Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I'm just an uninvited guest swimming in her pool.


The Path We Chose

Chapter 12: Stealing Bella

"She is not having this baby. She's a baby herself." We were in the Cullens' living room and Esme had just asked if we had a plan. Apparently my mom still held the reigns, and stood up from the sofa as she spoke, yanking on those reigns. Nobody was still but Edward and me, who stood on opposite ends of the room. I was tiny, an ant, just standing and watching and listening. The others, they sat or stood or paced but they were not a bit still. Every time Edward tried to take a step toward me, my mom stopped him with her glare.

When we first arrived, Esme tried to give my mom a nice welcoming hand shake, but my mom pushed her way in before being invited, sat down on the living room sofa and said, "The kids are in trouble." She spent another good five minutes blaming the school administration and their marriage project. She didn't stop until Carlisle stood up and told her we were not going to sue or involve the school in any way. After that, he'd gone to the window--looked out a minute, then turned and faced Edward. Neither one of them spoke.

"Do you and Bella have a plan?" Esme had asked. But my mom had interrupted. And now, she had just called me a baby.

"Mom."

"No honey, you are. You still sleep with a teddy bear for Lord's sake."

"Renee," Carlisle said. "Let's hear the kids out. Edward, Bella, what do you plan to do? Have you discussed this? Have you made a decision?"

"My daughter is not going to have your son's baby. As diplomatic as you may want to be, we have to be realistic. You know that if Bella has this baby, she will suffer far worse than your son will. That's the way our society works. I will not allow my daughter to live that way."

I glanced at Edward. He was staring back at me, right into my eyes. He was trying to read something in me, but I couldn't know what he was looking for because I didn't even know my own thoughts. They were all over the place. Baby. I'm a baby. Teddy bear. My baby. Edward's baby. No baby. And then I panicked. My eyes were everywhere and all I saw were shades of dark.

"Bella," Carlisle said. "Are you feeling all right?"

"No." I walked away or ran, sprinted, maybe. Out the door, down the steps, into the woods I went, where it really was dark and I no longer had to decipher the difference between panic-darkness and real darkness. I slowed down, not even knowing where I was heading; I just kept walking. I wanted to be away from all of them. All of that. I needed to be alone. Alone, until I felt his hand on my wrist. I didn't even have to look at him to know it was Edward. I felt it. I turned to him. I had no idea what he thought of all this, but in that moment, he was all I had.

"Edward, they're talking about our lives in there."

"I know."

"She is making our decisions."

"I know."

"She's going to make our decision!" I said again, louder, because I didn't think he quite got it. "We should have talked about this before. Why didn't we talk about it? I had no idea she would react this way. None. I thought she would be supportive--helpful. I actually thought she would help us." I scoffed at that. "What is she doing?" I sat down against a tree and I didn't care that the ground was cold and wet. I pulled my legs into my arms and wrapped myself up. He sat next to me and stroked my hair from the top of my head all the way down to my waist.

"What are you thinking?" He asked. "What do you want?"

"I don't know. I mean, we are only seventeen. What are we supposed to do? Can we do this?"

He shrugged and shook his head.

I unwrapped myself and let my legs fall flat against the ground, and touched my stomach. "It's a baby. My baby. It's not the flu or some disease, or a tumor that's killing me. It's our baby. If it were anybody else's, I don't know, but it's not. It's yours and mine. "

He put his hand on top of mine on top of my stomach. "I know," he said.

"I can't end it's life," I said. "It's ours. It deserves a life."

He nodded. He was driving me crazy. Why wasn't he freaking out? What did he want? I looked at him and tried to show him with my eyes how much I needed him. But maybe he didn't see it. Maybe all he saw were round brown eyes, scared little girl eyes--eyes that had no idea about life or love or babies.

"Edward," I said, but couldn't continue. I looked away from him, down at his hand and mine, our fingers were intertwined and I didn't even know it until I looked. What did that mean, his fingers holding mine so tightly? Was he in this with me?

"What?" he said, reminding me that I had called his name a moment ago.

