~ oOo ~
I'm not gonna keep you long up here. This chapter
will make a lot of you VERY happy!
A couple of quick things...
Bodhi is pronounced 'Bo-dee,'
and there are two Pauls -
- Paul Oliver, FBI Agent
and - Paul Lucien, Bodhi's father, who left
before the story started.
That's all I'll say.
A/N to follow...
~ 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-Seven
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."
Meanwhile, at the police station a few miles away…
The heavy clang of the metal door sliding shut made Smith jump. He stumbled toward the pallet in the corner and fell onto it with a huff.
"Don't get too comfortable, asshole," the police officer called through the letterbox opening. Smith could only see the man's eyes through the thin hatch, but the amusement and disgust were clear as day.
"Why? Am I being moved somewhere else?" His voice was dead; detached and void of emotion.
The agent merely chuckled, slamming the hatch shut.
The cell was silent.
For a few minutes, at least. A large bluebottle fly buzzed around the small space, hitting Smith every now and then. Not that he noticed.
The police officers at the desk watched him on the monitor with a sick sense of morbid fascination.
"He doesn't look like a crazy person," the younger officer said.
"They rarely do, Jones. They rarely do."
Smith was sitting perfectly still with his hands folded in his lap, eyes closed, and head tipped back to face the concrete ceiling.
A few hours passed, the senior officer eventually heading down the hall to get a drink and use the facilities. Jones, a twenty-something rookie, slumped back in his chair and set his booted feet on the desk as he observed Smith on the screen. He really didn't look as crazy as the report made him sound. He just looked like a dirty, weary, old man.
Heavy footsteps drew Jones' attention away from Smith. Two suited men stood before him, their expressions serious, eyes hidden by matching pairs of tinted black glasses. "FBI. We're here for Smith. We've got a warrant."
Jones frowned, but he took the paper they handed over and skim-read it. "I'm sorry, he's not going anywhere until he goes before the judge in a few hours."
The taller, lighter haired agent sighed in frustration and slammed a hand on the counter top; Jones flinched. "Look, you can either let us do our job and take this piece of shit with us for questioning, or you can make this an issue and I can have the director on the phone in ten seconds to kick your ass from here to Timbuktu. Now, what will it be?"
Jones' gray eyes flickered down the hall. His senior officer would be pissed to not have been consulted, but he'd likely be even more pissed if Jones didn't do as the FBI said and wound up getting the station in trouble. There had already been issues because of the British police's hesitance in sharing information about the case with the FBI. And Jones did like his job…He didn't want to lose it because he was too nervous to make a proper decision for himself.
"He's in cell B."
The agents nodded, their faces transformed by their sinister smiles. Jones felt a sudden frisson of panic as he led them toward Smith's cell.
That frisson turned into a tidal wave of fear when Harris returned from his snack break to find Smith gone.
Later, when the phone call came that Smith had been discovered just a few minutes away from the station after an anonymous tip off, Jones knew he was going to lose his job for letting Smith go.
Paul Oliver and Gregory Chance, a fellow agent, crossed their arms and grinned at the small monitor sitting on the dashboard. Officers swarmed the prostrate form on the gravel floor, the pool of blood surrounding it visible even from the CCTV camera some twenty feet off the ground. It had been a stroke of luck for Oliver and Chance that the camera was already there. They'd wanted to make sure the police found him without leaving any traces of themselves behind, so it was handy that they'd only needed to tap into an existing camera feed. Chance had already set everything up to blow the camera once they'd finished watching, and with the help of Benjamin, the FBI tech whizz, he knew they were watching on a heavily encrypted feed that nobody would be able to track.
"Do you think we were too hard on him?" Chance asked offhandedly as they watched the crime scene officers arrive in their white suits.
"Not even close," Oliver grumbled, a little disappointed he hadn't been able to draw out Smith's torment. But with the police looking for him, as well as the FBI agents who were unaware of this side mission, it was just too risky. He felt a pang of sick satisfaction as he watched the evidence of Smith's demise being bagged up.
Kidneys in one bag.
Intestines in another.
A third for a bunch of other, mangled organs. Oliver had lost his temper a little when removing those. He'd be surprised if the pathologists managed to sort spleen from liver.
His black heart was last.
A few more photos were taken before Smith was loaded into a body bag and carted away; his face was almost unrecognizable, his hands were tied tightly with zip-ties, and he had what looked and smelled like burns marring the flesh of his entire right leg; again, Oliver had gotten a little carried away.
