A huge thank you to all of you for the love you continue to give coffee girl, Eddie, and me. A thank you to both Brie and kitchmill for making my words pretty even if I tend to add things after the fact.

Other than that…yeah, enjoy...and don't hate me.

Chapter Twenty

Confession #20: When it rains, it pours...too bad I didn't have an umbrella handy when it all began.

The new year began with an unexpected call from my parents. Apparently Alice lost her shit when she found out Jasper proposed to Maria. I didn't know exactly what had happened since all they could tell me was that she'd been out at a club with Tanya, ringing in the New Year when the happy couple arrived.

Even as more details were slowly obtained by Emmett through our parents, I wasn't shocked to learn that Alice had once again attacked someone. I was just glad it wasn't my wife. The photos leaked by TMZ showed Maria with nasty scratches on her face and a busted lip. Needless to say our parents were beside themselves with grief.

The paparazzi were already on baby watch before this occurred. Now they had taken to literally camping outside our gated community, Emmett and Rose's house, and our parents' home as well. It was a nightmare. We couldn't do anything or go anywhere without being followed.

As a result, the last thing I wanted to do with only seven weeks left until our girls' arrived was to attend a court proceeding for the sister I wrote out of my life for good more than a year ago, but the press would have a field day with me, and by default Bella, if we didn't show up. So when the day of her arraignment arrived, I proceeded to put on my actor face. Lord knew I needed it.

Bella's parents arrived to watch Caleb while we were gone. There was absolutely no way I would have subject him to that madhouse. Emmett and Rose also brought the girls over before the four of us headed out together.

Rose huffed as she climbed in next to Emmett. She pulled down the visor and was checking her makeup when she began ranting. "I cannot believe we have to show up for this shit."

"Rosie—"

"Don't you Rosie me, Emmett. Your sister is a psycho bitch. She needs to be institutionalized. First Bella, now Maria. Who's next, our girls? Bella and Edward's babies? It's all bullshit."

Bella sighed beside me. I knew she agreed with Rose; hell, I did too. Emmett was just a big softy and hated conflict. Rose spent the remainder of the drive muttering under her breath while I rubbed coffee girl's burgeoning belly. Our girls were especially active that morning.

The moment Emmett parked, Rose plastered on her America's Sweetheart face. I took a deep breath and went to Bella's door, but Rose had already beat me to it and was giving Bella a pep talk.

"You ignore everything those bastards might shout. I know what it's like carrying twins, and you're beautiful. Ready to pop, even. Those rat bastards are looking for a payday, so don't give it to them." Rose reached into her gigantic purse and pulled out a second pair of sunglasses. "Put these on. Then just keep hoping for one of the paps to get hit by a car. It's what I do."

Bella giggled. "You're so bad, Rose. Besides, I don't have a problem with my size. All I care about is healthy babies and where the closest bathroom is because I already have to pee again."

Leave it to Bella to lighten the mood.

"Well okay, then. Let's find the preggo a shitter."

I groaned at the visual. "Nice, Rose."

"I do what I can," she muttered before turning on her heels and heading for the front of the courthouse.

Emmett and I boxed our ladies in as we made our way up the courthouse stairs. The officers pushed the paparazzi back until we were safely inside and through the metal detectors. Emmett and I hugged our parents while Rose and Bella went to the restroom.

I didn't know what to say, but thankfully Em didn't have the same problem. We had about fifteen minutes before everything started. Though it wasn't a requirement that Maria and Jasper attend, I wasn't shocked when they arrived. They didn't try to approach us, and for that I was glad.

Bella and Rose soon joined us, and Jasper just stared at my wife before he turned to the man that had approached them. He was obviously a lawyer. I didn't really pay attention to anything my parents were saying to Emmett, and Rose was still huffy, so when the doors to the courtroom finally opened, I exhaled. I was so ready to be done here.

What felt like hours was only mere minutes later when I saw Alice enter the courtroom with her lawyer. She was dressed demurely in a suit, but her face was free of makeup and her normally styled hair was pinned back in a ponytail at the base of her neck. It was her eyes that spoke to me, though. They were darker than I ever remember them being. Fire and hate burned in them, and I had a feeling this wasn't going to go the way my parents and Emmett hoped. My gut told me there would be fireworks before we were going to be able to leave…I should have listened to it.

The judge called the court to order, and a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo was said back and forth between both lawyers. When Alice's lawyer requested bail until the trial could begin, the prosecutor made a statement that set me on edge.

"Your honor, while this is the first time Ms. Cullen has been accused of attacking someone, it is not the first time she has done something like this." Coffee girl's breath hitched, as did everyone else in my family as they looked at her as well. "She is a danger to the public, and we humbly request that bail be denied."

What happen next was truly a scene out of a movie.

Alice screeched and jumped up from her seat. She flung the chair away as she turned to my wife and shouted, "This is all your fault! You've ruined everything!"

Before she could even close the distance between us, the bailiff and another officer had already apprehended Alice and were dragging her from the room. Handcuffs were swiftly attached to her wrists, but she continued to scream obscenities at my wife. The judge was trying to take back control of her courtroom, my mother was crying, and Bella sat motionless beside me.

"Love, are you okay?" I asked as I watched all the color leave coffee girl's face.

She shook her head before whispering, "My water just broke."

"What?" I exclaimed as I jumped from my seat.

"Young man, contain yourself or I will have you removed from my courtroom," the judge yelled.

I'm sure the crazed look I was sporting was enough to put the officers that were still in the room on high alert.

"I'm sorry, your honor, but my wife's water just broke. Our babies aren't due for seven more weeks. We need an ambulance."

