A/N: FAQ - Are we going to see Charlie's PoV? A - We're going to hear more from him next chapter, though I'm considering an outtake of what happened six years ago at some point. :)

I've had a frustrating few days trying to write things, so you guys get another Dreamer update. Let's meet Katie, yes?

Bella had her legs drawn up on Edward's passenger seat, her knees tucked against her chest in an effort to stop herself from tap, tap, tapping a hole in the floor. If Edward didn't like that she had her feet up, he wasn't saying so, just like he wasn't telling her it was obnoxious to have her face pressed up against the glass. She knew she must have looked foolish, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't get over the fact her daughter had grown up in this neighborhood.

She looked out the window and imagined her little girl playing on these lawns with the other kids, imagined her walking down the sidewalk clasping Emmett and Jasper's hands. It was an affluent neighborhood-much nicer than where Charlie lived. It was idyllic.

All the years Bella didn't know what happened to her baby, she'd feared that if it had lived, it had grown up in squalor. Seeing the neighborhood with her own eyes, that maddening, festering wound closed-one of a million punctures in her heart.

The flip side of that coin was the new ache that had sprung to life when Edward reappeared on her doorstep. It was a hole at the center of her chest, a black abyss that was slowly sucking whatever tattered remains were left of her heart into a void.

Bella struggled to take a breath as they pulled into McCarty-Whitlock's driveway, and she stared at the house her baby had grown up in. She wouldn't have been able to bring Katie up like this. All Katie's life, Bella had lived with horrendous what-if scenarios. What if her baby was being abused? Kept in darkness? What if she was getting by on scraps? It was a different kind of horrible to look around and know the people who had Katie all this time had brought her up with more than Bella was or ever could be capable of.

"Hey." Edward reached across the console and took her trembling hand in his. "It's going to be okay."

She exhaled on a gust. "Is it?"

"Yeah." He offered her a weak smile and tightened his fingers around hers. "I know you asked me to be here because I'm familiar to Katie, but I'm also on your side, Bella." He took a shaky breath. "If it helps, I'm nervous too."

"I don't know if that helps, but I appreciate it."

"Are you ready?"

Bella laughed, the sound thin. "I've been ready for six years… so of course not." Bella closed her eyes briefly, willing her limbs to loosen so she could get out of this car and find her long lost baby girl. "Okay. Let's go."

As they came around the front of the car, Edward offered his hand, and Bella took it gratefully. She thought she could feel him shaking too, but it was hard to tell. She was shaking hard enough for the both of them. With each step, it became more and more impossible to believe this was it. She was finally going to meet her baby. She broke out in a cold sweat, her pulse thready.

Edward knocked for her, which was good, seeing as all Bella's limbs had locked in place, freezing her solid.

"Daaaaaaaaadddddddddy! Someone's at the door, Daddy!"

Bella's knees went weak at the muted sound of the child's voice. That was her baby. She was real. She was really real. She heard the pitter-patter of quick but light feet coming closer, and she held her breath.

"Katie, get away from there. Go upstairs with Poppa. I'll get the door."

There was a short argument Bella couldn't quite hear. She licked her lips and swallowed convulsively, wondering if she was going to faint before the door even opened. That wasn't the first impression she wanted to make.

Emmett must have won the argument, because when he opened the door, he was alone. His expression was tight, but his tone was civil when he invited them in.

No sooner had Edward and Bella stepped into the foyer then they heard a gasp from the top of the stairs. "Mr. Cullen. Hi!" an excited voice called. Bella looked up as a tiny girl-God, she was about as small as Tyler-started to rush down the stairs. Her eyes were bright and her smile huge as she looked at Edward.

"Katie, come back." Jasper appeared behind her, and pulled her up into his arms. "I told you to stay put."

"But, Poppa, it's only Mr. Cullen." She strained in Jasper's arms, but he'd already retreated, disappearing down a hallway and out of sight.

Bella made a little noise of distress, and she took one step forward without realizing she was doing it. Emmett stepped in front of her, his brows furrowed, his hand out in a stopping motion.

It was too much. Seeing Katie, just glimpsing her, was too much. Whatever composure Bella had, she lost. "What are you doing? Why are you doing that?" she demanded, her voice coming out in lurches as she looked from Emmett back upstairs. "Are you trying to make her scared of me? Of us?"

"No. No." Emmett stepped with her, as though he was blocking her from going to the stairs. "That's not what this is about."

"You said I could see her. You can't do this."

"Calm down. I swear we're not trying to be dicks. Just listen."

"I want to see my baby." Bella took a step, this time toward Emmett, her hands in fists at her side. "Right now. You let me see her right now."

"Bella." Edward stepped between her and Emmett, startling her. He took her face in his hands. "Bella, listen, okay? Listen to me. You need to calm down."

"He's not going to let me see my baby. He can't do that. He can't. I'll-"

"Shhhh." Edward stroked his thumbs at her cheeks. "Emmett isn't going to stop you from seeing her. Right, Emmett?"

