*Disclaimer - Sadly, I own nothing of Twilight with the exception of merchandise, bought and paid for. I do, however, own my love for borrowing the characters and playing with them however I choose to. I thank Stephenie Meyer for creating the TwiWorld and for allowing us to have our fun with it. She owns Twilight, the insanity it created in my mind is my own.

As always, thanks to Shug for fixing me up. :)

Whatever Works

One Final Hitch

Just before Evan arrived, I got an apologetic text from Edward, pasting a smile on my face. Maggie brought baked goods along with her adorable son to thank me for taking him while Edward was away. It was so not necessary – I loved every second with Evan – but it was appreciated, as was the warm hug she gave me before she left.

Evan was a perfect angel while we waited for Esme at the doctor's office, so I suggested we stop at his favorite place for lunch before we went home. He liked flirting with the waitresses. Even if he wasn't aware that's what he was doing, the kid definitely had his father's flirting skills. He would be breaking many hearts before someone finally captured his own for good. He agreed to lie down in Maymay's room for a short nap when we got in. The weight of his cast alone was enough to tucker him out.

I got dinner started while he napped and Esme watched her shows. I joined her just in time to catch a clip of Edward on a satellite channel. She had a magical way of finding her son on TV. The subtitles translated the French report, indicating Edward had been 'caught with his new love interest' – Rosalie.

"Seriously? His sister? How could they not know?" I was dumbfounded.

Esme chuckled and arched an eyebrow in my direction. "Strange query coming from you."

"Ah!" I smacked my forehead, joining in her laughter. "Okay, but I thought I was the only female in the world who didn't know him. These people are in the business!"

Shrugging, she flipped through channels to see if she could find anything else. "He's not as famous over in these parts. Which is good. But do you see how ridiculous the stories about him can get? I used to believe them all… thought he was with every young woman in America."

"Except me," I quipped. "Oh! Go back! There was something… there!" I perched on the arm of the couch and watched the trailer being shown. It was followed with a brief clip from his red carpet walk in Japan looking absolutely gorgeous, and then my jaw dropped as I watched him spilling out of a taxi onto the sidewalk. The previous night's antics had been captured on film. Wonderful. "Oh my god…"

Esme remained silent, watching with a sad expression on her face.

"That's Daddy!"

Both of our heads snapped around at the sound of Evan's voice.

"Hey, Ev! Did you have a good nap?" I scooped him up in my arms, nuzzling his cheek to distract him. He was soon giggling and squirming, and the focus was off the TV. He didn't mention it again, and we didn't bring it up either.

~ 0 ~

"Here comes Daddy!" I held Evan up at the front window the next day. Edward had called from the airport, and we were both anxious to see him.

He climbed out of the car, looking tired, and more than a bit dishevelled. Mike followed him out, and they exchanged words. Edward did not look happy. Evan didn't care one way or the other. He simply wanted his dad. He banged on the glass with his un-casted hand and then grimaced. I was kissing his sore palm when Edward turned to look at us. His face lit up, and he waved excitedly before turning back to Mike.

We opened the front door for him as he said a few parting words to Mike before he climbed back into the car. Edward raced up the walkway, grinning from ear to ear. Evan released me immediately and held his arms out for his dad.

"Come here, my big boy!" Edward took him in a huge hug. "Ohhhhh! That feels so good! You can't believe how much I've missed you!" Kisses were scattered all over the little boy's face as he giggled. "Did you grow while I was away? I think you did! Great! More of you to love up!"

I joined in their laughter, delighted to see them reunited like this.

"Hey, did you do what I asked?" Edward grinned at his son. "Did you take good care of our Bella? Give her kisses every day for me?"

"Every day, Daddy!"

"You're such a good boy. Thank you. I knew I could count on you. Would it be all right if I put you down for a minute so I can give Bella a kiss myself?" He got Evan's approval and set him down carefully before reaching for me. "You can't believe how much I missed you, too," he whispered as stooped down to embrace me. The kiss he reserved for me was nothing like the peppered, playful kisses he'd given Evan.

"I missed you too," I murmured against his lips when we paused to breathe. He claimed my mouth once more with an even deeper kiss. I did the math in my head, counting how many hours until we could escape upstairs, alone. It was too many.

