Dirty Dancing Chapter Ten: Children Are My Future, a twilight fanfic

A/N: I won't even begin my apology now. Read full at the bottom.

Warning: If you're a girl, your lady bits will feel awkward in this chapter, and I don't mean that in a good way.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to the talented Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing with them =]

Chapter Ten: Children Are My Future

I believe that children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

Everybody searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs
A lonely place to be and so I learned to depend on me

I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows
If I fail, if I succeed at least I live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity

Because the greatest love of all is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all inside of me
The greatest love of all is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself it is the greatest love of all

I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows
If I fail, if I succeed at least I live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity

Because the greatest love of all is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all inside of me
The greatest love of all is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself it is the greatest love of all

And if by chance, that special place
That you've been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place
Find your strength in love

Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston

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BPOV

6:30 a.m.

The glowing red letters glared at me from my night table. I glared right back at them, wishing I could fast forward through the day and just get to the night. It was finally Thursday, the night of the Crowley performance. I hardly slept last night with all this anxiety. I pulled at my hair, trying to recap all the steps, turns, and lifts. Five, six, seven, eight, turn, turn, spin out, one, two, three, four, lift…

I sighed and growled quietly in the dark room, not wanting to wake Alice. Edward assured me yesterday that I had the dance down, cleverly evading the subject of the lift. I still wasn't too sure about that; any practice that we had done out of the water had barely held up. Literally. I couldn't hold the position once I was actually up in the air, and Edward chalked it up to confidence.

Edward.

And I relaxed in my bed, closing my eyes and imagining his crooked grin, his hands on me…

He had finally given in, and I couldn't be happier. Rosalie was there at the rehearsal yesterday to watch us and make sure we were perfect. I'm sure even she felt the change in the air. Once she was sure that we were perfect, she excused herself from the studio saying she had a lesson. I wasn't sure if she was lying or not, but she did look clammy and was in an awful rush to get out of there. I hated saying this, but it gave Edward and me some alone time. As soon as the door closed behind her, Edward pulled me into him and greeted me properly.

We had only been together for a day so far, and already I was happier than ever. He took every opportunity he could to touch me, and I made sure to do the same. I couldn't get enough of him. He was like a grand prize, and I was the miraculously lucky winner. It was a good metaphor, although admittedly, 'grand prize' seemed inadequate. He was so much more…almost too much.

I kicked my legs under the sheets, frustrated with my short attention span. I was usually so focused, but Edward came along and just…dazzled me. Not that I was complaining, of course. But I had been trying to remember the steps, and then I start thinking about him. I sighed and turned to my other side, closing my eyes and counting backwards from ten. I had been awake since four thirty that morning, too anxious to sleep, but I think it was starting to catch up on me. By three, I was knocked out.

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I woke up two hours later, rested and unsurprisingly, to an empty room. Alice must have gone ahead to breakfast. I didn't rush like I would have any other day. I took my time getting ready, making sure my outfit, my hair, and my face were all perfect. I had done this yesterday as well, wanting to look my absolute best for Edward. I wasn't sure if I would see him before we were supposed to leave for the Crowley, but you never know. When he wasn't busy with lessons, he liked to lurk around the resort.

I barely made it to breakfast on time. My parents didn't seem to notice and Alice said she didn't want to wake me up, that she heard me tossing and turning through the night. I shrugged and blushed when she acknowledged that; I must have been quite restless for Alice to notice. When Alice slept, it was like she was in a coma. Absolutely nothing could rouse her from her slumber.

"Ali, what are you doing this morning?" I said, reverting back to my old childhood nickname for her. This was what happiness did to you; it turned you into a pile of smiles and giggles.

Her reaction confused me to no end.

She dropped her fork and her jaw dropped. Charlie and Renée stopped their conversation and looked over to her, concerned. My eyebrows went up into my hairline. Alice had never minded the nickname before, why choose now to be melodramatic about it?

"Alice, dear, are you alright?" My mother asked, reaching over to grab her hand. Alice looked up with the stunned expression still on her face. When she saw all of us staring at her, bewildered, she immediately went from shocked to ecstatic, peppier than she normally was.

"I'm fine, mommy. I'm better than fine, I'm great!" she exclaimed, then turned her attention back to her pancakes. My mom's eyes met mine, still worried. I shrugged my shoulders and grinned, mouthing 'Alice' before winking. Her face relaxed and she sent a reassuring smile to my father. They slipped back into their conversation easily, leaving Alice and I to our own thoughts.

I pushed the strawberries around my plate, thinking about tonight. Eating wouldn't be a good thing right now; my stomach was churning too much and I knew it would come right back up if I even took one bite. Dancing the tango in an old, unused dance studio with Rosalie as an audience was one thing. It was a completely different thing to dance up on a stage, in a tiny red thing, high heels, and a dining room full of hotel guests. With my luck, I'd probably get dizzy, forget to spot, and fall on my face. Or on my ass. Or into the audience. Or into Edward…

I'd end up embarrassing not only myself, but him too. And didn't he say he needed this job lined up for next summer? If we failed horrifically tonight, they probably wouldn't give him the gig next summer…then what would he do? Would he resent me? Would he have a nervous break down because it had finally gotten to be too much? Would he break up with me? Just the thought made my heart cry in protest. If Edward wasn't mine after I got a taste of him, I'd stop functioning. My body would shut down, starting with my very soul.

"Alice, you didn't answer my question," I said pointedly. She jerked her head up from her breakfast and beamed at me.

"I have a date with James," she nearly cooed his name. I forced a grin on my face to appease her, and she smiled back hugely, going back to her food.

