Three chapters in a row and EPOV?! I'm on a roll...:) I hate Cassie as much as the rest of you. Anyone notice that someone in following in his Dad's footsteps?

Chapter 18

EPOV

I sat holding my wife as she cried on my shoulder. I couldn't believe what she had just told me. There was no way that Tanya would be brave enough to come to Fork's but I knew that Bella wasn't lying to me. She had no reason to. So, after I finished up my writing I would go to the diner and see what was going on for myself.

Except, once Bella had left and I had sat down to write I couldn't. Instead of letting my fingers hit the keyboard I got up and put my coat on. I figured I would go ahead and get it over with.

I spotted her before I even walked into the diner. I had just parked my car and I could see her through the front window serving a customer. Bella had told me she looked like she had gained weight and that she looked clean. She was right of course, but I knew something was off. She might have looked clean but I could tell by just looking at her that she wasn't completely.

I got out of my car and walked into the diner. She didn't notice me so I went to a table and sat down. It took her a couple of minutes before she approached my table.

"I figured you would be here." She laughed. "It's my break, anyway." She said sitting down across from me. "I'm not here to steal Alexa, I just want to meet her. I just want her to know me…and I want to know her." She said all of this before I even got a word out.

"What are you on?" I asked.

"I'm clean, Edward. I've been clean for three years now." She folded her hands on the table.

"I put you in rehab over five years ago." I said.

"So, I relapsed afterwards but I've changed now. I promise." She was gripping her hands together tightly like she was getting angry with me.

"Why do you want to get to know her now, Tanya? Why not when she was an infant? Why not before she was even born!?" My voice raised.

"I wasn't in the right place then! You know that!" She let hers raise too but quickly lowered it when she saw that we were being watched. "I'm so much better now and I realized that what I did was stupid. I shouldn't have just given my baby up like that…"

"You did so now you have to pay, Tanya. Alexa stopped being your daughter the day you signed away your rights. My wife is more of a Mother to Alexa then you will ever be." I kept my voice level. "So, I'm sorry but I have to say no to you having any contact with my daughter." I slammed my fist on the table angrily then got up.

"That isn't fair, Edward." She stood up as well.

"Oh but it is. Please, stay away from my family." I said before I walked away from her and out of that diner.

There was no way she was just going to come into Alexa's life now. Not after everything. She should have thought about that before she signed Alexa away.

I drove home with my hands tight on the steering wheel. I parked in my normal spot at the house and grabbed my briefcase before going inside to be with my family.

My four beautiful and amazing kids met me at the front door. I sat my briefcase down then bent over to hug all of them. I kissed each of their foreheads before they ran off to play. I looked up to find Bella standing there with a sad look on her face.

"I talked to her." I said walking over to my wife.

"And?" Bella bit her lower lip.

"She wants to meet Alexa. She wants to get to know her but I told her no way. Alexa isn't her daughter. She stopped being her daughter years ago." I put my hands on her hips.

"Thank you." She pressed her forehead to my chest then looked back up at me. "I really am sorry for how I was acting earlier. It just caught me off guard and really upset me…"

"I already told you, Bella, it's fine." I stopped her. "Do I smell cookies?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Lane and the kids baked them. They are actually edible and pretty tasty." She laughed. I loved her laugh. I doubt I could ever get tired of that laugh. "And Masen called, he wants to talk to you."

"About?" I asked as Bella pulled away from me then we started for the kitchen. I smiled at Lane who was sitting on the counter eating a cookie. She hopped down then left us alone.

"He just said 'stuff'" Bella sighed. "Please don't promise to keep it a secret from me, okay?" She handed me a cookie. I bit into the sugary cookie. She was right, it was pretty decent.

"I can't promise anything." I kissed her nose then took the house phone off of the counter.

MPOV

I flipped the phone back and forth in my hand as I waited for my Dad to call back. It's been a whole week since Madeline was born and every single night has been the same. I'm so tired and all I want to do is go to sleep but Cassie has barely held her since she was born let alone taken care of her so I could get some rest.

I had to get some sleep. I had to get away from Cassie. I had to get back to Fork's and I was taking my daughter with me. I just needed some fatherly advice first.

I answered my phone on the first ring not even seeing who had called.

"Hello?"

"Hey, son. What's going on?" I sighed in relief to hear my Dad's voice.

"I need to ask you something."

"Alright?"

"Can Madeline and I come live with you and Mom?" I hadn't really prepared to ask in that way. I was going to start off by saying how terrible things had been but I just blurted out the first thing that came to my mind.

"What about Cassie?" Dad sounded confused.

"She's barely held Maddy since she was born…she's told me so many times that she doesn't want anything to do with her. I can't stay here, Dad." I told him.

"Does she even know you're thinking about leaving?"

"No. That's why I need the advice…" I sat down at the table. Maddy was asleep and Cassie was out at dinner with her friends so I was alone, again.

"What about school, Masen?" He asked.

"I can't stay here, Dad. You have to understand that…I haven't even been to class since Maddy was born."

"Talk to Cassie before you make this decision, Masen. But, you know you are more then welcome here." He sighed.

"So, that's it? Talk to Cassie? That's your advice?"

"You can't just take the baby, Masen. That's kidnapping." He laughed. "And I think once you talk to her you'll know what to do."

I decided to take his advice and talk to Cassie before I made any major plans. She showed back up back at the apartment around 2 am extremely drunk. She passed out on the couch before I could even say a word to her.

"Good Morning, Sunshine!" I turned on as many lights as possible to wake the mother of my baby up. She threw a pillow at me as I pulled the living room curtains open. I walked over to the sink and filled a bowl full of water and poured it over her face. She screamed and got up from the couch. "Good, you're up." I smiled.

"What the fuck, Masen?" She growled.

"I want to talk to you, Cassie." I sat down on the part of the couch that hadn't gotten wet.

"About what? Couldn't this have waited until…" She was cut off by Maddy's screams. I sat there and looked at her. "Well, aren't you going to get her?" She pointed towards the nursery.

"Since when did she become only my daughter?" I asked.

"God, Masen don't be so dramatic." Cassie rolled her eyes. "You're the one who wanted her."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I was going to get an abortion, and now that she's here I really wish I had!" Cassie threw her hands in the air screaming. As she screamed Maddy's screams got louder. I couldn't believe what she was saying so I got up without saying a word and went to get my daughter.

"You didn't want her? You're the one who came to me after you heard me tell someone else I was in love with them! You're the one who…" I started to yell as I patted the baby's back.

"I should have just let you leave me for her! I knew I made a mistake in telling you, Masen. I don't want this. I want out." She threw her hands in the air.

"I'm taking Maddy and we're going to my parent's." I told her.

"Good!" She yelled then stomped off like a child and slammed the bedroom door shut.

I knew right then and there that the only choice for me and my baby daughter was to leave.