.

Chapter 148

Dialogues

Bella

I assumed that they were all lying to me! All of them! If Leah had been hurt just a little bit - accidentally, too, like they were basically trying to tell me - Jake wouldn't have felt a thing. But I ignored it. Leah was sitting in front of me. Still a bit dirty from the forest, but otherwise absolutely healthy and lively by my standards. Why should I be upset about something that could no longer be changed? And what, above all, had apparently caused no permanent damage to her health?

So I finally turned my attention to the pictures on Edward's laptop after putting photo paper in the printer. My dad sat with me. There were many pictures that we had taken in the past weeks.

"And this is Emma," I then said as a sugary sweet portrait of her popped up.

"She's cute!"

"Oh yeah. She's the smooch ball of us all," I smiled. "Tomorrow you'll definitely meet her in person," I reflected.

Charlie looked at me slightly questioningly.

"On Saturdays, David's kids are always allowed to stay up as late as they want, which is why they sleep in late on Sundays. Except Emma doesn't. When she wakes up, she comes over and makes breakfast with Edward," I explained.

"Because, after all, Edward doesn't sleep," Dad muttered under his breath.

I nodded affirmatively.

"You've had a lot of great moments in these few weeks," my dad stated.

It took me a while to settle on eight pictures. We hadn't procured more picture frames.

One of Edward and me from Halloween. The one with Jake and Marcus in the Ball Paradise. There was one from Thanksgiving ... I definitely needed bigger walls so I could hang all the ones I liked ... No, stop it, Bella! If even one vampire catches this thought, they'll start remodeling right away! I warned myself.

There was no system on the wall in the living room.

Everything was hanging here crosswise. I liked that. Esmé also thought it was beautiful that way. Others had a different opinion.

So Charlie was now also hitting the nails messily somewhere in between where it just looked empty.

A little perfect chaos!

When the last frame was on the wall, Carlisle and Esmé arrived.

Charlie's face was really unbeatable, although he had known how they would look.

They only approached Charlie very cautiously to offer him a friendly hand. As if they didn't want to frighten him. They also spoke exceptionally quietly and gently until Charlie got over the initial shock.

"So how are you two doing?" Carlisle turned to me.

"Ask my family doctor," I shrugged with a smile as Edward came back down the stairs.

He had been upstairs washing oil and dirt from the Harley off his hands.

"This morning they were doing so well, she was going to kick me out!" he said indignantly.

Esmé was a little startled and looked at me reproachfully.

"He put a cup down on my baby!" I defended myself.

Splat! My angel had received a blow in the back of the neck. From his mother, who also reprimanded him verbally a little bit after!

Deeply affirmed and satisfied, I looked at Edward.

"Our baby!" he then stood in front of me, smiling idolatrously and kissing me while one hand gently rested on our Knob. "I hope you don't mind, but I invited Charlie to stay with us for Christmas. With his wife Sue," Edward said after we all sat down, and he got me something to drink.

And ice cream. I hadn't said anything about it, but I received it enthusiastically nonetheless.

"Of course not. Charlie, you are very welcome with us," Carlisle replied immediately.

"Family is supposed to be together on days like this, right? Especially when you live so many miles apart. It's just unfortunate that we can't invite your mother as well," Esmé also confirmed.

"We have to keep the number of people who know about us as small as possible for security reasons. Unfortunately, since Renée doesn't live in the area, it's best for her to stay ignorant," Edward apologized for not letting my mother in on it.

I saw his mouth move. Too fast to notice if one weren't paying attention.

Presumably he would have educated his parents about how much Charlie knew. Or rather, how little.

My ice cream was not yet empty when I noticed a frantic atmosphere of departure.

Three youthful ladies came down the stairs. One prettier than the other. Leah and Becky greeted Carlisle and Esmé first, but then there was only a casual, "We're off again."

Questioningly, I looked at my angel as the front door slammed into the lock.

"They don't have anything to wear for this evening and Rose is available to advise them on that," he just chuckled.

"Excuse me? They were shopping in New York last week. How can they have nothing to wear?" I asked, outraged.

The only answer I got was a rather vague "With girls, that's just the way it is," from Charlie.

"I was never like that! And neither was Leah, actually!" I snarled back.

Charlie had no more arguments and seemed very intimidated.

"Rose is bad company for our children!" I stated matter-of-factly. I pouted and looked at Edward. "And you spoil them!" I added.

My defiance was kissed away.

We chatted lively.

The vampires shared a bit about what they had been doing since Forks, which Charlie did not take in without a certain amount of wonder.

