Chapter Twenty-Eight

My body rocked as Aro thrust gently. I wasn't sure if he was trying to be careful with me or if he was bored. He breathed heavily through his nose but made no other sound. Though, neither did I, and probably for a different reason. I was surprised he hadn't yet noticed I was actually holding my breath, flinching each time he pushed his erection into me. But finally, it got to be too much for me, "I need to stop."

His motions ceased but he didn't otherwise move, "What's the matter, my dear?"

"Besides the fact you're not actually interested, my back is killing me again."

Aro frowned, "Would lying differently help?"

"No," I groaned, "I need to sit up."

Finally he backed off me so I could push myself up, "My dear, I wasn't-"

"I don't want to argue with you right now," I nearly snapped, "Will you please just rub my back."

I turned slightly as he moved behind me. He placed his hands on either side of my waist, using his thumbs to dig into my lower back. I winced and nearly cried, it hurt so bad and felt so good. After a moment, the pain seemed to have disappeared completely. I turned to look at him over my shoulder, "Thank you. Now lay down."

He started at me for a second and then did as he was told. I straddled his hips, guiding him inside again, intending to finish what we had started. Now that I wasn't in pain, maybe one of us would actually enjoy it. Aro seemed a bit more into it with me on top of him. He growled in his throat. His hands gripped my thighs as he helped me to bounce up and down his length. I even managed light moans. His breathing grew more ragged as he moved me faster, but abruptly slowed and stopped when he noticed the look of pain crossing my face. He frowned with concern, "Are you alright, dearest Ashleigh? This doesn't seem quite right."

"I'm fine," I gasped, "it's just a back ache."

That was rapidly intensifying, now spreading into my hips. I took a few deep breaths to try and regroup. For a second, there was immense pressure that I thought was from him still being inside me. But then the feeling lifted suddenly as a wave of fluid gushed from me. I was pretty sure I now looked completely horrified. Aro scrambled out from beneath me, disappearing into the bathroom briefly. When he emerged he was fully dressed, holding a robe out to me, "You need to see Carlisle."

Aro didn't bother knocking. Or even opening the door like a normal person. He gave it a swift kick and it flew in, bouncing off the wall. He slipped in sideways, being careful not to accidentally bump me into the door frame. Carlisle stood as Aro carefully placed me on the bed, "Aro, what is it?"

"She was having pain in her back and hips, and then fluid ran from her," he sounded out of breath when he answered, though it was physically impossible for him to be. We both looked to Carlisle, who remained calm while also looking greatly concerned. He pulled over a cart with medical supplies and quickly slipped a glove over his hand, "It sounds like her water broke."

Aro stared at him, very confused. The doctor clarified, "The bag of fluid surrounding the baby."

He then turned to me and said something about needing to check for dilation. I had a death grip on the sheet, clutching so hard I thought my nails would tear holes in it. My breath came out in short bursts and cries and the lower half of my body was wracked with pain. Aro smoothed the hair from my face. Doctor Cullen instructed me to bring my knees up and let them fall out but I couldn't move. So he maneuvered on leg while Aro did so with the other. Carlisle quickly pushed his fingers inside me but withdrew them just as fast, "The baby is already descending the birth canal."

Aro's gaze snapped to him immediately, "How is that possible? Her pain only recently began!"

Carlisle grasped my hips and tugged me to the end of the bed, so that my butt was hanging off the edge, "Either Ashleigh has a very high pain tolerance or she's had a precipitous labor."

"A what?" I gasped. He pushed my legs back and hooked my hands behind my thighs, "A labor that progresses very rapidly. Lasting three hours or less."

That would explain why it felt as though my pelvis was breaking apart. The doctor situated himself between my legs, "With your next contraction I need you to push as hard as you can, okay?"

Aro suddenly looked nervous, "She's supposed to be having a c-section, Carlisle."

Carlisle shook his head, "The baby's head is about to crown. By the time I got everything set up, she'll have already delivered. Just be prepared to change her."

I looked to Aro, who glanced between me and Carlisle. The pain and pressure were building rapidly, and I could hear more fluid trickle to the floor. Aro tensed, his stare locked toward the doctor, who whispered, "She's bleeding."

Then he spoke loud enough for me to better hear him, "Push, Ashleigh. Pull your legs back toward your chest and push as though you are trying to use the bathroom."

Any other time I probably would have flushed with embarrassment but I felt too woozy. I tried to do as he instructed. He shook his head again, "Curl into a ball and push harder, Ashleigh. Aro, support her back."

Aro sat behind me keeping me curled as tightly as possible. I tried to push harder. More fluid gushed to the floor. I cried out in agony. My grip on my thighs loosened. I felt too weak, too dizzy. My entire body shook.

"I can't…" I sobbed.

There was a loud splatter as another wave of fluid flooded forth.

"Carlisle, what's happening?" Aro asked, sounding slightly panicked.

"She's hemorrhaging. We need to get the baby out now," Carlisle replied calmly. He stood, draping a towel across Aro's arms and positioned the man between my legs, "You'll need to catch the baby when it comes out. It'll be slippery from all the blood, so grip it with the towel just ahead of its shoulders. Once the baby's out, wrap it so it stays warm. Her next contraction I'm going to push on the top of her uterus to help baby down the birth canal. Get ready."

The doctor came to stand by my side, hands on the fundus of my womb. Aro stared, completely frozen, with an odd expression at his crowning child's head. Carlisle warned, "Here comes the contraction. Prepare to catch it."

Carlisle pushed in and down on my abdomen as pain shattered me once again. I tried to help but just didn't have the energy anymore. The room was beginning to spin and look fuzzy. Aro suddenly snapped out of his daze, taking a step forward, reaching down and out slightly. It felt as though every bone in my pelvis and back were snapping apart, the pain so intense all I could do was scream. But then the pain and pressure vanished as another wave of blood splattered to the floor. There was a cry.

Aro's posture straightened, our newborn child held securely to his chest. Its smooched little face was just visible, scrunching further with its squeaks. He stared down at it in amazement.

My vision was fading at the edges, steadily moving inward. I tried to call his name, to get his attention, but nothing came out. At least, I hadn't thought it did. But he looked up at me, that unnerving look on his face that I had seen in my dreams. My breathing grew shallow, my cries lessening as the darkness crept further in. I held his gaze for what seemed like eternity. My heart squeezed harder as a gut-wrenching realization sunk in. It had been true. He was going to leave me to die.

A/n: I'm not sorry for the cliffhanger. xD