Chapter 35: He was Tyler, my Tyler.

A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.

The first week or so of living with Bella and Tyler was a novelty for all of us. It took a few days to settle and for Bella to stop asking if she could use things, place her items all over the house and eat what was in the fridge. After I playfully tackled her onto our bed and tickled her as I reminded her, yet again that this was their home, she seemed to settle more and started treating the house more like her home. However, we'd only been living together a few days when I realized Bella still had some hang ups from her past that I previously hadn't known about.

I'd pulled into my driveway, pleased to be home after a nightmare afternoon at work. I'd had the meeting from hell where everything had gone wrong and no one in the room could agree on anything. Therefore, I left the office in such a bad mood that I flung my jacket into the car trunk and sped off before realizing my cell was in my jacket, in the trunk. Then I'd hit a shit-ton of traffic meaning I crawled along the highway at a snail's pace for at least half of my journey home. At least the traffic gave me time to calm down from my meeting and I was actually in a good mood when I finally arrived home.

I knew Bella would have been expecting me home sooner but as I'd told her before, I sometimes stayed late at the office. I didn't think she'd be overly concerned.

Boy, was I wrong.

"Damn traffic. I was stationary for miles...oomph." I was kicking off my shoes as Bella came crashing into my body with such force that I stumbled and almost fell over.

Her hands were balled into fists and she started hitting my chest.

"Where the fuck have you been?" She was screaming at me, tears streaming down her cheeks as she alternated between hitting me and swiping furiously at her tears.

"Baby..."

"Don't you 'baby' me, Edward Cullen. Why the hell haven't you answered your cell? I've called you a hundred times. I called Emmett and your dad and..."

"Hey, hey, calm down, what's wrong?" I held her shoulders at arm's length to stop her frantic hitting as I tried to calm her down.

"Jake walked out of our front door, got in his truck and never came home, so your taking an hour to do a fifteen-minute drive is what's wrong. I was scared to death."

She finally met my concerned gaze and I could see her eyes were red, black mascara tracks marred her cheeks and her eyelashes were wet. I was stunned into silence and too surprised to talk.

"Why didn't you call? You left the office ages ago." Her voice was slightly calmer now, as she looked me in the eyes and her hand stroked down my jaw.

"I was just stuck in traffic," I answered lamely. "My cell was in my jacket in the trunk," I added as she fell into my arms.

"Edward do you know how worried I've been? Emmett told me you left the office over an hour ago." She spoke; her head buried in my chest as I stroked her long hair and tried to comfort her.

"It was just traffic." I offered quietly.

"Yeah, traffic that was caused by an accident involving a silver Volvo, which is currently on the news."

"Oh." Shit, now I felt guilty.

"Yeah, oh." We remained silent as she calmed down and her breathing returned to normal.

As I thought about her words, my mind actually hurt for her past heartache. I'd never thought that deeply about how Bella coped with losing Jake. I'd always been so amazed that she'd raised Tyler alone, with no father, that I didn't fully consider her own loss. I guess I didn't want to think about her in pain but maybe now was the time to understand what she'd been through.

"I know I'm overreacting," she said, "but I can't go through that again, Edward. I can't have a cop knock on my door with bad news. I can't put Tyler through that."

"I know, babe, I know. I'm sorry." I replied, watching her tear stained face and brushing away the last of her tears. "You're not alone now, Bella. You have me and my family."

"Speaking of which...you'd better phone your brother," she told me sheepishly.

"Emmett? Why?"

"Because I may have freaked out and called him about a dozen times demanding to know where you were. So much for twin psychic powers..."

She mumbled the last sentence under her breath as I chuckled at her, loving her even more for caring so deeply about me.

"I'll text him," I told her, retrieving my phone from my jacket pocket and noticing the twelve missed calls from Bella, eight from Emmett and four from my dad. I text both Emmett and my dad brief messages before looping my arm around Bella's shoulder. She, rather amusingly, tried to reassure me that I hadn't just moved in with a deranged harpy who would track my every move. I assured her that I understood her worry and I'd be particularly vigilant when driving in the future.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Spending more time together also meant we learned new things about each other, and Bella was full of surprises. She spoke to her dad on the phone far more than I'd previously noticed and she saw Garrett more often than I had thought too. He'd already been over and he, unlike Bella, had no trouble making himself at home as he shucked his shoes off and asked where the beer was as soon as he arrived.

I was pleased she was close to them because the rest of her family was so distant.

Well, most of the time.

During our second week of living together we'd secured a few hours to ourselves while Tyler was at a birthday party, but the peace didn't last long.

