Author's Note: Hey Guys! Yes I know I had been gone for over a year and I am afraid that I may have lost some of my followers over that time. But if I haven't lost you, I want to know that you guys are still reading. I want to know that you guys are still enjoying the story. As for my new readers, I want to welcome you guys and hope you are enjoying this story as well. So for both of you guys, please, please, please Review. I love reading what you guys to have to say and what you like or even don't like about the story. If you guys write stories on here then you know how amazing it feels to get a review and how it makes you want to write more and update more. So please Review. Tell me what you think is going to happen? Or what your favorite part is so far. Or even how you think it may end? I care about what you guys think. And your reviews mean a lot. Sorry for the long note, I am sure you want to read the new chapter so here it is:
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, sadly.
Artemis POV:
The month of February goes by and it was wonderful, minus the morning sickness, or well the all the time sickness. School went back to being enjoyable, especially since I have Embry and Brady back. I started sitting with the guys to at school, and though at first I was nervous and fidgety, the more I say there the more comfortable I got. Though at the house, I still avoid being around them all at once.
My mom has even became more comfortable around the house, with the guys all coming in and out. She has been talking to a therapist Dr. Cullen suggested and start working as Sam's auto shop as the secretary, so she had to get used to being around the guys that work at the shop, which is most of the older guys, even Embry, though he is just part-time. My mom also helps Emily cook for the army almost every night. Except for the nights she goes over Tiffany's aka pretty much her new best friend. After the first night we all had dinner together, they just clicked.
She seems happy, though some nights she still has nightmares and I can hear her crying. Those nights are the nights I spend with her, holding her until she falls back asleep. She is getting better but I know it will be awhile before she is ever is. But as of right now, she is mostly happy and back to being my mother.
Along with my mom getting a job, I got one too. Emily came through on the job at the store. She talked to the owner and they were hiring and gave me a chance. I work four times a week after school or on the weekends. So far it has been going great. The owner is a very nice older lady named Peggy. Though she seems mean when you first meet, she watches out for you and tells you what you need to hear. She can be pretty interesting.
Embry and I have been great too. At school, he still walks me to every class, even though I tell him not to because he gets to class late. Yet, he still does. After school, I usually work at the store so he drives me there, but he has to work to so when I get off, I walk myself home since it is just a few blocks from home. Most nights he stays over to, though there are the few nights his mom likes him home, which is understandable. Those are also the night my nightmares return. I don't tell Embry because then he would never leave me alone. The nightmares I can handle anyways.
As for the nights he does stay with me, we talk, cuddle and kiss. I know he wants to be closer but I am just not ready for any of that yet. And it is not like with being pregnant we could do as much, it would be weird if we did, even without the circumstances. But he respects that and doesn't push me. And I love him for that.
Valentine's Day he insisted on taking me out on our first official date. He made me dress up, luckily Sam gave my mom a pay advance and bought me a nice dress. He took me out to Seattle for a nice dinner and then we saw a movie, 27 Dresses, though I could tell Embry would have rather saw a movie where at least on car blew up. All-in-all it was a fantastic night.
The day after Valentine's Day, I even had my first doctor's appointment for my baby. My mom and Embry went with me. The nurse went through all the information and I told her the day of conception, which she then determined my due date as October 15th. Then she took an ultrasound of the baby to make sure everything was okay with the baby. Dr. Cullen knows my history and wants to make sure that from that, there was no harm to the baby. Luckily though he or she was just fine.
The first weekend of March, Sam and Emily decided to host a small get together of the guys, their girlfriends and a few other to come over. And I thought it was time for an announcement.
"You want to what?" Embry asks.
We were laying on the bed in my room, talking when I decided to tell him.
"I am ready to tell people what happened and that I am pregnant Embry," I say again.
"What? Why?" he asks, clearly still in shock.
"Embry, I am going to start showing soon and then people are going to start talking. I don't care about strangers but I want my friends to know the truth," I tell him.
"Okay but are you sure you want to tell them now? Are you sure you can handle telling them it?" Embry asks.
"If I can't tell them now, then when else will I be ready? They have taken me in and helped made me feel safe and not alone. The least I can do is tell them the truth," I tell him.
"Fine, but I will be right beside you when you do," he says, knowing that I am determined to do this.
"Good, now I just want to make sure it's okay with Emily. I don't want to ruin her get together," I reply to him, kissing him on the cheek, then getting up to get ready.
I send Embry out of the room so that I can change. Since it was actually sunny, I decided to wear a simple white, strapless dress that falls just above the knee, a blue cardigan to wear over it and a pair of blue flats, I had bought the outfit after my second pay check, when Emily mentioned none of my clothes really fit. Brushing out my hair, I opened the door to let Embry come back in, but found he wasn't there, so I just left the door open.
As I am cleaning up my room, Emily knocks on the door and comes in.
"Hey Em," I say, smiling.
"Hey, Embry said you needed to talk?" she says to me.
"Oh yea, well I was wondering if I could make an announcement at the get together today. I want to tell our friend's my story because I figure it is a matter of time before people start asking questions," I tell her.
"What do you mean?" she asks curiously.
