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A/N: Thank you so much to Jackie and Melissa! I love you both so much! XOXOX

Thanks to all who reviewed on the last chapter and thank you for continuing to read "From The Darkness Comes Light" Now we move on to some happier times :)

Chapter Playlist: 1. The Script ~For The First Time~ 2. The Fray ~You Found Me~ 3. Daughtry ~ What About Now~ 4. Hinder ~The Best Is Yet To Come~

~X~

Chapter 15

A New Beginning

~Edward~

September 13th, 2010

~X~

Rolling over I look at Bella lying next to me, even sound asleep she is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on. I can't help but think that I am the luckiest man on the face of the planet right now. I reach my hand up and brush my fingertips across her cheek for no other reason than to prove to myself that this isn't a dream, that she really is here.

"Morning baby," she whispers, opening her eyes and smiling at me.

"Good morning angel," I reply, smiling back.

"This is nice,... I think I could get used to this." she says, wrapping her arms around me.

"Used to what?" I breathe against her lips, kissing her softly.

"This," she motions between us, "waking up next to you every morning."

"Good, I hope so angel, because I'm not going anywhere." I reply, pulling her closer to me.

Bella and I just recently moved in together, after selling the house that belonged to Alice and I, it just felt like the right thing for us to do. And even though I knew from the moment I met Bella that we were meant to be together forever, nothing has made that more clear than living with her these last few weeks.

"I love you angel, happy birthday" I say, bringing my lips to hers again.

"Mmmm...I love you too baby, can I have my present now?" she moans into my mouth.

I roll us over so that I am laying on top of her, and push my hardness into her, "See what you do to me." I groan, breaking our kiss and trailing my tongue down her jaw.

She runs her hands down my back, grabbing my ass and pulling me hard against her warmth. "Show me E, show me what I do to you."

"Fuck, Bella," I moan, reaching down, sliding her panties off of her.

Her hand glides down between us, as she wraps her little fingers around my throbbing cock, positioning it at her entrance. I look into her eyes, as I push into her as far as I can and stop, nearly coming just from the sensation of her warm pussy wrapped around my dick like this, "God I fucking love you so much angel." I groan, kissing her again.

She bucks her hips, urging me on and I slowly start pumping in and out of her.

There is nothing I can compare these moments to, being with her like this. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced before in my life, and it will never make a difference how many times I make love to her. I don't think this intense feeling of two souls connecting as one, will ever go away.

"Edward, so good baby." she whimpers beneath me.

That feeling in the pit of my stomach starts to intensify when I increase my speed and I know that I won't be able to hold out much longer. I run my hand up the contours of her beautiful body, reaching her hand, I lace my fingers with hers.

"Come with me baby," I beg, kissing her deeply again.

I can feel her pussy tighten around my dick and I know she is just as close as I am.

"Oh god, E, I'm so close."

"Me too, angel, so close."

Her body starts to writhe below me, as her orgasm takes hold and I push myself into her hard one last time, as my entire body comes undone.

"Fuck, Bella, god damn you feel so fucking good." I groan against her lips as my cock explodes inside of her.

We both lay here motionless, entangled in each others arms, trying to come down from the high of our orgasms. Finally my breathing starts to become normal again, and I pull myself up to look at her.

"Uhmm...yeah baby, I'm pretty sure I could get used to this every day." she says chuckling.

"Good," I say again. "because I think my dick could get used to it too, angel." I say with a smirk.

She laughs, pushes me off of her and sits up. "I have to get ready, I'm going to be late again."

Looking over at the alarm clock on the table I realize I will be too, if I don't get up and get my ass in gear.

"Shit, me too," I say, standing and grabbing her hand, pulling her into the bathroom.

"Wait, what are you doing? " she grumbles behind me.

"Saving time," I grin, pulling her into the flow of the water.

She laughs, steps towards me and places a chaste kiss on my lips. "Saving time huh, now I know I'm going to be late." she smiles, as she wraps her arms around me and presses her lips to mine again.

