Bella's POV:

A noise made me snap out of whatever state I was in, and I immediately wrapped my fingers around the large wooden bat that laid next to me as I heard the door open.

As the person neared. I abruptly got up and swung as hard as I could.

"Woah, hey. Calm down, Bells, it's just me." My dad said, as he held his hands in front of him in surrender.

"Dad?" I asked as he wordlessly opened his arms for me.

I dropped the bat at my feet and rushed to him, clinging to his shirt as the tears began to fall again.

"Jasper called. Told me everything. You just let it all out, sweetheart." He told me as he ran a hand through my hair, soothingly.

"I just-- I-- I can't…" I sobbed into his chest.

"I know. I'm angry too, sweetheart. But from what I hear you gave old Pete, and Ed such an ass whooping that they're still feeling it now. So, I do feel slightly better now, now I'm mainly worried about you, and what you did to this place. You want to talk here or go get some food at the diner?" He asked me.

I felt my lower lip tremble as I nodded, and followed him out.

As I made a move to get into my car, he quickly stopped me and led me to his truck before shaking his head. "Jasper is sending Alice to get it later. You're in no state to drive right now. Just get your purse." He replied.

I nodded, heading to grab my bag, before locking the car and climbing into my dad's pick up.

"How'd you find me?" I asked him as he backed out.

He smiled, as he turned the truck and began to leave the cabin's location, "Sweetheart, you've been coming here since you got your license. Now, your mother wanted to come but I talked her out of it, but only if I promised to talk to you. So, start talkin', bug."

I sighed, reaching up to rub my temples with my thumb and middle finger before I took a deep breath and sigh.

He waited patiently for me to sort through my thoughts before I finally began explaining to him what had happened since Rose passed away.

Everything.

~•~

"Wait, so Rose, had-- had cancer and she lied and allowed us to believe she was-- our girl must have been so terrified. How Emmett dealt with all of this alone, surprises me. I know I would have fallen apart if I was in his shoes." He told me as we sat in the diner. "Bell, why didn't you just tell us this was all happening? Your mother and I would have helped you if we knew. Why did you and Edward decide that this was how you were going to handle it?" He asked.

I shrugged, as I stared blankly at the table. "I guess, I wanted to handle it this way because you two were distraught after Rose, and she left me as her guardian, so I wanted to make sure no one would take her from us. To protect her." I told him.

"So, you thought that you and Edward getting married was the best way to go?" He questioned, raising a brow at me.

I shook my head, "We could have adopted her one by one but that was an entirely different route and it didn't guarantee that we would be able to adopt her. So, Peter suggested we do it through this route. So, Jasper was there as a witness. It-- It was only supposed to be for two years but…" I trailed off.

"Edward left, and got his ass landed in jail. Yeah, I got that. Jasper called and told me everything else that's happening. I want you to know that you can sell the lavender farm and horse. You don't need to stay here with the kids, if you don't want to. You'll alway have a home with us, baby. Even when you're old and wrinkly like us. " He told me.

I cracked a smile and shook my head at him, "Don't let mom hear you calling her old and wrinkly." I replied amused.

"This conversation stays between you and me, hon." He immediately replied as he motioned for the check.

Edward's POV:

I sat there watching Jasper pace back and forth as Peter sat on the other side of the room, bouncing his leg up and down, anxiously.

My side, back, and left side of my face were aching, but this was nothing compared to the beatings I received while I was in that hell hole back in Boston. At least now I wasn't black and blue from head to toe. I was sure I was going to be sore tomorrow, but at least, nothing was broken.

I had essentially been tricked when I was told that Paul had been hurt, and that they needed me to go back to fill in his pace for a while.

Alec, Demetri, Felix, and Heidi had all tricked me and blamed me for all their fuck-ups. Getting involved with Vincent Greco.

Truth be told, I was only alive because I met Benjamin, he helped me get in contact with Peter, and helped me uncover the truth of everything that had happened since I had come to Texas.

If Benjamin hadn't found me bleeding out in the bathroom two months after everything went down, I wouldn't be here today.

He, along with James, helped me a lot when it came down to it.

