A/N: Hey all! Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! We hope you all aren't drunk. Psssh…puh-lease…yes we do! :D
We've had a lot of questions/comments about the angst level of this story. We wouldn't consider this story to be too angsty, but there will be drama. This chapter is continuing the happy times, but it won't always be rainbows shooting out of leprechauns' asses…if that helps answer your questions? ;)
Thank you so much to our beta, dolphin62598. She is seriously amazing and we love her so much!
Disclaimer: SM owns all; I just own a huge obsession with 80's music. Kthanxbye!
I'm so glad I found you
I'm not gonna lose you
Whatever it takes, I will stay here with you
Take it to the good times, see it through the bad times
Whatever it takes, here's what I'm gonna do
Let 'em say we're crazy, what do they know
Put your arms around me baby don't ever let go
Let the world around us just fall apart
Baby we can make it if we're heart to heart
And we can build this dream together, stand this storm forever
Nothing's gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers
We'll still have each other
Nothing's gonna stop us
Nothing's gonna stop us now
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now ~ Jefferson Starship
*BPOV*
"Huh? Say what? Come again?" I heard Edward say from beside me.
Surely I had misheard Dr. Banner. There had to be some medical term that sounded like twins, rhymed with the word twins, but meant something completely different. Twins!
Dr Banner chuckled. "I know this is a bit of a shock, but you heard me correctly. There are two babies inside that one amniotic sac, which means we are dealing with identical twins."
All of a sudden I felt like I had tunnel vision. Everything in the room started going out of focus, the sounds around me muffled, and a cold sweat broke out across my skin.
I could just barely make out the sound of my name from…Edward? Dr. Banner? I didn't know, but all of a sudden everything went black. I don't know how long I was out for, probably just a mere few seconds, but I came to with Dr. Banner standing over me, waving something under my nose.
"Bella? Can you hear me?" she asked.
I blinked several times up at her, trying to get my vision back in focus.
"There you are," she said. "We lost you there for a few seconds."
I felt the exam table recline back so I was lying flat, but the bottom half was brought up so my legs were inclined.
"Is she okay? Bella, are you alright?" Edward said as he squeezed in past the doctor to stand by my side.
"Yes," I whispered out. "I don't know what happened."
"You just fainted, dear," Dr. Banner said as she moved around to the other side of the bed. "Trust me, you aren't the first woman to pass out after being told they were having twins," she said with a small laugh. "The nurse went to go and get you some juice, but in the meantime just lay here for a bit, allow some of the blood to flow back to your head, and when you feel like you can get up I will meet you two in my office to discuss what's next." And with that she left the room.
Edward was holding my hand, so with his other he reached up and brushed the hair back from my face. "Hey," he spoke quietly. "How are you feeling?"
"Freaked out," I responded.
He chuckled. "I meant physically, but…okay, we'll go with freaked out."
"Twins," I whispered.
"Yeah, twins," he replied.
"I'm so sorry, Edward," I barely got out before the tears started to fall down my face.
His gaze snapped to mine instantly. "Sorry? Sorry about what?"
"Well…it was my fault that we had this unplanned pregnancy in the first place, and we were just finally getting used to the idea of having one baby…but now…twins…" I trailed off as the tears took over further.
Edward reached back and pulled the rolling chair that the doctor sat on over to the side of the bed. Once he sat down he grabbed both my hands in his. "Bella…you stop this right now! We were both part of creating this pregnancy, and yes…having twins is a complete and utter shock to me as well, but I'm not mad about it, and I certainly don't want an apology from you. Especially since…well…I think twins runs on my side of the family. I think my mother has cousins that are twins. I don't know how it all works, this might just be completely random, but one thing I need you to be sure of is that I'm not angry."
I just stared at him blankly, unsure of what to say or how to feel.
"Baby," he said softly as he cradled my face between his hands, "I love you. I need for you to really understand what that means. I know you have been through a lot in your past, and we have both had children before under less than ideal circumstances, but there is nothing about any of this that I regret or feel unsure about. We'll get through this together. Okay?"
I took a deep breath and felt a bit of my anxiety slip away. "Okay," I said.
He leaned down and kissed me gently. The nurse entered and gave me a glass of orange juice, which I drank completely, and after resting for a bit more, I got dressed and Edward and I met with Dr. Banner about what to expect and when I would need to come back for my next appointment.
*EPOV*
After we finished speaking to the doctor, and Bella had scheduled her next appointment, we left the doctor's office to go and pick the girls up from daycare.