His murder had been brutal, and he'd been kept awake for as long as possible. Nobody wanted him being let off lightly, and Oliver had derived a sadistic pleasure from hearing and seeing Smith's torture.
As he and Chance watched Smith be driven away, they decided it was about time they left, too. After all, they still had an alibi to create. They shoved the portable monitor into the backseat, Chance starting the engine and melting seamlessly into the traffic on the dual carriageway as Oliver pulled out his phone to send a text. He scrolled through his contacts until he found the right one, typing a simple, two-word message before hitting 'send' and tossing it into the backseat with the monitor and their holdall full of dirty clothes.
It's done.
~ oOo ~
"Dad, this isn't necessary. I feel fine," Bella insisted vehemently, eyes darting towards the clock in panic as Charlie tried to soothe her by squeezing her shoulder. "We're going to be late, Dad."
"No, we're not. Don't worry. He's not going anywhere without you, okay?"
Bella huffed, allowing the doctor to continue his examination. He was trying, unsuccessfully, to hide his smile. She'd made one comment about her C-section wound being a little sore and Charlie had rushed her straight down to the ward for a check-up. Thankfully, they weren't very busy, so Dr. Stephens had stepped away from his paperwork to examine her.
A minute or two later he leaned back, grin firmly in place as he snapped off his gloves and tucked them into the bin attached to the trolley he'd taken them from. "Everything looks fine, Bella. It's healing up well. I'd say take a couple paracetamol and try not to do too much, and you'll be right as rain, okay?"
Charlie shot his daughter the stink-eye. "See, Bella? Rest, he said."
Dr. Stephens looked between Charlie and Bella. "Have you not been resting?"
Scowling at Charlie's ensuing grunt, she admitted, "there's just so much I need to do, that's all. I'll take it a bit easier."
"So long as you do. I don't want to have to re-admit you."
With Bella's promise that she'd rest more Dr. Stephens declared her fit to leave, chuckling when she hurriedly yanked her t-shirt down and climbed from the bed.
"Big day today. You'd never know you're excited," he teased.
Bella's grin had never been wider as she bounced on the balls of her feet. "It's discharge day."
"I know," Dr. Stephens chuckled. "I hear from my daughter about him every day. He's doing well, I gather?"
"Oh right, I forgot Emma's your daughter. He's doing so well, Doctor. He's such a fighter. My little soldier." As she spoke, Bella pulled her new phone from her pocket – a gift from Charlie, so that she could take photos and send them home from the hospital. "He's two weeks old now."
In the photo she showed Dr. Stephens, Marley was holding her new baby brother, completely nonplussed by the camera. She was staring intently at Bodhi, a big, toothy grin in place. She'd adored him on sight and wouldn't stop talking about 'baby Bodhi' to anyone who'd listen. And the pictures she'd drawn…There was barely any wall space left at any of the houses she frequented; Charlie's, Peter's, Alice and Jasper's, Carlisle and Esme's…all of them were littered with her artwork.
"Show him the one of Bodhi and me, Bella," Charlie urged.
Bella glanced towards the door, antsy to get going to her boy, but she relented and scrolled through the numerous photos she had of her family, finally landing on the one Charlie wanted. She turned the screen towards Dr. Stephens, smiling automatically at the belly laugh the picture drew from him.
"Oh, I can definitely see the likeness, Pawpaw."
In the two weeks since Bella's surgery, she'd seen a lot of Dr. Stephens. Marley had too, and Peter often joked that she only went to the hospital to see him. She adored the tall, dark-haired doctor, and always brought him presents.
Yesterday's was a drawing of him, Marley, 'baby Bodhi,' and Emma. Oh, and a half-eaten lolly.
Dr. Stephens had graciously accepted both gifts, but only pinned one to the board above his desk in his office.
"Dad decided to grow his mustache out, God knows why, and he thought it'd be funny to have Bodhi do the same, apparently."
In the photo proud Pawpaw Charlie held Bodhi, exactly a week old at the time. He was dressed in a simple white onesie – Bodhi, that is – and had a dummy in his mouth. It was this that made Dr. Stephens laugh. A black mustache had been printed on the clear plastic pacifier, making it look as though the newborn had a mustache to rival his Pawpaw's.
"Mummy? Uncle Archie, where's Mummy and Pawpaw?"
"Ah, that's your cue, I think," Dr. Stephens said laughingly, opening the door to the examination room once he was sure Bella had righted herself.
"Oh! Dr. Stephens! Hi!"
