Wow, thank you for such a great response! You guys ROCK.
I don't. Stephenie does.
Chapter 2.
Bella
"Bella, I cannot tell you how excited I am about our road trip!" Over one shoulder Coop had his Marvel messenger bag and he held the strap with his left hand. In his right he had a large paper folder he'd made himself in Art class – held together with staples. "I told Ms. Henley that I was going to see Nanny and Grandpa and Grandpa Chief and she was so jealous!"
I had decided the night before to take a trip to Forks to visit Charlie and allow Coop to see his grandparents. So when I collected him from school, we went back to the house to collect enough clothes to last the weekend.
"Can we take Flash? I don't want to leave him behind."
"Yes, we can take Flash. Make sure all the pets have enough hay, food, water, etc., okay?"
"Okay." Coop headed towards the stairs and then turned his head back around to me, "when are we coming back? I want to know how much food to give them."
"We'll be back Sunday morning; give us enough time to tidy the house before Dad comes home." He responded to my wink with one of his own, giggled and scooted away. It wasn't like we made a mess of the house and had refused to do any cleaning, but we were laid back when Edward was away and weren't as strict as he usually was.
0-0
"Hey, Bella?"
"Yes, Coop?"
"Um," he scratched away at his cheek, "you're not going to be sick again, are you? 'Cause I've been sick in the car before and, y'know, it's not very nice." We were twenty minutes into our 3.5 hour journey to Forks, and I hoped as much as he did that I didn't get a sudden attack of the vomits. I was 95 per cent sure that Coop's statement was true and I was, in fact, having a baby. Due to my unexplainable mood swings, frequent throw-ups and craving pickles on a slice of bread with tomato ketchup.
Either I was pregnant, or my taste buds gave up the ghost.
Actually, talking about pickles… damn, why did I not bring any with me?!
But I don't know for certain yet and, until I do, I have no reason to panic… right?
"I don't know – I hope not. Hopefully we'll be there before I'm ill again."
"Okay. Can I listen to your music, please?" He clutched onto my phone and smiled innocently.
"Of course you can, Sweetheart."
"Yay! Four, eight, six, two…" He mumbled my iPhone password and tapped each number in turn. He connected the cord into the USB slot on my radio and soon songs were playing through the speakers. His tiny body bobbed to the tune in time. Of course he'd pick Queen first.
"…I want to break free-ee…I want to break free…" For the four minute song Coop became a mini Freddie, except he wasn't dressed as a woman. Next, he played Bohemian Rhapsody and he knew every single lyric. "I'm just a poor boy; nobody loves me. He's just a poor boy from a poor family."
He is, officially, the coolest kid in the world.
"I learnt about Amish people today." He said it so suddenly, in between song lyrics, that I didn't take in what he had said until he repeated himself.
"You learnt about the Amish? That's a really fascinating topic, Coop."
"Yeah. But I don't think I would want to be Amish though."
I looked forward to his answer. "How come?" I knew it would be gold.
"Well I couldn't watch my Avengers DVDs, I couldn't dress up as Iron Man and I don't want to go on a horse and buggy; I like driving in cars… but Padre and I would work on the farm with all the animals, so I guess that would be mega cool. But, Bella, if Dad says he wants to become Amish can you tell him that I won't go with him, please?"
I knew that if I laughed Cooper would have taken it the wrong way and think I was making fun of him, so I held back as best I could. "You don't have to worry about that, Cooper; I can't see him wanting to change your lifestyle so dramatically like that."
"You never know – my Padre does do some strange things sometimes. Last thing (maybe…) when he comes home from being with the major cool sharks… um… do you think he'll spend more time playing with me?"
Up ahead, a lorry overtook me without indicating. I pounded the horn with a punch of my fist – road rage is common, especially when asshole drivers can't indicate! My sudden fit of rage had made Cooper jump and quiver back in his seat.
"I'm sorry, Sweetheart; I didn't mean to make you jump. But promise me, when you learn how to drive, that you drive properly and safe – okay?"
"Um, okay…So, back to my question."
Ah, yes, the question that made my anger for the driver suddenly melt into sorrow for this little boy. "Dad spends a lot of time with you already, Coop." Doesn't he…?
"He used too, but not anymore. Whenever I ask if he wants to play a game or go look for cool insects he always says 'I'm sorry, bud, I have too much work to do', or, 'I'm quite tired at the moment, can we do a rain check on that one?' But he never does a rain check!"
I noticed the signs for a service station coming up where I could stop for a gas refill and talk this out with him without having to keep an eye on the traffic. When we pulled off I had Cooper repeat what he previously said and then sat for a minute or so in silence, working out if I had missed the signs that he was lonely.
