Maybe Baby
AN: none to speak of other than picking up the pace a bit so the story doesn't drag.
Chapter 8
POV: Alice
I glared at the back of my bosses head. Ever since the run in with my father and step-family I'd been quick tempered and stressed beyond belief. Now I've always had an irregular period, I was even put on birth control to help out with that when I turned 15 and it had been successful then but now it seemed to be going back to its old routine of here one month gone the next, the last time this happened I was in college and stressing over midterms and then all the long research papers that followed up to finals. So now I am not sure which is setting my hormones all awry this time, missing Jasper or knowing I let my father once more get to me.
Let's top it all off with a nice dose of my boss's devil horns have come out full force since fashion week is approaching us and some lucky assistant will be chosen to go to Paris for 2 weeks with her. I went last year and enjoyed the hell out of myself telling myself dealing with this woman's bullshit was worth two weeks in Paris and the free clothes that came along with it. Now this year I am just hoping she doesn't pick me so I can have two peaceful weeks without her and actually have time to relax.
I wish I could say I didn't know why she was being so bitchy with me the past week because I know exactly why. I requested 2 days off so I could go to Texas. Yes I am going camping with Jasper and his family, apparently it's a tradition of theirs and the invite was extended to me. So with my boss's lack of a love life and knowing where my family lives she had put two and two together and realized I was going to spend time with my boyfriend.
"Deep breaths" Dion told me as I entered the break room to prepare the devil her lunch.
"I'll survive" I muttered slamming the door on the fridge. As I opened the take-out and no we aren't talking cheap take-out we are talking 5 star quality take out I felt my stomach do summersaults. Yes to top it all off I seem to have come down with some gross virus and spent at least an hour a day hovering over a trash can or my toilet so smelling the sushi and egg rolls I couldn't help the bile forming in my throat.
"You look a little green" Dion said staring at me over his Starbucks.
"I'm coming down with something" I said holding my breath as I continued to place the sushi and egg rolls perfectly on her plate while pouring the rice evenly over it all. It didn't help because the damn fishy smell was stuck in my nostrils.
"Oh honey you are as white as a sheet" I felt Dion's hand on my waist as I suddenly felt faint.
"Can you take this?" I asked shakily holding the plate up for Dion. Before Dion could take the plate I set it down hard on the counter and shuffled the few feet between me and the sink before losing what little I had ate for breakfast. I was faintly aware of Dion holding his nose and making gagging noises but I didn't care, my only focus was that I had my hair up and I managed to make it to the sink before I vomited all over the sushi. "Get that shit away from me" I said ushering with my hand towards the plate. Dion didn't need to be told twice and was gone in a flash with the food. I felt my stomach calm slightly and turned on the tap letting the runny substance flow down the drain before rinsing out my mouth a few times.
"Ick" I heard a familiar high pitched voice. I glanced over to see Irina and Jane, I hated them and they hated me, they were looking at me as if I was the most disgusting creature on this earth and to be honest I felt like that right now.
I bent down and grabbed the bleach from beneath the sink and immediately sprayed down the sink before rinsing it all off, the smell of vomit was gone and the sink was clean again.
"Jesus Alice. Heidi is going to be pissed off you got knocked up" I stopped cold and sent them an icy glare. It had been Irina who had spoken and Jane looked pleased, of course she would she wanted to go to Paris this time.
"Heidi knows I'm feeling under the weather" I gritted out in reference to the fact that my boss was of course made aware of this bug I had, she always wanted to know when we were even slightly under the weather so we could stay away from her important clients and she could remember to sanitize.
With those words I walked out only to come face to face with Heidi. "Alice take the rest of the day off" with that I just nodded before she walked away with a glare towards Jane and Irina.
The Store
I felt embarrassed and stupid right now dropping the 2 double packs of pregnancy tests in my reusable Whole Foods bag but I needed to check. Ever since Irina's comment earlier today the idea has been running through my head, I show no other signs of sickness but nausea and some dizziness.
I looked up at the line for the check out and groaned. This was another reason I preferred the pill, I hated buying personal products and always felt like the cashier was judging me and now I have Susie home maker behind the counter. She is one of those people who look like a goody goody. Reaching into my purse I removed the fake wedding ring. Yes I carry one around. My grandmother gave it to me and promised it would protect me from the more unsavory people milling around New York. I've used it before, in bars, at the park and even in line to check-out at the grocery but right now this baby would serve a different purpose, I would put on an act of happily married and hopefully pregnant wife to Mr. Imaginary.
