CHAPTER NINE

Esme wanted to know more, but I didn't exactly have the time or wherewithal to go through everything. After my phone call, I moved back to the bed and stayed there, a perfect statue all night, only moving when Evie would wake and want her food.

Ten hours was nothing to a vampire. I kept my mind very busy during that time, as I contemplated the perfect plan to rid the world of the Mercers. My eyes would travel over to the reasons I needed to do this. Evie, my perfect Evie. Even though she had put us through hell the past few weeks, she still remained flawless in my eyes. I reminded myself of the promise I had once made to be a better man for her, a promise I had come to regret, as I would have loved nothing more than to drain these two adversaries dry.

Then, I found myself staring at Bella. A few times, I would stop myself, believing it was wrong of me to do so. It was one thing to stare at a baby while they slept. It was completely different to stare at a grown adult human while they slept. However, throughout the night, I couldn't help myself, and my gaze would end up on her soft, porcelain face.

Bella's eyes were still puffy from the tears spent. Her hair was all over the pillow, as if a kitten had fallen into it and tangled it into a mess. Still not at peace, her face was not calm and held very rigid features.

This was the first time in all the weeks she had been here that I really looked at her, able to spend hours of my night concentrating on every feature, and something troubling shifted inside of me.

She was beautiful. I mean, I knew she was a pretty girl, but now, something compelled me to think fondly of her. Think of her in a way I had never considered in all my years of existence, and it scared me.

I couldn't think of Bella as anything more than a friend. It wouldn't be right. She was human, and I was a vampire. Best case scenario, if she were my mate, she would live only a few more decades and then be lost from me for all eternity. Worst case scenario, she would be changed to be a vampire and would be damned for all eternity.

After this revelation, I didn't look at her again. Instead, I focused on my plan and the impending arrival of my family. My whole family.

Bella began to groan, and I ventured a look. I felt my chest tighten.

Stop it, Edward. She's off-limits.

Bella wiped a little drool from the side of her mouth and stretched, groaning as she opened her eyes to see me. Immediately, she stopped and recoiled her arms in embarrassment.

"Morning," I began.

"My head feels like it's going to explode," she groaned, rubbing her temples.

"Sorry. You can sleep some more if you'd like."

She shook her head and threw the blanket off her legs, preparing to sit up. She looked back at Evie.

"I'm sorry. It was my turn, and I screwed up," she apologized.

"Don't worry about it. She was really good last night. Hardly any issues. She ate. I changed her, and she went right back to sleep."

Bella nodded and stood up, ready to head off to the bathroom.

"Uh…Bella…" I stuttered.

She turned back around and leaned on the doorframe.

"I talked to my mother last night."

Bella looked taken aback.

"That's…great, Edward." She thought over something and then cringed. "Does this mean I have to call your father now?"

I laughed. "You needn't call him."

Bella looked relieved, but she was about to lose that feeling.

"So…I thought I should tell you. My family is coming to stay for a few days."

Bella hugged the frame of the door and rubbed her head.

"Oh…oh, okay. I…uh…we can leave…"

"What? No," I interrupted. "You don't have to leave."

She shrugged. "You probably need some time alone with them. You haven't seen them in forever, and I'm sure they don't want the weirdo human girl and her noisy baby messing up your reunion."

"Bella," I sighed, standing from the bed, "I'm sure they'd love to meet you. In fact, some of my family may want the weirdo human girl and her noisy baby over…me. I wasn't exactly the fun one of the family before. Please, I'm not telling you this because I wanted you to leave. I just wanted to let you know, since they'll be here soon…give you a heads up."

She bit her lip in contemplation.

"Are you sure? I thought this was Alice's room. Do you want us to move to one of the living rooms? I don't know if this is a good idea."

I walked to her and stopped a few feet in front. I nearly reached out to take her hand, but then I remembered myself and stopped.

"Alice is moving to the top floor. Everything will be fine. I really want you to meet them, and I really want them to meet you."

She sighed and nodded her head. "When will they be here?"

I looked over to the clock. "Probably two hours or so."

"Two hours!" she screamed. "Edward, I can't have this house ready in two hours! When you said they'll be here soon, I thought you meant, like, tomorrow. How will I clean this house in two hours? I'm not a vampire!"

Evie woke up from Bella's yelling and began to cry.

