A/N: Happy Wednesday! Hope all is well in your part of the world. Thank you so much for your reviews. I love them all. I'm trying to find my audience here, and every story I post isn't a home run, but trust me, I love your reviews, even if there are just four of them! I hope you'll keep reading my stuff, but I look at every review as a gift because you've given up a bit of your free time to read something I've written, and for that, thank you.
Now, as I mentioned, this is the last chapter of 'Labels', and I appreciate all of you who stuck around for it. I loved the story, and I appreciate all of you who stuck with me.
SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. I'd never infringe upon her rights.
Here's the last chapter…there's a short epi, but this is it!
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19.
"When will they wake up?" Jax whispered loudly as she looked into the bassinet where Alexis Grace and Lindsey Marie were sleeping. They'd been delivered by C-Section on March 25, and they were perfect. They were bald, they were beautiful, and they were very calm babies. Each weighed just over seven pounds, and my husband was no longer the cocky man who strutted around the house. Having two little babies had certainly taken him down a notch or two.
"They wake up when they wake up," Chelsea reasoned. I was on the couch napping but I was awake, unbeknownst to them. Edward had gone into the office, and Billy was visiting Rebecca to spend time with his grandson. We missed him, but I was pretty sure he was glad to be out of the hot zone that was our house.
Esme was in the kitchen fixing lunch for the girls, and I was grateful that she and Mom, along with Rose and Alice, were helping out. It was a bit overwhelming when we'd brought them home, but at a month old, we were adjusting.
My body…good Lord, my body was trying to adjust. Thankfully, at one of my last office visits before the girls were born, Dr. Hannigan suggested that she had a friend…a plastic surgeon…who I might want to consult with because I was fucking huge, and since I was having a C-Section, he could come in behind her and do a tummy tuck. I took advantage of that shit right away.
I was still sore, but the swelling was nearly gone, and I was almost back into my clothes, which I doubted would have been possible had I not availed myself of the services of the plastic surgeon.
My husband, of course, thought it was ridiculous but I ignored him and did what I wanted to do. He wasn't complaining any longer, and he was as eager for me to get back for my six week check-up as I was. I was trying to take care of him by way of mouth-meets-cock, but he wanted to be inside me, and God knew I wanted it as well.
Jax was six and she was set to start kindergarten in the fall, and I couldn't believe it had been nearly six years since Jacob had been killed. She was more like him, with a little of Edward's mannerisms thrown in, and I was so proud of her. Chelsea was her hero and she'd been teaching Jax to read, along with help from the rest of us. I knew that when she started kindergarten, she'd be ahead of the rest of her class, but we were prepared for it by getting her involved in gymnastics and piano to keep her from getting bored. Edward was teaching her piano, and she was doing very well.
Chelsea, who would be ten in a few weeks, was our little artist. She had an eye that amazed me, and she could sketch quite well. We had several of her sketches framed and mounted around the house, and we were very proud of her.
"Why can't we wake them?" Jax asked. I opened my eyes because if she was going to wake them, I was going to have a fit. They usually slept most of the night, but the night before they'd been awake and crying into the wee hours, and of course, Edward got called to the hospital.
"You wake them and I ground you," I whispered. I saw Chelsea giggle, while Jax continued to poke at her sisters.
"Mommy, why can't we hold them? I want to change their clothes," Jax announced loudly. She liked to treat them like her Barbies, and honestly, the laundry was out of control.
"They're fine. Go to the kitchen and eat lunch. Nana should have it ready by now," I commented as I rose from the couch and fastened a clip in my hair to get it off my neck. I walked over to the bassinet and saw that Lexi and Lindsey were still asleep, and I was grateful.
Just as I was about to go into the kitchen to get something to eat, the doorbell rang. "I've got it," I called.
I opened the door and found an old man standing there looking around the property. I shouldn't have just opened the door without figuring out who it was, but it was Forks, for crap's sake. "Hello? May I help you?"
He turned around and gave me a snarled look. "Who are you?" he snapped as if I had offended him simply by opening the door.
"I'm the woman who owns this house. Who the hell are you?" I snapped back.
"I used to own this house. Does Edward Cullen live here?" he asked as he pushed passed me into the house, uninvited.
"He does. He's at the office right now, and I'm his wife. What can I do for you?" I asked again. The old bastard was just annoying and I didn't want him in my home, but he was inside and he knew Edward, so I had to find out who he was.
"I want to see Edward and I want to see my granddaughter," he bitched. It was then that it hit me who the old crackpot was. It was Finn Platte, and what he was doing in the States, much less our home, was beyond me.
