Needs
"If tomorrow never comes
I would want just one wish
To kiss your quiet mouth
Trace the steps of my fingertips
And it's you
The light changes when you're in the room
Oh it's you
Oh it's you"
It's You - Michelle Branch
Mood Music: Unable to Stay, Unwilling to leave (instrumental), Lucky by Jason Mraz, and It's you by Michelle Branch
-One Month Later-
(Bella is now 6 ½ months along)
Edward lay in bed, hand thrown over his face in frustration. He looked around the room at the disarray and groaned in disgust. Moving was messy, frustratingly messy. There were boxes everywhere, making the house more like a maze than an actual place to live.
Bella lay in bed next to him; her feet elevated up on pillows and her hair thrown behind her. The moving had been more stressful on her than Edward had realized it would be and in typical fashion he was worried about her.
"I leave next week." Edward muttered reaching out and cupping Bella's face with his hand. She nodded softly, distantly, and her head turned away from him.
"I'm only going to be gone for a week; I wouldn't be leaving if I didn't have to. Rose is going to be staying here with you and Jasper will be keeping in contact as well."
"Yeah," Bella whispered softly, he could tell her mind was somewhere else and the thought worried him. Ever since he had made her see a different OBGYN the week prior she had been moody. He knew it probably had something to do with the fact that she was going crazy; being put on bed rest wasn't easy for anyone.
Edward looked at her staring in space brow furrowed as he continued to speak to her. "I know you hate this and you feel like you are being punished, but until the doctors can figure out what is going on we need to be safe. I don't know what I would do if I lost you Bella."
"I know," she sighed, resigned to the fact that she would follow the doctor's orders even while Edward was gone. Her symptoms had only gotten worse in the weeks following her last doctor's visit and it had been a bit of a wakeup call to both of them. Bella was finally just as concerned as Edward was about something serious going on.
"My mom will probably be calling you every day." Edward muttered smiling. He shook his head at how much his parents had latched onto Bella. He knew the moment they met that they would click, but he was surprised at how they had instantly loved her as their own. His mother was helping Bella decorate the house.
Since Bella could no longer actively participate in the shopping and actual decorating, his mother had taken to coming over with a computer and pulling up ideas on the internet to show her. The items she had been buying online had definitely put a dent into his credit card, but it was worth it to see Bella happy even if it was only for a moment.
Bella let out a gentle sigh, rolling onto her side and finally facing him. A small pout formed on her lips and he found himself chuckling softly.
"It's only a week and I wouldn't be going if I didn't have to. I can't miss this conference; trust me I checked with the hospital administrator."
"Edward," Bella leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his nose "it's fine, I just am bored. I'm not used to be confined, to feeling confined."
"Sure," Edward teased trying to joke with her "blame it on the bed rest. I think you are going to miss me terribly because I am just that irresistible."
Bella laughed slightly before leaning in and kissing him. He gently pushed her back, deepening the kiss and she pulled away throwing her head back in laughter.
"I'm making up for lost time." Edward smirked down at her.
"You haven't even left yet." Bella teased.
"Consider it a down payment." Edward replied with a small pout on his face. "Plus you need to get something positive out of this whole bed rest thing."
Bella rolled her eyes, leaning in and kissing the pout off of his face before pulling back. "I love you dork." She turned serious for a moment, pulling him closer and molding her frame against his. "Just let me feel you for a moment."
Reaching up she stroked his face and a tender sadness filled her eyes. "I just need to know that we are together, that you are here." Her voice cracked and he could tell she was overwhelmed.
"I love you too," Edward whispered kissing her on the forehead before leaning down and pressing his cheek against her now prominent belly.
"You better," she replied softly.
"I do," he whispered into her shirt as his hands massaged her stomach.
--
Edward groaned into his pillow quickly reaching over and slapping the button on the alarm clock. He could feel Bella stirring next to him and he pulled her to him, whispering softly in her ear. "Stay in bed, I'm just going to shower."
"But you are leaving this morning." Bella grumbled still half asleep.
"I know and I will wake you up before I go," Edward replied, kissing her softly on the forehead as he hopped out of bed.
He could see the pout on her face and he chuckled as he made his way around the room. "Go back to bed Bella I will wake you up before I leave."
Nodding into her pillow he heard her mumble softly and incoherently. Quickly he made his way to his suitcase, throwing in the necessities for the week before packing up a suit or two into his travel bag. Grabbing the ultrasound picture from the nightstand, he added it to his pile before making his way to the shower.
He let the warm water flow down his back and soothe his stressed muscles. The water felt good but did little to abate his internal worries. Edward couldn't help but feel nervous, tense even, at the fact that he was leaving his pregnant girlfriend behind. He also couldn't help but worry about the fact that she had been to two OBGYN's now and neither had come up with a logical reason for what was wrong.
