CHAPTER TWENTY
They say your life flashes before your eyes as you face your impending doom. Bella felt her chest shallow of the breaths as she attempted to calm herself from the run she had managed. Her eyes slowly darted toward her left as she saw Edward holding her hand. This was it. The wolves were feet away from the pair and any minute they would surely end it all.
Charles Swan had moved across the country to begin a new life with a woman named Renee. They would soon marry and create their perfect daughter, Isabella. As every family can attest, there are ups and downs to life. Even though Charles was immensely happy, there were times of trial too.
Renee's face barely resembled her own. The worry lines in her forehead were prominent and her eyes were red and puffy from the countless tears she had shed over the past two days. Charles barely could hold himself up from the weight of the situation as the two worried parents waited for news.
"My boys are still scouting. If she is out there, we will find her."
Charles nodded hopelessly as he thought about what it would take for a positive outcome. A miracle. An honest to God miracle. It had been two days since their daughter had disappeared. Isabella had wandered off into the woods behind their house. Barely six years of age and with the snow covering the ground so intently, it would be a miracle to find her alive. With winter night temperatures plunging toward zero, and the amount of dangerous wildlife that shared the area, the chances of finding Isabella unharmed were becoming slimmer with every passing minute.
And then a call came from the dense woods. You could hear people cheering as the came closer to the Swan residence. Renee felt her heart stop as she wanted to run toward the sounds but couldn't find her legs to move. Charles's hand squeezed his wife's shoulder tightly as the pair waited.
"She's alive!" someone proclaimed.
And there she was, wrapped in a blanket, still with her pink matching snow shoes. Carried in the strong arms of a stranger, Isabella was alive and well. A true miracle.
But what was the miracle exactly? Was it the fact that Bella survived two days and two nights of extreme cold temperatures with no food or water? Some would say. However, for Bella, the miracle was something far more intriguing.
Her parents never asked her to talk about what had happened. They were happy to have their little girl back alive with not even a scratch on her. Isabella remained very quiet for some time after the ordeal attempting to understand what she experienced but being so very young, she was able to compartmentalize and it wasn't until she was staring into the depths of the wolf's eyes that her life flashed before her and she remembered what truly happened all those years ago.
As soon as Bella heard the howling of the wolves, she looked back at the eldest Black before taking a breath. He gave her a small evil smile and calmly said, "Run."
Running with all her might in the direction furthest from the howls. She was never very athletic and Bella new her attempts would be fruitless ultimately but she pushed her legs on knowing she had no options.
She hadn't run for more than a minute when a glorious sight fell upon her.
Edward.
He was running directly toward her.
"Bella!"
"RUN!" She screamed waving her arms toward him like she was having some fit.
Edward stopped in his tracks and appraised the situation and in the distance, he could see what his love was running from. His mind snapped him back into reality and he made the last couple steps toward her, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her with him.
Bella's chest wanted to scream in agony from the work out. Her silly mind took a moment to berate her on her poor physical shape.
Edward looked back at Isabella for merely a second.
"Are you pregnant?"
He noticed for the first time how much bigger she seemed since the last time he laid eyes on her. It wasn't like Isabella to sit around and down a couple of beers every night so the more logical explanation for the small protruding tummy was pregnancy.
"Shut up and move! Now is not the time," she argued.
Edward's mind filled with a thousand and one questions but the most important was one he could answer himself; was the baby his? Of course it was. Bella wasn't the type of girl to just sleep around. However, the more he thought about it, they weren't exactly dating when she slept with him so…
"Is it mine?" he yelled.
Her eyes snapped up to his and she never wanted to slap him more than in that moment.
"Of course it's yours!" She snapped.
Edward pulled on her wrist harder picking up more speed but Bella's legs couldn't go any faster than they already were so it took just a fraction of time for her to find her legs falling over one another and it took quick movement on Edward's part to turn and break Bella's fall.
Catching their breath, it would only be seconds now for the wolves to catch up. Edward pulled Bella toward himself as the wolves fanned out a perimeter around their two easy prey.
