Disclaimer: SM owns the characters, the plot and Lily's adventures are mine © isakassees 2009-2010
A/N: Thank you for all your reviews! Over 8k! That's just amazing. I just found out I'm up for a Faithful Shipper Award for Best Meet-Cute and Best Gut-Dropping Line. I was so excited to be nominated, although I don't have a snowball's chance in hell. I mean srsly, I won't be voting for me. But you should check out the website and vote for your favorites. There's a fuckton of good fics nominated for some good stuff.
Fantasy Mother lets me bug her at work all day long to pre-read and reassure me, and Bellamarie117 betas faster than a locomotive. Both you ladies rock hard.
To my brother: It's really fucking cool you started reading this and you like it, but if you could not read the shower scene, that would be awesome. Or I may never be able to look you in the eye again.
To everybody else: You better not skip the whole chapter just to get to the shower scene.
Because of RL responsibilities, I'm having to break up this chapter into two parts, both in EPOV again. I'll get it up as soon as possible.
Chapter 26: Come What May
(August 30th)
EPOV
Mission Bella's Perfect Day has begun.
This had to be perfect. We'd had a shittastic day yesterday doing the interview with People. Sharon hadn't wasted any time getting in contact with Angela, and the interviewer had arrived bright and early Thursday morning. Bella had gone in to see Siobhan on Wednesday to help soothe her nerves about it.
She had come home so proud of herself. Siobhan and she spent the hour breaking dishes, of all things. Through her journaling, she had discovered that the sound of glass breaking triggered some pretty intense panic attacks. But after an hour of talking, breathing exercises, and several broken glasses, she could easily hear glass break without so much as a flinch.
I was really fucking proud of her, too.
She had been exhausted afterwards, and the rest of that day had been spent lazing about the house. We spoke at length about the upcoming interview after Lily was in bed, deciding that our relationship would remain between us, only admitting to a friendship. After several long kisses goodnight, I went to find my parents and make arrangements for Lily to be occupied in the other side of the house in the morning while we had our interview. I had fallen into bed exhausted already from the day I knew was coming, and fell asleep to the faint strands of the crude recording I had made of Bella's, Lily's, and my mother's lullabies for her to listen to at night. She made it through without any dreams that I could hear.
Thursday morning I expected her to be a complete wreck, but as always, she surprised me. She emerged from her room completely composed, with an air about her that I couldn't help but gawk at. Even though she still had another ten pounds to gain before she would be back to her old weight, she hid it well under a thick sweater-dress and pale tights that made her legs look fuller. I knew she had experience doing interviews before for her book series, but I had never seen her in action. It was almost as if she had been body snatched, because the person sitting next to me answering the interviewer's questions did not seem like my Bella.
This Bella didn't blush or fumble her words. She didn't fidget or bite her lip. Whenever a question was asked that she didn't want to answer, she declined it with an authority that left no room for compromise.
After a polite thank-you and good-bye to the interviewer, Bella excused herself from the room, leaving me to schedule the photo shoot and show the interviewer out. Searching through the entire downstairs for her to no avail, I had pounded up the stairs frantically trying to find her, stopping short when I reached her room. When I had knocked, she didn't respond. When I had tried the knob, it was locked.
My first inclination was to give her the privacy she obviously wanted, hard as it might have been for me. But a tugging I had felt as I walked away from her room only increased the further from her I went. Remembering what Charlie had told me about not letting her pull away, I decided to try one more time. Entering through the balcony door, the sight of her hunched over the toilet, green and crying, had broken my heart.
"Bella," I gasped before jumping to her side.
She tried feebly to push me away, but I stubbornly remained, holding her hair back as she continued to heave.
"Edward, please. Just go. I don't want you to see me like this."
Running a damp cloth over her forehead and face, I smiled sadly at her.
"Bella, please. Let me take care of you, love."
Arguing would have taken strength she didn't have, so she relented, not speaking again until her stomach was empty. Relieved to not see any blood in the bowl, I carried her to bed, propping her up slightly before I ran downstairs to find some crackers and Gatorade, along with a bowl in case she got sick again. Once upstairs again, I snatched her Ativan from the bathroom and handed them to her.
"I think it's over now, Edw-"
"Bella, please. Just humor me."
Sighing, she nodded, swallowing the pill quickly. Rubbing my fingers along her arm down to her wrist, I tried to inconspicuously check her pulse, but failed miserably.
"I don't know who you think you're fooling, Edward, but it's not me. Just get it out of your system," she smiled weakly at me, and I grinned back sheepishly before running to fetch my bag from my room.
She sat uncharacteristically patient, letting me check her over without a single huff. It didn't take too long for me to be satisfied that it was only nerves and nothing more serious.
"Will you do me a favor, Beautiful?"
"Mmm?" she hummed, the Ativan clearly taking effect already.
"Stay in bed today? Just rest. You're still healing and I don't want you to wear yourself out and end up back in the hospital." I knew damn well that she despised the idea of the hospital, so I was counting on the threat of it to be enough to keep her in bed.
"Okay. I'm sorry about earlier. Interviews always work my nerves up. I've never actually gotten sick before, though."
Lying down beside her, I picked up her hand. "Please don't apologize. Different kind of interview this time around."
"Yeah," she whispered. "If you're not worried about me being contagious, can I see Lily later?"
"You'll stay in bed?" I asked again.
"Promise. Will you stay with me for a little while?"
"For as long as you want me." Forever! My mind screamed out.
She giggled, snuggling deeper into my side where she fit perfectly.
"Get comfortable then."
She had been a model patient for me the whole day, as getting sick had taken quite a toll on her still-recovering body. She had simply smiled and let my mom come in and give her soup while she fluttered about her, checking her forehead and giving Renee a play-by-play on speakerphone. Lily had filtered in and out of Bella's room, playing card games and bringing Bella pictures to make her feel better. She had gone to sleep early, and this morning I carried Lily into Bella's room before I went downstairs to make breakfast so they could wake up together.
