Here you have it, the last chapter. This has been fun! Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed this little foray back into writing.

I've loved all your baby stories and advice, and even the warnings. Though you've all got me really, really nervous about teething. I've been checking her little gums every day. It's starting to piss her off, I think.

KristenLynn checks my work and keeps me from making absolutely no sense whatsoever. And on such short notice, too! Thank you, my friend.

I took one look at Edward, and there wasn't even a question as to what we were going to do. We both bolted like greyhounds racing for their lives at the dog track. He clutched my hand tightly as we ran, heading for the tree line and the path that would lead us back to our house. Behind us, I heard the loud, uneven clomp of ungainly footsteps, which only made me run faster. I probably wouldn't have been able to keep up with Edward otherwise; his long legs made him much faster than me. But I had pure terror fueling my short-ass self.

"Stop!" The voice cut through the night again, the beam of the Mag-Lite bouncing over the ground in between us.

"We can make it," Edward hissed as my feet hit the pavement of the walking path. "Don't you dare stop!"

"I'm not spending the night in a jail cell!" I huffed back, trying to concentrate on not permanently damaging myself. I was normally clumsy, but I was also nine weeks out from major abdominal surgery.

"You damn kids!" the cop yelled, sounding pretty far behind us. "Go fuck in your car! Don't defile a playground! Children play here!"

I shot a look at Edward, unable to keep from grinning. "Did you hear that? He called us kids!" My amusement was short-lived as I promptly tripped over something in the middle of the pathway – probably my own foot. Edward had to pull hard to keep me from going down; it felt like he just about wrenched my arm from the socket. I was immediately reminded exactly why we weren't kids, because that was damn painful.

"No talking! Just running – I'm too pretty for jail," Edward panted as he kept dragging me in the general direction of our house. We rushed through the darkness, getting slapped by branches and leaves almost every step of the way. At this rate, I'd be lucky if I didn't lose an eye.

When we finally burst out of the wooded path and made a sharp right turn onto the sidewalk, I noticed the strobe of the flashlight was no longer following us. Did we lose the cop?

Fifty yards later we burst through our back gate, and I scrambled for the keys as we almost ran right into the back door. It seemed like it took forever to get the damn thing unlocked, but we still remembered not to slam it behind us once we tumbled inside – we didn't need to wake Emily on top of everything else!

Safely ensconced in the dark house with a heavy-duty slab of wood between ourselves and the rather portly arm of the law, we slumped against the door and slid down to our asses. Both of us panted like long-haired, black dogs in August. The house was silent and dark – which meant I wouldn't have to face my parents. Yet.

Thank God. I've had enough stress for one evening.

Kids, my ass. After that, I was ready for a walker. Complete with worn-out tennis balls on the legs. We wouldn't want to leave any scuff marks.

After sitting there for a few minutes, I'd calmed enough to hear above my ragged breathing and the rapid pounding of my heart.

I turned my head toward Edward. "We made it!" I whisper-shouted, adrenaline flooding through my veins in a rush of endorphin-laced euphoria. Swear to God, it was almost better than my orgasms earlier.

My husband was staring down at his hand, which was clenched in front of him. Spent latex dangled from his fist.

"You carried that all the way from the park?" I clapped a hand over my mouth as laughter erupted.

He hit me with a death glare and heaved himself up off the floor. "I didn't exactly have time to find a trash can," he growled as he tossed the condom in the trash and quickly scrubbed his hands at the sink.

"You should have tossed it behind us. Maybe the cop would have slipped on it, like a banana peel," I snickered, getting up to grab a hand towel from the drawer.

He rolled his eyes and made a face. "You're the one who didn't want me to litter." He flicked his hands in my direction, sending water all over me.

I gasped at the cold. "Jerk." In retaliation, I held the towel out of his reach, quickly mopping my face.

Edward snagged my arm and pulled me close enough to snatch the towel. "It would be stupid to leave my DNA at the scene of the crime, Bella." He tapped his temple and smirked. "I've learned a little something from all those shows you watch on the Investigation Discovery channel."

