Chapter 7

Past

Leah sits rigidly as Edward signs the papers, signing away a third of his money to his unborn child.

The past few months only hearing about her baby brother from her husband has left Leah bitter and angry at the way things have turned out. She has one person to blame for her brother's betrayal.

Bella Swan.

"I can trust you to file everything?" Edward looks up from signing his name.

"I already agreed to file them and send a copy to Jacob to keep for your records. Really, Edward, you act as if you can't trust me," she asks, hurt by his behavior.

"Can I trust you, Leah? Can my daughter trust you?" he asks, putting the pen down and flexing his fingers.

He hates signing all the fucking estate paperwork. He's been signing papers since he was thirteen.

Leah takes them from Edward and sets them down. The intercom on her desk buzzes.

"Yes?" she says harshly.

"The Uleys are here," the voice says.

"Perfect, please put them in the conference room." Leah stands, staring at Edward. "When is my niece being born? I think Jacob said two weeks?"

Edward is taken back by her sudden change but says nothing of it. "They're inducing her on the twenty-third. The baby is a week overdue." The smile on his face is wide as he thinks of finally meeting his daughter.

"Oh, how exciting," Leah says with fake enthusiasm. "I better go. I have a meeting. I really want us to be okay, Edward."

Walking around the desk, she wraps her arms around Edward. He hugs her back, hoping that they can start over.

Pulling back, he smiles at her. "I do too, Leah. Maybe after the baby is born, we can try."

"Yes, once the baby is born. You'll see, all will be right once the baby is born," she says before leading them out of the office.

~OI~

Bella sits in the hospital bed, chewing on ice chips as everyone fusses around her. The pain has been unbearable, but now that she's been doped up on the epidural, everything is all good.

She looks around the room, taking in her mother and Edward. The two people she loves most in the world. Her mother hasn't left her side since March, opting to leave the business in Phil's capable hands for a month. Katie couldn't get away from her own studies or leave her daughter, Annabella, at such short notice, but checks in regularly by call or text to Edward and Renee.

Edward stands beside her, pushing her sweaty hair off her face. The doctor is coming back to check her, and she hopes she's dilated, but right now she doesn't care. She's feeling good below the waist, and she wants to keep it like that.

"You okay, baby?" he asks, staring at her.

"I feel really good, now," she says, rubbing his two-day-old scruff. "You look really hot with a beard."

He laughs at her, taking her hand and kissing it. "I'll wear one all the time if it makes you happy," he whispers, running his finger down her cheek.

"Hmmm." She hums in contentment, and then her breath catches as she's hit with a contraction.

Once the contraction passes, she again takes his hand. "Are you sure you like the name? Once she's out, we're not changing it."

"I love it. Elsie Esme Cullen-"

"Swan. Elsie Esme Swan," Renee says, interrupting their tender moment. "The baby should have the mother's last name. That was my mistake when Bella was born."

"Absolutely not," Edward says, standing up to stare at her.

"Her mother's last name is Swan because I wasn't smart enough to change her name once Charlie left, but I won't let her make the same mistake I did," she says coldly.

"Mom, we talked about this, her name is Cullen. Now is not the time for this," Bella interjects, breathing heavily after her contraction.

"It is the perfect time. Why should this baby have his last name when his sister doesn't even believe the baby is his?" she asks, staring at him.

"Because she is my daughter and she will have my last name!" he shouts, becoming upset. "I know you're used to controlling men, but you can't control me. Elsie is a Cullen, and that's final!"

"Fine, have it his way Bella, but learn from my mistakes, never give a man too much power!" Renee says, walking out of the room.

"Wow," Edward says, shaking his head.

"You know she's bitter about Charlie leaving, then moving to La Push to be with Sue." Bella tries to calm him down.

"That has shit to do with us. Everyone's fucking issues aren't our issues, Bella, and I'm damn tired of it!" he yells, becoming more and more upset.

"Oh! Oh!" Bella yells as she's hit with a powerful contraction. "Fuck, fuck!"

"What's wrong?" Edward asks, panicked.

"I think it's time," she huffs out, controlling her breathing.

"Shit! I'll get the nurse and your mom! Stay here!" he says, running out of the room.

"Where the hell does he think I'm going?" she asks the empty room, laughing at him.

