A slow and steady beeping noise resonated at the edges of my consciousness. I opened my eyes and immediately squinted, groaning at the brightness of the fluorescent lights above my head. Once my eyes adjusted, I took in my surroundings.

I lay in a hospital bed, the tubing for the intravenous fluids taped to the top of my left hand and a belt wrapped around my abdomen to monitor the baby. I turned my head to scrutinize the monitor and met with relief a consistent pattern of ups and downs, indicating my baby's vital signs were okay.

Edward lounged in a hard plastic chair, perched against the railing at the foot of the hospital bed. His eyes were closed, and his head was resting on his propped up hand.

I stared at the rise and fall of his chest, the disarray of his hair, and the shadows of an early stage beard, taking solace in the fact he was with me – for now.

I vaguely remembered waking up during the night, but I was so disoriented, I couldn't process what had happened. The drug-induced haze I felt before had dissipated though, and I could recall the beginnings of an anxiety attack after Edward had checked his phone messages back at the house. I remembered the woozy feeling of lightheadedness and the shallow breaths that followed before darkness overtook me.

We'd had three good months of nothing to report: his tumor hadn't grown, and the side effects of his treatments were minimal. Now all the fears I'd carefully tried to contain came bubbling to the surface – hot, raw, and real. His tumor had grown back, and I wasn't sure what it meant. My mind ran through the deluge of possible scenarios: another round of radiation therapy or another craniotomy. Or death.

The monitors began to beep more rapidly behind my head, my pulse pounding in my ears.

No! Stop. Stop. Stop.

I couldn't think like that. I pulled in a deep breath and rolled to my left side, blowing the air out slowly and inhaling again.

Remaining positive was half the battle. Wasn't that what Dr. Barrow always said?

One thing I knew for sure: "I hate hospitals."

Edward stirred, having heard me. He looked exhausted, but I could tell his droopy eyes were happy to see me awake. He stood up and scooted the chair around my bed, sitting back down beside me. "How are you feeling?"

"What happened?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

"You fainted."

"I figured as much," I said, clearing my throat. "How long have I been here?"

"Just a day."

My brow furrowed in confusion. It was light outside. I wondered what time it was. How had I lost a whole day? A twinge of panic returned as the dark thought that I may not have as many days left with him as I'd hoped entered my head.

As if reading my mind, Edward explained. "You came to, but you kept mumbling about tumors and the baby. Your blood pressure spiked, so they gave you something to sedate you. Don't worry; it's safe for you and the baby." He reached out and squeezed my hand, trying to reassure me.

It took me a moment to relax. But when I did, I felt fine, so I assumed the baby was, too. I was more worried about Edward. "How are you?"

His lips formed a tight line, and the pressure of his hand on mine increased. "My dad and Dr. Barrow are going to meet me at," he answered, glancing at his wristwatch, "in about an hour. I told them I wouldn't leave you, so they'll come here to the room."

"I feel so tired."

"That's understandable. You didn't get the best news yesterday, and you're growing a human." Edward smiled faintly. "Get some rest, and I'll wake you when they arrive."

I dozed off and on after that, Edward never leaving my side, until Carlisle and Dr. Barrow arrived.

I raised the bed to a sitting position and watched as Edward greeted his doctor with a handshake and his dad with a hug before resuming his seat. They remained standing.

There was a brief period of silence, during which each man seemed to size up the situation, all of them reluctant to speak.

I smacked my hands down beside me. "Oh, just out with it already. What's the game plan?"

Dr. Barrow seemed taken aback by my assertiveness, but Carlisle and Edward shared knowing smirks. Carlisle then glanced at Dr. Barrow and motioned with his hand for him to begin.

He clutched the clipboard in his hands and focused on Edward. "As you know, the tumor has grown quite significantly in the four weeks since your last MRI. I feel at this—"

"Wait," I interrupted. "What caused it to grow? We were doing fine these past couple of months. What changed?"

