Bella POV

There are few things that are more uncomfortable than being examined by your father in law.

Of course, there wasn't much else we could do to avoid that. It wasn't as if I could go into any doctor's office and tell them I was pretty sure I was impregnated with some sort of vampire by a curse. I'm sure they would lead me to a much different hospital after that. So once Edward and I had hurriedly packed our things and gotten back home, our first move was having me checked out.

Luckily Alice had taken the roll of informer once we arrived, and took the other Cullen's aside to relay all that had happened. She had seen everything once we made the decision to come home, but had held off on telling the others until she knew what we wanted. I had no desire to see their reaction, especially when we didn't even know what was going on for sure. While they talked, Edward and I were with Carlisle. I followed most of what Carlisle did. First up was a pregnancy test, both naturally and through blood. Both showed I had the hormone which indicated pregnancy. Next was an ultrasound, which shocked us all.

There was indeed something in my womb. Something much bigger than it should have been for just being conceived. It looked like ultrasounds I had researched, but for maybe someone four months along. But it looked like a baby. Then again, any vampire could look like a human.

"Is it alive, no Frankenstein reference intended." Edward asked.

"I'm not hearing a heartbeat. That could be because it's still technically so early." But Carlisle still marveled at the screen. "Yet it's still moving around." He turned to look at me. "Bella can you feel that?"

I bit my lip as both he and Edward looked for me to answer. Truth be told, I had felt different changes just in the time it took us to get back. It had concerned me how quickly everything happened, and plus since I didn't know what would be normal or abnormal, there wasn't much to say until we figured it out. Edward sighed as he read my face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked; his hand still in mine as I shifted on the table.

"I wasn't sure if it was in my head, like me being hopeful." I looked back at the screen. It was such a tease. If I hadn't known what Laki had done, and I just saw this ultrasound, anyone would think I was pregnant with a baby. But we couldn't find a way to be sure. "So what do we do?"

"Well Bella, I could attempt to remove this." Carlisle said, his voice lowering even though no one else was listening but us.

"You mean an abortion?" I shook my head. "But we don't know enough. It could be a baby."

"And it could be like me." Edward reminded. "Bella us not knowing anything can go both ways. It could mean something good or it could mean something bad."

"Exactly, meaning we can't make that call right now."

"I don't know how long we can wait to make that choice though Bella. At this rate of development, and given that there is some if not all vampire characteristics, there is bound to be a lot of difficulty removing the….baby, from you. Whether that's today, a week from tomorrow, or when the two months is up, this isn't going to be easy." Carlisle reached for my other hand and I felt not his concern for his son's wife, but his concern for his daughter in law. And that was two different things, so I squeezed back.

"You know me. You know Edward. We can't do anything until we know everything."

Though his worry was still clear, Carlisle nodded. "Then we research. We have to be careful, but we ask others like us if they've ever heard of anything like this." He stood up, switching off the machines and setting aside his things. "I'm going to go talk with the others and see if they have any theories." He patted Edward's shoulder as he left, and I got up to right myself.

I glanced around Carlisle's office as I wiped the ultrasound jelly off my stomach. I had been wondering just how much medical equipment he had stowed away here. Probably enough to run his own clinic if he wished. I shook my head. He had probably already accepted people into his home without asking for pay. It was just the kind of man he was. The kind of vampire. If I was carrying one, who was to say just what it would turn out to be.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked as I sat back on the edge of the table.

"I'm never going to get tired of you saying that." I smiled at him, but it felt forced on my face. "I don't even know what I'm thinking half the time. It's all jumbled up there." I saw him twisting his wedding ring with his thumb on the inside of his palm. "What are you thinking?"

"Wondering what our chances of having another miracle are."

Now my grin felt genuine. "What a pair we are. We sure have dodged a lot of bullets. We might be running out now, but I don't know. I can't help but look at Carlisle, hell look at all of you, even the pack and think, you were all supposed to be monsters by definition. By myth, legend, whatever. All signs pointed to Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney. But you all have become what you wanted to be, not what all evidence suggested you would be."

