Ding Dong…..I'm baaaaaccccckkkkkk. *takes a big slurp of rum and juice* So…you still with me? Ok then….

SM owns all Twilight material. (how many times do I hafta say it in a story?)

Chapter Ten:

Bella and Edward:

Meat

"Hey baby...I was just calling to see what you wanted for supper tonight. Call me back when you get this message. Hopefully it will be soon...I'm at the store right now." Bella hung up her cell phone and meandered down the cereal aisle looking for Edward's Captain Crunch. Silly man-boy with his don't touch my cereal habit she mused.

She finished the rest of her grocery shopping, with only the meat department left and Edward still hadn't called. "Okay buddy...guess it's my choice then." Bella perused the meat department's selection of port and chicken. Nothing sounded good to her at the moment. She wondered why? She hadn't eaten since breakfast, she should be famished.

After looking at beef cuts, and adding some to her cart, she once again went over to the chicken. Bella chose two packages and then moved onto the fish. She selected some Orange Roughy and then went down to the pork section. "Oh...hmmm...sausage...I haven't had a good sausage in..." Bella giggled as the innuendo caught up with her. "Well...since 7am this morning!". She giggled as she selected both the bulk sausage and some links. As she was putting them in her cart, she looked over and saw possible the biggest tenderloin she'd ever seen. The price was right, and well, she could have the butcher cut it up for several meals.

She picked it up, and maneuvered her way back to the counter, signaling the butcher's attention.

"Excuse me...could you split this up into two roasts about 2 lbs each and 3 sets of slices, about an inch thick with four slices each set?"

"Will do maam. Can you wait here? It won't take but a moment." The butcher was washing his hands as he talked to her and then donned a new pair of latex gloves. He took the package from her and laid it upon a table separate from the one he was just working at.

As he opened the package, the excess blood hit Bella's nostrils. It made her shake just a bit. What the hell was that? She wondered as she watched him make the first cut down through the tenderloin. With the next cut, the raw meat and fat smells also reached her nose, and nausea overtook her. Bella swallowed the bile back down and tried to remain calm and collected.

The butcher quickly finished the cuts and began packaging the meat. He looked up at Bella for a moment and gave a gentle chuckle. He motioned to the air freshener stand over by the doorway behind the counter. "Just spray that in the direction away from me, and breathe it in a bit. You'll be ok. I'm almost done."

Ah...I must not be the only one then...he's prepared. Bella thought as she grabbed the can and sprayed. "Whew...ok, better." she said as she turned to the Butcher with a smile, grateful for his help.

"Aww...it's ok ma'am. Lots of ladies in your predicament can't stand the smell of the raw meat. When my wife was that way, I had to shower before coming home. No biggie. Do you feel better?"

"Ermmm...What predicament sir?" Bella was puzzled.

"Well, in the ...you're...you know...in the family way." The butcher replied, a blush rising on his modest cheeks.

"Oh..." Bella giggled. "I'm not pregnant, at least not yet, but thank you for your concern. I must just be coming down with something. I didn't eat lunch, so maybe that's it...I don't know."

The butcher looked her up and down for a moment, and then looked directly in her face. None of the looks were of a sexual nature, in fact, it was all rather "fatherly". He pursed his lips and wrinkled his brow. "Say...you ever been queasy with raw meat before?"

"No, ...no I haven't." Bella replied.

"You ever skipped lunch before?"

"No"

"You ever had flushed cheekbones and rosy lips before?"

Bella was starting to worry just a bit. "Well, no...not that I recall...why?"

"Well ma'am, I'm just saying, that all these things are true now...and so ask yourself...if you can...but don't tell me, it's none of my business...are you ...um..well...erm...are you late?"

The butcher had a full on red blush with that question, and he hoped like hell she didn't answer out loud. This truly was none of his business, but after 5 children...he knew a pregnant woman when he saw one.

Bella replayed all he had said in her mind, thinking while absent mindedly picking up the cuts of meat to place in her cart. Huh...now that I think about it...um...wow...maybe? Should I get a ...hmmmm...

"Thank you sir", she said as she rolled her cart away from the counter and towards the check out aisle. As she neared it, Health and Beauty Aids came into view, as did the pregnancy tests.

Bella didn't want to get her hopes up, but there they were...right there, within reach. She chose 3 and proceeded to the check out.

Bella drove home barely paying attention and almost missed the stop sign. Once home, she unloaded the groceries and put everything away, except the fish. Fish didn't make her queasy, so this was a good bet for supper. She prepared the fish, and added a side dish of rice and a Greek salad to complete the evening meal.

Once everything was in the oven, she took a break and took a deep breath. She pulled out all three tests and read the instructions. Seeing they were all basically the same, she moved with determination to the bathroom.

Bella heard Edward come in as she was finishing peeing on the last stick. It was kinda tricky, as she had to put a stick in her stream, pull it out fast and grab another to repeat all before the stream of urine stopped. Bella was good at multi-tasking, though...so it worked.

Edward called to her and she yelled out where she was. "Babe...you ok in there?...I smell Orange Roughy. I think it's almost done, you want me to pull it out of the oven?"

"Um...ya, then could you come here please?"

"What's wrong...are you ok?" Edward's voice carried fear in it. Bella assured him she was fine, and in moments, he was back at the door, opening it.

"Hey...what's going on honey? Are you sick?"

"No...um...nope. Not sick. Just...well..." Bella didn't know how to say it...she had always imagined a grand gesture, with a meal and a card, perhaps an early ultrasound, and after she announced it, Edward would whisk her upstairs and make tender, passionate love to her. Well...so much for "romantic" She thought.

"Um...baby...can you look at these sticks for me?" Bella handed him the sticks she had been hiding when he came in.

"Sure...what are they for?" Edward looked at them for a moment, and it dawned on him what they were.

"Are you...these say...I'm gonna be a ...You're gonna be a ...OH MY GOD BELLA WE'RE PREGNANT!"

Edward swooped down and plucked Bella off the toilet seat, pants around her ankles and carried her back to the bedroom.

"Edward...wait...my pants..."

"You're not gonna need them right now baby..." he said as he laid her on the bed and closed the door.

"What...hey...supper...what are you..."

"Shhhh...baby...I'm making love to my wife...my pregnant wife...the one that's carrying MY child...she can eat when I'm done." Edward grinned at her and shut the door.

A/N

I think I gots one more in me before I gotta get more rum.

XXOO

MW2