Chapter Twenty Five: Mrs Taylor

Carlisle was followed into the room by someone I didn't expect. Jane. Our astronomy meeting before Christmas was the last time I'd seen her and I could see that she was changed from then. She was dressed differently for one thing. Gone were the relaxed jeans and tops and in their place was a smart business suit, glittering jewellery and high heels. Her eyes were a deep red and I felt a pang of fear as she glanced at me. She looked imperious, intimidating and did not acknowledge me, or anyone else. What was surprising was that she was hand in hand with a tall female vampire. In the corner, Dan started to retreat back up the stairs.

"You don't need to leave." She snapped at him. "I'm not here to see you."

"I've got something to be… getting on with." He carried on walking up the stairs.

"You've got a nerve," said Jess. If anything could be said to have been expressed with venom, it was that.

"I am not here to start anything," said Jane in clipped, precise tones. "I am here to collect your troublesome vampire."

"You?" continued Jess. "Why you? Don't you have people who work for you?"

"I like to attend to things personally."

"Really? And I thought you were here to show off your new girlfriend."

Jane smiled with derision. "You're not familiar with Renate's abilities."

"Whatever floats your boat." Jess said cattily.

"Renate is a shield," explained Edward. "But, unlike Bella, she needs to be in physical contact with whoever she's shielding."

"Is there something you need to hide from Edward?" Emmett goaded.

"Yes. For your information I deal with a lot of sensitive issues and complex arrangements. I don't want Edward picking through those for his own amusement."

"Jane, I have known Edward for ninety eight years and never once have I found him picking though the contents of anyone's head for his own amusement." Carlisle said with a surprising degree of gravity.

"Apart from Ness's." Edward added with a wry smile. "What?" He looked at Carlisle's shocked face. "I've got to get some entertainment value from parenting."

"You're cracking jokes now bro?" Emmett chuckled. "Let me call hell, see if it's a little cold down there today."

"Just trying to lighten the mood." Edward smiled and then it faded. "But I don't think Jane appreciates it."

"Mrs Taylor." She snapped. "You will address me as Mrs Taylor."

Jess almost choked and flitted to appear right in front of her former sister-in-law. "So let me get this straight. You have single-handedly wrecked my brother's life, you want absolutely nothing to do with him, but yet you conveniently want to keep his name? Sorry, but you're going to have to explain that one to me."

"I am entitled to call myself Mrs Taylor, regardless of those circumstances."

"You don't deserve to. Why don't you use your maiden name? Oh, I forgot," Jess gloated. "You don't remember it."

"I'm not the only person who ended up in their vampire state not being able to remember their name."

"We're not talking about Will here! What you did to Dan was unforgiveable, you've broken him!" Jess pointed back up the stairs. "That isn't my brother," she yelled. "That's a shell! Everything that was him died the day that you decided to bail out of your marriage!" Jane said nothing. Jess began to snicker. "Where I come from we have a description for girls like you. And nothing on this planet more perfectly describes what you are Jane. I refuse to call you Mrs Taylor, that's just an insult to my family. You Jane, are the personification of a cold, heartless, bitch." Jess sniggered.

"Thank you for that." Jane replied and Jess suddenly collapsed in screaming agony on the floor, clutching her head.

"Jane!" Roared Carlisle. "Not in this house!"

Will helped Jess up from the floor, Ben was crying on Jasper's lap.

"I think you should collect Keeley and go." Carlisle regained his equanimity. "I believe everything has been said that needs saying."

"I did want to ask how Ness is." Jane added. "I was sorry that she got bitten."

"I'm fine." Ness said in a clipped tone. She was stood on the stairs, with Bella, Jake and Dan. In his arms Dan was cradling a baby.

"I'm glad." Jane turned and went to leave.

"Excuse me, Mrs Taylor?" Heather stood up. Jane stopped and turned back. "I'm Heather Scott, we haven't been introduced. I'm Charlie's girlfriend."

"I know."

"I'm curious, that you came here armed with someone to keep Edward from getting at your thoughts, although I take your point that there are things about your work that you need to keep secret. I believe Edward is an honourable man and from what Charlie has told me, it would never be his nature to misuse what he could pick up out of a person's head. You know Edward better than I do, so I think you know this. What you don't know, is what I'm capable of. You might be able to hide your mind from Edward, but I'm afraid you can't hide your eyes from me, even though you're making a good attempt at it."

I saw the momentary flash of alarm on Jane's face. "I don't know what you mean?"

"Why do you need contact lenses Mrs Taylor? Vampires have perfect eyesight."

"I'm not wearing contact lenses." Jane snapped.

"You are. You're wearing red contacts. I'm guessing that your eyes are still gold. But that's not all. You worry me; even through the contacts I can see the emotional turmoil that you're in and that's bad."

"You can't see anything!" Jane asserted.

