Fran is my polisher, but all mistakes are mine. Lissa, Michele and Vampiregirl93 read for me.

Day 112

EPOV

Day 25

"Maria," I snarl.

Bella's head snaps in my direction. "What?" she asks, eyes wide.

I kiss her. "Don't you worry, baby. I'll handle this."

Walking over, I grab the bitch's arm and march her straight from the room and away from our sons.

As soon as the door clicks shut, I drag her down the hallway a few feet and stop. Snapping her around to face me, I remove my hand immediately. "Just what in the fuck do you think you're doing in Jake's room?" I demand with a sneer curling my lip.

"Edward," she says, placing her hand on her chest and tilting her head. My name is a plea from her lips, a plea for sympathy.

This bitch is in the wrong place for that. "I fucking said what are you doing here?"

Wetness gathers in her eyes and if she thinks for one moment that will make a difference with me, she's lost her fucking mind. I start stalking for the nurse's station down the hall, her footsteps beating a hasty path behind me.

"Edward, wait. What are you doing?" she calls trying to keep up.

I stop and snap my head in her direction. "I'm having you removed and banned from this hospital."

She gasps, her crocodile tears drying almost instantly. "How dare you. You can't do that! My son is here."

When the words my and son fall from her lips, every muscle in my body tenses and I step forward ready to strangle the life from this bitch. "Your son?" I ask my voice deadly calm, held in check by pure willpower alone.

"Y … Yes," she finally answers, pretending not to be intimidated, but she'd better be.

I'm so fucking close to exploding in this instance that I'm not sure she'd survive the backlash. "You don't have a son, Maria. Those boys in there"―I point back toward the direction of Jake's room, my face just inches from hers―"they're mine … Bella's and mine, they're our sons. Emotionally as well as legally," I add, just to dig the knife in deeper.

Her hand flies back, but before it can make contact with my face, I grab her wrist in a tight hold. "Don't even think about it, bitch."

A throat clearing disturbs the deathly silence that follows my words.

Maria's head snaps to the direction from which the sound came, her shoulders slumping in relief. "Thank goodness you're here. This man is trying to assault me," she cries to the yet unknown entity. I've not taken my eyes from her face.

"Looks to me like you were the one about to assault someone, ma'am," the throat-clearer utters with authority.

My grimace becomes a smirk. Tossing her hand to the side, I turn to greet Emmett. "Detective, I'd like to press charges."

He steps forward and removes his cuffs. "Please turn around and place your hands on the wall," he directs Maria while I cross my arms and watch the scene unfold with mild satisfaction.

"What? No, I didn't do anything. You saw him with his hand restraining me. I'm the one who should be pressing charges." Her hands are flying all over as she tries to make her case.

"That's not what I saw. I witnessed you attempt to hit Mr. Masen and since he's pressing charges, my hands are tied. Now, if you'll turn around and place your hands on the wall we can get this done and you'll be out in a couple of hours." He steps forward and guides her into position before cuffing her wrists behind her back.

As he leads her away, I can only stand and watch with trepidation.

She'll be back, I just know it.

After they've turned the corner, I head straight back to Jake's room. Taking deep breaths, I try my very best to allow all of the tension to recede from my body. This is an amazing day. My sons are reunited and there's nothing that can taint it.

Not even her.

I wipe her from my mind and take one final deep breath before entering the room. What I see when the door opens pulls me up short, clears the static from my mind.

This is my life.

This is what I live for.

This is what I will fight for if need be.

My family, my wife and sons, are all curled together on Jake's bed while Bella reads to them. Their eyes are lidded, almost closed, as she quietly relays Max's adventures. Neither boy even notices my arrival, so happy in their little cocoon of togetherness.

I very quietly make my way to the chair in the corner to sit and watch. Bella's eyes find me once, but she doesn't even miss a word. My answering smile is enough to let her know that, for now, we're okay.

After the boys have held out as long as they could and both sets of eyes are closed, my wife makes her way over to take her spot on my lap. I pull her body close, reveling in the comfort her scent brings to my soul.

With her head tucked beneath my chin, she finally speaks. "What does she want, Edward?"

I squeeze her tighter to me. "I don't know for sure, baby. Whatever it is, she's not getting it. I promise you that. Right now, she's on her way to jail."

She lifts her head and looks at me with wide eyes. "What? I mean I contacted Rosalie right away, but jail?"

I chuckle and kiss her cute little nose. "Of course you did. That explains why Emmett caught her just as she was trying to slap me."

"Slap you!" she exclaims, already making an effort to stand, but I hold her in place. "Why that … "

"Baby, stop it." I snuggle her into my lap and tuck her head back into position under my chin. "I had her arrested for assault."

She starts giggling, the movement causing fine hairs to tickle my nose. I smooth her hair back in place and press a kiss to her head.

Then I sigh. "You know this won't be the end of her, though, right? They can't keep her long."

Her head bobs against my chest. "I know."

Wrapping my arms around her, I tighten my hold. "You know I'll never let her near our boys, though, right?"

