Chapter Info

Title: Three Loves

Number: 5/?

Warnings: Pregnancy, childbirth, angst

Author's Note: Greetings, everyone! Here's the next chapter. For some reason, the notifications aren't sending and I'm not sure what's going on, so hopefully people still see these updates. Thanks for reading! I would love to hear your reviews, comments, thoughts, and questions about this story!

YourAlphaWolf: I'm so glad! I definitely wanted it to be a surprise. :) Thanks for reading and commenting!

Goldielover: I think it's still down. :( I'll PM people when updates are posted until I start getting the notifications again and then I'll stop. But ANYWAY, like I said, I'm glad it was a surprise! I hope that it'll go like I'm planning it to. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Dreamer4life16: I'm glad you like the baby angle! I definitely wanted it to be a surprise, so I'm glad that worked out. :) And there's a big twist as far as the baby's concerned, so I hope you like it! It won't be exactly as you suggested, but I hope you like it. :) And I'm glad you like Carlisle and Annabelle! I love them, too! Thanks for reading and commenting!

-Boston, Massachusetts, Six Months Later, December 1780-
-Annabelle-

"Carlisle, it hurts!"

The scream echoed through the small house and Annabelle could see her husband wince out of the corner of her eye, but her attention was drawn mostly to the child that was going to make its way into the world very shortly. Carlisle was definitely right in his diagnosis from six months ago, there was no doubt about that. Slowly the nausea and sickness had went away, but it was replaced by backaches and foot cramps. But truthfully, Annabelle decided she loved the sensation of being pregnant, of watching her belly grow as her children did. And Carlisle always liked to put his hand there to feel their baby move around. It always put a smile on his face, lighting up in the wonder way that only a new father-to-be could. He was always so worried because of the unknown—as a doctor, he never dealt with pregnancies, plus this baby was a vampire-Immortal hybrid—but neither of them could deny how wonderful the prospect of new parenthood was.

The baby grew so quickly, too, and they both knew that it wouldn't be the regular human gestation rate of nine months. She could have only been a month or two along when they found out, but when the six month mark hit, she just new deep inside that it would be that month that she had her baby. It was just two weeks later that she woke up with the pain, crying out loudly and bringing her husband right to her side. That had been six hours ago, and the feelings got more and more intense, now a constant pain rather than coming and going. It was something she had never experienced in her life, like her body was splitting in two, and all she wanted to do was sleep. But she couldn't, every time she tried, it just got worse and worse until she screamed again.

Unfortunately there was nothing Carlisle could do at the moment. Any type of medicine could be dangerous and so she worked through the pain, panting on her bed as she let him check her progress. It felt like she should be ready, but according to him she was only half way there and she whimpered, head falling back against her pillows. She knew as much as she begged, he couldn't make it go faster.

"I know, my love," he whispered, pushing some damp hair off her forehead. "Just a little bit longer."

"You said that three bloody hours ago!" she snapped and then winced, but he simply smiled and kissed her forehead. It wasn't the first nor would it be the last time she snapped at him like that. He told her it was just the hormones after she sobbed her apology the first time. It had never effected her like that, not in any of the six months. It gave her other emotions and feelings, like a more intense need to cry or the heightened need to be with him, but the anger never hit her until she went into labor.

"I promise you that it will all go away soon. And we will have our little baby." He smiled. "Do you remember the names we chose?"

She sighed and nodded, opening her mouth so he could give her a bit of water. "Of course," she whispered. Her lips parted, ready to tell him, but another loud cry left her lips before she could, her back arching as another contraction ran through her.

.x.x.x.x.

Four more hours went by before anything else happened, and finally she was able to push. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do physically, which was saying something considering she left behind her parents. Over the months she had thought about what their reaction would be to her having a child that was half-vampire, whether they would be disgusted by the notion or thrilled for having a grandchild. She truly hoped it would be the latter, but it was far too late to ask them that considering she knew they weren't even in Virginia anymore. Three years previously, Carlisle had sent a request to an acquaintance he met on one of the battlefields, Garrett. He was also a vampire, and a new one at that, but was too patriotic to give up fighting no matter how much the call of blood ate at him. Carlisle requested Garrett look in on Henry and Gwendolyn Steele, but their house was boarded up and hadn't been lived in for quite some time. That made Annabelle ache, to know she didn't even know where they were, but she knew it was her own choice. And she also knew they left because Carlisle was a vampire and he knew where they were, and they didn't trust him. That hurt even worse.

