She slept fitfully that night, thrashing about in the bed, and finally waking, unable to sleep again in the early morning.

"Come with me," she said, when she went to shower. He followed, stomach clenched uncertainly. After their aborted love-making, he worried that she would press for something she wasn't ready for.

But no, it was simply his closeness she craved. His own horror, at what he'd done was so rampant, it wasn't hard to keep himself from being aroused.

Dressed, and about to head downstairs, she stopped, mid step, hand at her abdomen.

"What?" Edward asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she whispered. "I just...I felt something." Her voice hovered in the air between reverence, and uncertainty.

It was too subtle for human senses to catch, so she missed the vibration in his body, starting as he yelled for Carlisle.

"I'm here," his father said calmly. Eyeing the statuesque couple.

"She felt something...move."

The repetition was unnecessary. Carlisle had already heard. But it spoke volumes to Edward's distress.

"OK," he said calmly. "It would be good, Bella, if we could run a few tests, if that's alright?" HIs voice was even, calm. Clinical.

"Sure."

Carlisle murmured reassuringly as he worked, saying that her blood pressure and heart rate were fine. He said less when he listened to the sounds in her abdomen.

When he asked to take another blood sample, Bella finally spoke.

"Why another one?"

Taking a careful breath in, Carlisle said, "I think it's safe to say I've never dealt with a pregnancy like this. I'd like to be...thorough." When it was drawn, he handed it o Edward, feeling that he would be better purposed, than to hover over her, the worry wafting off of him.

"You're a bit chilled," Carlisle said, hand to her forehead. "Are you feeling ill at all?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I feel fine."

Edward handed Carlisle a piece of paper, and he looked at it a long time. "You ran it twice?"

He nodded.

"What?" Bella asked, seeing them stare at it.

"HCG levels," Carlisle said, "double every few days in pregnancy. But yours….have grown much more quickly."

"How much more?"

"A lot more," Carlisle frowned, the math an easy calculation in his mind.

Bella was starting to feel a thrill of panic. "Please tell me, Carlisle."

He nodded, looking at Edward. "You look like you're three months pregnant, Bella."

She stared at him, and then Edward. "But—"

"A pregnancy unlike any I've ever seen," Carlisle repeated. "Are you otherwise feeling well?"

She could barely answer the question. "I guess?"

Edward blurted out, before this horrific charade could go on any longer. "Can you abort it?"

Carlisle didn't even look at him, rebuking Edward silently.

"Is that what you want, Bella?"

Her breathing hitched up with the lump in her throat. She shook her head. "No," she said, "excuse me." She slipped off the table, walking downstairs, knowing somewhere in her mind that she should eat something.

Rose, Esme, and Alice were in the kitchen, pretending to sit casually at the table.

They hadn't talked as a whole family yet, about what they all knew was unfolding inside her. Just as partners, in quiet conversations outside of the house. Outside of Edward's hearing.

"Can I get you something, Bella?" Esme asked tentatively.

"No thank you," she murmured, opening the fridge, pulling out the juice, pouring herself a glass.

When she sat down with them, they continued their quiet tasks, Rose and Alice reading, and Esme sketching out a plan in her book.

After a few minutes, Rose put down her magazine. "Bella," she said, "Edward's being an idiot, and—"

The glass of juice exploded in Bella's hand.

The reaction was instant: Alice, Rose and Esme flew back from the table, afraid to be so close to the coming blood.

And there was blood, a slippery collage of orange juice flecked with red, sliding over the table-top.

"Sorry," Bella said, frustrated, near tears.

"Don't be, it's OK," Esme called out, the three of them keeping their distance.

Edward and Carlisle were there, suddenly, and she started at the hand on her hers, as she moved to grab a towel.

"I'll get it," Edward said, taking it from her hand.

Carlisle held out his own hand, "may I?"

She silently put her hand in his.

He stared at it.

Then she looked. Clearly, there had been a cut, but it wasn't bleeding now. Her palm had a red line, angry and swollen where it would have been.

