10. Crime and Confession

Dinner, Shalayne had to admit, had gone well.

Not only was the food wonderful and the service fairly fast given how busy Smuggler's Landing was, but the company couldn't be beat. Mason was being so sweet, complimenting her stories and laughing at her jokes - even when they weren't funny. She found that she really liked his smile, the way his eyes shone when he laughed, and how he really got into it when he was telling one of his own stories or jokes. And as she sat watching him during one of his stories, feeling a smile on her face, she realized that, for the first time, she wasn't questioning whether or not it was their bond making her feel that way. She honestly believed that her burgeoning feelings for Mason were genuinely hers, and that felt so good that she couldn't even put words to it.

She learned that despite all the talking they'd done earlier in the day, Mason still had the capacity to surprise her. He'd asked about the youth seminar she'd been attending before she had come over from South Dakota, which Leland had described as a "summer camp for young scholars" (according to Seth), and she had explained that it was a "glorified job and college fair aimed at teenagers with high GPAs, in the hopes of encouraging them to get degrees." Shalayne admitted that she was glad she still had a year of high school left, because it would give her the time to decide between pursuing a marketing degree or "whatever degree is required to be a highly sought-after mechanic." He was impressed that she was a girl who knew her cars.

What had surprised her, however, was his response to her question of what he was planning to do with his own future. Mason told her that he had been accepted at the University of Washington, his father's alma mater, for which he was receiving tuition assistance in the form of scholarships via the American Indian College Fund. He was going to seek a bachelor's degree in accounting so that he could go into business with his mother.

Shalayne snorted as she attempted to stifle her laughter. Mason had raised his eyebrows as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What's so funny about that?" he'd asked.

She coughed and cleared her throat before saying, "I'm sorry, I'm not making fun. It's just that you're such a big guy I find it hard to picture you being an accountant."

Mason had grinned cheekily as he sat forward again, saying, "Just imagine how damn good I'm gonna look in my suits."

Now they were at Laurel Lanes, one of the only surviving bowling alleys in the city. The lanes were busier than the restaurant had been, and for a moment they were afraid they weren't going to be able to bowl that night. As luck would have it, however, they were right on time to snag a lane that had just opened up. After getting rental shoes and bowling balls from the guest selection, they found themselves on Lane 10, next to an older couple. The lady offered a friendly greeting.

"Hello there, kids," said the woman as they were taking off their own shoes to put on the rented ones. "I'm Nancy Lewis, and this is my husband Vernon. Hope you won't mind being stuck next to a couple of old fogies like us."

Shalayne chuckled. "Not at all, Mrs. Lewis - you're here to enjoy yourselves, same as we are," she said. "I'm Shalayne Whistler and this big lug is Mason Westerman."

"Oh, Shalayne is a very pretty name," Nancy said as she looked between them. "Are you here on a date?" she asked, a hopeful gleam in her eye.

Mason grinned. "Yup. It's our first, actually."

"Oh, Vernon, did you hear that? Their first date!" She turned to the two of them excitedly. "Oh, this is so wonderful - our first date was a trip to the bowling alley, too! Of course, we were with a group of friends, but it was still a real special night. In fact, this is the forty-second anniversary of that date, and our forty-first wedding anniversary."

"Well, congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis," Shalayne said as she slipped the rented shoes on over her socks. "Happy anniversary."

"Nancy, why don't you quit boring them kids and let 'em get their game started," Vernon said, looking up for the first time from the scoring terminal. Taking another look, he said, "Can I ask where you kids are from? Don't think I've seen you in here before."

"Forgive my husband's nosiness," said Nancy. "He's the manager of the bookstore at PACC, and I think he's gotten a little too used to the kids opening up to him."

"That's quite alright, Mrs. Lewis," Mason said smoothly as he slipped into the seat at the scoreboard terminal to enter his and Shalayne's names. "To answer your question, sir, I'm from La Push."

"And I'm technically from South Dakota, but I'm moving to La Push with my brother," Shalayne said. "Our father was Quileute, and my brother and I came over to get to know the tribe he came from."

Vernon Lewis brightened. "Oh, you're from the reservation? You wouldn't happen to know a young lady named Leah Clearwater, would you?"

Shalayne and Mason glanced at each other and smiled. "Yes, sir, we do. In fact, she's dating my brother," Shalayne said.

"Well good for her!" Vernon said. "She used to work for me in the bookstore at the community college - such a nice, meticulous, and dependable young lady. Would you be so kind as to tell her I said hello?"