Getting in contact with Peter was the beginning of a battle that I didn't know I had walked into. I was overwhelmed with everything and even thought about doing something stupid just to end everything, but that wouldn't solve anything, especially not for Iz or the kids.

Telling Peter, and now essentially having to do the same with Jasper, who looked like he wanted to call Bella back in here to tan our hides, especially after hearing everything that I went through.

The very thought of getting the crap beat out of me again had me wincing and cringing into my seat.

Even if the pain was dulling now.

"How did they manage to get all that fake evidence compiled against you? I mean, you were over here for a few months when all of this supposedly happened. So, how'd they do it?" He finally asked after I told him everything.

I sighed and looked at Peter, who looked exhausted as I felt.

"It was forged. All of it. They tried forging my signature, but they'd never seen it before, so they made a fake one." I told him. "They even hired someone to edit a video poorly. Of me doing business in the alleyway in back of the shop. It would have worked, if not for the fact that we were in court that day for Macy's adoption, and that I don't have a tattoo of a pinup girl on my right arm." I added.

Jasper sighed and nodded as he sipped on his drink, looking as if he had aged overnight.

This was all my fault. Honestly, it was.

I should have listened to my dad when he told me to come back home years ago, but I was too stubborn to see it. I hate myself for it.

Maybe James was right, I should have just left and gotten the job he offered when we got out.

Sending them money would have been better than fucking it up.

Bella doesn't want to see me. Macy, my sweet little princess, doesn't want to see me… and my son doesn't even know me.

I'm a stranger to my own son.

I don't know what hurts more, the fact that I know I lost my one chance with Bella or the fact that my own kids might hate me now.

It would be better if I left, or never returned at all. Maybe that was still an option.

"Don't go there." Jasper told me, in a firm tone, as he looked at me.

I frowned, "What? Where?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Don't think that leaving is going to help. You'll hurt my sister and those kids more by doing that." He told me as he stood up.

"Jazz, where are you going?" Peter asked.

"Alice went to get the kids from school. Charlotte texted me and told me to tell you that they're on their here way too." He informed us. "I'm going to order something for everyone to eat. Sit tight because this is long from over." He added.

Peter frowned, "What about Pax?" He asked him.

"She left Pax with mom, but our mom decided she was coming too, so… there's that. Brace yourselves because they're not in a good mood." Jasper added, as his phone pinged.

Peter gave me a nervous expression, before turning to look at Jasper and swallowing hard, as he stood up.

"Too late to panic now, brother, they're almost here." Jasper told him amused as he pushed him back down.

Peter sighed, as he turned to look at me. "This day just got longer." He told me.

I nodded as we all heard multiple cars pull up.

"I'll go order the food." Jasper said flatly, before turning away and heading to the kitchen.

Here goes nothing.

Bella's POV:

"So, your mom just called me… she and Charlotte are on their way to your house. We need to hurry up and get there before they do." He told me as we got in.

I raised a brow at him as I put my seat belt on, and leaned back.

"She wants to kick his ass, and if I don't stop her, that poor boy is going to end up in the hospital." He told me as he backed out.

I crossed my arms over my chest, before turning to look out the window.

"Your mother will end up in jail if she does." He added.

When I didn't answer him, he sighed, "You're still mad at him." He stated.

"Not mad, hurt. I don't see why I need to protect him from my mom's wrath, if he all but abandoned me when I needed him that most." I told him.

"It's not Edward I'm worried about. Your mother can be violent when she's about to lose her shit. You don't want anyone near that when it happens." He said.

I sighed, "I know, remember when gammie Marie passed, Jasper asked her if she could make brownies for us, and she lost it and began smacking him with the wooden spoon?" I asked, amused.

He winced, "Yeah, she's not going to just hit him with a spoon, she's going to punch his lights out." He replied as he sped down the highway.

I held back a smile, "That wouldn't be a bad thing, entirely." I mumbled.

He sighed as he drove, "Bells, be fair. He already took your beating, let's not subject the man to your mother's as well." He told me plainly.

I nodded, as I pulled out my phone to find Charlotte and Alice had left me half a dozen messages. "Right, yeah. You should probably step on the gas then because from the messages both Al and Lots left me, mom is on a warpath." I informed him.

"Fuck." He sighed as he sped up.