Stolen Dreams
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. GASP! I know you are surprised that I don't, but that is the sad truth. Really, Breaking Dawn wouldn't have happened if I did.
A/N: Wow! I've gotten so many positive responses this week. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Thanks to Jenny Cullen for her advice and beta skills. She's the best. Please check out the author's note at the bottom for some important information about the FGB charity compilation.
Chapter 8
Edward and I left Aron Michael's office in a daze. He'd thrown a lot of options at us. At the end of the day, we'd agreed to have him draft the order for the DNA tests, to be done at Forks' Hospital. That just meant that Edward and I would have to go back down there this coming weekend.
After fifteen minutes of silence as Edward drove me back to my car, he broke it. "Let's go out, do something fun, date-y for a change."
I looked at him in disbelief.
He sighed. "Come on, Bella. Let's set this mess aside for the night and have fun like a normal couple. There's nothing we can do right now anyway. I want to spend some time with you, and if we stay in, all we're going to do is sit on the couch and pretend to watch a movie that neither of us is going to pay attention to."
When he put it like that, I had to agree. "Okay. Pick me up at six?" I wanted to change before we went out.
"Dress casually," he said with a smile.
Despite the blow we'd been given in the last hour, Edward's goodbye kiss was full of want and passion. It left me breathless and wanting more. His smirk told me that he knew exactly what he'd done.
It was a good thing I didn't want to do more than change my clothes when I got home. Alice was sitting on the couch waiting for me, none too patiently.
"You were MIA most of the weekend and were already asleep when I got in last night," she observed. "And you weren't too happy Saturday night at the reunion dinner. What gives?"
"Let me change, and I'll be back," I said, figuring I could buy myself a little time.
Alice, unfortunately, knew me too well. "I'll just come with you." She followed me into my bedroom and plopped down on my bed. "Spill."
I hesitated, not sure where to start. "Um, you remember that dream I had all the time?"
"The Ryan dream?" she asked.
"Yeah, that one. Well, it turns out that it wasn't so much a dream, as a memory."
"Huh?" Alice said eloquently.
I yanked off my skirt and hung it on the hanger. Once I was in my jeans and an off the shoulder top, I sat backwards in my desk chair and faced her, letting the whole story spill out, including Tyler's pronouncement and my reaction to it.
She just stared at me.
"Alice? Hello, Alice." I waved my hand in front of her face.
"Holy shit, Bella," she breathed. "You have a kid."
"I do. Edward and I went to see an attorney today. The chances of us getting him back are slim to none, though."
"I'm sorry, sweetie." She reached out and grasped my hand, squeezing lightly. "Is there anything I can do? Be a character reference?"
"It's not that simple." I told her what Aron had said about custody laws. "For now, all we can do is try to get to know him, if they'll let us."
"So what are the plans for tonight?" she asked, as if we were going to drive to Forks tonight.
I grinned. "We're going on a date—focus on us a little bit."
"That sounds like a fantastic idea," she agreed. "And you look great."
I got up and hugged Alice tightly. She truly was the best friend I could ever ask for. I knew that no matter what we did, she would support us.
Edward picked me up right on time. Our dates usually consisted of dinner, a movie, or both, so I was surprised when he pulled into the bowling alley and opened his door.
"We're bowling?"
"And eating," he added. "They have great burgers, or so I'm told." Suddenly, he looked nervous. "Is this okay? I mean, we can do something else if it's not."
Despite the fact that the mere idea of rental shoes freaked me out, I couldn't rain on his parade. "No, it's fine. I've just . . . I've never been bowling before."
"Never? Woman, you haven't lived!" We ran through the sprinkles to the front door and made it in just before the downpour started. "Actually, I was going to take you to play mini-golf, but . . ." He gestured to the torrent on the other side of the glass.
"Good call," I laughed.
"Come on, let's get our lane."
