This is the result of a rare free weekend. Enjoy!
"Yes, Dad. We do."
Hank Masen had often marvelled at his son's ability to defend clients in court, before the quake had taken him from them. He'd usually notice his son's plan at work well before he finally shot down a prosecution's case. However, he'd never foreseen a day when he would be in Tony's line of fire.
When Hank saw Tony's green eyes fix on his determinedly, he recognised the resolve of the son he'd sent to San Francisco and realised that it had suddenly merged with that of the man who had been returned to him.
As she joined her husband in stepping into the hall, Elizabeth noticed the way that her son rested his hand on the woman she'd come to know as Marie. He moved in time with her every adjustment, like a windvane adjusted to the change of the weather. Elizabeth wondered what the winds of change would continue to bring to her family, as she watched the clear object of her son's affection clumsily step back to allow Hank access to the living area.
Stepping into the less confined space, Hank found himself immediately drawn in by a photo –slightly askew - that was hung on a nearby wall. The ease that filled him after righting the frame soon left him as he examined the image more closely. In it, the woman he'd come to know as Marie rested her head against the shoulder of a man, who he could only presume was her father. Both seemed to stare out at him, mockingly, with care free eyes. Neither appeared weighed down by the strains of their relationship. They looked happy, natural and comfortable in each other's support and he envied them for it, as he grappled with whether he could fight his engrained impulses and support his son.
Had the frame even needed righting?
Attempting to exhale his tension, Hank turned around to face his rather attentive and unusually silent audience. The immediate and unexpected flight that he and Elizabeth had managed to board, thanks to Chelsea's handiwork, had provided him with some time to reflect, but all of his thoughts had quickly left him as he confronted the image of his son holding Marie's. . . Bella's . . . hand, in a way that he'd never done with Tanya, even before the quake. He hadn't expected his son to remain so silent and provide him with this time to think. He hadn't expected Tony to wait expectantly to hear his opinions. The climactic scene from his wife's favourite film, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, suddenly came to the forefront of his mind and he wished that he'd afforded himself the opportunity for a stiff drink before his confrontation, much like Spencer Tracy's character. He glanced to his wife and her knowing eyes acted as his sedative. She nodded as if to remind him of her words during their travels.
Don't screw this up, Hank.
He stiffened his jaw – his effort to look imposing – and turned to his son and the woman who had so obviously transformed him, whether it was for the better or for the worse.
"I take it that she is more than simply a secretary, so would you kindly introduce us to the woman who you followed across the country without a moment's notice or thought?"
With the silence splintered, Tony still maintained a stoic expression.
"Despite the fact that you must already be aware of names and addresses given your presence here?"
"Yes, despite the fact, because I'd like to hear it from you, as I should have done before you left yesterday evening and boarded an early morning flight using the firm's funds."
"And, if that is of concern, I will happily pay the firm back –
"Anthony," Elizabeth intervened, in an attempt to rescue a sinking ship, causing Tony's face to immediately soften. "What your father is trying to say is that we want to know our son. We need to hear and know who you are from you and not from secondary sources. Only you can help us to understand the person who you are now. We need to understand and we want to understand, because you'll never stop being our son – the son that we love so very much. Please . . . don't shut us out."
Bella squeezed Edward's hand, trying to encourage him to embrace his mother, knowing all too well the feelings and truth behind her words.
Edward glanced down and easily recognised the thoughts behind Bella's empathetic, chocolate eyes. He brushed his thumb against the back of her hand in acknowledgment, before looking towards his mother.
"Mom," he sighed. "I don't intend to shut anyone out."
He turned his gaze towards his concentrating father.
"I never intended to shut anybody" –he looked at Bella – "out of my life."
He swallowed back some of his tension and met his father's eyes again.
"You know some of the physical injuries that I was dealt after San Francisco, and I suspect that you can acknowledge, but scarcely comprehend, the psychological battle that I faced, as well. I was a broken man.
"What you don't know is that it was Isabella Swan – Bella – who came to me in my time of need and gave me a reason to create new memories, to heal old wounds and become a new man – a man who loved life, even though he had missing pieces to his puzzle, because he could return the love that he had been given so deeply."