"Don't worry about it. I can help, and they aren't expecting perfection," I lied, walking over and picking up the crying baby before she really got going. I bounced her lightly in my arms, and she seemed to calm immediately.

"I have so much to do. I have to shower and…"

"Bella!" I spoke over her. "You shower and I can clean up. It's not like we had a frat party here. The house is fairly well maintained. Just focus on getting ready and eating breakfast."

I took Evie out of the room and headed downstairs, placing her in her MamaRoo seat. I looked around and cringed. Bella was a clean person, but this house really wasn't up to Esme's standards. There were baby things scattered on every surface. I began zooming around the room, picking up all the items my family never in a million years would have thought would grace their home.

I shoved the items into a downstairs closet, knowing I would need to relocate them as soon as possible. I worked on the floors next, knowing that dust and dirt would never be tolerated in a Cullen house. There was dust everywhere. Even the high places I could never expect Bella to handle.

I did the best I could. Bella came down the stairs and paused to look around.

"God, life is so not fair."

"What?" I asked, perplexed.

"In my next life, I want to come back as a vampire. You just did in thirty minutes what would've taken me the better part of the day to finish."

I laughed awkwardly, hating her words, remembering the best and worst-case scenarios. I think Bella might have been scared off by my weird laugh because she gave me a look before heading towards the kitchen.

I carried Evie in her MamaRoo into the kitchen and placed her on one of the islands.

"I'm just going to grab something simple. I don't want to make a mess."

"Bella, eat whatever you'd like. My family doesn't frequent the kitchen too often."

She turned to me with a box of cereal in her hands.

"What would happen if you ate this? Would you die? Become violently ill?"

"I'd just…expel it later."

"Expel? Through your mouth or…some other orifice?"

I gasped, slightly offended by this line of questioning.

"Through my mouth, Bella. And before you ask…yes, I do have a hole in my butt…however, it serves no purpose."

She nearly howled in laughter.

"I wasn't planning to ask, but thank you for clearing that up. Got it! One nonoperational butthole."

She turned back to focusing on her cereal for a minute, but then she turned around with a spoon in her hand.

"I mean…what if you were a gay vampire?"

"I'm not gay!" I said, slightly offended.

"No, not you," she said obviously. "I mean…are there gay vampires?"

I shrugged. "Of course, there are."

"So…are their…buttholes…nonoperational?"

"Okay, Bella, I'm not discussing this with you, and shame on you for speaking like this in front of your daughter." I picked up the MamaRoo and began to leave the room. "Come on, Evie. I'll fight for your innocence."

"She's going to have to learn someday…" Bella called out while cackling as I went.

Thankfully, Bella had the good sense to not bring up any more crude topics when she came out of the kitchen. In fact, her good humor seemed to have left, and now, she was a bundle of nerves.

"How much longer?" she asked solemnly.

"Any minute. My family is nothing if not punctual."

She let out a long breath and plopped down on a chair. I could hear their thoughts before they were even on the driveway. Mostly, they were excited to see me. Rosalie was the only one who seemed put out by my request for them to join me.

"They're here," I whispered.

I walked to the front door, and Bella went to get Evie.

I stood at the top of the steps, waiting for their cars' engines to turn off. Three different cars, which I was sure they had raced all the way here to see who would win. From the sounds of it, Alice had won.

I walked down the steps to join their newly formed semi-circle. Esme couldn't hold herself back, she immediately threw her arms around my neck and squeezed me tight.

"Look at you, Eddie. Looks like you haven't aged a day," Emmett joked, as I went to shake his hand.

Rosalie groaned, annoyed by his good humor.

"Thank you for coming," I said immediately.

"So, what's the big deal? The reason we were forced to endure Forks again?" Rosalie complained. "Finally come to your senses…"

"Rosalie," Esme snapped.

Before Esme had to go any further in breaking up the little fight, Bella stepped out the front door with Evie. Rosalie's eyes immediately snapped in her direction, her mouth agape in surprise.

"Jesus, Eddie, you knocked someone up?" Emmett gasped

I smacked the back of his head. "No, you jerk."

"Edward," Esme admonished me.

I sighed and walked over to help Bella down the last step.

"This is Bella. She's a friend, and this here is Evie," I introduced.

"You have a baby?" Rosalie asked me softly.