I followed him up to the counter, where I had to surrender one of my shoes. They put us on lane twelve and handed Edward a menu from the snack bar. While I inputted our names into the computer and rounded up a ball, Edward went and got us each a burger and fry basket. One bite in, and I was sold.
"Oh my God," I mumbled around the burger in my mouth. "This is incredible. Best date dinner ever."
Edward laughed and popped a fry into his mouth. "Good to know. Five dollar bowling alley burger beats fresh halibut at Waterfront Seafood." He'd taken me there for our second date, and I'd almost choked at the prices. He hadn't looked much better. The food was good, though.
"What can I say? I'm a cheap date," I quipped.
This time, Edward laughed so loudly, he attracted the attention of the people in the next lane. "Sweetheart, you are many things, but cheap isn't one of them."
"Shut up," I grumbled, but I couldn't help the smile on my face.
When the burgers were gone, Edward stood with his swirly blue ball, stepped fancily to the line, and launched it. Nine pins fell down. On his next throw, the last one crashed to the boards. He made it look so easy. Confident, I picked up my little ball, tried to imitate his footwork, and threw my ball. It hit the lane with a loud thud and rolled straight into the gutter.
Edward tried not to laugh, he really did, but the situation was too funny. "Here, let me help you," he suggested.
He put the ball in my hand properly—who knew you weren't supposed to use your index finger—and lined his body up with mine. I could feel every inch of him pressed against my back. I moaned slightly in response, my mind instantly transported to other times we'd been in this position with fewer clothes between us.
"Not that I don't appreciate your dirty mind, but now probably isn't the best time," Edward whispered into my ear.
He showed me how to step up to the line and brought my arm back with his, releasing the ball as we came forward. It was slow, as our movements had been, but instead of rolling to the side, the ball stayed true and knocked the fore pin down, as well as six others.
"I knew you could do it." Edward winked at me and gave me a bright smile. He took his ball and knocked all the pins down in one roll.
Eventually, I got more comfortable with the ball, and my game improved minutely. Winning wasn't the point, though. We had fun trading barbs and phrases heavily laced with innuendo. By the time we finished, I was ready to take him home and rip off his clothes. Instead, we stopped by a local diner for milkshakes and apple pie.
"Thank you for tonight," I said as I sipped the frosty concoction through my straw. "I had a lot of fun."
"Me, too," he agreed, taking my hand across the table. "I think we needed this." He looked like he had more to say and was trying to figure out how to word it, so I continued slurping my vanilla milkshake while he gathered his thoughts.
"I'm sorry it felt like I was hiding you from my parents. That was never my intention. For me, it was more about trying to find the right time to tell them and to reopen old wounds. I never considered what it would seem like to you. Now that I've told my mother, I wonder what I was so afraid of," he said, watching his thumb caress my knuckles.
"And I'm sorry I assumed you were hiding me from them. To be completely honest, I'm not sure I've ever fully forgiven them for the pain they caused when they made you leave, especially knowing that they intended to whisk you away without letting you say goodbye. I was already so raw that those emotions have mingled with all the ones from Ryan's supposed death, and they got locked away with the others. I couldn't shake the feeling that you would follow their wants again and leave me again when they disapproved." I tried to make everything I was feeling clear, but it was so jumbled in me, I wasn't sure I'd done it well.
He was quiet for a moment. "You had every right to be angry with them then. I'm not sure they've ever considered how it impacted you, especially given what you were already going through. They didn't even think about how I would feel. That's why we fought for so long. But you need to understand that this is one battle I would fight again because you are worth it to me. I love you. I always have, and I always will."
"But I don't want you at odds with them because of me," I argued. "That's not good for you, and it will only breed resentment between us."
"It wouldn't be because of you," he shot back. "It would be because of their own thoughtless actions."
I gave him a skeptical look.
"Bella, we have finally found each other after years of being miserable apart. Two days ago, we discovered that we have a living ten-year-old child, conceived out of our love. I'm not willing to be without either of you for the rest of my life. You are my family and my future." His voice was firm; I could hear the conviction behind his words.
