Posted 2024-04-06; Beta'd by Eeyorefan12
Bella was setting out platters for the midday meal when Edward came in through the kitchen door. He washed and dried his hands and face before leaning in to kiss her.
"You're cold." He cupped her cheek, frowning.
"Well, it is cold outside."
He plucked the platter from her hands, carrying it to the dining room, leaving her to take the much lighter basket of bread. When they set them on the table, he took her hands. They too were chilled.
"No one expects you to work outside in this weather, Bella."
"And I'm not. I only went out to get something from the garden. I do like being outside, my overprotective husband." It wasn't like she could go anywhere else. Town was off limits and for good reason.
Edward replaced his frown with a fleeting smile.
The weather had turned distinctly autumnal in the last weeks, and while the rest of the household seemed to enjoy the crisp weather, Bella still struggled to warm herself when she came back inside. Everyone had assured her it would pass after the birth. She hoped so. Even Sherooz Adnios had not been concerned by the symptom. "Very common," he'd assured her, watching her in that way he had—like she was a specimen under a microscope. He appeared fascinated by a human-Sabellian pregnancy, completely unheard of in Sabellia now.
The sherooz had even asked her if Edward had continued to "service" her, which had seemed a most intrusive question. Then she realized he probably just wanted to reassure her that such activities wouldn't harm the baby, which he did.
Esme and Alice carried in the plates and cutlery, setting the table as the others filtered in.
Bella sat down at the table and tightened the wrap of her shawl.
"Rose, can you add melisikaru to the list for when you're next in town?" Esme asked.
Rose nodded, pulling out her scrip.
"Is that necessary?" The corners of Jasper's mouth tightened as he passed the bread in Bella's direction.
"Concerned I've turned into a spendthrift?" Esme speared a piece of kerata as she eyed her son.
Mrs. Lykos, seated across from Bella, shifted in her seat, a hand pressed to her stomach. "Oh, melisikaru is wonderful to have. We"—her expression faltered—"had some."
Both she and her husband looked down at their food.
Esme glared at Jasper, who looked away.
In the intervening silence of politely clinking cutlery, Bella glanced sideways at Edward, who had slipped into one of his increasingly common gazeless stares—lost in thought.
Possibly again thinking of taking her south more permanently.
The Lykos's were not alone in working to relocate themselves to the southern regions. Mr. Pritner had sold his remaining share in the family farm to his nieces and nephews. He'd tried to convince them to sell the whole thing, but they wouldn't budge. He had come to tell Esme he'd be establishing a new household far in the southern regions. It had sounded almost as if he was inviting the Cullens to join him—that, or convince his remaining family to go. Given how strained relations had been with the Pritners, it had been a startling request.
Some of the market stalls normally populated by southern merchants currently stood empty. The protest-turned-riot at the assembly had badly shaken the entire community. Even Presga's Matriarcha had all but emptied out, many families worried about their boys' safety.
Pilkonis was worse, and while Esme agreed with Emmett and Rose's decision, Bella could see her mother-in-law worried over them leaving to temporarily live with Emmett's family. Raids were weekly occurrences there now. Rose and Emmett would be safe enough from the ire of the purists, but that was no guarantee of other types of safety. Still, Bella understood Emmett's desire to return and protect his family.
The Hatzis had no plans of moving. Stolos had made enough self-deprecating jokes about his reality: "Someone needs to be available to mate with the most desperate."
Bella smiled, thinking of him. He was kind to her, if a bit goofy, and good for Edward who he regularly visited. When he'd heard Mr. and Mrs. Lykos would be staying with them, Stolos had gifted the household with a large bundle of valuable herbs, for which he'd received profuse thanks from the recipients.
Mrs. Lykos shifted again in her seat, grunting quietly.
The gaze of every Sabellian female at the table snapped to her.
"Kira?" her husband whispered.
Esme stood. "Jasper?"
Jasper was already on his feet, nodding and turning to leave.
"Please send someone to inform Miss Sarris on your way," Esme called after him.
The next sound Mrs. Lykos made was a long, low growl.
"Let's get you upstairs." Alice spoke softly, standing behind her, rubbing her shoulders.
Wrapped up in the drama, Bella startled when she felt Edward's hand touching hers.
"I'll see you after," he said.
"You're not staying?" Jasper was already on his way to get the midwives, wasn't he?
Edward shook his head. "Only the women will attend the birth. My mother can explain."
"But . . ."
On the stairs, Mrs. Lykos's growl was loud, bordering on a snarl.
"Don't worry. I'll be nearby." Edward kissed the top of her head, a gesture mirrored by Emmett to Rose and Vank to Tabitha. The men left quickly, Rose and Bella following Esme, Alice, and Mrs. Lykos up the stairs.
