My Favorite Disaster

Chapter 2: My First Wedding Anniversary

Bella had dropped Jasper and Alexa off at Charlie's house so fast that she was at Rosalie's doorstep three minutes later. Her mind was literally exploding with questions, all of which she didn't feel quite up to asking her sister yet. So after promising to pick Alexa up to go to the hospital later that evening, she was on Rosalie's couch trying to picture her new niece in her mind. She looked exactly like her sister, the same rounded nose, the same facial expressions, everything was Alexa...except the eyes. They were the brightest shades of blue and grey, like an ocean a storm. They were strong eyes, beautiful eyes.

And there was only one person she knew who had the same eyes.

"I have never seen you look this panicked before," Rosalie pointed out, sitting with Bella and handing her a glass of red wine, which she swallowed in three gulps. Rosalie took her glass and refilled it. Bella was reaching out for it when Rosalie pulled her hand back. "Hold on," she said, her shimmery blond hair shaking as she shook her head. "Before you resort to alcoholism, tell me what's going on."

Bella sighed and leaned backwards on the couch, not knowing where to begin with the story. She closed her eyes for a moment, Rosalie looked like she was about to explode in anticipation of her story.

So Bella told her how Jasper and Alexa had arrived together with baby Charlotte-Charlie for short- in tow. She told Rosalie how Esme and Carlisle had seen her in Paris at least six months ago and would have definitely known that Alexa was pregnant then and how Charlie and Edward had the same eyes. Rosalie's jaw dropped and handed Bella the well-deserved glass of wine, adding a bit more to her own. After all, the situation called for it.

"Holy shit, this is so messed up," she said, shaking her head. "You think Edward knows about this? Oh my god, does Alice?"

"I haven't even thought about what I'll do if Edward knows," Bella said, burying her face in her hands. "There is no way that I'll be able to ask either of them anything I need to know, because if I find out that Edward and Alexa have a daughter, I might just die."

"Hold on, let's not jump to conclusions, Bella," Rosalie cautioned her, the more level-headed of the two in terms of wine consumption. "We need to get them to a place where they're just going to cough up the truth."

Then she reached over Bella to grab the phone, dialing a number. "Hey babe," she said, refilling Bella's glass. "You know how you wanted to have a little anniversary get together for our families? Well, a little birdie told me that Jasper and Alexa are back in town, so I though we should get the whole gang here at the house for the fete. Great! You pick up the champagne, I'll get dinner. Love you."

Then she hung up and Bella was staring at her. "What?" she asked. "Relax Bells. I know what I'm doing. Now go to your sister and tell her about the party tomorrow. Make sure she brings your adorable little niece. I'll call Alice and you talk to Edward."

After Bella left Rosalie and Emmett's place, she wasn't exactly sure if she felt better. The following day, she was heading back to the university to return the last batch of the research books she'd hoarded when she called Edward.

"Isabella," he said, indicating his perfectly exuberant mood. Bella had never met a doctor as happy about his work as Edward. "I was just telling my patient about that paper you presented at Oxford when we went months ago. Mr. Lee is a buyer for Christie's and is apparently an art fan with an acute heart murmur. How's your day so far?"

"Uh...good. We still on for that party at Rose and Emmett's?" Bella said. I also may have just met your daughter. "Alexa was invited, and Jasper's apparently back so..."

"Jasper?" He asked, his tone suddenly turning concerned. She hated it when she made him shift moods.

"Yeah. I uh...picked him up at the airport. He was with Alexa."

"Oh," Edward said, seemingly confused. "Okay. I can pick you up at your place if you want."

"Yeah, great," Bella said. "See you."

"Love you too," he said slightly distracted before he hung up. Bella bit her lip. It was a good thing she and Edward had decided to keep the engagement a secret for now. Last night they decided that they would wait until Charlie got better before they celebrated.

Now, the engagement was the furthest thing from Bella and Edward's mind.

Meanwhile, halfway across town, Jasper arrived at Bella and Alice's doorstep. His hands were sweaty and he was out of breath, but he credited it to the run he'd broken into halfway here. He wasn't even sure what he could possibly say. The psychologist in him told him that he was probably feeling anxiety over his guilt, but he knew there was no way he could psych himself out of this one. He rang the doorbell without giving it another thought, half hoping that Alice was off at some media event and not at home.