"I promise that's not what I'm trying to do."

"Then let me go," Bella whispered brokenly. "Let me go to her."

Edward didn't let her go. "You need to calm down. You're going to scare her if you're not calm."

Bella closed her eyes and let him gather her into his arms where she cried softly.

"Come on. We're just going to talk a minute, okay?" Edward didn't let Bella go, and so they did an odd shuffle-walk into Jasper and Emmett's living room. To his credit, Emmett was hospitable. He got Bella a glass of cold water, most of which she dropped because her hands were shaking too badly to hold it. Edward helped her sip, and she began to calm down again.

"I'm sorry," Emmett said. "I wasn't trying to upset you. I just wanted the chance to talk to you first. About what you're going to say to her, I mean."

Bella laughed, the sound as raw and painful as the lump in her throat. "You mean you want to know if I'm going to tell her I'm her mother."

Emmett looked sallow, but he nodded. "Jasper and I thought it would be best if she didn't know all the specifics until we…" He swallowed hard. "By that I mean the four of us know what's going to happen. It's just better, I think. We think. It's not because we don't want to tell her. I mean... Let's be honest, you know I don't want to tell her, but I know we have to. Just not yet. Not today. Kids are… it's just not a good idea yet."

Bella wanted to be irritated because he was talking to her as though she didn't want what was best for Katie. But the way he was stumbling over his words softened her defenses. As much as her world was in a tailspin, she wasn't unsympathetic to what Emmett and Jasper must be feeling. She had the power to destroy their family, and they all knew it.

"We talked about this too," Edward said, glancing at Bella as though to ask if it was okay to speak for both of them. "As far as Katie is concerned, I'm still just her teacher, and this is my friend. We don't have to be more than that today."

Emmett nodded, looking relieved. "Okay." He shifted in his seat and rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you want to see pictures of her? We have a million of them from the day we got her on up through yesterday."

Bella raised her head. She knew what Emmett was doing, and she understood why. "I want to see her," she said, her voice quiet.

His shoulders slumped, but he nodded. "Just… please don't scare her. I know what this is to you, but she has no idea."

"I promise I'll let her lead."

"Okay. Stay here."

Emmett pushed to his feet, and a second later he was calling up from the bottom of the stairs. Bella closed her eyes, willing her heartbeat to slow as she heard Jasper and Katie coming down the stairs. The three of them had a soft conversation, and tears brimmed over, working their way past Bella's eyelids.

"Hi, Mr. Cullen," came a soft, almost shy voice.

Bella breathed out with a shudder and opened her eyes.

Katie was in Emmett's arms now-she looked even tinier compared to his huge frame-with her head on his shoulder as she looked over at Edward. She was so stunningly beautiful, Bella forgot how to breathe as she looked at her.

"Hey, Katie," Edward said, his voice unsteady.

The little girl was, for the moment, oblivious of anything except that her teacher was in the room. Bella doubted she had even seen her or registered her presence yet. She craned away from her daddy, and Emmett set her down looking like it was the last thing he wanted to do. Katie took a few steps forward and plopped down on the ground near Edward's feet, looking up.

"You haven't been at school. Are you sick? Why did you come to my house? Did you visit the other kids?"

Bella spared exactly one glance at Edward, otherwise unable to take her eyes off this child, her baby, her little girl. If she'd had any room to register anything else, it might have surprised her that Edward was looking at Katie with an expression that was the epitome of what Bella felt, all awe and terror and a million conflicting things all at once.

"Um. That's a lot of questions. I'm not sick. I needed to spend some time with my friend." He swallowed audibly, and Bella jumped when he patted her knee. "This is my friend, Bella."

For the first time, Katie's eyes met Bella's. They were brown, and her face, now that Bella was looking right at her in the flesh, was familiar. She couldn't have explained how, but there was something in the little girl's face that Bella simply knew.

Bella sucked in a sharp breath, hardly able to breathe, and Katie ducked her head, scooting back a bit, shy when she realized there was a stranger in the room. Jasper took a step forward, and Katie buried her face against his legs. "Hi," she said, peeking a bit but bashful.

"H-hi," Bella said. It took every ounce of strength she had not to fly off the couch and scoop the little girl-her baby, oh god, her baby-into her arms. Already, Bella had no idea how she was going to walk out of this house without this beautiful child who was instantly and completely an irrevocable part of her.

Jasper leaned down and pulled Katie up his body where she hid her face at his neck. He rubbed her back. "Do you want to tell Edward about what you've been doing in school this week?"

"Who's Edward?"

"Edward is my name," Edward said. "Edward Anthony Cullen. I think you can call me Edward when we're not at school."

Katie perked up, and she lifted her head. "Really?"

"Yeah. I think that would be okay."

"Edward Anthony Cullen," Katie parroted, testing the name out. She grinned.

"Yes." Edward patted Bella's knee making her jump again. "My friend's name is Bella."