Shalayne nodded. "I'd be happy to."

Nancy sidled over to Shalayne. "Say, are you a good bowler, hon?"

The younger woman giggled. "I've a 230 average. I've been junior league champ the last two summers and captain of my high school bowling team."

"So she says," mused Mason with a grin.

"How about you and I whip the pants off these fellas, eh? Figuratively speaking of course," Nancy asked, to which Shalayne laughed. "My husband and I have only each other to compete against most of the time, but you kids look like you can handle a little healthy competition."

Vernon looked up at his wife. "Nancy, shouldn't we compete against them together? We are on the same team, dear."

"It's okay, Mr. Lewis-let the women talk," Mason said then, offering the older man a knowing smile. "While we compete against each other in a nice, friendly game or two, we'll also be showing them who's Lord of the Lanes."

Shalayne laughed. "Oh, it's on, buster!"

And so it was. While as teams they were matched fairly evenly, the women did indeed score higher than the two men. Shalayne and Nancy had a great deal of fun teasing Vernon and Mason about their scores, at which the two men claimed they were "letting" the women score higher so as not to hurt their feelings.

"If believing that lie helps you sleep at night, you go right ahead, dear," Nancy had said to her husband with a smile.

After three games, though, Nancy and Vernon called it a night. "I'm afraid we're not as young as the two of you anymore," he said lightly.

Mason held out his hand to him. "It was a pleasure playing meeting you, sir," he said. "I had fun."

Shalayne was shaking Nancy's hand then as well. "Yes, me too. It's always more fun when there's someone to play against, I think."

"We had a wonderful time," said Nancy. "Thank you, kids, for helping make this such a memorable evening for us."

"You're quite welcome," Shalayne said. "And don't you worry, Mr. Lewis. I'll remember to give Leah your message."

Vernon nodded. "Thank you. You kids take care now."

With a wave and another smile, the older couple walked toward the exit. Mason looked down at Shalayne. "They were a lot of fun," he said.

She nodded. "They were. And they're proof that not all older people are decrepit and frail-they've obviously taken excellent care of themselves."

He reached for her hand. "They're also proof that not every relationship in this country ends in divorce."

Although she smiled in response, Shalayne raised an eyebrow at his words. "True, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, eh? You and I haven't even made it through our first date yet."

Mason laughed. "Point taken. You up for one more game before we go? Just you and me?"

Nodding, she said, "Sure, why not?"

He grinned. "Excellent. Just let me make a pit stop in the men's room, and I'll be ready to play."

Shalayne nodded and sat at the scoring terminal to wait. She thought about the last couple hours and determined that as far as first dates went, this one ranked pretty high up there. She was having so much fun-Mason had been nothing but a gentleman, deferring to her and seeing to her wants and needs, same as she had seen the other wolves do with their bondmates. The Lewises had been great fun to play with, too. The friendly competition between the couples had definitely livened up the evening, and she had a feeling that Leah would be pleased to hear her old boss had asked about her.

She was startled out of her pleasant reverie when a boy about Mason's age, give or take a year or two, suddenly appeared in front of her, leaning against the scoring terminal.

"Hey there, sexy," he said with what she assumed was supposed to be a sly grin. "How you doin'?"

Shalayne sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm doing just fine, thank you," she said with forced politeness.

"Say, baby, how's about you ditch that reservation reject and come hang with a real man?" the boy asked.

Her eyes widened as her temper flared. "My boyfriend is not a reject, jerkwad," she said hotly. "Why don't you get lost?"

His too-friendly expression fell, becoming angry and more than a little sinister as he straightened. "I don't think you're getting the message, babe. I want you, and you're gonna come with me."

As he spoke he reached out and grabbed her roughly by the arm, jerking her to her feet. Shalayne felt her limbs trembling as the violence of the action stirred the wolf inside her. She could feel her animal side awakening, could feel the heat in her limbs as her muscles began to tremble.

Her attacker grinned. "Now that's more like it. You're shaking with anticipation already - and you should be. I've got a package that'll - "

He didn't get to finish that statement. A fist he didn't see coming at him - Shalayne's - connected with his jaw in a hard punch, and he reflexively let go of her arm as he was knocked unconscious and fell to the floor. At that same moment Mason came barreling over, and she nearly hit him, too, when he took her by the shoulders, but when she saw who had touched her, she instead threw her arms around his neck, holding him tightly.

