AN: The final epilogue of this story and The Missing Piece and I'm marking this one complete

My heartfelt thanks to my beta MeteorOnAMoonlessNight who always found the time to add commas and correct my grammar. Thank you to my pre-readers annaharding and Midnight Cougar for picking up plot holes, suggesting better ways to say something and for all their encouragement. And thank you all for pointing out my Britishisms!

To those who are cowards, for goodness sake have the courage to put your name to your thoughts or please don't bother reviewing at all - I certainly won't miss you. I don't care if you don't like my Edward, there are plenty who want to give him a chance. If you don't like it then you really don't have to read.

What matters is those reviewers who did log in even if it was to tell me how awful Edward was and how abysmal his behaviour. Thank you for your courage and I can only say that I can't please everyone and of course I want you to like my story, but nothing is for everyone.

Anyhow, thank you for every review, follow and favourite as I mark this one complete and move on to the next one

Disclaimer: SM owns it all

A Little Piece of My Heart Epilogue Part 2

Summary

After moving to San Francisco for her dream job, Bella lives her life to the fullest, even though a little piece of her heart is missing. It's small enough to be missed but large enough to know something is missing.

A story of not knowing what you have until it's almost too late.

Epilogue Part 2

I was woken the following morning by wet kisses on my neck.

"Babe." His whisper against my skin caused goosebumps. I snuggled deeper into my pillow, determined I wasn't going to wake until I was good and ready.

Another line of kisses across my shoulder made me shiver. Edward snuck his arm under mine and found my nipple, running his palm over it, gripping it between his finger and thumb. I wriggled and turned over onto my stomach.

Edward wasn't deterred; he rarely was when he wanted me, though he was a generous lover and always made sure I came before he did; more than once, usually. His hand smoothed down over my back, stroking my skin, and despite my determination not to wake up, he was succeeding in turning me on, and he knew it.

His fingers found my center, and I couldn't resist pressing back against his hand. That was all it took. Pulling my back to his chest, he lifted my leg over his hip and slid deeply inside me. His slow, easy movements began to have the desired effect, and I stretched my arm over the back of his head, dragging his lips down to mine, while his hand found my clit. At this angle, his cock never failed to find my G-spot, and it wasn't long before I came. He followed moments after me, stilling inside me until our breathing settled back to normal.

"Sorry, sweetheart, I'd love to stay here and make love to you all day, but I need to get going for work." His warmth disappeared from behind me, and I heard the shower turn on as I drifted off again.

Sometime later, he leaned over me and whispered in my ear. "I'm off to work now, Bella. Take it easy and rest up; let my swimmers do their job, eh?"

The light scent of his cologne swept over me. Pushing up on one arm, I wound the other around his neck, pulling his lips to mine. I hugged the knowledge I might already be pregnant to myself as he kissed me back passionately before striding out of the room. I heard the front door slam and his car start up as he made his way to work.

Snuggling back under the covers, my mind drifted back over our journey to this point.

~ oOo ~

The entire year after we found our way back to each other was hard. There were a lot of times when I felt inadequate and insecure. Even though I knew she wasn't what he wanted, I couldn't help but compare myself to Kate. Edward spent nights and days reassuring me I was the one he loved. He blamed himself for everything, and a couple of times, we ended up in a huge fight, and I'd stormed out and stayed over with Jess and Mike.

He was always the one to come to me. He was honest—brutally so, sometimes—and I started to believe it was me he loved; me he wanted to be with. I forced myself to be honest with him because there had been far too many misunderstandings caused by our lack of communication. I didn't want us to end up apart; though I was fully capable of leading a good life without Edward, I didn't want to.

We were at his parents' house for the New Year's holiday when Edward got down on one knee a few minutes before midnight, surrounded by all our friends and family. I could only stand there, totally shocked, my hands over my mouth, as I swallowed hard and I looked down at him.

"Bella, you are the love of my life and my best friend. I can't imagine a future without you in it. You've forgiven me for every stupid word and action without hesitation, and I love you beyond reason. Will you marry me? Please?"

I stared at the ring held out by the man in front of me, recognizing it as belonging to Carlisle's mother. The room went silent with only the sound from the television in the other room and Ryan Seacrest's voice counting down. I didn't know why I was shocked; I knew we were forever but, somehow, he'd taken me completely by surprise. For a minute, my voice had been stolen by the lump in my throat.

"Bella?" Edward's soft voice broke through the silence.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes. Of course, I'll marry you, Edward."

He got to his feet and slid the ring on my finger, enveloping me in his arms with a crushing hug, kissing my forehead, my eyelids, my nose, and finally my mouth before burying his head in the crook of my neck. "Thank you, thank you, baby."

