Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! This was a little bit more difficult to write because Edward's feelings were so transformed. I also had to incorporate the surroundings more. In case anyone was wondering from what I've gathered Edward's mind is a very busy place. He's always thinking and on top of that he's always hearing what everyone else is thinking. But I think I balanced things well enough! Reviews are loved...

Special thanks to to everyone who reviewed, and added the story or me to their alert list and/or favorites list. Thank you all so much!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight...And I owe ColdPlay for having such perfect album titles! Also, at the end of each chapter I include the lyrics of one of the songs on the selected album!

ENJOY!!

Vampire Daddy

Part Two: X&Y

For the first time in my century of existence hunger superseded my thirst. I was hungry for life…for my life…to end…

Jacob was tormenting Rosalie. I absolutely despised them both. At least Jacob had agreed to kill me…that was an odd comfort. And he had saved Bella from starving. Still he was Jacob and the hostility he emanated wasn't helping me keep control of my own. Rosalie was another issue entirely. She had ruined everything. I had never seen Rosalie so smug, which only leads me to believe that she will stop at nothing to achieve her greatest desire. But at what expense? Mine? Bella's? She doesn't care about Bella! I was so furious with her; I hardly had room to hate myself much anymore.

"You want me to take off?" Jacob offered. He sounded almost hopeful.

I didn't really care if Jacob was here or not. He was successfully annoying Rosalie to no end. That was nice. It didn't compare to the things I wanted to do to Rosalie. If only Emmett wasn't so fond of her…

Bella was looking at Jacob with complete shock, "No! Of course not."

Ugh. Bella really needed to rein in her feelings for Jacob. He was almost as irritated by them as I was. I heard Jacob sigh too. His thoughts were quickly directed at me. I wanted to yell at him. To really make him understand how much I disliked this fetus. To make him understand how much I disliked myself…

I had come to him at the start of this asking for his help! He had failed...Well that was unfair….He had tried. For my benefit. I think we were truly allies in this. But he is only able to see how hard this is. He frequently refers to my facial expression as 'the burning man'. He has no idea what it feels like. He just blindly, constantly accuses me of humoring Bella. I want to keep Bella happy…But I also want to keep her alive. And for some reason—with Bella—those two things don't go hand in hand.

It would be easier to feel a little more human…to get through this…it'd be nice to have a migraine…I missed migraines…

"You look tired," Bella commented.

"Dead beat," Jacob admitted.

Exhaustion. I haven't slept in a hundred and eight years...Could I finally be exhausted? Jacob's thoughts were exhausting me.

I suppose Jacob wanted to blame someone—and since Bella was somehow always free of blame simply because she was Bella and that explained enough for both of us—I was the easy target. It was my fault. I only wished Jacob would see the situation more clearly. Maybe remove his cynicism…well for Jacob that would be a very invasive surgery. At least half his brain would need to be removed…I chuckled inwardly, my expression remaining completely austere.

Jacob didn't know Rosalie's story…He didn't know women. He was sixteen…possibly forever…Truly a puppy. He didn't understand what babies meant to women…He would never understand why Rosalie was determined for Bella to have this fetus. Jacob didn't understand…It isn't just a matter of making Bella unhappy. It's a matter of destroying Bella in the process of saving her. Again I could thank Rosalie for doing a very thorough job with telling Bella her life story. I didn't need to read Bella's mind to know that if we took this thing away from her, she wouldn't even care about becoming a vampire anymore. Everything would lose its meaning. But because of this thing, I was almost inevitably going to lose Bella. And then where was my meaning?

Rosalie mumbled a taunt at Jacob. I was tired of all of this. Tired and hungry. Soon after Rosalie left the room to get Bella more blood. Jacob settled down for a nap. I envied him the ability to nap. Though I would rather simply close my eyes and never be…And if Jacob was going to blame me for this-as if I'm not blaming myself enough. Then my increased cynicism is his fault. Sometimes I wish I couldn't hear thou—

"I love you."

What? I could have sworn everyone was just sitting idly; peacefully not speaking—or in Jacob's case not thinking—for once. That wasn't Bella's voice, yet it could only have been Bella who said it. Unless Jacob was coming into some more endearing feelings toward me—though I'm not sure I liked the idea of that much. No. It had to have been Bella. It was too near and too small and soft.

Jacob snapped out of his near stupor as I asked Bella perplexedly, "Did you say something?"

My hearing was in question in Jacob's thoughts and I couldn't help wonder if I had imagined it myself. It had been so slight.

Bella stared at me with utter bewilderment, "Me?" she looked a little perturbed. "I didn't say anything."

