WRONG DECISIONS

Disclaimer: The Cullen's, the Swans, and most of the characters mentioned in the story that are known from Stephanie Meyer's beloved Twilight Saga, are all hers and hers alone. I neither have nor wish to pass them off as mine. I do appreciate the fact that she brought them to life and allows us to play with them in our imaginations. The only thing I will claim is the current storyline.

The awesome and talented dowlingnana searched out my errors and corrected them.

Before anyone could say anything the two children took off at a run, arms wide open and hollering, "Daddy! Daddy, you came home. And you brought Grammy."

CHAPTER 26: WHAT NEXT?

Both Edward and Esme came to a complete stop due to the shock and the surprise of how they were being received by the twins. After a couple of minutes Edward looked from them up to Bella who hadn't moved from the doorway and then back down to the two children.

The whole time he seemed to be unaware that his mouth kept opening and closing like he was wanting to ask questions but couldn't get a sound out. This caused Bella to smile a little, but she remained silent during this time, not really knowing what to say for the moment, and not wanting to discuss the situation in from of the twins.

Taking a couple of steps back, Bella motioned for the twins and the other two adults to come inside. As Edward and Esme moved forward behind the children, Bella could see the questioning looks both were giving her. Their puzzlement was evident, but she just gave a slight shake of her head to indicate that nothing was going to be talked about in front of the children.

As they entered Charlie got up from his chair and muted the game on the television. He wasn't happy to see who the visitors were, but he knew that this meeting had to take place. In fact, in his mind, it should have taken place years ago and would have if Bella hadn't been so stubborn.

After greeting Edward and Esme Charlie invited them to take a seat and Bella offered to make some coffee for them. Both offers were accepted, and the twins continued chattering, asking questions about where their father and grandmother had been. Also, about why they hadn't been home until now and they wanted to know where the rest of the family was.

Bella heard the last question as she entered the room with coffee for everyone. She looked over at Charlie with a raised eyebrow as if questioning him why he allowed the children to continue with their questions instead of stopping them.

"Don't look at me like that," Charlie told her quietly so the twins wouldn't hear him.

Bella smiled as she handed Edward and Esme their coffee, then gave Charlie his. The conversation stayed on general subjects as long as the children were in the room but after a while the twins were showing signs of tiredness, so Bella put them down for a nap after realizing how much time had passed.

However, as she was coming back down the stairs, she overheard the conversation that was taking place between Edward and Charlie, but Esme seemed to be staying silent. True, Bella hadn't heard the beginning of their talk, but she was hearing enough now.

"I know she told you to come now, but if my daughter meant so much to you why did you wait? Why didn't you keep track of her? If you had you would have known about the twins." As Charlie asked his last question his temper was starting to get the better of him as his voice was starting to rise due to his anger about the whole situation.

Before Edward could answer him Bella quickly entered the room and said, "Dad, I think that the past is between me and Edward, the same as is the future of how we'll handle things.

"I know that you love me and the twins and that you're also upset because I didn't tell you about the twins being kidnapped, but don't take things out on Edward or Esme." She paused and then continued, "Many times before Annabella and Anthony were born and even afterward, you kept telling me to let the Cullen's know and I refused to listen.

"Because of that I now find myself in the current situation and it is up to me to get things set right. At least, as far as they can be due to the circumstances."

Charlie looked at his daughter and then glanced over at Edward and Esme. With a deep sigh he nodded and then agreed with her. He realized that all that she had said was correct; he was hurt because she had withheld information from him and that she been forced to seek help from the Cullen's because of his job and had only told them about the twins due to the circumstances and not for the fact that telling Edward about his children was the right thing to do.

So, with a deep sigh, Charlie asked, "What would you like for me to do?"

"Dad, just continue as you always have done, being my rock, my dad and the person I can always count on to be there with love and sound advice. Doesn't mean that I would always follow the advice you give, but I know that I will always need it." Bella told her dad with a smile and a look of complete love and adoration.

"Well, I would suggest that everything be addressed while the kids are down for their nap and not able to overhear any part of the discussion." Charlie suggested quietly.

So, without further ado, Bella told them that it would probably be better to begin back at the time when she left Chicago. She explained how she didn't know that she was pregnant until some time after she had returned home and was starting to establish herself in a residence of her own.

She continued with her story all the way up to going to Chicago for Edward's help after finding the twins missing and the note that had been left in their place.

"I can understand why in the beginning you withheld any information about your condition, but I don't understand why you behaved in such a cowardly manner as to continue to keep my son and the rest of the family from knowing about the twins." Esme finally spoke after listening to all that Bella had to say.

At hearing Esme's remarks and the fact that she had been called a coward caused Bella to want to respond back in like kind but managed to refrain from doing so. Instead, she quietly said, "Edward, in fact all of you knew my feelings about certain things surrounding the family. That still hasn't changed."

