It's Murder Sequel
Chapter 8
BPOV
The day we heard that the first embryo transfer into Siobhan had not taken was the day our own 'insemination' was confirmed as successful.
It might have been awkward announcing our good news but Edward was so ecstatic, I believe nobody even thought twice about the unfortunate timing. He was over the moon and had to show each person the plastic stick I had peed on.
"At least wash it first," I begged as he grabbed it from me and whooped in delight.
Rose and Emmett were truly happy for us, and so were Siobhan and Laurent, of course. I'm not sure that the others even cared but they did a good job of slapping Edward's back and pretending to care.
"Okay,now I need to resign,for real this time," I announced at breakfast. There was no way my darling husband would ever agree to a long distance marriage, with me working in Boston and him at Forks Hospital, so it was a moot point. I didn't care at all. My career had come to mean less and less over the year we'd been here and I'd become so connected to Edward in a whole new way, there was no chance we could consider being apart again.
Anyway, we had a baby to consider now.
"Marcus, hi. Yeah, we are all doing great. Listen, I faxed my resignation in and I'd appreciate you accepting it immediately. Do I really need to work out my notice?"
He didn't seem to care either way but we settled on my career winding up in seven days time. I didn't care about the case any more. There would be dealers dealing drugs for as long as there were customers willing to pay for them.
Nobody in this house was involved in anything more than the occasional purchase, we weren't talking big time criminal activity here. Alex was the house supplier and he had finished his college education now anyway, so Laurent announced the house was now a drug free zone and Jade promptly gave notice that she would not require her bedroom next year when she returned to college after the break. It seemed she preferred to find lodgings in a 'more open minded dwelling, like this place used to be before she moved in and spoiled everything.' She being me.
When you look at it from her point of view, I was definitely a thorn in her side. I'd stopped her honing in on someone she saw as sexy as fuck, but also her meal ticket, if she could get him to the next level.
Even if I hadn't been here, she would never have stood a chance. Jade was definitely in the category of girls Edward had given up seeking out.
If we had not reconciled, I'm sure he would have stayed changed and sought out love rather than sex now.
Packing up to leave was bittersweet. Everything from the loft apartment was already in transit, but we had left all the furniture and so on, just taking our own personal stuff.
I loved our attic bedroom here in this house almost as much as I'd loved the loft, and it had seen us move past our darkest days into this new chapter of our lives, full of joy and hope.
"We can come back and visit," Edward assured me as he closed the final neatly packed suitcase and headed downstairs.
We had to go today in order to be home in time for Charlie's birthday. Esme was holding a dinner party to celebrate, now we were 'all almost family'.
It seemed Edward was right. Once they knew we were seriously involved again, they'd started planning the push to get us down the aisle.
Rose and Emmett were staying for a week, as there were decisions to be made medically speaking.. Siobhan could have a second transfer attempt next month but if it also failed they would do a few tests on her and the pre-embryos before continuing.
The hardest person to leave was Laird. He was like a nephew to me, and I'd miss his cheery morning greeting each dawn.
"And we will miss you getting up and feeding him his early breakfast for us," Siobhan sighed, hugging me tightly. "I guess it will be Laurent's chore now."
"Wow. Fatherhood from the front line," Laurent said, straightening his shoulders and saluting his wife. "I shall do my best to replace the wonderful Bella."
The flight home was uneventful, and fortunately it seemed it was too early for morning sickness, because all I wanted was food, and considering airline food is not that enjoyable, it was a little weird.
Edward looked everything over before I was allowed to begin chowing down and took away any foodstuff even slightly related to the list of foods banned for pregnant women.
I sighed and smiled at him as he consulted his little book about pregnancy when I asked for a cup of normal, everyday tea.
"There is some research that indicates some of the herbal blends may in fact be more nutritious and beneficial..." he began.
"Shut up, Edward. I'm not giving up my tea. I've given up coffee, that's enough."
