The Shimmer Awards are open for voting!

Voting for the Shimmer Awards is open!  TGG has been nominated in three catagories:

Fragile Award - Best All Human

Best Storyteller Aware - Best Author

Best Tearjerker Award

Please vote if you would like and check out all of the other great stories that have been nominated!

http://shimmerawards.blogspot.com/p/vote.html

The Greatest Gift PDF - for Download

The Greatest Gift PDF is now available for download!!

You can get it here : Download It!!

Fandom4Tsunami Outtake is Posted

I have posted my outtake for the tsunamis.  You can read it here on the blog or on FFn.  This is a Jack and Emma outtake!

Click Here to read it on FFn!

The Path We Choose PDF

This is a quick note for those of you who followed me from The Path We Choose.

Laurel and I finally - FINALLY - finished the PDF.

In case you aren't following me on twitter or signed up for email alerts from TPWC blog, I wanted to be sure to inform you that it is posted for download.

You can click the following link and have your own copy.  The PDF includes Off The Beaten Path as well.

Enjoy!!

http://www.box.net/shared/cvi43x9i2igzqkf7q9du

Fandom4Storms Teaser - The Birth of Cameron Seth

 

"Oh my God," he whispered and didn't even try to hold back the tears he felt sting the corners of his eyes. "It's the most incredible thing I've ever seen." His voice shook as did his hands and his heart felt like it was about to beat its way out of his chest. How his heart was able to expand any more he didn't know, but he felt it as sure as he was sitting there. He'd loved his baby from the very second Isabella had told him she was pregnant. He fell in love with it a bit more the first time he heard that fluttering heartbeat, so loud and so fast and strong and told himself he'd never heard anything more beautiful in his life. But now...now it felt like his heart wasn't even inside his body anymore it had grown so much from all the love and happiness he felt. Love for his child...love for his amazing wife...love for the family they were building together. "Oh, Isabella, I love you so much," he said on a stuttering breath.

Isabella couldn't take her eyes off the screen and with each pass of the wand and each notation made she had to keep biting her tongue to keep from begging the technician to take just one more picture, to let her see her baby just one more time. She knew she was excited about being a mother but to see their baby living, moving inside of her was the most amazing thing she'd ever witnessed. That was to say nothing of how Edward was looking at her, like she was a most prized possession, a priceless work of art meant to adored and worshiped. It was a lot to take in.

"Edward," she rasped on a shaky breath and immediately felt his lips on her forehead.

"You've...I mean...I don't how to..." he stammered and then blew out a breath with a dreamy look on his face because he couldn't even think of what to say to her.

How do you thank the love of your life for giving you the greatest gift you've ever been given...after said love of your life of course.

He had to admit, he'd been a tiny bit worried, in the way that a thought niggles at the back of your mind, whether he'd be able to love anyone as much as he loved Isabella. Seeing just a glimpse of his baby he knew he never had to worry about that ever again.

Michelle cleared her throat, a bit moved by the obvious love the couple in front of her had for each other. "Are you ready to see if baby Cullen is ready to get its picture taken?" she asked with a grin.

"You bet we are," Edward chuckled and lifted Isabella's hand to his lips for a quick kiss. "I'm dying to show everyone little Edgar's picture."

The Breakers

This is a one-time message on The Greatest Gift blog!  I am sure you all know that I am starting a new story in a couple of weeks.  I have posted the first teaser for the new story on The Breakers blog and wanted to make sure anyone who is interested knows about it!

This will be the only time I send out a post from here about the new story!

Here is the link!

Enjoy!

http://les16-thebreakers.blogspot.com/

The Greatest Gift Trailer

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQAeaN-HcVU 

To Angie (LeechLover81)~ Thank you for making the incredible trailer for TGG! Please, everyone, take a few minutes and watch this! It gives me goose bumps every time and it totally captures the entire feel of TGG! What an amazing thing you did for me sweetie, thank you doesn't seem like enough! 

The Greatest Gift Epilogue is posted!

Edward and Isabella finally have their happily ever after!

Check it out on the blog or on FFn!!

Honeymoon Outtake - Fandom4Floods Submission is posted!

You can read it on the blog or on FFn.  The links are as follows!!

Read it on the blog by clicking here!

Read it on FFn by clicking here!!

TGG Epilogue Teaser

TGG Epilogue~

"Seth, my friend," Gideon chuckled and then had to clear his throat to keep his composure.

It wasn't often that angels were flustered, but Gideon was perilously close to losing it, and getting closer by the second.

Coughing once more, he tried again. "Seth, what in the world are you doing?"

For the past few days, or days in the human sense at any rate, Seth had been...for lack of a better word...on a tear. If he didn't have some inkling of what was bothering his young charge, Gideon might have been tempted to be worried, but seeing as he knew Seth better than anyone, he had a fairly good idea of what was the problem.