"Bella, I haven't seen you with Mike lately. What's wrong? Did he do something?" My dad looked about ready to strangle him if I said yes to that. I had completely forgotten about Mike Newton until today. It had been days. Maybe he finally took the hint.

"Oh no, he's…not my type," I said amusedly. Alice raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Then what is your type, Bella?" she asked suspiciously. My face fell. Alice was too observant for her own good. I tried to shrug noncommittally, but I think she saw through it. I knew I'd have to come clean sooner or later, if I wanted to pursue a serious relationship with Edward. I didn't like to hide things from my family, but with Edward, things were complicated. I wish it wasn't. I didn't care about money or status, but my family did. As soon as I'd mention Edward, they'd ask who his parents are, what he plans to do in his life, and other mundane questions that I'm sure he wanted to avoid. It'll all work out, I told myself. Edward was worth all of this.

"Well, I'm late to a poker game and I believe your mother has a tennis game?" my dad declared as he rose from the table. My mom nodded and excused herself to go get ready. Alice grinned and stood as well, skipping off to meet James. I sighed and got up myself, not sure what to do with myself until tonight.

I wasn't sure what later would have in store, and I was afraid to find out.

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APOV

"James!" I squealed as I ran to my sweetheart. He grinned and picked me up, swinging me around. I giggled and screamed for him to put me down. He laughed and spun me around one last time before placing me gently on the ground. He was so sweet!

"Hey beautiful, how are you?" he asked, extending his arm for me to take. I did, already used to this, but somehow, feeling strange. I got a flash of what it was like to hold Jasper's arm, and started comparing. James wasn't as built or as tall as Jasper, nor did his eye hold as much emotion as the blue ones I dreamt about last night.

I internally slapped myself for thinking such things. Hasn't James already demonstrated that he's good for me? It was silly to think of other men while I was with James. He was all I needed.

"I'm great," I finally answered. He nodded and led me to our destination. I was bouncing excitedly the entire way. I loved surprises, but I was impatient to see what he had thought up for me.

"I hope you don't mind going to a more…secluded area of the resort?" he asked with an arched brow. I shrugged and smiled reassuringly at him. He nodded, with a grin of his own, but it seemed smug to me. Did he think I would say no? As if I could say no to anything he suggests.

He led me on a path I had never ventured before. I had never even noticed it. Trees surrounded it, and I was afraid of getting lost. When I shot him an apprehensive lost, he winked at me, with a smirk still upon his face, dangerously teetering on the line between a smirk and a sneer. I nearly grimaced at his expression, but I held it in. Surely wherever we were going was safe. He would never lead me to danger.

We came to a fork in the path and we took the right. I looked around, taking in our surroundings. He wasn't kidding when he said secluded. I'm sure no guest would come down here. But there seemed to be heavy traffic because it was a dirt path, and there were footprints everywhere. A few minutes later, we passed a sign completely covered in moss, making reading it an impossibility.

"Are we close?" I asked anxiously. He removed my arm from his, and I was hurt for a moment, before he wrapped the arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him and sighed.

"It's right up here," he said, excitement and if my ears didn't deceive, a bit of lust creeping into his voice. I began to see what he meant by 'right up here.' Small cabins appeared on my left and right. They didn't look nearly as luxurious as the one I was staying in. Was this resort separated into economy and first class, like a plane?

I found that silly and dismissed it almost instantaneously. But if the guests weren't staying here, then who was?

We took a right into another row of cabins. I counted ten before he stopped in front of the sixth one on the right.

"We're here," he announced. I looked up at him in confusion.

"Are they abandoned?" I asked timidly. He shook his head, a rogue grin on his face.

"Welcome to the staff quarters, Alice."
I felt my eyes go wide as saucers. Staff quarters? Am I supposed to be here? Why would he bring me here?

"Come on," he grabbed my hand and pulled me up the steps to the door. My strength was no match for his, so it wasn't hard for him to force me into his cabin. I whimpered as I felt my arm nearly pop out of its socket.

I would've been terrified if I hadn't seen what he had done with his room.

There were daisies all over his room. I told him a while ago that I detested roses. His room was clean, but not personalized. There were no posters on the wall, or anything that remotely said 'James.' It was all generic.

Except the bed sheets.

I could smell Egyptian cotton from a mile away. He didn't seem like the silk sheets kind of guy to me. The sheets were red and made his bed look as soft as a cloud. I giggled and jumped onto it, bouncing on it to test the springs. I heard him chuckle before he made his way over to sit next to me. I beamed up at him once he had settled in right beside me. He grinned back, still smug, and leaned in.

It was hard to deny him. So maybe I was curious about another set of lips; but I was so used to James's that I couldn't refuse. And I did like him.

We kissed gently for a while. I wasn't sure how long, but I wasn't exactly keeping track of time. He was an attractive man; who wouldn't enjoy kissing him? It didn't hurt that he was a good kisser either. He knew exactly when to slide his tongue in my own, and he knew when to dance or fight with mine. I sighed into the kiss, and felt him push me down onto the mattress. I complied, not really sure where this was going, and to be quite honest, a little scared. But I let him lie on top of me anyways, not wanting him to get angry with me if I didn't.

His lips got more urgent, more aggressive. I responded half-heartedly, almost pushing him away, and it only seemed to encourage him. I felt his hand move further and further north from its place on my hip. I squirmed uncomfortably as it finally found my breast, groping it much harder than necessary. I whimpered into his mouth, but he thought it was because of pleasure. He grabbed more forcefully, and I tried to force myself to enjoy it, but I couldn't. Eventually I was struggling to get out from under his body, but he was too strong. His arms formed a steel cage around me. There was no way I could escape.

