So I sat down today and edited all the remaining chapters. Including this one there are 19 more chapters and the epilogue. Some are shorter than I would like so on those days, I will post two. One in the morning, one at night. That will only happen a couple of days so we just have another two weeks until this is done.

Sad face.

I also know that most people won't be happy with me and really, that's okay. I love how you love to hate my characters. I love how you all discuss this mess of a fic. I love everything about all of you, even if you hate my Edward. I love how passionate you all are.

If you are not a member of my group, you should be. The discussions are long winded and fierce. Also Jordan made me this awesome banner for my story which I have been dying to have. It is Bitter Harpy Fanfiction.

BPOV

I shuffled my food around my plate as I listened with half an ear as A.J. chattered on and on about Edward. Jake had joined us tonight for dinner and was listening with rapt attention as he was apt to do. He adored her. James was doing as I was. He was so lost in his thoughts he had forgotten to glare at Jake. That meant the situation was dire.

"Mom? Mom? Mom!"

"Yeah, what?' I said, startled out of my depressing thoughts.

"I said he was telling his wife and mom tonight. I might get to talk to my new grandma soon. And I have four more aunts and five more cousins. I have this whole other family. Isn't that exciting?" She gushed.

James scraped his chair back and left the room without a word. I watched him go with a heavy heart. He was hurting and I didn't have a clue how to stop it.

"Mom?" A.J. said, her tone uncertain. "What's wrong with Uncle James?"

I leveled my gaze at her. She looked upset.

"He has raised you since you were a baby and he is having a hard time with this." I said simply.

She bowed her head.

"And I am not helping any, am I? I'm going to go talk to him." She got up and followed him.

I sighed and pushed my plate full of unappetizing food away from me.

"She doesn't mean anything by it, you know?" Jake said in a quiet voice.

I looked at him, having forgotten he was there.

"I know."

"She is just excited. She always wondered where she came from. It has been bothering her since that project she had about families. It upsets her and I don't want her upset." He told me.

"You are a very wise young man. But if you go beyond first base, I am going to kill you."

His smile faded and he stiffened and nodded at me seriously.

"Glad we had this talk. I am going to check on them. I will send A.J. back in a minute."

I walked…okay, I tiptoed…to the family room and was surprised to find no one there. I peered up the stairs and listened…no sound. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw the front porch swing sway. I walked over the window directly behind it.

A.J. and James were sitting there, side by side. Her arm was around his middle and his was around her shoulders. She snuggled up to him and she was talking to him, sincerely if her expression was any indication. I saw James nod and her kiss his cheek and lean back to smile at him. He smiled back and hugged her to him tightly. She said a few more things and then got up. I saw her walk back in towards the kitchen and I decided to take her place next to James.

He was sitting in the swing, lost in his thoughts. I could tell they were both dark and light judging from his expression.

"Hey." I said.

He looked up at me.

"Hey."

"Mind if I sit down?" I asked.

He shook his head and I went to sit by him. We swayed in silence for a few minutes.

"She says this doesn't change anything." He suddenly said.

I just stayed quiet.

"She says that she loves me and that him being here doesn't change anything."

"What do you think?" I asked.

"I think that she is overly optimistic."

I nodded.

"She is fourteen." I pointed out. "We were all optimistic at that age."

"I wasn't. I was just trying to stay out of my old man's way and cleaning up all the empty liquor bottles my mom left around." He said bluntly.

I snuggled closer to him.

"She is the best thing I have ever done and I have just been reminded that I didn't do it at all. I had no part in making her. I am not her dad and all I have been doing is pretending and filling a role until Edward came back." He said.

I placed my heads on each side of his face and made him look at me.

"Don't you ever say that again." I growled. "You have been everything to her and to me. You picked me up off the ground, you helped me through my pregnancy and you were there for all her fourteen years. Every dance recital, every Girl Scout meeting, every school play…you have been there. You taught her to ride a bike and you kissed her boo boos. You have been there for every important moment in her life. Edward is her father, but you…you are her dad."

He looked at me with teary eyes and gave me a sad smile.

"Bella, we both know that he is going to replace me. It is inevitable. Yes, it bothers me, but I love her enough to want her to be happy. And getting to know her biological father will make her happy."

"Yeah, until he leaves again." I said.

"That is your cross to bear, not hers. Don't put that off on her. Do you know why he left?" He asked.

"Yeah, he didn't love me and he was tired of pretending."

"You know as well as I do that is was more than that. Have you even asked him?"

"No, why would I? It doesn't matter what his reason was, he still left." I said forcefully.

He sighed.

"I don't want to fight about Edward. Not tonight, not ever again. He is in our lives whether we like it or not. All we can do is get along with him and Dr. Barbie, for A.J.'s sake." He told me.

God, I hated when he was right.

"I hate being a grown up." I grumbled.

He laughed and settled me into his side, kissing my forehead.

"I know. Believe me, I know." He said.

We stayed there for a long time, enjoying the quiet.

"Okay we better get in there. You know I hate leaving them alone for too long." He said.

I laughed.

"Don't worry. He has a really healthy fear of me. Or rather a healthy fear of his balls getting mangled."

"Good, the fear needs to stay there for another sixteen to twenty years." He said.

"I don't think we are going to get that lucky, but she is very smart. So don't worry so much." I told him gently.

"Yeah, we did a good job raising her, didn't we?" He said proudly.

"The best."

He nodded.

"Well come on, let's go put some more fear into our daughter's boyfriend's head." He said gleefully.

Yeah, my James was back.

Thank God for that.