The first hours of labor were quiet. Mrs. Lykos paced and moaned through the waves of contractions. She didn't say much between them, dozing off at times. The other women took turns rubbing Mrs. Lykos's back, letting her lean against them as her midsection rose and fell with each passing wave.
It was calm—much calmer than Bella had expected. She'd pictured a frantic, pain-filled drama. Watching the other women take turns matching Mrs. Lykos's breathing, Bella released the secret fears she'd harbored, breathing into the soft rhythm herself.
The midwives, she'd learned, were a precaution, a purely human holdover. Prior to human hybridity, birth complications were almost unheard of. In general, that remained true, but when they happened—well, there was a reason Esme had sent Jasper to bring the midwives.
As with human labors, Bella had been told that the timing varied from a few hours to the better part of a day or two. Nothing like the four-day ordeal Bella's mother had described. That length had been a rarity for a human birth—and the result of her mother's stubbornness.
Watching Mrs. Lykos's face contort with pain, Bella hoped she wasn't required to be so stubborn.
A particularly noticeable kick from inside her made her reach for the swell of her own pregnancy.
Bella had enjoyed Mrs. Lykos's company. Despite her difficult circumstances, the expectant mother's presence was peaceful—at least Bella always felt that way around her.
Now, that feeling altered dramatically, and as Mrs. Lykos grunted and panted through the mounting contractions, Bella could feel the anxiety creeping from her hips to her stomach to her throat. Looking at the peaceful assembly, Bella shook her head. There was no reason to feel that way.
"Bella, can you go down and make sure the baby blankets are wrapped and by the oven?" Esme eyed her, some calculated expression in her face.
Had she done something wrong?
Maybe.
"Of course." Walking away, the anxiety melted with the distance. "Something subconscious," she muttered to herself.
The bright blue blankets were already by the oven, tidily wrapped in a larger wool blanket.
Clearly, Esme knew what she was doing. Despite Edward's suggestion, there hadn't been time for her to explain too much to Bella, but there would be time later. Bella lingered downstairs, starting to wash up the dishes that had been hastily left after lunch. From the window, she spotted Tabitha in the distant poultry coop, scattering feed. The men would be in the barn, she guessed. Drinking? Smoking cigars? Or was that after the baby was here?
She chuckled at the thought, wondering what odd traditions might accompany a Sabellian birth. She would find out soon enough. As she worked, there were intermittent pangs of anxiety, but she couldn't pinpoint the source or discern a pattern. It was normal to feel some anxiety about the birth of her own child, and of course this would be stoked by having a delivery iminent. No doubt she'd feel better when the midwives arrived, although she was disconcerted to learn that Edward wouldn't be with her when her own time came. Perhaps it wasn't a hard and fast rule; she would ask.
The dishes were almost all dried when she heard the knock at the door. "Hello the house?"
"Mr. Hatzis?" She dried her hands and walked down the hall.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cullen." Stolos stood at the door, smiling at her, bottle in hand. "I just finished this batch and wanted to bring it by."
"Oh, Edward isn't in the house right now."
"I confess I saw his brother ride out not long ago and hoped that meant Edward might be at leisure. Alas, the man never knows when to stop working, a problem I haven't acquired." Stolos grinned.
Bella smiled.
"Well, this is actually for you." Stolos held out the bottle.
"Oh." Another wave of anxiety. Was it appropriate to accept the gift?
"Our sikaru isn't as fine as what your family makes, but no one ever says no to my melisikaru, and I thought it might be of some benefit to you, Mrs. Cullen." He looked at her shawl. "It makes its own fire."
Ah, yes. Once it had become difficult to hide the bulge at her midsection, Edward had shared news of the pregnancy with his old friend.
"Well, that's very kind of you, thank you."
"Come and have a glass with me." Stolos, so at home with the Cullens, obviously felt so now, walking towards the parlor.
Bella glanced upstairs. It was quiet; perhaps it was best if she stayed out of the way. It felt rude not to sit down with Stolos for a moment. He was a family friend, after all. Feeling unsettled, she followed, not wanting to be discourteous but wishing Esme had explained why all the men had been expected to leave.
Stolos was already pouring two glasses. He passed one to Bella as she sat down beside the rickety antique table. Though she was careful not to jostle it, it wobbled anyways.
"To your health." Stolos held up the glass in her direction, then took a dainty sip.
"Thank you." Bella hadn't had any alcohol in her pregnancy, and though Stolos seemed to think it was fine, she wasn't so sure. Sabellian pregnancies were different, but how different . . .
"Oh dear," Stolos said.
Bella lifted her eyebrows in inquiry.
"Has your husband spoken so poorly of my work in the still?" Stolos grinned.