"I know, Edward," she says quietly.

"We'll figure it out, Bella. I promise."

She leans up and presses her lips to mine in a desperate plea to make it go away. Knowing it may not be as easy as I'd like, I pour everything I can into the kiss, assuring her that no matter what, we'll face it together.

Day 27

I'm making lunch and Seth is at the bar, legs dangling, tapping against his chair. "How many more days til I can see Jake again?" Puppy eyes are pleading with me to say soon.

I assemble the final sandwich, slide the pan into the oven and then prop my arms on the bar top across from him. "Dude, the doctor said you can visit two times a week."

"Okay." He shrugs. "When is that?"

I chuckle and shake my head at his cute self. "You can go again on Tuesday."

He holds up his hands, fingers spread wide. "How many days? Show me."

I lift my hand and hold up three fingers. "Three days, buddy." He closes all his fingers but three and stares at them. "But Uncle Jay and your cousins will be here in just a little bit and you get to meet Leah, your new baby cousin." I add excitement to my voice, but know that even though he loves his cousins, he'd rather be with Jake.

"Can her play wif me?" he asks, wide-eyed.

"No, dude, she can't play yet, but Joseph and Jared can." I go to the refrigerator and start grabbing the stuff for a salad.

"Okay." He props his chin on his little fists. "I can play wif Joseph and Jared then."

"Don't sound so excited," I joke, shaking my head.

He rolls his eyes. "I happy they comin', but I rather play wif Jake."

My shoulders slump at his truth so I make my way around the bar and lean down where I'm facing him. "I know, dude, and I'm sorry. Jake would rather play with you, too." I lean over and kiss his cheek. "Soon, okay?"

He nods slowly. "Okay, Daddy."

"Atta boy," I say giving his shoulder a squeeze.

No sooner than I pull the sandwiches from the oven do I hear my brother yelling from the front door. "Anybody home?"

"In here," I call.

Seth jumps down and runs to see his cousins and I make my way straight to my new niece. Taking in her angelic, sleeping face almost brings tears to my eyes.

She's beautiful, but not only that, this tiny being saved my son's life. It makes me sentimental in the best ways. "Let me wash my hands and I want to hold her," I say as I give her mother a kiss on the cheek. "You did great, Vic."

"Hey, hey! What about me," my brother breaks in.

I turn and wrap my arms around him, pulling him tight against me. "You both did great," I say with a couple pats on his back. I almost don't want to let go. "I'm so glad you're here." With one final squeeze, I pull back.

His brows furrow, but he holds his tongue, and instead slaps my arm and sends me back to the kitchen. "What's that smell, we're starving."

I give him a small smile. "Settle at the table while I bring out lunch."

After everything's been set, I wash my hands and take Leah from Vic. "You guys eat and I'll just be over here with this angel."

.

.

"So what's the plan for Maria," Jay asks as we're in the elevator on the way up to see Jake.

I lean against the wall and heave a huge sigh. "Pray she goes away and never comes back?"

"I hear ya, but you know that isn't happening, right? She wouldn't have shown up if she wasn't planning on making waves," he observes.

"I know, man. Fuck!" I grab my hair and tug. "I don't like knowing she's out there waiting, pondering her next move. It makes me insane."

He bobs his head along with my rant. "Why don't you be preemptive? Find her and pay her off?" he suggests.

The elevator stops on Jake's floor giving me a second to form my answer. "If I give her that power now, what's to say she'll stop? Will she show up every couple of years demanding more?"

"Fuck." He shakes his head. "You're right, man. Might as well nip it in the bud this time so she can't come back." He stops and grabs my arm before we get to Jake's door. "Do you think she has a legal leg to stand on?"

My first thought is to flat out deny the idea, but does she? The courts can take an ironclad settlement agreement and find fault, so why wouldn't there be a chance for her? This is a battle I'm not sure I'm ready for. I'd kill the bitch before I ever let her visit my son and pretend she's his mother.

Jake has one mother and her name is Bella.

"It'll never happen," I finally answer in a steely voice.

We continue the rest of the way to Jake's room in silence, and when we reach the door, I can already tell there are others inside. I stop to take a deep breath before pushing the door open and walking inside.

My dad starts for us as soon as we walk in. "Son," he greets Jay with a big hug before turning to me with the same. When he pulls back, he gives me a stern look. "We need to talk."

I nod. "We do, but later, okay?"

Before he can say anything more, Charlie approaches. "Edward," he says with a tilt of his head. "Just wanted to stop in and let you know that you now have a restraining order." My eyes widen. "I couldn't get it for the whole family, but I figured even just you was better than nothing."

"Thank you, Charlie, I don't know what to say," I tell him, shocked that he's not ready to bash in my head.

"Edward," he starts. "Son, I know you didn't want this and even though it pisses me off that it's happening, I can't blame it on you."

"Oh my God," Bella says, drawing all of our attention in her direction. She's staring at the TV with her jaw hanging open.

