A/N - Sadly, these characters all belong to SM.

Thank you all for reading and for the recent reviews. I know it's taken me forever to start updating again, but things should settle down shortly.

Chapter 19

I talked with Charlie for a few minutes longer. He had originally planned to bring the kids back Monday afternoon, but the tribe was having a big bonfire on the beach that night; Sue and Billy really wanted Seth and Leah to be there. Apparently there was some sort of significance with it being a full moon and the equinox. Jacob used to try to tell me about his tribal traditions, but I always kind of blew them off. It was fascinating to hear, but I never really paid a lot of attention to them. I guess I just counted on the fact that he would be able to pass the important traditions down to the little ones.

I assured Charlie that it was absolutely fine for him to keep the kids an extra day and thanked him and Sue for making sure that they kept that part of their heritage alive. Charlie tried to get me to talk about my relationship with Edward a few more times before we got off the phone, but he didn't push too hard. I assured him that I would be careful.

"Be careful with what?" I heard the velvety voice asking as I hung up the phone.

I had no sooner turned to answer him than I heard my very dear, very outspoken friend answer for me. "Why do you think her father would possibly be telling her to be careful?"

"Rose!" I cautioned

Everyone, with the exception of Jasper, Carlisle and Little Jane were watching us. It was almost as if they were watching a tennis match, but between three people.

"No, Bella. I think it is important for Edward to know exactly what he did to you. I have heard him say multiple times that he doesn't plan on hurting you again, but I still think he should know exactly how deeply he hurt you." She turned toward Edward.

"Maybe now isn't the best time," I interrupted.

"No," Edward said, "I would like to get this all out in the air. Rosalie appears to be very important to you, and if you and I plan to move forward, I think she is going to have to say her piece."

Edward looked around at his family before saying, "It's not like they haven't all berated me for the way I treated you, and I assure you, there is nothing that she can say, or anyone else for that matter, that could make me feel worse than I already do."

Rosalie took this as her opportunity to speak, "Bella was completely devastated when the two of you broke up. I can't even express to you how void and despondent she was when I met her. I watched her go through life completely detached from anything that could evoke any sort of emotion in her. It took her years to even begin to act like she could feel human emotions again."

I stopped her there. "Rosalie! I seriously think this is a conversation for another time and another place." I could see the anguish on Edward's face, and I didn't want to see anymore unhappiness today. "I would really like to have a good time this afternoon, and you are totally killing my buzz." I tried to make light of the conversation, but the tension in the room was palpable.

"I need to say one more thing," she spoke before I could think of a way to change the subject, "Edward I can see that you have a very strong need to protect Bella. So much so, that, from what I understand, it cost the two of you your relationship. I need for you to understand, for her sake, that she feels the same way about her children. Like it or not, wrong or right, that's how it is. Please respect her needs in all of this, as well as theirs."

Alice, who had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire afternoon, spoke directly to Rose. "I like you! I was a little concerned at first, and I was afraid you would try to steal my Bella, but you are exactly what my brothers (she looked at both Emmett and Edward) need."

"Rosalie, I am glad that Bella has had a friend like you to rely on." Edward actually looked a bit happier than he had before (but he certainly didn't look cheery), "What you've said makes sense to me."

Jasper had gotten out of the pool and was shaking water all over the two dry brothers. They ended up wrestling by the poolside, and the three of them all ended up back in the pool. Just like that, Jasper had managed to calm the mood of everyone sitting around feeling tense. He had always had a knack for knowing when to behave a certain way to change the mood of an entire room.

"Bella, I'm sorry if you didn't want me to say anything, but I had to." Rose looked at Alice now, "I like you too, even if you are a little tiny thing like MY Bella. Now that I have said my piece," she looked directly at me as if to get my blessing to continue. I nodded at her to go on, "I think the six of us will be great friends."

Alice's head was bobbing like a bobble head. "Oh we will!" She said enthusiastically, "I can sense these things."

