48. Just Jealous

EPOV

"…I'm a Toy R Us kid, there's a million toys at Toys R Us that I can play with, I don't wanna grow up-"


"Isabella," I called, interrupting her sing-a-long with the commercial on TV.


She giggled and looked up at me from where she lay on the couch. "What?"


"No feet on the furniture, sweetheart," I reminded her.


She lifted her feet and brought her knees up to her chest, keeping a twirling finger in her long hair. "What about twinkle toes, Edward?"


I smirked and sat down on the cushion that her legs had occupied a second ago. "Those too, baby girl," I confirmed, then reached over and ran a tickling fingertip along the heel of her small foot.


She giggled, then straightened her legs out so they could lay across my lap. "No feet or twinkle toes on the couch," she muttered the reminder to herself before she stuck a yellow pacifier in her mouth and turned her attention back to the flat screen TV on the wall.


We were in the living room and Isabella had been watching cartoons while alternating having that pacifier in and out of her mouth for the past twenty minutes. She had come around shortly after the end of my Bella's therapy session, saying that she had missed me. I just nodded and held her to my chest for one of my favorite hugs because I had missed her too.


"Oooooh, Edward I wanna fuckin go!" Marie said excitedly, stretching out her arm and pointing a small finger to the screen. She realized then that she was holding Isabella's pacifier, and grimaced at it before tossing it onto the coffee table. "Can we go? Can we go? Please, Edward, I wanna fuckin go. Let's go!" she practically demanded. She was so damn excited, she was practically vibrating with it.


I tore my eyes away from the huge grin splitting across her beautiful face to look at the TV and find out what she was talking about.


Oh. Uhmm…


The fair was coming to town this weekend.


"It's not happening for a few more days, sweetheart," I informed her.


She huffed and brought brack her outstretched hand to lay flat on her belly. "But I wanna go now…" she told me with a hint of a whine in her tone.


I nodded in understanding and started massaging her left foot. "I know baby, but it's only Wednesday and it's not set up and ready yet. The rides aren't even put together, honey…" I trailed off in explanation.


Her brow furrowed and her little hands tightened into fists right before that familiar agitated whine started in the back of her throat.


My 'stern face' fell into place immediately. "Marie…" I warned in a hard tone.


"Nooow…" she insisted, whining and ignoring the look on my face.


Hmm…maybe my stern face doesn’t work anymore. Well, damn.


I stopped the soothing movements of my hand on her foot. "We can go when it opens, Marie. Throwing a fit won't make that happen any sooner," I assured her.


She gritted her teeth. "But why the hell would they put that shit on the commercial if it wasn't even open yet?! Just to tease us? That's fuckin mean!" she proclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest and pursing her lips to add character to that adorable scowl on her face.


I chuckled. "Marie, they showed the commercial to let everyone know that the fair was coming to town, so that people could make plans to go there this weekend," I explained.


She pouted. "But fucking hell, Edward, it's not fair. I wanna go now…" she told me, her eyes watering.


I lightly caressed her bare thigh in a comforting gesture. "I know babe, and we'll go the day that it opens. I promise."


She ran one of her still tightly clenched fists over her watery right eye, then proceeded to fix me with a penetrating stare, one that I‘ve learned she uses when she wants to know if you‘re lying or not. "You swear?" she pressed.


I nodded. "I swear."


"Edward?"


I smiled. "Yes?"


"We can go on the fairy wheel, huh?" Isabella asked me.


I furrowed my brow. "Ferris wheel?"


She shook her head and reiterated, "Fairy wheel."


I chuckled at the mispronounced word, but before I could say anything to correct her again, she continued on. "You know, it's all blinky with pretty lights and takes you high, high up in the big sky," she explained, extending her hands out in front of her so that they were reaching towards the ceiling. "It's a fairy wheel," she told me.


I grabbed her outstretched hands and brought them to my mouth for a kiss. After I planted a cool kiss to both sets of knuckles, I laid her hands back down on her flat belly and promised, "Yes, we can go on the fairy wheel, baby."


She beamed up at me and giggled. "Kay."


"Edward?"


I started trailing my cool fingertips along the length of her smooth leg. "Yes, baby?"


"I want my biiinky…" she informed me with a whine.


I leaned forward and reached for where it lay on the coffee table. Isabella held her hand out to me, so I set it in the middle of her upturned palm, and she wasted no time in stuffing that rubber nipple back in between her lips.


While she turned her attention back to the cartoon on TV, I continued my finger's light trail along her leg and started to think about what I could make for dinner. Carlisle was at the hospital, Esme was out in the garden and Jasper had left to go hunt. I knew that Alice wouldn't be interested in helping because she was upstairs in her room rearranging her closet. It was five in the afternoon, and I knew that my girl would be hungry in a little while. Dinner was scheduled to take place two hours from now, but my Bella had only eaten half of her sandwich for lunch, so I was guessing that my baby girl would start to get hungry earlier than 7pm this evening.


"Edward?" she mumbled around her pacifier.


"Hmm?" I hummed distractedly.


"I love you."


"I love you too, baby girl."


"Edward?"


"Yes?"


She sat up, then took her feet off my lap and set them down on the floor. "I wanna go play outside," she told me, apparently tired of the juvenile cartoon playing on the screen.


I nodded. "Hmm…are those itchy-hotts still bothering you, baby?" I asked, needing to know whether I needed to apply more medicine for her before she started running and bouncing around outside.


She blushed, then looked down and mumbled, "No…"


Lie…


I sighed. "Okay…are you sure?" I hedged.


She shrugged and stood up. "I wanna go play," she told me again, taking the pacifier out of her mouth and setting it down on the coffee table.


I stood as well and kissed her forehead. "Okay, but let me know if they start hurting you again, alright angel?"


She nodded, so I relented and let her go out to play in the backyard. I knew I should have insisted that she get another application of the external cream because she was obviously lying about the 'itchy-hotts', but I didn't want to push it. If it were truly bothering her, then she would tell me. Apparently, it's not that much of a nuisance right now, because it’s not interrupting her play time, so I'm relieved about that. Like I told my Bella before; she is healing beautifully, so I don't expect to have to place myself in the awkward position of Doctor Edward for too much longer…just at bedtime, and maybe once before, but that should be it.


Becoming annoyed with the Spongebob theme song, I turned the TV's channel to one that just played music constantly. I chose the soft rock channel for some back round noise, then went to accompany Isabella outside. She had left the back doors open, so I made sure to pull them shut behind me as I stepped out onto the patio. I watched Isabella roll and bounce the soccer ball around on the trampoline before I sat down on the ground beside Esme where she was currently working on her garden.


She smiled over at me. "Hello, Edward."


"Hello."


"How is she?" Esme inquired.


I looked back over to the girl in question.


Isabella had dropped the soccer ball over the edge of the trampoline, and was now jumping on it. "She's fine. Marie wants to go to the fair this weekend. I promised her that we would, but I need confirmation from Alice on the weather before I can make good on it. I know I should have thought about that before, but she was just so damn excited and I couldn't tell her no."


Esme smiled and nodded, her gaze going back to the flowers. "It should be fine. There's very rarely a sunny day here, you know that.”


I nodded. "Yeah…I hope-" I was cut off by the ringing off my Bella's cell phone.


It was in Isabella's jean short's pocket at the moment, and she had abruptly stopped her jumping to look down at her clothes with a puzzled look on her face.


I smirked. "Excuse me…" I told Esme, standing from my spot on the ground.