Charlie talked about Forks, how it had changed over the past twenty years.

Basically not at all!

A pleasant afternoon that could almost be considered a normal coffee party between normal human friends.

At least, if you left aside the fact that no one but Charlie drank coffee. Or that the ages didn't really match. Or that the beached whale had to be constantly hoisted off of the sofa to get to the toilet.

Marcus then finally stood with us first.

"Ohhh ..." we all admired his truly handsome appearance.

The general 'cute' used by Leah regarding her boyfriend, I could understand. Marcus was really very good looking. Even the 'hot' mentioned to me far less often, I could understand. But in this distinguished clothing Marcus looked truly elegant.

Embarrassed, he ran his hand through his hair and looked down at the floor.

"Leah will be thrilled," Esmé opined.

"She would fall in love with you instantly," Carlisle teased him a little.

A little unsettled by this teasing remark, Marcus raised his gaze to him.

"Fortunately, she already is," Edward said, and Marcus looked toward him gratefully for a moment.

I smirked.

So in this respect, all four of them were the same. All of them harbored little youthful fearful doubts again and again. Even Becky, who didn't trust this supernatural imprinting as far as she can spit.

"What's keeping Jake? Your ladies will be ready in a minute," Edward asked, stepping toward him.

They exchanged just a few words until my angel made his way upstairs.

"Leah is in love? At her young age?" Charlie asked me quietly.

"They all are!" I smiled.

This was apparently too much for Charlie.

With a grumpy face, he rose and walked purposefully toward Marcus. Charlie stood imperiously in front of him, as far as this was possible in comparison to Marcus' height.

"Marcus!" my dad said dryly. And a touch suspiciously. "What's your last name, my boy?" sounded a bit more suspicious.

I hid my face in my hands while my father had more questions.

Name, age, address, marital status - !? - ...

"Dad!" I grumbled, but he deliberately ignored me. God, this was embarrassing. "Do you want a police certificate of good conduct from him?" I rumbled in between, when he came to the question whether there was possibly a police file on the boy who wanted to go out with his granddaughter. And what he would read in it!

Marcus really got a little nervous at this question, of course, and it didn't escape Chief Swan's notice.

"Charlie, you're just scaring Marcus," Esmé good-naturedly interrupted the interrogation.

My dad actually rowed back a bit, but stressed in no uncertain terms that he would keep an eye on him should he hear any complaints from Leah. Even if he forgets to hold the door open for her!

I let Jake pull me up off the sofa when he arrived at us with Edward.

My son looked so great. He was wearing the same clothes as at Peter and Stan's wedding, but still he seemed changed to me. More grown up and mature. Despite the chucks on his feet.

Then the girls came down and were met by their princes at the bottom of the stairs.

And the love that surrounded them all was almost tangible.

I violently forced back my tears.

I did not know why. Currently, I just wept very easily.

"Did you pack regular shoes, too?" I inquired, pointing to the princesses' high heels.

That's what they actually looked like. Elegant and graceful. Of inner overwhelming beauty, which was staged only with discreet highlights of make-up. The only thing missing was a tiara in the hair of the two of them, which was enchantingly prepared by Rosalie.

Comfortable shoes, of course, the boys had forgotten, and Jake ran upstairs again.

I managed to cry movingly only after the children were out of the house, Edward handing me a handkerchief he had already been holding without being asked.

He must have been expecting my emotional outburst.

"What are you going to do when they go to their prom?" my angel whispered as he held me in his arms.

"Cry until I'm dried out," I muttered. I didn't even want to imagine it. I just wanted to stop time. Or, preferably, turn it back again. Like, fifteen years or so. But only if Edward was there.

"You look a little beat, Bella," Charlie commented.

I nodded.

That's how I felt, too.

"Maybe you should lie down for a moment," Carlisle suggested, giving me the opportunity to consume my bloody dinner without Charlie noticing.

"Do you need anything else. Something to drink, maybe?" he asked, and I nodded while suppressing a smirk.

Edward lifted me in his arms and carried me carefully up the stairs, while Charlie had already made his way towards the kitchen.

I startled.

When he saw the blood in the refrigerator? I just hid it a little bit under other things yesterday so it wasn't so obvious.

"Don't bother, Charlie. I'll take something up to her. I want to check her blood pressure. Just to be on the safe side," Carlisle immediately stopped him.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Charlie won't find the blood. I've hidden it well," my angel chuckled.

I had to think for a moment that the last time I had actually looked in the fridge was yesterday, when I handed Charlie a beer.

