Chapter Two

~Edward~

The morning started like any other morning.

The alarm rung at 5am with it's usual irritating ringing sound that, if you heard long enough, you'd think you've gone insane – either that or you get hearing impairment. Soon after hitting the alarm clock with early-morning rage, Hayley would come running into the room being her usual joyous self; her strawberry blonde crazy curls would fly everywhere as she launched onto my bed and began bouncing up and down trying to get me to wake up.

"Hay, get off the bed for Daddy." I moaned as I heard the door open and dear sister, Tori, come barging through already dressed in her school uniform.

"Get up dipstick; you have to get to work." She said, pulling the covers tangled around me off me with difficulty. As the usual morning chill hit me, I groaned again turning around and burying my face in the pillow. Tori would let out a cry of frustration and then attempt to pull me off the bed by my bed.

"Go away!" I groaned, throwing the nearest thing I could reach – my pillow – at her which she lazily dodged.

"No way moron. You're getting up. I am not making breakfast again, no way in hell." She stubbornly said as she crossed her arms glaring at me through her green eyes. "Fine," she said stomping her foot as she saw no movement from me. "I'll make breakfast then. I hope you don't mind me burning down the apartment while I'm at it!" she said before turning around, her wild red curls flying everywhere. "Come on Hay, let's make some pancakes." She picked up three-year old Hay and stomped out of the bedroom.

"Yay! Pancakes!"

I froze as the memory of Hayley and Tori making pancakes flooding through my head. "Oh God…" I thought, quickly getting up before they put the plastic spatula in the frying pan again and melt it into the pancake like last time.

They didn't even notice until they gave me the pancake; that was a well-spent Father's Day over the toilet puking it all out.

"I'm up!" I called as I quickly got myself up and ran out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen before either of them could set their hands on the gradients.

Anthony and Lizzie were already sitting at the table still in their pajamas as they waited for breakfast. "Daddy!" Lizzie squealed as I walked into the room, she hopped of the seat and ran towards me and, like Hayley, launched herself towards me with strong enthusiasm.

Honestly, I don't know how they get this hyper-activeness. Tanya wasn't like this and I'm definitely not; the most excitement I get is watching another series of House when he comes out. God bless House – what I would do without it.

"Morning Dad," Anthony said quietly being the elder and most sensible of my children.

Even though Anthony was only eight years old, he sure did act a lot older – Mum used to say he had inherited my brooding and matured attitude. I would scoff in reply but, as I watched him grow, I was seeming him turn more and more like his father; it frightened me to the least. He even had my looks – the unruly bronze hair, green eyes, fair skin and a slightly crooked smile.

"Morning Buzz." I smirked at him calling him the nickname he absolutely loathed as he grew.

Sure, when he was younger he loved it. He went through this faze when he was absolutely obsessed with Buzz-Light-Year from Toy Story – every Halloween, it was all he would dress up and he even wore the costume at weekends for four straight years. Tanya had to forcefully take the costume off him when Monday would come around.

"Dad! Please!" he moaned in irritation at the name.

I simply chuckled and pulled out a mixture for pancakes. "Whooo's up for pancakes?" I asked loudly and I heard cheers around the room. "No one? Alright then, we'll have some healthy, delicious oatmeal!" as the kids booed and shouted in protest. "Oh fine, pancakes it is then." I heard another wave of cheers before I started the pancakes.

Tori came to help me half way through, being the good helper she always was.

Victoria, Tori, came to live with me shortly after our parent's death just three years ago in a car crash – shortly after Hayley's birth. Tori is ten years younger than me, meaning she is sixteen at the time being. She and I never had a strong relationship but when we were younger since I was long gone to med school before Tori started Junior High but we still had a fairly healthy relationship which improved when she came to live with me.

Tori has, since her move here, become my rock and I'd do anything for my little sister. She was there for me more times I could count; she helped me the day I found Tanya cheating with our neighbor in my bedroom; she helped me when Tanya screamed at me, claiming I had changed and that I wasn't being a proper father to my children; Tori was there when Tanya suddenly moved out, claiming she didn't want to be a mother anymore – she wanted to live her life; she was there when my children continued to cry at night, wanting their mother; she was there for my kids when I was working a double-shift; she was just… there.

