KISS ME, KILL YOU
CHAPTER 25: KNOCKED UP BUT GOOD!
A/N: WHAT?? ANOTHER CHAPTER?? YIPPEE!! I just couldn't wait to get this one out there, so here we go...let's find out how Amaranthine Warrior Vampires handle one of life's little (bumps in the road),er, Blessings......
"Bella, are you mated?" Claudio said, extending a hand to help her up from the floor.
"Yes." She didn't dare tell him to whom she called Mate. The knowledge of him knowing that the male she loves more than life itself was responsible for the systematic genocide of his people in Eastern Europe probably most likely would not go over too well.
She sat on the chair, drank her soda, then excused herself to the bathroom. She took off her blouse and twisted around to get a glimpse at her back. A soft knock on the door and then she heard Suzann say,
"Bella, may I come in?"
Bella opened the door. Suzann gave her a hand mirror. "Turn around so you can see."
Bella turned around and, holding up the mirror, got a good look at her back. Sure enough, there, on the small of her back was a dusting of small, light blue spots.
"Oh gods," Bella moaned. "I'm pregnant."
xoxoxox
"Vampire females are pregnant for four months." Carlisle explained.
"Thank the gods!" Edward exclaimed, "At least it's short!"
"Edward, Edward,"Carlisle laughed, " You're going to think they're the longest four months of your life, my son."
"Oh gods, why?"
"First of all, give me your plane ticket. You're not going anywhere."
Edward had the 'deer caught in the headlights' look going on in his face. Carlisle reached into the front pocket of his leather jacket and retrieved his boarding pass. Jasper and Emmet hugged their stunned stupid brother and bid him good-bye. They slapped each other on the back in some sort of self-congratulatory male bonding ritual along the lines of 'the superiority of the penis' type of thing as they walked away towards the newsstand.
Carlisle held the door open for Edward and smiled as he passed by him, who was in a daze.
As they walked slowly through the terminal, Carlisle spoke. "Son, after the birthing, it is the Amaranthine Male who is the one who raises the children from birth to three months. The Bond between Father and Child is stronger even than the Bond between Mates."
"I could never love anyone more than Bella," Edward argued.
"It's biological, not emotional, Edward. You will always want to be with Bella, but for the first three months of your child's life, you will have to be with him...or, her."
Edward ran his hand through his hair, trying to get a grip on what Carlisle was saying to him. "I will raise the child? While Bella recovers, is that what you're saying?"
"Not exactly. As you know, the healing powers of a well fed Vampire are extraordinary, so her recovery time following the birthing will be hours to a day at most."
"So...wh-" Edward shook his head, "I'm not following you."
"The time following the birthing is when the Females of our kind go on a sort of vacation. I can't remember what Esme called it, but basically, they go off, play in the surf, feed and come home in three months, then they take over."
"Wait. They go off and feed? How...? Oh!" Like a lightbulb went off in his head. Sighing heavily he said, "They are free. Of course they are. It is only by their choice that they..."
"Put up with our sorry arses in the first place? Yes. I'm afraid the Females hold all the power over us." Carlisle smiled, obviously thinking about his Mate considering the tent that was rising in his pants. "I wonder if I have time to call Esme..." He said thinking out loud.
"Earth to Carlisle!"
"Yes, sorry. Any questions?"
"Only about a thousand or two." He rubbed the center of his chest.
"You feel the pull of your child, don't you?" Carlisle put his hand on Edward's shoulder."Your son or daughter is already calling to you, tell me I'm wrong?"
Edward looked at him like Carlisle just revealed a hidden secret of his.
"FLIGHT 205 TO FLORENCE, ITALY WILL BEGIN BOARDING FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS
IN TEN MINUTES AT GATE 230. ALL FIRST CLASS PASSENGERS REPORT TO GATE 230. THANK YOU."
Carlisle cursed. "That's us. Jasper, Emmet, let's go." Then turning to Edward, "Listen to me, Son. I don't have much time, so let me tell you this: She's going to need you now more than ever. An Amaranthine pregnancy is very hard on the Females. While you will be going through your own brand of...hell...as the Bond between you and the youngling grows stronger and stronger, the Females health will grow unstable. Most Amaranthine Females are on strict bed rest for the entire four months."
"There is a chance she might not..." Edward swallowed hard. He couldn't even speak it.
"LAST CALL: COACH PASSENGERS FOR FLIGHT 205 WILL NOW BEGIN BOARDING AT GATE 230."
"We've got to go," Carlisle said, grabbing his carry on and walking towards Jasper and Emmet. Edward walked with him, looking shell shocked. "You'll be fine, Edward. I'll explain to the Volturi the situation. I'm sure they'll...understand you're not being able to report in person. Go to her, don't let her leave your side, even if she wants to."
"Wants to? Why would she want to leave me?" Edward started to wring his hands nervously and then broke out into a full body sweat.
"She's going to be on a very wild roller coaster ride of emotions for the next few months and she's going to drag you along, kicking and screaming if necessary. Cheer up, it's only four months of it. I'll be back as soon as I can. If I hear from Esme, I'll let her know what's going on." Carlisle rubbed his chin in thought. Only four months and then...He thought briefly about what happened after Esme had birthed Edward. Well, maybe things didn't have to be typical and would be different for them once the youngling arrived. Afterall, Edward's bond with Bella is a much stronger one.