"Of course," she agreed, carefully straightening out the petals on one of her flowers.


I walked over to where Isabella stood on the trampoline, and noticed that the phone had rung out three more times while I made my way over to my little girl. "Hey, angel-" I started but she cut me off.


"Edward, my panties are makin noises!" she told me, looking away from her shorts over to me, with wide chocolate eyes.


I chuckled. "No baby, that's Bella's phone," I informed her.


Her thin brow slightly furrowed. "Huh?" she muttered, perplexed.


I crooked my finger at her. "C'mere."


"Kay."


She bounced her way over to me, and when she was standing on the ledge, her hips level to my face, I reached into her right jean pocket and pulled the small blue phone out. I quickly looked at the caller ID, then pressed the TALK button before it could go over to voicemail on the seventh ring.


"Hello?" I greeted, pressing the phone to my ear.


Isabella sat down in front of me, and let her legs dangle over the side while she watched me talk on the phone.


"Edward?" Charlie asked.


I smiled at Isabella while internally rolling my eyes at her dumb father. "That's me."


"Where's Bella?"


"She's out."


"Why do you have her phone then? Shouldn't she take it with her when she goes out?" he asked.


"She forgot it, you know how she is. I could have her call you when she gets back in, or you could call her phone back and leave a message. I'll be sure to let her know that you called though," I told him, trying my best to remain polite.


"Edward?" Isabella piped up.


I quickly pressed my finger to my lips and kept a small smile on my face, indicating that she needed to be quiet. She smiled back and pressed her own small finger to her pink lips, mimicking me.


"Well, just let her know that there's a cook out going on down at La Push this weekend and she's invited to come along with me and Sue…"


Nope.


I let his monotone voice fade into the back round as I covered the mouth piece and spoke quietly so that Charlie couldn’t hear me.


"I love you, baby girl," I cooed softly to Isabella, and leaned forward to give her button nose a gentle Eskimo kiss.


She giggled and rubbed her warm little nose back against mine. "I love you too," she whispered.


I smiled and pulled back to give her nose a real kiss before I went back to the phone conversation. I held my finger up to my lips as a reminder to Isabella before I spoke, and she nodded, getting the message, then mimicked me again with her own finger.


"…and then that fair thing is happening and Jake wanted to know if she wanted to go-"


I cut him off right there. "I'll be sure she gets the message," I told him, knowing damn well that I would do no such thing.


I heard him sigh into the phone. "Alright well, I'll talk to you all later then," he relented, obviously getting the hint from my sudden rude tone that this conversation was over now.


"Alright, goodbye," I responded before hitting the END button.


"Edward?"


"Hmm?" I hummed in question as I slid my Bella's cell phone into my jean pocket.


I would be answering her phone when she's not around from now on. I would need to keep running interference for ridiculous invitations like the one she had just gotten. A cook out at La Push? Going to the fair with that mutt?


I don't fucking think so.


"How come that phone don't make ringy noises?"


I furrowed my brow, looking back into my little girl's curious eyes. "What do you mean, angel?"


"It was making pretty noises, but it wasn't ringy noises," she explained in her child-like voice, always making sure to enunciate all of her T's.


I nodded. "Oh…yeah, it's set to a wind chime ring tone, sweetie pie. It makes those pretty noises instead of the ring-ring noise when someone is calling," I explained.


She nodded. "Edward?"


"Yes?"


"Who was on the phone callin?"


"Charlie."


"…who?" she asked, confused.


"Bella's dad."


She gazed at me skeptically and subtly shook her head. "That's not Daddy's name."


"Isabella, Jim is dead and he's not your daddy," I gently reminded her, fully aware of her confusion on this subject.


She sucked on her bottom lip and twirled a long strand of her hair for a few seconds before she spoke again.


"Edward?"


"Yes, angel?"


"Who Charlie?" she asked again, dropping the hand that had been playing in her hair, down to her lap.


"Bella's dad," I repeated.


"Father?" she instantly responded.


I furrowed my brow and shrugged. "Sure," I muttered, a bit confused because 'dad' and 'father' meant the same damn thing.


Her eyes flashed with anger then. "How does he know where we are?" she asked a bit forcefully, her previous tone hardened.


My eyes widened at her sudden change in demeanor. "Isabella, Bella has lived with him for the past two years…" I carefully informed her.


She scowled at me then, absorbing what I had just said, and I sighed.


Apparently, Marie hadn't shared that little piece of information with her. As far as Isabella knew, this was her home. When she came back around, my Bella had already started living here at the mansion.


My poor baby…always so confused.


"If Daddy finds out, he's gonna kill me," she muttered this ridiculous statement to me.


I rolled my eyes and tried my best to suppress a growl. "Isabella, for the millionth time, your daddy is dead and no one is going to kill you. No one is ever going to hurt you," I reminded her, my own voice hardened now.


She scooted off the edge of the trampoline and landed on the ground, then glared up at me. "You keep that dirty fuckin kike away from me Edward. I don't believe you," she told me through a delicately clenched jaw and gritted teeth.


She turned to walk away, but before she could make it two steps in the other direction, I gripped her upper arm and landed a firm swat to her bottom. "Go up to our room. Right now, Isabella," I spoke in her ear through gritted teeth of my own.


As soon as I released her bicep, she crossed her arms over her chest, and without another word, she quickly stomped her way across the large backyard. When she entered the house through the back doors, I listened to her continued footfalls as she kept up that indignant stomping all the way up to the third floor, where she entered the bedroom. The sound of the TV coming on followed shortly after, and I rolled my eyes. She would not be watching any television when I got up there.


Damn it.


I sighed and caught Esme's sympathetic look before I started walking towards the open back doors, because once again, Isabella had forgotten to close them.


Isabella knew better than to take that fucking tone with me, and she was also very well aware by now that the use of that word would land her in the goddamn corner for a time out.


This was a sensitive subject though, so I had to keep that in mind while dealing with this particular situation. I had to somehow address her attitude, and her slip with the prejudice term, all while managing to keep those two things entirely separate from the Daddy discussion.


Turns out that convincing her of Charlie’s paternal status is an especially difficult feat, but also completely different from convincing her that Jim is dead.


Maybe I should just to throw that 'Daddy' word out the window altogether…


Yeah, and just address the two men by their individual names.


I sighed and walked into the bedroom then. Isabella was standing in the middle of the room, her gaze intently focused on the cartoon currently playing on the TV, so I quickly walked over to the flat screen, and pressed the Power button, effectively shutting off King of the Hill.


“Isabella.”


Her chocolate eyes flicked over to mine. “What?” she mumbled around the yellow pacifier in her mouth. She must have grabbed it off the coffee table on her way to the stairs a minute ago.


I reached for her small hand and enveloped it in my own, then lead her over to the bed. I sat down on the edge and positioned her in front of me, so that she was standing in between my legs.


We were face to face; perfect discussion position.


“We need to talk, angel,” I informed her gently.


She nodded, the plastic of the pacifier subtly moving against her lips now, indicating that she had sped up the sucking motion…or biting motion…hell, I don’t know.


I decided that I would go with my earlier idea of not using the D word, and hesitantly started the conversation pertaining to this very sensitive, very confusing subject. “Okay, do you remember the other day when you and Marie were arguing over toys, and you two got confused about who Mommy was?”


She nodded.


I gave her a slightly stern look. “Isabella, I want an answer. If I have to take your binky away, then I will…” I threatened.


Her eyes widened a bit. “Yes,” she mumbled around it.


