"To the world you may be one person,
but to one person you may be the world."
Heather Cortez

CHAPTER 20: EVERYTHING TO EACH OTHER

The time spent up to the wedding was a whirlwind. Amazing but crazy.

The trip to see his grandmother Lizzie was short but very, very necessary. She was so happy for us that she couldn't stop her tears from falling, even though she was laughing at us at the same time.

She was very excited to start working with Alice on the wedding. I knew I could trust Lizzie completely to keep Alice 'on task' and not turn the wedding into a circus.

Lizzie knew me almost as well as Edward did.

She'd already heard some snippets of information from Edward's family and even Angela about our plans. She told us that her book was going through its final revision phase and would be published soon. I was so excited for her.

And, for the first time, Edward was too. He was so comfortable with the topic that he had excitedly told her all about my aspirations. He was so proud of me. It was really wonderful watching him describe things about me to other people, as if he'd known me longer than they had.

The same thing happened when we went to San Francisco and visited with Angela, Carolyn, and their respective families. He was so cute talking to them about how he hoped they would be supportive of my writing aspirations. Carolyn just rolled her eyes and Angela tried not to laugh at him. They could see how sincere he was and couldn't help but be touched by his obvious love for me.

When he saw my apartment, he got very quiet.

"You lived here?" He seemed to have a pained expression. "I mean, it's very nice… But… It's so small…"

I chuckled at him. "I don't need much, Edward. I'm a pretty simple person." He was sitting on the loveseat and I sauntered over to him, standing between his legs as I placed my hands on his shoulders. He stared up at me with a bewildered look on his face. "The only thing I can't do without, under any circumstances, is you."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. He closed his eyes and hugged me fiercely. "You're not a simple person. And I'm hoping you won't feel overwhelmed with all the things I want to do for you and give to you." He moved his hands to my waist and pushed me back slightly, so he could gaze into my eyes more easily. "I love you Isabella Marie Swan-Cullen."

I smiled widely at him and let out a little giggle. "That sounds so wonderful, I can't even tell you…" I closed my eyes, running my fingers through his hair and sighed contentedly. "And I love you, Edward Anthony Masen-Cullen."

I reopened my eyes and gave him a wink. "Come on. I've got to give you an idea of what I need to have shipped home." As I moved away from him to head over to one of the closets, he held me back tightly.

He was so quiet I almost didn't catch what he told me next. "Home. You believe it. Finally." I looked at him quickly and his eyes were closed for the briefest moment. When he opened them again, I saw all the passion, understanding and love that he held for me in his glorious sea green eyes. "I'll love you forever. But I'm so glad you've finally come to accept that the estate is your home as much as it is mine."

I gave him a quick hug and we sighed together. And of course, he chuckled and I giggled at the same time. "We're silly. But it's so… Cool!" I exclaimed.

He laughed at me in earnest. "You're very cute." As he stood up he stopped at my face to touch my nose with his, Eskimo-style. "Take everything and anything you want to, Bella. You know that cost is no object." He let go of me and I continued to smile at him as I headed back over to one of the closets in the corner of the little living room.

"Um, Edward… All the furniture here belongs with the apartment. I'll only have about eighteen boxes to ship to England…" I looked over to him nervously with my hand held tentatively on the doorknob of one of the closets. "And, honestly, twelve of those will be books." I smiled at him again and he walked over to where I was standing to place his hand on my lower back.

"Wow. You don't have many personal items, do you…" His eyebrows were a little knit and I automatically reached up with the fingertips of one hand to attempt to smooth them back out.

"No. I don't." I whispered. "I told you. You're the only thing I can't live without. Everything else simply doesn't matter." My hand drifted down from his brow and stilled against his cheek, and he automatically reached up to stroke his fingers along my jaw.

We stood there, staring intensely into each other's eyes for several minutes. His eyes softened and there seemed to be a glint of humor that had appeared suddenly.

He took a deep breath and placed both his hands on my shoulders. "Bella, let's be honest with one another. I think some of your books are almost as important to you as I am." He gave me that crooked smile I loved so much and I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"O.k. If we're being honest… Then… Yes. You're right." I let out my breath loudly and dramatically. We laughed and got to work.

With his help we managed to pack my meager amount of personal belongings in about two hours. Carolyn took over from that point and handled all the arrangements to have the boxes shipped to the estate.

