Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer

Give Me A Little Trust

Chapter Fifteen: New Journey

Bella's POV

"Do you think we should leave them?"

"Yes, let's just go."

"No, wake them up. I want to tease them about last night."

"Leave them alone."

"But Jazz they took a picture off the wall, how hard were they going at it?"

"Shut up Em."

"Let's go."

The voices died down and the door clicked shut again. I slowly opened my eyes and scanned the room, thankfully they had all left. Edward still looked sound asleep and clearly didn't wake to the intrusion.

I slipped out of his arms and nipped into the bathroom at which I realised I was still wearing my dress from last night. My cheeks flooded with colour as I stripped down and thought back over last night.

The shower cooled my raging mind considerably and after drying myself and my hair I went back to see Edward. He was still in bed but awake now and giving me that sexy crooked smile as he held out his hands for me to join him.

"I don't think so mister. If I'm not mistaken our friends are downstairs." I said, changing into some clothes.

"Really?" He looked put out and annoyed.

"Yeah. They came in earlier. Em's looking forward to asking about how the picture came off the wall." Edward's cheeks coloured slightly and he shook his head softly.

"I forgot about that. I'll go clean up the glass."

"No you go shower and then come down. I'll do it." I kissed him passionately to stop his protests and left the room.

The talking stopped abruptly when they heard my footsteps on the stairs. Emmett was shushing the lot of them as I walked in.

"I don't want to hear it." I announced, looking round at all of them.

Em looked like he was about to burst, Alice was smirking at me along with Rose, and Jasper just shook his head smiling.

"It's none of your business so let's not talk about why there's smashed glass all over the floor."

"With Edward's shoes, socks, boxers and pants. You can't forget them." Emmett chimed.

"Yes those too." I grabbed a dustpan and brush and nipped into the hall, the four of them following behind me. "How'd you guys get in?"

"I have a key." Alice said, putting Edward's shoes to the side neatly. "How'd you know we were here?"

"You guys were loud when you came in the bedroom."

"Probably not as loud as you and Edward were last night. I bet the neighbours thought you were knocking down a wall with that thumping."

"Shut up Em." He sniggered and took the brush from me, sweeping the glass shards up into a pile to be swept onto the dustpan. "So why are you all here, not that I mind?"

"We were planning on going to the park today and just spending some time there. Will you and Edward join us?"

"Yeah, we don't have any plans."

Alice went into the cupboard under the stairs and brought out a basket which she took to the kitchen. Inside it held plates, cups and cutlery. It was an actual picnic basket and from her raiding the fridge I gathered that's what we were going to be doing at the park.

"I've got blankets in the car." She said as Emmett helped prep the food.

"Why do we always have to use my food when we go on one of these trips?" Edward whined from the doorway.

"Because your fridge is always well stocked and it saves me a trip to the store. Now, shut your whining and go fetch some dishtowels or napkins please." His sister told him in her no nonsense tone.

Edward did as he was told as I watched them at work. Within twenty minutes Alice had prepared a full three course lunch for us and we were on our way to the park. Edward decided to follow them in his car rather than squeeze the six of us in. We all would have fitted fine if we weren't taking so much with us.

When we arrived Alice looked around and then decided she had found the perfect location for us on the grass but close enough to the trees so we got the shade if need be. Rose, Alice and I began putting the food out as the guys dumped the cooler and moved off to the side to play cricket.

Jasper was bating, Edward bowling and Emmett in the outfield. I hadn't really watched cricket before but I got the basics. Edward bowled at some pace and sadly for Jasper he missed it and the wickets fell to the grass. That cocky smile I loved graced Edward's face as Emmett laughed at Jasper.

"Don't be so mean." Alice scolded Em, sticking up for Jazz when she saw him look sheepish. Emmett immediately stopped laughing when Rose shot him a glare as well. It seemed he would never go up against her.

"Alright let's change it up. I'll bat, Jazz you can field and Em you bowl." Edward said, taking the cricket bat from Jasper.

Once we had the food out we tucked into it. The guys wanted to play some more and then would come over. We took advantage of that and enjoyed the peace as lying out in the sun. It was of course ruined when they thumped over and planted themselves down beside us.

"What we got?" Em said, surveying what we had left for them.

He wasted no time and dug straight in whereas Jasper and Edward grabbed some drinks first. The park was relatively busy with children playing and people out walking their dogs, most just enjoying the sun while it lasts.

We stayed and chatted to them for a bit but then Rose felt tempted to play their 'silly' game of cricket. They all perked up at the prospect of seeing us attempt to play so handed over the kit but not before giving us tips on how to do it. They seriously thought we were incompetent when it came to sports. Little did they know Rose was killer at it, she even kept this bit of information from Edward.

