AN: Huh? What's this? An update? Oh my... is this story back on? I don't know, but Renee kept pestering for me to stick her in here, so here she is, in all her glory...

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-Chapter Eight: Not As It Seems-

"Renee?" I gasped out, all the air leaving my lungs. My mother in law laughed, and reached out to engulf me in a hug.

"Edward, darling, so good to see you! Bet you didn't expect to see us! Well, surprise, surprise! Here we are! And how is my little Libby Marie this morning?"

She stepped back to get a good look at Libby, who was holding tightly to my shirt and had her legs locked around my torso in a vise.

"Gracious, Phil, look at my grandbaby! Boy, do they grow fast-"

Phil cut her off, sensing that all was not well in this Cullen household. His searching eyes drifted from my face to Libby's, and back again.

"Edward," he finally said, extending a smooth palm, "How are you? Is everything alright?"

"Actually, we've been-"

"Edward, who is at the- Mom? Phil?" Bella stepped out from behind me, Ella in her arms.

"Hi honey!" Renee sang, throwing her arms around Bella and squeezing tightly, "Well, aren't you going to invite us in? Washington in the winter is a lot colder than Florida, you know," she said reprovingly.

Bella instantly flushed. "Of course, Mom, please, come in," she said weakly, gesturing inside. Renee hissed for Phil to get their bags, and I shut the door behind us all, shivering. Bella and I looked at each other in disbelief, and I could see the worry appear in her eyes. We were in no shape to have house guests, family members or not.

"Mom- this is, well, quite a surprise," Bella began awkwardly, rubbing Ella's back in soothing circles, trying to get her to sleep.

"Isn't it?" Renee said, breathlessly, giggling girlishly. "Honestly, honey, if I had any idea we would have been popping up here, I would have called you!"

"But Phil here," she affectionately patted his arm, "decided to surprise me with a trip to Hawaii! Can you believe it? Hawaii. Oh, I can't wait- Florida sand is nothing like Hawaiian sand, and of course, we'll be there over the holidays, can you imagine Christmastime in a place so tropical? I said to Phil, on the way over here, that we'll have to decorate a palm tree or something- I doubt they'd have a real-"

"Honey," Phil bumped her shoulder lightly, "you're getting ahead of yourself. Edward, Bella, it was my idea to stop here for a little while, since we were in town and the airport we're flying out of to go to Maui happened to be on the way to your house. I wouldn't have done it, knowing you guys were sick." He looked very uncomfortable with the situation. Phil hated imposing on people.

Renee gasped, her eyes fluttering to my countenance, then Bella's, and back again.

"You're sick? Oh, my, I had no idea. Come to think of it, Edward darling, you do seem sort of haggard, and Bella... my goodness. What are those ghastly bruises under your eyes? What have you two been up to?"

"We just have a touch of the flu, Mom. We're just tired, that's all." Bella attempted, trying to diffuse the situation.

Renee ignored her, and turned to me. "How long have you been sick like this, Edward?"

I sighed, and ran a hand through my hair, still holding tightly to Libby, who had fallen asleep on my shoulder.

"It started last night. Everybody's been sick at least once, except the baby." There was no point in sugarcoating anything with my mother in law.

"Well, get back in bed, the both of you," she scolded, chucking Ella under her chin, "Our flight doesn't leave until tomorrow night. We'll take care of our grand babies. Go get some sleep, you two. So scoot! Now!" she said, playfully glaring at us.

I sheepishly handed Libby to Phil, and reminded him that Masen was also asleep on the couch. Bella told Renee where the medicine was, and we left her mother and stepfather in our foyer, who were too absorbed with their grandchildren to pay much mind to us.

Renee dutifully popped her head in our bedroom door every hour, refilling our water glasses and bringing us Saltine crackers. She brought Ella in twice to Bella for feeding, even though she was skeptical that Ella would get sick too.

She had called my work for me too, and apparently gave Chief Brewer quite the sob story, because he left me several sympathetic text messages, insisting that I stay home until I was completely well. I wasn't sure if he was truly concerned about my condition, or the fact that if I went into work, I ran the risk of infecting my co workers. My foggy brain decided on a mixture of both before I fell into an uneasy sleep, Bella's too- warm body pressed into my side.

