Disclaimer: Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Author's Note: There are no words to describe how amazing you guys are. Posting the epilogue for this story is extremely bittersweet. I'm going to miss this story and all of my readers—you guys have no idea how much I appreciate each and every word of encouragement you have given me along the way. There is a long author's note at the end and I hope you all take the time to read it as it was written for each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. I just want to say, it was one hell of a ride getting here! And a quick note so there is no confusion: this chapter fast forwards several times and covers approximately three years. I hope you all enjoy it!

Edward POV

Felix grabbed a file from his filing cabinet before walking over to us. He glanced at mine and Bella's clasped hands and I could have sworn that I saw a ghost of a smile appear on his face for half a second before he looked up at me and cleared his throat.

"Alright, I've had the proper papers taken care of. I just need you both to sign this, stating that you're both in agreement that you want the divorce terminated," he said as he sat in his chair and opened the folder, taking a small packet out and placing it in front of us. He flipped through the pages and signified where we should sign. We were all fairly quiet the entire time as Bella and I placed our signatures in every spot that Felix indicated.

Once we were finished, he took the packet and closed it up again, placing it back in the folder before looking at us. "I'm going to make a separate copy for the two of you and send it in about two weeks. Your address is the same?"

I glanced at Bella before looking back at Felix. "Yea, it is. But we're moving to Seattle in about three weeks."

Bella and I had been back in New York for about a month. It was the middle of August and we were hoping to be moved into our new home in time for Bella's 26th birthday on September 13th.

After retuning to New York, both Bella and I had gotten to work turning in our letters of resignations to our respective employers. I had called John Jenks the second week we had returned and had set up an interview with him at his firm for a week or so after Bella and I moved to Seattle. Although we were both sad to leave our home in New York, we were more than ready for a fresh start, and to be closer to our families.

"Really?" Felix asked with a surprised smile. "That's great. I'm very happy for you both."

"Thank you, Felix," Bella said softly. "Thank you for everything."

He smiled softly at her and nodded as he stood up. Bella and I followed his lead, getting out of our seats as well.

"I'm really very happy that things worked out for you both," he said sincerely. "I wish you nothing but the best in life." He reached out his hand to Bella and she shook it, smiling softly. He then put his hand out to me and I shook it as well.

"Thanks, Felix," I said, smiling at him genuinely. "You've been a great friend through all of this." And he had been. It didn't matter that he had been our divorce lawyer and was working strictly under his professional manner; he had been extremely understanding and supportive through out this entire ordeal and we owed him deeply for that.

"Goodbye, you two," he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"Bye, Felix," Bella waved as I took her hand.

"Take care of yourself," I said sincerely. He nodded in return and walked around his desk to escort Bella and I out of his office. We said our final goodbyes and he wished us luck moving to Seattle. Bella surprised us both when she leaned forward and gave him a tentative hug. After a few smiles, Bella and I walked out of the building and to my car, heading home to our already half-empty apartment.

Alice and my mother had gotten to work right away on finding us a home in Seattle. They had done the house hunting and sent us pictures and videos of places. It wasn't until their tenth stop that we knew we had found the home of our dreams. It was a four bedroom, two story house that was very spacious, but not too big for two people trying to start a family together. We had told Mom and Alice to put a bid on the house—it was still in the process of being finished—and a week later, it had been ours. It may have been odd to buy a house without having been inside it first, but I trusted my mother and Alice and the pictures and videos they had sent us had been extremely detailed and accurate. Another bright side was that it wasn't that far away from The Law Offices of John Jenks or from our family.

We had been shipping some of our furniture and other household items to Seattle gradually and our family was keeping it in storage until we got there, so our apartment was pretty empty except for our clothing and a ton of boxes that still needed to be shipped out.

"What are you thinking about?" Bella's soft voice brought me out of my musings.

I glanced at her and brought our intertwined hands to my lips, kissing the back of her hand softly as I drove us back to the apartment. "Our future," I replied honestly.

"Yea?" she smiled teasingly. "And how does it look?"

I kept the back of her hand pressed gently to my lips as I smiled slightly and whispered, "It's perfect."

XxXxX

"Did you pack all your clothes, Edward?"

I looked up at Bella as I closed the last of my suitcase and took in the empty bedroom that we were currently standing in. Three weeks had gone by faster than I thought possible. The confirmation for the termination of our divorce had been mailed to us four days ago and we had celebrated together, spending a quiet night at home, wrapped in each others arms. And tomorrow we would be getting on a plane and leaving our world here in New York behind, starting fresh in a new place.

"Yea, baby. You?" I asked her as she put a fourth suitcase next to the bedroom door.

"Yup," she replied. "I'm beat." She sighed heavily and sat down on the ground, stretching her legs out in front of her.

"Do you want to order dinner?" I asked her.

She nodded at me and smiled, and then it turned into a frown. "Crap, I threw away all the menus when I was packing up the kitchen appliances and everything," she said regretfully.

I shrugged. "It's alright, I'll go downstairs and get one of the phone books that are sitting in the lobby."

"I'll go with you," she said, standing up again. "I need to stretch my legs."

I chuckled and followed her out of the room, smacking her ass on the way out just because I wanted to, and loving the small squeal it emanated from her beautiful mouth.

"Hey!" she laughed as I opened the front door of our apartment for her.

I simply smiled and shrugged, closing the door behind us both as we made our way down the hallway. Just as we were going to turn the corner, someone came around it and walked straight into both of us.

"Whoa, sorry," I said at the same time Bella said, "Excuse us."

When I made eye contact with the person who had collided with us, my mouth nearly dropped open in shock. Jacob Black stood before us, glancing back and forth between Bella and me. After what had happened between him and Bella, he had moved a few stories down in the building, obviously to avoid any awkward run-in with me. That was probably best, seeing as I would have most likely kicked his ass had I seen him then.

"J-Jake," Bella stammered out quietly. "Hi."

He looked at Bella and swallowed a large lump in his throat before nodding curtly. "Bella," he greeted. He glanced at me quickly before averting his gaze to his shoes.