"Home…warm and happy…"

My mind went blank. I wanted to shout some sort of exclamation, but none existed to describe this. Part of me knew I was being silly. These were thoughts I was hearing. New thoughts. Why would I suddenly start hearing Bella now? And were her thoughts really so…simplistic? Still in awe of the possibility I simply moved onto my knees and leaned forward over Bella, focusing on her face.

"What are you thinking about right now?"

"Nothing. What's going on?" Bella regarded me vacantly.

"What were you just thinking about a minute ago?" My enthusiasm was getting the better of me. All things aside if I was hearing Bella…well…this was great! I was happy. Wow! I hadn't been happy since…

"Just…Esme's island. And feathers."

Oh. My disappoint only had a moment to make me slightly bitter…

"I like that noise!"

And then there it was again. A tiny voice. It was there, fresh and…and…young. As least I wasn't crazy! "Say something else," I whispered to Bella. Realization hit me harder than Emmett during a baseball game.

Bella looked worried now, "Like what? Edward, what's going on?"

Okay maybe I was crazy, but I was definitely hearing a voice and it was definitely coming from…inside Bella. And with that I abandoned all pretenses and very lightly placed both, cool, hands against Bella's protruding stomach.

There is no way to describe the sensation of holding Bella like that. The way many doting husbands touch their pregnant wives. But I hadn't been previously doting throughout this ordeal and I wasn't concentrating on the touch. It was the information I was receiving from that touch.

"The f—" I quickly rearranged my vocabulary for our…well our baby. "It…the baby likes the sound of your voice."

It felt like the room was going to implode from the force of the silence. I thought I might really go into shock this time. Never did I expect to hear the…baby. That was going to take some getting used to. It wasn't a monster fetus anymore…How could it be so bad if it could think? If it could love? Crap. I was the rational one…I was the one who had to get Bella through this alive…Crap. Crap. Crap! How could I do that if I started to like the fetus? No the baby…My baby...

"Holy crow, you can hear him!" Bella cried.

"Why does she scream? What's going to happen?!"

Then she grimaced. Quickly I gently rubbed the peak of her belly where the baby had kicked her.

"Shh, you startled it…him." It was then that I couldn't help but wonder if it was boy. Bella seemed determined to think so. But was it really? Was my little boy in there? Or dare I wonder if it was my little girl? My little vampire. That disgusted me. That brought back some reality...some rationality…It didn't really matter what it was…

"Sorry, baby," Bella apologized, affectionately.

I titled my head to hear the baby better. I couldn't help myself. I was addicted to Bella. I suppose she would always have me captivated. Every part of her. Even the part a moment before I had been sure I could never love. The part that had me asking for death when I had finally found happiness. How swiftly things changed. It was like that first biology class when I had considered giving up everything to taste Bella's blood.

Bella could hardly contain herself, "What's he thinking now?"

"I love my home…"

"It…he or she, is…" I looked at Bella. I saw her large brown orbs filled with anticipation. I was attempting to manage a contained sort of awe. We still had to be careful. This wasn't over unless Bella came out of it alive…and there was still the possibility that she wouldn't—I could kill Jacob for making me think so cynically at this time. I needed Bella to come out of this alive! However I was still incredulous when I finally answered, "He's happy."

Bella began to cry. I found it hard to believe it had taken this long. And admittedly…I was happy too. For us…This was like hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time. Could the baby have a heartbeat? For me…This voice was the baby's heartbeat. It meant there was a chance…This could end well…I could hope…

"Of course you're happy, pretty baby, of course you are," Bella cooed as she rubbed her stomach and tears continued to cascade placidly down her cheeks. "How could you not be, all safe and warm and loved? I love you so much, little EJ, of course you're happy."

EJ? She'd named it EJ? Why? "What did you call him?" I asked curiously. If I kept this up I don't know how I would be able to return to my former ascetic manner…It would seem Jacob's 'burning man' had just died…I was really getting myself in deep.

Ironically I suppose I had gotten my wish for my life to end…The part of me…The part I was so incessantly and justifiably tortured by had ceased to exist. I was now encapsulated in the very emotions and thoughts I had been trying to keep at bay from the moment Bella knew she was pregnant. And I was happy about it this time! Though I wasn't sure I could get used to the name EJ…

Bella blushed. "I sort of named him. I didn't think you would want…well, you know."

She was right. I probably would have let her name it even if I had been thrilled about the whole pregnancy in the first place. But…"EJ?"

Bella was quick to defend this idea. "You father's name was Edward, too."

Oh. Well in that case…"Yes, it was. What—"

"Edward! Hehe! That's what Bella calls him. I like the noise he makes too."

"Hmm," I thought as I listened.

"What?" Bella pestered.

"He likes my voice, too."

