Hello all, I'm back with Tread Lightly. After reviewing feedback from reviews (thank you so much for the reviews btw) I spoke to my beta and we decided on some serious editing that was needed. I was never happy with the first finished article so here is the version i am happy with. It is essentially the same story but a much better read with no plot holes and all the crappy grammer and spelling corrected as this was posted on FF without a beta.

Much kudos and mega thanks to Katastorphe, who is an awesome beta and perfect bounce wall.

I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread lightly as you tread on my dreams – W.B Yeats

Chapter 1 – Oh Happy days

The forest resounded with the sounds of childish giggling and a deeper, frustrated moan. The birds were silent and no animals stirred. They held their breath as the vampires finished their game of hide and seek.

"Home!" came the victorious cry across the forest.

"Not again, Soph," Edward shouted out in mock anger.

"It's not my fault that you're rubbish at this game."

Edward began to make his way back towards the spot they had called home base. He was silent, his feet making no sound as he stalked forward. Soph was standing between two Aspen poplar trees waiting for him. As he got closer, Edward broke out into a run, catching his charge off guard. He caught her around the waist and tossed her high above his head. Sophia squealed in delight, begging for more as Edward caught her in his arms.

"No more, your mom will dismember me. We'd better get back if you are going to Esme's for movie night."

Movie night was tradition that Esme had thought up after reading a child development magazine. She was determined to be the best Grandmother in the world. Edward had no doubts that his mom would succeed in that quest. The massive Cullen movie database had been expanded to cover every Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks film ever made. The entire Cullen coven had taken in Sophia as one of their own and spoiled her rotten. Bella had given up trying to subdue them.

Sophia had been shy around the Cullens at first. Bella and Sophia had been on their own for so long it was hard for them both to adjust to the change in family situation, but the feeling of completeness had returned to the Cullen family. Sophia loved her new grandparents and her aunts and uncles. Rosalie and Emmett had become seasoned babysitters and Sophia's favourite Cullens. Rosalie was channeling all her maternal instincts into Sophia, but always very cautious of stepping on Bella's toes. Sophia loved spending time with her Uncle Emmett, learning new pranks or on hunting trips north, much to Bella worry. Her Auntie Alice was fun to be with; they played dress up, did arts and crafts and shopped, Alice successfully converting Sophia's wardrobe into cute girly dresses. Her Uncle Jasper, Alice's husband, was the best storyteller in the world, gory details and all. He told her stories of the newborn armies, the Confederate War and her most favourite story of all, how he found her Auntie Alice.

Despite the Cullens' acceptance and love of Sophia, none of the original Cullen family loved Sophia more than Edward. He had taken on his father duties very seriously and immediately comfortable in the Immortal Childs company. He had been unsure at first how Sophia would take to him being in their lives. The Internet had been full of horror stories of children not taking to their mother's new boyfriends or husband. His fears had been unfounded. From the moment they sat down at the piano together, they had been firm friends. He to her to school, they hunted together, Edward had taught her to read music. He considered her his daughter. Sophia still called him Edward and he was okay with that, Bella was her mom and that was all that mattered to him. The last six months had been the absolute best in Edward's long existence. He had Bella back, she had forgiven him, he had a daughter who he adored; his family was complete again.

Bella was at work at the hospital, so the house was empty when he got home. Sophia ran straight to her room to change, then running straight to the piano room. Edward checked on her as he walked by. She was standing beside the wall with all of Bella's photographs. There were more than a few new ones. There were pictures of Esme, Carlisle, Sophia and Edward standing in front of the Cullen house, wide smiles on their faces, their skin glistening in the late afternoon sunshine on a rare sunny day in Burton. There were sneaky shots of Edward and Sophia sitting at the piano, of Emmett and Sophia playing up in the clearing, the trees looking a little worse for wear from Emmett's bearish antics and the extracurricular activities of Edward and Bella. There were other pictures of the rest of the Cullen family either together, with Bella, Sophia, or both. His favourite one had been blown up and was framed in the middle of the wall. He could remember the day it was taken.

Bella had been back in their lives for about three months and Esme had wanted a family night. Alice and Jasper had just returned from a trip visiting friends of Carlisle's in Ireland, Rosalie and Emmett were coming over from their new house a couple of miles down the road. Edward thought that Esme was suffering from empty nest syndrome. Bella had them all gather on the couch: Esme and Carlisle in the middle, Alice and Jasper on one side, Rosalie and Emmett behind them. Edward sat beside Esme while Bella set the timer and grabbed Sophia to sit down beside Edward before the flash went off. It was a perfect moment. The photo could have appeared so overly staged but Bella's running around had added an edge of comedy and everyone seemed naturally relaxed. Well, as naturally relaxed as vampires ever got.

Sophia was right where he expected to find her. Ballet was her latest obsession.

Edward had discovered that Sophia tended to take one interest and become so obsessed with it until she was bored before moving on to the next. The only interest that seemed to last was her piano lessons, which Edward hoped had more to do with him teaching her, but it was more likely the fact that he kept challenging her. Ballet had now reached the point where Sophia had begged Edward fit a ballet bar to the wall where her sketches were framed. He was reluctant to install a bar in case it caused Bella to fully remember her first run in with death at the hands of a vampire, James, but he just couldn't say no to his baby girl.