He finally detached his mouth from mine as his hand crept to the hem of my sundress. I gulped down the air I so desperately needed at the moment. He groaned into my neck, nibbling and sucking as he lifted my dress higher and higher.

"James," I gasped. I felt him smile against my neck, and he had misunderstood again. He hit a particularly sensitive spot and I moaned lightly, unable to help myself. I felt something poking into my thigh, and I panicked. I was by no means promiscuous, but even an idiot would know what that was.

"James," I said louder. He grunted in acknowledgement. I sighed, "James," and pushed him off of me. He sat back on his knees staring at me in frustration. I grimaced and sat up, pulling my dress down as much as I could.

"James, we shouldn't do this."

"And why the hell not?"

I stared at him, taken aback. His voice was cold, and angry. He had never used that tone with me.

"W-well…I…i-it's just…I'm a v…virgin," I stuttered. He scoffed.

"I'll go slow," he growled. I shook my head.

"No. It should be…special," I murmured, before I thought about what I said.

"I'm not special enough for you?" he demanded angrily. I flinched at the sound of his voice.

"I didn't say that-"

"No, but you were thinking it. If you don't think I'm good enough, Alice, then maybe we shouldn't see each other anymore."

"What? No, James, please. That's not what I think at all!"

"Then what is the problem? Why won't you let me show you how much I care about you?"

Was this kid bipolar? He went from furious to sweet in half a sentence. I stared at him incredulously before getting up and power-walking to the door. He caught up with me before I could even reach the knob. My arm throbbed in protest as he grabbed me in a death grip.

"Alice. Don't leave," he commanded. My eyes scrunched together in disgust. So now he ordered me around?

"James, I think I have to. We're obviously too emotional to be around each other right now."

"NO!" he roared before throwing me up against the wall and crushing his lips to mine. Too hard. They'd bruise. My screams were muffled by his lips.

"You're. Not. Leaving. Me," he growled against my lips. I tried to scream, but he placed his hand over my mouth. My eyes widened when his head dipped down to my neck. My heart was pounding as he licked, his teeth occasionally coming out to nibble. It didn't feel good. I was too horrified. I should've been expecting it, but I wasn't.

He bit me.

Hard, with teeth that were surely sharper than a normal human's. I screamed louder than before, but his hand caught it. His teeth tore through my skin. The pain was excruciating.

"STOP!" I tried to yell, but it came out as a gurgle. When he finally removed his mouth, he came back up to my ear and what he whispered next would be in my nightmares for years to come.

"You are mine."

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James POV

This bitch would not shut the fuck up.

I had to put my hand over her mouth so that she wouldn't scream. Pft. If she'd just go with it, she'd be screaming for a whole different reason.

I practically ate her while she was screaming her head off. That was really starting to get annoying. That's what she gets for denying me.

I kept biting her, marking her, even drawing blood a few times. She needed to know that she was mine; that she does not leave me. It was a miracle that she hadn't figured this out for what it was by then; a hump-and-dump. Fuck and forget. Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Ma'am. She really wasn't that bright. Was she positive that she was related to Bella?

And I almost smiled as I recalled what I had just recently discovered. It appeared that all of the Swan women were suffering from a serious lapse of judgment during this vacation. Edward Cullen? Really? Stupid girl. He was probably playing with her the same way I was toying with Alice. He had been around nearly as much as I have, and that's an accomplishment. But he was known for sleeping with the guests- lucky bastard. Those rich bitches paid him for his 'services.' Which was why it was bullshit that Rosalie didn't have enough money for the abortion; Cullen surely had a huge stash of it somewhere from all his late night rendez-vous. He wasn't some fucking saint. He was a selfish douche who was holding out on his family, who was obviously not as important as he said they were.

I felt a searing pain in my crotch.

I'd been kicked in the balls before, but not like this. This girl obviously had a little fight in her. The way her foot applied so much force made me wonder fleetingly if she had ever taken Karate lessons; before all I could think about was the pain. I doubled over, clutching my abdomen, gasping for breath.

"That'll teach you to mess with Alice Swan," she sniffed before running out of my cabin. I listened to her footsteps fade away as I lay there pathetically on my cabin floor.

Well Alice Swan, this won't be the last time you see me. You or your sister.

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RPOV

Tick tock, tick tock.

I paced my room nervously, waiting for night to come. This was it. Tonight I'd give up the little one forever. I wrapped my arms instinctively around my abdomen as I thought that.

The plan was already set. Edward and Bella would leave at seven o'clock for the Crowley and Jazz and I would leave at the same time to go to the hotel where the M.D. was staying. Edward and Bella would go, perform, then come right back. The doctor told us that the procedure would take about an hour or so.* That was perfect, I'd be back by nine thirty and no one would suspect anything. Edward and I arranged it so that Carmen and Eleazar had ballroom duty tonight and tomorrow night. I didn't know how long it would take to recover, but I hoped it didn't take too long. Ron wouldn't like it if I missed too much work, and we needed this job. If one of us left, all of us left. There was no way any of us would leave without the other two.

That didn't matter now. No one was getting fired.

I glanced at the clock, and stopped pacing. I was due to meet Bella for a final fitting in fifteen minutes. Gasping, I raced over to the mannequin in the corner of the room and nearly ripped the dress off of it. I had finally finished making the adjustments last night. Bella was a good five inches shorter than me, so there was a lot of hemming to do. It came out looking fabulous, if I do say so myself. It looked amazing on Bella the last time she tried it on.

