Disclaimer: Anything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer
AN - Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and alerts for the the last chapter. They are all very much appreciated. I totally surprised myself managing to get this ready to post for today...I only finished the first draft this morning. It took a bit of an unexpected turn but I decided to roll with it, I hope you like it...
Chapter 32 – The Morning After
Bella was woken by the harsh sound of Edward coughing. It sounded painful and as she struggled to wake up properly and force her eyes open the coughing ended to be replaced by laboured, wheezy breathing.
"Morning." He croaked when he heard the sheets rustle as she stirred and assumed she was awake although he didn't move to check as he was having a hard enough time catching his breath as it was. He had hoped she'd stay asleep a little longer, not wanting her to see him as he was but he should have known she wouldn't be able to sleep through the coughing. It had been going on too long.
"Are you ok?" She asked concerned as with her eyes now open she could see he was sat leant over, one arm wrapped around himself, holding his ribs while he struggled to breathe normally, wincing on every forced deep breathe in.
"Bad coughing fit, I'll be fine in a minute." He explained glancing back at her with what was meant to be a reassuring smile but it turned into a pained grimace as he accidently twisted his ribs a little. He hadn't had a coughing fit that bad since the week before and he'd hoped he'd seen the last of them but his aching ribs and chest were lasting proof that wasn't the case. It seemed that after all the fun of the day before his body had decided it was time to let him know that he was still ill, no matter how much better he had been feeling. He'd been looking forward to waking up with Bella beside him but now he just felt miserable; he hurt, the coughing had managed to exhaust him and Bella was looking at him worriedly showing he'd already ruined their morning.
"Come on, lean back, it'll help your breathing." Bella suggested, recalling the advice he'd been given when he'd woken up in hospital and springing into action to help him sit back against the headboard, wincing when he hissed in pain. "Where are your painkillers?"
"I don't know, probably in the kitchen." He answered as Emmett usually kept track of them and he hadn't even needed them the last couple of days. It was a sharp reminder of just how much he'd let himself grow to depend on Emmett and it made his mood even worse as he was still furious with him.
"Ok, well I'll go have a look for them. You stay here and get your breath back."
"You don't need to do that, I'll be fine in a couple of minutes." He protested but she was already out of bed and pulling her jeans back on. She shook her head, a slightly amused smile on her face as she fastened her jeans before looking up at him.
"I know you will, but you'll be a lot better after the painkillers and maybe then you and Lucy would like to spend the day at my house." She suggested making him smile a little despite the pain that was still bothering him.
"I guess I can't argue with logic like that." He commented and happy she'd won that argument so easily she climbed back onto the bed briefly to give him a chaste good morning kiss before leaving the room.
The rest of the flat was still dark and quiet so Bella did her best to move quietly, especially as she passed the sofa which was struggling to hold a rather uncomfortable looking Emmett who was still fast asleep. Making it into the kitchen without waking him she started to quietly search for Edward's pills. She knew exactly what she was looking for having always paid close attention to what he needed while in the hospital and once he'd been home. It only took a few attempts at pulling out drawers and opening cupboard doors before she found them and with them triumphantly clutched in her hand she got a glass of water before retracing her steps back to Edward's room. Once there she handed him the pills and water before stripping her jeans off again and diving back into the bed.
"It's cold." She explained when she noticed Edward was watching her burrow into his covers instead of taking his medication.
"Sorry, it's a little early for the heating to come on yet." He said having already glanced at the clock while waiting for her to return and seeing it was only shortly after eight. "We don't usually get up on weekends until nine or ten."
"That just gives us an excellent excuse to stay in bed for a while then." She responded cheerfully trying to lighten his mood and after he'd taken the pills and put the glass down she moved over and tucked herself into his uninjured side. He'd managed to get his breathing back under control while she'd been gone so he happily wrapped his arm around her, holding her to him and loving how it felt. Maybe they'd be able to salvage the morning after all as now he'd had his painkillers Bella didn't seem to be put off at all and it was starting to look like what he'd imagined their morning to be the night before.
"Do you still get the coughing fits a lot?" Bella asked after a few minutes of just enjoying where she was. It might have only been her first time at staying over but she already knew she'd want to do it again and again, as many times as Edward would let her even if she did get woken up early by his coughing fits. She was curious about them though as she'd thought he was doing a lot better but then she hadn't really spent a great deal of time with him in the last week. No one else had said anything about him still being ill either and she knew Esme or Emmett would have said something, but he had been spending the days on his own and she wondered if he was using that as an opportunity to make out he was feeling a lot better than he actually was considering no one was there to see.
"No, that was the first one in a few days. I'd thought they'd gone really but I guess last night was a little too much." He answered quietly. He didn't really want to talk about it but she'd only worry about him if he didn't and he really didn't want that, especially when there was no reason to be worried in the first place.
"It was pretty stressful, and a late night I guess. How are you feeling about it all anyway now that you've slept on it?" Bella asked shuffling a little so she could see his expression since it was a touchy subject he most likely wouldn't want to talk about.
"You mean do I still want to chuck Emmett out?" He questioned, assuming that would be the main thing they would all be concerned with.
"Well yeah, but not just that. What James said last night, and finding out he's Lucy's Uncle...that can't be easy to deal with." She replied hesitantly, not really wanting to bring it all back up but curious as to where his head was at. It would be dangerous and stupid to just disregard everything that had happened and even though he was reluctant to talk about it, it wouldn't do him any good to keep his feelings to himself.
