SM owns twilight.

Chapter sixteen.

This morning I had slept in late, last night I'd done something I never usually did. I had gone out on the town and had fun with a wonderful bunch of strangers...I groaned as I lifted my head up, the nausea hit me... I listened to a truck pull up in the driveway, as the caterers arrived and started setting up the marquee in the garden and rolling out boxes and trolleys of food, drink and glassware.

I looked around, trying to remember my outing last night and why I felt so sick...morning sick, that's right I'm pregnant!

Pia had snuck into my room earlier and taken Rufus, for a large breakfast and some playtime. She and he both loved playing with balls of wool and pieces of scrunched up paper, her throwing them and he cashing them.

Thank heavens she had left a tray of tea and toast for me!

I sipped and chewed slowly, and the nausea gradually receded.

Thanks Pia! She somehow had guessed what I needed. I wonder if I should spill the beans on my current state of pregnancy?

Pia saw I was in need of a little pampering when I arrived here a few days ago.

Apart from giving me breakfast in bed every day, yesterday morning she insisted that we should visit a spa for the day, her treat! We left Aro grumbling about women being ridiculous creatures, and kissing us fondly goodbye anyway. I drove us off to this pink girly place, where men like Aro, could only imagine, what we did there.

It was my first time to a spa too, so really I had no idea either!

We got the works, a mud wrap, a facial, waxing, an hour long massage, a pedicure and a manicure, but the thing I was most daunted by, was the idea of having my hair cut. Pia said it might make a nice change for me, having something that was easier to look after.

I huffed, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at my eight year old self, who hated hair cutting, and who still thought she ruled me.

I know it sounds odd in this day and age, but my last ever haircut, was when I was eight. Charlie took me off to his barber's shop. I cried the whole time, ending up with something similar to a boy's short hair cut. I got badly teased about it at school, as you can imagine.

Since then, I've just let it grow longer and longer and I put it back in a sensible ponytail or plait if it was in the way. I could sit on it, but my hair is fairly thin and wispy, not as bad as it used to be, but still quite lifeless.

I sighed in relief when I got to meet my hair dresser. He was a wonderful, caring guy who completely got how worried I was about having my hair cut. He spent lots of time, showing me nice styles that would better suit my face and my straight hair.

I told him that I was going to take a big leap of faith and trust him to give me an amazing cut. His eyes shone when I said that. I also wanted a style that was easy to maintain, he clapped his hands and thanked me for trusting him.

I closed my eyes and relaxed, letting myself let go of all of my frightened, childish hair issues.

It was really nice having someone else play with my hair.

I must have almost dosed off, day-dreaming of the hotness of Jasper and all the luscious food we could eat together.

I remembered the chocolate we talked about in the store, that first day.

For that moment in the grocery store, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, or what the hell I was feeling in fact.

He entranced me and annoyed me in equal measure!

Now, I was left with longing and regret.

I'd probably never see him again anyway, knowing my luck!

And if I ever did, he would be surrounded with hordes of other beauties, women to match his looks, his smooth easy voice, his charm and grace.

"You can open your eyes now and tell me what you think!"

Huh?

I opened my eyes and looked at a stranger in the mirror.

Where am I? What just happened? Where was I?

I blinked and shook my head...the woman in the mirror shook her head and blinked back.

"Oh my! I can't believe it's me!"

"You like this cut darling?"

"I can't believe it, I'm...I'm so different...so amazing! I can't believe it!"

I leapt up and hugged the stylist.

"You are so welcome sweetie, can I take your picture? I really like this style on you, it lifts your face up, makes you look great!"

"I thought it was someone else in the mirror for a second, you've worked a miracle! Thank you!"

"So can I take a snap of you now? I want to show you some other ways to style your hair, so it gives you a few different looks, ok?"

"Yeah, sure."

Who knew I could look like a whole, new woman, just by getting a great haircut?

