A/N: H wants to warn you that you might want to have a Kleenex handy for the next couple of chapters. But it's fight time.
It's never been ours . . .
Chapter 16: Us vs. Them, Round Two
Fancy Footwork - E
I left my father with a final passing glare. The whole exchange lasted a matter of a few minutes, but it made finding Bella a challenge.
I began searching the perimeters assuming she would want to be away from people. I saw her in a corner. Her back was toward me, as she was looking at a small statue.
I quickly made my way to her and touched her elbow lightly.
"Bella, are you alright?" I asked softly.
"Cullen, this date really is the worst." Her breathing was hard, but she was keeping her composure better than I was at this point.
"I'm sorry. We could go. We've put in some time."
"Edward, we haven't even sat down at the table, and it would just give everyone the satisfaction of knowing they won. I hate this night so fucking bad, but I will get through this. How else can we prove them all wrong? And they have to be wrong. They just have to be."
She wanted to fall apart; she deserved to fall apart. I couldn't take her in my arms right here, and let her cry on my shoulder, but there was one way for her to bury her face, hide from them all.
"Come on," I said, grabbing her by the waist, and pulling her with me.
"Where are we going?"
"To make some better memories."
This really had been a miserable evening. At this point though, I was feeling confident that it couldn't get worse.
Thankfully, the music was slow when we got to the dance floor, so I was able to keep her close. I kissed the top of her forehead, and ran my hand up and down her back.
"Is this better? I figured we could ignore everyone else for a while."
"Mmm, are there other people here? I wasn't aware." That was the Bella I loved. I smiled as pulled back, and tilted her head up toward me.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
She sighed and contemplated. "Later, okay? I think there is a lot to discuss, but not here."
"Fair enough." I was trying to come up with great lines. I wanted to offer her all of the reassurance I could. I hadn't heard all of the details that sparked Bella's tirade on my dad. I knew it involved the earrings, but I wondered if there was more to it. I didn't doubt he deserved even more than she gave him. I wanted to know, but she was trying to calm down, so I wasn't going to push.
We danced, slowly, quietly, peacefully. Another song followed, and we didn't break away, didn't speak. I could hear it in her breathing, and I could feel in her heart beat when she was finally unruffled.
I looked around the room. I even turned Bella so I could take it all in.
"Bella, you say the word, and I'll walk away from all of this. There are only a handful of people in this room I care about, and they will love me no matter where I am."
"No matter where you are? Where are you going Edward?"
"We, Bella. We could take off and go anywhere. No cameras. No meddling parents. Just us."
"Where is this wonderland?"
"I don't know. Iowa?" I was actually only half kidding when I said it, but her laughter was a welcome sound, so I went with it.
"And what would we do in Iowa, Edward?"
"Let's see. Hmm, I could sell insurance or something, just to seem respectable. A man has to work you know? And you could volunteer at the local library. We could get married, make babies, gain twenty pounds, and mow the lawn on Saturdays."
"Oh no way. We will keep up with the Joneses. You'll mow the lawn twice a week, thank you very much."
"I'd mow the lawn every day, if it made you happy. But we could just hire a lawn service."
"That trust fund is good for something after all."
"So, what do you say, Swan? Shall I book a flight for Des Moines?"
"Tempting as that sounds, I have another idea."
"I'm all ears." I turned her once, and brought her back close.
"Maybe it's time you got a look into my world. We could go to Washington, meet my dad."
"I think I'd like that, Bella." I kissed her lightly on the lips. And for a few minutes longer, it really did feel like it was just us again.
Neutral Corner - B
Edward cooled me down. He always knew what to say. I have to admit, as upset and frustrated as I was, when he joked about getting married and having babies, for half a second I believed him. Even more surprising, I found myself thinking about how easy it would be.
I sanity checked myself. He was lightening the mood; I shouldn't read anything in to it.
