No copyright infringement is intended, and Twilight doesn't belong to me.

Thanks to LaPumuckl for her help talking out the story and catching issues. Thank you to the wonderful and talented Dowlingnana for again wielding her red pen, to shape me into a better writer.

Any and all mistakes are mine, I still dabble. Thanks for the story love, see you at bottom.


Etched Swan Chapter 19

After the hearing, Edward and I call home and give everyone the news. Rose and Alice want to get a bedroom ready for Sasha. We tell them we need furniture for Sasha's room. Rose and Alice are going to go pick it out and Emmett and Jasper will have the furniture set up. Rose said her and Alice are going to stock the linens for the room and attached bath. We told them to wait on major decorations, so that Sasha could pick out some for herself. We discussed the new building, and Emmett said he is taking care of the construction of the upstairs first. The contractor is planning to be there first thing in the morning to start working on remodeling the apartments. The basement apartment is already set up for Diego, but Maggie is going to use it for now. Diego is still coming to Washington, but for at least the next two weeks, he is staying at the six-bedroom Airbnb house Carlisle rented and told us about this at lunch. Waylon, Diego, Esme, Carlisle, Eleazar, Carmen, Randall and Cora are all staying there for the next two weeks. The house they are staying in is about three blocks from where we live.

Once we are off the phone and leave the courthouse, we all go back to Edward's parent's home. The case worker and supervisor follow us, as they have a bunch of Sasha's belongings in their vehicle. We get Sasha's belongings settled into the bedroom beside ours, and even show her where we will be sleeping. Waylon is staying in the room across the hall and the other room beside Sasha's is for Maggie when she arrives. Esme had already taken care of arranging for Maggie to be here for the night, and she will be at the house shortly. Randall with Maggie's help took care of arranging for Maggie and Sasha's belongings to be taken to Seattle. The majority of their belongings are already on the way to Washington in a moving truck.

Edward and I have just been spending quiet time with Sasha playing board games and talking while Waylon just hangs out in the armchair near us.

"Daddy, tell me about Seattle," Sasha says.

"Well, I am rather new to Seattle myself, but it is a really nice place. The house we live in has a big backyard, and we sometimes have bonfires. Our friends, and Bella's brother live next door to us."

"Bella, you have a brother?" Sasha asks, sounding excited.

"I do, his name is Emmett and this is a picture of him and his girlfriend Rose," I say showing her a picture I took of them standing outside of the shop with my phone.

"He's like a giant," Sasha gasps.

"He is a big guy, but he is super friendly, and one of my best friends," Edward tells her.

I switch pictures to one of Alice and Jasper. "This is one of my best friends, Alice, and the guy beside her is Jasper. Jasper and Alice live on one side of our home and Emmett and Rose live on the other side."

"Do they like kids?" Sasha asks, and I remember she said she knew her Aunt's husband didn't like kids.

"Sasha, we would never make you be around anyone who didn't like kids. Alice will love you and will always have the best snacks. Rose will teach you how to do some really awesome stuff, because she is always doing something cool. Emmett and Jasper will both love you and protect you," I tell her.

"And, Bella will take care of you the same way she takes care of all of us. You will be very safe and loved in our home," Edward says before leaning closer to Sasha's ear. "If you want to know a secret, I intend to marry Bella as soon as she will say yes to me. I hope someday soon we can all be a family of Cullen's together," Edward whispers.

Waylon gives a thumbs up from behind where Sasha is sitting, showing his approval of our talk.

Edward gives me a smirk, because he knows I heard him clearly.

I catch the tear that leaks from my eye, and smile at him and Sasha.

"Daddy, I think you blew the secret, because Bella can hear your whispers," Sasha stage whispers back to Edward, causing the three of us to burst out laughing.

The doorbell sounds, and I see Esme making her way to the door.

Just a few minutes pass, before Maggie is walking into the living room where we have been for a while.

"Mags, you came," Sasha says, and jumps up to hug her.

"Yes, I am here. Your father and Bella wanted me to come here and help get you settled for the night. Tomorrow we are going to fly out to Seattle, and I had to get all your stuff squared away."

