Stolen Dreams

Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. I own this. End of story.

A/N: This story is starting to come to an end. I'm rather bittersweet about this. On one hand, I'm going to miss this story and you guys terribly. On the other hand . . . yeah, knowing that I'm going to disappoint you guys at some point makes me happy that it's ending. This is the last banked chapter that I have. The good news is that most of the next one is actually written. It's not done yet, but I'm hoping to get it done soon. Writing time and brain power has been so sparse over the last couple of months, but it is getting better. Thank you for hanging in there with me. I appreciate each and every one of you and all of the kind words you provide each week in my inbox.

Chapter 34

Ryan was still sweaty and disheveled when I got home the next day. I sent him to the shower while I helped Edward finish dinner.

"How did it go?" I asked quietly.

Edward nodded slowly. "He had fun, I think. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it at dinner if he can stay awake long enough. He fell asleep in the car on the way home."

I laughed and poured myself a glass of wine. My own day had been long, and knowing that I was coming home to Ryan and Edward had been the only thing that had gotten me through it.

We had just gotten everything on the table when Ryan came back downstairs. He was already in his pajamas and looked barely awake. Ryan plopped into his chair and stared at the roast on the table as if it would somehow magically jump onto his plate.

"Tired, bud?" I asked, not really concealing my amusement. I filled his plate with the roast, new potatoes, and green beans that Edward had made for dinner, and I even scooted Ryan's glass of milk closer to him.

"I don't think I've ever run that much in my life," he said. "I'm not sure I can move. Never want to do that again."

Edward snorted. "Don't join the military, then."

Ryan shook his head. "Seriously, Coach makes us run every time we mess up something that he thinks we should have gotten right. I didn't swing at a strike, and I had to run around the field. The pitcher, this kid named Russ, spent more time running around the outfield than he did on the mound."

Edward smirked. "Did you swing at the next one?"

Ryan's eyes got big, and he nodded. "I didn't want to run anymore."

"Then you learned the lesson." Edward shrugged. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, other than the running, I did. The guys are pretty cool. One of them was on the team that went to the state finals last year. He's really good," Ryan reported. He shoved some potatoes in his mouth and chewed.

It got quiet for a minute while we ate, and then Edward broke the silence. "There are some fall ball teams starting soon nearby. I'll bet some of those guys will be playing. Would you want to do that?"

"Sure," Ryan said easily. "I love to play, but I don't think our team is doing fall ball. Too many of the kids play football, too."

I hesitated and glanced at Edward.

He grimaced and nodded.

"I think your dad meant for you to play up here, Ryan."

Ryan looked confused. "But how would I get to practice during the week?"

"One of us would take you. You'd live here, with us," Edward said.

Ryan shook his head. "I thought the judge said I was supposed to live in Forks for school."

"If you want to, yes, but you also have the option of coming to Seattle. Ms. Hollings has to report back to the court before school starts. We aren't going to be upset no matter what you choose, Ryan," I assured him. "We just want to make sure that you know that you do have the option."

"I'd have to leave all my friends and Mom and Dad," he said quietly.

Edward glanced at me and gave me a sad smile. He reached across the table and laid his hand on Ryan's. "You would. You'd make new friends here, just like you did when you moved to Forks. If you don't want to do that yet, though, we understand."

"Do I have to decide right now?" Ryan's voice cracked as he asked.

"No, sweetheart," I rushed to tell him. "We just wanted your thoughts on it and for you to consider your options. We love you and would love to have you with us all the time, but we know that you have ties to Forks, too."

"Okay," he agreed and started pushing his food around on his plate. "Dad, did you talk to Jasper about the computer today?"

I shot Edward a questioning look.

He smiled at me and explained. "Jasper was with me last Thursday when I picked up Ryan from camp. He's getting a new laptop, and we were talking about it in the car. Ryan wanted me to talk to him and find out how much it would be for Jasper to get one that would fit Ryan's needs."

"Oh?" I asked. I wasn't sure what to think about this. More than anyone, I knew the effects that cyber-bullying could have on kids and what dangers were out there lurking. Edward, of course, had already put a lot of thought into it.