I nodded. “Alright…well angel baby, we are having that same problem again. Except this time, it’s about Daddy. Do you understand that?”


She nodded hesitantly, “Yeah…”


“Okay, and because of this problem, we aren’t going to say ‘Daddy’ while we talk about this. Can you do that, sweetheart?”


“Mm-hmm…” she hummed slowly.


I sighed, still not entirely sure where I was going with this. “Alright, we’re going to start with the basics. Jim was Mommy’s boyfriend. Do you understand that?” I hedged.


“Yes.”


“Alright, and Charlie is Mommy’s ex-husband. Charlie put you in Mommy’s tummy…and that would make him your father-”


“Charlie is Father, Jim is Daddy,” she supplied, interrupting me.


I furrowed my brow in contemplation.


How the hell do I explain this?


“Okay angel, we’re not using that word, remember…?” I gently reminded her. “We’re going to call them Charlie and Jim. No daddies in today’s discussion.”


She nodded. “Kay…”


I exhaled and exasperated sigh. “Hmmmm…okay baby love, it’s like this…Charlie married Mommy, then he put you in her tummy. That would make him your father. But Charlie and Mommy didn’t get along, so Mommy moved away when you were just a little baby, and then Mommy met Jim and he became Mommy’s boyfriend. Jim wanted you to call him ‘Daddy’, so you did, and that’s the reason why you know him as that, but he is not your real daddy, angel.”


“He’s Bubba-Bobby’s daddy…” her soft voice mumbled then.


Yeah that no-daddy rule went to shit real quick.


Oh well.


“That’s right sweetie pie, Jim was Bobby’s daddy, but that’s all. He’s not your daddy and he is dead, Isabella. I swear to you baby girl, Jim is dead. If he wasn‘t, I would‘ve killed him by now and I would’ve let you watch.”


She smiled at that.


“Charlie is your father,” I reiterated, to which she furrowed her thin brow, but I was quick to reassure her. “You don’t have to call him Daddy, though. In fact, you don’t have to call anyone Daddy.”


She kept eye contact with me and pulled the pacifier out of her mouth. “Edward?”


“Yes?”


“Charlie is a dirty kike and I never wanna see’em,” she told me.


Damn it.


I moved at my natural speed then, and quickly reached around her small form to swat her ass.


She gasped and her pouty pink lips formed a small O as she continued to stare at me in silence.


I took advantage of her slightly shocked state to gently pry her fingers open and take the pacifier out of her hand; I knew that it wouldn‘t last long.


When I heard her exhale a shaky breath, I cocked my head to the side a bit and gazed into her wide chocolate eyes. “Aw, don’t look so surprised, angel.”


She started to cry then.


I sighed and put the yellow pacifier in my pocket, then watched as she brought a tiny fist up to her left eye and wiped a few tears away.


“What do you think that was for?” I asked her.


She subtly shook her head. “D-dunno…” she mumbled around a small sob.


You don’t know?


I fixed her with a hard glare. “You don’t say naughty words, Isabella. Follow your rules, or I will put you over my knee,” I stated in a firm tone.


She nodded and sniffled, understanding seeming to dawn on her features now.


I softened my features at her subtle response, and patiently waited for her to calm herself while I thought about how I could use this weird Daddy/Father distinction to my full advantage. Isabella sniffled and pouted for a few minutes, but was otherwise relatively calm, so when I was sure that I had her full attention again, I spoke. “Okay, so…what you said before…when you said that Charlie was a father and that Jim was a daddy…do you understand that you don’t have a Daddy, just a Father?” I hedged.


Wow, that sounded kinda confusing…


She nodded. “Yah-huh, but I don’t wanna seeeee ‘em…” she whined, still sniffling occasionally.


“You don’t have to see him," I quickly assured her. "You’re mine Isabella, and you live here with me."


She nodded.


"Charlie may come by every once in a while to see Bella, but you don’t have to see him if you don’t want to. I promise,” I told her, sealing that promise with a cool kiss to her forehead.


She sniffled again. “Kay.”


I nodded, glad that the Daddy discussion was over.


Now time for the punishment.


Right.


I put my ‘stern face’ back in place, getting ready for this next part. “Alright, you need to go to the corner for a time out.”


She gasped, looking adorably confused for a moment before she started to cry again.


“Now, Isabella,” I spoke over her cries.


She slowly shook her head, rubbing her right eye with a small fist. “Nooo…” she cried.


Stubborn.


I stood from the bed and took her free hand in mine, then led her over to the corner by the desk despite her pleading protests. Once I had her positioned to face the wall, I swatted her ass again, and spoke in her ear from my position behind her. “Don’t tell me no.”


She didn’t respond, just kept crying while I backed away from her.


While I was silently pacing the hardwood floor, waiting for Isabella’s five minutes to finish, I decided that I would just heat up one of the frozen Stouffers meals for her dinner tonight. I’d let her pick which one she wanted though, since I had no fucking clue what was ‘yummy’ and what wasn’t.


“C’mere angel…” I called out softly, noticing immediately when three hundred seconds had passed.


She turned around, sniffling and hiccupping from the sobs that surprisingly hadn’t stopped the entire time she had been facing the caddy-cornered wall. The sound of her cries, and smell of her tears had already leveled my anxiety, but the sight of her disheveled state only served to make it worse.


She was sucking on those pretty pink lips and her rosy cheeks were wet with salty tears. Her adorable little button nose was runny, causing her to have to constantly sniffle.


I knew that it would be up to me to wipe all the wet mess away for her, but I was happy to do it. After all, it goes along with the whole owner scenario, right? Running a soft, warm wash cloth over her flushed face and holding a tissue to her nose while she blows into it qualifies as ‘aftercare’, right?


Fuck if I know.


I sighed, wishing that she would behave more often so that these time outs didn’t have to occur on a daily basis. I understand now that she’s only crying because of the simple fact that she is in trouble, and not because she’s actually hurting, but I’m still trying to grasp onto the concept of why. That part still doesn’t make any damn sense to me.


I held my arms out to her, and she walked right into my embrace. I picked her up and held her to my chest, supporting her slight weight with my forearm. I walked us into the adjoining bathroom, and sat her down on the white marble countertop, then proceeded to talk to her while I went to work on wetting a wash cloth, intent on beginning my duty as ‘owner’ and providing ‘aftercare’.


“Don’t cry, baby love…” I softly pleaded with her as I began to gently wipe her pink cheeks with the warm blue cloth.


“Edward?” her small voice cracked.


I switched from her right cheek to her left. “Yeah?”


“Why was I in trouble?” she asked in a shaky voice.


I furrowed my brow, realizing then that maybe I should have explained in a little more depth what she had done wrong before I sent her to the time out corner.


Yep. I still suck at this parenting crap.


I withdrew the wash cloth from her soft skin and placed it down on the countertop beside her leg. I quickly ripped off a few white squares of toilet paper from it’s roll and held it up to her little button nose.


“Blow…”


She gasped for a breath, then blew into the tissue as I began my explanation. "Well sweetness, I thought I had explained it well enough, but apparently I didn’t…“ I trailed off, throwing the soiled tissue in the trash can. “Um…you were in trouble because you copped an attitude with me out and you said ‘kike’ twice…once in the backyard, and once in the bedroom. So that’s why you got a spankin and you were put in time out. Both of those things are against the rules, Isabella. You will continue to get in trouble for those things until the message sinks in that you are not allowed to misbehave. Do you understand?”


“Yeah…”she trailed off, done crying now.


