"What rhymes with 'here', anyway?" Edward asked as he bit down on the pencil's eraser, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration.
"Uh…disappear, clear, insincere…" I ticked off.
To help me get my mind off the stressful phone call I received, Edward suggested we begin work on the Midnight Sun sound track. We were scheduled to have an earlier viewing of the movie sometime next week but he wanted to get started already.
Unlike how we usually did studio recordings and editings, song writing with New Moon was completely low tech. Papers and pencils are used instead of laptops and we bring out thesauruses and dictionaries to help verses sound better.
Edward admitted that he had the same protective instinct for me as Thomas had for Jaymes which was where he got the idea to title the song You'll Be Safe Here.
"Okay, how does this sound. When the light disappears, and when this world's insincere, you'll be safe here,"
"Yeah, it sounds good," I approved before trying to find the right chords to go with the melody.
I was about to bend over and write them down when the urge to puke arose again. Still, I was careful in setting my guitar down before running to the bathroom.
"Ugh," I groaned as I laid down on tiles near the toilet after upchucking. I didn't mind being pregnant but sometimes it was just such a hassle to have to deal with the horrible morning sickness. This morning alone, I've already thrown up thrice.
"Bella?" Edward knocked softly. "You okay?"
"I'm good. Just the usual," I assured him without moving from my position. "Give me a minute,"
Once the mild wave of nausea passed, I got up carefully and brushed my teeth before opening the door to see a worried looking Edward.
"I'm fine," I waved him off. "Really hungry, but fine,"
The concerned expression still didn't leave his face.
"Edward, really, I'm okay," I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "The doctor said this is normal,"
"I know, it's just I feel like you're going to lack nutrition or something," he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close.
I snorted. "It's not like I'm bulimic or anorexic. Besides, I replenish everything I lose,"
As if on cue, my stomach groaned and I felt Edward chuckle.
"Lunch for my fiancée?" he asked.
"It's a little too early for lunch, don't you think?" I asked as I looked at the clock. It was ten in the morning.
"Touché. Post breakfast pre-lunch for my fiancée, then?"
"Sounds great,"
And that's pretty much how we spent the rest of the day. Between song writing, eating and the occasional make out slash groping session with Edward, I was feeling relaxed and the whole debacle with my mother was pretty much forgotten.
Or at least it was until Jacob called.
My husband-to-be was busy giving me a back rub when my phone started vibrating on the coffee table where I left it last night. I tensed automatically, feeling traumatized by the last time the small white rectangle called my attention.
Edward saw how I reacted and kissed the top of my head before reaching over and taking the device in his hand. My muscles tensed further as he looked at the screen.
"It's your brother,"
I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding and visibly relaxed. Knowing Jacob, he'd probably just bitch about the usual wedding stress and how ridiculous he was for agreeing with Ness about planning the whole thing themselves without the help of a professional.
With a small smile, I held my hand out for my phone.
"Hey Jake,"
"Um, hey Bells. I, uh, hey I have a question,"
"What's up?"
"Er, did Renee call you, like, within the past few days?"
"Yeaaaah," I dragged, feeling a bit confused as to where this conversation was leading. "Why?"
"She called me last night," Jake offered in explanation. "I couldn't really make sense of what she was saying but she seemed really, really mad. Even madder than the time I accidentally broke her expensive vase thing imported from China when I was six," I could practically see him flinch. "Do you know what's up with her?"
I took a harsh breath and my face contorted to what I think was a look of irritation. Let's get this shit over with.
"Yeah. She's going apeshit because she found out I was pregnant last night," I said with no emotion.
I expected my brother to start shouting or go completely silent and then start squealing but he just…laughed.
"Another preggo rumor, huh. Well, I suppose with all the…activities you and Cullen over there do, it's only a matter of time before it actually becomes true,"
"Your 'matter of time' is now, actually,"
There was a slight pause. "What do you mean? Are you saying that you're…holy shit, Bella, you're pregnant?"
"Yeah," I replied almost too casually.
"Holy shit. Holy shit! I'm going to be an uncle!"
I couldn't help but smile at the genuine excitement in Jacob's tone. This was the reaction I've been yearning for since I found out I was expecting. Though of course Edward and the guys were all ecstatic over the news, it was different when the squeals of joy were coming from family.
"Wow, congratulations! This is awesome news!"
"Thanks. It really is," I told him sincerely.
