BPOV

"You should stay," I pleaded propped up against five pillows on Edward's bed.

"We're men," he said for the tenth time shoving some thermals into his bag.

"So that means you hunt when I can go into labor at any minute?"

"Yes, it means we hunt cause manly men hunt. Plus I'm bonding with your father," he said glancing at me. "My boy will wait. He has a planned delivery."

"Just because we have a c-section scheduled doesn't mean Alex will cooperate," I argued.

"Bell do you feel like you're in labor or soon will be?"

"I don't think it works like that," I frowned looking away from him. He was being an ass.

Christmas was a few days ago and we spent our time between houses. We spent the morning with Charlie and then Esme made Christmas dinner here. Edward and I were in a weird place. He was weird anyway. Ever since the awkward dinner after Thanksgiving, he was sweet to me. He had his moments when he was shitty to others, but with me, he was attentive?

I banned naked sleeping after his special friend poked my back making my resolve slowly slip. I couldn't have that; I needed to be the responsible one. Edward and I couldn't have a relationship because if things ended badly… we had Alex that we needed to focus on.

"You're all huffy," he smiled kissing my head.

"This is a bad idea," I insisted playing with the collar of his t-shirt.

"SweetTart, my mom will be here with you and I'll have my phone with me."

"Does Mt. Rainer even have cell reception?"

"There's satellites and shit," he said flippantly.

Then I pulled out what I knew would make him feel guilty, I cried.

"I'm going to… have big scary contractions," I sobbed. "And Alex won't see his Daddy first…and…and."

He wrapped his arms around me rubbing my back.

"You're good," he murmured kissing the side of my head.

I smacked him pushing him away as I wiped me eyes.

"Fine…Go!" I heaved a sigh falling against the pillow stack.

I couldn't sit up on my own anymore. I was puffy and stretched. Sexy or beautiful was far from how I felt. Here Edward was trying to tease and make light of everything. I didn't appreciate it.

"We have almost three weeks. I have this gut feeling it will be fine. Your dad wouldn't have suggested this trip if he thought is was a bad idea."

"You know where Charlie was when my mom went into labor?" I asked.

"Where?"

"On a freakin' boat down at First Beach, my mom told him not to go fishing, but did he listen? No," I said shortly.

"Your fucking joking," he said skeptically his eyes squinted as if he were trying to gage my seriousness.

"Ask him," I shrugged grabbing for the remote.

I refused to look at his dopey handsome face. I felt the bed dip slightly and my shirt was being rolled up.

"Kid, don't make your old man look like an ass, okay? Stay in there until I get back or Mommy might stab or gut me, got it?" he whispered and part of me thought maybe he was seriously telling our son this like he believed it would work.

I thought he was going to pull away, but he laid his scruffy cheek on the top of my stomach. I sighed patting his head gently.

"Edward," Esme called coming into his bedroom.

Esme was elegance even being dressed down. She had her hair in a loose ponytail wearing a pale pink polo and a pair of jeans. It was hard to believe she was old enough to be Edward's mother when she could pass for his sister. I saw the bright smile covering her face. "Oh Isabella, look at you," she said sitting on the other side of the bed.

"I'm about to burst, but Edward doesn't believe me," I replied.

"Maybe you and Charlie should reschedule this trip, sweetie," she frowned at her son who was just laying on me like it was normal.

"Mom don't turn into Bella," he said.

I hated his nonchalant attitude. It was always a shrug or a lazy smile as an answer. No worries for Edward.

"Just go," I said closing my eyes. I gently nudged his head away.

I was tired of everything, obviously arguing and pleading with him was a waste of time. I heard Esme and Edward in the hall, his mother sympathetic for me while he shrugged off my worries.

"We'll come home New Years Eve, okay?" he whispered in my ear. "Ring in the New Year together."

"Two days?" I asked opening my eyes.

"I'm compromising," he smirked. I knew his compromise was all Esme.

"Thank you."

He looked behind him and then kissed my head. "Two days," he smiled.

Edward grabbed his duffle bag and left the room. I lay there contemplating the last eight months of my life. My relationship with Jacob felt like it took place years ago. I wasn't happy and I hadn't been happy in a long time. We had drifted apart, which didn't help with my unhappiness. Edward was a different story though. We were total opposites, but he knew how to handle me… he knew what made me tick.

He was a good friend to me. He dealt with the media for me and he even defended me to Rosalie and Emmett. He didn't know I knew what his cousin and her boyfriend thought about me, but it was written all over their faces.

Emily explained to me that it was loyalty. I didn't understand until she explained that Rose was a close friend with Edward's ex.

"There was a lot of history there. Edward did things and Maggie did things neither really to blame. They grew up and grew apart, wanted different lives," Emily mused.

"Do you think all relationships do that?" I asked quietly. Out of Edward's friends, I liked Sam and his wife. They were warm people and Emily became a good friend.

"I sure hope not, because I don't know what I would do without Sam," she laughed.

"I grew apart from my fiancé and Edward grew away from his…" I pointed out reluctantly.

"I don't know much about your ex Iz, but I do know you smile a lot with Edward."

"Edward's a good man," I said.

"He is and you should always keep that in mind. Sometimes he acts like an asshole, but he has a truly great heart," she said looking me straight in the eyes.

