A/N: Hi guys! This is the first outtake for CaLCB. Not sure how many there will be. I know of one more for sure. Hope you enjoy seeing Alice's point of view of last chapter. Working on Chapter 8 right now, hopefully won't be too much longer. xoxo
Thanks as always to Mel (mcc101180) for betaing this and for her wonderful insight.
Disclaimer: Hey guess what? I still do not own Twilight. le sigh.
"Mmm, Good morning!" I stretched my arms above my head while gazing at my husband's delicious bare chest.
Jasper leaned in giving me a sweet kiss. He swept his hand across my forehead, smoothing the hair away from my face.
"Morning, Sweetheart," he whispered against my neck, causing goosebumps to spread along my skin.
Jasper ran his hand in a soothing circle across my swollen belly. I couldn't help but beam with happiness watching the affection he had for our unborn child. This was his usual morning routine, first he greeted me, then the baby.
"Good morning. Squirt," he softly kissed my stomach. Squirt was the name that he had been using since we found out that I was pregnant. The double meaning hadn't escaped me. Since he knew the sex and I didn't, we agreed to stick with that nickname, though I swear I've heard "Buddy" slip out a time or two.
As he ran his hand along my stomach, I couldn't help but want it to go lower. I was feeling quite frisky this morning and hoped that he was on the same page. Our sex life had declined quite a bit since my belly started growing. Between his silly fears of harming the baby and my sudden self-consciousness, our love making had slowly dwindled down to twice a week.
I entwined my fingers with his, gently guiding his hand down to where I wanted it most. Jasper chuckled at my enthusiastic approach, but then pulled back with hesitation. Letting out a loud groan, I pushed his hand away and couldn't help the pout that formed across my lips. He shook his head at me before clearing his throat.
"We have a house guest," he announced.
"We do?" I asked, puzzled as to who it could be.
"Bella arrived on our doorstep last night...well around three-thirty." He pushed the covers down and sat up with his back resting against the headboard.
"What? Bella's here? She spent the night? But Edward had big plans for her birthday." Edward had been working on her present for the past two weeks. I couldn't imagine what could have caused Bella to come here instead.
"They apparently fell through. She had a suitcase with her." Jasper shrugged his shoulders, showing that he knew nothing.
"Oh, God." I gasped. It was one thing for Bella and Edward to get into a little argument, but packing a bag to bring with her told me this was no small matter.
"Well, she's in the guest room. Though, I would give her a few hours to get some rest."
"True. I'll check on her in a little while." My definition of a little while and his were probably somewhat different.
Jasper gave me a questioning glance before pulling me toward him for a passionate kiss. Then he got up from the bed and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. After a few seconds I heard the shower knobs squeak and the sound of water trickling down. Seeing as how it was nearly seven I decided that it was time to get up and start the day. Since it was Sunday I didn't have to go open the bakery, but I still had some things I needed to get done.
I threw on a pair of jeans, one of the few that still fit, and a new polka dot maternity shirt that I had bought but hadn't yet worn. Jasper came out the bathroom smelling wonderful. His face was freshly shaved and although I liked the look of his five o'clock shadow, I enjoyed the smoothness better.
"Alright, I'm heading to the studio, but I shouldn't be gone for more than a couple hours." He walked over to me placing a hand on each side of my belly.
"Okay, Hun." My eyes gravitated toward his lips and I couldn't help but kiss them as I ran my fingers across his cheek.
"Do you need anything while I'm out?" This was a question that he had become accustomed to asking ever since I began to have my frequent and sometimes ridiculous cravings.
"Hmm, not that I can think of." I smiled.
"Call me if you think of anything." He glanced down at my stomach. "That goes for you, too."
"Love you," I whispered against his ear as he embraced me in his strong arms.
"You more." With that he retreated down the stairs.
As much as I wanted Bella to get her rest I couldn't help but wonder what had happened last night. I debated on waiting until later in the afternoon, but eventually made up my mind to go ahead and wake her to see how she was.
