A/N: Thanks for the continued prayers for Hailey. They're helping!
The Cullen Legacy is being featured as Fic of the Week over at the Lemonade Stand, with a cool write-up to go along with it! Go check it out at triple w dot tehlemonadestand dot com. And once again, thanks to all who voted. :)
Betad by Michelle Renker Rhodes.
Most characters belong to S. Meyer.
We're down to the home stretch!
Ch. 36 – The Olive Branch
BPOV
Edward holds my hand tightly in his, our fingers laced together as we walk towards his office. My heart pounds loudly in my chest and my stomach is tied in knots and I hate it. I hate that Tanya Martin-Cullen has this effect on me, and I have yet to see her. I hate that she kept his name after their divorce, and that there's absolutely nothing I can say or do about it. I hate that the rational part of me wants to make sure I'm a calm, sensible woman in front of her, while the irrational part of me simply wants to shove the fact that Edward and I are together in her face – to show her that despite all attempts to the contrary, Edward and I found each other again. I hate that the rational part of me will in all probability win.
A few feet from his office, Edward stops us and turns me to face him.
"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice laced with concern.
"I'm fine," I lie, but the shaky quality of my voice betrays me.
He searches my eyes and then cradles my face, slowly dipping his head and feathering his mouth over mine; soft, tender brushes that manage to quell the unease in my stomach because they remind me that though she may be the one with his name, I'm the one with his heart.
"I love you, Bella," he whispers against my lips, then ghosts them oh so lightly all over my face, his nose skimming my forehead and cheeks. It's as if he senses the reassurance I need at this moment. "Don't forget that, okay?"
"Mmm," I hum, feeling my heart rate slow, calm down once more. His touch warms my entire body, gives me the relaxation as well as the boost of confidence I need. I draw in a deep breath and sigh much more happily. "No, I won't forget," I smile.
"Good," he grins back.
Edward's office is large but comfortable, just like the rest of the entire property. It's in one of the corners of the house, facing the pool area, and two of the four walls are covered in floor-to-ceiling windows so that you can clearly see everything going on in that area. Though the room is painted a dark cream color, the bright, flowery landscape around the pool lends bright color and cheer to the room. The blue pool water sparkles through the windows. Edward's Princeton University Diploma graces one wall, in a beautiful cherry wood frame. The furniture in the room is the same color wood, and the floors are a light toned wood that contrasts nicely with the darker furniture. His desk is long and massive with papers all over it; it's obviously well-used, but not messy. I can picture him taking care of business here and swiveling in his leather chair to gaze out at the pool and landscape, giving himself a much-needed breather every once in a while.
Yet when we enter, Edward leads me to the black leather chair behind his desk, to his chair.
"Take a seat," he offers with a smile. I grin wryly as I do, and he moves to the large windows and presses a button between two of them.
Dark, cherry wood blinds slowly descend, inch by inch erasing the pleasant glow of the sun, hiding the bright landscape and eradicating the refreshingly blue, pool water. When I blink and look around the room once more, it's totally transformed from warm and inviting to cool and business-like.
When I look up at Edward, his expression has done the same, and even though he's wearing a white polo and blue board shorts, he might as well be in one of his crisp, dark suits.
I don't have time to question any of it though, because I can hear heels clicking against the floors outside the office, and then Tanya comes into view. Jasper walks in behind her, takes a quick look at Edward and me, and with a nod walks right back out, closing the door behind him.
At first, she stands there in a pretty, black and white floral-printed one-shoulder dress and doesn't even seem to notice me while I sit there looking at her and kind of wishing I was wearing something other than a white, terry cloth beach cover-up dress. But her own eyes immediately move behind me where Edward is standing, and a slow, sultry smile lights up her face.
"Edward." Her smile grows, and she takes a couple of languid, measured steps closer. "Is all that security really necessary? Honestly, it's ridiculous that I should have to go through all that to get into my own-"
"This is not your house, Tanya, especially not at this time of year," Edward says coolly.
My heart rate begins to speed up, but then I feel a warm hand on my shoulder, squeezing reassuringly.
She looks as if she's about to argue, but then her eyes fall to where I'm seated behind Edward's desk. Her steps falter, and her head jerks back.
