Thanks to SusanQ, Nicffwhisperer, VampiresHaveLaws, Kikki7, Julie, KittyVuitton, Stephanie, Jaime, Nolebucgrl, and Sydney Alice for all of their help pre-reading/betaing/supporting me. I'm always tinkering until right before posting and any mistakes are mine.

Promises

I smelled the flower before I felt it brushing across my nose. Edward's chuckles came next, and I opened my eyes to find him lying beside me, waving the petals in front of my face.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching you sleep."

I groaned and rubbed my eyes. "That wasn't watching, that was messing around and waking me up."

"Sorry. I had to get you up. We need to get going."

"Where are we going?"

He tossed the flower and pulled me close, his scruffy face tickling the skin of my neck as he peppered me with kisses. "You smell so good."

He was trying to distract me from my question.

It was working. It always worked.

Damn him.

I tried to squirm out of his embrace, but he turned us so I was trapped beneath him. He nudged my legs apart, slipping a thigh between, and I closed my eyes and bit my lip when his slow grinding started.

"I thought you said we had to go somewhere?"

"There's a little time," he mumbled before sucking on a spot below my ear.

I turned my head to give him more room to work, and gasped when my eyes flitted back open.

Edward was off of me like a shot, hovering above in alarm, his hands roaming and checking for injuries. "What? What happened? Did I hurt you?"

I would have laughed, but I was too stunned. I sat up quickly, my mouth gaping at what I saw.

There were flowers everywhere. Vases in every shape and size, filled with hundreds—or maybe thousands—of flowers, covered most of the floor, table, and dresser space in the room. There were tulips, daisies, orchids, roses, irises, and lilies, all in shades of white, pink, and blue.

"What is all this?"

"I wanted you to see something cheerful when you woke up."

I finally turned back toward him, having heard the smile in his voice. "Are these 'I'm sorry' flowers?"

He shook his head. "No, these are 'beginning of your birthday weekend' flowers."

"Birthday weekend?"

He smirked and leaned back over. "Yes, my dear."

I let him kiss me, even if Mr. Smugs had appeared again.

He did get me flowers after all.

"What does this birthday weekend entail? Because you know I'm supposed to go out with Rose and Alice on Saturday."

He hummed, his lips pressing more insistently on mine. My body was telling me to pull him down and have my way with him, but my mind was still wondering what plans he had for us.

I sat back with a smile, watching his lip form a slight pout.

"Tell me what's going on," I said, shaking my head at his antics.

"You'll get to see Rose and Alice this weekend. It just won't be here. They were willing accomplices in keeping this a surprise from you."

He tilted his head and gave me another goofy grin. I decided to let him play his games and surprise me.

I turned my head back to take in all the flowers. "They're beautiful. Thank you, Edward." I snuck a peek over at him, catching him watching me. "I love the colors."

"They made me think of you."

I wasn't sure why white, pink, and blue would remind him of me. I raised my eyebrow in question.

He pulled me back into his arms. "White reminded me that the most amazing woman in the world married me," he murmured in my ear. His hand started rubbing my stomach. "And the pink and blue reminded me of this little one you're carrying. You are the most important part of my life. Everything."

