Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters and the idea of this story came from keep austin weird's story 'Thanks To The Children'. I didn't steal it.

A/N: Hayley and Carolina are 3, I know they sound so much smarter but I don't talk to many 3 year olds so we're gonna say they're 4 and Todd is 2!! Edward isn't a doctor, he's a lawyer...I wasn't too sure what to make him at first, but I decided he will be a lawyer...Carlisle (Edward's dad) is a doctor.

Chapter 9

We soon got home after about half an hour and the kids had fallen asleep in the car. I took Hayley and Carolina to their bedroom while Bella took Todd to her room. I shut the door quietly and walked into the kitchen, planning on cleaning up the shattered glass but Bella had beaten me to it. I chuckled as she cleaned the floor.

"You never stop working do you?" Bella looked over her shoulder at me and smiled sheepishly.

"I did create the mess." Bella pointed out. I shook my head and walked into the living room and waited for Bella to be finished in the kitchen. Bella soon came and joined me in the living room. She sat down on the couch opposite me. "What's up?" She asked suddenly. I looked at her, startled by the question.

"What?" She closed her eyes as she rested her head on the top of the couch.

"I can see something's bothering you. Want to talk about it?" She offered.

"Well…I was curious as to why you were so pale and skinny…unlike Todd." I spoke hesitantly, hoping I wouldn't offend her. She seemed fine with the question and sighed deeply before opening her eyes and looking at me.

"I didn't have a job for some time and I couldn't really afford to pay for gas or electricity. I couldn't even afford food. Whenever I did get food, I gave most of it to Todd." I sat in silence, absorbing her story. "I wanted to make sure that my baby was okay and he was top priority to me above myself. I loved him so much and didn't want him to die. I didn't like the thought of my Todd still, pale white and lifeless…even though my boyfriend raped me, I couldn't let my boy die. I was determined to keep him alive, which resulted in me getting rather skinny and pale as I got sick more often than him because I made sure he was warm when he slept too." Bella took a deep breath. "You have no idea how much this helping me and my Todd. Todd can sleep in a proper bed and go to bed with a full stomach. Todd and I lived very much like those poor families in third world countries, starving and trying to survive on what we could." Bella finished her story and I couldn't help but be glad that she was here with my family. Bella was living the life that she should have had.

"What about your parents?" I asked her.

"I didn't stay in Forks when I found out I was pregnant." Bella looked out the window. "I couldn't go to my mom. She would have flipped out that I was pregnant and would have demanded that I gave the child away. So I came to Seattle. I ran after I graduated and used the money I had saved up and bought a flat. I then got a job but had to leave when I was eight months pregnant. The money I had saved up went towards food and that few blankets and pillows we had in the house. Of course I had my possessions like books and clothes and such…I know what it's like to live in poverty. It's awful." I couldn't believe that after all this time, Bella thought of her son over her. But then I realized that in a way you would do anything to keep the one you loved so dearly alive. I knew that I would do anything for my girls…and Bella.

I woke up the next morning and hurried off to a meeting that I had. It was long and boring and sitting next to Mike Newton was awful. I had to keep my hands on the table and take notes in order to restrain myself from punching Mike. After what I had learned of what Mike did to Bella, I hated him more than ever. I was going to make sure that he never stepped into her life once more. I was relieved when I could get home to my girls, Bella and Todd. I was so impatient for the lift that when I finally got in, I found it too slow and got out on the first floor and too the stairs all the way up. I beat the elevator by running and was glad when I could get inside my apartment and be with the people I loved.

"I'm home!" I called out. I soon heard squeals and giggles before I saw my two girls rushing into the hall to greet me.

"Daddy! Daddy!" They called to me as I picked them up.

"My angels. How are you today?" I asked them.

"Great! We cooked cookies with Bella." I smiled as I walked into the living room with my girls.

"Sounds like fun." Bella smiled.

"How was your day?" Bella asked. The girls jumped off my lap and went to play with Todd.

"It took everything I had not to punch Mike in the middle of that meeting." I told her with a sigh. Bella laughed.

"That wouldn't have gone down well…" She looked worried and concerned at the same time.

"You all right?" I asked her.

"Do you think he'll come walking back into my life? That he'll try and start up where he left off?" She whispered. I frowned.

"I won't let him. I won't let him hurt you twice." Bella smiled at me softly before looking at the three children who were playing happily.