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Catalytic Reaction.
Chapter One: In Which The Story Begins.
Isabella's POV.
Dear Diary,
I fell today. Stupid Gravity! I always knew someone had it out for me but Gravity. Jeez! I managed to scrap up my knee pretty good too. But while I am used to that (i.e. the falling) something weird happened today.
When I fell, mama was in the living room and I was in the back yard. I know she couldn't hear me fall all the way there but before I even stood up my mama was there picking me up and taking me into the house. She cleaned my cut and placed some ointment on it and then told me to go relax on the couch and she would be there shortly.
When she came in, she handed me a big bowl of ice-cream and we cuddled together. That's when I asked her how she I knew I fell and she looked at me and smiled when she told me that she always knew when I was hurt because she was my mother.
I want that one day diary. I want a daughter who I would love so much that I would know if she was hurting. I want to be a mama. I want to be a mama just like my mama.
From the Diary of Isabella Swan: Age Eleven.
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"Are you sure about this, sweetheart?" My mother asked for what seemed like the umpteenth time that night.
"No, but I think that this is the best thing for me. I really am trusting Angela on this one. What was I thinking when I chose to go to Julliard for college. I should have gone to Yale or Dartmouth even then I might have a job" I sighed sinking further into the plush couch as I sipped my cocoa.
"Bella sweetheart, you were following your heart and I don't ever want to hear you regret doing something like following your heart but this is not something you should go out on a whim and do. Maybe you should take a week or two more to really think this through." She said gently; her maternal concern radiating through her.
"Renee, really." My aunt, godmother and best friend, Esme, laughed. "You really are trying to keep her here forever, aren't you? Let the girl go and do her thing. I am sure she has thought this through and from what I have heard is that they are very high class and respectable people." My aunty said as she nibbled on her cookie.
"But Esme, what if…" My mother began again only to be cut of by my father as he trudged into the living room, drenched from head to toe no doubt from the rain that was always present in Forks, Washington.
"Hello the ladies of my life. How are we on this wet Wednesday afternoon?" He asked as he accepted a towel and a kiss from my mother.
"We are fine." My mother giggled slightly as my father shook out his hair allowing some rain droplets to fall onto her playfully.
"Momma here is trying to lock me in the closet so that I won't leave you come next week." I said as I smiled at the loving interaction between my parents all the while slightly envious hoping that one day that would be me.
"Renee, as a father and the Chief of Police I cannot allow you to lock our daughter in the closet." My father scolded but there was an evil gleam in his eye telling me he was far from done. "She is a big girl. If you need to lock her away somewhere so that we get to keep our little girl forever, lock her in the basement." My father chuckled as I pouted.
"You do that to my niece and so help me God I will turn both your hinds red after I helped my darling to escape." Esme chuckled; allowing her gaze to look with my father in their well-known sibling showdown.
"Esme my favorite sister, what bring you to my humble abode?" My father asked as he broke their playfully heated gaze and leaning down to kiss my aunt on her cheek.
"Charles Swan, I am your only sister and as to why I am here: it is simply because I came to spend time with my niece and she just happened to invite me for dinner as well." My aunt rebutted with a smile as my father's face took on a look of mock hurt.
"Esme, your words wound me. I thought you came for me" My father said as he retreated up the stairs no doubt to change his clothes in time for dinner leaving us all giggling.
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"Bella are you sure about everything? Is everything settled with Angela?" My dad as he reached for the bread rolls.
Now, if there was one thing I could say about Charles and Renee Swan and not be struck down by lightning for lying it would be the fact that, without a doubt, that they are two of the most persistent people and if you didn't know how to counteract their persistence, you soon find yourself doing their bidding.
"Yup. Mr. Cullen asked for me to meet with him after he got home from work Monday. Apparently he is desperate to get someone to start work immediately." I said through a mouthful of my mother's excellent pasta dish while both my mother and aunt tsked at my non-existent manners.
"Arrangements made too?" He asked parental concern showing again in his eyes quite like my mother.
"Yup. Angela got the weekend off so I am staying with her and her boyfriend, Ben, in their apartment. And before you say anything you met Ben already." I added quickly before my parents could object.
