Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, or Breaking Dawn. I would like to own Jacob, Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett, and Edward, but I don't think that's going to happen any time soon, so I'll just have to settle for owning realistic things. Like my new fat clothes. They say maternity, but I'm not convinced.
Summary: Bella's past affects everything in her daily routine. Edward keeps his true emotions hidden better for the sake of his two children. When these two meet at Edward's sister's bonfire, can they unravel many years of fear, and guilt for each other, or will it be a wasted effort that tears them both down further? AU/AH
Author's note: This chapter goes out to: poisonedbirth, for being such an amazing chick, MysticIce24, for being so fabulous with all the legal help that will come in the next few chapters, and last but certainly not least, my beta, Lady Draco Violet, for being such a cool chick.
Oh, and Mr. Silently Screaming for not murdering me when he finds me up at two a.m. on fanfiction. Thanks babe!
Commence with the story-ing!
[BPOV]
"Tony!? Maddy!?" Edward shouted loudly and clearly. It had been approximately twenty minutes since Edward had first shouted their names and by now, everyone was worried.
Esme, of course, thought it would be a good idea if we all split into search groups to find the kids before they found the main road. All nine of us paired up into groups of two, but because of the odd number of people there, one person had to go alone. It ended up being me.
Stumbling around in the darkness and over-grown weeds, I thought over my "conversation" with Edward. Maybe he really was trying to apologize. And if he really was apologizing, maybe it really was just for his rudeness yesterday morning, and not for all that had happened to me. Maybe-
"Hi, miss Bewwa." A little voice whispered from beside me while I was in mid-step.
"Maddy?! Where are you, sweetheart, I can't see you." I asked frantically as I bent down on my knees to feel around for them in the dark.
"I got fashight." She said. I heard the distinct click of a button being pushed and suddenly, a soft, eerie glow illuminated Maddy's sweet and innocent face.
She sat next to her brother at the bottom of a small hill. Tony's bronze hair was even more tousled than normal, most likely from the wind that had picked up. His tiny foot was laying out in front of him. In the dull light of the flashlight, I could tell that around his ankle, it was red. Not swollen, but just red.
"We saw a deer miss Bewwa!" Tony exclaimed excitedly, his brown eyes open wide.
"That's cool Tony, but what happened to your foot?" I asked, wincing as my knee popped when I stood up with Maddy.
"I feww." He said simply with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Well that's not good. Why don't we go back to the bonfire so we can have your dad and grandpa look at it?" I suggested and wondered how I would get Tony back there. There was no way I was going to leave him alone again and just take Maddy with me. Although I could hardly walk myself; let alone with a shattered knee acting up and a child on my hip.
Oh well, I thought as I asked Tony if I could carry him.
He shrugged his shoulders as nonchalantly as before and wrapped his tiny arms around my neck as I moved him onto my hip where I could hold onto him. I instructed Maddy to grab onto my other arm, all the while telling her where to shine the flashlight to illuminate our path better. We couldn't afford anymore mishaps tonight as it was.
It took us about twenty minutes to get back to the ring of fire where Carlisle and Edward were sitting, waiting.
On purpose, I stepped on a twig and broke it so we could take their attention away from their conversation.
"Daddy!" Maddy exclaimed as his unique-colored bronze head shot up.
She ran off as fast as a two year old could until her father leaped out of his chair and met her halfway and swept her into a huge hug, lifting her into the air and swinging her around in the air wildly.
Tony commanded me to walk faster so he could be a part of the reunion between the family.
Edward's deep emerald eyes rested upon mine and a look of gratitude passed between us as he took Tony from my arms.
"Would you like me to greet you like that from now on?" Carlisle's voice asked from behind me and I turned around.
"Carlisle!" I squealed in an Alice like fashion. I had never been a very big hugger, but Carlisle, quite like the rest of the family was impossible not to want to hug, or show some sort of affection toward. Especially after what they did for me.
"How are you, Bella?" Carlisle asked after giving me a light squeeze.
"Well that depends. Do you want the truth, or what I've been telling everyone?" I asked, making sure that Edward was out of earshot before I elaborated.
"The truth, of course. What's going on Bella, are you okay?" He asked, worriedly placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Physically, I'm alright. Mentally, not so much."
