Stolen Dreams
Disclaimer: Do I need to say it again? Recognizable stuff belongs to the respective owners. That is all.
A/N: Thank you to IrishEyesMasen for the rec this week and to anyone else that has spread the word! You have no idea how thrilled I was! And thank you to all of you who read week after week. Thank you to Jenny Cullen for her beta skills. She makes my stuff make sense.
More at the bottom! On to the chapter:
Chapter 7
Edward's face drained of color. His knuckles gripped the steering wheel so hard, they turned white, and I could see him gritting his teeth. I hadn't meant it to sound like I was accusing Ed Masen of anything—I couldn't imagine that he could be so heartless towards his child and grandchild. The fact remained, though, that Mr. Masen had gone to see Dr. Gerandy months before Ryan's birth, around the time that the Cullens were approached about a private adoption.
"I'll kill him," Edward said through his teeth. His voice was menacing, and I was glad I wasn't on the other end of his ire. "If my father engineered this, I will end him."
"Edward," I said soothingly, backtracking. "I'm sure he didn't. He did want us to put Ryan up for adoption, so maybe he did go see him in hopes that Gerandy could convince us. You know we wouldn't hear anything from your dad."
"What if that's where Gerandy got the idea from, Bella? He already knew that we were determined to raise Ryan. He asked us every time we saw him. Maybe knowing that my father wanted Ryan out of our lives convinced Gerandy that neither of us would hunt for him if we suspected anything." Edward was getting more worked up by the minute. "Ten years, Bella. That man denied us ten years together and ten years with our son!"
Edward pulled over at a rest area and bounded from the car, unable to sit still any longer. I let him pace for a moment. Finally, when I couldn't stand it any longer, I walked over to him and laid my hand on his arm to still him. The wild look in his eye hadn't dissipated.
"I don't want to believe he'd do that to me. It just . . ."
"Edward, I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking. I'm sure your dad didn't have anything to do with Ryan's kidnapping." It was the first time either of us had put what really happened into words. Our son hadn't died. He'd been kidnapped at birth.
"I don't know, Bella. He's had my whole life planned out for me since I was little. These goals for me that weren't mine. He knew how much I loved you, and he tore us apart anyway." He sounded anguished at the thought, but at least he'd stopped moving.
"Let's see what Dr. Gerandy has to say before jumping to conclusions," I said. "All we can do is take this one thing at a time."
After a few more deep breaths, Edward nodded, and then walked back to the car with me. He remained quiet as we pulled into traffic and resumed our trip home.
"Do you know any family law attorneys in Seattle?" Edward asked when he finally spoke. His voice was much calmer.
"There are a few we work with at the office when necessary. I'll talk to Zafrina in the morning and see who she would recommend. She's going to have a field day with this," I muttered.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
I grimaced. "Zafrina is also my therapist and has been for six years."
He frowned. "Is she one of the ones that told you that your dream was a 'coping mechanism?'" His sarcasm was clear.
"She was," I said, keeping my voice neutral. "And until this weekend, I thought that was a reasonable conclusion. There was absolutely no evidence to suggest that Ryan wasn't dead, other than dreams by a distraught and grieving mother."
He didn't appear pleased by my assessment, but he didn't comment further. I wasn't sure we'd resolved anything, either in our relationship or in Ryan's situation, but I was too tired to discuss it further. When Edward parked in front of my apartment, he kissed me absentmindedly and said that he would call me the next day. The weekend that was meant to bring us closer had only thrown up roadblocks; things that should have given us happiness had only brought pain.
Alice wasn't home when I went in, which was just as well, since I wasn't ready to talk yet, and I knew she'd insist. I left my suitcase packed, took a hot shower, and crawled into bed. I hadn't felt that alone in years.
Just before I fell asleep, my phone chimed with an incoming message.
Wanted to tell you that I love you. Sorry about earlier. My head's all over the place. I miss you.
Edward's words lifted some of the strain on my heart. I typed back quickly, telling him I loved him, too, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
I was in the office early, way before either Zafrina or Kate. Luckily, our receptionist came in around eight to answer the phones and prepare the office for the appointments that began at nine.
