Title: Coming Down From the Clouds

Disclaimers: I do not own the Twilight characters, or any other Twilight property (sadly. I want Jasper and Emmett, but I don't have them yet.) Story is mine, mine, mine, and...mine.

A/N: Somehow, I'm thinking of another story that has to do with a helpless Bella...What's wrong with me? 0.o Anywho! Let's try this out :)

To start, I'm going to set the story in the classical New Moon (Nothin' new right?) Bella moves out of Charlie's place and into one of her own; someone pays for her that turns out to be someone that's from her past, and hasn't given up on her like the rest of the human population.

"I want to get high and touch the sky." ~Kelley Rowland's 'I'm Down For Whatever'

"Look, kid. I love you, but I think...it might be better to get out of town and get a place of your own."

I looked at Charlie; he was sitting across from me at the dinner table and looked a bit hesitant when my eyes met his. "Are you asking me to move out, Dad?" I asked bluntly and stopped playing with the buttery peas on my plate.

He blushed. "I just think bein' in this town is bad for you, Bells. Things haven't gotten better; he hadn't come back, and...you aren't even tryin' to finish school anymore. Your grades slipped so low you'll very catch up before graduation, and you aren't accepting your mom's offer of leavin' to Florida with her. I think you need to leave town, and stop waiting for him to come back."

That had been a month ago. Now, I was on my own, and had nothing but the weekly allowance I got from some friend of Charlie's. Billy hadn't been happy to see me packing the bed of my truck with boxes, and me telling him Charlie said I should leave town to be on my own. Jake hadn't been too happy either, but what could they do except stand by and watch me leave for a place I had been directed to by e-mail from Charlie's friend. His name was Ray, and he was seemingly nice. I mean, he was paying me enough for rent, grocery money, clothing money, and my truck's gas money. I sometimes wondered who he was, but other times I just felt like I didn't need to know. We sent e-mails back and forth, he send the money in a white envelope with a list of what to do with it for that week, and I sent an e-mail to him thanking him for her generosity like every week.

Today, I was suppose to check the mail according to the e-mail I was reading from Ray.

'Bella,

'The package I sent you four days ago will arrive today at two PM. It was priority mail, and if it isn't there, e-mail me back right away and I'll get it to you by tomorrow. Your weekly allowance will be in the mail as well. As always, e-mail if you need extra cash sooner than next month.

'With Affections,

'Ray.'

He really was too sweet, I thought as I smiled. I never asked Ray for money, though he practically begged me to ask him for a hundred more each week. He reminded me a lot of Edward, which tore the hole in my chest open once more before I closed it forcefully by delivering a sharp pinch to my forearm. These days, when the black hole opened up, I learned sharp pain stopped it in place. So, it keep it closed, I started pinching myself on my left forearm. I had many scars left from my hole closing attempts, and one more didn't phase me.

Ray was a good person to talk to as well. He was understanding, polite, he always knew what to say and when to say it, he knew how to say something to make his point firm yet have that gentleness I knew he had mixed inside his words; he was perfect to me, and the only friend I had. He said he had five grown children who were out of the house these days, and his relationship with his wife wasn't what it used to be since their recent loss. He divorced her two months ago. He left his wife on the seventh month Edward had been gone. I had to deliver another pinch to my arm, harder than the last one so the hole would stop opening again.

Closing the e-mail, I stood from my chair and picked up my ring of keys before slipping on my shoes so I could go check the mail. I made sure to check the time so I didn't go too early, 3:43 PM. It was perfect time to check my mailbox.

I left my apartment once more, only really leaving to shop for the list Ray had sent with the money, and to pay the rent at the front desk on the twenty-seventh of the month. My neighbors didn't see me often, but when the old lady next door to me saw sight of my small, underweight frame, she said to fatten myself up and bring her the crosswords of the week with the ten dollars she would give me for the task of buying the book of the week's crosswords.

I stayed in the back corner on the right when I entered the elevator, and the man in front of me pressed 'ground floor' when he asked what floor I was going to. I didn't talk to any of them; not the small child with his texting mother, not the old man who gave me disapproving looks on what my weight was or the scars on my arm, or the business man who eyed me up and down like I was a good fuck toy. I let them all think what they wanted about me since it didn't matter anyway. It felt like Ray was the only person who really cared about me and not having sex with me like everyone else.