"Evan, why don't you go tell MayMay that Daddy's home, okay?" His infectious little giggle reminded me that we had an audience of one.

"We should probably take this off the front step," Edward said with his charming smirk. He grabbed his bags, dropping them in the entry inside before grabbing at me again. "This was painful. I want you to come with me next time."

Chuckling, I ran my fingers through his hair, anxious to keep him close. "What about your mother?"

"We'll get a babysitter. A mummysitter, actually. I don't want to be away from you anymore."

"Mike left in a hurry. Are you still in the shithouse?"

Edward stiffened and straightened up. He let out a heavy sigh. "There's a new development. We have to talk. Later. When Evan's gone for the day. I already told Maggie I can't keep him tonight."

I tensed up. "Is it serious?" This was getting ridiculous. I had been putting off giving Edward more to handle, but a month had passed since I had learned Esme's truth and it wasn't fair to keep him in the dark. The last thing we needed was another hitch. Besides, there already was something that he needed to know. Now. And I wasn't looking forward to his reaction when he found out that Evan had seen him on TV. "I have to talk to you about something as well."

He nodded tersely. "Okay. We'll talk later. The thing is, I can't sit on this one. We'll have to discuss it and make a decision as soon as possible. I was so stupid to think that buying off Jessica would be the end of her –" He cut his words off abruptly as Evan returned with Esme. The serious look on his face was replaced with his smile instantly. An act. I could tell the difference now. Something was bothering him, and it had to do with Jessica.

My God. What now?

~ 0 ~

Esme was not herself, and I knew what she had planned when she asked me to take Evan upstairs for his nap. She was going to tell Edward herself. I didn't know how far she'd get into it, but she was at least going to tell him about Evan. She was learning.

There was no chance in hell that Evan would be napping. He was too wound up with Edward coming home. I couldn't blame him. I nearly chewed my lip off waiting to hear an explosion coming from below as Evan and I looked through picture books. More than an hour passed before I heard his footsteps on the stairs. We had given up on the books and went in to play with his trains instead.

"Are you going to play with us?" Evan asked brightly when his dad appeared in the doorway.

Edward smiled down at him tenderly before speaking in a hoarse voice. "Not today, Ev. Sorry."

Evan tucked his lips in and bowed his head. No doubt he had noticed Edward's change in disposition as well. He was suddenly on his feet, his favorite train dropped on the floor as he ran for his dad. He hugged Edward's long legs in a tight squeeze, taking him by surprise. His already reddened cheeks flushed further, and his eyes teared up as he dropped to his knees to hug Evan in return. Sitting on the floor, I hugged my knees to my chest as I watched their silent consolation of each other for several minutes. Finally, Edward's eyes fell on mine.

"Everything okay?" I asked softly.

He frowned and looked away. "I'm going to take Evan out. Spend some time with him before I take him home. We'll talk. Later."

My heart raced and my hands got clammy. I knew he'd be disappointed in me allowing Evan to see him on TV. I'd promised to take care of his son, and I'd let him down. I dreaded another encounter with the cold Edward I had met back in Emmett's room in the LA house. The one whose icy stare cut right through me. But more than that, I hated that he was hurting. And he clearly was. I stood as he did and reached out to touch his arm.

"Are we…?"

His eyes softened slightly, watering up again. He gave me a small nod with a grin before leaning over to kiss my forehead.

I clung to him, now visibly shaking. I whispered against him. "I'm scared." This was the time for both of us to come clean and express ourselves. If we didn't start doing that now, it would never happen.

His arms went around my shoulders as Evan hugged my legs. Father uttered soothing shushes, and son said, "It's all right, Bella. Daddy's home now."

I placed one hand on Evan's sweet little head and buried my face into Edward's chest. I needed these two guys. I knew how Esme felt. These guys were my world.

"I need to talk to Evan," Edward told me softly, stroking my hair. "I'll be back later on. We'll talk about everything, I promise." He lifted my chin to look me in the eyes. "I promise we'll sort this out."

Edward had not made a casual promise since he had vowed not to. He was a man who kept his promises. "I love you!" It was out before I realized it was coming.

