A/N: reviews, please? Sorry it's been so long. I could use the encouragement.

Callie retreated to her bedroom after hours of conversation with her brother. The exhaustion was visible in her eyes. There, Edward awaited her.

She smiled at him, and he smiled back. They shared no words. With no shame, Callie slowly undressed, then put on her silk pajamas. Edward's heart raced like a ghostly chariot. She took him by the hand, leading him towards her bed, then laid down. Edward's lips were graced with a small smile, and he slipped down beside her, wrapping his arm under her neck. She took his other hand and set it on her belly. She fell asleep like that, her back pressed to his chest, his face buried in her hair, just like the night before.

Edward was surprised that his elation didn't have him floating around the room. He had never felt so glorious before. Yes, they had lain together the night before, but she hadn't asked him to then. For the first time, he felt truly wanted.

The next morning, Callie awoke to his cool breath on her neck. She didn't move for a long while, but Edward knew she was awake. Eventually, he whispered, "Good morning, darling."

She smiled, stretching and rubbing her body against his. She turned over. "Ah, it's not a dream, then. How wonderfully lovely." Her smile grew. His grew in return. They were still, enjoying each others' arms.

Edward's face grew very serious all of a sudden, and Callie became concerned. "Edward?"

"Callie, we have something very serious to talk about."

"Yes…" She said hesitantly, confused.

He paused, listening to her thoughts run rampant. She was sure he would chastise her for her foray into the lands of the werewolves. He began, "Callie, I am a vampire."

"Yes, you are."

"That presents a problem."

"A problem involved what?"

"This relationship."

Her heart fluttered at the word, and her surprise was evident on her face at this turn in subject. "How so?"

Edward's tone was annoyed. "You are very, very breakable, Callie. I told you that I didn't wish to fall in love, and that was for a reason." He stopped his harsh tone, and gently touched her face. "However, you have made it impossible for me to feel otherwise."

Callie swallowed, and tried to keep her voice even. "Then you are in love with me." It wasn't a question, mostly because she knew if she tried to form a question, the inflection at the end of the sentence would break her voice.

Edward nodded, slowly, controlled. Callie, trying to keep her most mature face on, said, "I see." She sat up and looked towards the wall in an attempt to remain stoic. When she looked back, a bright smile illuminated his face. She lost all concentration and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Edward."

"I love you, Callie."

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "I love you too," she whispered.

Edward's mind set on his second resolve of the day. Yesterday, Callie had kissed him, without warning. In the surprise, this hadn't disturbed him terribly, but he wanted to prove his ability to kiss her on his own will.

"Will you stay still for a moment?"

Despite her ecstasy, she stopped moving. Edward sat up to look her in the eye. She stopped breathing as he leaned towards her. His aristocratic nose brushed her freckled cheek and he kissed the corner of her mouth. Casually, a thought regarding mouth crud floated to the forefront of her mind, and he smiled in good humor. He slowly kissed the other corner of her mouth before realizing that she still wasn't breathing.

"Breathe," He whispered sensually. She gasped, smelling his sweet breath before he gently placed his lips against hers.

Her lips were soft, slightly chapped with the night air, and eagerly pressing back. His curled up into a small smile, and he wrapped his arms around her torso. Her arms were around his neck soon, fingers entangled in his hair. In her mind (and thus in his) they had melted into each other. She thought nothing but a centrifuge could separate them in this liquid state called love.

Edward, meanwhile, was raging in many different ways. For the first time in his experience, his mouth filled with venom, without a desire for blood. Another first for him, he could feel himself actually responding to her touch, her kiss, her love. He could feel what she felt, and he understood the image of them mixing together. Finally, he felt alive.

After Callie and Nate had eaten breakfast, Carlisle called for everyone to join him in the living room. They gathered without complaint. Edward came in with his arm around Callie, and Nate came in arguing with Rosalie about the Lotus Elise. Emmett and Jasper came in from out of doors, where they had been wrestling, and Alice bopped down the stairs. When everyone was in attendance, he stood. "We have encountered a new and intriguing situation. Callie, in her excitement, has added another member to our family." He nodded to Nate. "However, she has also sparked a new conflict with the werewolves. Their willingness to not only hurt Callie but attack you," he gestured to his surrogate children, "is something we must take into consideration. Thoughts of peace seem further off than I had originally counted on."

