A Familiar Stranger
"Sir, you're needed at the prisoner delivery site."
"Why is that?"
"One of the rebels we captured on the coast is having contractions. Her friend won't let us move her because she thinks it could hurt the baby."
"I see. Why don't you send the camp doctor to the truck to see if this is the actual labor. If not, take the woman to her cabin and have the doctor on standby."
"What about the rest of them?"
"You know the procedure."
He left quickly and I rubbed my temples clockwise. This headache would not go away and I was sick of my heart racing for no reason. I thought that maybe I should go see to the new prisoners but decided against it. There would be too much shouting and noise for me to concentrate right now. I groaned and laid my head on my desk, wishing my head would stop pulsing with pain.
--Bella's Point of View--
"You'll hurt her baby!"
I was livid. I didn't care I was in the middle of some desert-looking place as a prisoner, about to have all my freedom taken away for no reason. They wanted to move Alice when she was having a baby!
"If you would've been listening, you would know that this is not the actual labor and by delaying moving her to a more sanitary facility you're the one who's going to hurt her baby."
I balled my hand into a fist and took an angry step toward him. Jacob grabbed my waist and held me fast before I could do anything else.
"Bella. They have guns. They don't seem to want to hurt her so let's let them do their jobs okay?"
"Not good enough," I said through clenched teeth.
"I want to go with her."
The soldiers glanced back and forth between each other and the doctor spoke up.
"I'm afraid that's quite impossible."
I wrenched myself out of Jacob's grasp and moved forward.
"She needs me there."
The doctor sighed and glanced at Alice.
"Could you please tell your friend to retract her claws for a moment? She'll see you again."
I could see her hesitate but she looked down at her stomach and touched it with her hand.
"I think I'll be alright. Go on and do what they say. I'll make sure you get to see me again."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded and gave me a tiny smile.
"I'm sure. I have a feeling it's going to be fine."
A soldier stepped behind me and put his hand between my shoulder blades to lead me down the path where everyone else from the truck was standing. Jacob walked behind me and he took my hand when we joined the group.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm angry."
He squeezed my hand.
"You're shaking."
I glanced down at my free hand and sighed. He hugged me close to him and brushed my hair behind my ear.
"She'll be fine. I promise."
For this moment, I let him hold me. I was angry at myself, at that doctor. I was angry at everything.
There was a throat that cleared and a clear voice that spoke.
"This is your new home. You are here because you are rebels and terrorists and a danger to yourselves and the outside world. Every day a soldier will wake you up and give you your directions for the day. Stand in a line and wait for cabin assignments and your new uniforms."
He paused for a moment and gestured with his hand to his waiting men.
"Enjoy your stay," he said with chagrin.
Jacob squeezed my hand and I started. I hadn't realized I was shaking.
"It's going to be okay Bella," he whispered to me, "I promise."
--Edward's Point of View--
I took another aspirin and watched the window carefully as the very pregnant woman was led inside. Her face and pixie figure was very familiar to me and I felt warmth spread through me at the thought of her having a child. I shook my head and groaned, what was wrong with me?
"Sir?"
I turned on my heels.
"What?"
"The newest prisoners have been moved to their appropriate cabins. Is there anything else you'd like for me to do?"
"That's all for now."
My head pounded again and I sighed. I had too much work to do to deal with this.
"Actually there is something you can do."
"Sir?"
"Go to the regular cabins and inform them of their work schedules for tomorrow. I don't think I'll be feeling up to completing the task."
"Yes sir."
I popped another aspirin into my mouth and went out the door, to the pregnancy cabins. I was thankful for the quiet around me and the cold air that helped soothe my aching head. I stepped inside the cabin and saw the doctor was still attending to the woman.
"Breathe in deep-- there you go."
He handed her pills and stepped to me, blocking me from her sight.
"How is she?"
"She seems to be in very good shape for her pregnancy. What do we tell the others when they come for the children?"
"She had a stillbirth."
"Yes sir."
"One more thing. Could you see to her friends? They'll want to hear the news from a reliable source."
"Are you sure now is the time?"
"It has to be. I can't risk having her child taken."
He nodded to me and stepped around. The woman gasped.
"E—Edward?"
I froze.
"How do you know my name?"
She gaped at me and put a hand to her bulging stomach.
"What kind of question is that?" she groaned, inhaling sharply. "Your wife and I are best friends! For goodness sakes Edward, I'm your sister."
If I hadn't felt all the blood leave my face before, it was all gone now.
"You must be quite confused."
"Edward what happened to you? It's Alice, it's me! Don't you remember?"
The name struck a nerve. That same feeling that I should remember something, something important. That feeling made me leave my logic behind.
"I don't remember anything. I know your name and I know your face but I can't remember how. There is no memory there."
She frowned at me and squinted.
"Do you remember Bella?"
That name was like music to a man who had been deaf. The sound of that name made me truly feel again, almost like being born once more. Suddenly, an image entered my mind. A heart-shaped face and big brown eyes wearing a wedding veil.
"Bella?"
I shook my head and frowned. I would have to dig deeper into this but for now, I had something important to deal with.
"Listen carefully to me. When we deliver your child, I will have to take it away."
Her eyes flashed angrily but I continued.
"A truck will come, expecting the baby. Everyone in this camp and that truck will be told it was a stillbirth and that you are very weak. I'm unsure how long I'll have to keep you in here, but be assured I will try to make it as short a time as possible. I will of course return the child to you but whenever it is in danger of being discovered I will have to hide it to keep it's life save. Do you understand?"
She nodded, slowly and frowned.
"Do you really not remember me?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't. I wasn't aware I even had a wife."
She rubbed her hand over her stomach again and frowned deeper.
"If you want to re-meet your wife... she's staying in the same cabin as Jacob Black."
And wham. I had that memory. I knew that name. He was very very involved in rebel activity, even going so far as to take part in a few bombings.
I sat down on Alice's bed and stared at my hands. This was humiliating to ask.
"What should I do?"
She cocked her head to think and after a moment's silence, she gave me her advice.
"She probably shouldn't see you come to get her. She might-- well it just might be better to have someone else get her or have her blindfolded or something. You wouldn't want to scare her."
"What else?"
"Talk to her. She told me all the time her favorite thing about your relationship together was how much you talked."
"Anything else I should know or I should do?"
"If, and when you show her it's you, make sure you explain clearly that you don't remember anything. Bella's mind is so unique... sometimes things that might seem clear to you don't register the same way with her. She'll take it hard of course, but just tell her the way your mind is working and what helps, if anything. That should do wonders."
I hugged this familiar stranger and she awkwardly responded with a hug of her own.
"She loves you dearly. If... if that's changed at all on your part, she needs to know that."
I felt cold then. Had that changed?
--
Sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed. I'm literally running on about 4 hours of sleep since the 1st so yeah. Edward and Bella will probably have their first conversation with Edward's memory gone next chapter which I promise will come again soon. Might be a lemon, haven't decided yet. Oh, and I have lots of story favorites on here with names that haven't reviewed. If you're one of those people :P please review. I appreciate constructive criticism and I like to know what my readers want. If there are any questions about the chapter, let me know, and as always R&R. Thanks guys! 3