"I'm still angry with Emmett and if I could, I would throw him out. What he did...even though he didn't know what it would mean, he still went against what I asked and his inability to listen to me has put Lucy in danger. I can't just look past that but I know Jasper had a point. She will be safer with him here so I'm not going to force him to leave, I just can't promise I'll like having him around and as for James, I don't know. I don't care that he's related to Lucy by blood, he's not her family, none of them are. Not after everything they've done and the way they just abandoned her."
"Do you think they might want her back?" Bella had thought about it being a possible reason for everything as soon as Edward had announced just who James was in relation to Lucy. Considering how the conversation had been going at the time she'd kept quiet but she had wondered if they were just trying to take Edward out of the picture to get to Lucy. From the wording James had used in his threat he hadn't specifically said they would hurt her, just that she was fair game. That could have meant they wanted to take her but she was certain that would be just as bad to Edward. He was so close to Lucy that he'd be destroyed without her which was just another reason they'd have to take her. If they really wanted him to suffer that would be the best way to go about it.
"No, if she was what they really wanted they'd have taken her already. She's not the aim for all of this. I'm certain of that." He responded quickly but she felt him shiver slightly and knew that just the idea of it upset him even if he didn't believe that was what they wanted.
"Already taken her? When would they have...hang on..." She started to ask only to suddenly remember the conversation she'd had with Garrett and Lucy in the hospital that at the time hadn't made much sense. "When you were in hospital and we were trying to work out what had happened, Lucy said something that at the time we didn't think made much sense, but she said Victoria had been here, when you weren't around. Was she telling the truth and that's when you think they would have taken her and why she's not what they want?"
"Yeah. If they'd wanted her, they would have taken her then. Just the thought of it terrifies me." He responded quietly and she knew she was into rough territory for Edward as she could already feel he'd tensed up so she reached out the hand she'd had laid across to his stomach to grasp his hand while turning her head to press a kiss over his heart before she spoke again. She didn't want him to think she was thinking badly of him but considering they were still trying to piece everything together it seemed like an important part of the jigsaw and as he hadn't already told anyone the details she had to try and find out what had happened.
"When was that?"
"Do you remember the first time we talked? When I was covered in bruises? It was just after Lucy had been off school ill." He said, feeling uncomfortable telling her how he'd failed Lucy. If she hadn't been wrapped around him he doubted he could have told her for the fear she'd finally see what a terrible person he was and leave but she had to already know where the story was headed and she was just moving closer, not running away like he'd have expected.
"Yeah, of course I do." She responded thinking it would be impossible for her to forget that day since it was the first time they'd spoken to each other and it had been the start of their current relationship. She didn't think she'd ever forget a moment she'd spent with him, no matter what they were doing.
"It was that weekend. We'd run out of food in the house as Lucy fell ill when I was due to do the food shop so I couldn't do it. When she started to feel better I knew I needed to get something in for her to eat but I didn't want her to leave the flat in case she got sick again. By that point she was well enough that I figured so long as I was quick she would just sleep through me being gone. She should have been safe, she knows what she can and can't touch in the flat and as I said, I was sure she'd just be asleep anyway so I told myself it was ok. I don't know what happened after I left the flat, I never made it to the shops and I woke up in an alleyway that night. By the time I made it home it was morning, Lucy was terrified and the flat had been ransacked. Nothing was taken, Lucy wasn't hurt and I was in too much of a state to really think much of it other than making sure Lucy was ok. When we saw Victoria again Lucy told me it was her that had been in the flat, so I assume it was James that led to me being beaten and left in the alley. She was in the flat, on her own, the entire time they searched it. They had to have known she was here considering they seem to spend all their time stalking me yet they didn't even look for her when she hid under my bed. I should never have left her on her own."
"It sounds like you didn't have much of a choice at the time." She tried to reassure him, hearing what he wasn't saying in that last sentence. He found it much too easy to look down on himself and the last thing he should ever be questioning was his parenting ability. The way his life had gone it was clear he'd always done his best for Lucy, even at the expense of his own health and although he'd made a mistake, he hadn't had much of a choice. "You're a wonderful dad and Lucy loves you, she's always bragging about you to Anna so don't start thinking you're anything less. Was that the first time anything happened with James?"
"Yeah and I don't really know what happened. I was out for a long time, I think they must have hit me over the head hard or something as I don't remember it and I was pretty dizzy and woozy when I woke up. I passed out when I got back home too. Lucy cleaned me up which was why I was wearing that plaster with the duck on it." He muttered, figuring since he was telling her the worst parts of that day that he may as well finally explain why he'd been wearing such a ridiculous plaster on his forehead.
"You've been through so much... I don't know how you're still going with all of this." Bella commented, looking up at him in sad wonder. It really was heartbreaking to hear how alone they used to be and just how much he'd been suffering. She was glad it had at least brought some of his family back to him.
"There's nothing else I can do. I just wish they'd leave me alone. I'm so tired of struggling to make everything alright." He sighed.
"Well at least you don't have to manage on your own anymore. We'll get to the bottom of it all somehow and sort it out. Esme and Carlisle are determined and I wouldn't want to mess with them." Bella said before sitting up properly and studying him for a moment. He looked so downhearted and since it was her fault for starting the conversation, she wanted to do something about it. They'd talked over the hard stuff and she was pretty sure he was dealing with it as well as could be expected so it was time to start enjoying their day. "How are your ribs?"
"Not too bad now, why?" He asked, liking the way her eyes seemed to smoulder as she looked at him. Instead of responding she sat up on her knees before moving to straddle him.
