Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight related I just like playing with the characters. Also, while I did do a little bit of research about the medical terms used in this story I make no claim to know what I am doing with them! I am just using them for my story. I don't know how the foster system works in great detail but in this story it works my way. No complaints! Thanks for reading- Enjoy.
Bella's POV:
I groaned as the sun streamed through my blinds and landed on my face. I had slept restlessly all night, jolted awake by nightmares only to be soothed back into unconsciousness by soft words from Jasper.
"Turn off the sun," I groaned rolling onto my stomach and burying my face in my pillow.
"Come on Bells, time to get some grub!" Jasper teased liltingly. Reluctantly I rolled onto my back and gazed up at him his face haloed by the sunlight and he gave me a bright, reassuring smile.
"Can we just go to the hospital?" I asked "I don't like that I've spent this much time away from her."
"Of course," Jasper nodded "How about I make you a deal?"
I nodded for him to continue.
"We go to the hospital but on the way we stop and have breakfast at a diner." He bargained "Because quite honestly while you haven't been eating the hospital food I have and it's quite disgusting."
"You haven't eaten elsewhere?" I questioned seriously.
"Bella, I told you I was going to be there for you period." Jasper said his blue eyes growing dark with passion "That meant being at the hospital with you even if I wasn't with you every second. I was there the whole time you were and the furthest away I got was the cafeteria on the third floor."
My vision blurred as tears formed in my eyes and I said quietly "I didn't think you'd stay." I was glad that he had however because it was comforting to know that if anything had happened to Charlotte my best friend would have been there.
"Always Bella," Jasper said and then perked up as my stomach growled angrily, betraying me "Now diner?"
"Sounds excellent" I admitted and as much as I really wanted to be next to Charlotte again I knew I needed to eat to be strong for her and that without Jasper's enticement I never would have left the hospital at all.
"We'll be back with plenty of time before Carlisle starts weakening the medication," Jasper said moving to stand in the doorway "So go gussy up and we'll go eat." He gave me another friendly smile and shut the door behind him.
I stood in my closet for a moment before deciding on a pair of plain, slim jeans and a coral sweater and slipped them on. I added a pair of sneakers for good measure and threw my hair into a messy bun deciding I didn't have the energy or patience to 'gussy up' anymore.
When I walked out I noticed that Jasper was wearing a different pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt and when I glanced at him questioningly he blushed.
"I asked your dad to bring some clothes over for me to change into before he headed to the hospital today. Emmett was going to head back to my place to sleep for a bit and Rose is staying with Charlotte. Carlisle said that his wife Esme was due home today and would be stopping by at some point." He rambled on.
"Ok," I said softly and shyly reached out for his hand. I swear my whole body tingled when he grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him to wrap his arm around my shoulders. He gave me a gentle squeeze and grabbed his keys.
We walked out of my building and I noticed that he had driven his Impala and almost burst into giggles- exhaustion and worry makes you think of random things. I swear that at this point my mind was mush.
He gave me a perplexed look as he unlocked the doors and finally when I still hadn't stopped giggling and he was seated in the driver's seat he asked me what was so funny.
"I just remember the first time I ever sat in this car." I explained "You actually growled!" Sure that night sucked because I found out I had been cheated on but it also brought me a million times closer to Jasper.
He got a sad look on his face and said softly "Ya because you were hurt darlin'. He hurt you both emotionally and physically and you didn't deserve that."
Gently I took one of his hands in mine as he started the car and traced small circles on it for a moment before finally saying "I'm sorry if I upset you."
He glanced over and gave me another one of his smiles, I would kill to be the cause of every single one of his smiles for the rest of his life. "You didn't make me upset or mad I just don't like how you were treated and still believe you deserve the best and you and Charlotte only prove that point."
I released his hand from my grip realizing I was probably making him uncomfortable and I sat silently for the rest of the ride to the diner thinking about what he'd said and decided to ask a question as we walked into the diner and took a seat at a booth in an almost deserted corner.
"What do you mean Charlotte and I only prove that point?" I asked taking a menu from a buxom waitress who appeared and muttered a thank you to her as Jasper did the same.
