Thanks to SusanQ, Nicffwhisperer, Kikki7, Julie, KittyVuitton, Stephanie, Jaime, Nolebucgrl, and Sydney Alice for all of their help pre-reading/betaing/supporting me. I'm always tinkering until right before posting and any mistakes are mine.
Revelations
Each stick gave the same result as the others, and I burst into tears.
Alice turned me toward her, crushing me in a hug as my sobs continued. "Good crying or bad crying?"
I wasn't able to form the words yet. I was too overwhelmed.
"Let me see," Rose grabbed the sticks from my hand. "Oh, Bella."
A moment later she was hugging me from behind, the three of us swaying as my tears flowed.
How was I going to tell Edward?
They finally released me so I could blow my nose and wash my face. I still hadn't said a word as I walked out of the bathroom and found them waiting for me with big smiles.
"Congratulations," Alice said. She seemed to be truly happy for me which was a relief. I needed her support. She understood this was what I wanted, even if she felt I was too young or it was too soon for me to be having kids. As always, she had my back no matter what.
I grinned and tried not to start crying again. If Edward saw me this emotional, he would automatically go into freakout mode.
"I'm not sure how to tell him. I want to make it special. He's wanted a child for so long." I started pacing again, minding my words. Neither of them knew exactly what Kate had done to him in the past. "I don't know. Maybe I should wait until a doctor confirms it to say anything at all? It would be even worse if I told him and then it wasn't true."
Rose stopped me, putting her hands on my shoulders and forcing me to look at her. "Breathe, Bella."
I took a couple deep breaths.
"The special part is the baby. You don't have to have some grand scene because Edward isn't going to care about any of the dressing. It's the news itself that's important." She waited for me to nod. "Do you still have the gift you bought him a couple months ago?"
On one of our shopping trips, I'd found a sterling silver baby rattle. I couldn't resist buying it at the time, even having it engraved, so I could give it to Edward when the time was right.
Apparently that time was now.
"Yes." I answered Rose's question before walking over to the closet and rummaging through one of my panty drawers where I'd hidden it.
I pulled it out and opened the box. The silver gleamed as I ran my fingers over the engraved words.
Soon to be World's Best Dad
I hoped he would get a kick out of it.
When I came back out, Alice handed out some good advice.
"I know you're scared about this being a false positive, but I don't think you should worry. These tests are pretty accurate and all three of them said the same thing. I think you should tell Edward as soon as he gets here."
Rose nodded in agreement. "I think he would want to know."
They were right. The odds of me not actually being pregnant were slim to none.
"Okay." I held the box tight in my hand. "Let's go downstairs and start getting dinner ready."
We'd decided to have an easy night of grilled chicken, pasta salads, and veggies. That didn't leave us with a lot to put together before the guys got there. I poured Alice and Rose each a glass of wine before opening a bottle of water for myself.
My stomach was in chaotic knots as we waited.
"Everything okay, Bella?" Hannah asked quietly at one point.
I nodded and tried to play it off, but I didn't think she believed me.
It wasn't long before the guys arrived, and I barely had time to say hello to them before Rose and Alice pulled Jasper and Emmett outside with the excuse of learning how to turn on the grill.
Very subtle.
I rolled my eyes before turning toward a curious Edward.
"What was that all about?"
I smiled and shook my head, taking his hand in mine and leading him into the den. I couldn't speak yet, because I was afraid I would just blurt it all out. We sat down next to each other on the couch and I placed the box in his lap before I lost my nerve.
He grinned, his freshly tanned cheeks giving away that they had been out in the sun all day.
"You got me a present?" He lifted my hand up and kissed my knuckles. "What's the occasion?"
I fidgeted nervously. "Um…you'll figure it out when you open it."
He chuckled. "It's your birthday in a few days. I'm the one who should be giving you gifts."
I gripped his hand. "Don't even think about that. Open it. Before I combust over here." I couldn't keep it all inside any longer.
"Okay, okay." He laughed again and pulled the top off the box.
I held my breath as I watched him take the rattle out and read the inscription. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. When his glassy eyes finally met mine, and he smiled cautiously, I inched over to be as close to him as I could get.
