Saved by the bell, literally.

Not that Bella was grateful for it, she almost jumped a mile in the air startled by the sudden intrusion that she lost her grip on the knife and it knocked the edge of the counter before clattering down to the floor, tainting her white tiles with a tiny drop of blood.

She rushed to the sink, cussing as she opened the tap on her bleeding wrist. She could never do anything right, not even the effortless task of ending her own sad existence.

What the hell had she done? In answer, the doorbell went off twice in a row again, whoever was at it was practically leaning on it in impatience.

She grabbed the nearest napkin and pressed it on the cuts as she ran to the door, only getting to it before wondering who might be on the other side.

She wasn't expecting anyone, Todd didn't say he was coming over. Maybe the police found something? Or it could be Kenny, Bella had a feeling they might have become awkward friends without any verbal agreement but what if it was the strange man that had been parading her door?

The bell went off yet again and she had no time to rethink before unlocking the bolts and pulling the door open.

She simultaneously choke on her breath when she saw the person before her and he looked almost as surprised as she felt on seeing him. She'd told her daughter they needed to give him a little time but she didn't think it would be this little and beside she hadn't 100% believed herself when she said it.

Iverson stood before her all rough and anxious, he seemed to have suddenly aged all seven years since she last saw him a few hours ago. His hair was in a messy disarray instead of it usual neat quiff, his shirt was wrinkled and there was all kind of stain on his white trouser while his knuckles were wrapped in gauze.

"I want custody, I'm flying my daughter out." He gruffed.

Bella blinked, still looking ridiculous with her mouth hanging open as she stared at him like he was a UFO landed on her doorstep. Then a slow smile took over her face when his words finally registered in her mind, no sweeter words had she ever heard. Did he know that was the best thing he could say to her? Well except the 'flying my daughter out' part.

"Do you want to come in?" She asked, opening the door wider and stepping aside in invitation.

Iverson frowned, taken aback by her action and her presence to be sincere. He thought for sure he would be too late and she'd have disappeared for another near decade.

But just incase, he came ready for a fight and some mouthing off because no way in hell was he letting another man take care of his daughter now that he knew of her existence and he already had people working on an all round the world ticket for her. He believed somewhere on this planet there had to be a heart for his daughter and he was going to get it, if he had to cross through the deepest rivers and climb the highest mountains.

He wasn't going to accept losing her after just meeting her and he wasn't expecting Bella to give her up without fighting him. As a matter of fact, he expected her to laugh in his face and tell him, 'She isn't even your kid, I only told you that to mess with you again. You can fúck right off with your custody nonsense' in which case he'd have threatened to sue her for defamation and also request an instant DNA test.

Seriously, he came prepared.

But now she was smiling and inviting him into her home?

He took hesitant steps forward, not sure if he was doing the right thing. He met her husband- Todd earlier and he seemed like a really nice guy but that was before Iverson found out the bastard was in possession of everything he was deprived and now they've got bad blood, either Todd realized it or not.

He filled their living space with his presence, looking around for his daughter and Todd. With Bella, Iverson always have someone else in the picture, it was an endless tiring circle. If it wasn't Daniel, it could be Derrick or it could just go back to Daniel again and even years later now there is a fúcking Todd.

The odds were always against him, he basically drank and swam in odds where she was concerned.

Her livingroom was quaint and cozy, about quarter size of his home studio in LA but he knew he'd give that all away in a heartbeat to be surrounded by the warmth and homey feel of this place, accompanied by the essence of his daughter and the woman he spent quality time convincing himself he didn't give anymore fúcks about.

He had been bullshìtting himself for a very long time and what was that about anyway? Even as Mrs. Micawolf he felt attracted to her more than he could say for anyone since her. What he had with Gina Raphael never came close.

He turned around and caught her peering under the napkin she held against her wrist only to quickly jerk her hands back and hide them behind her as if he'd caught her doing something she shouldn't be doing.

She smiled at him but he was guarded, he narrowed an eye back at her suspiciously. He didn't trust her not to be playing at something with that silly fake smile on her face.