"Don't listen to anything Renee says," his voice suddenly turned serious. Guess it finally sunk in to him that our mother chewed me out for creating a baby. "Seriously. She's just…bitter or something. I dunno. Just…don't pay her any attention, alright?"
I nodded before realizing that he couldn't see me. "Um, yeah, I…don't let her get to me," Maybe I could blame last night's breakdown on hormones.
"Good, good," he took a breath. "Have you told Charlie, by the way?"
"Uh…"
"I'll take that as a no,"
"Yeah but me and Edward are going to Forks this weekend," I informed him as Edward set his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side on the sofa. "We'll tell him then,"
"Oh, okay. Anyway, I'm sure the old man's going to be cool with Baby C. He really likes Edward and you're getting married anyway so…well, he's a lot easier to deal with than Renee but I can come with you if you want,"
"I appreciate the offer but we'll be fine," I smiled. "Besides, aren't you busy planning for your wedding?"
A loud groan resonated from the other line. "Don't remind me. I'm losing my freakin' mind here! The whole thing is just…pink! Motherfucking pink! I feel like I'm going to throw up or some shit,"
"You poor child," I shook my head in mock pity. "Why didn't you say anything to Nes about the color scheme anyway, since it's making you sicker than a dog?"
He sighed. "I'm more whipped than I realized apparently,"
"Heh. You don't say,"
"Shut up. What about you, huh? I'm not hearing any complaints about marriage stress. Wait, are you getting hitched before or after you pop?"
"Before. And that's what happens when you get a good wedding planner to handle everything,"
We talked for a few more minutes but Jake had to leave eventually due to more husband/fiancé duties. The whole conversation made me feel even happier about employing someone else to be in charge of my own nuptials.
"I take it Jacob took the news well?" Edward asked with a grin after I hung up.
"Definitely. He's excited to be an uncle,"
"I bet," he moved his free hand to rest on my still flat stomach. "How is he?"
I shrugged a little before cuddling to his side and resting my head on his shoulder. "You know, same old same old. He's going crazy with his wedding planning though,"
"I'm glad we have Alice then," his hand started moving in circles. "I wouldn't want to put too much stress on you. I don't think it would be good for the baby,"
"Mm," I agreed. We were quiet for a while until Edward spoke again.
"I can't wait to him," he murmured before pressing his lips to my temple.
"Or her," I corrected teasingly.
"Or her," he allowed, pulling me closer.
I allowed myself to soak in as much feelings of being safe in Edward's arms as I could. Lord knows I'm going to need it when we get to Forks.
The next morning, Edward and I made our way airport to catch our flight from Los Angeles to Seattle with Alice and Jasper. The minute I saw her, the first thing I heard was something about how fabulous I looked and how pregnancy looked good on me.
"Shh," I shushed her as subtly as I could. The place was busy and crowded as usual and the noise everyone was making probably drowned her statement out to the ears of others, but I wasn't taking any chances. Edward and I were hounded by the paparazzi when we came in and I know they're still lurking around.
"Right. Sorry. It's still a secret and all, but seriously. You look gorgeous," she pulled me into a hug.
"She always has," Edward came to stand beside me and press his lips against my forehead. "Nice to see you again, Alice,"
"You, too. Oh, you guys are going to love everything I've put together so far," she was about to say something more but Jasper placed a hand over her mouth.
"You might want to reserve that conversation for the plane ride, darlin'," he gestured to some cameramen who were shamelessly aiming their DSLR's at us.
Alice wasn't happy about containing her excitement but she didn't mention anything wedding-related our entire wait for our flight to arrive. However, as soon as we were alone in the first class cabin, her mouth was working over time.
"Don't you just love this?" she shoved her iPad into my hands and pointed excitedly to the rough sketch of my wedding dress.
"It's really beautiful," I nodded in approval. It wasn't anything big or elaborate but was elegant and very sensual. It appeared kinda tight on the screen and the train looked dangerous but I'm sure I could pull off wearing it. It was too pretty for me not to.
"What is?" Edward moved to have a better look but Alice's lightning fast moves had the device out of my reach and into hers over to the other side of the isle before he could get even a slight glance.
"No way, Cullen. You're not seeing this 'till the day of. Now tell me, how do you feel about a twilight reception?"
I was so glad we were the only ones in business class and there was a pretty thick barrier between us and the other passengers because by the way Alice was prattling about details, everyone would be in on the plans and would probably show up in Forks on my wedding day since they'd know when it is and what the dress code restricts.
