A/N: Alas, Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight not me, and the Beeb owns Strictly. But the plot is mostly mine.

Thanks as ever to my betas, Mcc101180 and Rodeomom_95, who know their way around a comma far better than I do. This chapter (as they all are) is readable because of them.

Contains some British slang terms. As usual there is a glossary at the bottom to help.

Chapter 14

BPOV

I stormed away in the direction of the tube station, but I had no real plans as to where I was going to go.

I was fuming at Edward. For weeks, he'd been giving me signals that he was interested in being more than just friends, yet when I finally challenge him on it, he turns me down. Worse still were the pathetic excuses he came up with. Instead of trying to let me down gently, he should have ripped the plaster off and told me straight that he was out of my league.

Why did I allow myself to misread the signals so badly? Why did I get my hopes up? Pride comes before a fucking fall.

I had two choices for tonight: I could either spend the night alone wallowing, or I could try and find someone to keep me company. I knew only one person in London who would happily spend the evening slagging off men with me, and that was Leah.

A quick phone call and an hour and a half on public transport later, I arrived at Leah's flat with two bottles of wine and a big bar of chocolate.

After buzzing me up, Leah opened the door as soon as I knocked. She gave me a huge hug. "Come in and tell me what that twat said."

Over a bottle of wine, I explained how he'd turned me down and was pretending to have found it difficult.

"Perhaps he really does love you and is doing what he thinks is best," Leah said diplomatically.

"What he thinks is best? What about what I think is best? A relationship is not a dictatorship; we need to discuss this. But men always know what is best," I said, sarcastically. "Fuckwit."

"He should have discussed it with you first, but maybe he has a point," Leah reasoned.

"Whose side are you on?" I shot back.

"Yours, obviously, but what if his 'love at first sight' girl turns up? Trust me, you don't want to go through what I'm going through right now."

"True. Who is this woman?"

"No clue." Leah looked as stumped as I felt.

"I think Seth worked it out the other night over dinner." I recollected.

"Why?"

"He and Edward had some kind of silent conversation going on while we were talking about it. Edward mutely pleaded with him, and Seth nodded in agreement."

"Ooh! He may know. Let's ask him!"

Leah pulled out her phone and called Seth, sticking it on loudspeaker so I could participate too.

"Leah! How are you?" Seth answered.

"I'm good, as is Bella, who is here with me."

"Hi, Seth! How're you?"

"Hey, Bella. I'm good, thanks. Is this call for business or pleasure?" Seth asked.

Leah got straight down to business. "Hopefully a bit of both. It's about Edward. Do you know who he is love with?"

"Why would he tell me?" Seth countered, clearly avoiding the question.

"He didn't; you worked it out when we were at dinner last week," I insisted.

"No I didn't." Seth laughed at the suggestion.

"What else was your little silent conversation about then?" Leah demanded.

"I asked him where he bought his shirt?" Seth desperately invented.

"Liar!" Leah yelled, "You can't have that conversation without saying anything, and I've tried."

"Plus men don't talk about that," I reasoned. "So, who does he love?"

Seth sighed. "Alright, I know but I'm not going to tell you."

"Why not?" Leah asked.

"Bros before hos."

"He is hardly your bro and last time I checked we aren't hos either," Leah observed.

"Look, you two are intelligent and it isn't hard to fucking work out. Everyone else seems to know there is something going on between him and the woman in question. They even got photographed snogging recently."

I froze in shock. Leah looked at me. "It is you! He loves you! You snogged him at Scouting and were snapped by the paparazzi. Am I right, Seth?"

"Officially I can neither confirm nor deny your statement. But unofficially, of course it fucking is. Who else? How the hell did it take you so long?"

Edward loved me? He fell in love with me at first sight? No, that couldn't be right, I'm just plain old No Fella Bella; no man would ever think about me that way. Let alone the gorgeous, intelligent, kind and talented Edward Cullen. He could have any woman he wanted. Why would he choose me?

"Bella? Are you okay? You've gone silent and you're as white as a sheet." I still didn't say a word. "I'm going to get you a cup of tea."