Knowing that this was the end, Edward's hand found Bella's face and he pulled her in for one last deep kiss. He could taste as her salty tears ran down her face and entered his mouth. He placed a gentle hand on her stomach and wanted to cry out for the child he would never meet.
One wolf slowly broke off from the pack and advanced on the two, growling lowly. His face was practically inches from Bella's when she found herself recalling the two days she was lost in the woods and she remembered that she was never alone.
The wolf sniffed her over and slowly Bella extended a gentle hand toward the left ear of the wolf to give it a good scratch.
"What are you doing?" Edward whispered harshly.
He thought that she must have gone insane. Pregnancy can do that to a woman or so he heard. And just when he thought she had used up her crazy quota, Bella actually pulled the wolf's face towards her own and nuzzled his nose.
"Good wolf," Bella whispered. "Kind wolf."
Bella turned to Edward and nonchalantly asked for him to help her to her feet.
"What the hell is going on here?" Edward snapped.
"Help me up! My sense of balance has gotten worse if it were at all possible."
Edward quickly got to his feet and then helped Bella up to her own feet.
"Thank you," Bella stated sincerely to the wolves.
The wolves stood down and in the time that all this took place, it allowed Bella's captures to catch up and they couldn't believe their eyes.
"KILL THEM!" The eldest Black commanded.
But the wolves slowly moved to stand behind Bella.
"What is the matter with you, you stupid mutts! I told you to kill them!"
Jacob Black picked up a stick and hit a nearby tree.
"Do it! Kill them!" Jacob screamed.
But the wolves did not move.
Bella looked back toward the wolves and then toward the eldest Black with a small smile.
"Run!"
The wolves started to growl and bare their teeth.
For the first time in their simple minded lives, the dark evil men had the good sense to do as they were told. Jacob took off the fastest leaving his father hobbling behind.
"Jacob! You get back here and help me!"
Bella wanted to laugh at the situation if it wasn't so disgusting. Instead she shook her head thinking of all the innocent lives lost over some silly turf war.
She looked at the wolves.
"Don't kill them. Just make sure they can't leave."
At once the wolves sprang into action and took off going deeper into the woods.
Edward still couldn't understand what was happening. He looked as the wolves disappeared from view and then his gaze turned toward Bella.
"You need to tell me what the hell is going on."
Bella looked down at Edward's fingers mingling with her own and she gave a small smile.
"I will," She said letting her gaze end up on his face. "But now we have more pressing business."
Bella turned and began to walk off toward the Cullen estate.
"Where are you going?" Edward asked.
"We need to go into town. These people need to know the truth."
"Bella, I don't know if they will believe us. The story is so fantastic and without any proof, it will be our word against theirs."
"Don't worry about that. I have proof," Bella said keeping on her pace.
"Would you just stop for a minute!" Edward pulled her hand and halted her. She looked back at him waiting for some kind of explanation.
"We need to talk. There is a lot we need to work through."
"You don't think I don't know that?" She asked. "There is too much to work through but it would take hours…or days and it is more important now to talk to these people and get that cleared up. We will talk and talk and I'm sure there may even be some yelling or screaming followed by long kisses and sex! Lots and lots of sex because this baby is making me hornier than hell and there is only one person who I can think of to help me out there. So let's get this over with before my clitoris explodes and I am left drenching the town in my forgotten juices."
Edward felt his face go red and he was shocked at the language coming from her mouth. It startled him. She truly had gone insane from pregnancy.
Bella continued on once more leaving a very confused and slightly turned on Edward behind. Edward shook the nasty thoughts from his head and quickly caught back up securing her hand in his once more.
"But the wolves! What? How?" He still wanted some answers.
"I don't know," Bella said simply.
"What do you mean you don't know? You were practically seconds away from making out with one."
Bella through him a look.
"It's confusing," She huffed.
"I am an intelligent person. I think I can keep up."
Bella huffed loudly one more time before stopping.
