Sorry for so long. Life sucks sometimes but consider this a late Thanksgiving present and I hope you all enjoy!

"Edward, I don't know if we should do this." I saw him push off of me onto the side.

"What do you want, Bella?" he said as he laid there next to me.

"I don't know what is going to happen, Edward. I don't want to lead you on…"

"What do you want, Bella?"

"You. I want you, Edward."

Edward and I were interrupted before anything really got started. A freak thunderstorm rained out the men's golf game forcing all of them back to the hotel room to watch basketball. My mom, Alice, Esme and Rose came home almost an hour later after the spa's electricity went out.

Rose stayed by my side the rest of the weekend, making up excuses anytime I felt nauseated or had an overwhelming need for sleep. I did have to admit just being with all of them without any facades were a wonderful thing. Well except my being pregnant and not knowing who the father was.

But that could all wait until later.

That Sunday night all ten of us went out to dinner at some fancy restaurant that required the men in suits and all of us women in almost formal dresses. Alice of course, had me dressed up like a model. I wanted nothing more than to be at the hotel with some pizza and relaxing with a tee shirt and sweatpants on, but no.

The men were already at the restaurant awaiting our arrival. Rose, my mom and Esme were all wearing floor length dresses while Alice made sure that she and I showed as much skin as possible without offending both of our dads. All of us entered into the back room and observed all of the men sitting at the table chatting it up about something sporting related. Once they noticed we arrived, they stood and walked over to their partners. I just stood there not knowing if I should automatically go to Edward or wait. He made the decision for me and walked over with one long stem red rose handing it to me.

"You look beautiful, Bella." He stepped in close to my ear and lingered there shortly while the others were unobservant.

"Thanks. You look pretty good yourself." I patted his chest leaving my hand rest there for a few moments longer. He reached up and grabbed it pulling it and me closer to his chest.

Everyone else started to take his or her seats and we followed suit. I sat next to my parents and Edward did the same sitting directly across from me. It did not matter where either of us sat; all of our attention was on each other.

The evening continued with light conversation and plenty of alcohol. Everyone else was intoxicated and I was thankful that I could blame my water and soda only beverages on the flu.

By the end of the evening, I was the only one that was entirely coherent and had to be the dutiful adult making sure everyone got back to the hotel. The last person I escorted to their room was Edward.

"Would you like to come in?" he asked, slurring slightly.

"I don't think that is a good idea."

"I do. Come on, Bella." He pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me.

"Edward, you need sleep."

He leant down to my ear and started to nibble the lobe softly. "No, Bella. I need you." I felt as one of his hands lingered down and squeezed my ass.

As I need you, Edward.

"You're drunk. Now get some sleep." I pushed off him. Even thought I wanted nothing more than to take him inside his hotel room and relive the best night of my life. I could not.

Not like that.

"Fine. I'll make you a deal. Just come in and sleep by me. No touchy-feely stuff. I promise." He held up his hands and spread out his fingers.

I pointed a finger at him. "No touchy-feely."

"Unless you want to?" He pulled me into the room and assaulted his lips with mine.

Within five minutes we were completely naked and on his bed. He was kissing and touching and I had to admit that his usual aroma and mixture of alcohol was intoxicating in itself.

He made sure no part of me was left unattended, which made me more and more aroused. I was thankful that Edward had a room separate from his parents.

So very thankful.

For the next few hours, Edward and I made love, several times over. When I was with him, it was if nothing else in the world mattered and all I could do was be wrapped up in him. With him I felt safe, I felt happy, and at ease. I had made my decision all except not knowing who the father of the baby was. That right there was the killjoy; the only thing keeping me from being with Edward totally.

Finally.

I had no idea what to do.

I left Edward at about seven the next morning. I made it back to my hotel room, that I shared with my parents before either of them had a chance to notice that I had been gone all night long.

Luckily, my first meeting was not until eleven, which allowed me to have breakfast with everyone before their flight back home.

Rose decided to stay for a while and 'explore' Phoenix. She was able to take some more time off from her advertising agency, which recently was bought out by Cullen Publishing.

Edward's flight was the last to leave. He was heading out to Seattle for some meetings and then off to Alberta, Canada for some lawsuit that had to have a Cullen for the proceedings. He wanted to stay. Shit, I wanted him to stay. I never wanted him to leave me again, but until I figured things out, it had to be that way.

