Chapter 11: One Year Later

A year had passed since Jasper and Alice's perfect wedding and they were still happier than ever. Jasper's job still offered them little, but it didn't matter to them anymore. As long as they had enough for them to have food on their table, clothes on their backs, and a roof over their heads, they were happy.

One day while Jasper was at work, Alice was at home, bringing out tea she brought out tea for her guests in the parlor. "Here we are ladies," she stated smiling as she placed the tea down.

"Do you have any chamomile?" one of her guests asked.

"Yes, here we are Olivia," Alice replied smiling, "I usually don't care for it but it's been helping my queasy stomach."

The young woman sat down with a sigh. "Oh dear, you aren't falling ill are you?" her other guest, Laura, asked.

"No, not now. It only affects me during certain parts of the day," Alice replied.

She simply waved her hand. "Nothing to worry about I'm sure," she insisted with a small smile. The two women looked at her before looking back at the young woman.

"Alice, how many times have you felt ill during these certain times?" Laura asked.

The young woman shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it's normally just in the morning and sometimes in the evening depending on what I had for supper," she replied. Again the women glanced at each other. "What?" she asked curiously.

"Alice, how long has this been happening?" Laura asked.

"Well…just about a week, why what could be wrong with me?" Alice asked, panic showing in her eyes as she stood up from her seat.

Olivia just laughed softly, shaking her head slowly as she gestured for Alice to sit back down. "There's nothing wrong with you," she assured her.

"Then…why were you staring at me so funny?" Alice asked, crossing her arms over her chest, slightly offended that the women were still laughing a little.

Laura smiled softly. "Olivia and I believe that you are with child," she replied. The room fell silence once those words left her mouth. Alice was sitting on the sofa with wide eyes as the words slowly sunk in.

"With child?" she asked softly.

"Yes, not quite showing but you are with child," Laura replied, "Olivia and I both know exactly what you are talking about because we had gone through it."

Sinking back, she let out a deep breath when her hand immediately went to her stomach. "A baby…" she whispered, her heart speeding up the more she thought about it. A smile appeared on her face as an image of a beautiful baby boy with big green eyes and curly blond hair flashed in front of her eyes. All of a sudden her world felt like it was in the right place, everything was perfect in the world as it sank in that she could be carrying a life within her.

The two women saw her eyes well up with tears and they sat beside her. "Are these happy tears?" Olivia asked.

"Extremely happy," Alice replied with a smile, "far from expected, but a happy surprise nonetheless."

"As all babies are," Laura said smiling.

Letting out a deep breath, Alice stared at hers and Jasper's wedding picture that sat on the mantelpiece of their fireplace. Just knowing that this baby was a creation from hers and Jasper's undying love for each other made more tears well up in her eyes. "I have figure out a way to tell Jasper," she commented. The two women laughed at her sudden excitement.

"I would speak to a doctor first before you get too excited," Olivia told her.

Alice shook her head slowly. "No, now that you pointed it out to me I can just feel it. I am carrying a baby, I'm expecting! I'm going to have a child," she said excitedly. Smiling at her, they decided to leave for her to prepare to tell Jasper the news.

When evening fell, Alice was standing in the parlor with a box in her hands. She was nervous, extremely nervous about what to tell her husband. She hoped he was going to be just as happy about having a baby as she was. Even though their budget was already so tight, she hoped that when the baby was older they could afford more. She had it all figured out in her head of what to do for the first year of their child's life, but for now she just wanted her husband to be just as thrilled.

Sitting down, she fiddled with the ribbon on the box in front of her when she heard the door to the house open. "Darlin, I'm home," he called.

"I'm in here," she replied.

Limping into the parlor, he saw his wife sitting on the sofa with a box in her hand. "Good evening my love," he greeted, kissing her cheek.

"Hello," she answered smiling softly.

Jasper smiled at her, stroking her hair that had grown past her shoulders again. He looked at the box in her arms. "What is this?" he asked curiously as he sat down beside her. Smiling, she turned to face him.

"This…is for you," she told him.

Jasper gave her a quizzical look before looking at the box she placed in his hands. "Open it," she said anxiously. Chuckling softly to see the excited look on her face.

"Alright," he answered.

Removing the ribbon on the box, he opened it to find a blanket inside the box. "A blanket?" he asked, raising his eyebrow, "you shouldn't have." Alice laughed a little, taking the blanket from him.

"Jasper…this was mine when I was a baby. My mother gave this to me to wrap my baby in," she explained to him gently, hoping he would catch on.

Jasper stared at her for a second, but then it sank in. "Alice…are you saying…" he trailed off. Nodding her head slowly, she bit her lower lip.

"We're having a baby. I did go to the doctor after the girls begged me to, just to make sure and it's true. We're having a baby in the summer," she explained.

He was silent after that, staring at the blanket in his hands. "I know this is unexpected and we're not even financially stable to have a baby. I have done a lot of thinking and…" she started when he pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. Kissing him back, she rested her hands on his chest.

"A baby is a wonderful thing, wonderful, this is truly great," he told her as he hugged her tight.

Alice hugged him back with happy tears in her eyes. "I love you so much," he added, resting his forehead against the side of her head.

"I love you too, more than anything in this world," she replied.

Pulling away, Jasper leaned forward and pressed kisses to her still flat stomach. Alice moved her fingers through his hair, resting her forehead against the top of his head. "This will be the most loved child in the world," he murmured, hugging her close.

"This baby will be very loved," she answered softly.

They cuddled on the sofa, their hands clasped over her stomach as they both daydreamed of what their child would look like.

Back in Texas however, Demetri was obviously frustrated and shoved everything off his desk. "It is impossible for a person to disappear off the face of the earth!" he snapped. A private detective was sitting in front of him with a terrified expression on his face.

"M-M-Mr. Volturi…there is just n-n-no record of any Mary Alice Brandon in any city here," he insisted.

"Then branch out! I want to find my wife!" Demetri snapped as he grabbed the man by the collar, lifting him up from his chair.

The detective stared at him with wide, fearful eyes. "What use are you if you can't even do your pathetic job right!" he snapped, throwing him back in the chair, "get out!" The detective got out and ran out of the room.

"I had warned you about that detective, no spine whatsoever," a voice commented in the corner of the room.

Demetri glared at the corner. "And you think you could do better?" he demanded. A man stepped out from the shadows with an evil half-grin on his face. He had shoulder length blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, deep blue eyes, he was wearing black boots, and a business suit as if he were at a regular meeting.

"I assure you Mr. Volturi that when I promise my client that I will find the person they are looking for, I find that person," he answered.

Demetri just stared at the man in front of him. "Well Mr. Hunter, you have a year to find her," he instructed.

"Mr. Volturi, I'll find her in less than a year," Mr. Hunter told him shaking his hand with a chuckle.

Demetri shook his hand back, but then looked at the picture of Alice in her bridal gown on their wedding day. "You will be mine again Alice, that's all you'll ever be is mine," he hissed.