent of taking simple notes and creating evocative chords, isn't finding fame because of these talents but rather, because of the messy love affair that has been splattered across tabloid rags for the past two months. It's a shame really because at 26, Cullen is finally seeing his dreams come true. The band's freshman album, Can't Let Go—named for the first single, and rumored to be written about the woman currently on his arm—has sold nearly 750,000 copies since its release two months ago and is currently poised to outsell that record when it is released in the US at the end of next month.

"It's hard," he says, "to know that people are enjoying the music but for all the press to be about something else. It's not fair for the other members of the band. I'm not a one man show…" That something else that Cullen is referring to, is the love affair that he has been involved in with former AEG executive, Jacob Black's wife, Isabella Swan—or Bella as she insists that I call her.

"I never meant for it to happen, you never intend for something like this to happen," she finally says and Edward reaches over and takes her hand into his and you can see just how hard this has been on the both of them. "When I met Edward, I fought every romantic feeling I had for him. I was married and infidelity was never an option. I thought I loved Jacob and the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt him."

Bella met her husband in her hometown of Forks, Washington when they were young. Jacob, three years her senior, asked her out when she was a sophomore at the local high school and they had been together ever since. "It seemed so natural at the time. I had just moved back to live with my father and he was the only person I knew. The town was small but that familiarity was there and when I was with him it felt right."

They were married right after he graduated and while she attended the University of Washington in Seattle, they shared an apartment in the city while he took a job with AEG. "The first year or two of the marriage was very difficult… I lost a child one night when I was in a car accident and it was a very dark period of time for me. He took care of me and kept me somewhat sane when all I wanted to do was die." She reaches up and rubs her eyes with her fingers as Edward looks down at her, his hand rubbing her back to attempt to sooth her obviously frazzled nerves. It's obviously a difficult subject for her to talk about, and I feel like an intruder as I watch Edward lean over and whisper into her ear which she nods along to. "I'm sorry," she finally begins again. "I haven't told very many people this story but it's important to know everything… Even my best friend didn't know until a few months ago."

Cue the move to London. Bella smiles when she talks about the move, though I assume that was probably not always the case. "I didn't know a soul here but ended up meeting the three people who have helped me turn my life around." It's obvious who she is talking about: best friend Rose McCarty, her husband, another AEG executive Emmett, and of course, the man sitting next to her.

When Jacob was transferred to the city, Bella says that they were in a bit of a rough patch and she was looking forward to the move "I thought that if we moved to a new place together, it would be like starting over… I thought that was what we needed more than anything." The move turned out to be anything but helpful. Instead it seemed to only drive a wedge between them even further. "He was a completely different person in London and I just assimilated into the person that he needed me to be. I lost myself and became numb to everything around me."

The story is so different to the one that Jacob Black has been saying to the press. "Bella was very apprehensive to even being my friend in the beginning," Edward adds, a wistful smile appearing on his face. "I'm not completely proud of it, even if I am glad I did it, but I was pretty persistent for a while." She grins back at him and slaps his arm playfully. "I fought every romantic feeling in my body that I was feeling for him, but the truth was when I was with him, I had never felt more at home before."

The couple met after Bella and Jacob had been living in London for three years. "I spilled her coffee on her and I bought her a new one and we talked all afternoon," Cullen says. "It was the greatest afternoon of my life and it changed me completely." Edward claims that he was never interested in relationships before he met Bella. "My life was a string of one nights stands. I'd be lying if I said I never took advantage of being a musician… It always seemed to get me what I wanted but after Bella… I don't know," he shrugs, "I lost interest in everything else. I knew what I wanted and if I had to wait, I would."

"I cheated on Jacob," she finally blurts out, her eyes casted down to the table for a moment before she looks up and meets mine. You can see the months, maybe even years of pain that she had been carrying around, pain that even I hadn't been aware of until one day later when I met with her best friends—more on that later. "I'm not trying to hide that and I'm never going to deny it because it did happen but I think, even if I was unable and maybe a little unwilling to admit it at the time, my marriage had been over for a long time. We weren't the same people and I couldn't live my life being what he wanted me to be… I needed to be my own person and Edward let me be me and he loved me, he always loved me."

"It was hard, the hardest thing I ever went through," Cullen replied softly his eyes briefly catching hers and it's almost as though I'm interrupting something personal between them. "But we both knew, I think, that what we were doing was wrong and we did end it." The couple was only together for a short while in relationship language, only seven months, before they both mutually ended it. Emmett and Rose McCarty were very open about that time of their friend's life.

"Edward became a member of our family. We'd known Bella since she moved and had seen such a change in her… It was astounding and we knew that it was because of him," Rose told me over coffee in Belgravia the next afternoon. "She almost immediately reverted back into the shell that she was before they met and it was so difficult after the vibrant girl she was when Edward was around."