"She's Bella's. We met a few weeks back. She's been staying with me while she gets back on her feet."

Bella blushed and hid behind Evie, as she tended to do when she was nervous.

"Nice to meet you," Bella said softly.

Esme was excited but planning to smack her husband the minute they were alone for keeping this a secret. Alice kept telling me to calm down, assuring me everything would be alright, and Emmett was wondering what Rosalie's reaction was going to be. Jasper just seemed to be taking it all in stride.

The silence seemed to last a little longer than necessary. I could feel Bella shift on her feet anxiously.

"Can... I hold her?" Rosalie asked.

I think we all made a collective internal sigh. Rosalie was always the wild card.

"Sure," Bella said, preparing to hand Evie over. Rosalie accepted and was immediately in awe. She didn't take her eyes off our most important bundle, as she made her way up the steps. Bella looked at me and shrugged.

"Why don't we go in and get settled," Esme suggested.

Bella went first, thankfully, to spare me the embarrassment of Esme's over-the-top smile. I turned and rolled my eyes, following behind Bella, which earned me a smack on the back of the head.

"Don't think I didn't see that," Esme thought.

I refrained from moving an inch out of place, keeping my focus forward to spare me any further retribution.

We walked inside, and Esme's thoughts screamed loud and clear for the lack of certain items that might or might not have been ended with Evie's urine or feces upon them.

"Home sweet home," Emmett boomed.

"Emmett," Rosalie snapped. "She's sleeping. Keep your voice down."

Rosalie bounced Evie a little more.

"It's okay. I should probably wake her. It's nearly time to feed her," Bella said.

Bella caught Esme looking around and replied, "I'm sorry for the mess. Edward didn't let me know you were on your way until a few hours ago. I can clean a little later."

"Clean?" Esme asked in shock.

Uh-oh!

"Edward makes you clean?"

"Oh, it's not a problem. It's the least I can do for Edward's generosity," Bella explained, but even I knew it wouldn't be enough. Evie began to stir, and Bella excused herself.

"You make her clean? She's a guest, Edward. I'm embarrassed. What must she think about how we raised you?"

Of course. Go off and drain humans dry for decades and there's no mention of that. Find out I let the guest clean and I was a villain.

I didn't respond, but Esme made it clear I would be involved in the very extensive cleaning that would be happening that evening while Bella slept.

"So, what's the reason we're here?" Emmett asked, saving me.

"Well…" I was about to say something, but Bella came walking back in with a fresh bottle.

"Bella, why don't we show Rosalie and Esme the amazing room I set up for Evie," Alice said, guiding the girls upstairs. They would still be able to hear, but at least they would get Bella out of the room.

"Thank you," I whispered so low Bella wouldn't have heard it.

"We should go into my office," Carlisle spoke for the first time.

We went into the office, and Carlisle couldn't help but look around and see if I'd moved anything. He sat down in his chair and got comfortable. Emmett sat in a chair across from the desk and began to put his feet up on the desk, but one look from Carlisle made him rethink the stupendously poor choice.

"I'm not even sure where to begin."

Jasper settled himself on the couch, and the girls were screaming in their minds to not drag out my story and just say what my issues were.

"Bella's had a rough time. She was on her own nearly the whole pregnancy. A couple, the Mercers, who owned a shelter, took her in and helped her along. She thought they were good people, but as time went by, she found some things that were contrary. She was slowly pressured by the Mercers to give up her baby. Ultimately, Bella chose to run after witnessing a friend being forcibly separated from her baby, and Bella never saw her friend again. I met Bella when she was on the streets, with Evie sleeping in the back of a beat-up old car in one of the worst parts in all of Seattle."

It amazed me when I thought back to that first night. To think of my Evie, sleeping in a non-heated car on a dark and shady street. So many horrible things could have happened to them both. Just reliving it almost made me physically sick.

"Bella and I ran into the Mercers yesterday, and it nearly sent Bella into a catatonic state. The man…the things this disgusting piece of shit was thinking, it would make you sick. If I hadn't made a promise to not drink another human, I would've killed them there and then."

I could see Carlisle smile ever so slightly at this revelation.

"Well, I didn't make a promise. I could fix this for you," Emmett replied.

"Emmett," Carlisle snapped. "Enough."

Carlisle sighed exasperatedly and looked back over to me.

