thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter! i tried to get previews out to everyone but might have missed a few. i also changed the first chapter a little, added a few things, including stuff about bella's past. let me know what you think!

*I don't own Twilight*

Chapter Fifteen

Edward Cullen

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest and my hands were shaking. I thought for a minute I was having a heart attack until I realized it was probably anxiety.

"I was going to do that… I was going to have the artificial insemination done but I didn't. I just wanted a baby so badly and my mom was constantly telling me how old I was getting! I was scared by the time I finally met someone, I wouldn't be able to have kids. I had doubts about it and I didn't even tell anyone which makes me think I wouldn't have gone through with it anyway," she bit her lip, her hand on her stomach and I looked away from her again.

"So, um, there's stuff you have to do for an IUI. Like go off birth control but that was alright because I hadn't had sex in a while," she whispered, "then Alice and Rose made me go to Twilight with them and I met you and we slept together. I knew I couldn't go through with the appointment on that Monday because I, um, I knew I could be pregnant. That's why I snuck out."

I sucked in a deep breath, "You tricked me into getting you pregnant?"

"No!" she shouted, "Are you listening to me?! It was an accident, I was drunk! You didn't use a condom and I didn't think about the fact that I was ovulating until the next morning. If I had thought of Plan B, I would have taken it," she frowned and held her stomach, as if she hated to admit the thought of doing anything to prevent the little girl from existing. I hated the thought, too.

"Edward, I didn't have it done," she paused and her face brightened as she remembered something, "I was at school that Monday! The day you came to my classroom!"

I froze. She had a point. I remembered Kate saying something about having a procedure done and me thinking she was sick.

"So she's definitely mine?" I asked softly, the stabbing pain in my chest abating just a bit. She nodded adamantly and I closed my eyes, "Thank fucking God."

"Do you hate me?" she whispered. I didn't answer. I knew I didn't like her very much right in that moment. She sniffled and sank to the floor, sobbing softly. I felt bad but didn't feel like I could comfort her.

I sat on the couch with my head in my hands, not sure what to do.

Hours later, we still hadn't spoken. She was grading tests, still crying. I was pretty sure they'd be all smudged by the time she finished but I didn't say anything. I tried to work on lesson plans but I couldn't concentrate. I wanted to go back to my apartment but everything was packed and most of the furniture had been moved to storage so it would be pointless. I was stuck.

I wondered if I was making a big deal out of nothing but, fuck. She'd wanted a kid. She'd known she might be pregnant and I didn't find out until Halloween, a month later. Suddenly, I turned to her, "Did you really not know you were pregnant until October?" I asked, as if her answer would change anything.

She got up, grabbing the date book from where I'd tossed it, "See, on September 13th, where it says PS? Then on September 18th where it says PE?" I nodded and she continued, blushing softy, "Period starts, period ends."

She flipped to October and on the 7th, it said PS and on the 11th, PE, "I was worried but I thought I got my period. It turned out it was something called implantation spotting and it's like a really light period. It was just… it wasn't my period. So on the night before Halloween, Alice noticed my boobs were huge and informed me what the bleeding I thought my period had actually been was. I took a test that night, you can ask them… I haven't lied to you, Edward."

"It was a lie by omission, Bell." I said but I did feel better knowing she truly hadn't lied to me about when she found out and that she told me right away. I thought about her reaction and how shocked and upset she'd seemed. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and sighed heavily. She sighed too and leaned against me. I put my hand on her stomach and felt our daughter moving.

"She's moving a lot," I murmured.

"Mmm, she's always doing something," Bella sounded sleepy as she played with her ring.

"Does it hurt?" I asked, rubbing gently.

"No… sometimes it's weird and a little uncomfortable. Edward… do you still want to marry me?" her voice broke on the last word. I was silent for a few minutes, thinking. I still loved her. She made a mistake by not telling me but she hadn't done anything wrong. The baby was mine.

"Yeah, Bella. I still want to marry you."

~*~

"Grace?"

"No, she would get called Gracie and I hate that."