It was the nice thought of her parents and the thought of finally holding her baby in her arms that allowed Annabelle to focus solely on giving birth rather than the pain of not having her mother's help. If Carlisle weren't a doctor he wouldn't have been there, but she was ever glad that he was. She knew she couldn't do it without him. It was with his help that she pushed and pushed and pushed until finally, a loud, tiny cry sounded through the room.

"A boy," Carlisle said in wonder as he looked down at the squalling infant in his arms. Annabelle was sobbing, watching her husband wrap the boy up in a small blanket, before he handed him over to his mother. She sniffled and, she didn't think it was possible, but her heart grew even larger to welcome this new tiny life into her world. These boys were her world. My boys, she thought dreamily. She sniffed again, her hand shaking as she raised to run across his tiny back. Carlisle helped quickly with finishing up as she said hello to her son. My son...

"He is so beautiful," she murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Hello, my love. My beautiful little—" She let out a loud cry.

"Annabelle?!" Carlisle's voice was alarmed and he quickly took the baby, setting the wailing infant inside the small crib he made him. Annabelle looked at him in panic and then the need to push hit her again.

"I need to push," she panted out and he frowned. She didn't understand; the baby was already there, why was she pushing again? What was happening? Her eyes were large and full of fear, clutching her blankets as he heart pounded and broke at the sound of her beloved little son wailing on the other side of the room. "Where is my baby?"

Carlisle didn't say anything, just worked quickly around, blurring around the room as he went between checking on their son to figuring out what was going on with her. But Annabelle listened to her body, deciding to push when she felt like she needed it, and yet couldn't read the emotions that were on his face. Her heart pounded, her lungs aching as she tried to distinguish between all the different emotions that she was feeling. Her whole body trembled, and she was trying to push and sit up at the same time. "Carlisle, please," she whimpered, crying out again.

"I see the head crowning," he finally said, his voice full of awe and shock.

"What?!" she shrieked, trying to sit up yet again, but Carlisle gently eased her back down.

More pushing, more screaming, and then there was another little bundle that landed in Carlisle's arms. She was even tinier than her brother, her lungs even larger as she wailed her tiny little heart out. Annabelle was even more exhausted, her body finally calming down as instincts told her that she was finally done, able to rest. Her heart beat loudly in her ears, nearly breaking her ribcage open with the frantic beat, her lungs rising and falling quickly, but she didn't pay any mind as she looked between the small girl that Carlisle held and the tiny boy that was now only whimpering in his crib.

"Twins," Carlisle murmured, looking between his wife and daughter as venom tears shimmered in his eyes and a large smile split his face as if he couldn't stop. Crocodile tears were falling over and over again down her face and she let out a whimper, reaching for them. Carlisle set the baby girl on her chest while he took his turn with their son.

"I had no idea," she said in a whisper, fingers running over her tiny back. She seemed to cry even harder, so together they switched the babies and they both calmed down, making Annabelle giggle as she sniffed back at her happy tears.

Well we can see who will be wrapped around whose finger, she thought wryly. Cerulean eyes looked back and forth between her husband and daughter, and then down to her son. Her heart swelled even more; she had no idea she could hold this much love inside her. And she knew that nobody was taking the place of another. Annabelle still loved her parents and they were there, though she had to force herself to push that aside to save her heart anymore ache. But Carlisle was also there, not taking their place by any means, but filling a spot all his own she had never expected to be filled, the one of true love. And now? These squirming little bundles of soft white blankets were opening her heart even wider, giving her an ache that felt absolutely wonderful. It wasn't the love of a daughter or the love of a wife, but the love of a mother and she realized it had been there all along. It had been created when she was little, made itself known six months previously when Carlisle realized the truth of her ailment, and now that her children where there, it was finally filled in a way she never thought possible. She never knew she could love so much.

"Now we can use both of our names," Carlisle said with a light chuckle as he sat next to her on the bed. The tiny boy was yawning, curling up against his mother's chest as he let his sleep come over him. But the baby girl? Her eyes were large, looking all over their house as if the wonders of the world waited for her. And they did, they definitely did, because she knew that they would show world to their children. Carlisle already promised her that when they married, now that they had these little bundles of joy, they wouldn't stop for one moment. After all, the world was always changing.