"I'm keeping the baby," I said. And then I cried because I had no idea if that was the right decision, but it was my decision. My mind and my heart, they gave me no choice. He brought my head to his chest, a little roughly, and both our bodies shook with my sobs.

"Good," he said. And pulled me closer until I was on his lap.

I looked up at him to make sure I heard him right. He was looking at me and tears were streaking his own face, down to his chin. He saw me looking and kissed my cheek.

"Good?"

He nodded. Then I knew why he had said so little. He was trying to hold himself together. If he had spoken anymore he would be crying and sobbing just like me. And then my arms went around him because he needed comfort, too. This was no longer just about me--it never was. He opened his coat and wrapped me up in it with him. I hadn't felt the cold but it must have been. We held onto each other there under the tree, letting our decision take hold of us, embed itself inside our minds where it could grow strength, roots, where no one could rip it out. We may have become part of the forest, we sat there for so long. We were part of the earth. We could just live up in the trees and eat berries and stay here together with dirty feet and hair and each other and our naked baby. We didn't need civilization. Civilization was over-rated. Right now, civilization was the worst.

"You're with me on this?" I asked.

"I'm with you."

"You're sure?"

"I wouldn't say it if I wasn't sure."

"This changes everything. Your whole path, your whole future. It's all different now."

"That's life," he said rubbing my arm. "No matter how hard people try, they can't control it. There are so many paths, Bella, and there are no guarantees. This is our path. It might look different, but it isn't really, because it's our path. The path we chose."

"What if we don't work out? How many teenagers stay together their entire lives? You just said there are no guarantees. Things will change and what if we can't get through it?"

"Okay, look." He pushed me away at arms length, holding me at my shoulders, then brought his face right to mine. "I can't imagine that. Us not being together. I can't…even…imagine it. I don't have a life if you're not in it. But if things change. If for some unknown reason, we don't work out, we will still have this." He took my hand and put it on my stomach just like earlier and he rubbed in circles. "No matter what is going on with us, we will always do what's right for our baby."

That was all I needed to hear. "Our baby," from his lips. Those beautiful words from his perfect lips. I knew he meant it. I nodded over and over again. I kept nodding and tears kept streaming, and my nose was running. He wiped my tears with his whole hand. Pushed them right off my face.

"I need a tissue."

"Come on," he said and stood us up.

"No, I don't want to go back in there." I picked up a small fir tree stem off the ground and wiped my nose with it. I didn't care that the needles poked at me. "See, I'm fine now. Let's stay here. I don't want to go back in there with them."

"I know but we have to."

"I don't want to."

"Neither do I, but we have to."

"How do you do this?"

He just looked at me.

"How are you so strong right now?"

"Bella, I'm only strong right now because you need me to be. Believe me, if I was alone with only myself to worry about, I'd probably be catatonic under that tree all curled up like a baby. And someday, maybe I will be and I'll need you to be my strength."

We walked back into the living room holding hands so tightly as if someone was trying to pry them apart. I didn't have to look to know that our knuckles were white from all the squeezing. Everyone was sitting. Carlisle, Esme and my mom were sharing the sofa. My mom had a drink in her hand and so did Esme. My dad was in a chair, his head in his hands and Carlisle had his arm around his wife. The only sound was ice cubes clinking in glasses. Nobody was talking. Nobody was happy. We did this to them, and right now, we were only going to make it worse. Four pairs of eyes turned to us at once. "We're keeping the baby," Edward said and put both his arms around me as if he was holding me up. I didn't mind that at all.

And then, as if on cue all four of them stood up. No one spoke for so long and I avoided eye contact with all of them. My mom came over to me and pulled me from Edward. "We're going home, now."

"Renee," my dad said, still standing in his spot by the chair.

"No Charlie, we just discussed this. The decision is made."

"What decision?" I asked. She held me firmly by the arm but I could still feel Edward's hand on my back.

"You're coming to Florida," she said. "Its no good for you here. Obviously Charlie can't parent. You're finished doing whatever the hell you want. You need boundaries. You're coming home."