"This isn't fully like that though. I can see your point, and yes I'm near one hundred percent sure that if we were given the chance to raise a child, the choices we made and the direction we took would mold a good kid. That's not what I'm worried about."

"You're worried that we won't even get that far." I nodded.

"I'm saying I'm worried that you won't even get the chance to see a baby born. The way she described what it would be like, I don't know how any human could withstand it. And while I'd like to say that I would be strong enough to be both parents for our baby…." He shook his head, looking down. "I've lived through so much that one thing I'm absolutely certain of is that I can't take another loss without you by my side. And whether this is a baby or something else, the probability of you and I standing in a sunset after this is very low."

"Gee and I wonder what the probability of a human moving to a town with vampires and werewolves and lasting longer than twenty three minutes is."

"As much as I wish your luck was indestructible, it's not."

"Well." I clapped him on the back and got up. "We had a good run then Cullen."

"Excuse me?" He smiled, but the confusion was in his eyes, temporarily burying the worry.

"Do me a solid and you file for the divorce, because if I do it I'll never get Jessica's I told you so's off my back."

"Bella, a moment of seriousness please."

"I am being as serious as a vampire pregnancy can allow. And don't get me wrong Edward, I love you." I saw the words light his face before he could restrain it. "I would do just about anything for you, just like I thought you would for me. But you continue to underestimate me my friend, and I tell you I won't stand for it."

We stared at each other a moment and he stood, considering me.

"So you're telling me that if this is a baby, our baby, you intend to carry it to your term and deliver it, all while keeping your heart going until we can change you."

"That is exactly my intention." My lips twitched, but I kept my expression steady.

"Even if this is a baby you realize that quick of a growing period, and any vampire traits, this isn't going to be easy on your body."

"Pregnancy ever is. Ask Renee, she'll sooner tell you that I ruined her before she'll say she glowed."

"We would have to change you immediately after the birth."

"I didn't picture a lifetime movie stunning delivery. Wham bam thank you mam is fine by me." I lifted my chin. "What else you got?"

"And if it's not a baby? If we find evidence that suggests what would be born would be something terrible?" His voice broke, showing me what I most needed to know. It wasn't just me and my well being Edward was hoping for. He was hoping this was our dream, not nightmare.

"Then we either find a way to do what Carlisle says, or something else. But we have to be sure."

"That I agree with." He nodded. "Jokes aside, it's not that I underestimate you Bella. I stopped doing that the moment we found each other in Italy. You surprise me still, of course, but I know how strong you are. I know if you want to do something, you'll do it, and I know how you fight. But this is way bigger than what we've been up against."

"Then we do it. But it has to be a we. I can't do this by myself."

"You'll never have to do anything by yourself. Whatever you want to do I'm right here. But you have to keep me in the loop; you can't hold things in because you're afraid of worrying me. That won't get us anywhere either."

"Agreed." I reached out at the same time he did, and there my fears could momentarily dissolve. There was still this spark and bond between us, and it would never break. But maybe we could add to it. And that was the reassurance I got when I felt a tiny tug towards him. This time it wasn't the pull I had always felt when he was near, but it was from within me. I gasped a little, tightening my fingers on his arm.

"What is it? Is it…?" He looked down at my middle.

"Yea, I think so." I looked back up at him, still not fully ready to hope, but also not able to bury my growing instinct. Still, I changed the subject. For now. "We should probably go talk with the others." But as I looked at the door, it suddenly seemed like an enemy. I would have to look at my family and tell them; once again, a psycho had taken my life out of my hands. The only consolation was that no one else would be at risk. Somehow I didn't expect any of the others to see the bright side in that. But Edward was by my side, and between that, and the little hope I allowed myself, I could do this.