For safety purposes I was in the field area waiting as Alice threw the ball and Rose batted. They made a big show of their bit and certainly attracted a lot of attention, not just from our men sitting off to the side drooling. Rose would lean forward slightly, holding the bat so her breasts were practically falling out of her top. Alice would stretch every time she had to throw, her top riding up over her stomach. As they did that I just stood still, not bothering with that.

Alice hadn't let on how much she liked Jasper but it was evident that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Unfortunately they hadn't done anything about that yet. Rose and Em were a little more complicated. They loved to yell and scream at each other but it was all foreplay and they both knew it. But still they hadn't done anything about it. At least Edward and I had and we were meant to be the most prudent.

Rose hit the ball away and I raced off to get it, shaking my thoughts away and getting down to playing. After all we did have to show the guys up and make them jealous in the mean time.

Edward's POV

They were playing a dangerous game out there. Jasper and Emmett were eating out of Alice and Rose's hands but so was every other male in the part. It wouldn't take long before Em went caveman on Rose and throw her over his shoulder before racing off to somewhere private.

Thankfully Bella wasn't playing the role of the third seductress. She was just playing normally and not caring about the other two. I was relieved about that. If other mean had been staring at her the way they were my sister and best friend I'd have to punch them. Although I was protective of the other two I knew that if they acted this way they were prepared to handle the consequences. If I guy came up or did something inappropriate they'd put him in his place no problem.

"What are those midgets doing?" Emmett said, glaring at three young boys, probably pre-teens, talking to our girls.

"Relax Em, it'll be fine." Jasper said, patting him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"I don't think so. The one in green is eyeing Rose's chest. Only I should be allowed to look there." I shook my head and watched as one of the boys went over to Bella, saying something that made her laugh and shake her head.

We all sat in wait, watching as the girls managed to get the boys to go away. They had ruined a perfectly good game of cricket and also planned on hitting on our girls. For that I think they should be punished but the law says I can't run them down with my car. Apparently that's not allowed.

"About bloody time." Em said as they walked back across the park, letting the girls get back to their game.

We were still a little anguished with everyone's eyes on them but decided as a group it would be better if we asked them politely not to do that again rather than storm over there. That would probably gain all three of us the cold shoulder.

The next set to walk up to there were of no threat at all. It was about four kids and from the looks of them they couldn't have been older than five. The girls' flirtatious side died instantly and they turned more motherly, each kneeling down to the children's level when talking to them.

I watched Bella as she pushed some hair away from the little boy's eyes and smiled at him. He was talking to her animatedly about something before taking her hand and leading her over to the others. Rose was letting the others hold the bat and ball as Alice spoke to the only girl in the group. My guess was she was giving her fashion tips; it would totally be something my sister would do.

Our once jealous minds were thinking about the prospects of the future with the three women in front of us who had completely captured us. Jasper was smiling softly at my sister and whether he realised or not he would marry her at one point. Emmett looked a little anxious but my guess that was over the new thoughts plaguing his mind about Rose and children. From all I could gather from him he seemed like he was scared of commitment but by the looks of things if it was with Rose he'd be okay.

I, of course, was thinking about the children I wouldn't have with Bella. For starters we'd have to be married before I even raised the idea of us trying for a baby and as I just got divorced I doubt she'd want to jump at the opportunity. It wouldn't be something I'd like to talk about just yet in case I freaked her out. Being a mother would be scary, especially if you know it's not going to be an easy path and with a man you're not married to.

She'd have to know though that I would be there for her no matter what. If she was carrying my baby for some miraculous reason I would never leave her. She would have brought me the thing I want the most. Of course I'd be with her even if she wasn't pregnant. I loved her and wanted us to be together for the rest of our lives, a baby, or lack thereof, wouldn't change that.

Something changed that afternoon in me. I couldn't stop thinking about how Bella was with that boy at the park. She had the mother instinct down to pat and as my brain knew that it was conjuring up images of Bella's stomach swollen with my child.

I tried for three weeks to ignore the thoughts, dreams and images. They didn't go away though and intensified with time. It was beginning to affect my work and I think everyone noticed. No one specifically said anything but it was clear that I wasn't coping very well.

I just didn't know what to do and it felt like I should talk to someone, I didn't know who though. It would probably be best to talk to Bella about it all but I was scared she'd turn around and reject me.

Eventually I'd tell her, she deserved to know what was bothering me so much and what I wanted us to have.

