PRM ch48

A/n: So, I'm sure that most of you are out on this cold Friday night enjoying the multitude of BD DVD parties...and sadly, I am home alone and updating;)

So, our little Batteredward is now becoming Happyward;) Baby steps, people...he's endured years of trauma which doesn't go away so easily. Bare with him! He's getting there.

See ya at the bottom;)

Enjoy!

EPOV

We sat at my parent's dining room table for the third night in a row as we went through cake decorating books, the photographer's portfolio's and tuxedo brochures.

"Alice, the guys will be here in a few minutes, can we please stop for tonight?" I whined as I ran a hand over my face.

She sighed and started to pull all the books out from in front of Bella and me, "I guess so."

"Why are the guys coming over? You never did answer my question when I asked earlier." Bella said with a smirk and quirked brow as she turned towards me.

I winced, "Um, they want to talk about my bachelor party?" I said as a question. I mean honestly, I didn't really see the point in the tradition but Emmett and Jasper insisted on it.

"Oh don't worry, Bella. We'll be planning your bachelorette party, too." Alice said just as the doorbell rang.

"What?" Bella and I both exclaimed to Alice's statement.

"Oh, give it a rest you two. This is part of the tradition when you get married. We can keep them as low key as you both want, but please don't fight any of us on this." Alice said with sadness in her eyes. She moved all the catalogs and magazines off the table and placed them on the buffet table that was known as 'wedding central' these days.

"We've only begun to enjoy the pleasure of you back in our lives, Edward. And, we've all missed you so we want to do some fun things with you to celebrate your return." Her eyes welled up with tears as she spoke and I got up and moved around the table to where my little sister sat.

I pulled her into my arms for a hug, "I know, Alice. It's okay. I'll play along." I tried to soothe her as I held her. She pulled back and looked at me.

"I love you, big brother," her voice tiny and weak.

"As I love you, pip squeak." I said with a smile as my thumbs swiped away her tears.

The doorbell rang and we broke apart as mom hollered from the other room that she'd get the door.

"Bella, you okay with all of this?" I asked as my eyes settled on her wet ones across the table. She loved moments between me and Alice. We'd talked about it one night, she explained that she liked it because she was an only child and never knew what it was like to have a sibling. Although, she did admit that her and Alice had become sisters in every sense of the word.

"What is up, my peeps?" Emmett's loud voice rang down the hall as he walked towards the dining room.

"We're waiting on your lazy ass." Alice laughed as she hollered back just before Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper walked into the dining room.

We all exchanged greetings before Emmett clapped me on the shoulder, "Time to go do 'boy stuff'" he said and actually used air quotes.

"Where exactly are we going? I thought we just needed to plan the big event tonight?" I said and I could feel a little bit of panic and apprehension start to build within me.

"We are just going to plan this party. However we aren't going to plan anything with the girls around. Me, you and Jasper are going to hang out at the Sports Bar." Emmett said with his eyes alight with excitement.

"A ba..bar?" I asked as the anxiety riddled my voice. I felt Bella's hand slip into mine. It helped soothe me but I turned to look at her with panic, as I hoped she would realize this and help me.

Her hand came up to my cheek, "You going to be okay with going to a bar? You don't have to go, if you don't want too. Remember, you have a choice." She spoke softly and calmly with her words, but her determined look in her eyes reminded me that I was now in control of my life and the decisions that I made.

I was free to choose whatever I wanted to do and had the right to say no to the things that I didn't want to do. It was still sometimes a little foreign to me, but I learned quickly.

"Um, I guess it just caught me by surprise. I expected us to just hang out here." I said as I turned to see all my friends. They looked back at me with worry clearly written on their faces.

"I'm sorry, guys. I'm alright. I promise." I ran a hand through my hair and let out a deep breath. "I'm fine with it as long I knew that the two of you would stay with me and the bar is not overly crowded." I relented and realized this would be a chance for me to make some new changes.

I had missed my two best friends over the years. Going to a sports bar was what guys our age were supposed to do, right?

