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

Author's Note: Finally finished this chapter!

Sorry to keep you waiting, I just HAD to get a chapter of I Do out! lol Grandchildren and birthdays and decorating for Christmas going's on. Guess December is going to be kind of a blur, five kids and their families coming to stay with me! Yea! I do love having everyone around, though when I'm alone, I get lost in Edward and Bella . . .

Hope you enjoy! Remember, peaceful happy times are sometimes all too fleeting . . .

~oooOooo~

Chapter 120 Content

I pulled the soft covers up around my shoulders as I continued to listen,

drifting in and out of sleep to the amazing melodies . . .

comfortable, warm and feeling more at peace and content than I had ever felt in my life.

I was at home with my family . . . and my world seemed complete.

~oooOooo~

EPOV

Raising my son was going to keep both Bella and I on our toes for years to come. He was extremely intelligent, opinionated, and into everything. Though only two months old, he was now toddling around on two legs rather than crawling and vocalizing more and more words each day. The room that had started out as a playroom for him had become something more along the lines of a miniature den area, something you would expect to see in the interior of a tree house or a designer's plan for a child's room.

I took the special knotty old style wood planks that I had ordered and fashioned them into as close as I could come to the picture in his mind. As if on que this morning, boxes were delivered containing books and paintings and rugs along with two mossy green upholstered chairs, courtesy of Alice. They were perfect, of course, a third the size of adult chairs and soft and comfortable. They were just what Masen had been imagining, though I shuttered to think what design magazines Alice had been showing him while she babysat for him to have ideas along these lines. I expected more child like tastes, play toys, etc., and while he did want toys, he was also single minded interested in reading and learning. I did my best to come up with a room he would enjoy, and one that I had the materials on hand to build. Bella's mom had often kidded her about being a 35 year old since birth, and with the tastes and temperament our son was showing, it seemed that he would favor his mother in that respect . . . apparently the vampire adding the quick growth and enhanced abilities.

Bella slept for hours and after I fed Masen his lunch, I insisted he take a nap while we waited for the paint to dry. While I loved my time with him, building the room for him and answering his endless questions, I was selfishly anxious to get to my piano and attempt the Rachmaninoff songs that Bella had purchased for me. I still could not believe she had found the original compositions for sale and I was anxious to play them myself. She had managed to obtain the rewritten copy of his First Concerto and Rachmaninoff himself had boasted that the revision contained much more youthful freshness and that it played itself much more easily than the way he had first written it. As I played, I realized even more that his revision had transformed the piece into a more concise, spirited work. I loved it. This . . . this challenged me to play it correctly and it would take a great deal of practice to master playing it with feeling.

I practiced for several hours, engrossed in my music and the feel of the keys so much so that Bella was nearly in the room with me before I noticed that her breathing had changed and she was awake.

"How was your nap, love?" I asked as I continued to play softly.

"Wonderful," she answered, sliding in next to me on the piano bench and slowly scratching up and down my back with her fingers.

As the song finished, I bent to kiss her face, "Thank you for the song, love. It's a challenging piece and I love learning to play it. Did I wake you?"

"No. I woke up several times and heard you but I pulled up the covers and snuggled down into the soft cushions and fell back asleep several times. I am more than rested and I just wondered if you had something planned for dinner or if I could just go in and start cooking something."

"By all means. Cook away. Masen is having a nap. He tired me out working on the playroom."

"Did you finish what you wanted to get done today?"

"No. Actually, Masen had some ideas of his own, and the project changed a couple of times. The wood work is finished and the paint is drying. I should have it finished by morning . . . that is if I can drag myself away from you," I told her, a grin crossing my face as I pulled her to me for a kiss.

"Well, the playroom can definitely wait till morning then, can't it! I'm sure Masen will want to oversee it anyway," she laughed.

The very thought of a two month old having any say at all was just so far off the scale of normal it was hard to think about. Bella and I kept our routine, putting Masen down for naps perhaps more often than he needed so that we could spend time alone . . . and naked. A lot. I cooked breakfast and Bella took care of lunch and dinner, Masen and I spent our mornings in secret finishing the playroom while she read or napped and our afternoons were spent with all of us playing together.

