Pinky Promises

by CiaraShayee

When two little girls were allowed to walk home from school one bright spring day nobody could've predicted the events that followed. The way two families were torn apart by the vendetta of a deranged man. Twelve years on, we'll watch as two girls stolen away from their homes at eight years old fight to take back their lives. If only it were as simple as escaping. M for violence.

27. Chapter Twenty-Six

~ oOo ~

Okay, so, tomorrow is Father's Day here in the UK,

meaning I will be super busy hanging out with my

Grandad, who is strictly anti-phones on special

occasions. Therefore, you get an early update again!

After Tuesday's awful cliffie I have a feeling I won't receive

too many complaints about posting two hours early :)

~ oOo ~

Speaking of Tuesday's update... You have all been

so wonderful and lovely with your reviews and sweet

words on the various FB pages I post in! I was so worried

about that chapter but, apart from telling me off for the mean cloffhanger,

everyone had such kind things to say - I'm incredibly

grateful to you all!

~ oOo ~

A few of you reviewed as guests so didn't get your

reward of a sneak preview. Also, one of you did log in

and review but didn't have your PMs switched on! I can't find

your name now but anyways, you missed out ;)

~ oOo ~

Big thanks as always to my wonderful ladies,

SunflowerFran and annaharding

They both work super hard and I'd be lost without them!

~ oOo ~

So... Eleven more reviews to push PP over 800...

Is this chapter worth it? Let me know ;)

~ oOo ~

Summary: When two little girls were allowed to walk

home from school one bright spring day nobody could've

predicted the events that followed. The way two families

were torn apart by the vendetta of a deranged man.

Nearly twelve years on, we'll watch as the two girls stolen

away from their homes at eight years old fight to take

back their lives. If only it were as simple as escaping. AU

Pinky Promises

Chapter Twenty-Six

An Undisclosed Location, UK

"I want in."

James Hunter, the FBI agent who'd been minding Emmett since they were placed in the middle-of-nowhere after he'd been picked up, stared at him. He noted the rigid set of his jaw, the steely glint in his eyes. Emmett looked determined. And he was a big guy, intimidating to someone who didn't know him, and a damn fine shot with a gun, too.

Riley would kill him, of that James was sure. On the off-chance Riley didn't put him in a hole of his own, James knew he'd never get the promotion he'd been promised upon his return to the States. Emmett would be a great help, but he had stakes. Personal ones. He cared for the Swan-Hale girls, that much was clear. What James wasn't sure of was whether those feelings would aid or hinder Emmett if James let him come along.

Either way, he didn't fancy his chances against Emmett if push came to shove.

"Fine. But if you get hurt—"

"Not your fault, got it. When do we leave?"

James checked his watch, but they both heard the rumble of an engine as a car skidded to a halt outside.

"Now, looks like. You ready for this, McCarty? Bit different to working with some show ponies, dude."

Emmett scowled, never more sure of a decision than this one.

He'd been biding his time for weeks, working out how he might be able to help, to do something, anything, other than sit within the same four walls getting boredom headaches and fed up of the inaction. He'd heard, thanks to James accidentally leaving a radio behind while he used the bathroom, about Scarlett – or Bella as she was now being called, according to the radio chatter – being abducted again.

It had only taken forty minutes of James' subsequent actions and coded phone calls to work out that he was leaving to hunt down Garrett, and Emmett wanted in.

Badly.

It wasn't enough to know Garrett would be arrested. He wanted Garrett Smith, that piece of shit, dead. He wanted him to pay for what he'd done to the girls. For what he'd done to him.

"Let's go," he responded curtly, leaving no doubt as to how ready he was as he marched outside, duffel bag slung over one shoulder. The handgun James handed him on his way past was tucked quickly and securely into the holster on his thigh.

Emmett had never been more ready.

The agent up front rammed his foot on the accelerator, his passenger hastily filling James in on what they knew. He turned to face Emmett in the back, giving him a look as if to ask 'do you know what you're in for?' "We've got intel he's been tracked to a derelict building with the girl. We're heading that way until we hear something else." The black-haired guy shot a look at James, who nodded as though answering an unasked question. He looked back to Emmett, grinning. It wasn't a happy smile, but a grim one. "Plan is to get him mid-transfer. We've got a location already set. This guy's not gonna see another day. You okay with that?"