"Are you going out with Riley tonight?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

Riley was a kid in her class that has been overly friendly to her; he would occasionally show up at the house when Tori was not at school, claiming he brought her school work and was worried. I liked the kid… even if he was a bit too overly enthusiastic – I couldn't judge him, I have my own overly enthusiastic children to fend.

Tori scrunched up her nose in disgust. "I don't think so. I went on one date with him and he's treating me like I'm some sort of Queen…"

"Wasn't he treating you like some sort of Queen before you went on a date with him?" I asked as I finished putting the last pancake on the plate and carried it to the table filled with hungry kids, tapping their knife and fork impatiently on the table.

Tori placed the sugar, whipped cream and over sauces for the pancakes on the table and shrugged. "Yeah but…" she trailed off with another shrug of the shoulder. "It's just not right. Even if I did date him I'd just be tagging him along."

"Auntie Tori's got a boyfriend, Auntie Tori's got a boyfriend…" Lizzie said teasingly as she squirted her chocolate sauce onto her pancake.

I snatched the chocolate sauce away from her as it began to pile up on her pancake – I knew she wouldn't eat it if there was too much chocolate sauce. "No more." I said firmly placing the chocolate sauce near me. Lizzie pouted her lips.

"Shut up squirt," Tori said, ruffling her hair playfully. "The day you get yourself a boyfriend, I'll be teasing you."

Lizzie scrunched up her nose and shook her head, her bronze hair flying all over the place. "No way! Boys are gross!" she said in disgust.

I raised an eyebrow. "So you think Daddy and Ant are gross then?" I asked her amused.

Anthony looked up from his food and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose as he waited for an answer from Lizzie with a similar smirk to mine on his face.

Lizzie's blue eyes widened. "That's different, Daddy! You're my Daddy and he's my brother – you don't count as boys." she told us.

Anthony and I looked at each other, Ant rolled his eyes and pulled a finger to his ear before making the 'crazy' signal and pointed to Lizzie.

Hayley, who saw, began giggling from her highchair. Until now I hadn't noticed how much of a mess she'd made; there was chocolate sauce all round her face and in her teeth.

"Hay!" I scolded and quickly got a paper towel from the side and went to her side of the table and began rubbing away the chocolate sauce, pausing to spit in the paper towel hoping it would help get the chocolate off.

Hayley simply giggled deviously and attempted to smack away my hands being the little devil she was.

"Hayley stop it!" I scolded again and thankfully she did stop this time and let me clean her up, her eyes still twinkling with mischief.

Hayley stuck her finger in her chocolate sauce and before I could stop her, she smeared the chocolate sauce on her finger over my face. I sighed and quickly used the clean part of the paper towel to whip my own face, ignoring the giggles around the table.

"No more chocolate sauce for you Miss's" I warned, taking her plate away from her and took it to the sink.

Hayley began to whimper which soon turned into full-blown wails. Her little face scrunched up and turned red as tears streamed down her face.

I almost gave in but I knew she was just doing it to get what she wanted. I looked at the clock and saw I had to be at work in two hours and half of that would be filled up with taking the kids to school. I turned to Tori who was putting all the stuff in the dishwasher and fiddling with the settings.

"Tori?" Tori looked up at me. "You wouldn't be able to get Lizzie changed would you?" Tori nodded and quickly finished what she was doing before herding up both Anthony and Lizzie and ushered the to get changed.

I went to Hayley taking her out of the high chair, ignoring her cries and attempts to hit me with her curled up fists before making me way to her bedroom near mine and opposite Tori's. I went straight to the changing table and began to change her out of her nightwear and into her day-care clothes.

Hayley didn't stop crying until I had finished combing her hair and putting it into a simple ponytail. Her face was still pink and her blue eyes were still blood-shot from all the crying. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and offered her, her dummy and her favorite Barbie doll; she took it happily a smile forming on her face as she began to comb the doll's hair.

