Chapter 25 – Unexpected
JPOV
Carlisle caught Bella just as she started to go down. He laid her down on the couch on the other side of the room from his desk and we all stared down at her. Alice could hardly control her excitement, but Carlisle and I were tense with worry. Carlisle looked up at me and whispered, "Where are your brothers?" Alice knelt down next to Bella and began moving the hair out of Bella's face, still smiling happily. "They were unloading the car and then were going to hunt. They wanted me to go but I opted out this time. I'm glad I did now." Carlisle nodded, apparently convinced that we three were the only vampires to hear of Bella's state. Just then, Esme walked in with a worried but mildly excited look on her face.
"Can it be, Carlisle?" She put her hand on Carlisle's chest and looked down at Bella. Carlisle shook his head slowly, his emotions fogged with confusion and worry. "I honestly don't know. I've never heard of anything like this. But of course Bella and Emmett's relationship is likely a rare occurrence. Alice," he said, looking down at her. "I need you to go get a pregnancy test from the store. Even if it shows up negative, we may not be able to trust it, but if it's positive it will confirm things." Alice looked insulted and stood up, putting her hands on her hips. "Carlisle, I've seen it. She is pregnant."
"Still, Alice, please. Bella will have a hard time understanding it. Giving her hard evidence will help her process what is happening." Alice sighed and looked down at Bella one more time before turning away. Her lips grazed mine and she flew from the room. Seconds later I heard her car peel out of the driveway and she was gone. Carlisle turned to me next. "Jasper, I'll need you to keep Bella calm when she wakes up. Undoubtedly this is something she never expected and won't understand right away. I, myself, hardly believe it…" Carlisle's voice trailed away as he stared down at Bella. Finally, he spoke again.
"If this is true, we can't possibly know what to expect. The fetus itself could be a vampire. If that is so, there's no telling how it will react as it grows in its mother's body surrounded by blood. We'll need to watch Bella very closely. There is just no way to know how this will turn out." I stepped forward, interjecting my opinion. "Sir, what about Alice? She could tell us how this will play out." Carlisle shook his head slowly. "Perhaps she can give us a bit of insight, but remember, her visions change as decisions are made and paths change. When more fully developed the fetus may decide to feed on its host, or perhaps not. There is no way to tell." Esme winced hearing Carlisle refer to Bella as a host and while I agreed with her sentiment, I understood the reasoning behind Carlisle's word choice. Allowing ourselves to get attached to the baby or even the idea of a baby might cause us to hesitate if the time should come that we need to make the decision to terminate the… Fetus. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to see the situation in the same light as Carlisle.
Esme's voice filled the room and I looked up to see her clinging to Carlisle. "A baby, Carlisle. Can you believe it?" Carlisle shook his head and looked down at Bella again. "I'm not really sure what to believe, Esme."
BPOV
I was vaguely aware of voices whispering around me and I began to try to open my eyes, forcing my way out of the darkness. Jasper knelt down beside me and took my hand, holding it gently. "Hello, darlin'." I smiled softly and then sat up as everything came rushing back to me. I put my hand on my stomach and stared at Jasper. "Jazz—" He held up his hand, silencing me and I looked down at my stomach again. How could I be pregnant? I mean, sure, Emmett and I hadn't used any sort of protection, but I had never thought it necessary. How could... How?? I looked up at Carlisle and Esme, who stood together smiling down at me. "How??" I asked Carlisle, pleading with him. He shook his head and continued to smile softly.
"I honestly don't know, Bella. We sent Alice to get a home pregnancy test. Of course, even if it comes back negative, we won't know for sure. The only way to know is to do a blood test, and even then… I'm not sure what we'll find." I bit my lip hard, chewing on it as I let his words fill my mind. Jasper flinched and got up suddenly, moving away. Esme too seemed to take a step back. I looked up at both of them in confusion and then Carlisle was in front of me, wiping at my lip. "Don't chew so hard, Bella. You'll bite it right off." I blushed and wiped my lip with the back of my hand. It was blood free and I held it up to show Jasper. He took a breath finally and then moved closer again, kneeling next to me. "Please don't do that again." He said, slightly strained.
