A/N: Thank you to everyone who has been reading, reviewing and favoriting! You guys are the best! Also, a big thanks to my fabulous beta, Jenny Cullen, aka Jenrar, and my lovely prereader and ficwife, EternallyCullen. You girls rock my world! If you are looking for something to read, I highly recommend anything they've written!
If you haven't done so yet, consider donating to Fandom for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Just a $5 donation will get you a wonderful compilation of Twilight fanfics (and a few Hunger Games, too) that will not be available anywhere else. I have donated a one-shot from Breaking Dawn, written from Charlie's POV during the chapters where Jake brings him in on the secret and phases in front of him! Check out their website at fandom4lls. /?zx=18cf4cf386649f2e.
Last, I have discovered a new author that I think is just WONDERFUL! If you want something that will rock your socks, check out Discordia's works. She's on under Discordia81. She just wrote a one-shot, "Blood Dream," that is… it's just great and you need to read it! Tell her I sent you!
Disclaimer: I own nothing here, except Matthew. He is mine! Everything else belongs to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.
"Bella?" Charlie asked, his voice tense.
"Yeah. Dad, what's going on?" She held her finger up at Jake's questioning gaze.
"Where have you been? You didn't answer your phone."
Her hands started to shake. "I've been at the movies with Jake and had my phone on silent. What's wrong?"
Charlie let out a shuddering breath. "Bells, I just got the paperwork in the office. James is suing you for full custody of Matt. He's back."
Bella stood on the sidewalk in stunned silence. Surely she hadn't heard her father right. "Wh-What did you say? Dad?"
"I said that I have a court summons here for you. That asshole, James, has filed the papers to try to get full custody of Matt."
Jake saw Bella's face go white and quickly put an arm around her waist; he was afraid she would collapse. "Bella… What's going on?" he asked quietly.
She shook her head, unable to get her voice to work. James… James has come back…for Matt… Oh, God! She could only force a strangled cry from her lips, so Jacob took the phone and put it up to his ear.
"Charlie, what's going on?" he asked.
Charlie repeated his information, and Jacob blanched, his normal russet complexion paling. "Shit…"
"Can you get her home? Or better yet, bring her over to my house. We've got to figure out what we're going to do."
"Sure, sure," he replied, already leading Bella to her truck. "See you in a bit," he told Charlie and then disconnected. He pushed Bella into the passenger side before sliding behind the wheel.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice still dazed.
"Taking you to Charlie's," he replied.
Bella stared out of the window at the greenery rushing by her window, thankful that Jake had been with her when she had received the news. She didn't think she would have been able to make it back to Forks if she'd been alone.
James… How could he…? Was it not enough for him to ditch me when I was pregnant at sixteen? Was it not enough that he's had absolutely nothing to do with Matt all these years? Has he not hurt me enough?
She felt her eyes smart as the tears threatened to fall down her cheeks. She had endured so much at James's hands; would she be able to endure this? She knew the answer to that. If he succeeded and took Matthew away from her, then no. She would not survive.
She drew in a shuddering breath, and Jake's arm was suddenly around her shoulders, tugging her across the seat. She went without protest, grateful for the support. Jake had always been her own personal sun – full of light and warmth. And she needed him now.
"Jake, what am I going to do?" she whispered. She felt as if a giant hole had been punched in her chest.
He rested his cheek on top of her head. "It'll be okay. You'll see. There's no judge in this state that would take Matt away from you and give him to that son-of-a-bitch. He left you, Bella. He left you with a baby, and he's never even tried to contact you to see him. Matt's six years old and has never laid eyes on his father, so you don't have to worry."
She tried to take comfort in his words – and she knew he was right – but a cold hand had already gotten hold of her, and she couldn't shake it.
Her life experiences had taught her to be prepared for anything – to expect the worst and hope for the best. She didn't say any more until they pulled up in front of Charlie's house.
Charlie met them outside. "Where's Matt?"
"He's over at Sue's," Jacob said. "She hadn't seen him for a while, so she wanted him to come over because she was babysitting Claire, too."
He nodded thoughtfully. "That's probably for the best. He doesn't need to hear all this anyway. Kid's too smart for his britches, and he'd just worry."