She'd seen this happen before.

Exactly this.

With Jacob.

She found herself sitting, not remembering how'd she come to be there.

"Slow down," someone was telling her. "Breathe with me, OK? One in, good, and another slow one out."

Her hand trembled when she looked at it now, the line minutey fainter.

"What—what is going on?" she pushed out.

"You're healing, very quickly." The voice was Carlisle's.

Like a werewolf.

She sat there, staring at her hand, sunk into a bubble of herself that occluded all the noise around her.

And there was noise. An angry fist slammed smacked into the table, and raised voices suddenly made her look up.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You shouldn't be fighting about me."

"We're not." Rose's hand was on hers. "What do you want, Bella?"

"I think I'd like to go see my Dad."

No one said anything for a bit.

"OK," Edward said, "can you eat something first?"

Her stomach burbled audibly.

"No," she said, "let's just go."

He didn't say anything, but grabbed his keys.

She was silent in the car, and subdued visiting Charlie.

He'd been moved the day before, and seemed more energetic, himself, trying to sit up as she came in.

"Wow," he said, "I want whatever they've got you on. You look amazing."

"Hey Dad," she said, sure she must look paler for his words. "Thanks. How're you doing?"

"Glad to be home, sort of," he said, gesturing to the room he was in.

"Good," she said. "Can we get you anything, make you more comfortable?"

"No, I'm fine," he said, looking at her, tilting his head. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Because you look like the people I pull over for speeding."

She laughed nervously. "Didn't drive. Can't say the same for Edward."

Charlie frowned at Edward. "Do not let me catch you speeding."

"Of course not," Edward said demurely, smiling knowingly, "wouldn't dream of it."

It was a short visit, made more awkward by the smallest small talk Bella could find to speak of.

When she began to feel the tightness in her throat, as they said goodbye, she turned hastily, letting Edward make the last farewell. He ignored Charlie's pointed look, and caught up with Bella easily, already halfway to the parking lot.

She'd moved much faster than normal.

When they reached the car, Edward took her hand over the console, commanding her attention. "I know," he began, "that this has been a shock to you—to both of us. I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't think...I never thought—"

"I know you didn't," she said. "You don't have anything to apologize for—"

"We don't know what it is, Bella. I know you want to think this is a pregnancy, and a baby, but we don't—"

"No," she said, "we don't, which means you don't get to freak out yet."

He made half a chuckle, letting himself smile, "not yet. OK."

"No." Her expression mirrored his. Her face was transformed by its lightness.

"Well, if you can let me know when I can, I'd appreciate it."

The squeeze in their hands was mutual, but her smile faltered. "When we have some answers...would be OK."

He was serious again. "Carlisle and I were talking about that, this morning. He's getting some equipment today. He should be able to learn more then."

"OK."

After a moment, he said, "I can't have anything hurt you, Bella. I just can't watch that—and if this, if it'is like me…" he couldn't finish the statement.

"Then he or she will love me."

He turned and leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together. "You're so good, Bella. So loving. I'm—"

"The man who loves me. The man who keeps loving me, even when I'm apparently part wolf."

He tightened the embrace of his hand, shaking his head against hers. "No, you're not, and you need to stop thinking that. It happens with any pregnancy, Bella, and it means nothing—nothing to me, or anyone else. Please don't let it mean anything to you. It only gives him something he never deserved: your attention, your time, some piece of your life."

"You knew?"

"It's common medical knowledge, Bella. It wasn't a secret I meant to keep."

"You don't care?"

He closed his eyes. "You're you, and I love you."

Her cheeks were wet with tears, his hands cool there against their heat.

"I love you too."

"Good," he said, kissing her, "because I have something to ask of you."

"What?"

He took a deep breath in, steeling himself to say it. "That we face whatever this is, together." One hand slipped to her abdomen.

She choked out a sob, and nodded, taking her own kiss from him.