"Chelsea, does Zafrina have any openings today?" I asked, peering over the desk at the appointment calendar. Playfully, she covered the screen with her hand and pretended to scowl at me.
"Don't you go peeking at my schedule," she teased. "You need to take a slot today?"
"Um-hmm," I hummed.
She clicked her mouse and scanned the calendars. "She has a ten o'clock open, but you have Chris Cavendish coming in at nine."
I groaned. Chris was prone to going long, and I usually needed to spend thirty or forty minutes decompressing and assessing once we finished. It would have to wait today, though. "Pencil me in," I told her. "Chris is just going to have to learn to stick to his hour today."
Even though I'd warned Chris when he walked in the door, he did not in fact, adhere to his one hour time limit. Sometimes I suspected that his parents continued his therapy so that they could get a reprieve from his incessant chatter. So it was ten after when I finally ushered him out the door and slipped into Zafrina's office.
"Does he ever stop?" Zafrina asked with a chuckle.
I groaned. "I don't think he does. It's a wonder he hasn't lost his voice. Permanently."
She grinned at me for a second, and then her expression turned serious. "Since you insisted on seeing me first thing this morning, I take it that this weekend did not go well?"
"It was interesting." I sighed. "First, I need the name of the best family law attorney you know."
Zafrina sat up straighter and eyed me warily. "This sounds serious." She held up one finger and hit the intercom button on her phone. "Kate, are you free right now?"
"Yeah, my next appointment is at noon. What's up?"
"Come into my office, please," she ordered, rather than asked. When something affected the practice or one of us severely, we met as a group and discussed the implications before acting.
"Is this really necessary?" I asked, wincing at her look of disapproval.
"Perhaps, but if you need an attorney, I think a second opinion might be a good idea," she answered.
Kate already knew my history—I'd talked to her about it on occasion—but my nerves ratcheted up at the thought of exposing it all to both of my colleagues, even if it was necessary. Kate opened the door and patted my knee as she sat down.
"Bella asked me for the name of the best family law attorney we know this morning," Zafrina informed her.
"Uh oh, that sounds serious," she said, her gentle smile comforting.
I took a deep breath, before I launched into the details. "You both know that I lost my son during childbirth when I was seventeen." They nodded. "I discovered this weekend that he did not die like we were told, but rather, he was stolen and essentially sold."
Zafrina's eyes widened almost comically, and Kate gasped.
"The doctor that ran the hospital and delivered Ryan retired, and a new doctor moved in with his family, against Dr. Gerandy's wishes. Their son, Ryan, who will turn ten on June third, is the spitting image of Edward. When we dug a little further, we discovered that Dr. Gerandy told the nurse that we'd agreed to a closed adoption, and she delivered our son to his new parents." I stared at my hands. "I have no idea what to do. I'm well versed with the psychological impacts this could have on all of us, but I'd like to talk to someone with more knowledge on the legal side."
"Aron Michaels," Kate said immediately. "You need to talk to him."
Zafrina nodded her head in agreement.
"Thank you," I told them. "I'll do my best not to let this interfere, but . . ."
Kate cut me off. "Don't do that. We are here to support you. This is your child we're talking about, and nothing, nothing is more important than him. I'll put the number on your desk so you can finish talking with Zafrina, but if you need anything, my door is always open for you."
"Thank you," I whispered, standing to hug her before she left the room.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Zafrina pinned me with an intense stare. "What else happened this weekend?"
I opened and closed my mouth a few times before I could find the words. "How did you know?"
One manicured eyebrow rose on her forehead. "I know you. Now spill."
For the next twenty minutes, I told her about Tyler's news and Edward's subsequent half-assed explanation. I told her how it made me feel and what my fears were for the future. Once the verbal vomit stopped, Zafrina pondered for a moment.
"Has Edward ever done anything to make you believe he's not as invested in this relationship as you are?" she asked.
"Other than not telling his family that he's in one?" I responded, astonished.
She shook her head. "Let me rephrase. Has he given you cause to believe that if his parents express disapproval, he will end the relationship with you?"