Marley was climbing the legs of her favorite doctor before Bella could tell her otherwise. She gave her daughter a reproachful look when she stepped out into the hall, watching Marley settle herself on Dr. Stephen's hip.
"Ooh, guess what!"
Dr. Stephens pulled an appropriately confused face, Bella and Charlie watching with smiles on their faces. "Hmmm, you had a haircut?"
Marley rolled her eyes – a trait she'd picked up from Carl-Roman. "No, silly. Guess again."
"Okay, not a haircut. You…went to the zoo?"
"Ah…" This cut Marley short, because she had been to the zoo since she saw Dr. Stephens last. Archie had taken her with his boys and Kristen. Bella had been gutted to miss her first zoo visit, but Marley promised to show her around next time. "Well, yes, but there's somethin' else. You're rubbish at guessin' so I'll tell you. Baby Bodhi is coming home!"
By the time Dr. Stephens had satisfied Marley's need to chat Bella was more than ready to be getting her boy from the NICU. Dr. Stephens offered to walk up with them, ushering Bella ahead and promising to entertain Marley on the way. Bella accepted his suggestion willingly, leaving Charlie behind, because even though she trusted Dr. Stephens, she wasn't comfortable leaving Marley with anyone but the family just yet.
"Morning, Bella!" Emma sang as Bella scrubbed in quicker than ever before, still remembering to be thorough. She then darted through the room to Bodhi at the end. He was wide awake this morning, eyes open and alert as she leaned over his cot to grin at him. For the first few days of his life, he'd had them shut the majority of the time. She hadn't been able to get a proper look at their color until the last few days, and there had been smiles all round and pictures aplenty when it became clear whose eyes he'd inherited.
"Oh, look at those beautiful eyes," Emma cooed, joining Bella over Bodhi. "He's definitely got your eyes, Mummy."
Her words warmed Bella from the inside-out. "Hey, baby boy. You ready to come home?"
Bodhi peered up through wide, blue-green eyes, wriggling his little legs.
"I got him dressed earlier this morning, but I wasn't sure if you'd changed your mind on what you wanted to put him in. I figured you'd like to do that anyway, so I just put him in the blue onesie you like, with the teddy on it," Emma explained, carefully folding the blankets over the side of the cot. At this point, Bodhi had quite the collection of gifts, most of which had been taken home the previous day. A couple of blankets and a selection of clothes had been left purely so Bella would have a choice if she changed her mind on his going-home outfit overnight. She hadn't, and she was glad Emma hadn't gotten him ready for her.
As adorable as he looked, kicking his legs and waving his tiny fists in the air in a soft blue preemie onesie decorated with teddy bears, Bella knew he'd look even cuter in the outfit she'd chosen.
"All right, little soldier. Let's get you dressed, huh?"
In the two weeks since Bodhi's birth, Bella had gotten used to feeling his barely-there weight in her hands. She was still petrified of breaking him, but after two weeks of guzzling milk like a champ, he'd finally started to fill out a little. As Bella carefully scooped him from the cot to place him on the changing table, Emma cheerfully chimed that he'd tipped the scales at five pounds, thirteen ounces earlier in the morning during the consultant rounds.
He'd gained over a pound since his early birth, putting on an average of forty grams a day despite the doctors warning Bella he could be in the NICU for some weeks and predicting an average weight gain of twenty to thirty grams a day.
Just as Archie said the day he was born, Bodhi was a true little soldier. A fighter, just like Bella.
Charlie and Marley arrived with Dr. Stephens just as Bella finished dressing Bodhi. She tugged on his gray booties, turning to smile at Marley. She was still chattering away. Now she'd started, there was no stopping her. She was still quieter around new people, but with her family? Marley rarely kept quiet for longer than a minute or two.
"Hey, baby Bodhi," she whispered, stretching right up onto her tiptoes to smile at her baby brother. He turned his head towards her voice, the pair staring into each other's matching gaze. Bella quickly snapped a photo, tears welling up in her eyes. They adored each other already.
"Well hello there, bud. Looking handsome," Charlie commented wryly, peering over Bella's shoulder at his youngest grandchild.
"Doesn't he? I saw it, and it just…it's perfect."
Charlie nodded, snapping a photo on his own phone. "Sending this to Pete, that okay?"
Bella nodded, returning her attention to Bodhi to snap a few photos of her own. She'd seen the outfit online and couldn't resist buying it, like she'd told her dad. He was sporting a white bodysuit with the words 'Hello World' emblazoned in the center of a circle made of gray arrows, and a pair of sweatpants with a wide gray waistband and cuffs, the white pant legs decorated with teal, gray, and black arrows. He had a matching white hat bearing the same pattern, but she hadn't put it on him just yet. The NICU was notoriously warm so he wouldn't need it until they were ready to go.