I heard a gasp behind me, seeing Esme with Chelsea standing with her, both of them with wide eyes and I noticed that Chelsea looked scared. I immediately walked over to her and pulled her into me to protect her. I didn't know why she was scared, but no one was going to hurt her. I'd give my life for her.
"Dad?" Esme whispered. It was the reason that my daughter was stiff as a pipe and why Esme was freaking out.
"Esme. How are you?" he asked callously. He didn't care and I wanted to kick him out, but he was Esme's father so I had to give her the upper hand.
"What in the hell are you doing here? You're not welcome in this house, and aren't the authorities looking for you?" she snapped which caused him to actually look at her.
"Esme, dear one, I need to talk to Edward and I wanted to see my granddaughter. Chelsea, little one, come give Pappa a kiss," he coaxed.
She was shivering, and I could tell she was scared to death, so I pushed her behind me. "I'm sorry, but you have no right to be here. Chelsea doesn't want to see you, and Edward has nothing to say to you, so you should go," I announced.
"Please, little girl, don't push me. I want to see my grandson, and I'm not leaving until I do. I don't know who you are or who you think you are, but I'm not leaving my home until I talk to Edward," he ordered.
Well, the fucker had another thing coming. I walked to the house phone and called my dad. He'd be famous for capturing the infamous Finn Platte, and I wasn't going to give the old bastard the opportunity to get away.
"Bells? What's wrong? You never call my cell," Dad began.
"Hi honey. You need to come home as soon as possible. You have company," I responded.
"Is there something wrong?" Dad asked.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, it's your grandfather," I answered.
"Is he armed?" Dad asked, obviously remembering the story of Edward's grandfather.
"I'm not quite sure what he wants, honey, but he wants to talk to you," I replied, hoping that Dad got it.
"I'll be there in five minutes. Keep him talking," Dad instructed. We hung up and I turned to the man with a new determination because he wasn't going to threaten my family.
I hung up the handset and walked back into the living room, sitting down on the couch. Unfortunately, Lexi began crying. I quickly moved to the bassinet to pick her up, hoping the old fuck wasn't armed.
"A baby?" Finn asked. I picked up my daughter just as Jax waltzed into the room.
"It's my turn," she announced without looking around the room.
"Jax, go into the kitchen and get lunch with Nana and Chels. Daddy will be home in a bit," I called. I hoped that my father would show up in five minutes because I had my daughters there, and Esme was a mess.
"Who's that? I know she's not a Platte or a Cullen," he snapped as he crossed his legs looking at me holding a crying Lexi. She was ready to eat, and I couldn't leave him alone in the room with Lindsey in the crib, so I just held her.
A minute later, Esme came into the room with a bottle and handed it to me. "Finn, what are you doing here?" she asked. I could see that she'd gathered herself and I was happy to have the reinforcement. I accepted the bottle and began feeding my daughter, praying that my father showed up any time soon.
"I'm not here to hurt anyone. I'm dying, Esme. I just came to give Edward the account number for money for Chelsea and see her maybe one last time. I didn't expect to see you, but I'm not unhappy about it. So, are you still married to that ass?" he asked. Oh, the man was evil incarnate. I handed Lexi to Esme and rose from my place on the couch.
"You, you old bastard, you need to get out of my house. Carlisle is a good and decent man, obviously something that's lost on you. Edward takes after him, and you have no place here. You colluded with Didi to keep Chelsea from her father, and that's one of the most despicable things I've ever heard in all my life. You should leave before I physically throw you out," I yelled.
Of course, that brought a crying Chelsea out of the kitchen and Jax wasn't going to be left behind. "Mommy, what's wrong?" Jax asked.
"Come here and sit with Nana. Daddy will be home soon," I replied. Jax walked over and sat down next to Esme and Chelsea followed her.
"I know she's not Edward's daughter. She's a mix. Why is she calling him 'Daddy'?" the prick asked.
"Redward is too my daddy. He loves me like he loves Chels. Who are you?" Jax asked indignantly. I heard the front door open, and I sighed in relief.
My dad strolled in and looked around seeing us all looking very scared. He had the entire Forks Police Department, all two of them, and he meant business. "Finneas Platte? You, sir, are under arrest. You have the right…" Dad began reading him his Miranda rights. I was pretty sure Charlie Swan was going to be on television, but I was happy that Finn Platte, the bitter old prick, was leaving our house.