Annabelle nodded softly and kissed the soft dark hair on the top of her son's head, and then the equally dark hair on her daughter's. "We can," she said excitedly. "I am so happy, Carlisle." She sighed and leaned up for a kiss from him, a content smile across her face as she looked between her children.

"Welcome to the world, Mary Alice Cullen and Emmett McCarty Cullen."

.x.x.x.x.

-A Year and a Half Later, June 1782-

For the first year of their lives, Annabelle and Carlisle only moved them once, and that was into a slightly larger house that was farther away from any town or village. It would be hard enough to keep the existence of themselves a secret let alone that of the children. They knew right away that little Emmett and Alice—as they decided to call her, though they kept her full name—were special. They grew like human children just as Annabelle did, but they hit milestones sooner. They were walking by six months, speaking at eight months. They had a full mouth full of baby teeth at one year and the loved their mother's cooking. However, they weren't normal human children, which was obvious even if the couple hadn't been there when they were born. While they did eat human food, most of the time they ate blood. They didn't hunt or anything—Annabelle wouldn't have let them even if they could—so Carlisle would put it in bottles to bring home for them. They needed the blood to survive, but not the human food, however they could eat it if they wanted to. The more of the blood they ate, the less blue their eyes were, taking on hints of gold just like their father. She knew that if they took the blood-only diet, the blue would probably disappear completely, but there were things that they both liked that let her know they wouldn't be doing so anytime soon.

As a doctor, Carlisle did a lot of checking on their health and biology. It was discovered that the more they grew, the slower their hearts eat. At the time they were one years old, their hearts only beat about thirty to forty beats per minute as opposed to Annabelle's hundred, which was slightly more than the average human's. They had no idea if the silver could kill them, but it wasn't like they were about to try it out. Their skin, however, did have the same paleness that Carlisle's did and was just as hard. The parents could only wait and see when they would stop aging; as half-vampire, half-Immortal, they would without a doubt stop aging at some point, and Annabelle had a feeling it would be similar to her own, as she had stopped at age twenty-two or twenty-three, making her look the same age as her husband. It was hard to find out for sure since they were so close. She still looked younger than her parents had, but then again, she had grown up a lot quicker than them and she was surprised she hadn't stopped aging at eighteen when she found out her truth.

At ten months old, Alice fell over a log when running after Emmett and cut her knee. Apparently it didn't hurt her because she didn't cry, but she did bleed, looking at the crimson liquid coming out of her skin with wonder. It was gone just a minute later, but Annabelle had fretted the whole time. That answered some of their questions which made them wonder if that meant the silver would work, though they didn't say it out loud, just shared a panicked look. When the time came, they would be telling their kids the truth, but until then, they would keep an extra eye on them. There was no silver in the house other than the dagger that Annabelle still always kept sheathed on her thigh.

It was also clear to them that their children were special, and not just by the methods of being half-vampire, half-Immortal. Alice had told them a couple times of things that would happen before they did. Emmett would walk up to tables or chairs and move them out of the way for his mother as she dusted and mopped. Soon those things became normal to them, and so Emmett would help her clean around the house while Alice would help Carlisle with their money. It's not as if she knew what things meant, but she would sit and think about which one he should pick on the paper. They figured it would get even better once she understood it all—which Annabelle knew would be a lot sooner than most people—and because of that, they were able to get a bigger carriage, a couple more horses, and enough money to leave just as they wanted to. The parents knew Alice's visions came from her vampiric side. Carlisle told Annabelle that some vampires had special abilities, but Annabelle had never heard either of her parents mention that being a factor, so they attributed it to Carlisle's DNA in their veins. They also assumed Emmett's strength was the same, though not quite an obvious "gift" as Alice's visions.

Over the years, they had been through all of the Colonies and the Cullens decided that they wanted something new. Carlisle wasn't comfortable taking his family to Europe or Asia and putting them that much closer to the Volturi. Staying in America meant that there was an ocean between them, and that was something that Carlisle liked. So instead of staying in the Colonies, they packed up their wagon and headed out west.

