a/n:

Song for this chapter is Ladies and Gentlemen by Saliva.

Many, many thanks, hugs, and smooches for my betas Mizzdee, jointgifts, and Dinx for helping me out. These ladies are the best.

Check out the a/n at the end of the chapter for a little announcement.

Chapter 26

~.~.~

Ladies and Gentlemen

December 24, 2003

Christmas was upon us before we knew it. Between the construction on Emmett's pet shop, Esme's continued efforts to drive Edward nuts, and finding time alone with my boyfriend, it was like the days passed at light speed. I had never been more grateful that I'd talked Edward into doing our Christmas shopping online a few weeks before than when I realized it was Christmas Eve. The fog I'd been living in after the conversation I'd had with Carlisle had sapped my concentration.

His words played over and over in my head for days afterwards. I dissected the meaning of what he had said, trying to figure out the reason behind the conversation. It seemed like, since I had a semi-deep talk with Edward's parents, I was always looking for the hidden meaning behind their words. My trust in most people, and their actions, had been destroyed by the underhanded way Carlisle and Esme had handled Edward's situation.

Emmett , Edward, and I had a late night conversation after the parents went to bed two days before Christmas Eve. The time for decisions had come, and Emmett and I agreed that Edward should be an active part of that, because it was his life in the balance. Whatever would be decided, it would affect him the most, and we wanted to know what he preferred.

Emmett had asked Edward if he was happy living with their mom and dad, and Edward said no. Edward wanted out of there, and he wanted to go home. Emmett and I immediately knew that "home" meant the house that Edward and I had shared. Next, Emmett explained the delicate situation we had all found ourselves in. At first, Edward was quiet. He sat for a moment, taking everything in. Then, he asked what the big deal was, because he still had the right to make decisions for himself, he'd figured his parents had no say in his affairs. I told him we were afraid his parents were going to try to have him found incompetent—a fear Emmett and I had discussed with only each other since he was in the rehab center—so they could have legal control over him and all his assets.

In hindsight, saying it that way was a bad idea. Edward was pissed and began yelling. It took us a few minutes to get him calmed down. We waited for even longer to make sure Edward's bout of anger hadn't woken Carlisle and Esme. I had no idea how the two would take to walking in on a secret meeting between us, but the worry was unfounded. They slept right through it.

Eventually, we came to a decision we could all live with. Since it was the holidays, and his parents would probably wait until after the new year to do anything legally, we were going to sit tight for the moment. New Year's Day seemed like the best day of action, being the start of a brand new year and the season of starting over. So, that was when we planned for Edward and Emmett to tell Esme and Carlisle that Edward was moving in with me. Emmett thought it was the best way, because he said he'd felt that the last few attempts his parents had made to "discuss" things with me were all part of a plan to intimidate me. If I felt like I couldn't handle Edward, or doubted my place in Edward's life, then I would be one less obstacle in the way. That information did not sit well with Edward, either. He was even more pissed off when Emmett voiced that opinion.

Emmett was to be our enforcer. He had planned on telling his parents if they made any attempts to stop Edward from leaving, then he would take them to court on Edward's behalf. Emmett had already contacted and secured a lawyer for that exact scenario.

It wasn't court that bothered Emmett and I, nor did we really care if Esme and Carlisle had things settled legally on their own. What scared us was that they were under no obligation to let us know what was going on. If they decided to try and have Edward found incompetent, we could be left in the dark, and their testimony, along with court appointed doctors and psychiatrists, would determine Edward's fate. With the way Esme and Carlisle viewed their son, Edward didn't stand a chance in hell of walking out of a courtroom with his freedom. Leaving before his parents could gain any real and viable control was the only option.

~.~.~.~

The spirit of the season was marred with the tension floating in the house. Neither Carlisle nor Esme said more than what was absolutely necessary to me. For me, it confirmed they'd had more of an agenda than just "talking" to me. I kept telling myself it didn't matter. We had a solid plan formed, and whatever they did from then on would be a moot point.

