I'm not Stephenie Meyer. This story is written for entertainment, not profit...don't sue me. Pretty please?

I'm using some real place and business names to add to the realism, but obviously I have no affiliation with any of them. Please suspend your disbelief with me while reading this story! :)

Thanks for your reviews!

As always, thanks to Meghan for beta'ing.

December 28, Boston, MA

James' POV

"Dr. Cullen," he answered professionally.

"Hello Dr. Cullen, this is James Huntington. I am the widower of one of your patients. We saw each other at the restaurant a few weeks ago..." I trailed off purposely, awaiting his reply.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Huntington, what can I do for you?" He cleared his throat quietly. I could sense, even over the phone, that he was agitated. He tried to hide it, but not well enough for me.

My prowess in the courtroom came with the ability to read people's verbal and non-verbal cues, and they were right most of the time. I was confident in my instincts as they had never steered me wrong.

"I wanted to request that you send Marie's files regarding her accident to my new address. I've recently moved, and those files were misplaced, I'm afraid."

"Oh," Dr. Cullen replied, off his game apparently. "I'm afraid we don't keep records of that nature on file for very long. I can certainly have someone search for them. If they find them, they can courier them over to you."

"Good," I replied curtly. "See to that, Dr. Cullen. I will fax your office my new address."

"Very well, Mr. Huntington. If my assistant finds the records, I'll have her send them to your home address."

"Thank you, doctor. We'll be in touch." I hung up without waiting for a reply, knowing that those files on her accident could potentially lead to a dead end. If she had faked her death, she would have somehow gotten the good doctor to fabricate the death certificate, and with it, the cause of death.

Hell, he probably wouldn't even search for the records, or would claim that they weren't found. The files really didn't matter at this point. Murray Stinson, my PI, was searching for Marie using his own shady connections, and I was paying him exceptionally well for results. If Marie still lived-and I knew that she did-he'd find her and tell me exactly where she was hiding. I told him that I wanted to check out any and all leads he got personally. So far, since hiring him, he'd found nothing, but that didn't hinder my resolve. Stinson would find her, or give me enough information to find her myself.

That would be the best scenario.

To see her again, and show her just how much power I had over her, would be fitting.

She could run, and she could hide, but not forever.

No matter where in the world she was, I would find her and make her pay for this betrayal.

Stinson already had some of his men scoping out Marie's parents' house in Toronto and tapping the phone line. I knew she wouldn't be foolish enough to be hiding out with her parents, but she was close with them, so even if she was hiding out elsewhere, she wouldn't be able to stand being out of touch with them for very long. Tapping the phone line was probably the best bet in confirming that she was alive, and maybe even tracking her down.

Instead of working on a case file for work that should have been taking up all my time, I decided to go through my personal files at the office and seek out the funeral home at which she was supposedly cremated, to see if anyone there was forthcoming with some information. If they weren't, I was sure that I could convince someone to be. After all, I had a natural charm, and a way with a gun.

December 31, Forks, WA

BPOV

After a fun-filled Christmas, Edward and I prepared for our first New Year's Eve together. While the rest of the family had their own plans, we decided to go out for dinner and dancing in Port Angeles and spend the night at the same bed and breakfast we stayed at the weekend we conceived our baby: Colette's. Edward reasoned that by this time next year, we'd have our son or daughter with us, and we'd have to keep our New Year's Eve celebration low-key. I agreed completely and took Alice with me to find the right dress for our evening out.

Of course, she jumped at the chance to shop with me, and for me. Together, we found a sexy sleeveless royal blue dress that came up to just above my knees with a plunging V neckline. It was made of various layers of lacy material that had blue beads worked into it. It had some elasticity thankfully, and it clung to my still-slim body snugly. My tiny baby bump had begun to show, but the dress concealed it just enough.