"Where's my daughter?" He queried. God help him, he was already in love with the taste of those words on his lips he could write a complete album and won't come close to describing the full beauty.

"She's sleeping, can I get you something to drink?" She asked with that false cheerfulness Iverson wasn't buying.

She'd get him something to drink and probably slip some sleeping pills in it so that next he knew he'd be waking up another seven years later.

Fúck no, he would rather stay woke and keep his eyes on her.

"I don't trust you." He told her outright and watched her expression faltered. "What is that you're hiding behind you?"

"It's just my hands, Iverson." She held both hands in his face with the napkin still pressed against her wrist. "What do you think I'm hiding, a knife to stab you in the back?"

"Ah but that isn't your style, is it? You'll rather disappear with anything and everything that could make me happy! Where did I go wrong with you, Bella? Come on, go ahead and tell me now so I can get on my fúcking knees and apologise, why did you deny me the right to my child?!"

"Yeah, let's do that!" Bella raised her voice to match his. "Let's put all the blame on Bella because why not? Let's totally forget how it was you who got up and followed sister dearest abroad, you left me at a time I needed you the most and all I got was a stupid necklace without a return address!"

Iverson gnashed his teeth and pulled at his hair in aggravation, he got up close in her face so he could glare down at her. Yeah, he'd rather claim that than admit the natural pull her body had on his to be close to her as if no time had passed at all.

It deeply infuriated him that he had to be trying his hardest to hold on to the hurt and betrayal he felt after learning from a six year old that he was the man he'd thought an àsshole for abandoning his child. That moment would most definitely haunt him for the rest of his life, he had never slammed on a break so fast but after Bella walked into that hospital looking like a dream come true and with the way she cried...she made him weak in all the wrong places.

"I left because there was complication with my first surgery! Those bullets didn't nearly affect my vocals as much as the fúcking surgery did and if Ivory hadn't step in when she did, I could have lost my voice forever!

You and I grew up in the same town, you knew where my mother would be all you had to do was go to her. My friends were your friends and you cut them all out of your life so don't fúcking spoon feed me that arsed excuse of no return address, you knew exactly how to find me but you chose not to and just....WHY?!"

"I don't know, okay?" She cried and threw the napkin already soaked with her blood across the room in anger. "And I'm sorry that I am me, I'm sorry that all I brought you was grief and pain. I'm sorry that I'm impulsive, destructive and don't see beyond my own emotions. I'm sorry for all the mistakes I've made and for being a disappointment to everyone but you know what? I cannot undo any of it and you can hate me all you want but your daughter needs you! All I ask is for you to be there for her, now!" She came down from her self deprecating rant to realise Iverson had totally blanked out, his wide eyes only following the movements of one particular hand.

Bella looked at it herself to see blood flowing freely down her fingers. "Oh bollock." She muttered, hiding the hand behind her again and looking longingly in the direction she threw the napkin.

"What is that, Bella?"

"Nothing." She backed away from him.

"Does 'nothing' bleed?" Iverson stepped closer and grabbed her by the elbow, forcing her hand out from behind her.

She watched the blood instantly drain from his face as he took in the two horizontal slashes across her wrist and his eyes flew to hers in shock and bewilderment.

"It's nothing, okay? Just kitchen mishap, happens to the best of us." Bella said, trying in vain to free her hand from his grip.

"This.." Iverson choked on his voice and worked down the emotions quickly coming together to lump in his throat. "This isn't...did you do this? Blue...Please, did you...cut...yourself?"

She couldn't reply. Her eyes clouded over with tears despite how much she had cried that day, it was surprising she still had any tears left to shed.

Iverson shook his head wildly and stepped back from her with an unbelieving look eyes in his equally clouded eyes.

"I...I don't understand. Blue, why?" He pressed a fist to his lips tightly, shuddering from head to toe.

"I'm a mess, what else is new?" Bella shrugged even though she couldn't see pass the tears in her eyes. She was once more startled when Iverson suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her other hand to inspect for any cut or scar, Bella's eyes widen when he dropped both hands and reached for the hem of her knee-length loose shirt instead.