Edward and I went over to my dad's and Sue's house for Christmas Eve. It was the first time since everything had gone to shit that Edward had seen them. Sue shocked Edward by hugging him after he entered the house. While she hadn't been as open about her dislike as Dad had been, she still hadn't been his biggest fan before the accident. Dad even surprised me by asking Edward how he was doing, and the concern was genuine.

"Sue, this is good. I forgot how good of a cook you are," Edward said.

Sue smiled. "Thank you, Edward."

We had sat down to eat, and it was the first meal Edward and I had in with my dad and stepmother that wasn't tense. Of course, Edward had been noticeably high during most of those dinners, and Charlie had been upset Edward had the audacity to show up stoned to his house. The contrast was obvious. Dad actually engaged Edward in conversation, instead of glaring at him the entire time.

"So, Edward, how are things?" Dad asked.

"Um, I'm okay," Edward said, nodding his head. "I've been going to doctor appointments and trying to stay well. Oh, and did Bella tell you about Emmett's pet shop?"

Dad laughed. "She did. I'm still trying to picture him working with animals. I just don't see it. I guess, though, you gotta do what you gotta do to be happy."

"Yep. I feel the same way," Edward agreed, looking over at me.

Since the accident, Edward had become such a fucking sap. His comments made me blush, and I ducked my head. The conversation around the table for the rest of the time was pleasant. I had been worried about how things would go, but it had been for nothing. It was nice to have a stress free night with Edward.

We did a small gift exchange in the living room once we had eaten enough to make our stomachs hurt. It was Sue's pumpkin pie that did us in. That stuff was the nectar of the gods, and I always ended up eating too much of it.

Dad and Sue were very generous with Edward's presents that year. In the past, they'd gotten him generic gifts, such as clothes. I could tell more thought had been put into them that time around, because they had gotten a couple of baseball caps. They were aware of how insecure Edward was about his hair. It hadn't grown out yet, and the scars were still visible. Seeing the hats let me know that Dad had been listening to me during our daily phone calls, and it was his way of saying he accepted my choice in Edward.

That was the best Christmas present he could have given me.

~.~.~.~

December 25, 2003

Edward and I woke up mid morning, because we could. Since Alice and Jasper weren't supposed to be at the house until the afternoon, there was no need to get up at the crack of dawn.

"Mmmm…good morning," Edward said in a sleepy voice.

"Morning," I mumbled, blinking to clear the last of the sleep out from eyes.

Edward snuggled closer to my side, moving until he was almost on top of me. He ran his hand down my ribcage and buried his head into my neck. His warm breath caressed the skin on my throat, causing me to shiver.

"So, can I unwrap my present yet?" he asked.

"They're all under the tree. You know your mom is going to make us eat first," I whispered.

"No, I want to open this one," he muttered, tugging on my t-shirt. "I've been a really good boy the past couple of months. I think I deserve it."

"Oh, you do?" I teased. "What makes you think sex was one of you Christmas gifts?"

"Because it's what I was getting you, too," Edward said, kissing my neck.

He shifted and slid over me, bringing his face close to mine. I parted my legs to give him room to lie between them. The feeling of his full body weight on me ignited my desire, and I massaged his scalp with my fingers as he placed his lips on mine, kissing me forcefully.

I moaned into his mouth when his hands moved, grazing the sides of my breasts. His erection brushed my inner thigh as he thrust against me gently. He broke away from me, panting, and stared into my eyes.

"Convinced you yet?" he asked, breathless.

"Fine. You win," I muttered.

He smiled that crooked grin I could never say no to. Oh, who was I kidding? The man knew what he was doing, and I never wanted to say no.

Edward lifted his torso off of my chest and pulled my shirt up, exposing my naked breasts. He leaned down and took one of my nipples into his mouth and bit it lightly. I shoved my fist into my mouth to muffle the sounds that wanted to escape from his attention. His touch was burning me from the inside out.

Heavy footsteps sounded outside the door. We froze and waited to see if anyone would dare to try to knock. Edward had locked the door before we went to bed, but that didn't mean they would go away.

They paused for a few moments and then continued on until the hallway was silent.

"Fuck," Edward muttered.

"I guess that was our cue to get up," I said, pushing my hair back off of my forehead.

