I squeezed her hand letting her know I was here for her. I knew she needed me. Her brown eyes meeting mine made my heart clench. She was trying to hide her tears putting up a big girl front, but I knew she was hurting. She held her brother's hand in her other one and kissed his cheek.

The minister began with the service; it passed by in a blur. I didn't know what I should be feeling as they lowered the casket into the ground. Charlie stood from my side and thanked the people in attendance for coming.

For Seattle, the weather today was fairly pleasant; I guess that was another reason why today felt like we were in limbo. I glanced at my watch knowing that we only had an hour until we had to meet at my parent's.

I wrapped my arm around Bella, or what I could of Bella. With her being seven months pregnant with twins, she was bigger than both her previous pregnancies.

"Love, you ready to go?"

She glanced over at James, who had his head in his hands. "You alright?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure," his voice wavered.

We had all come a long way in the past three years. Bella and James were now close, they would tease and pick at one another much like Mackenzie and Anthony did. I could tell by looking over at Charlie, it made him happy that both of his children had accepted each other.

James was now a freshman at UW and that made him closer to us. He would pop in for dinner during the week and go back to Forks on the weekends.

"Edward," Bella whispered nudging me, I knew what she wanted.

"You guys can come to Aiden's birthday party if you would like," I offered.

"I think that sounds great," Charlie said enthusiastically.

Bella raised an eyebrow at him as to say 'calm it down'. James and Bella had lost the woman who gave them life. With both of them having different experiences of having Renee as a mother, Bella was the one out of the two who really didn't care what happened to her. She was here for her brother.

"I…we can go," James nodded standing from his seat.

"We're going to stop at the house and change," Bella told them as I headed for the car.

She waddled down to me as I held her door open. "You better get that look off your face, Eddie-ward," she warned poking my chest.

"What?" I smirked.

"It's not funny, I can barely walk," she whined.

"At least you aren't on bed rest," I pointed out.

"At least I'm not on bed rest, yet," she sighed.

Like Irina had told her at her last appointment, the babies might decide to come early and due to Anthony's early arrival, it was more of a possibility.

I pulled into our driveway and helped Bella up to our room. She went straight for my drawer grabbing one of my t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed scratching my head, feeling the raised line my hair was hiding. Each time I felt it, I was reminded of how lucky I truly was to be alive.

I felt water hitting my hand, but I could barely move. The last thing I remembered was being knocked out with the sniper rifle. Riley and Zafrina were taken with me and the group leader took them outside before I was hit.

I couldn't watch them harass the mother and her sons after they just watched the death of their loved one. I knew if I didn't help, the mother would have been raped and her sons would have been forced to join the rebels.

"Why do you have to be a hero? You used to be quiet and then you were selfish, but you've grown up, we've both grown up. I love you and I need you to wake up, I need you… I don't know how to function in a world that you aren't a part of. Our babies need you, who's going to threaten the boys that want to date Kenz and who is going to teach Anthony sports. They need you not Em or Jazz… they need their Daddy. Just please…" Bella's broken voice tore at me.

"Bell…" I rasped out.

"Thank you God… just thank you," she cried, kissing my hand. "How do you feel? Please, please stay with me."

"My," I licked my dry lips, "head…"

"You were hit then you had a bleed, which caused a seizure… I watched you… They had to rush you to… surgery," she hiccupped and I brought my hand up cupping her cheek. She was blurry and my head hurt.

"I… sorry…Bella, don't… cry," I croaked as the pain in my head started thumping.

She tried to stop, but even though I couldn't hear it, I could see her tears silently fall. After Bella calmed down my dad and Laurent came and explained everything that happened. I spent two weeks in that hospital in France before I was allowed to come home.

The first couple of weeks were hard because the kids were still small. Mackenzie was an energetic, happy- go- lucky little girl and Anthony was just a baby. His cries killed my head, and since my surgery, both dad and Laurent said my reaction time would be slower. Bella's dreams finally stopped where mine had only just begun.

One night Bella was wrapped in my arms, my cast was still on my leg so I was careful that it didn't hurt her. I heard Anthony's coos from the bassinet. I hadn't been alone with him since before I left, so I quietly slipped into my wheelchair, it was easier for me to get around and I was less dizzy that way.

I looked down at him and he was amazing. His green eyes locked on mine he watched me. My hair was slowly growing back and my scar made me uncomfortable, it was almost as though he could tell or he didn't recognize me. He started fussing and I wanted to pick him up so badly.

"Please, buddy, it's just me," at that he only got louder, causing my head to pound.

