SM owns Twilight.
Story title inspired by the song Thorn in my Pride by The Black Crowes.
Thank you to my lovely pre-reader and friend coastaltigergirl. Love ya darling
I apologize for not posting last week. RL and work have been crazy and I did not have the proper time to write. I didn't want to rush the chapter so I missed a posting. Please excuse.
My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Oklahoma.
Chapter Six
Angela was woken up the next morning to sharp pains in her side and back. She lay in bed for as long as she could before the pain became too much for her to handle. As gently as she could she rolled herself out of the bed and moved towards the door. Glancing back at the clock she realized it was only seven in the morning and she wasn't sure who would be up at that time.
Upon opening the door she could smell coffee being brewed so she made her way towards the kitchen, stopping once as the pain of a contraction swept through her.
Once she made her way into the kitchen, she saw Esme standing by the kitchen sink washing something off.
"Mrs. Cullen." Angela quietly says trying not to scare her.
Esme sighs at the sound of Angela's voice before she turns around. She knows she should not have such anger towards this young lady, but she cannot help but feel like it is all her fault her son is in danger.
"Yes Angela." Esme says as she turns and looks at the young woman.
Any anger she feels is quickly replaced when she sees the look of pain on her face.
"I think I may be in labor." Angela says.
"How far apart are the contractions?" Esme says, instantly going into doctor mode.
"They are about ten minutes..." Angela pauses her words when warm liquid falls down her legs.
"I think my water broke." Angela says in a panicked voice.
"Yes dear it did." Esme says as she walks over and takes her hand, trying to calm her down. "You go get cleaned up and changed and I'll get Carlisle up so we can take you to the hospital."
"I'm scared." Angela whispers as she tries to hold back tears.
"I know you are but there is no need to be scared. You're in good hands; Carlisle and I will be there for you." Esme says as she turns her towards the door.
"Why?" Angela asks as the tears begin to fall down her face.
Esme sighs before she pulls Angela into a hug.
"You need someone right now and I will not leave you scared and alone. We have our issues that's for sure, but I will put those aside for right now to help you bring your little boy into this world with as little worry as possible."
"Thank you Mrs. Cullen." Angela says.
"Go get cleaned up, we'll meet you back here in about twenty minutes." Esme says as she heads to Carlisle's office where she knows he has been sleeping.
TP
Edward lays on the small bed they have given him staring out the window. It has been four days since he was brought to this house yet it feels like he has been there for months on end. He doesn't remember ever feeling so lost.
He misses Bella's face, the way her voice dances in his head, the way her body molds into his own so perfectly. He misses her smile that makes all those around her better. He misses her laughter that he is convinced could cure all the ills of the world. He misses touching her belly, of feeling his little girl moving inside of his love at his touch.
It's all of those thoughts, all of those touches, all of those feelings that he clings to as if his life depends on them and they do. He uses them to stay strong. He uses them not to give up hope. Hope that he will see her again, that he will hold her again and that he will be there when his little Melanie comes to this world.
"Edward." Marco calls to him from the now open door way.
Edward had been so lost in his thoughts that he did not hear the heavy turn of the door lock or the creak of the door opening.
"Marco." Edward says as he clears his throat before sitting up on the bed.
"I brought you lunch." Marco says as he carries the tray over to the small table that sits beside his bed.
Edward watches his movements to see if there are any indications his gunshot wound is giving him problems. Once Marco has put the tray down, Edward notices him looking at his watch before he turns to look at Edward.
"You hanging in there?" Marco asks him as he looks back down to his watch again.
"As well as can be expected." Edward answers him. "What about you, how is your arm doing?"
"Much better thanks to you." Marco says.
"Let me take a look at it."
"It's fine Edward." Marco says.
"I'm sure it is but humor your hostage, it's the least you can do." Edward says with a quick chuckle.
Marco shakes his head at Edward's words and looks at his watch one more time.
"Si." He finally says as he places a small flat black object that Edward didn't notice he was holding under the tray down on the table.
Marco begins to unbutton his shirt and pushes the fabric down over his shoulder. Edward gently lifts the surgical tape that is holding down the bandage and gingerly touches the skin surrounding the wound.
"The skin around the point of impact is not hot anymore and there are no further signs of infection. Are you having any problems with movement of your arm?"
"It hurts to lift it too high but for the most part I have good use of it. However, I cannot lift anything with it."
"And you shouldn't. Not for at least another two or three days and then only light weight things." Edward says as he pats the tape back into place and helps Marco pull his shirt back onto his shoulder.
