Sorry folks...I'm just not ready for these two to meet just yet but it was a good guess on them meeting at a Halloween festival but you have to remember they are over 8 hours apart.

You may want to brace yourself with this chapter...it's an emotional one.

Chapter 3 (Bella)

Georgia bound

November 2011

It was two weeks before Thanksgiving and I was headed for Atlanta, Georgia with all three girls for a visit with their parents for the first time in almost a year. "Are you sure you are going to be okay?" Alice asked through the speakers of my car.

I sighed and shook my head which caused Molly to snicker from behind me. "Yes, Alice we are all going to be fine. I know that this is the longest me and the girls have ever been away from home or you but we will all be fine. We will be back home next Tuesday." I told her yet again. We were currently five hours into our six and a half almost seven hour trip and this was the fourth time I had spoken to Alice since leaving this morning.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry but I'm nervous for all of you. This is a huge deal for not only you but the girls also. Plus, you had the hair brained idea to drive through the night to a place you've only been to once before." She rattled on.

"I spent nearly a week here last time, Alice. It wasn't a hair brained idea plus leaving at five o'clock in the afternoon doesn't constitute as driving through the night. Especially since it is only eleven thirty and we are almost there." I told her as I glanced in the rearview mirror at my two sleeping beauties in their car seats. I had been absolutely horrified on the initial trip home from Georgia almost a year ago with the way that Mia's head had dangled forward in her car seat. Angela had given me two slumber slings that hook to the sides of their car seats that keep their heads from dangling.

Alice's sigh came through phone causing Molly to giggle rather loudly from the back seat. "Aunt Ali, we are fine. According to my GPS we should be there within twenty minutes." She said sticking her head beside my head rest.

"Yes, Aunt Ali, we are all fine." I reiterated with a laugh. "I will call you in the morning when we all wake up."

"Okay, goodnight Molly. Goodnight Bella, please be sure to give my two babies kisses for me and tell them that I love them."

"Will do, Ali." I said pushing the button to disconnect the phone allowing the music to come softly through the speakers again. "Good job, Molls. Thank you."

She laughed shaking her head. "No problem. She's a worrier."

I nodded in agreement as I drove through the deserted city of Atlanta. There were hardly no cars on the road but I guess that was to be expected since it was nearing midnight on a Thursday. I had decided that since we were going to be spending Saturday and Sunday visiting with Jake and Vanessa then the girls and I deserved to have a little fun before and after to maybe help them deal with the visits. Less than twenty minutes after ending the phone call with Alice I was pulling into the parking lot of the hotel we were staying at. "Okay, Molly stay right here while I go check us in. Lock the doors as soon as I get out, okay?" I asked her. We had went over this earlier because I needed her help so that we didn't have to deal with two overly cranky kids for very long.

"Okay, Aunt Bella."

As I stepped out of the car my nerves sat in immediately because I was leaving three innocent little children alone in my car in the parking lot of a hotel at midnight in a strange town. "I will be right back, Molly. I swear." I told her as I tapped on her window.

She nodded as I heard the locks click into place. I rushed through the check-in which I had reserved over the computer when I had gotten Jake and Vanessa's letters saying that mine and the girls' visitation papers had been approved. "Thank you!" I called out to the check in girl as I rushed back outside to where I saw a man standing a few feet away from my car wearing a similar uniform to the girl inside. "Can I help you?" I asked him nervously as I went to stand beside my car.

He took a step towards me cautiously. "My name is Jackson and I'm the bellhop and night time valet. Do you need a hand with your belongings?"

I sighed in relief and nodded. "Yes, please."

While Jackson carried all of our luggage I carried Mia and Maci in my arms up to our room which was a challenge in and of itself. "Thank you, Jackson." I whispered to him as he set the bags down just inside the door.

"Your welcome. You guys have a good night."

"Please! Please! Please!" Molly begged as she bounced around in front of me as we stood in the lobby of the hotel. Mia was looking up at me with hopeful eyes as she bounced on her toes beside Molly. Maci was patting my shoulder steadily while nodding her head in excitement. We were standing in front of the Atlanta Theatre where Cinderella was being performed on stage in an hour.

I rolled my eyes at them which caused Mia and Molly to cheer because they knew that meant I was going to give in to them. "Fine but I want no cranky business in the morning when we go visit Jake. Deal?"