"Jasper thinks he can wipe his old one and refurbish it to be what Ryan needs without much trouble. Ryan, if you get this, there will be rules, both here and at the Cullens'. I'm going to code it to restrict what websites you can access. When you are old enough to get on social media sites—which you aren't now—all of us will have access to your accounts, both as friends and with your passwords. I'll also be checking your activity," Edward warned.

"Yes, sir," Ryan agreed without hesitation.

Edward nodded thoughtfully. "I'll talk to Carlisle and Esme when they come to pick you up. It'll take a few weeks before it's ready anyway, since Jasper hasn't ordered his new one."

We chatted for a few more minutes, but Ryan was fading fast. By the time his plate was clean, he was yawning almost continuously. "Can I go to bed?" he asked through yet another yawn.

"Sure, sweetheart," I laughed gently. "I'll be right up."

He hoisted himself up and practically dragged his feet up the stairs.

Edward offered to take care of the dishes, and I went up to tuck Ryan in. He was sprawled out on his bed, phone in hand. His eyes were barely open as he hit send on the text he was typing.

"I'm too tired to call them," he said, his voice slurring slightly.

"All right. Let's get you under the blankets." I lifted up his covers, and he shuffled underneath.

"Night, Ma," he said sleepily.

I kissed his forehead and told him good night. I was pretty sure he was asleep before I left the room.

Edward was waiting for me on the couch when I came back downstairs. He had one of our favorite shows queued up on the DVR, and his arm lifted for me to snuggle under. I took my place next to him and watched Rizzoli and Isles solve another case. Something else came on after that, but I couldn't have told you what it was. Edward was too distracting.

Before the credits started, his lips were pressed to mine and I was deepening the kiss. One of my hands clutched the back of his neck, and the other roamed the front of his body. I wanted to touch him so badly, but we were exposed with a child in the house. Minutes later, I'd lost all my reasoning powers when his nimble fingers pulled the cup of my bra down and pinched my nipples underneath my shirt. I rubbed his erection through his pants, and he let out a quiet moan into my mouth.

On the next pass of my hand, Edward shot back like he'd been burned. Through heavy breaths, he stood and clicked off the television. "Bedroom, now. You're driving me crazy."

I ran through the house turning off the lights while he locked up, and then he chased me up the stairs and into our room. Neither of us wasted any time getting out of our clothes and under the covers, but we both took our time teasing each other and bringing each other to the brink time and time again.

~SD~

Baseball camp got easier for Ryan as the week went on, and he made several friends his age there. The coach had gotten his point across on the first day, and that kept the kids in line for the rest of the week. Ryan also went to his youth group meeting on Wednesday. Those two things made me more hopeful that Ryan was considering a life here with us.

Friday afternoon arrived before any of realized it. Edward picked Ryan up early so he could have his session with Zafrina and Jacob while Edward picked up his parents from the airport. Despite our reservations, we had invited them to stay with us, and they had accepted. I still wasn't sure how it was going to go, but I figured that I could survive them for two days, and if not, they could get a hotel room and a rental car.

Ryan's session seemed to have gone well, because he was his usual sunny self when he finished, and we hurried back to the house. Edward's car was already in the driveway.

"Bella!" Elizabeth called cheerily when we walked in the door. She hurried over to me and hugged me tightly. "I'm so happy to see you. Thank you for having us. The house looks beautiful."

I tried not to be too stiff. "Thank you. It's good to see you, too." Once she released me, I turned to Ryan. "Ryan, do you remember Grandma Masen?"

He nodded shyly and stepped forward into her hug. "Hi, Grandma," he practically whispered. When she let him go, he scampered back to my side and clung to my hand.

"Where are the men?" I asked her, not seeing Ed or Edward anywhere and worried that there had been bloodshed of some sort.

She rolled her eyes. "You have some kind of tree in the backyard that Ed wanted to take a look at. They're out there . . . inspecting."

I suspected that Ed had wanted a moment with Edward alone and that the tree was a ruse, but what did I know? I'd barely spoken to the man in ten years; he could have developed an avid interest in trees in that time.

"What would you like to do for dinner?" Elizabeth continued as if she didn't find his interest unusual.