We sat down in the big armchair. He pushed a pillow into my back in my corner and leaned against the other corner himself. He pulled one leg up between us and my legs dangled over his other. One hand held mine, one hand was on our Knob.

Carlisle came, but I didn't notice the prick of the needle, nor that he had left afterwards.

We talked about Charlie. That he had taken everything really well after all. And about the children. How great they had looked.

"Are you ever going to tell me how much this rather short-term table cost?" I asked adorably, batting my eyes.

"No!" he replied short and crisp, and gave me a kiss on the tip of my nose.

In other words, I shouldn't stick my nose into things I didn't really want to know anyway. Or should I?

"It doesn't even matter. You know how little money means to me as long as I can make you guys happy. Even if I had to spend $10,000 to give my kids a good evening out, I wouldn't give a damn!"

I laughed out loud.

10,000 dollars. He exaggerated wildly with that. Typical. My angel, the playwright!

"But we experience the most beautiful moments together and they don't cost a cent!" I objected.

"You can't say a cent though. What our two predators consume on a value basis of food, is enough for the gross national product of small countries!" he said smart-alecky. "But of course you're right about that. Having everyone around are the most wonderful moments. Nevertheless, one should not overdo it with the family idyll. Otherwise we wouldn't have been in Portland, for example," my angel whispered and kissed me.

"That's right!" I sighed comfortably. Our Knob seemed to agree as well. They kicked vigorously. Or punched. I couldn't quite tell the difference. The surprising pain made me draw air sharply through my teeth and squint my eyes, but immediately I relaxed again and smiled.

Edward, however, looked rather fearfully frozen as I opened my eyelids again.

"Do you realize that I'm on the verge of a myocardial infarction every time?!"

"Huh ...?"

"Heart attack!"

"You're already dead!"

"Nevertheless!"

"Complain to your baby! Not with me!" I replied pertly.

And that's what he did.

He smilingly pushed the sweatshirt over my belly, bent over - you really didn't have to bend down far to this colossus - and then raised a stern index finger.

"Say best wishes from me!" I said before he began his punitive sermon.

"Now, my baby! Would you please stop hurting your mommy. It frightens me when you hit her, and I can't stand to see your mommy suffer. Otherwise you'll be grounded before you're really born," he said forcing reproach, but he didn't quite succeed.

The affectionate smile on his beautiful face was far too obvious. The gentle kiss on top didn't necessarily have an intimidating effect now either.

"What did you say?" he asked as he lifted his gaze again, chuckling.

"Uh ... nothing?" I bristled. I don't think I had ever heard such a question from his mouth before.

"But ..." he seemed confused and listened strained. "That's strange. I thought I heard something. Except the others from downstairs," he shrugged.

Heard what?

I sat up straighter and looked at my belly.

Could it be?

"What are you looking so frightened about?" asked Edward.

"Did you ... I mean ... maybe ... it could be ... that you ... heard the baby?" I asked. But honestly, that sounded pretty outlandish even to me.

Edward's gaze immediately went back to our Knob as he slid off the armchair and sat between my legs.

I leaned back again, not wanting to be in the way of father and child during this silent conversation. If it would take place, that is.

Edward tenderly stroked over my belly and spoke affectionately. Nevertheless, he seemed to be highly concentrated.

From when could a baby think?

I held my breath with tension.

Suddenly tears ran down my cheeks.

I didn't have any pain or anything. I felt something. It was so beautiful. So intoxicating. But it wasn't mine. Even though it came from deep within me. It was as if a veil was placed in front of my eyes. Black, but still transparent. I continued to see Edward's angelic face clearly before me, looking at me strangely. His hands came to my cheeks and a muffled "Bella, breathe!" reached my ears. I didn't. I didn't want to possibly ruin this feeling with it. But something inside me responded to Edward's prompting. Something rejoiced. I felt a movement inside me. Light and delicate.

I took a careful breath. As far as possible without moving.

"Say something," I said trying to be calm.

"Bella. You're scaring me. What's wrong?" asked the angel.

I listened inside myself.

"Our baby likes your voice," I laughed.

"What?" Edward didn't quite catch on just then and looked rather perplexed.

"I don't know ... It ... talks ... to me," I tried to explain.

"It's TALKING to you?" asked Edward, stunned.

I nodded.

"It feels strange. I don't hear any real words. They are rather feelings and moods. Deep inside me, but they don't feel like they're mine," I said, not really understanding myself what I was saying. Again, I felt something that felt to me like I had briefly passed out or was standing next to myself, but yet I was fully conscious. "There it was again," I exulted enthusiastically.

