Synopsis:

After a forced marriage filled with violence, Bella escapes from Edward with their unborn child. Almost four years later, Edward has found her and their daughter and he refuses to let them go.

"Terror made me cruel . . ."

- Emily Brontë

Chapter 10
Seize the Day

The night was quiet as Edward lay on the couch replaying the events of that night over and over in his mind. Bella had retired to bed a few hours before, and whilst they had at least taken some steps forward, he could still feel her uncertainty as they'd made their compromise.

Even though he knew Bella and Alexis were only a few feet away in the master suite, Edward couldn't help the agitation he felt at them being out of his sight. Sleep evaded him as he stared out the opposite window. After a few more minutes of distressed sighing, Edward stood up and walked quietly to the bedroom. He'd made this trek several times already for the night. It was just reassurance he needed. Despite having Bella's word, Edward still felt that if he looked away for too long, they would disappear from his sight again.

Turning the doorknob carefully and quietly, Edward pushed it open just enough for him to see the two sleeping forms on the bed. Alexis had not woken up at all since they'd arrived, and from his earlier visits, he already knew Bella was asleep.

Pressing his head against the doorjamb, Edward couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face at the sight of them. It hadn't been hard for security to track them down. Once they had Sam's license plate, Dean called in a favour to the local police around Washington, being sure to emphasize that he just wanted to know where the car was. A cop just outside of Morton had seen the car pass by. When Dean had told him he'd found them, Edward's only thoughts were to get to them and ensure that Bella would never leave him again, but at some point during the nine hour drive from Forks to Spokane, he was able to calm down and talk himself out of his anger. His justifications weren't enough for him anymore. His earlier thoughts of how much Alexis would hate him if he put his hands on her mother, were enough for him to never want to be that kind of man again. The memory of how much Bella had hated him while they were in Chicago was enough to quell his rage.

But what had really pushed him over the edge was the sight of Bella at the hands of James. Edward hadn't even considered the possibility of James finding them. He had never even contemplated it. Whilst even in his worst days Edward had never gone as far as to sexually assault Bella, her earlier words of how he was no better than James came back to him, and in the few seconds before he was able to reach them and intercede, the sight had been enough. Seeing her helpless and unable to fight off her attacker gave him an outside perspective of how he had been with her. Never again did he want to be like that. Never again did he want to be worse than James.

Focusing again on them, Edward noticed that Bella's grip around Alexis was tight. Even in her subconscious, she was aware that someone wanted to take her daughter away from her. Whilst the thought of doing that had never occurred to Edward, the sound of his phone vibrating in his pocket reminded him of the one person who did. Before walking back into the hall, he closed the door softly behind him. Edward didn't even have to check the caller I.D to know who it was. The name flashed nevertheless.

Esme.

She had been calling incessantly throughout the day. At the sight of her name, Edward was reminded of Bella's three conditions. Whilst the first two were manageable, the third one would not be. Cutting ties with his father and brothers? That was no problem. Edward hadn't spoken to them much during the course of the last few years. Esme was where the challenge lay. Especially seeing how she was so insistent on seeing Alexis. Telling Esme that he wanted to cut ties with her, for Bella, would shatter her.

Between him and his brothers, Edward was the only one who held onto the hope that Esme would take up his offer to come and stay with him. Whatever be their reasons, Emmett and Jasper had pulled away from their parents already. Emmett and Rosalie had moved away from Chicago two years ago, and the same went for Jasper and Alice. So that just left him and Esme. If he pulled away from her, she'd break. But it was between her or Bella and Alexis. Whilst it had been easy to agree to Bella's conditions before, he wasn't sure if he could follow through. Also, Esme's reaction was something Edward had to be mindful of. He knew Esme would not take the news of being cut out of Alexis's life easy. What she would do to ensure that never happen worried Edward.

Walking back into the livingroom, Edward put his phone on the coffee table in front of him and collapsed onto the couch again. As of late, he'd been feeling drained physically, mentally, and emotionally. It wasn't hard to guess the reason why.

Edward was awoken by bright early morning sun, coming through the window infront of him, the next morning. Turning over so that his back was to the too bright light, it was several moments before the memory of everything that had happened the day before came rushing back to him, and he sat up in alarm.