"Callie?"

"Ugh, no, that reminds me of Grey's Anatomy. I hate that show, it's so lame."

"Elizabeth?"

"Maybe as a middle name?"

We had been debating baby names for the past two weeks and Bella told me that we had to decide today because she was sick of calling to it as the baby. And of me referring to it as it. We had the agreement that she'd pick the name if it was a girl but for some reason, she wanted my input. She has vetoed every single name I suggested. I was pretty sure, if fact, if I was remotely fond of it, she hated it.

"Alexis?"

"Nope, way too popular."

"Annabelle?"

"Oooh... pretty but no, it's way too close to my name."

"You know, I had the boy named picked out. This would be so much easier," I rubbed her bare stomach. For all that I teased her, for being twenty-eight weeks pregnant she was small. She'd only gained 20 pounds since that appointment thirteen weeks ago and she'd been down eight then so technically she was only up twelve pounds. I worried but she ate all the fucking time. I hoped it meant she lost the weight fast after it was born but when I said that to her, I'd been told I was an insensitive jackass.

"What was it?"

"Masen."

"Ooh, I like that. We can name our next baby that if it's a boy!"

"Our what?" I asked because I hadn't even planned on this baby, let alone any after it. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I forgot. You're going to make this my one and only baby," she sat up, struggling and I laughed at her cause her stomach was kind of hilarious. Then I remembered that she was naked and stared at her boobs. They were perky and begging to be touched. I was glad to be the only person who got to play with them.

"Mmm, baby," I sat up and leaned forward, kissing her collarbone.

"Want to do it again?" she asked hopefully. If I'd thought she was insatiable early in the pregnancy, she was worse now. She barely gave me time to recover betweens rounds. If she didn't get off at least three times a day, she was whiny. I wondered why she didn't...

"Baby, why don't you ever masturbate if you're so horny all the time?"

Her face turned bright red, "I do… do that."

Oh really?

"Oh? How often do you touch yourself, Bella?"

"Um, daily..."

"And where am I when you do this?"

"At the gym... cooking... asleep... sometimes I do it in the shower."

"You do it when I'm next to you in bed?" I asked and the thought of my sweet, innocent girl doing this instantly made me hard. She nodded and I grinned wide at her, "Little, innocent Miss Swan touches herself. Can you show Mr. Cullen how you do it?"

Her face brightened and she squirmed. She loved when we played Mr. Cullen, Miss Swan. A sweet, innocent school girl being seduced by a teacher. I thought back to fucking her over Headmaster Aro's desk and spanking her as I made her count. Oh, I fucking love this brown eyed girl.

"I don't know, Mr. Cullen. I don't have my rabbit with me," she stuck her bottom lip out and it took a minute to register that she meant one of those rabbit vibrators. My cock twitched at the thought of her fucking herself.

"It's alright, Miss Swan. You can improvise. Actually, I'm going to have to record this, to keep with your records," I stated seriously and I thought I saw her roll her eyes before I went to get the camcorder and tripod. I'd become a little obsessed with video taping sex.

When I came back, she had stripped the bed of the blankets, except for the plain white fitted sheet, and she was in the middle of the bed, propped up against the mountains of pillows she insisted she needed. She'd also put her hair into pigtail braids which made her look very young. I winked at her and set up the camcorder on the tripod. I stayed out of the frame, pressing record.

"How do you normally begin, Miss Swan?" I spoke calmly and with authority.

"I start thinking of someone that makes me feel tingly down there..."

"Someone that makes your pussy wet? Who is that, Miss Swan?"

"Usually you, Mr. Cullen," she spoke quietly. Usually?

"Who else makes your pussy wet?" I asked her, a slight edge to my voice. Her eyes widened and she blushed.

"Sometimes girls in magazines," she squirmed slightly and my dick got even harder. Bella got off while thinking about girls?

"What do you do after your pussy is nice and wet? Tell me and show me, Miss Swan."

"Um, I play with my nipples," she said as she took a nipple between her thumb and pointer finger. She whimpered loudly, "Oh, Mr. Cullen..."