Bella looked up at her father, suddenly feeling like a child again. She wanted – no, needed – her daddy to dispel all of the darklings and monsters that threatened to disrupt her safe haven. "Dad…" she whispered, suddenly leaving Jake's arms and entering her father's embrace. She inhaled deeply and was comforted by the familiar scents from her childhood: the aftershave Charlie had used for as long as she could remember, the leathery smell of his police jacket…
Charlie hugged Bella tightly to him. He had wanted nothing but to hunt James down when he had learned what the man had done to his daughter, but over time – and with the addition of Matthew to their family – he had moved past the hate he'd felt and had allowed his love for his daughter and grandson to take front and center. Now, however, he realized he hadn't let go of his anger but had only pushed it down and buried it. While he stood in his tiny front yard with his daughter in his arms, he was surprised at the murderous rage he felt toward James. It scared him, if he was honest with himself.
"Bells, don't worry. We're going to fight this." He steered her into the house and out of the mist that was beginning to fall.
She sniffed and swiped at her eyes. "H-How? I don't have the money for a lawyer…" She sat down, hard, on the sofa and wrapped her arms around her knees.
Jake sat down beside her. "We'll figure out a way, Bella. Please, don't worry. It's all going to be okay, and maybe now that he's come back, you can actually get some child support out of him." He clenched his jaw at the anger he felt toward this man who had left his best friend alone and struggling for every penny.
"I'm going to go to the bank on Monday and take out a second mortgage," Charlie announced.
Bella looked up in horror. "Oh, Dad! No! I can't let you do that. This is your house!"
He held his hands up. "Bells, I'm going to do whatever I have to. If it means a second mortgage, then that's what we'll do. This is as much your house as it is mine."
What she wanted to do was to call Edward. Or better yet, run to him and fling herself into his arms. Instead, she took a deep breath and stood shakily. "Dad, I'll figure something out; don't do that. Jake, can Matt stay with you tonight? I'd feel better if he was somewhere that James wouldn't know about."
"Bella, you can't think that he'd actually try to kidnap him, do you?" Jake asked, surprised.
She shook her head. "N-No… I'd just feel better – for tonight – if he was with you on the reservation. I-I need to do some thinking about what I'm going to do." And try to find Edward…
Jake hugged her tightly. "Of course he can. He can stay as long as he needs to."
Bella squeezed him back in gratitude and then pulled away. "Okay, Dad, I'm going to go home and get some paperwork together." She had been very thorough in keeping records of each time she had tried to contact James regarding Matt, and she had kept all of the letters the Division of Child Support had sent her from when they had attempted to locate him without success, as well.
Charlie stared at her for a moment. "Okay, but you'll call me if you need to, right?"
"Sure, sure," she said distractedly. She hugged her father quickly and then turned to Jake. "I'll come pick him up tomorrow, okay?"
He shook his head. He knew she couldn't spare the gas, especially after their afternoon together. "No, I'll bring him home. Just call me when you're ready for him."
"Thanks, Jake," she said, her voice cracking. She needed to get home before she lost it, but Jake followed her outside. "Oh, shit! Your car!" She had completely forgotten that Jake had driven her back to Forks, leaving his Rabbit in the movie theater's parking lot.
"Don't worry about it. Look, Bella, are you sure you're gonna be all right?" He looked at her worriedly.
She groaned inwardly. She knew that Jacob felt a bit more for her than just a friend, but she couldn't deal with that right then. "Yes, I'll be fine. I'm going to call Edward when I get home. Maybe his dad will have some ideas of what I can do, or maybe I can get some free legal aid if Edward knows someone in the law department at the university."
He nodded, understanding. "Okay, but I want you to know that I'm here for you – no matter what."
Bella felt a flood of emotion run through her and hugged her best friend fiercely. "Thanks, Jake…for everything. I'll call you tomorrow."
He kissed her on the top of the head and released her. He watched silently as Bella clambered into her ancient truck and drove off down the street. One thing was sure – he certainly envied this Edward Cullen.
xXx
Bella shuffled into her apartment and shut the door quietly. She turned around and leaned against its support, her hand flying up to her mouth to contain her sob. Everywhere she looked, she saw something that reminded her of Matthew: a toy that hadn't made its way into the toy chest; a paper he had colored for her at school; his kindergarten picture in its frame on top of the television, his grin large and wide, revealing the gap where he had lost his first tooth.
She slid down the door until she was sitting on the floor. She was attempting to keep herself from falling apart, but she wasn't succeeding. Another sob tore its way from her throat, and she gave into the fear and slid to her side, allowing the tears free reign.
