Author's Note: Let's see if Bella's earlier hunch was true, eh? Though, I'm pretty sure you guys already know. Heh. :) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, though Gwen Jackson is mine.

Chapter 21

Bella's Point of View

I walked into the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department of Columbia Medical Center, nervous. Everyone that I'd passed on the way here had given me an awed look, as though they were seeing a celebrity. I hated attention.

There were three nurses behind the huge front counter and three doctors in white coats on the outside, consulting their files wordlessly.

I approached them, feeling self-conscious. "Um, excuse me."

All six of them looked up. The three female nurses were the first ones to recognize me.

"Oh my gosh!" one of them exclaimed. "Aren't you Isabella Swan?"

"You mean Isabella Cullen," her friend corrected her. "She got married recently, remember?"

"Aren't you?" the first one asked, her eyes wide and bright.

I smiled slightly, embarrassed. "Yeah, I am."

They started whispering to themselves, awed. I tried not to make a face.

One of the doctors smiled at me pleasantly. He couldn't have been more than thirty. He must have been an intern. "Can I help you with anything, Mrs. Cullen?"

I bit my lip. "Um, is Carlisle here?"

His friends exchanged looks, but the first one nodded. "Yes, he's up in his office, I believe. Do you need to see him?"

"Yes, please," I said.

He nodded and turned to the nurses. "Call Professor Cullen. Tell him that his daughter-in-law is here."

I blushed and turned to go sit down in one of the chairs by the counter. I took deep breaths as I waited, concentrating on not hyperventilating. I tried to remember everything I'd done today to calm myself down.

Graduation was in a week. My high school education was almost over. I felt relieved. If my hunches were right, I wouldn't be able to continue school for about a year. Not until it was all over.

"Bella!"

I stood when I saw Carlisle. He looked concerned.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "Are you hurt?"

"Carlisle, I…" I took a deep breath. "This is going to sound ridiculous. But…I came here to get a checkup."

He raised his eyebrows. "A checkup?"

I nodded. "I know it's way too early, but I think I might be…" I forced myself to say it. "Pregnant."

Carlisle's lips twitched, looking unsurprised. Had he already assumed? Then, he said, "Follow me."

I followed him nervously through the hallways. He made several turns until finally, he knocked on a door.

"Come in."

Carlisle held the door open for me, and I entered. He walked in after me, closing the door behind him.

The woman sitting behind the desk had stood up. "Carlisle. What can I do for you today?"

"Hello, Gwen," Carlisle greeted her. "I'd like you to give this young lady a checkup."

Gwen looked at me curiously. "Isn't she your daughter-in-law?"

"Yes," Carlisle said, smiling at me proudly. "This is Bella. Bella, this is one of my colleagues, Gwen Jackson."

"Nice to meet you, Bella," Gwen said, smiling warmly.

"Hello," I murmured shyly.

"So you think you're pregnant, eh?" Gwen asked. "It's only been, what, two months since you married? Moving a bit fast, aren't you?" She winked at me, making me blush.

"Please take good care of her, Gwen," Carlisle said, placing his hands on my shoulders. "She's very special to us."

"Of course," Gwen said easily. She held out her hand. "Come on. We'll do some basic checkups. There's nothing to worry about."

I glanced at Carlisle anxiously. He nodded reassuringly.

I followed Gwen out of the office and did as she told me to. The nurse that came to assist her was very patient. After I came out of the bathroom, carrying a urine sample, I found her waiting for me.

"Dr. Jackson is waiting for you in that room over there," the nurse said helpfully, pointing the room out. "She'll check the ultrasound now."

I nodded and went inside the room. Sure enough, Gwen was waiting there.

"I want you to lie down here," she said, patting the bed. "And raise your shirt."

I winced slightly when she applied the cold gel on my stomach and rubbed gently. Her eyes were glued to the screen as her hand moved around my lower abdomen, searching.

Finally, she took away the camera and gave me a paper towel to wipe the gel away.

"Wait for me in my office, Bella," Gwen told me as she went out. "I'll be right with you."

Had my hunch been incorrect? No, I was positive. I was sure.

I jumped slightly when Gwen and Carlisle reentered the office. Carlisle sat next to me while Gwen took her place behind her desk.

"Well, what have we got, Gwen?" Carlisle asked professionally. "Was

Bella's hunch correct?"

