New chapter!

If there are any questions you have about this chapter, let me know. Sometimes I just assume that readers know what's going on, when I haven't made it clear at all (very bad habit). Also, I'm int he middle of reading Fifty Shades Darker, so that influenced some parts of this chapter.

The next chapter will be the last chapter of this story. I think these two have been through enough. :)

- JayBee

BPOV

I crept out of my bed slowly, careful not to wake Lily. I followed the sound of Aiden's crying to his room, and picked him up from his crib before sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. I lifted my shirt and he began nursing as soon as he could. I looked out the window and smiled at the sky. It was a shade lighter than its usual navy blue, and the sun would be up in about an hour. A few hours after that, Lily, Aiden, and I would go to pick Edward up.

I beamed down at Aiden at the thought of Edward being home and meeting him.

After he fell asleep, I put Aiden back in his bassinet and tip-toed back to my bed. I crawled in and pulled the sheets over my body slowly, only to have Lily sit straight up.

"Mommy?" she whispered groggily.

"Yeah?"

"Is daddy here yet?"

"No, baby. Go back to sleep. We're going to pick him up in the morning."

I closed my eyes as she got settled under the blanket.

I opened my eyes to see the sun shining through the blinds.

"Mommy, it's morning!" Lily whisper-yelled as she tapped on my arm.

I turned my head away from the bright light and closed my eyes. "Mmm."

"We have to get daddyyy."

"Not yet. Thass later," I mumbled into my pillow.

I was only able to lie down for a few more minutes, more because of the fact that I was excited than the fact that Lily was being noisy downstairs.

When I got to the staircase, I heard Aiden making small noises and went to get him.

"Good morning!" I smiled as I picked him up. "Peeyew! Someone needs to get changed…" I set him down on the changing table and quickly changed his diaper before we made our way downstairs. The smell of dirty diapers might be the only thing you never get used to with children.

I put Aiden in his rocker next to Connor and Lily in the living room and went into the kitchen to fix some breakfast. I raised my head to check on the kids once in a while, making sure Lily wasn't trying to feed Aiden gum again or something. That wasn't a fun day.

I filled Con's water and food bowls and leaned down to give him a kiss when he came over to eat.

"Lily, come on, baby. Breakfast."

She ran into the kitchen as I picked Aiden up and brought him into the kitchen to feed him.

"Are we going to get daddy after I eat?" Lily asked with a mouth full of toast. She was gobbling down the food, and I put her hand down so she wouldn't shove the whole piece in her mouth. My eyes got wide as she made a choking sound, and continued eating a second later, her green eyes welling up with tears.

I swear to God, one of these days, this girl is going to give me a heart attack.

"Lil, slow down. We still have time until he's ready."

I put Aiden back in his rocker and dialed Edward's parents' number as I looked out the kitchen window.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Cullen? It's Bella. I'm gonna pick up Edward in about an hour. Everyone is still coming over tonight, right?"

"Hey, Bella. Yes, just let us know when you guys make it back home. I have to go into the hospital for a few hours, and we'll come by when I get back."

"On a Sunday?"

"Patients don't choose the times they need a doctor," he laughed.

Well…sometimes they do. "That's true. I'll see you later, then, Mr. Cullen."

"Do you need us to bring anything?"

"No, thanks. Rosalie and I got everything yesterday."

"Okay, then. See you all later."

"Bye."

I hung up and couldn't help but smile at the phone. He sounded as if he was beaming, and I couldn't blame him. Edward was coming home today.

EDWARD WAS COMING HOME TODAY!

I squealed in excitement and quickly shut my mouth when Lily stared at me. "I'm just…happy," I smiled. I was beyond happy. Ecstatic. Finally – finally, Edward as coming home. "You wanna go get ready?"

"Yeah!" Lilly was all smiles as she ran up the stairs, her hair bouncing with each step.

I followed her up with Aiden on my hip. I let her pick out whatever she wanted to wear, and wasn't surprised to see she picked out pink shorts and a pink t-shirt. I left her to get dressed, got Aiden ready, and quickly got dressed in a white tank top and dark-wash denim shorts. "Lily, you ready?" I asked as I tied my hair back.