"Sweetheart, are you alright?" he asked roughly, holding her away from him after a moment. "That fucker didn't hurt you, did he?"

Shalayne shook her head. "No. He grabbed my arm, but that's it."

The two of them turned as the man from behind the shoe counter approached. "I've called the police," he said. "They'll be here soon."

Shalayne groaned, and Mason drew her to him again, his arm going around her shoulders as hers snaked around his waist. "Might wanna call them back and let them know they're picking up three losers, not just one. I got jumped in the men's room by two other fucktards, no doubt friends of this jackass," Mason said, viciously kicking the leg of the unconscious boy on the floor. "Both of them are out cold, too."

"Oh, they are - friends I mean," said the man, as several onlookers muttered. "I actually called the cops as soon as they showed up a couple minutes ago, about the time your lane mates were leaving. These three come in here all the time, harassing women. They're banned but they keep coming back - only thing we can do when we see them is call the police."

"Oh god, the police!" Shalayne moaned. "We're going to have to talk to them, aren't we?"

"If you want to press charges, I'm afraid so," said the alley employee.

She turned her face into Mason's chest. "Leland is going to be so pissed."

Moments later the police arrived, and the employee - whose name was Steve - notified them that the other two were in the bathroom. An ambulance was called to meet the three assailants outside at the patrol cars; all three had been knocked unconscious but were coming around as they were each being hauled off the floor and handcuffed. Once they had been taken outside away from the crowd of bowlers, one of the officers came up to Shalayne and Mason and took their statements.

Mason spoke first, answering each question the officer asked, detailing each moment of the assault in the men's room. Shalayne cringed when he described how one of the boys had dragged his arms behind his back so the other could punch him, even though she knew that his size and strength were more than a match for two scrawny teenage boys. When the officer turned to Shalayne and asked her what had happened by the lanes, she repeated everything the attacker had said before he grabbed her arm and she had hit him. She felt Mason tremble as she spoke, and her hearing picked up a sound that the noise of the bowling had obscured from the officer's ears - a low-frequency growl; hearing he'd been called a "reservation reject" hadn't bothered Mason, but the fact that she had been grabbed had clearly pissed him off.

The officer flipped his notebook closed. "Alright kids. I won't make you do it tonight, since it's getting late and you've got a drive ahead of you. But you will need to come back up here tomorrow, and check in at the station so you can review and sign your official statements. Miss Whistler, since you're still a minor, you'll need to bring your parent or guardian with you."

Her eyes widened, a shot of fear spiking through her at just the thought of telling Leland what had happened, but she nodded. The officer thanked the two of them and turned around to leave. Mason and Shalayne followed close behind, all thoughts of a fourth game forgotten.

At the car, Mason opened her door for her without a word, shutting it behind her after she slipped into her seat. A moment later he was behind the wheel and pulling them out of the parking lot. Tense silence permeated the air in the car; Mason sat stiffly in the driver's seat and Shalayne sat staring out her window, one arm wrapped around herself and the other raised to her mouth to chew on her thumbnail.

"Are you alright?" Mason asked after several minutes' time.

Shalayne shrugged. She didn't really want to talk about what had happened. She'd been having such a good time, and now it all felt ruined. She hadn't felt afraid of her attacker at all - the only thing that had scared her was the thought of telling her brother.

Mason reached a hand over and gently laid it on her shoulder. She moved her right hand over to rest atop his, sighing as she said quietly, "Leland is going to go postal."

"He's that protective of you, huh?"

She scoffed. "Let me put it to you this way: There are rumors still to this day all over Lower Brule that he paid off two kids to beat up other kids that picked on me because he was too old to fight them himself - once when I was in the second grade and again when I was fifteen. When I was eight, I got pushed off the swings at school and twisted my ankle, and the boy that did it came to school the next day with a black eye. Two years ago, I was hanging out with my friends at McDonald's after school and this jock who liked playing more than one field smacked my ass as I was walking by his table on the way to the bathroom - next day he had a cast on that hand. No one involved has ever pointed the finger at him, but Lee had already made it pretty clear from the moment I could walk that no one was to mess with me. I guess he'd put up with a fair amount of bullying when he was younger."

Shalayne shrugged again as she pulled his hand down into her lap and held it between both of hers. "My brother's always been fairly over-protective. I think it has something to do with the age difference - there are more years between me and him than there are between Leah and Seth."

Another silence fell, broken by Mason a few minutes later when he said, "So I'm your boyfriend now, huh?"