At a squeal from across the room, I looked up to watch Jess fly over to us. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

She hugged me so tightly, I was worried she'd forgotten I needed to breathe. "Jess," I croaked. "Jess. Let me breathe, please."

"Oh, sorry, Bella," she said, drawing back. "I'm so excited for you. Let me see the ring. Do you know when you'll get married? Can I help with the arrangements?"

"Hold on, Jess." I laughed. "I didn't know anything about this ten minutes ago. Give me a chance to process before you offer your help."

She grabbed my hand. "Oh, my God, Bella. This is absolutely gorgeous."

I explained where it had come from, and she swooned at the romance of it all. Very Jess-like.

She and Mike had gotten married not long after Edward and I moved back into the apartment. Their Halloween wedding was an extravaganza, and everyone voted the reception as the best party of the year. Not six months after, she'd gotten pregnant, and while it had been unplanned, they both welcomed the little boy born nine months later.

Jamie was the sweetest little boy you could ever meet. His hair was so blond it was almost white and his eyes as blue as a summer sky. Now, at almost a year old, he was asleep upstairs in the nursery Esme had designed.

I knew why she'd done it; she was hoping Edward and I would be the ones to provide her with grandbabies very soon. However, it was something we would make a decision about when the time was right.

Rose and Emmett had arrived a couple of days ago from San Francisco, bringing their daughter with them, who was also fast asleep upstairs. Maggie was only a little older than Jamie was, and Rose was already pregnant with baby number two.

Jasper and I had rekindled our friendship when he moved to Seattle to be with Alice Brandon, the wedding planner. They hadn't married, but their daughter Maria was now six months old, and I had the feeling a proposal and a wedding weren't too far away. With all the babies asleep in the nursery, it wasn't surprising Esme had baby fever.

Edward had been very prickly around Jasper for a while, but once the two of them got to know each other, and Edward was secure in the knowledge it was him I truly loved, they'd become fast friends.

And last of all, Victoria and James had arranged to be in Seattle at the right time. They'd sold their galleries in San Francisco, and when she had offered me the one here in Seattle, I jumped at the chance to buy it. Edward was a silent partner and the bank owned the majority of the other half, but it was all working out perfectly. They'd spent the last few years traveling, but I had an idea they would settle down again before too long.

Later, I found out Edward had been the one who had gotten in touch with all of them to arrange for them to be here.

Esme was absolutely over the moon at our engagement, but was a little miffed he hadn't asked for her help. "Edward, why didn't you tell me you were going to propose? I could have helped you plan it."

"Mom, I'm sorry you didn't get in on the planning, but this had to be all me. I'm sure Bella will want some help with the wedding, won't you, sweetheart?"

Esme turned to me, and I assured her that, when the time came and we decided on the when and where, she would be the first to know. And yes, I would love to have her help.

Carlisle congratulated and hugged us both. "I knew you'd find your way, Edward. I'm so glad you and Bella realized how much you mean to each other."

For the next hour or so, we danced and listened as everyone in the room congratulated us. Finally, we made our way to Edward's old room. We could still hear the music from downstairs and were slow dancing in the middle of the room.

"Let's get married soon, okay?" I said.

"Really? You don't need a year to prepare?"

"No, I just want to be your wife. My only stipulation is we keep it small and intimate with only the best of friends and family invited. Everything else is window dressing. I want everyone involved in the ceremony and no one invited only to the reception. If someone is important enough to invite to the reception, they're important enough to be at the wedding."

"Anything you want, Bella. I just want to be your husband. When were you thinking? Have you had any thoughts about where?"

"Well, I was thinking about the first week in June and in your parents' garden."

"Sounds perfect, sweetheart, and I know Mom will love the idea. We'll tell them tomorrow."

"It was a very public proposal, Edward. What if I'd said no?"

"Then I would have asked again and again and again until your answer was yes, but I'm glad I only had to ask once."

~ oOo ~

I awoke again with a smile on my face and unable to sleep any longer.

My mom would have loved Edward and would have flirted with him shamelessly, I mused. He and Charlie would have been good friends too; although, Charlie would have threatened to shoot him for the hurt he caused me.

Our wedding had been glorious, the sun even deciding to shine for the whole day. Esme had been the perfect mom and, along with Jess, had helped me find the right dress and shoes and decide on the perfect flowers to match the colors Edward and I had chosen.

Esme was over the moon when I told her I'd love to get married at her house, and it had been decorated simply and elegantly in white and pale green with pink roses. She'd told me that Kate and her mom had decided virtually everything for her marriage to Edward, and I was determined he would have a say in everything this time.

"I knew he wasn't exactly happy," Esme confided in me, "but, although we tried to steer him in the right direction, it really wasn't our place to tell him what he should be doing. He had to come to the right answer at his own pace."