"None of these prospects are good enough," Seth told him without even turning in his direction.

"Seth," Gideon admonished though he couldn't help but laugh just a bit, too.

Yep, it was just as he thought.

He wasn't one of the head angels for nothing.

"What?" Seth questioned with a perfectly straight face. "You've seen them! Whoever gets this assignment has to be perfect...nothing else will do!"

"Aren't you being a tad bit...premature" Gideon asked carefully.

Seth having a meltdown was not something he wanted to see...no sir.

When Seth turned and finally looked at him, his ice blue eyes were as troubled as Gideon had ever seen them and considering who his current charge was...that was saying something. A whole lot of something.

Gideon floated to where Seth was furiously going through the list of new angels as he tried to pick out the perfect one. "Seth, come now," he said in a soft but steady tone of voice. The pages of The Book ruffled due the deep sigh that followed. "You've already seen that the twins' birth is completely successful. Isabella has had an easy a time with this pregnancy, as she had with your namesake's. If anything, you should be sharpening your skills...Edward is going to need them before all is said and done. Poor man has worked himself into quite the tizzy over the prospect of having daughters."

This time Seth's ice blue eyes twinkled gleefully. "Isn't that the truth? Twins?" he chuckled loudly. "Serves him right for all the trouble he's caused me."

Gideon could only roll his eyes at that statement. As far as he was concerned, it was a complete toss up as to who drove the other crazier at any given point in time.

Jack and Emma Outtake from the Fandom for Tsunamis Teaser

~~~~OOO~~~OOO~~~~

"Uncle Ebbard!" Emma squealed when she looked up and saw him.

Edward broke out into a huge smile and instantly thought of how sad he would be when Emma finally learned how to say her 'w's'. Really, really sad actually.

"There's my pretty girl," he laughed when she threw herself at him and he scooped her up in his arms as per usual.

"I gets to spend the nights wif you," she told him in that breathy, hyper voice that only little kids used.

He kissed her on the forehead and then gave her an Eskimo kiss, which of course resulted in the sweetest giggle, before he said, "I know! I'm so excited. I've been looking forward to this all week."

And he had, too.

~~~~OOO~~~OOO~~~~

"Uncle Edward, what about this one?" Jack asked a short time later as he stood in front of what had to be the ugliest, most deformed-looking pumpkin Edward had ever seen in his life.

"Buddy...um...that is just..." Edward tried to be diplomatic, but was having the hardest damn time coming up with anything nice to say about the monstrosity.

"I say we get it and bring it home to show Dad," Jack said with a smirk and he reminded Edward so much of Emmett it was scary.

Edward threw his head back and laughed before he nodded his head in agreement. "He's going to flip when he sees this," he told Jack a few minutes later as they walked to the car to put up their pumpkins.

~~~~OOO~~~OOO~~~~

"What are you thinking about, love?" he bent down and whispered in Isabella's ear when he saw a dreamy, sweet smile on her face.

She snuggled closer to him, forgetting for a moment that they weren't alone and said, "How nice this is, and how I can't wait until we get to do this as Mom and Dad and not Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward."

"Ah, my sweet girl, it'll come. We just have to be patient," he told her, hoping beyond hope he wasn't making promises he couldn't keep.

~~~~OOO~~~OOO~~~~

Chapter 29 Bonus Scene

TGG Chapter 29 Bonus Scene

Two weeks after Seth first appears to Edward

"Ah, Gideon," the Voice boomed as he approached.

Gideon smiled and let his ice blue eyes twinkle. He'd been expecting this particular summons for some time now; he was actually surprised it had taken this long.

"Hello again, my son," the Voice rumbled and Gideon was filled with a sense of mirth and even a hint of naughtiness which made him smile even bigger.

Gideon let out a mighty sigh and floated around in a circle for a bit before coming to rest. "As much as I love being in your presence, I'm sure you have more important things to do than to beat around the bush with me. I know Seth has made a mistake; now what do we do about it?"

"Nothing," was the immediate answer.

Speechless. Gideon was utterly speechless. In all of his very long time as an angel, he couldn't ever recall a time when he'd been so shocked. He'd seen things, heard things that most would find unbelievable, and he took those in stride. But this...he was at a total loss.

"You're kidding, right?" he blurted out and then slapped his hands over his mouth like a newbie.

Flashes of light pulsed all around and loud claps of thunder boomed overhead, and still Gideon stood there with his hands over his mouth, too shocked by his outburst to even contemplate speaking again.

"Gideon, think for a moment. Young Edward has already come so very far. Yes, Seth made a mistake, a rather large one as we both know, but I'm quite impressed with what he's been able to do with Edward so far. We've talked about this, many, many times over these many years. The time to send Seth had finally arrived so he was sent. He's young and impetuous, but he has loved Edward, and yes, the lovely Isabella, for a long time now. Is it any wonder he jumped the gun so to speak?" the Voice questioned.

