All of you are absolutely amazing and I hope my fellow Americans enjoyed the holiday weekend. For my international readers, I hope you had a great weekend too! Thanks to stupidlamb118 for betaing and morethanmyself & CheyenneMasen for pre-reading!

If you have not seen today's PicTease for this chapter, I highly suggest looking there before reading. Apparently morethanmyself says the visual is needed for the end :) And a huge thanks to TwiSherry for all the hard work she does, each week ensuring that BI gets a PicTease up every Monday! http:/pictease(dot)blogspot(dot)com /#Blind%20Intentions

I do not own Twilight, because if I did, I'd see more than an arm covered in feathers LOL

Longer A/N at the bottom :)

If I were being honest with myself, I had to admit I was mildly disappointed that Bella wouldn't even entertain the idea of a future with me. Not that it was a guarantee to work out, but the idea of not even trying didn't sit well with me. However, I knew that if I were in her place I wouldn't want much to do with me either. I had allowed her to be bullied, tormented, and teased at the hands of my family. I idly sat back and ignored Nathan as life moved on around me. And, most of all, I brought Tanya into our lives.

Shortly after returning back to the hospital I stepped outside to leave a message on my lawyer's answering machine. It was too late for him to answer, but I needed Jenks to begin looking into a way I could divorce Tanya without her present to sign the papers. Money really was no object... I'd even okay bribery, I just wanted the situation resolved and closed. She would no longer be a part of my life regardless of what my future held.

Bella slept restlessly in the fold out chair next to Nathan's bed while I sat staring out the window. It had been years since I sat down to evaluate my life, not since a few days before I got married, and my brain wouldn't shut off. I started to realized that the hopes and dreams I once had for my life were so far gone I wasn't sure I could fully turn myself around and achieve them.

In terms of career moves I felt confident becoming a doctor. My love of children and understanding of medicine made me a good Pediatrician. In of the state of Washington I was well known and liked. I prided myself on the knowledge I held and the amount of children I treated; long hours just seemed to come with the territory of being a doctor. Looking back now I wasn't so sure I felt comfortable in that path. I knew I wouldn't give up medicine, but I also wasn't sure I wanted to go back to working in a hospital. My dad had informed me shortly after we discovered Nathan was missing that he put in for a six month leave absence on my behalf. At the time I thought it was too long, but now I had thoughts of trying to double that time...maybe even triple it.

When I thought about the shambles my love life was in, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I'd never forget the day Emmett walked into the Groom's Room to level with me on my wedding day.

"You're sure?" Emmett asked me for the millionth time that day. He never liked Tanya much so I wasn't surprised at all the goading I was getting.

"Yes, I'm sure," I sighed, exasperated that I had to repeat myself so much. The truth was I wasn't sure. I loved Tanya, but the idea of waking up to only her for the rest of my life didn't excite me as I thought it should. She got along well with my family, except Emmett and Rosalie. She was nice and caring and we seemed to share the same views on important subjects, but I just never felt a spark with her.

"Dude, I promise I'll get you out of here. Just say the word and we're gone," he pushed. I rolled my eyes, but internally was debating his offer.

"I'm getting married today, Emmett." I tried to keep my voice cool and calm, even a bit forceful.

"To the wrong girl," I heard Emmett mutter under his breath. I never bothered asking him what he meant since five minutes later I was standing at the altar waiting on the ceremony to start.

At the time I brushed it off as pre-wedding jitters. However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider calling the entire things off when the door opened. Of course I saw her face, and the faces of my family beaming at me, and realized that settling for Tanya couldn't be all that bad. I also didn't want to crush her by running out on her wedding day, so I stood by and took my vows.

Over time I realized I could handle Tanya by dealing with her in small doses. My time at the hospital and with Nathan helped act as a buffer for when I needed a break. It wasn't until Tanya broached the idea of children that I really started to pull back.