I wasn't joking about us going to Washington though. Edward needed to live in my world for a while. He and my dad would get along well, and he'd see that while I didn't bring much from a portfolio perspective, I could provide a decent place to have Thanksgiving dinner, and the ocean view from Washington was just as good as the one in Southampton.
"You sure you want to see this through?" He murmured into my hair.
"Yep. They aren't going to beat us. They made a mistake thinking that they could ever prove me wrong."
"Never bet against us, right?" He kissed the top of my head one more time, and led me off the improvised dance floor.
Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme were seated at the table. Carlisle was no where to be seen. Rosalie gave me another once over, her eyes narrowing in a look of self-satisfaction when she took in what was missing.
Esme stood. "Edward, do you mind if I steal Bella for a moment."
I felt him tense; ready to step into the role of protector. I placed my hand on his chest to stop him from launching in.
"It's okay. I'll be fine." He pulled my hand up to his lips and gave me a smile.
"If you aren't back in ten minutes I am going to come looking for you." He said it to be sweet, but I knew he was worried about what might happen to me. Ever the Prince Charming looking out for dragons to slay.
I gave his hand a quick squeeze and followed Esme away from the table. She led me to a discreet corner of the room. The majority of people had already seated themselves for dinner, allowing us a moment of privacy.
"Bella, I can't apologize enough for how you have been treated tonight. I can't make excuses for Carlisle, but I raised Emmett to be a better man than that."
She opened up her evening bag, and pulled something out.
"When I gave these to Edward, I wanted him to know that I understood what the two of you have. My hope was that it would be enough of an endorsement to my family that they would back off long enough to see that he isn't the person that they always expect him to be. Edward is different now, and what the two of you have is indeed real."
Esme reached out to grasp my hand. She held on for a moment, as if trying to communicate something more, then turned my hand over and placed the earrings back in my palm.
"I'd like you to put them back on, please. I know that they are the last thing that you probably want right now, but I very much would like for you to wear them. My husband might have forgotten the reason that he gave them to me, but I haven't."
"I don't know, Esme. I've already caused enough drama."
"No you haven't." She paused, as if searching for the right words. "Bella, you have changed Edward so much. I see that. Emmett and Carlisle will see it eventually, you just have to have faith. Dare I say it; you might be exactly the push that this family needs to heal."
"Esme, I can't do anything that is going to hurt Edward anymore tonight. He's already been through enough."
She smiled at me. "The only way you could hurt him, Bella, is to leave him. I once told you that you were a lot like Carlisle. I know you see that as an insult, it's not meant to be. Carlisle is incredibly strong and very devoted to this family. I can see those same traits in you. Edward needs that."
"Why do you have so much faith in me? You hardly know me."
"I don't have to know you to see how you feel about my son. And I know how he feels about you. It's no different than the way Emmett is with Rosalie. I'm their mother; I know how their brains work." She squeezed my hand. "Thank you for bringing him back, Bella. There is a big hole in this family without him, even if the others won't admit it."
With that, she walked back to the table, leaving me by myself.
I studied the earrings in my hand. The last thing I wanted to do was put them back on; they felt unlucky. But I also heard loud and clear what Esme said. She had faith in me, in us. This was her way of backing us up, of not only showing her approval of me, but support of Edward. She wasn't playing favorites, just trying to bring her family together again. I slipped the earrings back on, and took a moment to collect myself before making way back to the table.
While I was gone, Carlisle had taken a seat between Rose and Esme. He, Edward, and Emmett all stood as I approached. Edward pulled out my chair for me, giving me my smile as he took in the addition. As he sat down, I leaned in close enough so that only he could hear.
"I love you. I am not sure how I feel about living in Iowa, so we can negotiate on the location. And I want to keep your mom."
He chuckled and whispered 'deal' under his breath.
Hitting Below the Belt - E
Food was a welcome reprieve. No one could spew spite with lettuce in their mouths. Conversation settled into small talk between bites.
"Rosalie, is Haley feeling better?" My mother asked and then took a bite.
