A/N: Here we go.
"This is probably not going to go well."
Bella squeezed his hand. "Obviously, this is just a formality," she said comfortingly. She took a deep breath. "Victoria already knows we're together. We're only honoring her wishes, letting her know when we make a big change." She grimaced. "At any rate, she can't throw a worse fit than she already has, right?"
Running a hand through his hair, Edward sighed. "I hate that she's pulling that crap with people you could end up working with in a couple years."
"Actually, the more she acts up, the better I look," Bella laughed. "Carmen's supervisor, Tanya Ivonov, called me yesterday. I can't believe I forgot to tell you."
"What now?" Edward asked warily.
"Nothing bad. She just called to tell me that I was handling the situation well, and when I'm looking for internships next year, to definitely give her a call."
At that, Edward's grin was proud and genuine. "That's excellent."
"It is," Bella agreed. "So in a way, her little hissyfits helped me, right?"
"Well, let's not take it that far." Edward shook his head as he pulled up in front of Victoria's place.
When they got out of the car, Edward was immediately struck by the sound of his daughter's screeching. He'd only ever heard her use that high pitched, completely outrageously upset tone once before: when he'd told her they were moving away from Grammy, Grampy, and Emmy.
He sprinted and pounded on the door.
"Leona Catelyn Cullen! You stay right there!" he heard Victoria yell.
Obviously, Leona didn't listen because the door flew open a split second later. Edward was surprised when the little girl flew not into his arms, but at Bella. Elsie knocked into her so hard, Bella nearly fell over.
"Elsie, what happened?" Bella asked, trying to get her to look up.
The little girl's face was so red, it was nearly puce, and it was obvious she'd been crying for a long time. "I want you to be my Mommy. Not her. You said you loved my Daddy and me. You can be my Mommy. Please. Please."
The little girl buried her face in Bella's shirt, clinging and sobbing.
"You think this is fucking cute, what you're doing to me and my daughter?" Victoria demanded, her expression livid. She took a step toward Bella, but Edward quickly shouldered between them, his hand out.
Victoria scoffed. "How can you call yourself a good father and let her do this?" she screamed. "She's poisoning Leona's mind against me. How can you let this happen?"
"Bella isn't doing anything. What did you do to my daughter?" Edward's voice was low and dangerous. His entire body was tense, his innate protectiveness triggered and ready to spring.
"I didn't-"
"Elsie." Edward dropped to his knees, gently trying to pry Elsie's fingers loose from the death grip she had on Bella. "Sweetheart, tell me what happened. Why are you so upset?"
Unwinding herself from Bella, Elsie threw her arms around her father's neck. Her initial response was too muddled for him to understand.
"Breathe, Elsie. Try again."
"Oh, for the love of Christ. I spanked her, okay?" Victoria said. "She was mouthing off, I popped her on the butt, and she freaked the hell out."
Edward could hardly hear over the roar in his ears. "Bella," he began, struggling to keep his voice even. As he stood up, his daughter in his arms, he kept his eyes on Victoria, his glare pointed. "Please take Elsie to the car and keep her there."
When he tried to transfer the girl to Bella's arms, Elsie protested. "Daddy! I want to go home. I want to go home right now."
"Hush, baby," Edward said gently. "We'll go home very soon. I need to talk to Mommy for a minute."
Elsie struggled, all but jumping down out of Edward's arms. She stomped to the car.
Edward sighed. Bella reached over, squeezing his hand briefly before she took off after the little girl.
"Inside," Edward demanded, brushing past Victoria into her house without asking. He was trying very hard to calm down, but it wasn't working well.
"You're 23 years old. Don't you think it's time to stop making things so damn dramatic?" Victoria asked, storming in the door after him.
Edward spun on her. "That's rich coming from you, or was it someone else who was screaming that Bella's poisoning Leona's mind against you?"