"You didn't have to take Charlotte in." Jasper explained "You knew all of her problems, all that the situation entailed and you still took her in and from what everyone has said you are only a few forms and a meeting with a judge away from being her adoptive mother."
I nodded and he continued "You love that little girl for who and what she is and you want to protect her and show her the best life you can provide to her. I know you Bella you didn't think for an instant what anyone else may think of you only that you were doing what was best for Charlotte."
I let him continue on and tried hard not to gape like a moron at the ferocious tone he was using. "You love her and you deserve a man who will love you for that, who will love her and work to make you realize that she means as much to him as she does to you and that he loves you more than the world."
He reached out and wiped at a stray tear that betrayed me and ran a finger down my cheek and it was all I could do not to lean completely into his touch "You are tenacious and stubborn and I know I've said it before but I'm going to say it again beautiful, smart, funny. From what I've seen you have a natural mothering instinct and Charlotte deserves you. Now you just need to find someone who deserves both of you and will treat you like the princesses you are."
I could almost swear I heard a tinge of regret in his voice at his last words but it couldn't have been. He was talking about finding someone who deserved me. There was no way he could feel the same and if he did he damn well would be the best man for me and I knew that.
He knew my quirks, my flaws, basically everything about me aside from the fact that I loved him and he still deigned to be my friend.
"Now let's eat," He said and the rest of our meal was full of idle chatter- exactly what I needed to distract me from everything going on with Charlotte.
I had the most amazing BLT and fries but that may be because I was starving and Jasper surprised me by getting simple chicken fingers and fries, the man who cooked so well I teased he should do it for a living was ordering one of the simplest things on the menu.
I even let him convince me to split two desserts; a crème brulee and a piece of peanut butter silk cake both of which made me almost moan in ecstasy.
As I glanced at a clock I realized it was 1 in the afternoon, only a few hours before Carlisle was set to start waking Charlotte and I instantaneously went from happy and carefree to antsy and anxious, completely unable to sit still.
Jasper noticed and quickly paid the bill while I was too distracted calling Rose to argue.
J&BJ&BJ&BJ&B
While I was glad that Jasper had dragged me away for a night and that I was now properly fed I was even happier to be back at my daughter's side.
I just sat in the chair beside her crib, my hand reached through the bars twirling her hair gently between my fingers.
"Bella?" Jasper started so softly I almost missed it.
"Ya?" I asked glancing up at him.
"How much longer until Charlotte is legally yours?" He asked.
"Well, I put an advertisement in all the local papers and a couple in the surrounding areas and even Forks," I referred to my hometown "Describing Charlotte and the circumstances of her abandonment because her birth parents technically haven't given up their parental rights yet. It has to remain up for another week and if no one responds their rights are legally null and void. At that point Carmine will do one more home visit to ensure Charlotte is being cared for properly and then I just have to meet with the judge to sign papers." I explained this all just above a whisper.
"Bella, I'm glad you got her." He said smiling down at Charlotte and running a hand along her bare skin.
"Me too," I admitted laughingly.
"Alright boys and girls," Carlisle's jovial voice cut through the quiet of the room Charlotte had been moved into while I was gone. "Time to wake up sleeping beauty."
I grinned widely at him and moved back, backing into Jasper, so that Carlisle could have free access to Charlotte.
"Bella you have to remember that it will take awhile for the meds to work their way out of her system." Carlisle reminded me and I was comforted when Jasper hugged me to him.
"I know that," I nodded slightly and Carlisle continued what he was doing.
The very last thing he did was unhook her from the ventilator and with bated breath I waited for her to breathe on her own. I felt Jasper release a breath I hadn't known he was holding when her chest continued to rise and fall without the assistance of the machine.
J&BJ&BJ&BJ&B
12 hours and countless coffees later Charlotte was awake and screaming, clearly not impressed with the IV's still attached to her. I swear if she was just a little bit older I'd be worried about her using a pout to convince someone to take them all off.
"Well Bella," Carlisle said smiling at me as he laid Charlotte down gently on the bed "I think in about a week to a week and a half you can take her home. She's not suffering from any system failures which is excellent and while we will of course still have to watch for any signs that her heart isn't working right at the moment it's working the best that can be expected."
