A/N: Sorry. This week got away from me. Sigh.

Katie was upset that Emmett and Jasper had left without saying goodbye, but that was to be expected. There was no way they were going to get through that last night without tears, but it had been decided between the adults that it would be best for Emmett and Jasper to leave when Katie was distracted. It was as clean a break as they were going to get.

After that were two difficult weeks. Edward and Bella had asked Emmett and Jasper for two weeks. Two weeks where they would have their daughter to themselves, where seeing her former daddies wasn't an option. Actually, everyone was supposed to stay away. No grandparents, aunts, uncles. Just Edward, Bella and Katie, so they could get used to being their own unit within their larger, sprawling family.

It was amusing in some ways. More than once, Katie had smirked with mischievous pleasure when she 'tricked' Edward and Bella into letting her do something she thought she wasn't supposed to do. She thought she was getting away with breaking rules when they allowed her to have a soda or to watch television in the afternoon. In reality, Edward and Bella simply believed in moderation rather than outright denial.

On the other hand, she'd also railed against rules she'd never had before. Katie was ever so slightly spoiled. She would put her own toys away, but she'd had no other chores living under Emmett and Jasper's roof. Edward and Bella were of the opinion a small child should be expected to clean up after themselves. Sometimes, Katie liked climbing up on her little stool so she could wash off not only her plate but her parents' as well as they all helped clean the kitchen. Other times, when she didn't want to clean up messes she hadn't had to before, she cried and ranted and begged them to let her talk to Emmy and Jasper, most likely so she could complain about how poorly she was being treated.

"Makes me wish I had Cinderella," Bella said to her father over lunch one day. Her tone was wry, but she smiled with fondness despite herself. "She's such a drama queen sometimes."

"Mike had a terrible dramatic streak when he was three or so," Charlie said. "Whenever he would break something-which was every other hour some days-he would throw himself on the mercy of the court. He'd get down on his knees with his hands clasped and say, 'Don't hate me, Daddy, please.'" Charlie chuckled, shaking his head. "I never knew whether to laugh or cry."

"That's heavy."

"That's parenthood." Charlie cocked his head, looking her over. "Motherhood is a good look on you, Bells. I've never seen you this happy."

Bella started at that. Was she happy?

Most days she felt overwhelmed more than anything else. She was constantly second guessing herself, especially when Katie was upset or sad. She kept wondering if her daughter would ever look to her with all the trust and love children gave their parents. Katie did love her, but she still didn't look at her like she had Emmett and Jasper. It wasn't the same, and it was worse for Edward.

But…

Her baby came home after school and ran to tell her all the things she'd done that day, showed off her art and her projects. She climbed onto Bella's lap to ask endless questions and chat about all the little girl things that filled her head. She hadn't told Bella she loved her, but she hung on to her frequently, hugged her, kissed her, and cuddled up against her when they were all watching television together.

Mostly, after so many years, so many endless nights of wondering what had happened to her baby, Bella would never get over how amazing it was to simply know. She always knew where her baby was now, and more often than not, she could just stare if she wanted.

Bella couldn't fight her smile. "I am happy. It's hard. I don't know what I'm doing at all, but it's like…" She rubbed her palms together, considering her words. "I wanted to be better for her. When I was pregnant, I used to talk to her and tell her I'd be a good mother, a good person."

She looked down at the table, unable to look her father in the eyes. "I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there. She saved me first-my baby. I was getting into some really bad things." She'd started to drink, started to self-medicate with drugs, started to hang out with the wrong kind of people. "When I got pregnant, I stopped that, because I did want to be better for her. If you hadn't been there, I would have gone back, I think. God, I wanted to. I wanted to forget for a little while, it hurt so much." She rubbed at her chest, soothing the phantom ache there.

"I think about it all the time. If I hadn't lost her, what kind of a mother could I have been? What kind of a mother can I be now? I can't give her so much of what Emmett and Jasper gave her." Bella wrung her hands as she glanced up at her father. "But I did get better. Even without having her, I got better with you, Karen, and the kids. I think I've gotten better at being a mother even though I didn't have her. Now that I do, it's like…I don't want to say I'm complete, because that makes it sound like I'm perfect, and I'm not." She laughed. "I'm so not, but it's like I built my new life around this Katie-sized hole, and now she just fits. Does that make any sense?"

