Author's Notes
You guys all owe cookies and "thank you" PMs to setfiregirl, who convinced me that I was being selfish if I didn't update; Lion says Rawr, who gives me "intelligent" reviews that are always long and worth reading; and Andrea Newell, who faithfully reviews both my stories. Thanks to everybody else who reviewed as well – it really is the best part of my day!
Once again, cookies for setfiregirl, Lion says Rawr, and Andrea Newell, especially setfiregirl! They all asked me to continue, but setfiregirl gave me the idea to do the chapter where Edward starts to hear Renesmee's thoughts. I really wasn't up for translating the whole upcoming Jacob/Bella conversation (cough "lazy" cough), but this idea sounded pretty OK. Anyway, I'm sure none of you are interested in this crap, so on with the story!
Chapter Two:
I could feel someone glaring at me, and I knew who it would be. I'd been planning to take off and catch some Z's, but the chance to ruin Rosalie's morning seemed too good to pass up.
I heard Jacob's shallow thoughts and watched him sprawl in the armchair so that his head was near Bella, and his foot was near Rosalie's face.
"Ew. Someone put the dog out," Rosalie wrinkled her nose. I don't know why he's still here anyway. He lost. Give it up.
"Have you heard this one, Psycho? How do a blonde's brain cells die?"
Rosalie didn't answer. 'How do a blonde's brain cells die? How? How?' I'll show him how a werewolf dies if he doesn't watch it.
Jacob was grinning in anticipation. "Well? Do you know the punch line or not?"
She ignored him by watching the TV with intense concentration.
How could they be so focused on this? Didn't they notice that Bella, right next to them, was at death's door? Didn't they realize? Didn't they care? Of course not. Of course Rosalie didn't, and Jacob didn't have to dwell on it every moment of his existence, an undercurrent of every thought. And it wasn't Jacob's fault… it was mine…
Jacob looked at me, snapping me out of it for a minute. "Has she heard it?"
My face was tight and humorless. He obviously didn't find the joke amusing. "No." I didn't take my eyes from Bella.
"Awesome." Said Jacob, with childlike excitement at the chance to irk somebody he disliked. "So you'll enjoy this, bloodsucker – a blonde's brain cells die alone.
Rosalie was ticked. "I have killed a hundred times more often than you have, you disgusting beast. Don't forget that."
"Someday, Beauty Queen, you're going to get tired of just threatening me. I'm really looking forward to that." Jacob taunted.
"Enough, Jacob," Bella said. She scowled at Jacob. Bella had grown ornery yesterday after Jacob left. She wouldn't explain why, but I assumed that it had something to do with his absence.
Well, I didn't want to bug her. "You want me to take off?" Jacob asked, hoping and fearing at the same time that she had gotten tired of him.
Bella blinked and an expression of shock washed over her ravaged face. "No, of course not!"
Jacob sighed, as did I. Was it selfish to wish that she'd just get over him? Yes, it was, but I couldn't help it. It would be so much healthier for all three of us if she could just get over him! Bu there was no way I could ever even suggest that – it might make her unhappy. I knew Jacob could see my wishes, too.
"You look tired," Bella noted.
"Dead beat," Jake admitted. He really was – his thoughts were only half-coherent.
"I'd like to beat you dead," Rosalie muttered, too low for my human wife to hear – she didn't want to do anything to upset Bella.
Jacob ignored her, except for to dangle his foot a little bit closer to her face. Rosalie stiffened – she was revolted. Again, why is he here? Her thoughts were directed to me.
I shrugged fractionally and returned to watching Bella intently.
The room was deathly quite for several moments, and there was nothing interesting to distract me from my self-loathing. Jacob was contemplating jetting back to the forest for a nap, and Rosalie was reviewing the few facts we knew about the… fetus.
Bella quietly asked Rosalie for a refill, almost ashamed. My sister smiled encouragingly, and breezed upstairs silently to the blood bank. She returned and folded herself seamlessly to sit at Bella's feet. It was still once again, with only the sound of my Bella's shallow breathing.
