In the Flesh - The Spirit to Flesh Outtakes: A Twific by LittleWing, betad by the one and only Jessica1971

A/N: Hi guys, I have really missed you. *Sniff* Sniff*. As promised, here is the first outtake. This one is running in second place in the poll that ends this Friday, but I couldn't wait to get it to you. Thank Jessica if you like it. She made a special request....

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or The Love Letter. I'm just playin around and havin a ball. No infringement intended. No money made. Viva Le Fan Fiction!

Coming Home

Edward sighed happily as he wrapped his arm more firmly around Bella's thigh, pleased to find where he had ended up sleeping through the rest of the night. By the depth of her breathing, he could tell that she was still asleep. He wondered absently if she would be embarrassed when she woke up to find him between her legs.

Probably, he chuckled as he pressed his lips against her hipbone and grazed his cheek against the softness of her pubic hair.

They were meeting his parents – the whole family, actually – tonight for dinner, and he could not wait. It would be their first trip out of the house since she'd come to his door two days ago. He knew his mother must have been frantic with the news of Bella and was actually amazed that she hadn't come bursting through his door before now.

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After Edward didn't return her call confirming dinner for his birthday, Esme tracked down Sylvia to hear the peculiar story of Edward leaving with a reporter and not returning to his office. Esme knew how much Edward hated interviews and couldn't imagine what would be so compelling that he hadn't returned her call. She'd talked to him the day before his birthday and knew he was in good spirits, or at least in better spirits than he had been in a long time. When he finally called Wednesday afternoon, his voice was hushed. He spoke so quickly that Esme could barely make out what he was saying.

"She's here, Mom. She's come back to me. She knows."

"What are you talking about? Edward, are you alright? I called you…," but Edward cut her off before she could continue.

"Mom – just listen to me. She's here. Bella is here."

Edward's words were met with silence.

How? How was this possible? Esme's mind rang with this one thought before the possibilities of this new reality hit her square in the chest. She gasped in a wave of relief and gratitude as she realized that her son was no longer alone.

"How? When?" she whispered through her tears.

"I don't know, Mom. I don't know. She just walked into class yesterday…" Edward's voice faded off as his thoughts replayed their meeting. He still couldn't believe she'd been right behind him for nearly an hour before he acknowledged her. He couldn't get over his stupidity.

"Bring her to me," Esme commanded. "I need to see her. I need to see the two of you with my own eyes. My God, Edward, this is a miracle…"

Edward's voice softened as he heard his mother's tears in the unevenness of her voice. "I know, Mom, I know. I just…let me try to make her mine first. We'll come as soon as we can. I... I need time to make her mine."

Esme understood the meaning and practicality of his words immediately. She could only imagine what he had told Bella and how crazy and overwhelming it must have sounded. When Edward whispered that he needed to get off the phone before Bella got out of the shower, Esme buzzed with the knowledge that things between them had come so far so fast. He's at her house. She trusts him already, she thought hopefully. Esme resolved to spend the time until she could meet Bella praying that things would continue to go well for them.

"Come Sunday," Esme urged. "Bring her on Sunday."

"I'll try, Mom. I'll try," he whispered before hanging up.

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That was 4 days ago – 2 days before he told Bella that he loved her for the first time, before their first kiss and before she showed up at his house an hour and a half later. It was 3 days before he knew exactly how she liked to be kissed, where she was most ticklish, and what her pussy tasted like before and after making love to him.

Last night they had been insatiable. Their need to express their love and belong to each other had claimed them both. He remembered crawling down her body to taste her, thinking foolishly that it would somehow calm him down. The last thing he remembered was her trembling legs around his neck as he stroked himself to release. Apparently, he thought with a smirk, we must have fallen asleep pretty quickly after that. As he moved his head to gaze up at her, he could feel her jolt awake in shock.

"Edward?" Bella called as she looked to either side of her pillow. She looked so dazed that Edward couldn't help but laugh.

"Good morning, love." He smiled as he propped his chin on her stomach.

"Oh My God. Edward!" She groaned as her head fell back on the pillow and her hands flew up to hide the crimson shade of her face.

Edward couldn't stop laughing as he made his way slowly up her body, stopping to plant kisses on each breast and her right shoulder. As he reached her face, he kissed her fingers before playfully trying to pry them back with his teeth.

"You smell like…," Bella began with her voice still muffled by the palm of her hand.

"Like what, baby? Tell me what I smell like…"

The mix of lust and love in his voice made her finally let him nudge her hands away from her face to meet his gaze. When he spoke to her like that, there was no way she could hide herself from him.

"Me. You smell like me," she said softly.

"Hhhmmm," Edward replied as he kissed her cheeks lightly. "Do you want some? I might have just enough to share."

"God, I love you," she said, grabbing his face to bring him closer.

"I love you, too, baby" he whispered as he opened his mouth to meet hers.

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Esme had been pacing the foyer for 30 minutes. Watching her, Carlisle's emotions ranged from concern as his offers of help were silently waved away, to awe as he sat silently and watched his wife mutter to herself as she paced. In their 42 years together, Carlisle had never seen Esme act like this. He wasn't sure if he was witnessing a breakthrough or a breakdown. Either way, it was clear she didn't need his help. So he sat in the living room, keeping silent vigil over his wife.