"What do you need, Edward?"

And that was when I laid out my plan. I wasn't going to kill the Mercers. I wished I had met them a few months ago. It would have made things easier for all parties. I asked Jasper and Emmett to go to Seattle with me. I asked Carlisle to stay behind, since Bella knew him fairly well and would feel comfortable. I was sure she would spend whatever days I was away pestering Carlisle for information on Evie and whether she was thriving and meeting the proper milestones.

I wasn't planning on leaving for Seattle until the next day. I didn't think it would be right to dump my family on Bella and then run off. Still, it was a conversation that needed to happen, and I wasn't happy about it because there was no way I would be telling Bella what I was really up to.

By the time I was finished with my meeting, Bella was on her way down with a load of laundry. Rosalie was still holding Evie and rocking her in the chair upstairs, while Alice kept her company.

"Here, let me get that," I said, pulling the basket of dirty baby clothes from out of Bella's hands. "Maybe I should think of relocating the laundry to upstairs. It'd be better for you."

"Edward, don't be ridiculous," Bella said, following me to the laundry room.

"So…what do you think?" I asked.

"About?"

"My family. Have they driven you crazy yet?"

"I take offense to that," Alice thought.

"Of course not. They've been so incredibly kind."

"You're just saying that because you think they can hear you," I joked.

"No. But I do know they can hear me because of your little demonstration before. I'm well aware of how every sound made can be heard by all ears in the house except for Evie and me."

She rolled her eyes and began placing the dirty clothes into the washer.

"Well, there is something I have to talk to you about." My body went completely rigid, as I leaned against the dryer.

"Okay," Bella said, sounding as if she was preparing to not like what I was about to say.

"Um…since my brothers are in town, I was thinking of going away with them for a few days. There are these mountains not too far from here, and we like to hunt…more sporting animals than just plain deer. Would you mind? I know my family will help you and are only happy to do so."

She nodded her head, and once again, I wished whatever barrier that was keeping me out would lower for the next few minutes.

"Okay," she whispered. She bit her lip and then began to fidget with one of Evie's soiled onsies. "Umm…about last night. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring you into my problems. You probably think I'm just total drama," she laughed awkwardly.

She thought I was leaving to get some space from her. I was not sure what possessed me, but before I registered what I was doing, my hand reached out and settled on her hip.

"Bella, you're not drama. You're safe with my family. They'll make sure nothing happens to you and Evie. And Carlisle will be here, so you can ask him all the questions you could ever have. I'm sure he'd love nothing more, since he's taking the next few days off from work. It'll keep his mind busy."

"Thanks, Son," Carlisle thought sarcastically.

It was then my eyes caught where my hand had landed, and I immediately let her go. Bella began to blush and then refocused on her task. She finished her pile and placed the soap in and closed the machine, preparing to turn it on.

"I'm sure we'll be fine. Evie's already taken to Rosalie."

I smiled and nodded.

"She's really beautiful," Bella added.

"Yes, she is," I replied, hoping it would appease my sister.

"And you never…?"

It took me a second, but then I caught on to what she was inferring.

"No! God no! Rosalie and I would kill each other."

"Just thinking of you and me together makes me want to eat the contents of the entire fridge just to spend the rest of my day retching," Rosalie thought.

"Oh, well, you two would've made a lovely couple. She was intended for you? Alice said something…"

"She met Emmett. Emmett's her mate in every way," I replied, confused as to why she was speaking about this. And why would Alice bring something so incredibly silly up to tell Bella about.

She nodded her head and began to walk back towards the door. I followed, still trying to sort out this uncomfortable conversation.

"I'm going to get something to eat. Will you be leaving in the morning?" she asked, stopping outside the entrance to the kitchen.

"Early morning. Probably before you even wake."

"Okay," she replied, biting her lip again. "Have fun, I guess. If something happens…"

"Nothing will happen. Other than you getting incredibly tired of my family, which is something I can completely understand."

I think everyone was offended by my statement. I would be sure to hear about it in person later.

"Well, will you come up later and say goodbye? I mean…to Evie. I think she's going to miss you."

"Sure…"

She smiled softly and went into the kitchen, leaving me perplexed. Just her tone had me a bit confused. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and wandered towards the living room.

Alice was dancing her way down the steps, just as I was heading into the living room.