Slipping the gold band onto my finger and moving my birthstone over to the same hand I got in line and tried to look excited instead of scared shitless.
"Alice!" I felt my heart stop, I knew that voice. Turning around I saw Hank and his daughters and then his wife. "I thought that was you"
"Hi Hank" I heard my voice tremble as I spoke; because of course while attempting to fake being married I would run into someone who clearly knew I wasn't married.
"What's wrong?" he asked, always the observer, shit what I wouldn't give for him to be not so observant sometime.
"Nothing" I lied with a fake smile, I was getting closer and closer to the cashier, my bag was feet away from me now while the woman ahead of me's buggy kept me from being any closer. I couldn't flee without being noticed.
"Are you sure?" he asked and I nodded.
"Good evening miss" the cashier said as she removed the two pregnancy tests.
"Evening" I cringed feeling my cheeks redden.
"I hope that's a good blush" the cashier smiled as she quickly put the test back into my bag, I wanted to kiss her for her discretion but I knew Hank and his family had seen them.
"We'll see" I laughed uncomfortably and then I felt Hank wrap an arm around my waist.
"I didn't know you two were trying" I laughed again and sent him a smile before swiping my credit card and taking my bag.
"Well good luck miss" the cashier said handing me the receipt.
"Thank you, I'll keep you posted Hank" with that I walked calmly out of the store before practically running to my apartment.
Hold in stream of urine… ewe
I was pacing in front of my microwave, waiting for the allotted amount of time to find out my fate. This had to be bullshit because I am on the pill and I don't miss it ever, I always take it at the same time every single day, this shit can't be real it's just a messed up cycle.
I heard my phone start to ring and groaned, I knew that ring tone, and it was my mother. She always knows when things are off in my life, for instance I'd spent 2 hours on the phone with her after my father's visit and she even talked to Jasper briefly, of course it wasn't until a few days later that my mom called to scream at me for having sex. Apparently my sperm donor father had called to congratulate her on raising a whore and though my mother sang Jasper's praises and acted like this was no big deal to spite him she flipped out on me. Apparently John had been very descriptive about what he'd heard.
"Hello" I said keeping my eyes clenched shut tightly.
"Well don't sound so happy to hear from your mother Mary Alice" I let out a breath of air and realized I could go look at the results now but not with her on the phone, I can't subject her to that.
"Sorry mom just a rough day and I'm fighting off this bug, I just ate so of course I'm nauseas" I lied. I was not nauseas but the idea of possibly being pregnant did make me feel a little queasy.
"Oh sweetheart go get the proper medicines, some sprite and crackers and you will feel better in no time" I tried to smile; sure those things would normally work.
"Yeah, I just feel egh" I wanted this to end. I was dying to see what the 4 magic piss sticks had to tell me so I could either celebrate or freak out because I'd have to tell Jasper next time I saw him which would be on a weekend in the woods with his whole family. My mom had been jabbering on and on and I don't know about what. "Mom I'm gonna be sick" with that I hung up the phone and rushed to the bathroom and let it all out.
Once I was sure nothing else was coming I flushed the toilet and stared at the edge of the counter. Slowly standing I put the toilet seat down and sat on it before reading one more time the signs. Plus for pregnant, minus for not and the other test was simple pregnant or not pregnant. With a deep breath I picked up the first test. Negative. I smiled and then I picked up the next one without hesitation, plus. Shit.
Pregnant. Shit.
Pregnant. Shit shit shit shit shit.
"SHIT!" I shouted out loud. 3 out of 4 pointed to me having one in the oven. I felt myself slither to the floor the 3 positive tests all in my hand, the two stating pregnant mocking me and the one negative on the counter telling me 'oops.'
3 a.m.
After hours of sitting there and just staring, letting my cell phone ring many times, each time going straight to voicemail. My mom had called me back once, Jasper had called me twice. We talked every night and I just couldn't handle this, not yet.
When I had finally come around I found myself banging on Rosalie's door. My hand was throbbing because it was the same one I'd used to punch my dad the week before but I needed a friend, I needed someone to help me.