Her question caught me off guard and ruffled my feathers a bit. She'd been here all of an hour and I'd just walked in the door, and she wanted to know what I was planning to do for dinner? "Since it's such a nice night, I thought we could grill some hamburgers," I replied, forcing a smile onto my face.

"Nonsense," she answered, waving her hand to dismiss my idea. I was so focused on taking a deep breath so I didn't explode on her that I almost missed her next sentence. "Ed and I are taking you out. You shouldn't have to cook for guests when you've just walked in the door. Ryan, what kind of food do you like?"

And just like that, most of my ire evaporated. She wasn't trying to be demanding; she was trying to be considerate. She'd just asked my son what he liked instead of making a unilateral decision. Maybe things had changed, I mused.

Ryan shrugged. "I like almost anything. We haven't had Mexican in a while. There's no place good for it in Forks."

"Mexican it is," she said with obvious delight, clapping her hands together. "Let's get your dad and Grandpa in here so we can go. I'll bet you're starving. Your dad always was at your age."

Ryan moved away from me and walked next to her out the back door, asking her questions about what Edward was like at his age. She looked delighted to have his attention. While they were out there, I ran upstairs and changed into some capris and a casual shirt. Business suits didn't go well with authentic Mexican restaurants.

The rest of the family was already in the car by the time I made it downstairs. Edward was waiting for me next to the front door and kissed me deeply in hello. As I walked out to the car, I could see Ryan chattering to his grandparents as if he'd known them all his life. Not for the first time, I was relieved that I had such an easy-going kid.

Dinner was surprisingly pleasant. Ed and Elizabeth were enthralled with their grandson. I mused that it would have been nice if they'd been so interested ten years before, but I knew I had to let go of it for my own sake and Ryan's.

Afterwards, they insisted on going out for ice cream. There was a place over in Pike Place Market that had tables with umbrellas outside. It was a nice enough night that we were able to sit outside and enjoy the view.

It had been a long time since I'd spent an entire evening with Ed and Elizabeth, even longer since there hadn't been a straining tension between us. But even though Edward still wasn't warm with his parents, especially his father, I saw more of the relationship I'd so envied when we were younger.

Later, when Edward and I were alone, he confessed to me that while they were outside, Ed had apologized again and told Edward how proud he was of the man he'd become. He also admitted that he was wrong to think that Edward wouldn't have been able to accomplish whatever he'd set his mind to, even with having a child so young. That had gone a long way toward healing the rift between them. I didn't think it would ever return to how it had been when Edward was young, but we'd both settle for a lack of animosity.

The house was quiet when I woke the next morning, and I thought that everyone was still asleep. I padded my way to the kitchen, intent on making breakfast. When I walked into the room, Elizabeth was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a magazine.

"Come sit with me," she requested sweetly, patting the table in front of the chair next to her. "I've got an egg, ham, and hash brown casserole in the oven."

"Oh." I blinked in shock and pulled the chair out, collapsing into it. "Thank you."

She smiled at me, and the corners of her eyes crinkled. Here, in the harsh light of day with no make-up on, Elizabeth looked older than I'd realized. "I understand that you set a date for the wedding and that you're having it in Forks?" she asked gently.

I gave her all of the details, just noticing that the magazine that she'd been reading was a bridal magazine. She seemed to be truly interested and asked all the right questions. It reminded me of the conversations we used to have around her kitchen table when I was younger, and I felt a little nostalgic.

"What can we help with, Bella?" She held up a hand to stop me when I opened my mouth and shook my head. "No, I know that you are adults, but this is a wedding that we should have been able to pay for years ago, and it's our fault that you spent ten years apart. We want to help."

I gave her a weak smile. "It's a small wedding. There's not a lot to pay for. I don't really see a need for a rehearsal dinner or anything like that."

"Where are you going for your honeymoon?" she asked.

"I have no idea. You'll have to ask Edward. He wanted to plan that part," I answered.

She gave me a sly smile and nodded. I had a feeling she would be talking to him about that.