Emmett cocked a brow, confusing the agent in the front seat by leaning down to roll up his right pant leg. "Does this look like I'd have a problem with ending that motherfucker?"

Agent Biers gulped, eyes wide when they landed on the mess of burns wrapped around the man's calf, disappearing up into the top half of his cargo pants. "No, sir. All right then. Step on it, Laurent."

With a grunt and a disgusted last glance down at his leg, Emmett threw himself back into the leather seats and scowled out at the scenery as it whizzed by; uninvited memories shoving themselves to the forefront of Emmett's mind, his leg tingling.

~ The day the ranch exploded… ~

Emmett watched the rust-bucket truck disappear amidst a cloud of dust with a lump in his throat, and an ache in his heart.

He'd known from the second he realized the girls would be leaving the ranch that he couldn't go with them. He had things to do; he had to make sure Smith didn't get off the ranch alive.

That said, watching Rosalie, Scarlett, and sweet little Marley speed away from him was soul-destroying.

A groan from the collapsing house at his back drew Emmett's eyes from the dot in the distance. He spun, and his eyes narrowed on the figure staggering towards the barn. Without another thought, Emmett took off after him, his longer, steadier strides allowing him to catch up just as Garrett reached for the handle of the barn door.

"Not fucking likely, Smith," Emmett growled, landing a solid punch to Garrett's cheek as he fisted his bloodied shirt and twisted him around. The older man crumpled in a heap to the ground, already confused to see Emmett before the disbelief that he'd hit him could set in.

"Em-mett?" He mumbled, trying to push himself up on a hay bale. It broke under his weight, and he face-planted the dirt. Peering up at Emmett, inches from the irate young man's boots, he had blood, dirt, and ash clinging to his face; he was a mess.

"Did you think no one would ever find out? Huh? Did you think you'd be able to get away with this forever?"

Garrett sneered, despite his bloody temple and split cheek. "I've managed it until now, haven't—"

Emmett didn't give him the chance to finish his sentence. He hauled him back to his feet only to hit him again as his nose crunched and gave way beneath Emmett's fist, the sickening crack making his stomach turn. Garrett groaned, spitting a mouthful of bloody saliva at the floor.

"Don't push it, son. You don't know who you're messing with."

"You're gonna threaten me? Seriously?" Emmett laughed, the sound seeming somehow off even to his own ears. "You think you scare me, asshole? I'm not Scarlett. I'm not a scared little girl, Smith, and I'm sure as shit not afraid of you."

"You should be!" Garrett's eyes flickered beyond Emmett, his lips curling up in a sick smile. "Your little plan didn't work. They're coming back."

It was a rookie mistake, turning away, but Emmett wouldn't have put it past Rosalie to come back for him. He hesitated a moment before glancing over his shoulder, realizing too late that it had just been a ploy to distract him. Emmett's legs were swept out from underneath him, sharp pain shooting through his knee. When he looked back at Garrett, he was scrambling away on hands and knees with a crowbar. He managed to make it into the barn before Emmett could catch up with him.

"Motherfucker," Emmett spat, the pain in his leg waning only slightly as he shoved his way into the barn, the wooden door creaking with the force of his momentum. Luckily, Garrett had missed the half-healed wound on his thigh. If he'd hit that, Emmett would have been in far worse pain.

As he stepped inside Emmett heard noise coming from the area near the stalls. The horses were restless, kicking at the walls and their doors. Realizing that it might not be long before the fire spread, Emmett threw the stall doors open and released the horses, nudging one or two nervous fillies to get them moving. They all headed straight for the open barn doors and Emmett breathed a sigh of relief when Bear, the gorgeous bay stallion the girls loved, was the last to scamper out. They'd fare far better out in the wild than they would cooped up in a wooden building that was almost definitely going to go up in flames at any second.

A clang from the tack room made Emmett wheel round. He huffed, heading toward the sound. Anger spread through his veins, the pain in his knee making him even more annoyed as he peered into the room housing all the feed and tack. Garrett had his back to Emmett and was trying to open the door on the far wall. Emmett knew it contained all the cleaning materials, thanks to Rosalie asking him to help her lift some of the heavy bottles of bleach a few weeks previous. He couldn't work out why Garrett would head straight there rather than try to get away from the ranch.

Emmett crept closer, eyes darting around for something to use as a weapon. A metal bucket handle sat nearby on a table, its counterpart on the floor a few feet away. Emmett had planned to repair it today. It worked to his advantage that he hadn't gotten around to it. The cool metal grounded him, his entire body tensing as Garrett heard his steps on the stone and turned to face him.