"Momma, are we there yet?" Emmett asked from his spot by his sister. They were laid out over the floor in the back of the wagon, toys and books between them, and both of them looked incredibly bored. Annabelle giggled from her spot beside her husband and stood, nodding to him as he gave her a look, and she very carefully maneuvered into the back so she could sit next to her children. Emmett grinned and quickly climbed onto her lap, wrapping his arms around her neck.

Smiling at her son adoringly, she pressed a kiss to his mop of curly black hair—something else the children had inherited from her, while the rest of their features resembled Carlisle more—and hugged him tightly. He cuddled against her there as her fingers replaced her lips in his hair.

"We have another one hundred miles, Em," Alice told her brother without looking up.

Annabelle chuckled as Emmett glowered at his twin. "I was not asking you," he snapped.

"Emmett," Annabelle warned and the boy at least had the decency to look scolded.

"Sorry, Momma," the toddler murmured.

"I know, Baby Boy," Annabelle said. "But she is right, you know. One hundred more miles. Your father wants to stop on the way through at a waterfall." Carlisle had seen it before they met during one of his trips further into the continent while he tried to get his hunger under control. Lucky for them, even if he didn't have his self-control, the children smelled like her and not a human. Not that there was any chance of that happening since she wasn't human, but she worried because they were still part Immortal so there was a chance other vampires could take their blood. It was one reason why they were wanting to move away from any civilization; most other vampires stuck to towns and villages for food. Carlisle was the only vampire—full vampire, that is—that drank animal blood. And Annabelle was always so proud of him.

"Waterfall?" Emmett said, his little nose scrunching up. "I would rather go find a grizzly bear."

She heard Carlisle bark out a laugh before her cerulean eyes blazed at him and he wisely went quiet. Sometimes it is still hard to believe they are only a year old, she thought wryly. They spoke as well as any adult, and Annabelle was going to work on their schooling soon. They were very small still—Alice more so than Emmett—and that was the only thing that gave away their true age. Rarely were they around humans, but the times they were, they knew to act like "normal" children rather than as advanced as they were. But Annabelle was ever so proud of her children and was glad when they acted like it, like these cuddles Emmett was bestowing upon her. She loved them more than her own breath.

My three loves, she thought wondrously as she glanced between the babies and then her husband.

"Maybe after," she promised, though she frowned. She knew Emmett was itching for Carlisle to teach him hunting, but Annabelle insisted he was still too little and resisted letting Carlisle take either of them. She was glad he could bring home what they needed and she could cook them what they liked. And she did understand eventually they would be hunting with their father, even by themselves, but she would have to work up to that point. She wasn't ready for them to be so big yet.

Emmett sighed, but a moment later, his attention was given back to his sister as she beckoned him closer to help her set up some blocks. Her focus was so intense that Annabelle knew her daughter was up to something more than just playing. Annabelle sat back, leaning against a couple of the boxes that held their clothes, while she watched them work. Alice directed Emmett where he needed to place things and, to her shock, the boy listened. Usually he did the exact opposite of what his sister told him to do just to anger her. But the raven-haired boy played along quietly and soon a rather nice looking, two-story cabin was built between the two. Alice sat back, satisfied as she looked over the structure made out of little log-like blocks that Carlisle had whittled for them. They took painstaking work, but seeing as he was both a doctor and a vampire, the large box of them took him merely two hours.

Annabelle moved closer to inspect her children's work and nodded, impressed. "That is beautiful, you two," she said with a pleased smile, kissing Emmett's forehead and the spikes of Alice's soft raven hair.

"It is our new home," Alice said with a wide smile. The look in those cerulean-gold eyes told Annabelle that the small girl had seen this in her visions. An eyebrow raised as she looked it over, and slowly she could begin to see it take form. The front door could be shrouded by a large front porch that Annabelle could sit on as she let the children run around on the front yard. Bushes could block the front floor windows, though they were still large and open enough to let in much air. The backdoor could lead out onto an even larger backyard, which would be right on the bed of a lake so when the weather was nice, they could all go swimming. There had been a small pond back at their old home, but nothing that would be useful once the children grew. Downstairs would have a large kitchen, an open living room with a grand fireplace, and a room to the back where Carlisle could keep his medical equipment. Upstairs would have at least three bedrooms—though she knew the twins hated being apart and would stay together as long as time allowed it; once they got older, it would be better for them to be apart—and perhaps a guest room, though they didn't think they would need it much, along with a room for washing. There would be a basement that they could store things, and a small barn a half mile away for their animals.