When Bella and I found out we were pregnant with Nathan I was overjoyed. Logically I knew the timing was horrible, the circumstances were less than ideal, but the idea of watching her belly grow, feeling his kicks, and meeting him for the first time eclipsed all of that for me. When I tried picturing Tanya as Bella looked it made me ill. Looking back I could see where I pulled back more, living in denial that all was perfect as long as I stayed away.

Perhaps if I hadn't pulled away she wouldn't have hurt Nathan. Maybe I would have seen this coming. I shook my head of the thought because as much as I wanted to wallow in self pity I knew I couldn't. Not only were Bella and Nathan now counting on me, but I needed to be strong for myself. I made a mental note to ask Dr. Banner for a referral for someone I could talk to...alone.

Bella began to stir and my head snapped up. The sun was now starting to rise causing the tops of the outlying trees to glow. The view was beautiful, but one blink to my right and there was my son was laying in a hospital bed. That view was heartbreaking.

"Did you sleep?" she yawned groggily.

"No," I replied quietly, not to disturb Nathan.

"You should try to sleep before he wakes up," she urged. "Dr. Banner comes in today, right?"

I nodded.

I sat down as Bella began readying herself as best she could in a hospital room. Sleep still escaped me, but it gave me more time to focus on my previous thoughts.

After I started to understand that maybe my marriage was nothing but a hoax the entire time, I realized I had no place in trying to find or start a new relationship. Truly no one held my interest in that way, aside from Bella, but she had made it perfectly clear she had no room for me in her heart. I would accept that and never push her. Staying single was my best bet to getting my life back in order and I'd just have to remind myself if someone did spark my attention.

With my marriage and career accounted for, I made a mental note to contact a realtor about the house, a moving company about moving the contents to storage, and to call Alice. I hadn't seen her in a few days.

"Daddy?" I heard a small voice call from my right.

I looked up to see Nathan smiling at me. The glove and ball I had retrieved from my house in his hands. Bella tried to bring them into her house, but I stopped her and let them rest on the passenger seat as I exited the truck. When we arrived at the hospital I brought them in for Nathan. We couldn't actually play, but it would give us something fun to try...even if it meant upsetting all of the nurses on staff. Regardless I was still a doctor on staff at the hospital, so I doubt any would question me playing toss with my son, but it was still reassuring to know I had some power.

"Can we?" His eyes gleamed and I noticed Bella smiling behind her book. I nodded, but he frowned. That was when I remembered his throwing arm was in a sling.

"Never hurts to practice with the other arm," I shrugged. I had hoped by blowing off his disappointment it wouldn't make him self conscious. His beaming smile told me I made the right call.

"You're sure? I could hit something." Nathan looked around the room at all the machines, the glass on the window, and the glass wall between his room and the nurses station.

I smirked, internally wondering how long it would take Kathy to come in and yell at us.

Nathan's first few throws sent me running across the room gaining a lot of laughter from both him and Bella. Thankfully I was fast so nothing was hit, but as the time went on Nathan's aim got better and better.

It was wonderful to see him let go and be carefree, if only for a little while before his arm got tired. Kathy never ended up coming in, but I did see her roll her eyes in my direction. Giggling and laughter could be heard in the entire section I was sure. The only reason why Nathan was still in a PICU room was for the security. He really didn't need the extra supervision and monitoring anymore, but with Tanya on the loose, I didn't feel comfortable having him put in a general room on the Pediatrics floor. I also didn't feel like dealing with the few Pediatric nurses I knew that were probably throwing a celebration that I was now, for a lack of a better word, single.

Dr. Banner showed up promptly at nine o'clock and began his session with asking Nathan how the last few days had gone. I noticed that he didn't make as many references to "Jimmy" as he had after he first woke up, but he generally brought him up when he was stressed out or in distress.

"Do I have to talk about it again?" Nathan asked and I could see the shift in his eyes. It was like deja vu from the first day Dr. Banner was here. I assumed he noticed it to as his eyes darted to mine before settling back on Nathan's.

"Only what you want to," Dr. Banner prompted.