Emmett was prepared for the disgusting smile on Garrett's face. What he wasn't prepared for was the open bottle of strong-smelling liquid flying toward him followed by a match.

A lit match.

Before Emmett could react to the flames lighting his trousers on fire, Garrett was shoving his way by him.

Escaping.

There was little Emmett could do though, heat beginning to sear his leg as the fabric of his trousers burned away, flames licking up his leg. Tears stung his eyes as he grabbed at the nearest rug to beat at the fire, crying out when the pain intensified and bile rose in his throat. The sound of something breaking out in the main barn area caught Emmett's attention. He slapped at the flames licking his calf, sobs tearing from his chest as he finally managed to smother the fire and stumble toward the doorway.

He was just in time to watch Garrett floor it out of the barn atop the single, remaining four-wheeler. The engine wheezed before sputtering to a start and growling as it took off out into the smoky air, Garrett clinging onto the handle bars for dear life.

Knowing he wasn't going to be able to catch him, Emmett turned and gripped the walls as he made his way to the sink in the corner, wincing with every step. Emmett had never felt pain like this before, and his hands shook while he attempted to turn the taps to cool and pull the remaining fabric of his right pant leg out of the way.

"Fffffuck!" He hissed, accidentally catching the top of the burn. By now, his skin was bright red and bleeding as agony tore through him with each movement. His head was pounding in time with his rapid heartbeat, and tears streamed down his face. Carefully lifting his leg and then lowering it into the fresh water, he muttered obscenities through gritted teeth. The whole process did very little to ease the pain, and he soon found himself too weak to hold himself up any longer.

As Emmett removed his leg from the water and sank to the floor, his back against the wooden wall at his back, he sighed a long, shuddery breath and let his head fall back with a thump. The pain finally became too much, and he felt bile rushing up his throat to splash the floor beside him. The roar of the house crashing down outside drowned out the sound of an approaching vehicle as it skidded to a halt.

Emmett was already unconscious when the FBI agents stormed the barn minutes later with their guns raised and a medic at the ready.

~ oOo ~

Still, even with the FBI medic's attention, Emmett's burns had taken weeks of painful healing. They'd left him with nasty, jagged scars, which couldn't stand the heat of a hot shower or prolonged periods in the sun. He'd been unable to walk unaided, able only to hobble with the support of nearby furniture.

But the mental scars were worse.

Thereafter, he often woke in the night, sweat-dampened and shaking with remnants of his nightmares keeping him awake thereafter.

Night after night, Emmett reminded himself of the promises he'd made.

I will find and destroy Smith; both for what he's done to me, and for what he's done to the girls.

And I will keep my promise to Rosalie.

"One day I'll follow you, but it's your turn now," he pleaded in the softest tone he could manage, torn between wanting to run with them, and wanting to make sure they could never again be hurt.

Rosalie nodded in answer to the promise he asked of her – not to look back. "We'll see you again though, won't we?"

At the sight of even a sliver of the grin she'd grown to adore, she couldn't help but try to push everything else around her to the back of her mind.

"This isn't the last you'll see of me for sure, Missy. I promise."

~ oOo ~

A particularly large bump in the road jostled Emmett and brought him back to the present. He shook memories of Rosalie's sorrowful face from his mind, reminding himself that hopefully soon, he'd be seeing her again.

"Get ready, asshole," he muttered, picturing Garrett Smith's sneering face. "We're coming for you."

~ oOo ~

"Pawpaw?"

Charlie halted his pacing, spinning on his heel towards the small voice calling his name. "Are you okay, Mars?"

Marley whimpered with her arms outstretched. Charlie crossed the waiting room in four big strides to scoop her into his arms. Cradled against his chest, she released a soft, shuddering breath. "Pawpaw, where's Mummy?"

Despite the racing of his heart and fear for Bella, Charlie felt his lips curling upwards in a tiny smile. Mummy. Months in England had almost entirely eradicated her Americanisms, and her improving confidence meant she'd started calling him 'Pawpaw' now, too, instead of just reaching for him.

"She's…she's with a doctor, Mars."