~X~

"Coffee?" she asks, holding up a cup, as I make my way into the kitchen.

"Yes, thank you." I say taking the cup with one hand, and wrapping my other arm around her.

"I have to go, early surgery. But I was wondering...," I trailed off, thinking ahead to my plans for tonight.

"Wondering what?" she questions.

"Well, if you'll let me take you out tonight to celebrate your birthday."

"I don't know Edward, I'm not sure today is anything to celebrate" she frowns, pulling away, and turning the other way.

I know what she is worried about, it's why I've been afraid to mention it in the first place. I need to reassure her that just because we lost Alice last year on her birthday, doesn't mean she can never celebrate it again.

I reach my hand up pulling the hair that is laying across her shoulder behind her and kiss her neck. "It's okay angel, Alice would have wanted this. She would have wanted you to be happy, never doubt that." I whisper in her ear.

She turns around, looks up at me, with tears in her eyes, "Okay E, let's do this then... for Alice."

"That's my girl," I say grinning wide and pulling her in for one more hug before turning towards the door.

I open the door and look over at her, "I'll pick you up after work, bye angel."

"Goodbye Edward," she says waving at me with a smile.

~X~

It's been exactly a year since Alice passed away, and if losing her has taught me anything at all; it's that time is precious and should NEVER be taken for granted. That's what we've all done for so long, sit back and wait. Hoping against hope that fate will at some point intervene, and fix all the fucking mistakes we've made in our lives.

But losing my best friend has helped me to realize that we can't just sit back and wait for those things to happen, because if we do that, when we actually do figure out what we want and decide to go after it, it may already be too late.

That's exactly what happened to my brother, and having to watch him come so close to getting everything he's ever wanted, only to have it ripped away from him, has probably been the most difficult thing about all of this. I don't want to end up like Jasper. Although he has come a long way since that fateful day last September, I know just as he does deep down, that he will never completely be whole again.

"Hey Edward, you wanted to see me?" I hear Jasper ask, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Yeah, please come in and sit." I say motioning to the seat in front of my desk.

He walks in my office, closes the door, walks over and sits down. "What is it, is something wrong?" he questions.

I have been dreading this conversation with Jasper for weeks now, but I have put it off long enough. It's time for me to start living the life I was supposed to have, instead of settling for what I thought I deserved.

I stood up, walked around to the front of my desk and sat down in the seat beside him. " How are you Jasper?" I question, not because I am trying to put off the inevitable, and not because today is the anniversary of Alice's death, but because I really just want to know how my brother is.

Jasper and I don't talk much these days, I think he intentionally avoids me at times, because he can't deal with seeing Bella and I together, it reminds him too much of what he almost had with Alice. Which is what makes what I am about to tell him that much harder.

"I'm fine Edward, why?"

He looks over at me, and something flashes in his eyes, maybe it is only for a second, but I still see it nonetheless. He puts on a good show for everyone, but even after a year has passed, I can still see it in his eyes, he is not okay.

"Come on Jazz, it's me. You can still talk to me you know?"

He shifts in his seat and looks down. "Edward, what is this really about? I have patients to see." he says, as my cell phone starts to ring in my pocket.

I pull it out, and see Bella's name flash on the screen and immediately put it back in my pocket. I'll call her back later. "Not important, it can wait." I say, looking up at him.

"Since when is Bella not important?" he replies, with a smirk on his face.

I smile, and shake my head. "Look Jasper, I asked you to come here because I have something important I want to talk to you about, something that I'm afraid won't be easy for you to hear, especially today. But you're my brother, and I want to share it with you first." I say nervously.

"What is it Edward?" he asks, concern lacing his expression.

I take a deep breath and sit up in my chair, "I've decided to ask Bella to marry me, tonight." I whisper, barely audible, looking everywhere in the room but at him.

There is a long pause, which scares me a little and then finally he clears his throat. "Well it's about fucking time," he chuckles. "I was beginning to think you were always going to be a pussy Edward, good to know I was wrong."