"Yeah!" she called out. She came into the bedroom and sat on the bed as I put on some eyeliner. I put on a bit of lip gloss and looked down when Lily came over. "Mommy, can you put some on me?"

"Sure." I put a dab on her lips and smiled when she rubbed her lips together. I very rarely let her wear lip gloss – only on special occasions. Today was as special as it was going to get for her. "Let's go," I smiled.

We wore our flip flops and made our way to the car. We were going to get their earlier than necessary, but I couldn't wait anymore. I didn't know who was more restless – Lily or myself.

We stopped by Starbucks to get some coffee for Edward and me and hot chocolate for Lily. It reminded me of the last time I went to pick Edward up with Mr. Cullen. I couldn't believe how much things had changed since then.

When we got there, we still had a half-hour until Edward would be ready to be released. The clinic hadn't changed at all since I'd last been here - the only differences were the plants on the ground and the paintings hanging on the walls. Lily was playing with Aiden, getting frustrated that he wouldn't drink her hot chocolate.

I laughed as I took the cup from her hands. "Lil, he can't drink that. He doesn't know how to drink from a cup yet."

"Okay," she sighed as she sat in the seat next to me. She swung her legs back and forth, letting out a series of sighs.

"You bored?"

"Yeah..."

"Just a little longer, okay? He'll be out any minute." I was speaking, but I could barely focus on my conversation with Lily. I couldn't think about anything but seeing his face and feeling his touch.

Growing up, I never thought I'd be so dependent on someone, and even knowing how much I loved Edward, I never thought I'd depend on his love to get me through every day. It's scary in a way, but at the same time, it's nice to know that the person whose love I depend on also depends on my love. Though I know it's not healthy to be co-dependent in a relationship, Edward and I somehow make it work. Even when we have big issues such as his addiction (or my stupid kiss with Jacob), I would never even think of leaving him. I know I had good reason to send him to rehab, but I still feel guilty for making him leave. I just couldn't risk his addiction affecting our children.

I was jerked out of my thoughts when Lily jumped down from her seat and sprinted toward the other side of the room.

"Daddy!"

My heart jumped into my throat when I saw him. He glanced at me quickly before dropping his bag and taking a knee to catch Lily in his arms. I pushed the stroller toward them, grinning from ear to ear at the way they were clinging onto each other.

"I missed you," Lily said as she hugged Edward's neck.

"I know, baby. I missed you, too. So, so much." He hugged her tighter and picked her up. "You got so tall."

"You came back," she said, completely disregarding his comment.

"I told you I would," Edward said with a small laugh. "I love you."

"Me too," Lily squeaked.

He held her close for a little while longer before putting her down.

He took a few steps toward me and kissed me before hugging me tightly, almost to the point where it hurt. Neither of us said anything. We stood holding each other for a few minutes before Edward let out a long breath. "I missed you," he whispered. He buried his face in my hair and breathed in deeply, loosening his grip on my hips as he exhaled.

"I missed you, too." I felt a sense of relief saying it out loud, telling him in person. He had lost weight like the last time he was at the clinic, but he had gotten a haircut this time. I couldn't believe I was hugging him, standing in his arms, taking in his scent. It had been too long. I wouldn't wish the feeling of emptiness I'd felt for the past four months on my worst enemy.

EPOV

"You don't understand," I said into her hair. "I missed you so much. Beyond what words can express. Please believe me when I say this will never happen again."

"I do. I believe you."

She sounded like she believed me, but I couldn't be sure. I wouldn't blame her for not believing me, but I couldn't have been speaking truer words. I know I'd told her I'd never do it again all those years ago, but I felt more strongly about it this time. I don't think I could go through another four months of my life - mentally, emotionally, or physically - without seeing my Bella or my children. I hope she knew that I was telling the truth when she and Lily found me with the coke months ago - I hadn't done it at all before that day, and I was only planning on doing it that once. I just missed the feeling of the hi- ugh, fuck. Can't think that way.

I heard a mew down by my legs and kissed the top of Bella's head before leaning down to pick up Aiden. I cradled him in my arms and almost cried with the overflow of emotions bubbling in my heart. "Hi," was all I could think to say. He was so...beautiful. I was beyond happy to be back. I wanted to run around and announce to the world that I had my family back. And by some miracle, I still hadn't lost my job. Honestly, I couldn't be any luckier than I am in this moment.