I was so excited for my friends, but even with the small glimmer of hope that I had felt earlier in the day, a huge part of me was feeling panicked. What if this time when Edward left, all of my friends, including Rose - my biggest support- stayed with this family. What would I do?

I started looking around at the Cullen Family. Everyone was so happy to be together. Watching Carlisle and Esme was like watching a love story on television. I don't ever remember a time when the two of them didn't seem absolutely perfect for each other. Then there were Alice and Jasper... High school sweethearts. The two of them just seemed to complete each other. And even with as completely different as Emmett and Rosalie are, as soon as I thought about the two of them as a couple, I knew that it was a perfect match.

Knowing that the Cullen Family was sitting around me, content in their bliss and expecting me to just join ranks, made me feel a little sick. I was watching Little Jane in the pool, playing with her Daddy and her grandfather, and I felt a sudden urge to leave. I got up quickly, intending to run in to the restroom and just put some cold water on my face, but I quickly realized that the restroom had been moved during the remodeling of the house. All of the sudden, it felt as if fate was conspiring against me. I headed into the kitchen, not knowing where else to go. I sat in one of the comfortable new stools and tried to gather my thoughts for a minute.

Knowing that I was being a bit ridiculous, but not being able to help myself, I put my head down on the cool stone of the kitchen counter. I had never thought of myself as an envious person, and I had never wanted anything but happiness for the people I loved. But there was a small part of me that was screaming at the inequity of it all. Sitting around the pool watching the perfect family love their perfect children, who seemed to have the perfect relationships was just too much. I couldn't help but compare Esme to my mother and wonder how I got the raw end of that deal. Then, to see Alice and Jasper, who got their fairy tale ending, made me wonder why I couldn't have just married my high school sweetheart. Watching little Jane with Jasper and Carlisle in the pool was, I think, what finally did me in. My kids would never be able to enjoy time with their Dad like that again. My mother would never be the one that Seth and Leah threw their arms up for when she walked in the room. I sat there for a few minutes feeling sorry for myself.

I felt her presence before I felt her comforting hand on my shoulder. "You know Bella, he didn't call often, but when he did, he always asked about you first. He knew that Carlisle and I would keep tabs on you from a distance."

I looked at Esme for a while as I decided what to say. She knew that I was upset, but I wasn't sure that she really understood why. "It's not really just about that anymore." I decided that the most vague answer I could give would end this conversation the fastest, but Esme, being Esme, knew exactly what I was doing.

Esme poured us each another glass of wine and sat down next to me. "I'm sure it isn't just about 'that' anymore. I would imagine that there are quite a few 'that's' running through that head of yours at this moment." Esme was looking out the doors that led to the patio and pool. I'm not sure if she was really watching the boys and Jane playing in the water, or if she was looking at something that wasn't really there. "Bella, I wish I could explain to you how difficult it was for me not to run over and try to comfort you when the two of you broke up. It ripped my heart out to know that you were suffering. I was pretty certain that your mother wasn't around, and I knew that Charlie wouldn't know what to do."

I was stunned at where she was headed with this, "Esme, you don't have to..."

"I do. It's a conversation that I have had with myself for years, and one that you need to hear." She cut me off. "Please understand that while I may not have agreed with his idiotic choices, my allegiances lie with my son. With that being said, though, the Cullen family has always and will always love you and welcome you with open arms. While I think that Ms. Rosalie Hale is going to take some getting used to for Carlisle and myself, I already lover her. Part of that is due to the fact that she was there for you when I couldn't be."

I must have been looking at her strangely as I was trying to figure out the hidden message in what she was saying. "Bella," she said to me almost as if she were talking to a small child, "I could be wrong, but it seems to me as if you were sitting in the kitchen because you were a bit overwhelmed by all of the happiness and family around you."

I had to turn my body so that I was looking at her. "Actually, I was... in a way. I guess I was feeling sorry for myself." It was nice to have this conversation with Esme, even if it seemed a bit weird. "It seems like every relationship around me is so uncomplicated. I, on the other hand, would have nothing if I didn't have complications."