The day passed slowly by. I vaguely remember getting sick again, and Bella spilling her glass of water all over the sheets. I dragged the comforter off the bed and passed out on the floor with Bella in my arms. Sometime later, Phil shook me awake and motioned to the freshly made bed, and his special chicken soup sitting on a tray on my nightstand. I mumbled my thanks, and he simply chuckled, and left Bella and me alone with our dinner, which tasted better going down that it did coming back up. I resolved to stick to my Saltine and Sprite diet for a little while longer, even though I longed to taste real food again.

Renee brought all of the kids in our room, one at a time to say goodnight when it was bedtime. They looked better than they did this morning, but everyone was cranky because of last night. I thanked the heavens for Renee and Phil. Their timing had been perfect, as unique our situation was. Libby had been pretty grumpy without Mommy and Daddy, and Bella had made her promise to go to bed and be a good girl for Grandma Renee. Libby had halfheartedly promised, but not before trying to wiggle her way into bed with us. Phil had carried her out of the room as she cried into his chest. She was definitely over tired. Masen gave us a picture he had made, a picture that had five stick figures in it- our family. Libby's face, unlike the others he had drawn, had a frowny face on it, and I guessed that he had accurately depicted her mood while he had been drawing.

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I awoke in the morning to birds singing and pancakes burning. Bella had her head in the porcelain toilet bowl, and I grimaced at the sounds she was making. I actually felt quite good, and I cheerily hopped out of bed to give my sick wife a glass of water. She gulped it down gratefully, and I helped her get settled back in bed, before going and taking a shower, washing off the two- day sick I had been immersed in.

I dressed quickly when I was done, and gathered the dirty dishes and damp towels that had accumulated in our bedroom before heading downstairs. Phil, ever the domestic househusband, had made pancakes, taking over for Renee who was not much of a cook- she must have been the one who burnt the pancakes earlier. All of my children were sitting at the table with Renee, and Phil was busy flipping his creations over the stove.

"Honestly, Edward," Renee looked over her knitting at me as I sat down, full plate in hand, "You all must have eaten something that had gone bad, because the kids are fine, and you look dramatically better."

I couldn't say anything; my mouth was too full.

"Daddy, yous look like a chik-a monk," Libby commented, pointing to my stuffed cheeks.

"Chipmunk, Libby," Masen hissed, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Manners, Libby," Renee reproved gently, and Libby obediently went back to her pancakes.

Ella announced she was done with her breakfast by dumping her bowl of cut up pancakes on the floor, and my mother in law stood to get her, shoving me back in my seat when I tried to grab the baby before she did. Renee deftly wiped Ella's chubby face, before plucking her out of her high chair.

"Phil, Edward, I'm going to bathe this little one. Edward, do you think Bella wants any pancakes?"

"No, Mom. All my stomach can handle right now is liquids." Bella said softly, as she came into the kitchen, seating herself on my lap.

Renee studied Bella's face for a moment, before turning and heading towards the bathroom. Bella reached for my glass of orange juice, and put her overly warm forehead in the crook of my neck, sipping the juice slowly.

"Mommy!" Libby exclaimed, wiggling in her seat, "Gwampa Phil! He cook! Pancakes! See, Mommy?" she said, holding up her plate for Bella to examine.

"I see, baby," Bella murmured, a hint of a smile appearing on her face.

"You feelin' better, Mommy?" Masen asked, maple syrup running down his chin.

Bella reached out to ruffle his hair. "I'm okay, honey. Wipe your mouth."

He scrubbed the back of his hand against his face.

"I meant with a napkin, honey."

"Oh."

I laughed, and wrapped my arm around Bella's waist.

Phil joined us at the table with his own stack of pancakes, and amused Libby and Masen by trying to shove a huge forkful into his mouth.

"Hey Phil," Bella said suddenly, "Where did you and Mom sleep last night?"

He nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "The couch."

Bella frowned. "Were you warm and everything? I know I moved the blankets and stuff around since you last visited."

It was his turn to chuckle. "We were fine, Bella."

She bit her lip, looking flustered. "I just..." she sighed, "The house... it's such a mess! And you guys didn't have to do the laundry too, and make us food, please, you're guests!"

