Title: Shadows of Another Life

Author: Lindseyfair
Characters/Pairing: Edward/Bella, some Rosalie/Emmett, some Alice/Jasper
Rating: Overall M for Mature Audiences
Category: Romance, General
Spoilers: If you haven't read the books, you might not get some of it. This is Alternate Universe and is All Human.
Summary: Bella has just ended a long relationship with Jake. She has decided to start over in Cottonwood, Ca where her family, dad, Charlie, sister, Rosalie, and twin brother, Jasper have made home the past year without her. Can she settle in to the new town, her new career, and a new romance all while dealing with the tragic events that lead to the move?
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm not SM. I'm just LJ, but most days I wish I was SM.

Chapter 20Home

EPOV

Before the nurse took Carly to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, she brought her over to see Bella. She wasn't able to hold her, but at least she could see her and place a kiss on her little fingers.

Bella insisted I go with Carly to see what the doctors were going to do. Rosalie took my place at Bella's side. I informed the rest of the family I would let them know what was going on as soon as possible.

"Dr. Weber was correct. She did swallow some fluid, but her lungs seem to be very strong. Right now, she's just requiring some oxygen and we need to keep her in the incubator until she can regulate her body temperature."

"Thank you, Dr. Stanley. How long do you think until we can take her home?"

"I'd say a week at the very least. Do you have a Pediatrician in mind?"

"Ya, Dr. Crowley in Cottonwood."

"I'll give him a call and let him know about our new little patient."

Dr. Stanley left me with a pat on the arm as I returned my focus to my daughter. Her skin was a little pinker and she seemed to be breathing a little easier. I had the nurses take several pictures of the two of us, then I took a few of my little angle wrapped up tight.

I returned to Bella to find the entire family waiting with her for news.

"They're helping her keep her temperature up and giving her some oxygen, but hopefully she can come home in about a week." I kissed Bella on the forehead before sitting down on the bed next to her. I pulled out the digital camera and began scrolling through all the pictures. The tears streaming down Bella's cheeks made my chest ache. I knew she was missing her already. "Once they've got your blood pressure down, they promised I can take you to see her."

"I know." She pressed a soft kiss to my lips as Jasper sat on the other side of her, taking the camera away. "I suppose we should tell them all now."

"Tell us what?" Jasper took his focus away from the camera and threw his arm around Bella.

"Bella came up with the perfect name for our little girl. Think you can explain?"

She took a deep breath as she scanned the room. "I wanted something beautiful to show our appreciation for both of our families. I decided on a name that incorporated two of the most magnificent men in our lives, Charlie and Carlisle." I saw the smile spread wide across my father's face. I looked to Charlie to see his arms crossed tightly across his chest, trying unsuccessfully to hold the crocodile tears at bay. "My father, who has been the epitome of strength in my life. Carlisle, who has been the voice that has always guided Edward to be who he's become. So, we've name her Carly Marie Cullen. A little bit of them and a little bit of us all in one perfect little girl."

I even felt the tears running down my cheek at that point. My dad brought me up into a large bear hug as Charlie went to Bella. "I'm so proud of you. I can't believe my little boy is a dad now too."

"Dad." I pulled back from him and he put his hands on my shoulders. "You know I'm not a little kid anymore."

"I know, but it seems like just yesterday that you and Emmett had your G.I. Joe's take all of Alice's Barbies and hold them for ransom."

"I still never got the one with the dark brown hair back." Alice wrapped her arms around my chest from behind me. That doll had always been my Joe's favorite. Now I know why.

"I'll pay you back some how." I raised my hand to pat her head. She rested her chin on my shoulder.

"By promising if I have a boy, he can hold all of Carly's dolls for ransom."

I turned around to face my little pixie sister. I saw that look in her eye and the blush that rose to her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip as she nodded.

"You? You're having?"

"Yep."

I picked her up and twirled her around in my arms. I passed her to dad before going over to give Jasper a big hug. Alice becoming a mother was just as scary as me becoming a father. I knew, if I could do it, so could she.