Rosalie swallowed, and then answered, "Yes, she has a little runny nose, but I felt okay about leaving her tonight."
"I've seen pictures of her. She's adorable," Bella chimed in while pushing a tomato around on her plate. She was in this fight for the win. They might keep trying to knock her down, but she was still standing. I cringed a little though because I knew she'd just set herself up. I couldn't be sure who would take the bait, or how they would put it on the line.
"Do you like children, Bella?" It was my father, and he said it while looking down at his plate, cutting something.
She paused. The question appeared surprisingly mundane. "Sure. I don't have a lot of experience with them—a little babysitting in high school, but I like them." I didn't think she fully understood where the line of questioning was going, but I could tell she was uncertain about his intentions. I heard a slight shaking.
"Would you like to have children of your own someday?" I scanned the table to see that everyone was now trying not to be too obvious, but they were all shifting their eyes back and forth between Bella and me, trying to ascertain the reaction.
Joking about Iowa was the closest we'd come to discussing a marriage and kids. But our relationship had been a whirlwind, and despite its intensity was still relatively new for such discussions.
I wouldn't have known how to answer the question myself. I liked kids. I was definitely on board for marriage someday, but I had some hesitations about children. I saw what it meant to raise a family in the spotlight, and I didn't want that. I also wondered sometimes whether it was even possible not to mess your kids up too severely at some point. But Emmett always said, "It's all about the girl, Edward. When you find the right one, something just makes you want to reproduce."
I put my fork down, and checked Bella's reaction. She was no longer struggling with meaning. She was chewing and trying to delay having to respond. I picked up my napkin, and dabbed at the corners of my mouth. It was time for an Emmett move, and clearly he wasn't going to make it.
"Shall we let Emmett and Rosalie have a break from baby talk tonight?" I placed my napkin back in my lap. "They did an excellent job with the decorations this year. Mom, did you have a hand in any of it?"
It worked. With a wink, my mother went on about the preparations, including some gossip regarding who did what with whom during the planning phase. She wove an excellent tale, and our moods were light. I lost track of the champagne refills, but food seemed to be balancing out the effect. I admit to feeling relaxed.
By the time dessert rolled around, I thought perhaps the evening was in its way to recovery.
We were all laughing at something Emmett said. Even my dad seemed more serene than I'd seen him in a long time. I could almost forget that we had any tension to begin with.
The conversation primarily flowed between my mother, Emmett, Bella, and me. Rosalie had been especially quiet. To her credit, I think this may have been the first time she had any alcohol or at least multiple glasses of free flowing champagne since Haley was born.
"So, Bella, those earrings really do look lovely on you."
"Rose!" My mom and Emmett hissed at the same time. Very terse but under their breath.
"What? They've been the elephant in the room all night long, and I say we just get it all out there." She took another drink from her flute, and when she set it down, Emmett swiftly moved it to the other side of him.
"Please, Rosalie. It's been a very long night already. Could we just get through dinner please?" I begged.
"Dinner's pretty much over, Edward." She rested her elbows on the table and was about to say more when we were interrupted by a "May I have your attention, please?" from the front of the room.
I noticed Bella take a deep breath, and I reached my hand over to take hers.
We sat stoically through the presentation and discussion of the purpose of this fundraiser. My father graciously stood when asked. We knew eyes were on us, so we plastered on smiles. Bella didn't fake the smile, but she looked entirely pleasant.
We both reveled in yet another break. I wondered if we'd be able to leave fast enough when the presentations were done to avoid any further altercations this evening.
But there was no chance of that. Rosalie must have been drunker or more upset than I'd thought. The moment the applause died out from the final introduction, she was on the attack.
"I think topaz is very appropriate for you. Golden earrings from the golden boy." There was an audible gasp from my mom, but my dad was completely frozen. Bella was looking down at her napkin again, and I was trying to figure out whether I was on offense or defense.
