A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I have had multiple ear surgeries in the last couple of weeks. I decided not to post this until I was clear enough from the pain killers to make sure this made sense. :) Once again I thank the incredible Stephenie Meyer for the great characters and story line. I have enjoyed my time writing with them very much.

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Renee's POV

What had my life become? Two months ago I was celebrating the fact that my Bella was eighteen, an official adult. Not that she hadn't been one all along. I was also celebrating something else, a new chance, a chance to do things right. Phil and I were pregnant, expecting our first baby together in May. I wanted to wait until I was three months along to tell Bella.

I wish I hadn't, because I never got the chance.

There are some things a mother knows. I knew when I was pregnant that Bella would be a girl. No ultrasound, I just knew.

I knew that I didn't need to smother her, she was a responsible kid.

I knew that when she said she was going to live with Charlie that she was doing it for me, and Phil too. That was just the kind of girl that Bella was.

I knew that when I saw her with Edward in Phoenix, they were soul mates, perfect for each other.

And that was why I knew that my Bella was gone. She would never leave Edward. They were made for each other.

How does a mother say goodbye to one child while preparing to welcome another?

To say the last few weeks had been difficult had been an understatement. Charlie and I spent hours on the phone, reminiscing about the great things about our girl. I didn't have the heart to tell him about my pregnancy. Then I got the call.

I don't know what was harder, to hear that he was gone or to know that I was his next of kin. I knew Charlie had always loved me, I just wish I could have loved him in return. After discussing it with Phil, we determined that we should go to Forks and take care of the arrangements for Charlie and thank the family of the boy who had tried to save him.

At the same time, unofficially I was going to be saying goodbye to Bella too.

I hated goodbye.

Forks, the dreary little rain soaked town that I had hated so much. I was too young and free spirited to appreciate the closeness and friendliness of the people. I couldn't see the tight knit community as any less than a dark prison threatening to eat me alive. I tried, for Charlie, but my heart wasn't in it. Whatever emotions I felt for Charlie Swan were lost in my distaste for the town and what it meant.

I took Bella and left, simply because I couldn't leave her with Charlie, who was more married to his job and his hobbies that he was to me.

I didn't question his love for me. I never doubted it. He just didn't know how to be the husband that I needed him to be.

I left and somehow managed to keep Bella and I alive for years while I sowed my wild oats and partied and played, like I never had the chance to, getting pregnant and married at eighteen.

Bella grew up quickly and by the time she was five, she was more of a parent than I was. I wouldn't make the same mistake again.

The new chief of Police met us at the Port Angeles airport and drove us to Charlie's house. It was exactly the same on the outside as it was on the day I left. I almost expected to see the cruiser in the driveway. Opening the door and stepping inside was worse. Not much had changed since I left over seventeen years previously. The same dark dreary house, even with the sunshine yellow cupboards that I had painted, trying desperately to get some light in my life. They were faded and chipped now, a feeling I understood. I was faded and chipped too. It was a true time warp. Gun belt hanging in the same place... Everything as if he would walk through the door any second. The only real changes were the pictures on the mantle, most of Bella through the years, the big screen TV and deluxe recliner, and the stacks of papers with the information he had gathered searching for Bella. He never gave up hope.

I walked through the dark house, holding tightly to Phil. I climbed the stairs and went straight to Bella's room. It was so her. I sat on the bed and clutched her pillow, allowing Phil to hold me, and I cried. I cried for my daughter and I cried for Charlie. Charlie Swan had been my constant. No matter how flighty I was, no matter where I went or what I did, I knew Charlie was exactly where he was supposed to be, sheriff of Forks Washington, fishing, drinking beer and watching a game on TV.

Charlie.

Charlie, who didn't have anyone else to be his next of kin other than his flighty ex-wife who left him high and dry seventeen years previously.

Was I wrong to let Bella come here? I knew she was sacrificing for me, but I didn't stop her. I never really tried. Had she been happy here? Did she get to know her Dad? They were together now, of that I was certain. I never believed in heaven per say, I never really thought about it. I never needed to. But Charlie and Bella were too good to simply not exist and I felt myself praying that wherever they were, they were happy and together. They really were a lot alike.