He had no idea how to explain all of this to Marley, no idea at all. Peter had finally brought her to the hospital forty minutes or so after Charlie arrived there in the ambulance with Bella, unable to calm the panicking five-year-old. He'd gone home to let Archie and Rosalie know what had happened, but Marley had gotten to the point of hyperventilating, and no amount of cuddles and reassurances were cutting it, so with Archie's help, he'd driven her to the hospital on her uncle's lap.

Peter hoped she'd calm when she saw Charlie, but she hadn't. In fact, she'd gotten worse. Eventually, Charlie had no option but to allow a pediatric nurse to give her a light dose of sedatives to help her settle before she hurt herself. The mild dose she'd been given hadn't been enough to knock Marley out, but she had sat quietly on her Pawpaw's lap for the past three hours. Comfortably curled into his chest with her thumb in her mouth, her eyes watched warily as doctors and nurses passed the big windows between the corridor and the waiting room.

"Dad? Any news?"

Charlie turned towards Archie's voice as he entered, shaking his head. "No. Nothing. Nothing about Edward, either. Carl-Roman and Chase okay?"

Archie sighed in anguish, collapsing heavily into the nearest chair. It creaked and bowed under his weight, but didn't break. "They're fine. Mary and Roy have everything under control. Rosalie's a mess, though." He huffed, pulling hard on his hair just to feel something, anything other than the pain of knowing he couldn't do shit for his sister. And Edward…God, he owed him everything, and he was fighting for his life in emergency surgery. "Shit."

Charlie sat down beside his son, letting him lean his weight against his shoulder. They stayed this way for a long time, Marley remaining still and silent on her Pawpaw's lap.

"How much longer are we gonna have to wai—"

"Mr. Swan?"

The heads of both men snapped towards the door as it swung open to reveal a doctor in the doorway. He looked confused when they both said, "that's me."

"Archie Swan, my son," Charlie explained, nodding towards Archie.

"I see. My name is Dr. Stephens; I performed the surgery on Miss Swan."

Charlie and Archie held their breath, the latter rising shakily to his feet. Marley simply peered at Dr. Stephens silently, not appearing particularly afraid or interested.

"Is she…is she okay? How's she doing?"

Dr. Stephens nodded, sighing. The Swan men realized belatedly that he looked utterly exhausted. "She came in with a severe loss of blood and an abruption, which meant we had to act quickly with a blood transfusion. We also had to perform an emergency C-section. I personally escorted her to recovery before coming here, and I'm pleased to say she's stable."

Charlie and Archie both sank back onto the chairs they'd only recently vacated.

Feeling as if he'd just taken a solid kick to the stomach, Charlie rasped, "does that…does that mean…"

Dr. Stephens managed a tiny smile as he looked between Charlie and Archie, his warm but weary brown eyes finally resting on Marley. He crossed the room slowly, so as not to startle her, crouching so he could gently rest a hand on her slipper-clad foot.

He glanced back up at Charlie and Archie. "Miss Swan delivered a baby boy about an hour ago. He weighed four pounds, eleven ounces, and he's doing great. Breathing by himself and already stealing hearts in the NICU. He's six weeks premature so he's not completely out of the woods, but he's stable." Meeting Marley's wide eyes after reading the name on her sparkly plastic necklace, Dr. Stephens smiled and squeezed her foot slightly. "Congratulations, Marley. You're a big sister."

~ oOo ~

The time was fast approaching five a.m. when Bella finally came around.

She woke to the sound of Marley singing a sweet, soft song. It was familiar, but it took a few verses for Bella to recognize it. It was Charlie's favorite. He'd always sung it to her and Archie when they were little, and had taken to singing it to his grandchildren, too.

"Little darlin', s'been a long, cold, lonely winter. Little darlin', feels like years since it's been here. Here comes the sun…Mummy? Mummy, you 'wake?"

"Mummy's here, baby girl," Bella croaked, peeling her eyes open even though it took tremendous effort to do so. She blinked repeatedly for a handful of seconds, adjusting to the dim light in the room quickly. Swallowing hard, Bella licked her lips to wet them, murmuring, "are you okay?"

Marley leaned over her mother, smiling tremulously. Her eyes were narrowed, brows furrowing as she searched Bella's face. For what, Bella wasn't sure. "I'm okay, Mummy."

"Bella? Are you awake? She's awake!" Charlie's face suddenly appeared beside Marley's, the relief shining in his eyes so palpable it made Bella feel warm inside. "Are you all right, honey? How do you feel?"