During their time apart, Bella spent a great deal of her time with a therapist. "I didn't know what I wanted anymore and even though Edward made me feel better about myself… I was still a horribly broken person." She is talking about the miscarriage that happened some years before the move to London even took place. "I never let myself deal with the consequences of the miscarriage. When it happened, Jacob insisted that we would get through it together and I didn't need therapy… I've never been happier that I've gone… I needed to face those demons and it gave me the strength to leave my marriage so I could finally be happy."

Jacob's story is infinitely different than what Bella told me that afternoon, but there is a sincerity there that makes me believe her completely. Though he was not reachable for comment, Jacob claims that he and Bella have been in communication and have been trying to work out their differences. "Absolutely not true," she says. "We've both hurt each other too much and…" she pauses to look at Edward who is smiling down at her, "I'm too in love with him to consider anything else… For the first time in my life I feel like I'm in the right place."

Though Bella wouldn't elaborate on how Jacob had hurt her, I did manage to meet the missing party. Enter Leah Clearwater.

"Did you know they talked to Leah?" Bella asked, looking away from the article, having read enough to know that it was okay… It was all she needed; there was no need to rehash every single thing that they had said.

"Emmett had told me she wanted to be a part of it, to help back up our word but I never knew what came of it. I didn't think there was enough time."

Her eyes drifted to the window that was in front of them and she let herself take in the countryside, the warmth of the sun heating her skin. Realizing that they were done, he closed the magazine and tossed it on the table before pulling her close to him.

"Are you okay?"

"Better than okay."

"Are you glad we came here?"

"I think we needed it," she smiled and snuggled her head against his chest. "But Edward?"

"Hm?"

"I'm ready to go home."

__________

She looked down at the papers that were delivered to Edward's flat, her flat now that she was officially living there. Six months later and they were finally there, it was finally over. Once she touched the pen to the paper and scribbled her signature, she would be divorced. She felt Edward's hand on her shoulder and she smiled as she looked up at him. For anyone else, she knew that this act would be difficult, to sign away the past ten years of your life with one person but it wasn't. She was exactly where she was supposed to be, with exactly the right person.

"This is what you want right?" he said.

"What? My divorce?"

He grinned, "No… I know you want the divorce… I mean, are you sure you're finally ready to move in here?"

Without responding she scribbled her name on the line and stood up to face him, her hands planted firmly on his cheeks. "I've never been more certain of anything… I probably shouldn't have waited as long as I did."

"I understand why you did."

"I just wish now that I hadn't," she sighed running her fingers down his neck and settling her hands on this chest. "All that time wasted."

"It's not wasted if it makes us stronger."

Stronger… It was a poignant word in their relationship now. They really had been through more in two years than most couples go through in a lifetime. After the Vanity Fair article, Jacob had nearly disappeared, and it was probably because for the first time, everyone was able to see the truth behind the relationship. That isn't to say that there wasn't some backlash. Still, it was much easier than she had anticipated and even when things got hard, Edward had been there to reassure her that no matter what they would make it through it. And they had.

It wasn't an easy six months, but it wasn't nearly as hard as she had been anticipating. Edward and his band had ended up touring the US and she hadn't been able to take the time off to follow him even if it was what she wanted to do. Those two months had been extremely difficult but she had grown close with his family and Esme was a constant source of comfort for her. It also helped that Edward left Hudson in her care. There was always a reminder that he would be coming back and they would be okay.

"What time does Charlie and Sue's flight get in tomorrow?"

Bella sighed against his chest and held his waist tighter. "The plane is supposed to get into Heathrow at ten… He said to send a car because he didn't want you to have to deal with paparazzi."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to pick them up at the airport."

"I'll wait in the car…" he smiled, leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead. "It will be good to see the two of them again anyways… Unless you want to go alone."

"No, I want you there ad even though Charlie won't admit it… He does want you there too."

The first time he met Charlie had been when the band was in Washington. It was the one part of the tour that Bella had been able to join him on. The prospect of meeting the man was more terrifying to him than getting up on stage, but the moment he met him, he was instantly at ease. Though they were two completely different people, they did have one thing in common and it was enough to bring them close: Bella. It was unspoken between them, but they both knew that they would do anything for her.

"Bella's been through a lot…" Charlie mused aloud as the two men sat on the couch. The television was set to the game and Charlie popped the tab of his beer, glancing once at the door as they heard the women leave to go to the grocery store.

"I know. You have a strong daughter, sir."

"I can't take full credit for that… I know that I'm partly to blame for her relationship with Jacob and since then I've vowed to make sure that she's okay. I never should have pushed her towards him."

"You only did what you thought was right for her. I know you thought she loved him enough, that he loved her enough."

They were silent for a moment, the sound of the game blaring through the room.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?"

Edward twisted his hands in his lap. This was a conversation that he was planning on having with Charlie, but not this soon into meeting him. He wanted to get to know him a bit and before he had to leave town, he planned on asking his permission.

"I love her, very much."

"I gathered that much."