Dr. Barrow never kept things from us. He was open and honest and had mapped out every aspect of Edward's treatment in both technical and laymen's terms all throughout this process. Until now, I hadn't asked many questions because the news had always been positive and hopeful. Despite the fact I was the one lying in a hospital bed, he addressed me without hesitation or sugar coating. I trusted him, and I was sure he could see in my eyes that I believed Edward's life rested in his hands alone.

"I can't say for sure, but I'd venture a guess that the radiation contributed to the growth," Dr. Barrow explained.

"The radiation?" I was now more confused. "Didn't the radiation work to shrink the tumor at first? And he had his last treatment over two months ago."

"Bella." Edward scooted to the edge of his seat, taking my hand in his. "Sometimes, due to the nature of the radiation, it can have the opposite intended effect. In this case, causing abnormal growth instead of shrinkage. Just think about tumors and cancers that sprang up due to Chernobyl. I've pretty much had radioactive material aimed at my head." He shook his head, taking in the horrific look on my face. "No, that's a bad example. No one really knows why radiation can work to both shrink and make a tumor grow. I knew the risk before beginning the treatments."

"But it did work. It shrank your tumor. I don't understand." My ability to process this information was sluggish at best; the sedatives were still clouding my brain.

Edward smiled, shaking his head again. It wasn't meant to be condescending, but I took it as such. I didn't have a medical degree. How silly of me to assume everything was okay when all this time, Edward's tumor had been threatening to upend our whole world.

Since we'd been back together, I had been kept in the loop on all his treatments, but some of these outcomes must have been discussed before we had reconciled. In a way, I felt blindsided.

I tried to swallow the bile rising in my throat and asked as calmly as I could, "So what do we do now?" I wasn't sure if anyone heard me. The words were strained, and my voice was hoarse with fear.

Edward brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. "I fight it, Bella. We fight it. We aren't out of options yet. I've got too much to live for." He held my palm to his cheek, never taking his eyes from mine.

"So, Doc, what's next? What do you suggest?" Edward asked.

Carlisle and Dr. Barrow exchanged a look before the doctor answered. "I'd recommend going back in to extract what we can, though this time, I'd like to try a new therapy during surgery."

Based on their reaction, I expected Edward and Carlisle had both been anticipating surgery but hadn't heard of this new therapy. They usually nodded along with Dr. Barrow when he spoke, but now their expression mirrored my own, and we all waited anxiously for him to elaborate.

"While in surgery, I'd like to experiment with a new cell therapy in hopes of tricking the tumor into thinking it's brain tissue instead of cancer." He paused but only briefly. "Studies have proven bone marrow to be pretty successful, but our best chances would be with…"

His explanation trailed off, and one by one, the three of them turned their attention to me. The hesitation was palpable.

"What? What is our best chance?" I asked, my heart racing with anticipation.

Dr. Barrow let out a breath and answered. "The best chance we have is with a specimen that contains at least fifty percent of Edward's DNA."

Fifty percent? What were the odds of that happening? I shook my head, trying to fathom the odds of finding a match like that. That only left his parents and maybe Jasper.

The men stared at me: Dr. Barrow looked from my abdomen to my face, Carlisle offered me a gentle smile, and Edward raised an eyebrow.

Then I got it, my baby and his cord blood. That was Edward's best chance. My hands wrapped around my belly. "But I'm not due for another eight weeks."

Carlisle spoke up for the first time. "Let's hope we have enough time to wait 'til then."

His solemnity was sobering.

~UrQ~

The next few weeks proved to be nothing short of chaotic.

My parents' house became command central for all things wedding, baby, and Edward related.

Since I had agreed to re-marry Edward, Esme and my mother were insistent upon having a small ceremony to re-do our vows. Both Edward and I would've been happy with going to a Justice of Peace. But my mother had seemed genuinely disappointed when we mentioned it, and Esme was a little appalled by the idea of a Cullen wedding being held at the courthouse, even if it was our second time around.

