Disclaimer: Characters contained within do not belong to me.

Author's Notes: Just a little piece I wanted to see in "Breaking Dawn." I hope you enjoy it!

One Child, One Day

By Kristen Elizabeth

With what price we pay for the glory of motherhood.

-Isadora Duncan

"How's she doing?"

It took a moment for Rosalie to answer her husband's question, a moment she spent readjusting the thick blanket that was tucked around Bella's fragile body. "She's fine."

With his large arms folded over his chest, Emmett took a step closer to the bed on which Bella was laid out. "That's your definition of 'fine'?" He indicated the girl's sickly pallor.

"She's going to be fine," Rosalie clarified. As she spoke, her hand rested on Bella's rapidly expanding belly. "Everything's going to be fine."

"Rose." When she didn't reply, Emmett tried again. "Rosalie, look at me." With great reluctance, Rosalie turned her head and fixed a cool stare on him. "Why are you doing this?"

"Taking care of Edward's wife? I didn't realize I needed a reason for being a good sister-in-law," she replied haughtily.

Emmett frowned. "You know, one of the many things I love about you is just how stubborn you can be when you get your mind set on something. But this…" He shook his head. "She's dying. That kid is killing her. And you're protecting it." He paused. "Do you hate Bella that much?"

Her eyes darkened. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just ask me that."

Crouching down next to the bed, Emmett reached for his wife's hand. "Just tell me what you're thinking, Rose. All of it. The good stuff and the bad stuff."

She yanked her hand away. "You would think it was as easy as that."

"If that's supposed to dig at me, fine. I'll take it. After seventy years, I know what it means when you get bitchy like this." He tried again and this time she let him thread his thick fingers through her slender digits. "If you don't want Bella dead, it means you want her baby alive. But Rose…I don't think both of them are going to survive this."

"You don't know that," Rosalie whispered.

"Maybe not," he conceded. "But what I do know is that if Bella dies…we lose Edward. And I'm not talking about losing him like he runs off to Alaska for awhile." Emmett lifted his shoulders. "I don't know about you, but I've gotten kind of attached to the kid after all these years. Especially lately." He glanced at Bella. "I think that's because of her."

His wife looked down at their matching wedding bands. "Love changes everything. And everyone."

"Yeah." He gave her a minute with her thoughts. "I wouldn't want to be in Edward's shoes…choosing between my wife and my baby. But…"

Rosalie cut him off sharply. "Then it's a good thing that you'll never be in that position, Emmett. Will you?"

"Oh, Rose. Honey…" Emmett brought her hand up to his mouth and held it there, trapped between his. "I don't know what to say to that."

She wrenched her hand free and abruptly stood. Bella shifted uncomfortably at the sudden jostling of the bed, but she didn't wake. She was too lost to the pain of carrying a half-human, half-vampire child.

"I always thought that not being able to have a baby was something we had in common." Rosalie rubbed her throat, as if she needed to force herself to keep breathing. "But it's not true, is it? You could."

He stared at her, flabbergasted. "I wouldn't!"

"But you could." She blinked rapidly, although tears would never come to her eyes. "It's me. I'm the problem. My body…I can't…so we can't…" She stopped, unable to continue.

A minute passed. "Is that what this is about? You figure Bella won't survive the birth…and because Edward will go insane, you'll be right there to…you know…take the baby?"

Rosalie snarled just low enough to only be heard by him. "When did your opinion of me sink this low, Emmett?"

"Around the time you wouldn't let Carlisle get this thing out of her."

"It's not a thing!" Rosalie shouted. In her sleep, Bella frowned. She lowered her voice. "It's a baby. It's…special. It'll never happen again. And yes…Bella may not survive, but she knows that. She's willing to take the risk if it means her baby will live. All I'm doing is helping her fight a battle she's in no shape to take on herself."

Emmett sighed. "Okay. Okay, honey."

"What do you mean 'okay'?"

"I mean…I won't question your motives anymore. And I'll help you. You know, with Edward. He'd really love to get his hands on you right now."

She tossed her hair with a delicate snort. "He had his chance seventy years ago."

Emmett laughed so loudly that Bella finally startled out of her restless dreams. "Rosalie?" she murmured wearily. "What's going on?" Her hands flew to her belly, reassuring herself that the baby was still there. "My baby…"

"It's okay, Bella." Rosalie touched her cheek like a true sister. "Your baby is fine. I promised you, didn't I?"

"Yeah." She relaxed back into the pillows as much as she could. "Thank you."

When she was asleep again, Emmett grasped his wife's hand and pulled her against his chest. "My Rose." He kissed her sweet-smelling hair. "I love you, honey. More than anything." He took an unnecessarily deep breath and forced out his next words. "And if you want a baby of your own...no one will forgive us, but I can… you know…find some girl and…"

Rosalie put her fingers to his mouth. "Stop." She replaced her fingers with her lips, giving him a lingering kiss. "This isn't a problem that can be solved."

His forehead touched hers. "I would, though. If you asked. You think it doesn't tear me up inside knowing that I can give you just about anything in the world except the one thing you want?"

"Our life isn't easy." Rosalie glanced at the girl in the bed. "I tried telling her that."

"You can't tell anything to someone who's in love," Emmett reminded her. "You should've heard the stuff Edward tried to tell me about you once upon a time. Obviously didn't stop me from marrying you…what is it now…eight, nine times?"

Her eyes thinned into dangerous slits. "What exactly did Edward say?"

"Take it up with him. But make sure you give me plenty of warning before you do. I gotta remind Jasper about a bet we made back in '65."

She arched one perfect eyebrow. "I hope you put your money on me."

Emmett winked. "Always, honey."

Fin