Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter Twenty-Three – Finding Out

Bella Swan

"M-Mrs. Kirby?" I stuttered.

"How are you doing, Bella?" she asked.

"Um, I'm doing well. Do you want to come in?" I asked, stepping aside and opening the door wider so she could come in.

Mrs. Kirby had been my social worker for the past ten years, ever since my parents died. Although she was kind of strict, she had a soft heart for all of the children she worked with. She had been my favorite person at the Social Services in Port Angeles, since she always comforted me whenever I needed it. She was a middle-aged woman, about fifty, with laugh lines and graying hair that was always pulled back into a bun.

Alice stood up from her bed and came over to greet Mrs. Kirby.

"Mrs. Kirby, this is Alice Cullen, my roommate. Alice, this is Mrs. Kirby. She was my social worker when I lived at the Social Services," I said as Alice shook hands with her.

"Nice to meet you, Alice," Mrs. Kirby said.

"So, what brings you here to Seattle?" I asked.

"Oh, I was here for a conference and just wanted to stop in, check up on how you're doing. We miss you over in Port Angeles, especially Elizabetta," she replied.

I smiled. Alice asked, "Who's Elizabetta?"

"Elizabetta's the seven year old who lives at the Social Services. I kind of took her under my wing while I was there," I said.

"Bella was great with the younger kids there," Mrs. Kirby said, smiling.

Alice grinned. "You were? I thought you were saying just a few months ago that you know nothing about babies?"

I shot her a warning glance to not blow it. Mrs. Kirby raised her eyebrows questioningly at me. I gave her a nervous smile back. In my defense, I said, "That's because there were no kids above the age of four there."

"She was sort of like the den mother to all of the younger kids. All of them looked up to her," Mrs. Kirby added.

Alice grinned. "That's so sweet! That can only mean that you'll be a great mother!"

"Alice!" I said, my face turning red from embarrassment.

My roommate slapped her hand over her mouth. "Whoops."

~o~

Mrs. Kirby left about an hour later.

As much as I didn't want to, I explained everything to her. I told her about what happened on Thanksgiving with James, and what had happened because of that. Surprisingly, she didn't force me to pack up my things, drop out of school, and move back to Port Angeles.

Instead, she said she would be dropping in every so often to check in on me, make sure how I was doing, and all of that.

"You know, Bella, everything happens for a reason. You're a strong girl; you always have been. I believe you can make it through," she told me just before she left.

When I shut the door behind her, I turned and went to collapse on my bed. I was so tired.

"So, she's a nice lady," Alice commented.

I smiled. "Yeah. She is. She can be kind of strict, though. But, she does have a heart for kids."

The next week went smoothly. I told Edward about Mrs. Kirby's visit, telling him that she would be checking in on my every once and a while, just to make sure I was alright.

Things sort of fell back into routine as April passed. I would wake up, meet up with everybody for breakfast, go to class, go to the library to do homework, and then head back to the dorm.

I would hang out with Edward every Friday night, just the two of us. We would go out to dinner or the movies, or take a walk around the grounds, and just be together. I liked it, and he liked it. Dr. Morris said that it was good for our relationship, which was strong regardless.

During the last week of April, the leaves were growing on the trees, giving a more green appearance, which was nice. Flowers were beginning to poke out of the ground, and birds were beginning to chirp more incessantly.

Near May was the start of my fifth month of pregnancy. My stomach was still small, but it was rounder. Alice and Rosalie called it the cutest baby bump they had ever seen on a woman. The boys were fascinated by it, especially Edward.

Edward was very sweet, and I could tell that he had begun to sprout some fondness towards the baby. For example, we had been studying in Alice's and mine dorm room one evening. I had kind of dozed off, and had awoken the touch of Edward's hand on my stomach.

Speaking to the baby.

Tears had come to my eyes, and I had wrapped my arms around him, leaning my head against his shoulder.

~o~

"So, Bella, when are you going to be able to find out what the gender of little jelly bean is?" Alice asked one morning at breakfast.

'Jelly bean' was the official nickname that Alice and everyone else and I had given the baby. I called it 'jelly bean', because it had looked like a jellybean on my very first ultrasound. I hadn't planned on calling it that, but it had sort of grown on me. Besides, it sounded kind of wrong to call the baby 'it'.

