EPOV

Aro immediately had the local district attorney's office tracking down the package sent to us by Jessica. Unfortunately, a note simply signed "J" was not proof positive she was the culprit, even if all signs pointed to her. I just wanted this over and done with. Bella was so very close to her due date, and she didn't need this kind of stress right now.

Alice did her best to keep Bella away from anything too taxing. Though, we did have to celebrate Bella's book selling 2 million copies in its first week. At least there was some good news amongst all the madness.

But, my being back on set for the new season of the show was nerve-wracking. I didn't like leaving Bella at home for 12 hours a day, even if Alice kept near constant company. And work wasn't providing me any distraction from this harbinger of doom dangling just above my head. Jessica left the most ominous of messages, and I kept imagining every possible scenario that could result from her vague threat. Was she going to try and hurt Bella or the baby in some way?

All my worst fears came to fruition on a Wednesday. I was taking a lunch break with some of my co-stars when I spotted a woman from the wardrobe department reading one of those trashy tabloids. God, if I never see another one of those ever again, it'll be too soon.

On the cover of this magazine, however, was the face of that one person who had haunted my nightmares for the past few months. She had the nerve to smile as the headline read: Starlet pregnant with co-star's love child.

So that's how she was going to play it—she was going to say I got her pregnant? It was strange to say, but I was actually a bit relieved by this method. At least she wasn't going after my wife or child. And, after all, a simple paternity test would prove I wasn't the father of her baby—if she was even truly pregnant to begin with.

I asked the woman if I could borrow the magazine when she was finished. I had to know what she was saying about me before I went to Aro to discuss a strategy. The article was an interview with Jessica. She spoke about our so-called "flirtations on-set," and how my "wife got pregnant to trap" me and that I wasn't "really in love with her." I gritted my teeth together to stop from screaming at the lies I was reading. Then she got to the part I had feared the most—the night she had come to our cottage and tried to seduce me. She fabricated an entire story about me accepting her offer to return to her room and have sex. She claimed that was when she became pregnant. It would have been hilarious if it wasn't the most infuriating and absurd lie I'd ever heard.

Before I called Aro to talk about this, I called Alice to give her a heads up.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Al, it's Edward," I replied as I grabbed a bagel from the catering table and ran to my trailer. "Look, Jessica's struck again and I need to you try and keep Bella away from the shitstorm."

She paused for a minute, presumably moving to a room where we could speak privately. "What happened? What is she saying now?"

"That I got her pregnant," I replied. "She's just delusional now. But, don't worry, I'm going to talk to Aro and we'll handle this. I'll take whatever paternity test that bitch wants, I never touched her."

"Where did you see this?"

"OK Magazine, where else?" I scoffed. "She must be blowing the Editor-in-Chief to be getting such great coverage."

"Nah, with them I'm sure a hand job will suffice," Alice retorted. "OK, I'll keep our girl occupied for the time being. But, Edward, I've gotta know—why the secrecy? Don't you think Bella will be suspicious of you hiding things?"

"She might, but I don't want her being upset this close to the due date," I said. "I'll let her be mad at me for it later, but right now I'll keep her in the dark as much as possible."

"If you say so," Alice said before hanging up.

I dialed Aro's number and he knew what I was calling about immediately. "I saw, kid. Is there any truth to this?"

"Absolutely not! I never touched her, aside from our scenes together."

"What about this night she's talking about? What happened there?"

"She did come to our cottage, but I sent her away," I said. "Look, I'll take a paternity test. I just want this to be over."

"Well, yes, you could to do that," he said. "But, in all honesty I've gotta tell you, this is a no-win situation."

"What do you mean?" I asked nervously.

"Well, taking a paternity test will definitely prove you're not the father, but it could also imply you did actually sleep with this woman."

"WHAT??!!" This was unbelievable. How was this woman making a shambles of my life so easily?

"It's true," Aro said. "The only way to completely clear your name would be to find out who the real father is before you have to resort to a paternity test. Either that, or catch her in a lie; maybe she's not really pregnant. But, I wouldn't bet on that one. She could have found some poor sap to impregnate her so she could pin it on you."