Bella was by my side kissing my cheek before picking him up. "Shhh, Little Tone," she soothed.

"I'm sorry," I sighed wheeling back over to our bed.

"Okay this is stopping now, you've been home three weeks and all you do is apologize to me. He is a baby they cry you didn't make him cry Edward."

"I look like a monster," I breathed, another side effect from the surgery were my emotions.

"You my husband are gorgeous," she smiled kissing my lips softly. "That messy hair will grow back and this scar is sexy," she purred, brushing the scar above my eyebrow.

"If I could I would show you sexy," I frowned, because with all the meds and everything I couldn't even love her like I wanted to.

"You remember how you constantly told me I needed to recover."

"I wasn't very convincing you're holding evidence of that," I mumbled stroking Anthony's head as I carefully climbed back into bed.

"Because I love you and you're one of my favorite people in creation. I'm going to let you pout for tonight, but you can bet your ass that in the morning changes will be made," she said firmly and placed Anthony on my chest to sleep.

I felt her fingers join mine and she smiled sadly at me. I pulled her down on my lap and kissed her neck. "Masen and Harper will come early if you don't stop," she giggled.

"You're denying me sex?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Look at it as a not right now," she smiled gently rubbing where my hand just was.

I placed my hand on her stomach, grinning as I felt my to peas moving. Cheesy, right? But they were our Peas in a Pod. Bella hated that.

"We're going to be late and Aiden will be grumpy."

"Fine," I sighed carefully standing her up.

We made our way to my mom's and the house was packed with kids. Bella grinned trying to make her escape. We made our way across the lawn when I was halted by someone head butting me, in my knees.

"I'm going to kill Emmett," Bella hissed as I picked Anthony up.

His new thing was head butting because Aiden did it and if Aiden did it, of course it was the best thing in the world. Aiden fit into our family perfectly, he was and would always be a Cullen. Since Anthony was older and realized Mackenzie was a bit of a bully he got excited when his cousin would stand up for him.

"Big T, what did Mommy say about that?"

"She said no," his little voice repeated.

"So what does that mean?"

"I not alloweds to do it…" he sighed shaking his head, his red curls falling in his eyes.

I glanced over to where Bella was with her hands on her hips scolding Emmett for teaching Anthony and Aiden to head butt. He was holding Becca and she giggled as he bounced her.

About a year after they got Aiden, Rose was pregnant with Becca. They made no difference in either child.

"Daddy," Mackenzie panted running towards me.

"Kenzers," I chuckled seeing Chloe not far behind.

Chloe was another addition to our family; her mother recently left for her firm's London office. Mackenzie begged us to do something so her sister wouldn't leave. So Bella and I sat down with Bree and we all decided that Bella and I would become Chloe's legal guardians.

"Stella won't leave us alone, she's sooo annoying," Mackenzie sighed tossing her auburn hair over her shoulder. She was eight going on sixteen and it was something that only showed me that I would hate her teenage years.

"Is that nice?" I asked her sternly.

"No, but… can't she play with Ani?" Kenz whined.

"Noooo Stewa," Anthony said scrunching his nose, so much for Alice's plans for their upcoming nuptials.

Bella was next to me smoothing out our son's pinched face. "What's with the face?"

"Stella Whitlock," I smiled, and even she cringed.

"Tonyyyyy!" We heard being squealed from behind us.

And there she was the blonde little sprite that was Stella Ava Whitlock. She looked exactly like Jasper, but had all of Alice's energy and then some.

"Daddy," Tony mumbled in my neck.

Stella's smile turned into a frown instantly at Anthony's avoidance. Bella placed a hand on the small girls head. "What's up Stells?"

"No one plays with me," she said quietly looking at the ground.

Bella took Stella's hand taking her in the house. I followed them, curious to what she was up to. Mom went all out like she did on all of the kid's parties, we made our way into the kitchen where Angela's daughter Emma was coloring.

As soon as Anthony got a peak of Emma Cheney, he wanted down. My wife was a smart one. Emma's long chestnut hair in braided pigtails and glasses sliding down her small nose made her cute. Anthony obviously had good taste going for the brunette.

"Hi Emma," Bella smiled warmly at the little girl.

"Hello Miss Bella," she grinned. "Hi Tony."

The biggest smirk grew on my sons face. It was what Bella called his Edward smile. He climbed up on the chair next to her taking a crayon.

"Aunt Bella I wants to make pictures," Stella whispered fidgeting slightly.

"Can Stells color too?"

