Impossible

Bella was first to react badly to the strong smell of the native dishes in the fridge. It was disgusting and nauseating to her. She shut closed the door and ran outside gasping for clean air. Edward had watched her reaction with curiosity and followed outside. He wondered if Keure's tribal herbs could make Bella reject him. That passing thought pooled venom in his mouth, ready to bite and trigger her change before she ate the foul foods.

"What was that? Did anything go bad?" Bella asked

"The cleaning lady brought meals this mornings. I'm sorry Bella. I didn't realize the scent would affect you so strongly. I'll get rid of it." He offered.

"It smells horrible." Bella repeated, trying hard to block the memory of the smell. She dragged Edward to the beach for a short walk in hopes the effect of the horrible smell would clear.

Alice's reaction was stronger. She aimed for the sink and hurled out the previous night's dinner soon as she walked into the kitchen. Jasper panicked, calling for Edward in his thoughts. His brother arrived within seconds, informing him of Bella's reaction and the herbs in the foods.

After throwing away the dishes a short distance from the house, Edward opened all the doors and windows. They made the girls breakfast which they ate in Alice's room. She seemed the worst affected and slightly ill.

Jasper called Carlisle to ask about any knowledge of the herbs and information about Keure. The family was stunned by the odd occurrence. They could not help. Carlisle gave instruction oh how to care for Alice. He stopped himself from going to the island with difficulty. Alice spent the day in bed and ate very little.

Although Bella worried, she did her best to focus on Edward and their honeymoon too. She was especially angry that the woman would try to interfere with their mating, even as her concern was borne of good intentions.

The Cullens had grown worried since Alice's illness did not better over the next days. Carlisle and Esme arrived on the same day Keure returned to Isle Esme. She found herself facing four angered vampires and Bella. Esme asked directly what herbs she had used in the food, shocking her. Realizing she had been found out, she answered truthfully and gave the reasons why. She held her eyes firm watching Bella with disapproval while she sat on Edward's lap.

Edward listened to all she thought while Esme asked more questions. Keure was surprised to hear the food made the girls ill with worse effects on Alice. Edward explained that it was the smell of the food, that the girls ate none of it. The shock on his face mirrored the native woman's as he heard her thoughts.

He quietly advised the protective family to let the woman see Alice when she asked. Jasper growled low at his brother from Alice's bedside where he listened to their discussion in the kitchen.

"Please let her brother. I must know what she thinks."

Carlisle added his pleading voice to Jasper, hoping for a quick answer to be able to help his daughter. He had yet to take her blood for tests.

They all followed Keure into the room and watched while she studied a sleeping Alice with her keen eyes. She held her hand to Alice's forehead, neck and lower stomach. She suddenly jumped back in fright as though her hands were burnt, speaking in her native language. She looked like someone who had seen a ghost.

Esme asked her a question, to which she nodded fervently.

Jasper begged Edward for an explanation though his thoughts. He sensed the shock that engulfed the room and the dread from the native woman.

Bella only heard the word 'morte!.' It was enough to pool tears in her eyes for her friend. She too looked to Edward for answers, needing to understand all that was said. Keure left the house talking non-stop to no one in particular. She was too distraught to notice the frozen vampires in the room. Neither did she notice they didn't refute what she suspected them to be.

"Edward?!" Japer and Bela called at the same time impatiently.

"Carlisle?" Edward looked to their leader of sorts.

"Yes – I better do some tests" He woke from his shocked state.

"Husband, could it be? Is it possible" Esme asked.

Bella noticed that none of her family reacted like she expected. She demanded to know what was going on. Edward and Jasper had been locked in a silent conversation. They were frozen as statues.

"Bella dear, Keure suspects that Alice is pregnant. Let's give Carlisle some time to run tests. We don't know for sure or how she is so confident. It's only been a week…" Esme's thoughts wondered as she dragged Bella to the living room.

"But-how?" Bella was stunned. Vampires couldn't have children. How was Alice pregnant?

Edward appeared next to her and excused them from the house. He ran Bella to the other end of the island in seconds. She was sat on the unused beach by the time her might caught up. Edward paced full speed a few feet away.

"What- what's going on Edward?"

"I believe the woman. Carlisle suspects the same." He informed

"H-h-how?"

"I can only think of it as a wonder of nature my Bella."

"But?" Bella pressed

"We are worried. I saw in the woman's mind the most horrific imaginations of her tribal legends. The women who carry our kind's seed die from their spawn. The people kill the child and burn it after birth. They are frightened of the monstrous creations. "

Bella made an 'oh' with her lips. Shocked to hear there have been women pregnant with vampire babies before.

"So Alice-"

"Jasper will not survive it."

Edward interrupted, looking at her with painful eyes. He knew Bella would mourn her friend and sister for eternity. Esme, Carlisle and Emmett too. His brother would sooner die than live a day without his mate. He too would feel the same if faced with the possibility.

Bella suddenly cried uncontrollably. She held onto him and cried for the both of them. Fear for Alice's future and her family's sadness was at the back of her mind. She cried because she needed to; it was what her body wanted to do – without reason, without cause. Edward held her tight, shocked by the depth of her grief especially because he had spared from her the most frightening details of his discovery.

He obeyed when she asked him to take her back to see her friend a while later. Alice was awake and in a state of shock. Jasper was by her side, keeping her wrapped in a bubble of love and comfort. He refused to think further about their circumstances, as did Alice. Carlisle and Esme stayed in the living room when Edward took Bella to their room for an afternoon nap. They had called Emmett and Rosalie to the island. Esme refused to discuss anything when the family was incomplete. Carlisle itched for answers. He wanted to find Keure and learn all her people knew about Alice's condition. He was tempte to contact his friends, others who may have heard of this. He recalled all he ever learnt of human pregnancies to prepare while they waited for the rest of the family to arrive.