"Ah, no." Bella shook her head. "It's just—on earth, anything alcoholic is very bad for a pregnancy."
"Really? Any at all? Why?"
Bella felt another wave of anxiety, this one so powerful that she winced.
"Mrs. Cullen?"
She shook her head. "I'm sorry. Mrs. Lykos is"—was there a polite way she was supposed to word this?—"her time has come."
"She's unwell?"
Oh dang, was it her place to tell him?
"Uh, no. The baby—"
"Ah. Well, okto! You should have the Melisikaru to celebrate, then!"
A sudden wave of fear and anxiety gripped her. Bella dropped her drink, flinging out an arm to the side to steady herself as she heard the sound of shattering glass.
When she came back to herself, Stolos was beside her, gripping her elbow and helping her sit up. "Mrs. Cullen?"
"I'm—I'm—I don't know what just happened." She looked around her. The antique table, the bottle, and her glass lay in pieces on the floor. "Oh no!"
"It's quite alright. But I think you should take some of this. Clearly you need it." He picked up his glass and held it to her lips.
She was about to take a sip when Alice appeared in the doorway. "Sister? Mr. Hatzis?" She stared at the table and broken bottle. "What happened?"
"I—I don't know. I just . . ."
"You briefly lost consciousness, Mrs. Cullen." He looked worried. "I can take you to the sherooz, if your household is otherwise occupied?"
Alice frowned, coming over to take Bella's hand, feeling her pulse. "Hmm. It's early for fainting spells, but our meal was interrupted. Mr. Hatzis, the impropriety of your presence aside, perhaps it's good you've come. Would you be so kind as to fetch Mr. Lykos from the barn?"
"Of course," Stolos said, sounding slightly annoyed. "If you're certain Sherooz Adnios is not needed for Mrs. Cullen?"
"I'm certain." Alice smiled politely at him. "If you could go quickly, it would be . . . appropriate."
"Could you also get Edward, Mr. Hatzis?" Bella asked.
"No," Alice said. "That would be unwise. And I'm certain Mr. Hatzis will be remaining with the rest of the men." She eyed Stolos.
Yes, the message was clear: no men were welcome in the household except, apparently, Mr. Lykos.
Stolos stood, nodding stiffly to both Alice and Bella. "I hope you feel better soon, Mrs. Cullen."
"I'm so sorry about your gift, Mr. Hatzis." Frowning, she surveyed the damage.
"It's nothing. I've another to bring." He produced one of his easy smiles, walking out the door.
Alice exhaled in relief. "Come, I'll help you get upstairs. You should rest."
Bella was utterly perplexed. The waves of anxiety were back again, but much diminished. Maybe she should have a drink. She looked around for Stolos's glass but couldn't find it.
Helping Bella up, Alice wrinkled her nose. "I'm not sure you should be sorry. That melisikaru smells like it's gone bad."
"He said it was fresh," Bella offered. It had smelled enticingly good to her. Like honey. But perhaps the pregnancy was altering her sense of smell. "I'm okay, Alice. Really. I don't know what came over me."
"Well, if you say so, then let's clean up. I'm in no rush to tell Esme about her table."
Neither was Bella.
"Don't worry," Alice said, waving a hand in its direction. "She'll be the only one to miss it, and you've got a perfect excuse."
Bella gave an uneasy chuckle. After cleaning up the glass, they were on their way to the stairs when Mr. Lykos dashed by with a breathless, "Excuse me."
Upstairs, a door slammed. Mounting the next set of treads, Bella stopped to wait out a wave of dizziness before resuming the climb, hearing Mr. Lycos speaking softly to someone but unable to make out the words. As she neared the top of the stairs, she became aware of other sounds, ones much more familiar and . . . intimate.
She turned to Alice, "Are they . . .?"
"Of course. Why else do you think the men left?"
At the loud snarl and subsequent groans, Bella felt herself blushing, continuing to the second level. This hadn't come up in her reading. Did this mean she and Edward would . . .
Oh God.
"You're uncomfortable?" Alice asked. The Cullens understood her blushes signified a variety of emotions, but their ability to read them was mixed.
"I—uh, yes." Bella cleared her throat.
Alice tilted her head. "How else are babies released, then? On earth?"
Clearly, Bella needed to do more reading about hybrid labors. She seemed to have missed this section. "You mean—he has to—?"
"He doesn't have to, of course, but it would be hours longer if they didn't, if not days." They walked down the hall towards where Esme and Rose waited a distance from the Lykos' room.
Alice didn't pursue her previous inquiry, for which Bella was grateful. Her breasts had begun to ache, feeling tingly, as if she and Edward were—
"Go lie down for a few minutes," Alice said. "That faint was a sign. I'll make sure to get you before the baby comes."
