Thank you to my awesome Beta HAcullen (Heather Spaulding) for the great job that she did on this chapter.

This is dedicated to you heather.

This is the longest chapter that I have written and I hope that it answers many questions.

Stephenie Meyer owns all things twilight and its characters

Previously

Esme POV

"He owes me a baby because he already robbed me of one grandchild," she shouted at me before I got to the door.

I turned around furiously, wondering why she was talking like that. She stood there grinning wickedly.

"My daughter already had an abortion because of him," she smirked.

I looked at her as if she was stupid.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Kate was never pregnant and Irina is only Bella and Alice's age, so if she was pregnant I would know about it," I growled.

Carmen continued to smirk.

"Your right Kate and Irina were never pregnant with Edward Masen's baby, but my other daughter, Emily, was."

Chapter 17

Carmen POV

I cannot believe that bitch of a sister-in-law of mine was standing there judging me but if she went through what I went through she would have understood. I was in an abusive relationship before I ever met Eleazar, twenty-two years ago I was with a guy named James Young. It was bad from the start, but the only good thing that ever came from that relationship was our daughter Emily.

One day, he got drunk and knocked me unconscious. I woke up three days later in the hospital with a two broken ribs, a sprained wrist and a fractured jaw. Not once had James come to visit myself or with our six-month-old daughter. I stayed in the hospital for another four days as the hospital chief tried to contact James since he was listed my next of kin, to come and collect me however he could not get through to him. I had finally gotten a taxi, only to find James gone having taken everything that we owned, including my Emily.

I tried to find them for the next six months but they seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Ten months after they went missing I met Eleazer, four months later we were married after finding out that I was pregnant. I had given birth to Kate on what would of been Emily's second birthday. Two years later, I had given birth to Irina, realizing that this was my second chance to be a mother knowing that Eleazar had come from money had not hurt either. I had made sure that my daughters had everything I never did and made sure that my social standing in the community was firmly in place. However, I still had never given up the hope that I might be reunited with Emily.

I never mentioned her to anyone because even though I hoped to be reunited with her I had not truly believed that I would see her again. That was until I received a phone call from an old woman close to when Emily's sixteenth birthday was.

"Hello, may I speak with Carmen Hunter please?"

I had taken a deep breath, knowing that there were a very few people that knew me by that name. Hunter was my maiden name and some days I wished that I could forget it.

"Who am I speaking too," I asked.

"Is this Carmen Hunter?"

The knowledge that the woman clearly had was starting to torment me, I had needed to know who she was before I confirmed that bit of information.

"Tell me who I am speaking to before I let you know if I am Carmen hunter."

There was deep sigh on the other end of the phone before she had started to talk again.

"My name is Sue Black, and I live in Pacific Palisades. Two years ago my husband and I took in an abandoned girl. She did not speak much at first, but a few months ago she came out of her shell and started remembering her mother, from what her father has said. She said that her mother's name was Carmen Hunter. We have been looking for her mother ever since and you are the first woman that we have contacted with that name," she explained.

I had held my breath when I had asked the next question.

"Is the girl's name Emily?"

I had held my breath while waiting for the answer, not daring to hope.

"Yes. So will you please tell me if your Carmen Hunter or not, because if not then we are wasting each other's time."

"Yes that is my maiden name, my married name is Platt. Is Emily all right? I have not seen her since she was six months old."

We had continued to talk for the next few hours, during which Sue had filled me in on what was happening. She was a nurse who worked at a nearby hospital and her husband Billy Black was a rich lawyer. They had a son called Jacob who was the same age as Emily and from what Sue was telling me, they were very close. Neighbours had found Emily in an abandoned one bedroomed apartment in Inglewood. The social workers had taken her to the nearest hospital to have her checked out. Sue had been on duty that day and had felt sorry for her so she and her husband had taken her into their home. They had tried to find James but he had appeared without a trace.

We had arranged to meet the following day at Coupa Cafe. I had not told Eleazer or my daughters about it, just in case it was all for nothing. I had not known how Emily would react, fifteen years is a long time.

I slept restlessly that night, tossing and turning as I wondered what Emily looked like.

Late the next morning I had walked into Coupe Café, scared out of my mind as I looked around. My eyes had fallen on a tall Indian woman with a teenage girl by her side. The girl had been beautiful with long black hair and olive skin. I had known that without a doubt that was my Emily.

I had walked over and introduced myself. Sue was a lovely woman, she told me all sorts of stories about what Emily had been doing since she moved in with them two years ago. Emily told me that she was currently dating a guy from school, Edward Masen. Even though he was a year younger than she was, it had been obvious that she cared about him a great deal. She had also told me that Jacob was his best friend and that the three of them have a great time together.