The rest of the family started to trickle in, and we got breakfast on the table. Ryan decided he wanted to take us all to the zoo and show us what all he'd learned at camp, so that's what we did. Ed and Elizabeth did their best to dote on him without overstepping our authority. It was a surreal feeling.

"I think they're really trying," I whispered to Edward that night as we got ready for bed.

He tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "They are. I'm really glad that they want to be a part of his life—our lives—but it's harder than I thought to let go of my anger. It's their fault that we haven't had this all these years."

I ran my hand down his arm, soothing him. "Your mom said something similar this morning. For what it's worth, I think they regret it."

"It doesn't change that it happened, though." He shrugged. "I don't know. I'll deal with it."

He didn't say anymore about it, making it perfectly clear that, for now, the subject was closed.

The next day was a flurry of activity. Edward was planning to take his parents to the airport since his flight left only thirty minutes later than theirs.

"No, I'll drive you. We want to see you off," I insisted when Edward tried to tell me that he was going to leave his car in long term parking. "I'll pick you up next Saturday."

The only hitch in this plan was that Esme and Carlisle would be arriving around the same time to pick Ryan up. I solved this by texting Esme and telling her what our plans were and when we'd be back to the house. That just left loading up the car with five people and all the luggage—it was a tight fit.

Walking through the airport with a soldier was a new experience for me. Adding in Ryan, who was clinging to his father, only increased the smiles and sympathetic looks.

As if they sensed that we needed some time to ourselves, the Masens quickly checked in, checked their bags, and hugged us goodbye.

"We'll be back the Thursday before the wedding, unless you need me sooner," Elizabeth told me. "Please, please call me if you need anything." Her eyes were as pleading as her tone.

"I will," I promised, and I was surprised at how much I actually meant it.

Tears pooled in my eyes as they embraced Ryan and told him how much they loved him. It was what I had always wanted.

They walked through security with a few backward glances, and we waved goodbye.

"Do you have to go?" Ryan asked Edward in an uncharacteristically small voice, pulling my attention away from the Masens.

Edward kneeled down in front of Ryan so their faces were more level. "Yes, buddy. I have to go get some more training. This time, we're doing mountain survival training. I have to sleep outside in the mountains for a week."

"But you'll come back, right?" There was a hint of panic in Ryan's voice.

Edward gathered Ryan to his chest and held him close. "Of course I'm coming back. Why would you think that?" The concern in his voice was very evident.

"I was telling Michael how you are a soldier, and he told me that when soldiers go to war, sometimes they don't come home," Ryan whispered just loud enough that we both could hear him.

"Oh, Ryan." Edward leaned back far enough to look Ryan directly in the eye. "I'm not going to war, buddy. This is just a week of training. I promise. I'll call you as soon as we get back into cell range, okay?"

Ryan nodded and wrapped his arms around Edward's neck. Edward's eyes closed tightly as he hugged his son hard. When Ryan finally let go, Edward stood and pulled me to him.

"I'm going to miss you," he whispered. "I'll call as soon as we're done, okay? Where we'll be, there's not going to be any cell service."

I hadn't realized that in addition to being gone for a week, we wouldn't have any communication, either. I willed myself not to cry and gave him my own tight hug. "I love you," I whispered into his ear. "Please be safe and come home to me in one piece."

I felt him nod against the side of my head. "I will. I love you, too."

And then, he was gone. At least, that's what it felt like to me. Ryan held my hand while we watched Edward walk away from us toward security. He was guided toward a special lane and only looked back as he was walking through the scanner. I was glad he hadn't before, because his expression was so forlorn that I might have insisted on coming with him.

We waited in silence until Edward was out of sight. I hated feeling like my happiness depended on another person; I knew that the only person that could complete me was me. Inside, though, I felt like my heart had just walked away. Ryan squeezed my hand, bringing me back to the busy terminal, and gave me a sad smile.

"Do you miss him when he's gone?" he asked.

I laughed a little. "Yeah, I do. Just like I miss you when you're not around," I told him playfully, trying to lighten the mood a little.

He nodded. "I miss you, too."

Neither of us said anything else for the entire trip home. We both knew that his time in Seattle was over and that from here on out, for the foreseeable future, we'd only have weekends. The heaviness settled over me like a blanket. I wondered if my day could get any worse. I'd gone from having a house full of people and love to being alone for a week.