I backed away from her. She didn't make it easy to get away from her grasp. I felt her fingernails scrape my arm through my sleeve and I shook the pain away. "Forks is my home! I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Did you not hear me? You are a minor; you are my daughter; you will do as you're told." She grabbed the top of my arm and pulled on it like I was a child. I let her pull, but didn't budge. I turned to look at Edward. He was stiff-lipped and tightfisted. He looked like a statue.

"Dad," I said. "Tell her my home is here with you."

"Come on Bella, we'll talk about this at home. It's a family matter."

I searched his face for some indication that he was on my side, that he wanted me here, that he would help me. I didn't see any of that. I saw sad eyes and sad lips and even sad jowls. I saw defeat. And in Edward's face--panic. His eyes were darting around the room landing on everyone, one at a time. His mouth opened like he was about to say something but couldn't. I told my mom to let go of me. I would leave with them but she was not to touch me. As soon as she let go I took Edward's face in my hands. I didn't care who was watching, I needed to do this for him, give him my strength. Granted, it was false strength but he wouldn't know that.

"I'm not going to Florida with her," I whispered. I pulled his face closer to me until our eyes locked. "I won't," I said, "I will not."

Finally, he shook his head. "No, you won't."

Back at home again, we entered quietly and it felt different, colder. Edward wasn't there. I was on my own now. My mom let me know right away that the decision was made, I was living with her and Phil in Jacksonville and I wasn't keeping the baby. I searched my brain for some way out of this. When there is a baby growing inside of you that you intend to keep it limits your options.

"You're not going to decide this for me, mom. Edward and I made our decision. We are keeping our baby."

"Isabella, I will not discuss this anymore with you tonight. You think I'm going to stand here and listen to you tell me that you are going to ruin yourself? End your chances for a real life?"

"Dad," I tried, "my home is here with you. I don't live with Mom. This is my home."

"I can't be the parent that you need right now."

"You are the parent that I need, Dad. What are you talking about?"

"I trusted you," he told me, "and I was wrong."

"Don't say that." I was shaking my head at him and walking toward him, but he couldn't even look at me so I stopped.

"Go upstairs and start packing," my mom said. "We're leaving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? You can't do this! I'm the mother of this child. I must have rights." But I didn't know for sure. I never had any reason to read up on minor parents and their rights. "Dad. What are my rights?"

My mom was not about to let him answer. "Bella, if you have this baby, you are throwing your life right down the garbage disposal. And it's going to hurt. You will be on your own. You will not get a penny from us."

This was my mother. The one who used to run to me when I fell down. The one who used to laugh with me like she was just a girl, too. The one who used to tell me ridiculous ghost stories that only scared her so she would have to sleep with me in my bed with the light on. Here she was.

I did go to my room, but not to pack, just to get away from them. I sank into my bed. "Edward," I said because I wished he was there. I turned to my window willing him to come through it. I don't know why because the tree right outside was weak and it was dangerous, but somehow I wanted him to come through it. He didn't.

I grabbed my phone and dialed his number. "Pick up. Pick up." He did.

"Bella?"

"Edward, they're making me go. Both of them! I can't go. What do I do?"

"Don't think about it," he said. "You're not going. We have time and I will figure this out. I will. Don't think of it." Did he not know that was impossible? I had no control over my thoughts. There was nothing else in my head but how to stay here with him and keep my baby safe--protect my baby from my own mother.

"There isn't time. She says we're leaving tomorrow."

He paused. "Do you want to go, Bella?"

"Of course not."

"Then you're not going. I'm on it. Get some sleep," he said.

"Don't hang up. Even if I fall asleep, don't hang up."

"I won't. I'll be here."

It was the only way I could have slept. No bed of clouds could have helped this night. Only Edward. In my clothes, on top of my covers, phone to my ear, Edward on the other end, I slept.

He must have heard me stir in the morning. "Bella? Are you awake this time?"

"Yes," I tried to say, but I couldn't find my voice. "Yes," I forced out.

"Good morning," he said and kind of laughed.

"Were there false alarms?"

"You kept saying my name. In your sleep. I'm coming over, but that means I have to hang up now, okay?"

"You're coming over?"

"I promise. I'll see you in fifteen." He hung up, and I felt all alone again.