I let it go. Determined not to let stress put me on bed rest, or worse, back in the hospital, I ceded control of the details to our mothers. It made them happy and kept me calm.

Planning a wedding ceremony wasn't where their reign extended, however. Enlisting Jamie's help, along with some rookies from my dad's precinct, our mothers systematically arranged to have my and Edward's belongings moved from our respective apartments into the house we had once, and now again, shared.

Tonight would be our first night back in the house, but we wouldn't be alone. Jasper and Alice were flying into town and would be staying with us.

Edward was at the house setting up the guest room and awaiting the arrival of his new piano. When I had moved out of the house, all of his collectible items were donated to the Police Chief's auction, and his piano was donated to the school where my mother worked. A huge part of me felt guilty at having purged myself of his belongings, but Edward wouldn't let me wallow in self-blame. He reiterated that they were just things, though his words didn't have quite the same sting as the last time he uttered them.

Now that he had a permanent place to put it and piano accompaniment had become his new career, Edward bought a new piano as a house warming present to himself. He was super excited about the delivery, and I was just pleased to see a smile on his face again; they'd been few and far between since we had discovered his tumor had grown back.

Since he was at the house, I was relegated to picking up Jasper and Alice from the airport. It would be the first time I had talked to Jasper since he drove me away from the Cullens' house that night and the first time I'd talked to Alice since my angry outburst at her during the party.

The airport was crowded and busy, as usual. I parked on an upper level and waddled toward baggage claim to wait for Jasper and Alice.

I saw his blond curly hair above the other heads in the crowd. He disappeared to the baggage carousel to retrieve a suitcase, and I noticed Alice standing nearby, talking on a cell phone.

I stood next to the closest doorway, waiting for them to head in my direction. Jasper saw me first, his eyes widening as they roamed over me, focusing on my rotund belly.

He stopped and flashed me a smile, his mouth curling upward the same way Edward's did, a brotherly trait they shared.

Alice halted right behind him, glancing around to see why he had stopped when she noticed me, too. Her wide eyes were accompanied with a shriek of delight as she dropped her suitcase and all but hurled herself at me.

"Oh my God, Bella! You are so…" she pulled away and gawked at my belly, "…pregnant."

I laughed and hugged her back. "So I've been told."

"You look so great. I'm so happy for you. I can't believe you're having a baby. Esme will finally get a grandbaby and quit hassling me for one." She smiled and placed her hands on my tummy.

I'd grown accustomed to this invasion of my personal space, so I tried not to let it bother me. Besides, given the reason she was here, I'd allow her just about anything – no matter how I had felt about her previously. I had promised myself I would let go of the past.

On the ride back to the house, Jasper took the backseat, allowing Alice to sit up front with me. She chattered almost non-stop about varying topics, including her excitement at seeing the nursery and her anticipation at finally becoming an aunt.

Occasionally, I'd catch a glimpse of Jasper's smile in the rearview mirror, his eyes shining with deep affection as he listened to his wife exuberantly detail all the things she planned to do as an aunt.

Alice was always overly ambitious in any endeavor she tackled. I guessed spoiling her nephew would be no different. I only worried how she planned to do these things while living in a separate state. Did she plan on flying out to Atlanta often?

Alice paused long enough, giving me time to actually get a word in. "Jasper, you're letting your hair grow out?"

Alice turned to look at him as he ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, I don't have to keep it short since I won't be counseling this year."

"I can't believe you took a whole year off."

"I wouldn't have it any other way; he's my brother."

The atmosphere in the car quickly went from lighthearted and airy to grave and oppressive, all of us falling silent.

Clearing her throat, Alice asked, "Have Carlisle and Esme's tests come back yet?"

"Neither matched," I answered.

Jasper heaved a sigh. "Well, that's why I'm here. They said a sibling has the best chance of matching anyway, right?"