I watched Edward's face run through his expressions before he settled on a shy smile. His eyes were glistening, and his cheeks were as red as his lips. He dropped those red lips to mine, kissing me so tenderly.

"I'm sorry." His thumb stroked my cheek as he whispered to me. "I have to go."

"I know."

Evan gave me a little wave and blew me a kiss over his father's shoulder as he carried him down the stairs. He already had their jackets by the door and just grabbed them as he passed through. I jumped as the door shut firmly behind them.

I took a few minutes to collect myself before I went looking for Esme. I expected her to be in the living room where I'd left them to talk, but the room was empty. She wasn't in her bedroom either. I found her in the kitchen, standing at the counter with a teabag in her hand. The kettle was whistling away, but she didn't seem to notice. I reached over and turned it off. I took the bag from her hand and placed it in her mug before adding the water. She didn't move.

"Esme?" I spoke softly as I placed my hand on her arm. She looked across at me with sad, hollow eyes. She had told him. Everything. I squeezed my eyes closed so I wouldn't see the pain that was beginning to seep through into hers.

"I'm scared, Bella."

I hugged her. I hugged her and soothed her as Edward had done for me only moments earlier. I couldn't promise her that they would be okay, but I could promise to be here for her. I would not leave her alone with her fears.

~ 0 ~

I prepared a light meal for us, and when Edward still wasn't home, we went ahead and ate without him. Esme was completely spent. As much as I hated to push her, I needed to know the facts. She had mentioned Jessica, and now Edward had. But he'd said we would work it out together. I wanted to prepare myself for anything.

"I want the full story, Esme." I sat opposite her, with tea already set out. "I need to know the truth."

She nodded her agreement, reaching out shakily for her cup. "I told him, you know. About everything."

"And now it's all out. You can move forward," I said encouragingly.

"I've broken his heart." Her words were pinched out as tears flowed freely. "Oh dear. Let me get myself together… I have to get this out. You deserve to know everything."

I gave her several minutes to collect herself. I passed her tissues and then her tea. Then she took a huge breath and put on her brave Esme act. It wasn't there to attempt to fool me. This was the act Edward had spoken of – put on a happy face when your heart is trashed. Her smile was a little weaker than usual, but it was in place.

"Now, I want to explain to you that I don't mistrust you. You are an open book." Her smile grew more genuine with a soft chuckle. "I adore that about you. And it didn't take me long to see that my son did, as well. Edward has very warranted trust issues. His own mother has lied to him his entire life. Don't get up!" She halted me as I was about to reach for her.

"I'm not looking for pity. That's a fact. The absolute truth. I have lied to my son about the very thing he's always held dearest – family. He went out and surrounded himself with people he trusted like family. And he was hurt by his best friend… the boy who had been like a brother to him."

"Jasper," I whispered.

"Right. Jasper is not a bad guy. He was a good friend to Edward. And he truly loves Alice. They went about it in an underhanded way. That's what hurt. It was Carlisle who insisted we stay with Edward and see him through that ordeal. He saw how the betrayal was tearing him up. And of course, Carlisle was right. Edward looked at the remaining people close to him and saw who he could trust. Emmett, dear sweet Emmett… and Rosalie. Emily, Jake, and Sue. Even though Emily was severely pissed at him for mistreating Maggie, she beat on him as she would if Jacob had been an arse to her friend, and then they made up. True family. Carlisle, of course, and even I had earned his trust at that point. And then there was Mike."

"Mike referred to this as his 'inner circle,'" I commented.

Esme nodded. "Well, he'd like to think so – Mike, that is. In truth, Edward had to place a certain amount of trust in him. After all, he was looking after his business, covering up all his indiscretions. A manager is vital, and Mike had been along for the ride."

A new light was dawning for me. "Is Mike not trust-worthy?"

Esme bowed her head sadly. "Mike made some errors in judgement. After the accident, Edward had entirely too much to deal with. He allowed Mike to set up the house in LA. He found the property, hired staff. It was a godsend, I thought. It allowed Edward the freedom to deal with Carlisle's death as he needed to. Of course, because of my interference earlier, he dealt with it by working himself to exhaustion rather than taking a leave. He moved Sue and her family into the guest house the week before I was coming home. The same day he moved in himself. The cook Mike had hired had harsh words for Emily the very first morning. He didn't have a job by dinnertime."