As we walked up the stairs from the basement, I heard the front door open and what sounded like a stampede trample through from Jumangi, and recognizable voices followed. I paused on the staircase.

"The pack?"

"Yes."

"The girls?"

"Also."

"Excellent." I huffed out a breath and stomped up the stairs. "More people to disappoint."

"Bella." Edward took my shoulders before we made the turn to the main level. "Everyone up those stairs loves you. Any concern they show is because of that. Not because they think you did anything wrong. Neither of us did, isn't that what you were telling me in Brazil?"

"Yes. It's not our fault, it's hers, and that's half the problem. If this is a baby, that's something it will know."

"With the mother our baby would have." His smile was huge, "Bella that baby is going to know so many good things. It's going to know it was conceived out of what we have. Intentional or not, that can't be topped."

He was a goner. I saw that in his eyes. He was still guarded enough to not be sure of what was happening, but I could plainly see which way he was hoping for it to go. He wanted this as much, if not more than me. And with that, my hope and my strength grew as we went up to meet with our family.

"Bella!" I heard before I saw who I already knew the voice belonged to. Jacob ran to me and I braced for his arms as I was lifted and swung.

"Hey kid." I squeezed back with all I had, laughing as my other boys rushed forward, grabbing at not just me, but playfully punching and one arm hugging Edward.

"Turns out a few weeks without your best friend is really too much for me." Jake whispered and I felt my throat tighten.

"Ditto. You have no idea." I suddenly felt how much I had missed all of them, and it made this that much harder. Then I laughed as I was suddenly grabbed and sandwiched between Embry and Quil, with Ripley and Leah uncharacteristically squealing and reaching to hug me.

For a few minutes there was nothing but Edward and I reuniting with them all. There were hugs and kisses and laughs of excitement, even with the Cullen's; though I could see the sadness in their eyes. So I was reminded what I had to do.

We gathered in the kitchen. With it's eat in dining room there was enough room for us all to crowd around. Plus, it was a room for family. The living room was even too formal sometimes. And this wasn't a time for formalities.

Between Edward and I, we managed to tell them all everything. There was a mixture of anger over Laki, understanding for Edward, and worry for me. That was the worst.

"So what now?" Paul asked the million dollar question.

"Now we look for answers. Any we can find about this, which might not be a lot." Edward said his arm protectively around my waist. "We have to be prepared that we might not be able to find anything. We have to be very careful about how we look. The Volturi can't no."

"Why?" Emily looked at me with sad eyes as I answered.

"They want me turning from Bella Cullen to Bela Lugosi asap, and this is causing a further delay. And seeing as they collect the supernatural, I'm pretty sure whatever this is will be wanted by them." I looked at all of them as they seemed to crumple under the hopelessness. "Look you guys I know this is a lot for you all to handle. I don't expect anything from any of you. You have your own lives, and if you feel this is all too much and you need to distance yourselves…"

"Bella if you do not shut up I will eat your face." Morgan looked scary for the first time, making Embry and Athan look at each other, and shiver.

"If you let me finish I was going to say I will be highly insulted." I smiled at all of them.

"We're all stuck with each other." Edward said, smiling as well with emotion on his face.

"You two weren't the only ones to vow that." Jared winked.

"So now we do what we always do I guess." Sam said and Emmett nodded gravely.

"Take bets on whether or not Bella will survive." Elan took a piece of paper that Lulu handed him, and Rosalie smirked at me as she handed them a pen. "Who has pulls out a win at the end?"

"I got that action." Jake raised his hand, but his eyes met mine. There may have been twistedness in his voice, but there was only darkness in his eyes. I nodded to him, and forced my smile for the others.

Edward squeezed my hand as he placed his amount for the bet. That was what family was for in the end. They would stand by your side no matter what, even if it meant finding their own ways to cope with it. And for now, that was all any of us could do until we knew. But the hope was still there.

With a tug.