Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Chapter 39 Arrivals

Esme POV

"Well the entire thing is just ridiculous. Why can't the man just be happy for his daughter? For all he knows she has married a rich, handsome young man that adores her. Why does he have to be so difficult?", I said to Carlisle as I tidied up the kitchen from having made Charlie dinner.

"Petal, he's only going on his experience", Carlisle said as he came to stand behind me at the sink and put his arms around me, "Remember, his wife left him when they were very young, just after she had Bella. He undoubtedly sees a baby at a young age as being a marriage breaker."

"Surely he sees the difference. Anyone could look at Edward and see how he feels about Bella, he wears his love on his sleeve, even still. Wouldn't a human notice that, honey?"

"You would think so. But maybe he felt that way about Renee. Maybe he recognizes the look on Edward's face from the look he had for her when they were first married. She left him anyway so it's no wonder he thinks that love may not be enough", Carlisle explained.

"The man just doesn't understand what Edward went through without her. He didn't see my son in that field with leaves all in his hair, sitting there for days on end not moving, not feeding."

"Now Petal, we didn't see what she went through. Apparently they tried to medicate her it got so bad and . . ."

"What!", I interrupted.

"The doctors prescribed sedation for her. She wouldn't eat, she couldn't sleep . . . she had nightmares and woke screaming every night. Petal, she ended up jumping off the cliffs out at La Push", Carlisle said quietly, "Though she said it was for 'fun', I highly doubt that was the real reason."

"Carlisle, we never should have agreed to leave with him. I know you wanted to support his decision and we left out of respect for that, but he was wrong. It was so wrong of us to leave her, she is our daughter and she was even back then", I said as I almost sobbed against my husband's chest.

It was times like this that I missed the ability to tear, to just be able to cry it out when I had the need. Charlie had come to the door this evening looking for Carlisle and I had offered him coffee. We were all happy to see him, knowing that he was expected and that Bella was looking forward to his visit. I thought he was just stopping by on his way to their house or perhaps thinking Bella might be here, until I heard the anger in his voice and realized how tense and upset he was. I insisted on making him dinner since Carlisle wasn't due home for another half hour or so and Charlie finally accepted.

Carlisle taking him into the study to talk did not stop us from hearing every word, of course, though it made Charlie feel like they had some privacy. I heard Edward enter the front door and wondered how well that was going to go over, but his behavior was absolutely stellar. He waited at the door, listening to what Charlie had to say until there was an opening, then calmly used that opening to explain that though Charlie was welcome, upsetting Bella was off the table completely. Edward was extremely firm, overly so for a normal 19 year old talking to a grown man that was his father in law, but Edward was hardly a normal young man.

After Edward left, I walked into the study and stood beside Carlisle, taking his hand when he reached for mine.

"Charlie, you are welcome to stay here tonight if you want to wait till morning to go back to their house", I offered.

"Well that's real nice of you, Esme, but I think I better go apologise to my daughter. Your Edward's right though, she doesn't need to be getting upset", Charlie admitted sheepishly.

"In any case, the offer stands. We do have an extra guest room now that Edward and Bella have their own house", I said to him as he turned and headed toward the front door.

"I think I better just get there with my hat in my hand, so to speak", he continued.

Charlie paused at the door, seemingly unsure of something, then choosing to share the thought.

"You did real good with that boy of yours, Esme. He is really a fine young man, really fine. I guess I never said that about him before, but it's true."

"We appreciate your seeing that, Charlie. We are very proud of the way he has handled himself since he found Bella again and she is a lovely girl. We are thrilled to have her as part of our family", Carlisle replied as we stood in the doorway with his arm around my shoulder.

"Well, goodnight then", Charlie said as he left and got in his car.

"That could have gone worse", Carlisle said, relieved.

"Yes, it certainly could have. Thank you for settling him down before Edward got here", I said as I kissed him, "I could probably come up with a way of showing you how happy I am that you handled that so well."