Edward straightened out, standing tall. "I am a highly decorated General of the Amaranthine International Peace Keeping Forces. Specially commissioned by Aro himself," Edward said, showing his brave resolve. "I am certain I can handle my Female."
Carlisle laughed heartily, clapped Edward on the shoulder. "Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that! Good-bye, my Son." Carlisle hugged Edward tightly, kissed him on the cheek, turned and left.
"Oh gods." Edward moaned.
xoxoxox
Bella sat back on the couch and starting reading the book Suzann gave her. "Females With Younglings." It was the Vampire version of "What To Expect When You're Expecting."
'FOUR STAGES OF VAMPIRE PREGNANCY
Although pregnancies vary from species to species, in general, the gestation period for the average Vampire Female lasts four months. There are four stages, or quaterns:
1st quatern, she is giddy, laughing for no reason. The light blue spots or the 'punti blu materni' or PBM will darken and spread from the small of the back up the sides of the torso. By the middle of the first quatern, the punti blu materni will be visible on the sides of the face from the temples to the jaw line, continuing until they connect under the arms to the ones on the Female's torso.
2nd quatern, the giddiness turns to a vampire equivalent of being bi-polar-euphoric one minute, violent hatred the next.
3rd quatern, the bi-polar tendencies subside for the most part, but she can experience mild hallucinations.
4th quatern, she goes into hiding/hibernation, sleeping 20 hours of the day. For the safety of the Females and their Younglings, as well as for the well-being of the well-wishers that are bound and determined to visit in the last quatern, it is highly recommended that the Female be sequestered for the duration of the last quatern. In other words, bed rest 24/7.'
"Oh fucking hell," Bella exclaimed.
"UH OH! Bella said a baaaaad word!" Renee laughed.
"Time to clean up for dinner, little Male!" Claudio scooped Renee up in his arms and trotted out of the room with him.
Bella dropped the book on her lap and just stared, deer in the headlights, out into the room. "I'm having a nightmare!"
Suzann laughed at that. "Hardly, Bella! Judging from the color and location of the spots, I'd say you're just a little bit into your first quatern."
She stood up and started for the kitchen. "Come on, I've managed a little more food to go along with your cheese and crackers."
The kitchen table was set with lovely crystal goblets for Claudio and Suzann, a tippy cup for Renee and a bottle on the high chair for Alayna. In Bella's place was a china salad bowl with sliced apples, grapes, walnuts, a plate of evenly sliced gouda cheese surrounded by a circle of Ritz crackers, a small plate with a steaming ear of buttered corn, and a can of Barq's Root Beer next to a crystal goblet filled with ice. A centerpiece of fresh flowers from the garden and linen napkins.
"How lovely, thank you," Bella said.
"We have the occasional human pass by and like to keep a little fresh food in the fridge and cabinets and we have an apple tree, a grape vine and a walnut tree in the back yard." Claudio explained, as he pulled out the chair for Suzann.
"And the corn?"
"We feed the animals corn!" Renee laughed.
Claudio smiled as he poured some of the contents of one of the Thermos's into Renee's tippy cup, Alayna's bottle and the two crystal goblets on the table. Bella had suspected that Renee's "chore" earlier was to collect blood from the farm animals they kept and yup, there it was, red and thick in the glasses.
Bella's head began to swim and she felt like she was going to pass out when she heard a blood curdling sound: Wolves howling in the nearby woods.
"Oh shit, it's Jake," Bella said out loud.
"What?" Claudio and Suzann said at once.
"I'd better go," Bella got up.
"Why? We certainly can handle a few wolves."
"These are friends and the last thing I want is for anyone gets hurt before I can tell them that you guys are cool and to leave you alone."
"Leave us alone?" Renee laughed, "More like before we have doggie for dinner!"
Little Alayna joined in laughing with her big brother, "Doggie for dinner!" She cooed.
"Okay," Claudio said, going to the window and peaking out the drapes, "You want me to run you home in the van?"
"Nah," Bella said, "I'm not that far and I'm sure I'll run into the pack, I'll get a ride with them."
"You mean you 'll get a ride on them!" Renee was cracking him and Alayna up.
Bella looked at the little family of LeStats and smiled. "Thanks for inviting me into your home. I'm glad to have met you all. Who knows? Maybe this will be the start of Peace between the races."
"That's exactly what I was going for." Claudio said. Taking Bella's hand in hers he said, "If you ever need anything, I hope you'll call on us."
"Here," Suzann held out Bella's body armor, "You can keep the clothes, but you owe me an outfit," she said smiling, then held out her hand for Bella to shake.
"Sorry, that won't do," Bella said then put her arms around both Claudio and Suzann and hugged them tightly. Renee let Alayna out of the highchair and they joined the three adults in a group hug.
"You'll have to bring your youngling over for a play date," Suzann said cheerily. To which Renee and Alayna heartily agreed.
Bella stopped, groaned and went out the door.
A/N: Can you believe it-another chapter so soon??? I'm telling you, your reviews and comments make my fingers fly over the keyboard!
Love and lots of Lemondrops to all you lovely, lovely Twilighters!
BSL