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Chapter 23


Bella


Oh my god, please don't. My baby.

I held my stomach for protection and curled up in falling.

While the thought flashed through my mind that I shouldn't lose my baby, I noticed a strange haze around me.

Automatically I reached for it, somehow I couldn't get through.

Panic overcame me and fear spread through me. In the meantime, my tears resembled a waterfall.

Suddenly the veil was gone, and strong arms stopped me before I hit the ground.

Gratefully, I sighed and then everything went black.

The whole thing was obviously too much for my body.


Victor


I was about to go up to my room, once again reading a boring book.

The vampire life had a lot of advantages, but if you didn't have a mate, time could often pass much too slowly. By now I knew all the medical books. There was not much left that I had not already tried to apply in practice.

Bella's scream snapped me out of my thoughts.

At the base of the stairs I stopped, and for the first time I was glad that we didn't have to breathe. With what I just saw, my breath would certainly have stopped.

Bella must have slipped and threatened to fall down the stairs, but she did not touch them. A gray veil enveloped her, as if protecting her.

How could this be possible? Was perhaps her baby already so powerful? Did the baby protect both from the impact?

I quickly sprinted toward her. The veil disappeared and I caught her. After all, I didn't want to test it whether she would have hit the ground or not.

Bella looked at me with wide eyes and then fainted.

"Bella!" yelled Edward from behind me.

"Don't worry, Edward. I caught her in time. She just fainted."

His facial expression told me that he was very worried.

Emmett patted him brotherly on the shoulder, to which Edward growled.

I looked at the two of them questioningly.

"Sorry. I ..."

He interrupted Emmett.

"You're lucky nothing happened to her. Another one of these spells and I'll forget myself. You must be starting to get it that it upsets Bella."

I was still standing there with Bella in my arms, watching the two of them.

Emmett walked toward the kitchen with a guilty look on his face, and Edward still looked very worried.

To be safe, I decided to check on Bella and the baby, because safe was safe. Just as I was about to go up the stairs, Edward held me and looked at me questioningly.

"I'd like to examine them both for safety."

"Okay, I'll go with you."

Wordlessly, we made our way to the guest room.

Bella's heartbeat was strong and regular, so I didn't have to worry too much.

The baby's heartbeat could not be heard, and that worried me a lot.

'Please, let me hear your heartbeat.'

Once in the guest room, I placed Bella on the exam bed.

Edward held her hand and stroked her cheek.

"What about the baby?", Edward asked me.

I tried not to show my concern.

"We'll know in a minute. Be patient."

"I have no patience. Is our baby okay!?" he yelled at me in a panic.

"Edward, calm down. Victor needs his full concentration for the examination. If you yell at him, you're not helping him at all."

"Thank you, Esmé," I murmured.

She put her hand on Edward's shoulder and looked at him lovingly. Afterwards, she looked briefly at me and silently indicated that she was holding him still so I could complete my examination. She came at just the right moment.

I stood next to Bella, closed my eyes, and put my hand on her belly.


Edward


Emmett and I ran at the same time after hearing Bella scream.

I still couldn't believe what Emmett had said. No wonder my angel had run away right away. Hopefully, nothing had happened to her.

I am such a fool! 'I'm such a jerk! Why did I have to bring that saying?

Not wanting to hear Emmett's thoughts any further, I blanked it all out.

At that moment, only Bella and the baby mattered.

As we turned the corner, I saw Bella lying lifeless in Victor's arms.

Oh my God! What had happened?

"Bella!", I screamed in panic and ran towards the two.

"Don't worry, Edward. I caught her in time. She just fainted."

My clumsy wife had almost fallen down the stairs only because of Emmett. What would have happened if Victor had not been here? I'm gonna kill Emmett.

I would have loved to jump down his throat.

At that moment, he patted me on the shoulder in a brotherly way.

Fortunately, Victor was there in time. I hope they are both okay. If not, Edward will tear my head off.

His gesture and his thoughts made me growl. I could not and did not want to express my anger at him right now.

But typical Emmett, he would probably never learn when it was best to keep his mouth shut.

"Sorry. I ..."

"You're lucky nothing happened to her. Another one of these spells and I'll forget myself. You must be starting to get it that it upsets Bella."

'I hope you can forgive me soon, brother.'

With those thoughts and his eyes to the floor, Emmett walked into the kitchen.

Victor wanted to leave with Bella in his arms. Panic-stricken, I held him tight and looked at him questioningly. He explained to me that he wanted to examine Bella and the baby for safety.

'Don't worry, just to be safe,' he kept saying in his mind.

Somehow I didn't believe him.

Nothing could be heard in the house except for Bella's heartbeat.

Somehow it was eerie, but also reassuring. Her heartbeat was strong and regular. It calmed me a little, my fear for my angel became a little less.

But how was our dwarf?

Victor carefully laid Bella on the examination couch in the guest room.

I quickly scurried to her side and tenderly caressed her cheek.

She looked like she was sleeping peacefully.