Esme took a sip of her wine and put her glass down gently. She played with the rim of the glass while she thought about what she wanted to say. Just when I began to think the conversation was over, she spoke quietly. "Bella, there are no relationships worth having that are without complications. It may not seem that way to you now, but Carlisle and I have had our fair share. I can assure you that Alice and Jasper have hit a few bumps in the road as well." She actually smirked a little before she spoke again, "My guess is that Em and Rosalie will have quite a few things to work through as well."

Hoping that she didn't misunderstand what I was saying, for I had known about the difficulties she and Carlisle had earlier in their marriage when they were trying so hard to have more babies, I interrupted. "That's not exactly what I meant. There are always going to be complications, I guess, but have you ever questioned Carlisle's feelings for you?"

"Bella, have you ever really questioned Edward's feelings for you? I think that you and I both know..."

Alice and Rosalie picked that time to run into the kitchen. "We were wondering where you two had gone." Alice broke in. "I think it is time that we kicked those boys out of the pool and had some girl fun."

It had been quite a long time since I had done anything in a pool more than swim laps at the local gym. The thought of getting in a pool with friends for playing seemed almost absurd to me. Esme excused herself by saying that she and Carlisle had dinner plans at a friend's house, which left me to fend for myself.

"I don't have a bathing suit," I said. I was perfectly smug because I had the perfect excuse to get out of their silly games, which I was sure would get extremely silly as Alice started pulling out the blender and liquor.

As Esme was walking out of the kitchen to go get ready for her dinner date, I could have sworn I saw her wink at Rose. "It's alright Bella, I'm sure Alice has one you could wear. It might be a bit small, but it should fit well enough." She actually giggled as she walked away. Traitor.

Since it was just my girls in the room, I felt like I could share with them that I couldn't swim anyway because I was on my period.

"Oh my God, Bella. What are you, like 12." Rosalie spoke in her characteristic manner, "They make these things called tampons. Do I need to show you how to use them?"

Even though I knew it was just Rose and Alice, and I had talked with them about much more personal stuff, I began to blush furiously. Taking her cue, Alice decided to drag me to her old room to find me a bathing suit. There weren't many options. By the time Alice had chosen hers, I realized that the least offensive bathing suit left in the house from Alice's teen years was a red bikini. Not just any red bikini, mind you, it was a string bikini. The top consisted of two triangles strategically placed to cover VERY little.

I wrapped the towel around me as I walked back to the living room. Trying to hide the fact that I was almost naked in front of all of these people, I tried to stay as far back from everyone else as I could. I felt his hands around my waist before I heard his sexy voice. He had placed one hand under the front cover of the towel as he whispered in my ear, "I know you didn't bring a bathing suit. Does that mean we're gonna skinny dip?"

I knew I was blushing as I responded, "No, I have on a bathing suit... If you could even call it that." His hands were roaming on my stomach, trying to find the suit. I could feel his breathing increase as he finally found some material. "I think I need to see this suit before I know if you will be allowed to wear it in front of my brothers."

Just as I was about to tell him that I could wear the suit shopping in downtown Seattle if I so desired, he pulled the towel off and twisted me around so that I was facing him. "Wow, that suit looks so different on you than it did on Alice."

Feeling self-conscience, I mumbled, "That's because Alice is thin and was 15 years old the last time she wore it."

"No, B- it's because you fill it out so well. I do think that I might have to put the towel back on you though. For your sake, of course." He smiled as he said it, but I knew that he was only half-kidding.

I leaned in to kiss him on the cheek and tell him that it would be okay, but before I knew what was happening, I was in the air and then into the pool.

"Emmett Cullen, I will fucking kill you!" I yelled as I came out of the water. I made my way to the steps and got out. As I stepped off the last rung of the ladder, I noticed that Edward had a murderous look in his eye. Wondering what had happened, I looked at Emmett and Japer. They were standing side by side staring at me.

It would appear as though one of the triangles had failed to do its job!

Not the most exciting of chapters, but it seemed like the story needed some fluff. We will get back to lemons and angst soon, I promise...