Outtake - The Homecoming

Vines Outtake ~ The Home Coming

"Full Bodied"

~ Edward POV ~

The trip from Georgia to Napa was a long one.

Bella and I had bussed, airplaned and taxi'd ourselves out but as we arrived at the Cullen vineyard, something was growing inside both of us. I felt it like little pricks of electricity along the hairs on my arms...the chill up my neck and the stirring in my pants.

It only grew as I paid the taxi driver and retrieved our things from the trunk.

Bella felt it too. The look was there.

And I smiled.

We weren't half-way through the door of the house at the vineyard when my duffle fell off of my shoulder and our hands were all over each other.

Lips moving urgently.

Tongues meeting every few seconds.

Fingers getting lost in our entanglement.

Arms entwined.
Jet lag was just a forgotten memory and even Alice, who I could feel staring at us from the kitchen entryway, meant nothing in comparison to the desperation the two of us felt for each other as we staggered and stumbled up the stairway after arriving home.

"Welcome back," I heard her say sarcastically, and I think I may have waved over to her somehow, I'm not sure….but she was only a distraction that I couldn't afford at the moment.

We would greet her later…she knew that.

The door was left to fend for itself as well because, in all honesty, I could only see her.

Bella, as I lifted her easily and took her to our bedroom.

Our…bedroom.

As in, she was never leaving the vineyard again, if I could help it.

And I could help it.

After kicking the bedroom door open, I set her down and we both began undressing ourselves…each other…me, shoving my uniform off while Bella suddenly got this glazed look in her eyes and I asked, "You okay? Are you tired?"

I stopped, breathless, cradling her face between my hands…worrying a little bit that I was pushing her physical activities for the day a little too far, but then she blushed.

God I missed that blush.

"No, I…" she shook her head at me as she regained her composure, shimmying out of her shorts. "You get to keep that uniform, don't you?"

I laughed at her and nodded, continuing my assault on the Army issued uniform, attempting to rid myself of it for good.

Well, not for good, exactly. And it was the least I could do.

"Yes, Pie Girl, I promise to dress in uniform anytime you want," I teased and she pulled her top off…a little aggressively I might add, bearing her breasts for me. Her breathing was hitched and her nipples…those hardened, delectable nipples… were threatening to peak through the flimsy lace bra she was wearing.

I wondered if she know what she did to me?

When she'd left for Fort Benning that day, had she planned on me seeing that bra? Was she going to tempt me into staying with it?

Because I would have.

I'd have gone AWOL if need be, to see her in that bra.

To see her like this one more time.

She was the most beautiful sight in all my life.

Three days, well - four technically, I guess, it had been since I'd touched her.

Since I'd felt her underneath of me…and over top of me…in ways I'd never felt a woman before.

Ways I never wanted to feel any other woman again…only her.

As she unhooked the bra and let it fall helplessly to the floor, I had already kicked my boots off and was pushing the camouflage pants off all together when she interrupted my evil thoughts of what was in store for her.

"Edward?"

And things were much too urgent for me to even begin to answer as I continued taking my gear off, but she grabbed my hand to stop me.

I looked up at her to make sure everything was okay again, but I didn't really need to ask once I saw the look on her face. Then she simply arched an eyebrow at me.

"Leave the boots on?"

A knowing smile crept along my lips as I slid the damn things back on.  Then, like a viper in the night, she stood and spun us around, urging me down onto the bed so that my legs dangled off the edge.

Talk about your mother of all turn ons.

She gave me a feral look as she knelt down in front of me and spread my legs a little more.

And I relished in thoughts of just exactly how lucky I was to have her.

She was fucking perfection.

My head fell back as her hands slowly glided themselves up my legs in unison. Over my knees, along my thighs, until they met in the middle, each going their separate ways.

One to knead my balls.

The other…

"Jesus Christ," I whispered, as her fingers gently re-introduced themselves to the shaft of my dick.

It had been too long. "So fucking good."

She giggled and I was muttering incoherently when she reached the head. Her thumb rubbed the tip, using the smooth, liquidy pre-cum that had spilled out from the anticipation of our reunion to make it feel even…

"Fuck me."

"Not just yet, Grape Guy," she teased and then, just as quickly as I could even process her seductive words, her lips surrounded me and her tongue did tantalizingly wonderful things.

I lifted my head to watch.

