A/N: This chapter's for myonlyheroin (myheroin1 on Twitter) because she's awesome. ILY, lady-kins! Also, bakergirl24 hit the nail on the head with some of her musings in her review! You rock!
All standard disclaimers apply.
Fairy Godfather
"Oh, wow," Bella says as Edward holds the front door for her to enter first. "This is your home?"
"And yours, too, for now." He watches with amusement as she slips into the house, eyes wide, taking in the high ceilings and antique woodwork, breathing in the smell of old wood and plaster. It's a nice smell, mellow, slightly spicy. Sunlight gleams through the windows, dust motes dancing golden in the air. "What do you think?"
"I love it!"
"Why don't you help me put the groceries away, and then I'll give you a tour?"
Bella follows him to the kitchen, which she also exclaims over. "Is that an induction cooktop?" She sounds awed as she runs a light fingertip over the smooth stovetop.
"Yep." Edward grins. "My mom supervised a kitchen remodel after I bought the place, since I don't know what the hell I'm doing in here. I managed to burn some water when I tried to boil it, and I set the smoke alarm off cooking a steak—I figured if I can grill outside, inside couldn't be that much more difficult. But it was, and I've sworn off using anything but the microwave and coffee maker ever since."
"Was your steak good, at least?" she asks, head buried in the crisper as she puts away various vegetables. Edward hands her items for the refrigerator one at a time, amused by the way she very deliberately places things on this or that shelf.
"No. It was charcoal on the outside, raw inside. I like my steak pretty rare, but it was still cold. I don't know how I managed to do that."
"Well, I bet you had the heat up too high, for one." She closes the refrigerator and brushes her hair out of her face, smiling shyly at him. "I can make you some steak sometime, if you want."
"Or I can grill outside for you." He puts a hand on the small of her back, leading her gently through the doorway to the dining room.
"Pocket doors!" She brushes a hand across the latch of the sliding door hidden in the wall. "I love pocket doors."
"They were originally so you could hide the kitchen and the hired help from the diners."
"I know." Bella pulls the door out a few inches. It runs smoothly thanks to careful restoration. "But that doesn't make them any less beautiful."
"You like old houses?"
She nods, glancing around the dining room. Edward usually eats standing up in the kitchen, but there's a small table and chairs on an ornate Oriental rug and a built-in cabinet with glass doors where normally the woman of the house would display her good china. Having neither a woman of the house nor good china, the shelves sit empty.
"I like old things in general," Bella says as they move through another doorway into a hall, then into what would have originally been the house's parlor. Edward uses it as an office, and there is a big desk and an expensive executive chair as well as a butter-soft leather couch and several tall bookshelves filled with medical texts and journals. Bella exclaims over the Tiffany lamp on his desk—another touch courtesy of Esme Cullen—and he can tell that she wants to reach out and touch the colorful glass peacocks on the shade, but she links her fingers behind her back resolutely and refuses the urge. "I like how things were made to last, made with care. How they were meant to be beautiful as well as functional."
"You'd like my mom. She thinks the same way."
Bella glances up at him. "She sounds really great."
"She is." Edward really did hit the jackpot in the family department. He has a father he can both love and look up to, the most wonderful doting mother, and siblings he gets along with. His poor little Bella, on the other hand, is all alone in the world.
Before she met him, that is. Not now. Not anymore.
When they head upstairs and reach the guest bedroom, Edward feels a little nervous. He fiddles with the sleeve of his shirt, opening the door and letting Bella step inside first. Clearing his throat, he says, "This will be your room, if that's okay with you." God, he hopes it's okay with her. "I know it's not really your style. We can go get you some things that are more feminine."
"You don't need to do that," she protests, turning slightly to take in the room. It's big—almost as big as the master bedroom—and since this is a corner room, there are windows on two walls that let in streams of sunshine.
"I want to. I want you to be happy here with me."
"I am." She turns to him, those beautiful brown eyes alight with pleasure. "Trust me, Edward, I am. Nobody's ever been this nice to me. It's like a dream." Her mouth twists into a wry smile. "Or a fairy tale."
"Your fairy godfather aims to please."
She steps closer, daring greatly, and wraps her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she whispers as his arms close around her warm little body. "Thank you so much."