I spent the next week with Edward acting as his personal tour guide, just as he had for me. It was fantastic. We were both awed, inspired, thrilled and just plain happy about all the things we saw and did together while we were in San Francisco.

Then the part of the trip that I'd been secretly dreading crept up on us.

It wasn't so much that I was worried about my dad. It was more that I was worried about what he might have told Billy and the rest of Jacob's family.

I wasn't sure how they would take it that I was getting remarried. And then there was the fact that Edward couldn't be any more different from Jacob if he tried.

On the plane ride from San Francisco to Seattle, Edward and I talked about it. He confessed that he was much more worried about my dad than Jacob's family but he could understand my concerns. We both came to the conclusion that it shouldn't really matter what anyone else thought. We were past those kinds of concerns after everything that had happened between us and especially after almost both dying.

I had a very different take on death after almost experiencing it myself. And almost losing Edward in such a violent way…

It was much more terrifying than what I had experienced with Jacob. Even though I had no more choice in the scenario that played out with Edward than I had with Jacob, it was still much more intense and frightening. That's when I realized why I was so worried about Jacob's family meeting Edward.

It wasn't Edward I was worried about.

It was that they would know me well enough to see that I simply loved Edward more than I ever had Jacob.

That realization had me gasping. We were standing at the baggage claim carousel by that point and Edward looked over at me curiously, until he saw my eyes grow wide and my hands had automatically gone up to my face.

He quickly returned to me where I was standing and placed both his arms around my shoulders. "Sweetheart, what is it?" He rubbed my back to try and calm me. He gently lifted my chin to see into my panic-filled eyes and bent down and kissed me carefully. "Come on. Tell me. It's o.k. I'm right here with you." He was so good. So loving. I immediately put my arms around his waist.

"I… I know why…" I was finding it difficult to catch my breath and, as usual, he just kept rubbing my back and being inordinately patient with me. I leaned into him and he wrapped his arms around me. I sighed against his chest.

"I know why I'm so worried about Jake's family, Edward." I felt a sob try to escape my chest. "They'll know I love you more than I ever loved their son." I'd whispered my admission, feeling ashamed, and I couldn't look into Edward's eyes because of it.

I heard his quick intake of breath and didn't know what he might say about my little revelation. I held my breath waiting for him to say something…

He held me tightly for a few seconds and then spoke in a quiet but husky voice. "Bella, if nothing had ever happened to Jacob, you would be with him still, and love him unconditionally, would you not?"

I let my breath out slowly. "Yes." I whispered.

I felt him nod his head, almost in defeat. "And, as much as I detest saying this, you would be happy and you and I… Would never… Even have met." He was so still and calm that I knew he wasn't sure if he should expect me to respond to what he'd just said. And I honestly didn't know what to say… So I didn't say anything.

I looked deeply into his verdant orbs while slowly pulling my arms from around his waist but never losing contact with his body. I ran my hands along his sides, to his stomach, up his chest, to rest my fingers and hands lightly on each side of his face. Even though we were basically in the middle of an airport, I completely ignored everyone and everything around us in that moment.

I reached up on the very tips of my toes, slowly putting my hands around the back of his neck, pressed my lips to his mouth. He tightened his grip on me and I took that as encouragement.

I slid my tongue along his bottom lip and he opened his mouth for me… I then slid my tongue along his teeth and pulled myself tightly against his body as our tongues explored each other hungrily. I kissed him with everything I had, as deeply as I possibly could. He responded in kind.

When some of the people around us started clapping, we broke our kiss and our arms slowly dropped to each others waistbands. He looked… So happy. Very, very happy. He reached out and squeezed my hands. "I have to get the luggage, love." I let him go and he turned to quickly get our suitcases.

We didn't speak again until we got into our rental car. I was the one to break the comfortable silence. I knew I needed to voice what I was thinking, to make sure he understood how I felt about Jake and… Him.

"It doesn't matter if they know how I feel. Jacob did pass away. He did leave me, even if it was unintentional. This…" I pointed to him and back to me. "This was meant to be. I'm meant to be with you. Always." I gave him a fierce little look and crossed my arms in front of my chest.

He seemed taken aback. Then… He laughed. Loudly. As he quieted and saw the look of shock on my face, he explained himself in a more subdued tone.

