32. His Insecure Girl & Possessive Baby

EPOV

“Sweetheart, I can stop somewhere and get you some water,” I suggested for the third time.


“Nooo…I‘m not thirsty,” she whined and coughed again, the muscles in her neck straining with the effort.


“I think that if -”


She sighed and sniffled. “Goddamn it, Edward…just take me home.”


“But some water might help your throat,” I gently reminded her as she began to hack up a fucking lung.


When she caught her breath, she grumbled, “Whatever,” and laid her head back on the headrest, closing her eyes that had begun to water with the force of her coughs.


I was really worried. She had missed a dose of that damn medicine by fifteen minutes now, and I could already tell the major difference in her condition because of it. She looked miserable, she had a fever, and she hadn’t been able to breathe peacefully without having a coughing fit every 40-55 seconds.


Her brow furrowed as her eyes stayed closed. “Mmmmm,” she moaned uncomfortably, then turned her body to face mine and snuggled back into my arm.


I kissed the top of her head, my lips registering that damn fever, as I turned onto the exit ramp for a truck stop by the highway. I pulled into the convenient store and parked. I went to open my door, but stopped when I suddenly heard Marie's seatbelt unbuckling.


I turned back to her. “No...you stay here, baby.”


I didn’t see anything wrong with her staying in the car. Usually, she wants to, so she can continue listening to her music, while I run in somewhere to grab something, but apparently…that wasn’t the case today. She looked up at me, and the look of vulnerable desperation in her eyes made my breath hitch as I looked back at her in confusion.


“What’s wrong?”


She latched onto my arm. “I wanna go with you,” she said in a small voice and began coughing again.


I nodded, immediately agreeing to anything that would make her feel better. “Alright, love...you can come,” I placated her, then turned to exit my car.


She followed suit and once I locked my car with the key remote, Marie grabbed my hand, clinging to my side as we made our way into the small store.


I shrugged off Marie’s sudden clinginess as a result of her not feeling well. Usually, Isabella was the clingy one. Marie was the playful, yet moody and aloof one, only wanting affection every once in a while…affection that she always had to initiate.


Once we were in the store, I led her over to the drink selection and grabbed a bottle of water.


She sniffled. “Hey Edward?” her voice cracked when she spoke.


“Yes?”


“Why are there so many damn decisions when it comes to a fucking bottle of water?” she asked curiously, eyeing the different brands of bottled water in front of us.


I shrugged. “Not sure…”


She pointed to my hand that was holding the bottle of Ozark water I had selected for her.


“Is that one fuckin yummy?”


Uhmm...


I shrugged, “Sure.”.


“Is it the yummiest one these trucker-fuckers got?” she asked.


I nodded, placating her again. “Yes, baby. It’s the yummiest one they have.”


“Good,” she said with finality.


I chuckled. “Alright, is there anything else you want before we check out?”


I kept her hand in mine, not wanting to let her shoplifting ass out of my sight while we were in a store.


I found that I didn’t trust her at all…and I hated it. I wanted to trust, but...I just couldn't.


Damn it.


She started coughing again, but managed to squeak out, “Tissues,” before she sniffled.


I nodded, already heading over to a row with a few household goods in it. I grabbed a box of tissues and a small 10pk of halls cough drops, since I didn’t have anymore left in my pocket. When we got up to the check out counter, I saw a single dose pack of the same cold medicine I had been giving my girl, except that it was in pill form. I sighed in immense relief and grabbed it, adding it to the pile of things we were purchasing. The cashier bagged everything, and soon we were on our way back out to my car.


When we were back inside the Volvo, Marie buckled her seatbelt, then began to whine.


“Edwaaard…” Marie’s voice pitifully cracked out my name.


“What, baby?” I asked softly, the concern in my voice obvious.


She spoke through a stuffy nose, sounding more and more congested by the minute, while escalating the pathetic noises of her whining.


I chose to ignore all of her whining and irritability, because she clearly felt like shit and my main focus had become trying to make her feel better. Or, at least...more comfortable.


While she talked, I handed her the small box of tissues, and ripped open the tiny paper package with the single dose of cold medicine in it. I grabbed her wrist, bringing her hand over to me and smoothed out her palm before placing the two pills in it. I picked up the water bottle, twisted off the cap and handed it to her.


“My throat is on fucking fire, and I swear to God, my nose is gonna fall off…it’s already dyin, I just know it, and for the love of Christ, when is all this coughing gonna stop?! It’s pissing me the fuck off, I can’t take it anymore, I just cant…ugh, just kill me now...”


She popped the pills in her mouth and took a swig of water to wash it down, then continued what was left of her speech.


“…and Edward, you gotta help me with my wicked new Ipod when we get home and we gotta cuddle...will you fuckin hold me?” she finished with that question.


I nodded. “Yes.”


Of course.


“Edwaaard…hold me...” she trailed off and got tears in her eyes.