"You got all my stuff?" Sasha confirms.

"Of course, little bird, I have all your stuff. I helped Mr. Randall get it all sorted and on a moving truck to Seattle."

"Daddy said you were going to go to Seattle with us."

"I am, your dad and Bella have asked that I come and stay with you at their home, and help find you the schooling you need."

"Daddy, are you and Bella going to make me live at school in Seattle?" Sasha asks, sounding sad.

"Sasha, when you come to live with your Bella and I, you will do so by living in our home. You will have the big backyard we talked about to play in. We want you close to us," Edward tells her.

"You will have to go to school, but Maggie is going to be there to help us find a school that will be good for you, because you are so bright, we don't want you to get bored," I add.

"Where will Mags stay?" Sasha asks.

"Well, the home we live in is rather large. The basement of our home is remodeled and it is like its own apartment. So, we are going to have Maggie stay there, and you will be upstairs in your own bedroom."

"I will have a bedroom in your home?"

"Of course, sweetheart," Edward answers and I nod.

"It is our home, Sasha, we all live there so it is ours," I say.

Sasha hugs me and whispers, "thank you, Bella."

"Should we show Maggie the pictures of our home and our neighbors?" I ask, trying to keep my tears at bay.

Maggie sits with us and we show her pictures of the house, and the basement, while we discuss routines and schooling options.

Eating dinner is quite the affair. With nine of us the dinner table is full and conversations are flowing. After dinner is over, Randall and Cora say their goodbyes to go home and settle things here for while they are gone to Washington for the next two weeks to make sure we have everything set up there.

After we get Sasha and Maggie settled for the night in the rooms they are in, Waylon asks us to sit with him in the den for a bit.

Edward and I enter the den, and sit across from Waylon.

"Thanks for taking a bit to talk with me, I'm sure you're both tired."

"I'm beat, and feel like I've been through an emotional roller coaster," I admit.

"Same," Edward says.

"That makes sense," Waylon states. "I will say this first and foremost, that child is remarkable. She doesn't seem to miss a beat. She is very well rounded, and I think that is because of Maggie. I think you two bringing Maggie to Seattle is a good thing. Sasha doesn't look at Maggie as a mother, but more of a big sister. Maggie has been her protector and she truly cares for the child. Since Maggie has no family, moving her with you also will help her, as Sasha has been a huge part of her life for the past nine years. I think after a few weeks, Maggie should get her own place in Seattle, but still be available to help with Sasha if it is within your means to do so. After she has been in her own place, maybe help her go back to school or find a job. That way you will be more of a family with Sasha and she will be more of a part time caretaker. I also think it best if we make sure to provide a therapist for Maggie to see. This will be a change for her too, and she very much loves that child. I don't think or feel that Maggie has any possessive thoughts about Sasha, but this will be a change for both of them."

"That makes sense," I say and Edward nods.

"Is there anything else that we can or should do that we are not doing?" Edward asks.

"There are a couple of things, but you have been doing one of them already. Continue to discuss your friends and family in Seattle with Sasha, the better she feels she knows them the easier it will be to make her comfortable with them. The other thing I think you should address with your daughter as soon as possible is that you were hurt while in the Army. You have been favoring your right side a bit today, so either you are having issues with your prosthetic, or something else is going on. She should hear it from you, before she sees you're missing a part of your leg."

"Edward, I thought you said the ulcer was healed?" I say.

"It was, and I put the barrier sleeve on it, but it is tender."

"Waylon, I am sorry to cut this short, but Edward needs to address this now. If there is anything else we need to address we can talk in the morning. We will be up very early, as I hardly ever sleep past sunrise."

"No, you guys are good for tonight, and I will be in Seattle with you as well for a while. Your father told me of this wonderful golf course where he intends to take me. I haven't been out west in a while, so this working vacation part of my retirement sounds lovely. We are flying out tomorrow at three in the afternoon, be sure to talk to Sasha in the morning about your leg."

