A/N A little bit of a short one this time. Hope you like it :)

Chapter 36.

BPOV

Edward and I had been happily married for five months now and my pregnancy had run smoothly without any problems. I only saw Esme in a professional capacity once a month now.I had gotten to a stage where I would allow Edward to speak to Jacob but I still couldn't see him myself. It was still too hard. I just wished that there was something I could do for Esme, she had been marvellous in my rehabilitation. I could never repay her for all of her kindness.

"Bella, come on hurry up. The shops are only going to be open for another eight hours and we have a lot to do" Alice groaned from the living room. She was dragging me shopping for baby stuff. Edward was lucky enough to be working meaning that he didn't have to endure this torture. I waddled out of the bedroom and over to Alice.

" Give me a break Alice, I am seven months pregnant you know?"

"Yes, I do know. That's why it's so important that we get cracking on buying a crib, stroller, babygrows. You only have two months left to go and what if you go into labour early. I can't believe that Edward and you haven't thought about any of this stuff. It's lucky you have me" she smirked.

"Yes, lucky me" I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" she asked, turning and giving me a sharp look.

"Nothing" I replied sweetly.

It was a struggle squeezing myself into Alice's Porsche. Don't ask me how but I managed it eventually. With Alice it was fashion first, with practicality coming a distant second. Liking fast cars seemed to run in the family. Since returning from vacation Edward had gone out and purchased his dream car, the Aston Martin Vanquish. He opted to drive his Volvo to work though which meant the Vanquish spent most of the time sat on his parent's driveway!

It only took ten minutes before Alice pulled into the parking lot and I was having to squeeze back out of the car. "Hurry up Bella" she said impatiently, tapping her foot.

"OK, jeeze" I huffed. I wished that Edward were here with me instead of Alice. Don't get me wrong I love Alice but sometimes she was a bit much to handle.

"Where should we go first?" she asked.

"I don't know" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Ooh, I know. Come with me" she grabbed hold of my hand and dragged me down the street.

…..................

"Bella, these are just too cute" Alice beamed. She was holding up a pair of pink booties. "You have to get them" she squealed.

"Alice, I don't know if I'm having a boy or a girl" I chuckled.

"I'll get them then" she was hardly able to contain her excitement at the prospect of buying something.

"Alice, what if I have a boy. I don't think he'll be very happy wearing pink booties" It was too late though she was already on her way over to the register to make her purchase.

"I checked with the sales assistant and you can return these if you have a boy" Alice smiled, holding her bag up in her left hand.

"OK" I shook my head at her.

"Just for the record I think you're going to have a girl"

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"Just a hunch. Have you and Edward come up with any names yet?"

"No"

"Well you'd better hurry up and start thinking, not long to go now until the bambino is out. Isn't that right little one" she patted her hand on my stomach. "Whoa" Alice took her hand away in shock at having felt the baby kick.

"Must have heard it's Aunty Alice" I smiled. We laughed and made our way out of the shop and down the sidewalk to the next store.

…..........................

I had had enough of shopping, my back was killing me and we were making our way back to the car. Alice was laden down with shopping bags. She had brought herself a few new outfits and a couple of pairs of shoes. "No point wasting perfectly good shopping time" she had said to me.

We were talking about trivial things like what we could do for dinner tonight, Alice and Jasper were coming over to mine and Edward's. All of a sudden a man appeared from nowhere. "Give us your bags" he said, a glint of silver shining in his hand. I went to hand mine over to him. Alice stopped me.

"No" she said angrily.

"I said give me your bags" he moved the knife closer to Alice and I, moving it side to side. It came to lingering in front of me "I...said...give me the bags" he said through clenched teeth.

"Alice, just give him the bags" I pleaded with her.

EPOV

My cell beeped. It was a message from Bella 'Please save me xxx' I had once been unlucky enough to have endured shopping with Alice and so I was well aware of how she got when it came to clothes.

'Poor baby :( wish I could come rescue u but needed here at the hospital. C u later, love u xxxx' I replied.

I was supposed to have been off today but had come in when Mike had said that he was desperate as a few people had called in sick. I had agreed to go in as a favour to him. Since meeting Bella my relationship with Mike had really improved, we were actually working as a team now rather than me constantly pulling against him. I don't what it was but it's as if I changed when I met Bella and that change was for the better. Mike had even told me that I was a shoe-in for the attending slot next year.

It had been a relatively quiet shift for a Saturday and I only had thirty minutes left to go. I made my way to admit where Rosalie had just taken a call from the paramedics, they were five minutes out. The only thing we had been told is that it was a female stabbing victim and things weren't looking too good for her at the moment.

Rosalie and I were waiting outside on the rig "So how's married life treating you?" she asked.

"Five months in, no complaints" I smiled. I heard the sirens before I saw the red flashing lights.

Soph opened the door from the inside and began running the bullet, I didn't hear a word she said though as I was in shock. "Oh God Alice, what happened?" I asked.

A/N Next chapter up tomorrow.