Jay grabs the remote and turns up the volume. I can hear her before I even get to where I can see the TV.

"Not only was I thrown out of my son's room, but then I was arrested," Maria tells the reporter who's standing beside her, microphone held out to capture every word.

My jaw clenches.

"And how did you find out about your son's illness," the reporter asks, shoving the microphone closer.

My fists ball at my sides.

"Facebook," she answers, looking directly at the cameras, fake sorrow planted across her features. "I found out that my son is sick through Facebook." She focuses on the ground, seemingly heartbroken over this development.

My nostrils flare.

"What do you intend to do now, Mrs. Masen?" the reporter pushes.

Nails dig into my palms so hard I'm sure there will be indentations.

She turns her stare back to the camera. "It looks like I have no choice. This has become a legal matter now. All I can do is plea to the courts to make this situation right."

I bolt.

I storm from the room, ignoring the voices calling behind me. I can't be in there right now. I'm on the verge of an explosion. My walk turns into a jog and I flee. I don't know where I'm going or when I'll be back, my mind racing, raging out of control.

Pushing through the hospital doors, I break into a run. My body takes over and just goes and goes while my mind churns with thoughts of murder, arguing back and forth with itself. Making up plans and shooting them down.

I run and run and run.

When my breaths are labored and my feet will no longer move, I finally lean against a tree and pant to suck in oxygen. Looking around, I have no idea where I am or where I've been.

I'm a man lost.

Lost in the physical sense, but also lost as to how this could be happening. Lost to the rage that consumes me. Lost inside my head to the thoughts. The evil, sadistic thoughts that play out behind my lids.

I want to scream, I want to hide, I want to build a wall between my family and the world, I want to kill. I want this to have never happened …

But it has.

And so I do what I can to calm my mind and think like the intelligent man I am. And when I do, I realize that I just ran away from the family that is my whole world.

So I run again.

I run until I've found my way back and when I burst through the hospital doors, a body stands from the plush chairs at the entrance. It rushes to me and I envelop it in my embrace. I take everything she's giving and pray that she'll forgive me.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper over and over like a mantra, begging her to understand.

"Shhh," she soothes, holding onto me as tight as she can.

Tears are streaming down my face and shame runs through my body. How could I have ever run from this? No matter the cause, this is worth the fight. Jake is worth the fight.

"Please, forgive me, baby," I beg into her ear.

She pulls back and grasps my cheeks between her hands, wiping my tears with her thumbs. "There's nothing to forgive. You didn't do this. Forgive yourself and let's figure out how we're going to take this bitch down." Her watery eyes are glimmering with mirth and my whole body sighs with relief.

I lean closer, placing my forehead against hers. "I love you."

She presses her lips to mine briefly. "And I love you. Now stop blaming yourself and let's go talk with our dads. They're waiting in the cafeteria." She slides to the floor and takes my hand.

"Is Jay with Jake?" I ask just to be sure.

"He is." She smiles. "And our moms are on the way to join him."

With a gentle squeeze to her hand, I follow where she leads.

I'd follow her anywhere.

"Ah, there you are," Charlie says as we approach the table he and my father are occupying.

I briefly look away, ashamed. "I'm sorry."

"Hey," he snaps to get my attention. "No need. I get it. I want to throttle that woman myself."

My father is sitting there, every muscle in his body tense. "We need a plan of action. Take a seat and let's get down to business." He tilts his head to a couple of empty chairs.

Bella pulls my hand to get my attention. "Love you," she mouths.

I take a deep breath and smile, then pull out her chair. After we're both seated, I kiss her cheek then turn to our dads. "What are your thoughts?"

My father props his forearms on the table, his voice low. "I have deep pockets. She can willingly disappear or I can make her."

Charlie sputters and covers his ears. "Shut up, Ed! You can't say shit like that around me."

I lean back and hold both my hands in front of me. "Hold up. Let me talk for a minute." I focus on my dad. "Look, I don't want to always wonder when she'll be back. If we try to pay her off, she can always show up again demanding more. I'm not ready for a lifetime of that."

"Me either," Bella confirms. "I want her out of our lives for good."

My dad nods at her. "Exactly what I'm say―"

"Dad, stop it," I interrupt. "First, you're sitting beside the fucking Police Commissioner, and second, she may be a sorry sack of shit who didn't want her son, but she doesn't deserve to disappear." I make quotes when I say the word.

He leans back, clearly not agreeing with my assessment, but deciding to shut his mouth at least. "Fine, son. What do you suggest?"

Charlie clears his throat. "How about we use a little of you and a little of me?" he says to my dad.

My dad's brows rise in interest. "I'm listening."

And so Charlie lays out a plan.

A plan we can only hope will get Maria out of our lives.

For fucking good.

Okay, you guys are catching up with my written chapters so Monday is the new weekly post day. Teasers on Fridays in PIF and Fyregirl Fics. Probably only 10ish chapters left.

And I have to say, no matter how many times I read this chapter, I still laugh at Ed and his 'solution.' Did it make you laugh?

See you Monday!