A Denali and a Swan

A Friend Lost

While the kids are eating their chocolate chip pancakes I made them my cell phone starts ringing. It's Dad. Huh. I just talked to him yesterday I wonder what he has to say? "Hello?" "Ember, it's Dad, I need you to come to Forks. I don't know how to tell you this kiddo, two Army soldiers are here. Ones the notification officer. He's here to notify you that Corporal Ashton Steele has died in a car accident with his fiancé Brianne Smith. They...had a baby. Dawson Tate Steele. They made you the baby's guardian if something were to happen to them. They just flew into Seattle to come see you. The baby was just born a week ago." Dad rambles on and I take a minute before I say anything. "I'll be there in the morning. Who has Dawson now?" I ask. Tanya must have heard the strain in my voice and sped over to me with concern in her eyes. "I have him. They let me take him since I'm your father and being chief of police in Forks helps. He's sleeping right now. Don't worry about him. I'll take care of him till you get here." I thank him and reassure him I'll be there in the morning. I say good bye and set my phone down. Tanya embraces me and asks "What is wrong my love? Why are you going to Forks?" "My best friend from the army died in a car accident in Seattle. He was on his way to see me at Dads. His fiancée died as well. They apparently just had a baby too. The baby survived. Ashton named me as the guardian if something should happen to them. His name is Dawson Tate Steele." I can't help but feel tears in my eyes. I know those tears will never fall and that makes me more upset. I can't mourn the loss of my friend normally. Tanya hugs me tightly and says "We'll go with you. I'll go pack the kids and our bags." She kisses me quickly and zooms away to pack. "We're sorry you lost your friend Daddy." Ashlyn looks at me like she's going to cry. Blaze nods agreeing with his sister. I hug my children and encourage them to finish eating and to go get dressed. They're still in their pjs. I explain to the rest of the coven what has happened. When I'm finished telling them Tanya comes down with the bags and the kids follow her all dressed. Ashlyn's wearing little tight blue leggings and a a pink tunic like top with brown Ugg boots. Blaze is wearing blue jeans a black beater shirt with a long sleeve flannel plaid shirt on top. He has his little timberland black boots on matching his daddy. "Well let's go. I booked a flight so we get there quickly." Tanya says. "Thanks babe." I kiss her cheek and grab the bags. We go get in my trusty truck and drive to the airport. The kids and I follow Tanya with the bags and she walks up to a small charter plane. The pilot climbs out of the plane and takes the bags and puts them in a compartment. Then we climb in and buckle up. The kids are excited to be on a plane for the first time. I am not. I've never enjoyed flying. The pilot notices my apprehension and hands me a barf bag chuckling. He then goes to Tanya and Tanya pats him for the flight and he starts flirting with her! Hell no! I start growling lowly and Tanya comes to me patting my arm. "Calm down love. I'm all yours." She says I look at the pilot and then to Tanya then kiss her soundly on the lips. "Oh uh sorry. I didn't realize you were together." I pull away from Tanya and glare at him. The pilot blushes and starts the plane's engine. "It's time to get seated and get buckled up." He turns around to make sure we're all buckled. I help Blaze get buckled while Tanya buckled Ashlyn up. Then we quickly sit beside each other and get buckled. The pilot gets buckled himself and takes off. It takes two hours to get to Seattle. We hop out and the pilot hands me the bags. We thank him politely for the flight and go to rent a car to get to Forks. Tanya takes care of it and we follow her to the car. She helps the children get buckled in the 2006 Expedition. Nice. I put the bags in the back and hop in the passenger side. Tanya hops in the drivers seat and we're off. We get to Pops house in record time with Tanya driving. We hop out and I walk slowly up the walk. The kids are already at the door hugging their grandpa. And Sue. Dad's girlfriend. I get to them and Dad gives me a much needed hug. He squeezes me tight and says how sorry he is for my loss. I thank him and hug Sue. She apologizes too for my loss and I nod and thank her. We get in the house and I hear crying coming from the living room. I see a play pen set up in the corner of the living room and quickly walk up to it and pick up the crying baby. I cradle him close and sway back and forth calming him down. "I'll make a bottle for him." Sue says as she makes her way to the kitchen. I thank her and look at Dawson. He looks at me. He's the spitting image of Ashton. Blue eyes, button nose, and brown hair. He starts crying again and I soothe him "It's gonna be ok kiddo, I got you. Aunt Embers got you." Sue hands me the bottle and a burp cloth and I feed him. He stops crying as soon as I get the bottle in his mouth. Hungry little guy. Tanya looks over my shoulder at him. "He's precious." After he drinks a bit I burp him and give him more formula. Ashlyn and Blaze ask to see him too as he finishes drinking his formula. "Let me burp him then we can sit on the couch together and see him." I say. They nod. And go sit on the couch a while. I finish burping him and then sit down in between the kids. They each look at Dawson. Blaze looks solemn and Ashlyn coos at him. "He's so cute!" She says. "I'm going to watch over him and protect him Daddy. I'm going to be the best big brother!" Blaze says and holds Dawsons little hand. "I'll be the best big sister!" Ashlyn says. I feel my eyes getting glassy. I'm so thankful they feel this way. I pat Ashlyn's back then ruffle Blazes hair. "I know you'll help take good care of Dawson here. Mommy will too. Right Tanya?" "Absolutely love." Tanya says as she tries blinking away tears that will never fall. We stay with Dad for a while talking and taking turns holding Dawson. I take Dad aside wile Tanya talks with Sue about Dawsons eating habits. "Dad what about Brianne and Ashton's funeral?" Dads face turns somber. "The military is working on that. I believe they have scheduled it for Wednesday at the Columbia Funeral Home and crematory in Seattle. Starts at 11 to 1. From what I understand, neither of them had any family. It's going to be a small service." "Ok thanks Dad. I'll see if the Cullens can watch the kids so we can go to the service." I say as I rub my face and head. I can't believe they're gone. Man I'm going to miss him. I start gathering the kids up to go to stay at the Cullen's but Dad insists we stay here. I look to Tanya and she nods ok so we agree to stay. Dad and the kids light up. "Sue has to work but I think I'll take off tomorrow and Wednesday to spend time with the kids. And so you don't have to take the kids to the funeral." Dad says. "You don't have to do that Dad-" I start to say but Dad insists "I don't get to see my grandchildren very often let me spend some quality time with them." I nod "But we're taking Dawson Wednesday with us. Maybe you could take the twins fishing? They've never gone before." Dads eyes light up. "I'd be glad to take them fishing." He says as the kids shout "Yay! We're going fishing!" We all smile. Dad orders pizza for supper and we all eat. Well Tanya and I pick at our slices. And put our slices on the kids plates when Sue and Dad aren't looking. The kids feast on the pizza. They don't get take out very often. After supper we give the kids each a bath. Then they brush their teeth and go to bed in their Aunt Bella's old room. They share the double bed. I kiss them each good night and Tanya does the same. We say good night and turn off the light and leave the door open a little bit. We get Dawson from Sue and bid Dad and Sue good night. We climb the stairs and go to my old bedroom in the attic. We carefully lay a sleeping Dawson in the middle of the bed and we both lay down on either side of him. I get up and turn the light off and lay back down. Tanya and I stare into each others eyes and talk softly about anything and everything while our children sleep.