"Good and the interview is on Monday, right?"
"At five." I nodded "Apparently they want me to start as soon as possible which means if all goes well that I'll have a job by Tuesday." I said belching loudly.
"Isabella," my mother scolded while my aunt threw her napkin at me. "How you are going to raise two children while you have no manners of your own is beyond me. Please I beg of you: do not embarrass me please." My mother said in a dejected voice.
"Oh relax mother! I know what I am doing." I said before I ran out of the dining room in search of ice-cream.
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An hour later after a heated spoon war with my father over who got the last spoonful of double chocolate chucky chocolate chip ice-cream, I bundled myself in a blanket and walked out into the porch were my mother and aunt were.
"And then apparently Jessica walked in on her father and her mother-in-law doing the nasty in the back room of the store. The poor girl collapsed straight into Michael's arms." My mother said; compassion lacing her voice.
"Oh the poor dear." My aunt sighed as I placed my head on her lap. "Those two should be ashamed of themselves."
"At least I never had to worry about Charles Swan, police-chief, like that and I am thankful every day that he was the one I fell for. Our marriage wasn't exactly what I would have hoped for but it turned out to be everything that I wanted." My mother said as she stared at my father who was engrossed in some football game who was completely oblivious to the world around him.
"Everything okay, sweetie?" My auntie asked as she played with my hair.
"Yeah. I'm just hoping that I could do this." I said; hugging her legs.
"Off course my dear. After all you are a Swan." My mother said comfortingly as my aunt nodded in agreement.
"And all you have to do is call and we'll be there sweetie. Rain or shine." My aunt interjected.
"Day or night." I heard my father's gruff voice supply as he walked out onto the porch and lifted me into his lap allowing me to snuggle into him like I did when I was a child.
And that was all that was said about me and my job until I left home two days later.
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It was four on a Friday afternoon when I found myself checking in for my four hour flight to Chicago and to say my family was happy would be down right lie.
"You good?" My aunt asked nervously as we waited for my flight number to be called.
"Yup. You good?" I asked as I took in her shaking form.
"No." She replied bluntly. "You sure about this? I don't think you should do this. You know what? Forget it. We're taking you home." She said sanding up from her seat only to be pulled down back by my mother.
"And here I thought you would be the voice of reason, Esme." My mother said with a roll of her eye.
"Esme, she will be fine." My father said comfortingly. "My baby girl is a strong woman who we could not be more proud of." He said with a watery smile causing me to leap into his arms. So what if I was a total daddy's girl?
"I love you baby girl. Remember, you'll always be my baby girl." He said as I sniffled into his neck.
I did not know how long I stayed in my father's arms but I remained holding onto him until I heard my flight number being called over head.
After hugging my mother for about ten minutes, comforting my aunt who was producing enough tears to keep an elephant hydrated and trying to prevent my father from over-weighting my luggage from all the pepper spray he was trying to give me, I finally took my first class seat, compliments of my soon to be employer.
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My flight to Chicago was uneventful. I slept must of the way and was only woken by the flight attendant fifteen minutes before landing.
After gathering my luggage, I made my way out into the terminal in search off my unofficial sister. Before I had the chance to look around in search of said sister, I was tackled to the ground by a force of great magnitude.
"Bella!" Angela screamed drawing the attention of everyone in the terminal.
"Angela, I think you just dislocated my kidneys." I grunted still trapped by her weight.
"Not possible." She giggled and she sat up straddling my waist which earned some catcalls causing me to blush and Angela to giggle even more.
"Angela, my love." I heard the deep voice of the very British and very posh Benjamin Cheney, float down to us, "While I very much appreciate the fact that we have Isabella with us for the next two days and happy for the time we will have her with us, I don't appreciate nor enjoy the lustful stares being sent in the direction of my future wife and pseudo-sister. Having said that, might I be of some assistance?" Ben asked as he offered Angela his hand.
"Yes, please." I grunted in response as I allowed the six feet, two hundred and fifty pound man to bring me back to a perpendicular relationship with the floor.