"Jacob, how are you?" I asked casually, trying to keep my composure. Part of moving on from what had happened between Bella and me was forgiving. That included Jacob.

He finally looked up at me, seeming a little surprised that I was acknowledging him in a friendly manner. "I'm-I'm alright. How about yourself?" he asked in a formal tone.

I nodded. "I'm good, thank you."

There was an awkward silence for about a minute until Bella spoke up again. "Jake," she sighed deeply, sounding almost pained. "I am so…incredibly sorry for what happened five months ago," she said gently. "I never…I never meant to hurt you." She bit her trembling bottom lip, clearly trying to keep her tears at bay.

Jacob looked at Bella for the longest time before he opened his mouth to speak. "I know, Bella," he whispered. "I'm sorry for taking advantage of you. You were upset and…I shouldn't…I shouldn't have…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

Bella shook her head, a tear running down her cheek. "You have nothing to apologize for, Jake. You were always so nice to me and…I turned around and did something like that…" She paused for a minute, reigning in her composure before shaking her head again. "But I really want to put it behind us. I really…want us to be okay again."

He nodded. "I'd really like that, Bella." Jacob looked at her a moment longer before surprisingly turning his gaze to me. "I'm sorry, Edward," he said quietly. "I know it doesn't change anything or…make-up for anything, but…I want you to know I always thought you were a really great guy. Friendly, polite…I'm just really sorry for how things turned out."

I nodded slightly. "Me too."

He extended his hand out to me and after hesitating a moment, I grasped it firmly in mine and shook it—a silent agreement that we were putting the past behind us.

"So what brings you up here?" I asked once I released his hand. "I thought you moved downstairs."

He nodded. "Yea, well uh, my—" He stopped talking and looked at something over my shoulder, a small smile forming on his lips. Bella and I both turned our heads and saw a young woman around Jacob's age with long black hair walking over to us. She smiled at Bella and me before going to Jacob and taking his hand.

"Hey, I was wondering what was taking you so long," she said, kissing him on the cheek before looking at Bella and me. "Hi, I'm Leah." She shook hands with Bella gently, then me, before looking back at Jake.

"This is my girlfriend, Leah," Jacob introduced, looking at Leah with clear adoration on his face. "She lives on this level, I was just picking her up." He looked back at Bella and I as he put his arm around Leah's waist.

"How long have you guys been together?" Bella asked, smiling widely.

"About a month and a half now. She's…the best thing that's ever happened to me," he replied sincerely.

I nodded and smiled slightly as I looked at Bella, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Hey, so it's none of my business, but are you moving? I haven't seen you around the building for a while, Edward. And I've seen a lot of boxes being moved from here," Jacob said.

I nodded, putting my arm around Bella's shoulders. "We went to Seattle for my sister, Alice's, wedding and we loved it there so much, we decided to move there," I smiled, giving him the extremely abridged version.

"That's great," Jacob said genuinely. "So are you two…?" he trailed off, motioning between Bella and me. "I mean, it's none of my business or anything, I just…"

"It's fine, Jacob," I interrupted him calmly. "Bella and I are together. We're better than ever, actually." I looked down at Bella and she smiled back at me.

Jacob nodded and offered me a genuine smile. "Good. I'm happy for you guys."

I looked back at Jacob and smiled in gratitude at his statement.

"Well, Edward and I were heading down, so we can ride together," Bella said a little shyly.

Jacob and Leah agreed and the four of us got into the elevator and made small talk on the way down to the lobby. Leah was a very nice girl and I could tell she and Jacob were extremely happy together. We said our final goodbye to Jacob, telling him we were leaving tomorrow, and he wished us the best of luck to which both Bella and I returned. Me and Bella got out at the lobby and Jacob and Leah smiled and waved as the doors to the elevators closed—they were heading down to the parking garage.

Bella and I walked hand in hand to the front entrance and I picked up a copy of the yellow-pages, smiling at her as we headed back toward the elevators.

"Wait," Bella said, tugging on my hand and stopping me in the middle of the small lobby.

"What?" I asked her, confused.

"Let's just enjoy this for a second."

"Enjoy what?" I chuckled.

"This is our last night in our apartment. Just…let it sink in," she replied softly, closing her eyes.

I watched Bella with a small smile on my face and couldn't help myself when I leaned in and pressed my lips gently to hers. I pulled away slowly and her eyes opened, staring back into mine.

"Did you enjoy it?" I whispered, smiling crookedly at her.

"Yea," she smiled. "It was perfect."

XxXxX

There were boxes everywhere and only mine and Bella's room was completely finished, yet my mother and sister still insisted on throwing Bella a birthday party for her twenty-sixth birthday. We had only officially been moved into our new home for two weeks, so there was only a couch and loveseat in the living room and a small dining room table. Thankfully, the kitchen was fully stocked with our plates and silverware so we had something to work with, but other than that most of the boxes and furniture had yet to be arranged in their rightful places.

A week after arriving in Seattle, I had called John Jenks—just as I had promised—and set up an interview. I had had it three days ago and he called me the next day, happy to say he wanted to hire me. Bella and I had celebrated that night, choosing to christen the floor of the unfurnished den since we hadn't spent a whole lot of time in there yet.

After much insisting, I had finally convinced Bella to let us use it as her work space where she could write freely and finish her novel. She agreed, under the condition that we also make it a library, putting a large bookshelf in there for all of our books, and a small couch. She said she wanted someplace for us to sit together when we wanted to relax in a small, quiet place.

Overall, things were really starting to come together. Bella spent her free time—however scarce it was at the moment—writing continuously. She said she only had a couple more chapters to write before she would be finished with her book and I was extremely excited to be able to read it when she was done.

"Where's the birthday girl?" Jasper asked as he handed me my second beer of the evening and sat beside me on the couch in the living room where my father, Charlie, Emmett, and Rosalie were currently playing Scene It. I didn't even know anyone in my family owned that game.