They didn't have any definite plans before, but seeing the little girl's rendering from her visions had a large smile lifting the corner of Annabelle's lips as it came to life in her head. The girl's eyes unfocused for a moment before she looked at her mother and nodded excitedly.

"Pretty, Momma!" she exclaimed, jumping up to throw herself into Annabelle's arms, nuzzling quietly. Emmett frowned and did the same, making the mother laugh. Her Baby Boy was always the jealous type with attention. He never hurt his sister or used his words, but always needed a hug when Alice did, or a kiss when Alice stole one. It was part of being a momma's boy, and Annabelle wasn't about to fault him for it. Frankly, she loved it, and she knew Alice was the exact same way with Carlisle if the situation were reversed with him.

She patted her children's backs and she chuckled. "I am glad you think so, sweetheart."

Carlisle glanced back at them and smiled when he saw his wife and children in an embrace before his eyes flickered to the small building.

"I think that will be very easy to do," he said.

Carlisle would be building most of it, but would definitely have Emmett's help. Annabelle and Alice would help as much as they could, but they would be spending a lot of time making sure they had a tent set up for shelter and making sure that there was food on the table. They already planned to send Carlisle out on a quick hunt once they got there so that he didn't have to leave them again until the house was built and secure. They had no idea who or what was in that part of the territory as it still belonged to the French, but they had every plans to keep out of the hair of the Natives that lived there. Carlisle was highly against taking the land of those that had lived there for centuries, and Annabelle had a feeling that was one reason he liked the idea of leaving the Colonies; they were taken from the Natives without any conscience and that didn't sit well with the century-old vampire. It gave Annabelle another reason to love her husband; he had a big heart and the highest of compassion for everyone around him. She knew that's why he worked so hard to become immune to the smell of human blood; he didn't want to hurt anyone, it would kill him if he did.

Alice's eyes had lightened at his words and she pulled from her mother's embrace, running to the front as Annabelle shouted, "Alice!" from the back in a panicked voice. Carlisle easily caught their daughter and sighed.

"No running in the wagon, sweetheart," he scolded gently before pulling the tiny girl onto his lap. She pouted, but nodded and curled up there, taking the reins from him to drive the horses on.

"I hear the waterfall, Father," Alice said, perking up a little and little Emmett scowled.

"I hope there is a grizzly bear there," he mumbled. Annabelle sighed. That was his favorite and she knew once he was grown and able to hunt for himself, that would be his prey of choice; the young mother wasn't all too thrilled about that notion, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice.

"You three will be able to eat once you get to our new home," Annabelle reasoned to her son. "There is still some fish left over from our last stop."

Emmett mumbled, but nodded and Annabelle smiled. She set him off to the side so she could move over to the ice chest, but the boy stuck close to her side as she looked for the fish cooked in butter, some mostly-fresh baked bread, and some steamed rice. Some of the stuff they had baked before they left their last home, but most of it was cooked on their last stop, which was by a small creak that had salmon in it. The plates were all packed away so she grabbed the lid of a pan and placed everything she got out for her son on it and handed it over to him. He dug in immediately, pressed against her side, and glared at her when she stole a small piece.

"My apologies," she said with a grin and a wink, and instead grabbed her own piece of bread to snack on while Emmett ate up. Soon enough, as usual, Alice got hungry as well and Annabelle used the lid that Emmett had finished with to make up some for her daughter, who ate in Carlisle's lap. As usual, both kids got sleepy and drifted off right after Annabelle took their plate away. She carefully took Alice from Carlisle's lap and wrapped her up in some blankets next to Emmett before she took her spot back next to her husband with a small huff. Carlisle chuckled and lifted an arm around her shoulders and she quickly cuddled into his side, grinning up at him a bit tired herself. Usually when the kids slept, she did.

As half-vampires, the twins normally didn't sleep as much as Annabelle. In the beginning they slept like human babies, but as they grew, they got better at sleeping through the night, but their nights were slowly getting shorter and shorter. These days it was roughly five to six hours and, though Carlisle said he could take care of them while she slept, she usually woke up when they did. It was just instinct; she had to be there with her children, even if she was a bit more tired than she was before she had them. She had remembered her mother once muttering to her father when she was little that she missed it before Annabelle was born because she could sleep more. And Henry and Gwendolyn even had more time together before Annabelle was born. Annabelle and Carlisle only got five years with just the two of them, but never did she regret it, not one little bit. After all, who could regret a miracle?

