Flabbergasted Phenomenon

Summary: "This is the most unique situation I have ever heard of with a human and a vampire," was what Carlisle said, but all I could think was, "I'm going to have a baby."

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon, or Eclipse. I just own the scenarios where I thrust my favorite vampire and his family and the love of his life! Yay for me!

Chapter Twenty-four: Void

"Happy Valentine's Day Belly!"

I looked at Emmett as he presented me with a box of chocolates. For once, I didn't mind the concept of giving and receiving gifts. I was a little hungry. But chocolate wasn't what I was craving. I wanted—no, I needed something grilled. I don't care if it's chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, even vegetables! I just want grilled food. Edward kissed my cheek as I smiled at Emmett and said thank you. It was still late morning, and everyone was just now getting ready for the day. Even Carlisle was home today, which made the holiday a little more…special.

I set aside the chocolates and finished eating my breakfast. Everything was late this morning. Breakfast, me getting out of bed, even Gabriel's usual kicking of my kidneys and bladder was late this morning. When my breakfast dishes were put away and Edward was back to my side, I looked around the living room. "Where is everyone? Emmett disappeared quickly."

"They're trying to get the grill working."

"What?" I looked at Edward, hope shining in my eyes. Edward looked up at me, and burst out laughing. I jumped at the sound though, because this morning it seemed like he was never going to laugh again. He had been real…edgy. But I shook my head from these thoughts and reminded myself what was going on at the moment; I wouldn't be discouraged to find out how Edward knew what to get me, so I asked again, "Please repeat what you said."

"They're trying to get the grill working."

"You have a grill?"

"Jasper and Emmett bought it this morning." My stomach was soaring as I thought about what my dinner would be. I was excited, and I did not care who knew it. I was in my own jubilation for a few seconds, before narrowing my eyes at Edward. "How'd they know to get a grill?"

"I asked them," Edward said simply, shrugging at me. His nonchalant behavior was worse than his moodiness this morning. My eyes narrowed at him even more. I needed him to elaborate, because I don't think I've mentioned to anyone what I was craving. Edward grinned and tapped my temple. "When you talk in your sleep, love, you let me in on your deepest secrets." He kissed my pouting lips and I sighed. Edward pulled away quickly, and he looked around the room, his eyes settling on the window.

"What?" I asked, also looking out the window. I couldn't see anything.

"I thought I heard something," Edward said, his voice slow and calculated. I looked at him, an eyebrow arched, and waited for him to say something else. When he didn't, I crossed my arms over my chest, my bitter side kicking in.

"Is something happening? Or is something going to happen that I don't know about? You've been on edge…" My voice began to shake as I remembered his behavior a few months ago. He still can't be hiding something, can he? I shivered, but continued my will to be the stronger person. If I had the chance to finally figure out what was going on with my family, I was going to take the risk of asking.

"No, nothing is happening." Edward looked at me, a forced smile on his face, and I sighed, once again. The smile was nowhere near crooked—the one he always used to reassure me that everything was going to be all right—and his topaz eyes were slowly darkening. He is lying. I buried my face between his shoulder and his neck, and whispered,

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

His body stiffened, and in a soft whisper, bordering on a growl, he said, "There is nothing to tell, Bella."

I took that as a subject dropper, and I closed my mouth from any other accusations that I could have thrown at him. I kept my head there, though, to hide the hurt from his eyes. He can't hurt me with whatever he's hiding! He just needs to tell me…I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, almost to the point of my entire body trembling. I am not going to cry, I am not going to cry. I repeated in my head.

"Bella, love," Edward's hand briefly touched my shoulder before sliding down between my shoulder blades and resting on my hip. My heart skipped several beats and I lost my breath. "It's in your best interest to not know what is going on. I wasn't even supposed to mention the grill at all…"

I looked at Edward slowly, whispering, "I'm overreacting?"

"Just a little. But you'll find out soon enough what is going on."

I could help the shiver that rose up my spine; I hate surprises. But I couldn't fight off the feeling that this was not what Edward was hiding from me, but I chose to ignore it. My emotions have put me in enough trouble already; I can't take the chance that I'm probably wrong.

I jumped when Edward kissed me, his hands tangling in my hair. My heart did stop beating for a few seconds as I got lost in the kiss. When Edward pulled away not long after my heart started again, I was gasping for breath, and he had a smug smile on his face. "That was not fair," I breathed, looking at him with slightly unfocused eyes. He just shrugged his shoulders and kissed my forehead, whispering to me that I needed to get dressed for the day.

Edward helped me to my feet, and I stood for a second. I requested if I could walk up to our bedroom and Edward let me. We walked in silence, Edward holding my hand. I was still trying to remember how to breathe correctly, and it didn't help that Edward would occasionally run his fingers up and down my spine, temporarily rendering me useless in the walking department. My heart was thumping so hard at Edward's sudden complete 180 with his mood change. Was it the holiday that had him on edge? I didn't want to think about the shenanigans that Rosalie and Emmett could get themselves into on Valentines Day.