"What?"

He laughed. "You said you told that dickwad that was coming onto you that your boyfriend wasn't a reject. I can only assume you meant me."

When she looked over at him, Shalayne saw that he was grinning. Chuckling, she gave his hand a squeeze, saying, "Well, definitely not a reject. As to the other part, I did kinda say that hoping he would leave me alone, but now you mention it… If we can go on a date that doesn't end with us talking to the police, I'll think about making it official."

She could practically feel the joy radiating off of him when she said that, and the smile on his face was so bright that she couldn't help but smile herself. Thinking about it, she realized that what she had said, calling him her boyfriend, had actually felt good. It felt right, even if she had, at the time, only said it to try and drive away that jerk at the bowling alley. Shalayne knew in her heart of hearts that she really did like Mason on her own and that her feelings for him were already getting stronger-also on their own, without any help from their bond. And when she allowed herself to think about the bond, she simply felt infused with peace. Though she still wanted to be cautious, to take things slowly, being with Mason was definitely something she wanted…

…and that felt really, really good to admit.

It was Rosalie who carried her upstairs the final time that night. Cailin sighed, secretly wishing it were Embry's arms she'd been cradled in, but he'd received a call from his mother about a busted pipe under the sink earlier in the evening, so he'd gone home to try and fix it so his mom wouldn't have to call a plumber. He'd been so attentive and sweet all day, obviously making every effort to make up for the two weeks he'd been a jerk, and she already missed his presence - he was the only person she didn't mind having wait on her hand and foot.

After stopping in the bathroom to bathe, Rose took her into her room and helped her pull a nightgown over her head, before she settled down under a light blanket.

"Rosalie," she called out as the vampire was about to leave. "Can I ask you a question?

Rosalie turned back and came to sit on the edge of the bed. She smiled as she did so, and Cailin suspected she was pleased to have been asked to stay. They had talked numerous times since the night she had offered to let her be mother to her baby, but Rosalie never failed to look ecstatic about talking to her. It didn't even matter if the subject was not the baby - the older woman honestly seemed to enjoy spending time with her, getting to know her. The other members in the family had expressed their thanks countless times to Cailin over the last two weeks, saying that they had noticed such a change in Rose, and the baby she would soon call hers was the reason for it.

Cailin couldn't say for sure if Rose really had changed as she hadn't known her well before this happened. She only knew that Rose listened to her fears and insecurities and didn't judge. She didn't try to placate her and tell her everything would be okay. Like Esme and even Bella on occasion, she would simply sit and listen, offer her opinion when asked, and even take her mind off her worries with inane chatter whenever she sensed Cailin was becoming overwhelmed.

"You can ask me anything," Rosalie replied to her query.

Cailin studied her golden eyes in the dim light filtering through the windows for a long moment. Right now, she knew, Rosalie was as happy as she'd ever been in her life, both as a human and as a vampire. But she hadn't always been happy to be a vampire, mostly due to her inability to have children. Something Cailin had often wondered had sat in the back of her mind since the night Embry had told her the truth about himself and the existence of vampires, and suddenly she found that she had to know the answer.

"There's something I've been wondering," she began, "for a while now - about you, actually."

Rosalie's eyebrows winged up. "Really?" she countered. "What's that?"

"Well, I know that from the beginning, you've not been too happy being what you are because of everything you had to give up," Cailin went on. "It's all the same things I don't want to give up, and it's why I'm praying your da can really deliver this baby safely and keep me human afterward."

She cleared her throat then and plunged ahead, even though she was suddenly nervous about asking. "I also know that a vampire can be killed, and so I've been wondering… If you were so miserable, why did you never try to end it for good? I know neither Carlisle nor Esme would have done it, but given what you've told me 'bout your relationship with Edward back then, had you picked a fight with him he might well have been inclined to oblige you. And even if he wouldn't, you could always have sought out some other vampire and got into a row with them."

Rosalie chuckled lightly as she looked down at her milky white hands, which she held loosely in her lap. She was silent for a long moment, so long that Cailin began to fear she had offended her. She also began to wonder if Rose might not reply because anything she said on the matter would be overheard by the other vampires in the house, as well as Jacob - whose hearing was nearly as acute as theirs. And although she knew each member of the Cullen family respected each other enough to do their best not to eavesdrop on private conversations, this one they might well be inclined to listen in on - it was quite possibly a question they'd all longed to know the answer to.

