A/N: OK, I'm uber sorry for the delay! But, in my defense, this chapter is over 3000, about 300 short of 4000 words. Now, I'm not really happy about how this chapter turned out, but I did what I could. This story is taking it's own path, a path very different than what was originally planned. So, hope you enjoy, especially since I threw in some of Edward's POV!
Disclaimer:I do not and will not ever own Twilight because I do not have a few million dollars to use to buy it. :)
Chapter 3
"Bella? Bella?" Esme's soothing voice sang from my side, where I felt someone gripping my hand.
"Bella, come on, what is wrong?" Alice asked in her bell like voice right behind me, where she was rubbing small circles on my back to calm me.
"Oh Bells, you know we hate to see you upset. Could you at least tell us why?" Rosalie questions from my side opposite of Esme, where she squeezes my hand softly before stroking my hand.
I keep my eyes closed and shake my head. "One person in this room. That one person will say nothing. I'd…I'd like to be alone right now." I manage as I calm down.
"Can you make it to your room?" Emmet asks softly, a feat for him and his normally booming voice.
"I-I think I'll be alright, thanks Emmet." I offer a small, hardly visible smile through the silent tears on my face.
"Do you mind if I come in and examine you for a moment? Make sure you're alright?" My father asks from above me.
I look up at him and nod my head slowly, hesitantly. "Only if everyone else leaves and is out of hearing distance. My problems are private, no offense to you all."
"That's not fair. Carlisle gets to know and your best friend, practically your sister doesn't?" Alice pouts from beside me. I laugh softly at her childish gesture.
"I'm sorry Alice, but Carlisle is my real father, I've lived with him for sixty years, he raised me onto my own two feet so I could be come an amazing young lady of my time within months. There's so much he knows that you do not. Soon that will change, but for now, I have no energy to tell you everything. Sometime shortly Alice. You, Rosalie, Esme and I will hear about the life only the four of us could relate to." I look up where Emmet, Jasper, Edward and farther back, Charlotte is standing. "I'm afraid, Jasper and Emmet, you can no nothing. You'd try to kill too many people for my sake if I did, to be quite honest. And Charlotte, you are the most untrustworthy person I've ever met. Edward…I hardly know you." I feel Carlisle give me a knowing glance, something I could only tell after years with him.
"If you're sure…" Alice shrugged. Emmet glared at me suspiciously.
"Why exactly would I be trying to kill these people? What has happened to my lil sis?" Emmet asked.
I looked down and shook my head. "You know this family Emmet, secrets aren't secrets for long. I'm sure not long after I tell the girls you'll know and go try to murder the people I didn't already threaten." I joked, rolling my eyes. "You think your little sister wouldn't defend herself?" I placed a hand to my heart. "I'm hurt Emmet. I thought you knew your sister wasn't a coward, hell she took on half the Volturi guard at once. And you question my self defense?" I scoffed and then huffed, crossing my arms. Emmet's booming laugh rang through the house while I smirked.
"That's my little sister." He ruffled my hair, earning a glare from me. "Can you just tell Jasper and I when you tell the girls? It's not fair! You don't need to tell Mr. And Mrs. Boring over there, but at least your two big brothers. Please?" Emmet begging, I'm better than I thought. I grimaced at my thought. I wasn't good, I was horrible. Making my brother beg made me worse, not better.
"Alright, I guess I can. Maybe tomorrow if I'm up to it, alright?" He grinned and took off running in response, Jasper giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before chasing after him. The girls all smiled before following.
"Untrustworthy? Oh thanks." Charlotte sneered. Edward was looking at me intently.
"I think I know you." he whispered.
"Edward, I'd remember if we knew each other. Trust me, we don't." Lie. Why must my whole life be a lie? "Now, please, just go so Carlisle can check up on me. I'll let Alice know when we're done."
Edward gave me one last suspicious look. Charlotte followed only after giving me a glare. I watched as they both took off running. As soon as they were two miles away, I collapsed into tears again.
"Dad, I-I don't if I can stay here in anymore." I sobbed.
"Why, my Bella? What's going on?" Carlisle rubbed circles on my back and spoke softly.
"Edward and I are still married. That first miscarriage was his baby. Charlotte was the reason we're not together and you had to change him. She made both of my husbands cheat on me and now she's gone back to my first husband because she must've known I'd come back, that you were my dad. I-I-I can't deal with that Dad! Edward might remember and everything would be ruined! Please, don't make me stay here. I'll build a house right next to this one, but I can't live in the same house as them Daddy." I pleaded.