Callie bit her lip. Nate, who had taken his place behind her, rubbed her back soothingly. Edward, at the same time, stroked her hair. She leaned against him, and Nate suddenly realized how things had changed. He briefly recalled his sister's relationship with Jacob Black, short-lived as it was. There were no sparks, no almost-visible line of electricity connecting them like existed between her and Edward. Jacob had been protective, more out of defending his masculinity than his girlfriend, while Edward's focus was entirely on the young girl in front of him, besides what he could spare for Carlisle.

"For now, our plans of bridging the gap between werewolf and vampire are on hiatus. We must wait for a more opportune moment."

The silence was thick for a moment, but Callie didn't wait long to slice right through it. "Is this my fault?" She asked quietly.

Carlisle considered her, then smiled gently. "I believe that had this not occurred, we would not have realized how volatile these creatures are." Only Edward truly noticed how carefully worded the sentence was. Callie nodded, still unsure. She heard the gears grinding to churn out each word perfectly in Carlisle's head. "Meanwhile, we have a baby to prepare for."

Callie became excited, and simultaneously humbled. "You do so much for me." She looked around the room at the vampires that had become her family. Jasper briefly looked indignant.

"Well, don't blame us. You're too damned cute." The seriousness never left his face, and he wandered out of the room towards the library.

Alice danced towards her. "Indubitably." Rosalie glided over behind Alice, and both helped her stand. "Come with us." Callie looked at the others, including her brother, encouraged by their smiled.

"This isn't going to involve cocoa butter, is it?"

They laughed, practically dragging her up the stairs with their excitement. Edward followed with Esme. The girls took her towards her the west wing, stopping one door short of the lilac room. Rosalie gently covered Callie's eyes with her crystal cool hands while Alice opened the door.

Inside, a small room with yellow walls and wide windows rested. Edward grinned as he saw the girls giggle in anticipation of Callie's reaction. Together they counted, "One…Two…Three!" Rosalie dropped her hands from Callie's face while Alice and Esme stood in, looking at Callie expectantly.

Callie gasped. The room was an impeccably decorated nursery, complete with cherry wood cradle, rocking chair, and bureau, a closet complete with baby clothes, blankets and at least a month's supply of diapers, a changing table, and a soft rug over the hardwood floors. In the late morning light, the yellow hues of the room were golden.

She ran in a wobbly fashion to hug the other women, reaching her oddly long arms around them all as they embraced her back. Then she turned, looking to Edward.

"This was your idea." It wasn't a question.

He couldn't keep the smile off of his face. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She waddled towards him, hugging him tightly. He kissed her forehead.

By this time, Nate, Carlisle, and Emmett had wandered up to see what the hubbub was about. They all nodded in masculine appreciation before wandering off, and Esme, Callie, Rosalie, and Alice just laughed.

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Over the next month, Carlisle routinely checked Callie and her baby. The bureau in the nursery was slowly but surely filled with clothes that she personally picked out for her daughter. She painted the walls by hand with butterflies, trees, flowers, vines, and birds, assisted by Edward ("Finally," she had said, "Something I can teach you!"). Every night, Alice measured her belly after she had showered and was rubbed with cocoa butter while Rosalie braided her hair. Every night, she fell asleep next to Edward, waking with him at her side in the morning. For the next month, life was perfect.

Callie and Jasper were playing chess together one morning, Callie effectively winning, when the doorbell rang. Automatically, despite her swollen feet and baby due in less than three weeks, she stood to answer it. Jasper, in his concentration, failed to wonder who would ring their doorbell, until he heard the lock in the door unlatch.

He ran full speed to the door, pushing himself even harder when he heard Callie gasp. Edward, who had been upstairs, was next to him in a millisecond, and their jaws dropped with Callie's as they realized who was standing at the door.

"Leah Clearwater?"