"Wait a second," I said as I went through the article once more. "How far along did she say she was?" I perused the story until I found the spot I desired. It said Jessica was about three months along. And, that would make sense had we actually had sex that night. But, "What if we found out when she really got pregnant? I mean, if the timelines doesn't match up, then we've got her in a lie there, as well, right?"

"We would," Aro agreed. "But, that's even trickier than finding the real father."

"So, what do we do?" I asked, defeated.

"You just keep your chin up and pretend like none of this is happening," he told me. "I'll take care of the rest."

"I guess that's all I can do for now, isn't it?"

I tried not to sulk as I went back to work. Luckily, I was filming a scene where I was bemoaning the acquittal of a clearly guilty man, so I used my foul mood as motivation. On my way home, I called Bella and asked what she wanted for dinner. "Can you drop by Noodles and Co.?" She asked sweetly. "I think Sadie and I have a hankering for tomato soup and Pesto Cavatappi with chicken."

"Will do, love," I told her. Despite the day I had, a smile began to spread across my face. No matter how horrible I'm feeling my wonderful wife always finds a way to make me happy. I filled her dinner request, and got some mushroom stroganoff for myself, before rushing home to put my arms around Bella. She was lying on the couch watching TV when I walked in. I placed the food on the kitchen counter before practically sprinting across the room and leaping onto the couch. I managed to keep my weight off of my wife as I started planting kisses all over her face and neck.

"Someone came home in a frisky mood," she laughed in between kisses. "Mmmm, there's nothing I like better than my delicious husband bringing me yummy kisses—and food."

"Aw yes," I chuckled. "Can't forget the food."

I reluctantly pulled myself away to retrieve our dinner. I grabbed some forks, spoons and a couple glasses of water; all of which were set on a tray and delivered, maître'd style, to Bella. She laughed as she pushed herself up to a sitting position. "Garçon, what is on the menu for tonight?"

"For ze Madam: some Pesto Cavatappi avec le poulet, et le potage de tomate."

"What was that last one?" She laughed before taking a sip of water.

"Tomato soup," I replied, maintaining my French accent. "And, for ze monsieur, mushroom stroganoff avec le braised beef."

"Ooooo, they have mushroom stroganoff? That looks good."

I laughed out loud and shook my head in amusement. Bella's appetite would still change so rapidly it was astonishing. She often asked to trade dinners with me if she started liking my meal more than hers. "Do you want to trade?"

She bit her lip and glanced between her dinner and mine, torn between the two options before her. After a moment, she sighed. "No, I want mine more, I suppose."

"Ha, well thanks," I said as I kissed the tip of her nose. "Because I really, really wanted this."

"Well, when you put it that way," she teased, pretending to grab for my plate.

"Hey, you've made your decision, woman," I replied. We settled back onto the couch and ate our dinners while watching Dinner: Impossible. It still amused me how absorbed Bella became into these shows. Though, it usually resulted in her experimenting with the recipes her Food Network idols prepared and that always worked out well for me.

After Robert Irvine was finished running around attempting to put a seven course dinner together for 400 people in under eight hours, Bella got the urge to watch something not food related. She flipped through the channels and stopped when she came to the E! network, her other favorite station. I didn't think anything of this, until I noticed the show that was airing at that very moment was an entertainment news show. A cold sweat broke out all over my body as I silently prayed Jessica's lies hadn't spread to the airwaves yet. With each passing minute, I grew increasingly more nervous. Why did I keep getting myself into these situations? I could have avoided all the hell I was putting myself through if I had just told Bella what had happened. But, of course, that meant putting her through hell in the process—and my sanity wasn't as important as hers at the moment.

When the show finally went to commercials, I tried to discreetly change the channel. "Hey, can I check the score on the Red Sox game?"

"Sure," Bella replied, handing me the remote. I pressed the buttons that turned the station to ESPN, and figuratively crossed my fingers in the hope I would have to wait at least fifteen minutes to see anything in the way of a baseball score. No such luck; the first thing that flashed across the screen was "Boston - 6, Detroit - 2." As soon as Bella saw that, she grabbed the remote back with surprising speed.