"What it says?" Edward looked at me incredibly affectionately. And curious.

"It also likes my voice," I marveled. Unlike Edward, I rather croaked.

"Of course!" said Edward, as if that were a given. "Oh my God! Look at this, Bella! Can you see that?" asked Edward excitedly all at once, pointing at my belly.

I sat up again with his help, stretched, but I saw nothing.

In a flash, Edward pulled the large standing mirror in front of me. Completely overwhelmed, I let myself fall back against the armchair and cried.

A little hand pressed against the belly from the inside so much that you could clearly see the outline.

"That's our baby!" stated Edward, touched, and very gently placed his fingertips against the dainty palm.

I did the same to him.

That was so incredible. Well, it pressed uncomfortably from the inside, but this proof that a life actually arose in me, to really see it, was ... indescribable.

"I love you!" he whispered, deeply moved, and lowered his hand completely to my skin.

I wasn't sure which one of us he was referring to exactly, but I had to chuckle.

"It made 'Brrrh ...'" I laughed, shaking myself how I had perceived it inside me.

Immediately Edward withdrew his hand.

He looked as helpless and vulnerable as I had ever seen him. He looked like he was overthinking how many times he had already stroked my belly to show the baby how much he loved it. And in truth, had he only annoyed his baby with that exactly?

I took his hand and put it back.

"But he likes it," I passed on from my inside.

Edward seemed deeply relieved, kissed over the tender handprint and sat down again with me on the armchair. Intimately he pulled us into his arms.

"He?" he asked.

"The Knob," I replied. "This strange feeling gives me no clue as to whether we are having a son or a daughter. But it feels completely secure and is overjoyed ... Just like me," I murmured and kissed my angel.

For a long time the little handprint did not remain visible, and I realized that it was getting tired inside me.

It was really a strange feeling, because I was not tired at all. The blood had run through, and I felt invincible again. If you disregarded the small thing that I did not get out of the armchair alone.

Edward put everything away.

I smirked.

"You kind of look like you're offended," I noted as he helped me stand up.

"I am!" my angel pouted. "Why do you know what's going on in our Knob and I don't? I should be perceiving our baby's thoughts, not YOU! That's against the nature", he meant totally snotty.

Against the nature? As if everything else were completely normal here with us.

"So you don't hear anything?" I asked though.

"No!"

He almost screeched it, while an increasing grin built up on my face.

"I don't have an answer, but now you know how the rest of us all the time are," I smugly defied back.

"How can you stand it?" he asked in all seriousness and without understanding.

I rolled my eyes and walked past him.

A discussion about whether his gift was more annoying or useful was just as fruitful as the discussion about my im/mortality. The answer to both was namely very situation-dependent.

Of course, I was forbidden to approach a staircase alone.

To that extent, Edward came after me quickly and made sure I didn't fall down said stairs.

Something smelled delicious.

We found our - actual - guests in the kitchen and Esmé prepared dinner for Charlie and me. They were in a great mood, but I didn't expect anything else.

"You look really refreshed, Bells," my father marveled.

After all, I had not been up there for an hour.

The evening passed quietly.

Sonya stopped by again, but we only discussed with Carlisle and Esmé when the Mitchell family's 'arrival' for the holidays would be convenient, after Sonya thanked them very sincerely for the invitation.

Breakfast the next morning was not quite as extensive as usual.

After all, no predators were here.

But Emma sat at the table with us as usual on Sundays. Today, together with Deacon, who had also woken up early for a change.

Charlie, like pretty much everyone else, was thrilled with our smooch ball. And Deacon, in turn, was thrilled that Charlie was a policeman.

"Our children are still alive," Edward sighed toward the end of breakfast, looking quite relieved.

He showed me the two pictures on his phone.

I chuckled.

It was Edward who had first contacted them.

"What did you think might happen to them during a dinner and an overnight stay at a hotel?" I asked.

"Since our children are as unpredictable as you are ..." he began, but did not finish speaking as I struck against his shoulder several times in anger.

He held my wrists tightly.

It was better that way. Otherwise, I would hurt my hands on the stone that was my fiancé.

We cleaned everything up and took Emma and Deacon home.

Since the sun was shining, I walked over with my dad while Edward walked across the patio to the garage.

There was a manageable expensive underground parking garage directly under the terminals at the airport.

Since Edward had no other option if he didn't want to walk around glittering, we drove in there despite the very high fees. I was annoyed by that. Edward of course was not.