How can he do this to me? And why in the hell is he trying to take Matt away from me? Why couldn't he have called and asked to see him? Why…why…why…
The thoughts rolled like a looped tape around in her mind, causing her to sway between disbelief, anger, and fright. Intellectually, she knew that Jacob had to be correct in that no judge in the state of Washington would ever agree to take custody of her son away from her and give it to his deadbeat, absentee father. Not to mention, her father was a well-known and well-respected law enforcement officer – the Chief of Police; surely Charlie would have some clout with the courts. But emotionally, she could only imagine the worst happening. She was a bad luck magnet, and this would be the summit of all of her misfortune.
Bella wasn't sure how long she lay on the cheap carpet of her apartment, but eventually, she became aware of her phone ringing. Thinking it might be Jake about Matt, she hurriedly dug it out of her pocket and flipped it open.
"Hello?" she said, her voice sounding hollow even to her.
"Bella?" Edward's velvet voice came across the line, causing her to sigh in relief. "Are you all right? You sound different."
Bella wiped her nose on her sleeve, not caring that she appeared very unladylike in that moment. "Um… No, not really."
"What's wrong?" he demanded.
She felt her thinly controlled emotions threatening to break again. "Um… W-Well… It's, uh, J-James." She bit her lip to keep it from trembling.
"What did that bastard do?" he growled out.
"H-He…um…" She sniffled, unable to finish the sentence.
"I'm on my way," he said, and then she heard a click.
Edward was on his way, just like her own personal knight in shining armor. She wondered when she had come to depend on him so much. It seemed as if it had only been yesterday when she had kicked him out of her apartment for acting so sanctimonious; yet again, it seemed as if he'd been a part of her life for years.
Pull yourself together, or he's going to think you're mentally unstable. She forced her body to cooperate as she climbed to her feet. She splashed some cold water on her face but was unable to hide the obvious evidence she'd been crying. Her usual pale complexion was now blotchy and red. She shook her head and flicked the bathroom light off. There was no sense in trying to make herself presentable. It just wasn't going to happen, and she was certain that more tears were going to flow once Edward was there and coerced her to tell him what had happened.
Bella started at the knock on her door. That was fast… She opened the door and saw Edward standing on the threshold in faded, torn jeans and a black T-shirt that stretched across his chest. She momentarily forgot about her James dilemma; all she could think about was the Adonis who was standing in her doorway.
"Um…" She couldn't get her mouth to cooperate, either.
Edward looked at her, worry evident in his green eyes. "Bella, what's wrong?" he asked, his brow furrowed. He stepped into the room and drew her into his arms.
The unconditional support she felt there caused the floodgates to open again, and she began sobbing uncontrollably. She tried to pull herself together before Edward ran away, screaming, but she was unable to get a handle on her emotions.
Edward just tightened his hold on her and kicked the door shut with his foot. He gently eased her over to the sofa and sank down onto the cushions, pulling her with him. He settled her into his lap and smoothed his hand over her hair, patiently waiting for her crying to subside so he could find out what had happened. He didn't think Matt had suffered a relapse with his diabetes; if he had, Edward was certain Bella would have been with him and not in her apartment, alone.
He held her, rocking gently, feeling her tears soak through his shirt. After a while, it appeared that Bella was beginning to calm down, and he looked down into her face. "Bella, what happened?" he asked, stroking his thumb down her cheeks to rid her skin of her tears.
She took a shuddering breath and slipped her arm around his waist, wanting to hold on for dear life. Her need for him frightened her; she had been completely self-reliant and independent since James had fucked her over, but now, she was holding to Edward as if he was her lifeline.
"J-James… He filed p-papers…for c-custody of M-Matt," she whispered in between hiccups.
Edward leaned back and tried to reign in his anger. "Don't worry, Bella," he whispered. "Don't let that asshole upset you."
Bella shook her head. "But what if he…wins? I-I can't live without M-Matt."
He pressed her head to his shoulder as he rocked her back and forth. "Don't worry. I'm not going to let him."
Bella and Matt had just come into his life – and Bella had only recently admitted she wanted them to try for a relationship together – and he'd be damned before he let that motherfucker screw up his future.
End Notes: Well? What did you think? Leave me some love! You will make my entire week! Next chapter will be up soon!
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