"Well, you've seen it," she said, "Now it's back to Seacrest." Stupid, bleach-blond, fake-tanned, metrosexual TV presenter!

"Welcome back to E! News," the empty vessel on the TV recited robotically. "We have a breaking story concerning two of Hollywood's rising stars."

The camera panned to the female reporter. "That's right, Ryan. Was there more than just sparks flying on the set of the movie 'The Quiet Shepard?'" Fuck. This was not going to end well for me. "According to an interview with OK Magazine, actress Jessica Stanley is saying she's pregnant. And, the father is co-star, Edward Cullen."

All the color, literally, drained from Bella's face. Her bottom lip quivered; in fact, her whole body started shaking. I was trying desperately to think of something to say, but before I could even open my mouth Bella hurled the remote into the TV screen. Now mounted on our wall was a 60-inch, $3,200 piece of abstract art entitled Remote through a TV Screen.

"Well, that took care of that now, didn't it?" She asked, surprisingly calm. "So," she continued, turning to me, "What do you know about this bullshit? Have you seen the magazine?"

I nodded, still unable to find my voice.

"What does the article say?"

"That Jessica and I slept together one night during the filming, and that's when she became pregnant," I replied. "I've already talked to Aro, and he said not to acknowledge any of this until he's thought of a plan. He wants to put a private investigator on Jessica and see who the real father might be so I'm not forced into taking an unnecessary paternity test."

She nodded. "That's a good plan. When did she say you two hooked up? Does it have a specific night?"

"I think it was supposed to be sometime during that last week we were in Laramie."

Again, she nodded. "You know, this one night before we left I had a dream so real, I could have sworn it wasn't just my imagination. I was in bed at the cottage, and Jessica showed up in a nightgown, trying to seduce you."

Christ, was she awake when this happened? Did she hear everything Jessica said that night?

"Edward," she began quietly, "Was that more than just a dream? Did she really show up that night?"

Well, I was going to have to bite the bullet now. "Yes," I said hesitantly, "She did. And, I sent her away immediately." Bella looked disappointed, and it made my insides begin to churn. "Bella, love, I'm sorry. I've been trying to shield you from so many things. I thought I was protecting you; I thought you didn't need any of this stress with the due date so close. But, I see I was just being foolish. Please forgive me."

Bella leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "I forgive you, Edward. I know you would never intentionally hurt me. But, I'm not as fragile as you think. Please tell me everything that's happening with this situation. I have a right to know."

"I know, and I will," I replied.

BPOV

At least I knew what Jessica meant by her little note. I could rest easier knowing she wasn't trying to harm my baby in any way. And, I almost had to laugh at the route she had chosen to take. Saying Edward got her pregnant? Of everything she could have accused him of, that was the easiest to prove false! She did manage to procure a positive pregnancy test, though.

Over the next week, Aro's investigator followed Jessica almost everywhere she went. He found out she was seeing her other co-star, Mike, on a regular basis. "He's probably the father, I'll bet," Edward said. "He definitely had his eye on her, girlfriend or not."

"Should we get a lawyer?" I asked Aro. "I mean, what if she sues for him to take a paternity test?"

"No, you two aren't going to do a thing," Aro said. "Taking action at this time is almost the same as admitting culpability. Edward didn't do anything wrong, so he's not going to be bullied into proving anything to anyone."

I nodded as Edward squeezed my hand gently. We were sitting in Aro's office on a Sunday, the only day Edward doesn't have to work. Aro took us out for dinner after we discussed what the investigator had found. He suggested taking us to some fancy restaurant, like Strings, but I said the Olive Garden would be just fine. Besides, I didn't have any nice, fancy clothing that would fit my fat ass right now. And, with about a month to go before I gave birth, I didn't want to even attempt to make myself look glamorous. Hell, I was lucky to roll my rotund rear-end out of bed.

I sat down to a nice, big plate of baked ziti, which Sadie seemed to enjoy just as much as I did. She nudged my belly gently while I ate, and I couldn't help but think that in just a few weeks, she would be here in my arms. I couldn't wait; I wanted to see my little girl. As if he could tell what I was thinking, Edward placed a hand on my belly and smiled. "Soon, love; we'll have our little angel very soon."