I gave a half smile and made eye contact with Jasper in the rearview mirror, his smile as halfhearted as mine.

"Actually, they said the baby has the best chance of matching, but they're not sure we can wait until he's born. That's why they're testing bone marrow. It's the next best thing," I explained.

"So how does this all work?" Alice asked.

"From what I understand, it'll be like the surgery he had in Texas. They'll try to remove the tumor, except this time, they'll inject stem cells into the tumor remnant...if there is one, and see if they can make the tumor think it's not a tumor anymore."

Jasper spoke up from the backseat. "Yeah, Edward said it's like a new cell, so hopefully they can trick the tumor into thinking the new cells are actually brain cells. Wild, huh?"

"These new cells are the stem cells?" Alice asked.

I nodded.

"And you get them from bone marrow?"

"That and umbilical cords," I answered her.

"Really?" She seemed surprised.

"Yeah," I said, driving with one hand and using the other to rub over my belly, an instinctual move. "Dr. Barrow said it's the best chance we have since they'll be so genetically similar. The baby isn't due for a few weeks though, so we have to wait – against Dr. Barrow's wishes."

"What do you mean?" Jasper leaned forward, his head between Alice's and mine.

"Well, Dr. Barrow wants to do the surgery right away, but Edward thinks we'll be better off if we wait until after the baby is born."

"Is that safe?"

I glanced at Alice. Her face held the same fears as the rest of ours had when Edward first told us of his plan. "So far he's been fine. Just frequent headaches, but nothing incapacitating." I didn't elaborate on how Edward was receiving more frequent MRIs to measure the tumor's worrisome growth rate.

Alice looked troubled. I couldn't blame her. She was probably thinking the same thing we all had at one point. We all hoped Edward could survive that long.

A change of subject was in order. "They're probably still in the process of unpacking the kitchen at the house, so we're having dinner at my parents'. Is it okay if we head on over there, or do you need to rest and freshen up?"

Jasper chuckled. "Freshen up. Nah, we can go on over. I haven't seen them in forever. Your dad still have the 'stache?"

I let out a hearty laugh. "Did you know I've never seen him without that thing, and neither has my mom!"

"Oh, yay!" Alice said. "I can't wait to see them; it's been so long."

I parked along the street because my parents' driveway was packed with cars. As we neared the front door, I heard the distinct sounds of a baby crying.

"You hear that?" I asked Alice and Jasper, wondering whose baby that was.

They both shrugged as I opened the door.

The sight before me was simultaneously confusing and hilarious. My parents stood in the entryway between the living room and kitchen, my mom in stitches, and my dad smiling with his arms crossed over his chest. There sprawled out on a changing pad, arms and legs flailing, was a naked baby, quite startled by the hulking man in a surgical mask towering above her. I'm not sure who was squealing more, the man or the baby. That's when I noticed the blonde woman beside him, bent over a tote bag, tossing wipes and a diaper onto the table and barking orders.

It took me a few moments for me to recognize the blonde as Rosalie, which meant the masked man had to be Emmett.

"Baby, this is toxic stuff right here." He held up a dirty diaper as proof of his claim.

I scanned the rest of the living room and saw Esme, red-faced and near hysterics, leaning against an amused Carlisle, wiping away the tears from her eyes.

Emmett handed the screaming baby to his wife, stood tall, and removed his mask. "Oh, hi, Bella."

"Emmett, Rosalie…what are you doing here?" I asked, moving further into the room along with Alice and Jasper.

"Well, hello to you, too," Rosalie said, holstering the baby on her hip, leaning in to greet me with a hug.

I felt the heat in my cheeks, realizing what I'd just said. "I'm sorry. I just meant…I didn't expect. I mean—"

"Bella, relax," Emmett instructed, throwing his arm over my shoulder. "You think I'd let Jasper have all the fun? I came to get my bone marrowed and throw a bachelor party." Emmett reached out to give Jasper a fist bump, and I rolled my eyes. "And of course I had to show off my new baby. She's gonna give your little guy some football pointers."