"But...but," Gideon sputtered and then took a deep breath. He had been an angel for too long now to act like he was fresh from the farm so he took one more deep breath and began again. "It is my understanding that Edward is not dying anytime soon. Is that still correct?" Gideon questioned carefully with a rather loud gulp.

It was not at all easy to question the Almighty...no matter how long he'd been an angel.

"Tsk, tsk," the Voice chided lovingly. "You know that my plan has never been for Edward to take his leave of the lovely Isabella anytime soon. If something unfortunate were to happen, you are well aware that it is within my power to give him a choice to go back and I fully plan on doing just that."

"What if he chooses to stay?" Gideon couldn't help but ask.

It was a legitimate question, at least as far as Gideon was concerned at any rate.

Another of rumble of laughter floated through the air followed by an indulgent sigh. "I would hope that his first inclination is to stay, my son. After all, I am offering him the chance to spend eternity...with me, am I not? An eternity of love and happiness and joy free of all the burdens he's carried for so long. Who wouldn't want that?" the Voice asked in an amused tone.

Gideon couldn't help but nod his head. "This is true..."

"However, it is my supreme wish that Edward be allowed to continue on the journey he has just begun. It may have been precipitated because of Seth's introduction to him, but Edward is no fool, and he never has been. If he hadn't been ready to be receptive to Seth's...shall we say unique way of making his point...he wouldn't be this far already," the Voice commented thoughtfully.

Gideon shook his head and ice blue eyes gleamed playfully even though he rolled them. "That boy, I swear," he huffed.

"Is much like you, my son, so it's no wonder he drives you crazy. I remember having a discussion very similar to this with Samuel if I recall correctly...and well...I'm ALWAYS right, so..." the Voice trailed off with another rumble of laughter. "Gideon," the Voice began again, this time more serious. "It is my wish that if it comes to pass that Edward arrives here before I want, that he return to his Isabella and family and friends. I'm not without my powers of persuasion you realize, so I will pull out the big guns if I need to to show him how much he has to gain by going back. He'll go back, don't worry."

Gideon floated once more before stopping. "Well, far be it from me to question you," he chuckled and was rewarded with a warm hug. "I know we've all paid particular attention to this very special family, Edward and Isabella most especially. It's been hard watching them suffer so much, and now that Edward is finally taking the steps necessary to bring them all together, well, I have to admit I'm as impatient as my prodigy it appears."

"I'll let you in on a little secret, my son," the Voice said on a gust of wind. "So am I. Edward and Isabella are indeed very special people and from their love for each other will come the forgiveness Edward so desperately needs and needs to give. It won't be easy to witness, these next steps he must take, but the reward will be so very worth it."

"As it always is," replied Gideon immediately with a brilliant smile.

Thunder clapped overhead and light pulsed again as the Voice said, "Indeed."

"Now, what shall we do about my impetuous young charge?" Gideon asked with a hint of mischievousness.

"Ah, well, I for one, am most looking forward to watching him try to wrangle young Edward, that's for sure. Edward is going to keep him on his toes, no question about it," the Voice said gleefully.

Gideon joined in the laughter and nodded his head enthusiastically. "Isn't that the truth? Before all is said and done, I'm thinking our young Seth might second-guess, on more than one occasion, his willingness to jump in and help Edward so quickly."

"How right you are," the Voice agreed. "Seth asked for this, a request I was most willing to grant. Edward and Seth are perfect for each other. I'm most looking forward to watching this all play out...for many, many years to come if I have my way."

"Yes," Gideon answered back, knowing his time was coming to a close. "Thank you for loving and forgiving Seth for his mistake."

"I'm me, Gideon. It's what I do," the Voice answered and then was gone.

"Indeed it is," Gideon said softly before leaving to find Seth.

TGG Chapter 30 Teaser

"How are you feeling about going back to Ireland after all this time?" the angel casually asked, though he paid very close attention to see if there was the telltale sign of a dip between the eyebrows or a pinch of the bridge of his nose.

There wasn't.

"You know what? At first, when Isabella gave me tickets, I was shocked. I mean, I had been thinking about taking her...before, but I had no idea if there would be enough time. Then when everything happened, I kind of forgot about it to be honest with you. But now that we're on our way there, it's..." Edward stopped and shook his head.

"It's what?"

"I kind of feel like this is it, you know? Like once I get there and do what I need to do, I can just put it all, every bit of anger and frustration and bitterness behind me and concentrate only on going forward. I know when Isabella planned on this trip she didn't really have that in mind, but it's what it is. I want to show here where I came from, but Ireland isn't home...Chicago is," Edward said quietly.