I kept sneaking glances at Bella as we were driving. She sat quietly in the passenger seat, staring out the window, while her hands rested over her stomach.
"A penny for your thoughts?" I asked, breaking the silence.
She took a deep breath before turning her head to look at me. "I'm just so shocked. I mean…twins? In a million years I never thought that was the news we would have found out today," she said with a laugh.
I was happy to see that she was relaxing a bit, and at least talking about it with me.
"Yeah," I chuckled, "who would have ever thought that before I got out of my twenties I would be the father of four kids?"
I could see Bella turn and stare at me out of the corner of my eye, looking as if she were contemplating something.
"What?" I asked finally when I couldn't take it anymore.
She smiled and shook her head slightly. "It's nothing really, it's just that…you really consider Elyse to be like a daughter to you, don't you?"
I turned into the daycare parking lot and pulled into the first spot. After I shut the car off I turned to face her. "I don't consider Elyse like a daughter to me, I consider her a daughter. Is that…wrong?" I asked with uncertainty.
Bella reached up and touched my face. "No…absolutely not. It's the same way I feel about Katie. It just makes me feel so happy when I hear you say things like that. I was always afraid that having a daughter so young would make it hard for me to ever find a relationship because most guys my age wouldn't want to take on someone else's kid, but you…you have exceeded every expectation. I am so happy that you love me, Edward, but I have to say…I'm even happier that you love my daughter."
I brought my hand up to wipe away the stray tears that fell from her eyes.
"And I hope you know, that with my entire heart, I love Katie too," she said.
"I know," I told her before I leaned down and kissed her.
"I want to tell the girls about the babies tonight," she said.
"Okay…anything you want," I told her. "Why don't you wait here and I will go in and get the girls. You need to take it easy."
She smiled and nodded in agreement to me.
oOOo
After we got the girls home and fed them dinner, Bella and I called them into the living room to sit down with us. Elyse crawled into Bella's lap while Katie settled in mine.
"So…" I began, "Bella and I have some news for you two," I said as I looked back and forth between the girls.
Bella flashed me an encouraging smile, so I continued. "We went to go visit the doctor today and she told us that Bella has two babies growing in her belly."
I watched as both the girl's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"What that means," Bella interjected, "is that Mommy is pregnant. Do you remember how we read a book about that at school and talked about what that means?"
Both girls nodded slowly before Bella continued. "So in a few months I'm going to give birth to two babies. You will both be big sisters to two new, little babies."
Elyse shifted in Bella's lap so she was sitting sideways, and could see Bella's face. "You have a baby in your belly, Momma?"
"Two babies, but yes," Bella replied.
Elyse looked down towards Bella's stomach and touched it lightly. "But I don't see dem," she said.
"Well, you can't see them now. They have to stay in my belly until they are big enough to come out, and once they are then you can see them."
"How did they get in there?" Katie asked. I nearly choked, I couldn't stop coughing. I was not ready to have the birds and bees conversation with my four year old.
Bella laughed at me, while Katie looked at me like I was nuts. "I got this one, champ," Bella said as she snorted out laughter at me.
"Katie, when two grownup people love each other, like me and your daddy love each other, then we make a baby with that love," she stated.
"So will it be girl babies or boy babies?" Katie asked.
"Well…we don't know yet," Bella answered as she looked at me. I smiled at her, causing her to give me a smile back. "They are still too little for the doctor to be able to tell, but we might not know until they are born. That way it will be a fun surprise to us all," she said.
"Well…I'm excited!" Katie squealed. "I can't wait to be a big sister!"
I squeezed her back to me and placed a kiss on the top of her head.
"What about you, Sweetie?" Bella asked softly to Elyse. "Would you like to be a big sister with Katie?"
"I was nebber a big sista befow, Momma."
"No…you weren't. This will be your first time, and you will get to share it with Katie. Doesn't that sound like fun?" Bella asked her enthusiastically.
Elyse pondered it for a moment before nodding her head. "I is escited, Momma. Me and Katie will be good big sistas."
"I agree!" I said as I reached out and brushed her cheek with my finger. "I think you and Katie will be the best big sisters ever!"
Katie wiggled in my lap until I let her go and she placed her feet on the floor. "Come on Elyse! Let's go to the playroom and pick out toys that we can give to the new babies!"
"Yay!" Elyse cheered as she got down off of Bella's lap, and with that the girls ran down the hall giggling and talking.
Bella let out a huge sigh of relief and pulled her feet up onto the couch, where she stretched out and laid down.
"That went well," I said as I slid closer to her, pulling her feet up onto my lap. I removed her shoes and started to rub her feet.