"Why don't you tell us how you really feel?"

"Don't be offended, Alice. You know you all can be overwhelming. I was just trying to prepare her."

Alice sat down on the highbacked chair and smoothed her red, flowy skirt.

"You made us sound like she was being put into the hands of the Addams family."

"It's a house full of vampires."

"Vegetarian vampires who've collectively killed far fewer humans than…" she cut me off, "…I mean…not including you."

I rolled my eyes. "I was wondering when you guys would bring that up."

"We don't care, Edward. You did what you thought you had to do. To be honest, I think it shows a lot of faith on Bella's part to know about that side of you and still trust you as she has."

I put my foot upon the fireplace hearth and turned slightly toward her.

"Alice, do you think Bella was acting weird?"

Alice laughed. "Of course, she was acting weird. She likes you."

"Well, we've become good friends."

Alice jumped off the chair and walked to me.

"She likes you," she repeated, looking me directly in the eye. I held her gaze, cringing.

"No. She's just…"

"Just what? A human? A human could never love a vampire? I'm pretty sure there are quite a few books that've been written about it."

I pushed off the fireplace and tried to put some distance between Alice and myself.

"Oh, Alice. This is what you're basing your assumptions on? Some silly fiction books? Bella and I are just friends. We'll always be just friends, and I don't care what you think you've seen. You and I know the future you've seen is subjective. It can change from the smallest of instances."

"That doesn't change the fact that she likes you. The sooner you get over your interspecies prejudice, the sooner everyone can be happy."

She began to leave, but she stopped and turned back to me.

"And you do realize she wants you to say goodbye to her tonight, right? Evie won't know whether you're here or not. Just thought I'd throw that out there."

No, I had not realized that. Just the thought made me worry. Bella couldn't like me. It wasn't right, and she needed to find someone who was human. Someone who could give her a fulfilled life. Be a good father to Evie.

I would admit that last one stung a little. I pictured Evie running into the arms of a "stepfather," and it made my insides boil. But I couldn't take pieces of Bella. I couldn't take the Evie piece and not accept the rest. It wasn't right.

I needed to begin distancing myself from them. They were going to move on, which was the right thing for Bella and Evie. I shouldn't make it more difficult by showing interest. I needed to begin severing the ties. I would go and rid the Mercers out of Bella's life. I owed her that. I owed it to Evie to ensure she would be safe.

When it was time, I trudged up the steps towards Bella's quarters. A part of me was annoyed with my sister for ruining this for me. Before speaking with her, I would never have thought twice of saying goodbye to Evie and Bella. Now, the troubling matter would be at the forefront of my mind, and I feared it would cause my behavior to be less than desirable in Bella's eyes.

"Edward, get in here. You have to see this," Bella said, waving me over to the crib. I sighed and walked over, keeping myself at a respectable distance from Bella.

"Evie. Evie Pie. Evie Bee. Evie Bee," Bella chanted.

I looked at her, wondering if she had lost her mind.

"Look," Bella said, pointing.

I looked down and gasped. My heart, if possible, nearly grew from the vision before me.

"She smiled," I whispered.

"She's smiling!" Bella cheered.

"Oh, my god," I said, shocked.

I thought of this little girl, running into the arms of a stranger she called her father. Her stepfather. Bella smiling while she watched on, with her stomach growing with a brother for Evie, and I hated it. But it was what needed to happen. They needed to go. Bella and Evie needed to find their future, one that didn't include me.

Evie smiled at me again.

Her someday father might get the most smiles out of this perfect little girl, but I would always be the one who had gotten one of her first.

AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing! Seriously one of the only positive things going for me right now. So many of you had remedies for colic. I wish I had known a few months ago. Anyway, my once colic baby has turned into the neediest baby. I can't even leave a room without her freaking out and it's driving me crazy. She's nearly eight months. Does anyone have any advice? I'm so desperate. My mother is bedridden and I'm helping to care for her. I have three girls and now my husband has covid. Anything to help me with getting this baby to not need me so much would be much appreciated. Thank you again for your overwhelming support! I hope you all had a happy new year and may we never forget the important life lessons 2020 taught us if we ever get back to "normal"

A big thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA who seems to drop everything to edit this. I just finished chapter eleven so I will begin working on Time Changer.

STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.