Sue and I decided during the meeting that it had been in Emily's best interests that she stay where she currently was. I had known that I would have to tell Eleazer, Kate and Irina about Emily but right now had been a bad time.

Over the following months, Emily and I had become closer.

In the end, the day that I had planned to tell Eleazer about Emily was the day she phoned me in tears, asking to meet with me.

We had met in Starbucks and the very second that I saw her I knew there was something wrong.

She had then told me that she found out that she was pregnant two months earlier and just had an abortion. When she had first told Edward Masen that she was pregnant he had been happy but then over the following few weeks he had accused her of been with Jacob and that the baby was not his. It was as if he changed overnight.

I could understand that as a fifteen-year-old boy he had been scared, but it had not excused his behaviour against my daughter.

He had told her, if she could prove that the baby was his then he would support her, but if she couldn't then the only way he would remain with her was if she had an abortion,"

She said that she loved him so she went through with the abortion. Now that she had done it, he was going around calling her a murderer and would not have anything to do with her.

I had sat with her that day as she cried her heart out for the baby that she lost and I swore that someday I would make Edward Masen pay for what he had done to my little girl.

The following years Emily had done well in school and she had graduated high school at the top of her class. She was now studying Fashion design in Paris.

I had never told anyone other than Kate about Emily, and then only Kate because I had needed her help in getting Edward to give me the grandchild he had taken away from me. Kate had tried to seduce Edward with that purpose in mind, but when he had been with her, he had been too drunk to get it up. She had tried again the next morning, but that had also failed as he had run out of her apartment the second he woke up.

I had thought all was lost until Esme and Carlisle decided to trust Eleazer and I with Bella's care.

It had been music to my ears when I heard that Edward Masen was the father of her baby and that he had been treating her the same way he had treated Emily. I had known without a doubt that he would sign over parental rights to me since he did not want the baby. All I had to do was get him to meet with Bella face to face so that he could convince her. I even went as far as to have Jacob befriend Bella, so that he could plant a seed of doubt in Bella's mind and try to get her to see what Edward Masen was really like, but things had not worked out like I expected.

Bella and Alice had disappeared before Jacob could take her out on a date after meeting at the back to school party that I had thrown for them.

Now that I had told Esme who Emily was, plan A was for naught and I would have to move on to plan B.

ESME POV

As I stood there listening to Carmen talk crap about how Edward Masen owed her a grandchild, I knew I had to get out of there as fast as possible but not before I asked her one single question.

"If you have another child, then how come Eleazer never told us and how come we never even met her?"

She paused as she thought. I knew that she was trying to think of the right answer.

"I never told him. I had an abusive boyfriend before we ever met and I had a daughter out of that relationship. He disappeared with her when she was six months old and we were only reunited five and a half years ago," she said sadly.

I shook my head, knowing that I had heard enough. Carlisle took my hand and told me with his eyes that he had also had enough, that it was time to leave. I turned to leave the house, but not before saying my parting piece.

"You had better leave my daughters alone, otherwise things will not look good for you," I spat and left the house with Carlisle.

We got into the car and drove back to Jasper's home with only one thought in mind.

Should I tell Bella or let Edward explain his side of everything.

BPOV

I woke up to the sun shining in through my window. I got up and happily walked to the balcony thinking of everything that had gone on last night and what Edward had said during his interview.

I went to my closet to pick out an outfit to wear today when I heard a knock on the door.

Without giving me time to ask whom it was, the little pixie herself walked in, armed with a breakfast tray full of fruit, toast, orange juice and coffee.

"Hi, I thought that you might need your strength for today," she said smugly.

I nearly laughed, thinking that the annoying little pixie was always a step ahead of me no matter what I did, but this time I decided to play dumb.

"I do not know what you are talking about," I said, popping a grape into my mouth.

"You know damn well what I am talking about and stop playing stupid. I know you better than you know yourself," she smiled.

I went over and sat down at the edge of my bed.

"Ok then miss know it all, tell me why I will need my strength for today," I smiled knowingly.

Alice stood in front of me with her arms folded across her chest smiling smugly.

"The first thing you are going to do is take a shower while I go through your clothes to find you something decent to wear. Then you are going to ring Edward and arrange to meet with him."

I opened my mouth to tell her that even though I was going to meet him I did not want to ring him yet, but she put her hand up to stop me from saying anything.

"Do not say that you are not going to do it because we both know that you are. I am not saying that you have to get back together with him or even forgive him, but at least give him a chance to redeem himself."