I looked in the kitchen where Alice and my mother were currently cooking dinner and shrugged, sitting up and placing my beer on the table. "I don't know. I saw her in the kitchen with Alice and Mom ten minutes ago."

"Are you talking about Bella?" Rosalie asked. At my nod, she shrugged. "I saw her head upstairs. She said she'd be right back, but she seemed urgent about something."

I looked at her confused and nodded as I got off the couch and excused myself for a minute as I headed upstairs. I peeked into our bedroom and saw it was empty, but the bathroom door was closed and I could see light shining from under it. I walked over and knocked softly.

"Bella," I called gently. "Baby, are you in there?"

"Yea," she replied in a strained voice. "I'll…um…I'll be right out." She sounded distracted.

"What are you doing?" I chuckled.

"Nnnn….nothing," she dragged on, sounding like she was barely paying attention to me.

"Are you okay?"

No reply.

"Bella?"

Again, no reply.

"Hey, open the door," I pleaded gently. "I want to make sure you're alright."

Seconds later, the door opened slowly and Bella stood before me, tears running down her face. She looked shocked about something.

"Bella, what is it? Are you alright?" I panicked, placing my hands on either side of her face.

She held up her hand and I glanced down to see that she was holding a pregnancy test. I looked back up at her, my entire body going numb.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered.

"You're—" I couldn't even finish my statement. I was speechless. We had only been trying for about two months. I couldn't believe it.

She stepped away from me and motioned to the bathroom counter where another five pregnancy tests sat. "I wanted to be sure," she said in a small voice before looking back at me sheepishly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I started feeling sick a few days ago and I thought I was just exhausted from the move, but then my period is like, three weeks late and I just…I knew it had to be…" she rambled on nervously, obviously thinking I would be upset that she had kept this from me.

"Shhh," I murmured, placing my thumb over her lips. "You have no idea how happy I am right now, Bella," I whispered.

She smiled, the tears still falling from her eyes. "This is the best birthday present I've ever gotten, Edward," she said quietly. "Thank you."

I shook my head, placing my hand on her small stomach. "No, love," I whispered in response, "thank you."

I kissed her deeply, holding her close to me. We stayed like that for several minutes until Emmett called up to us, asking if we were alright. Bella and I chuckled, both knowing we were more than alright, before I helped her clean up the pregnancy tests and make ourselves presentable before heading back downstairs.

"There you guys are," Esme sighed as she took Bella's birthday cake out of the oven and Alice prepared to put frosting on it.

"What's with the matching smiles?" Alice asked, amused.

"Oh God, did you guys just have a quickie in the bathroom?" Rosalie groaned.

"Rose," Esme admonished, despite the small smile on her face.

"She's just excited to be turning twenty-six," Carlisle teased, walking over and kissing Bella on the cheek.

Bella blushed slightly and smiled. "Yes, very excited," she murmured.

"What's up?" Charlie asked us, watching us both intently. Everyone here knew Bella and I well enough to know something was up.

"Yea, are you guys okay?" Jasper asked.

"More than okay," I replied, putting my arm around Bella's waist and smiling down at her, silently asking if it was okay to tell them. She nodded, turning back to our family.

"Edward and I…we um…we're…having a baby," she said softly, looking back up at me with a large smile on her face. I was sure it matched the one on mine perfectly.

The entire room erupted into excitement as everyone walked over to us, congratulating us and hugging us. We thanked them for their words of encouragement and support as Bella and I explained we had literally just found out. The room was still abuzz with excitement of our news once we all sat down to dinner. We all talked freely with one another, laughing and enjoying the moment—the first of many now that Bella and I were closer to our family.

The cake was brought out and we all sang 'Happy Birthday' to Bella as she looked down and shook her head, smiling and blushing deep crimson. I kissed her cheek softly after she blew out the candles and we spent the rest of the night enjoying our time with our family.

Charlie was staying in the guest room downstairs since he had driven down from Forks, and the rest of the family left around midnight. After saying goodnight to Charlie—we had managed to put a bed in the guest room in time for his visit—Bella and I headed up to our room. After brushing our teeth and changing into our pajamas, we climbed into bed together, Bella's back pressed against my chest firmly.

"We can call tomorrow and make an appointment to see an obstetrician. See how far along you are," I murmured against her hair. Esme had given us several numbers of doctors she knew who were highly qualified and would be very good choices for us.

"Okay," she replied, placing her hand over mine as it lay lightly on her stomach. "I love when you hold me, Edward," she whispered. "You make me feel so safe. I know you're going to be an amazing father."

Her words made my heart constrict deeply. It was amazing to hear how much faith she had in me, how much she believed in me. I tugged on her shoulder gently, forcing her to lie on her back as I climbed on top of her.

"And you're going to be an amazing mother, Bella," I whispered before capturing her lips with my own. She moaned into my mouth and I reached my hand under her shirt, pulling it up and over her head.

"Charlie's downstairs," she warned quietly as I began trailing kisses down her neck.

"I can be quiet," I murmured between kisses.

"Yea, but I don't know if I can."

Fuck.

"Bella," I moaned softly.

"We can't have sex with my father downstairs. What if he hears the bed moving or something?" she pointed out softly.

"We can still touch each other," I murmured against her neck, sucking on it hard.

"Oh God," she moaned, titling her head back to give me better access.

"Please," I whispered, reaching my hand into the waistband of her pajama pants. "Just let me touch you."

She moaned quietly as I dipped my fingers into her panties and found her already wet for me. I pushed one finger into her, rubbing her clit with my thumb at the same time. I gasped when she bit my neck to muffle her moans and then added a second finger inside of her, pumping in and out of her quickly.

"Edward," she whispered, her body trembling beneath me. "Do it harder."

I complied with her request and pumped my fingers in and out of her quicker, still rubbing her clit furiously until she kissed my neck hard and clenched around my fingers. She managed to hold back her moans by burying her head into the crook of my neck as her climax took over her body.

I kissed her cheek, then her two closed eyelids, and finally her forehead, lingering there a little longer. I rolled off of her and she opened her eyes, reaching out to grasp me through my thin flannel pajama bottoms. I grasped her wrist gently and shook my head.