I didn't even realize that tears had flooded my eyes and were making tracks down my cheeks. I sniffed, wiped my eyes on the tissue that Phil handed me, pulling myself together to do what needed doing. We were headed to the funeral in La Push almost straight away. Deputy Mark would be our chauffeur again.

I hoped to see Edward and his family there. I had to know how he was. I didn't expect it to be good. From what Bella had said, and what I had seen in Phoenix, I knew that they were close. It was painful to imagine one without the other.

The funeral was painful. A young man cut down in his prime with a pregnant girlfriend. So sad. Everyone spoke highly of him, though I heard some mention of his temper. Nothing would sway my opinion of him. He died a hero, trying to save Charlie.

When the service was over I met with Carlisle and Esme, Edward's parents, as well as Edward himself, briefly. He was extremely pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. He almost looked haunted. He was too distraught to speak for long and I could tell that grief was heavy on the minds of Carlisle and Esme as well, even with their newborn adopted twins.

I don't know if it was the maternal instinct kicking in because of my pregnancy, or just wishful thinking, but I could really see Bella in both of the babies. Maybe it was Jace's eye color or Arriel's dainty features, they were just how I would have imagined Bella's kids looking.

Would she and Edward have had kids? Had she wanted that? I am sure it wasn't on her mind now, but possibly, one day far in the future.

She deserved that future. So did Edward. I found myself wishing for his happiness, hoping that one day he would find someone to love, get married and have his happily ever after. He was a good kid.

After Edward left, I spent more time with Carlisle and Esme. Esme was even sweet enough to let me hold her twins as we talked about Bella. I also shared my personal revelations with her. I told her that I knew Bella would never willingly leave Edward and something had to have happened to her. I told her that I knew that Bella wouldn't be back. That she was truly gone.

Both Carlisle and Esme seemed to agree with me. They told me more about my girl and their son, and told me how he was faring. She was happy that I had accepted it and wasn't living on a hope that Bella would just walk in my door one day.

As I held the two sleeping babies in my arms I found myself daydreaming of Edward and Bella. They were walking together along the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The wind was blowing her hair around her and she had a smile on her face. Edward did too, and the love between them was palpable. It was so real that I felt like I was watching it happen in front of me. If only. Then I saw another image, one which made me certain that this was a daydream, Edward and Bella were lying on a rug in front of a roaring fireplace, little Jace and Arriel between them, smiling and content. A perfect family. The entire picture was so full of love, and I closed my eyes and let a single tear slip down my cheek. How I wish she could have that.

After blanking out for a minute and missing something Carlisle had said, I told them of my daydream, thinking it might make them smile. They didn't smile. I guess they found it weird that I was trying to tie their babies to my lost daughter as they packed the twins and left relatively quickly after that. I guess I couldn't blame them.

It was early evening by the time we made it back to Forks and we decided to tackle some of the upstairs of the house. Alice Cullen had volunteered to help. She said keeping busy helped keep her mind off everything. I envied her, nothing seemed help me.

Going through the photos and mementos scattered around her room was tough, even though we avoided the photo albums for now. Alice asked if she could keep some things for herself and for Edward as they had lost almost everything they had in an electrical fire at their home shortly after Bella disappeared. I was happy to oblige, having someone else mourn my daughter was comforting. We worked through the pictures and trinkets easily and the clothes were mostly donated to goodwill, except for a few pieces that we each kept. Alice kept her books. I figured a teenage girl was likely to have more use for them than I did. The last thing to do was the wardrobe. Opening the wardrobe, the first thing I saw was a beautiful wedding dress.

"A wedding dress? Alice, she wasn't planning on marrying your brother was she? I mean, she never told me anything. She would have said something to me. Wouldn't she?" I stuttered.

"They did plan on getting married," she said. "No date set, but I know they hoped to do it before going away to college," she said. "Edward and Bella both seemed to have pretty old fashioned values."

"Before college?" I asked. "That's so young."

"Yeah, but when you know, you know," she said.

"True," I conceded. I knew they were meant for each other and that my ideas on marriage and Bella's were different. I also knew that no matter what the two of them would have made it work.

"They were truly made for each other," Alice said softly.