"Hello, Bella." Ben said as he picked me up and pulled me into a hug. "IS this all your luggage?" He asked after he released me.
"Yup." I said all the while maturely popping my 'p'.
"Okay, my turn. I want a hug." Angela demanded as she turned me back to face her.
"Bella," Sorry about the attack. I missed you slippery bean." Angela said with tears streaming down her face.
"I missed you too, pigtail web." I said as I embraced my truest and only friend since birth. Two years of separation had done but strength our friendship.
"Come on girls. Let's get home and you could cry and talk until the morning.' Ben said gently as he led us to his car with Angela and I firmly clinging to each other.
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"And do you remember, Lauren?"
"Oh God I hated her. And she hated you, Bella." Angela chuckled.
"I know but I never gave her a reason too." I laughed lying through my teeth.
"You liar!" Angela rebutted as she chocked slightly on her glass of wine. "You tied her to a chair at Jessica's sixth birthday party with the string from her halter top."
"Esme told me to do that if she picked on me again." I said in my defense as Angela elegantly snorted.
It had not taken us long to get to Ben's apartment after we had stopped for dinner at a small restaurant Angela insisted she had to carry me to, to have dinner. We had spent that time catching up on each other's lives and family. I had learnt that Ben was now a partner at the law firm he worked at and that Angela would not be working after their marriage which would take place in seven months. I also learnt that I was the maid of honor as well as the entire bridal party.
After we got to the apartment that was in every form and fashion one of the most luxurious places I had been in, Angela gave me a quick tour while Ben produce and bottle of wine and then quickly retreated to the bedroom he shared with Angela allowing us to let loose. His words not mine.
"So Ang, what can you tell me about this family?" I said after a moment had passed.
"I'm not going to lie to you Bells but the Cullen as royalty here. They got the power, wealth and beauty." Angela sighed looking out over the balcony.
"That's peachy." I said softly.
"It's not Bells. The Cullens are the stereotype. You know the movies where you see the men too busy with work to give a damn about the family and the women who only care about their image to give a damn about anything else, just having children because it is required of them and then they are handed off to some nanny and will be raised by that person until they're old enough to take care of themselves."
"Jesus Ang." I said looking over at my friend.
"I know you will want to kill me when you meet them Bella but this family needs someone like you; someone with a heart and who could love endlessly."
"Angela, what…." I asked kinda stupefied as to what she was saying.
"Bells, please just listen, okay? The family you are going to meet is that of Judge Edward Cullen and his two children. His wife Tanya is currently MIA. She'll surface again but not until the end of the year for the mandatory galas. Now, out of all the Cullen children, Edward is the favorite one, the golden boy. His grandfather on his mother's side left everything for him when he died. Over the years people have speculated how much he gained when his grandfather passed because his siblings, not even his mother got a dime. It's only the close people know how much he is worth.
Now Bella when I say that Edward is the favored one; it applies to both sides of his family. Since the age of eighteen, Edward has had unheard amount of money at his disposal. His father's father was a man of the law quite like Edward, and on the day that Edward got his acceptance letter from Harvard to study law, his grandfather's alma mater, it was on that day his grandfather signed a will leaving everything for Edward and his siblings despise him for it because while they all have the Cullen name, none of them except for Edward and his father Carlisle has the Cullen wealth."
"Jesus!" I exclaimed.
"Yup and I have watched as the love for money has divided that family probably beyond repair where now even their children are pushed for nothing below excellence, where a B is unacceptable and where all their time is devoted to some activity other than being a child. I am only telling you this because you need to know what you are walking into. The really victims in this is the children and Edward's are being hurt the most. I can't explain it to you but you are the only thing I know that could at least save those children. I know it's a lot to take in so I am going to call it a night. See you in the morning sis." Angela said as she left me to my own thoughts.
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For the rest of the weekend, Angela and I did not speak about the Cullens. Wordlessly we had both agreed that enough had been said and that come what may we would have to trust each other on this. On Saturday, Ben insisted that he had to carry me to meet his family and then on Sunday the happy couple forced me to take a tour to Chicago with them so that I would not look like a complete tourist.