Lily in Bella's bed.
Check.
Chocolate-chip pancakes with whipped cream and bacon.
Check. Sort of.
I hope extra crispy is okay.
Bouquet of lilies and blue rhinestone tiara for Bella, bouquet of lilies and pink rhinestone tiara for Lily.
Check. But I still think Lily added that herself.
Alright, Cullen. Showtime.
Internal pep talk over, I walked carefully up the stairs, carrying the large tray of food, flowers and juice, the tiaras already on the table beside Bella's bed. As I walked down the hall, I heard Bella's sleepy voice ring out.
"Lily? What's going on? Did you have a bad dream? Where's your daddy?"
I walked into the room then, and Lily jumped to her feet on Bella's bed.
"Surprise! It's your perfect day!"
Bella's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes going wide as they flitted between Lily and me. They started to shine and her lips trembled as she spoke in a voice thick with emotion.
"Thank you so much."
Smiling, I walked forward, setting the tray down before her and setting the two vases of lilies on her nightstand. I picked up the tiaras, which Bella accepted with a curious eye, Lily with a cheesy grin.
"Princess of Blue and Princess of Pink, see?" she showed Bella excitedly.
Grinning, Bella placed hers atop her head.
"Perfect."
.
After the three of us stuffed ourselves on breakfast, I took Lily to go get dressed while my mom went to help Bella get ready to go to the playground.
"Daddy, this is so cool," Lily grinned as she tore her nightgown off and threw it at my head.
I pulled her tiara out of her nightdress before dropping it in the hamper. She was lying on the floor of her closet trying to kick her way into leggings just like Bella.
"We're going to match, Daddy," she grunted before looking up at me with narrowed eyes. "You need to match, too."
Gaping at her, I shook my head furiously back and forth. "Lily, daddies do not wear leggings. Or dresses."
She scowled at me, huffing. "Duh, Daddy. I meant match colors."
"Oh," I remarked stupidly, checking out her blue dress and dark blue leggings. "Okay. I'll go change and meet you downstairs."
I set her tiara atop her head and left to go to my room, but not before she called out behind me.
"Thank you, Daddy!"
.
Once I was appropriately matching the girls in a blue t-shirt and dark jeans, we piled into the car to make the one-minute drive down the street to the park. As soon as Lily was unbuckled, she sprinted from the car to the playground, leaving me to help Bella out. I chuckled under my breath as we made our way to a bench at how Bella's eyes followed every single one of Lily's movements on the structure.
"She won't hurt herself, will she?" Bella asked worriedly.
"Bella, she's been to this park a million times. She knows these monkey bars better than the people who made it."
She bit her lip, continuing to watch Lily anxiously, who had all but forgotten about us. Picking up her hand in mine, I rubbed small circles into the back with my thumb. When that didn't seem to work, I just started talking.
"So, why the park?"
"What?" she asked, looking at me finally.
"Why'd you pick the park for your perfect day?"
Her brows knit together before she looked back out towards Lily.
"Well, one, because I hadn't been outside in so long that I was ready to spend a whole week outdoors. Two, I didn't know when I planned it that I'd be stuck in a cast," she smiled sadly. "And three, I knew it would make her happy. And it made me happy to think of her getting to play outside at her favorite place like she should have been."
She blinked rapidly, turning her head away from me momentarily before she faced me again with a bright smile.
"This really means so much to me, Edward. Thank you."
Her selfless honesty and love for my daughter as always continued to amaze me. I smiled at her, before movement behind her caught my eye.
"Shit," I hissed, narrowing my eyes.
"What? What is it?!" she looked around, panicked.
"Nothing, I'm sorry," I sighed.
She followed my line of sight to the unassuming looking girl in a fancy lace dress strutting across the playground.
"What? Who is that?" she asked, sounding more relieved but still confused.
"Demon spawn," I muttered under my breath before plastering on a completely fake and tight smile as Cougar Extraordinaire Jane Yorkie sauntered our way in a skintight outfit that probably was very flattering on her. Twenty years ago. This woman was such a nuisance it was pathetic. She had more plastic in her than one of Lily's Barbies, and her child was an uncontrollable little brat that always picked on Lily, which Jane laughed off every damn time.
"Oh, Edward! Long time no see! I was so happy to hear your Lily was back home safe and sound," she simpered as she threw her arms around my neck. I felt Bella release my hand and her body stiffen next to mine. Pushing Jane back by the shoulders gently, I glanced at Bella, but she was entirely unaffected by Jane's presence. Her eyes were narrowed in on the spawn, or Heidi as her mother called her, who had approached Lily.
"Oh my goodness!" Jane exclaimed, noticing Bella for the first time. "You're Isabella Swan!" She glanced at Bella's tiara and sneered slightly, before masking it behind what could have been a smile if not for all the Botox freezing her face in place.
"It's such a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise." Bella only spared her a quick glance and tight-lipped smile, before her eyes reverted back to Lily and Heidi. Heidi was trailing behind Lily as she climbed all over the jungle gym, and whatever Heidi was saying to her was obviously irritating Lily.
"Edward," she murmured, her hands wringing in her lap.
My first instinct was to swoop in and haul Lily back home away from the brat, to shield her from any and all upsetting influences. But an unfamiliar sense of calm spread over me as I watched Lily send Heidi scathing looks in return. This was the kind of normal everyday nonsense that Lily could take care of on her own. My little girl was strong. She was irritated, but I could tell the difference between something that upset her due to her trauma versus a catty little demon-child that didn't know when to go away. This was definitely the latter.
I can't control the universe.
Siobhan's words rang through my mind like a shot, and a short laugh escaped me. She might even fall off one of those bars and hurt herself, but she would always be okay. Because things happened like that. Those kinds of aches and pains would be what molded her into the woman I knew she would one day become. I would be here for her to dust off the wood chips and help her stand back up again if she needed me. And I wasn't alone in this anymore, either. Bella was here.