He leaned against the doorway and watched as she pirouetted, with grace unbecoming of a six year old, across the floor.

"Hey, Soph, Bella asked me to speak to you about your birthday. She wants to know what you want to do to celebrate?"

"A party, of course." She rolled her eyes.

Edward remembered Bella telling him that Sophia lived for her birthday parties. "I could have guessed that. Would you like to do anything else as well?"

She stopped dancing and walked over to Edward. Her eyes were cast to the ground and Edward knew he was in trouble. "Well, I was wondering if, you know, if I could invite.... my class."

Edward sighed, Bella would not be happy. "I don't think your mom will allow that, Soph."

"But it's been ages since I slipped and I have been an extra good girl recently, no tantrums. Pleeeeeaaaaase?" Edward grimaced, he was a sucker. "It doesn't matter," she muttered in a sad, low voice.

The front door opened and they heard soft footfalls coming towards them. "I'll talk to your mom about it."

"Talk to your mom about what?" Bella asked as she shed her coat on the coat rack outside the piano room.

"We were just talking about Sophia's one hundred and seventh year birthday party."

"Oh, so you decided what you want to do this year?" Bella looked over at her daughter who was dressed in a white tutu.

"We'll talk about it later." Edward muttered, winking at Sophia as he followed Bella into the kitchen. He finally got a smile back out of Sophia.

Edward walked up behind her and snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her close to his solid chest. "How was your day at work?"

"Not so good. Lost one of my patients, Jerry. He had Leukemia." She felt Edward's hands at her shoulders, massaging away her thoughts. It was nice he still had the ability to render her brain completely useless. "I think I will have to think about leaving the hospital soon. They think I am twenty-four already, I may be able to get to twenty-six at a push. Sophia appears to others to be the youngest in her class. I think will have to pull her out soon. It's the first time she has been to school, I am sure she will miss all her friends."

"We've just got here, Bella, we can't lose you again… I can't lose you again," he mumbled into her neck. His face was filled with anguish and turmoil at the thought of having to choose to leave his family to go with Bella or lose Bella when she had to move on.

Bella turned in his arms to face him and placed a comforting hand on his face. "Calm down, we still have a couple of years. I wouldn't leave you, Edward, ever. I don't think there is enough strength in me to do that. We will simply drop out of existence until we do move on to another location." She kissed him gently on the lips. "Now, what did Soph decide she wanted to do for her birthday? A trip to Lapland? Her bedroom redecorated?"

"She wants to have a party."

"That is obvious. What else?"

"She wants to invite her class."

Bella's breath hitched as a painful grimace passed over her features. "Oh, Edward, she knows she can't. I can't risk all those children. She gets so hyped up on her birthday and her control isn't at its strongest when she is excited."

"She hasn't had a slip in thirty-two years, nearly thirty-three, and you will have the entire family there to help. Emmett and I can take her hunting big game to keep her hunger down. You have to trust her, Bella. I know she is essentially a child, but she is a child with eternity in front of her. One day, she will get frustrated with being insulated from humans and dangers, and go off and do it on her own. Wouldn't you rather she had a party where she was protected and we could control the situation?"

"Edward, she is still six in her mind. She still hasn't fully gathered the concept of responsibility and control."

"Bella, leave the psycho jargon out of it for a second and think about it as her mother. She wants a party, probably the last chance at a party she will have before you pull her out of school."

He watched as Bella processed it through her head. She was weighing up the pros, the cons, the risks, and the joy it would give her to throw a proper birthday party for her beautiful daughter. "Okay, ten guests max, she must hunt properly before it and you need to get everyone to agree to help." She saw the victory shine in Edward's eyes. "You do realize she has you twisted around her little finger."

"And I love every minute of it! Sophia," Edward muttered, barely above conversation level. Sophia appeared in the doorframe, still in her white tutu. "Your mom says yes."

Bella had to laugh as the two most precious people in her life high-fived in the kitchen and did their own synchronized victory dance. Sophia leaped into her mother's outstretched arms and buried her face into Bella's neck as she hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Mommy."

"Sure, Sure. You need to go take off that tutu and pack an overnight bag for movie night."

Bella grinned to herself as she watched Sophia's small tulle clad body ran at full vampire speed toward her bedroom.

Bella felt Edward come back up behind her, slipping his hands around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. "You do realize that most parents, fathers especially, would run away screaming at the idea of ten six and seven year olds running around the house with a sugar high from cake and soda. You, however, seem to embrace it. You are a strange man sometimes."

Sophia appeared back in the kitchen with a backpack on her shoulders but still wearing the white tutu, a defiant look on her face. Bella held her hands up in defeat; she knew how to pick her battles.

"Okay, the tutu stays. Edward is going to drop you off and we'll see you later tomorrow. Give me a hug." Sophia ran into the waiting arms before diving towards the front door and the car. "So the place to ourselves tonight Mr. Cullen, what did you have in mind?"

"Just you wait and see Ms. Lee." Edward muttered as he planted a kiss on her cheek while reaching for his car keys. "Wait and see."

Bella watched the car pull away down the driveway. Her family was happy, blissful even. She wondered just how long it would last before danger came searching for her again.

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