On Monday, I found myself seated on the couch of Ben's apartment as both he and Angela bustled around getting ready to leave.
"Good luck today Bella." Angela said as she slipped on her coat as she got ready to head over to the house of Rosalie and Emmett Cullen to take care of their children.
"Would I need it?" I said as I held on firmly to my coffee mug.
"No but I still needed to say it." And with a wave of his hand, Ben led Angela out the door leaving me to my own devices.
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It was five on the dot when I knocked on the door to the apartment of Mr. Edward Cullen and only seconds later the door swung open to reveal a woman who resembled my grandmother.
"Hello." She greeted as she opened the door.
"Hello. I'm Isabella Swan." I said politely as I offered her my hand to shake. "I was supposed to be meeting a Mr. Edward Cullen about a live-in nanny position." I continued as the woman eyed me with a speculating look while taking my hand in hers.
"Ah yes. Please do come in and have a seat while I get Mr. Cullen for you and by the way my name is Anna and hopefully, if all goes well, we will be working closely from now on." She said with a soft smile as she walked out after showing me to the living room.
In her absence I decided to take a look around and what I saw left me shocked and partially revolted. Everything was white; so white that I was afraid to even sit on the chair that Ms. Anna offered me before she left. The walls only held the bear minimum with very few pictures scattered across the surface to show that there was at least some life in this apartment. There was nothing to indicate that there were children in this home; not even a scratch on the wall which left me baffled because I knew at home in Forks that I had at least scratch each panel of wood on the wall by the time I was five. There was no colour, no life and no happiness here and it left me with a cold feeling. Suddenly, I found myself fighting the urge to call my parents just to here their voices; just to feel love.
"Ms. Swan," I heard Ms. Anna call from behind me, "Mr. Cullen is just finishing up a call. Would you like anything while you wait?" She asked kindly as she lumbering into the room.
"No thank you. I must say that the apartment is immaculate. I don't know how you keep it all so …" I said as I struggled to find the word.
"Clean? Pristine? White?" She added in an attempt to help.
"No." I replied as I looked at a picture which hung from the wall containing the foot prints of a newborn baby.
"Cold? Lifeless? Unwelcoming?" A deep baritone interjected causing me to jump in fright as I whirled around.
"Oh!" I shrieked slightly as I fell back against the wall. "I'm sorry. I did not know you were here." I said with my hand over my chest as I took in the God-like man who walked into the room. He was easily six feet with lean body that was not overly muscular but well-kept. His hair was in messy disarray in all its copper glory. His chiseled face and piercing green eyes just oozed masculinity while his chosen attire, consisted of a crisp white long sleeved shirt, a blue vest and blue striped tie oozed power.
"No apologizes are needed Ms. Swan." He said with a wave of his hand as he walked into the room. "I am Edward Cullen and you are here about the live-in nanny position. Am I right?" he asked taking a seat opposite from where I stood.
"Yes, I am." I replied having caught myself a bit.
"Well I have already seen your resume and while I must say I am impressed it baffles as to why you would apply for a caretaking job when you have no qualifications in the education system. Care to shed some light on why that is so?" He asked looking at me with such intensity that I found myself looking down on myself in a self-conscious manner.
"I was actually looking for employment when my friend suggested I take a look into the live-in nanny lifestyle so I did and I liked what I saw." I said sheepishly as I sat precariously on the edge of the chair.
"So you understand the magnitude of the job you are about to be offered? It is no easy task taking care of a six year old and a seven month old." His green eyes taking on a look of deep hostility.
"I know that, Mr. Cullen. I know I am young but I think I can handle it." I rebutted as forcefully as I could.
"Well then Ms Swan. I would like to offer you a two week probation period during which I will be observing your interaction with my children. If things don't work out for the best then I am sorry to say that you will have to find another occupation. Is that alright?"
"Yes. It's doable." I said with a sigh knowing that there was now way I could have gotten anything better than that with regards to this cold man.
"Well then let's go into my office, sign the contract and you could ask me anything you like." He said offering me his hand which I reluctantly accepted.