Bella hesitated, taking stock. She was warm and could feel a blanket wrapped tightly around her legs. She was tucked in. Her mother had always tucked Bella in at night, making it so that she could barely move. By the time morning came, the blankets would always be a mess at the foot of the bed, Bella's legs having kicked them free.

A twinge of pain in Bella's back made her wince; it was worse when she focused on it. Foggy memories began to worm their way back into her mind.

Pain.

A cold, hard floor.

Laughter.

Him.

Garrett Smith.

Blood…

"What…what happened?" Bella whispered, frowning in frustration.

Charlie's face fell. He lifted Marley carefully, pointing her towards the sofa next to the bed. She went happily, sitting with Mr. Eddie the stuffed bunny and a coloring book. Charlie perched carefully on the edge of the bed, taking one of Bella's hands in both of his. "Bella, honey, I…what do you remember?"

"Being cold. I…I was in a dark room, wasn't I?"

Charlie nodded slowly.

"And h-he was there?"

Bella watched Charlie's eyes dart to the monitors she only then realized were beeping beside her. He looked worried, reaching for something over her head. A quiet beeping began outside the room, and a nurse poked her head in to murmur that she'd be right back with a doctor as Charlie sighed and admitted that yes, Garrett had been there.

"But he's gone now. He's gone, okay? Riley got him. He's been arrested and he's already in lock-up. He can't hurt you again, you or the baby."

With a start, Bella remembered. She remembered Garrett standing over her.

She remembered the pain, the tearing sensation.

She remembered the dark, quiet room. The cocking of the gun.

And then a noise.

"Edward…" Bella could perfectly picture his face, gray and still against the concrete.

"He's stable, honey. He's out of surgery. We saw the doctor a little while ago."

Bella released a long sigh of relief, tears pouring over her cheeks. He's okay. Bella's heart raced, but a weight lifted from her shoulders. "What happened?" Her memories were foggy, clouded by trauma as well as the lingering anesthetic.

Charlie cast a quick look in Marley's direction. Seeing that she was still distracted, he quickly explained. "The gun went off in the struggle and the bullet hit Edward's side. It grazed a kidney and he lost a lot of blood, but the doctors managed to get the bullet out and stop the bleeding. He's being watched carefully, but he should be okay."

Bella had never felt so relieved. If Edward hadn't made it…

God, it wasn't worth thinking about; Bella felt sick at the mere idea of losing him. He was her sunshine, her smiles and joy. The thought of not seeing that double-dimpled, crooked grin, or of watching him play with Marley again made Bella want to scream. She felt the pressure of her need to see him rising within her as she sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm the thoughts running rampant in her brain.

Marley bounced back over then, looking abashed when Charlie reminded her to be careful of the cannula in her mother's hand and the wires monitoring her vitals through a machine beside the bed. "Mummy, look. I drawed a picture."

Struggling to lift her arms, the ache of exhaustion rooted deep within her bones, Bella took Marley's drawing with a shaky hand, taking a few moments to try and work out what the shapes on the page represented.

Marley gave her a helping hand. "This is Pawpaw, and Uncle P, and Uncle Archie. This is Carl-Roman and Chase, and Auntie Wosalie, Auntie Pippa, Auntie Heidi." She paused for a moment, huffing with a knot between her brows. "This is Ed-wood. He's poorly, Mummy, but I'm not allowed to see him. I drawed him a picture also."

Her words sounded awkward as if she was reciting them from memory. Somebody had clearly told her that, and she was just imitating them.

"It's good, baby girl," Bella rasped, mustering a smile. She tried to look closer at the trio of shapes in the center. "Who is this?"

"Silly Mummy! That's me, and you, and my baby brother!"

Baby…baby brother?

Bella ignored the pain her movements caused, managing to wiggle up to look down at her belly.

Her deflated belly.

There was still a bump there but it was tiny and odd-shaped.

"Where…where's my baby?" Bella mumbled, disbelieving. "Where's my baby, Dad?"

Charlie squeezed Bella's hand, mindful of the cannula, and smiled weakly. "He's okay, honey. He's okay. You had a baby boy a few hours ago."

"A boy?"

Marley nodded, her head moving too quickly for Bella's blurry vision to keep up with. "Uh-huh. I got a brothuh, Mummy."

Bella found herself thoroughly confused at the idea that she now had two children. A girl and a boy. Marley…and a son.

"Ah, you're awake!" a soft voice cheered from the doorway. Bella dragged her eyes from Charlie to Archie. "How're you feeling, sis?"

