Chapter 13: Edward's POV

I can't believe Maria would be that callous when talking about Nancy. She'd never even met my wife and I'd told Maria our story a long time ago! She knows Nancy died of massive complications from childbirth. She knows that the doctors had said that Nancy had no chance of recovery. Death is a far cry from leaving because she 'got tired of us'.

I love seeing Bella get protective of my daughter. I can hear the wheels in Bella's head turning as she contemplates what she will say to this woman who endangered the welfare of a child she cares about. Instead of driving to Maria's house, I show Bella the route that Nessie knows between there and home.

"Are you serious, Edward?" She asks. "You could park a car behind this bush! The street is broken and jagged near that driveway, over there! If she fell…! Oh, I'm so mad!"

As we pass a pair of garbage cans, one of them makes a strange rattling noise. Bella jumps as a large raccoon knocks the can over and runs off into the dark part of the wild lot next to Maria's house.

"What if that thing had rabies and attacked Nessie?" She asks, full of outrage as she clings to me.

I calm her slightly as we make our way up the walk. "She's safe, Bella, just remember that. Our family has her, and she's safe at your house. She is also grounded for two weeks." Our family…The Cheney's and her brother with my parents, sister, and Jasper… Well, I'm quite happy to call the whole lot of them my family. I wonder what Bella would think of making it official. I think that tomorrow, I need to have a little chat with my mom and dad.

As we wait for Maria to open the door, I turn to my girl. "Bella-love, can I come with you to see your Dad on Tuesday?"

She smiles radiantly at me. "I'd like that." The door opens as I kiss her cheek.

Bella's POV

Hearing the way that little girl talked to poor Nessie and seeing the path she chose to take home, I am determined to let Maria have it. Edward is right though…Nessie is safe and sound at my house with our family…Ok; she's grounded for two weeks. That makes sense because she unnecessarily put herself in danger.

*Wait! HOLD THE PRESSES! Did we just call the Swan-Cullen-Whitlock-Cheney group 'our family'?* I ask myself. *Wow.*

That's an unexpectedly pleasant thought since I never really had the type of family that Edward seems to have had for his whole life. I've enjoyed having Esme slowly become the mother-figure that mine wasn't. Carlisle has been wonderful as well. Alice has been like a pushy little sister while Jasper is like a bratty little brother who needs the occasional slap in the face. Ben is a great guy I can totally see him and Angela becoming close friends with me. Speaking of family, Edward just asked to join me on Tuesday! I smile at him and honestly say that I'd love for him to meet my dad, especially since he's been remembering me and Em more often then not. As he kisses my cheek, I feel all warm inside and then I notice that Maria is holding the door open and inviting us in. I decide to let Edward handle the opening of this little discussion.

"Maria, I'm very upset with what happened here last night." He says as we follow Maria into her living-room. "I left Ness with you and Annie because the girls have been friends for years and I thought you understood the situation I'm in. I thought she'd be safe with you and that I could trust you, but apparently you've been talking inappropriately about me and Bella within hearing distance of your daughter. Renesmee was very troubled by the things Annie said to her."

"Eddie, I'm so sorry! I can't believe Ness just walked out of the house like that! I mean, she could've woken me up to take her home." Maria begins as we sit down on the couch next to a pillow and a duffel-bag.

"That's not even the issue right now, Mrs. Guardia." I say, cutting her off, but trying to remain respectful. "You told your daughter that I don't love Nessie and Edward! You told her that I'd leave when I got tired of them like Nessie's mother did!"

She stares at me before glancing at Edward.

His face becomes a dark cloud. "I told you about my wife, Maria. You know how she really left us. The details don't need to be rehashed again. As for our relationship with Bella, you have no right to comment on it."

"Now, Eddie, you've known each other for barely a month…" She says condescendingly.

After fantasizing, for just a moment, about punching her, I glare at the stupid woman. "Let me stop you right there, Maria. First, I believe he's asked you many times to call him 'Edward'. Second, we met a long time ago and just now got together. You met me all of one time and not even long enough to have a whole conversation. You don't know me, Maria, and you don't know my capacity for love, so don't pretend you do." She doesn't need to know the fine points of my relationship with Edward. She just needs to respect that he chose who he wanted.

"On the issue of her walking home…" Edward stares her down. "She's not yet ten, Maria. I don't even go to bed when Annie sleeps over until I'm 100% sure that both girls are sleeping soundly. I personally feel safer that way. Forgive me if I sound rude or patronizing, but I don't like knowing there's a possibility that my daughter may take a walk in the middle of the night and get lost in a wild plot of land or get kidnapped by some psycho who's parked in the bushes along the road. There was a raccoon in the trash cans next door and Ness could've gotten attacked and contracted rabies. That is completely unacceptable, Maria. Now then, in time, my daughter may come to forgive Annie for what was said and I will continue being civil to you. However, please consider your invitation to my annual BBQ rescinded."

I watch Edward pick up the duffel-bag and Maria pouts. "But Eddie, I was sooo looking forward to it!"