Rose rode with me to my office, deciding to hang out there until I got off work and then we could talk everything out.

I walked into my office after wall-to-wall meetings and watched Rose fully enjoying her stay in Phoenix.

"So this is how the other half lives?" Rose joked as she sat on a sofa in my office, reading over a manuscript and sipping a latte.

"Ha, Ha. Just because your husband is your boss…"

She pointed at me and spoke, "Watch it, sister, Emmett will not, nor will he ever be-my boss."

"Says you. I think the letter head of your company now is listed under Cullen Holdings."

"Oh shut it, Bella." She placed the papers on the coffee table and pulled out her phone. "When can we blow this taco-stand? It is almost five."

"I'm ready when you are." I walked over to my desk and rearranged a few things as Rose grabbed her stuff.

"Where do you want to eat?" She stood at my desk, waiting for me to finish up.

"I don't know, Rose. My lunch is not exactly sitting well with me right now." I took a sip of some ginger ale I had been nursing all afternoon.

"Well fine, I will eat something really bland; you can sit there and eat your crackers for all I care. But I am starving, Bella." She pulled me up from my chair and locked her arm in mine as we headed out the door, closing it behind us.

We ended up going to a little mom and pop restaurant about a block from the hotel. Rose kept to her deal and ate soup and salad. I on the other hand had toast.

Rose was avoiding any conversation with me altogether, which I found very odd. After about half an hour I finally asked what was going on.

"Rose?"

"Hmm."

"What is wrong?"

"Wrong? Nothing…Why?" She kept her gaze off me as she spoke.

"Rose, I know something is up. Now speak."

Rose looked at me and grimaced. "I don't think you are pregnant with Edward's baby, Bella."

I shook my head trying to figure out what she knew that I did not.

"How do you know?" I tore at the end of a napkin, hoping that she was somehow wrong. But I knew the chances were fifty-fifty anyway.

"I talked to Emmett earlier."

I could not believe what I was hearing. She told Emmett.

"You what!" My voice was so loud that a few of the other customers looked over at Rose and my direction.

"Calm down, Bella. I did not tell him anything. I asked very vague questions."

"Oh yeah? Like oh, Edward may have gotten Bella pregnant questions?" I asked as I brought my tone back in line within the spectrum of normal, civil, conversational tone.

"No, Bella," she spoke in a condescending manner, clearly aggravated with my attack on her. "I asked about what happened when he had cancer. What all had to be done."

"What do you mean?" I could feel my eyebrows furrowing as I pieced the information together in my mind, but I still needed to hear the words said aloud.

Rose lowered her head and moved in closer as to no one being able to hear out conversation. "Edward is sterile, Bella."

I sat back in my seat, letting all the information sink in. I listened half-heartedly as she spoke of him having to 'bank' his sperm for use later on in life if he so chose.

The baby was not Edward's. It was Jacob's.

I closed my eyes and squeezed in my lips, trying to keep the tears and the sobbing from letting loose from their bounds.

And I had been hoping, planning, no better yet, plotting for a way for me to be together with Edward.

And now it was all gone.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Rose reached across the table and patted my hand, a futile attempt to sooth me.

A tear escaped from the corner of my eye and I rushed to wipe it with the sleeve of my left arm, hoping that it went unnoticed by Rose. "What do you think, Rose?" I faked a laugh at the end, wanting nothing other than to run away and hide.

Rose started talking; explaining pointless facts like Edward would want to be with me no matter what bullshit. I tried to listen-I really did-but I tuned her out and had an internal discussion with myself.

What was I going to do?

I broke off everything with Jacob to be with Edward. I was now carrying his baby and I knew that Jacob would stand by me, but neither of us would be happy.

Not really.

Why did Edward have to come back into my life?

If I would have just stayed away from him, I would be getting married in a few weeks, over-joyed with the fact of being pregnant with my fiancé's baby.

Everything was wrong.

I knew Edward would stay by my side, but would he ever really love me or a baby that was not his?

I was planning. I was plotting.

I would wait.

Maybe God would take care of this on his own terms-realizing that this was not an ideal situation.

People had miscarriages all the time and if not, maybe, I would give the baby up for adoption?

I just needed time to figure out my life.