"Bella, you were sick. And you're family. Do you honestly think your mother would just let you wallow in your misery? And the house looks fine to us. It has a nice, lived- in look." Phil said gently, attempting to go placate her.

Bella scoffed, then yawned, setting my empty juice glass down. "Thanks, Phil. That's sweet. You're wrong, but sweet. I'm tired. I'm going to go to back to bed." She placed a kiss on my cheek, and slid off my lap. She rubbed noses with Libby and Masen before going back to our bedroom. I looked after her retreating form, concerned. She hadn't been this sick... in a while.

"She'll back to her old self in no time," Phil said comfortingly, clapping me on the shoulder and gathering our empty plates as he stood up.

I ran a hand through my hair. "I hope you're right."

"Look who's all nice and clean," Renee cooed, stepping through the doorway with a freshly washed and dressed Ella in her arms. Ella saw me and held out her little arms for me, and I gladly took her, burying my face in her unruly hair. She smelled so good, a perfect mix of Bella and baby soap.

"Where's Bella?" Renee asked, frowning.

"She went back to bed, hon," Phil said, cleaning up the stove.

"Edward, I'm worried about her," she said frankly, packing up her knitting.

"Me too, Renee."

"If she's not better by the end of the week, promise me you'll take her to the doctor?"

"Of course."

Renee nodded her head in satisfaction, then helped me clean Libby and Masen's sticky faces.

"Masen, go find the Go Fish cards. Grandma Renee wants to play a few rounds with you." She stated firmly. Masen nodded eagerly, and rushed off to his room.

"I play, Gwama?" Libby asked, tugging on Renee's pants.

"Of course, dear," Renee said kindly, smoothing her hand over my daughter's unruly curls.

Phil finished cleaning the kitchen, ignoring my attempts to help him, while Masen looked for the cards. I put Ella in her crib for her morning nap, and helped Masen shuffle the cards once he finally found them.

Renee sat with Libby in her lap, and Phil had decided to join us as we sat around the kitchen table, swapping plastic cards with images of various fish on them. We sat like this for almost two hours, and Masen won more times than any of us.

Eventually, we tired of the game, and Libby and Masen went to play in the study while the adults (minus Bella) sat in the living room and talked about Renee and Phil's upcoming vacation. It was afternoon when we decided to make lunch, but Renee, in her attempts to fight our supposed food poisoning, had thrown out everything that was in our refrigerator. The only things she left were peanut butter and ketchup. She had also kindly cleaned out the pantry for us too, and all she left in there was the box of Saltine crackers and the case of Sprite.

Renee volunteered Phil to go to the store. I quickly wrote him a list on the back of a take-out menu, and Renee added in a few things, even though she was leaving tonight. I heard Masen and Libby begin to argue loudly in the study, and I went to investigate, terrified they'd wake up their mother and baby sister. I quickly sorted out their argument, and walked quietly back to the living room, picking up the stray toys that had nested in the hallway. I heard my mother and step-father in law talking quietly in the foyer.

"I'll be back, in an hour, tops, Hon," Phil said as he walked out the front door. Renee nodded assent, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, and Phil?"

"Yes, Dear?"

The next thing she said was so quiet, I could barely hear it. But I did, and I had to grip the wall, shocked by what she had uttered.

"Pick up a pregnancy test for Bella."

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AN: Haha, Phil has to buy a pregnancy test. Hm, a baby drop? What do you think? Is she or isn't she? I don't know myself, but Renee and Edward seem to think that she might be. Review and tell me if you want there to be another Mini Cullen or not, because I haven't decided. If enough people say yes, then there will be. If not, Baby Cullen will wait. It's up to you guys, cause you're so good to me. Tell me boy or girl, while you're at it.

Shorter chapters = faster updates (hopefully)

Don't forget to follow me on Facebook and Twitter! Links on my profile page! I might put up teasers there!

I have a new story! Please check it out? It's called "The Girl Next Door"

Summary: Childhood sweethearts turned bitter are forced to pose as a married couple. If the wrong people find out their marriage is a sham, they'll both be killed. The one thing they didn't expect? Falling in love all over again.

Reviewers get a family portrait drawn by Masen :)