I nodded and was about to apologize when Alice came bursting in. "Okay! I got one of each kind just in case." She dumped a plastic bag full of home pregnancy tests on the floor in front of me and smiled happily. Her happiness made me want to punch her. Jasper snickered and sent me a wave of peace, allowing me to ignore Alice's annoying excitement.
A half an hour later I walked out of the bathroom and held up the last of the pregnancy tests. Out of the twelve that Alice had bought, only one had come back negative. I sat down in the middle of the floor, surrounded by the remains of the torn up boxes. Jasper sat on the couch across from me and Carlisle was behind his desk. Esme had gone downstairs to keep an eye and ear out for Emmett and Edward. Alice leaned against me and put her head on my shoulder. "I know you're scared and worried, but don't be. I've seen it. Everything is going to be great." I turned to her, glaring at her more fiercely than I had intended. "Alice! Don't! Don't tell me everything will be okay. In fact, don't tell me anything at all about my future. I'm sick of knowing. Just let me live. Fuck!" Alice retreated, taking a seat next to Jasper instead and she laid her head on his shoulder, looking down at the floor.
Almost instantly I regretted my outburst, but it was too late to take it back. "Sorry," I muttered and Alice waved her hand gently. Carlisle came out from behind his desk and knelt in front of me, taking my hand. "Bella, there's no mistaking it. You are pregnant. We don't know how this pregnancy is going to go, but to be on the safe side, I'm going to need you to take it easy for a while and stick around the house as much as possible. One of these days when I'm able to get you into the hospital without raising questions, we'll do an exam and a sonogram. Then, if I think it's safe, we can make the decision of whether or not to terminate." I nodded slowly, still trying to process what was happening. I ran my hand over my stomach and looked down, imagining a child growing inside me. Emmett's child. I slowly began to smile and ran my hand over my stomach. Emmett and I could have a family after all. "Emmett will make a great dad." I whispered and continued to smile.
Carlisle shifted in front of me and I looked up at him, smiling despite my nerves. "I won't get rid of it. This is my child. This is Emmett's child. I won't kill anything that was ever a part of Emmett." Carlisle looked like he wanted to say something to the contrary, but Jasper cleared his throat. We looked at him and he nodded at Alice who looked up for the first time since I had snapped at her. "They're almost home. Edward will know immediately unless we all clear our minds now. It's Bella's news to tell, not ours to share." I smiled gratefully at her and she smiled back. A whistle came from downstairs and we knew they had just pulled into the driveway. Esme flew into the room and looked at us for instruction.
Carlisle took her by the hand and smiled at her. They walked to the window and pushed it open, looking back once before jumping from the windowsill. In seconds, they were gone and I knew they wouldn't be back for hours. Alice closed her eyes and then opened them, looking at Jasper. "You'll need to stay. Protect your mind." She kissed him and then ran to the windowsill, leaping from it. I looked at Jasper in confusion and he only shook his head. "Trust her. We'll know why soon." I nodded and heard Emmett's voice carry up the stairs. Jasper closed his eyes and I knew he was trying to guard his mind from Edward.
Seconds later Emmett opened the door and smiled at me, keeping his distance. "I need to shower, but I wanted to check on you. You feeling better?" I nodded slowly and smiled, not letting on that something was up. He smiled back and closed the door behind him, heading to the shower. I exhaled loudly and almost jumped when Edward appeared in the doorway. He glanced from me to Jasper and then back again. "Bella," he said softly. "Why is Jasper focusing so intently on battle plans?" I frowned and looked at Jasper briefly before realization struck. I l smiled at Edward and patted the couch beside me, inviting him to sit with me.