"Oh, lord." I pointed at the tousled mess that adorned his head. "I hope you washed your hands really well. Your hair already looks like a 'Something About Mary' situation. We don't want to make it any worse."

"Ha ha, Bella." Turning me around, he guided us toward the bedroom. "You know, there are much better things you could be doing with that smart mouth, other than making dumb jokes."

I stifled a snort. "Yeah, that's not happening. We're getting old. I don't know about you, but I need a good night's sleep before we attempt round two."

"You're right," he sighed, shoulders slumping. "No more all-night sex-athons..."

"That would mean they had to happen to begin with, Mr. I-Fall-Asleep-Within-Seconds-After-Sex."

"Be quiet. You know I'm always good for some morning sex. That's round two."

"It is not! It's only round two if it happens in the same day."

"It's within the same twenty-four hours," he pointed out, steering me toward the bedroom.

"Has to be in the same calendar day," I argued.

"Who made you the keeper of the sex rules?"

"You did, when you married me," I said flatly. "End of discussion."

"Yes, Ma'am." He shot me a grin and gave me a salute. It was corny, but he was so gorgeous while doing it.

We took a quick detour to Emily's room, quietly slipping inside to peek at her swaddled form sleeping in the center of her crib. Edward wrapped an arm around me as we gazed down at our daughter, and he pressed a soft kiss to my temple. I sighed in contentment and leaned against his hard frame. This was my favorite part of each day – seeing her all snuggled up and comfy...and sleeping.

Hey, I had to be honest.

After a few minutes, we quietly made our way to our bedroom, shutting the door behind us. Edward immediately started stripping off his clothes, dropping them in a trail on his way to the en-suite bathroom.

I followed behind, rolling my eyes as I gathered his stuff. I thought about giving him shit, but I didn't make it to six years of happy marriage without learning to pick my battles. By the time I tossed them in the hamper, he strode out of the bathroom, a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. I took a moment to ogle him – even though I was too exhausted for sex, I wasn't blind. Edward in the nude was a sight to behold, and I'd been deprived of the view during our encounter at the park. I frowned as he slipped on a pair of pajama pants.

Oh, well. At least he's still shirtless.

"Thanks, I guess?" he chuckled through a mouth full of toothpaste. It sounded more like, "Fanks, I guesh."

Shit. I'm still doing it. I flipped him off, and he trotted back to finish brushing his teeth. I padded to the dresser and pulled out some PJs before I headed to kick him out of the bathroom.

Edward finished up by rinsing his toothpaste out of the sink (thank God for small favors – and battles I did pick). I tossed my pajamas on the counter and waited for him to go get in bed. But instead of giving me some privacy, he started examining himself in the mirror. With a frown, he leaned closer and ran his fingers through the hair at his temples.

"Damn it, I'm going gray," he griped, plucking at one of the supposed gray hairs.

I bit back a grin. "Well, you are pushing thirty-three. It's to be expected, right?" I never could resist razzing him, since he was a little over two years older than me.

He scowled at me in the mirror. "Need I remind you of your birthday in two weeks?"

"You'll always be older than me," I sang. Mature, I was. Taking pity on him, I moved to run a hand through his hair. "You're not going gray. I'm sure those are just some really bleached out strands from this summer."

"They're gray," he pouted, holding up the offensive strand pinched between his fingers.

"At least you don't have gray pubes," I offered with a smirk. "You know, they say if you pull out a gray hair, two more will grow in its place..."

He barked out a startled laugh. "Leave it to my wife to put things in perspective."

I pretended to brush imaginary lint off my shoulder. "All part of the job."

Teasingly poking me in the stomach, he joked, "So you've been paying that much attention, huh?"

"I'm exhausted, not dead." I laid a quick kiss on his lips and put my hands on his chest. "Even if you're going gray, you're still damn hot," I said with a nod. "Now, get the hell out of here so I can get ready for bed." Lightly, I shoved him toward the bedroom.

He didn't budge. "Why do I have to leave?"