He showed me some great ways to change my hair, and recommended some things I could do to my face, with a small amount of makeup, when I dressed up and went out.

My face must have shown, that I wasn't going out so much...or ever.

"You don't get out much, do you honey?"

"Ah no, I don't... does it show that much?"

"Well, I think I'm going to have to change that! You deserve a night out! You can come out with me and do a little partying!"

"Really?" I squeaked. "I don't drink alcohol or do drugs, but I can dance a little...still want me to go out with you?"

"Sure! You are the cutest, little thing, and my friends will just love you! How about we have a lovely, relaxing meal and a then you can have a little peak at the fun life I lead!"

"Ok, I'll come out for a meal and an hour or so, at whatever place you want to show me, before I leave and go to off to bed alone."

"So early nights are your thing?"

"Yeah I guess, I'm tired a lot at the moment."

"Really? Why, are having trouble sleeping?"

"No I sleep like a log, and wake up very early...with a really hot, re-occurring dream."

"Wow, sounds like we should talk about this over dinner, my partner is a psychologist who specializes in dreams, he'd love to chat to you."

"Ok, it's a date then!" I laughed.

We agreed on eating at a nice place, serving the freshest seafood down by the water.

I took Pia home and Aro grumbled about missing us. I told them I was going out for the evening and dressed up in the nicest thing I had, some neat, black, nicely-cut slacks, and a butterscotch cashmere sweater with a wide, soft, cowl neck. It was comfortable and flattering, and gave me enough confidence to relax.

The cashmere was cut long enough, to cover my rounded tummy and yet not look frumpy. I wore some soft, black leather Mary-janes. Heels and I had never agreed.

My hair already looked, great thanks to Steve; I left it as it was. I couldn't get over how light and swishy it felt, brushing against my shoulders!

Pia insisted I borrow her beautiful string of black pearls, to go along with the outfit.

Aro even commented on my appearance, wondering aloud who I was seeing tonight.

I laughed and told him it was just my new friend Steve, the gay hairdresser and Steve's partner who I didn't know yet.

I promised my hosts that I'd be sure to be home before midnight and they chuckled as I went out the door.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Aro called out.

Steve and Vlad turned out to be the most hilarious dinner companions ever!

I don't think I had ever laughed so much in my whole life! Everything they said seemed to be filled with innuendo, wit and cutting sarcasm, I had tears rolling down my face from the laughter and my sides ached.

Steve looked at me, in a sudden turn of seriousness.

"Bella tell Vlad all about this re-occurring dream you wake up with every morning...tell us all about who's in it...I bet he's a real hot tamale!"

"Ooh, yes tell us all! Is he someone special? I bet anything he is completely gorgeous!" Vlad queried pointedly, eyebrows raised and lips pursed.

"Well..."I huffed, "I do dream of the same stuff every morning, before waking up all hot and err...sweaty."

"Really? And you dream of having a hot experience...with someone equally hot?"

I rolled my eyes; right here before me, I had a dream specialist, someone who studied this kind of thing for a living! If there was anyone out there who would believe me, it was Vlad!

"Ok, ok I'll spill! Every morning I have a dream which is deep with longing and this same really beautiful guy, who is trying to feed me food, usually fancy chocolate, and wants me to taste, uh... not just the chocolate, if you get my meaning. I wake up all...uh...hot and flustered in the most intense way. But in the dream there is never any sex or nudity...but it always results in a wild, unconscious reaction on my part."

I looked down and blushed deeply.

"Oh honey, the dream is all about unfulfilled longing, nourishment and desire, do you have this happen everyday? It sounds like your body has recognized what your mind cannot...that this guy has something you need...something important that you need, as much as breathing or food...he's the key to it all! And how long has this hot dreaming, been going on for?"

"Well, the vivid food dreams started pretty much, as soon as I got pregnant."

"PREGNANT!" They screamed together.