"You should sleep, too, Anna," Carlisle said as he eased the wagon over a bump and then prodded the horses to trot faster. "We shall be at the waterfall very soon."

Annabelle shook her head. "They are asleep. This means I get time with you." She paused. "Even if you are driving." They both laughed together and he turned his head to press a kiss to her lips, longer than the ones they had been able to share in the past year or so. "Plus, it is so beautiful through here. Back there the canvas takes away the scenery."

"It sure does," he said, but his eyes were locked on her. He winked as she realized what he meant and blushed, shaking her head as she stole another kiss from his lips, only it was interrupted as she yawned. She giggled as he scoffed and he pulled back, his eyes playfully scolding. "Sleep." It was a command, but a soft one and she sighed.

"Alright, alright, I shall sleep. Promise me to wake me if I do not when the kids wake."

Carlisle didn't look like he was going to agree, but finally he nodded. Annabelle took another kiss before she moved away again, back to where the kids were laying together. The mother yawned and grabbed another quilt—the one she and Carlisle had managed to sneak back in her house for before they left Virginia—and wrapped it around herself, her arms finding the twins and pulling them close. They both curled into her and she fell asleep soon after, not realizing how tired she was, and not realizing there was a pair of loving topaz eyes on her as she drifted off.

.x.x.x.x.

Carlisle kept his word and woke her up when they got to the waterfall. The vampire definitely looked like he regretted that, but the kids were jumping around and he soon forgot about those feelings as he grinned and helped his wife and children down off the wagon. Immediately Alice took her brother's arm and tugged him towards the water. Emmett looked a bit begrudging, but he soon let it go and followed his sister excitedly.

"Slow down!" Annabelle called as Carlisle's arm wrapped around her waist and she settled against his shoulder with a smile. "Please do not go near the water until we join you!"

"Hurry, Momma!" Alice called as Emmett didn't listen and jumped in the shallow part of the small lake beneath the waterfall.

A moment later Carlisle was over there having blurred to reach him, plucking the wiggling boy out with a frown.

"What did your mother say?" he scolded easily before setting the now grumpy boy on a boulder next to his sister, who stared at him with an "I told you so" look on her face, small hands on her hips.

Annabelle shook her head and quickly joined her family, spreading the quilt over the boulder and sitting down upon it. Alice quickly clambered on and shucked off her shoes and socks, leaving her in just her dress. She hiked up her skirts and bounced on her little feet, giving her parents a begging pout.

"Can we go in the water now?" she pressed.

"You and your father can," Annabelle said, giving Emmett the eye and watching as he wrapped his arms around his chest in a deeper pout. "Emmett is in time out for ten minutes because he did not listen." Alice gave him another "I told you so" look before taking Carlisle's hand and allowing him to lead her into the water. The bottom of her skirt got soaked and Annabelle sighed, knowing she would have to change her, but it was the least of her worries. The area seemed pretty peaceful and, much to her son's chagrin, there were no signs of any wildlife around other than the fish hoping around the base of the waterfall and the birds singing in the sky.

By the end of the five minutes, Emmett was practically levitating and so Annabelle sighed and let him go early, watching as Carlisle turned as he heard the splashing. Emmett eagerly sat with his sister in the water, neither child caring about their clothes being wet, catching small fish and letting them go. They decided to also try to skip rocks, and when that got boring, Alice closed her eyes as Emmett splashed away and she tried to find him as she walked around the water. Of course she found him rather quickly and Annabelle had a feeling that wasn't a completely fair game as they had the vampiric hearing like their father, but also because Alice could see where he went as soon as he decided. Emmett clearly noticed that and so he took his turn, taking much longer to find her, and then decided he didn't like that game.

They stayed there long enough the sun was almost down and so they just camped there for the night, Carlisle building up a fire to cook some of the fish while the kids laid under the stars and eventually fell asleep together in the quilt. Annabelle wasn't tired enough to sleep, so she and Carlisle lay a little bit away from therm, staring up at the stars themselves and just silently being together, stealing kisses now and then until Annabelle fell off into a deep sleep herself.

.x.x.x.x.