Jess, Esme, and I spent a few afternoons food tasting for the reception and making ourselves sick testing cakes. Edward wasn't a cake-lover, but he appeared at the caterers, happy to try the ones I liked the best, ending up with three tiers, one chocolate, one vanilla, and one red velvet, all covered in buttercream frosting.

Edward even made time to help me with invitations, which I'd decided I wanted to hand write. His writing was so much better than my chicken scratch, and I felt it added a personal touch.

Mike and Edward had become good friends, and when the time came, he agreed to be Edward's best man and, of course, Jess was my matron of honor.

Edward and I chose our rings together. A simple platinum ring for him, engraved with the words in saecula saeculorum—always and forever. My wedding band had the same inscription inside with a row of tiny diamonds woven around a plain platinum band.

Shaking myself from my memories, I looked at the clock to see that it was already ten-thirty, and I was due to meet Esme for lunch in a couple of hours.

I decided it was time for me to find out the truth. My period was already five days late, and I was never late. I was certain the test would be positive, although I cautioned myself not to be too disappointed if it wasn't.

Getting pregnant the moment I stopped taking the pill would be the best outcome, but my doctor had told me it typically took longer than a few weeks. I headed to the bathroom, opening the test I'd bought yesterday and reading the instructions.

Right, here goes, I thought. I passed the stick between my legs and under through the stream of liquid before placing it on the toilet tissue I'd placed on the counter. I deliberately didn't look at it as I washed my hands and brushed my teeth. My phone chimed from the bedroom, and I closed my eyes taking a deep breath to calm my breathing before looking down at the result.

Pregnant!

The word in the tiny little window jumped out at me. I hopped on the spot for a second and had to look at it again before I believed what I could clearly read. I wanted to call Edward and tell him right now, but I wanted to make the moment he learned he was going to be a daddy special.

I wrapped it carefully and slid it into the drawer on my nightstand, pushing it to the back underneath my book. Edward didn't usually look in this drawer, but there was a chance and I didn't want him to find it by accident.

A leisurely, hot shower later, I was standing in front of the mirror in the bedroom. I dropped the towel to the floor and turned sideways, looking to see if there was anything different I could see. Apart from my boobs being a little more tender, they were the same size as before and my belly was still as flat. I shook my head at my daft thoughts, but I so wanted to see some outside evidence to tell me I was carrying a baby.

I rested my hands across my belly. "Hi, baby! I'm so happy to know you're here, and even if you can't hear me because you're so tiny, I already love you. Your daddy doesn't know about you yet, but he's going to be happy, too."

I left the house around twelve to meet Esme. I loved my little Mini Cooper and it was great for getting around Seattle. Soon I'd have to find a different one, something bigger and safer for the baby.

I drew up to the valet parking outside the restaurant ten minutes before twelve-thirty. I could already see Esme sitting at the bar, a glass of wine in front of her. The valet took my car and I headed inside, waving to her, as the hostess seated us at a table. I would have to figure out how to get out of drinking anything alcoholic without Esme being any the wiser; if I refused outright, she'd know in a nanosecond.

"Hi, Esme. You look lovely today." We greeted each other with a hug and took our seats.

"I'll have the same as you, Esme," I said, when the waitress asked me what I would like to drink. "Can I get a bottle of water, too, please?"

Two hours later, we were laughing and chatting about her next door neighbors, the charity ball she was helping to organize, the redecoration of Edward's old room, and how Carlisle did something swirly with his tongue last night that had her seeing stars.

"Oh, Esme," I said in mock horror. "I think that's far too much information; I really do." When she'd had a few drinks, she was a riot and tended to let her mouth run away with itself. I'd learned more about their sex life than I ever wanted to know. I managed to avoid more than a couple of tiny sips of the wine, slopping it into Esme's glass when she went to the ladies restroom and feeding another to the artificial plant beside our booth.

I was really itching to let her in on the secret, but I managed to keep it to myself until I was back in my car. When she'd driven out of sight, I stamped my feet, waved my hands about, and shook my head; I had to get rid of the raw excitement bubbling through me before I exploded.

Before I headed back to the house, I decided to stop and take a walk around the shops, looking for a special way to tell Edward the good news. A onesie with "I love daddy" printed across the front caught my eye. Included with it was a card with a beautiful message inside.

All I needed was a box, which I found in the same shop, and then I went to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for his favorite dinner. I headed home afterward, changing into leggings and one of Edward's t-shirts. I pulled the test I'd taken this morning out of the nightstand drawer, feeling the excitement bubble up again, and couldn't resist unwrapping it to make sure I hadn't imagined the results. Taking it with me, I returned to the kitchen to put away the groceries and make some tea before settling down on the sofa.