At my mailbox, I went to box number forty-three and inserted my key. I saw three envelopes, and a key to the package mailbox. I took the envelopes and scanned them.

A bill for my electricity.

A bill for my heating system.

And the famous envelope from Ray. He didn't seem to ever add his last name, so I didn't know what it was. It didn't matter to me though. As long as he was still my friend it was okay.

Taking the key, I left my mailbox open before going to the package boxes and opening number two. Inside was a small, brown box with Ray's name written on it. I smiled in thought of Ray sending me this package for a reason he never said. He only told me that he sent me something, and hoped that I liked it. Ray was too sweet, I smiled at the thought again.

I closed the mailbox and returned the key to my own box before closing it and locking it up, and left for the elevators so I could go up to the lobby and buy that crossword book for my neighbor.

After buying the book, I returned to the fifth floor and gave the woman her book and change, listening to her telling me to fatten myself up once more, and returned to apartment number forty-three. Locking my door tightly, and bolting it closed, I went into my living room and sat on the couch that was pre-bought for my apartment that Ray had designed generously, and gave me new furniture for my living space, my bedroom, the bathroom, and also for my small kitchen. The computer I had bought on the insistence of Ray so I could have communication with him since I didn't like using the phone for anything. I had one in case of emergency, but that was it, and it was only a cord home phone.

I set the package on the coffee table with the bills and money envelope, and used the letter opener I had set on the coffee table to open the box. Inside the box was a small white bear holding a heart in his hands, and a small letter inside the box. I was flattered at the letter.

'Bella,

'Long have I wanted to tell you that, though you are young, you are the one person on my mind every second of my days. If you allow me to say that I have deep affections for you, than I will say it forever.

'I have long awaited this moment where I can say, that on Wednesday, a surprise will be waiting for you.

'Think of me as I will think of you.

'Deep Affections,

'C. Ray. C.'

I had to smile and blush in compliment. Ray was such a gentleman, and him admitting his feelings for me was flattering. I was nothing compared to this man. Ray told me we had met before, but I didn't remember any men named Ray from when I was younger. Maybe I would recall who he was when I saw him again, if he ever showed his face of course.

His initials. I looked to them again, and grew curious. Ray was his middle name; his first started with a C, like his last name did. I wonder what his first name was. I couldn't help but think of Carlisle. He was always a wonderful man when in Forks, and he had the air of gentleman, extraordinary man, and a very good father to his children. He and Esme were good together as well. They made a great couple. I thought that Edward and I made a great couple, but I suppose we didn't.

Another pinch was delivered to my arm to stop the hole from opening.

Looking to my arm, I wondered if I should cover them up with something. I didn't want Ray to see them if he ever showed up, and turn away from me. I decided long sleeves and a different outlet needed to work until Ray left again. I didn't know how long he would stay, but I needed to cover up my scars, and stop making new ones for now.

I decided pinching what little fat I had on my too flat tummy would have to work for now. I could pinch through the shirt, and no one would find out.

After I decided on my new place of hole-stoppers, I opened the letter from Ray, not to see the check for one thousand-two hundred-forty-three dollars, but another letter I began reading without worrying over the money not being there.

'Bella,

'Don't worry about the money. I have paid everything already, and your fridge will be stocked when I arrive. The electricity and heating bills have been paid in full. The letters that arrived are just the notice of them being paid recently.

'Instead, take this key I added to your envelope, and drive to the address I will put on the bottom of this letter. A wonderful surprise will be waiting there.

'Deep Affections,

'C. Ray. C.

'P.S: You can't reject the gift. A big surprise is in store for you, and the woman won't take it back under my strict orders of how you are with money.'

I blinked and pulled out the silver key from the white envelope. Was this a house key? Was I suppose to pick something up? Turning back to the letter, I re-wrote the address on a piece of paper before putting the letter back in the envelope, and picking up my teddy bear and card of affection and going to my room.