"Oh god! You have no idea how good that feels," she said. "And just to think…my feet are going to get all swollen soon. I remember how bad they got with Elyse; I can only imagine how bad I'll get with twins."
"Well…consider me your personal masseur for the duration of your pregnancy."
"That's it? Just while I'm pregnant?" she asked with a laugh.
"Oh…I think we can work something out for a more long term time frame. You know how I love to have my hands on you, so I don't think you will have any problems getting me to massage you."
I started run my hand up her leg, towards her inner thigh, when her hand reached down and stopped me.
"Hey! That's how we got into this mess in the first place," she said with a laugh.
"Oh I'll give you a mess," I said as I sat up and started crawling up over top of her.
She was laughing and faking trying to push me off her, but when my face finally got up above hers she smiled and reached up, weaving her fingers through my hair. She pulled me down to her and kissed me. We kissed for a few minutes before she pulled back. I rested my forehead against hers and I watched as she took her bottom lip between her teeth.
She finally looked up into my eyes. "Twins," she whispered.
"Twins," I responded.
"I'm scared."
"I know, and I am too a little bit, but we'll figure it out. It's going to be okay, Bella. I promise you that."
"Okay," she breathed out.
I sat up and pulled her so she was sitting on my lap. "So…do you think we are going to have boy babies or girl babies," I said with a little laugh, as I used the words my daughter had asked a few minutes before.
"I don't know," she responded as she rested her head on my shoulder. "I don't have any feelings yet either way. You?"
"Well…I'd be lying if I didn't say that I would love to have boys. We already have two beautiful little girls."
"Oh, I don't know…I kind of like the idea of being head of an all girl army in this house," she said with a chuckle.
"Oh no you don't!" I said as I started to tickle her. "I need a little splash of testosterone in this house to help shift the power back to an equal footing."
Bella laughed as I continued my tickle assault. "Edward! Stop!" she said through laughter. "I'm gonna throw up or pee…it's your choice!"
I stopped immediately and she sat up, catching her breath. "Gosh…this pregnancy thing works to my advantage," she said with a smirk.
"Why you…you play dirty Miss Swan."
"You bet your ass I do! If I have to be sick and throwing up for the next seven months, I'm gonna milk this thing for everything its worth," she said as she stood up.
I just laughed at her as she walked out of the room. "How about I call my mom and invite her and the rest of the family over for a casual dinner tomorrow night since it's the weekend? That way we can tell everyone."
"Sounds good," she called back to me.
I sat back on the couch, resting my head on the back, and stared up at the ceiling. Twins! Shit…who would have thought it? A million things raced through my mind. There was so much that needed to be done between now and November, when the babies were due, and I didn't know where to begin.
Emmett and I were discussing today how we needed to fly out to our Chicago office for a couple of days next week to deal with some of the projects we had going on out there. I had to talk to Bella and see if she would be okay with me going this week. If she was fine with it then I figured I could use the time away to sort things out. She had enough on her plate right now, so I had to take the bull by the horns and work things out for us.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. I dialed my parent's house phone number and my mom answered.
"Hey, Mom, it's Edward. I was calling to invite you and dad over for dinner tomorrow…"
oOOo
"Edward, I told you that it was not a bother for me to cook," Bella said disapprovingly with her hand balled up in a fist resting on her hip as I entered the penthouse with take-out bags from our favorite Italian restaurant.
Yes, I was aware that she had wanted to cook, but I made the decision to go another route, which is why I came home a little earlier than expected from the playground with the girls. I was hoping to make it home before she had started to prepare anything. With my children in that cute little belly of hers, I was going to do everything in my power to make this pregnancy as comfortable and carefree as possible. Twice the babies meant twice the stress that no doubt my girl would be under during these coming months.
Kate and Elyse came barreling from behind me, grabbing at the seam on my jeans, pushing me forward so much that I nearly dropped the bags on the floor. It was safe to say that they were still riled up from running around at the park that they wanted to play some more. Part of me knew it was because they were going home back to Bella and 'their babies.' Not enough words could describe just how excited those little girls were about being big sisters together. They had even decided in a conversation while I was pushing them on the swings that the reason why Bella was growing two babies in her belly was because there was two of them…meaning rather than sharing one baby, Bella was bringing them each one. All I did was smile widely at that. I loved hearing children's innocent conversations such as that one.
