Wow! We're up to 317 REVIEWS! Here it is! Chapter 10! So, what is Edward's true reaction to Allie? From his point of view? Is Mike home, waiting for them? Read on and find out! Enjoy!
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Edward
I watched in silence as Allie slept in my arms, my dead heart swelling with an affection I'd never felt before. Fatherly affection. Her tiny little body cradled in my arms felt right. It felt as though this was the way things should be. I knelt down to place a cool kiss on her forehead, knowing she wouldn't awake. Her thoughts were all jumbled in a mix of dreams. Peaceful, fully at ease dreams that only a child could have.
"She doesn't look a thing like Mike, does she?" Alice asked. I could hear the smile in her voice, but I didn't want to tear my eyes away from Allie.
"No," I whispered. My voice was too low to disturb Bella or Allie, but I knew Alice would hear me, "No, not at all. She has Bella written all over her."
"I can't believe that Bella had a daughter," Alice whispered. My eyes drifted over to my sleeping angel then.
Her head was resting against my arm, her eyes closed in a peaceful sleep. Her face was so smooth and calm that the bruises were hardly even noticeable in the dim light. A growl rumbled low in my chest before I could stop it. I could kill Mike for what he had done to her. In truth, I probably would. If it weren't for Allie, I would kill Mike before he even knew I was in the same room with him. Then we could leave. Allie, Bella, my family and me. I could make them happy. I would make them happy.
"I'm glad she does," I whispered, my eyes turning back to Allie. "It makes getting her out of this situation a little more complicated, but Allie..."
"I know," Alice whispered, keeping the same tone. Our efforts were probably futile. They were sleeping so soundly that normal volume wouldn't wake them, "She's there for Bella. She's the only real joy Bella's had in her life for four years."
I grimaced. It was true. I had left Bella to endure four years of pain.
"I'll never be able to forgive myself for doing this to her," my voice broke twice.
"You don't need to. You're not the one that needs to give forgiveness," Alice's voice was very matter-of-fact, "She is."
"I know."
"And after today, you should know she's forgiven you," Alice turned to smile at me.
"I don't know," I whispered, my gaze meeting Alice's, "I don't know how she could possibly forgive me for all of this. She was broken by me, broken by Jake, beaten by Mike... all because I left."
"Please, Edward," Alice's voice became harsh, "Do not blame yourself for the mistakes of Jake and Mike. You left to protect her, although it only hurt her more. She can forgive you for that. It was Jake's choice to leave her. You could have done nothing about that."
"I could have stayed," I mumbled.
"Yes, you could have. That doesn't give Mike the right to beat her," she continued, "And that doesn't make it your fault."
"You're going to wake them, Alice," I whispered. Her voice had grown loud in her attempt to convince me. Although her attempt was futile, I appreciated her efforts. "You know me, Alice. I won't forgive myself for this. But, if Bella forgives me..."
"I do," her melodic voice came out in a soft whisper.
"We woke you?" I asked, shooting a look to Alice. Alice grinned and shrugged before turning her eyes back to the road.
"No, I was ready to get up," Bella spoke through a yawn, sitting up to look at me. A small smile touched her lips, "I was scared to wake up. I thought this would be a dream."
I leaned towards her to place a soft kiss against her lips, trying my best not to disturb Allie in her sleep. When I pulled away, I saw that Bella's cheeks were flushed with the beautiful red I had missed so much. "No dream, just me."
"You are my dream," she whispered, leaning against me once again. Her body stayed positioned so that she could look into my eyes.
"Bella?"
"Yes?" Bella turned her gaze to Alice. Alice was watching her with a concerned look on her face.
"Where's Charlie?" It wasn't a question I had expected, but a question I had thought of as well.
"Oh, he's still at my old house," Bella said, a sad smile playing on her lips. "I don't get to see him very much. At least," she gestured to her face, "Not when I look like this. Mike doesn't want him to be suspicious. He stops by often with Allie. I go when I can."
A growl rumbled in my chest, not quiet so low this time. Bella's eyes flew to Allie. Allie continued to sleep silently, a smile wide on her lips. Her dreams were happy ones and I was thankful for that fact.
"Can you hear what she dreams?" Bella questioned. I marveled at her ability to know what I was thinking.
"Yes," I whispered, watching Allie as I spoke, "Her dreams are happy right now. Lots of unicorns and bunnies. To be honest, I feel like I'm watching children's programming."
"You might be," she giggled, "Allie watches a lot of T.V. Unicorns and Bunnies comes on at seven."
"Really?"
"No, Edward," Alice laughed, "She's kidding."
"How would I know?" my voice was defensive, but I smiled a crooked grin. My eyes returned to Bella, "I don't exactly frequent those channels."
