Chapter 33

Good news ?

That same evening, a meeting takes place on the border between the Quileutes territory and that of the Cullens. For the first time, my father will have to decide on the form of his participation in the operation. He is nervous. Edward holds my hand and we watch the wolves arrive by car, and on foot, accompanied by the elders and the footprints.

Jacob, Emily and Paul greet me from afar. I don't notice Embry. Edward whispers to me that Embry stayed with Quil who is still having trouble controlling his transformation. I nod my head. The wolves are closing in and I see Edward's head snap up. I look at him, questioning, but he doesn't answer me, looking puzzled.

Alice and I have managed to determine with our respective visions that the attack will take place in Forks in five days. It's definitely much closer than in the book. Perhaps not knowing about Alice's gift makes Victoria less cautious. It was decided that Quil and Tania would stay with my father and me at La Push. No, my father finally did not accept that his companion put herself in danger.

Tanya pouted at the expression of her wish, but her lack of reaction indicated that she wasn't really upset and she agreed to step back. I suspected that she secretly found her overprotective attitude cute. In fact, she loved seeing him dressed in his police uniform. I had the impression that she saw him as some sort of vigilante.

I knew, by some unfortunate coincidence, that Charlie and Tanya were playing cops and robbers while I was away… Note to self, NEVER touch my dad's cop uniform without gloves again… Tanya's vision handcuffed to a chair during an interrogation… um… very particular will remain engraved on my retina for life…

The exceptional authorization to enter the reserve was therefore given to Tania as Charlie's companion, whom all the inhabitants of La Push respected. As for me, I understood that Edward was very useful in the field, being able to decipher the thoughts of newborns. I also remembered Victoria following Edward's scent to find Bella in the book, knowing she would be with Edward. Normally, she didn't know Tania's scent and she knew that entering Quileute territory was a bad idea for a vampire.

She must have thought from her last experience that the Cullens and the Quileutes weren't entering each other's territory. This was usually true, but a paragraph had been added to the treaty. It was specified that a Cullen or a Denali could pursue and kill in Quileute territory any non-vegetarian vampire who did not respect the treaty.

On the evening of the confrontation, we gathered at Emily and Sam's house, like the last time with the nomads. The fact that Sam allowed his imprint to come so close to a vampire was a great victory in itself. We had considered the Black house, but it was too small to accommodate three humans, including one in a wheelchair, a wolf, and a vampire.

Emily had then offered her house, Sam had initially objected to putting Emily in danger, but my father had asked to speak to him in private. I don't know what Charlie said to him, but less than ten minutes later, both of them had come back from their interview looking relaxed and Sam had then agreed. So here I am sitting at the table in Emily's house feeling like deja vu. Maybe it's the sight of Quil wolfing down the rotisserie chicken I also brought in that day.

I feel my stomach turn and I run to the bathroom. I must be more nervous than I imagined. When I come back after refreshing my face, I explain that I don't feel very well. Quil looks up from his chicken and says to me:

"Maybe it's your new perfume… You should change it."

I don't have a new perfume, I reply.

Now that the wolf says it, you don't smell the same as when we first met, Tanya intervenes. Since your scent is mixed with Edward's and I constantly smell it, I didn't notice it until today, but it's quite clear indeed.

But I tell you that I have not changed perfume, I refute.

Well that's weird, Quil says, his mouth full again. In any case, the new smell does not smell of the vampire.

Washing ? Charlie offers.

Maybe, I had to change the detergent I was taking recently. They had changed the recipe I think precisely because the perfume gave me a migraine.

bella? Emily asks suddenly. Can I talk to you in private please?

Uh, yes, of course. »

We apologize and I go back to the bedroom of the house. She takes a pen and paper from a desk and writes to me:

"Have you had your period recently? »

I grab the pencil and respond in the same way:

"Not since…"

I leave the pencil suspended above the paper realizing that Emily's reasoning was more than likely. I think my wide eyes and wide open mouth answer for me and Emily hugs me and asks me:

"That's good news, isn't it?"

I guess, but my father is going to kill Edward… And then he will kill me…

I thought only Edward was prone to melodrama in your marriage, Emily teases me. »

I place my hands on my abdomen and bite my lower lip. Maybe I'm really pregnant… So the pill didn't help much. Just to delay the inevitable… Suddenly I hear shouts from the other side. I look at Emily worried. She points to her ears and whispers "wolf" and "vampire." Oh okay, they heard our conversation. Awesome !

I leave the room followed by Emily. My father is standing in front of Quil and Tanya is holding him in her arms. All three turn to me and I smile tightly.

"Bella," Charlie said in an almost inaudible voice. Are you pregnant?

It's possible, I answer, causing my father to gasp. It will take a blood test to confirm it.

I'm going to kill him !

No, dad!

Charlie darling! »

Tanya and I react at the same time. I meet her gaze and she smiles warmly at me. I think I have his support. I don't know why, but I'm reassured to know that she's on my side. Quil stares at me blankly, then he asks me:

"What does a hybrid, half-human, half-vampire look like? What does it feed on?

Human food and blood, I answer.

I've never heard of hybrids, Tanya said, taken aback. How can you say that? Is that a guess on your part?