"Oh, baby girl, I've barely begun." He squeezes her tight for a moment, just enjoying the feel of her in his arms. She's been through so much, and yet she's so sweet and trusting. It must be something inherent in her nature, something that's intrinsically a part of her. He wants to nurture that sweetness, give it room to grow. All the awful things that have happened to her are like weeds choking the delicate blossom that she is, and he wants to tend to her, nurture her, be what she most needs in this world. How this happened so fast he's not sure. Maybe sometimes things are just meant to be. "Come with me."
He leads her back downstairs and into his office, and they settle on the couch. "We need to talk about some things so we're clear about what's going on here."
Bella nods slowly, twisting her hands together in her lap. She's nervous, and he understands. Though they feel this mutual pull, they're still very much strangers. Bella's alone in his house with him, and she has no idea what he wants from her, only his reassurances that he won't hurt her.
"We've already agreed that you need help and I want to provide it. That goes without saying. But we haven't really talked about what that means."
"I want to be able to support myself," Bella whispers, glancing from him to her clenched hands and back again. "I don't like to feel beholden."
"I know. I don't think anybody likes that feeling. I don't want you to feel that way, but I guess realistically it only makes sense. I don't feel as if you're beholden to me. This is something I want to do for you. But I don't think there's anything I can do to ease your mind on that subject. It may just take time."
"I want to work. I want to feel like a contributing member of society."
"I totally get that, and it's a good idea." Edward rises and crosses to his desk. He opens a drawer and pulls out a spare key to the house. "Here." He hands it to her. "I don't want you to feel trapped here. You're free to come and go as you wish, of course. Do you drive?"
She shook her head. "I always lived in the city. There was never a need to learn, and Jake's dad couldn't afford to get me a car."
"Well, I'd be happy to teach you if you want to learn."
"Really?" Her eyes light up.
"Yes, really. It's a useful skill, even in the city. I usually commute on the bus because it's easier than driving, but I do use my car for errands and whatever."
"I'm nervous," she says, biting her lip, "but I think I'd like to learn."
"Then we can work on that." Edward finds her hand and gives it a squeeze. "Feel free to use this as your official address when you're filling out applications. Do you have a cell phone?"
She nods. "Prepaid, but yeah."
"Good. I didn't bother getting a home phone set up when I moved in here. My cell is good enough." He adjusts himself on the couch, watching her reactions carefully. He's going to have to give her money for things like her cell phone bill, and he knows she won't like it. But she needs the support until she finds a job and starts earning her own paycheck. "Now, there's the issue of school."
"School?" Her dark eyes light with surprise.
"You said you wanted to go, and I think you should. It's too late to enroll for fall term, but you could audit a class or two if you want—think of it as a trial run. College is important, especially if you want a career."
"But it's so expensive." Her lip is in her mouth again, and she bites down hard. Edward winces; he hates seeing her hurt herself.
"It's worth it." Yes, higher education is expensive, but she deserves it. His voice gentles. "What was your dream, Bella? Back before your dad died, or maybe when you were in high school. What did you dream of doing? Whatever it is, the option is right here in front of you now. You can have that dream back."
Those pretty eyes of hers, always so expressive, fill with tears. "Y-you mean it?"
"One hundred percent." He holds his hand out toward her, pinky cocked. "Pinky promise."
A sound between a laugh and a sniffle escapes her, and she links her pinky with his. One tear drops, and Edward raises his other hand to brush it away with a gentle thumb.
"What was your dream?" he asks again, hoping she'll tell him. He's so curious about this girl. What did she want? In what direction would she turn, given the chance?
"I had a lot of ideas," she admits, scooting closer to him on the couch, drawn as if by gravity, a planet to its sun. "I thought about becoming a chef, or a veterinary tech. I love cooking, and I love animals."
"Not a veterinarian?"
"I knew vet school was way too expensive," she says with a shrug.
"Well, it isn't now, and U Dub has a well-respected veterinary program. You think about it."
"I always did like science in school." Her voice is soft, considering.
"You can change your mind, you know. You're young, and you have your whole life ahead of you. You can try some classes and if you don't like it, you can try something else."
"I never thought I could be a doctor."
He grins. "You'd be a wonderful doctor for sick animals. You're so gentle and kind. Doctor Isabella Swan. How does that sound?"
She exhales a long breath. "Like a lot of work. I don't even know what it takes to become a veterinarian."
"Less than it takes to be a human doctor, but not by much. It will be a lot of school."
"Maybe," she says, her words slow as she mulls over the idea. "Maybe."
"You don't have to decide today, but I want you to think about it, okay?"