Though hide and seek was our son's current favorite game, he and I had an unfair advantage. Masen was so small he could fit almost anywhere . . . and he climbed exceedingly well, his fingers strong enough to grip onto almost anything. Tops of closets seemed to be his favorite but it was a dead giveaway because after he climbed the door frame and got onto the top shelf, he would forget to close the door. Laughter from our son when he would jump off the shelf at his mom when she opened the door all the way and peeped into the closet was just the cutest thing, though I always made sure I was there to catch him, admonishing him for scaring her and reminding him not to knock her down. I had what Bella called an unfair advantage playing the game - I could hear her heartbeat anywhere in the house and follow her scent to find her. Always.

After a couple of mornings, the playroom was ready to reveal and we made her close her eyes, Masen sitting on her shoulders with his hands trying to reach her eyes and me leading her so she didn't stumble. I had paid a great deal of attention to detail, transforming the room into something out of a fairytale, in this case something out of our son's head. was just astounding. It was more of a living room, really, rather than a children's play room.

"I had no idea you were so skilled at building things, sweetheart. This room is just amazing. Did you already have the chairs and rug and books ordered?" she asked, wondering how I was able to put this all together if Masen had changed his plans in the middle.

"Alice. Remember the delivery yesterday morning?" I answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for my sister to have seen and taken care of the need automatically.

The expression on her face gave away how surprised she was with how the room had turned out.

"He wanted it this way, love. Comfortable and on a smaller scale, closer to his size. There are toys in the bins on each side - they are toy boxes, not beds - they-re just padded for sitting or lying on. He was more interested in having shelves and books. He wants to learn to read, sweetheart."

"Well, we'll just have to teach him to read, won't we! Let's have a couple of hours each afternoon where we practice letters and words with him. Since he doesn't have a very big vocabulary yet, you'll have to translate for me, Okay?"

"I would love to," I told her, laughing. "Masen loves that idea as well," I said, hugging them both. "Right now, how about we go out and see some of the scenery around here. It's a pretty day and I'm dying to take you up the tall peaks to the east so you can see just how breathtaking the view is!"

"Isn't it freezing outside?" she asked cocking her head to one side, "and sunny?"

"It is, but up on the mountain the sun warms you and there is no one around for miles to see me sparkle in the sunlight, love. Masen is far more tolerant of the cold than we first thought. You hold him and I'll carry you. We won't be gone long. I want you to see how amazing it is from the top. There is one special peak that I used to go up all the time, quite easily really."

"Let us get our coats and hats and mittens - you too, just in case!" she laughed.

We spent close to two weeks at the house, Bella loved it there as did Masen. My wife continued to sleep through her mornings (no doubt since I kept her up practically all night) and Masen and I used his room to practice his letters and for me to read to him. I wasn't really sure if he had actually started reading, or if his perfect recall just allowed him to parrot the words I had read. I soon learned not to read a story to him before using the same book to practice his reading!

I spent hours at the piano. Hours. Bella seemed to absolutely love to curl up with a book or with the baby in front of the fire while I played . . . and I loved it, too.

"Alice," I answered, the phone not getting a full ring out before it was answered. "No, he hasn't called yet. Great! I'll talk to Bella. Yes, I know you've already seen it, but there is such a thing as free will and choice, Alice. No, I know. How is it going with the Denali's? Good. Really? even there. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. No, I'll make the reservations AFTER I TALK TO BELLA! Yes. Love you, too. Bye, Alice."

The little pixie could be infuriating. She had seen us in London with Carlisle and Esme, the entire family together at the estate, and she was already making travel reservations. I needed to at lest ask Bella if she wanted to go to London tomorrow . . . she did have a choice in the matter. I knew my sister was only trying to help, and I appreciated her visions, having helped Bella and I both many many times. I just wanted my wife to at lest have some input. What we did was her choice, this trip was for her and i was just the tour guide this time around. After she was turned we would make many more trips to places around the world, and she would become familiar with foreign lands. For now, she seemed content to let me lead, I chuckled to myself . . . content as long as she got to sample the different foods Europe had to offer!

I found her curled up asleep on the sofa in front of the fireplace and Masen was still napping upstairs in his crib. Not wanting to wake her, i sat on the floor in front of the sofa and leaned back against it so that I could stare at her. She was just so beautiful. Why she questioned my judgement on that I would never know. I leaned my head against her, closing my eyes and content just to focus on her heartbeat.

