Disclaimer: I am NOT Stephenie Meyer and I don't own any of the Twilight series' characters or stories. I borrowed the dialogue and storyline from Breaking Dawn, but the rest is my own take on the story, as seen through Edward's eyes.

A/N: In this chapter, there are some lines in Portuguese followed by English translations. Because I was unable to find a Ticuna translator, the conversation between Edward and Kaure is in italics to indicate that they are speaking another language.

Chapter 11

Revelation

I heard the words, but I couldn't make sense of them. I repeated them over and over in my mind, knowing what she was trying to say, but unable to comprehend. Impossible. I stared across the room, my gaze fixed on some unknown point until the venom coating my eyes dried, leaving my vision slightly blurred.

Period. Late. Impossible. That would mean… I wanted to shake my head, to push the inconceivable idea away, but I was frozen in shock. My muscles felt like they had turned to stone, fixing me in place like a marble statue, a representation of what I once was.

Bella had never been late. Her monthly cycle was nearly fixed, as constant as the phases of the moon or the rotation of the planets. Much to her chagrin, there was very little about her physical self that she could keep hidden from me. I searched my mind, delving into my medical knowledge for some explanation, any explanation other than the one she had implied. I began ticking off the varied contingencies that could cause such an anomaly in her cycle – increased exercise, emotional stress, travel. There was any number of legitimate causes that could explain away her lack of menstruation.

Then why did I have this nagging concern in the back of mind that she was right, that the outright impossible was really the truth? Had there been other signs? Had I missed them completely? I began replaying the events of the last two weeks in my mind in explicit detail, picking them apart for any clues, anything I might have missed. The more I delved into my memories, the more unsettled I became.

I began taking inventory of the small changes I had noticed, minute things that I could have dismissed. There was Bella's increased desire for intimacy, but that shouldn't be surprising, given we were on our honeymoon. She had been moody at times and crying for unexplained reasons, but that could have been a result of my reluctance to make love to her after our first night. She had been sleeping so much and her appetite was voracious, but again, that could be explained by the unending parade of activities I had planned to keep her occupied. She was having vivid dreams, but she always dreamed – except now her dreams were so deep that she was silent in her sleep.

I had noticed her increased heart rate and a slight arrhythmia which I could not explain. There was the new scent coming off her skin, her own scent mixed with a new sweetness like honey that I had attributed to the increased exposure to sunlight. Most recently she had become violently ill – vomiting one moment and completely fine the next – it could have been food poisoning. Right? Her cycle was late, but again, that could be explained by other factors.

I ticked off all the variables in my mind – mood swings, increased appetite, excessive need for sleep, the dreams, her scent, her heart beat, the nausea, her delayed cycle….No, not possible. My kind wasn't physically capable of procreation – poor Rosalie had made us all brutally aware of just how impossible it was. There were legends, stories told by humans, like the incubus, but those stories never ended with the victim surviving long enough to determine whether or not conception was achievable. And human legends were notoriously inaccurate. There were hundreds of stories about our kind, but not one depicted us as we truly are.

In my peripheral vision, I could see Bella examining herself in the mirror, rubbing her hands across her belly. When had she moved to stand? I wanted to turn my head, to see for myself, but my body wouldn't cooperate. I could see her from the corner of my eye, staring in awe at her midsection, at the obvious protrusion that hadn't been there a day ago.

Protrusion? No…impossible. That means…I wanted to slap myself, to jolt myself from whatever waking nightmare I was experiencing. This wasn't happening; it couldn't be. All the signs began to converge, painting a crystal clear picture that I couldn't believe I had missed. It couldn't be true, yet the more I thought about it, the more undeniable it became. Why hadn't I seen it? Why hadn't Alice seen it?

