A/N: Okay, first off, thank you all for all the reviews and the alerts, I am trying to reply back, but for those that have not received anything please know that I appreciate it!! Secondly, I had a couple reviews saying that it looks like I am moving too fast, so I will try and slow down. There is a lot to my plot that I want to cover, and I will be throwing in bits and pieces of the entire Twilight Saga into this story! Warning: this chapter has some mild fluff and some tender moments……So enjoy!!

Chapter 11

I walked up the walkway to the front porch totally wiped out. I looked over my shoulder and saw that Alice was still sitting in the car watching my every move. I waved one last time and then walked inside. I could smell the fish fry that Charlie likes to eat lingering in the kitchen. My nose immediately began to winkle at the smell and I tried to keep it from going to my stomach by putting my arm over my nose.

I have been thankful to not have many problems with sickness after the first trimester, but every time I smelled anything fried I was very much so feeling it. Maybe that was the reason that Alice decided to have Rosalie, Esme and I to spend the weekend in Seattle. She saw what Charlie was planning on eating.

I hung my coat quickly and walked into the living room. Charlie was sitting in his recliner watching the latest baseball game.

"Hey, dad, I'm home," I said quietly and tapping him on the shoulder.

"Oh, hey Bells," Charlie said as he put his feet down and sat up. "How was your girl's weekend out?"

I let out a very long sigh and sat down on the couch. "Exhausting. I am actually very excited to be back home. At least I can sleep in my own bed."

"Well, tell me about all that you did?"

I looked at Charlie like he just fell off of his rocker. "Dad, are you feeling alright?"

His eyes crossed at my question. "Sure, why do you ask?"

"Because you never ask about any of my trips when I go out with Alice."

"Oh, well then you caught me," Charlie said standing up and walking over to me. "I just can't help but feel like things are going to change. And I have missed out on so much of your life as it was. I just hope I get to be in this little ones life much more than I was in yours." Charlie placed his hand on my stomach and began to rub just slightly.

"Daddy," I said at his closeness and our lack of touch. "You're scaring me, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I guess I am just having an old man moment, that's all," Charlie said and then very quickly took his hand away much like you would when you pet a dog and it just bites you. "What was that? Did I do something?"

I smiled and wiped my eyes quickly. "No, the baby just kicked. Here," I reached over and put his hand back in the same spot and watched as my father's eyes became like giant saucers.

"Wow, I think you might have a soccer player on your hands," he said as he settled back into the couch, his hand staying on my stomach. "So, when exactly are you due?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "The doctor says my due date is August 7, so about eight weeks or so left. But you never know."

Charlie nodded his head. "You were actually about week early. I can still remember the day that your mother went into labor. You think she is flighty now, you should have seen her the day of your birth. Never saw anything like it before. She was constantly looking around asking if we remembered everything. Would you believe we were half way to the hospital and I had to turn around because she forgot to turn off the oven?"

I laughed and nodded my head. "Actually, I think I can."

"It was a surprise that we even made it to the hospital in time. Another couple of minutes, I think I would have had to pull over and call for backup."

We sat there talking for hours just about everything and then sometimes just about nothing. I missed this growing up and I have the feeling that I will miss it even more after the baby comes. I told him about the three days that I spent in Seattle, how Alice dragged me to every maternity store in the city and Rosalie had me in every baby store. The only sane person was Esme, who just smiled like a proud soon to be grandmother. The best part of the entire weekend was when Alice told me that the baby shower was off. When I asked her why, the only thing that she said was something came up.

Personally, I was grateful. I hated when people gave me presents, so the less I get the better off I will be. But I could not help but wonder in the back of my mind what could have happened. Rosalie and Alice have been so excited about the shower that whatever it was, it must be huge.

I closed my eyes for a just a moment and let out a huge yawn.

"I think someone should get to bed," Charlie said standing up and reaching down for my hands. "You have a doctor's appointment in the morning. Is Edward going with you, or would you like for me to come?"

At the mention if Edward's name I cringed. In all the hustle and bustle of the weekend I actually dismissed the night that he walked out and never came back. I told him that I love him and he just leaves. My heart pulled just slightly but I tried hard to bury it. When I asked the Cullen girls about it and where Edward has been the whole weekend, they all would just look at each other. I pulled Alice aside just this morning and asked again and that is when she told me that he had some business to take care of and that he was fine.