The courtroom was in an uproar once more, but I was oblivious to everything but my wife. I could see the fear on her face, and I was positive it matched my own. I wanted to kill Alice for causing this. If anything happened to my girls, I would make sure she paid with her life.

~o~o~o~

The EMTs arrived quickly and whisked Bella and me away. They inserted an IV and began giving her the meds the hospital staff instructed while we flew through the streets of Los Angeles toward the hospital, the sirens blaring the whole time. As soon as we arrived at the hospital, they were rushing Bella into surgery. Phrases like possible preeclampsia, fetal distress, and low heart rate were being shouted around me as they began to assess the seriousness of the situation.

Numb didn't even begin to describe what I was feeling. This was so different than Caleb's entry into the world. Clipboards were being shoved in my face for me to sign. Emergency surgery, a C-section, was needed. Neonatal doctors were trying to explain what would be happening, but it was as if they were speaking gibberish. I just squeezed Bella's hand and looked to her for guidance.

Tears were running down her beautiful cheeks. "It'll be okay. Have faith. The doctors know what they're doing."

I shook my head. "If anything...I can't...I can't lose you."

"Oh, Eddie. We'll be fine. I know it."

Her faith was unwavering even as they wheeled her into the operating room. I was given scrubs to put on before I began pacing outside the OR. The waiting was killing me. I said more prayers in those few minutes I was alone than I had said in all the years I'd been alive.

When I was finally allowed in the cold, sterile room, the only thing I could truly focus on was my coffee girl. She looked so sick and tiny under the protective sheets that separated her upper body from her lower half, an oxygen mask firmly in place on her face. I could do nothing except attempt to comfort her and whisper words of love as the doctors brought my daughters into the world.

A fury-filled cry permeated the air, and a small bit of the weight on my chest finally lifted with the sound. One of the doctors held her up over the curtain, and her small but bright pink limbs flailed with her anger.

Elizabeth Grace. My Libby.

My little princess appeared as if she would be shouting, 'Off with their heads!' like the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland as a result of leaving the warmth she'd been living in.

But as quickly as she arrived, she was rushed over to the neonatologist for assessment. At that moment I couldn't even retain the color of her hair or the shape of her lips. The glimpse of my first daughter was so brief and I felt robbed. Anger bubbled as another softer cry entered my life.

Katelyn Hope. Our Katie.

Our moment with her was just as brief, but even I could see she was smaller than her sister. Just as pink as her sister had been, however it was very apparent she would be our calm daughter as she lay almost limply in the doctor's arms.

A nurse placed hospital multiple ID bracelets on both Bella and me before Bella begged me to follow our daughters to the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU as it was more commonly called. I couldn't say no to her no matter how much I didn't want to leave her side. After whispered words of 'I love you,' I followed the train of doctors, nurses, and the babies' isolettes.

I stood back as tubes and wires were attached to my daughters. Anger gave way to fury as I watched my girls struggle against a fight they shouldn't need to fight.

Within an hour of getting the babies situated, the doctors explained what all the tubes and wires were for. Feeding, breathing, IVs—the list seemed neverending. The spoke of oxygen levels, maintaining body temperature. All of these worrisome things led to questions I didn't even know to ask yet.

Only one thing mattered then. "They're okay right now, right?"

"Yes, both girls are breathing well on their own with just the oxygen to help expand their lungs and do not appear to need to be put on ventilators right now. That could change, but as of now they are doing really well for how early they are."

I just nodded. "I don't have a camera. Can I take a few pictures with my cellphone? I know my wife will want to see them."

The nurse shook her head. "I'm sorry, but no. They carry too many germs, so we request that they are not used in here."

Disappointment flooded me before an idea came to me. "Can I use your phone?"

"Of course. Just dial '9' first." She pointed to the phone near the scrub sink.

I quickly dialed the woman who I knew could make anything happen.

"This is Jane."

"Jane, it's Edward. I need your help…"

I quickly explained what was going on, and she promised to get me the things I requested within the hour.

Sometimes the Hollywood perks were worth it.

Once I was finished, I explained to the nurse what I was having delivered and she showed me how to scrub up before we could have any hands on contact with the girls. Any visitors who came with us would have to do the same each and every time, so I paid very close attention to the steps she showed me.

Once I was back by my girls, the nurse showed me how I could comfort them until we were allowed to hold them. My heart broke knowing I couldn't provide my children with the love and support of my arms. My body shook with tears and resentment toward Alice. My love for these two angels grew and I knew deep down they would eventually be okay. Those were the only things I allowed to invade my thoughts until the sweet nurse who was taking care of my girls brought me the bag I'd requested from Jane.

Finally able to smile and allow myself to bond with the girls, I pulled the camera from the sack that had delivered and took turns speaking to my daughters for the first time.

"Okay, Libby, smile for Daddy. Mommy is going to want to see her beautiful little girl."

I took a few more pictures before I turned to her minute-younger sister.

"Katie girl, are you gonna open your eyes for Daddy? Mommy would love that."

As if she understood what I was saying, she opened her dark eyes and puckered her lips. I laughed as I took her picture.

Bella would love this, but even I knew she would blame my sister for Libby and Katie's early arrival, too. I knew she put on a brave face for me before we went into the operating room, but now that they were safe and under the care of doctors, I had no doubt she would be looking for as much vengeance as I was.

Whatever needed to be done to keep my bitch of a sister away from our family would be done...with or without my parents support.

*Ducks behind a wall and wave a white flag* Don't hate me because I would never truly allow anything to keep Eddie and coffee girl from complete and utter happiness. Real life has bumps though, and this is theirs.

I hope you all won't abandon me after this, but feel free to leave me your thoughts. Xx Dee