"Good girl, Miss Swan. What next?" I asked, taking my cock in my hand and stroking it slowly, my eyes never leaving her writhing body. She spread her legs apart and moved one hand down her body, dipping a finger into her folds.

"I usually use my bunny but when I don't have it I touch myself with my fingers..." She trailed off with a moan as she tugged harder at her sensitive nipples.

"Do it," I commanded. She started moving her finger in slow circles around her clit and I groaned softly as I stroked my dick faster. "Put a finger inside of yourself, Miss Swan."

She whimpered loudly as she did what she was told, still playing with her tits with her free hand. She started with just one finger but soon, she was fucking herself with three, rubbing her clit with her thumb and crying, "Mr. Cullen!" over and over as she sent herself over the edge. She looked so fucking hot, hand on her tit, fingers in her pussy, her head thrown back and eyes closed, covered in a light sheen of sweat that I found myself cumming right after her, all over my stomach.

Once she came down from her high, she giggled at me, "Mmm, Mr. Cullen... you have a big mess all over your stomach." I grinned and grabbed my t-shirt off the floor, cleaning myself up. I turned off the video camera and plopped next to her on the bed.

"So fucking hot, B," I told her before hovering over her and kissing her deeply. She moaned into the kiss but I pulled away because we'd fucked like five times in fifteen hours and I was exhausted.

"Mmm, come back and kiss me more," she murmured softly.

I shook my head and laid on my stomach next to her, "So girls from magazines, huh?"

"No, not really," she blushed and I knew she was lying. I wondered what girls these were and if we could find some look-a-likes and have a threesome. After the baby was born, of course.

She propped herself on her elbow and pouted, "I miss lying on my stomach. I miss how skinny I was," Bella sighed and lay back again, "do you remember how skinny I was?"

I nodded because I did remember, "Your body was fucking perfect. Though I hope the tits stay."

"You're gross, Cullen. They'll be gone when I'm done breastfeeding. Poof."

I made a face at her because she kept mentioning breastfeeding but I didn't like the idea of my fun bags turning into milk bags, "Let's feed her formula."

"You're gross and selfish. Breastfeeding is better for the baby," she rubbed her stomach reverently.

"Not better for me," I muttered but I knew that if it was best for the baby, it was what she would get.

"It's only until September, anyway. Then we'll have to go back to work," she sniffled softly and I rolled my eyes at the dramatics, "and I won't be able to give her what's best and we'll have to give her formula..."

"You know what? I just made a decision as the head of this family. You're not going back to work," I told her in a serious voice, though I was anything but and she knew it. She played with my hair, her fingers soothing and I yawned.

"Really? Well if you insist, I'll stay home with her," she grinned and I smiled, knowing she wasn't serious. I didn't know why the fuck she insisted on working. I knew if someone had told me to quit, I'd be cool with it. In fact, I was considering not going back to MPA in the fall but starting to give private piano lessons instead.

"Suggest more names, Edward."

"Edwardina," I said and laughed softly when she snorted then covered her face as she giggled.

"Seriously!" she demanded through her giggles and I reached over and tickled her sides, causing her to laugh more. Then she pushed my hands away, "I'm going to pee myself if you don't stop!"

Bella struggled to get out of bed and when she came back ten minutes later, she was wearing a tank top and panties. Her hair was still in the braids and she was playing with the end of one, looking contemplative. Her nose was scrunched up and I wondered if the baby would make the same face.

"Massie?" she asked and I made a bit of a face at her because it was weird and I'd never heard it before. I shrugged and she knew I didn't approve.

"Audrey?" she ran her hands over her swollen stomach. I liked the name, better than anything else I'd heard or suggested. Audrey Cullen. It was cute, I liked it so I nodded and her face lit up.

"Audrey Elizabeth," I said, patting the bed next to me to show her I wanted her to get in with me. Her eyes were bright as she got onto the bed and settled down next to me on her side.