As I slipped on my new dress for New Year's Eve dinner, I allowed my mind to wander to all that had happened over the last few weeks. Not only had Edward and I celebrated our first Christmas together, but his family had learned of the new addition and welcomed me into the family with open arms. The ornament with my name on it that Esme and Carlisle gave me sealed that deal. It felt unbelievable to be a part of their family. Just knowing that they accepted me and my past, and loved me despite it all gave me a warm feeling of belonging and joy I hadn't experienced in a very long time. Sure, my parents loved me, but I couldn't be calling them all the time, and our calls were short for safety purposes, although I thought Carlisle might have been a bit paranoid when he gave me those ground rules for calling Toronto.

I reminded myself that after New Years, I had to call them to tell them that they were going to be grandparents.

To complete my New Years look, I wore the earrings Edward gave me for Christmas. I recalled the moment I opened his present to me with a smile...

"Open mine last, sweetheart."

Alice nodded happily. "Yeah, open ours next. Save Edward's for last," she suggested, handing over a rectangular box to me. It was covered in bright red wrapping paper and a gold bow adorned the top. I smiled and pulled the paper off the box. It was a brand new scrapbook with a red cover and a small place to put a photo. Inside the scrapbook, there were packs of stickers and readymade pages to put in the book. Beside the book in the box, there were four pairs of scissors with bevelled and wavy edges, a package of two sided tape, and a scrapbooking Exacto-type knife. I looked up at Alice and beamed. The items in the box probably could have cost her over $200, had she not been the owner of a scrapbooking store.

"Thank you so much, Alice. These are awesome," I said, dropping the box and its contents and pulling her into a hug.

"It's no problem at all. We were thinking that you could make a scrapbook of your year in Forks with us, but now I think I should exchange the scrapbook for you and get you one for the baby."

I smiled a watery smile at her and nodded. "Perfect idea, Alice. Thanks, you guys."

Rosalie turned to me then, giving me an envelope. She looked apologetic. "We didn't really know what you'd like, so we went with the next best thing."

I opened the envelope and found a Christmas card inside, wishing me the generic Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Inside that was a gift card for $100 to the local Walmart. "Wow," I gasped. "This is great, actually."

"You sure? Rosie and I haven't really had a chance to get to know you well enough," he paused, thinking, "but I guess now you can use that for baby stuff..." Emmett trailed off, but I stopped him by raising a hand.

"Really, it's perfect. Who doesn't shop at Walmart? And their baby section is pretty vast," I laughed. "Thank you, both of you." I went to Emmett and hugged him. It was like hugging a big teddy bear. Rosalie was next, and when I hugged her, I had the feeling that we'd only grow closer from tonight onward. It was a relief, because getting the cold shoulder from Rosalie every time we got together was stressful since I had never done anything to her. Now, it was like she had finally moved past whatever unpleasant feelings she harboured for me, and we could try to rebuild our relationship.

"Last but not least," Edward called from behind me. I turned to him and saw that he was holding up a small box wrapped in red and green paper. I took the box from him and opened it wordlessly. The blue Tiffany & Co. box under the wrapping paper alerted me to the fact that Edward had spent an unnecessary amount of money, but I kept silent until I saw what awaited me inside that box. I gasped at what was there.

Staring me in the face was a set of drop earrings, roughly two inches long, with an angled heart at the end of each earring. Nestled in the top of each heart was a small diamond. The earrings sparkled brightly in the box, the lights from the Christmas tree reflecting in just the right spots.

"Edward," I began, still clutching the box in my hand, admiring the earrings, and probably grinning like a fool.

"You like them? They reminded me of you because they are beautiful and incredibly tasteful. Plus, they are a bit more practical for you than, say, the $7000 platinum set 1.2 carat earrings I saw."

"Let's see, Bella!" Rosalie called, snapping me out of my haze. I absently handed the box to Rosalie as I walked toward Edward and wrapped my arms around him.

"I love them. Thank you, Edward. They're gorgeous."

He buried his face in my hair and whispered, "Not as gorgeous as you, love," in my ear. "And you're welcome. I can't wait to see them on you."