"No. Just you," I whispered. She opened her mouth to protest, but I continued before she could, "Happy twenty-sixth birthday, love."

Her features softened and she smiled slightly at me before resting her head on my chest. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and she draped her leg over both of mine, cuddling deep into my side.

"I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too, Bella," I replied before reaching down to touch her stomach gently with my other hand—the place where our child was growing. "And I love you, too."

XxXxX

The building was absolutely massive and as I rode up the elevator to the fifteenth floor, I still couldn't believe I was working here. It was my first official day working at the The Law Offices of John Jenks, and I was equal parts nervous and excited.

I walked down the corridor to the second to last office on the left where the door was open and John Jenks was waiting for me on the couch inside. I walked into the office, my gaze immediately going to the large window and the amazing view of Seattle.

"Not too shabby, huh?" John said, smiling widely as he stood up and walked over to me, grasping my hand in his for a firm handshake.

"It's spectacular," I replied honestly, walking over to the window and gazing out of it. I couldn't believe this was my office. I had met with John the other day and he had given me the tour of the place, but I hadn't actually been inside of my office. It was a week after Bella's birthday—after we had found out we were having a baby together. The thought made me smile and at the same time miss her terribly.

She had decided that with the new baby coming, she was going to take some time off and finish writing her novel and work on getting it published. Esme still had her friend at The Seattle Times who was always looking for new writers, but I was extremely proud when Bella had decided to hold off on that and see how her novel would turn out. She already had a contact here in Seattle from when she worked at the magazine back in New York. Her name was Victoria Mead and she had actually been an aspiring book editor, working at the magazine until she got her break.

Apparently, she had read quite a few of Bella's written pieces and had encouraged Bella to pursue writing as a profession. Victoria had given Bella her number after she finally got offered a position at a publishing company here in Seattle and had told Bella to contact her if she was ever near Seattle or if she had anything Victoria might want to read. That had come in handy and Bella had finally worked up the nerve to call her—after much insisting on my part—and they set up a coffee meeting for a week from now.

"I'm really glad you decided to take me up on my offer, Edward," John Jenks said after a moment. I had forgotten where we were standing and once again, the breathtaking view of the city below me was unfathomable.

I turned around and smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you so much for even considering me," I replied sincerely.

"It was my pleasure," he smiled, just as there was a knock on the open door. We both turned to see a woman standing there, a large smile on her face.

"Ahh, Edward, this is Jane. Your secretary," John said happily, motioning for Jane to come inside.

Oh crap. I had forgotten to discuss the secretary situation with John beforehand and request that I have a male secretary. I doubted anything compared to the Tanya catastrophe would ever happen again, but ever since then I didn't think I felt comfortable with a female secretary.

"Uh, hi," I said after a moment of just standing there stupidly. I walked over and reached my hand out. She took it gently in hers and shook it, smiling widely at me. "Nice to meet you, Jane. I'm Edward Cullen."

"Nice to meet you, Edward," she replied brightly.

I nodded and forced a tight smile before turning to John. "Um, would I be able to speak with you for a moment?" I asked politely.

"Of course," he replied before turning to Jane. "Have a seat, Jane."

Jane sat down in the oversized chair by the door as John and I walked over to the large window. I made sure to keep my voice low so that she wouldn't hear our conversation.

"Um, I probably should have mentioned this before, but is there any way I could get a male secretary?" I asked. John looked at me with a mixture of confusion and concern on his face, so I quickly added, "It's just that I've had some issues in the past with…a female working as my secretary."

John nodded understandingly and looked sympathetic. "Edward, I can assure you, Jane is very professional and she is a very hard worker."

"I believe that, I do, I just…" I trailed off, realizing that there was nothing I could do or say to change this.

"How about this? Let's just see how it goes for a few weeks, and if you still want a change, then come to me and we'll figure it out," John said sincerely.

I looked at him for a moment before nodding and letting out a defeated sigh. "Alright."

He nodded and clapped his hands together once before turning back to Jane. "Alright, well, I'll leave you two alone to get to know each other better. Edward, come to my office at the end of the day and let me know how your first day went."

I nodded and watched as John left the room, closing the door behind him. I managed a weak smile at Jane who was still sitting on the chair and smiling brightly at me. I loosened my tie slightly, suddenly feeling like I couldn't breathe, and walked behind my new desk and sat in my office chair.

"So, Edward, tell me about you," Jane said, standing up and walking over to one of the seats across from my desk and sitting down.

I let out a heavy breath and looked at her. She seemed nice enough, but so had Tanya when I had first met her. "Well, I'm twenty-six years old, just moved back to Washington about three weeks ago, and you already know this is my first day," I replied calmly.

She nodded, the smile still on her face. "Wow, you're only twenty-six? You must have been very smart in school," she said, and I could have sworn there was a hint of flirtation in her voice.

Shit, Cullen, you're being paranoid.

"I'm also happily married to a beautiful woman and we're expecting our first child together, so let's just put that out there now. I am not single," I suddenly blurted out, instantly regretting the word vomit the second it left my mouth.

Jane seemed taken aback by my outburst at first before she started laughing quietly. I looked at her confused, thinking she had possibly lost her mind, when she lifted her hand up, silently asking me to give her a minute. Once she had composed herself, she looked up at me and sighed.

"Edward, does it bother you that I am a female secretary?" she asked seriously once she had sobered up completely.

I swallowed a giant lump in my throat and nodded slightly. "I've had…a situation in the past where it's been a problem," I said vaguely, hoping she would understand.

"Well," she said, letting out a deep breath and still smiling. "Why don't I tell you a little about me? I'm twenty-nine years old and have been a secretary for about four years now. I worked for John Jenks in Chicago and when he told me he was opening an office in Seattle, I jumped at the opportunity because my partner lives here."

I nodded slightly, but something definitely caught my attention. "P-Partner?" I stammered.

