I'm not sure how long it's been, but Bella is 3 months along.

Chapter 14

No You Didn't

BPOV

There was a huge explosion, blasting the fine silt from the Earth's surface into the air, turning it a blood red color. Figures lay motionless across the ground for miles from this heinous disaster. I could see two of them slowly slithering away. "Wait!" I called after them, but my voice was snatched by the wind. They were out of view in no time, and I was left with the corpses of the fallen.

The wind began to blow more violently, and it cleared away most of the sand. I tried not to look too closely at the bodies, fearing who I would see. I heard a laugh, and I looked around, trying to find the other survivor, wondering who could possibly be laughing right now. I met her eyes and froze, watching her strawberry-blond hair float around her face like a halo she did not deserve.

It was Tanya Denali.

I woke up sweating, and thinking about that disturbing dream I'd just had. What in the world was Tanya doing there? She was jealous of me and Edward… but that didn't explain what she was doing in my dream. I felt like I was missing something. Not wanting to give myself more unnecessary strain, I decided to get up. It was six, and I was surprised Alice wasn't up yet. I took a quick shower, and then headed downstairs for my breakfast. Grabbing one of the little trail mix bags that AJ helped me make, I went into the living room and started watching random TV.

I turned it to some random movie about how this girl liked a guy, but he wouldn't be with her. So, she began to plot how to get him away from his girlfriend. For some reason, this movie gave me déjà vu. It was very weird.

I heard little feet coming down the stairs, and quickly changed the channel to something little boy appropriate. Oh. Sponge Bob. Yay. "Hiya, Bewwa," he said, giving me a smooch on the cheek. "Hewwo, babees," he said, giving my now showing stomach two kisses. He sat up with a look of concentration on his face. "Bewwa, whewe awe the babees gonna come fwom? They can't fit out you'we bewwy button, can they?"

I looked at him, not knowing at all what to say. This was a mom question. "Why don't you ask mommy, buddy. She can tell you all about it."

"Ok!" he said cheerfully, hopping off of the couch and trotting upstairs to find a still sleeping Alice. I flipped the T.V. back to the movie I was watching and relaxed.

"Thanks a lot, Bella," Alice grumbled as she came downstairs, carrying a puzzled AJ.

"But… the stowk wouwd haff to be weawwy big to cawwy a babee," he said. "What abowt the fat babees? Do they not get to come down untiw they'we skeeny?"

I couldn't help it; I laughed out loud. The logic of a three-year-old is so cute and innocent. How that even crossed his mind, I do not know.

"What's so funny, Bewwa?" he questioned.

"Oh, just you, silly boy," I giggled, trying to suppress my laughter.

"OH. Yeah, I am," he flashed an adorable grin at me before turning back to Alice and demanding that she answer his question.

"Well, all that happens is the stork captain has two storks carry the baby if they are… fat," she said, obviously uncomfortable.

I smothered my laughter against my hand. I caught Alice shooting, "I hate you," rays in my direction, but I just ignored her and continued eating my trail mix.

"So, if someone's haffing two babees, wike Bewwa, does two stowks cawwy dem?" AJ asked, continuing his interrogation. "If dey do, what happens if one stowk gets wost? Den the mommy wiww be missing a babee!"

"Well, that sometimes happens, but don't worry. Storks can always find the Mommy," Alice said, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

"Good 'cuz I don't want one of Bewwa's babees not to come. That wouwd be weawwy bad. Then I wouwdn't have anyone to pway with! We gotta have the bestest stowk bwing the babees down. Can you do that, Mommy?"

"I'll try. But you need to shut your mouth so you can eat breakfast."

"But how am I sposed to eat wiff my mouth cwosed?"

I laughed at his sweetness. I hoped that my kids would turn out adorable and loving like AJ. And healthy too, of course. My cell phone rang and I answered it quickly. "Hello?" I was worried that it might be one of Edward's officers being the bearer of bad news. Thankfully, it wasn't, but it was someone almost as bad.

"Bella, darling, how are you?" Tanya asked, her voice oozing sweetness.

"Besides the fact of my husband being away at war and I'm pregnant with his twins? I guess I'm okay," I said, trying my hardest not to snarl at her.

I could hear the tense silence on her line as she tried to process the information I'd just given her. "Oh, why isn't that wonderful! Congrats, Bella." Her façade was back, but I could tell it was seconds away from slipping.

"Thanks. What do you need?" I asked, straight to the point. I didn't want to spend any extra time talking to this skank.

"Well, I don't really need anything. I didn't know Edward and Jasper were at war! How awful," she schmoozed.

"I didn't say anything about Jasper," I said, my voice ice cold and no nonsense.

"Um… Alice told me, poor doll! Having little Arnold, or whatever the little snot's name is. It must be so hard."