I set the bear on a shelf near my childhood pictures and trophies were standing, and smiled when I thought it fit perfectly. I put the letter and affection card inside my jewelry box with the pictures I kept inside there. Only two pictures were inside my jewelry box that didn't have any jewelry. The pictures were of my mom and my dad, who I still loved with all my heart; even if he kicked me out. Him kicking me out led me to Ray, and that was fine with me. Ray was who I had now, and I think my one friend was perfect for someone like me.

I looked to the paper with the address written on it once more, then back to the quaint, yellow painted, two story house. It had a garage in the drive way, a small garden with flowers in the flower beds, a front yard with a large, climbable tree, and a wooden front porch with a swing hanging from the top.

This was the right address, so I shut off my truck and jumped out onto the pavement of the road. I looked up and down the street I parked on, and saw kids in almost every yard, parents working on the lawns or talking to neighbors, some where jogging down and up the road with one another. It was a family neighborhood, and I wondered what was here for me.

I walked up to the house, and very hesitantly, knocked three times before stepping back away from the door.

After a few seconds past, the door opened before I could turn around and leave; a woman with blond hair put inside a professional bun, blue eyes that held recognition to me, and a tall, thin body stepped back to beckon me inside.

"You must be Bella. I was informed you would come around this time." The woman said with a friendly smile while I walked slowly inside and looked around the empty, beautifully designed house.

The floors were polished wood and without a scratch; the carpet inside the room on the right of the front door was a nice dark color that went well with the dark walls, and I took it for the den. The kitchen was tile, and it looked lovely with the onyx granite counter tops, and the empty spaces that I saw were for an oven, a fridge, and a dishwasher from the notes on the walls that were held up by removable stickies. The master bedroom was wide and empty, though it had notes on the walls of where items were to be placed and what order they were to be placed in; the master bathroom had a jacuzzi already built and installed, the shower was completely tiled and looked brand new. The small room where the toilet was kept looked modified and arranged to specific orders from the toilet being away from the door, but in range of someone else able to be inside with the other person.

All while I looked in the backyard through the windows, the woman was telling me about the neighborhood, and how it was very child and family friendly, how wonderful the elementary schools and daycares were, how the best high school in this county had the highest grade point averages, and how good everything was.

"This is all very beautiful...but why am I here?" I asked her slowly and curiously, seeing how large the backyard was and how nice the in-ground pool looked in the cloud-shape. It wasn't filled up with water, but it was perfectly ready to be filled up.

The woman 'oh'ed, and handed me a note that I knew to be from Ray.

'Bella,

'Welcome home.

'Deep Affections,

'Ca. Ray, Cu.'

I gasped and looked around the house again. "He bought me...a house?" I asked with surprise and a small laugh of high flattery.

Just who was Ray?

He added more letters to his name as well, and I still couldn't help but compare Ray to Carlisle.

"He told me to ask you to look on the second floor. He told me he wouldn't take no for an answer." The woman told me with a smile and waved towards the stairs that were located in the living room.

I nodded and walked towards the stairs, and saw that they were built into the wall, leading up the wall and to the second floor that shared the same dark carpet as the den. They had wooden railings high and low, like they were waiting to be used by little hands that were to walk up using their hands and feet. I couldn't help but smile in thought of having a small baby or two in this house using these stairs like the big boy or girl they were to be.

Up the stairs, I was followed by the woman who explained that while everything was ready to be put in, the specially ordered items would wait a bit until the 'Master' of the house called and demanded them to be put in. The carpet was beautiful and the walls were more bright up here, like they were for little babies and kids to see. I couldn't help but smile again. I wondered if Ray was silently asking me to have a child with him.

I walked into each room, seeing them all looking wide open, having a closet that weren't walk-ins, but very large and open like for teens with tons of clothing. There were windows that showed outside to the front yard or the backyard, depending on their placement upstairs, and it was all so lovely.

In the room that over-viewed the backyard, I saw the walls holding pictures. I grew curious and walked to them to view them all. They were of letters. I could spell it all out from the placement they were in, and when I did, I gasped in surprise.

'C'

'A'

'R'

'L'

'I'

'S'

'L'

'E'

'and'

'I'

'S'

'A'

'B'

'E'

'L'

'L'

'A'

'Cullen'

"If you'll accept, of course."