She laughed quietly and nodded. "Yup. I'm a lesbian, Edward. So you don't have to worry, I don't want any of your man-meat," she said jokingly.

I stared at her in complete mortification. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to assume—"

She waved me off. "Don't sweat it. Bad experiences, I get it," she replied sincerely.

I nodded and offered her my first genuine smile. "Well, um, you know…it wouldn't have made a difference to me either way. If you were a great secretary, I wouldn't have complained or anything."

She nodded. "I know. I also know that I can come off as flirty a lot. Guys constantly get the wrong impression, so I'm sorry if I sent off that vibe or anything."

I shook my head. "No apology necessary, really."

"Well, now that that is out of the way, why don't we get down to business? Here are a few clients that John wants you to take a look at."

The day only got progressively better from there and I found that Jane was a fantastic secretary and a great person. We even had lunch together to get to know each other better. I was still embarrassed that I had assumed that she had been flirting with me. I had to learn to let go of the past and not let it affect how I perceived everything in my life.

I kissed Bella passionately when I got home and told her about my day, including the part about my new secretary. She couldn't help but laugh at me as I told her how paranoid I had been.

"Oh, Edward. You have to understand that not every girl is after your man-meat," she teased, using Jane's words from earlier. Bella had had a field day when I told her she had said that.

I smiled crookedly at her and twirled my fork around the delicious pasta she had made for dinner. "What about you? Are you after my man-meat?" I joked.

She smirked at me and took a sip of her water. "Always."

XxXxX

"Edward, where the hell are my Cheez-It's?" Bella yelled from downstairs.

I was currently in the bedroom that was right down the hall from mine and Bella's master bedroom—the one that we were setting up for the baby. Bella was about eight months pregnant now and I was putting the crib together. It was the last thing that needed to be done in the room.

After we had found out we were having a little girl, I had to admit I was slightly disappointed at first. Every man wanted a son that they could teach to play catch and that could be the man of the house when I wasn't around. But when Bella looked at me with a huge smile on her face, I suddenly wanted my baby girl to have her mother's deep brown eyes and stunning complexion.

When Bella had found out she was pregnant on her twenty-sixth birthday, we went to the obstetrician and discovered she was already about four weeks along. I couldn't believe how quickly time had passed. In just a little over a month, we would be bringing our first beautiful child into this world.

"Edward!"

I was brought out of my musings by Bella's loud, angry voice, and I turned around to see her standing in the doorway of the nursery. We had gotten into a fight earlier in the day and that was why I had holed myself in the baby's room for the majority of the evening while Bella stayed down in the den, writing.

"Hey, baby," I started quietly, not wanting to piss her off more. I honestly didn't understand why she was so mad at me. She had been upset with me since I had come home from work less than three hours ago.

"Don't 'baby' me, Edward. Where are my Cheez-It's?"

"They're in the pantry. Third shelf," I replied automatically.

I knew it had to just be the pregnancy hormones because I honestly hadn't said anything to make her this angry. When I came home from work, she had been sitting in the living room eating from a pint of Ben and Jerry's. I saw that it was about halfway finished and an empty pint was sitting right next to her, along with a bag of cookies, so I had simply asked if she had eaten all of that together. I hadn't meant to sound as shocked as I did because I knew she was eating for two—but I still couldn't believe she still had room for more.

"Are you still mad at me?" I asked her softly.

"Why would I be mad? You pretty much called me a fat-ass!" she yelled angrily, putting her hands on her hips.

My mouth fell open in shock. "Bella, I never—"

"You pretty much implied it, Edward," she snapped before turning on her heel and heading downstairs, probably to find her box of Cheez-It crackers.

I sighed heavily and got off the floor, leaving the half finished crib for later as I headed downstairs after her. Bella was just coming out of the pantry with a scowl on her face when I entered the kitchen.

"Bella, I never said you were a fat-ass. I was just surprised you ate it all."

Her eyes widened and I immediately regretted my wording. "Wow, thanks," she snapped sarcastically, brushing past me and heading to the den. I followed after her and stepped in just as she took a seat in front of her computer.

"What are you writing?" I asked her.

She pounded away at the keys. "Nothing."

I sighed and looked at the large bookshelf on the side wall and walked over, pulling out the one I recognized. It was Bella's first published novel and it had become a best-seller. I hadn't been surprised of course, but she had been absolutely shocked and ecstatic.

Victoria and her had met and discussed Bella's novel a couple weeks after Bella's birthday and once she had finally completed it, she sent it to Victoria, who, a little over two months later, called Bella into her office where she told her the great news—that both she and her boss loved her work. They offered her a contract with the publishing company that same day and Bella got to work making the necessary changes to her book. Three months after that, she was a published author and her book only seemed to do better and better as time went on.

"Working on another best-seller?" I asked, trying to ease the tension from the room as I slid her book back onto the shelf. I had read it twice already and thought it was spectacular. It was a romance-suspense novel that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

"It's only been two months since my last novel came out, let's not get ahead of ourselves," she retorted, glaring at her computer screen as she continued pounding away at the keys.

I stood there for a little bit and looked through some of the other books on the shelf before I made my way behind where she was sitting. She didn't acknowledge my presence until I placed my hands on her shoulders and started rubbing gently.

"Stop," she snapped, her fingers ceasing on the keyboard.

"Just let me give you a massage. You've been writing all day and that's not good for you or the baby," I replied softly. She let out a heavy sigh, but eventually relented—albeit reluctantly—and continued writing.

I didn't read over her shoulder because I knew she hated that, so instead I looked down at the swell of her stomach, still in awe that she was carrying our child inside of her. I continued working the knots from her shoulders and neck as she continued writing and my gaze eventually fell to the valley between her breasts which were clearly visible through the thin, flowy top she was wearing.

I slowly slid my hands from her shoulders to her collarbone until I grasped both of her luscious breasts in my hands, massaging them gently through the fabric of her shirt. Bella's fingers once again stopped their movements on the keyboard and I knew she was having an inner war with herself—either give in and let me have her, or be stubborn and turn me away. I knew her raging hormones were making her extra horny lately—and I wasn't complaining—but I also knew that she would want to stand her ground and not give into me so easily.

