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I own lots of things in life, but sadly, Twilight isn't one of them! Thanks to Katelyn for beating! A special thanks to Kim, Rhonda, and Kristen for pre-reading! Their suggestions are worth more than gold!

Meeting Myself: Chapter 25

Logically, as a doctor, I knew any time my phone moved I would reach for it. My job never really ended-I might have been at home, but I could still be called in. I cared about my patients enough that they could interrupt virtually anything, and I would come in if it were life and death.

However, what I did not expect was a text from Jasper. I understood he wanted me to know as soon as possible, and he probably figured I'd sleep through the message until the morning. Now, instead of sleeping, I was awake, holding Bella close to my body while watching the minutes pass by on my clock.

Every time I closed my eyes, nothing happened-my brain refused to shut off, and I kept replaying the same text over and over in my head.

If Jenks found the Weber's and knew they were in Chicago, I knew I needed to make arrangements to fly out there. My conversation with them would not be done via telephone.

Then there was the problem of Savannah. First, I was throwing my new relationship with Bella at her, and now this? Maybe it was my own fault for believing he'd never find them, or maybe I was simply trying to protect her, but I had to tell her what I knew before making any solid plans.

Next, I questioned whether Savannah would want to go to Chicago with me or not. If she didn't, I'd have to have my mom come and stay over for a few days or have Savannah sleep there. I knew I couldn't just leave her in the house by herself, and I hoped she understood that I need to go regardless of whether she wanted to..

My life had slowly started to fall together, but I knew I needed to do this. I needed answers, and, though it vengeful, I wanted Angela to know what she'd missed out on. Part of me wondered if she ever thought of Savannah...Lord knows I did, but now I didn't have to wonder, because she was officially my daughter.

I knew it was wrong to hate her, but part of me did. It wasn't like I was some random high school hook-up...we had a plan. Savannah would have changed that, but I would have still stood by her side...stood by their sides. Angela didn't have the right to lie to me, period, and now, I needed to know why she did.

Eventually I passed out, but my sleep was anything but peaceful. When I blinked my eyes open, I noticed Bella was looking up at me. Her cheeks were a little pink, and she was biting her lips, but I refused to let the morning be awkward. I hadn't had enough sleep for awkward.

"Good morning," I spoke, even though my throat was dry.

"Morning," she whispered up at me.

"Did you sleep okay?" I asked as I stretched my body a bit.

"Yeah, but you didn't. Do you always toss and turn so much?" Bella sat up and turned towards me.

"No, I'm sorry. I got a text late last night, long after you fell asleep, and it messed with my head," I explained as I sat up and sighed.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Bella pushed gently. She held her hand out for me to take, and even though it was such a simple gesture, it meant a lot.

"I guess full disclosure wouldn't be a bad idea," I muttered to myself more than to Bella. I hadn't even thought of telling her that I had set out a hunt for Angela and her family, but now that we were moving forward, she deserved to know. "Not too long ago I asked Jasper to put me in contact with a private investigator. I asked him to find Angela or her parents, and I got a text last night telling me that he had."

"I see," Bella mumbled as she nodded. She bit her lip again and looked nervous but didn't say anything for a minute. "I didn't realize you still wanted to see her."

"Honestly, I don't, but I need to. There are a lot of unanswered questions to be asked, and Savannah deserves to know the truth. Now I have to figure out how to talk to her about this, too," I explained without even realizing Bella's sudden attitude shift. Her eyes looked clouded, and I had completely missed the double meaning of her statement. "Oh, wait, you thought? No! No, I don't...Bella, she is part of my past, I just want answers, not...I don't want anything from her."

Bella nodded but didn't say anything.

"Bella, you must know there is no way I'd..." I trailed off trying to figure out exactly what to say. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to being at a loss for words, but you...this..." I pointed between us. "This is where my heart is. Angela has answers I want, but I don't want her in my life, not even as a friend. She is nothing to me now...after what she did..." I shook my head as anger took over. Fury pulsed through my blood as I remembered the day I walked away from her in the park over sixteen years ago.