"Bella, you have to stay here. Think of the baby. You need us around to make sure nothing happens, especially if you have a dream about Mike or he finds you. Please, just remember the baby.
Speaking of the baby, may I?" Stupid dad, just had to be right.
"Alright, I'll stay, but I refuse to talk to them. Dad, I don't need a check-up, this baby is a vampire, remember? Well, mostly anyway. And it's still alive. I'm fine." He smiled sadly at me.
"If you're sure." He gave in. I smiled.
"I'm sure, now, can you help me to my bedroom? I don't trust myself on my legs too much." I said softly.
"Of course sweetheart." He kissed my forehead and helped me stand up before simply picking me up and carrying me to bed. "Are you telling the others now?"
I shook my head. "I need some time to think, with this family it's hard to get. If you want to go get them physically now, you could. It'd give me the time."
"Alright, if you need anything-"
"I'm fine dad, go." He smiled at me and nodded before disappearing.
I sat in silence trying to think. The silence was closing in on me, reminding me of those moments right before the final blow was delivered to weaken me, slow motion and just steps before blacking out that last hit that made me lose all sense of everything and leave my body, if only momentarily. I shivered. No, that wasn't going to happen. That wasn't me anymore. It wouldn't happen anymore. I hoped it wouldn't anyway. But one could never be too-
"Damn it, Aro, where is she?" Mike bellowed. The guards around him took a slight step forward, nobody talked to Aro that way except Bella.
"Michael, she's gone away for awhile. She just needed space. You know how badly she was hurt by the baby's death and you've just been making things worse. She needed some freedom, if only for a year." Aro reasoned calmly.
"A year? Aro, when has she ever made it seem she wanted to stay? Be a good wife and have my baby and raise it? When Aro? Give her the slightest taste of freedom and she'll never come back, we learned that when she went to Chicago. And what happened? She had her heart broken! Where is she Aro? I need to go get her." Mike ended calmly. He knew Aro had the everlasting guilt for what happened to Isabella in Chicago, and Mike abused it fully.
"Michael, no. She needs to be away. You can get her when I say so. Until then, we've got more assignments for you."
"More assignments? I haven't stopped working in six months! What the hell are you hiding from me, Aro?"
"Nothing you need to know Michael. Now, if you'll regain your composure, you've got another job."
I shivered. I shouldn't worry, I mean it was going to be another five or so months before he figured out I was missing. Five months, not enough time for the baby. Aro's got it under control though, I know he does. He always does.
"Bella?" Alice questioned quietly. "Are you well enough for visitors?"
I smiled softly at my little pixyish friend and smiled. "You and Rose can come in, but I'm not telling you know. I'm too tried. In the morning I will so don't let Emmet and Jasper complain."
Alice chuckled and nodded. "Come on, Rose, we're in the clear." Rose strutted in a second later, Alice following as she close the door.
"Bella, what's wrong?" Rose asked softly, in a voice most people never had the blessing to hear.
"I'll tell you why I'm here and nothing more. It will not be repeated." I whispered. "The true reason I am here is because I am pregnant and I needed to be out of Volterra for this pregnancy and the birth of the child. Carlisle has already given me a blessing to stay as long as like, but Mike's going to be looking for me in five months, too early." I sighed, feeling the tears. "Aro might be able to keep him busy, but otherwise I'm doomed. I was actually hoping I could stay here, in my real home, too."
"Bella you're not going anywhere." Rosalie said confidently, a fire in her eyes to back it up.
"She's right Bella. We're your family and we're gonna fight for you. Or we could sacrifice Charlotte to keep him busy." Alice grinned widely. Rosalie, Alice and I broke out into a fit of giggles.
"That plan just might work Alice." I managed.
"Does Carlisle know?" Rose asked suddenly.
"He knows I'm pregnant and he knows that's why I'm here, I told him this morning, but he doesn't know the last part because I just found out myself." I muttered, still not ready to go back to that subject.
"Oh, Bella. I-I-" Rose tried, before sobbing. I understood her pain, we just been reunited and within the next the year I could be gone again, but this time it would also be a baby leaving them.
"Isabella Maria Regina Cullen! You are not going anywhere! Do you understand me? Do you? You and your baby will not leave because some jerk says so." Alice declared. I smiled at her. Rose and Alice had been my best, and only, friends during my years away from Italy. Becoming like sisters. That bond had lasted all these years and they weren't giving up their sister again without a fight.
"We'll see Alice, we'll see." I muttered quietly.
"We need to go now, you need rest. Should we tell the others?" Rose asked softly, stroking my hair.