In a flash he was sitting beside me and his worried, curious eyes met mine. "Bella, are you alright?" His voice was soft and comforting, but for some reason this only made me more nervous. "Edward," I said quietly. "I need you to stay as quiet as possible. I want to be the one to tell Emmett." He frowned but nodded rather than speaking. I looked at Jasper to see his eyes still closed, but another wave of calm passed over me. I took a deep breath and then turned to Edward again. "I'm pregnant." His eyes widened and his jaw fell open as my words sunk in. His voice came so low I could hardly hear it. "How?" I shook my head slowly and looked at Jasper. His eyes opened and he nodded, knowing what I was asking. Jasper sent all the information to Edward without speaking and Edward's eyes closed as he absorbed it. When they opened again he shook his head slowly and I knew he was fighting the urge to raise his voice.
"Bella, it's not safe. You must terminate. It could kill you." I raised my finger to my lips and glared at him, reminding him to hold his tongue. He glared back and I spoke quietly. "It is my child, Edward. It is Emmett's child. I will not kill our child." Edward opened his mouth to speak but I shook my head, cutting him off. "No. Don't bother. I've been given the opportunity to have a family and give Emmett the one thing he thought he could never have. I won't be convinced to throw that all away just for my health." Edward hissed and Jasper leaned forward, focusing his gaze on Edward. Gradually Edward's shoulders relaxed again and I continued. "Now that you know, Emmett is the only one who doesn't. I want to tell him, so please, don't give it away before I've had the chance." Edward's eyes remained locked on mine and finally he blinked, nodding in defeat. I patted his hand and smiled softly. "Please don't worry. Everything will be okay and when this is all done with, we'll have a child in the family."
This didn't seem to comfort or excite him like it did me, but he nodded without speaking again. He kissed my cheek and rose, leaving the room as quickly as he had entered it. I exhaled and looked up at Jasper who was smiling. "That went well, actually. He controlled his emotions fairly well even without my help." I smiled and got up slowly, wanting to be waiting in bed for Emmett when he got out of the shower. Jasper walked me upstairs, obviously worried about my balance, and dropped me off at the door.
"Congratulations, Bella. You're going to make a great mother. We just don't want to see you suffer, darlin'. Don't forget that." I smiled and kissed him on the cheek before opening the door to the room. "Thanks, Jazz. I missed you. I'm glad I'm home." He smiled and inclined his head slightly before turning and leaving me to wait for Emmett.
EPOV
Bella was already in bed when I got to the room. She sat up slowly, pulling her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She didn't speak; she just stared at me. I stopped at the dresser across from the bed and raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out what was going through her head. "You okay, babe?" She nodded but still didn't say anything and I frowned as I pulled out a fresh pair of boxers and put them on. Still, Bella didn't speak. The house was oddly quiet and I had a feeling everyone had left to give us privacy. "Bella, is something wrong?" I sat down on the edge of the bed and put my hand on her knee, searching her eyes for an answer. "Emmett," she said so quietly it actually sounded like a whisper to my ears. "What do you think about Rosalie having a child of her own?"
I frowned in confusion and shrugged a little. "I don't know. I guess it's kinda cool. I worry about what could happen later when the child grows up and realizes the world it's in. But, Rose would make a great mother. I don't worry for the child's safety or anything." Bella bit her lip anxiously and I squeezed her knee as she spoke again. "I mean… Is there a part of you that wishes Rosalie had been given a child while the two of you were together?" I sat back, considering Bella's question and quickly ran through a scenario of how it would have been to have a child. I shook my head slowly. "No, not exactly. I wouldn't trust myself around a human child. You've seen the bruises I've put on you. A child would be so much more fragile." Bella slumped a little and I frowned again, growing more and more confused as each moment passed. "What's going on, babe?"
Finally Bella looked up at me, but this time there were tears in her eyes. Instinctively I moved forward and pulled her into my arms, rubbing her back slowly. She clung to me and her sobs fell in heavy waves, causing her body to shake. "I wanted so desperately to be happy about this. I wanted you to be happy…" Her voice trailed off and I pushed her back slightly so I could look at her. She took a deep breath and looked up at me as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Emmett, I'm pregnant."
