Worth the Fight Update

WTF Ch. 23 on FFn

WTF Ch. 23 on Stars

WTF Ch. 23 on AO3

WTF Ch. 23 on Wattpad

Bella was working on pay roll. Or rather, she was trying to work on pay roll. Her head was throbbing, and the numbers were swirling on the computer screen. With a huff, she closed the computer and pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to massage the pain in her head away.

Life royally sucked donkey balls at the moment. The largest, most disgusting, and smelly pair of donkey balls.

No, wait … life sucked Jacob balls. They were the most disgusting thing she could imagine. And, hygiene was not high on Jacob’s list of priorities.

Again, it goes to show … what the fuck were you thinking in being with him for so long? Real smart, Isabella Marie. Were you really desperate for love and affection?

“Little Bell, what did the computer do to you?” Charlie asked from the door jamb.

“It’s not the computer. It’s my head,” she grumped. Turning she faced him, displaying her goose egg. “I should be wrapped in bubble wrap.”

“What happened?” Charlie asked, crouching down in front of her, gently pressing around the bruise.  

“I was a little looped from the pain killers when I went to the bathroom. I got tangled with my crutches, clocking my head on the corner of the counter,” she said. “It was bleeding like a bitch. Edward put some steristrips on it. Alice put on the gauze pad after she washed my hair. She was squicked out, seeing the bruise.” She pressed her fingers to the gauze. “I was squicked out, too, to be honest.”

“Let me check,” Charlie murmured, removing the bandage. He concentrated as he gently probed the bruise. “Masen did a good job. You should let it breathe.”

“I don’t want to see it, Dad,” Bella huffed. “Bandage back on.”

Rolling his eyes, Charlie rebandaged her injury. His daughter had always been squeamish around blood. He handed Bella her crutches. “Let me make you some dinner and we can talk, Little Bell,” he said softly.

“No rabbit food, Dad. I’m recuperating,” she snickered, hobbling next to her father into the kitchen.

Charlie rooted around in the fridge, pulling out the ingredients for spaghetti and meatballs. “Will this do, your highness?” he quipped.

“Perfect,” Bella said. “I’ll get started on the meatballs.”

Shaky Ground Update

Shaky Ground Chapter 37 on FicPad

Shaky Ground Chapter 37 on Stars

Shaky Ground Chapter 37 on AO3

Shaky Ground Chapter 37 on FFn

Shaky Ground Chapter 37 on Wattpad

“Edward? Do you mind watching the fort?” Rose asked, poking her head out of the kitchen. “We’re going to pick up groceries and some other necessities with Bella for her new digs.”

“Sure, Rose,” Edward nodded.

“We’ll be back,” Alice chirped, dragging Bella out the door, with Rose and Esme in tow. When the door shut, she turned to Bella with a smirking grin. “You have some sexy lingerie to buy and when was the last time you had a wax?”

Oh, boy …

The afternoon was spent in an impromptu day of beauty. Bella had her toenails painted, along with a full-body wax. After that, they went to a nearby mall and picked up some new lingerie, bra and panty sets. They also went to pick up towels, new sheets and pillows for her new bedroom. A few hours later, they returned to the apartment with the goodies. The guys were all seated on the couches in the living room. Emmett had set up the television, along with the cable and they’d found some sporting event on TV.

“You got the cable set up,” Bella chirped.

“The silence was killing me,” Emmett said. “And Edward’s iPod had some pretty shitty music.”

“Language, Emmett,” Carlisle said, elbowing Emmett’s side. “Little ears.”

“I’ve heard worse, Dad,” Jake shrugged. All of the men cringed, remembering Jake’s shady upbringing. “Can I get something to drink?” Carlisle nodded and Jake hopped up, walking to the kitchen.

Bella frowned, shifting uncomfortably on her feet and feeling the pain from the long day of movement. Jake’s life was so much better now, but it was hard to forget that he’d such a horrible life prior to this. “I’m going to put this in the linen closet. Then, we can go out to eat before Edward and I go back to his place? Pizza or Chinese?”

“Chinese,” everyone responded, Jake included after he’d finished sipping his water. Bella nodded, walking to her bedroom and putting her new sheets and towels into the linen closet. She picked up her bag, tossing her new purchases from Victoria’s Secret inside. She sat down at a high-back chair, grimacing as she rubbed her calf muscle and sighing as she remembered Jake’s past. What else had that little boy experienced? What else did he see?

“Hey, gorgeous,” Edward said, sitting down on the chair across from her. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she said, giving him a stiff smile.

“Really?” he asked, arching a brow, moving her so she was sitting on his lap. Bella snuggled against him, idly playing with his freshly cut hair. “Talk to me, Bella.”

“Just that little remark by Jake … it makes me wonder … how much did he really see?” she choked out.