He'd turned in his chair and looked out the window and the clouds that floated by the plane as they sped through the sky. It sort of reminded him of where he went when he 'died' and he was sure the annoying angel person was well aware of that fact so he kept the observation to himself. They'd talked plenty once he'd gotten home from the hospital. It had to wait until he was at home because Isabella never left his side, even after he'd repeatedly tried to get her to leave and get some sleep at the penthouse or at the very least a shower, but she adamantly refused. He'd been worried that watching him 'die' would have a lasting effect on her, but for the most part it hadn't. It would have been foolish to assume she wouldn't have a few lingering fears and the fact that she woke up sometimes clinging to him and crying his name alerted him to the fact that she'd had them; he supposed she always would.

He knew if the situations had been reversed he'd have driven himself crazy with all the 'what ifs' his mind could and would conjure up. She was so much stronger than he was anyway. There was no doubting that! And, there was no way he was asking Seth for his opinion either. It seemed, and he wasn't sure how it was possible, that Seth had fallen even more under Isabella's spell since she'd gotten pregnant.

Edward and Isabella's greatest gifts are each other

Alec and Alessandra Outtake is posted!

There are a few places you can read it!

Read it on the blog by clicking here!

Read it on FFn by clicking here!

Polyvores for Chapter 28

Chapter 28 Pic Tease

I know all of you are worried about who our dear Alec is going to end up with and who sweet Sophie is going to marry!

Introducing Alessandra and Max!!

More about them on Sunday!!

Chapter 28 Teaser

The women continued to work and visit and Renée was positively over the moon she was so happy to be spending time with her two favorite women. Since her father had passed away, she had only gotten closer to her mother and the relationship she had with Isabella was the most special one she could envision. She hadn't had a whole lot of time to spend with her daughter of late, because it was the busiest time of year for her at the studio, so to be able to spend a whole evening with both women was surely a treat.

She and Charlie had talked, and talked...and talked some more about the revelations Edward had shared with them and though they were both still struggling a bit to understand how both sets of Edward's parents could have acted the way they did, they were nothing but supportive toward Edward and Isabella. To finally know everything her son-in-law had had to endure in his life just made her love him all the more. And honestly speaking, she already loved him a whole hell of a lot before that to begin with. She always had.

The rest of the evening flew by and the counters, the island, and even the dining room table were covered with enough food to feed an army, though Isabella figured between Emmett, Alec, and her dad they needed that much food. Just as she was taking the last pie out of the oven, she heard the garage door open and then in walked Edward, her dad, Marcus, and Alec who made a beeline straight for Nonna.

"Nonna, how's my favorite girl?" Alec flirted and kissed her soundly on the cheek.

"Oh, you stop that now," she said as she playfully swatted his arm. "You better behave yourself, Alec Tipton, and besides, we all know Isabella is your favorite girl, at least until tomorrow," she teased right back.

"Damn straight she is, especially when she's carrying apple pie," he said as he licked his lips only to run straight into...Edward.

Edward stood with his arms fold across his chest, trying like hell to fight the smirk that really wanted to come out, but he had a point to make. "I think, Alec, you'd best remember whose girl Isabella is."

"Oh whatever, Ed, besides...she has...pie!" Alec chuckled and pointed toward the pie as if that explained everything.

Polyvores for Chapter 27

 

Edward's Tat Manip by NoelleSeven

Necklace Manip by NoelleSeven

Click images to zoom.

Chapter 27 Teaser

When they got closer to the famous jewelry store with the robin's egg blue boxes, Edward pointedly ignored the low rumbling chuckle of the annoying angel and strode directly toward the counter. He paid no attention to the myriad of looks of lust, desire, and sexual need thrown his way by the women in the store, he never did. Well, he hadn't in a very, very long time. He wasn't an idiot, he knew he was a good-looking man, he always had been. His looks along with the air of aloofness and almost aristocracy that constantly surrounded him had garnered him more than his fair share of attention from the opposite sex. Even way back when, when he only wanted to be left alone, women practically fell over themselves whenever he walked past. As his incredible and beautiful wife liked to tease him, apparently, for some unfathomable reason, women found him even more irresistible now. He really didn't understand it, nor did he try very hard because it was completely irrelevant as far as he was concerned. The only woman whose attentions he wanted were those of Isabella and she showed her appreciation of him in all the ways that mattered.

He really was one lucky man, he thought for the thousandth time as he approached the display case. The poor sales associate was stunned stupid for a second when he walked up, especially when he nervously ran a hand through his hair. Again, he patently ignored the pain in the ass invisible presence beside him and asked, "Um...I have a special order I'd like to pick up. For Cullen," he said as he shifted from foot to foot.

"Oh, ah...sure...um...let me go check and see if I can find it," the flustered woman said with a blush on her cheeks as she scurried off to find his item.

The chuckle from beside him was even louder than before and Edward whispered in a fierce voice, "Don't say a fucking word."

"Whatever, Eddie," the angel said with a gleeful twinkle in his eye.

