Disclaimer: I don't own twilight.
Edward~
Alice woke me up bright and early the next day and was more than ready to get started. She chattered endlessly about the different types of rings and different stone types.
"Do you know what kind of ring she wants?" Alice chirped from the drivers seat.
"I'll know it when I see it" I said confidently. Bella would want something classic. Nothing to big of course but what woman would complain about getting a diamond bigger then they imagined. Alice turned up the radio and we sang along all the way to carlisle's office where we signed papers officially accepting our inheritance. After that it was off to port angeles to buy the ring of Bella's dreams.
Bella~
It was the first day I had had a moment alone since everything happened. Alice and Edward were off together on some secret mission I wasn't privy too but I hoped they were having fun. Lilly left with my Dad to go to lunch with Sue. Sue was turning out to be a dream come true. I looked around noticing once again how clean the house looked and how organized everything was. The fridge was stocked and she'd even wiped out all the cabinets and kitchen drawers (something I had never done in my life.) there wasn't really anything for me to do but the coffee house was another story. My dad thought I should let the lease run out and sell off everything. I asked him what I would do if I wasn't slinging coffee. He shrugged and said I could go back to school. Once upon my time it was my dream to get my culinary arts degree and own a restaurant. When I got pregnant I settled for waitressing and then for running the coffee house. It was successful which was nice but it had never been my dream. I floped down in the my fathers battered arm chair and sighed. What was my dream now? Everything was different. Edward was going to be here. He was going to be with me. Forever. The thought made my heart light and filled me with a sense of peace. He had talked of marriage on Alice's deck. Was marriage what I wanted? I closed my eyes, trying to picture it. Me in a flowing white dress and veil walking down the isle on my fathers arm. Edward in a tux glowing with love when he saw me coming to him. My body tingled head to toe. I let out a contented sigh while it played in my head. The vows, our first kiss as man and wife. Edward, Lilly and I living together in my dream house. It was beautiful. It was exactly what I wanted. Everything else could wait, I knew for sure I wanted this right now. And the only person I really wanted to tell was Rose.
Rose had been absent since her release from the hospital. Alice hadn't talked to her. Edward hadn't either. She was questioned by the police and since then no one had talked to her. I felt guilty for not checking on her. I decided while I had the free time I would call her and see what was going on. I called her cell but no answer. Called her house and it was the same story. I got the machine. I unfolded myself from the chair, grabbed my keys and off I went to Rose's house to see what was going on.
The drive from my house to Rose and Emmett's was short. When I arrived Jasper's truck was in the drive way and Emmett's wasn't. I wondered to myself what Jasper was doing here in the middle of the day. He must of heard my jeep because he came out the front door, waving slightly and shutting the door behind him. I climbed out tucking my keys in the pocket of my jeans. He hugged me gently the way he always did.
"Where's Rose? I called but she didn't..." I trailed off. Jasper looked exhausted. I could of carried groceries in the bags under his eyes. His hair hadn't been combed in a week.
"Jasper what's wrong with Rose?" I asked him. He took a step back and put both hands in front of him like he was pushing me back.
"Nothing is wrong with Rose. She is just recovering and needs some quiet." he said calmly. In his eyes I saw pleading. He had something he needed to tell me and badly. Something he was carrying alone.
"Where's Em?" I asked suspiciously.
"Working on Edward's house. He's been working on it like a maniac. He feels like he owes Edward." he said. I eyed him carefully.
"I want to see Rose. I'm going inside." I pushed past him. He grabbed me around my shoulder steering me back to the car.
"She's sleeping." he said.
I sighed, "Hale, you are a terrible liar."
"Yes, Yes I am." he said but offered nothing else. I ducked under his arm and made a mad dash for the front door. I was faster then he was for once. I threw open the front door and the smell hit me instantly. It was god awful but a mother knew the smell anywhere. It was vomit. I walked in slowly trying to identify the source. I saw empty pots and pans and what looked like every trash can they could find sitting at various points around Rose and Em's small living room. I ran through the house calling Rose's name frantically. She groaned from the bathroom. I went in throwing the door open, not waiting for an invitation. Rose was bent over the toilet heaving for all she was worth. I moved her hair off her neck gently.
"Are you alright?" I took a washcloth off the sink, wetting it down then handed it to Rose. She took it gratefully but said nothing. Jasper stood in the door way covering his mouth and nose. I rolled my eyes at him then looked between them waiting for answers.