I whirled around at the deep, soft, gentle, male voice. I had to laugh brokenly at seeing the famous 'Ray'. The light blond hair was slicked back out his pale face where he had a soft smile grown. His gold eyes held anxiety and happiness at seeing me after nine months being gone.

"Carlisle!" I ran to him and jumped into his arms from my pure joy at seeing him again.

He wrapped his strong arms around me, a chuckle escaping his throat as he hugged me back more gently than I did to him. "I've missed you, Bella." He said softly, honesty was showing in his voice clearly.

"I've missed you, too." I said in agreement and being put back on my feet.

I kept one hand in his while my other was clenched into his work shirt. Carlisle had his hand on my hip and his other was on my cheek; he looked very happy to see me as he wiped away a tear with his thumb.

"We have much to talk about, and I believe we can do so with take-out, and at your apartment, yes?" Carlisle chuckled, looking me over with his intelligent and worryful eyes at how small I was.

I nodded quickly. "Yes. I think you already know where it is, Ray." I giggled.

He chuckled. "I suppose I do. I'll explain everything after dinner. I promise."

"Alright." That was my only answer I could give. I was pleasantly surprised to see Carlisle turn out to be my only friend, and the one who had been supplying me a home, food, money, and the affections that he gave me. It seemed perfect, and I wouldn't mind waiting a little while to hear what he had to say about everything that had happened.

As long as he still had affections for me, I was okay.

At the apartment, Carlisle told me to shower while he called the take-out to get me some dinner. I had done as told, and had taken a warm shower. I had dressed in a long sleeve thin shirt and a pair of shorts. It was warm outside, but I didn't want Carlisle to see my scars. He would eventually see them, but for now, I needed to see him and listen to his explanations.

He had a curious look as to why I had a long sleeve and shorts, but didn't question my outfit. The take-out had arrived and I had eaten a small plate while he had taken his own shower, and afterwards, when we were both done, we ended up lying in bed with me under the sheets and him above them. We had started talking when he asked:

"What have you been doing since high school? You never answered my e-mail on your education status." He looked very curious.

I grew ashamed and looked away from him, "I failed senior year. I didn't pass because my grades slipped too low." I told him simply.

Carlisle was shocked. "You failed? How?" He asked me.

"When you guys left, I couldn't be the same. I tried my best to go on like normal, but when Edward left...I fell apart. Angela tried to get me to work harder, but she gave up. My teachers just let me fail in the end because I was never in class anyways, and I had moved away from Forks when Charlie said I should live on my own and to stop waiting for you guys to come back to me." I explained the short version to Carlisle who looked very surprised.

"Why did you not take an online class? You moved into this apartment before the year even ended, Bella." Carlisle reminded me.

I nodded. "I know. I tried, but I couldn't see a point in all honesty. I didn't know what I wanted to study in college, I didn't have a plan for myself, and I didn't have the will to try."

He sighed lightly. "I suppose that's our fault. Leaving was such a terrible choice that I followed blindly, and I don't know what I was thinking." He claimed with a shake of head in disapproval toward himself.

I turned back to him, "Why did you leave me, Carlisle?" I asked him softly with hurt in my small voice.

Carlisle turned his ashamed gold eyes to me, "After the party ended and Edward took you home, I had realized a great many things, Bella. When I had stitched your finger, something happened between us, and Esme and Edward saw it. I didn't understand at first until it was explained to me by Jasper. It was the same thing that happened between him and Alice, Rose and Em, then between you and I."

"What happened?"

He smiled gently, taking my hand in his chilly one. "I found out that Esme wasn't my mate, Bella. You were. I felt a connection to you since I had first met you after the accident, but I took it as acceptance of Edward taking a liking of you. He was very fond of you and I wanted him to have a true relationship with someone at last. But after I started to know you better, things changed for me. I started to think more of you as a friend than a daughter, then after the party I thought of you as a possible lover; Edward wasn't happy, and he told me to leave you to your future relationship with a man on the reservation. Alice had been very against the whole plan, but H was right in telling us he had moved for all of us countless time over, and we all left Forks. I wanted to come back many times, but Esme was my wife and I had to be her husband like I had been for many years now. In the end, everyone in the coven left, starting with Emmett and Rosalie who decided to move to Rhode Island for college. Alice and Jasper returned to Texas and to his old coven of two, then Esme and Edward, after the divorce was final, left for the Denali coven in Alaska."