"He's already done it once," I muttered.
"Bella, he was seventeen years old," she reminded me gently.
"I know. I'm just not sure I can stand it again, especially now that we know we have a living, breathing child living a few hours away." The thought of having to see him with Ryan and knowing that we weren't together was extremely painful.
"Give him a chance, Isabella," she advised. "It sounds like he's wrestling with his own demons. Every relationship we enter into, whether it be as friends, lovers, or co-workers, has the chance to end in failure. Only you can decide if the relationship is worth the risk of possible heartache."
I mulled through her words for a second. "Thank you." I stood to leave.
"Anytime. You know that," she said with a smile.
Thankfully, Chris hadn't really told me anything overly profound in his monologue today, so my notes were not as extensive as they were some days. The number Kate left on my desk called to me, and before my next appointment could barge in, I dialed the phone.
"Michaels,Whitney,andGreen.HowmayIdirectyourcall?" the pleasant voiced receptionist said.
"Aron Michaels, please."
"One moment."
"AronMichaels'office," a different, but still business like voice answered.
"Hi, this is Dr. Isabella Swan, and I need to consult with Mr. Michaels on a custody issue," I said.
"Yes,ma'am.KateGarfieldsaidthatyouwouldbecalling.Mr.Michaelshasanopeningatfouro'clockthisafternoon.Willthatworkforyou?"
I smiled to myself. It figured that Kate had called ahead; she truly was one of the sweetest people I knew. My calendar was free after three, but I grabbed my cell out of the drawer and dialed Edward's number after asking Aron's secretary to hold.
"Hey," Edward answered. He still sounded glum. "I'msorryIhaven'thadachancetocallyet.It'sbeencrazyaroundherethismorning."
"It's fine," I told him, willing myself to believe it. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have Aron Michael's office on the other line. They want to meet with us this afternoon at four."
"Aron Michaels?"
"He's one of the best attorneys in the city, according the Kate and Zafrina. Family law ones, anyway," I said.
"Oh.Shit.Yeah,I'llbethere." He covered the receiver, but I could still here him yelling in the background. "Jazz,Ineedyoutocoverformethisafternoon.I'vegottaleaveatthree-fifteen.Thanks,man."
When he came back to the line, he sounded a little more frazzled. "CanIpickyouupsowecangotogether?"
"Sure. Just meet me at my office," I told him.
"Good.Well,um,shit,I'vegotalottodobeforethen.Iloveyou,baby," he said, and I laughed.
"Get your work done. I love you, too."
I confirmed the appointment with Mr. Michaels' secretary and tried to pull my focus back to my patients. There was nothing else I could do until we met with him, and worrying over it wouldn't accomplish anything.
Edward was right on time, though clearly nervous. I watched him as I walked out of the building toward his waiting car. He kept running his fingers through his hair and looking at the watch on his wrist. His head whipped around when I opened the car door, and he sighed, almost in relief.
"Relax," I laughed as he looked at his watch again. "His office is less than fifteen minutes away. We have plenty of time."
He gave me a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm just nervous."
His phone rang before I could respond, and he sighed when he looked at the screen. He gave me an apologetic smile and put the phone to his ear as he pulled away from the curb.
"Hi, Mom."
I stopped breathing. What was the correct protocol here? Did I sit in silence and pretend I wasn't eavesdropping on their conversation?
His next words answered that for me. "No, I haven't . . . Mom . . . there hasn't been time . . . okay, fine." He turned to me, holding the phone away from his ear. "My mother would like for me to tell you hello, that she's missed you, and that she can't wait to see you."
He put the phone back to his ear; I just stared at him in shock. "Yes, she's right here. No, you can't. We're on our way to a meeting, so I can't talk long. Okay, Mom, I will. Yes. Love you, too. Bye." Edward hung up the phone and stared out the window without breathing for several seconds.
"So, that was my mother. She wanted me to hand the phone over, but I thought I'd spare you for today," he informed me.
"She wanted to talk to me?" I asked, shocked.