"Mr. Cullen, could you tell me about your children?" I asked as we entered his office.
"From the advertisement you would know that I have two children: Carolina who is six and Ethan who is seven months."
"That is quite and age difference." I noted taking a seat across from him.
"Yes, I had Carolina when I was twenty-nine and just starting out as a judge." He responded nonchalantly; his voice void of any emotion while talking about his children shocking me to my core since I was accustomed to seeing my father's face light up like a Christmas tree anytime he simply spoke my name.
"You're a judge?" I asked cautiously not wanting him to think that I was prying but at the same time I need to know for my own sanity to at least know what I was dealing with.
"Yes, Ms. Swan." He stated rather bluntly. "I am a federal court judge. I also lecture as well on Thursdays at the University of Chicago. I am free on Fridays but I leave at four in the evening. Normally I spend my weekends away from here. On Sunday afternoons my father along with my godfather and godmother stop by and take the children. Before they leave, they will inform you of whatever they are planning to do. I return around six in the evening and then we have dinner as a family which you are required to attend." Mr. Cullen continued as he handed me a folder containing our contract.
"I know that you have requested that you have Sunday mornings off and I will allow that. Ms. Anna will watch the children until you return." He said as he stood. "I shall give you a few minutes to read over the contract and we will proceed from there." And with that he walked out the room.
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It did not take me long to read the contract but not before calling Ben numerous times to explain certain things for me. At the end of it, Ben was speechless as to how well written and fair the contract was and was literally begging me to give him a copy as his legal fees. I, on the other hand, had no idea why he was so excited about the contract since it all looked like pig latin to me. After ending the call, I signed the contract and made my way out of the room in search of Mr. Cullen. However, I did not have to search long or hard even though I heard him before I actually saw him.
"Seriously Carolina, a B+! This is unacceptable. How does one go about getting a B in first grade math, Carolina?" Mr. Cullen raged. "You had better get this grade up or I swear on all that is holy that there will be hell to pay. Do you understand me, Carolina?"
"Yes, Daddy." The little girl, who I had yet to see, answered in a timid voice that broke with her sobs.
"Why are you crying?" He sighed in exasperation. "It not my fault…."
Before he could say anything further, I intervened.
"Mr. Cullen." I said in a 'would be innocent' voice. You know the voice that says 'finally, I found you."
"Ms. Swan. May I help you?" He asked me as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Yes, I just wanted to let you know that I have signed the contract. I left it in your office and if possible I would like to meet the children." I said even thought my attention was solely focused on the sobbing girl to his side.
"Certainly, Ms. Swan. This here is Carolina." He said gesturing to his side where his daughter had her head lowered as her body shook with her sobs.
"Carolina, please stop crying." Mr. Cullen said as he rolled his eyes. "Clean yourself up and meet you new nanny. I am going to get my son, Ms. Swan" Mr. Cullen directed at me before he walked out.
Sniffling quietly, Carolina stood with hunched shoulders and made her way over to me.
"Hello Miss." She said softly in her bell like voice. "I'm Carolina." She said as she wiped her face with her sleeve.
Sighing, I stooped down so that I could see her face and took out a tissue from my bag. Gently, I passed the tissue along the child's face, wiping away her remaining tears. She was a beautiful girl with soft blonde hair that was tinged with her father's copper tones and even though now, her beautiful brown eyes were filled with tears, I did not have to use a lot of energy to imagine how she would look when her eyes would be filled with joy and not sadness.
"Hello Carolina. My name is Bella." I said gently as tears still fell from her eyes even though her sobbing had stopped. "Now tell me what these tears are about." I prompted gently as I remained stooped in front of her.
"I didn't get an A in my math exam and my daddy got angry." The poor dear said softly. "He always get's angry."
"Oh well let us not worry about that tonight okay? I'll be here from tomorrow so we'll work on getting that 'A' okay?" I said with a soft smile. "Now why are you still in your uniform?" I asked as I playfully tugged at her pleated skirt of the blue and red overall.
"My grandmother just dropped me off from having picked me up this evening." She replied with a smile of her own.