"Alice?" I had tears streaming down my face and Rose had obviously been sleeping. She instantly went from agitated to concern and rushed me into her dark apartment. I saw Emmett standing a few feet away in nothing but boxers looking semi-awake. "Girl talk" Rose said and I watched Emmett nod before going back into Rose's bedroom and shutting the door.
I didn't speak I just let the silent tears fall as I stared at the floor. I felt Rose take my left hand in hers, loosening my grip before I realized I still had the 3 positive tests in my hand. I met her eyes and watched as she merely glanced at them before setting them on the coffee table in front of us.
"What am I going to say to him?" we'd been together 4 months, and of those 4 months our time together roughly added up to a month.
"Well you're going to go to a doctor before you say anything because I know how anal you are about your birth control and it is still possible these tests are bullshit" I nodded my head though somehow I knew they weren't. That fucking fraction of a percent of ineffectiveness on the pill had come back to bite me in the ass, I wouldn't be lucky enough to have that fraction be lying to me on these tests now would I.
"No Rose I am, my boobs are sore, I'm sick all the time, tired, hungry, moody, I can't stop crying for fuck sakes" I could feel the tears picking up speed as my vision became blurred and Rose's arms wrapped around me.
"Alice please calm down, you need to try and breath" Rose soothed rubbing my back as she rocked me back and forth.
"I'm sorry I woke you I just, I think I needed someone" I sniffed swiping the tears as I pulled away. This was a bad idea, I was freaking out about being pregnant while my best friend I was confiding in couldn't get pregnant and really wanted to.
"No no, don't apologize Alice I'm here for you" I took a deep breath and jumped when I felt a big hand on my shoulder.
I saw Emmett looking guilty. "I couldn't help it, I was worried when I saw you crying" he explained scooping me into a hug before rocking me back and forth as I started sobbing again.
"How do I talk to him?" I asked, my voice muffled by Emmett's chest as he continued to rock me.
"In private and definitely not on your camping trip" he said as I instantly felt my heart skip a beat. How was I going to hide this on a camping trip with his family, his mother obviously wasn't a novice, she'd had 7 kids you can't hide that from someone like her.
"I can't go" I said pulling away from him.
"No you need to go" Rose insisted.
"I can't, he has 6 siblings his mother will see right through me" I was panicking. I could feel my breathing slowly becoming restricted.
"Head between your knees" Emmett instructed pushing me over so I had my head below my knees and my arms wrapped securely around my legs. "Breath Alice breath"
"You're going and you are going to tell him, he needs to know" Rose said resolutely.
"Fuck" I squeaked.
Surprise visitors
"Hello" I answered my phone groggily. I didn't have to work today, the evil she-demon had give me the rest of the week off insisting whatever I had did not need to be spread so close to fashion week and I of course told her I would be seeing a doctor tomorrow.
"Hey I missed you last night" I felt my heart speed up as I heard Jasper's voice.
"Yeah I'm sorry, that bug I've got kicked my ass I must have slept through your phone calls" I lied hoping he'd leave it alone.
"You need to see a doctor baby, you've been sick since I left that's never good to be sick that long" I frowned. I should have gone to a doctor a long time ago and not just waited this out.
"I'm going tomorrow, the she-demon actually gave me the rest of the week off" I explained.
"Well that is good you need your rest" he said and I instantly ached to feel him. I missed him and knowing that this news would possibly break us I wanted to hold him now more than ever.
"I know" I sighed feeling the tears start again. How much can I cry really?
"I know this is an odd sort of request but I figured it would help you feel more comfortable on our camping trip" he said sounding nervous. I wiped away the tears and replaced my sadness with confusion in a heartbeat.
"Yeah?" I asked hoping he'd continue.
"My sister Ashley will be in town till tomorrow night and she has been bugging me for your number so you two can do dinner. At first I didn't want to impose on your busy schedule with work and all but I don't think it's that bad an idea, you will at least know one of my siblings before the trip have another ally" he said. I swallowed and closed my eyes. I don't want to be mean and say no, he'll know something is up if I do that.
"I guess I could manage a dinner, my appetite sucks with this bug but maybe coffee or something instead" I couldn't believe what I was saying. I should be using my sickness as an excuse not acting like it's nothing.