/&/

Things started to wind down, but there was still plenty to talk about as Charlie finally brought the subject up.

"That detective called. I guess Billy has confessed to everything. And those boys who were helping him... they won't be up and around for awhile."

"Hell's ya! We kicked some serious ass." Rosalie hit Emmett on the shoulder. "We did. The skinny one jumped on Edward's back before we were even through the door. Jasper ripped him off and I took on the other two. Punches and kicks were flying and I was totally whooping up on the skinny one. Then Edward sent the big one flying down the hall. I thought the house was going to collapse around us."

"I think some of it did. Did you see the mess we made before we left?" Jasper seemed sure that he had caused just as much damage as Emmett and I had.

"I just wished we gotten there a little sooner." I sat back down next to Bella and took her hand.

"Maybe you would of..." She couldn't finish, but I knew what she was going to say. After everything Jacob had put us through, he was the one who saved her and it cost him his life.

"I know... I know." I kissed her hair as her tears welled up in her eyes.

/&/

Bella was released after only two days, but Carly still had a little work to do. It gave Rosalie and Alice a little more time to get the nursery ready. I had never seen so many butterflies in my life. Everything had one on it. The blankets, the curtains, the lamp, even her diaper bin. It was all perfect though. Everything was ready for the day we'd bring her home, but there was something we would have to do first.

"In sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life, we commend to Almighty God our brother Jacob and we commit his body to the ground; earth to earth; ashes to ashes; dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious unto him and give him peace."

The minister left it at that. Many of the mourners came to give Bella a mix of congratulations and condolences. One woman, Emily, held onto Bella for a long time, whispering in her ear. After that, Bella let go of my hand and went over to the grave. She tossed in a red rose. It laid perfectly across his coffin. She turned and extended her hand for me to join her.

"It just doesn't seem like enough. Everything he did was because he loved me and I just couldn't love him back." Her arms went around my waist as she buried her head in my shoulder.

"He knows you cared. He knows he will always be the friend that took care of you when you needed him most. That's what matters."

"I think what matters most right now is that we go get that baby girl of ours and take her home."

She didn't have to tell me twice. We were in the car in no time and racing to the hospital with the car seat in tow.

Carly no longer needed any oxygen and was gaining weight by the hour. She was already up to six pounds by the time we left the hospital. We were confident, she would grow even faster once we got her home.

Jasper was armed with his camera as soon as we entered the house. After everything that had happened with the kidnapping, Jacob's death, and Carly's birth, the world wanted to know even more about us. Jasper captured some of the most beautiful and intimate moments of our lives. For some reason, Bella and I wanted to share them. We wanted people to know that even though life can throw the most horrible circumstances at you, you can still survive. Our life was far from perfect, but it was our life, together. Finally.

/&/

BPOV

Six weeks later...

"I just laid her down. She's sleeping pretty hard. See." I turned Edward's head over to the video monitor we had set up watching Carly sleep in the next room. I know we could have gone with just the standard baby monitor, but Edward insisted on being able to watch her sleep. For some reason she hated the bassinet in our room and refused to sleep in it. She had to have her own bed and her own room. Independent at only seven weeks old.

"I see that. Is there something you're trying to tell me Mrs. Cullen?"

"It has been quite awhile." I pulled at the hem of his t-shirt. He slipped it over his head in less than a second.

"Is this what you were wanting?"

I always loved the feel of his abs and craved running my fingertips up and down them whenever we were apart. "That's part of it." I placed wet kisses along his collarbone as a soft moan throttled his chest.

I felt his fingertips grab the hem of my t-shirt and pull it over my head. I stood there in my jeans and my no-too-sexy nursing bra. I had gone from a small B to a large C. I had never filled out a bra so completely before, but I wished the one I had to wear was at least a little sexy.

"You're radiant."

I felt a blush redden my cheeks. My body was no wear near what it was before I got pregnant. There was of course, the boobs, which was a big plus for both of us. My hips were a little curvier. My abs were a little flabbier, no matter how many crunches I did. Edward didn't seem to care. He still loved every inch of me, even more if that was remotely possible.