I stood up and stumbled back as though she had threatened to burn me or something. Her eyes darkened with pain and she hugged her legs to her chest as her tears started again. I leaned against the wall and attempted to make sense of what was happening. Sure we hadn't used any protection but how the hell could she be pregnant? "Have you talked to Carlisle?" She only nodded and didn't elaborate on the subject. I turned to go find him and Bella's stopped me, whispering through her tears. "They're gone. They'll be back later. I took pregnancy tests and Alice has seen it." I stared at her and was horrified when she looked up at me with such intense pain in her eyes. "I wanted you to be happy. I had hoped you would want a baby. I'm not getting rid of our child, so don't even think about it." Her words were sharp and they stung, bringing me out of my shock. I knelt beside the bed and put my hand over hers.
"Babe, come on. I wouldn't ask you to do that. I'm just… Surprised. I didn't know that was possible. It never even crossed my mind." Bella shook her head and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "None of us knew." Her voice was stronger but still strained and guarded. "You're going to be a father, Emmett." She stared at me expectantly and I knew she was waiting for this knowledge to sink in. So was I. "A baby, Bella?" She nodded slowly and I sunk back onto the floor, leaning against the bed. A baby… Memories of my life before the bear attack began to flood through my mind. I'd been around quite a few babies and children during my twenty years, and I'd always connected with them. My mother joked that it was because I was a child locked in a man's body. But whatever it was, I'd always liked children.
Fear washed over me as my memories turned into images of me killing our child by accident. I could never lose control with the baby and I'd have to be extra aware of my strength. But… Maybe I could do it. No, no maybe. I would do it. I would control myself and keep my wife and child safe. I turned and looked up at Bella who was staring at me intently, waiting for a reaction. I grinned and raised myself up onto the bed. "So, I'm gonna be a dad, huh?" A smile spread across her lips and she threw herself into me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I held her against me, forcing myself to remain aware of my grip on her. Bella relaxed in my arms and sighed happily.
The next three months passed in a frenzy of doctor appointments and baby planning. Carlisle insisted that Bella's progress be charted daily, including her blood pressure and weight. Once a week a physical exam was done and sonograms were a regular occurrence. By the third month of Bella's pregnancy Carlisle had decided that for all intents and purposes, it was going to be a regular pregnancy. We kept watching Bella for signs of a change, expecting the worst to happen at any minute. Instead, Bella's nausea began to subside and her appetite nearly tripled. Jasper had noticed that Bella had begun eating red meats far more often and usually the steaks were cooked extremely rare. Other than that, the changes we were expecting never came.
Every one of us could hear the baby's heartbeat now and it seemed to do wonders in helping Edward come to terms with the pregnancy. There was no denying that this child was more human than not. Carlisle was beginning to wonder if perhaps the child had taken on the best qualities of each of its parents. Whatever the case, I was just happy that Bella seemed to be okay despite a mini vampire living in her stomach. Edward slapped me on the back and shook his head slowly. "It's not a mini vampire. It's like Bella. You've heard the heartbeat. The child is living." I rolled my eyes at him and mentally told him to mind his own business.
Alice had taken Bella shopping for a crib and more baby clothes. I had joked that we could just turn one of the guest rooms into a walk in closet for the baby's clothes, and both Alice and Esme had smiled brightly. They had begun gathering clothes and blankets despite my protests that we didn't even know the sex of the baby yet. Bella and I had both decided to wait to find out, infuriating Alice beyond belief. She kept trying to see the baby's sex, but since we hadn't made the decision to know yet, she wasn't finding anything. So, instead of playing it safe and going with only yellow and green colors, Alice had taken to buying clothes for both a boy and a girl, saying she would just donate whatever we didn't need. Bella thought she was crazy, of course, but I could also see her excitement building.
We had gotten to the point where hiding Bella's growing stomach was no longer an option. Four months into the pregnancy she was still very petite, but she had to wear one of my sweaters any time we saw Charlie or left the house. We were finally at the point where we were going to start telling people outside of the family, now that we were sure the baby would be more human than… Not.