~OI~

Elsie Esme Cullen is born on April 24, at three o'clock in the afternoon. She weighs seven pounds, thirteen ounces and is twenty-one inches long.

Edward sits on the bed beside Bella, staring at his daughter and the love of his life, his heart overflowing with love. Elsie holds his finger in a tight grip as if she knows she's holding onto her father.

"She's so beautiful, baby," he whispers, bending down to kiss the top of Bella's head.

"She looks just like you." Bella laughs, not believing all the work she did to produce Edwards exact twin.

"She has your lips and your scowl," he teases her.

Bella laughs, looking at her daughter and seeing that she does have her lips and her scowl.

Looking up at Edward, her heart is also overflowing with love, even after everything his sister has tried to do to come between them.

Taking Edward's hand, she pulls him down to her, looking into his eyes. "I love you," she whispers before reaching up and kissing his lips.

They kiss passionately, losing themselves in their happiness. Edward pulls back staring into her eyes.

"I love you, too, so much baby." He wraps one arm around her shoulders, pecking her lips again.

"We did it, Edward." She smiles down at Elsie.

"It was all you, baby. I just helped in the beginning," he teases her.

"You helped an awful lot in Jamaica," she flirts with him.

A knock interrupts the small family, and Edward stands. "Come in."

Jacob enters, holding a bouquet of flowers. "I thought I'd come and see my niece," he says excitedly.

"Come in, Uncle Jay!" Edward gives him a hug and then takes the flowers out of his hands, sitting them by Bella's bed.

"Here she is, Elsie Esme Cullen." Bella presents her daughter to her uncle. "Do you want to hold her?" she asks.

"No, I'll just look. She's so beautiful," he says, smiling down at the bundle.

Renee enters the room. "Where is your wife, Jacob?" she asks, tilting her head as if she is interrogating him.

"She had a meeting. I told her Elsie was born, but I didn't think with the current circumstances that she should come to the hospital." Jacob takes a seat in one of the empty chairs.

Edward takes a seat beside Bella, wrapping his arms around her again. She snuggles into him.

"Yes, definitely not a good idea. I must admit, I do want Leah to meet Elsie, just to see her resemblance to Edward, but Bella doesn't think it's a good idea at all." Renee takes a seat on the other side of Bella's bed, looking at her granddaughter.

"Mom, she doesn't matter. She can't hurt us, and it's obvious who Elsie's father is," Bella says, removing her daughter's pink cap to reveal a head full of red hair.

"Renee, I know you and Bella have no reason to trust my sister, but I believe she's finally come around to accepting Bella and the baby." He looks at Renee. "And even if she hasn't, I love your daughter, and I'm never letting anyone else come between us." He smiles down at Bella.

"Fine, but if she tries anything, I will not be responsible for what I do to her," she says, pointing a perfectly manicured finger at him.

Once their visitors are gone, Bella and Edward sit side-by-side staring at their daughter. Their lips brush, and their free hands clasp together, never wanting to let the other one go.

Someone entering the room breaks their small bubble, and they look up to find Leah and a couple entering.

Leah gives both Edward and Bella a calculating smile as she looks over at Elsie in her mother's arms.

"Is that her?" she asks with disgust in her voice.

"Yes, this is your niece. Leah, who are these people?" Edward asks, looking at the man and the woman in the room.

The man is tall and built, with dark hair; his face is hard but softens slightly when he sees Elsie in Bella's arms.

The woman, with her long dark hair and small frame, however, steps closer to the bed, tears streaming down her face, staring at Elsie with all the love in the world. "She's absolutely beautiful." The woman goes to take Elsie from Bella's arms, but Bella turns away, protecting her baby.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" she asks, looking at the woman.

Edward steps around the bed shielding his family from the couple and his sister. He looks at his sister wide-eyed. "Leah, what the fuck is going on?"

"This is Mr. and Mrs. Uley, they are here for the baby," she says matter-of-factly.

"What are you talking about?" Edward asks, not believing his ears.

"I'm talking about the couple that is going to adopt your daughter, Edward. We just need Bella's signature, and it will all be over." Leah takes out a document, and Edward snatches it out of her hands.

His eyes roam the paper, and at the bottom, he sees his own signature.

"What is this? I never signed this!" he says, holding the paper at his sister.

"You did, when you were at my office the other day," she says as if he's an idiot.