"I know. I saw it in Phoenix," I said, agreeing with the small girl. "But that doesn't explain why she would have a wedding dress in her closet."

"I think it actually belongs to her friend Leah," she said, her eyes looking sad momentarily.

Leah? Had Bella mentioned her? I recognized the name... The pregnant girl from the funeral? I hadn't been aware that they were even friends.

"The girl from the funeral?" I asked, clarifying it with her.

"Right," she said. "She stored it here so Paul wouldn't see it. They lived together and there's the whole bad luck to see the dress before the wedding thing."

"Can you make sure she gets it, Alice?" I asked, knowing she couldn't use it.

"Of course," Alice said, grabbing a garment bag from somewhere and tucking the dress in gingerly.

We spent the rest of the evening finishing off Bella's room and dealing with Charlie's. There was very little I wanted to keep, but Alice chose some stuff to bring to his friends at La Push.

Phil had worked through the attic while we were in the bedrooms and had brought down a few boxes of photos. Since they were of Charlie's relatives I had no use for them, so I was just going to toss them but Alice said that maybe the guys from the reserve might want them so I let her put them in the back of the car she was driving. Since it was late and I couldn't see Phil and I sleeping in this old house full of memories, I had Alice drop us off at a hotel in town so we could get some good sleep, or at least try.

Most of the preparations for Charlie's funeral had been done over the phone and all I had to do in the morning was talk to Reverend Weber about the service. I needed to get the rest of the house clean, as the reception was being held at Charlie's house and I needed to prepare. Food was being taken care of by the Forks Police Department and the ladies at the church so all I needed to do was clean, and Alice had volunteered her and Esme to help. I was certain Esme didn't want to be away from the twins but Alice insisted that it was what she wanted to do.

The funeral was going to be hard, as in my mind, it wasn't just a funeral for Charlie, but for Bella as well. A whole chapter of my life was gone.

Sleep did not come easy. I tossed and turned all night as the rain pelted the windows and the wind roared by. Phil, of course, wasn't bothered by it in the least as he snored softly beside me. The man could sleep through anything. I ran my hands over the small bump on my abdomen and decided to make some promises to Bella's little brother or sister.

"Baby, I don't know if you are a boy or a girl, but I promise to be the mom you deserve. You are not going to be looking out for your flighty mama. I will be the one looking out for you, like I should. I will tell you everything about your big sister and you will never doubt how important you are," I said to the baby, I knew if I went on anymore I would wake Phil with my sobs, and though I knew that he would do nothing more than comfort me, like always, I needed this time to grieve on my own.

Once I started crying, I cried for everything I had lost. My girl, too grown up for her age, never went to Disneyland or anywhere exciting for that matter. She grew up way before her time, simply because I wouldn't. Charlie, I still loved him, just not as a wife should love her husband. He was a great guy, a good cop, an excellent friend, a super dad for Bella, always trying to do what was best for her. And, as much as I tried, I couldn't regret the fact that she came to spend time with him. I knew he was ecstatic to have her here and she seemed genuinely happy to be here, even before she met Edward.

Happy. Bella was rarely happy. Content, definitely, but never did I see her eyes light up, and her face break into a huge grin. At least, not until I saw her with Edward. She loved him with everything she was and I could see in his eyes that he felt the same. I found myself hoping that his family would help get him through the tough times.

As the sun began to rise I finally fell sleep, completely drained. Phil let me sleep until ten, leaving me only thirty minutes to get dressed before we had to meet Rev. Weber. Thank God Forks is so small and nothing takes more than five minutes to get to.

Walking into the church brought a new lump to my throat. This was the church where I'd married Charlie. The place where we had Bella baptized, and of course, had never returned to... Until now.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dwyer?" a slightly portly man in a dark suit asked. His hair was dark, with just a touch of grey at the temples.

"Reverend Weber," I said, holding my hand out. He looked familiar but I couldn't quite place him.

"Call me, Michael," he said.

"Michael Weber? You were a year ahead of us in high school," I said.

"I didn't think you'd remember. It's been a long time, Renee," he said.

"A minister? I assumed you were going somewhere sports related. You were the captain of every team," I said.

"The Lord placed me where he needed me," he said.

