A/N: Jeez, Nana, are you happy now? Gosh…
And for those of you who don't know, the song in this chapter is Only Hope by Mandy Moore. Look it up, it's really pretty ;D
"I'm pregnant," I said again. "Oh, my gosh."
"Oh, Jasmine, that truly is wonderful," Bella sighed. Esme looked like she wanted to cry.
"My great granddaughter is having a baby!" Esme exclaimed. She walked over to me and gave me a squeeze. "My strong, intelligent, powerful great granddaughter that can survive anything."
I sighed and didn't bother to wipe away my tears of joy. "So you really think I can make it, Esme?"
"I really do," she said.
"Jasmine, I am very happy for you," Carlisle said sincerely. "It does my heart good to know that someone else in our family will be able to have a child to call their own in but months' time. I'm sure you'll be able to survive this." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I don't know how much I'll be able to do to help you. The most I can do now is call Sue and ask her how she dealt with it. I might be able to think back to Bella's pregnancy and try to work from there. Research might help, too." Carlisle started to walk toward the computer in the corner of the room.
"For now, I think we should also call Sue," Bella said. "She might have some tips for Jasmine."
"Oh, no," I said. "Today is a very painful day for Sue. I'm sure I can hold up until tomorrow."
"Jasmine, I fear you might not be able to without some help," Esme said.
"Well, hey, I was going to go drop off Nessie's things at my dad's so she could sleep over," Bella said. "I could always stop by Sue's place afterwards."
"That might be a good idea," Carlisle said.
"All right, so, I'm gonna go give Nessie her things then head on down to La Push. I'll call you guys once Sue is on her way." Bella patted my back, picked up a blue duffel bag, and made her way toward the door.
"Bells," I said, "can you do me a favor and not tell Seth yet? I want to be the one to tell him."
Bella smiled warmly. "All right. I'll skip out on the details." And with that, she disappeared through the door.
"Esme," I started, "if you don't mind, I think I'm going to go upstairs."
Esme smiled. "Why, of course, dear. Do you need help?"
"No, I think I can make it," I assured her. "But, if you hear a large crash, then I probably need some help."
Esme laughed a bit. "All right, then. Be careful."
I stood up and, cradling my stomach, made my way to the stairs. I gripped the rail tightly and pulled myself up the stairs slowly. I wasn't sure if I could make it without completely passing out, but I figured I would need the practice.
"Are you sure you don't need help?" Esme called.
"I'm fine, Esme, really," I said.
"Jasmine, let us know if you start feeling fainter, all right?" Carlisle said. "We don't want you to risk…" his voice trailed off. I didn't feel like asking any questions.
"Will do, Carlisle, will do," I muttered. When I reached the top of the stairs, I relaxed my muscles and continued down the hallway. When I reached my door, I opened it quickly and slipped into my closet. There, I sank down to the floor in front of the door.
There was life inside me. And not just any life—the life of mine and Seth's child. The perfect combination of the both of us was growing larger inside me every second. I stretched my legs out in front of me and rested my head against the door. When I looked down again, my eyes immediately fell on my stomach.
"My darling little child," I whispered. "I'll protect you with my life. You'll have a family that will care for you, a father that will always love you, and a mother that will never leave you. I hope that will be enough for forever." I smiled slightly to myself and started singing softly, a song that we'd danced to at our wedding.
"Sing to me the song of the stars
Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again
When it feels like my dreams are so far
Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again
So I lay my head back down
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours
I pray
To be only yours
I know now you're my only hope…" My voice trailed off and I laughed a bit, feeling completely drowned in ecstasy.
I sang song after song in hopes that my unborn child would enjoy them. I continued this until I heard the door to my bedroom open and then close gently.
"Jasmine?" Seth called. "Are you in here?"
I stood up and slipped out of my closet. "Right here," I said.
Seth immediately wrapped his arms around me. "Are you all right?" he asked. "Bella said you were sick. She told my mom and me to come down here as soon as possible."
"Is that what she said?" I laughed. "Oh, I'm fine. Better than fine, actually." I bit my lip nervously as I smiled. "Seth, sit down."
He did as I said, taking a seat at the edge of my bed. He pulled my on to his lap. I rested my head against his chest.
"You'll never guess what I just found out," I said.
"Can I try and guess?" he teased.
"I'd rather tell you," I said as my heart started racing. "Besides, it'll take you forever to figure it out."
"If you say so," he chuckled. "So, what's going on?"