Jasper had asked to come along on the trip to tell Charlie and of course Bella had agreed. I knew Jasper was beginning to worry about his control once the baby was born. I'd overheard him telling Alice that it had taken him months of constant exposure to build up a tolerance to the smell of Bella's blood. But now he was worried that the baby's blood would start the cycle all over again. I had to admit, I was slightly concerned about it too. I had a feeling Jasper was spending as much time with the family before the baby was born in case he had to leave for an extended period of time.
Edward kicked me and I looked up, pulling myself out of my thoughts. "Huh?" Edward shook his head and nodded toward the door. "Bella's ready. She's waiting for you downstairs." I nodded and left the room to find Bella waiting at the door with her hands resting on her stomach. Jasper was standing behind her with his eyes closed and I knew he was focusing on keeping Bella calm. The drive to Charlie's was quiet and the time passed quickly. When we pulled up outside Charlie's house, Bella took a deep breath and smiled at me. "Let me do the talking this time, will you?" I winked at her and was out of the Jeep without responding further.
Charlie met us at the door with a grin and let us inside. Jasper hung back in an attempt to remain inconspicuous. Still, Charlie clapped him on the shoulder and steered us all into the living room. "Glad you guys decided to stop by. I was just getting ready to put the game on." Bella smiled and turned off the TV, standing in front of it awkwardly. "Um, dad. Maybe we can talk for a few minutes first?" Charlie shifted a little and looked around at both Jasper and I before nodding. "Sure, Bells. You got any certain topic you want to talk about first?" Bella smiled and her eyes flickered to Jasper. He smiled back and Bella let out a deep breath.
"Dad, I'm pregnant." She pulled the sweater over her head and dropped it on the couch, putting a hand on her stomach. Charlie's eyes widened and moved from her face to her stomach. He leaned forward, then sat back, and then leaned forward again. Jasper snickered and looked at me with a smirk. "He's hesitant. Keeps going back and forth between excitement and anger. He's trying to decide which one to go with." Jasper's voice came fast and low and when he was finished he sat back, putting his hands behind his head. Charlie stood up and walked over to Bella, standing in front of her with virtually no expression on his face. Bella bit her lip nervously and raised an eyebrow at him. "Dad?"
"You tellin' me I'm gonna be a grandpa?" Bella nodded slowly and Jasper grinned, his eyes still closed. Charlie reached out and put a hand on Bella's stomach, shaking his head slowly. "Well I'll be damned. I thought for sure this would happened after you went to Alaska and I'd miss it all." Bella laughed and put her arms around Charlie's neck, hugging him tightly. I stood up then and went over to them, putting my hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Sir." I said, causing him to turn around. He laughed and pulled me into a hug, patting me on the back hard. He frowned and pulled back. "Sure are built, aren't ya kid? It's like hugging a brick wall." Bella laughed and breathed a sigh of relief as she took her place at my side.
"I'm about four months along, dad. Emmett and I have decided to stay here so that Carlisle can deliver the baby. And we want you to meet your grand child, obviously." Charlie smiled and ran a hand through his already messy hair. "You, uh… You tell your mother yet?" Bella shook her head and smiled affectionately at him. "Not yet. I wanted you to be the first to know." Charlie's grin spread again and he slapped his leg in excitement. "Can I listen in on the phone call?"
BPOV
"No, this is something I need to do alone. Quit worrying, would you? I'll be fine." Emmett growled softly and I looked at Jasper for help. Only Jasper just shook his head, his arms still folded over his chest. "Not this time, Bella. Emmett's right. You're being reckless. If you won't show any concern for yourself, show concern for that child your carrying." Alice stood beside Jasper but didn't say anything one way or another. I sighed loudly and stood up straighter, getting ready for a fight. "Look, when you all followed Edward blindly and left me here unprotected, Jake was the only one I could trust. He protected me. Hell, he saved my life in more than one way. So if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't even be having this baby and you all would have no concerns at all." Emmett looked deeply wounded and I knew he hated me bringing up the days of darkness, as he called them. But he was being stubborn and annoying.