No, I saw that I was having a baby with Edward, I just didn't realize it would be so soon.

A baby with fangs then? Quil asks, looking uncomfortable.

No, a normal baby physically, I reply… Except that he grows much faster in the belly and outside.

So he's getting old? Does that mean he's dead? he asks curiously. »

I'm starting to feel nervous. Talking about the possible death of my baby bothers me a lot.

"He will only age seven years and will stop when he looks like he is in his twenties. We will meet a hybrid later, who will explain this to us.

So you're not in danger? asks my father, looking reassured.

Not at the moment… I answer with a little hesitation.

That's to say ? Emily asks.

Childbirth is complicated, pregnancy is stressful… Edward may have to turn me into a vampire if my body can't take it.

No ! shouts my father. This baby is a danger to you! You have to get him out before he kills you! »

I step back holding my stomach, shocked by Charlie's attitude. Emily positions herself in front of me, ready to defend me. Quil stands up, placing himself between Charlie and Emily. Tanya grabs my dad's arm.

"Main quest: protect your future baby… Reward: hidden… Penalty: permanent break in communication with your father. »

I gasp as I read the blue window.

"It's not a decision for you dad. I'm of legal age and Edward is the father. It is with him that I must talk about this pregnancy first.

He will also tell you to abort. Your safety is his priority, he replies.

He will probably bring up the subject, but in any case, it is a decision that belongs to him and me, it is our child and it is my body! No one can decide to make the slightest modification without my consent! »

My last sentence was almost yelled, but I was determined to get the message across. I had more than enough of everyone trying to decide my life for me. The devs had a dirty habit of coming up with creepy quests with goofy rewards at the worst times, like they were kidding me. But there, I had reached my limit.

"Okay," Quil interjects. How about we all take the tension down a notch?

Charlie, the pregnancy hasn't even been confirmed yet, Tanya adds. »

I thank them both in my head as Emily offers me to rest in her room. I thank her and lie down on her bed. She brings me a glass of water and I ask her to stay with me for a bit, which she does. The night is very long and the next day no one seems to have slept much, despite the camp beds set up in the living room for the guests. I've had many dreams including several visions I'm sure, but my state of confusion is such that I find it difficult to make sense of things. All I decide to remember is a baby with bronze hair and green eyes in my father's arms.

His attitude makes me imagine the worst for Edward's reaction. I can also hear his ringtone. I have a panicked Edward on the line.

"Bella? Beautiful! Are you doing well ?

Yes of course. For what ?

Alice doesn't see you anymore! Your future is gone! »

I see Tanya and Quil tensing up. They heard Edward perfectly and I now know for sure that the fruit of our love is in my womb. But before telling him, the priority is to reassure Edward.

"Don't worry Edward, there is a perfectly logical explanation." Everything is fine ! »

My dad frowns at my words and mumbles something under his breath, making Tanya click his tongue in disapproval. He then mutters an apology. I manage during this time to reassure Edward enough to tell me about their confrontation with the newborns. The entire army is dead, but there has been an incident. We get ready and go to meet our family.

The wolves lit a big fire at the border. I hug Edward when he comes within reach and he hugs me tight. He whispers to me:

" I'm sorry.

For what ? I ask, pulling my head back from his chest.

We were done killing the newborns and I was about to kill Victoria when Alice saw your future disappear. I was completely distracted by the panic and she took the opportunity to run away.

So Victoria is not dead?

No my love. Because of me, Edward replies, ashamed.

It's gonna be okay my heart. We'll get it eventually.

Except we have a bigger problem than her right now, Jasper interjects.

How so ?

The Volturi visited us in the field after the battle, explains Carlisle. There were four of them… They demanded to know what had happened and we had to talk about Victoria. We talked about his desire for revenge following the death of his companion. We told them that we had been attacked first.

What did they say about wolves?

Alice warned us quickly enough for them to have time to evacuate the meadow. »

I sighed with relief.

" And you ? asks Edward. You told me you had an explanation for the disappearance of your future.

It's because I'm going to be continuously very close to a being that Alice can't see.

A wolf ? Alice wrinkles her nose in disgust.

No, a hybrid. »

I place Edward's hand on my stomach and clarify with a smile:

"Our baby decided to move in by surprise. »

If a vampire can be in shock, that's probably the face they should be making. It is also not the only one. The camp is silent apart from the sounds of crackling fire. Rosalie is the first to come out of her amazement. She walks up to me and wraps her arms around me, whispering congratulations.

"Thank you, Rose. »

She smiles at me broadly and I see the emotion in her eyes. Carlisle then approaches me in turn and offers to examine me as soon as possible.

" How is it possible ? Sam asks.

He's neither a vampire nor a human, Quil replies. It is a growing hybrid. »

Wolves are also dumbfounded by what they learn. I can see they don't know how to take the news. I then ask everyone if I can give them more explanation once I have discussed with the future dad, still frozen like a statue. They all nod. I put my hand on the cheek of my man who finally looks at me.

"Take me to our cabin so we can talk a bit together." »

Without a word, his face expressionless, he gently takes me in his arms and runs to our house. I sit on the couch and he makes a fire. When he's finished and sits down next to me, I see something in his eyes that I didn't expect.