Thank 당신 Silverain for the title. It was stuck in my head the first time I read and it fits perfectly.
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I was completely grogey. The rain was muffled and so was the thunder. I sighed and rolled over on my back and everything became clear.

The rain was beating on my window and the thunder was louder than I had thought. I glanced at my alarm clock. It was 6:45. Alicen would be running in any minute. She wasn't very fond of storms.

Sure enough I heard her little feet. I thought every move. Hoped out of bed, ran to her door, flug it open, running down the hall, stop, use the bathroom, running to my room, and the door flings open.

"Mommy?" She pleads.

I smiled to myself. "Come on." She walked to the side of the 침대 and I pull her up, nuzzling her wild bronze curls.

Alicen Elizabeth was my four 년 old, wild, crazy smart, beautiful daughter. We called her Sin for short.

Edward and I had been childhood friends. When Renee left, Esme took over the mother figure in my life. I loved her like my own mother and counted Carlsile like a step father.

When I broke my arm, Edward ran over to me.

Bella POV Memory Forks, August 22, 1992

I was sitting on the 상단, 맨 위로 of the monkey bars watching everyone else play. My friend Angela wasn't at school today, so I was 의해 myself.

"You shouldn't be sitting up here. It's for big kids." That's the first time I met Emmett.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"I'm 7." He grined.

"I'm 6. So there isn't really a difference." I smiled.

He frouned. "You're going to get hurt."

I shrugged. I t wouldn't surprise me. "What's your name?"

"Emmett Dale Cullen. What's yours?"

"Bella Marie Swan." No need for him to tease me with Isabella. My arm began to hurt from the weight and when I shifted my arm, I fell.

I was crying and Emmett was yelling.

"Are 당신 okay?" I looked up at a little boy with red/brown hair and pretty green eyes. He pushed his glasses up that were sliding down his nose.

I shook my head. "It really hurts."

"Come on." He pulled me up 의해 my other arm. "Miss Cope is over there." He pointed to the teachers that were sitting around the front door. "I'm Edward." He smiled at me. "Edward Anothony Cullen."

"Bella." I smiled and wiped my teary cheeks. "Bella Marie Swan."

"Mommy?" Alicen whispered. "Are 당신 asleep?"

I snorted a long snore and she giggled. "You're not really alseep Mommy. 당신 don't snore."

I opened my eyes and kissed her fourhead. "Your too smart, Sin."

"You always say I get it from my Daddy." She smiled.

I smiled back. "Yes, I do." I kissed her cheek. "Why don't 당신 go downstairs and wait for me down there. I will be down in a second."

She nodded and scooted down to the foot of the bed. She hopped off and ran downstairs.
I got up and threw on a tank 상단, 맨 위로 and a pair of yoga pants. I brushed my hair and teeth and headed of the door.

Alicen opened it with a smile on her face. "Daddy's home." She smiled.

Edward was a Marine. He had been called out for three months to train newbies and aparently came 집 last night and crashed in his room.

Yes, his room. Edward and I weren't exactly together. Yes, we lived together, but it was for the sake of Alicen. Before he went off for a year, we had a bit of a going away party with his family. Edward and I were totaly wasted and nine months later, Alicen graced us with her presents.

Flashback

I was sitting on the floor with Sin talking to Alice as she sat on the couch.

"He comes 집 today 당신 know." Alice smiled.

Alice was Edward twin sister. Her hair was black but her eyes were the same peircing green. She's the one I named Alicen after. Alice and their granmother Elizabeth.

"I know." I smiled down at Alicen who was swatting away at three months old.

"He said he was coming to see 당신 first." She told me.

I gave her a confused look.

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Bella, your his best friend. Two years older doesn't mean anything to him." Her face brighten up and she jumped off the 침상, 소파 to look out the window. "He's home!"

I jumped up from the 침상, 소파 and ran to the window. He was getting his bag out of the back of the taxi. He was dressed in his combat uniform. He shut the 트렁크 and beat twice on the back and the driver sped away.

He looked up at our window and smiled then took off for the stairs.