It could get worse, it seemed, because Carlisle and Esme were waiting in the driveway when we pulled in. I wanted to yell and scream that I wasn't ready yet, but I couldn't do that to Ryan, or the Cullens, who'd been nice enough to give us the extra day.

Ryan jumped from the car as soon as it was parked and ran straight to Carlisle, hugging him fiercely. I couldn't hear what they said to each other because I still hadn't opened my door, but Carlisle was smiling widely and looked happier than I'd ever seen him.

I steeled all of my resolve, tucked my emotions away as I had for so many years, and climbed out of the car. "Hey! You haven't been waiting long, have you?" I called to them.

Esme smiled. "No. Just a few minutes. We were already on our way when you called, so we stopped for some breakfast to kill some time."

"Come on in," I invited, opening the front door.

They followed me in, and Carlisle went with Ryan to get his things from his room. Esme trailed behind me as I went into the kitchen to set my things down.

"Wow. You'd never know you had a houseful of people this weekend," she commented. She was right. There wasn't a dish out of place. Elizabeth must have done some extra straightening while we were getting ready to go.

"I have to say, they were pretty good house guests. They either took us out to eat, or Elizabeth cooked. And apparently, she cleaned up, too." I laughed in disbelief. Not that I wasn't thrilled, but now I didn't even have house cleaning to keep me busy. I'd been kind of counting on that.

"Did Ryan do okay with them?" she asked tentatively, knowing what a sore spot they had been for us.

"Yeah, he really warmed up to them pretty quickly. They adore him, of course. Thank you for giving us the extra day so he could spend some time with them," I said sincerely.

She shrugged and waved it off. "It was no trouble, though we are going to have to get out of here. Carlisle has to cover for someone tonight."

I could hear Ryan and Carlisle tromp into the living room, so Esme and I went toward them. Ryan gave me a big hug and promised to call me. "Love you, Ma," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Ryan. Be good this week, okay? And don't worry about your dad. He'll be fine," I assured him.

Ryan nodded and then left my arms to pick up his backpack.

He walked to the door and waved goodbye. I watched as he climbed in the back seat of their car and drove away. If it was possible to have nothing left of my heart at this point, I was a goner. The last remaining pieces had just driven away.

For the next hour, I stripped the beds, washed the sheets and towels, vacuumed the carpet, and scoured the guest bathroom. Once that was done, however, I wasn't sure what else to do with myself. I was all caught up on work, the house was clean, and I was bored. It occurred to me that this was what my life had been merely a year before, but so much had changed for me that I no longer recognized the girl that was content to be this way. I had no idea what to do with myself.

The doorbell rang before I could get my computer out and lose myself in Facebook games to whittle away the hours. As if she was psychic, Alice stood on the stoop, with Angela behind her, holding a pint of ice cream and a spoon.

"I love you guys," I choked out as I embraced them both.

They both laughed, and we shuffled inside.

Alice gave me a soft smile. "We figured you could use some company. Heaven knows we needed some girl time."

"Thank you. You all are the best!" I said, taking the bag from Alice's shoulder.

Angela followed me into the kitchen, where she unloaded a cooler full of junky snack food—frozen burritos, taquitos, pizza rolls, loaded potato skins, and spinach artichoke dip. She also had two more pints of ice cream, and I grabbed her two spoons.

Alice was waiting for us on the couch with Steel Magnolias queued up on the screen. "What? It's a girl's day in!" she laughed.

So, side by side, drawing strength from each other, the three of us spent the day watching chick flicks and eating junk food. It was the perfect band-aid for the ache in my chest that wouldn't be fully healed until my boys were back with me.

True facts: Yawns are widely believed to be contagious, though scientists are still unable to determine why or what causes us to do it in the first place. I can't even hear the word without yawning—my friends think it's a great party trick when it gets to be the wee hours of the morning. Needless to say, I appeared to be very tired when writing parts of this chapter.

Hope you guys enjoyed.

Check out A Broken Hallelujah by VirginiaMay: it's worth the read!