A/N for 2019-10-27: Many thanks to Eeyorefan12 for her marvelous beta-ing.

A quick note about Bella's pregnancy: someone commented that it seemed to be going on forever. I can guarantee you that every pregnant woman also feels this way about their pregnancy, especially towards the end. In the story, Bella is about five months pregnant (July, 2015). She is due in early November in this story.

Cheers,

Erin

"NO!" Josh shrieked, "No potty!" His angry shove almost caught Bella in the face, but Edward's quick hand redirected the blow.

"Gentle," Edward reprimanded Josh.

He was answered with a growl, and then a pouting demand: "Diaper!" Josh grabbed the pull-up from the counter and struggled into it.

"Okay," Bella sighed, looking at the toilet and insert they'd put on top of it. "I think maybe it's a bit early for this."

Edward shook his head, tapping his temple. "Trust me, ready. The . . . uh, logistics are just confusing for him."

They were standing in the upstairs bathroom, where Josh now huddled in the corner, obviously relieving himself in the pull-up.

Emmett cast a large shadow in the doorway. "What do you guys expect? You're asking him to pee like a girl."

Edward arched an eyebrow at him. "And what do you propose? Demonstrating how to do that standing up?"

Bella wondered not-so-idly if Charlie would be willing to help on this front.

"Challenge accepted," Emmett said, pointing a finger at Edward and waggling his eyebrows. Then he turned and sauntered away. "Back in a bit."

Edward suddenly laughed out loud, watching his brother disappear.

"What?" Bella asked, eyes still on Josh, who was bouncing up and down with his sloshy diaper.

Still laughing, Edward picked Josh up and put him on the toilet, snapping off the pull-up and cleaning him up. "I'll let Emmett show you. In the meantime, let's go find you some juice, Josh."

"Juice!" Josh squealed. It wasn't a regular feature of his diet, and Bella's eyes widened.

"Why—?" she started.

"You'll see why. Don't worry, I'll deal with any errant effects. I promise."

"Oh-kay," she mouthed. It was his funeral, she thought. Or not. She always avoided giving Josh sugar, but had become even more careful lately, as his behaviour became so much more unpredictable with it.

After watching Josh down not just one, but three cups of lemonade, Bella had an inkling of Edward's intentions. The two of them had played a game of chase in the yard and she was watching Josh squirm, trying to deny his need to pee. Finally, he'd had enough and made a beeline for Bella with an urgent, "Diaper!"

"Let's go inside," Edward said, herding him towards the door.

Bella followed, curious to see what plans had been set afoot.

"Let's go pee like big boys," Emmett said from the doorway, "C'mon."

It was Bella's turn to arch an eyebrow at Edward.

As Josh followed Emmett to the main floor bathroom, Edward leaned over and whispered to her, "A bag of saline, yellow food colouring, and surgical tubing."

She stifled her laugh with a hand to her mouth, not wanting to distract Josh. Standing just outside the bathroom door, she heard a stream of liquid make its distinct landing in the toilet.

"Your turn!" Emmett said.

Bella leaned forward eagerly. She gasped when she heard the same sound softly repeat and conclude with a flushing toilet.

"And now we wash our hands," Emmett instructed.

Josh and Emmett high-fived each other on the way out.

As Josh ran off to play, Emmett pretended to mist his nails with his breath and then buff them on his shirt. "Parenting-shmarenting," he said glibly, and then winked at Bella as he turned to walk away.

Edward rolled his eyes, but Bella hugged Emmett. "Thank you," she said. "And now that you've proved yourself such an expert, you can take on the number-two training, too."

Emmett's laugh boomed loudly through the hall. "Sorry, I can't steal all your thunder."

"Feel free," Bella sighed, letting go of Emmett and feeling Edward's arms snake around her from behind.

Josh had zipped outside again, where Bella saw Esme's head lift from her gardening work to watch him run over his favourite set of flat stones.

She thought again about how lucky she was to have so much help with her children. She'd felt run off her feet in the few months between Matt's death and Edward's return. The difficult experience was fresh enough to make her feel profound gratitude for such abundant assistance.

Esme stood and joined Josh, following his gaze and talking to him. Bella watched her speak, suspecting she was naming the flower at which Josh was looking.

So lucky.

She'd often wished she and Matt had been blessed with such support. It had been a difficult choice, moving away from the small group of friends they'd made in Seattle, but the job opportunity had been simply too good for him to turn down.

"Do you want to take a nap before we go tonight?" Edward asked.

