The Way Back Home 24/02/2009 19:03:00

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or its characters.

I would like to take a moment to thank all of those that have reviewed it means so much to me. You are all my own Alice's!!!

This Chapter is a little on the serious side. I really want you to get to know the characters that play important roles in the story.

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Chapter 9 SURPRISE! (Edward POV)

"Wait, you mean that Bella is…I mean you knew, the whole time?

Jasper laughed at me and was shaking his head up and down. I was about to get upset but when I looked up at Bella I just melted.

Her gold gown was open and I saw that she was wearing a beautiful blue skirt and a light blue cashmere sweater. The outfit fit her like a glove and it showed off all of her perfect curves. Her legs were, ugh, to die for and they looked so good in the blue stilettos she was wearing. But then I looked up, into her eyes and I was lost. My mind was consumed of thoughts of her.

I don't know what came over me but I just had to hold her. I embraced her and spun her around. I put her down and she was laughing.

"Isabella Marie Swan. Congratulations. I'm so glad it was you."

Her cheeks had become flush again and she was just so beautiful. So I did it, in front of everyone. I kissed her. Her lips were so soft, warm and inviting. It felt like we were the only two people in the room, well in the world for that matter. It all felt so right.

I pulled away and looked into her eyes. They were beginning to tear up. I could see that she was not sad. Her eyes were happy, and that made me happy.

All of a sudden someone smacked me hard on my back and brought me back into reality. It was Emmett.

"Hey man, while I don't mind the show, I think that Bells Dad over there might not be too happy."

Crap, of all the people in the world I didn't want to mess that up. I looked up and saw Bella's parents looking at me. I could see Charlie was mad, but Bella's Mom Renee had a big smile on her face.

I began apologizing immediately. "Sir, Ma'am I do apologize. I should have introduced myself properly. "I am Edward Cullen, and this is my family."

Charlie looked me dead in the eye and shook my hand. "Edward huh, and how do you know my daughter?"

Bella's mother stepped in front of him just then and hugged me. "Don't mind him Edward, I am Renee, and I am so very glad to meet you!" She didn't stop smiling. I saw her glance at Bella and wink.

I introduced Carlisle, Esme, Jasper and Emmett. Bella then introduced her family and friends to my parents. As they all made their own introductions Bella took me by my hand introduced me to Jake, her best friend. He looked me up and down and reluctantly shook my hand. I could tell he didn't like me immediately.

As we walked away Bella looked at me.

"Don't worry about Jake Edward, he is just over protective, like my Dad. He IS married, and obviously not to me."

I stopped and turned to her. "Bella, I am so sorry, I don't know what came over me, and I didn't mean to.." Bella placed her finger over my lips.

"Edward, I am so glad that you are here, and please don't apologize for kissing me, I rather enjoyed it. Besides, I was about to kiss you too!"

I laughed at that. The nervousness that was stirring in my stomach disappeared completely. "Well I guess that makes me feel better. Since we are partners in crime."

She smiled I stroked her cheek. "Come on Mr. Cullen. I think the natives are getting restless." And with that we walked back to our families.

(Renee POV)

My jawbone had to have been dislocated from my skull as I watched the handsome young man kiss my Bella. In the seconds before it happened I saw the flash of emotions in both of their eyes, and I was happy. I had never seen Bella react to anyone, no anything, in this way. I looked over at his parents and his mother's face was priceless. After the shock wore off, her smile was a big as mine. She must have felt me staring and when she looked at me, we both smiled even more.

I could not even to begin to explain the height of my happiness. Bella had always been so serious about her life. She never took the time to really live. I had hoped that her coming to Chicago to go to school would open her up to the world, and I was thrilled to see that she willing to let it happen.

I saw the anger in Charlie's face, and heard it in his voice when the young man introduced himself. Oh no, I am not going to let him ruin this for Bella.

"Don't mind him Edward, I am Renee, and I am so very glad to meet you!" I embraced him in a hug, hoping it would convey my approval. I looked at Bella and gave her a wink. Her cheeks flushed red and she smiled at me. I internally sighed at the sight and could not help but feel relief, Ah, there's my baby. Her beauty was radiating.

I saw her take Edward's hand and walk towards Jacob.

Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder. As soon as I turned, Edward's mother embraced me.

"I am Esme, and I am so glad to meet you." I laughed. "Same here, I am Renee and this is my husband Phil." I turned to Phil but he was conversing with Charlie, and he had the same look of concern on his face. They were discussing what had just occurred.

"Men." We both laughed. "So did you know anything about this?" I asked.

"She shook her head. "No, not a clue. But I can tell you one thing. The look in their eyes when they saw each other was priceless."

"I agree. It was breathtaking." We both sighed and looked at each other and laughed again. I knew in that instant, that I was going to be very good friends with Esme Cullen.

(Charlie POV)

"What the Fu…" Who the hell does this guy think he is throwing himself at my daughter like that? Any why in the hell is she kissing him back?

Sue was rubbing circles in my back trying to calm me down. I saw that Phil had a similar look on his face; it was probably the only time that he and I actually agreed on something.