First off, I looked for the ladies' room.

Apparently an airplane had landed shortly before.

It was crowded and it stank disgustingly. A lady my age noticed my baby bump and let me go ahead, which I gratefully accepted.

I hurried.

I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible!

Finally outside again, I leaned against a wall for a moment.

I deeply inhaled and exhaled the far more pleasant air as I took in an anxious mood inside me. Immediately, I looked down at my belly and hugged him.

"It's all right, my little Knob," I assured they with a smile.

Not a minute later, Edward was standing by my side, looking as worried as I had felt inside.

"This is definitely YOUR child!" I stated matter-of-factly. "It was worried about me. Totally unnecessary!" I chuckled.

However, the child's father was not as easy to calm down as the Knob.

So I had to tell first that I had hurried in the bathroom and had held my breath as long as possible, from which I had to recover only a moment.

We met Charlie and Sue at baggage claim.

Charlie had brought only a little bag with the most necessary things. Sue, however, now provided enough clothes - also for the holidays - and had even brought a small amount of fishing equipment.

Edward had phoned Sue himself to assure her that she was indeed cordially invited.

He knew Charlie's passion for fishing - an enthusiasm he shared with Sue - and Edward had hinted enough accordingly. It wasn't that we wanted to get rid of Charlie and Sue in any way, but you couldn't keep squatting on each other when they were really staying for a few days now.

"Hello, Bella," Sue took me into her arms.

I really liked Sue. Most of all, she was good for Charlie.

Also Edward hugged her as if it had always been like this.

"May I?" she asked, pointing to my belly.

I nodded, she smiled gently.

With two large suitcases and another bag we then drove off.

I asked - a little startled, but still cautious - how long they would stay.

"There are only Christmas presents in the bag," she smiled reassuringly at me.

I rolled my eyes.

Christmas. And everyone thought only about gifts.

Everyone was there when we arrived at Carlisle's with the two humans, and they were met amicably.

Charlie's face had turned pale once again in the meantime when he saw Edward's other siblings again.

Not aged a day. He seemed really happy about Alice, though. He hadn't forgotten how Alice had helped me after I came home from Phoenix with a broken leg.

Carlisle and Esmé took a little tour of the house and showed them their room, while I stayed in the large living room with Edward and the others.

We wanted to let them settle in, in peace.

"David brings his family here in the morning and then picks up Daniel alone. However, I don't know to what extent the others will enter Daniel's room when he's not there. But I guess we can already start tonight," Edward summarized just now.

It was about the secret remodeling of Daniel's nursery.

"That's good. Then we can paint the walls tonight. They'll be dry enough by tomorrow that we can put the graffiti and your drawing on the wall," Alice clapped her hands enthusiastically.

"That alone might not be too noticeable to the kids either, if they do go into the room tomorrow," Rosalie reflected.

"And the rest is a piece of cake. All the plans are done, the components prepared and painted. All that's left is to assemble them on site," Emmett also contributed, looking forward to all this sneakiness like a little kid.

"Hey, Jazz, is something wrong?" I asked into the general merriment.

He somehow looked like he was concentrating very hard. He waved it off, tried a balanced smile, but seemed to keep concentrating.

He looked funny. Like he wasn't sure and was questioning himself.

"It's the baby!" said Edward in his direction.

A little miffed.

Everyone was quiet and staring at Edward.

He was indeed offended and left no doubt about his mood.

"Jazz perceives the feelings of the baby! Bella is talking to the baby! Only I hear absolutely nothing!" he specified, and everyone laughed out loud.

Now he was for once the one who did not notice anything.

We decorated the huge Christmas tree together.

The children came, how could it be otherwise, on time for dinner.

Sometimes I really wondered how well the nose of my wolves worked in this regard.

But also in time for the final touches on the tree.

They brought Marcus and Becky along, of course, and thanked Esmé for their calendar gift today, who immediately referred the children to Carlisle.

It would have been his idea. The sachets today contained a clue that a box was hidden in the basement. They had brought it with them yesterday afternoon and deposited it there. This contained suitable equipment for jumping rope, pots for banging on, hula hoops, marbles, crayons, rubber twists, balloons. In addition, a CD with children's songs and a box with all kinds of sweets. A kit like for a child's birthday party. They seemed to think it was delightfully silly and played everything. And they were not finished yet. They only came up to eat, which the twins used to make their rounds as wolves to see their parents that day after all, and were gone again. But they would be back for breakfast. Provided someone would wake them up.

