Disclaimer: I don't own them...

Hugs to SunflowerFran3759, JylWay and Dinia for making this pretty.

BPOV

We didn't get away for the weekend, despite Edward's planning. Storm clouds started rolling in, and the wind was so strong that trees were bending at angles that didn't seem possible.

So instead we decided to wait the weather out and went to the Cullen's home for dinner, making Mrs. Cullen extremely happy. I watched the chaos outside from the covered patio, that sat just off of the kitchen.

Mrs. Cullen sent everyone into the family room with drinks and appetizers. I excused myself to the bathroom and on my way back to Edward, I noticed the patio. I just needed a few minutes to myself; Edward's family dynamic was much like my family's, and I realized that I was missing them.

A few minutes later, Mr. Masen found me and sat down in the chair next to me.

"It's overwhelming for you, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

I nodded. "Yes, overwhelming is a good word for it."

"Elizabeth was the same way. She would get terrible headaches if she was out in a large crowd. Too much stimulation, she would say."

I smiled. "Yeah, that's a good way to explain it. The images just flash one right after the other and I can't get a grip on what is in front of me and what is flashing. It's hard to block when the images are so strong."

"My family can be a bit much at times, but they are good people."

I didn't say anything in response. Some of the images I'd seen were a bit much. Esme seemed to be in quite a few of them. She was...a constant, always hovering in the background.
My mother likes to know what is going on in my life, but she isn't in the periphery all of the time. I can breathe and have my space with her, but Mrs. Cullen, well she seems to want her hands in everything; especially her children's lives.

I am not quite sure how I feel about that. Boundaries are a necessity for me. Maybe that's why Edward finished school in New York; so he'd get the chance to really be on his own.

"My daughter is in Mama Bear mode. That girl did a real number on Edward, and Esme doesn't want him to go through that again."

I didn't want to be rude by responding, 'But he's an adult! She can't live his life for him. I'm not Kate!,' so I kept my mouth shut.

Mr. Masen chuckled next to me. "You have a lot of fire. I think you are exactly what my grandson needs. That girl treated him like a possession; pouted when she didn't get her way, threw tantrums if he didn't agree with her. He did everything he could to make her happy, but she never was. I don't think she ever would have been truly happy with him," he sighed, a sad sound, and shook his head.

"I think she is on her way here...to see Edward." I whispered, not wanting to say it out loud and make it true.

"Elizabeth has been flashing pictures of her in red," he said quietly, then laughed. "I bet if she could draw horns and a tail on the picture she would."

I stared at him for a long moment, wondering how long he planned to hold on to Elizabeth. The mirth left his eyes and understanding filled them.

"I'm not ready to let her go. Not yet."

I nodded and reached out to squeeze his hand. I wouldn't be ready to let her go either, if I were in his shoes.

A loud bang had us both jumping up and rushing into the family room. Mrs. Cullen was being held by her husband and Edward was holding a kicking and screaming Rosalie, whose anger was directed at a blond woman in a tight-fitting, designer outfit, holding a baby in her arms.

Of course.

Of course this would happen on a stormy and cloudy day. If it had been sunny out, Edward and I would have been far away from here for the weekend.

"Okay, now everyone calm down," Mr. Masen spoke loudly, quieting everyone in the room.

Kate looked over at him and then her eyes narrowed in on me.

My face was impassive. I'd already seen the images of her, here in this house. I'm not sure what she was hoping to accomplish in this setting, but I'm sure she was hoping the baby would lessen the blow against her. Poor baby, he was already being used as a ploy to get her what she wanted.

"Kate, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to speak with Edward."

I looked over at Edward. He looked uncomfortable, and angry. "About?"

"Edward," she said, and took time to look around at the unfriendly faces in the room. "Can we speak in private? There are things that need to be said."

"Anything you need to say can be said in front of my family," he moved away from Rosalie after giving her hand a quick squeeze.

He stood tall as he faced Kate. He looked...strong and unyielding; a force to be reckoned with. It was quite obvious that Kate was not expecting him to be confrontational.

"I can't...I'd like to speak with you in private."

"I don't want to speak with you in private. Why did you come here?" His eyes moved from the baby in her arms, and back to her face.

She fidgeted uncomfortably, before straightening her back. "I want to apologize to you, for everything that happened in New York." She licked her lips and adjusted the boy on her hip. "I have been trying to get better. For you."

Esme let out a gasp and Rosalie muttered under her breath. I felt uncomfortable, and I made a move to leave the room but Edward's eyes flew to mine before I could step away.

His green eyes were telling me not to leave, not to doubt, not to believe her. While I couldn't see him, I could see what he was pushing at me now.

The two of us on the beach, holding hands.
Candlelit dinners.
His eyes as he leaned in to kiss me.
His body as he moved above me.
My body curled up against his in bed.
White dresses.
Suits.
Flowers.

My eyes watered and his softened. Don't worry, stay with me, they said. I gave him a slight nod and he turned back toward Kate.

My breath caught in my throat.

Mr. Masen's arm wrapped around my shoulder and Rosalie was looking at me with a small smile. When I looked over at Kate, her eyes were angry.

"Kate," Edward said, capturing her attention. "What. Do. You. Want?"

"To speak with you, without an audience," her voice was equally strong.

"My family knows everything, Kate. There is no need for you to be concerned about an audience. They were the ones who put me back together when you disappeared."