"Well, I know you have figured out that my mom and I were abused, but I was also raped by the man who abused me and now I am pregnant with my baby," I tell her.
"Oh my god, Artemis!" she exclaims.
"Emily, please, this is my baby. Not his. And I want them to understand that. But I am 7 weeks along and I know soon I will be showing. Emily, it's not the baby's fault, what its monster of a father did," I explain to her.
"You poor girl," she says to me softly, pulling me into a hug," You are such a strong young women. Yes you can tell everyone but know they will be upset. They care for you, Artemis."
"I know and I care for them and they deserve to know the truth," I reply.
After that she left having to get some food for the party done. Embry returned to my room, wearing a white buttoned up shirt and tan khakis shorts, looking as handsome as ever.
"Welcome back," I say to him.
"Hello beautiful," he replies coming over and wrapping his arms around me from behind and placing a kiss on my cheek," I love the dress."
"Well, thank you. You look pretty nice yourself," I reply back to him.
After a little bit more kissing and finally finishing getting ready, we head downstairs. We find Emily and my mom in the kitchen finishing up the food for the get together. We go outside and find Sam and the guys putting up tables, lights, and even a few tents on the side just in case it rains.
"Get to work, Embry," Jacob joked to him.
"Oh shut up, Jacob," he yells back at him but does head over to help. So I decide to go help my mom and Emily in the kitchen.
In less than an hour, everything was set up and ready to go. All the food was set up outside and people started arriving. Most of the guys were already here but a few had other things to do and said they couldn't make it or would be late. Other than Emily, there were two other girls that were dating guys in the gang. Kim who was with Jared and Rachel who was with Paul, and like Emily over the past month we have gotten close. Though when you are always around a bunch of guys, us girls need to stick together. So once they arrived, I stuck by them.
A few people that I didn't know but knew of, showed up. One, was Jacob's dad, Billy. I had heard about him and even saw him a couple times around but never really met him.
"You ready?" Emily asks me once everyone had arrived and had had a chance to talk and eat.
"As ready as I will ever be," I respond, suddenly becoming nervous. What if they don't want to be my friends anymore? I can't help but think. But as I start to walk up to the front of the crowd a hand slips into mine and I know its Embry. I know that everything will be okay.
"Can I have everyone attention for a second, please," Emily yells and everyone turns to look at her, quietly down," Artemis would like to say a few things, so if you please listen to her and be kind as she tells you something important," Emily says to everyone, then leaves me and Embry in front of everyone, to go stand by Sam.
"Hello everyone, most of you know me and for that don't, I'm Artemis," I say, getting nervous again but I feel Embry squeezes my hand," Now what I am about to tell you guys is very hard for me but I think you guys should know because you have all became important people in my life, you guys have become friends. Growing up, I pulled away from people because I was afraid they would find out my secret. A secret that I no longer have to keep, thanks to this amazing guy next to me and also my best friend, Brady. My secret I had to keep was," I take a deep breath knowing I can do this," my mother and I were being abused by my step-father," there was a gasp through the crowd. I give them a second to settle down, though I know it is a lot to take in. I look around and see some of the guys with clenched fist and Rebecca confronting Kim who had tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to upset everyone. But I am not finished with it. There is more, if you want to hear it," I say to them and I see Emily urging me on," Ever since I was 5, the beatings have been going on, and until a month ago it was still going on but I was lucky to have been saved from that life. Though not before my Step-dad took the abuse to the next level," There was another gasp as everyone realized what I meant and I saw some of the guys shaking and then noticed Embry was too. It was then my turn to squeeze back. I again waited for everyone to settle down.
"It's awful and I know that but from that I was given a gift. A light in the darkness. A few weeks later, I found out I was with child. My child. Most of you probably don't understand. But the actions of that man is not the baby's fault. It's not my baby's fault. So I have chosen to keep it," Everyone's face was in pure shock," Now that you know my past, I understand if you don't want to be friends, I ge-" I am telling them and everyone starts to talk all at once, but a voice booms over the rest.
"What the Hell!" Paul's voice booms. I knew this would happen, they won't want to be my friend. Tears start to fall but I knew they deserved the truth.
Embry sees I was getting upset and puts his arms around me and I bury my face into his chest. I just knew it.
"Paul, just wai-"Embry starts to say.
"No Embry, I won't. You need to listen. You, Artemis, need to listen. I want to know why that bastard isn't behind bars or dead? Why haven't we killed him? Artemis in the past month you haven't just became a friend, you've became family, you and your mom. So how dare you think that this bastard could affect how we feel about you or your mom! How low of us do you think of us?" he says, giving me a smile," Now come here little sis," he says, coming forward and hugging me and then pulling my mom into it," And you Momma Becky."
Then everyone came over and was hugging us and making me cry more. Somehow I got lucky to have these amazing people in my life. And one in particular who saved me and loves me. Embry.
I hope you guys liked it. If you did, tell me why, or if you didn't, then tell me why too. Like I said early, I want to hear from you guys. Yes I want to finish this story for me, but I am doing it for you guys. I owe it to you all. But I do want to thank you guys for your support. You guys are Awesome!
-Kels:)