He rolled his eyes. "Apparently, once she got over her shock, she's delighted. She called me back last night after I texted you and demanded details. I wouldn't have answered, but it's the third time she's called me this morning."
I smiled. "She misses you," I said softly.
"Yeah," he muttered, embarrassed. His face, however, soon lost that look, and it was replaced by something more serious. "Are we okay?" His eyes flitted between my face and traffic.
"I guess so." I shrugged and stared at my hands instead of his face. "Do you understand why I was so hurt?"
"I do, but it wasn't my intention to hurt you," he argued.
"I know that, but it scared me a lot. You are your own man now, but I don't want to be the source of strife between you and your parents. You spent too many years upset with them, and if they didn't approve, I'd feel like I was making you choose." Voicing those fears to him was easier than I'd thought it would be.
"Oh, Bella, that's not going to happen," he whispered. "All my mom wants is for me to happy. When she called me back last night, she said that she'd heard the change in my voice over the last few months. She was just surprised."
"But your dad?" I pointed out. I didn't hold out as much hope for his approval.
"Fuck him," Edward growled. It seemed he wasn't over his pique from the way home. I wasn't touching that with a ten foot pole.
For the rest of the drive, I sat and thought about Edward and his parents. When he was young, Edward used to help his dad on home improvement projects, and they'd throw a baseball around on sunny days. Things weren't the same between them after I got pregnant. They fought a lot and completely stopped spending time together. It didn't sound like things had gotten much better, if Edward could believe that his father had anything to do with Ryan's kidnapping. I also noticed that when Edward was talking about reconciling with his parents, he mentioned writing to his mom, but he never mentioned his dad. Perhaps they'd just put a band-aid on things for his mother's sake.
We arrived at Aron Michaels' office almost twenty minutes early. Instead of sitting in the car, Edward and I decided to go on up and just wait in his waiting room. Since we hadn't yet decided what we wanted the outcome to be, I felt like we were flying blind. With any luck, Mr. Michaels could give us a decent idea of what we were facing and what our options would realistically be.
As it was, by the time we found his office and checked in with his secretary, we had less than ten minutes before our appointment. Janelle, his secretary, got each of us a bottle of water inscribed with the law firm's name. No sooner had I taken my first sip to calm my nerves, the intercom on Janelle's desk beeped, and a deep, male voice told her to see us in.
Aron Michaels looked nothing like I expected, though I wasn't even sure exactly what that was. He was of average height and thin. His brown hair was short and neatly combed, and he had a short goatee on his chin. He held out his hand for each of us to shake, and then motioned for us to sit in the chairs across from his desk.
"Thanks for seeing us on such short notice, Mr. Michaels," I said.
"I'm glad that I could, Dr. Swan. Please, call me Aron. To be perfectly honest, Kate indicated that the case would pique my interest, and I cleared my schedule. She didn't give me any other details, though, so why don't you and Major Masen tell me what the situation is." Mr. Michaels' voice was surprisingly pleasant and soothing.
I looked over at Edward and nodded at him to begin.
He took a deep breath and launched into the story. "During our senior year of high school, Bella and I got careless, and she became pregnant. We decided that we would keep the baby and go to school locally so that we would have the support, tenuous as it was, from our families. We named our son Ryan and did everything we could to prepare for his arrival. We're from Forks, Washington, and there really aren't a lot of choices where doctors are concerned. Dr. Robert Gerandy was it. He tried to convince us at each appointment that our child would have a better life if we put him up for adoption, but we didn't want a stranger to raise our son."
Aron nodded and scribbled on the legal pad in front of him. As soon as his pen stilled, he motioned for us to continue.
"You should do the next part, since I wasn't there," Edward said quietly.
Aron's brow furrowed as he watched our exchange.
"When Ryan was born, either I wasn't given any painkillers, or they weren't effective. The nurse in the room, Susan Mallory, and Dr. Gerandy were coaching me through the process, and he had me stop after Ryan's head came out so that he could unwrap the cord. I blacked out almost immediately after delivering the rest of him. When I woke, I was in another room, and Dr. Gerandy told me that Ryan had been stillborn."