I had to watch.

She was just absolutely astounding as she worked her way up…and down…around the length of me and even fucking peeked up at me with those big brown eyes of hers, capturing me with her stare…daring me to do something about it.

"You're tempting me, Bella," I rasped, and I could tell she was amused with herself.

So my hands instinctively moved to her hair and began moving with her…and yeah, maybe pushing a little more than I should have, but honestly, what'd she expect, my little minx?

"Jesus, you're making me…"

She hummed, moving a little more quickly than before and that, combined with the voyeurism, and the ball massage I was getting….

"Oh shit," I blurted out, squinting my eyes shut as I came and she held it in her mouth, letting me finished, then looked up at me.

Smirked.

And then swallowed.

Mother of God.

I knew the rumors. Women hated swallowing but believe me when I tell you, she wiped her mouth and licked her lips like she'd just tasted the best wine in ten counties and was simply unwilling to expectorate.

And goddamn if it didn't make me hard again.

She chanced a glance downward…then up at me, arching her perfect eyebrow a little.

Then she stood up and I was about to join her when she pushed me back down, settling herself over top of me.

I let my hands find her waist…then one slid to where she was wet and waiting for me… I needed to at least feel her first…and maybe give her a small taste of what she'd done for me.

I dipped a finger or two inside of her and her eyes closed at the contact. Then I used some of that wetness and created the friction with her clit I knew she liked.

The sounds that came from her lips as she rolled against my fingers.

There was just nothing like it in the world.

My other hand went to her breast…pinching the nipple harder than I might have meant to, but Bella…all she did was arch a little, encouraging the action.

Her face radiated the desperation I was feeling too, but I wasn't gonna rush this. Wasn't gonna put an end to what would ultimately be the beginning of the rest of our lives together by being a dick.

So I kept rubbing, and she kept moving to get the right feeling going.

And When she took her bottom lip in between her teeth and her brow scrunched the way only Pie Girl's brow could scrunch...and the thick, warm orgasm surrounded my fingers, I knew she was cumming.

I was in awe of her, watching her cum like that.

Knowing it was me that made her feel that way.

I planned on giving her that ecstasy, that sensation of the ultimate euphoria for the rest of my life.

Then, like she just couldn't take it anymore, she lifted herself up and swiftly lowered herself back down onto me, not only demanding a few groans from myself…but some very animalistic sounds from her as well.

I sat up a little, replacing my fingers with teeth against her nipple, and it was just what she needed.

What she wanted.

She grinded and rolled, with her hands in my hair…against my chest… and then I fell back again…letting my fingers make their way around her hips, moving us in sync to only the sounds of our grunting and the wind whistling outside the bedroom window.

"I love you, you know…" she whispered, as she leaned down to put her lips on mine, easily pushing past the barrier to mingle our tongues. She would pull away once in a while, only to remind me I was never to leave her like that again. I could only respond with hums and groans while she pushed against me harder and kissed me deeper.

I wouldn't ever leave her again.

Never hurt her the way I had.

Not even if my life depended on it.

And when I came…I came hard, holding onto her for that life of mine because she was all there was, tethering me still.

We stayed like that awhile, in a sort of sitting position with each other…her still on top of me…me holding onto her. She let her fingers rake themselves through my drenched hair, telling me, "I missed you."

I squeezed her tightly against me as I responded, mumbling against her neck in between kisses.

"I missed you too," I said, choking on the meaning behind those words. "So much."

It would always be there…that love between us.  I knew that but there was something else as well.

Something inside of my chest that was telling me this was different from when we'd made love before.

Reminding me this wasn't something I had to take with me as a memory this time. Wasn't something I had to take slow and cherish like fine china…although, I knew I'd still do that…but I wouldn't be leaving to go back to the Army…and Bella certainly wasn't moving to Silicon Valley.

We were here, together…and we would be for a very long time to come.

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, Edward."

We took a few minutes to just enjoy lying there with each other for a spell, but, eventually, we got ourselves up and made our way downstairs to say our hellos to Alice, who'd already taken the liberty to invite Emmett and Rose over for dinner and wine...dessert and laughter.

And it was good.

It was really good to be home.

A/N: The Body of a wine refers to how thin or thick the wine feels in your mouth. "Light body" connotes a thin feeling in your mouth. "Medium body" means that a wine is full-flavored, without being too heavy. "Heavy body" means the wine has a robust, round, and very rich feel.