I kissed her button nose then. I couldn’t help it, the tip of it was pink. “Good girl.”


So cute.


“Edward?”


“Yes, angel?”


“I want my binky.”


I nodded, then reached into my pocket and retrieved the yellow pacifier and handed it over.


She held it in her palm and looked back up at me. “Edward?”


“Yeah?”


“I wanna cuddle,” she told me, allowing the rubber nipple to slip in between her puckered lips then.


I nodded and lifted her from the counter, keeping her held to me while she tightened her grip around my neck. I kissed her cheek, taking advantage of the opportunity to inhale her heavenly aroma. “Are you hungry?” I murmured against her warm skin.


She nodded and hummed her assent, so I kept her cradled to my chest while I walked us down the stairs to the kitchen. When we approached the refrigerator, I noticed that she still wanted to be held, so I moved her over to sit on my hip while I opened the freezer door. She laid her head down on my shoulder and watched my movements silently.


“Which one do you want for dinner, sweetheart?” I asked, gesturing to the small red boxes piled high in the small freezer.


She shrugged, so I started pulling a few boxes out so that she could make an informed decision. After looking at eight boxes, she eventually pointed to one and mumbled, “Bourbon steak tips and mashed potatoes.”


“You can read what it says on the box, angel?”


She nodded. “Yah-huh, I can read Edward,” she affirmed quietly.


I was reminded of her automatic writing then, and internally kicked myself for questioning her ability to read when she so obviously had the amazing ability to draw and write at five years old.


I put the other seven boxes back in the freezer and shut it, before setting my little girl down on the floor in front of me so that I could have my hands free to work with the oven. She obviously wanted to stay close though, so she fisted the fabric on the side of my shirt with her small hand. I smirked and kissed her forehead, but otherwise remained silent. She could hold onto my shirt as much as she wanted.


After preheating the oven and opening the box, I set the small black tray of food on a metal cooking sheet and slipped it inside. I set the timer for thirty five minutes, then turned my attention back to the clingy little girl at my side.


“Want me to hold you…?” I trailed off softly in question.


She nodded, looking up at me.


The pacifier was subtly dancing against her lips and I could tell that she was upset about something. As ridiculous as it sounds, the pacifier’s movement usually alerts me to her moods, nowadays. The movement of the plastic against her lips will gradually increase when she‘s upset. She has telltale signs with her lollipops, as well. Her cheeks will hollow out as she makes a concentrated effort to suck particularly hard on it.


I furrowed my brow, wondering what was troubling my mate. There were a multitude of possibilities, and I wanted to know which one it was.


I hooked my hands under her shoulders and lifted her to my chest, then walked over to the dining room table. I sat down in my usual chair and scooted Isabella around so that she was sitting in my lap with her legs dangling off to the side. She subtly kicked them, and snuggled up against my chest. I kissed her hair, and started trailing my cool fingertips through the long locks.


“What’s wrong with my baby?” I cooed, talking softly into the silky strands of her hair.


She pulled her binky out of her mouth and started playing with it in her palm, fingering the ring handle on the back of it. “Edward?”


“Hmm?”


“Your daddy is nosy…”


I chuckled and nodded. “Yes angel, that’s because it’s his job…”


“Why did he wanna know about Joey and my Sunshine?”


I exhaled sharply, realizing where this conversation was going.


The others…


“Because they are apart of Bella…err, they were apart of her,” I explained in a quiet voice.


“Hmm…” she trailed off, seeming to think about something.


Uhmm…


“Isabella?”


“Yeah?”


“Are…are they still apart of her?” I asked hesitantly, suddenly desperate to know if any of these ‘others’ were going to pop up anytime soon. After all, if anyone knew the answer to that question, it would be Isabella. Apparently, she was ‘in charge’ back then.


She subtly shook her head and remained quiet.


After two hundred and thirty eight seconds, she finally spoke.


“They went good bye-byes, Edward. The meanie doctors did it, it’s their fault. I’m still here though, huh? B’cuz Bella loves me and you’re mine, huh? Nobody can change that, so your daddy can quit tryin b‘cuz s’not gonna work, donchya know…”


I just nodded, feigning understanding even though I had no fucking clue what all of this entailed.


My Bella had been a multiple before and she had healed with the exception of Isabella, but now she has become a multiple again. The knowledge of her past gives us hope that my mate’s fractured mind is perfectly capable of healing again, but I remain torn on the subject. So incredibly and completely torn to the point that I don’t even want to think about it.


I need what is best for my mate, which is for her to get better, but at the same time, my baser, more primal side has recognized Isabella and Marie as being my mate, as well. It’s creating an immense internal conflict within my mind. I want her to heal, but I don’t. The need to experience Marie and Isabella on a daily basis is insistent and strong. Asking me to live without them, is equivalent to asking me to live without my Bella. It’s ridiculous…ludicrous…an impossibility. It’s just simply not doable.


Stop thinking about it.


“Edward?”


My baby...


I relished in the alluring sounds of her soft child-like voice. I breathed in her scent, heavily coating my tongue with the taste of her that saturated the air, and allowed my body to relax.


Isabella is here… My angel isn’t leaving me… Ever.


I subtly tightened my hold on her, wanting to believe my thoughts. “Yes, angel?”


“They weren’t Bella’s friends, they were mine.”


I nodded. “Okay…”


“And the meanie doctors took them away…they made my friends leave me, Edward,” she told me.


I distractedly kissed her temple. “Sorry, baby love…”


She was quiet for a few seconds, my fingertips trailing from her shoulder blades to her waist, before she spoke again. “Daddy’s dead, huh?”


“Yes.”


“And if he’s not, then you’re gonna kill him and I get to watch, huh?”


“Yes, but I promise he’s dead, Isabella…”


She sighed then. “Don’t want him to be, though,” she mumbled to be.


What?


I furrowed my brow, perplexed. “Why?”


“B’cuz I really wanna watch you kill him.”


I chuckled.


Sadistic little thing.


We truly are a perfect match.


“Well, I really wanna kill him, but I can’t because he’s already dead,” I reiterated.


She subtly shrugged. “We’ll see,” she muttered, then left it at that, sticking the pacifier back in her mouth.


I started a subtle rocking motion then, and kept it up for a few minutes before I decided to voice what I had been wondering about for the past few hours.


My Bella had mentioned something in her therapy session that I found to be particularly interesting. She was talking about her nervous habits as a child, explaining that her braids and thumb had ‘juice’ in them, and it made me immediately think back to these past few days when Isabella wanted her thumb or pacifier.


Was she placating her thirst and hunger, as well as using it for comfort?


“Isabella, do you want your binky more when you’re hungry and thirsty?”


She nodded, confirming my thoughts.


“Why?”


“S’got juice in it,” she said simply with a small shrug.


Okay then.


“Well baby doll, I want you to do something for me…” I trailed off.


Her chocolate eyes flicked over to mine then. “What?” she muttered.


“When you’re hungry or thirsty, I want you to ask for food or a drink, instead of your binky. Can you do that for me?”


When a shrug was her only response, I hastily added, “Otherwise, the binkies are going to go away for a while.”


She nodded then. “Yah-huh, Edward…I can do it. You don’t gotta make my binkies go away. I will ask for my peanut butter and jellies or a juicy box, I promise,” she told me.


I smiled and kissed her forehead. “Good girl.”


She sighed then, and took that yellow pacifier out of her mouth. It seemed to be going in and out of there a lot today.