The woman came back, carrying his item on a black velvet tray and when she laid it on the glass counter for him to inspect, Edward wasn't sure he'd ever seen anything more beautiful. "It's perfect," he whispered as he traced the pendant with his finger.

She took the velvet lined tray and was back in no time with a light blue bag and Edward handed her his credit card. Once the purchase was done he started to make his way to the door when he heard someone call his name, "Edward?"

He turned and was face to face with none other than Sophie Jameson.

Chapter 26 Teaser

Edward and Emmett hit golf balls for over an hour, talking and enjoying each other's company. It was a gorgeous fall night and because it was now the beginning of October, there was a definite chill in the air as soon as the sun started to set. Isabella was helping Nonna and Renée at church and Edward had figured it was a great opportunity to spend some time, away from the office, just the two of them. 

 

There wasn't any question that their relationship was in a much better place; hell, it was in a different stratosphere from where it was just a few short months ago. Edward rediscovered all those wonderful things about his brother that he chose to ignore over the years; his sense of humor, even if it did tip toward juvenile and crude from time to time, his ability to get to the heart of a problem without beating around the bush and his unwavering sense of family and a loyalty that few could match. 

 

For Emmett, it was like meeting his brother for the first time. He was amazed to discover how laid back Edward could be. It wasn't that big of a stretch to imagine how difficult it was to always be on guard, to always be afraid of saying too much or showing too much and now that Edward didn't have to do that any longer, he most definitely wasn't the Iceman everyone had thought he was for so long. 

 

Emmett found himself mesmerized more often than not at the office. He watched Edward with a new appreciation, marveling at how commanding he was, without seeming overbearing. How he could make decisions in the blink of an eye and never second-guess himself. How, now that he had let his guard down, he seemed to thrive even more than he had before and how everyone seemed to admire and love him even more because of it.

TGG Chapter 25 Pic Tease

Click image for a larger view.

A Message From Erin

Hello my friends...

I was going to only include this in review replies, but as this is something I would like to share with all of my amazing readers, I decided to post it here on the blog instead.

I would like to start with something I say every week but it is something I don't feel like I can ever say enough. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for taking this journey with me. It isn't an easy one, though I think that is more from the fear of the unknown than the story itself, at least I hope so. It is my hope that while there is a bit of difficult subject matter to deal with, the focus is on the love story between Edward and Isabella. That is my intention anyway and the main reason for the bonus scenes. I have always wanted TGG to be Edward and Isabella's story and the story of Edward's redemption; though it would be unreasonable not to include the thoughts and viewpoints of others, especially because this is written in 3rd person. I chose 3rd person POV for that very reason, even though I know it is a writing style not everyone enjoys.

With that being said, I'd like to address something else since we have the 'hard' chapters out of the way now. I still have to be vague in some things so I hope you'll bear with me. I know there are a lot of conflicting thoughts and feelings based on what Edward revealed and most especially Carlisle and Esme's actions once Edward went to live with them. I anticipated that and would probably find it really odd if everyone thought the same thing. We all have different thoughts and feelings that are borne out of our own life's experiences and those color how we interpret what we read.

The Greatest Gift is about forgiveness, plain and simple. I know there are a lot of you that don't understand how Edward could forgive Carlisle and Esme so easily and maybe if Seth never appeared he never would have, but we don't know. What we do know is that Edward was told he had little time left to live. Keeping that in mind, once he took the step to tell them all his past, it wouldn't make much sense for him not to forgive them, would it? His gift to his family is much the same as Isabella's to him...a second chance.

Forgiveness is a process, and Isabella tells Edward in Chapter 26, "Forgiveness doesn't automatically make things all better, it just makes it easier to go forward." Because of Edward's supposed timetable, his process is accelerated, but he isn't going to go from calling Carlisle by his name to Dad overnight, he's just opened the door to having a relationship with them both that is more significant than it has been.

Carlisle and Esme's actions and non-actions as the case may be, are confusing, I know they are, but I wrote it that way on purpose. When they decided to selflessly...(please note I did NOT say selfishly!) to take Edward in, they didn't consciously set out to hurt him. Nothing could be further from the truth actually. Edward was already so damaged when they got to him that they were in over their heads before they even had a chance. Perhaps if Edward hadn't overheard what he did things would have been very different; but he did...and all the actions that followed were because of that. He was fourteen-years-old when that discussion took place and again like Isabella told him, he had no idea of what their life was like with William always berating Esme or that Carlisle's natural instinct was to try to protect his wife.