Grabbing his phone from the coffee table, Edward quickly checked the time. It was almost nine. The suite was quiet. Too quiet. Wouldn't they be up by now?

Edward jumped up in a panic and darted to the bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and from where he stood, Edward could see them through the slight crack. They were awake and still lying on the bed. He breathed a small sigh of relief. Alexis was singing a song, and every few seconds Bella would reach out and tickle her, causing laughter to erupt out of both of them.

This was the first time since that first day that Edward really got a glimpse of Bella unguarded. Usually when she was around him, she kept her emotions sealed behind a wall of pain. Now as he saw them, Edward could see his unguarded Bella start to emerge. The Bella she had been before the monster had reared its ugly head and ruined everything for them. He definitely didn't want to disturb them, so tearing his eyes away, he retreated quickly into the bathroom.

Security had brought up the overnight bag he'd packed in Forks after Bella had gone to bed. In it, he'd also been sure to pack Alexis's bear. After showering and changing his clothes, Edward emerged from the bathroom, bear in hand, expecting them to still be in the bedroom, but when he passed by the door, it was now fully open, and the bed was empty. He didn't have time to panic before he heard the sound of their voices coming from the living room. Walking towards their voices, Edward saw them at the same glass window he'd been staring out the night before. Bella was holding Alexis in her arms as she pointed out various things on the street below. It was only then Edward noticed that they were already dressed in different clothes, meaning they'd been awake for a while.

It wasn't until he was standing just behind the couch that Bella seemed to sense him, causing her to turn. Her eyes locked with his and in that brief moment, he could see unguarded Bella slip away as she put her wall up again. He hoped that at some point, he would be able to break down that wall and reach her again- like how it'd been when they first met.

"Maisie!" Alexis yelled, as she spotted the bear in Edward's hands. As Bella put her down, Alexis ran over to Edward.

"I found him in your room," Edward said, handing it to her.

"Thank you, Daddy," Alexis said, taking the bear from him.

Edward froze slightly at Alexis's words. He quickly looked at Bella who regarded him carefully. Edward was expecting her to be just as surprised as him. Instead, she just looked sad.

"She's been calling you that since we left," Bella explained softly. Edward looked again at Alexis, who was hugging the bear tightly around its neck.

He was at a loss as to how to respond to her. "You're welcome," was all he could muster.

"How long have you both been awake?" Edward asked, turning his attention to Bella again.

"Since seven," she said, shrugging. Edward briefly wondered if Bella had purposely waited for him to wake. Maybe she wanted him there. His heart swelled at the prospect.

Her next words shattered any hope of that. "I was going to take Alexis out for breakfast, but she insisted on waiting for you."

He tried not to let his disappointment show. "Where were you taking her?" he asked.

"Maybe down to the diner I'd seen right down the street," Bella said.

"Are you coming with us?" Alexis asked.

Edward was about to answer her yes, but he decided to run it by Bella first.

"If it's okay with your mother," he said.

"Please, Mommy?" Alexis begged.

Bella's face was blank as she responded with a nod, so Edward didn't know if she really wanted him to come, or if she was just saying yes to appease Alexis.

The diner sat at a lonely corner right down the street.

"Table for three?" the waitress asked as soon as they'd stepped in. She gave Edward what was supposed to be a sexy smile as they slid into the booth she'd led them to, but Edward wasn't paying enough attention to her to notice. He did see Bella roll her eyes however. Edward raised his eyebrows at her, but she just shook her head.

"So what can I get you folks?" she asked, when they were seated. Even though she spoke to all of them, her gaze never left Edward.

"I'll just have one breakfast special," Bella said forcefully, calling her attention away from Edward. The woman gave Bella a hard smile as she turned to look at her.

"Okay and for you, handsome?" she asked, turning her attention back to Edward.

"I'll just have a coffee," Edward said without taking his eyes off Bella.

The waitress gave Bella another hard look before she sulked off.

"You're not hungry?" he asked when they were alone.

"No, I'm alright," she said.

"Are you sure? If you want, we can go somewhere else."

She shook her head.

"Have you decided when you want to go back to Forks?" he asked, when several minutes of silence had passed between them.

"I was hoping for this afternoon. I still have the house to see about."