"You married Karen right out of high school right?" I asked.

"Yes. And Angela was born exactly a year later. We also have twin boys who are six," he said.

"Charlie never mentioned..." I said.

"It's okay. Actually Angela was very good friends with your Bella," he said. "I'm so sorry to hear about her disappearance."

The tears flowed down my cheeks unhindered and I grabbed the tissue Phil offered before answering.

"It's so hard," I said.

"No leads?" he asked.

"None," I said. "And with Charlie gone, and me living in Florida... I'm afraid she is just going to be a statistic."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Me too," I said.

"She wouldn't have run away. It just wasn't her... And to leave Edward..." I said.

"Angela has said the same thing. She is so sad about Bella's disappearance," he said, shaking his head.

"I'm glad she had friends," I said.

"Getting back to Charlie," he said with a sigh. "Have you decided anything further?"

"He really had no one else to decide this? I mean, he must have had friends..." I said.

"He had two close friends, other than Deputy Mark. Billy Black and Harry Clearwater. The only suggestions they had, was to keep it simple," he said.

"Charlie always hated pomp and circumstance. He didn't like being the center of attention, nor did he like big displays of emotion. But I don't see how this can be anything but," I said.

"You're right. Most of the town will be here. Since there is no body, we can make it a memorial rather than a funeral. Less formal. It will give people more chance to talk about their memories of him. I think an urn or a coffin will just complicate it. But it is ultimately your decision," he said.

"I like that," I said. "He would probably prefer to be remembered over a glass of beer, but that will do."

"Right. Now in lieu of flowers you asked for donations for either the Forks Police Charity Fund or The Wilderness Safety Fund, correct?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

We discussed music and his eulogy, which was to be delivered by Billy Black and Harry Clearwater. Then we discussed what we could do with the remainder of his possessions. It was a long and emotionally draining meeting and after my lack of sleep the night before, I found exhaustion creeping up on me.

"You look exhausted, Ren," Phil said as we were leaving the church.

"I am," I answered. "I just couldn't sleep last night."

"You need your rest, Babe," he said. "You have to look after yourself, both me and our little one need you to stay healthy."

"I know," I said, smiling at him. "There is just so many memories in this dreary town. I can't believe I was ever happy here."

"But you were for a time," he said, rubbing my shoulders.

"I don't remember when," I said honestly. The memories of the little dreary town were clouded with the memories of a husband who was married to his job first and me second and more recently the place that stole my daughter from me.

We went to the local diner for a bite to eat before we returned to the house to prepare to receive mourners after Charlie's funeral. Alice and Esme Cullen were meeting us there.

We worked for the remainder of the day and I couldn't believe how much we got done. We didn't speak much at all until Alice said something that caught my attention.

"You shouldn't be lifting that in your condition," she said.

I hadn't told anyone apart from Phil about 'my condition'.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" she asked.

"I am," I said. "But I haven't shared that with anyone, and I'm certainly not showing."

"It's the glow," she said quickly, maybe a little too quickly.

"The glow?" I asked.

"Yes, pregnant women seem to glow, plus Phil has been most attentive. Bella said he was good but never mentioned him being quite so doting. I guess I just assumed," she said.

At the mention of Bella's name I felt sadness grip my heart and her comment about my pregnancy was forgotten.

"Were you two really close?" I asked. "You must have been, she spoke a lot about you all."

"I refuse to use past tense," she said. "She is my best friend and my sister. I will love her for all eternity."

"Thank you," I cried. "I'm so happy she had a real friend. She was always so content to just be by herself. Tell me about her."

Alice sat on the couch and motioned me over.

"Nobody in our family really knew how to cook before we met Bella. To be honest, we ate a lot of fast food," Alice said. "Esme decided that she needed to learn how to cook after Bella came into our lives and so on Saturday mornings, Bella would spend her time in the kitchen teaching Esme all her tricks. Quite often Edward would join them, unwilling to be away from her for very long. He became quite the cook too."

"She always did the cooking for us. I can't even boil water. But I'm going to learn... This baby won't be the one to look after me," I said softly.