"Fuck you," I start to laugh, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Why were you so afraid to tell me that?" he questions.

"W-what do you mean?" I ask, trying to hide my stupidity.

"Come on Edward, since I walked into the room, it's like you've been walking on egg shells around me. I'm not that fragile you know."

"I'm sorry Jazz, I guess maybe I just thought...," he sat up cutting me off.

"Let me guess, you thought because of Alice, I wouldn't be happy for you? That somehow hearing that you and Bella will get to have the life I was deprived of might, I don't know, destroy me or something?"

"W-well yeah, I guess maybe that is what I thought."

"Don't be ridiculous Edward," he scoffs, standing and walking over to the window, looking out. "Look, baby brother, after everything that we have all been through in this life do you really believe that for one fucking minute I wouldn't be happy that you, out of all of us, would be the one to get your happy ending?"

My breath catches at his words, "You'll get your happy ending too, Jasper, in time. I know you will." I say.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. I mean, I certainly hope that I do, but if losing Alice has taught me anything, Edward, it's that no matter what happens, or what my future holds, I'll be okay with it and you should be too. That way Alice's death will have never been in vain. She changed us E, in every way she possibly could. She helped show me that I am capable of feeling, of loving. She showed me that my heart is not dead. And you, she showed you, E, that you are not defined by your actions, that you are so much more than that. What we choose to do with the gifts she gave us is up to us now."

I stood up, walking towards him, tears filling my eyes. "I-I don't know what to say Jasper," I choke out, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him in for a hug.

He pulls away and looks at me, and the corner of his mouth lifts into a crooked grin. "Just promise one thing, E."

"What's that?" I ask curiously.

"That you won't make me wear one of those monkey suits to your wedding." he answers laughing.

"Fuck that, bro," I chuckle. "You don't have a choice, if you're going to be my best man."

"Really?" he questions, looking at me.

"Of course, Jazz, who else would I ask? You're my brother and my best friend."

A single tear escaped down his cheek as his eyes met mine, "To new beginnings, Edward," he whispers, pulling me in for another hug.

"Yeah, to new beginnings for us both, Jasper."

We stood there in silence for awhile, just hugging, before he spoke again. "There's just one more thing, Edward."

"What?" I question, pulling away to look at him.

"Bella has to say yes first!" he says with a smirk.

"Yeah,...Wait, you don't think she would actually say no, do you?" I ask nervously.

He threw his head back and laughed hard. "Oh Edward," he says smiling at me "I think she would be a fool if she did."

~X~

Soon after Jasper leaves my office, I am just about to pick up my phone and call Bella back, when there is a knock on the door. "Come in." I call out, dropping my phone back in my pocket. The door opens, and in walks my mother.

Smiling, I stand up and walk around the desk, taking her in my arms, "Mom, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?" I ask, completely surprised to see her.

"Yes sweetheart, everything's fine. I just stopped by to let you know everything is taken care of for tonight, all of your instructions followed to the letter." she answers smiling wide.

"Thanks mom, I couldn't do this without you, I hope you know that." I say, pulling her in close and kissing the top of her head.

"Uhmmm...Edward, there is one more thing I would like to talk to you about." she says pulling away, walking over to the chair, sitting down and rummaging through her purse, pulling out a little black box. "Come sit down." she pats the seat next to her.

I walk over and sit down, a little confused as to where this is going, "E-Esme, mom, are you sure everything's okay?"

"Edward, I know I'm not your real mother, but you have never been anything else to me but a real son. I loved you from the moment I saw you as that beautiful, broken little boy in that horrid foster home. There has never been any doubt for me that you and Jasper both belonged with Carlisle and I, and no one knows better than I, the battles you have had to overcome within yourself to get to where you are today."

"Mom, I-I don't know what to say, except that you have to know, in my eyes, you are the only REAL mother I have ever known. I have never thought of you as anything less. You have given Jasper and I the kind of love that most sons could only dream of. There isn't a day that goes by that I am not so thankful that you chose that foster home to walk into that day."