And oh shit, Bella's about to go Mama Bear.
As I snapped out of my daze I realized my line of sight was directly blocked by Jane, who was smirking at me as she thought I was checking her out.
Give it a rest, woman. Can't you see who I have sitting next to me?
I peered around her just in time to see Lily on the ground and Heidi pulling her leg back quickly from obviously tripping her. When she saw Bella and me staring at her, she smiled back at us beatifically.
Demon. Spawn.
I hadn't even blinked before Bella had pushed up from the bench, positively seething. Reaching out to grab her arm before she killed herself trying to walk on crutches across the mulch, she looked back at me questioningly. I glanced pointedly down at her cast, and she sighed in return.
"Edward, she-"
"Just wait," I urged softly.
Her expression torn, she sat back down and watched as Lily picked herself up off the ground, stuck her tongue out at Heidi, and marched away with her head high. Bella sagged in relief against me before smiling sheepishly.
"Sorry."
Shaking my head, I smiled at her. "Bella, you're looking at a man who took her to the emergency room when she got her first cold, demanding they do chest x-rays because of a stuffy nose."
"Well, that other little girl better watch it."
Laughing, I was about to respond when a throat clearing drew my attention away from her. Facing Jane, I lost all desire to be civil any longer.
"Mrs. Yorkie," I addressed her, emphasizing the fact that she was married, trying to remind her because she seemed to forget every time she saw a single dad at the park. "I apologize, but you found Miss Swan and me in the middle of a private conversation. If you'll please excuse us…" I made no motion to move from our spot, but gave a rather obvious sideways glance and jerk of my chin toward the benches on the other side of the playground.
Her nostrils flared, but she grimaced out a smile and nod to both of us before she strutted away, wobbling slightly when one of her ridiculously high heels caught in the pavement.
Bella's hand flew up to her mouth to muffle her laugh and I buried my face in her shoulder to smother mine.
"I'm sorry," she snickered. "I know better than anyone not to laugh at someone who trips, but God…she's seriously a piece of work. Is that normal around here? To wear stilettos to the playground? I feel underdressed."
Snorting, I raised my head up. "It's normal for her. She doesn't come here to let her kid play, she comes here to hunt. Any unaccompanied male is never safe when she's around."
Bella's eyebrows rose. "So are you just especially irresistible to her, or have I gone invisible without knowing it?"
I scoffed jokingly, "Please, could you resist all this?" I motioned to myself with a flourish.
She burst out laughing, so I tried to look wounded.
"Not doing good things to my ego there, love."
Smirking, she turned back towards the playground to watch Lily wave at us from the swings.
"Your ego sounds just fine, Mr. Irresistible…C'mon, I want to go swing with Lily."
"Bella, you can't-"
She rolled her eyes, grabbing my hand and tugging me up.
"I know I can't. That's what you're for. You can push me. C'mon."
Grinning, I reached down and threw an arm around her thighs, lifting her easily and hoisting her waist up to level with my shoulders. She squealed, steadying herself with her hands on my shoulders as I started running forward to the swings.
"Lily! Look what I got! I got a Bella!"
Lily was practically vibrating with happiness, clapping and laughing on her swing.
"Yay! I always wanted one of those!"
Setting Bella down into one of the swings with a wink, I whispered into her ear.
"Me, too."
.
Between the playground and the sleepover that night, I didn't really have much planned, but it turned out that didn't matter. After lunch Bella asked if she could borrow Lily for a little bit and I agreed, thinking they wanted some quiet time to themselves. However, my suspicions were immediately roused when instead of them disappearing into the living room or asking to go upstairs, they closed themselves off in my mother's room, where I could hear random squeals emitting for the next few hours.
Well, now I know how Bella felt when we were planning her perfect day during dinner a few nights ago. But what are they doing?
I used the time to brush up on my medical journal reading until Jasper arrived.
"Hey, man. How's it going?" he greeted.
Closing my book, I shrugged.
"Pretty good. Spent the morning with the girls doing Bella's perfect day. But now they're with Mom plotting something, so I figured I'd catch up on some knowledge. Dr. Gerandy's agreed to give me another six weeks before I go back, and I'll have to make up the three rotations I'll miss, but I don't want to let myself get too rusty."
"Makes sense," he nodded. "So…I take it you talked to Bella?"
Smirking, I eyed him closely. "Where'd you hear something like that?"
He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Right. Like Esme didn't conference call with Renee, Ali, and Rose. My ears are still ringing from all the squealing."
"Figures," I sighed. "Yeah, we talked. I'd rather you and I didn't start braiding each other's hair just yet though, Jazz. It's new, obviously, and I kind of want to keep it between her and me for now."
He lifted his hands in surrender. "Fine by me. But I'm happy for you, man. How's Lily doing?"
"Good," I hedged. "She asked Bella to come with her to the statement on Monday. And I told Bella everything about last time, too."
He hissed in a breath, rubbing his forehead anxiously. "How'd she take it?"
Shaking my head, I grimaced. "About as well as you're imagining, I'd say. I'm really fucking worried about Monday."
He nodded, contemplating.
"It…it's going to be rough, man, no two ways around it. We're going in completely blind, and while I'm fairly confident that he didn't hurt Lily during that time, because I think it would have come out by now, she was still alone with him. And we've no idea what she witnessed him do to Bella during that time. I know you remember finding Bella in those woods. There wasn't an inch of her body not bruised or cut up."
I swallowed thickly, fighting down the nausea the images in my memory stirred.
"I'm afraid of what I'll do if they both start falling apart. How can I be there for both of them?"
He stared off at a place beyond me at the wall, thinking hard.