"I don't…um, I'm just a bit, confused?"

He smiled softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead gently. When he pulled back, Archie left a hand on her cheek, his smile stretching a little wider. "What're you confused about?"

"The baby. Where is he?"

"In the NICU, but he's okay. I just saw the nurse, and she said he's doing so well for being six weeks early. He's a little fighter, just like his mummy."

Hearing about her baby was surreal. The last thing she remembered was being wheeled from a building, Garrett being led away in handcuffs, and watching Edward be rushed ahead on a stretcher around the enormous bump in her middle. It didn't make sense to her that she now could see over her much smaller stomach. That she could see her toes as she wiggled them beneath the hospital issue blanket.

A boy…

Bella had told herself over and over that she didn't mind if the baby was a boy or a girl, so long as he or she arrived safely. But hearing she'd had a son and that somewhere in this hospital a baby boy was waiting for her, made Bella incomprehensibly desperate to lay eyes on him. She squirmed, wincing.

"Do you need some painkillers?" Archie asked, already moving to stand.

Bella shook her head, trying to sit up. Charlie carefully put a hand on her shoulders, telling her to wait a second. With the help of the electronic bed, she was almost completely upright within a minute, tears leaking from her eyes in a combination of pain and desperation.

"I need to see him. The baby, I need to go see him." And Edward. Even as she watched her dad and brother debate her request, she realized that it wasn't just the baby she needed to see.

She was desperate to lay eyes on Edward; to see that they weren't lying, and that he was okay.

Charlie and Archie shared a look. The doctor had warned them that she'd react this way; that she'd want to meet her baby as soon as she woke and realized she didn't carry him within her womb anymore. Dr. Stephens had also warned them of the risks and had advised the men to try to keep Bella as calm and still as possible. Watching her struggle to move, seeing the way her eyes darted between the tube in her hand and the door across the room, they knew there was no stopping her. Not allowing Bella to get to her baby would stress her out needlessly.

"Hang on, I'll go grab a nurse," Archie murmured, disappearing but returning within a few minutes with a nurse and a wheelchair.

With a bright smile and a kind, soothing lilt to her voice, she introduced herself as Emma. "Now, Miss Swan, Dr. Stephens is happy for you to go and visit your baby as long as I check you over first, and you can sit upright in the chair for a few minutes without it being too painful, okay?"

Bella nodded quickly, unbothered by the idea of it being painful. At this point, all she wanted was to get to the NICU, whatever it took.

~ oOo ~

Twenty minutes, and only a mildly painful transition into the wheelchair later, Bella found herself sitting outside the doors to the NICU. It looked petrifying. There were so many machines, so many people bustling around. Before she was allowed in Emma had to teach Bella how to scrub in properly, so that she could come and go as she pleased – once she was mobile, anyway.

Charlie had explained on the way that nobody had seen the baby yet, as they hadn't wanted to take that moment away from her, but that they'd been in close contact with Emma. She'd kept them updated on every little thing Baby Boy Swan, as he was being referred to, did or had.

"He's settled in an open cot, which is really good for a preemie, Bella," Emma said, squeezing Bella's shoulder before taking the handles of the wheelchair and turning her towards the doors leading into the main area, where the babies were. "Most babies born this early need an incubator, but your little boy is doing just fine. He's had a little formula but if you'd like to try breastfeeding, we can definitely talk about it. We'll just have to double-check that all the anesthetic is out of your system, that's all."

Bella wasn't sure what to think, what to say, so she just kept quiet and silently took in her surroundings, even as they filled her with fear. The beeping of heart monitors and the whoosh of breathing apparatuses sent her heart flying. She couldn't help but feel like this was all her fault. If she'd protected her baby better, or if she'd never put herself in the position to get pregnant in the first place…

No. Even as Emma pushed her to the last little-curtained area in the room, and Bella's eyes found the impossibly tiny figure of her baby boy for the first time, she couldn't bring herself to wish him away.

"Oh God, he's so small…" Bella breathed, almost unable to bear looking at him. Sitting in the wheelchair she was eye level with him, able to see clearly the heart-shaped stickers on his chest, the way it rose and fell in an even, but very fast, rhythm. Marley had been small at birth but she'd had chubby little cheeks that Bella and Rosalie had cooed over constantly, and she was born two weeks later, too. She wouldn't be classed as 'premature' per se, like this little guy at six weeks early.