Three hours later, we arrived at Sea-Tac and got in our rented car which would take us to Forks. The drive would normally take just four or three hours depending on who's driving but due to my pregnant self threatening to throw up on the carpet, we ended up being on the road for five and a half hours.
"Finally," Alice huffed dramatically as we finally pulled up in front of our hotel.
Her attitude was pissing me off. I was hungry, tired, and incredibly moody and here she was complaining for having to endure two more hours of travelling?
I opened my mouth to tell her to shut it with the bitching but Edward led me through the revolving doors before I could start an unnecessary shit storm.
After having something to eat and showering, I was feeling better and was more presentable for my father. It was close to seven when we reached the Swan residence.
"You ready?" Edward asked while we idled in front of my childhood home.
"As I'll ever be," I sighed. "Come on. No use prolonging the inevitable,"
We both got out of the car and walked the few steps to the porch where a single bulb was lit. Edward took my hand in his just as I took a deep breath and knocked. When there wasn't a response, I tried again and Edward rang the door bell at the same time.
"You don't think they went out, do you?" he asked as he tried to see through the curtain.
"Nah, I don't think so," I said. "Charlie would never allow the lights to be turned on while no one's home."
The two of us just stood there for a minute and I was about to try banging on the door again when I finally heard someone at the other side of the wood.
"Okay, okay, I'm getting it!" a low-voiced someone retorted before the door finally swung open and I was met with a shocked looking Seth.
"Hey Seth. Long time no see," I smiled at him easily. He had grown a lot since I've seen him – he was practically as tall as Edward though my fiancé was about three inches taller. His blond hair was falling to his eyes and his shirt had a chocolate milk stain on it.
"B – Bella?" he stuttered before swallowing audibly.
"Yeah, you still remember your pseudo-step sister, right?" I joked but that didn't seem to lighten the mood. He was still stiff as a board but managed to smile and say "Yeah, how can I ever forget?"
"Oh and uh, this is Edward, by the way," I added quickly. "Edward, this is Seth. Seth, this is Edward,"
"Hi," Edward's tone was easy going and friendly as he held his hand out but Seth still seemed a bit nervous as he shook it.
"Boy, what's taking you so long?" I could hear Charlie approach. "Who's there at the – Bella?"
I looked around my other brother's lanky body and came face to face with my dad. "Hey pops,"
"Bells! What are you doing in town?" he came over quickly with a look of excitement on his face. "Good to see you, Edward,"
"It's good to see you too, sir,"
"Enough with the 'sir' business, son. You're family now. Oh and don't keep standing there outside. Come in! Boy, move out of the way,"
Charlie had to practically shove Seth's semi -frozen self out of the way to let us in and I couldn't help but laugh at his jolted expression as he was carted to the side.
"This is a nice surprise," my father's grin grew bigger as he sat down on his favorite recliner. "You have any wedding matters to settle here?"
"Yeah, uh, Alice said she found a nice church here where we can have the ceremony," I said. "But we wanted to visit you guys too," Just then, my stomach started growling, showing that the quick room service we ordered earlier was definitely not enough to satiate any long term hunger.
"I bet you two haven't even had dinner yet,"
"Yeah, we haven't," Edward chuckled a little. "We just got to Forks, actually. We came straight here after checking in,"
"Well, then I think it's time for some homemade grub," Charlie rubbed his beer belly. "Hey Sue!"
"What?" She sounded a little annoyed as she banged around in the small kitchen.
"We have enough to feed two more, don't we?"
"I know you're starving Charlie. You don't have to…" Sue appeared through the small doorway looking like her patience has been tried enough but that disappeared as soon as she saw me.
"Oh, Bella, it's you!" she shrieked in girlish glee and before I knew it, I was ensconced in a hug.
"I'm happy to see you too," I laughed lightly.
"And Edward's here too! You look even more handsome than I remember," despite their height difference, my sort-of-step mother managed to get her arms around my future husband's shoulders.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to call you two," she beamed at both of us. "But with your planning and everything, I didn't know if it was a good idea. I'm so happy you came to visit!
"Let me see the ring. Oh this is gorgeous!" Sue was sounding more and more like Alice when she was high on excitement as I held out my left hand proudly and showed her my engagement ring.
"Where did you get this, Edward? It's so unique. I don't think I've ever seen any ring like this,"
"It was my grandmother's, actually," Edward explained. "I had it shipped from England,"
"Of course, I forgot you're Engli – "
"Mom, what's going on?" Leah's distinctive whining grew more audible as she made her way downstairs. She froze as soon as she spotted Edward and I.
