One Week Later
"You know, if you keep staring out the window like that…it's not going to make her come back to you." Alice sighed, leaning against the doorframe to the Cullen family living room.
"You know, you should mind your own damn business." Edward muttered, his gaze still gaze still cast out the window.
"Edward, you should just call her and tell her what happened that night. Honestly, it's that easy." Alice huffed as she slowly made her way into the dark room..
"Alice when I said mind your own business, I meant it."
"No. You know what; I'm not going to do that anymore. You have been sulking around here for the past seven days and honest to god I'm tired of it. You sit there and think it's OK to act like this and think that one day that's just going to fix everything."
"You don't shit." He spat, turning to face his sister. "So don't come in here and start preaching about something that you know nothing about."
"You know why I don't know anything? Because you wont fucking talk to me, you won't talk to anyone for that matter." She yelled, stepping closer to Edward as the tone in her voice rose. "Why won't you talk to anyone? All we want to do is help."
"You can't help Alice, it's too damn late."
"What do you mean?" She asked, perching herself on the arm of the couch.
"Jacob came running to scoop her up again after everything went down."
"You don't know that."
"I think seeing them together at her house when I went to go talk to her the other night would suffice, wouldn't you?" He glared at her, his eyes a dark and cold brown. "The bastard had his hands all over her, and she let him."
Alice sighed and cast bowed her head in defeat. That wasn't what she wanted to hear.
"Can I ask you what you were doing that night?"
"You really want to know?" He asked, watching her nod. "Knowing would seriously make you happy?"
He sighed heavily before rushing past his sister, his feet heavy as he climbed the stairs to his room.
I'm not sure how much of a good idea that was. Alice frowned, playing with her wedding band as she waited for her brother to come back.
"Here." Edward muttered as he re-entered the living room, placing a small object in Alice's hand. "There's the big mystery."
"Edward!" Alice gasped as she stared down at the small object in her hand. "Is this what I think it is?"
"Came from the same place yours did." Edward shook his head, looking away from her as she stared at it.
"It's beautiful." Alice said in awe. "You need to tell her about this. Go over there right now and give this to her. I'm serious."
"Alice, there's no point. Honestly. She doesn't seem to have a need for me in her life anymore and seems to be OK with Jacob rushing in to pick up the pieces, so how can I mess with that?"
"This would make all the difference Edward. You need to let her know that you love her this much to give her something like that."
"It doesn't matter." He said, snatching the box out of his sister's hand. "She's moved on. Don't you say anything to her either."
"Edward, I…"
"Don't Alice. Not a word…this conversation is done and don't bring it up again."
Alice's mouth hung open as Edward rushed back out of the living room, waiting patiently for him to return. Minutes passed as she stood there, panic setting through her as she processed what she just heard.
"Hey beautiful, you OK?" Jasper asked, entering the kitchen from garage.
"I don't know." Alice said quietly, still staring at the staircase that Edward had just gone up.
"What happened?"? He asked, glancing in the direction she was staring in.
"Edward managed to surprise the shit out of me, again." Alice shook her head in disbelief.
"He told you didn't he?" Jasper chuckled lightly.
"You know?" Alice's brown eyes grew wide as she stared at her husband.
"How do you think he knew which jeweler to go to?"
"You knew and didn't say anything? You just let this happen?" Alice demanded, trying with all of her might to keep her voice down.
"This isn't my battle to fight." Jasper shrugged. "It's not your battle either…so don't go and make it your issue either."
"How can I just stand here and let all of this happen though?" Alice protested as Jasper walked back into the kitchen.
"Seriously Alice, I know it bothers you but there's nothing either of us can do about it. This battle is between Edward and Bella."
"There is no battle! Edward gave up!"
"Alice, if it is meant to be it will be…that's all I can say about this."
"How can I be around Bella and not tell her anything?" Alice huffed. "It's like I'm going to be constantly lying to my best friend."
"You're not going to be lying to her Alice." Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist. "She doesn't have any idea this is going on, and it will be up to your brother to decide otherwise."
"God, I should have never asked." Alice groaned as her cell phone went off, Bella's name showing on the caller ID.
"Hey Bells." Alice said, receiving a nervous look from Jasper.
"Alice, are you busy?" Bella's voice came from the receiver broken and nervous.
"Just sitting in the kitchen with Jasper, why?"
