DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer, along with Little, Brown and Company, owns all the rights to the Twilight Saga. I own nothing and profit nothing from this story.
I looked up to see Edward in all his glory reaching out for me before his face contorted into pain.
"Edward?"
"There's a lot of blood. I'm sorry, Bella. Just give me a minute to adjust. I haven't been around your blood in so long," he said before he stopped breathing all together. I went to answer him, but a contraction hit and an agonizing scream came out instead of words. "Okay, just hold on, Bella," he said as he lifted me into his arms.
I felt us running and suddenly it was bright, too bright. We were outside and the sun was beating down on us. To make it brighter, Edward was sparkling brightly, too. I shut my eyes and scream as another contraction hit.
"God, it hurts!" Edward laid me down in the backseat of the car and jumped in the front to drive.
"I know, Bella. Just hold on. I can get us to the hospital in five minutes. Just five more minutes."
"Where's Embry?"
"I don't know. Alice called and said she got just a glimpse of you and where you were. Those babies make it nearly impossible for her to see you. As soon as she had the vision, I ran. I'm the fastest by far in the family, so I arrived before any of them could. I'll call Alice and tell her we're heading to the hospital as I presume she can no longer see me while I'm with you."
"Okay," I squeaked out.
"Alice, it's me. I've got her. No tell him to go straight to the hospital. She's in labor. I'll be there in two minutes. Fine."
"What?" I panted out.
"Everyone will meet us there, including Embry. Don't you have breathing exercises to do?"
"Oh, yeah. Embry is supposed to coach me through them."
"I'll fill in for him. In…Out…In…Out…In…Out…In. How are you doing?"
"How do you think I'm doing? I have two volleyballs trying to come through a baseball sized hole." The car slid to a stop.
"We're here," he announced though I think I heard it followed by 'Thank God.' He lifted me out and there was a nurse ready with a wheel chair. Quickly, I was being wheeled away. As we loaded into the elevator I screamed in pain as another freaking contraction hit. I noticed that Edward stayed behind.
"How far apart are your contractions?" The nurse asked and wanted to rip off something off her. It didn't matter what, as long as it hurt.
"I don't fucking know, close, pretty damn close. I was in too much pain to check my non existent watch. When do I get pain meds?"
"You don't have to be snippy, Miss. I'm only here to help. The doctor will decide when." I'll show her snippy if I don't get some freaking pain medication soon. This shit hurts like hell.
Soon we were in a room and a doctor followed us in.
"Hello, I am Dr. Murphy, and your doctor is not available so I will be taking your case today. Okay, Mrs. Call, how are we doing?" Are theses people freaking nuts?
"Argh! I'm in pain, lots of freaking pain! What do you expect? Can I get that epidural now?" He began to look over my cuts and bruises from John, not answering my question.
"Nothing seems to be major here, so we will focus on the baby." Who is this guy? Did he even look at my charts?
"Babies."
"Oh, yes, twins, sorry. The nurse said there was some minor bleeding. Let's have a look." He examined me quickly. "Alright, there is just some bleeding from tearing. It appears that this will be a very fast birth. You have already reached ten centimeters so I am going to have you pushing within your next few contractions."
"What about the medication?"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Call, there is no time for that." I don't think so! God, they are all really crazy.
"Make time!"
"That just-" He was cut off my scream. "Okay, well-"
"Bella!" Embry ran into the room and took me into his arms. "Oh God, Bella. I thought I lost you. You're not her doctor, where's Dr. Freeman?"
"Not available. We need to prep your wife, she will be pushing momentarily."
"Pushing already?"
"The babies appear to be coming rather quickly." Another contraction hit and I growled in pain.
"Bella? Did you just…"
"It hurts, Embry!" The doctor and nurses were scurrying around getting everything ready.
"I know, sweetheart. Just think, we'll get to see the babies soon and it will all be worth it."
"Okay, another contraction should be hitting any second, I want you to push." He was right, it did hit, and I pushed, gripping onto Embry's hand. Five contractions later and I would have settled for the twins to stay in there forever. I held my death grip on Embry's hand.
"Ouch! Damn, that's too tight, Bella. God, I think you're breaking my hand," he whined. I ignored him through the contraction. I only had enough time to catch my breath before the next one hit. "Shit, Bella. Please."
"Shut the fuck up, Embry."
"Bella."
"No, I don't want to hear you whining about a fucking broken hand, you son of a bitch," I said gripping his hand harder.
"It really kind of hurts, Bella."
"How the fuck do you think I feel. This is all your damn fault, so deal with it. Suck it up!" I growled out. He was silent through the next contraction except for a small whine that escaped him.
"Pink Elephant!" Embry exclaimed yanking his hand away and massaging it with the other. I don't think so.
