Hello my friends! WOW! I mean...WOW! You all blow me away. The Love of a Friend is now over 300 reviews! All of your love and kind words mean the world to me! It is the reason I keep writing. I promise to all of you that I will keep writing and keep giving you my minds view of Edward and Bella.

This update is unbetaed again. So any and all mistakes are totally mine.

Enjoy, and you may need one or two tissues again.

The wonderful Stephanie Meyer owns all that is Twilight.

EPOV

I seen some of the dancers rounding the corner to come out to the meet and greet. I seen Erik come out and run straight for a sobbing Angela. When they broke apart he looked over at me and waved and shouted, "Bella should be right out, she was just changing out of her pointe shoes." I nodded a thank you.

A few minutes passed, then I see her round the corner in her pale blue dress. She scanned the room for us, and smiled when she see us. My father was the next to see her after me. They locked eyes, and I see him let the tears fall. She ran over to him and launched herself up into his arms. He hugged her and swung her around. I hear my father say, "La mia bellissima bambina." [My beautiful baby girl.]

"Ti amo così tanto Carlisle. È sempre stato il mio padre." [I love you Carlisle. You have always been my father.] She sobbs into his chest.

"Sei sempre stata la mia ragazza bellissima figlia." [You have always been my dauther beautiful girl.] He says, equally sobbing at this point.

I hear she sob into his neck. She pulls back to look at his face, she takes her thumbs and wipes the tears from his eyes. "Grazie, per amarmi quando ho sentito era rotto e non ne vale la pena. Grazie, per sempre mi protegge. Grazie, per avermi riportato in vita." [Thank you, for loving me when I felt I was broken and not worth it. Thank you, for always protecting me. Thank you, for bringing me back to life.] My dad just pulled her head down to his heart and cried. I wiped a tear away from my own eyes as I heard her say that last part. Everyone around us was a mess. Rose and Alice were barely containing their sobs, even Emmett and Jasper were looking a little misty eyed.

Bella looked up to me and smiled through her tears. Then mom got a hold of her. "You were...took my breath away Bella. You were simply stunning out there. Oh, mia bella Bella, ti amo." [my beautful Bella, I love you.].

Emmett was the next to get to her and pull her into a big bear hug. She just giggled as he spun her around. "Oh will you put her down! I think she has been swung around enough one night." Rose laughed and them pulled her into a hug and whispered something into her ear.

Alice was next, but was crying so hard she couldn't get any words out. Jasper grabbed her next and hugged her tight. I heard him whisper, "You amaze me." That she did. Felix gave her a quick fist bump and a hug and then stated he was going to get the car.

Finally, it was my turn. I handed her the flowers and said, "You...baby...there are no words for what you did on that stage tonight, Bella. You took my breath away."

"I'm glad you liked it." She said as I enveloped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head. "The flowers are beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you are baby." I said and leaned down and kissed her on her lips. Soft, simple, but full of love.

We spent the next half hour talking to Erik and Angela, which was a pleasant surprise for Bella, as well as the rest of her friends. Bella excused herself to change while mom and dad decided to go ahead to the restaurant instead of waiting for Bella. I told everyone else to go ahead and we would be there quickly.

A little while later we were sitting in the back of the SUV on our way to the restaurant. Bella changed into a beautiful pale yellow dress and nude ballet flats. She was curled up into my side with her legs thrown over my lap. I had slipped off her shoes and was aimlessly rubbing her arches. She was quiet, and I thought for a moment that I put her to sleep.

"So, tell me what you really thought of the performances tonight." I heard her say quietly.

"Like I told you before, you were amazing. You really took my breath away." I said, while still rubbing her arches. "I was used to seeing you dance like you did in A Midsummer's Night Dream, so carefree and young. But, to see you as a grown woman dancing with a partner like you did...it was breathtaking." I pause for a moment before finishing my thoughts. "I...I was actually quite jealous of Mike and Tyler, especially Tyler."

She laughs out loud. "I was wondering when you were going to bring up Petite Mort!"

"Bella, that was...I mean...it was...it was sort of uncomfortable to sit and watch that next to my mom and dad!" I finally stammer out, laughing.

"HA! Try dancing it with your boyfriend and his parents, who are like your parents too, sitting front and center! I really tried to get myself out of that number, but Madame Irina was insistent."

"It was beautiful, but very...erotic. It gave me some ideas for later." I said with a smirk, which earned me a playful slap on my chest.

"God! I can only imagine what Emmett is going to say about it at the restaurant about it."

"He will be fine. Mom or Rose will put him in his place." I reassure her. "You did make my heart stop beating when you and Erik fell backwards off that tall platform."

"Your heart stopped! Try actually letting yourself fall backwards from that high up! Good lord, every time I had to practice it, I just about wet myself!" She laughed.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence I finally get up the nerve to say, "The piece you choreographed, Bella, it was beautiful, so special."

"I heard that song a while ago and I knew that I wanted to dance to it for Carlisle. The meaning behind it only became much more personal to me after everything that happened with James, and then you and I becoming us." She said, tightening herself to me.

"You really see me as your prince?" I ask.

She pulls away from me and looks into my eyes. "You, Edward Cullen, have been my prince since we were ten years old and you yelled at those boys for pushing me off the swing." She took her hands and cupped my face, "You have been there for me my entire life. Being my best friend, my protector, my confidant...you have been my other half. I know that your dad taught you to be the boy that you were and the man you have grown to be today." She leaned in and give me a slow, loving kiss. As she rested her forehead against mine, "I love you Edward."

"I love you too baby." I said, wrapping my arms around her and holding her there for the rest of the ride to the restaurant.

When we get to the restaurant everyone is already there, and as Bella predicted, Emmett laid into her about her Petite Mort performance. And, as I predicted he was put back in line by both mom and Rose!

We had an amazing dinner filled with pasta and meat, and salads, finishing with Bella's favorite coconut cake. After dinner and desert, toasts were made to Bella, and more tears were shed as she handed dad a album of the photos she used on stage.

After a few hours Bella bean to yawn, so I took that as my cue to get us home. She fell asleep in in my arms in the back seat on the way to my apartment. I carried her up the stairs, stripped her down and put one of my old t-shirts on her and stripped down myself and climbed into bed next to her. It was one of the most peaceful nights sleep I had in a long time.

Thank you all again for reading, and I will see you Monday for an update. Have a great weekend everyone! Leave me some love if the chapter moves you.