A/N: I am exhausted! Moving sucks. Oye. But the worst is over. :) How was your weekend?

Edward was nervous. Thanksgiving weekend was set to be one big deal after another.

Friday, they were going to introduce Katie to her room in their house. They wanted to show her the house and take her out shopping, so she could choose her own paint and furniture. She could even help them paint.

That Friday night would be the first night she stayed over. If it went well, she'd stay over Saturday night, too. They'd be that much closer to taking their baby home for good.

Before all that, though, they had to get through Thursday. Thanksgiving Day they were supposed to act out the pretty picture of the happily ever after, best case scenario. Edward and Bella would be at his parents' house with their daughter. Charlie and his family would be there as well-two families melding together to form a larger one. Emmett and Jasper would be there-a happy and welcome part of their motley, unique family.

In reality, Edward and Bella would be arriving at Carlisle and Esme's house without their daughter. She would arrive with Emmett and Jasper, and they were wild cards. Edward was sure they'd be polite, but this was another terrible first for them-the first Thanksgiving they'd have to share their baby, knowing next year they'd be visiting her, not bringing her. Charlie and his family got along well with Edward's parents, but who knew what would happen when they swirled that whole mishmash together.

So, Edward was nervous.

"Honey, if you chop those carrots any finer, you're going to have carrot juice." Esme took the knife from Edward's hand and smoothed his hair back.

Edward wrapped his arm around his mother's waist and laid his head on her shoulder. She set the knife down, rubbing his back, and chuckled.

"What's funny?" he asked.

"I was thinking about last year, when it was just the four of us. Your children get older, and you start to imagine what it will be like when your house is noisy again. Last year, I sat with you and Alice, and thought, wouldn't it be nice if there was a tiny baby in your arms next year?" She laughed again. "Now, I have a full-fledged grandbaby with unique thoughts, opinions, and sass. And our house is going to be filled with children this year."

"Not all of them are mine, though."

"Oh, well. Thank goodness for that." His mother winked at him. "I'd have been quite alarmed if you had a pre-teen, Edward. Think about that. Being an instant father to an almost-teenage boy?" She gave an exaggerated shiver.

Edward had to smile. His mother had an uncanny ability to dwell on the positive aspects instead of being wrought with anxiety. Edward wished he wasn't so nervous. He wasn't oblivious to the fact there were a lot of great things happening here. While he was sure Emmett and Jasper's intimate Thanksgivings had been wonderful, he was eager to show his daughter what a big Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends looked like.

Katie had met Carlisle and Esme the week after she met Charlie. While Edward was the tiniest bit jealous, he was also relieved at how easily she took to her grandparents. He had a whole bunch of pictures on his phone now of Katie sitting on the kitchen counter, chatting animatedly with Esme as his mother showed her some carpet swatches she'd been looking at. Then, there was a picture of Katie on Carlisle's lap, his stethoscope in her ears as she listened to his heart. Carlisle had brought the thing specifically to tempt her, and it worked like a charm.

He sighed. "Is this life, Mom? Do you ever know what you're doing?"

She scratched behind his ears in a tender motion. "No. Not at all. Though I don't want you to think this kind of thing is normal, Edward. Life is complicated and difficult, but not to this degree." She kissed his forehead and let him go. "I think you should mash the potatoes. Somehow, I think you'll get all the lumps out."

"Good idea."

They worked in silence for only a few minutes before Esme started making careful inquiries about Bella. It had been an interesting month in that department, too. Edward and Bella were trying to be friends, trying to forget what it was like to share alcohol flavored kisses. His mother seemed to have noticed the change in the air between them. She wasn't pushing, but Edward was almost a hundred percent sure she was aware.

"I'm getting almost as frustrated as she is with the job situation. She's been on so many interviews. But despite the fact she comes home with aching feet and an aching back, she feels a little better now that she has this retail job." Edward's lip twitched. She'd been hired on for the holiday season.

"I can hear that tone in your voice, Edward," Esme said, her own tone light.

Edward mashed with some force. "It's just… We're trying to figure out how to be a family. She's missing part of Thanksgiving because she's working. She's probably going to miss part of Christmas. She should be here."

Esme hummed. "Why does she feel better about it? Did she tell you?"

"She wants to contribute more. She wants to buy everyone presents for Christmas."

"I figured as much." Esme moved a pan to the back burner and stirred another. "She'll be here well before dinner. As for Christmas, we'll see what happens before then. She's still looking for permanent work, right?"

"Yes."