I told Alice to pick up Alicen and ran out the door, I passed the elevator and ran for the stairs. Everything went in slowmotion from there. Our footsteps started to match pace as he travled up and I down. We were back up to speed now. I could hear them getting closer and I rounded the corner slamming into Edward.

My arms wrapped around his neck and my legs around his waist. He dropped his bag on the step and hugged me. "Oh, my God. Your home."

Not only was Edward my best 프렌즈 but I was in 사랑 with him. He didn't know and that was okay with me as long as he was still my best friend.

I pulled back and wiped my tears. He smiled and kissed my cheek and set me down. "Your sister is here." I told him.

He picked up his bag and I led his back up the stairs to our floor. We lived in a condo and ours was a two story condo with and amazing view.

I opened the door and Alice was standing there waiting. "Alicen is in her crib." She whispered and went to hug her brother.

I went into Alicen's nusery and picked her up. "Ready to meet Daddy?"

She smiled a crooked smirk and lifted her hand. I placed a 키스 on her palm and she lowered her hand. I took and deep breath and walked out to them.

Alice was smiling from ear to ear and Edward looked hurt. My 심장 started rasing and I suddenly wasn't so sure.

I walked up to him and smiled. "Edward, meet Alicen. Alicen....meet Daddy."

He looked confused at first then relization hit all over his face and he beamed. "Alicen." He whispered and I placed her in his arms.

"Alicen Elizabeth. Alicen after your sister and Elizabeth after your grandmother."

He was smiling down at her and she reached her hand up.

"She wants 당신 to 키스 her hand." She only did that to people she knew. She knew exactly who he was. "She know's your her Daddy."

He kissed her palm and looked at me with sadness in his eyes. "How long?" He whispered.

"She is three months. She will be four months 다음 Thursday." I told him. Alicen wrapped her little hand around my finger and patted Edward's cheek.

"I'm so sorry." He told me.

"For what?" Besides him, Alicen was the best thing that ever happened to me.

"For not being here. For you." He sighed and looked down at her. "For Sin."

"Sin?" Why was he calling my daughter a sin.

"You know like, Ala-sin." He smiled crooked.

"Oh." I smiled back.

"I promise 당신 both, when I'm not trainging I will be here. All the time. So much, 당신 will get sick of me." He vowed.

I smiled and nodded and he kissed my cheek.

I was standing in his doorway with Alicen on my hip. He had kept his promise. All these years, he was here if not there and I didn't tell him, but I would never get sick of him.

"Let's let Daddy sleep." I smiled at her and she nodded nuzzling her face in my neck. I turned on my heel and walked down stairs.

Edward POV

I grabbed my bag out of the taxi's 트렁크 and hit the back twice as Bill pulled away. I looked down at my watch. 3:42 am.

I sighed and went inside pushing the button on the elevator. "Welcome back Sargent Cullen."
Mrs. Malone was in her mid fifty's and was sitting at the front 책상, 데스크 in her bathrobe. She would sit and wait for me to return and it ment alot to me.

I smiled and strolled over and kissed her cheek. "Thank you." The elevator dinged and I walked back stepping in.

I walked out and strolled to the end of the hallway. I stared at my door for the longest time before unlocking it. I set my bag down in the entry way of the silent condo.

I pulled off my boots and walked up the stairs stopping at Alicen's room first. I opened the door and walked over to her bed.

Her diseray of cruls were slung across her Ariel pillow. She was her 가장 좋아하는 princess because their hair was the same, so she says. I chuckled and kissed her head and closed her door quietly.

I walked the rest of the way down the halway and opened the last door. Bella's door.

I sighed as I opened it, my 심장 beating like a helicpoter's blades. I walked to her 침대 and lightly brushed a strand of hair from her face.
She was beautiful just the same as in highschool. The perfect shape of her lips, the color of her eyes, the way her hair fell around her 심장 shaped face. I wanted so bad, for her to 사랑 me the way I loved her.

I lightly brushed my lips against hers careful for her not to stir. I closed her door and walked to my bedroom.

Bella had cleaned it after I left and kept it clean. I chuckled and shook my head. I changed out of my combat uniform and threw on a t-shirt and pajama pants.

I plopped down on my bed, forgetting about covers and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.