As it turned out, very soon was even more immediate than we expected. We ordered chocolate cake for dessert, but I didn't even get a fork raised to dig in before I felt a sudden rush of warm, dampness hit the area where I was sitting. There was no pain at first, but the strange feeling – eerily reminiscent of having peed myself – made me stop and look at Edward in panic. "I think my water just broke." He dropped his fork, took my hand and pulled me out of my seat.

EPOV

I couldn't believe this was happening so quickly. Bella was supposed to have a month before she gave birth, but I guess not everything in life can go according to plan. You'd think I, of all people, would be used to chaos at this point. I hurried Bella to the hospital and got her checked into her room as quickly as possible. The contractions were still pretty far apart, and Bella was being so calm. As for me, I was on the brink of losing my mind completely. This was it, the moment we had been waiting for these past few months – our baby girl was on her way. And, judging by the way she's coming into the world, I'd say she's going to be an awful lot like her mother, impulsive and impatient.

Bella sat up in the little hospital bed, rubbing her belly and talking on the phone with her mother. How could she be so cool under this kind of pressure? She laughed prettily at something Renee said, and I couldn't help but smile. She was so calm and cool right now because she was born to be a mother.

This reminded me, I should probably get in touch with my mom, as well. She said she wanted to be here when the baby arrives. I dialed her number and sat in the chair next to Bella's bed.

"Hello, Edward. What's up, sweetie?"

"Well, we've had a bit of a surprise, Mom," I told her.

"What kind of surprise? The good kind, I hope."

"The best kind," I said as I took Bella's hand in mine. "Bella's in labor."

"WHAT? The baby's not due for another month!" Mom exclaimed.

"Well, it looks like Sadie is tired of being cooped up in a womb," I said. "She's ready to come out now."

"What hospital are you at?"

"Swedish Medical Center."

"I'll be there as soon as possible," Mom said before hanging up.

Just as I was setting my phone down, Alice burst into the room in a frenzy. "Bella! Are you OK?! Is the baby OK?!"

Bella handed her phone to me before calming Alice. "Everything is fine; it's just the baby's coming a little bit earlier than expected."

"A month is not a little bit early, Bells," Alice countered. "What did the doctor say?"

"I haven't seen him, yet," Bella said. Just then, Bella's doctor walked in.

"Mrs. Cullen, it looks like you're in here earlier than expected," he commented. He gave Bella a thorough exam before sitting down and explaining the situation. "Well, you are dilated about two centimeters right now, so you're not in active labor yet. It could take hours for you to progress. When was your last contraction?"

"Um, about forty minutes ago, I think," Bella replied.

"Well, we'll wait and see how long it takes for the next one to hit before we make any final decisions," the doctor said. "But, I think it's safe to say you could be having this baby sometime tomorrow."

"Will there be anything wrong with the baby?" I asked nervously. "Will she be very premature?"

"Thirty-six weeks is not incredibly premature," he said. "Babies born after 34 weeks generally turn out fine. But, we should probably watch the baby overnight after the birth, just to make sure everything is OK."

"What could have caused her to go into early labor?" Alice asked.

"Oh, could have been any number of things: too much amniotic fluid, a larger uterus. But, I'd say it's probably stress," the doctor said. "I heard you embarked on a big book tour recently." Bella nodded sheepishly. "Well, such excitement and stress were probably contributing factors."

"And," Bella added softly, "There have been...other issues."

He smiled and shook his head with a laugh. "Everything is going to be just fine, Mrs. Cullen. I'll be on call, so the nurses will let me know when you've entered the transition stage."

With that, he gave Bella a little pat on the hand and left. I breathed a bit easier after the doctor said Sadie should be alright. Although, I silently cursed Jessica for putting such undue pressure on my wife. Had she just left us alone like a sane, normal person would, Bella would be at home right now instead of going into labor a month premature. Alice was still on edge, though. She flitted around the room like a hummingbird on speed while asking Bella a million questions a minute. "Are you feeling OK? Do you need some water? Tea? Ice chips? Do you want me to rub your legs? Does your back hurt? Can I get you a better pillow?"

