24. Vampire

Pain was everywhere in my lower abdominal. It was like something's teeth were scarping against the inside of my skin, trying to claw or chew its way out. I wouldn't be too surprised if that's what my son was doing. I mean that's what Renesmee did. Why not him too?

Oh god. Oh god.

I wasn't ready. I thought I had more time. How was I to raise a child when I wasn't eve ready? Wasn't there supposed to be baby showers and what not? Huh, maybe I should have thought of that earlier.

I was completely unaware that Cody was already driving me to the hospital.

"No! Not there!" I yelled, clearly in pain. I almost grabbed the steering wheel from him, but the pain held me back like an iron rope.

"Why not?" he asked, gritting his teeth. Clearly he had no idea what to do.

"This baby isn't exactly human, Cody." I panted, trying to make sure I didn't give birth right here. Stay in there little guy. At least until we get to Carlisle.

"Right." he grunted making a sharp left turn onto the highway. He passed honking cars and then went straight pass a cop cruiser. It didn't even make an attempt to follow us. I wonder if we were going so fast that he couldn't even recognize us.

I tried to think past the pain coming through my body. I returned to the happy place I had no idea I had. To a moment where Jason and I were together. Maybe it wasn't real, but to me it was.

Jason held me with his arms wrapped tight around me. His steady breathing and his thrumming heart was like a lullaby to a person who couldn't even sleep.

The lights were dark and even through the night, I could see perfectly. We were in his room that was filled with clothes all over the floor. His closet stood over to the right corner and his bed was by the window. The moon shone through the window; it was almost full.

We just sat there, hoping the moment would last forever. In this place it could. This was my own dream. It could last as long as I want it to. This was my own little world.

And even here there was pain.

"I'll be here." Jason told me. He rubbed my back and kissed my hair. I wanted to ask for what, but suddenly everything changed, but just how I looked at it. I was no longer the strong vampire being held in a human's arms, but a weak, pregnant human being held in the arms of Pryor Wolf.

"Stay." I said, snuggling closer to him. Even though he said he would be here, I couldn't help but feel the need to be reassured.

"Forever." he breathed before pulling my face to his. Our kiss lasted long and passionately before a sharp pang filled by torso.

I looked at my swollen stomach that was bleeding. It was slashed open. There was a flash of light and Cody was holding my son up by the ankle. My baby was crying and Cody was smiling like he just won the lottery. He sunk his teeth into the infants neck and soon the crying was cut off.

He dropped my limb son and walked away.

I looked at Jason wondering why he wasn't stopping this, but he wasn't there. In fact no one had been holding my arms for some time. I had just now noticed it.

"Jason?" I called, not really expecting an answer, and sure enough, I never got one. All that filled the silence was my scream.

And then the pain I had been imagining became twice as real and twice as hard to live through. For so many ticking seconds that felt like hours, I just wished I could die and it would all end now. The only thing that kept me going was that it would all be over and I would have my perfect son.

It was Jason's son just as much as it was mine and I would be damned if Cody stopped us from being together with him.

"Are you okay?" Cody asked, pressing his cold hand against my clammy face. Huh, I had no idea I was sweaty.

"Nope. Giving child birth is just a walk on the beach." I hissed through my clenched teeth. I had to keep them closed so I would bite off my tongue. This pain was beginning to be too much. How did other women survive it? This was killer.

It was ironic that this pain that made you think you were dying brought life to another tiny miracle.

"Well I'm assuming that if you can still make sarcastic jokes you're aren't dying."

"Hasn't anyone told you if you assume something you end up making and ass out of you and me?" I whispered, half laughing. It was so hard to joke at a time like this, but somehow I was managing to do it with style.

"I think I have heard that before." his voice was slightly hysterical.

We passed more cars and soon I felt another sharp turn. How long would this last?

"Were almost there, love."

Did I say that out loud? I must have because he just answered it.

"Don't-" pant, "Call-" pant, "Me that." is was getting harder to breathe.

"In and out." Cody told me robotically.

"If you tell me to push you'll be dead in a second, Cody Evans, Marshall, Anderson, or what ever the hell your name is right now."

"Man, are pregnant women always like this?"

"I'll be happy to switch at any time with you."

He chuckled and turned right to the exit ramp. Then we went down the familiar rode to Forks, Washington. We were twisting a lot so I just assumed we were on the drive way to the Cullens' house.

It seemed funny that the contractions had started only an hour ago. It felt so short and yet so long. Well my mind was spinning so that sounded about right for now. Was this what it felt like to be drunk? Certainly not.

Pain pierced my neck again though if I hadn't been thinking about it, I wouldn't have noticed it with all the other pain going on here. It was just like this morning, but it felt more like someone had just put a flame on my neck and my flesh was on fire.

It felt just like…no, it couldn't be.

Cody stomped on the breaks making me lose any train of thought I had. Like the baby knew it was almost time, my pains got so much worse it almost felt like I was changing. It was a burning inside my body, making every nerve ending ultra sensitive.

People crowded the car.

I half groaned and half screamed when my son moved around, trying to find its way out.

"What happened?" Skylar asked.

"Are you stupid?" Cody snapped, clearly as on the edge as I was. "She's having a baby!"

When I looked at Skylar through my bleary eyes I saw his face all jumbled up. I knew he was going to say something back until another whimper came through my lips.

"Just let it stop."

Skylar grabbed me at once.