"Audrey Elizabeth Cullen," she whispered and I nodded again as she started kissing me all over my face. I grinned at her, kissing her back whenever I could. We stayed still as I hummed and she talked softly to the baby, telling stories about Charlie. She turned to me at one point and told me she loved me and that was the last thing I remembered before falling into a dreamless sleep.

~*~

Bella Swan

Esme Cullen was going to be the death of me. She'd taken to calling everyday to ask how I felt, apparently not trusting the second hand information she received from her son. At first, the conversations were short but they got longer and longer as she asked me questions about the baby and the wedding. I knew she was excited but God, she could talk.

We hadn't set a date yet because I didn't know how long it'd take until I was my normal size again. Edward kept insisting that it didn't matter and even went as far as suggesting we get married at City Hall. He quickly realized his mistake when I burst into tears, convinced he didn't want a wedding. He promised that he hadn't meant it, that he'd never want me to give up my dreams of a huge wedding and that he would do whatever he had to do to make sure I had everything I ever wanted.

But Esme still liked to chat about it. Most of the time, I zoned out and only paid attention to key points but I felt kind of bad because this was my future mother in law, who had been far more kind to me than my own mother had. But she wanted us to get married before the baby was born but I was against it. It would make it seem like we were getting married because of the baby when it was not, in fact, true.

"You could get married in City Hall and we'll have a small gathering after, dear. Then when you feel ready, we'll have the big party. How does that sound?"

Um, well, Esme, it sounded like exactly what I didn't want. I sighed softly and took a minute before responding.

"Or we'll just get married in a year or so. I was thinking next July that way we'd both be off work and can go on a honeymoon," I told her, trying to keep my voice calm and reminding myself this was the same stubborn woman who'd raised stubborn Edward. They both didn't seem to listen to reason.

"Oh, sweetheart, you're not still planning to go back to work, are you? Edward explained your situation to his father and me and how," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "you're so well off due to the circumstances."

I rolled my eyes because of course Edward would have mentioned this to his parents. I glared the couch, where he was laying down and writing messing around with some new program on his computer that helped him write music or something.

"Did he? Did he tell you that I don't want throw away my education?"

"He did, honey. But you wouldn't throw it away; you would go back when the baby goes to preschool. It's just a few years off."

I hadn't thought of it that way. I was about to respond when my phone beeped, indicating that someone was on the other line. I pulled it away and saw it was my mother. I sighed. She had called me almost every hour, on the hour for the past day and a half.

"I'll think about it. Esme, I have to go. My mom's calling."

"Oh… oh! Sure, dear. You tell Edward to call me later on, alright?"

I said my goodbyes and ending the call with Esme and answering Renee's call.

"Hi Renee," I said quietly and Edward looked back at my, his eyes wide. Clearly he thought I was just using the excuse to get off the phone and wasn't planning on answering but I had to get her off my case. The calls had woken my up early this morning.

"Isabella Marie! Where in the world have you been?"

"I've been working a lot more. Alice is pregnant so I've been helping her with Charlotte a lot and Rose had a baby in December so I've been busy…" I trailed off. My heart was pounding and my hands were shaking slightly. I hated the feeling when I talked to her, the anxiousness. I hoped it would be a short conversation.

"You have to make time to talk to your mother, Isabella. Phil and I have been so busy, too but I still make time to call you!"

Her voice was accusing and I hated how quickly I let her get to me. She went off about their latest adventures, something about a trip to Cancun and getting drunk. She sounded more like an eighteen year old telling stories about spring break than a 47 year old telling stories to he daughter. I listened quietly, doodling at the pad of paper on the counter and not really paying attention. The baby kicked, sudden and hard, causing me to draw in a sharp breath. Both Edward and my mother asked what was wrong at the same time and I answered Edward, without thinking.

"The baby just kicked really hard, its fine," I said absently then my eyes widened as I realized what I'd said and who was on the phone. He gestured that I should hang up but I shook my head frantically, the phone calls would never stop.

"Baby? What baby?"