"What are you doing?" She squealed, jumping away from him and slapping his shaking hands away like a bug. He only got closer and repeated his action again.

"Iverson, stop!" She yelled, struggling with him to keep her shirt down while he worked to pull it up and over her head.

"Stop it Iverson!"

"No, I need to see. Is there more? How long has this being going on, Blue? You...cut..." He couldn't complete his words, he was trembling so hard that it was evident in his voice but he succeeded in pinning both her hands above her head.

"Stop it Iverson! This is the first time I promise."

He stopped struggling with her shirt and looked her in the eyes again. She saw the fear in his eyes, she saw the various emotions chasing one another deep within him but she was still caught by surprise when he pushed her against the door behind her and crashed his lips down on hers.

Bella gasped and he didn't miss the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth, grunting as he did so and his fingers dug ruthlessly through the material of her shirt into her love handles as he plastered his body on hers, smothering whatever space was left between them.

Bella was too stunned to react at first, she was completely thrown off guard by the familiarity of his lips and body on hers and not to mention the desire that suddenly flare in the pit of her stomach even though she was certain the kiss wasn't meant to invoke any.

He was angry but much to Bella's surprise he still cared for her, maybe more than he realized or wanted to admit and this turn in event, the thought of losing her forever even though she wasn't his, scared shìtless.

So he sort to pass on the confusing feelings in a desperate, teeth clashing kiss.

Her hands crept around him, bleeding all over his shirt as she explored and re-familiarized herself with his rippling back. She kissed him back, hungry and with unconcealed fervor. Bella pressed herself into him, needing more of him and her hands crept back to his chest, she tried sneaking her fingers under his shirt to feel his skin after so many years but he grabbed her hands and stilled her movements.

Iverson pulled back from her lips to rest his forehead on hers. "We need to get you to the hospital." He breathed over her face.

"No, it's not that deep. I just need to stop the blood." She pulled away from his hold and cradled her bleeding hand in the good one.

Iverson took her hand in his again to examined the cuts. "It's that deep with this much blood Blue, it'll probably require stitching. But you're right, we should stop the blood before leaving."

"We?" Bella looked at him through unfocused eyes, she was already feeling a tad bit lightheaded and she didn't think it was because of their kiss.

Iverson took a step back from her and avoided eye contact. "I'll take you to the ER or call emergency if that's what you prefer." Then as an afterthought he added. "Or your husband?"

She eyed him, saw the slouch of his shoulders and the regret written across his face. He was already beating himself over their kiss. "I'm not married Iverson, Victoria Micawolf is a friend from the Academy and Todd is just my assistant. I've been too busy keeping my daughter alive, I somehow forgot to have a boyfriend or get married." She walked around him towards her kitchen to get her first aid kit but froze in her steps when the room began to swim in her eyes.

She swayed on her feet and Iverson darted forward to steady her, catching her just in the nick of time before she hit the floor.

"Blue! Sweetheart please, open your eyes..."

"Lyric...my...heart...daughter...safe." She mumbled incoherently before going completely numb in his hands.

Iverson panicked, his heart went crazy in his chest that he couldn't breathe. He shook her and pleaded for her to look at him but she was totally unresponsive. He picked her up and made a mad dash for his car, almost crashing into a woman at the entrance door.

"Holy cow, I thought I saw someone who looked like you. It's really you, OMG Clouds! I'm a fan!"

Iverson side stepped the exuberant hippie girl with the unruly salt and pepper hair and rushed to his car with Blue unconscious in his arms. He had no use for 'a fan' right now unless it could blow oxygen into the Blue's lungs.

"What the bloody fúck happened to her? Wow, your car is the real shìt man! Wait, what happened to her?"

Iverson carefully deposited Blue in the backseat of his Roy Royce and turned to face the yapping mouth behind him. "Who are you?" He asked, running an exasperated hand through his hair.