"Are you sure baby? I don't want you to neglect your rest" I let out a breath and smiled genuinely. He worries about me and it makes me feel loved.
"Yeah, I'd love to meet Ashley, she's the youngest sister right?" I tried to keep his siblings straight but that was about as easy as keeping mine and my half siblings straight.
"Yes, you want her number or should I give her yours?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Give me her number; does she take texts so I can warn her it's me?" I asked.
"Yeah I'll text you her number in a minute. I have to get back to work but I wanted to hear your voice and see if you were ok with Ashley wanting to meet you" he said.
"I'm glad you called, I'm sorry I missed your calls last night" I smiled and rested my head on his pillow, yes I never changed the damn pillowcase until the day before he arrives so I can still smell him, I'm a weirdo.
"It's ok, I'll call you tonight or you call me huh?" he asked and I nodded before remembering I'd need to actually speak the words.
"Yeah talk to you tonight" with goodbyes spoken I hung up and received Ashley's number. Taking another breath I sent her a text message and then called her phone a few moments later.
Doctors and Lunches
The doctor only confirmed what the 3 tests did and apparently I am about 3 months along which seems odd since I've had one light period the previous month but apparently it happens. I was now going to meet Ashley Whitlock for a carnival lunch as she'd put it of hot dogs, pop corn and slushies in the park. Yes she suggested we dine on cheap food and since Jasper warned her I was ill and had trouble keeping food down she'd suggested these items because at the least the popcorn would maybe help settle my stomach.
As I approached a hot dog guy I saw a beautiful blond girl, she was very slender and in all honesty had the figure of a runway model, not to mention the height of one. As I got closer I knew this was indeed Ashley especially because she saw me and instantly smiled and rushed towards me.
"Alice?" it wasn't really a question but my answering smile was clarification enough and in seconds I was engulfed in a soft hug by the much taller girl. I know I'm short but even his youngest sister was really tall wearing flip flops and not even heels, good thing I wore heels today otherwise I'd be saying hello to the girls chest.
"Nice to meet you Ashley" I smiled warmly as we broke apart. I tried to push my news to the back of my mind, now was not the time to be thinking about this, definitely not with her around.
"You are tiny" she said pulling away to appraise me before instantly covering her mouth. "I mean it's just…" I waved her off because I know I am short and I am past the point of being offended by that fact, unless someone implies I look like a minor in which case then I may get a little testy.
"Even in heels I still barely scrape 5'4" I blame it on my mom for drinking coffee while I was an infant" I joked with a laugh. My mother hadn't really drank coffee or smoked or done anything remotely bad while she was pregnant with me, something I was going to have to start watching from here on out since Starbucks is like my godsend.
"Yeah our momma is only 5'5" so I think I got my height from my daddy" I couldn't help but giggle, her accent was so southern, something Jasper did have but not near as bad, probably because he traveled a lot.
"I'm the runt of the litter" I joked and honestly after now thinking out the math of my father's children I really was the runt of the litter, hell the youngest was only a few inches shorter than me and he still hasn't hit puberty.
"Raleigh is the runt in our family, like momma she's… no wait she's actually shorter than momma" I couldn't help but laugh at least I wouldn't be the only small fry camping that wasn't under 10.
"So do you still want to eat vendor style or something real?" I asked glancing around at the trolley's of food, none of it really smelt too appetizing now that I was here and that was dangerous territory.
"Hmm… I keep hearing from all my friends you can only get the best hot dogs in the park, but if you'd prefer something else we can move elsewhere" she said after a moment, I didn't really want to be rude and since I lived here and have eaten everywhere before it really didn't matter so long as I didn't inhale the relish scent from the hot dog vendor while I ordered.
"Nope this works" I grinned and lead the way towards the hot dog trolley.
After we fought over who would pay for 10 minutes the vendor just told us it was on the house and we walked away giggling because we must have really been that annoying to the man. We sat and talked about small things and I even got to learn a lot about Jasper as a kid or more a teenager. Apparently the sweet southern man I had snagged wasn't such a sweet boy growing up, flashes of our animalistic encounter the last time he visited swam through my head. I knew Jasper was experienced but with the way Ashley told it he sounded more like that guy in school who always had a girlfriend no matter what.