And all processed meats, and pate and seafood, and pre prepared salads, and soft cheeses and God knows what else. Sushi I was glad to abandon, I never liked it anyway.
Edward insisted on cooking any eggs I wanted, to be sure they were thoroughly cooked, of course.
He held me snuggled up close to him once I had eaten everything allowed, and I slept all the way home.
This meant we forgot entirely that we had not discussed a strategy for breaking the news; both lots of news, to our families.
They were all gathered at the Cullen house; his parents, Alice and Jaz and their babies; Charlie and Sue, and to my shock, Renee and Phil.
"Hey, we can get it over in one performance," Edward whispered as we went inside and surrendered to the hugs and kisses and critical eye of my Mom as she looked me over at arm's length.
"How are you, Renee?" I said sweetly. She was usually always willing to talk about herself.
"He had better intend marrying you," she replied sharply.
"What do you mean, Renee?" Charlie asked, irritated already by her attitude.
"Clearly our daughter is pregnant. He had better marry her," she repeated. "I want my grandchild raised in a proper family."
I think the irony of her demanding this escaped her completely.
"Pregnant?" said Alice and Esme simultaneously, and suddenly I was the center of attention.
"How far along?" "Do you know what it is?" "How wonderful, our kids are going to have a cousin."
Edward stood guard and put a protective arm around me.
"Bella and I would like to confirm, yes, she is pregnant and no, I don't intend marrying her, Renee."
He paused for dramatic effect and I caught Alice's eye as she grinned at the rings on my finger.
"Tell them," Alice squealed.
"Because we are already married and have been for the last five months," I finished.
The sudden silence was deafening.
Carlisle broke it, laughing as he shook Charlie's hand. "Always a pair full of surprises."
"But...but..Edward, we didn't get to hold a wedding," Esme stuttered.
"It was all his idea," I announced, laughing as Edward pinched my backside. "I was all for coming back and doing all the usual arranging of..stuff..myself but he insisted we get hitched in Boston while I was still on my final assignment."
I couldn't be specific about all that 'usual arranging' because I really had very little interest in weddings and had no idea what was involved when it came to specifics. You had to choose the colour of the table napkins and taste a lot of cakes I believe.
"Then we must have a reaffirmation of vows," Esme announced, smiling happily now she'd found a solution.
"Ha, serves you right," Edward whispered in my ear.
"Bella had so many great ideas about just how she wanted our wedding to be, you must just let her choose everything," he stated in revenge.
"I have a better idea. I love that tv show where the groom does all the arranging," I hit back. "I want you to do it."
Alice blanched.
"No, Bella. You don't know what you are saying." One would think I'd left him in charge of running the entire country by her reaction.
"This will not end well," she sighed.
Edward rearranged his face and removed the shocked look with a smirk. That's never good.
"I think that is a very good idea. I should probably add, now that Emmett and Rose have a surrogate, they are getting married as well, so why not make it a double ceremony? Don't worry, ladies, my brother and I will see to everything."
Jasper was just about wetting himself with laughter and Dad and Carlisle were stepping back, holding their hands in front of them, clearly not willing to be involved in this little trainwreck.
"Edward, you do know it would be in very bad taste to have strippers at a wedding, right? You know Emmett is going to suggest it," Alice moaned.
xxxx
EPOV
Before we left Boston, I just had the one loose end to tie up.
James had been in touch, now he had time to think about what he had done. Naturally he now assumed I was ripe to be a never ending source of money to him or else he would reveal I'd paid him to sign the papers that voided all his parental rights.
Like that was a threat.
I couldn't see any judge or lawyer believing the word of a drug dealer over a respectable medical student, who had worked on the side of truth and justice for all those years.
Jay Jenks was my witness that not one penny had changed hands, and in truth, he had no idea I'd given James the 'gift' after the paperwork was signed. I wasn't an idiot. Jay would be in my corner stating James had signed willingly, with no suggestion of reward.
