Thank you. I really find comments and opinions insightful.

And Kawaii-Inu-mimi, thanks for reading. ;)

Kathy, my beta.

Flashbacks are in italics. Q&A at the end of chapter. Brace for the depression.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Yeah, I know. Real pathetic.

Chapter 10: Circle's Chord

2007

Bella's Point of View

"I'm nervous."

We're at the sitting room of Dr. Thompson's ultrasound clinic, waiting for him to finish with his previous clients. I looked out the window at the dreary weather Port Angeles has succumbed to this day.

I turned my head back to the love of my life, awaiting his reply. He slowly closed the book he was reading, What to expect when you're expecting, and gave me a sympathetic look before draping his arms around my shoulders and kissing my forehead. I sighed. I felt calmer already.

"Don't worry about it, Bella. Carlisle said that Dr. Thompson is one of the best here in Washington." He then used his other free hand to open the pregnancy book again and continued where he left of.

Out of the blue, a nurse appeared in the room and called our name. Goosebumps flooded my skin as I stood up nervously and started walking to the room. Thank goodness Edward was holding me tight, I would have fallen due to my wobbly legs.

When we arrived, the pleasant nurse bid me to lie down on the makeshift padded table. I obeyed and Edward helped me up –more like carried- as I warily looked at the machine in which I would see my baby. The marvelous gift given to us.

Edward unfastened the last three buttons of the blouse I was wearing while I lay on the table, now tummy exposed. I rolled my head to the right and stared at the machine that would let us get a glimpse of him.

I wanted a baby boy. Ever since we found out, I've always imagined a little Eddie, running around the big house, with a good family taking care of him, and loving him more than the world. I explained this to Edward on our way here.

--

"Stop driving fast. I might throw up."

Edward immediately slowed, and I inwardly smiled. There is an advantage to being sick. I twisted from the passenger seat of the Volvo, failing to get comfortable due to the bump my shirt failed to hide. I had no idea that my stomach bump would show this early. I'm only three months along, for goodness sake!

I started to fumble with the sound system of the car while rubbing over my tummy when he asked. "What's wrong, Bella?"

Waving my hand in front of me, I answered. "Nothing." But it really isn't nothing.

I've been dying to ask him about the impending question Alice seems to bring up at the wrong times. We've never talked about the name we're going to give…it. Oh, I feel cruel when I have to call it 'it.' Ugh.

I bit my lip before adding to my previous response. "Wait, it's not nothing."

He slowed the car even more, actually meeting the limit, before inquiring. "All right. What's bothering you?"

"We have to figure out the name of the baby before we see it."

His furrowed brows calmed instantly, as he realized the question wasn't concerning on my health. But his face remained vacant, as if he didn't want to show any emotion for fear of my subjective opinion.

"I was thinking you could pick it."

My expression registered surprise. He doesn't want a say in this?

Just as I was about to reply, he continued passionately. "To me Bella, the name never says it all. Just the fact that you're giving me an irreplaceable blessing, one that I knew I never would have had without you is enough for me. So whatever you decide, I'll be fine with it. In fact, I bet what you decide will suit the baby so much, that you would have laughed that we had this conversation. Not to worry, it'll be perfect. She'll be perfect."

How could I answer to that?

--

Edward wanted a girl. That much I knew.

"Bella, the assistant doctor's here." Edward's velvet voice ended my reverie. A young man stepped into the room and assembled the equipment. My heart was pounding a million times per second in that short amount of time.

Edward, hearing the heartbeat, squeezed my hand and I took strength from the cold of his hand. "Bella, it'll be fine. We'll see her in a minute."

That's the second time he used the pronoun. Totally disregarding the doctor, I asked him. "You think it's a girl?"

He answered confident that I felt suspicious. "Yeah."

"Did Alice tell you? 'Cause she swore she wouldn't try to find the gender before me." I crossed my arms for emphasis.

He chuckled. "Calm down, love. I just have this feeling."

"Feeling, huh?"

"Yes."

I failed to retort back as the doctor cleared his throat and spoke gently. "Welcome Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. I'm going to be taking you through the ultrasound today. Dr. Thompson will be in after for consultation."

Edward nodded, but I was still dazed from the Mr. and Mrs. greeting. I love it.

The man, whose name was Dr. Stein rubbed the gel on my protruding stomach and it felt as cold as ice. I flinched once before tightening my hold on Edward's hand.

"Okay, let's see here." He placed the hand piece that was attached to the sonogram on the gelled part of the stomach and automatically, an image appeared on the screen.

I was never prepared for such a sight.

2007

Edward's Point of View

"That's the baby's heart," the doctor said, pointing at the fuzzy image on the monitor. "It's tiny, but she looks very healthy."

I smiled silently, pleased. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it.

Bella glanced up to my face, her face stunned. But there was a hidden satisfaction in her eyes, and I was thrilled.

When I found out I was going to be a father, I imagined my child to look exactly like my Bella. There was nothing I wanted more to see a beautiful child with an easy going smile and striking auburn hair. It wouldn't hurt if she had doe-eyed brown eyes. Innocent. Lovely.

"Are you sure it's a girl?" Bella's voice resounded the room. The colour on her face was back and she was grinning strikingly.

"I'm sure." Dr. Stein answered, looking very happy for us. I like this man. "There's a good shot," he moved the hand piece to a particular side of Bella's stomach. "Look for yourself."