A few minutes later, she pressed a mug of hot milky tea into my hands. I was brought back into the land of the living and I realised that the phone call had ended. "I know that this comes as a bit of a surprise, but it really shouldn't. You two have amazing chemistry, get on really well, are attractive and are both single. The gossip magazines have spent the past few weeks saying that you two were going at it like rabbits."

"But why me? He could have anyone but he chose me."

"If it was love at first sight, I don't think he had much of a say in it. Exactly what did he say to you today?"

"He said that turning me down was the hardest thing he'd ever done, and that his true love wouldn't turn up and fuck things up for us, and that now wasn't the time for us. And before that he promised to take me out for a picnic after Strictly is over. Shit. He does love me," I realised.

"He does, you lucky bitch."

"How do I act now?"

"How do you feel about him?"

"I think I'm falling in love him too," I admitted.

"Act normally, perhaps give him some hints that you feel the same way as he does. Then in a few days make another move. This time try and reason with him. Keep making moves till you wear out his defences," Leah advised. "If he keeps rejecting you, don't let it get to you, because you know he loves you."

"Edward loves me," I said. "Edward loves me. Edward loves me!" I started jumping around the room yelling, "Edward loves me!" giggling like a schoolgirl.

Leah just watched me, amused. "I don't think you need any more wine."

I calmed down a few minutes later, and Leah helped me plan how to seduce Edward. Soon I had every outfit planned, and I felt ready for the week.

"Thanks so much for your help tonight. I don't know what I'd have done without you," I said to Leah.

"Don't mention it. You helped me when I needed it; I owed you. Just do me a favour and don't be too lovey-dovey when you finally get together. I can't handle yet another loved-up couple."

"Will do. See you tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, I'll be at the Strictly support group."

We hugged and I left feeling a hell of a lot more confident than I had when I entered.

I was a bit apprehensive upon walking into our rehearsal studio, but I was confident that I looked fuck hot. I was wearing skinny jeans, a fairly transparent blouse that showed off a good deal of cleavage, a tweed jacket and navy fuck-me heels. I'd woken up early so I had time to spend doing my hair, makeup and accessories. I looked the best I had ever made myself. Sure, I'd have to change because I couldn't dance in this, but I wanted to make damn sure that Edward got an eyeful of exactly what he had turned down.

Edward had his back to me and was fiddling with the stereo and chatting to the cameramen when I walked in. I stood just in front of the doors and let them slam behind me as I stood tall and confident. Last night Leah had taught me how to make an entrance and I would damn well use what I had learned.

As the doors slammed, Edward turned to look at me. His eyes widened and he was temporarily dumbstruck.

"Bella, how are you?" he asked when he recovered the use of his brain, and he walked towards me.

"I'm fantastic, Edward, and yourself?"

"Good, you're okay about yesterday?" he asked quietly.

"That little spat? I think we should put it behind us, pretend it never happened."

"I'm glad you said that. I feel the same way. Are you ready to start?"

"I just need to get changed. As much as I love this outfit, unfortunately I can't dance in it." I gestured at my body.

Edward gulped. "Of course."

I left the room and walked in a few minutes later in a low cut exercise top that I'd borrowed from Leah. Edward did a double take at the sight of my cleavage. Better get used to it, mate, because you're going to be seeing an awful lot of it this week.

The practice went really well and trying to drive Edward insane with lust was really fun, and surprisingly easy. At the start of the dance, I have to pull some shapes and I repeatedly deliberately got them wrong so that Edward had to put his hands on my body to correct them.

"You were great at these yesterday; what changed?" he asked exasperatedly as he stood behind me and placed his hands on my hips to move me. I pushed my bum into his pelvis and distinctly felt a hardening in that area then heard a groan as he stepped away from me.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were doing it on purpose," he said.

"What, me?" I replied innocently.

I also succeeded in dropping lots of things in front of him so that I had to bend over to pick them up, and I even managed to shove my cleavage into his face a few times, accidentally, of course.