"Really?" he croaked. "You're pregnant?"
He seemed to be in disbelief. I placed my hands on his cheeks, pulling his face down for a kiss.
"Yes. I took three different tests."
He made some sound before putting his arms around me, lifting and turning me until I was straddling his lap.
Was that a gulp? A sob?
His face was buried in the crook of my neck, so I had no idea what was going through his head.
"Edward?" I asked softly.
The only answer was the slight trembling of his shoulders. My fingers brushed through his hair as I let him take as much time as he needed to get himself together.
This was a big moment for him—something which had been stolen from him before, in the cruelest of ways—and I wanted him to be able to savor every single part of this experience.
His arms tightened, keeping our bodies pressed together, while his warm breath on my neck was eventually replaced by soft kisses.
"I love you," he murmured in my ear. "Thank you."
I let out a short laugh, rubbing his shoulders. "Don't thank me. You were just as involved in the process as I was."
He finally leaned back, and my heart ached seeing his red-rimmed and watery eyes. My strong, invincible man had been brought down to his knees.
"That wasn't what I meant," he said, keeping his arms firmly around me. "I meant being in this with me. You could have told me that you wanted to wait, and I would have agreed. I would have done anything to keep you with me. But you agreed to have kids now, even though we both know I want this more than you."
I tried to stop him, to tell him he was wrong, but he kept going.
"No. I know what you said. I know you want kids as much as me, but I also know you could have waited—probably would have waited quite a while—if I had never entered the picture."
He was feeling guilty, and I hated it. This was supposed to be good news, bringing us both happiness.
"Because there is nobody else I would have wanted to have children with," I reasoned.
He smiled. "I hope not." He looked down and shook his head. "I just...thank you. I'm not sure you know how much this means to me."
His last words came out so soft, I could barely make them out.
"Edward, look at me." I waited for him to meet my eyes again. "I want you to listen carefully, and I want you to believe me when I say this." I paused until he nodded. "I'm happy. I wanted this to happen as much as you did. If I hadn't, I would have told you from the start. If you haven't noticed, I have no problems voicing my feelings."
He chuckled before I continued.
"Are you happy? As happy as I am?"
"Yes." He kissed me softly. "I've never been this happy."
His kisses became more intense, one of his hands moving up my back until his fingers twined through my hair, anchoring our faces together. Suddenly he flipped us, so my back rested on the couch and he hovered over me.
"I love you so much, Bella. Anything in the world...name it, and it's yours."
I gripped his hair, pulling him away enough to meet his gaze.
"That right there," I told him, placing my hand over his heart. "That's all I want. You loving me."
His lips crashed down on mine again, and we likely would have put on quite a show, forgetting we had company, if someone hadn't cleared their throat from the doorway. Edward lifted his head, looking over the top of the couch toward the interruption.
I giggled at his hair sticking up in every direction.
"Sorry, but I wanted to let you know dinner was ready," Hannah said.
"Thanks, Hannah," we said at the same time.
Edward smirked down at me. "I suppose we need to get out there, although I'd much rather stay here and make out with you some more."
I groaned and he laughed, leaning down again to nuzzle my nose. Eventually, we untangled ourselves and he pulled me up off the couch. He laced our fingers together as we started walking back toward the kitchen, holding his present in his other hand.
"So we need to get you to the doctor in the next couple days."
I glanced up, catching his wistful smile. "Yeah, I guess we do." I squeezed his hand, stopping before we got much further. "I wanted to let you know that Alice and Rose are already aware of the baby. They were with me when I took the tests."
He nodded. "Yeah, I figured that out from their little escape act when we came in. Do you care if we tell the others? We can wait if you want. It's up to you."
I shrugged. "I imagine they all know something is up. It's alright with me to tell them."
"Can I tell them?" He sounded almost giddy.
With the way his eyes were lit up, I couldn't have denied him even if I'd wanted to.
"Yes, you should tell them."
We made it to the kitchen, finding only Hannah in there. She turned toward us with a curious smile.
"Hannah, would you mind joining us for dinner?" Edward asked. "There's something I want to tell everyone."
She glanced at the box he placed on the countertop. "Sure. I'll just set up another place outside. They're all already out there."