"Our baby...and no bachelor parties," Rose corrected.

Carlisle and Esme rose from the couch and hugged Alice and Jasper, offering them their seats.

"Emmett practically insisted he come out to get tested and to be here for the wedding, of course. I asked your parents, and they invited them over for dinner tonight," Esme explained. "We thought it'd be a nice surprise for you and Edward. Where is he, by the way?"

"He's right here," Edward answered, stepping through the door behind Jamie. Both of them were sweaty, their shirts clinging to their bodies. "We are officially moved in and almost all the way unpacked." Edward slumped into the nearest chair and wiped his face off on his shirt.

It took him a few moments to acknowledge Emmett and Rosalie's presence, his eyes going wide and his smile growing big. He got up again to shake Emmett's hand, but Emmett pulled him in for a hug instead.

"You know what causes that, don't you?" Emmett asked, pointing at my belly.

"Shut up, you dumbass," Edward retorted. Then he noticed his brother.

The two men embraced, both of them silently clinging to one another, the reality of why Jasper was in town no doubt weighing heavily on their minds.

The two men separated, each clearing their throats and standing tall as if to shake off their moment of vulnerability.

A round of introductions was made between Jamie and Emmett and Rosalie.

Eventually, we all settled down in the dining room, munching on the lasagna my dad had made and catching up with each other.

Carlisle and Esme had leased a townhome near the hospital, finally moving out of their hotel suite. I imagined Esme was itching to create a nursery of her own for E.J.

I wondered what they were going to do with their house and respective jobs in Texas. Carlisle had already mentioned he had taken a sabbatical, and Esme didn't really work. Still, I wondered about the house. Were they moving to Atlanta permanently to be close to Edward and their grandbaby?

Alice had all but confirmed that's what she and Jasper were doing on the drive over here. The company she worked for had its corporate headquarters in Atlanta, and Jasper could work as a high school counselor anywhere. Though technically, he didn't need to work either; he had a trust fund just like Edward did.

Emmett and Rosalie weren't moving, but they planned to stay in Atlanta at least until the baby was born. If I kept to my due date, they'd be out here for a little over three weeks.

On the one hand, I was extremely grateful for the love and support everyone had shown and continued to show. Yet, I simultaneously dreaded the circumstances which precipitated the need.

After dinner, we all congregated in the living room for coffee and dessert.

My dad allowed me to sit in his recliner while everyone else occupied the couch, loveseat, and floor.

Emmett and Rosalie sat across from me with Rosalie holding the baby in her lap. I watched as Emmett leaned over, blowing raspberries onto his daughter's belly, her laughter echoing throughout the room.

The sight was endearing and brought a smile to my face, but it quickly faded as I thought of the very real possibility that Edward would never get to do that with E.J.

I set my bowl of ice cream down on the side table and rubbed my palms in soothing circles across my abdomen. It frightened me to think of a future without Edward in it, but I just couldn't purge the thoughts from mind.

I was lost in my head when Rosalie and Alice invited me to join them outside.

"Here." Rosalie held out her hand. "Let's go talk."

I let them help me from the recliner and followed them out onto the patio. The night air was brisk and cool, but it felt nice on my overheated skin.

We all settled into patio chairs surrounding a table, and I sat silently, watching Alice and Rose watch me.

"Why are you staring at me?" I finally asked.

"No reason." Rose put her elbows on the table and propped her head up, studying my face. "Just wondering when you're going to tell us what's wrong. Do you need someone to talk to?"

"What? Nothing's wrong."

"Sure there is," Rose replied matter of fact. "You're two weeks away from re-marrying your ex-husband, three weeks away from giving birth to your first child, and there's no telling how long until Edward has to go back under the knife to try and remove a brain tumor. There's plenty wrong. You wear your emotions on your sleeve, Bella. I can feel your stress from over here."