"He is not a little snot, he is a little angel, and I would think twice before insulting someone close to me again, Tanya. And if you didn't know they were at war, then how could you have already heard from Alice?" I snapped in rapid fire succession. No one insulted AJ. He was basically my son, and I was not going to just sit here and listen to her rag on him.

"I… I… it just slipped my mind, really," she tried.

"I don't believe you, Tanya. You know something. I can feel it."

"Are you sure it's not just your little friend Alice? Last I checked, she was the freak who could see the future," Tanya sneered.

I began to shake with anger. "You are so lucky that you are across a country from me, or I would gladly walk over there and whip your ass into next week," I growled.

I heard a gasp behind me. "What's ass, Mommy?" AJ asked, alerting me of my audience. Alice shushed him and continued to listen in.

"Unfortunately, I'm pregnant and do not want to expend that kind of energy on swine like you," I spat angrily.

She tittered. "Well, well, now aren't we the violent type? I would call the police on account of you threatening me, but from what I've heard, you barely have enough money to shop at the dollar store."

"Are you going to tell me or not, Tanya? Because I have my ways of finding out, but I'd rather just finish this now. Without a middle man."

"You really want to know?"

I growled in response. She already knew what I want. Anything that concerned Edward made me crazed until I got it.

"Alright, but don't get mad at me when you curl up into the fetal position and sob yourself into next year."

"As if. Now tell me before I decide this is a waste of my time." I wouldn't actually hang up this close to discovering the truth, but I don't think Tanya knew that.

"Jeez, who put that stick up your butt," she mumbled. "I love Edward."

"Oh really?" My voice dripped with sarcasm. "Because I totally couldn't tell that when you attempted to seduce him on our HONEYMOON," I shrieked.

"That's not all. Keep your temper in check, or I may have to hang up. I decided a long time ago that if I couldn't have Edward, no one could. Why do you think he was without a girlfriend for so long? Because I talked to any girl that he could possibly be attracted to and told them to lay off if they wanted to live," she chuckled darkly. "Of course they listened."

My stomach twisted as I listened. I couldn't believe how obsessed this girl was with my husband! I didn't even know how to protect us from this psychotic girl, especially now that he was across the ocean. "Did it ever occur to you to just… move on?" I questioned.

"That's not exactly how I was raised. I always get what I want, and that's a fact," she said.

"So why'd you let me be with Edward? Gee, Tanya, I didn't think you liked me that much! Maybe I should stop openly hating you now," I sneered. I'm sorry, but this girl just brings out my wild side.

She laughed without humor. "Bella, you are so naïve sometimes. But we haven't gotten there just yet. The first reason that I didn't separate you instantly was our family's unfortunate alliance," she said with a sigh. "I couldn't go around messing with the man my family thought would forever be a virgin! And they, of course, love little, perfect Bella. No. I waited."

She was really starting to freak me out. I didn't know what was coming, but I knew that it couldn't possibly be good. Tanya making a house call to speak to me? Definitely not a good thing.

"And then suddenly the idea hit me. Do you know what my idea was, Bella? I surely would've thought you'd caught on by now if you were anywhere near as intelligent as Edward makes you out to be."

I stayed silent and blushed to my roots. I had no idea where this was going, and I was basically proving myself an idiot in her books.

She chuckled. "Well, well. I guess Edward is a teensy bit too proud of his trophy wife. Come now, Bella. You must have surely noticed the coincidence? Have you not put two and two together?... No? Well, see if you can now."

She waited in silence as I thought over what she was saying. A coincidence… but what? I didn't have the faintest idea, but I continued to tax my brain.

"Maybe you just can't remember that far back," she said. "It would have interrupted your honeymoon, if I am correct."

Edward was enlisted. I knew that. So were Emmett and Jasper, which was weird. Was that the coincidence? "Edward, Emmett, and Jasper were all drafted, if that's what you mean."

"Very good, Bella. Well, this is taking long than I expected. Now, do I really need to spell this all out for you? That really would take a while, but at the rate we're going, it might actually be faster."

I suddenly understood, and the phone almost slipped out of my hand. "You… you did this?" I gasped in astonishment. There was no way to describe the shock that I was feeling.

"Oh yes, Bella. I did. When you know the right people and what they want, you can get almost anything. Besides, someone like me? I can make any man bow to my needs. Just a little persuasion…" I could practically see her arrogant, smirking face.

"You're disgusting."

"Well, now. How terribly rude! Too bad your hubby's away at war. I made sure to speed that up as well. It helped that he was naturally good at what he does. I sent the blond with him too. Why not? Then they can at least suffer together."

"He has a son. A sweet, adorable, little boy who misses his dad more that you could ever fathom. How could you do this, Tanya?" I cried.

