AN: S. Meyer owns The Twilight Saga.

Many, many thanks to my beta's Roxiegirl and Kalycakes, these dolls make me give 100% to each chapter.

This chapter is a bit longer then normal...you can thank Kalycakes for that one ;)

Chapter 21

-Edward-

I'm gonna kill Mike Newton.

"Dr. Cullen," Officer Stone handed me a file with the official police report, "here is everything you might need."

I took the file from his hand, "Thank you."

The Officer glanced behind him, grimacing at the destruction, "If there is anything else you or your wife find that can be of value to this investigation, please give me a call."

I stiffly nodded and shook his hand, "We will, thank you."

He looked around again before making his way out the front door. I stood in the middle of Bella's living room surveying the aftermath of a mad man's actions to devastate my wife.

When Emmett called me last night and explained what was going on, I nearly lost it. I walked around the hospital for a while before going back to Bella's room. I couldn't let her see me in that state. I refuse to cause her any stress, not in her condition. I eventually calmed down enough to join her in sleep.

I got up the next morning and went through the normal routine, well, the normal routine we adopted during these last few days. My mother and Masen stopped by and dropped off breakfast before heading to RoHale's. Jasper and a very tired, freshly paroled, swollen-eyed, Alice dropped by later that morning, Rosalie phoned and Emmett made us lunch. Bella was in high spirits and ready to go home, that is until I refused to stop by her house.

"What do you mean I can't stop by my house?" she looked at me with her sweet doe eyes, "Edward, I need to pick up some important documents, I don't want to leave them there if no one is going to be around."

I was walking around the room, packing her things, "You need your rest, sweetheart. I want you settled in and comfortable before dinner. Why don't I pick them up for you?"

She huffed and crossed her arms, "I'm not invalid, Edward. I can go on my own."

I really didn't want to argue with her but I'd be damned if I would let her anywhere near her house, especially in the condition it's in. I dropped what I was doing and walked over to her and sat on the edge on the bed, "Isabella," I leaned in close enough to rest my forehead on hers, "I know you're not an invalid but you are on bed-rest," she wasn't, but I would make sure it said so on her discharge notes, I didn't like the fact I was manipulating the situation but at this time I wasn't willing to take a chance with her health,"and part of that is staying off your feet and relaxing, as in, no stress." she huffed again but I new I'd won the battle, "Please? For me...and our baby?"

She pulled back a bit and narrowed her eyes, "You don't play fair."

I chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose, "I never said I did, especially when it comes to my family."

With that, she went back to her lunch and I went back to packing her things.

Thank God she didn't press the issue. This surely would have sent her back to the hospital. With her in mind, I hurried to her house to retrieve the small safe she wanted.

After three long hours of searching high and low for a small safe in a large Edwardian style home, I came up empty. I couldn't find the safe anywhere. I even, with much inner turmoil, phoned Bella to make sure she didn't hide it in another location. She, of course, panicked a bit and was threatening to come down and find it herself. Thank God for my mother and her powers of persuasion, she convinced Bella to stay put.

I eventually gave up and drove back home. I would need to report the missing safe to Officer Stone and find a way to tell Bella what happened. I just didn't feel comfortable causing her any stress so soon after her last two panic attacks. But, at this rate I couldn't keep it from her much longer.

I drove straight into my garage and cut the engine, frustrated that I couldn't come up with a way to tell her about her house gently. I'll have to ask my mother for some ideas. I pressed the remote to close the garage door and got out of my car. I took a deep breath before opening the door that led to the kitchen.

As soon as I stepped through the threshold I heard Bella's soft laughter followed by my mother's.

Damn, they were in the kitchen.

I walked around the corner, in full view of the large kitchen. Mom and Bella were sitting on the breakfast bar, heads close together and giggling like school girls, "What's so funny?" I asked.

They both turned towards my voice and smiled, "Hi, honey." Mom stood from the stool and walked to me, "Oh, Bella and I were just having some girl talk. Are you hungry? Bella insisted on waiting for you-"

"You haven't had supper?" I asked Bella before mom finished her sentence.

