Author's Note:

Hi everyone!

So, that was the end of Jules' little arc. I'm very proud of her :) We're going back to Beau as narrator again and surprise, Edythe's pregnant, haha. But I promise it's not going to take 20 years, I wouldn't want to do that to her ;) I just wanted to quickly acknowledge that this is the biggest divergence from Stephenie Meyer's Twilight universe like I talked about in my very first author's note; that somehow it's possible for a female vampire to get pregnant. Granted, it is extremely rare as illustrated in how Carine, Eleanor, and Jessamine cannot, and it also does have to do in part with how Beau is still human, like how it was with Bella and Edward. I'll talk a little bit more in-depth about this as the story goes on and while I won't post spoilers here, I just wanted to add that this will play a major role in another plot point later on in regards to the Volturi, actually. I'm excited to hear what you guys think!

As always, thank you for reading and for all the support! I hope you enjoy :)

Book 3: Beau

25. CHALLENGE

My phone vibrated on the dining room table. It was Dad. It's been Dad the whole time this past month.

"Are you going to take that, or should I?" Jules asked me, folding her arms over her chest. "He's been calling nonstop. Don't you think you owe him a little explanation?" She motioned her chin to where Edythe was sitting on the couch, just sipping on her lunch like it was a freaking strawberry smoothie. I still shuddered a little at the thought but I wouldn't let it affect me long - Edythe was infinitely more important to me than my aversion to blood. Obviously. I just had to remind myself of that a couple of times. I let out a sigh, one hand on my chin and the other tapping away on the vibrating surface of the table. So, here's the thing - Edythe and I were technically supposed to be kicking it at Dartmouth College right about now; that was the gameplan. But, obviously, that's not going to be happening anytime soon for reasons. I was running out of excuses to tell Charlie. First, we said we were extending the honeymoon – no big deal, just that it was all a big fat lie. Then we had to go and tell him that I got sick and then Edythe got sick, so we were taking it easy and won't be back home until we both felt better. At this rate, I might as well just call myself a pathological liar. It didn't sit well in my gut, just so you know. Maybe having a cop for a dad does that to you. Archie's been working really hard to keep track of every possibility; every turn in fate he could manage, monitoring everyone's futures – the ones he can see, at least – so it was impossible to know just how much was safe to reveal to Charlie, my mom, or anyone else for that matter because things were always changing. I let it go to voicemail. Jules frowned at me then walked to the window, just staring out of it. Ever since that kiss, it feels like there's been this huge elephant in the room situated smack-dab in between us; a solid sort of distance. She still drops by every morning and goes back home at night to take care of her mom; she still sticks around for our sake. It wasn't easy for me to know how hard that must be for her and I remembered again how bad I felt about it when I saw her slender frame make this small, quivering shadow against the glass windowpane – I knew she was lonely. She didn't need to do this to herself. I haven't seen her smile much since and I missed it. I wracked my brain trying to come up with things to say; something funny to make her laugh. But just as I reached for her shoulder to say all those unspoken things she suddenly started, looking to the clock on the upper wall then touching the back of her neck, once again drawing that invisible line between us. Could we ever come back from this?

"I better start getting ready to leave now if I want to beat traffic." she said apologetically, plastering on a smile. It wasn't the kind I was hoping to get out of her but I didn't know what else to say, so I let her go. I mean, what else could I do? She cut across the living room with long strides like she was in a hurry to get away - away from me, maybe; to keep her distance - and pulled on her short black gloves. Snatching her keys off the table by the bottom of the stairs, she started towards the door and I ran to open it for her. Standing on the porch, I waved her off.

"Drive safe." I called after her, holding on to the doorframe.

"Thanks, Beau. Will do." She saluted me with two fingers and put on her helmet, revving up the engine. I watched as she disappeared down the driveway and turned onto the main road, fading into the orange-gold light of the setting sun. It was only then I went back inside, shutting the door behind me.

"Beau?" Edythe's voice was soft; concerned. I followed the sound to the living room where she was waiting up for me. She'd already vanquished the bloody cup from my sight which I was very appreciative of by the way and I sat down beside her, pulling her cool hand to my lips as I kissed her knuckles.

"You alright?" I asked, looking into her now-crimson eyes. Obviously, she still looked beautiful, but the color change definitely threw me for a loop at first, I was so used to all the gold.