His words sparked a warm glow inside me. He had a way of making me melt.

~~~*~~~NOP~~~*~~~

"Are you okay?"

I nodded my head at Edward, trying to keep my lunch down. We were in a helicopter flying out of New York. The view was spectacular, but it wasn't the smoothest ride in the world. I concentrated more on not puking than watching the city beneath us.

He rubbed my arms and hands, keeping up a constant stream of conversation, although I only really paid attention to about half of it. His touch and the sound of his voice helped my nausea ease up about an hour into the flight.

"How much longer is it?"

He looked down at his watch. "Not too much longer. Maybe another twenty or thirty minutes."

"Where is it that we're going?"

He smiled. "Nantucket."

I didn't know much about New England, never having been in this area in my life, but the name sounded very colonial and wealthy to me.

I soon found out wealthy was an understatement.

We were picked up in a car at the airport and driven toward the coast. My mouth fell open after we drove through a gate into a sprawling estate. The rolling slopes of green, filled with colorful flowers and wildgrass accentuated the large mansion and smaller house off to the side.

The main house itself was beautiful with its archways and numerous windows, but it was massive.

"Is this a resort?" I asked Edward.

He squeezed my hand. "No. This is mine. Ours."

"It's huge! Why did you buy a place so big?" I turned so I could see his face. "When did you buy it?"

He shrugged and smirked. "A couple years ago. It's a nice place. It's a good investment, too. Besides, it will be a great vacation spot for us and the kids."

It boggled my mind that he would buy something so grand as a vacation house. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to know how much it cost. But my attention focused on his kids comment.

I narrowed my eyes. "Exactly how many children do you think we're going to have?" It would take a thousand to fill this monster of a house.

He laughed and shook his head. "I wasn't suggesting anything by that. You know I love my space."

It didn't escape my notice he never answered my question. I'd be coming back to that later.

We pulled up in front, the driver unloading our bags while Edward took my hand and gave me a tour. The interior was just as impressive and grand as the outside. I nodded and smiled as he led me around, chatting away about square footage and vaulted ceilings.

Occasionally I would see a glimpse of others moving quickly through the house.

"Who are these other people?"

He looked confused for a minute, then smiled. "I hired a staff to open the house for us for the weekend." It was as if he hadn't even noticed their presence. "Rose, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett will be here tomorrow though."

"You can just hire people at the snap of your fingers to open your house?"

He shrugged and nodded like it was nothing. "Sure."

The idea of servants still made me uncomfortable. I never thought of Hannah that way. She was more like a family member who liked to cook. But Edward had no problem lining up minions to do his bidding. It was a glaring difference in our mentality.

He certainly had a taste for the finer things in life, and I wondered if I would ever feel the same way as he did. Sure, it was nice to be surrounded by beauty. Luxury. To not have to worry about how much something costs before buying it.

But I couldn't help thinking I would have been just as happy in a tent in the woods, as long as I had Edward by my side.

Did he feel the same? I wasn't sure.

He told me I was the most important thing in his life, so I wanted to believe that would be true even if we were two paupers struggling to make ends meet. He had been raised in this lifestyle, while I had experienced how normal people lived most of my life.

It made me wonder if we were going to argue about the raising of our children. I didn't want our children to be overly spoiled...not that I thought of Edward that way.

I shook my head at my heavy thoughts. I was in the lap of luxury, on a vacation for my birthday weekend, and holding the hand of the love of my life.

Why was I being so emo?

Damn mood swings.

After I'd admired all the rooms, Edward led me out the back to a breathtaking scene. The sun hit the water, making it sparkle blue along the beachline and as far as my eyes could see. The salt air was refreshing, even if it was a bit chilly. It was early evening and fall was definitely around the corner. He let go of my hand, instead putting his arm around me as we walked over the sand, and I absorbed his body heat as I leaned against his side.

"I have another present for you out here," he told me.

I looked around for a gift somewhere, but only saw sand and surf.

And a boat.

Oh. My. God.

As we neared the dock, Edward's excitement and the name on the side of the sailboat made it quite apparent what my gift was.

Isabella.

He'd bought me a huge sailboat. Or at least bought it and named it after me.

I wondered if it was a bad time to tell him I didn't know how to sail.

"What do you think? Isn't she beautiful?" He jumped on deck and helped me over.

It was huge, new, and gleaming. I smiled as I ran my fingers down the railing and walked across the deck. "It's gorgeous. But Edward, I don't know how to sail." I hoped he wasn't expecting me to drive this thing.

He started laughing and I turned to watch him. His hair was blowing in the wind, his cheeks pink, and his jeans and polo made him look like he should be filming a Ralph Lauren commercial.

"I can teach you if you want, but you're only going to be a passenger this weekend. We'll take her out when the others get here tomorrow." He walked over and hugged me. "I know it's a little chilly, but the weather tomorrow is supposed to be nice and it should be good for sailing. I wanted us to take her out at least once before I stored her for winter."

"It's beautiful. Thank you." I rested my head on his chest. "You know you don't have to spend so much though. It makes me happy just being with you."

He rested his cheek on top of my head.

"I want to give you everything, Bella."

His words and sentiment were sweet, but I felt like I had everything already.

~~~*~~~NOP~~~*~~~

The others arrived the next morning as promised. I helped the girls get settled into rooms while Edward took the guys out to prepare the boat for a day of sailing.

"Bella, what's with the perma-grin on your face?" Rose asked, her lips curving up into a questioning smile.

My cheeks flushed as I pulled her and Alice into a room and closed the door for a private huddle. If I couldn't talk to the two of them about sex, then I couldn't talk to anyone.