He was getting more and more frustrated, and even disappeared into the bathroom for a considerable time. Operation Seduction seemed to be a success so far.

That evening, after going shopping with Leah for more sexy clothes, we went to the Commercial Tavern for our Strictly support group. It had started out as a place where the celebrities could moan about how hard it all was without the professionals telling us that it was easy but increasingly it was just a place to hang out.

Usually Jessica spent the entire time trying to unsuccessfully flirt with Jake but this time he had brought Nessie to protect himself from the onslaught, so she focussed on the only other single man there; James. As far as I was concerned, the less I had to interact with him the better - he made my skin crawl.

Jake took the chance to have a chat with me in private.

"How well do you know Rosalie?" he asked.

"A bit, but not very well, why?"

"Something is up with her, and I think I know what it is, but if I suggest it she'll kill me."

"What do you think you know?"

"I'm going to give you the facts as I see them and you can make your own conclusions," he said warily.

"Okay," I said doubtfully.

"She has mood swings, she has been really tired, cancelling rehearsals even, she is on a diet and yet gaining weight, her boobs are sore –"

"Whoa there, Nelly! How do you know her boobs are sore?" I asked.

"When trying to grab her armpits for a lift last week. I accidentally grabbed her boobs," he admitted, cringing.

"Emmett is going to kill you." I laughed.

"No need. Rosalie already ripped me a new one," Jake deadpanned. "As I was saying, she has also been sick in the mornings."

"Oh my God, she is pregnant!"

"Precisely, but I don't think she knows. Could you tell her for me?" he pleaded.

"What the fuck?"

"You're a woman, you can understand her better, and you're friends," he reasoned.

"Firstly, I don't understand; I've never been pregnant. Secondly, she'll kill me."

"You've got a better chance of survival than me. Look, she needs to be told. How can we do this?" he asked.

I thought about it for a moment and then the answer seemed obvious. "Alice."

Jacob was confused. "Alice? How can she help?"

"Alice is her best friend, and she's a busy body. She is our best hope."

I called Alice and told her about Jake's supposition.

"It's impossible; she's infertile. Her and Emmett have been trying for years," Alice said.

I had Jake list the symptoms and she suddenly changed her opinion.

"Holy fuck! She is pregnant! And she is going to have a beautiful little girl called Trudy," she predicted.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but do you think she could be pregnant?" I asked.

"No could about it, she is well and truly knocked up."

"How do we get her to take a test?"

"The boys are having a guys night at Edward's at the moment, but Rose was too knackered to hang out with me, so is home alone. Tonight is our best chance. Where are you? I'm coming to pick you up," she said.

"The Commercial Tavern in Shoreditch, but it's miles from your home."

"I'll be there in ten. Can you buy provisions, please?"

"Provisions?"

"Pregnancy tests, three minimum I think; chocolate; wine and non-alcoholic options—that sort of thing," Alice clarified.

"Alright."

"I'll meet you out the front in ten minutes."

I took my time saying my goodbyes and picking up the "provisions" because there was no way that Alice could make it across central London in ten minutes, no one could.

As I exited the supermarket armed with pregnancy tests, as well as celebratory and commiseratory food and drink, I saw Alice leaning against her yellow Porsche with her arms crossed, looking annoyed.

"I said ten minutes."

"How did you make it here that quickly? That is super human and totally illegal, plus I couldn't decide what pregnancy tests to go for, there are so many," I explained.

Alice huffed, "Come on, it's getting late."

London sped by us. "How many speeding tickets do you have?" I asked

"None."

"None? But you always drive over the speed limit!"

Alice shrugged. "My GPS tells me where the cameras are."

I dreaded to think how fast we were going, but fifteen minutes later we pulled up in front of a posh house in W1.

We hopped out and she rang the bell.

After a few minutes of ringing, an angry Rosalie opened the door. "What?" she demanded. "Oh, it's you two. What're you doing here?" She stood back from the doorway, inviting us in.

"Some rumours have been circulating about you, and we want to put them to bed," Alice explained as we walked into her living room.

"What rumours?" Rose asked warily.

"Sit down first and then we'll tell you," I suggested.

