Love for beta work goes to Kathie (katmom) and Bridgette (A Jasper For Me).

This is Us

BPOV

We had two weeks of wedded bliss. We took romantic baths by candlelight, long walks in the woods, read to each other by the fireplace, and christened every inch of our cottage.

Twice.

At least.

The only outside contact we made was with Alice every couple days, to check up on my dad; and Jake, to let him know Charlie's decision to become a vampire.

Charlie had come through the change fine, just as promised, and he had been learning to control his thirst and mannerisms ever since. All reports back indicated he was taking to his new senses and strength very well.

Tanya was in heaven. Needless to say, I had to cut Alice off when she wanted to start gossiping about my dad's sexual practices and how the family was having trouble prying him and Tanya apart.

Ewww.

Our peaceful time by ourselves came to an end one morning when I awoke to Edward lying between my legs, his hands on my hips, and his head on my stomach. Now, that wasn't an unusual position for me to wake up in. He often liked to rouse me similarly, except his face was usually a little lower.

But I knew it was different this morning. His head was still, even though he had to know I was no longer asleep.

I reached down and ran my fingers through his hair, waiting for him to look up at me. When he did, I was surprised by his brilliant smile.

"What? What's the smile for?"

He slowly crawled up my body until our faces were aligned. I grinned when his lips gently pressed against mine. He stilled again, and I opened my eyes to find his twinkling at me.

"I think you're pregnant."

Almost as if on cue, I felt a twitch in my abdomen and my hand immediately moved down to spread over my tummy. He covered my hand with his, and our twined fingers stilled. Apparently it was still much too soon to feel any movement on the outside.

"How do you know? Are you sure? What did you hear?" I was so excited, my fumbling words were coming out faster than I could think.

Now that I was aware of his suspicion, I realized I was ravenously hungry. I sat up quickly, Edward chuckling at my antics.

"There's a fluttering this morning. It's different than your heartbeat; much faster and still quiet at this point. It took everything in me not to wake you up as soon as I heard it."

I stood and ran to the bathroom, not caring in the least that I was standing in front of the mirror naked. I looked at myself, not seeing any differences. Edward came in behind me and our eyes met in the mirror.

"Do you still hear it? Do you really think…?"

He nodded and knelt down in front of me, pressing his cheek to my stomach and hugging me around the waist.

"I think we need to call Carlisle now."

He was right. We couldn't waste any time.

"Let me…wow…one thing before Carlisle." I moved to sit down on the edge of the tub, feeling a little wobbly from the excitement. "Would you grab my phone?"

He retrieved it quickly, handing it over to me.

There was one person I had to call before anyone else. I hit the number, taking a deep breath.

"Bella?"

The sound of her voice sent me into an emotional tailspin. A sob emerged from my throat and happy tears flowed down my face. Edward sat on the floor in front of me, rubbing my legs, and looking slightly worried. I gave him a smile to let him know I was okay.

"Bella, what's wrong? Are you okay? Do you need me?"

I took another breath. "Rose, yes, I'm going to need you very soon."

"I can be there in a minute. Just let me…"

I stopped her before she dashed out the door. I giggled into the phone, unable to contain my happiness.

"Don't come over, I was just calling you to let you know Edward and I will be arriving there in a little while." I paused and brushed Edward's cheek with my fingers. "He thinks I'm pregnant."

I had to hold the phone away from my ear when she started screaming. Edward and I laughed at the sounds coming from her and the others. Finally she settled down after a couple minutes.

"We already have a plan of action," she told me.

I raised my eyebrow at Edward.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, of course we were anticipating this moment, so we've laid out some new living arrangements for the duration of your pregnancy. Charlie and Tanya are going to stay at the cottage, while you and Edward move into the main house for now. We have everything ready to go to take care of you."

"What about Alice?"

I knew it would be hard for her to have visions around me.

"She and Jasper are going to move back and forth between Charlie's house and here."

"Okay, that sounds good."

"Esme is already cooking up a storm for you."

My stomach growled and Edward laughed. "Good, because I'm hungry."