They all nodded in agreement as we headed for the ticket window to purchase our entrance into the theatre. It was nearing ten o'clock by the time we dragged butt back into the hotel room and visitations with Jake started at ten o'clock but we were told to be there an hour ahead of time. "Okay, we will do baths in the morning." I told all the girls as I washed them off with a warm cloth before slipping their pajamas on and tucking them in the beds. Molly and Mia were sharing one bed while Maci and I took the other one. I set the alarm on my phone before crawling beneath the blankets and snuggling into Maci's limp form.

"Mama!" Maci called loudly as she tapped me on the face. I groaned as I popped open an eye to look at the clock that sat on the nightstand between the beds. 6:58.

I grabbed Maci tugging her back down onto the bed with me causing her to giggle loudly. "Morning Maci girl." I told her as I 'chewed' on her neck causing her to squeal and giggle loudly.

"Up!" She said as she squirmed out of my hold to sit up on the bed. I flopped my head back on the pillow and playfully shut my eyes. "No, Mama! Up!" Maci screamed as she climbed on top of me.

I heard Mia and Molly tossing and turning in their bed which meant that they were waking up too. Just then the alarm sounded on my phone alerting me that we needed to get up because we had to get to the prison in just three hours.

"Molly why don't you come hop in the shower while I order up breakfast." I called out as I help Mia off the toilet.

She groaned but I also heard her rustling around in her suitcase for something to wear. I ruffled her bed rumpled hair as I passed her in the doorway. I sat Mia down in the floor to play with Maci while I called to order room service. "What sounds good this morning girls?" I asked Maci and Mia as they sat playing in the floor.

We finally settled on pancakes, fresh strawberries, scrambled eggs, and sausage links. While Molly occupied the bathroom and we all waited for breakfast to be delivered I pulled out clothes for Maci, Mia, and myself for today. Not knowing what the dress codes for the prison was we were all going to be dressed pretty similarly; jeans, long sleeved shirts, and boots on our feet.

"Molls, breakfast!" I called out to her as I fed Maci from my plate.

Once Molly came out fully dressed with her long black locks hanging loosely down her back I noticed her red rimmed eyes. I stood up so that I could sit Maci down in my seat so that I could pull Molly into my arms. "What's wrong, sweet girl?" I asked her quietly as I pulled her down into my lap as I sat on the bed farthest from the table where the little girls were eating.

She shrugged as she buried her head into my shoulder.

"That's BS, Molly, and you know it. Tell me what's wrong." I said pushing her just a bit but I didn't want her to blow up while we were at the prison visiting with her mom or her dad.

She sighed against me before sitting up on my lap. "I'm just so confused and mad." She said fisting her hands in her lap.

"Okay, let's deal with one emotion at a time. Why are you confused?"

"I don't know whether to call them mom and dad or Jake and Vanessa." She said hanging her head.

I stroked her back gently. "You call them whatever feels right to you, okay?"

"You won't be mad if I call her mom?" She whispered so softly I almost didn't hear her.

I shook my head as I pulled her back against my chest. "Absolutely not, Molly. Vanessa will always be you guy's biological mother. You knew her as 'Mom' longer than Maci or Mia did. Does it upset you that they call me 'mom' sometimes?"

She shook her head. "No because you are what a mom is supposed to be. You are our mom now though not her."

I had to blink my eyes to keep the tears from falling down my face. "Thank you, Molly. I love being a mom to you three girls. I love each and every one of you with all my heart." I told her softly as I squeezed her tight. "Now, why are you mad?"

"Because of what they did to us. I know now that it wasn't right but it was all we knew before you came to get us. They were our parents and they didn't act like it, not like you do." She whispered angrily.

"Baby, they were sick back then. Their thoughts and actions were taken over by the drugs. I know it's not a good excuse but it's the truth. They have both gotten help now and are thinking clearly again." I explained softly.

She nodded before taking a deep breath and wrapping her arms around me in a bone crushing hug. "I love you. Thank you for being my mama." She whispered into my ear.

"It's my pleasure, sweet girl."

After giving the little girls a bath together I sat them in the floor to play and watch cartoons while I rushed through my morning routine. "Molly watch them while I take me a quick shower." I said sticking my head out of the bathroom. "Please."

"Of course. Want me to get them dressed too?"

I smiled at her. "You don't have to, sweetheart. I will do it when I get out of here but thanks for asking."

"She's obviously not mine." Jake whispered as we all walked to the snack machines to get the girls some snacks.

I looked down at Maci who was looking curiously between me and Jake. I shook my head at him. "No, she's not but that is a moot point now because none of them are yours anymore." I snapped at him irritably.

"You think I don't know that, Bella? It's just a shock to know that she's not biologically mine like Mia and Molly are. I gave them all to you, Nessa and I both did, because we knew that you were their best chance at a normal life." He said hanging his head solemnly.