Bella nodded, guiltily relieved not to have to face Esme yet with news of her broken table—and more pointedly, to avoid the company of the other women, who appeared unperturbed by the feral noises emanating from the bedroom.
Lying in her own bed, Bella rolled onto her side, wrestling with mounting and contrasting waves of ease and anxiety, her breasts aching, stomach starting to cramp. She rubbed at her lower abdomen. From across the house, there was a distant, strangled gasp. A beat later, Bella succumbed to a wave of peace and contentment. The feeling spread like water, moving from her stomach down her legs and up in ripples over her chest and arms.
Seconds later, a door banged open. "Matriarch Cullen!" Mr. Lykos sounded alarmed.
Bella struggled out of bed, watching Rose run by her open door.
"Bella, come quickly, please!"
She passed Mr. Lykos on her way into the bedroom where Mrs. Lykos, clad in an open robe, stood leaning against the footboard, muscles straining. Esme knelt on a towel between her legs while Alice stood beside her, gripping Mrs. Lykos' hips. Mr. Lykos, his hastily donned clothing askew, stared at his wife.
"I can't!" Mrs. Lykos gasped.
"You already are." Esme's voice was soft and reassuring. "Can you get on the bed?"
Mrs. Lykos gave a sweaty shake of her head.
Rose appeared with the warmed blankets.
From the room's central figure, there was a feral growl and a shriek. With it came another wave of fear for Bella.
"Once more," Esme said. She kept her hands between Mrs. Lykos' legs.
It was so fast, Bella almost missed it. Suddenly, there was a slippery baby in Esme's arms. Just as quickly, she handed the baby to Bella, catching Mrs. Lykos as she fell. Awkwardly, Bella wrapped the baby in a blanket and then another as Rose, Mr. Lykos, Esme, and Alice lifted the rubber-limbed woman into the bed. Bella kept close, not wanting to pull on the umbilical cord, veritably swaying on the emotional see-saw she was on. The fear had disappeared, though why it should, given that Mrs. Lykos had passed out, she wasn't sure.
Esme began kneading Mrs. Lykos's abdomen. "Wake up, Kira, I need one more push. Your baby is here and he needs you."
The baby gave a tiny cry, and the seesaw dipped into a well of despair.
Bella burst into tears. Feebly, she tried to hand the baby to Mr. Lykos.
Esme jumped to her feet, intervening. "Rose, take the baby, please. Alice, keep kneading."
With obvious aptness, Rose took the baby from Bella, explaining, "It is Sabellian custom. Mrs. Lykos will need to hold the baby before Mr. Lykos does."
"Bella, why are you crying?" Esme's whispered voice was full of reproach.
Footsteps on the stairs announced the arrival of at least two more people. The midwives came in quietly, followed closely by Miss Sarris, murmuring quick questions to Alice and Esme. The midwives took over the kneading while Irene sat down by the bed and took her cousin's hand in hers.
Bella felt like she'd just lost her own mother all over again. Standing empty-armed in the roomful of women, she couldn't make sense of it at all.
Esme wrapped an arm around her and walked her into the hall. "What's wrong?"
"My mother," she croaked. There was another wave of tears and emotion. "I have no idea what's wrong with me. I just feel like I'm happier than I've ever been one minute and depressed the next."
"Since when?"
She blinked rapidly. "This afternoon?"
Esme gasped. "Oh my dear. I'm so sorry."
"Why? What's wrong with me?"
"Nothing, though it won't feel that way to you. It's the nima." She chuckled. "At least that's my guess. You're feeling what the baby has likely been feeling? Peace, fear, anxiety? It happens sometimes, but I didn't expect it would happen in your pregnancy. The children will connect early."
"Connect?" A strange wave of contentment settled over her.
"Their minds. Not always, and almost never with the light-blooded, but in infancy, Sabellians are sometimes connected. You're feeling what your child is feeling, connected to its cohort-mate, or what it thinks is its cohort-mate."
Bella stared, drop-jawed.
Esme squeezed her hand. "The feelings will likely pass in a few days, though they may return again as your own child grows." She gave an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry I didn't recognize it. It's just, because you are human, I never expected—"
"Mother?" Rose stood nearby. "I'll gather the household?"
"Yes, it's time." Esme nodded.
As abruptly as the powerful emotions had washed over Bella, they stopped.
"Already fed and asleep. Wonderful, Mrs. Lykos," one of the midwives said, chuckling.
"Holy shit," Bella whispered, the English words slipping out of her.
"I'm not sure if it's holy, but there'll be plenty of that to come later on." Esme patted Bella on the shoulder. "I'll go get the diapers."