"Seth," I said, looking up into his eyes with a smile on my face. "I'm pregnant."
The next thing I knew, I was twirled in the air.
"Whoa, careful," I said once my feet were on the ground. "I don't know why they call it morning sickness when it lasts all day."
"I'm gonna be a father," Seth whispered. "I can't believe it."
"Neither could I." I laughed. "But we've got a little bundle of joy coming our way." I sighed and patted my stomach lightly. Something inside me… it moved, it kicked.
"What the… Carlisle!" I called. Within seconds, Carlisle was in the room, Sue scurrying after him. Seth sat me down on the bed and put one arm around me.
"What is it?" Carlisle asked.
"The—the—the baby. I—it kicked. Is it supposed to kick this early?" I glanced at Sue, whose facial expression was a mix between frustration and utter joy.
"Not that I know," Sue said. "I didn't feel Seth or Leah move until about five months into my pregnancy. Even a single wolf child isn't growing fast enough to start kicking after a month."
"Or maybe," Carlisle said, "it's not a single wolf child."
Sue looked surprised. I'm sure I did, too. Seth's jaw dropped.
"What are you saying, Carlisle?" I asked.
"I'm saying," he said, "that it might be more than one child in there. You may be giving birth to twins, Jasmine."
My eyes widened to the point where they were probably the size of baseballs.
"Twins," I whispered. I might have fallen over if Seth hadn't been holding me tight. "Unbelievable."
Bella burst into the room frantically. "They're close!" she screamed. "They're back! The shield is around us, so we don't have to worry about Edward. Unless, well, Jasmine?" She turned to me. "Do you want to tell Alice and Jasper?"
"Can I put it off for a little while?" I asked.
"They'll figure it out eventually," Bella muttered.
"You're not helping, Bells," I said.
"Right. Anyway, I've gotten rid of most of the evidence, like the puke and the test and such. Alice obviously can't see you anymore—that wolf child is a part of you so I guess that's a plus for now—and I'm sure she'll just think it's because you're always with Seth. Try not to stand too quickly or make any sudden movements that would give you away until you're ready."
"Bella," I said. "Actually, we're thinking right now that it might not be just a child."
Bella cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
"We're thinking I might be having twins," I said.
"Oh my gosh," she whispered. "Has that ever happened before?"
Sue shook her head. "Not that I know. She has to be extremely careful. Having one wolf child inside you takes a lot out of you, especially in an abnormal pregnancy. Having two, though…" She shook her head again.
"I can do this," I said confidently. "I will not let my own child bring me harm."
"You still look pale," Bella said. "We need to get some color into your face before they get here." She smirked and whispered something too quickly for me to hear. Seth chuckled and turned my face toward him, planting a kiss on my lips. Heat immediately flooded my face. Bella snickered.
"Much better," she declared.
I patted my stomach one more time before standing, and—with help from Seth—making my way downstairs and on to the couch just seconds before Alice and the others walked in.
"Hi everyone," Alice said. She gave us each a peck on the cheek. Esme came in from the kitchen, and I could practically see Bella's shield moving with her as she walked. Alice seemed to be able to see it, too. She threw a questioning look at Bella who shrugged. My stomach turned.
"I'm gonna go get some water," I said, trying not to make it obvious that I was about to throw up.
"I'll go with you," Seth said, following me. I walked quickly to the kitchen and heaved dryly into the sink. I coughed.
"Ugh, I knew there was no way there was anything else left to throw up in there," I muttered, patting my stomach. Seth rubbed my back.
"Breathe," he said. "You'll be fine."
"I hope so," I said. "I think I'll take that water."
Seth walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water for me. I chugged it down as quickly as I could manage.
"Thanks," I said, wiping my mouth. My stomach growled. "Someone's hungry." I made sure not to mention that it was the baby—or babies—for the sake of the people with super hearing in the next room that didn't know.
"Do we have eggs?" I asked quietly—mostly to myself—as I yanked the door of the fridge open again. "Yes we do," I said, pulling two out.
I cracked them into a heated pan, trying hard to concentrate more on not burning myself. Occasionally, my eyes would drift to my stomach and I would smile. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Seth doing the same.
"Crap!" Bella screamed from the living room. I threw a frantic look at Seth as I hurried into the living room. Emmett was on the floor, rolling with laughter. Edward looked like he wasn't too far from doing the same.
"What's your country now, Love?" Edward asked through his laughter.
"What's going on?" I asked warily.
Bella slumped down on the couch. "Switzerland has declared war on America," she muttered.