But where did that leave us?

The only question that I didn't ask, not because I didn't want to know, because I did, I just wanted to hold it in my heart that we were going to be okay. That I just surprised him by not just telling him that I love him after months of being together, but that I asked him to marry me. What was I thinking? Any man in his right mind would have been running in the opposite direction.

Maybe I was moving too fast for him?

Then again, we have never really even kissed. Not that toe popping kiss like you see in the movies. More like the way friends kiss. I guess that is what he saw me as – just a friend.

I stood up with Charlie and together we walked through the house, turning off the lights and locking up for the night.

"No, you don't need to come, it is just a routine exam, and nothing major is going to happen."

Charlie shrugged his shoulders as we began to climb up the stairs. "If you say so, but if you change your mind…"

"I will promise to ask," I had a smile on my face as I thought about our daughter-father time and how he wanted to be involved.

I was just reaching to open the door o my bedroom when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at my father and I thought that I saw tears in his eyes.

"Before I forget," Charlie said before disappearing into his room, returning just a couple of minutes later holding a small dark blue jewelry box. "Edward came by and dropped this off, he said he found it and thought of the baby."

I took the box from him with confusion. "When did he come by?"

"Oh, he stopped by last night. Good night, Bells sleep tight."

I opened the door to my room and placed the small box on my dresser. I looked at it for a moment before gathering up my toiletries to take a shower and get ready for bed even though I was at the point where I preferred to sleep with next to nothing on. But I couldn't exactly walk around the house with no clothes on.

When I came back into my room I went straight to the box and carried it over to my bed. I reached over and turned on my lamp. It was your average children's jewelry box. The outside appeared to be hand painted much like that of a fairytale scene. I opened the top slowly, and watched as Snow White popped up and began to dance in a circular motion. Immediately I recognized the melody of "Someday My Prince Will Come" and tilted my head to the side as I listened.

"I thought he was a Prince," I said softly as I closed the box.

Just as I was putting it on the nightstand I saw that there was a small drawer. I pulled it open and sitting in the soft velvet lining was a ring. Not just any a ring, a huge ring. Oval shaped with many diamonds nestled together. I picked the ring up and felt the weight of it. I quickly put it back, afraid that I would break it or worse, lose it. I snapped the drawer closed and then climbed under the covers. After I flipped the light off my eyes kept drifting back to the box with its hidden treasure.

"What a sick and cruel joke," I muttered and managed to roll over onto my side.

My eyes popped open though as I saw the butterscotch eyes of Edward staring right at me, holding the very ring that I placed securely back in the box not even five seconds ago. I looked at him for just a moment, trying to think I was dreaming or not.

Edward began to smile his crooked smile that I loved and I knew that there was no way that I could dream up that smile so perfectly.

I sat up in bed slowly afraid that if I made any sudden movements he would vanish.

"You left," I said quietly. "I tell you that I love you and you just left."

Edward nodded and I saw pain and hurt in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry," I started trying to keep my voice even and not get too loud. "Sorry, that's' the best you could come up with after three days of being gone?"

"I had to go, I was…it was wrong for me to stay."

I looked at him for a second, trying to choose my words wisely, "Wrong for you to stay or wrong for you to accept what I was asking?"

Edward reached out and took hold of my hands. "A little of both, I guess," he took in a breath and brought my hands to his lips kissing each one slowly. "Our worlds don't belong together. But I also realize that the two of us don't belong apart."

I watched as he slid the ring onto my left hand. "Isabella Swan, will you marry me?"

I blinked a couple of times making sure that what Edward just asked was real. I looked down at the ring that weighed heavily against my finger and back up.

"Well?"

"Can I ask you a question?" Edward lifted his eyebrow just slightly. "Well we make it?"

I could tell that by the way he cocked his head that he had a hard time understanding my question. I bit down on my lip to before I spelled it out.

"You as a vampire and me as a human? How will that work? We will ever be able to you know…truly be equal?"

"Bella, I am having a hard time following you; I thought that this was something you wanted?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, but what happens one, two, three years down the road, while I grow older and you stay seventeen forever? Then about…"

"About what?"

"Love."

"I love you that will never change."

"I know that, but what about…" I could feel my cheeks begin to burn and I lowered my head so that my hair would cover my red cheeks. "Edward, I love you and I want to be with you in every way possible. Right now, we do not even really kiss. I'm not breakable."