I had just started the ignition when I smelt the salt of those tears.


I turned to face her. “What’s wrong, Marie?”


She wiped at her eyes. “H-Hooold me…” she hiccupped and coughed again.


What…why is she so clingy all of a sudden?


I put my running car back in park and immediately reached for her. I plucked her out of the passenger seat and brought her over to my lap. I kept my hands at the small of her back so that the steering wheel wouldn’t dig into her skin.


I kissed away the three tears that had manage to slip out of her eyes before she successfully stopped herself from crying. I placed my lips to her forehead and kept them there as I asked, once again, “What is wrong?”


When I withdrew my lingering kiss to her warm flesh and looked at her, she had a worried look on her face.


“Tell me,” I coaxed her.


She sniffled, then blurted out, “I promise not to be wicked anymore.”


Oh.


I shook my head and hugged her to me, to which she tightened her hold around my neck.


Why do my girls always need so much damn reassurance after a punishment? I didn’t understand it, but whatever. Apparently, I was the one that planted the seed of doubt in her mind, so I would do what I had to, to get rid of it.


But I didn’t know how to explain to them, that just because they get into trouble, it doesn’t mean that I love them any less. It’s just a correction of behavior, and…that's all. Damn it, it is because I love them, that I do it, so the notion that I ‘don’t love them anymore’ afterwards, is just ridiculous and doesn’t make any fucking sense.


Girls are just so...fucking confusing.


“Don’t promise me that, sweetheart,” I whispered in the ear that was by my lips at the moment. “If you did, you'd be lying.”


She began shaking her head, but I continued on, not letting her speak.


“You can try to behave from now on...in fact, I expect you to. But everyone messes up every once in a while, babe. It’s normal, and to be expected. I just don’t want you to ever think that just because you make a mistake, or mess up, I won’t love you anymore. Because, that simply is not possible. I will always love you, you will always be mine. I will always be here…always. You’re not sure what’s wicked and what’s not, but I will show you. I’ll teach you, baby…you don’t have to worry about it,” I assured her.


She sniffled and buried her face in my neck. “Edward…”


“Yes?”


She hesitated then, so I started to soothingly rub her back while she pressed herself to me.


She finally spoke. “I don’t know what you think is wicked. I don’t know how to be good for you,” she admitted reluctantly.


I nodded, already knowing this. “I know that, baby. That’s why I said that I would always be here to show you…to teach you. You don’t need to worry about it, love. Just follow your simple rules, and we’ll go from there, okay?” I kissed her hair then. “I love you.”


“Love you too,” she mumbled, then coughed into my neck.


“Are you ready to go home?” I asked, after I spent the next minute and a half softly caressing her back and bare arms.


She nodded, but otherwise stayed silent as she climbed out of my lap and went back to her seat. Once I heard the clicking of her seatbelt, I put my car back in gear and headed back towards the highway.


Rock music was playing softly in the back round but Marie didn’t attempt to sing along, like I wished she would…stuffy nose, or not. She absentmindedly played with strands of her long, silky hair, instead. Ten minutes later, Marie’s coughs had quieted significantly. Soon, she was leaning her seat back and sticking her thumb in her mouth.


I was about to reach over and remove it, then remind Isabella of her bedtime rule, but when I looked at her, she was turned on her side, facing me, and her eyes were already closed. I looked back to the road and continued driving while my little angel’s heart beat slowed as she slipped into unconsciousness.


When we arrived home, and I parked my car in the dark garage, I noted that it was already almost 4:00. Isabella still lay curled up in a ball, asleep on the passenger seat. I reached for the small shopping bag in the back seat, then got out and went around to the passenger side of my car. I placed the bag on the roof of the car, then slowly opened Isabella’s door. I carefully reached around her for the buckle by her hip and clicked it, effectively releasing the seat belt from her body. I gently gripped my hands under her shoulders, and lifted her into my arms, before quietly clicking the door shut. I kept one arm under my sleeping beauty and grabbed the bag off the top of my car, then made my way back into the house.


We passed by Alice, Jasper and Rosalie, as they were the only ones that were home right now.


Alice thoughts assaulted me almost immediately, letting me know that she did not approve with my method of handling Marie’s ‘bad habit’ this afternoon, but I couldn’t find it in me to care if she approved or not. My Bella was my responsibility, I would handle her as I saw fit. I was about to tell her to fuck off and mind her own business, but I refrained, thinking better of it. I did not wanting to wake up Isabella, by having an argument with my nosy sister.


Jasper mainly expressed concern and quickly tamed the irritation building in me. I was thankful for that. It was like a huge weight was being lifted from my shoulders. I wasn’t angry at Marie anymore. I wasn’t irritated with his mate anymore.


Thank the fucking lord.


