Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters.

Chapter 5:

Separation Anxiety

The beginning of the car ride home was excruciating for me, but every time I looked over at Jacob he tried so hard to keep the corners of his mouth in a neutral zone. He knew smiling was not an option, not until I was ready to talk about it. It wasn't me, this wasn't something I did on a normal basis, something was up; and until we talked and he found out what that was there could be no laughter, no matter how much he wanted to.

Halfway through the drive he couldn't take it anymore, "So are we going to talk about that?"

I decided to be coy, "Are you complaining?"

"No not at all," he said holding his hands up as if to ward off an attacking bear.

It was hard to look at him; I just kept seeing those dark eyes, the eyes that weren't his, "I'm sorry, I'll give you a heads up the next time?" I said sarcastically.

"I'm not trying to hurt your feelings here, or even say I didn't like it."

"Well good" I said crossing my arms.

"Good," He said back, the smile finally forming on his face. "You know, I could pull over. We could have round two before we get back to an apartment filled with vampires and a newborn."

I laughed and finally let my guard down, "Yeah who knows when were gonna get the chance again?" Just like that I was over it, whatever happened to me in that little daydream I had was over. It meant nothing, cause when I "woke up" Jacob was the one I wanted, the person I had to see immediately. I let my guard drown for the rest of the trip home and told myself to forget those eyes.

There were much more important things to think about, and when the door opened to my new apartment they came flooding back. Torrance was out of bed, standing stable if not intimidating over Rosalie who was screaming about something.

"I want you to just stay away from him, okay?" Torrance said shoving Rosalie by the shoulders.

"How can you say that, I've been nothing but helpful to you while you were pregnant," Rosalie's tone was a sharp knife trying to sound sincere.

"What's going on here?" Jacob ran in between them when he saw Torrance starting to get the shakes, a sign that she was going to phase.

"I want her out!"

"You want me out, oh that rich," Rosalie spat. "You've gone completely nuts, after everything I've done for you?"

Alice came out of the bedroom carrying Ryan, who looked scared, but looked torn. She kept looking between her sister and her new sister-in-law, but it wasn't until Torrance reached for him that Alice let him go.

Torrance looked at her baby, then glared at Rosalie with fire in her eyes, "You didn't do it for me," she said threw gritted teeth.

"I think we all just need to calm down," Jacob said slowly, but it went unheard.

"You didn't even do it for Edward, you selfish cow," Torrance held on tight to he baby as Rosalie grit her teeth and positioned herself to strike. "You did it for yourself, you want a child and I understand the pain you must feel having that option taken from you, but the way you look at him…"

"STOP!" I screamed at Torrance, I was beginning to notice Rosalie's tough defensive exterior melt away. Her eyes began to well up, and this was not leading anywhere good.

"No she needs to hear this," Torrance continued.

"Not today, not in my house, with you're baby in your arms. Calm down," I said taking small steps toward her.

Then she looked at me with the same disdain she just had for Rosalie, "You too Bella, you're taking her side."

"I'm not taking sides, I just want everyone to calm down." I looked at Jacob for what to do, but he seemed clueless. "Alice, take Rosalie home. We'll call Edward and sort this whole thing out okay?"

Rosalie smiled a weak smile at Ryan, then turned to me, "I can drive myself thank you." She grabbed her stuff and stormed out.

Torrance sat down on her bed and everyone remained still and silent, waiting to catch their breath. Alice looked around for a moment then flipped open her phone and dialed Edward's phone number. She left the room when he picked up and they began to talk. I could only hear muffles from the other room, but it was a short conversation and she quickly hung up and rejoined our silent group.

"He'll be here soon," Alice said, I could see she wanted to comfort Torrance but she wouldn't dare. Torrance was still clinging to her baby as if she released she would loose him forever. "Can I just say that I'm sorry." She said and hung her head refusing to meet anyone's gaze.

"What are you sorry for," Jacob said confused, "What the hell just happened in here."

"It's my fault," Alice began, "When I got here Torrance was taking a nap and Rosalie was showing Ryan the blocks over there," She pointed to a pile of blocks sitting in the corner, the letters on one side spelled out R-Y-A-N. "He's so smart Bella, when I saw him do that," She started but I couldn't help but interrupt.

"Ryan did that?"

"Yeah, I mean Rosalie gave him the blocks, but he put them in that order. Anyway I was just so excited I tried to pick him up and Rosalie stopped me." Everyone looked over at Torrance who was looking angry one more, "But it wasn't like that, we all want to be near him. So we started to argue, but not seriously. I mean I just joke that she had had him all day, and it was my turn. She was joking back that a lifetime isn't enough time with him."

"I woke up to them arguing and Ryan sitting in the middle of it."

"We weren't really fighting, I swear," Alice pleaded, trying to defend her sister.

Edward came bounding into the room faster than I had ever seen him go and rushed to Torrance's side. He picked up Ryan and put him on his lap, "Can someone explain to me why the hell I'm getting frantic phone calls," he looked around the room, no one wanted to talk. "Everyone looks okay," He checked Torrance and waited a minute then continued once he knew what was going on, "You kicked Rosalie out?"

"Stay out of my head Edward, if you want to know something just ask," Torrance retorted.

"Fine," he continued, "why?" Torrance didn't respond, she just grabbed Ryan back from Edward. "If you don't want me in your head, you gotta talk to me sweetheart." Again Torrance didn't respond, but tears were forming in her eyes.

