[Disclaimer] Everything Twilight belongs to Mrs. Stephenie Meyer

[A/N] Thanks for your encouragement and support. Without you, I couldn't do this.

**Blueberry Muffins**

It gets later and later while I listen to my birth mother's explanations. She tells me how her father practically forced her to sign the adoption papers against her will. That she had to spend several years in therapy afterwards because she got so depressed.

"I don't understand why my parents lied to me about your heritage. They said my birth mother abandoned me after I was born."

Rachel shakes her head and sighs. "No, I would never have done that. I assume my father made your…adoptive parents agree to sign some sort of NDA."

"It's a bit more complicated. After contacting their lawyer, Mr. Cullen informed me that he obviously didn't tell his wife about that NDA. She really thinks that the child they adopted was abandoned."

Mom…shit…I should call her. She's going to freak when I tell her where I am right now. But on the other hand, she's going to be worried sick because there is no way Bella and I can make it back before my curfew.

"My Mom is going to worry about me when I don't come back soon. She's pretty protective."

"Do you get along with your…parents? They treat you good, right? Please, say yes, I've been so concerned that you've been living with people that treat you badly."

"I love my parents. My Mom is wonderful. She's very supportive. With my Dad it's a bit difficult. First he hired Bella as my diet coach against my will and—"

"Diet coach? Why the hell would he do that?" Rachel asks me, her face turning into a sourly frown.

"I'm too heavy because I can't stay away from anything that contains sugar or fat."

"Sweetie, you can let the numbers on the scale rule your life or you take control over it yourself. There isn't anything wrong with the way you look. Crap, I would have been more than happy to look like you when I was your age. You're good-looking like father. I can show you a picture of him, if you want to."

I nod my head, taking Bella's hand in mine to squeeze it tightly.

"He's in Korea now. My father offered his Dad a high position to make them move there after they found out about my pregnancy."

"You father was an asshole." Bella stats, rubbing her thumb over my wrist. "He had no right to do what he did."

"What's done is done. There is nothing I can do to change the past. It was very hard in the first years but since I met Peter and we had Liam things are better."

"That's good to hear. Can I come and visit you again?"

"Of course, you can. I would like that very much. Bring your adoptive mother with you. I'd like to get to know the woman who raised you."

I am close to tears again when I tell Rachel and Peter goodbye. On the ride back home to Seattle, I'm very quiet. I'm happy and yet so terribly sad at the same time.

"Are you tired?"

"No, I'm just way too agitated about everything."

Then I clear my throat and lean my head against her shoulder. "Thanks for doing this for me."

"You're welcome. I'm glad your birth mother is such a nice person. You are lucky to have two mothers that care about you."

"How's your mom like?"

"Renee is not exactly the motherly type. She is living in Florida and owns a yoga studio with her second husband."

I listen to her voice but it gets lower and lower until I eventually drift into some semi-sleep.

"Mary Alice, get out of that car!"

I shrug up, feeling my Dad fumbling with my seatbelt.

"Dad, stop that. I can do that myself. Why are you so angry?"

Dad starts yelling at Bella while my mother who is standing behind him sobs into a tissue.

"Sweetie, where have you been? I wanted to call the police."

"Mom, please, calm down and tell Dad to stop yelling at Bella like that. It's rude."

"Carlisle, darling, Alice is back now, so everything is okay. We should take this inside to discuss things calmly."

"Don't tell me what to do, Esme. It's not acceptable that this impossible person here practically hijacked our minor daughter."

"Hijacked? Are you crazy? She would never force me to go anywhere I didn't want to go. I trust her."

"Trust, trust, trust, you are too naïve to know whom to trust or not. She's too old for you and has taken advantage of you. I should press charges against her."

"Dad! No, you can't do that."

"Mary Alice, your mother and I have been worried sick."

"I'm sorry about that."

"You can be sorry in your room where you are going to spend every free minute when you're not at school for the next months!"

"No, you can't treat me like a stupid kid anymore. Bella and I have done nothing wrong. I'm sorry you had to worry because I'm too late."

"Go to your room, like I told you to!"

"Carlisle Cullen, stop it. Can't you see that you're ruining everything with your behavior? We are going to lose Alice if we forbid her to see her girlfriend."

"Esme, I thought you and I are on the same side?"

"I don't want to lose my baby. In a few months she'll be eighteen and can date who she wants anyway."

Bella hugs me, stroking my back before she plants a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I love Alice. We're going to stay together, whether you like that thought or not."

Dad sighs, taking several deep breaths while his reddened face eventually turns back to its normal color.

"You can't take her anywhere without my wife and me knowing about that. It's almost 2 A.M. for crying out loud."

"Don't you want to know where we've been?" I ask my parents, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "I've made a visit today. Does the name Peter Connor ring any bells for you?"

"Peter Connor? No, I've never heard about him. Carlisle? Carlisle!"

My father pales and he gets this weird expression on his face, his forehead wrinkling like it always is when he's close to making up a lie. Unfortunately my mom is pretty good at reading him.

"You are going to tell me who this man is. You are going to me right now."

"Can we go inside for this? We're going to wake up the neighbors."

Oh yes, that would give those idiots something to gossip about; the perfect Cullen family having a fight for everyone to hear.

"Okay, we take this inside. Alice tell your girl—girlfriend goodbye now." Dad tells me his voice sharp like a knife.

"Can't she stay with me?"

"Is it necessary?" he mumbles and I can sense that he's close to losing his patience.

Hell, yes, it is!

"Mom, is it okay?"

"Sure, sweetie, whatever your father has to say to us, he can say it in front of your girlfriend too. Right, Carlisle?"

"Like I can do anything if you are teaming up with our daughter now,"

We walk into the house, where I sit down on the couch, Bella to my left and Mom to my right side. I wrap my arms around Bella's shoulder while Mom holds a plate with muffins to me.

"Are you hungry, sweetie? Bella, do you want some?"

"We already ate. Thank you." Bella says, pulling me closer against her.

"Fine. Carlisle, now tell me who this Peter Connor is. I swear to God, if that's another love child of yours, I will castrate you. I only forgave you because you promised me it was the only time, you cheated on me."

"He's not my kid. Jeez, Esme, this is so complicated. You have to know that I only kept things from you for your own good."

"You're scaring me."

He kneels down next to Mom and takes her hand between his.

"I only did it because I love you. You wanted us so much to adopt a little girl. Do you remember? How could I endanger that? This Brandon fucker wouldn't let me adopt the baby unless I agreed to his terms. All I wanted was to make you happy, Esme. I love you and I know how much you wanted to adopt a second child."

"This is about the adoption? How? Is Peter Connor her birth father?"

"Peter is my birth mother's husband, the birth mother who Dad didn't want to have any contact to me."

"But she abandoned you and left you behind in the hospital. Carlisle, tell me what's going on here."

"I lied to you about Alice's birth mother. It was part of the deal. I had to sign some papers that forbid me to speak about her true heritage."