"Oh I'm Kenny, a friend of the woman in your car...uhm I mean, Isabella. We're neighbors, I live next door with my stepdad...boyfriend... I mean boyfriend. Uhm, well I don't actually live, I come to visit and stay a couple days a week and..."

"Good." Iverson cut in impatiently, all he needed to know was that she was a friend and a neighbor and that was all he heard. "Listen, Lyric is asleep in the house and I don't need her to see this or know what is going on. Do you think you can hang around in case she wakes up?" He asked, running around to the driver side.

Kenny nodded firmly. "Sure thing, I'll take care of her. She's very safe with me, you just take your time."

"Thank you." Iverson said and peeled off the driveway towards the hospital in a mad race as if the prince of death itself was after him.

-->>
Twenty-five minutes later found him going out of his damn mind outside the ward room some nurses disappear into with Blue, he had already knocked on the door twice to know what the fúck was taking forever and both times a woman had popped her head out and told him to be patient and let them do their job.

Now he understood how Biggie felt when he was kicked out of his wife's delivery room. Iverson wanted to punch something again but his knuckles were already bad and he needed his hands to play his guitar, so he settled for constantly yanking his hair as he paced back and forth.

He had called his bodyguard on the way to the hospital and told him to go over to Blue's and keep an eye on both Kenny and Lyric till Iverson got back but he was still waiting for an all clear call from him.

A door opened, snapping Iverson's attention back to the ward room where another nurse came out and approached him with a pen and a clipboard.

"I need to ask you a few question, Mr..."

"Iverson Benson. Is she okay, can I see her now?"

"Not yet." The nurse replied, jutting down his name. "Was the patient unconscious when you found her?"

Iverson let out a pained breath. "She was conscious, we talked. I didn't notice she was bleeding until later, she collapsed in front of me."

The nurse wrote in her clipboard again. "Is this her first suicide attempt?"

The words hit him like a thousand flying needles all at once, Iverson winced and gritted his teeth. "As far as I know, yes. She told me it was the first time, can I see her now?"

"Who are you to the patient, Mr. Benson?"

He blanched, he knew where this was going and his answer would determine whether they let him see her or not. The problem was, he had no idea who he was to her but he knew exactly who she was to him.

She was his Blue and she was Bella, the maddening paradox he fell in love with since he was old enough to know what he needed. She was the only woman who made his heart race and his pulse quicken, the woman who made him laugh, made him cry and left him devastated for seven years.

The woman he'd gone too long without and after just meeting her again he couldn't imagine another day without her in his life. She was the mother of his child and the only woman he want to share the parent title with. She was the woman he loved and the woman he would love against all the odds.

"Mr. Benson?"

"She's my woman." He settled for a short answer that wasn't a complete lie and the only one he knew the nurse was interested in. "Can I see her now?"

"She will be moved to a private room shortly, you can see her there but only for a short time. We are keeping her on suicide watch for forty-eight hours at the very least and you're the only visitor she's allowed."

"Thank you, Nurse. I understand." Iverson nodded his head, the important thing was that she was okay. When he sees her they'd have to come up with what to tell their daughter, in the meantime he needed to know Lyric was doing okay too.

Iverson fished out his phone and speed dialed his bodyguard as the nurse turned to leave. "Aldo, is she awake yet?" He asked the instance the phone was picked.

"I'm afraid Boss, there's something going on here." Came the breathy reply from the other line. "There was no one in the house when I got there."

"So? Check the neighbor's house. They probably moved to Kenny's place when she woke up."

"The next house is empty, I checked."

"What are you saying, Aldo?" Iverson's stomach tightened with icy fear, something had been gnawing at him about that mysterious woman but he was too focused on Blue to pay attention. If anything happens to his daughter because of his carelessness...

"I searched the house and there was a note on the kid's bed, it says 'I have her, involve the police and she dies' signed with the name Kenny."

"Is this someone's idea of a joke?"

"I hope so, Boss." Aldo let out a whoosh of breath. "Otherwise this looks very much like your daughter has been kidnapped."