"I don't know, man. I have a feeling it's just going to be a long day for you all around, but I don't think they'll fall apart at the same time. Everything Bella's done for Lily so far leads me to believe she'll keep herself together until she's sure Lily doesn't need her. Even after everything she's been through, she's never broken down in front of people, with the exception of panic attacks, and those are out of her control."
I smiled, remembering her last visit. "Hey, did I tell you she worked through one of her triggers during her last session? When she came home she limped straight into the kitchen with the biggest grin on her face and dropped a glass right on the floor. I had to pick my jaw off the floor right along with it."
He smiled back, clapping me on the shoulder. "That's great, man. She's recovering at a remarkable pace, she really is. Not all of her triggers will be able to be taken care of in one session, but then again, she's so damn stubborn she just might manage it. Her presence, I believe, serves as Lily's tie to reality. That may be what helps Lily get through the statement on Monday. So I don't necessarily think hearing what Lily's got to say will set her back, she'll just need time to process it and get her emotions out. They both will. And I know you love both of them, but make sure you get it out yourself. Don't let yourself avoid it by focusing on them."
Quirking my eyebrow at him, I asked, "You sure you and Siobhan don't have little meetings about my sessions?"
Laughing, he shook his head. "She's the epitome of doctor-patient confidentiality, I promise you. I just know you well."
Standing, I ran a hand through my hair. "Well, I'm ready to go break up this little secret party they've got going on. I'm in the mood for some Candyland."
.
I was tempted to eavesdrop before I knocked on the door, but as soon as my footsteps sounded in the hall, the room went completely quiet. My mom threw the door open, beaming at me with shiny eyes.
"What's going on in here?" I asked, bewildered.
She patted my cheek before grabbing her purse and walking past me. "Nothing, dear. I'll be back!"
I threw my hands up in the air and looked at Bella and Lily questioningly, but they just smiled back at me with matching innocent expressions as they sat on my parent's bed.
"I'll tickle the truth out of you," I threatened playfully, stalking forward with my hands raised in tickle claws.
Bella picked up a pillow for defense.
"Don't you dare, Edward Cullen. You'll find out when I say you find out, and not a moment before. Don't ruin our fun."
"Fine," I smirked. "But I can still tickle you!"
Lily shrieked and squealed as I chased her around the room, while Bella laughed and cheered on the bed. In that moment, it hit me that we weren't just Bella and Lily, or Bella and Edward, or Edward and Lily anymore. We were becoming our very own family of three.
.
We ordered pizzas for dinner and played Candyland in the living room while we waited for them and the rest of our family to show up. Emmett contained some sort of radar allowing him to arrive at the exact same time as the pizzas, and everyone else came shortly after. Lily plowed straight into Charlie when he walked in the door, knocking him back a couple of steps as she wrapped herself around his legs.
"Papaw Charlie! I went to the park today!"
Chuckling, he bent down to pick her up and give her a hug. I glanced at Bella, and she was biting her lip as she tried to inconspicuously wipe a tear off her cheek. Reaching under the table, I slid my hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.
"So cute," she whispered, smiling at me.
I nodded, turning back to them. Lily was twisting his mustache while he twitched it back and forth for her.
"So you went to a park today, did you? Well, your Papaw wants to hear all about it. Do I smell pizza?"
Wiggling out of his arms, she dragged him by the hand to the counter.
"Yep! Come eat. I went down the slide, and on the monkey bars, and all the way to the top of the jungle gym…" she carried on, telling him every key point of her day, up until we got back in the afternoon. I sagged back into my chair, disappointed, narrowing my eyes as I caught Bella smirking at me.
"I'm going to find out," I swore cockily.
"Yes, you will. Just not today," she smiled sweetly.
"Hmph," I scowled playfully, my attention turning towards my mother as she came in with some shopping bags. I moved to stand up to get a peek, but Bella's hand clapped down on my thigh.
"Honestly, Edward. For someone who likes to give surprises so much, you're really awful about receiving them."
"Ha!" Emmett barked. "If you only knew. He used to unwrap our Christmas presents every year and then rewrap them, just because he couldn't wait until the morning to see 'em. He had Alice convinced for years he could read her mind."
"Edward, Edward, Edward," she shook her head, clicking her tongue. "That's just pathetic."
Crossing my arms, I glared at both of them.
"Emmie, I've got tons of ammo against you as well, so you might want to watch it. And you," I narrowed my eyes at Bella. "Quit picking on me. Whose side are you on anyway?"
Pouting her bottom lip in mock sympathy, she stroked my cheek. "I'm so sorry. We'll stop."
"Pfft," Emmett scoffed. "He throws some goo-goo eyes at you and you go and switch sides. Way to be a traitor. What happened to being my partner in crime, B?"
She rolled her eyes, standing and grabbing her crutches.
"Quit fighting over me, I'm not a piece of meat. I'm going to go spend some time with my dad if I can get Lily to share."
.
After dinner, every female in the house disappeared into my mother's room with strict orders to keep out and to fix up the living room into our tent. It took a lot of maneuvering of furniture, but we eventually had the couches and chairs set about the room so that blankets created a fort over ten sleeping bags. With specific instructions from Lily to make enough popcorn for everyone with M&Ms mixed in, which actually sounded pretty good, we were filling bowls in the kitchen when the girls finally emerged.
"All done with secrets for the evening?" I asked with raised eyebrows as Bella limped toward me, smiling as she saw the M&Ms.
"Mm-hmm," she nodded, popping one of the candies in her mouth. "You thought of everything didn't you?"
"Just followed the boss's orders. Do I even get a clue?" I begged.
"Of course. All you have to do is ask," she said plainly as she continued to stand there in silence, picking out only the blue M&Ms to eat.
"Bella."
"Yes, Edward."
"May I have a clue?" I sighed.
She placed her crutches under her arms before grinning evilly at me. "Miss Scarlett. Lead pipe. Library. There. That was three." And then she blew me a kiss with a wink and hobbled away to follow everyone into the living room, leaving me gaping behind her, facing an amused-looking Charlie.