"I'm not sure if it's the pregnancy or what," I began in a rush, "but I have never had orgasms as intense as they were last night in my life."

Edward had worked me over the night before, his tongue doing the most sinful things to my body, and I still felt lingering tingles just from the memory.

They both giggled with me.

"I've read that increased blood flow to the pelvic area can do that," Alice said.

I raised my eyebrow at her. Why was she reading about pregnancy symptoms?

She shook her head. "No, no, no. I promise that's nowhere in my immediate future. I was curious about what you're going through, though. I've been doing research so I can help you or talk to you if you need me."

I almost choked on a sob as I wrapped her up in a hug. Her thoughtfulness was overwhelming.

"Geez, Alice. Don't make her cry." Rose swatted her with a laugh. "I want to hear more about these orgasms."

I smiled and wiped my eyes. "I'm sorry. The tears come out at the drop of a hat lately. I can't stop them." They both nodded, but they didn't understand. I took a deep breath, before diving back into the original topic. "I don't even have the words to describe. I swear at one point, one was coming right on top of the other."

"Coming being the operative word," Rose snickered.

Alice's eyes were wide. "So you had multiple?"

I nodded. "Oh, yeah. I lost count."

"Now you're just bragging." Alice crossed her arms across her chest in a huff, but grinned at me. "That makes for quite the birthday though."

A brief shadow of sadness crossed my mind about what had happened on my actual birthday. They both must have noticed because their expressions turned serious.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

I shook my head. Edward and I had talked some about Jacob and how we were going to deal with the problems he'd caused. One thing we'd agreed to do was to tell our friends about what was going on. At this point, he no longer cared about keeping his past a secret from them. He only wanted me to be protected from any further harassment, believing the more people who knew, the more people would be there to look out for me.

"Something happened a couple days ago, but Edward and I are going to tell you all later, when we're all together."

"Are you okay?" Alice asked.

"Yes, I'm okay." I grabbed their hands and squeezed. "I promise. Let's forget about it for now. We'll talk about it tonight."

They looked uncertain, but didn't push for any further details. We all put on bikinis and topped them with shorts and t-shirts. My bikini was strapless with pink and white stripes. I found it in the bag along with a bunch of other things Edward had packed for me. He hadn't wanted me to lift a finger, and I went along with it. I figured he must have recruited Alice or Rose to supply the luggage with clothes for me.

Edward was right about the weather. It was bright and sunny and was quite warm as we stepped outside.

"This place is amazing," Rose said as we walked down toward the dock.

"I know." Even if I was still getting used to it, I did feel like a princess.

We eventually got on board, Rose, Alice, and I taking seats in the front so we could watch the guys playing with the gizmos and sails and things...oh, and to watch the water too, of course.

Right before they launched, Edward approached me with a lifejacket. I eyed him warily and turned up my nose.

"I don't want to wear that thing."

He knelt down in front of me. "Baby, please. Put it on."

"No." I crossed my arms. It was ugly and nobody else was wearing one. "I'm a great swimmer."

"This is only a precaution."

I rolled my eyes. "Then where's yours?"

"I'll be fine." He then went into a speech using a strange language about having freedom of movement for masts and lines and jigs and booms, and I huffed in annoyance so I didn't fall over unconscious from boredom.

He leaned in closer, until his lips tickled my ear. "If you put it on, I'll do that special thing with my fingers tonight."

That was the end of my argument.

"Okay." I couldn't turn down the fingers.

He chuckled and smirked as he slipped it around me and checked all the straps and clips.

Smug bastard.