“Edward?” she questioned, holding the binky out to me with a look of disdain on her face.


I took it from her and slipped the tiny baby accessory back into my pocket. “Yeah, babe?”


She kissed my jawline below my ear, then looked pointedly at the arm currently around her waist. “I want down now…I’m fuckin thirsty.”


I nodded and loosened my grip so that Marie could stand. She went straight into the kitchen and I followed after her when I heard the refrigerator door being opened. When I entered the brightly lit room, I saw that she had grabbed one of Isabella’s water bottles, and she was now chugging the cool clear liquid at an alarmingly fast rate.


My eyes widened a bit when she finally took the bottle away from her mouth and gasped for a breath after half of the water bottle's contents were gone.


“Slow down, love…”


She just smirked and waved me off, before bringing the sport top back to her lips and tipping it back again for another drink.


Yeah…the sooner I get rid of the pacifiers, the better.


Seeing my mate chug down water like that only served to steel my resolve even more. I had to complete my mission in sabotaging the binkies because Isabella had clearly been substituting those things for actual sustenance. She wants her pacifier when she is actually thirsty.


I stuck my hand in my pocket and began to absently fiddle with the damn thing while Marie continued to drain her bottle of water. When only a quarter of the liquid was left the plastic container, she seemed more than satisfied and I was very relieved.


She absently ran a hand through her long hair, then placed it on her hip as she turned to face me. “Hey Edward, where’s Mom?”


“Out back in the garden.”


She bit her lip and gave me a curt nod. “M’kay then I’m gonna go out back in the flowery fuckin garden, too,” she told me, and with that, she turned on her heel and left the room.


After checking the timer on the oven and realizing that my girl’s dinner would be done in twelve minutes and fourteen seconds, I smiled and took advantage of the open opportunity to sabotage the yellow pacifier with a pair of scissors that we kept in the kitchen drawer. We had been using the scissors to open Isabella‘s popsicles for her, but it could serve this purpose as well.


I listened to Marie tell Esme about ’the fuckawesome fair’ that was coming to town this weekend, while I opened the small drawer beside the dishwasher. I quickly retrieved the pair of pointy, thin scissors and took the offending binky with the pretty stars on it out of my pocket. With one last look towards the back doors, I made the millimeter incision into the very tip of the rubber nipple. After carefully examining my handy work and realizing that a pair of chocolate human eyes wouldn’t be able to detect the small hole, I stuffed it back in my pocket with the cell phone, then put the scissors back in the kitchen drawer and shut it with a quiet click.


I ignored the sudden wave of guilt that I felt at ruining my baby’s things, then turned back to the oven timer and continued to listen to the conversation going on outside. Marie was talking with Esme about this weekend and asking if she was going to come too.


I smiled, glad that my mate finally had a reliable maternal figure in her life.


My Bella’s cell phone began ringing then. I furrowed my brow and pulled the small blue phone out of my pocket, checking the caller ID, then became very agitated when I didn’t recognize the number displaying itself on the screen.


If it’s anyone from La Push, I’m changing her fucking number.


"Hello?” I greeted, holding the phone up to my ear.


“Hello…um, is Bella there?” came a woman’s voice over the line.


It sounded slightly familiar, but I couldn’t quite place who it belonged to.


“Who is this?”


“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Deb, her neighbor. I was trying to get a hold of her, but she’s not home…” she trailed off uncertainly.


“Oh. Um, yeah, that would be because she doesn’t live there anymore. You’re Katy’s mother, right?”


“Yes, and you are?”


“I’m Edward, her m- uhh…boyfriend,” I quickly corrected myself, realizing that telling this human that Bella was my mate would sound more than a little weird. “She’s staying at my place now, actually. Hold on a second and I’ll see if she’s available,” I told her.


“Alright, thank you.”


I was aware that Marie knew this Deb person, so I left the phone on the counter and went out back to see if she wanted to take the phone call or not.


“…and they got these fuckawesome roller coasters that go super fast, like you’re haulin ass mid-air, no joke, and it’s a rush like you wouldn’t fuckin believe, Ma-”


“Marie, sweetheart…” I called out to her a soon as I set foot onto the paved patio.


She abruptly took her attention away from Esme, and turned it over to me. I smiled.


That's right, love...focus on me. Your mate.


“Yeah, sexy?”


I smirked. “Deb is on the phone. Do you want to talk to her, or would you like me to tell her that you are unavailable at the moment?”


She stood from her knelt position on the ground then, and gave me a small nod. “I’ll talk to her,” she told me, then followed me back inside the house.


The oven timer went off then, so I prepared my girl’s plate while eavesdropping on her phone call.


Apparently, Katy needed a babysitter for the next two or three hours, and Marie readily accepted this request before she went back outside to give Esme the phone so that she could give Deb directions to our place.


“Dinner’s ready, love,” I told Marie when she walked back into the kitchen with an empty water bottle in her hand.


She nodded and slid right past me, then tossed the bottle into the trash can, mimicking one of her basketball moves. When it landed directly in the can, she smiled and exclaimed, “Score! Oh yeah…I got skills…” she trailed off, a bit smug, then took the plate from my hands. I smirked and subtly shook my head at her, but she just rocked up onto her tippy-toes and gave me a chaste kiss. “Mmm, smells fuckin yummy. Thanks, babe,” she told me with a wink, then turned and made her way to the dining room table.


I quickly poured a tall glass of her favorite apple-berry juice, then followed after her into the dining room. After I placed the cup next to her plate, I took my usual seat beside her and indulged in one of my favorite activities: watching my mate consume food.


Not only was it satisfying knowing that I provided the sustenance that her body needed, but I was continually entranced by the way her delicate jaw line moved when she chewed. The subtle movement of her throat when she swallowed was very enticing, as well. I continued to stare until she broke the silence by speaking in that beautifully erotic voice of hers.


“What time is it?”


“Around six…”


She nodded and took a small sip of juice from her cup. “Katy’s comin over, Edward,” she told me.


I nodded. “I know.”


I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, though. If Isabella came out to play with Katy, and the little girl was still here past Isabella’s bedtime, then I would have to take her away from her fun and toys to put her in the bath so that she could get ready for bed, and either Alice or Esme would have to watch Katy until her mother came to pick her up. I didn’t want to have to deal with one of Isabella’s fits, and I’m not sure how well Katy would handle that either. She seemed to be awfully attached to Bella that last time I saw those two together.

**********

Okay, this isn’t so bad…


It was 7:03 now and Katy had been here for the past twenty seven minutes. Esme, Alice and I were all in the living room observing Marie interact Katy. We knew from our past experience that Marie cared a great deal for the small child, but we kept the fact that she is an alternate personality, capable of wavering feelings, at the forefront of our minds. Esme and Alice were concerned for the human child, but I couldn’t care less for the tiny female. I was solely focused on my mate and the activities that she had been engaging in with the toddler. I noted that Isabella hadn’t made an appearance yet and I wasn’t sure if she would, but I would continue to keep watch, regardless.


Katy continued to hop and dance around to the music coming from the movie playing on the flat screen. Marie sat Indian style on the floor with a smile on her face, holding the little girl’s tiny hands in her own and singing, “Shake, shake, shake…shake, shake, shake…shake yo’ booty. Shake yo’ booty!”


Katy was loving it. She kept giggling and twisting her small body from side to side, successfully shaking her little rear end while Marie sang along to the chipmunk movie. Soon, the tiny human became slightly breathless and collapsed into Marie’s arms with a fit of giggles from their playing.