Then drawing a deep breath, she looked at Edward and said, "I know that you have questions about the children's knowledge about all of you and I have no problem with answering those. Also, I have no problem with Annabella and Anthony getting to know their father or grandmother. I'll even include Alice and Rosalie in that group, but I draw the line where the rest of the family is concerned.

"And I want it understood that I'll be changing my place of residence due to what has happened, and it will not be back in Chicago or Seattle. I haven't made that choice yet as to where I will be moving, so don't bother to ask.

"Each time you wish to visit with our children then it will be in a place where I will feel that they are safe from the influence of your family interest."

With that said the other three occupants of the room just sat looking at Bella with stunned expressions upon their faces. At that moment no one had anything to say to what Bella had told them.

However, it didn't take Esme long before she was able to start protesting very strongly. "You have no right to make decisions such as that. Those children are Edward's as well.

"In fact, I do object to half of the family which includes their grandfather, from getting to know the children.

"I objected to what Carlisle wanted to do yesterday, but now I think I'm in agreement with him; we'll take you to court."

That last statement of Esme's caused Bella, Charlie and Edward to look at the woman like she had lost her mind. "That is something that will not happen, Mother!" Edward stated in a very controlled voice that was sounding with extreme anger.

"No one, and I do mean no one, will decide what is going to happen or be done with our children but Bella and me. So, Mom, you can just back up on what you think will be done in that regard.

"Also, if you continue to think the same as Dad, then I'll ban you from having anything to do with the twins until I feel that you are of a different mindset." Edward concluded.

"But, Edward, how-" Esme started to ask but didn't get to complete her question as Charlie voiced his opinion before Edward or Bella could say a word.

"Mrs. Cullen, there is no way that I'll stand by and allow you to take my daughter's children, my grandchildren. True, they are your grandchildren as well, and true, I have been trying for years to get Bella to tell Edward about them, but at no time has she ever not put their interest before hers. Never has she not put them first in any decision that she has ever made since learning that she was pregnant with them or since they were born.

"Never underestimate me because I can damn well hide my family where no one will ever find them if push comes to shove. But then I don't think that I would need to go to that extreme, not with all of the information that I have where the Cullen activities are concerned.

"Make no mistake I will use it if the need should ever arise." Charlie concluded, then thought to add, "So, never threaten my family ever again."

Charlie was angry enough that he felt that he needed to remove himself from the present company, but before he could get up and leave the room, Bella told him, "Dad, I don't think that you need to even consider that course of action and to threaten doing it is unnecessary since you know that it isn't something that you would ever do."

"How do you know that?" Esme asked.

"Because my dad would never hurt me or my children that way." Bella gave the simplest of answers.

Esme gives a huff along with a heavy sigh as she shrugs her shoulders as if in disbelief.

At that point Edward stands, extending his hand toward Bella as he says, "Bella, do you think we can discuss any future arrangements between just the two of us?" So, with a slight nod she accepts his hand to assist her to stand.

Once on her feet she turns as she motions for him to follow her and the two go into the kitchen and then out the back door to a picnic table. Here each takes a seat, but no words are immediately spoken.

"I don't know where to start the discussion of how to handle my getting to know our children, but I would like to know how they know about all of us and why you went to such efforts to let them know since you were so against us."

"That really is your answer with what you just said in that last part of your statement. I was against what you did, not who any of you were personally. So, even though I didn't tell you about the twins it was their right to know about all of you. To know that they had family other than just me and Charlie.

"Pictures I had of all of you I would show to them and tell them about all of you. I would tell them stories about all of you." Bella explained to him quietly.

"I thank you for that consideration but what was the excuse of why I wasn't around?"

"I told them that you had to work overseas and that it was difficult for you to get home. That when you were able to come back to the States that something always happened to call you away again right away so you didn't get to have time to come see them."

"What kind of work did you tell them that I was doing?"

"I only told them that the family owned a great deal of businesses and that you had to help to make sure that all of the businesses were running correctly."

"Bella,-"

That was all Edward had been able to say as two very energetic young bodies came rushing out the back door toward their parents. Both Edward and Bella saw Charlie and Esme following more slowly behind the kids.

So, the rest of the afternoon passed with spending time with the twins. Then when it came time for Edward and Esme to leave the twins got very upset and wanted to know why they weren't staying.

Edward looked to Bella as she quickly but quietly explained that Daddy and Grammy had to go get some rest since there wasn't enough room at Granpa's. Then she told them that Daddy would be back again before going back to work.

As goodbyes were being said Edward did quietly tell Bella that he would be back because they still had a lot to discuss and decide.

AN: Well, some questions received some answers, but no definitive decision was made about how things were going to be handled where the twins were concerned. Esme ended up with her nose slightly out of joint, but Edward was quick to defend Bella. The kids were unhappy about Edward and Esme not staying with them.

Who is going to make the next move? Edward or Bella?

Thanks for reading.