Epilogue ~ Well Balanced

Edward.

It was late spring in Napa, California.

Things had done nothing but look up for Pie Girl and me, after leaving Fort Benning so many moons ago.

Like the fact that Bella never had accepted that job over in San Francisco after all.  Not exactly, anyway.  In fact she’d charmed the pants off of those executives and had convinced several of them to consider  investing their hard earned money into a new company.

One that she would run…in Napa.

And once they’d seen her business plan and mock up presentation, it was a done deal.

Emmett and I built her an office near the one that already existed for dealing with the vineyard, and she spent a lot of her time in there.  Making deals, creating beauty…

Having sex with her ex-Army lover…

And okay, I use the word ex, loosely.

Things hadn’t changed all that much for me, but, in some ways, they did.

Like that I never sold the vineyard but Alice did quit her job as groundskeeper.  She had her own plans and her own life to lead and besides, I liked taking care of everything around the winery.

And like the fact that I still went on morning runs, but no longer took them anywhere near oh five hundred hours.

I rather enjoyed watching Bella sleep instead of rushing out of bed to go start another day.

Almost summer, again, I thought as a light breeze made its way in through the bedroom window.  The sweet smell of grapes that floated in put a hidden smile on Bella’s lips, but her eyelids remained closed, unwilling to open just yet.

I let my fingers drag along her waist, her hips, her thighs… then back again as we just lay there in bed, enjoying the quiet early moments together. 

“You have the cutest fucking curves, you know that?”

She squirmed and I grinned, making note of yet another ticklish spot.

Brown eyes peeked over at me.  “Do you know what time yet?”

“Ten hours from this moment.”

She let out a sigh that I would have liked to have mimicked, but I didn’t want to let our perfect morning moment slip away. Instead, I moved my body over some so that I was leaning over her just a little.

“I won’t be long, you know that,” I said in between light kisses along her neck…her chest…

Hello, nipples.

I bit down, slightly and her breath caught.

“I hate it when you go,” she whispered, arching for me just a tad, and then I moved over her a little more, and slid into her as she spread her legs, wrapping them around me like she always did.

The way she liked it.

The way I loved it.

She hummed and I moved slowly, in and out of her, attempting to make the moments last longer.

Always wanting them to last longer.

But then, also like always, our movements became more urgent.

Her lips against my neck.

Her grasping hands and feet that didn’t know where to land.

Engulfing myself in trying to tie us together in a way that would never be undone.  It was always too much.  And yet, not enough.

It always would be.

After, I held her.  Almost too tightly against me because, in reality, I hated when I left too.

But at least I knew it wasn’t permanent.

Eventually, I slipped my sweats on and Bella covered herself up to go down and start the day, but I stopped her just before she was out of my reach.

I took a hand and pulled her back for one more morning kiss.

“I love you,” I whispered as my hands slid downward along her arms. 

After the first time I’d said those words to her…and ever since, I felt a slight elation in that she’d been the only person I’d ever uttered them to.

The only person I ever would utter them to.

Save for one, maybe.

 “Dah…deeeeeee!”

The small voice that belonged to my three year old son screeched through the room as he realized we were up and then, with a tumble or two, made his daily attempt to tackle me.

My head fell against Bella’s for the slightest of moments before I told her, “Maybe we can continue this later?” to which she arched an eyebrow a little at me.

“The caves?”

“Definitely,” I told her with one last brush of my lips against hers.  Then I grabbed the tiny limbs that belonged to the giggles and mock wrestled with him for a few minutes.

“Okay,” I told him when we were done.  “You need breakfast and daddy needs to run.”

“Come with!” he squealed.

“Tell ya what,” I said, bobbing him lightly on the nose.  “When you can keep up, you can run with me every day, got it?”

He pouted a little, but Bella picked him up and gave him tummy kisses which made everything better. 

She also made promises of pie later in the day.  That never hurt either.

I ran a shorter distance that day since I wanted every hour with Bella and Anthony to count, but I still had plenty of time to ponder.

About how there’d been a time in my life that I thought I’d never see this place again, have the love for it I did when I was little, much less be sharing these things with someone like Bella.

How I knew I’d miss the vines while I was gone.

Miss my family.

But knew they’d still be there when I returned.

It was satisfying.