Things moved quickly at that point. Edward dashed around the cottage, gathering anything we might need while I showered and dressed. As I took my time under the warm shower, my hand rubbed my stomach. When I felt another twinge, I couldn't help my happy tears from flowing again.

This was really happening. Edward and I were going to be parents. My life was never going to be the same.

I was somewhat sad I wouldn't be able to share my joy with either of my parents. At some point soon, I would have to make a decision on how to deal with Renee. But it was even harder having my dad so close, yet not able to see him.

It made my relationships with all the Cullens that much more important. My child was going to be so loved.

I already loved her. Or him.

Edward was waiting patiently when I finally got myself dried off and dressed. Not even Alice was going to complain about my wanting to be comfortable in sweatpants and a hoodie.

I happily took his hand as we walked out to the car. I couldn't help being excited to see everyone. As soon as he pulled away, he called Carlisle to let them know we were on our way so Tanya and Charlie could take off.

As we approached the house, my face lit up in a smile seeing the whole family waiting on the front porch. The car hadn't even stopped completely when my door flew open and Emmett snatched me into a hug.

"Bellaboo!" His grip was soft as he only spun me around a couple times. I laughed, but the others were not impressed.

"Put her down!" Rose screeched.

"Let her go!" Edward yelled.

"Emmett, honey, please don't hurt her!" Esme pleaded.

He just winked at me and set me on my feet.

"It's good to see you, lil' sis."

"You too, Em."

After whacking Emmett on the head a couple times, Rose was by my side. She gave me a gentle hug before pulling back and holding my gaze. Everything went silent, and I wondered what she was thinking.

Then suddenly, she grinned and started twirling around and laughing.

I looked at Edward, who had managed to get through everyone and take my hand, and he only shook his head and smiled.

"Bella, I can hear the baby's heartbeat," Rose finally explained.

Everyone else nodded in agreement, and my hand instinctively moved to cover my stomach again. I met Alice's eyes, and she gave me a small apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry I'm not going to be able to be around very much. I don't want to miss this, but it's true. I can't see anything right now."

I hugged her tight. "It's okay, Alice. We can still talk over the phone."

Jasper embraced me next, assuring me he and Alice would be close by and would alert us of any news as soon as she saw something.

After waving bye to them, Esme herded me inside to eat. The smell of freshly cooked bacon hit me as I neared the kitchen. It was overwhelming, and my stomach protested immediately.

"Oh my God," I mumbled, covering my mouth with my hand. I pulled away from Edward and ran as fast as I could to the nearest bathroom.

I barely made it to the toilet before I started throwing up.

EPOV

I held her hair back, helpless to do anything more to comfort her as her body heaved continuously. Esme and Rose were busy trying to fix some different food that might be appealing to Bella, while airing out the house from the smell she had found noxious.

I would have given anything to be the one to shoulder the pain and physical trauma we knew was coming for the next month while Bella carried our child.

Carlisle's thoughts filtered in as he remained stationed out in the hallway.

She'll be all right, Edward. This is normal. Is she ready for what she's going to have to do?

I sighed and rinsed a cloth with cold water before placing it on Bella's forehead. We all knew what Bella was going to have to face, including her.

She would have to drink blood.

Bella's vomiting finally stopped, and I helped her turn around and sit down. I dampened the cloth again and wiped her flushed face. She gave me a brave smile and put her hand over mine.

"Quit worrying, Edward. I'm going to be fine. I can do this."

If I didn't already love her with every cell of my being, her words would have done it. I brushed stray hairs back from her face and knelt down in front of her.

"I just want to take as much stress from you as I can," I explained.

"Well, I know it's not going to be easy for you to watch me go through this, but you know I'm strong enough to do this. If you are worrying, it's only going to make me anxious." She grabbed my hand and put it over her belly. "This is us in here. Our baby. I'm ready to do anything to make sure he or she is healthy and happy."

"And you. We have to keep you strong enough." I wanted her to be as concerned for her health as she was about the baby's.

She ran her fingers through my hair and smiled. "Yes, me too. Soon nothing will ever part us again."

I pulled her to me in a hug, wishing and hoping her words would come true. But thoughts of the Volturi crept into my mind against my will. I forced myself to push those fears aside for the moment and focus on Bella.

