A/N: Meyer owns Twilight.
Lemonmartinis and MoltenChocCake are my fantastic betas.
This is a little transition to set the stage for the big meeting with the grandparents. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Ten: Does Your Dog Bite?
From: Cullen, Edward
To: Collins, Marcus and Jo
Subject: Re: Seattle meeting
Marcus and Jo,
Thanks for sending me the details about Saturday. Madigan is looking forward to seeing you. I do have something I need to say before we make the trip and I have been trying to find the right way to say it. I want Mag to see you, but if Kate is in any way involved, I'm afraid that we won't be there on Saturday. My daughter is my number one concern and I will do whatever I need to do to protect her.
Madigan's life was shattered after Kate left. Because of what happened, I have done everything I can to make sure that she has a stability. I don't want anything to disrupt that and, I will say bluntly, that I don't trust Kate. If she's anywhere near Seattle on Sunday or if she has anything to do with your visit, we will be staying in Forks.
Despite everything that's happened, I want Madigan to know her grandparents. Hope to see you on Saturday.
Edward
-SPTL-
From: Collins, Marcus and Jo
To: Cullen, Edward
Subject: Re: Seattle meeting
Edward,
We completely understand your position. Please know that despite the fact that we have been out of touch, we love our granddaughter and don't want anything to hurt her. We have not heard from Kate since she left. She didn't just walk out on you and Madigan, she walked out on all of us. I hope we have an opportunity to explain our own absence to you, sometime during our visit.
We can't tell you how happy we are that you are bringing Madigan to see us.
Sincerely,
Marcus and Jo
-SPTL-
BPOV
Relationships have never been much of a priority for me. It's not that I wasn't interested. It's just that most of the time I was interested in something else. As an only child with parents who encouraged my independence, the concept of being partnered with someone for more than casual dates was not something that I could ever wrap my head around. In vet school, I met Adam during one of my labs. He was so different from anyone that I had ever dated before and very attractive. We never fought, had decent sex and stayed together for over a year. When he left for a job in Michigan, I wished him the best.
Following graduation, the wedding and baby shower invitations started to roll in. The fact that I wasn't the one sending them didn't bother me. But my apathy at the idea of marriage and family did. I wondered if something was wrong with me. Shouldn't I want the white dress and all the trimmings? In response to my confusion and dismay, my mom simply put her arm around me and laughed.
"Bella," she told me. "It doesn't matter to you now, because you haven't met the right person. When you do, believe me, sweetie, it will."
I think of her words as I listen to my handsome man rock out to the oldies with his daughter in the Jeep on the way to Seattle. He's singing My Boyfriend's Back in a hilarious falsetto that has Madigan and I in a fit of giggles. Any nervousness about seeing Marcus and Jo or meeting the rest of Edward's family has been forgotten among the games of license plate tag and 'I Spy.' Edward holds my hand the entire trip, lifting our entwined fingers every few miles to kiss them. After we have been on the road a while, the car is quiet. I turn my body toward Edward and study his profile, then glance in the back seat at Madigan contentedly drawing in her sketch book.
We board the Kingston Ferry, grab hot chocolates from the snack bar, and head out on the deck to enjoy the ride. Mag points out every little thing to us and asks a million questions. We ask a fellow passenger to snap a photo of the three of us. I can't stop looking at our portrait – the beaming faces of man and child are such a contrast from when I met them just a few months ago. It brings me crashing back down to reality as I remember the purpose of our weekend trip and the potential it has to knock down what we've built.
Edward notices my body tense.
"Everything okay, beautiful?"
I smile as confidently as I'm able.
"Yeah, it's great," I reply.
About half an hour later, we disembark and fly down 1-5 toward Rosalie and Emmett's house in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle. By some miracle, there is little traffic to slow us down.
"Look Daddy and Bella," Mag shouts from the back seat. "It's the Space Needle!"
Her enthusiasm helps defuse my anxiety and before I know it, we are pulling up in front of a gorgeous mint green Colonial house, with white trim and beautiful landscaping. There is an SUV in the driveway, parked next to a two-seater sports car that must belong to the former speed racing champion of Forks.
"Wow," I whisper as the car comes to a stop.
We start to unbuckle seat belts and open doors when I hear a squeal, followed by the click-clack of heels on the pavement. The statuesque blonde goddess running toward the car can only be the notorious Rosalie Cullen McCarty.
"My Mag Pie is here!" she yells.
Madigan jumps out, barreling toward outstretched arms that instantly pick her up when she gets within reach.
