Me: I am so, so, so, so, so sorry that it has taken me so long to update.

Emmett: Where have you been? Eddie here was starting to get nervous.

Edward: My name is not EDDIE! And I wasn't the one stalking under her window!

Me: …As I said, I am sorry but the move took longer than expected. And sadly not even a week later my sister managed to get into a really bad car accident.

Edward: She alright?

Me: Yeah, only a few bumps and scratches…my car wasn't so lucky…it did a couple of flips and smashed into a guard rail…

Edward: Wait, she was driving your car?

Me: Yeah, her car was in the shop for a faulty alternator and I let her borrow mine so she could get to work…it was a crappy car anyway so no love lost there.

Emmett: On the bright side you get a get a new car!

Me:…

Edward:…

Emmett: What? Why are you guys staring at me like that….I know I'm extremely good looking but come on! *Edward hits hit on the back of the head and drags him out of the room*

Me:…Alrighty then let's get this show on the road! I do not own anything to do with twilight, the characters all belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 24: Nothing is ever simple

BPOV

Much to Alice's disappointment, she did not end up moving into my room and vice versa. After we had shut off the baby monitor our parents called the rest of us teenagers down to "lay down the law" so to speak…thanks to Em and Rose we were all given new rules when it comes to sleeping over at each other's places and when we hang out. No boys are allowed in the girls' rooms with the door closed…we are allowed to double date with no adult supervision but all single dates had to have a chaperone…and when we are on double dates we are to answer all phone calls and text messages that are from our parents (i.e. Carlisle, Dad, Sam, and Uncle Peter). Were all the rules fair…not really, but I figure that if we follow the rules for a little while, at least, they will eventually be lifted.

Our parents discussed everything in great detail and decided that Rose and Emmett would continue living at home with their parents, granted Emmett was expected to be at Rose's beck and call if she were to get sick at any point during the night. Emmett also had to get a job as soon as possible,putting most of the money into a savings account for the baby and anything it might need, lucky for him he was able to get a job at the Auto shop in town. Rose had to get a job as well; however it was decided that she would work with Esme in her office filling paperwork and answering the phones. Sadly, due to her new condition, rose had to switch out of her mechanics elective due to the hazards it could cause for her and the baby.

And boy was she pissed.

"If I have to cook one more batch of brownies, I am going to take the fucking pan and bash Mrs. Butterhopes' head in!" Rose exclaimed as she slammed her lunch trey on the table and slumped into her chair next to Alice. Unfortunately the only elective still open was Home Economics…or so Esme told Rose when her schedule was changed.

It had only been two weeks and she was already planning on killing her teacher. "There, there Rosie" Alice said as she patted Rose on the back, "Just think of all the goodies you can bake once my little niece and/or nephew is old enough to enjoy all the sugary goodness." I kept my mouth quiet and sipped my juice while Rose stared at her sister as though she had grown a second head. "What? What did I say?"

"Alice, what do you mean 'niece and/or nephew'? The doctor said at my appointment yesterday that the baby was fine. As in there is only one baby."

Alice just shrugged and picked up her sandwich. "That we know of, it's too early to tell until you get a sonogram and hear the heart beat, the doctor only confirmed that you were about seven weeks preggers. But you already look to be slightly showing and that is an indicator that it might be multiples and add to that, you yourself are part of a set of fraternal twins and the chances of you having fraternal twins increase-ouch! Bella, why the hell did you just smack the back of my head?"

"Because (a) not everyone knows about the B-A-B-Y here at school other than the teachers and (b) Rose is about to hyperventilate." As Alice was going on and on about the possibility of more than one fetus, Rose's complexion went from slightly flushed to white as a ghost to green. Rosalie was still green and Alice was still rubbing her head when the boys sat down to join us at our lunch table. "What did we miss?" Edward asked me as he leaned over to give me a quick peck on the lips.

"Rose made brownies today in home economics and Alice just learned the importance of knowing when to shut up." At the mention of brownies Emmett's eyes lit up like it was Christmas. "Hey Babe, did Mrs. Butterhopes let you keep them or did you have to leave them in the classroom?" Before Em had even finished his question Rose took a squished foil wrapped package out of her bag and handed it to him. "Yay!" he proceeded to stuff his mouth full of chocolate fudge.

Jasper shook his head before addressing Edward, Alice and I. "Alright, you guys ready for the Christmas concert on Friday?" His eyes getting that special sparkle reserved for only three things: Alice, music, and American history. Edward and Alice gave the affirmative while I gave a hesitant nod. "I'm as ready as I'm going to be. How is your ensemble going? Uncle Peter told me that you guys are doing an original piece that you guys wrote."

"Oh!" Alice exclaimed, causing everyone within a five mile radius to jump out of their skin, "We had nothing to do with it! Edward was the one who wrote it all, he really wanted it to-"Jasper grabbed her chin and brought her face to his in quite the display of affection…it looked almost as though he was trying to eat her face and I was really close to losing my lunch. I considered myself lucky because at that moment Rose suddenly bolted out of her seat and ran out of the cafeteria, Em hot on her heel after giving Edward and me a look of apology while he grabbed his and her bags.