I took it all in before asking the most important question, "How did you know I was asked to move? Why did you say your name was Ray in the first place?" I questioned him.

Carlisle chuckled. "Alice never stopped looking into your future. She told me Charlie wanted you to get a place of your own, and she contacted me and ordered me to get you a nice apartment and take care of you for a while. I did so, but I didn't know how you'd react to knowing it was myself; so I told you my middle name, and claimed to be an old friend of Charlie's that knew you from when you were younger. And as you can see, I couldn't remain away from you any longer and had to tell you at last my feelings, and pray you returned them." He chuckled in his honestly.

I smiled. "I always had the feeling of comparing Ray to you; he was sweet, kind, and knew what to say. He was always sending me an allowance and making sure I was fine. I had compared him to Edward twice, but it didn't add up with him since he had broken up with me."

"Yes, Alice hadn't been very happy about what he had done. He's lost several body parts over the last nine months, and is currently on a pause of body rippage."

I had to laugh with him. I guess he deserved it to a point, though it still tore open the hole in my chest before I had held Carlisle's hand a bit tighter. The hole had just...closed when I had grabbed his hand tighter. Carlisle had just given my hand a squeeze back, and the hole disappeared. I didn't know what that meant, but It was heaven sent to be able to think of Edward and not feel pain in my chest

"What do think of moving, Bella? Out of this place and into the house I bought for us?" Carlisle questioned me softly.

Today was Thursday, and it was just morning time. I had woken up this morning to the smell of breakfast, and morning had gone so well with Carlisle. After breakfast, I had crawled back into bed to just lay there with Carlisle for a little while longer; together, we had cuddled close and started talking about me finishing highschool online and graduating this time. I hadn't been against it, and I told him I would try to take the exams this time. He had looked very proud of me.

I turned my head on his chest upward to look at him. "It sounds nice," I smiled.

He gave one back. "It's a wonderful neighborhood, and I think it will be a great start for us both. We could start a family and fill the house with small feet."

I giggled. "It sounds heavenly." I agreed with starting a family with him and having a few kids run around wildly.

"Perfect." He smiled back.

It had taken Carlisle and I a little while to settle down together. Carlisle and I hadn't moved out of the apartment until a few weeks later, and during those few weeks he had questioned over and over why I would wear a long sleeve in the middle of summer. I hadn't been able to answer him honestly, so I would detour the subject every time. In the end, Carlisle had forced the answer out of me using his firm, yet very gentle, unaccusatory voice of why I would hide from him. He had seen the small marks and knew them for what they were right away; pinch marks, or self-mutilation. After questions on why I had done it, I had broken down and confessed when I had thought of Edward, a black hole in my chest tried to suffocate me and only sharp pinches brought me back out, and closed the hole in my chest.

Carlisle had told me it was grief. The hole in my chest had been from the grief of their move, and he had apologized countless times for putting me through that. It wasn't his fault, and I had let him know that over and over again. I didn't want him to act like that; him being upset hurt me deeper than the hole had.

It was because we were mates, like he said we were. None could live without the other being happy, and it was true.

When I started to open up to him and talk more about what it was like when he had left, things between us started to spark. I was more happy and open, I had started to gain weight that had made my old neighbor approve, I smiled more and was expressive in my emotions; I passed high school at last, which had made Carlisle very proud of me. We had celebrated that night, and we ended up deciding it was time to move into our house and start our family. We had made love countless times In the new house before deciding it was time to get small feet inside the house moving.

Carlisle couldn't give children, but an artificial insemination clinic had certainly been able to. I had been impregnated right away, and I had given birth to a beautiful daughter after nine months of morning sickness, happy moments, moody days, and love from Carlisle who adored our girl who had blond curly hair and bright blue eyes to this day. After our daughter turned two, we had gone back to the clinic for another session.

I had come back with twins, two girls. Both looked much like me, which made me smug that I finally had a baby that looked like me; but not just one, I had two and Carlisle had one. We were starting to keep score up until I had given birth to six kids, and stopped there since the last two were twins as well. Carlisle was amused, but had agreed on stopping at our second set of twins that were seven, two months ago.