I giggled as I thought of that day. Edward ran out of that room like a chicken with its head cut off. These two were so dense; the sexual tension between them was so thick, it was almost difficult to see. I was glad they finally came to their senses. Edward had confided to Jazz and me last night that he and Bella had finally taken the blindfolds off and got together. We were both happy for him, but Jazz warned him just like I did: Don't you dare hurt Bella. That girl had all three of us wrapped around her little finger. She deserved the best Edward could giver her; she was special. I hadn't met anyone that genuinely nice in a long time. It was nice to finally find someone who wasn't looking to help people for their own gain.

I scurried out of my room as fast as my stupid nausea would allow. I could've gone without that. I hummed tunelessly as I walked along the path to get to the abandoned dance studio. The staff quarters were empty this time of day; everyone was working. So it was hard to miss a tiny thing hurry past me in the direction of the main house. I was confused; I didn't know any employees that short with inky hair. She was running so fast, I almost turned around to see if there was a guy with chainsaw chasing her.

I decided to forget about it; she was probably late to work and I had probably never met her because I don't exactly associate with the people here. Jazz, Edward, and Emmett are the only people I need. And Bella, of course. It felt nice to have a girlfriend again. Leaving home meant leaving all my friends behind as well. I hadn't seen Vera in years. I wanted to go and see my old friends so badly. I missed them. I missed my old life.

I crashed that train of thought. I wanted to stay relaxed today, as impossible as that was turning out to be. I didn't want to make myself more nervous than I already was. I wanted to be calm and nonchalant tonight so that Jazz wouldn't worry about me. Jazz's charisma made him the most persuasive person I knew; if he saw me this upset, he could easily convince me to keep the baby. A bigger than small part of me wanted him to say something, but the more rational side of me knew that couldn't happen. It wasn't as if I was getting my tubes tied or anything. I would be able to have babies in the future.

I hadn't told anyone, but I went into town a few days ago to purchase a necklace. The necklace had pendant on it with the little one's birthstone, or rather, what would've been his or her birthstone. I calculated, and he or she would've been born in April. I was currently wearing it tucked into my shirt. I would never forget this baby, but I wanted to keep a reminder with me anyway. A tribute to my little one who would never take his or her first breath of air…

I saw the lights on in the dance studio, indicating that Bella was already there. I carefully climbed the hill, hating where this studio was oh so conveniently placed. No wonder it was abandoned. No guest in their right mind would want to make this trek just to take a dance lesson.

"Bella?" I called as I entered the room. She was over by the mirrors, trying to get some last minute practice in. She nodded her head at me, her brow furrowed in concentration as she watched her feet move in the mirror.

"You have the dance down, Bella. Relax. That's the best thing to do before a performance," I said, reciting what Susie, my dance instructor at FSA had constantly told me. She sighed and gave up, dragging her feet over to me.

"You have the dress?"

"Yeah, go on and change in the corner. It's just us girls here."

She took the bag and walked into the corner. I turned around to give her as much privacy as possible. I heard fabric rustling for a few minutes before I heard a whimper of disapproval. I whipped around, shocked and a little insulted that she wouldn't find it to her liking.

"Rosalie," she moaned, "Are you sure it's not supposed to be longer?"

I burst out in giggles as I watched her trying to pull down the hem. Sweet, innocent Bella.

"Positive," I said grinning. She whimpered as she tried unsuccessfully to pull it down again.

"Everyone is going to see my underwear," she complained. I rolled my eyes.

"Here," I held out the spankies and tights. She grabbed them from me and scowled. I shrugged my shoulders innocently.

"Why didn't you tell me I would be wearing these?"

"I like to watch you squirm. Especially around Edward," I said, placing my hands over my chest and pretending to swoon. She had the decency to blush and look away. I crossed my arms, satisfied at the response I received.

"Are we done?" she asked, still pink. I laughed.

"Yes. It fits perfectly. Come on, you have plenty of time to rest up. Don't think about it, just feel the dance. You'll be fine," I said, stressing the last sentence. She nodded, and her expression turned contemplative.

"Yes. I'll be fine…I'll survive at least. But will you be alright, Rose?"

Her question made my smile fade and my head fall. I wanted to scream at her that it was a stupid question; that I'd never be alright after tonight. How would I live with myself after killing my little one? I'd lose a part of me tonight. And to be honest…

"I'm scared shitless," I whispered. Bella gasped, ran over to me, and crushed me in a hug. I let my head rest on her shoulders as I sobbed and let my tears stain her shirt.

"I'm so scared, Bella. I'm so scared," I cried. She rubbed circles on my back and shh'd in my ear, murmuring that everything would be alright. But I knew that everything wouldn't be alright; I wasn't confident about the recovery of the procedure. Physically, I should be fine. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually…I wasn't even sure if I could survive like Bella. I would never get to meet my little one.

"Are you absolutely sure that you want to proceed?" I heard her ask seriously. I pulled away and looked her dead in eye, blue, red and puffy meeting brown and compassionate.

"Yes."

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A loud pounding at my door woke me up from my colorful, nonsense dream. I pried my eyes open into narrow slits and glanced around my room, disoriented. The incessant pounding didn't stop, but no one was calling my name. I threw my legs over to the side of the bed disgruntled, and super pissed that someone had interrupted my fabulous nap.

"ROSALIE LILLIAN HALE, IF YOU DON'T ANSWER THIS DOOR!"

