(Author's Note: Takes place during chapter six and forward.)

Chapter Fourteen

Ella's POV

My conversation with Annie yesterday had me thinking. According to her vision, I would be dead after delivering the twins who would survive. But according to Alice this morning, my second baby (who I now know will be a girl named Hope) won't survive the process at all. Neither future seemed like a good plan to me.

But which psychic was in the wrong? Though Alice had never been wrong, I knew that she sometimes didn't get the whole future. And since this is the first time I had heard of Annie having abilities, I didn't know how good her future sensing judgment was either.

All I know was that I had to prepare for either future nonetheless. There was no way that I was leaving my Collin to deal with all of this whether I was here or not.

"Hey, babe, you need anything from the store?" Collin asked gently, his eyes watching me carefully as I laid on our new bed on the top floor ofthe Main House. We had moved in here pretty much as soon as Carlisle found out about my condition. It had been hard for Collin to be away from the Pack, minus Jake of course, and even harder to be around all of these vampires all the time. Though, most of the vampires were restricted from being in too close of proximity of my growing little boy since it was dangerous for him to keep growing this quickly so it wasn't like he had to smell that many Cullens anyways.

"Could you get me some more candy?" I asked with a shy blush. I was craving it like nothing else, another sure sign that I was pregnant (as if my huge belly wasn't enough of an indicator). When I was growing up, and since I had met Collin, I had only ever eaten sweets on special occasions, other than my mom's famous chocolate chip cookies of course.

"Anything for you, Ellie." My husband said with a grin and I knew that he meant it. He kissed my lips softly and made his way towards the door.

"I..." I was about to tell him about what I knew from Annie, but I chickened out when he turned back around and gave me all of his attention again. Something about that look he gave me sent butterflies in my already occupied stomach.

"I love you." I said instead, my breath hitching when he smiled widely at me and his eyes locked onto mine passionately. I knew it was the imprint part of him giving me this look, but I refused to believe that he wouldn't love me just as much if he hadn't been a werewolf.

"I love you too, Ells." Collin said, making his way back across the room so he could stroke my cheek and kiss my nose playfully. "Now if you don't stop distracting me, I'll never be able to get you your candy." He teased, kissing my lips once more in goodbye.

"I'm scared." I admitted quietly and all teasing in his expression dropped.

"You have nothing to be scared of, Carlisle said that the baby will be born in two weeks and then we can take him home." Collin tried to assure me, though he didn't as he left out the part about the second 'unknown' fetus's fate.

Hormonal tears rolled down my cheeks as I thought about the unfairness of it all. "She doesn't even get a chance, does she?" I asked angrily, referring to the little girl that Annie's vision promised me.

"You know that it isn't good to get attached." Collin said. "Edward and Carlisle both agreed that was the best way to get through this when the time comes."

"I can't help it. I have a living, breathing creature inside of me and its not fair to dismiss it because of one of Alice's visions." I sobbed. "We have to at least name it. It deserves a name! I don't care what any of them say; future or not, my children will be named, Collin." I growled, sounding almost wolf-like.

"Shh, we can. I promise we will." Collin said, mostly to calm me down. I knew it was hard for imprinters to ignore the wishes of their imprints, but I was asking for this as his wife, not his imprint. "Do you have anything in mind?"

"Esperanza, Esperanza Belinda. It means 'beautiful hope'." I said, I had done research in baby books all night after Annie came into my room with that information. "My little Hope." I mouthed and rubbed my stomach gently, knowing that she was in there.

"What about if it is a boy?" Collin asked uncomfortably.

"What about the name we were going to use until we found Alejandro?" I asked gently, not sure how he would take the name replacement. "Ezequiel Guillermo, you know 'God will strengthen strong-willed Warrior'?"

"You sure about this, El?" Collin said lightly, willing to do whatever I asked of him.

I nodded and that was the end of that.

I pulled out my baby book that I had started for the twins the moment I found out I was pregnant and started writing frantically. There was so much I wanted to say, especially if Annie was the one that got the future right. I prayed that she was wrong though; I would take Alice's vision over hers any day. I wanted to see my children grow up, even if it meant that I only got to keep one of them. Was that selfish?

~The next day~

"How are you feeling this morning, Ella?" Carlisle asked as soon as I changed into my hospital gown for my check-up.