We both snickered, envisioning how well that would have gone over.

"That's when Sue started cooking for us. Emily dropped her courses at school to help Edward with things at home. Jake agreed to help out with security. He would go out with me when Edward needed Emmett. Mike hired a driver to take Edward back and forth and to take me to doctors. Edward wanted Emmett or Jake with me at all times, but I wanted him to be safe too… Oh, what a life! Needing bodyguards and drivers… Anyway, Mike's driver was released from duty when he was found accepting benefits from a young fan who wanted the opportunity to meet my handsome son."

My hand flew to my mouth to supress a laugh. Esme wasn't amused.

"Sam was his replacement, hand-picked by Edward and stolen away from the studio for his personal use. He trusted Emily, and she trusted Sam."

"Mike didn't have a very good track record, huh?"

"Precisely why Edward and I chose you ourselves. He wanted someone I would feel comfortable with. I wanted someone he could trust. When you were so open with me about what you'd been through, I knew you were the right person. Not only did I adore you, but I thought you had a common bond with Edward and you would understand him. Possibly help him get his priorities straight. Get him trusting himself and his judgements. Trusting his family."

I waited patiently for her story to unfold. My eyes kept drifting to the clock wondering when Edward would return.

"You've realized now that Jessica was the only person left from Mike's round of hiring," Esme commented.

I held my breath. "And the reason she survived the cut?"

Esme grimaced and held her hand up and over her head. "Guilty. Edward intended to replace her as well. He was interviewing for weeks before you turned up. At that point, he was searching for basic homecare along with housekeeping. Sue and Emily were willing to help out. Jessica wouldn't be required."

"But…" I had a foreboding sense of dread at what was about to come.

Esme pursed her lips as she drew in a breath. "Jessica saw me getting myself out of bed one day. I had taken a nap. She thought I was out and came in to tidy up my room. Lo and behold, the woman with mangled legs stands!"

"Well, shit."

"Well, fuck, dear. That was more than a 'shit.'"

"Esme!" Her remark caught me off guard, and I couldn't hold in that laugh. "Potty mouth!"

Laughing with me, her cheeks flushed as she nodded. "That girl draws it out of me."

I felt we were at the crux of the scandal with this news. "So, what happened?"

"She and I struck a deal. Jessica insinuated that she knew my son… intimately… and may let my ruse slip inadvertently. She did spend a lot of time upstairs. And well, Edward had been known to womanize. I didn't want to believe that he would ever use an employee that way – like I said, if you work for Edward, you're family."

"But then, there's me," I remarked stoically. He did sleep with me under his employ. Had he done the same with her? Was I horrible to start doubting him again?

This time, Esme came to me. She stood without hesitation and bent over me, gripping my shoulders. "No! Bella, do not put yourself there. Let me tell you something, honey – I was wrong. I know that. Edward never had anything to do with that whiny little bitch. You see how he is with everyone. Did you ever see him interact with Jessica the way he does with the others around him?"

I thought about it. Hard. And shook my head. "No. She always seemed like she was in the way."

"She was. He never wanted her there. I saved her ass in order to save my own. I played up the paralysis to the hilt. Edward, I suppose, suspected even then and insisted we find someone who could do more than homecare. We needed someone exactly like you to get me moving." She gave me a loving squeeze. "It was my opportunity to convince him that he still needed a maid. I hated the thought of him with her. I hated knowing that she was a conniving cow and would probably rob him blind! Or worse, hurt him in some way. I did it to cover my lies. To keep him close to me. To stay close to him. I. Was. Wrong."

Holding me by the shoulders once more, Esme forced me to look her in the eye.

"If you never believe one more thing out of my mouth, believe this – they were never together. It was always Mike she was up there with. And…" She tilted my chin back up when my eyes wavered. "And, Edward has never looked at another woman the way he looks at you. Bella, it is essential that you believe in this. My son has certain charms. He inherited Tony's smoldering eyes that can look at you and make you feel like you're the only woman who exists for him. Like you're his queen."

