Bella's Point of View
It's been a full week since we found out about Alice's pregnancy. A lot has happened since then. There was an atmosphere lingering in the pack. Something was happening, we didn't know what it was, but there was a feeling that something big was about to happen. One thing that seemed to be a bit of good news, was Mike got into a terrible accident, thanks to Raymund he is alive, but he no longer had the ability to ever hurt another woman. Alice was overjoyed, her fear was melting away more and more. Today, she will be meeting up with Henry and Lucy for the first time. She wanted me to be there with her. I could tell she was really nervous.
Edward drove us to a beautiful open field, blooming with colorful flowers. There was a section of shortened grass, where a picnic blanket was laid. It was within Fork's limits. So both Lucy and Henry would be permitted to come here. Jasper and Edward would be staying within ear-shot of us. They would give Alice her privacy with her parents, as much as they could allow. But not Edward or Jasper trusted them. They wanted to remain close so that they could spring into action if needed.
Alice and I sat side by side on the blanket, just trying to relax. She was running her fingers through the grass, appearing lost in thought. I glanced over at her sneakily, trying to determine if I noticed a baby bump yet. She looked more bloated. I wasn't sure if she was far enough along to notice any physical changes. She felt my eyes on her and turned to give me a funny look.
"What? Do I look fat?" She frowned anxiously.
"No, not at all. I can't even tell you're pregnant. Relax Alice." I chuckled, squeezing her tiny shoulder.
She sighed, adjusting her shirt a bit, attempting to disguise her body a bit more. But there was nothing to hide. It was in her mind. She felt she was getting fat and gaining weight. But when we weighed her on the scale in my bathroom, she was only up three pounds. It wasn't a big deal, but it was to Alice.
Alice pulled her legs up to her chest, watching me. "I'm just so scared that I'm going to get huge and Jasper won't want anything to do with me. I mean… I'm having this baby and it isn't even his. This must feel so painful and unfair for him."
"That isn't your fault. You didn't ask for this. Mike forced this on you. Jasper can't blame you for any of this happening. He is a pretty good guy, so I don't think you will have to worry about him wanting to leave you over this. Especially since you are his imprint."
"It just doesn't seem fair, does it?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "As long as you are both happy, I don't see why that would matter."
She didn't reply, instead she just exhaled slowly, casting her eyes up to the sky. The weather was decent today. Cloudy, but not raining. The ground was a little damp from the light mist of rain we got in the morning. But the blanket kept us mostly dry. Alice was bundled up in one of Jasper's coats. It was much too big for her, but she admitted that keeping his scent close to her made her feel better.
I could relate to that. I had one of Edward's tops, stashed away in my closet.
"Did they ever find Leah?" Alice asked suddenly, turning her sights to me.
I shook my head dejectedly. "Not yet, Sam is about to lose his mind over the whole thing. He thinks that she ran away because of his imprint with Emily."
"I hope she is alright, wherever she is." Alice muttered quietly.
There was just something very off about the Leah situation. Yes, she was hurt, heartbroken. She never hid that fact from us. But I don't think she would ever run away. She had family here. Her parents and younger brother. Where would she go? It just didn't make sense. I didn't believe that she was kidnapped. But I couldn't believe any of the other options that left us with. I refuse to think she was killed. Or lost. She was very drunk the night she left Sam's party. No one really noticed her slip away. But that was the last time any of us had seen her.
Edward had a feeling about this as well. He didn't believe that Leah ran away.
Suddenly, I watched as two people came walking from the tree line, into view. I spotted Henry easily. But the beauty that stood next to him made my breath catch in my throat. I glanced over to Alice, to see her wide eyes.
The couple approached us slowly, hand in hand. I could see the overwhelming love radiate off of them. There was no denying that these two were absolutely in love. The woman had striking elegance. Probably one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Her skin was a light sun-kissed tan. Dark mahogany hair hung in loose braids to the middle of her back. But like Alice, her eyes were a dazzling sapphire blue. Henry stood with pale skin -like Alice. Eyes of an orangish amber, slightly off from the pure gold that it had been at the meeting. And his ebony dark curls that hung partially over one side of his face.