At least the doctor he picked had acknowledged that something was wrong.
Edward knew that Rose would be staying with her and as much as he had pestered Jasper and his parents, he knew that they too would be worried about her safety. It didn't seem right, though, leaving her home while he was traveling. He silently cursed the hospital administrator for not understanding before focusing on scrubbing the soap out of his hair.
Drying off quickly, he tiptoed back into their room throwing on some comfortable clothes and looking at the clock. He really didn't have much time until Jasper would be arriving to take him to the airport. While Edward knew that Bella needed her sleep, he also knew that she would be majorly pissed if he didn't wake her up before he left.
Leaning over her sleeping form he placed a gentle kiss on Bella's forehead and watched as she stirred.
"I'm leaving." He whispered as she shoved her face into the pillow groaning. "I will be back before you even know it."
She rolled over, her eyes squinted against the light and she leaned up pressing a solid kiss onto his lips and falling back onto the bed. "Bye," she whispered and tears formed in her eyes.
"Love you," Edward answered throwing his bag over his shoulder and graving the wheeling suitcase with his free hand.
"Love you too," Bella called out to him as he exited the room.
--
Edward sat in his chair, leg bouncing up and down with nerves. He fidgeted with the packet lying in front of him. He was trying to pay attention to the speaker, he really was, but his mind was elsewhere. The picture of Bella lying in bed seemed to distract him and while normally his thoughts would have been on what he could be doing with her in that bed, this time was different.
Worry seemed to filter in his mind as he ran once again over her symptoms. Now that another doctor had also acknowledged that this wasn't a routine pregnancy, Edward had this fear of losing Bella or the baby. While it had led him to become more overprotective of Bella, it had also brought them closer together. She needed him as much as he needed her.
The speaker released them for a quick break and Edward pulled his phone out dialing Rose.
"How's she doing?" Edward questioned.
"Hello to you too," Rose sounded off and he could feel his worry increase.
"Is everything all right, Rose?"
"Everything is fine," Rose answered "I thought you were supposed to be in meetings all day."
"We got a break." Edward answered. "May I talk to her?"
"She is taking a nap right now."
The speaker called for the meeting to resume and Edward felt a growl built in his chest but he pushed it down. Bella was sleeping anyways; he could always call again later.
Hanging up he picked up the pamphlet and scanned through the material quickly. Most of it was standard knowledge for cardiologists but a few things were new. He perused the data quickly his eyes catching a section and his breath faltering.
The pamphlet fell out of his hand and he hopped up leaving the meeting.
--
Edward stood in front of the terminal pacing back and forth. His hands shook as he pressed the redial button once again. No one was picking up their phones and he was starting to panic.
"Damn it Jasper pick up your phone." He muttered into his friend's voicemail before punching the call end button.
He had exactly twenty minutes before he would board his flight and therefore twenty minutes until he had to turn his phone off. He hadn't spoken to Rose since earlier in the morning and since then hadn't been able to get a hold of her. His hands drummed incessantly on the counter as the flight attendant gave him a dirty look.
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry."
"Obviously sir," she snipped in response. You would have thought he would have gotten a little bit of courtesy, after all the flight cost him a pretty penny. At the moment, though, money didn't matter.
Bella wasn't expecting him home for another three days, as that was how long his trip was supposed to last. Looking at the pamphlets he had picked up before storming out of his conference he shook his head in utter disgust with himself. He should have seen the signs sooner, should have realized.
It was his job after all.
The sound of his phone ringing brought him out of his revere and he looked at the caller ID, sighing in relief.
"Rose I have been trying to get a hold of you."
"I see that," she stated. Her voice sounded off, but Edward ignored it.
"Do you and Jasper ever pick up your phones?"
"Jasper was with me and our phones were turned off, therefore we didn't know you were calling until we turned them back on."
"Why did you turn your phone off? I needed to get a hold of you."
"I'm here now," she sighed and he realized she sounded tired.
"You said you were with Jasper?"
Edward heard a small scuffle and then Jasper spoke to him softly. "Hey Edward, I'm going to tell you something and I need you not to panic."
"That's fine but I need to let you know that I am on my way home. My flight leaves in 10 minutes."
Edward could hear Jasper and Rose arguing softly in the background before Jasper spoke to him once again. "That is probably a good thing."
"What do you mean?" Edward asked confusion evident in his voice.
"Bella is in the hospital."
I posted a sneak peek on both the ff forum and the Twilighted forum, but didn't get one emailed out to everyone (this weekend was just insane for me). I will make the next one longer to make up for it!
Thanks to all of you who reviewed or added this story to your alerts or favorites!
Check out the thread for this story on Twilighted! Also check out my ff forum. Both links are located in my profile!