I had been changed on my twenty-sixth birthday, and was now a vampire housing six human kids without any complications. All my kids were in no danger of me hurting them since I had just as much control as Carlisle who had been the one to bite me. It was nice being around my kids as they grew up and not worrying about losing my bloodlust control.

Currently, I was laying lazily in bed under the blankets with Carlisle, both of us were undressed and relaxing together as we listened to the six babies upstairs fumble, run, pitter-patter, and giggle as they did there stuff to prepare for the day. Last month, my husband and I had sent out orders/invitations for a family reunion, and today was the day we would all get together whether they liked it or not.

"Should we go help them?" I asked curiously, listening to Ariel upstairs whining about the devil boys ruining a good shirt with markers in a prank.

Carlisle chuckled. "Perhaps." He said simply, not moving at all.

I rolled my eyes. "Is that silent language for 'your turn'?"

"Most likely." Carlisle laughed.

We both left the bed and sped on clothes before we sped upstairs where we both saw mayhem at its' best;

My fourteen year old, Ariel, was glaring holes into the seven year old twins and holding her best white shirt that was completely covered with glitter that was looked super glued; both boys looked victorious and mischievous.

My two twelve year old girls, Marley and Carol, were dancing to their identical music Ipods that were playing the same song, not paying attention to anyone else as they brushed their hair and were putting on their matching shirts. They were pretty easy to identify for Carlisle and myself and not by smell. They were different in other ways, and it was easy to tell apart for the outside eyes since Carol added blond to her beautiful brown hair in a single streak in the front to be 'independent' from her twin who had a streak of black.

My lone little ten year old boy, Jasper Junior – J.J as we all called him – was looking caught in the middle and ran straight for me to hide behind me and avoid the drama. Carlisle had named him Jasper Junior since he was always a quiet boy and resembled Jasper a bit.

I giggled at my son and held him to me as I watched my two devil boys, Emmett Junior and Anthony Ray, dash away downstairs to be away from the hands of their angry sister who turned to me with her arms crossed.

"What do I wear now!" She pouted.

Carlisle chuckled as I giggled. "Let me see what you have, Ariel." Carlisle followed her to her room to help her pick our her outfit.

I looked to JJ. "How long have you been caught in the middle?" I asked knowingly.

"Two hours; Mom, it's horrible. I need a single brother." JJ insisted.

"I tried, hon. I only got the devils down there." I informed him.

He moaned in sadness before joining the twin girls in the bathroom to ready himself and fix his pretty auburn hair.

I shook my head and went back downstairs; I made sure to glare at the boys so they wouldn't steal the cookies from the cookie jar this early in the morning, making them run off in fits of giggles. I suddenly had the feeling of going to the porch, so I walked to the front door and opened it, not seeing anything until a minute passed, and I saw a famous outdoor jeep, a Volvo, a truck, and a Cadillac.

I knew it was the rest of the Cullen gang who hadn't shown their faces for fifteen years to either Carlisle or myself. Carlisle had been messaging them all these years, but none had actually come back to him to be a coven again. Now, seeing them all over again put a smile on my face when Emmett was the first to enter the yard and open his arms for a hug with those cute big gold eyes and the puppy-bear look on his face.

"Too late for a hug?" Emmett asked me.

I sped to him, seeing no one outside, and hugged him tightly. "It's never too late for a hug, Em." I told him honestly and was placed back on the ground after a tight hug.

He laughed. "You look great after six kids." He told me with a nod.

"Thanks. I was surprised I still had my shape after my last twins who will get their hands out fo the cookie jar!" I shouted into the house, knowing where my twins were.

I heard them run away inside the house with 'uh-oh' and 'she's too good!' leaving their mouths.

Suddenly a head of auburn poked out of the house, and I saw my JJ eye the new people in the yard. I beckoned him out, and he came to me instantly.

"This one isn't your namesake, but he's been wanting to meet you guys for a while now." I told Emmett, rubbing my son's shoulder.

Emmett looked him up and down with a nod while the others finally gained courage to join us in civil talk. "He looks good; he looks like you a bit."

I nodded. "The insemination only gave me two looking like me, and those are the twin girls."