"It'll save me some time tomorrow when you learn a lot more about your sister." I smiled softly at them. The both leaned down to kiss my cheek and then left. I sighed and settled in for a good, long nap.
Edward's POV
'Edward, the family and I would like to talk to you right now, since Charlotte is out.'
I sighed, a family meeting when Charlotte was out normally meant me being harassed to break up with her. I knew I should, but she said she had been my wife when I was human. I couldn't remember anything clearly from then, just the good bye letter and that my wife had been a vampire at the time. Charlotte told me that Bella had just been one of her many names. There was always the nagging in the back of my head she was lying, but I had nothing but her word and the idea of being with my wife filled me with joy. I asked about the baby and she said she had a miscarriage, which sounded like the only fully truthful thing that came out of her mouth.
I walked down to the living room where everyone was gathered, Alice and Rose just sitting down from their talk with Bella. I looked at Carlisle for a reason to this meeting but he simply stared back, almost hatefully, at me.
"Edward, Charlotte needs to leave." Alice said. Her thoughts matched her tone, confident and sure.
"She can't stay here while Bella's here. The hate and jealousy rolling off of Charlotte towards Bella is…wow. Plus, after what she did to Bella when she was with Mike, how do we know she won't do it again if Bella does find someone? We know you don't truly love her, and we all know her whole past was a lie." Jasper stated to back up his wife.
"Charlotte is also extremely unsafe for Bella while Bella's in her…condition." Rosalie mentioned.
"Condition? What condition? She can kick all of our ass's by just lifting her pinky." I scoffed. It wasn't that I didn't like Bella, in fact quite the opposite. She actually seemed like she was a better match for me than Charlotte, she was too perfect for words. It scared me, she scared me with her perfection.
"Edward, Bella's pregnant." Alice whispered. I heard Esme gasp and a joyful look came over her face. Emmet and Jasper exchanged glances, both unsure if they should be happy since Bella didn't mention a husband. Rosalie looked down at the floor, she had known but it wasn't something to be overly joyful about in her mind. It was a horrible thing considering everything else surrounding her pregnancy. Carlisle knew as well, but he just continued to stare at me, hate and anger definitely in his eyes and thoughts, but why?
"W-who's the father?" Emmet finally asked, wanting to know if he should be happy or not.
"Bella didn't say, but she did say Mike would be looking for her in a few months. I think it is Mike." Rosalie said softly, still not looking up. Emmet, Jasper and I growled. Why would she even think of letting Mike near her, much less be a dad to her child. Carlisle's growl was louder than the three of our's, showing he knew something.
"Would somebody tell me what the hell is going on? I'm extremely confused!" I shouted.
"Edward! You'll wake Bella!" Esme snapped.
"Sorry Esme."
"Mike cheated on Bella with Charlotte remember? Charlotte hates Bella and Mike's only still going after her because he wants a kid. He says the kid would be the most powerful and most beautiful creature on earth because of his parents and who they are and what they're like. Charlotte might try to fight Bella and Bella's not up for that. She's had so many horrible things happen to her. She's lost too many kids." Carlisle said sharply, muttering the last part to himself. "Edward, Charlotte needs to leave. You let her leave or you leave with her. I'm not letting even the possibility of Charlotte hurting my daughter stay in this house. I want her gone by tomorrow."
"Carlisle, I know that Bella's your only blood relative left on this earth, but do you really think Charlotte's a threat to her? Charlotte and I are getting married in two months! This is ridiculous!" I replied.
"Bella's faced to much. Fighting for her baby's life is not something she should even have to think about! You went to medical school, you know stress is bad for a baby. And Charlotte isn't part of this family, Edward. You may have accepted her lie, but you sure as hell know the rest of us haven't. Charlotte was not your wife as a human! She wouldn't be insisting on marriage if she was because you're still married." Carlisle had never spoken to anyone that way, especially his first son, his first companion since his daughter. He was normally so open, and now…he was hostile.
"Edward, you need to choose. Charlotte or us." Jasper said, voicing everyone's thoughts.
"This is absurd. This woman's been in this house for a day and already you're saying I need to choose between my family and my soon-to-be-wife? Carlisle's the only one that knew her for any extent of time, the only one that knows her secrets. I've been here for over almost ninety years!"
"Don't you dare say that Edward!" Esme snapped. "I've known Bella since I was born, she was a family friend. She was like a second mother to me, if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be here! Alice and Jasper might still be looking for us! Rosalie would've died that night and Emmet would've died as well. She knew Jasper shortly after he left Maria, just looking for Alice. She met Alice shortly after meeting Jasper and met up with them again later, leading them to us. Rosalie and her were best friends. You will not say any harsh words against her!"
