Again, my thanks go to Tiffany for her daily advice and support, and you guys; for reading and reviewing the last chapter. It means the world.

Let's hear from Assward, and his feisty Rockabella.

.CHAPTER TWO.

Edward.

Same shit, different day.

That's how I look at the world, anyway. I get up; go to work, come home; go to bed. Somewhere mixed in with that I'll hang out with the kids for a bit, argue with B over something of little importance, take the occasional dump and smoke my way through a twenty deck. Nothing changes - everything is the same - and that fucks me off sometimes.

0-0

I arrived at the shop an hour before my first appointment, which gave me plenty of time to set up my station, check which designs I had to work on first, have a smoke and catch up with Emmett. He's my apprentice; has been for the past six months, and so far, the guy is doing well. Give him another year and I see him having his own station in this shop.

The clattering of heels brought my attention to Rose heading towards me. She wore some tight leather leggings and a grey cropped top, which just showed off the forest vines that leaked up her stomach. Not gonna lie, she looked fucking fine.

Usually Rose would go past B's diner and get us some lunch on her way in, but I was not greeted with the usual double chocolate shake or the double cheeseburger. Um, excuse me? I might not like the diner, but I can't say that Seth doesn't make the best fucking burgers in Scottsdale, and only my girl can make me a shake - she knows what I like. How was I to function if I don't have the necessities to start me off?

I didn't even have to ask - Rose knew exactly what I was thinking. "I ran late this morning - you can be on lunch duty."

The fuck?

Um, I don't think so.

Rose only shrugged, "if you want some food you can get off your lazy ass and get it." She sauntered off in direction of her office.

"I'd do as she says, man." Emmett spun 'round on his desk chair. "My wife can be a scary creature when she's angry. Just like yours." I've known Emmett since India was a baby, and when B was expecting Mini, Emmett accidentally mentioned how large she was getting.

He found it hard to walk for a week after that comment.

I laughed at the memory. "You deserved that kick."

Emmett stopped spinning. "Oh, and you haven't?"

"I'm the perfect husband."

"Right, sure. Now are going to get that food or not? I'm wasting away over here!"

"Calm your pits; I'm going."

"Make mine a supersize!" I heard him bellow.

0-0

I knew B was still pissed at me, 'cause I never did that drawing with India last night. I mean, fuck me, the kids' 8; she doesn't need my help with her homework anymore. And I'd already planned a night at the bar - is that such a crime? But it was because of my apparent fuck up that I was met with the cold shoulder of my wife, and the annoying twittering from Alice.

She's never liked me, and I'm not a huge fan of her. We call it quits.

I only came in to get some food, not the third degree from someone half my size.

Bitch.

Because it was closing in on midday and clearly everyone in Scottsdale was hungry, Bella and Alice were running back and forth to tables, so I was left with some sixteen-year-old midget with no tits and braces taking my order.

Fuck me, could it get any worse?

Around me, played loudly from the speakers, a song began and I knew then that, yes; yes it could get a lot worse. "…Splish splash, I was taking a bath…". All that happy-go-lucky, '50s shit was enough to make any man suicidal. Where's the real music? Where's Black Sabbath, W.A.S.P, Twisted Sister? Why is Ozzy Osbourne not taking over this crap?

"Sorry, um, was it a double vanilla and two chocolate shakes?" I tuned back in to see the girl fumble around with her pink and black apron strings.

"No. It was the other way around."

She's almost as dumb as the place she works in.

Almost.

"So… a double chocolate and two vanilla?"

I just nodded, but was half tempted to give her a pat on the back and medal. "But don't make the double chocolate - only Bella does that."

The girl looked like a deer in headlights, she stared around the diner, then back to me. "I, er, I think Bella is a bit busy at the moment…"

I shrugged, "I don't give a shit. I thought the customer always got what they wanted?" Yep, I played that card.

"Oh-okay." The girl caught Bella when she loaded some dirty dishes through the kitchen hatch. "Apparently you have to make this gentleman's milkshake…"

Gentleman? Ha! Look at the rings, love; I'm her fucking husband.

She must be new.

Bella could only sigh, "let Lauren make your shake, Edward."

Eurgh, no. She'll probably get her brace gunk in it.

"But I want you to make it."

My beautiful yet terrifying wife stood with her arms folded under her incredible set of tits. That corset-dress-thing does wonders… "Eyes up here…"

She was pissed.

It was time to work the Masen charm.

Honestly, if Maddox catches on, the little girls in his class won't know what hit them.

One hand went up to caress the neat locks of hair that framed her face, the other hand went down and soothed calming circles on her lower back.

"Don't do this, Edward. I have work to do and I'm annoyed at you." She then turned her attention to our one-person audience. "Lauren, can you please make this piece of trash a milkshake? He likes a chocolate stick crumbled on top."

