Need

Alexandra's Point Of View

I stared down at Gabriel. Two weeks since he had come, just two weeks. I felt as though, looking at him would make the thought of Nick disappear, but something kept forcing itself into my mind with a physical ache.

I had painful headaches, and every so often I felt dizzy. I could hardly eat, I felt almost like drinking blood. My skin looked incredibly pale and my upper body seemed to weigh a ton.

One night Gabriel went out with me to dinner. He couldn't eat but I was taking him hunting after so that he didn't have to go alone.

I ate a lot. I was shocked, I didn't feel hungry but then al of a sudden the food came and I began stuffing myself. I ate chicken, and steak, and all sorts of deserts. "Slow down, it's not going anywhere! Jeez this depression stuff really makes you act weird. First he leaves and you act strange and can't eat then all of a sudden you pig out?" Gabriel joked. "Al, maybe you should have Carlisle hook you up with some of them depression pills, like Cymbalta or some shit."

I smiled at his joke but I did feel weird. When we left My stomach seemed to weigh a ton and it felt hot beneath my sweater. I decided to see Carlisle that night and ask him. After Gabriel hunted I went home with him and straight to Carlisle's office.

I explained what was going on and he didn't find anything strange. "You're probably just worried, or stressed out. It will pass Alex, give it time." He said. He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

But I wasn't very reassured when I woke up puking my guts out the next morning. "Christ Al, you aren't looking so good. Here." Gabriel sat down beside me on the cool tile floor. He gently gathered all of my golden hair into one of his large hands. I bent over, throwing up more of last nights outrageous meal.

I began to sob as more of it came up from the very depth of me. "Al, don't cry. Please don't cry…just…don't!" He began to coax. "Start spreadin' the news…. I'm leavin' today, I want to be a part of it, NEW YORK NEW YORK!" He sang at the top of his lungs. "Come on Al. Finish the song with me!" I puked again as though that would provide an answer. "Alright, as soon as you're done here we are going to Carlisle." I nodded as best as I could and then stumbled to get up. My torso weighed heavily again and as I stood to go, My legs collapsed beneath me. Gabriel's stark white-Nikes slowly disappeared from view as my dark eyelids cased my eyes and I fainted.

"Well, I guess from what you're telling me we have to rule out any normal conditions." I heard Carlisle say. The table was beneath me, we were in the kitchen, I could hear the sink running and felt a cool cloth on my forehead. "Even depression."

"Ohp, I see green eyes!" Gabriel said.

"What's wrong with me?" I whispered.

"I don't know, yet Alex." Carlisle said anxiously. The cloth was removed and I saw Carlisle's hand reach for my forehead. "That's weird, you're very cold Alexandra."

"That is weird Grandpa, but my stomach…" I began to say. My stomach was heavy and felt hot again. "Grandpa my stomach…" I said dazedly. I looked down but realized his hand was already there. I couldn't feel it though.

"Alex… what is it? Can you feel it?" I was scared. I looked into Carlisle's mind and automatically doubted him.

"I can't be pregnant! I've never even been with a man! Not like that at least!" I began choking on words, and I sat up quickly. I looked down at my own abdomen. No way, it was impossible.

"Alexandra, were you very careful about what you thought about when you were with Nick? The night before he left he was worn down from his recently lost control of power. Did you want this when you were with Nick?" Carlisle asked. I began to sob. I placed a hand over my lower belly and felt the quick pounding of a strong heart within me. It pulsed quickly. I began to cry harder.

"The night he left, when he said he was leaving I kept thinking how much I wanted to have him, and get married and I wanted to have his baby!" I cried in Carlisle's arms. "Oh god, what am I going to do! I can't have a baby, I'm 16 years old and alone!"

"Alexandra, whatever you choose we will stand beside you." Carlisle said. "Of course I do have to warn you that the complications will be many, in the case of having a child of such a vampiric nature, if you should choose to go through with this. If not, we will terminate the pregnancy right away." I was shocked.

"I could never… especially not if it's Nick's. When he comes back, I want to have the family we both envisioned." I said.

"He's not coming back Alexandra. He took the Volturi's offer. His position is among the brothers. They treat him as one of them, and his position is permanent. I'm sorry sweetie." Carlisle said.

"Al, I'm here for you too, if you need anything." Gabriel said shyly from his corner of the table. I reached out and let him take my hand.

"Can I call him? Just to let him know?" I asked.

"Sure, if he answers." Carlisle said, handing me my phone. I called Nick's cell phone.

"Hello?" I heard the line crackle.

"Nick?" I asked. "It's Alexandra."

"Hi Alex." He said. "How've you been sweetie?" He sounded worried. "What's wrong?" He heard the sound of my voice more clearly.

"Nick, I'm pregnant." I said. I began to cry.

"Sweetie, ohimygod, sweetie!" Nick sounded worried. "When, what, how did you find out? When are you due? Is… is it mine?" He whispered the last line.

"Nick when you left you granted it to me, it was what I wanted. It's yours. If things go normally it should be due around May, maybe the end of April. I found out just now." I sniffled.

"Oh…shit. Crap, crap, crap!!!!!!" Nick cursed. "Alexandra, I don't think you're just pregnant. Is Carlisle sure it's not twins?"

"Why would it be…twins?" I wondered almost silently into the phone, but Carlisle's eyes widened and I thought they would fall out of their sockets.

"Because when I found out your mother was expecting twins, I wanted the same for us. I kind of wished we would have a family like that, like yours. I just wanted to be happy with you. You should have it checked out." Carlisle rushed from the room moments before and returned with an ultrasound machine.

Carlisle rolled it up nest to me and tugged quickly and expertly at my shirt. He rolled it up above my stomach. I was a little less shocked now. He turned it on and rubbed the gel on my belly.

I felt the strange wand on the machine touch my stomach. Carlisle began moving it around. Immediately a bold heartbeat pulsed. "There's one." Carlisle murmured. He moved it all the way to the other side of my stomach. Another heartbeat type sound occurred, slightly off beat from the over.

"Nick, it's twins." I breathed.

"God in heaven. Alexandra, I'm sorry, I'll wire you the cash fro an abortion." I heard the hope leave his voice.

"I'm not doing that Nick. These are our children, and I intend to keep them. I could never kill something, that is so precious." I said.

"I'll pay for a plane ticket then." I made a choking sound.

"For what?!" I said.

"Would you come stay with me? I'm living at a mansion in Italy, it's a beautiful large place, on a large property. There would be plenty of room." He pleaded.

"Nick, I can't…the Volturi…and the danger. Nick they'll be just babies, I can't put them in that kind of danger." I said.

"I'll call up Adrian, I'll provide you a body guard. Or two, your family can come too." He asked, desperately.

"Let me ask." I said. "Grandpa, would you mind if we went to stay with Nick? All of us or a few of us I don't care but I want to have the babies there, and I want him with me through this. Even if you tell me no, I'll get someone else to go." I said.

"Sure. But sweetie, I'm going to have to keep you monitored constantly." Carlisle warned.

"Nick, listen." I said. I held the phone near the speaker of the ultrasound machine. The pulsing echoed in the phone near my almost flat belly.

We all sat for a moment in silence letting Nick listen to the babies' heartbeats. Carlisle moved it again so he could hear the other one.

"They have…heartbeats?" He sounded relieved. "Then they'll be more like you Alexandra, thank goodness they might be slightly more normal." He actually laughed. I missed his laugh. "Listen get the first flight you can, I'll see you then! But for now I have to go." I said my goodbyes and we hung up, knowing that in just a few hours, we would be together and work it all out.