There is nothing more dreadful
than the habit of doubt.
Doubt separates people.
It is a poison that disintegrates
friendships and breaks up pleasant relations.
It is a thorn that irritates and hurts;
it is a sword that kills.
~Buddha~

Hey kids, shake it loose together
The spotlight's hitting something
That's been known to change the weather
We'll kill the fatted calf tonight
So stick around
You're gonna hear electric music
Solid walls of sound

Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
But they're so spaced out,
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they're weird
and they're wonderful
Oh Bennie she's really keen
She's got electric boots
a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets

Hey kids, plug into the faithless
Maybe they're blinded
But Bennie makes them ageless
We shall survive,
let us take ourselves along
Where we fight our parents out in the streets
To find who's right and who's wrong

Say, Candy and Ronnie,
have you seen them yet
But they're so spaced out,
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they're weird
and they're wonderful
Oh Bennie she's really keen
She's got electric boots
a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets

Say, Candy and Ronnie,
have you seen them yet
But they're so spaced out,
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they're weird
and they're wonderful
Oh Bennie she's really keen
She's got electric boots
a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets

Bennie,
Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie Bennie,
Bennie and the Jets
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie,
Bennie and the Jets

Bennie, Bennie Bennie, Bennie and the Jets

Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie,
Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie and the Jets

~Bennie and the Jets~
Elton John

"Are you done?"

Bella looked up from the toilet, biting her lip as she shook her head. "No. Sorry."

I smiled, sitting down on the pristine bath tub. "It's fine. Pee away."

She flushed at my comment, looking down at her swollen stomach and I sighed - running a hand through my hair as I listened to her ... pee.

In normal circumstance, I would think this to be awkward.

Not now.

No, definitely not now.

I think we passed awkward when I hit a nudist.

Aka Jacob Black.

Bella sighed in relief, as did I, when I heard the liquid hitting liquid stop and Rose helped her get up, pulling her sweat pants up and I cocked my head to the side as Rose picked her up, bridal style, without any trouble what's so all and descended down the stairs, where I saw Jacob already waiting.

"Oh, wonderful," Rosalie grumbled, a harsh sneer on her perfect face. "I knew I smelled something nasty."

"I wouldn't want to be around you when you were going through puberty." I muttered, jumping off the last step.

One step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

Your such a loser.

I know.

Its better that way.

Jacob seemed nervous, and I raised my eyebrows - smiling as I sat down on the couch next to Bella, looking back up to him. "What's wrong, Cujo? Didn't catch a cat?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Could you please stop with the jokes?"

I shook my head. "There too funny. Admit it, I'm hilarious darling!"

Nice accent.

I know, right? I'm trying to go for a old, cross dresser type.

Jake cocked a brow. "What's with the accent?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. What's with the tail?"

I couldn't help but snort out with laughter at my own joke but come on, you have to admit, I am fucking hilarious.

And awesome.

And unbelievably sexy.

I'm a fucking catch.

You wish, Jellyfish.

I thought we had established we're no longer saying that?

Eh.

Edward brushed his hand across her forehead and then along her neck. He tried to make it look as if he was just sweeping her hair back, but it looked like a doctor's examination.

"Are you cold?" he murmured.

She shook her head, leaning back in the comfort of the cushion couch. "I'm fine."

"Bella, you know what Carlisle told you," Rosalie said. "Don't downplay anything. It doesn't help us take care of either of you."

"Okay, I'm a little cold. Edward, can you hand me that blanket?"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Isn't that sort of the point of me being here?"

"You just walked in," Bella said. "After running all day, I'd bet. Put your feet up for a minute. I'll probably warm up again in no time."

He ignored her, going to sit on the floor next the sofa while she was still telling him what to do. I felt myself become rigid, my jaw locking as I watched as he leaned carefully against her side, letting his arm rest along the length of hers, and held her hand. Then he put my other hand against her face.

What was he doing?

What- did he- I mean, what are they doing?

I mean for god's sake, if they want to fuck each other, get a room.

I'M SITTING RIGHT HERE!