"Alice," Bella said finally, "Sit down and shut up, please."

Alice did as she was told, but still bounced up and down in her seat like the chair was the surface of a red, hot skillet. I decided to give her a task. "Maybe you could go wait for my mom. She should be here any minute."

"OK," Alice said as she buzzed out the door. Bella gave me a strange look and I shrugged.

"She looked like she needed something to do," I said. "Maybe the whole being around a woman in labor was getting to her."

Bella nodded. "You're probably right."

She closed her eyes and rested her head back against the stack of pillows behind her. Just when she seemed like she was at peace, she gripped her stomach in pain and leaned forward. "Oh, there's another one," she moaned as the contraction began to ebb. "How long was that since the last contraction?"

"Forty-five minutes," I said, looking at my watch. "How bad was it?"

"Slightly worse than before," she admitted. "But, nothing I can't handle."

Alice was back with Mom soon after, and the overprotective mothering reached epic heights. Both women were scurrying about, asking questions and just generally fussing over Bella. My wife took it all in stride, but I excused myself to grab a cup of coffee before I became overwhelmed by the ruckus. I found my way to a little coffee kiosk on the floor below us and paid for a small cup. When I turned around, I noticed the hospital gift shop and wondered if there was anything in there I could get for Bella. Flowers seemed too cliché and impersonal; there were stuffed animals and statues of angels, one of those could be cute. And then I saw it—a mother angel doll holding a baby angel. Both mother and daughter had beautiful, reddish-brown hair. It was too perfect.

I grabbed the doll and walked over to the register to pay for it. The girl working in the shop looked like she was about my age, maybe a year or two younger. She was short with long, brown hair and big brown eyes that, at first, beheld me with mild annoyance. And then, slowly, her eyes registered recognition as I handed her my credit card to pay for my purchase. Her eyes darted to the name on the card and then to me; she stared back and forth between the two frantically for what seemed like five minutes before proclaiming "You're him! Josh Stedman on New York Homicide!"

"Uh, yeah...yes I am," I replied hesitantly. "But, my name is Edward..."

"Yeah, Edward Cullen, right," she said quickly. "I really, really love your show."

"Thanks," I replied awkwardly. I'm not used to being recognized by people. In fact, I've yet to even be asked for my autograph. The girl hastily ran the card through the machine and gave it back to me with a shaky hand. She nervously waited for my receipt to slide out before placing it on the counter for me to sign. Once I handed it back to her, she shyly placed another piece of paper where the receipt had once been.

"Um...could I get your autograph?"

"Oh, sure," I said as I carefully signed my name again. "What's your name?"

"Kimberli, with an 'i' instead of a 'y'," she said. I added a personal greeting to the signature and handed it to her. She squealed with delight before putting the piece of paper into her purse. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome," I replied as I put my credit card back in my wallet.

"So, why are you at the hospital?" She asked.

"Oh...Um, my wife's having our baby," I said, not entirely sure I should trust this girl. But, really, she's just a fan. What damage could she do?

I returned to Bella's room and showed her the doll, which made her tear up just like I thought it would. "Oh, Edward. It's so precious. Thank you!" I leaned over the bed and kissed her gently. As the hours past, Bella remained very much the same. I almost started to wonder whether this was just a false alarm when, sometime after midnight, Bella's contractions started coming more frequently and at greater intensity.

"OK," she said after a particularly big contraction. "I think this shit just got real."

"I'll call the doctor," said the night nurse. When the doctor showed up, he looked disheveled and tired. He must have been sleeping in the on-call room.

"Well, Mrs. Cullen, how are those contractions coming along?"

"About ten minutes apart now," the nurse said. The doctor examined Bella again before sitting back in his swivel chair to give us the update.

"Well, you're dilated to about five centimeters," he said. "So, you're into active labor now. You've still got a ways to go, but we'll be keeping a much closer eye on you now."

"Do you think you could guess how much longer it will be?" I asked as I rubbed Bella's stomach softly.