Alice glanced from Rose to me. "I think what she means to say is that you can vent to us, tell us how you really feel."

"I'm fine." I sighed. "I'm just waiting for this little one to make his appearance." I patted my belly.

"I bet Edward is, too," Alice said. "He wants to wait to have surgery until the baby's born, right?"

"Yeah." I rolled my eyes. "But we're still testing for bone marrow matches, just in case."

"Who all's been tested?" Rose asked.

"Some teachers at my mom's school and some guys that work with my dad."

"And none of them matched?" Rose leaned forward in her chair.

"No." I tried to hide the crack in my voice.

"But that's why Jasper is here." Alice placed her hand on my forearm. 'They're brothers. There's a greater chance they'll match."

"It doesn't matter if he does; Edward doesn't want the surgery until the baby is born. I really don't want to talk about this." I shook my head and shut my eyes, leaning back in the chair.

"I think it will help if you talk about it," Rose insisted. "You know, Edward still calls Emmett almost every day. He's not keeping things bottled up any more. You shouldn't either."

I liked her no nonsense way of handling things. It was something I admired about her when I met her, but I couldn't handle her agitations at the moment.

Alice spoke up, trying to offer another point of view. "Maybe he's just saying that because no one has matched yet. Maybe if someone does, he'll change his mind."

"I don't know. I just want him to be okay." I looked from Alice to Rose before turning my eyes upward and biting my lip, trying not to cry. "I want him to be able to complain about dirty diapers. I want him to be able to hold his baby and blow raspberries on his belly. I want him to be able to hear the first time our baby calls him Daddy. I want Edward to see E.J. coming home from school with homework that only Edward can help with. I want him to have it all, and I'm not sure he will." My shoulders slumped, my burdensome thoughts weighing me down.

Alice tried to reassure me. "He will."

"You can't know that, Alice." I snapped, immediately feeling remorse upon seeing the hurt on her face. Her eyes glistened as my own tears began to fall. This was why I didn't talk much. I ended up a blubbering mess over TV commercials, let alone dealing with my deepest worries. These hormones were wreaking havoc on my emotions.

"I'm sorry. You don't deserve that. I just feel so… so helpless or hopeless or both. It's one thing losing Edward when it was just me…eventually I could cope. I did cope. Now I'm not alone. I can't fall apart if the worst happens. Someone else is going to be depending on me. Doing this all alone is what scares me the most."

I sniffled and sucked in air in staccato gasps, trying to catch my breath.

"And then I feel selfish and guilty for feeling this way. Edward's the one with death staring him in the face, but he shows no fear. I'm amazed at his strength. I told him we'd do this together, and it's not fair to fall apart on him."

"First of all, sweetie, you are not going to be alone. There is a houseful of people in there who will make sure that never happens. And this is what we were waiting for you to tell us. Do you feel any better?" Rose smirked.

"I hate you sometimes," I said. "Though I'm also pretty sure I love you, so after all of this is sorted out, please make sure we keep in touch." I had a feeling I would need her support.

"Of course, and if it's worth anything, I believe that God's not that much of a bastard that he wouldn't let you and Edward have a happily ever after, especially after all you've been through."

"I hope you're right."

~UrQ~

I couldn't exactly call God a bastard, but I wasn't particularly happy with him, either.

Emmett wasn't a match, and neither was Jasper, further cementing Edward's resolve to wait until after the baby was born to have the surgery.

His latest MRI – the only one since we discovered his tumor had returned – had shown further growth of his tumor, approximately half a centimeter in four weeks.

That bit of news alarmed me, sending my thoughts into a tailspin of doom. Edward tried to assure me he was okay or that he would be okay, but I had a hard time clinging to his hopeful reassurances.

He looked fine, and he said he felt fine, so all I could do was wait.

Wait.