Victoria's face was pinched in fury. "That's nothing but the truth. That girl-"
"For fuck's sake, Victoria. That girl has been nothing but good to your daughter since well before you decided to try being a mother again," Edward snapped. "What the hell is the matter with you? You can't possibly be jealous. You don't want me, so what is your issue with her?"
"I want her away from my kid! How the hell do you expect me to try to build a relationship with Leona when your little bitch is whispering in her ear, showing me up because apparently she's the perfect mother." Victoria's tone was bitter, but there was a sadness to it. "Apparently, she never gets annoyed. This isn't so hard for her!"
Edward sucked in a breath, realizing abruptly that Victoria's problem wasn't with Bella at all.
"I love Leona," Victoria said, and now that his anger had died down a bit, Edward could hear the desperate quality to her voice. "But no matter how I try, she loves Bella best. 'Bella this' and 'Bella that', that's all I hear. Every. Single. Time."
Edward slumped against the wall, rubbing his eyes, not knowing quite what to say.
When Victoria spoke again, all the fury had drained from her voice. "Do you have any idea what this is like for me? You make it all look so easy. You're just a stupid kid and -"
"You know, maybe it would help if you stopped looking at us like we're little kids," Edward interrupted, irritation making him bristle. "Yeah, you're older than us, but so what? I've been Leona's father for six years, Victoria. And Bella actually has a formal education in dealing with children. It's not easier for either of us, we've just been at it longer."
"Yeah, well..." Victoria blew out a long breath, as though she was trying not to let her anger and bitterness get the better of her. "It also wouldn't hurt you to consider that your way isn't gospel. How do you expect me to be an effective parent if you're telling me I'm wrong all the time? How do you expect Leona to respect me if you don't support me?" She scoffed. "You've made it very clear you don't trust me with her a minute longer than the judge allows."
Again, Edward was silent, trying his best to consider her words rationally. He was still furious. Seeing his daughter in that state - sobbing and so upset - made him feel like tearing something, someone apart with his bare hands.
But...
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you realize what you're asking of me? You're a grown woman who would seduce idiotic teenaged boys. You're a drug dealer. Then you didn't tell me about my daughter - I had to find out about her when social services dumped a one-month-old baby on my lap, and I had to learn how to be a father overnight. All I've done since I was barely seventeen fucking years old, everything I've done, was to keep Leona safe, to give her what she needed. You want me to trust you after all that?"
Victoria swallowed hard, staring at the floor. Her hands were in fists at her side but there was a measure of guilt radiating from her posture. "I can't change who I was," she said finally. "I can't change what I did or that I didn't want to tell a teenage boy that he was going to be a father." She laughed without a trace of humor. "So yeah, I do understand what you're saying. I didn't want you to have a say in raising her because I didn't trust you with her, because I love her."
She sucked in a breath, getting visibly upset. "I tried. I tried so fucking hard to do the right thing." She wiped at the corner of her eye as if she was wiping away a tear and laughed again. "It was never easy for me. Being pregnant, and when she was born..."
Victoria huffed, shaking her head. "But I worked hard to be better. For her. She saved me. I know she did. I know I didn't try to contact her or you, but that was because I thought that was better for her. I thought about her every day. Every single day. And I've tried to do everything right since then. Do I ever miss a child support payment?" she challenged. "I have her ready on time when you pick her up. I-"
"You bash my girlfriend to whomever will listen as if she's trying to bring you down when she hasn't done a goddamn thing to you," Edward interrupted.
"What do you expect me to believe?" Victoria said tiredly. "Leona keeps talking about how wonderful she is."
"Did you ever stop to think she does it because she knows it bothers you?" Edward asked quietly.
"Why would she do that?"
"Because she doesn't know you. She's never had a mother before. You walked in after six years of being absent and what? You expect her to love you immediately? That's not fair to either one of you. Elsie doesn't it owe it to you to love you just because you're her mother. What do you think she's doing? You're telling her you love her, but she doesn't trust that. So she's testing your limits and you're pushing her away."
"How am I pushing her away?"
"You insist on calling her Leona for one thing."
"That's her name!" Victoria's voice was angry again. "That's the name I gave her."
