Hey, gang! I'm sorry this is late - I've had issue
after issue with my laptop, but I've finally sorted it!
Because of this, I'm a little behind with the next chapter,
plus please hang tight and I'll get it to you ASAP.

This was a super nostalgic chapter for me to write...taking the girls
back to the ranch with their families in tow.

I want to say a huge thank you to annaharding and Sunflower Fran.
It's officially been over a year since they both joined the Promises
train and I couldn't be more grateful for their help and guidance.
And what a crazy, fun-filled year it's been...

Also, I want to thank each and every one of you for being patient
and loving on this story, these characters, and me. You're all
absolutely brilliant and I love you more than sweet Bodhi loves his
'dot dogs' ;)

Anyways...I'll let you get to it. Enjoy!

~ oOo ~

All the familiar characters, of course, belong to
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.

~ oOo ~

Summary: Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't
mean it can't catch up.

Promises to Keep

Chapter Thirteen

Without realising, she'd climbed out of the car. Bella gasped, looking down at her feet. Scuffing her boot a little, she shivered as the snow moved and revealed dirt underfoot. Not wood, not the floor of the ranch house, but dirt. Regular, boring, safe dirt.

Edward poked his head out of the car, calling, "Bella, mi amore? Little sweet needs—"

"Me. She needs me." Bella hurried over, carefully pulling Marley from the car into her embrace. Marley wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and clung on until Bella set her feet on a nearby rock, so she wasn't holding her daughter's weight. As much as she wanted to wrap her baby up and protect her from the world, she was no longer small enough for Bella's small frame to hold – especially this pregnant.

"It's okay, baby girl. It's okay, it's okay. I've got you." Bella squeezed Marley, stroking one hand down her back while holding her impossibly tighter with the other. A guilty tear rolled over her cheek into Marley's fluffy pink hat. "Mamma's got you, sweet girl."

"Why? Why are we here?" she sobbed into Bella's shoulder, breaking her heart. "I d-don't want to b-be here. I don't want to g-go back to that h-house!" Marley's sobs turned into wails, every heaving cry tearing a new wound in Bella's heart as she desperately tried to calm her.

"Sweetheart," Esme cooed, offering Bella a reassuring but small smile as she carefully cupped Marley's face and pulled her back so she could meet her eyes. The little girl's gaze was accusatory and rimmed with red as she peered balefully between Esme and Bella. "What's upsetting you?"

"I don't want to be here, Mimi," she sniffled, her eyes refusing to go anywhere but to the faces of her mimi and mamma. "I don't want to go back to that house. Mamma promised." Fresh tears tumbled over her cheeks as she stared at Bella, reminding her, "You promised!"

"Hey, look at me for a second. Okay? Take a big, deep breath…" When Marley sucked in a shaky breath, Esme smiled. "Now breathe out through your nose, sweetheart. That's it. And again."

After a few more, deep breaths, Esme leaned in to kiss Marley's forehead. "Well done. Now, can you take a quick look around for me, Marley? Can you tell me what you see?"

Panic lit Marley's features, but she took the hand Bella offered and held her breath as her eyes darted around…then she took a longer, second look, confusion starting to seep into her frown.

"What do you see?" Esme urged gently.

"Umm…snow. And fields, and some mountains."

"Do you see a house?"

"No…" She turned back to Bella then. "Mamma, I thought…I thought we were back there."

For a moment, Bella shoved the guilt at what she'd done, at bringing the children out here, to the back of her mind, and focused on Marley. "We are there, baby girl, but the house…the people…they're all gone. It's just us here, okay? Just me, and you, and Mimi…"

Marley visibly relaxed as she looked over toward the cars – at Riley, Charlie, Peter, and Edward standing close by, but still staying out of the way while she had her moment with Esme and Bella.

"It's just us?" she asked softly with a sigh.

"I promise, baby girl," Bella told her. Marley threw her arms back around Bella's neck and mumbled an apology. "Hey, don't you dare apologise, all right? Not for being upset."

Now much calmer, Marley stepped down from the big boulder and peered around at their surroundings, her mitten-clad hand clasped firmly with Bella's as she tucked herself against her mamma's side. Bella wished she could see what was going on in her daughter's mind, her expression contemplative.

The rest of the group slowly disembarked, joining them in the snow. Rosalie walked straight to Bella to give her a hard hug around their bellies before pressing a kiss to Marley's head and telling her how proud she was.