Emmett whispered something in her ear and tried to grab her arm to pull her away from the table, but she firmly pulled back. Through gritted teeth and in a low voice, she snarled. "No way, Emmett. I will not hush. I am sick of all this." She turned sharply to me. "Edward, I love you to death, but when are you going to realize the world doesn't revolve around you?"
I kept my voice low, and my face relaxed though I was boiling inside. "Rosalie, you're way off base here. I know you've had too much to drink, and this will all seem stupid tomorrow, but please just back off right now."
"Did you just call my wife a stupid drunk?" Emmett hissed under his breath. He had the same expressionless look on his face. "Seriously, Edward, she's got a point. What were you thinking having her wear those earrings? What did you want to start here?"
"Emmett, you don't know what you're . . . " My mom started, but Emmett waved her off.
"Edward, I stood by you more than anyone for years, but it's time we get some things straight. You act like you're entirely the victim, but what have you really done to change peoples' perceptions? Moved back and got a new girl? Bully for you! The rest of us have been living a pretty calm life, but you came back and shit hits the fan within months. Maybe it isn't us. Maybe it's you. Did you ever think Dad and I have a better relationship because I simply try harder?" He stole a look at my dad who gave nothing away. "Yeah, yeah, so mom gave you the earrings. You could have said no. And mom, did you ever think how Rosalie might feel? After all the years we've been together, you've never once gone out of your way to loan her as much as a handkerchief, and Bella walks in with those earrings?"
When he stopped to take a breath, my father finally spoke—directly at me. "Are you satisfied? This is what you do to the family, Edward. " Then he turned his attention to my left. "Bella, again, I apologize. It's unfortunate you're caught in the middle of this. For a minute, I thought perhaps things were different, that maybe you were concerned with something other than yourself but it appears I was mistaken. You've managed to make this evening all about poor Edward."
I threw my napkin down on the table. Everything happened so fast. Despite keeping my volume low, my tone certainly implied yelling. "I'm done. Bella, it's time to go. I've bent over backwards trying to please you, Dad. Apparently, you'll never see that." I stood up from the table, and pulled Bella's chair back for her. I waited for her to stand up, but she hesitated.
KO - B
It was like watching a crash coming, and not being able to do anything to stop it. I hated seeing them come at Edward, landing blow after blow. It was sickening. Every time he tried to defend himself or explain, another barrage hit.
I knew he expected me to follow, but I couldn't let what had been said go. He deserved better than that. He deserved to know that someone believed in him.
"I realize that I don't know you very well, and most likely you all think I am the flavor of the month. But I can't stand here and let you all attack him like this."
I paused, looking directly at Emmett. "You may also think that my impressions are formed based on what Edward has told me, it's the furthest thing from the truth."
I shifted my gaze to Rosalie. "You've had a chip on your shoulder since you saw me earlier in the evening. I assume it is because of the earrings that Esme graciously offered to me. I did not ask for them, nor did Edward. You accuse Edward of thinking the world revolves around him, but from where I stand, Rosalie, you're the one guilty of being self-absorbed. You get bent out of shape with no context other than seeing 'some girl' that Edward is with sporting earrings you've never been offered. But instead of asking why, or trying to understand, you immediately attack, assuming some perceived slight on your part."
She opened her mouth to speak, but I had already moved on. "And you, Emmett. All I have heard is how you walk on water, what a wonderful brother you are. How you make Edward laugh, how much he loves you. In our limited interactions, I've not seen you once take up for him. It's always been towing the party line, what looks good for the family, what makes your parents happy. When is the last time you stopped to ask your brother what would make him happy or thought about how he might feel? You accuse him of stirring things up. I can only speak for the last few months that I have spent with him, but he's done everything possible to stay out of the public eye and not upset anyone, especially you."
"Bella, you don't have to…" Edward's hand was on my arm.
"No, Edward. I've stood by and watched these people tear you down when you don't deserve it. I'm done with it."
