Eala Chapter 23 Final Chapter

Chapter 23

BPOV

I watched as Alice pushed and the midwife coached her. I was disgusted with her as she gave birth to a child that wasn’t Jasper’s. She screamed in pain, yelling for it to stop. I couldn’t help but smile, thinking how much she deserved this pain for all the betrayals she put us through.

Edward and I arrived home from our honeymoon happy and in bliss. I was supposed to be working at Eala while still being informed of all the ins and outs of the Cullen businesses. But, no.

Instead, we came home to find Jasper in a panic. Alice was missing. It was thought to be a kidnapping because the house was tossed and blood was everywhere; the assumption was that it was hers. I began to automatically follow the steps my dad taught me in order to find answers.

The first thing I did was try to figure out how the hell someone got to her. The answer, of course, was that no one did. I kept that information to myself as I continued to follow my gut instincts. I looked up her foster care information and found that she was born Mary Alice Brandon; it was changed by her foster family to Alice Mary Masen when she was separated from her brother because he was found to be hurting her. I also learned that her foster home was based in a small town called Sequim.

I found her there in a home rented out to Mary Brandon. She was bawling her eyes out because she was with child and it wasn’t Jasper’s. I told her that I would keep her hidden until the child was born. She thanked me, thinking that I was on her side.

I watched as the baby came into the world. The midwives cut the cord and one took the baby away to be cleaned as the other finished up with Alice.

I stared at her for a long while as she caught her breath and her eyes drooped.

“Who is the father?” My voice was cold as I stared into her eyes.

She sobbed. “I don’t know, it was a stupid drunk night and I was visiting James.”

I didn’t blink as I shot her between the eyes.

I paid off the midwives, telling them if I found out they talked, no one would find their bodies. They took the money and ran, leaving me with this tiny sleeping human. I didn’t know what I was thinking or what I was planning, all I knew was that I picked her up and she was mine. It just clicked inside me.

I took what formula was there to feed this little human and used the car seat that Alice bought, taking her out to my car before rigging the house to blow up.

After that I drove home to Edward.

I’d forgotten that I’d been gone a week with very little word to Edward about my whereabouts. When I arrived home, Edward was in a fit.

“Cá háit an fuck agat bhí tú?” he growled at me, barely letting me into our new home.

I glared at him as I brought the car seat in and set her down. “I was fucking dealing with this shit.”

His facial expression upon seeing what I brought home made me wish I had a camera ready. His eyes flickered to mine in question.

“She’s ours.” I took her out of the car seat, cradling her into my chest and beginning to sway.

He walked over, putting his hand on my lower back and taking in the little beauty. “How?” His voice was soft.

I sighed and told him everything. He didn't flinch or question me.

Instead, he kissed my head. “We have to make papers for her and everything, gra.”

I nodded. “I know.”

It wasn’t long before she was Emily Lilith Cullen, and she was ours. Edward was as attached to her as he would be if we had conceived her ourselves. When we introduced her to the family no one questioned how she came to us. I don’t think anyone had the balls.

As Esme and Rose fawned over her, Edward pulled Jasper aside and told him that Alice was gone and to drop it. He wasn’t happy, charging toward me demanding to know what I found.

“She’s dead,” I answered simply with my hand on my gun.

Jasper staggered back, shaking his head and leaving.

That was five years ago. Today in Eala we are celebrating my little girl’s fifth birthday.

“Mommy.” Emily breaks me out of my daydreaming. She has dark hair with sparkling blue eyes. Her skin is darker than mine or Edward’s, almost like a year-round tan.

“Yes, sweetie.” I smile, pulling her to me.

“Daddy says you need to eat or the twins are going to starve.”

I narrow my eyes over at my husband who hasn’t let me do anything since finding out I was pregnant.

He smirks, unashamed at using his daughter as leverage.

I walk over holding her hand and peck Edward’s cheek. “You’re lucky I love you, dathúil.”

He chuckles as he sips his drink and continues to chat with Stefan and Viktor and Caius. They never meet my eyes as I nibble from Edward’s plate. They respect me and will only talk to me when I speak to them first or Edward says they may talk to me. I garnered most of my respect by the fact that I carry out most of the hits for the families. I enjoy it immensely. Not that I’ve been able to do anything of that nature since finding out that I’m pregnant.

I hear the kids laughing and I turn and see Carlisle tickling Emily as her cousins try to rescue her.

Rose and Emmett announced they were pregnant the weekend after our wedding. They had Masen, then a year later Jamie and Kristen who are the spitting image of their mother. And their last one at six months old is Preston.

Jasper is nearby, holding the hand of his fiancée, Maria. It took him four years and several bullshit drunken mistakes before he found her. I love her no nonsense attitude. She fits well in the family and doesn’t spend a lot of money.

Preston is in a walker giggling away as Papa Carlisle is being attacked by the little ones.

I can’t help but smile how he has embraced being a Papa. There is always this twinge of longing, wishing that my own dad was here to be a grandad.

Not that Carlisle hasn’t filled a special place as a father figure. Since that moment years ago when we almost died together, he’s been there from listening to walking me down the aisle. He’s a better comhairleoir than he ever was a leader. What you can’t do, teach.

Angela is carrying around her 2 year old boy, Jax, while sporting her seven-month belly. She’s having a little girl, but she isn’t telling me what she’s naming her.

She walks over, smiling. She and suit man eloped not long after my wedding. She said after working on mine she wasn’t dealing with a big shindig for herself.

“Bella, you look very pregnant.” She smirks.

“Bitch,” I laugh. “How are you?”

She smiles, setting her squirming son down, who runs away to the other kids. “I am ready to not be fucking pregnant.”

I chuckle, patting her belly. “You’re almost there.”

Sighing, she agrees, “Yeah, that’s true. So how do you like the new girl?”

Our eyes meet, and I know that for the past year Angela has been trying to find someone to fill her shoes. She’s ready to be a stay at home mom.

I look over to Victoria, who is five-five with flaming red hair and an attitude to match it. I put her in all kinds of predicaments to see her reactions. I finally felt she was perfect when she punched a biker for harassing her.

“I think she’s going to take your job.” I smile, looking back at Angela.

She has tears in her eyes as she pulls me in for a hug. “Good thing we’re sisters and we’ll still see each other.”

Damn pregnancy hormones, I feel my own tears leak out as I hug her. It feels like we’re saying goodbye.

We pull apart. “God, we’re acting as if we aren’t ever going to see each other.” Angela wipes her tears away as I wipe my own.

I laugh, agreeing with her.

“Present time!” I hear Esme shout from the center of the room, breaking me and Angela out of our crying session.

Edward keeps his arm around me as I click the camera away at my baby girl opening gifts that are way too flashy and pricy for a five-year-old.

Everything that I have been through, trained for, and worked for was absolutely worth it for what I have now.

Translations:

Cá háit an fuck agat bhí tú?~ Where the fuck have you been?

comhairleoir~ counselor