"It's pretty late though. Have you had dinner yet?" I asked to which she mumbled a 'no'.
"Well may be we should go see what we could get in that tummy." I said gently and with that she took my hand in hers.
"The kitchen is this way." She said with a further tug of her hand and led me into a beautiful kitchen where Ms. Anna was found.
"Hello Ms. Carolina. What bring you to my kitchen at seven thirty in the night?" Ms. Anna teasing asked as she placed a steaming bowl of pasta in front of Carolina after I help her onto one of the stools.
"An empty tummy." Carolina responded before she dug in happily.
"So Ms. Swan," Ms Anna said turning towards me, "would we be working together?" She asked with a smile crinkling her face.
"Yes, Ms." I responded in turn and before I could say anything else, she reached out and gave me a back breaking hug.
"Welcome to your little family, dear. You'll be moving in tomorrow, right?" She asked as Carolina beamed at me with pasta sauce smeared across her face but before I could respond, the deep baritone of Mr. Cullen cut through our happy moment.
"No, Ms. Anna." He answered. "Dylan is waiting for Ms. Swan and when she is ready, he will go with her to retrieve her belongs so that she may move in here tonight. She starts in the morning." He said very rudely. "And this Ms. Swan is my son, Ethan." He said indicating to a boy cradled to his chest.
With raised eyebrows and a slight indication to Mr. Cullen, I reached forward and took Ethan's fist into mine drawing his attention to me.
"Hello, Ethan." I said softly as he looked at me, curiosity oozing out of him as he chewed on his other fist. "Aren't you a beautiful boy?" I cooed to him earning a toothless grin.
"May I hold him?" I directed towards Mr. Cullen and without hesitation he handed me the young toddler who instantly curled into my chest. "What have you been doing today?" I asked as he looked at me with his emerald green eyes just like his father's.
"Ms. Anna, would you please get the children ready for bed?" He ordered more than asked. "I am retiring for the night. Good night all." And with that he walked out the room living me stunned.
"Is he always this unattached to anything involving his children?" I asked Ms. Anna who was now washing Carolina's plate.
"Yes, dear. He has always been this way." She sighed as she picked up Carolina and started carrying her to her room no doubt the get her ready for bed.
"And their mother?" I asked following as I hoped to get a little tour at the same time since I would be moving in immediately.
"Living in a condo in the South of Spain. Mr. Cullen is presently estranged from his wife and they are now going through a very brutal divorce."
"So young." I murmured as I held Ethan a little bit tighter.
"I know dear. Now, Miss Carolina time for bed. Would you like a bath tonight? Or would you prefer to have a shower like a big girl.
"A bath please." Carolina replied very politely as she shimmed out of her uniform.
"Ms. Bella if I might be so bold to make a suggestion. Why don't you head out to collect you belongings while I put these two into bed and when you come back, you and I will have a little talk, okay?"
"Okay I replied as I walked forward and placed Ethan in Ms. Anna's waiting arms. After kissing him softly on the forehead, I made my way to Carolina to find her already submerged in a bath full of bubbles.
"I will see you in the morning, Carolina. Be a good girl and don't forget to wash behind your ear." I said as I pass my fingers through her wet hair.
"Okay. Bye Bella." She giggled.
"Bye, sweetie." I replied kissing her forehead gently before I left.
As soon as I exited the apartment and made my way to the lobby to meet Dylan, I whipped out my phone and told Ben that I was on my way to pick up my belongings because of my agreement with Mr. Cullen and then I closed my eyes as I leaned back in the car as I thought about the family I had just met and try as I might I could not for the life of me understand what I had seen.
An uninterested father who appeared to be more interested in image than his children.
An absentee mother who thought being in the South of Spain was better for children than actually being in their lives.
And then there were the two beautiful children; both so innocent and pure but greater affected by the world and it was for them I would stay. I would fight and I knew in that moment at exactly eight twenty three on that Monday night I realized that I gave up every dream I ever had for those two children; two children who were brought into the world by two people was were uninterested and were relative strangers to me but who I had now adopted as my own.