Rose looked at me like she was ready to commit murder. "No! I will not sit down. Tell me what people are saying."

"They think you're pregnant," Alice responded quietly.

Rose let out a hollow laugh. "If only that were possible."

"The rumours are based on evidence. You've been tired, moody, dieting and yet gaining weight. No one gains weight on Strictly, no one," Alice reasoned. "You've been sick in the mornings and your boobs are sore."

"Who knew that my boobs are sore besides Emmett?" Rosalie paused thoughtfully "Jacob Fucking Black! I'll kill that tosser."

"He only told me because he is concerned for you. Is all of that true?" I asked.

Rosalie sunk to the floor. "Yes, but I've been told that I'm infertile. I can't have kids," she wept.

Alice sat next to her and put her arm around Rose. "Why don't you take a test? One little test can't hurt. We brought some with us," she suggested.

"Will you guys take them as well?" Rose asked, "I'm terrified."

"Of course we will," Alice agreed.

We all took our turns in the toilet and carefully labelled our tests to avoid farcical confusion.

Rose sat on the edge of her seat eating chocolate until the three minutes were up.

"It's time," said Alice, "shall I look?"

Rose nodded and Alice walked over to the counter where we'd placed them. Taking a deep breath, she picked up Rose's test. She looked at it, smiled and walked back over to Rose.

"Congratulations, you're going to be a mum."

Rose stopped weeping, stunned. "False positives are possible. Are there any more I could try?"

I'd picked up three boxes of two and so Rose eagerly tested herself three more times. All were positive.

"I'm going to be a mum!" she yelled triumphantly, jumping around the room. "Where is Emmett? I need to tell him now!"

She made a dash for her phone, but Alice and I managed to stop her before she called him.

"Tell him in person; get him here now," I advised.

Half an hour later, a frantic Emmett ran through the front door with Edward and Jasper in tow. "Where's Rose? What's wrong with my Rose?"

Rose ran at him and jumped onto him, securing her legs around his waist. "I'm pregnant! We're having a baby!"

Emmett turned pale and fainted. Rose slipped from his grasp; luckily Jasper ran forward and caught her just before she hit the ground. Edward tried to do the same for Emmett but just ended up being squashed under Emmett's bulk.

We helped Edward extricate himself and then set to work fanning Emmett's face in an attempt to wake him. Nothing was working until Rose slapped him.

"Wake up, sleepy head! You're going to be a daddy and I can't have the father of my child fainting all the time."

Emmett slowly opened his eyes. "You're pregnant? I'm going to be a dad?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I took four tests."

Emmett jumped up and started dancing round the room. "Who's the daddy? I'm the daddy!"

I retrieved the champagne from my bag and soon we were all toasting the happy couple.

We didn't stay long; instead letting the happy couple have a private celebration and work out what to do next. Edward offered to give me a lift home, and for once I readily accepted.

"What will they do now?" I asked him.

"Emmett will probably wrap Rosalie in cotton wool for the remainder of her pregnancy; they won't let anything happen to her that might cause a miscarriage. And then when the baby comes, it'll be the most spoilt child in history."

"Will she carry on with Strictly?"

"I doubt it. Anyway she's been too tired lately to be able to do her job well."

"What will happen to Jake?"

"No idea."

The next day all my questions were answered. First thing in the morning, Emmett and Rosalie called up the producers with their joyful news and Rosalie resigned, and Charlotte Dixie became Jake's new partner.

Later that morning when Edward and I were practicing and I was trying to subtly flash Edward my stockings and suspenders, Emmett called Edward.

"Four fucking months pregnant and we had no clue!" he crowed through the loudspeaker on the phone. "And we're having the most beautiful little girl. They did a 3D ultrasound and she is adorable! You two have to come round for dinner tonight so we can show you."

"We'd love to," Edward replied. My heart started to beat a little bit faster when I heard him refer to us as "we."

"Seven alright with you?"

"We'll be there." And there it was again. Swoon.

"I better warn you that I'm cooking. I won't let Rose lift a finger for the rest of the pregnancy."