Bella's baby boy didn't have an ounce of fat on him. He was so small, so fragile looking, his tiny body bony.

"Hi, baby boy. I'm your mummy." She inhaled a deep, shuddering breath. It hurt her tender insides but she ignored it, too focused on the sweet angel in front of her. "I'm sorry, sweet boy. I love you." A tear fell as she continued in a hushed voice, "I love you so, so much. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'll do better now, okay? I'll do better."

"Would you like to try feeding him, Bella?" Emma asked, having ducked away for a moment. The wide-eyed, fish-mouthed look Bella gave her in return must have said what she wasn't able to verbalize just then. Emma laughed lightly, recognizing an overwhelmed new mother when she saw one. "Here, we'll get your boy comfy, and I'll fetch him a late-night snack."

Petrified of hurting her baby, Bella almost said 'no' to holding him, but the words melted away in her mouth as soon as Emma settled him in her arms. He was miniature, but she felt his warmth, his perfect weight at her chest. He instinctively turned his head towards her and nuzzled at her breast, fussing quietly. It had been so long since she'd held a newborn. Five years, to be exact. But it felt right. He felt right.

And if it weren't for Edward, I wouldn't be doing this right now. The thought was sobering and brought tears to her eyes. How do I ever repay Edward for giving me this chance?

"Shh, shh, little man, you're okay. You're okay, Mummy's here," Bella murmured, rocking her baby gently and reaching up to stroke one of his hands. His eyelids slid open as he squeezed her finger, barely any pressure at all behind his grip, but Bella felt it. "You're so beautiful, baby boy. So, so beautiful." In those big, milky blue eyes she saw everything. Life, love, contentment; all reflected back at her. "I don't know who you'll be, little man, but I know you'll be my everything. You and your big sister, baby boy, you're my world."

"He suits you, honey."

Bella gasped, turning her head to face Charlie. She'd forgotten he was there. He lowered his phone, revealing tears pooling in his eyes.

"Right, here we are."

The bottle the nurse handed Bella was miniature but it still took a few tries for her boy to latch on. Once he'd worked out what he was supposed to do, though, he suckled happily, his soft grunts caught on Charlie's phone camera as he recorded the momentous occasion. Bella let tears tumble over her cheeks and love fill her body to bursting as she gazed upon her son's face, taking in the intricate details, memorizing the tiny features that made him his own little person.

Bella was unable to stop herself analyzing his nose, his eyes and mouth, for similarities to his biological father. Paul had cropped brown hair and ice-blue eyes, and his son seemed to have inherited the first. His eyes were half-lidded as he ate hungrily, so she couldn't see whose eyes he had just yet. An abrupt feeling of sorrow leeched through her veins as she realized that one day, Marley and Bodhi would ask about their fathers – brothers Marcus and Paul. Biologically, they were cousins as well as siblings, but they'd never get to meet their fathers.

Even if Bella wanted to, she had no idea where she'd even begin looking for Paul. And Marcus…he was buried behind the house that had exploded four months previous.

As she paused her baby's meal to burp him, Bella desperately hoped the anesthetic wouldn't take long to leave her system so she could breast-feed. She'd been too scared to with Marley, but the guys had picked up a few bottles on their last-minute supply run so she'd managed fine bottle feeding. She wasn't so frightened now, and she knew of the benefits of breast versus bottle.

"Do you have a name picked out, Bella?"

She felt eyes on her and managed to look up long enough to see the curious expression on Charlie's face, the friendly question on Emma's, before returning her gaze to her son, vividly remembering the day she'd first heard his name.

"For the love of God, whatever you do, please don't name your baby 'Candy.'"

Bella snorted into her lemonade, shaking her head and looking across the room. Marley and Edward had been playing table-top basketball all morning but her daughter had finally crashed and was fast asleep over Edward's chest on the sofa Bella wasn't occupying. Charlie, having read about it in his What To Expect When You're Expecting book, had left Bella a selection of baby name books to read through before he left for work that morning, so she'd been lying on the sofa watching Edward and Marley play while flicking through them. When Marley's energy had run out Edward had requested a book to look at, but as yet had failed to pick out any good ones. He was having far too much fun telling Bella names she shouldn't choose.

"Oh, or 'Mercedes.' What poor girl wants to be saddled with the name of a car?" Edward tittered, shaking his head and flicking to the next page behind Marley's back. She was dead to the world so he rested the book on her and sucked leisurely on the cherry lolly Marley had given him.