"Of course it does. I think most parents build themselves around the things they want to pass on, the person they want to be when they grow up." Charlie gestured vaguely around them. "This is growing up."

Bella glanced up at her father and smiled. "A crash course, huh? I had to grow up really quick when I got pregnant at seventeen."

"Oh, honey. I think you grew up a long time before that." Charlie's lip twitched. "If your mother had told me…" He shook his head. "Anyway. Turns out I had a Bella-shaped hole in my life, and I didn't know it. I can't imagine my life without you, kid. You, my beautiful granddaughter, and I can even appreciate Edward, you know...a little. "

Bella grinned. "He's good to us."

Charlie grunted, but he nodded. "Speaking of which, is the kid still trying to lay the parent trap?"

"She does try to make sure we do things together, and she still insists on sleeping with both of us." Bella blushed only a little. Charlie had seen her at her worst, after all. What was talking to her father about being in the same bed as her baby daddy to that?

"You should start getting her used to sleeping on her own soon."

"I know. It's just nice to have her right now. It's only been two weeks." She cocked her head, considering. "Plus, it makes it easy for Edward and I to connect. Every other minute of the day we're working or busy with Katie. That bit of time after Katie falls asleep is when we can talk about how we're doing with her."

Charlie fixed her with a sardonic expression. "That's an advantage of sleeping in the same bed as your partner. Sometimes, it's the only time you have to talk."

He studied her a moment, and then huffed out a breath. Bella tensed. He had that look on his face that said he was going to talk about something he wasn't comfortable with. "I'm going to say this to you not because I think you need my blessing, but because I know you get it in your head you're not capable of handling things because of what you've been through. I've seen the way you look at Edward."

"Dad," Bella said with a groan.

"And I've seen the way he looks at you. It's pretty natural. You live together. You have a baby."

Bella hid her face behind her hands. "Oh hell."

"All I'm saying, Bella, is if all that's stopping you i s the possibility you might mess things up, don't worry about it. The two of you both have good heads on your shoulders, and that's more than a lot of couples will ever have."

~0~

It was surprising how quickly life settled into a routine.

Bella found a steady job working customer support in early January, so mornings were hectic. Up until a month before, both Edward and Bella had been breakfast bar on the run kind of people. Now they had to slow down enough to make sure Katie was dressed, prepared for school, and sent off with a full tummy.

After school, Katie stayed with Edward in his classroom until he was ready to go home. Evenings were divided between homework, playtime, and dinner. Katie got a story from Bella or a song from Edward, kisses and hugs from both her parents, and assurances that the nightlight would stay on. Sometimes she stayed in her bed. Sometimes she ended up with one of them. Sometimes they all ended up in the same bed, a little family curled together.

The weekends were usually a mishmash of time spent together or with the family. They usually saw Emmett and Jasper for at least a couple of hours. Together. Edward and Bella were still a little wary of leaving Katie alone with them lest it set them, Edward and Bella, back in their relationship with their daughter.

Late one Saturday morning in February, Edward hit the mall alone with Katie for a little daddy-daughter bonding time. Of all the relationships, theirs was still the most strained. She was friendly with him, but leaned more on Bella. She still referred to him only as my daddy as a title rather than call him Daddy by name.

Still, she trusted him. She held his hand and plastered herself against his side whenever anyone smiled or waved at her. Edward petted her hair in reassurance, leading her over to the mall directory. "So what do you want to get for Grandma's birthday?"

"Hmm." Katie tapped her lips, staring up at the sign. "What's this one?" She pointed to one of the bigger blocks.

"Nordstrom, and that's way out of our league."

She craned her head, looking up at him. "What does that mean?"

"It's too much money, sweetie. Try again."

Katie looked at the stores and pointed to another at random. "How about here?"

"Bath and Body Works. That's doable. Do you want to get Grandma some nice smelling soap."

"That's boring."

"My bad. My bad." He ruffled her hair. "Maybe you should tell me what type of thing you want to get her." He pointed at a store. "Books from Barnes and Noble? Or maybe something from Things Remembered. She might like that. A silver box for her jewelry with Grandma on it." Edward smiled. It was still a little bizarre to think his mother was a grandmother. "We could get Grandma Esme etched on it."

"Is it fancy? Grandma is a fancy lady."

Edward laughed and looked down at his daughter. "What does that mean?"