"Uh, baby? That's not what I said," I tried and Edward laughed, shaking his head at my weak excuse. I threw the pad of paper I'd been doodling on at him and he caught it, wrote JAX in big letters and held it up.

"You definitely said baby, Bella!"

"Oh, baby! I'm watching Rose's baby, Renee. He kicked me in my stomach?"

"A baby that young kicked you in the stomach so hard that it caused you to gasp like that? Are you pregnant?"

Ugh, I couldn't get out of this without lying outright and I knew I couldn't do that. I didn't like my mother very much but she was going to be a grandmother and maybe she'd stop giving me such a hard time…

"Yes, mom, I'm pregnant," I whispered. Edward got up from the couch and came over. He started rubbing soothing, gentle circles on my back and I sighed, smiling at him.

"Oh my God, who is the father? Is he in the picture? It's alright, Bella, you don't need a man around to raise a child!"

"He's in the picture… we're engaged," I held my breath and my heart pounded in my chest.

"Pregnant? Engaged?! And you didn't call your mother? I'm disappointed in you. Isabella, I'm flying to see you."

"No!" I practically shouted and Edward jumped, "Please, Renee. I don't want a big deal made. You can come for the wedding… I'll let you know when the date is set!"

"Well… alright. I won't fly out now. When are you due? Ooh, tell me about the father!"

"June 20. And his name is Edward… he's wonderful. He's handsome and kind and his parents are great," I said quickly.

"June? That's just in two months! Does he have money, Bella?"

I rolled my eyes, gently patting my rounded stomach, trying to calm the kicking baby. It was the first thing Renee had asked each time I told her about the time I was dating, from the time I was in high school.

"Yes, he does."

And just like that, she was off on another subject. She went on for about an hour until the pain that had formed in my head was unbearable. The fact that she didn't ask any other questions about the pregnancy or wedding frustrated me. Finally, I made an excuse about dinner and hung up, barely giving her a chance to say goodbye. I went over to Edward who had gone back to the couch to play on his computer and whined, "My head hurts."

"That sucks, baby. Go take some Tylenol," he said, not even looking up from his laptop screen. He had ear phones in his ears. I scowled and moved his laptop away from him, putting it not so gently on the coffee table. It also tore the ear phones out of his ears.

"Baby!" He rubbed his ears and looked between me and the laptop, like he wasn't sure what to do before reaching for the laptop. He put the ear phones back in and went back to playing around on the computer. My eyes widened because I couldn't believe he picked his stupid computer instead of comforting me when I'd just had one of the most painful conversations of my life.

After a minute of staring at him, I stormed off to the bedroom and slammed the door, making it clear that I was unhappy. I sat and waited for him to come for ten minutes before getting up and slamming the door instead, trying to get his attention. He still didn't come so I stormed out to the living room and he was still staring at the laptop with a look of concentration on his face.

"Edward!"

"What is it, Bella?"

"You're ignoring me!"

"I'm not ignoring you, I'm busy. It happens sometimes," he muttered. I made a face because I wasn't sure why he was being such a grump.

"Ugh, come on. Let's have sex or something to help my headache."

"Nah, baby, not right now."

Did he just turn down sex? He totally just turned down sex. I took off the tank top and leggings I had been wearing and stood in front of him in just my panties but he didn't look up.

"Edwaaaard," I whined loudly, getting him to finally look up. I felt smug when his eyes widened.

"Shit, Bell, what are you doing?"

I ignored him, walking over and moving his laptop back to the coffee table. This time he didn't reach for it, his eyes glued to my hardened nipples. I climbed into his lap, pressing my ass against his crotch. He groaned softly.

"Distract me," I whispered and he nodded.

The rest of the night was spent on the couch, him distracting me. He didn't look back at his laptop once.

~*~

Edward Cullen

"Mmm, Edward… right there… oh… oh, yes…"

Bella was sleeping and she was apparently dreaming about sex. I'd been asleep and her moans and whimpers had woken me up. I already had morning wood but her noises were making my cock twitch. She rubbed her bare thighs together and I watched her face scrunch up before she let out a loud, final moan and went quiet.