I squinted; my sharp eyes not much help. "I'm not exactly sure what I'm seeing."

"That is the bottom." He clarified, "and there's the legs. She's sitting on the camera…"

Bella laughed, and I still can't see it. I furrowed my brows and narrowed my eyes to the point of glaring. "I don't see anything."

Dr. Stein chuckled. "That's how we know it's a girl."

Bella was positively howling, and I couldn't help a snicker. Nice one, doc.

"Okay, let me get some measurements before I print out a sonogram picture."

This is the only Ultrasound Clinic in Port Angeles that produced 3D and 4D sonograms. I was very excited to see a nice looking photo.

He moved the machine again, hitting button after button, uttering word like "On schedule" or "Normal." That word made me flutter inside.

"She's due around February." My wife and I beamed.

He stirred the hand piece again, when he suddenly froze. Instead of pushing another button, he moved it away from the leg and zeroed on what seemed to me like a white line stretching towards our baby girl, something that looked like static in the sepia toned screen. The doctor frowned and zoomed on it some more. All at once, he began moving again; pausing to examine each image he stopped on. He seemed to be checking on every angle of Bella's stomach.

I couldn't help but ask worriedly, "What are you doing?"

But he seemed to be lost in concentration. "Just checking." He zoomed in and out before shaking his head and heading out the room, murmuring his excuses.

Bella turned to me, her eyes gathering moisture. "What's happening?"

I shook my head and wiped her forehead. "I don't know."

After a moment's silence, Dr Stein came back with Dr. Thompson, who we were going to see right after the ultrasound. He voiced his hellos before speaking with Dr. Stein in hushed voices.

What in the world is going on?

Dr. Thompson took over the machine and sat on the chair. "Let's take a look."

Our girl came into view again as the hand piece touched Bella's stomach. But Dr. Stein pointed somewhere else, again on the wavy line.

Everyone but Bella leaned forward. I tried to decipher what it was, but all I noticed was that it seemed to be coming from the walls encircling the baby in the surrounding dark space. Stein pointed at it again. "See, right there."

Thompson faced his colleague thoughtfully. "Has it attached yet?"

Stein took the hand piece and moved it around then shaking her head. "No. I didn't see it attached. I checked everywhere."

The two doctors were silent. Bella's voice trembled. "What are you looking at?"

Dr Thompson glanced at Dr Stein, who left the room. When we were alone, the genial doctor placed the wavy line in view once again. Pointing at it, he told. "Do you see that? It's known as the amniotic band.

"What we've been checking is to see if it attached anywhere. If it attaches, it's usually on the extremities, like the limbs. So far though, it hasn't attached, so that's good."

My voice failed me and my body shuddered, my brain about to explode. I can barely breathe.

"I don't understand," Bella asked, biting her lip, "What do you mean? What does this band do?"

He exhaled slowly. "This band is made up of a fibrous material as the amnion-this sack that holds the baby. As you know, one end of the band is attached to the sack, the other is floating free. If that end attaches to the fetus, this is known as ABS, or amniotic band syndrome."

He paused regretfully, but continued. "If that happens, it increases the odds of congenital abnormalities. There's a chance it could attach, right now it's floating in the fluid. As the fetus grows bigger, the larger probability of attachment. This is every rare. I'm sorry."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. It can't be right, we were happy and smiley just minutes ago.

I can feel Dr. Thompson's regretful thought in my head. I can't take it.

Bella asked again. "How serious is this?"

He spoke clearly. "If it's true ABS, it could be very serious."

One thing popped into my mind as I looked at Bella's delicate form, lying on the bed. "How about my wife?"

"Isabella will be fine. This syndrome doesn't affect the mother. There's really nothing we could do but wait and hope it doesn't connect."

In the silence, I could hear the steady hum of the ultrasound machine. I listened for Bella's heart, and with it I heard my child's, in sync with her mother's.

"You said it could be serious. What's the worse part it could attach to?" I blurted it out, not considerate about the bedspread that I was crushing beneath my hands.

I felt Dr. Thompson's sympathetic aura change to a nervous one. "It's every improbable, but it can."

His mind was a jumble, I could not read it properly.

"How?" Bella moaned and we waited for his answer.

The doctor stood up majestically but sorrowfully bowed his head. "If the band attaches to the umbilical chord…you could lose the baby."

END CHAPTER 10

So, What do you think? Sorry I left it on a cliffy.

The syndrome idea was borrowed from Nicholas Spark's book, 'At first Sight.'

Q&A for Chapter 9

crystalight22:so is all this being gone over with violet or are the vampires just remember the past?

No, this is not part of the vampire's conversation at all. These continuing flashbacks are pretty much filling up the remaining holes in the story. Good question, though. Thanks.

glilgirl11:but the heart pumps the blood around the body.. without it pumping, we technically can't do anything, blood wouldn't be circulating. don't you think i should've just shortened my review to that?

I really found your review intuitive because those were exactly the same questions that rang through my head while writing this chapter. How would I be able to do it? How can I find a reason for the pregnancy? How can I find a loophole that could solve my problems? Well, that was really what it came to. I guess we just have to use the willing suspension of disbelief. I'm sorry if it didn't make sense. It gave me a hard time to write down, as well.

P.S. Thanks for giving me your thoughts, by the way. So no, I don't think that you should've shortened your review. It was great. Hope to hear some more perceptive comments from you. :)

Review!