I let go of Edward's hand, helping Hannah take everything outside. The rest of the gang was already seated around the patio table, drinking and laughing and chatting away.
Silence fell when Edward and I approached and sat down, everyone's eyes on us. He grabbed my hand under the table, and I watched his face as he told the news.
"We have something to tell you all," he started.
I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He looked so happy, so proud. It made me feel warm inside.
"Bella's pregnant."
As soon as the words left his mouth, it was a blur of hugs, kisses, and congratulations for both me and Edward. I had to admit, I had a hard time paying attention to those talking directly to me, I was still busy watching Edward enjoying this moment.
Was it odd for me to be taking more joy from his reactions than in anything else?
After everyone calmed down, we all dug into the food. Edward kept piling more things on my plate until I glared at him to stop.
"What?" he asked in an innocent tone. "You're eating for two now."
I refrained from rolling my eyes, although the rest of the table was already snickering at the two of us. I ate as much as I could handle, laughing along with everyone else as Emmett described their day on the golf course.
One thing that did grab my attention away from Edward's constant hovering was Alice and Jasper. My eyes narrowed as I watched the two of them across the table. Their chairs couldn't have been any closer together, and even though they were trying to be sly, I noticed that they were constantly eyeing each other or touching.
At one point, Alice looked over at me and I raised my eyebrow in question. She furrowed her brow, as if in confusion, pretending she didn't know what I was referring to, but then purposely leaned away from Jasper afterward.
Was there something more going on between the two of them than I thought?
Was he the mystery guy?
As soon as dinner was over, I got up and grabbed her arm before she could escape. I pulled her into the kitchen so we could speak alone.
"What's going on with you and Jasper?"
She shook her head. "Nothing." She looked down at the floor and I knew she was lying.
"Why are you lying to me?"
She sighed and started whispering. "Fine. But you can't say anything to Edward. Jasper doesn't want him to know yet."
I crossed my arms over my chest. No way was I making that promise.
"What's the big deal? It's not like you guys were being completely discreet. It was pretty obvious."
I didn't understand why Jasper would want to keep things from Edward.
She chuckled. "Edward wouldn't have noticed if the President had walked in and sat down at the table. You should have seen the way he was looking at you."
That warm feeling bubbled back up inside me, but she wasn't going to throw me off track.
"Alice, you are avoiding my questions."
"Okay, okay." She pulled me closer to her, her eyes dancing as she grinned. "We've kind of been hanging out since your reception. Oh my God, Bella, he's amazing."
I returned her grin. I'd seen Alice through a lot of crushes, but she really had stars in her eyes this time.
"So what's the problem? I think it's great if you're both happy."
She huffed and shook her head. "I'm not sure if I even really understand it. Jasper just wanted to wait before we said anything. I think he believes Edward will be pissed. Like if something happened between Jasper and I, and we ended up hating each other, that Edward would think it would become a wedge between him and you."
"That's stupid."
"I know," she said, holding out her hands. "But I went along. I knew I'd end up telling you soon anyway. I told Jasper I'd never be able to keep it a secret from you for long."
"Why don't I broach the subject with Edward? Break the ice?"
She smiled and hugged me. "Yeah. That's probably the best. I'm betting Edward would be fine with just about anything that came out of your mouth right now."
I laughed and squeezed her back. "I'm happy for you though. You seem really happy. Is he treating you well?" I pulled back so I could watch her face.
It lit up like the sun.
"I don't even know where to start. We've seen or talked to each other every day since we met. He sends me flowers, takes me everywhere. It's amazing."
"Yeah, you said that once already," I told her with a chuckle.
We didn't get to talk much longer, getting interrupted by the rest of them coming inside, but she promised to call me with more details soon.
Was it possible Alice had also found her perfect man?
~~~*~~~NOP~~~*~~~
Edward and I spent Sunday lazing about and investigating which obstetrician we wanted to see. He even went so far as to call one of his business associates and ask who he and his wife had seen for their children. Once we'd settled on a doctor, Edward had asked me to skip Monday classes and let him take me in there, assuring me he would get us in no matter what. I put my foot down, telling him Tuesday would be fine. I really didn't want to get behind in my courses.