Bella's POV

Edward had been unusual for a month. He was quiet, collected, and kept to himself. I was really beginning to panic, thinking I had done something drastically wrong to cause this change in him.

Alice was convinced that I had nothing to do with this and in time it would blow over. Well seeing as a he hadn't been his normal self in four weeks I didn't think it would just pass easily. I planned on getting him to talk to me tonight.

As Edward couldn't seem to concentrate on anything he spent longer hours at the office and I'd only see him when he came to our bed well after 11pm. I hadn't said anything to him about that as I didn't want to cause problems but it would only get worse if it wasn't resolved.

I heard the front door close as I brushed my teeth. Glancing at the clock on my way back into the bedroom I saw it was quarter to one. I settled down on the bed and waited for Edward as he moved around downstairs. Several minutes later I heard his footsteps on the stairs and waited anxiously to see how he was.

He walked in looking exhausted and tired. I got up off the bed and embraced him softly.

"You look dead on your feet." I murmured, undoing his tie as he stood in front of me motionless.

"I think I am." Carefully I slipped his jacket off his shoulders onto the floor and worked at the buttons on his shirt.

Edward continued to watch me as I undid each button and moved onto the next one. Once they were all undone I slipped the shirt off of one shoulder and worked his arm free as he leant in and kissed my neck. Eventually the shirt hit the ground too and I began on his belt buckle.

"Are you going to tell me what has you so gloomy?"I asked him, removing the belt and placing it on the chair.

"I've just been thinking." He muttered, shrugging.

"Usually that doesn't make you so sad. What exactly were you thinking about?" Edward stepped out of his pants round his ankles and stood before me in his boxers and socks. I sat him on the bed and removed the latter so he was just in his underwear.

"I had a dream."

"Usually dreams are good. If it was bad it would be a nightmare."

"It was good. It was amazing but it was a dream. It can't come true." Edward crawled onto his side of the bed and lay down, watching me as I scrambled to join him.

"What was it about?" Gently I caressed his cheeks as his eyes drooped shut.

"We…we were together, much like we are now but there was another member of our little family."

"We can get a pet if you want one." Edward chuckled and shook his head, eyes still closed.

"It wasn't a pet Bella, it was a baby." That stumped me.

"A baby?" My question provoked his eyes to open and look at me with a calculating stare.

"Does that scare you?"

"Not at all." And it didn't. Thinking about Edward and I having a baby wasn't scary at all. It seemed natural and it kind of excited me. "You want a baby?"

"Very much, but it's definitely not possible."

"Or so you say." His gaze turned lethal at that.

"Are you accusing me of lying?"

"No, absolutely not. What I meant was that surely there are other methods to try. From what you told me you and Lauren only tried the natural means or getting pregnant. What about IVF, ICSI or something else similar?"

"We didn't attempt them. She was so furious about having some rather invasive examinations that she didn't want that. Lauren insisted that if I couldn't get her pregnant by natural means then I wasn't to be the father of her children." He sighed and gave me a sad smile.

"So would you try other methods?"

"If it gave me a baby then yes."

"Well then let's try." Edward shot me a bewildered look.

"Are you serious?" I nodded and pushed his hair away from my face. "Bella don't toy with me."

"I'm not. I want this Edward. I want a baby with you and unlike Lauren I don't mind trying every means necessary."

"Does that mean we're really going to try for a baby, despite the fact that we're not married?"

"Is that a major concern?"

"Not at the moment but if we became pregnant I would like us to get married. Seeing as the process takes a long time I don't see the need right now."

"So are we going to try?"

"Yeah, if that's what you want."

"I do and I'd like to start now."

"We can't, not until we speak to the doctors."

"Edward, there is one method we don't need the doctors for." I pushed Edward onto his back and kissed him.

"But natural conception doesn't work." He groaned.

"That doesn't matter. We're still going to try."

So we did, constantly, for weeks since it took forever to get an appointment. The night after we agreed to have a baby Edward called in and got referred to a new doctor, a different from the one he and Lauren were referred to. The doctor was booked solid for a month so we had to wait.

But finally it the day came and Edward and I were on our way to see the doctor. I was nervous as hell but he kept reassuring me everything was going to be okay. I really hoped he was right, I want to have a baby with him and although I know it will be a hard journey I'm willing to go on it.

"Mr Cullen, Miss Swan?" The nurse called us up and with one last squeeze of my hand Edward and I walked into the doctor's office, going to find out what our chances and options were to find out how to create a little person with a part of me and a part Edward.

A.N.

IVF – In Vitro Fertilisation

ICSI – Intracytoplasmic sperm injection