Edward also joined them, dropping to his knees, despite Marley's protests that his knees would get cold, to give his daughter a hug.

"Daddy," she giggled, tugging at his shoulders. "Get up, silly!"

He huffed a long breath and cupped her face, gently bumping their foreheads together with a closed-eyed hum. "You're my best girl, you know that, little sweet?"

"Yeah, Daddy," Marley told him, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of his nose before he could stand up. "Like Mamma's your best Wifey, and Beesy is your best boy."

With the immediate panic diffused, Rosalie and Bella shared a loaded look.

"How does it feel? To be here?" Emmett asked, looping an arm around Bella's shoulders and one around Rosalie's.

"It's…weird. I expected…more? I don't know how to describe it," Bella admitted with obvious frustration, her eyes travelling over the far-off ridges of the mountains before sweeping over the sheets of sparkling white snow. "Of course, I knew the house wouldn't be here, but I didn't expect it to all look so bare and normal."

Rosalie hummed, resting her cheek against Emmett's chest as she watched a lone bird soaring overhead. "I saw the house explode, but it's still strange to be here without it."

Rosalie wasn't wrong.

Bella, Edward, and Marley walked hand-in-hand through the snow, taking their time to absorb their emotions and to gather their thoughts. Rosalie and Emmett hung back near the cars with Peter, Archie, and his boys, while Riley, Paul, Charlie, and Bodhi lingered a little way away, talking quietly, Bodhi content in his pawpaw's arms.

"Mamma?"

"Yeah, baby girl?"

Marley was frowning up at her mamma as she asked, "Does it make you sad? Being here?"

Bella took a moment to think, before admitting, "A little. I'm not sad because I miss it, because I don't. Not at all." She needed Marley to be clear on that. There was very little Bella could say to get that point across without upsetting Marley again, but the little girl's solemn nod told Bella that she knew what she meant. "I think I'm sad because we spent a lot of time here, away from Pawpaw, your uncles, cousins, and all our friends back home."

Marley sighed, her eyes unfocused as she stared out toward where the house used to stand, tall and imposing. They'd wandered a hundred metres or so away, so the rest of the family looked small against the stark white backdrop of the mountains and bright blue sky.

"That m-man…the one who stole you? He's not here anymore?"

"Oh, baby girl, no," Bella breathed, tears stinging her eyes as she turned and cradled her daughter's face. "That man, he's gone, Marley. He's never coming back. Not ever. He can't hurt any of us ever again, okay? Do you understand?"

"He's…dead? Like Nonno Enrico?" Her eyes darted toward Edward, who nodded.

"Yeah, little sweet, like Nonno Enrico."

With it put this way, in terms Marley could relate to, Smith's absence seemed to sink in. Marley's smile was stronger as she looked between her parents, giving her mamma's hand a squeeze before facing her daddy.

"Daddy, thank you for saving us."

Tears tumbled over Bella's cheeks as Edward shakily fell to his knees and pulled Marley in for a hard hug. "Oh, little sweet…" he croaked. "You've got it all wrong, my girl. Daddy didn't save you - you, Mamma, and Beesy, you saved me."

He'd told Bella the same thing numerous times; often when she apologised for being a mess or uprooting his life. He'd had a simple, uncomplicated life before they came back.

He had his beautiful home in Italy, a steady income from his music videos online, and he could do whatever he pleased, whenever he pleased.

Within a matter of a couple of weeks after Riley's call to say Rosalie and Bella had been found, he'd gone from being an unattached, single man to the very best support Bella could ever have wished for - for herself or her daughter.

Without Edward, those early days after her rescue…they would have been infinitely harder.

And now, as she looked at Edward speaking quietly to Marley now, a handful of years later with their best boy just a shouting distance away and their own baby kicking up a storm in her belly, Bella couldn't help but echo her daughter's sentiments.

Thank you for saving us, Hubs. I know you think we saved you, but you're so, so wrong.

Lost in thought, Bella didn't notice the quiet crunching of feet on snow until it was too late.

"Ah! What the-Emmett?" Edward brushed snow from his shoulder, turning on his haunches to glare incredulously at Emmett as he advanced on the trio.

Emmett grinned impishly, brandishing a second snowball. "What?"

Back at the cars, the rest of the group were laughing heartily at Emmett's sneak attack.