"Ouuuu . . . yuck, take that upstairs. Mom, acting like that is just, wrong!", chided Emmett from the living room.

"Hush son, I listen to your lovemaking ALL the time, leave me be!", I laughed at his teasing, but headed upstairs with my arm around my husband all the same.

~oooOooo~

BPOV

That was the last dish, everything in the dishwasher and all the food tucked into the fridge. I wondered what was taking Edward so long to clean the grill, he was usually done before I could even walk out there but tonight he had been gone for half an hour or so. Huh.

"Edward", I called from the kitchen.

"Yes, love", he said as he came through the patio door.

"Just wondered where you were. You never take that long."

"I was just thinking, love. The grill is cleaned and everything put away. Are you ready for bed?", he asked as his arms went around me and soft kisses peppered my face and neck.

"Ummmm, I could be ready for that anytime if it involves you", I told him as I found his lips with mine.

We kissed for quite a long time, just standing in the kitchen with our arms around each other. I could kiss Edward for years and never tire of the taste of him, the scent of ocean and air and lust coming from his skin and filling my senses as my body started to long for something else to be filled as I wrapped myself around him.

"Unhumm"

I looked toward where the sound had come from in the living room to see my father standing there, his suitcase in hand. He had walked in on a quite passionate kiss and he was appropriately embarrassed.

I didn't release my hold on Edward and he kept his arms around me, his twinkling eyes giving away the fact that he knew my father was standing there way before we stopped kissing. Of course he knew, smug vampire. It was amazing how truly unobservant I was when otherwise occupied, I mused.

"Dad", I said.

"Um, Bells I ah . . . well, I'm sorry I ran out like that. I didn't mean to spoil dinner", he said, "And you know how I love a good steak."

He was trying to be funny. My Dad was actually trying to lighten the moment. I had never seen this with him and I didn't understand.

"They were really good, Charlie", Edward added mischievously.

"Well, thing is Bells, I just needed a minute. I'm a little young to be a grandfather and anyway . . . well, I just needed a minute. Sorry if I upset you leaving like that. Can I still stay for the holidays?", he asked.

I ran to him and threw my arms around him, tears running down my face, "Of course you can. I'm so glad to see you, Dad!"

I saw a glance pass between he and Edward and I had to try and remember to ask Edward about it later, but all that mattered right now was that my Dad had decided to come back and I got to spend some time with him.

Edward lifted my Dad's suitcase in one hand to take it to the guest room.

Rather than following right away, Dad took my arms from his neck and held them out to the sides of my body in an exaggerated manner while he looked me over, starring at my stomach.

"You look really good, Bells. So how pregnant are you, cause it doesn't really show yet", he asked.

"About four months, Dad. We should have a baby by spring and we are so excited about him!", I bubbled.

"Him?", Charlie said looking at me inquisitively.

"Yes, Masen. His name is Masen, and Carlisle confirmed that it is a boy!", I told my day.

Edward asked Charlie if he needed anything before going to bed, then walked around the downstairs turning out the lights before following us up the stairs. I took my Dad to the same cream and blue room that he had used the last time and hugged him good night.

Edward was waiting for me when I got to our room, lying on our bed with his hands behind his head with a pair of flannel sleep pants on . . . and nothing else. I would just never get used to the sight of Edward undressed. He was just . . . perfect. His abs, his shoulders . . . his everything.

"Are you coming to bed, love?", he asked, rolling to his side and patting the spot next to him.

I decided to make it fun. I slowly unbuttoned my jeans and shimmied them down my legs. I took the sweater off and proceeded to unbutton my shirt as I walked toward him across the bed on my knees. It was working, his unnecessary breaths were increasing and his eyes were wide in anticipation. I dropped the shirt, revealing that I had on no bra just as I got to him and his hand wrapped around my backside. The wince that his expression morphed into, however, I was not expecting.