"Do you think he realises how often he's doing this?" I asked – Cooper's broken shrug just about killed me.
"I don't know. Probably and just doesn't want to play with me anymore. 'Cause, y'know, I'm eight now and too old to play with my Padre."
"Who said you were too old?" Is someone speaking down to my boy?
"N-no-one, but my friends Will and Mitchel don't play with their dad's, so I think I'm too old."
"You're never too old to do fun things with your parents. When we lived in Forks I would go and see Chief every week and having dinner together was our way of doing something fun. If you want me to I will talk to Edward and I'll sort this out, okay?"
Coop unstrapped and clambered across the seats to hug me. I was only too eager to accept him. "Thank you, Madre."
0-0
"One final stop and then we'll be at Nanny and Grandpa's." I parked the truck outside Fork's Convenience Store.
"Yay! Is Uncle Jasper and Auntie Alice going to be there? 'Cause I want to see Little Lottie."
"I spoke to Alice this morning and she said they'll come for dinner if they can. But if not we'll make a trip to their house to see Little Lottie."
We hadn't seen her since she was born four months ago, but Alice constantly sends me Snapchat photos of Lottie pulling various expressions. She's damn cute.
"What do you we need to buy from here, Bella?" Cooper offered to take the basket for me like a proper gentleman.
"Some wine for Nanny and Grandpa and who forgot to pack their toothbrush?"
He covered his mouth in embarrassment and giggled, "oops…"
As well as those must-need essentials there was one other vital necessity I needed. But my challenge was to get it without Cooper seeing – he doesn't have the best capability in keeping his mouth shut; if he sees me with a pregnancy test his whole family will know before greetings were swapped. The only person who semi knew was Alice – she knew I had something to talk to her about, but that was it.
My chance arrived when Cooper was mentally working out which one candy bar he could get. I took the basket off him and said I would be in the next aisle along. Clear Blue Digital was the first test I saw so it was the first test I grabbed and hid under the other items in our basket.
Ah, nailed it.
"Oh, my God… Bella!" My eyes widened at the sickening voice that just said my name.
I turned around and faced the Devil incarnate – Lauren Mallory. During high school we had one of those fake friendships – we acted like the best of friends around each other, but all the smiles were fake and I swear she had a Bella voodoo doll under her bed.
"Lauren, how… lovely it is to see you again!" I can still work that fake smile like a pro.
"I know! So, like, what are you doing here?"
"Er, just came to see some family briefly. What about you?" My eyes trained down to her clearly-fake tits and the pregnant belly below them. "Oh wow, you're expecting." At that second I really hoped she was pregnant and not just fat. She could probably kill me in one punch.
"Yeah; number four – a boy, Taylor Jr." Her left hand patted the bulging stomach and a silver rock glistened from her third digit.
Wait, number four? Shit… "Congratulations. And married as well? Wow, things have changed since high school."
"Yeah, so… I mean, like, you haven't met anyone then?"
I should have put on a bet to see how long it would take before she mentioned my marital status.
"I, um…"
"She's going to marry my Padre, actually." An irritated voice spoke up behind me. I turned to see Cooper stand with his arms crossed, head to one side and an angry pout on his lips.
Lauren frowned in confusion. "What's a 'Padre'?"
Cooper rolled his eyes and blow out a sigh of frustration. "It's Italian for 'father'. I'm eight and I know that and you're…old."
Hey, we're the same age, so careful with what you're saying.
"And what's your name, cutie?"
"My name is Cooper Michael Cullen and I am not a cutie."
Lauren's eyes lit up when she heard his surname. As a teenager her goal was to become a Cullen, but Emmett was taken and Edward… well, you wouldn't have had a poster of him on your wall. I could practically feel the jealousy steaming off her. And it felt so good to have something she's always wanted.
"Well, you are very cute." She defended herself.
Again, Coop was one up. "I don't care if I'm cute; my Auntie Rose taught me how to punch someone in the pee-pee ('cause you're a girl), so don't be mean to Bella, 'kay?"
It was time to end this before things got ugly. "Oookay, we have to head now, Coop. Nice to see you again, Lauren." A fake smile and wave later, we went to pay for the items.
"She's just a stupid bitch." Cooper mumbled.
"Hey, that's not very nice. Your dad would not appreciate you saying something like that."
"Yeah but she was!"
I rolled my eyes and left the store as quickly as possible.
0-0
"I need a her-o!" Alice bounced Little Lottie and sung the famous Bonnie Tyler track. "I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the ni-ight."
"I'll be your hero." Jasper smirked at his significant other.
"Aww…" She put a caring hand on his shoulder, and then her expression changed. "Suck up," she slapped his cheek playfully. "C'mon, Bell, let's have our chat now."