"Thank you, B." I still held her in my hands. "Gimme some sugar?" I winked and dipped my head lower to hers. With a heavy roll of her eyes, B kissed my pouted lips quickly. "Thank you, baby."

The shakes were handed to me at the same time as the food. "I'll see you later." I said, looping my hand through the handle of the takeaway bag.

Bella nodded. "Okay, have a good day."

"You too." I kissed her one last time, but that time because Mike Newton couldn't take his tiny eyes off my woman.

The fat fuck.

0-0

Half way through my second client, my cell started to ring. I ignored it and let the call ring out. Not even ten seconds later, it started again.

"Fucking hell," I whispered. "Em', can you get that?" I stood from the stool to allow him access to my pants pocket.

"Be wary of my hand; it's known to wander."

Har har. Funny bastard.

"Answer the phone, Emmett."

"Ooh! It's Mrs. Masen!" The lady lying on my bench found Emmett's hilarity very amusing. "How's it going B? No, Ed's sorting himself out after I had my hand down his pants… Ha! he's got a client at the mo', what can I do for ya?… Uh-huh… okay… uh-huh… sweet! They are always welcome… Right, I'll let him know. Okay, love you, bye!"

"What did she want?" I wiped the ink and blood smear off my clients new tattoo. I got some black ink and began the last bit of shading.

"Apparently the diner is too busy, so B wants you to look after the kids 'til she's finished - Jasper is bringing them over now."

Within five minutes, Maddox was running through the shop doors and bumped his fist on mine. "Sweet tatt, man!" He studied the old camera I had been adding the finishing touches too.

Jasper arrived with India holding his hand tight, she hid her head slightly behind his arm.

What's up with her? She loves coming here.

"Thanks, Jay - appreciate it." Unlike his troublesome wife, Alice, I liked Jasper - he was excellent with my kids.

"Anytime." But Indie wasn't moving from his side. "C'mon, darlin', I have to get back."

Her voice was a silent whisper, but it was loud enough for me to hear. "I don't wanna stay here…"

I forgot about my work and watched. Watched as Jay knelt down to be eye level with India and held her other hand. He said something, but I never caught it. All I did catch was the slight, reluctant, nod of her head and how her shoulders slumped when she carried her school bag to a quiet corner of the shop.

"I'll be there in a minute, pumpkin!" I called across, but she never acknowledged me.

My customer loved the ink that now blazed over her shoulder blade and left with the promise that she'll come back for another soon enough. I had Emmett occupy Maddox with something, so I could talk to my baby girl in private.

"Whats up?" She ignored me and hugged her bag tighter. "India…" I tired again, but still no reply. "Has something happened?"

"Leave me alone." It was just a mumble, but it was a response.

"I want you to tell me what's wrong."

"Leave me alone." She repeated only with a touch more emphasis.

"Why are you being like this?"

"Why do you care?"

Isn't it obvious? "Because I'm your father, India."

She spun her head around sharp to look at me, and, as the saying goes, if looks could kill; I'd surely be dead. "Then act like my damn father!" Tiny tears glistened in her brown eyes and with a grunt, she threw her backpack to the ground and stormed away.

What the fuck? I do act like her father. I pick them up from school (sometimes), I bathe them (or, I used to), and I work my ass off so they can have a privileged life! Right, so maybe I don't do my best, and I'm no-where near the standards my own father had, but does that matter?

Fuck, I'm so confused.

Why are kids so confusing?

Emmett still had Maddox entertained with something and India had ran off to see her Auntie Rose, and with no costumers due for another twenty minutes, I took that opportunity to have a smoke in peace. India's backpack still laid on the floor where she chucked it, and when I went to move it back to my seat a piece of crumbled up paper fell from an open pocket. The word "Daddy" was seen peaking from a top corner of the paper, but there was a heavy black line scrawled through it.

Curiosity killed the cat, and it was about to kill me too.

I waited till I had the lit cigarette in my mouth before I opened up the crumpled paper. I knew what I was doing could have been seen as an invasion of privacy, but it had my fucking name on it! Also I have every right to look through my baby girl's school work.

The whole sentence said "What I Love About my Daddy" but the black line went through it all. And the tiny drawings underneath the sentence, too, had been ruined. All that remained was her name and class number.

I couldn't work out how I felt. One time when she was learning to walk, I remember India tripping, and from where I sat, it looked like she had hit her head on the sharp table corner. My heart did this weird clench thing and I couldn't work out why, but now, looking at this ruined art work, it did the same clench thing.

Am I turning into a girl?

Christ, I'm becoming a giant pussy.

I knew Rose wouldn't understand what I meant or what I said, and Emmett never takes a thing seriously, so the only person I could ask was Bella, who had barely said a word to me all day. Brilliant.