“Carlisle said that Jake was witness to some pretty gruesome things. He and Esme have observed his therapy appointments. With that, William Black could have been put away for long, long time with the crimes Jake has witnessed,” Edward said. “Starting with his mother’s murder. His father’s death in the quake was blessing in disguise, really. Saved the tax payers a lot of money.” He brushed her hair away from her face. “Jake is resilient. Yes, he had a horrible beginning and a shitty father. But, he’s with Carlisle and Esme now. They love him.”

“Do you love him?” Bella asked.

“Very much so,” Edward answered. “What is it, Bella?”

“I don’t know. I love Carlisle and Esme and I’m grateful that they’ve taken Jake in, but what about us? Why couldn’t we have …?” Bella trailed off. Edward’s eyes widened and she blushed. “Never mind. Stupid thought.”

“No, not stupid thought. I get it. And I have an answer. Your injury, our fledgling relationship and subsequent move, it was too much, too fast.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “That didn’t stop me from getting approved for foster care, just in case things didn’t work out with Carlisle and Esme, but Jake took to them well. But, I think we need to get our friends some food. Emmett was grumbling that all you have is girly rabbit food.”

“I do not have girly rabbit food,” Bella grumbled.

Shaky Ground Teaser

“Edward? Do you mind watching the fort?” Rose asked, poking her head out of the kitchen. “We’re going to pick up groceries and some other necessities with Bella for her new digs.”

“Sure, Rose,” Edward nodded.

“We’ll be back,” Alice chirped, dragging Bella out the door, with Rose and Esme in tow. When the door shut, she turned to Bella with a smirking grin. “You have some sexy lingerie to buy and when was the last time you had a wax?”

Oh, boy …

The afternoon was spent in an impromptu day of beauty. Bella had her toenails painted, along with a full-body wax. After that, they went to a nearby mall and picked up some new lingerie, bra and panty sets. They also went to pick up towels, new sheets and pillows for her new bedroom. A few hours later, they returned to the apartment with the goodies. The guys were all seated on the couches in the living room. Emmett had set up the television, along with the cable and they’d found some sporting event on TV.

“You got the cable set up,” Bella chirped.

“The silence was killing me,” Emmett said. “And Edward’s iPod had some pretty shitty music.”

“Language, Emmett,” Carlisle said, elbowing Emmett’s side. “Little ears.”

“I’ve heard worse, Dad,” Jake shrugged. All of the men cringed, remembering Jake’s shady upbringing. “Can I get something to drink?” Carlisle nodded and Jake hopped up, walking to the kitchen.

Bella frowned, shifting uncomfortably on her feet and feeling the pain from the long day of movement. Jake’s life was so much better now, but it was hard to forget that he’d such a horrible life prior to this. “I’m going to put this in the linen closet. Then, we can go out to eat before Edward and I go back to his place? Pizza or Chinese?”

“Chinese,” everyone responded, Jake included after he’d finished sipping his water. Bella nodded, walking to her bedroom and putting her new sheets and towels into the linen closet. She picked up her bag, tossing her new purchases from Victoria’s Secret inside. She sat down at a high-back chair, grimacing as she rubbed her calf muscle and sighing as she remembered Jake’s past. What else had that little boy experienced? What else did he see?

“Hey, gorgeous,” Edward said, sitting down on the chair across from her. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she said, giving him a stiff smile.

“Really?” he asked, arching a brow, moving her so she was sitting on his lap. Bella snuggled against him, idly playing with his freshly cut hair. “Talk to me, Bella.”

“Just that little remark by Jake … it makes me wonder … how much did he really see?” she choked out.

“Carlisle said that Jake was witness to some pretty gruesome things. He and Esme have observed his therapy appointments. With that, William Black could have been put away for long, long time with the crimes Jake has witnessed,” Edward said. “Starting with his mother’s murder. His father’s death in the quake was blessing in disguise, really. Saved the tax payers a lot of money.” He brushed her hair away from her face. “Jake is resilient. Yes, he had a horrible beginning and a shitty father. But, he’s with Carlisle and Esme now. They love him.”

“Do you love him?” Bella asked.

“Very much so,” Edward answered. “What is it, Bella?”

“I don’t know. I love Carlisle and Esme and I’m grateful that they’ve taken Jake in, but what about us? Why couldn’t we have …?” Bella trailed off. Edward’s eyes widened and she blushed. “Never mind. Stupid thought.”

“No, not stupid thought. I get it. And I have an answer. Your injury, our fledgling relationship and subsequent move, it was too much, too fast.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “That didn’t stop me from getting approved for foster care, just in case things didn’t work out with Carlisle and Esme, but Jake took to them well. But, I think we need to get our friends some food. Emmett was grumbling that all you have is girly rabbit food.”

“I do not have girly rabbit food,” Bella grumbled.