Bodhi had one more feed in the NICU, Bella sitting in the chair beside his cot for the last time, before she tucked his hat onto his little head, covering his tufts of hair. It had started to lighten already, and many people had placed bets on it turning the same shade of strawberry blond as his grandfather and mother. Well, his mother's natural color, anyway. Bella had grown attached to her new, chocolate brown locks.
After a nappy change and cuddles with all the NICU nurses whose hearts he'd stolen in his short, two weeks of life, Bodhi was finally passed back to his mother to be tucked into his car seat. Bella had been recommended a Tiny Traveller, which was basically a newborn insert for the car seat, but designed for even tinier babies than usual. It gave Bodhi extra head and neck protection, as well as supporting his tummy and back while he traveled. He looked lovely and cozy once he was all strapped in.
With her boy secure in his seat, sleeping soundly with a full belly and clean bottom, Bella said her tearful goodbyes to the nurses and doctors who'd helped her through the past fourteen days, soothing her when she sobbed over her tiny baby, and laughing with her when he did his first poo mid-nappy change.
"Keep in touch, okay? I need my little soldier fix," Emma said, dashing tears from her cheeks.
Bella smiled, hugging her hard before stepping back to watch Charlie pick up Bodhi's seat, Marley 'helping' by carrying his binky and the teddy bear she'd brought in for him from home. 'Only the light things,' she'd insisted.
"I'll send you a text later, when we get home."
Emma's smile turned sympathetic as she remembered the pit stop Bella had to make before she took Bodhi home. Charlie had insisted she could wait, but she was adamant she couldn't take Bodhi home without making one vital stop first. "Lots of photos, okay?"
"Of course! I'll take loads."
With that and a few more hugs from various members of staff all wanting one last peek at Bodhi, Charlie, Bella, Marley, and Bodhi left the NICU for the final time. Marley skipped along beside her mother, their hands linked, while Charlie walked a few steps behind with Bodhi. Bella couldn't help but let a few tears leak free. Tucking his blankets under her arm to free up a hand, Bella pulled her phone from her pocket and turned, snapping a quick photo of Charlie looking down at his sleeping grandson as he walked.
"Are you sure you don't want to just head home, Bella? Edward would—"
"I'm sure, Dad."
Charlie sighed, the smile playing on his lips beneath his burgeoning mustache making it very obvious that he'd expected her answer. "All right then."
It only took a few minutes, and a quick trip down two floors in the elevator, much to Marley's delight, to get to their destination. Charlie had told her what they were doing on the way to the hospital, and she was incredibly excited. She'd even brought the children's camera Peter had bought her for the zoo, and as they arrived at the door Bella had become very familiar with over the past fortnight, Marley declared that she was 'gonna take loads of pictures, Pawpaw!'
The nurse at the station nearby smiled and nodded when Bella caught her eye before entering, waving her ahead. She, too, had become familiar; after all, Bella visited the ward every day.
"Hey, Edward," Marley sang, hopping neatly onto the chair beside his bed.
A small part of Bella expected to hear him chime his typical 'hey, little sweet,' but of course, it didn't come. He didn't make any noise at all. Apart from Marley's chatter about the zoo, baby Bodhi, and how she got to walk the Whitlock's dog, Bonnie, with Jasper and Clarke, and the gentle whoosh of a ventilator, the room was silent.
"Mummy, can I stick up my new pictures for Edward?"
Bella nodded with a sad smile, wincing slightly as she sank into the chair her daughter had vacated. "Of course, baby girl. He'll love them." She watched as Marley stretched onto her toes to Blutack her latest masterpieces to the windows. She was starting to run out of room.
"I'll go talk to Maggie, see what's going on today. You all right here?" Charlie asked softly, giving his daughter's shoulder a gentle squeeze before leaving. Bella brushed tears from her eyes, leaning over to hold Edward's hand. It was slightly cool so she tucked it beneath his blankets, unable to look at the snow-white dressing covering a large portion of his right side. Staring at him through tear-blurred eyes, Bella swallowed hard. Gratefulness battled with annoyance. The first because he saved her life, and the second because he was already injured before he even got there. He should never have been so stupid, risking his life for hers.
"It's me again, Edward." There were no signs that he'd heard her, no movement in his fingers when she squeezed them.
