Seattle General - Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but I'm grateful to Stephenie Meyer for her dream!

BPOV

As I sat looking at my little family on this – our moving day – I realized we'd come a long way in a short span of time. I was engaged to the man of my dreams, who thankfully took me back after my panic attack at the beginning of the New Year. My wedding gown was chosen and safely stored at the Whitlock's. We added a daughter. My fiancée was now the Chief of Medicine at Seattle General Hospital here in Seattle. I was enjoying running a household and taking care of Sweetpea. We all were munching on McDonald's breakfast food in preparation for the rest of our moving crew to arrive. Everything else was packed, so there was no way I could make anything for breakfast.

Soon, the moving crew did arrive. It included Jasper, Carlisle, Ben Cheney and some other guys from the hospital. Good thing we'd already planned on buying everyone pizza later to show our appreciation! Alice and Angela arrived as well, taking Sweetpea with them. Neither one of them were in any condition to be lifting anything heavy. They were going to be choosing the cutest little flower girl's dress in all of Seattle. With Alice leading the charge, I had no doubt of that. Esme arrived with Carlisle. She was staying with me to help supervise and place items in various rooms. She had terrific taste in decorating and I was glad to have her help.

With all these guys helping, they had rooms cleared out in no time. I can't say I didn't spend a few moments appreciating the view of my fiancée lifting heavy objects and watching his muscles flex. He caught me looking once, grinned crookedly at me, and said, "Whatcha looking at, baby?" I just blushed and went into an empty room to begin cleaning. We were determined to not have to come back here later to do anything else.

As we drove to our new home, Edward and I were in the front of the rented U-Haul, leading the way. Esme was sweetly driving my RAV4 behind us. Jasper had Edward's Volvo. We still needed to go to my old apartment and load that. Edward reached over, smiled, held my hand and said, "What were you looking at back there, baby?"

"Just you. I was just appreciating looking at you," I replied.

"You like the way I look?" he asked, his chest puffing out a bit.

"Like you didn't already know that, crazy man."

He continued, "You can show me later just how much in that big, giant shower that's now ours!"

I challenged him right back with, "Yeah, I think I'll be just bringing in some of that ice from that new refrigerator that's ours so I can ice you down from all that heavy lifting you've been doing today!"

"You wouldn't!" he exclaimed. I just raised my eyebrow at him.

Since we were at the new address, he backed the U-Haul into the driveway and put on the parking brake. He leaned over to kiss me. I could never get enough kisses from this gorgeous man.

Jasper knocked on the window and said, "Hey – make out with her later, dude. We have moving to do!" We just grinned at each other like teenagers getting caught and exited the vehicle. "Sheesh," Jasper continued to the other guys standing around, "you can't leave these two alone for ten minutes or they're all over each other!" I blushed again and went to unlock the front door.

Esme went into full decorator mode at this point, directing where everything should go. I had full confidence in her, as we had discussed previously where we wanted each piece of furniture. I tried to bring in some boxes, but Edward or one of the other guys always stopped me. "We've got this, Bella," they always said. Nothing like feeling totally ineffective! I made sure the sodas and beer were safely in the fridge and cooling.

Then the guys were back in the U-Haul and a couple of trucks and heading to my old apartment. I had cleaned it one day when Edward was not there to "help" me. Esme and I decided to stay at the house and start putting the kitchen together. Finally – something I could do! I adored her and we had a great chat about all kinds of things. She said once we got settled, she wanted to see some of my scrapbooks as she might be interested in starting something like that. I thought that was a great idea as I was sure she and Carlisle had been on some wonderful adventures over the years.

We had the kitchen almost done when the guys came back. I continued with the kitchen as Esme went to direct traffic with the new furniture and boxes. Edward caught my eye as he brought the bed in. He gave me a wink and I blushed again. Dammit! Would I ever stop blushing? I'd given myself to Edward in almost every way possible and here I was, blushing like a virgin on her wedding night. Him and his damn panty-dropping smiles and winks anyway!

I called and ordered the pizza and concentrated on finishing what kitchen items were already available to me. I knew more were coming in soon from my old apartment. I had gone through things as I was packing and donated duplicates of items we both had.

