Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer

The Things We Do For Love

Epilogue: Bella's Right

Edward's POV

If someone had told me that one day I'd buy a puppy just to get the local dog walker to talk to me I'd tell them they were crazy and suggest a doctor for them to see. For starters I actually don't like dogs, or at least I didn't like dogs.

The once fluff ball that ran around causing terror had turned into the perfect pet after several weeks of dog training classes and I got why dogs were referred to as man's best friend.

Jake had brought me the woman of my dreams and although he was a dog I was eternally grateful for that. So for the rest of his days I'd spoil him rotten for doing exactly what I needed from him.

If he hadn't have run round Bella and tripped her up, requiring that hospital visit then we still could have been employer and employee that rarely spoke. My boy came through for me and I wouldn't have been able to do it without him.

The one thing I wanted him to have was what I had, someone to love. He loved Bella and I'm sure if he were human he would be a rival for me, but that was different. He didn't have another dog around.

So when I brought back a dog from the shelter named Nessie that looked similar to Jake except she had bronze coloured fur, I wanted them to hit it off. Yes I was playing cupid for my dog. Bella thought I was being a complete idiot but hey, every guy deserved to feel what I felt day in and day out.

Nessie at first was cautious of Jake and didn't like it when he came over to sniff her. Bella agreed that if I had done that to her on our first meeting she would have lunged for me too. With the first exchange looking poorly I was pleasantly surprised to find them curled up on Jake's bed later that night.

My matchmaking skills were shining through and I was elated that I could do this for him. However, the next morning Nessie wouldn't let Jake eat any of his food and seemed to be taking charge.

"That's natural." Bella claimed. "Don't you realise that women take over like we're meant to?" She joked but there was some truth to her words.

After our occasionally meetings I couldn't stop thinking about her and she in fact had taken over my brain and heart. All I wanted was to please her and see her again so was willing to do anything for that. Jake, it seemed, was willing to go hungry for Nessie.

I wasn't impressed with him for this. He should be eating too, standing up and being a man. That didn't gain me any points and when I tried to explain that to Bella she thought I wanted him to put Nessie in her place like men had been doing since the beginning of time to women. This brought me an uncomfortable night's sleep on the couch after being kicked out of our bed.

Yes, our bed. Bella had moved in with me three months after the James thing. I finally plucked up the courage to tell her I loved her and then asked her to move in. Thankfully she agreed and also said it back.

Now that we lived together things were a lot more stressful than they were before. We'd argue over the bathroom, whose turn is it to wash the dishes, what car to take, where to eat when going out, how to punish Jake when he was bad, who hogs all the covers at night and a million other things like that.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

We weren't the only ones that had our differences though. Alice and Jasper were in a full on argument over what colour to paint the baby's room. Jazz wanted a dark green whereas Alice wanted a light blue. I'm pretty sure they'll paint the room half and half.

Her pregnancy was a shock to us. They aren't married and it was an accident but they say it's the best accident that's ever happened to them. So I wish them good luck, they'll be great parents.

Emmett and Rose are taking things slow and I actually think they still haven't slept with each other. Em seems convinced that this will make them stronger as a couple while Rose thinks Em has been hit on the head one too many times and lost it. The rest of us have a bet on seeing how long they'll last. Though with Alice betting on their wedding night I hate to think that I'll lose substantially.

"Stop watching the dogs." Bella said, walking into the living room.

"I wasn't." I fibbed.

"Stop lying to me." She said as she went into the kitchen and returned with a glass of water. "Don't tell me you've been sitting here since I left?"

"Fine, I won't tell you."

"Edward." She groaned, Nessie and Jake looking up to see what was going on.

"Well come on, she treats him like crap but welcomes him into her bed. That's just not right."

"Sounds like something Rose and Em would do if they finally got around to sealing the deal." I nodded in agreement. That's the exact type of foreplay they'd have.

"But why does he put up with it? I mean she won't let him eat half the time, constantly barks at him when he tries to sniff her but then they get all cuddly."

"He puts up with it because he loves her. For example, you put up with me and how I take too long in the shower, take all the covers at night and how I don't have an issue making you sleep on the couch because you love me."

"True, but it's like he needs to grow a pair." I wouldn't have Jake acting so sissy.

"Edward that's physically impossible after they were removed." She had a point. If he grew them back I'd be bloody impressed.

"How can he stand this crazy shit?"I moaned, watching as Nessie stopped Jake from having a drink of water when he was by the bowl first.

"He loves her."

"I don't think dogs can love." Bella snorted and scooted over onto my lap.

"You played cupid by getting Nessie in the first place and now you're telling me that dogs can't love. That's what's crazy here." I ignored Bella and called Nessie over. She sat at my feet and turned into my hand when I stroked her.

"Why are you so mean to my boy over there, huh?" Yeah, I speak to the dogs. It's hard not to.

"Don't expect her to answer. She's following the female code. We never reveal our secrets to the men." I rolled my eyes and Bella swatted my arm.

"Nessie, please be good to Jake. Now I know he can be a pain in the ass and probably does some annoying things we don't know about but come on, give the guy a chance." Nessie just licked my hand and took no notice of what I was saying.

"Jake!" Bella called over. He, like Nessie, sat at my feet and waited for Bella to pat him. "You're doing a great job with her champ but maybe you should stand up for yourself a little. She can't dominate you all the time. Now I'm not saying put her down or hurt her cause if you do you'll be in big trouble, but just stand your ground. Okay?"

Jake didn't seem to care for what Bella was saying and turned into her hand that was scratching his ears.

"I feel like we're giving relationship counselling to our dogs." I admitted to Bella.

"We are." She smiled at me and sent the dogs back to their blankets.

Jake already had a bed but when Nessie arrived she took his and he took the new one. They would sometimes curl up on the same one but Jake got the shorter end of the stick and would end up mostly on the hard wooden floor. So Bella and I decided to get big blankets for them to share and now they could curl up together easily, which they did.

"If Nessie doesn't change her ways I think Jake is sacrificing a lot and that doesn't seem fair."

"That's just the things we do for love Edward. He's willing to sacrifice when he eats and drinks so she's happy. Emmett's willing to sacrifice his sex life to make him and Rose stronger. Jasper is willing to sacrifice his plans for the baby's room so Alice is happy and you Edward are willing to sacrifice some of your thoughts so that I'm happy and you don't have to sleep on the couch."

She probably couldn't have put it better even if she tried.

"You're right." I said as we washed our hands.

"Oh I know that. Didn't I tell you, women are always right?" I snorted and shook my head but stopped immediately when I saw her eyebrows raised in question and that you're-going-to-sleep-on-the-couch look in her eyes.

"I…eh...well you see-" I began, trying to fix the damage I had done.

"I'm kidding." Bella said, laughing at my reactions. "You're just too cute."

When we returned to the living room Jake and Nessie were sharing the water bowl, having a drink together. Such a simple thing but it meant so much.

Bella was one hundred percent right, these were the things we do for love. Without them love wouldn't work and the six of us, eight if you now count Jake and Nessie, would never have found happiness.

A.N.

Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, added this to their favourite or alert lists. It really means a lot to me. Thanks also to TheSpoiltOne for your encouragement and reminding me why it was important to finish this story.