"Yes," Emma said making room for her.

Bella took my hand dragging me down the hall with her.

BPOV

The babies were kicking a lot and I knew I needed to sit down, but I wanted to look at Esme's picture wall. Since Mackenzie wasn't the only grandchild anymore, it seemed this wall went of for miles. Edward's hand squeezed mine for what felt like the millionth time today.

Renee's funeral still felt odd for me. Dad checked in with the hospital from time to time and like the doctor said, she just gave up living. Medically, it was her heart that failed, but I think she just didn't see the point. Jamie was who I was worried about, his meds were helping him and he was in school. He was happy and building a life for himself.

So when dad told us he was bringing her to buried here in Seattle on the Higgenbottom plot I was a little surprised. His reasoning though was for Jamie to have his mother close the mother that raised him.

If I thought more about this, I would only get angry I tried focusing on the good things in my life. Such as Anthony's giggles and curiosity, Kenzie's general reasoning in life, Masen and Harper's futures, and Edward's love.

Edward's love is what I cherished, he was with me and he survived from his Sierra Leone trip. He kept his promise of never leaving me again.

I looked at the picture in front of me and smiled. It was taken a year and a half ago at Edward's gallery opening. We talked a lot about what he wanted to do and he said he couldn't give that part of him up.

Not only was the gallery a place for his work, but also he held classes for adults and children showcasing their art and photography. It made him happy, which in return made me very happy.

I even decided that I needed a career change I left the publishing firm I was with to write a book. There are too many clichéd and recycled plots out there. So I wrote a story about what I knew… family is what I knew.

I returned my thoughts back to the picture of the Gallery. That was the first night he was really himself since Sierra Leone. He suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder once we were home. Watching him walk around numbly and frustrated was the most excruciating thing I had to go through in my life.

Two months after we returned home, Jazz stayed with him while I went on a grocery run. My mistake was leaving the kids home and it was one of the most heartbreaking things I had to deal with.

I pulled the car into the garage and saw Kenzie sitting on the steps with a frown. Edward was around the kids but not much and Kenz tried to steer clear of him declaring him a grump.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

"Daddy is very mad," she mumbled.

I sat next to her and heard Jasper's soothing voice from the other side of the door.

"Why is he mad monk?"

"I don't know, Ani started crying and Daddy tried to get him, but Uncle Jazz said no," she explained.

"What else happened?"

"He started yelling and using bad words, then he was crying on the floor," she ended quietly.

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her head. "How about you go play in your room while I get Uncle Jazz to help me," I suggested hoping she wouldn't argue.

Surprisingly she nodded and ran upstairs. Jazz was holding Tony, gently rocking him. I felt bad because he should be at home helping Alice with Stella who was only a month old.

"We need to talk," he murmured shifting Tony into my waiting arms.

"Can you grab the groceries for me?" I asked and he left grabbing the few bags I had in the trunk.

"Bella, have you talked to Carlisle about him?"

"Why?" I asked carefully.

"He is a fuckin' mess that's why," he hissed.

Carlisle was monitoring him, but I didn't think he wanted to see how the new Edward was. I knew he wouldn't hurt us, but this kind of thing would effect us. Kenzie is the age I was when my mother started being manic. This is something I didn't want her to remember of her father.

"What can we do to fix it?"

"I want to put him on different meds, I know the doctor in France, put him on his current ones, but to be honest I think he's suffering from PTSD."

"They said that was a possibility."

"Bella he collapsed on the floor in tears because I wouldn't let him hold Anthony. He's still isn't able to grasp things well I only did it for Big T's safety."

"I know," I whispered to a squirming Tony.

Edward was lying on the couch in just his pajama pants. His back was facing me and I caught a glimpse of his tattoo. I smiled sadly at the memory of how proud he was to get Anthony's name added on before he left. I slowly tugged at him so he would roll over; he kept his eyes screwed shut tightly.

I removed his arms that clung to himself and laid Tony on his chest. That's when Edward burst into sobs wrapping his arms around his son, our son.

His eyes remained shut and I whispered to him. "I promise this will get better for you. I love you and I'm not going anywhere. You've always been there for me, protecting me."

"I…my head hurts," he whispered stroking Tony's back.

"You need to calm down." He nodded slowly as I kissed his lips sweetly.

Jazz walked quietly past us and nodded to me, letting me know I wasn't alone and Edward would be better.

"You two need to take it easy on your mom," Edward chuckled pressing his hand against their kicks.

