DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM TWILIGHT. THEY ALL BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.

EPOV

"Edward." She took a deep breath and then said the two words that turned my entire world upside down, yet again.

"I'm pregnant."

She's pregnant.

She's expecting a baby.

My baby.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. Was it true? Was this incredible woman expecting my baby? If she was, then there was something seriously out of whack with the universe because after everything that I've done, I don't deserve this.

"Edward?" She called my name gently, timidly, probably worried about the fact that I hadn't said anything yet. I was just trying to absorb it all. "Are you okay?"

"Are you sure?" I whispered and she smiled at me. It wasn't a huge smile, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Well, if four tests are wrong then they're not making them like they used to." She giggled and I couldn't help but smile. "Are you okay?"

"I'm……" I thought for a moment, wondering. How was I? Really? Was having a baby a good thing? Was it something that we could do? Even with me as fucked up as I am?

Even though I knew that I probably wouldn't have much of a say in the matter, did I want this baby?

I didn't have to think about the answer. I knew it already.

Yes.

There was something inside my head telling me that this was a good thing. No. That this was the best thing that could happen to Bella and I. And it wasn't the same things that were telling me that Bella wasn't coming back, that she'd never loved me. Those had shut up. For now that is.

"I'm……I don't even know how to put it into words." I whispered, lamely, burrowing my head into her hair, causing her to giggle.

"Now, in a good way or a bad way?" I didn't miss the apprehension in her voice. She was afraid that I wouldn't want the baby, wasn't she? But then again, with my fucked up track record who wouldn't.

"The best way." I mumbled against her skin, inhaling the sweet scent of her as I did so.

She sighed and squeezed me tighter than she had already.

God, how I'd missed the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, her touch as her fingers gently traced over my face, the taste of her lips on mine. This was something that I could never live without again. I never would. I was never letting her go.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It had been three days since Bella came back and I drenched in every moment I could with her. Those three weeks without her were like a void that I was so close to falling into again. The black hole that would suck me back down into oblivion and I didn't want that to happen. With Bella here, it was like I was constantly teetering on the edge, the depths threatening, laughing and mocking me, so close to pulling me back in, but only lapping at my toes as the waves on a beach.

I wasn't going to let myself get any closer than that. I couldn't afford to. Not only did I have Bella back with me, needing me with her, I had an unborn baby on the way.

Well, make that two.

It was twins.

Bella had made an appointment at the hospital for two days after she had returned from Phoenix. The rest of the family, even though they were excited to see Bella and wanted to be with her, realised that we needed to be alone and let us be. They didn't know about the pregnancy yet. We were going to tell them today.

Though how we were going to tell them when and where it happened was going to be a little awkward, although I think that they already know some of the story. But whether or not they knew that they had been standing on the very spot where Bella got pregnant while we said our wedding vows, that would be a little harder to explain.

As it turns out, Bella is almost two months pregnant and her due date was approximately the middle of April, but we had to give or take between two weeks and a month because it was twins.

"How are we going to do this?" Bella asked me, looking slightly worried. She was holding the sonogram picture in one hand, her other hand holding mine close to her belly. I still found it incredible that there were little people in there. Well, maybe they didn't look like that yet, but still, they were in there and that was all that mattered.

"I have no idea." I shrugged, kissing her shoulder gently. "They'll be thrilled. You know they will."

"I know." She sighed, leaning her head back on my shoulder. "How am I going to get out of the shopping trips."

"Face it, you're not." I chuckled and she scowled up at me, obviously not happy. "Hey, are you brave enough to go up against Alice and Rose. And you know now that there are babies involved you're gonna have to deal with Esme as well."

"I know." She sighed again, this time a little sadly.

She told me that she had told Phil at the airport that she was pregnant, but hadn't told Renee. She knew that he would tell her, and she was prepared for the aftermath of that, but I don't think she was prepared for what did happen.

~Flashback~

I couldn't believe that she was here. She was back and in my arms. And even more than that, she was carrying my baby. It was incredible to think of.

Even though I had wanted children, I had never thought I would ever have any. Until Bella came along that is. She gave me hope that I would be able to have a real family. She didn't realise that from the first time she told me that she loved me when I was in the hospital after the heart attack I suffered, I couldn't see my life without her in it.