"You are absolutely right. And seeing the look on your face right now, the way you have your body set… It reminds me of the very first time we met." The look on his beautiful face morphed and changed to one more serious. He spoke to me softly.

"I knew the moment that I saw you at my grandmother's that I wanted to be with you. I was captivated by your beauty, mesmerized by your voice, intrigued by your gorgeous, deep eyes… I just wanted to run my fingers gently down your cheekbone…" His hands were gripping the steering wheel by this point. He turned his face back towards the front of the car and his eyes were closed.

"Jacob… Is not with you now. Fate had something else in store for both of us… We did meet." He took a deep, shuddering breath and I realized I'd been holding mine. His next words were whispered and I barely heard them.

"We are meant to be. We always have been." He turned his head back away from the windshield and his eyes were on me, boring into me.

Everything happened pretty quickly from that point.

At the same time he was turning in his seat to face me, I was turning to reach for him. It was awkward in the front seat of our sedan to reach each other… But we did.

Our hands were moving over each other's faces, arms, torsos. We crashed into each other to kiss fiercely, more intensely than we had before… I didn't know how that was possible but we did. I wanted him. Right there. In the car. I tried to get over the center console to climb onto his lap but he stopped me. We were both panting by this point and he simply grabbed my hands and held them tightly to his chest.

"I love you Bella. We don't have to… Do this. Right now, in the car. I know you love me more than anything else in this world and I'm so proud and honored to be the one that you want to share yourself with."

He'd controlled his breathing by this point and I was starting to come down from my 'Edward high.' I think I even giggled, sounding as if I was a little drunk. Which I was. I was drunk from his love. "I love you so much Edward."

As he stared intently and lovingly into my eyes, I felt my face flush a little bit. I looked down from his penetrating eyes to stare embarrassingly at my hands on his chest, as he held them there.

"But you're right… I shouldn't have attacked you like that." I hesitated and he tensed slightly. He should have known better by that point. I let my voice get a little husky. "I should at least wait until we're at our hotel room. To ravish you. Completely." I looked back up into his eyes to see that they'd changed from loving to sultry.

"Ohhh, Bella... What you do to me…" He closed his eyes again and I could see he was shaking a little bit. I extracted my hands from his chest and leaned back into my own seat, fastening my seat belt.

As his hands went back to the steering wheel, I watched as his chest rose and fell. He was trying to calm himself. I had done that to him. Just knowing that I could do that to him made me feel empowered and… Well, sexy.

I giggled again and he slowly shook his head at me, while stealthily trying not to let me notice that he was driving rather fast, to get us to our hotel room as quickly as possible.

~~:::~~

The next morning, as we pulled up to her father's home I couldn't help but feel nervous. I knew that he was the town of Fork's Sheriff. I also was extremely aware that I had made passionate love the night before to his only child, his daughter. Multiple times. In several different positions.

I swallowed loudly.

I felt Bella's eyes on me. She gave a little 'tsk' sound with her tongue against her teeth. "Edward Anthony Cullen, you are, for all intents and purposes, my husband. He's not going to get the shotgun out." She actually sounded exasperated. I had to smile. How had she known what I'd been thinking? She amazed me every single day. She was, simply, my soul mate. My other half. And I loved her completely.

"I hope not. I know you think I'm infallible but I am not bullet proof." I sighed as she giggled at me.

As I came around to her side of the car to help her out, I heard the front door to her childhood home open behind me. As I reached for her hand she looked into my eyes and gave me a seductive smile. As she got out, I couldn't stop myself from gently running the fingers of my other hand down her arm to rest on her hip. We both heard a rough cough and turned to see her father, Charlie, standing just outside the entryway watching us. I decided right then and there that she was right. I should not feel intimidated by him or really anyone.

She had chosen me. She was mine and I was hers. It was just that simple.

As she was standing next to me by the car, she began to wave towards him obviously happy to see him. I possessively placed my hand on the small of her back and walked up to the front door very close to her, so that my hip was touching her side.

I would be very polite and respectful because that's the way I was raised and that's what he deserved.

But I would make it clear with my body language that she belonged to me now. In every way.

I felt Bella tense beside me for a moment. As I reached for his hand to shake it, she relaxed slightly. "Sheriff Swan, I'm Edward Cullen. It's so wonderful to finally meet the man that raised and nurtured my future wife."