"Besides," he continued with a smile, "it's not an issue. My mom is happy for us, and Dad, well, I don't really care what he thinks at the moment. Let's go home." He stood up and pulled me to my feet.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
He hummed and contemplated the answer. "My place," he decided. "We always go to yours, and tonight, I don't want to be disturbed."
"Just what do you have in mind?"
He laughed and grimaced at the wistfulness in my tone. "Sleeping? I haven't done that since Friday night, and I'm exhausted."
I rolled my eyes, but followed him to the car. I was almost as tired as he was, despite the rest I'd gotten the night before. Everything that had transpired since I woke Thursday had worn me down, as well.
Edward and I stayed with each other often enough that we each had pajamas in the other's home. I changed into a shorts and camisole set that Edward bought for me one day when we were at the mall, brushed my teeth, and dove under the covers before he even finished checking his email. He said something about another trace coming through, and I could hear him on the phone in the other room. I knew better than to wait up for him.
Sometime after midnight, cold feet snuggled up to my calves and Edward's body cradled mine. I turned my head to see him.
"Shh, go back to sleep," he whispered. "Sorry I woke you." I heard him breathe in deeply with his head near my hair, before my dreams returned.
Edward's alarm went off obnoxiously early—as in five o'clock early. I groaned in protest and stuffed my head under the pillow. His tired chuckle did not make me any happier.
"Wanna run with me this morning?" he asked.
"No," I protested. "I wanna go back to sleep."
"Then sleep," he said. "I'll reset the alarm, so you can get home and shower." His weight left the bed a few seconds later.
I never even heard the door to the apartment close.
I did get up in enough time to make it home to clean up before work. I had enough foresight to dress somewhat comfortably, because the day was long—it stretched late into the evening. Edward sent me a text midway through the day to tell me he would be on point for the next forty-eight hours and that he would call me when he had a free moment. It didn't happen often, but it usually meant that someone was doing something they shouldn't be.
Alice and I shared a simple meal at home, like had once been routine. I called my dad, but he didn't answer. Dr. Gerandy was supposed to have returned home; I could only hope Dad was in the process of booking him.
When he hadn't called me back by noon the next day, I knew that something was wrong. He didn't answer his cell phone when I called that, so I dialed the station and demanded that Mark put me through to him.
"Why are you avoiding me?" I demanded as soon as he picked up the line.
"Bella?Uh,hi,sweetheart.I'mnotavoidingyou;it'sjustbeenbusyaroundhere," he tried to argue.
"Dad, it's Forks. Unless someone has gone on a killing spree, I highly doubt it's so busy, you can't answer your phone," I argued.
He chuckled uneasily; I could almost see him rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah,well,Ijust...oh,hell,Bella,Iwasn'tsurewhattosay."
"What's wrong, Dad?" My father wasn't much of a talker, but he always found something to say when I called.
"Bobprolongedhistrip.Hiskidsliveoutsidemyjurisdiction,sothere'snothingIcandountilhecomesbackhere," he said mournfully. "I'msorry,kid."
"That's okay, Daddy. I understand. Just stay on him. Edward and I met with an attorney, and he's filed a motion to compel DNA tests to prove that Ryan is our son."
"Areyousurethat'swhatyouwanttodo,Bells?" It was clear he didn't agree.
"Mr. Michaels said we had little chance of getting custody back," I told him. "We're only doing what we have to do to know him."
"You know I won't interfere, Bella, but are you sure this is the best thing for all of you? I don't want to see you hurt again like you were all those years ago if things don't work out the way you want them to."
"It's all we can do, Dad," I said sadly.
We talked for a few more minutes, until it was time for my next appointment. I could hear his frustration that he couldn't fix this for me. I'd heard it a number of times over the years.