I sighed his heart was good.

"I made you breakfast," Esme smiled carrying a tray with an assortment of food. "Edward said you love eggs."

"I think it's more Alex loves eggs," I grinned digging in.

"I can't believe he'll be here in a few weeks," she said wistfully.

I let all my insecurities hit me. I froze trying to imagine myself with a baby. I had always been so driven I never thought about anything but work. I had a five-year plan and then a ten-year all involving my law career. Those plans now were ambitious dreams. Now my five-year plan would be sending a little boy off to his first day of school, my ten-year would involve taking that same little boy to soccer or some kind of sports function if Edward had any say.

"I can do this, right?" I ask Esme pleading with her to assure me. "I can be someone's mother? I'm going in blind with all of this. All of my education… undergrad, law school… didn't prepare me for this. I only ever thought that's what I would be doing. If I saw a baby in a coffee shop or grocery store I was never like 'Give me one of those, I can't live without one of those'. I find out I'm pregnant and it's like 'Okay now what?' and now he's about to be this real person and I'm scared shitless."

I was winded from my babbled fears. I let it build up. Edward was always around and that made me feel safe… not alone. It was like solidarity or something. This was the first time in a long time he wasn't cocking his head at me and saying inappropriate things.

Esme pulled me into a side hug so my belly wasn't in the way. I was crying and I blamed my tiredness, Edward for being difficult and Charlie picking this week of all weeks to go hunting.

"Everything will be fine and work out, sweetie," she said kissing my cheek.

"Thank you for being nice," I sniffled.

"Listen, you and Alexander are a blessing to my family. You are our family there are no thank you's and apologies ever. Isabella, you keep that son of mine on his toes, he needs to be out of his element."

"He asked the other day if Alex can call him Papa," I said smiling at the memory.

"He did not," Esme laughed in disbelief.

"He did, his brow was furrowed like he was concentrating. We were watching Seven, well he was watching Seven that movie is…" I cringed thinking about Gwyneth's head in that box and Brad Pitt just devastated. "I noticed him watching me like he wanted to say something. Edward's never quiet or holds anything back so it was weird. He just asked 'Can Alex call me Papa?' I laughed because it was Edward, but he was serious."

Esme now had tears and hugged me tighter. She pulled away wiping at her eyes. "I am so happy," she said patting my stomach.

I nodded slowly not quite understanding her reaction.

We lay around most of the day. I learned Esme was really amazing. She talked to me about the Cullen Foundation. She founded it after her divorce from Masen.

"Edward and I had been on our own for long time. Not many single mothers have it as lucky as I did. The foundation is a way to help those who can't make it on their own; we added the adoption services when I married Carlisle. Edward Sr. did not want Carlisle adopting him."

"What changed his mind?"

"Edward," she said simply. "He walked up to Edward Sr. when he was eight years old and said 'Mommy is a Cullen and I want to be one too'."

"What did Masen do?"

"He tried to talk him out of it. I never once tried to intervene. Edward is very headstrong and I knew he could hold his own with his father. Edward Sr. relented once he realized he wasn't going to win against his little boy. "

The rest of our day went like this. We talked more about Edward's childhood; mine and I also learned a lot about Esme. Edward might be bonding with my father, but I was definitely bonding with his mother.

Two days flew by and when Emmett showed up New Years Eve evening, I knew I would be kicking Edward's ass.

"You're not Edward," I said grasping onto the doorframe.

"He called me there's a snow storm up on Rainer," he explained brushing past me.

"Emmett?" Esme asked coming into the hallway.

"Edward is stuck on Rainer," I said flatly.

I had a tinge of pain in my back; it had been going on throughout the morning. My hand began to rub the aching spot.

"You okay?" Emmett asked carefully.

"I'm just peachy," I snapped as the pain increased.

"Isabella, calm down sweetie," Esme soothed placing her hand where mine was on my back.

"They'll maybe be a couple of hours?" Emmett tried to reassure with a frown.

"He's an idiot… of course if you go to a freakin' mountain in WINTER it will snow," I panted, as the pain was now sharp. "Ow."

"Bella," Esme said concerned. She always called me Isabella.

"Shit," Emmett said and I looked down noticing the puddle on the floor.

"Emmett help me get her to Edward's room so I can get her changed," Esme ordered in a calm tone.

Emmett frantically stepped up helping us. He ran outside to move his car as close as he could to the house so it would be easier for me to get to.

"I told him," I whimpered as Esme helped me pull up my leggings. "He didn't listen."

"I know sweetie, but right now I need you to focus on you and the baby. We'll worry about everything else afterward."

"Edward's going to miss it and I'm going to be alone," I cried.

"Please calm down," she murmured.

I didn't want to calm down or be rational; I wanted to be pissed at Edward for not listening.

A/N: Eek so I lied we didn't meet anyone this chapter but plans changed because we really need to have Edward's point of view for this to work and it wasn't his chapter… He really messed up huh? Chapter beta'd by Dolphin62598. Also Family of Perfection's Mackenzie has been nominated for an Avant Garde Award. Go to twilightfb-awards (dot) blogspot (dot) com to vote for her for Best Child she does have some pretty fierce competition.