As improbable as it all seemed, the truth was staring me in the face. But there was something very wrong here. It had been barely more than two weeks since our wedding night, yet if she truly was…pregnant…she was exhibiting symptoms of a woman nearing the end of her first trimester. For the briefest of moments, my mind wandered to the place where any man's would. Could it be mine? I felt immediately guilty for even thinking such a thing. I knew in my heart that Bella was faithful to me, but how could I not wonder? Things were moving at a much more rapid pace than they should, not to mention the fact that I, nor the rest of my family, believed such a thing was physically viable.

The deafening silence was shattered by discordant tones. It was as though someone had placed my head within a church bell that had begun to toll. Loud peals reverberated in my ears, pushing their way into my already overwhelmed consciousness. I tried to ignore it, to mentally silence the aggravating clamor, but it would not yield. And then, beyond the cacophony of sound, there were hands frantically moving over me. And then all was silent again, save for the voice of my love.

"Hi, Alice," she said. Alice? I had half a mind to demand an explanation from my sister as to why she didn't warn me about all of this. She had to have seen this, had to know what was happening. Right?

"Yeah. Um. Is Carlisle there?" Carlisle! If anyone could shed some light on this improbable situation, it would be him. Not only did he have the medical knowledge and expertise to make an educated guess as to what could be causing Bella's symptoms, but he had been on this earth nearly three times as long as I have. He had been around for centuries, observing and studying the history of our kind – perhaps he had heard stories or knew of a previous instance of a vampire impregnating a human.

As unfeasible as the idea seemed, my mind kept coming back to the same strange conclusion. Bella was pregnant. And I was the father. Warmth rushed through my veins at the thought. The fraction of a second that it took for the concept to settle in my mind, I had witnessed the entire life of a child – of my child. I could see her, a small version of Bella with chestnut hair and large, brown eyes. I could feel the weight in my arms as I cradled her to me; feel the warmth of her hand in mine.

But if I was the father, then that would mean that the child she was carrying, the thing inside of her would be a part of me. But which part? A shot of cold, like ice water in my veins, chased away the warmth. My imaginations, however hopeful, began to transform and darken into something terrifying. I quivered, imagining what creature could be growing inside her – what shadowy and twisted part of the monster that I am was taking root inside her body and developing at such a rapid pace.

If I had accurately gauged the fetus' gestation based on Bella's symptoms and if the course of maturity proceeded in the same manner that a human pregnancy would, she had barely a month until she would be full-term. That wasn't enough time. Just when I had secured her hand and made her mine, just when our lives were starting out, just when our forever was beginning, the cruel hand of fate reached out and began to pull away what we had worked so hard to attain. My thoughts became darker as I imagined the thing growing inside her. It had to be a monster, an abomination. Horrors flashed through my mind as I imagined a tiny vampire sucking the life from her, breaking her body down for its own sustenance, and ravaging her as it fought to free itself from her womb.

I felt as though I was losing her all over again and, once again, it was my fault. Every move I made, every step I took, led us to this place and every moment she was with me, even when I took the greatest care, she was in grave danger. The monster within, no matter how tame it seemed, was death incarnate and destroyed everything in its wake – even the one I love – and there didn't seem to be anything I could do to stop it.

"…and…I swear something moved inside me just now."

It moved? No, things were progressing far too quickly. If I had any hope of saving her, we had to do something. Carlisle had to do something. We would have to get it out of her. Now. I jolted myself from my stupor and held out my hand for the phone.

Bella's eyes widened and she jumped back a little at the sudden movement. She studied me warily for several beats. "Um, I think Edward wants to talk to you." She pressed the small device into the palm of my hand. I slowly brought it up to my ear and I could hear the urgent whispers of my family through the receiver.

"Is it possible?" I whispered into the phone.

I could hear Carlisle breathing on the other end of the line, an overtone to the concerned murmurings of Alice and Esme in the background. He sighed heavily before speaking. "We can't know anything for certain until some tests can be run, but from what she's describing…I honestly don't have any other explanation. It's unheard of, but I can't imagine what else it could be."

Hushed whispers spoke rapidly, but the sound was muffled, as though Carlisle had placed his palm over the mouthpiece. I could make out Alice's voice, but couldn't decipher what she was saying.