"Aunt Rosie!"
"I missed you soooooooo much, Mag Pie! I couldn't wait for you to get here. We are going to have so much fun this weekend!" Edward's sister exclaims while smothering her niece with loud kisses.
"Don't mind us," Edward drawls, his arm holding me tightly around the waist. "We're just Madigan's entourage. We're not important or anything."
Rosalie walks over to us with Mag still in her arms, setting her down when she reaches us.
"Hey, Little Brother," she says quietly as they embrace. "I missed you, too. And who is the other member of Mag Pie's entourage?"
Edward grabs my hand and introduces me to his sister.
"Rose, this is my girlfriend Bella Swan."
From what I had heard about Rosalie over the years and from how I was told she reacted to Kate's abandonment, I expected hostility or at the very least an attitude of distrust. I received neither.
"Bella, it's so nice to finally meet the woman my family can't stop talking about," she greets me with a warm smile. "Although, as well as I know your father, I'm surprised we haven't met before."
We all laugh.
"It's very nice to meet you too, Rosalie," I reply, then pause before continuing. "And my dad says to tell you hello."
We all laugh louder.
"Well, come on inside. I just opened a bottle of wine - thought you could use a glass after that long drive."
Edward grabs the bag and we follow her into the house. It's even more beautiful on the inside. We walk through the living room with its huge picture windows looking out over the lake and follow Rosalie into the gourmet kitchen. We're almost ready to set our stuff down when we hear something that makes us all stop in our tracks.
"MOTHER PUSSBUCKET! *splash* SON OF A BISCUIT! *splash* HOLY SNICKERS! *splash* THAT'S FRACKING COLD!"
Over his shouts we can hear a younger voice counting and shouting encouragement.
"Come on, Dad! Five more seconds before you beat your last time!"
Rosalie rolls her eyes.
"That," she drawls, "would be my husband and my son."
"YEAH!" two voices shout together from upstairs.
I give Edward a puzzled look and he rolls his eyes just as his sister did. He's obviously used to whatever antics are going on upstairs.
"Emmett McCarty!" Rosalie yells, "If you get water on my floor, you'd better plan on sleeping outside tonight! Now, hurry up and get down here. Mag, Edward and Bella are here. That means you too, Bertie!"
"It's a new record, baby!" a voice that can only be Emmett screams.
"I'm so proud of you!" Rosalie returns sarcastically. "Now, hurry up!"
Edward and I are laughing at their exchange when Rosalie comes sauntering back over to us.
"Welcome to my own personal zoo!" She shakes her head and smiles, "Emmett's doing his annual segment on the Seattle Polar Plunge. It's a benefit for the Special Olympics and his viewers pledge money for how long he can make it in the water. He and Bertie have been training all week by filling the bathtub with water and ice. That fool will probably get hypothermia. Now, how about that wine?"
I can tell her annoyance is just a front. Her love for her family is written all over her.
I excuse myself to go to the restroom. When I return, there is a huge man holding Madigan upside down while she shrieks with delight. He's wearing a t-shirt that says, "Em's Gems Takes the Plunge."
Mag sees me and shouts between giggles, "Help me, Bella!"
Emmett's throws Mag over his shoulder and walks over to me, setting her down.
"The famous Dr. Bella! I'm Edward's favorite brother-in-law, Emmett."
I move to shake his hand, but find myself engulfed in a bone crushing hug.
"Hey, 'not my favorite' brother-in-law," Edward scolds. "You break my girl and I will break you."
Emmett scoffs, sets me down and I have to move my limbs so that the circulation will return. Edward comes over and wraps his arms around me.
"Nice to meet you, Emmett," I choke out after the air returns to my lungs.
A young boy who could only be Bertie, steps in front of us. He's wearing perfectly pressed pants, an Em's Gems t-shirt, and a pair of suspenders. His huge hazel eyes are covered by a pair of smart, tortoise shell glasses.
He extends his hand in my direction.
"Hello, Dr. Swan. My name is Robert Carlisle McCarty. But you can call me Bertie."
I am completely charmed by this junior Alex P. Keaton and his formal introduction. He is absolutely adorable. I shake his outstretched hand.
"I'm delighted to meet you, Bertie. I've heard a lot about you. And please call me Bella," I return his greeting with a wink, causing him to blush.