"You'll learn in time not to bother, son," he smiled, clapping me on the back before walking after her.
.
The night was filled with laughter, pillow and popcorn fights, and absolutely no movie-watching whatsoever. Lily relished being in the spotlight of everyone's attention as she bounced from pallet to pallet, talking and playing with everyone. Bella watched it all with a serene smile on her face, and I knew once again that this aspect of her perfect day had nothing to do with her own happiness, and everything to do with Lily's.
Scooting closer to where she was propped up with pillows, I found her hand under the blanket.
"Hi," I murmured, earning me a sweet smile.
"Hi yourself. You have no idea how bad Rose and Alice want to get me alone so they can interrogate me about you. You have to protect me," she whispered.
"I'll keep you safe," I promised softly, lifting up my pinky to her. She latched onto it with a grin, mouthing 'I love you' to me before releasing it. I wanted so badly to cradle her to me, but while our family knew about us, Lily did not. And selfish though it might be, I wanted to keep this part of Bella to myself for just a little longer.
And she'd be planning our wedding for next week.
"I believe this belongs to you," Charlie grunted, laying a drowsy Lily between Bella and myself. Throwing a large duvet cover over the three of us, he stood above watching us for a moment before he nodded to me and went back to his own sleeping bag. Lily reached down and pulled Bella's and my hand up, clasping them together and then resting hers atop to keep them there.
Chuckling, I whispered, "I love you," hoping Bella knew it was meant for both of them. When I felt a light squeeze, I knew she did.
.
Saturday morning sunshine poured in too brightly through the large windows of the living room, making me squint and groan as I slowly woke up. A click made my eyes pop open to see my mother and sisters hovering above us grinning, holding a camera.
"Aww! They're so cute together!" Alice squealed, making Bella and Lily stir slightly.
"Alice! Shut up!" I hissed, still tired and achy from sleeping on the floor.
Next time we use an air mattress.
"Oh, get over it, Edward," Rose huffed, flinging her hair over her shoulder. "It's past nine anyway, and Charlie wanted to take Bella out for the day."
I shot her a look, but she just rolled her eyes and flipped me off.
"Edward, Rosalie," my mother chided. "Dear, you really should get up. Bella and Lily need to eat."
"Besides," Alice grinned, "the sooner Bella goes out with Charlie, the sooner we get her."
"Alice, leave her alone," I pled. "She doesn't need the Spanish Inquisition from you two. It hasn't even been a week. There's nothing to tell yet," I lied.
"Whatever, Romeo," Rosalie snorted. "Esme told us about that date you planned. I didn't know you had it in you, Cullen. You ought to give your brother some tips one of these days. But we're her friends, too. You have to share the Bella."
She marched off with Alice, and my mom offered me a sheepish smile before she left me to wake my girls.
.
After a lot of moans and groans, and a head-butt from Lily right to my face, I was able to corral both of them into the kitchen so they could catch the tail end of breakfast. Bella left with Charlie right after, and it was physically painful to see her leave without being able to hug or kiss her goodbye. Lily hadn't seen much of Rose or Alice all week, so she disappeared off with them to play with makeup and clothes.
The day dragged without Bella or Lily around, so I dove into my medical journals again to pass the time. Lily tired of playing with the girls eventually, but before I had the chance to grab her attention, Bella and Charlie returned. Bella was immediately hijacked by Rose and Alice, but I was too distracted by Lily's voice in the kitchen to try and rescue her.
I didn't really stand a chance against both of them anyway.
"Papaw Charlie, can you take me to the playground?"
My heart started beating a furious tattoo against my chest as I sped towards the kitchen where Charlie was bouncing Lily on his knee at the table. Charlie read my frantic expression right away and stopped bouncing Lily for a moment.
"Little One, you just went to the park yesterday."
Lily just twirled his mustache playfully. "Yeah, but I didn't go with you. It's so much fun. C'mon!"
"Well, how's about we ask your daddy. Edward? You feel like another trip to the park?"
Before I could agree, Lily interrupted, irritated.
"No, I went to the park with Daddy yesterday. I wanna go with you today, Papaw."
Breathing in and exhaling shakily, I tried to just think for a moment. If anyone could keep my Lily safe anywhere, it would be the Chief. We had gone the day before, and everything was fine. I knew where they were going, and if I needed to check on them, I could run there as fast as I could drive. Steeling myself, I decided to try and take this first baby step.
"Alright, Lily. You can go with Papaw Charlie. That is, if you want to take her, Charlie."
Charlie gaped at me, shocked. "Edw-"
Shaking my head at him, I interrupted. "Lily, go get your shoes on, okay?"
Oblivious to the monumental struggle within me, she hopped off Charlie's lap and ran from the kitchen, calling out behind her. ""Kay. Thanks, Daddy!"
I made my way blindly to the table, trying to steady my already rapid breathing.
"Edward, you don't have to do this. Just come with us, or follow me, or something. You've got nothing to be ashamed of, son. You don't need to prove yourself to anybody."
Shaking my head, I gripped my hair painfully tight. "No, Charlie. I have to ease up sometime. I can't keep her locked up here with me. You…you trusted me with your daughter, and I know I can trust you with mine. Just…please, can you be back in half an hour? I know that's not very long, but…"
"Me and Lily will walk through that door at exactly 5:43. You have my word on that," he swore solemnly.
Lily skipped back into the kitchen, pecking my cheek before grabbing Charlie's hand and pulling him towards the door.
"Love you, Daddy!" she shouted as she pulled a grave-looking Charlie outside.
.
I tried to handle it on my own. I really did. That lasted three and a half minutes. I knew Bella was having girl time with Rose and Alice. But this was what people in relationships did, wasn't it? Right now, I knew that I needed her, that she was the only person I could think of to lean on who would understand without words what I was feeling.