"It's okay," Bella tried to soothe. She sat on her knees in front of me with her hands now on my face. Only a tiny bit of a sheet covering her body. "I would never hurt you like that."

"I know," I rasped out. I was upset that I had let Angela get the better of me, even if it was only internally, and that Bella had to bare witness to it.

We stayed in that position for a few minutes before I leaned forward and kissed her. My body suddenly calmed, and I felt like I could breathe again. I knew my connection to Bella was strong, but just being near her brought me so much peace. If we had had the house to ourselves, I may have tried for a repeat performance of the night before, but I knew my daughter...I could almost bet she was making breakfast already.

"You're so amazing," I whispered seconds before we broke apart. Bella was blushing as she stumbled into my bathroom from the bed. I decided now would be a good time to find some clean clothes, but it was a spot on the middle of the bed that caught my attention.

Seeing it reminded me of how careless we had been the night before about protection. Bella never actually confirmed or denied whether the infection she suffered rendered any prolonged complications, and, as far as I knew, I could still impregnant a woman. We needed to be more careful in the future, and I did need to ask her about birth control. I wasn't a fan of condoms, but I would stock my room with them if they were needed.

I had managed to find a pair of jeans and a clean polo shirt for me to wear. I was fixing the collar when Bella came out of the bathroom. She had on the dress from the night before, but without the leggings, and I had to admit, it didn't look wrinkled or anything. Bella looked like she would on any other day.

"Bella, I do have a question," I informed her as I stared at myself in the mirror.. "We didn't use any protection last night, and I was wondering..."

"I have an IUD," Bella interjected, and I nodded my head towards her.

"Got it. Well, that answered my questions. So, thank you," I announced back, but she had her eyebrows scrunched together.

"Questions?" she wondered.

"Well, I know we don't have to worry about last night, and you never explained if the infection lead to any permanent damage. I'm assuming since you have an IUD you could get pregnant still, if you wanted to," I rattled off.

"I see..." Bella trailed off nervously.

"I'm sorry, did I say something to upset you?" I asked immediately after she looked down.

"No, you just talk about it all so formally. When we're here, just you and me, it's easy to forget you're a doctor." Bella didn't elaborate, and it didn't feel like she wanted to talk about it anymore, so I let it drop.

Part of me wondered if Bella would ever consider having another child. I knew her son still weighed heavily on her heart, but it was a conversation we'd eventually have to have. When I was married, children were so far out of the realm of possibility I didn't even think about it...but now, I didn't know what to think. If Bella and I had a long-term future, which I believed we did, we would need to talk about it. Now that I had Savannah, part of me did want another child. I wanted to experience everything I had missed out on with her, but, at the same time, it wasn't a make-or-break decision, either.

Instead of worrying what didn't matter at that time, I switched to worrying about something that did. I still had to talk to Savannah about Angela.

Of course, when we got downstairs and saw the table was set for three, I wasn't even the least bit surprised.

"Good morning," Savannah sang enthusiastically once she saw us. "Orange juice and tea are on the table, and Bella your coffee is almost ready." There was a chipperness to Savannah's voice that I'd never heard before, and it was eerie that my daughter knew what I was doing the night before.

"Thank you, Savannah," Bella stated slowly. She probably felt as off-guard as I did, but I seemed to hide it better.

"I'm just making pancakes, is that okay?" Savannah asked, and we both nodded in sync.

"You're really happy this morning," I noted, and she nodded.

"It's a wonderful day," she said wistfully, and I had to question what was in the punch bowl at the Homecoming dance. Savannah floated through the kitchen from one side and back to the other several times before setting a plate of pancakes in the center of the table. She filled Bella's coffee cup up with a smile, and then sat down with a sigh.

"So, tell us about Homecoming," I prompted, and of course that launched Savannah straight into the night before.

"Oh, Dad, it was wonderful. First, Jeremy took me into Port Angeles to this Italian place. It was Bella something, you should take Bella there actually, and the food was amazing. The people were so nice, and an old couple stopped to admire my dress. Then, we headed back to Forks to go to the dance.