Desperate for a reprieve from all the high emotions, Bella quickly motioned for Emmett to keep Edward distracted before making a snowball of her own; Marley followed suit, biting her lip to stifle her giggles.

"Could you not see we were talking? Christ, man, I-"

"Go," Bella whispered, her delighted laughter harmonising with Marley's when their perfectly coordinated balls of snow hit Edward's chest as he straightened up.

"Hey!"

Bella chewed her lip, rubbing her bump as Edward turned his shocked gaze on her and their daughter. The moment it clicked in his eyes was evident.

I need a distraction, Hubs. Play along.

"Oh, you girls just made a mistake. You're gonna get it now."

Marley let out a panicked squeal and launched herself at her guffawing uncle, crying, "You'll have to catch us first, Daddy! Mamma, run!"

Emmett took off with Marley, leaving Edward and Bella grinning at each other. "I need a head start, Hubs. I'm handicapped, here."

Pointing at the large bump jutting out from her middle, Bella offered him a wry smirk.

"You get ten seconds, mi amore. Go."

~ oOo ~

It was no surprise to anybody that Rosalie and Bella were the first to tire. They sat heavily on the rock Marley had stood on when they first arrived, content to catch their breath and watch the rest of the adults running around with the children.

They'd split into teams.

Charlie, Esme, Riley, Bodhi, Chase, and Edward made up one team, while Paul, Emmett, Carl-Roman, Carlisle, Marley, and Archie made up the other. They rained hastily made snowballs on each other, their laughter and squeals the only sound for miles.

"This is…so surreal," Rosalie breathed, her eyes bright and damp with threatening tears as she watched her husband use Marley as a shrieking, human shield. "Are you still glad we came?"

Bella took a moment to think the question over before replying honestly. "I am," she murmured. "I'd always wondered…well, I guess I'd built up this notion in my head that the house was still here and nothing had changed."

"Bella! You can't…you shouldn't think like that. Jesus, everything has changed."

Smiling wryly, Bella admitted, "Edward said the same thing this morning. In my heart, I always knew that, but I needed to persuade my head. I know everyone thought we were crazy for coming here, but we can put it behind us now. I can stop picturing this place how it was now I've seen that it's all gone."

Linking their gloved fingers together, Rosalie nodded. "I understand."

Of course, she did. Nobody understood this better than Rosalie. After all, everything they'd been through, they'd been through together. In seven weeks, it would be the third anniversary of their escape from this place.

Three whole years since they drove away in a rust-bucket truck.

Bella's eyes found Emmett; without him, they wouldn't have escaped at all. Thanks to his quick thinking, they'd managed to get off the ranch and be free for the first time in twelve years.

In three years, just like Rosalie said, everything had changed.

They'd gone from frightened girls to strong, independent women. Bella had welcomed a second child, a gorgeous little brother for Marley, who'd grown into a delightful child under the love and care of her extended family.

Rosalie and Bella had finally made it home after more than a decade of dreaming. They were reunited with their families and friends, and flourishing both mentally and physically.

Emmett and Rosalie had gotten married, and Bella and Edward's relationship had morphed from a childhood friendship to a deep, lasting, love-filled connection. As she rubbed her coat-covered bump, Bella smiled; and now we have our own little one joining the gang. Rosalie and Emmett's Xavier, too, of course.

They sat there, contemplating how good their lives were now for a little while longer before the snowball fighters called a ceasefire. The self-appointed captains - Emmett and Riley - shook hands in the middle of the battlefield before shaking snow from their hair and leading the troops back toward the car.

"Mamma, Mamma, Mamma!" Bodhi cheered, tearing through the snow to clamber up and sit beside Bella.

"Yeah, baby?" Bella brushed an errant curl from his forehead, tucking it back under his hat.

He gave her a rosy-cheeked smile. "Uncle Riley s-says we're g-gonna ha-have hot dogs and burgers for d-dinner!"

"Oh, really?" Bella teased, leaning in closer to boop his nose. "Well, Uncle Riley's right. We're going to have a big barbecue. Does that sound good?"

Marley, Carl-Roman, and Chase had joined them by then; they all cheered their agreement and climbed into the car with Esme's assistance.

As everyone else brushed snow from their clothes and started loading themselves into the vehicles, Bella found herself alone with Paul.

He wore a sheepish expression as he pointed to the rock. "You mind if I sit with you for a second?"

"Uh, no. Go ahead."