Trying to tamp down my rising panic before I knocked on her door, I took a second to collect myself so I didn't freak her out the second she saw my face. Rapping quickly, I waited impatiently for someone to open it.
I'll go through the balcony again, so help me God…
Alice opened the door, about to say something smart until she saw the pain in my face.
"Rose," she said quietly. "Come downstairs for a minute."
Rosalie's movements hardly registered in the corner of my eye, for my focus was on Bella. Her eyes were locked on mine, and I moved towards her as if in a trance, barely hearing the door close behind me. She was sitting against the head of the bed, propped up with pillows, and I crawled in beside her, laying my head on her lap.
She immediately began running her fingers through it, waiting patiently for me to tell her what was wrong. I let her presence soothe me, trying to recall the sense of peace I felt when we were at the park yesterday. Breathing in and out slowly for several moments, I finally worked up the courage to speak.
"Lily is with Charlie at the playground."
Her hand froze for a second on my head before she resumed her stroking. I heard her inhale shakily above me, but I gave her the same courtesy she had given me and waited for her to respond.
"When are they coming back?"
"5:43," I whispered back.
She was silent for a moment, but then suddenly began talking.
"One summer, I went to visit Charlie for a whole month because my mom was going on this spirit journey, which turned out to be a gay cruise, but whatever. Anyway, he was determined that I would learn how to properly gut a fish. I was only seven, but…" she continued on, gifting me with this insight into her life as a child, something I'd never been fortunate to hear from her lips before. I lost myself as she narrated her story as only an author could, taking me back in time to a large lake, and a rusty boat. A young Charlie, trying to connect with a daughter he hardly knew, and a little Bella, barely older than Lily.
Just as she got to the part where Charlie had pulled her from the lake after she jumped in to save a turtle she was convinced was drowning, flailing and screaming in four-inch deep water, she stopped as abruptly as she'd begun.
"Edward. It's 5:38," she murmured softly, halting her hair-stroking.
My head shot up immediately, staring wide-eyed at the clock by her bed. She smiled gently at me, reaching her arms out in silent request for me to carry her downstairs to greet Lily.
I would do that.
But I had something I needed to do first.
I dove into her, gripping her face in my hands desperately. She swallowed my guttural moan in her lips with a gasp as she clutched my arms as tightly as her delicate little hands would allow. I tried to convey all the thanks and love I was feeling for this beautiful woman, and I hoped she could feel it. As much as I would have loved to continue that kiss until the end of time, I was acutely aware that the clock now read 5:40. Slowing our kiss, I pecked her lips once, twice, three times before she smiled against my mouth, sliding her hands up to my face and holding it with her forehead resting against mine.
"I love you. Thank you," I whispered.
"You're welcome. I love you," she whispered back.
"Mmm," I hummed, rubbing my nose against hers. "You ready?"
"Mm-hmm," she nodded back, smiling peacefully with her eyes closed.
I pulled away and carried her downstairs, setting her into a chair at the table in the kitchen just as Charlie and Lily burst in. Fighting back tears of relief, I wanted to thank Charlie but the words couldn't come out of my mouth. I couldn't tear my eyes from Lily as I looked her over from head to toe. She was grinning with not a scratch on her, and she was here. Pulling her to me for a hug, she started giggling after a moment.
"Daddy, you're squishing me."
Loosening my hold but not letting go, I finally turned to face Charlie, who was sitting beside Bella.
"Thank you, Charlie."
He waved me off with a smile, but I knew he knew how important this was.
"You might have warned me about the local population, though," he muttered.
I cocked my head at him, confused. "Wha…Oh no, did you meet Mrs. Yorkie?"
"Uh, no," he shook his head. "But I did have to have a come-to-Jesus meeting with two boys."
The hair on the back of my neck immediately rose. "Boys? What boys?"
"Felix and Alec," Lily piped up. "They're my boyfriends."
"Hmph," Charlie scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest while Bella pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, trying desperately not to laugh.
I don't see what's funny about this. She can't have boyfriends. She's my baby.
"Lily," I swallowed audibly, "What are you talking about? What boyfriends?"
"Felix and Alec," she repeated, staring at me like I'd gone stupid. "You know them, Daddy. We play with them all the times."
"Yeah, but...you can't," I sputtered, and Bella finally broke in.
"Lily, do you actually kiss your boyfriends?"
I think my heart just stopped.
"What?! Ew! No! Kissing's gross," Lily declared, her face scrunched up sourly.
This is good. Now these boys can live.
"And it's going to stay that way, right Lily?" Charlie demanded.
"Yeah," Lily nodded thoughtfully. "But I'm allowed to hold hands after I'm married. Papaw said."
"And you're not getting married until when?" Charlie continued.
"After college," Lily recited obediently.
At this point Bella was shaking her head back and forth, her face buried in the crook of her arm on top of the table, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter.
There is nothing funny about this. Charlie is a motherfucking genius.
Raising her head finally, she wiped tears from her eyes as she faced Charlie.
"Oh, Dad. What did you do to those poor boys?"
"What needed to be done," Charlie grumbled. "I just made sure they understood appropriate behavior in the presence of a lady."
Bella sighed, rolling her eyes. "Once again, the hero saves the day. Edward, can you find my crutches for me so I can start some dinner?"
I nodded, setting Lily down finally so I could fetch them for her, trying to wrap my head around the idea of my Lily, holding hands with a boy.
Maybe when she's thirty.
.
As soon as dinner was eaten, Bella was stolen away by Rose and Alice again. Lily was exhausted from staying up so late the night before and from her visit to the park, so I put her to bed early. I knew all the guys were downstairs, but letting Lily out of the house had taken more of a toll on me than I realized once she was sound asleep.
I was in my closet changing into some sleep clothes, when the girls' muffled voices carried through the closet wall again.
"You'll explode soon…"
"But what if he…"
"You can't say you don't need…"
"Of course I do! But…"
"We got it for you to use, not look at…"
"It's just a vibrator!"