I felt Sue's warm breath in my ear as she spoke to me. "She's a woman now Charlie, and you know that Bella doesn't make rash decisions, if she is like this with him, then she has put a lot of thought into this. You know Bella Charlie, and she is just like you. Look at how long it took me to get to you!

I turned and embraced Sue. She was right, she was always right. I am so glad that I finally came around and realized that what I thought I was missing was right in front of me the whole time. He dark brown eyes looked at me adoringly and I couldn't help but fall in love with her all over again.

Before I finally opened my eyes and found Sue, I had been living in my own personal prison. When Renee left I thought that my life was over. My life was my work. I was the Sheriff in Forks and I loved it.

It wasn't until Bella came to live with me when she was 17, when her Mom decided to leave Washington and move to Phoenix, that I started to open up to the world around me. Bella made me feel alive again. She helped me feel love again. It was actually Bella that had encouraged me to talk to Sue to begin with.

Sure I spent a lot of time with Jacobs's dad Billy Black, heck he was my best friend. We would watch basketball most nights during the season, fish almost every weekend, and even watch football in the fall. The problem was that even when I went to the Quileute Reservation to visit Billy I was always surrounded by men. No available woman was in sight.

I had never even taken a second glance at Sue. She was Harry's Clearwater's Wife. I was there that day, on the Reservation, when Harry had passed 3 years earlier. He had died of a heart attack. Harry was one of the elders of the tribe along side Billy who was by bloodline, Chief. Sue was devastated.

Since Bella and Jacob had become friends, she would often accompany me to La Push and spend time with Sue. Bella was the one that would invite Sue over to Billy's hang out and to help her cook. I mean come on, with Billy, Jacob, his friends Quil, Embry and Sam, Me, and her daughter Leah. It was quite a lot of mouths to feed.

It was hard not to steal glances at Sue. She was breathtaking. She was about 5'7" and was a petite woman. She had long black hair that shined like silk. Her dark brown eyes would mesmerize me whenever they met mine. And I was happy to be under their spell.

One night, as we were sitting around the fire outside, Billy began to tell stories of the Quileute legends. Sue had taken a seat next to me and was listening to Billy. I saw her shiver and offered her my blanket. She must have seen that I was trying to be a macho man, because honestly as soon as I had opened my blanket I had started to shiver and she laughed.

We had decided to share the blanket to make sure that we both stayed warm. When she sat next to me I was able to smell her. She smelled of sandalwood. It was natural, and it was beautiful. As Billy continued I felt Sue lean against my side and rest her head on my shoulder.

When I looked down at her I realized that she had fallen asleep. As I watched her sleeping face she looked so peaceful, and she was stunning.

Billy had stopped talking and I hadn't even noticed. Everyone that had been sitting around the fire had left except for Billy, Jacob and Bella. All of them were looking at Sue and I and they were smiling.

It was Billy who had spoken first. "I don't think that I have seen Sue look that peaceful since Harry passed Charlie." I immediately felt guilty. Billy must have seen my face and he sighed. "Charlie I see how you look at her and how she looks at you. You both deserve happiness."

"But what about Harry, Billy. She was his wife, I just couldn't."

Billy looked at me sternly. "Charlie, do you think that Harry would have wanted Sue to spend the rest of her life mourning and unhappy. Well? The answer is no. On his deathbed Harry made me promise him to make sure that Sue moved on, to make sure that she led a full and happy life."

I was torn. Half of me knew that I loved this woman, but the other half did not want to disrespect the fact that her husband had died.

I carried Sue back to her home and layed her down on her bed. She hadn't moved at all until I placed her down on the bed and attempted to walk away. "Charlie, please don't leave, please, I need you to stay."

From that moment on we were inseparable. I finally asked her to marry me a year later. If you asked me to tell you how I felt about Sue, I could sum it up in 2 words. Unconditional Love.

(Bella POV)

I glanced at both of the families and was content to see that they had all been getting along.

Edward squeezed my hand and smiled. He was obviously pleased as well.

"Edward, do you realize that we could have actually met earlier than now. I mean Alice has been with Jasper for 2 years now."

He looked up into the air and started tapping his index finger on his chin. "Yes, I guess, but…" I gasped and I playfully smacked him on his forearm "Edward Cullen, I wish I HAD met you 2 years ago." I looked down suddenly embarrassed that I had just expressed my true feelings without thinking.

I heard him sigh and as he embraced me he rested his chin on my head. "Bella, I would have given anything to have been able to meet you sooner. To be honest I don't know how I lived without you."

I pulled my head up to look at him and saw that his eyes had glazed over. They were brimming with emotion. I saw in his eyes the feeling that I had in my heart and I was relieved.

All of a sudden Emmett came bounding over and embraced us both into a very tight hug. "I don't know about you guys but I know that I am hungry."

Carlisle spoke up then. "How about the Bistro 110, its not too far and they should be able to accommodate all of us. Plus the seafood is great.