"What's your name?" Alice asked my little JJ who blushed at the attention.

"He's yours alright." Edward said softly with a chuckle.

I nodded quickly. "He's a shy one." I said lowly out of JJ's hearing. "Go on, tell your name like daddy taught you."

JJ looked at me and silently wondered why I was making him do this no doubt before he turned back to them and said, "Jasper Junior."

Jasper blinked and looked to me. "So I'm his namesake?" He sounded approving and curious.

"Yep. Carlisle said JJ was a lot like you in a sense, and I agreed. So, we named him JJ."

"Where's the rest of them?" Emmett asked bluntly, getting a smack aside his head from Rosalie.

I giggled before looking back to the house to see the parade being forced out the door by Carlisle having one under his arm; Emmett Junior, of course, who was smirking mischievously at his oldest sister who glared back.

"To start, my oldest is Ariel; then Marley and Carol; then JJ whom you've all met; then the devils, Emmett Junior and Anthony Ray." Carlisle introduced, standing near me and JJ.

"named after the master are you, young one?" Emmett grinned wickedly at Emm Junior.

My son gave a grin. "Of course."

Edward looked to Anthony then back to me. "Is a good child?" He asked me bluntly.

Carlisle chuckled at the question and I had to twitch my lips. That was Edward's answer judging by his amused grin.

"Our best child is JJ for obvious reasons." Carlisle stated, getting a huff from Ariel.

"No way. I'm the best." Ariel claimed.

My twin girls gave her a look together. "Yeah right." They said together.

"Reasons are obvious." Rosalie nodded in agreement while Esme tried to hold back her giggles at the sister rivalry of better standing above JJ who stayed firmly out of it as always.

"So, Uncle Emmett," Emm Junior started, getting all of our attention in my small family, "I was told you had a book of epic pranks?" his brother finished with the same grin.

Emmett opened his mouth, but saw mine, Carlisle's, JJ's, Ariel's, and Marley's and Carol's pointed look to deny all that was just asked, and he closed it quickly and cleared his throat. "Sorry, padawon. I lost it last decade." He chose a safe course.

"Good, son." Carlisle nodded in approval. "You've earned the right to pick a room upstairs now." He told him very seriously, making me nod in agreement.

"Do you need help cooking, Bella? I brought some food." Esme said helpfully.

"Thank you, Esme. I cook all day for them and..."

The talk started and all were forced into the house after a chase session of a stolen cell phone by Anthony and Emm junior. The hose had been used by Alice who was impishly smirking when she sprayed the two devils and Ariel to stop their fights. Emmett had snuck away with my twin devils to wreck havoc in the backyard, and Jasper started to teach his nephew and namesake how to play chess, his favorite game. Rosalie had gone with Ariel while Alice finally broke down and went to the twin girls to dance and have fun. Esme was cooking in the kitchen with me, and Edward had gone with Carlisle to sit in the den and reconnect with his father who he had obviously missed and was terribly sorry for what he had done, and sorry for never coming back to Carlisle.

Edward in my house wasn't bring the hole back, and when I had spotted my husband and Edward together hugging tightly in the relief of seeing his firstborn again, I had only smiled and left them alone. Edward, though he had hurt me, redeemed himself in my mind when he had simply hugged Carlisle like he had before my very eyes.

Esme in my house wasn't awkward either. She was a helping hand, and it was obvious she wasn't in love with Carlisle any longer. She had also apologized to Carlisle for leaving like she had when she was his second born and was supposed to be his wife fifteen years ago. She was upset at what she had done, and I didn't hold it against her.

After all, love does weird things when you're hurt and coming down from the clouds. Just look at me; I have six kids, I earned my high school degree after failing high school and not trying, I had lost the first love of my life, and I had no one but Ray for a month. I wasn't coming down anymore.

I was going up.

Cute little one shot to keep me writing!

I'm still, contrary to the belief, writing for Towards the Edge and Going Against the Storm. I just haven't put together a good enough chapter yet. TTE's chapter is almost done, but I want to get another chapter written before posting the next one. And GATS (HAHHAHAHA!) has a chapter coming as well.

Please be patient a little while longer! I don't deserve fans like you guys, but I love you with a ll my heart! :')

-Colonel Rage