"Oh," she exclaims quietly, and for one split second, her expression seems to harden, but then she smiles again. I can't help noting how naturally beautiful she is when she smiles. She's got a natural, photogenic smile; the kind a camera loves. When she smiles, her blue eyes seem to twinkle with amusement, with the self-assurance of someone who knows her high rank in the world. Her hair is natural too. In this day and age of faux blondes, she's got a head full of long, straight, reddish-blonde hair that cannot be achieved from a bottle. I find myself wondering what a child between she and Edward would've looked like. A ginger for sure, though would it have had darker hair like my Elizabeth and the Elizabeth before her, or blonder hair like his or her mother?
"You must be…Isabella." She says, breaking me out of my thoughts and then begins walking again, her steps even and confident as she puts a hand out over the desk to me. "It's so good to finally meet you."
I stare at her hand and quickly see myself not taking it, just letting it hang there in the air.
But of course, that's not what I do. I hold her gaze and extend my hand. "It's good to meet you too."
Her eyes narrow almost imperceptibly, and I think I see a vague twitch of her mouth.
"I had no idea you'd be here," she exclaims.
Edward snorts his disbelief. "Tanya, it's not exactly something we were trying to keep secret. It's been all over the papers."
"I just meant I didn't know she'd be here, in your office right now." The entire time, she keeps her eyes on me.
"I hope this is okay," I ask with a raised brow.
She smiles again, that amused glint still in her eyes. "Oh, if it's okay with Edward, it's fine by me."
"Bella and I have no secrets," Edward says matter-of-factly.
Something flashes in her eyes, something she seems to try to hide with the amusement, but it disappears quickly, yet in that moment, somehow I know. It's not something I can quite put a finger on, rather it's something in the airy way she carries herself, in her overconfidence. I'm not sure how I know, but I do.
She knew about Ellie. She knew all along.
The question is what were her true feelings for Edward?
Oh, I know what Edward's views and beliefs on the subject are: For Tanya, it was never anything more than a quest for power and the ultimate goal of the White House.
But it's difficult for me to fathom that anyone, regardless of her rank in the world, regardless of how blue her blood apparently runs, could've been married to Edward and not wanted him for more than just the glory he could someday bring her. And now that I'm sure she knew of Ellie, I can't help wondering if she kept Edward away from us because she wanted him as father of her own child, or is Edward right?
Was it always simply a quest for the White House?
And does it really make a difference? She knew about Elizabeth and didn't tell him. What difference does it make what her reasons were?
An image of Rose flashes before my eyes, quick imprints of our entire friendship, our highs…and our lows; the ways we always protected each other.
It makes a difference. It does.
Tanya lowers herself over one of the two chairs directly across the large desk, crossing her right leg over her left leg elegantly while Edward remains standing behind me. His hands are on the back of the chair on which I'm seated, and his thumbs softly circle around my shoulder blades.
Tanya's eyes move from Edward back to me. "As I said, Isabella, I wasn't expecting for you to be here in Edward's office, but I'm actually glad you are."
"Oh?" I question.
"Yes. I wanted to congratulate you on how well-received the ERA article was. I've read it myself a couple of times, and I must admit that you're a great writer. It was a very insightful article, and the high praise is well-deserved." Her eyes are amused again, even more so than before and yes, I get the joke. She knows this world a bloody hell of a lot better than I probably ever will regardless of how much research I perform.
Nevertheless, I offer her a pleasant smile. "Thank you."
Edward thumbs stop circling for a couple of seconds, and he simply squeezes my shoulders. Yes, he sees it too.
"Alright, Tanya, you've given Bella your stamp of approval on her article. I'm sure she'll sleep tonight," he says with an eye roll. "May we ask for what purpose you're really here?"
She chuckles, but I can hear the irritation just below the surface. She drops her right leg before re-crossing them, left over right this time.
"Always so impatient, Edward." But her eyes stay on me as she says this. "He's a very impatient man, Isabella. I'm not sure if you know this about him." She leans in closer to the desk.
"I tried to teach him to be calm, to be more flexible, but everything always had to be his way," she whispers conspiratorially. "He's always had his own set of beliefs and has been so stubborn about them." She chuckles once more and leans back against her chair. "I hope you have better luck than I did at teaching him."
I can feel the irritation rolling off of Edward. His hands stop moving, and he draws in a lungful of air, but before he can say anything, I reach up and wrap my right hand around the hand he has on my left shoulder, keeping my eyes on Tanya.
"Edward is neither my student nor my child who I should attempt to mold in any way. His set of beliefs is exactly that, his set of beliefs, and I would never try to change him. As for his patience," I offer her a smile, "he's always been quite patient with me."
"Has he? Well, now I think I understand where he and I went wrong a bit better. You see, I tried my best to make our marriage work, but his heart was never one hundred percent in it. Oh the sex was great, don't get me wrong," she snorts, "but his mind was always far away. And now I know where it was all along."