"Bella . . .", he barely whispered as his fingers traced the bruises he had left from this morning. They were small and insignificant, just fingerprints, really, but to him they were a reminder that he hadn't been careful enough. . . that he had held me too tight. It reminded him that he was dangerous to me.

I continued toward him, rolling him to his back and straddling him over his soft pants. He lay beneath me, his hands on my hips tracing the patterns of small purple dots that his hands had left, fitting his fingers to them. His skin was cooler than normal, having been exposed to the cold outside while he was on the back patio and it felt like a balm to the bruises, though I hadn't paid any attention to them before. I ran my hands back and forth across the planes of his chest, just staring into his eyes, willing him to understand that I needed him in this moment. His expression softened as I bent to kiss his soft lips and down his jaw to his throat. He held me to him, understanding creeping into his features.

"I need you sweet heart", I told him as my hand slipped beneath the waistband of his sleep pants.

~oooOooo~

EPOV

I watched as my wife diligently put away all of our clothing from the island trip as well as our time in Florida. I just lay here, covers around my waist, propped up on my elbow in our bed staring at her. I never tired of looking at the amazing creature I was married to.

Breakfast this morning had gone well, she was up before the sun to make coffee and breakfast for her father. I had listened intently but I had not joined them. My absence allowed me to keep from having to eat human food as well as to hold my tongue around him and I was certain from his thoughts that he was relieved as well. Though I had kept things civil last night and Charlie had congratulated me on our child, I was still angry that he had left and made her cry in the first place. His ruse about having a hard time accepting being a grandfather had helped, although I knew that Bella saw right through him. At least he had made the effort.

She had come to bed needy last night, wanting to feel the bond that we shared at its most intense. She knew I loved her, that I lived her . . . but she needed me close. We made love every night, of course, as we had since we had first moved to our house, but when I saw the bruises I had left on her hips, I wanted nothing more than to hold her and abstain from having sex until she was more durable, after she had our child, but she needed to feel me close to her and I could deny her nothing. I knew I could make love to my wife without hurting her if it was her need, and it was my need as well. I just had to pay more attention, to stay more focused on her and what her body was telling me. I could read her like a book and she was right . . . they were only fingertip bruises and of no consequence. Her skin did bruise easily and she was often bumping into things and causing bruises far worse than I had made on her skin. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen, crossing back and forth from the opened suitcases to the closet and drawers in our room.

We had spent the morning in bed after Charlie left early with Emmett and Jasper to go fishing for the day and I was sure she lost track of how many times we made love.

"Would you like me to make lunch for you, love?", I asked.

She looked at me with those chocolate eyes burning bright and flirted, "Are you offering yourself as an appetizer, or the main course?"

"Bella! You want more of this?", I said as I made the obvious gesture of lowering my hand under the covers.

"Morning all!", my sister Alice called out as she entered our bedroom unannounced.

"Hi Alice!", Bella cheerfully said, "Did you come to see if I was putting away my wardrobe properly?"

"Well, you could always use help with that, but no. I came to bring lunch that Esme made for you and to tell you that the furniture should be here shortly and Rose and Esme are coming over", she said as she flitted into the room, turning her attention to me, "I thought lover boy there might want to get dressed."

"If you would leave the room for a minute, Alice, I might", I told her, trying to sound exasperated but in reality I was amused by her this morning.

"Really Edward, it's as if you think you have something that Jasper doesn't and remember", she said tapping her temple, "I see everything anyway."

Yes, that's right brother, I just said that to bug you!

Get your horny butt out of that bed and help with the furniture.

Phil and Renee will arrive this afternoon, but Jacob is almost here.

I read her mind and was thankful that she at least kept the ruder thoughts to herself.

Oh, and well done with Charlie last night. I saw that going several ways!

I threw off my covers, causing her to finally turn and shut the bedroom door with her, thankfully, on the other side of it.

"You two are too cute", Bella said as I wrapped my arms around her.

"What, you mean the annoying little pixie?", I asked.