When we get upstairs, Edward goes into the bathroom and after a bit he calls for me. I enter the room and he shows me his leg. It appears to be irritated, but no skin is broken open. We decide it will be best to talk to Sasha first thing in the morning about it.

We both do our nightly routines and snuggle together in bed.

"Thank you, Bella, I love you."

"You don't have to thank me, I love you, and am right where I want to be," I tell him before we share some kisses.

It's still dark outside when there is a knock on the door. I get up, as Edward turns on his bedside lamp, and open the door to find Sasha and Maggie there in pajamas.

"Is everything okay?" I ask as Edward sits up in bed, still covered.

"Yeah, but Sasha had a bad dream and wanted to come and talk to you and Edward," Maggie states.

"Okay, well come in," I say and hold the door open.

I move back to my side of the bed and sit down and pat the bed and tell them to have a seat. Sasha sits on the bottom of the bed, and Maggie sits on the bench at the end of the bed.

"What is the matter, sweetie?" Edward asks Sasha.

"Daddy, will you have to go back into the war and leave me in Seattle?" Sasha asks.

"No, I won't." Edward says, before glancing at me and I nod.

"Sasha, you do not need to worry, I will not be leaving to go to war, and the job I have allows me to be home every night. I'm not going to leave you anywhere, ever again."

"But I was told you were a good soldier and good men are needed, the ads on tv and radio say that all the time," Sasha says.

"Sasha, when I was in the war, I got hurt really bad, so I cannot be a soldier anymore. I am okay now, but I have a prosthetic leg and foot. I can run and jump and do all kinds of things, but I no longer can be in a war."

"What's a prosthetic?" Sasha asks.

"It means that your daddy has both legs, but on the right side from just below his knee he has a part that is made to look and act like the part that is missing. Would you like to see what it looks like?" I ask, knowing as smart as she is, seeing it will help.

"Yeah," she says.

I get up and go into the bathroom, and bring Edward's prosthetic back to the bedroom.

"That is my calf and foot for my right leg. Sometimes I cannot wear it for some reason, so I have to use those crutches," Edward says, pointing to the crutches beside his side of the bed.

"Does it hurt?" Sasha asks, clearly worried Edward is in pain.

"Not at all. Sometimes I just get little blisters or sores and I can't wear my prosthetic, but most of the time I am great. I have a special attachment I use when we go swimming, or running, but most of the time I wear the one Bella is holding."

"Is it heavy?" Sasha asks.

"Nope, not at all," I say, before setting it down on the chair beside Edward's side of the bed.

"So, you won't go back to war because of your leg?" Sasha asks.

Edward pats the bed beside him and smiles as I sit down on my side again.

Sasha moves up between us. "Sasha, I would not go back to the war, or ever leave you again. I am so happy you are in my life, and our life," he adds, pulling my hand into her lap with his. "We will do everything to make sure you are happy and a part of our lives forever."

I look up and see Maggie wiping a tear, she smiles and mouths the words "thank you."

Edward wraps his arms around both Sasha and I and hugs us. We both hug him back and before long Sasha lets out a large yawn.

"Okay sleepy girl, we have to be up early because your grandma Esme is planning a big breakfast, and I thought maybe you would help me and her cook. How does that sound?" I ask.

"That sounds fun. What time are we getting up?"

"Your grandma said she would see me at six-thirty."

"That is early," she says. "Mags, will you set my alarm?"

"Of course, Little Bird," Maggie replies.

"Okay, I'm going to bed now, night, Bella. Night, Daddy," Sasha says and gets up and her and Maggie leave the room.

"Well that went better than I thought it would. It is scary telling a child you are missing a part of your leg," Edward says.

"Your daughter is resilient," I say.

"And you are perfect, thank you, for everything," he says, before switching off the light and pulling me into his arms.

I get up before the sun rises, and take a shower. After I am dressed, I repack the majority of our luggage, including Edward's prosthetic. He needs to stay off his leg for a few more days. I leave his bag open so he can pack his pajamas and toiletries when he is done getting ready for the day.

"You're already prepared to go?" Edward asks in his groggy morning voice.