Henry offered us a grin that was so familiar, it was one that I saw on my best friend's face all the time. Lucy cocked her head to the side, a vibrant smile dancing on her face as she stared at Alice. I could see the bond forming between them already. It wouldn't take long for them to fully connect. Alice's lips parted slightly as she stood up to walk towards the two of them. Almost as if she was in a trance.
"Mary, is that really you?" Lucy squealed, her voice sounded almost exactly like Alice's. Her arms came out to capture Alice in a tight hug. Alice wrapped her arms around her without hesitation.
Henry chuckled softly. "Actually, they named her Alice dear,"
Lucy nodded, kissing the top of Alice's head. "Oh that's right, I'm sorry. I just can't believe what a gorgeous young lady you have become." She cooed.
Alice's face was flushed red, tears starting in her eyes, but she was smiling. These were tears of happiness.
"It's really nice to meet you both." Alice sniffed, letting her arms drop from around Lucy. She eyed Henry for a moment, before cautiously hugging him as well
He seemed surprised and I would be lying if I said I wasn't surprised as well. Alice made it pretty clear that she was a little apprehensive to meet her father. But she must have gotten over those feelings.
He pulled her close, letting his eyes shut for a moment. They looked like such a nice little happy family. I could tell Lucy and Henry really cared for her. As emotional as this was, I felt like I was a bit out of place here. Like I was invading their family moment. But Alice turned back to me with a smile.
"Come meet my mom Bella."
I sensed Edward beginning to shift around in the woods. There was a low growl from behind me. But I cautiously walked over, standing just a few feet away from them now. Lucy smiled warmly.
"You're my daughter's close friend, isn't that right?"
I nodded, feeling slightly intimidated by this woman. I felt the urge to fight. It was something animalistic and raw. I wanted to prove myself. That I was stronger.
"I am," I nodded stiffly.
Lucy bowed her head completely, with respect and submissiveness. The feelings to dominate her, left my body in an instant. It almost made me dizzy, how fast the mood shifted. "I apologize, I didn't realize you are a luna as well."
"You mean, you are too?"
Lucy nodded slightly, a sad look coming to her face. "I was the Luna for the last alpha of the La Push pack. When he died, I led the pack for a while, until I met Henry." She turned to him, admiration clouding her blue eyes.
"I didn't know that," Alice said with a bright smile. "Does that mean, I still may be able to trigger the turn?"
"It's very possible, but I wouldn't recommend that, while being pregnant." Henry said softly. He shared an emotional look with Lucy. They didn't look entirely pleased. They more or less had a feeling of guilt on their faces. Did they wish that they could have been there to protect their daughter?
Alice's face paled. "How did you know about that?"
Henry stroked the side of her face lightly. "It's part of my abilities. I can see your future. If I'm not careful I can manipulate your future as well. But don't worry, I would never do something like that to you, or your mother."
Does that mean he would consider manipulating mine?
I took a couple steps back, putting a little distance between myself and Henry. Just to be safe.
"My future, so you see the baby? What is the baby's gender? I mean… are they healthy? Does the delivery kill me? Will Jasper hate it?" Words tumbled frantically off her lips. It was almost comical to see.
Lucy covered her mouth with her hand, giggling. "She is so much like you Henry, I'm relieved. I thought she would be more like me." She murmured with a pleased look to her husband.
Henry chuckled as well. "The baby is healthy, happy and Jasper quickly falls head over heels in love with it. He will make a wonderful father. But Alice honey, are you sure you want to know the gender?"
Alice nodded eagerly. "Please, I wanted to start decorating a nursery, I needed to come up with a theme and get everything ready. I know it's still too early to find out anything yet."
"You are having a beautiful baby girl."
That's great, Alice was hoping it was going to be a girl. I was very excited for her.
Alice bounced in place a little, clearly excited. "I couldn't have hoped for better news."
"We were wondering if you had decided where you would be staying, to have the baby. We heard you were staying with your friend." Lucy said, turning to a more serious tone.
"Yeah, I'd like to stay with Bella. She is more than a friend. She is like my sister. We take care of each other." Alice shrugged.
"I trust Bella, but I don't trust Sam, do you think it would be safe to raise your daughter at La Push. We live in Forks, Jasper lives in Forks as well. And eventually I'm sure that Bella will be moving to Forks to live with Edward one day as well." Lucy said gently.