Marie enveloped the girl’s tiny form into her thin arms and kissed the soft blonde curls at the top of her head. “You havin fun, Katy doll?” Marie asked.


Katy beamed up at her. “Yes!”


“Mmmmm…” Marie hummed against her chubby little cheek then, a small smile forming on her lips, while she swayed the child from side to side in her arms.


Katy laughed at the feeling that the humming buzz caused her cheek, her thoughts shining through with the love and admiration that she felt for my mate. She wrapped her tiny arms around Marie’s neck and squeezed, hugging her with all her small might. Marie hugged her back, then quickly laid her down on the floor and started to lightly tickle the child’s sides, belly and arm pits.


Katy squealed and giggled, squirming around in her efforts to get away from Marie’s tickling fingers. The energetic child managed to get up on all fours and crawl a few feet away, before she stood and ran over to the front door with a big smile on her face.


She turned back around, still breathless and giggling slightly. “You can’t get me, Bewwa…” the child softly taunted.


Marie smirked and cocked her head to the side a bit. “You wanna bet?” she playfully challenged.


This elicited more giggling laughter from Katy as she nodded her assent.


Marie stood then, smiling back at the small child standing a few feet away from her. “I’m gonna get you!” she exclaimed suddenly, then dashed forward, causing Katy to squeal and dodge her by heading for the steps and beginning to crawl up them at a hurried pace.


I was going to interrupt their playtime then, worried and not wanting the tiny girl playing on the steps, but Marie snatched her up before I could voice my concerns.


“Ahhh!” Katy yelled amongst her laughter as Marie went back to tickling her sides, keeping the child in her tight embrace the entire time.


A few minutes later, Katy and Marie finally quieted down and settled in to watch the movie on the flat screen. Marie sat on the floor Indian style and Katy sat in the small space on her lap. I saw from the child’s thoughts that she recognized this position as the usual seating arrangement when it came to watching movies or television with my Bella.


Katy stood from Marie’s lap then, and hesitantly walked over to where I sat on the couch with my mother and sister. Her thoughts showed slight recognition of us, but it was still a bit fuzzy. She wasn’t sure where she knew us from, but she was aware that she did know us.


“Juice?” she shyly squeaked up at me.


My eyes widened a bit as I gazed down at the small child. I hadn’t read in her thoughts that she was actually planning on speaking to any of us. Before I could respond, Alice piped up and told Katy that she would go get her a juice box. Katy smiled at her, then ran back over to Marie. When my gaze followed her hurried movement and I caught sight of my mate again, I noticed the slight change in her demeanor.


Marie did not look happy as she gazed at Katy somewhat curiously now. Katy, of course, didn’t notice this at all, and just sat down on the floor beside her best friend, instead of in her lap this time.


I took a guess and hedged that Isabella was around now and she was observing this strange little child with an immense amount of curiosity. Katy’s attention was focused on the TV in front of her, but Isabella’s head remained turned down and to the side while she kept her silent stare on Katy.


Alice came back into the room then, with an open juice box prepared for Katy. Isabella noticed the familiar yellow box being placed in Katy’s tiny outstretched hands, and she immediately turned to shoot a glare at Alice.


Uh-oh…


Those were her juice boxes.


I quickly got up and went to retrieve another Hi-C juice box from the refrigerator for my little girl. After sticking the small straw in the tiny silver hole, I brought the drink out to my mate.


“Here, baby girl…” I said softly in offering, handing the box over.


Isabella smiled up at me and eagerly took it from my grasp, then immediately turned her attention back to the small child by her side. I slowly backed away and took my seat beside Esme again. We watched in silence as Katy watched her movie and Isabella continued to stare, her chocolate eyes slowly roaming all over the tiny girl's form, paying particularly close attention to the soft blonde curls that cascaded down her back.


Eighteen awkward minutes later, Marie’s voice rang out in the otherwise quiet room. “Hey munchkin…”


“Yeah?”


“Wanna go play outside before it gets too dark?”


“Yeah!” Katy squeaked excitedly, hopping up off the floor.


My mother, Alice, and I all looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement that we would follow. Esme and Alice went outside first, but I waited behind and followed the girls out. Marie carried Katy and the position allowed the toddler to stare up at my evil gold eyes while I trailed behind the two of them. I smirked at her and she blushed, giggling softly at me, before laying her head down on my mate’s small shoulder.


I sat down on the porch swing and watched as Marie carefully put Katy on the trampoline before climbing onto it herself. Marie sat on the black stretchy material and watched as Katy hopped all around the large bouncy surface. Marie distractedly sang along with Katy to a nursery rhyme about hopping down a bunny trail, or something, before I noticed that same change in my mate’s demeanor. Her soft melodic voice trailed off and faded out until it was just Katy’s squeaky one singing about a bunny trail, while she continued to methodically bounce.


I noticed Isabella’s scowl and angry chocolate eyes a second before I saw a vision in Alice’s thoughts. The vision of Isabella pushing Katy off the trampoline caused me to race over there before this hypothetical event could ever have a chance to take place. Isabella was clearly still pondering on this decision as she kept up her silent glare on an oblivious, happy, hopping Katy. Alice followed soon after, intent on watching Katy while I took care of my very upset mate.


“Isabella, baby…” I called out to her, trying to get her attention.


She tore her gaze away from Katy and looked at me. “Edward?”


“Yes?”


“She’s on my jump-a-lene…” she trailed off petulantly, trying to tell on the small child.


I nodded, trying to think fast. I had to divert her attention elsewhere. I held my arms out to her. “C’mere angel, I wanna hold you. Wanna come play with me inside? It’s almost time for your bubbles…” I trailed off persuasively.


Isabella shot one last scathing glare towards a giggling Katy before crawling over to me. I hooked my hands underneath her shoulders and pulled her to me, then quickly carried her away, back inside the mansion. I needed to separate my mate from the small human child, so I told Alice and Esme in our frequency that they were going to be the babysitters for the remainder of the evening while I carried my little girl upstairs to our bedroom.


Isabella clung to me and I listened to the many whispered “Mines” that she softly murmured into my ear and against my neck. I furrowed my brow and tightened my hold on her, rubbing soothing circles into the small of her back, just trying to give her some kind of reassurance.


When we reached our bedroom, I sat down in the large rocking recliner and began to rock my little girl, knowing how much she loved it when I did that. I needed her to calm down and talk rationally about this. I had my suspicions about Isabella tonight, but it wasn’t that she would become hostile towards the child…it was that she would be so caught up in playing, she would try to postpone her bedtime.


Boy, was I wrong…


“What’s up, baby girl?” I asked in a light tone as I leaned back into the recliner so that I could look at Isabella’s face while she talked to me.


She was straddling my lap with her bare legs in small shorts, but remained sitting upright like I wanted her to, instead up leaning down into my chest.


She huffed. “That girl got my juicy box and she gots ugly yellow hair and she talked to you and she was jumpin on my jump-a-lene, but she didn’t even ask first!” she told me, completely exasperated.


I nodded. “I know…” I muttered quietly.


I heard her sniffle then, and her eyes began to water as she started to speak in an incredibly rushed, cracked voice. “Edward, you’re mine, huh? She doesn’t get’ta talk to you, b‘cuz you’re mine, huh? You’re mine, Edward…Edward, you’re mine. It‘s b‘cuz you‘re mine, huh? Edward I belong to you, and you‘re mine…Edward, you‘re mine and it's b'cuz you love me b'cuz you're mine, huh? Edward you're mi-”


Woah…


I furrowed my brow, concerned. “Yes, angel, I’m your’s. I’m all your’s, Isabella. It’s okay, sweetheart,” I interrupted, placating her and lightly trailing my fingertips along her side in a comforting gesture.