I wrapped my arm around Bella's waist, pulling her to me. I closed my eyes, breathing in her new aroma and finally understanding its meaning. "And Bella?" I asked.

"Edward, you need to get her here. I can't determine anything until I examine her. I can get all the necessary equipment from the hospital and we can be ready when you arrive." He sighed and I could hear the light scraping of skin against skin. I imagined him wiping his hand across his brow as he often did when something was troubling him.

"I can't recall ever hearing of such a thing, but there is much of our lore that remains a mystery. Jasper has already begun researching, but it's difficult to know where to begin. Honestly, I almost feel somewhat responsible for not warning you that this was a possibility. With the varying numbers of chromosomes between our kind and humans, I didn't believe our species would be compatible. If I had known…" His voice cracked, nerves breaking through his clinical demeanor. I wanted to say something, anything to reassure him that this was not his fault – that the blame was mine – but the words wouldn't come. The words caught in my throat, paralyzed by the same fear that gripped me.

"Just get home as quickly as you can, Edward. Based on her symptoms, the pregnancy, if that is what this is, is progressing very rapidly. We don't know what possible danger this might pose to her. The sooner you can get back, the sooner we can determine how best to proceed. I promise I'll do everything I can. We'll be ready for you when you arrive. Just get here."

"Yes. Yes, I will."

Still frozen in shock, but spurned on by this new urgency, I ended my call with Carlisle and quickly dialed the airport. Bella spoke just as the phone began to ring.

"What did Carlisle say?" she asked.

I couldn't bring myself to face her, to see the anger in her eyes for what I had done to her. "He thinks you're pregnant," I muttered as I listened to the prompts on the phone, irritated with the endless pressing of buttons required to reach a human.

"Who are you calling now?"

"The airport. We're going home."

I could feel Bella's eyes burning through me as I stood and began to pace, still holding the phone to my ear. A woman's voice came on the line, but before even waiting for her to speak, I blurted out my request.

"Preciso de dois ingressos no primeiro vôo disponível para Seattle (I need two tickets on the first available flight to Seattle)." There was a brief moment of silence.

"Sinto muito, senhor, mas tudo está cheio. O nosso primeiro vôo disponível é amanhã à noite (I'm sorry sir, but everything is full. Our first available flight is tomorrow evening)," she replied.

"Você não entende. Esta é uma emergência médica (You don't understand. This is a medical emergency)," I hissed into the phone. "Eu preciso de você fazer o que for necessário para nos levar no próximo vôo. O custo não importa (I need you to do whatever is necessary to get us on the next flight. The cost doesn't matter)."

The woman hesitated before placing me on hold. I would buy a private jet and fly us back myself if necessary. If I thought Bella could tolerate it, I would even consider the notion of swimming home.

I glanced back at Bella who was staring out a nearby window, her hand clutching the fabric around her midsection. Another pang of guilt shot through me, nearly forcing my knees to buckle. I pinched my eyes closed and turned away, placing a flat palm against the wall to steady myself, unable to bear the thought of the pain she may be in – the pain that I had caused.

Feeling my nervous energy building, I began pacing again, walking from one end of the house to the other, picking up clothing and other personal items that were strewn about and tossing them into the luggage. We needed to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice, as soon as transportation was secured.

Two airline employees and a supervisor later, I had finally convinced them that our situation was dire enough that they put out a plea to the passengers to give up their seats on the next flight. Thank heavens there were some good samaritans on the flight that agreed to leave on a flight the next day. I instructed the airline to charge any expenses they incurred to me as a thank you for their generosity.

When all the bags were packed, there was nothing left for me to do but to face Bella. I walked slowly into the kitchen and she stood silently by the sink, one hand laying on her stomach, her shoulders quivering slightly.

"Bella?"

Her head lifted and she slowly turned to face me. Glistening tears were streaked across her cheeks and a jolt of panic shot through me. What had it done to her? Was she hurt? "Bella!" I gasped, rushing to her side.I took her face in my hands, studying her features. "Are you in pain?"