Bella was about to respond but mom continues talking as if I hadn't rudely interrupted her, "BUT, I told her I'd have none of that. Bella joined Masen and I for supper. And yes, she ate all of her vegetables."

Bella softly laughed, I rolled my eyes at mom, "Good. And yes, I'm famished."

"Well," Bella gracefully rose from the bar stool, "I better wash up before bed."

Mom was warming me a plate, I walked over to Bella and drew her into my arms, "How are you feeling? Is there anything you need?"

She nuzzled into my chest, "Goodness no, your mom as gone above and beyond." Bella pulled back a bit and looked around me, "Did you find the safe?"

Shit.

"Uh...Bella, I-" I was trying to stammer through a reasonable explanation as to why I had come back, after more than three hours, empty handed but thankfully my mother interrupted.

"Hey, honey, why don't you go up and tuck Masen in? He hasn't seen much of you these past couple of days and it's really starting to show in his demeanor."

"Oh my," Bella gasped, "I am so sorry, I've been monopolizing you these last few days." She pulled out of my arms and nudged me towards the staircase, "Please, go to him, we'll talk about my things tomorrow."

This right here is why my mom is the best. "Okay," I kissed the top of Bella's head before lightly brushing my lips across hers, "I'll see you tomorrow after work, sleep well." I glanced at mom and winked at her, she winked back.

I hurried up the stairs to the second floor where Masen's room was located. I softly knocked, "Mase?"

"Yeah?" I could hear his voice from behind the door.

I turned the knob and opened the door, Mase was in the corner of his room sitting on his green beanbag reading a book. "Hey baby boy, what you got there?"

Masen peered over his book and gave me a halfhearted shrug. "Green Eggs and Ham," he muttered.

I could tell something was bothering him. I closed the door behind me, walked to the couch pushed up under his window and sat down, "Come here, Mase."

He closed his book and placed it on the floor next to the bean bag and walked to me. I lifted him onto my lap and pulled him to my chest, "What's going on?" I asked.

He shrugged again and said, "nothing."

But his face told me it was anything but. His eyes were dim and sad and there was no trace of my jovial son. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly, I rested my chin on top of his head, "Talk to me baby boy, I can't make things better if I don't know what's wrong."

He was quiet for a few minutes, I knew he was going to make me work for it but he surprised me when he said, "Mommy called."

My entire body froze.

What the fuck?

I tried to relax my posture. I didn't want Masen to retreat back into his shell, it took months of counseling for him to talk again. After Tanya left us, Masen had retreated within himself, pushing every one away. After a few weeks of self imposed muteness and isolation, I made us an appointment to see one of Cambridge's best family counselors. Masen had blamed himself for Tanya's abandonment, thinking if had he been a good boy...a better boy, she would have stayed. I loathed Tanya for that.

I knew he would go back to that state of mind if he thought I was upset for bringing this up. I didn't want to close any lines of communication with Masen, and most importantly, I never want him to feel like he can't come to me and talk about anything.

With that in mind, I kept my tone soft, "Oh? When did she call?"

He fidgeted a bit. I would have to soften up my tone a little more. I felt him shrug again, "When you were in the hospital taking care of Bella."

I rubbed his back, letting him know it was okay to talk, "Did Nana talk to her?" I surely hoped my mother intercepted the call as I didn't want Tanya talking to Masen, at least not without one of us around.

"Yeah," he whispered, "I didn't even get to say 'hi' to her."

Thank God. Not that I wouldn't mind Masen having contact with Tanya under different circumstances, but that woman has been nothing but selfish and cold toward Masen. I will not allow her to hurt him again.

"Did Nana know you wanted to talk to her?" I asked. I knew my mother would not say her name out loud while Masen was in the room, so I was sure he was eavesdropping on their conversation.

He shook his head, "No," he whispered and continued just a bit louder, "I was going to ask Nana if she could read me a bed time story," he turned around and with his wet eyes said, "I didn't mean to be sneaky Daddy, I promise."

I leaned down and kissed his forehead, "I know you didn't mean to be sneaky, buddy."

There was a moment of indecision in his eyes before he squared his shoulders and looked me in the eye, "Nana wasn't being very nice to Mommy."