Did she have an orgasm in her sleep? That was so fucking hot.

"Bella," I whispered in her ear before I leaned down, kissing along her collarbone. She sighed as she blinked her eyes open.

"Edward?"

"Uh, who else would it be?" I looked at her with raised eyebrows. She shook her head and her dark eyes still looked sleepy.

"What day is it?"

"Wednesday."

She groaned loudly and squirmed away from me, getting out of bed. I watched her as she walked toward the bathroom and sighed, knowing I wouldn't be getting any this morning. I followed her into the bathroom where she was getting in the shower. I pissed, ignoring her protests of how it was gross that I did that in front of her before getting into the shower, too.

"Let me wash you, baby," I murmured, taking her sponge from her. She scowled at me and snatched it back. I rolled my eyes. She'd been in a crappy mood every weekday morning lately, whiney and cranky and just generally not pleasant to be around. I understood that she was uncomfortable but holy shit, my girl whined. And no longer gave me blow jobs in the shower. In fact, she barely gave me blow jobs at all. I stood closer to her, pressing my hard cock into her firm little ass.

"Ugh, Edward!" Bella cried, turning to me. I grinned sheepishly at her, reaching out and cupping her breast, knowing I was quite possibly going to get my nose broken but it would be worth it. She looked like she was going to push me away but instead, she held my hand against her more firmly and I rubbed my thumb over her hard nipple.

"I think I know what'll put you in a better mood," I murmured. I turned her around again, rubbing my cock between her ass cheeks before sliding lower to her entrance and pushing into her slowly. She gasped softly, reaching one hand back behind my head and tangling her fingers in my hair. I moved my hips slowly, giving her time to adjust. My lips brushed against her wet shoulder and neck, making her whisper my name.

"Faster, please," she whined softly after a few minutes, like she always did when we started out slow, and I gave her what she wanted, moving faster and a little more erratically. I slid one hand between her legs, gently rubbing her clit with my pointer and middle fingers. She was tight around me from this way and I knew I wouldn't last long, knew I had to make her cum quickly.

"Fuck, Bella. You were moaning in your sleep… it made me so fucking hard," I murmured in her ear, causing her to moan. When she came seconds later, it was hard and sudden. She was crying out and contracting around me. I had been close but feeling her even tighter around me as she came sent me over the edge.

I pulled out of her after a second, dropping kisses on her shoulders and back.

We finished our shower, talking about our plans for the day and Charlotte's fourth birthday party that evening. Bella was excited and kept reminiscing about how she couldn't believe Charlotte was four already, how it seemed like just yesterday Alice had found out she was knocked up.

"Let's not work today," she whined as she locked the door to the apartment and I rolled my eyes because she said this everyday, saying that the time on her feet was hard on her. Headmaster Aro had been checking on her weekly to see if he could make it easier for her in any way but she'd yet to come up with anything since the milkshake incident.

The one day she'd joked to him that she wished the cafeteria served milkshakes because she was craving them and the next day, there was a milkshake machine set up so she was a little more careful with what she said because he was a little quirky and clearly thought Bella was awesome and would give her whatever she wanted. Me, however, he wasn't so fond of. I guess he remembered my glory days at MPA quite well.

In fact, he'd mentioned our daughter coming here a few times and muttered something along the lines of, "And I hope she ends up more like her mother than her father." I told him I hoped so too because her mother was hot, had an amazing body and was smart and he agreed before stopping himself when he realized he was agreeing that Bella was hot.

When we got to school, she kept making up reasons why I couldn't leave her classroom – I had to help her reach some papers, I had to move some desks around, I had to feel the baby kicking – and I had to jog to the Art Center when she finally let me go. I wondered when she became so clingy because it felt like just a few days ago she was pushing me out her door. I figured it probably had something to do with the pregnancy and how we only had three months to go before the baby was born.

The day flew by and before I knew it, we were in the car driving to Alice and Jasper's for Charlotte's birthday dinner. I had gotten Bella to scale back on the presents and we'd gotten her two DVD's that she'd apparently really wanted and a dress, that I was pretty sure cost a fortune.