"No, no –" she murmured, shaking her head.

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her to me, suddenly keenly aware of the new entity between us, the small bump in her abdomen that pressed against me. "Don't be afraid," I whispered, trying to convince myself nearly as much as I wished to comfort her. "We'll be home in sixteen hours. You'll be fine. Carlisle will be ready when we get there. We'll take care of this, and you'll be fine, you'll be fine."

She leaned back, her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Take care of this? What do you mean?"

I held her face in my hands and I could see the terror in her eyes. Her lip trembled as another tear escaped from the corner of her eye and dripped down over my fingers. I had made a solemn promise to love, honor, and protect her and I was going to do just that. "We're going to get that thing out before it can hurt any part of you," I promised. "Don't be scared. I won't let it hurt you."

"That thing?" she gasped, her eyes widening in fear. Perhaps that wasn't the best choice of words. To label the creature in her mind as anything other than a baby would only serve to heighten her fear of it. I opened my mouth to reply when I heard another human's thoughts a short distance away. I squeezed my eyes shut, silently chastizing myself for forgetting that Gustavo was coming today to deliver more groceries.

I could hear his footsteps just outside the door. "Dammit! I forgot Gustavo was due today. I'll get rid of him and be right back." I quickly ran to the door and threw it open to see a startled Gustavo. Kaure stood just behind him looking timidly up at me with a covered dish clutched in her hands.

"Sinto muito, mas isso não é um bom momento (I'm sorry, but this is not a good time)," I said through my teeth.

"Podemos voltar mais tarde, se quiser, senhor (We can come back later if you wish, sir)," Gustavo said in a hoarse tone. He nodded and turned to leave. Kaure's eyes widened and she began vehemently shaking her head back and forth. She pushed past him to stand before me.

Não, espere. Por favor (No, wait. Please)," she pleaded. "Preparei o jantar para você e sua esposa (I prepared dinner for you and your wife)."

I pursed my lips and shook my head. "Isso foi muito legal da sua parte, mas minha esposa não está se sentindo bem. Se você der a comida para mim, eu vou ter a certeza de que ela recebe-lo (That was very nice of you, but my wife isn't feeling well. If you give the food to me, I'll be sure that she gets it)."

The space between Kaure's eyebrows puckered and she took several deep breaths. "Gostaria de dar a ela a mim mesmo. Só vai demorar um pouco (I would like to give it to her myself. It will only take a moment)."

"Não (No)." I could feel my irritation growing, knowing full well that her motives were far more than just the desire to deliver dinner to Bella.

"Por favor, senhor (Please, sir)."

"Eu disse que não. Agora, se você, por favor (I said no, now if you please)..." I held my hand out, gesturing to the boat, but Kaure stood firm. Her frown deepend and her eyes narrowed as she cluthced the covered dish tightly to her chest. I could see the intentions forming in her mind before she acted, but didn't have the patience to continue arguing with her.

She squared her shoulders and pushed brusquely past me through the door. I edged past her and went to Bella. I gripped her face in my hands, brushing away the tears from her cheeks. I leaned in and began whispering an explanation in her ear.

"She's insisting on leaving the food she brought – she made us dinner. It's an excuse – she wants to make sure I haven't killed you yet." The irony of my words was not lost on me. The thing inside her, the thing that I had impregnated her with, would kill her soon enough if we didn't act quickly.

Kaure entered just as I lifted my head. I could see her mind gauging the sitation, seeing the clear emotional distress on Bella's face. "Ainda está vivo ... por agora (Still alive...for now)," she muttered under her breath as she set the dish on the counter.

"Sair (Get out)!" I snapped, taking a step forward, as though my body could shielf Bella from the woman's words.