Tapping lightly on the guest room door, I called her name only to receive no response. I cracked the door open and peeked in at her slender form as she slept. Upon closer inspection I caught sight of the mascara stains on each of her pale cheeks. This worried me because in all the time that I had known Bella she very rarely cried. In fact, the only times I could recall her getting that upset were when her father was mentioned. I took in her disheveled hair, the bite marks on her bottom lip and the gown that she wore, which was dirty and slightly torn at the bottom
She looked destroyed. Broken.
I sat down at the end of the bed and simply watched her. Somehow, I just couldn't bring myself to wake her. Whatever it was that had happened last night was traumatic and I didn't want her to awake to that pain.
Bella groaned loudly, stretching her arms above her head. She blinked her eyes several times before finally opening them and looking toward me. Her usual pretty brown eyes were red and puffy.
I reached out running my hand along her leg, not knowing exactly what to say. If she felt on the inside even half as bad as she looked on the outside then she must feel absolutely tortured.
Trying to get her to loosen up and talk, I cracked a joke about her tragic appearance. She smiled, but I could tell that it was forced.
Getting up from the bed, I walked over to the window turning the blinds open slightly. Bella needed the sunlight. It was warm and cheerful. The complete opposite of her current state.
I listened intently as she explained how Edward didn't show up last night for her birthday. She took in a few ragged breaths and I could tell there was more to it than what she was revealing, something she wasn't telling me.
As I coaxed her to explain what was going on she told me that Edward had become extremely distant and she thought that his feelings for her were changing. She blamed his resentment toward her on her refusal to get pregnant. My brother did a lot of stupid shit, but I knew that he wouldn't possibly push her away for such a selfish reason.
"I don't think he resents you for that, Bella." Her facial expression changed, as her eyebrows knitted together and she cocked her head to the side. She probably thought that I was taking Edward's side, but the truth was I knew my brother. He wouldn't hold a grudge over something that was so sensitive to both of them.
If only she had listened to me months ago when her and Edward were first beginning to have arguments. I told her that they needed to get everything out in the open and talk like the partners that they were. She probably wouldn't be sitting here in my guest room had she listened.
She got silent for a few seconds, biting her bottom lip as I debated on what advice to give. Jasper and I were extremely happy and had healthy communication, but things hadn't always ran so smoothly for us either. I could sympathize with Bella on the distancing issue. Before Jasper and I married we had similar problems. Thankfully we both got our heads screwed on straight and vowed to always communicate our fears, our needs and our problems to one another.
I watched as her chocolate eyes began to pool with tears and my heart actually hurt for her. Crawling up the bed, I wiped my fingers across her cheek collecting the moisture that had fallen. Then I leaned in giving her a tight hug. She whimpered and I could feel her chest contracting as her quiet sobs broke free. Bella and I had been through a lot together over the years and I couldn't stand seeing her like this. I let her get it all out and her crying eventually turned to sniffles.
Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly breaking the silence. Bella and I both looked at one another before bursting into laughter. It was good to see her giggle, even if it were for such a brief moment. I told her taking a shower might make her feel better, if anything it would make her look better. Then decided that it was time to feed Squirt and I.
I hobbled down the stairs and entered the kitchen internally debating on what I wanted for breakfast. Thankfully, I was over the morning sickness phase for the most part, but occasionally I would eat something that disagreed with me. Deciding on toast and an apple, I grabbed a glass of water, downing my prenatal vitamin then settled down at the kitchen table.
Not even thirty seconds after I was seated a soft but frantic knock came from the front door. Huffing I reluctantly got up from my breakfast and marched to the entrance of our house. I swung open the door and was greeted with my brother's devastated green eyes.
"Edward." I greeted him and walked out onto the front porch, hesitantly closing the door behind me. He was dressed in navy scrubs that looked as though he had been wearing them for some time. His hair had been ruffled around and it stuck up in all different directions. I could tell by the redness in his eyes that he had most likely not slept last night.