She sighed. No. But she probably should. Charlie was hosting another BBQ, this one to welcome Leah home for a few weeks holiday. She didn't come home often, and Bella knew it was a fairly big deal for Sue. It also meant that Alice was blind to what the evening would hold for them all. Charlie had extended the invitation to include Jasper and Alice too.

"Yeah, maybe that would be a good idea." She wasn't sure how tense it would be, but she didn't need to pass out in the middle of it. Then again, she considered, perhaps that could provide a simple reason for leaving if things got awkward.

Moving carefully up the stairs, she slipped into their bedroom, and then into the bed. It usually didn't take long for her to go to sleep, at least not when she was pregnant, but her guilty conscience needled; She still hadn't said anything about the email. At first, she hadn't wanted to interrupt the calm that the household was currently enjoying. And Edward—he had been so happy with them all there together that she was seeing more and more glimpses of the boy she had first fallen for—the one who teased and stole kisses and laughed frequently. She dreaded the moment when her words would make the lightness in his eyes dim with disappointment and anxiety again. Still, Alice hadn't seen anything. Perhaps Bella was relying too much on that fact but it was an easy rationalization. So yes, she needed to tell Edward. And she would. Despite her mind's anxiousness, her body was making its own plans. She yawned again, blinking. She would tell him later—after the party. The relief of this decision pulled her deeper into the beginnings of sleep. Later, she thought again. Later.

- 0 -

He felt more a student of Bella's body than ever before. When she was young, he'd memorized the rhythms of her heart, listening for them and using their timely beats to mark the unbroken rhythm of his own days. Now they were a sound to which he marked the time of his own heart, a dead thing to which she gave life.

Her blood remained as sweet as ever but not so tempting, altered as it was by the hormonal tang of pregnancy. This change did not lessen the precautions he took, but it was something to which he gave a great deal of his attention. He'd discovered that there were subtle variations in her scent when her sugars dropped, and he was certain he was detecting such a drop now.

As they turned onto Charlie's street and drew closer to the house, he became aware of a motley array of thoughts that he hadn't expected to hear. Sifting through them, he understood the true purpose of their summons to Charlie's house.

His future father-in-law had organized a surprise engagement party.

When the car stopped moving, Josh began kicking in his car-seat, straining and whining. His thoughts were clarifying, and Edward let him reach for a word, the syllables finally erupting, as, "Bu-nee," and then an urgent, "BUNNY!"

"Hold on," Bella said, hunching over to rifle through the bag at her feet. She pulled out the iPad Jasper had come home with the week before. He'd thought it might be good in augmenting Josh's ability to communicate, but so far its main purpose had been entertainment. Josh was obsessed with a game that featured a blue bunny—hence the name. Edward had to admit, though, that the occasional distraction it provided could prove helpful.

"Bunny." Josh sighed happily as Bella passed him the iPad.

"Just two minutes, dude, then it goes away," Bella said. It was then she seemed to notice the large number of cars around them.

"So, I'm going to take a shot in the dark and guess that you still don't like surprises?" Edward asked.

She looked sideways at him. "No, why?"

He lowered his voice. "Charlie's organized a surprise party to celebrate our engagement."

She groaned and put her face into her hands. Edward grinned and shook his head. Some things really didn't change.

There was a dire-sounding thwack from the back seat as Josh dropped the iPad.

Bella's quiet "Shit!" slipped out under her breath.

Josh repeated the word immediately—or tried to.

"Sit!"

"It's shit, Josh, not 'sit'," Meredith corrected him with a weary sigh.

Edward held back his laugh, turning instead to Bella. "It's okay," he said, patting her hand once. "Just a thing." He reached behind her and picked up the iPad, checking the screen. There were no cracks. "All good."

Bella let out a breath. She'd already expressed apprehension about having Edward near two members of the pack. She didn't know yet that there would be more, and he didn't want to be the one to tell her.

"We can say you're not feeling well and go home. It isn't like it would be stretching the truth." he offered.

"No," she said, rubbing her face in her hands. "He's really trying if he's done this. We can't, even though I would like to turn tail and run."

Edward chuckled. "Why don't we go for a bit, and if you're not up for staying, we'll head home."

"Okay," she breathed.

"Okay." Then he leaned over to her side, cupping her cheek and bringing their lips together.

There was another moan, but it was softer, and of a quality that spoke of pleasure and a letting go of worry, time, and propriety.

"Eww!" Meredith said from the backseat, choosing this moment to look up from her book. She suddenly noticed that they'd arrived at their destination. "Why are we waiting?"

"So your mother feels alright," Edward supplied, pulling back.