Her heartbeat.

With my head against her belly and all else quiet in the house, I realized it was not just her heartbeat I was hearing. There was the unmistakable fluttering of another . . . two other heartbeats.

God yes.

She was pregnant. That explained her sleeping all the time, well, that and her not sleeping at night. Why the hell hadn't I realized this before now? She wasn't throwing up or acting at all sick like the last time . . . but the last time she had known before I had. She must know now, she has to. Why the hell hadn't she told me? Her face was glowing, she seemed to crave sex even more than I did lately and she was so responsive. A simple caress to her breast would cause her back to arch and elicit a moan from her . . . and she had been incredible soft . . . inside. I should have guessed! I was just so damned consumed by my need for her, I hadn't put two and two together.

"You can hear them, can't you?" she asked.

I hadn't noticed that her eyes had opened and she was awake now, staring at me.

"Yes. Yes, love. I can hear them, their heartbeats anyway," I said as I stood and grabbed her by the waist all in one move, swinging her around the room and hugging her to me.

"You knew! How long have you known?"

"I've suspected for about a week, sweetheart. I just wanted to be sure before i got your hopes up," she smiled. "Let's celebrate. It's overcast outside, how about taking me to dinner in town for some authentic Italian?"

"I will gladly take you to dinner, love, but how about some authentic vampire first," I said as she quickly found herself naked with me in our bedroom.

"Ah, my all time favorite cuisine . . ."

~oooOooo~

Alice POV

"Well really!" I scoffed.

"Alice?"

"Oh nothing, Jasper. My brother is just a stubborn ass sometimes. I wonder why I bother at all."

"How's Masen?"

"Amazing. He loved the chairs, they were just what he had wanted. That child is destined to have far better taste than his father, that's for sure," I said, shaking my head.

"Then what is it, darlin'?"

"Edward. He wouldn't commit to the travel arrangements I made. he insisted on asking Bella if she even wanted to go to London now, honestly, you'd think he didn't believe the things I see happening."

"He knows you better than that, darlin'. Maybe he just wants to make a point of checking with his wife. We gentlemen do that you know . . . check with our wives that is," he said with a smile as his arms clasped around me from behind.

"True. I guess I just took it wrong. I'm just worried, that's all."

"Worried about what? I thought you said you saw everything going well when they meet Aro."

"I do, baby. I do. I just hate keeping things from my brother, and anything to do with the Volturi makes me nervous. Edward is just so overprotective, I see all kinds of things going wrong if he knows about the meeting in advance. Just take care to block it out when we're around him . . . remember, okay?" I asked, turning in his arms to kiss his neck and hug him to me.

"I'll remember. You remember that this is supposed to be a vacation for us as well. Have you enjoyed this week with our cousins?"

"I have. Even when they tried on different humans that night. How could they be with that many men in one night?"

"I have no idea. They seemed to be having fun though, and they didn't kill any of them. From the emotions I picked up, the men has the best night ever," my husband grinned from ear to ear.

"Jasper!" I swatted him.

"I hope you weren't encouraging that succubus behavior!"

"Darlin'," he continued to grin, "they needed no encouragement!"

"You guys ready to go?" Rosalie asked as she came through the door.

"Ready."

"Since this is our last night in Venice, we need to get an early start. Once I get to play with my baby again, Emmett will be off the hook for going dancing and clubbing with me," Rosalie laughed.

"Well, I'm pretty sure Esme wants some baby time as well. She'll probably be hard pressed to let go of Masen once she sees him. He has really grown in the few weeks we've been away from her," I shared.

"Pretty sure there will be enough baby to go around soon," I smiled,

"Alice! What have you seen?" Rosalie and Jasper said in unison.

"Nothing I haven't been seeing. I've sen twins in the future for them since we were in Orlando last fall, I just haven't shared that information till now."

"Twins!" Emmet boomed, "You're shitting me!"

"Emmett!" Rosalie and I both fussed at his language, immediately staring at each other and thinking of Esme . . . that was just what mom would have done had she heard his language!

"Nope! Not shitting you!" I laughed, "And we get one of each this time!"

"Alice! A girl?" Rosalie whispered softly, seemingly astounded.

"Yep, a girl and a boy."