"I realize that, but she's told you repeatedly it's not the name she prefers. My parents called her Leona until she asked them to stop. They honored her request. You should,too."
Victoria didn't answer but turned her head away. What could he do? It was up to her to listen or not. In his heart of hearts, he knew it had to be a blow to her pride, accepting that a kid like him might know more about raising their child than she did.
He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I do understand. I'm not entirely without sympathy," he said slowly. "I'm protective of Leona, and yes, I'm protective of Bella. I'm protective of the people I care about." He bit the inside of his cheek hard. The next words out of his mouth weren't easy. "I will try to cut you some slack if you'll do the same for me. It's going to take a long time to rewrite the way I see you, but I'll try if you will."
She looked dubious, but she nodded her agreement.
Edward was silent because if his previous admission was difficult, the next one was nearly impossible. The words curdled in his mouth, foul and unnatural. "We're going to have to find a way to compromise on how to parent Elsie. I will listen to you, you will listen to me, and we'll figure out where to go from there.
"Except, not in this particular case. We can agree on punishments in the future, but I am not even remotely comfortable with physical correction. For one thing, I think it's far, far too easy to lose control and take it a step too far. For another, she does just fine without it. She hasn't been raised like that for the last six years of her life. I don't think introducing that kind of punishment is effective." He looked at her seriously, hoping she could see that he was trying his best not to demand she never touch his daughter again. He'd laid out what he thought were very logical, valid thoughts behind his reasoning.
"Fine," Victoria said after a tense moment. "But she won't listen to me."
"We'll talk. All of us. All of us. But not right now. Let me take her home. We could all use the time to calm down."
Victoria narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "When you say all of us..."
Again, defensiveness made Edward rankle. His body tensed. "Bella came with me today because you asked to know when we made a big life change. Well, she's in my life, which means she will be in Elsie's life, for the duration. If I'm going to be fair to you, you will be fair to her. She doesn't think she's Elsie's mother, Victoria. But she is going to be a parent to her. I won't make her ineffective just to make you look better."
She glowered but she nodded. "We'll talk," was all she promised.
It would have to be enough for now.
~0~
Elsie refused to talk on the drive home.
Edward glanced up in the mirror, all the more irritated because for the love of all that was holy, she looked just like Victoria when she scowled like that.
Bella kept glancing his way, but she didn't speak either. He doubted anything she said could have made him feel better.
Though, her hand over his on the shifter was a comfort.
Out of the corner of his eye, Edward saw Bella jump slightly. She shifted in her seat but said nothing. This happened three times before Edward figured out what was going on.
"Leona Caitlyn," he said sternly. "You know better than to kick the seat."
Leona said nothing but crossed her arms over her chest, hunkering down even further.
A minute later, she did it again.
"Leona! What has gotten into you?"
"Don't call me that!" she shouted, furious. "Mommy won't call me Elsie. I. Like. Elsie." She kicked at the back of Bella's seat again, obviously frustrated.
Luckily, they were home by then. Elsie unbuckled herself from her booster seat and banged on the side of the door. "Let. Me. Out. Let me out! Let me out!"
Bella glanced at Edward, her eyes sympathetic but questioning. Edward gave a slight nod, rubbing his temples. He took deep, measured breaths as Bella released his very angry little girl from her confines. Elsie ran to the front door. Standing. Waiting. Huffing. Her little face was red, her eyebrows furrowed.
She really did look like a little lion, full of malice and ready to pounce.
"Do you want me to leave?" Bella asked quietly, leaning in the door.
"No," Edward said instantly. It was the last thing he wanted after the last half hour of his life. "Can you just... give us a minute? Just wait in the bedroom until I figure out what's going on with her?"
"Yeah, of course."
When he stepped out of the car, walking around to the front, she took his hand and kissed his cheek. Edward felt calmer. Whatever was about to happen between him and his daughter, he knew he had Bella's support and love. He knew he wouldn't be alone again.
It made all the difference in the world.