"I'm mad at you," she finally stated firmly, grabbing my wrists and pulling them off of her breasts. She saved her work and turned off the laptop, closing it and getting off her chair, leaving me standing there, gaping after her.

I heard her head upstairs and I quickly followed after her. She was just heading into our bedroom when I reached the top step. I went in behind her and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back against my chest.

"Edward," she said in a warning tone that only turned me on more than I already was.

"Bella," I whispered in response, nuzzling my face in the crook of her neck, knowing it would drive her crazy. I placed a gentle kiss under her jaw. "You know I didn't mean to hurt your feelings earlier. It didn't come out how I wanted it to. You know I think you're beautiful."

"It was insensitive," she snapped.

"I know," I murmured against her skin, causing her to shiver slightly. "But you have to admit. Two pints of ice cream, and a bag of cookies? I was just in awe that you could do that," I chuckled.

"I'm eating for two here, Edward. I'd like to see how you would handle it," she shot back, though her tone sounded lighter.

I chuckled against her skin and placed a kiss on the side of her neck. "I know. I wouldn't handle it half as wonderfully as you do, love. I'm sorry. Please don't be angry with me," I whispered.

She let out a sigh and I knew she was finally caving. "I'm sorry, too. It's my stupid pregnancy hormones. My mood swings are everywhere and I hate that you have to deal with my crap."

I shook my head. "I don't mind. It's worth it," I said honestly, reaching down to caress her stomach.

She turned around in my arms and wrapped her arms around my neck tightly. "But there are some advantages to these hormones," she said seductively.

I smiled crookedly at her and nodded. "Believe me, I know."

She smiled devilishly and then her lips were on mine, attacking, biting, sucking; driving me absolutely crazy with need. I wrapped my arms tighter around her waist, pulling her closer to me, needing to feel her.

I backed us both up onto the bed, sitting on the edge and pulling her on top of me until she straddled my waist. Her hands lifted my shirt off and over my head before they fumbled with the belt on my pants.

"Eager, are we?" I teased.

"Shut up," she mumbled against my lips before she had my zipper undone and her hand grasped my now extremely hard cock.

"Shit," I hissed, pulling back to look down at her hand buried inside my pants.

She stroked my cock achingly slow until I couldn't take it anymore and I lifted her up, laying her on her back on the bed. I pulled my pants off and kicked off my shoes and socks, only leaving on my boxer-briefs. I reached for the waistband of Bella's yoga pants and pulled them down roughly before lifting her shirt up and over her head. And she wasn't wearing a bra. How the hell had I not noticed that?

I latched my mouth onto one of her sensitive nipples and sucked greedily as her hands fisted into my hair, pulling hard. "Edward," she moaned.

I looked up at her, her eyes closed, her face a light pink from her arousal. She was absolutely breathtaking. And she was mine.

I worked my way back up her body and pressed my mouth to hers once more, our tongues fighting for dominance. I finally pulled back after a moment and got up, walking over to the loveseat in the corner of the room and grabbing the oversized pillow on top of it.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked, sounding frustrated that I had left her.

I chuckled and walked back over to her. "Get on your hands and knees," I said softly.

She bit her lip, but did as I asked, her gorgeous ass in the air, covered only by her lacy black panties. I climbed onto the bed directly behind her and placed the pillow under her stomach for support and so that her arms wouldn't get tired from the position she was in.

"You're the most beautiful, breathtaking creature I have ever laid my eyes on," I murmured, my mouth close to her ear as I leaned over her body. I hooked my fingers into her panties and pulled them off swiftly, causing her to moan loudly. I discarded my own boxers and stroked myself roughly a few times. "Do you want this?" I asked her, pressing the tip of my dick against her swollen clit.

"You know I do, Edward," she half moaned, half whispered in response.

Without another word, I entered her swiftly, going as deep as she could take me. I sat up on my knees and grabbed hold of her waist as I plunged into her continuously, reveling in the noises she was making for me.

"Harder, Edward!" she screamed breathlessly.

"Harder?"

"Yes, fuck, Edward!"

I pumped into her hard, reaching my hand around her waist to rub her clit furiously. I was reaching my own brink and wanted to get her there first.

"Come on, Bella. Let go for me."

She let out another loud moan before I felt her entire frame shudder as she exploded around me. I leaned forward, careful to keep my weight off of her, and placed my hands on either side of hers.

"I love being inside you," I murmured against her neck. "I wish I could stay like this…fuck…forever." With a final thrust, I let go inside of her, emptying all that I had into her. I slowed my pace until I finally stopped and pulled slowly out of her, helping Bella to lie on her back and throwing the pillow onto the floor.

"Mmm, that was the most amazing make-up sex. We should fight more often," Bella mumbled, a lazy smile on her face.

"You liked that?" I teased, lying down next to her on my side so that I could face her. I placed my hand over her stomach, rubbing it gently.

"Yea," she replied before turning her head to look at me. "You know, I never did find my Cheez-It's."

I smiled sheepishly at her. "That's because I finished off the box yesterday."

Her mouth fell open in shock. "What the hell? You said they were on the third shelf in the pantry!"

"You were already pissed at me, I didn't want to tell you I ate your snack, too! You would have fucking castrated me!"

Her shocked expression slowly turned into a smile until she was laughing softly and shaking her head. "Well, you better go to the grocery store and get me some more tomorrow. You know I've been craving them like no other."

"Yea, I know," I mumbled.

She looked at me, her mouth falling open again, despite the smile on her face. "Hey!"

I laughed heartily and leaned forward, kissing her on the lips gently. "We'll go tomorrow and get some more, okay? I promise."

"Okay," she mumbled against my lips. "And some French bread, too? I'm craving it."

I chuckled against her mouth and placed a lingering kiss on her cheek. "Anything you want."

XxXxX

Three Years Later

I walked into the quiet house and placed my briefcase and folders on the table in the foyer before kicking off my black dress shoes and loosening my tie.