Frankly, I was a bit nervous as to what the girls' reactions were going to be at the mention of Bella and I having a baby together. I mean, I knew they could handle anything out of the ordinary anyway, given the fact that their lives were anything but ordinary. As much as Bella and I tried to shield the girls from any type of emotional and physical harm, we knew Katie and Elyse understood that they were different from some of their classmates who had both their real mommies and daddies living under the same roof. Not to mention, they knew that Bella and I were not married but yet we all lived in the same house with Bella and I sharing the same bed. I wasn't that naïve to understand that children are extremely observant and that they talk amongst one another, but I had always wondered where Elyse and Katie's feelings stood about Bella and I sleeping in the same bed since they had never really asked.
"Tag! You're it!" Katie screamed, running circles around me…literally, while giggling.
"I'm gonna get you!" Elyse countered with her own angelic little laugh, as she began to run the same path as my daughter, hence blocking me from moving forward without knocking the two of them out of the way.
Bella had moved by the couch, electing to lean against the back with her hands cupped over her mouth as her own muffled laughter filled the air. It was refreshing to see her laugh since she was so worried that having a baby, much less twins would upset me in any way. I wasn't lying about what I had said to her in the doctor's office about wanting to go through whatever came our way together. A smile spread across my face watching her take in the scene before her.
God, she truly is so fucking beautiful.
"Um…a little help here," I chucked deeply, nodding my head towards our over active girls and lifting the four bags of food high in the air. I didn't want the little ladies to jostle them.
"No way. This is just too much fun watching you try to maneuver around," Bella answered, shaking her head back and forth while her pony tail swayed with her movements.
Shooting her a playful, but incredulous look, Bella quickly made her way towards the girls, catching an arm from each, making them come to a giggling halt.
"Okay, you two. Edward needs to go into the kitchen now. Why don't you girls take your jackets off and go wash your hands. Then you can go into the playroom for a while until the party starts," Bella commanded in her cute teacher voice.
I'm not gonna lie, picturing Bella in teacher mode was hot. I might have to address that fantasy at a later date.
"Okay Mommy!" Katie and Elyse shouted in unison as they began to run down the hallway.
Katie stopped short, turning around while her hands flew over her mouth, her eyes wide.
"Ooops! I mean, Bella," my daughter laughed, shaking her head and skipping after Elyse.
My heart melted at that word…Mommy. My daughter had called Bella 'mommy' and it was the first time she had ever done that. Even though Tanya was a good mom, I had to admit that my heart never really clenched at the sound of Katie calling Tanya 'mommy.' It wasn't because Tanya and I didn't work out, but rather it was because Tanya wasn't really ever around for small moments like these.
By the time I got to the kitchen counter to set the bags of food down, Bella already had her arms wrapped around my midsection, her head buried between my shoulder blades. Lacing my hands with hers, I gave them a tight squeeze. I had a feeling as to what she was thinking.
"That was the single cutest thing Katie has ever said to me," she whispered…and then sniffled a bit.
Immediately I turned, cupping her cheeks and lifting her face so I could lock my eyes her hers. "And that makes you want to cry?" I asked in a soft tone, with a hint of laughter since she cried at the drop of a hat these days.
She shrugged. "Well, yeah. I mean I feel the same way about Katie as you do towards Elyse…and maybe I like the fact that your child accidentally called me 'mommy.' It makes me think about our little ones and how they will be calling us 'mommy' and daddy' because they are fully both ours."
"I know exactly what you mean, Sweetheart," I smiled, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.
"I love you, Edward."
"I love you, too, Baby."
Bella stepped back, dropping her hands from my waist. "I'm going to take a nice hot shower before your family comes over. You have everything under control setting up the food and stuff? I already set the dining room table, so you don't have to worry about that."
"Of course. Go take that shower. I wish I could join you but sadly, I cannot."
"Oh, believe me, hot stuff, we will be doing a lot more than taking a shower together in the near future, trust me," she winked as she started off towards our bedroom.
Little vixen. Have I mentioned that I absolutely love her heightened libido since she became pregnant? Then again, her libido was never an issue.
"I look forward to that, trust me," I laughed, growing hard as my imagination of what I wanted to do to her at that precise moment took over my thoughts. "Oh and Bella?"
"Yeah?" she stopped mid stride to face me.
"They're our family…not just mine, okay?"
"Okay," she nodded with a gorgeous toothy smile draped across her face.
*BPOV*
"Shit!" I muttered to myself as I tried on my last pair of skinny jeans that I thought might fit me for a while. For Christ's sake, they were fucking stretchy! I was so irritable and frustrated at the fact that I could hardly fasten the button without thinking I had just eaten an entire Thanksgiving meal.