I sighed, feeling guilty for snapping at him. "They have changed my life, Jake, just as I have changed theirs. You two put yourselves before these girls and they didn't deserve that." I told him honestly thinking of all the struggles the girls, Alice, and myself have gone through over the past year because of him and Vanessa.

He nodded as I handed the quarters to Molly to get the snack she wanted. "They don't call me dad anymore." He said softly as he watched Molly pick Mia up so she could push the buttons on the machine.

I shook my head. "Molly and I talked about that this morning. I told her she didn't have to, and she doesn't. She's learned what a real parent is all about and she said herself that you and Vanessa weren't that. I'm sorry Jake but that's their reality."

"No, it's okay. Just kind of a shock to my system I guess now that I'm clean and sober." He said as we headed back towards the table. "I've been called Dad for almost twelve years and now it's just gone."

I nodded sadly as I sat down with Maci in my lap, Mia to my left, and Molly to my right. "Molly, do you have anything you want to say or ask Jake?" I asked her quietly as I nudged her elbow to get her attention.

She looked up at him. "Why?" She asked simply.

I could tell that it was hard to explain his past actions to his twelve year old daughter but she deserved to hear it from him and that is how the rest of our visit went. Before we left for the day Molly shocked us all by willingly giving Jake a hug goodbye which brought tears pouring down Jake's face as he leaned down to place a soft kiss to the top of her glistening black hair that matched his perfectly. "You be a good girl for your mama, she's an amazing person." I heard him whisper into her hair.

She nodded. "I will. Thank you for choosing her to be our new mama." Molly whispered as she stepped beside me reaching for my hand.

"You are more than welcome Molly." He waved bye to us as a guard headed his way. "Thank you guys for coming to visit me."

"You're welcome, Jake. Be safe." I called as we walked through the thick steel security door that allowed us access to the outside world once again.

After I had the girls all buckled into the car I had a great idea to end the day on a fun note. "Who wants to go ice skating after dinner?"

"Me! Me! Me!" I heard from the backseat.

I laughed and headed for a Chinese restaurant that I had passed on the way to the prison. "Okay, Chinese then maybe a walk around the park to look at all the pretty lights before ice skating." I told them as I laid the plans for the evening out to them.

I called Alice later that night as I settled into bed beside an exhausted Maci to give her a rundown on how the first visit went before I collapsed beside Maci anxious for tomorrow to be over with. The next morning the girls were abnormally cranky and moody on the way to the prison where Vanessa was housed at.

"Girls!" I called out raising my voice at them so that I could be heard over them. Mia and Maci were fighting and Molly was complaining because they kept tossing things into her lap. "That is enough."

Mia immediately slumped into her car seat and I watched as Maci's bottom lip began to tremble. "Mama…" She whined pitifully.

I shook my head which caused her to start crying. "Maci Isabella that is enough." I told her sternly.

Her cries settled into mere whimpers and hiccups as I pulled into the parking lot of the female prison. I took a deep breath before climbing out of the car to help the girls out. I could already tell that this was going to be a trying day for all of us and frankly I wasn't looking forward to it at all. "Come on girls." I told them as I pulled Maci from her car seat slipping my purse over my head as I put her on my hip. Thankfully the guard who was managing the check-in got some giggles out of all of the girls which put them in better spirits once we were settled at a table in the visitation room that was eerily similar to the one at Jake's prison. I took a deep breath as I watched Vanessa walk into the room with a huge smile on her face.

"Oh my goodness you girls have gotten so big!" She said excitedly as she sat down on the other side of the table from me and the girls.

I sighed as Maci dug her head further into my neck. "Hi, Nessa." I said to my sister in law that like Molly I held so much animosity and anger towards that it was shadowing the visit.

"Red hair?" She asked in a shocked voice as she pointed to Maci.

I ran my fingers through Maci's bright red strands as she snuggled into my neck. "Yeah and bright blue eyes." I told her looking at her firmly in her face.

"Wow." She mumbled before turning her attention to Mia. "Mia, my girl, can mommy color with you?" She asked reaching across the table to where Mia sat coloring on the pages I had brought with us.

Mia pulled her paper and crayons closer shaking her head.

"Mia, use your voice!" She snapped at her which made me angry because frankly she had no right to talk to her like that or demand anything from her.

Mia dropped her crayons on the table before burrowing into my side. I wrapped an arm around her patting her back. "It's okay, Mia Grace, finish your picture sweetheart." I told her softly as I glared at Vanessa. "She doesn't speak when she's stressed, Nessa, and I don't force her to speak if she's not comfortable in doing so." I snapped at her.