-Six Months Later, December 1782-

Carlisle had managed to keep them out of lands of the Natives that lived in the area. They identified as the Sioux, more specifically the Yankton tribe, and lived along the river. While the Cullens had decided to live along the water, they happily kept away from the river and instead found a small lake just west of there that the Yanktons had told them wasn't occupied by any of the Sioux tribes. They seemed to notice there was something different about the family, but when Carlisle saved the chief's son from drowning, they welcomed the family into their area. They even helped Carlisle build the house that Annabelle and Alice saw, and it got done in half the time than if Carlisle had done it by himself. Emmett, of course, helped out and the Natives gave them some temporary shelter during the time that it took to complete. They didn't understand each other's languages, but it was easy enough to catch on once they started speaking more. Annabelle befriended a woman named Maka who had just had a child—a daughter of her own named Chumani—and Annabelle passed down some of Alice's old clothing to her.

The other Sioux tribes were a bit more suspicious and wary of the Cullens than the Yankton tribe, but they decided that since the family was closest to the Yankton land, that it would be of their decision to make on what to do with them. Since none of them had any ill-will towards the Cullens, the family was able to stay there. Carlisle even leant the wagon and horses to the chief in thanks of their support so they could work on some extra trades with further away tribes as well as stock up on some extras like wood and animal pelts. Carlisle actually helped with that, not letting them know exactly what he needed the blood for and they luckily didn't ask.

Once the house was complete, Annabelle cooked up a big meal for them in thanks, and after that they nicely traded back and forth for goods and services that they both needed. Annabelle would cook and sew and become a babysitter while Carlisle worked alongside their elder medicine man, teaching him of some natural ways to cure different things, and what to look out for. Emmett and Alice hid for just a little while, but soon the Natives noticed their differences, and simply thought their growth was stunted. That was the only explanation that Annabelle was willing to give and so she agreed to it.

Once the winter hit, Annabelle made sure the Natives had enough food and blankets to last them the whole season, along with making sure that their family had enough. Annabelle herself was really the only one that got cold as the kids were starting to take after their father in that respect, but that didn't stop her from bundling them up unnecessarily just for a mother's peace of mind. The lake behind them was frozen, but that was the least on her mind considering it was now approaching the second birthday of her twins. While she couldn't give Emmett exactly what he wanted—his own hunting trip—she did have Carlisle run out to find a grizzly and bring back the blood. Alice's favorite was moose and so she got that. Annabelle made up a chocolate cake with Happy Second Birthday, Emmett and Alice! written on it along with some fresh, buttery salmon for dinner.

They were down for a nap when the parents got it all together, and so when they woke up, they were pleasantly surprised. Sitting around the fireplace together, they sipped on their special drinks as they opened their gifts, one each. Emmett got a grizzly bear claw on a necklace, and Alice got a book of poetry. Both of them were ecstatic and jumping around with thank yous, and Annabelle would never get tired of seeing those smiles. Emmett ran to put the necklace on and Alice sat down between her parents with a happy sigh.

"I think Jasper will like these stories," she whispered, soft enough the couple wasn't sure if they were meant to hear, but they both frowned over her head to each other nonetheless.

"Who is Jasper, sweetheart?" Annabelle wondered, fingers falling into the girl's ringlets that she was insisting on cutting off short and spiky, but Annabelle hadn't given in yet.

Alice looked up at her, her cerulean-gold eyes dancing with secretive delight. "Oh, he has not been born yet, Momma. But he will be someday. And soon after, I will find him." She nodded and looked back to her book, the subject closed. Carlisle looked as worried as Annabelle, but really, what could you say to a two-year-old who saw the future? Clearly he was going to be real someday—after all, her other visions had all come true—and they would just have to be patient for when that arrived. Carlisle just shook his head a little, reaching over to tenderly brush some of Annabelle's escaped tendrils of hair over her ear causing her to smile at him adoringly, and together they sat, their daughter between them and their son playing with the whittled blocks on the floor, and neither Cullen could be happier.

Author's Note: I had to post this down here otherwise I would give something away, but I was so excited to reveal who the baby...well, babies are! This is one of my favorite twists as these two of my favorite Cullens. :) And I couldn't wait for you guys to see! I hope you all enjoy this! I have many more plans and twists for you to enjoy along the way! Thanks for reading and comments are love!