When we got to our bedroom, I opened the door and noticed that there were clothes laid out on the bed for me already. I looked at Edward and he smiled. "It makes your day a little easier."

"Thanks," I whispered, smiling at him brightly. Edward shut the door behind me when I walked further into the room, and I could see him going to his closet, probably getting something to wear for today. I picked up the shirt, it was just a long sleeved red shirt, and I examined it. Red for Valentine's Day? I looked at the pants and reached for them, and then I dropped the shirt. "Oh shoot," I mumbled. I bent over to pick it up, and I realized, I couldn't bend over.

I tried reaching for it; squatting, half bending, but I just couldn't get it. "Edward?" I called. He was beside me in an instant, and I asked, "Can you pick that up for me? I just can't get it." I could already feel a strong ache forming between my hips, and I gritted my teeth.

He easily got my shirt and handed it to me. Then he went back into his closet, his shoulders just slightly hunched. Strange, I thought, watching him. I undressed, pulling my nightgown over my head, and put on the shirt. I was thankful that I didn't have to take a shower this morning, because my entire day would have been wasted; I would have never come out of the bathroom.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled on my maternity jeans, buttoning them easily. While on the bed, I noticed socks, and my shoes were on the floor.

Edward was back to my side, and a look that I didn't quite recognize was on his face. His eyes were definitely darkening, and for a second I thought I saw a grimace as he got down on the floor. I wasn't sure if I should have been worried or not. "I love you."

"Umm…" I said, still trying to figure out his behavior. Edward's face fell slightly, and I smirked. "I love you too!" Edward moved to sit at my feet, and I once again noticed he was moving too fast. He was either agitated or excited about something, and his speed and slightly strange behavior told me he was agitated. He grabbed my socks from the bed and put my feet on his lap. He very carefully put my socks on, not without gliding his fingers over the arches of my feet, causing me to laugh, and then he put on my shoes. After he was finished, he leaned his head against my knees. I ran my fingers through his hair, and he looked up with dark eyes, but his crooked grin caused my heart to skip again. I was entranced by his beauty, and I couldn't formulate one single thing to say.

"I really do love you, more than the stars in the sky and the fish in the sea, Bella, and I don't want you to doubt that."

"Okay," I whispered, suddenly hopeful that his mood would change, because this reminded me of too much like old times when something bad would happen. And what was the purpose of him hiding in the closet…

Edward stood up and cupped both my cheeks in my hands, and kissed me gently. Another gentle kiss! My heart stopped beating for a second, and if I kept up the routine, it would stop beating all together! I kissed him just as gently when my heart was back to normal. My fingers tangled in his hair, and I breathed through my nose slowly as he pulled away, leaving a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Would you like to go back downstairs?" Edward whispered, a hint of normalcy entering his voice. I nodded my head wordlessly, dizzy and speechless from the kiss. Edward easily picked me up from the bed and cradled me in his arms, walking down the stairs.

The house was empty still, and it was eerily quiet as I got comfortable on the couch. I held Edward's hand loosely as my free hand traced random patterns on his arm. I asked him where everyone was now, and he said, "Esme and Carlisle are at the grocery store, Emmett and Jasper are trying not to destroy the grill, and Alice and Rosalie are talking amongst themselves, while watching the boys."

"Boys?" I repeated.

"Well, men, vampires, whatever." Edward seemed distracted. I looked at him, and he was looking at me, but his eyes weren't focused. I wanted to ask him what he was listening to, it could have been someone from his family, and then I thought that was rude. That would be like interrupting him when he was having a conversation. It felt like a few minutes passed, and then Edward shook his head. "Do you want to go outside and watch Emmett and Jasper? Rosalie wants someone to talk to, because Alice just left. It seems like Jasper and Emmett damaged the propane tank and they need a new one."

"Can I walk?"

Edward looked a little hesitant. Today was the first time in over a month that I've actually walked around on my own. Both Edward and I took my bed rest seriously, neither of us wanted anything to happen, but today, I felt a little restless, and it felt like I needed to walk it off. Edward thought about it for almost a full minute, and then he relented. "Yes, you can walk. Let me get your jacket." He dashed from the living room after kissing my cheek, and I braced myself on the couch, and pulling myself to my feet. After steadying myself, I looked up and Edward moved to stand in front of me. He helped me into my jacket and I zipped it up.

I was surprised Alice bought a jacket that fit me.

"Let's go," Edward said.

He held my hand and we walked together outside. I half expected the weather to permit on this day and be a little less blustery than it has been over the past few weeks, but alas, it was just as cold as it has been. Edward kept a firm hand on my back as we walked together around the house. The trees around me were breathtaking, and I looked at them as we walked. I breathed deeply, my breath coming out in little puffs. "I'm not going to eat out here, am I?"