A few minutes after we returned from dropping him off the doorbell rang. I wasn't expecting any visitors and I certainly wasn't expecting the person who stood on the doorstep.

"Edward? Wow, look at you. You're even more handsome in real life."

The woman on the doorstep quickly engulfed me in a hug, her bracelets jangling together as she flung her arms round my neck and pulled me closer to her. She smelled of incense and herbs, but it wasn't until she withdrew from our one-sided hug that I was able to get a proper look at her.

Nope, I still didn't recognize her, even though she clearly knew who I was.

She was wearing a hippy style wrap dress with a low neckline, slightly wild hair; about three beaded necklaces and had a face full of make-up.

Over her shoulder, I could see Garrett approaching, mouthing an apology as I frowned at him in confusion.

"Mom?" Bella had appeared behind me and was now staring open-mouthed at the woman on our doorstep.

"Hi, sweetie. Oh, baby, look at you. You look so well." The woman, Bella's mom apparently, seemed unperturbed by her daughter's shock.

"What? When did you get here?" If Bella's expression didn't give away her shock, her tone of voice did.

"Oh, I was passing through Seattle and I wanted to see my baby and grandbaby. Aren't you gonna give your Mama a hug?"

Bella was still staring open jawed at the woman on the doorstep as Garrett squeezed past Bella's mom and through the doorway, clapping me on the shoulder as he entered the house.

"Sorry, Kiddo, I tried to call," he told Bella with a defeated shrug. "I didn't push it when you didn't answer, I thought you two might be busy..." He let his words trail off as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively before Bella managed to get in a slap to his shoulder as he passed.

I wasn't sure what good a warning would have done anyway. Her mom seemed to be a force to be reckoned with and wouldn't have been deterred by anything anyone said to her.

Bella shook her head at Garrett's suggestive comment before she turned back to her mom and composed herself.

"Umm, hi Mom. Come on in."

At Bella's invitation, her mom started to squeeze past me. I was too dumbfounded to move, but she didn't seem to mind. She placed her palms on my shirt as she squeezed past.

My eyes widened as she spoke.

"Hmm, I can see why Bella likes you," she remarked.

Christ! What the hell was she doing?

"Mom!" Bella shouted, sounding exasperated.

"I was just saying, dear, he's not exactly hard on the eyes is he?"

Bella rolled her eyes and gave her mom a stern look before she set off down the hallway, making sure her mom was following.

Huh! I shook my head, bewildered at what had just happened.

Still, as far as I could see, a joint attraction to me was about the only similarities between these two.

I followed Renee down the corridor and joined Bella in the kitchen. She clicked the kettle on and leaned back against the wooden worktop as her mom took a seat at the breakfast bar.

"Mom..."

"Call me Renee, dear. Mom is so aging."

Bella sighed and took a deep breath.

"What's going on?" Bella asked, turning back to the kettle and picking four cups out of the cupboard.

"I told you. I was passing by and wanted to see you and Tyler. Where is the little cutie?"

Renee looked around as if Tyler would pop out from one of the cupboards and run into her arms.

"He's at a birthday party," Bella explained as Garrett and I sat down at the dining booth, giving Bella and her mom some space to talk.

"Well, I hope he doesn't eat the birthday cake. Do you know how many E numbers are in that colored icing? And not to mention..."

"Mom!" Bella snapped as she sloshed hot water into the cups in front of her, evidently assuming we all wanted a cup of coffee.

"Renee," she reminded softly.

Bella sighed as she walked to Garrett and me and handed us both a cup.

"Okay?" I whispered to her.

She shot me a weary smile as she turned back to the remaining two cups.

"Do you want this drink, Mom, or are there too many E numbers in it?"

"There's no E numbers in coffee, dear..."

"Good." Bella cut her off as she handed her a cup and cradled the last remaining cup herself.

"Baby don't be mad. I know I haven't been in touch much, but I thought it was time I meet the man who has made you so happy. I wanted to surprise you. Tyler always loves it when I pop up out of the blue. I know you gave me your new address, but I misplaced it, so when I couldn't get you on your cell, I drove to Garrett's. He told me how happy you are with Edward so I definitely had to see the man you're now living with." Renee leaned into Bella and whispered as if she was revealing a huge secret.

"Baby, he's a handsome man, his aura is soft and..."

"Mom, please don't. I don't need to know about Edward's aura."

Garrett turned to me with an amused look on his face.

I elbowed his side. I wasn't sure how I felt about having a soft aura, but Garrett clearly thought it was something to laugh at.