His voice was hard; his words cutting. He was losing his patience with her. I could understand his point though. If she truly wanted to apologize, she should be able to own up to her actions regardless of who was here to listen.

"How could you tell them?" She screamed. "It was none of their business!"

Edward laughed. "Of course, because it would make you look bad right? We can't have that now, can we? Let me guess, you have told your family nothing, which is why Alice attacked me the last time I saw her. Nice try though, trying to pass the kid off as mine. He's very cute, but doesn't really look like me; or you, if I'm being honest. Does he belong to the guy I met in the bar the last time I saw you?"

Her face paled and her grip tightened on the baby. His blue eyes were moving from person to person, his fingers in his mouth; he didn't look scared, and that made me wonder just how much this little guy has seen. When his eyes met mine, we locked and images swarmed me.

Men. Image after image, different men in and out of his view.
Kate asleep.
Shaking - his vision shaking, blurry. Is he crying?
A brown bear.
Kate fighting with someone.
Kate giving him a bottle.

Lonely. He's so lonely. I don't see him being hugged or loved. The images flashed like he was watching from the outside, not actually a part of the life going on around him.

Mr. Masen's voice broke through, "...you okay, Isabelle?"

Edward's eyes were in front of my face. "The baby..." I whispered, as Edward's arms wrapped around me.

"Mom? Will you call Tanya and let her know Kate's here?" His eyes turned to Kate, but his arms were still tight around me. "If you want to talk, we'll do it while everyone is here. I don't appreciate being talked about behind my back and your family deserves to know what is going on with you."

Edward seemed to really look at the little boy in Kate's arms. His clothes were too small for his size, his hair messy and his diaper was fat around his legs. "Jesus, Kate. You took time to dress yourself to the nines, but couldn't take the time to change your son?"

Kate didn't seem to hear him; her eyes were focused on Edward's arms around my waist.

"Dad, can you take the baby into the guest room, run a bath for him," Mrs. Cullen said loudly. "Tanya is on her way. Kate, sit somewhere and don't speak. I'm barely holding myself together at the moment."

Kate gave the child to Mr. Masen and the baby didn't even fuss; he smiled at the man holding him.

I followed behind Mr. Masen wanting to escape the room filled with tension. Edward's hand wrapped around mine and he pulled me into an office.

"Are you okay?"

"I am." I whispered. "Are you okay?"

He wrapped me in a hug. "I don't want her. Seeing her, did nothing for me." He pulled away from me slightly and looked at me. "I was worried that I'd feel..." he shook his head. "I don't know...something toward her; but I feel nothing."

His voice sounded relieved and I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I swallowed loudly and was going to ask him what he meant, but his lips found mine. This kiss was strong and needy.

When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine."I was worried that she would interrupt what we've started, that she would try to sway me away from you. I thought that if I felt like there was still some kind of obligation there, it would mess everything up."

My eyes moved back and forth between his. He smiled, and kissed me softly; lips on lips, his hands on my cheeks and his body so very close to mine.

"Did you see? Were you able to see?" He asked, and my eyes watered.

"The beach, and flowers, and..." he cut me off and kissed me again; more forcefully and pinned my body between him and the wall.

"That's what I want. With you. Only you. I know it's probably too soon to be saying these things, but I feel it. Here," his hand covered my chest. "I feel it like nothing I've ever felt before and I want you to believe that nothing that happens in that room tonight will change that."

I choked back a sob, and a tear rolled down my cheek. "I believe you." I stood on the tip of my toes and kissed him. "I believe you."

He pulled me into his arms and we stood that way for a couple of minutes before there was a knock on the door and light spilling in from the hallway.

"I'm sorry to interrupt."

"Grandfather, it's okay," Edward turned us toward the door, but kept his arms around me.

"Isabelle, would you mind helping me with the baby? I can't quite get him to stay still."

I wiped my face and kissed Edward again, before walking out to help Mr. Masen.

I played with the little guy as I undressed him; his laugh was a funny little rumble and his eyes squinted. I placed a towel on the floor of the bathtub so he wouldn't slip around. Mr. Masen was quietly leaning against the counter as I washed and played with the baby.

He was so very cute, and has an easy smile. His little mind was pushing images at me like questions. Blue eyes showing me what he is thinking and feeling at the moment; like how fascinating the bubbles are to him.

I pulled him out of the bath, wrapping him in a towel and making him giggle as I ran the towel over his belly.

"Did she bring a bag for him?" I tried not to sound snotty, but I don't think I was very successful.

Mr. Masen snorted, "I don't think so."

I laughed as Mr. Masen pulled out his cell phone and started typing.

"Are you texting someone in the next room?"

"I don't want to walk out there. If I don't see the blood, I'm not a witness."

I was still laughing, and little guy was smiling; I could see my face in the images he was flashing out at me.

That's when the power went out.

a/n: Hi! Hope you all had a great weekend. So...Kate's here. What do you guys think? Let me know - I've been sending out teasers to people who review, I'm not above bribes. LOL. As always, thanks to all of you for the reviews. I truly appreciate them.

Recs:

Deviant by planetblue. All I can say is, it makes me blush. :)

The Rain Season by elusivetwilight. I just started chapter 2, but the first chapter definitely caught my attention.

Okay, have a great week everyone! Ciao!