He wasn't happy, but let me have my way.
Looking back now, I probably should have just gone along with his plan instead.
On Monday, in between classes, I was hungry enough to walk a little ways off campus to a nearby deli. I knew I shouldn't have gone alone, but my stomach was rumbling and Leah had passed, saying she had to get to her next class early.
I grabbed a sandwich and a drink, before nabbing one of the tables they had set up outside. I was happily munching away and reading some notes when a shadow fell over me and someone placed a hand on my shoulder.
I looked up in surprise, finding the man I'd run into last week in Starbucks standing there with a smile.
"Well, look who it is." He lifted his hand off my shoulder and walked around to another chair. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked, sitting down before I could answer.
What the hell? Was this guy stalking me?
He opened up his sandwich, taking a bite, and raised his eyebrows as if he was waiting on me to talk. The only thing I wanted to do was run. And maybe call the police.
I glanced around. There were tons of people out and it was broad daylight. It wasn't like he could do anything to me in public.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I turned to face him again. "Yes. I was just finishing. I have to leave." I started putting my things back in my bag and wrapped up the rest of my lunch.
"Why are you running off? I didn't mean to scare you."
Yeah, right. This guy gave creepy a bad name.
"I'm not scared. I'm just in a hurry."
I threw the rest of my things together and started walking away. But not before hearing something that made me shiver.
"See you soon, Isabella."
I wasn't sure he meant for me to hear it or not. Or maybe I was just imagining it. But I didn't turn around to check. I walked as fast as I could back to campus and didn't stop until I was in the building for my next class.
How did he know my name?
I was sure I hadn't told him when I ran into him before. And if he knew my name, then he really was following me.
Had he meant for me to run into him before? How did he know where I'd be today?
I sat down on a bench, trying to catch my breath and figure out what his deal was. My nerves were shot and I almost called Felix to just come pick me up early.
I even contemplated calling Edward, but I knew he'd probably flip out.
Finally, I got myself together enough to finish classes for the day. I kept my eyes peeled at all times, making sure nobody suspicious was following me around or anything. When I got into the car with Felix, I relaxed for the first time since lunch.
Too bad it didn't last long.
When I got home, I found Hannah in the kitchen, but she wasn't alone. Edward's father was there with her.
It was surprising to see him there, since he'd never been at the house in the time I'd lived there.
"Hello, Bella," he said as I walked in.
"Hi." I nodded to him and smiled at Hannah.
He stood up from his chair. "I was hoping we could have a word."
My heart started pounding. I had never had any issues with Carlisle, although we really didn't know each other that well. I supposed my anxiety was due to not knowing his intentions. It felt strange for him to want to talk to me like this since Edward didn't exactly get along with him.
I was still trying to dig into the details of that complicated relationship.
I nodded to him. "Sure, we can talk."
He turned toward Hannah. "Do you mind if we have a few moments of privacy?"
She glanced at me, and I didn't quite understand the look on her face, but she faced him again and nodded. "I'll be upstairs if you need me."
I followed Carlisle to the table, both of us taking a seat. My hands were shaking so I placed them in my lap under the table. Several minutes seemed to pass as I waited for him to start talking. It was difficult not to fidget in my seat, although I wasn't sure why I was so uncomfortable. I kept my eyes focused on the table as if I was awaiting a lecture of some sort.
The longer the silence lasted, the more pissed off I became. This was my fucking house and I shouldn't feel like I was walking on eggshells. I finally lifted my head, finding him watching me.
"What did you want to talk about?" I asked.
He seemed calm, maybe a bit sad, as he clasped his hands together in front of him. "I've come into some damning information and wanted to give you a chance to explain yourself."
My eyes widened from his accusatory tone. "What information?" Although I had a pretty good idea what was coming.
His eyes bored into mine. "Did you marry my son for money?"
Anger burned inside me. I felt like I was being attacked from all sides. Kate, Tanya, some creepy guy, some stalker sending threatening mail, and now Carlisle. Edward hadn't confirmed it yet, but I now pretty much knew Kate had to be behind that letter to me.
"No," I spat, glaring at him. "Who told you that?"
"I don't think that's important."