And relieving, in a way.

To have been able to let go of the hurt and the pain…the bitterness of things that, in the end, didn’t seem like as much of a big deal as they used to.

And as I returned home, I slowed to a walk and observed the vines.

Smiled at the way they were coming in, knowing it would be time to harvest them soon.  Then there was the wine tasting competition that was coming up, the grape festival…

And the fact that I’d be participating in these things as an all out fully righted owner this year was…a little incomprehensible.

I mean, I wasn’t hated by everyone anymore and the vineyard had truly come a long way since I’d taken it over for good.

But it was still missing something.

Someone.

“Hey, Dad,” I said, taking my usual spot next to his burial place, toward the back of the property.

It had become a weekly thing for me, these visits with Carlisle.

For us.

I typically took him wine that I’d been particularly proud of, shared it with him, then told him how things were coming along with the slip of land he’d left to me when he died.

Some weeks were filled with good news. 

Like when I’d finally found the nerve to propose to Bella.

How she’d finally said yes, after many…many weeks of…coaxing.

She was still stubborn, what can I say?

And how we were married next to the raspberry bushes, on a Saturday at moonrise one winter evening, with a small crowd of witnesses that included Emmett, Rose, Alice and Jasper…even Bella’s ex-fiance and best friend, Jake.

Her mom attended as well.

She wasn’t all that bad and, once she realized I owned a vineyard, she was on speaking terms with Bella again.

It also didn’t hurt that Bella’s web designing business had taken off like a bat outta hell.

Turns out Carlisle wasn’t the only parent that was kinda crappy about showing love for his child.

Another good week included telling him about Felix’s arrest going to trial, despite the cops that the Volturi’s thought they had in their back pockets.   How the testimony of the girls he’d raped and, in some cases, beaten led to a guilty verdict and he was now spending his days behind bars not so far away and yet, very far away.

How sales for the Volturi winery had gone down immensely and there were rumors of them leaving Napa all together, even.

But I wasn’t one to listen to rumors, so I pretended not to hear that one when people gossiped. 

I was, however, saving a special bottle of red for celebrations sake…you know, just in case.

Some weeks with Dad, though, were not so good on the news front.

Like the first time Bella miscarried.

How torn apart Alice was when Jasper was wounded in action only weeks before his last run was up.

How we weren’t even sure he was gonna make it, but he pulled through because that bastard is one tough Army man.

They were making a life of their own in Napa, Jasper and Alice, and I had to admit, it was really good to have him around.  Especially when I knew the Volturi’s, although they’d been taken down a peg or two, might just have some sort of crazy concocted revenge plot on their minds.

But I didn’t worry about that too much.

I was more worried about raising a child in an environment full of an appreciation for the vines, respect for his family but, most of all, a love for himself.

Because he deserved it, and it would ultimately be the basis of every decision he would make throughout his life.

Trust me.

After I was done saying a few final words of thanks to Carlisle for what he’d given me at the end of his life here with us, I went back up to the house.

I showered and packed, and then made my way down to the cellar with a few new bottles for our collection.

I walked by the wines that currently sat on the shelves.

Bella’s Swan labeled bottle that I’d made her.   One from the stock we’d used at Carlisle’s funeral.  One from mine and Bella’s wedding, and, lastly, from the day Anthony was born.  There were a few others that weren’t nearly as meaningful, lining another shelf.

Next to them sat the picture of Emmett and me, from when we were kids.  That year we broke the church window, and I smiled at it as I passed it this time.

“Is that Pinot from the reserve?” Bella asked, watching me from the doorway.

She had a slight smile playing on her lips as she leaned against the door jamb and I knew she knew she was giving me a hard on when she used words like that.

Snarky little Pie Girl.

I tried to ignore it.

The hard on, that is.

“Yeah,” I said, smirking sideways at her, while I placed the bottle in its space.

It was our first real money making wine with regards to online sales, and I had no doubt that it was going to be the first of many. 

A definite keeper.

Pinot Noirs.  Who knew?

A tug on the cuff my jeans and I smiled even wider.

“Daddy, vines?”

I sucked in some exaggerated air, raising my eyebrows a little as I peeked down at the three year old that was putting his newly discovered puppy dog eyes into action. “I dunno, little man, I have a lot of stuff to do today before I go.”

And that same quivering lip I remembered his mother having.