Wait for E.J. to be born so he could save his father's life. That's what we were all banking on.

I tried to speed up the process by following the advice of some old wives' tales: eating eggplant parmesan, doing squats, having sex, and getting pregnancy massages. Nothing worked, but the latter two helped to alleviate some stress.

Esme and my mom tried to keep me busy with mundane wedding tasks, with just two days to go. Or they'd try to get me to make plans for Thanksgiving, which was less than a month away. I didn't want to partake in either.

How do you plan for a future you're not sure you'll have?

Surprisingly, Alice and Jasper staying with us didn't further agitate me. Jasper disappeared with Edward and Emmett on most days. Once he and Jasper recovered from the bone marrow tests, the guys would blow off steam and work out or watch sports. I could tell they were both trying to make sure Edward's physical and mental well-being were as healthy as possible with his surgery on the horizon.

Alice kept me company while the boys bonded, which gave us a chance to reconnect and get past old wounds.

At first, she wouldn't allow me to properly apologize for my outburst in Texas, but upon my insistence, she relented. She allowed me to explain the betrayal and confusion I'd felt at the whole Carmen situation and my assumption of her complicity in it all.

The conversation ended with both of us in tears, which wasn't surprising. Throughout my pregnancy, I'd found tears to be par for the course. However, seeing Alice torn up over the possibility that her actions might've complicated things further between Edward and me really did a number on me.

Jasper and Edward arrived home to find Alice and me embracing through our tears. Both men were startled, not sure if they should interrupt until we assured them we were okay. Then we all got cleaned up and headed over to my parents' house for dinner.

Since Emmett and Rosalie had arrived in town, we'd spent the evenings at my parents' house. The men cooked and the women cleaned, except for me.

While I appreciated the concern, having people constantly fussing over me or ordering me around grew tiresome. One evening – after hours of answering to "How are you feeling?" or "Did you eat enough?" or "Do you need to rest your feet?" – I snapped at my mother.

"I'm pregnant; I'm not dying."

Like a slow-motion scene from a movie playing out before me, the activity around me stopped. I could practically hear the screeching of tires in my head, hear the train squealing to a halt on the tracks. Everything and everyone became silent.

Realizing what I'd said, I immediately tried to apologize, but my words were drowned out by my own tearful sobs. I couldn't believe how careless I had been. I wasn't dying, but there was a very real chance that Edward was. Plus, how incredibly ungrateful of me to not appreciate my mother's care and consideration.

I hid my face behind my hands until Edward pried them open.

"Hey, you wanna get out of here?" His voice was soft, and he looked at me in that way that told me he knew I just needed it to be him and me. Alone. Together.

I nodded and offered him a faint smile.

Holding my hand in his, he announced his intentions to the room. "I haven't had any real alone time with my wife, so we're gonna head out. We'll see you all later."

"She's not your wife for another two days, so don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Shut up, Emmett," Edward replied, his tone of voice serious but not angry. "She's always been my wife, no matter what a piece of paper says or what boneheaded move I made," he said, raising our joined hands to his lips to place a kiss on my knuckles.

We waved our goodbyes and made a hasty exit toward the car.

Once in the car, we both exhaled and gazed at each other with understanding.

"You okay?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, I will be. Where are we going? Home?"

"I figured we could walk around the river."

"It's dark."

"There's a flashlight in the trunk…or maybe it's in the glovebox."

I opened the compartment and rummaged through it. "It's probably in the trunk; it's not here, but our marriage license is." I held it up for him to see.

"Damn. I keep forgetting to bring it in the house."

I shrugged. "It's probably safe here."

"Hey," he reached out and brushed his fingers across my cheek, "you better?"

I leaned into his touch. "Yeah, now that it's just you and me. I love our families, but I've missed being alone with you."