Bella did look marginally improved—her cheeks flushed, her lips full, and her eyes wide with possibilities.

"Better?" Edward asked.

"Very better," she breathed, feathering her fingers through his hair.

"Can we go in now?" Mer whined.

"Yup," Bella said, although her eyes were still focused on Edward's and her hand was now curled around his neck as she appeared to weigh her answer. Finally, she pulled away with a sigh, murmuring "later," quietly under her breath. There seemed more to this word than Edward could currently ascertain, but he tucked his questions away for another time.

Josh flailed happily as Edward unbuckled him, sneaking in a quick tickle at his little ribs. Both the audible and inaudible sounds were delightful to hear with such small joys. He had to hold Josh's hand tightly as they approached the house. Josh was eager to run ahead to his, 'Pa', and Edward didn't want him to rob Charlie of his well-planned moment.

At the door, Bella jumped a little when Charlie called out, "Surprise!"

Edward was impressed by how well Bella imitated the genuine emotion.

Though, as he glanced around, Edward suspected it was more because of the company than the occasion.

He'd texted Alice and Jasper quickly in the car, suggesting they stay away. By scent alone, he knew they were in the presence of many pack members, and beyond that, many more Quileutes. He didn't want to add more vampires to that mix unless absolutely necessary.

So far, the ill feelings came from only a few scattered locations in the house—all of them wolves in human form.

He couldn't say he blamed them.

One set of thoughts was particularly unhappy with the occasion, and if it hadn't been for the tie of kinship and clan, Sam Uley would have kept himself far away. As it was, he was glad his own wife was out of town visiting distant relatives with their children.

But the subtle shifts in scent coming from Bella were more pressing now.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her, between greeting the many people present.

"Not really," she murmured back.

"Maybe you want to go sit down for a bit?" he asked, hoping he wasn't pressing his luck with these less-than-subtle nudges.

"Sure," she said, surprising him, moving towards the backyard. Most people were still inside, and he was glad she could find a quiet moment away from the crowd.

The dining room table was overwhelmed by a variety of pots, plates and platters. Most of it seemed to have originated in the kitchens of the party's guests. Edward chose widely, knowing a few favourites on sight but not wanting to appear too observant or controlling of Bella's appetite.

"What, no fresh meat for you?" a woman's voice called.

He turned around, plate in hand, eyeing the voice's source. She was tall, with the high cheekbones and dark hair of the Quileute. There were other features he recognized too, and he made a guess as to her name. "You must be Leah Clearwater."

"You get that from my amazing good looks or my enticing smell?"

He kept his face carefully neutral. There were too many people nearby to safely have this conversation. "A pleasure to meet you," he said politely, words belying his true feelings. Her hostility towards him was only marginally balanced by her good will towards Bella.

She snorted. "I could barely believe it when mom told me, but you're actually here. You've got some nerve, showing up after what you pulled." Then she dropped her voice even more. "And considering what you are." She took a drink from her wine glass. Her thoughts illustrated, quite specifically, the faults she attributed to him individually, and his kind generally.

"Oh, you two've met. Good." Charlie concluded, coming in suddenly to grab a couple of bags of chips and heading back toward the door. "Would you mind offering Edward something to drink?" He asked Leah, hurriedly moving away with his mind on refilling the snack bowls in the next room.

"Sure," Leah smirked, not moving after he left. She swirled her wine in the glass. "Take your pick of the crowd, tick. I'm sure Sam would be thrilled to have an excuse to vent some of his frustrations."

Her thoughts indicated she didn't join in Sam's level of animosity, though clearly she was a wolf, and part of his pack. They also showed Edward that she knew she had every justification to violently resent him, but didn't.

"I seem to have offended you less than most here," Edward observed, straining the limits of his gift over the party's general noise to hear Bella.

Leah shrugged, burying her nose in her drink.

Edward set aside his curiosity at Leah's interior monologue. It contrasted sharply with her abrasive exterior. He'd ponder those differences later.

His eyes swept over the living and dining rooms. The many children present were darting to and fro like minnows. He caught glances of Meredith and Josh, little legs pumping to keep up with the children who considered this their home turf. Josh's face was already smeared with some sugary residue, but his thoughts were happy ones. They were safe enough to let run loose for now.

Another mind had collected a view of Bella, and the focus was not a tender one. Unhappily, Edward recognized the voice that was silent to all but him, and he tensed.

Sam Uley had cornered Bella, and now her heart-rate was rising along with her blood pressure.

"Excuse me," Edward said, nodding and moving away from the table.

