A/N: I don't own the Twilight Saga. Just Ellie.

Chapter 3

The rest of the day all seemed to pass by in slow motion.

Angela Weber wasn't able to say any more down the phone, and she said it was best that we discussed Ellie in person, but that didn't make things any better. She was concerned about my daughter's behavior, but I hadn't picked up on any abnormal changes in her, but maybe I had been too distracted to notice? Like, if something slowly becomes normal in your daily routine, would you ever notice the change happening?

I thought through all the various possibilities, whether it was something to do with the other kids in her class, but nothing came to mind. I knew I had to put those worries behind me in order to focus on my patients, but Ellie was always at the back of my mind, just like she was every single day.

My last patient of the day left the room at two-thirty, so I had just enough time to finish off some paperwork, I signed off my computer, and then I left the room and locked the door behind me. The building didn't close until six, but Felix had been wonderful, and he said I could work until two-thirty on three of my days, and the fourth day I worked until six, so I only had to find childcare for one day out of the week. That usually involved Charlie, depending on his shifts at the station, or I'd have Rose or Alice look after Ellie for a few hours after school.

I couldn't have done any of this without them, and I was so grateful that I still managed to do the job I loved and worked so hard for.

I pulled up outside the school just as the bell rang, and I made it into the yard as Ellie's class ran and skipped from the building. I told Angela that I'd meet her out in the yard, so I simply stood in one spot and waited for my daughter to come running.

"Momma!" Ellie shouted excitedly only a short minute later. Her hair was tied back in a high ponytail, her jeans and black sweater looked surprisingly clean and paint-free, and she had her WWE backpack hung over one shoulder.

"Sweetheart," I said as I pulled Ellie in for a hug. "How was your day?"

"It was good!" She beamed. "I did you another picture. Do you wanna see?"

"Of course."

Just like on Friday, Ellie's picture had been shoved into her oversized bag, and she handed me the rolled up paper with a brilliant, bright smile on her face. After my call with Angela, I tried not to focus too much on the drawing itself, but I couldn't cut off that psychologist side of my brain. Maybe Ellie's drawings were a way for me to notice the change in her behavior, so, with that thought in mind, I unrolled the paper.

Ellie had drawn, what looked like, a birthday cake. The circular cake was bright pink, and it had five white candles sticking up from the top. Each candle had a small, orange circle above it, which I assumed were flames, and Ellie had written her name underneath them. It didn't look anything out of the ordinary, so I tried to think that maybe Ellie had simply wanted to draw a birthday cake.

"This is wonderful!" I said as I crouched down to be at my daughter's level.

"I had a cake like this, remember?" she asked. "I think it was blue, but Sophia had the blue pencil, so I had to do it in pink instead."

"It was blue, well done," I snickered. "How did you remember that? It was months ago."

"I dunno." Ellie shrugged. "I've just got a good memory, I guess."

"You do, that's very true."

As I stood up, I noticed Angela was standing in the background. She had her hands locked together in front of her, and she had a caring smile on her face. I had a feeling Angela was a few years younger than me, but she was wonderful with Ellie, and it was like she was born to look after children.

"Hey, El', I need to talk to Miss Angela quickly, okay?" I said as I cupped my daughter's cheek with one hand.

"What do you need to talk to her about?"

"Er, I don't know." I shrugged.

"Is it a surprise?" Ellie's eyes widened with excitement.

"I suppose you could call it that. But it's just boring adult talk, so why don't you go and play on the jungle gym, yeah?"

"Okay!"

Ellie didn't need to be told twice, and as I took her backpack from her, my daughter sprinted toward the jungle gym as I took a deep breath and wandered toward Angela. She sort of reminded me of Miss Honey from Matilda, with the sweet, floral dress, circular glasses, and the wavy brown hair that stopped at her shoulders.

"Isabella," Angela said warmly. "Thank you so much for meeting with me."

"I… I mean, sure. What's this all about?"

I stood at an angle so that I could watch Ellie and look at Angela at the same time.

"Are you aware that Ellie has been bringing strange items into school recently?"

"Oh, the wooden spoon and the rain boot on Friday?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Yeah, I noticed that," I chuckled. "When I asked her, she said the Barbies didn't want to be left behind, but I'm unsure about the wooden spoon and the boot."

Is that what Angela wanted to talk about? The random items Ellie brought to school on Friday? Because I know they're strange, but it wasn't the first time a child had packed random objects into a bag.

"She brought more in today," Angela replied as she pulled down on the arms of her gray cardigan.

"Really? Because I can assure you, they weren't in there when I packed her bag this morning."

"No, I had a feeling you weren't aware," Angela chuckled. "But today's items weren't as simple as a boot and a wooden spoon…"

"What were they…?" I asked, unsure if I even wanted to know the answer.