"...but it only took that one time of seeming him, to start seriously dreaming of him. Its almost normal now, I keep waiting for it to slow down, but the dreams keep coming, and haven't gotten any er...cooler, they are still as hot as ever."

"Pregnant sweetie? So I'm guessing he's not the father of you child."

"Ha! No he's not, he's his nephew!" I giggled.

"His nephew? You have hot dreams about your partner's nephew?"

"Well, firstly, he's not my partner! The man I'm pregnant to, is very happily married."

"Yeah, apparently so!" Vlad said sarcastically.

"No it's true! I'm having a baby for him and his lovely wife. I'm a surrogate." I said trying to be serious for a moment.

"No! Really?"they both gasped, clutching their chests.

"Yes I'm a surrogate for a lovely couple, that's why I can't drink for a while."

"Wow! That's ...I don't know what to say...are you happy within yourself? Will you be able to give the baby up, without any regrets?"

I nodded, "I made them promise that they would love and cherish any baby, no matter what they were like. I have found, that they are two of the most compassionate, loving people you could ever meet. But the most exciting thing is that I'm having twins."

They jumped up and yelled, "TWINS!"

They raced around the table and hugged me.

"Oh my god! Congratulations! Twins!" Steve shouted.

"We must celebrate!" Vlad demanded.

"Let's go to meet our friends and have a little bubbly!" Steve suggested.

So we sang and danced the next few hours away, at a wonderful gay bar with a cracking karaoke and DJ setup.

Vlad and Steve's friends all cheered when they heard I was pregnant with twins, as well as being a surrogate.

I even got a few offers by some gay couples to carry their babies for them. I was given cards and phone numbers, asking me to seriously consider being a mother of their babies, which they so desperately wanted.

Lots of men danced with me, and some wanted to sandwich me in between their rock-hard, tanned bodies, and even touch my tummy, like I was some sort of fertility goddess.

It was kind of odd, yet strangely powerful; being lovingly admired by heaps of sweaty, dancing, well groomed men.

And there wasn't one amongst them, who made me feel uncomfortable for being one of the few women in the room. By the end of the night they all knew my name.

Just before two in the morning I was gently placed into my car by Steve and Vlad, and sent on my way home. I hadn't even drunk any alcohol, but felt like a million dollars, riding on a glorious, natural high.

And here I was sitting up in bed, listening to the hustle and bustle of caterers shouting at each other and the clattering of things being stacked and unstacked, heaved and hauled, and people running around getting things ready for Aro's guests from the university.

I took my time getting showered and dressed in a comfortable wrap dress. I towel dried my hair and put some of the product through it, that Steve suggested, added some lip-gloss and a little eyeliner.

I was so pleased my tummy settled, no vomiting this morning! I took the tray and pearls down to the kitchen. Pia and Rufus greet me and we hug each other.

Pia asks me how my night was, and I end up telling her about my escapades at a gay bar, dancing with lots of friendly men, which she thinks is super funny.

Aro is dressed in a beautiful Italian suit, rather than his usual bird watching clothes, and Pia gives him an admiring look.

We have a taste of the caterer's finger food and I get myself a drink of mango and orange juice.

Pia and Aro start drinking some very nice looking wine. I wished I was drinking, and as Aro goes to pour me some, Pia looks at him and I decline.

"But why not Bella mia? You always drink a little wine with us!"

Pia is smiling with me, I'm smiling back.

"Professor, ..."

"Bella?"

"Prof. I'm not drinking because..."

"Yes?"

"...because I'm pregnant, with twins." I finally blurt out.

Pia goes pale and looks like she's about to faint.

Aro stands there speechless.

I wrap my arms around Pia, to support her, and gently move her over to a chair.

Aro stands blinking.

"What did you say Bella? I thought I heard you say that you are having twins...but you aren't married, you have no man!" Pia murmurs in shock.

"Who got you in the family way Bella? Am I going to have to go out and threaten him? Is this true...you are going to be a mother?" Aro asks.