For a second, I simply stare at her.
She laughs.
"Cut the shit, Tanya. Why the hell are you here?"
I look up at Edward, a bit bewildered honestly, but his face is the unreadable mask I haven't seen in weeks. Panic starts to take hold in my chest, like a heavy weight right over my heart, but suddenly I understand everything so clearly. I finally see why it's been so hard for Edward to completely let go of his mask.
He'll always need it. As long as he has to deal with the Carlisles and Aros and Tanyas of the world, Edward needs his mask to protect himself – to protect us.
And I won't begrudge it to him at this moment. While Tanya's attention moves to Edward, I stare down at the desk and try to compose myself once more.
She sighs. "Edward, seriously, I've come to extend an olive branch, with a peace offering to get things back on track between us." She looks back at me, smiling so honestly, but I'm getting a better feel for her now. My features are calm and composed, and now that I'm starting to understand her better, I feel more calm and composed as well.
"Look, I really do wish you both the best. My father and I…we're both upset about the hard feelings that seem to have developed between both our families. We simply want to establish a good relationship once more," she shrugs. "Daddy is extremely displeased with what your father has apparently done, with the way he kept the knowledge of your child from you, and the fact that he allegedly used government funds to hire that P.I. and kept him on his payroll for years and years! We're here for you, Edward, for both you and Bella," she says emphatically, "and Daddy will make sure that your father is prosecuted to the full extent of the law for what he's done."
I glance up at Edward again, but he stands there expressionless, his features betraying nothing. I would have no clue to what he's thinking if it wasn't for the way he's gripping my shoulder, how tightly he's holding on to my hand.
Tanya pauses in her speech long enough to let her eyes wander around the spacious office.
She sighs almost wistfully. "I've always loved this house, it's rich, political past, but of course I understand that you'd want to pass it down to your family, that it's a huge part of your family's legacy."
"If you really understand all that," Edward says, "then we should have no problem here this morning."
"Edward has made you a very generous proposition," I add. "It's an extremely equitable amount to buy back what is rightfully his."
Tanya blinks a few times as if startled. Her eyes flash angrily, but then a bemused grin crosses her beautiful face.
"So you've discussed the offer you made me with Isabella."
"Of course I have. I told you, Tanya, Bella and I have no secrets."
She narrows her eyes once more.
"Tell me, Isabella, are you aware of the estate's rich history, about its reputation?"
I quirk a brow her way. "You must have missed the part where I went into the estate's rich history and reputation in my article – both times you read it."
I hear Edward's low chuckle while Tanya appears to bristle quietly.
"Yes. Yes, I suppose I did miss that part. The house…it has a rich, well-respected reputation, having been handed down for generations through the Masen line; a family which was once even more politically connected than the Martins. This house has hosted more than one President, and I'd once hoped…" she trails off, sighing heavily. "Well," she grins again, "the point is, this house held a lot of potential, but potential can only get you so far, especially once your reputation is damaged. You can have unlimited potential, a whole lot of admiration, but once you lose your reputation, you might as well have nothing."
And finally, finally we get to the crux of this entire visit.
Edward and I had spoken about it, and apparently he was right. I'm starting to see that he was right about a lot of things, though I'm still having a difficult time understanding how she couldn't have really wanted him.
"You want Edward to speak on behalf of your father in exchange for your return of his house."
Tanya offers me her signature smile, but I see it so differently now, even differently than from just a few minutes ago. It's a cold, hateful smile.
"She's beautiful and smart, Edward," Tanya submits, seemingly genuine. "Congratulations."
"Yes, she is," Edward responds.
"Seeing as you're so bright, Isabella, you must see how this is a win-win situation for everyone all around. It will restore good feelings between both families, put everything in the past, and allow everyone to get on with his or her life. You and Edward can raise your daughter in his family home without concern to time of year or agreements of having to share. My father can continue his campaign without the shadow of what Edward's father has done tainting his every move," she sneers disgustedly. And Edward..." she looks up at Edward, "Edward, you can continue in politics indefinitely. As I said, a good reputation is everything and right now, your reputation is still very good. Who knows, in a few years, you can even try another run for the Senate. Anything is possible in this country. And then between both of our families, we can shape the country's future! But you need to maintain your good reputation, and my father needs to restore his, otherwise…" she sighs dramatically.
"Do we have a deal?" she inquires, her eyes solely on Edward.
