Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Shadows
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Prompt: Bold, fold, hold

"She's going into transition, Carlisle is excising the tumor," Edward said, giving me running commentary. We stood about a half mile from the hospital, a car wreck came in half an hour earlier and I needed to get away from the blood. Right now I was torn between holding Marta's hand, watching over Carlisle's shoulder and needed Edward to hold me back from being a danger to others.

"Will this prolong dad's life?" I asked, hope welling up within me.

His eyes grew distant, narrowed and then saddened. "No. It's growing too many tentacles into his brain. It will strangle some portion eventually, most likely resulting in a massive stroke. Right now one section is quite large and can be cut away to relieve pressure and reduce his headaches." He held me tighter. "I'm so sorry, Bella."

The familiar tightening behind my eyes signaled the desire for tears that would never fall. "One is being born as another faces death. It's the way of the world," he said, his head resting on the top of mine.

"I don't like the world," I muttered.

"You will in a couple minutes, when you see the baby. There's something about a newborn that renews your faith in life."

"Even a vampire newborn?" I asked, wanting to pull out of my present funk.

"You renewed my faith in my existence long before I changed you," he said, tilting my head up to place a gentle kiss on my lips. "You are my reason for still being here. Like God knew I had to go through years of loneliness so I could fully appreciate the joy being with you brings." He moved to kiss my throat, his hands and body shifting in a way that caused a familiar clenching in my stomach and my breath to catch.

"Are you trying to distract me?" I asked, my breathing quick and light.

"Mmm, is it working?" Fingers slid against my skin, undoing buttons on my shirt.

I moved mine to mirror his, uncovering his chest. "Most definitely."

He lowered me into the pine needles, pushing aside my blouse so he could continue his trail of kisses down my chest. Tormenting me, he followed the outline of my bra, chuckling when I growled my frustration. His fingers added their own torture, sliding just under the waistband of my jeans, snapping the button to fold down the material but not lowering the zipper.

Right as he began nudging the silk of my bra aside he stopped and sighed. Much faster than he undressed me my clothes were set to rights. "You're going in the wrong direction," I said, making a grab for his shirt to keep him from buttoning it back up.

"Emmett's on his way," he said with a half smile. "We can take this up again later."

"Is it safe to approach or should I wait until the trees stop swaying?" Emmett called. Good, now I can direct the expletives I'm thinking about to the person who deserves them.

"He has the worst timing," I grumbled, taking Edward's hand to help me up and submitting to him wiping pine needles from my hair and clothes.

Emmett burst through the trees, took one look at us and danced back with his hands raised. "Whoa, didn't know you were into that kind of thing." Naturally Edward's hand would be poised right over my backside when he appeared.

"Watch it, Emmett, or I'll rip both arms off and burn them," Edward said with a growl.

Emmett glanced down to the hand previously missing. "Oh, yeah, thanks for that Bella." I arched an eyebrow at him and crossed my arms over my chest. "Right, the reason I'm here. Eleazer is taking up the reins for the next decade and Alice said I had to get you both to the hospital or Bella'll be pissed she wasn't there when Charlie came out of surgery."

I shot through the woods in the direction of the hospital. Emmett lagged behind but Edward was beside me in a minute. "You'll want to hold your breath, but don't look like you're holding your breath. Be careful about hugging him, there will be blood on his bandage. Don't forget to blink or shift in case a nurse is watching. Don't allow yourself to be distracted."

Nodding I agreed. It shouldn't be too hard. After all, my focus was very narrow. Alice met me at the front door with a box in her hands. "Contacts. The people here know you and will expect brown eyes." I hesitated only a moment before following her into the bathroom. "I've got more, in case they dissolve while we're here." I didn't ask why.

Alice stopped me when I came out of the bathroom, contacts in place. "Charlie is in recovery and won't wake up for another twenty minutes. Marta is also in recovery, but is awake now. Do you want to see her and the baby first?"

"Is it safe?" I asked.

"As far as I can see." She smiled and patted my arm. "Bella, you're surrounded by them right now, and they don't seem to be bothering you. I always knew you were odd."

"That's because I'm trying not to breathe." My throat was on fire. Blood was gushing through veins all around me, calling to me, but focusing on what I wanted helped.

"Let's see Marta and the baby."

Jacob wasn't happy to see us. He was holding a bundle of blankets, cooing into them, when we walked in. When we walked in he stood ramrod straight, his entire body vibrating. "Are you insane?" He said through clenched teeth, his voice deathly quiet. "It's a rather bold risk to take. What if she hurts Marta or the baby?"

"I won't," I said. As soon as my eyes met Marta's all the bloodlust drained away, replaced with sisterly devotion. "You look beautiful."

"I'm fat, sweaty, blotchy and tired. Beautiful is the last thing I am," she said, shaking her head at me. "But if you want to lie, I'll listen. You have to hug me to convince me, though."

"Marta…"Jacob whined.

"It'll be fine," she replied, waving him off. "Bring me my baby."

He hesitated, but no one said no when Marta stared them down. Jacob gently laid the baby in her lap. "I want to name her Ana Marie, after my mother and you," Marta said, opening the swaddling blanket so I could see the tiny creature inside. "If that's all right?"

"I'm honored," I told her, reaching out so this little gift from heaven could wrap her hand around one of my fingers. "She's beautiful."

We visited for a few minutes, keeping an eye on Marta so we didn't tire her out. She offered to let me hold the baby, but I declined. No sense in risking it. "I just hope her teachers don't think she has an overactive imagination when she grows up, talking about werewolves and vampires," Marta said around a yawn.

"We'll teach her to be discreet," Edward said. He turned to the door with a smile. "Time to say goodnight to Marta, Bella. You're father is waking up."

Sorry about no update yesterday. We're getting new carpet and Baboo moved all the furniture into the living room, trapping my lappy behind the dining room table, chairs and two couches! Tonight I just climbed over them all. LOL!