"The easiest answer to give," Rosalie said at long last, "would be to say Emmett is the reason I've never tried to 'end it for good.'"

Cailin frowned. "But wasn't there two years between when you were changed and when you found him in the woods?"

Rosalie nodded. "That's why I said it would be the easiest answer," she replied. "He's certainly the only thing that's kept me going ever since, the only thing that's made this endless existence worth living - not that I don't love the rest of the family, of course. But before Emmett came along…"

She sighed even though Cailin knew perfectly well she would have no need to. It sometimes surprised her that the vampires continued their human charade even when they knew they didn't have to keep pretending, though she supposed it was all to keep themselves in the habit of acting human when people actually were around.

Rose's gaze wandered to the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Before Emmett," she went on, "I was really depressed. I tried hard not to show it, putting on a brave face and all that, because I really was grateful to be alive even if it was the wrong kind of alive. Who would want to get beaten and raped to death, after all? And honestly," she went on, looking back down at Cailin, "there were times I did consider picking a fight with Edward so he'd have an excuse to kill me all the way and get my misery over with."

She shrugged her thin shoulders listlessly. "But I never went through with it. I often told myself that the reason was because I was happy about being young and beautiful forever - Edward thought I was vain and selfish, so why not play it to the hilt? And I was vain and selfish; a part of me really was glad I would never get old, that I would always be pretty. How self-centered is that?"

Cailin felt herself smile lightly. "There's an old Chinese proverb what says 'Youth is wasted on the young'," she said.

"Try telling that one to a vampire older than Carlisle," Rosalie quipped, then imitated another sigh. She looked back down at her hands as she said, "But the truth is, I was too much of a coward to commit suicide. I feared the pain - as much as I wished to be human again, I never wanted to go through anything like what I suffered on the last night of my human life. As vampires we don't feel pain the way humans do, but my early education in this life included the lesson that we do, in fact, feel pain when sufficient force is applied to our limbs by another vampire. And it's supposedly much, much worse than the worst pain a human could ever feel. I know the worst pain a human can feel - I've experienced it firsthand.

"I also…I also was afraid of what being really dead meant. I was raised to believe in God and Heaven when I was human, but when I was hurt by the man who was supposed to love me, when I found out I wasn't human anymore, I found myself wondering what kind of God would allow any of that to happen. I wondered what I had done that was so horribly wrong that I deserved to suffer like that, or that I deserved to suffer an eternity as a vampire without the love of a good man or children to call my own. I began to fear that there was no Heaven, or that if there was, I was never going to get there. I was so desperately afraid that if I was to get myself killed, there would be absolutely nothing - that I would cease to exist as if I had never been. And being the vain, self-centered bitch everyone knows and loves," she added with a smile, "I couldn't stand the thought of becoming nothing at all."

"I think, Rosalie, that simply ceasing to exist as if we had never been is something humans and vampires have in common," Cailin said slowly. "No one knows what comes when we die - we can only hope that it's something better than we have here."

She sighed herself then and lowered a hand to rest on her enormous belly. She knew that there would likely be some pain during her recovery if she survived the birth - for that matter, there had been pain during the pregnancy, though the child could hardly be faulted for it. Cailin, having grown up Irish Catholic, didn't fear that there was nothing after this life (her faith assured her there was) as much as she feared not being here for Embry. She dreaded death not because she was afraid to die, but because she was afraid to leave him all alone.

Don't be afraid.

Cailin blinked. "Don't what?" she said.

Rosalie raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say anything."

No, I did. Don't be afraid, mháthair. You'll be fine.

Cailin gasped and sat upright, moving so fast into a sitting position that Rosalie reached out to catch her by the shoulders. "Cailin, what is it? Are you going into labor?" she asked, alarm in her voice.

Even as the words were leaving her mouth, Carlisle and Emmett came bursting through the door. "Cailin, are you alright?" the two men said at the same time.

Both hands were resting on her rounded belly, and Cailin stared straight ahead for a moment, barely breathing as she turned wide eyes toward them. "I - I think…" she began, feeling her heart pounding.

Your heart is beating so fast. Did I scare you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.

Cailin let out a soft cry that brought Carlisle to one knee on the left side of the bed, taking her hand in his to check her pulse as Emmett moved to stand at Rosalie's side, both of them wearing alarmed expressions.

"Your pulse is elevated," Carlisle murmured. "Cailin, please talk to me. Tell me what's happening."