He huffed, brushing invisible lint from his jeans. "I'm sorry. For everything that happened when we were here before. I know you told me that you don't regret it because of Bodhi, but I needed to say it."

Bella's eyes followed Bodhi as Edward flew him through the air and then threatened to drop him in the snow. Bodhi's squeals made his mamma smile. "I forgive you," she said simply.

Paul released a long sigh, tilting his head toward her with an incredulous frown. "Just like that? I behaved...abysmally. And now, now I'm here, interrupting your happy family life, and you still don't hate me?"

"I've spent a lot of time hating," Bella admitted softly, her eyes dark and stormy when she sighed and met Paul's gaze. "I'm tired of feeling hatred toward anyone. I can't...I won't forgive Smith, but you...we were both wrong to do what we did. I was stupid and out of my mind, and you should have known better than to take advantage, but that mistake gave me my baby boy, so how could I be mad about that?"

Paul flinched even though he knew Bella's words about taking advantage weren't intended to hurt him. Their time together since Bodhi's birthday back in August, when he'd tracked them down at their house, had shown him that first and foremost, she was a thinker. She went over every scenario in her head before taking any action; he admired that about her. It was a quality he sought and liked in his business associates. Bella was also loyal and forgiving to a fault.

She could so easily have made this entire process - him spending time with Bodhi - more difficult than it needed to be. Instead, she'd let him into their lives, albeit only for a handful of days a month, but after the way he'd treated her it was more than he had any right to expect. This trip...it had opened his eyes to their family dynamics in more ways than one, that was for sure.

"You coming, mi amore?" Edward called, his gaze questioning as he hesitated a few feet away, one hand outstretched.

Bella carefully pushed up and off the rock, offering Paul a small smile as she nodded toward the cars. "You coming? We've got a feast to demolish back at the rental house."

Guilt wormed its way through his veins as Paul stood and nodded, gesturing for her to go ahead, then intensified as he listened to Bella, Edward, Marley, and Bodhi playing I Spy all the way back to the rental.

How was he going to go through with his plan when he'd already, unexpectedly, grown attached to this mish-mashed family?

~ oOo ~

"Dot dog, pwease, Mamma!" Bodhi mumbled around a mouthful of potato salad.

Bella raised an eyebrow.

Bodhi quickly chewed his food and swallowed before shooting her a bashful smile. "Sorry for talkin' w-with my mouth fu-full, Mamma."

As she slid a hot dog into a bun and set it in front of him, Bella pressed a kiss to her son's mop of curls and smiled. "That's okay, baby boy. Eat up."

The barbecue was a big hit. While they were out at the ranch, Riley had arranged for agents to fetch a bigger grill, so the men had taken turns manning the enormous piece of equipment at the end of the paved yard. The women had taken over the sides, preparing large bowls of coleslaw, potato and pasta salad, corn on the cob, green salads, and a variety of different chips, vegetable sticks, and dips.

The children had been thoroughly enjoying Riley's surprise gift since they returned from the ranch - the playhouse with an attached slide had been received with cheers and 'thank yous' aplenty from the four youngsters.

Despite the slight chill in the air, it was an enjoyable way to end what had been an emotional day.

Bella took her seat at the table, content to just take it all in.

Edward, Emmett, Charlie, Archie, and Peter were at the grill, laughing and joking with cans of beer in their hands and smiles on their faces. Paul and Riley had disappeared inside a little while ago, but Bella could hear the low timbre of Riley's voice through the open window, so they hadn't gone far.

With Esme videoing, Rosalie was helping Chase spear pieces of fruit from the hollowed-out watermelon the children had requested; it was filled with chunks of melon, apple, grapes, banana, and more; all delicious and healthy compared to the donuts and cakes the men had chosen from the store.

Carl-Roman and Marley were over at the playhouse, alternating turns on the slide. Bella grinned at the pair of them - cousins who'd had vastly different early childhoods, but got on so well and complemented each other's personalities brilliantly. Just a year apart, they were so very similar in both appearance and behaviour.

As for Bodhi...as usual, he liked to stick close to his mamma. He sat beside her at the table scarfing food as if he'd never eaten before. His hair stuck up all over the place, and he had a smear of ketchup across his cheek, but he'd never looked more adorable. Bella couldn't help but stare at him until a soft cough and a hand on her shoulder distracted her.

"Hey, mi amore. Can I borrow you for a second?" Something about Edward's intense green eyes and the slight lilt of a plea in his tone stopped Bella from protesting as he gently tugged her to her feet and led her inside. As they reached the door, Bella heard Esme calling Bodhi to help her with something.

