"How you doing Bella?" Angela, my supervisor, asked, as the bell on the entry door announced my entrance for me.

"Hey-a Angie, not bad... you? Have we been busy this morning?"

Ang shrugged, "not really, bit of a rush before lunch, but it's simply died off in here"

I groaned, throwing my handbag under the main counter and leaning up against it, "just what I wanted to hear!" I said sarcastically. I was eager to be busy, I needed to be busy. If I was busy, I would keep my mind off Edward, and how lost I felt without him here.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

I looked up at her, tried to smile, and simply burst into tears. Damn it, hold it together woman! No I was crying for any reason, it was the pregnancy. That was my excuse, and I was damn well sticking to it!

"Holy crap, Bella..." I felt Ang's thin arms wrap me up and hold me tight. "Shh, Bells, shhh..."

At that moment, the bell rang on the door, and a customer walked in.

"How you doing, Angela?" the sweet voice that I knew well.

I forced myself out of Ang's loving arms and turned away from our customer.

"Oh, Esme, I'm well, how are you?"

"I'm good! How is Carlisle? And Edward?" she asked innocently.

I let out an involuntary sob at the mention of Edward's name which both Ang and Esme heard. I covered my mouth seconds too late.

"He's good, over in New York at the moment visiting family at the moment"

"How lovely" Ang continued, still periodically looking over my way, "now, what can I get for you?"

"Just a flat white... one sugar, skim milk?"

Angela must have nodded as she was writing, because without another word I heard the coffee machine spurt to life.

"Bella, honey?" I heard Esme come up behind me and felt her touch my shoulder.

I jumped at her touch.

"Sorry, Bella, are you alright?"

I nodded, wiping tears away.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I'm fine" I turned to look at her, "honestly, I don't know why I'm crying!" I laughed.

Esme laughed too. "Is this about my son?" she asked quietly.

I shrugged, "no, not really" I sighed in defeat, "Esme, you know he's one of my best friends, and I'm just emotional right now, and the combination of him being away, and me, just tipped me over"

Esme simply looked me up and down and nodded sceptically. "I'll believe you for now, my dear, but when Edward gets back, you and I will talk! I mean, have you two been fighting or something? I haven't seen you together in the same room for weeks, and when you are, it's icy!"

I rolled my eyes, and finally nodded in defeat. I guess Eddie and I weren't as good as actors as we thought! I knew what she meant though. A few weeks back, Esme hosted a pool party, come barbeque, and Edward and I stayed at opposite ends of the backyard almost all afternoon as to not tip anyone off of our feelings towards each other. Plus, you know how one innocent touch becomes two, and before you know it your making out in front of your family and friends! Okay, maybe not, but the spark between us had changed, and we couldn't let anyone know, so, we were somewhat cold shouldered to each other, trying to act normal. We're not so good at normal!

"Esme? I have your coffee!" Angela called out still quietly, running her nails over the smooth hardwood counter.

Esme thanked Angela, after giving me another squeeze on my shoulder and gently picking up the coffee to leave. "Call me Bell, if you need to talk, my son can be an arse some times, but he has a heart of gold, and he loves you so much, you're like his sister"

Stab knife in and twist. I winced.

"Yeah, I know, we'll get over it soon, I'll come catch up for a girls day soon, Esme, promise"

Esme patted my cheeks with her handkerchief, "good, now dry those eyes, and I'll speak to that son of mine"

I gapped my mouth open, "n-n-no... don't worr "

Esme, with that motherly, don't mess with me look in her eyes, shushed me, and simply walked out, leaving me with a groan that escaped my lips.

Ang looked over at me with her eyebrows raised.

"Do not say a word Angie! Please, just don't!" I held my hand up and shut my eyes, my voice still quivering.

Ang held her hands up in defeat, "wasn't going to say a word" her innocent eyes shining.

I nodded, "thanks" I sighed, rubbing my tired eyes, "okay, let's get to work"

The cramps started after my shift.

They were unlike anything I had felt before ever in my life, so incredibly painful that all I could do was double over and moan. I barely could wrench myself from my truck and into the house. The tears were streaming down by now, and the fear of actually losing the baby had set in. I was in panic, push button mode thinking 'Home, home, everything will be fine if you just get home'. I barely stepped in the door when a sever spasm hit me.