"Please don't get too big too fast," I started whispering towards my babies while rubbing my tummy. "Momma wants to feel sexy just a little bit longer, okay? I promise I will feed you when we are hungry…just give mommy some time."
I finally settled on wearing my black leggings with a cute, oversized shirt over them, covering my new bulbous ass. Well, it wasn't that big, but god damn, it sure felt that way! I swear when I carried Elyse, it was as though I was carrying a boy. No one could tell I was actually pregnant until I turned sideways. But these babies were starting to change my form…I could tell.
My stomach was literally fluttering with butterflies. I was really nervous about Esme and Carlisle finding out that I was pregnant…and with twins to boot. Would they think the same things about me that James' parents had? Would they think that I purposely got pregnant so I could be entitled to all his money? Would they even like me anymore…accept me as one of them truly?
The Aro's and my parents had emotionally scarred me so much that I just couldn't believe in faith anymore. I had finally started to let my guard down with Edward, but his family was a whole new part of the equation. I could have faith in the fact that the Cullen's had already accepted me into their family, since my days with Alice in college…way before I had even met Edward. Esme and Carlisle were good people…I knew that, but I still had some type of barrier up in case they suddenly tried to break it down, thus breaking me. Jesus, my own damn parents betrayed me in the worst way imaginable. They turned their back on their only child…their fucking flesh and blood! A teeny tiny part of me couldn't fully trust that Esme and Carlisle would ever welcome me with open arms willingly without prodding from Edward. That's what James had to do. I cringed at remembering his conversations with his parents on the phone…always in hushed tones while he locked himself in the bathroom.
The sound of our company entering our home broke me from my insecure thoughts, thankfully. I didn't want my mind to shed any type of awful thoughts about Esme and Carlisle who had treated me with nothing but kindness and respect. They were more my parents than my own…sadly.
Putting some of my favorite lip gloss on my lips, and some blush on my cheeks so I didn't look too much like a corpse, a nervous smile formed on my face as I turned off the bathroom light and set down the hallway towards the sounds of children and laughter.
As soon as I came into view, Alice lunged for me, pulling me into a tight embrace. It had been a while since we had seen each other. Alice was away on fashion business with her boss in New York and I missed her terribly. I also felt badly that I never got a chance to tell her my and Edward's good news before tonight.
"Bella! I miss you. It been ages and I can't go so long without seeing my best friend."
"I miss you, too, Alice. How was your trip?" I breathed, barely getting words out since she was still squeezing me so hard. "Ow…Alice…"
She giggled, finally letting go of me and stepping back. "Sorry, I just love you so much." Alice studied my face for a few seconds, her brow scrunching in concentration.
"What?" I asked.
"You really look great, Bells. No…like really great. Your face is glowing. Hmm…" She tapped her temple with her forefinger.
"Alice, I know that look. Stop thinking so much and just come on," I commanded, taking her hand, leading her towards the living room where everyone was.
"Bella!" Esme immediately came over to give me a hug and a kiss on my cheek. "How are you, darling?"
"I'm good…really good, thank you," I said shyly, still feeling nervous about what her reaction would be when she found out she was going to be a grandmother again.
"Oh, I just love when your hair is pulled back like this," she added, tugging on my pony tail. "It shows that beautiful face of yours, which is looking fantastic, by the way. Your cheeks look rosy and maybe a little fuller…" she stopped midsentence, covering her mouth with her right hand.
For a brief moment, I thought something had clicked in her head and she knew something was up with me. My breathing came to a stop until she started speaking again.
"I'm so sorry, dear. I didn't mean to imply that you were gaining weight or anything. God, how awful of me, please forgive me," she pleaded, squeezing my hand in hers.
"Esme, there's nothing to forgive. I mean, I have gained a little weight these past few months. I'm not offended," I chuckled nervously, trying to swallowing the lump in my throat.
"It could be from all the good food Edward's been treating her to on a daily basis," Jasper countered, coming towards me and kissing me on the side of my head.
"Hey, Bella. How are you?"
"Good, Jasper. Everything is great, thanks," I smiled at my friend. I missed Jasper, as well. It had been way too long since I had really spoken with him and I didn't like going so long without talking to him. He was like a brother to me.