"Fate is a funny thing, Edward, it has a way of showing us the way, even when we are too blind to see it clearly ourselves. I believe with everything in me that fate is what brought Carlisle and I to you and your brother that day. We were meant to find you, to love you. Just as fate saw to it to bring Bella into your life. You two were meant to be together, no matter the road you took to get here. The fact is you're here together, and the two of you have a love that can't be undone by anyone or anything." she says, taking my hand and placing the little black box in it.

"W-what's this?" I question, with tears in my eyes.

"That, Edward, is the ring your father proposed to me with," she smiles, reaching up to wipe my tears away, "I want you to have it now, I mean, I want Bella to have it. As a symbol of a love that only comes along once in a lifetime, and as a reminder of how very lucky the two of you are that fate chose you. To shine it's light on, to help guide you through all the darkness you've had to endure."

"I love you mom," I cry, wrapping my arms around her.

"I love you too son, never forget that."

~X~

I have one more stop to make before I can pick up Bella, and it's probably the moment I've been dreading the most, all day. I pull into Charlie's driveway, and turn the engine off. I am finding it difficult to breathe, I know what Charlie thinks of me, in his eyes I have never been good enough for his daughter. But I have decided that if I am going to do this right, I have to at least try and get his approval. Don't get me wrong, whether he gives me his blessing or not I fully intend to marry his daughter. But I would much rather have him walking by her side down the aisle, than fighting us every step of the way.

I take a deep breath and open the car door, closing it behind me, and slowly walk up the front porch steps. Just as I raise my hand to knock, the door opens. I look up to see Charlie standing there with a puzzled look on his face.

"Edward, what are you doing here?"

"Can I come in, Charlie, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"Yeah, come on in." He steps to the side, never taking his eyes off of me and motions me into the house.

"Thank you," I reply, stepping through the doorway.

"Have a seat, Edward," he says, gesturing to the sofa.

I do as he says and sit, nervously tapping my fingers on my knee.

"What is this about?" he questions curiously.

I look over at him, finding it difficult to concentrate over my thumping heart. "It's about Bella and I, sir."

He sits back in his chair and sighs heavily, staring at me in silence, for what feels like hours. I can't tell if he is just annoyed with me, or if he is intentionally doing this because he senses how fucking scared I am.

"Go on." he finally says.

I decide in that moment that I'm just going to come out with it, there is no point in beating around the bush. "Well s-sir, I would like to ask your daughter to marry me and I would like your blessing to do so." I spit out, nearly choking as I say the words.

Again, silence. I look down at my wristwatch and watch the seconds tick by. I start to question whether or not this is a good idea at all. Sitting here waiting, all those memories from the past start to surface once again.

~Flashback~

"Bella please, please just talk to me." I screamed, beating on her front door. Everything I have done today flashes in front my eyes like a near death experience or something, because that's what this feels like. I am dying inside knowing what I have done to her.

It's pouring down rain, and I'm soaking wet, but I don't give a fuck. I will stand out here for the rest of my fucking life if that's what it takes to get her to talk to me.

"Please Bella, please come out and talk to me" I begged, still banging on the door, as I dropped to my knees from exhaustion. The coke is still lingering in my system and I have no idea what time it is, or even how long I have been here. Hell, I don't even know how l got here.

Suddenly the front door opens and for a brief second I am smiling inside because I believe my persistence has finally paid off and she is finally going to talk to me. But looking up, all that hope comes crashing down as I feel his hand come up and grab my shirt collar, dragging me down off the front porch. He flings me to the muddy ground and even if I wanted to, I don't have any strength left in me to fight him.

"You are not welcome here any more, Edward Cullen, after what you've done to Bella tonight, you will never be welcome here again. If you don't get out of here right now, I will haul your ass down to the station and arrest you for trespassing. Do I make myself clear?"

"Please, Charlie, I just need to talk to her, explain to her, PLEASE!" I begged with every ounce of strength I had left.

"NO! Bella wants nothing to do with you anymore Edward, you need to get that through your head. She will never forgive you after what you have done. Now get the fuck out of here and don't come back!"