"I know everything I need to about Edward from his personality and the time we have spent together and how he is with Ty," she concluded as Renee nodded, finally backing down.

"Okay. Well, I'm glad I've met him. Maybe I can stay for a bit and get to know him while we wait for Tyler to get back."

Renee turned to me as she spoke and I nodded to her and Bella. Despite my shock at her unconventional introduction I'd never turn away Bella's family.

Bella gave me a grateful smile as she turned to her mom.

"Of course you can stay, just don't overwhelm Tyler. He hasn't seen you in a while so..."

"Oh, he'll be fine. He's such a tough cookie. Did he like the birthday gift I sent? I'm sorry I couldn't make it for his party. My car broke down and I needed to stay in Arizona for a bit..."

Bella sighed and I felt she was already sick of the excuses pouring from her mom's mouth.

"He loved the present, Mom."

"Oh good. I can't wait to see him. I've missed him so much. He's my only grandchild and he's growing up so fast."

I couldn't help but wonder why she'd taken so long to visit if she had missed him as much as she claimed, but I didn't feel it was appropriate to ask.

Bella and her mom then joined us at the dining table as Renee insisted she wanted to get to know me better.

However, I quickly realized that Bella and Garrett would be of little help in saving me from Renee's barrage of questions; they just shot each other amused looks whenever she asked me inappropriate questions. I wondered more than a few times how she and Bella were related, let alone mother and daughter.

"So how's Sam?" Bella finally stepped in. I was pretty sure she'd only intervened to stop Renee's incessant questioning when it veered into the uncomfortable territory of my ex-girlfriends. Still I was glad she had turned the heat away from me.

"Sam?" Renee looked confused by the simple question.

"The guy that's two years older than me that you were sleeping with."

I scoffed at Bella's blunt words, but Renee didn't flinch at all as she answered.

"Oh, he's...around." Renee took a sip of her drink as Bella raised her eyebrows, clearly asking for her to elaborate.

"So you're not dating him?"

"No dear. I just see him occasionally."

"Right." Bella nodded and I'm pretty sure she had just drawn the same conclusion as me.

Bella's mom had a fuck buddy.

And he was younger than me.

I didn't want to judge her, but I could see now why Bella had been reluctant to facilitate a meeting between the two of us.

Garrett scoffed, making me look at him. He nodded at me, confirming my suspicions as I marveled at how different Bella's family and mine were. No wonder she was striving to make Tyler's childhood as normal and stable as possible; it was everything she never had.

"So, when will Tyler be back? Oh...we didn't interrupt your special time did we?" Renee gasped, suddenly as she looked questioningly at her daughter.

Bella sighed as Garrett laughed. "Just because Tyler is out doesn't mean we're boinking like bunny's..." Bella started, making Garrett laugh even more as I raised my eyebrows in amusement at Bella's unexpected words.

"Of course not dear, I just thought..."

"Well don't," Bella interrupted. "Don't think about us...doing...that."

"It's just Garrett said the night you two met..."

For once Renee trailed off as Bella shot a harsh look at Garrett. "Really? You told her that?"

"Bells, you know what she's like." Garrett wasn't perturbed at all by Bella's expression or tone. "The FBI should employ her, really, 'cause when she started questioning me, she was like an interrogator."

"I just wanted to know how you met," Renee defended herself. "You never told me yourself, Isabella, so I asked Garrett. I can see now that you and Edward have an intense physical attraction," she added. "I can see it, Edward's very protective of you, he keeps looking at you and reading your emotions...oh I'm so happy for you, darling. I think I'm going to need to go hat shopping!" Renee finished off her rather embarrassing speech with a squeal as she clapped her hands together in delight.

"Whoa!" Bella shot her mom a surprised look as she turned to me, presumably to check and see that I wasn't scared off by talk of marriage.

"I'm just saying," Renee continued, clearly undeterred, "Tyler's growing up, and you don't want to leave it too much longer to give him a brother or sister."

"Oh, Christ." Bella hid her head in her hands, clearly giving up on reasoning with her mom.

"Edward, you want kids, right?"

Renee had turned to me and now it was my turn in her spotlight again.

"Yes. Definitely. I'm pretty old-fashioned, though. I want to be married before we have any kids of our own," I explained as Renee grinned widely.

"See," she said to Bella triumphantly. "I'm gonna need a new hat!"

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

It wasn't long after that comment that I offered to collect Tyler and give Bella and her mom some time alone.