Out of nowhere, I felt, or more like heard (it didn't affect me, but I knew it was there), an overwhelming amount of adoration, admiration, and more than anything, love. It was almost wordless, but there were a few simple words interspersed with the feelings. Love…safe…beautiful…warm…
Who could it be? I knew everyone's flavor… could it be… Bella? It fit – her every thought was centered on her unborn child. Was I finally hearing her thoughts after all this time?
"Did you say something?" I asked Bella, puzzled.
Jacob was just as bewildered as I was. Strange. Because no one had said anything, and because Edward's hearing was as good as mine, and he should have known that.
I stared at Bella, and she stared back, confusion etched in her features. "Me?" she asked, slightly delayed. "I didn't say anything."
More overwhelming love. What could it… no, it couldn't be… I leaned into her, staring intently. I was extra focused, trying to detect if it could possibly be… "What are you thinking about right now?" it could be Bella, but I didn't think so…
"Just… Esme's island. And feathers." Her skin blushed a lovely ruby, and I guessed that she was lingering on details from our stay on the island. Jacob surmised it was something like that; his thoughts took on a mixed tone of embarrassment and jealousy.
I couldn't believe the feelings and incomplete thoughts radiating through the air with increasing strength belonged to Bella. I was almost sure… "Say something else," I whispered excitedly.
"Like what? Edward, what's going on?"
Momma…I love you…
Bella.
The baby. I could hear the baby! I felt the shock and
pleasure manifest themselves on my face. Without pausing to think
about what I was doing, I reached forward to very lightly place my
hands on Bella's stomach. I felt Rosalie and Jacob's total shock,
but I didn't care – I was too absorbed in the baby's thoughts.
"The f –" I swallowed. It was so much easier to think of it as a sentient, decent-minded being now that I was able to hear it. It wasn't just a fetus, it was a child. "It… the baby likes the sound of your voice."
There was a beat of total silence. No one was able to even blink or twitch their mouth – they were all comprehending what I meant. Then –
"Holy crow, you can hear him!" Bella shouted – the epitome of excitement.
I felt the baby's surprise; it jumped a little and kicked out. Bella winced.
I smiled gently and rubbed her belly where the child had kicked her.
"Shhh," I murmured soothingly. "You startled it… him." I wasn't sure what its gender was yet, but Bella was convinced he was a boy, and "it" just sounded so… derogatory.
Her eyes grew wide, full of wonder and adoration. "Sorry, baby," she crooned, patting her stomach.
I heard more coming from the baby. I cocked my head toward the bulge, listening intently.
"What's he thinking now?" Bella demanded eagerly. She looked like a student on their first day of college – trying to absorb as much knowledge as she could as quickly as possible.
"It… he or she, is…" And I couldn't fight it. I didn't want to love this thing inside my Bella, but I suddenly couldn't help it. Its thoughts were so pure and loving, so free of any edge, that I couldn't help but love it. Love… him. I looked up into Bella's face, and I knew my awe-filled eyes mirrored hers. "He's happy." I said in an incredulous voice.
Bella's breath caught in a sudden rush of emotion, as did mine. She had a gleam in her eyes that I had only seen weak echoes of before – a gleam of fanatical, adoring, devotion. Tears drained the salt from her body, brimming over her eyes and staining her blissful face. She looked so happy, even in sickness, that I wanted to cry with her. She was mine. By some miracle, she belonged to me. And just as miraculously, so did the creature inside her. I felt all my worry and anger and fear melt away for a moment, just marveling with her.
"Of course you are, pretty baby, of course you are," Bella crooned, caressing her stomach. She sounded as happy as the baby. "How could you not be, all safe and warm and loved? I love you so much. Little EJ, of course you're happy."
EJ? "What did you just call him?" I asked inquisitively.
She changed color again. "I sort of named him. I didn't think you would want… well, you know."
No, I didn't know, but I had more important things to discuss right now. "EJ?"
"Your father's name was Edward, too."