"The cloth...it smelled funny and then I don't remember anything." Nathan's voice was unnerving. It was like watching a scene from The Exorcist only the devil made him calm, eerily calm. Every motion, every blink, every eye dart seemed calculated, as if he was acting for an audience versus being the little boy playing catch with his dad twenty minutes prior. "And then I got wet and it was cold, really, really cold. The bag was zippered, but there was a little piece open at the top. My fingers felt like they were on fire, but I got the zipper open. Then I swam and swam and swam and I thought I wasn't going to make it." Nathan stopped talking and the room stayed silent.

Dr. Banner seemed to be letting Nathan lead his session. Bella looked like she was on the verge of tears, and I was thanking God in Heaven for the swim lessons we put Nathan in when he was three.

"I walked a lot. It was really cold, but I kept hearing Papa Charlie's voice in my head," Nathan went on. "Boy, listen to me, if you ever get lost or get hurt I want you to find shelter and wait. Someone will be looking for you," Nathan mocked Charlie's voice earning a teary eyed smile from Bella.

Everyone continued to stay silent assuming Nathan would keep talking, but then he blinked. The shift in his face was not subtle at all as he shifted back to the son I knew. His eyes started to glow, his shoulder's relaxed, and his mood seem to lighten.

"Hey, where did Jimmy go?" Nathan's tone spooked me as I watched Bella and even Dr. Banner jump for a second.

"What do you mean, Nathan?" Dr. Banner questioned.

"He was just here, right? I mean, you saw him, right?" Nathan looked around frantically trying to find his "friend".

"Of course, is he gone now?" Dr. Banner pushed a little and Nathan nodded.

They began talking about normal everyday things, including the game of toss we had just done before Dr. Banner's time was up.

When he motioned us towards the door I froze. Little pieces of the puzzle began to click in my head and I knew Dr. Banner would be coming to the same conclusion I was. If we didn't find a way to fix this, or at least manage this, I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to overcome the guilt of what Nathan went through. I also wasn't sure how Bella was going to take this news.

"Edward, Bella," Dr. Banner addressed us both. "I'm concerned with Nathan's use of the character Jimmy. Watching his personality shift I'm beginning to think that Jimmy is more of an alternate personality versus an imaginary friend. Now, this isn't unheard of, nor is it unmanageable and even correctable given the circumstances.

"What I need you to watch for is Nathan giving any information away about his time away. What his personality and determine who he is talking behind. If it's Nathan or if it's Jimmy.

"I'm to understand he'll be released at the end of the week?" he asked. I nodded.

"Then I'd like to see Nathan in my office first thing Monday morning, is that agreeable?" Bella and I nodded. We set up a time before Dr. Banner left. As he walked away I didn't miss the glares I was receiving from Bella. I could tell she had a million questions for me, but we both knew we couldn't talk about any of this in front of Nathan.

Nathan yawned, but continued to fight sleep as we continued to throw a ball back and forth. Internally I was thinking about all of the knowledge i had on multiple personality disorders, their treatments, and their long term prognosis'.

"Can I come in?" I heard a males voice and a knock on the door. Jacob Black was standing in the doorway. I nodded as Bella introduced Jacob to Nathan. He had come around a few times the night he found Nathan, but he had always been sleeping.

"You're who found me?" Nathan asked. Jacob nodded and Nathan sighed in relief. "Good, I thought I'd made you up. Thank you."

They began talking about baseball, school, and cars before sleep overtook Nathan. Bella had pulled me aside to ask me about what Dr. Banner had said, but I explained I didn't know anything for sure at this point. We had to keep evaluating Nathan over a longer period of time, but I assured her we would get through it and I'd bring in the top professionals from across the country if I wasn't needed. Bella told me she wasn't done before offering to walk Jacob out.

"Oh you have company," Alice's voice rang through the room.

"No, no, come in," Bella urged. "I was just walking Jacob out, I'll be right back."

Alice walked in and noticed Nathan's sleeping form. Bella and Jacob had only been out of sight for a minute before Alice turned to me and said go. I was confused, before she shooed me off.