Marco quickly buttons the shirt up before looking at his watch one last time. He silently walks over to the table and picks up the object which Edward now sees is a small tablet. Marco quickly opens the device, taps a few keys and then hands the device to Edward before he turns to leave.
"What the..." Edward begins.
"All I can give you is five minutes." Marco says before he closes the door behind him.
TP
The house had been rather quiet since Carlisle and Esme left with Angela. Rose, Emmett and Charlie were working from the FBI offices while Nana and Alice had gone to do some grocery shopping. Jasper was staying at the house with Bella but he was currently in Carlisle's office going over some of the new information they had received over the past twenty fours.
Bella was sitting up in bed, her laptop lying a bit further extended out because of her belly, in her lap. She was going through all of the photos she and Edward and taken together while they were on their year long trip working for the Discovery Channel. Her face was a mixture of tears and smiles as she took her time studying each of the photos that Edward was in. Her eyes slowly caressed each inch of his face, her fingers tips traced his smile, her memories flooded with the sights and sounds of each of the places that they had been together.
Just as she was about to click onto the next picture her computer screen suddenly went black.
"What the hell." Bella says out loud to no one.
"Bella." She hears Edward calling her name.
Bella looks all around her trying to find Edward. When she doesn't see him anywhere in the room she shakes her head thinking she has lost her mind when she hears him call her name again.
She looks down onto the screen in front of her; Edward's haggard but handsome face there staring back at her.
"Edward." She whispers as her eyes fill with tears.
"Oh God baby is that really you?" Edward says as he touches the screen.
"Edward...how...oh God...I must be going crazy." Bella says as she traces her own hands over his face.
"You're not crazy beautiful, it's really me." Edward says as his eyes drink in the beauty of his wife.
"How?" Bella asks.
"I'm not sure but I think Marco had something to do with this." Edward says.
"Marco?" Bella asks.
"I'll explain it all later baby, I only have about four and half minutes left before I lose your beautiful face. How are you? How is Melly?"
"We are both ok Edward. Melly misses her daddy's voice and touch. She kicks me constantly. She is trying to find you." Bella answers him.
"God I miss you both so much." Edward says with a sigh, his own tears rolling down his face.
"Are you ok?" Bella asks him.
"I am baby; they have been decent to me so far. But don't you worry about me darling, you just take care of Melly and yourself."
"I miss you so much Edward. I'm so scared. I love you so so much."
"I miss you too my sweet girl. I love you so much and I promise I will be home to you both very soon."
"Do you know where you are Edward?"
"I..."
Just as Edward is about to answer her, he is interrupted by another voice.
"Two minutes Edward."
Edward turns away from the screen for a moment before he looks back at Bella.
"Do you know what has been getting me through all of this baby?"
"What?" Bella asks.
"I have been thinking about our first Christmas together. You remember how jubilant it was? That crabby little tree that we decorated with red crosses? When we finished, we watched The True Colton Wilder and drank Mardel wine. Things had been so busy for us, so much distance between us until we did that. It was like we found each other again. Do you remember that baby?"
Bella smiles brightly at Edward before she answers him.
"Yes, everything." She whispers at him.
"Thank you baby." Edward whispers back to her.
"Edward." Bella hears a voice call from behind him.
"I have to go baby."
"No Edward please." Bella begins to beg.
"I'll be back to you soon baby, please don't worry. Just remember that night and everything will be ok."
"I'll remember." Bella says as she wipes the tears from her cheeks.
"I love you sweet girl. Give my baby girl a kiss from her daddy." Edward says as he touches the screen.
"We love you too." Bella says as she brings her own hand to the screen to touch his.
They stare at each other for a few moments before the screen fades to black once again.
"No!" Bella shouts as the picture she was looking at before Edward invaded her screen comes back into view.
"Edward!" Bella yells again.
Moments later Jasper comes running into the room, a handgun raised in the air.
"Bella what's wrong? Are you ok?" He says as he rushes over to her, placing the gun on the table beside them.
"Jasper Whitlock since when do you have a gun?" Bella asks him.
"Since Charlie taught me and Edward how to shoot a few months ago."
"What the hell? When did that happen and why didn't Edward tell me?"
"Bella sweetie we can answer those questions later, right now I am more worried about you. What is the matter?"
"I need to go back to our house." Bella says as she moves the laptop off of her and tries to get out of the bed.
"What, Bella no, you are supposed to be resting." Jasper says as he tries to keep Bella from getting up.
Bella grabs the gun on the table beside them and holds it up in front of Jasper which causes him to back away from her immediately.