"So I can do this." She told him quietly before leaning down to steal a kiss, her hands winding into his hair and making him instantly forget what they'd been talking about just moments before.
"You can do that anytime. I don't care if my ribs hurt or not." Edward commented with a slightly dazed smile when they broke apart. Sitting on his lap, wearing his t-shirt with her hair wild around her face from sleep she'd never looked more beautiful, especially as she smiled mischievously, making her eyes sparkle.
"You'll regret telling me that." She teased, reaching out to mess up his hair only making him laugh.
"Oh I don't think I will." He countered, ducking away from her hand to pull her into him for another kiss. Edward pulled back when he heard the rumble of the heating starting up. It was a sure sign that their time alone was coming to an end as Lucy hardly ever sleep in and after going to bed before they'd made it home the night before he knew she'd be up early to make sure everything was ok and he was home.
"Time to get up?" Bella asked, seeing the semi disappointed look in his eyes as he ran his hands down her sides.
"I don't want to, not with you here like this." He commented, letting his hands briefly touch the bare skin on her thighs before he quickly pulled them back. Not only did her skin feel amazingly soft but touching her there increased the pull he felt to her to dangerous limits and put a fire in her eyes he was sure he wasn't ready to play with yet. "Lucy will be up soon."
"Hmm how about I cook us all some breakfast then?" She said, letting out a sigh when his arms wound around her waist and he let his head rest on her shoulder for a moment, obviously savouring the moment as he inhaled the scent of her hair.
"You're the guest; you shouldn't be the one cooking." He mumbled and being unable to fight the lure he placed a light kiss on her neck.
"Well you're not feeling great, Emmett's still asleep and Lucy would have far too much fun getting breakfast by herself. Plus I honestly don't mind, I like cooking for you guys." She responded, trying to ignore the way it tickled as Edward chuckled, his breath blowing across the sensitive skin of her neck.
"I quite like the idea of letting Lucy do it. It'll give Emmett lots of mess to clear up and she would have fun." He muttered making Bella smile even if he couldn't see it.
"How about I make pancakes and let Lucy help. She can make the mess for Emmett and I can make sure its edible." She compromised and when Edward reappeared from her neck the crooked smile was back.
"I like that idea."
"Good. Emmett's going to have fun living here for a while isn't he?" She asked to which Edward shrugged.
"I'll be civil, but I'm not making it easy for him." He stated and knowing it was the best they were likely to get Bella dropped the subject there. It was Emmett's own fault and she agreed with Edward that even not knowing about the threat to Lucy it was still a stupid idea to go after James the way he had. That didn't mean that if he'd chosen to do it in a dark alley with no one around that she wouldn't have been cheering him on. She'd never hated anyone before, but without even knowing him she was certain she hated James.
They both got up then, Bella looking to her corset for a minute wondering if she ought to put it on again if Lucy was going to be around but when she glanced to Edward with questioning eyes, holding it up he just smiled and shook his head. It didn't matter which she wore, both would show she'd stayed the night as Lucy would just as quickly pick up on the fact the corset was dressy and not at all Bella's usual everyday wear as she would his t-shirt. With that being the case she may as well be comfortable and as much as he'd like the corset he was sure the restrictive fabric and boning wouldn't be very comfortable to wear. He also didn't want to see it ruined and he already knew pancake batter washed out of his t-shirt fine.
"You're sure this is ok? You don't want me to sneak out before Lucy can see?" Bella double checked once they'd both pulled on a pair of jeans, Edward opting for one of his old worn pairs, and were about to leave his room.
"Yes. This isn't just a fleeting thing for me. I want you here a lot if you want to be." He assured her, pulling her into a hug. He trusted her not to hurt them both however strange that was for him.
"It's not for me either and I want to be here. I'm honoured that you can trust me with her, I know it must be hard for you." She murmured into his chest.
"It's easy when it's you." He responded quietly wishing briefly that it he could get the words out that matched the revelation he'd had in the night but he knew it was too soon. He needed a little more time to get his head around it before he announced it.
Having no idea what she could possibly say to something as sweet as that, Bella just reached up to kiss him again, needing to show him how touched she was. What was meant to be a quick kiss quickly morphed into more until she was plastered to his chest, her hands once again in his hair while his had slid to her lower back, underneath the t-shirt. Kissing Bella had definitely turned into Edward's favourite hobby and if the enthusiasm she showed was anything to go by she seemed to feel the same. He didn't want to pull away but when his ribs started to protest he remembered that Lucy would be up soon and that they were meant to be starting breakfast so he started to pull back and Bella seemed to understand as she unwound her fingers from his hair and smiled at him until she noticed he was holding his side again.
"Sorry." She apologised but he smirked a little and shook his head.
"It was worth it." He said cheerfully before pulling open his bedroom door, "Let's go get breakfast started."
Bella was collecting up the ingredients and pots they'd need for pancakes while Edward was making coffee when Lucy skipped into the kitchen. She ran straight for Edward when she saw him there, slamming into him as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, the force of it knocking him forward a step before he caught himself on the units.
"Hey baby, I missed you last night." He said, disentangling her arms from around him for a moment so he could turn and pick her up.
"Missed you too Daddy." She told him before kissing his cheek and then laying her head against his shoulder, happy to be in his arms.
"Did you have fun with Esme and Carlisle?" He asked and feeling her nod against his shoulder but not say anything he smiled and kissed her head, content with just holding her for a while as that seemed to be what she wanted. Glancing at Bella he saw her watching them with a smile and when she realised he was looking at her she waved him away from the coffee and to the table, quickly moving over to finish the drinks for him.