He was pale, too quiet, and too still. Edward was never completely quiet. He always had a hand playing a tune on his thighs, or some kind of sweet to crunch on.
"Show him baby Bodhi, Mummy. Show Edward baby Bodhi!" Marley appeared at her mother's side, leaning down to poke at her sleeping brother before pouting up at Bella. "Why's he sleeping again?"
"Babies sleep a lot, baby girl. Remember we talked about it? When you were little, you slept lots, too, like Bodhi."
Marley huffed. "All right. Can we show Edward?"
Bella hesitated. It was a bad idea to wake a sleeping baby, she knew that.
Still, when Charlie entered the room quietly a few minutes later, she was carefully lifting Bodhi into her arms, wincing as he began to fuss. "Shh, shh, you're okay, baby boy."
"He okay?"
Catching Charlie's eye, she nodded. "He's fine. Cranky because I woke him, that's all. What did the doctor say?"
Charlie's eyes shifted to Edward then, the pain in them obvious. "They stopped his sedation; late last night he had his last dose. They're pleased with his wound, and there's no sign of infection."
"Wait…" Bella frowned, stroking Bodhi's forehead before gently tapping his binky until he accepted it, though he remained restless. "If he doesn't have the sedation anymore, why's he still asleep?"
"Just a matter of waiting for it to wear off now, Bella. He's had a rough time. They reckon it'll be later today, or early tomorrow."
Sighing, Bella sat heavily on the chair beside Edward's bed. "Why won't you wake up?" She whispered.
"C'mon, Mummy, baby Bodhi wants a snuggle with Edward. Don't you, baby Bodhi? Don't you?" Marley cooed over her brother, peppering his head with kisses.
"All right, impatient pants. Out of the way, please."
Marley scooted down, carefully taking a seat by Edward's knees as Bella gently moved Edward's arm with one hand, cradling Bodhi with the other. When she'd made a small, nest-shaped space between Edward's arm and torso, she laid Bodhi down and took a step back, exhaling a long, shaky breath.
When the doctors told Bella, two days previous, that she'd be able to take Bodhi home today as long as he had no setbacks, she'd been unable to imagine taking Bodhi home without this pit stop.
Without letting him meet the man who'd saved his life.
Seeing him there, tucked into Edward's side, Bella felt tears rolling over her cheeks, her heart racing. It was a bittersweet sight.
She heard Charlie taking photos, and Marley chattering about wanting to be in them, but it was another sound she focused on. Frowning, she hastily brushed tears from her face and looked towards the heart monitor in the corner.
Edward's heartbeat was getting faster. Bodhi squirmed and fussed a little, finally getting comfortable. He settled with his head turned slightly towards Edward, contentedly sucking on his binky, one tiny hand resting on Edward's muscular forearm. As the baby calmed and quieted, so did the monitor.
A nurse let herself in a few seconds later, having seen the readings on the screen in the nurses' station. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, Wendy. His heart rate…it went up. Did you see that? I put Bodhi beside him and his heart rate increased. That's got to mean something, right?"
Wendy smiled sadly, shrugging. "It may just be his body responding to the lack of sedation. Sorry, I know you want him to wake. We all do."
Even as she watched Wendy check Edward's readings before leaving, Bella had a feeling in her gut that they were close. Edward's eyelids flickered every time Bodhi wriggled, or made a sound in his sleep. His heart rate increased again when Bodhi whimpered to be fed an hour later, and again when he needed his nappy changing a little while after his bottle.
Edward was coming back to them, Bella knew it.
If only he could do it faster.
~ oOo ~
Two days went by with minimal improvement in Edward's condition.
Two whole days of waiting, watching, and hoping for a sign of life.
Edward's grandparents arrived and immediately fell in love with Bella, Marley, and Bodhi. Enrico and Contessa were two of the loveliest people Bella had ever met, and she'd cried when Marley had called Contessa 'Nonna' the first time. Carl-Roman had adopted her as his 'Nonna,' and after hearing him refer to her as such, Marley had just picked it up and ran with it.
They proved unwavering in their support of Bella, accepting her into their family immediately when they saw the bond she shared with their grandson, and heard about their relationship from her family and friends. Antonio, Edward's father, was much the same, having met both Bella and Rosalie when they were little. His wife was more standoffish, though Contessa admitted one day when she and Bella were alone with the children that she was the same way with everybody.
Bella had more important things to worry about than the fact that Edward's mother wasn't warm and fuzzy like her son.
A routine quickly developed.