After all the 'hellos' were done, we settled in the living room munching on some awesome hot and cold appetizers. Edward and I sat on the couch with the girls sandwiched between us; Rose and Emmett were sitting on the love seat to the right of us, while Alice and Jasper were sitting off to the side of the coffee table on the floor. Esme and Carlisle were perched on stools they had brought over from the kitchen. As I looked around, I took in the scene before me and smiled, forgetting why we were all gathered together like this. Emmett was making the girls laugh as he stuffed his face with food, making his cheeks puff up like a chipmunk. Edward was speaking with Jasper about his business trip he and Emmett were taking to Chicago, asking him if he wanted to tag along if he had some time off so the three of them could visit old neighborhood hangouts and visit with old friends. Rose was chatting with Esme and Carlisle…and Alice…
Well, Alice was busy furrowing her brow in some kind of deep thought. She would glance at me and then look away with some glassy eyed expression on her face. She was kind of creeping me out a bit. I knew how she acted when she got that look and much like when Alice got drunk, the result was usually her getting to the bottom of something until she figured it out. She was trying to figure something out with me.
Shit…she couldn't know…could she?
"Auntie Awice? Why do you look like you gotta go pee?" Elyse asked innocently as everyone bellowed in laughter, Alice included.
"Oh silly, I don't have to go to the bathroom," she shook my daughter's foot from where she was sitting. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on with your mommy here."
"Alice, really, I'm fine. Please give it a rest," I sighed, nudging Edward in his side with my elbow. He turned to face me with a look splashed on his face that said, "What's the matter?" All I could do was tilt my eyes in Alice's direction, hoping he'd get the damn hint to pay attention to what Alice was saying because at any moment the cat…or cats were going to be let out of the bag…and I was freaking the fuck out.
"Seriously, Bella…something is going on with you and it's driving me crazy trying to wrap my head around it. I mean, you look amazing, but different…like you did something to your hair or maybe it's your clothing. I don't know, but you look different…like a good different."
"Oh, dats cuz Momma's got a baby in her belly and it's growing!" Elyse shouted, making everyone's attention turn towards me.
Holy. Shit! My heart rate sped up so much that it felt like it was going to explode from my chest. Edward clutched my forearm as though he thought I was about to bolt from the room.
"What?" Alice and Esme screamed at the same time, the shock as clear as day on their faces.
"Is this true, Edward?" Carlisle asked, leaning down, setting his plate of food on an end table.
Before Edward could answer his father, Katie chimed in excitedly. "Uh huh! And Grandpa…guess what? Bella's got two babies in her belly…one for me and one for Elyse!" Katie held her hand up to Elyse, signaling she wanted to give a 'high five' to her. Emmett and Jasper laughed as the girls clapped their little hands together wearing huge smiles on their faces.
Meanwhile, I was dying…freaking dying. I was staring at the lines and grooves of the hard wood flooring, so afraid to make eye contact with anyone….including Edward or Rosalie who obviously already knew the big news…well Rose knew I was pregnant, not that I was having twins.
"It's okay, Baby. Relax," Edward whispered, pulling Katie to his lap so he could get closer to me. All I could do was nod my head as he wrapped an arm around me.
"You're having twins? " Alice screeched.
This was it. I had to face my family and stay strong…and hopefully they would still want to be my family. I took Edward's hand in mine, raised my head and squared my shoulders. Elyse was fiddling with the bottom of my shirt, scrunching it with her small fingers. As long as I had Edward, Elyse, and Katie by my side, then I would be strong enough to take on anyone…including Esme and Carlisle if need be.
Please don't let the same thing happen to me…please. I was hoping someone from above was listening to my prayer.
"Yes, Alice. Edward and I are having a baby. I mean we are having two babies," I said softly, smiling down at my best friend.
"And we are so incredibly happy, which is why we invited you all over here tonight. Bella, Kate, Elyse, and I wanted to share our happy news that our little family unit here will expand in about seven and a half months." Edward sounded so proud. I loved this man so much it truly was ridiculous.
"That's not the only thing that's gonna expand," Emmett snickered. I shot him a dirty look to which he laughed even further. "Well, it's true, Bella! I mean, damn, twins? Edward you better store some food in your sock drawer like a squirrel because Bella here's going to eat you out of house and home!"
"I am not!" I countered, crossing my arms like a petulant child. To be honest, I already felt like I wanted to eat all the contents in the fridge, but I wasn't about to admit that now after what Emmett said.
"Emmett, that was so rude! Apologize to Bella, now!" Rose chided her fiancé, slapping the side of his head, which, of course, made him laugher harder.
Edward just hugged me tighter, letting out a deep laugh. "Bella can do anything she wants. In fact I wish she would eat more. Right now she has morning sickness pretty bad."
"Oh my God! This is amazing news, Bella!" Alice shouted, pulling herself to her knees so she could reach and rub my belly. "I'm so happy for you two."
