Disclaimer: I own nothing! As usual!

Chapter 21:

Bella's POV

I had to get myself together. Here in Charlie's front yard on my hands and knees literally wallowing in my vomit was not going to fix this situation. I needed to talk to Jake; he needed to know what was going on.

In a way, it really didn't actually affect us. But I was not going to look like a deadbeat mother who gives her custody over to someone like Edward. I pulled myself up off the ground and shot one last dirty look at the Volvo before I headed inside the house to change my clothes and figure out what I was going to do.

I mean, maybe I was wrong?

But I knew Edward, I knew him like the back of my hand. Years of living for someone else will do that to you; you forget yourself and become their clone. I shuddered at the thought of what could have been but thankfully wasn't.

I paced my room, thoughts running through my mind. There had to be a way to put a stop to this bullshit and turn the tables on those who created the plan thinking they were going to get away with it.

It's funny, but I bet Edward never thought in a million years I'd ever talk to Esme. I couldn't hold any ill feelings towards them, they had no idea what their son really was. They were about to find out. I crossed my room and took a look out the window, focusing on the Volvo.

It was starting to grow on me. Maybe.

Now, if there was only something that we had that would prove to them the truth. If Carlisle and Esme knew what was going on, they'd cut Edward off from his source of money faster than my good name got dragged through the mud in the publishing industry in New York City.

I hadn't realized how close it was getting to 4 and I was supposed to meet Jake at his house so that we could go meet with whoever it was we were meeting with. I grabbed my purse and the key to the shiny menace in the driveway.

As my I made my way over to the Volvo I stopped and had a stare down with it.

What I wouldn't give to have my good old trusty truck back.

I slowly opened the door, inhaling the smell of the brand new leather. I had to keep reminding myself that really this was just an innocent gift because Edward totaled my truck, not because Carlisle and Esme thought I was pregnant with their grandchild.

That thought made me want to slam my head off the steering wheel.

Jake's POV

The hands on the clock ticked closer and closer to 4 and there was still no sign of Bella. I really hoped that she decided it was okay to drive that damn Volvo and didn't try to hitchhike her way here.

"Is she coming Jake? We don't have all day." Leave it to Leah to be pushy.

"She'll be here. She's probably just running a bit late." I turned back to the window to watch for her. About ten minutes, several frustrated sighs from Leah, and a few laughs from Seth later Bella was pulling the Volvo into the driveway.

"She's here!" I announced to the group as I raced to the front door to greet her.

I could immediately tell something was wrong, something was bothering her. I could just see it in her eyes. I took her in my arms as soon as she was close enough.

"Jake." She breathed, pulling me as close to her as possible. "I have something that I really need to…"

"Bout time Swan! Come on let's get this show on the road." How nice of Leah to interrupt. She was getting on my last nerve today, and I'd probably say something but she was one of the few who were still on my side.

"I'll tell you afterword." Bella said softly as she led the way into the house, still clutching my hand tightly.

Once we got inside Leah, Seth, and my father all sat around the kitchen table. Bella and I joined them, taking two seats between Seth and Billy.

"We all know what's going on here." My father was the first to speak. "Jake has been wrongly accused, and now we have the accusers here in La Push. " Leah called us here together because she recently found out the truth." He nodded to Leah to take over.

"First of all, I can't apologize to Jake enough. After the accident Vanessa spilled her guts to me that Jake wasn't the father of her baby and Edward was. I recognized Edward once I saw him, and I couldn't believe what was going on. But my point is, we need to un-brainwash Emily so that the rest of La Push will see the truth." I saw Leah smile at Bella and take her hand, I was happy for that.

"Do any of us know why they are still here in La Push? Edward got what he came for, why won't they leave?" Seth finally broke his silence.

I shook my head, "No. I don't really understand it. Vanessa is close with Emily, yes. But she has actual family in New York. Her sister is there and an Aunt, I don't understand why she wouldn't want to be with them during this time for her."

I could feel Bella fidget in her seat next to me; she nervously tapped a finger on the table. Something was definitely wrong.

Bella's POV

I listened to the conversation going back and forth, my heart racing and sweat beading on my forehead.

Jake shook his head, "No. I don't really understand it. Vanessa is close with Emily, yes. But she has actual family in New York. Her sister is there and an Aunt, I don't understand why she wouldn't want to be with them during this time for her."

That was it. That was my cue.

"I think I might know."

I felt four pairs of eyes boring through my body and I couldn't bring myself to raise my head to look at them. With my cheeks blazing, I grabbed Jake's hand under the table and he began to rub soothing circles on the back of it with his thumb.

"I, uh. I called Esme and Carlisle today to thank them for the Volvo."

I felt Jake's body tense up. I had been most worried of his reaction; even though he told me I should call I knew a part of him really didn't want me to try to have any type of contact with the Cullens.

"Anyway, as I was talking to Esme and again she apologized to me for them passing judgment on me after she heard that Edward and I broke up. Edward didn't exactly tell them why we broke up. He told them I ran off with someone, but apparently I was pregnant. With his baby."

Everyone gasped.

"Truth be told, I have been told I can't even get pregnant. Edward knows that, his family doesn't know that though. He has all kinds of connections to anyone you can think of, he can get anything. I'm thinking he would pass Vanessa's baby off as mine and have someone draft up fake custody papers. He was going to make me look like a deadbeat mother."

If I thought Jake was tense before, I was wrong. I snuck a peek at him and his jaw was clenched and his free hand was a fist on the table.

"I think that we just need to explain the truth to Carlise and Esme and Edward will get what's coming to him. They'll cut him off from their money." I finally sat back in my chair, glad to have gotten that off my chest.

"The police report." Billy's eyes met mine. "Can Charlie get a copy of the police report? It will show that Vanessa was in Edward's car and that they took her to the hospital because she was pregnant."

Wow. Why hadn't I thought of that?

But then, once we have the police report what do we do with it. Call them? Why would they believe us over him? Jake and I were going to have to be taking a trip to New York so that Esme and Carlisle can view my very non-pregnant belly first hand.

A/N – Remember Vanessa is only a few months pregnant so she isn't showing yet so that's why this isn't as simple, and they don't want to just wait till she's showing. That would be boring. Haha.

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