"I feel I should be asking you that question." She gave my fingers a squeeze and stroked my cheek. I covered her hand with mine.

"Just worried about Jules. I'm glad she still has Lee and Sarah, though. I think it really helps." I answered, looking down. But how things were between me and her on the other hand... I hope it'll be different tomorrow; back to normal. Our normal. If not tomorrow, then at least very soon. I missed her.

"They are a comfort to her." Edythe reassured me, slipping into her vintage way of speaking again.

"Well, I'm glad." I tried showing her a smile. It made me feel slightly better, at least. Edythe's bottom lip was caught between the gleam of her white teeth, her eyes narrowing a little trying to read my face. Immediately afterwards though, she brightened up.

"You know what? I think I know just the thing to calm you – the both of you – down." She flashed her dimples at me and with quick, easy strides she went to sit at the piano, straightening her back and resting her hands on the ivory keys. I followed after her.

"He likes it when I play." For a second there, I wasn't sure who she meant by that but when the realization hit me right over the head, it made an odd, fizzy feeling bubble up from inside my chest, kind of like soda pop. Sometimes, it still had yet to sink in that we were going to be actual parents. I stroked my wife's face. Just looking at her like this, I felt a warmth rise up from deep inside my heart which radiated out around me like light. This beautiful, wondrous being, the mother of my child. Crazy as it all was, I knew I couldn't have asked for anyone better. She put her hand over mine and kissed my wrist. Maybe she knew.

"So, it's a boy, then?" I chuckled, showing her an easy smile.

"Well, I can't really tell, actually." She shrugged, laughing. "It's just that when I read his thoughts, I imagine a little boy. Like you." Her voice was a tender sound as it left her lips. It was sweet how sure she sounded about it.

"Hmm… okay. Since that's your guess, I'll just say it's going to be a girl then instead." I waggled my eyebrows, wanting to have a little bit of fun with my wife.

"Is that a challenge I'm sensing?" she shot back brightly.

"Precisely."

"You're on."

"We'll see who wins this round, Mrs. Swan. I'll hold you to it." I laughed, leaning myself up against the piano. She gave my arm a good smack and let out a silvery chuckle.

"Or we can always ask Arch too, and settle this right now." I offered with a smirk.

"Oh, but I want it to be a surprise, though – you know, because when I end up being right and you end up being wrong it'll be more satisfying for me when I totally rub it in your face."

"Uh, no. I think you meant that when I end up being right and you end up being wrong, then I can totally rub it in your face."

"In your dreams!" she cried out with a laugh then touched her stomach again. "Okay, okay." I heard her say in a whisper. "I think he wants me to play something now – like, right now. He's waiting for it, actually." She grinned and turned to look at me, tugging me in towards her by my shirt collar and stroking my face as she pressed a kiss to my lips. She brought her hands back down to the piano keys, taking a breath as she began to play. She didn't even have the music in front of her, but I could tell it was the piece I found on our honeymoon. Her beautiful fingers danced effortlessly across the gleaming keys, the intricate melody floating up then out and filling my ears. Her lips were pursed very slightly in an intense yet effortless look of concentration, but her eyes were already lost in the melody; the music. I looked on, mesmerized by her beauty and everything that she was.

My everything.

She pulled her hands away just then.

"Do you think…" she sucked in a quick breath through her teeth and turned towards me, "do you think that we'll even get a chance to find out? To meet him?"

"Without a doubt." I said much more confidently than I felt.

I hope so.

There was a silence between us. Her lips began to tremble in the slightest and she looked down, her eyes just a quivering shadow beneath her thick black lashes and her hair fell over her cheeks in bronze waves like curtains covering her very sad, very beautiful face. I touched the top of her hand and slid in beside her. Wanting to fill up that silence between us; to show her that she wasn't alone, I brought my fingers to the upper range of the keys and bit my lip in concentration, trying hard to remember the notes of the song that Edythe had written for me what seemed like forever ago - we've been through so much together since then. As my fingers pressed clumsily down on the notes – some right ones then some wrong ones and then I'd try again – Edythe rose to her feet, coming up behind me and gently taking my wrists in her hands. "Let me show you." she whispered, her lips grazing my ear. I looked over my shoulder, my heart speeding up when I saw a soft smile dance its way across her face. She guided my hands over all the right notes and had me play it with her, like we were one.

We made beautiful music together, she and I.