Chapter 3: Darkness

Bella sighed as she lied in her bed, staring at the ceiling when her alarm clock went off. She reached over and hit the off button. She slowly got up from bed and went into the bathroom. After having her usual puking ritual in the morning, she showered, ate whatever her stomach could handle that morning before brushing her teeth and went into her closet, pulling out her work uniform.

She had buttoned up the maroon colored work uniform, tied her apron around her waist with a sigh. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail white grabbing her shoes from her closet. She grabbed her keys off the table, leaving her apartment to get to the diner for her shift.

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The day was going on like usual, she took the orders and delivered the orders. She felt a little dizzy and tired, which came with the territory of being pregnant. "Bella, those guys are back in your section," her friend Angela whispered. She looked over her shoulder to see four guys sitting in her section, all eyeing her like carnivores eyeing their prey. "Do you…" Angela started.

"No, I've got it," she answered.

Bella grabbed her notepad and walked over to the table. "Welcome to Hank's Diner what can I get you?" She asked.

"What are the specials?" One guy asked.

"We're looking at it," the guy close to her answered, suddenly pulling her into his lap.

"Let go," she hissed trying to push him off.

"Oh come on babe a little fun," the guy laughed.

His three friends joined him, laughing at her as they grabbed at her. "Let go!" She exclaimed trying to push the guy off.

"Hey!" A voice called.

Someone suddenly grabbed her arm and she was pulled from the four animals. "I think she said let her go," the person told them. She looked up into the face of her rescuer, seeing that it was her doctor. She felt so extremely dizzy and the blood had rushed from her head when the guys refused to let her go, she ended up passing out.

Edward caught her when she collapsed in his arms. "Bella!" He exclaimed. He had her lie back on the floor and looked around. "Get me some water," he called. He placed his hand on her face as he tried to wake her up. "Bella, Bella," he called gently. Bella opened her eyes and let out a gasp, sitting up. "Are you okay?" He asked. She looked around to see everyone staring at her. She got up from the floor, nearly slipping as she ran out of the diner. "Bella!" He called.

Bella ran around a corner, putting her head in her hands as she tried to calm herself. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it was going to come straight out of her chest. She leaned back against the brick wall, trying to calm her nerves, but her body was shaking so bad that her knees were about to give out from under her. She slowly slid to the filthy ground of the alley as tears pressed hard against her eyes. "Bella?" A voice called.

"No stay away," she called out moving away.

Edward stood where he was, not wanting to scare her anymore. "Bella, it's me," he assured her. She swallowed hard, standing up from the ground again, fixing her uniform. "Are you okay?" He asked. She didn't answer, fixing her ponytail, her bangs falling over her eyes.

"I'm fine," she answered, her eyes turning hard.

She retied her apron around her waist. "Thank you for your help, but I have to go back to work," she informed walking by him.

"Bella…" he started.

"Just take a seat in the diner and I'll be right with you," she answered.

Bella went into the kitchen, washing her hands of the filth from the ground when she started scrubbing harder than she should have to. "Bella?" Angela said quietly, her hand resting on Bella's forearms. Bella looked over at her friend and looked at her hands to see that they were red from the scrubbing and the hot water. "You should go, I'll cover your shift," she suggested.

"No, I'm fine," Bella objected.

She dried her hands, letting out a deep breath. "I have to go back to work, thanks for covering me when I ran out," she informed.

"No problem…" Angela answered watching her leave the kitchen.

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Bella's shift ended at eight o'clock, as always. She had gone back to her apartment and was watching the ceiling fan spin above her head. Her eyes were glazed over in a daze and her face was emotionless. Her shoes sat by the couch, her apron hanging over the coffee table. Her front door was padlocked and chained to keep any kind of intruders out. She unconsciously moved her arm over her small baby bump. She felt the flutter movement of her child within her, but she didn't make a move to acknowledge it.

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On the other side of town, Edward was sitting in his apartment, looking through some medical files when he heard a knock on the door. He got up and looked through the peephole, a smile appearing on his face. "Well, aren't you a guys a sight for sore eyes," he commented when he opened the door. His sister, Alice, and brother-in-law, Jasper, there standing there with smiles on their faces.

"Hey Edward!" Alice greeted anxiously, hugging him tight.

Edward hugged her back and shook Jasper's hand. "Come in, what brings you guys to Seattle?" He asked closing the door when they walked in.

"Is it a crime for a little sister to come into town to see her big brother?" Alice asked as she set a baby carrier down on the couch.

"Not a crime at all," he replied.

Alice pushed her hair from her eyes as she lifted hers and Jasper's one-month-old daughter, Cynthia up. "She's getting big," Edward commented.