Each morning, before the sun was up, Bella fed Bodhi his first bottle of the day and rose with him, making breakfast for the army of friends and family rallying round.
Eleazer, Carmen, and their family all pitched in with carpools and keeping the two homes tidy while their occupants were otherwise occupied.
As soon as Rosalie's flu had completely cleared, she got stuck in helping Bella in the kitchen, as well as looking after Marley and Bodhi.
Charlie and Peter alternated days at work, deciding that for now at least, one of them staying home while the other was onsite would suffice.
With Kristen still working hard, Archie took a leave of absence from work and became chief babysitter, often taking care of Carl-Roman, Chase, Marley, and Bodhi while the others bustled between the hospital and their homes. He managed to hide his frustration at his fiancée's actions well, but it became more and more obvious as the days went by and the family saw less and less of her.
Esme and Carlisle became frequent visitors and babysitters, and Bella found a lot of comfort in Esme's arms on numerous occasions.
On the third day of Edward's self-imposed coma, Bella was sitting beside his bed, Bodhi fast asleep in his car seat on the floor. Not for the first time, she was grateful she'd listened to her dad and bought the very expensive, but incredibly lifesaving, Cybex Cloud Q car seat. Her tiny boy was always comfortable in it, particularly with the feature that allowed her to recline it almost completely, meaning she didn't have to move him to let him sleep. He could stay tucked into his car seat, but recline to sleep in a safer position than scrunched up in a traditional seat. Considering the amount of time Bella spent traveling between the hospital and home, and sitting in Edward's hospital room, the reclining seat function had proven to be a godsend. That said, she always brought the bassinet with her and transferred him into it as soon as possible. The idea of him being in there for too long made her uncomfortable now that she'd heard the research and knew about the risks of babies being left in car seats for too long.
Holding Edward's hand in hers, Bella read from the sports pages in the paper. He'd mentioned being an avid, American football fan so she made sure to find out the results of all games, including the ones played at various colleges so she could relay them to him. By the time they were out of the way Bodhi wanted his next bottle, so she settled into the chair next to Edward, humming a quiet tune as Bodhi eagerly chugged his lunch.
Her eyes darted around the room, finding the homemade frame next to Edward's head. It contained the drawing he'd said he wanted moments before he fell unconscious in the warehouse. Charlie had been all-too-willing to bring it, as well as the frame Marley made, to the hospital, so it took a place of pride at his bedside. Keeping it company was a picture of him with Marley, Carl-Roman, and Chase. It was taken the day before Archie's birthday, when they'd made his cake together in Charlie's kitchen.
It was as she sighed and gazed at Edward's face, at his laughter-flushed cheeks, that she felt it.
He gripped her hand.
"Edward?" She gasped, awe and hope battling one another for dominance. "Edward, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can."
The excited squeal that flew from her lips when she felt gentle pressure around her fingers startled Bodhi; he let out a surprised grunt, staring up at his mother in bewilderment. It also drew Archie's attention, as he'd been standing just outside the room talking to a nurse. He threw the door open, taking in the excited look on his sister's face as she declared that Edward was waking up.
A few minutes later the pair stood side-by-side, each with an arm around the other's waist, Bodhi tucked against Bella's chest, as doctors and nurses swarmed Edward's body. After an hour of running tests, they allowed Bella back in.
With renewed hope and a full-to-bursting heart, she took her place at his side, left hand clasped with his right as she drew a pair of bright green eyes with her free hand, Bodhi content in a sling on her chest.
~ oOo ~
One week later
The hum of excitement lit the expressions of everybody in the house, their joy palpable, though none more so than Bella's. She bustled around issuing soft orders like a mother hen, her baby son strapped to her chest in a sling. Everyone knew not to argue with her, though none of them were inclined to in the first place.
Hustling the last of the guests into the kitchen for one final check of all the details, Bella felt the first stirrings of nerves infiltrating the perpetually sunny mood she'd woken up in.
When Heidi pointed out that it looked as though it may rain, ruining the plan for a barbecue, Archie knew it was time to leave. "All right, squirt," he chuckled, looping an arm around Bella's shoulders to lead her towards the front door. "Let's go get the guest of honor and leave the party-pooping to the others, yeah?"
She huffed and nodded, but her smile was firmly back in place by the time she, Archie, and Bodhi reached the car. Nothing and no-one was going to destroy her good mood.
Edward was finally coming home.