All of a sudden, Bella's phone starts ringing. She groaned, rolling away from me slightly, reaching out to see who it was calling her and breaking us out of our little bubble.

"Renee." She mumbled, ignoring the phone and snuggling her head into my shoulder. "Phil's told her."

"Phil knew?" I asked quietly, running my fingers through her hair, savouring her sweet scent.

"I told him just before I got on the plane." She admitted, looking up at me sheepishly. "Other than Siobhan and her mom, he was the first to know." She sighed, running her fingers up and down my arm. "The only reason they knew was because it was Joanne that suggested I might be pregnant in the first place."

"What? She just look at you and know?" I asked, with a low chuckle. "I thought that was Alice's job." I added on remembering that she had been able to instantly tell when Bella and I had made love for the first time. I still didn't know how she did that.

"No." She shook her head. "She was making something in the kitchen and even though it smelled really nice. As in on a par with Esme cooking nice." Wow. That is nice. "It made me feel really ill and I had to run to the bathroom. After that she asked me when I had my last period and we worked it out from there."

"What a story that'll be if anyone asks where it was conceived." I smirked down at her and she turned red.

"Not one we'll be telling." She mumbled.

The phone started ringing again, as it had while we had been talking, but with the distraction of our voices, it had gone unnoticed. She grabbed it and looked at the called ID again.

"Renee." She grumbled. "Again." This time she didn't ignore it, but pressed the reject button, putting it back on the night table, only to groan and cling on to me tighter as it started up again.

"You know how persistent she is." I told her, running my fingers through her hair. "She's not going to stop."

"Maybe I should set Alice on her." She grumbled, reaching over and opening the phone, pressing accept and putting it on speaker. I raised an eyebrow and she put it on the bed, in between us, wrapping her arms around me again. "What?"

"That's no way to talk to your mother, Isabella." Renee's irritating voice came through the phone. I snorted into Bella's shoulder and she slapped me gently on the shoulder.

"Well, maybe if you were more of a mother, I wouldn't talk to you that way." I looked at her, wondering where this little hellion had come from. She shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Now, what do you want?"

"Phil tells me you're expecting." It wasn't a question, but a statement, and she was sounding rather smug about it.

"What's your point?" Bella asked, rolling her eyes and glaring at the phone as though she wanted it to explode.

"I thought you said you were different."

"We are different." Bella clarified, clutching me closer to her. I rested my head on her chest, listening to the beautiful thump-thump of her heartbeat. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that Edward and I are going to end up the same way as you and dad." We sure as hell are not. I thought, looking up at Bella.

"That's what you say now." Renee's smug voice came through again. Bella ran her fingers through my hair, seeing that Renee was starting to get to me. She gave me a look as if to say 'let me handle it'. It was a look that rivalled Alice's and I was trying to work out if someone who went against that was brave or just plain stupid. I wasn't either, so I shut up.

What is it they say? Never piss off a pregnant woman.

I can see where it came from.

"Why can't you just accept that Edward and I aren't you and Charlie? Not everyone who gets married at a young age divorces their husband and takes their child thousands of miles away only letting them have contact with their father for a few weeks each summer."

"You know why I did that, Isabella." Renee sounded like she was having a hard time keeping her temper in check. I wondered if Phil was there, being silenced by his angry wife as I was.

"No, actually I don't know why." She replied, her tone clipped and cold. I hoped that I would never be on the end of that tone. Not a good place to be from the sounds of it. "All I know is that you left and took me with you. I have no idea why. I was too young to remember, remember?"

"Just know that I had my reasons. And I don't want you making the same mistake that I did." Renee said, trying to sound soothing, but I felt Bella stiffen beneath me and I held her tighter to me. I'd heard the same thing that she did and it didn't take much to realise what Renee was talking about.

"Mistake?" Bella asked shakily into the phone. "What mistake would that be?"

"Marrying your father. At least so young and…" She trailed off, obviously not knowing how to continue.