"Yeah, better get back before she thinks you've left again," Leah quipped, watching him walk away, but there was no real venom to her words.

Charlie stopped him halfway to the door, introducing him to yet more people—distant cousins of the Clearwaters, now all but family to Charlie and soon, Charlie reminded him, family to him. He listened half-heartedly to the notions of kinship that his future father-in-law's mind mulled over, the greater part of his attention still focused on Bella, whose body was now showing clear signs of distress.

"Very nice to meet you," Edward concluded, but then held up the plate of food for Charlie to see. "Let me get this to Bella."

"Right," Charlie said, patting Edward on the back.

If his need to get to Bella weren't so urgent, he would've paused to wonder at the familiar gesture. The man loved his daughter, and he was doing his best to overcome all the well-earned prejudices he'd acquired for Edward.

Bella's face was a dangerous shade of red by the time he reached her. That alone was enough to alarm him, but it was Sam's intentions that distressed him more.

"If you want someone to blame, then look at him. He's the one who gave us the idea." Sam's finger pointed to Edward.

He nearly crushed the plate in his hands as Sam's memory assaulted him with images of the last time the two of them had met face to face.

By the treaty terms, the Olympic coven was required to formally notify—and ideally meet—with the Quileute's chief whenever they left, or returned to the area.

The Cullens had honoured this term at Carlisle's insistence when they had left ten years before, despite Edward's wish to leave quickly and without what he considered unnecessary ceremony. He and Carlisle had been surprised when it was Sam Uley who'd turned up with Billy Black. They hadn't known there was a wolf to meet with. New to both his role as chief and his nature, Sam had been angry beyond measure at the change he was convinced Cullens' presence had wrought in his life. Now, Edward found himself quickly recalling the conversation, running through what had been said that day in the forest.

"And now that you've brought trouble to our people, you're up and leaving?"

"To what trouble do you refer?" Carlisle asked, his brow furrowing at the suggestion.

"Your presence triggers our change," Sam spat out.

Carlisle paused, heart full of compassion for the distress he'd seen on the young man's face. "I see, and I'm so very sorry." His thoughts, Edward could tell, were at odds with his words. He wasn't sure their proximity was the cause, but he was curious—a curiosity he knew he needed to shelve for the moment

"You're sorry?" Sam asked incredulously, beginning to tremble with rage.

Billy put a hand on Sam's arm. "They're leaving," he reminded him. "Let's talk and be done."

Sam snorted. "Sure they're leaving, now that they've screwed up peoples' lives and don't even care. And they're leaving behind a girl who knows what they are, and apparently, what we are." He looked at Billy with raised eyebrows, but the man only shrugged, as though it couldn't be helped. Apparently, they knew Billy's son had already told Bella the tribe's history, although Edward knew Bella had only really grasped the truth of part of the story.

"She won't say anything." Edward was offended on Bella's behalf by Sam's intimation.

"And if she does? it won't be your problem. It'll be my problem." His resentment was beyond palpable.

"It won't happen." Edward's lips practically bit out the words. The fury in Sam's mind and the images that accompanied it were growing increasingly intolerable to him.

"You seem to have a lot of faith in a girl you're abandoning. And why, exactly, are you leaving her?"

Edward knew his hesitation was brief but noticeable. Still, the thought of having to share any information with them grated. Finally, he chose to answer with a question of his own, "Would you prefer we stayed in her life?"

"No." Billy spoke up. "You're doing the right thing." There was a flare of panic at the idea of them remaining.

"They're ditching us with a mess," Sam insisted. "How is this them honouring the treaty?"

Billy began murmuring quietly to Sam, trying to calm and reassure him, but the effort was wasted on the pack leader, who was mentally working on his own solutions.

"No," he said to Billy. "We've already paid for their presence alone. If she's a problem—"

"Bella's not a problem," Billy insisted. Edward was relieved to hear the genuine care in his thoughts, and then the man's resolve to make sure Bella wouldn't be a problem in the future, either. There was a painful lurch in Edward's already-hollow midsection, understanding what—or who—Billy thought would tether Bella's loyalty to their tribe.

This is why you're leaving, Edward told himself, so she can have a life—a normal human life.

Sam only glowered at Carlisle and Edward. In his mind, he'd already suffered for their presence.

"She's loyal to a fault," Edward said more to Billy than to Sam. He was so certain that his leaving would keep her safe, but how could he go without being sure she was safe from the fear Sam was harboring? "She won't betray us, and she wouldn't betray you. She might have heard your stories, but she still thinks they're just that." He hesitated before forcing out his next words. "We're the only monsters she thinks are real." He could hear the bitterness in his own words.