"What do you want? I'm busy."

"I need to ask you something." I started on my second cigarette. The nicotine was needed. Desperately.

"Yes, the kids are potty trained and yes, Maddox can wipe his own ass."

"Stuff the sarcasm - I'm being serious."

"So am I!"

"Whatever. Has India mentioned anything about a school project to you?"

"She's mentions a lot to me, Dickward. Funny enough, she mentioned the project to you too."

"She has?" Crap, when was that?

"Really? You don't remember?"

Searching my brain, searching my brain… "Nope…"

"Fucking honestly… They have to make a 'why I love my dad' poster for Father's Day. The drawing she wanted you to help her with? That was for her project."

That heart clench thing came back.

Am I having a heart attack?

Am I going to die?

"Why didn't she tell me!" I can't be completely to blame here.

"She didn't have to! If you promise her something, you have to stick to it!"

"Then what do I do?"

"You apologize to her, and make her realize how sorry you are and offer to help with anything she needs."

That didn't sound too hard.

Even I could do that.

"I'll do that. I promise." And cue Masen Charm… "Thank you, baby."

"Ha, you'll be lucky."

Guess I won't be getting laid tonight then… Fuck.

0-0

I had been in the middle of one of the tatts I always hated doing. You can tell by the way someone talks about their design whether they have played around with it for a while and if it means a lot to them, or whether they simply saw it online five minutes before entering the shop and thought it would look 'pretty' on their wrist. Like when some dumb blonde chick wants a Playboy Bunny on her hip bone ("cause, it's, like, so cute!") but the chances are she'll have it removed or covered within the next couple years.

This time was just as bad - she was about nineteen and wanted fucking Tinkerbell 'flying' on her left shoulder, with pixie dust floating around her. I didn't know why she got it, and I couldn't give a fuck, but she would regret it when she's older.

So, back to my story, not only did I have that going on, I also had Maddox disregard everything I told him. No running around when customers are in the shop, and if it looks like I'm busy, be as quiet as possible.

"Papa E! Get yo' ass over here!" He could see I was busy, so I never replied. Instead, Mini continued to bellow. "Papa E! Are you deaf? Here! Now!"

This is why I don't bring the kids here often.

Fucking nightmare, honestly.

"I'm sorry about this." I said to Tinkerbell Girl. I stopped following the purple outline of the stencil, and stared right over at my son. "Maddox, Christ's sake, I'm busy."

"Papa E, Christ's sake, I'm hungry. Do something about it!"

"And what do you want me to do about it? Pull a burger out the sky? Sit down, shut up, and let me finish." I spotted Maddox mimic my words childishly. I imagined he eye-rolled, too.

"Maybe you could pull your head out your ass and stop being so lame!"

No matter how hard anyone tries, they'll never win an argument against Mini.

That kid is always one ahead of you.

0-0

"If this place is busy you will sit where I tell you to sit, and wait for your Mom to come to us, got it? I'm not being responsible for a death cause you ain't using your ears."

"Dad, we're practically professionals at this thing - Indie and I know exactly what we're doing."

"But you wouldn't know that 'cause you're never with us."

That girl is turning into such a teenager. And I don't like it.

But I'm not letting some 8 year old control me.

We stopped walking through the diner's parking lot. I turned my head to my stubborn daughter. "Excuse me, what have you been doing these past few hours?"

"Sitting in a stupid tattoo parlor watching you drool over a some lady's tits."

Fuck, she saw that? Shit.

If B hears about that, no chance in hell will I get laid.

"And what would you have been doing if you were here, huh?"

Maddox perked up to intervene. "Actually, Dad, Mom lets us help out and clear tables sometimes."

Okay, okay, so Bella is 'super mom'. Thanks for rubbing it in, Son.

Way to make me feel miles high.

Taking the crushed paper packet from the back pocket of my pants, I found the final smoke that hid there. I'll need to buy some more. Maybe B will allow me to take some of hers till then… I had the smoke dangling from my lips, but my lighter was no-where to be found. I checked the pockets of my leather jacket and denim jeans.

"I saw a lighter on your desk at work, Daddy. Were you not meant to leave it?" Sarcasm soaked India's words. She knew I never went anywhere without my lighter.

I turned to my kid and knelt down to eye-level. "Look, Indie, I'm sorry for letting you down with your drawing - if I knew it was so important of course I would have helped you."

"Just leave it."

Mini groaned loudly. "Oh, come on! I'm wasting away to nothing here! Can we get some food already?"

Well, you heard the boy.

0-0

As I had expected, the moment we found a spare booth and the our order was taken, Maddox and India were up off their bench and were cleaning dirty plates, the people at said table never took a second glance. "Hope you enjoyed your meal, Big Steve!" India clapped the man (who I assumed was 'Big Steve') on his broad shoulder.