It was hard to hear about girls he'd been with for longer than me because here I was pregnant with his child and only a few months under our belt as a couple while he had two girlfriends who were around for a year and one really close to a year. Ashley assured me that Jasper was simply caught up in having a companion, he was popular in school and since he was in a band through high school and parts of college it was the cool thing to have a girlfriend all the time. I couldn't fault him for his past or hold it against him because he'd obviously grown up. I wanted to ask Ashley about the scars on his body but I didn't want to be too forward, it was probably something I finally needed to break down and ask him about myself. That's when Ashley got a guarded look on her face and she hit me with a major bombshell.
"Then there was Maria" I hadn't ever heard about Maria and with the way Ashley spoke her name with a high dose of venom I figured I should probably know about her.
"Maria?" I asked as she let out a breath of air.
"I shouldn't be telling you about her but I know Jasper won't, it's something we don't talk about" she paused and then added. "Ever"
"Well maybe you shouldn't tell me" I said after she stayed silent for a few minutes.
"No" Ashley sighed, "I mean it is something you really need to know about his past, more important than any of those girls who were passing fancies" she sighed and I prepared myself for some epic love story that ended with her cheating on him just before he proposed. "Alright so they started dating the first time in high school, she went to a school on the other side of town it was very West Side Story, big football rivalries and as most Texan boys do Jasper played football"
I nodded my head because Jasper had told me he played football and though it wasn't his passion it occupied a great deal of his time. He even admitted he was one of those cocky jocks, but not a complete ass hole.
"Maria and Jasper lived together and were together for just over 4 years" I felt my stomach drop at the mention of such a serious relationship. Being pregnant I'd really started to doubt the staying power of our romance, I certainly didn't want him with me only because he knocked me up but I know now more than ever I don't want to lose him.
"Wow" I said as I realized Ashley was waiting for a response.
"I just thought you should know that" I looked up and noticed Ashley was staring at me, as if she was studying my reaction, maybe this was a test and she was trying to scare me off with this story.
"Ok" I said lamely though right now I was beyond envious of Maria.
"Alice the last year and a half Jasper wanted to end it but Maria was very dependent upon him and he couldn't abandon her, he should have ended it but he didn't" I felt my eyes tear up, I would do that to him, I wouldn't be dependent but I would have the tie of lifetime to him, I'd never know it was over. "Alice?" I looked up and when I realized my vision was blurred I knew the tears had started to fall. "I didn't tell you this to upset you I just, you need to ask him about Maria, you will never fully understand him until you know everything"
I shook my head too caught up in my thoughts to comprehend what she was saying. I was trapping him, Maria trapped him and now I was going to do the same.
"Alice what's wrong?" Ashley asked wrapping an arm around me; I let the tears continue to fall as I covered my mouth to stifle the sob I had to choke back.
"I can't do that to him" I repeated through tears. Ashley seemed alarmed and within seconds the girl was pulling something out of my purse and staring at it. I looked up in time to see her holding the sonogram picture, her mouth open and eyes wide.
"Is this?" she asked not removing her eyes form the picture as I wrung my purse strap, I wanted to run away and pretend this day never happened but I knew if I ran she'd tell him and I'd have no time to think.
"Yes" I said in a broken voice, amazed she even heard my answer. At that moment a group of guys who had been playing football walked by and started making lewd comments and suggestions. Ashley didn't hesitate in flicking them off with a disgusted look on her face before pulling me to my feet and leading me toward the street. "Where are we going?" I asked.
"Somewhere private" was all Ashley said as she hailed a cab. When the cab pulled to the side she told the driver to take us to her hotel but I interjected that my apartment was closer and in this traffic it'd be quicker to which she agreed and we were walking into my building where Hank happily greeted us.
Ashley pushed the up button on the elevator hardly even noticing Hank or James, Hank was smiling at us and James was leering, he had gotten more than a little creepy and as I watched his eyes mentally fuck Ashley I snapped at him.
"Stop being such a perv James" Hank looked taken a back and James looked like a fish out of water while Ashley let her eyes go from me to James and then Hank before the elevator appeared and I was dragged into it where I pushed the button for my floor. "Sorry he creeps me out and he was leering at you" I said still sounding angry.
