CHAPTER THIRTY

I can see it written all over Bella's face. Her heart must have felt like it was pounding directly in her ears. Her body began to tremble. It didn't look like she would hear me if I said one word to her, so I shook her softly and told her to take a breath.

She did so, and it reanimated her.

"No…no…she…she…" She stuttered.

"Are you sure?" I asked Bennett.

For all we knew, it could have been an impostor.

"She has identification and pictures…a box full of old photographs," Bennett confided.

Bella slowly backed up and looked around for the nearest chair. I led her toward one and she sat down and placed her head in her hands.

"Bennett, please give us a minute, "I said dismissing him.

This was something we needed to do in private. I waited for Bennett to leave and thought it was best to give Bella a few minutes of quiet contemplation before attempting to figure out what we should do.

"Bella," I began.

Her eyes shot up to mine and she looked almost like a lost child.

"What is she doing here?" She whispered. I haven't seen her in…sixteen or so years. What?" She began to breathe deeply, and I could tell she was about to lose it.

"Bella!" I exclaimed. "Look at me."

I waited until she listened to my command.

"You don't have to see her if you don't want to. You don't owe her anything. You don't have to do this. We can dismiss her."

Bella nodded slowly but focused her gaze upon the carpet. I continued to keep her hands in mine while I waited for her to decide what we were going to do. We stayed like that for at least five minutes. In silence as she took the time she needed to ponder.

I didn't know very much about Bella's mother other than she left voluntarily when Bella was just four. She never even told me the circumstances surrounding her departure, but I couldn't imagine what excuse this woman could have that would be decent. I did, however, know of several reasons why she would be suddenly popping up now. You better believe I would do everything in my power to keep this woman away from Bella if I felt she was here for dishonest reasons.

"I'm ready," Bella said softly.

"What do you want to do? How do you wish to handle this?" I asked.

"I want to see her," She replied looking up at me. "I need to do this."

I sighed and helped her to her feet. I had hoped that she would tell me that she was ready to move on and forget about her, but I understood what she needed. Bella was kind. I was sure she would give her mother the chance for an explanation. I found Bennett and he told me that he had placed my mother with a guard in the lower east drawing-room. I could feel the tension roll off of Bella in waves as we slowly approached.

I would never have picked this woman out of a line up to be Bella's mother. She had the same brown hair but other than that, looked nothing like Bella. She wore a tight white dress with clunky jewelry and high high heels that I knew Bella would never be caught in. She clapped her hands upon seeing us enter, her jewelry making loud obnoxious sounds as they clanged stopped at the sight of her and allowed her mind to take in the sight.

"Isabella!" The woman squealed as she walked forward with her arms open. "My god! Look at you! I mean…you're a lady. A lady with a big bun in the oven. They didn't say anything about you being knocked up in the magazines."

She pulled Bella in for an awkward hug and then this mother stepped back after a short moment and turned to me.

"Prince Edward! Your Majesty! What a pleasure it is to meet you. I am Renee Dwyer."

I tried to keep my face passive as her words irritated me. Your majesty was a term that I wanted to keep for Bella and Jasper. They were the only ones allowed to get away with calling me that. I knew I was being ridiculous. This woman obviously had no clue what her faux pas was but it still bothered me.

She held out a hand toward me and I felt obligated to take it.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked pointedly.

Renee stepped back from me and seemed a little put off from her daughter's obvious hostility.

"I mean…of course I am a lady. I'm all grown up, so the hard part is over for you. Is that why you're here?" Bella asked.

Renee laughed and slightly shook her head.

"Isabella…."

"It's Bella! I hate Isabella. Always have," Bella snapped.

"That's funny since that is what they are calling you in America. I mean…it's all over every newsstand and television outlet there is. Isabella Swan, Washington's own princess," Renee said.

"Yes…and now thanks to you, I'm stuck with that lousy name for the rest of my life. Maybe instead of watching soap operas you could have had the decency to pick up a book every once in a while and find a better name," Bella snapped.

I could not believe how Bella was speaking to her mother. I couldn't believe it, but I was certainly cheering on the inside.

"I didn't even know where you were until a month ago. I mean…color me surprised when a girl shows up on the cover of nearly every magazine and it just so happens to be my daughter. I couldn't believe it to look at you. You look so much like your father…I knew you were my Isabella," Renee replied harshly.

Bella laughed.

"I haven't been your Isabella for nearly two decades. What did you think was going to happen when you showed up here? What? Did you think I would want to sit down and share a tea party with my dolly and bear so you could pick up from where you left off?"

Renee let out a long sigh and stepped back a little.