"As always, my girl."

Actually, fuck face, she's my girl.

Have I mentioned how much I hate this place? The table felt greasy on my finger tips, shit music blared my ear drums, and a squeaky-voiced midget almost killed me with her stare. Alice constantly tells me that I don't deserve B and that she could do so much better and so much more without me. But what does she know? I'm the best thing that happened to her, bitch; get your facts right.

The food, as always, hit the spot - Seth knows his stuff when it comes to grilling a deep steak burger.

My hands began to twitch and shake from the need for nicotine. It had been almost two hours since my last smoke. Withdrawal had set in.

"India, look after your brother. Mini, look after your sister. You two stay here, got it?" They both nodded, even though I knew my words went in one ear and out the other. Why do I fucking bother?
Bella was found at the cash register counting the notes that resided there. "You got your lighter, B?" She fondled the front pouch of her apron, then handed over a bright pink Clipper between two fingers. "You joining?"

"I'm busy, Ed."

"You can't take a smoke break?"

"I can't - maybe later."

I shrugged, and went for the back door. "Ed, mind going out the front? Seth's about to get a delivery out back." So I turned in my step, and winked at B on my way past. As much as she tried, she couldn't hide her blush.

Yep, I still got it.

0-0

I stood at a side wall and paid more attention to the burning paper than my own surroundings, until a loud sound came from the gates to the back of the diner. A man, dressed in jeans and a red polo shirt, with greasy blonde hair tied back, brushed off the dust on his clothes. I stared at him for a short while, wondering what the hell he was doing back there.

"Can I help you?" I asked. The man obviously hadn't noticed me till I spoke.

"Oh, er, no - I'm fine, thanks. Was just looking around."

You think I was born yesterday? Retard. "What, at the back of my wife's diner? Find anything nice?"

"Sorry, I… I got lost."

I didn't respond, just looked the dirtbag up and down and wondered what he was actually doing back there. He made his own exit, but turned his head 'round his shoulder to look back at me a couple times. Fucking weirdo. I watched him climb into a black, rust bucket of a car and speed away.

I made sure to tell Bella about him.

Back inside, I looked over to the booth we had taken, but of course, the kids were no longer there.

Bella and Tiny were in the middle of a heated conversation. Probably about some girly shit.

"I told you, Bella; I saw him again!" Tiny exclaimed.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Al' - don't get so worked up about it."

I found it intriguing that Alice had mentioned spotting some guy, and sounded slightly spooked by him, when I had just had that strange encounter. "Who?"

"This does not involve you."

"Alice thinks we have a stalker." Both ladies spoke at the same time. "Apparently he was seen around here the last few days."

"Does he have long blonde hair?"

"Thats in a dire need of a wash? Yes! Have you seen him?"

"He was just outside." I pointed to the doors. "He made a quick getaway though, when I questioned him."

"See!" Tiny turned to Bella with frustration in her voice. "I told you I saw someone. We need to keep a closer eye on him."

"And the kids," Bella spoke up, then looked away from us to search for them. "Where are they?" Worry coated her words like nothing I had heard before. I think the idea of a strange man lurking about had finally gotten to her.

"Oh, they went out back." Before Tiny had finished her sentence, B was off to the back door, she returned a couple minutes later with India and Maddox by her side.

"From now on, you stay in our sight, okay?"

"Okay, Mama B."

"India?" B asked her for acceptance from her too.

Her hands were hidden behind her back, and from the guilty expression on India's face, I knew she done something I wouldn't approve of. Her brown eyes fluttered.

"Can I keep him, Mama?"

Snuggled in her hands was a tiny kitten. Large brown eyes and pointy ears helped emphasize how tiny his head was.

Nope, nope. We already have a damn cat.

"I'm not having another mouth to feed." I admitted.

"You don't feed them anyway!" Bella cried. "All you do is sit on your fat ass and doodle all day. Indie, darling, we can't keep the cat."

She snuggled the furry thing to her face and kissed it's forehead. "But it needs someone to love him, and I'll take proper care of him."

Damn, see those puppy eyes? I taught her that.

Bella slapped her hands against her bare legs. "Whatever, it's up to your father!"

Oh, thanks, Love.

"Please, Daddy?"

"We're not keeping the cat, India. It probably has flees."

"Then I'll take him to a vet! Please, Daddy?"

Bella took my hand and gave me a look as if to say, "you wanted to make it up to her."

Oh, for fucks sake.

Why me?

"Okay! But when he shits on the floor, you have to clean it up."

A tiny pair of arms wrapped around my stomach.

"Thank you, Daddy."

The heart clenching from earlier came back.

Yep, definitely the start of a heart attack.

0-0

So, who thinks Edward has changed? and who thinks he'll be the same old Assward?

Thanks for reading. Thoughts?