My brother's voice came from the other side of the door, alerting me that he was the culprit. I groaned and looked over at the clock, realizing that it must have been dangerously close to seven o'clock. One glimpse told me all I needed to know; I was right. It was now six fifty exactly.

"Coming," I called, my voice raspy. I felt my way to the door, my eyes still half closed. After tonight, I wouldn't have to deal with all this fatigue. The thought didn't comfort me.

I barely grasped the door knob before turning it slowly, and Jazz let himself the rest of the way in. He took one look at me and hissed.

"Christ, darlin', I thought you were gettin' some sleep?" he said, reaching out to caress my cheek with his fingers. I leaned into his touch and closed my eyes, letting Jasper's uncanny ability to calm wash over me.

"I was…I'm not feeling too great," I said, my eyes still closed. We both knew I wasn't only referring to my physical condition. When I opened my eyes, I found a small, reassuring smile. I smiled back at him weakly before turning back into my room.

"Should I change?" I asked, gesturing down at my jazz pants and tank top. He shook his head.

"I imagine you'll want to be comfortable," he replied serenely. I nodded and looked back at him, my hands on my hips and my face set in a frown.

"Do we have to leave right now?"

"We don't have to."

I knew that he wasn't just talking about being on time.

"We probably do if we don't want to be late." He nodded.

He led the way out of my cabin. I trailed behind him, anxiously running my hands through my hair. That ran in the Cullen family apparently. I wish I, like Jazz, had inherited my father's ability to remain calm in all situations. I don't remember him too well, but I do remember that he was always the voice of reason. I chose that moment to send a silent prayer to him, my mother, and God, hoping that all of this would be alright. That I would be okay.

And that they would protect my little one in heaven.

We soon met Bella and Edward in the parking lot. Bella had the bag that contained her dress while I carried nothing. Jazz and Edward nodded to each other before Jazz got into the car he had somehow obtained for tonight. Bella got into Edward's old Volvo, given to him on his sixteenth birthday. Edward illegally changed the tags and got a forged registration for it so that Carlisle or Esme couldn't track us using the car information. I shook my head as I followed Jazz into the sedan. I saw Bella give me a tentative smile, and I returned it, albeit reluctantly. It didn't feel right to smile.

The car ride was only twenty minutes long, the exact amount of time it would take Edward and Bella to get to the Crowley. My appointment was at seven thirty and when Jazz talked to the doctor today, he said I could leave by nine o'clock.* We would arrive back at Newton's by nine thirty, and this hellish nightmare would finally be over. Well, I didn't want to say that. Maybe the nightmares hadn't even begun.

It was silent in the car. I could tell Jasper was lost in his own thoughts, and I chose to let my mind clear. I needed to be calm or else I wouldn't be able to go through with this. My brother made that part easy. I was glad he was coming with me, and not Edward. The car would be full of tension.

After what seemed like two minutes to me, he pulled into a parking lot. My breath hitched, my heart picked up the pace. This hotel didn't look nice, but it didn't look completely grimy either. That made me nervous; if he was a doctor, why couldn't he afford something better? I looked at Jazz, but he just grimaced and put his hand on the small of my back, guiding me into the hotel.

I let myself become completely numb. He took us to the check in counter, and I heard him ask the receptionist something, but it all sounded like buzzing in the background to me. All I could focus on were the next hour of my life. It would be my true test in life. If I survived, I was stronger than I thought I was. If I didn't, I was weaker than I ever thought I would be.

Before long, Jazz took my hand and brought me over to the elevators. I followed blindly, not even seeing what was in my direct eyesight. My heartbeat seemed nonexistent during the short elevator ride. I thought it had stopped beating by the time we reached the correct floor. I almost felt sorry for Jasper; he was lugging around a zombie. We approached room 403 slowly, like we wished we had never gotten out of the car.

As slow as we were going, it didn't take long to reach the room. It was almost right next to the elevator. Jasper raised his hand to knock on the door, then lowered it.

"Rosalie?" he croaked. I looked up at him; his voice had startled me out of my reverie.

"Yes?"

He hesitated a moment, before turning to me and pulling me forcefully into his arms, burying his head in my hair.

"I love you," he said hushed. I nodded my head into his chest, breathing him in.

"I love you too. And Edward. You're all I have."

"This hug isn't just from me, darlin'. We both adore you more than anything. We'll get through this, the three of us. It's almost over," he muttered soothingly. I nodded again before we broke away simultaneously. He gave me a teary smile before raising his hand and knocking on the door. Less than ten seconds later, a little man stood before us.

"Mr. and Ms. Hale?"

"Yes," Jazz growled. I was always fascinated by his quick temper. He had gone from shoulder to cry on to protective-bear-of-a-brother mode in seconds.

"Come in," the man said, stepping aside to give us room. We both stepped in, Jasper shielding me from our host.

"I'll need the money upfront. The procedure takes five to ten minutes, then we'll let Ms. Hale recover for about an hour," he explained. I nodded meekly while Jasper had his eyes trained on him like a hawk.

"Here," he thrusted the envelope with the money at him. The man took it greedily and went to his briefcase, where he placed it gently, as if it were a beloved pet, not an envelope with two hundred and fifty dollars.

"Ms. Hale if you could follow me," he placed his cold, clammy hand on my bare arm and pulled me to what I assumed was the bedroom. Jasper looked about to protest before I sent him a warning glance. It wouldn't do to have an angry abortionist.

"Yes, Dr. …" I let my voice trailed off, realizing I didn't know his name.

"Fraw-day-shus," he enunciated for me. I nodded and let him lead me into the bedroom.

