Author's Note:
Okay so I had planned to originally make this the last chapter of this story, stay tuned until the end for another A/N... Anyway, enjoy!
As they continued to cheer, a smile grazed my lips. "Thank you." I told them, as my voice broke, as I slowly bowed.
Once the concert finished, we went to the changing room.
I rushed into the bathroom, pulling off the dress and hanging it haphazardly on the hanger.
And pulled on my loose white t-shirt, and high waisted pants, shoving my feet into my old combat boots before grabbing my bag and heading out.
"That was amazing. I love you guys. I have to go." I rushed out.
"See ya." Garrett called.
"Bye!" Kate yelled.
I rushed out of the building, pulling my hair into a half ponytail, as I did.
There was a crowd waiting as I passed the gate, I waved at them quickly. As a security guard guided me to a golf cart, "Thank you!" I told him as we sped away.
The brakes squealed as we came to a stop, and I rushed off in the direction of the car.
"Good Luck!" The driver yelled after me.
My mom was already waiting for me in the back, as I rushed forward.
"I knew you'd realize it soon enough." She told me.
I laughed as the door was closed by one of the security guards and I hurriedly backed up and drove away.
I shoved one of my headphones into my ear. "Call Edward Masen." I said as I drove in a rush.
"We're not gonna make it." I said anxiously as we sped down the highway.
"Stop thinking negatively and drive." My mother told me.
I nodded, as I tried to call him again, as I sped up in hopes that I wasn't too late. "Pick up, pick up, pick up. Pick up, please." I begged.
~*~*
As I saw the sight of the base come into view I pressed my foot down harder onto the accelerator. Still there was only so much that it would speed up. Especially this 2001 4Runner I managed to buy after the other car was totaled.
As I arrived, I saw Rose pulling him in for a hug as Emmett patted his back. Edward gave her a tight smile, and hugged her back.
I parked haphazardly on the dirt as I placed the car in park, got out, and ran until I was right in front of him.
He looked at me with a raised brow.
"Hi." I breathed.
"Hi." He mumbled, looking down, before he looked back up at me. "I heard about the record deal, that's -- that's really something, Bella." He says with a proud smile.
"Thank you." I whispered, as I looked around and realized that they were all watching us, and realized that this was it. It was now or never. "We don't have much time, do we?" I asked, softly.
He sighed, and looked around, "No. No, we don't." He told me, with a sad smile.
I took a deep breath and looked to the side, eyeing the two guards, before looking back at him. "Okay. Um… Then here's what I have to say." I began.
He sighed, looking down again before he looked back up to meet my eyes, a tick in his jaw.
"We vowed to take care of each other. In sickness and in health, and… and we did that. And I think this is a real marriage. I think this is the realest thing I've ever been in." I told him.
He sighed and shook his head at me, "Bella, I'm going away for three months." He told me with exasperation.
He was being stubborn. But I could be just as stubborn. He loves me. I know he does. I wasn't going to back down.
"Well, I want to wait for you… And I wanna sleep on the floor with you when it's storming out." I confessed to him, as he gave me an unfathomable look. "And— and I want you to hear my songs first." I whispered, as my eyes filled with tears. "And I wanna watch you put on your running shoes, go out running, and I wanna be the one that you run back to." I stated. "Because— Because I love you." I breathed.
He looked up, staring behind me, blinking away tears, before he took a deep breath, "I love you too, Bella Swan." He whispered, with a small smile playing on his lips.
We stare at each other smiling, before he takes his uniform hat off and steps towards me.
I moved towards him without hesitation, and closed my eyes as I felt his lips descend upon mine in a fervent kiss.
Rose and Emmett whoop behind us, causing us to laugh.
"Hit it, bro!" Emmett whoops as Rose smacks him behind the head.
Then I heard a soft whimper and we both took a step back. We both turned as my mother slowly made her way towards us with the small bundle in his arms.
"Is that --?" He asked.
I nodded, "Our son," I breathed.
Edward slowly takes a step towards my mother to look down at the sleeping bundle in my mother's arms.
"He's so tiny." He whispered, in surprise.
I nodded, watching as he took the baby in his arms, and leaned down to kiss his little head.
"Hi, buddy, I'm your daddy. Can you say daddy? Don't worry if you can't. I'll be here to hear you when you do…" He whispered as Oliver closed his hand around Edward's finger. A smile pulled at my lips as I blinked back tears. "Daddy is gonna be gone for a while. So, you be good with momma, understood? Behave and protect her till I come back, okay." He adds tearfully.
Rose and Emmett 'aw' at them, before we turned to see the guards.
Edward looks up too, and he hands my mom the baby, before he makes his way over to me again.
He slides off his ring and places it on my palm, closing my fingers around it. "You take good care of this for me, you hear me?" He whispered. "Because it's real now." He says with a small smile.
A moment passes, before he takes his hat and rearranges it on top of his head, as the guard steps forward.
I slid the ring onto my finger, before looking up to watch them lead him into a large gray van, and get in.