I almost fell over. Pushing aside the fact that my sister was next door talking to Bella about getting off, I focused solely on the fact that my Bella was next door talking about getting off. They got her a vibrator. And she wanted to use it. I was instantly rock hard.
Oh my fuck, I'm so not tired anymore.
I tried desperately to think of every known deflating thought my sex-addled brain could conjure up with no success. At this point I didn't think a bucket of ice would be able to get rid of the problem that was growing more and more painful by the second. Making my way to my bathroom, I triple-checked the lock to make sure no one, namely Lily, could come in.
I didn't even wait for the water to heat up, but the cold blasting down did nothing to alleviate my arousal. Pouring a generous amount of soap in my hand, I began running it up and down my length. Closing my eyes, I let my imagination take me back to the night of our date, except in my mind she didn't have a cast, and I didn't stop when she bucked into me.
I ran my hands down her sides and she moved her hips forward, hitting my hard-on just right. Moving my hands further down, I cupped her ass and ground back into her.
She let out this delicious cross between a gasp and a moan, and I could no longer ignore those beautiful breasts that were rubbing against my chest. Nipping down her jaw and neck, I pulled the fabric of her dress down with my teeth, continuing to grind against her as I slid a hand back up her body to feel the soft roundness of her breast.
I marveled at how perfectly it fit in my hand, until the gorgeous woman writhing underneath me brought me back to earth. Leaning forward slowly, I sucked her nipple into my mouth, loving the taste that was strawberries and chocolate and just something indescribably Bella.
I could feel the tightness in my stomach building rapidly, and I was tempted to slow my strokes to continue my fantasy just a little longer. Leaning heavily on my forearm against the shower wall, I could feel my orgasm coming regardless.
Running my tongue up her chest to the hollow behind her ear, I whispered into her skin, making her shudder.
"Does that feel good, love?"
"Mmm. Yes," she moaned. "More…need you."
She reached to grab my shirt and pulled it out of my jeans, before unbuttoning my fly quickly. She wasted no time sliding her hand down, grasping me tightly on top of my boxers, stroking the length of me, twisting her hand over my head-
I came with force against the tile, fighting back a groan as I struggled to catch my breath. Washing the rest of my body quickly, I got out of the shower and redressed into my pajamas, relieved to still hear the girls' voices coming through the wall in my closet. I hoped the girls weren't harassing Bella too much about us, and I wanted to check on her or at the very least kiss her goodnight, but I was too afraid what I'd just done in the shower would be visible in my face.
My exhaustion crept back in, so I threw myself into bed, crashing immediately.
.
Sunday morning met me with two very bright green eyes staring unblinking at me. Taking me by surprise, I jumped back about a foot before I woke up enough to realize Lily was in bed with me.
"Whaa? Lily? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Daddy," she grinned, almost vibrating with excitement.
"Um…okay. Did you have a bad dream?"
She shook her head so quickly it was a blur of movement, her smile only widening.
I found myself laughing, even though I had no clue what was happening.
"Okaay. Are you going to tell me what's going on, then?"
"You gotta get up. And get dressed. Then we go downstairs," she ordered, hopping off the bed, where I saw she was already fully dressed, wearing a shirt I'd never seen before.
Daddy's Lilybug
"Lily? Where did you…"
If possible, she smiled even larger, running to the foot of my bed and picking up a large t-shirt.
Lilybug's Daddy
Running my fingers over the fabric, I felt the ironed-on letters and looked back up at her. She was still beaming, but clearly getting impatient.
"Okay, okay. I'll get dressed and then we'll go downstairs."
She nodded firmly. "Good. Hurry up."
She ran out of my room, slamming my door behind her. I dressed as fast as I could, skipping a shower since I'd already taken care of that last night. Lily was waiting just outside my room and her happiness was contagious. Grinning, I picked her up and pounded down the stairs.
"Where to, Lilybug?"
"Kitchen, Daddy," she declared.
Striding forward into the kitchen with no idea what to expect, I was amused to find the kitchen empty, except for the table that was set with Lily's teacups and a large plate of muffins.
"It's your perfect day, Daddy!" she exclaimed proudly.
My jaw dropped and my brow furrowed as I tried to understand what she could be talking about. That was her and Bella's thing. I didn't have a perfect day.
She wriggled out of my arms and led me to the table, where she gave me a teacup and a muffin.
"I don't understand, Lily. What? Who?"
She giggled, rolling her eyes and sitting down next to me.
"It was Bella's idea, Daddy. That's our secret. I can tell you now. She let me help plan it and she made the shirts for us 'cause she didn't think you'd like crowns," she frowned.
"Umm," I laughed lightly, "she was probably right about the crowns. Daddies don't really wear crowns. So where is Bella?"
"She's with Papaw Charlie. She said they'll be back later, but today's just you an' me," she smiled sweetly before biting into her muffin.
Peeling back the paper from my own, I gave her a quick kiss before tucking in.
.
As soon as we were finished, Lily pulled a piece of folded paper out of her pants pocket and handed it to me.
Taking it from her curiously, I opened it.
"Lily? What is…"
~Where words fail, music speaks~
·Go have a conversation·
Looking up at Lily, she was waiting expectantly by my side.
"So? Where do we go? Bella wouldn't tell me everything."
Reading the note again, the only place I could think of was my piano, so I took Lily by the hand and led her cautiously to the music room. As we approached the piano, I saw a beginner's book resting on the bench.
"Is that for me?" Lily squealed.
Picking up the book, I opened it reverently, feeling a sting in my eyes as I read the inscription.
A Little Thing I know once told me how excited she was for her Daddy to teach her piano. Here's to the start of many lessons. Love, Bella
"Daddy?"
Smiling down at her, I nodded, unable to speak at the moment. Setting the book atop the piano, I helped Lily settle onto the bench beside me.