Vanessa held her hands up in apology. "How is she going to learn to speak Bella if she's not forced to do it?"

I rolled my eyes. "She can speak perfectly fine! You would know that if you were around and not locked up here." I snapped angrily at her.

That caused Vanessa to hang her head in defeat. "I know. How are you handling having them with you?"

"She's great, Vanessa. The best mom in the world." Molly snapped at her before looking at me with fire sparkling in her eyes. "Mama, can we go? I don't want to be here." She begged me softly.

Vanessa gasped as she put her hand over her mouth. "She calls you Mama?"

I nodded as I looked at Vanessa. "Yes because that's what I am now." I told her before taking a deep breath. "Nessa this is likely your only chance to see your daughters for the foreseeable future I advise you to put your animosity, smart comments, and anger aside so that you can enjoy seeing them. Otherwise I will do as my daughters want and leave." I told her firmly leaving no room for argument.

I watched the emotions flicker across her face before she sighed in resignation. "I'm sorry Bella to all of you but seeing them so obviously happy and healthy all because of you is such a shock and blow to me." She said with tears in her eyes.

I sighed as I nodded in understanding on her part but I had to protect my girls also. "I know, let's just try to have a nice visit while we still can."

The rest of the visit went better than I could have expected considering how it started but I couldn't contain the sigh of relief as I walked out of the door with my girls all clinging to me. "Can we go home now?" Molly asked that night as we sat on the couch in our hotel room.

I chuckled as I pulled her against my side. "Do you want to head home tomorrow instead of staying for a few more days?" I asked her quietly as 'Frozen' played on the TV in front of us.

She nodded against my side. "Can we?"

"Of course we can, sweetheart. You know I am extremely proud of the way you handled yourself this weekend." I told her honestly.

"Thanks Mama."

The next day we were on the road back home as soon as we had cleaned up from breakfast. Instead of the seven hours it had taken us to get there it took us almost eight to get home because of the frequent stops that came with having two toddlers in the car. "Home sweet home!" I told them as I turned the car off in the driveway. Our blue house standing before us like a beacon of normalcy.

"Home!" Maci cheered from her car seat. "Out, Mama!" She said tugging on her straps.

I laughed at her as I climbed from the car. I was just setting her feet on the sidewalk when the front door burst open revealing an overly excited Alice. "My girls!" She called out as she sprinted off the porch towards us.

All three girls bolted towards her with arms held wide open. Their reunion brought tears to my eyes but I ushered them all inside the house out of the cold because the girls hadn't put their jackets on before bolting out of the car.

Later that evening after the girls were all settled into their beds Alice and Jasper pulled me into the living room for a 'chat' despite my begging for it to wait until morning.

"We have some shocking news to share." Alice said gripping my hands tightly in hers while Jasper sat behind her with his hands clasped in the calm manner that he always exuded.

I took a deep breath as she gripped my hands tightly in hers. "Just spill it, Ali. I'm tired and ready to go to bed."

"We're pregnant!" She spilled all in one big gush.

I slumped back against the cushions of the couch in pure shock. "Wow." I said quietly. "That's just wow."

"Bella, are you okay?" Alice asked nervously.

I smiled at her and nodded. "Yeah. Uh, congratulations. This is sort of some shocking news but I'm happy for you two. I guess it's time to step up the house hunting then." I told them with a smile.

"Thanks, Bella. We are nervous to tell the girls the news." She said hanging her head.

"Yeah, I'm leaving that all up to you two." I told them holding my hands up. "I'm beat, you guys. Congratulations on the baby. I'm sure I will muster more enthusiasm in the morning." I told them getting up from the couch.

"Goodnight, Bells." Alice called as I headed back to my bedroom. Honestly, I was happy for them but I was also extremely nervous on how I would manage with the three girls working the hours that I worked at the hospital. Alice and Jasper had helped out tremendously with my ever changing schedule but I couldn't expect them to do that when they were becoming parents of their own little one. I needed to talk to my supervisor as soon as I got back to work and see if I could set my schedule to days only. If they weren't willing to work with me then maybe it was time to find a job with set hours and non-rotating shifts.

I quickly changed into my pajamas, which was a pair of female boxers and a tank top, before climbing beneath the blankets of my own bed that I had missed something awful the past few days while in Atlanta. I mused over the visits with Jake and Nessa as well as Jasper and Alice's news until nearly two o'clock in the morning before sleep finally took me under.

The next day was spent planning our first big thanksgiving as a family, likely the last one in this house with us all living together.