"You can wear them to New Year's Eve!" Alice chirped excitedly as she fawned over the box in Rosalie's hand.

"Exactly," Edward agreed, brushing some hair behind my ear. "That's the occasion I was thinking of, actually."

"They'll look stunning with her dress, Edward. You'll see!" Alice added, beaming from ear to ear.

"They will," I agreed, nodding. "Thank you again, Edward."

"You're more than welcome, Bella," he smiled, pressing a kiss upon my forehead as he wrapped me in his arms again. "Merry Christmas, Bella."

"Merry Christmas, Edward."

I giggled at the memory, Edward's sweet voice filling my ears with as much love as they could possibly hold.

I gave myself a once over in the mirror, feeling rather pleased with my appearance. My hair was straight and sleek, the dress complemented my curves and those that weren't quite there yet, and my makeup was subtle but perfect.

I smoothed the material of the dress with my hands, letting both hands rest on my tiny bump. I was really pregnant; this was real. Edward and I were having a child, and we were even deeper in love than before. Esme had been right. And she told me as much when I called her to tell her the good news...

"I do hope your Christmas with the family was enjoyable, dear," Esme said during the call.

"Oh, yes, it was, Esme. Thank you so much for the ornament. It made me cry," I replied.

"That wasn't necessarily the reaction Carlisle and I wanted," she laughed.

"I know, but my hormones have been out of wack lately. I've been crying over the smallest things," I answered, setting myself up beautifully for my news.

"Why? Oh, dear, are you..."

Esme took the bait. I giggled in response, causing her to gasp at the news. "You are! Oh my goodness! That's fantastic! Wait, how did Edward take it? I know you were concerned."

I sighed happily. "He's thrilled."

"I told you, Bella. I know my son. He's always loved children, and he loves you fiercely. It just made sense that he'd be ecstatic to be having a baby with you."

"Thank God that he was, Esme. I don't know what I would have done if he wasn't. I love him so much that the thought of losing him was too much to bear."

"Well, no need to worry about that, Bella. He's in it for the long haul." Esme paused and took a breath. "Goodness, I'm going to be a grandmother!" she exclaimed finally. The news must have only sunk in then. I chuckled heartily.

"Yep, you are. Are you happy?"

"Ha, I should be asking you that!"

I thought quickly before answering. I smiled to myself. "In all my life, I've never been happier, Esme."

I heard Edward knocking on my door in his signature three-knock way, pulling me out of my memory and into the present. I stepped down the stairs and opened the door to find my handsome boyfriend looking even more handsome than ever. The first thing I noticed was what hung loosely around his neck; Alice had given him a dark grey striped scarf for Christmas, and it looked very sharp on him-it had to, for the money Alice dropped on it. He wore a black overcoat, and under it, I saw a royal blue tie peeking out contrasting over his crisp white dress shirt. Alice must have purchased it for him to complement my dress. His hair was, as usual, an organized-but-chaotic mess. It made me want to run my fingers through it at that very moment, but I didn't because I saw his eyes widen as he took in my outfit and inhaled sharply.

"You look amazing, love. And those earrings are perfect on you," he breathed, stepping past me and closing the door behind him. I was about to ask him why he was closing the door when he took me into his arms and pressed his lips to mine hungrily, moving me backwards against the now closed door.

His lips moved down my cheek and neck, making me moan, and I suddenly become very aware of the small thong Alice insisted I buy to go along with the outfit and how moist it was getting.

Edward always knew how to get me aroused. Just looking at him got me excited, but my neck and those delectable lips of his were a deadly combination for my libido. Especially since I had become pregnant.

"Sweetie," I started after a minute, my rational side finally winning the battle against my hormonal side, reminding me that we had reservations we needed to get to. "We can get back to this...uh...later, after dinner, when we get to the bed and breakfast," I attempted, though his kisses continued.

"But you look good enough to eat," he murmured seductively into my neck before kissing it. "Are you sure we can't just order take out and stay in tonight?"