It was only when Bella sat Edward's coffee mug and a glass of milk on the table in front of them that Lucy actually realised there was someone else in the kitchen. She'd been so focussed on her daddy, relieved to see him there and looking the same as he had the day before that she'd not stopped to look around the room any further. Now though she looked up and straight to Bella and they both watched her take in Bella's outfit. She stared at the t-shirt for a minute, her head tilting to one side before she looked up at Bella's face then back to Edward's. They both watched her apprehensively as she stayed silent but then a small smile appeared which grew to a large grin as she looked between them again so they both relaxed a little.
"Why's Bella wearing your t-shirt?" She finally asked, looking up at Edward and the smile on her face told him she knew the answer already. She really was far too smart sometimes and he was glad they hadn't been trying to hide their growing relationship from her. It never would have worked.
"She stayed here last night." He told her and couldn't help smiling when he saw the light blush on Bella's cheeks before she quickly turned back to the units to hide it.
"Does that mean she's your girlfriend now?" She asked hopefully and he tried not to laugh when the wooden spoon Bella had just pulled out of a drawer fell with a clatter to the units. Lucy's usual bluntness obviously hadn't been anticipated.
"I think so, though we probably ought to ask Bella." He answered Lucy, forcing Bella to face them again and when she did, she was clutching the spoon she'd just dropped so hard her knuckles were white and her blush was back full force.
"Are you Daddy's girlfriend?" Lucy asked as soon as soon as she realised Bella was paying attention and Bella stared at them for a moment wondering how Edward could sit there so unflustered by Lucy's questions. He was meant to be the inexperienced one yet he looked perfectly at ease with it all while she couldn't stop the blush from giving her away. Something that only got worse when she could see the amusement in Edward's eyes. He was enjoying watching her squirm as she tried to work out what to say to Lucy.
"Yes." She finally managed to answer since Edward had already suggested she was and it was what she wanted anyway even if she hadn't been expecting to announce it to his daughter herself. Before either of them could wonder what Lucy's response would be, she'd already jumped off Edward's lap and thrown herself at Bella with a happy squeal.
"Thank you!" She said quietly but reverently once Bella had leaned down to return her hug.
"What for?" Bella questioned not understanding why Lucy felt the need to thank her. Glancing up at Edward quickly she saw that although he was still smiling, he was also looking at Lucy a little curiously. The kitchen was too small for him not to have heard what she'd said even though she'd said it quietly.
"You make Daddy happy." Lucy answered and with her eyes still locked on Edward Bella saw his expression soften as he stared at Lucy.
"Well he makes me happy too so you really don't need to thank me." She responded, tearing her gaze away to focus back on Lucy whose smile only grew when Bella hugged her a little tighter before letting go.
"Are you making pancakes?" Lucy asked then, peering up at the units and instantly recognizing the items Bella had taken out, apparently having said all she thought needed to be said on the matter of Bella staying over. When Bella nodded, a little taken aback by the quick change in subjects Lucy's excitement went into overdrive.
"Can I help?"
She didn't even wait for an answer before running over to the table, grabbing hold of a chair and dragging it over next to where Bella was standing then climbing up on it so she could reach the units.
Edward watched them from his seat at the table feeling a little overwhelmed. He'd known Lucy wouldn't have a problem with Bella being there, but the way she'd thanked Bella for making him happy had been a surprise. He'd assumed she was so fond of her purely because she liked her, not because she'd noticed the effect she had on him. It was clear now though that her attempts at pushing them together had been for him and it made him wonder what he could have done to ever deserve such a wonderful daughter. Seeing her and Bella interact just added to that wonder. They were so easy together, laughing and having fun as Bella let Lucy help her. He was torn between wanting to get up to join in the fun and staying where he was to watch them. The twinge in his ribs when he shifted his position a little decided the matter for him though so he settled back to watch them and as soon as the batter was mixed Lucy ran back over to him and climbed onto his knee.
"What did you do last night?" She asked while shuffling slightly to get comfortable, making him wince a little as she knocked his side but he didn't say anything as he was enjoying her excitement far too much.
"We went to a restaurant, then we met Auntie Alice, Jasper, Bella's friend Rosalie and her friends at a club." He told her, watching her think that through before she came up with her next question. He was sure there were going to be a lot of them.
"What did you do there?" She asked.
"I danced with Bella for a while." He said unable to hide the grin the thought of that caused making Lucy smile back at him before she looked to Bella again.
"Is Daddy good at dancing?" She asked her and after flipping over the pancake she was cooking, Bella looked over at them.
"He's very good at it." She said and the light blush that rose in her cheeks let him know she wasn't just talking about the dancing but more the activity they got distracted by whilst on the dance floor. She didn't look embarrassed though as she smiled at them, watching Edward's grin drop into a smirk.
"Bella taught me well." He commented to Lucy who looked at him in confusion when he started laughing as Bella's blush deepened. Bella meanwhile turned back to the pancakes, willing her blush to go away. It seemed Edward was still having fun watching her flustered in front of Lucy and though she knew Lucy had no idea what they were actually talking about it still felt wrong to be alluding to it in front of her.
"What's all the laughter about?" Emmett broke into their cosy morning as he wandered in from the living room, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning. His appearance instantly changed Edward's laughter into a scowl as just the sight of him reminded him of all the bad things that had happened the night before which Bella had successfully been distracting him from.
"Nothing." He muttered quietly and Lucy shot another confused look at him before looking at Emmett.
