SM owns Twilight.

Story title inspired by the song Thorn in my Pride by The Black Crowes.

Thank you to my lovely pre-reader and friend coastaltigergirl. Love ya darling. All mistakes are mine.

I apologize greatly for my lack of updating and responding to reviews. This is the longest I have ever gone with a story and it bothers me greatly to be so lax. RL is busy and unfortunately creativity often takes a back seat. I will try my very best to not let another lapse such as this happen again and I will respond to reviews going forward. Thank you for your patience and all of the love that you have given this story so far.

Thank you lilmstran for being my 100th review.

Chapter Ten

"Your pressure is 110 over 70, Bella." Dr. Wright says as she takes the blood cuff off of her. "Right where we would like it to be." She says as she pats Bella's shoulder.

"Does that mean she can come off bed rest?" Edward asks.

"Officially yes." Dr. Wright says. "All though something tells me she has not exactly been resting these past two weeks since your return." She says as she looks at Edward with a smirk.

"I plead the fifth." Bella responds in a nonchalant voice.

"Just as I thought." Dr. Wright chuckles before she moves to get the measuring tape. "Lie down for me please."

Edward helps Bella lie back, moving slightly out of the way so the other doctor can come and measure her belly growth.

"Your measurements look good as does your weight." Dr. Wright says as she takes the tape measure away from Bella's belly and moves to write down her numbers.

"Let's take a quick listen to her heartbeat and then..."

"Actually..." Edward begins "...we were hoping that maybe we could have a sonogram instead."

"Do you have concerns Edward?" Dr. Wright asks.

"No not really it's just..." Edward hesitantly says.

Dr. Wright looks on as Edward tries to convey his need to see his daughter without saying the words. With a smile of sympathy for what the couple has recently been through she nods her head at Edward.

"Of course, let me just go and get everything set up." She says before leaving the room.

"I told you she would be more than happy to do it." Bella says with a slight chuckle at the way her husband suddenly seemed like a little boy.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." Edward says as he leans down and kisses his wife.

TP

"There she is." Dr. Wright says as she turns the screen for Edward and Bella to see their daughter.

"Hello my sweet Melanie." Edward says as he places his hand on the side of Bella's stomach.

As soon as Edward places his hand down, the image of Melanie on the screen begins to move around.

"Is she always so responsive to his touch?" Dr. Wright asks as she watches the little girl's hand move towards Edwards.

"From the moment I could first feel her moving around." Bella says.

"Daddy cannot wait for you to get here baby girl." Edward says as he leans forward and places a kiss on her belly, his eyes never leaving the screen before him. "Thank you for taking care of mommy while I was away and for keeping her company so she wouldn't be so sad." Edward says, his eyes closing for just a moment at the feel of Bella's hands soothing through his hair.

"I love you sweet girl." Edward says as he slowly opens his eyes back and watches his daughter's movement's flicker before him. "So very much, do I love you and mommy."

Edward watches the screen for a moment more before he stands back up, leaning over to Bella and kissing her softly on the lips.

"Thank you Dr. Wright." He says softly as he looks over at her.

"It was my pleasure." She answers him as she tries to hold back the tears that are threatening to spill over. "Would you like a few pictures?" She asks trying to regain her professional edge.

"We would, thank you." Bella answers.

TP

"So the doctor said everything was ok?" Charlie asks as he looks out Edward and Bella's kitchen window, watching his daughter and his future wife as they tend to the small garden Bella has in their back yard.

"Everything is perfect." Edwards says as he joins Charlie at the window, handing him a beer. "Dr. Wright took her off of bed rest officially. We asked for another sonogram and she let us have one. She is very active and healthy."

"Thank God for little miracles." Charlie quietly says as he watches his daughter laughing outside.

"Sadie insisted on coming over here and tending to the garden while you were away. She knew Bella would be upset to have lost anything."

"Bella is very grateful to her for doing that. She loves her little garden; she's at peace when she is out there. She was before this nightmare began but she has been even more so since we came home a few weeks ago." Edward says.

"How is she otherwise?" Charlie asks as he looks over at Edward for the first time.

"She's doing amazingly well all things considering. She dotes on me all the time, insists on taking care of me even when I don't need it. I think it's her way of making sure I am really here and that this isn't a dream." Edward says with a heavy sigh.

"How are you doing Edward?" Charlie asks.