"Oh she can," replied Ness. "She worked me out on a park bench in San Francisco."

"I can't bear it when people get themselves knotted up and lost inside. Continued Heather.

"I am not lost" Jane snapped. "I am the CEO of the Solace Foundation!"

"You're a woman in pain and if you'll just admit to why, then the pain will go."

"I am not in pain! Vampires do not feel pain!"

"I'm not talking about physical pain; this is all in your head. Let go of Renate's hand and let Edward see your thoughts."

"I don't have to put up with this!" Jane turned to go yanking Renate with her.

"Jane?" Jess said quietly.

Jane glanced at Jess, there was a blur and Jane was standing right in front of Jess, still connected to Renate who Jane had dragged with her.

"What was that?" Jane gasped.

"Me." Jess said. "I'm a vampire magnet, who knew. Take your contact lenses out or I will take them out for you, with your eyeballs still attached."

"Renate, go and wait for me in the car." Said Jane.

"But you told me not to let go of you?"

"Wait for me in the car!" Renate let go of Jane's hand and the vampire walked quickly out of the room.

Jane waited until she heard the door close than then she dabbed at her eyes.

"They are gold." Said Jess softly. "Jane, what the fuck is going on?"

"I couldn't come back!" I saw Dan scoot down the stairs and out from behind Ness and Jake.

"What do you mean you couldn't come back?" He said. In his arms newborn Sophie was giving little squeaks.

"You wouldn't want me."

"What? Whatever gave you that idea?"

"I killed those people."

"Yeah, and? You'd been doing that for over a thousand years, it didn't make me love you any less."

"I was dangerous to you!"

"Do you want to kill me now?"

"No."

"Well then, that was a big fat lie you told yourself, wasn't it?"

Jane crossed her arms over her chest and stood there as if she were trying to hold herself together. She said nothing and stared at a point on the floor in front of Dan's feet.

"She's struggling to find the words," said Edward. "She wants me to say them. Jane has spent the last six months convincing herself that she's not worth anyone's love. She messed up what she had and believed that Dan wouldn't love her because of what she'd done. She believed that he wouldn't be able to cope with her true nature when she slipped. She's thrown herself into her work and become what Jess has accused her of being: A cold, heartless bitch. You only lapsed the once though didn't you?" Edward continued. Jane nodded. "And you've tried to block him out in the hope that he'd find someone else." Jane nodded. "He didn't Jane, he couldn't; he loves you too much. If you don't believe my words I can get Ness to show you." Jane shook her head.

"You are the only person I want. I love you!" Dan's voice was raspy and his cheeks were already wet with tears.

"But you're with Stacey now." Jane's face was a mask of anguish.

"No he's not," said Jake. "He just shared a room with her for a night. We were above it and can assure you it was one long argument about him not being willing to do what Stacey expected."

"I thought vampires mated for life." Dan sniffed. "When you went…" He fumbled with Sophie, suddenly wanting his hands. Rose was instantly there, taking the little baby from him, her eyes looking like she'd won a prize.

"Oh my goodness, she's so gorgeous!" Rose looked adoringly at the little baby girl.

"Don't drink her." Said Dan, wiping his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"You should have more faith in me." Rose admonished him.

Dan and Jane were only a few feet apart.

"So, do you want to come back?" Asked Dan, wiping yet more tears away.

"Yes. There isn't a moment where I haven't." Jane whispered.

Dan held his right hand out to her. She held hers out to him.

"No, your other one."

"What?"

"Give me your left hand."

Jane held it out to him and he dug in his jeans pocked and pulled out a plaited silver ring. He went to put it on her finger, but she pulled her hand away.

"We're not married anymore."

"Yes we are."

"No, we're not, you signed the divorce papers, Lombardi told me."

"Well he didn't check them. I'd call your legal department and get them to send you a photo of my signature. As far as I know, you weren't married to Daffy Duck."

"No, you married stupid as fuck." Jess shot back. A ripple of relived laughter went around the room.

"So it's… not legal?" Jane looked close to tears.

"I don't know, but I didn't want a divorce and it was the only thing I could think of doing that would tell you that I didn't want it." He held her wedding ring out to her. "I believe this is yours Mrs Taylor." Jane held her hand out and this time Dan slipped the ring onto her finger. He took her left hand in his.

"You're still wearing yours." She said.

"I've never taken if off. Unlike most of my species, I mate for life." Dan pulled her in and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He looked over to Jess, a long-absent twinkle back in his eye. "Stupid as fuck? Is that the best you can do? You're losing your touch girl; you're going soft in your vampirehood."

"I'll give you that one." Jess said and walked over to Jane and Dan. Dan released Jane as she approached. "It's good to have you back, both of you. I've missed you." She hugged Jane. "I'm glad you're back where you belong. I'm sorry I had a go at you. " She turned to your brother. "And I'm just happier when you're being an arsehole." Jess shuddered. "OK, I'm going to try this…"

"You're not going to hug me are you?" Dan bristled.

