Chapter 7
A/N: I don't own anything twilight related. SM does.
LPOV:
3 months later….
I groggily wake up to two warm arms wrapping around me. I love the way Embry feels and how he makes me feel. The last three months have passed by in a flash. Everything has been so hectic with trying to get everything done before our little girl comes in the world. With each passing day I'm getting bigger and bigger. Sometimes I wonder if I'm having more than one baby but Carlisle assures me that there is only one heart beat.
I snuggle closer to Embry not wanting to get up just yet. "Marry Me." He whispers softly in my ear. "No." I say just as softly. It's the same way we start each day. He asks me to marry him and I say no. I just don't want to complicate things any more than they are already. If he imprints it would be easier for him to walk away without all the legal crap to deal with.
He knows how I feel but he seems determined on making me his wife for some reason. "You need to get up soon. Alice will have a stroke if you don't get over there in time." Embry says and I can't help but pout as he slides out of bed. "Uhh…why did I agree to this again?" I say dreading the festivities the evil little pixie has planned for today.
I sit up in bed and watch Embry get dressed for work. He works at an auto shop in Forks but I know that someday he wants to own his own place. I stay pouting like a child in the bed not wanting to do much of anything today. Embry kisses me softly before heading out the door. I lazily get out of bed and take a long nice hot shower hoping to ease the pain in my lower back.
I'm just about done drying my hair when my cell goes off. I answer it without checking the caller id. I already know its Alice because I'm already twenty minutes late. "You better be here in the next 10 minutes or so help me god I will cross the boundary line myself and drag you here." She says before I can even say hello.
"Fine, I'm moving as fast as my huge belly will allow." I snap back before hanging up the phone. I pull my damp hair in a messy bun when my door bell rings. Who the hell is that? I wouldn't put it past the pixie to already be here. I waddle my way to the front door and swing it open without looking in the peep hole.
To my utter surprise Gloria is standing there with a huge smile on her face. Good god she's just as happy go lucky as Seth. "Pardon me but what the fuck are you doing here? I thought you wanted to be as far from this place as possible?" I ask bluntly. She frowns a little but then brightens right back up. Yup she's just like my little brother. Kind of scary. I wonder what the kids will be like.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" She asks timidly. "Umm…why don't you take a drive with me. I'm kind of running late for my own baby shower." I say contemplating just staying here but I know Alice will probably have a stroke if I don't show up. "Oh…I...I'm sorry I didn't know." She says sadly. "It's ok just come with me." I say grabbing my purse and keys.
The ride to the Cullens is quite and awkward. "Look Gloria I know you're here for a reason so just spill it ok." I say trying to get her to open up to me. "Well…I...I just wanted to ask you about Seth. I haven't really talked to him since the day I left. I feel so terrible." She says the tears starting to form in her eyes. Fuck. I'm not good with crying people.
"Please don't cry." I say more for me than for her. "I'm sorry. I just…I don't know. I really liked him before that day and I still do. I just don't know how to deal with the wolf stuff." She says honestly. I can't blame her. I would probably feel the same way. "Gloria I know all this is overwhelming but Seth is still the same Seth he was just a little furrier at times." I say jokingly. She laughs a little. "I guess your right but I want so much for things to be simple. I've had enough drama in my life already. I guess it wouldn't hurt just to talk to him." She says more to herself than to me.
I give her a reassuring smile and park in the Cullens big ass driveway. "Whoa…who lives here?" Gloria says her soft brown eyes wide with wonder. "Friends of the pack. I'll let Seth explain more about them to you later." I say and waddle my way to the front door. My back is still sore but nothing I can't handle right now. Before I can even knock Alice flings open the door and gives me a fierce look.
For someone so small she can be quite intimidating. "About time and I know you don't think I'm going to let you look like that." She says her golden eyes narrow as she takes in my t-shirt and sweat pants. "Hold on a minute shorty. You didn't say anything about dressing me up." I say frustrated and slightly scared.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. It's your choice." She says with a sickly sweet smile. I'm too big and hungry to want to fight her about this. I give in and drag a dazzled Gloria with me up to pixie's room. Her closet reminds me of a dressing room at a fancy boutique with the mirrors and small lavender sofas.
Alice breezes through a ton of bags looking for the right thing. Bella gives me a sympathetic look giving me the impression that Alice does this to her on a daily basis. I might actually feel kinda sorry for my future step-sister. I sit on one of the sofas stuffing my face with some cookies I managed to swipe from Esme on my way up here.
Poor Gloria is just sitting wide eyed on the other sofa trying not to stare at Bella and Nessie. Their vampire beauty can be a little disconcerting at times especially to a human. "Finally." Alice says excitedly holding a blue stretchy fabric dress in her tiny hands. "Put this on and I'll find the shoes that go with it." Alice says thrusting the dress at me.
She gives me a stern look before I head into the dressing room of her enormous closet. I awkwardly undress and just as awkwardly pull on the dress. I adjust it and smooth it over my large belly. The fabric feels nice and light against my skin and the blue is a nice deep color that doesn't put me off. I hate pastel colors.
The V neck shows just enough of my growing cleavage and the jeweled buckle right under my bust adds a nice touch. It's nice and girly and something I wouldn't normally wear but it's comfy so I'll go with it. I walk out the room and Alice jumps up and down with a look of approval on her tiny face.