"And?" Bella pressed as tears welled in her eyes. She might be in the middle of a huge argument with her mother, and the fact that it was over me wasn't something I wanted, but she still loved her. She was her mother. She was the woman that Bella was supposed to be able to turn to in times like this, when she needed her. This was not supposed to be how things were between mother and daughter. I might be a son, but I knew that much. Everybody needs there mom. And even though mine might not be here physically anymore, I had her with me all the time, and I had Esme. Who loved me like I was her own. And I loved her. Bella needed that with her mother, and it didn't seem like she was getting it.

"What?" Renee asked, her tone back to being frustrated.

"Are you saying that you made a mistake having me?" Bella asked, a single tear breaking free and running down her cheek. I pulled myself up so that I was level with her and gently placed a kiss on her jaw and then her cheek, kissing the tear away. She smiled at me, kissing my nose lightly. "You regret having me?"

"Sometimes." Renee answered slowly.

More tears ran down Bella's cheek and I pulled her closer to me with one hand, picking up the phone with the other and taking it off speakerphone, placing it to my ear.

"Renee, for a mother, you really should start acting like one, and until you can work up the decency to apologise to my wife, I don't want you calling her again." I told her, sternly, still clutching my tearful wife. "Goodbye."

I didn't say anything as I clutched her to me. We just lay there, needing to feel each other. I hated that Renee could and would make her own daughter feel the way that she did. She needed to learn that Bella and I weren't her and Charlie.

That Bella isn't her.

~End Flashback~

"Hey." I nudged her ear gently with my nose. "It's okay." I whispered into her ear and she relaxed slightly, knowing that I knew what she was thinking about. "She'll come around."

"You think?" She asked, swivelling to look at me.

"I hope." I smiled at her before gently pressing my lips to hers.

"She won't." She sighed resting her head on my shoulder again.

"You never know." I countered and she scowled up at me, not really liking the fact that I was arguing with her, even if it didn't really count as an argument. "Come on, they're expecting us."

Esme had called, saying that she wanted a family day today and I could only imagine what was in store. Carlisle and Esme didn't know about my relapse. The others did, but they hadn't told them, feeling that it was my place to tell them, if and when I was ready. I didn't know that I would be. I just hoped that nothing came of it.

I hadn't gotten back to eating the way I had before Bella left. It was mostly small snacks and little bits and pieces here and there. I didn't want anything else and Bella was getting worried. She had every reason to be after all. It wasn't that I wasn't trying, because I was, but it was just harder than before. I remember someone saying that a relapse is harder to come back from. I was starting to see that.

Alice had suggested the clinic but Bella had shot down that idea instantly. The others just thought that it was because she couldn't stand to be away from me, but Bella and I knew that it was because she needed me here, with her through her pregnancy. Not that I would be any good. I had no idea what I was doing, but I guess that's beside the point.

We made the short walk to Esme and Carlisle's house to find that everyone was there. Even Charlie had made an appearance.

"What's all this about?" Bella asked, lookng around confused. Charlie just shrugged, a sheepish smile on his face. It was evident that he didn't have a clue.

"I just thought that seeing as it's Bella's first Sunday back and the last Sunday before you all go abck to school, that we could have a nice family meal." She looked over at Charlie who was looking confused and in my opinion, looking for a way to escape.

"That includes you Charlie." I told him and he scowled at me. I gave him a look as if to say 'if I have to sit through this, then so do you'. He shrugged and grinned at me. I really liked the Chief. He was easy to get along with and I think that now, for suffering with my family and not making a complaint, I admired him as well. He was brave.

"Actually, this works out quite well." Bella sighed, looking up at me. The others looked between us confused.

"Are you sure?" I asked her and she nodded. I sat down on one of the chairs, pulling Bella into my lap and she took a deep breath, looking at me and then at the family.

"Edward and I have some news." The others looked at each other in different ways. Esme and Carlisle looked confused and the kids looked worried, as if wondering if they thought we were going to tell them about my relapse. I caught Rose's eye and shook my head slowly. She visibly relaxed and I smiled at her.

"What is it, dear?" Esme asked, sitting on the sofa opposite us, next to Carlisle.

Bella took a deep breath, and I could tell that she couldn't contain the smile that spread acorss her face. "We're pregnant ……………… with twins."