He was completely taken aback by my words but when he shook my hand he was warm and, if not friendly, accepting. "It's certainly nice to meet the man that's completely stolen my daughter's heart. Please, call me Charlie, Edward."

As we stared into each other's eyes, silently promising each other that we both loved her unconditionally, I heard Bella let out a loud breath.

"O.k., that's enough male 'bonding' for now. I'm a little tired and would like to lie down for a little bit." She huffed a little at the end of her statement and Charlie and I let go of each other's grip. We both laughed. Heartily. The ice was broken and Bella was hugging her father warmly as they moved into the small living room.

He whispered something to her that I couldn't quite hear and I saw her nod her head to him in the affirmative.

He went into what I assumed was the kitchen and asked me if I'd like a beer. I absentmindedly answered him with "That sounds fine," and quickly went to Bella's side as she reached the stairs.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" She looked a little upset and I hoped I hadn't done something wrong…

"Yes. I'm fine. I'm just so glad you've finally met, that's all." She smiled lovingly at me and I felt my knees go a little weak. "Is it alright if you stay downstairs with my dad, I just need to lay down for a little bit… I'm really tired all of a sudden."

"Of course, love. I'll come up and check on you in… What do you think, about an hour or so?" She turned on the step she was on to face me, lifting her hands up to caress my lips with her fingers.

"Hmm, yes, that sounds good." She leaned forward and kissed me, since she was basically at my height. I smiled against her lips and gave her a little peck on the cheek. "Love you."

She looked deeply into my eyes. "I love you too, Edward. Forever." Her smile was gentle and I couldn't help but love her a little more. We both sighed and she turned to head up the stairs.

Charlie was already seated in his armchair, so I took a seat on the couch that was next to him. He gestured to the bottle of beer on the coffee table in front of me and I quietly thanked him.

"Well, Edward, I'm sure that Bella told you that she'd called me a little while back to tell me about you two. And, being told that you were British and loved soccer, I decided I had to find a game that we could watch together. What'da think?" His mustache twitched but he seemed very sincere.

"That would be great!" I was excited to see a game; I'd missed a lot of the previous season.

We ended up watching a football game. Well, soccer to him. We both had a few beers and I really enjoyed talking with him about sports. I promised him that at some point in the future, we would all go to a baseball game together. I had never been to an American-style baseball game...

He told me about his new fishing boat. About his friends at the station, in town, and on the reservation. We spoke briefly of Jacob and I think he was surprised that I was as knowledgeable as I seemed to be about that part of Bella's life. I think he began to gain some true respect for me at that point.

If Bella trusted me so completely, then maybe he could, too.

I smiled as we continued to watch the game.

I was very glad we had come and that I had this opportunity to get to know Bella's father.

I just hoped he was happy to get to know me...

We were both startled by my cell suddenly ringing. I sheepishly took it out of my pocket and was surprised by the name that had flashed across the screen. I quickly answered it as I gave Charlie an apologetic shrug of my shoulders as I leaned forward on the couch.

"Gran? Is everything o.k.?" She proceeded to tell me that she hoped I was behaving myself in her homeland. I laughed out loud and got a confused look shot my way from Charlie. "Yes, Bella's friends and family have been very welcoming, and I am of course on my best behavior." Charlie grunted a small chuckle while he took another swig of his beer.

We spoke for another ten minutes, and I could tell that Gran really missed not only me, but Bella as well. "Gran, you know Bella loves you very much. We'll be at your place in no time... Yes. I'll tell Bella you'd like for her to call you tomorrow. Details about the wedding. Of course, Gran. I love you too. Yes... Yes. See you soon."

I shook my head and placed my phone back in pocket.

"Your grandmother is quite a lady, isn't she?" Charlie was staring at me intently.

"Yes. She's the most amazing woman I've ever known. Besides my mother and Bella, that is." I was no momma's boy, but neither was I ignorant of the powerful influence all the women in my life currently had over me.

I liked it. And apparently Charlie approved too.

"Good answer boy. Good answer." He nodded his head towards me while taking one last swig from his bottle. "You might be alright."

I realized I might be just a bit more than alright in Charlie's book for his daughter's love and devotion. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I lifted my own bottle in the air towards him, almost in salute. "I do try, sir, I do try."

We laughed together at my reply.

~~:::~~