"Fuck them. Whoever it was interrupted my Bella time," he said, moving his head back down to my chest.

"Edward," I whined, pushing him away by his shoulders. "They'll just come back. We should probably get up."

"You're no fun. Maybe if they heard us, they'd know better than to do that next time," Edward complained.

I sighed and rubbed my face. "That's not going to happen. Get off of me."

He grunted and rolled off. "Fine. I'll just have to jerk off in the shower. Or you could join me?"

I hopped off the bed and started undressing. "Okay, but we'll have to hurry."

Edward and I were calm by the time we entered the kitchen, having had a successful morning shower. Emmett smiled knowingly at us as we sat down at the table. Breakfast already covered the surface, so we grabbed some plates and filled them up.

Christmas dinner in the Cullen household was a much more laid back affair. Since all the stops were pulled out for Thanksgiving, Christmas consisted more of snacks and ways to make your own sandwiches. The focus was more on the family and spending time together.

Alice and Jasper showed up around three o'clock, an hour after Esme had asked them to be there. When Carlisle asked why they were late, Alice just shrugged and said something had come up. I rolled my eyes, knowing the reason was that Alice was a procrastinator. That bitch would be late to her own funeral.

I tried to ignore her. Her voice and overall attitude were like nails on a chalkboard. It was strange to think of Alice that way, because at one time, I never thought I'd harbor feelings of dislike toward her. Times had definitely changed.

We settled into the living room, with Edward and I on the love seat, Alice and Jasper on the couch across from us, Esme and Carlisle in the chairs at the other end, and Emmett sitting on the floor in front of us. In a way, it was almost as if we had taken sides—us, being Emmett, Edward, and I, against them, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Jasper. It was not a very comfortable feeling.

The presents were handed out and passed to the appropriate people. I noticed right away that Edward's parents had been more generous with their gifts to me than I'd thought. With all of the tension between us in the previous weeks, I was certain that their frustrations with me would have shone through at Christmas time.

Alice, on the other hand, well, she didn't disappoint. I opened the small gift from her, and inside was a pair of socks—a plain, white pair. I had no idea how to feel about what she had given me. To me, Christmas time was less about presents and more about the sentiment behind the gifts. If she had been poor, and it was all she could have afforded, I would have treasured the fact that she had thought of me.

That wasn't what was going on, though. Alice had money and loved to show her affection through the things she could buy for others. She'd shown it in the plane tickets to the Caribbean she'd gotten her parents, the laptop she'd given Edward, and the ski trip Emmett had received. I wasn't stupid. I saw my present for what it was—a big fuck you.

I smiled and put the present off to the side, so I could open the other ones still wrapped. Alice was probably waiting for me to cry or have some kind of outburst, but it wasn't going to happen. Nothing she did, or could do, would bother me anymore. I knew where we stood with each other, even if she didn't. I'd moved past the hatred and anger I'd felt toward her; she just wasn't worth the emotion it took to conjure up those feelings. I was indifferent, not caring about he, at all.

I could tell that Alice was mad she hadn't gotten the reaction she was looking for by the time everyone had unwrapped their gifts. She was short with her parents and brothers when they spoke to her. Jasper just sat quietly, not saying a word. He seemed more uncomfortable than the rest of us. He would answer questions when asked, or participate with minimal effort in conversations, but he went out of his way to avoid any and all contact with Edward.

Once the wrapping paper was cleaned up, we sat and talked. Carlisle announced that he was going to retire. Alice, Emmett, and Edward seemed to be supportive of the decision. I thought it was good, because no matter what his reason for doing it, Esme needed her husband.

"Well, you'll definitely be able to use those tickets, then," Alice said.

"Oh, yes," Esme said. "It would be nice to get away, but I worry about Edward if we were so far away."

"I'll be fine, Mom," Edward replied. "Bella and Emmett will be here. It's not like I'm going to be alone."

"Of course Bella is going to be here," Alice said, standing up and placing her hand on her hip. "She never leaves. I can't believe that you're okay with her sponging off our parents like she is."

"I'm not sponging off your parents, Alice," I retorted. "If you were ever around, you'd know I've been helping out. But you're not, so I wouldn't expect you to know that."