She nods, tractable and obedient.
"Then, when you're ready, I can help you get set up to audit this term, if you want to."
"I think I'd like to, if it's not too much trouble." She blushes, chewing on her lip.
"Nothing is too much trouble for you," he promises. She's impossibly sweet. Helping her feels so good. Part of him feels a little surprised that she could have the ambition to become a vet, but another part of him isn't surprised at all. It's a perfect occupation for someone with as big a heart as she has. The schoolwork will be challenging but if she wants it badly enough, he's sure she'll do well.
"Can—can I ask a question?" Her voice is hesitant and her face turns pinker.
"Of course. Always, sweet girl." He touches her hot cheek, wishing she felt more comfortable but knowing only time will fix this. They don't truly know each other yet—not really.
"What...what are we right now?" Her eyes flick up to him and then back down; she can't meet his gaze. "To each other, I mean. You gave me my own room and you don't expect me to...but this pull..." Her nervous stammer fades and she gnaws on her lower lip, staring at her hands clasped tightly together in her lap.
"It's...a reasonable question." He exhales slowly. Now's the time to tell her, and he's almost as nervous about that as she is. He doesn't know how she'll react, though he assumes she won't go running away. She has nowhere to run to. "We're friends. I think we can agree on that. As for this pull, and maybe being something more..." He shifts, anxiety flooding his body. Sternly, he tells it to go away. He's only making Bella even more nervous. "I'm extremely attracted to you. I think you know that by now."
"I'm...attracted to you, too," she whispers, peeking up at him for an instant before averting her gaze again.
"I would very much like to try having more than just friendship with you, but there's something you need to know first."
"What?" Her tiny voice sounds so anxious, and Edward can't stand it. He reaches for her, pulling her against his side. Her body, so rigid with nerves, melts into him in an instant response to his touch. He feels her ground and settle, just as his own body relaxes. This visceral pull between them is strong and real—even after less than twenty-four hours, it seems, their bodies know what their minds can't quite wrap around.
"It's not bad. Please don't be afraid. I just have certain needs when it comes to my relationships, and I need you to know that up front. Then, it's your choice entirely if you want to try to proceed or not."
"You mean you have a kink?" She peeks up at him again, face beet red.
Yeah, he isn't expecting that. "Yes?" He raises an eyebrow at her.
She shrugs. "I've read some things."
"If you mean that Fifty book, that's not what I'm talking about. I haven't read it, but I know enough to say that's not me at all."
Bella blushes deeper. "What do you mean, then?"
"I told you I like to take care of people. What I mean is I have a need to be a nurturer, and that bleeds over into my romantic and sexual life as well."
"So you don't want to tie me up and hit me?"
He laughs. "No. I'll admit a little spanking can be hot as hell when it's consensual, but other than that, no." Suddenly his laugh stops. "Wait a second. Jacob didn't do that to you, did he?"
Bella shakes her head. "No. Toward the end we weren't having sex at all. I guess I should have known he was getting it somewhere else." She shrugs a little.
"Shh. It's okay. I was just curious because I know a lot of men think they're being dominant when they're really being abusive assholes, and I don't want any of that for you." She's too sweet, too innocent. He's fearful of anyone hurting her, even though he knows that the damage from Jacob is already done. "What I mean for me is, I want to be that nurturer in a relationship. I want to be a girl's Daddy." There it is, out there in the open. He waits to see her response, not pushing to explain.
"What exactly does that mean?" She sounds genuinely curious, and she's not pulling away. This is good.
Edward continues. "It means that when I enter a romantic relationship, I want a little girl I can take care of. I want to be called Daddy. I want her to defer to me, and trust that I will always take care of her and look out for her best interests, in and out of the bedroom. It's not about incest, and I'm not a pedophile; I don't want an underage girl. I want a grown woman with a tendency to act young and a need for that nurturing figure in her life."
Bella's chewing on her lower lip, a little crease appearing between her eyebrows as she thinks about his words. "This is...I don't know what to think, exactly. I've never heard of this before."
"You don't have to have an answer right now—about anything. It's perfectly reasonable for you to need some time to think."
"And you don't think you could have a...regular relationship?" She peeks at him again. "I'm not saying...I'm just wondering."