It didn't end up being so bad since Alice and Rose each put one on also. I may have looked dorky, but at least I had company.

~~~*~~~NOP~~~*~~~

By the time night fell, we were all exhausted from our day in the sun. Sure I didn't have to use my muscles, but it was hard work ogling a shirtless Edward playing captain all day. We had mainly sailed around part of the coast of Nantucket island, docking at another spot for a late lunch, and then heading back.

Edward assured me next summer we would take longer sails over to Martha's Vineyard or up to Hyannis, but he didn't want to push it today. Considering I battled queasiness throughout, it was probably a good thing.

One thing I could say afterward was that I loved sailing. I had been on quite a few boats and ferries in my life, but had never sailed. It was hard to believe how fast you could go solely by wind power until you were actually out there. The sea air rushing over your face as the boat whipped through the water was a feeling like no other.

And watching Edward work and play together with his brother and best friend was half the fun. He had been right to want to take a few days away. Even though he meant it as a birthday trip for me, he needed the break just as much...if not more. His smile was bright all day, and I pulled him close as soon as we docked.

"Thank you." I kissed him hard, urging him closer with my hands grasped around his neck.

He smelled of sweat, salt, and sun, and it was the sexiest thing ever. He eagerly returned my kiss while the others walked ahead of us into the house.

"What was that for?" he asked, his hands holding my hips.

"For everything." I kissed him again. "I just love you so much."

He was silent for a minute before shaking his head a little. His hands slid around my waist and he pressed his forehead to mine.

"Do you have any idea what it does to me when you say things like that?"

I shook my head, although I had a clue. At least I knew what my own body did when he told me he loved me.

He took one of my hands in his and placed them both over his heart.

"I can feel it inside me."

Yes, I knew exactly what he meant.

He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. And when his lips met mine, in the fading light of the sunset, it may have just been the most romantic moment of my life.

It was fully dark by the time we finally made it inside and washed for dinner. We found the others around the dining room table, feasting on lobster and corn on the cob.

"We got tired of waiting for you, so we started dinner," Emmett said.

Edward shook his head and pulled out my chair for me. I didn't hesitate to dig right in. I was starving.

The heavy discussion didn't happen until after dinner. Everyone gathered in the den and Edward started a fire in the fireplace. I snuggled next to him when he joined me on the couch. It was interesting to see the six of us paired off as we were around the room.

There would be no more secrets after tonight.

Except for the contract.

We weren't going to tell them about that.

"Well, first I wanted to say thanks to you all for coming up here with us for Bella's birthday," Edward started, his arm tightening around my shoulders. "There's something I need to tell you. Some of you know parts of my past, but none of you know everything. I'm going to trust you with this information because a certain person from my past has come back up again."

I held his other hand between my two, rubbing it in comfort as he sighed. This was not a pleasant experience for him and I wished we didn't have to do it at all. Edward went on to tell them all about his past relationship with Jacob and Kate, and I watched their faces when he admitted exactly what had happened so long ago.

Alice and Rose looked heartbroken when Edward spoke of the cheating and the baby. Jasper remained calm, although I knew from his clenched fists his emotions inside didn't match what he expressed outwardly.

Emmett didn't even try to hide his feelings. "How could you not tell me, man? Why? I would have been there for you. I would have given that bitch and her family a piece of my mind."

Edward shook his head. "That's exactly why I didn't tell you. I wanted to forget it. To get as far away from it as I could. I was ashamed." He paused and I squeezed his hand. "It was stupid, but that's how I felt. Then once some time passed, I just didn't want to rehash it all."

Emmett looked sad. "But you let Dad talk to you the way he does?"

"He's a whole other story. Let's not get into that now."

I swallowed the lump in my throat as Edward took a drink of wine. It was my turn now.

"So, Edward told you all that as background for what's been happening lately. We wanted you to be aware just in case you saw something suspicious." They all turned their attention toward me. "You know I'm taking classes at NYU. Well, someone's been following me."

Their eyes widened as I told them about my encounters with the stranger who ended up being Jake.

"On my birthday, Edward was sent a package at work. It contained pictures which made it look as if I knew Jake. Like I was with him." Edward stiffened next to me, but I kept going, wanting to get it all out. "He went to see Jake, who lied and said he was sleeping with me."

"What the hell?" Alice yelled, her anger making me cringe.

Emmett looked at Edward. "Is that where you were when Bella called me looking for you the other day?"

Edward nodded. "I fucked up and went after him first. I should have gone straight home and..."

I cut him off before he went any further. "It doesn't matter about that now. What matters is that you all know what Jacob did and that he is still trying to hurt Edward. Not only him, but also Kate. She is trying to convince Edward's father that I don't love him. She and Jake both are trying to get between us from opposite directions and different motivations."

"Do you think they're working together?" Jasper asked, finally chiming in.

Edward shook his head. "No, I don't think so. As far as I know, they no longer communicate. Their whole affair and sham marriage was done out of spite for me. I think they're both doing these things now because I'm happy with Bella."

Everyone was silent for a few minutes, digesting all the information. I turned my head to nuzzle Edward's neck, giving him little kisses.

Rose broke the silence first. "But what now? When Jake realizes his plan didn't work, he may become even more desperate for revenge. What if he continues following you, Bella? I don't like the thought of you by yourself...with the baby." Her voice broke a little. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I think you can kick some ass, but maybe you should carry a weapon or something. I don't know."

I gave her an understanding smile and Edward cleared his throat. "She won't be by herself. Alec is going to be her new best friend."

I shook my head. We were still debating this particular resolution. He had decided Alec's new job was to be my babysitter. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it, even though Edward was adamant.

"Why not take a restraining order out on the psycho?" Alice suggested.

"That is an option we are thinking about too," I told her. Although we were suspicious of Jenks at the moment and were thinking of going to another lawyer to discuss different paths we could take to ensure Jake stayed away from me.

After a few more rounds of questions, I was so tired I practically fell asleep on Edward's lap.

"We can talk more tomorrow, but I'm taking her up to bed," he said, helping me up.

After changing and falling into bed, I reminded Edward about his promise.

I had definitely reserved enough energy for the special fingers.

