Chapter 11

Childbirth

At the hardship that I had watched Sonja endure, at this point I thought nothing could surprise me more but still the situation did; as then came the day, in the early month of April, that I never thought anything like it could ever be possible.

"Aro, come here." Said Edward,

I sat down beside him in front of Sonja, Edward then held my hand; I could hear the thoughts of everyone around me but then I realised that there was an extra voice – a voice that had no body – until I looked down at Sonja.

"Oh my goodness." I purred excitedly, bringing my fingers to my lips.

Sonja asked, "What?"

I explained. "I can hear its thoughts!"

"Really?" She replied, so startled. "What's she thinking?"

I grinned, "She?"

"Well, ever seeing R-Renesmee, was it?" trying to get the pronunciation correct, "Now all I see, when I picture the baby, is little girl."

"Very well then, our precious little girl."

I then let go of Edward's hand, lifted Sonja's shirt and she flinched as I placed both of my cold palms on her stomach; like reading two minds simultaneously, I managed to break through Sonja's more potent thoughts and then I could plainly hear all the thoughts of the infant.

My eyes opened wide. "It loves you, Sonja. It loves you so much." I answered. "Hmmm, and it loves me too – it loves the sound of my voice." I smiled.

Sonja smiled back at me, agreeingly. The child was not yet even born and I already felt that I was having a conversation with it; I had never felt so excited of our current situation.

"Can you tell if it's a boy or girl?" asked Sonja, placing her hands on my own.

"I'm afraid I cannot say." My hands massaged Sonja's stomach, as the baby enjoyed it, so did Sonja; but then I heard the foetus speak to Sonja, directly.

She jolted, "It said 'I'm sorry, Mother.' T-the baby, the baby just spoke to me." Her voice was shaken to hear the mind of our child, and she giggled hysterically.

"Indeed, it did," though I was a little confused. "As if it 'projected' it's thoughts into your mind."

I still smiled so hard, I was so happy, the baby gifts had such potential already, and Sonja for once smiled in complete admiration of the child; forgetting just how close she was to death and broke through her fear of the infant. But this created a little bit of a problem for me, for now I felt that I had to save Sonja from her gruesome fate; for the sake of the child who loved her so much.

"Oh my dear, little child." I crooned, leaning down and kissing Sonja's stomach.

Continuing the connection, I smiled and listened to the child's mind giggle at the sound of my voice; and now I finally understood what and why Bella and Edward went through such lengths to save their little Renesmee, and everything that they fought for against us.

Both Jane and Alec were not a custom to seeing me in such an affectionate manner but I sat down beside her and held Sonja in my arms; for hours I gently rocked back and forth to comfort her and my child. The entire time, my eyes were nearly black from thirst, Sonja's blood still sang loud and strong to me but never the less I fought against every fibre of my body; Carlisle, and even sweet Esme, were beginning to worry about me as I was literally starving myself by the hour, but even the stored human blood could only just satisfy my instinctual desire – how I longed to just even have a taste of Sonja's blood.

But still for days, as Sonja slept, I listened to her dream – almost constantly about the first night we shared together but far more commonly her dreams were about what the baby would look like. Even enduring the pain as the baby kicked and stirred inside of her; the picture of our daughter was always the same – an adorable little girl in a blood-red dress, with straight black hair, and dark brown eyes.

And if that were the case, if our child were to be a daughter; I would honourably name her in dedication of her human mother.

But then one day as I was crooning the infant and its host, Rosalie handed Sonja her second cup of blood; poor Sonja was now almost skeleton, no matter how much blood she drank, I was nearly counting down the seconds – the birth was estimated to be on this very day and everyone was so nervous. Little Renesmee was sitting by Sonja, giving her inspiration of what our daughter would be; but dear Rosalie kindly took our mind of things as she asked Sonja about considered names for the baby.

"What girl names have you considered?" she asked,

Sonja smiled, "There probably stupid but I was kinda going through classic vampire names and I was thinking Camilla or Wilhelmina."

There were some defendant agreements about those names, particularly Renesmee, "You're not gonna name it Dracula, if it's a boy are you?" chuckled Emmett."

"No, actually I was thinking of Aaron." Sonja replied.

"That's not very vampiric."

"But it has 'Aro' in it." She smiled, as her eyes turned to me and I felt utterly touched.

Carlisle then acknowledged me, "What about you, Aro; what names have you considered?" he asked.

"Well, if it is a daughter I've strongly thought naming her after her mother," Sonja grinned but everyone understood why I chose the namesake, "But I've also considered about calling her Didyme."

Sonja looked at me strangely, "Didyme? That's different, where'd you get Didyme?"

I hesitated for moment, and inhaled slowly "She was my sister."

Her eyes widened sympathetically but then suddenly I heard something break, Sonja gasped and then she screamed; Carlisle rushed to her side, picked her up and hastened Sonja outside and set her down on the lawn.

"What's happened? What's wrong?" I asked,

"She's giving birth!" calmly yelled Carlisle.

"Esme, go take Nessie to Jacob; and keep her at home." Said Edward, Esme did so and the rest of the family encircled Sonja.

"Aro! ARGH!" she hollered, pulling the ruby ring off her finger and gave it to me, "Give this... ARGH!... TO OUR CHILD!"

I heard flesh tearing from the inside until her pelvis broke; she wrenched one final horrendous scream until her body then ruptured, her stomach split open – and I could not resist any longer.

I heard Edward yell. "ARO NO!"

I lunged forward but my path was broken by Emmett, he threw me twenty feet away but now completely drawn by ravenous hunger I ran as fast as I could, though Emmett managed to pin me to the ground only centimetres away from the girl. I clawed at the ground, snarling and hissing, trying to escape from Emmett's grip but Jasper had grabbed my other arm; and then the twins gave into their instincts and advanced on the dying woman, but thankfully were too stopped by the other Cullens.

With Jasper and Emmett's hands succeeding in holding me back as I watched the woman drown in her own blood as the small child ripped through her stomach, Alec was being restrained by Alice and Edward while Jane was tied by Bella and Rosalie – Carlisle was by Sonja's side to help deliver the baby. My thirst had never raged on for so long, my throat began to feel it was ripping from dehydration; but once Carlisle took the baby inside, as much as I wanted to I couldn't – for the sake of the child.

"EDWARD SAVE HER!" I cried. "EDWARD SAVE SONJA!"