"Pink Elephant?"
"You know the code words," he said nervously.
"I know what they are supposed to mean," I growled out. "You listen, Embry Call, and you listen good. That only applied to the pregnancy. No stupid, little code words are going to keep me from being as big of a bitch as I want during labor. I am a world of hurt with no, I said no painkillers. This is your fucking fault and I want you to know it. So, shut the fuck up about damn elephants and hold my hand like a freak man or better yet like a wolf, you pansy." Embry honestly looked scared. He simply nodded and took my hand again. He didn't complain the rest of the delivery.
Fifteen minutes later, a little boy born. I was exhausted and wanted that to be it. I felt like I was wrong, he wasn't a volleyball, more like a basketball. I started to cry as I heard him cry out with his little lungs. Embry went and cut the cord and the nurse carried him away to get cleaned up. Embry looked back at me with awed eyes.
"You did that, Bella. Did you see him, he's perfect?" I started to answer but another contraction hit.
"Alright, time for baby number two."
"I can't," I panted.
"Of course you can, sweetheart. Come on, I want to see that second baby."
"Then you do it. I can't. I'm too tired."
"Mrs. Call, you can do it. You are almost there," the nurse said encouragingly. When the next contraction hit I pushed with everything I had left. Another ten minutes and I could hear a small cry again.
"Congratulations, looks like one of each for you, this one was a very healthy girl." The doctor finished up with me while the nurses continued to clean up and check out the babies. Embry stayed by my side, wiping away my sweat and tears with a cool rag.
"You were amazing, Bella. I am so proud of you. God, I missed you. I'm so sorry I let that happen to you, and then I couldn't find you. I'm a failure as a wolf and a husband."
"Hey, hey, no you're not. There was no way for you to know what would happen that night. It's not your fault, Embry. The important thing is that we're here together and we have our babies."
"I don't know what I would do with out you."
"You don't have to, I'm not going anywhere."
"Here you go, would you like to meet your babies?" The nurse asked holding a pink bundle. I nodded and smiled widely as she brought her down to me. "Here is your daughter. And here is your son." She said as the other nurse handed a blue bundle to Embry. "Do you have names picked out?"
"No, we didn't know the sexes and they were early. They're okay though, right? Even though they were early."
"They're perfect. I've never seen healthier premature babies. They are just under two months early, but from initial looks of things they don't seem to have effects. Multiples are usually early anyway, so there doesn't seem to be anything to worry about. After you spend some time with them, we'll do a more thorough exam just to be sure."
"Thank you," Embry responded.
"Not a problem. Do you want your family members to come in yet?" I looked at Embry who was staring down at our daughter. I looked back to the nurse before answering.
"Can we have a few more minutes please?"
"Sure," she said and left us as a family of four.
"So, what do you think of names? I know we hadn't really discussed them yet," I said looking at my little girl.
"Well, let's switch and see if anything comes to us." I nodded and took my son into my arms. When I looked at him I gasped. "What, Bella?"
"He looks just like you."
"I guess that means he's mine and awfully good looking," he chuckled.
"No, I mean he could be your twin. I don't see one thing of me in that little face. Which is just fine with, but I just can't get over the resemblance to you. He's perfect."
"Well, this little girl has your eyes, and your ears, definitely your nose, and her hair isn't just black it has hints of brown and red in there. And you can't forget those pouty lips. Yep, she's all you. Lucky for her and her brother, they got some of my skin tone though. She's going to be a heartbreaker, this one is. Of course her brother over there, better keep away any boys that will hurt my little girl."
"I want to name her after you."
"Why would you do that to our daughter, Bella? Please don't call her Embry Jr. And besides, she looks like you, not me."
"So? And no, not exactly, just something similar. How about…Em… Emma…. Emmaleigh… Emmalynn. Oh, I like that, Emmalynn. What do you think?"
"Perfect, what about her middle name? Maybe your middle name, that way she has something from both of us."
"Emmalynn Marie Call. I like it. It flows really well. So what about this big boy I'm holding?"
"I think it should be something manly and tough. You know the opposite of Embry."
"I love your name and I think you should stop bashing it. It's unique and I'd never heard of it before. I don't want our children to have a name that they share with half the class. I want them to be individuals."
"Okay, just not one of those interchangeable names. One that would work for a boy or girl. That there is a potential wolf you're holding, and even if not, then he'll still be passing the gene on, so he needs to sound like a warrior."
"You are such a guy."
"And I'm proud of it. Plus, if I have anything to do with it that little one will too."
"So, any ideas?"
"Not really, you?"
"Nothing is hitting me." We sat there a few minutes both thinking to ourselves. I was coming up blank. Then Embry asked something that threw me for a loop.
"What's Edward's middle name?" What?