"Rosie, I'm sorry. She over powered me." Jasper claimed. I laughed loudly. Rose sat down on the side of the tub. She wiped the sweat off her face and then her neck.
"it's okay." she said quietly.
"What's wrong?" I sat down beside her taking her hand in mine. She smiled sadly but looked me in the eyes.
"I'm pregnant.....with twins." Rose said. I squealed with delight but suddenly noticed I was the only happy one in the room.
"Why aren't you happy?" I stood up looking between Rose and her twin brother.
"There could be some complications." Jasper said. I couldn't understand what he was saying. Rose and Emmett were going to have two babies! Why weren't we celebrating?
"When everything happened I had missed my period but didn't know for sure. The doctors confirmed it at the ER that day but they aren't sure what the trauma did to my babies." she said over tears. I gasped softly,
"Something might be wrong with the babies?" I knelled in front of her, my eyes going between her still flat belly and her face. "Rose I'm so sorry." I didn't know what else to say.
"The doctor said the babies are strong and are out of the woods but Rose wanted to wait and tell everyone in a few months." Jasper said still standing in the doorway covering his nose and mouth. Men are such babies. A little vomit and they go all to pieces.
"Bella I wanted to tell you. I really did but I was so scared to get everyone excited and to be excited. I was terrified something would happen and I would lose my babies." Rose trembled on the side of her tub. I stroked her long blond hair and smiled reassuringly the way I did with Lilly when she was scared,
"I think these babies have survived enough to be miracles and I cant wait to meet them." Rose hugged me to her and laughed. I pulled back looking at her. She was just glowing.
Rose filled me in on everything I had missed. She was having awful morning sickness that lasted most of the day. She said she found relief for a few hours a day before it started up again. I felt her pain. Jasper came over when Em left so Rose was never alone even though she assured both her brother and her husband it was fine and women over the years had endured worse. When Jasper left to get her something from the store she confided in me that neither one of them was much help and both gagged every time she got sick. I told her about my talk with Edward. We both agreed it was a good idea to talk to Lilly. Rose and I sat on her couch under a blanket for her few vomit free hours just talking about everything and anything.
Edward~
The ring was perfect and I did know it as soon as I saw it. It was a three stone diamond ring. Two carats in the middle, one carat on each side. For our past, present and future the sales man explained. He could of saved the corny stuff for someone else, the ring was sold the minute I saw it. I picked up a small diamond heart necklace for Lilly. I wanted to get her diamond earrings as well. Alice said I was spoiling her. I bought them for Alice instead. I had to get her a present for taking such good care of me and letting me stay with her. I decided to also start paying her bills when she wasn't home. I knew she had the money now to do these things for herself but I wanted to take care of her anyway I could. She might be mad for a little bit but she would get over it.
We arrived back in Forks around four in the afternoon. Alice insisted we had to go over to the house after she had been on the phone with Emmett off and on all afternoon. We got to the house and the first thing I noticed was there was no equipment in the front yard. No wood or siding or doors. I climbed out of the car. Alice danced over to my side taking my good hand. She pulled me up to the front door. She giggled and clapped,
"Close your eyes!" Alice commanded. I did as she asked. It was no use trying to fight her. The front door opened, I smelled wood and for the first time my house actually smelled good when I stepped inside it. Alice pulled me into the house carefully. She turned me, my eyes still closed. I heard Emmett's laugh behind me.
"Okay ready? Open up!" Alice's wind chime voice called. I opened my eyes. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was painted! I had floors. Really nice hard wood floors! There were no holes, no bugs, no mice. The afternoon sun lit up the rooms in the most beautiful way I could imagine.
"How did you guys do all this?" I asked them. Em beamed with pride as Ali began pulling me room to room showing me the remodel.
"Well I worked around the clock." Em said following behind us.
"And I've been helping too. Jasper has too." Alice said.
"You didn't have to do that." I told them gratefully.
"I owe you so much more then this house Edward. Because of what you were willing to do I've now got more then I could of ever hoped for. This was the only way I could say thank you." emotions weren't easy for the big guy. I didn't need to get all sentimental on him. We both knew a smile and a punch on the arm was good enough.
Alice sat me down on a chair I wasn't aware she had bought. She was going through all the things we bought on our first brother sister outing. She was all to happy putting away linens and ordering Emmett around with the heavier things. She even called Jasper demanding his help as well. I wanted to show Em the ring but knew I had to keep it a secret or the surprise I was planning for Bella would be ruined. I felt sort of useless watching them put my stuff away. My phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out happy to see it was my love calling.