"Do you feel like you can try to eat something?"

She nodded and stood up. We walked out together, finding the rest of the family in the kitchen. Esme and Rosalie immediately had Bella sitting on a stool and set out various breads, fruits, and drinks in front of her. Emmett stood to the side, his thoughts worried about Bella being sick. Carlisle was the first to speak.

"Bella, we are going to try and figure out a way to maintain both your diets. I want to keep both you and the baby as nourished as possible, so please be honest with telling us what appeals to you food-wise. Don't hold back."

"Okay," she complied, taking a sip of ginger ale. She grimaced and shook her head.

When she took a deep breath and donned a look of determination, we all knew what was coming next.

"Please, Rose. Just give it to me. Let's see if it works."

Rose nodded and pulled out a Styrofoam cup she already had prepared from the refrigerator. She placed a straw through the top and handed it to Bella.

Everyone's eyes centered on Bella, and she closed hers as she brought her lips to the straw.

Please let her like the taste.

I hope this works.

I'm so proud of her for doing this.

She's already a great mother.

I didn't breathe as my family's thoughts invaded my head. I solely concentrated on Bella's face as she pulled the blood into her mouth and swallowed.

Her eyes opened and met mine. It seemed like everyone exhaled simultaneously as she nodded her head and kept drinking. She drank the whole cup down at once, not stopping until she was finished.

"That was what the baby wanted," she finally said, before reaching for the plate of scrambled eggs and putting a forkful in her mouth. "I'm really hungry now that the baby ate."

Rose and Esme laughed, pushing different foods in front of Bella to try. I looked over at Carlisle, much more relaxed now.

I think the answer is keeping the baby happy, then Bella will still be able to eat normal human food.

I nodded in agreement.

After Bella had eaten her fill, she and I went with Carlisle to his makeshift medical room he had set up for her. I watched as he measured her weight, took some blood, asked her question after question, and tried an ultrasound.

We viewed the actual amniotic sac, although we couldn't see inside it. Carlisle was able to amplify the sound of the heartbeat so Bella could hear our baby like the rest of us. The joy on her face was indescribable, and I knew no matter what happened in the future, it was worth it to see her as happy as she was.

"I hope we can have a daily check-up like this, Bella," Carlisle asked as he finished up.

"Sure. I want to be as careful as possible." Bella agreed with him, before yawning widely.

I put my arm around her as she got down from the table. "Would you like to lie down for awhile? Take a nap?" I asked her.

"Yes, that would be great. But can we stay downstairs? I want to be around everyone."

"Sure, love. Let's get you situated on the couch."

I got her comfortable and wrapped up in a couple blankets, while she argued with Emmett over what movie to put in. It didn't matter what movie started, she was sound asleep ten minutes into it. Rose sat with her on the couch while I took the opportunity to talk to Carlisle alone. I found him in his office going over old texts he'd been researching.

He looked up as I walked in, giving me a smile. "One thing I haven't said to you yet…congratulations."

I chuckled and sat down. "Thanks. Even though I know this is all happening, it still hasn't really sunk in yet."

He nodded. "You know we've been preparing for this a while now. I have more than enough blood stored for Bella, and animal blood for the rest of us, just in case of emergencies."

In Alice's vision, we hadn't been able to leave our house to hunt while Bella had been pregnant because of the wolves. They had wanted to kill Bella and our baby out of fear. I needed to contact Jake soon and let him know the situation. While we didn't have the worry of our furry enemies at the moment, there was still the uncertainty of the Volturi we had to deal with.

"So Alice hasn't seen anything from Italy yet?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Not yet."

We sat there silently for a few minutes, and I sympathized with the intense fear his mind revealed regarding them showing up. Even though the best option was to keep everyone here, I still had a strong urge to grab Bella up and hide her away somewhere.

"Where is Kate?" She hadn't been around since Bella and I arrived.

Carlisle actually smiled and laughed. "She took off to North Carolina of all places."

He ran over a memory in his mind, and I watched as Alice had a vision of Garrett. Kate had excitedly taken her information and went off in pursuit of her mate.

"She promised she would return here as soon as she could…with Garrett in tow." Carlisle's eyes sparkled a little as he was happy one of his oldest friends was finding her own love.