"I…don't know what I was expecting. I guess a little patience to allow me to talk with you and perhaps explain myself. You have to understand that it wasn't you…it was…your father…"

"No! I don't want to talk to you. I don't need to hear apologies or excuses. The only reason I came in here to speak with you is to tell you this. For so long I was afraid to even consider having children. Stupidly, I thought I would turn out like you. Like genetics would play a part. Recently I had to fight so hard to even have the man I love to find value in this baby and it was because of this…trying time in my life that I realized that I am nothing like you. I don't run away from my problems. I am strong. I am stronger than you. It took this baby to show me what a true mother is. I don't know what exactly you expected to get from coming here but please, find your way to the door and never come back here again."

Bella turned around instantly and marched straight out of the room. Bella's words caught me a little off guard, so it took me a couple of seconds to leave. I didn't need to say anymore. The guard that had been placed at the door took over for me as I hurried to catch up. Bella had made it to the staircase and began to take the stairs too quickly.

"Bella!" I hoped that she would wait for me.

I wasn't close enough.

Bella slipped on a stair and fell directly onto her stomach. I tried so hard to catch her, but I wasn't close enough. I could feel my heart drop to my feet as I scrambled to get to her. I turned her toward me and she was frozen in shock. She looked into my eyes and she broke.

"CALL FOR THE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY!" I screamed.

"It's going to be okay," I chanted in her ear as I picked her up and began to descend the stairs to take her to our medical facilities. Her breathes were coming too quick as she sobbed into my chest. I wanted to cry with her but knew I needed to keep a calm head.

"You must calm down. She will be fine but you're stressing too much. Please, honey, calm down."

"I don't feel her. I don't feel her anymore," Bella whispered.

The half-hour it took for the doctor to arrive was the longest of my life. I held Bella tightly and tried to get her to calm. The stress that Bella was feeling was only making it worse. We didn't know that there was a problem yet.

Bennett alerted me of the doctor's arrival, so I placed Bella down on the bed and waited for Doctor Black to show. I wished I knew how to run these stupid contraptions myself, so I could attempt to alleviate Bella's fears.

"Tell me exactly what happened," Doctor Black directed the second she stepped foot through the door.

"Bella was running up the stairs and missed a step and she landed on her stomach," I said taking over.

"Okay, let's see what is going on here."

Doctor Black fired up the machines and I helped pull Bella's dress up, so Doctor Black could get a proper ultrasound. She ran the probe over Bella's stomach for minutes without saying a word.

"She's dead…isn't she?" Bella sobbed.

"No. She isn't," Doctor Black stopped and looked up at Bella. "She is alive and fine, but I am a little concerned about the amount of fluid I am seeing. It does seem to be decreasing."

She stopped what she was doing and came around to place the cuff on Bella's arm. Bella' slowed her breathing and laid back to relax.

"You see. She's alive. She's going to be fine," I said petting Bella's hair.

"Isabella, your blood pressure is concerning me as well. With the lower fluid and high blood pressure, I am going to strongly suggest bed rest from here on out."

Bella groaned loudly and softly banged her head on the back of the examination table.

"It's not the worst thing and if it will keep you off the stairs…" I began to say.

Bella smacked me in the arm.

"I mean it, Isabella. I am trying to cook this baby as long as I can. You need to stay off your feet," The doctor ordered.

"Thank you so much, Doctor," I said shaking her hand. I was relieved that the doctor could be stern where I could not. Bella would listen to a doctor. She would never listen to me if I had asked her to stay in bed.

Eight weeks of bed rest before the doctor wanted to induce. Eight weeks! At first, it was easy. It was times like now when I was so incredibly thankful to be in the position we were in. To have servants bring anything Bella's heart desired so she could focus on doing what Bella was supposed to do. Rest.

It was during those weeks that we took advantage of reinvigorating our communication with one another. I used to think that it was during this period that saved my marriage. We weren't married yet. I knew that, but I often wondered after the way I had acted when we found out our daughter's diagnosis if Bella could ever love me the same way again.

On the grand timeline of things, our relationship had happened so quickly. Even though it took months to get Bella to agree to date me, we only had been together a few short months before she agreed to marry me. Within a year of meeting her, we would be married and have a child together. Which is why those couple of weeks we had was so important.

"Give me the countdown," Bella asked once again for the third time that day.

I sighed and gave her a look.

"It hasn't changed since the last time you asked me," I replied.

"GOD! Would you just give me the countdown! I am going crazy! I have been stuck in this room for weeks!"

She was being over-dramatic. She hadn't been stuck in the room for weeks. Every day I would carry her down the steps and to the garden where she could have lunch outdoors to enjoy the fresh air. Alice and Rosalie would come by often to have lunch with her to give her a change of company. My mother would join her for tea every couple of days. She didn't have it as bad as she made it out to be, but I wasn't stupid. I wasn't going to correct her.

"Ten days. In ten days…we are going to be parents," I replied.

