Short and quick update! I've been working like mad all this week so this is a quick update and I'll try to get more up by Sunday. Please read and review!
"You can't stop me, Lily, they're my kids."
"You weren't saying that when you dumped them on my doorstep and ran off with your dealer like the crack whore you are."
"Cut the self-righteous bullshit! I remember what you were like in high school. You walked around with a permanent cloud of pot surrounding you."
"I was sixteen! I didn't have two young kids to take care of and I managed to cut that shit out. Unlike you. And pot is harmless compared to what you fucking take."
"That's not the point! I got help, okay? I went to rehab and I'm clean. And I want my kids back. Me and Jimmy…"
"Jimmy? Jimmy's back in the picture? Let me guess, you got a new job?"
"Yeah I did. A big primetime gig."
"Typical."
"So when can I have my kids back? You know they want to come with me. You're no substitute."
"For you? Of course I'm not. I don't leave them in the same clothes for a week at the time and I make sure they get picked up from school on time every day and I feed them and keep them clothed and I bring them out to the movies and shopping and I never, ever let them near anyone who could hurt them. Unlike you."
"You have them living in the same house as a strange man, a freaking giant and your leaving him with freakin giant friends. How is that keeping them safe?"
"You know what, Mia, I don't have to defend myself to you. You showed up on my doorstep and asked me to keep them safe and that's what I'm doing and Jacob and the people who live here have done more to help me keep them safe in the past few months than you've done since they were born. They're not going back with you. If you want them that much, you'll have to take me to court. And I'll air everything about you. How will you TV producers feel about that? Huh?"
"Don't threaten me, Lily. I have the money to destroy you."
"And I have ten times as much as that. Now get the hell out of my house and don't bother coming back until you have a leg to stand on."
Mia glared at me before storming through the room and throwing the door open. I heard the front door open and slam before I could breath properly. My eyes were filled with tears and I was silently praying that they wouldn't fall until I could get home and get the girls settled with a DVD. Although, that probably wouldn't work anymore. After Mia's unannounced visit, the girls were probably freaked out beyond belief.
"Hey baby."
I turned and buried my head in the crook of Jacob's neck, breathing in relief as his arms came around me and he pulled me as close as possible.
"Shh, it's okay."
"She wants them back, Jacob. And there isn't a court in the world that won't side with the birth mother if she has proof that she's been clean for a certain amount of time."
"We'll get through this, don't worry." He murmured softly against my head. "I promise."
"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep. Where are the girls?" I wiped a stray tear away with the back of my hand and looked up into his concerned face.
"I got Quil and Claire to take them over to Paul and Abby's. They didn't need to hear the fight."
I nodded and threw my arms around his neck, allowing him to lift me easily. I wrapped my legs around his waist and sighed.
"What are we going to do? The court order will only last until she can prove she's clean. I can't let them go back there, Jacob. I can't let that happen to them again. What if those guys come back?"
"Shh, they're not going back. We'll figure something out. Not let's go get the girls, take them home and have dinner and then we can watch a movie. It's been a long day. First thing tomorrow, after we drop them off at school, I'll call the garage and tell them I'll be late and we'll go see a lawyer, see what the deal is."
I sighed in relief at the thought of not having to do it alone. I'd hate to think of what my life would be like if I hadn't met Jacob.
He sat me down easily and I followed him out of Quil's house and towards the car. He climbed into the driver's seat and we drove in silence. As soon as we reached Paul and Abby's I climbed out and walked briskly to the door. I needed to see Faye and Amelia. I needed to make sure they were okay. The door swung open before I could knock and I leant back to look up into Paul's concerned eyes.
"You okay?" He asked gruffly, standing back and allowing me inside. I nodded and followed his finger to Maria's playroom. Mia and Faye were playing freely, laughing with Maria and Lydia.
"Hey sweetie, what happened?" Abby's hand was warm on my cold arm and I turned to her quickly.
"She wants them back. How can she possibly want them back?"
Abby took my hand and led me towards the living room, where Jacob was quickly filling everyone else in on what was happening. Sam and Emily and Jared and Kim were sitting in the living room as well. It was practically a pack meeting, I thought with a grimace.
I sat beside Abby, appreciating the fact hat she held my hand the entire time. Jacob looked over at me and I shrugged at him, not knowing what to say.
"So basically, what can she do? You have that court order, don't you? The one that says she can't just take them without a judge's permission?" Abby commented.
"Yeah, but if she can prove that she's clean, in a stable job and with the girls' biological dad the judge isn't going to let them stay. Especially if I'm here and the rest of their family are in California."
The words hung in the air and I saw Jacob's sharp look and sighed. The thought of leaving had briefly crossed my mind during my fight with Mia but I couldn't do it if I tried.
"You're not thinking…" Emily murmured, looking at me in surprise. I shook my head vigorously.
"The girls don't need LA. The place is like sinking sand. It was good to get them out when I did and to tell the truth I don't think I could live anywhere but La Push anymore." I smiled softly at Jacob as I watched his shoulders relax. "I love it here and the girls love it here."
"There is no way she's clean." Abby muttered. "You don't get over a crystal meth addiction in a few months. It takes years to fully get over something that addictive."
I snorted and nodded in agreement. "Even if Mia is clean, there's no way Jimmy is. I mean, he was in the fucking paper last week with whats-her-face."
"Lynn Monroe." Claire supplied. I nodded and her and sighed again.
"What am I going to do?"
"They're not going to take them from a stable household and place them in the care of two ex drug addicts. Especially if you explain how you came to be their guardian in the first place." Sam assured me. I shook my head in disagreement.
"I don't know." I muttered. I could feel the tears in my eyes again and I silently wondered when the girls had come to mean so much to me. When they first arrived I had felt burdened with them and had wanted nothing more than to get my own life back but now I couldn't imagine life without them. Faye, Amelia, Jacob and I were a family, a happy family that could be torn apart. I couldn't face that. I couldn't picture not having them with us. As I looked at Jacob I knew he felt the same way. He had a look of grief on his face as he bit his lip thoughtfully. He was busy thinking of something and I watched as he reached up to push the hair out of his eyes and I sighed. Last week we had been the happiest people in the world, shopping for Halloween costumes and going to see a crappy Disney film. We had come home and Jacob had tucked the girls into bed as I watched. I needed that routine.
"Lily, you know how much I love you and the girls, right?"
I looked up to see that Jacob had moved from his seat and made his way over to me. He was before me know, kneeling on one knee and looking up at me with those intensely sweet eyes.
"Marry me. Marry me and we'll adopt them."