"Can I hold her again?" I asked. Even though I was a nurse and was sure she'd be ok I was her mother first and I wanted to listen to everything the doctor said to make sure she got better as fast as possible.
"Of course," Carlisle said and everyone in the room started chatting quietly as he walked over to me "Bella, we both know that while Charlotte's condition will continue to affect her that sometimes a loving touch helps speed the healing process." He gave me a quick hug and then released me and taking Esme into his arms from where she had been standing next to me.
Gingerly I picked Charlotte up from the crib and a small smile graced her face when she realized who it was that was touching her. She continued hiccoughing slightly but snuggled as close to me as she could get.
I heard Jasper chuckle softy beside me as Charlotte sighed quietly. "Want to hold her?" I turned to face him as I asked.
His face fell slightly and his eyes grew wide "I don't think I should." And then he started rambling again "I don't want to hurt her and I've never held a baby that small before and I'll hurt her."
Everyone had grown silent hearing our exchange and was watching us curiously to see what would happen next.
"You'll be fine." I insisted motioning with my free hand for him to move closer to me so I could lay her in his arms. "Trust yourself and trust that I have faith in you. You'll never hurt her."
Carefully, I laid her in his arms and she smiled broadly at him showing off her gummy smile and pulled his shirt with a small fist towards her mouth.
He looked like he was in awe as he stared down at her and I couldn't help but think that the picture in front of me seemed so right. A chorus of awes picked up around the room and I felt Rose wrap an arm around my shoulder.
"He's good with her." She stated simply and kissed the side of my head "You're good with each other."
"Ya sis are you sure there's nothing going on that I should know about," Emmett asked suddenly appearing beside me. I swear for a man as large as he is he should make some sort of noise but he moves silently and for as long as I can remember he has always been able to sneak up on me- I guess he got all the grace and poise genes and I was stuck with the rest.
"There's nothing going on," I insisted moving to hug my brother "But thank you guys for coming up. I guess I needed you more than I would like to admit."
"Bella," Rose chastised "You're my best friend and my sister and we would have come even if you didn't need us."
"Of course we would have Bells" Charlie piped up, putting a hand on my shoulder "Char is our family now too and as much as I don't want to I have to head back to Forks now."
"We've got to start the trek back to Denver too sis." Emmett sighed moving to wrap me in a bear hug.
I sighed slightly "I'll miss you all, it's been so nice to have you guys around."
"We'll miss you too." Charlie and Emmett said at almost the same time and started laughing. I noted Carlisle and Esme watching us and smiling from the corner of the room as I hugged my brother and dad good-bye.
Rose stayed behind a few moments longer to say goodbye to Charlotte who Jasper reluctantly handed over. After smothering her cheeks in kisses Rose returned Charlotte to the safety of Jasper's arms and came to embrace me tightly.
"I know I promised Emmett I wouldn't say anything but I just can't not tell you" She said excitedly "We're moving to Seattle. Emmett got a job at one of the fire departments here and he took it so we could be closer to you and Charlie."
Without even waiting for a response she danced off to join my brother.
J&BJ&BJ&BJ&B
Jasper left my side only a handful of times over the next week and he admitted to me that he had called in some favors at the Police Station he worked at to make sure he could be with Charlotte and I at every possible moment.
It was time to take her home and I couldn't have been happier. All of her stats were good and she was healing amazingly well and I just wanted her to be at home.
I was dressing her while Jasper packed up her medications and the few things we'd bought for her over the course of her stay when there was a knock on her hospital room door.
Thinking it was Kate or Angela who were getting off shift shortly I said loudly "Come in."
The door opened to reveal not either one of my friends but instead an extremely tall, russet skinned, muscular man. He had dark eyes, so dark I would have called them black and black hair that was tied back in a ponytail.
"Sorry I think you have the wrong room," I said turning back to Charlotte and doing up her onesie.
"This is Charlotte Swan's room correct?" He asked.
Jasper and I both froze and looked at him. Jasper regained the ability to speak before I did and asked "And who are you?"
"Jacob Black. I think I am Charlotte's biological father."