A/N: OK thanks for the giggle sparklingpinkjedininja. There was a point when I was writing that last chapter where I wondered if anyone would see Seth and Phoenix's playful banter as a more than friendly thing but no they certainly won't be lovers.
Sorry for the tease...lol I build you up for this big showdown between Talan and Emmett and then feed you Aurora and Phoenix's little drama. Oops I did it again! ;) Here's my oath:
I promise to constantly keep you on your toes and never be too predictable, I promise to tell everyone's story to the best of my ability (yes that includes poor, underwritten Leah and Seth), I promise to update as often as possible and finally I promise to finish this story even if it kills me!
Soooo please read and review. My reviewers are AWESOME! you too can be just as awesome if you review. Review and be counted amongst the awesome...lol ;)
Chapter 4 – We Build and Then We Break
Nobody dared to move, Kalika wondered why nobody would move? Why couldn't she move? She pressed a hand to her belly and felt nothing. It was impossible, just crazy, even for Alice. It simply couldn't be possible. She couldn't think about it now with her father currently wrestling across the floor with Talan. The two of them were throwing punches with insane speed but neither of them seemed to register the hits. It was like a stone fighting a boulder. Glass littered the floor and another crash sounded as the little table that had been holding the wedding cake crashed to the floor. The cake slumped over landing with a splat on the quaking floor. Her father was winning, snarling and tearing into Talan with his teeth. Talan's growls echoed in the large room and Kalika knew she had to do something before Emmett killed him. She rushed forward into the fray.
"Daddy, stop it" she cried but her pleas fell upon deaf ears. "Please. You'll kill him" her scream pierced through the sounds of the growls and the hissing. She knew she would read Talan the riot act later for giving in and fighting back but for now the madness simply had to cease. Frantic now Kalika gave no thought to using her abilities or her own safety as she leaned down and grabbed her father's arm and desperately tried to wrench it free. It happened in a millisecond but for the others standing around and for Kalika it all seemed to occur very slowly. She heard her father's rabid growl reverberating in her ears and when he swiped at her, when she flew backward Kalika only had a moment to figure out what was happening before the floor came up to greet her. She hit the hardwood with such force that she could swear her bones shook. The pain as she smashed into the far wall was nothing compared to the shock of how she'd been launched there.
"Stop it this instant" Esme cried her voice booming through the large space. She dashed over and stomped her high heeled foot down between Emmett and Talan with such force it was a wonder the floor didn't simply crack. Emmett and Talan both looked up at her like little boys caught doing something terribly naughty. Esme leaned down over Emmett's sheepish face. "Do you see what you've done?" her voice was whispery and full of pain as she moved out of the way to give Emmett a full view of his little girl slumped against the far wall moaning lightly, her lovely eyes wide with shock.
"Oh shit, Kali sweetie are you alright?" his usual humorous candour was instantly replaced by a concern that only rivalled his obvious agony. He got up quickly and the broken glass crunched madly under his feet as he half ran over to a stunned Kalika. Her eyes were like bulging emerald pools and brimming with tears. Before he could get there Talan streaked over to her in a blur that stirred the air as if a heavy wind had blown through leaving Esme standing in stunned silence, her hair blowing back from her furious face. He got there well before Emmett and crouched down to put his arms around Kalika. The roar he let out was far stronger than any of them had ever quite heard before and directed straight at Emmett.
"Get back or I swear I'll kill you" he snarled. Kalika quivered in his arms and Talan was a little more than confused by the protective sensation coursing through him. He was shocked by the realization that he was capable of making good on that particular threat; he would kill for her.
"Please Kali. I'm so sorry honey. You know I didn't mean it I just..." Emmett stayed back but pleaded with his words and his movements. He held out his hands as if in surrender and heard the low growl coming from Talan. Realization slowly crept into Emmett that his own daughter was being protected from him instead of by him as it had always been. He hated the fact that it had taken such an incident for him to realize that he had to let them go; his little girls. Esme had been right. They were grown now and he had to stop acting like the papa bear. He had to respect Talan for standing up to him, even Embry for not giving in when Emmett had pushed him to the brink.
"Do you finally see what your pigheadedness has done?" Rosalie strode over with the click of her lethal stilettos echoing across the ballroom. She shot one angry look at Emmett before throwing back her blonde mane and exiting the room dramatically. Emmett stood there for a moment his eyes wide and his face twisted in obvious pain.
"I'm sorry" he whispered before taking off after her. Talan instantly settled down the moment Emmett exited the festively decorated ballroom and tried to help Kalika stand. He'd nearly forgotten Alice's little announcement what with getting jumped and rushing to his lover's side. The blinding fear began to creep into him again but coupled with it was confusion. How could this be possible?
