The B&B that Bella & Edward visit can be found here: www dot thornewoodcastle dot com

Finding the Way back – Chapter 29

BellaPOV

The next morning, Edward and I hopped into the Volvo to make our way to the bed and breakfast we would be staying at for a few days. Neither one of us wanted to stray too far from Forks, but we also wanted a little privacy. We would be staying at Thornwood Castle Inn and Gardens. It looked beautiful from the pictures we saw online and I couldn't wait to get there.

During the drive, Edward and I talked about various things, mainly the type of house we wanted. We both agreed we needed to find one quickly, since McKenna would be starting preschool in the fall. I wanted to make the transition as easy as possible for her, although I truly didn't think she would have a problem with it. I also wanted to get it done quickly to get the nursery set up as well. We didn't have too many requirements for our home, but we knew we wanted a nice large room for McKenna, at least one fireplace, a large kitchen and a big back yard. I knew I needed to contact a real estate agent once we got home since we wanted to be in the house, or at least found one before the baby was born.

We also talked about our future, particularly children. I had expressed to Edward that if I lost this one, I couldn't and wouldn't do it again. I couldn't go through the emotions of becoming attached only to have it slip away again. I was so thankful that we had this little miracle, but I was still so afraid that something would happen. I thought for sure he would want to try again, to have a child of his own, but surprisingly, he agreed with me.

"Bella, I'm perfectly content with just you and McKenna if that's what's meant to be. But if you want more, I'll do everything I can to give you more," Edward said. "But right now, let's just focus on the here and now. Right now we have a precious miracle growing inside of you. Let's enjoy it and take it one step at a time."

"Can I make a confession?" I asked.

"Of course."

"I've had nightmares where we've walked into the doctor's office and have been told we have to end it. That it's because of everything that I've been through. Other times, I've had dreams where he or she has been born, only to have Keith reappear and take him or her away, saying the baby was his, even though it's not. I know he's dead and I should be over this, but...I'm not. I'm scared and nervous."

Edward pulled over to the rest area on the side of the road and turned to face me. I had my head lowered, trying to hide my tears. Even though we were married, I was still afraid to cry in front of him. I was used to being told that crying was a form of weakness. I felt Edward's soft hand on my face, as he drew my eyes to his. "Bella, I wish you would open up to me when you're feeling like this, rather than keeping it all inside. I love you more than anything in this world, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do. It's just hard sometimes."

"I know it is. But you have to realize that they were just dreams. None of that is going to happen. And from what I understand about pregnant women, such vivid dreams are normal. But just remember that Keith is dead, and even if he wasn't, there would be no way in hell that bastard would touch you, McKenna or our child. Ever. I would go to the ends of the Earth to keep you safe. You must know that."

"I do."

"Then lets just enjoy ourselves during these next few days and see what your doctor says when we get back, okay?"

"Okay," I softly said. "I'm sorry I kept my fears from you."

"It's alright."

He leaned over and softly kissed me. A few hours later, we arrived at our destination. The lawns and gardens were beautifully lined with fountains, shrubs and vibrant flowers. We checked in and were escorted to the Blue Room. After unpacking a bit, we decided to walk around the grounds before dinner. Edward and I had found a shady spot under a large tree. I sat with my head in his lap while he read to me. At some point I must have drifted off to sleep, because when I awoke, I was in bed. Edward was sitting in a chair next to the window, quietly talking on the phone. The evening sun caste a beautiful glow throughout the room, making it feel like we were home, rather than at a Bed and Breakfast.

"Are you being good?...Yes, we'll bring you back something...No, tell Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper you cannot have a pet frog at the new house...You already have one?...At Grandpa's house?...You named him and everything?...Okay, I'll talk to Mom about it, but no promises...I love you, too. Bye."

"A frog?" I asked.

"Emmett and Jasper took her to the river and she found one. Named him George and he is living in a fish tank at Charlie's."

"Why couldn't she just ask for a dog? A dog I can do, but not a frog."

"She's turning into a little tomboy," Edward said as he crawled in next to me.

"No thanks to your brothers," I said.

"They love her to pieces. Are you feeling alright? Do you want anything? We missed dinner service, but I can run and get you something."

"I'm fine, thanks. Sorry I fell asleep."

"Don't be. You needed your rest. It's no big deal."

"Is everything else okay at home?" I asked as I curled into Edward's side.

"Everything's perfect."

Our honeymoon passed far too quickly. Edward and I made love a few times. I thought for sure that he hated the fact that I didn't want to be that intimate every second of everyday like normal newlyweds, but he was content to just hold me tightly against him. I think it was his way of reassuring himself that I was safe.

We ventured into town on our second day and found a cute little clothing store for children. I found McKenna a pink sundress, barrettes and a sweater. I also found a few gender-neutral items for the nursery, mainly a few soft blankets. After we were done there, we found a place for lunch. I called home to check in on things only to find that McKenna was having a ball with Emmett and Jasper. So much so that she barely noticed we were gone. I missed her terribly, though.

We spent the remaining days holed up in our room, just enjoying the time together. Since Edward had started his residency, time together was becoming more precious to us. I loved the quiet time. I had felt so wanted, so loved that I didn't want to leave our little bubble.

The day we returned home, my morning sickness decided to kick in. I was nauseated, achy and hormonal. I could barely keep anything down, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my own bed and sleep. I lay as flat as I could in the passenger seat on the ride home with my arm draped over my eyes to help with the nausea. We arrived back at the house at dusk. Edward helped me into the house, up to my room and placed me into bed. It felt good to be home, but I was still feeling weak and sick.