Kaure's eyes widened, her thoughts fearful, as she turned to go. That same moment, Bella clutched her hand to her mouth and flew toward the sink, leaning over and clutching the edge as her stomach heaved. I reached for her, holding her hair with one hand and placing the other on her forehead in hopes that the coolness of my skin would help to ease her nausea.

"I'm so sorry, Bella – for all of this. We'll be home soon and it will all be over. I promise," I whispered.

Realizing that the dinner Kaure had brought was the likely cause of her current bout of nausea, I left Bella's side long enough to grab the dish and toss it into the refrigerator. Bella took several deep breaths before turning on the faucet and rinsing her mouth.

I slowly turned her toward me and wrapped her in my arms, wishing there was more I could do to ease her discomfort. She slumped against me, her folded arms between us. I cradled her in my arms, hating myself and wishing with all my might that I could take her pain away.

Não (No). Kaure gasped and my eyes snapped to her. Her eyes were large as saucers as she stared at Bella's folded hands, her whole body trembling, her mind fluctuating between terror and hatred. Her palms were up, either to shield herself or as an offering of assistance. Diabo. Elefez isso com ela (Devil. He did this to her).

My body tensed at her thoughts and my own hatred for myself bubbled over until I could no longer contain it. I took a step forward, wrapping Bella behind me. Kaure took a challenging step forward, her face flushed with anger as she began to yell.

"Como você pôde fazer isso com ela? Você não sabia? Vocês não compreendem? Demônio, ela vai morrer por causa de você (How could you do this to her? Did you not know? Do you not understand? Demon, she will die because of you)," she shrieked, stepping forward and angrily shaking a clenched fist at me.

Her words tore through me like talons, deep gashes that penetrated my very core. I didn't know. I didn't understand. How could I? I began to plead, speaking in her native Ticuna tongue in hopes that she would understand my desperation.

"Please," I begged. "I didn't know. She is my wife, my love. I don't mean her any harm."

Kaure was clearly confused by my words, unable to reconcile in her mind what she believed me to be and the idea that I could love a human. The two concepts were not compatible in her mind. She took a step forward and began speaking in a stern tone.

"You say that you are married. And your marriage has been consummated? She is clutching her belly. She is carrying your seed, isn't she?"

Guilt crashed over me in waves and all I could do was nod.

Kaure quickly backed away, crossing herself as visions of small demons flashed through her mind. I don't know why, but I felt the need to make her understand. Perhaps I needed comfort for myself, reassurance that Bella could be safe from whatever was growing inside her. I had wished that I was wrong, hoped that I was jumping to conclusions, but Kaure's reaction only served to solidify my belief that Bella was in grave danger.

I reached my hand out, begging for understanding. I caressed Bella's cheek, hoping that my gesture could somehow convey to Kaure that I truly cared for Bella.

"How can you love her? You are a monster – a demon! You are dangerous! No good can come of this."

"Please, I didn't know. I would never do anything to hurt her."

I could see Kaure trying to work things out in her mind, to make sense of my words and actions when they completely contradicted her beliefs. She could see the confusion on Bella's face and the sadness on mine. There was a hesitant sense of understanding, but it was laced with pity.

She took a step forward, locking gazes with Bella. She reached out her arms, circling them around her midsection, mimicing the round shape of a pregnant woman. I chanced a glance back at Bella and her eyes were wide as she watched Kaure. I wondered if Bella had any understanding of the conversation that was taking place.

Kaure took several more steps forward. She almost seemed to be studying Bella and myself, trying to figure us out.

"How long?" she asked.

"Two weeks."

"Symptoms?"

"Nausea, vivid dreams, fatigue, voracious appetite, mood swings..."

"Can she feel movement from within?"

"Yes."

Her face was drawn in a mask of sadness as she looked between us. I saw in her mind the legends of the Ticuna people, of the demon that would impregnate women and the suffering that would follow.

"Is there anything I can do to help her?"

Kaure's eyes glistened with tears and she lowered her head, shaking it slowly.