"Sweetheart", she said as she pulled me closer to her, "You had better cover up unless you want me to have an appetizer before lunch while your Mom and sisters are in the house."

I could not help the moan that escaped my lips as my head reflexively moved backwards and my eyes attempted to close. It was the wrong move on my part, or the right one . . . depending on how you looked at it. Faster than I thought it possible for her to move, she dropped to her knees and took me into her mouth.

"No . . . Bella . . . so good . . . we can't . . . don't stop . . . oh shit, Bella . . "

She did whatever it was with her tongue and I was lost, her hand gripping the base of my length as her other hand softly stroked my inner thigh. She knew exactly how to make me come on a dime. I barely had time to remember to make fists rather than grab the dresser next to me that I was now leaning against. Having company in the house, she released me from her mouth and covered my lips with hers, her hand continuing to stroke me and her mouth dulling if not absorbing my moans. I hugged her to me, leaning against the dresser for support, my legs trembling with my release.

"Bella. How the hell do you do that to me", I whispered into her hair as I regained control of my voice.

"It's just what happens when my Adonis of a husband puts his delicious body too close to me when I'm hungry", she said as she kissed my lips softly.

I showered and found Bella just finishing lunch with the rest of the ladies in my family in the kitchen just as Jacob arrived. I heard the bike for several miles, winding up the driveway to our houses but I had no idea it was him.

"Jacob!", Bella yelled as she all but flew out the door to hug him. He grabbed her, lifting her off the ground and swinging her around as he hugged her and said hello.

"Jacob", I said as I extended my hand to him, "Glad you could make it."

"Jake, aren't you freezing to death riding that in this weather?", Bella asked as she eyed the Harley he rode in on.

"No way, Chika, I don't get cold", he said as he took off his glove and touched his hand to her cheek.

"Wow, toasty warm! Nice. I would freeze to death trying to ride in the winter", Bella added.

"Good looking bike you have there. You're welcome to park in in the garage with Bella's while you're here, Jacob. It's just around back and the door is open", I told him.

He unstrapped his luggage bag from the rear seat and headed to the porch to say hello to Rosalie, Alice and Esme.

"Jacob, nice to see you again", Esme greeted him warmly, as did Alice.

Rose bumped fists with him and wanted to know how the racing was going and what he had been up to. They chatted about engines and some new design that they were both interested in as they walked into the house.

"Nice house guys, this is all for you and Edward?", Jacob asked her.

"Yes, Edward built it for us", Bella told him, bragging on me to him.

"Hey, you mean Edward, Emmett, Jasper and an entire crew working for a month built it for you, don't you?", Emmett asked as he walked in and reached his hand out to shake hands with Jacob.

"Hey Emmett, Jasper", Jacob greeted them.

"Charlie, how are you?", he asked as soon as he saw the Chief walk in and put down his fishing gear.

The door bell rang about that time, it was the furniture delivery Bella had been expecting.

"That's for you, Jake", Bella said laughingly as she went to answer the door.

"What? What are you talking about?", Jacob said with a truly puzzled expression on his face.

Bella answered the door and we all headed out to move the things she and my Mom had ordered into the house as Esme never trusted movers not to damage things when they brought them in. It was only a bed, dresser, night stand and a wardrobe and we had it set up as directed in the room in minutes, the girls bringing in the rest of the order amounting to linens and pillows and comforters, as they had hung the drapes already the day before.

"So, all this is for me?', Jacob asked, "Looks like I'm moving in. I knew you missed our apartment and living with me, Chica".

I stiffened. Jake said it playfully, as a joke, but his mind told me his true feelings for my wife and I hugged her to me reflexively doing my very best to stifle the growl that was building in my chest. He was her very best friend and I owed him for saving her life, pulling her out of the surf at La Push, in addition to taking care of her all the other months. I had to keep remembering that. It was Jacob that convinced Charlie to let me in to her when she woke up in the hospital and it was Jacob that had come to the hotel across the street to get me for her when she asked him to. He cared for her, loved her even . . . and she loved him.