I laid there, the rain pelting down over my face, crying and curled up in a fetal position. The full impact of what I have done hitting home with his words. She will never forgive me for what I have done, She will never forgive me ...I repeated over and over again. It's over , I've lost her and there is no one to blame for it but myself.

He walks away, returning moments later, jacket on, and keys in hand. He grabs my collar again and drags me to his squad car. "Alright Edward, you asked for this!" he screamed, opening the door and throwing me in.

He walks around the car, opens the driver's side door and gets in. He starts the car and backs out of the driveway. He doesn't say another word to me, and I have no idea where he is taking me, until I see my house as we come to a stop in my driveway.

He shuts the car off and turns to me. "I'm going to say this one more time, Edward, you are not to come near my daughter again, you have done enough damage." he growled, opening the car door and stepping out. A few seconds later I feel the passenger door fling open and once again he forcibly grabs my shirt and flings me to the ground out of the car.

"I'm so sorry." is all I can mange to say now.

I hear arguing in the distance, it's Carlisle's voice, I'm sure of it. "You have no idea what you're talking about Charlie, no idea at all what he has been through."

"I don't give a shit what he has been through Carlisle, you keep him away from Bella." Charlie yells back and it's the last thing I hear before everything goes black..

The next thing I remember I wake up in my bed, still covered in mud, still soaking wet. Esme is laying next to me, her arms wrapped around me. "I'm so sorry Edward." she sobs, as I drift out of consciousness again.

The next time I wake, I am clean and dry, and alone. I don't know how long I've been here but the pain of my loss feels heavy in my chest. I know there is no hope after what I have done. I've lost her and I will never get her back.

~Flash forward~

"Edward, hello Edward, you okay?" I hear Charlie say, as I snap back to the present.

"Y-yes, sorry." I reply, the memory of that day still lingering in my mind.

"You sure, you look kind of pale all the sudden?"

"Y-yeah I'm fine," I lean forward in my seat. "Charlie, I think there's something more I need to say, I need to apologize to you for my behavior that night, it was stupid, childish, desperate...there is no excuse for what I did to Bella back then, and I really don't blame you if that is something you can never forgive me for. But I think you should know, I'm a different person now, I'm not that same stupid immature boy I was back then. I love your daughter sir, more than words could ever say."

He eyes me again, suddenly stands up and walks over to the sofa and sits down beside me, turns towards me and inhales deeply. "Edward, what you did back then, to Bella I mean, in any other circumstance may very well be unforgivable. But your situation is not a normal circumstance, and if anyone should be apologizing it's me. I didn't know then about the news you were given that day, nor did I know anything about what happened to you prior to the Cullens adopting you. I need you to understand, I am not condoning your behavior, but you were so young, and had so many things to deal with that no adult, let alone a boy of your age, should ever have to deal with. So I guess what I am trying to say is, Edward, I think you've turned into a fine man despite the horrors you have had to endure in your life, and that is something you should be proud of and never apologize for and I would be very pleased to call you my son-in-law."

"Really?" I smile, stunned.

"Absolutely Edward, I think Bella is lucky to have you in her life and I've never seen her happier than she is right now." he replies, smiling back.

"Thank you sir."

"Edward," he says.

"Yes sir?"

"Please call me Charlie, or dad anything but sir. It makes me feel old." he replies, laughing.

"Okay, Sir-I mean Charlie, I mean dad."

~X~

Bella steps out of her building onto the sidewalk and I watch her for a brief moment as she turns towards me leaning against the car. When she notices me, a beautiful smile lights up her face,...and once again I can't help but feel I am the luckiest man on the face of the planet. Soon I hope to call this woman my wife. I think to myself, as she starts across the street towards me. I open my arms, taking her in when she reaches me, bring my lips to hers and kiss her deeply. "Happy Birthday Angel, " I whisper, pulling away. "Ready to go?"

"Yes, E, I don't think I've ever been more ready." she says, as I open the car door for her and she slips in.