"Honestly, sometimes I wish I could, but I know what I need in order to feel fulfilled in a relationship. Vanilla just doesn't satisfy me completely, and it wouldn't be fair to a potential girlfriend to pretend that it does." He touches her knee, wishing he could see her eyes but she's hiding them again. "Bella, this doesn't change any part of our agreement. No matter what you decide you want, I won't be mad at you. My help won't be withdrawn."
"I just...I'm nervous about giving away all my control," she says. "Not that I have much right now, but..." She shrugs. "Jake made me feel like I couldn't do anything for myself. I don't want to feel that way again."
"And I don't want you to, either." Edward rubs her knee through the fabric of her jeans. It's a reasonable worry. The timing isn't ideal, when she's so fresh out of an emotionally abusive relationship. "Other Daddies might feel differently but, for me, I don't want a slave or an automaton. I want you to still be you, and that includes doing things for yourself at times. Remember, I told you I'd teach you how to budget?"
She nods.
"There wouldn't be much point to teaching you if I didn't expect you to use the information, would there?" He catches her chin in a gentle grasp and lifts. Her eyes meet his, still shy, still nervous.
"But how would I know when to do things for myself and when to let you handle them? How would I know when to be little and when to be big?"
"By talking to me. There are no rules, sweet girl, no right or wrong. We can, together, make whatever kind of relationship we want. I know it's not realistic to ask you to be my baby girl all the time. These are things we'll have to work out as we go. Communication and trust are the important things, and that goes both ways."
She's silent for several minutes, mulling over his words. Edward has questions of his own he wants to ask, and after a while he ventures an attempt.
"Bella?"
"Mm?"
"I want to ask you about Jacob. Is that okay?"
She sighs. "Yeah."
"I know it's not something you want to talk about, but I think it's important for me to know a little more about your relationship with him. You said he didn't tie you up or hit you during sex. Was he ever physically abusive, in any context?"
She shakes her head slowly. "No. He'd yell, and he got pretty scary sometimes when he drank. But he never actually hit me."
"Or push or grab? Anything rough?"
"No. Just his words." A shudder rippled through her. "He could say the meanest things sometimes. He called me worthless a lot. When you hear that stuff enough, it gets to you. I kind of started to believe it."
Edward clenches his teeth, his arms gentle as they wrap around her, holding her close. Part of him wants to find this fucker and teach him a lesson—maybe with Emmett around, for good measure. He's not usually a violent guy, but for Jake he'll make an exception. The guy's scum. End of. "You're so far from worthless, baby girl," he says, voice achingly soft. "You have so much potential. It might be hard to hear that right now, but I believe it and I hope at some point you can, too." He presses his lips carefully to the top of her silky head, breathing in the sweet, girly scent of her. Jacob's the worthless one, not Bella. She's sweet and kind, and he believes she can do anything she wants, when she sets her mind to it. "Did he isolate you?" he asks. "Keep you away from friends and family?"
Bella shrugs. "I don't have any other family except my mom, and she's never come looking for me as far as I know. He didn't like me having friends, though. He wanted me at home."
Yeah, Edward was afraid of that. As a doctor he knows the questions to ask, the warning signs of abuse. Jacob might not have beaten her physically, but he beat her down emotionally. "That's emotional abuse, Bella," he tells her gently. "The yelling, isolation, intimidation, insults—it's textbook, really. And him having total control over your finances is really dangerous. If he did start hitting you, what could you have done? Where could you have gone?"
"Nowhere, I guess," she admits in a small voice, cuddling closer to him. "But it's weird to hear you call it...abuse. It seems so...I don't know. Like that's something that happens to other people, not to me."
"I can't imagine what that must feel like." He kisses the top of her head again. "Bella, think for a minute. Is there any money of yours that he still has access to or control of? I want to make sure you have everything you're entitled to."
"Well..." She frowns. "There was something about money when my dad died...insurance or something like that. Billy, Jake's dad, had me sign some papers. He said he'd take care of everything for me. And Jake had me sign the back of a check every month, but he never told me what it was. I haven't seen anything in the mail since he left."
Shit. Shit shit shit. Edward exhales a long breath. He hated Jacob before but now he absolutely loathes the fuck out of him. It sounds like Jake's been stealing from her on top of everything else. Without looking into the situation, it's impossible to know what that check is. Whatever it is, it rightfully belongs to Bella, not Jacob. And this mention of Billy makes Edward wary, too. Maybe the man simply had helped his best friend's daughter get the insurance that was owed to her...but then again, maybe not. Regardless, "We're going to need a lawyer to look into that, Bella."