I breathed a sigh of relief as I passed by an impassive Rosalie and headed up the steps to our bedroom. I climbed the steps at vampire speed, then layed Isabella’s sleeping form down on the bed, tucking her pink blankie around her small body.


As I gazed her 96lb form, I was reminded that she needed to be weighed tonight. I hoped that she had gained some weight. I knew it had only been a week, but I could still hope for at least a pound. One measly little pound. That would be awesome. I would also need to start up her protein shakes again this evening, before bed. She didn’t have one last night.


I quickly unpacked the shopping bag, and placed all the items on the desk. I grabbed Bella’s new cell phone and set it up on the dresser to charge overnight. I put her new Mario game in the nightstand drawer with her Nintendo toy, and softly clicked the drawer shut, being mindful of my little girl asleep just a few feet away.


I placed a cool kiss to her forehead and smiled when I noticed that the fever had disappeared. After stroking a few stray strands of hair away from her face, I headed back over to the desk and powered on the laptop.


I was going to pass the time by setting up Marie’s Ipod for her, and filling it with the thousands of mp3s that were on the hard drive of my computer already.


While I was fiddling with the laptop, and doing the mundane task of installing software, my mind drifted. I also needed to speak with Esme about adding a home gym in the spare room. It would be very beneficial for my Bella’s weight gain goal and Marie would enjoy it. Maybe I could even install a punching bag in there for her too. Let her go to town on that thing when she gets pissed off. In fact, I could just send her to that room whenever her attitudes get out of control. Tell her to deal with her anger in there, then come back out when she feels better. Like a time-out, if you will…Marie-style.


Yes…I do believe I like that idea. No, I fucking love it.


I was interrupted from my thoughts by the sounds of my girl’s quiet cry. A second later, my instincts registered her heart rate elevating, returning back to a normal pace, from the sluggish, sleep-induced one it had been in.


My head whipped around, toward the scent of salty tears, only to see Isabella sitting up in bed and staring at me with a slightly watery gaze. Her thumb stayed firmly in place in her mouth as she gave me a longing look, clearly wanting me by her side right now.


I clicked the YES button on the computer, to start the huge file transfer of the mp3s on the computer, over to Marie’s Ipod, then stood from my chair and went over to Isabella. I sat down by her and she wasted no time in crawling onto my lap, pressing and snuggling her side into my chest. She sniffled and layed her head on my shoulder, a subdued look on her face.


I leaned against the headboard and wrapped my arm around her waist, holding her to me. I kissed her temple and inhaled the delicious scent of her silky hair. I wanted her to talk to me and tell me why she had woken up upset, so I gently grabbed her wrist, intent on pulling that thumb out of her mouth.


She subtly shook her head and bit down on her thumb, preventing me removing it from her mouth.


“Isabella, take that thumb out of your mouth and talk to me,” I told her softly.


She silently shook her head again, without looking at me, and pressed her head onto my shoulder some more.


“Yes,” I insisted.


She shook her head again, and I sighed.


I knew that she was aware during Marie’s earlier punishment. I had known the entire time, and it did nothing to cause me to hesitate or stop. Isabella needed to know what would happen if she ever thought that shoplifting was a good idea.


She was obviously somewhat upset about it, though, so I needed her to talk to me. And if it’s not that, that’s upsetting her, then I needed to know the cause, so that I could make it better.


“Baby, what’s wrong?” I asked as I lightly trailed my hand up her forearm, to her hand, and tried pulling that thumb out of her mouth again.


Her teeth had a firm hold on it, though.


She shrugged, so I asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”


She shook her head.


“Well, baby…I need you to talk. Tell me what has you so upset,” I coaxed.


She shook her head. Again.


Damn it.


I tried gently removing her thumb again, but was unsuccessful.


“Isabella, your thumb needs to come out. Now.”


She shook her head again, silently telling me 'no'.


“You don’t have to talk, but you do need to follow your rules. It’s not bedtime, and you’re done with your nap. So the thumb needs to come out. Now.”


She didn’t respond this time, just lay snuggled into my chest…sucking on that little thumb.


I cringed and counted to ten in my head…giving her a chance to think about it and comply.


I didn’t want to be firm anymore today.


I didn’t want to be a ‘parent’ anymore today.


Why, oh why is she choosing to test me now? Now, of all fucking times…


I got to ten, and the thumb still hadn’t come out, so I decided to keep going until I got to twenty.


At eighteen, I realized how much of a pansy I was being. That this was the line of reasoning I had followed in the beginning when I was being a neglectful softy. I remembered how that didn’t help either of us in the long run. She had just grown more disobedient over time, and still ended up over my knee in the end.


“Are you going to listen and follow your simple rule, baby?” I asked, realizing that I was still stalling for time with that useless question.


She didn’t answer, just sucked on her thumb and stared at the pillow next to my elbow, with a relaxed, yet troubled look on her face.


I sighed and lifted my hand from it’s place on her hip.