Bella was studiously ignoring him and the humming he was doing every now and then. It was wreaking havoc on her hormones, so she kept her eyes averted as much as possible.

"So are there any names I can consider in that book? Or are they all unworthy?" Bella teased, attempting to distract herself from the lolly in his mouth, and from wondering why she suddenly wanted to be a cherry red sweet.

Edward shot a crooked grin over Marley's head and shrugged. "I haven't found any good ones yet, no. They're all too boring, or too common."

"Oh really? And what sort of name do you think I should choose, then?"

Seriously pondering her question, Edward mulled it over for a few minutes. Bella was just beginning to get bored of the endless 'Tiffany'-'James'-'Jane' cycle when he piped up once more.

"Something strong."

Bella looked over at him, cocking her head in question.

"He needs a strong name, something a bit unusual maybe, but tough."

"Well, you're helpful," she sighed, tossing the book in her hand towards the coffee table. It landed on the edge, barely managing to keep its balance. "What would you choose?"

"Huh?"

"You must've thought about it. What sort of names would you choose, if you ever had kids?"

"I like Valentina for a girl. It's Nonna Contessa's middle name."

Valentina. Hm. Bella actually liked it. It had a pretty ring to it.

Curious now, because he'd surprised her by liking a nice name for a girl, Bella asked, "and for a boy?"

Edward grinned wolfishly, crunching through the last bite of his lolly before tossing the stick over his shoulder. Bella was impressed when it landed neatly in the bin by the door. "I don't know if I want to say."

"Why?" Bella asked with a frown. "You didn't mind telling me your girl name."

"That's because I know that you've got a boy in there, Bella Bean," Edward admitted, nodding towards her belly. She was measuring just about perfectly, so she had quite the bump. She couldn't even see her own feet anymore, unless she twisted into uncomfortable shapes.

"I promise I won't want it."

"You will. As soon as you hear it, you'll want it."

"No, I won't. I promise. Just tell me, ple-ease?"

Edward never could resist Bella. Not when she was little and begging for extra ice cream before Charlie came home, and not now when she was adorably, ridiculously pregnant and had unleashed those stunning ocean eyes on him.

"Fine," he huffed, an odd tingle in his stomach when he said it, so softly he wasn't sure she'd hear him. "I like 'Bodhi.' It means awakening or englightenment."s

Bodhi.

Bella hummed, focusing her gaze intently on her hands. They rested at right angles on her bump, feeling the movements of her baby within. He or she was always most active at this time of day – late morning. She could see the pattern of footprints as her baby wriggled and kicked, wincing when a foot landed squarely in her ribs.

"Uh, oh…you want it, don't you?" Edward teased with mirth plain in his eyes until Bella glanced up quickly. The teasing fell from his expression, replaced by amusement. "You do. You want to steal my name."

"No! No, I don't!" Bella protested, a rosy hue infusing her cheeks. "It's a nice name, but I don't want it.",

"You know what? You might as well take it. I'm probably never gonna have kids, anyway. Someone might as well get to use it."

Bella frowned. "What? Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Well, why aren't you going to have kids? You're great with Marley, Carl-Roman, and Chase. They all adore you! You'd be amazing with your own."

Momentarily, Bella was lost in images of Edward chasing copper-haired babies around the park, of him cradling his tiny newborn son or daughter, so proud. He'd be an amazing dad.

"I don't know, I guess I just don't see myself settling down in time. Too much to do, you know?"

Bella had stared at Edward for a long time after that conversation ended. Eventually, Marley had woken, and she'd dragged him into the kitchen for ice cream floats.

That was only a week ago and she hadn't put a lot of thought into names since then.

Knowing what she did now; knowing Edward had risked his own life to save hers and that of her unborn baby even after Riley's warning, Bella could only see her son having one name. Testing it out in her head first, Bella smiled, stroking her son's cheek. He'd fallen asleep on his bottle while she was lost in thought, and he didn't fuss at all when she gently removed the teat from his mouth to hand it to Emma. Running her fingertips over his pursed lips, tiny button nose, then through the downy soft smattering of chocolate hair atop his head, Bella sighed in contentment.

"Bodhi. His name is Bodhi." Looking up at Charlie with a small smile just as he snapped a photo of her cradling her son, she added, "Bodhi Edward Charlie. That's his name."