There were a few soft laughs and then it grew silent, save for the loud roar of the truck's engine. I wondered fleetingly if Bella would allow me to buy her a new car after this whole ordeal was said and done. I was lost in my thoughts, my gaze having drifted back to Allie's sleeping form, when Bella's sweet voice filled the air once again, "Do you like her?"
"I love her," my answer was immediate and I heard Bella's heart sputter as it used to. I turned to look at her, watching the smile grow bright on her lips. It was beautiful. It belonged. Bella was meant to smile that way.
"She really likes you, too," Bella whispered, her gaze moving to Allie. She reached across to play with her daughter's hair, soft brown strands swirling between her fingers. "Does she," Bella paused, a blush coming to her cheeks, "Does she smell like me?"
"She smells like a mix of you and someone else. I'm assuming Mike. I don't remember his scent," I spoke simply, watching as she continued to play with Allie's hair. Allie moved in my arms, stretching slightly before settling back into her slumber.
"So, it's not hard on you?" Bella whispered. The blush hadn't left her face, but there was worry in her voice, "Holding her?"
"Not at all," I whispered, staring at Bella. I waited in silence until she met my gaze, "It feels right."
"It does," she agreed, her smile growing, "I wish it could have been like this."
"It will be like this, Bella," I continued to whisper, loud enough for her to hear, "You just have to fight for it. We meant what we said. We're getting the both of you out of that house and away from him."
She was silent as she continued to play with Allie's hair, but I could see the joy enter her eyes and hear her heart beat frantically as she thrilled to my words. I moved one of my arms away from Allie, allowing her to settle comfortably in my lap, my other arm still cradling her head. I used my free arm to pull Bella closer. She sighed into my embrace.
"You guys make such an adorable family," Alice laughed, making a face, "Honestly, it's so sweet that it's making me sick."
"You'll get used to it," I smiled a crooked grin down at Bella before brushing my lips against her forehead. Her warm skin, her beautiful scent, her... they were all things I had missed so much. How was it that I made it this long without her?
"Mike's not here?" Alice questioned. I looked up to see that we had arrived at Bella's home. How Alice had known the way didn't surprise me as it surprised Bella. Bella looked around her surroundings with wide, questioning eyes.
"Oh... um..." her voice trailed off, her brow furrowed. I chuckled at her expression as she tried to figure out how Alice knew where she lived, "No, he won't be home for another hour. He works late and helps them close up almost every night."
"Well, we're here," Alice announced unnecessarily, turning off the truck before hopping out of the cab. Bella followed her out the driver's side door, sliding away from me reluctantly.
"Do you want to come in?"
"We weren't actually giving you a choice," Alice chirped, a grin on her lips as she danced to the front door. I slid out of the cab, cradling Allie carefully. She didn't even stir.
"I'll show you her room," Bella whispered to me as she opened the door. "I won't have dinner ready for another hour or so. She can sleep until then."
We made our way up the stairs to Allie's room. Alice danced ahead of us, already knowing the way. The house was nice and warm, filled with Bella's scent. If it weren't for Mike, this home would be a wonderful place for Allie. We passed by a small bathroom with a tub, followed by a large bedroom and a smaller bedroom. I paused here, "Isn't this her room?"
"What?" Bella turned to look at the room I had stopped at, "Oh, no. That's the guest bedroom." She flushed, "I sleep there sometimes when..."
She trailed off at my growl and continued down the hall. I silently hoped that Mike would decide to come home early. I had no restrictions on killing him now, even with Allie sleeping softly in my arms. Alice shot me a warning look and whispered, "Stop it."
"This is Allie's room," Bella said, stopping at the end of the hall. She flicked on the lights, revealing lavender walls, dark purple carpet and pink tones throughout the room. There were pink curtains, a little pink chair and table, and a twin sized pink bed. "I know, it seems a bit stereotypical, doesn't? But they are her favorite colors."
I set Allie gently on her bed after Bella pulled back the covers. Together, we pulled the covers up around Allie's sleeping form. I tucked in the left side of the blankets while Bella tucked in the right. We leaned in together, each placing a kiss on Allie's cheeks. I heard laughter from behind me and stood up to smile a crooked grin at Alice, "What?"
"You have such a goofy grin on your face!" Alice spoke, laughing harder. I looked to Bella, who was blushing yet again, "Oh gosh, you two. No, you three! It's just too sweet, it's just too..."
"Perfect."
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I really liked writing this chapter. Nothing big happened, but I thought it was very sweet. What's going to happen in the next chapter, when Mike comes home? Trust me, the next chapter will be EXCITING! You are really going to want to read it - seriously. It's going to be fun and hopefully will contain an EVIL CLIFFHANGER OF DOOM!
Can we get it to 360 reviews? 370? Leave a review and maybe I'll write it even faster! Let me know what you think! What do you think Mike will do? What should Edward do? COOKIE TIME!