My heart pounds in my chest.
It would be the easy choice, that goes without question. Edward makes a statement on behalf of Aro Martin, simply claiming that the President had no involvement whatsoever in the cover-up that kept his daughter from him. Martin would probably be re-elected and any animosity against Edward would have to be swept under the rug, and the buzz around Edward, Ellie and I would eventually die down. Edward would have his house back, his daughter's house back, and we could all go on with our lives.
It would be the most straightforward solution.
But it would be a solution based on lies.
I'm not that stupid, naïve nineteen year old girl anymore. I know that this is how politics work, that this is the way the world works: a favor for a favor. One hand greases the other. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Michael has an entire team dedicated to lobbying Congress for what amounts to political favors that border on illegal and unethical.
Yes, this is how the world works, and so what right do I have to ask Edward to continue sacrificing to do things any differently? Besides, in the long run, if we could just make all this ugliness disappear more quickly, it would make life easier for Ellie as well.
But it would all be a lie.
They hurt Ellie. From the moment of her birth, she had to grow up without a father, and while both Edward and I share responsibility there, it doesn't excuse the parts any of them played in helping it along.
They helped to take her father away from her, and if Edward goes along with this, Tanya and Aro Martin will bear no repercussions for that.
Slowly, with my chest heaving with fear and apprehension, I look up once more towards Edward, fearing the politician in him, fearing that Tanya's easy, seductive offer will be too much to deny.
His eyes are on Tanya, but when he senses me looking at him, he turns his gaze down to me.
His jaw is set tight, and for a moment, his face is still unreadable, but when he realizes it's me he's looking at, when his attention is drawn away from her, the mask falls. He quirks one eyebrow at me and I know. In his heart, he's already made his decision, but he's waiting for my answer anyway because we're a team.
So when I slowly shake my head, he smiles quickly before turning an impassive glare towards Tanya.
"You'll sign your share of the house back to me, Tanya, but I'm not publicly releasing your father from the part he played in keeping me away from Bella and my daughter. I'm not lying to the public for him."
Tanya's chest heaves angrily, all show of congeniality completely gone. She sneers at Edward.
"And what makes you think I'll sign my share back over to you in exchange for absolutely nothing?"
"You and I both know why you'll do it."
Her face contorts in horror, looking between me and Edward, and she quickly rises from her seat, slamming her palms against the edge of the desk.
"Tell her to leave, Edward. You and I have private matters to discuss. Tell her to leave!"
For one split second, I'm afraid that Edward will dismiss me, but he squeezes my hand tightly, and I hear his calm, in control voice.
"I will not ask her to leave, Tanya. She's my partner in everything."
"Tell her to fucking leave! We've got things to discuss!"
"Are you sure you want to go down this road, Tanya, instead of just signing the papers civilly? Because you and I have nothing to discuss that Bella doesn't already know."
"You told her?" she shrieks in disbelief.
"Tanya, I've been trying to explain to you, over and over, that Bella and I have no secrets."
"You stupid asshole! She's a journalist!" she spits.
"Tanya, what we're discussing right now is a personal matter," I say, just as calmly as Edward.
She glares down at me skeptically, eyes full of animosity.
"If you simply sign the papers, Tanya, this won't have to get any uglier. Neither Edward nor I want that, but this house doesn't belong to you," I say sedately. "You just told me about how this house has been handed down the Masen line for generations. This was Edward's mother's house. She left it to him as part of his legacy. Now it's my daughter's legacy by birthright."
She positively glowers at me, her eyes burning with pure hatred, but I'm no longer frightened or intimidated by her. She is everything Edward warned me she'd be and nothing more.
Suddenly, she smiles cryptically. "Outspoken, aren't you? Would you say that in public, Isabella?" She mimics my accent.
"I'm not ashamed, Tanya, if that's what you mean. Edward and I did nothing to be ashamed of, whereas you…"
Her nostrils flare, and she turns back to Edward.
"My…indiscretion would be simple enough to justify. I was pushed to it. My husband paid me no attention because his mind was apparently on someone else. The public still loves me, Edward. We'll see how long it takes for them to take sides: their home-grown American sweetheart," – she turns her hateful glare to me once more – "or your little English whore," she sneers.
I feel my scalp bristle with fury, but Edward holds me down before I can get up – which is probably a good thing all things considered.
His voice isn't quite as composed when he speaks next. It shakes with barely repressed fury.