Since it was Alice, one of my best friends, I didn't mind. I hated when anyone thought it was okay to automatically reach and rub my baby belly. Seriously, people…it's not cool to touch the belly without permission!
"Edward, congrats!" Jasper clapped his hand on Edward's shoulder. "I'm so psyched to be an uncle again," he smiled. "Maybe you'll have boys. Yeah, boys would be cool to rough around with."
"Um…Uncle Jasper?" Katie chimed in, getting off the couch, taking big steps in Jasper's direction. She rested her arm on her uncle's shoulder. "Bella is going to have two girls. One for me and one for Elyse. We are going to have sisters…no boys allowed."
"Bella may have two boys or one boy and one girl, Katie. You'll just have to wait and see. So don't say no boys allowed," Rose said to Kate who nodded her head in response.
"Well, actually the doctor confirmed they would be identical so it's all one or the other," Edward said.
"Bella?" Katie asked as she tapped my arm. "Can Elyse and I go watch TV in the playroom now?"
"Of course, Sweetie," I answered as Elyse slid off the couch, starting off towards Katie, but not before Jasper got her into his clutches and began tickling her.
"Unco Jaspur," Elyse shrilled and giggled, "I gotta go wif Kate. We wanna go pway!" she wiggled her way out of Jasper's hold and ran into the playroom with Kate.
"So, Mom…Dad. You two have been awfully quiet. Don't you guys have anything to say?" Edward prodded softly.
With everyone else talking and screaming around me, I had almost forgotten that Carlisle and Esme were even sitting in the same room…almost. I was scared shitless but I was curious as to what their thoughts were.
Everyone's attention was now focused on the parents and what they were going to say. My heart dropped to my toes and the lump was forming in my throat again as I saw Esme's face buried in Carlisle's shoulder as her husband embraced her from the side. He seemed to be whispering something in her ear as her shoulders shook a little.
This was awful. Esme was crying. Once again, I had a mother crying over me being pregnant…that was three mothers who I'd made cry in my short life because of me having a bun in the oven. I braced myself for the worst as my heart thumped against my ribs. Esme finally lifted her head, fresh tears rolling down her face. Carlisle handed his wife a napkin so she could wipe her eyes. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take seeing Esme in such despair. I had to say something and it had to be now. For God's sake, no one else was saying anything! I hung my head low, staring at my hard wood floor friend as the words began to spill from my mouth in a nervous rush.
"Please don't be upset, Esme. It's not Edward's fault, it's mine. I forgot that antibiotics don't mix with birth control pills. But please…Carlisle, Esme…please believe me when I say that I did not purposely get pregnant so I could trap Edward or something into staying with me. I don't want his money…I could care less about that. I just want him. I promise that there was no ulterior motive other than the fact that we love each other very much. Just please don't be sad and upset. Well, you are entitled to your feelings but just…just be mad at me, not at Edward, okay?"
By the end of my little speech, I was quietly sobbing into my hands as Edward was telling me that they weren't angry with me and that everything would be okay. I heard and felt Rosalie move to the other side of me.
She stroked my head and whispered in my ear. "They aren't them, Bella. I promise you won't ever get hurt like that again. Even if I have to rumble with Carlisle. Ain't nobody gonna mess with my Bella," she chucked, which made me let out a little snort.
Rose always knew how to make me feel better. Swiping the tears from my face, I looked at my friend and thanked her. She gave me a comforting hug as I felt the part of the couch where Edward was sitting shift and then a different weight was added. Someone new was sitting next to me that was for sure.
"May I talk to you, Bella?" Esme inquired softly, pacing her hand on my shoulder.
I looked to Rose for guidance, my eyes filled with fear. Rose smiled encouragingly, giving me a firm nod. She knew it was okay for me to speak with Edward's mother. Turning my direction from the familiar to the unknown, I faced Esme trying to look her in the eyes.
"Sweetheart, I am not upset with you at all," Esme said, her hand still on my shoulder. "Those were happy tears you saw."
"You're…happy about our news?" I barely squeaked.
"Yes she is. And I am, as well," Carlisle cut in, bending down in front of me. "Bella, please know that we never thought any of those things you just said. We know you and Edward love each other very much and we couldn't be happier for you. It pains me to see you so upset; you are far too pretty to cry.
"But what hurts me the most is you thinking that we were going to react as poorly as James' parents did. We are nothing like them…nothing, okay? Esme and I have always supported you in every way and we will continue to do so. And it's not just because you are carrying our grandchildren, it's because we've always considered you like a daughter ever since Alice brought you into our lives."
