A/N: Drum roll, please! INTRODUCING FEDERAL FEVER, THE LATEST STORY BY MELANIE CARTER!

Okay, okay, enough with the pomp, but this is my latest story and I hope you would like to read it *cute 'please read it' grin* It's my first... yeah, just checking it is my first... it's my first AH fic and it's been... interesting. Of course, I've had great fun (naturally) and it's been a hoot (as usual) but it's certainly been a learning curve. Which I hope you enjoy! So, please... enjoy and I'll see YOU at the end!

FEDERAL FEVER by Melanie Carter

Chapter 1: The Last Appointment

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"URGH!"

I slapped the alarm clock and curled back into the covers.

A pair of warm arms closed around me and two soft lips pressed onto my shoulder.

"Time to get up," he whispered in my ear.

"Mhmm," I agreed, pushing back against him under the covers. His head dropped back to the pillow for a few minutes. I forced my eyes to flutter open. 6:07. It really was time to get up.

I took a deep breath and turned in his arms to face him. He opened his eyes at my movement and smiled lazily. I smiled back and planted a gently kiss on his mouth.

Then, I readied myself for a second before pulling myself upright, sweeping a hand through my hair as I breathed deep. I felt a soft nudge of protest from my rounded stomach.

I glanced over my shoulder to look at my half-asleep husband. I hated that word. No way could he be compared to something so mundane. He was watching me through half-closed eyelids and he reached out to stroke the small of my back just as I liked it.

"My Bella," he whispered adoringly.

"My Jacob."

I held his gaze for a moment longer before I smiled to myself in pleasure. What had I done to deserve him? I threw back the covers and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. It didn't seem possible that he was mine. He was far too good for someone like me.

I stretched lazily, bringing my arm down to rub my stomach briefly.

"Good morning, little baby," I cooed softly to my lap. I went to the wardrobe and threw on my old flannel robe. Jacob and I had always wanted children – little physical representations of our love for one another. Now I was actually pregnant I was beside myself with joy. My own little nudger to cherish forever.

I padded through the house quietly with my bare feet, heading for the kitchen. Though I was off work with my belly, it didn't mean Jake could slow down. In fact, he was busier than ever with his business – a mechanics shop in Central Seattle. He had always loved building cars when he was a teenager and it was something he naturally carried through to his adult life. Now, with a month left to the due date, he was working harder than ever to rake in those few extra cents.

Not that my pregnancy had caught us unaware. God, our baby was a long time coming. We had started trying seriously after a year of marriage when I was twenty-one. Perfect age for motherhood you would think. But, nooo! I was some genetic dead end. Our plans flat lined as soon as they were beginning to take shape. But we didn't give up. We carried on for three years, praying for a result. I was so desperate for my baby. I used to dream about him and everything. Finally, we gave up and enlisted help. We blew all our savings on IVF treatment and got lucky. And I pretty glad we did otherwise that would've been a sweet fifteen-thousand dollars down the pooper.

I waited for the eggs to fry, stroking my belly absentmindedly. My hand was gently nudged. Eggs were his favourite. Or hers. I didn't know the sex. But I felt sure my nudger was a boy. He had always appeared that way in my dreams…

The frying eggs began to pop and sizzled so I flipped them in the pan. I set the table with crockery and morning drinks – coffee of Jake and OJ for me. This body was strictly caffeine free. The bread popped in the toaster just as Jacob entered the kitchen. His hair was still slightly wet from the shower and he shook his head like a dog, showering me with tiny drops of water.

"Hey!" I cried, lifting an arm to shield myself.

"Don't you like my wolf impression?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Was that what that was?"

I laughed at him and he pulled me into his warm arms. He leant his face on my head and took a deep breath.

"Hmm, you smell pretty," he murmured gently.

"So does breakfast," I whispered back. He pulled away from me slightly and laughed.

"No, breakfast smells tasty. You just smell of hot wife."

He kissed my forehead quickly and loped off to take his seat.

"I think that's a compliment," I joked as I served him his food. I wonder if he realised 'hot wife' scent was really just strawberry shampoo. I took my own seat and looked at the glistening eggs in front of me. I couldn't get enough of them. Ever since the start of my pregnancy I had craved them. I would eat them every day – sometimes twice. It wasn't the most pleasant of cravings sometimes…

"Last appointment today, right?" Jake asked through a mouthful of food.

"Hmm? Oh yeah! Hopefully, Dr Cullen will tell me I'm good to go."

"Woman, you're always good to go."

I laughed at him. He scooped the last mouthful of eggs into his mouth and took a swig of coffee.

"Sorry I can't be there," he said as he went to clear his plate.

"Honestly, Jake, I'll be fine! It's no problem." It was a problem. My last check-up before the birth of his child and he couldn't be there? It wasn't fair. But I wouldn't tell him that. He worked far too hard for me and baby. What was that thing I thought earlier about deserving him…?

"Well, phone me if you need me for anything, okay?" Jacob had his coat on now and grabbed his car keys from the hook.

"Okaaaaay," I drew out the like a rebellious teenager.

