ps. I don't own any of these characters, and I don't own this plotline. All dialogue was copied directly from Breaking Dawn.
"Are you well?" I asked through the door. Bella had gone to the bathroom nearly ten minutes earlier, and all she said she had needed to do was brush her teeth. "Did you get sick again?"
"Yes and no," she said. Her voice sounded wrong, she sounded upset and scared.
"Bella? Can I please come in?" I asked. Now I was worried. Had something happened? She had only been in the room a few minutes, but perhaps she had gotten even more ill than she already was...
"O... kay?" she responded. Now she really sounded bad. I opened the door and slipped in to the room. She was sitting cross-legged beside her suitcase with the first-aid kit in it, the one I had made sure Alice would pack. It was open, the contents out of order and strewn all over the place. On top of everything was a small blue box, a box of tampons. I sat next to Bella, and put my hand to her forehead. Her temperature hadn't changed, though I couldn't be absolutely positive. Carlisle was better with minute temperature differences than I was. "What's wrong?"
She glanced at me, and her face was white. She looked terrified. "How many days has it been since the wedding?" she whispered, her voice barely audible, even to me. I did the math quickly, it took less than a second.
"Seventeen. Bella, what is it?"
She held up her index finger, a signal for me to keep quiet, and she started counting. She was mouthing numbers, counting backwards then forwards. She continued for almost three full minutes, counting again and again. What I wouldn't have given for just a moment of insight into her mind, just a quick second to understand what she was thinking – I could help her, reassure her, because nothing was wrong, really... right? "Bella!" I whispered, matching her previous volume exactly, "I'm losing my mind over here."
She reached over to the suitcase without looking, and felt her way around it until she found the box I had noticed earlier, the box of tampons. She held it up to me without saying a word. I could hear her heart pounding, much harder and faster than normal. I looked at the box, confused. How could she expect me to understand these things? Maybe she was just trying to prove her earlier point, how she didn't have to see a doctor. I was on to her. "What? Are you trying to pass this illness of as PMS?" I raised my eyebrow, considering whether I should smile or not. She didn't seem to be playing games...
"No," she said quietly. She looked right at me, and her breath caught, then she continued, "No, Edward. I'm trying to tell you that my period is five days late."
I didn't say anything, my face automatically fixing itself in the same position. Was it possible? Could she be... oh, no.
"I don't think I have food poisoning," she mumbled. I barely heard her. I couldn't hear anything. My brain was silent, not able to comprehend what she was saying. I couldn't see anything, hear anything, feel anything. I welcomed the blankness, giving me a moment to compose myself. I didn't even know how much time was passing. A small, insignificant part of my mind told me that Bella had moved from my arms, and was now standing up. I ignored it.
A moment later, my phone rang. I didn't hear it, but of course Alice wouldn't take long to see that something was wrong. I had asked her to keep an eye on things over here, just in case something went wrong... but now everything was wrong. It just wasn't possible! I mean, Rosalie or Esme, they couldn't have children, or else that would have happened by now. Well, obviously since Rosalie and Esme are vampires, and Bella is as of yet a human, there's just a slight difference. The back of my brain was saying. I tried to ignore it, to pretend that this was all wrong. That Bella was wrong. Bella couldn't be wrong. Of course only she would be truly able to tell you what's going on, only she would know! She couldn't be wrong! No. No, no no no. This was all a mistake, a misunderstanding. I was slowly coming out of my stillness, but still not moving. I was making myself aware. I could hear Bella on the phone, talking to Carlisle, explaining her symptoms. I found control of my motor functions. I could move again, I could talk.
"... I swear something moved inside me just now," I heard Bella say quietly into the mouthpiece in the phone. I looked up, and she sighed. Had she been waiting me to come back to my senses? Obviously she had had to answer my phone, it had been ringing in my pocket, and I hadn't been able to move to answer it. I put my hand out towards Bella, gesturing for the phone.
"Um, I think Edward wants to talk to you." Bella said, obviously unsure if I would be able to talk. I wasn't even sure if I would be able to speak clearly or coherently.
"Put him on," I heard Carlisle say. He sounded strained. Obviously he thought it was possible. I pressed the phone to my ear, and asked him anyway.
"Is it possible?" I whispered.
"Edward, I think it is. I never would have thought... but of course, I hadn't thought about the one thing that separates vampires from humans, our immortality, of course our bodies do not change," he was speaking slowly, so that I would understand everything. I was still falling behind, my mind wasn't working as fast as it normally could. "That's why Rosalie or Esme could never have children; their bodies couldn't change to bring one in to the world. Of course, human women can change, and so Bella is fully able to be pregnant. Males, vampire or otherwise, don't need to change. Our bodies are almost always able to father children... and of course it would never happen, a vampire and a human would never have been able to do what you two did, the vampire would never have been able to control himself... of course, except for you. I'm exceptionally proud of you for that fact, Edward."
I wasn't listening. Of course everything he said had made sense, but I still didn't want to understand. "And Bella?" I asked. As I said her name, my arm automatically reached out towards her, pulling her towards me.