After I lightly swatted her ass, she jumped a bit and whimpered around her thumb, but still didn‘t remove it.


I put my hand back on her hip and repeated myself, but more firmly this time. “Are you going to listen, Isabella?”


She lifted her head from my shoulder and turned to look at me. The cold glare of her eyes betrayed the innocent look she had been sporting a second ago...sucking on her thumb, and all.


Now, both looks just contradicted each other. Her soft, pink lips were still wrapped around her small thumb for comfort purposes, but the look in her chocolate eyes while she stared at me, made her expression look mean, as her face took on an angry scowl.


I kept my expression blank.


I was in no way intimidated by her, or by any of my girls, for that matter, but from her body language, I could tell that she was getting ready to have a fit…or an outburst…or something, and I needed to be prepared to react to it in a calm manner.


Then she slapped me. Right across my left cheek.


It in no way hurt me, of course. I had only registered the slap by the quick motion of her hand, and the brief feeling of warmth on my face when her hand made it’s intended sharp contact.


We stared at each other for six seconds before I reacted. The only reason I waited six seconds is because that’s how long it took Jasper to calm my ass down and take the edge off.


I was incredibly angry with her right now, and I let her know that fact with my black stare. She shot me a glare of her own, as adrenaline coursed through her veins, while she sat on my lap and anticipated my reaction.


She suddenly found herself laying flat on her belly, in front of my knees on the bed. When she registered the feeling of the soft cotton of her dress raising up off her thighs, then being bunched up at the small of her back, she finally took that damn thumb out of her mouth and screamed, “No, I’m sorry!!”


“I am too,” I stated, my voice rough with anger.


I kept one hand firmly on the small of her back, holding her still against the mattress, and keeping that pretty dress out of my way.


When she felt her little panties slipping down to the tops of her thighs, she started kicking and repeated her apology, “Edward, I’m sorry!!”


I swatted her bare ass. “That’s enough. You stay still and remember…” I trailed off as she clenched her eyes shut and whimpered. “Keep your hands out of my way,” I warned through gritted teeth.


I remembered the number I had chosen before…her number. Five. So I gave her five very quick, very hard smacks while she lay before me, blatantly ignoring my warning to stay still and squirming around anyway.






She was sobbing by the time I was through...all of two seconds later. I didn’t take the time to cool the hurt for her, before I slipped her panties back over her now pink bottom, and smoothed her dress back down over her thighs.


I looked away from her, and over to the desk, checking on the progress of the mp3 file transfer on my laptop.


I got up from the bed then, and was going to head back over to the desk, but stopped when I saw Isabella’s hand move behind her.


Oh, no you don’t…


“No, Isabella,” I scolded in a firm tone.


She dropped her hand back down to her side and cried some more at me denying her the privilege of rubbing the hurt out.


Too fucking bad.


I walked over to the desk and took my seat before calling out to her. “Come here. Now.”


I heard the bed creak a second later as she crawled to the edge and hopped off the bed.


I heard the soft padding of her feet as she walked the short distance over to me.


When she was standing beside me, I still didn’t look at her as she tried to swallow back sobs in an effort to calm down. I paid attention to the instructions on the laptop for a few seconds, before addressing her.


When I turned to face her, I saw her flushed face and tear stained cheeks. Her right hand was fisting the fabric of her dress by her leg and she was looking at her new teddy bear that was sitting on the desk on the opposite side of her, next to my laptop.


“Look at me, Isabella,” I demanded.


Her eyes shot over to mine.


“You are in trouble because you hit me. Now, I know that’s not one of your fucking rules, but I figured it would have been obvious. No. Hitting. There…you have a new rule. Congratulations. Now get your little ass in that corner, young lady,” I told her while pointing to the corner right next to the desk.


I wanted her within arm’s reach, so I chose that one.


She hiccupped and sobbed before she asked somewhat curiously, “Why?”


I gritted my teeth and growled out, “Because I said so.”


Her eyes widened at my growl, before she turned and walked a few steps to her designated corner. She stood there and stared at me for a second, sniffling and wiping the tears off her cheeks.


I was fixing to yell at her to turn around and face the damn wall, when I suddenly remembered her earlier confusion with this ’time out’ business. I realized then, that she probably didn’t know what she was supposed to do, exactly…or why she was standing by a corner. In fact, the concept probably seemed pretty odd to her.


Ugh, why couldn’t my Bella just have had a normal fucking childhood?


I spoke in a calm voice then, resigned to the fact that I was going to have to explain this simple concept to her. “Isabella, you are in time out,” I informed her.


She gasped, then cried some more, but I continued on, knowing that my explanation would calm her…somewhat.


“You need to turn around and face that wall, like you did earlier today. Don’t look anywhere but at that damn wall, and stay still. I will let you know when you can come out of the corner.”


She looked adorably confused and hesitated for a second while she wiped at her eyes. She sniffled then, and finally turned around, looking at the wall.