It was in that moment that I truly acknowledged that I was going to be a father. I acknowledged and accepted it. Bella openly wanted a boy and I suppose that made her happy because she wanted to make me happy…baby boys always made for proud fathers…

It was in that moment that I knew that I now no longer just had to preserve Bella's life. I had to save her and the baby. There was no way around it and no way one would be more important than the other in even the direst of situations. As Bella and Rosalie discussed the alternative name if the baby was not in fact an EJ, I thought how I would rather have a daughter…

If this was real…If this baby really wasn't dangerous…I wanted a daughter…With Bella's beautiful brown eyes…

"What?" Bella asked, here eyes bright with fresh tears, her face glowing. "What's he thinking now?"

"I really don't want to hurt Mommy! I love her sooo much!"

As I pressed my ear to Bella's stomach, three distinct gasps met my ears; Jacob sounded dismayed. Bella was thrilled to see me touching her and the baby with tender intentions. Rosalie sounded awed and Jealous.

"He loves you," I whispered, completely mesmerized. "He absolutely adores you."

Jacob...was angry and scared. I never could do right by Bella in Jacob's eyes. I was always failing someone these days. Though I couldn't help but think, better to fail Jacob than Bella...But in this situation I was really right to fall in love with my child? Bella would survive, that was a guarantee, but could we really keep this child? Wasn't my child supposed to be lethal not capable of love? And yet...he—it was so innocent. It wasn't hurting Bella because it could. The baby was too strong, it couldn't help itself. And it loved us. However, now that I had faith in my child, Jacob felt abandoned by me... I couldn't save him from himself, but I would not let him do something he would regret.

I didn't hesitate as I threw him the keys to the Aston Martin Vanquish; even at a time like this I knew he would appreciate the car. It wasn't even half of the solace he needed but it was the least I could do to protect my family...to help my friend...

The light feeling in the household were quickly replaced by blunt, harsh words. I promised myself I would not be mad if there was so much as a scratch on my car when Jacob returned; I had more concerning matters to contend with. At least all the crying had stopped and Bella was blissfully sleeping off most of the horrors of the afternoon. As I spoke to Jacob about Leah's tirade it was clear he was not over the fact that I had finally accepted my child, that I hoped we would all make it through this...alive...Or something close to living.

"I'm sorry for the pain this causes you, Jacob. Though you hate me, I must admit that I don't feel the same about you. I think of you as a...a brother in many ways. A comrade in arms, at the very least. I regret your suffering more than you realize. But Bella is going to survive and I know that's what really matters to you."

The growl in my chest, and the fierceness in my tone subsided as I prepared for possibly the hardest ordeal of all. Part of me still wanted to resist. I was never one to ask for help, I always gave the help. And I had already asked for so much of Jacob...Too much. But this was for Bella. For my family.

"So I hate to do this now, while you're already dealing with too much, but, clearly, there is little time. I have to ask you for something—to beg, if I must."

"I don't have anything left," Jacob said, defeated.

I wanted to touch him. To put my hand on his shoulder. I needed the support more than he realized. If he refused my request, we would all surely die. And then all of our efforts would be in vain. I would lose Bella; the family I had just come to love. Everything. Jacob had the power to save us, which is exactly what I explained to him.

His stoic expression, was worrisome. He had this one thing left to keep from me. He had one last opportunity to keep Bella from me...From both of us. But I swallowed whatever pride I seemed to have left. I had to ask.

"I want your permission to deviate from what we agreed to in our treaty with Ephriam. I want you to grant us an exception. I want your permission to save her life. You know I'll do it anyway, but I don't want to break faith with you if there is any way to avoid it. We never intended to go back on our word, and we don't do it lightly now. I want your understanding, Jacob, because you know exactly why we do this. I want the alliance between our families to survive when this is over."

It shocked me that Jacob went into a sort of denial. He did not acknowledge this authority as his. I gave him time to mull the decision over. Admittedly I was afraid. If he said no, I would lose Jacob as a friend and I could surely lose so much more...Thankfully it did not take him too long. The word fine, was music to my ears. I could compose whole piano pieces over that word! I would owe Jacob until the end of eternity for this! No amount of valuable cars and gifts would ever compensate for the gift he was giving me...my family...I owed him for the entirety of my existence.

"Thank you." I whispered, thinking how inapt those two words were.

An idea struck me then, and I made a mental note to bottle my venom that night. There would be no mistakes. Bella's heart would continue to beat. I was most satisfied with the thought that truly…I could hope...for us—my family, my blood—might really have a future. We could all be happy. I was relieved…and no longer hungry—albeit very thirsty.

It didn't matter…I am not a monster…And surely as much as I loved Bella I knew a monster would never call me daddy.

A baby, however, would…Soon…

All that noise, and all that sound,
All those places I got found.
And birds go flying at the speed of sound,
to show you how it all began.
Birds came flying from the underground,
if you could see it then you'd understand?