Jasper unfolded his arms and turned away, walking past me. I felt a pang of guilt and suddenly wished I'd been more careful with what I brought up. "Jazz—." He put his hand up, stopping me and continued staring out the window as he spoke. "Please, Bella. Don't apologize. There are some things I need to be reminded of once in awhile." I sighed and turned back to Emmett, placing my hand on his chest. "You trust me don't you?" He nodded once and I smiled softly. "Then trust my faith in Jacob. He would never hurt me. I'm safe on the reservation and my phone works there. I'll be in touch." He sighed and shook his head, giving in. "Fine, but I want to hear from you the second you're finished telling him." I kissed him softly and went outside to my truck.
I was flying through the air before I even knew what was happening. Jake's arms held me to his chest as he spun me in a tight bear hug. Finally, he set me down and I had to reach out for him to help balance myself. He held me up, putting his arm around my waist and I shook my head a little, shaking away the dizziness. "Whew, Jake. I'll never get used to that." He laughed loudly, but then his laughter began to die away. He took a step back, still holding onto my arm in case I wasn't balanced yet. He looked at me almost suspiciously and his eyes narrowed as he stared at me. I felt myself blush under his scrutiny and he dropped my arm, stepping back again. "No fucking way." I frowned in confusion and looked up at him, trying to figure out what was going on. "No. Fucking. Way." He repeated, slower and louder. I ran a hand through my hair and raised my eyebrow slightly. "Um, what?" I laughed awkwardly and he shook his head as he stepped forward.
He grabbed the zipper of my jacket before I could stop him and yanked it down, exposing my slightly rounded belly. "I can smell it!" His voice came out in a roar and I stepped back, pulling my jacket from his grasp. "Jake," I said slowly. "I, uh… I'm pregnant?" I winced hearing it come across as a question and shook my head at my own awkwardness. "You don't say." He began to laugh, but it was an angry laugh that gave me the chills. "So, it's not enough to go off and become one of them. First you have to get knocked up with some little mutant vampire and--." I stepped forward and slammed my hand against the side of his face, glaring at him as I stepped back. I heard the growl rising in his throat but I shook my head and pressed forward, ignoring his anger. "Jacob Black, I swear to God, if you call my baby a mutant one more time, I will rip your ears off."
We stared each other down as he attempted to control the growl that had built in his chest. His breathing was fast and heavy and his fists were clenched. I crossed my arms over my chest and continued glaring at him. "This is a little played out, don't you think? Every time I come here to tell you something that is important to me, you freak out and ruin it. Why don't you grow up and try being my friend for a second?" His expression began to break finally and he relaxed his fists. He cleared his throat and stood up straight as the light in his eyes began to return. "Jeez, Bella. You reek."
We walked for over and hour, talking about the pregnancy and our plans for after the baby was born. Jake made sure I knew how much he disapproved of me keeping the baby and after arguing about that, he finally gave in and stopped fighting with me. He told me how happy he was to have me back in Forks, especially since I was still human. Eventually we began to head back to his house and he told me he would inform Billy and the pack so that they would be prepared the next time I came over to visit. Leah came out of a nearby house and I started to wave at her when I realized she was walking right past Jake and I without so much as a glance. I looked at Jake for an explanation and he rolled his eyes in exasperation. "We broke up. Apparently I'm too immature for her." I laughed and rubbed his arm gently. "Aww, poor Jakey. So much growing up to do." He shot me a dirty look and then turned again, watching Leah until she disappeared. "I didn't imprint on her. We tried to ignore that for as long as possible but eventually the knowledge that we weren't meant for each other just kinda killed it. I couldn't look at her the same way. I started trying to piss her off on purpose. Eventually it worked. We drive everyone else crazy with our fighting. It's pretty bad actually." Despite him agreeing that it was pretty bad, he laughed cheerfully and shrugged his shoulders.