It had been over three weeks since the shooting, since her kidnapping and Bodhi's birth, and today was finally the day Edward would leave his hospital room. The plan was for him to return to Charlie's house, where he could rest and recuperate. Archie had brought over the futon from his house for Edward to sleep on and it had been placed in the boys' bedroom. His aunt and uncle, Esme and Carlisle, had offered up their house, but with their hectic work schedules, Bella had argued it made more sense for him to stay at Charlie's for the time being. She'd be there to watch over him, as would Rosalie and whoever was home with them. Besides, Esme and Carlisle spent more time at Charlie's house than their own, anyway. Marley had adopted them as 'Aunt Mimi' and 'Uncle Carl,' so they often spent the majority of their evenings or days off in the Swan house at her request.
The journey to the hospital was a short one, though it felt like years to Bella who'd been anxiously awaiting this day for weeks. Every day since Edward woke up, she'd been envisioning this journey. To know it was finally happening…that he was finally coming home, had her more than a little excited.
In fact, Archie noticed from the corner of his eye, she was almost bouncing in her seat as he turned the car into the car park with a grin on his face. "You ready to bust him outta here, squirt?"
"Hurry up, Arch! He's waiting, you know."
Before he'd even unclipped his belt, she was out of the car and lifting Bodhi from the backseat, still in his carrier. Her nerves in crowds or around strangers were as strong as ever, so she allowed Archie to tuck her into his side as they made their way across the car park and through the seemingly endless corridors.
Just as she'd said, Edward was indeed waiting. And impatiently, at that. The nurses tasked with looking after him were incredibly amused, his roguish charm and devilish, dimpled grin setting many hearts aflutter. Not that he was interested in the state of anybody's heart but a certain young Swan's.
When Bella and Archie reached him, Edward was sitting up in bed tugging at his gray hoodie strings, fidgeting with the zipper, and tapping annoying rhythms on the rails on either side of the bed.
"Argh, about time, too," he huffed in faux reproach as Bella, Archie, and Bodhi appeared in the entrance to his room. "Can I go now, Mary-Beth, please?" Jutting his lower lip out and harnessing the full power of his grassy green eyes, Edward pleaded with the nurse trailing in behind his friends.
She rolled her eyes at his antics, smiling, but a little saddened to see him go. She'd looked forward to his smile each morning. "Oh, I suppose we can spare you, Edward. Now, you listened carefully to everything I said about changing your dressings and making sure to—"
"Yes, yes, I heard it all. Please, can I go home now? I swear I'll do everything they tell me, scout's honor." He gestured at Bella and Archie laughing in the doorway, before using his right index finger to draw a cross over his heart.
Mary-Beth snorted while helping Edward stand, handing him off to Archie when he hurried over to help. "Okay, well as long as you promise." She tossed a wink at Bella, making her giggle. Mary-Beth and Bella had already exchanged numbers, having bonded over the duration of Edward's stay. "All right, Mister, let's get you out of here."
"That's what I've been trying to do for days," he teased, delighting in the quiet peal of laughter it drew from Bella. God, how he'd missed that sound.
Mary-Beth and Bella followed Archie, carrying Edward's holdall and supporting him, into the corridor. As she watched the two men dog each other over the wheelchair Edward sank into, replaying the beautiful moment of teasing between Bella and Edward from moments beforehand, Mary-Beth mused that it likely wouldn't be long before Bella and Edward admitted what everybody else already knew – they were made for each other.
Nurses popped out to say 'goodbye,' Bella and Archie laughing when he blushed at all the rosy cheeks and sparkly eyes left in his wake when they finally moved down the hall towards the exit. Eager to get moving, Edward gestured for Archie to go faster. At Bella's sharp glare and tap on the shoulder, he attempted to appear repentant and failed miserably, his pout morphing into a bone-melting, lopsided, double-dimpled grin the nurses could only imagine, because there was only one person who garnered such a smile, and that was Bella.
Not soon enough in Edward's opinion, they reached Archie's car. The men argued briefly – Archie wanting to help Edward into the car, while he insisted he could do it himself – until Bella stepped in to point out that the longer they spent in the car park the longer it would take to get home. Edward eventually clambered in gingerly with Archie hovering over him. Bella secured Bodhi before climbing into the back with him, her smile a mile-wide.
Edward's eyes flicked from the front windshield to the rear-view mirror where he caught her gaze, tossing her a playful wink seconds before Archie returned from dropping the wheelchair back at reception. She flushed lightly, putting a broad, self-satisfied smile on his face as they left the car park.