"Damn Eddie. I had no idea our brother was capable of all this. I still don't know how the hell he doesn't break her when he . . ."

"EMMETT!" Rosalie and I both cut him off.

"Still, just sayin'," Emmett continued, Jasper nodding his head in agreement with Emmett.

Apparently neither of our husbands thought themselves capable of being that close to a human, at least not at a moment of climax. Jasper would drain her for sure, and Emmett . . . well Emmett was probably right, he would break her.

"Come on, guys. let's go. The train leaves tomorrow afternoon so we only have tonight!"

~oooOooo~

Esme POV

"Everything packed, Petal?"

"Yes, dear. I just want to make sure and bring the things we'll need. I don't want to be off shopping when I can be playing with my grandson," I explained.

"I'm sure if we need anything, Alice will be more than happy to shop for us, dear," my husband laughed.

He was right, I knew he was right. It had just been a month since I had seen my grandson and i wasn't about to miss a moment of the time i would have with him. carlisle had unexpectedly gotten two weeks off from the hospital, some kind of bonus from the trustees for his exemplary management during the crisis or whatever. Though I was always proud of him, I could care less the reason right now. I was going to see my new daughter and my grandson.

"Are you sure the house has been cleaned? I don't want the baby there if it's dirty, Carlisle," I fussed.

"I called Robert. He promised that he and his staff would have the estate and grounds spotless before we arrived," my husband snickered.

"What's funny, dear?" I turned to him, gesturing for him to finish his packing as well.

"Just the expression in Robert's voice when I asked him to stock the fridge and pantry. I made up some excuse about you're not having time to do it yourself, but he still seemed shocked. We've never asked that of him in all the years his family has worked for us."

"Well, this last year has certainly been full of firsts," I mused as I zipped the final bag closed.

The trip was uneventful and I honestly could not remember being so anxious to get anywhere as I was to get to the London estate. I fidgeted in the first class seats we had reserved, even asking for a blanket and pillow to try and hide my nerves by closing y eyes. No use. I was just so excited to see my family. Edward had been alone and unhappy for so many decades, seeing him with Bella and their child almost made me feel the beat of my own heart again.

The driver met us at Heathrow and we headed toward the house. London was as overcast and dreary as usual, but that worked well for us. This was where my husband had been raised, and where he had been bitten. Carlisle had this estate when he changed me, and it was here that he brought me after that first year of being a newborn. I'm sure he would have loved for us to have spent that first wild year of mine here, the estate covering hundreds of acres and quite remote, but it wasn't possible to put me on a boat or even on a plane with humans while I was newborn and not in control of my thirst. As soon as he trusted that I could manage it, we spent the next few years here . . . till I was completely comfortable with my new life, and with him. We were married here.

I wanted to get to the house a few days before Edward and Bella. Though I knew that Edward had sent a bed and crib identical to the ones he had at home but I needed to make sure the remodeled suite was exactly as I wanted it to be for them. I was told that Masen was progressing much faster than we had expected. I had altered Edward's room to be something of a suite, the baby having the room next door, but a large archway connected and joined the two rooms. Alice had insisted that privacy was needed and that I should go through to the next room and make that room Masen's . . . with a door separating it from his parents room. She suggested that the room I had planned to be Masen's become a sitting area with a sofa and chairs, somewhere Bella could lounge and read. Luckily, Edward's room had been in the East wing of the house, kind of away from our rooms to keep him from having to hear noises that couples were likely to provide. There was another unused guest room that I could cut through to, making it a room for the baby and his playroom could be just across the hall from his room. Perfect. The only other area in that part of the house was the room Edward's piano was in, more of a loft at the top of the stairs, really, so that we could all listen when he played. Anyway, other that that space, their bedroom, sitting room, Masen's room and his playroom accounted for the entire second floor of that wing of the house . . . well, including three bathrooms which I guess would now be far more useful that just the shower Edward had used. Perfect.

As we drove up the long, manicured drive through the gate and toward the house, I felt more comforted, more at home than I had felt in years. We had not even visited here in quite a long time, and we hadn't lived here in decades. I felt Carlisle's arms around me as the car came to a stop in front of our door.

"Welcome home, Petal," he purred in my ear, kissing my cheek as he hugged me to him.

"It's good to be home, dear. It's good to be home."