His mother touched his arm and smiled at him. "I'll tell you something, sweetheart. Life has the worst possible sense of timing. It would be great if you could deal with one aspect of your life at a time, but it's never going to happen. A good partner is supportive of what their partner needs. She's needed a break like this, to make a little bit of money to buy her baby a Christmas present without help from her father or one of us."

Edward stirred the potatoes, checking for lumps. "I guess it was a crappy thing to say."

"Did you say it to her?"

"No. I'm not that stupid."

"Then you did the right thing." Esme patted his back and moved back to the stove. "I know you're trying to be a good father. It's a juggling act to be a good father and a good...you know. Whatever."

Edward smiled, shaking his head slightly. "Partner works."

"For now," Esme said, her tone dripping with innocence.

"For now."

~0~

Less than half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Edward opened the door to find Jasper, Emmett, and Katie on the doorstep. Katie beamed up at him and threw her arms around him. "Hi," she said cheerily.

Edward put his hand to her head, hugging her back. "Hey, baby."

Katie moved on to Esme, hugging her with enthusiasm. "Hi again, Grandma Mae."

"Hello, sweetheart."

Katie looked around. "Where's my mommy?"

Edward gulped, crouching down in front of her. "Mommy's at work, but she'll be here soon."

Still smiling, Katie reached behind her to take off the backpack she wore. "Okay. I brought stuff to make. You can make it with me."

Edward looked to Esme who winked at him. She offered her hand to Katie. "Come on, sweetie. We can go set up while Daddy gets Jasper and Emmett something to drink."

"Where's Grandpa?"

"He went to pick up your aunt Alice from the airport."

"Do you think she'll like me?"

"Of course she will. Who wouldn't like the best and prettiest girl in the world?"

Katie giggled. "Grandma, you're silly."

As they moved off, Edward turned back to the two men who were staring longingly after Katie from the foyer. Emmett blinked as Edward took the box he was carrying-filled with a crock pot and a covered dish-out of his hands. "Thank you. Come in," he said.

They shuffled inside, and Edward put their dishes on the dining room table. "Please have a seat. We don't usually do the game, but if you do, that's fine. We can turn on the TV." He turned to find them still standing there, looking somewhat lost. "Do either of you want a beer? Soda?"

The way they looked at him, Edward was almost positive they wanted to start yelling. In their shoes, he'd have had a few choice words. This was a farce. Neither of them wanted to sit here and watch their daughter be absorbed into a family they didn't choose.

Jasper took a deep breath, glancing at his husband before he looked back to Edward. It was an obvious effort, but he smiled. "Beer would be great."

Edward smiled back and moved to the ice chest. "Two?"

"Yeah," Emmett said, his voice trembling just the slightest bit. "Thank you."

"Katie's really looking forward to making, um…" Jasper's lip turned up the slightest bit at the corner. "She made us go through at least a thousand pages on Pinterest looking for the perfect thing to make." He looked at Edward. "She said you told her it was a family tradition-that everyone six and over has to make something."

"They talked about traditions in her class a couple of weeks ago. She asked if we had any traditions, and we do. She was happy she was old enough to make the cut and Tyler isn't."

Emmett snorted. "Yeah, she hates being told she's too little to do something."

"Edward, let's switch places," Esme said, coming into the living room. "Your daughter wants to make Oreo turkeys with you."

It took quite a bit of willpower for Edward not to grin like an idiot. He didn't think he would ever get tired of hearing his baby wanted him for anything. "Thanks, Mom."

In the kitchen, he found Katie standing on a chair that had been dragged over to the counter. She was fishing bags of candy and cookies out onto the counter. "Oh good, you're here." She took a folded bundle of papers out of her backpack and smoothed it out on the counter. "I need an adult to cut the peanut butter cups."

"Peanut butter cups? I thought we were making Oreo turkeys."

She gave him a hilariously disparaging look. "Oreos are the biggest thing. Look." She patted the paper instructions. "Look, see? It sits on an Oreo, and it has an Oreo as part of the tail and candy corns as the other."

"Where does the peanut butter cup come in?"

"They're the little ones." Katie held up a bagof mini peanut butter cups. "That's the body. You have to cut a little bit off the back, and I can't do that. I can't use a knife. An adult has to do it."

"Well, I guess I'm your man."

She looked up at him, mildly perplexed. "You're my daddy."

At that, he had to smile. "This is very true."