"I need to see her...to talk to her." Edward's voice was slightly hoarse as he made his request.
"I don't think so."
"Alice, this isn't the time for games, damn it," Edward raised his voice and his nostrils began to flare.
"I realize that, but I can't allow you to see her right now." The last thing these two needed was to add more fuel to the fire.
Edward laughed in an 'are you joking' manner. "Allow Me? Are you guarding her?"
"She left you and came here for a reason...she needs some time, Edward."
"I need to talk to her." His eyes squinted and I could sense his temper rising.
"You've had plenty of chances to do that. Why now?" My voice raised as I felt my own emotions shift from compassion to irritation.
His answer was replaced with a heavy sigh.
"How could you, Edward? You made such a big deal of her birthday knowing how much she hates surprises. Then you don't show up or even bother to call? That's low...even for you."
"I know. I know," he repeated more to himself than me. "Look, I know I fucked up, but it got swamped and they asked me to stay. Bella knew that when I became an attending things like this would happen."
"Don't even attempt to throw your job up in my face," I sneered. That line may have worked on Bella, but it certainly wasn't going to work on me.
"It's not like that. They needed me there. What was I supposed to do?" There was a hint of desperation in his voice.
"Maybe Bella needed you too."
He took in a deep breath before slowly releasing it. As I gazed into his tired eyes I could see the hurt that they held. Edward seemed to be just as bad off as Bella was. These two certainly had a lot of built up frustrations that needed to be worked through. Though I knew today wasn't the day to handle any of it. In the current state that both of them were in they would either cause more problems to occur or completely skirt around the issue, sweeping them all under the rug.
I reached out, grabbing his hunched down shoulders and pulled him closer to me as I enveloped him into a tight hug. I hated being in the middle of this. I could easily see both sides of the argument and even though Edward was my brother, Bella was my best friend and the sister I never had. Both of them meant the world to me, making it impossible to only side with one of them.
"She'll come back," I spoke softly. He gave me one last squeeze before pulling away and I could've sworn I heard him sniffle.
"I just..." he paused as if he wasn't sure he wanted to finish. "I don't know what to do without her there with me. The house feels fucking empty. All's I can think is, this must be how she feels when I'm gone all the time... Alone." He looked down toward the ground trying to hide his guilt stricken face.
"Edward, look at me." After a few seconds he lifted his eyes to mine.
"I know that right now it feels like your entire world is upside down, but I can assure you that this will all work out." I tried to give him some sort of comfort through his pain. The same comfort that I tired to give to Bella.
"How can you know that? She left me Alice. She left." Edward's voice cracked as he swallowed back the lump in his throat.
"I knew the very day that you two met that you would always be with one another. And you will." I thought back to high school. Edward's immediate attraction when he first laid eyes on her. Bella's cover-up excuses as to why I would catch her staring longingly at my brother. The two of them were in love without even knowing it.
Edward finally cracked a smile. He ran a hand through his brown hair, tugging lightly at the ends. This was something Edward had done ever since he had hair. It seemed to evoke a calming effect for him.
"Will you at least let her know that I came by?" he asked.
"Sure, I'll tell her," I assured.
"So, how've you been?" Edward quickly changed the subject.
"I've been doing fine."
"How about this little guy?" He reached out, putting his palm against me belly.
"Guy? Ugh, what if they're a she? How insulting." I pushed his hand away and turned my head to the side, rolling my eyes in a teasing manner.
"Now, go home and take a shower. You're smelling rather rank." I playfully punched his arm. As soon as I heard his laughter, it provoked my own. And for a moment he seemed like my brother again.
Suddenly, his expression changed from lighthearted to serious. He was quiet and seemed to be contemplating something as his forehead crinkled and his eyebrows sunk down into a V shape.
"Alice, my heart's in there." He pointed toward the front door. "Please take care of it."
"I will. And it will be returned to you soon." I looked up at him, smiling.
Edward turned and walked away. Just when he got to the car, he turned around and waved goodbye. There was something different about his eyes.
There was hope.