As we'd come to find out much later, Finn was dying of cancer and wanted to give Edward the account number for an off-shore account where he'd hidden a lot of money. We gladly turned it over to the government because we didn't need it. We didn't have to go to court, and he was sent to prison until he died which wasn't too long after his sentencing.
I sat with Esme at the small funeral and held her hand while she cried for the childhood she remembered before everything went to hell. I held her and cried with her, and when we left he cemetery, she held her head high amidst the reporters and paparazzi that were waiting for her. She was definitely a lady, and I was proud to know her.
##
One Year Later
"Where are my girls?" Edward announced as he waltzed into the house one afternoon. My husband got better with age, if that was fucking possible, and I felt like I got more frazzled. Lindsey and Lexi were a year old and just walking. Chelsea was eleven, and Jax was seven. I was…fuck…twenty-seven, and I had news for him, yet again.
Our life was full, that was all I could really say about it. His practice was very, very busy, and Alice was running things with our business while I only consulted on jobs. I had four daughters to deal with, and life was so flipping busy that I didn't know what was up and what was down.
Chelsea and Jax came running and picked up Lexi and Lindsey on their way. It was always a sweet sight to see. He took the babies into his arms and kissed them, and he kissed Jax and Chelsea on the head. He walked into the kitchen where I was preparing dinner and put the twins into their high chairs.
He walked over to me and kissed the side of my neck. "How's my wife?" he asked.
That was a good question. She wasn't doing quite so well. It was a hectic mess at our house with the girls in school and the babies, and I was overwhelmed most of the time. Alice and Rose came over to give me a break on occasion, as well as Mom and Esme, but truth be told, I missed my husband being around.
"She misses her husband," I answered as I pulled the pasta from the boiling water. I drained it and finished dinner, having already set the table. He was working a lot, but we'd gotten together at least once over the previous couple of months.
"I know, honey. There seems to be a baby boom in town. I'm going to take vacation and refer my patients to Nikki. She'll love that," he joked. Oh, she'd love it more than he'd know because she had the last laugh on Edward Cullen. I believe her parting shot when I'd left her office that day was "Oh, please, can't I tell him."
"Yeah, I get it. Where are we going?" I asked as I turned the meatballs in the pan on the stove. I had no idea how to tell him about the news because he was settled that we'd have four daughters, and they filled up our life, but he knew that I hadn't gone on the pill or the patch. We were using condoms and watching the calendar while I waited for my body to get back to normal. My periods, after the girls, were irregular, and I should have gone on the pill. I was an idiot, and I would pay for that in spades.
I took a deep breath and remembered what Nikki Hannigan had told me after she stopped laughing. "Your husband is an OB. He'll be happy about this." I was a crying mess in her office that morning, but she was sweet and held me in her arms as I cried because we just didn't think…he was a fucking OB/GYN. He should have known, and I should have known, and dammit, we'd been careless.
"I thought maybe we'd go to Mexico," he responded. We'd never gone, and Alice and Jasper had sung it's praises for years, having gone several times with Peter and Charlotte.
Oh, yes, Jasper's sister seemed to fit the bill with Peter O'Rourke, and they were engaged. I was happy about it, and Edward seemed relieved, though I had no idea why. No man, other than their father, would take on four girls. He truly had nothing to worry about.
Billy had moved back to his house on the reservation with Siobhan in tow. They were happy, and he really couldn't tolerate four girls in our house, so I didn't blame him. There were nights when I wanted to move as well, but it was my family, and well, I was happy for the most part.
"I need to talk to you," I replied as Jax and Chelsea ran into the room. I couldn't help but start to cry, yet again. I turned back to the stove to finish dinner. I plated it up for them, and left the room as they all talked about their day.
I went upstairs and ran a bath. I soaked in the warm tub and let out water when it cooled, and then ran hot water into it again. I must have sat in that tub for at least an hour trying to figure out how to break the news. I finally gave up and crawled out of the water, wrapping the towel around me and brushing my teeth.
Edward walked into the bedroom as I walked out of the bathroom. "You know, the beauty of having older daughters is that they can help with the younger ones. Now, all of our girls are in bed. Stories are read, and they're all settled. What's wrong, Bella?" he asked with concern.
He had every right to be because I'd been withdrawn for weeks. I took care of our family, but I was still out of sync with it, and I was stupid not to know that he'd notice it. "I'm just, well, maybe I'm….fuck…I blame you and your potency for this, goddammit. I'm pregnant again, and you knew that I wasn't on the pill or anything like that, so you can't get pissed at me about this," I whined.