"That's great. I hope she finds him. Has there been any word from Eleazar? What are they doing with Laurent?"

"He called a few days ago. Laurent seems to be happy with Irina and adjusting to their lifestyle. Eleazar told me he hadn't done anything suspicious thus far."

I raised my eyebrows at him, and he held up his hands.

"I know how you feel, Edward. But we can't judge Laurent based on something in Alice's first vision. It hasn't played out like that, and we cannot rightly end him if he isn't a threat."

I growled, but relented. If Laurent made even a tiny step out of line, I would have no qualms destroying him.

"I'd like you to make up a few syringes with your venom as soon as possible," he requested, changing the subject.

"I will take care of it. Have you figured out any other method of delivery aside from what Alice saw?"

I wanted to avoid a Cesarean via my teeth if at all possible. The thought of mangling my Bella pained me.

He shook his head again. "It may be the only way, Edward. I'm sorry. There just aren't any human instruments strong enough to slice through and get the baby out."

"I'll do whatever is necessary to ensure both the baby and Bella's health. I want to avoid any close calls if we can."

"Today was encouraging. We know the baby is going to grow extremely fast, but if we can keep Bella nourished, her body should be able to withstand the growth better than Alice saw." He paused for a moment. "But we have to be prepared that since we will be getting the baby's needs met from the start, the gestation time may be even shorter than we think."

"You think it will be shorter than a month?" I asked.

"It very well might. I will chart her progress daily and try to project when the baby will be full term. I'd like for us to get the baby out before it tries to escape itself."

I nodded in understanding. It would be better if we could get her delivered before the baby harmed Bella trying to get out. I left Carlisle a short time later, returning downstairs to find Bella still asleep.

Emmett slapped my shoulder. "Congrats, bro. I knew you could do it."

I shook my head. "Be quiet, don't wake her up." I smiled down at Bella, who was fast asleep, her head resting on a pillow on Rose's lap.

"Hey, it wouldn't be right if I didn't harass you a little, Daddyward," Emmett whispered.

Rose joined me as we rolled our eyes at him. Her expression changed when she glanced at me, and I was taken aback by her soft smile.

I'm so happy for you both. Thank you, Edward.

I nodded at her, giving her a smile in return. Rose and I had often butted heads over the years, but I also knew there would be nobody who would protect Bella and our child more fiercely. There wasn't a creature alive more protective than Rose when she wanted to be.

The next few days went by quickly, a routine settling in for us all. Carlisle kept immaculate records of the baby's progress, and we all tried to make Bella as comfortable as possible.

We shouldn't have been surprised that it was only the calm before the storm. When Alice's name appeared on my phone, the dread of what I knew was approaching swept over me.

I looked around at everyone's faces as I answered.

"Alice?"

She didn't waste any time getting the bad news out.

"They're coming."

AN: Well, baby Cullen is on the way…and so are some unwelcome visitors. I'm interested in your thoughts about baby names. What are your favorites for a girl or a boy?

If you read my AH WIP, Fated Love, I wanted to let you know that I'm almost finished with the next chapter. I know it hasn't updated in a long time, but I promise I will complete it.

For Nolebucgrl, I am including a promised love poem (the rest of you please feel free to laugh at us):

Roses are red, violets are blue;
You love me and I love you.
Daisies are white, and a little yellow too;
There is no one else I adore more than you.

That is way better than any of Jaspy's poems…LOL! Make sure to read her story called Sideline Collision if you don't know what I'm referring to.

And here are some recs from what I've been reading lately:

There is a Light by belladonnacullen
My Beautiful Storm by troublefollows1017
Blind Spot by FictionFreak95
Taste of Innocence by Nolebucgrl
Evading Edward by VampsHaveLaws
Watching Her by les16
Head Over Feet by iambeagle
Theories of Bellativity by kikki7
White Swan Lodge by jarkin33
Hardcover Paranormal Romance by badjujube
Practice to Deceive by Livie79
A Soft Place to Land by btwnthestacks
Dusty by YellowBella
Starry Eyed Inside by Rochelle Allison

If you are on twitter, come and find me at twilover76