"I'm sorry not all of us can drop our lives to be around all the time," Alice said.

"Yeah, right. You wouldn't do it regardless of how much time you'd have to put in. Be honest, you just don't give a damn."

"That's my brother, you slut. I know why you have stuck around. You want his money. Well, I hope Mom and Dad figure out a way that you'll never be able to touch it!" Alice yelled.

Before I could reply to Alice's false accusation, Edward had stood up and was face to face with Alice.

"That's enough, Alice," Edward said in dangerous tone. "That is also the last time you talk to her that way. I don't know what crawled up your ass and died, but I've had it."

"Oh, fuck off, Edward. I can't believe you're so blind. She's going to leave you again…and then what? We'll be left to pick up the pieces."

"Even if that does happen, it's still none of your business. I do know that you won't be the one doing it. You're such a selfish bitch. You'll be too worried about Alice to care about anyone else," Edward seethed.

"Edward," Esme admonished, trying to get in between them. "That's enough. You don't mean that. I think you should apologize to your sister."

"Not a chance in hell," Edward said. "I'm not a child, Mother. Back the fuck off."

"Now, Edward, calm down. You're taking this too far," Carlisle said, getting in the middle of things.

Edward stepped back, closing his eyes. After a few moments, he looked over at me and Emmett—we were still sitting where we had been. The look in his eyes told me that all our plans were about to go to shit. He turned back to his parents and sister.

"I'm done. After tonight, I'm moving out. I'm tired of everything, and I need to get some space between me and you guys."

"Edward, be reasonable," Esme pleaded. "You can't take care of yourself. You—"

"Mom, enough," Emmett said, coming to stand behind Edward. "He's more capable of taking care of himself than you have given him credit for."

"He's not mentally capable of taking care of himself," Esme argued.

"That's where you're wrong. He's never been found to be mentally incompetent. You and Dad were only in charge in the hospital because of the coma. There is no legal reason for him to even be here. I only went along with it because, at the time, I thought it was for the best. No more, though," Emmett stated.

"And if we try to get that changed?" Carlisle asked, staring Emmett down.

"I'll see you in court. I already have a lawyer, so you better find a good one. I love you both, but I'm not going to stand by and let this continue anymore. You're putting my brother's life at risk with the stress you constantly put him under, and you both know that Bella is the one that needs to be taking care of him. She's the only one that can keep him calm," Emmett said, crossing his arms and standing his ground.

"I can't believe how ungrateful you're being, Edward. After everything Mom and Dad have done for you?" Alice accused.

"Yeah, I should be thankful that they treat me like a retarded child, Alice. Fuck you," Edward said.

I went over to stand beside Edward and put my arm around his waist in support. I wasn't sure if how Edward had revealed what he had planned was for the best, but I was going to stand by Edward's decision, no matter what. Like Emmett and I had agreed, it was Edward's life. He'd been barred from having any choice for far too long.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Carlisle pleaded, looking right at Edward.

"Actually, it does. You made that decision. Not me." Edward crossed his arms and glared at his parents.

"Edward, Daddy and I—" Esme started to say.

"Christ! I'm not fucking two!" Edward shouted, closing his eyes. "You're the worst one, Mom. I get it. You think I'm fucked in the head and need you to play Mommy. Well, guess what? It's not necessary. I'm done. And if you're not careful, this will be the last time you ever see me."

Edward took a deep breath, and then he put his arm around me. Esme stood across from him, tears falling from her eyes. Carlisle looked pissed but stayed silent. I was sure he was mad that Edward had upset his mother. I didn't feel one ounce of sympathy for the woman, though. She had pushed and pushed until Edward couldn't take any more. I wondered if she realized she was reaping what she had sown, or if she was still delusional and thought that she was being singled out.

"He's going home, and that's it," Emmett said, moving to stand beside Edward and placing a hand on his shoulder. "This situation is no longer healthy for him. Mom, I'm sorry, but you're smothering him."

Carlisle embraced his wife, whispering in her ear. I squeezed Edward tightly, trying to silently show him I was so proud that he had stood up for himself.

"I hope you're happy," Alice said in a disgusted voice. "Once again, you're choosing your whore over your family. Bravo."