"Thanks, Ja-"

I shot up, smiling chastely as I looked at the two - all cosy.

Stupid idiots.

"I'm going to go get a quilt. Actually, I'm going to go get you my electric blanket." I said, smiling. "Huh, that'll be nice. It's modern."

Edwards eyebrows furrowed. "You don't have an electric Blanket."

I turned to him, my smile tight. "Well, I have now."

Jake got up, nodding as he wrapped his arm around me. "Okay, we get it."

"Well you should - I was being rather blunt."

"Rosalie, why don't you get Jacob something from the kitchen?" Alice said, whom was sitting quietly behind the couch - her small legs crossed over each other.

I hadn't exactly spoken to the elf during the time I had been in the Cullen manor (yes, I've named the damned house - although maybe it should be something more original.), although I didn't exactly want to.

Under all that happiness - I'm sure she was a bitter, 90 year old lady who had an infatuation with nails.

Specifically toe nails.

Urgh.

Rosalie stared at the place Alice's voice had come from in disbelief, as if she couldn't even believe or comprehend what she had just suggested. "Thanks, anyway, Alice, but I don't think I'd want to eat something Blondie's spit in. I'd bet my system wouldn't take too kindly to venom."

"Rosalie would never embarrass Esme by displaying such a lack of hospitality."

I scoffed.

I liked Rose, but I also knew her.

And to put it lightly, sometimes she could be a mental bitch.

Say's the girl who ran over her boyfriend.

Are you going to seriously hold that over my head forever?

You hit a man with you car.

Of course I am!

"Of course not," Blondie said in a sugar-sweet voice, and she looked to Jacob with a menacing look before she got up and breezed out of the room.

Edward sighed. "You'd tell me if she poisoned it, right?" He asked.

"Yes," Edward promised.

He won't.

He's too evil.

Like, the Joker evil.

Well, not that evil.

More like not that brilliant.

There was a lot of banging in the kitchen, and—weirdly—the sound of metal protesting as it was abused. Edward sighed again, but smiled just a little, too. Then Rosalie was back before I could wonder what she was doing - or what she was creating.

Maybe some kind of mutant Robot.

With a pleased smirk, she set a silver bowl on the floor next to me."Enjoy, mongrel."

It had once probably been a big mixing bowl, but she'd bent the bowl back in on itself until it was shaped almost exactly like a dog dish. I bit my lip at her craftsmanship, holding in my giggles as my eyes scanned over her selection of detail.

Fido.

It was scratched into the metal, and I smiled - not being able to hold in my laughter anymore. The food looked pretty good—steak, no less, and a big baked potato with all the fixings—yet if I didn't think she hadn't spit in it and poisoned it, I would actually consider eating it.

Pfft - your still considering eating it.

Be quiet.

"Thanks, Blondie."She snorted.

"Hey, do you know what you call a blonde with a brain?" He asked, and then continued on the same breath, "a golden retriever."

"I've heard that one, too," she said, no longer smiling.

"I'll keep trying," He promised, and then he dug in.

She made a disgusted face and rolled her eyes. Then she sat in one of the armchairs that probably cost more then my house and started flicking through channels on the big TV so fast that there was no way she could really be surfing for something to watch.

I looked down at Jake, who was eating with his hands. "For gods sakes, Jake, get a knife and fork."

He looked up, shaking his head. "I'm much more attractive this way."

I heard Rosalie scoffed, and I shook my head, rolling my eyes. "You two are getting annoying. And Jake, that joke was weak. Sit down, and learn," I said, smirking. "Hey, Rose - what do you call a blonde with two brain cells?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes as she humoured me. "What?"

"Pregnant."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Heard that one."

I rolled my eyes. "Well yours was pathetic."

We sat in silence for a moment before I ran my hand through his hair, biting my lip and he looked back at me - sighing. "Time for a haircut, huh?"

I nodded. "Your getting a little shaggy."

He sighed. "Do you have to do it?"

My eyebrows furrowed as I felt hurt and rejection mingle together in my constrained chest. "You don't like my haircuts?"

"Well, you did stab me in the head last time."