"I wonder if the four of them will leave the house standing - with so much childish enthusiasm?" asked Edward, smiling happily.

"You're just looking for a reason to rebuild my little house, too!" I held a stern index finger right in front of his eyes.

I had let myself be convinced already that Edward's house had been extended. I had thought of enough reasons to object. What that alone had cost! Then there was all the work. In addition, it was actually not necessary. Then we just didn't have a guest room in his house anymore. So what? The twins had their own rooms here in the house and they had said that they were satisfied with them. That one should not worry about their accommodation. But on the other hand, of course, it would be nice to have the whole family under one roof, without having to inconvenience Carlisle and Esmé. Since I agreed to a rebuilding, I had not entered his house. I knew I would only have a guilty conscience if I saw how much time and money was currently being wasted there. Because, of course, they didn't let any foreign craftsmen on the premises here. The vampires did it all themselves.

I got my bloody supper - hidden from Charlie - in Carlisle's study.

I went ahead.

Every time I entered this room, I trembled in front of the huge desk. It seemed intimidating. But I always smiled that aside and imagined it with Carlisle behind it. Then there was nothing unsettling. I went to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out over the grounds. From here you could see Edward's house.

I shook my head inwardly.

The house was about one mile away. It was already dark, which is why I saw nothing of the remodeling work. Well. I would probably not even recognize it in the light from here, after all, I had neither vampire nor wolf eyes. But you could see the Christmas lights. Probably one saw these also from the outer space. From my insides I felt something again. A questioning confusion?

I smirked, but I answered the Knob.

"Your Aunt Alice is just awful. Terribly annoying. Terribly exaggerating. Yet terribly sweet! Your daddy's house is aglow with lights, but no one is there to enjoy them. But she insists that all the decorations stay on."

When I heard a musical smile behind me, I turned around, startled.

I bumped into Carlisle's big comfy desk chair, which bumped into the table in such a way that a leaf sailed off.

My eyes lingered on the letterhead, startled.

Tax office.

"Bella, dearest?" asked Edward uncertainly, standing by me immediately.

I pointed to the letter, which Edward picked up.

"We're getting a tax audit. We have Arnold Hanks to thank for that," he said, and a shiver ran down my spine.

But he was smiling. Actually, he laughed rather downright exhilarated.

"How can you laugh at that?" I asked, downright horrified. A tax audit! With immortal vampires! Who also owned a hospital ... That couldn't possibly go well.

"Do not be afraid, my heart. We are blameless and upright citizens who pay our taxes every year exceedingly voluntarily and punctually," my angel was still smiling, while I was somehow overstrained.

I was about to ask something, but Carlisle entered the room and put me off my stride.

"What's wrong?" the latter asked anxiously when he noticed our contrary moods, and Edward briefly enlightened him.

I dropped into one of the two armchairs, the transfusion needle was once again injected into me unnoticed, and then the two vampires tried to explain to me their unclouded mood despite the tax audit.

"Arnold Hanks, of course, heard meanwhile that I had bought the hospital. In other words, he learned that Henry had gotten a new job there and wanted to discuss his immediate dismissal with the owner. Somehow, then, this subject did not come up when he sat in front of me in my office. But this apparently left him no peace, and he gave the tax office a corresponding hint that they should take a closer look at our circumstances. There might not be everything right," Carlisle smirked.

"But don't worry about it, Bella. Jasper is very good at all things legal and regulatory. There will be absolutely nothing unusual in our finances for the IRS. Our identities are impeccable. We have no tax arrears or facts that we may have forgotten to report to the tax office. I even pay regular inheritance tax on my parents' house, even though I've owned it for over a hundred years," Edward chuckled gleefully.

"Your parents' house?" I paused, confused.

"Yes. The house I was born and raised in. It stands in Chicago. It is quite large, but unfortunately it is too centrally located for us to use it for a longer period of time ... I will show it to you, my angel. To you and our five children!" he promised with a gentle kiss on my forehead. "And now please stop looking so puzzled and worried. Jazz will take care of everything that this thoroughly troublesome audit entails, but nothing can happen to us. And Jazz will make sure that Arnold Hanks is audited as well, and his vest is nowhere near as white as ours!"

Mhm ...? My vampires would get a tax audit and Jazz would just sort it out. Would such statements ever have anything casual or mundane for me? ... Even if I lived together with them for five hundred years, I don't think so!

During the transfusion, Sue came to us.

Emmett had apparently engaged Charlie in a conversation about fishing. I chuckled at that.