I sit down next to Pia, and Aro comes up to us and places a hand on both our shoulders.

"I think you guys should have another drink, before I say any more." and with that instruction, they throw back their glasses draining them swiftly. Aro pours himself some more wine, feeling the need for a little fortification.

"I'm nine weeks pregnant and I'm carrying twins, for two wonderful friends who can't have their own babies. They asked me to be a surrogate, after they had tried and tried with no success for ten years."

"Really? You would do this for them?" Pia asked.

"It's such a big sacrifice Bella. And what did they do for you, in return?" Aro scowls at me.

I sigh, for there was no easy way to say this.

I hoped to hell that they would understand, and didn't kick me out of their house in disgust.

Or that Aro got really angry and stopped our work together.

"They paid off all of my debts and my father's debts, and they are covering me for all of my living and medical expenses, for the time that I'm their surrogate."

"And they wanted twins too?" Pia says curiously.

"They wanted a baby, but twins are a double blessing, unexpected but most welcome. I couldn't think of two more doting parents, to raise these twins." I pat my tummy.

"Bella you are an exceptional and brave, young woman. I hope these people know this and treat you with the honour and respect you deserve." Aro says seriously.

"And you need to rest and relax while you are here Bella. I won't put up with you doing anything strenuous, and you need to eat...eat more!"

"Pia, you don't need to panic, I'll be fine."

"Well while you are here, I'm gonna watch over you and fuss a little more. It's almost like I'm having grand babies...I wish you were my daughter Bella, I just know you will make beautiful babies."

I laughed and shrugged.

"Pia suddenly looked panicked, but Bella... it will break your heart to give them away, yes?"

"Maybe, but I have asked to keep in contact with them and see them as they grow. I will be like a god-mother to them or something."

The guests had started arriving, and Aro went to welcome them to his home. Pia and I walked around her garden together.

"Bella, I never told you about Aro and me and why we never had children. Many years ago when I was a young girl in Napoli, my mother was desperate for money. We were very, very poor and things were bad for us. My brothers, sisters and I, were left to look after ourselves, while my mother tried to get work and scavenge for food."

"Anyway, I was coming back home through an alleyway one night, and I was set upon by a gang who attracted me and held me down and raped me. I was left for dead and would have perished, but for a man who found me, picked me up and took me to his home."

"I must have been unconscious for quite a while, but he and his wife tenderly cleaned me up and cared for me. He was a doctor, and I got the best of care. They adopted me and raised me, and that's how I met Aro, he was a neighbour and we became very close. But later when we married and had no success getting pregnant. I found out that that terrible attack, had caused so much internal damage, that I would never be able to bear children."

I was overwhelmed, poor Pia, so small and so brutally treated by those bastards.

"Bella, I would have wished to have met you when Aro and I were younger and maybe arranged for you to have a baby for us. What you are doing for this lucky couple, is a really big thing and I hope they know this!"

"Excuse me ladies, could you point me towards the gent's restroom?"

That voice! I turned towards it and look up and up some more... God he's so tall! ...it's him! It's Jasper!

"Bella!"

"Jasper, its good to see you again, before I point you in the right direction, you must meet my special friend Pia Volturi, she is Professor Aro Volturi's wife."

"Ma'am, it's a great pleasure to meet you." he bowed down and kissed Pia's hand.

She giggled like a schoolgirl and blushed. "Jasper ..." was all she could say.

"I'll be back after I find the men's, please don't go away! I have so much I want to talk to you about." Then he smiled, turned and raced off

"Oh my god! I never got to tell him which way the loo is!" Pia fluttered.

"Don't worry, he's a big boy! I'm sure he'll find it eventually Pia!" I laughed.

"Well he's a nice looking man! I saw the way he looked at you. Tell me about him."

"He's studying the environmental science course, by correspondence and he's a photographer for 'National Geographic'. I know him because of a strange connection; he's the nephew of my twins' father."