Edward Anthony Cullen…Dr. Sex Hair on Twitter…Dr. Fuck-em-all, as we used to refer to him when I worked at the hospital…was smiling. I was certain that I'd called him a few "jackoffs" and a few "unsympathetic bastards" along the way, but my husband, Edward Cullen, he only smiled at me.
I wanted to punch him for that sexy damn smirk. "Yeah, that's what I thought," he answered as he undressed. Not a freak out moment. Not a complaint. Not a look of fear. He actually looked happy that we had one-year-old twins and I was knocked up again. Then, the fucker began whistling as he put away his socks from the laundry basket on the bed, and I knew the song and wanted to slap him, but all I could do was laugh. He was whistling "Big Poppa," and I knew that Edward Cullen would be happy with ten kids if I'd give birth to them, and I had been stupid to worry about it.
After the basket was emptied, he pulled me into the bed and whispered, "Come here Little Momma because Big Poppa wants to show you how fucking happy he is that we're going to have more babies. You, Isabella Cullen, are the most incredible woman I've ever met in my life, and I'm more than happy to tell everyone that you're my wife, and I'm so very happy that I get another opportunity to have a baby with you. I'll cut back on my practice so I can help more at home, but God, I love you," he whispered.
Well, there it was. We were going to add number five…fuck, I hoped it was only one…to our brood. It wasn't anything I ever thought I'd have, but it was the life I was living, and it really was a happy one.
##
"I like this one," Jax whined as we walked around the Ford dealership in town. We'd gotten rid of my CRV years ago when it finally died. I'd upgraded to an Explorer at the time. Now, with another baby on the way, we needed something bigger. I was being forced into an Expedition, and I wasn't too happy about it. I felt like it was as big as a bus, but Edward told me I was being silly.
He'd gotten rid of his fancy two-seater years ago as well, and he was driving a Volvo, which he loved. Unfortunately, all of the baby seats wouldn't fit in it when we were all going somewhere, hence the need for a bigger car.
"I guess I like that color," I replied. We took it for a test drive…Edward, Chelsea, Jax and me…and we decided that we liked it. The girls were just back in school, and the baby was due in September. I wasn't as big as I was with Lindsey and Lexi, which thrilled me, and we'd confirmed there was only one, so that thrilled Edward. We didn't know what the sex was, but Edward said that God wouldn't put a defenseless little boy in the house with five women, so it was probably another girl.
When we returned to the dealership after the test drive, Edward made the deal, and we drove home in our new Expedition. I really didn't complain much because it had everything on it, but it was still huge and would be an adjustment for me to be comfortable driving it.
We went to Esme and Carlisle's to pick up the twins, and thankfully, Esme had dinner prepared so I didn't have to cook when I got home. "Bella, dear, how are you feeling?" she asked as I sat down at the kitchen table while she prepared a salad to go with the meatloaf she'd made.
"I'm exhausted. I can't believe I have two more weeks. How's everything at the hospital?" I asked. She was planning to retire the next year, and the search for her replacement had been extensive.
They'd brought people out from the East Coast, but nobody really wanted to move to our small town and run a small hospital. I couldn't understand why because I loved our town, but I had no idea what went into running a hospital, so I supposed that a small one might not offer the challenges that a larger one would.
"Well, actually, a name came up to take my place, and I'm kind of excited about it. I don't know if he'll want the job, but I believe he'd be perfect at it. The search committee suggested…" she began. All I could think was "Please, not my husband. Please, not my husband."
"…Emmett. What do you think?" she asked. I let out a held breath and smiled with relief.
"Wow, they really want to give Emmett the responsibility for the whole hospital? That's kind of dangerous, isn't it?" I teased. We both laughed.
"The level of enthusiasm that Emmett McCarty walks around with every day could really re-energize things at the hospital, and I think he'd be great at the job. He's really done well as the Chief of Emergency Medicine, and I have a gut feeling that he could rise to the occasion. I worry about someone from the outside coming in and taking over things because that hospital runs so efficiently now, and I'd like to leave it in the capable hands of one of our own," she responded as she dumped the chopped-up tomatoes into the salad.
"I think that's a very good…ooh," I gasped. Suddenly, I was soaking wet in my chair, and I knew exactly what was going on. Esme looked at the puddle under the chair and dropped the knife.
"Um, Edward, son, can you come here?" she called as she went to the laundry room and grabbed a couple of towels from the dryer, dropping one on the floor under me and handing me the other. I'd need it for the ride to the hospital in my new SUV.
"Yes, ma'am. Need some help?" he asked as he stepped into the room. I stood from the chair…with help from the table…and wrapped the towel around my waist.