I think that is kind of the way real life situations happen though, and that is what I wanted to portray. Someone overhears something, doesn't say anything, and then resentment builds and builds until a wall is formed that nothing can get through. Guilt, jealousy, bitterness...all are emotions that will eat away at you slowly, bit by bit, until you are a different person and that is what I have in my mind happened to Edward. He isn't totally blameless in all of this either. When he was younger, he had an excuse, but twenty-five, thirty, thirty-five, surely he was self-aware enough to know that his actions were unreasonable. Of course, taking that first step and admitting it is the most difficult, and it was only after he got a rather abrupt wake-up call that he really took a hard look at his life. Would he have done it without Seth? Who knows, but the point is he did. He could have resisted Seth, though let's all admit, who could really resist our favorite angel, but he could have dug his heels in and said no.

So, I hope that by sharing these thoughts with you, you all will have better understanding of where I was coming from when I wrote those chapters. Your views and/or beliefs may be different and if they are, your perceptions and interpretations of what I write will be influenced by that and that is what makes FFn so great. We can all read the same thing and every one of us will take something different from it, and that is okay. I just thought it would help to share what I hoped to get across.

Love, unconditional love, is a force that can heal everything and make life worth living.

Forgiveness is a gift and a second chance to correct a mistake... everyone deserves that.

I truly do love and appreciate each and every one of you and the feedback and support you've given me and this story means more than you can possibly imagine. We're not done yet, Edward still has some work to do, so I hope you are planning on sticking with me until the end. I know I've said it before, but I'll keep saying it, have faith in me...I promise to give you all the ending Edward and Isabella deserve. You'll see!!

Thank you again for...everything!

See you Sunday. Feedback from betas and pre-readers indicate this is the favorite chapter so far. I'm excited to hear what you all think.

Hugs and much love,
Erin~

TGG Chapter 25 Teaser

When he parked and then got out to help her from the car, he couldn't help but give her a sexy smile when she stood up. The weather outside was absolutely perfect, sunny with just the slightest bit of chill in the air and when the sunlight bounced off her hair and the diamonds around her neck, it was almost as if heaven was shining down on her. A totally cheesy thought he knew; one which he blamed the annoying angel person for, but it didn't make it any less true either.

Just as he was about to step forward and kiss her, he heard the sweetest voice...besides Isabella's of course. "Uncle Ebbard!" Emma squealed as she let go of Rose's had and ran to him.

Edward turned from his wife and toward his niece bending over to swing her up into his arms as soon as she was close enough. "How's my second favorite pretty girl today?" He chuckled at her while she squeezed him around the neck.

"Good. Mommy let me pick out my dress today, isn't it pretty?" she asked him and giggled when he pretended to have to think about his answer.

"I dare say, Miss Emma, you will be the prettiest little girl in the whole church today," he answered and then gave her a raspberry on her cheek.

She squirmed as she tried to get away from him and then held his face in her tiny little hands and very seriously said, "I missded you."

Well, that melted Edward's heart and kind of made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world, which he pretty much thought he was anyway. "Missed you, too, angel. Want to sit with me during Mass?" he asked, not wanting to let her go.

"Can I Mommy?" Emma asked when she turned toward Rose.

Rose rolled her eyes and tried to stop from smiling at how utterly adorable Edward was with her daughter but failed...miserably.

TGG Chapter 24 Teaser

Somehow, on some level deep inside his subconscious, he'd always known that it was up to him to fix things. He wasn't sure why and up until the appearance of the annoying but very loving angel, he never wanted to think about what that meant, but since the very first moment Seth made his presence known, Edward knew what was ultimately going to need to be done.

The Edward Cullen that Seth first encountered all those weeks ago wasn't the real him, not even close. It was a persona developed over time to protect himself from getting hurt...again. From feeling like he wasn't wanted or needed. From feeling like he wasn't worthy.

He wasn't the cold, distant man most people assumed he was. He wasn't uncaring or unfeeling. He wasn't arrogant or selfish and he was tired of people thinking he was all those things and more. He was ready to show the world who the real Edward Cullen was and now that there were no more secrets, nothing standing in the way, he was going to do just that, with Isabella rightfully by his side.

He had no idea how much time he had left, but it didn't really matter. One day, one week, month, year...or fifty years or more...it didn't matter. He was going to live each day loving his wife and his family and being the man he was always destined to be.

Chapter 22 Review Reply and Honeymoon Outtake Bonus Scene

Hi again!

Well, I know for most, if not all of you, that was a hard chapter to get through and I'm sorry for that. I do hope it gives you a better understanding of our Edward, though. And, there have been a few comments and such about the level of abuse, etc that Edward has suffered. If you will recall a few chapters ago when Edward and Jasper were speaking, Edward is fully aware that his story is by no means the worst thing that could have happened to him and that there are others out there who have suffered far greater than he has. While I don't want to imply that either, it should be easy to see how the emotional abandonment he did suffer from both his parent affected him and shaped him into the man he is now. 

With that said, there are still a few more revelations coming in the next two chapters. I promise the sad won't last for too long, by the middle of Chp 24, you all will know as much as Edward and Isabella...promise. I do want to thank you all for continuing to have faith in me. I know lots are still worried about how much time Edward has, and I promise it will all be revealed soon. I have a plan!!! Trust me!