I was still lying on my bed when my mom threw open the door, letting it hit the wall. Noticing I hadn't packed, she cursed at me and started opening suitcases, stuffing them with my things--whatever she happened to grab. I didn't help.

"Our flight leaves at 3:00." she told me.

"Edward's coming over," I said to the ceiling. It was the old popcorn kind. I hadn't noticed it before. The Cullens' ceilings were smooth. I had noticed that because they were all painted.

"He better not try anything stupid. Our tickets are non-refundable."

I looked down at my tummy, my baby. Everything was refundable. I left her packing in my room while I cleaned myself up in the bathroom. I didn't even change my clothes or glance in the mirror. I didn't care what I looked like. I ran downstairs when I heard the doorbell. My dad was still avoiding me, so I didn't look at him either when I passed the living room.

"Edward." I said, like I was convincing myself he was really there. He hugged and squeezed me. I touched the purple just under his eyes. "Did you sleep at all?" I asked.

"No," he gave me a kiss, then told me we needed some privacy. I took him to my room and asked my mom to leave us alone.

"Only if you finish packing," she said

I started grabbing things from drawers and stuffing them in a suitcase to let her see that I would pack. As soon as she left, I stopped.

"What's going on, Edward? What are we going to do?"

"You can move in with us, Bella. My parents don't have a lot but it's more than what you and I have right now."

I froze--stared at him. Move in? Live with Edward? Could that work? I wouldn't have to go to Florida if it worked.

"Oh, unless you d--"

"No, I do. But my parents will never allow it. My dad has completely given up and my mom has gone crazy with taking me away."

"They'll allow it."

"How do you know? And even if they did, what about your parents?"

"It was my dad's suggestion. We talked while you were sleeping. Don't worry," he said, pushing my hair off my face. "I had my phone with me the whole time. My dad agreed that your mom was being unreasonable. He said she was trying to back everyone into a corner, so we're going to do the same thing to her." I thought about my mom being backed into a corner. I'd never seen her in a corner. She'd always been in front, in control.

"But I know my mom won't let me go. You didn't see her here last night."

He pulled a manila folder out of his backpack and handed it to me. I opened it.

"What is this?'

"It's information about emancipation, making you a legal adult."

"Emancipation?" I sat down on my bed, brought a hand to my forehead.

"Wait, Bella. You won't have to go through with it. Okay? It's the last straw. A scare tactic. Once you show them this, show them that you know you have options, they'll back off. Both of them. Your mom, too." I wondered if that would happen. Would my mom willingly put herself in a corner? Then I thought about how much it would hurt my dad just to show him these papers.

"I'll talk to them," I said. "I'll tell them right now, but you should go." I told him there was no way he wanted to be there if my parents figured out that all of this was his idea. He was reluctant to leave but finally said he would go as long as he could wait outside.

I heard him say goodbye to my parents and readied myself for my confrontation--readied myself for taking back control of my own life. I probably should have read the papers that Edward gave me, but I couldn't. I didn't have any comprehension capability at this point. The words didn't even look English to me. I called my parents by their first names into the kitchen, and told them to sit down at the table so we would all be at the same level. And then I announced that I was moving in with the Cullens.

"That's ridiculous," my mom said.

"No it isn't. I'm not going with you, Renee. And since Dad doesn't want me here, I'm going with Edward."

"Bella," my mom said. "I told you last night that you are no longer calling the shots and I meant it. You are absolutely not moving in with your boyfriend at seventeen."

"Yes I am."

"Charlie?" My mom said.

"Don't try to stop me, Charlie," I said and he flinched. "Do not force me to go with Renee."

"Charlie, we agreed," my mom said. "Okay. Bella, you are coming to Jacksonville. We'll talk about your pregnancy, your options, but you're coming with me."

I looked between the two of them, brought the papers from my lap and placed them on the table. "I know my options."

My dad opened the folder--read the top piece. "Bella? Emancipation? Is this necessary?"

"Apparently."

My mom was shocked into silence for the first time. Then she just started shaking her head over and over. "How could you do this to us, Bella?" She sounded disgusted.

I didn't ask her how she could do what she had already done. "This isn't about us," I said.

Renee lifted up the papers and shoved them at me. I didn't take them. "This is what you want?"