"Leah, isn't this great? Bella and Edward came by to visit!"
"Uhh…hi," she stuttered a bit before dashing back upstairs.
"Sorry about her," Seth came closer as he rubbed the back of his neck. "She's really into…" he gestured towards Edward.
"Yeah I remember," I murmured, feeling irrationally jealous. Blame it on the preggo hormones.
"Well, I'll leave you guys to catch up. I'll call when dinner's ready," Sue gave one last smile before disappearing behind the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room.
I plopped down on the sofa just as Charlie excused himself to answer his radio which was filling the room with the sound of static. Edward sat next to me and Seth positioned himself on the arm rest of Charlie's seat.
"Err, sorry about being all…wonky earlier. I'm just feeling a little…overwhelmed," my step brother offered as explanation for his catatonic behavior.
"It's cool, man," Edward smiled at him. "I've seen people act worse,"
"Yeah," he chuckled. "So…um…you guys are getting married, huh?"
Conversation with Seth became less awkward after that and by the time we were called to eat, he was already cracking jokes and telling us stories about his friends who apparently had crushes on me.
"…so I was like 'dude, that's my sister you're talking about' but that never stopped Jared," he told us pointedly and sat down.
"Can we please change the subject, now?" Edward asked exasperatedly. "I really don't want to know what pubescent teenage boys think of the woman that's going to be my wife,"
"Or my daughter," Charlie added a little gruffly. "And where the hell is Leah? I'm starving!"
"I'll go get her," Sue trudged up the stairs while the rest of us chatted amicably while we waited. Moments later, Sue was back with a totally decked out Leah.
"Are you going somewhere tonight, young lady?" Dad asked as he raised an eyebrow at her heavy makeup and short clothes.
"There's no crime in looking fabulous," she replied before taking a seat. She looked over at Edward through her lashes and bit her lip and I almost threw my spoon at her.
"Slut," Seth muttered.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's eat!"
Aside from the flirtatious attitude the little whore – I mean Leah – had towards Edward, dinner was fun. I'll admit I always had a smug grin on my face at any mention of the upcoming nuptials and whenever Edward would reach over and touch me affectionately. Petty I know, but I didn't care. He was mine and mine alone, bitch.
"Look at you. You're positively glowing," Sue gushed as she served dessert.
"Yeah, happiness is a good look on me," I smiled.
"I'm sure you're very happy, dear. Especially with a fiancé like that," she winked. "But there's something more…"
Suddenly, her loud gasp filled the room and she almost dropped the dish in her hands. "You're pregnant!"
All eyes were suddenly on me and I felt a blush creep into my cheeks. I opened my mouth to confirm what she said or to say anything but I just couldn't. It was a good thing I had Edward.
"Yes, she is," he smiled warmly at all of them before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and moving to sit closer to me. "That was actually another reason why we decided to come over. We wanted to tell you the good news in person,"
"OH MY GOD! YOU'RE ACTUALLY PREGNANT!" Sue cried before she haphazardly left the pie at the edge of the table before she pulled me into an embrace. "Oh baby, I'm so happy for you!"
I couldn't help but revel in the feel of her motherly arms around me. This was supposed to be how a mom reacts when her daughter tells her that she's going to have a grandbaby.
"Whoa, really? Congrats, dude," I saw Seth reach over and shake Edward's hand through the small spaces between Sue's hair.
"You're pregnant?" Charlie repeated as Sue began to prattle excitedly about how she has always wanted a grandchild and how spoiled the baby's going to be.
"Sue, let me talk for a minute," my father stopped her with a serious expression on his face. "Bella?"
"Yeah, dad. You're gonna be a grandfather," I confirmed.
"You're…huh," he slumped in his chair. He looked contemplative for a minute then opened his mouth to speak again. "Are you two getting married because of the baby?"
"Of course not, Charlie," Edward stepped in. "We only learned about the pregnancy after I proposed,"
"Well then, that's…" he tried to continue but couldn't seem to find the words.
"Do you know if it's a boy or girl yet? When are you due?" Sue resumed her ecstatic questions.
"Um, it's too early to tell," I said. "But the doctor said he or she's coming out on December eighteenth,"
"What about the wedding?"
"We're having it here in three weeks. That's another reason why we're in Forks. My friend Alice found a nice chapel where we could have the ceremony in and she wanted us to see it in person,"
Edward and I answered as much queries from as we could. The only ones who were quiet the whole time were Leah and Charlie.