These two were sort of planned; we decided it was time to try for more. He had been off his meds for almost a year and I had seen a difference in him.

I had seen three phases of Edward in my life; quiet adolescent, charismatic womanizer, and loving and supportive husband and father. This one was my favorite. He was no longer a push over, now he was the rule enforcer. Mackenzie wasn't a fan of that and that's when they would argue. She was 99.9 percent a daddy's girl, but she knew better than to push her luck with him.

Edward left most of his playfulness for Tony. He would take him to Mariner's games and would take him on jogs to the park. I knew that my son's three-year-old legs wouldn't be able to keep up, but I let Edward tell me about their manly runs.

"I knew I would find you," Esme smiled pulling us both in for a hug.

"Not many places she can hide mom," Edward snorted patting my whale of a stomach. I elbowed him.

"You deserved that," she said to him. "Where are my sweet peas at?"

"One of them is entertaining the ladies in the kitchen and the other is off being pissed somewhere," Edward answered amused.

"She's only repaying you for how you were when you were younger."

"I was an angel when I was eight."

"Right," I giggled, pulling away from him to join the party outside.

"Bells," Jake yelled picking me up.

"Not the best idea to scare a pregnant lady."

"Why is Anthony hanging all over Emma?" Alice hissed, I just now noticed her behind Jake.

"Will you stop it?" I sighed. "They're three Alice… THREE!"

"He is a trollop," she yelled stomping away.

"Did she just call my baby a trollop?"

"I believe she did," Jake laughed sitting me on the lounge chair.

"How was your tour," I asked him.

Jake was still writing for my old firm even though I was the first one to edit and critique his work. He teased that he was keeping it in the family.

"Tiring, my new agent is a bitch I might free lance."

"Go with what you believe is right," I smiled punching his shoulder nodding towards Garrett. Garrett was Tanya's old assistant-turned the Gallery's and Edward's new talent manager; he was also Jake's longest relationship.

Once Edward fired Tanya and told her he wanted nothing to do with her, the lawyers dealt with his contracts. Turns out the White House had no clue I had given birth two months prior to his last shoot. The President and First Lady invited us to Washington once Edward had recovered apologizing to our family and us. Edward's photography was also nominated for a Noble Peace Prize for peace. The committee stated that the angle his photos held were of these countries trying to fight for peace, normality.

The peace of the party though was killed by a screaming Mackenzie and Aiden.

"I told him no," Kenz yelled as I made my way over and Chloe tugged on her arm.

"Well you're a bitch," Aiden shrugged to say I was shocked would be a lie. Aiden heard Emmett speak and I knew Em was the one to blame for his extensive vocabulary.

She lunged forward shouting, "I'll show you…" Edward scooping her up cut her off.

"Finish that sentence and you'll be grounded until you graduate high school," he warned using his dad voice. "Emmett."

"Sorry," he smiled sheepishly kneeling in front of Aiden. "What have I told you about that word?"

"I can only say that stuff with you, sorry I forgot," Aiden mumbled looking down.

"Emmett!" Rose frowned with Becca in her arms.

"Mackenzie why were you trying to kill your cousin."

"He was going to let Ani, in the moon walk."

"So?"

"I told Ani no," she said firmly.

I looked down at Tony who had his arms wrapped around my leg with a pout. She was so bossy and Aiden was his protector.

"Little Tone you want to go in with Mommy?" I asked him and he nodded taking my hand.

Edward watched us curiously and his eyes got wide. "Jake and Em, a little help?"

No one was in the moonwalk so I crawled in the middle. Emmett helped Tony in and he looked nervous.

"It alright baby, jump around," I encouraged.

"Mama you sittin'," he said scrunching his nose.

"The babies want to sit," I explained. "Go ahead little man go crazy."

He did a small bounce watching me closely testing out the waters so to speak. I nodded with a grin and his little green eyes lit up. He jumped happily around.

Edward peeked his head in smiling as he saw how happy Tony was.

"Where's Kenz?"

"Nana wanted to discuss with her what a bully is."

"Daddy, watch me jump high," his little voice carried.

"That's high Big T," he replied just as enthusiastically.

Edward sat behind me pulling my back to his chest.

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you, Eddie-ward."

This was our perfection. Sweet, bratty kids and all.

A/N: I'm leaving Part Two epi up to you all if you want it, so you know what to do…

Dolphin62958 has been the best beta to me and she will be beta'ing Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop. An author's note will be posted regardless. Also Lovely Lo has made a fan video so check it out www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=nE1Xs7h_LuE and that was really cool of her!