"I'm doing alright. I can't complain." I responded automatically, glancing hesitantly at my beautiful husband. I was trying to hide how much pain I was actually in, but as usual, the good doctor saw through my charade.

When Carlisle asked Collin to leave the room, he freaked out. "And leave a vampire alone with my wife and unborn son? I don't think so!" Collin growled defensively like the werewolf he was.

"Please, sweetie? I'd like a cup of water, if it isn't too much trouble..." I said as sweetly as I could muster.

"I'll be right back." Collin said with a reluctant nod. He placed a kiss on my forehead territorially with a glare in Carlisle's direction and another, less defensive kiss on my stomach before he left the room.

"Tell me now, how are you really feeling this morning?" Dr. Cullen asked worriedly.

"I've had more morning sickness like you predicted, but that isn't really the problem." I said, taking a deep breath and bitting my lip. I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain to pass.

Like I suspected he would, Carlisle knew what was happening."Ella, how long have the contractions been going on?"

But I couldn't answer, instead, I grabbed his hand with all my might as the pain intensified and I let out a scream at the top of my lungs. I was only glad that he wasn't human or that would have hurt him.

Collin came barreling up the stairs, the cup of water left abandoned and shattered in the kitchen as he took off in a haste to protect me.

"What did you do to her!" Collin growled as he forced Carlisle's hand out of my grip and sat down next to me instead. I was welcome for the change, but it still didn't help with the contractions.

"Your wife is in labor, Mr. Harlen." He said calmly, defying my husband minorly in his tone but I knew he meant no offense. It was an ancient fued that was only naturally shown when things were stressed. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to get Edward and Esme up here to help assist me."

"Ca-call Max." I whimpered as my contraction ended. I laid my head on Collin's strong shoulder and tried not to whimper.

"I will. Don't you worry about anything. You are in good hands." Carlisle said confidently, as I heard him talk quieter into the phone.

The rest was a blur. I know that at one point Edward and Bella arrived to help with the delivery and Max was by my side like the faithful sister she was even though I could tell she was still uncomfortable because we all knew one of the three involved wasn't going to live, but the pain was in the forefront of my mind the whole time. Collin was perfect and I could hear his quiet "I love you's" the entire time. I knew I snapped more than once, but I couldn't be sure that I was lashing out in English. My mind was in a haze as I focused on my task; delivering my babies and living through it.

When Carlisle announced it was time to push, all I had to say was that I loved my little babies. I rubbed my tummy to let my children know that it was almost time to come meet me.

"WAIT! Carlisle, promise me you'll do everything you can." I said in a panick.

"I-" He started to speak, but I interupted him. "No. I mean, promise me that you will do everything you can to save baby two. I just want him or her to have the same fighting chance as Alejandro has." I said sternly, not sure if I was speaking English or Spanish. "It means the world to me. I need you to promise me."

"You have my word, Mrs. Harlen." Carlisle said honestly.

It took two minutes of pure, excrusiating pain to deliver my werewolf son, and I knew I would have to appologize to him for cussing out his stupid strength, but it was worth it. I only saw half of his face, but I knew he was beautiful. Alejandro Adan Harlen had to be. He was Collin's son after all. was born. I saw that he had Collin's dark skintone and deep brown hair color and that was enough for me.

"Seven pounds, nine ounces." Bella announced. "He looks perfectly healthy, Ella. You should be proud."

I rested my head against the pillow, physically exausted from delivering Alex, while Max cooled me off with wet handtowels and ice chips. Collin was caressing my face and trying to get glimpses of his son while Bella cleaned Alejandro off and prepared him to formally meet his family.

"You need to get ready to push again." Carlisle advised. "Ready or not, this next baby has to come out as well."

I nodded, the tears rolling down my cheeks going unnoticed by no one, but I closed my eyes and focused once again on delivering a baby. I had to get through this. I was once again caught up in the pain and I prayed that I hadn't said anything too offensive. All I know is that Collin was my target.

"It's a girl." Bella said quietly. "Four pounds, five ounces."

I caught a glimpse of Esperanza before she was taken to get cleaned; my thick black hair and a mixture of Hispanic and russett Quillite skin pigmentation.

"Ella, she's...she's beautiful." I barely heard Edward say before my body went into shock. This was it, I knew and I only hoped that Edward had heard my last thoughts.