"Well, you don't have to rush now. I can have someone over there to clear everything up. We can stay here as long as you want," Edward said, wanting to prolong the time he got to spend with Bella and Alexis. The sooner they went back to Forks, the sooner their conditions had to be put into place.

"No, I prefer to do the cleaning myself. Alexis and I have school anyway," Bella explained.

Edward sighed in defeat, knowing deep down that was not the only reason why she wanted to leave. She was determined to start putting distance between them.

Looking at Bella, her words from a few days ago ran through his mind- taunting and unwelcomed. "Nothing you could ever do would ever make up for the past."

His determination to win Bella back faltered a bit when he remembered that Bella hadn't been the first person who'd told him he was fighting a hopeless cause.

"So truthfully, did you have a good time?" Edward asked pressing his lips to her hair. Bella sat between his legs with her back pressed against his chest and his arms wrapped around her. The sand was warm beneath them as they watched the dying sun slowly sink beneath the Atlantic Ocean. They'd been on the island for five days already. Each day was spent exploring all that the Bahamas had to offer, and each night was spent exploring each other.

Edward didn't think it was possible to love Bella anymore than he already did, but somehow during the time he got to spend with her, undisturbed and completely his, he was reminded of all the reasons he'd fallen so hard for her when they'd first met.

He pressed his lips to her hair as she smiled her genuine Bella smile. It had been his goal while on the island; do everything to make sure she was happy. It seemed that she really was, but he wanted to hear her say the words.

"Yes, I did," she said, turning to press her lips against his. "Thank you."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "You don't have to thank me," he said, as he tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "I want you to be happy. I should be thanking you."

Edward felt Bella press herself more tightly into him. She didn't need coaxing anymore. He knew she wanted this, just as much as he did.

After a moment, her demeanour changed, and she sighed slightly.

"I just wish we didn't have to leave," she said sadly.

Edward wished so as well, but his father had been pestering him to return home to start establishing his business. Carlisle was splitting his company in half, giving Edward equal assets and allowing him to run his side of the business how he saw fit. It wasn't unknown to Edward that his father dabbled in illegal businesses, but unlike Carlisle, Edward had no desire to get in that deep. He was determined to run his side of Cullen Enterprise as legally as possible. Carlisle didn't think he could do it, but Esme did, and that was all the support Edward needed.

He'd explained all of this to Bella already.

"We can come back again soon," Edward promised, hating the sadness in her voice. "Just as soon as I get things running."

Bella nodded, but she still looked troubled.

"What is it?" he asked, wrapping his arms more tightly around her.

She turned her head slightly so she could look into his eyes. He could see an internal war raging inside her. She seemed to be weighing her words before speaking them.

"While you're working, what will I be doing?" she asked.

"What would you like to do?" Edward asked.

She thought carefully again before she answered. "I want to go back to school."

Edward nodded. He hadn't told her they wouldn't be returning to Florida yet. He figured now was as better time as any.

"Alright," he said slowly. "But it can't be in Florida."

Even though Bella's expression remained calm, Edward could see the pain in her eyes.

"Why?" she asked calmly.

"Carlisle's company is based in Chicago, so that's where I'll be basing mine," Edward explained. In order to pacify her, he stated his proposition. "You can go to any school around Chicago. I'll pay for everything of course."

Bella just nodded in response, and Edward briefly wondered if her sadness had more to do with her being away from Florida and her mother, and less to do with the school situation. He didn't know how he could help her with that. Part of him wanted to let Bella have some kind of connection with Renee, but the selfish part of him didn't want to risk the chance that Bella would escape from him with help from her mother. No. He didn't want to risk that so instead he chose to keep her away from her old life.

"Let's not talk about that," he said, not wanting any deep conversation to ruin the limited, undisturbed time they had together. Pulling himself from behind her, Edward kneeled on the sand in front of Bella, then taking her face between his hands, he whispered, "This is our new life, Mrs. Cullen, and I want you to be as happy in it as possible." Then pressing his lips to hers, he leaned her back until she was lying beneath him on the sand. All thoughts of the future effectively being cut off.

Bella was sound asleep as security drove them from O'Hare International Airport to the estate where they would be staying. The house was a wedding gift from Esme. She claimed the house was a side project for her, and she just wanted to help the new couple in any way she could, but Edward knew the real reason Esme had given them the house. It was a way for her to keep Edward close by. It wasn't far from Carlisle and Esme's house.