The moment they unlocked the door, Elsie stormed inside. She went to her toybox, dragging it out from the corner, grunting and growling as she did. Opening the thing, she promptly began hurling toys to the floor.
Again, Bella squeezed his hand. "I'll be here," she promised before letting him go and heading down the hallway to his room.
Watching his daughter's temper tantrum made his heart ache. He couldn't recall when he'd ever seen her little face so absolutely furious.
He counted to ten before he stepped into the living room, dropping to one knee and grabbing her shoulders firmly but not harshly, turning her to face him. "Elsie. Elsie," he called, but she struggled blindly, twisting in his grip. "Leona Caitlyn Cullen!"
"I hate that name!" she screamed. "I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. I hate Mommy, and I hate you!"
Edward was so absolutely stunned, he forgot how to breathe. There was no way three words could ever have hurt worse. He blinked furiously, trying to will back the tears that had sprung so automatically to his eyes.
Whimpering and sniffling, Elsie seemed to realize what she'd said. She stuck two fingers in her mouth, watching him with wide eyes that were part guilt and part fear.
Edward took a deep breath, his lungs aching. "Hate is a very mean word, little lion," he said quietly. "Do you really mean that?"
She looked down and slowly took her fingers from her mouth. She didn't answer but shook her head, her red curls bouncing.
"Do you mean that you're very angry with me?" he asked, again keeping his voice even.
Still not looking up, Elsie nodded.
"That's okay. It's okay to be angry, but you have to tell me why, okay? Tell me what's wrong."
When Elsie looked up, her eyes were watery. Her breaths were coming in little gasps, and it was obvious she was about to start sobbing. "It. Was. 'Upposed. To. Be. Just. You. And. Me," she said between gasps. "You said! You said. Just you and me. Always.
"But you made us move away from Grammy, and Grampy, and Uncle Em! And then you made me see Mommy when I told you! I told you I didn't want a mommy. I told you I just wanted my daddy and you didn't listen!" Her face crumpled and she cried the tears of a miserable child. "An' now you have Bella. And you don't need me."
Edward could not gather the sobbing little girl into his arms quickly enough. Her entire frame was shaking hard. His heart twisted painfully in his chest as he held her, his hand to her head. Elsie clung to him like her life depended on it, crying hot tears against his neck.
Of course he'd known how confusing this all had to be for her. It was confusing for him, trying to deal with Victoria, with living truly on his own - away from his parents - for the first time, and school, and work, and Bella.
But Elsie wasn't equipped to reason out how she felt about all of these things at once. Obviously, there were many issues and errant fears wandering around in her overburdened little head. He'd been watching her as best he could since they moved and since Victoria had been in her life. As Bella said, she was a well adjusted child. He'd begun to breathe easier.
Still, he should have seen this little tantrum coming.
Edward stood and carried Elsie to the recliner so he could fold his arms and legs around her, hoping she felt safe and loved in his arms. He rocked gently, stroking her hair and letting her cry, shedding a tear with her from time to time.
It was a long time before she calmed down.
When her ragged gasps slowed to the occasional dry hiccup, he held her at arm's length. "Feel a little better?" he asked, wiping her wet cheeks.
She shook her head, her fingers firmly in her mouth, and snuggled back against him, calmer but no less miserable.
"Elsie, I'm sorry," he began quietly. "I know you've been through a lot. It's been a lot of change. Change can be very scary.
"Do you remember the story of you and me?" he asked gently.
Elsie didn't answer, but she looked up at him with big bloodshot eyes.
"My life changed the very second I saw you. It was scary. Really, really scary. But when they gave you to me, I felt so much love."
Slowly, Elsie took her fingers out of her mouth. "How much?" she whispered. This was her customary line in the story.
"Enough to fill the whole entire world five times."
"I'm six."
"Six times," Edward amended, smirking at her.