"What about the baby?", I asked, interrupting the uncomfortable silence.

He had closed his thoughts from me, and that scared me.

"We'll know in a minute. Be patient."

Was he trying to reassure me?

But I was not calm. I was worried and scared.

"I have no patience. Is our baby okay!?", I yelled at him.

Why did he close his mind? Something was not right here at all, only what?

"Edward, calm down. Victor needs his full concentration for the examination. If you yell at him, you're not helping him at all."

"Thank you Esmé."

When had Esmé come into the room? I was completely off my rocker.

Esmé put her hand on my shoulder and somehow I felt that her closeness calmed me a little.

'I'm sure everything is fine, don't worry. I am here for you.'

Victor was now standing next to the bed and put his hand on Bella's stomach.

Still Bella's heartbeat was the only sound in the house.

This silence was interrupted by his whisper.

"Well, little one, would you like to please Uncle Victor and your daddy by letting us hear your heartbeat?"

Was I going completely crazy now, or was he really talking to our dwarf? He didn't really think he would get an answer, did he?

Esmé and I looked at each other questioningly, waiting anxiously for some reaction.

Out of the blue, the heartbeat of our dwarf could be heard.

I had the feeling as if it was showing himself at Victor's request. Was that possible?

"Thank you, little one. From the looks of it, you're doing well, and you've protected yourself and your mommy. You're already very strong."

What had he said?

The dwarf had protected Bella and himself? How was that possible? How could a baby protect his mommy and himself? What did he mean by 'very strong'?

I had to ask him later what it all meant, but only after my angel woke up. Actually, she could perk up again.

Why didn't she wake up?

"The baby is doing great," Victor interrupted my thoughts.

"And what about Bella? Why isn't she waking up?"

"Her body needs rest. As soon as Carlisle gets home, I'm sure he'll check her out."

"He's already on his way. I called him earlier," Esmé spoke up.

"Thank you both."

"Edward, what do you say you carry Bella to my room, or rather your room. I'm sure the bed will be more comfortable for her than this examination bed."

I nodded to both of them in response and carefully lifted my angel.

Arrived in my old room, I put her carefully into bed. A strand of hair, which had fallen into her face, I brushed behind her ear. Then I lay down with her and cuddled tightly against her.

Bella still gave the impression that she was sleeping peacefully.

Hopefully she would wake up soon.


Bella


Where am I? Why is everything dark around me?

I wanted to open my eyes, but I couldn't.

Oh my god, I can't move either. Am I dead? What happened?

I tried to remember that.

I remembered that Emmett had let off another insulting saying. Then I had run away.

Oh my God, I fell down the stairs and now there is something wrong with me.

Panic overcame me as I thought about my baby.

I wanted to move to caress my belly, but I couldn't.

I wanted to cry, but no tears came.

What is wrong with me?

While I was bathing in my self-pity and thinking why and why not, I fancied that I heard the voice of a child.

Spasmodically, I tried to concentrate on it.

When I heard more precisely what the voice said, I only thought: Now you are going completely crazy, Bella Cullen.

I thought I heard: 'Mommy, everything will be all right.'

Oh man, I must have hit my head hard.

Again I heard a child.

'Mommy, I saved us.'

'Who saved me? Who are you?'

'I am your Mousie.'

'What?'

I had to be in heaven or something. It couldn't be possible that my baby was talking to me. Or is it? Could vampire babies?

'Don't worry, we're fine.'

After these words, I tried again to caress my belly and cry, but both were still impossible.

Now would be just the time to scream in panic, but who would hear me?

'I would hear it, mommy. We need rest and should sleep.'

'Sorry, Mousie. I didn't mean to scare you or anything.'

To make my anxiety go down a bit, I tried to get excited about talking to my baby.

What could you be happy about when you talked to an unborn child? Bella, I admonished myself. Think of something else. But what?

Then a thought hit me like a lightning bolt.

Did my baby already know what it was going to be? Could I ask it? Screw it, I would just ask.

'Mousie, are you still there?'

Actually a stupid question. Where should my unborn baby go?

I tried to laugh at my thoughts.

'I'm here, Mommy.'

'Are you a girl or a boy?'

'What is that?'

'Forget it, Mousie.'

'Okay, and now you should sleep.'

As if on cue, I felt as if my eyes were getting heavier. Which actually couldn't be possible, since they were still tightly closed.

With the thought of what my baby constantly meant by 'us', everything became even darker.


Edward


Bella still looked like she was fast asleep.

Carlisle had come in the meantime and examined them. He seemed confused.

"That's a mystery to me."

'Her vital signs are perfectly fine, yet she does not wake up. Why?'

"So you have no explanation as to why Bella is still sleeping?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have any answers. All we can do is wait and hope she wakes up on her own. Victor will observe the baby and I will observe Bella."

'I'm sorry, son.'

"Thank you, Carlisle."

Carlisle had quietly left my old room.

If I were still human, I would probably get sick from worrying about my wife. I had sworn to always protect Bella, and then I couldn't save her from a near fall. Or awaken from this 'what-do-you-know'-state.