"Bella is Daddy's girlfriend now." She informed him happily making Emmett glance between Edward and Bella who was just sitting two plates of pancakes on the table in front of Edward and Lucy's usual spot.
"Really? That's good." He humoured Lucy while being distracted by the fact he'd just noticed what Bella was wearing. It hadn't taken them long to realise Bella was staying over the night before as Esme had gone to check on them before they'd left to see if she'd still wanted a lift only to come back and inform everyone they were both asleep and she didn't want to disturb them. He'd assumed they'd just unintentionally fallen asleep after talking but now looking at how at home Bella appeared he doubted that assumption. While he was thrilled they were getting along so well he was a little worried. After what they'd all recently learned about Lucy's mother and what she'd done he didn't think Edward would be ready for sleepovers for a while and he certainly didn't think it could be a good idea when he was in the state he'd been the night before. Looking between them both now though it seemed that everything was fine and he was the only problem if the way Edward was scowling at him was anything to go by.
"Bella stayed here." Lucy added happily unaware of her Uncle's thoughts, "And they danced!"
Bella watched Emmett's expression go from concern to shock with that news and knowing a little of Emmett's dating history she knew exactly what he was thinking as he looked between them, his eyes lingering on the t-shirt she was wearing a little longer than necessary.
"Not the way you're thinking." She told him quietly enough so that neither Lucy nor Edward would hear as she gave him a plate of pancakes. He doubtfully looked up at her but she just glared back at him, silently warning him not to say anything that he was currently thinking. She didn't really care whether he believed her or not, she just didn't want him to say anything that would set Edward's anger off again so soon, especially not with Lucy in the room. Luckily he seemed to heed the warning as he concentrated on his pancakes and Edward had missed the whole interaction as he'd been watching Lucy while she climbed down from his lap and onto her own chair to eat. Happy that Emmett was staying quiet, Bella took her own seat and as they all ate Edward turned the conversation round to Lucy, wanting to know everything about her night with Esme.
It was after they'd finished eating and Lucy had run off to her room to find the pictures she'd made with Esme so she could show them to Edward and Bella that Emmett decided he couldn't stay quiet any longer. Apart from Bella staying over they still had a lot to talk about regarding James and they needed to sort out their argument.
"We need to talk." He announced drawing both Edward and Bella's attention.
"No, we don't." Edward countered, going back to watching Bella slowly collect up the plates and deciding to help her.
"Yes we do. We need to talk about James and this argument between us is stupid. We need to sort it out." Emmett pushed.
"There's nothing to say about James and I don't want to talk to you." Edward snapped, standing up too fast and making his ribs complain.
"Come on! You can't just pretend nothing's going on and are your ribs bothering you again?" He asked since Edward was holding his side again while he moved over to join Bella at the sink.
"They're fine. Leave me alone." He grumbled.
"Edward..." Emmett tried again, unwilling to let it just go. They had to talk about it all.
"NO! Just leave me alone!" Edward exploded in return, his voice raising and causing Emmett to start getting angry as well.
"Hey! Both of you stop it! Lucy will be back in here soon. Do you really want her to see the two of you shouting at each other?" Bella stepped in, trying to calm them down.
"Bella you can't agree with him just ignoring all of this..." Emmett tried, trailing off when she didn't back down and instead continued to glare at him.
"He's not ignoring it." She countered. "But now is not the time and you're just going to make it worse."
"But..."
"Daddy look!" Lucy ran in and Edward immediately wiped the anger from his face as he turned to Lucy who was carrying a stack of coloured paper.
"Why don't you go look at those in the living room? Emmett can help me wash up." Bella suggested and when Edward looked to her unsurely she smiled.
"Go, I'll talk to him, it'll be fine." She told him quietly while Lucy started tugging on his hand, totally missing the tension in the room in her excitement.
"Ok, join us soon though? You cooked, so you shouldn't be cleaning up as well." He commented with another scowl at Emmett.
"I don't mind and I'll be through in a minute or two." She answered, kissing his cheek then waving them off before pinning Emmett with another glare as he watched Edward leave.
"Here, I'll wash, you can dry." She stated, picking up the tea towel from the units and chucking it at him. He caught it against his chest and reluctantly moved over to join her at the sink.
"He really can't just ignore James." Emmett muttered as she started to fill the sink.
"I told you, he's not. We talked about it last night and again this morning. Right now though he needs a break from it. Can you not see you all keep pushing him too hard? It's not easy for him and when it gets too hard he shuts down, just like last night." She answered.
"We're pushing him too hard? What about you? You really think he's ready for 'sleepovers'?" Emmett countered feeling a little put out that Bella was telling him how to handle his own brother. It was getting on his nerves that while she apparently could do no wrong as far as Edward was concerned, he couldn't get anything right.
"It wasn't like that! We didn't do anything but sleep. He was upset and it was just comfort." She snapped, "And I don't appreciate you alluding to it being anything else. You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt him."
"I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated that he won't talk to me." He sighed, "If he was upset did he have nightmares again? Is that why his ribs are bothering him?"
"No, he had a coughing fit this morning, that's what hurt his ribs. He didn't have any nightmares."
"Huh...guess that's good then." He commented, starting to calm down now that it was clear Bella staying over had actually done some good if Edward managed to sleep peacefully. While he'd be paying attention for more coughing fits he didn't think that was the most urgent thing to dwell on right then. "So what's he said about James?"
"Not a lot, just that there's nothing that can be done about him and he won't chuck you out so Lucy's safer here. He's certain they're not after Lucy other than to get to him though. That first time he was beaten up, Victoria searched the flat when Lucy was here on her own. They must have known she was here but they didn't even look for her."