Before I could round the corner I heard voices. A sense of dejs vu watched over as I realized the last time i stood here I was listening to Bella talk to Rosalie. Thankfully i was close enough to hear Bella and Jacob's conversation this time.

"He seems like a good kid," Jacob stated.

"Yeah he is. He's my world." I was sure Bella's face was beaming as she said that.

"It's good to see you and Edward are so good, for him I mean." Jacob sounded embarrassed.

"Yeah, it's not an ideal situation, but we make it work." Bella shrugged off his judgment.

"Will he be out soon?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah, a few more days we think. His weight is up and he's eating now. His injuries are still healing, but we can manage that at home," Bella replied.

"I'm sure that'll be a relief. I was wondering if maybe I could still see him after he's home and um, maybe take you out. For like coffee or something," Jacob hinted.

Silence

"Yeah, of course you can still see him." Bella's voice was now tight and I could hear her shutting herself off from him.

"And coffee?" Jacob hedged with her.

"Listen, I'm not really in a place where I'm comfortable dating anyone. It's nothing personal, but I'm gonna pass." Bella's voice was still tight and guarded.

"If not now maybe later..." Damn, this boy was persistent.

"Maybe."

Bella rarely said "maybe" and meant it as anything other than a "no". I realized I was about to do a happy dance before darting back into the PICU using my card to ensure I wasn't caught eavesdropping.

"Did you hear what you needed to?" Alice asked after I was sure she noticed my smile.

"Yes," I replied simply.

"I had a feeling you would," Alice winked seconds before Bella walked in, an annoyed look plastered on her face.

"So when do we get to bust him out?" Alice blurted out while pointing to Nathan's sleeping form.

"A few more days, right?" Bella turned towards me.

"Yeah, by Friday," I answered. I was excited to finally be able to bring him home.

"Awesome, we're going to throw him a party!" Alice cheered. Bella's eyes widened as my hand palmed my face.

"Oh don't worry you two, nothing big, just family. Let's see me, obviously. Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, Dad, Charlie, and oh you can invite that hot guy from La Push, Bella," Alice rattled off. I gasped and Bella gagged.

"Yeah Jacob, we should invite him, but I don't know about hot, Alice," Bella's nose turned up in disgust.

"You don't think he's cute?" Alice's face looked genuinely curious. "I mean, I'm spoken for, but even I can appreciate a good looking man."

"Let's just say he's not my type," Bella replied while shaking her head. Right as she turned away from Alice I saw her wink.

Yup, I had heard exactly what I needed to hear.

"Um Dr. Cullen, Bella," Kathy called from the doorway. I rolled my eyes. Getting her to call me Edward was going to be impossible I feared. "There is someone outside asking for permission to come in and when I told her she wasn't on the list, well, she got a little verbal. She called herself Grandma Esme," Kathy looked baffled.

Before I could blind Bella had flown out the doorway and to the PICU entrance.

"Well, I didn't see this coming," Alice muttered as I stumbled out after her.

Grandma Esme? Who the fuck is...OH!

"Who are you?" Bella screeched as I rounded the corner to find her standing toe to toe against my grandmother. Polished bronze hair, black soulless eyes, and what looked liked the scars from several face lifts over the years.

"Edward, darling," she smiled as she forcefully brushed past Bella to get to me.

"What are you dong here?" I questioned, my tone clipped and cold.

"Is that any way to speak to your grandmother," she chided. "Why do you think I'm here. I have a great-grandson in there don't I?"

It took Bella a few minutes to recover, but she finally stumbled out of the haze that is my grandmother to stand with me.

"Your grandmother?" she whispered up at me and I nodded.

"And who is this?" Great Grannie Esme asked out loud. "Oh yes, you must be Isabella, right?" I nodded. "Oh right, the bastard's gold digging mother."

Bella gasped as I shot my arms out protectively around her. I wasn't sure if my actions were because I felt like I could keep the words from hitting her or if they were to keep Bella from getting into a physical fight. Either way my body reacted before my brain had time to catch up as I stood defensively in front of Bella.