I hope you're going to stick with me to the end! There are still quite a few things left to get through...Vincent, what's going on at CP, a trip to the soccer stadium with Edward, Isabella, Charlie and Jack...some brotherly bonding between Edward and Emmett...Sophie and a few other surprises along the way! So...the story isn't done yet!

I'm not sure about alerts and such considering the mess FFn has been lately, but I hope everyone has read the outtakes that I've posted so far. While they aren't vital to the story, they do give you a much deeper understanding of some of the outside influences to Edward and Isabella as well as our lovable, pain in the ass angel. I know Seth's story isn't a happy feel good one, but he does have to die to be an angel you know! However, it does show just how much he and Edward have in common and why he's wanted to help him for so long...so I hope you all will at least give them a look and let me know what you think.

Just a few odds and ends for you all. I still haven't decided on what to write for the Fandom4Tsunami so if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. TGG, TPWC, or anything else, let me know, okay. By now you all should know how to find me either through PM, email, or DM on Twitter.

Voting is open in the Let the Games Begin contest I submitted a Soccerward O/S for. I know the subject matter isn't for everyone because it's Edward/Jasper slash but if you want to vote for me anyway...and I would appreciate it so much...or just take a peek at at it, you can go here:

http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2719275/

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, and like always, for the incredible support and encouragement you give me week in and week out. Your reviews, PM's, emails, and messages on Twitter mean more than you can know. I read them over and over again and I smile each and every time. I've gotten to know so many of you and it's been an incredible experience meeting you all and hearing from you week after week. This story is a leap of faith, I know that, and I can't tell you what it means to me that you've trusted me enough to take this journey with me. It will be worth it in the end, promise!

Look for me on Twitter, I am finding myself spending more and more time on there! @les_sh_16

For those of you who have been retweeting my chapter updates and such, thank you so much!!! I appreciate that more than you can know!

If you're not on Twitter but are on gtalk, hell, find me there, too! Me and my girls are always on there...erinsharpe.16(@)gmail(.)com. Friend me and I'll accept!

Remember to email me if you're missing a bonus scene, from yours, and I'll send it to you.

Okay, here is a sneak peek into my Fandoms4Floods Honeymoon outtake. There is an absolutely gorgeous banner made my dear friend lizzylilyrose on the blog that goes along with this, so please take a look at it. Remember, this Edward is different from the one we have now...but he's not quite as closed off as he was in Chapter 1, okay? You still have time to donate and receive the incredible compilations...yes, there are 2 of them. If you need more info...look on the blog or contact me!

See you Sunday! Don't forget the tissues...you're gonna need them!

Hugs and Much Love,
Erin~

PS...Be sure to keep checking the blog for new things on there. Have you all seen the amazing banner YSAR made for me?! It's so freaking beautiful!!

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Chapter 22 Bonus Scene~ Honeymoon Outtake

He loved her, God knew he did, but the feeling was foreign to him. It scared him in all honesty, only because he didn't know how to show her. He didn't know how to let her know how important she was to him and how happy she made him. He'd never been this close to anyone before and the fear of doing something to upset her paralyzed him.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to keep the thoughts of his birth parents and Ireland away. He worked so hard on a daily basis to not think about them, he sure as hell wasn't going to let them ruin his day now. Instead he concentrated on Isabella.
Flashback~

"You nervous, Ed?" Emmett had asked him as they stood on the steps of the altar of Isabella's church.

Edward blew out a nervous breath but shook his head in answer to his brother and best man's question. "No," he told him.

Emmett chuckled beside him and said, "Yeah, sure you're not."

Edward grunted at Emmett but didn't say anything further. He shifted from foot to foot and curled his hands into tight fists before relaxing them. He was really fucking nervous, but there was no way in hell he would ever tell Emmett that. "You have her ring, right?" Edward demanded when he turned to look at Em.

"Yes, Edward. You've already asked me that like ten times at least. Could have fooled me you weren't nervous," Emmett needled again.

Edward rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything further. They both knew he was full of shit, no point in trying to say otherwise. He saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Father O'Connor take his place in the middle of the altar. His stomach almost fell out of his ass as he realized it was time but he tried to give the priest what he hoped was a smile. He had a feeling it came out looking like a grimace, especially when the good-looking priest chuckled at him.

"Edward, my boy, are you going to be all right?" Father O'Connor asked him.

Edward took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. He'd probably messed it up, but in all reality, it probably didn't look much different than it normally did. "Yes, sir," Edward answered him. He noticed that Father O'Connor didn't believe him anymore than Emmett had, especially when the older man chuckled at him.

"It's okay to be nervous, Edward. Today is a big step for you and Isabella," he told him kindly and Edward nodded in response.

Big step...well that was an understatement if he'd ever heard one.