"I'm sorry," she whispers.
"Shh, there's no reason for you to be sorry. I just want to make sure we have all the information, and you get everything that's yours." He nuzzles the side of her head gently with his nose, and it's a surprisingly intense gesture. She inhales a quick, soft breath, her body warm and sweet against his. "It's not right for him to take advantage of you in any way, okay?"
"Okay." She swallows. "Edward? Do you mind if I maybe sit by myself upstairs for a while? I have...a lot to think about."
She certainly does. "Of course." He gives her a final gentle squeeze, then releases her. "Help yourself to anything you need. I'll probably be in here if you want to talk later."
"Thank you, Edward."
After she slips upstairs to her room, Edward has time to think as well. She took his admission about being a Daddy extremely well—as well as he could have expected for someone who isn't familiar with the lifestyle. Whatever happens between them now is up to her, as it should be. He's laid his cards on the table, and he knows she feels the same pull he does. Whether she's willing to try to figure out a relationship is her choice, and he honestly doesn't know what she might decide. Their mutual attraction is very real, but so is her hurt. Jacob didn't hit her, but he fucked up her psyche and that takes time to heal. Regardless of Bella's choice, Edward knows he'll have to handle her very carefully. She's damaged, but resilient. He's confident that, given lots of care and some time, she'll get through this.
Whether he can resist her if she doesn't want to attempt a Daddy/little girl relationship is another question, one he doesn't know the answer to. She's so beautiful, and his body aches when he can't hold her. Whatever this pull is between them, it's happened so fast. Edward doesn't know if he can be happy in a vanilla relationship but, if so, it would definitely be with Miss Bella.
"Fucking hell," he mutters, digging his phone out of his pocket. His parents are probably home, since this is a Saturday. He finds his dad's number and hits call.
"Edward!" Carlisle Cullen answers on the fourth ring. "How are you? It's good to hear from you."
"Hey, dad." Edward stretches out, tossing his legs up on the couch and reclining. "Everything's fine. I had a question for you."
"Shoot."
"I'm trying to help a friend of mine sever ties with her controlling ex-boyfriend. I think he might be stealing from her, but I don't know for sure. Do you know what sort of lawyer we'd need to contact to figure it out?"
"Mmm...not off the top of my head, sorry." Carlisle sounds genuinely sad that he can't answer the question. "Your best bet would probably be to start with a divorce attorney."
"They're not married."
"Doesn't matter. A divorce attorney will know how to proceed if you tell him the particulars. He can point you in the right direction. I suspect it's not all that uncommon, unfortunately, to find one partner stealing from another."
"But isn't it all considered joint money if they're married?"
"Most, but not all. There are exceptions. That's my recommendation—find a good divorce attorney. And bring your friend to dinner next Sunday with the family. She could probably use a good home-cooked meal if she's in the middle of a bad breakup. Somehow that always seems to help."
Edward smiles. His parents are unfailingly kind. He thinks Bella might hit it off with his mother if she's not too shy. "I will. Thanks."
"And don't forget you owe me a rematch at pinochle! Last time you and your mother beat Emmett and me so badly, I demand a different partner."
Edward laughs. "You got it. You and me against mom and Emmett. We might even have a chance at winning if she has to make up for him."
The sun is slowly setting when Edward looks up from his tablet. Bella's peeking in the doorway, hanging on the door with her lower lip wedged firmly between her teeth.
"Can I come in?" she whispers.
"Of course, sweet girl? Are you okay? What is it?"
She makes her way slowly toward the couch. Edward can see that she's removed her shoes and socks. Her toenails are painted purple. The hems of her jeans slip softly against the hardwood floors as she walks, and her hair is a little messy.
"I was upstairs thinking and I fell asleep," she confesses. In the red-gold sunset light Edward can't tell if she's blushing or not. "I had a bad dream."
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
There's a tiny nod, but her face is still awash in anxiety. She's waiting for something.
Without questioning his instinct, Edward puts his tablet on a side table and reaches out his arms. "Come here," he says, gentle and calm. "Come here and tell me."
It's exactly what she wants. He sees the flash of relief cross her face, and she crawls into his lap, straddling him with one leg on each side, facing him. "Daddy," she whispers, snuggling into his chest.
Edward closes his eyes as the warmth of her body settles against him. His arms hold her, firm but gentle, stroking her back and along the silky strands of her hair. "Daddy's here, baby. Daddy's here."