Damn it, he was still pouting. Why did he have to look so edible when he did that?

Grimacing, I fumbled for an explanation. "Do you really want to watch me pee?"

"Well...no. But I would like to see you strip," he said with a wicked grin. "I missed it this evening." We had the same brain sometimes; I was convinced of it.

I sighed. "Ugh, I'd rather you watch me pee."

Raising his brows, he asked, "Something you want to tell me, love? Have you discovered a fetish I don't know about?"

"Eww. Gross. Definitely not." Once again, I pushed at his chest, but he wouldn't move.

Instead, he wound his arms around my waist and pulled me a little closer. "What's the deal, then?" His voice was soft, his expression one of genuine puzzlement.

Keeping my eyes focused on my chipped fingernail polish, I admitted, "My body isn't exactly the same as it used to be. Giant Frankenstein scars and stretch marks aren't exactly attractive."

"Bella," he chided gently, using a finger to lift my chin so my gaze met his. "I love you. Every single thing about you." His eyes were dark like the deep shade of the forest, warmed by a little ring of amber gold around the pupils. "You know that."

"I do," I whispered, trying to keep my lip from trembling. Tears built in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "But it's got to be different... I mean, an extra fifteen pounds is no joke on someone with my frame –"

He stopped me with one finger over my lips. "You're beautiful. So beautiful. Always have been, always will be. No matter what."

"But, my scar –"

"Is special, Bella. So very special." As if to prove his point, he slowly lifted the shirt over my head. I didn't resist, and he peeled the rest of the clothes from my body, dropping them to the tiled floor as he looked on.

I was speechless under the weight of his gaze. I'd never considered myself particularly attractive, but when Edward looked at me, I felt it. Knew it. When I didn't respond, he turned us so I faced the mirror, with him pressed up behind me. The feeling of his naked chest against my bare back made me a little weak in the knees.

"This scar means something to me, Bella. It means you're brave. You're strong. You're willing to do whatever it takes for our daughter." He rested a slightly trembling hand over the deep pink line that rode on top of my pubic bone. "You were cut open so Emily would be okay," he whispered, a faint smile curving his lips. "Nothing much tops allowing someone to cut you open while you're awake."

Even nine weeks later, I could tell it still made Edward a little green to think about it. And it made me love him even more to know he still stayed right by my side the whole time, putting aside his squeamishness so he could hold my hand and tell me everything was going to be just fine.

"I couldn't feel anything. I had an epidural," I reminded him gently, though to be honest, the C-Section had been the scariest moment of my life so far. There are few things more frightening than being partially paralyzed and strapped to a table under lights so bright they could give you a sunburn. But for Edward, I kept it to myself. I covered his hand with my own and took in the sight of our laced fingers resting low on my belly.

He shuddered a little against my back. "Cut open," he repeated.

"It wasn't like I had much of a choice. Emily wasn't responding well to the contractions, and I wasn't progressing. It was what was best for the both of us."

He pressed a kiss to my temple and turned me to face him. "That's what makes you the best mommy. You'd do anything for her." Another kiss, on the lips this time. "You're doing a great job at this mommy thing."

I blushed at his compliment in spite of myself. It was so welcome – nothing made me feel more inadequate than having another human being depending completely on me for survival.

"Really?" My voice cracked a bit at the question.

A sweet, adoring smile curved his lips. "Really. I'm so proud of you, Bella."

I looked down for a moment, swallowing past the sudden lump in my throat. "There are times I feel like the shittiest parent on the face of the earth. I love Emily so much, but sometimes all I want to do is put her down. When I was pregnant, I fantasized about spending all day holding our baby. But at this point, I'd just like to take a shit by myself," I finished with a sigh.

Edward placed his hands on either side of my face and tilted it up to his. Deep green eyes glowed down at me, warm and loving. "Love, you're doing the best you can. You're an amazing mother."

"I love you," I vowed, suddenly blinking back tears at the intensity of my emotions. Damn postpartum hormones were still hanging around, evidently.