"I think it's best you bring her home. I would want to see how the baby is developing. If she's already feeling movement, she's much farther ahead than a normal human pregnancy. Bring her home immediately, catch the first flight in. We'll meet you at the airport."
"Yes. Yes I will." I pressed the "end" button on the phone, though what I really wanted to do was slam it shut and throw it at the wall. How could this happen? I started dialing the phone number for the local airport.
"What did Carlisle say?" she asked, impatient.
I couldn't bring any emotion in to my voice, which was probably a good thing. I wasn't sure whether I would be happy about this or upset. Right now I didn't have many feelings. "He thinks you're pregnant."
"Who are you calling now?" she asked as I finished the number and put the phone to my ear.
"The airport. We're going home." It took almost two minutes to reach a person to speak with at the airport. I didn't have the patience to deal with the computerized tellers, I wouldn't have been able to explain the urgency behind our trip home. As soon I was able to speak with a person, I started explaining everything. They weren't able to arrange any immediate flights, I couldn't pay for a private flight to leave immediately, and I wasn't able to rent a plane to fly myself. I would have to remember to purchase a jet of our own. It would make it much easier to travel around the world without having to worry about following the airline's schedules. As I spoke to the lady who answered, and then her supervisor, and eventually the person with the highest position at the airport, I packed. I went as quickly as I could, all around the house, arranging our things. I grabbed some clothes and threw them onto the bed, so that Bella could get dressed. Now I was arguing with the people there; they weren't able to help me at all, and no amount of money could persuade them otherwise. I hardly even noticed when Bella left the room. I purchased the tickets, put the phone on the counter, and finished packing everything. Bella was in the kitchen, I could hear her heartbeat and her breathing. I heard her murmur to herself, but I wasn't listening. Her face appeared in my mind, and I thought about the consequences of her pregnancy. If she was really pregnant, then of course the baby would be half vampire. And if she was really pregnant, and it really was half-vampire, Bella's body would have to change even more to carry the baby. I couldn't think totally straight, but what little I did know of the old legends said that if a woman were impregnated, the baby would have to use its teeth to get out of it's own placenta, because it was as hard as vampire skin. And of course, the baby would have to rip through it, tear through it, leaving the mother... I couldn't finish my thought. I couldn't imagine it. Of course, Carlisle would find a way to remove the fetus, if she really was pregnant, before anything could happen. Of course, that would be the only way to go, the only path to take. I couldn't imagine Bella ... gone.
"Bella?" I asked as I walked toward the kitchen. My voice sounded wrong, it was cold and hard, and I knew my face probably looked the same way. I couldn't find the energy to change it, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to let my true emotions show. I didn't even know what those emotions were.
She turned, facing me. She was crying.
"Bella!" I ran to her, and put my hands on her face. "Are you in pain?"
"No, no--"
I pulled her against me, cutting her off. "Don't be afraid. We'll be home in sixteen hours, You'll be fine. Carlisle will be ready when we get there. We'll take care of this, and you'll be fine, you'll be fine."
"Take care of this? What do you mean?" she was looking at my face, confusion mangling her features.
I looked her in the eye as I spoke. "We're going to get that thing out before it can hurt any part of you. Don't be scared. I won't let it hurt you," I promised. I would never, ever let her be hurt again, let alone from something I had done! How could I have been so stupid, I never should have let this happen--
"That thing?" she almost yelled. Was she angry that I had called it a "thing"? She couldn't possibly be attached to it now, she couldn't possibly have grown to accept it.
Suddenly, I heard a voice. In my head. Gustavo was just walking along the beach to the island, along with Kaure. Had I known that they were coming today? I couldn't seem to recall.
"Dammit! I forgot Gustavo was due today. I'll get rid of him and be right back," I said, already on my way out of the room. He must have been coming all along, I must have known, I just couldn't remember. I intercepted Gustavo and Kaure, almost to the house. I started to ask them to leave, but Kaure was insisting that she personally leave dinner in the house. She wanted to see Bella, and wouldn't take no for an answer. She was terrified of me. Gustavo was as well, but he was better at hiding it. Kaure wouldn't budge, she needed to see Bella. So I led the way into the house, walking to Bella. She was crying again, so I wiped the tears from her cheeks. "She's insisting on leaving the food she brought – she made us dinner. It's an excuse – she wants to make sure I haven't killed you yet," I murmured in her ear. I could hear my voice starting to go cold towards the end, but I couldn't help it.
Kaure was just putting her dish on the dinner. I could smell it – onions and fish. I was revolted, but maybe Bella would enjoy something other than eggs. She mumbled some kind of explanation of the food, but of course I already knew the real she was here. She had seen Bella, she could leave now. I told her that, and my voice sounded angry. I didn't seem to have control over my voice yet, it just went along with my emotions. She nodded and turned to go, her heart racing. She was wearing a long skirt, and when she turned it whirled around, blowing the scent of her dish straight at me again. Bella inhaled slightly, then gagged. She ran to the sink, and I knew then that she must be pregnant, if even the smell of food would bring her to be sick again. I darted around the kitchen, grabbing the plate and throwing it into the refrigerator. I shut the door, and went back to Bella. She seemed to be recovering, and I was murmuring nonsense in the most soothing voice I could muster. She rinsed her mouth out, and I pulled her into my arms. Her hands folded over her stomach. I could feel it now, a slight bump. She was developing quickly, as Carlisle had said. The baby was already large enough to alter Bella's body. We would have to get the thing out as quickly as possible.