"Let me take her into the other room," I said, this line of questioning wasn't going anywhere.

Edward put his hands on his head, "Fine, but we have to figure this whole thing out," He took Torrance's hand, "You've gotta talk to me."

"Not now," Alice said and she and I walked Torrance from the living room to my bedroom. I didn't really understand what was going on in Torrance's head, I don't think anyone really did, all I knew was that she was in protection mode. The only thing that was going to calm her down was knowing that her baby was safe, safe from who, I'm not quite sure.

"Everything is going to be okay," I said trying to sound as soothing as I could. Torrance just laid down on the bed with Ryan next to her, curled up, eyes starting to close. I rubbed her back until she fell asleep, then Alice and I went back out into the living room. Edward stood immediately, "She's fine, they're both sleeping."

"What's gotten into her, she was fine when I left her this morning?" Edward started to pace, I could tell it was taking every fiber in his being not to go into the bed room and watch her sleep.

"We should take a walk," I said to him, then looked over at Jacob and Alice for confirmation.

"It's okay, we'll hold down the fort." Jacob said starting to clean up all the baby toys that were strewn all over the floor.

We walked along the street for awhile, it was almost dark outside and the starts were coming out. "I just don't understand, I've never been this lost before," he gave me a look and redacted his statement, "Well I've never been this lost with her before."

"You don't read her," I asked.

"She made me promise not to. She said that she would be completely honest with me if I would only trust her to do so."

"And you listened?" I smiled.

"I dip in every now and again, she gets mad…when she finds out."

"I think you rely too much on your ability Edward."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't you ever just listen to her," I said and stopped watching.

"She's scared Edward, and you know what I think she has a right to be."

"Of Rosalie?" Edward scoffed.

"Maybe not her specifically, but think about it Edward. How many vampire babies are there, are there any? She has a very special child in there, that is going to need very special care-"

"-My family can give that child everything it will need," He interrupted.

"Just let me finish. The fear may have been redirected to the wrong place, but the fear itself is completely justified. Do the Volturi know about him? What happens when he needs schooling? He's already growing so fast, we he stop growing and be frozen, what happens if he doesn't stop and we lose him?"

"Don't say that," His jaw clenched, but he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"I'm not trying to be cruel, everyone was just so happy that it could happen in the first place. Did anyone think of the risks? You have a child that is a mixture of two completely different species, two races that hate each other so much that they kill, or die, defending their own."

"No one will touch my son," Edward was growing increasingly angry. I put my hand on his cold, stone cheek. His eyes widened and I released him.

"I know you Edward, you think on the defensive all the time. Everything ends up working out, but there is always a struggle. Maybe it's time you go on the offensive."

"How do I do that, we can't run. Torrance would never run like that."

"Maybe instead of waiting or everyone to find out and come after you… maybe you just let them know now, show that you're in control of the situation," As it was coming out of my mouth I felt the fear rise up in me. How could I think this was a good idea, let the Volturi in? What was I thinking?

I wanted to take it back but before I could something clicked in Edward, "You're right. I mean that's got more sense to it than running, if we run we will always be running. What can I say to them though? What would make them not take him away from us, hold him captive like some experiment?"

"I don't know," I said shaking my head.

"But if there was something, some sort of leverage, I could hold my family together."

There was silence for awhile, and then a grin cracked on Edward's face, "So what happened at the garage today."

I felt my face go tomato red, "How the hell…"

"Though the fighting and the crying, I got the full play by play from Jacob. I have a wife now, a child, but when I saw that…any man would be jealous of Jacob in the situation."

I punched him hard in the arm, which hurt me more than it hurt him, "I can't believe you read his mind, I'm so telling on you."

"What was I supposed to do? My wife was in hysterics, I read everybody's mind I could to get an answer, it's not my fault that in a crisis your boyfriend can only think of one thing." He put his hand on his arm where I punched it, I knew it didn't hurt him, but I thanked him for at least trying to make me feel like it affected him at all.

"Yea well my one-track-mind boyfriend is going to kick your ass when he finds out you saw all that," I said and continued walking. "Hey, did you pick anything up from Alice when you swept the room?"

"Yea, I got the argument that she and Rosalie had; I guess that's what started this whole thing."

"Anything else," I probed hoping to find out about her vision.

"No," He said flatly, "Should there be?"

I pondered for a minute how to phrase it without him freaking out, I needed him to spy for me, "She had a vision at Charlie's house today, she said it was nothing, but her face…"

"I know that face, she didn't tell you anything."

"Nothing, but she just kept looking at Renee with this puzzled, almost worried expression."

"I'll ask her about it when we get back," He said placing a hand on my shoulder. "It's never a dull moment around here is it?"

"I used to be a normal girl, worrying about normal girl things. Then you came along…" Once again I put my foot in my mouth; this was something Edward always feared, that he led me into this den or danger. I put my hand on his chest and met his eyes, "I wouldn't change it for the world."

"Sure you wouldn't," he didn't smile at this, but I knew that I didn't need to press it anymore. "So when do you start school again, I heard you transferred to UW."

"I start in two days, I was hoping to be a little more settled before going, but you know how it is?"

"Well let me know if you need anything, I've been to college 12 times now."

"Of course you have."

Thank you all for reading. Please let me know what you think of how the story is progressing, it helps me stay motivated and give me insight into what is good or bad with the story.