I turned my attention back to the laptop and started to finish up the task of putting music on Marie’s Ipod for her. I kept an eye on the little clock in the corner of the screen as I moved certain files around.


Two minutes later, Isabella had stopped crying. The only sound in the room was the clicking of the keyboard and mouse, and her occasional sniffle. She crossed her arms over her chest and laid her forehead on the wall. A few seconds later, she stuck her nose into the corner, then took it out and lightly thumped her forehead on the wall.


“Stop it…”


Her head became still then, and her feet started moving. They shuffled along the hardwood floor, before she stomped them a couple of times. Then she stood on her tippy-toes and hopped a bit.


“Isabella, stop it…”


She stopped hopping, but her feet kept moving. She went up on her tippy-toes, then rolled her feet flat, before raising them again.


“I told you to be still, now stop it.”


She huffed and stilled all movement.


Twenty-three seconds later, she began humming.


I reached out and firmly swatted her ass.


See? I knew I wanted her within arm’s reach for a reason.


She gasped. “Edward, owwie…stop,” she whimpered out.


“Are you tired of getting spankings, Isabella?” I barked out in a drill sergeant fashion.


“Yes!” she barked back, and I, all of a sudden, had an image of a fucking boot camp enter my mind, with the way she responded.


“You’ll stop getting them when you start following the rules,” I informed her.


She turned and looked at me then.


I gave her a hard look. “Eyes forward, Isabella.”


She turned back to the wall and scowled at it before clenching her fists at her sides, stomping her foot and screaming in the back of her throat with her mouth closed.


I spanked her again. “That’s enough,” I told her, referring to her developing temper tantrum.


“Owww…” she began to cry.


I looked back to the clock and saw that her five minutes was up, but decided that she had just earned two more. It would give her some time to calm down. Then once she was calm, she could talk to me and tell me what it was that had her so upset in the first place.


Soon, two minutes was over and she was quiet once again.


“You can get out of the corner now,” I told her conversationally as I was finishing up my task on the laptop.


She immediately turned around and walked over to grab her new teddy bear and MagnaDoodle off the desk in front of me. She walked back to the bed and placed her toys on the mattress, before going to the flat screen and turning it on. She quickly scanned the movie shelf and picked out Over The Hedge before she brought it over to me, where I still sat at the desk watching her, and asked, “Please?”


I took the dvd from her hands and placed it on the desk. She started the faint beginnings of what I now knew to be a whine, so I said, “Stop it,” in a firm voice, cutting off all her attempts at whining to get her way.


She looked at me questioningly, so I responded with, “We need to talk.”


She didn’t agree, or disagree. Just stared at me. After a minute, she spoke.


“Edward?”


“Yes?”


“I got tears on my face.”


I nodded and stood. “I’ll go get you a warm washcloth.”


I made quick work in the bathroom, drenching a soft cloth in hot water, and wringing it out before walking back into the bedroom. Isabella was sitting on the bed Indian style, with her bear in her lap, staring at me.


I gave her a tissue to blow her nose. She blew it and handed it back to me.


I gave her the warm washcloth to wipe her face. She ran it over her face and handed it back to me.


After I discarded those two items, I joined her on the bed. We sat Indian style facing each other, our knees touching.


I had the imminent feeling that this was going to be an important discussion…or at least a heavy one.


I kept eye contact, and she did as well. Neither of us seemed willing to break it.


I broke the silence first. “What’s on your mind, baby?”


“Do you like givin me spankins?” she asked curiously.


I shook my head immediately.


God, no.


“No. No, absolutely not.”


“How come you do it?”


“Because I love you, and you need it.”


“How come I need it?”


“So you can learn your boundaries and right from wrong behavior.”


“Why can’t you teach me a different way?”


Jesus Christ, we really are gonna play twenty questions, aren’t we...


“I am teaching you in other ways,” I pointed out, before reminding her, “You’ve had other punishments besides a spanking, Isabella.”


“How come Marie’s in trouble?”


“She’s not.”


Isabella gazed at me skeptically. “You were a meanie to her when she got spankins.”


“I was hard on her because of what she did.”


“What she do?”


“Steal.”


“Is Bella in trouble?”


“No.”


“Am I in trouble?”


“You were, but that’s over.”


“Only Marie stole, so only she’s in trouble?”


I nodded. “Yes.”


“But how come you were a meanie, though?”


I cringed.“Because if she had went through with it, then you and Bella…all three of you would be in jail right now. And I can’t allow that to happen. Ever,” I told her with conviction.


She nodded and stared at me for eight seconds.


“I know what Marie told you.”


“What did she tell me?”


“Don’t play stupid, Edward,” she shot back.


I was taken aback by her words and the memory of what Marie had told me in the car.


“What…that you’ve killed before, Isabella?” I asked.


She nodded.


“Who and why?” I asked her bluntly.