Edward was pointedly looking in the opposite direction, at the wall and not at the make-out session my cousin was currently having with his little sister. "Okay….that was weird…" he nodded his head in agreement. "Want to go ahead and leave for class? The bell is about to ring anyway." Again he nodded his head in agreement and as he pushed his chair out from under the table and picked up my lunch tray for me. As I grabbed my bag I noticed that he had a slight blush on his cheeks. I decided to let it go for the time being, knowing that I could try and grill him for what Alice had started to say or I could let him believe that I didn't notice she was about to spill the beans on a secret and just bribe her later…it's been a while since she had last gotten her nails done…

"Bella?" Edward called my name as we took our seats in biology.

"Yes Edward, sweetie?" I looked over to see him looking at me…a little fear in his eyes. "Is there a reason you look like Emmett right before he pulls a prank? Should I be worried?"

I smiled as I leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Nope, no reason, I'm just thinking about doing something nice for you sisters."

"I'm not feeling any better love."

Before I could try to reassure him any further Mr. Banner walked in followed by the rest of the class.

I had formulated my plan during biology, and managed to corner both Alice and Rose in the locker room before gym class to act on it (Uncle Peter had us all practice our ensemble pieces for the concert so I didn't get a chance to ask during band class).

"You know, Alice, I was wondering…maybe we should do something special to help get ready for Friday, something that could help us relax a little." Alice was too busy struggling with her gym shirt to notice the evil glint in my eye; Rose noticed and only raised her eyebrow.

"That isn't a bad idea Bella! It's like you read my mind, I had been thinking that same exact thing! We could go shopping for new performance dresses and new shoes and maybe see about getting your parents to let you skip school Friday to get our hair done, maybe even get your eyebrows waxed and a trip to the tanning booth wouldn't hurt either-"

"Alice!" I managed to cut her off as Rose almost fell off the bench, she looked like she was going ot sprain her stomach muscles from trying to hold in her laughter.

She finally managed to get her head through her t-shirt, "Yes Bella?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of getting our nails done. I could call Mama Sue, Leah and Esme and see if we could turn it into a girls' afternoon."

Alice's face brightened like a child seeing the Christmas tree for the first time Christmas morning. "YES!"

Rose shook her head, "Mom and I are out, she has a Mrs. Stanley coming in to the office today to discuss redoing her living room again and Mom said that I have to be at the office after school when she is." I gave her a sympathetic look while my inside self was doing a party dance; it is much easier to get stuff out of Alice when Rosalie isn't there. So far everything was going as planned, I knew Mama Sue had to stay late at the hospital tonight and that Leah was looking after Seth and Cabby this afternoon.

That just left me and Alice.

"Ahhhhh, this is the life!" Alice sat back against the massage chair as the little Asian lady worked on her pedicure, sipping on her pineapple juice smoothie. At the moment I found myself agreeing with the evil pixie. Though I would never tell her that…she has a tendency to go a little over board at times…

"So, Alice, are you nervous about Friday night?"

She shrugged. "No, not really. We have spent a lot of time practicing our piece after we finally decided on what we were going to play."

"Oh? I don't remember what you guys had decided on." I tried to nonchalantly play with the straw in my own smoothie…all I managed to do was get strawberry juice on my jeans.

"Aha! So that is why you wanted to hang out with me after school! You wanted to know about what I almost blabbed at lunch."

It appears that I lack my siblings' ability to fool people…or lie convincingly.

"Was I that transparent?"

"Yes, I had a feeling when you cornered me in the locker room." I felt my jaw drop in shock. "And you still agreed to come with me?"

"Well duh! I'm not stupid Bella, what kind of person would I be to pass up a trip to the nail salon." She noticed my glare, "Okay, I really wanted to get you to the nail salon so I went with it. And no, I am not telling you anything more about our piece for the concert, you are just going to have to wait to find out just like everyone else. Edward made sure that I wouldn't say anything." That caught my interest.

"And how did he insure your silence? Threaten to lock your closet up?"

"Nope."

"Take away your cheddar popcorn?"

"Negative."

"Break all your Justin Beiber CDs?"

"As if he could find those." She scoffed.

"Take away your credit cards?"

"As if they still have a balance left."

"Make you eat Rose's cooking?"

"You know that only your brother can stomach her attempts at cooking, Edward would never make me do something if it means I end up in the ER."

"Well I'm stumped. What did he say or do to make you agree to keep a secret?"

She took her time to finish slurping up the rest of her smoothie and I was starting to get impatient. I was contemplating the idea of slapping the damn thing away from her when she pulled the straw away from her mouth with tears in her threatening to spill out of her eyes.

"He made Rose agree that if I can't keep the secret until Friday that I won't be allowed to plan her baby shower! Can you believe that shit! They ganged up on me! They said I wouldn't be allowed near the nursery or the baby section in the stores and that I couldn't help with the registry! The nerve!" Everyone in the salon was starring at us by this point.

We finished our pedicures and I didn't ask her again about the concert, I didn't want to have her not being able to plan a party on my conscience. That and it wouldn't kill me to wait four days to find out what is going on anyway…right?

Why can't anything be simple?