"I'm sure you'll do great but I can help if necessary," I offered.

"That would be awesome, see you tonight."

The professionals were practising their routine in the afternoon, so I was able to have a look in the posh baby boutique near our studio to for a present for Emmett and Rose. I soon found the perfect babygro; it had "Mama said I was a dancer before I was born" written on it. Sure, it was tacky in the extreme, but I knew that they'd really appreciate it. I really enjoyed looking around the shop, but I rushed to the cash desk when I realised with a start that I was feeling broody. I'm only twenty-six, single, and way too young to be thinking such thoughts, but damn it, babies are lovely.

When I was at the cash desk buying the baby grow and trying to not think about how cute babies are, I ran slap bang into Edward.

"I thought you had to race off to practise."

"I'm meant to, but then I remembered about the baby shop and I decided to get Emmett and Rose a present. What did you get?"

I showed him the babygro.

"Emmett will love it, and their daughter will look so pretty in that!" he cooed.

"Please don't go on about how sweet babbers are," I pleaded.

"Why not?"

"Because cooing goes straight to my ovaries and makes me want kids," I explained.

"So you want to have kids, do you?" he asked, suddenly looking very serious.

"One day. How about you?"

"One day." And just like that I was imagining having kids with Edward. Images of me being heavily pregnant and having him proudly rub my bump, us carrying our children home from the hospital, and teaching them to ride a bike popped into my mind. I realised that I had started to daydream in front of Edward and then forced myself not to think about it, but looking at him, he seemed to be imagining something too. I only hoped we were having very similar daydreams.

"Look, you're in a rush and I need to get away from all things babber-related. We can give them this from both of us," I suggested.

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all, now be gone with you," I said. "I'll see you tonight."

"I'll pick you up at 6.15."

He gave me a peck on the cheek and ran out of the shop.

I went for a late lunch with Leah and we filled each other in with all the gossip. She was surprised but delighted to hear about Rose and Emmett, and was pleased about how Operation Seduction was going on.

"I give him three days before he folds. The flashing of stockings and suspenders was pure genius and will certainly have accelerated things," she estimated.

On her side, the revenge dance was going well.

"Edward is a choreographic genius! The dance is awesome. Sam hates it and keeps mumbling about how this is the dance version of castration. It's perfect."

"Fantastic. I can't wait to see it."

Her mood suddenly became more sombre, and she said, "In related news, I've decided that this will be my last week. There is no point in continuing after I get my revenge; it'll just be torture."

"I'll miss you so much, but I understand entirely," I sympathised, squeezing her hand.

Soon afterwards, we finished lunch and went our separate ways.

I spent the rest of the afternoon in a café in the middle of Hyde Park, first being interviewed for the Guardian's Q&A section, and then working on the first draft of my new novel.

At seven, Edward and I pulled up in front of Rose and Emmett's place, bringing with us a curious combination of things for the baby—Edward had found another baby shop and apparently ransacked it—and alcohol.

We knocked and Rose answered the door with Emmett running after her.

"I said I'd get it! Sit down and relax," he said, exasperated.

"I can't spend the next five months on the sofa," she complained.

"Yes, you can."

"The doctor said I should stay active, although she did agree that we were right to have me quit Strictly," Rose argued.

"You've been active enough for the whole of your pregnancy, let me look after you for just a bit," Emmett pleaded.

"Fine, but this isn't over." Rose stalked over to the sofa.

I followed her.

"Sorry that you had to witness that," she apologised.

"Don't worry about it. At least you'll get plenty of make-up sex, eh?"

Rose shot a derisory look at Emmett. "I wish, he says he won't touch me for the next five months."

"What? Why not? It won't hurt the baby and it'll keep you both happy, so it's a win-win."

"I know, that is exactly what the doctor said too, but Emmett has read some article on the Internet that connects sex in pregnancy with miscarriage. It has no evidence to back up its claims but he's steadfast in his refusal."

"Walk around the house in sexy lingerie and bend over in front of him. He won't last three days," I suggested.