As I should have predicted, pandemonium broke loose and Bella disappeared from my lap and was engulfed by the overexcited arms of Esme, Alice and Rosalie. I wondered if I would actually see her again today. Maybe not.

After congratulations and Bella shooting down Alice who had the idea of an afternoon shopping trip, we were all outside waiting for Carlisle and Charlie to stop breaking the barbeque and start cooking something on it. I had Bella on my lap again, Alice sitting next to us, gushing about how amaxing it was about the baby and then switching between hoping they were two boys or girls – because dressing them identically was cute apparently (something Jasper and Rose rolled their eyes at) – and then hoping that it was a boy/girl combo, because then she'd have one of each to dress. The best bit of my afternoon was Bella telling Alice that it would be her who was dressing her babies and no one else. Alice tried to argue back, but Bella was firm. I just stuck with the argument that I was staying out of it, getting understanding looks from Charlie and Carlisle.

They'd been here before after all.

It wasn't long before Charlie and Carlisle had the barbeque up and running and I felt the fear that I'd had for so long making its return. Bella, sensing my unease, squeezed my hand and placed her lips to mine gently.

"It's okay." She whispered, running her nose along my jaw. "You're okay. I'm here."

I closed my eyes, knowing, or at least hoping, that she was right. That everything was going to be okay.

Carlisle approached the two of us, two burgers on a plate in hand, handing it to Bella. She grinned and took it from him, and held it out to me.

"It's okay." She whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I smiled at her and took the burger, as she took hers and taking a bite, not focusing on me eating. I loved the way she was there for me, but not always watching me. I didn't deserve her.

I managed to get through the burger, with a lot of warring going on in my head, and even though she didn't make a show of it, I knew that Bella was proud. I was glad that she hadn't made a show. I didn't want any untoward attention on me. Something she knew. I knew that the others were proud as well.

Now I just had to keep it down.

Something that was proving harder to do than getting it down in the first place.

Bella made a move to get up, but I clutched onto her tightly, knowing that if she left me alone then the burger would definitely be making a reappearance.

"Are you okay?" She whispered, looking concerned.

"Stay with me." I whispered, resting my forehead on her shoulder and she turned in my lap.

"Always." She pressed her lips to mine gently. "As long as you need me."

"I'll always need you." I mumbled against her skin, before pressing my lips back to hers, a little more forcefully, but still aware that there were parents here.

"Good." She breathed, resting her forehead on mine. "Because I don't plan on going anywhere."

"Good." I smiled at her and she giggled back.

We sat there watching the others laughing and joking about. We even had a show of Rosalie and Alice attacking Emmett and Jasper with the ketchup and brown sauce bottles. That was some funny shit. Seeing Jasper and Emmett running away from those two, squealing like girls was something to behold. Even the adults were laughing at them.

And the result? Well, lets just say, Emmett looks like he's been murdered and Jasper is now partially brunette.

It was getting dark when Bella and I started to make our way home. It felt strange saying that. Saying that we had to head home, when I was standing in Esme and Carlisle's home. It felt weird.

It was dark by the time we crawled into bed, wrapping our limbs around each other as we did so.

I drifted off wondering how in the hell I was so lucky to have everything that I did. I had a family that loves me and my own home – granted it was a gift from my parents, but that's not the point – but most importantly, I had a beautiful wife and two babies on the way.

I didn't deserve any of this, but I'll be damned if I'm letting it go.

BPOV

Everything was perfect. Edward was thrilled at the news of becoming a father. I had worried about how he would be, but it turns out that that was unfounded. I didn't need to worry. The Cullens' were ecstatic at the news of a baby, and even happier at the idea of two. And even Charlie hadn't had an embolism when we told them so it was all good. He was even happy for us. He had told me time and time again, that he knew Edward was the right guy for me, but until now, I never thought he truly meant it. I knew that if he hadn't, he would have exploded at the idea of his only daughter being pregnant. Even if I was married first.

He was actually excited about the prospect of being a grandfather. I just wished that he would send his good feelings to someone else as well.