Unable to help himself, Edward's eyes quickly returned to Bella, her attention having shifted to the sketch pad she pulled from Bodhi's changing bag. He watched her hand fly effortlessly across the page. He took in the way her chocolate curls tumbled artfully over one shoulder. Long eyelashes unhindered by make-up and left their natural, blonde color shadowed radiant, blue-green eyes.
Aware of the party gathered at Charlie's house, Edward couldn't help but wish he was going home to a quiet house with just Bella, Marley, and Bodhi for company.
Sometimes it was hard, especially in the past few days, to remember why he'd decided to keep his feelings to himself. However, he was also very aware that any, too-fast move could quash any chance of their friendship ever turning into more.
That said, as every minute passed in her company, he found himself more and more enamored, unable to stop his mind from wondering whether she felt the emotions he did, even only incrementally.
Wondering if she ever would.
~ oOo ~
Meanwhile, at a nearby safe house…
Emmett sighed, throwing his head back against the leather sofa. "Are you kidding?"
A frustrated huff came through the phone in his hand. "Look, I've got a lot of red tape to get through, all right? It's not as easy as just saying, 'off you go, then!'"
Riley's explanation didn't come close to easing Emmett's annoyance. When he'd been placed in Witness Protection he hadn't fully realized all of the implications; being unable to rejoin Rosalie and Bella being the one he disagreed with the most.
"I'll do my best and push the issue, but Emmett, this might take days, rather than hours."
Emmett promised – despite how much it made his chest ache to do so – that he'd stay put; for now, at least. Riley, in turn, promised to speed the process along as quickly as he was able so that Emmett could lose James as his constant sidekick to join Bella and Rosalie. All the time he was under the protection of the FBI, and while they were still wrapping their case against Garrett Smith and any accomplices, it would be highly irresponsible of him to potentially lead anyone to the girls by insisting he be allowed to visit them before Riley gave him the go ahead.
It didn't matter that Smith was dead, though Emmett did feel a jolt of satisfaction to know he could never again hurt Bella or Rosalie, or the sweet babies.
Emmett knew this.
But he didn't like it; not one little bit.
Every time he thought about Bella and Marley, and the sweet new baby she'd recently birthed, his lips tipped up into an involuntary grin before falling when he realized that he couldn't see the little girl's sweet smiles or cuddle her new baby brother.
And Rosalie…
His heart hurt when he thought of her. He missed her occasional dry humor and her soft smile. Every night he dreamed of being able to hold her and run his fingers through her hair, of being able to tease smiles onto her lips and laughter from her soul.
Emmett had never felt this way before – about anyone.
This was why he agreed to stay put and do as Riley told him. He was all-too-aware that Riley was only allowing him to stay in England after his escapades with James because he'd explained how badly he needed to see the girls again. As much as it bothered him to know they were just a couple of miles away in their homes, Emmett couldn't risk pissing Riley off and getting himself sent back to the States.
Still, as he joined James in for dinner a few hours later and obsessively checked his pay-as-you-go cell phone for news from Riley – of which there was none – Emmett was undeniably restless and cranky. The FBI agents instinctively knew he wasn't in the mood for teasing and Emmett returned to his room as soon as he'd picked at his meal enough to realize he wasn't the slightest bit hungry. He flopped onto his creaky bed and stared at the off-white ceiling, hands folded behind his head, chest aching with a pain he wasn't prepared to accept for what it was just yet. His gray-blue eyes danced toward the clock on the wall beside the door.
8:44pm.
The waiting game continued.
So as I didn't want to keep you long up top, I thought
I'd do my usual A/N at the bottom today :)
Oh, with regards to Garrett? YOU'RE WELCCOME! ;)
I know there won't be any people out there bemoaning his death.
I'm certainly not! I had always planned to have him meet a grisly
end. I just couldn't stomach the thought of our girls facing
a lengthy trial or having to see him again and relive their ordeal.
Plus, I guess I just have a bit of a brutal side? Who knew!
As always, big, ginormous, HUGE thank yous to my wonderful dream team,
SunflowerFran andannaharding.
Without you two I'd be lost, and Pinky Promises would be a mess. So
THANK YOU!
That said, I have tweaked bits and pieces since
they looked it over, so all mistakes are mine!
Also, thank you to each and every one
of you for taking the time to read and review.
It truly does mean a lot to me! I try my absolute
best to respond to all of your reviews, particularly
if you've got questions. This week has been mega
busy - apparently we have a wedding to pay for or
something *teehee*
I've done a ten hour day today on three hours' sleep,
so I'm going to post this and look forward to your
wonderful words when I wake up tomorrow and head
back off to work at 6am...
Z