I giggled and put my hands on his chest, pushing gently. "Baby, you were the one to suggest dinner and dancing, and staying in our room at Colette's."

That seemed to snap him out of it, because he pulled back and looked up at the ceiling in frustration-sexual frustration. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"I know, I know, you're right."

"And our next New Year's Eve together, we'll be parents and he or she will come first before any big celebration we may have wanted to have otherwise," I added, kissing his cheek chastely. He looked repentant, but still highly aroused. I had to giggle again at his reaction. He nodded, smiling, and wrapped his strong arms around my waist.

"You're right, Bella," he agreed, leaning his forehead against mine. "I can't wait until he or she gets here," he whispered, looking down at my stomach. "Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I could swear you're already showing."

"I am a little," I replied, rubbing my bump slowly.

"You're beautiful, my love. Every day that little one grows more, and you grow more beautiful." He pulled me against him and hugged me tightly, humming happily. I could still feel his erection through the material of his pants, but I knew it was on its way down after having reminded him about our dinner and hotel reservations.

I felt my cheeks burn with a blush. "Thank you." I turned in his arms and grabbed my coat that was hanging off the hook behind the door. "So we'll finish this later. This pregnant woman is hungry," I joked as he released me and helped me slip my coat on. He kissed me again firmly before opening the door.

"Ok, let's go celebrate."

We arrived in Port Angeles safely and with time to spare. We checked into our room at Colette's and left our overnight bags there before heading out to the restaurant for dinner.

Our dinner was fabulous, and the dinner entertainment was well-received by everyone at the restaurant. There was a four-piece band playing jazz-style music. Edward and I danced to a few classics as the singer crooned away, but there was one in particular that she sung that stuck out to me. The band had been playing an up-tempo set when the music changed and the unmistakable beginning of At Last by Etta James was heard. Edward and I were already on the dance floor, so we just held on to each other tighter and swayed to the music. For the first time in a long while, I actually listened to the words of a love song as we held each other and danced. Edward took my hand in his and brought them up between us, resting them over his heart.

At last,
My love has come along,
My lonely days are over,
And life is like a song.

Oh, yeah, yeah, at last,
The skies above are blue.
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you.

I found a dream that I could speak to,
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to,
A thrill that I have never known.
Oh, yeah when you smiled, you smiled,
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven,
For you are mine
At last

It was amazing how much meaning I found in the song.

For the longest time, love songs made me cry. It wasn't because they were sweet, but because I had long since stopped believing in their words, and that reality made me incredibly sad. I had always been a romantic at heart. My parents' interaction with each other over the years made sure of that. They were still in love after twenty eight years of marriage. I grew up wanting to find a love like that, and I thought I had found that in James. After a few months with him, that dream died and so too did my romantic side. I thought I would never listen to a love song and feel the same as I had when I was a kid.

I was wrong.

At Last summed up everything I felt about Edward. I had been incredibly lucky the day I met him. Because of him, my skies were blue-bluer than they had ever been.

It must have touched Edward, too, because he began singing the lyrics in my ear softly. It was wordlessly understood that this was our song. All too quickly, the song was over. He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"I love you."

"Love you, too," I replied, taking his hand in mine and walking back to our table, where they were ready to serve coffee and desserts.

Before we knew it, the emcee was announcing the time, and all the attendants were invited to get up on the dance floor to count down to 2010 together. We made our way to the dance floor, hand in hand, and waited for the countdown to begin. Within a few minutes, the room filled with loud and happy voices, cheering as we counted together.

10...

9...

8...

7...

6...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

Edward turned to me before the room erupted in cheers and exclamations of Happy New Year and pulled me toward him, cupping my face within his hands and crashing his lips to mine. I sighed as his tongue swept into my mouth and his grip on my face tightened ever so slightly. After a moment, he pulled away to take a deep breath and kissed my forehead.

"Happy New Year, Bella. I love you so much." He got down on one knee, put his arms around my waist, and kissed my stomach. Over the people around us singing Auld Lang Syne, I thought I heard Edward say 'daddy loves you, too, baby."