Edward Jr.? Or could it be something different – could the baby also have the name of another person sitting right in this room? "Yes, it was. What –?" I had intended to ask the baby's middle name, but I broke off as I heard more disjointed thoughts, growing more prominent.
Beautiful… speak… Edward. Love… daddy.
I was elated, but didn't let it show. "Hmm."
"What?" once again, Bella was overly eager for knowledge about this new life.
"He likes my voice, too." Surprise colored the tenor of my voice.
"Of course he does." Bella replied smugly. "You have the most beautiful voice in the universe. Who wouldn't love it?"
After all this time, compliments from Bella still never failed to bring out the human in me, to allow something from a past life to fight its way past the monster that domineered my being. Then Rosalie spoke, ruining my moment.
"Do you have a backup plan?" She asked, leaning over the sofa with an expression that mirrored Bella's.
Bella wiped her finger though the purple circle under her eye, trapping a runaway tear. "I kicked a few things around. Playing with Renee and Esme. I was thinking… Ruh-nez-may."
Love and approval from the fetus. More so than when Bella had called it EJ, but that didn't prove anything.
"Ruhnezmay?" My sister echoed, sounding half surprised and half pleased.
Love… Bella…beauty… momma…pretty… love…
"R-e-n-e-s-m-e-e." Too weird?"
It approved of Bella's every action. It loved her.
"No, I like it," Rosalie assured her. "It's beautiful. And one of a kind, so that fits."
Rosalie… pretty… Bella… momma… love…
"I still think he's an Edward," Bella said stubbornly.
At this point I could no longer ignore the fetus's thoughts. The sudden surge of love and admiration was overpowering.
"What?" asked my glowing Bella. "What's he thinking now?"
"He loves you," I whispered – I was amazed that something so small and young could feel that much. "He absolutely adores you." Her face lit up, and she closed her eyes blissfully.
And then all the happiness I had been feeling was cut off as Jacob's thoughts invaded my head.
I was alone. All alone.
I wanted to kick myself when I realized how much I'd been counting on that loathsome vampire. How stupid – as if you could ever trust a leech! Of course he would betray me in the end.
I'd counted on him to be on my side. I'd counted on him to suffer more than I suffered. And, most of all, I'd counted on him to hate the revolting thing killing Bella more than I hated it.
I'd trusted him with that.
Yet now they were together, the two of them bent over the budding invisible monster with their eyes lit up like a happy family.
And I was all alone with my hatred and the pain that was so bad it was like being tortured.
Spasms of pain rocked my body – it was like being slowly dragged across a bed of razor blades. Jacob was on his feet, trembling, and ready to bolt for the first escape he could.
I don't know why, but I couldn't stand to put him in any more pain. We had somehow bonded, and I hadn't realized it until now. For whatever the reason, though, I darted to the corner, ripped an object out of the drawer of the sideboard, and lobbed it at Jacob. He caught it reflexively.
"Go, Jacob. Get away from here." Take this escape, and take it fast. Please.
He didn't say it harshly – he threw the words at me like they were a life preserver. He was helping me find the escape I was dying for.
The object in my hands was a set of car keys.
Author's End Notes:
Goodness, these are hard to write! So I'm not entirely happy with the way I described Edward hearing the baby's thoughts, but it's the only way I could actually do it (I failed miserably at trying to explain it any better).
So even though these are hard to write, I really enjoy it. I've decided to take requests through PMs or reviews on what to write as far as this story goes. I am not entirely ready to give it up yet, although it was supposed to be a one-shot. Anyway, I am willing to translate anything in BD book two into Edward's POV with the exceptions of:
1) The conversation Edward asks Jacob to have with Bella about having a child with Jacob… awkward… plus I really have no idea what Edward might be feeling during that.
2) The birth of Renesmee. I'm sorry, I'm a wimp. Every time I read BD, I just skip that part – blood and gross things… ugh…
Other than that, what do you guys want to hear from Edward? Review and let me know!
You guys major owe me reviews! Make me glad I wrote this extra chapter! REVIEW!