~0~

Bella had a headache. And a foot ache. Her hips weren't great either. She pulled up in front of Esme and Carlisle's house and paused for a moment. She was already tired because she'd been awake since four in the morning. Gatherings were exhausting. A family dinner with people thrown together because of this bizarre situation was enough to make her want to crawl into the backseat, curl up, and sleep until next week.

Then again, the situation in question was her daughter.

Bella got out of the car and headed up the walk, her steps lighter despite the ache in her feet. Her daughter was in the house, and they were going to have their first Thanksgiving. She wasn't too tired for that.

She knocked on the door. Edward opened it a moment later, but before either of them could say a word, a high-pitched scream rang out behind him. He turned, and they both watched in vague horror as their daughter launched herself at Tyler, little fists flying.

"Katie!" At least three voices cried out. It was Emmett who got to her first. He lifted her up into the air, away from his body while her limbs flailed.

"Katie Elaina. What's gotten into you?" Emmett asked, bringing her closer to his body.

She pointed an accusing finger at Tyler, her eyebrows knitted in fury. "He said he's my uncle."

"I am," he said, scowling from the safety of Charlie's arms. "Mommy and Daddy said so."

"You're not!" Katie drew in a huge, gasping breath, her lower lip trembling. "You-"

"Hush," Emmett admonished. "Come on. Let's go somewhere where you can calm down."

He and Jasper both moved toward the stairs as though they'd choreographed the scene. Bella looked to Edward. His expression matched hers-ache for Katie but annoyance at Emmett. They followed the couple and caught up just as Emmett had sat the little girl on the bed.

Katie looked thoroughly miserable by then, anger drained completely from her face as she cried. "Don't be mad, Da-" She furrowed her brows, her eyes darting between Jasper and Emmett and Edward. "Just don't be mad at me."

"No one's mad at you," Edward said, speaking over Emmett and Jasper's similar statements.

Emmett shot him a dirty look but quelled it quickly. "Tell us what happened."

Katie bowed her head. "Tyler said he and Mike are my uncles," she said in a soft voice.

Bella knelt by the bed in front of her. "They are your uncles, because they're my brothers. That's what uncle means. The sibling-brother or sister-of your mother or father."

"But I don't want other uncles!" Her eyes filled with tears again, and she continued to look down at her knees. "My daddies can't be my daddies anymore, because I have a daddy. So you said, you all said they can be my uncles, and that means they're special." She looked up at Emmett and Jasper, tears falling harder. "I want you to be special."

Jasper scooped her up, and Emmett put his arms around both of them. Bella again glanced at Edward. He looked as uncertain as she felt.

"You know what we all have going on here is complicated and confusing," Jasper said, his voice soft as he rocked her. He set her on her feet and pulled back, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Edward knelt down near the trio. He took Bella's hand and tugged her down beside him. "Katie, baby. It's just that there's no official name for what Emmett and Jasper are to you. Sometimes, people use Uncle when they mean a person whom you have a special relationship with. Uncle is just a label. You know in your heart what they mean to you. What you feel for them will be different than what you feel for anyone else on the whole planet. That's what makes it special. That's what matters."

She studied Edward, somewhat dubious but less miserable than she'd been a moment before.

"Maybe you could come up with a word," Bella said.

Katie brightened. "A special word of my very own?" She looked at Jasper. "Like when scientists make discoveries and they get to name things?"

He smiled, though Bella could see it took some effort. "Yeah. I think that would be really nice, sugar."

She made a face. "If Tyler is my uncle, does that mean he can boss me around?" she asked, still looking at Jasper.

"No," Bella said before anyone else could.

Katie looked to her. "Do I have to call him uncle?"

"No. You can call him Tyler. But you need to apologize to him, because it wasn't very nice of you to hit him."

The little girl ducked her head again. She looked to Jasper and Emmett. "Do I have to?"

Bella and Edward shared another glance, noting the difference between how Katie treated them and how she still looked at the other men. A cold, tired feeling came over her-another reminder of battles yet to fight.

"Yes, you have to apologize to Tyler," Emmett said. "And I think you should apologize to everyone else for disrupting their day. There's never an excuse for hitting someone like that."

At that, Katie looked thoroughly chastened. "Okay," she said in a small voice. She looked up. "I'm sorry."

Emmett pulled her toward him, into a tight hug. "It's okay, baby. I know you have a lot of mixed up feelings about everything going on, but there are better ways to handle them, right?"

"Yes," she said, her voice still wavering. She stepped back, wiping at her eyes and taking a deep breath, as though she were determined to be brave. She glanced at Edward and back to Jasper. "Do I only have to say sorry?"