I still hadn't heard from Edward after my last appointment, so I spent some time going over the cases I'd had over the course of the day and dictating my notes. By the time I finished the last one, it was after seven, and I was barely keeping my eyes open.
I dragged myself through my door, intent on eating a bowl of cereal and watching a couple of shows I'd recorded on my DVR before I went to bed. Much to my surprise, Edward was sitting on my couch. Wine glasses and candles decorated the coffee table, and he was leaning against his knees.
"Edward? What are you doing here?" I asked.
He looked up and smiled, though it was tired. "I made you dinner. I thought we could relax in tonight."
"That sounds great. I'll be right back."
I walked back to my room, kicked off my shoes, and changed into my yoga pants and a tank top. When I came back into the living room, two plates of ravioli sat side by side and the wineglasses were full of dark red wine. Edward had the last episode of House queued up on the TV.
"I love you," I said happily. "This is fantastic."
"Well, only the best for my girl," he teased. "Consider this my apology for being MIA the last two days."
I shrugged. "Duty calls." I knew that he loved what he did and that sometimes, the hours were long. I could understand that.
"Have you talked to your dad?" he asked as we started eating. The show remained paused.
"Gerandy hasn't come back yet. I think Dad's watching the road. Are you going to be able to go down there this weekend for the tests?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I should be able to leave around noon or one on Friday, but I'm going to have to work pretty solidly all next week."
"Should we postpone?" I asked, disappointed but trying to mask it.
"My reserve weekend is next weekend, so we really can't," he told me.
I chewed on my bite of food and checked my appointment calendar on my phone. I only had one appointment Friday afternoon, and I was fairly sure that it would be easy to move. "I'll make appointments with the lab in Forks for around five, then?"
He huffed. "Yeah, that sounds fine. I can't believe we have to prove that we're Ryan's parents."
"Me, neither," I sighed. "But if it's what we have to do to get him back, I'll do it."
Edward gave me a small smile as he held out the final bite of ravioli from his plate. He slipped it between my lips, and I groaned at the intimacy of the gesture. Our plates were soon forgotten, along with the TV show, as we lost ourselves in each other.
When Edward had set up our date, Alice had assured him that she planned to stay at Angela's new place; she was decorating while Angie was in the process of arranging her move. After we were both mostly naked, we decided to take it back to my bedroom in case Alice came in unexpectedly. My first order of business was to remove the jeans that sat low on Edward's hips, showcasing his abs and the rather impressive V that led to . . . well, to parts of him that deserved to be inside my mouth at the moment.
Edward didn't protest when I tugged on the button-fly and popped them open. Nor did he try to stop me when I yanked them down and sank to my knees.
"Uh . . . oh God, Bella," he mumbled as I took him all the way into my mouth—or at least as far as I could without gagging myself.
I wrapped one arm around his thighs and used the other to pump the part of his cock that I couldn't fit into my mouth. I set a rhythm, bobbing my head up and down. One of Edward's hands wound into my hair, gently guiding my rhythm and tugging slightly. I moaned as he pulled a little tighter. My moan set off a flood of expletives, and those set off a wave of arousal in me.
"Bella, I'm gonna . . ." he ground out; I sucked him in a little harder, praying that I could swallow without getting sick. He came in long spurts in my mouth, and I choked it all down. When I released him with a pop, he fell back onto the bed. I dashed into my bathroom to get a drink of water.
Edward hadn't moved by the time I came back. He cracked open his eye and smiled lazily at me. "Come here, baby," he crooned.
I crawled up next to him and kissed him lightly. He didn't let me pull away, though, like I'd planned to. Instead, his tongue stroked my bottom lip, begging for entrance. When I opened a little, his tongue delved into my mouth. I had to break away a few minutes later to breathe, and when I did, Edward trailed his lips down my neck. His hands slipped underneath my panties, rubbing my clit and driving me crazy.
"I believe I have a favor to return," he whispered against my skin.
"Y-You don't have to," I stuttered, though I really did want him to.