Kaure gasped, her mind going silent for a moment. Then she started remembering the old legends herself, the same ones I had struggled with earlier. She went through them quickly, reaching the same conclusion I had. She had no trouble imagining my Bella still and dead, and the image in her mind made me gasp. I turned Bella so that she stood behind me, and held her there. Kaure was just choosing her words, she was going to start any moment...
Kaure started yelling at me, accusing me of the most horrid crime, shouting the legend from start to finish at me, as if I didn't realize already. She was horrified that I had done such a thing. I had to be honest with myself, so was I. I had been so stupid, I had let Bella seduce me, I hadn't followed my instinct, of course I never should have –
She was still shouting at me, and I begged her to just forget she had ever seen anything in this house.
She stared at me, unable to believe that I was pleading with her. Then she asked me a question;
"Is the child yours? Of your descent, of your kind? Will it be like you?"
I nodded, once. She turned to leave, then turned back. She wasn't finished yelling. Before she could start again, I reached towards her, willing her to understand that I hadn't done this with the intention of harming anyone. I rested my hand on Bella's cheek, a sign that I loved her, I wasn't using her just to bear my child. This brought her into a whole other frenzy. I could barely understand her shouting, but what she was thinking was clear. My kind and humans were not allowed to interact, let alone fall in love. I was the most heinous of villains, the most evil creature on the Earth. For a moment, I believed her.
I asked her once again to forget everything she had seen here, and she looked between me and Bella. She truly was deliberating leaving us alone. She was afraid that I would lose my patience and attack her. She had a family at home, a family she had to take care of. Of course I would never hurt her, but she would never have believed me if I told her that. She took a step forward, and with her hands depicted the shape of a fully pregnant woman, a ball jutting out from her stomach. She was asking Bella if she was pregnant. Bella didn't respond, but her heart quickened.
"You're sure she's pregnant?" Kaure asked.
"Yes."
"And it's yours?"
"Yes."
"What are you going to do with it?"
"Removal," I answered tensely, then asked her a question myself. "If we let the baby grow, will it be safe?"
She shook her head, and I saw my Bella once again lying dead on the floor, the baby tearing itself out of her, the image very vivid in Kaure's mind. It was agonizing. "Your legends end the same way as ours," I said, horrified. My voice cracked, my face twisted with despair. I didn't have to finish explaining, because Kaure took a few more steps towards us and put her hands on top of Bella's, still on her stomach.
"Death," she said quietly, then she left the room.
A few moments later, Bella turned towards the bathroom. I held her shoulder with my hand. "Where are you going?" I whispered.
"To brush my teeth again," she said quickly. She almost sounded nonchalant, like she hadn't understood a word Kaure had said. Of course, she had understood the last word.
"Don't worry about what she said. It's nothing but legends, old lies for the sake of entertainment," I said quickly, trying to convince myself more than I was trying to convince her.
"I didn't understand anything," she mumbled. She didn't sound like she was lying, but her heart skipped a beat. She may not have understood the majority of the conversation, but she knew the outcome of this pregnancy as well as I did. Suddenly, I remembered that everything, even her toothbrush, was packed.
"I packed your toothbrush. I'll get it for you." I walked towards the bedroom, where our suitcases were sitting on the bed.
"Are we leaving soon?" she called after me.
"As soon as you're done," I replied, and went into the bedroom. I grabbed the toothbrush, and turned to Bella who had followed me in. She grabbed it, and brushed her teeth. I waited until she was done, and put it back in the suitcase. "I'll get the bags into the boat."
"Edward –"
I turned back to her. Times like these, when I didn't know what she was thinking, drove me insane. But of course this was how she preferred it.
She waited a moment, then spoke. Her voice was shaky, she must have still been thinking about Kaure's final words. "Could you... pack some of the food? You know, in case I get hungry again."
"Of course," I said, almost smiling. "Don't worry about anything. We'll get to Carlisle in just a few hours, really. This will all be over soon." Again, I was trying to convince myself as well as her.
She nodded, and I grabbed the bags and went towards the boat. A minute later, Bella appeared on the beach, walking slowly. When she reached the boat, she handed the phone to me without a word. I had forgotten it on the counter of the bathroom, after I had finished packing. How could I have forgotten that? I would need the phone to coordinate with Carlisle as we got closer to home. It was so unlike me to forget things, I was suddenly unsure of myself. I didn't feel right. I didn't say a word to Bella on the way home, and she didn't say a word to me. It was a silent trip, even more silent because once again I slipped into the stillness where I didn't hear, see, or feel anything. It was the only way I could think without panicking, my emotions taking over.
Everything was going to be okay. Everything was going to be fine. We were going to be fine. Bella's was going to be fine.
No. That was a lie, and I knew it. Nothing was going to be okay, because something was very wrong. And there was nothing I could do about it.