He had a cheap, ancient looking gurney set up on one side of the room. It even had rust on it.

"I'll need you to remove your bottoms, Ms. Hale," he instructed. I obeyed, taking my shoes off first, followed by my pants, and finally my panties.

"Up on the table, Ms. Hale," he said, pushing me towards the gurney. I gulped and eyed it with trepidation before I finally got up on it. It squeaked and groaned in protest. I grimaced, doubting that it could hold my weight for the entire ten minutes. He pried my legs open, and I instinctively tried to close them again. He chuckled.

"I'll need your legs to be spread, Ms. Hale."

I didn't like the way he called me 'Ms. Hale.' His voice made me sound small, even though I was about a foot taller than him. I reluctantly opened my legs, feeling horribly exposed. He took a paper hospital gown and placed it over my lap, effectively hiding me from my lower half. He walked around to the other end of the table, his face between my bent, spread knees.

Without warning, I felt something sharp pierce my entrance. I gasped in pain.

"D-Dr. Fr-r-aud-d-dati-o-ous- ARGH," I cried out, as I felt the sharp object move further up my canal, pricking and cutting the sensitive skin of my inner walls. He didn't stop, just kept going as much as I cried and tried to beg him to stop.

"W-w-why d-didn't y-y-y-o-uuu…OW…use…ARGH…ether-UGHHHH," I screamed as I felt the blade all the way in.

And I know why he didn't respond.

He was humming a tune I recognized, but couldn't remember.

"Rose?" I heard Jazz yell from the outside. I thrashed my head from side to side as Dr. Fraudatious continued to poke around inside of me with what was surely a machete.

"STOP!" I yelled. But the doctor kept going, still humming.

"ROSE!" I heard Jazz bellow again. The knob started rattling and I could feel his thumps on the door from all the way across the room.

"Dr. Fraudatious, please STOP!" I begged, tears streaming down my face.

And I heard it.

"JAZZ! JAZZ, COME IN PLEASE! JAZZ, COME ON PLEAE! HELP!! ANYONE! PLEASE, STOP!"

Dance pays off. My calves were the strongest muscle in my body, I was sure. I ripped my foot out of the stirrup and kicked the doctor away, but with him went the knife. I screamed as I felt it pull out of my harshly, inflicting more painful cuts.

"JAZZ!" I shrieked. He finally broke the door down and sprinted over to me.

"Oh, darlin'," he sobbed. He rushed to pick up my clothes and threw them back at me. I caught them, and tried to pull them on as fast as possible, but my center was throbbing. I let out a strangled cry.

"Jazzy, help," I whimpered, reverting back to my childhood nickname for him. He came to me and pulled my clothes on. I collapsed into his arms and sobbed hysterically as he picked me up and ran out of that room.

But not before I could catch a glimpse of the knife 'doctor' had used.

There were drops of my blood on it, and the edges were rusted. I sobbed harder as I saw it.

"Jazz," I moaned.

"Shh, it'll all be okay," he murmured, but I knew he didn't believe it. We both didn't know what would happen at that point.

The elevator ride, the run through the lobby, and the car ride home all passed by in an excruciatingly painful blur. The tears didn't stop. My entire abdomen felt like it was being cut open and mutilated. The fact that the pain had spread didn't seem like a good sign to me.

As soon as we got back to Newton's, Jasper wrenched me out of the car and ran us both back to my cabin. He placed me on my bed and started pacing the room. I started seeing double, and I knew that was not good. I could feel my body getting hotter and hotter, but I only got colder and colder. I lost sight and awareness of what was going on around me. I felt someone get into the bed with me and hug me tightly, crying with me.

"I'm so sorry, darlin'," the voice cried desperately, but it was so far away. I lost all sense of time, and I didn't know how much time I spent in that state. I was barely conscious. All I could feel was cold and agony in my abdomen. I may have been crying, but I didn't know. I could hear the blood in my vessels, but it seemed to be going slower and slower. I was afraid it would stop flowing altogether, before I heard more noises. Voices.

"Who is responsible for this girl?"

"I am."

A searing pain shoot through my body. I think I groaned.

"Yes, I know that hurts. It'll get better, I promise."

I hoped beyond hope that that promise would be kept.

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BPOV

6:55 p.m., same day.

"You," kiss, "will," kiss, "be fine," and to seal it off, another kiss. I responded eagerly to that last one, trying to deepen it, only to have him chuckle and pull away. I pouted and he placed another chaste kiss on my lips.

"If we start, we won't stop," he reasoned, and I had to agree. He was irresistible. I leaned back against his Volvo and crossed my arms, looking up at his perfect face.

"How long until we have to leave?"

"Soon, actually. I'm just waiting for Jazz and Rose. I need to make sure that they leave alright," he said with the habit that characterized him- running his hand through his hair as he scanned the path that led to the parking lot. I sighed and reached out to touch his face. He turned his face back to me and his eyes were calm once again.

"She'll be fine," I assured him with a smile. He gave me a small grin and kissed my palm, but I could tell he was still afraid. The way he was with Rosalie did make me a little jealous, but I always remembered that he, Rose, and Jasper all depended on each other. They had a close relationship I would probably never understand, but in the end it didn't bother me. He wanted me and that was all that mattered.

He sighed in relief and I turned my head to see what had put him at ease. Sure enough, Rose was coming down the path behind Jasper, who had a somber expression. It was difficult to see someone as composed as Jasper look so sad. Rosalie just looked emotionless, but not bored as was customary for her. Their feet dragged as they walked toward us. I felt my mood darken immediately. Rose had told me she was scared; I couldn't have imagined what it must have been like for her at that moment.