Tyler seemed pleased to see me when I collected him. He was bouncing around, full of energy, his hair stuck to his forehead and blue icing on his face.

Renee wouldn't approve.

As we left the play center, Tyler ran ahead, talking and running around before he jumped right in the way of an approaching woman on the sidewalk.

I turned to her to apologize for Tyler's boisterous behavior, gasping as I recognized her.

"Edward? Hi, wow you look...huh, how have you been?"

I'd dated Victoria about four years ago for a few months. I hadn't seen her since we had split up and now she was looking at me suspiciously.

When Tyler came and stood by my side, I realized why.

"I'm good thanks. You?" I asked as she looked from Tyler to me.

"Great. I see your life has moved on. Congrats, I know you always wanted kids." She nodded subtly at Tyler as I laughed.

"Oh, he...he's my girlfriend's son," I told her, trying to speak quietly around Tyler. As soon as I said the words they sounded so wrong. So impersonal. I suppose, technically, he was my girlfriend's son but he was so much more than that. He was Tyler, my Tyler.

"Oh, wow I see." The surprise on Victoria's face was obvious but she didn't ask me anymore about Tyler as we spent the next few minutes catching up.

Tyler got restless pretty quickly though, so I made my excuses and took hold of his hand as we walked away.

On the way to my car we passed a bench where we stopped as I bent to re-tie his shoelace. Tyler had now lost his earlier energy, but I knew how to cheer him up.

"Hey, Ty. Your Nana Renee's in town. She's at home waiting to see you!" I'd delivered the news with great excitement, but Tyler didn't match my enthusiasm. He merely nodded.

"Okay, cool." He spoke, sounding dejected.

"Are you okay?" I asked, knowing he wasn't.

"Fine." The little boy crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his bottom lip. This was not the face of a kid who was 'fine'.

"Are you excited to see your Nana Renee?"

"No."

"No? Really? She's come a long way to see both you and your mom."

"Well she can go a long way back," Tyler answered as I looked at him, surprised by his words.

"Tyler, that's not a very nice thing to say." I didn't know how to discipline a kid and I certainly didn't want to step on Bella's toes with regards to parenting Tyler, but I felt I had to say something.

"Well, adults say not very nice things too," Tyler remarked, making me instantly worried.

"What makes you say that? You have to tell your mom or me if someone's mean to you," I told him seriously.

"You're mean," he shouted at me unexpectedly.

"Me? Ty, I'm sorry if I've done something to upset you."

"You saided that I'm not yours and I'm just mama's kid."

Damn it. I was worried that he might have heard me say that.

"Ty. I'm sorry. I knew when I said that it didn't sound right."

"But you still saided it."

"It's complicated."

I sighed at my own inadequate answer. I looked at Tyler's distressed face and realized I'd never told him how I feel about our situation. I was often telling Bella how I felt about her but with Tyler; I'd just expected him to know which was stupid of me.

By now I'd tied his shoelace back up so I sat on the bench and gestured for him to sit on my lap. He climbed on and looked up at me expectantly.

"You know Ty, when I first met your mom I really liked her. She's great, right?" Tyler nodded as I continued. "She's smart and funny and beautiful so I wanted to be with her all the time. But when I first met you...I was really scared."

"You were scared of me?" Tyler looked surprised as I merely nodded at him.

"Yeah. I didn't know if you'd like me, or if your mom would want us to be friends, but now...now I really love you, Ty. I'm not your dad but maybe one day you'll think of me as a father figure and..."

I didn't get to finish my sentence because Tyler launched himself forward and hugged me. His little knee caps narrowly missed my junk as his body slammed so forcefully onto my chest that it almost winded me.

"Some kids get to have two dads, though, right?"

Oh jeez! I really wished Bella was here for this conversation.

"Some do." I agreed with him. "I just want you to know that you and your mom are my family now and I love you both."

Tyler seemed happy with that answer as he let go of me slightly and sat back more comfortably on my lap.

"And your Nana Renee is your family, too, so how about we go say hi to her. She's so excited to see you."

"Okay," Tyler answered, his trademark grin back on his face.

"Good," I answered secretly hoping Renee would occupy Tyler long enough for me to relay these events to Bella when we got home.

Even though I needed to talk to Bella about this, I still felt that we had made progress and Bella, Tyler and I were even closer to being our own little family.

A/N: Thanks for reading and for your continued interest in this story. Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.

Thanks also to my great team of people willing to help with this story. Thanks to SarcasticBimbo, EdwardsFirstKiss, CoppertopJ, Lovintwilife, BellaForever15 and TeamRob for giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.