"Bella?" I called out, walking toward the heavenly smell coming from the kitchen.

"Daddy!" called a sweet little voice from the living room. I looked down at the ground and saw my daughter, Lily, sitting on the ground playing with her stuffed teddy-bear.

I smiled and walked over to her, bending down and scooping her up in my arms. "Hey, angel," I cooed softly, bouncing her lightly in my arms as I turned toward the kitchen and walked over to where Bella was leaning against the counter with a wooden spoon in her hand, a large smile on her face.

"Hey, baby," I greeted Bella when I reached her, leaning forward and giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. "How are my girls?" I asked, looking down at Lily.

"We're doing very well, aren't we, sweetheart?" Bella replied, leaning forward and kissing Lily on the cheek. "Gosh, I can't believe she's going to be three next month," Bella said in awe, watching Lily carefully.

I nodded my head in agreement. Time really did go by fast—it was unbelievable sometimes.

"Did you have a good day at work?" Bella asked me as she walked back over to the stove to stir something.

"Yea, it was good," I said, walking back over to where Lily was sitting on a blanket playing with her stuffed animals. I kissed the top of her head as I sat her back down and then walked back into the kitchen to where Bella was cooking. I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind and rested my chin on her shoulder. "Did you meet with Victoria today?"

She nodded against me. "Yea, I did. She just finished reading my manuscript. I only have a few changes to make."

"That's great, love," I replied sincerely.

Although Bella had already had two best-selling novels and was now about to publish her third, she actually did accept a position at The Seattle Times as well, saying she missed writing short pieces on a regular basis. I was extremely proud of her for achieving what she wanted. It also worked out nicely because she could write from home most of the time and she loved being able to be here to spend time with Lily.

I, myself, was also doing extremely well at John Jenks' law firm. It was an amazing environment and I didn't have to work too many crazy hours, so I got to spend a lot of time with my two favorite girls. Everyday I woke up feeling nothing but immeasurable happiness that Bella and I had decided to make the change to move to Seattle. I couldn't imagine being anywhere different. I loved our home, I enjoyed the city, and the best part was that our family was always nearby whenever we wanted to see them. This was exactly where we needed to be and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else, with anyone else.

"Emmett called earlier. He wants to go golfing with you, Jasper, and Carlisle this weekend. He told me to tell you to call him back," Bella said, putting the top on the pot she was stirring and turning around in my arms. She smiled up at me and reached up, kissing my chin gently.

"Last time we went golfing, he almost drove our golf cart into the lake," I chuckled.

Bella laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck, holding me close to her. "I missed you today," she said, nuzzling her face into the crook of my neck.

"I missed you, too. I haven't seen you since eight hours ago," I teased.

"Shut up," she laughed quietly, pulling away and punching me in the arm.

"I'm joking, love. You know I always miss you. Even if we're only apart for five minutes." I smiled and kissed her lips once more.

She smiled and pushed me away gently, saying she needed to finish dinner. I gave her a quick kiss on the lips again before going to the living room and picking up Lily to get her washed up for dinner.

After Lily was cleaned up and I had changed into some more comfortable clothes, we headed back downstairs where Bella was getting started on setting the table. I placed Lily back down on her blanket so she could play with her toys some more before dinner and I made my way over to Bella and took the plates from her hands.

"I'll do that, love," I said, finishing setting the table as she thanked me and walked back over to the stove to check on the chicken and broccoli. She poured the rice into a serving bowl and placed it on the table before placing the chicken and broccoli on a serving dish as well and putting it beside the rice.

I took a small piece of chicken and placed it on Lily's plate, cutting it up small so she could chew it easily without choking and Bella got the soft vegetables she had prepared for her as well, putting some onto the plate where I had cut up her chicken. I put a little bit of rice next to the chicken, knowing Lily wouldn't eat all of it.

"Lily, it's time for dinner, sweetheart," Bella called to her, pouring juice into a cup for her.

I made sure Lily's small booster seat was on the chair as she made her way to the table. I lifted her up and into her chair and gave her her small plastic fork, putting her cup of juice within her reach before I sat beside her at the circular, glass table, and Bella took her seat beside me, placing the salad she had made next to the chicken and broccoli.

"It looks great, Bella," I said to her, leaning over and kissing her cheek as we began eating dinner.

She smiled at me and we spent the rest of the evening talking about work and our plans for the weekend. We wanted to take Lily to the zoo because we hadn't been there with her before.

"Thank you, Momma," Lily said loudly once she had finished eating half of her food.

Bella looked over at her and laughed quietly. "You're welcome, baby."

Bella and I had both finished by then as well so I offered to do the dishes while Bella took Lily upstairs to give her a bath before tucking her into bed. By the time I made it upstairs, Bella was putting Lily into bed.

"Come say 'night, Daddy," Lily giggled as Bella kissed her cheek.

I walked over to the bed and kissed the side of Bella's head before sitting down on the small bed beside my beautiful daughter. Bella had been extremely excited that Lily had my green eyes, but I was even more thrilled that she had Bella's beautiful brown hair and fair complexion.

"Goodnight, beautiful," I whispered, leaning forward and kissing Lily's cheek gently. "I love you."

"Love you, too, Daddy," she replied, wrapping her little arms around my neck. I hugged her to me close before she released me and lay down on her back.

"See you tomorrow morning, sweetheart," Bella said, leaning over and kissing Lily's cheek soundly. "Sweet dreams, my angel."

Bella and I walked quietly out of the room once Lily closed her eyes, and we closed the door almost all the way, leaving it a little bit open because Lily got scared when it was shut all the way.

I wrapped my arm around Bella's waist as we walked to our bedroom down the hall together. When we entered our room, I walked over to the nightstand and took my shirt off. I had already changed into my sweats when I came home so I decided to sleep in them.

Bella changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth. I did the same after her and fifteen minutes later, we had both climbed into bed. I left the light on because I knew neither of us were ready for sleep yet and I held my arm out for Bella to come lay down beside me. She snuggled against me, resting her head on my chest.