They reached us one after another. There were no words exchanged. Jasper and Edward nodded at each other before getting into their respective cars. I followed suit, but not before I exchanged a look with Rosalie. Her eyes frightened me. They were gaunt and lifeless. I prayed that she would pull through. She was strong. She could do this.

Edward reversed out of his parking spot first and sped out of the parking lot. I looked over at him. There was a crease in his eyebrows, signaling that he was in deep thought. I decided not to disturb him. I hoped he would pull it together before we got to the Crowley. I didn't want a cranky Edward; that would put us back at square one.

"You're supposed to be changing," he reminded me monotonously.

"Oh, right," was my brilliant response. I hopped into the backseat with the bag in which I had stored the dress. I peeked into the rearview mirror to make sure he wasn't playing peek-a-boo. Slightly relieved when I saw his eyes trained on the road, I began to change. Thankfully, it only took me about five minutes before I hopped back over the console to the front. As soon as I had my seatbelt on, Edward reached over and grabbed my hand. He brought it up to his mouth and placed a tender kiss on the back. I looked over at him with wide eyes, wondering what brought this on.

"I'm glad I have you," he told me with such sincerity in his words, I had to believe him. I blushed, but smiled back at him, letting him know I felt the same. This time, his crooked grin reached his eyes. I relaxed, knowing that tonight would be just fine.

We soon arrived at the Crowley. Edward pulled into the lot and into a space quickly, and was over at my door by the time I had unbuckled my seatbelt. He opened the door for me and took my hand.

We rushed over to the back entrance. Edward told me that they would recognize him and let us in. The security guards standing there did, and we entered backstage. I could hear the act before us, and the tumultuous applause it received. I bobbed from foot to foot as the comedian continued, and the audience roared with laughter. Edward laughed when he looked at me.

"It's not funny!" I hissed. This only caused his laughter to escalade. I hmph'd and walked away from him, to the other side of the stage. I heard him follow me, and I let a smirk form on my lips.

"You're right," he said huskily into my air. He wrapped his arms around my waist as he said this, and I fell back onto him.

"You in that dress is anything but funny. Alluring…sexy…spectacular perhaps," he offered. I sighed and looked up at him. His eyes were hooded in lust. I smirked again.

"Down boy. We're on in a few," I said, winking at him. I heard the comedian finish his act, and the audience applauded him enthusiastically. The announcer was praising the comedian, and when he was done, the lights on stage went off.

"Come on," he said quietly and pulled me gently onto the stage. We came to center stage and got into the first position.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Edward Cullen and partner in sensual tango!"

The audience gave polite, light applause and I clenched my eyes shut. I felt the bright, stage lights shine down upon us and I opened my eyes. The music started immediately, and we began our well-rehearsed dance. He spun me, he turned me, he dipped me. I thankfully remembered to spot and didn't end up on my ass. He moved his feet so gracefully and lithely, as always. I hoped I didn't look too ridiculous. I felt the skirt of my dress flipping up and giving the audience a full view, but I didn't care.

This was such a rush! No wonder Edward and Rosalie enjoy it so much. I felt alive, as if nothing could touch me. I was on a cloud and I definitely wouldn't mind if I never came down again. As he spun me out, I let my hair swish around me, and it felt amazing. I felt the laugh build and die in his own throat.

When it was time to do the lift, I ran to him just like I was instructed. I thought I had enough energy. I thought I had gotten enough practice.

Apparently not.

I got scared at the last minute and didn't jump. Edward quickly made up an impromptu turn and the audience was on its feet, clapping and cheering. I had to hide my smile; the tango was a sensual dance. It only left room for intense, lust-filled eyes.

The dance ended two eight counts after that. When we were finished, the audience cheered louder and I got a high from it. They loved it!

Edward and I bowed a few times before leaving the stage. Once we were backstage, he lifted me up in his arms and twirled me around. I laughed and squealed for him to put me down, and when he did, he brought me into his chest and kissed me. I kissed him back with so much energy, I almost knocked him over. He chuckled against my lips, and I did too. This was too good.

Nothing could ruin my night.

We quickly said our goodbyes, Edward collected the money, and were on our way back. We nearly threw ourselves into the car, both still so exhilarated. I jumped into the backseat before he had even peeled out of the lot. I couldn't wait to get this dress off of me. As sexy as it made me feel, it also made me feel a bit ridiculous. I would take my comfortable shorts and tank top any day.

I hopped back over to the front and Edward was bobbing his head to the Beatles. I joined him, belting out the lyrics to 'I Want To Hold Your Hand.' His bobbing got bigger and bigger and I was worried that we would crash into him. It was silly though; he would never hurt me. I trusted him.

We passed the rest of the short car ride in the same fashion; rocking out to the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and just about everything else. He even put some rap on at one point; I flashed him my teeth, pretending to show off my grillz. He cracked up at that.

Newton's parking lot came into view just before eight thirty, about the time I had predicted we would return. We parked next to the car Jasper had taken earlier and got out, both with giddy smiles on our faces. We came around to the front of the car and he grabbed my hand, bringing me into him. He tilted my chin upwards and bent his head, almost meeting my lips.

Before we both realized that something was very wrong.

Rosalie's appointment was at seven thirty. The doctor had informed us that she would only be there for about an hour to an hour and a half, which meant that she would be getting back a little past nine.

It was barely eight thirty and Jasper's car was parked in the lot.

I wasn't stupid or naïve or cynical; Jasper would not leave Rosalie. It was not even a possibility. It would probably take more than a wild bear to tear him apart from her side. So why was his car in the lot?

