Chapter Eleven

Bella

Charlotte's friend agreed she could send some of the pills off special delivery to her so all we could do then was wait for her report. She showed me up to the guest suite which was very warm and homely with an open fire, already lit, and a huge wooden bed with a thick home-made patchwork quilt on it. There was a small bathroom off with a tub and shower cubicle so I showered quickly before climbing into bed. I'd certainly felt better, my back ached and my feet were swollen. As I lay down I looked along the length of me and gasped, I could see a bump that shouldn't be there, a swelling in my belly and it reminded me of the baby I had lost.

"Charlotte"

She came at my scream and I pointed to my belly,

"I think Alice might be right but I've no idea how."

Peter stuck his head round the door and after a quick glance nodded his head sagely,

"Yep, that's definitely a baby bump. Well it looks like we might have the patter of tiny feet in the house after all."

I looked at Charlotte in shock,

"How? What? Char I'm scared"

She pulled me into a hug,

"Don't worry Bella we'll manage. I'll need to go shopping for a few things but I helped my mother bring my brothers and sisters into the world so I have some idea what I'm doing"

I heaved a sigh of relief then the tears started,

"I lost a baby Char some time ago, when I lost my husband. Do you think that will make a difference?"

"As long as there was nothing wrong with you then no, it was probably the shock. We'll take it easy and I'm sure everything will be OK."

Peter

Char stayed with Bella till she fell asleep then came down where I was wearing a track in the rug,

"Charlotte. We have no idea what we're doing here"

"Peter calm down, it's a baby. I've delivered a few."

"Oh really? And how many of those were half vampire?"

"Well none but I'm sure there's not much difference"

"Oh Good, Great! And if there are any complications? How about the blood? I'm pretty sure this birth caper produces some of the stuff. Are you going to be able to resist the scent? What if its breech?"

"Breech?"

I looked shamefaced,

"Uh yeah, I heard about it on General Hospital"

She laughed out loud,

"You might as well have been watching Alien"

"Oh I'm glad you brought that up because in that film doesn't the monster rip its way out of the mother?"

"Well it's actually a man but I get your point. What do you want me to do? She can't go to a hospital, not if it is The Majors"

"I'd like to know how she got knocked up by him when she hasn't seen him in two years and neither has anyone else. Did he materialize in her bedroom have a quickie then de-materialize? I'd think she might have felt something."

"Peter, I think the drugs might have something to do with that. Remember she kept losing hours or finding herself in bed or in the bath"

"I hadn't really been taking that much notice, I was to busy trying to work out how Alice Cullen got us into this fucking mess."

Bella

I couldn't sleep, there was so much going round in my head, pregnant with no idea how and no idea if it was Jasper's baby or someone else's. All I knew was that Carlisle was somehow involved, I wanted to rip his black heart out of his chest, but for now I had more important problems. Keeping the tiny life inside me long enough for it to survive, I couldn't go through that horror again. I felt I needed some comfort but I had no idea what, then I remembered the tee shirts of Jasper's I'd picked up in the house. Very quietly I got up and tipped my bag upside down. The tee shirts and photographs fell out and I picked them up. As soon as I touched the tee-shirt with the flag on it I felt calmer, so I climbed back into bed with it held close. I lay the photographs out on the pillow beside me and gazed into his smiling face. Touching it with a finger I whispered through the gently falling tears,

"I'll look after the little one. Know that wherever you are Jasper"

The feeling of calm that fell around me told me without a doubt that the baby I was carrying was his, however it had happened.

Charlotte

I went up to check on Bella later and had to smile, Alice had been right without a doubt. I recognized the tee-shirt she was clutching although I had no idea how it came to be in her possession. Peter had one the same, bought at a country fair in Texas a long time ago. Moving forward I peered at the photographs around her head. Picking one up I smiled, Jasper on his favorite Stallion that Peter had named Major. Some of the others included us and I mused on the fact he had kept them all these years. I'd never thought of him as a sentimental man, he had depths I didn't see. I remembered her telling me she'd gone to the Cullen house looking for clues to trace Carlisle but it seemed she'd found other things instead. Peter peered round the door,

"She OK?"

I beckoned him in and he smiled at the tee-shirt,

"I must find mine."

He picked up some of the photos and chuckled low,

"Major, God he was a horse and a half. I'd forgotten about him, what a beast."

He put the photo back and looked at me,

"Can we do this Char? It's a hell of a responsibility"

"She has no one else. In the meantime I want you to go look for him"

"Where?"

"Start at the house in Forks like she did. You might be able to pick up something she missed, use your nose."

"What am I? A fucking bloodhound now? Jeez I get some jobs"

I put a finger to my lips as his voice got louder and she stirred restlessly so we tip toed out of the room closing the door behind us.