Ugh.

Kills me, every time.

“I help?”

This kid.

How was it that my heart could break into so many pieces over the years?

I squatted down so we were at eye level with each other.

“Ya know what? None of it is as important as you,” I told him, putting a hand out for him to take and he placed his nearly matching tiny one into it, jumping up and down.

“Vines?”

“Vines,” I said.

I scooped him up and we headed out to inspect a new breed of Zin grapes I was testing out for the upcoming season.

A few last minute instructions over at the processing building, lunch and some heavy petting with my wife in the caves while Anthony was napping later, and, just like that, it was time to go.

Not that my life wasn’t fulfilled in ways I’d never considered it ever would be.  But after a while of being home and running things full time, I realized I’d missed certain aspects of the Army after all.

So, after many discussions with Bella, getting her okay on things, and some direction from Jasper, I’d signed up as a part time training instructor at Fort Irwin, in Southern California.

They only needed me every so often to help train new recruits that would be going out into the field like I used to.   It put my mind at ease, being able to help my country out in some way other than leaving for two years at a time.

It was a win win for both the US Army and me.

Besides, the homecomings after being separated from Bella for a week or two?  So worth it.

I packed and dressed then left a note on one of the pillows for Bella to find later, when she went to bed without me.

"What I do and what I dream include thee, as the wine must taste of its own grapes..."

It was a quote from Elizabeth Barret Browning.

She’d get it.

I walked down the stairs where Bella and Anthony were waiting for me.

Bella’s eyes roamed as an eyebrow arched and I grinned at her, knowing what was going on in that beautiful head of hers.  Anthony squealed and laughed and ran up to me for his hug goodbye.

When I reached her, holding my son in one arm, I put my free one around her and kissed the top of her head.  “I did tell you I love you today, didn’t I?” I asked, pretending not to remember and she rolled her eyes at me.

“I don’t think so.”

“Well I do,” I assured her. “Every day until the day I die.”

She pushed up onto her tippy toes and whispered all sexy like into my ear, “I love you too, Grape Guy.”

“Gape Guy!” Anthony mimicked, and we laughed as we walked out to my cab that was waiting.

“I’ll see you in about two weeks,” I told her and she closed her eyes when I put my lips on hers for a few extra moments. “Two weeks.”

Then I threw my duffle over my shoulder and started down the walk way to my ride.

“Edward,” she called as I was opening the door.  I stopped and looked back, waiting for her to say it.

“Come home to me.”

I smiled.

My heart swelled overwhelmingly, and I felt that same familiar pain in my chest whenever I was away from her.

It was funny how my life had practically been a replica of the vines I’d been growing for so long.

They start out so young and stupid, not really knowing what they’re supposed to do as they sit there in the dirt, waiting for the love they so deserve.

Then, as they grow, they yearn for affection from the sunlight, but would never give you the satisfaction of knowing that.

Their roots grow, yielding vines that show you the way to their bounty, through twists and turns. Some easy to get to, some difficult, sometimes getting tangled up in other roots along the way.

They produce sour grapes, sweet ones, red ones, green ones…some get thrown out because they’re just plain old bad.

But, in the end, they work their ass off to give you something you’ll be proud of.

And I was suddenly hearing my grandfather’s voice again, from so, so long ago, telling me "You can't be your own person if you don't even know who that is yet, Edward."

Finally, I thought.  I was my own person.  I didn’t need my father to tell me who that was, or my mother, or the Army or…anyone for that matter…just me, and I was willfully sharing who I was with people who cared and loved and supported me.

Whether I wanted them to, at times, or not.

And as far as knowing who I was, well, I knew that too.

I was Edward Cullen.

Son to the best grape grower in a fifty mile radius.

A hellion in younger years.

A soldier of the United States Army.

Vineyard owner.

Father.

Husband.

And I loved my life.

“Always, Pie Girl,” I told her, smiling over at the two people who were everything to me.

Everything I’d ever need.

“I’ll always come home to you.”

A/N: Cue Vineward’s theme song {yes, I gave him a theme song}… 

which is “Not Broken” by the Goo Goo Dolls

Regarding Balance: A good wine is said to be well-balanced. The reference is to the symbiotic interrelationship and desired harmony between the major components of a wine fruit, sugar, acidity, tannins, alcohol and oak aging.  {swoon worthy}