He shook his head. "There's no way of knowing—could be an hour, but probably longer. It all depends on Bella's body at this point. Everything is going smoothly, she's dilating at a good pace and the baby seems to be positioning nicely. So, it should be sometime in the next 12 hours, if I had to take an educated guess."

"Thanks," I said as I sighed wistfully. Within the next 12 hours, I would get to hold my little girl in my arms. Little Sadie. I hope she has her mother's brown eyes and hair. In fact, I hope she is the very image of Bella in every possible way. Alice and Mom had excused themselves to the bathroom (though, I think they were just trying to give Bella and me some alone time), when I started feeling as though someone was watching us. I looked up and saw the blinds parted ever so slightly and what appeared to be a camera lens stuck between the slats. I jumped out of my seat and ran to the door in time to see the photographer who had come by our condo trying to make a break for it. Weighted down as he was with all of his equipment, I caught him very easily.

"Alright, dickhead, give me the camera," I said as I held the man by the collar of his shirt.

"Fuck off, Cullen; you're not really a cop, you've got no right to take my camera," he spat back at me.

"Fine," I said simply. "Let's just take you to the real police, then."

Still holding him by the collar, I dragged the little piss ant across the hospital until I found an on-duty officer hanging out near the emergency room. I shoved the photographer towards him. "This guy snuck into the hospital and took pictures of my pregnant wife."

The officer beheld me skeptically. "And why would he want to do that?"

"Because he's paparazzi," I said. "He's been hounding my wife and me for months. You can call detective Benson." I gave him the card with the detective's number on it. "He's been handling the case."

The cop took the photographer by the arm and dragged him, kicking and screaming, away from the ER. "I didn't do anything wrong, I have a right to be here. You're gonna hear from my lawyers, asshole! Police brutality! POLICE BRUTALITY!!!"

I laughed humorlessly as I walked back to Bella's room. My mom and Alice were back and all three women eyed me with worry written across their faces.

"Who was that?" Bella asked as she twisted the bed sheet nervously in her tiny hands.

"Same guy who came to our condo saying he was delivering a package," I replied. "Don't worry, I found a cop. We should be alright."

"Where is your security team?" Alice asked as she pulled out her phone. "Did Aro not contact them?"

"Uh, I think he's over here," Mom said as she pulled a privacy sheet back to reveal one of the security guards sleeping in the other bed in the room. Mom shook him lightly and he sprang to his feet quickly.

"I'm up, what's happening?"

We all glared at him furiously. "What the hell?" I said as I approached him. "We hired you guys to watch out for us, and I find you sleeping on the job?"

"Hey," he said defensively, "I've been watching you almost 24/7, it's kind of hard to keep up with every little detail."

"How about not falling asleep, can you keep up with that?" Alice asked as she put her phone to her ear. "Aro? It's Alice, you're incompetent security just let some paparazzi get photos of Edward and Bella! Yeah, Edward had to chase the guy down himself and catch him…The guy fell asleep! Everything's fine now, but you might want to send someone else to watch our clients. Someone who won't fall asleep on the job!"

She flipped her phone shut angrily and turned to the guy. "There, your replacement will be here shortly, Rip Van Winkle."

The guard looked like he wanted to respond, but instead walked out the door and waited in the hallway. Over the next fours hours, Alice, Mom and I took turns sleeping while someone stayed awake to keep an eye on Bella. Her contractions remained very much the same, until one particularly intense one woke both Alice and Mom during one of my shifts. "Oh my God!" Bella screamed. "That one hurt so bad! It has to be close, right? Can someone get the doctor?"

Alice rang for the nurse who, in turn, got Bella's doctor up from yet another nap. It made me a bit nervous that this guy was being roused from sleep just moments before performing important tasks. But, I guess he's used to this routine after so many years of being a doctor. After another examination, he said Bella was dilated to nine centimeters and Sadie had moved into position. Another contraction shot through Bella's body, emphasizing the doctor's diagnosis.

It was time to move Bella to the delivery room.

I know that's a hell of a cliffhanger. But, this chapter is super long, so I think I'll leave the birth for the next installment.