I hated it, but I knew she was right. I did need to give him a chance, if not for myself then for our unborn baby. It was for that reason alone and not because of what Alice said, that I decided to ring him to arrange a meeting so that I can hear what he had to say. It did not mean that I forgave him for what he had done, I just wanted to see for myself if what he had said was genuine and if we could possibly become friends.

Without saying a word to the meddling pixie, I grabbed my robe and toiletries before stepping into the bathroom for a shower while she went through my closet.

After a fifteen minute shower I emerged fresh as a daisy and went to investigate what fashion disaster Alice had decided to dress me in that day. I came out of the bathroom to find a box on top of my bed. The writing on the box said Tiffany Rose. I held my breath as I opened the box. Inside was the most beautiful maternity dress. It was midnight blue with a wide scoop neckline and demure capped sleeves. I put it on over my white lace under garments. It fit perfectly, especially over my small swollen stomach. My white flat sandals completed the outfit.

I stood in front of my full-length mirror and admired the way the full skirt adds a gentle swish and sway.

I suddenly felt like someone was watching me so I looked over by a door to find both Alice and Esme standing there with Jasper, huge grins on their faces. Alice looked like she could hardly contain her excitement. Esme, on the other hand,looked worried even with the grin on her face as she pulled me in for a motherly hug.

"I knew that dress would be perfect on you as soon as Alice and I saw it," she whispered.

I looked from Esme to Alice and nodded my head in wonder.

"When did either of you get the chance to buy this dress? I had been with you both since you got here," I asked Esme.

Esme looked at Alice as Alice looked at me.

"We drove past a Tiffany Rose shop yesterday when we left mum and dad's Malibu home and I could not resist stopping to have a look around. When I saw that dress, I had a feeling that you might need it," Alice answered smugly.

She picked up the phone on my bedside table and handed it to me, along with a phone number.

"Ring him and do not worry, Jasper and I will not leave you alone with him until you tell us," she said.

I nodded to her as I dialled the number waiting anxiously for Edward to pick up the phone at the other end.

EPOV

I was in the shower with my cock in my hand, stroking it while thinking of Bella when I suddenly heard her sweet voice. I thought that I was hallucinating, just hearing he voice made me cum hard against the shower tiles. I quickly turned off the water and wrapped a towel around my waist.

When I got into my bedroom I saw the red flashing light of the answering machine showing that I had a new message. I pressed the button to listen to the message and the sweet voice I had been dreaming about, started speaking.

"Hello Edward, th-this is Be-Bella. I w-w-wanted to l-let yo-you know tha-that I sa-saw your int-intervi-interview last night. I wa-was hoping th-that we co-could meet sometime today and tal-talk. You can co-contact me at Jas-Jasper's home. Hope to see y-you later," she stuttered nervously.

I replayed it five more times to make sure that I heard it correctly. I was right yesterday. She was staying at Jasper's home and I could not be happier, knowing that my best friend was looking after her. After listening to the message for the sixth time, I dived for the phone and dialled Jasper's number with shaking hands.

He answered on the second ring.

"Hello?"

I took a deep breath before speaking.

"Hi Jazz, how are you," I mumbled nervously.

"Well hi Eddie, you must of breaking the world record for returning a phone call so fast," he joked.

I could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke and it made me relax a little.

"Is she there? Can I speak to her? Can we meet?"

He paused before he continued.

"Yeah she's here, but there are one or two things I want to say to you first," he said seriously.

I decided not to speak until he had said his piece.

"One, this meeting will be in a public place. Two, Alice and I will be there with her. We will leave you both alone to talk, but we will not be , one sign of trouble or shouting on either of your sides and I will end this meeting by taking Bella away. I will not have her upset. Do you agree to these three rules?" he asked.

I nodded, even though he could not see me and he knew it.

"You do know that I cannot see you nod your head through the phone," he laughed.

I laughed along with him, but then I became serious.

"Yes I understand. I would not expect anything less. Where do you want to meet?"

"How about Beverly Gardens Park in two hours," he asked.

I was barely able to get the word yes out of my mouth I was so shaken up.

He hung up without another word and I sat down on the edge of my bed, still in my towel.

Tears started falling from my eyes as I sat cradling the phone against my chest.

"Please may she forgive me, please may she forgive me," I mumbled tearfully.

I stayed in that position for the next thirty minutes until I realised that I still had to get dressed and Beverly Gardens Park was at least a thirty-minute drive.

I went over to my closet in a daze and put on the first set of clothes that I found., a pair of Levi blue jeans and a black short sleeve shirt. When I was finished dressing, I went over to my bedside dresser and took out the little present that I wanted to give to Bella for our baby, putting it into my pocket as I made my way out the door.