Alice chewed her lip, looking over to me. "Is that true Bella, have you given thought to moving in with Edward? In the future?"
I nodded. "Of course, but not until after I graduate. At the very least. Charlie would have a heart attack if I told him I wanted to move out now."
"As much as I'd love to move to Forks and spend more time getting to know you guys, I do have a whole life here that I would be walking away from. I'd like to stay at La Push, at least until I finish school as well. Then my daughter and I can live in Forks, close to you guys."
Henry smiled, seeming satisfied with Alice's answer. "Well, I don't think there is anything wrong with that."
Lucy on the other hand, didn't seem thrilled. A frown came to her face. "How is Shelly and Joe treating you?"
I was surprised that Lucy knew the names of Alice's adoptive parents. I didn't know they were aware of the couple who had raised their daughter.
"Honestly, I've been really upset with them for keeping secrets from me. It's still kind of hard to look at them. It feels like they are strangers to me now. But I'm ready to head back to live with them. I will need all the support I can get for this baby."
Lucy's eyes narrowed slightly, envy clouding her beautiful features. "Whatever you need, your father and I can get you. We may have been forced apart all this time, but you are our daughter."
"I know and I really appreciate that. Don't get me wrong, I know who my real parents are now. But it's still true that I don't know either of you very well. I look forward to getting to know you both."
Henry swept in, as he noticed Lucy's slight trembling in her arms. He wrapped an arm around her, offering us both a smile. "It's fine, she isn't rejecting us. She just needs time. Things will work out in the end. I promise you." His words seemed to relax Lucy completely.
A smile returned to her face.
I guess Lucy had a bit of a temper, although I'm not sure what it stemmed from. It seemed like she didn't like Shelly and Joe. The way she spoke of them, with such distaste. It was almost like she knew who they were. Curiosity burned at me for a moment.
"Who is Shelly and Joe to you?" I asked, watching Lucy closely.
Lucy turned away from us, hiding her face for a moment. "Joe was my ex-fiance. We were just a week from getting married, but then Henry appeared. Obviously that changed everything. I'll always love the man. There is simply no denying that those feelings are still there. But what I feel for Henry is one thousand times stronger. Henry is the one. He will always be my forever."
Henry had a pained look on his face, and held her closer. The devotion was clear on his face. It didn't matter what Lucy said, or did. He would love her unconditionally. It was heartwarming. And Lucy trusted Henry enough to admit her feelings for another man, they understood each other. Accepting each other. It wasn't a flawless love story by any means. But it was theirs.
"And Shelly? Do you know her as well?" Alice wondered.
"She is my baby sister, although she is dead to me. We haven't acted like real sisters since I met Henry. She pretty much disowned me. Because of my involvement with vampires. Imprint or not. She didn't accept me." Lucy said with a straight face. No emotion.
Well that does sound a bit harsh. No wonder she was getting a little jealous of the thought of Alice remaining under Shelly's roof. And not to mention, with her ex fiance. Alice might have a difficult time in the future, with family drama.
"It sounds like your sister may have had a change of heart, after all, our daughter is part vampire as well. And it's clear that she loves her dearly." Henry commented with a raised brow.
Lucy snorted. "Even so, I'll never acknowledge her. She had her chance to make things right."
"Really, how so?"
"She should have taken matters into her own hands, when Mike hurt you. But she did nothing to keep you safe. It's disgraceful." Lucy spit.
Alice sighed, but nodded her head glumly. "I don't think they knew what to do in that situation. To tell you the truth, if Bella wouldn't have been there to help me through all this, I'd probably have hurt myself… pretty badly."
Henry, Lucy and I both flinched at her words. I had no idea that Alice had wanted to hurt herself. I knew she was in a really bad place, because of what happened. But I didn't know it was to the point that she wanted to end her own life.
Henry took a few steps over and hugged Alice. She held onto him tightly, tears slid down her cheeks. They didn't speak for a moment. They just held each other. It was a powerful moment. A father and his daughter. Both in pain. Both supporting each other. It moved me to tears as well. I had no idea my best friend was suffering this bad. I should have done more. I wish she would have told me.
"So, are you happy with what happened to Mike?" Lucy asked quietly.
Alice smiled weakly. "I'm relieved that he can't hurt anyone else. But he still hurt me. Just knowing he is alive is painful for me."