"I don't know why I am able to do what I can do. I had a situation when I was little. I wandered into the woods behind my house and couldn't find my way back. I became very cold quickly and then it became dark. I remember seeing wolves and being scared of them but when they came closer, they didn't attack me. In fact, they kept me warm and they were nice and their fur was soft. I never told anyone because I didn't think anyone would believe me and then I convinced myself that I must have made the whole thing up. I don't have any more answers than that. So…you'll just have to live with it."
Edward let her words sink in and then started once more.
"So this baby…"
"Not now, Edward!"
When they finally made their way into town, it seemed as if the streets were littered with people. Edward pulled up and parked in the middle of the street as he watched everyone's babbled and rushed conversations.
"Everyone! If you would gather around here, we have something to say," Edward proclaimed.
Slowly the women in their long heavy dresses and men in their fitted suits made their way around the antique car.
"Is this about the howling we've heard?" One man yelled.
"It's coming from near the Black's." Another person stated.
"Our Sheriff is nowhere to be found."
Edward held out his hands to calm the crowd.
"I know you all have been under a misconception. A curse. But we have proof that there is no curse. It was merely a group of people who sought to harm us and our loved ones."
The murmuring in the crowd became louder at this announcement.
"Bella. Your proof." Edward said looking toward his woman.
Bella walked a little forward and reached for her phone. She pulled it out and held it up high in the air.
"THIS IS A CELL PHONE! You talk into it and then a person who also has one many distances away can hear you and communicate with you through it." She lamely explained. "There are many other things one can do with this device. Weather. Calorie counting. Tells you how many steps you've walked in a day…"
"Isabella. They know what a cell phone is." Edward interrupted.
"Oh" Bella shook her head at the hypocrisy of it all. "Uh…well…I was kidnapped by the Sherriff and a group of his friends. I talked to the eldest Black and he had this to say about the disappearances and deaths of this towns people."
Bella pressed the play button and turned up the sound allowing the voices to boom from the small device. She watched as the conversation was replayed and saw the looks and heard the gasps of horror and each word spewed out. Once the recording was over, Edward stepped forward once more.
"So you see, there was never any curse. It was just a group of men who wanted to hurt us. The same group of men are in the forest right now surrounded by their own wolves who have mutinied against them."
There was a loud commotion following Edward's words. Bella could hear as some of the people began to debate what they should do. Some suggested to let the wolves finish their work. Others believed that placing them under arrest was best.
"What do you think will happen?" Bella asked as she rode in the passenger seat of Edward's car.
Edward sighed. "I don't know."
"Are you angry?" She asked.
"Angry?"
"Yes, I can't imagine how it must feel knowing that these men are responsible for the demise of your loved ones. Your wife."
"Hope wasn't a direct result of their nasty work. Mrs. Cope confessed to killing her."
Bella's mouth dropped open and her hand went straight to it.
"What?"
"Mrs. Cope's husband was killed and I guess she believed that my family was responsible so she wanted to cause me the same pain she felt."
Bella wanted to not be surprised at this information. She definitely could see Mrs. Cope doing such a thing but nevertheless, it was all still very disturbing.
"What will happen to her?" she asked.
"I will turn her over to the proper authorities once we have proper authorities again. For the mean time, I will be sure to keep her in a small confined space until such accommodations can become available."
Bella's eyes widen at his plan and silence befell the car.
They were nearly back to the Cullen Estate when Edward spoke once again.
"I loved Hope. I will always love Hope," He confessed.
Bella looked at him and nodded slowly. His eyes met hers and he continued.
"But, I think I love you too. In fact, I don't think…I know."
"This is completely insane." Bella whispered. "After all you put me though…all we have been through, I can't believe I am about to say this but, I think I love you too."
"Think?" He questioned.
"Think," She stated.
Edward nodded once sadly at her declaration.
"Edward. I wanted to come back here the moment I found out I was pregnant but then something occurred to me. I didn't know if this baby would make you happy or make you even more miserable than you already were. I imagined what future would hold for this child. I could see her in a black dress being forced to recite Shakespeare and I swear to you and all that is holy, the moment you marked this kids body with your ruler, I would not hesitate to shove that ruler up your ass. You may not think of it as abuse but I do and I will not tolerate my child going through something so heinous."
