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Summary: What if there was something different about Bella? What if it meant that Edward & Bella had a more "normal" relationship?

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Chapter 51 – Renee's Two Cents

Edward's POV

I was very happy that we had managed to get Renee to come up to Forks for a while. Charlie had been a huge help, explaining everything to Renee before she left Arizona. I got the feeling she was a bit hurt by Bella's inability to have the hard conversations with her mother. She was always afraid of disappointing her.

Watching Bella's reaction to seeing her mother that day was beyond priceless. I knew from Renee's thoughts that although she had been hurt by Bella's lack of sharing important occurrences in her life in Forks, she hadn't really been angry about it.

Her thoughts were calm and teasing and I couldn't stop the grin that stayed on my face while she pulled Bella's leg for a while.

I knew that having Renee in Forks was a balm for the emotions that were running rampant through Bella. Although I was unable to read Bella's mind, our connection enabled me a closer insight than others into the nervousness and fear that was emanating from her the closer to the end of the pregnancy we got.

The ability to leave her in her mother's care along with Rose and Esme when I went hunting with the rest of the family was a godsend. With Renee around the house daily, it was essential that we hunt every other day to prevent any accidents. Being in school with humans was one thing, we could at least go home to get away from the temptation but having a human in the house every day took away from that sanctuary.

The days became somewhat routine with Rose, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and I going to school together and Renee and Esme spending the day with Bella. I knew Bella missed being with us during the day but I hoped that having our moms there would take the edge off her emotions. Carlisle was in and out during the day and night. One of the Doctors had left the hospital and he was covering the shifts left unattended as best he could as well as keeping an eye on Bella for any sign of problems or early labour.

The pack came to visit during the day as well and Jake and Leah came often to hang with us on weekends while Emmett and Rose and Alice and Jasper did things on their own for quality time together. Most of our visiting was done at the house due to Carlisle's strict rules of what Bella could safely do. On good days or when Bella was about to go stark raving mad from being cooped inside the house for too long, he let her travel to Port Angeles for dinner with Leah and Jake but most of the time we stuck around Forks.

Bella literally glowed these days. She was beautiful to me all the time whether she believed me or not but now she was just breathtaking.

School was torture these days. I missed having her with me. Everything was a shade of grey when she was not next to me. I envied Emmett and Jasper at times that they had their mates with them during the day but I also knew how extremely lucky I was that Bella and I had this opportunity to have children. They probably also were envious of us, especially Rose. I knew from her human story, the one thing she had coveted the most was having a child of her own. There were times that I had caught her staring at Bella with an extremely envious expression on her face. I knew she was already in love with our children and would be there for them whatever they needed but I also knew that it was going to be emotionally hard for her.

When I got home after the school day, I knew that something had happened between Bella and Renee but she didn't seem to want to talk to me. She had even been able to block the information from our mated link. She was quiet during the evening and after I finally got her calmed and sleeping, I searched the house for Esme. I couldn't fix what I didn't know was wrong and I knew Esme would tell me if she knew what was going on.

I found Esme in Carlisle's study.

"Esme? Do you have a moment?"

She looked up from the book she was reading and smiled.

"Certainly Edward. What can I do for you?"

"Did something happen between Renee and Bella today? Bella was out of sorts when I got home today but refused to talk about it." I ask as I sit down next to her on the sofa.

She instantly averted her eyes from mine, seemingly hesitant to answer my question.

"Please Esme. If you know something, please tell me. It took me forever tonight to settle her emotions down so she could sleep and she barely ate her dinner."

Esme's eye showed how torn she was to tell me what had happened during the day but after wrestling with herself for a few moments, she must have decided that I needed to know.

"I overheard Renee pressuring Bella to arrange a wedding before the babies are born. I know you two have discussed the situation and decided to wait until summer after the school year is done but Renee didn't want to hear that. She may have told Bella that she didn't believe in getting married early while she grew up, but apparently it's a whole different matter when Bella is pregnant. They had a bit of a tiff this afternoon and Renee left early. Bella was visibly upset but I didn't want to pry, figuring she would discuss it with you when you got home."

My head fell into my hands. We had discussed a wedding but neither of us wanted some justice of the peace rushed ceremony. Bella wanted something small, intimate and family oriented designed by Alice and Esme. Alice had already been asked to design the dress and was over the moon at the request. Renee pressuring her to have a wedding before the babies were born was the last thing we needed. The stress of fighting with her mom could send her into early labour, which could be dangerous for both Bella and the babies. This was something I was going to have to deal with as soon as possible. The situation had already been explained to Charlie and although he had at first hinted that a wedding soon would be something he wanted for Bella, after the stress of the situation was explained to him, he had backed off and agreed waiting was better for everyone involved.

I felt a hand on my back and looked up at my mother (for all intents and purposes). "What am I going to say Esme? How can I get her to understand what she is doing to Bella?"

"Maybe you should talk with Charlie first, Edward. You got him to understand and maybe he can help."

I thought it over throughout the night while I watched Bella sleep. Muttering and tossing in her sleep, I knew it was what her mother had said that was disrupting her slumber.

By morning, my mind was made up. I would contact Charlie at lunch and see if I could talk with him today about the situation with Bella and Renee. I wasn't going to let it stress Bella out any longer than necessary.