No such luck.

"Great, you're here. I'm starving and-oh!" Alice exclaimed, upon realizing that the sweaty, out of breath man in front of her was not there to deliver Chinese food. He looked exactly the same, except his hair seemed to have gotten wilder in the last year. She held her breath. Alice was the kind of girl to be rarely surprised, Jasper could already tell. It took her a second to decide her reaction.

"No," she said, grabbing the door. "No, no no."

She was just about to close the door in his face when he grabbed it and pushed it open. "Alice, come on, it's been a long flight. Please let me in?"

"No way, not after this! Jasper can you please just leave me alone?" Alice kind of whined. "I was fine. I was so much better."

Jasper was in no way deterred by this. What he was doing defied all psychological explanation. No was way this healthy, but it somehow felt like the right thing to do. There was no way that he was going to let her slip through his fingers. Not now. But he had to be patient. Alice knew he was here now. That was all that mattered, so he let go. Alice closed the door and he left, walking back home.

Little did he know, she opened the door a little, just to watch him leave.

Later that evening, there were at least two people nervous about the party. Knowing that the man could not keep a secret, Rosalie chose not to tell Emmett about the circumstances surrounding Alexa and Jasper's return. Edward was apparently running late and so Bella was walking on eggshells waiting. This resulted in a weird tension in the air that Alice smelled the second she walked in.

"Uhm...did someone die?" She asked playfully, appearing in in sky high heels, a white tulle skater skirt and a denim shirt. She had a champagne bottle in her hand like she hadn't spent the afternoon convincing herself that he wasn't back. Rosalie and Bella threw her looks like they just remembered she was invited, but Emmett was the first to greet her.

"Hey Al," he said, giving her a huge hug. Rosalie found it adorable that the man with the gargantuan frame was a big hugger, one of the several things she loved about him.

"Happy Anniversary, Em!" Alice exclaimed, the only person who ever got away with calling the six foot seven guy anything but 'Emmett.' "I got you guys a present, but I left it at the office, so I promise I'll bring it the next time I come over."

"You didn't have to get us anything," Rosalie said, coming to her senses and giving her friend a kiss on the cheek. Before Alice could protest, Rosalie was already dragging her into the kitchen and yelling for Bella to follow them. The doorbell rang and Emmett shrugged, opening the door to reveal Edward, who had caught a glimpse of Bella hopping it to the kitchen.

"Do I want to know?" Edward asked his friend, who shrugged.

"Do I look like the kind of guy who ever knows?" he answered, laughing and inviting his buddy inside. "Ed, you remember my Great Uncle Ralph?"

"Yes, I seem to recall he was the one with the abs shaped by hip hop," Edward said as they weaved their way through the crowd.

In the kitchen, Rosalie let go of Alice as soon as they were out of earshot, Bella looking behind her to see Emmett and Edward had gone outside where they had set the tables. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"I feel like there's a caper going on," Alice asked incredulously, grabbing a beer from the fridge like she lived there. "Is there a caper going on?"

"No," Rosalie said, standing next to Bella. "We actually have to tell you something about tonight. It's kind of major."

"I know Jasper's back in town," Alice said quickly, playing with the label on the bottle. "He came to the house this afternoon."

She didn't miss the surprise on her friend's faces. She had these conversations enough times with them to know the question they were about to ask next. "I told him to leave and closed the door on him. If he's coming tonight, it's fine. I'm sure Emmett and Edward miss him. Maybe he might even tell us where's he's been these last ten months, but I don't care."

The last sentence was said forcefully, like Alice was trying to prove that she really didn't care. Bella bit her lip and looked at Rosalie, who looked back. Alice furrowed her eyebrows and groaned.

"Oh my god, was that not what you were going to say?" She asked them.

"No, no that was pretty accurate," Rosalie said, as Bella nodded for emphasis. "It's just that we're sort of familiar with the circumstance of his arrival and-"

Then, the doorbell. There could only be two people behind that door, and Bella was sure that they were arriving together. Rosalie rushed to the living room to answer, but Emmett was faster, everyone else behind them.

"Man, you totally owe us an explanation because-" he began, swinging the door open to receive his guest when he paused mid-sentence. Jasper, Alexa and baby Charlie all looked at the party assembled inside the Hale house and smiled.