"Next appointment, which is" – I racked my brain for a moment – "tomorrow, actually! 2:30 in the afternoon."

Alice and Rosalie squealed. "Yes! Then we'll be able to call it by the gender as well!" Rosalie said.

"And go shopping for baby clothes!" Alice squealed.

Finding out the sex of the baby – exciting. Shopping for baby clothes – sort of exciting, sort of horrifying (when Alice and shopping were in the same sentence, nothing was good).

The next afternoon, Edward and I arrived at the hospital for my appointment. Alice was disappointed that she couldn't make it – she had a test in a class that wouldn't get out until after I had to be there. Edward, however, had a free afternoon, so he was more than willing to come along.

"So, are you excited about finding out the sex?" Edward asked as we sat down in the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area.

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I am. It'll be cool to know what the sex is so I can stop calling it 'the baby' and 'jelly bean'."

Edward laughed.

We only had to wait a few minutes before my name was called. We followed the nurse into an examination room. After getting my weight, blood pressure, pulse, and all that stuff, she left, saying that Dr. Miser would be in shortly.

Edward Cullen

It was amazing to hear the sound of a baby's heartbeat through a machine. It was so miraculous.

Despite the way the baby had been created, I had developed a fondness for Bella's baby, and I couldn't wait to find out the sex.

Dr. Miser went through all the routine procedures for a fifth month check-up, asking Bella how she was feeling and all of that.

And then, finally, she said, "Would you two like to have a look at the baby?"

Bella and I nodded eagerly, and Dr. Miser smiled as she told Bella to hop up onto the examination table, lay back, and pull up her shirt to expose her stomach. After she turned on the machine, she applied some gel to Bella's round abdomen. Bella shivered from what I assumed was to be the cold gel.

We couldn't see anything at first, but within a moment, we could see, through the moving black and white fuzziness, the baby.

It was beautiful.

I looked at Bella, who was staring at the screen. I could see tears forming in her eyes.

"I think the baby has your nose, Bella," I said.

She laughed. "I think my ears, too."

"Would you like to know the sex, Bella?" Dr. Miser said, smiling.

She nodded eagerly.

It took Dr. Miser a moment, but finally, she said, "Congratulations! It's a girl!"

Bella smiled. "A baby girl," she whispered. Happiness and love were bursting from her eyes and mouth as she said this, not taking her eyes off the screen.

I kissed the side of her head.

"Looks like Jasper just got 50 bucks richer," I said.

Bella tore her eyes away from the screen and looked at me. "Sorry?"

I laughed. "Emmett, Jasper and I made a bet last night as to what the sex of the baby was going to be. We each put in 25 bucks. Emmett and I said it was going to be a boy, and Jasper said it was going to be a girl."

Bella shook her head, smiling. "You three bet on everything. Are you seriously going to subject your idiotic betting on a poor, innocent, little baby?"

I grinned.

All of a sudden, Bella gasped. "Oh, my god."

Concern settled on my face. "What? What is it?" I asked.

"I think … I think she just kicked!" Bella said. She grabbed my hand and placed it on her gel covered stomach.

I forgot all about the slime-y feeling gel on her belly when I felt a flutter and something that felt like a foot press gently against the palm of my hand. I goofy kind of grin appeared on my face.

"Was that the baby?" I asked.

Dr. Miser, Bella, and I looked at the screen, and sure enough, we saw the baby kicking her leg outwards – and I felt it.

Bella laughed, a couple of tears trickling down her cheeks.

As we sat, we watched and felt the baby kick.

And it truly was amazing.

Author's Note: Hey there! Let me just say that I am exceedingly sorry about not updating for a long time! I've been super busy with school, I quit my job, and the issues that I've been having with my stomach for the past several years are still there.

But, I have finally finished this chapter, and I am now going to post it.

Sorry if it seemed a little too rushed with the social worker scene, but I just wasn't quite sure what dialogue to put in that scene. But I hope Bella finding out the sex of the baby was enough to make up for it.

How many of you thought it was going to be a girl?

Anyway, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I promise to try to not make you guys wait like two months or more to get it.

Thanks for hanging in there with me, those of you who are still reading!

Until Next Chapter!