Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters and the awesomeness that is Twilight! I'm just subjecting them to my fun little schemes.

Chapter 50

"So, do you still want to go home early?" Edward asked Bella as they sat on the porch steps of Jake's house. He was talking away with Robby about how he got his scars.

Bella smiled, "Sort of but my mom is going to be disappointed if I don't go."

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his hand coming to rest on her stomach, as always.

"Much better, it's nothing to worry about. Just normal pregnancy stuff," she reassured him, knowing he could take the win for worrier of the century.

"Well, get through today but if you are starting to feel like you need to rest, you do it. Your mom will understand. It worries me when you're on your feet so much," Edward said, rubbing her tummy.

Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head, yup, worrier of the century. "I promise."

"Good. Then, we can leave a little early and get you home to a nice, comfy bed..."

"Really, last night was not a big deal. I've slept on that couch many times when I lived here. Robby was in a new place."

"Still, I didn't like it."

Bella wondered how he dealt with nine months of Tanya carrying his child. The only thing she could assume was that since he wasn't around Tanya, he couldn't see what she was doing to worry over it. Bella leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Well, I should get going. I need to shower and I think mom's ready to leave already."

"Do you need money?" Edward asked, reaching for his wallet.

"Nope. I have the debit card. I'll see you in a few hours. We'll keep Kaley with us."

After a jump in the shower and dressing herself and her daughter, Bella trudged back downstairs to meet her mom. Jake, Edward, and Robby had made their way over to the house and were all inthe yard playing with a frisbee. She had just gone out to tell her mom they were ready when a blue car pulled in. Bella stood there in disbelief, then ran for the girl who just stepped out. Leah laughed as Bella hugged her, "It's been way too long. Jake said you were coming down to visit and when your mom called this morning asking if I was up for a maternity shopping trip with you guys, I couldn't pass it up."

"I'm glad. It's going to be fun."

"Well, Embry's away, anyway. He went up to camp with his brother so I'm all on my lonesome," she smiled, bending a little so she could hug Kaley, "How are you, sweetheart?"

"Good. I'm getting a baby and I have a brother," Kaley said, as if she were grown up and just discussing the weather.

"A brother?" Leah asked, raising an eyebrow and looking around.

Bella did the same, realizing that Robby was on the porch now and Edward was kneeling in front of him, obviously trying to reassure him. "Le, can you wait here for like ten seconds. Edward and I are fostering a little boy and he's afraid of strangers. I'll be right back."

When she got to the porch, she saw that Robby was crying. Neither Edward nor Bella really knew what was wrong, he usually didn't cry and he was usually only afraid of bigger men. "Is he hurt?" Bella asked, immediately panicking.

"No. He saw the car pull in and began to shake." Bella looked back at the car and saw that Leah and Jake were now talking good-naturedly. Edward looked back over at Robby, "Do you want to meet Leah?"

Robby shook his head rapidly, his eyes were clenched shut, "Alright, you don't have to honey," Bella said and Edward looked back up at her.

"You guys go. I'll get him calmed down. Leah's obviously making him nervous."

"Okay," Bella agreed reluctantly. "Please call if you need me to come home. We'll come right back."

"No, go have fun. He'll be okay. Won't ya buddy?" Edward asked.

While Renee put Kaley's seat into her car, Bella climbed in and helped Kaley pull the seatbelt down. She had told Leah she'd sit in the back, figuring she could keep Kaley company. As they drove off, Bella looked back to see Robby rubbing his eyes and figured maybe he just needed a good nap.

The mall in Forks consisted of about fifteen stores, both food and clothing, and a food court. The mall in Seattle was overwhelming. Bella had to laugh at that, for as much as she had hung out there as a teenager, she was dreading going into the crowded, busy building. They went to a maternity store after grabbing some lunch at the food court and stopping in at a couple other places. Being that Bella was almost two months along already, they picked up a few pairs of shorts that had a little more stretch than Bella was used to and a few dressy tops for the fall, knowing when she went back to school there would be quite a belly. She didn't want to buy jeans or anything until she knew just how big she was going to get. She did grab a few pairs of sleep pants and capris, figuring she'd need them for around the house. When they came to the under garments, Bella ducked away, not ready to go there yet.

It was just a reminder to Bella that her husband was not exactly attracted to her at the moment. Regardless of what was said about him getting off on the idea, it didn't matter if he wasn't willing to act on it. There had to be a reason for it and Bella didn't even want to consider what it was. Leah had other ideas, "Bella, look at this!"