"His name is Edward. Don't you get it, Maria? He doesn't want you!" I say stepping in front of her. "If you cared for him at all or had an ounce of respect for him, you'd understand that he wants a real woman who can love his little girl like she came from her own belly and not a made up bimbo with fake tits! You may be pretty but you're not a very nice person."

Edward walks over to the door. "Maria, if and when Annie wants to apologize to Nessie, we'll take her call. Until then, don't come around my house. Bella or I will take her to and pick her up from school."

I pick up Nessie's pillow and follow Edward out.

"I expected you to go ape-shit on her. You were all 'Mama-bear needs to protect her cub' on the way here." Edward says as he slings the bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah, well, she's just jealous that you want me and not her. I told her off and so did you." I smile. "I hope she and Annie learn their lesson because I almost feel sorry for her."

"Mr. Cullen?" We hear from behind us.

Turning around, I see little Annie. She's about Nessie's height with pin-straight, naturally blond hair…unlike her mother who has permed and bleached out hair.

"Mr. Cullen, could you please tell Nessie that I'm sorry I said those things to her." Her eyes fill up with tears. "My mom said that stuff to her friend on the phone. I just repeated it because Nessie was telling me how Bella was going to take her shopping and get their hair and nails done…I was jealous that she was getting a girl's day with her new best friend."

"Oh, sweetie!" I say taking her hand and passing Nessie's pillow to Edward. "Annie, I love Ness like a daughter. She'll always need a friend who's her own age and there was never anything to be jealous of. In fact, I'll bet she would've wanted to invite you to join us on our outing. We'll tell her what you said, but she'd probably rather hear it from you."

"I guess I'll talk to her in school tomorrow, then. Thanks, Miss…Uhmmm what do I call you?" Annie says.

"Just call me Bella." I say with a grin.

"Ok, thanks, Bella." She says running off into her back yard.

Looking up into Edward's eyes, I can tell he knows Annie really was sorry. We walk home in silence whileholding hands. This man is my destiny. I can feel it.

Edward's POV

It's the next day and I'm at my parent's house after dropping Nessie off at school. "This woman is not only beautiful but she's great with kids and fending off the unwanted attention of desperate women. Bella is the real deal for me, Mom. I love her so much!"

She beams at me. "I knew it! You had this look yesterday when you came back after speaking to Maria. When your father and I got home last night, I got out our special lock-box. You're here to ask for my mother's engagement ring, aren't you?"

"Actually, Mom, I gave it back to you when Nancy died for a reason. I wanted you to keep it safe for Ness. Bella won't want a ring that I'd given to another woman, so I'm going to give it to Nessie for her tenth birthday in a few months. What I want today is to tell you how happy Bella makes me and Nessie. I also wanted that loose blue diamond that Grandpa Cullen found in South Africa all those years ago. I remember him leaving it to me in his will and I'd like to have it shaped and made into a ring for Bella."

"What a wonderful idea, Edward! We don't keep it here, though, so here's the key to your safety deposit box in the bank. That's where you'll find it." My dad says handing it to me.

"Thanks, Dad." I say as I go out to my car wondering how I'm going to get it from there to a jewelry store and keep it safe. Then it occurs to me. I pull out my phone and flip through the contacts. Finding the right one I press send. "Emmett, its Edward Cullen. I need to talk to you and then I need a favor. Meet me someplace?"

"Ok, man, come to Rosie's garage." He says.

We hang up and I drive over to the garage.

He's out front. "I knew this was coming, you want to talk about my sister, don't you?" He says as I get out of my car.

I grin. "I know it's fast, Em and I know that she said we needed to take it slow, but I'm desperately in love with her, Emmett. I want to marry her and I want to love her for the rest of my existence if she'll have me."

"Well, where's the ring, then?" He says.

"Well, that's the favor I need. Let me tell you a story…" I tell him about my Grandpa Cullen's trip to South Africa and how he found distant relatives who had owned a diamond mine in a little town called Cullinan. He was on a tour of the mine and the man who'd been showing him around had let him try mining an old offshoot of the main mine shaft. He found a large bluish crystal and was allowed to keep it. He'd brought that back and he'd left it to me, his only grandson, in his will. I tell Emmett how this crystal is actually a blue diamond and it's big enough to have several gems shaped out of it. "I'm going to pick it up and I want you to come to the bank with me. You're bigger then I am and I don't want to chance getting robbed."

He laughs but agrees to join me on my adventure.

"Has Bella told you about your dad lately?" I ask as I drive us into town.

"Yeah, he's been more lucid recently. He's asked about me and he even asked if she'd been seeing anyone." Emmett tells me.

"I'm going with her to see him tomorrow." I mention.

"Really? Well that's great! I hope he's having an exceptionally good day while you're there. Good luck, Edward." He sighs. "Now let's do this."

I walk right over to the manager's desk. "Hello, sir, I need to get into my safety deposit box."

For all those readers who like to check facts, I did the research. Cullinan and the mine located there do exist! It now belongs to the Debeers diamond company. Thanks for doing your thing so quickly, hnwhitlock2000!