"Emmett is king of pranks. He has done some pretty crazy stuff but nothing will ever top the prank that Bella pulled on him," she said. "You see, Emmett and Rosalie are a couple and Rosalie is a very jealous person. Needless to say that leaves Emmett afraid of the female population more often then not, simply because Rosalie is not pleasant to be around when she is jealous or angry. Anyway, Bella mentioned to Emmett that she heard two girls talking and saying how hot he was and how much they wanted him. Perfect set up. All the guy had to do was tell Rose and everything would have been fine, but being a man, he didn't. Instead when the notes, gifts and chocolates began to appear at the house, in his locker, in his car... You get the picture. He was a nervous wreck and began to hide them from Rose. Then came the lacy panties left on the front seat of his car. He stuffed them in his pocket quickly so Rose wouldn't see. When Rose came out to the car, she hugged him and asked what was sticking out of his pocket. He was speechless so she reached her hand in and pulled out the panties. Emmett dropped to his knees begging for forgiveness. Rose tried to keep her angry face on, but failed miserably. Bella had let her in on the prank, she even helped with the letters, gifts and stuff. The poor guy was a mess over the whole situation and vowed to get even with her. He did eventually, gluing the radio dial in her truck to the all spanish station at full volume and the power button didn't work either. She didn't let it phase her, she just had Edward pick her up for school all the time. Edward loved it, so did she. He thanked Emmett for the little push to stop her from being so independent all the time."

"She rarely got mad. Always got even," I said, thinking of my beautiful brown eyed girl.

"I have some pictures for you," she said, pulling a small album out of her purse. There were tons of pictures of Bella smiling and dressed up in a way I had never seen her. Her natural beauty was enhanced but she still looked comfortable. It was a great gift and I found my eyes filled with tears.

"Thank you. How did you manage? I mean she ran from the camera every chance she got...." I said, sobbing.

"Stealth," Alice answered, hugging me softly. "These were on my digital camera memory card."

"It is truly a wonderful gift, Alice. I will treasure it always," I said, sincerely.

Phil and Esme entered the room then, Phil had his arms laden with boxes, while Esme had two large bags in her hands.

"All stuff that Esme says can be used at a local shelter," Phil said.

"Sounds good," I said.

Once they were through, I asked Alice about Edward.

"How is he doing?" I asked her.

"He nearly killed himself searching for her. He won't give up. Not ever. They had a once in a lifetime love and he'll never let her go," Alice said.

As sad as that was, it made me happy. I think every mother wants that for her child. For someone to love them with their whole heart.

We got back to cleaning and soon the living room was de-cluttered. Lots of pictures of Charlie were hung throughout, many with Bella in them. His television and recliner had been given to Billy Black, whose son Jacob had come to pick it up. I had seen Jacob at Paul's funeral, but the sadness on his face was even worse today. I wanted to ask him about it but he was distracted loading the chair and a bunch of Charlie's other personal belongings. Billy and Charlie had been inseparable for as long as I had known them and I was glad that he was getting Charlie's most loved possessions.

Esme and Alice accompanied us to the diner for a quick dinner, although neither of them ate, preferring to wait until they were back with their family. I thanked them again as they left and promised to see them the next day for the funeral.

"Are you staying at a hotel?" I asked, as they were about to leave. "I mean Charlie told me about what vandals did to your home and, I just, wondered."

"We are staying with some friends in LaPush," Esme said. "We were saddened at the loss of our house, we are unsure if we will rebuild or not. There is just so much sadness tied to this town now."

"I totally understand," I said. "You will keep in touch though, right?"

"Of course," Esme said, smiling. "We can write or email, maybe even talk on the phone."

"And if you ever come to Florida, you could come for a visit," I said, not wanting to lose contact with the family that had meant so much to my daughter.

"We certainly could do that," she said.

"Thank you," I said, before leaving. Hopefully I would get some better sleep tonight. Then it was only one more day and night until I would be on a plane home. Closing the door on Forks, Washington, hopefully forever.

EPOV

Bella and I enjoyed our remaining time at the cabin, refusing to let the incident with the dog cloud our time together. We made love, cuddled together and enjoyed our children. It was perfect.

Unfortunately, it was also over.