As she looked at him, twin tears fell from her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled as she said in a soft, almost frightened voice, "Please get Edward. He can - he can - "

Her stuttering halted when Edward suddenly appeared in the doorway. "I heard you asking for me," he said, his voice concerned as he stepped into the room. "What do you need?"

"Listen to 'im," she said. "I - I could have sworn I… Or maybe I'm finally going crazy from the stress, because…"

I did scare you. I'm sorry, mháthair. Please don't be upset. I just wanted to talk to you. I never did it before.

Edward's eyes grew wide as he looked at her. "Did you hear that?"

Cailin suspected her own expression was a mirror image of his as she slowly nodded.

Carlisle looked between them, his own eyes widening slightly in disbelief. "Edward?" he prompted softly.

Edward turned his head to look at him. "I believe the child is already proving to have a gift. He was projecting his thoughts."

"I didn't hear anything," Rosalie spoke up, confusion in her voice.

Her brother glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to Cailin. She looked down at her hands resting on her protruding abdomen as he said, "Perhaps it is because he wasn't talking to you - his thoughts were directed at Cailin. He believes he has frightened her by doing so."

"I - I'm not afraid," she said slowly. "Stunned would be more like it."

You're not mad at me?

She gasped a little as the tiny voice, sounding distant although it was so close, spoke to her again. "No, wee one," she replied hesitantly. "I'm just…really surprised."

"Dude, this is wicked!" Emmett exclaimed. "Kid's got a gift!"

"And is already able to use it," Carlisle added, smiling at Cailin as he stood. "That he can project his thoughts while still in utero is nothing short of astounding. It's truly fascinating to me that of his six offspring, Joham sired four that have developed a supernatural talent. Simply remarkable."

I want to hear my daddy again. I like his voice a lot.

Cailin and Edward both chuckled on hearing the child again, both turning their eyes to Emmett. "Emmett," she said. "The wee one wants you to speak. He likes his daddy's voice a lot."

Emmett's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "He…he said that? And called me Daddy? Did he really?"

Cailin grinned and nodded as the baby cried out Yay! That's my daddy - you said he was my daddy and he said he was my daddy!

"Aye, wee one, we did," she replied with a chuckle.

"What did he say now?" Rosalie asked. She was grinning as well as she held Emmett's hand.

"That Emmett is his daddy."

Emmett threw his head back and hollered "Whoo! God, I love this kid!"

I love you too, Daddy.

"Sweeting, you should tell him that, not me," Cailin said, rubbing a hand over where she felt the baby's head. "Do you think you can do that?"

I will try. A moment later, Emmett stepped forward and dropped to his knees, his eyes wider still as he reached tentatively forward and placed his huge hands ever so gently on Cailin's stomach.

"I love you little guy," he said softly.

"Do…do you think he'll talk to me?" Rosalie asked, then gasped and smiled.

Edward chuckled. "I guess that answers your question," he said.

Rosalie reached forward and placed a hand over one of Emmett's. "He…he called me Mommy," she said breathlessly. "Oh, God, if I could cry my eyes would be pouring buckets."

"You and me both, babe," said Emmett. "Ain't it frickin' cool we can already have a conversation with our baby?"

"It is," she replied with a grin, then looked toward where their hands rested. "Well of course it is, baby… No, I'm not mad. If it weren't for her we wouldn't have you. I could never be mad that you feel that way."

"What's he saying?" Emmett asked.

Rosalie glanced at him, then at Cailin. "The baby just asked me if it was okay that he loved you."

"He…he loves me, too?" Cailin stammered, her bottom lip trembling again.

Is that okay? You're my mháthair. That's my special word just for you. It means 'mother'.

Cailin chuckled lightly. "I know what that means, little one - where do you think you heard it from?" she said aloud.

Can I call you mháthair? Can I love you, too?

She glanced at Rosalie, who wore a small smile, and at Emmett, who wore his trademark grin. Then Cailin looked down at her belly once more, where all three of them had laid their hands. The symbolism was not lost on her that they had all practically joined hands over this tiny miracle, and for the very first time since she had realized she was pregnant, Cailin felt a weight lift from her. All her fears, all her doubts, all her uncertainty vanished with those two simple questions, and in that moment she allowed herself to begin to feel something for the child within her.

"I would be most pleased if you did," she said at last.

Author's Note: My apologies to those of you following this story that it took me so long to post a new chapter. I kinda hit a brick wall of writer's block after I'd finished the first half and couldn't figure out how to begin the second half. Hope you think it was worth the wait. ~ Christina