After I've finally met everyone, we grab some snacks and then settle into our rooms. I'm surprised to learn that Edward and I are going to be sharing a room on this trip. When I question Rosalie, she brushes off my concerns, reminding me that she and Emmett are not our parents. Although we've only been here less than an hour, I already know that I'm going to have a great time.
A while later, Rosalie sends Edward and Emmett to the park with the kids so that she and I can get ready for dinner. Edward sees right through her and starts to protest, but I reassure him that I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself.
Edward's sister and I sit at the table, snapping beans into a big bowl. She asks me to tell her all of the Forks gossip, and I know it is just a warm-up for what she really wants to talk to me about. I decide to just go ahead and cut to the chase.
"Okay, Rosalie. I'm ready for it."
"Ready for what, Bella?" she asks innocently.
"The third degree - the 'if you hurt my brother, I will put out a hit on you' speech. I'm ready for it, so let it rip."
Rosalie laughs.
"I like you, Bella. And I won't deny that I sent the boys and kids away so that I could talk to you woman to woman. But it's not what you think. Look, I never liked Kate, although she did give me my gorgeous niece. I didn't want Edward to marry her. There was just something about her that I knew wasn't good. But Edward was just so blind where she was concerned. She could do no wrong in his eyes. He never seemed to catch her little digs about where they lived or Edward's job. And when Mag came along, it was even worse. It was like she walked on water after their daughter was born. No one in this family trusted her, but we never said anything to Edward. It wouldn't have done any good anyway. So we simply prepared to be there for him when the inevitable happened. Of course, none of us expected her to just throw them away like trash. I'll never forgive her for that. And I don't know what Marcus and Jo want, but I swear if that bitch has anything to do with this, I will personally track her ass down and feed it to the sharks."
"Rosalie," I start, "Edward and Mag are the best things to ever happen to me. Like I told Edward, I can't predict the future. But I can tell you that I love them both so much and I hope to be in their lives as long as they'll have me. And if you need help tracking down Kate, you know my dad has connections."
Rosalie puts the beans she's holding in her hand down on the table and smiles sympathetically at me.
"Bella, you're nothing like Kate. Let's just say that right now. I can tell how much you love them and you're all that they talk about. My brother radiates happiness. And I can't even believe that Mag is the same little girl I saw a few months ago. You've helped them more than you'll ever know, Bella. So, I didn't get you alone to threaten you. I got you alone to thank you."
I can't help the tears that fall because of Rosalie's words. What she's said is the icing on the already delicious cake that my life has become.
"Thank you, Rosalie," I whisper.
She hands me a napkin.
"Now, you better wipe those tears before the boys get back with the kids. I don't want Edward thinking I read you the riot act. He'll chew my ass into next week!"
We are both laughing hysterically as she tells me childhood stories about the Cullen kids, when Edward and Emmett return.
"Hi, guys!" Rosalie yells. "You're just in time to throw the steaks on the grill."
Edward looks over to me, silently asking me if I'm okay.
I give him my best smile and see him visibly relax.
Dinner is delicious and after we're full, Rosalie and Emmett surprise us by informing us that a babysitter will be here in about an hour. The adults are hitting the town tonight.
"God knows you can't go out in Forks!" Emmett bellows.
I have to agree and the chance to dance with Edward is impossible to pass up. We clean up and get the kids settled for the babysitter before heading out. The club Emmett and Rosalie take us to is in Belltown and the streets are full of weekend revelers, adding a wonderful energy to our evening.
The drinks at the trendy club are good and the music is even better. I also discover that after a few beers, Edward gets pretty handsy – just another thing to love about him. My man isn't exactly Fred Astaire on the dance floor, but what he lacks in talent, he makes up for in enthusiasm. I'm having the time of my life. After the stress we've been feeling about our visit with Marcus and Jo tomorrow, this night is exactly what we need.
When we return to the house, a familiar ritual is performed – only this time, there are two of us reassuring an anxious little girl that she hasn't been left behind.
No matter what happens tomorrow, I know that my mother is right. I know that I've met the right person. I know that I want him and his daughter in my life permanently. I want us to be a family and I want us to grow old together. I want them to know that not everyone leaves. I've never felt more right about anything.
A/N:
Thank you so much for reading. Rosalie is one of my favorite characters in the canon – I always thought she was fiercely loyal and doing her best to make the most out of a horrible situation.
The amazing RoseArcadia made a GORGEOUS blinkie and wrote a wonderful review for SPTL. There is a link on my profile. Check it out!
I will also be posting a photo on Tumblr of Em and Rosalie's house.
Happy Easter!