"They've been in here? And Lucy was on her own?" He questioned, appalled at the idea of them being there alone with Lucy and seeing the expression on his face Bella felt compelled to defend Edward.
"She'd been ill but they needed food. There wasn't a lot he could do." She said sharply and though that hadn't been what had disturbed him it still brought it back to Emmett just how hard things had been for Edward. It was easy to forget he'd been so alone having never experienced life like that himself.
"Damn, I keep forgetting how hard things were for him. That was before you knew him right?" He asked, the realization he hadn't even had Bella around at that point unsettling him even more.
"Yeah, I spoke to him for the first time the Monday after."
"So they've been here, looking for something?" Emmett asked, trying to get back on track. If they were ever going to make things right for Edward they needed to get to the bottom of what was going on with James, not stand around feeling sorry for things they couldn't change.
"He thinks so, nothing was taken but the living room and kitchen were trashed."
"Well that's something we didn't know before, yet again it doesn't really tell us much though." Emmett sighed. James was playing a very clever game considering how much he seemed to know about them and how little he was giving them to go on.
"It was the start of it, whatever this is so I think we know as much as Edward does now." Bella responded hoping that now she'd filled him in he wouldn't badger Edward about it so much. He really didn't seem up to going over and over it all if the night before was anything to go by.
"I'll let Carlisle and Esme know. They're planning to try and talk to our parents. See if they can learn anything there." Emmett confided awkwardly.
"Edward won't like that." Bella responded, remembering how he always reacted to any mention of his parents.
"They're not planning on telling him unless they find anything out. We've got to try and figure this out somehow and Carlisle just wants to make sure we've followed every lead we can. When James found them he said our parents had told him Edward was with them so he must have spoken to them and if he did, we need to know what was said." Emmett explained and while Bella could see the logic in that she couldn't help but feel Edward wouldn't appreciate it if he found out about it.
"Edward's convinced that it won't matter if we know the reason or not." She commented, wondering just how true that would turn out to be.
"Well we can't just sit here doing nothing, waiting for them to strike again and if Edward won't talk to us we'll just have to find information where we can."
"He wouldn't talk to you anyway, he's still furious with you." She said making Emmett sigh again.
"I wish he would. I know I messed up but I didn't do it intentionally. I just wanted to help him."
"I think he knows that but it doesn't change the fact that Lucy is in danger now and he can't just forget or forgive that."
"But I didn't know it would put her in danger!"
"Makes no difference to him. She's still in danger." Bella shrugged.
"This sucks."
"Yup. I asked him and Lucy to come round to my house today. A change in scenery and some space might help. Maybe after they're home you'll have a better chance at talking to him."
"Are you sure that's a good idea with James on the warpath?" Emmett asked, he didn't want Edward out of his sight where it could be helped and he wasn't sure he liked the idea of them out of the house like that.
"Mum and Anna will be home and as Edward pointed out last night, James doesn't act when there are witnesses around so I doubt he'll try anything there. You'll just end up arguing and upsetting Lucy if he stays here today as well. You saw how quick he was to anger just now, that's not going to improve if he's shut up in here with you."
"Guess you guys will need a lift back to your house then?" Emmett gave in realising she was probably right once again.
"Yeah that would be good."
"Ok, I'll go get ready then."
"Thank you."
The washing up finished, Bella joined Edward in complimenting Lucy on her artistic skills while Emmett showered. Lucy was still bubbling with excitement and although Emmett had dampened Edward's mood, she seemed to be repairing it. When Emmett returned from the bathroom Lucy forced him to look at her pictures while Edward showered before Bella suggested she ought to go and get dressed so they'd be ready to leave when Edward was done. That only seemed to amplify her excitement as she hurried to do as Bella said.
"You're going to have fun with her today." Emmett commented only making Bella smile.
"That's the plan." She answered before leaving Emmett to his own devices as she went to Edward's room to collect all her things together. She was loath to take the comfortable t-shirt off but knowing it was Edward's favourite she thought he probably wouldn't appreciate her keeping it so she reluctantly pulled it over her head and replaced it with her corset. She would shower and change at home. Grabbing her bag, jacket and shoes she headed back to the living room where Emmett was now watching cartoons on TV. Settling on the sofa she pulled her shoes on before looking through her bag for her phone. Pulling it out, the display showed she had two missed calls and a voicemail, all from Rosalie. Frowning as she wondered what she'd be so insistent about she accessed her voicemail and listened to the message, finding herself smiling as she got to the end of it.
"Hey Emmett, give me your phone." She said once the message was finished and confusing Emmett as he pulled his attention away from the TV screen but he handed his phone over anyway.
"What are you doing?" He asked as he watched her fiddle around with it before she typed something in then threw it back to him.
"Seems you did something right last night after all." She commented as he stared at his phone, where the new contact with Rosalie's name on was lit up.
"Is this her actual number?" He asked warily, amusing Bella.
"She left a message on my phone asking if everything was ok here and telling me to give you her number. Looks like you managed to impress her." She explained causing Emmett to smile widely.
"Well that gives me something to do today other than sit around here." He commented happily and then Lucy returned, stealing all of Bella's attention as she skipped in wearing another one of her pretty dresses. It was a simple purple one with oversized buttons fastening each of the shoulder straps on the front of it.
"That's my favourite colour." Bella told her, pointing to the dress and making Lucy smile again.