"If you ever call Isabella anything like that again, in private or in public, I'll make sure that those pictures of you on your back under your father's then Chief-Of-Staff are splattered all over every newsstand in this country so fast you'll get the whiplash you should've gotten then. And then we'll see who the whore is."
Tanya head jerks back as if Edward has reached out and physically slapped her; her eyes grow wide with shock and yes, fear.
I try to keep my features schooled into passiveness, but I'm startled as well. Edward has told me plenty about Tanya. That first affair he uncovered about her hadn't been the only – as he found out later on. But he'd never mentioned the President's Chief-of-Staff.
His fingers grip mine tightly, so tight it's almost painful, but I hold on to him because I have a feeling that he needs support right now.
"You didn't know I knew about that, did you?" His voice is devoid of any emotion; it sounds icy and calculating; this is the Edward I imagined during our years apart, a side of Edward I've never seen in person – and it sends a chill up my spine.
"You thought I only knew of your extra-curricular activities with that attorney in your office." He chuckles, while Tanya looks horrified.
"I…I don't know what you're talking about."
"Really, Tanya? Did you really think I wouldn't hear about them? I mean, you were pretty discreet for a while, but then you simply got sloppy, as if you wanted to get caught. Is that it? Were you simply tired of pretending-"
"Fuck you, Edward!"
My mind is reeling. I picture Tanya with the President's current Chief-of-Staff: a short, stocky man with beady eyes and a receding hairline.
But then I remember what Edward just said: "under your father's then Chief-of-Staff."
Oh my God. Oh my God, I remember President Martin's former Chief-of-Staff, and suddenly it all makes sense; why Tanya never really wanted Edward.
Meanwhile, she's bristling with fury. "You have no proof."
Edward grins coolly. "You know, I really hate playing these sorts of games, but I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure that neither you, nor your father, nor my father, basically anyone, ever tries to hurt Bella or Elizabeth again. Let's put all our cards on the table here. This isn't just about the house, Tanya. This is about ensuring that your father knows to stay away from my family, and I'll do whatever I have to do to ensure that."
I'm so bewildered I can do nothing but grab onto his hand like a life-line.
"Are you sure you want to play these games with my father, Edward?" Tanya counters. "Let me give you a little piece of advice for old times sakes. Don't let the fact that you appear to have gotten your father under control get to your head because Carlisle Cullen is no Aro Martin."
"Oh, I'm quite aware of what your father is. But you're right about one thing, Tanya. I don't want to do this. I don't want to involve my family, my real family, in another scandal." His voice drops a few octaves, threatening and deadly. "But what you don't seem to realize is that I'm not the same Edward that your father and mine thought they could use like a fucking puppet. What are you going to tell me next, that you didn't know of my daughter?"
She glares at him, but doesn't respond.
"You aren't going to stand there and try to tell me that after my father, your father and you took the time to track me down in that London Suite, they decided to keep you out of the loop for the rest of it, are you? Or are you going to try to tell me that when I came back from London and you looked at me day after day, watched me turn into a man as dead and heartless as both your father and mine, never questioning why, you knew nothing? Because that would make you one of two things here, Tanya: incredibly stupid, or incredibly selfish, and we both know that no matter what you may be, you're not a stupid woman."
"You bastard," she spits.
He snorts. "The point is that despite all interference, I've found my family, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that neither your family nor my father ever hurt my daughter and her mother again, and that does include blowing the lid off of a scandal that will completely annihilate your father's political legacy. Not because of what your preferences may be, Tanya, but because while you sit here and talk about how my father used government funds to pay for the P.I. – which he did and for which he will pay for – your father promoted that Chief-of-Staff to Secretary of Treasury in exchange for silence. No, I don't like playing these games; they make me feel as cheap and dirty as our fathers, but if you leave me no choice, I'll do it. So if anyone needs to tread carefully here, it's you."
"How long have you been planning this?" she snarls.
"Long enough to have it all figured out. And just in case something…unexpected ever happens to me, I've got it set up so that this information hits the newsstands the next day."
I'm fucking terrified, but I refuse to let it show. Edward is playing fucking hard ball with the U.S. President's only daughter – who looks absolutely livid.
"Do you think…do you really think my father would hurt you?"
"I would hope not," he chuckles lightly, but then with a grimace adds, "but I'm no longer underestimating your father or mine. Call it insurance."
Tanya's chest heaves up and down. The pretty flower prints on her expensive dress undulate like waves, like a breeze blowing the blooms in the air. She suddenly reaches back into her bag and rifles through it angrily, whipping out a folder and throwing it haphazardly over Edward's desk; the papers splay out all over.