Reality had come back including the fact that I would be expected to go to Charlie Swan's memorial service in just a couple of hours. We slowly packed everything back into it's bags and I loaded the car while Bella sat to nurse the twins.

As I walked back into the cabin, Bella was in one of the chairs with her blouse unbuttoned. Arriel's head was on her left, while Jace's was on her right. Their bodies were crossed in the middle and as usual their little hands were entwined. That image was breathtaking. My fiancee, the love of my life, my entire existence, with our little miracles cradled to her. The look on her face as she looked down at them was so beautiful and loving. The love flowing between the three was so intense that I didn't need to be an empath to feel it. Arriel's thoughts were so calm and serene while she was nursing. There were no real images, other than flashes of her mother's face, just an overwhelming contentment.

I could watch this forever.

Bella looked up at me and smiled, the little blush I loved so much creeping up her cheeks.

"How long have you been watching?" she asked.

"Not long enough," I answered. "I could watch this forever and it still wouldn't be long enough."

"Edward," she groaned, obviously thinking I was just saying it.

"It's true Bella. The love and contentment radiating from you three... I could watch it forever," I said.

"I like it better when you join us. Then it feels complete," she said, biting her lip and looking up at me through her eyelashes. She really has no clue just how beautiful she is.

I took the hint that she left and hurried to her side, scooping all three gently into my arms and maneuvering us to the sofa, where we could all sit together. Bella settled on my lap and my hand went around her to caress the soft skin and hair on our children's heads.

They were so warm and soft, yet they did not flinch away from our cold temperatures, nor did it seem to phase them in any way. This pleased us all to no end. As the twins finished their meal, we quickly changed their diapers and were about to load them into their car seats for the return trip, when we heard people approaching.

Bella looked to me, knowing that I would know who it was before she could. I listened to the thoughts of the approaching vampires, eager to see who was coming. It was the Carlisle and Esme, coming to spend an hour or two with the twins while Bella and I hunted.

"Carlisle and Esme," I said, smiling. "They are here to watch the twins while we hunt, before we return to LaPush.

"It's Grandma and Grandpa," she said to the babies, then laughed.

I looked at her, wondering what her beautiful giggle was all about.

"Seriously," she said. "They look nothing like grandparents. They barely look old enough to be parents."

I laughed with her, so did Carlisle and Esme as they got to the door.

"Just what any woman wants to hear," she said as she swept into the room. She completely ignored me and went straight to Bella, who was holding both the babies. She kissed Bella on the cheek and glanced down at the babies.

"Hi, Little Ones! Grandma has missed you two so much!" she cooed to them.

Carlisle looked at me and smiled. The thoughts in his mind were a little smug at how relaxed Bella and I looked. Esme gathered the babies up and loaded them in the car. They were asleep before the door closed.

It figures. Our children were the world's best sleepers, kinda ironic considering we didn't need any sleep. Not that I was complaining, getting all night to spend with Bella.

Bella looked at Carlisle with a smile. "So what's the plan?" she asked.

"Es and I are going to drive back to LaPush with the babies," he said. "You two are going to hunt and then run back."

She nodded her head in agreement. My girl loved to run. Carlisle and Esme were away in a flash and Bella grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze before she smiled and dashed into the trees.

Being a newborn, she was fast, extremely so and I had to run my fastest to keep up with her. Instead of following her I decided to try to get around her if I could, using my knowledge of the terrain. Bella figured out what I was doing and changed direction, pulling her farther away from me. I backtracked a little, and was in hot pursuit when her scent vanished.

"Bella?" I asked.

A giggle was all I heard, coming from above me. The little minx had taken to the trees. I dashed up the tree to the top where my girl was perched.

"Nice view," I commented, looking at her skin, glistening in the sunlight.

"It is," she said, looking back at me.

I guess the view from the tree was nice too, or at least it would have been if we were looking. We weren't. Our eyes were simply on each other and before she knew what hit her, I wrapped my arms around her and dashed back down the tree. Frantic hurried removal of clothing followed and within minutes we were panting on the forest floor. Bella's cheeks were flushed and she had leaves and twigs in her hair. She had never looked more beautiful.

"Sorry to be going back?" I asked her.