"Anthony, why?"
"It's just that I probably would not have you three if it wasn't for him and Alice. I think he should get some credit."
"Really, you mean that? You wouldn't hate that your son, a potential wolf, was named after a vampire?"
"No, not that vampire, not Edward."
"Well, I don't really like Anthony Call, but what about Masen Call? Masen was Edward's last name."
"Masen…Masen Call. I like it."
"I like it, too. Masen Emmanuel Call. It's just right."
"Emmanuel, you really like the whole similar to Embry thing."
"Well, I love their father very much and I want them to have a piece of you."
"Fine, it does sound pretty good." We were quiet for a few minutes. "You have no idea how happy you make me, Bella. What you just did for me, for us, having these babies. You're amazing and I love you with every ounce of my being."
"I love you, too, Embry."
Soon our whole family was there, human, werewolf, and vampire alike. Of course the vampires and werewolves kept there distance from each other. Everyone raved over the twins. First in was the pack and grandparents. The Cullen's waited in the waiting room. No one figured out who Masen was named after, but I'm sure they'll know eventually. I know Paul will surely have something to say about it, but I didn't care and neither did Embry.
I noticed that Embry was watching the un-imprinted wolves very closely as they laid eyes on Emmalynn. No one imprinted on her, thank God. Embry would have torn them apart on sight. I knew that was his big one fear of having a daughter. We'd only discussed it the week before my kidnapping. We were eating take out on the couch when he voiced his worries.
"Bella, have you thought about imprinting?"
"Imprinting? What are talking about?"
"I mean do think one of the guys would imprint if we had a daughter?" I had never thought about that possibility. I loved Embry and was thankful for our bond but I wasn't sure how to feel about that for my daughter.
"Oh, I don't know. I hadn't thought about it."
"I'm pretty sure I would tear the guy apart before he could even look away from her."
"Embry…those are your brothers."
"Exactly. This is why I don't want any of them becoming my future son-in-law. My life is perfect because I imprinted on you that day, and I wouldn't mind my daughter having someone devoted to her solely. But damn it, I don't want it to happen for a long, long time. I want to have her to myself before some other guy comes and takes over her heart. Some can imprint on her when she's twenty. I want at least the first eighteen years for us."
"So, what you're going to keep all the single wolves away from her until her twentieth or eighteen birthdays?"
"Maybe."
"You won't. And besides, look at Claire and Quil. That little girl has everything she could want and a best friend to look after her for her entire life."
"Yeah, but sometimes he fills the roles that her parents should be doing. I want to teach her to ride a bicycle not another wolf. I know she'd be taken care of, and in the long run that's the best I could ask for. I just want some time with her as my own."
"Why don't we not worry about this until we cross that bridge. We don't even know if there's a little girl in here," I said rubbing my tummy.
"I guess you're right."
Brady and Collin had already seen Emmalynn, and Seth was stepping away from Masen and I to walk over to Embry and Emmalynn. I saw Embry watching each step and tensing up. Seth looked down at my little girl and smiled.
"She's so cute. Which is hard to believe because she looks just like you, Embry," Seth said looking back at a relieved Embry.
"Thanks, Seth," he replied with a small smile.
Eventually, everyone left and the Cullen's made their way in. Alice was first to skip through the door.
"Oh look at them. They are so precious looking," Alice squealed.
"Yep, good enough to eat."
"Emmett, that is high inappropriate. I apologize for my husband."
"Oh babe, they know I'm kidding. Right, Bella?"
"You better be, Emmett."
"They are quite beautiful, Bella."
"Thank you, Rosalie."
"And they don't smell like dog, either, which is a plus," Emmett added.
"Really, Emmett, you should shut up before Rose hits you," Jasper said coming toward me. "They are certainly good looking babies. Congratulations to the both of you."
"Thank you, Jasper," I replied.
"So what names did you pick," Esme asked. "Because I must concur that these are the best looking babies I have ever seen."
"Well, I am holding Emmalynn Marie Call," Embry said proudly. Before I made my name announcement I looked at Edward who was standing close to the door. I gave him a smile and he returned it. I kept my eyes on him as I revealed my son's name.
"And this little guy is Masen Emmanuel Call." His eyes widen.
"You named him after me?" He asked looking uncertain.
"Yes, it was Embry's idea." Edward snapped his head to look at Embry, who just smiled.
"I owe all their lives to you. If you didn't get there when you did, then I don't what would have happened. Thank you."
"No need to thank me, I only knew where to run because of Alice."
"Thank you to both of you," I said.
They all left after Carlisle insisted that I should sleep. The nurses took the twins away to the nursery. I was exhausted past any and all belief. I fell asleep to Embry stroking my hair and murmuring sweet nothings in my ear. I was beyond happy and content.