We all just sat there, shocked. Esme had never so much as raised her voice at anyone unless it was one of the boys that broke something. She never acted like this in anyway.
"Excuse me, but if my presence here is causing problems, as I told you earlier Dad, I'll just build a house next door to save you the trouble." Bella said from the doorway, looking down.
"Isabella, as I told you earlier you aren't leaving. Didn't we both decide you'd stay here as long as it was healthy for the baby?" Carlisle told her softly. His look had completely changed to soft and loving.
"Dad, don't think that. Charlotte can stay. As Edward so kindly said earlier, I could quite easily kick her ass if needed." She said in a calm soothing voice. She sure as hell knew when to take over for Carlisle. "Thank you Edward, I do like to think I'm like my father in many ways." She smiled at me, her eyes twinkling from being compared to her father.
"Bella, come here." Carlisle said, gesturing to the seat beside him. "I don't want you standing to long."
"Dad, I'm not an idiot and I've only been pregnant for a month, standing isn't going to kill the baby." She rolled her eyes and smirked.
"Bella, please?" He pleaded with her daughter before she gave in and sat down. He bent down to her ear and started talking. I could only pick up bits and pieces of the conversation, "Bella…last time…can't happen…for me?"
Bella let out a dramatic sigh before stating loudly and clearly, "Last time will not happen again. Why do you think I'm here? I'm here to make sure it doesn't happen again. So what if Mike comes early? I'll still be alright. Remember, I'm the most powerful creature the Volturi has ever met. Plus, I've got my family who better damn well be willing to fight like hell to keep me here." A confident smile played on her lips.
"He's done it before though, and I don't want to see you hurt." Carlisle muttered, refusing to look at his beautiful daughter's confident face.
"Yeah, he's done it when I had no help." She used her pointer finger to lift his chin and make him look her in the eye. "Besides, it's too late to now see me hurt. I'm permanently hurt, no fixing it anymore. You know that, don't act like you don't. What you see now, this is me when I'm hurt. I just know how to hide all my pain and suffering too far deep to be seen." Carlisle pulled away and looked down again. "Dad, don't deny it. You know it's damn well true. Don't go blaming yourself damn it! You did everything you could but you're not perfect. You're not God. You couldn't stop it if you tried! It had to happen. You're the one that thought me to believe in fate, don't go confusing me." She said sternly, like a parent scolding their child. I saw her cringe slightly at something, some thought.
Bella's POV
"Somebody wanna tell us what the hell you two are talking about?" Emmet asked loudly, looking like a child wanted to know a secret, waiting impatiently. I couldn't help but laugh.
"It's one of things I promised to tell you in the morning." I looked out the window and saw it was twilight. "You've got about twelve hours to go. Now, I need to get some sleep. I promise you'll all know in the morning. Edward, I might tell you most but I don't know you well enough to tell you everything." I smirked sadly, I could feel the pain build in my eyes. "But Charlotte, Charlotte is going to have her non-existent ass kicked to South Carolina before I tell you all. She's not going to know anything because she actually knows it all because of Mike and my first husband." I rolled my eyes at the irony. "As long as Miss Bitch is out of the house, I'll tell all of you, with the exception of Edward who will learn some, everything. Alice, Rosalie and Esme, be prepared to need to cry but not be able to. Edward, even though you hardly know me, Emmet and Jasper, please just promise me now you will keep your asses in their chair and stay sitting and keep your temper in check until I finish."
"We promise." Jasper and Emmet said, both giving me suspicious looks.
"Edward?" I said softly, needing his promise to tell him anything.
"I promise." He muttered lowly, not liking the idea of whatever this is and needing to keep his temper in check when he didn't know me. If only he knew he still subconsciously cared for me, loved me. I knelt on the floor in front of Carlisle, hoping to catch his eye.
"Dad, don't kill Edward and Charlotte. Please swear to me right now you won't. It'll only make things worse and you damn well know that. Don't make this harder for me, having to worry that someone important to me's death is on my hands. You may be angry, but I know the truth and I forgive him and I still love him. Don't. Kill. Him." I muttered, too low for a vampire to hear.
"I swear." My dad said under his breath after a few moments. I smiled and kissed his cheek.
"This time, I plan on actually sleeping. So keep it down in here!" Everyone chuckled except my dad, looking sadly at me as I walked out of the room.
Again, hope you enjoyed. This was not edited, I've got a bad habit of not doing that. And 10 reviews sound good to you? Because that's the minimum again. D I'll update soon!