"You ready for your first piano lesson, Lilybug?"
.
If I didn't know for an absolute fact that Bella didn't actually give birth to Lily, there would have been no question where she got her stubbornness from. The only break we took was for me to play the song I had written for her as a baby, and then it was right back to learning. I watched with pride as she concentrated so hard on each note, furrowing her little brow and biting her lip, just like Bella. She vehemently refused to give up until the first lesson was completed and she could find middle C with no coaching and play Jingle Bells all the way through. She wanted to keep going, but when she turned the page, a second note fell down.
Her lesson all but forgotten, Lily jumped off the bench and picked up the paper off the ground, handing it to me with a grin. I felt my own face break out into a grin as well, my heartbeat picking up as I wondered what Bella had in store for us next.
~We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten~
·Go remember something special·
Beaming down at Lily, I tossed her over my shoulder and ran into the living room, where sure enough, her baby album was laying in wait for us on the couch. She giggled like a hyena as I threw her down onto the cushions, wasting no time to crawl into my lap as soon as I sat down.
"Hey! That's me when I was a baby!" Lily clapped, pointing at the picture of her toothless smile on her little round face that decorated the cover.
"It is," I whispered, rubbing the picture with my thumb. I hadn't let myself look at her baby pictures since before she was taken. Opening the album, I smiled down at Lily's first picture, her sonogram.
"Daddy, that does not look like me," she giggled, squinting to try and find a baby instead of the bean she once was.
"Yes it was," I teased, tickling her tummy. "When you were just a little Lilybug."
.
We flipped through every page, stopping to retell stories of how some pictures came to be, remembering special events and smiles I had almost forgotten as the years passed. Once we reached the end, another folded note was waiting.
~Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit~
·My wit's gone dry. Go to the pantry·
Laughing out loud, I set the album aside and stood with Lily on my hip.
"Where we goin' now, Daddy?"
"The pantry," I replied, wondering if Bella would be there waiting for us. Upon opening the door though, I found instead a large picnic basket just inside. Picking up the basket and blanket underneath it, I got the hint.
"Lily, you want to have lunch in the backyard?"
She nodded excitedly, running out the door to find the perfect grassy spot for our blanket. I followed quickly behind her, laying the blanket down where she pointed. I was amazed it was already time for lunch, but Lily's stomach growl assured me it was. Opening the basket, I began pulling out sandwiches, chips, and juice boxes for Lily and myself. Underneath the food was a journal of some sort that I set aside for after we ate.
After we were done, I tossed all the trash back inside the basket and laid down on the blanket, where Lily curled up beside me, burrowing her head into my shoulder.
"Is that more clues, Daddy?" she yawned.
"I don't know," I mused, opening the book curiously, wholly unprepared for what I found hand-written inside.
The Adventures of Lily: Princess of Pink, Bella: Princess of Blue, and Edward: Prince of Green
"What's it say, Daddy? That's my name," she pointed, more awake now.
"It's your stories," I gasped, completely taken aback at how much effort and thought Bella had put into creating this day for us. For me.
I turned the title page and started reading the first story, the one I'd heard in the hospital about yellow bunnies and jeweled castles in the kingdom of colors. Lily was absolutely thrilled to have a whole book of her own stories, even though it was clear Bella had helped add in words here and there to make complete sentences. Each story was only a few paragraphs long, some a bit longer than others. They mostly centered on Lily, which made her ecstatic.
"I never knew you had this many," I marveled, closing the book gently, tucking it tightly to my chest.
"Bella asked me about a bunch on her perfect day," Lily slurred, nuzzling deeper into me.
I let her go to sleep, starting the journal over from the beginning, drinking in every little detail, recognizing the parts where Bella's literary voice joined Lily's. My eyelids drooped against my best efforts to stay awake while I was reading the tale of Prince Edward sailing across the ocean with Princess Lily to find Princess Bella's fairy dust.
.
Raindrops beginning to fall woke us abruptly, and Lily ran ahead inside while I quickly grabbed the blanket, basket, and book before running in after her. All of my family was congregated around the table while my mom worked on dinner at the counter, where Lily was already helping mix ingredients in a bowl. I moved around them, cleaning up our picnic mess, and ran upstairs for a moment to set the book in my room. Next to Lily's baby album, it had instantly become my most prized possession.
A beautiful laugh carried upstairs, and my heart began pumping twice as hard at the sound. Racing back down to the kitchen, the only person I could see in that moment was standing by the backdoor, shaking the rain out of her curls as she laughed at something someone had said. When she caught my eye, she smiled shyly at me, as if she were gauging my reaction to everything she did.
I stalked forward, unable to stay away from her a moment longer. With one arm wrapped around her tiny waist and my other hand fisted in the nape of her neck, I kissed her with everything I had in me. There would never be anyone else for me but this woman. As I devoured her, I lost touch with where I was, who was around us. Nothing else mattered in that moment but showing my Bella how much she meant to me, how much what she did meant to me.
What she'd done was so much more than what I'd tried to do for her with our date and her perfect day. She knew me better than I knew myself, knew I needed to reconnect with my baby, even when I didn't know how to say it. She made an entire day pass in the blink of an eye, distracting me from the grueling day to come. By helping me create new memories with my Lily, she had unconsciously inserted herself into every one of them, cementing her place in our family. That was something I would hold onto until I took my dying breath.
When I'd used up every last ounce of oxygen within me, I released her lips, holding her upright as she stared back at me, dazed. I was panting like I'd just run a marathon, and she was doing the same. Just before I could move forward to capture her lips once more, I was finally reminded we had an audience. Specifically, a very small, very, very, happy Little Thing.
"Yyyyyyyyessss!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
.
A/N: As always, reviews get teasers. Next part up as soon as I can finish it.
Where words fail, music speaks- Hans Christian Andersen
We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten- Cesare Pavese
Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit- Oscar Wilde