Chapter 4- Old Friends

I recognized the voice to belong to one Dr. Cullen, Oliver's grandfather. If my heart still beat it would have stopped dead in its tracks.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen. What a pleasure it is to see you again, I had not yet been told you and your family had returned to Forks. I hope everyone is well." When I turned to face Carlisle his topaz eyes widen in seeing my change. 'Yeah I'd be shocked too if I came back to see my son's girlfriend now a vampire.' My voice, although a bit hoarse, reminded me of notes from a piano- soft and alluring. I noticed that Carlisle appeared in good health, even if he needed to be feed. His eyes only grew in size as he noticed the now sleeping Oliver in my arms. He looked back and forth between the two of us too many times for me to count before he was able to speak.

"Yes they are well, or at least physically." His eyes became sad. "I see you are a happy mother now Bella. What is his name?" 'Thank heavens I didn't name Oliver after his father.' I could tell that Carlisle didn't ask more to be polite to me but I wanted to scream out what his son had done to me, but I knew I had to be strong for Oliver.

"His name is Oliver. I am sorry, Dr. Cullen, but I have to finish packing our stuff so we can leave in an hour. It was good to see you again. Tell everyone we said 'hi'." With that I walked away from the grandfather of my child and into my room with Oliver who remained asleep in my arms. I placed him on my pillow and went to repack my overnight bag. Dr. Williams had told me that I could take Oliver home as soon as I was ready today, and was I ready now. I had all of our stuff packed in a total of 3 seconds and even changed Oliver into warmer clothes for the cold weather I knew would be there to greet his warm human flesh. He woke up only after I finished changing him to show me that he was pleased with the soft fabric I placed him in. Gently I picked up Oliver and our overnight stuff before opening the door. The hall outside of my room was busy but I attempted to focus all my energy on getting to the front counter so I could pay and leave which made walking in a normal human pace all the more challenging.

"Hello, Dr. Williams said I could leave now. Are there any papers that I need to sign before I do so?" The receptionist looked at me in a slight shocked manner before saying that there wasn't and they were just going to bill my insurance. I nodded, thanked her, and walked as calmly as I could out of the hospital. And then I could smell them, all of them, they were here, or at least all but one. I couldn't hold my graceful and calm demeanor much longer so when I finally made it to my Civic I quickly strapped Oliver in and was in my seat within a moment. I didn't bolt out of the parking lot like I wanted to but I drove much more quickly than I normally would have with my son in the back seat giggling away as though nothing is wrong with the world. I desperately wished to have his care-free nature but I knew that only one of us could have it and I'd rather it belong him.

When I finally arrived home, Oliver had fallen fast asleep in his car seat, allowing me to gently lift him away from it. I remained extremely grateful to my new abilities because otherwise I would have woken my tiny son, whose large dark green eyes had just closed. I could smell him at the door stronger than I have in about ten months, jolting my forever frozen heart and turning my soul around in ways that hurt to experience again. Oliver began to shiver against the chill of the quickly approaching storm telling me that I had to go indoors, and the fact that my new slender legs moved without thought on my part proved that my fears came second. That even though I was an abandoned teenage mother that had just suffered the last few months of her pregnancy changing into a vampire, Oliver came first, my tiny human son came first. It took me only moments to hear the footsteps in the surrounding forest-the nonhuman footsteps that were pacing as if they were waiting for something or someone. The footsteps that stopped as soon as I pulled up in my Civic and had begun to walk slowly to the house, making me walk faster, nearly running for a normal human, to the door. The fear that he was the one waiting for me, that he wanted to take Oliver away from me, made me terrified and furious at the same time. I wouldn't be able to take all eight of them on but as a newborn I would have a slight advantage. I opened the door quickly and closed it just the same before leaning against it, like it would keep out my fears. But I knew better, so I made my way, running as quickly as I could possibly go, up the stairs and to what was my old room but now Oliver's nursery. It was no longer white with yellow but instead was made to look like twilight. Mixes of black silhouettes, reds, yellows, golds, oranges, slivers, and dark blues were all present somewhere within the grand piece. I had spent most of my pregnancy working on the mural and enjoyed the end result. The furniture within the room was simple darker woods, keeping up with the overall theme, and the fabrics were all different shades of green, something which I couldn't help but do, even though it hurt. Also present in the small room was a tiny piano; it wasn't anything fancy, just a dark wood baby grand piano that I fell in love with. A thought of mine was that Oliver would learn to play, that we both would, at least one instrument in our lifetime. The peaceful feeling in the room attempted to overwhelm me but I couldn't seem to allow my fears to fade, and suddenly I was forced out of my thoughts by his smell being as strong as it had been outside by Oliver's window making me frantic in closing the curtains and trying to think of ways to bard the window without seeming too noticeable. Oliver quickly began to cry from his crib forcing me to forget all my plans and calm him, but he remained stubborn that he would not be calmed as he cried into my shoulder. But after I sat in the new rocking chair-the old one had far too many memories attached to it- and began to calm down myself he silenced and looked up at me with his curious emerald eyes.

'Mama.' My eyes grew far larger than any flying saucer as I heard a new voice in my thoughts. 'Mama. My mama.' At this Oliver hugged me and tucked his face in the nook of my neck, proving that they were his thoughts echoing in my mind. 'What's wrong, mama?' He pulled back after a moment to look at me and read my expression.

'Oliver, how are you doing that?'

'Doing what mama?'

'You can hear my thoughts?'

'Only the ones you want me to mama.' I smiled down at my very intelligent son.

'When did you figure this out?'

'When you heard my thoughts.' He smiled as though it was completely obvious. 'So what's wrong mama? Why were you so upset?'

'Can you read my emotions too little Oliver?'

'Sort of. You don't hide them very well.' I laughed.

'What an intelligent little boy I have.' He giggled slightly. 'Everything's fine, honey, mama's just a little nervous.' He gave me a skeptical look in response but said…or thought nothing more on the subject. But instead he placed his head again in the nook of my neck and went back to sleep leaving me to my thoughts. Oliver would never be a normal child, he is half vampire and his gift only proves it! Leaving was inevitable no matter how I looked at it. I stood up and placed Oliver in his crib tucked him in and gave him a kiss goodnight.

"Goodnight, my angel."

'Mama…' His thoughts were slow and dragged out, clouded by sleep. I allowed a gentle smile to spread across my lips; all the pain and suffering were worth it to have Oliver here at last safe with me. But my peaceful state of mind vanished just as quickly as it had arrived and I was forced painfully back into reality.