"True. Is that what you're trying with Edward?" she asked, changing tack.

"Excuse me?"

"Until yesterday I'd never really seen you flash cleavage before, at least not when you've a choice in the matter, and suddenly you're dressed like a woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. Am I wrong?"

"Fuck, you're perceptive." I took a deep breath and prepared to reveal all. "He's basically told me that he really likes me, but that Strictly isn't the right time to start a relationship."

"And you're trying to persuade him that now is the perfect time?"

"Yep."

"I think you're doing a great job — Edward looks like he has blue balls."

"You think?" I asked, delighted.

"Definitely, and he keeps shooting surreptitious glances at you. It won't be long before he caves."

"Thanks."

Emmett and Edward joined us, with Emmett proudly showing off the ultrasound. I cooed politely and we gave them the babygro and other baby-related goodies, which Emmett was delighted with.

"Our daughter will fit into this!" he practically squealed, holding up the babygro. "She is going to be so tiny and so cute. With teeny-weeny fingers and toes! I hope she is the spitting image of her mum."

He went on like this for another five minutes until Alice and Jasper arrived and he showed them the picture and began the cooing all over again.

"He's been like this all day. As soon as we got the picture, he was stopping random strangers on the street and showing it to them. I really hope he stops soon." Rose sighed.

When Emmett stopped telling us about how wonderful his daughter was bound to be, he eventually got around to cooking us all Spag Bol.

As soon as we sat down to eat, Alice started vibrating excitedly. "I wanted to allow the baby talk to go on for a little bit longer, but I really want to tell you all about my exciting news!" she squealed. "I'm going to be on Loose Women tomorrow!"

Loose Women was a live daytime show aimed at bored housewives and students where a panel of mostly middle-aged women discussed the latest celebrity gossip, and the latest poorly researched scientific "discoveries." They may as well have just read the most recent edition of The Sun to the camera and made occasional comments about it.

"I love the show, it's hilarious and I'm so excited to have been invited to go on. I can't wait!" she said.

"What time is it on?" Edward asked.

"Eleven in the morning."

"Well, I'm sure we'll all be watching."

The rest of the dinner table conversation was split between discussion about the baby, and Alice telling everyone who would listen how good Loose Women is and how excited she was to have been invited.

I was very grateful when Edward and I left early, claiming that we'd have to start practising extra early to make up for the time we'd lose by watching Loose Women.

"I think my broodiness may have been temporarily solved," I told Edward.

"Only so much baby talk you can take?" he asked.

"Indeed, especially considering they've only known about the baby for twenty-four hours and they've planned an awful lot and possibly swallowed a few baby books."

"They've got four months to make up for. Five months isn't very long to prepare for a baby," Edward reasoned.

"True."

"One day though, you might be the same way."

"What? Only be able to discuss babies? That is a depressing prospect."

"This is everything they've always wanted. They're allowed to be excited," he reminded me.

"Alright! I now feel awful. I will talk babies as much as Emmett wants to and I'll try to listen and make appropriate comments. Okay?"

"Okay."

Edward pulled up in front of my hotel and jumped out to open my door. I climbed out, making sure to flash my stockings and suspenders at him.

"Eight tomorrow at the studio?" he asked.

I leant into the car again and gave him as sensuous a kiss on the cheek as I could, making sure to leave a lipstick mark. "See you then."

With that, I walked away, leaving a dazed Edward behind me.

Please review. I read and appreciate them all.

I fear that I may have forgotten to reply to all reviews. I started before work and then forgot where I had got to when I returned home. Sorry if I forgot, but I read them all and was very touched.

Glossary:

Babber: Baby. A Bristolian slang term.

Babygro: A onesie.

Broody: Feeling like you want a baby.

Plaster: Band-aid

Slagging: Verbally abusing someone.

Spag Bol: Spaghetti Bolognaise

The Sun: A tabloid newspaper. Worst journalism you can imagine.

Tosser: Derogatory. Literally someone who masturbates (or "tosses one off"). From that you should be able to work out what "tosspot" means.

W1: A posh London postcode (zip code).