"She'd brought a pair of white, Apple earphones, a knife and fork, and a plastic plate."

I was right. I didn't want to know the answer.

None of that made any sort of sense, and I felt almost stupid for not noticing Ellie putting those things inside her bag. I knew that a kid could get up to mischief in the time that it took for me to blink, but I couldn't believe I hadn't heard the cutlery drawer opening, or the cupboard door shutting as she found the plastic plate.

"What does this all mean?" I asked as I watched Ellie happily swing from one bar to another on the jungle gym.

"I don't know." Angela shook her head. "I tried asking, but she completely shut me out, which is why I knew I had to speak to you about it."

"No, I… Thank you. I really appreciate you telling me. I'll… I'll, um… I'll talk to her."

I still had Ellie's bag with me, so I opened up the main section and peered inside. The first thing I noticed were the white headphones caught up in a tangled knot, then as I dug my hand in deeper I came across the knife and fork, and then the plastic plate. I wish I knew the reasons behind these objects, and why Ellie felt the need to bring them to school, but I knew I wasn't going to get that answer until I spoke to Ellie myself.

"However," Angela said. "I will need to ask you to check her bag every morning before school. I know these things happen, and Ellie didn't mean any harm, but I can't have her bring knives and forks into school."

"Oh, absolutely," I said as I zipped the bag closed again. "Trust me, she would not have left the house if I knew she'd raided the kitchen."

"Thank you." She smiled.

I couldn't even begin to understand why Ellie had the need to bring those things to school with her. The rain boot, sweater, and wooden spoon were funny, even though there was no reason to bring them, but the cutlery was dangerous, and someone could have been hurt if Ellie took them out to play with it. It wasn't like she needed any of that stuff to eat her lunch.

Those same questions remained in my mind as Ellie and I headed back to the car. She told me about her day, and the games she played with her friends, and I responded in a casual manner, all while I tried to think of how to bring up the conversation.

I still hadn't come up with a proper decision by the time we got home, but then it seemed to hit me as I fixed Ellie's afternoon snack. She couldn't decide whether she wanted an apple or a banana, so I decided to put together a fruit plate. Once the fruit had been sliced into bite sized chunks, I headed for the plate cupboard.

"Oh, there seems to be a plate missing…" I mumbled and I knew Ellie could hear me.

The thing was, I never would have noticed the missing plate if I didn't know it was in her bag.

"Have you seen it anywhere?" I asked as I turned around to face my daughter.

"Um… I think Biggie said he wanted to use it." Ellie shrugged.

It felt like someone had stabbed my chest with a knife, and tears formed in my eyes as I did my best to control my breathing.

Ellie said it so casually, almost like she didn't even know what she was saying. Did she genuinely believe that Biggie needed the plate, or was that her way of passing the blame over to someone else?

Either way, I knew I had to get to the bottom of things.

"Sweetheart, we need to have a talk," I said as I took a seat opposite her at the table.

"Yeah?" Ellie asked as she bit into a chunk of banana.

"Miss Angela noticed a few strange things that were in your bag today, so I need to discuss them with you."

"It's nothing!" Ellie huffed.

She took another slice of apple and then she jumped off the chair.

"Hey," I said. "Please, El', sit down. We need to talk about this."

"But I told Miss Angela that it was nothing! She didn't need to tell you!"

"Elizabeth. Sit down."

I rarely raised my voice around her, and I couldn't even remember the last time I'd used her full name, but Ellie had to know that I was in charge. I was the parent, and I wouldn't allow her to disobey my rules.

"But… Momma…"

"Ellie, all I need you to do is tell me why you brought those things to school. Did you need them for something?"

My daughter deliberated for a second, but then she returned to her original seat and she slumped her elbows onto the table.

"No…"

"Okay, then why?" I asked.

"Because… I…" Ellie nibbled on her bottom lip, and I sat there and gave her all the time she needed. "I… didn't want Biggie to miss out."

Oh, my God.

"What is he missing out on?"

"Everything!" Ellie yelled as tears formed and fell down her cheeks. "You said Daddy liked music, so I took your earphone thingies, and I didn't want him to miss out on having my lunch with me. Like a picnic. We always have picnics, Momma, and Biggie doesn't!"

I wanted nothing more than to break down crying with Ellie, but I had to be the supportive parent. I had to act like her words didn't rip out my heart. It had been a while since Ellie last had a tantrum, and I felt guilty that she'd potentially kept all of this pain and torment locked inside for so long without a way of letting it out.

"Hey, hey, hey," I said as I ran around to her side of the table. "It's okay, I'm here."