I nodded, "I'll talk to Nana, bud." Clearly there was some words said between the two, I would have to talk to mom about this. "Why don't I tuck you in for the night? It's pretty late and you don't want to be sleepy for school tomorrow, do you?"

He smiled and shook his head, "No way!" he exclaimed, "Tomorrow is Lily's birthday. Nana, Bella and me baked some cupcakes for her, pink cupcakes," he made a face at that, "Miss Hale had us cut out a bunch of stars and flowers and hearts and glue a lot of glitter on them. We taped them all over the room for her party tomorrow."

I was relieved to see the spark back in Masen's eyes, "How exciting, so...what did you get for her?"

I knew he had a little crush on her but he stubbornly denied it, I enjoyed teasing him about it. He nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders and said, "Eh, nothing special...um, Nana helped me pick out a bracelet with flowers and her name on it," he furrowed his little eyebrows, "The lady that helped us called it a charm bracelet...or something like that."

I smiled at him, "Well, I'm sure she'll love it."

He lightly blushed, looked down and muttered, "I don't care."

He chuckled lightly, "Sure you don't, Mase."

His head shot up and narrowed his eyes, "I do not."

I held up my hands, "Okay, okay, you don't." He relaxed a little, "But that still doesn't mean she won't love it."

I could see a small smile playing in the corners of his lips, "Can I go to bed now?"

I pursed my lips, "Can I see it?"

He shook his head, "It's already wrapped, see," he pointed at the little box wrapped in pink paper with a lime green ribbon and bow.

"Pink and green? What made you choose those colors?"

He tried to mask his smile with a grimace, "Uh, she likes pink, remember?" I nodded, he huffed, "and I like green, you know that's my favorite color."

Made sense, "Sounds good. Well, jump in bed so I can tuck you in, it's getting late."

Masen jumped in bed, I tucked him in and read a chapter from the book we were currently reading. Soon enough he was sound asleep. I put the book away, picking up a few toys off the floor before quietly stepping out his bedroom.

I walked back down to the kitchen to find mom waiting for me with my plate in hand.

"Is he sleeping?" she asked.

I took a seat across from her and she pushed the plate to me, "Yeah, he was telling me about Lily's birthday party tomorrow."

Mom poured me a glass of iced green tea, "Did he tell you about the cupcakes and charm bracelet he picked out for her?"

I took a deep breath and came out with it, "Were you planning on telling me about Tanya's phone call?"

Guilt crossed her lovely face, she handed me the green tea and sighed, "Masen was listening in, wasn't he?"

I took a bite of the salad and nodded, "He didn't mean to, but he did." I put the fork down and propped one elbow and the counter, "What did she want?"

Mom was fidgeting with the hem of her cardigan, her lips were set in a hard line.

I rubbed my face with my hands and sat back in the chair, "Just tell me."

"Oh Edward," she reached across and took one of my hands, gently squeezing, "she wanted to know if it was true...if you really did remarry."

I really didn't know what to make of this. Tanya and I haven't spoken since we signed the final papers of our divorce, even then she kept any communication to a minimum. Why in the world did she want to know this information? It's not like she's worried about Masen and who I exposed him to, she exposed him to...well, let's just say far worst then anything I can come up with. She can't be jealous, hell, we stopped having any form of intimacy months before she walked out on us. Maybe she's afraid the alimony deposits I make into her account every damn month will stop.

Nonetheless, she's clearly crazy.

"Listen, Masen heard you...not at your most cordial. He was quite upset that you talked to his 'mother' the way you did," I rolled my eyes, Tanya did nothing to ever deserve the title of mother. "He misses her and he was sad he didn't get a chance to speak to her. We need to be very careful now. She obviously knows my phone number and she might call again...and with Bella here now, well, you can see how this can become very unpleasant very quickly."

"Honey," mom kissed the back of my hand, "you need to talk to Bella. She needs to know about Tanya and the whole situation with Masen. Do it before anything else happens."

I closed my eyes and titled my head back, "I will. I just can't do it now." I sighed and opened my eyes to look at her, "This will be too much too soon. I already have to figure out a way to tell her about her house, in a way that won't send her back into the ER. On top of that, Mike is still free. I will not put her or our baby under any kind of stress."