They made it all the way up the stairs to their temporary bedroom before either of them said another word. He moved further into the room than Bella; she closed the door, making to step toward him.

"Edward, are you—oh."

Like a lithe cat, he turned to slowly stalk toward her. His gaze was heated and burned her skin as his fists clenched at his sides. She took a step back, her spine resting against the cool wood of the door. The predatory look in his eyes should have scared her, but it was familiar and ignited heat low in her belly.

"Edward," Bella breathed when he came to a stop right in front of her, close enough that she could feel his body heat and the harsh breath he sputtered out.

"Tell me to stop, and I will, but so help me God…" He raked a hand through his copper mane before lifting his eyes to hers. The raw emotion there made her gasp. "I'm so very proud of you, mi amore. I can't…I don't know how to verbalise everything I'm feeling right now. I just…I need…"

"Me. You need me." Bella reached up to caress his stubbly cheek, curling her hand around the back of his neck to tug him down until she could reach him. Taking her touch as permission, Edward groaned as their lips collided. His hands immediately wound their way into her hair, his body pressing against hers as much as the bump would allow. Their tongues fought for dominance, teeth nipped, and hearts raced.

Electricity zapped between their bodies with every touch, every lick, every kiss. Hands began to roam, and frustration drew Edward's brows down into a frown.

"Come here." Bella scooted out from between him and the door, pulling him over to the bed. A little of their urgency abated as Edward slowly undressed Bella, kissing every inch of skin he revealed when her long top came off, followed by her leggings and underwear. Kneeling in front of her, he let his hands cup either side of her bump and pressed a lingering kiss just above her belly button. "Go to sleep for a bit, buddy," he whispered, winking up at Bella.

She shook her head, a smile curling her lips as a flush spread across her cheeks. "Come here."

Edward had never been able to tell her 'no.'

He stood, impatiently tearing his clothes from his body. Edward cocked his head at Bella when she pouted and lightly stroked a finger from the waistband of his black briefs, over his abs, and up to his sternum, eliciting a shiver. "What's wrong?"

"I wanted to undress you."

Warmth infused the dark jade of Edward's eyes as he leaned down to brush the tip of her nose with a sweet kiss.

"Next time."

Carefully, sweetly, he laid her down on the bed and made tender love to her, showing Bella with his touch, his kisses, and his murmured words how much she amazed him with her courage and determination.

When they were both sated and panting, he leaned up on one arm and stroked the bump housing their son.

"I'm just…I can't put into words how awed I was by you today, mi amore."

Bella peered up at him as she fought to catch her breath. "Thank you for coming with me. I know it must have killed you."

"It wasn't easy, but I'm under no illusions that it was a million times harder for you and Rose. You were both amazing. The strength you both possess is just extraordinary." He leaned down, raining butterfly kisses over her collarbones, up her neck, to her cheek. Resting his nose against her soft skin and closing his eyes, Edward sighed. "What really matters is that you and Rose got what you needed from the trip. Do you think you did? Was it what you expected?"

"No, not at all." Bella let herself briefly picture the old ranch house, then replaced the memory with the image of the snow-blanketed meadow. "It was so not what I expected, but it helped. I feel…lighter, if that makes sense? I can let it go now that I know the house is gone. I needed to see that, I think."

Edward nodded, but didn't pull away. They rested together for a few more minutes, listening to the faint sounds of the children singing in the garden. "Riley's teaching them that song again," Edward eventually whispered, amusement creeping into his tone.

"Hmmm," Bella hummed, smiling. Riley had made it his mission to teach the children the New York Giants' fight song while they were here. He'd offered to take the entire family to a game, but they'd politely declined; they were all impatient to return to normality and get home, as much as they enjoyed Riley's company.

"Do you think we did the right thing by taking Marley today?" Bella asked suddenly just as Edward was contemplating getting up.

He frowned, lifting up his head a little. Bella was chewing the inside of her cheek, her eyes closed as she waited for his answer.

"I think she needed closure just as much as you and Rose," he began. "But I think we're going to have a very clingy, unsure little sweet for a while. She's tried to stick quite close to at least one of us since we got back."

Nodding, Bella admitted she'd noticed their daughter's apprehension whenever she or Edward were out of sight. With a sigh, she heaved herself upright. "We need to go back downstairs. She's probably wondering where we are."