Ellie all but fell into my arms, and I held my daughter close as she sobbed into my shoulder. I thought I had been doing the right thing, and I thought that it was best if I waited until Ellie was old enough to understand what had happened with Edward, but now I realized I'd made a mistake.

Even though Ellie hadn't met her father before, she included Biggie in everything. From the pictures she drew, to the items packed in her school bag. She thought that was the only way she could be close to Biggie, when in reality, he was only a fifteen minute drive away.

She was only five, but was she old enough to understand the truth? Maybe I could explain it in a way for her brain to compute everything? The sobs that broke free from Ellie was enough for my own tears to start, and I had to find a way to stop her from crying, and maybe bringing Biggie into the picture was the only way that would happen?

"I'm sorry… Momma."

"What are you sorry for, sweetheart?" I asked.

"For… For taking those things," Ellie replied.

"Thank you for saying sorry. But I just needed to know why you were taking them, that's all." I stroked her hair with one hand as I patted her back with the other. "I'm not angry at you, Ellie, but when I ask you a question I need you to answer me."

"I know…"

I think I had to tell her.

I think I had to explain everything, from the car crash, to the amnesia, and the reason the lie became a thing.

0-0

I set Ellie up in the living room with one of her favorite shows, and as she overcame her crying fit, I focused on how I was going to tell her about Edward. It took a full hour for me to work out a plan, but then a quick message to Alice helped me put the final points together.

Alice, do you have any pictures of Aunt Liz you could send me?

She replied almost instantly.

Hey, love! I sure do! I think I put one on Facebook a while ago. Let me take a look for you :)

Five minutes later, and after a quick search through my own photo albums, I had everything I needed. Then I put a pause to Ellie's show and asked her to join me in the kitchen. She was confused at first, because I wasn't calling her through for dinner, so why did she need to go to the kitchen?

"I just need to talk to you about something," I said as confidently as possible.

I had the photos under one arm, and the saved pictures from Alice burning a hole in my phone. I wasn't sure how the discussion was going to go, or how Ellie would cope when she heard about Edward, but at least she'd know that Alice, Rose, Emmett, and Jasper were her aunts and uncles, and not just my friends. She'd also learn about two new grandparents, and that Esme and Carlisle weren't just Charlie's friends. Ellie loved spending time with all six of them, and I knew their bond was only going to grow when she found out who they really were.

"What are the pictures for, Momma?" Ellie asked as she made herself comfortable at the table.

"These are part of what we're going to talk about." I smiled, and then I placed the photos face down on the table so Ellie couldn't see them. "But first, I need to show you something on my phone."

"Like a game?"

"No, not a game," I chuckled. "Well, maybe like a game. A guessing game."

"Oh! I'm really good at guessing games!" Ellie bounced excitedly on her seat.

My hands shook as I unlocked my phone and brought up the picture of Aunt Liz that Alice had sent me. In fact, Alice hadn't just sent me one picture, she'd sent me two, and the second put everything into place. It was a picture of Aunt Liz with a one-year-old Edward sitting on her lap. It was one of the only pictures Edward had with his biological mother, so it was incredibly special, but it was important for Ellie to see it. Liz also had bright auburn hair and mesmerizing green eyes like Edward does, so Ellie would instantly know that she was related to this woman and the little boy on her lap.

"So… what's this game we're going to play, Momma?" Ellie asked.

I took a deep breath in and out as I thought over her question. I knew I couldn't back down now, especially after sourcing the pictures and essentially starting the 'game'.

I just had to trust myself, and that this was the right thing to do.

"Now, don't get me wrong, Ellie, this isn't the sort of game you'll play with your friends at school," I explained. "This is very important."

"So… it's not a game?"

I knew it was best if I just described what I was going to do, and then Ellie would follow on after that.

"Basically, I'm going to show you some pictures of incredibly important people, and then we'll talk about those people, and I'll tell you why they're so important. But the guessing part is I want to see if you can work out who they are."

"Okay…" Ellie frowned. "Is it, like, pictures of the President? 'Cause Miss Angela said he's important in this country."

"No," I chuckled. "It's not the President. But we will be talking about a man, and this man is the most important man in your life."

"Um… Grandpa Charlie?"

"Not Grandpa Charlie." I smiled. "This person is your daddy."

"Daddy?" Ellie gasped. "We're going to talk about Biggie?"

"We are." I nodded. "We need to talk about Biggie."

A/N: I'm sorry this is shorter than others, and it was left on a major cliffhanger, but I would have struggled to upload it otherwise.

I will do my very best to upload again soon, but I'm getting married on Saturday, so I'll be slightly busy, you know, tying the knot!

But until that happens, please let me know what you thought, and send me your positive vibes for Saturday! Haha.