Cringing, she turned to face her friend, "I don't know..." It really was pretty, a deep blue with pretty iridescent beading around the bust that lead into lace over the stomach that flowed down around the waist. The teddy was perfect and something Edward would have loved.

"Well I do know," Leah smiled, "I'm getting it for you so I don't want to hear it. What size are you? You know what, I'm going to buy you a size bigger...save it for a month or two and wow him when he least expects it."

Bella had to laugh as she shook her head, the girl was determined. "That's a pretty dress, mommy," Kaley said, coming up behind her and causing Leah to burst into laughter.

Renee came up to them shortly after with some of their other bags from a few other stores they had visited. "What do you say we go check out?"

They got back to her parent's house about an hour later and Edward came out as soon as they pulled in to help her with her bags. "Where's Robby?" she asked, knowing he'd calmed down some from a phone call she'd made after they had gotten to the mall.

"With Jake," Edward laughed, "I don't get it. That guy comes around and both of my kids forget I exist..."

"No, they don't. Kaley loves you more than any other little girl loves their daddy. You're Robby's role model, the way a father should be to his son. They both love you dearly, Uncle Jake could never touch that."

"I know, I know," he sighed, kissing her on the cheek, "I'll see you inside."

"Are you staying to visit?" Bella asked Leah.

"I would love to but I'm having dinner with Embry's mom," she said apologetically.

Leah grabbed a few bags out of the car, handing three of them to Bella, "Here are your things. The other stuff is for Kaley and Robby. I hate that I can't get out there to visit you guys more often..."

"Le, seriously, you didn't have to do that..."

"I don't want to hear it. Now, give me a hug and promise to tell Ally I said hello," she replied, letting Bella know she wasn't to be deterred.

After prying Robby away from his new best friend, the Cullen family headed home. They arrived around seven o'clock and both kids were a little cranky from the car ride. Though they didn't normally allow the kids to watch TV too often, they turned on the local cartoon channel, one geared towards little kids, and Edward helped bring Bella's bags back to their room. She began unloading everything into drawers, careful to keep the lingerie out of his sight but couldn't help but show him what Leah had bought for the little ones.

In one bag there were two shirts with a very touristy Seattle picture on it. In the other was a little onesie with the Seattle skyline. Bella had to laugh, remembering how often she, Leah, and Alice would make fun of the tourists who paid money for anything that had Seattle screen printed on it. These shirts were touristy, cheesy, and absolutely perfect. She sent her friend a text after showing them to Edward, telling her how great they were.

After both kids were asleep on the couch, Edward carried Kaley to her bed and nudged Robby awake gently, helping him back to his room. Bella, on the other hand, stood in front of her bathroom mirror and looked at her already changing body. Her abdomen was slightly bigger and beginning to form a very small bump. Her love handles were more noticeable but what really worried her were her breasts. They had already gotten bigger and she was hardly pregnant.

She had always been very lean, hardly any fat on her body, so it really didn't surprise her that her husband really might be turned off in her present condition. Unable to look at herself any longer, she brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and went out to find her husband already under the covers. His eyes were closed and his chest was rising and falling evenly. Trying not to be disappointed, Bella carefully climbed in beside him. As exhausted as she was, it took her a long time to fall into something resembling a good sleep.

When she woke up the next morning, it was to her husband kissing her forehead and telling her he'd be home around five—her already showered and dressed husband. Stifling a sigh, Bella just gave a small smile and let him leave, not in the mood to ask him why he didn't wake her sooner.

Pushing herself up out of bed, Bella made her way to the living room and realized neither of the kids were up yet. Plopping down on the couch, she put her head in her hands and wondered if things were going to be like this all of the time now. She loved being pregnant, she loved the baby, but she also loved spending quality 'adult' time with her husband. She had been horny since the beginning of the pregnancy and nothing had changed, she was seriously sexually frustrated.

It took her a few moments before she realized another sensation was coming at her—nausea. Jumping up, she made it to the back bathroom just in time. As she threw up, she cried, wishing more than anything that Edward was there. After the banging on the door began, Bella forced herself to go make sure they were both occupied while she had her 'moment'.