"That's my girl," he winked at me before leaning down to kiss me warmly. Then he was gone, calling to me once more before slamming the front door shut. Now, I was alone. The house was strangely quiet without Jake and somehow colder. Like he had taken the sun with him when he left. It made me sad. I glanced at the clock on the wall and realised I should start to get ready to go out.

"Come on, nudger," I said to my stomach. "We've got a hot doctor to see."

XXX

"Mrs Black? Doctor Cullen will see you now," the petite, dark-haired receptionist told me. She looked about sixteen and was pretty as fuck. Her name tag told me she was called Bree. I smiled tightly at Bree and made my way to the consultation room belly first. That was one of the downsides of pregnancy – my emotions were totally erratic. I could go from absolutely loving a person to wanting to savagely kill them in mere seconds. Normally, that person was my poor Jakey and I was forever apologising to him. Not that he minded. He understood why I did it and continued to look at me like I was the prize, not him.

I opened the door to the room and was greeted by one of the most handsome men of all time.

"Bella," Carlisle greeted me warmly as he rose from his chair. "How are you doing?"

Carlisle Cullen had been my doctor since I had first moved to Forks. He was forever saving me from myself so when he had told me he was moving to a bigger hospital in Seattle when I was just eighteen I had committed myself to making the three hour journey to his surgery whenever I was ill. Or injured. And that was a lot of the time. Of course, it had got easier when I moved to Seattle – first for college and then when I married Jacob. Now, my favorite doctor was just eight blocks away at all times.

"Pretty well, seeing my stomach is like its own little island," I said answering his question. He moved from behind his desk to help me sit on one of the plush blue chairs.

"No pain? No problems of any kind?" he asked further.

"None. Sometimes I forget I'm pregnant at all!" A sharp kick in my side opposed that last bit. I sucked in a small gasp at the discomfort.

"Baby kicking?"

"Oh yes!" Another jab poked my side. "Hey, wanna feel?"

Carlisle had felt my belly numerous times over the past eight months but never as my friend. He smiled and I realised he was thinking this too.

"I'd love to," he told me simply and came to kneel beside me. I took his hand and placed it on the perpetual jabbing. I watched his eyes grow wider and his blue eyes sparkled.

"This one's a fighter," he assured me. "I'm surprised Baby hasn't broken a rib!"

I watched his face as we both laughed and studied his overwhelming beauty for the millionth time. With his face right next to mine it was hard not to stare. He had pale blond hair - almost platinum in colour – that highlighted his pale skin perfectly. His angular features gave him the look of a serious man but his shining blue eyes deceived him. This all added up to a one handsome looking man. He was an ace doctor but, also, one of my dearest friends. In all the time I had known him he hadn't changed a bit and I know he saw me as his daughter, of sorts. He'd make some lucky woman, somewhere, very happy one day.

"I'm tougher than that," I told him and he went back to his desk.

"So, are you ready for the big day?" he asked.

"As I'll ever be," I replied. Would I ever really be ready to be a mom? Yes. I wanted to be a mother more than anything. "I've got everything prepared at least."

"That's all you can do for now," Carlisle said. "And keep practising you breathing. It really does work."

Right. Not that I didn't trust Carlisle with my life, but I doubted taking a deep breath would help me when I was trying to push a bowling ball out of my verjango. Uh-huh, yeah, a nice breath of fresh air would help out there. But I just nodded in agreement. We had had the argument too many times in the past to bother counting.

"Now, Bella," Carlisle carried on. "This is your last chance. Do you want to know the sex of the baby?"

"Aw, come on, Carlisle! You know the answer!"

"All right! All right!" he held up his hands in mock surrender. "I don't want to get on the wrong side of an angry, pregnant lady!"

"Who - me?"

In all seriousness, I didn't want to know. Carlisle and I joked about it but I was adamant that the first time I would know whether my baby was a boy or a girl I would be flat on my back with my legs in the air, sweating like a pig. I longed for the surprise. It added to my excitement that I would only find out after I had given birth, like the anticipation of unwrapping an unusually large box at Christmas. If I knew beforehand it would ruin it.

Also, part of me didn't want to give up the beautiful, dark-skinned boy from my dreams. If it was a girl - and I honestly wouldn't mind if it was a girl - I would have to let go of the tiny Jacob from my mind. I selfishly didn't want to.

"Okay, my dear. Just a few more checks to make sure everything's going to plan and you're free to go," Carlisle said gesturing toward the examination table. Oh gee, I loved this part. The part where my close friend got to poke around in my downstairs area. It really added a shine to my day. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the ever present embarrassment.

"Whatever you say, doctor," I mumbled, unfastening the top of my grey denim jeans. I looked at Carlisle bleakly for a moment and he smiled apologetically.

"Just one more time, Bells," he promised.

Then, I dropped my pants.


A/N: So, that was just a little introductory chapter, which I hope you enjoyed. I don't want to give the game away but if you're a B&E lover, don't let that little Jacob thing over there put you off... I will cater for everyone, don't you worry yourselves ;)

By the way, if you're reading this and thinking it seems a little familiar, the first few chapters have already been published on Twilighted. But, that doens't mean you can go skip over there and read ahead. Oh no, no, no - we're gonna stick it out together guys!

Thank you all for reading and I hope you check back for the next chapter sometime in the next week!

Mel x