A/N: Well, this is short, but I got it in before the end of the year! (That's what he said?)
Elizabeth sat on the edge of his bed. Restless as he was, Edward sat as well, putting space between them. He rocked Emma's carrier with his toe, studying her peacefully sleeping face to remind himself to keep calm. What he really wanted was to be with Bella. Waiting for his mother to find the right words for her next argument was making him tense and wary.
"You're not going to change my mind, you know," he finally said. His words sounded tired to his own ears.
His mother gave a small, thin laugh. "I'm beginning to understand that," she said quietly. "I think it's very obvious that your father and I underestimated exactly how seriously you're taking this."
Edward huffed. "Obviously, if you thought I would even consider giving her up."
"I can see that now," she said, raising her hands in a peacemaking gesture. She took a deep, steadying breath, wiping away the remnants of her tears. "I just don't understand how this happened, Junior, I just don't understand. You and Lauren have been together forever by high school standards. And then suddenly Bella, whom you've only mentioned here and there, shows up with a baby you're suddenly claiming as yours?"
"She ismine," Edward bit out.
His mother's mouth turned down. "Yes. You had enough doubt to get a paternity test."
With a frustrated growl, Edward got to his feet, running his hands through his hair as he began to pace. "It wasn't like that."
"Then what was it like? Please help me understand."
Edward laughed without humor. "You wouldn't believe me."
Elizabeth stood, stilling his aggravated pacing by taking his hands. "Junior." Her voice was gentle, and it made Edward's heart ache. "I'm ready to listen. You can talk to me."
Pressing his lips together in a thin line, Edward studied his mother. He badly wanted to believe her. His heart felt lighter just at the thought. How many times had he wished he could ask his parents a question, lean on them for just one minute?
But if he told her the story - the whole story - and she disbelieved him...
Their relationship was already strained. Edward didn't know if he could forgive his mother if she promised to listen and then didn't, not after everything else they'd done.
Elizabeth squeezed his hands. "What you said downstairs... You have my attention, sweetheart. Really. Help me understand this."
Edward felt the pinpricks of tears sting at his eyes again. It was hard to hope...
But when he opened his mouth, the entire story spilled out. He told his mother everything. He told her about Lauren and the deal they'd made and why. He told her how everything changed when he met Bella and how foolish he'd been, fighting with her at every turn until he couldn't help but kiss her.
He stumbled, blushing furiously as he glazed over how Emma was conceived, how she was born, and the confusion that came afterward.
"See, I never thought Bella lied. She didn't have any reason to think she wasn't a... a virgin. I was so... I thought maybe her stepfather had..." He shook his head, not quite able to articulate how furious he'd been at the idea someone had hurt her. "It was better. It was better that Emma's mine.
"And I know... I'm not ready to be a father, but I am. I love Emma so much it's..." He swallowed hard. "It scares me. Everything scares me. But I know I love her, and I want to do everything I can to make sure she has a good life. And I think I love Bella, but that's just a mess, and-"
"Edward!" His mother interrupted his babbling.
He looked up, pensive, biting the inside of his lip to keep from babbling further.
Elizabeth sighed. "Oh, my boy." She pulled him forward, and Edward nearly fell into her arms. "You need a hug, don't you?"
Edward laughed. He had to. But he hugged her back so hard, he heard her take a sharp breath. Easing off a bit, he laid his head on her shoulder, allowing himself to be comforted by her hands lightly rubbing his back. "You believe me?"
Before she could answer, Emma began to whimper as she woke. Automatically, Edward untangled himself from his mother's hold, stooping to retrieve his daughter.
"It's okay, baby girl." He settled her quickly into the crook of his arm, rocking her gently. "I've got you."
Luckily, Bella hadn't taken Emma's bag before she ran off. Adjusting his grip, he leaned over, fishing until he had a fresh diaper and wipes.
"You're good at this," Elizabeth said softly, watching him as he changed the baby's diaper.
Edward looked up, careful as he tried to gauge his mother's reaction. "She goes through a lot of them," he said evenly.
Elizabeth's lips turned up in a smile. "I remember." She was silent for a moment, watching him. "You know... your father and I talked about having another baby just a few years ago."
Edward's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"
His mother nodded. "We decided we were very ready not to have kids at home." She brushed his cheek tenderly. "We didn't want to raise another baby."
"That's what he thinks will happen, isn't it?" Edward guessed. "He thinks when I get tired of playing daddy, I'll dump Emma on you."
"It does happen," she said softly.
"Not to us. Not with me," he said firmly. "I don't want to give her up, not even to you."
His mother's smile was gentle, but her eyes were sad. She ruffled his hair. "Edward... You're such a smart boy. We just want you to have the life you deserve."
Edward re-did the snaps of Emma's onesie, easily getting her wriggling form back into her clothes. "I'm still a smart boy," he said quietly. "My life isn't over because I have a baby. If anything... everything feels more important."
Before he could gather Emma up again, Elizabeth stopped him. She bit her lip and hesitantly reached out. "Let me hold her?"
"Yeah." Edward's heart sped, and he smiled hopefully before he could help it. "Of course."