New Year's Eve was always emotional for me, and this year would be no different. For the last two years, New Year's Eve was the marker for another year of torture and hurt to begin, and it devastated me to no end. James and I would go to a high-end restaurant to pretend to be happy in front of his bosses and co-workers. I'd ring in the New Year with a fake smile plastered upon my face, praying he wouldn't notice how miserable I was on the inside. Once we got home, he'd insist on sex, though I was usually thoroughly exhausted.

This year, I had a good reason to be emotional. 2010 would be the first full year that I would live in Forks; it would be the year that our baby would be born. I felt tears in my eyes as I thought of these things briefly. Edward returned to his standing position and gazed at me with a smile that would have made me cry anyway. He wiped a stray tear from my cheek and took my hand again.

"No tears, sweetheart. This will be the best year yet. Just wait and see."

With the holidays officially over, it was business as usual a few days later. I had my first sonogram scheduled with my doctor, and I was a bundle of nerves at the idea of seeing the little being growing within me. We were able to schedule the appointment around Edward's own hospital schedule so that he could come with me.

The nurses were helpful as they told us which room to go into when my name was called. Together, Edward and I met the doctor, Janet Meinheim, and she told me to go to another room and await further instructions.

When we got into the room, I took a seat on the papered table while Edward sat to my right, glancing around the room curiously.

"I've been in the maternity ward before, but somehow, I feel like I should pay special attention to all the machines and procedures now. It's kind of important, right?" He smiled, taking my hand in his and kissing it gently.

"I guess so, but I'm sure Dr. Meinheim knows what she's doing," I commented.

"Oh, she does. I should know; I requested her specifically. She used to be a colleague of my dad's. He highly recommends her," he said, winking.

Just then, Dr. Meinheim entered the room holding a clipboard and a friendly smile. She was a middle-aged lady with subtle streaks of grey in her short light brown hair. "Hello again," she greeted, extending her hand for Edward and me to shake. "Ok, how are we today? Ready for your first sonogram, Isabella?"

"It's Bella, please," I requested as I shook her hand. "And yes, we're more than ready."

"Great. Now, let's get you laying down here," she patted a table covered in paper," and take a look at that little one in there. Go ahead and get comfortable."

Edward took my coat and purse from me and sat down again.

I laid myself down on the table as instructed. Once I became as comfortable as I was going to get, Dr. Meinheim motioned to the screen and the machinery attached to it to the right. She grabbed a mouse-like appliance and a bottle of clear gel.

"Alright, lift your shirt, sweetie. I need to squirt this on your tummy to help the machine get a good picture of the baby."

I complied and fidgeted slightly when I felt the cold substance sliding on my stomach. Edward gripped my hand beside me and kissed it again. I looked over and saw him practically bouncing around on his chair. He looked like a kid waiting for midnight to open his Christmas gifts-or Emmett, now that I thought about it. It was absolutely adorable to see him so excited to see our baby on the screen.

The doctor placed the tool over my abdomen and moved it around, turning on the screen with her free hand.

Abruptly, the room was filled with a quick and constant thumping sound which coincided with the image we were now presented with on the screen. There was a distinct outline of a head and a body curled up.

"Oh, God," Edward said as he watched the monitor in awe.

"There's the little one," the doctor commented happily. "That's the baby's heart you're hearing. And here," Dr. Meinheim pointed to a moving blob, "is the heart. It's too early to tell the baby's gender yet, but you can see the head and the profile."

I noticed Edward's head tilt to get a better perspective on the image we were seeing. To me, he or she still sort of resembled a blurry peanut, but there was no mistaking it; this was our baby.

"Wow," was all I could manage out of my mouth as I, too, stared at the screen. Dr. Meinheim then began writing a few details down and glanced back up at the monitor every few moments.

"Development looks perfect. The measurements look to be right on schedule. Given everything I see, I estimate your due date to be on or about July 23. Congratulations," she beamed at us. Edward wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple.