Just like in Florida, the house was tucked deep within a private area surrounded by trees. A massive gate blocked anyone who happened to pass by from seeing within the grounds. The house was a modern four storey with big windows, something Edward knew Bella would enjoy. Dean, who was head of Edward's security team, had been sure to secure the house with every state of the art security system known to man. Part of it was to keep Bella safe, but part of it was to make sure that just in case she changed her mind, escape would not be an option.

It was late when they finally arrived at the house, and Bella was too tired for a tour, so after showing her to their room, Edward left her to sleep.

Quietly, he slipped down to the garage beneath the house. All of his cars had been brought up from Florida, and it wasn't hard for Edward to spot his beloved Audi. Security was posted at the gate, and they waved Edward on as he passed by. As much as he hated leaving Bella, even for a moment, he was confident in their ability to keep her safe.

Edward drove the four miles from his home, to Carlisle and Esme's house. The first thing he noticed was that Carlisle's car was gone, which meant his father was out. He was glad. Edward had wanted to speak to Esme privately. He found her on the balcony outside the living room, a lit cigarette in her hand. Edward knew what that meant. Carlisle had gone on another one of his rages. Sure enough, there were still-forming bruises and marks along Esme's arms and neck, showing they had indeed had another confrontation. Her back was to him, and she didn't notice him until he was standing right beside her.

She jumped slightly when she saw him, but then she breathed a small sigh of relief when she saw that it was only him.

"So you're back," she said with a smile as she took another drag from her cigarette.

Edward just nodded in response. Even though it was familiar, the sight of the still-forming bruises on her skin disturbed him.

"How was it?" she asked, pulling the sweater she wore a little bit tighter around her, effectively blocking the marks from Edward's sight.

"It was fine," Edward sighed. "The house is beautiful. Thank you."

Esme smiled at him in response. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. Does Bella?" she asked. Edward noticed a slight change in Esme's voice when she said Bella's name, but he brushed it off.

"She was asleep when we arrived so I didn't have chance to ask her," he admitted.

Esme only nodded as she took another drag from her cigarette.

"How is she taking it all?" she asked.

Edward thought for a moment before he answered. "She seems to be doing okay, but I'm not sure. That was what I wanted to talk to you about."

"I'm listening," Esme said, as she outed her cigarette on an ash tray resting on the balcony.

"I wanted to know if you could take Bella under your wing or something," he said.

Esme looked at him, confused.

"Like how you and Rosalie are close, I wondered if you could be that close to Bella," he explained.

"Okay," she said. "Can I ask why?"

Edward sighed, and when he spoke, even he could hear the guilt in his voice. "I still feel bad for taking Bella away from her life in Florida. I know she misses her mother above all, and while I don't have it in me to risk letting her contact her mother, I thought that maybe if she developed some kind of friendship with you, it might ease her pain a little."

Esme regarded Edward for a brief moment before she answered, "If it means that much to you, I'll try. Rosalie and I are going on a shopping trip tomorrow, so she's welcome to join us."

Edward breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't realise Esme was still looking at him speculatively.

"Why is this so important to you?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"I want her to be happy," Edward said, as if it was the most obvious answer, and she just wasn't getting it.

Esme looked at him doubtfully, but she didn't respond.

"Why is that is that so hard to believe?" Edward asked. "Don't you think I want her to be happy?"

Esme laughed. "It's not that I don't think you want her to be happy, it's that I don't think Bella would ever be happy. She seems reluctant, but if she is what you want then what can I say?" Esme said.

"Yes," Edward said. "She is what I want. She's all I'll ever want."

Esme looked at him with sadness in her eyes, like the thought of Edward so struck by Bella, hurt her.

"Well, if she's coming with us tomorrow, then tell her we're leaving at eleven," Esme said, as she picked up the ash tray and turned to leave, but before she went through the door, turning to Edward, she gave him a sad smile as she said, "I know your heart is in the right place, but I know what I'm saying when I say Bella will not be happy here."

Then turning back, she continued into the house.