I sighed. "That was one time!"

"You also hit me with a car."

I rolled my eyes. "Your so sensitive. Can anyone here cut hair?"

"Let me guess, someone around here used to cut hair in a salon in Paris?"

I chuckled. "Probably."

Alice looked up. "I ca-"

"No thanks," He said before she could really offer. "I'm good for a few more weeks."

I shook my head. "I swear, if you grow a mullet I am going your whole head."

He shook his head, looking over to Bella. "So…um…what's the, er, date? You know, the due date for the little monster."

She and I both smacked the back of his head and I ran a hand through my hair, shaking my head in disapproval. "I'm serious," I told her. "I want to know how long I'm gonna have to be here."

How long she's going be here, more like it.

Her eyes were thoughtful; the stress line was there between her brows again."I don't know," she murmured. "Not exactly. Obviously, we're not going with the nine-month model here, and we can't get an ultrasound, so Carlisle is guesstimating from how big I am. Normal people are supposed to be about forty centimetres here"—she ran her finger right down the middle of her bulging stomach—"when the baby is fully grown. One centimetre for every week. I was thirty this morning, and I've been gaining about two centimetres a day, sometimes more. . . ."

Four days.

How could her life be declining in a matter of four days?

Well, she shouldn't have opened her legs to a sadistic vampire that had sperm.

"You okay?" She asked me, her eyes on mine and I nodded, smiling.

"Of course I am -I'm not to sure about Jake, though."Jake was looking off in the distance, and I grabbed his hand - trying to calm him and Bella sighed.

"It's going to be okay." I murmured, and he looked back at me, his eyes burning into mine.

I could almost tell he was mocking the sentence, not being able to agree with me. "Right."

I got up from the couch, going into the Kitchen - looking behind me to see Bella curled against Jakes arms, both of them speaking in hushed whispers and I ran a hand through my hair, grabbing a drink of water - biting my lip as I went back into the living room, sitting down in an armchair as I tried my best to overhear what they were talking about.

"I'll never be part of your family, Bella." Jake quietly said, before looking discreetly over to me and I averted my eyes - coolly looking as if I didn't care what they were talking about.

You are so, so sad.

Bella shook her head, smiling. "Maybe one day, though."

Jake looked at her, smiling as he nodded. "Yeah. Maybe one day."

I hear wedding bells!

I think I'm going to be sick.

Oh, please, your going to marry a sex god!

I'm going to vomit.

What are you going to wear? Pfft, obviously a white wedding dress but I mean, you have to outshine Bella.

Because lets be honest - her wedding dress kicked ass.

Are you paying any attention to my sickness?

It could be something serious!

I COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT YOU - YOUR GOING TO MARRY JACOB FUCKING BLACK!

AND HIS BIG PENIS!

God, help me.

Can you imagine the wedding night! You'll get ploughed!

Please, please stop talking, I begged as images of Jacob and I, copper skin against ivory, flooded my mind.

You'll get head injuries from the head board!

Please stop!

YOUR VAGINA WILL TEAR!

Oh, my god.

I think my brain is permanently damaged.

VAGINA TEARING!

Yep.

Permanently damaged.

I'm never, ever going to get my innocence back.

Back?

Was it ever there?

Shut up.

"You've always been a part of my family," she added, leaning back into the couch.

And now it was getting awkward.

I thought you said awkward no longer existed?

I was lying!

Of course Awkward still exsists - how can it not!

"That's a crap answer." Jake muttered.

She sighed. "What's a good one?"

"How about, 'Jacob, I get a kick out of your pain.'"

I flinched, as I'm sure Bella did.

"You'd like that better?" she whispered, her eyebrows furrowing.

"It's easier, at least. I could wrap my head around it. I could deal with it."

He looked back down at her face then, which was so close to hers. I felt the unruly feeling of the burnign jealously spark in my chest, forbidding me from ignoring the moment as I tried to tear my eyes away from the deeply personal moment.

What was going on? Should I just give them some space now?

She's married!

And he's not, but he will be!

VAGINA TE-

SHUT UP!