We hadn't moved to our new room yet since it was on the third floor. We decided to save it for after the baby had come. I had spoken about installing an elevator in the house. They weren't very happy with that conversation, stating that it would mess with the structural integrity of the palace and perhaps the next time I decide to renovate, I could sit down and speak with them first, so they could point out all the flaws with my plans. Apparently, they would have been okay with me renovating the whole second floor West wing rather than go to the third floor. It was something I thought about more and more when I would think back to Bella's fall. There was no way she would survive three flights of stairs while we resided here.

"Would you care to discuss names again?" I asked hoping it would take her mind off things.

She sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know. I don't think I will know until I see her. I just want to see her so badly! I just want to hold her and know that everything is okay. That she is alive and safe," She said.

The closer to the birth we became, the more nervous we were. I finally requested that we stop following our respective Facebook groups because we needed to stay calm and positive and it felt that every day someone posted something worrisome on our groups and I didn't want to spend the rest of our time fraught with worry.

"Bella…have you been on Facebook?" I asked. She was acting more nervous than usual.

"No!" She exclaimed. "Maybe just a little."

"Bella!" I reprimanded. "We agreed. The doctor even agreed with me. She said that your blood pressure has been down and now you went and opened Pandora's box!"

"I couldn't help it. Sarah was having her baby this week. I knew she has been worried and I just wanted to know that everything turned out okay. I just needed to know," She defended.

I sighed and flopped down on the bed beside her.

"And? Did she have the baby?" I asked.

Sarah was this girl who was due a couple of weeks before us. She had trouble from the beginning. Since finding out with a prenatal diagnosis, her doctor tried to drop her because she refused an amnio. She lived in California and of course, the Down Syndrome Organization in Los Angeles was all over her because the doctor was in violation. Sarah finally found a new doctor and then that doctor too began to give her problems. I felt like my eyes were opened to this whole new world because of my daughter's diagnosis.

"She did," She replied solemnly.

I waited.

"Baby is in NICU. Fighting."

I pulled her to me and placed my hand on her stomach, so I could feel our baby move around and said the prayer that I had said in my head over and over the past few weeks. Please let this baby be born healthy.

I tried to picture her, but I still couldn't. I wanted to see the scene that I had in my head before we had found out her diagnosis, but it wasn't right. I wanted to imagine our future but it felt like something was blocking me from it. It made me anxious. Made me wonder if it was a bad omen. I couldn't even begin to imagine how Bella and I would survive this if our baby didn't. I didn't want to tell Bella my fears. I needed to remain calm, so she would do the same and we could hopefully have a healthy baby.

"Sarah knew that there were going to be complications. We…haven't had any indication that our baby will have complications. We could be lucky. We have to stay positive," I finally said.

I felt her nod her head, but she didn't respond which meant that she was still thinking about Sarah. Maybe I could ask my parents to kill our WIFI until after the baby was born.

"Give me the countdown."

"Ten days," I replied without giving her trouble for it.

Ten days and it seemed to move slower than the previous weeks. Every day, we were closer.

"Give me the countdown," Bella asked the moment we woke up.

"One day," I laughed.

Bella flopped down on her pillow and let out a happy groan.

"One day! I…can't believe it."

She rolled over toward the edge of the bed and I do mean rolled over. She had a little trouble pulling herself out of the bed and I knew she would kill me if she knew that I enjoyed that part of my day. Of course, if I offered her help, she would slap my hand away and growl that she could do it on her own which is why I took so much pleasure in watching her struggle. She just had to be stubborn and refuse help.

I see her waddle off towards the bathroom and as soon as she is gone from my sight, I settle back down on my pillow and think about what tomorrow would bring. Everything I had read about labor with Down Syndrome babies were going through my head. Most people stated that their labor with their babies with Down Syndrome came much faster than their typical children. We were being induced so it could mean that we would have much quicker labor and that was fine with me. Bella already said she wanted an epidural, so the doctor was prepared.

"Edward," Bella called out to me.

I jumped from off the bed and walked toward the bathroom.

Bella was standing in the middle of the room struggling to wipe the floor with her foot.

"Did you take a shower?" I asked wondering how long I had been lost in my own thoughts.

"No…" She said in the tiniest voice.

I looked down at the watery mess on the floor utterly confused. I looked back to Bella and then it clicked.

"Uh…but…you're going to be induced tomorrow," I said stupidly.

Bella sighed in frustration.

"I don't think that is the plan anymore."

I just stood there not able to process what was happening. My mind ran rampant with thoughts on labor. I had been so prepared to drive into the hospital with my wife and calmly help her into her robe while the doctor had the nurse prep her properly. We would hold hands and smile at the miracle that was about to unfold while we waited for the drugs to kick in and work their magic. Bella would push a couple of times and then she would be here. Little Princess….whatever we named her.