"Is it true?" Talan whispered into Kalika's ear. He was looking for confirmation. Surely if she was having a baby she would know about it wouldn't she? He realized all at once just how clueless he was about the whole thing.
"How the hell should I know?" she hissed back. Kalika brushed his hands off completely irritated by his sudden need to take care of her. She could bloody well take care of herself and to prove it she stood up and directly faced Alice.
"Did you know this would happen? I want the truth Alice" Indignantly she tilted her chin upward and awaited a response. Alice spread her hands wide to encompass the whole room in the gesture then dropped them just as suddenly to rest at her waist. She glanced at Renesmee and then over at Kalika choosing her words carefully before she decided to speak.
"I knew it was possible for Renesmee. As soon as she chose to marry Jacob the future kept changing but I thought...I didn't think it would be this soon" Embry snickered and leaned in to crack an obvious joke with Seth. One scathing look from Jacob and they were instantly quiet again. "You have to believe me Kalika, I didn't know about your pregnancy until you touched Nessie. All at once I saw the two of them and knew you were pregnant too. How did I miss this?" Alice cried.
"Nobody could have known Alice. It's not as if Kalika and Talan made us aware of their...their relationship" Carlisle interjected coming to stand beside his clearly displeased wife. He wasn't quite sure what they had but it was obvious by the possessive stance Talan was holding that he cared very deeply for the girl in question.
"It wasn't exactly a secret" Edward scoffed earning a scathing look from a rather annoyed looking Bella. She'd been staring Jacob down with the same ferocious glare only moments before and Jacob had to thank his lucky stars that she was showing some restraint. He remembered all too clearly how she'd reacted the moment she'd discovered that he'd imprinted on Renesmee.
"When did this happen?" Carlisle asked and Kalika instantly wondered if her whole life had to be broadcast throughout the family. Wasn't she allowed to have a life separate from that of the others?
"Is anything ever private in this house?" Kalika shouted in exasperation throwing eye daggers at anyone who dared to look in her direction.
"The night of the wedding and...Well sort of ever since then" Talan stepped forward and spoke obviously unashamed. He was clearly not bashful and definitely saw no need for privacy in this situation. Kalika grabbed him by the arm before he could elaborate any further. The room went completely silent with everyone looking rather uncomfortable and averting their eyes. It appeared that most everyone else wanted nothing more than to be ejected from the conversation that had taken a rather odd turn into private affairs. Nobody spoke for what seemed like an eternity. Renesmee clung to Jacob; Alice had gone to sit in the chair with Jasper standing above her stroking her hair soothingly. Carlisle and Esme were together in the corner near Embry, Samara, Seth, Piper and Leah while Bella and Edward still stood behind the counter that had been set up as a bar.
"Could somebody please say something? Everyone's thoughts are far too loud and cluttered and some of you are just downright dirty" Edward interrupted the silence wincing slightly at all the voices he must be hearing in his head. Kalika groaned in frustration and paced over to where Renesmee stood placing herself directly in front of Carlisle. She needed some kind of logical reason as to why this could even happen.
"Yes we've been sleeping together but I can't be pregnant. Talan is a pure vampire. The chances are slim aren't they?" She directed the question straight at Carlisle but it was Edward who answered with a thoughtful expression.
"Not that slim" he breathed heavily out and gestured towards the daughter he had created with Bella when she was still human.
"It certainly has happened before. You children are living proof that it is possible for vampires to procreate" Carlisle explained calmly.
"Yes but with humans. I know that some vampires can reproduce with humans, obviously. What I don't understand is how Renesmee and I can bear children. Were both vampires" Kalika shot back frantically searching for a way to discredit Alice. Maybe it was a false vision. It wasn't like it hadn't happened before. Carlisle tried to smile reassuringly at her and Renesmee huddled together with each of their lovers beside them. The possibility of a new generation of Cullens was as terrifying to him as it was thrilling. He knew that all four of them must feel exactly the same but on a much larger scale. This would mean huge changes for the whole family.
"I would have to run some tests to confirm. An ultrasound would allow me to give you both a definite answer as to whether or not you are...expecting but I have to say that it is most certainly a possibility. You are only half-vampire after all"
"Run the tests, do the ultrasound and then take it out of her" Talan said gruffly. Kalika whirled to glare at him but found herself too stunned to speak. Carlisle opened his mouth and then closed it again as he watched the dynamic playing out before him.
"I agree" Jacob announced "I want it out of my wife before it has the chance to hurt her"
"What...?" Renesmee choked out obviously just as astounded as Kalika. Talan wrapped his arm around Kalika's waist in a gesture he must have figured would be comforting.