"I like it too but pink's my favourite." She responded, stopping in front of Bella and holding out her hairbrush along with two purple ribbons and hair ties. "Can you do my hair please?"
"Course I can. Bunches?" She asked, taking the things Lucy offered and guessing what style she wanted as when Lucy had stayed with them she'd always wanted her hair like that for school.
"Yes please." She answered so Bella set to work and by the time Lucy had bunches complete with purple bows Edward had returned, freshly showered and looking way too good in his usual jeans and a plain white t-shirt Bella assumed was one of the ones Alice bought as it was tighter fitting than his normal ones.
"Everyone ready to go?" Emmett asked, turning the TV off and standing up.
"Can I take my dolls?" Lucy asked, running over to Edward who smiled, lightly tugging one of her bunches.
"Not all of them but you can go pick a couple of them." He answered, receiving a hug in response before she ran out of the room.
It didn't take them long then to get ready to go and load into Emmett's car, Lucy happily clutching her school bag which was overflowing with dolls despite Edward's best attempts at persuading her to leave a few more of them at home. The car ride was fairly quiet. Edward was ignoring Emmett although he didn't mind so much now he had Rosalie's number to distract him and when they reached Bella's house Edward didn't even say goodbye but Lucy's hug made up for it and Emmett stayed long enough to watch them get into the house safely before he drove away.
"Where were you?" Anna asked the instant Bella was through the front door. She was standing in the hallway, arms folded across her chest and her eyes narrowed at her sister.
"I was at Edward's flat." Bella answered, calling attention to Edward and Lucy who entered behind her. Lucy waved and smiled but after a brief glance Anna was back to focusing on Bella.
"Why?"
"Because it was already late when we got there and I wanted to stay there." Bella returned while stepping further into the hallway so they could get the front door shut.
"Why?" Anna asked again.
"Just because! What's with all the questions Anna?" Bella snapped, quickly getting irritated by her sister as she knew she'd just continue to ask 'why' to anything she said. Lucy however looked a little baffled by Bella's sharp response so stepped towards her friend to give her a better answer.
"She's Daddy's girlfriend now." She informed her only to be more confused when Anna huffed and stomped her foot.
"I'm telling Mum!" She announced before turning and running off into the kitchen.
"She already knows!" Bella called after her before sighing and turning to Edward and Lucy. "Sorry, she seems to be in one of those moods again."
"That's ok. I'm sure Lucy can cheer her up." Edward commented while Lucy looked up at him doubtfully. She didn't like it so much when Anna was grumpy.
"I hear we've got visitors...what are you all doing standing out here?" Renee asked, appearing in the kitchen doorway with a smile.
"We got stopped on the way in by Anna." Bella explained as she led them all through, Renee stepping aside to let them into the kitchen.
"Ah, did she tell you Phil's going to be home later than planned?"
"No but that does explain the mood. When's he going to be home?"
"Tuesday morning."
"Wonderful." Bella commented feeling a little annoyed that they'd be suffering Anna's bad mood for him once again. She liked Phil but sometimes his work just got in the way too often.
"Yup but that's not important right now. I want to hear all about last night!" Renee responded, apparently unaffected by Phil's unexpected absence in light of the opportunity for new gossip.
"There's not much to tell." Bella said with a pointed glance towards Lucy who seemed to already be cheering Anna up by showing her all the dolls she'd bought with her.
"Ah...you can tell me later then." She responded and from her excited smile Bella could tell she was expecting juicy details, not tales of arguments, fights and threats.
"Ok, I need a shower, can you get Edward a coffee or something? I won't be long." Bella said, glancing to where Edward had gravitated over to the girls and had already got one of the dolls in his hands.
"Sure. Everything's ok right?" Renee asked, noticing that Bella was a lot less excited than she'd expected her to be considering where she'd spent the night. Lucy certainly seemed happy but there was definitely something slightly off with Bella and Edward. They just weren't the sickeningly happy couple she'd expected when she'd realised Bella had brought Edward and Lucy with her after spending their first night together.
"There was some trouble at the club but everyone's ok. I'll tell you about it later." Bella explained quietly before turning to leave. Renee could be spookily observant when she wanted to be, and when she once caught the hint of something she didn't let it drop until she had an answer. It was always easier to just tell her what she wanted to know than to try and hide it but Bella really wanted to leave the full explanation for later, preferably when Edward wasn't around to possibly overhear the conversation.
"Bella wait...what do you mean by trouble?" Renee asked quickly before she could leave. She really didn't like the sound of that.
"James, the man who put Edward in hospital turned up. Emmett broke his nose and he left but he threatened Lucy." Bella whispered hurriedly as she didn't want to draw the girls' attention but she knew Renee really wouldn't give up without some kind of explanation now but it far from settled her.
"Go get your shower but we're talking about this more later. I'm not sure I like you being mixed up in this." Renee responded, the excited smile long gone as she looked at her daughter with worry. She liked Edward and Lucy and she knew how Bella felt about them but if things were getting dangerous then they had to be re-evaluated. She really did not want her daughter getting hurt.
"We'll talk but I can tell you now I'm not leaving him. Nothing anyone does will ever change my mind on that."
"Do you even know what you've got yourself into?" Renee asked, seeing the determination in Bella's eyes and hating that she knew nothing would sway her. Bella was fiercely loyal when she cared about someone and the way she looked at Edward and spoke about him put him right at the top of her priorities. She hoped she knew what she was doing.
"No one does at this point but he needs me and I'm not going to let him down." Bella responded.