*~*~AA~*~*

One hour later, I was walking along the path inside the Beverly Gardens Park as my eyes fell on one guy and two girls sitting down on a bench. My heart jumped to my throat and had to remind myself to breathe when I saw Bella sitting there with Jasper and Alice.

She looked like an angel, sitting there in a blue dress, her hair falling down to her waist blowing in the wind and her stomach swollen with our child. I knew that I loved her, but to see her sitting there inspite of everything that I had done, pregnant with our baby, made me realise that I could never be without her again. She was it for me, whether she wanted me or not, loved me or not.

I slowly walked over to where they are. Bella turned to face me before I said anything, as if she could sense me. Jasper was smiling and Alice looked weary, but I could not tear my eyes away from Bella as her eyes filled with tears.

As Bella and I continued to look at each other, Jasper spoke first.

"We will be sitting over by the water fountain if either one of you needs us," he said as he took Alice's hand before they walked away.

I sat down next to Bella, my eyes still not leaving hers.

I had waited weeks so that I could talk to her and now that she was here with me I could not find the words that I wanted to say.

"Hi," I whimpered.

She smiled through her tears.

"Hi," she said sadly.

I lifted my right hand to put my palm on her warm cheek, but something held me back before I could do it.

I did not how to start, how to to say that I was sorry, but I was relieved of that burden when she started speaking first.

"That interview last night was so wonderful, I wish I could tell you in words how I felt watching it," she said tearfully.

I was close to tears myself and I still had to tell her everything, to give her some peace of mind and hopefully have her give us a second chance together.

"I meant every word I said Bella. The feelings that I have are real and so is my love for you," I whispered lovingly as I put my right palm on her cheek and stroked it with my thumb. She went to speak again, but I put my finger on her lips to stop her.

"There are things that I need to say to you and if you speak now, I will lose my nerve," I said gently.

She nodded against my finger and I reluctantly removed it from her soft lips.

I took a deep breath, my heart thumping in my chest as I started speaking.

"Everything I said in the interview is true. The way I feel about you, my past and the reason for lying in the first place, the way that I acted from the beginning, everything."

I took a deep breath as I continued.

"It all goes back to when I was nearly fourteen years old. I was kind of a shy kid and I had one friend. His name was Jacob Black."

I heard Bella gasp. I looked at her and saw that she went pale. I would need to ask her about that later but I needed to say this.

"We were as thick as thieves. We did everything together until the day he came to school with Emily."

My hand felt like it was clenching at my heart as I remembered her on that first day.

"She was the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen with long black hair and beautiful creamy skin. She was found in an abandoned house but the Blacks took her in as one of their own. I quickly fell in love with her and she said that she felt the same way. Emily, Jacob and I were like the three musketeers, we did everything together."

I took a deep breath, knowing what I had to say next and it was very hard for me to relive it.

"The Blacks threw her a sixteenth birthday party and she invited the whole sophomore class. By then, I was only fifteen but I was a year ahead in school so I was also among the sophomore class. Half way through the party she took me by the hand and took me to her bedroom. She told me that she was a virgin and that what she wanted for her birthday was to have sex with me. I was also a virgin but I did not think twice about giving myself to her. We stupidly believed that she could not get pregnant the first time so I did not wear anything."

"We were at it every chance we got for the next two months, so one Saturday afternoon when I was missing her desperately, I decided to surprise her. When I got there the front door was open so I walked in while calling out for her. She did not answer but I could hear noises coming from the kitchen. I walked in and found her and Jacob going at it on the kitchen table. I stood there watching for about fifteen seconds, feeling sick to my stomach. I ran out, knocking a vase off the table as I went. The sound of it smashing on the ground must have alerted the lovebirds because Emily came running after me, shouting my name with her blouse wide open, showing her bare breasts."

I stopped talking as Bella put her arms around me and held me close. I did not realise that I was crying until a teardrop fell on her neck as she held me. I pulled back against my will and saw that she was crying as well.

It took me a few minutes to calm down before I continued.

"When she caught up with me she said all the usual things, like it was not what it looked like or it was a mistake that it would never happen again. When I told her that I didn't believe her she got mad saying that I could not leave her because she was pregnant with my baby."

"I told her to show me the proof that she was pregnant and that only then I would be willing to talk to her."

I stopped long enough to let the tears continue to fall from my eyes. Bella took a hanky out from her purse and handed it over to me.