I noticed then, that Alice had brought Katy back inside and she was asking for Bella, getting upset when she didn‘t see her in the living room, but I couldn’t find it in myself to give a damn. That human child had upset my mate; she could whine and fuss all she wanted to. I suddenly found myself wondering when her mother was going to come and take her away.


Isabella let out a small cry then.


I was surprised by it, but I quickly enveloped her small form into my arms and leaned back into the large reclining rocker chair again. I continued the slow rocking motion and placed cool kisses along the soft silky hairline of her temple, always keeping my angel cradled to my chest. “Shhh…I’m your’s baby girl…all your’s,” I whispered to her as she quietly cried and tightened her hold around my neck.


“Yah-huh, you’re mine…and she can‘t have you…” she trailed off, her voice squeaking as she successfully stopped her barely there cries.


I sighed, realizing now what the real problem was.


Isabella, my extremely possessive baby, was jealous. Again.


She lifted her face from my shoulder and I gently wiped the salty tears away with my fingertips, then placed a cool kiss to both her rosy cheeks. “No more tears, baby love…you don’t gotta cry,” I assured in a soft voice.


She nodded. “Edward?”


“Hmm?” I hummed, continuing to rock us in the chair.


She sniffled and relaxed into my chest. “When’s that girl leavin?”


I combed my fingers through her long locks, and gently trailed them down her back. “In a little bit, probably in a hour…” I trailed off.


“I don’t like her.”


I nodded. “I know, baby.”


“I don’t wanna see her.”


“You don’t have to,” I said simply.


She nodded against my chest. “Edward?”


“Hmm?”


“I want my bubbles…”


I nodded and straightened up, the softly patted her bottom, encouraging her to hop up off my lap. “Okay angel, let me pick out some jammies for you to wear, then I’ll run your bath.”


She nodded and stood. “Kay.”


Isabella went over to the flat screen on the wall, hit the power button, then proceeded to stare at the cartoon on the screen while I walked over to the dresser. After searching through the bottom drawer, I chose a purple tank top/shorts pajama set. I grabbed a tiny pair of purple cotton panties from the second drawer, then took the small articles of clothing into the bathroom with me.


I set the soft fabric down on the counter, then turned the tub’s faucet on and plugged the drain. When the tub started to fill, I went back over to the sink and reached into the cabinet below for my little girl’s bath toys and strawberry scented bubble bath solution. After adding a capful of the pink liquid under the faucet’s rushing water, I put the bottle away, then stood there and patiently waited.


Isabella walked in then, wondering when her bubbles were going to be ready to play in.


“In a minute, angel,” I placated.


She nodded then fisted my shirt in her small hand, just like she had done before, so I wrapped my arm around her frail shoulders and tucked her into my side.


I placed a cool kiss to the top of her head. “Are you still upset, Isabella?” I asked, concerned.


She subtly shook her head and muttered, “Mm-mm…”


“Good.”


“B’cuz you’re mine, huh…” she pressed.


I nodded. “Yes.”


“Kay.”


I stepped forward then, and turned the tub’s faucet off. After reminding Isabella to squeeze all the water out of her hair and to get dressed in the bathroom, I left her to it and went downstairs to address matters with Esme and Alice.


Katy had her coloring book open with several crayons scattered across the floor, but she was sitting in Esme’s lap playing a patty cake game.


I bypassed them and went to Alice.


“Alice, I need you to get on the phone and call the child’s mother. Imitate Bella’s voice and say that you’re sick and unable to watch Katy anymore, and that she needs to come get her daughter as soon as possible,” I instructed in our frequency.


Alice rolled her eyes, exasperated. “Edward, this is ridiculous-”


“I don’t care, Alice!” I interrupted. “Isabella is upset. Katy needs to go home.”


Alice narrowed her eyes at me. “Isabella can get over it and stay upstairs with you, while Katy hangs out down here with us. Edward, nothing happened. We don’t have to shove Katy out the door, she doesn’t need to leave…”


I caught myself glaring at the back of a small blonde head. “Yes, she does need to leave,” I reiterated. “Call her mother, Alice.”


I didn’t wait for her to respond, just turned and left the room. I entered the kitchen with the intention to make some chocolate milk to put in my little girl’s new sippy-cup. I hadn’t forgotten that she had said she wanted it again at bedtime, so I was going to grant that request for her.


As soon as the cup was filled to the brink with the odd nesquick/milk mixture, I left the kitchen and passed by Alice, who was in the process of dialing the number to Katy’s mother’s place of work. Alice’s thoughts kept screaming at me that I was overreacting, but like I said before, I don’t give a damn.


Isabella is my mate, which means nobody matters to me but her. She is above all else. This is where she lives, and I’m not going to stand idly by while she is upset and uncomfortable in her own home, especially when the cause for her discomfort is a small human toddler. The solution is easy…make the child go home. So that’s exactly what is going to happen. Katy needs to fucking leave.


I made my way up the stairs back to our bedroom and set the princess sippy-cup down on the nightstand, then proceeded to try and pick out a movie for Isabella to watch before bedtime. I listened to her echoing hums and giggles coming from the bathroom while my eyes scanned the many dvd titles in our current media collection. Eventually, I chose Harry Potter and loaded it into the dvd player, knowing that the familiar sounds of a movie starting up would lure Isabella out of the bathroom. She had been in there giggling and splashing around for the past seventeen minutes, and that’s plenty of time to get cleaned up in the bathtub.


I heard Isabella gasp at the sounds of Harry Potter starting up. “Edward?”


“Yeah?” I called from my position on the bed.


“What you put on?”


“Harry Potter,” I responded, listening to the sounds of water sloshing around as she hurried to rinse the shampoo from her hair.


Eighteen seconds later, there was another gasp for breath when she lifted her head from the water, and her reply was, “What’s that?”


“It’s a movie…” I trailed off, stating the obvious.


“Kay.”


I smiled in anticipation, knowing that she would be out here any minute now, and I would get to take advantage of another opportunity to brush her long locks. I hadn’t done it since this morning, and I was becoming impatient.


I want to brush her hair, and I want to brush it now.


“Edward?”


I turned around and saw my mate standing in the doorway to the bathroom, dressed in that skimpy purple pajama outfit that claimed she was ‘Little Miss Naughty’.


Fucking adorable.


Her skin was flushed a faint pink color from the warm temperature of the bath water, and her silky, chocolate strands hung limply down the small of her back. They were damp, and long, and most importantly, ready to be brushed.


“Hey angel…” I said softly with a smile.


She smiled back at me, then crawled up onto the bed. After she got comfortable amongst the pillows gathered up by the headboard, she held her hairbrush out to me, like a good girl, and looked at me expectantly.


I grabbed her cup with the sparkly pink top on it from the nightstand, and offered to trade her that for the hairbrush. She eagerly agreed and I joined her on the bed, sitting behind her and pulling her into the V formation between my legs, wanting to feel her body’s warmth and constant beating pulse against my chest and abdomen. Isabella sat there, comfortably snuggled against my body, and happily sipped from her princess cup while I repeatedly ran brush strokes through her mmm smell so good locks.