"Alice," Emmett warned.

"That's fucking it!" Edward yelled, stepping away from me. For the second time that day, he was right in front of Alice's face. I looked over at Jasper, and he was standing off to the side, taking everything in.

What a great boyfriend, I thought. Way to defend the one you love.

"I warned you. Bella hasn't done anything to you, and you're treating her like she's below you. That's fucking comical. She's better than you'll ever be. I'm finished with you. Don't call and don't show up at our house. As far as I am concerned, I don't have a sister."

Alice gasped, looking up at Edward. He stared her down for another moment, giving her a hateful glare, and then he turned away from her. Edward stalked past everyone and headed to the room his parents had set up for him. I had no desire to deal with his parents, or his disowned sibling, so I followed him out of the room.

When I entered, I found him lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Slowly, I went over to the bed and positioned myself next to him. He reached out and pulled me into his side.

"I'm really sorry," he murmured, staring at me.

I turned toward him, furrowing my brow. "Sorry for what?"

"For blowing everything. For ruining yours and Emmett's plan," Edward said, looking upset.

"It's okay," I ran my fingertips over the stubble on his chin. "I understand, and I'm not mad. Yeah, it might have been better if we'd stuck to the plan, but this is fine, too. I'm sure Emmett is sneaky enough to come up with a plan B."

"Damn right I am," I heard Emmett say.

I looked toward the door and noticed I'd forgotten to shut it. Oops.

"So, little brother, that was some speech," Emmett admitted, sitting down on the bed beside me. Edward and I sat up against the headboard.

"Yeah," Edward muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just couldn't take anymore."

Emmett nodded. "It's all right, man. I don't know if I could have taken them talking like that about my girl, either. So, it's going to be okay."

Edward chuckled lightly. "So, when are we leaving?"

"Um, we could leave tomorrow," I suggested, looking up at Edward. "I'm tired, and I'm sure both of you are, too."

Emmett looked over at Edward. "Sound good to you?"

"Yeah…" Edward trailed off. "I guess that will work. We can get out of here in the morning."

~.~.~.~

December 26, 2003

As soon as Edward and I woke up, we began packing the few things we had at Esme's and Carlisle's house. Emmett had gone to mine and Edward's house and gotten some boxes we had stored from our last move. Edward didn't want to waste a moment and even went as far as declining breakfast when Esme had asked if he was hungry.

It was almost comical when she entered the room. I believed that she thought he hadn't been serious the previous day, because when she took in the boxes and bags on the floor, her eyes widened. She tried to "talk some sense into Edward" as she put it, but he didn't even pay attention to her. Instead, he busied himself with filling boxes. Esme continued to talk to him as he gathered things until she realized he wasn't going to listen to her. She ended up leaving in a huff.

It only took two hours to clear everything we wanted to take with us out of the room. Around mid morning, Emmett came in and helped us load our boxes and bags up. We had decided to take both mine and Emmett's cars to transport our things. It made it easier that one car wasn't so full it was hard to see out the back window.

Esme and Carlisle didn't even come and say goodbye once we were ready to leave. I guessed that both of them were still mad about how things had turned out. It didn't matter, though. We had done things their way, and it had failed…terribly. For the sake of Edward's health, it was time to try something—anything—else.

Edward was calm, the calmest I'd seen in a long time, on the drive to our house. It was how his homecoming should have been from the beginning. I tried not to think about how much better he might have been had his parents stayed out of the way, and Edward had gone home with me from the rehab center like I'd wanted him to. Hindsight was twenty-twenty, and dwelling on the what ifs was not going to help anything.

Pulling into our driveway, a sense of rightness hit me.

It was good to be home.

a/n:

I'm so excited to let you all know that the collaboration I've been working on with DivineInspiration for months is posting at the end of this week. After much consideration, we've decided to put it on our collab profile, She is Divine, which can be found here:

http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2924582/She_is_Divine

When the Dust Settles

Where do you go and what do you do when war takes away everything that matters to you? Army Sergeant Edward Cullen has to find out and learns new, important lessons about family, friendship, and love along the way. AH.