I could just walk away and let him do his worst, but I like things neatly wrapped and tied, so I would call him back. I walked outside, grinning at the 21 unanswered calls he'd made to my phone. He must have heard we were leaving Boston and wanted to get in for a parting gift.
I left Bella buzzing around the house, looking for all her little bits and pieces she'd lost track of in the downstairs rooms and drove to the bar parking lot.
"James? I got your messages. What's up?"
"I heard you were going home to whatever shitty little backwater you came from. I thought we should take this opportunity to set up a schedule so you could send me birthday gifts and such,once you were gone. No doubt you want Alice's life to stay all nice and comfy with no biological fathers popping up, crying to the judge about how he was tricked into signing his dear little baby...um, baby..kid...away."
I realised then that he didn't even know the gender of his child. He'd signed the forms without even bothering to read what sex his offspring was.
That proved what a devoted father he was.
"Sure. Sounds like a plan. Actually, I wanted to see you anyway," I replied.
"You did? Why?"
"Going away party tonight. We need some party favours. I was hoping you would oblige."
"You know you have to pay, right? I'm not giving you freebies just because you are always so generous to me with your gifts."
"Of course I don't expect anything for nothing. I need quite a bit of stuff, actually. One of our roommates in the house wants to buy the place off me and he is still a student so he wants to start up a business of his own. I was hoping you could supply him with a little starter kit of various products, and then be his permanent supplier. Nothing but the best. I want to leave him set up to make his own income so he can make regular payments to me for the house from his profit."
"How much are we talking?"
"Whatever you think he needs. I owe him a rather large debt from our card nights, so it's my treat. I was thinking..."
I named the price I was willing to pay for the party treats and Laurent's supposed stash and James agreed to take Laurent on.
Then I called Marcus.
Strictly speaking it should be an active agent making the bust so I offered to hand over to anyone in the area and Marcus assured me his man would arrive within the hour.
It all went to plan, and both James and I were arrested after we completed the deal, only he went off to the lock up to await being charged, and I was driven around the block then released back at my car.
xxxx
"Bella did what?" my brother yelled over the phone,so loudly I needed to move it away from my ear so he didn't damage my hearing.
"She wants you and I to make all the wedding arrangements," I repeated.
"Well shit. Things are going to get wild," he replied.
"No, Emmett. Look at it as our chance to show everyone that we have grown up and we can be as mature and responsible as any adult."
"But there will be some surprises, right?" he whined.
"Nothing outrageous. But we do get to pick the girl's wedding dresses. Think about that. No puffy frilly shit. Just something silky and sexy and white."
"White? Okay. Rose can do white. Do we have to choose their shoes? You know how Rosie is about her shoes. I don't want the responsibility of getting them wrong."
"Alice is taking care of the shoes. That was a bridge too far even for me. No, we just need to get the dresses drawn up and made. I'm picturing Bella's in my head already. I've found a designer willing to collaborate with us so we'll go make our first visit when I'm back next week for Graduation."
"You are doing Grad for real?"
"Emmett, I was doing a real course and I do need to graduate from it. Bella doesn't need to, as she only did the one year of a four year course, and she's done it all before anyway, so I'm hoping she won't insist on coming back. Dad and Mom want to be there, but my hope is that Bella will stay here with Alice and Jasper."
"Yeah, good luck with telling Bella what to do. Okay, I shall go flick through a few magazines and start thinking about Rose's dress."
"Um, you might want to try Bridal Magazines, not your usual publications," I suggested.
"Edward, the girls in those don't wear any clothes at all. Honestly, you have no clue, do you? I've seen some magazines that will be helpful. Don't worry about it. She can't wear red?"
"No, Emmett, it has to be white."
"I guess they can copy my choice in white."
"And don't forget, Mom and Dad will be at the wedding, as well as Jas and Alice's children. Think of the children, Emmett."
xxxx
havagoodweegend.