"You are never going to guess where I am." I said with wonder in my voice.. Hello just wouldn't cover it today.
"Where are you?" she wondered. I could hear her smile through her voice.
"I'm sitting in my finished house." I said. She gasped.
"It's done? Like done done? Inhabitable by humans done?" she said in a rush. I laughed,
"Yep. All of the above. Come over! And bring Lilly too. I'm thinking tonight is a good night to have our talk with her." I said getting up to walk around some more.
"Are you sure you're ready? She can be a handful sometimes." Bella warned me. I smiled to myself,
"I'm ready for anything and everything right now." we said our goodbyes and I love you's when the call ended. I couldn't wait to show Bella our home.
Bella, Lilly and I were sitting around the dining room table eating the pizza they picked up on there way over. I had given them the grand tour gently squeezing Bella's hand when we arrived at the master suite. She was amazed by it's high celings. She was particularly excited about the private master bath. My inner horny teenager was already working over the endless possiblities of naughty that could and would happen in that bathroom. I could tell Bella's mind was working over time as well by the blush creeping over her cheeks. I pushed my plate away, smiling a Lilly across from me.
"Are you excited to go back to school Monday?" I asked trying to sound excited for her.
"No. I don't want to go back." she grumbled into her plate before she took another bite of pizza. Bella gently touched her hair.
"She's sad because she missed 'bring your father day.'" Bella nudged my knee gently under the table. I took the hint,
"Lilly would you like me to go to school with you Monday? I can talk to you class about being a writer." I said hesitantly.
"Really? We could do that?" she seemed to brighten a little. I smiled widely,
"Anything you want honey. Just ask." I got up and cleared away our paper plates and then sat back down.
"And you know you can ask us, either me or Mommy anything and we will do our best to give you an answer."
"Anything I want?" she asked. Bella and I looked at each other for a moment before Bella added,
"Anything within reason."
Lilly sat up straighter in her chair. I almost laughed over the little puzzled lines creeping over her brow. She looked so much like Bella when she was looking for the right words. I took a big drink of my soda just as little Lilly dropped one on us,
"Why did you have sex before you were married?" she asked and I spit soda across the table.
"Um..." Bella said in a blind panic.
"Because when I asked where babies come from Mommy said Mommy's and Daddy's have babies after they are married and you shouldn't have sex before you get married even though Johnny and Baby had sex in dirty dancing and they weren't married." My daughter looked between us waiting for an answer.
"You've seen Dirty dancing?" I asked. Lilly rolled her eyes,
"Duh." was all she said. Bella finally snapped out of it and laughed gently,
"Honey as with everything there are exceptions to every rule. Daddy and I loved each other very very much and sometimes things happen we don't plan. We didn't plan to have sex before we were married, it just happened but the best part was we got you. And we wouldn't trade you for anything." she smiled at the end. I could tell by the look on her face she prayed the sex questioning was over.
"Do you love each other now?" Lilly asked. I sighed in relief,
"I love Mommy very very much. More then I've ever loved anyone." I laid my good hand on the table palm up. Bella laid her hand inside mine.
"I love Daddy very much." she said softly.
"Are you going to get married?" Lilly's eyes were twinkling with questions and possibility.
"Would that be okay with you?" I asked her. She nodded,
"Yep. We can live here too. That will make being married very easy for all of us and grandpa too." I cocked my head to the side and smiled,
"Aren't you worried Grandpa will be lonely?" I asked.
"Nope! He's gonna get married too. I told him to marry Sue today at lunch. He said okay. She didn't mind either." Lilly hopped off her chair and went to the bottom of the stairs.
"Where are you going little one?" Bella asked her.
"To pick my room before you have more sex and make a new baby that might get a bigger room then me!" she called down the stairs. Bella laid her head in her hand and groaned something that sounded like "Oh good god." I laughed loudly, I couldn't help it. Bella walked over and sat down in my lap. I swept the hair off her shoulder, caressing her neck gently.
"I love you." she whispered leaning down into a gentle kiss, so sweet it took my breath away.
"And I you my love." I whispered back. We sat like that in perfect comfort, in our home, while our daughter made space for herself in our new house.
A/n- Thanks for all the reviews guys! Okay so one more chapter and an epilogue and then I think we are finished with Long Road Home. I will miss this story so much but I have a bunch of other stories rattling around in my head so not to worry, this wont be my last story. As always read and Review!