Everyone nodded in agreement and we piled into the 4 cars we had brought. Edward, Jasper Alice and I rode in Jasper's rental. Rose and Emmett were in her SUV. Phil, Charlie Sue, Renee, and Jacob were in their rental, and Carlisle and Esme were in their car.

We arrived at the restaurant 10 minutes later. As we walked in I was surprised to find that the entire restaurant was empty and that we were the only guests. I turned to look at Edward and he just smiled.

"Carlisle never ceases to amaze me," he whispered.

I looked at Carlisle and he smiled. We were all seated around a large round table and the waiter began serving champagne. Of course Esme seated me next to Edward and she winked at me from across the table.

Carlisle stood and cleared his throat. He glanced over at Emmett and cleared his throat again. I turned to see what Emmett could have been possibly doing and I saw that he had been kissing Rosalie. My jaw dropped and I started laughing. When Emmett looked up and saw that everyone was staring at him and he grinned.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I mean look at her. She is my own personal goddess, I just couldn't resist," Rosalie playfully looked at him and smiled proudly at his confession.

Carlisle threw his head back and laughed. "I would like to take a moment before we begin this meal. I know that I have just met Rosalie and Bella, but you have both obviously captured my son's hearts, and I know that this is not an easy feat. You have both accomplished a great goal today and I must say that I am so very proud of the both of you. Congratulations and only the best wishes as you move forward."

The entire table raised their glasses and yelled "Congratulations!" I blushed from the embarrassment. Then Charlie stood up. He looked at me and smiled.

"Bella. From they day you were born I knew that you were special. You are and have always been your own unique person. You have always been determined, focused, and dedicated to your goals. You have accomplished so much more that any Father can ever dream of for his daughter. You are beautiful, a little clumsy at times, but you still look beautiful even when falling." Of course everyone laughs at that. "I know that you will succeed, I have never had any doubts about that. I feel so much pride today seeing what you have accomplished. When I saw you today, I didn't see my beautiful baby girl anymore, I saw the wonderfully amazing woman that you have become. I love you baby, and Congratulations"

By now tears have started forming in my Father's eyes and mine. I push myself back from the table and run to him. I wrapped my arms around him and wept.

"Thanks Daddy, I love you"

He pulls my face towards his and looks at me. "Bella, honey, I am so proud of you." He lightly kisses me on my forehead and sighs. "You really aren't my little girl anymore honey." I think that he said this more for his own realization than my own.

When I went to sit back down, Edward took my hand and squeezed it lightly. He looked at me and wiped the tear that was falling down my cheek. I gasped at his action. I have never felt the level of affection I had for Edward before now. And I didn't want to lose it.

The food we had ordered was spectacular. I had ordered the Escargot, and it was delicious.

Emmett of course provided the humor of the afternoon. It all started when he tied a plastic bib around his neck that had a picture of a large red lobster on the front. Esme took many pictures of that. Emmett was oblivious to the fact that everyone was laughing at him while we watched him eat his crab legs. Watching him eat was like watching a child.

The only person that wasn't amused by Emmett was Rose. She was so enamored by him that she was oblivious to his childish antics.

When lunch was over Alice stood on her chair and loudly announced "It time to Paaaaarrrrrrrttttttyyyyyy! Of course everyone at this table is invited to attend, so please follow the conga line to Rose and Bella's"

With that she jumped off her chair and she began rolling her arms around each other and flicking them to the left and right. She began shaking her hips to her own beat. Jasper looked at her, smiled, and shrugged his shoulders. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips and moved along with her beat. Everyone joined in while we made our way around the restaurant. The waiter and waitresses were laughing and joined in. All of a sudden I heard some conga music playing through the speakers and all the rest of the restaurant employees joined in as well.

Edward had his hands on my waist and I loved it. Just the feel of the contact made me want more. I turned around to look at him and he had his head back and he was laughing. He was truly enjoying himself. I loved to see him that happy.

As the song ended we all laughed and began making our way outside to the cars.

Before getting into the car with Rose and Alice, Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me into a tight hug. He placed his cheek on mine and whispered into my ear. "Isabella Swan, you take my breath away" He moved his lips across my jaw line and kissed my chin. He pulled away looked at me and smiled before getting into the car with Emmett and Jasper.

I was frozen in place in my own little dreamland and didn't move until Rosalie yelled into my ear. "Get in the car Bella, so you can change your panties, I know you need to!!"

I turned and got into the back seat and closed the door.

We all sighed loudly simultaneously and looked at each other. Yep, we were all in love.

Alice was the only one that spoke. "Girls lets get home and get ready, we have to blow the socks off the boys when they see us tonight."

And with that Rosalie started the car and drove like a madwoman towards the townhouse.

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Preview Chapter 10

Edward pushed me up against the wall and pushed his body into mine. He crushed his lips into mine as his tongue pushed its way into my mouth.

He began to run his hands up and down from my abdomen to my hips and I shuddered.

He looked into my eyes and grunted before his lips lunged to my neck and he kissed and licked from my neck to my collarbone.

"Edward, I want you, now"