"I love you, too, Bella," he promised, hugging me to his chest. "You and Emily are my whole life. I couldn't have asked for a better mother to our children."

While his compliment was lovely and much-needed – his reassurances everything I needed and more – there was one thing I couldn't shake.

"Children?" I blinked at him. Why I thought that would solve my apparent hearing problem, I had no idea. Surely he hadn't insinuated that we'd have more kids.

Right?

"Umm...yes?" he forced out, realizing his gaffe. He had the grace to look sorry.

"You're crazy," I said flatly.

"Emily needs siblings!"

"No she doesn't! I'm an only child, and I grew up just fine!"

"Don't tell me you never wished for a brother or sister," Edward argued, looping his arms around my waist and pressing a kiss to the curve of my neck.

I tried to push him away. "Actually, I didn't. Don't be trying to seduce me into more kids, Jim Bob Duggar," I growled, squirming against him when he wouldn't relent. "Go find another brood mare."

"You watch too much television," he laughed, hugging me tighter. "I don't want another brood mare. I only want to make babies with you, Mrs. Cullen."

Hot breath tickled my neck, and I couldn't help but melt a little in his arms.

"You're out of your mind."

He said nothing, just kept working his magic, dragging his lips up and down my neck. And I was putty in his strong, gentle, long-fingered hands...ugh. It looked like we'd both changed our minds about round two.

Edward walked me backwards without taking his lips from my skin. Slowly, he herded me out of the bathroom and toward the bed. Soon, the backs of my knees hit the mattress and we fell onto the comforter. He was deliciously heavy on top of me, the heat of his bare chest gently abrading my nipples. His lips skimmed up and over my chin and he closed his mouth over mine, swallowing the moan that built in my throat.

We kissed languidly, in no rush to reach any particular goal or destination.

Threading a hand into my hair, Edward held me in place while his other hand trailed down the midline of my body, taking a detour to squeeze my hip and finally gripping my upper thigh. He hitched my leg around his body, making room for his hips. I hooked my toe in his pants and pulled them down past his ass, curving myself in a sinuous arch, ready to welcome him inside.

Just as he was about to enter me, the baby monitor screeched.

As if we'd been doused with cold water, our eyes popped open, locking first on one another, and then homing directly to the innocuous-looking device that sat on our nightstand. It looked so innocent, when it was capable of devastating our hopes and dreams and desires.

All sexy times immediately ceased as Edward and I looked at each other warily. But really, we shouldn't have been surprised. It was pretty much a given that Emily would interrupt whenever we were in the middle of something important. Like sitting down to eat a hot meal. Why not sex?

"Not it," I blurted. There was something about being a parent that made me want to regress into a ten-year-old.

The cries grew louder, until we didn't even need the monitor to hear Emily throw her fit. Edward pouted down at me, trying to make me feel guilty. But after the night I'd had, I deserved a break.

"I think it's your turn," he finally said in a last-ditch effort to get his way.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's yours," I deflected.

Recognizing he was beaten, he heaved himself off me and flopped onto his back.

"Damn it," he sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Okay, you win. But I want bacon in the morning. Lots of it."

Yes! I won! "Done." He'd get his bacon...as soon as I got out of bed. And I wouldn't be in any hurry to do so, since I really didn't want to see my parents any sooner than I had to. Though, I was curious to see how they were getting along now that they'd worked off some of their...tension. Yuck.

With a little growl, Edward hopped up and hiked up his pajama pants.

"Love you," I called sweetly as he headed toward the nursery. He shot me a small smile and halfheartedly flipped me off as he left the room. I sighed and settled back into the bed, cocooning myself in the sheets. In spite of this evening's trauma, I knew I'd sleep like a rock tonight. Good sex will do that to a person...

"Aww, shit," Edward's muffled voice came through the monitor a few seconds later. "You crapped yourself again, didn't you, Princess?"

I buried my laugh into the pillow. Ahh, the joys of parenthood.

Fin.

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Thank you all for reading! Hopefully it won't take me another year to write something else.