"Thank you, Doctor," he mumbled, unable to focus on anything else except me, which made my smile widen indefinitely. Dr. Meinheim returned our smiles genuinely and sighed.

"I must tell you; I love this part of my job. You two are so in love, it's contagious. And you, Edward, remind me so much of Carlisle, it's amazing."

Considering they weren't even blood related, it was a great compliment for him. He smiled back proudly, though, reminding me just how much he loved his father, blood relation or no.

"Thank you. I've learned everything I know from my father."

"All the best stuff," I added with a smile, getting a chuckle from the doctors.

"There's only good stuff to learn from him. He's a great man," Dr. Meinheim agreed, rising from the stool before me, grabbing a damp cloth, and handing it to me. "Here you go, Bella. You can clean yourself up and meet me in my office down the hall. We can discuss any concerns you may have, and when you leave, you can schedule your next appointment with Lucy out front. Ok? See you in a few minutes, then," she said, waving at us and leaving us alone in the room. I wiped my stomach clean of the gel that was used on it with the cloth. Edward was at my side, still holding my coat and my small purse.

"Ready?" he asked, watching me right my shirt over my stomach.

"Yup, let's go."

Once in Dr. Meinheim's office, we discussed a few birthing options and some concerns we each had about the pregnancy. Once she answered our questions informatively, we said our goodbyes and made my next appointment with Lucy.

We walked out of the building holding hands like lovesick teenagers, smiling at each other like fools, but we didn't care.

"This is really happening, huh?" Edward asked as we reached the car. I nodded.

"It is. I sometimes still can't believe it."

"It's amazing how much has happened in the last six months," Edward breathed as he opened the passenger side door for me. "But I wouldn't change a thing."

Mid-January

Carlisle's POV

I was preparing to call it a night after watching some television when the eleven o'clock news came on. Esme had already gone to bed. I gripped the remote control in my hand, preparing to turn it off, when the second news story came on, chilling me to the bone.

"To local news now, where police say the death of business owner Whitney Bradshaw is being treated as a homicide."

I froze when I heard that name on the news.

Whitney Bradshaw was a close friend. He was such a close friend that I had entrusted him with the monumental task of covering up Marie's death at his funeral home. I focused all my attention to the screen before me with near crazed single-mindedness.

"Bradshaw," the female reporter continued, "the owner and director of the F.J Higgins funeral home in Roslindale, was found dead early yesterday morning in his car, which was found in a ditch off the I-90 in the direction of Soldiers Field Road." The scene upon the screen changed to a video of police searching the seemingly abandoned car off the side of the I-90, and another officer cordoning off the area with caution tape.

"His wife reported him missing two evenings ago when he didn't return home from work that day."

The scene changed again. This time, there was a picture of Whitney and his wife, Teresa, and their five year old son, Chase. I suddenly felt as if the breath had been sucked out of me. Even if I had wanted to say something at that moment, the sheer shock of the news kept my brain from functioning effectively to produce sound. I resigned to keep listening to the news broadcast.

"The exact cause of death is being withheld by investigators, but police are certain they are dealing with a homicide. Bradshaw, a father and husband, had been the director of FJ Higgins for nearly ten years, and was a model citizen. Police ask anyone with information about the murder to call their local precinct or 1-800-494-TIPS. This marks the first murder of the year in the Boston area.

"In other local news, the Mayor's office says an election is on the horizon..."

I shut the television off and stared blankly at the screen, trying to process the information that had just been on it.

Whitney was dead.

And he hadn't just died of a heart attack or natural causes; he had been murdered. He was such a caring person that it made the notion of his having any enemies completely impossible. Perhaps it had been a carjacking gone wrong. He did drive a high-end Mercedes, after all. His car was nearly brand new, and had cost him quite a pretty penny. The different scenarios ran through my mind, but something nagged at me. Could his death have had anything to do with the role he played in helping Marie – Bella - escape? His participation had been fairly minimal; he had only agreed to the charade and provided me with the wood ashes that they passed off as Marie's cremated body.