"I know the divorce isn't finalized yet but I know what I want and I do want to spend the rest of my life with her if she'll have me. I've lived without her for long enough and I can't go through that again. When she's ready, I'd like to ask her to marry me… With your permission of course."

Charlie starred at him for a moment, his eyes hard and narrow before they softened when he had determined that the man before him was telling the truth. For him it was so different than when Jacob had asked him the same question. He knew back then Jacob had loved his daughter but now, looking at Edward, he knew Jacob never loved her enough. Edward would. That much was blatantly obvious to him.

"Do you have a ring?"Edward nodded. "On you?"

"It's back in London… It's been in my family for ages and I want her to have it."

"I trust you Edward… I don't know you very well but I think you can make her happy… But if you ever hurt her, I swear you'll regret it."

"I won't hurt her Chief. I couldn't."

"Good boy."

He watched as she pulled away and put one of the copies of the divorce papers into another envelope and sealed it up, ready to send it back.

"Are you packed to go to the edge?" He asked as he walked into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge while his free hand fingered the ring that rested deep in the bottom of his pocket. He had just picked it up from the jewelers and was now sized to perfection.

"Yes… I guess we can leave straight from Heathrow if you want… We can take the Volvo, there's plenty of room."

"That sounds perfect love," he smiled.

__________

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Charlie asked, sipping his beer and staring out at the English countryside. When Edward had called three weeks ago and said that he was ready to propose and he wanted him there, he knew that the trip would be worth it. Besides, he had never been to England; even in all the years that Bella had lived there with Jacob. It was time to make that trip, and he couldn't think of a better reason to do it.

"I've never been more sure of anything else… I know the divorce was just finalized but I can't wait any longer and I don't think she'll want to either."

Charlie smiled at him. "When?"

"I'm taking her for a walk at the edge… There's a place there that I want her to see… Then."

"Today?"

"Today," he grinned.

"Good luck son," he replied, pulling Edward into a hug. "Welcome to the family."

__________

He was thankful that it was a beautiful day: the sun shining and peaking through the clouds casting a golden glow on the dirt and grass covered ground. His heart was racing but he was more excited than nervous. He knew Bella, knew her well enough that she would say yes to him. This was right, neither wanted to wait any longer before starting a life together.

"Where are we going?"

"Just around the corner," he replied, tightening his grip on her waist as she stumbled on a rock. "Careful love."

She couldn't remember going this deep into the path the other times that they had been here which had been more frequently lately. Edward claimed that he wanted to purchase a house in the area for the future, for their future, but she was appalled by the high prices and was trying to convince him to buy a home someplace cheaper. He had yet to be deterred saying that he always wanted to raise a family where he had grown up, that it was the perfect town for them.

His sudden stop jerked her from her thoughts and she felt him turn her body into his, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek before he leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"See that?" he asked when they pulled away and pointed to an engraving on a rock. She nodded.

"What is it?"

"It's the Wizard's Well."

"I've never heard of it."

"It was formed by a spring sometime back when Paganism was prominent in the area… The face was carved sometime ago; they think it's older than 200 years old… But the water," he said as he moved them closer and bent down, letting it slosh through his fingers, "the water is said to have magical powers."

Bella grinned but leaned down and mimicked his movement with the water. It was cool against her warm skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

"The water," he continued, "was thought to cure infertility."

"Edward…"

"No wait…" he continued, pulling them both up. "I don't care if we can't have children of our own but I do want a family with you… Bella… I want everything with you and I don't want to wait any longer. I've spent so much time waiting for the right woman and then you came into my life and it was filled with a vibrancy that had never existed before. And when you were gone, everything was in the same place as it had been before but so much was missing… My heart was gone because you had it. I can't live through that again… I need to know that you'll be with me forever." Reaching into his pocket he pulled the small black box and dropped to his knee. "Marry me Isabella Swan, spend forever with me, start a new life with me."

She looked at the ring, the delicate platinum setting. So different than her first ring, so much more of what she would have imagined wearing for the rest of her life. Her heart was beating in her chest but not because she was scared like she had been the first time she was placed in this position, she had never been more excited. This was exactly where she was supposed to be and this was exactly the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with.

"You're leaving me hanging here love," he smiled nervously, causing her to blush.

"Edward… I've never wanted anything more… Yes, with all my heart, yes."

He slipped the delicate ring on her finger before standing back up, pulling her into his arms and pressing his lips against her own. Elation. There was a sense of happiness that filled him up that he had never known before and he savored in it as he kissed her softly until they both needed to come up for air.

"I love you Edward Cullen," she said softly, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she panted, trying to catch her breath. "Thank you."

"For what?" he grinned, reaching up to cup her cheek.

"For finding me."

"I've never been more thankful that I did."

He pulled her back into him, not kissing her but just feeling her pressed against him. They both stood there savoring each other and enjoying the moment.

"And Edward?"

"Hmmm?" he mumbled against her hair.

"I didn't need the Wizard's Well after all."

__________

Did I mention there's an epilogue? It's been started… I hope to have it up soon.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!