Mom patted my hand, "We'll figure something out."

I picked up my fork and continued eating while mom informed me about Bella's reaction to the house. I wasn't able to give her a tour or make sure she settled in as I was eager to talk to Officer Stone and have him fill me in on the situation with Bella's house. Plus, I didn't want to linger long enough for Bella to insist on going with me.

"So, she's staying in one of the guest bedrooms?" I asked.

"Sweetie, you don't really expect her to automatically be comfortable enough to sleep in your room, do you?"

I knew she wouldn't, but I had hoped. I shook my head, "No, I guess not."

"Give her time. Remember this is a blooming relationship, even if you two are married. You two need to get to know each other." Mom snapped her fingers, "I think you should go ahead and attend those marriage counseling sessions."

I cocked my eyebrow, "What? Why? We're not seeking an annulment."

"I know you two are not but it might help. It's hard enough getting to know someone with out the extra baggage," my eyebrows shot, but she continued, "Sorry, Edward, but I just call them like I see them. Not only do you have a son, but both of you have an ex, both of whom are clearly not all there in the head, plus a baby on the way? I think that calls for some professional help." I was about to add my two cents when she continued yet again, "I'm not saying it to be spiteful or to make fun. But it can only help and open the line of communication more."

She was right, of course. This can only help us get to were we need to be before our baby arrives.

"Fine."

She smiled smugly, "Good boy."

I resumed eating while she continued to fill me in on the days events. "We were going to buy a cake for Lily but Bella came up with the wonderful idea of baking cupcakes. Masen was ecstatic, I think he found the idea of licking off the batter and icing from the bowls thrilling."

"It was Bella's idea?" I questioned, mostly to myself.

"Oh, yes." Mom smiled, "Bella was all for helping out, she even suggested baking the cupcakes in Lily's favorite color. You should have seen how much fun they were both having, Masen was covered in pink frosting by the time the last cupcake was decorated. Oh!" Mom ran to her handbag and retrieved her digital camera, "look, I took some pictures."

I took the small camera from her hands and looked at the pictures.

It took everything I had in me to prevent the tears from falling. They looked so happy together.

The first picture was of Masen leaning over Bella's shoulder while she mixed the batter, I could tell he was still trying to keep his distance. The second picture was of Masen sticking his finger in the batter, Bella was laughing. The third one was my favorite, Masen was sitting on Bella's lap. Masen was spreading the pink frosting while Bella topped them off with pink sugar sprinkles.

I looked up to see my Mom's own tears falling from her eyes. "She's amazing," I whispered.

"Yes," mom sniffled, "she is."

Bella had only been in our lives for a month, and in this little amount of time she has done more with Masen then his own mother ever had.

Flashback

"Come on baby boy, let's get you dressed and ready to go," I picked up Masen from his high chair, cleaning his face with a wet cloth. "How did you get oatmeal all over your hair buddy?"

"Unky Emmy did it!" Masen threw his hands in the air.

I rolled my eyes, "I bet he did."

"Hey," Emmett protested, "It's not my fault that stuff is like glue, who makes a kid eat oatmeal on his birthday anyways."

Today was Masen's 3rd birthday. Three years have passed since God blessed me with a child of my own and I have enjoyed every minute of his life.

"Surely you wouldn't suggest feeding my grand baby cake for breakfast, would you Emmett?" Mom had walked into the kitchen to retrieve Masen for a bath.

Emmett straightened up, "Me? Noooo...I was thinking more along the lines of ice cream."

"Only you Emmett," Mom shook her head and walked out of the kitchen with Masen.

I started cleaning Masen's high chair before the oatmeal stuck to the chair and top like superglue.

"So..." Emmett strolled closer to my side.

"What?" I asked, not bothering to look up from my cleaning.

"Is Mommie dearest gonna come down and grace us with her presence?"

I stopped wiping the chair down, and without looking at him I said, "Em, please. It's Masen's birthday, I don't think we should fiddle with that same song and dance again...not today."