"Mmm, I love this," she murmured against my heart.

I smiled and nuzzled my face into her hair. "I do, too."

We lay in silence for a couple of minutes, enjoying the feel of lying in each other's arms.

"Oh, I forgot to ask. How's my little guy doing?" I asked her gently.

She lifted her head up and smiled at me. "You don't know if it's a boy yet, Edward."

I shrugged my shoulders, my wide smile mirroring her own. "This one just feels like a boy to me," I replied, only half-joking. "Besides, since Emmett and Rosalie just had a boy, it's kind of like a sign."

She rolled her eyes and touched her small stomach. She was only about two months along so she wasn't showing a whole lot yet.

"Anyways, he or she is doing well," she responded happily.

I smiled at her and placed my own hand over her own that was resting on her stomach. "Whoever he or she is, is going to be extremely loved when they come into this world," I said softly, staring into her vibrant brown eyes.

She smiled gently at me and leaned forward, pressing her lips to mine firmly. "I love you so much, Edward."

"I love you, too, Bella," I whispered in response.

She pulled away and lay on her back and looked at me with a small smile on her face. "When do you think Alice and Jasper will have kids?"

"I don't know, I feel like they've been in their honeymoon stage forever," I chuckled.

Bella laughed and nodded in agreement. "That they have." She paused and stared intently into my eyes for a few moments. "Edward…this life…everything we've done together? I just…I wanted to thank you for giving it all to me. Lily…and…this," she motioned to her stomach before looking back up at me. "And for loving me. And for never giving up on us…no matter how tough things got…" she trailed off, her voice shaking slightly.

I reached out and stroked her cheek gently with my thumb. "Bella, you've given me everything, too," I murmured sincerely. "You stuck by me and loved me…and you never gave up on us, either. And you know why?" I asked. She watched me in silence as a few small tears fell down her face. "Because I love you. And I will always love you. There's no one else in this world I'd rather spend my life with."

"Oh, Edward," she sobbed, leaning forward and snuggling into my chest again. "I feel the same way."

I nodded, stroking her hair gently, and kissed the top of her head. "I know, Bella."

She sat up after a moment and wiped a few of her tears away as she looked down at me. "I didn't mean to get all emotional," she laughed quietly. "It's just earlier today, Lily asked me a question and…I don't know…it made me realize things…feel things."

"What did she ask you?" I questioned curiously, reaching out and stroking her arm gently.

"She asked me why I love you," Bella whispered.

I smiled crookedly at her and reached up to cup her cheek in my hand. "And what did you say?"

She smiled softly at me and leaned forward until her lips were barely brushing against mine. "I told her I love you because I don't know how not to."

I stared intensely into her eyes, my heart constricting from the depth of her words, her emotions. I hoped that my eyes let her know that I felt the exact same way. She seemed to understand what I didn't say out loud because moments later her lips were pressed against mine.

The life we had together now was something I could have only ever dreamed about. We had our family near us, a beautiful daughter, and another baby on the way. I still couldn't believe all that we had been through together, but laying here with Bella now, I knew it had all been worth it. Because she gave me everything I could have ever wanted—a beautiful family, a life to live for, and, most importantly, love.

As I lay in bed with Bella later that night, I heard her slow, steady breathing, signaling that she was fast asleep in my arms. I lay on my back with my arm wrapped around her, staring up at the dark ceiling. I reflected back on all that we had been through together—including the rough times. But we had made it out stronger than ever. It felt like the time we had spent at the lake house for Alice and Jasper's wedding was forever ago. I hardly recognized the people we were back then, when we had let our anger consume us.

But I never focused on the negatives for very long because something amazing came from those four weeks we spent together. We found each other again. We fell in love again. We became whole again. I wouldn't trade a second of any of my time with Bella for anything in the world. We needed those moments—even the hard ones—because they made us who we were now. They made us better.

I reflected back on the moment when I thought I could try to hate Bella, to ease the pain I had felt at our separation. A small laugh escaped me at the thought as I lay there with the love of my life in my arms. How I ever thought I could feel that way towards her, I would never know. Because I had loved Bella my entire life, and I always would. I didn't know how not to.

Author's Note:Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and being patient with me through out this story. One last thank you to all of my readers—even if you never reviewed, thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. And those that did review, thank you so much for your praise, words of encouragement, and heartfelt responses. This story means a lot to me and I am so happy that I could share it with all of you. I had tears in my eyes when I was reading and editing the last few paragraphs because it is extremely difficult for me to let this story go, but I honestly don't think it could have come to an end any better than this. I hope you all appreciated this story and enjoyed it for what it was—I know I do, and I wouldn't change anything about it.

Don't worry, this will not be my last story. I already have a few plot ideas written down and now that I am done with this story, I can get started on some in-depth brainstorming. So keep me on author alert if you want to know when I have posted a new story. I can keep saying thank you to all of you, but I don't want to sound repetitive, so I am going to instead leave you guys with this:

This is just a little parting gift for all of you who have supported/read/reviewed this story. It is a playlist I have compiled of songs that either inspired chapters, reminded me of the story, or are just really nice to listen to when trying to find inspiration for writing a story like this. I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you so much for the never-ending support.

'Let's Love Hate' Story Playlist:

1. "The Scientist" – Coldplay

2. "Cold Desert" – Kings of Leon

3. "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" – Snow Patrol (feat. Martha Wainwright)

4. "Another Heart Calls" – The All-American Rejects (feat. The Pierces)

5. "Your Surrender" – Neon Trees

6. "Look After You" – The Fray

7. "Let Go" – Frou Frou

8. "Collide" – Howie Day

9. "With Me" – Sum 41

10. "Show Me What I'm Looking For" – Carolina Liar

11. "Breathe Your Name" – Sixpence None the Richer

12. "I'll Be" – Edwin McCain

13. "Self Inflicted" – Katy Perry

14. "Far Away" – Nickelback

15. "Your Love's A Drug" – Leighton Meester

16. "My Girl" – The Temptations