Emmett looked perplexed at that, but he answered before Edward could. "Yes. Say you're sorry and mean it."

Edward closed his mouth, his jaw clenched in what Bella imagined was annoyance. He had been working on getting Katie used to the way he wanted her to apologize; the method he used in his classroom, which was much more than a simple "I'm sorry." He and Bella had agreed it was the way they wanted to deal with Katie, and the little girl knew that. Bella waited, ready to back his play, but he let the moment pass. They all stood, and Jasper gave Katie a gentle push toward the door.

~0~

All things considered, Thanksgiving was a good, if a little awkward, evening. Carlisle and Esme went out of their way to be especially kind to Jasper and Emmett, making them feel welcome. Not that Charlie wasn't welcoming, but it was hard to overcome their first meeting. All three of them were polite, but distant.

Alice, Bella observed, had an easier time with the idea of letting bygones be bygones. Despite the fact she'd been there for all of their worst moments, she was easy with Jasper and Emmett. She even got Jasper to crack a genuine smile. Of course, she adored Katie, and the feeling seemed to be mutual.

Despite the fact Bella could see Jasper and Emmett wanted to go home, they were good about staying as long as Katie was happy. That was one question answered at least. The novelty of having such a huge extended family was a positive in the clusterfuck that was their situation.

It was only after Katie had passed out with the rest of the kids that Jasper and Emmett made their good-byes. Edward and Bella, having found a moment to talk things out, followed them outside. Bella's heart pounded with nerves as she watched Emmett put Katie in the car, coaxing her to go back to sleep.

This wasn't going to be fun.

"Can we have a second?" Jasper asked as Bella was getting up the courage to ask the exact same question. Emmett stepped up beside him, arm around his shoulders.

Bella and Edward shared a glance, but she nodded. "Yeah, we wanted to talk to you as well."

Jasper looked to Edward. "When you disappeared earlier, your mom and sister talked to Katie about her room. They want to paint it or something." He waved a hand. "Anyway. Katie came to us afterward, and she was upset. We think… We think she's just not ready to stay over. Not yet. Maybe we can put off her sleeping over until after the holidays."

Bella balked, and Edward was already shaking his head. "No. Absolutely not."

"If you-" Emmett started, but Edward cut him off.

"Listen. That's what we wanted to talk to you about." Edward gestured between himself and Bella. "Our roles in Katie's lives need to change. I think she loves us. She looks forward to spending time with us. But right now, we're more like playmates than parents to her. Today made it very obvious who she looks to for guidance, whose word she puts above all others, regardless of what she calls you."

Bella took a deep breath, stepping in as she looked to both of them. "I will never be able to tell you how thankful I am, if I had to lose her, that she ended up with you. You loved her so well, and I'm grateful." She took another shaky breath, fighting down the overwhelming emotion. "I wish I could do this without hurting you. I wish I could do this without hurting her, but you have to understand, it's not your job to raise Katie anymore."

They both looked so stricken it killed Bella. She really did hate hurting them. She hated that she had to take their daughter away in order to reclaim her.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Emmett said. "We're not stopping this. We haven't fought you on anything."

"And you didn't correct Katie when Bella told her to do something and she asked you if she had to," Edward said, his tone even. "You didn't defer to us."

"Katie was upset because she was territorial about us," Jasper said.

"Yes, but you should have let us handle the whole situation when she hit Tyler. It's our rules she's going to follow from now on, and our rules aren't always going to match up with the way you would handle things. You need to follow our lead."

They bristled. For a second, Bella was sure one of them was about to start yelling. Emmett swallowed hard. "Fine. You want to call the shots. I get that. But what does that have to do with letting her stay home a while longer? Just until she's ready."

"She's never going to be ready," Edward said, sounding sad. "None of us is ever going to be ready. It's probably going to be awful, and I'm sure she's going to think we're the worst parents in the world. I'm sure you're going to think the same. It's going to suck, but it's time. We gave her a timeline. We're going to stick to it. And it has everything to do with the way she sees us. She's known for a while now her life was going to change. It needs to change, so we can all start to adjust."

The silence after Edward put his foot down was deafening. Bella grabbed his hand, and he squeezed so hard, she nearly cried out. Emmett and Jasper were glaring, animosity strong in the air between them. Bella tensed, waiting for the yelling to start.

"You're the boss," Emmett said, his tone dripping with venom. He tugged Jasper's arm and, wordless, they got into the car, with Katie still peacefully asleep in the backseat.

A/N: How are you, dear ones?