"I need you."
"Is everything OK?" Alice asked as the feeling of panic starting to rise within her.
"I don't think so." Bella said quietly. "I just need you here."
"OK sweetie, I'm on my way. Do you need Jasper to come to?"
"Please?" Bella's voice cracked. "And hurry."
"Jasper come on, we have to go!" Alice hollered, not even bothering to hide it from Edward as her unusually loud voice carried through the hallway.
"Is she OK?" Jasper asked, hurrying into the entranceway.
"She won't tell me." Alice frowned as she finished saying good bye to Bella. "She sounds like something scared her shitless though."
"You don't think he said anything to her do you?" Jasper asked, motioning up the stairs towards Edward's room.
"No, I know he didn't." Alice shook her head as she pulled her car keys off of the wall rack. "If he did, he knows that I will kill him."
"I don't know what else it could be though, unless Jake did something to piss her off." Jasper shrugged as he held the front door open for Alice as she hurried past him.
"Jake's not the one to do that, he's more of a peaceful kind of guy." Alice huffed as she climbed into the driver's seat of her Mercedes. "She didn't sound angry; she sounded upset and kind of scared."
"Well hopefully everything will be OK." Jasper dug his fingers into the car seat as Alice slammed her foot onto the accelerator and sped out of the driveway and down the road towards Bella's house.
The thoughts were running through her hand just as quickly as her car was speeding through the quiet town, growing frustrated as each scenario she came up led to a dead end. The tone in Bella's voice worried her, and whatever was going on wasn't good.
Bella's car sat alone as Alice sped up the driveway. The house itself was dark against the lines of trees that stood tall behind it, the windows dark as her eyes rested upon it.
"Bella, where are you/" Alice asked as she barreled through the house, not waiting for Jasper to even get out of the car.
"I'm in the kitchen." Bella's voice flowed through the eerily quiet house.
"Sweetie, what's going on? You're scaring me." Alice breathed as she ran into the kitchen, her eyes falling on a frightened looking Bella.
Bella sat curled up in one of the chairs at the dining room table, her knees tucked tightly to her chest as her arms wrapped around them. Her hair was disheveled and her face was paler than usual, accenting the dark circles under her eyes.
"I don't know how this happened." Bella whispered, her lips quivering as she spoke.
"How what happened?" Alice asked carefully, sliding into the chair next to Bella.
"I'm so scared." Bella whimpered as stared down at the table top.
"Bella, what is it?" Alice asked again, not trying to sound frustrated.
"I'm pregnant." Bella spoke with a tone of complete and utter hopelessness.
"YOU'RE WHAT?" Alice and Jasper asked simultaneously.
"Are you sure?" Alice asked, eyeing her husband who just walked in.
"I've been sick for two weeks and I just took my third pregnancy test, so yes I am sure."
"Oh my god, I don't know what to say." Alice gasped. "I'm completely shocked."
"Is it Edward's?" Jasper asked, standing behind his wife.
Bella nodded, still not able to look at either one of them. "Jake and I never slept together."
"Does he know?" Jasper asked carefully.
"Of course I haven't, I haven't spoken to him for a week now." Bella sniffled. "I have no idea what to do Alice."
"Well we are going to help you out." Jasper said firmly, resting his hands on his wife's shoulder. "Whatever you need, we're here for you."
"Have you told Emmett?"
"You two are the first that I have told."
Bella sniffled as a tear fell don her right cheek. "I can only imagine how disappointed he is going to be."
"Bella, he and Rosalie are in the same boat right now. If anyone could relate to you right now, it would be them."
"Yea, but she and my brother are also in a stable relationship so it isn't so frowned upon. Edward and I aren't even talking."
"I think you should talk to Edward." Alice said, receiving a stern look from Jasper. "He should know."
"Why? So he can use the baby as an excuse to get us back together in hopes that I will forgive him? I refuse to have a relationship based on something like that."
"Bella…"
"Alice." Jasper said sternly, stopping his wife's comment in its tracks.
"He should still know…"
"He's not going to know." Bella said firmly. "Neither one of you are going to say anything either."
"Well we aren't going to be behind your back, that's for damn sure." Jasper said as he drummed his fingers on the back of Alice's chair. "What is your plan though?"