Okay, focus, Anna, focus.

Her eyes were shut and she was frowning, my eyes narrowing at the two of them as I tried to overhear what they were saying. "We got off track, Jake. Out of balance. You're supposed to be part of my life—I can feel that, and so can you." She paused for a second without opening her eyes—like she was waiting for him to deny it. When I didn't say anything, she went on. "But not like that. We did something wrong. No. I did. I did something wrong, and we got off track. . . ."

Her voice trailed off, and the frown on her face relaxed until it was just a little pucker at the corner of her lips. I waited to hear more from her, yearning to here her explain herself further before a sharp snort from the back of her throat."She's exhausted," Edward murmured. "It's been a long day. A hard day. I think she would have gone to sleep earlier, but she was waiting for you."

He didn't look at Edward.

"Seth said it broke another of her ribs."

Edward nodded sourly. "Yes. It's making it hard for her to breathe."

"Great." Jacob said wryly, and I shook my head. "Let me know when she gets hot again."

Edward nodded. "Yeah."

Jake had barely raised his head to look for a blanket when Edward snagged one draped over the arm of the sofa and flung it out so that it settled over her.

Stupid mind reader.

"Yes," he agreed. "It's not a good idea."

Okay, can someone explain?

"Then why?" Jacob asked.

Edward sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "She can't bear his anxiety."

"So it's better—"

"No. It's not better. But I'm not going to force her to do anything that makes her unhappy now. Whatever happens, this makes her feel better. I'll deal with the rest afterward." Edward explained, and Jacob nodded while I stayed way out of the loop.

I'm not even going to ask what they were talking about.

They could be talking about tampons for all I knew.

Doubt it.

I didn't ask for your input.

You yearn my input.

Admit it.

Never.

"She's very sure she's going to live," Edward said.

"But not human," He protested.

"No, not human. But she hopes to see Charlie again, anyway."

"See. Charlie." Jake finally looked at him, his eyes bugging. "Afterwards. See Charlie when she's all sparkly white with the bright red eyes. I'm not a bloodsucker, so maybe I'm missing something, but Charlie seems like kind of a strange choice for her first meal."

I stood, annoyed. "Jacob-"

"It's okay, Anna." Edward sighed, cutting me off. "She knows she won't be able to be near him for at least a year. She thinks she can stall. Tell Charlie she has to go to a special hospital on the other side of the world. Keep in contact through phone calls. . . ."

"That's insane."

"Yes."

"Charlie's not stupid. Even if she doesn't kill him, he's going to notice a difference."

"She's sort of banking on that."

I shook my head, looking at the two of them as I sat back down. "She wouldn't be aging, of course, so that would set a time limit, even if Charlie accepted whatever excuse she comes up with for the changes." He smiled faintly.

"Do you remember when you tried to tell her about your transformation? How you made her guess?"

His free hand flexed into a fist. "She told you about that?"

"Yes. She was explaining her…idea. You see, she's not allowed to tell Charlie the truth—it would be very dangerous for him. But he's a smart, practical man. She thinks he'll come up with his own explanation. She assumes he'll get it wrong." Edward snorted. "After all, we hardly adhere to vampire canon. He'll make some wrong assumption about us, like she did in the beginning, and we'll go along with it. She thinks she'll be able to see him…from time to time."

I shook my head. "Charlie will notice that she hasn't changed in a decade."

"Insane," Jake repeated, nodding.

"Yes," he agreed again. "I'll deal with whatever comes," he whispered, and he turned his face down, away from Jacob's sight. "I won't cause her pain now."

"Four days?" Jake asked.

Edward didn't look up. "Approximately."

"Then what?"

"What do you mean, exactly?"

"From what little research we've been able to do, it would appear the creatures use their own teeth to escape the womb," he whispered.

Jake looked like he was going to be sick.

On Esme's carpet.

That would be a sight to see.

She would go off.

It would be like seeing a person have a nervous breakdown.

Except it would be a vampire having the nervous breakdown.

It would be hilarious.

"Research?" He asked weakly.