By the time she made her way back to the bathroom, she felt awful not being able to get them a good breakfast but she could barely stand the smell of the cereal let alone make eggs like Kaley had asked for. In tears, Bella sat on the bathroom floor and prayed that her morning sickness phase wouldn't last long. When Kaley knocked on the door again, asking if they could go outside—and there was no way in hell Bella was going to let them play outside by themselves, she dried her eyes and went in search of her cell.

For the first time since she could remember, Bella decided to call for help. A chipper Alice answered on the first ring. "Are you throwing up?" Bella asked, trying to get through the conversation before the gagging started again.

"No. Are you?"

"I need a favor. Could you come help me out with the kids...ugh..hold on..." Bella said, dropping the phone on the bed and heading back to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she went to pick up the phone and noticed Alice had hung up—and she totally couldn't blame her. There was a voice mail and as she listened she began to cry again. Her wonderful friend had hung up and called back to tell her she was already on her way over.

"Listen, you son of a bitch, that's my wife. My fucking wife. You want to ask questions about the kid, then fine. Ask away..."

"Sir," Edward said, putting his hands up and gesturing towards Josephina Theresa's neck, "those marks were made by someone's hands. She didn't trip and fall into something that strangled her."

"It's none of your fucking business!"

"It is my business. Where's the baby, Jo?" Edward asked, frustrated at this point and turning to the child's mother.

"Upstairs. He's awake upstairs," she said, closing her eyes as her husband began to accuse Edward of sleeping with her.

"A first name basis, huh..."

Edward ignored him, silently pleading with this woman, "I need to see him. I can't leave until I've seen him," Edward kept his voice calm, amid the yelling.

"You don't need to see anything," her husband yelled, it was obvious the man was drunk.

Finally, Edward just shook his head, realizing that the situation was going from bad to worse. "Look, I'm telling you right now, I don't think that little boy is safe. So either you quit threatening me and let me see him, or I'll bring a whole damn team down here and remove him from the house. It's your call."

When the man stood in his way of the stairs leading to the bedrooms upstairs, Edward had enough. He glanced back and saw Josephina crying, trying to beg her husband to let him do his job, but Edward knew it wasn't worth it. She was just going to get herself killed. Striding towards his Jeep, he dialed Gary as he backed out of the driveway. "I need a warrant for the seizure of a minor..."

As soon as he hung up with Gary, another call came through. Edward had another appointment in twenty minutes on the other side of town, plus he had to be back at the office before the warrant came across his desk so he could go the second it was there. Groaning, he answered without seeing who it was. "Hello?"

"Edward? It's Alice..."

"What's up, Al?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm as he got stuck behind someone going about five miles an hour in a non-passing zone.

"Bella's really sick..."

"Sick how?" he asked, immediately forgetting about work.

"Morning sickness..."

"Shit. Al, does she need me to go home?" Gary was so going to kill him.

"No. No, I'm on my way over there now, I think she just needs someone to keep an eye on the kids while she's in the bathroom. Maybe you should stop by during lunch, just to give her a kiss..." Alice said sweetly. Obviously, Bella was in bad shape.

"Um...yeah. I'll stop by. Hey, if you need something and can't get a hold of me, call my mom..." Another call came through then. "Al, look, tell her I love her and I'll try to stop by. I have to go."

He decided to stop into the office before heading to his next client's. "Cullen, I need you to get those papers filled out that are on your desk. The judge needs them..."

"I'm on it, Gary, thanks!" Edward called walking straight back to his office. He had just sat down and started looking over the forms when his eyes caught the picture he had of Bella. There was a larger one of them on their wedding day, him kissing her cheek as she sat on his lap. The one that caught his attention was one he had of her in a smaller frame, he had taken it after finding her in the kitchen after he had come home from a call. She was dressed in one of his old station tees and her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head. The shirt stretched down to her legs—and she wore nothing but that t-shirt and panties. She was smiling, holding a tea cup in her hand.

He put down the papers and picked up her picture. There was no doubt in his mind that she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. She looked so young, so determined to live her life to the fullest. Now, she was just as beautiful but the light that she used to carry hadn't been in her eyes in a long time. With a frown, he decided that if anyone could try to change that, it was him. On his way out the door, he waited until him mom picked up and when she did, he took it off speaker and continued his way to the Jeep. "Hey, mom. Could you take the kids for us tonight?"

The next chapter is in the works and will hopefully be up within the next two days. Be patient with me, I know you are all anxious. Just know that I am trying :) LP xx