“That’s not gonna be a problem, is it?” she hedged lightly.


I was quick to respond. “That depends. Why did you kill in the past?”


“Don’t worry about it, my Edward,” she placated me.


I subtly shook my head. “I’m worrying,” I assured her.


Her eyes flashed with anger then. “Don’t.”


“Why?” I demanded.


Then she smirked. “B’cuz I said so,” she said in a mocking tone, referring to all of the times I had said that to her.


“Isabella-” I said firmly, before she cut me off.


“It’s none of your fucking business,” she told me in a sudden curt tone.


I raised my eyebrows at her, “Young lady, you had better watch your tone with me,” I warned.


We were quiet then and continued to stare at each other.


Thirty-seven seconds later, she narrowed her eyes again and said in a hard voice, “Edward, you are mine.”


My eyes widened a bit at her statement, but I nodded and hummed in response.


“How come you said that Marie belongs to you? I belong to you. You are mine,” she demanded.


“Isabella, you three share the same body. All three of you belong to me,” I quickly informed her.


She was obviously upset by extreme emotions of jealousy, and I had to tame those for her. I should have thought of this earlier…I fucking knew that Isabella was my possessive baby, but I didn’t think of that when I was reaffirming to Marie who it was that she fucking belonged to, so that she wouldn’t ever try to run from me again.


Her features softened back to normal then, and her little fingers began trailing along her bear’s furry arm.


“But you are mine,” she reminded me after a few seconds.


“Yes.”


“Me and Bella and Marie belong to you, but you only belong to me,” she stated.


“Okay,” I placated her.


“Kay,” she said lightly.


After a minute, I asked, “Isabella?”


“Huh?”


“Is that what was bothering you?”


She nodded and started sucking on her pink lips.


Top then bottom.


Bottom, then top.


I shook my head. “Don’t be upset, baby...I’ll always be your’s,” I assured her softly.


“I know,” she said in a sure tone, then crawled into my lap and kissed my cheek.


“Edward?”


I kissed her hair. “Yes, baby?”


“Fuzzy bear’s tummy hurts,” she said in a concerned tone.


I became worried by that statement. Not about the damn bear, but about my little girl. She's done this before…telling me that her dolly was sick, when it was actually her that was getting sick.


“Umm…where does his tummy hurt at?” I asked lightly, trying to play along.


She laid the bear on the bed and put her palm to his lower abdomen. “Right there.”


I nodded and breathed in her scent, trying to figure out what would cause my angel’s lower abdomen to hurt.


“Well, angel…umm, does he have any owwies there? Did somebody or something accidentally hit him?”


She shook her head.


“Does he…have to go potty?” I hedged, thinking of maybe a far-fetched bladder infection.


“Mm-mm,” she muttered as she shook her head.


“Does Fuzzy bear’s tummy feel sick?” I asked, thinking on the possibilities of nausea or diarrhea.


“No…” she mumbled.


“Just hurts?”


“Yah-huh…just hurtin him,” she stated with a slight nod.


“Hmmm…”


Isabella shrugged then, and got off my lap, leaving the bear on the bed by my side. She crawled off the bed and went back to the desk, picking up the discarded movie when she got there.


She brought Over The Hedge back over to me, then asked again, “Please?”


“Of course,” I told her while I stood from the bed.


I put the movie in the dvd player while Isabella got situated on the floor with her pink MagnaDoodle and baby doll. She left the bear on the bed, saying that he didn’t feel good, so he needed to lay down. I just nodded and went along with it, but kept that new worry at the forefront of my mind.


Was it really Isabella’s abdomen that was hurting?


While the movie played, that question kept running through my mind. The possibility was beginning to make me anxious and frantic with worry but Jasper helped take the edge off so that I could appear calm and relaxed for my girl.


Isabella changed her doll’s clothes, once again, then paid attention to the movie while sucking on a ring pop that I had brought up here for her from the kitchen. The ring was attached to her thumb, as she kept an insistent sucking motion on it, her cheeks hollowing out sometimes.


I layed on the bed and read, keeping an eye on Isabella. She would draw some, then she would pay attention to the movie. It seemed to be a pattern. She couldn’t focus on just one thing. She had to constantly multi-task.


I check the clock about forty minutes into the movie, and saw that it was 5:30 now. I would soon need to make some dinner, but I had no clue as to what to make.


Hmm…maybe I could just stick a frozen pizza in the oven, or something?


No…she needs a complete and balanced meal.


Well, shit.


I sighed as Isabella suddenly stood up.


“Edward, can I change? ’Cause ya know…frilly fuckin dresses just aren’t my thing,” Marie told me with an adorably scrunched up nose.


I nodded. “Of course, baby.”


She went off to the closet and I picked up Isabella’s toys off the floor, then put them away. I left the movie playing in the backround and started trying to come up with some ideas for dinner.