"Bella Marie Swan," Bella said. She had to swallow hard before she could speak again. "But you can call me Bella."

She was desperate, desperate, to hear the little girl call her Mom.

"Can you say hello to Bella?" Jasper prompted her gently.

Again, Katie eyed her and again Bella's heart skipped a beat. "Hello," she said dutifully. "I'm Katie. Katie Elaina McCarty-Whitlock." She pronounced each of her names with care and pride.

"That's a very pretty name, and you're such a pretty girl."

Katie ducked her head again. "Thank you," she said, peeking at Bella with one eye. "You're very pretty too."

Bella smiled, a huge grin as an overwhelming love and adoration swept over her. It was frightening, that love. It consumed her, took over every part of her being until she was sure she would combust. There was too much of it and only a limited amount of her.

How? How was she supposed to live with this inside her?

Bella couldn't stop her tears. She gasped, putting a hand to her mouth as she tried to keep from flat-out sobbing.

Katie lifted her head again, furrowing her brows. "Why are you crying? Are you sad?"

"No," Bella said quickly, wiping away her tears. "No, I'm not sad. Sometimes people cry when they're not sad."

"That's true," Katie said, looking thoughtful. "The other day, I cut my finger on a rose and I cried." She reached down, and Jasper set her on her feet. She hurried to a toy box tucked in one corner of the room and fished out a frayed looking baby blanket. She walked back more slowly, looking at Bella somewhat uncertainly. There was still a safe distance between them when she stuck out her hand, blanket and all. "Here. This makes me feel better when I cry."

Bella reached out and took the baby blanket with trembling fingers, wishing she could brush Katie's hand as she did but not daring. The blanket was soft and blue, framed around the edges with a cool, silky ribbon. "Thank you, sweetheart. That's so nice of you."

Katie ducked her head, but she looked pleased. "That's my very first baby blanket. I like to rub the edges."

Since she looked so expectant, Bella took a hint and began to rub the edge of the baby blanket between her fingers. It was indeed a soft, comforting motion, and Katie nodded as though she approved. She looked up at Jasper and Emmett. "Can I play now?" she asked.

"Yeah, sugar. Go on," Jasper said.

Bella clutched the baby blanket hard between her fingers to keep herself from calling out to the child. She didn't want to let her go just yet, couldn't quite understand how she could ever stand to have Katie out of her sight.

Somehow, she managed to keep quiet. Katie only ran into the next room where Bella glimpsed a bunch of miniature sized things-a counter and cabinet with a fake sink, a tool bench. She could also see a bookshelf lined with books of all sizes.

Everything a brilliant young mind would need to satisfy a limitless imagination.

"She's amazing," Bella whispered, looking up at Jasper and Emmett.

Those two words meant so much to her. They were her thanks, because her baby had been loved all these years. Not only loved, but it was clear, looking around the place, that she'd been cherished and doted upon. In her wildest dreams, Bella had never dared to hope that the child she never even got the chance to hold once had been so well taken care of. As much as it hurt her that she'd missed six years of her daughter's life, how could she be anything other than grateful that these two men had given her everything she needed and more?

And yet, those two words were also filled with awe. That gorgeous creature was hers. Bella knew it in her heart and soul. She couldn't quite wrap her head around the idea that someone so amazing could be hers, but it was true.

She was a mommy. She was this beautiful little girl's mother.

"She's the best thing that ever happened to us," Emmett said, stepping over to tuck Jasper under his arm.

Looking up at them, that void at the center of Bella's chest got deeper and wider. She could read the misery in Emmett and Jasper's eyes as clearly as words off a page. Everything she felt in her heart, seeing her little girl for the first time, they also knew in theirs. It would be one of the hardest things she'd ever have to do to walk out of this house without her daughter; Bella already knew that. But what would it be like for Katie's daddies to let her go?

Impossible.

Bella's eyes filled with tears again, and she had to look away from them. She swallowed several times, trying to calm down before she burst out in sobs. She was only a hair's breadth away from being a total emotional wreck.

"I think...Do you think I can see those pictures you were talking about earlier?" she asked, not ready yet to go.

Emmett cleared his throat, his voice thick with emotion as he spoke. "Yeah. Yeah, we can do that."

A/N: So that's Katie.

Quick note regarding anyone who looked into that app I write for, Episode. First of all, thank you for your support! It concerned me, though, that some people thought you had to pay for the app. You get two tickets or whatever so you can read two episodes in one go. After that, it takes four hours for your tickets to refresh. You do have the OPTION of buying tickets ahead of time, but of course, it's not mandatory. I'd never ask you to pay for something just to read my work! (Oh, well...unless you want to buy my books, but that's another story hehehe).

The app does make you go through ten episodes of the beginner story (which is frustrating, I know… ten eps is excessive!). Also, my story hasn't yet appeared on the Android app. SIGH.

Anyway. Again, thank you for your support. I'll let you know when the story is available on the Android platform!