"Uh...Whitlock party of three?" Jasper asked awkwardly.

Despite the situation, the evening had to continue. Rosalie quickly welcomed the prodigals into the party and dinner was served. Little Charlotte Swan was the light of the party, smiling and giggling at everyone who looked at her, the perfect social butterfly in front of Rosalie and Emmett's family. She especially fell for Emmett, who loved to cuddle her in his arms, or toss her in the air like a stuffed toy. The man needed no explanations of where Jasper and Alexa had been the past year, to which Alexa only kissed her friend's cheek and told him that she had missed him.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Rosalie asked her husband as they made the last minute preparations for dessert. The natives were getting antsy, and if Rosalie's Aunt Helen didn't get her share of strawberry shortcake, there was hell to pay. Emmett downed the last of his beer and looked at his wife.

"What are you talking about, babe?" he asked, tossing the bottle into the recycling bin. Rosalie sighed in exasperation and resumed frosting the cake. She wasn't sure when she turned into such a domestic multitasker, but she loved it.

"I'm talking about you being Master Hostess to Jasper and Alexa," she said, cutting up more strawberries. "They practically vanished the whole year and you're acting like you just saw them yesterday! And then you're totally cool with the fact that she's got a baby, but we don't know who the father is. We're supposed to be on Bella and Alice's side, remember?"

"Woah woah woah," Emmett said holding up his hands like he had just been accused of something bad. "Calm down, babe. I'm not on anyone's side. Jas and Alex were my friends way before I even met Bella and Alice, so I'm allowed to be happy to see them again. I honestly think it's great Alexa has a kid, she deserves it after that shitstorm she went through when we got married. As for Jasper..." "What are you guys talking about?" The guy in question asked, stepping into the kitchen with a confused look on his face. Rosalie jumped a little while Emmett beckoned him in.

"Hey dude, how about you fill us in on the last year?" He asked. Good god, Emmett just asked the burning question on everyone's minds like he was asking Jasper about the weather. Rosalie had to love that about the guy.

"She called because she needed me," Jasper said with a shrug. "That's all."

"See?" Emmett asked Rosalie. "Easy. And you're not Charlie's dad?"

"No," Jasper said flatly. Rosalie sighed and shook her head. So that's one thing down. Emmett clapped a hand to his friend's back, rubbing it a little.

"Thanks for taking care of her, man." He said to him in a low voice, passing him a beer. "Cheers."

"Cheers," Jasper said, clinking bottles with him as Rosalie picked up the dessert. When they all exited the kitchen, Alice lifted her hand from her mouth in the pantry where she had been hiding all that time. She wasn't really sure what to think.

Meanwhile, Bella was having the hardest time looking for Edward. Once dessert was served and people were starting to mingle, the man had done a quick job of vanishing. He had also managed to be perfectly evasive and quiet during dinner which honestly freaked Bella out. Edward was doing a too-good impression of her. She eventually found her fiancee in the guest bedroom in the second floor, standing by the window and looking out at the party below like a stalker. The lights were off, the glow of the party below illuminating his handsome face.

"Edward?" Bella asked tentatively, closing the door behind her.

"Bella," he said, without looking up. "I didn't realize you were looking for me."

"Is everything alright?" She asked, sitting on the bed. Edward sighed like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

"I'm a horrible person," he said simply, like that explained everything. Bella swallowed a lump in her throat. Here we go, she thought. I'm about to find out my fiancee is my niece's father. She was just about to open her mouth to say something when Edward continued.

"Just last year, your sister was...perfect. She was happy and she was glowing and I knew everything about her. Now...now, I hardly know her at all. I never even asked how she was these last ten months. I never even gave her a single thought. What kind of a man...what kind of friend does that?" He asked, turning away from the window like he couldn't stand to look at it. "It must not have been easy, being alone in Paris and being unable to tell all of us what was happening. How could I not even ask about her? I should have at least visited. But..."

Bella knew to well what was happening to him. Everything Edward had just said was exactly the same sentiments Bella had been carrying around with her for the last ten months. She said nothing, because she was in no position to comfort him. He was right, after all.

"Alexa had a baby," Edward said as a matter of fact, sitting next to Bella. "A baby that...Oh my god."