In contrast, Emmett had decided he was unable to withstand the swell of tension any longer and stormed into the hall from the kitchen with Jasper trailing eagerly behind.

"Mom, you're driving me crazy. What is going on?"

Alice was the last to enter the room, choosing to curl up with her father on the couch and watch the scene unfold.

Having leveled his big hands on each of Esme's shoulders and blocked her path, Emmett finally got his mother's attention. With a sigh, Esme realized she had no choice but to meet her son's questioning eyes and give a response.

"Edward is bringing someone to dinner. I think."

"Okay…," Emmett said slowly as he waited for his normally sane mother to elaborate.

"Is this the mystery woman?" Jasper asked, coming from behind Emmett to stand facing Esme.

Esme's brow furrowed slightly before answering, "Yes." She didn't think that Edward had shared his and Bella's story with anyone, but she wasn't sure.

Alice's voice was a whisper. "Is she the reason Edward ran into the post office?"

Esme realized she shouldn't have been surprised by her children's questions. They were all very intuitive and smart, in addition to loving their brother fiercely. She was sure they must have talked amongst themselves, trying to put the pieces of Edward's strange behavior together. Esme nodded towards Alice just before she noticed Emmett's face relax.

"So this is it then? The resolution. They're finally together." Emmett's voice rang with certainty as he released Esme's shoulders and smiled.

"How do you know that?" Esme asked.

"Because I know my brother. He wouldn't bring her here if it wasn't right. I could tell from the minute I knew he was in love that it was messy. I didn't know if she was a student or married or what, but I knew it wasn't settled in his mind. If he's bringing her here now, then it must be alright."

Everyone stared at Emmett in silence as if he had explained the mystery of the universe in 2 seconds flat.

"What? You know I'm the smartest one in this family, right?" Emmett grinned as he finally took a bite of the apple he'd been holding.

The room had just started to erupt in easy laughter and joking when Rosalie came out of the powder room and looked out the window.

"Hey, who's that Edward's sucking face with out there? Jeez, get a room already."

Rosalie turned just in time to see Esme whizz past her as she flung open the front door.

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Bella tore her lips away from Edward as soon as she heard the sound of the front door opening. As Edward turned around, she could see a woman in a beautiful purple wrap dress bounding down the three steps of her house towards them. Though Bella knew she had to be at least 60, the woman that she recognized from pictures as Edward's mother looked at least 10 years younger. Her light brown hair blew behind her as she ran.

As Edward's frame moved to reveal Bella fully, Esme's steps halted. While Esme assumed the girl would look something like the picture she had seen, the reality of Bella standing no more than 20 feet away from her was astonishing.

She looks exactly the same, Esme thought.

Understanding his mother's shock, Edward closed the distance between them, leaving Bella slightly self-conscious by the car.

"I know, Mom. I know. Come meet her."

"My God," was all Esme could manage as she felt Edward lead her towards his future.

As the two women he loved most faced each other, Edward could not stop the smile that threatened to break past the limits of his face. He said a silent prayer of thanks to a God he could no longer deny. He had everything he wanted right in front of him.

"Hello, Bella." Esme whispered through fresh tears. "I… I can't tell you how glad I am to finally meet you."

Esme wanted to reach for her and crush Bella to her. You can not imagine what you mean to all of us already, she thought. But she didn't want to scare her. Esme still wasn't sure what Edward had told her and how much Bella understood of their long and impossible past together.

"Thank you so much, ma'am. I feel so honored to meet you." Taking a deep breath, Bella continued, "Thank you for bringing us together." As Bella finished, she reached out her hand just as Edward enveloped it in his.

Bella's words made Esme smile through her tears as she reached up to cup Bella's face in her hands.

"Welcome home, dear girl. Welcome home."

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3 weeks later….

Although Bella had not seen much of Edward all day, she wasn't uncomfortable at all. Between Emmett constantly cracking jokes while Kyle bounced on her knee, Alice chatting away, and Carlisle apologizing for the craziness of his family, she could not have been more at home. They had all decided to have a picnic the afternoon of the Mid-Summer Night's concert – right in the park where the concert would be held that evening. Rosalie had informed Bella that it was a Cullen family tradition. Every year since Edward started conducting the concert, they met in the park for an afternoon of games, food, and music. Bella smiled as she thought of herself being included in this tradition, in this family. Even though they had only known each other (in this life at least) for 4 weeks, the thought no longer made her blush. She knew she belonged here, belonged with him.

As the lights went up on the stage, Esme settled between Bella and Alice and held them close. Though Edward could not see his family in the sea of 20,000 people, he knew their general direction. Knowing they could see him on the large monitor, he gave a quick wink and a wave in their direction before turning to the orchestra. He laughed as he heard a raucous round of whistles and catcalls that he knew could only be his family.