"Well, her hair is always very pretty, and her makeup is never smudgy. She's very neat. She never gets dirty at all. And she works in fancy houses."

"That does sound pretty fancy." He offered her his hand again. "Why don't we head over to Things Remembered and see if there's something you like?"

Katie was agreeable. "What about Valentine's Day?" she asked as she walked.

"What about it?"

"Mommy is your sweetheart, right? Sweethearts are supposed to give each other things on Valentine's Day. Not cards or candies like at school, but something special. And you should go out to dinner, too. And bring her flowers."

"Hmm." Despite his amusement, Edward's stomach had begun to twist with nerves. "What if I want you to be my sweetheart this year?"

Katie shook her head. "No. That won't work. You love Mommy, don't you?"

Edward sighed. He and Bella had figured this was coming, but it wasn't a conversation he wanted to have. "Of course I love your mother, but love and being a couple aren't the same thing. We're not a couple like Grandma and Grandpa or Emmett and Jasper are."

They got to the shop, and Katie was distracted by the shiny, pretty things. After much discussion and debate, Katie chose a secret message box - a very pretty, jewel-laden box in the shape of a pillow with a butterfly on top. She was fascinated at the idea any words she wished could be engraved into the slim, metal slip hidden inside the box.

"She's going to love it," Edward promised when Katie asked for the fourth time. The little girl was still sometimes unsure of her new family. She also loved to make the adults in her life smile. "How about some lunch?"

"Okay, I- Oh!" Katie tugged on Edward's hand, pulling him across the way. "I know. This is perfect. "

Edward thought Katie was slightly young for Hot Topic, but clearly something had caught her eye. He was amused when she scrambled over to the Funko Pop wall. "Mommy told Aunt Alice she needed toys for her desk. She likes this guy." She held up a Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington figure triumphantly. "You should get it for her. If you get it for her and get her a pretty flower, I bet she would be your sweetheart."

"Katie," Edward said with an exasperated sigh.

"It's okay. I know how to treat a lady."

Edward had to press his palm to his mouth to smother his laughter. "This I have to hear."

"See, you have to be charming." She tapped on her lips, as though thinking. "You have to put on your best clothes and your extra special cologne. The one that makes you smell really manly, but good manly. Not sweaty manly. And you gotta have one flower and one present. Except it can't be something silly. It has to be thoughtful." She shoved the toy in his hands. "Mommy will like this. If you give this to her and then ask her to be your sweetheart, she'll say yes."

"Where did you learn this stuff?" Edward asked, beyond amused.

Katie's easy smile fell and she looked down, tugging at the hem of her shirt. "Emmy used to mess up with Jasper sometimes. He said you have to work very hard to make your man or lady feel special." She looked up at Edward, tilting her head. "You already let Mommy sleep in a different room. I don't want her to go more far away."

Edward found it hard to swallow around the lump that rose to his throat. It was never lost to him that he and Bella had taken her away from loving fathers. He could easily imagine her sitting on the bed while Emmett told her how he was going to make things right with his husband. And he could understand why she was afraid of further change.

"Okay, you win." He looked down at the Jack Skellington toy in his hands. "Charming Mommy. Well, this is going to be interesting. You're a very smart little lady, do you know that?"

She brightened and grinned at him. "I know."

He chuckled, ruffling her hair. He picked up the Baymax Pop figure Katie had been side-eyeing. "How about this? What if you and Mommy both were my sweethearts? And we could all go out to dinner?"

She seemed tempted but shook her head. "No. I don't think so. I think Valentine's Day isn't for little kids like me. Grandma and Grandpa can watch me. You and Mommy need grown-up time."

"You think your grandparents don't have plans of their own?"

Katie considered this. "No. I think grandparents are too old for that kind of stuff."

"I'll be sure to tell them you said so." He shook his head. Speaking of charmed. His kid had him wrapped around her little finger. "I'm sure they'd love to have you all to themselves for a few hours."

"But you can still get me a Baymax for Valentine's Day. That would still be okay," Katie said, blinking in a picture of pure innocence.

Edward snorted. "Ah. It's good you know the rules of Valentine's Day, kiddo. I'd be lost without you."

All in all, he ended up taking Jack, Sally, and Zero for Bella, and Baymax and Honey Lemon for Katie. Anything for his sweethearts.

A/N: So many thanks to the gals in my Facebook group for constant inspiration. Youse guise make me really happy.