Almost two weeks after they'd made their compromise, Edward found himself living in Forks, trying to balance the running of his company from home and being a part-time parent to Alexis. When he'd told Bella that he would be leaving Chicago to take up residence in Forks, he knew she would not pleased, but he'd been sure to voice the topic with her when Alexis was near. He knew Bella wouldn't say what she really wanted to with Alexis within earshot. He tried to reason it out with her, saying that he just wanted to be nearer to Alexis, but that hadn't been enough to stop the angry words she's spewed at him once they were alone.

Nevertheless he moved, much to her dismay, to Forks. He knew he would have to travel occasionally to Chicago, but for the time being, Edward was content being near Bella and their daughter. The only other person who was less than happy for Edward to move was Esme.

Edward had not had it in him to cut her off, so going against Bella's back, he still talked to Esme. She of course was as ever persistent on him taking Alexis.

"I don't get it, Edward. Why? Why can't you just take her?" she asked one afternoon. These conversations were becoming a daily occurrence. Each call was as frustrating as the last.

"Because it's wrong," he said for the hundredth time. "I will not take Alexis from Bella."

"Why not? You know it's just a matter of time." Esme tried again to reason. "You know the second things don't go her way, she's going to take my granddaughter and run again. What if you don't find them this time?"

"That's not going to happen," Edward said, but even he could hear the uncertainty in his voice. By contacting Esme, he'd broken Bella's condition, which meant she was free to do whatever she wanted. Also, for the past several weeks, Edward had noticed a change in Bella. She was distant, thoughtful, seemingly preoccupied with something, and he feared what was going on inside that beautiful mind of hers. Edward often worried that she'd found out that he was still in contact with Esme, but that wasn't possible. It was something else, and Edward feared what it was. Was she still planning to take Alexis and run again?

Glancing at the clock on the wall of his office, Edward saw that it was almost one-thirty. Alexis would be finished with school soon, and he wanted to be there when she reached home.

"I have to go," Edward said, glad for a reason to end their argument early.

It was a daily occurrence for him to spend time with Alexis after school, and under Bella's condition, she supervised the visits. It was never a problem for Edward. Bella always sat quietly in the back, letting him have his time.

Esme knew the reason behind Edward's abrupt departure so she didn't question him on it. After ending the call, Edward headed over to Bella's house.

The two houses were far enough apart that Bella didn't feel Edward was trying to smother her, but close enough that Edward was content. When they'd returned to Forks, Edward had offered to buy Bella a new house or at least let him help her fix up the old one, but she'd refused, already none too pleased that he'd gone behind her back and paid off her bills.

"I still owe you child support," Edward had said to defend his actions.

"I don't want your money, Edward, and I don't want you meddling in my business," she'd yelled.

The cleaning up of the house had been another source of an argument. Most of the furniture had to be dumped, and that included Alexis's bed, which meant Bella and Alexis now shared one mattress on the floor. No matter how many times Edward tried to help Bella financially, she kept shutting him down, saying she would handle her problems on her own. The only upside from all that had transpired was now that Bella was no longer employed at the gas station, she was able to acquire a better job. Through his resources, Edward had been able to find out that she'd applied for a small position at the local newspaper, and without her knowing, he was, not only able to help her get the job, but to also get her a better position than the one she had applied to. Luckily for him, Bella was still unaware of the amount of influence Edward had, so she never suspected a thing.

When Edward pulled up outside her house, he found her sitting on the front step staring out into the road. She didn't even look at him as he approached.

"Hey," Edward said softly, calling her attention.

When she looked him in the eyes, Edward could see it again. It brewed beneath the surface. It had been there all week, and he feared what she was thinking.

"You're early," she said. He could hear the accusation in her voice, but she didn't sound angry at least.

Looking at his watch, he smiled guiltily. "I guess I am."

He had arrived early on purpose, hoping to spend just a little bit of time with Bella. Despite her earlier refusal of there ever being a them, Edward still hadn't given up hope. He still wanted her.

"Well, the bike arrived," Bella said, pointing to a rectangular shaped box to the side of the door. Edward hadn't noticed it before.

On Alexis's insistence, they had gone to the toy store as soon as they'd arrived back in Forks. She'd chosen a bike as her present, which was good seeing as James had trashed her previous one. The colour she'd wanted specifically was not available in Forks' meager toy store so Edward ordered it and had it sent to Bella's house. Edward was not aware that the bike had to be assembled.