"Sorta," she said. "I miss everyone but I wish that we could have just a little longer alone together."

"Another day or two?" I asked.

"No, more like month or two," she said, smiling softly.

I laughed, simply because even that wouldn't be enough for me.

We put our clothes back on,well what was left of them anyway. Bella's shirt was destroyed so she wore mine with her stretchy yoga pants while I wore my jeans. Both of our underclothes were completely shredded.

We managed to catch a couple of bears, a cougar and an elk quickly before we decided we needed to get back.

"Want a ride?" I asked her. "For old times sake?"

"I do," she said, hoping on my back and nuzzling her face into the skin of my neck.

"Isabella... We're never going to get back if you keep that up," I warned. It wasn't an idle threat either.

She giggled, nipped my ear lightly and settled back to enjoy the ride.

"As much as the speed scared me, I loved this," she told me.

"You did?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Yup!" she said, popping the 'p'. "I got to hold you close to me. My whole body wrapped around yours like this, inhaling your scent..."

"Do I smell different to you know?" I asked, wondering for the first time.

"A little. It's the same scent, just deeper," she explained. "Like smelling something from far away and then from right next to it, even though my position never changed, just my species."

I laughed, finding humor in the truth.

We talked about everything on our way back to LaPush. Where did we want to live, would we live with our family or not, what Charlie would want to do and our hopes and dreams for each other and our children. Then, just before we reached LaPush, the last topic came up. One that I was hoping we were done with, even though I knew we weren't.

"Were we too harsh on Jacob?" she asked.

"I don't think so," I answered. "I don't like the idea of a grown man staking his claim on our daughter."

"Nor do I," she said. "But do we really understand all there is to know about imprinting?"

"No," I said. "I know another wolf, Quil, has imprinted on a young child as well. Her parents are very supportive of him."

"Really?" she asked. "Maybe we were too harsh. We should learn more about it... Although I refuse to have her entire future determined because of this."

"I don't know if I want to learn more. To have your future mate determined before you can talk or walk is wrong... But what if there is more to it?" I said, realizing that my first and last statement did not correspond.

"That confusing tidbit describes it exactly," she said.

We slowed down and she reluctantly hopped off my back. I could smell the scent of humans nearby and I watched in amazement as Bella crinkled her nose in disgust.

"You are doing so good, Bella. I keep forgetting that you are a newborn," I told her.

"Pfft," she said, shrugging it off as if it were nothing.

"You saw what newborns look like, Love," I told her, thinking of the crazed newborns we fought just days ago. "That's what we expected for you. Do you see why I was in no hurry to change you?"

"But I'm not crazed," she said.

"We didn't know that would be the case. We were expecting that you would have been. I didn't want that for you. I didn't want you to have to avoid the sunlight and repeat high school for eternity, while trying not to concentrate on the burn in your throat," I explained, hoping she would understand.

"None of that matters to me. It never did. I love you with all I am and if you ceased to exist so would I. I can't live in a world without you anymore than you could exist without me. I would give anything to spend forever with you," she said.

"All the sacrifice... You're okay with it?" I asked.

"I get to keep Charlie. I will miss Renee, and I worry about her," she said.

"I can tell you some things. Alice and Esme spent time with her and I learned some things. Do you want to know?" I asked.

"I do," she said.

"She's sad that you're missing but assumes that you are gone because she knows you would never leave me," I said with a cocky grin.

"I wouldn't have," I said.

"She's also pregnant," I said, not sure of what reaction I'd get from her.

"Oh Edward! I'm so excited. She really deserves this!" she said, grinning from ear to ear.

"And she met Jace and Arriel too, although that scared Carlisle and Esme more than anything," I said, grinning.

"Why?" she asked.

"It seems little Arriel shared a couple of visions with her. She thought they were daydreams, but Carlisle and Esme thought it best to get the babies out of there ASAP," I said.

"Oh dear," she giggled. "I'm glad she met them, even though she didn't know they were her grandchildren."

"Me too, Love," I said.

We walked at a slow human pace back to the house. My mind was racing with all there was to come. Charlie's funeral, Athenodora, the wolves, the future... And my new desire, not desire, but need, to make Bella my wife in the very near future. Very near.