"And this is funny, why?" I asked, eyeing Emmett and Edward.
"Inside joke," Edward said, smiling crookedly.
"If you guys say so," I said.
"Jasmine, are you okay?" Alice asked. "I heard the heaving."
I smiled sheepishly and tried not to make it obvious that I was hiding something. "It's just the stomach flu," I assured her.
She pursed her lips and nodded, but she didn't look convinced.
"Okay," she said. "Carlisle, did you have a look at her?"
"Oh, yes, Alice," he said. "I'm sure she'll be perfectly fine. As long as she drinks a lot of water and eats normally, she'll be better in a few days."
Jasper put one arm around Alice. "She'll be fine," he whispered in her ear. I turned around and walked back to the kitchen where I flipped my eggs onto a plate, leaned against the counter, and started eating.
"I hope that does some good," I muttered. Seth came over and gently wound his arms around my waist, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
"You'll be all right," he whispered. His tone silently added and so will the babies.
When I finished eating, I grabbed another bottle of water before exiting the kitchen and entering the living room once again. Bella was still pouting over Switzerland declaring war. Seth and I sat on the love seat, his arm around me. When the doorbell rang, Rosalie stood from her seat to go and answer it.
"Ew," she said when she opened the door. "The dogs are here."
Jacob and Leah pushed their way past Rose.
"Thanks so much for the great introduction, Bloodsucker," Leah scoffed.
"My pleasure," Rosalie said back with false warmth.
I couldn't help but smile at their bickering. I stared absently at the television for a while until I felt another kick inside me.
Alice's head snapped up. "What was that?" she asked.
I froze.
"What was what, Alice?" Bella asked innocently.
"There was a faint thump," Alice said.
"I didn't hear anything, Alice," Carlisle said. I would have to thank him later.
"Hm," Alice said. "Maybe it was just me."
I tried to stifle my sigh of relief. All right, yeah, I would have to tell them eventually, but couldn't I put it off for just a little while?
Another kick.
"There it is again," Alice said.
Jasper's head whipped to the side. "I heard it, too."
"So did I," Edward whispered.
"What is that?" Rosalie asked.
"Not sure, Babe," Emmett said to her.
Crap.
"You all must be imagining things," Esme said, laughing. "I didn't hear a thing."
"Neither did I," Sue volunteered.
"Mom, you're human," Leah said. "Of course you didn't hear anything. Seriously, though, what is that?"
Please, please, oh, please don't kick again! I prayed silently. Sadly, a series of small kicks followed.
Alice stood up and started walking toward the sound.
"I know what I'm hearing," she said. She continued walking and I hoped that her hearing would lead her somewhere else. It didn't.
Alice stood in front of me, her eyes widened in shock as she bent down to put her ear next to my stomach. Another kick.
"Jasmine," Alice started cautiously, "why is that noise coming from inside your stomach?"
I felt the blood rush out of my face as all heads in the room snapped to face me—some faces held surprise, others held an "I'm sorry, we tried" expression.
"Um…" I wasn't sure what to say. I decided that the truth would set me free. "I'm pregnant."
Jasper stood up slowly and walked over to stand over me. His face was twisted into a mask of disbelief.
"You're what?" he asked calmly.
"I'm… pregnant," I said.
There wasn't a single sound in the room. The first person to show any kind of reaction was Alice—of course—who started clapping and bouncing. She took Jasper's hands in her own.
"Jazz!" she squealed. "I'm going to be a grandma!"
"I'm going to be a freaking aunt," Leah said in disbelief.
Emmett doubled over in laughter.
"What did I tell you?!" he screamed, laughing. "What. Did. I. Tell. You."
"That's wonderful, Jasmine," Jasper said sincerely. His eyes and voice were warm. "We're all really happy for you."
My eyes filled with tears as I stood up and hugged him.
"Thanks, Dad," I said. I lifted one arm off of his shoulder and put it around Alice who was still bouncing and squealing loud enough to deafen someone in Europe.
Emmett came around and widened his eyes repeatedly. He patted Seth on the back.
"Whoa, man," he said, "I didn't think you had it in you."
"Jeez, Emmett, show some respect, would you?" Edward joked.
Everyone was crowding around me and I started feeling a bit faint. A tornado exploded in my head and a hurricane started in my stomach. I started hyperventilating.
"Carlisle," I whispered, for my voice couldn't go louder. I could've sworn I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head as I fell back, back, back, until everything went black.