Did it really take him that long to make the connection?

"My mother," he said slowly, "My mother commented that they visited Alexa in Paris to stay close to family. Did she mean...oh my god. Bella, do you think-?"

"I don't know," Bella said, honestly. "When I saw them, I thought that you knew..."

"No, no I had no idea!" Edward exclaimed, shooting up and pacing the room. He began to run his hand through his hair. "How could she not tell me that we were having a child? How could she call Jasper and not me?"

For a man as level-headed and calm as Edward, this was the most Bella had seen of him freaking out. She wasn't exactly sure how to handle it. She stood up and grabbed his hands, firmly putting them to the side.

"Calm down, Edward." She said gently, placing a hand on her cheek. "We'll figure this out."

"How can I calm down?" He asked her, his tone suddenly sharp. "Alexa and I have a child together!"

"Stop," Bella said firmly. Even the speculation made bile rise up in her throat. "We don't know that yet. She hasn't said anything."

"You're right," Edward said, closing his eyes for a moment, like he was trying to erase the thought from his mind. "God, this has to be the worst anniversary party ever."

Bella smiled and kissed the tip of his nose, and he pulled her closer to him in a hug. He needed something to keep him from losing his own head.

Soon after the candles were blown out of the cake (what was a party without cake?), the champagne served and guests ushered put the door, Bella, Rosalie and Alice sat in the party debris and polished off the last of the wine. Emmett had graciously volunteered to be designated driver and let the girls crash a little longer.

"Rose, you are so lucky you married Emmett," Alice sighed, stretching over the couch like a large cat. "He's so tall...dependable...strong...tall..."

"You said tall already," Rosalie snorted.

"It had to be repeated," Alice said. "Which is why I don't understand why you haven't banged him hard enough to make a kid. I saw the look that crossed the man's face when he had Charlie in his arms. The man is baby crazyyyyy."

"Fuck that," Rosalie snorted. "No baby for now, okay? Jesus fucking christ, I had a miscarriage! Everyone calm the fuck down and let me recover, god damn it."

"Okay Rose chill," Bella said as Alice rolled her eyes. "Stuff like that happens."

"Who died and made you miss universe, bitch?" Rosalie exclaimed a little louder than she intended, laughing at Bella's shocked expression. "I will have a baby when my uterus is fucking ripe and ready!"

Outside, Emmett was giving the last of their guests a hug goodbye. Jasper was waiting by the car while Emmett and Alexa said goodbye.

"Give my best to your dad, okay?" Emmett said to her. He had Charlie draped over his shoulder, passed out for the night. "And just to let you know I am free to babysit this little angel anytime, mommy."

"Oh my god, stooooop," Alexa groaned, taking her child from Emmett's frame as they reached the car. "Only you would make mommy sound like an insult."

"My specialty," he said, giving her one last hug. "Drive safe, Jas!"

Jasper nodded at Emmett. He gave his friend one last wave before turning back to the house. Alexa had just finished putting Charlie into the carseat when Edward appeared behind her, making her jump when she turned around.

"Oh hey!" She said in surprise. "Edward. It's been...a while."

"Why didn't you tell me about her?" Edward asked, his eyebrows furrowed. He looked like he was struggling to keep his cool. Alexa frowned and closed the car door, pulling Edward away from the car.

"Hey, we broke up, remember?" She asked him. "I reserve the right to tell you nothing."

"Alexa, don't make this difficult," Edward said, ignoring the roll of her eyes and her crossed arms. He knew that aggressive stance all too well. "You kept her a secret from all of us! Well...except Jasper."

That last sentence came out derisive and sarcastic, and this time Alexa nearly growled at him. "Don't bring Jasper into this," she said, taking a step forward. He'd never seen her so livid. "I'm sorry the existence of my daughter somehow derails your fuck sessions with Bella, but don't you dare think I owe you anything. I came here for my father, and nothing else. I'm not asking you for anything, so if it's not too much, I expect you to do the same. I may have loved you Edward, but that's over. You made sure of it."

Then she turned around and walked straight to the car, rebuffing Jasper's efforts to ask her what was wrong. She closed the door and Edward saw her gave Edward an icy glare and got in the car. He watched them drive off, and he didn't know what to think.