"That's why you haven't seen Jasper and Emmett around. That's what Carlisle is doing now. Trying to decipher ancient stories and myths, as much as we can with what we have to work with here, looking for anything that might help us predict the creature's behaviour."

Emmett's been researching?

I would love to see the brainless wonder ... Research.

It would be like watching a dog walking on its hind legs.

Or looking up pictures of cats that look like Hitler.

Now that's fun.

"Then is this thing not the first of its kind?" Edward asked, anticipating his question.

I scoffed. "Of course it's not the first. You don't think a vampire would have got with a human before. Done the dirty. Popped the cherry, if you get what I'm sayin'."

Edward's jaw locked. "I think we all get what you are saying."

I shrugged innocently, well as innocent as I could be. "Just checking. "

Edward sighed, frustrated that I was probably even here. "Maybe. It's all very sketchy. The myths could easily be the products of fear and imagination. Though . . ."—he hesitated—"your myths are true, are they not? Perhaps these are, too. They do seem to be localized, linked. . . ."

"How did you find…?"

"There was a woman we encountered in South America. She'd been raised in the traditions of her people. She'd heard warnings about such creatures, old stories that had been passed down."

"What were the warnings?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowed as my eyes darted over to my sleeping cousin, concern bubbling in my chest, tightening it.

"That the creature must be killed immediately. Before it could gain too much strength."

I shook my head. "Legends are bullshit."

Edward reluctantly nodded. "Of course, their legends say the same of us. That we must be destroyed. That we are soulless murderers."

Edward laughed one hard chuckle.

"What did their stories say about the…mothers?"

Agony ripped across his face, and, I looked down, shaking my head as I rejected what Edward was telling us and I shook it again, not allowing myself to fall victim to the doubt that was seeping it's way through my thoughts - doubt that Bella wouldn't survive this.

That she might not live.

It was Rosalie—who'd been so still and quiet since Bella'd fallen asleep that I'd nearly forgotten her—who answered. She made a scornful noise in the back of her throat. "Of course there were no survivors," she said. No survivors, blunt and uncaring. "Giving birth in the middle of a disease-infested swamp with a medicine man smearing sloth spit across your face to drive out the evil spirits was never the safest method. Even the normal births went badly half the time. None of them had what this baby has— caregivers with an idea of what the baby needs, who try to meet those needs. A doctor with a totally unique knowledge of vampire nature. A plan in place to deliver the baby as safely as possible. Venom that will repair anything that goes wrong. The baby will be fine. And those other mothers would probably have survived if they'd had that—if they even existed in the first place. Something I am not convinced of." She sniffed disdainfully.

I nodded. "Rosalie's right. They didn't have what Bella has. She'll be different."

Edward's face went white as snow. His hands curved into claws. Totally egotistical and indifferent, Rosalie twisted in her chair so that her back was to him. He leaned forward, shifting into a crouch.

I stood automatically, watching as he paused, raising one eyebrow to Jacob, whom silently lifted his dog bowl that still sat on the floor, and with a powerful flip of his wrist, and before I could stop anything, or even make a sound of protest - he threw it into the back of Rose's head so hard that - with an ear-splitting bang - it smashed flat before it ricocheted across the room and snapped the round top piece off the thick newel post at the foot of the stairs.

Bella twitched but didn't wake up.

"Dumb blonde," He muttered.

Rosalie turned her head slowly, and her eyes were blazing."You. Got. Food. In. My. Hair."

That did it.

He busted up, pulling away from Bella so that he wouldn't shake her, and laughed so hard that tears ran down his face. I couldn't help it, but I found myself joining into his laughter that bellowed throughout the room - as did mine and Alice's, whom was giggling uncontrollably with the both of us.

"What's so funny?" Bella mumbled, rubbing her tired eyes as she peered up at Jacob.

"I got food in her hair," He told her, chortling again.

"I'm not going to forget this, dog," Rosalie hissed.

"S'not so hard to erase a blonde's memory," He countered. "Just blow in her ear."

"Get some new jokes," she snapped.

I sighed, sitting back down in the armchair as I shook my head disapprovingly. "Amateur."