"Yeah she is, already attached to her dad too," Alice answered smiling.

"That's funny, I would've thought she'd be attached to you," he laughed.

"I think she likes me more because I'm not forcing her into frilly pink dresses all the time," Jasper answered as he took Cynthia into his arms.

Edward sat down in a chair while Alice and Jasper sat on the couch. "How are things back in New York?" He asked.

"Great, Alice's fashion line is really taking off now," Jasper replied.

"Jazz's becoming the popular teacher at the college," Alice put in.

Jasper shrugged a little. "I just teach the classes, not sure why I'm suddenly the students' favorite teacher," he answered.

"Okay enough about us, what about you?" Alice asked, a smile appearing on her face.

Edward rolled his eyes a little. "No Alice, I don't have a girlfriend," he replied.

"Aw, you need to find one," she pouted.

"She's waiting to have a niece or nephew to spoil since I won't let her spoil Cynthia anymore," Jasper put in.

"You're no fun," Alice told him taking their daughter.

"No, just making sure she's not spoiled," Jasper answered.

Edward chuckled lightly. "You work all the time Edward, you should have some time to play," Alice commented.

"Yeah I'll get right on that," he answered.

Cynthia let out a little gurgle, her brown eyes sparkling. He smiled a little, moving his fingers through his hair as he sat back in his seat. "How long are you guys staying?" He asked.

"A few weeks," Alice replied.

"Don't worry, we already got a hotel. I had to make the reservations because Alice was insisting on staying here," Jasper chuckled.

"He's my brother," she pointed out.
"With a life of his own," Jasper answered.

He kissed he side of his wife's head with a smile. "Edward you want a try with Cynthia?" Alice asked.

"Uh…sure…" he answered.

She got up from the couch and carefully placed her daughter into her brother's arms. "You're a doctor you should know how to hold babies," she commented.

"I only deliver them sometimes, it doesn't mean I hold them all the time," he answered.

Jasper chuckled leaning against the arm of the couch while Edward hesitantly held his niece in his arms. "Aw she likes you!" Alice exclaimed happily. She clapped her hands together excitedly as she sat back down.

"Usually new moms are exhausted," Edward commented.

"I hope you're not referring to this new mom, the girl who went to a party until two in the morning and the next day at school she was still bouncing off the halls," Jasper answered.

"Good point," he agreed laughing.

Edward glanced at Jasper. "I see she has your calm personality," he commented.

"Yeah but once in awhile she gets that "Alice spark"," Jasper answered.

"Which usually comes out when it's getting time for bed," Alice put in.

"But Alice is good at making her go to sleep at night," he commented.

Alice leaned against him with a smile. Edward smiled a little and Cynthia reached up, grasping his index finger. "Okay I did meet a girl," Edward admitted.

"You did?" Alice asked, her eyes sparking.

He sat back in his chair clearing his throat. "She's one of my patients, but um there's something about her. She's more…how to put it…mysterious. She's not like the other patients I had to take care of," he explained.

"How so?" Jasper asked.

"She's hiding something and I haven't gotten all of her records from Forks yet," Edward replied.

"Isn't it bad for a doctor to start liking their patients?" Alice asked.

"Its frowned on a little," Edward replied.

"Edward, don't go diving into something you don't anything about. You could be biting off more than you can chew," Jasper pointed out.

Edward nodded his head slowly and looked at his niece with a sigh. "Yeah…I know," he said quietly. It didn't help him with the fact that he was curious and that Bella was all he thought about since she first walked into his office.

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The next day, Edward walked down the hall with a clipboard in hand as he walked over to one of the doors, knocking. He opened it to reveal Bella there waiting. "Hello Bella," he greeted.

"Hi, Dr. Cullen," she answered.

Edward closed the door behind him and looked at the chart. "How are you doing today?" He asked.

"Better than yesterday," she replied.
"Good, good," he murmured.

He had her lifted her shirt up. "The symptoms out of control yet?" He asked as he put the gel on her stomach.

"No," she replied.

He turned the computer on and put the Doppler on her stomach. "Alright, the baby's healthy," he told her. She nodded her head slowly, looking at the screen.

"Is it possible for me to find out the gender of the baby yet?" She asked.

"You're about sixteen weeks, not for another month or so," he replied.

Bella bit her lower lip, closing her eyes as tears pressed against her eyes. Edward wiped the gel off her stomach and she got up to grab her bag from her chair. "I don't even know if I want it," she whispered.

"Pardon?" Edward asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing, nothing," she replied. Bella bit her lower lip, shaking her head slowly. "I'll see you at my next appointment Dr. Cullen," she said quietly. She fixed her clothes and left before Edward could say anything.