"I think you and Bella are going to need to take a little ride," Esme replied as she pointed to me and the floor under the chair.
"Oh, is it time?" he asked as he walked over toward me. I nodded and remembered that Nikki Hannigan was on vacation.
"Shit. Nikki's in Barbados until next week. I don't want a resident," I snapped.
"Fine. Let's get going before you have it right here in Mom's kitchen. I'll call Dr. Forge on the way and see if he's around," Edward replied.
Dr. Forge was the other OB in town, and I didn't like him at all. He was a crabby old bastard who didn't believe in epidurals. He said on more than one occasion that women should feel the pain of childbirth in order to do justice to the entire miracle of life thing. I disagreed completely. Fucker didn't have a uterus, so I didn't think he should have a say in the matter.
"God, I hate him. I want my epidural," I whined as he grabbed my purse and ushered me out of the kitchen.
"Where are you going, Daddy?" Chelsea asked as she walked into the hallway.
"Mom's gone into labor. You stay here with Nana and help her and Grandpa with the other girls, please. I'll call you as soon as the baby's here," he informed her. She quickly walked over and hugged me, and then we were out the door without another word.
##
"Okay, sweetheart, just one more push. You can do it," Edward called. Dr. Forge wasn't available, so my dear husband, with Emmett standing by, was delivering our baby. Rosalie and Alice were coaching me, and Jasper was standing by to check out our baby when it was delivered.
I'd only been in labor for four hours, and the girls were apparently staying up to find out what it was, and I was just as eager as they were. With a push that I didn't think I had left in me, the baby was out and on my stomach with a whoosh.
"Oh, God…Baby, it's a boy. We have a son," Edward gasped. I looked down and saw a perfect little boy resting on my stomach. Edward was so overcome with emotion that Emmett actually shoved him out of the way and took over. I wasn't exactly thrilled about Emmett being that up-close-and-personal with my girlie bits, but I was too happy to really care.
An hour later, I was settled into a room, and we were holding our son. "We need to think of a name for this little guy. God, I can't believe we have a son. I promise to keep you safe from your sisters, little guy," he cooed as he gently brushed his fingers over our son's cheek in awe.
"Well, we could name him after you," I suggested as I looked into his little red face.
"No. I hate my name. How about, um, Henry?" he asked. I laughed. No way was our son going to be named Henry.
"Henry? I don't think so. What about…" I began when an idea hit me. "What about Masen?" I asked.
Edward screwed up his face and looked at me with a furrowed brow. "Masen? You mean after Ed Masen?" he asked. I was pretty sure it would be a hard sell because Edward never talked about his biological father.
"Yeah. I mean, without him, you wouldn't be here. I know that Carlisle is your father, and he'll have the Cullen name, but what about acknowledging the man who contributed to making you? I think it would be quite fitting," I answered confidently.
He thought about it for a minute, and then he smiled. "How about all of the men who contributed to the two of us being here? Masen Charles Cullen," he suggested. I was immediately in love with it.
"That's perfect. Welcome to the world, Masen Charles Cullen. We're so happy you're here," I cooed as I kissed his small forehead. He was perfect, and I was happy that he was the newest member of our family.
"Now, I've got a phone call to make because as far as I know, Chels and Jax are refusing to go to bed until they know if it's another sister, so I'll be right back. Bella, I love you so much. Thank you for making my life so complete. Hell, I never knew this was the life I wanted, but it's absolutely perfect," he whispered before he left the room. I knew he had tears in his eyes, and he was too much of a guy to let me see them, but I knew how happy he was about having a son.
"Masen, your father is a very complex man, but your sisters will clue you in on how to deal with him, I promise," I whispered to the baby in my arms. It was incredible…it was heavenly…it was everything I never thought I'd ever have.
We had four daughters and a son, and we'd had an unlikely beginning.
Two broken people found each other and fell in love. Two halves became a whole, and we had five wonderful children to show for it. I hoped that somewhere, Jacob and Gianna were happy for us and proud of the job we were doing raising their daughters. I was no longer The Widow Black. I was Isabella Cullen…wife, mother of five, daughter, friend, and overjoyed. Those were labels I could live with quite happily.
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E/N: So, Finn was taken care of, and Edward got his son…oh, and his four daughters. Let me know what you think, please.
If you don't have me on author alert, I'll pimp a story once more… "Doors & Windows & Faith." I love the story, and I hope you'll check it out.
See you next Wednesday with the Epi.
Till next time…xoxo