~~~*~~~NOP~~~*~~~

Saturday we spent exploring and shopping in the main part of town. It was old-fashioned, yet obviously catered to the wealthy on the island. I spent a small fortune on trinkets and souvenirs that would likely end up just catching dust.

But we had a great time all together. We stopped in a crowded bistro for lunch and fresh seafood.

When we returned to the house, we spent the rest of the day on the beach. The guys splashed around in the water for a few minutes, but decided it was too cold. Rose, Alice and I stayed in the sun on the sand and made fun of them.

Edward started a fire as night settled in and we sat around the flames on blankets and bundled in sweaters. The other four went inside eventually, but I was enjoying my time wrapped in Edward's arms, with the sound of the surf competing with the crackling of the fire.

I was sitting between his legs, my back pressed to his chest. Every so often, I would feel his lips press against my hair, my cheek, my neck. Each time made me nestle further back into him.

It was perfect.

I was almost sad we were leaving the next day.

"Are you glad we came?" he asked.

"Yes. I was just thinking how perfect this weekend has been."

His fingers tangled with mine as he rested his chin on my shoulder. "We can come back anytime you want."

"With all our kids?" I teased.

He laughed, shaking the both of us. "As many as you'll give me."

"How many do you want?"

"I don't know. Two? Three? Four?" He nibbled on my earlobe, his warm breath on my skin making me shiver. "How many do you want?"

"I like that range you gave." I didn't want to be a baby factory, but I liked the idea of a large family.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, but it wasn't awkward. It was peaceful.

"How many different homes do you have?"

He chuckled. "I guess we haven't really discussed all the financials, have we? That's something we need to do. If anything ever happened to me, it would all go to you."

I twisted around and stared at him, my stomach dropping from his words. "Don't say things like that."

"I'm only saying that you and our children would always be taken care of, no matter what."

Tears sprung in my eyes again. The thought of not having Edward was too much to bear.

"Stop saying that!"

He frowned and brushed under my eyes with his thumb. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to upset you."

I turned my back to him again and took a deep breath. How could I make him understand?

"Edward, I gave you my heart. I didn't want to, but it happened. I never wanted to love anyone again. I almost felt like I was cursed as a child because those I loved were always taken from me." I tried to swallow my tears and be strong. "But now you have my whole heart and if anything happened to you...it would end me too. Don't you get it? Don't you understand what I meant when I said I was frantic looking for you the other day or how crushed I was when you told me to leave you?"

"I'm sorry," he said softly, hugging me tight.

"I don't want you to be sorry, I want you to tell me you'll never leave me."

I didn't care that I was asking him for something impossible. The alternative wasn't something I could accept at the moment.

"I can only promise that I don't plan to go anywhere. Wherever you are is where I'll be. I love you."

"I love you, too."

We sat there wrapped up with each other until the fire died down, knowing our love was all we could be assured of and control right now.

Any other promises were just tempting fate.

AN: These guys needed a little happy weekend away on the beach. What do you think they should do about Jake? Kate?

Do you think Alec will make a good babysitter? Lol

I'm working on another EPOV outtake now.

Thanks again for all the responses to the last chapter. I loved seeing all your opinions on Edward's freak out.

Find me on facebook at Twilover Seven-six

Find me on twitter at twilover76

Fic Recs:

Holding On and Letting Go by Jenny0719

Face Blind by BellaFlan

In the Debris by BelieveItOrNot

Negative Twenty and Falling by katinki

A Stagecoach Named Desire by TallulahBelle