20
TWO CHILDREN INSTEAD OF ONE
I rolled my eyes at Edward and we said goodbye to Aro and took the phone off speaker.
"So when were you going to tell me about the wedding?" she asked me.
"I wasn't," I said bluntly, "You would have found out soon enough, I doubt you would have believed me any way and it's just one more thing for you to comprehend; I didn't have to tell you any of this but I can't stand to keep secrets from you and I used to be the one keeping you straight, Mom," I said, "I couldn't believe I was actually sleeping with someone other than Edward, it happened so fast; I met Aro at the time Edward and I got back together after being separated for eight months. The circumstance of our meeting was frightening to me and even though I knew I would have to meet him again, I was afraid. The Cullen's planned for me to meet him the second time because of my photograph, the one in the blue gown; Aro saw it and called Edward. Apparently Aro had been attracted to me from the first time he saw me and thought about me from then on; he is powerful enough that he could have taken me away from Edward but he knew how much Edward and I loved each other and agreed to share me. I was so afraid he would abuse me like those monsters did but he is gentle and kind to me and made me love him; as I looked into his eyes, he mesmerized me so that I allowed him to make love to me immediately. I couldn't believe I did that and I was sure Edward would be angry but Edward is so unselfish, he gave Aro to me as a gift for me to be shared between the two of them and I can't live without either of them now," I finished.
I had poured out my heart and soul to my Mom and was relieved to have done so.
"Bella," Renee said, "You just related a fairytale and you are the princess, my own beautiful daughter."
"For Edward, I am a princess but for Aro I'm his queen, I have met diplomats, executives, reporters and Aro is making me take on royalty kinds of responsibilities. The Cullen's are rich important people and I had a hard time working to fit in with them but now it is much more than that and it's scary; from being nobody I'm suddenly somebody, Mom," I said.
"Somebody who is having a baby, you're still a baby yourself even though I still think of you as having a thirty year old mind; does Charlie know yet?"
"Everyone tells me I'm still a baby, Mom but I'm not and yes, Charlie knows about everything except the wedding, I didn't want him to flip out more than he already has," I said.
"Everyone thinks of you as a baby because you are, you're barely nineteen and marrying a man who looks old enough to be your grandfather," she said and in that she was right but she didn't know how old Edward actually was either.
"Ok I concede," I said, "So I like older men, but that doesn't make me a baby, Mom and I'm very much in love with both my men, we have sex for goodness sake."
"I would guess that Aro is controlling," she was very insightful.
"He organizes my life Mom and so does Edward for that matter."
"Are you ok with that?" she asked.
"If I wasn't I would leave; they have their reasons for keeping me straight and I understand that I must listen to them especially with regard to the royalty issue, queens and princesses have to comply and so I do,"
"I hope you know what your doing, Bella," she said.
"Mom you know how I think, I work things out in my mind before I make a decision and then I go according to what I decide; I've never made a wrong decision yet." I said. "Well I have some other news to tell you, Mom," I said.
"What now?"
A five year old girl I met soon after we were married when we arrived in Dartmouth was being sexually abused by a boyfriend of her mother. Things came to a head yesterday when the boyfriend tried to kidnap Jenny from my home, she was with Emma and he stabbed Emma and took Jenny into the woods where he broke her leg; Edward and Emmett came in time to stop him from molesting her but he did get away."
"My goodness you seem to lead a dangerous life, thank goodness he didn't attack you," Renee said.
"I was lying down resting because of my pregnancy," I lied, "Well Jenny and Emma are recovering in the hospital but Child Protective services have taken Jenny away from her mother because of the bad lifestyle her mom leads, sex, drinking and drugs etc. So now when she leaves the hospital she is going to live with us," I ended happily.
"And this is ok with everyone?" she asked.
"Yes, the Cullen's had a family meeting about it and Edward talked to Aro and they decided to let me have her for a trial period and if that works out she gets to stay with us on a more permanent basis," I informed her, "Edward and Aro are very skeptical but they will let me try at least."
"They don't think you can handle two children?" she asked.
"They're just worried about my condition, being pregnant, and the trauma I just went through along with the stress of my wedding etc." I said.
"Sounds like I would be skeptical too," she said.
"See, they're reasonable with me," I said.
"It sounds like they do take care of you and the fact that the whole family is interested in your wellbeing makes me less worried about you," she admitted, "Well it looks like you'll have your hands full with everything you've told me, let me know how things are going Bella; I'll call your Dad and see if I can calm him down, I love you," she said.
"I love you Mom," I said and hung up.
Edward had been holding me all through the conversation and now he kissed me exultantly.
"Is it my turn now?" he asked.
"It's always your turn, you can interrupt any time," I said.
"I have to admit I wanted to hear what you had to say to your mother," he said.
"Did you hear me say how much I love you," I teased.
"Yes and you made me very happy, so much so I want you, can you handle that?"
"You'd better take me because I'm all yours tonight, my wonderful love," I spoke with enthusiasm.
He did take me and I wanted him so much, all night we made love and then in the morning we raced for the shower, getting tangled up again.
We ended up on the shower floor laughing just as Alice came in.
"At least you made it into the shower," she said, "I suppose you'll get out of there soon?" she asked.
"Yes Alice I'm coming, don't be too mad at me, I'm too happy," I pleaded.
Edward washed my hair for me and helped me soap up my body; we kissed as the water rinsed me off. I was soon done and I ran out to the towel Alice held out for me. I hugged her as soon as I was dry enough and she kissed my cheek.