"My angel, if you can hear me, I am here for you. Please, come back to me."

I gave her a tender kiss on her lips and lingered on it a bit, hoping she would return the kiss.

But nothing happened!

If I could cry, I would certainly have no more liquid for it. But since I could not cry, I sat beside her and sobbed tearlessly.

After a while I tried my luck like Victor. Maybe our dwarf made himself noticeable for me. I stroked over Bella's belly, then I put my head on it.

"Please, my ..."

A strong heartbeat interrupted me. At that moment, I felt a little happiness again.

"Thanks. Now all we need is for your mom to wake up."

'She'll wake up soon, Daddy.'

I recoiled and stared at Bella's belly.

What was that? Was I going completely crazy now?

Our baby's heartbeat could still be heard strongly, and I was more than confused about the words I thought I heard. Carefully, I stroked Bella's belly again and hoped for another reaction.

Without thinking, I said, "How do you know?"

'Mommy is sleeping, and I have to sleep again, too.'

"Okay, sleep tight then."

Abruptly, the heartbeat was gone again, and only Bella's could be heard.

Carlisle and Victor stood in the doorway and asked what had just happened.

"I heard the baby."

"What, how is that possible? Victor, do you have an explanation for this?"

'This baby is very powerful when it can talk to you.'

"Carlisle, I'm not omniscient. The only thing I know is that this baby is getting stronger every day. Maybe that's why Bella isn't waking up. I'm sure this pregnancy is very taxing on her body."

"The baby told me that Bella will wake up soon. She's sleeping, and the baby needs to go back to sleep, too."

"That's incredible. I think the heartbeat thing is fascinating. Just now we heard it, and now it's gone again," Carlisle said.

"Carlisle, that's not all this baby can do. When Bella fell down the stairs, she was enveloped in an almost invisible veil. I've seen something similar before on one of Aro's guards. They call him 'the protective shield,' and he doesn't leave his side."

"I thought each gift only came once?"

I addressed this question to both of them.

"Until now, I thought so too, son. But this baby is a part of both of you, and don't forget that Aro mentioned that Bella will surely have a strong gift."

"Don't be mad at me, you two, but I'd like to be alone with my wife right now. This is all a bit too much for me."

"Okay. Come on, Victor, let's go to my office and look through some books."

Silently, he followed Carlisle, and the two of them left me alone.

I snuggled back up to my angel and hugged Bella tightly. Then I breathed a kiss on her forehead and told her that I loved her.

The silence in the house was stifling.

I quietly hummed Bella's lullaby to myself and tried to block out everyone's thoughts. Every now and then I focused on Carlisle and Victor because I was curious if they had found anything yet. Until now, they had not found anything about a case like ours.

Again and again I thought about how this pregnancy would go on.

Would everything be normal, I mean, after all, it was not a normal baby. How fast would it grow? When would it come? Would it hurt my angel? Oh man, questions about questions. This silence slowly but surely drove me out of my mind. I had to do something, but what?

Just as I was about to free myself from Bella's embrace, my angel moved.

Her grip on my stomach tightened, and she mumbled against my chest, "I love you."

Overjoyed, I hugged Bella tighter and said, "I love you too, my angel."

"Don't push so hard."

"Oh Bella, you're awake again."

"No, I still like to sleep."

She slid up to my face, breathed a gentle kiss on my lips, and murmured a "good night."

She was back. My angel had woken up!

Although not yet properly, but she had a normal sleep again. With an overjoyed grin I watched my angel.

At that moment, all my worries were forgotten for the time being. I was just happy that my angel was back from this state and my baby was already special.


Bella


In this state I was in, I thought I heard Edward talking to our baby as well.

Again and again I tried to move, but without success. Thus I could only think, and thereby I thought again and again of this one sentence of my Mousie.

Why had it said, 'Don't worry, we're fine.'? What was this 'us' referring to? Did it mean me and itself? Or had it ... No, I said to myself, it couldn't be, or could it?

After an eternally long time, or at least that's how it seemed to me, I felt a slight shaking.

Automatically, I tried to reach for it and was more than surprised to feel something as well.

I quickly clung tighter to it and mumbled an "I love you".

Suddenly the hug became stronger, and I felt it was a little too tight.

"Don't push so hard," I said automatically.

"Oh Bella, you're awake again," I heard Edward's voice.

I could move again, and Edward held me in his arms. I would have loved to jump up and kiss him stormily. Unfortunately, my body was of a different opinion. I felt as if a steamroller had run over me.

"No, I still like to sleep."

I pulled myself up to his face and breathed a gentle kiss on his lips. Then I murmured another "good night".

After this kiss I was more than happy.

Since I felt Edward's cold lips properly, I knew that I was fully there again. Even if my eyes still did not want to stay open. Thus I let myself fall again into this firm sleep and thereby I asked myself again and again the same question.

Had I dreamed it all or had my Mousie really talked to me?