"Sorry to interrupt but the girls were wondering if they could watch a DVD." Edward interrupted them, looking warily between them as although he hadn't been able to hear what was being said, he'd noticed the whispered argument taking place.
"Oh sure, I'll get them set up." Renee responded, a little startled by his appearance but quickly rallying the girls up and into the living room across the hall. If one thing was obvious it was that Bella would not want Edward to be aware of what they'd been talking about.
"Is everything ok with Renee?" Edward asked when it was just Bella and him left in the kitchen.
"She's just worried, I had to tell her a little about the club. It'll be fine." She sighed, stepping into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head against his chest. He returned the hug but looked down at her concerned and a little frightened.
"She doesn't want you around me?" He guessed and she lifted her head to look at his face.
"Since Dad died she worries about things a lot. I'll talk to her later and it'll all be fine. Besides, nothing she could say would make me stay away from you anyway." She answered before reaching up to kiss him but it didn't escape his notice that she hadn't denied his assumption.
Still in need of a shower and change of clothes Bella took Edward up to her room rather than leaving him in the kitchen where Renee could corner him. After telling him to make himself at home and that she wouldn't be long she left him sitting awkwardly on her bed while she headed for the bathroom with the intention of having the quickest shower of her life.
Edward stayed where Bella left him, sitting in the edge of her bed and looked around. It was a large room and the walls would have been a plain white if she hadn't covered virtually every inch of them with photos, drawings and random posters. It was very random and very Bella which made him smile a little. The photos seemed to span her life, as he could see older ones with a brown eyed toddler either playing or surrounded by a younger Renee and a man he'd never seen before who he assumed was her father as he had the same eyes. There were plenty more photos of her parents and lots of faces he didn't know that could have been family or friends. On the wall just above her cluttered desk there was a small collection of photos of a teenage Bella holding a small bundle of blankets in her arms which as he peered closer at he realised must have been Anna and they were surrounded by more showing Anna slowly growing up. Looking at all the photos it was obvious that family and friends meant a lot to Bella and he was struck by the thought that he really needed to get the pictures from their day at the zoo developed and get a copy for her. He wanted to be on her wall, along with everyone else she'd ever cared for.
The rest of her room was just as cluttered as the walls. There were books scattered on every surface and the desk was barely visible under the notebooks, loose sheets of paper and her laptop. Even a few of Anna's toys seemed to have sneaked into the chaos and that kind of reminded him of his home making him feel a little less out of place.
As his gaze finally came to rest on her purple bedspread his thoughts drifted back to the whispered argument he'd seen downstairs. Renee had good reason to be worried about his involvement with Bella. Anyone in his life could become a target for the trouble that followed him and considering how much he cared about Bella she was probably more at risk than anyone other than Lucy. He shouldn't have been asking her to face that but he couldn't stomach the idea of turning away from her. Now he'd let her in, fallen for her, the idea of not having her around made him sick. The only thing worse was imagining what James would do to her and it made him question it all. If he couldn't stand to see her hurt and he couldn't stand the idea of not being around her then what was he meant to do?
"You're thinking too much."
He jumped a little at the sound of Bella's voice coming from right in front of him and when he glanced up she was standing there in a comfortable pair of jeans and a black tank top with her hair wrapped up in a towel on top of her head.
"Renee's right not to want you around me." He stated sadly, looking down at his hands, "It's not safe."
"I don't care and once I explain it to her properly she won't either." Bella responded confidently although just hearing him say something like that made her heart rate increase with the first stirrings of panic.
"James could decide to go after you. He's using Lucy to get to me, if he can't get at her he might go to the next best option and no one means more to me than Lucy and you." Edward responded, glancing up at her briefly and his cheeks reddening slightly with what he'd just admitted. He saw Bella's confident expression soften a little at his words and she stepped towards him, placing a hand against his cheek as she sought out his eyes.
"And that would still be true even if I walked away now wouldn't it? It's too late for backing away. I'd be a target if I was with you or if I wasn't and I'd much rather be with you." She stated and as he looked up at her, seeing the love that neither of them had spoken of yet in her eyes he knew he couldn't turn away. She was right; it was already too late in every sense.
"I'm so sorry." He uttered, choking up a little as he realised just how much he'd messed up. He should never have given in, should have kept his distance no matter how hard it was. She shouldn't have been involved.
"No, don't apologise. It's not your fault." She said sharply, moving her other hand to mirror the first so his face was cupped between them. His eyes were quickly becoming liquid green pools and she silently cursed Renee for planting the doubts and thoughts into his head before she leant in and kissed him softly.
"This is all James. It's his fault. He wants you alone and defenceless and if you back away now you're giving him exactly what he wants. Don't let him ruin this for us."
"I can't be the reason you get hurt." He muttered desperately. Even thinking about it hurt. It was just as bad as imagining Lucy in James' hands and it would be all his fault. He couldn't live with that. It would break him as surely as loosing Lucy would.
"And you won't be, not if you don't walk away from us." She returned determinedly, willing him to listen to her and not give up.
"I don't think I could, even if it was for the best." He replied and the pain and fear in his eyes was just too much to take so she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into her, running a hand into his hair and holding his head against her chest. She heard him take a faltering breath as his arms slowly wrapped around her waist but she was relieved he wasn't trying to pull away. So long as he still wanted her then they could get through it; whatever 'it' turned out to be.
"I'll be ok, we'll be ok." She reassured him, pressing a kiss into his hair and leaning her head against the top if his head as she held him. They had to be ok, nothing else was acceptable. James was not going to force them apart no matter what his plans were. She would fight with all she had to make sure of that.