I choked on a sob. She had to use those exact words?

"But he also possesses Carlisle's sincerity. Bella, sweetheart… you are the only woman who exists for Edward. Believe in that. Believe in him."

Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I nodded at her. There was a fierce determination in her eyes. I believed in her at that moment, most definitely.

She blew out a breath of relief and smiled as she pulled her chair closer to mine to sit back down. Her hands wrapped around mine on the table. "If there is one last thing I can do for Edward, it's making sure you know that I'm the one who messed up. He adores you, Bella. And he needs you. Especially right now."

I absorbed it all and let her sense of determination flow into me. I smiled across at her. "Tell me what the bitch has done."

The twinkle in Esme's eyes matched her smirk. My Esme was back. "I had a feeling she was taking things from him. Things he wouldn't notice were missing. I spotted several personal items on auction, even purchased one of them to see if I could catch her red-handed. I had it sent to my lawyer's office. He returned it to me, and I had Emily take it back upstairs. It was a t-shirt that he'd had since he lived with us in London. I let on like it had gotten mixed up with my clothes. She thought nothing of it. Edward never missed it."

"How much did you pay?" I smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Far too much. Three digits… closer to four. Worth it, if she hadn't been so careful. It was sent from a post office box address. Jenks had it traced back to a girl who had gone to school with Jessica. Not enough evidence to prove that she had stolen it. I guess she is smarter than I gave her credit for. Greedy little… ugh! He paid her so well, and she still took from him to make more money!"

I cocked an eyebrow at that remark.

"I know! I'm one to talk. Maybe that's why I found it so easy to suspect everything she did. I may have used her to keep Edward, but she was blackmailing me to get something out of him that wasn't hers to take. I assume she thought she would eventually wiggle her way into his bed."

We both made gagging faces.

"When that didn't appear to be happening, I guess she went for the quick sale of items. Not just auctioning off his personal wares but selling photos. I saw the photos from the club Edward took you to that night with Rosalie on Jessica's phone. The same ones the studio rebought to have them removed from the website."

"Bitch!"

"I assumed Edward figured it out, and that's why he had Mike get rid of her."

"No," I groaned.

"No. I realize that now. Honey, there were months where Edward trusted you in his heart, but because of things Jessica was doing – things that, in essence, I allowed her to do – his head didn't allow him to fully let you into his life. Please, I hope you can one day forgive me for the trouble I've caused for you. I never wanted to see you or Edward get hurt."

"Esme, it's water under the bridge. The one thing I can't get out of my head is what if she had found out about Evan?"

She cringed before placing her hands over her face. "I advised Edward not to display pictures of his son. The first one I saw out in the open was the one he placed on my laptop."

"But she was gone then." She had lost me.

"You know Edward. You know what Evan means to him. Do you honestly think he could keep him out of his sight altogether? He must have had photos of his own. On his phone. His laptop. I don't know…"

Gasping, I clenched her hand. "She found them."

Esme's eyes told me I was right. Before either of us could respond, we heard the front door close and the sound of Edward's footsteps. We sat staring at each other for a moment, woman to woman. Friend to friend. Her expression softened into something I imagined was mother to daughter, and she tilted her head towards the door.

"Go to him, Bella. Take care of him. He needs you."

I reached out and embraced her before I stood. "It's all out now. We'll get through this, Esme. Thank you."

I was releasing her when Edward appeared in the kitchen door looking frazzled and exhausted. His red-rimmed eyes were filled with pain, and they were looking at me.

Esme urged me towards him and turned herself away. Edward accepted my hug and kissed my forehead softly before he released me.

"Is Evan all right?"

"He's great. I need to talk to you." He wasn't using his steady, confident intonation, but he didn't shoot daggers from his eyes. He wasn't pissed off this time, but he was hurt. And scared. "Mother?"

Esme's head snapped around, just as surprised as I was that he had called out to her.

"Will you be all right down here? I have to take care of things. The day has finally come for me to truly grow up."

A/N ~ The angst wasn't too bad, right? Only moving forward from here, heading towards the end. :) Thanks all - you are truly appreciated. Thanks for reading. XX ~ SR