On the one hand: Yes, this could even distract Charlie from the end of the world. For another: The hyperactive Emmett fishing?

Edward politely pulled away after giving me a kiss on the forehead and petting our baby.

Sue was concerned and curious about why she wanted to talk to me without Charlie's presence.

A half-vampire. In my human belly. With the Quileute pack leaders and chiefs as siblings.

"That's why I hadn't told you about it," I now admitted honestly. "I'm giving birth to a natural enemy. Even though we don't see it that way here, I wasn't sure what you had to say about it." Especially Billy, I added in my mind. He was so connected to the world of the wolves that he might find it difficult to accept, even though he had finally said goodbye to my vampires quite kindly after his visit.

"To be honest, Bells, this aspect was actually the first thing that came to my mind. As a member of the Council of Elders, I have to tell you that you behaved wrongly. You should have told us about it!" Sue made clear.

I huddled together guiltily.

Yes, that had also crossed my mind at some point, but I had successfully suppressed it.

"After Charlie called me, my first impulse was to inform Seth and Billy. But I reminded myself to stay calm, took a glass of red wine, and sat down on the sofa. I've thought long about the situation you're in ... Seth is certainly not your problem ... It's Billy!" Sue stated.

I nodded.

"I have no idea how he might react to this news. Therefore, I preferred not to say anything to anyone until I could say something convincing. I even came to the conclusion that, strictly speaking, Billy has nothing to say about your pregnancy either! None of us do. You are not a Quileute and can conscientiously ignore our 'advice'," - in truth she probably meant orders. "The Council of Elders, in turn, has to submit to the chiefs. Your children," she grinned in the meantime and infected me with it.

"Still, Billy's word weighs pretty darn heavy in La Push!" I pointed out.

"That's true. But he respects the traditions. Everything that has to do with the wolves is sacred to him. In that respect, even Billy Black will submit to the opinion of the pack, and the pack gets its opinion from Jake and Leah. That being said, Seth would be on your side anyway ... I'm worried about how the baby will develop, though. Even now - inside you. Vampires are inhumanly strong and drink blood. But as I see, you can handle it," she smiled conciliatory and gestured with a nod to the blood bag.

So I told her how the beginnings were. When I didn't know I was pregnant and the first days after. How I became weaker and weaker, and the child denied me food intake. Carlisle held on to his thinking at that time that it was something like a cry for help from the baby. A warning signal.

"... Since then I have been getting blood regularly. Recently twice a day. As soon as I notice that I feel strangely weak and powerless. Apart from the fact that everything goes much too fast, I have only normal pregnancy side effects. I am quickly exhausted. My back hurts. My breasts and belly strain. I have heartburn. My legs are swelling. And my bladder has shrunk to the size of a pea," I enumerated 'cheerfully'.

"Yeah, those are the things you were never told when you were a little girl and we were still caring for our dolls like babies," Sue laughed gleefully.

I nodded affirmatively.

"Compared to the twins, though, this is a piece of cake," I reminded myself.

"I believe you. Plus, you have a loving man by your side who carries you in his arms," Sue noted.

I nodded vigorously.

That was apparently the right reaction. As a reward, I was brought ice cream.

The blood was done, but four of us sat together with Carlisle and Edward.

"And what about the birth itself? Surely you've already thought about that?"

"Of course," Carlisle replied.

The subject did not appeal to me at all! I knew Edward's opinion about it, which was completely different from mine. We had already debated this often enough in the past two weeks. Not to say we would have argued loudly!

The way Edward got up from the arm of my chair and turned away from me had to be enough of a clue for Sue.

"Let's hear it then!" she urged us impartially, leaning back in a relaxed manner, crossing her legs, and laying her hands on the armrests.

She radiated a composure of mind that was incomparable.

"I am for a natural birth!" I then clarified my view.

Edward one could hear snorting contemptuously, Carlisle smirking at this constant reaction from him, and Sue continuing to smile at me invitingly.

"Of course, I know that's a pretty unlikely possibility. I'm not stupid ..."

"Then why do you always insist so vehemently!" Edward interrupted me indignantly.

His eyes sparkled at me.

As always with this topic.

"Because anything else couldn't be less dangerous!" I replied snottily, crossing my arms over my belly.

"And what would your suggestion be, Edward?" asked Sue quietly.

"To take it by C-section as soon as there is the slightest sign that it wants out! Before it can do anything to Bella!" he looked at me angrily.

Sue stood up, sipped from her glass that Edward had brought her, and turned to the windows.