His emerald eyes sparkled as he brought his lips to mine. "There you go, dazzling me again."

"I'll dazzle you all night long if you'll let me."

With that he scooped me up and carried me over to the bed. He unbuttoned my jeans and slipped them off. I was a little saddened just because it felt so good to be comfy in my favorite pair of pre-pregnancy jeans. When he brought his lips to my hip bone, none of that mattered. I felt his teeth grasp at the cotton lace of my panties, dragging them all the way off. I laid out on the bed completely naked, exposing ever inch of my new body to him.

"I think the balance is a little off again." I sat up, dangling my legs off the side of the bed as he stepped in between them. I unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped them, revealing the bulge beneath his navy boxer briefs. I pulled both of them down in one quick motion to let him stand at attention in front of me. My hand instinctively went to his length, wrapping my fingers around it. I started pumping as he threw his head back in a moan. I rubbed the tip across the top of my breasts then down the middle before slipping it passed my lips. I could taste his sweetness dripping from inside him as my tongue swirled around him. I felt his fingers digging through my hair as I took him in deeper, my tongue caressing every glorious inch of him.

He suddenly moaned as he pulled himself out of me. My head fell in a pout, but that didn't last for long. He put me back on the bed and went to work on me. His kisses trailed across my collarbone and down to my right breast. His kisses felt incredible across my extremely sensitive nipples. He had the most amazing tongue which proved useful as he dragged it down my body to my hot, wet center. He stroked my folds with his tongue softly making my hips to rise from the bed. His hands went under my behind as he sucked at my center.

Before long, he had me on the edge of insanity. I grabbed a fist full of his untidy bronze mane and pulled him up to me. I grabbed his length and pointed it to my center. He kissed me roughly as he slid into me. I wrapped my legs around him as his thrusts became harder and faster.

"Edward." My moans were uncontrollable.

He silenced them with this lips crushing into mine. I felt my his bucking to meet every single thrust. I could feel the intense fire burning to the surface and out every pore.

"Harder," I whispered through my teeth. He met my demands with wild abandon. He hit the magic spot and I dug my fingers into his back as I finally reached my climax. I felt him fill inside of my as my muscles clenched against him.

He rolled off of me onto his back. I placed my cheek to his chest to hear his heart beating wildly in his chest.

"I didn't think it could get any better." He kissed the top of my head as I felt him still panting.

"It gets better every time."

"And your..." He caressed the side of my breast. "Just amazing. Your breastfeeding till she goes to school."

"I don't think so." I laughed because I knew I didn't even want to do it another month, let alone years. "You know, sometimes they just stay that way after." I looked up to see his crooked smile and his gleaming emerald pools staring back at me.

"Let's hope." His thumb slipped across my nipple as his tongue slipped across his bottom lip.

"Edward? Again? And I thought I was the insatiable one."

"I've learned." He flipped me back over on my back and we let our tongues explore each other's. His hand cupped my breast as he continued to rub that nipple.

Then a soft cry echoed from the monitor. I broke our kiss to see Carly awake in her crib on the screen.

"At least she waited until we got at least one in."

"How very kind of her." Edward sprung off of me and slipped his boxer briefs back on. "I'll check in her. Don't move. Mrs. Cullen, I'm no where near finished with you."

THE END

A/N: Thanks so much to all my loyal readers. I had a really hard time ending this story cause I love this Edward and Bella sooooo much. That's okay, I'll just move on to another one. Plus, I'm still bouncing around the squeal to "Doctor/Patient Confidentiality". It will come, but I'm not sure how soon. I want to have it all planned out before I start writing. Since I seemed to become the queen of twists and turns, I want to put some really unexpected things in there.

Please let me know what you thought of the story as a whole. Don't forget to vote for "Lessons" in a Sexy Edward contest. If you haven't read it yet, please do, you won't regret it. It's LEMONTASTIC!