Bella holds her daughter close to her chest, tears falling down her face. "Edward, what is she talking about? Is that your signature?" she asks, her voice cracking.

Edward is numb as he stares blankly at his own name. Leah takes the paper out of his hands and walks around him, passing it to Bella.

Bella lets out a gasp seeing the signature at the bottom.

Edward Cullen.

She looks up at Edward, and he's taken back by the hurt and hatred in her eyes. Walking over to the bed, he looks over the paper in his hands, his eyes roaming frantically.

"I never signed this," he says, looking from Bella to Leah. "I would never fucking sign anything like that, Bella."

"Really Edward, how else did I get your signature? You know this is the best thing for the baby. Bella, just sign the papers and she can go home with the Uleys right now." Leah takes out a pen, but is yanked away from Bella by an enraged Edward.

"Get the fuck out!" He drags his sister to the door, opening it and pushing her out. Turning to the Uleys. "You need to fucking go."

"I don't understand," Mrs. Uley cries in her husband's arm.

"She promised us this baby! What is going on here?" Mr. Uley demands.

"This isn't her baby to promise, so get the fuck out, or I will have you escorted out," Edward demands, holding the door open.

"Edward! Stop! This is what's best! Can't you see?" Leah yells, trying to come back into the room.

Edward pushes her away with the palms of his hands. "If you ever come near Bella and our daughter again, Leah, I will make your life hell."

He slams the door, taking a breath to calm himself. Bella sets Elsie in the bassinet and walks to stand behind Edward with the papers in her hands.

Turning around, he comes face to face with Bella.

"This is your signature," she says, her eyes full of hatred.

"I know, but I have no idea how she got it. I swear on my parents' life, baby." He tries to pull her into his embrace, holding her.

"I … I believe you Edward," she says, still visibly shaken by the way that woman looked at Elsie.

Of course she believes him. He would do anything for Elsie, anything for her.

Stepping out of his embrace, she goes and picks up her phone.

"Who are you calling?" he asks, trying to calm himself and wrap his head around what Leah just attempted to do.

"The police." Bella's voice shakes a little as she presses send.

Edward rushes over to her, taking the phone out of her hand and ending the call. "Wait, Bella, let's talk about this."

"What is there to talk about? That woman somehow forged your signature and came in here intending to give away our daughter. What am I waiting for, Edward!" she yells, becoming more and more upset.

"Bella, she's my sister, I can't send her to jail! She's the only family I have," he says without thinking.

"No, she's not, and you need to realize that once and for all." Bella takes a step toward him, her body still aching from giving birth. "What she did was illegal, and I won't let her get away with it this time. She's already gotten away with having her friend issue a court order." Bella takes a seat on the edge of the hospital bed, her body so weak and weary from the past few minutes.

"Bella don't ask me to do this. Please, let's just get some rest, enjoy our daughter, and talk about it more tomorrow when you're released.

She shakes her head, not believing her ears.

"Get out! If you won't press charges against your bitch of a sister, there is nothing more for us to discuss." She stands to her feet to face him.

"She has done everything in her power to prove that this baby is not yours, to come between us, to insult me. Hell, to hurt me and try to hurt my baby! And now she comes in with adoption papers with your signature! Edward, it's your signature that you did not sign! What if I had been here sedated and alone, and they took Elsie! I won't let her get away with it this time. What if she somehow got my signature? That woman is capable of anything." Her body shakes with her anger.

Elsie starts crying, and Bella walks to the plastic bassinet picking up her daughter and protecting her. "You need to leave."

"Bella, please don't do this-"

"Is everything okay in here?" A nurse comes to the door, followed by security.

"No. I want him to leave … Please." Bella's voice chokes on a sob.

"Baby, wait. Don't do this," Edward pleads, trying to go to her and Elsie but the security guard stops him.

"Sir. I'm going to have to ask you to go." The guard pulls a fighting Edward out of the room.

Edward calls Bella's name over and over, disturbing the quiet of the hospital. Inside the room, Bella sits on her bed holding her daughter with the adoption papers in her free hand and cries uncontrollably.

She has to be strong now. Leah has left her no choice. Lines need to be drawn. The string that Leah dangles over Edward's head has to be cut ... changes have to be made.

A/N: Well there we have it. The reason for Chapter 1. Whew! Alright back to the future next chapter!