He huffed, "Fine. All I'm saying is that she should at least come down and help a little. I mean, Christ! Esme and Carlisle came all the way from the west coast, planned the whole event and are now setting everything up for Mase's party. The very least she could do is greet the guests."

He was right, Tanya had not lifted a damn finger for Masen's birthday party. In fact, I don't think she would have remembered it was Masen's birthday if it wasn't for all the gifts I had stored in our room. She never once expressed the desire to host a party to celebrate Masen's birth. Not in the last three years.

I slowly nodded and continued with the conversation at hand, "I'll talk to her."

* * *

It was noon and the guests had started to arrive, Tanya had yet come out of our room let alone wished our son a happy birthday.

I lifted Masen into my arms and walked into our bedroom, "Tanya?"

"What?" she snapped.

I walked in further to find her tossing clothes out of her closet. "What are you doing? The guests are starting to arrive, maybe now would be a good time to come down stairs?"

She walked out of the closet with more clothes falling out of her arms, "I'm in the middle of something here, Edward. Your mom was the one with the idea to give...him a party. Why should I be pressured to do something I had no say in?"

I glanced down at Masen, he was looking at the mess his mother was making. I took a calming breath before speaking, "Because it's our son's birthday," I said between clenched teeth, "you should want to do these kinds of things for our son...or at the very least wish him a happy birthday without having to be asked to do so."

She threw the piles of clothes she had in her arms and swiftly turned to face me, "Are you telling me what to do now? How I should act?" she pointed one perfectly manicured finger at me, "Don't tell me what to do Edward, you know I hate that." She calmly turned to the pile of clothes on our bed and started neatly folding them, "I'm not your mother, Edward," she said softly, "I don't do...things like this; birthday parties."

I set Masen down on his feet, "Hey, buddy, why don't you go see what Uncle Emmett is doing?"

He nodded enthusiastically and ran out of the room. I slowly closed the door behind him and turned to face Tanya.

"You don't do birthday parties?" I asked, with a hint of sarcasm in my tone, "As I recall, you did birthday parties just fine a couple of months ago when I took you and your friends to the Bahamas. You didn't have a problem celebrating then. What happened between then and now that you are not able to wish our son a happy birthday?"

She turned around and placed her hands on her hips, "What was I supposed to do Edward? I didn't know you were doing that for me."

I chuckled without humor, "Oh, sorry for surprising my wife for her birthday, but you seemed pretty damn trilled when you figured it out."

She rolled her eyes, "Well...my friends were there. You don't expect me to be rude in front of them do you?"

I snapped my fingers and took two steps towards her, "Exactly, and I expect you to be hospitable to our guests and my family."

She huffed and crossed her arms, "Fine but don't expect me to be jumping around like a fool entertaining all those kids."

I slowly shook my head, "I wouldn't dream of it, Tanya." I was about to walk out and join the party when I remembered something, "Oh, and by the way, I added your name to the gifts I purchased for our son. Since you obviously were indisposed to do so yourself." With that I stormed out of the room to celebrate the birth of my baby boy.

* * *

"The one with the pink cardigan and white skirt, she looks like the type that would find you...adorable?"

I rolled my eyes and tried not to laugh. For the good part of this last hour, Jasper has been trying to convince Emmett, who is in full clown costume, make-up and big puffy rainbow wig, to hit on Tanya's sister, Irina.

Not that Emmett wouldn't have a chance under normal circumstances but at the moment, bedsides the clown get up, he was three sheets to the wind. Completely hammered. I blame Dad, who buys a keg for a three year old's birthday party?

"Na, na, na, she looks all...I dunno," slurred Emmett, "stuck up and...I dunno man, are you ssssure?"

Dad was covering his chuckle with a cough, "Yes, we're sure. Look at the way she's looking at you," we all glanced at Irina, who was scrunching her nose at the sight of sloppy, sweating, make-up running, wig half falling, costume two sizes too tight Emmett. "See, she can't keep her eyes off of you."

Jasper nodded and said, "Would we wrong you in any way? Come on man, we're brothers, Eddie boy and I would never wrong you."