Bella had redone this third guestroom in greens and browns. She had no idea just how appropriate the woodsy colors were for Jacob. Of course, he didn't know either, or didn't believe. The legends of his tribe were just that, legends to him. I had met his grandfather, Ephraim Black back 70 something years ago when Carlisle first ironed out the treaty between them and us. Jacob had not phased yet, but we all thought it was just a matter of time being that it was in his blood line and he was to be the next Chief of his tribe. Bella knew the legends as well as the rest of us, but she had not realized yet that Jacob would probably be able to shift his shape into that of a wolf. I don't think it had dawned on her yet. Of course he could ride the bike in the winter, werewolves didn't get cold. Carlisle had thought the werewolves had disappeared, extinct if you will, till he had found out that Sam Uley had phased and he had met with them when we first went back to Forks to look for Bella.

"Anybody home?", I heard Phil call from the front door as Renee bounded up the stairs, having spotted Bella.

"Mom!", Bella squealed as she hugged her at the top of the stairs.

"Renee", Charlie said as she nodded to him.

"Let me look at you", Renee said to Bella, staring at her stomach as though she would be able to see the baby, "You are absolutely glowing. Edward, you're doing something right with my girl, she looks completely happy."

"Thank you, Renee, I try to keep her out of trouble", I said as I nodded to Phil who was still downstairs holding his suitcase.

"Phil, be a dear and bring those on up, will you?', Renee asked, "Are we in the same room as last time, Bella?"

"Yes, Mom, just down the hall, same as last time. Charlie has the blue room and Jacob will be in the one we just furnished."

"Won't you be needing that room for the nursery?", her mother asked her.

"Nursery?", Jacob looked dazed, "Nursery, Bella?" "Is there something you haven't told me?", he asked looking expectant.

"Yep, Dad just found out last night when he got here. I had to tell Edward first and I wanted to do that on the island in Brazil while we were vacationing. Since we just got back, I'm just now telling everyone else", Bella explained, ducking into our room to retrieve my button that she had given me.

She pinned it onto the pocket of my shirt and patted it, kissing me softly as everyone stared at my "I'm going to be a Daddy", button. "This is how I told him", she said pointing to the button she had pinned on me.

If I could have blushed, now would have been the time. Somehow in that moment, with the eyes of her parents staring at me, it was less about having a baby and more about the act that got us the baby. I wasn't used to things this personal being on display for all to see.

I couldn't help but draw her into a two armed hug and I never wanted to let her go. The minds around me were flying through so many thoughts, but by far the loudest was coming from Jacob. It was a combination of happiness for Bella and jealously over it being my baby and not his that she was carrying.

If I thought about it, rather than just being outraged at his thoughts, it was completely understandable that he felt that way. How could I possible fault him for being in love with her. After all, he had been there to pick up the pieces when I had left her broken.

Everyone laughed at my button, congratulated us both again and headed downstairs at Bella's urging, letting them know that she had to get dinner on the table for us all.

Everyone settled into the living room to chat as Bella and her Mom prepared a salad to go with the pot roast Bella had cooked yesterday and in no time there was a buffet spread on our kitchen counter for all to help themselves. My wife was full of inventive ways to disguise the fact that her new family did not eat, at least not in the house. Plates were filled in a casual manner and folks wandered with plates in their hands while talking and no one noticed who ate and who didn't. Ingenious. Of course, Jacob ate enough for most of us combined and the food all but disappeared.

I stepped out onto the porch to join my Dad. Carlisle was leaning on the front railing looking out at the twinkling lights on the gazebo and their reflection on the lake.

"Amazing, isn't it son", he said as I approached to stand beside him, his eyes twinkling.

Seven vampires, three humans, a werewolf and a pregnant human married to a vampire . . . all under the same roof enjoying each other's company. Supposedly having dinner together!

I couldn't help but snicker at the thoughts going through his head. He was right, who would have ever thought this possible.