A/N:
Welcome to chapter twelve of At Last! By this point, I'm pretty sure you know that I'm eternally grateful to Detochkina, who is my beta-savior. I should probably give her co-author status, considering how much editing that poor woman has to do for me, but I think that I'll save that judgement for her (hey, R! Whaddya say, you my co-author? ;) ).

Special thanks to MizzezPattinson and Coldplaywhore for reading this and being like, "eh, it isn't GARBAGE, per se …" (heh heh.)

We've hit over 300 reviews, folks. Consider me stunned! I never thought that I'd break 100, so 300? Gah, I'm so happy. You guys are the best!

Well here it is, folks! Your special Tuesday installment of At Last. No, I haven't changed my updating schedule to Tuesdays, I'm just doing it today because I'm gonna be outta town for the rest of the weekend. Next update will be next Wednesday.

As always, I don't own Twilight. If I did, I'd make Bella into a sassy potty mouth. Just sayin' ...


Chapter Twelve - Christmas Is The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year. Especially When You're Pregnant, And Able To Eat Everything In Sight.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was Christmas Eve and we were at the airport, saying goodbye to Edward's mom.

Maybe it was because of my hormones, or the odd bond that I'd formed with her, but it was hard to say goodbye to Elizabeth.

She was quirky but cooked awesome meals and razzed Edward every chance she got. "Pickle" loved having his mom tell all of the embarrassing stories from his youth.

Like how toddler Edward would take all of his clothes off - including his shoes and socks - when he had to poop. Elizabeth said that she knew that she had to get him to the toilet quick when she caught him running around naked at a department store.

I laughed so hard that I almost peed my pants when I heard that story. Which was scary, to be honest. For a moment there, I actually thought I was gonna piss myself.

Even though Mrs. Cullen seemed to live to embarrass her son, it became glaringly obvious that she honestly lived for Edward. At the end of the day, after all the teasing and kisses and hugs and "Pickle" calling, she wanted what any mother wanted: for her son to be happy.

Before she left, she quickly pulled me aside and gave me an extra tight hug. "Take care of him," she said as she squeezed my arms. "I'll be back as soon as my granddaughter arrives. It'll be sooner than you know it."

It was then that she slipped me a piece of paper with her name and phone number on it. "I know my son, and I know how thick-headed he can be. Give me a call if you ever need to talk, or … whatever."

I smiled and grabbed the paper before stuffing it in my back pocket. "That sounds great, Elizabeth."

"How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Mom."

I gave her one last hug and wished more than anything that I one day could call her mom and not feel guilty about it. I pushed that feeling aside and plastered a smile on my face as she pulled away from me and squeezed my hand.

"Soon, Bella. I'll see you soon." She reached a hand out and rubbed my belly. "And I'll meet yousoon, my beautiful granddaughter."

Little tears welled up in my eyes as I reached forward to hug Elizabeth once more.

Her eyes appeared to be watery, but she looked away from me as soon as she could. Enveloping her son in another hug, her whispered some words close to his ear. He nodded in response and squeezed her extra tight before letting her go.

Hand in hand, we watched her walk away. I turned to Edward as my curiosity got the best of me.

"What did your mom say to you right before she left?"

Edward continued staring off into the distance, seemingly in a trance of some sort. I snapped my fingers in front of his face, trying to get his attention.

"Huh? What did you say?"

"I said, what did your mom say to you before she left?"

"Well, uh …" He paused, obviously not wanting to tell me about their conversation.

"Hey, no big deal. It was personal and stuff. I mean, I don't want to tell you what we talked about, either." I smiled, pretending that I was hiding a secret, too.

He took a deep breath before answering. "She told me to make you mine. To make sure you don't slip through my fingers."

Judging by the look Edward had on his face, he wasn't happy about her suggestion. I quickly back-peddled to cover my ass.

"Hey, I didn't mean to make you tell me, especially if it was something that bothered you. I'm sorry, Edward."

"It's … it's okay." He squeezed my hand he was still holding. "Wanna get going? I have to be over to my aunt and uncle's house soon."

My heart dropped, sad that Edward wanted to go already and drop the conversation. "Yeah, oh. Uhm, sure."

