"What can I do for you Bella?" I could hear her confusion and reservation.

"Rose I'm...I'm pregnant. Edward doesn't know I'm calling you, he's taking the luggage out to the boat, and he left his phone. He's taking me home to have Carlisle perform an abortion. Please help me stop him. Meet me at the airport please?"

Rosalie was silent for several seconds, before promising, "I'll be there Bella".

"Thank you!"I whispered, stuffing the phone into my pocket and walking into the bathroom. I looked at my panicked expression in the mirror, and felt it curling in my stomach. Would this work? I hadn't thought this through. Edward could be angry when he found out. I didn't want to hurt him any more. But what choice did I have? My husband was incredibly capable, with a large support system, but my little nudger...I was all he had. Well, and now Rosalie. Would we be enough?

I turned the cold water on, and splashed it in my face, drying myself with a towel in gentle, soothing stokes afterwards. Figuring this mess out wasn't something I could do all at once. I needed to handle this in steps. And the first step was getting to Rosalie without letting Edward realize what I was doing. I glanced again at my frenzied expression. I wouldn't be able to pull myself together on my own anytime soon, but maybe I could distract myself. Yes, that was it. I would find a movie to watch that was intense enough to refocus my attention for several hours. Edward's gentle hands rested on my shoulders, and he kissed my hair.

"Are you feeling sick again?" The pain in his voice was so raw, I couldn't bear to hear it. I twisted around and pulled him into a hug, wishing I could love the pain away. He crushed me gently to him, and when I pulled back I met his gaze unwaveringly with newfound resolve.

"Edward Cullen, you are my husband, and I love you with every particle of my being. Don't you ever forget that. Not in the future, and not now while we get through this." I pressed my lips to his, wrapping my arms around his neck, breathing in his refreshing scent. He kissed me back softly, completely in control, and then pulled back himself, giving me a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Are you ready to go?" I glanced out the bathroom window towards the beautiful island, and sighed.

"I absolutely loved Isle Esme, and I'd love to stay longer. But under the circumstances, yes, I'm ready to go home." He picked me up, and I laid my head against his chest contentedly, as we headed out to the boat. He stopped in the kitchen, a confused burrow appearing on his brow.

"Did you pick my phone up?"

"Yes, it's in my pocket." The furrow disappeared, and we continued out to the boat. He set me down in the passenger seat, fastening my seat belt, and settled into the drivers side.

"I'm very sorry if this makes you nauseous. Tell me if you want me to go slower." He pulled out into the water, and I peeked around to watch Isle Esme shrink smaller as it became more distant. Edward took my hand, and I turned back around, collapsing against the seat. Mercifully, the boat wasn't triggering my morning sickness so far. I was feeling calmer now, so perhaps the movie wouldn't be necessary after all.

"When we get to the main land, do you want me to get you anything at the store for the plane ride? Carlisle will have anti-nausea medications for you when we get home, but we can try some home remedies in the meantime if you like. Ginger ale, suck candy, and so forth."

"I think I'll be okay until we get back, but thank you. It's very considerate." Edward nodded curtly.

"Tell me right away if it starts hurting you," he added urgently. I nodded to myself, wondering if that would be wise before I got to Rosalie. I watched the water fly past us, the sun sparkling off the water, and tried to soak in the beauty of the moment.

"Have you ever had a gynecology exam?" Edward's voice was kind, but I blushed scarlet, and eyed him wearily.

"No, never," I mumbled.

"Carlisle will explain all the exams and procedures when we get back. He won't start anything until he's answered all your questions and you feel comfortable moving forward. Nobody's going to judge you, so don't be afraid to ask him anything that you want to know. We'll make sure you feel as little pain as possible. I know thinking about going through this process must be terrifying, and I'm so sorry you have to deal with this, but I promise, we're going to take very good care of you. You don't have to be afraid." His words rang with sincerity, and he squeezed my hand reassuringly.

I had no doubts that Edward would do everything he could to keep me comfortable. It was only my baby I was concerned about. I squeezed his hand back, and closed my eyes, wishing Edward could see how precious and beautiful the little miracle inside of me was.

The plane ride went smoothly, and I was able to sleep through the flight so that I felt rested when we got off. Edward kept his arm around my waist, as we collected our things and walked to where our family was waiting for us. Esme, Rosalie, Carlisle and Jasper were standing together with welcoming smiles, but Rosalie's stood out, being simply radiant. I smiled and ran towards her with an exclamation of excitement into her open arms.

"Congratulations Bella!" Her beautiful voice welled with emotion, and I took her hands in mine, knowing how much it would mean to her if my baby survived.

"Thank you!" I said fervently, hoping she understood how much meaning was in my words.

"Of course," she replied lightly. "Alice and I have a mini-spa set up for you in Edward's bedroom if that's something you'd like to do when we get back home."

"That sounds great," I assured her. She reached into the large purse she was carrying, and produced a bouquet of blue and lavender flowers, which she handed to me.

"Oh, they're beautiful!" I exclaimed, giving her a huge smile, before turning to Esme, who was standing beside us. I pulled her into an embrace as well.

"Thank you for coming out to meet us," I said sincerely, hoping to convey my appreciation for their support, looking around at everyone but Edward as I said it. Esme rubbed soothing circles on my back.

"We're happy to be here. How was your honeymoon?" I beamed.

"Esme, it was so wonderful, thank you so much for letting us come to Isle Esme! It was absolutely perfect!" Her smile widened in response.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"How are you feeling Bella?" Carlisle asked me, his eyes showing more concern than his polite smile and casual tone.

"Better," I assured him. "I haven't gotten sick since we left the island. I'm shocked more than anything, but nervous and excited too."

"That's understandable. It's good to hear your nausea has toned down." he said.

I nodded in agreement, and finally turned to look at Edward. He was staring at Rosalie, looking shocked and horrified, wearing a deeply afflicted expression.

"We should go home and talk through things together." I tried to make my tone sound apologetic.

"Discussing this openly would be appropriate." His eyes narrowed, but he kept his voice civil.

As we walked out to the car, I took his hand, Rosalie walking on my other side. He didn't resist, but neither did he make any move to respond. I knew by the set of his jaw how stressed much more stressed he had just become. I scrambled for something appropriate to say.

"Edward, you're right. We'll get through this."

He looked at me blankly.

"How are we going to get through anything if you're hiding things from me and plotting with Rosalie to make sure I can't interfere with your decision? We're supposed to be partners, but you've decided this on your own. How do you expect me to react to that?"