"She certainly was," Gwen said, smiling as she looked over her files about my checkups. "Congratulations, Bella. You're eight weeks pregnant."

My eyes grew wide. "Really?"

Carlisle chuckled, pleased. "Well, well. Congratulations, Bella. Looks like you'll be making me a grandparent earlier than I'd thought."

I grinned sheepishly. "Wow. Eight weeks?"

Gwen nodded. "I'm sure you've been having morning sickness? Weird dreams? Eating and sleeping a lot?"

I nodded.

"Well," she said. "You seemed to know a lot about the symptoms of pregnancy. I assume that you also know that you have to be careful during your first trimester?"

I stared at her blankly. "I'm sorry… I only know because I've read a lot of books…"

Gwen sighed as Carlisle laughed. "Oh, well. Okay. So for your first trimester of pregnancy, you need to be extremely careful because that's when a miscarriage can usually happen. You're in your second month, so you'll need to be careful for another month or so. We good?"

I nodded.

"You'll need to make weekly visits until I say otherwise," she continued. "Your next visit will be on Saturday. Remember not to eat salty food or anything that makes you feel nauseated. You'll have a lot of cravings for sour things, but don't try to fight it. It's because you'll constantly be feeling a bit like you're having indigestion."

I nodded again, more happily this time. A smile played around my lips.

"Get lots of rest and avoid anything stressful. Eat things that you crave, and don't overexcite yourself. We clear?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then," Gwen said, grinning. "I'm going to let you go now. I'm sure you're itching to go tell your hubby. I will see you next Saturday, Bella."

I stood. "Thank you, Dr. Jackson."

She smiled as Carlisle and I exited her office.

I was lost in thought as he escorted me back out of the university hospital.

"What are you thinking about?" Carlisle asked curiously as we arrived at my Audi. "Wondering how to tell Edward?" He winked.

I smiled slightly. "No. I was just…"

I'd actually been thinking about what Alice had told me. If Edward really was cheating…

No. He couldn't be. I trusted my husband. I wasn't going to get suspicious.

"Do you think Edward will pick up if I call him?" I asked.

Carlisle looked thoughtful. "I don't know. He might have classes, but why don't you try? You've got to tell him sometime." He grinned suddenly. "Esme is going to be so happy. Why don't you head on home and tell her the good news? Ask her to make you anything you want for dinner."

I laughed. "Oh, Carlisle… What time are you coming home?"

"I don't know yet. I'll call you and let you know."

I nodded. "Thank you, Carlisle. You should go in. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"No, no," Carlisle said dismissively. "You brought good news to our family. You can't call that bothersome. Drive safely, Bella. I'll see you later."

"Bye," I called as he walked back inside. He waved.

I sighed happily as I started the car. I touched my lower belly gently, smiling. It was so fascinating. There was a new life growing inside of me. It felt strange, yet, I felt giddy.

I made sure to drive slowly and carefully. Esme was waiting for me at the front door worriedly.

"Where have you been?" she asked when I approached her. "You're usually home by four. I was getting worried. It's nearly six!"

"Sorry, Esme," I said, smiling. "I was at the hospital."

Her eyes grew wide. "The hospital? Why? Are you sick, honey?"

"No, no," I said quickly as we walked back inside. "I wanted to get a checkup. I talked to Carlisle and he introduced me to his colleague, Gwen Jackson. She'll be my gynecologist from now on."

"Gynecologist…?" Esme said slowly.

I turned to face her, a huge grin on my face.

"Oh, Bella!" Esme cried excitedly. "Are you telling me that you're pregnant?"

I nodded happily. "Eight weeks already. Isn't it amazing?"

"Eight weeks?" Esme gasped. "You must have gotten pregnant when you were on your honeymoon! Oh, how exciting, a honeymoon baby!"

I laughed.

"Have you told Edward yet?" she asked brightly.

"Not yet," I admitted. "I wasn't sure if he'd answer or not."

"Oh, go ahead," she said happily. "Meanwhile, I'll make dinner. What do you want, Bella, darling?"

"Oh, I don't care."

"Come on, Bella," she begged. "I'll make anything for you. What do you want to eat?"

I thought for a moment. "I feel like…roast beef tonight. With mashed potatoes."