Edward reached down and hooked a long cold finger over my chin and lifted up my face so that I would be forced to look into his eyes. "Yes, you are. I can't be with you in the way that you are asking, especially right now." He put his other hand on my belly and began to rub small circles. "If something ever happened to either of you, I don't know what kind of man I will be like afterwards."

I nodded, knowing that he was speaking the truth. "Edward, do you promise that once we are married and after the baby is born, that we will make love?"

Edward swallowed hard and closed his eyes. It appeared that he was having internal battle. "Bella…"

"Please, I want us to be like normal couples."

"But were not normal."

"I know that," I reached up and pressed my hand against his could hard cheek and he moved his head to take in my heat. I leaned closer to him. "Close your eyes and be still."

Edward looked at me for a half a second and then closed them shut. I leaned even closer until I was within an inch of his lips. I licked mine and then with my tongue I traced his. With my touch his eyes opened and he looked at me. He picked me up and laid me on the bed, his body hovering with all of his weight off of me above my belly. He lowered his mouth until our lips were barely touching.

"Kiss me," I whispered. "Kiss me like my life depended on it."

Edward moved a little closer to my mouth and very faintly I could feel his lips touching mine. My hands went on instinct to his hair to pull him closer. His tongue lingered on my lower lip as I breathed softly and opened my mouth. When our tongues touched inside my mouth an electrical current that could light up the city of New York flashed through me making my toes curl.

He lingered there for a few seconds before releasing my mouth and then moving to my neck kissing along my jaw line and finally stopping at the base of neck. Taking a in a large breath, smelling my scent.

"Marry me, Bella?" He whispered in my ear.

"Yes," I said as goose bumps ran up along my arms. "Yes."

Edward lifted my shirt so that my belly was exposed and very careful he left a trail of butterfly kisses along my stretched skin.

"I love you, baby," he whispered into my stomach and then placed his head gently on my bump.

Just listening.

When I woke up the next morning, Edward was still laying in bed with me. I rolled over so I could like at him and smiled.

"Am I dreaming?" I asked.

Edward lifted my left hand and even with the faint sun of the morning hours casting through the thick clouds, the diamonds on my finger sparkled. "If you mean me asking you to marry you, then no."

"And the kiss that made my toes curl?"

"You mean something like this," Edward said as he breathed in my face and lowered his lips on mine.

After a few moments of mingling, I could feel my eyes begin to roll.

"Breath, Bella."

I squirmed my way up the bed so that I could sit up. "So, before or after the baby comes?"

"For what?"

"The wedding. I don't want anything fancy, as far as I'm concerned we can just go down to the court house."

Edward shook his head. "Alice would never let you live it down."

I groaned at how quickly a small wedding to get out of hand. "I am putting my foot down now; I want small, just your family and Charlie that is all that matters. Oh, my God, Charlie, what is he going to say when I tell him?"

Edward smiled. "You don't need to worry about his reaction."

"And why not?"

"He already gave me his blessing."

My eyes went wide. "You asked my father if you could marry me."

Edward nodded. "It was the proper thing to do and all."

I picked up the pillow and went to throw at Edward, but he caught my wrist in time. "I think you need to get ready, we have a doctor's appointment to go to in a couple of hours and I can tell you that Alice will be waiting to see you this afternoon as well."

I nodded my head and went to stand up. I took a step and felt a gut wrenching pain shot from around my back, I gripped my stomach as the pain increased, but after a minute or so it stopped. Edward was already behind me holding onto me.

"Bella?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing. The doctor said I will probably be experiencing the hick up thingy's."

"You mean Braxton Hick's."

"Yeah, those," I said standing fully and went to get my towel and change of clothes. I opened the door to head across the hall when I remembered that he never answered my question. "So what is, before or after the baby?"

"Before," he said sitting down in the rocking chair. "It would only be proper to bring a baby into this world married. Now, go get ready."

I nodded my head and shut the door. While I was in the shower it dawned on me that he wanted us to get married before the baby came. I looked down at my ring as the water dripped from it, making it sparkle even more so. I couldn't help but smile. Sometime within the next month or so I will become Mrs. Edward Cullen.

"Good morning, Bella," Megan said when she walked into the room. "Edward."

Edward nodded and then took a seat next to the exam table.