"The theme was starry nights, so they decorated the place like we were outside. They strung lights that twinkled, and it was seriously magical. I mean, it was cheesy too, but it was so pretty. We hung out with friends but danced most of the night," Savannah explained, and eventually took a breath.

"Then, we went over to Jeremy's friends house after the dance for a little while. We all basically hung out in his backyard and talked, and then, he brought me home," Savannah explained, but I didn't miss how she described the dance perfectly, yet rushed over the after-party. I filed that away to find out more later.

I had to keep reminding myself that I trusted my daughter, and that if she was going to do something, I wasn't really going to be able to stop her anyway. I knew I couldn't have been stopped at that age, but it probably wasn't a bad time to talk about protection and birth control again sometime in the near future. I'd give Savannah all her options and let her choose. I hoped Jeremy would stay true to his word about values and morals, but the reality of waiting until marriage in our society was a dying concept.

"That sounds like a lot of fun, Savannah," Bella said as she stepped into the conversation. "A lot better than my school dances. One year they wanted to do clouds so they used cottonballs glued to the gym walls. It was ridiculous."

Savannah and Bella shared a laugh as I just sat back and observed. My phone went off, and I excused myself to let them talk and eat.

"Hey, Jasper," I greeted once I looked at the caller ID.

"Hi," he answered. "I just sent you an e-mail with everything he found. He found Angela's parents, but it doesn't look like she's had any contact with her family in years. There is no trace of Angela in the last decade honestly, it looks like she may have disowned her parents and changed her name."

"Interesting," I mumbled as I sat down in my office. I pulled up the e-mail, and staring me in the face was a picture of a much older looking couple than I remembered seeing last, yet still the same people. There was also some basic facts and an address.

"Hey, are you listening?" Jasper pushed, but I had to admit I was too busy staring at the people who could have inevitably ruined any future I had with my daughter. How did they even sleep at night?

"Sorry, I was just thinking..." I tried to apologize but ended up hanging up with Jasper a few minutes later.

1654 Cherry Rd, Chicago, IL

I stared at that address for a good five minutes before deciding to call my dad. Now that Rosalie had delivered Jeremiah, I had no one due for about a three week window, and I needed a few days away. I'd need to go in later to see Rosalie, but if I flew out Sunday evening, I could be back by Tuesday night.

"Are you sure you want to see them, Edward?" my dad asked. "After all this time."

"I need answers," I snapped a little harder than I should. "I need something..."

"If you feel it's for the best, then yeah, I have the coverage for a few days, but you should really think about this. Your life has calmed down, you have Savannah now, and if the rumor mills are true, it sounds like things may be working out with Bella, too," he relayed logically. I understood his standpoint, and I respected my father greatly, but this was something I needed to do. Even if they couldn't give me the closure or answers I needed, I would at least know I tried.

"Mom?" I questioned, and he laughed.

"Well, she did eventually say something, but no. There is a pool going on with your nurses' about how long it would take before you asked her out," my dad informed me.

"Seriously?" I gasped. I expected something like this within my own family, but my nurses?

"I'm afraid so, and if your mom was right, it would mean Julie won," he relayed the information including the three-hundred dollars she had just made. I also made a mental note to have her take me to lunch when I got back.

"Go figure," I tried to brush off. "How do you know about the nurses' pool anyway? I didn't even know about this."

"Nothing goes on in my hospital without my knowledge, Edward. And I mean nothing," he forced, and I understood what he meant.

"Well, I'm gonna talk to Savannah. If she doesn't want to go, do you think mom would mind her staying over for a few days?" I asked.

When my dad laughed me off the phone, I knew it was a dumb question.

I decided not to sit too long and began walking back to the kitchen. Bella and Savannah could be heard talking, and the sound of running water lead me to believe someone was doing dishes.

I stood at the doorway when I heard them talking.

"Well, Jeremy sounds like quite a catch, just be careful, okay?" Bella said sounding sincere.