I turned my gaze on Carlisle. "I was at Edward's the day after Valentine's Day. I saw him leave apprehensive but hopeful, only to see him return totally defeated thanks to you. You didn't offer him one chance when we came to see you in Southampton; instead you immediately went on the attack. And that day you stormed into Edward's office at CI, you immediately assumed the worst. I have yet to see you give Edward any support, any faith, even a hint of affection."
I broke off, pulling in a deep breath. Everyone appeared too stunned to speak.
"Bella, it isn't worth it, don't waste your breath." Edward stated quietly.
I was torn between walking away with him and seeing this out. The blank look on Carlisle's face sealed the deal. I decided to take a risk.
"Emmett, when was the last time your father told you he loved you or that he was proud of you."
No one said anything. I continued to stare at Carlisle. His gaze was ice cold.
"Answer the question, Emmett." Esme had been silent to this point, but her tone indicated that she would not tolerate him avoiding an answer.
"Mom, is this really necessary?" Emmett pleaded. All the color drained from his face when she nodded.
I didn't look at Emmett, my gaze remained on Carlisle. "Well, Emmett? Last week, last month, last year?"
The tension that hung in the air was palpable. Emmett finally muttered under his breath, "Last week."
"Edward, when was the last time your dad told you he loved you or was proud of you?"
I couldn't look at him. I reached up and placed my hand over the one that rested on my shoulder and squeezed. Come on, Edward. You can do this.
"I was fifteen." He said quietly. "They were leaving for a trip to Europe. He told me he loved me before he left."
I glanced quickly at Esme. A single tear ran down her cheek. Keep it together, Bella. You can do this.
Turning the full force of my gaze on Rose and Emmett, I kept my tone level, fighting the urge to scream. "World revolves around him, huh? Yeah, I can see how you might think that, all the positive attention that has been showered on him and all. The only member of this family I have seen be remotely kind to him, show any confidence in what a good person he can be is Esme. Edward is not the person that you all paint him to be, and what we have is not some throw away thing. Did you ever stop to think that is why she gave me the earrings to wear?"
Emmett stared down at his plate. He wouldn't meet my gaze. Rosalie glared daggers at me. Let her, I didn't care.
I took a deep breath, and rested my elbows on the table, leaning in so that I could look directly at Carlisle. "My parents got divorced when I was five. My mom left me; had no interaction what so ever. For years I blamed myself. What did I do wrong? Why wasn't I good enough? Why couldn't I make her love me? No child deserves that, regardless of whether the parent is present or not. You might want to take a long hard look at yourself, Carlisle Cullen. It might not be Edward that you have issue with."
I paused for a second to let my words sink in.
"Ultimately, I pity you. You'll never know what an amazingly beautiful child you managed to raise, in spite of all your loving ministrations. I can't begin to make up for what you won't give him, but I love Edward, and I refuse to ever let you hurt him like this again."
I pushed back from the table, and paused long enough to kiss Esme on the cheek.
"Thank you for being so kind, and helping me pull together something to wear for tonight. I will always be grateful for everything that you've done."
She squeezed my hand. For now, it was enough.
I turned to Edward, a little scared of what I might find.
He reached out, hand tracing along my cheek. Everything was okay. He understood.
I leaned into his hand for a moment, my eyes closed. Nothing else existed but this. Nothing else needed to exist.
He dropped his hand to take mine, and we walked out of the Museum, together.
E/N: Whew. Go Bella! Glad that night is over, or is it? We can't thank you enough for all the great reviews on the last chapter. We're tossing around ideas for outtakes. In your review this time vote on whether you'd rather see: Carlisle and Esme in Southampton or an Alice/Jasper outtake. in your review.
We'll be going back to regular posting schedule, so if you're bored over the holiday weekend, we recommend the following:
Mirrors, by adorablecullens
The Lost Boys, by Hwimsley
Hydraulic Level 5, by Gondolier
The Weed Collector, by Segolily (only available on twilighted)
Wild Swan, by Scarlett_Letters (One of profmom's ChiWi sisters just started this one)