I knew that I shouldn't really feel bad about what Renee said to me, but I couldn't help it. She was my mom and she was supposed to be here for me at a time like this. I was just happy I had Esme, and even Sue Clearwater – who my dad had been seeing for a while now – was happy for me. She told me that if I needed anything, not to hesitate to call. I knew that she, as well as the rest of the Quiletes who had met the Cullens, which was most of them, thought that what Jacob had done was dispicable and I thanked them for it.

I woke up on Wednesday morning, the third of September and groaned, rolling over. First day of senior year. I reached out looking for Edward, but I found that the bed was empty. And cold.

I shot up in bed. It wasn't like Edward to get out of bed before I did. Even if he did wake up before me, he always watched me sleep.

Then it dawned on me. He was starting school again today. He must be completely freaked out, which didn't surprise me. I mean, he was returning to school after an eight or nine month absence, but also as a senior who was married and about to be a father. Yup, he's probably freaked.

I climbed out of bed, making my way down the stairs to the kitchen where I found Edward sitting there reading the newspaper, seeming completley engrossed in it. I leaned on the doorframe, watching him, not caring when he looked up and caught me openly staring. Hey, this manhunk is my husband. I'm allowed to stare, alright?

He reached over and pushed a plate of pancakes over to me, smiling as he did so.

"Good morning." I whispered , hearing the adoration in my own tone.

I walked over to him, pressing my lips to his. He moaned gently, his newspaper forgotten. I ran my tongue over his lips, needing to taste him on my tongue. He parted his lips and I searched out his tongue with my own, needing the contact. He tasted like blueberry pancakes, which told me that he had eaten this morning. That wasn't what I was after though. I was after one thing.

Him.

He was all I needed.

He broke the kiss with a series of smaller kisses, before resting his forehead on mine.

"Morning to you too." He chuckled and I slid onto a stool and began digging into my pancakes. I had been fortunate enough not to experience morning sickness, which I was grateful for. I didn't really feel like kneeling down to worship the porcelain gods every morning.

"How are you feeling this morning?" I asked him and he thought about it for a moment.

"Okay, I guess." He nodded, looking at me. "Freaking a little, I guess, but there's not really anything I can do about it, is there."

"Nope." I said, popping the 'p' as I finished my pancakes and hopped off the stool, pressing my lips to his head, inhaling the sweet scent of his freshly washed hair. "I love you."

"As I love you." He pulled me down slightly, attaching his lips to mine before I went upstairs and got dressed.

I knew that Alice was going to have a field day when my clothes didn't fit anymore. Hello, maternity shopping. That'll be a great day out.

After about half an hour, I was washed, dried, dressing and bounding down the stairs towards my waiting man. He really was gorgeous. And he was mine. All mine. Nothing that anyone did could take him away from me, and I had a feeling that some people were going to try.

We walked out to his Volvo, him holding out the door for me as I got into the passengers seat, grinning stupidly and yet worrying at the same time. I hoped that everything as going to be okay today. I just hoped that nobody interrogated him on where he's been. Nobody else needs to know. He knows that we had just told them that it was because of his heart that he wasn't in school for the remainder of junior year, but I didn't know how far they would take it. Would they leave him alone?

There was a comfortable silence between us as we drove. The others would be riding in Emmett's Jeep, so we didn't have to stop and pick anyone up.

They were already there when we pulled up, even though the parking lot was pretty empty. I was glad it wasn't completely full. That might have been awkward.

As he turned the engine to the Volvo off, Edward sat there, closed his eyes and sighed.

"Are you okay, love?" I asked, lacing my fingers through his.

He looked over at me and smiled, nodding his head. "I'm fine." He took a deep breath and we both got out of the car, making our way over to the rest of the Cullens.

As we all walked I couldn't help but clutch Edward's hand harder in mine. He chuckled, looking down at me as we both entered what could prove to be one of our hardest trials yet.

Senior Year.

So Edward's happy. Bella's happy. The Cullens' are happy. Charlie's happy. Eveybody's happy. Well, except Renee but she doesn't count.

Let me know what you think.

I've worked out that there's probably maximum five chapters left of Alive Again. That may or may not include the epilogue and there is going to be a bit of time skipping because otherwise this story will be never ending.

Gimme a review please. :D