Chapter 44 - Bella

When I got to Uncle Quil's the day after the bonfire and my mother's visit, he was waiting for me on his front porch drinking a cup of tea. "Welcome home." He greeted me.

"Thanks." I said approaching him. "It was definitely needed. I came to talk to you." I said sitting in a chair near him.

"What's on your mind?" He asked.

"Do you think that it is possible for me to commune with spirits?" I asked him.

"How so? There are many ways to commune and with you being the Omega, I think that it is a high possibility." He said.

I sighed. "I've been thinking about my visit to the in-between. About something that Ephraim said. I want to know if it's possible for me to go back. I have questions for him and Levi." I said.

"Levi?" He asked me confused.

I nodded. "Apparently, Ephraim and Levi have been watching over me my entire life. Ephraim told that I was never supposed to leave Forks, but because Renee left Charlie it threw a wrench in the plans that Ephraim and Levi had. They were the ones that pushed Phil towards my mother. They knew that I'd be selfless and come back here." I told him.

"Interesting." He said, taking a drink of his tea. "It won't be an easy process. You'll essentially be going on a spirit walk. There's no guarantee that you'll end up in the in-between. It will be up to Ephraim and Levi to pull you there." He told me.

I nodded, understanding what he was telling me. "I understand. What will it take?" I asked.

"There's a tea. You let me know when you want to start. I'll have to brew the tea the day before." He said.

"Thank you." I said.

He nodded. "How are you feeling? The symptoms?" He asked.

"They're just about gone." I told him. I still had a little bit of nausea and tiredness.

Uncle Quil nodded. "It should go away with time. What about everything else? How're things?" He asked me.

I knew that he wasn't asked me as a member of the pack or an elder. He was asking as my Uncle. "Things are good. Renee popped in for a visit yesterday and it led Jared and I to have a conversation about just how toxic my relationship with Edward had been. After that it caused me to really think about the things that have happened since the newborn battle. I hadn't had a chance to fully process everything that has happened." I told him.

He nodded. "And now?" He asked.

"I can't help but wonder if we'll ever get peace." I said.

Uncle Quil cocked his head to the side at me. "What do you mean? The Cullen's have moved away. To the best of my knowledge we are at peace. I mean, sure, we'll still have the occasion nomad come through, but I don't think that we have any big dangers to concern ourselves with at this point." He said.

I nodded, even though I was still unsure. "If that's the case…then why am I needed within the pack?" I asked him.

He opened and closed his mouth several times. "I am not sure. Ephraim and Levi might have a better answer for you, for they are more attuned with the Gods." He said.

I nodded. There wasn't anything I felt that I could say.

When I got home from Uncle Quil's, Jared wasn't home. I headed into the kitchen and took some meat out of the freezer before heading upstairs to take a nap. I knew that Uncle Quil said that now that the ceremony had been completed that the symptoms should start to go away…but I wasn't feeling any better. I knew that I had been putting on a brave face for Jared but I knew that at some point he would know that I was faking it…if he didn't already.

As I climbed into my bed it occurred to me…When had my last period been?

Jumping up from my bed, I went in search of my calendar. I began flipping through it. I used it to keep track of when my period was as well as the times that Jared and I had sex. Can't be too careful when your dating a supernatural wolf, right? As I flipped through the calendar, I realized that my last period had been just before Jared and I had starting having sex. It was possible. I could be pregnant.

I immediately grabbed my phone and called Sue. "Sue? Are you at the clinic today?" I asked as soon as she answered.

"Of course. What's the matter?" She asked.

I sighed. "I need a pregnancy test and blood work." I told her.

"I'll clear my afternoon." She said.

"I'll be there soon." I said before I hung up.