As if in answer to the questions running through both of our minds, we heard footsteps coming from the path. I turned to see who it was, and gasped.

Jasper was running towards us, looking distraught, with crazed eyes. His hair was sticking up everywhere and his hands were wringing together.

"Edward, thank God. It's Rosalie."

Edward barely spared me a glance before taking off after Jasper. I full out sprinted to keep up with them. As soon as those words left Jasper's lips, I was terrified. What happened? What happened to have Jasper so crazy? It was evident that nothing would stop those two from reaching Rosalie.

It didn't take long to get to her cabin. We bounded up the steps and Jasper pushed the door open, nearly breaking it. We walked in and the first thing I heard was Rosalie's strangled sobs. I came into her room properly and almost broke down at the sight in front of me.

Rosalie was clutching her abdomen, gasping and sobbing in obvious pain. She was sweaty and I knew she had a fever. The benefits of growing up with a doctor for a father. She was delirious. Her eyes were closed and she was probably wandering the realm between consciousness and unconsciousness.

"Edward, he used a dirty knife…an old gurney…no ether, he didn't even numb anything. I heard her screaming through the door and I tried to get in. I had to bust the door down. Fuck, Edward, I don't know what to do," Jasper moaned, distressed. Edward rushed to Rosalie's side and grabbed her hand, smoothing her hair down.

"It's okay," he murmured, "I'm here. I won't ever let anything happen to you."

And I knew what I had to do.

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EPOV

Jasper barely had to say Rosalie's name before I ran off after him. I could feel it coming; I could just feel that something would go wrong. I heard Bella struggling to catch up behind us, but I had to push her to the back of my mind then. Rosalie was my priority, and it would take all of Heaven, Hell, and Earth to keep me away from her at that moment.

I wanted to punch a hole in the wall when we finally found her. She looked awful. I wanted to be in her place. I wanted to take all her pain away. Rose didn't fucking deserve this! Why? Why the fuck did everyone who was close to me get hurt?

After Jazz told me what happened, I went to her side, everything else forgotten except her. We were screwed. I was no doctor. I had no idea what to do; if we went to the hospital, they might find some way of contacting my father. I couldn't let that happen. And besides, we didn't have health insurance. We couldn't afford a trip to the hospital either. For the first time in years, I couldn't help Rose or Jazz. What. The. Fuck?

I didn't even notice Bella slip from the room, but I sure as hell noticed when she returned.

Because she brought her dad.

"Alright, move aside, doctor coming through," her father said, parting the crowd. Jasper looked at him so hopefully, he looked like a lost puppy. I moved away from Rosalie to let Dr. Swan work his magic.

He asked who was responsible for her, and I answered 'me,' of course, because I was. He gave me a scathing look before turning back to Rosalie. He pressed down on her abdomen and told her that he would take care of her. Rosalie almost sagged in relief. He asked us to leave the room and we did. Bella latched onto my arm as we left, and I could almost feel his eyes on my back.

It was a long wait outside.

"What the fuck!" I yelled in desperation, slamming my hand down on the rail. Bella came up to me and placed her hands on my shoulders, trying to calm me down.

"Edward," she whispered.

"No. I should've said fuck the dance. I should've been there. I swear, Bella, the moment I heard her first scream, I would've broken down the fucking door and pulled that bastard away from her! I can't fucking believe he would do this to her!"

I saw red. I was too angry to listen to reason. The only thing that would make me better then was knowing that Rosalie would be okay. I needed to know that she would pull through.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Dr. Swan exited the room. We all came up to him at the same time, but he just held his hand up.

"She'll be fine. I'll be back to check on her tomorrow," he told us.

"Dr. Swan, I don't know how to thank you, how to-"

But he completely ignored me, wrapped his arms around Bella, and walked away with her. She tried to look back at us, but he wouldn't let her. Deciding to think about that later, I entered Rosalie's cabin.

"Rose," I whispered when I saw her. She was about to fall asleep, I could see that. She tiredly beckoned Jazz and me closer. We came to her, one on each side, and grabbed each of her hands.

"You're going to be just fine, darling'," Jazz said, pushing her hair away from her face. She smiled at him sleepily.

"Yeah. Me and…" she yawned, "the little one."

A/N: -gets down on knees, puts hand together- I'm SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY!!!!!!!!! This chapter was RIDICULOUSLY delayed. I can't say I'm sorry enough. I promised I would give it to you earlier, but I was super busy. I tried to update on Monday night, but it was late, I was tired, and fuck. I was barely halfway done by the time I started on this today. I neglected my homework because the guilt finally got to me so I just opened my laptop and started typing. This chapter wasn't hard, it was just a lot to get out. And to be honest, I wasn't exactly looking forward to writing this bit, so I put it off. Yep, I'll admit. I was busy too, but there was definitely some procrastination going on. So because I couldn't take it anymore, I wrote the whole afternoon. I still have to shower and do all of my homework...no sleep for me tonight w00t! haha. Oh well. Anyways, I will accept ANY negative comments on this chapter, even if you're just mad that it's not really happy at all (until the end!) and you had to wait that long for this. Don't get personal though, that's kinda retarded and trust me. I will go crazygangstabitch on you.

Btw. The song is not so much about Edward and Bella as it is about Rosalie and the baby, who, if you haven't figured it out, did survive. Haha, totally fooled ya, didn't I? I'm totally pro-life. I could never kill a baby, even if he/she's just fictional.

-ducks and covers-

Bring on the reviews.