"You're not the only one who knows how to handle a gun Jasper. Don't fuck with me right now or I will not hesitate to shoot your ass. I love you and all but I really need to get back to my house."
"Bella." Jasper says with shock in his voice. "How?"
"Nana." Bella answers him as she manages to push herself out of the bed. "Now are you going to take me or am I going to have to shoot you in the ass?"
"Should have known." Jasper mumbles as he shakes his head. "Alright, let's go, but you are dealing with Alice and Nana when we get back."
"Piece of cake." Bella says as she hands the gun back over to Jasper.
"Why are we going to your house?" He asks as he tucks the gun into the back of his pants.
"I think I know where Edward is." Bella says as she hurries out of the room.
TP
"Damn it Edward, where did you put them?" Bella whispers to herself as she looks around the attic of their brownstone house.
"Bella please tell me what is going on?" Jasper says as he stands there and watches Bella franticly searching for something.
"It has to be here somewhere?" She says ignoring him.
"Bella stop." Jasper says as he gets closer to her. She was been pacing around, moving boxes and throwing stuff out of the way for the past twenty minutes.
"Isabella Cullen stop it right fucking now!" Jasper says as he walks over to her and turns her towards him by the shoulders.
"I have to find them Jasper." She says as she looks at him for the first time since they got to the house.
"What Bella, tell me what you need to find. Why do you think you know where Edward is?"
"I need to find the box with Christmas decorations. Please help me find them Jasper and I promise I'll tell you everything."
Jasper stands there for a moment looking at the young girl who he thinks of as his little sister before he sighs.
"What am I looking for?" He asks.
"It's a green plastic container that says Christmas Island on it."
The two of them part ways and search the length of the attic.
"Found it!" Jasper says as he lifts the box up and heads towards the stairs. "Let's look through this downstairs; you need to be off your feet Bella." He says as he continues his trek down.
Moments later they are sitting down in the family room. The top of the box is off and Bella begins pulling out the little ornaments she and Edward collected while they were traveling the previous year. They were the same ornaments Edward had used to have a Christmas tree decorated for the two of them when they were on Christmas Island studying crab migration.
"Yes!" Bella says as she pulls out a white cross that looks to have a coat of arms printed on the front of it.
"Red crosses. God I love you so much Edward." Bella says to herself as she slowly gets up off the couch.
"Bella where are you going?" Jasper says as he follows her.
"To the hospital, I need to see Carlisle now."
"What is going on?"
"I'll tell you everything in the car." She says as she heads out the door.
TP
Twenty minutes later they arrive at the hospital and head straight for the maternity ward. After hearing everything that Bella has to say, Jasper is just as anxious as Bella is to find Carlisle.
"I'm looking for Angela Webber's room." Bella says once they approach the information desk.
The nurse at the station types something into her computer, pauses for a moment before she looks up at the two of them.
"I'm sorry ma'am we do not have a patient here by that name."
"Yes you do." Bella says quickly. "I know you probably have something that says not to give out the fact she is here, but I know for a fact she is here. My father-in-law, Carlisle Cullen is the one who set it up for you to say that. I just need to see him and her both. I know they are here."
"I'm sorry ma'am but..." The nurse begins.
"Bella?" Carlisle says, interrupting the nurse as he walks over to the desk, shocked to see Bella and Jasper there.
"Oh God are you ok, you're not in labor are you?" He says as he rushes over to them.
"No I'm good, but I need to talk to both you and Angela. I know where Edward is." Bella says.
Carlisle looks at her for a moment in even more shock, before he looks around them to see who might be listening to them. Noticing a small crowd is watching them, Carlisle pulls Bella into an unused room to try and calm her down.
"Bella sweetie you need to calm down and..."
"Fuck that Carlisle; I need to talk to Angela right now." Bella says as she turns to leave the room only to be stopped by Charlie as he walks into the room.
"Baby girl what the hell are you..."
"Not now daddy, I need to see Angela, I know where Edward is and I need her to give us more information." Bella says as she tries to move around her dad.
"Hold on sweetie, tell me what's going on."
"I will tell all of you in Angela's room, please just tell me where it is."
"You need to tell her Charlie, this is important." Jasper says as he comes and stands beside Bella.
Charlie looks over at Carlisle and then back at Bella before he nods his head.
"Follow me."
The four of them leave the room in silence, walking down to the other end of the corridor. Charlie pauses outside of the door, knocking loudly.
"Come in." He hears Esme say and he pushes the door open.
"Bella what on earth are you doing here?" Esme asks as she gets up from the chair she was sitting in.