He sighed, gathering her close. "A lot of things change. That's the way the world works. I know you don't understand why we had to move away from your grandparents, and you don't understand why Mommy wasn't here before and she is now. But even scary changes can be good changes, like when they gave me my little lion to love forever." He kissed the top of her head, hoping she understood he meant every word. "And I promise that won't ever change, Elsie. I'll always love you. I'll always need you. No matter what."
Elsie clung to him, and Edward was content to hold her tightly. He knew there was a lot for them still to get through. He knew there would be a million and one discussions about her mother and how their lives were changing. One by one, he would have to help her sort out how she felt about everything from Victoria spanking her to Bella being in their lives.
The thought made him tired. Judging by Elsie's drooping eyelids, she felt about the same.
Before they could settle down, there was one more thing he needed to go over with her immediately, because what he wanted most was to carry her to the room where Bella waited and lay down with his little family in his arms. But what he wanted didn't always coincide with what Elsie needed.
"Sweetheart?" he asked, jostling Elsie a little. She looked up at him. "Bella's waiting for us to go take a nap, but... if you'd rather we lay down by ourselves, that's okay. Bella can go home."
Elsie looked pensive. "You think she's mad at me?" she asked in a small voice.
"No, baby. Not at all." He gave her a stern look. "I think you should apologize for kicking her seat though."
"Okay," she agreed, winding her arms around his neck.
Relieved, Edward stood, keeping his arms wrapped around her as he carried her to his bedroom. He gave Bella a small smile over Elsie's shoulder, and Bella smiled back. From the bloodshot look in her eyes, he could tell she'd probably been listening.
When he set Elsie down on the bed she scampered to Bella and gave her a big hug. "I'm sorry for kicking your chair."
"Thank you for saying sorry," Bella said quietly, hugging her back.
Elsie sat back on her knees. "Daddy says some changes is good, and I think you're a good change for him, like me. You and me can make him smile. You can be his lion princess like Simba and Nala. 'Cept don't lick him, 'cause that's gross."
At that, both Bella and Edward broke out into huge grins. The atmosphere got a million times lighter.
"Well, you and your daddy make me smile a lot, too, so that works out."
Elsie nodded amiably and yawned. "I'm tired," she announced.
Edward didn't have to hear anything else. He laid down, and Bella laid down, and Elsie wormed her way in between them, curling up against his side and falling asleep promptly. Edward breathed a long sigh of relief.
"I'm so tired, Bella," he whispered, idly running a finger through Elsie's hair.
Sometimes it felt as if he hadn't slept at all in the six years he'd had his daughter.
Bella pressed her hand to his cheek, the movement tender. She said nothing, but her soft touch made it easier for him to breathe, loosening the choke hold around his heart just that much more.
"That's going to happen again," he said after a moment.
"Probably," Bella agreed, moving her hand to his hair, scratching lightly along his scalp.
It felt so good.
"She's probably going to target you at some point," he warned.
"I know," Bella said simply. "That's the way it works. It'll be adjusting to Victoria and me now, it'll be something else tomorrow, and then, you know, just everything when she's a teenager." She smiled at him.
Laughing wryly, Edward smiled back. "You still want this?"
Bella lowered her arm, wrapping it firmly around Elsie but laying her hand on his elbow. She was looking him right in the eye, her expression mostly serene. "We got this."
Looking in her eyes, he finally believed the happiness he'd brushed with his fingertips, it seemed like most his life, was his to hold in his arms. It was his daughter pressed tight against his chest, trusting him to love her forever. It was Bella promising she could face all the ups and downs ahead of them at his side, no matter how hard or ugly.
Their life wasn't ever going to be perfect, but life was never meant to be.
Shifting carefully so as not to wake Elsie, he kissed Bella's lips, letting tension and stress ease away as she kissed him softly back.
"Yeah," he agreed, his voice a rumble against her skin as his tired eyes closed. "We got this."
A/N: In the words of barburella: We so fucking got this!
I'm gonna leave the mushy end notes for the epilogue but thank you to plummy for beta work on this one, and really. Thank you all for all your kind words and support.
Happy Birthday Edward!