"Argh!" I moaned, finding my way to the floor. "Alice!" I called out, curling into a ball; that seemed to help a little. "ALICE!" I yelled with all my left energy.

She bounded down the stairs, "Wha ? Oh, my God! BELLA!" she ran to my side, brushing my hair from my face before freezing, not knowing what to do.

"Is it the baby?" she asked.

I moaned a yes.

"Jasper!" she yelled, and he was down there as soon as he scaled the stairs.

"If it's baby, get her to the hospital. We might still be able to save the little trooper" His arms scooped me up, and I black out, relieved to be away from the pain.

Alice paced back and forth out side my room. There was no reason I should still be out. There was physically nothing wrong with the baby, nothing at all. In fact it was growing fast, bigger and stronger than normal. Yet I was still out to it. She cursed me under her breath, telling me to stop being so melodramatic and damn well wake up! I knew she wasn't being mean, she was scared and wanted to see me safe.

She was having a hell of a time trying to keep Carlisle away from the maternity ward to find out I was in. After all, he is my doctor.

Ali thanked the Lord for the gift she'd found in Jasper, and apologised for having indecent relations with him before marriage, however seemed to slip her mind to promise that she'd stop. Marriage, however, was in their imminent future, so I'm sure the big man upstairs would turn a grateful blind eye.

Jasper was a life saver, convincing everyone that I was really fine, and so was the, shh, baby. But it was not to leave this room that I was expecting.

I knew Alice was trying to contact Edward, with no luck. And this was the name I woke up with on my lips.

"Edward?" I whispered reverently, "Edward!" I squeezed the hand in my own.

Only to find it was Edward at all. "Ungh, sorry Jasper, I though..."

Jasper's kind eyes looked and me and he smiled, "it's alright, I get it"

I didn't let go of his hand, only moved the other to my belly. "How's Ness?" I asked.

"Ness? You've named it already?" he joked.

I rolled my eyes, "no! Alice named it already!" I looked at him, he looked back, studying me face to see if there was any trace of joking in my face, alas, no.

He sighed, "that woman will be the death of me, won't she?" his voice was thick and very Texan like.

I nodded, "it's alright, she'll resurrect you every time!" I promised with a straight face.

He laughed at my attempt at serious humour. "So? How's Ness?" I spurred the conversation back to me.

"She's fine! Nothing wrong! Health and growing at an outstanding pace. If you're not sure about when little Nessie was conceived, you may want to check it"

I nodded, "yep, I'll get to that!" I replied sarcastically. I was about 99.9% sure of the date. The one time we go protectionless. Opps.

"So, when can I come home?" I asked.

He shrugged, "well, there physically nothing wrong, you're healthy, so is Ness, I s'pose any time"

I smiled, "good, let's go home"

Jasper looked worried, "Are you sure? I mean, don't you want to stay, just in case?"

I looked at him, "Should I be worried, Jasper, tell me!"

He looked frustrated and sighed, "that's the thing, we have no idea why your body did what it did, nor any consequences. You look in perfect health, but you were out for hours!" he tapped the side rail with his fingernails, I assumed it was almost a nervous tick, "what if you go home, and find that there's something wrong later on?"

I looked at him, "should something go wrong later on?"

He squirmed, "no, not logically, but you never know what's going to happen!"

I finally laughed, "oh, Jasper, you have that spot on! You do never know what's going to be around the corner, however I have a feeling that everything will be alright, little Nessie is a fighter, and she damn well better be. Her father and I haven't exactly told anyone we were seeing each other, and let's just say it's a bit of a taboo! Have you seen Alice?" I suddenly asked.

His eyebrows knotted together, "Mmm, yes, she worries me! I told her you really shouldn't come home and she told me nonsence, you'd be better at home than in the hospital, she saw it?"

I laughed, ah Alice. "Yes, she's a talented one! If she says I should go home, then I'm definantly going home!"

He shook his head, frowned again and sighed, "I suppose it's your choice"

I smiled at him, "Yeah, I have spent way too long in hospitals as it is!"

A smirk on his face appeared, and for a moment, I was lost in how similar he looked to Edward, and somehow something didn't fit. "Yes, I read your file, very interesting life my dear Isabella!"

I scoffed at him, "Hey, don't pick on the invalid!"

"Yes, finally you admit it!"

I rolled my eyes at him, "take me home... nurse!"