I jumped in surprise when Aiden began to cry, pulling me out of my thoughts. I immediately handed him over to Bella. I told myself not to feel bad for having to have Bella calm him down, but it hurt to know that I was the reason my son was crying – because he had absolutely no clue who I was.

When we got to the car, I picked Lily up to put her in behind Bella's seat as Bella put Aiden in his car seat.

As we drove off, I turned around to make funny faces at Lily. She tried to make some faces back at me, but ended up laughing too much to do anything. I couldn't believe I was finally back. I finally got to see Lily's eyes light up as she laughed, Bella's hair flow in the wind as she walked, and Aiden's smirk – even though he still had no clue what he was doing. I couldn't wait to see the rest of my family and friends.

I turned back around as Lily looked out her window and continued playing with her hair.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sick still?"

"Nope. I'm all better."

"Good."

I turned to Bella as she turned to me, and she weaved her fingers in mine and squeezed my hand. I brought her hand up for a kiss and held it in my lap, reveling in the feel of her skin against mine.

"So was anything different this time?"

"Uhhh…" I let out a small laugh as I looked at Bella. "Yeah, actually. They let us have enough privacy to jerk off."

"Edward!" Her jaw dropped as she gawked at me.

"What? She's not listening." I turned to a sleeping Lily and prayed that she actually wasn't listening, because she would, without a doubt, ask what "jerk off" means. "She's sleeping. Anyway, besides the privacy thing, everything's exactly the same. Except, I didn't really see any of the same people from last time. Even the employees were different."

We made small talk the rest of the way home, and put the kids to bed before lounging around our room. I turned on the TV and switched the channel to the first form of mindless tabloid fodder I could find. I didn't want to think, or come closely remote to doing anything where I had to use my brain. I just wanted to…relax.

Bella plopped down next to me on the bed, leaning into my side.

"Oh, I also did more activities this time."

She sat up and crossed her legs before looking down at me with a smile. "Really? Like what?"

"Well, I did one thing. I played basketball. But played a lot, if that counts."

"So you weren't a crouch old man this time?" she asked as she poked my side.

"Hey! I'm never grouchy! And I'm not old!" I laughed.

"Sure, sure."

She kept poking my side, and I grabbed both of her hands in one hand. "Apologize."

"No." She shook her head.

"I said, apologize."

"Nope," she said with a laugh.

Oh, she wanted it to be like that? I held her wrists and turned her over onto her stomach, sitting on her butt and holding her hands behind her back.

"Apologize, Isabella," I said sternly.

She hesitated at the mention of her full name. She knew I was in the mood. It didn't take much to get me in the mood, especially after being away from my wife for months.

"No," she said in a small voice. Then she giggled. "Are you hard already?"

Ugh, yes. I was about to burst through my shorts. "Yeah," I whispered. "Is that a problem?" I ground my hips into the small of her back and suppressed a groan that threatened to escape my lips.

"Not at all," she said in a breathy voice.

I turned her onto her back and held her hands above her head as I straddled her waist. A shudder ran through my body when I felt her heat against my crotch. I bent down to nibble right behind her ear. I smiled against her smooth skin at her sharp intake of breath. "That feel good?"

"Yeah," she whined.

"Tell me what you want." I bit her earlobe.

"You."

"What about me?" I was surprised by my body's reaction. I knew I was getting under her skin, but instead of feeling bad, I loved it. I got impossibly harder.

"I want you," she breathed.

"Which part of me?" I pinned my body against hers, my legs against her legs, my chest against her chest – so that she couldn't move. It did wonders to my dick to see how much she needed me. I looked down at her, giving her my most menacing glare. She pushed her hips up – or tried to – and I quickly pinned them down. "Say it or you're not getting it."

"Edward," she whined. She looked up at me for a few seconds before whispering, "Your cock."

My mouth dropped open and as I gasped audibly. Yes, that was the answer I was waiting for, but hearing this woman say dirty things like that killed me. "Oh, fuck…" I hastily took my shirt and pants off before undressing Bella. "You remember the safe word?"

She shook her head slowly, eyeing me warily.