"Bella, let's see how that baby's heart is beating," Megan lifted up my shirt and put a small amount of jelly on the paddle, after a few seconds of searching she eventually found a good solid heartbeat. Then she pulled out her tape measure. "About thirty two weeks. You are coming down to the wire."

I nodded. "I am starting to feel ready. I had some those Braxton Hicks contractions this morning."

"Really?" Megan said looking over her chart. "Let's go ahead and check your cervix then and see where the baby is resting."

She reached into a drawer and pulled out a paper sheet. "Why don't you take off your bottoms and I will be right back in."

When she left Edward stood up and helped me down. As I was taking my pants off and tried my hardest to cover all of me with the flimsy thing.

"Do you want me to leave?" Edward asked and I could hear the discomfort in his voice.

"You don't have to," I said as I pulled the curtain away. "We will be getting married soon and besides, you will be seeing me in all of my glory when I have my baby."

I waddled over to the table and managed to get back on while Edward was facing the wall. When I made sure that the drape covered me I told him that he could turn around.

"Okay, this will just take a moment," Megan said as I scooted my bottom closer to the end. "You will feel some pressure."

When Megan slid her fingers up inside my cervix and with her other hand pressing down on my belly trying to shift the baby down. "I can feel the head, which is good; she is getting in position and is beginning to drop just slightly. And I would say you are just about one centimeter."

When Megan pulled out and snapped off her gloves, she walked over to wash her hands. "I actually think that this baby might come a couple of weeks early, maybe by the first of the month."

I could hear Edward shifting. "Bella can't have the baby early."

Both Megan and I looked over to him. "Well, Edward, it is really not Bella's decision. The baby will come when it's ready."

Edward nodded. "I know, but we still have a lot to do."

I looked at Edward and could tell immediately that he was hiding something. When Megan left I got up from the table and changed as quickly as I could and then walked over to Edward taking hold of his hands.

"You're hiding something."

Edward looked down at me. "No, I just want to make sure everything will be okay. Come on, Alice is waiting for us."

I watched as Edward opened the door and when I passed through I tried to give him the best evil eye I could muster.

The ride was quiet over to the Cullens home. I immediately felt self conscious with the giant ring settled nicely on my finger. I kept moving and twisting it around. I knew that when Edward placed his hand on mine, that I was fidgeting.

"Bella, you're worried."

He stopped in the drive way and he moved quickly to open my door. When I took his hand and could look him in the eye I crossed my hands over my chest.

"You're hiding something that you don't want to tell me."

Edward rolled his eyes and held my hand to walk up to the front door. He opened it slowly, much to slow for him. I could feel his grip tighten on my hand just slightly.

I gulped when I saw Alice sitting on the floor rocking back and forth; much like a child would after they have seen the most devastating of events. She looked at me and then over to Edward, his eyes grew big and dark as I realized he was seeing something in Alice's head.

"Edward, what's wrong with Alice?" I whispered.

"He changed his mind," Alice said.

"Who?"

Alice looked at Edward who nodded just slightly and both Alice and Rosalie come flying at me, each taking an arm and carrying me up the stairs. After I was placed gently on the bed I felt like I was about to become unhinged.

"What in the world is going on?" I asked looking at the two of them. "Alice, what did you see?"

Alice's eyes glazed over as another vision came to her. She placed her hands over her ears and screamed an ungodly scream. I had to place my hands over my own ears to try and block some of it out. When I opened my eyes after the screaming stopped, the only person in the room was Edward.

I tilted my head and looked at him dead on. "You tell me what is going on and now!!"

"You have nothing to worry about," he said in an even tone.

"The hell I do."

He took in a deep breath. "Bella, we need to leave."

I looked at him and then down to my stomach. "Um, in case you have not noticed, I am going to be having a baby pretty soon. I am in no shape to travel."

Edward picked up my hand. "Just for a couple of days, let's elope."

Elope??!

"Edw…."I thought for a second. "Edward is that not a little fast and why right now, why not wait until next week or something."

Edward shook his head. "We can't."

"And why not?"

"Alice's vision has changed."

"Changed how?" Edward just shook his head.

"Changed how Edward?" I asked again a little louder this time.

There was a soft knock on the door and then Esme walked in. "Alice says its time."

My eyes dart back and forth between Edward and Esme, trying hard to find an answer from one of them.  But the million dollar question was: time for what?