Even I heard the disappointment in my voice, so I quickly tried to cover my tracks. "Rose is probably expecting me, anyway."

"Why does that sound like it depresses you?"

I resisted the urge to glare at him.

No, you dolt! Seeing my best friend doesn't depress me. Leaving this conversation with things still unsaid is what upsets me. I wanted to punch him for being so unobservant, but instead, I kept my cool and fibbed a little.

"It doesn't depress me, I'm just- tired. Yeah, tired."

"Oh. Well, we better get you home, right?"

"I guess so."

XXX

"Bella, for chrissakes, slow down! The food will still be here if you take a breather from shoveling it down your throat!"

I stopped chewing and swallowed the food that was in my mouth. "I know, Ro. It's just-"

I reached for another wheat roll and got my hand slapped by my best friend. "Seriously, babe. Stop stress-eating. You're giving me heartburn just watching you."

I gingerly tucked my hand close to my body before wiping my hand on my napkin. Eewwww, I got butter all over the front of my shirt. I feel like a fat pig right now.

"You aren't a fat pig, B. You're pregnant, and stressed, and our traditionally catered Christmas spread is right in front of you. So you're doing the only thing you can think of doing, which is eat."

"Did I -"

"Yeah, you said that last part out loud," Rosalie said, interrupting me.

"God, if I were with anyone but you, I'd be embarrassed."

Rose stuck her tongue out at me. "You should be embarrassed. You have crumbs alllllllover your face right now. I think I'm going to take a picture and send it to Edward."

I frantically wiped at my face. "You wouldn't. You don't even have his phone number."

"True. But I have Alice's number, who has Edward's number. So it would take a few extra steps, but I'd be willing to do it."

I frowned at her. She smiled.

"Hold on," she said, putting up a finger and looking down at the table. "Oh, yep. Now I've got this number. Smile for the camera, babe!"

Apparently her phone was under the table, and she was able to successfully acquire Edward's cell number. My stomach dropped, and I started to panic.

"What?" I asked, just as the click of her phone camera went off, signifying that she'd, indeed, taken a picture of me.

"Just- gotta- oh, there we go. Sent!"

I pushed myself away from the table, which was no easy task, considering how much time it took me to move myself back. I waddled over to Rose in fast fashion.

"Give me your phone, and no one gets hurt."

"Pshhh. I could outrun you, beotch." Rosalie jibed, knowing just how to tease me.

"Try me. I've got the pregnant force with me, I'd get your ass eventually."

"I'm not giving you my phone, Bella. The damage is done, Edward knows how much he affects you when he isn't with you."

It was at that moment that my phone buzzed.

It was a text message from Edward.

Call me as soon as you can.

"Goddammit, Rosalie Hale! What the fuck did you do?"

"I told you, I texted Edward."

"Yeah, well, whatever you said in that text has him contacting me now. Give me your phone, or I will make you give me your phone. I need to see what you said to him."

She timidly held her phone out for me to grab. I yanked it away from her, not even feeling the least bit remorseful about the force that I used to take it away.

Yeah, I was acting like a child, but I felt like I was justified. Rosalie was messing with my baby daddy, and by extension, she was messing with me. Rose may be my best friend in the whole world, but she better never mess with my family. I'll go mama bear on her.

"You know, it wasn't too long ago that you considered me your family. Your inner circle."

I didn't have a way to answer her. I mean, what was I going to say to that?

Yeah, I moved you one tiny layer outside my inner circle the moment I became pregnant?

Nah, that sounded a little insensitive, considering the fact that for the last five years, Rose and I have considered each other sisters. And because she has all but disowned her brother since he became a drug dealer and her parents passed away a few years ago in a car accident, I was all she had since her divorce from Royce.

I felt guilty for not trusting her and handed Rose her phone back.

"You don't have to feel bad, babe," Rose said, interrupting my thoughts. "I can't blame you. We're talking about your child here. I expect you to always put her needs before mine."

Guilty tears welled up in my eyes and I nodded.

"Hey, Bel. Don't cry, okay? I was just joking around with you. Here," she said, handing her phone back to me. "This is the picture I sent Edward."