"And the baby, it's his, does that cause you pain as well?" Henry wondered.
"Not as much as I thought it would. Don't get me wrong, I really wish this child would belong to Jasper. I wish she wouldn't be connected to that asshole in any way. But it isn't her fault. I will love and protect my daughter, no matter what."
"I'm very proud of you dear, you are strong. You will be a wonderful mother. We won't let Mike hurt you. Or the baby. You can leave it to us." Lucy promised as she lightly stroked the top of Alice's head.
I wondered what she meant by that.
Henry breathed out a sigh of relief. "I'm just glad you are content with having the baby. You know that if you need us for anything, we will be here for you both." His eyes traveled to me now.
His amber eyes scanned over me, his sights lingering around my stomach. A smile crept across his face as he made eye contact. "May I?" He held his hand out to me cautiously.
I chewed my lip as I deliberated. I knew Edward would get pissed if I let Henry use his abilities on me. And it was a risk. If it wasn't for the fact that I don't think Henry would consider doing something bad, to his daughter's best friend. Against my best judgment I took a few steps over to him and placed my hand in his.
His eyes widened in slight surprise, before looking into my eyes. The contact was brief. He let my hand drop in seconds. "I'm happy for you."
"Why, how is my future looking now?" I smiled ruefully.
"Progressing well. You will have your hands full. I hope you're prepared for the next few months." He mused.
"You always give me such cryptic answers."
"You never ask for any further detail." He countered.
"I guess I prefer to be surprised. Maybe if I find out what is coming in my future, I'll mess things up and it won't end up coming true."
"In this case, it's impossible. Everything is already in motion. You can't turn back from this path anymore. It will come to pass." Henry spoke casually. His body language was interesting. He looked like he was standing completely still. Frozen in time. Unbreathing. Yet he looked relaxed. Like nothing in the world could possibly bother him.
Alice offered me a bubbly smile. "Don't tell me, Bella is pregnant too?"
I laughed at the notion, along with Alice. But neither Lucy or Henry laughed. They just exchanged looks at one another. They didn't comment. Just watched the two of us. The silence was unsettling. I was hoping he would say, no of course not. But he didn't say anything. I was afraid to ask any further questions at this point. Alice didn't seem to pick up on this. She went on chit-chatting with Lucy. But I remained focused on Henry. My heart fell to the pit of my stomach.
"Is that what's going on?" I whispered quietly.
"Are you sure you want me to answer that?"
"I have to know, don't I?"
Henry shrugged slightly. "That's completely up to you."
"Just tell me, please,"
"Yes, that is what's going on." He whispered back, just as quietly.
I didn't know how to react to this. My first impulse was to shake my head. There was just no way. Edward and I have mostly been careful. What was he going to think? What if he is angry? What if he wants me to give the baby away? I didn't even want to imagine what Charlie's reaction was going to be. I wasn't ready. I felt my shoulders begin to tremble.
"Don't lose control, it could be harmful." He glanced down at my stomach again. "If there was only one, I'd say it would be alright, but with multiples, it is significantly more hazardous."
"Did you say multiples?" I muttered, feeling my eyes widened.
Henry rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Oh… umm yeah… that part slipped out. Sorry if you didn't want to know that."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It felt like my world was shifting out from under my feet. With a few calming breaths, I went back and took a seat on the blanket. I dug through my bag quickly, getting a drink of water. Alice was watching me curiously, but she was too distracted with her parents. I needed a second.
Out from the tree line, I watched as a huge black wolf came inching out into view. I smiled weakly at the sight of Edward. He moved over to lay down next to me, his massive head resting in my lap. I calmly stroked the top of his head. Letting myself get lost in thought.
I wonder how much of that he heard. I curled close into his side, running my fingers through his hair. I let my eyes close. Feeling myself calm down. He always made things feel better. I craved him by my side. I just hope that he could accept this. I hoped that I could accept it as well. It was just so much to think about. I was going to become a mother. I was seventeen. Not even a senior in high school yet. My life was going to get turned upside-down.
A/N: Let me know what you think of this chapter. I really enjoyed writing this one. It feels like a lot is going on. Anyway, thanks for reading! Leave a review to show some support! Will update as soon as I can.