"Here's your fucking house. You're going to need somewhere to retreat to and lick your wounds once Daddy's done with both of you. Besides, it's useless to me now anyway. Once, it would've been the house of the President of the United States. It would've had glory and honor and power, and I would've still had a piece of that. Now it'll never be more than one in a string of pretty mansions on the East Coast because you will never make it past Congressman. My father has his own insurance, Edward. I came here extending an olive branch, hoping we could work this out amicably, but my father will not lose this election over something so stupid! He will attack both of your reputations, drag both of you through the mud until he comes out looking like a shiny new penny again! I'm warning you. The elections are only a couple of months away, and he won't wait too much longer, so get your head out of your ass and put out that statement!"
She turns her furious gaze towards me once more, this time leaning across the desk.
"And you," she hisses, "do you even realize how much you ruined from the moment you crossed his path? Not only did you ruin his future, but mine as well!"
I make an effort to move, but Edward holds me in place. This time, though, I take his hand and remove it from where he's keeping me against the chair. I'm not going to hit her, or strike her in any physical sense.
Leaning in myself, I bring my face to within a couple of inches of hers, bracing my hands over the desk.
She's beautiful, but her anger distorts her horribly.
"If I took anything away from you that you feel you were entitled to, I certainly didn't do it knowingly, or on purpose. You had your chance, Tanya. You did everything you could to keep him on the path your father and his father had carved out for him. You had years to mold him into what you thought he should be. In the end, when he turned away from you, I wasn't even around. I had no part in it."
I cock my head sideways, searching her cool, blue eyes.
"But you did know of me and of our daughter," I continue with conviction because yes, she knew. It's plain as day on her face, and she doesn't even try to deny it at this point. "When you and your father took Edward from us, you did it knowingly and purposely. I won't ask for an apology for me, or for my daughter, because from what I've seen of you, you're incapable of feeling remorse. But I won't apologize for what you feel you lost. As for Edward, I didn't ruin his future. I gave him a future."
The utter loathing in her eyes darkens them to a midnight blue, but I won't back down. Her eyes shoot daggers for a few endless seconds, but then with a violent huff, she turns and storms out of the office, her heels pounding over the smooth tiles as she makes her way through the halls.
Jasper peeks in quickly.
"Jasper, make sure she leaves directly," Edward instructs, and Jasper hurries out.
For half a minute, I simply sit still, overwhelmed by the strange confrontation. Finally, Edward moves around the chair and swivels me around to him, dropping to his knees in front of me. He picks up my hand, the same one he'd been holding throughout the entire exchange and kisses the top tenderly, his eyes firmly one mine.
"Are you alright?"
"Not right now, no," I snort honestly, watching the way his forehead creases, his eyes crinkle with concern. I don't want him to worry, so I add, "But I will be." And when he moves in and wraps his arms around me, when I'm cocooned in the warmth of his strong chest, when I'm consumed with the feeling of safety that he's always given me, I believe it wholeheartedly.
"You warned me that it might get worse before it gets better."
He sighs deeply, tightening his hold on me. "Yes, I did," he says quietly. "Bella…" he pulls away and meets my gaze, "Jasper, Emmett and I have already discussed this. I'm not surprised that Martin has taken this approach, but we can handle this however you want. I don't want you to be afraid or-"
"Shh," I lean in and kiss him softly, drawing in a deep breath. His scent fills my senses, and though I know that I can take care of myself, though I know that I can take care of Ellie, though I know that I can make it on my own, that's not why I'm not afraid.
"I'm not afraid. I'm really not. No matter what happens, as long as I have Ellie and you, Edward, I'm not afraid."
Once, I faced threats alone. Edward faced threats on his own too, and though we survived, it was half a life, without the one who would've made us both stronger.
This time, they may come at us full throttle, but this time, we're no longer facing them divided. We have friends, we have family.
And most importantly, we have each other.
Edward grins at me, wrapping me in his arms once more.
"You're my rock, Bella."
"And you're mine."
They can bring it on.
A/N: Thoughts?
Love hearing from you guys, and I apologize that I haven't been able to get back to any reviews lately. As you can tell by the one update a week you've been getting as opposed to two, things are busy with RL, and I'm sure you'd much rather have an update than responses, but please know that I read and appreciate and LOVE every single review and every time I hear from you guys.
***And before I forget, the question of Jasper and Alice's age difference came up a few times in a few reviews. :) To clear it up, Jasper is 27, and Alice is 19, so yes, there's a bit of an age gap there. :)
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