She seemed to ponder the variants and did not say a word. Since she was a nurse by profession, she was able to recapitulate the pros and cons on her own without hearing further context from the physicians present. I thought I heard the 'Jeopardy' tune from the game show in the silence.

"Well," Sue turned back to us when she seemed to have thought enough. She took a breath and revealed her thoughts. "A cesarean section is considered a routine procedure these days, but it still remains a real operation, which in itself has other risk factors involved. Carlisle, please stop me if I'm saying something wrong, but Bella could bleed you to death during the procedure, get an infection that you notice too late, her heart can stop beating, perhaps as a complication from the anesthetic. Also later effects are to be expected as far as wound healing is concerned. Adhesions can form, which you can't see afterwards, but Bella could feel all too clearly. Then there is still the risk for the baby. Breathing problems are the first thing that comes to my mind because the amniotic fluid was not completely pushed out of the lungs without vaginal delivery. Or adjustment problems, because the birth comes too suddenly for the child. The list of what CAN happen is not finished yet, but quite considerably long ..." Sue just listed all the arguments I had found on this.

I raised an eyebrow snootily and felt very vindicated.

Unfortunately, Sue was not finished with her summary.

"On the other hand, it is uncertain how a half-creature will react to the stress of a vaginal birth. If it is stronger and possibly not only physically but also mentally more developed than a normal baby, it could become frightened and seek its own way to freedom. Tearing Bella apart from the inside because it doesn't know any other way to help itself. Driven by its own survival instinct, regardless of the consequences."

Now it was Edward who looked at me condescendingly while I crouched together a bit.

Sue sipped from her glass again and looked alternately at Edward and me.

"And what does the doctor say about that?" she then asked Carlisle curiously.

"That I am prepared for all eventualities!" the latter replied cautiously. "The treatment room has been prepared. May I show it to you? Perhaps together we come up with something else I haven't thought of, or something that Bella might still need or help her with during the delivery," Carlisle asked, gallantly ushering Sue out of the room.

Typical Carlisle! I thought, offended. He hadn't chosen a side yet, but always said the same thing. He would be prepared! What did that mean exactly?

"I'm not going to lose you!" stated Edward emphatically.

It sounded like a threat.

"Then we are in agreement!" I said just as adamantly.

Silence.

"How can you want to put me through all the side effects!" I asked indignantly after a while, when I could no longer stand the silence.

"How can you want to expose yourself to this unnecessary danger of not knowing!" he snapped back just as much.

I curled my fingers into the padding of the armrests.

"One is not more uncertain than the other!"

"But the factor is significantly reduced the faster the baby is out of you!"

"With the side effects, you're not only punishing me, but also the baby. Even long after the birth!"

"I'd rather take the risk of a C-section than have you bleed to death internally, which we may realize far too late under the pain of childbirth!"

"Then you'll change me!"

"I don't want to change you!"

"WHAT?" I gasped hysterically.

I had clawed myself so energetically into the armrests of the chair that I could actually pull myself up independently. But as soon as I stood, I was already propping myself up on an armrest again.

My baby had struck again. Or kicked. Or turned. Whatever. I noticed the painful tugging immediately and held my breath until it was over.

Thereby Edward stood already long at my side, pushed an arm behind my back and put a hand on our Knob.

Gently, Edward sat me back in the armchair as I smiled again.

Yes, something like that really hurt. But it was still an incredible feeling to feel your own child inside you. I was also breathing again. The pain was over and from my belly I felt a kind of apology. Admittedly with quite a lot of imagination, but still.

I sat sideways on Edward's lap, and he looked sympathetically into my eyes.

"You always smile so adorably, even though they hurt you," he said velvetly.

"I can't explain it to you. It certainly hurts, but it's just a moment. To feel our baby growing inside me is so ... so ... incredible," I tried to explain as Edward gently stroked over my cheek. "And it apologized," I smiled.

Edward looked at me confused.

"Our Knob must have realized that he was hurting me. That's what he was responding to."

Edward rolled his eyes in offense, but placed a hand tenderly on my belly.

However, I took his face in my hands and looked intently into his eyes.

"You don't want to change me?"

"Of course, Bella. I will do it. Regardless of the fact that I promised you, I am not willing to spend eternity without you. But I want it to be your free choice whenever you feel ready. Not because you have no other choice," he explained his previous screamed statement. "Let's please not argue anymore about how our baby will be born. Let's trust Carlisle, who knows both of our views on this conflict," he asked apologetically.

I nodded.

After all, we had no other choice, since Carlisle had not wanted to take sides so far.

Thank you for reading!