"Thank you, Carlisle…thank you so much," I cried at his wonderful words. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried softly into his shoulder.
Esme hugged my midsection as her hands made their way across my stomach. I didn't mind her touching me there, either. In fact, I welcomed it and the feeling of her hands rubbing circles against my children was like drinking a hot cup of cocoa during the winter.
"Shh, Sweetie. Don't cry, please don't," Esme cooed, unlocking me from my hold on her husband so I could face her. "Do you want to know what Carlisle and I were whispering about before when we first heard the joyous news?"
I nodded my head in the affirmative as my response.
"I told Carlisle that I was so happy Edward was having a baby with you. Since I've met you, I've always thought that you and Edward would be good for one another. I even told Edward something similar a long time ago…and one day, when the time is right, I will tell you what I told my son," she smiled, wiping the few more tears that had escaped my eyes.
"What are you talking about, Mom? What story?" Edward questioned, looking so puzzled.
I'm sure I held the same expression because I was now ever so curious as to what Esme had told Edward and when did this take place? A long time ago? Was he in college? Who knew? But one day I was going to find out for sure.
"Whew…I don't know about anyone else, but I could sure use a big ass drink right about now," Alice laughed, getting up from the floor and heading towards the kitchen. "Who's with me?"
"I am!" everyone shouted…well except for me. I couldn't drink any alcohol, but I had never wanted a drink more in my life!
Thank you, God. For once, you finally listened to me. Thank you.
Everything was going to be alright. I had a real family right here. To hell with my parents…I had the real thing right before my eyes. And they were happy and grateful to have me in their lives, and the feeling was ever so mutual.
oOOo
It was Wednesday and Edward had only been in Chicago for one day and I already missed him something fierce. The bed felt off, I couldn't sleep, and the girls were a little too hyper for my liking. I was growing more tried during each passing day. It was a wonder I could still function and work.
Kate and Elyse had just finished their dinner and were in Elyse's room playing with their Barbie dolls. I was resting on the couch, the TV playing some cooking show on the Food Network in the background because all I ever thought about these days was food. It's as though ever since we found out I was carrying twins, my brain was demanding I eat twice as much… too bad I couldn't keep it down.
Suddenly my cell phone started to ring. I shot up from the couch, hoping that it was Edward calling to tell me about his day. Just the sound of his voice soothed me like a security blanket. I got my phone from the kitchen counter and looked at the caller id only to find that it wasn't Edward calling; far from it…very far from it to say the least.
"Hello," I stated dryly, rolling my eyes in the process.
"Bella? Are you okay?"
"Uh…yeah. I was just lying down on the couch watching TV. How are you, James?"
"Good. I'm good…great even. How's my little curly top doing?" he asked, inquiring about his daughter.
"She's wonderful. I can put her on the phone if you want to speak with her."
"Okay, but I wanted to ask you something first."
"Yes…"
James cleared his throat, a nervous habit of his that he obviously never got rid of. "Well, I was wondering if I could have dinner with Elyse on Friday night. With Vicki, too."
I sighed. I wasn't a big fan of Victoria. "Dinner sounds good. I've been dying to take Elyse and Katie to this new restaurant that caters to kids. It has a clown that comes around and does face painting and balloon animals…"
"No, that's not what I meant," James cut me off. "Bella, Victoria and I would like to have Elyse over here for dinner."
"Oh…you mean without me?" I was hesitant…very hesitant.
Am I ready to give James a few hours of alone time with Elyse? Do I even want to allow alone time?
Man, I fucking hated this! I knew I owed it to Elyse to at least try, but all I heard was Edward screaming, "No!" in my head. How would Edward react? He wasn't coming home until Saturday afternoon. I knew I didn't need Edward to make this decision, but it still felt wrong to be doing so without him. I had made plenty of decisions on my own for so long and Edward trusted me completely, especially when it came to my own daughter.
"Bella? You still there?"
Now what the hell was I going to say?
A/N: So? Thoughts?
Holly and I are offering an outtake in support of Foxy Fics fundraiser for Parkinson's Disease. Your donation will get you a compilation of all the works that were contributed by various authors. Our outtake will be from Beautiful Stranger when Bella tells her parents that she is pregnant with Elyse…so we are going back in her past. For more information please visit the link below. Replace (dot) with a .
foxyfics(dot)blogspot(dot)com/
D0NATIONS START AT JUST $5...This is not an auction, it is a donation, and it goes towards a great cause.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Pauline & Holly
xoxo
Fic Rec
Fold Your Wings by Jadalulu
www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6636749/1/Fold_Your_Wings