"What? He's the nephew! Is the father of the babies like Jasper in looks?"

"Ha! Yes I guess he is, Jasper's a twin too and you should see his sister! In fact, I'm sure the whole family are too beautiful to be real. I once thought that they were all aliens from another planet, they were so attractive. Carlisle is tall and blond, but a little more care-worn and older, he's 37 and his wife Esme is 33."

"I see that this Jasper, he would be good for you Bella. He likes the same things that you do. Nature, science, and I bet he likes your food too, have you cooked for him yet?"

I closed my eyes and remembered him groaning in delight, as he bit down into my brownie.

"Yes he has." I admitted.

"Well then, he's all yours, no other woman will be able to hold his attention, after tasting your food Bella!"

"Pia, he's...he's very...um..."

"What? Desirable, good looking, charming, attentive, what more could a sweet girl like you want, yes?"

"Pia, that's not so! He charms his way through life, having women fall at his feet. He won't see me that way, I'm plain and pregnant and inexperienced in everything to do with men. On top of that I'm sure I scared him off the last time we met."

"Nonsense! I can see he's more than a little interested in you...he's enamoured! I've got to just go and check on something."

Before I could stop her, she had zipped off, to do whatever it was that she had to do.

I sighed, what a crazy twenty four hours!

The spa and haircut. Steve and Vlad, the dinner, the dancing. The late sleep-in and my admission to Aro and Pia.

And now Jasper was here, right here at this very same place.

Rufus came up to me and I picked him up. He decided to scramble high up, onto my shoulder and balance there. He started purring like a wild thing and rubbing himself all over my ear, neck and chin to scent-mark his territory. I was well and truly claimed!

"I've seen wildcats do the same thing, he wants to let the world know that you and he are a couple." Jasper said laughing behind me.

"Yeah, either that, or I'm considered part of his territory, take your pick! So how's things Jasper? I heard you were in down in central America on assignment."

"Yes I was, but it got called off, due to a local drug war raging between two cartels and some of my crew being kidnapped."

"Shit Jasper! I'm so sorry, did they make it out, and are they ok?"

"Yes, I just heard this morning that they were released, hungry and dirty but mercifully unharmed. Luckily the kidnappers accepted the ransom payments and released them."

"Wow, that's crazy, and you... how are you?"

"I'm seriously thinking giving up the business and settling down to photograph weddings, christenings and bar mitzvahs." He shook his head smiling.

"Really couldn't you just go photograph in the nice, safe places of the world?"

"That's not usually my thing. I tend to go into all the places that the others fear to tread, mostly war zones and areas of civil unrest. Makes for great stories, even if I do come back, a little worse for wear."

"Oh Jasper, I never got to ask you much about yourself, when you and Esme worked on my window seat. I'm sorry, that I was abrupt with you, and I never got to thank you properly for your work. The window seat is my favourite place in the house now."

"Bella, you had every right to get angry and you didn't need give me your reasons, for doing what you did. I'm so sorry I was a pushy bastard, making stupid assumptions. Can you please forgive me?"

"Jasper, you were just curious, asking questions is a good thing, usually. I'm getting better at explaining the whole surrogacy scenario to people, I just told Aro and Pia an hour ago, and they seemed to take it pretty well."

"So you forgive me my terrible curiosity, can we still be friends, sweet Bella?"

I blushed a deep red and somehow lost my hold on reality, for a moment or two...how did he do that?...what did he say?

"Sorry what? I just lost my train of thought for a second."

"Forgive me?"

"Ok. I already sent you a Christmas invitation to my place for lunch."

"Can you please let me taste your brownies again?" he gave me a look full of desire, were my brownies really that good?

"Oh, sure."

"I dream about them, you know!"

"Really!"

"Yes, I have dreams about you and your brownies, that are far too wild for a sweet girl like you, to imagine!"

Ha yeah...wanna bet? If only he knew about the way I dreamed of him!