"EDWARD!" Bella screamed to snap me out of my delusional fantasy.

"Right!"

I scrambled off to the bedroom to find the phone, so I could get a car here as soon as possible. I saw Bella's case with her clothes for the hospital sitting in plain sight. We had debated over that damn case as I told her she needn't pack since we could have someone bring her whatever she needed to the hospital, but she insisted because she wanted to feel normal. I ran over and grabbed the case and then dropped the case down realizing that I wasn't dressed. I ran off toward my closet and began toshed my dirty boxers and find something respectful to wear. I grabbed the first clothes I could find and hopped out of the closet attempting to pull on my dress socks.

The case was gone and so was Bella.

"Bella!" I yelled.

I ran over to the door and it flew open with a loud bang from the force I used. I see Bella a few feet down the hallway and I ran to catch up with her.

"What are you doing? You shouldn't be running off by yourself!" I scolded.

"Well you seemed a little busy, so I thought I would just meet you there," She replied.

"Very funny," I huffed.

She stopped walking and took a breath.

"Edward, you're not even dressed. Where are your shoes? I have to get going. I can already feel some contractions and I'll be damned if I don't make it to the hospital in time for my epidural. I will see you soon!"

I stopped her.

"Now who's being ridiculous. You're not even dressed! At least I have some clothes on."

She was still wearing her long nightgown and slipper shoes.

"I don't care! I have to go!" She said frantically.

I grabbed ahold of her shoulders.

"Bella, calm down. We have time. We have enough time to both get dressed properly and we will have enough time to get to the hospital and we will have enough time to get your epidural," I said and then took a calming breath.

Well, two out of three wasn't bad.

Bella took a calming breath and then pointed a threatening finger in my face.

"You have two minutes and then I don't care if I have to leave on out of here on horseback, I will do it, Edward," she threatened.

I told myself to calm down and then hopefully Bella would follow suit. We went back to my room. I called to have the car brought around while Bella went to find something appropriate to wear to the hospital. I managed to find my shoes and also a different shirt, so I wouldn't look so completely frazzled by my wardrobe choices.

I grabbed Bella's case as she came out of the Chesterfield Suite in a soft yellow dress and this time around, our take two, was much better. I took her hand and we walked toward the door, but she squeezed my hand and halted before we left.

"I'm scared," She whispered.

"So am I," I confessed.

Bella let out a soft breath.

"I don't want to come home until she is with us," She said.

I nodded and turned her to me.

"Then we won't," I replied.

I pulled her to me and gave her a long deep hug and she allowed It even though moments before we were both losing our minds.

I hear her groan into my chest and begin to double over and I know she is having another contraction.

"We have to go!"

I pick her up and carry her out of the door and through the hallway and down the steps to the car out waiting for us. And then it was all a blur. Bella squeezing my hand with all her might as we grew closer to the hospital. Calling to make sure the doctor would be there when we arrived. The wheelchair at the side entrance already there when we pulled up and my mind so lost that I did not remember to bring in Bella's case after all that work.

In the time that it took for Bella's water to break to when she gave that final push was less than two hours. Not enough time for an epidural. Not enough time for this perfect little picture I had in my mind of how this day was supposed to go. All of it was a whirlwind. No, that's not right. At the time, I thought I would remember every detail of that day but then she came.

My daughter.

Born on July 16th at eleven fifty-one a.m. Six pounds. Six ounces.

She came out and they wrapped her up after checking her over and placed her directly in my arms where I sat right next to Bella's head.

They placed her in my arms and all the pictures of the future rushed back into my mind as I looked down at that small ball of perfection. Her eyes were brown and almond-shaped. Her nose was small and a little flat. Her lips were just her mother's. Her hair was full and slightly curly. I took in every single piece of her and I could see it. I could see her running to me as I twirled her in the air. I could see our future and it wasn't scary and dark. It was perfection.

"I was thinking…Anne. I read that it's better to give kids with Down Syndrome short easy names to say because of the low muscle tone with their mouth. I like Anne. Besides, if it's good enough for Charlie," Bella teased.

I knew what she meant. Charles De Gaulle's daughter was named Anne. It would be a nice homage to her.

"Anne. Princess Anne. It's perfect," I replied giving Bella a kiss before handing my daughter off to her.

Bella took Anne and began to hum softly while my baby looked up at her mother and gurgled. Bella was brilliant. From start to finish. When I first met her, I would have said that her stubbornness was something I wouldn't have minded changing, but it was her stubbornness that would make someone like me change for the better.

Bella began to sing.

Perfect girl. Amazing girl. Every morning you greet me.

Small and bright. Perfect girl. You look happy to see me.
Every morning I love you more. Love you more. Forever.

Perfect girl. Amazing girl. I will love you forever.

AN: THANK YOU FOR READING AND REVIEWING.

STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.