"Physically I am great. I have been cleared to go back to work next week." Edward says as he walks over to the kitchen island and takes a seat.

"What about mentally?" Charlie asks as he joins his son in law at the island.

"I'm..." Edward starts before pausing to watch the beautiful smile that lights up Bella's eyes as she laughs at something Sadie has said.

"I'm scared Charlie." Edward finally says.

"What are you scared of?"

"Of taking her for granted, of taking the fact she is ok for granted." Edward says before he turns to look at Charlie. "Bella has been in my life for a little over two years now and in that time she has been shot and almost died, we both have been kidnapped, I have watched three different assholes pull a gun on her and seen too many bruises from her being hit and there was nothing I could do to stop it. It's...I just...one person shouldn't have to go through all that shit Charlie, but she has and so much more in her precious short life."

"Your right Edward, neither one of you should have had to have gone through any of this shit." Charlie says as he puts his hand on Edward's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "You both have been through so much and have become so much stronger because of it. You two share a love with one another that no one could ever break, you have been to hell and back together and you both still manage to get out of bed each morning, love each other and all those around you. You both still have passions, for life, for your work and most importantly for each other and for your daughter. There is no way in hell that either of you will ever take the other one for granted."

The two sit there quietly as Charlie's words settle in, both of their eyes watching the women they love outside laughing with one another.

"I think we need to get away from here for a few days." Edward says as he watches Bella and Sadie picking blackberries.

"Are you thinking about going to Wrightsville Beach?"

"No." Edward says with a sigh. "Marco told me that Cristobal had ways of tracking Bella and I, of learning our routine and coming after us that way. Hell he was able to hack into Bella's computer, knowing she was on it so I could talk to her. If they know that much about us then they know about the house in Wrightsville Beach. I know Cristobal is dead, but I still worry. His people and his wife are still out there and more than likely will still be after us."

"Where are you thinking then?"

"Bella once told me about a trip her and Renee took to Pawley's Island, South Carolina when she was fifteen. She told me about these tidal pools that litter the island after high tide and about how much fun her and Renee had exploring them. She said it was so peaceful there, not a lot of people on the beach and so much nature surrounding her. She said she found serenity there." Edward says with a small smile on his face. "I want to give her that again, even if it's only for a few days. I want to bring a little serenity back into her life."

"What about..."

"I had Rosie set everything up for me." Edward says interrupting the question he knew Charlie was about to ask. "She did her hacking voodoo thing and was able to rent us a house down there, a car here and she also hired a private security team to be down there with us."

"That girl is something else." Charlie says with a chuckle. "So what you're telling me is that no one will know that you are down there?"

"Just our immediate family and even then the contact will be very limited. Rosie got me a burn phone that I'll use to let you guys know that we are ok and that we will use for emergencies, God forbid one should happen. Other than that we will not be taking our cells or computers with us. Nothing electronic that will be traceable. As far as the trained or untrained eye will know we will be here in DC, holed up in our house, under FBI watch just like we have been for the past two weeks."

"And the security team?" Charlie asks.

"There will be four men down there with us, close enough to step in if needed, but not so close as to take away the purpose of the trip. They are men that Bogwicz personally recommended to us so I feel good about them being there with us."

"Does Bella know about this trip yet?"

"No, I wanted it to be a surprise to her, plus I knew that if I did tell her and Dr. Wright told us that Bella was still on bed rest there would have been hell to pay."

"I always knew you were a smart man." Charlie says as he pats Edward on the shoulder.

"I'll keep her safe Charlie. I promise you that." Edward says as he turns to look at Charlie.

"I know you will son." Charlie says with a confident nod of his head.

TP

"And this is a starfish." Edward says as he takes the five legged creature and places it on Bella's bare stomach. "But mommy tells me that marine scientists are trying to have them renamed as sea stars instead because they are not really fish. But we really like the name starfish so we are going to call them that. They have the ability to regrow their limbs if it becomes served and while most of them have five legs some of them can have up to forty."

"These five tickle enough as it is, thank goodness you didn't find one with forty." Bella giggles as she tries to stay still for the picture that Edward is taking of a starfish laying on her tummy.

"Melly's first starfish." Edward says as he takes it off of her belly and puts it back into the tidal pool that they are sitting in.