"See?" Billy said. His voice didn't betray it, but his body had been taut with anxiety. He feared Sam's youth and impetuousness.

Sam had no problem thinking of Edward and his family as monsters. Surprisingly, he considered the words that had been laid before him before speaking again. "And if she does talk, what do you suggest we do?"

Ever their stony selves, Carlisle and Edward had stood still through most of this conversation. It didn't do to risk provoking a wolf—and a young one at that. Now Carlisle's head turned almost imperceptibly to Edward.

Well? Carlisle asked silently. Edward could hear the sadness and even the mild reproach in his father's thoughts but his worry for his son was also clear. This was your choice, Edward. You decide.

He nodded once, accepting both the responsibility and the rebuke. "We're the stuff of legends," Edward finally whispered. "I don't think anyone would believe her."

Marginally calmer, Sam had pondered his words, pulling at the threads of possibility that sprang from this vague answer. Then he nodded, concluding the most difficult part of the discussion.

Carlisle drew the conversation back to more practical matters. "I've left our contact information in a file at the hospital, if urgent need arises." He'd treated one of the wolves in their time there. It had been a bad injury, one beyond the skills of the tribe to manage, and not safe for the other doctor in town to see. Sam scoffed aloud at the idea they would ever voluntarily contact the Cullens, but Billy nodded in acknowledgement.

Bella's voice snapped Edward back to the present, where he stood, motionless, her plate of food still in his hand.

"Is that true?" She sounded so young and broken that it reminded him of the night in the woods when he had shattered both of their worlds. The bewilderment in her gaze did the same, as he realized the question was directed at him. "You told them to say I was insane?"

"Doesn't feel so good to have people mess up your life, does it, Cullen?" Sam asked him, lip curling with satisfaction.

Bella didn't seem to even register these bitter words, staring at Edward, her expression twisted with disbelief and betrayal. He focused harder on Sam's thoughts, trying to read past the man's gloating triumph and identify exactly what he had said to Bella.

But Charlie had noticed the tense exchange between Sam and the guests of honour.

"I was sorry to hear Emily was out of town," Charlie said, coming over to join them. Sue followed close behind, her widened eyes and thoughts revealing vibrant and valid worries. Sam was still a hothead, and she'd hoped when he'd accepted the invitation, that he would come and go quickly.

"Yeah, she's out of town. Too bad," Sam said, tone clearly insincere.

Charlie's eyebrows puckered, hearing this, but his concern for Bella overrode his confusion. He bent down to Bella, speaking softly. "You okay?"

She swallowed, trying to lift the corners of her mouth to allay his concern.

"We were just talking about how surprised we all are that Edward bothered to come back after all this time," Sam offered, looking directly at Charlie. He considered Bella's father a turncoat, and Sue cut from the same cloth. "Especially after we told the Cullens how badly Bella had taken his leaving, right, Sue? You remember helping me get their contact information, don't you?"

Charlie's eyes widened, as he turned back to the woman he was all but married to. "Pardon?" he asked Sam, staring at Sue.

"I said, I'm surprised Edward didn't come running back after he found out how badly Bella was doing. I guess he didn't care as much then." He rolled his eyes and looked at Bella's left hand, which was tight and white, gripping the arm of the chair she was in, the ring on her finger drawing his gaze like a beacon.

Charlie's heart had begun to race, but his face paled, pure shock obscuring most of his thoughts. Still, Edward could make out the betrayal he was feeling. Charlie continued staring at Sue, who was now shaking her head, opening and closing her mouth, wanting to deny this grossly-twisted truth but too aware that she was standing next to the leader of the wolf pack.

Charlie's mind was full of memories from that painful time in his and Bella's life: images of the hospital, and the desperate phone calls he'd made once, and again over time, trying to find the Cullens. There were memories of Sue as well, comforting him in his helplessness and desperation even as he comforted her after Harry's death.

WIth a pang, Edward now registered Charlie's shock at what he saw as Sue's complete betrayal.

Charlie muttered a quiet, "Excuse me," and then walked away. His mind was still struggling for some excuse for Sue, but it could find none.

Sue trailed after him, a soft and broken, "Charlie?" on her lips.

Bella's father pulled away from the hand Sue tried to lay on his arm.

Bella looked as shocked as her father, and before Edward could say anything, she tried to stand, seemingly to imitate the exit her father had made, and then promptly collapsed.

DISCLAIMER: S. Meyer owns Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.