Had he paid with his life for helping a young woman gain a new life?

It was impossible, though! There was no way that James suspected anything! We hadn't given him anything to rouse his suspicion, had we?

Yes, he had called me back at the end of December, but he had just called to get documents that he had misplaced re-sent to him; documents that I had had forged back when this whole ordeal started. There was no suspicion in his voice, no awkward pauses. He had used a tone that reminded me of the one he used when I informed him Marie had lost brain function; no nonsense, business as usual.

No, he didn't suspect that Marie was alive. He simply couldn't.

I had to remind myself of that.

That night, I fell into a restless sleep, knowing a friend of mine had been murdered, and that I would have to face his widow in a few days for his funeral.

Mid-January

James' POV

"Hey James, it's Murray. I have news. I sent you an MP3 of a conversation that I think will interest you," my PI said over the message he left on my voicemail. "And I have some info for you once you've heard it. Call me after so we can discuss that, and my bonus," he chuckled as the click of the line disconnecting was heard.

This was the call I had been waiting for.

I immediately logged into my email account and found his particular email, with the MP3 attachment titled '3'. I double-clicked the attachment and raised the volume on the computer.

There was a bit of white noise before I heard the voice of my mother-in-law.

"Hello?"

"Mom," I heard my deceased wife say.

"Hi, sweetie. How're you doing?" her mother asked.

"I'm really good, actually. I can't talk very long, but I wanted to check in. How did your New Year's go?" Hearing her voice again did strange things to my body. While I was absolutely livid to know that things were 'really good' with Marie and my blood boiled as a result, her angel-like voice always made me hard. I sighed in a mixture of rage and arousal.

"Good. We stayed in as usual and watched the broadcast on CityTV from Nathan Phillip's Square until 1am."

"Aww, I miss watching those with you guys," she said, sighing. I had to roll my eyes. My wife always did have weird traditions with her parents. It must have been a Canadian thing.

"I miss that too, baby," she replied sadly.

"Where's Dad?"

"Your father is out in the garage tinkering with the Jeep. You know the way he is; never satisfied with the way it runs until he's completely pulled the engine apart...again," my mother-in-law laughed.

"Yeah, I remember the first time he did that," she laughed. "Sorry I haven't called lately. Things have been crazy over here."

I was intrigued; how could things possibly be crazy over there when she was alone in a strange place without anyone to care for her? She was always so reliant on me and my care. Yet there she was on the recording, sounding perfectly fine, independent, even. It began to infuriate me.

"What's been happening, hun?"

"Well, um, are you sitting down?" Marie sounded hesitant to continue. What news could she possibly have for her mother?

"You're scaring me, baby. What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing bad," Marie was quick to reply. "It's something amazing."

"What is it?"

"I'm pregnant."

I suddenly lost the ability to see as I zoned out.

My wife was pregnant by another man. My wife, who couldn't carry my baby to term, was happily carrying the child of another man.

The whore!

"Mom? You there?" Marie asked after a moment of silence, breaking me out of my haze of anger.

"Yes, sweetie, I'm here. I...I can't believe it!" her mother exclaimed with a squeal. I could hear her call for her husband in the background. In the meantime, while Marie's father was coming to the phone, I heard Marie giggling and talking to someone on her end.

"Did you tell her?" a faint male voice was heard asking. I grabbed the photo that I had found in the bistro that night-I kept it in my desk drawer for safe keeping-and stared at the face of the man. It must be him who got my wife pregnant. He didn't sound remorseful or upset that she was pregnant with his bastard child. He sounded elated, even in the four words he uttered that I could hear.

"Yeah, she's getting my dad on the phone," she replied quietly. I could just picture the smile on her face. I imagined that it was similar to the one she wore when she told me she was pregnant back in January of last year.

How dare she be happy about carrying another man's baby!