Bella found herself struggling to contain the overwhelming emotions that emerged within her upon hearing Edward's words. His sincere, glassy eyes connecting with hers for a brief moment almost caused the dam walls containing her tears to break.
"When I returned to Chicago and regained the life that I'd lost – a life in which I'd been left wanting for nothing – I found myself missing and longing for something and I couldn't explain why I felt empty. I shouldn't have felt empty. I'd been reunited with my family . . ." Edward paused and took a steadying breath.
Elizabeth finished her son's words for him. ". . . But your heart wouldn't let you forget the family that you'd left behind."
He nodded, just as his father added his own cutting comment.
"A family that Ma – Bella kept from you."
"No -" Bella didn't let Edward defend her.
"You're right, Sir. I kept your son away from his daughter and I kept you away from your granddaughter. I won't deny it."
Hank moved closer to Bella, all the while scrutinising her steady expression, searching for cracks in the façade.
"Will you deny us the opportunity to understand why?" he probed.
"No."
"Well?"
Bella took a few breaths to consider her response.
"I couldn't trust you not to think that I was some mistake from your son's unknown life who had taken advantage of him. I couldn't trust you not to take my daughter away from me. I couldn't risk losing the only lasting connection to Edward that I had."
Before Hank had chance to quickly consider Bella's words, Elizabeth's questioning voice filled the silence.
"Edward?"
She watched her son's eyes answer her call reflexively before he moved towards her.
"Yes, that's what I was known as here, Mom." He showed her the inscription on the dog tag around his neck and she appeared to nod to herself as things fell into place.
Rather than Hank's challenging voice, another voice filled the room and demanded to be heard.
Maggie's cries carried down the hall causing Bella to look from person to person as if to garner their permission to attend to her daughter. When her eyes fell on Elizabeth's eager expression, though, a muted understanding passed between them. With Bella's slightly apprehensive nod of her head, Elizabeth left the room and moved down the hall. Touched by Bella's acceptance and trust of his mother, and sensing her unease, Edward silently thanked her by placing his hand on her shoulder before kissing the top of her head.
Hank noticed and couldn't help but appreciate the girl's willingness to allow his wife to play a part in the life of her grandchild. Bella's recent actions had unravelled all of his thoughts and her words replayed in his head, making him question if there was any truth behind them. Would he have taken her daughter away from her?
A hush settled around the house, once again, as the crying ceased and Hank was soon left questioning himself even more as he was confronted with the image of his wife looking down at a baby cradled in her arms.
"Shhh," she hushed, as she smiled down at the child, before allowing everyone to see the brightness in her eyes. "She's beautiful," she whispered, fixing her eyes on Hank and then turned to the child's mother. "Thank you."
Bella swallowed back the lump in her throat, but, unable to find her voice, simply smiled and mouthed "you're welcome."
Elizabeth moved past them, then and sat down on the couch. Edward ran his arms up and down Bella's arms before trying to guide her to move with him and sit by his mother. Turning around, she met his eyes and moved her line of sight to his father's position to try and convey that she wasn't finished speaking with him. Edward raised an eyebrow at her in question, but she inclined her head towards the couch encouraging him to sit. With great reluctance and after a considerable peer at his father, he eventually conceded.
Hank's vision was focused on Elizabeth and the baby, as they found a position on the couch, but, in spite of wanting to move closer, he couldn't bring himself to do so and remained fixed in his position by the doorway. His chest warmed uncharacteristically as Tony perched himself by his mother, who continued to admire the babe. Is this my framed picture? Does it need righting?
Movement out of the corner of his eye made him aware that Bella was approaching him and he couldn't help but admire her nerve. Unawares, he almost found himself liking the girl, as she addressed him, even without his acknowledgement of her.
"All a parent ever wants is to see their child be safe and loved . . . and to have a good, happy life."
Hank nodded in agreement.
"And will I get to see my child have a good, happy life?" He whispered, looked down and met her wide eyes with force. "Can I trust you not to take my son from me and my family?"