"I'm going to see 'Kenna, okay?" Edward whispered.

"Fine. Don't give her my gift, though, okay? I want to do it."

"I won't. Just rest. I'll be in once she's asleep."

EPOV

I drew the curtains and softly kissed Bella's forehead before heading back downstairs to Charlie and McKenna. I wasn't sure how far along she was, but I knew this was the start of things to come. I was overjoyed with the notion of being a father, but I had to be honest. I was just as scared as she was that something would go wrong. I knew the doctors said she shouldn't have children. I knew there was some risk, but I had to believe, even just a little bit, that this would turn out okay. It had to.

I found Charlie and McKenna in the living room watching a game on the flat screen. McKenna was sitting on his lap, her eyelids starting to get heavy. Charlie was running his hand through her hair, just like he did with Bella.

"Do you want me to put her down?" I asked.

"Not just yet. Is everything alright with Bella?" he asked worried.

"Yeah. Her morning sickness kicked in. She feels awful and nothing I can do will help."

"Get some Ginger Ale and some Ginger Snap cookies. They helped Renee when she was pregnant. Has she been able to keep anything down?"

"Nope. I was half tempted to call my dad, but she wouldn't let me."

"So do it now. She's upstairs and can't hear us down here."

"True. Let me put her down, and I'll call."

McKenna was now asleep and quietly snoring. I lifted her from Charlie's lap and took her upstairs. I tucked her into her toddler bed and checked on Bella one more time. She had a glass of water on her side table and a bucket on the floor in case she couldn't make it to the bathroom. At this point, I didn't feel guilty for calling my dad. Once I was back downstairs, I joined Charlie in the kitchen and called my father's cell phone. He answered on the fourth ring.

"Edward! How was the honeymoon?"

I told him what was up with Bella, and how I felt something more than morning sickness was wrong. He agreed and told me to bring her to the ER, since he was working tonight. When we arrived, Dad had a team waiting for us. She looked so weak, so helpless. I stood off to the side as he and another doctor looked over her. She didn't even flinch when they poked and prodded or when an IV was started on her.

"Edward," my father said. "I'm going to keep her tonight just to be on the safe side. She's dehydrated and I want to make sure the baby is okay. Dr. Collins, here, is going to do an ultrasound just to make sure everything's okay."

"I tried, Dad. I tried to get her to eat and drink, but it wouldn't stay down. What else could I have done?"

"Nothing. These things just happen. But you were right in calling."

"Will she be alright?"

"I think so. Why don't you call Charlie and let him know while we wait for the ultrasound, okay?"

I reluctantly left Bella and called Charlie. He said not to worry about McKenna, that he would take her to La Push with him tomorrow since he was off. I promised to keep him up to speed on her condition. When I arrived back in Bella's room, she was just waking up. Dr. Collins was there, along with a wheelchair.

"Bella, are you alright?" I asked.

"I'm tired. Why am I in a hospital?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do. You couldn't keep anything in, and I was worried about the baby."

"It's okay. Are we okay?" she asked.

"We're going to find out," Dr. Collins said. "Edward, will you help her into the wheelchair? Ultrasound is waiting for us."

Once in Radiology, I helped Bella onto the bed, being careful of her IV. Dr. Collins was with us as well and stood behind the technician. Everyone was quiet for a few minutes, as technician did her job.

"Oh my," Dr. Collins said.

"What?" Bella asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, my dear."

"Then what's the matter?"

"See there," Dr. Collins asked as she pointed to the monitor. "There's one baby, and there's the other."

"Seriously?" I asked shocked. I didn't know what to think. The idea of just one child was thrilling, but twins? A mixture of emotions hit me all at once then: excitement, fear, anxiety, joy... it was overwhelming, yet I couldn't wait.

"Seriously. They look healthy. Their heartbeats are nice and strong and they're moving around a bit, too. Looks like you're measuring right around eighteen weeks."

"So that's why I had to let my dress out at the last minute. I didn't think I was that far along. Can you tell what they are?"

"Not from the angle they're at."

"But they look okay?" I asked.

"Yep. When we get you back to a room, we'll hook you up to the monitors so we can watch their heartbeats, but they look just fine."

A short while later, we were in a private room. Bella was hooked up to the monitor and her IV bag was changed.

"Are you staying the night?" her nurse asked as she adjusted the sound on one of the monitors.

"Is it okay?" I asked.

"Of course. The chair there folds down so you can lay flat. I'll grab you a pillow and a blanket and be back," she said before leaving.

"Come and lay with me," Bella said patting the space next to her on her bed.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." I carefully crawled into the small bed next to her, being careful of all the chords attached to her. She rested her head against my shoulder and held up the ultrasound picture of our twins. "Can you believe it, Edward?"

"I can't. It's a bit crazy, isn't it?"

"It's wonderful. Being able to see that they're growing and moving...it gives me hope that things will be alright."

"They will be."

"I guess I just needed that reassurance, you know? Man, McKenna is going to flip out when we tell her."

"Everyone is going to flip out. I wonder which one of us has twins in our family?"

"I don't know," Bella said followed by a yawn. She fell asleep a few minutes later holding a picture of the twins. As she slept, I prayed that everything would be alright. That nothing bad would happen to take these miracles away from us.