They had arrived in Pawley's Island two days before. They spent the daylight hours outside, exploring the wide open beach that transformed with each tide change, leaving behind new pools to venture into and new sea life to discover. When they were not exploring pools, they lounged under a cabana that Edward fought with both when he put it up and took it down due to the constant windy conditions of the area. They read to each other and napped in the shade with the sound of waves crashing in the distance.

Their evenings had been spent cuddled up with one another on the hammock that hung from the porch of the house they were renting, the ocean breeze taking away all of their worries, even if it was only for a moment in time.

This day they were sitting in a small group of tide pools, Bella in a small lounge chair that allowed her to be in the water and close to the ground while still getting some support from the chair. Edward was sitting in the water beside her, pulling sea creatures out and describing them to Melanie, before he placed them on Bella's tummy to take pictures.

"I still cannot believe I let you talk me into wearing a bikini." Bella says as she watches Edward reach for a sea urchin.

"Your belly is beautiful Bella. It shows the world our love and our precious gift." Edward says as he leans over and kisses said showing.

"How can you be so cheesy and so sweet and adorable at the same time?" Bella giggles as she wipes the tears that wailed up in her eyes at Edward's words.

"It's part of my charm darling." Edward says in an overly exaggerated Southern accent which only causes Bella to giggle more.

"This little guy is a sea urchin." Edward says as he takes the prickly little creature and places it gingerly on Bella. "It's not too much is it?"

"It's fine baby." Bella tells him as she watches him with a warm smile on her face.

"These guys are cousins to the starfish." Edward says as he snaps a quick picture. "They come in all different sizes and colors. Mommy always points them out to me when we dive together around reefs. They are so beautiful even though they have prickly little spikes and look like hedgehogs." Edward finishes as he takes the spiny bundle and puts it back in the water.

"Thank you for this Edward." Bella says with a sigh as she watches him search for something else to continue Melanie's lesson.

"You don't have to keep thanking me Bella. This was something we all needed." Edward says as he takes Bella's hand in his own and places them both on her belly.

"She agrees." Bella whispers as she feels Melanie moving towards the spot where their hands lay.

"Of course she does." Edward says as he snaps a picture of their joined hands. "Our baby girl is smart."

"I love you Edward."

"I love you too baby, so, so damn much." Edward says with a heavy sigh as he lays his head down on their hands.

"We're going to be ok." Bella says as she takes her free hand and plays with his hair.

"We are, because of your strength we are going to be ok." Edward says as he lifts himself out of the water to kiss Bella.

"Melly's ready for her next lesson." Bella giggles into their kiss as she feels her little one kicking her stomach.

"Patience baby girl, daddy needs a little more mommy kisses." Edward says as he rubs the spot before he returns his attention to their kiss.

After a few more mommy kiss moments, Edward gives Bella a final soft kiss before he lowers himself back into the water looking for his next teaching.

"Oh look at these little guys." Edward says as he holds up two small crabs. "We can give mommy crabs."

"Edward Cullen you will not give me crabs!" Bella laughs at the look on Edward's face as he realizes what he has said.

"That was like a bad pick up line wasn't?" Edward chuckles, his ears a little pink at his slip of words, as he puts them back in the water.

"Very bad!" Bella says as she continues to laugh.

"Good thing we brought mommy's underwater camera." Edward says as he places the camera in the water to take pictures of the creatures in their natural habitat.

"We'll learn about sea crabs at a later date."

"And all other crabs at a much, much later date." Bella giggles again.

"No worries about those crabs darling for our daughter will never date." Edward says with conviction.

"You keep telling yourself that my wonderfully silly man." Bella says as she pats him on the shoulder.

"You'll listen to daddy won't you baby girl?" Edward whispers to her belly before he looks up at Bella.

"Are you ready to go back to the house to lie down?"

"I'm not tired Edward."

"Trust me my beautiful wife..." Edward says as she stands up and helps Bella out of her chair. "...I have no intentions of sleeping."

A/N

Facts on starfish and sea urchins are courtesy of National Geographic.

Pawley's Island, SC is a small little beach community that is about thirty minutes south of Myrtle Beach. The beaches there are beautiful and the southern part of the small island has these great tide pools that are constantly changing with the tides. Great place to explore.

A little much needed quiet time for these two. Hope you enjoyed their moments together.

Thank you again for your patience. It is greatly appreciated.

Much love to you all!