"I already told you, Bella. Edward is mine. If he somehow makes it back alive, you'd better watch out. You'll be next." I heard the beginning of her cackle before the phone fell out of my hand and clattered on the floor.

That bitch! But I was most concerned with her threatening to come after me. I didn't know what lengths she would go to, but I was sure she would silence Alice and AJ as well if they stood in her way. I could hear Alice trying to talk to me in some other part of my mind, but I couldn't seem to get out of the dark place I was in now.

When I heard AJ begin to cry, I snapped out of it. I blinked and stared up at Alice. Hidden behind her stormy eyes was a fury so dark that I nearly flinched away. I knew she wanted to discuss my conversation with me, but we couldn't exactly do that with AJ with us.

"Bewwa!" he wailed, tears streaming down his face. "What's wong? You was cwying and I got scawed that you was huwt. You not huwt, awe you?" he said in his rapid fire style. "Cuz if you was huwt then the babees wood be huwt and then I woodn't get a wiw sibwing!" He continued to babble, and I stroked his hair as he patted my stomach.

"We need to go visit Carlisle," Alice said, suddenly. I knew that we needed to tell him about this, but I didn't know if I would be able to without collapsing. "Today, Bella," Alice said, seemingly reading my thoughts. "You can do it, I know you can."

I sighed, but agreed. We hopped in the car and sped off to Carlisle and Esme's house for one conversation that I would love to miss.

When we got there, Esme was standing on the porch with her duster in hand. "Bella? Alice? AJ? What are you guys doing here?" she said with a welcoming smile as she descended the steps.

Alice towed a grinning AJ toward his grandma saying, "We have some rather shocking news, Esme."

Esme looked at me for some more information, but all I could do was shrug. I was practically comatose, and I was surprised Alice hadn't begun tugging me around like AJ.

"Esme! Hiya! What awe you doin outside? Whewe's Cawiwe?" AJ fired off in rapid succession. He ran at Esme and jumped into her open arms.

"Well, I was just doing some spring cleaning, you know. Carlisle is in his study completing some work, I believe. Would you like to go see him?"

"Ooh yes, yes, yes! Can I, Momma? Pweeeeese?" he begged, turning to Alice.

"Actually, Esme, we need to talk to the two of you. Maybe AJ could go watch a movie…?" Alice hinted subtly.

"I wanna watch a movie! Can I watch Fox and the Hound? I wove that one!" he cheered, following a confused Esme inside. She kept looking back at Alice and me, but we had no expression. Alice was literally pushing me forward; I was in such a daze. I just couldn't believe Tanya could be such a demon! I know that she's a bitch, but that is beyond acceptable.

We set AJ up in front of the TV and went upstairs to Carlisle's study. When we walked in, he looked up from his books. "Bella, Alice! To what do we owe the pleasure? It's not time for our check-up already, is it?"

"No, no, Carlisle. Bella just had something she needed to tell you. And Esme," Alice said quickly, pushing me down onto a chair.

Carlisle leaned forward across his desk. "What is it, Bella?" He was using his doctor voice, so I knew he wanted a full story of why I was acting so catatonic.

I licked my lips to moisten them, then began to speak. I told the story quickly, and made sure to include all of the grueling details. I kept my eyes on Carlisle, but in my peripheral vision, I could see Esme looking more and more shocked. She looked practically murderous by the time I'd finished.

"How dare she!" Esme yelled when I was finished. Alice shushed her and looked meaningfully at the door from which we could hear the cheery tunes of The Fox and the Hound.

Carlisle put his hands on his face and sighed. He was really upset, and how could I blame him? His son has been sent away to war for no more reason than a jealous girl wanting revenge. "First thing's first," he said after a minute. "We need to call Carmen and notify her of Tanya's misdeeds. Then maybe something can be done about her."

Esme ran out of the room and reappeared moments later with the house phone which she handed wordlessly to Carlisle. "Why don't you two go talk to AJ? I'm sure he's in need of some company," Carlisle said before dialing. We were about to argue, but a crash from downstairs emphasized his point.

"I'll make some noodles," Esme said as she breezed out the door with Alice right behind her.

I stayed seated for a moment, still too shocked to move. Carlisle came over and knelt down in front of me. "Bella, you need to relax. Edward and Jasper will both be fine. They are strong men who are exceedingly good at what they do. Believe me, if I could –" His voice broke. "I can assure that I will be doing everything in my power to right Tanya's wrong, Bella. My son will not die without seeing his children." He said that was such conviction that it somewhat shocked me out of my daze. Carlisle gave me a quick kiss on the forehead before returning to his chair. "Please leave my office now, Bella. This conversation might not be pleasant."

I didn't need to be asked again. I rose unsteadily and walked quickly out of his office. I kept thinking about what he said about Edward seeing his kids. My hand went instinctively to my stomach, and all I could think was that I hope he is right.