"It's perfect." Alice squeals then hands me a pair of black flip flops. I can't help contain my smile. "I know you wouldn't want to wear heels, especially with you feet being so swollen." She says sweetly and I just want to hug her. God, when did I become so soft? I flop gracelessly down on the sofa next to Gloria and ease my swollen feet into the flip flops.
Alice fusses with my hair a little but relents when I threaten to torch her beloved closet. After a few more adjustments to my outfit I'm finally ready to attend my baby shower. Gloria helps me down the stairs then takes a seat by Nessie and Alice disappears to finalize some last minute details. My back is still throbbing but I forget about it as soon as I walk into the Cullen's living room.
It's like walking into the wedding scene from steel magnolia's. I feel like there should be a southern belle standing in the middle of the room going on about her signature colors blush and bashful. I cringe at the thought. I'm so going to get the little pixie. I told her not to overdo it but this is Alice we're talking about and she always overdoes everything.
The room is covered in pink and white balloons, flowers, and candles. The floor and tables have been draped with pink fabric. I feel like I'm stuck in a giant piece of bubblelicious bubble gum. I groan inwardly. I'm so not a girly girl and pray that my daughter won't be as well.
"She's got a lot of moxie doesn't she." I hear a silky smooth drawl behind me say. I turn to see Jasper carrying into the room a large white rocking chair for me to sit in. I'm spending way too much time here that I hardly smell them at all now. "Huh." I say dumbly not knowing what he's referring to. "Your daughter, she has a lot of moxie. I can feel the spunkiness rolling off or her. She's already quite strong willed." He says nicely and sets the chair down in front of me.
"Oh, she does, doesn't she." I say rubbing my hand over my huge bump. Embry says she's really spunky because of all the kicking and moving she does. Jasper gives me another nice smile and disappears into the large house. It's weird seeing him like that. He's always so stoic and in pain looking.
I wearily sit in the chair and begin rocking a little. About twenty minutes later Rachel, Kim, Claire and Emily along with my mother join me in the living room. Of course Esme glides in looking like a movie star and welcomes everyone to her home. Rosalie and Emmett are still in Alaska enjoying their alone time. I thank Esme for letting me have my party here and she thanks me for giving her a reason to cook a large amount of food.
The pack is outside hanging around because god forbids they are apart from their imprints for more than five minutes. They make me sick, especially the newest member of the imprint club Brady. He imprinted on Sam and Emily's daughter two days after she was born. Now he's like super nanny. At least Quil is not alone in the pedophile club.
Suddenly I feel sick. What if someone imprints on my daughter? I don't think I could handle having a wolf attached to my baby girl when I barely had any time with her. I take a few deep breaths and push those thoughts away for another time and place.
After the food and some mindless chit chat we get into opening the presents. I much rather open the presents than play those god awful baby shower games. I looked on as the other ladies played while I stuffed my face. The pixie wasn't too happy but hey it's supposed to be my day, right?
Everyone ohhs and ahhs at the entire lot of adorable baby stuff. I got some really beautiful clothes courtesy of the shopaholic Alice. Even Embry's mom sent me a nice gift. She had to work late or so she says. She doesn't really like me because as she puts it I trapped her baby boy. What is it with mothers and their sons? He is such a mama's boy still.
Rachel decides to sit next to me and make small talk. I hate small talk but I'm being nice so I chat with her a little. We both watch as little Rocco clings to Esme gripping onto one of her caramel curls. "What is with your kid Rachel? It's like he's making a claim on mama vamp." I say bluntly with a small laugh. "I dunno. He's just so attached to her. Paul hates it but Rocco has a fit if he doesn't see her at least twice a week." She says looking bewildered at the odd couple in front of us.
"Well you don't have to worry; he has great taste in women." I say trying to keep a straight face. What can I say the kid chose well. Esme is very stunning like a classic movie starlet. "That is true." Rachel says smirking a little. It still blows me away at how different things have become in the last five years.
I reach over to grab another present when a sharp pain rips through my back and belly. I grip the arm of the rocking chair tightly almost breaking it. "Fuck." I whisper harshly. "Leah are you ok?" Bella says rushing to my side. Of course she would hear me. "I don't think so." I say feeling another wave of pain sear through me.
"Oh my, I think the baby is ready to come." She says her eyes going wide like golden saucers. This can not be fucking happening. I still have a month to go. I'm so not ready for this. I try to stand but another pain hits me hard and Bella wraps her icy arm around my back the help steady me.
"Carlisle it's time." Bella whispers softly but I know that Dr. Sparkles can hear her. "I'm going to help you to his office and Alice and Esme are going to take care of everything down here." Bella says reassuringly. I nod my head and before I can say what I want to she cuts me off. "Don't worry Edward is getting Embry for you." She says softly and I just nod my head again. The pain is coming too fast making me squeeze her marble hand tightly.
Well I guess this day is as good as any day to bring my baby girl into this world. I just hope papa vamp has some good drugs for me because I don't think I can handle much more of this pain. It's worse than getting hit by a leech. "You can do this Leah. You're a hell of a lot stronger than I was." Bella says sweetly as she leads me to Carlisle's office.
I hope she's right but I guess we'll soon find out.
A/N: Please Review. Next up Miss Moxie Phoenix Clearwater-Call makes her debut.