I could feel my heart ripping in two, the weight of the guilt that bore down on me nearly unbearable. My knees began to shake and I feared I may collapse from the weight of it. There had to be something. I had to believe that Carlisle could do something, that he could help me save her. Surely in the primitive tribes of the rainforest, they didn't have the advantage of our medical knowledge and equipment, let alone a doctor with unique skills such as Carlisle's.

As though my mouth was working as a separate part of myself, it spoke the one question that I didn't want to hear the answer to. "What is it?"

Kaure slowly took several steps forward until she was standing in front of me. She reached out a timid hand and lay it over Bella's. "Morte (Death)," she replied. Death.

I didn't notice when she left the room. I was frozen once again as my mind tried to protect itself from the shock of it all, from the confirmation of what I already beleived to be true. I had sentenced my own true love to die. If something wasn't done, I was going to lose her forever.

My body remained fixed until I began to grow cold from the loss of proximal heat from Bella's body. I turned to see her walking away and I reacted by reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"To brush my teeth again," she replied.

"Don't worry about what she said. It's nothing but legends, old lies for the sake of entertainment."

Bella's mouth twitched minutely before she shook her head. "I didn't understand anything." I could tell by her body's natural reactions that she was lying. The fear was apparent in her eyes, yet I understood why she would try to keep it hidden from me. She always did try to spare my feelings, even when I didn't deserve it.

"I packed your toothbrush. I'll get it for you." I walked quickly ahead, retrieving her toothbrush and toothpaste from the toiletry bag in her suitcase.

She smiled weakly as she took it from me. "Are we leaving soon?"

"As soon as you're done."

I paced nervously in the bedroom while I waited for her. Visions of death bombarded my mind, towing me further down into my own despair, drowning me in torment. But I had to fight them off. I couldn't allow myself to wallow in self pity. I needed to be alert. I needed to be there for her.

She returned quietly, handing me the toothbrush and toothpaste that I quickly repacked. I cluched the suitcases in my arms. "I'll get the bags into the boat," I said as I began to walk out the bedroom door.

"Edward – "

I turned. "Yes?"

She fumbled with the hem of her shirt, biting her lower lip. I was about to drop the bags and go to her when she opened her mouth to speak. "Could you...pack some of the food? You know, in case I get hungry again."

"Of course." Her eyes were filled with fear, overshadowing the wonder that had overwhelmed her earlier. I hated myself for this. What should be a joyful occasion for a woman, for a potential mother, was tainted by my presence. Like a beautiful flower preparing to bloom, she wilted beneath my wintry touch.

"Don't worry about anything. We'll get to Carlisle in just a few hours, really. This will all be over soon." I wasn't sure if I was trying to comfort her or myself, but she nodded weakly in reply. Again feeling the urgency to get home, I walked from the room and out the door to load the luggage into the boat and prepare the vessel for departure.

I worked quickly, checking gaugues and ensuring that everything was in working order before returning to the house to gather Bella and the food. Bella sat on the edge of the couch, fidgeting nervously with the tasselled edge of one of the throw pillows. I packed a small parcel of non-perishable food for the trip home, ensuring that Kaure's dinner stayed locked away where the scent couldn't reach Bella.

I walked slowly over to where she was sitting and reached out a hand to her. She took it, smiling feebily as she stood. I wrapped my arms around her, bringing her to me, breathing in her scent. I closed my eyes briefly, wishing that our departure from this place was different, wishing that our honeymoon hadn't taken this turn. I hated that our memories would be tainted by this and could only pray that this would one day be no more than a bad memory. I would suffer through anything if it meant that I could keep Bella alive. And just as we had arrived, I scooped her up in my arms and carried her over the threshhold, out into the open sea air.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry for the delay – I took a much needed vacation and then, as always, real life got in my way. Admittedly, it also took me a little while to switch my writing mode from Blissward to Angstward.

Thanks to my beta, Nellybear85, who has the best ideas and keeps me on track. And thanks to misticbutterfly for our late night writing sessions, even if her new little one keeps us from having them as often as we'd like.