Edward and Bella helped each other get redressed; he leaned down to kiss her forehead as she reached for the door handle. "I love you, mi amore. More today than yesterday, and I'll love you even more tomorrow."

This man…

Warmth infused every cell in Bella's body as she stretched onto her tiptoes and tugged Edward down by his T-shirt. "I love you, Hubs," she mumbled against his lips between quick kisses. "Now, let's get back to our babies."

~ oOo ~

A scream in the night woke Bella from a restless sleep.

Moving quickly wasn't something that came easily at this point in her pregnancy, but Bella was up and out of bed before her brain could catch up with the idea that it might not be safe for her to tear out of her room alone.

She was down the hall and opening the door within thirty seconds, and had Marley wrapped in her arms within another ten.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay. Mamma's here. Mamma's got you."

Carl-Roman was rubbing his eyes across the room, but thankfully, the youngest two boys were still asleep – somehow. Bella wasn't sure if she was just more attuned to the sound of her children's cries or Chase and Bodhi were just deep sleepers.

"Aunt Bella? S'Mars okay?" Carl-Roman asked sleepily, his eyes already half-lidded as he dropped back toward his pillow.

As Edward arrived, carefully scooping his quietly sobbing daughter into his arms, Bella crossed the bedroom to kiss Carl-Roman's forehead and tuck him back in. "She's fine, sweetheart. Just a nightmare. You go back to sleep. Sweet dreams, handsome. Love you."

"Love—yawn—you, too, Aunt Bella."

With Carl-Roman settled, Bella followed Edward and Marley into their bedroom. They curled up on the bed together, Marley pressing herself against her daddy as she soaked his chest with tears. Her little hands were clasped tightly around his neck, every cry and every whimper tearing another hole in Bella's heart.

I did this. My selfishness and inability to leave her behind today caused this.

"Little sweet," Edward murmured, running a hand over her sleep-mussed hair and down her back; over and over, he repeated the motion until she sucked in a deep breath and let out a hiccup. "Little sweet, you're okay. Mamma and Daddy are here. We've got you, you're safe."

Through blood-shot eyes, Marley looked up at her dad's face, then twisted her head to look at Bella. The look on her face broke her guilty mother's heart. Edward's, too.

"I…I had a nightmare, Daddy."

He shuffled down until their heads were both on the same pillow, then cupped her cheek and stroked tears from below her large, sorrowful eyes. "I know, little sweet. Let's talk about it, okay?"

She was already shaking her head before he'd finished talking. "No, I don't want to."

"Baby girl, remember what Irina told us? About nightmares, and how they're so much worse if we keep them all bottled up in our brains?" Bella reminded her gently, shifting to lay behind her on her side, so she was sandwiched between her two parents and unborn baby brother, who was now wide-awake and fidgeting thanks to Bella's sudden movement.

"I remember," Marley mumbled, holding her tummy. "I've got a tummy ache, Daddy."

Frowning, Bella met Edward's worried gaze over the top of Marley's head. "Is it a poorly tummy ache, or is it because you're worried about your nightmare?"

Recently, whenever Marley got too anxious about something, she complained of a tummy ache. Bella and Edward had discussed it with Irina at her last appointment before their trip, and she'd brought up the possibility that it was anxiety. They'd agreed to monitor it closely over the following weeks and months, but judging by this episode, it was pretty likely that anxiety was the culprit.

Marley reiterated that she didn't want to talk about her nightmare no matter how much Bella and Edward tried to coax her, but she also refused to return to her own bed and clung to her daddy until Bella agreed that she could sleep with them. The trio finally fell back to sleep after an hour or so, but it wasn't long before Bella and Edward were woken by their daughter whimpering and crying out the one name they'd hoped to never again hear from her lips.

They shared a worried gaze as they sat up and tried to comfort Marley, every muttered word a kick in the teeth.

"Bad-man. Bad-man. Bad-man. No-oo, don't let the bad-man take me, Mamma."

I'm sorry - I know this is going to go down like a lead balloon with most of you. *shields self from rotten tomatoes*

If you haven't already, please join my new page on Facebook - CiaraShayee's Subconscious. I'll be posting teasers, pics, etc. I'll also probably ramble a bit about my writing and inspiration as I go along, so if that's something that interests you, or you just want to come chat with me, please feel free to come find me there :)

Happy hump day, everybody! xo