"Don't worry, I promise I am," Savannah brushed off, but I tensed up. That sounded like...

"Do you mean you're..." Bella trailed off exactly where my thoughts had lead me. Thankfully Savannah pick up the conversation exactly where Bella had stopped.

"No, nothing like that. It's just, last night he told me loved me, and I know we're young, but it made the night perfect," Savannah gushed quietly. "I know keeping secrets is bad and all, but just don't tell my dad. I know he's wary about me dating anyway, and I don't want him to think we're moving too fast. We haven't done anything besides like kissing, and we've both agreed not to go any further than that for a very long time."

Bella snorted, and I had to hold mine in. If anyone needed a lecture on going too fast, Savannah wasn't exactly at the top of the list. I hung around the hallway some more and listened into their conversation. I wasn't information gathering as much as I was enjoying hearing Savannah confide in someone.

As her dad, and as a male, I knew she wouldn't come to me about everything. That was a huge factor in moving us to Forks-she needed a female role model, and if she clung to Bella for that, well, that worked in my favor. Both of them were important to me, and I considered it a major plus that they got along so well. I really couldn't ask for anymore than that right now.

"Don't worry about your dad. He just wants to make sure Jeremy isn't going to hurt you, but it sounds like you both have good, strong heads on your shoulders, and that's important. Just know, regardless of what is going on with me and your dad, I will always be here to talk. Call me whenever, if you can't go to him, you can come to me. As long as it's not life or death, we can have our secrets, and I'm sure your dad will understand that," Bella explained, and I nodded my head as she said it. I completely understood and approved.

"Thank you," Savannah said, and I heard the water turn off.

"You really don't have a problem with me dating your dad? It's not awkward for you at all?" Bella asked, and, as close to walking into the kitchen as I had come, I was glad I hadn't yet.

"No, actually I'm glad he's found someone, and I'm happy it's you. I know it should probably be weird, but it's not. I've heard a lot of the stories and whispers when no one thinks I'm listening, and I think he spent too much of his time ignoring his life because of the past. I'm sure a lot of it is because of me, and what happened before, but he doesn't deserve to be alone. He deserves to be happy, and so do you, so if you make each other happy, then I'm happy."

Savannah completely overused the word happy, but my heart swelled at her statement. It was times like this that made it so easy to forget how young she really was. I'd see glimpse of wisdom far beyond her years, but I couldn't forget the teenager-temper-tantrum from two days prior, either.

"Well, your dad definitely makes me happy, so I'll work on keeping him that way. If it ever becomes too much, or you get uncomfortable, you just have to talk to us. We're both pretty reasonable adults," Bella informed Savannah, and I heard her snort.

"You didn't see him the other night," Savannah's tone changed, and right there was my teenager.

"I did hear about that," Bella informed her, and I decided then would be a good time for me to step in.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked as I rounded the corner.

"Just cleaning up," Bella answered for them as she placed the last piece of silverware in the drawer.

"Good, Savannah, I'd like to talk to you for a bit," I explained, and her face dropped.

"Should I?" Bella motioned for the exit, but I shook my head.

"No, this involves you, too, so I think we should all sit down to talk," I answered. She nodded and grabbed my hand.

"Am I in trouble?" Savannah paled slightly, but I shook my head.

"No, not at all," I dismissed,and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, good, because if I was, I wasn't sure what I did," Savannah muttered.

We all took a seat in the living room. Savannah occupied the arm chair while Bella sat on the couch with me. I turned to face Savannah and tried to decide how to word my statement.

"Savannah, you've asked a lot about Angela, and there were some answers I could never give because I don't know them," I started, and she visibly cringed when I used Angela's name. "I have gone back and forth on whether or not I wanted to attempt to talk to her since you came into my life. I decided after we moved to Forks, I would try to locate her, and very late last night, I was informed that the person I hired found her parents."

I paused because Savannah's face contorted into a painful expression.

"Savannah, talk to me," I prompted, but she bit her lip.

"You want me to meet them?" she asked in a very small voice. Her tone was so low I almost didn't hear her, and it was totally obvious that she didn't want that.