Aron turned to Edward. "Did he take a breath?"
Edward grimaced. "I can tell you that answer now, but I wasn't in the room when he was born."
The confused look returned. "Pardon my ignorance, but why not? It seems like you were a fairly active partner."
"I wasn't allowed to be. Dr. Gerandy said that since I was not eighteen, I couldn't witness the birth of my own child."
Aron's eyebrows shot up, and he wrote something down furiously. "Go on," he urged.
"When we asked to see Ryan's body the next day, we were informed that the morgue had accidentally had him cremated," I said. "There was nothing for us to bury. Over the years, I've had dreams of hearing Ryan cry when he was born, but they were always dismissed by me and my therapists as wishful thinking."
"They weren't?" Aron sounded intrigued.
"This past weekend, we went to our ten year reunion. I went running with an old friend and saw the new doctor—Dr. Gerandy recently retired—dropping his son, Ryan, off for baseball practice. Anyone that's ever met Edward would be able to see that Ryan was his. As far as his looks, I'm pretty sure I didn't contribute anything," I laughed.
"Her dad is the Chief of Police," Edward said, resuming the story. "He and Bella went to the hospital where I met them to talk to Dr. Cullen. He and his wife adopted their son as a baby and named him Ryan after the nurse that brought him said that his parents had called him that in the womb. Susan Mallory later confessed that Dr. Gerandy told her that we'd agreed to a closed adoption and she is the one that delivered him to his new parents."
Aron stared at the two of us and blinked several times. Then, he took a swig of water. "Wow. That's . . . quite an ordeal. It sounds like Dr. Gerandy planned this, if he already had a couple waiting for the child."
"According to the Cullens, it was planned at least two months in advance," I supplied.
"Has Dr. Gerandy been arrested?"
Edward shook his head. "He's conveniently out of town until tomorrow."
"Of course he is," Aron muttered. "Well, my services are at your disposal. What do you want to do?"
I fidgeted in my chair, and Edward grabbed for my hand. "We wanted to know first what our options are," I said timidly. "We've talked a bit about it, but . . ."
Aron nodded. "Here's where it gets personal. I need you both to be completely honest with me, because if this ends up going to court, which I suspect it will, I don't like to be surprised. You will tell me anything I ask because it might be relevant. First, are you married, or have you ever been married?"
"No," Edward answered for both of us. "My parents moved me across the country after we lost Ryan. I joined the military after finishing West Point and moved to Seattle when I transitioned into the Reserves. We've been back together almost seven months."
"Any other children for either of you?"
We both responded in the negative.
"If you want me to file a petition to grant you custody of your son, I will file it and I will fight it for you, but you probably won't win unless there are serious issues with Ryan's adoptive parents," he stated baldly.
Edward stared at him open-mouthed, while my heart sank into my toes.
"Wh-Why do you say that?" I stuttered.
"The State of Washington takes a lot of things into account when placing a child, including the relationship between the child and the adults involved, the child's physical and emotional well-being, living situations, history, and the desires of the child, if they are old enough to make that determination. At ten years old, he wouldn't get to choose, but a judge would take what he wants into consideration when making the ruling," Aron told them. "Unless the Cullens are abusive, I would say that you have little chance of removing him from his home immediately. If Ryan were younger, it would be easier, but his age works against you here."
"What do we do, then?" Edward asked.
"First, I would suggest that we get a DNA test, just to confirm what we already know—that you are Ryan's biological parents. Once that is established, I would suggest that we file for visitation rights, if it's necessary. Given the circumstances, the Cullens may be willing to work with you. Do not be surprised if they fight back, though. For all intents and purposes, they are Ryan's parents, and just like you want to fight for him, they will fight to keep him."
So . . . what do you think about Edward's mom now? And the meeting with the attorney? Come join the discussion on the forum or send me a review! I love to hear from you. As November inches closer, I want to remind you about the auction benefitting Alex's Lemonade Stand. The fandom has participated in this auction for the last several years and I am once again offering a chapter/one-shot/outtake of the winner's choice. Start planning now!