"What is it?"

"Red."

"Good girl," I smiled deviously, holding her arms above her head once more. My heart dropped at the look of fear on her face, and I leaned down close to whisper to her. "You okay? She nodded without uttering a word. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

I smiled down at her before leaning down and trailing my teeth up her chest, her neck, and up her jaw to her ear. "Do you know how much I've missed you?" I whispered. "How much I've needed you?" I let go of her wrists. I couldn't bring myself to do this to her. Whatever had come over me before was now gone completely. I knew she enjoyed this – being restrained – but I couldn't do it to her. I pushed myself up on my forearms, hovering over her body. "I got so scared…" Her brow creased as she shook her head slowly. She knew what I had been afraid of. She didn't want me to say it – but I had to. It had been eating me up since I'd gotten to the clinic, and as much as I tried to suppress the fear, it kept rising up – crawling up from the pit of my stomach into my heart. "I was terrified," I mumbled against her lips. "Terrified that you would realize how unworthy of you I am. How much I don't deserve you."

She shook her head and brought her hands up to both sides of my face. 'Baby…"

"No, Bella. Please listen to me." I nuzzled her neck and breathed in her delicious scent. "I spent every day worrying…that – that you would find someone…else. That men would flirt with you, the way they always do, and that you would like one of them enough to give him a chance. That he would treat you the way you should be treated, give you everything you deserve. Not someone who puts you through a rollercoaster of emotions all the time."

Bella ran a hand through my hair, comforting me. "You give me more than I could ask for. I don't want anybody else. Ever. Don't ever be afraid. You don't fear anything."

I raised my head when I heard the smile in her voice at her last sentence. "I fear you," I murmured with a smirk.

"Me?"

"You're the only person I know who could hurt me, Bella. Really hurt me. With words or actions or…I don't know. Anything." I forced myself not to think about her kiss with Jacob – God, that was so long ago…in the past – or anything she had ever said to hurt me.

"I would never deliberately hurt you, Edward. I chose to marry you and have children with you. You think I would just up and leave? Just like that? I would never. Do you not know me better than that?"

"I'm sorry." She was right. I couldn't be having doubts like this after all these years.

"You're my best friend, Edward." She pulled my head down and kissed me softly. "I love you for everything you are and for everything you're not. And I love you for everything you used to be and everything you will be in the future. I will love you, always." I couldn't help the smile that ghosted across my face at her use of my 'always.' "I don't know what to do to make you see that I will never leave you for anyone else. You're everything I want and need. These past months have been hell on Earth for me, too. The only reason I was able to get out of bed in the mornings and smile a bit every now and then was because of Lily and Aiden. They were the only reason I was able to push the pain away. You're my everything. You're the reason I am."

I was at a loss for words. My heart felt as if it were literally swelling inside my chest. I closed my eyes and leaned my head down, rubbing my nose against Bella's before kissing her softly. I could never forgive myself for leaving her.

The kiss quickly deepened, almost violent, as my tongue invaded Bella's mouth and groans of passion filled the air. Bella bit my lower lip, eliciting a growl from deep within my chest. "I need you," I panted.

"I'm…yours. Take me," she said between kisses.

"Oh, Bella!" I moaned as I slid into her slowly. We fit so perfectly together…so perfectly. I would never leave this woman – not for anything. I had to believe that she wouldn't either. She loved me with all my flaws, with all my faults.

My thrusts became harder, faster, as my hips ground against hers. I was drilling into her, holding nothing back.

Bella's arms wrapped around my back and her hands tugged at my hair as her mouth opened in a silent scream, her eyes shut tight.

"Edward…Edward!"

"That's it, baby. Let it go…give it to me, Isabella."

Her eyes shot open at the use of her full name, her hips gyrating as she let out a series of moans and rode out her orgasm. I followed shortly after, my hips stilling as I spilled myself into her.

I pulled out of her slowly and collapsed next to her, completely spent. I turned my head to gaze at her beautiful afterglow. "You're the reason I'm still alive. I love you."

"I love you, too," she whispered.

And in that moment, I knew that she would never leave me. We would get through anything together.

Just to clear things up, he wasn't suicidal. He meant that she saved his life by forcing him to go to rehab - twice.

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