I carefully folded the onesie so Edward would be able to see the printing across the front and re-read the perfect words on the card before placing them both in the box. Those words were exactly how I felt about Edward and, now, our baby; he or she would be the perfect addition to our family.

The only thing better than having you as my husband will be our baby having you as a DAD.

I wrapped the test in a sheet of the fine paper I'd bought and placed that in the center before replacing the lid.

Leaning back, I picked up my tea and sipped the hot drink. I had to admit that I would miss my coffee, but for the sake of this baby, swapping coffee for tea was a small sacrifice, probably one of many. When Edward's familiar greeting rang out, I was still there, daydreaming about our baby and looking forward to everything the future would bring. At the sound of his voice, I quickly pushed the box under the cushion behind me as he swept into the room, bringing inside the damp air from the light misting rain that had begun to fall.

Taking a seat beside me, he pulled me into a hug that morphed into a toe-curling kiss. He drew back long before I was ready, leaving me breathless.

"Hi, sweetheart, how was your day? Did you enjoy lunch with my mother?"

I laughed. "It was inappropriate, as usual. I know far more about your parents' love life than I'm comfortable with, but she'd had a few glasses of wine before I got there. Other than that, it was the usual: gossiping about the neighbors and her latest decorative ideas for the house. I swear when she's finished the last room, she starts back at the beginning again."

He kissed me lightly again. "True, she's always looking for a new project, and I keep expecting them to move just so she can start on another one. I'm going to get changed into something more comfortable, okay?"

I nodded. "Dinner?" At his nod, I headed for the kitchen to put together his favorite meal, butterflies flitting around in my stomach at the revelation I would unveil in a short while.

The dining table was in an alcove off the living room, and Edward laid the table while I prepared dinner. He was watching the evening news when I called him to come and eat. I'd already opened a beer for him, but had chosen water for myself. He looked at me a little strange since I often had a beer with him or a glass of wine, but he said nothing.

For the next forty minutes or so, we chatted generally about the gallery renovations and the new project he'd been asked to oversee. My nerves were getting the better of me, nerves brought about by excitement.

Eventually, of course, Edward noticed. "Are you okay, Bella? You haven't eaten much. There's nothing wrong, is there? You know you can tell me anything, don't you?"

"Everything's fine, Edward. In fact, better than fine. If you've finished, why don't I get dessert and we eat it in front of the television? We could watch a movie."

He frowned a little, but accepted what I said and helped me clear the table. Then, he grabbed two bottles of beer from the refrigerator while I finished loading the dishwasher. I cut a large piece of chocolate cake, his favorite again, and added two forks to the plate. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to calm myself, before grabbing the box and the cake and walking slightly unsteadily into the living room.

Edward had already chosen a movie and queued it to start. He held his arm out to me, inviting me into his embrace. I placed the plate on the coffee table and snuggled into his side.

"What's this?" he asked.

"I got you a gift while I was out today." I slid the box over onto his lap. "Open it."

He pulled his arm from behind me and lifted the edge of the box, peering inside. He was silent for a while, his gaze on the contents.

"Say something, Edward, please." I bit my lip to stop myself from blurting out unnecessarily.

He looked at me, wide-eyed. "Does this mean what I think it means? You're... you're pregnant? Right now? How do you know?"

"I took a test this morning; it's wrapped in the paper."

I watched as he took the card out of the box, read it, and laid it on the table. He followed that with the onesie and then unwrapped the test before looking at me with a blinding smile.

My smile mirrored his, and I nodded. "Yes, we're expecting a baby."

His hand tangled in his hair as he rested his elbow on his knee. "When? How? I didn't think it would be this quick. Shit, I was really rough with you last night. That wouldn't have hurt the baby, would it?"

"It must have happened while we were on our honeymoon, and I don't think I need to explain how, do I?" I raised my eyebrows at him. "And no, of course you haven't hurt the baby. He or she is suspended in a bubble of liquid for protection."

He leaned forward and placed everything carefully on the coffee table. I could see his chest heaving with breaths.

"Is everything okay, Edward?" I sat forward and put my arm around him, swallowing at the thought that he might not be as happy as I was.

He turned to me, brushing away the tears on his cheeks before enveloping me in a tight hug. I could feel his hot breath on my neck along with the wetness of a few more tears.

"I'm better than okay, Bella. It's the best news ever, second only to the day you agreed to marry me. I'm just a little overwhelmed; I didn't think it would happen so soon."

He drew back and I brushed away the rest of his tears and kissed him. "Neither did I, but that doesn't matter."

Leaning back, he drew me over his lap until I was straddling him. "I love you so much, Bella. Thank you."

"No thanks are needed, Edward. We're in this together. Always and forever."

~ oOo ~ The End ~ oOo ~