Tori was already putting giving Lizzie and Anthony their rucksacks when I came out into the hallway. They were waiting by the door, patiently, dressed in their school uniform.

"Stopped crying then?" Tori asked with a raised eyebrow and I nodded with an exhausted sigh – and it was only the start of the day – and gestured to the Barbie doll and the dummy. Tori nodded with a smile. "The Barbie and the dummy, nice idea."

I glanced at my wristwatch before giving Tori Hayley and quickly ran to my room and put on some work pants, white shirt and a deep blue tie before running my fingers through my hair quickly hoping to tame it – failing miserably – before running back out and grabbing my coat from the closet, the kids and Tori watching.

"Right! Let's go kiddos!" I said opening the door and into the hallway.

I ushered all of them into the elevator and pressed the bottom button. I found myself, as always, cursing for having a penthouse at the top of the building.

Why didn't I buy a house? Oh, I know why, because Tanya hated houses – she wanted to live the whole New York deal. She wanted adventure, mystery and freedom. Unfortunately you're not doing to find any of those three listings in being a mother – Tanya had no responsibility and everyone but me knew it. My mother said it was only a ticking time tomb before she left, she told me that shortly after Tanya left just two months after giving birth to Hayley.

When the elevator dinged, the doors couldn't open soon enough. I ushered everyone out, saying a warm hello to Frank, the door man, and towards the apartment block car park at the back. I smiled at Logan, the security guard, as he tipped his hat back at me and let all of us through before wishing me a nice day which I returned.

I continued to usher us towards my black Volvo XC90 that I had bought for it's great reviews of being great for big families and long distances. Tori and I quickly placed the bags into the trunk and helped Hayley and Lizzie into the car.

Once everyone was seatbelted in, I swerved quickly out of the car park giving a wave-salute to Logan as I turned down the road and zoomed through New York roads and towards the kid's school…

Thankfully, Tori's school was opposite Anthony and Lizzie's school which didn't mean much struggle. As always, Tori offered to take Lizzie and Anthony into their classes – Ant always being the brave one and protested how he could look after himself.

I gave a kiss to Lizzie and Tori on the forehead and gave Ant a hug knowing he wouldn't be comfortable with a kiss like the girls before setting off down the road again and towards Hayley's day care…

"Edward!" Mrs. Sanford cheered as I stepped through the day-care center. She smiled her usual large smile that contrasted with her dark African-American skin. She was a lady in her 50s whom was born in America from the start, though one of her parents was born and raised in Africa then moved to America.

"It's good to see you Mrs. Sanford." I smiled as Hayley struggled to get down. I obliged letting her run towards the other children as she began to play with the Lego's.

Mrs. Sanford gave me a tight hug which I limply returned as she was squeezing me so tight. "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages, dear – where have you been?" she asked. "I only hope to Jesus that you have found your self a lady friend."

I smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of my neck. "Not yet Mrs. Sanford."

Mrs. Sanford sighed. "You need to let go of that ex-wife of yours – she was no good, Edward. She may have looked like an angel but she had the insides of a devil." She patted Edward's shoulder before smiling nicely. "I better let you go. I'm sure you're busy with that life-saving job of yours."

Edward laughed. "Thanks Mrs. Sanford, I'll pick her back up at three." Edward said before giving Hayley a quick kiss on the forehead, whispered her a goodbye then running out of the day care and back into the car.

Edward was already running five minutes late by the time he got to Lenox Hill Hospital. The car barely turned off before Edward rushed out of the car and, in lightening speed, ran towards the Hospital entry almost forgetting to lock the car.

"Morning Grace!" Edward said as he passed the elderly woman in a wheelchair.

The elderly woman only had time to see his unmistakable bronze hair before calling, "Morning Dr. Masen!" before the male nurse behind her wheelchair continued to roll her down a corridor.

Once Edward reached the male locker room, he rushed to his locker to see his work colleague and good friend, Emmett Cullen.

Emmett smirked as he looked at Edward's breathless form as he rushed to his locker. "In a rush, Masen?" he sarcastically asked with a raised eyebrow, Edward just nodded.