"Aunt Bewwa! Edward!" Charlotte ran out the front door while we were still getting out of the car, a sparkling tiara on her head.

"Hi Charlotte!" Bella said, picking her up and hugging her tightly before putting her down. Bella definitely had trouble picking up anyone lately with her stomach sticking so far out. It looked like someone stuck a basketball up her shirt.

"Did you bring me presents?!" she asked, bouncing on her toes and looking at the packages in my hands. I nodded and led the way inside. Jasper was standing by the door with his hands shoved in his jean pockets because it was still pretty chilly considering it was early April.

"Edward, Bella. Looking mighty pregnant there," he grinned at Bella, who scowled slightly in return and shoved her way past time, Charlotte on her heels.

I laughed and shook his hand, "Dude, you just called my girl fat."

"Nah, man. I said pregnant. There's a difference. She's really popped though," he told me.

"Yeah, I know. It's crazy. How's Alice?" I asked him because I knew she'd been having a lot of trouble with morning sickness.

"Sick all the fucking time, its insane, she never got sick with Charlotte. Not once. My mom thinks that means it might be a boy," he shrugged his shoulders but looked happy about the possibility. I'd be fucking thrilled if I was having a son, which I told him but he shook his head, "Nah, daughters are pretty awesome. You get to protect them and make sure they're taken care of. Boys, you have to teach to protect and take care of themselves."

I wondered if this was a Texan thing cause I was pretty sure I'd feel like I had to protect and shelter this kid, girl or not. I wondered if Jasper and Rose had been treated very differently from each other growing up. I knew that their parents babied Rosalie at any opportunity they had while Jasper was treated as an adult responsible for himself.

"Ouch!"

That voice was definitely Bella's and coming from the living room and I practically ran through Jasper's house, my heart pounding in my chest. She was sitting on the couch with her hands on her stomach and her brow furrowed. Rose was sitting next to her, talking calmly and patting her hand.

"What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Braxton-Hicks contraction," Rose said, as if that explained everything.

"Contraction? What? Baby, it's too early!" I took my phone out of my pocket, about to dial my father before I took her to the hospital. My mind was racing but Rose and Alice both started laughing.

"They're not real contractions, Edward. They're like… practice!" Alice informed me, like this was something I should know. Why the fuck weren't they called practice contractions then? Who the fuck was Braxton Hicks?

"It hurt, though! Alice, it hurt!" Bella exclaimed, clearly having not expected it but she was a wimp and had no tolerance for any sort of pain so I doubted it was really that bad. I sat on her other side and she laid her head on my shoulder, looking up at me with wide brown eyes.

"My poor baby," I whispered, stroking her hair gently.

Charlotte was playing with Jax, who was lying on the floor and Henry was playing with a bunch of baby books that were scattered on the living room floor. Alice rolled her eyes at Bella and I and I glared at her, thinking she could be a little more sensitive to her friend who was clearly scared.

"So what's for dinner?" Bella asked Alice, her hands still on her hardened stomach.

"Charlotte wanted spaghetti and meatballs, is that good? I got rolls so people can have meatball sandwiches, instead, if they want," Alice smiled at Bella from her spot next to Rose.

"Ooh, that sounds so good! I'm starving. Let's go eat," Bella had clearly already forgotten the scariness of the fake contraction and struggled to get up, using my leg as a crutch.

We ate, Charlotte on Jasper's lap, Henry on mine and Jax in his bouncy seat on the floor. At four months, he was starting to get things and it was kind of funny when he grabbed his feet and held them. Henry was talking more and would be two soon, Bella had informed me earlier. He was very enthusiastic about trucks and called them tucks which made me laugh because it almost sounded like fucks when he said it.

Later that night, when we were finally in bed and about to fall asleep, Bella laid her head on my chest and whispered, "Thank you for being worried about me and the baby earlier. I love you."

~*~

same deal as last time: reviews get previews!