"How dare you..." Bella seethed before throwing her arms up. "I give up, you deal with your family."

"No!" I barked a little louder than I had expected. "Stay, please," I begged with not only my voice, but my eyes.

"Again, why are you here?" I asked a little more forcefully. Bella huffed next to me, but remained at my side.

"Oh well since your father is now divorcing Esme we can't have her ruining the family name. She called and asked for our help, so we're here to bail her out or something," Great Grannie shrugged off.

"Or something?" I pushed. My patience was wearing thin and with what little knowledge I had of these people, 'or something' held a lot of meaning.

"Oh you know these small town folk, Edward. Throw a little money and problems start to disappear." She answered while waving her hands around as if she were actually throwing around money.

I could tell Bella wanted to kill her, hell even I was thinking about taking a swing, but I let her squeeze my hand as tightly as she had the day she brought our son into the world.

"So you're here to bail my...her out, correct?" I wanted clarification.

"Yes," Great Grannie answered simply.

"I see, and your thoughts on Bella?" I wanted that explained too.

"Well just look at her," Great Grannie gestured her hands up and down Bella's body. "You remind me so much of...him. All doe eyed, like you could just pee on something to claim territory. I told your mother then and I'm tell you now, people like...this, well you were raised smarter than this.

"I can't believe my daughter didn't offer this earlier, but how much is it that you want? She should have gotten rid of it before you had it, just like I did for her. Now name your price and I'll write you a check, all you have to do is disappear and take the child with you," she sneered while pulling you her checkbook.

"Despite your preconceived notions, Bella is not a gold digger, nor is my son a bastard as you so eloquently put it. You will not, do not, and will never have permission to see him." Great Grannie looked outraged, but I kept talking. "Furthermore, I was raised to stand up for my family, which is exactly what I'm doing. Goodbye." At the end of my speech I locked my hand with Bella's and pulled her away through the PICU doors using my key card.

By the time we got back to Nathan's room my blood was boiling. Bella immediately took a seat next to Nathan's bed while I gave Alice the abridged version of what had happened. Alice kept huffing, rolling her eyes, and threatened murder after I relayed what Great Grannie had said about Bella. Bella, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened.

Alice left shortly thereafter saying she was going to warn dad and Emmett, but she also needed to plan for Nathan's homecoming.

I took a seat in my normal chair and drifted in and out of my own head space.

"Thank you," Bella's voice was almost too quiet to be heard across the room.

My head snapped up and I searched her eyes. She seemed sincerely confused.

"Why are you so calm?" I asked. We'd left my Great Grannie eyes wide, mouth open nearly two hours ago yet I still felt enraged.

"It's nothing I haven't heard before, Edward. She's just the first person to offer me money," Bella shrugged.

"I'm so sorry," my voice cracked.

"Doesn't matter now, but she will never see him. You'll give me the full story late, hm?" Bella went back to her read after I nodded.

Explaining my Great Grandmother's presence would not be easy, but mainly because I wasn't sure of the whole story. I knew they had disowned my mother long before I was born, but I had no idea why. Part of what she had said about Bella and comparing her to someone didn't make sense either. However, at this point I didn't have time to worry about it, as I had other matters on my mind.

"Bella, what is the security system like at your house?"

A/N~

~Update next week, before Friday

~Chapter 15 teasers in all review replies...aka Nathan's Homecoming Chapter!

~Blind Intentions is being voted on in the Rare Gem Awards and the Avant Garde Awards! http:/thesparkleteerawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com/p/voting(dot)html http:/twilightfb-awards(dot)blogspot(dot)com/p/vote(dot)html

~Breaking Faith is my Cherry Exchange One-Shot. Public voting starts Dec 5th! It's a ChristianWard & Ella http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6463280/1/Breaking_Faith

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~Weekly Rec: Friday's at Noon by troublefollows1017 Simply amazing! The first chapter had me rolling and each chapter continued to hook me into it! Seriously, it's a true must read! http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6453369/1/Fridays_at_Noon