It was a picture that Rosalie and I took as soon as I arrived at her house. We were happy, so friggin happy to see each other.

Rosalie may not be part of my very inner circle anymore due to the layer that was added right in the middle of it, but she'd always hold one of the places closest to my heart.

"I just wanted him to know what he could have joined in on."

Just below the picture that she sent him was a text bubble.

Merry Christmas from Hale and Swan x2

"That's … really sweet." I bit my lip, willing myself not to cry. "But Edward and I decided that our baby's last name won't be Swan. It'll be Cullen, just like her daddy."

Rosalie smiled. "I figured as much. I just wanted to get a rise out of Edward."

"God, you are such a bitch." I laughed and wiped tears away that had escaped from my eyes. "But I love you, bitchiness and all."

"I love you, too."

XXX

Again. His phone went straight to voicemail.

Grrrrr.

I hadn't been able to get a hold of Edward after he texted me because he received Rosalie's picture text, regardless of the fact that he asked me to call him back right away, and it was seriously starting to drive me up the wall. Be it the pregnancy hormones, or just plain crabbiness, it was irritating me to no end that I couldn't reach him.

I was on my way home, and decided to try Edward one more time. Once more, Edward's phone rang once and went to his answering machine, and I had to literally fight the urge to throw my phone onto the car seat next to me.

"Whatever. He isn't answering his phone? Then I'll just have to stop by his house on my way home." I patted my belly.

I knew how crazy I looked, not to mention how crazy I sounded, but ever since I felt my baby move a few weeks ago, I'd taken to talking to her whenever we were alone. I wanted her to get used to my voice and the sound of me talking to her, because I was a talker …

And the sooner she got used to my voice, the better.

I pulled onto our street and drove by my house en-route to Edward's.

I slowed down by his house out of instinct. I was glad that I was able to, because if I had pulled into his driveway as fast as I had wanted to, I would have hit the woman who was standing in his driveway.

And Edward. I would have hit Edward, too, because he was hugging said woman.

In the middle of his driveway. Edward was hugging a woman. In his driveway. A woman who wasn't me.

Although I'd driven down my road thousands of times, I had to swerve to miss hitting Edward's neighbor's mailbox. My stomach, although it was a key element for me as a pregnant woman, fell to the ground, and I suddenly got light-headed.

Luckily for me, neither of them noticed my drive-by or almost-accident.

Instead of being thankful that I hadn't harmed myself or my baby, the only thought that was going through my head was, so that's why Edward didn't answer my phone calls. He was too busy, entertaining another woman to pick up his phone.

I was a fool to think that he'd wait around for me. If he wanted to make me his, he would've done so already, especially considering how much his mom not-so-subtly prodded him to do so.

Bile rose to my throat. Somehow in my haze, I had navigated my car back to my house, accident-free. Opening my car door, I dashed inside my house. Well, dashed as fast as my fat ass could handle.

Reaching the bathroom, I bent down and emptied the contents of the Christmas spread that Rosalie and I had catered - and I consumed like a rabid animal - into the toilet.


E/N: Yeah, it's kind of a cliffie. Only one this story will have, I think? Anyways, remember that this story is romance and HUMOR, not drama, angst, or hurt/comfort.

This story was rec'ced in a BIG WAY this morning, and if someone wants to let me know who did it so I can thank them, that would be amahhhzing. )

Leave me a review and I'll give you a teaser for the next chapter. I hope that I was able to respond to all the reviews I got the last chapter - it's not that I can't keep up with the numbers, it's just that I FORGET WHO I REPLY TO SOMETIMES (not only am I pregnant, but I'm blond, too. I'm a walking stereotype at this point in my life, I swear). If, for some reason, you don't get a teaser, feel free to slap me around. I know that I missed some of the reviews that I've gotten in the last few days - thank you to all of you who left them, and I'm still planning on responding to them. HONEST!

And because I won't be in town (my birthday is this Thursday, thank you to all of you who have already wished me a happy birthday!), I won't be able to reply to reviews/PMs until Saturday. But fret not! I will respond to everyone as soon as I can!

Thank you for reading/reviewing/favoriting/alerting/rec'cing this story. You all make me smile like you wouldn't believe.