Jasper and Dad shot me a look that said 'Shut the hell up if you want to live,' I lifted my hands in front of me letting them know 'I'm not saying a damn word' but with my eyes I told them 'You're both fucked up.'

They nodded, accepting that they were, in fact, fucked up.

Emmett unsteadily got on his feet, "Alright boys, let a real man show you how it's done."

Mom walked up to our table and said, "Please tell me you are not encouraging Bozo there to make a spectacle of himself."

Dad shifted in his seat, "Why would we do that darling?"

Mom narrowed her eyes at Dad, "Carlisle?"

"Oh, hey look," Dad said as a means of distraction, "Tanya came down."

I swiftly looked behind me to see Tanya walking out of the house and into the back yard. She dressed in a white sundress and brown leather sandals, her hair was up in a ponytail. She didn't greet anyone on her way to her family's table, where she sat down and sulked.

I took a swig of my beer and looked toward Masen. He and his friends were happily playing with the water balloons Emmett and I filled for them.

"At least she came down," Mom muttered.

"You say it like it's a good thing," Dad laughed.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Enough."

Jasper clapped a hand on my back, "It'll get better brother."

I slouched down a little, "I hope so."

"EDWARD!" I turned back to the table Tanya and her family were occupying. Irina had Emmett by the ear, dragging him back to us, "I think this belongs to you!"

"Ow, ow, ow...sorry, sorry, sorry," Emmett cried, "I didn't know you had something against balloon animals!"

Irina huffed and pushed him to us, "Does this look like a snake to you?!" she held up the balloon in question. It looked like a snake with two balls on one end.

Dad was laughing his ass off, Mom looked horrified, Jasper spit his beer all over himself and Emmett shrugged.

"Emmett Travis McCarty!" Mom scold.

"What? It is a snake...he just had dinner, see," he pointed towards the balls, "two hamsters or guinea pigs or...something."

"Oh cool," one of the kids from the neighborhood said, "a sword!"

"Jesus," I groaned.

"Uh," Em looked confused before the light switched on in his head, "Yeah! A sword. It's a sword," he gave us a smug look.

"I'll get the cake," Mom said before walking back into the house.

"Daddy!" Mase called out, "I'm all wet!" He ran to our table.

I put my beer down and sat up, "I see buddy, they got you good."

He jumped into my awaiting arms, "Yeah! But I got them too!"

I ran my hands through his soaked hair, "Are you having fun, champ?"

He nodded, "Yup!"

"Hey Mase, did you like my magic show?" Emmett asked.

"Uh...yes?" Masen looked at me for help.

Emmett had performed an impromptu magic show for the kids and, well, lets just say I've never been more happy to own a fire extinguisher.

"Hey," one of the kids poked Emmett on his shoulder, "Did you get the piñata back from the neighbors house?"

Ah, yes, another of Emmett's doings. After each kid had two go's at the piñata with out anyone putting so much as a dent on it. Em took it upon himself to do something about it. Jasper and I held on to each end of the rope tightly while Em stepped up to bat, had I known Em was going to pull a Babe Ruth, I would have volunteer to crack it open myself. Needless to say the piñata ended up in the neighbors back yard...with their two Great Danes.

"Uhhh..." Em looked around, making sure the other kids were out of listening range, "Here's five bucks."

"Okay! It's time to sing to the birthday boy!" Mom walked out with the cake in her arms, three candles lit.

Everyone gathered around the table and started singing the birthday song. I looked around trying to find Tanya, she should be here next to our son and I.

I spotted her huddled in the furthest corner of the crowd. She was the only one not singing.

End of flashback

I shook my head, riding me of those memories.

"I'm going to head of to bed," I kissed mom's forehead, "I'll see you tomorrow and thank you."

She squeezed my torso, "Anytime honey. Goodnight."

I walked up the staircase to my room but not before stopping in front of Bella's room. I placed on hand on the door and silently wished her sweet dreams.

Hope this gives you some insight into Edward and Tanya's marriage and her relationship with Masen, or lack thereof.

Oh, some of you IM and asked if I would be willing to post an interview with the cast. I say sure, why not? Send me any questions you might have for the WUIV cast.

Please take a moment to review, I like to know what you think of the story thus far.