Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. All recognizable characters belong to SM.
In the Woods:
A Bella and Edward Story Part 10
When the party returned from their outing, Edward, Jasper and Carlisle went to embrace their wives. They all really hated to be apart from the love of their existence.
Elizabeth ran to her brother as soon as she entered their home and gave him a loving embrace and using her gift, she showed him all that she had witnessed that day. By the end, she had tears streaming down her face.
Masen did his best to comfort his twin sister. He hated to see her cry.
"Masen, I just felt an overwhelming need to protect them." Elizabeth said with a teary smile once she was more composed.
"Jasper and I felt the same way about Bella when we first found out about her. It is understandable that you would feel the need to protect your brother's mate." Alice said sympathetically.
Everyone turned to her in shock.
"What do you mean, Alice?" They all questioned in unison.
Alice giggled as she took in their stunned faces.
"Elizabeth is Masen's twin; she has a special connection to her brother. Apart from having a very compassionate heart; the reason that Elizabeth was willing to go to such extremes for these strangers was because she felt the connection to Amy. She couldn't allow her sister to suffer without it wounding her. It's also the reason that we all felt compelled to help in any way we could." Alice explained.
Masen sat quietly letting this information sink in. He would be meeting his mate the next day but she was still a toddler. He would have his hands full as her protector until she came of age.
One by one, his family members embraced him and whispered words of congratulation and pledged to protect his mate with their lives if need be.
No one had given much thought to the twins finding their mates so soon. They had all been so focused on easing them into society. It was a startling discovery yet it was a very happy one.
They all sat quietly and waited for Masen to speak. When he finally did, he looked to his aunt for reassurance.
"Aunt Alice, please look into the future for me." Masen implored.
With a kind smile, Alice did as she was asked and shared her findings with her shocked family.
Jessica would die of ovarian cancer when Amy was ten. The little girl would either end up in the system or with her estranged father. Neither option boded well for Amy.
"Uncle Jasper, I am going to need your help." Masen said solemnly.
"I will do whatever you need, nephew." Jasper promised.
"Mike needs to pay for hurting Jessica and Amy. I want him to lose everything that he holds dear but I am afraid that if I try to take matters into my own hands, I might not be able to keep my temper in check. I won't be able to look Amy in the eye if I am responsible for her father's death.
We could have him arrested for Statutory Rape but I don't want to put Jessica and Amy through a trial. That being said, I think I have come up with a suitable alternative but will need your assistance with the planning and execution." Masen stated.
Everyone exchanged looks of surprise but didn't voice their opinions.
"First, we have to get Mike to sign away his parental rights to Amy. We have more than enough money to provide for her. She doesn't need him.
Second, I want Mike's duplicitous behavior exposed to his employer's, friends, neighbours and family. He needs to bear the shame of his actions.
Third, I am hoping that you and Aunt Alice can convince Jessica to allow you both to become Amy's legal guardians in case of emergency." Masen stated very seriously.
The room at large was feeling very proud of how well Masen was adjusting to the situation and taking charge of what needed to be done. He was showing a level of maturity well beyond his years.
Edward, Jasper and Carlisle took Masen's requests and started working out all of the details.
They started with planning how to get Mike to sign over his Parental Rights. They contacted Jenks to get him to draw up the papers and summon Mike to his office the very next day. They were sure he'd agree to go along with it once Jenks pointed out to him that it was either that or getting charged with Statutory Rape.
They asked Jenks to be sure to get Mike to incriminate himself during their meeting while capturing the exchange on video. They would then send the video to everyone in Mike's life.
He had kept his relationship with Jessica under wraps and no one knew that she or Amy even existed.
This was sure to shock most of them.
Alice had already seen that his employers would terminate him based on the Morality Clause in his contract. With no job and no one in the industry willing to hire him, Mike would lose the house.
Since the news of his duplicity would result in him being shunned by all who knew him, Mike would end up homeless.
Masen thought this was a fitting punishment for what Mike had done to Jessica and Amy. He'd suffer the fate which he himself had inflicted on them. Everyone agreed with him wholeheartedly.
The women were all working on the plans for the new homeless shelter. There was so much to do.
Fortunately, they had connections that could get them the permits that they needed in a hurry.
A quick search on the internet resulted in them finding the perfect building to renovate. With a team of vampires, the renovation wouldn't take too long. Alice contacted the real estate agent and had him ready the paperwork for the purchase.
Once they had found the ideal location, they needed to divide up the duties according to everyone's skills.
Carlisle would be in charge of the medical clinic within the shelter. He would need to be ready to treat these individuals who hadn't been able to afford to seek medical attention.
Esme would be in charge of interior and exterior design. They refused to allow their shelter to look or feel like an institution. They knew that Esme would use her skills to create a beautiful home for all.
Alice would be in charge of clothing and toiletries. She would be getting companies to donate clothing as well as other necessities. She would then purchase wherever there were any shortages. Alice was determined that everyone that walked in through the doors would be provided with decent clothing to wear.
She knew that realistically, not everyone would want to stay long term and be helped to regain a place in society. They would come in for a shower, a meal and a bed for the night and then go back to what they knew.
She came up with a contingency plan for those individuals. She would create a package to give to each one that was leaving. The package would contain a sleeping bag, decent footwear, waterproof clothing, camping rations and a waterproof backpack that could hold their belongings. She hoped that it would bring them some comfort in their nomadic existence.
Bella would be in charge of the nursery and daycare for any children that may need minding while their parents were out seeking employment or working.
Masen would be in charge of food. His culinary skills would come in handy for feeding healthy yet delicious meals. No one would starve under his watch.
Edward would be in charge of assisting individuals with obtaining government assistance or legal assistance if need be.
Jasper would be in charge of the security of the building and those within its walls.
Elizabeth would be in charge of hiring staff.
Jessica would be in charge of training and supervising the staff.
Grace would be the mascot. She was too adorable to be left out.
With their jobs assigned, the twins turned in for the night. The family had a very busy day ahead of them.
Four very important things were going to happen.
First, the rest of the family would be meeting Jessica and Amy for the first time. Second, Masen would be meeting his mate. Third, work on their shelter 'But for the Grace of God' would be started. Fourth but not least, Amy would be free of Mike for good.
Author's Note: Reviews are not necessary but are always appreciated.