"Who's supposed to build that?" he asked confused.

Bella raised her eyebrows as she fought a smile. Whatever she'd been thinking of when he'd first arrived seemed to have left her mind. "You didn't think the bike would arrive built, did you?"

"No, but I figured they'd build it here or something. I can't build a bike."

"It's not that hard," Bella said shrugging. "If you want, I could ask Sam to build it for her."

Edward couldn't help the narrowing of his eyes at the mention of Sam's name. Until he and Bella were together again, any man in her life was deemed a threat to him.

"No, I can do it," he said. He didn't want Sam building a bike he'd bought for his daughter.

Bella watched him with an amused expression as he walked over to the box. Pulling out the manual attached to the top, he began reading. Then a new course of action occurred to him.

"Can you help me?" he asked her.

She looked at him, confusion all over her face. It wasn't that the bike was difficult to put together, on looking at the manual Edward saw that it was very basic, he just wanted to do something with Bella.

She didn't answer him for a moment, and Edward thought she would say no.

"Okay," she said, surprising him.

Edward pulled the box over to where Bella sat on the step, then handing her the manual, he began ripping open the box with his car keys.

"It's not that hard," Bella said, looking at the manual. They began laying out the pieces on the floor, being sure to keep all the small parts together.

"What's first?" Edward asked.

Bella pointed to the part with handle bars, "That's supposed to attach to the part with tyres," she said, pointing to each in turn. They continued like that, working together to construct the bike. Aside from talking about which part went where, they were quiet as they worked. Edward wanted to say something to her, to ask her what was wrong, why she seemed so distant, but part of him was too terrified to know. Bella held a certain power over him, and with simple words, she was able to make or break him.

"How are your sessions going?" Bella asked as Edward attached some screws into the wheel. This wasn't exactly the conversation Edward had hoped for, but at least it was something.

"They're going well," he said, and they really were. With the psychologist's help, Edward was able to combat the monster inside him. The part of him that was willing to do anything to get her. Even if it meant hurting her. The fact that he hadn't so much as raised his voice to her, despite the numerous times she had at him, proved that it really was working. He wasn't naive though. He knew the road to fully defeating the monster in him was a long one, but he was as ever determined to do it.

"Okay, is that the last part?" Edward asked as he tightened the screw with the screwdriver that was in the box.

"Yes," Bella said looking impressively at the bike. "It looks good. I'm impressed."

She smiled a genuine Bella smile as she inspected Edward's work. Edward's heart swelled at the sight of it. It had been a long time since he'd done something right by her, and he didn't want this moment to end. But just as quickly as the smile came, it left, and as Bella passed her finger over the pink and purple streamers that fell from the ends of the handlebars, the distant look, mixed with sadness, covered her features. She looked up at Edward with uncertainty in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, alarmed by the sudden change.

She didn't answer. She just continued to look at him, some unknown emotion dominant in her brown eyes. Now Edward really began to fear that Esme was right. Bella was planning to take Alexis again. The thought angered him.

"What is it?" he asked angrily. "Something has been bothering you these last couple weeks, and I don't know what it is. Is it something I've done? I've done everything you've asked."

Bella just blinked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Why are you looking so distant? " Edward asked.

Realisation dawned over her face, and she sighed. "You didn't do anything," she said. "I've just had a lot on my mind."

"What is it?" Edward asked. "Maybe I can help you."

"I don't want your help, Edward," she said. "When are you going to grasp that?"

"I will never give up trying to help you," Edward said. "I have a lot to make up for. Please, just tell me."

"I might as well," Bella said. "It involves you."

"Me?" Edward asked. Now it was his turn to be confused. "How does it involve me?"

Bella didn't answer him as she looked out towards the road again. She seemed to weigh something for a moment and then taking a deep breath, she looked back at him and said, "I want to contact my mom."

I think I owe everyone a huge apology for the late update. Life caught up to me, and I couldn't put it on hold any longer.

Thank you for all the reviews, favourites, story alerts and for giving this story a chance. I know at times it is tough to read, so I am grateful to everyone who is willing to stick it out with me. Don't forget to share your thoughts by reviewing.

You can find me on Twitter XxMementoMorix

Special thanks to Project Team Beta, thir13enth and thalia-csiny for proof-reading