"Yes, I have your travel outfit set out for you. You only need to pack your bathroom stuff and nightwear. I am going to help with breakfast."

"Sounds good, I think I may just pack my prosthetic and use the crutches," Edward says.

"Already done, you need to fully heal not irritate it more."

"Thank you, Bella, for everything, especially for being here with me."

"You're welcome, I would not want to be anywhere other than beside you."

I leave our room, and make my way to Sasha's room. I can hear giggles, so I tap on the door.

"Come in," Sasha says as I open the door.

"Good morning, ladies, how did you two sleep?" I ask.

"Good," Sasha smiles.

"I was comfortable," Maggie responds.

"That is great. I hope you will be comfortable in our home in Seattle, it is a big home but not this big," I say.

"I will love it, I get to live with my family," Sasha says.

"Yes, you do, Sweetheart," I say with a smile.

Sasha gets up and goes into the bathroom and closes the door.

"Sasha is pretty good at adapting to changes, so don't worry too much about it, Bella. I will help anyway I can with her," Maggie says.

"Thank you, Maggie, Edward and I both appreciate all you do and have done for her."

"You're welcome," she replies as Sasha comes back out of the bathroom.

"Okay, you two head down to help with breakfast, and I will get us all packed up and ready for our flight to Seattle," Maggie states.

I hold out my hand and Sasha takes it and we leave the room.

Sasha swings our hands between us as we walk downstairs. We enter the kitchen and see that Esme is busy making biscuits.

"Are you making biscuits, Grandma?" Sasha asks.

Esme smiles big at her. "Yes, I am. I thought maybe you would like to help me cut them out."

"That sounds fun, I don't get to cook much, but I love it. I think I want to be a famous chef someday," Sasha states. I pull a stool over to the counter for her, so she can reach easier and help her get settled.

"Esme, would you like me to start the sausage gravy, or work on something else?"

"If you could make the sausage gravy that would be wonderful," Esme says. "You know, Sasha, you are a very lucky little girl, Bella is a great cook. She will be able to teach you a lot of things that will be helpful to you if you want to be a chef someday."

"Bella, are you a chef?" Sasha asks.

"No, I am an artist, but I love cooking and almost attended a culinary school instead of majoring in art."

"Do you like to draw?" Sasha asks me, and I nod.

"I love to draw too," Sasha states.

"Well then you will really fit in well, your dad and Bella are both very good artists. Bella's brother and Jasper are also great artists," Esme states.

Waylon had suggested that we begin fitting people Sasha will be around a lot into our conversations so she will feel comfortable around them easier and I see he has already clued in everyone else.

"They are?" Sasha asks.

"Yes, they are. My brother Emmett and I own a tattoo shop in Seattle called Etched Swan," I explain.

"That is like the pictures that Daddy has on his arms, right?"

"Yes, see this fish I have on the back of my neck?" I ask as I pull my hair up and shirt collar down in the back so she can see it clearly.

"Yeah," Sasha says.

"Your daddy drew that and tattooed it on my neck for me," I tell her.

"That is very pretty. I love the bright colors."

"Thank you, I love it too," I tell her as I wash my hands.

"I didn't know my daddy was an artist too."

"Bella is a much better artist than I am," Edward says as he comes into the kitchen on his crutches.

"Hi, Daddy."

"Good morning, Edward," Esme adds.

"Good morning, Sasha, Mom. Are you making biscuits?"

"Yes, Daddy, I want to be a chef when I get bigger."

"Bella loves to cook, and makes the best pasta. I bet if you want, she will teach you."

"Will you, Bella?"

"You bet I will," I say.

"Hey, love," Edward says, as he crutches closer to me. "What are you cooking?"

"I am making the sausage gravy."

"That sounds super delicious," he says before kissing my cheek.

Edward makes his way out of the kitchen, after chatting a bit more with Sasha.


A/N: So, how do you suppose travel will go? What will Sasha think of living in Washington? Will Edward propose sooner rather than later? Will Bella and Edward ever get any alone time now? Things are coming together, and I look forward to reading all your thoughts and ideas, so let me have them.

See you soon with chapter 20, I am working on it.