Jake helped me into my truck and closed the door for me. He bent down and looked in the window at me, shaking his head slowly. "Be careful, would ya, Bells? You're always popping up with some life-threatening news. Can't you ever just come over to say hi?" His voice was light and teasing, but I could tell that his request stemmed from a very serious place. I smiled and patted his hand lightly. "How about next week?" He grinned and we said goodbye as I backed out of the driveway. I looked back one last time and Jake stood where he had been, but his eyes were cast downward and his shoulders hung slightly.
Five months later…
"Emmett," I whispered as Esme rubbed ice over my lips. His face appeared and he held my hand tightly. "Squeeze my hand, Bella. You're almost there." I groaned and threw my head back again. "No, no more… Let me rest." Esme smiled gently and patted my forehead with a washcloth as Carlisle's voice filled my ears. "One more push Bella. Just the shoulders now. I just need one more push." I felt Emmett squeeze my hand and I mustered everything I had left in my core, forcing myself to sit up and try again. Emmett held me tightly and looked down at Carlisle as I pushed with every last ounce of energy I had. The pain was unlike anything I had ever felt before and my mind briefly wondered if my change would be this painful.
My screams sounded foreign and unfamiliar. My throat hurt with the force of them and I thought I would black out from the pain. "Bella, please!" Jasper's voice floated through the door and sounded urgent and filled with worry. I shook my head again, gasping for air. "No! Don't take it away! I need to feel it!" Emmett growled and looked back down at Carlisle. I felt a pulling sensation and relief at the sudden feeling of emptiness. My head fell back, too heavy for my neck to hold up and Esme smiled down at me. "You did good, sweetheart." My eyes fluttered closed and I let out the breath I had apparently been holding.
"Carlisle?!" Emmett's voice was more frantic now and I forced myself to raise my head. "Carlisle, why isn't it crying!?" I looked at Carlisle for an answer as I felt dread begin to rise in my chest. Suddenly Jasper was in the room and he squeezed my shoulder gently, shaking his head. "No, there are new emotions in this room. You need not worry." His voice was strained and I knew he was holding his breath. Emmett moved to where Carlisle and Esme stood while Esme wrapped the baby in a small green blanket. Esme laughed and every cell in my body began to relax without Jasper's help.
When Emmett turned around he was holding the baby, smiling in a way I had never seen him smile before. He laughed and looked up at me, his eyes filled with happiness. "Bella… I've never seen anything more beautiful. I love you babe, but this is one good lookin' kid." Alice giggled and walked to Emmett's side of the bed. She smiled at me and then leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Would you like to hold your child, Bella?" I nodded and Jasper helped me to sit up better. Emmett leaned down and passed the bundled up child to me before sitting down on the edge of the bed. I gasped when I looked down and saw a smiling face staring back at me with big brown eyes. I laughed gently and knew instantly that Emmett was right. There had never been a more beautiful child in the world.
Alice nudged me slightly and smiled at me. "So, what name did you two decide on?" Emmett smiled gently and ran his finger over his son's hand.
"Alexander Ezekiel Cullen."
A/N: I realize some of you are disappointed with the direction this story has taken. It was always my intention to have Emmett become a father. Personally, I see him making a better father than Edward ever would have, and I wanted to convey that in my story. I got my first negative reviews with last chapter and while I'm disappointed, I also know I can't please everyone. With that said, I wanted to let you guys know that the next few chapters are going to move quickly. Things are about to blow up again and I write faster when things are going down.
Also, I've begun brainstorming my next story. Bella/Jasper won by quite a bit on the poll I put up, so I'll be focusing on that pairing next. I love writing Jasper so I'm looking forward to that.
Finally, what did you guys think of this chapter? Where would you like to see the story go from here? There's two major plot lines to wrap up and then we'll be nearing the end. Thanks to my loyal readers for the reviews and support. Cheers.