Soon, I went to get the pizza for the very hard workers. When I returned, they were very glad to see me. I brought out the sodas and beer and they were extremely grateful for those as well. Once everyone was fed, most of the guys left. Carlisle, Jasper, Ben and Esme stayed. Carlisle, Jasper and Ben helped Edward with any last-minute furniture placement and Esme helped me get the beds made so we'd be comfortable in our first night in our new home.

Alice and Angela arrived back with Sweetpea. The dress they chose for her was so adorable – all white eyelet lace. Alice said she'd be getting a flower garland head piece for her on the day of the wedding with ribbon streamers down the back. I couldn't wait to see her in it!

* * *

EPOV

Dammit! I didn't get Bella in the fuck-awesome shower the night we moved in. But she did rub my sore muscles from moving all that heavy stuff. No wonder I love her. Once she got to massaging my back, I fell right to sleep. Why did that have to feel so good?

A couple days later, though, I told Mrs. Cope – my secretary at work – that I forgot my cell phone, so I needed to run home and get it. I took my pager with me in case I was needed in an emergency. Bella had already taken Sweetpea to school. So I came home to find Bella alone, organizing her craft room. I convinced her to get naked and we got to have some sexy time in the shower. It was a bit rushed – I couldn't be away from the hospital all day and I was so damn horny just thinking about it. She was exquisitely beautiful as I bent her over the bench in the shower and pounded into her from behind. And with all those shower heads spraying warm water at us, neither of us were drowned or cold. It was very erotic and I wanted a repeat performance again soon!

That night, Bella announced she wanted to have a house-warming party and wanted to invite her father and Sue to spend some time with us and meet Sweetpea. I thought it was a great idea. Sweetpea also had some news.

"Daddy," she began, "when I was with Auntie Alice and Angela, their tummies are getting big because they have babies inside. When are you and Bella going to have a baby?"

Bella and I looked at each other over that heavy old table. "Well, Sweetpea, we haven't really talked about it yet."

"I want a little brother," Sweetpea announced and then went back to eating her dinner as if her declaring it was going to make it come to pass as easily as her going to bed with a bedtime story that night.

I continued, "Sometimes these things take time."

"OK," she sighed a little sigh, "but that's what I want." Bella and I just smiled at each other.

I heard Bella and Sweetpea in the kitchen later, cleaning up. Bella was saying, "Would you like a pony?"

I believe I almost heard those little eyes roll as Sweetpea giggled and replied, "No, Bella. We don't have a place to keep a pony. We have plenty of room for a little brother, though!"

Bella said, "But you'll have to share your toys."

Sweetpea said, "That's ok. I don't mind. He can even play with my dolls, if he wants."

That little girl – when she gets something in her mind – she doesn't want to let it go! As we tucked her into bed and read to her, she was all smiles like she knew we'd get on her request right away. Just what I needed – two women in my life who were constantly on my case about something! I loved them with my entire being, though, and wouldn't trade them for anything.

As Bella and I sat up, watching some television before bed, I asked her, "So, baby, did you want a baby?

"Hmm," she said, "I'd like to get married first. I'm kind of traditional that way. Not that I don't adore Sweetpea, because I do. But I think if we have another one, it should be after we get married."

"I agree," I said, as I put my arm around her on the couch and brought her lips closer to mine.

* * *

Charlie Swan and Sue Clearwater arrived at our home one Friday evening in mid-March. It was good to see them again. They were here for our house-warming party which was happening the next day. Sweetpea was excited to meet her grandpa and almost-grandma. She took them around to every little corner of the house, showing them her entire world. Then she dragged them outside, showing them her play set and the entire yard. We had just started furnishing the basement with a pool table, some comfortable couches, and a large screen television. We figured with Sweetpea growing up, we wanted to be in the house in the neighborhood that other kids gravitated to so we could keep an eye on them. We could be the "cool" parents.

After dinner, Sweetpea insisted Charlie and Sue play a board game with her. She already had them wrapped around her little finger. I could see it already. Bella took some pictures that I knew she'd be adding to our scrapbooks.