As the van begins to move, I rush towards the gate, hooking my fingers through one of the chain links of the gate.
"I love you!" I call out after them. "Did you hear that? I love you!" I called out again.
I see him turn with a small smile before turning back around to face forward.
Three Months Later:
A small smile grazed my lips as I hung the white flag that I made two days ago, saying 'Welcome Home'.
Oliver is sitting in his bouncer, trying to catch the small lion but misses and frowns.
Emmett had promised me that he was going to pick up Edward and drop him off at the apartment.
As soon as I heard the car pull up.
"You ready to see, dada?" I asked cooed as I kneeled down.
He looks up at me with wide green eyes before his face breaks into a smile.
I smile back as I untie the buckles on the chair before standing upright.
As I hear a knock on the door, Oliver blows a small bubble with his lips and coos.
I walk back into the apartment and make my way over to the door.
As I open the door a smile spreads on my face.
I quickly unlocked the screen door as he walked in, dropping his bag by the door, before taking the baby out of my arms and kissing me in the same movement.
"Welcome home." I breathed.
He smiles at me, "Did you miss me?" He asked.
"Of course, I did. Why wouldn't I—" I began as he laughed.
He kisses me again before sighing, "I know you did. Just like I missed you. Now, come kiss me like you mean it." He told me.
I rolled my eyes at him, stretched up on my tiptoes to press my lips to his. "Better?" I asked.
He shook his head as Oliver wrapped his fingers around the dog tags and yanked them to him, trying to put them in his mouth.
"Woah. Hey…" Edward mumbled, as he reached out and slowly tried to pry Oliver's little hand off of them and the chain.
I laughed as I reached out and helped him remove the tags, and tucked them into his shirt.
He winced in response, "That's cold." He complained.
"Not my fault. He likes shiny bobbles." I told him.
"I know... I just can't believe he's so big now…" He mumbled as he handed Oliver back to me before he noticed the pictures I had set on the mantle.
Rose had told me what happened the night of the trial, leaving no word out. She and Emmett moved closer to us, and have been visiting often.
Then Esme called and begged me to listen to her version of the events. While I did listen to everything she had to say, I agreed that this should be Edward's choice, not mine, so I made no promises to see her or Carlisle.
Still she asked to drop off the Purple Heart that Edward had received, and the Medal Of Honor along with a small trunk of things that once belonged to Edward Masen Sr. Elizabeth.
I searched through it, and found a picture of both of the two of them holding a little bundle. Their eyes were full of happiness and hope, smiles wide, and cheesy.
My heart hurt to see it, knowing that this picture was probably taken shortly before Edward Sr. died. Elizabeth looked so happy with him. Unlike the pictures she'd taken with Carlisle.
I had rearranged a few things in the apartment, to put all of them up. And bought a few frames to put the pictures up as well.
Seeing Edward's reaction to the pictures made me wonder if I had done a good thing or maybe waited for him to come back.
"Where-- Where did you get those?" He asked me quietly.
"Esme and Rose dropped them off two weeks after you went in. I just wanted you to feel at home." I whispered.
A goofy grin appeared on his face as he leaned down to kiss my forehead, "Thank you, love. But I actually wanted to talk to you about a few things…" He told me, as the smile dropped from his face as he spoke.
My hands immediately began to sweat as I looked down at my hands, before I nodded, "What's going on?" I asked, as I moved across the room, and bent down to place Oliver in the play pin and rolled over onto his stomach and blew a raspberry.
Edward cracked a smile for a second but it dropped as he turned to fully look me in the eye. "Bella, they want me to go back and finish my deployment." He explained
I looked at him shocked, "What? But you're injured." I whispered, frowning, as I swallowed hard and looked down at the floor.
He nodded, "I was injured. But I am fine now… the doctors at base thought so too, which is why I was told that I need to go back. It'll only be until next April." He told me as he grabbed my hand and pulled it up to kiss it.
I let out a stuttered breath, trying my hardest not to cry. "But… we only just got you back." I told him, holding back a whimper.
He nodded, as he tried to move over and touch me only for me to shake my head at him. "I know, baby, but I can't say no. I don't have an option here." He whispered.
I nodded in understanding, "We'll miss you…" I whispered as I got up and turned away.
"I'll miss you two, too. Like crazy. So, please don't run from me. Let me hold you as much as I can while I still can." He whispered, following me and pulling me into his chest.
I was about to fight him, but a sob escaped through my lips as he tightened his hold on me, and I wrapped my arms around his waist.
"It'll be okay, love. I promise the time will fly by. You'll barely have time to miss me." He told me. "I love you, Bella. With all my being." He adds.
"I love you too." I whispered, as he slowly turned me to face him, before slowly leaning down to press his lips to mine.
Author's Note:
Alright, so this should have been the ending how do y'all feel about it ending there?
Yeah, I didn't really like it ending there either. So, one more?
I hope y'all enjoyed it. See ya soon.