I knew what I had to do. I had to stay away from Edward-not until the situation was resolved one way or another.

I had to stay away from everyone. About seven months of staying away, hiding and swearing Rose to absolute secrecy until I could lie to her and tell her I lost the baby.

No one would ever know. Except me.

The next day, I explained to Rose, that I was having to leave town for some meetings in Houston at the end of the week; essentially, cutting her trip short.

I told Rose the ramifications of her spilling my secret to anyone. Moreover, I knew she would keep it and take it to her grave if need be. That was the one of the things I loved about Rose.

That and many other things.

By Wednesday, Rose was taking a charted flight back to New York. I was thankful for her time with me, but I needed to get my house in order-sort of speak-and I knew that I needed to think on my own.

The only way I could do this was to let one other person in on my secret.

Angela.

Wolf Publishing had offices all over the world and if anyone could see to it I was kept so busy that I would never have the time or the location to be visited by anyone it would be with Angela's help.

Therefore, keeping my secret a secret.

When I went into work the next day, I was already to bring Angela into the loop. All was going as planned until Dr. Matthews called and explained that he needed to see me in his office later on that day and have some blood work done and then come back tomorrow for an appointment. He explained that some of my blood work was off and he wanted to repeat the test to make sure everything was okay.

Maybe something was wrong?

I knew how wrong it was to be hoping for the worse. My stomach turned from the thought and my heart wanted to chastise me.

I went to his office about three and had my blood taken. Anxiously awaiting the next morning to get the results.

I waited in his office and glanced around at all his pictures of the families that were his patients. My eyes could not help but linger over the photos of the babies longer than the others.

He rushed in and shook my hand before sitting behind his desk and opening my file.

"Hello, Bella. How are you feeling?" his voice was full of concern.

"Horrible. But other than that, fine." I noticed the look on his face and I felt my stomach drop.

Something was wrong. I had no idea if it was good or bad-either way.

I waited for him to initiate the conversation, which seemed to take a long time for him to start up.

He cleared his throat before he began. "Bella, I was looking over your blood work and I noticed that your Hcg levels in your blood were extremely high for someone at your stage and I wanted to repeat them to see if everything was okay."

I knew that the levels were what told him that I was pregnant when I peed in the cup for him last week.

"It could be one of two things, either the baby is not growing any more and your body has not recognized that the fetus is diminished…"

I felt horrible at the news and had no idea where that felling came from.

That was what I wanted, wasn't it?

"Or you could possibly be pregnant with more than one fetus. Now do multiples run in your family?"

I did not know if I should be that worried or not.

There's no way. God would not be that cruel.

I let him continue and told him of my mother, who was a twin, but whose sister died when she was a teenager from an automobile accident.

Isabella-my namesake.

He made a note on a paper and asked to escort me to the examination table to have an ultrasound done by one of his associates.

I waited for another fifteen minutes in the sterile room until the doctor came in and introduced herself.

"Hi, Bella. My name is Doctor Howard. Dr. Matthews asked me to give you an ultrasound to see if we can get to the bottom of this little mystery." She walked over to the ultrasound machine, pulled out the wand and put a condom on the end of the probe. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. I am just going to perform a transvaginal ultrasound to see that is going on."

Her nonchalant talk of not worrying and condoms were raising my anxiety level to new highs.

"I thought you only did ultrasounds over my belly…not in it." I moved uncomfortably as I shifted on the table once she and the dick shaped probe came closer. I watched as she applied some lubricant to the outside of the device and proceeded to come closer.

"Bella, take a deep breath. I promise this will only be uncomfortable at first and then if you relax this will go a whole lot easier…for both of us."

I conceded defeat and allowed her to begin the test. She was right. Very uncomfortable at first, but then I almost forgot I had the probe inside me as I started staring at the screen.

"Okay, what we are looking at, Bella, is your uterus. Up here." She pointed to the screen. "Is your ovaries. Everything looks good. No cysts. No fluid or inflammation." The doctor moved the probe inside of me and pushed some buttons on the keyboard while I waited.

She zoomed in closer to the picture and brightened up the screen so we could see better. "Hmm. I think I know what the reasoning is for your blood work being off, Miss Swan."

I waited as her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

No, no, no.

It couldn't.

I closed my eyes waiting to hear.

"You're pregnant with triplets!"

Shit!