Chapter 46 - Interlude

Pressing the green accept button, he brought the phone to his ear. "Hello Mrs. Dwyer. Filed any new restraining orders lately?"

"…"

Edward winced and moved the phone from his ear slightly, which made Bella turn her face to the ceiling and scrunch her eyes shut.

"Why thank you Renee, I'm flattered you remember. However, don't you think it's time you stop calling me a juvenile delinquent, seeing as I've been law abiding, grown-up for many years now."

"…"

"No, she's here, but she can't get to the get on the phone right now. She's indisposed of at the moment, but I'll be sure to let her know you called. "

"…"

"I'm not lying. Like I said, she's indisposed at the moment."

Bella opened one eye to peer at him. He was only a few seconds into the conversation and he was already struggling with keeping his voice calm. Though, knowing Renee, it was truly admirable that he was even bothering to keep the conversation somewhat polite.

"Why she's indisposed? " Edward stalled, as if racking his brain for something plausible to say. "She is…"

Alice snapped her fingers, pointing at her arm. She then added some gestures that made it look like she was wrapping something around it.

Huh?

Bella wasn't thinking fast enough to catch on to what she meant, but Edward seemed to get it straight away.

"She is getting her wounds tended to. You heard about the rough weather and our car going off the road, did you not? I believe Bella spoke to your husband about it."

"…"

"My driving, my fault. No arguments there. Though, I'll have you know, that the only reason we were out on that icy road to begin with was because a certain someone was eager to get to the airport so that she could go visit her mother for the holidays."

"…"

"Oh, so you've heard about that," Edward's sounded genuinely surprised, and a little caught off guard.

"What?" Bella mouthed when she caught his expression.

He took a second to mouthed back, "The roof," before he had to focus on the phone conversation again. "Sorry what did you just say?"

"…"

"Right, they called you. Yes, that does make sense. I just didn't realize you're listed as her emergency contact," he said giving, Bella a questioning look.

"Is she really?" Alice asked in a hushed whisper.

"Really what?"

"Your emergency contact?"

"I… no, not exactly…." she whispered back, but before she could say anything else, Edward was shushing at them.

"No, that's not what happe-…."

"…"

"I hardly think that's rele-…"

"…"

"Are you for real?"

"…"

"It's called hospitality, " Edward all but roared into the phone.

Bella winced, Alice sniggered and apparently Renee quieted down long enough for Edward to get a few words in.

"The airport was closed, she needed a place to stay. You make it sound like we were holding her against her will. And for the records, the building that caved wasn't an old one and it wasn't poorly constructed, ill-maintained, or incorrectly structured. There is no one to sue or to put behind bars, so get over yourself!"

"Go, Eddie, finally growing some balls" Alice cheered him on silently, but not silently enough it seemed, because he responded by flicking her off. Placing a hand over his ear he moved to stand in the corner farthest away from them.

"Renee, you'll have to repeat that. I didn't hear you."

"…"

"No, there was just too much snow, in a too short period of time and then when the weather got warmer again, the snow simply grew too heavy. Something had to give. "

"…"

"They told you that? No, they weren't exaggerating; we could have died… all three of us."

Bella felt him looking straight at her as he said that last part.

"Yes, three. If I meant two, I would have said two. "

"Here it comes," Alice mused. She didn't have to explain what she meant. It was obvious where the conversation was heading. Obvious to everyone, but Renee it seemed.

"I'm telling you three lives could have been lost when the building collapsed. I should know, I was there."

"…"

"No one told you about a third person? Could it be that I know something you don't?"

"…"

"Listen, the reception is crap. I'm going to head outside to see if I can get more bars. I'm putting you on hold now, but I'll be right back in a few seconds." Edward pressed the mute button before Renee had a chance to respond.

"What? Wait! where are you going?" a stunned Alice asked as Edward, true to his words, actually started moving towards the door.

"I'm doing what I should have done from the start; taking this elsewhere. It's impossible to think straight with the two of you yapping in my ear. Also, this clearly isn't going to be a polite and peaceful conversation. I don't want to add any more stress than necessary."

"Yapping?! Well, excuse me for trying to help," Alice huffed at the same time as Bella too started protesting. "Edward, I'm not nearly as worked up about thisas you might think."

"You shouldn't be worked up at all."

"No, let me finish, " Bella said, holding up a hand to stop him. "I know you said you'd deal with it, that you'd deal with her, but you don't have to do this. Just tell her I'll call her in a few days. She's my mother, my headache. I should be the one to tell her."

"And have her unleash her verbal rancor on you? Forget it! I'm doing this for you and our baby. Understood?" He punctuated his words by reaching for the door handle.

"Fine," Bella sighed, head dropping back into the pillows. "Suit yourself, don't say I didn't warn you."

"She already hates me, how bad can it be?" he laughed opening the door."I'll fill you in on it later…. the watered down PG version, of course. "

Halfway outside the room, he stopped and turned back."I have an idea. Alice, send me one of those photos you just snapped. I think I'll forward it to grandma dearest. I bet she'll love that."

"Ooh, you're evil. I like it," Alice smirked.

"Later," he waved closing the door behind him. "Renee, you still there. Sorry, about that. Where were we?"

.

….

.

The door clicked shut and they grudgingly had to resign to waiting.

After a few minutes a nurse came by and made small talk while she worked, drawing Alice into conversation about the crazy weather they had just experienced and global warming and… well, something about an earthquake on the other side of the planet. Bella stayed out of it for the most part.

More time passed. Bella had her blood drawn and her body poked and her fluids monitored. Then suddenly the door swung open and Edward reappeared in the doorway. He announced his return by tossing Bella's phone on her bed and announcing "Mission accomplished, but you can forget about the watered down PG recap I promised. I don't think I've ever heard anyone spew out so much shit in so short a time, none of which is worth repeating."

Bella gave him a stern "we'll talk about this later" look, while Alice whined, "Come on you have to give us something."

"I don't have to give you anything. I only have two things to say really…. Firstly, Bella, your mother is a real piece of work. Lawd I heard so much fuckery I can't even begin to comprehend wha-…oh…." he stopped mid-sentence when he realized that there was a nurse in the room. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware, I didn't realize… Did I interrupt anything?"

"No worries, I'm almost done," the nurse told him, barely looking up from her task of cleaning the IV port with an alcohol swab. "How's the cuts and bruises, Mr. Cullen? I'm the one that looked you over the other night."

"Oh, I didn't recognize you. Uhm, I'm fine… The cuts are fine and hardly any bruising at all."

"You said two things. What's the second?" Alice prompted, impatient to get back to the original conversation.

"Eh, what? Oh, right… I almost forgot ," Edward went back to the door and opened it again "I found this looser wandering the hallways," he said pulling a familiar figure into the room.

"So, this is where the party's at?" Seth Clearwater smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "How come I wasn't invited? You don't love me anymore, Swan? I'm crushed."

.

…

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AN: I know, I know short tiny chapter.

I'm really sorry about that, but don't worry more is on the way...