"You lie," he chuckled. "You know you want me to. Now, get up here."
I wasn't entirely comfortable essentially sitting on Edward's face, but I forgot all about that as his tongue licked up my slit and teased my clit. He pumped his fingers in and out of me, as he licked and nipped and sucked. I was lost in a haze of pleasure. My climax hit me hard, and I cried out as I came. My thighs were locked around Edward's head, but he gently lapped at me as I came down from my high.
Somehow, I managed to shift and lay down next to him. He kissed me goodnight and pulled the covers up around us. His still naked body was warm next to mine. I couldn't imagine anything more heavenly than that.
On Thursday morning, I took Edward up on his offer to go running at the crack of dawn. The endorphins flooded my body, making the day and my own outlook seem brighter. The pounding of my feet against the pavement and the thump of the music in my ears drowned out my thoughts and left me free to just feel for almost an hour.
Edward slipped into his car when we got back home. He had to get to his day, and I had to get mine started. I had a full day of patients, including the autistic young man that I'd moved from Friday afternoon. According to his text mid-afternoon, Edward would be working late into the evening.
I took a sack full of Chinese to the address Alice texted me once I'd finished for the day. Angela was moving into a nice house in the suburbs. She had given Alice free reign over the appearance of the place, but I had to admit that Alice had kept it perfectly . . . Angela. Large, cushy chairs surrounded a low table, and the entire arrangement faced a brick fireplace. Pictures of Angie's family lined the wood mantel—clearly she'd already sent some of her belongings ahead.
Alice dragged me into the kitchen, where white cabinets reflected in the sheen of the black countertops. A wrought iron table with inlaid white tiles sat near one end, but otherwise, the room was empty.
"Angela's appliances aren't supposed to be delivered until next week," Alice informed me.
"This place looks great, Alice. Angela's going to love it."
She gave me a nervous smile. "I hope so. I want her to like it here."
I set out the containers and laughed. "If she doesn't, I'll move in!"
Alice picked up her fork and pointed it at me with a glare. "Oh no, you don't. I have grand plans for your house one of these days. Besides, you aren't allowed to leave me just yet."
I rolled my eyes at her teasing. We ate our Chinese while catching up on our lives over the last few days. Alice had taken my advice and contacted the School of Design to find Angel's replacement. So far, three women and one very gay guy had come in to interview. One of the girls tried to tell Alice how to better design her own line, which had put her out of the running, but the other three candidates seemed promising. There weren't many specifics that I could give her about my patients, but I did relay some funny stories without names attached. It was relaxing and exactly what I'd needed.
Kate and Zafrina were understanding about my need to leave early on Friday. They both offered suggestions on how to approach Ryan if we were given the opportunity. I doubted that would happen, no matter how much I wanted it to.
Edward was idling in front of the apartment when I got home. He shut off the engine and jumped out to help me gather my bags. He seemed as eager as I was to get going. I still hadn't heard any news from my dad, but I hoped that he'd have something for us when we arrived.
During the drive, our conversation was somewhat stilted by our nerves, but we did manage to discuss the situation with Ryan some more. Edward wanted to eventually take custody of our son, if we were able. I was torn, and I told him so. I didn't want to get my hopes up for something that Aron had already told us was out of reach, at least for now.
We pulled into the parking lot just before five. I took a deep breath and tried to rally all my courage. This was it, the final hurdle to proving that we'd been deceived years before. This test would prove, once and for all, that Ryan Parker Cullen was our son.
Hmm . . . leave me a review and let me know what you think.
Here's the deal with Fandom Gives Back: Instead of doing an auction as in years past, this year, they are doing a compilation. I have signed up to give an outtake or one-shot to this great cause. Here's what I need from you. There is a poll on my FF profile—tell me what you want to see. If you can't vote there, leave me a PM or a note on the forum. I will close the poll at the end of the week (October 29th), so please cast your vote before then.