She was gradually becoming more and more engrossed in this new film. She’d never seen Harry Potter before; never even heard of it. I could tell that she liked it, though. I smirked whenever I caught her glaring at Harry’s aunt and uncle on the screen. She got all huffy when they wouldn't let him read his damn mail and the few times that Harry got locked in the closet.


It was all very adorable.


Katy’s mother came by and got her while we were watching the beginning of the movie. I didn’t let Isabella know what was going on, though…I just kept on brushing.


“Edward?”


I stuck my nose in her now dry hair, and softly nuzzled her slim neck. I skimmed my nose along the sensitive skin behind her ear and inhaled the intoxicating aroma there.


So sweet...


“Hmm?” I murmured against her warm flesh.


“Itchy-hotts…” she mumbled.


I immediately felt the instant rush of heat against her neck, letting me know that her face had lit up in a delicious blush.


Aw.


I nodded and whispered against the shell of her ear, “Okay.”


“Kay…” she whispered back.


I softly patted her bare thigh then, and she took that as a sign to crawl over my leg so that she was sitting beside me now, instead of in between my legs. I smiled and kissed her cheek, then muttered a quick, “Be right back,” before standing from the bed and taking the hairbrush back to the bathroom.


While I was in there, I drained the still full tub of the bubble water, and put Isabella’s toys away, then cleaned up the water mess on the floor. After I ran the shower head for a few minutes to rinse away the left over bubble residue, I shut it off and closed the shower curtain, glad that I was getting better and faster at my new nightly routine of cleaning up after Isabella’s bath time.


I saw the small tube of external cream sitting on the counter, so I grabbed that, along with two feminine wipes from the bottom right hand drawer below the counter.


With supplies in my hand, I walked back over to the bedside where Isabella sat, still entranced by the movie. I laid the items down on the gold comforter, then grabbed a pillow from the collection over by the headboard, and set it down by the foot of the bed so that Isabella’s body could lay sideways again.


“Okay angel, c’mere,” I said invitingly, patting the spot where I wanted her to lay.


Her chocolate eyes flicked over to mine, and she blushed while giving me a small smile, suddenly being shy.


I smirked. “Come on…” I gently coaxed.


“M’kay…” she mumbled.


She quickly crawled over to the foot of the bed and laid down like she had done last night, burying her face in the plush pillow and making a soft humming noise.


I patted her bottom a few times. “Lay on your back, baby,” I told her.


She rolled over and got comfortable, squirming around a bit and nestling her small body into the gold comforter.


I walked over to the plastic basinet on the floor and picked up her stuffed bear, then brought it back over to her. “Do you want Fuzzy, princess? I think he wants to play…” I trailed off suggestively.


She nodded and hummed in agreement, reaching for him. “Mmm-hmm…” I handed the soft toy over just as she piped up with, “I want my binky too, Edward. My yellow and pretty stars…” she trailed off longingly.


I nodded and reached into my pocket for the broken yellow pacifier. She held her hand out for it, but I subtly shook my head and leaned over to slip the rubber nipple in between her lips myself. After I kissed her smooth, warm forehead, I straightened back up and went back over to the foot of the bed, steeling myself for what I was about to do.


I was lucky that Jasper had arrived home less than an hour ago, so he would be able to help me out with this again. I don’t know what I would do without his talent in this situation. I wouldn’t be able to control myself from trying to take a simple medicine application to an intimate level. My craving to taste her again has increased, and restraining myself is becoming almost unbearable. I can’t wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow she will be all better. Tomorrow I can fill my mouth with her sweet essence again…tomorrow I can taste that pink little clit and-


“Edward?”


“Damn it, Jasper. Help me,” I whispered at our frequency, realizing where my thoughts had taken me. I was allowing myself to fantasize again.


A thank you would be nice was his thought as I began to feel his calm wash over my body the same time that I sensed the lust being pulled from my thoughts.


“Yeah, thanks,” I whispered back to him, before I responded to my baby girl. “Yes, angel?”


“Itchy-hotts…” she mumbled around her pacifier.


Right.


I nodded and reached out to lightly run my fingertips along her small, but prominent hipbones. “Okay baby, lift up your bottom for me.”


She did and I tried to be quick about slipping her purple shorts and panties down her smooth legs. When I had those removed, I set them off to the side and ran a cool wipe over her soft bare folds, and in between them too.


“Baby love, what’s Harry doing at school?” I asked, trying to distract her from what I was doing.


She hugged Fuzzy bear to her chest and kept the pacifier in her mouth as she mumbled, “He’s talkin to that girl…”


Okay.


I nodded. “I’m almost done, angel,” I told her as I quickly dispensed a small white strip of medicine onto my fingertip.


“Cold finger,” I murmured before allowing myself to touch her exposed, warm sex.


I gently ran my fingertip up and down her pretty little slit, satisfied that there wasn’t anymore irritated pinkness bothering my mate’s soft, sensitive flesh.


This should be the last time I need to do this.


After wiping my finger off on the other wipe, I grabbed her panties and shorts off the bed and slipped her dainty little feet into their proper holes, so that I could get my baby dressed again. She obediently lifted her bottom when she was told to, and when I was done, she abruptly sat up and wanted my attention.


“Edward?” she muttered, interrupting my intended hurried pace to the bathroom.


I paused and turned around. “Hmm?” I hummed with raised eyebrows.


“I want luvins…”


I smirked. “Luvins?”


“Yah-huh, kisses and cuddles, Edward…luvins…” she explained softly around her pacifier.


I chuckled and nodded, walking back over to where she sat on the bed. “Okay sweetness, I just need to wash my hands first. I’ll be right back,” I told her with a quick kiss to her forehead.


“Kay,” she acquiesced, then turned her attention back to the movie.


I rushed through what I needed to do in the bathroom. I threw the wipes away and placed the external cream in the medicine cabinet, then washed my hands with my Bella’s foaming anti-bacterial soap that my little girl seemed to like so much. After I dried my hands, I went back to the bedroom to join Isabella on the bed.


She was laying sideways, curled around her bear on the bed, but instead of the pacifier being in her mouth, her thumb was there now, which meant that she was tired and that it was bedtime. I swiped the binky off the comforter where it lay by her head, and stuck it in my pocket to throw away after she fell asleep.


Two down, one to go.


I draped my arm over her thin waist, and started lightly tickling my cool fingertips along her flat belly.


“Edward, luvins?” her quiet voice lilted, as she turned around in my embrace and nuzzled her little button nose into the soft fabric of my shirt.


I nodded and placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “Mmm-hmm…” I hummed, tightening my hold on her lower back and rubbing soothing circles there.


She sighed a yawn. “Kay…” she mumbled sleepily around her thumb, closing her chocolate eyes.


I kept her cradled to my chest while she ran her warm fingertips along my slightly exposed collarbone.


I kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, angel…” I murmured softly against her smooth flesh.


She sighed again, slipping over the brink of unconsciousness. Her heartbeat slowed and her breathing evened out, while the end sounds of Harry Potter played in the back round.


I gently kissed her forehead again and let my lips linger there, enjoying the feeling of her warm, pulsing blood rushing by just below the surface of her perfect creamy flesh.


My fingertips stopped massaging her lower back and began lightly running a continuous trail up and down her delicate spine.


An hour later, I noticed that my index finger had spelled out ‘My beautiful girl, my baby love’ on her left shoulder blade.


Much later, when darkness had enveloped the room and the idle TV had shut itself off, I murmured my assurance to her again. “I’m your’s, Isabella,” I whispered into the soft curls of her silky hair. “I’ll always be your’s.”