We found a private spot on the balcony to sit away from any prying eyes or eavesdroppers. I held Lottie on my lap – she played with my fingers and laughed when I would wriggle them suddenly.
"Bella, you can't use my daughter as a distraction. I've been going insane all day!"
I didn't know how to start off the conversation, so instead I broke the ice by taking the test out of my purse and muttered a quick, "there's a slight chance I might be pregnant."
Alice's scream jolted Lottie from her relaxed state and then started to cry. "What the hell do you mean there's a slight chance you might be pregnant?" Alice bounced Little Lottie on her knee and stared at me with an expression I couldn't decipher.
"Um…that there's a chance I might be carrying your niece or nephew?"
"Are you happy about that?"
That was the million dollar question. "I don't know… It's all too soon and unplanned."
Alice gently took my hand, "life is unplanned, Sweets. But first of all we need to make ourselves sure… so, pee on this."
The pregnancy test was thrust into my hand.
…Eep.
"Really?" I was all for finding out before, but when I was staring the time straight in the face I was more than hesitant.
"Yes! C'mon, let's take you to the spare bathroom and I'll hold your hand waiting on the results."
"But what if it's positive?" Did I want to have a baby with Edward? Yes. But it felt too soon to possibly be in that situation. And what if Edward didn't want that? It was all too much to take in at one point.
"If it's positive then you have been the greatest gift, and I know my brother will support you all the way. And if it's negative then maybe it's a sign that you're both not ready. But the longer we delay the harder it is going to be to get the confidence."
Deep breath in, deep breath out… "You're right; this has to happen now."
Little Lottie was taken inside to see her daddy and older cousin – they were rocking out on Rock Band as per usual. Alice and I tried our best to sneak away subtly, but Cooper is too good for us. "Where are you going, Bella?"
"Um, Auntie Alice wants to show me something. Stay here and play with Lottie."
"Okay. Grandpa said he'll come with me to talk Flash on a walk after dinner." My poor heart pounded at the sheer happiness on his face. After hearing that he was lonely I knew how much it meant for him to have a father figure spend time with him. I needed to have a severe talking too with Edward.
"That's excellent, Coop. I'll go and quickly do this thing with Auntie Alice and then I'll come back and I'll try and beat you on that game." I winked and he threw his head back in laughter.
"Ha! You'd never be able to beat me, Bella! I could scrap you with my eyes closed!"
He was right; I've never played the game before, but I wound him up anyway. "We shall see… Get prepared to lose, kid."
"You're amazing with him." Alice whispered on our way to the spare bathroom.
I shrugged. "It's not hard when he's so loveable."
"Yeah, but if you're like this with your boyfriend's son what are you going to be like with your own? If this is positive you're going to be an amazing mother, Bell."
I smiled at Alice's words. It was the only reaction I had.
"Right, are you ready?"
I held the test in one hand and my stomach in the other. I flushed back all the doubt that clouded my mind and took the plunge.
I pee'd.
I waited.
I checked.
I cried.
0-0
"Padre!" Coop screamed from the front porch. He was jumping and screaming since Edward's car turned into our street. The longest he has ever been away from his dad was eight days, and this had been fifteen, so I understood why he was so excited. "Can I go now? Can I go now? Can I go now?!"
I chuckled. "Yes, on you go."
And he was off, sprinting down the grassy yard and leapt into Edward's arms. "I missed you, Daddy!"
"I missed you more, Bud!" I welled up at their reunion. It was so cute. And I couldn't help but imagine a tiny, tiny baby in those arms as well.
I silently sighed in relief to notice that Edward wasn't missing any limbs and wasn't bandaged up anywhere I could see.
The two made their way over to me – Cooper was still being carried with his arms tight around Edward's neck. I only realised how much I missed him until he came home, and it shocked me that I had never felt like that before; that I was literally shaking at the idea of someone coming back.
"Hey, you." He adjusted the way he held Coop and wrapped me in his arms as well, and kissed my crown.
"Hi. I missed you."
"Okay, okay, enough horrible kissing." Cooper groaned. His wriggling was a sign for Edward to let him down now. "Padre?"
"Yes, Coop?"
Cooper raised his eyebrows at me and smirked. His little hands were held behind his back and he turned slightly on his toes. "I think Bella has something to tell you…"
The whole place went silent.
Except for the cheeky giggling coming from Cooper.
0-0
Oh, damn! And so you know, this pregnancy won't last very long – a few chapters or so.
To find out when I'm updating and for character profile etc. follow my Facebook group RosieRathbone FanFiction. OR! If you want to follow Cooper, hear what is happening in the next chapter through his innocent mind, follow Cooper Trooper's Working of Fate.
I can't give you an exact time for updates, but it won't be longer than 2 weeks :)
Thoughts?