"Claire, it's going to be okay." Bella said to me, taking my hand while Edward had my other. "I know it hurts, but trust me, its worth it." a flash of Renesmee came to my mind. My son would be just as beautiful when he came. I tried to think only about that and not how he got here in the process.

Like my body knew I was getting through this pain just barely, the fire kicked up a notch. Did Bella feel like this? I knew she was in pain, but Nessie had broken her spine before she could feel too much. Was mine better or was it just building up to explode one final time.

It shocked me how it didn't bother me if I died right now. I would die for so many things, but this was different. This unborn child was a part of me. It was the creation of Jason and I being one. I know that can sound gross, but its like me and him put together.

I smiled in pain.

"Claire!" Cody yelled, grabbing my hand. I knew he hated this child in me, but I knew he also hated me being in pain. I really hoped he knew how much I loved it and he wouldn't destroy it as soon as it came out. I know Skylar would never let that happen. Even Edward and Bella would fight for it. I know Alice and Jacob will too. Heck, maybe everyone will.

"I'm fine." I lied, sort of. Bella was right. It was so worth it. When it was all over I knew my son would live forever and we would be a family. I wouldn't have to go through this again because someone would change me back and Jason would be mine.

They took me upstairs and laid me on a hospital table. They hooked me up to all these monitors and brought out fresh blood-AB negative. I figured that out when he first did some tests on me, right after Jason's little outburst. I saw Carlisle stick a needle in my forearm. I was guessing for an IV. I know I couldn't feel it, but I could hear it slide through my soft skin. I know that was weird, but my hearing just got a lot better.

There was another groan besides mine.

"If it bothers you that much than get out." Cody snapped at somebody.

"It's just the blood," Alice shot back. Yeesh, everyone was on the edge besides me. Maybe this was contagious, well not the pregnancy, but you know what I mean.

"Here this will help." Carlisle whispered in my ear, sliding something that felt like a dog toy. "Bella never had a chance to use it." I felt his ease away from me.

"We use it for Jacob mostly," Rosalie sneered. "Stupid mutt."

"Rose, not the time." Esme hushed. Was everyone here to see this. Well in fact this was the first in its kind. Out of everywhere I've been-and I've been through every place-there has never been a child born with Pryor-Wolf. Mostly because if you get bit by a vampire early enough, they wanted to save you and depending on your sex, you didn't have kids. There are mainly only male Pryor-Wolves because its mostly male werewolves. How sexist is that?

"Carlisle." Cody urged. Strange I never heard him call Carlisle by name. Jason, sure, but never Cody. I wonder where the other Cody was.

"I'm working on her, Jason. Don't worry." Carlisle said sweetly, but his voice wasn't as calm as normal. I wonder if he was thinking what I was. That maybe it would be worse than Bella's because it was going so well right now.

It almost shocked me that they said Jason and not Cody. Maybe they didn't know yet, well they would soon.

The pain raged on.

It actually got worse. It spread through my veins, but why was it even there? I mean shouldn't it be down where I'm having my baby? Not that it wasn't there too, but the blistering fire was all over me, making my throat parched. Again I thought of what it felt like, but there was no way it could be that.

Then again I've never been through this. Maybe this was what I always felt like.

I squeezed the toy Carlisle had handed me. I clenched my teeth and squeezed harder, hoping it would make the pain less, but in fact the speeding of my heart only made it worse. I felt like I was going to die. Why couldn't they just kill me?

I used my other hand and too soon did I tear the rubbed in half. There was no way I could use it now so I glared over at Cody. "Give me your hand." I growled. I actually saw the fear in his eyes as I demanded his hand. Others chuckled a bit, but finally he grasped it.

"Ouch." Cody winced. "For a human grasp that hurts."

I smiled. I thought I was going to say something smart, but the pain cut off my mouth. It was becoming very unbearable. I mean this was getting ridiculous.

I heard a change of pace on the monitor. I wasn't too much of a doctor, but I knew enough that if your heart beat slows down-especially when your giving birth-its never a good sign.

"Hold on." Carlisle said, still using his calm that I could see through. I traveled with Carlisle long enough to know when he was panicking and right now he was sugar coating everything he could get his hands on.

"What's happening?" I heard Jacob's voice from behind. I closed my eyes, no longer being able to stand the pain to keep them open.

"I don't know. I've never seen this before. It's like…" Carlisle stopped short when I heard Edward's foot steps. He didn't speak, but I knew he was there. I could taste him on my tongue that I still held in my mouth. How in the world.

"Let me make sure she's not bleeding." Edward sniffed around me. I knew I had to be bleeding somewhere, because it felt like I was in pure agony. I could almost hear my son screaming in torture too. that's what killed me.

"Claire?" Edward asked, uneasily.

"What?" I managed to make out without spitting everywhere. Or maybe I did, but at this point I could care less if I just sprayed someone.

"Did someone bite you?"

That threw me off guard.

"No. Why?"

"How did we miss it! Its right on her neck!" Edward yelled.

"Calm down, son. It must have just formed." Carlisle was starting to break through his usual panic.

"Would you please tell me what you two are babbling about?" I hissed. I pushed open my eyes to see the worried faces look at me in complete and utter horror.

Like the first time I was told that I was human, Skylar and Cody-in Jason's body-glanced at each other before Skylar answered.

"Claire, you're turning into a vampire."

Which could only mean…

"My baby is going to die." I said with such certainty I almost cried.

Just as I said that Jason-in Cody's body-burst through the door. "What happened he asked, seeing the tears that slid down my cheek. That was before he got tackled to the ground by almost every make in the room besides Carlisle and Cody.