"All right, then," Esme said. "I'll go shopping at the market, and I'll stop by Charlie and Renee's to tell them the good news. Is that okay, honey? Will you be okay here all by yourself?"

I nodded. "Of course. Be careful." I handed her the keys to the Audi, and she took it before disappearing into the kitchen to make her shopping list.

I entered my room, feeling unbelievably happy. I was pregnant with Edward's baby. It was inside of me, warming my insides.

After some hesitation, I called Edward. I wasn't surprised when he didn't pick up. I redialed and held the phone to my ear. Still nothing.

I bit my lip, wondering what to do. Then, I dialed a new number.

"Hello?" Emmett answered his phone almost immediately.

"Hi, Em," I said, grinning, pleased to hear his voice for the first time in weeks.

"Bella!" Emmett said, sounding pleased to hear from me. "What's up? How's everything back at home?"

"Everything's fine," I said. "More than fine, actually. I'll tell you in a minute… Have you talked to Edward lately?"

"Not really," he said. "I barely see him these days. We're both busy, you know."

"I'm not disturbing you or anything, am I?" I asked worriedly.

"No, no," Emmett said quickly. "I was actually just taking a break from studying. My brain hurts."

I laughed. "What about Edward? I called him, but he isn't picking up."

"Yeah, I heard from Alice," he said, a little darkly now. "She said that Eddie hasn't called you in two months? I'm going to kick his butt the next time I see him. That idiot…"

"I'm sure he's busy," I said halfheartedly. Then, I remembered my good news, and nearly gushed in excitement, "Guess what, Emmett? I went to the hospital today and they told me-"

"The hospital?" he interrupted, concerned. "Why, are you sick?"

"Well, no," I said. "Not technically."

"Well?"

"We're going to have a new addition to our family, Emmett."

It was silent. Then, he said incredulously, "You're not…?"

I laughed. "Yeah. I'm pregnant."

Emmett whooped softly. "Wow, Bella! That's big! Congratulations! How old is the kid?"

"It isn't the 'kid' yet, Em," I said, rolling my eyes. "And it's eight weeks old."

He whistled. "Honeymoon baby, eh? Well, jeez, I can't believe Edward didn't pick up when you obviously called to give him the good news. I'm sure he's at his dorm right now, studying. He's got a huge review exam in two hours… I'll go tell him myself. Was Carlisle and Esme thrilled?"

"Of course," I said, giggling. "Esme was nearly prancing around in excitement. She's making me roast beef and mashed potatoes for dinner."

"Lucky!"

"I know."

"Well, I should go. I want to tell Eddie the good news. Say, you're graduation's coming up. Edward and I are coming up to see it, so don't worry. We'll make it in time. We're all planning to come home for summer."

I perked up. "Bring a big bouquet of flowers, Em."

He laughed. "Alright, alright. I'll talk to you later, Bella. Remember, be careful!"

"I will. Bye."

I felt better. I hadn't been able to tell him personally, but at least Edward would know soon. I decided to call Jasper next.

Like Emmett, he answered almost immediately.

"Hi, Bells," he greeted me cheerily. "What's up?"

"Jazzy, guess what? I'm pregnant!"

"What? Did I hear you wrong or something? I heard you say that you were pregnant. Correct me if I'm wrong."

I laughed as I told him about my day. He sounded pleased that he was going to become an uncle.

"Congratulations, Bella," Jasper said. "Wow. Pregnant. That's big. Looks like you'll have to delay going to college for a year."

"But I think it'll be worth it," I said happily. "I'm so incredibly happy right now. I feel like flying."

"Did you tell Edward yet?"

My smile faded slightly. "He didn't pick up. Emmett's telling him for me."

Jasper was quiet before he finally answered. "I see. Well, I'm sure Edward will call you soon. Don't worry too much. And you know we're coming home for summer break, right? I'll see you for your graduation, sis. Take care of yourself till then."

"I will. Bye, Jazz."

After I hung up, I retreated into my thoughts. I was happy to be pregnant, to have Edward's child inside of me. Though I did not know much about this new life inside of me, I did know one important thing.

From now on, this child would be my life. The baby was special to me. I couldn't imagine my life without it. I would protect my baby no matter what happened, and I wouldn't let anything happen to it.

Even if it meant that I would have to give up my own life.

AN: Uh-oh! Don't you just smell trouble? Ha, I'm so good! ;) Reviews, please!