Eventually, my morning sickness kicked in again and I hurriedly excused myself to the bathroom. Edward quickly followed after me and held my hair until I was done.
"I can't wait till this part is over," I moaned as he helped me stand. "All I want is to be hungry and moody and tired all the time,"
"Let's not forget horny," my fiancé added with a mischievous grin. "That's the most important one,"
I barked a laugh. "Of course. We can never forget horny, now can we?"
Both of us were still teasing each other as we exited the small, cramped room but we stopped as soon as we saw a poker faced Charlie waiting in the hallway.
"Can I talk to you, Bella?" he asked.
"Um, sure," I wasn't sure how the conversation was going to lead and I clutched Edward's arm.
"Alone, please," he noticed my action.
I looked pleadingly at Edward but he simply smiled softly and kissed my forehead, promising that he'll be in the living room if I needed him.
But I need you now!
I watched his back disappear into the front room before looking back to my dad. "So…uh…what's up?"
"Let's talk somewhere more private, Bells,"
He placed a hand on the small of my back and led me to the backyard. There weren't any seats there but I didn't mind. I was too anxious to sit.
The air was so awkward as the two of us just stood there without talking but I didn't know how to start the conversation. I knew this was about the bomb that was dropped during dinner time but I had no idea how to bring it up properly.
"Bella," the silence was finally broke. "I love you, kid. You know that right?"
"Yeah. I, um, I love you too, dad,"
"And you know that I'll love you no matter what?"
I nodded. "I know that, too,"
"Good," he sighed. "I'm sorry I acted…the way I did earlier. I'm happy for you, kid, I really am. Having a child is a joy like no other and I won't begrudge you that. It's just…I'm still in shock, you know?"
"Yeah, I understand," I exhaled in relief. Now that I knew he was going to accept my baby and would still be supportive, I no longer feared anything else he had to say.
"Sometimes I still see you as the seventeen year old rebel who'd wake me up at three in the morning because of that damn guitar and come home from school complaining about homework. But then I turn on the television and look through those magazines and I realize that you're not that girl anymore. You're out there making a living and making your own decisions.
"As a father, it's hard for me to accept that at times but just know that I'm happy about the choices you've made. You picked a good man as your partner for life and the bundle of joy you're going to bring into this world will give you a better view of your purpose on this earth. I know you're mature enough to handle this – you've always been too smart for your age but when you need any help, you'll always have me,"
I didn't know what to say after his whole heart-felt speech at first. I think the first thought that entered my mind was how emotional Charlie was getting. He and I were never ones to talk about feelings and such so this was…new. The second was pure happiness over the fact that my father accepted me and the person inside me.
In fact, I was so happy, I started crying tears of joy.
"Aw, Bella," he chuckled a little as he pulled me into an awkward embrace. "I don't think I've ever seen you cry aside from the time Jacob threw your books into the ocean,"
"Hormones," I hiccupped then smiled at the memory.
"You'll make a great mother," he whispered as he rubbed my back. "That baby's going to be lucky,"
"I love you, daddy,"
"I love you, too,"
After the whole emotional sap-fest outside, Charlie and I came back inside with lighter feelings. Everyone had gathered in the living room and was in the middle of a discussion when I saw them.
"Everything okay?" Edward asked as I sat next to him.
"It's all good," I said.
"You haven't answered my question yet, Edward," Sue demanded. She already had the role of the overbearing-but-with-good-intentions-mother-in-law down to a pat. "Do you and Bella plan to buy a house?"
"Well we haven't discussed that yet," I answered for him.
"Do you want to?" Edward turned to me.
"Sure," I shrugged. "I mean…if we're going to have more babies, then we need more room. Jake pretty much already took over my house,"
"You plan to have more?"
"Ah…why not?"
Sue was once again reduced to squeals of joy as she reached for Charlie's hand and told him about how excited she was about the thought of more grandbabies. Seth joked that if she wanted some so badly, he should "forget" about using a condom the next time he did it with his girlfriend Claire. That just earned him glares.
"You really want more kids?" Edward whispered while Charlie was still scolding my other brother about the difficulties of early parenthood and how he should always be safe.
"Of course," I replied easily. "With you as the daddy, they aren't going to be less than perfect,"
You'll Be Safe Here is a real song written by Filipino band Rivermaya. No copyright infringement intended.