He put the car in gear and pulled out of my parents' driveway. Then he reached out and held my hand over the center console, driving with his left hand. "I'm here now, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

The drive was silent for the first few miles as I gazed out the window. Eventually, I muttered, "And you better stay here." It wasn't really a command for Edward but more of a plea to God.

"Not a chance." He squeezed my hand. "I'm not through loving you yet."

"To infinity and beyond." I smiled at him before turning to look out the window again.

"That's right to infinity and OW! Oh my God! Shit!" He jerked his hand out of mine and pressed it to his eye.

"Edward..."

"Take the wheel." He grunted, his hand still pressed to his head.

"What?" I looked around the car, frozen in place, watching this happen to him.

"Take the wheel, Bella!" he shouted.

I didn't know what to be more alarmed about: his excruciating pain or the fact he yelled at me, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. The car was already starting to swerve.

"Put on the brakes," I instructed, steering the car to the right. "I'm putting the car in neutral. Edward…take your foot off the gas. Edward!"

I glanced at him. He had both palms over his eyes, and his back was arching up from the seat.

"Oh my God, Edward. Oh my God."

It was difficult, but I forced my leg between Edward's, pushing his out of the way so I could use the brakes. I was practically sitting on Edward, but my belly kept hitting the steering wheel, so I couldn't fully take over, and hearing Edward's grunts grow in frequency and volume right at my ear didn't make the task any easier.

With one foot on the brake as I partially hovered over the center console, I switched gears and tried to straighten the car out as it coasted to a stop on the shoulder of the road. I put the car in park, maneuvered myself back to my seat, and turned my attention to Edward, who was breathing heavily and groaning. Small beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.

"Edward…" I tentatively placed my hand on his, but he jerked away from me.

I whimpered and wiped the tears from my face. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God."

A sudden knock on the window sent my already racing heart into overdrive. I let the window down to see a middle-aged woman asking if we were okay and if we needed emergency assistance.

"Yes, please call 911. I…I don't know where I'm at." I felt so stupid, not thinking to call an ambulance immediately.

I looked over to Edward again, his hands still planted over his face, and his breaths were even but forced, similar to what I'd been learning in Lamaze class with him. "I'm getting out of the car, but I'm right here. Okay, Edward? I'm right here."

I got out of the car but stood just outside of the passenger door. I dialed my dad's cell phone and caught my bearings. Once I recognized where we were, I described what was going on.

He told me not to worry and hung up. Seconds later, my mom called from her cell phone and explained that my dad was calling to request a police escort for Edward.

I peeked inside the car to see Edward in the same position, his grunts of pain becoming more pronounced.

"Just tell them to hurry, Mom."

"They're on their way, baby girl."

"I know. I hear the sirens now. Mom…" I began to cry again. "I'm so scared."

"Oh, hun, I know you are. We're all on our way. We'll meet you at the hospital. You're not alone in this."

"Stay on the phone with me…please."

"I won't hang up. I'm leaving the house now. Your dad's still on the phone and will follow behind me."

"They're here."

The ambulance came to a stop, and two paramedics exited. One came walking toward me, but I indicated with my finger for him to check out Edward.

My mom stayed on the line as I silently watched the paramedic kneeling beside Edward. After a brief exchange, Edward made a move to exit the car, but his knees buckled, and his hands flew to his head again.

"Edward!" I yelled out, stepping forward as if I could catch him. Luckily, the paramedic did.

"Bella, what happened?" My mom's voice was calm and collected, a striking contrast to my frantic fettle.

"Nothing. The paramedic was able to catc– OW! Oh, my God! OW! Ow, ow, ow, ow…" Involuntarily my stomach tensed, my free hand flying to my abdomen for support.

My mom kept asking me what was wrong, but I couldn't catch my breath enough to tell her; the cramping was too intense.

I felt a warm trickle between my legs. The sensation was odd; I wondered for a moment if I'd lost control of my bladder. Then a gush of liquid streamed down my legs and puddled at my feet.

"Mom…I think my water just broke, and there's blood in it."