"To face the music and come to the realization that this is a reality." Bella chuckled sadly. "I guess I should start by talking to Rosalie."
"I agree." Alice nodded. "If you want we can stay with you while you tell her."
"You can if you want." Bella said, eyeing the clock nervously. "She'll be home from her doctor's appointment any minute now."
The sound of keys jingling in the keyhole sounded suddenly, and a rather satisfied and peaceful looking Rosalie came into the kitchen from the garage.
"Okay, what did I miss?" The smile dropped off of Rosalie's face as she entered the kitchen.
"Rosie, I need to talk to you."
"Okay." Rosalie said as she sat her purse down on the kitchen counter, taking a seat at one of the counter stools so she could see the whole group. "Shoot."
Bella breathed and glanced over at her two friends, receiving supporting nods from them both before explaining her story.
Rosalie remained extremely calm as she listened to Bella speak, not uttering a word until Bella managed to get the whole story out.
"Well it sounds like you and I have a lot more in common then I thought." Rosalie said, surprising Bella with a smile. "We are going to need to get your doctor's appointments set up as soon as possible."
"You're not going to yell?" Bella blinked.
"I wish it were under better circumstances that's for sure, but the situation in here and in front of us so we are going to have to deal with it. And you can't do that if you going to a through a wrench in everything by getting angry."
"Emmett's going to flip a lid isn't he?"
"I don't know honestly." Rosalie sighed, running a hand over her somewhat swollen belly. "He might, but he has a lot going on right now….regardless, he has always been incredibly understanding."
"I hope so." Bella bit her lip nervously. "When will he be home?"
"In about an hour or so I think." Rosalie said as she looked up at the clock. "It's going to be fine Bella, I promise you that."
"We're all here for you Bells." Jasper piped in, while Alice nodded in agreement.
"So am I." Jacob said as he came into the room, causing the group to turn around quickly. "What did I miss?"
"Jake, I'm not sure now is a good time for a visit." Rosalie began to stand up, but was immediately halted by Bella's hand.
"I need to talk to you Jake." Bella said firmly, patting Alice's shoulder as she stood up and walked towards Jacob.
"Okay so she is going to tell Jacob and leave Edward in the dark like that?" Alice hissed once Bella and Jacob had left the room.
"Alice remember this isn't our battle to fight." Jasper rubbed Alice's shoulders in an effort to calm her down.
"They are growing really close Alice. He has been over here everyday since everything went down between her and your brother." Rosalie stated, causing Alice to frown. "She needs support right now and she doesn't want to keep anything from him. She doesn't want anything like what happened between her and Edward to happen again."
"But he was going to…"
"Alice! Don't go there!" Jasper said sternly.
"Jasper!" Rosalie frowned as she swatted at him. "Let the woman talk!"
"I can't." Alice sighed heavily.
"Why can't you?" Rosalie asked, eyeing her curiously.
""I have been sworn to secrecy." Alice muttered.
"Wait, you two know what went on that night?" Rosalie leaned closer to them, her brown eyes wide with curiosity.
"Unfortunately." Alice mumbled.
"Well, out with it!!" Rosalie said urgently.
"I can't Rose as much as I want to. Edward made me promise me not to say anything to anyone."
"Then how does he know?" Rosalie asked, motioning towards Jasper.
"I know by default."
"OK seriously, I know I'm a little curious but…was he cheating on her?"
"Not even close!" Alice said loudly.
"It's the other way around." Jasper said quietly.
"He bought her an engagement ring." Alice blurted out.
"He what?!" Rosalie gasped, her eyes glancing in the direction that Jacob and Bella had walked towards. "Are you serious?"
"About as serious as I could be, trust me." Jasper nodded.
"Oh my god, I had no idea." Rosalie shook her head in disbelief as her back rested against the back of her chair.
"He's been thinking about it ever since Alice and I got married. He had this whole discussion with me right before the reception."
"This is unbelievable." Rosalie chuckled. "There are signs all around them that they should be together, yet they are doing everything they can to stay away from one another."
"I say we run an intervention." Alice said as her small fists met the dining room table top.
"Alice remember…"
"Baby, I loved you." Alice interrupted. "But this shit is ridiculous. I cant just stand here and watch things fall apart when I know something that could save this whole thing. I knew from the minute they met each other that they belonged together, and honestly….sometimes fate needs a helping hand."