Just to recap. This IS and Edward and Bella story ;)
"Son, how was your day?" Carlisle asked the moment Edward walked into the kitchen and put his keys on the side. Edward smiled when he saw his father holding baby Eloise. He had been itching to hold the baby again himself, but he didn't want to cross any boundaries with Bella.
The tension between them was still very much there, and Edward didn't know what to do about it.
"The baby suits you," he replied before sitting down at the breakfast bar. "The day was fine. No major issues, but we do need to reevaluate Ms Moore's leg ulcer. It's not healing in line with the care plan," Edward replied and looked at the baby. There was this need. A need to be with her, to hold and care for her.
"You should go up and see her, Edward. Take her a snack and some juice," his father said out of nowhere, then stood to leave the room.
Bella or Mrs Moore? Edward thought.
"Emmett and Rose are on their way," Edward quickly called out to his father's retreating form. Carlisle waved a hand in understanding, and then he was gone.
"Snacks and juice . . ." Edward mumbled as he started rummaging through the cupboards.
He mentally went back to when he was at med school and his OB-GYN rotation. He vaguely remembered that pregnant women couldn't have peanuts and liver, but was that the same for breastfeeding mothers?
To play it safe, Edward made up a plate of freshly cut fruit, some crackers with cheese and a large glass of apple juice, without any ice cubes. Bella always hated ice. She complained that it was a company's way of serving less drink than what you pay for and if you went for ice, it only watered down the drink anyway.
Edward left the kitchen, more nervous than he had been in quite a while. When he made it upstairs, he timidly knocked on the door to Bella's bedroom and waited for her to let him in. The small noise from inside the room made his stomach clench, but he opened the door.
Bella was sitting in an armchair by the window, gazing out of the glass, lost in her thoughts, or so Edward thought.
"I remember paddling in the water with you all when we were little. Emmett liked to show off for Rose by jumping off the log. I can't believe so much time has passed since then," she said, her voice low and uneven.
Edward looked at Bella. Really looked. Her hair was thinner than he remembered, and her skin was still very pale. She'd lost a lot of weight. She was never skinny, but Edward liked that. Bella always complained about her 'puppy fat', but Edward loved it all. Now there was no sign of it.
"It's been a long time, sweetheart, but we're all here for you, if you need us," Edward replied, placing the tray of food on the small table at her side.
"Even after ten years, Edward? You'll all rally round like we used to, even though I just left?" Bella's words were harsh, but he could see it was from frustration more than anger. She still looked so tired, but he was hoping that if she got back to eating healthily and rested, she'd be okay.
"No matter what, Bella," he whispered and kissed the top of her head.
"How can you say that, Edward? I've been gone almost ten years without a word to anyone," she said and sighed deeply.
"Answer me one question?" he asked. He could see the worry in Bella's eyes, but she nodded.
"Did you leave Forks because you wanted to or because you had no choice in the matter?"
She was silent for a while, and he could see that she was warring with something.
"No choice," she whispered.
Eloise made her presence known before Carlisle even got to the door. He knocked once and then walked in, a wailing little baby against his chest.
"If memory serves me correctly, Bella, she takes after her momma. Or her lungs do, at least," he joked and passed Eloise to Bella.
"Would you prefer it if I left?" Edward asked, noting that his dad made a quick exit.
"No, please stay. I'm sure being a doctor, you've seen it all before," she replied, and it made Edward wonder if she remembered that he was at the hospital with her when she was feeding Eloise.
"I've seen plenty, one more pair won't hurt," he replied with a smile.
Across town, a nervous Reece walked to the chief's desk, papers in his sweaty hands. He had been working nonstop to try and trace the history of the truck and the doctor who had prescribed Bella's medication.
He had felt so guilty about the situation with Bella when he arrested her and vowed to do anything he could to help out his boss. He also didn't fancy a bullet in his ass, which is what the Chief had promised if he didn't get what answers he wanted.
"Chief, it's taken some time, but I think we might have a lead," Reece mumbled quietly next to the desk.
Charlie looked up to the young man from where he was sitting, didn't say anything, but held out his hand.
Reece passed over the documents quickly and then began to explain what he'd found.
"By the looks of the paperwork, she's been in Alhambra, Phoenix. Well, that's where the truck was from. The truck is registered to a man called Jasper Whitlock. He reported it stolen two days ago, which doesn't make sense. If she drove it all the way here, it must have been stolen long before that. What is surprising is that her contraceptive pill is also signed off by a Dr Whitlock, too. I'm waiting for more information about him to come through. On the downside, I can't seem to find where Bella got the name 'Biers' from," Reece finished, but Charlie wasn't listening.
To see this information in black and white, right in front of him, angered him so much and he didn't know how to deal with it. All thoughts of being a cop left him and all he was now, was an angry father. A father who wanted answers.