Edward felt his chest become very heavy. He thought back to the years he had spent with his two daughters and wondered if he was any better than Mrs. Cope who wanted to see the two girls dead. The mere thought nearly destroyed him but it had reduced him to tears and he found himself slumped over the steering wheel of his car as he cried.
"I have been a horrible monster haven't I? How could anyone, you or my daughters ever love me?"
Bella placed a gentle hand on his, "I can see a man inside you that I could love. I think it is the same man that your daughters love too but you have to allow him to come out and bury the angry part of your soul. You have so much anger inside you for what happened to your wife. She is at peace now and you need to find peace within yourself as well. That is the kind of man I want raising this little girl inside me."
"It's a girl?" His breath managed.
"It's a girl," Bella slowly smiled, "Just remember Henry the Eighth, it's the male sperm who determines the sex so don't go chopping off my head off for not giving you a male heir."
Edward laughed a little.
"No, never. A girl…a girl is perfect."
He reached over and took her cheek into his hands once more to give her a deep kiss. Bella felt her body practically go up in flames as she thought about her earlier confessions.
"Edward, I was being sincere earlier when I said I needed you for certain tasks."
"Now, now my love, I do believe that waiting and anticipation can lead to some very overwhelming events."
"You do know how to talk dirty to a woman, don't you?"
Edward rolled his eyes and got out of the car. He began to think of the hours ahead and found himself excited. Seeing her stomach and knowing that it was his child in her, he felt this overwhelming desire to take her on his front porch step. Maybe the staircase if he couldn't make it to the bedroom in time. Waiting and anticipation were overrated anyways.
"Father!"
Rosalie and Alice were waiting as soon as he opened the door.
"Miss Swan!" Their screams were loud and joyful as they took in the sight of their favorite governess. Forgetting themselves completely the daughters of Edward Cullen flung their arms around Bella.
"Are you having a baby?" Rosalie said feeling Bella's hard stomach.
Bella looked over to Edward biting her lip for answers.
"She is," Edward said walking forward and placing a hand over Rosalie's. "Ladies, you're going to have a new sister."
Bella looked over to Edward, "That isn't the kind of thing you just drop on them."
"I don't understand," Rosalie said.
"You're having my father's baby?" Alice asked.
"When did this happen?" Rosalie added.
"How did this happen?"
The questions were coming fast as Bella shook her head at Edward.
"Girls, I know this sounds incredible and I'm sure you have a lot of questions. We will try to answer them all…well as many as we can. But, most importantly you need to know that I fell in love your governess. Bella and I are to be married. She will give birth to your new sister and we are going to be a family. Things are going to change. But they will change for the better. I promise."
Bella felt her brow furrow at Edward's explanation. Married? Family? He hadn't thought to discuss this with her before proclaiming it to his daughters. Wasn't she to have a say in these matters?
"It's getting late and I'm sure that you are done with dinner…"
"No, father. We haven't had dinner," Rosalie explained. "Mr. Whitlock has locked up Mrs. Cope in the basement."
Suddenly Edward realized that they might have a problem on their hands. Who was going to cook now that Mrs. Cope was incapacitated.
"Oh…uh…well maybe tonight we will go without supper and then I promise that tomorrow I will figure out something."
"Edward, I can make us something to eat." Bella shook her head and headed toward the kitchen.
Edward hurried to catch up with her.
"But what about our overwhelming events?" He asked quietly.
Bella turned back to him and patted him on the cheek, "Waiting and anticipation. Waiting and anticipation."
AN: I know it has been awhile so I appreciate the loyalty. Unfortunately I do have periods where it gets harder and harder for me to be inspired to write. Thank you all for your patience and the well wishes from my new baby. I am hoping to have a final chapter on this soon. As for the other stories of mine, I will try and maybe I will become inspired to write again. I have so many stories in my head that I would love to get down but I would never think of starting anything new until I finish a few of my other stories first. Once again Thank you and I hope you will enjoy the chapter. This story was certainly not something I ever expected but I am happy with how it has turned out.
Disclaimer: Story is mine, characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.