Maybe since Marie is out now, I won’t have to cook anything?


Soon, Marie emerged from the walk-in closet in a tight black tank top and worn out, faded jeans that hung low on her hips, exposing about an inch of creamy skin between the bottom of her small shirt and the top of her low-rise jeans.


Fucking sexy.


She was putting on a small black belt, to help keep those loose pants up, when the door bell rang. I was too focused on Marie in that sexy little outfit to notice anyone coming up to the house, but now I knew exactly who was at my door.


Jacob Black.


Arriving without a fucking phone call.


And damn it, I probably can’t beat his ass because Marie will want him here. After all, I did promise her that she could still see him…just over here. Now I was wishing I had made no such promise, because he hadn’t even entered the house yet, and I could already smell his stink and read his juvenile thoughts and I just wanted him fucking gone already.


Fucking hell.


I found myself wondering how long this visit would last.


Marie didn’t pay any attention to the door bell, just came and sat in my lap, Bella’s Nintendo DS and new gamein her hands. I watched as Marie powered on the small blue toy and stuck in the tiny game. She had an excited smile on her face, but just as the game was starting up, Jasper appeared at our bedroom door.


“Door is for you, Marie. You have company,” he informed her politely.


She nodded absentmindedly and got off my lap. “Thanks, Jazz,” she mumbled in response, never taking her eyes off the screen as she began pressing buttons.


“Marie, pause the game and watch where you’re going when you walk down the steps,” I told her firmly.


She turned and winked at me. “Sure thing, boss,” she said with a small smile.


I chuckled at her and quickly followed down the steps, just to make sure that she did as she was told and didn’t end up falling down the stairs and breaking her neck, or something...knowing all the while that it was a very real possibility. Because my Bella is just that lucky.


When we arrived downstairs, Marie looked up from her game and saw Jacob.


He smiled at her as his eyes roamed over her body, focusing on her tight shirt. Ridiculous fantasies were already beginning to cloud his mind.


I glared at him, reminding him that I’m a motherfucking mind reader, so I knew exactly what he was thinking. And also, that I don’t give a goddamn about some stupid treaty from a hundred years ago, and that I will not hesitate to snap his mangy, disgusting flea-bitten neck.


Marie smiled and put Bella’s toy down on the coffee table, then turned to face Jacob. “I’m sick.”


He shrugged. “That’s okay.”


“Yeah, okay.” She grabbed his hand and started hauling him over to the garage. “Let’s go shoot some motherfuckin hoops…” she trailed off suggestively.


He followed her like a lovesick puppy in heat with nauseating dog breath. “Awesome.”


Ugh, kill me now.


I wanted to keep my promise to Marie, so I didn’t intrude on their ‘bonding’, or whatever that shit was, and stayed in the house as I watched them go out the back door. I kept a close watch though, and I could hear everything that was being said, not to mention every vile thought that ran through that mutt’s mind.


They played basketball for a bit and my mind drifted back to dinner when I noticed that the time was now 6:00. It would be getting dark any time now, so that would give me an excuse to make Marie come back inside soon.


When I had narrowed down my decision to just puss out and order a pizza, or some Chinese, I noticed the very subtle change in Marie. The change that let me know that she was not Marie anymore, but that she was, in fact, my little Isabella. I could tell by the way she was jumping. They were on the trampoline now. Marie liked to jump high, while Isabella was the flexible one and loved doing somersaults and flips on that thing. With her first flip, I knew. And I became a bit worried.


I wanted to keep my promise, so I didn’t go out there, just stood watch and wondered how Jacob would handle Isabella.


He stopped jumping, and said, “So anyway…I just can’t believe you live here now.”


Isabella stopped jumping as well, and sat across from him, staring, but not talking.


Her eyes quickly scanned the backyard, obviously looking for me. A split second later, our eyes made contact, but she broke it just as quickly, so that she could go back to staring intently at the boy in front of her.


“You know, you can always come back to the Rez, you haven’t been by in a while,” he reminded her.


She stared.


“And you don’t have to tell Cullen anything, about the stuff. It’s none of his business, anyway…that shit is just between us,” he told her, referring to their recent drug activity.


Isabella continued to stare and I felt my anger spike and my chest began to rumble.


Jasper came to stand by my side then, and watched the scene with me as he regulated my emotions so that I wouldn’t go out there kill my girl’s best friend right before her eyes. Because, that wouldn’t be good. And I knew that Marie was watching.


“Why you so quiet?” he whispered to her after a minute.


She shrugged and stared.


Jasper’s thoughts kept me informed of Isabella’s emotions at all times. She wasn’t scared. No…in fact, she was becoming hostile. But for reasons that I, obviously, didn’t understand.


Out of nowhere, Jacob said, “You know, Quil’s offer still stands.”


“Offer…” Isabella softly whispered in question.


I growled, knowing what this offer was before he spoke it. Jasper put his hand on my shoulder then, his influence becoming stronger with our skin to skin contact.