Emmett and Edward knew each other from the beginning. He was just one year younger than Edward and was already the father of four whom he was proud of each one of. Emmett would constantly show off his photographs in his wallets of his children to the nurse station. Every one of the nurses adored Emmett and his four children.

"You never guess what?" Emmett excitedly said as he slammed Edward's locker shut once he put on his lab coat.

"What?" Edward asked skeptically as Emmett and he made their way out of the locker room and towards the nurse station to get their patient list for today. "And please don't tell me you and Rosalie discovered a new sex position last night because I think I'll honestly puke." Edward held up his hand in disgust as he remembered Emmett listing to him all the sex positions him and Rosalie had discovered once.

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, I forgot you were a prude. Or are you just sexually frustrated? You know there is some fine-ass nurses…"

Edward cut him off quickly. "No, Emmett." He said frustrated. "Now, what did you want to tell me?"

"Bella and the kids are moving to New York today." Emmett excitedly announced as he grinned so large that his dimples – that every single female nurse sigh dreamily over – popped out.

Edward smiled encouraging and clapped Emmett's back. "Dude, that's great!" Edward enthusiastically said. Although Edward knew nothing of Emmet's ex-girlfriend and mother of his children, he was happy for him to have the chance to bond with his children more apart from at the school vacations the children had off.

Emmett nodded in agreement. "It is. Bella got a job offer in New York Times just two weeks ago – she decided to move up here with the kids."

"New York Times… wow, she must be good." Edward praised as they came closer to the nurse station.

"Yep. That's Bella for you – a real go getter." Emmett adoringly said. Even though Edward was sure Emmett was over this Bella, he knew that Emmett still had adoration for his ex-girlfriend for her accomplishments.

"How old is she?" Edward asked as Jack, a male nurse, gave both Emmett and Edward their patient lists for the day.

"23" Emmett answered with nonchalant.

The paper that Edward had been lifting up dropped as he went into shock. "23 years old?"

"Yeah…" Emmett slowly said, looking up at Edward with furrowed eyebrows. "Like I said, she's a go-getter. Thinking about it… she's totally your type – you should go on a date with her."

Edward spluttered on his own breath. "Date your ex-girlfriend and the mother of your child? I don't think so, Emmett. That's just insanely weird." Edward breathed out, calming himself.

Emmett shrugged. "It's only weird if you make it weird. Bella and I have moved on – we're both happy this way. Plus, you're single, she's single, she's a single parent, you're a single parent."

"No Emmett." Edward firmly said in a strong firm. "But what I can do is take some of your shifts so you can get off early to see your kids."

Emmett smiled his usual big grin again and patted Edward on the back. "Thanks buddy, I owe you. Maybe I could repay you by setting you on a date with Bella…"

"No!" Edward called over his shoulder as he made his way to his first patient. "Though you can repay me by helping me with Ant's soccer practice!" he called back.

Emmett shrugged. "Sure! I'll bring Ethan along, maybe my son and your son can be friends." He stuck his thumb up before turning and going down the opposite corridor to me. "See ya' Edward!" Emmett called before turning out of sight.

Edward shook his head and breathing a sigh of disbelief. Asking me to date his ex-girlfriend, seriously! Isn't that against the 'guy' code? Well, Emmett has always been weird so I'm not surprised.

Edward looked down at his first patient and smiled at the familiar name. Mrs. Cooke. A 72 year old woman suffering from bad diabetes – which was slightly ironic with her name – and has been widowed for four years.

He closed his patient list before making he made his way to room 203 to check on Mrs. Cooke…

Today was just a normal day for Edward, just a normal day of his life in the Big Apple.

A/N: Second chapter and yes I did update on the same day! I was just loving this story so much I couldn't wait any longer to do the next chapter :D This was introducing Edward, yay! I hope cha liked it. It wasn't much be meh, better than nothing.

I'm also starting the blog for this story, if you're interested, I'll tell you next time I update whether it's finished or not or you can check my blog (found on my profile) on the page 'my stories' whether I have finished it yet. The link to the blog would be up there if it was.

Review!

Until next update,

VioletRose1234.