"Yeah he looked a little creepy" Ashley said and as we stepped off the elevator I finally remembered myself, opening the door to find Millie bouncing around ecstatic that I was finally home. She hadn't been walked in hours and she was going to need to go badly very soon so I quickly headed for the small laundry room and set out a pee pad calling her over. She didn't look too thrilled and lost a little bit of the bounce in her step before circling and doing her business. I folded up the pad and tied it up in a shopping bag before tossing it in the trash can.
"I just found out" I said stepping out of the laundry room to finally face Ashley who stood frozen looking around my apartment with the sonogram still in her hand. "I don't know how, I mean I know how but I have been on the pill religiously for a very long time and that .01 percent just came up to bite me in the ass" I sounded terrified, of course I was since I had just met the girl and now we were talking about the baby and I felt like beating myself for telling yet another person before Jasper. First Rose, then Emmett and now his own sister, he should have been the next to know.
"You can't tell him this on the phone" Ashley said turning to put the picture under a magnet on my fridge, she didn't seem as shell shocked anymore. "Alice you have to tell him this weekend and I know it'll be hard with the family around but you need to, I'll even make sure you two get some alone time"
I closed my eyes; his whole family would be there, immediate family which comprised of 6 siblings, 3 of which had spouses, 2 nephews, his parents, oh god I would die. I'd be trapped in the woods or whatever Texas has with his whole family and be that girl who he knocked up.
"You just got a deer in headlights look Alice relax" I snapped out of it to Ashley shaking my shoulders looking concerned.
"Sorry what?" I asked feeling nauseas at the thought of this weekend.
"I said calm down, my brother is totally head over heels for you, he wouldn't be coming out here to see you all the damn time if he wasn't serious about you" Ashley was smiling and though I knew it was to comfort me I couldn't help but wonder how sincere she was being, after all I was trapping her brother. "Stop that!" she shouted, her southern accent very strong and I met her angered eyes. "You are not trapping yet you keep mumbling that you are and how he'll hate you"
Oh shit I'd apparently said these things out loud wonder how much else I'd said.
"I'm sorry I just don't want to trap him and after hearing about Maria I couldn't stand it, I love him too much to ruin his life" now I had said it, I told his sister I was in love with him before I told him, yet one more thing I can add to a list that I'm sure will be huge by the end of this conversation.
"I didn't tell you about Maria to make you think he was only with you out a sense of obligation, Jasper learned from that relationship, his mistakes blew up in his face and hurt him more than her in the end and I just wanted to let you know my brother is great guy and he wouldn't stay with someone if he had those doubts, you seemed so unsure of your relationship through your actions at the park that I wanted to reassure you that he loves you and I…" now Ashley seemed to be at a loss for words.
"I'm going to be sick" was all I could muster as I ran to the bathroom. Ashley hot on my heels and as I emptied the contents of my stomach she held my hair and rubbed my back.
AN: ok so I didn't make her pass out at work I couldn't make it flow so instead I chose the sickness route. As for Ashley this is very important because Jasper's family is on the fence about Alice, they are very protective of Jasper after the whole Maria thing and once Jasper explains to Alice what happened, all the parts Ashley left out it'll make sense why his family is worried.
As for Ashley she was meant to give Alice the strength to tell Jasper because Alice and Jasper have not said those 3 important words to one another but Ashley now knows they both love one another.
ORIGINAL AN:
Maybe Baby
This is an author's note:
I have an update almost ready to go for this story but due to family issues in my own life it may take me a little longer to update since this chapter deals with fictional family issues.
Once I can complete the second half of the chapter I will post it because I do not feel posting what I have would work. I'm trying to keep each weekend Jasper visits down to 1 or 2 chapters and posting this now would make this 3 chapters.
I'm going to go ahead and warn you a family member of Jasper or Alice is at the door and they did hear Alice and Jasper's animalistic romp so be prepared to see a side of one of our characters you haven't seen yet.
So I will give you guys a preview of what to expect:
Alice will pass out at work (you will find out she is pregnant and why she herself didn't figure it out) Check BUT Changed
Alice & Jasper go camping
Jasper gets drunk
Jasper's sister Ashley (the youngest girl Whitlock) bonds with Alice Check
Alice goes home (to Mississippi) and chaos ensues
Jasper tells Alice the story of his wounds mentioned after Lemon 1