"Hurry Bella, I'm sure you want to give Jenny the good news," she said smiling.
Alice fixed my hair which seemed longer and more tangled than ever, and then I dressed in a suit with a skirt and high heeled shoes. She had made me look a little older with my hair style and a little makeup; soon Edward and I were both ready and we left for the hospital with Alice.
First I went to see Emma and she had moved out of intensive care and was doing well.
"Emma," I said, "Jenny is coming to live with us, do you mind sharing your room temporarily?" I asked her.
"No problem, Bella, I don't mind sharing with that brave little girl," Emma said.
"You were very brave yourself, Emma," I said, "I'm so proud of you for having the presence of mind to call Aro, we could all be dead now if it wasn't for you."
"I'll be home soon," she said.
"Yes but I'll take care of you for a change," I said.
"Bella, remember you're pregnant and you have to take it easy, plus Jenny's going to need your attention; I will definitely have someone take care of all of you," Edward wasn't going to let me do much, I could see.
Suddenly I felt nauseated and I had to rush to the bathroom, Alice followed me smiling.
"I guess this is the beginning of your 'pregnancy', Bella," she said.
"But I'm not really pregnant, what did you do Alice?" I asked.
"If I were you I'd start believing you are pregnant because from now on you're going to feel like you are," she said laughing.
"So I have to go through morning sickness as well?"
"Aro wants you to feel pregnant and so yes you will have morning sickness to start with," she said.
We went to see Jenny after I had pulled myself together; I told her the good news.
"As soon as the doctor releases you I'll bring you home, you'll sleep in Emma's room temporarily until we move into a larger house," I said.
"I'm so happy to be coming to live with you, Bella," she said.
Carlisle was there and came over to us.
"Well little one, how would you like to go home in the morning?" Carlisle asked her.
"Really, I can go home to Bella's house?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes sweetheart, you can," he said smiling.
Carlisle talked to me then, pulling me aside.
"As Alice told you, you have to experience the pregnancy yourself and so you will be experiencing morning sickness to start with, did it occur today?"
"Yes, just now, I had to run to the bathroom," I said.
"Good, Edward followed my instructions; tomorrow you will be fitted with a belt and as the 'baby' grows, the belt will get bigger as the 'pregnancy' progresses. To start with it will just be a little bump and you will have to wear it day and night and even in the shower; when you get out of the shower you can change it before you get dressed. Each day it will be slightly larger and heavier, you will experience movement because of a computer chip in the belt and this will eventually become very strong pushing and kicking; the belt is actually a harness. I will insert a computer chip in your vagina and your abdomen to simulate the pregnancy discomforts such as pressure in your vagina, stretching of the ligaments, backache, indigestion, etc. Whatever your pregnancy partner feels you will experience as well and this includes labor pain; the chips will not be used until your pregnancy partner becomes pregnant of course and so you will suffer alone until then."
He continued.
Aro doesn't want you to miss anything but don't worry you will get lots of help; towards the end of the pregnancy will be difficult, more so than a human pregnancy and the two of you will suffer a lot, the good news is the pregnancy will be much shorter, the bad news is it will be severely painful. Of course your 'pregnancy' has already started and hers won't start until your wedding night."
"You and Aro certainly gave me something to look forward to," I said acidly, "How will my body know what hers is going through?" I asked.
"The computer chips in her body will activate the ones in your body," Carlisle informed me.
The next morning I ran to the bathroom first thing, feeling nauseated, I had continued with nausea the whole day before and now I was starting again. Alice came in as soon as I was out of the shower and she fitted the pregnancy belt on me. I had to hold the bump exactly where she told me, the belts of which there were two, wrapped around my thighs to anchor the bottom and then came up and wrapped around my waist before attaching to the top of the bump. When I was dressed, sure enough I looked a little pregnant but my clothes were not too tight yet; the bumps and the belts were the exact color of my skin and blended in well, the bump felt exactly like my skin and feeling through my clothes it felt like it was part of my body.
Edward put his arms around me and felt my bump.
"Good morning pregnant lady," he said grinning.
"You're so silly," I said, "Lets go and get Jenny now please Mr. Cullen," he kissed me.
We went to the hospital and a Child Protective Services worker met us there. Jenny was signed out to us and then we took her in to see Emma. They were happy to see each other and chatted for a while.
Esme had prepared Emma's room with an extra bed and arranged closet space for Jenny which would accommodate Jenny's new clothes. By the time we arrived home everything was ready and Jenny was so excited to see her new clothes.
I was not feeling well and had to go lay down so Alice and Rosalie, who had come over to help, installed Jenny in her new room.
I felt miserable the whole day and the last thing I felt like was having sex that night but Edward insisted and Aro called to see how I was doing.
"I'm so miserable, I don't even feel sexual," I said.
"Unfortunately, you must continue to have sex regardless," Aro said.
I threw the phone to Edward as I ran to the bathroom again and when I came back to bed, Edward and he were laughing at my misery.
"Do you have a bump yet?" Aro asked.
"Yes I do," I replied.
"Is it comfortable?" he wanted to know.
"It feels a little strange, especially when Edward and I make love but it's not too uncomfortable, I suppose it will be very uncomfortable eventually," I said.
"Yes my dear this is exactly what will happen, Aro said.
Emma came home from the hospital but she couldn't come with me when I went to see Aro, Alice came with me instead. I had loved having Jenny around and I was sad to be leaving her so soon. I had started to get used to my bump which was now large enough that my pants or fitted skirts were tight on me but it wasn't too obvious that I was pregnant.