Edward shook his head, but once again he was distracted. We were walking at a slower pace than before, and I noticed a hunch in his shoulders as his eyes darted around us…and then suddenly, Edward stopped altogether. His eyes were frantic when he turned and looked at me. "Go in the house and lock the front door." I didn't move for a second, and then he grabbed my shoulders, shaking them just slightly. "NOW!"

I backed away slowly, and then I turned, going straight for the house. My heart was beating and I wanted to know what frightened Edward so much. I heard Edward call for his siblings, but I didn't stop to see what they were doing.

I heard a twig snap and I couldn't help it, I turned around. I wasn't far from the now almost complete Cullen family. Edward was crouching low towards the ground and Rosalie was beside him. Emmett and Jasper were on either side of them, both growling. Then Jacob Black burst from the woods, and this time, I couldn't move.

"Those vampires—human sucking leeches—they're here."

Edward swore, and I took a hesitant step towards him. He's been lying to me, I thought weakly, my eyes flitting from Edward to Jacob and back again. I jumped when I heard multiple car doors slam, and then it was like a gust of wind blew past me. Suddenly all of the Cullen's were together again.

All of them, except me.

"I've seen it Edward! They'll kill her!" I saw Alice grab Edward. "You can't protect her; they know she's here—"

"Why wouldn't they know? She's been here the entire time," Jacob interjected. This time I didn't care, I strode to my family, and Esme caught me. At first I thought she was going to take me inside the house, and then I heard the quietest of sighs escape her. She walked with me just as I heard Carlisle say,

"We told them she was dead." I felt dread consume me, and I began to shake.

"Because she's pregnant!" Edward snapped, and I heard the ferocity dripping from his voice and I shrank back. Jacob took a hesitant step away from Edward too. "If they knew she was pregnant, they would take her and use her as an experiment! Do you know how many vampires want to procreate?"

I suddenly felt weak in the knees and I began to sink down. Esme wrapped her arms around me, keeping me standing. I couldn't think as I gasped for breath. Vampires wanted me? But what vampires? Who would be strong enough to come here and take on the Cullens? And then I gasped, feeling dizzy.

The Volturi.

It all makes sense now.

"She can come with me; she can stay in La Push. We can protect her!" I saw pain etched on Jacob's face and my heart beat erratically. What does all this mean?

"We can't endanger your pack—"

"You can't just let her die!"

"What is going on?" I choked out, my voice shaking harder than my knees. I asked, even though I thought I knew the answer. I could barely breathe as my family turned to look at me for the first time. As my eyes moved from face to face, each held more pain than the next, and then my eyes settled on Edward. I couldn't even describe the torture that was evident in his quickly darkening eyes. I needed for that look to go away.

"She doesn't know?" Jacob whispered.

"We thought it would be safer for her to be kept in the dark," Alice spoke quietly. She turned from me and looked at Jacob. "Stress of this magnitude would have been bad for the pregnancy, and especially in her state—but now it doesn't matter."

"Don't say that!" Edward screamed, lunging at Alice. He knocked her to the ground, pinning her, his body shaking with rage. I gasped, afraid that he crushed the pixie-like vampire beneath his strength. "We can still do something!" His voice was ferocious and I didn't recognize it. Edward looked so wild, so distressed that he was a stranger to me. Alice was staring at Edward in the eyes, as if she was expecting him to do this—she probably was. In a blur, Jasper moved from where he had been standing to behind Edward, gripping him by his shoulders and throwing him off of Alice. She jumped to her feet in an instant, and Edward landed easily on his feet and ran back to his family, his chest heaving.

Then I began to cry. Sobs racked hard through my body, so strong that I couldn't stand. My mind seemed to freeze as I came to the sudden realization that today might be my last day on Earth. The Volturi are coming to Forks to kill me, and there is nothing I can do about it. I can't hide. I can't pretend to be dead. Edward was suddenly holding me, keeping me from sinking to the ground. I don't know where the strength came from, but I hit him as hard as I could, ignoring the pain in my knuckles from hitting his iron chest. "You lied to me!" I cried, hitting him again, a little bit harder. "I knew it, and I confronted you about it, but you still lied to me, telling me everything was going to be okay!" The urge to hurt him rocked through my body as my fists continued to pummel him.

He grabbed my hands just as I was about to hit him again. "Bella, stop."

"No," I said, struggling out of his grasp. I looked at him for the first time in a new light; I had doubt in my angel, my husband…my Edward. "What are you going to do about this? About us? About the baby, Edward? What are you going to do?"

"I—I don't know Bella, just trust me."

Before I could even think, I turned my back to Edward and stomped towards the house, all thoughts and feelings void.

xoXoXoXox

BB/N: Uh oh…

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