Is he kidding me?
"I think it's very important." I watched his face closely. "Did Kate say that to you?"
A flash of surprise broke through his calm mask and I knew I was right. That fucking bitch.
"Kate has known Edward his whole life and cares for him deeply. She's concerned."
My mouth gaped at his lame explanation. "You really don't have a clue, do you? She's somehow blinded you to what really happened."
His expression turned angry, but I didn't care. I was finished with him treating his son like this...and me by extension.
"I'm trying to understand what is going on so I can protect my son."
I rolled my eyes.
"Protect your son?" I scoffed. "Since when are you about protecting him? Where were you when he really needed you?"
"I've always been there for him."
I shook my head. "No, you weren't. I love Edward and he loves me. Your precious Kate was the one who hurt him and now she's trying to hurt him again by attempting to break us apart. You can go tell her it will never happen. I would never treat him the way she did."
His brow furrowed as if he didn't know what I was talking about. "The way she treated him? What are you talking about? They were in a relationship once, but Edward left her. He hurt her."
"You really don't know your son at all," I said softly, shaking my head. My heart was aching for my Edward. It was no wonder he had problems with his father.
"Then enlighten me if you have all the answers." His voice dripped with arrogance.
Asshole.
I wanted to blurt out what a trashy whore Kate was. Maybe it was time to finally get it all out in the open so he would realize the truth.
Would Edward be pissed at me?
I leaned toward him. "Kate is a calculating, conniving bitch and she shouldn't be trusted."
He seemed stunned that I would talk to him this way. It was likely nobody ever did.
"Tell me why I should believe you."
"Who you should believe in is your son!" I yelled. I stopped and took a couple deep breaths. This conversation would really go nowhere if I didn't calm down. It was hard though, because I felt like I had a million emotions running through me at the same time. Mostly, I wanted to pound on the table and shake him until he listened and believed me.
"I do believe in my son."
"You have a poor way of showing it." I gripped my thighs, hoping to release some tension. "Did Edward tell you he ended his relationship with Kate, or did she tell you that? Did you ever really ask him what happened, or did you just assume she was telling you the truth?"
His eyes fell to the table, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. When he remained silent, I kept going.
"Did you know she cheated on Edward with his best friend...you know, the man she then married?"
His jaw clenched, but he still didn't say a word. I didn't know whether he believed me or not.
"Did you know she aborted Edward's child without even talking to him about it first? That she tossed it in his face afterward like it meant nothing?"
That made him look up. His mouth fell open and his face paled. I just hoped Edward wouldn't be too upset with me.
"I don't believe that," he said in a shaky voice.
I kept my eyes on him. "I think you do. I think you know deep down that I'm telling you the truth. Now think about how devastated Edward was after it happened and then had to deal with it all having no support from his father."
I left him sitting there, standing up and walking to the fridge. I grabbed two bottles of water and sat back down, placing one in front of him. He fiddled with his bottle, and we sat there quietly for a while.
"I knew your father," he said, finally breaking the silence.
"Really?"
He turned toward me and gave me a small smile. "Yes. He was police chief when we lived in Forks. I practiced medicine at the time. He was a good man."
My heart swelled from the kind words, even if I was still angry at his treatment of Edward. Was this his way of attempting reconciliation?
I nodded. "He died when I was young, so I have few memories of him. But everyone who did remember him always spoke of him well." I paused and thought carefully over my next words. "I wish every day that I still had my parents. There's nothing more important than your family."
He took a long drink of water before answering me.
"You're right about that."
It felt like he was coming around. That he believed what I had told him. That maybe the relationship between him and his son was salvageable after all.
Both of us looked up, startled, when Edward appeared suddenly. He gave me a soft smile, but glared when he turned toward his father.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
AN: Should Bella have spilled Edward's secrets to his father like that? What did you think of Edward's reaction to the baby news? What does Bella's stalker have up his sleeve?
Thanks again for all the responses to the last chapter. I loved seeing all your guesses to the questions.
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Fic Recs:
From This Day Forward by Hopesparkles
Between the Covers by CosmoSydney
Fatherhood, Formula, and Other F Words by anhanninen
Practice to Deceive by Livie79