Even though the last thing I wanted to do was to listen to this love-fest any longer as my anger mounted, I forced myself to calm down and listen. The display told me that the MP3 was only another few minutes long. Suck it up, I told myself. The next few minutes could reveal something important.

I was not disappointed.

"Bella?" Marie's father asked as he came on the line.

Bella? Is that what she was calling herself these days to elude me?

"Hi, Dad," she answered, confirming that it was indeed the name she answered to now.

"Your mom says you have something exciting to tell me."

"Yeah, Dad. You're going to be a grandpa." I could have sworn at that moment I heard the distinct sound of kisses on one of the lines. Disgusting.

"What...really? Oh my God! My little girl is going to have a baby! How have you been feeling?"

"The morning sickness passed a few weeks ago. Besides that, I've been good."

"And Edward's been treating you right, has he? Is he excited?" Marie's mother came on the line and asked.

So the bastard's name was Edward. It was a name I'd surely never forget.

"Yes, I'm really excited," Edward replied for her. "We both are, right, love?"

Who the FUCK did he think he was, calling my wife 'love'? I was going to enjoy finding them and destroying him before her eyes. He would beg for his life for hours before I ended him as Marie would watch.

"Yeah, mom, dad, we're really excited. And happy," she sighed blissfully.

"Do you know when you're due yet?" her mother asked.

"Yeah, my doctor estimates mid-July or so."

"Oh, Bella, I wish we could come see you," she lamented.

Yes, so do I, I thought. Tell your mother where you are so that I can come and get you...

"You know it's too dangerous, Mom. Don't worry. Soon, ok?"

Fuck.

I heard someone sniffle. It was Marie's mother. "Ok, baby."

"Well, guys, Edward and I have to go, but we just wanted to tell you the good news."

"Ok, Bella. You take care of yourself, and Edward? Take care of them, will you?" Marie's father asked good-naturedly.

"Yes, sir, I will." This Edward sounded like a brown-nosing tool. He didn't know what awaited him when I found them, and I would find them. If it took forever, it wouldn't matter, because it would be worth it to make them both pay for their treachery.

"The name's Charlie, son," he laughed.

"Sorry, Charlie."

All the years I was married to Marie, her father had never once asked me to call him by his given name. This insufferable prick had already wormed his way into Marie's parents' hearts, and it only added to my fury.

"That's better. Well, kids, take care! Call us again soon, alright?"

"We will, dad. Love you," Marie, or should I say Bella, said sweetly. I recalled a time when she would only say those words to me. Those days were long gone. If I had my way, the only thing she'd ever say to me again would be words to plead for her life and that of her tool boyfriend.

And I always got my way.

"We love you, too," Marie's mother replied. "Bye!"

The line went dead and the MP3 stopped playing.

I listened to the recording twice more, committing every nuance and rise in my wife's voice to memory, before calling Stinson as he requested.

He answered in one ring, as if he had been anticipating my call. "Hey James. Liked my email, did ya?"

"Indeed," I replied shortly. "What other information do you have for me?"

"Man, my bonus is gonna be huge," he said under his breath.

"That depends on what exactly you have for me," I spat impatiently.

"Alright, alright, here it is. I ran a trace on the call. I have a location on your wife."

I gasped at the information. Was it really that easy? Stinson had come through more quickly than I would have ever imagined, or would have ever given him credit for.

I found myself trying to remember how to formulate words into sentences.

"James? You there? Yo, James?"

"Yes, sorry," I said at length. "Where is she?"

"She's in Washington State."

A/N:

Uh-oh!

You can see the earrings Edward gave Bella for Christmas here:

www(dot)tiffany(dot)com/Shopping/Item(dot)aspx?fromGrid=1&sku=21320153&mcat=148204&cid=287464&search_params=s+2-p+2-c+287464-r+101323351-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+

So things are going to start picking up speed from here on out. I anticipate at least another seven chapters, and then an epilogue. We're nearly done, guys!

What did you think?