"Care to enlighten me as to what's going on, or am I going to have to guess, because that could take hours."
"The lawyer called today. She said that Laurent and Irina had died last weekend."
"I had heard about that. I was wondering how you would take the news." He said sympathetically.
"I was never really that close to them, so it's really no thorn in my side."
"Then what is this darned over-grown weed?" Carlisle questioned, a look of confusion crossing his Angelic features.
"Angela said that when the will is read, everybody that is mentioned has to be there. Including-"
"Oh God."
I nodded weakly, casting my eyes to the ground. Suddenly, I was crushed into a hug. Carlisle's strong arms surrounded me, making me feel more safe than I had in a very long time.
"He's still in prison, so he can't show up alone. He'll have someone with him," said, attempting to reassure me of my safety for the next few weeks.
"I know, but still."
"Would you feel more comfortable If Emmett and Edward went with you?" He probed gently.
I nodded, thinking of how pathetic I must seem right now. It had been about four years since I was taken out of the home. I shouldn't be having this kind of reaction, should I?
"Emmett and Edward will go with you then." He nodded as he promised me what seemed like a giant security blanket. "And Bella?" He asked while lifting my chin so I would have to look him in the eye.
"Yes?" I asked, attempting to hold the intense gaze of his silver eyes.
"It'll be okay." He finished before giving me a kiss on the top of my head and walking away to most likely tell Edward of his new responsibility to me.
When Carlisle spoke these final words, I felt a nice, warming feeling spread over my body like a hot mug of soup when you're sick . It made me want to believe him. And I did. Partly.
[EPOV]
"Daddy!" I heard the voice of my angel shout from a couple yards behind Carlisle and I. I listened to the patter of tiny feet on the mushy ground for a few seconds before shooting up from my spot on the lawn chair next to my father to grab my daughter into a hug.
As I was swinging Maddy around in the air, I could hear Tony demanding to walk faster so
he could see me, but the name of the person he was ordering around really shocked me. Bella.
Fantastic.
She brought Tony to me and my green eyes met her startling brown ones and I attempted to thank her without even opening my mouth.
Carlisle pulled her aside for what was most likely a greeting because he hadn't seen her yet tonight, and I tried to keep my eyes and ears off their private conversation. Due to the look of both of their faces, it didn't seem like it was a pleasant topic to discuss.
"Daddy, guess what?" Tony gasped out of excitement as I dropped down into a lawn chair next to the dying fire.
"What Tony?" I asked, gingerly picking up his red foot. He grimaced in pain before a wide smile erupted onto his face as he began his story.
"I and sissy were over by unca Jaspew and he said dere was a deer close by, so when he wasn't lookin' we ran off to see da deer." Tony finished, explaining both how he left and why.
"That's really cool Tony, but you guys shouldn't have left without taking someone with you. We were all worried sick." I said, hoping that I wasn't being too harsh on them.
"We sorry daddy." Maddy said, bowing her head.
"It's okay Madster, just make sure you don't do it again."
By the time I hugged my kids consolingly, Carlisle had walked over to us, an interminable expression on his face.
"Maddy, Tony, why don't you go and thank miss Bella for coming to get you guys." I suggested after I realized that Carlisle wanted to address me alone.
They both nodded and Tony hopped off my knee, quickly limping over to Bella.
"What's up, dad?" I asked him once he sat down next to me.
"I need you to do something for me. Well, for Bella also."
"Okay,"
"Bella has to go to the reading of her adoptive parents will next week, so I need both you and Emmett to go with her."
I nodded, willing to do anything for the woman that had found my children. "Sure, but why does she need Emmett and I to go with her?"
"Just don't ask. It gets complicated and very personal. If Bella feels like telling you, then she will." He said sternly as if I didn't understand.
I really did, though. After Tanya was killed, it seemed like everywhere I went, people knew the story. Most likely from all the news coverage on the ordeal, but it didn't give people a right to be so rude about it. The man that committed the crime was away, rotting in prison for murder and kidnapping. It was proven that I did not do it.
It was proven that I did not murder my fiancée for cheating on me, and then kidnap my one and only daughter.
Well, whose sick of the not telling? Hopefully not sick enough to not review!