He heard the music change and the guests situate themselves in their seats. He looked around the church and was again extremely thankful for his about-to-be wife's insistence on a small, intimate wedding. Being who he was, he was sure it had been expected that his wedding would be some elaborate affair, but Isabella being who she was, insisted that she didn't want anything lavish or ostentatious. She wanted to get married in the church she'd grown up attending, only wanted to invite family and friends, and wanted to have a simple reception afterward. He was more grateful for that than he could express. He would have given her whatever she wanted, but the fact that she somehow seemed to intuitively know that a big wedding would have been more than he could handle made him love her even more.

The doors opened and he saw Rosalie and he knew that behind her stood Isabella and Charlie. He chuckled when he heard Emmett whisper, "Damn," under his breath as Rose made her way up the center aisle. She did look very pretty, he had to admit. Isabella had let Rose chose her own dress because she was going to be the only person standing with her, just like Emmett was Edward's only groomsman Rose had chosen a deep, dark red dress and she gave Emmett a big smile when she looked at him. The smile she gave Edward was a bit less enthusiastic, but it was a loving one at least.

The music changed again to Pachelbel's Canon and he swore every ounce of breath left his body in one fell swoop when he saw Isabella standing at the end of the aisle, her hand tightly wrapped around her father's arm. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen and he felt his eyes burn almost immediately with unshed tears; it almost hurt to look at her, she was such a vision. Her dress clung to her body and made her pale skin almost iridescent. It was elegant, but not plain by any stretch of the imagination, and it was exactly her. Understated, classic, with a hint of sexiness and he knew he would never, ever forget what she looked like as long as he lived.

Christ he loved her, so damn much.

He never expected to feel this way about anyone...ever...and the fact that she had the power to break him completely scared him more than he had words to describe. Of course he kept that realization to himself; there was no way he was telling her he was totally at her mercy. He'd seen what that had done and he was not going down that road, not ever.

As she reached the altar and Charlie placed her hand in his, he felt like he could finally breathe, like he was finally...home. The earrings he'd given her for a wedding present glittered in the candlelight from the candles on the altar. Her eyes were so bright, so clear, he swore he could get lost in them and not come out for days. She had minimal make-up on, not that he ever felt she needed any in the first place. She had the sweetest, warmest, most loving smile on her face and Edward felt his heart thump almost painfully in his chest as he squeezed her hand in his.

She was about to be his wife, be his forever, and he was so overwhelmed by all he was feeling, he couldn't think. The ceremony passed in a haze, though he somehow was able to speak when he needed to. Thankfully they'd chosen traditional vows to say to each other so he didn't have to worry too much about forgetting the words. When he finally spoke the words that would bind him to her forever, he was surprised when his voice didn't shake, but was instead confident and sure...as was hers. She pledged herself to him with a huge smile on her face and tears in her eyes, but there was no doubting how very much she loved him...everyone in the congregation could tell.

When he finally got to kiss the bride, he cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. He hoped with all he had that she could feel everything he was too scared to tell her. That he loved her with all his heart, that he was every bit as much hers and she was his, that he hoped he could make her happy...that he was afraid he wouldn't be enough for her.

There were hugs, kisses, and pictures to take before they made their way to the reception. He barely remembered the limo ride from the church to the hotel, but he could recall with vivid clarity how happy Isabella had seemed. They talked about their impending trip to Italy and he was more pleased than he could say that she seemed so excited to go there. He hadn't been sure of where to take her on their honeymoon, but once he'd spent time with her family, Nonna especially, he knew without a doubt that going to Italy was perfect.

The reception passed quickly, though he enjoyed it much more than he thought he would. He danced with Esme, Rose, Alice, Renee, and Nonna. When he held Isabella in his arms for the traditional first dance as husband and wife, he knew without a doubt that he was the luckiest man on the planet. He knew he didn't deserve her, but he'd be damned if he was going to let that make a difference. He knew he couldn't live without her and now he didn't have to.

They left the reception, after Isabella had changed into travel clothes, and after another round of hugs and kisses. He was uncomfortable with all the displays of affection, but in all honesty, most of it was directed at his beautiful wife, who still hadn't stopped smiling. With promises to call from Italy, they finally headed toward the airport.

End of Flashback~

Edward groaned in his seat as he again imagined her in her wedding dress, the way she looked when they danced in front of their friends and family… how sweet she was when she thanked him for taking her on a fabulous honeymoon, even though they hadn't even taken off yet. She was so good, so tender and loving and with all he had, he hoped he would be able to be the man she needed.

He didn't pray; he'd stopped long ago after he'd been broken and scarred, but for her he did. He prayed that somehow, someway he would find the strength within to allow himself to be happy. That he would have faith in her and her love and not shut her out...that he could find a way to let her see who he truly was.

He still held onto her hand and closed his eyes, hoping that when he woke up, he could be the man she needed him to be.