“Yeah, you know…” he trailed off suggestively.


She subtly shook her head, but her gaze had hardened into somewhat of a glare, so I assume Marie was informing her of this…fucking offer, by way of their special communication now.


“Jesus, Marie - you can be so goddamn forgetful,” he admonished her.


Isabella’s eyes flashed with anger, but she didn’t speak, so he decided to remind her of this so-called offer.


“He’s not stupid, he knows an addict when he sees one. You’re fuckin hard-up, huh? You want a joint, right now, don’t you?” he taunted.


Isabella kept staring.


At her silence, he continued. “Yeah…I know. I can tell. He told me to remind you of his deal. You keep him satisfied…” he trailed off suggestively, before smiling and shrugging a bit, “and he’ll keep you supplied.”


I growled. "I can’t believe he just said that. To my fucking five year old. Granted, he doesn’t know that it’s her, but regardless, Bella is my woman, goddamn it, and I’ll be damned if anyone is going to get away with suggesting that kind of vile thing to her. Prostitution for drugs? I’ll fucking kill him! Him and Quil. What the hell kind of name is Quil anyway? I’ll be doing that motherfucker a favor by putting him out of his misery with a stupid name like that. His parents obviously hated him at birth, and I can see why. I swear to God-”


“Will you please…calm the fuck down?!” Jasper asked, exasperated, interrupting my rant.


Before I could respond with an apology, or some witty remark about how that was his job, I saw Isabella smirk. And it wasn’t like Marie’s smirk, it was one all her own. It looked almost adorable, and it would have been, if I wasn’t aware of her emotions right now, compliments of Jasper.


Anger and hostility.


She crawled over and sat down next to him.


He smiled at her, thinking that she was making some sort of sexual advance on his ugly, mangy ass.


Dream the fuck on, mutt.


She smiled back.


What game is she playing at…?


She leaned in close to his ear, immediately made eye contact with me from behind his shoulder, and began talking in her sweet, child-like voice. It was a soft, murmuring tone. Like she was sharing a secret.


“If you ever suggest that Bella should satisfy your friend so that she can be supplied with weed, again...then I will take Marie’s pink rubber cock and shove it up your tight little asshole. Make you my bitch. Bella doesn’t fuck for drugs, or money, and neither do I. Don’t fuck with me, Jacob Black, because I will return the favor…” she trailed off suggestively.


Holy shit.


“Holy shit,” Jasper said from his spot beside me.


That’s what I said.


Isabella broke eye contact with me then, and backed away to look at Jacob.


His face, once lustful, had been morphed into one shock and slight disgust.


“Who are you?” he asked incredulously.


“I am not your friend,” she said with simple certainty and a shake of her head, before she climbed off of the trampoline.


I opened the back door then. “Isabella, it’s time to come inside, baby,” I called out to her.


She nodded and came running over to me.


I caught her in my arms and tucked her into my side. I turned back to the trampoline to see Jacob jumping off of it, onto the ground.


“Jacob, you need to go home,” I told him with finality, before turning Isabella around and sending her inside with a soft pat to her bottom.


“No, wait - hold the fuck on! Who is that?” he demanded.


I watched as Isabella entered the kitchen, before I closed the back door and turned back to Jacob with a glare. “That’s mine, is what that is. This does not concern you, mutt. Call before you come over next time. The only one around that’s even remotely interested in seeing your filthy ass, is Marie,” I informed him.


He looked at me with disbelief. “Did you hear what she just fucking said to me? She wants to shove a goddamn dildo up my ass, for Christ’s sakes!”


“Like you wouldn’t love it,” I shot back.


“That’s sick, Cullen.”


Jasper came outside then, his nostrils flaring a tiny bit from my girl's scent. “It’s time for you to go home, boy,” he told Jacob in his southern accent.


“The hell it is-” he began before I interrupted him.


“It is! Marie is not around anymore, so that means you don’t need to be here, either.”


“What the hell is going on?!” he asked, almost desperately.


“Nothing!” I yelled. “Nothing that concerns you. When will you get it through that vile head of yours, that Bella is mine?! Her health, her alternates, her body…none of it concerns you,” I informed him harshly.


“She is mine, my responsibility, not yours! Fucking leave already!” I growled.


“Calm down, man,” Jasper placated me with waves of calm.


But I didn’t want to fucking calm down. I wanted to rip Jacob’s head off.


That was before I heard Isabella’s whimpered cry.


I quickly turned to Jasper and stated in our frequency, “Get rid of him.”


At Jasper’s nod, I rushed into the house and looked for Isabella. My eyes frantically searched the kitchen and front room, coming up blank before I heard her cry again, making me decide to just pull in her scent to identify her whereabouts.


That’s when I smelt it. Dead blood.


Oh, shit…


My Bella’s body had begun menstruating.