"I… er… yes."

Dan put his hands up and backed off. "Ah… no. I thought we agreed never to do affection."

"Well, I'm willing to compromise on this occasion if you will."

"Ooh two nil to me. Lack of an at-the-gut attack and an expression of capitulation? What are you, a vampire or a vole?

There was a blur and Jess had him bent back with a handful of his hair in her hand.

"Jess?" Will's tone was concerned.

Jess smiled benignly at her brother and then placed her cold hand on his exposed stomach. He collapsed in a laughing heap on the floor. Jess walked calmly over to Ness.

"So you're finally up then."

"You woke me with your yelling."

"That must make a change from Jake's snoring." There was laughter, Jake rolled his eyes and the two friends hugged fiercely.

"We're all together again." Esmé said "And by the looks of things we have more than Stephanie and Heather to welcome to the family and Jane and Dan to welcome back. Dan, would you like to say something?"

Dan and Jane were stood with their arms wrapped around one another.

"It's been an eventful night." Dan said.

"I'll second that." Said Charlie, looking at me.

Jane turned to me. "Oh! Sorry, I got distracted. I'll take care of Keeley." She turned back to Dan. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"No, let's do it together, but in a few minutes." Dan collected Sophie from Rose and Jane came to his side. "I don't know much Italian," he said. "But one phrase I can recognise is a cry for help. Guess I've been doing that a lot myself over the last few months. I'm sorry I've been a complete git and I know that all of you have been in touch at some point, letting me know that you still cared about me, even if I didn't care about myself. Anyway, tonight I saw this little girl being born and it woke me up, made me realise, that she had nobody in the world to take care of her, other than me. I couldn't leave her there, I'd walked away from every other part of my life, but something made me want to care for her. Thank goodness Carlisle turned up because I genuinely didn't know that to do."

"That's common to all fathers." Said Will. "Right Edward?

"Right, I did hunt for the instruction manual, but I couldn't find it either."

"It's not just fathers." Said Bella, I can assure you, we're equally as clueless."

"Good grief, how did I ever manage to reach adulthood?" Ness said wryly.

"Lucky for you, I knew how to change a diaper." Jake told her.

"That is some weird shit." Charlie griped.

"It was, actually." Jake deadpanned.

There was much laughter and Ness looked at Jake with incredulity. "I cannot believe you said that." She laughed and looked over to me. "This is what it's like all the time. You might want to bail now."

"I like it." I said sensing the relief that was rippling through the family. "But I think Dan was trying to say something before we ended up being introduced to the contents of your diaper."

"Which she only wore for ten days, anyhow."

"Jake, shut up!" Jake and Ness were grinning at each other. "Dan, carry on."

Dan was grinning. "I'd forgotten how much fun this was. So, well… this is Sophie. Her name's not very Italian, but I thought Sophie Taylor went better than Sophia Taylor."

"Where did the name come from?" Asked Jane.

"I've just always liked it. There's no great symbolism attached. Anyway, I've got myself into this situation and Jess is quite right, I haven't thought it through."

"We'll work it out." Said Esmé, "It's what we do. You can count me in to help care for her."

"And me!" Said Rose.

"And me, this'll be easier because I can see her future." Said Alice.

"You can count all of us in, but I think your go-to guy on this one's going to be Daniel." Said Carlisle.

"I have a little experience." Daniel smiled.

"Didn't you do the whole Stay at Home Dad thing?" Asked Charlie.

"I did."

"Well then, you're the expert."

"I'd like to have a go." Said Jane, hesitantly.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Replied Dan and kissed her on her forehead. "Would you like to hold her?"

Jane nodded and Dan passed the little girl to his wife. Jane bounced her gently for a moment and then her face fell. "What is that smell?" Dan leant forward and sniffed.

"More weird shit?" Asked Charlie.

"No, just the ordinary stuff." Dan replied, grinning.

"I'll change her!" Rose jumped up. "You two go and take Keeley away."

That evening, while I'd been out of the room, someone had been in, remade the bed, removed the blood-stained sheets and clothes and aired the room. I got in bed and closed my eyes. Daniel lay down beside me. He ran his finger over the dressing on my neck. I turned to him and opened my eyes again.

"I'm so sorry." He said, softly.

"It's OK, I'm just tired. Do you mind if I go to sleep? It's been a long night."

"Not at all. Do you mind if I stay with you?"

"No, I'd like that." I thought back over the night. "I love your family by the way."

"I'm glad, I love them too. It feels right again. It hasn't felt right since Christmas."

"And now there's a new baby."

"I know, twenty of us."

"I didn't get to tell Jess about the whole thing."

"You can tell her when you wake. Sleep well, I'll be here."

I wriggled down under the covers and surrendered myself to sleep.