The next day, there were lots of people in and out of the house. It seemed everyone who worked at Seattle General wanted to come see our new house. Guess that's what happens when you're the new Chief of Medicine. Bella was excited to see some of the people she hadn't seen since she'd left Carlisle's office. I was so damn proud of Bella – she'd seemingly made the transition from working woman to stay-at-home mother very easily. I'd have to ask her about that later when we were alone – if she missed it.

Sweetpea curled right up on her grandpa's chest sometime in the afternoon and went right to sleep for her nap. I told him if it got too uncomfortable for him, he could go put her in her bedroom and shut the door. He put his arms more protectively around her and said he was fine. I just grinned and went about, greeting more people. We were hoping to ask Charlie and Sue to stay here with Sweetpea while we were on our honeymoon. It looked like we weren't going to have much of a problem with that.

Later that evening during a quiet dinner, I brought the subject up. "Sweetpea, you know when Bella and I get married, we're going to have a honeymoon, which is like a vacation by ourselves."

"Without me?" she asked, curious.

"Yes," I said.

"Where will I be?" she wondered.

"Well, after the wedding, you'll come back home. We were hoping you'd like to come back here with grandpa and grandma."

Her little face lit right up. "So – I'll get my own honeymo' – with grandma and grandpa?"

I answered with a smile, "Yeah, something like that. But you still have to go to school. They will take you."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "Will you and Mama Bella still call me and think about me while you're on your honeymo'?"

My heart stopped for a moment, realizing that she just called Bella "Mama," but I tried to recover quickly and said, "Of course, Sweetpea. We won't ever stop thinking about you!" I looked over at Bella just then and I saw the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She got up suddenly, taking some empty plates back to the kitchen.

I followed her into the kitchen a few moments afterward while Charlie and Sue were talking with Sweetpea about kindergarten. I came up behind her as she was looking out the window over the sink. I kissed her shoulder and said, "Hey, baby, are you ok?"

She said quietly, her voice breaking a little, "Yeah. I guess I didn't realize how much it was going to get to me when she actually did start calling me 'Mama.'"

I put my arms around her waist and said, "You're the best mother for her and the best wife for me. I love you so much. I can't wait to make everything official!"

All too soon, it was time for Charlie and Sue to head back to Forks. Sweetpea was sad to see them go, but she was glad she was going to see them again in a couple of weeks for the wedding and then her own "honeymo'." Silly girl! They gave her plenty of kisses and hugs before they set out. I think if Charlie thought he could've gotten away with it, he would've bought a car seat himself and put her in the backseat of their car and hauled her back to Forks.

I finally did ask Bella if she missed being a working woman. She said she missed the people, not necessarily the work. But she was able to keep up on most of the people through stories I told when I got home from work in the evening. She was more than satisfied with being a mom to Sweetpea and my partner in life.

Alice got her hooks into me and Jasper about our tuxedos for the wedding. I was excited about anything to do with our wedding! I insisted on a handkerchief with a penguin print for the pocket of my shirt. Bella wouldn't see it until after the ceremony, but I'd make sure she did. It was our running wedding joke.

Seeing Bella's luggage sitting out as she prepared for our wedding trip unsettled me. She, Alice and Sweetpea were going up to Orcas Island the day before to make sure everything was in readiness. Since that horrible week at the beginning of the year, I hadn't had to sleep a night without Bella. I was tempted to peek inside the bags, but she playfully slapped my hand away. She told me I'd see soon enough. I cautiously asked, "Will Victoria have any secrets left?"

She smirked sexily back and said, "Not if I can help it!"

She wasn't supposed to do that – look all sexy and tempting. She had put a moratorium on sex for the past week. I hated it. I loved being able to hold her all night, but not being able to have any sexual contact with her was frustrating the hell out of me. This was probably how it was supposed to be before you got married – have some resistance built up – but dammit, I could care less about resistance, I just wanted some release.

Bella kissed me goodbye. I wanted to drag it out a lot longer, but Alice and Sweetpea were waiting semi-patiently in the entryway. I had to work today anyway. Good damn thing or I'd be going out of my mind. I had to tie up loose ends at work and appoint someone who would be acting in my stead while I was out next week.

Bella squeezed my hand and said, "I'll see you at the altar tomorrow, Handsome," and then was gone. Damn straight, she would.