As the concert began, Edward could not contain his joy. Everyone on the stage had undergone some kind of metamorphosis in the last few months. He had pushed these students to the limits of their talent, and they had each risen to the challenge and surpassed his expectations for them. They played each piece with a confidence and boldness that was rare in musicians so young. He felt proud to have been a part of bringing them to this level. But he knew the biggest change was in him. There was no facet of his life that was not permanently altered by his love for Bella. The thought that she could take him over so completely comforted him, washing all his years without her away, making everything new.

Tonight he hoped to do the same for her. He knew she was only 24 and she might not be ready for marriage and a family, but he couldn't wait any longer to ask her. If she wasn't ready, he would wait until she was. No other option was available to him.

When the orchestra came to the final number, their symphony, he felt every note driving him towards his goal – making Bella his forever. The tone of the final movement felt prophetic as it soared. Triumphant. We're triumphant, he thought. Everyday - over all the obstacles that could have kept us apart. When it ended, he was so focused on getting to her that he almost forgot to take his final bow before rushing off the stage.

"In a hurry?" Jasper laughed as he met Edward backstage.

Edward gave Jasper a quick hug before asking, "Where is she? I can't wait another second."

"We're all by the third flag pole from the stage, but Esme said I needed to find you and give you this before you got to us, so you don't ruin the surprise." Jasper watched Edward proudly as he handed him the small blue velvet box.

The night that Bella had met his family for the first time, Esme had pulled him away from the group to offer it to him. "You may want to get your own," Esme had started hesitantly as she handed him the ring. "But I would be so happy if you would give this to her. It was my grandmother's engagement ring, and I think it would be perfect for her."

Edward had nodded slowly as he turned the delicate band over and over with his fingers.

"Do you like it?"

"It's perfect for her, Mom. I don't….Thank you." When Edward finally looked up from the ring, Esme could see the intensity of emotion in his eyes.

"Let me get it cleaned for you, so it's ready when the time comes. It should only take a few days." They had smiled at each other quietly, knowing that the moment when he would offer it to her would come soon.

As Edward's thoughts came back to the present, he gave Jasper a long hug before running down the stairs to join his family.

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"Edward, I don't know what to say. That was just some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. Baby, you were brilliant."

"Thank you, love," Edward replied as he bought her hand to his mouth for a brief kiss while he drove.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked absently as she rolled her window all the way down to let more of the warm night air caress her face.

"Just outside of town. There's a place I want you to see."

Bella glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before leaning further out of her window. She knew he was up to something, but she wasn't worried. He looked serious, but happy. So was she.

As they pulled into a long driveway, Bella was struck by a strong sense of déjà vu. Edward stopped the car just at the top of the driveway, before walking around to open her door. From where he parked, she had a panoramic view of the house and grounds in front of her.

The moment she stepped out of the car, she knew she had been here before. Although it was dark out with only the moonlight to illuminate the objects before her, she could see the blue and white colonial clearly.

"What is this place? Who lives here?" she asked as she turned to him.

"Do you know this place, Bella?" Edward was watching her carefully as he began to doubt whether this was a good idea. What if being here makes her upset?

"Yes," she answered, "but I know I've never been here before. Edward, where are we?"

"This is… was… your home, Bella. You used to live here."

Bella's eyes widened as she stepped forward, taking in the house fully. Instinctively, her footsteps drifted towards a path that led to a garden behind the house. The feeling of unbound recognition was powerful as she took in the shadowed beauty of the flowers.

Edward wrapped his arms around her from behind when she stopped at an empty space where a bench used to be.

"I used to sit right here," she whispered. "I loved this spot so much."

"Yes," Edward murmured. "You told me. I was so disappointed when I came here and it was gone."

Bella turned in his arms then, responding to the infinitesimal trace of sadness in his voice.

"You came here before? That day, you came here!" she said, finally understanding the deeper significance of this place for him. Her head turned to search the wooded area just outside the garden.

"Show me."

Edward picked her up in his arms as he retraced the steps that now seemed a lifetime ago. He set her down in the exact spot where he first felt her touch.

"Here. This is where I first let you in completely… consciously. This is where I learned that I had to be yours forever, that I could not ignore what we are."

As Bella took in the intensity of his gaze and the trembling emotion in his voice, she suddenly understood what they needed to do – what they were about to do in their woods. Her hands drew a line from his forehead to his cheek as she held him. The question was right there in his eyes, wondering if she was ready for it. How could he doubt it? she wondered. She had waited lifetimes for this moment.

Bella slid her right hand directly over his heart while her left hand cradled his beautiful face in her hand.

"Ask me, Edward. I'm ready."

Edward did not hesitate. The moment her hand came to rest over his heart, he knew she understood.

"Marry me, Bella," he begged. "Marry Me."

"Yes," she answered as she rose up to kiss him softly. "A thousand times, yes."

a/n: Well our chickadees are on their way. Next stop - married with kids. It may take a while for the next outtake to marinate, but have no fear. I will post it as soon as it crystallizes in my little head enough for me to get it on the page. 'Til then, please review and let me know how you liked this little slice of their lives. The reviews really do inspire me. As always, thanks for reading and sharing this journey with me.