Bella walks right past her though, straight to Angela who is sitting up in the bed, holding a small bundle of blue.
"Does Gutierrez have a house in Veracruz Mexico?" She asks.
Angela's eyes go very wide at the mention of Veracruz and she pulls her baby closer to her chest.
"What...how..."
"He does doesn't he?" Bella asks.
"Bella sweetie what is going on?" Charlie asks.
"Edward is in Veracruz Mexico." Bella says as she turns to look at her dad.
"How do you know that?"
"Edward told me?"
"What?"
"How?"
"When?"
Questions come at her from around the room.
"I was in my room earlier looking at pictures of our trip last year when the screen suddenly went black. Within seconds Edward's face was on the screen."
"Edward?" Esme asks as she covers her mouth with her hand.
"Yes, it was him. I'm not sure how he did it but it was him."
"How...I mean is he alright?" Esme asks.
"He looks a little worse for wear but other than that he was ok."
"Thank God." Esme whispers as tears roll down her cheeks.
"Bella sweetie are you a hundred percent sure it was Edward, that it was a live feed." Carlisle asks.
"Yes of course, we had a conversation that wouldn't have been able to happen if it wasn't him live."
"And he told you he was in Veracruz?"
"Not in so many words but yes he did. I asked him where he was and he started to tell me when a man came into the room he was in and told him he had two minutes. Edward then told me the only thing keeping him strong was thinking about our first Christmas together decorating a crabby little tree with red crosses. Esme do you remember helping Edward get a tree for the house we were staying in on Christmas Island? He had the tree decorated for me while we were out diving with all of the ornaments we had collected in our travels. There were no red crosses but there was this one." Bella says as she holds up the white cross, handing it to Carlisle.
"The coat of arms on there is for the city of Veracruz. There is a red cross on there that is part of the cities name. It means true cross in English. He said we sat afterwards and watched the movie The True Colton Wilder. There is no such movie but the name Colton Wilder; those are the last names of the two main characters of the film Romancing the Stone. There is a scene in the movie that was filmed at the Fort at San Juan de Ulua in Veracruz. Edward and I visited that fort when we were there and learned all about the history of the fort and of the film being done there. When we finished that tour we went to a restaurant called Mardel for dinner. Edward said we sat watching the film drinking Mardel wine." Bella pauses for a moment to catch her breath, before she continues on with her story.
"He said it was such a jubilant night. The reason we were in Veracruz was to do a dive and document the ARM General Miguel Negrete. It was a naval ship that was sunk off the coast of Veracruz to be used as an artificial reef. Before the Mexican Navy purchased the ship in 1967 it was an American minesweeper named the USS Jubilant." Bella says with a huge smile on her face as she finishes.
"Holy shit." Charlie and Carlisle both whisper at the same time.
"Gutierrez has a house there right?" Bella asks as she turns her attention back to a shocked Angela.
"I..."
"Look at your son Angela." Bella says as she moves closer to the bed. "That sweet little guy in your arms is your whole world now right?"
"Yes." Angela whispers as she looks down at her baby boy.
"He lost his daddy because of mistakes Angela. Please don't make my little girl lose hers because of mistakes and fears. Help bring her daddy back to her, please I am begging you, from one mother to another, I am begging you." Bella pleads.
The room is silent as they all watch Angela with baited breath. She never takes her eyes off her little joy as she sits there quietly.
"There is a house in Veracruz under the name of Bennet Favorson. The name Benjamin means favorite son in Spanish. Benjamin's grandfather gave him in house before he passed away. I didn't think Cristobal knew about the house. It was Ben's safe house. The place he could go to get away from his dad's prying eyes. It was the place we were going to go until I could work everything out with you Carlisle to bring us all back to the States safely." She says, her eyes never leaving the baby.
"Cristobal must have found out about the house, found out the name it was under and that you would never know to look there. He must not have known I was aware of the house or he would have found another place to hide Edward."
"Do you have an address?" Carlisle asks.
"Hand me my purse please." Angela asks as she finally looks up at the Cullen family.
Esme walks over to the closet in the room and retrieves Angela's purse. Once she has it beside her, Angela shifts the baby in her arms so one of her hands is free. Digging around in the bag, she pulls out a small manila envelope and holds it out to Carlisle.
"Everything you need to know about the house is in there."
A/N
One step closer my dears.
I just love the internet and all that can be researched. Part of the fun of writing for me is researching things to add to my stories. Hope you liked Edward's clever way of letting Bella know where he is.
Much love to you all.