Elizabeth carefully picked Emma up, cuddling her close. She huffed when Emma squalled at her loudly once before she settled. Edward watched, on tenterhooks as his mother studied his daughter, running the pads of her fingers down her soft cheek. When his mother smiled, a huge weight lifted from Edward's shoulders. "She is a very pretty girl, isn't she?"
"The prettiest."
Humming lightly, Elizabeth bounced the baby. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," she said tearfully, looking up at Edward. "I think... I see now I haven't been fair to you or Bella." She looked at him with a tentative smile. "I'd like to get to know my granddaughter."
Edward couldn't help it. He closed the distance between them and hugged his mother tightly, careful only not to crush his daughter between them. "I would really, really like that."
~0~
Bella was at a loss for what to do.
She felt stupid for so many reasons. Stupid and a little freaked out. She was beyond irritated with herself for forgetting her baby when she ran out of Edward's room. Not that she didn't trust Emma with Edward - she did, of course. She wasn't as comfortable with Emma being with someone who wanted her gone.
Wringing her hands, Bella took a few steps toward the door. Surely it was understandable she would want to take Emma. There were a million excuses. The baby would be hungry soon. And her crib was here. All her things...
But no. She didn't want to interrupt Edward's conversation with his mother.
Bella sat on the edge of her bed, restless. Getting her homework out, she at least pretended to stare at it when she was really listening. She waited to hear anything - arguing or Elizabeth coming out of the room. Or Emma crying. She could definitely go in if Emma was crying.
It felt like an eon before there was movement. She looked up, tense, and quickly looked back down at her bedspread.
"Can I come in?" he asked quietly.
"Where's the baby?" she asked rather than answer him.
"With my mother. She's giving her a bottle."
Bella's head snapped up. "What?!"
Edward came in the room, walking toward her slowly, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "She's okay. We had a good talk. Really." He closed the door behind him.
Suddenly, she felt parched. Her pulse was thready. She was very aware of him, of his effect on her.
Of how incredibly easy it was to kiss him, to want to keep kissing him.
Bella rubbed the back of her neck as the bed dipped, and he sat beside her.
"Before my mother came in..." His hands found hers on the bed, and he tangled their fingers together. "What happened, Bella?"
Of course she knew what he was asking. She was the one who had initiated that kiss, and then she'd promptly gone slightly ballistic. He deserved an answer. Unfortunately, she didn't feel like she could talk; she didn't know what to say.
He picked up her hand, playing with her fingers one by one. "I know we haven't really talked about... us." He spoke haltingly, as if it were taking a great effort to keep his voice steady. "You're not obligated to me."
"Edward..." She shook her head. "It's not that." That was the one thing she'd never doubted: her own feelings for him.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me." He cupped her face with one palm, stroking her cheek.
Sighing, Bella tilted her head into his hand, closing her eyes, trying to find the words to name the fear - this one fear out of the hundreds that flew around her head on a daily basis. "Ever since Emma was born... Everything... It's just been one disaster after another," she began. "I'm not... I'm doing my best, but my best doesn't ever seem to be good enough."
"Bella-"
She shook her head, looking up at him. "You said you'd listen," she reminded him.
He pressed his lips together, looking like he wanted to argue, but he nodded.
"Every time things look like maybe they can be a little smoother, something else happens. Something else falls apart." She bit her lip, her heart twisting, and when she spoke again her voice broke. "I couldn't take it if the next big disaster is..." She looked down, swallowing hard because this was so difficult to admit. "I don't want to lose you."
It sounded so completely stupid. He'd never been hers, not really. But it was losing that possibility - that daydream she didn't even realize she'd held so dear about them someday, somehow being more to each other - that terrified her almost more than anything.
He moved his hand, crooking a finger under her chin and tilting her face up. She looked at him hesitantly, her heart stuttering a little when she saw he was smiling. He leaned in slowly, and though she felt a rush of apprehension, she gave in to her want quickly, tilting her head up and closing her eyes as he kissed her. It was a soft kiss, completely unhurried. He shifted, bracing his hands along her elbows, pulling her gently closer as his lips moved tenderly on hers.
They parted only a few moments later, both panting. Edward's hands were brushing up and down her back and she had her arms wrapped around his neck. He leaned his forehead against hers, kissing the skin right between her eyes before he sighed. "We're partners in this, in everything," he rumbled. "I'm not going to let you fall anymore than you'll let me."
She opened her eyes slowly, searching his face. "Okay," she said in a whisper.
He smiled and kissed her again quickly. "Okay."
Bella squirmed, frowning.
"What is it?" he asked, concerned.
"Can we maybe go get our baby? I know you talked to your mother, but she did just try to let that creeper take her..." She was only half kidding. She trusted that Edward wouldn't have let Elizabeth take Emma if he didn't think they could trust her, but still...
Edward's mouth crinkled like he couldn't decide if he should laugh or not. He finally chuckled, the sound a little choked sounding. It had been a while since he'd laughed like that, and Bella found herself smiling in response.
Clearing his throat, he nodded, offering her his hand as they stood. "Yeah. Of course."
A/N: Srsly. Why would anyone think giving a baby to Aro is a good idea in any circumstances, amirite?
Many thanks to Barburella and GinnyW who very literally held my virtual hand through this.
Happy New Year folks. Thanks so much for reading. MWAH