"Of course, Edward, it's a really cool place not too far from here that we go to quite a bit." Jasper said with confidence.

"Sure, just give me a few minutes to change." I said as I turned to Bella. I leaned over to kiss her forehead and whispered, "Come upstairs with me for a minute?"

She nodded against my lips and then turned towards our friends, "I'll be right back."

They all spoke words of approval and said they'd wait in the den for us.

Bella and I walked hand in hand up the stairs towards my room.

Once we were in my room behind a locked door she cornered me, "Are you sure you're okay with this? You know they wouldn't be disappointed if you said no." She spoke, as her hands rose up and ran through the hair at the temples while I sat on the edge of the bed. Bella stood between my legs as close as she could to me.

I loved when she touched me this way, it make me want to purr.

"No, I'm okay, I want to go. I need to go. I have to re-learn how to be with the guys. I mean, I've known the two of them since we were little boys. I no doubt they'll have my back." I said as I leaned into her and rested my head on her shoulder.

"I've lost so much time…" I whispered in her neck.

Her hands wrapped around my head as her fingers sifted through the hair at the nape of my neck, "You'll get it back, the connections still seem to be there. Those guys love you and just want to enjoy more time with their friend."

Bella always knew exactly what to say to calm me down and help me get centered.

"I've missed them, too." I sighed and moved Bella back a bit so that I could stand up. "I better get changed before they come to see what the hold-up is."

As I walked toward the closet Bella spoke from behind me, "Could I watch?" I couldn't fight the grin that formed on my face as I slowly turned towards her with my hands on my hips.

"It all depends…what do I get in return?" I asked with a smirk.

"You can watch me later…on my knees…with my lips wrapped around that bulge in your pants." She said seductively as her eyes drifted to the said bulge.

I gulped.

"Fuck Bella…" I mumbled as I palmed my now hard cock.

She giggled and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Fine, you can watch." I said and turned back towards the closet.

Thirty minutes later I walked into 'Wolfie's with my two childhood friends.

"Hey guys table or booth tonight?" A dark-skinned lady asked as we approached the bar.

"We'll take the booth in the corner and keep the beer coming." Emmett instructed as he pointed me in the direction of where we would sit. He turned around and hugged the girl he called Leah and then followed Jasper and I to the booth.

"So, what do you guys think we should do for this party?" I asked once our beers had been distributed and we were all situated.

Jasper started to laugh and Emmett practically bounced up and down in his seat, "A bear hunt."

"What the hell?" I asked just before I took a sip of beer. I hadn't really had a beer in so long, it tasted bitter and not appetizing in the least.

"Emmett has this newfound fascination with bears after he watched this wild game hunting show on TV a few weeks ago." Jasper said as he lit a smoke and offered me one.

I hadn't smoked in years but as I sat here with them, I suddenly felt the urge to have one, so I grabbed the cigarette that Jasper offered.

"I think we should just go camping, you know, nothing too rambunctious…just a couple of guys who can rough it in the woods." Jasper pitched his idea.

"Camping might be alright. We'd have to invite Jake and Embry and I'd like my dad and Charlie to be included, too." I said as I took a drag off the cigarette and immediately started to choke.

"Take it easy there, Slim. Bella would kick our asses if we took you back damaged in some way." Emmett joked. My nerves clicked in because of his words and I warred within my head to just let it go.

Jasper sensed my uneasiness and immediately started to tell a funny story about the time that Emmett got hit on by a drag queen.

Two hours and more pitchers of beer than I can even remember later we hailed a cab and started to head home.

I felt drunk.

I felt carefree.

I had my Emmett and Jasper back in my life.

I felt normal, and, that thought made me feel alight with happiness.

A/n: I love "the boys"...

Much love to my beta, Bnjwl and my twifey/pre-reader, lvtwilight09.

Next ch should be up Mon, I'm thinking. If I can find some time this weekend, then I'll try to get it up on Sunday.

Love, Kyla