Seeing that Edward and Elizabeth were occupied with Maggie, Bella indicated that Hank should follow her into the hall, where they could speak more freely. She wanted Hank to have no doubts when it came to her intentions.
"Sir, I know what it's like… I understand how it feels to lose someone that you love dearly. I know that you understand that too and I would never even think to steer Edwa – Tony down a path that separates him from you."
The girl spoke in a tone that implied sincerity. He watched her seemingly deliberate before adding, "You're his family and . . . I want you to be a part of your granddaughter's life, too."
Hank resisted the urge to scoff.
"Which is why you kept her a secret? Actions speak louder than sweet words, Miss Swan."
Bella closed her and took a few breaths to calm herself before responding.
"I've already explained the reasons behind my actions and I will go as far as to apologise for hiding the truth from you all. I meant what I said. I want Maggie to know her grandfather."
She swallowed back any venom in her voice.
"You may not like me, Sir. You may not think that I'm the ideal choice for your son. I know I'm just some working class girl from Seattle and not some wealthy businesswoman slash socialite who was educated at some Ivy League college. I get that, but I need you to get me when I say that I love your son. I was drawn to him when I saw them wheel him in on that gurney all bloodied, burned and broken. I felt connected to him when he opened his eyes for the first time after waking from his coma. I held him as he learned to stand on his own two feet and I would do it again in a heartbeat, because I'm of the view that fate believes that your son and I are ideal for each other. I will continue to fight for him."
Realising that she'd lost herself in a pool of thoughts, Bella ran a hand through her hair and took in Hank Masen's expression. What she saw only caused her heart to thrum in her chest more. He seemed to stare at her impassively, but in reality he was trying to deal with a barrage of feelings that had infiltrated his chest the more that she'd spoken. He tried to swallow it away as his heart and mind came to a consensus.
"I think that there's been enough fighting . . . Bella," he said in a gravelly tone, while extending his hand.
She eyed it conspiratorially for a moment, before returning the gesture with an unsure smile.
"I couldn't agree more, Sir."
An uncharacteristic smile found form on Hank's face in response. He sighed before stepping back and glimpsing the image of his contentment framed by the living room door.
Bella moved to stand beside him and smiled at Edward whose eyes had sought hers out worriedly. The worry lines across his forehead soon disappeared as understanding dawned on him and he smiled at his father in return.
Hank didn't hesitate to move towards the couch. Immediately, his eyes gravitated towards the little girl in his wife's arms and his eyes saw the similarities between her features and those of his son as a child, but then, he could also see the hints of her mother as well. He turned to see Bella still watching on from the doorway, before a phone ringing beckoned her away. He met his son's face.
"She's a good woman."
"You don't need to convince me of that, Dad. I know."
Hank nodded as he tried to find the words that were needed to fill the void in the relationship with his son.
"How do you want to live your life, son?"
Tony and Elizabeth were both taken by surprise. Tony raised his brow unsure of where the conversation was headed.
"Well?" Hank encouraged.
Tony's answer was effortless.
"I want to be wherever Bella and Maggie are and I don't want to be overridden with work. I want to spend genuine time with my family."
Hank seemed to consider his words.
"Hmmm… That shouldn't be too hard to arrange. We can talk the details over later."
Tony and Elizabeth nodded and smiled genuinely in response.
"Good. Now, come and hold your granddaughter," Elizabeth said in a tone that Hank recognised as approving.
Tony stood and let his father take the seat beside his mother. His chest expanded seeing his parents hover over his daughter with affection and he moved to seek out the person who he knew was responsible for that.
It didn't take long for him to find Bella beside the kitchen phone placing it back on the receiver. As soon as he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her head.
"Do you have any idea how amazing you are?"
She turned around with tears in her eyes and Edward immediately became concerned.
"Bella, what on earth . . ."
She silenced him quickly and smiled despite her tears. When she did speak, relief was evident in her voice.
"That was Charlie. Jake . . . Jacob's awake. He's going to be all right." She grinned even wider and hugged him tighter.
Edward reverently bent down and kissed her forehead.
"Yes, we're all going to be all right."