"It's going to be alright Kali, were going to fix it" he whispered into her hair and kissed her temple lightly with his icy lips. Something inside of her suddenly cracked and the fury broke free like a raging flood.
"Fix it" she echoed in a calm but icy tone that had Renesmee turning to watch. "You want to fix it do you? Well maybe this shouldn't have happened in the first place. Clearly you're still the scared little boy running away from anything that could break through to the heart I thought you had but clearly I was wrong. You're just a coward, Talan trying to get someone else to clean up your mess" she felt his hand grasping at her arm as she tried to whirl away from him. "I've been manhandled by the men in this family quite enough for one day thank you very much. Just leave me the hell alone" she hissed and violently wrenched her arm free from his hold. She streaked toward the doorway and bumped into Phoenix who had been standing in the doorway with Aurora on his heels. "Get out of my way Phoenix" she sobbed and pushed her way past him with a tearful and apologetic look for a puzzled Aurora. Talan watched her leave the room with more than a little regret and wondered how he had managed to screw it all up so badly.
"What the hell happened here?" Phoenix asked gesturing to the broken glass and the confectionary masterpiece that the floor was now wearing. Seth walked over to Phoenix and Aurora and leaned in close.
"Well it seems that your sister is about to have a B-A-B-Y" Seth whispered "Renesmee too"
"Is that even possible?" Aurora asked leaning closer to Seth so that the others might not hear their hushed exchange. Renesmee was currently asking Alice why she hadn't told her before and everyone seemed in on the conversation. It took Phoenix a little while to register that the word Seth had quietly spelled was "baby" and when he finally got it he started swiftly forward. He was going to strangle that bastard Talan with his own bare hands. Hadn't he seen the two of them sneaking off together and now she was pregnant. Kalika hadn't always been known for her good judgement when it came to men but this time she certainly hadn't traded up from that bastard Asher. He felt a hand holding him by the arm and looked down into Aurora's pleading eyes. How she had known his intentions he would never know and even though a part of him wanted to brush her off and let the anger take over another piece of him, a more settled fraction allowed her to restrain him. He let the growl that had been bubbling up die in the back of his throat. Instead he stood tall and shot meaningful glares in Talan's direction as the conversation ebbed around him.
"Go after her Talan, apologize" Esme commanded "Please understand that you can't make this choice for her nor can you make it for Renesmee, Jacob" Talan saw the quiet strength shining in Esme's kind eyes and wished for just an ounce of her understanding and warmth. He was determined now to deal with whatever fate threw their way. "Go" Esme cried impatiently and finally Talan found the strength to move forward. He got as far as the doorway when Phoenix moved to block his path. He definitely had the height advantage over Talan but conceded the strength value to Talan. They stared each other down for a moment and Phoenix hissed at him just inches from his face, daring him to try something, anything.
"I know you're pissed and you have a right but I promise I'm going to make this right, Phoenix, I swear it" Talan stated with equal parts steel and determination. Phoenix folded his arms over his chest and eyed Talan apprehensively.
"If you don't make it right, if you hurt her any worse than you already have I promise that I will end you. Do you understand?" Talan nodded critically at Phoenix's conditions and waited for him to move aside. The moment Phoenix shifted he left the room and headed out to find her. He refused to lose Kalika now, not when he'd just found her. Jacob watched Talan leave fully willing to let Kalika make the decision for herself but he knew he wasn't going to back down on this. He'd seen what vampire spawn could do to a person firsthand and refused to let his girl go through even a minute of it.
"Well I sure as hell am not going to apologize. If there is a creature gestating in my wife I want you to destroy it Carlisle. Does nobody else here remember what happened to Bella or am I the only one who has any sense?" Jacob raged away completely unaware that Renesmee was quietly weeping beside him. She was more than a little confused. Hadn't he been the one to speak about children, the tree house he would build for them, the extra rooms he'd built in their home so why was he suddenly reacting like it was the worst possible thing that could happen to them? Her mother immediately moved to her side and cradled her softly into her arms. Bella glowered up at Jacob from behind the curtain that their identical curly brown hair provided.
"What's wrong with you?" she growled and began to lead Renesmee out of the room. Samara and Esme followed quickly behind them with Leah shooting one last icy stare at Jacob before grabbing a bewildered Piper by the arm and taking off after them. Aurora shot one resolute look at Phoenix and then scanned the room taking in each face of the remaining men before finally resting on Jacob.
"You should be ashamed of yourself" she chastised before whirling about with a flutter of untamed flaming red hair and stalking off to join the rest of the girls. Jacob stood alone in the center of the room looking around at the now completely male group and the destroyed party decor.
"What did I say?"