"Not if you don't want to, no," I informed her, but she only visibly relaxed a little.

"I would like to see them," I stated, but Savannah gasped.

"I don't understand," she started to panic, and I didn't understand her reaction at all.

"Savannah, what exactly are you feeling right now?" I asked, but she didn't answer.

I felt Bella's hand move back to mine, and she gently squeezed it.

"Savannah," Bella prompted, and their eyes locked together. "What your dad is trying to tell you is that he would like to see them to get some of the answers to the questions you both have. They aren't local, so he'll be gone for a few nights, but you don't have to go. You can stay in Forks while he visits, or, if you want, you can try to meet them. The decision is yours, but whatever you decide is fine with him."

I looked over at Bella, completely speechless. How did she do that?

"I don't want to go," Savannah immediately answered. She didn't blink or second-guess; she stated her opinion without any hesitancy.

"Okay, you don't have to," I soothed. "I'm going to book a flight out for tomorrow, and I'll be home no later than Tuesday night."

"Um, where exactly am I going to be staying? I don't mind being home alone, but I can't drive," Savannah pointed out, and I had thought about that.

"I asked my parents if you could stay with them had you decided not to go, is that okay?" Savannah didn't answer for a second, but even though she said it was fine, her tone didn't sit right with me. Then it occurred to me how much Savannah disliked change, I hadn't even thought of that when I was mentally making arrangements, but I also wasn't sure what other option there was.

"Savannah, do you not want to stay at Esme's house?" Bella asked seemingly oblivious to my now internal struggle of where Savannah should go, but Savannah shot her eyes between the two of us.

"You won't offend me if you say no, sweetheart," I encouraged because I wanted Savannah to be honest. In fact, I needed for her to be honest. I wanted to do what was best for both of us, and if there was another way, I was more than willing to consider it.

"Not really. I love Esme, but I just feel more comfortable here and..." she trailed off, but Bella squeezed my hand to get my attention again. I glanced over at her, and she nudged her head a bit. I completely missed her point so I asked out loud if she had a different solution.

"What if I stayed here with Savannah?" Bella offered. "I could make sure you got to and from school, and if there was an emergency, I could drive. It would keep Savannah in her element at home."

"You'd do that?" I asked at the same time Savannah said, "Really?"

"Yeah, I don't mind. I live in a house by myself, so I can not be home for a few days; it's no big deal." Bella attempted to brush off her generosity, but her offer spoke to her kindness and open-heart.

"I'd be okay with that," I informed Savannah, and she agreed. Bella said she would pack a bag when she went home and come back later that night. She also insisted they would drive me down to Seattle and pick me up Tuesday night. I tried telling Bella I could hire a car service, but she would have none of that. Instead, she shooed me away to order my tickets while she excused herself to talk to Savannah some more.

I still wasn't quite sure why Savannah reacted the way she did in regards to me seeing Angela's parents' or even the thought of meeting them herself. However, I had a feeling Bella did, and I hoped Savannah was using her as a shoulder to lean on. I knew she would tell me when she was ready, but, until then, I knew she had Bella, and I was amazingly comfortable with that.

Day 6...Am I trying for Day 7? Maybe...26 is partially written already, so I'll update soon :) The answers for Angela in the next chapter!

Now, for my author friends who have not heard about Emergency Team Beta's Boot Camp, I highly suggest checking it out! Everyone I know who has used this service has loved it-so, yeah, check it out at: http:/emergencybeta(dot)com/ebs-writing-boot-camp/ I plan on doing it again!

Fandom For The Storm is also accepting donations and I have submitted my first meeting Myself outtake. It is Savannah's POV on visiting her parents grave.

To follow me on twitter I am SammieLynnsMom and facebook I am SammieLynnsMom Fanfiction

FAN FIC REC OF MY UPDATE:

My wonderful, bestest friend ever morethanmyself started her new story: The Space Where You Belong It's going to be SOOOO good! Check it out! it's E&B! http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/7151673/1/The_Space_Where_You_Belong