For MegsD's Birthday!

This woman has made a ton of banners for me as WELL as book covers for a couple of my novels and I love her to pieces.

She wanted something with a twist.

BD AU

Where's Carlisle?

"He's at home," Esme told Edward. She had had nearly as much practice as Carlisle in keeping her thoughts hidden from their "eldest" so she knew he couldn't see beyond that. She filled her thoughts with Bella's pale, frightened form.

Her new daughter stiffened a little in Edward's arms. "Oh?"

Rosalie stepped up, inserting herself smoothly between Edward and Bella. Edward growled in protest but Bella, Esme was pleased to note, stood with her shoulders straight.

"I've got you, Bella," Rose whispered. "Yes, Carlisle's at home, Edward. We'll see him when we get there."

Esme rode with Rosalie and Bella, while Jasper, intertwined with Alice, tossed his keys to Edward. Emmett went with them. They had it planned this way, before heading to the airport to meet their honeymooners.

"I love you," Bella whispered before getting into the car. "I'm sorry this is making you mad, but I have to protect him."

Esme's eyes stung with venom as she enfolded the girl in her arms. "Sweetheart, we'll all protect him. Edward will see it is for the best. He will."

Rosalie snorted and got behind the wheel of the car. "He better or Emm'll rip his arms off."

"No!" Bella gasped in protest. "No, don't hurt him."

Esme winced visibly and exchanged a look with Rosalie via the rearview mirror. "No one will hurt Edward unless he tries to..." Bella whimpered. Rose grimaced, her fingers tightening about the steering wheel. "Unless he's an idiot."

"There, there," Esme cooed into Bella's hair. "Poor child. You've been so brave." She moved her head so that Bella could see her face. "I can hear his heartbeat."

"So can I," Rose put forth from the front.

"So...you think it's a boy, too?" Bella asked, her voice rising in expectation.

Esme smiled in the ageless way of mothers. "There is a fifty-fifty chance..."

Bella's shadowed eyes softened and she leaned more thoroughly into Esme's body. "Thank you. Thank you for believing."

It was quiet for a while, and Esme considered all the preparations they had made for Bella's coming. "We have a nursery decorated," she told the human girl in her arms.

"Really?" Bella's heart thumped like a wild thing. "Oh, Esme..."

"Emmett bought the kid a teddy bear already."

Bella laughed and she didn't notice when Esme caught Rosalie's eye in the mirror yet again.

"She is going to flip out and cry," Rosalie warned, her voice far outside of Bella's hearing range.

"It will buy us time," Esme shot back, her hand at Bella's back where she could feel the life within the human.

"Time for what?"

Here, Esme couldn't have said for certain. "Time to convince them both. We'll figure it out."

Bella stirred, clearly annoyed. "Look, I know you are talking about something."

"Just things to keep the baby safe," Esme said. "We've got a hospital bed set up for you and everything, so that you can be comfortable and change positions during the day. It is so uncomfortable, being pregnant."

Bella rubbed her lower abdomen. "He kicks, you know."

Rosalie's sharp breath was followed by a smile "That's great, Bella. He's gonna be so strong. Have you thought of a name?"

They chatted until Bella fell asleep.

When she awakened, they were at the house in Forks. All felt quiet. Esme was relieved to see that Rosalie had beat the other car to the door. "Come on, before all hell breaks loose," Esme advised.

In spite of the circumstances, Bella had to laugh. "Esme! Language!" She was able to walk on her own steam into the house. Seeing the bed, set squarely in the middle of the living room, she turned to Esme and Rosalie. "Down here? Really?"

"Carlisle thought it best, in case we needed more equipment...later."

Bella paled but bit her lip and nodded her head. "Of - of course. Where is he, anyway?"

The other car sped up the drive, its motor loud enough that even Bella could hear it. "Carlisle?"

Just then, Bella screamed, her voice piercing until it cut off as if she'd been knifed. Edward crashed through the door, leaving splinters everywhere, but Rosalie already had the unconscious girl safely in her marble arms. Esme stood in front of the object that had caused her newest daughter such distress.

"Esme!" Edward shouted, his voice rattling the windows. "If she's even scratched —"

"She's fine, Daddyward," Rosalie said with a superior air. "She just saw something that scared her."

"What?" he demanded, his mouth open as if he could figure it out by drawing in air. And then he caught the tell-tale scent and his gaze fell to Esme's feet.

Carlisle's watch. Attached to his arm. Which was still scrabbling, trying to free itself from between Esme's feet.

Frozen, Edward could only stare. "Esme. What did you do?" he rasped.

Esme did not look away from the desperate angst in her son's eyes. "I took him apart. He'll get put back together soon. Neither he nor you will hurt my daughter-in-law or grandbaby. Is that understood?"

E/N: Uh, I'm guessing that's understood. Yes, Esme was a wee bit OOC...hey, I did say this was AU. :D