"Bella, I know what I am now or was before I met you, but there is one thing that you need to know. Emily was the only girlfriend that I had ever had and once I caught her cheating, there was no way in hell that I was ever going to take her back," I cried.

"She rang me the next day and told me that she had a doctor's appointment that day, so I went along with her. "

"When we were called into the doctor's room, he said that he was going to give her a dating scan to let us know how far gone she was. I could see the fear in her eyes but imagine my surprise when he said that she was fifteen weeks pregnant, we had only had sex for the first time two months before."

"I ran out of the hospital room only to have her follow me, shouting that the scan was wrong and that she loved me."

"I told her to fuck off, so she got pissed at me and told me that she was having sex with Jacob for the last six months. When she told him that she was pregnant he told her she had a choice, to get rid of it or find some other sap to take responsibility for it."

"They decided together that she would have sex with me and make me believe that I was the father. I told her to go and jump off a cliff, that I hated her. I could not stand to have her anywhere near me. I walked away, but she shouted after me threatening that if I did not stand by her she would tell everyone that I abandoned her."

"Two weeks later, there was a knock on the door. When I answered it Emily was standing there looking at me with such hate in her eyes. She told me that Jacob had taken her to the clinic and that she had had an abortion. She told me that it was my fault, that all I had needed to do was to stand by her, but that I had not because I had never loved her in the first place."

I put my head in my shaking hands.

"She was delusional. She walked away shouting that everybody was going to know that I made her abort the baby."

I looked up at Bella, tears were falling freely from both of our eyes as I continued.

"She kept her word and spread the rumour that I made her abort the baby, that I was calling her a murderer. I became severely depressed because of it. I was only fifteen years old, but I felt like she took my trust in people and smashed it with her shoe. My parents tried to help me by getting me counselling but there was nothing they could do, so they sent me to boarding school in New York."

"I swore to myself that I would never let anyone get close to me again and that I would never put myself in the position of getting another girl pregnant. I just could not trust anyone, Emily destroyed that in me. "

I looked away knowing what I was going to say next and I did not want to see her as I spoke those words.

"When I first saw you I was mesmerised by you, I could not take my eyes off you. You were so beautiful and the feeling that I had in that moment scared the hell out of me, but I knew that I wanted you anyway. "

"When we had sex it was the greatest time of my life. When I left you I felt hollow but I knew that I would see you again sometime in the future because our best friends were together".

"The day that I found out you were pregnant, I felt enraged. It was as if history was repeating its self. I could not let that happen again. In the diner that day, as I looked at you, all I could see was Emily; so I threw the money at you for the abortion and ran out before I could break down. When you came out of the diner and threw the money in my face, I have to admit I was so incredibly turned on, it took everything in me not to throw you against the car and fuck the living shit out of you. Instead I shouted after you, telling you that it was not over. I convinced myself that you were out to trap me just as Emily did and this time I decided that instead of ignoring you, I was going to help you have an abortion. When you continued to refuse, I decided to lie and told everybody that you were trying to trick me before you could do it to me".

"It was when I went to find you at Alice's parents place, when I found you gone, that I started to really think about things. Losing my cool with Alice's parents and them recording it did not help much," he laughed through his tears.

"After thinking about it all for a few days, I started to see the differences between you and Emily."

I finally looked at her, but I wish that I had not. She looked so hurt and sad, all I wanted to do was put my arms around her so that we could cry in each other's arms.

"Bella, for years I used sex to escape from my problems and that did not change after I met you. I am sorry about that," I said shamefully.

"I know that it will take a lot for you to trust me again, but I promise to you that everything I have said is true, including my feelings for you. It hit me like a bolt of lightning, when I realised that I loved you. I love you and our baby so much it hurts. I do not know how I can make things up to you, but I hope that you will at least allow me to try."

I put my hand in my pocket and took out the box that I had brought with me.

"I bought this for our baby the day I realised I was in love with you and that I wanted to be a father to our baby," I whispered as I put the box in her shaking hands.

She opened the box and let out a breath as she took out the 14K gold designer baby bracelet. It had two birth stones peridot and sardonyx for when the baby was due in august, with a triple A grade round cultured pearls.

She looked up at me, her eyes shining with tears and threw her arms around me. I held her close as she cried. When she pulled away, I gently wiped away her tears with my thumb.

"Bella I have a lot to make up for but will you give me that chance by allowing me to be a part of both yours and our baby's life? Even if it is only as friends," I asked, I waited breathlessly for her answer.

What do you think? Did you imagine something different? Do you still hate Edward or should Bella give him a chance?

What do you think of Carmen and her story?

What will Bella's answer be?

Please please please review and let me know your thoughts.

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