"No, it isn't what I want. I want to have my baby. I want to live in Forks. I want to be with Edward. I want my parents' support. I want to not be bullied by my own family." I left them in the kitchen and returned to my room to finish packing. But I wasn't packing for Florida, I was packing for Edward. I picked up my phone to call him. He was still right outside.

"I'm packing," I said. "We have to be quick."

"I'll be back soon with Jasper and his truck."

"Jasper knows?"

"He doesn't know the reason, Bella, don't worry."

"But, what about my truck? We can take mine."

"Your dad could stop us from taking it. I don't want to give your parents any more ammunition to stop us."

He really hadn't slept last night. He'd stayed up thinking of everything.

Jasper parked at the curb and waited in his truck while Edward and I packed up the back. His truck was much newer than mine. It was forest green with bumper stickers scattered about it touting issues of equality, peace, anti-discrimination (HATE, written in black surrounded by a big red circle with a line through it), UNICEF, and even a "Green is Good" sticker.

I heard The Clash playing from inside the cab even with the windows rolled up. Jasper was giving us privacy. Not even trying to look or listen. My mom remained inside, refusing to watch any of this. My dad was outside on the front porch attempting to talk to me or Edward each time one of us passed by him in our journey up and down the path carrying bags and suitcases. "Bella, let's talk about this," he said as I carried my small bag of toiletries passed him. I shook my head without looking at him.

"We tried to talk about it last night, Chief Swan," Edward said. "You were not willing to talk, then."

"Don't you do this to me, son," he said as Edward put my last suitcase in back of the truck. "Don't you take my daughter from me."

"I'm not taking anybody." His voice was calm and respectful, but his words held strength. He was looking right into my father's eyes, which was more than I could do. I had to look at Edward just so I could breathe. "Chief Swan, you and Renee were the ones who pushed her away. You were going to send her to Florida without even discussing it with her. Renee made her think her only choice was abortion. Everything was forced on Bella. This is a nightmare for her. Can't you tell when your daughter is scared? Because I can. I can tell just by looking at her."

In that moment, after that statement from Edward, I knew that any person who ever even thought that a teenager could not be more insightful than an adult was an idiot.

"We are trying to do what's best for Bella and her future," my dad said. "Think of Bella's future if you can't think of your own. You know how intelligent she is. You know what she's capable of. What she deserves."

"Whatever your intentions are, sir, you're hurting her. I've never seen her this hurt. Not even when she found out she was pregnant or when she was debating with herself whether or not to keep the baby. You and Renee are hurting her. I can't allow that and I sure as hell will not help. If you have ever loved anyone remotely as much as I love your daughter, then you understand me."

I had never wanted to hug and kiss Edward more than I did just then, so I did. I went up to him right in front of my dad and pulled him into my arms, kissing his lips, and all over his face and his chest through his clothes. There was nothing erotic about it. It was pure love and appreciation that Edward was here on this earth just for me. I didn't want to stop kissing him. He held my face and kissed me, too, and then he hugged me tight. "Let's go," he said.

I finally brought my eyes to my dad. He was crying. He looked so small standing there in front of his house while he just let the tears flow, not even wiping them. I wasn't even sure if he knew they were there. He was surrendering, caving in, with his hands in his pockets and his chin on his chest--he was letting me go. I went over to him--gave him a hug. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"Me too," he said.

Edward and I climbed side by side into the truck and Jasper drove away without one question. "Hi Bella," he said as if nothing was wrong. As if he hadn't just witnessed my family falling apart. Alice and I, we were the lucky ones. I would call her later and remind her never to take Jasper for granted.


Review please :)

Be sure to read Carlisle's POV of this night. It's not really repetitive and does include new insight on his and Esme's relationship. Click on my profile link to find it.

FYI: Just in case you're interested, this is where the story began in my mind--with Renee blaming the pregnancy on the school and the marriage project. It brewed in my mind for about a month (sometimes I tried to ignore it) before I gave in and started typing away. I ended up toning that part down into summary, but the rest of this story and all the characters were built from that little tidbit (well, that and Stephenie Meyer, of course).