During English, my mind wandered in an attempt to block out the extremely ex-rated thoughts going throughout the minds of Lauren and Jessica. Even though it was well known that Bella and I were a couple and that she was living with me, they still never gave up that they could get me away from her. Thinking about my upcoming conversation with Charlie and Renee took my mind away from their grotesque visions of what they wanted me to do to them. I shuddered as the teacher calling my name asking me a question captured my attention. We were supposed to be watching a televised version of Romeo and Juliet and he wanted me to quote the lines before the frozen scene on the television. I looked at the scene, of course recognizing it instantly and quickly quoted the lines he requested. Such an obvious advantage to seeing the same play so many times it was ridiculous.

I could teach this class and any other one in this school with very little effort. The one thing I was especially looking forward to having the children was something new and different would be happening in my life. Besides meeting and falling in love with Bella, nothing too exciting had happened to me in the last 70 years or so. This was a new adventure and I couldn't wait.

After answering the teacher, my mind wandered again to Bella and our children. I tried to stay calm and supportive for Bella but inside I was terrified. There were so many things that could still go wrong with the pregnancy despite all the precautions we had taken. I was terrified that something could go wrong and I'd lose Bella or the children. Carlisle was an accomplished doctor and I'd attended medical school a few times for different specialties but the added difference of Bella's shape-shifting physiology was a mystery to both of us.

I really needed to sit down with Bella and Carlisle and propose the possibility of a Caesarian Section to limit the risk for everyone. A great deal of blood would not be advantageous for the rest of the house to experience and a C-section could at least limit that. Only Carlisle, Leah and I would be in the room during the birth and Carlisle had everything in place, prepared for the moment Bella went into labour.

The bell jerked me out of my wandering thoughts and I looked up to meet the disgruntled eyes of my teacher. "Jesus Cullen, can't you at least pretend to pay attention to my class" were his thoughts as I gave him a small smile and shrugged my shoulders, passing him on my way out the door. I quickly searched for Alice to let her know I was going to leave the school during lunch and headed to the office for a pass. Esme had given me a note to give them to allow me to leave the school grounds without any hassles. I headed over to the police station to catch Charlie, having called to make sure he was there before leaving the school.

The deputy on duty sent me back to Charlie's office and he smiled at me as I entered his office.

"Edward! Hello son! How are you? Are you okay? Bella?"

"Hello Charlie! I'm good. Actually, sir, Bella is the very subject I needed to talk with you about."

"What? Is she okay? What's wrong?"

"Oh! No, Charlie, nothing is physically wrong with Bella or the babies. But there is a problem with Renee."

Charlie's expression became puzzled. "What about Renee? I thought it was helping Bella to have her mother here?"

"At first, it was but yesterday Esme overheard her trying to pressure Bella on the whole wedding issue and ever since then, Bella has been extremely upset. She didn't eat much last night and she was extremely restless all night. She can't handle this emotional stress right now Charlie. If I have to stop Renee coming to the house to see Bella, I will. I will do anything to make sure she gets through this pregnancy with no difficulties."

His eyes widened. "She did WHAT? I'm so sorry Edward. I told her not to bring that subject up with Bella. I explained your plans for the summer and I thought she would just let it be."

"Charlie, could Bella and I come by the house tonight and talk with both of you? It might help Bella clear the air with her mom and both of us would be there for support."

"Sounds like a good plan, son. Shall we say about 6pm for dinner? My shift ends at 5 so I'll be home in plenty of time."

I get up to shake his hand, "Thanks Charlie, we'll see you then."

I got back to the school just in time for my first afternoon class and suffered through the afternoon, my thoughts on how the conversation with Renee would go. I was hoping that Bella's safety would over power her need to see Bella go through a wedding ceremony any time soon.

Arriving home, I walked in to find my very beautiful, very pregnant love passed out on the living room sofa from what looked like a complete food orgy. I looked at Esme as she walked downstairs questioningly.

"Renee didn't come by today. Bella found her appetite, or maybe the babies did, at around 1pm this afternoon and didn't quit until she passed out."

Chuckling, I lifted her up into my arms and carried her to our room. There was plenty of time before we had to go to Charlie's house for her to sleep off her food coma. I could hear the thoughts of Ciara, Elisabeth, Edward and Aiden, who were extremely satisfied and sleepy.

As I entered the room, I couldn't help but notice how spotless the room was. Everything was put away and organized, not a single thing out of place. The cribs were made up and all the activity boards and mobiles were in place. Each crib was colour co-ordinated to each baby's preference. Who says this communication we have with them isn't handy?

I laid Bella in our bed where she snuggled into the comforter, my name leaving her lips on a sigh, making me smile. I wasn't sure how long I stood there before I felt the unmistakable presence of Esme behind me.

"She'd beautiful Edward," she said.

I felt her arm encircle my waist. "She's getting really close. She's been nesting for the past week. She just finished the cribs today."

I must have looked puzzled for a moment because Esme smiled. Just as she opened her mouth to explain, I realized what she was referring to. I'd been reading a ton of baby books to keep in the loop of what was happening with Bella during the pregnancy and realized there'd been a whole chapter in one of the books on this very subject.

"I have to talk with Carlisle soon. I'm hoping Bella will agree to have a C-section to minimize any risks for her and the babies."

Esme gently squeezed my waist, "I'm sure she will, dear. Those children mean everything to her, as do you."

Bella shifted restlessly in the bed, murmuring my name again. Esme gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and left the room. Her thoughts told me that Carlisle would be home soon.

"Esme, can you let Carlisle I would like to talk to him later? Bella and I are going to her father's house for 6pm to have a talk with Renee."

"Sure Edward. I'll let him know." She said out loud in case Bella had woken up. They made sure that they spoke out loud these days so that Bella didn't feel excluded from conversations.

I lay down with Bella and scooped her into my arms. She snuggled into my body and sighed.


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Posted on May 30, 2010

Words: 2698