"C'mon, Jake. Leave Rose alo—" Bella broke off mid-sentence and sucked in a sharp breath. In the same second, Edward was leaning over the top of Jake, ripping the blanket out of the way. She seemed to convulse, her back arching off the sofa.

I didn't waste any time as I shot over there, watching as she made noises of agonised pain. "He's just," she panted, "stretching."

Her lips were white, and she had her teeth locked together like she was trying to hold back a scream.

Edward put both hands on either side of her face.

"Carlisle?" he called in a tense, low voice.

"Right here," the doctor said, and I looked back - surprised that I hadn't heard him.

He's a vampire.

Your not supposed to hear him.

"Okay," Bella said, still breathing hard and shallow. "Think it's over. Poor kid doesn't have enough room, that's all. He's getting so big."

I smiled, shaking my head. "She. She's getting so big. Why won't you listen to her Godmother, and your favourite cousin?"

Bella opened one of her eyes, shaking her head as she clutched at her stomach. "Your my only cousin."

"Yeah but if we had others - I would kick there ass."

She didn't bother laughing, yet the sides of her mouth twitched and I smiled knowing that I made her happy. "You know, he reminds me of you, Jake," she said—affectionate tone—still gasping.

"Do not compare me to that thing," He spit out through his teeth.

I narrowed my eyes. "Jake..."

"I just meant your growth spurt," she said, looking like he'd hurt her feelings. "You shot right up. I could watch you getting taller by the minute. He's like that, too. Growing so fast."

She took an easier breath and then relaxed back into the sofa, her body going limp.

"Hmm," Carlisle murmured.

I didn't bother looking up, but instead I sat on the opposite side of Bella - clutching at her hand and she turned to me, her dull brown eyes agonised as she opened her mouth to say something yet was cut off by the annoyed, and positively impatient voice of Jacob Black.

"What?" Jake demanded, and I tore my gaze from Bella's - looking back up at those whom surrounded us.

Edward's head leaned to one side as he reflected on whatever was in Carlisle's head. "You know that I was wondering about the foetus's genetic makeup, Jacob. About his chromosomes."

"What of it?" Jake asked.

"Well, taking your similarities into consideration—"

"Similarities?" He growled, not appreciating the plural and seeming disgusted that he would be even in the same category as the baby.

"The accelerated growth, and the fact that Alice cannot see either of you."

My eyebrows furrowed as I turned to Alice. "You can't see Jacob?"

She shook her head. "No. I couldn't see you, either - that's why I was so weird at the wedding."

Weird?

I thought that was how she normally acted.

Carlisle didn't acknowledge what I had just asked, and continued expressing his theory. "Well, I wonder if that means that we have an answer. If the similarities are gene deep."

"Twenty-four pairs," Edward muttered under his breath.

"You don't know that."

"No. But it's interesting to speculate," Carlisle said in a soothing voice.

"Yeah. Just fascinating."

Here is another chapter for you all!

Sorry for the delay - but it was Christmasand I ad no time to update.

And I had the worst christmas.

Eh.

It was awful.

Absolutely awful.

Don't even ask - I can't even express my newly founded hatred for December.

Okay, first a thank you to all my reviewers who reviewed.

AND I JUST HAVE TO SAY

300 REVIEWS BABY!

300!

THREE HUNDRED!

300!

HOLY MOTHER OF SHIT!

HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN!

I have no idea - I'm flabberghasted.

I've spelt that wrong, haven't I?

Oh, I don't really care - I've got 300 reviews!

Oh, and by the way - smashingxURxface - your great. AMAZING! YOU REVIEWED SO MUCH! YOUR AMAZING! Please keep reviewing! Oh, ad by the wa - I hate Bella too. I hate her so much its like - I WIS HAT DEMON SPAWN WOULD HAVE KILLED U! I took joy out of seeing Krsten Stewert die in the movie.

I know.

I'm sadistic.

Anyways, your brilliant!

And to the rest of my reviewers who said such nice things - I'm touched, really. You guys are what keeps me writing.

Well, not literally - it's my brain function.

Please;

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!